1
建武末，上疏自陳曰：
Toward the end of Jianwu, he submitted a memorial in his own defense:
2
臣伏念高祖之略而陳平之謀，毀之則疏，譽之則親。 以文帝以明而魏尚之忠，繩之以法則為罪，施之以德則為功。 逮至晚世，董仲舒言道德，見妒於公孫弘，李廣奮節於匈奴，見排於衛青，此忠臣之常所為流涕也。 臣衍自惟微賤之臣，上無無知之薦，下無馮唐之說，乏董生之才，寡李廣之勢，而欲免讒口，濟怨嫌，豈不難哉！ 臣衍之先祖，以忠貞之故，成私門之禍。 而臣衍復遭擾攘之時，值兵革之際，不敢回行求時之利，事君無傾邪之謀，將帥無虜掠之心。 衛尉陰興，敬慎周密，內自修敕，外遠嫌疑，故敢與交通。 興知臣之貧，數欲本業之。 臣自惟無三益之才，不敢處三損之地，固讓而不受之，昔在更始，太原執貨財之柄，居蒼卒之間，據位食祿二十餘年，而財產歲狹，居處日貧，家無布帛之積，出無輿馬之飾。 於今遭清明之時，飭躬力行之秋，而怨仇叢興，譏議橫世。 蓋富貴易為善，貧賤難為工也。 疏遠壟畝之臣，無望高闕之下，惶恐自陳，以救罪尤。
I reflect on how Gaozu's strategic insight and Chen Ping's counsel worked: speak ill of them and you are pushed aside; speak well of them and you are drawn close. Consider Emperor Wen's clarity of judgment and Wei Shang's loyalty: judged strictly by the statutes they could be called crimes; weighed with humane virtue they count as service. In more recent times Dong Zhongshu taught moral principle and was resented by Gongsun Hong; Li Guang held firm against the Xiongnu and was sidelined by Wei Qing—such things are why loyal ministers so often shed tears. I am only a man of small station: I have no patron like Wei Wuji above me, no advocate like Feng Tang below, neither Dong Zhongshu's gifts nor Li Guang's stature—and still I hoped to escape backbiting and patch over ill will. How could that be easy? My ancestors were ruined in a family tragedy precisely because they stood loyal and true. I then lived through chaos and war; I did not twist my conduct to chase opportunistic gain; in serving the throne I harbored no deceit; leading troops I felt no urge to pillage. Yin Xing, the Commandant of the Guards, was careful and discreet; he cultivated himself within and avoided every shadow of scandal abroad—so I deemed it safe to deal with him. He knew I was poor and more than once tried to set me up with land and a livelihood of my own. Knowing I was no fit companion for the three kinds of friend—and no fit associate for the three kinds that harm a gentleman—I steadfastly refused his offers. Under Gengshi I held fiscal office in Taiyuan; even in those frantic years I kept my post and my stipend for over two decades, yet my means shrank every year and my home grew poorer: no cloth piled in the house, no fine carriage when I went abroad. Now, in an age meant for clarity and honest effort, I find myself hemmed in by grudges and smeared by gossip from every side. The rich and honored find virtue easy; the poor and obscure can scarcely win a fair hearing—no matter how carefully they live. I am only a man from the fields, with no access to the high court; in fear and trembling I lay this before you, begging relief from my offenses.
3
書奏，猶以前過不用。 衍不得誌，退而作賊，又自論曰：
The memorial went up, but on account of his past errors he was still not taken back into service. Frustrated in his aims, Feng Yan retired and wrote a rhapsody, appending this reflection:
4
馮子以為夫人之德，不碌碌如玉，落落如石。 風興雲蒸，一龍一蛇，與道翺翔，與時變化，夫豈守一節哉？ 用之則行，舍之則臧，進退無主，屈申無常。 故曰：『有法無法，因時為業，有度無度，與物趣舍。 』常務道德之實，而不求當世之名，闊略杪小之禮，蕩佚人間之事。 正身直行，恬然肆誌。 顧嘗好俶儻之策，時莫能聽用其謀，喟然長嘆，自傷不遭。 久棲遲於小官，不得舒其所懷。 抑心折節，意淒情悲。 夫伐冰之家，不利雞豚之息； 委積之臣，不操市井之利。 況歷位食祿二十餘年，而財產益狹，居處益貧。 惟夫君子之仕，行其道也。 慮時務者不能興其德，為身求者不能成其功，去而歸家，復羈旅於州郡，身愈據職，家彌窮困，卒離饑寒之災，有喪元子之禍。
Master Feng held that true character is neither merely polished like jade nor merely plain like stone. Wind rises, clouds gather; one shifts between dragon grandeur and serpent concealment, soaring with the Way and bending with the times—why cling to one rigid pose? Called forth, I serve; dismissed, I withdraw; I follow no single patron, stiffening or yielding as circumstance demands. The saying runs: 'Rules and freedom alike serve the moment; measure and abandon measure as things counsel advance or retreat.' Seek the marrow of the moral life, not the headline of the day; brush aside petty etiquette; do not be snagged by the world's small concerns. Stand upright, walk a straight path, and let your purpose unfold in calm independence. I once pressed daring plans, but my age would not hear them; I can only sigh for a fate that never matched my hopes. For years I stagnated in minor posts, never free to speak what was in my heart. I swallowed pride and bent my will; my thoughts turned bleak and my spirit grew heavy. Great houses commissioned to supply ritual ice do not haggle over pennies from chickens and pigs; ministers who oversee the state's granaries do not peddle goods in the market for private gain. How much more I, who drew an official income for two decades yet grew poorer every year and narrower in my circumstances. The gentleman enters office only to carry his principles into practice. Obsessed with current politics, I could not lift my character; scheming for myself, I never finished what I began. I quit and went home, then drifted again from province to province; the higher I climbed in rank, the deeper my family sank—until we faced cold and hunger and the bitter loss of my firstborn.
5
先將軍葬渭陵，哀帝之崩也，營之以為園。 於是以新豐之東，鴻門之上，壽安之中，地勢高敞，四通廣大，南望酈山，北屬涇渭，東瞰河華，龍門之陽，三晉之路，西顧酆鄗，周秦之丘，客觀之墟，通視千里，覽見舊都，遂定塋焉。 退而幽居。 蓋忠臣過故墟而歔欷，孝子入舊室而哀嘆。 每念祖考，著盛德於前，垂鴻烈於後，遭時之禍，墳墓蕪穢，春秋蒸嘗，昭穆無列，年衰歲暮，悼無成功，將西田牧肥饒之野，殖生產，修孝道，營宗廟，廣祭祀。 然後闔門講習道德，觀覽乎孔老之論，庶幾乎松、喬之福，上隴阪，陟高岡，遊精宇宙，流目八纮。 歷觀九州山川之體，追覽上古得失之風，湣道陵遲，傷德分崩。 夫睹其終必原其始，故存其人而詠其道。 疆理九野，經營五山，眇然有思陵雲之意。 乃作賦自厲，命其篇曰《顯誌》。 顯誌者，言光明風化之情，昭章玄妙之思也。 其辭曰：
My late father, the general, lay buried at Weiling; when Emperor Ai died the tombs there were expanded into an imperial park. So I chose a site east of Xinfeng, above Hongmen, in the Shou'an district—high ground, wide prospects: Mount Li to the south, the Jing and Wei behind me to the north, the Yellow River and Mount Hua eastward, Longmen and the roads of Jin beyond; westward Feng and Hao, the old heights of Zhou and Qin, the wasted splendor of the heartland. From there one sees a thousand li and the old capital itself—that is where I laid the grave. Then I withdrew and lived in quiet retirement. A loyal subject chokes up over ruined ground he once knew; a dutiful son cannot enter an ancestral hall without grief. My forebears left shining virtue and a great name—yet the times broke them; their graves ran wild and our lineage offerings fell into disorder. Now I am old, with nothing achieved; I mean to go west to rich pasture, build up my household again, honor the dead with a proper shrine and fuller sacrifice. Then I would shut my gate to study moral teaching and read Confucius and Laozi, hoping for something of the immortals' ease; I would climb the Long ridges and high hills, send my spirit wandering through heaven and earth, and let my eyes sweep the eight reaches of the world. I would traverse the nine provinces, study how mountains and rivers lie, and read the ancient record of rise and fall—grieving that the Way had slackened and goodness broken apart. To understand how things end you must find how they began; while these men live on in memory, I sing their Way. I ranged the nine domains and traced the five sacred peaks until my spirit lifted toward the clouds. I wrote a rhapsody to brace my own resolve and titled it 'Manifesting My Intent.' The title refers to bringing one's moral purpose into clear light and giving honest voice to the deepest reflections. The text runs:
6
開歲發春兮，百卉含英。 甲子之朝兮，汨吾西征。 發軔新豐兮，裴回鎬京。 陵飛廉而太息兮，登平陽而懷傷。 悲時俗之險厄兮，哀好惡之無常。 棄衡石而意量兮，隨風波而飛揚。 紛綸流於權利兮，親雷同而妒異； 獨耿介而慕古兮，豈時人之所憙？ 沮先聖之成論兮，□名賢之高風； 忽道德之珍麗兮，務富貴之樂耽。 遵大路而裴回兮，履孔德之窈冥； 固眾夫之所眩兮，孰能觀於無形？ 行勁直以離尤兮，羌前人之所有； 內自省而不慚兮，遂定誌而弗改。 欣吾黨之唐、虞兮，湣吾生之愁勤； 聊發憤而揚情兮，將以蕩夫憂心。 往者不可攀援兮，來者不可與期； 病沒世之不稱兮，願橫逝而無由。
The year turns; spring stirs; every stem bears budding flower. At dawn on the day jiazi I set my course westward. I lift the brake at Xinfeng and pace the ruins of old Haojing. I pass Feilian with a long sigh; climbing Pingyang, sorrow floods my breast. I lament a treacherous age and the whims that make praise turn overnight into blame. They cast away the fair scale and judge by whim; I am tossed on their shifting currents. The crowd chases power and profit, loves conformity, and hates every distinctive voice; I alone stand apart and look to the ancients—how could this age approve? They spurn the settled teaching of the sages and trample the lofty example of the worthy; They neglect true moral beauty and chase the hollow delights of rank and riches. I keep to the great road and linger there, walking the deep, silent path of true virtue; the crowd gawks at glitter—who sees what has no shape? Frank conduct earns reproach—the ancients knew it too; yet searching my heart I find no shame; my resolve is set and I will not bend. I exult in the days of Tang and Yu; I pity this anxious life I lead; I voice indignation and let feeling rise, hoping to rinse away this grief. The past cannot be seized; the future will not be sworn; I dread leaving the world unsung; I would escape—but find no road.
7
陟雍畤而消搖兮，超略陽而不反。 念人生之不再兮，悲六親之日遠。 陟九□而臨戔嶭兮，聽涇渭之波聲。 顧鴻門而歔欷兮，哀吾孤之早零，何天命之不純兮，信吾罪之所生； 傷誠善之無辜兮，賫此恨而入冥。 嗟我思之不遠兮，豈則事之可悔？ 雖九死而不眠兮，恐余殃之有再。 淚汍瀾而雨集兮，氣滂氵孛而雲披； 心怫郁而紆結兮，意沈抑而內悲。
I climb the Yong altar and wander free; I pass Lüeyang and may never turn back. We live but once; my family slips farther from me day by day. I climb the Jiuzong heights and look down on the broken ridges; the Jing and Wei sing below me. I turn toward Hongmen and weep for my child taken young; Heaven's will seems cruel—yet I know my own faults brought this; the innocent good suffer still; I carry this bitterness into the dark. Alas, I did not plan far enough—or can any past deed be recalled? Nine deaths would not close my eyes—I dread worse calamity still. Tears stream like rain; great sobs tear from my chest like wind ripping clouds. My heart knots tight; my spirit sinks under inward sorrow.
8
瞰太行之嵯峨兮，觀壺口之崢嶸； 悼丘墓之蕪穢兮，恨昭穆之不榮。 歲忽忽而日邁兮，壽冉冉其不與； 恥功業之無成兮，赴原野而窮處。 昔伊尹之幹湯兮，七十說而乃信； 臯陶釣於雷澤兮，賴虞舜而後親。 無二士之遭遇兮，抱忠貞而莫達； 率妻子而耕耘兮，委厥美而不伐。 韓盧抑而不縱兮，騏驥絆而不試； 獨慷慨而遠覽兮，非庸庸之所識。 卑衛賜之阜貨兮，高顏回之所慕； 重祖考之洪烈兮，故收功於此路。 循四時之代謝兮，分五土之刑德； 林相麓之所產兮，嘗水泉之所殖。 修神農之本業兮，采軒轅之奇策； 追周棄之遺教兮，軼范蠡之絕跡。 陟隴山以逾望兮，眇然覽於八荒； 風波飄其並興兮，情惆悵而增傷。 覽河華之泱漭兮，望秦晉之故國。 憤馮亭之不遂兮，慍去疾之遭惑。
I look across Taihang's ridges and the fierce gorge at Hukou; I grieve for weed-choked graves and the broken order of our ancestral rites. The years race; my allotted span will not wait; I blush that I have achieved nothing; I flee to the wilds and hide. Yi Yin pled his case to Tang seventy times before he was believed; Gao Yao angled in Lei Marsh until Shun raised him up. Without their timely meeting with power, I hold loyalty to no purpose; I lead my family at the plough and bury my gifts unsung. The keen hound is held leashed; the swift horse stands tethered, never raced; I alone rage and scan the distance—things the petty never grasp. I scorn Zigong's clever wealth and lift what Yan Hui loved; My forebears' great deed weighs on me; on this path I seek to finish their work. I follow the turning seasons and read each soil's blessing or bane; I note what woods and foothills yield and sample what spring-water raises. I return to Shennong's husbandry and borrow the Yellow Emperor's craft; I follow the grain god's ancient lesson and leave Fan Li's track behind. I climb Longshan and strain my sight across the eight reaches; Wind and wave surge together; my heart aches more. The Yellow River and Mount Hua spread vast; I look toward the lost realms of Qin and Jin. I rage that Feng Ting's plan miscarried and smart at Quji's fatal mistake.
9
流山嶽而周覽兮，徇碣石與洞庭； 浮江河而入海兮，溯淮濟而上征。 瞻燕齊之舊居兮，歷宋楚之名都； 哀群後之不祀兮，痛列國之為墟。 馳中夏而升降兮，路紆軫而多艱； 講聖哲之通論兮，心愊憶而紛紜。 惟天路之同軌兮，或帝王之異政； 堯、舜煥其蕩蕩兮，禹承平而革命。 並日夜而幽思兮，終悇憛而洞疑； 高陽□其超遠兮，世孰可與論茲？ 訊夏啟於甘澤兮，傷帝典之始傾； 頌成、康之載德兮，詠《南風》之歌聲。 思唐、虞之晏晏兮，揖稷、契與為朋； 苗裔紛其條暢兮，至湯、武而勃興。 昔三後之純粹兮，每季世而窮禍； 吊夏桀於南巢兮，哭殷紂於牧野。 詔伊尹於亳郊兮，享呂望於酆州； 功與日月齊光兮，名與三王爭流。
I drift past sacred peaks, circle Jieshi, sweep toward Dongting; I ride the great rivers to the sea, then trace the Huai and Ji upstream. I pass Yan and Qi's old seats and Song and Chu's storied towns; I mourn kings without heirs and kingdoms ground to dust. I race the heartland's rises and falls on roads that twist and fight me; I rehearse the sages' great themes until my heart knots with tangled thought. Heaven's law runs one track, yet kings rule each in his own way; Yao and Shun shone with effortless breadth; Yu took a settled age and forged a new mandate. Day and night I brood until anxiety hollows me out; Gaoyang's line rose remote as heaven—who alive can weigh such things with me? I question Qi of Xia by Gan Pool and mourn where the golden age first cracked; I hymn Cheng and Kang's virtue and the tune of the 'South Wind.' I dwell on the calm of Yao and Shun's age and would take Hou Ji and Xie as my companions; Their line branched and flourished until Tang and Wu burst forth in power. The three ancient kings were utterly good—yet each dynasty ended in ruin; I mourn Jie of Xia besieged at Southern Nest and Zhou of Yin defeated at Muye. I call Yi Yin from the outskirts of Bo and feast Lü Wang by Fengzhou; Their deeds shone with sun and moon; their fame runs alongside the three sage kings.
10
楊朱號乎衢路兮，墨子泣乎白絲； 知漸染之易性兮，怨造作之弗思。 美《關雎》之識微兮，湣王道之將崩； 拔周唐之盛德兮，捃桓、文之譎功。 忿戰國之遘禍兮，憎權臣之擅強； 黜楚子於南郢兮，執趙武於湨梁。 善忠信之救時兮，惡詐謀之妄作； 聘申叔於陳蔡兮，禽荀息於虞虢。 誅犁鋤之介聖兮，討臧倉之訴知； 巽子反於彭城兮，爵管仲於夷儀。 疾兵革之浸滋兮，苦攻伐之萌生； 沈孫武於五湖兮，斬白起於長平。 惡叢巧之亂世兮，毒從橫之敗俗； 流蘇秦於洹水兮，幽張儀於鬼谷。 澄德化之陵遲兮，烈刑罰之峭峻； 燔商鞅之法術兮，燒韓非之說論。 誚始皇之跋扈兮，投李斯於四裔； 滅先王之法則兮，禍浸淫而弘大。 援前聖以制中兮，矯二主之驕奢； 馌女齊於絳臺兮，饗椒舉於章華。 摛道德之光耀兮，匡衰世之眇風； 褒宋襄於泓谷兮，表季劄於延陵。 摭仁智之英華兮，激亂國之末流； 觀鄭僑於溱洧兮，訪晏嬰於營丘。 日曀曀其將暮兮，獨於邑而煩惑； 夫何九州之博大兮，迷不知路之南北； 駟素□而馳聘兮，乘翠雲而相佯； 就伯夷而折中兮，得務光而愈明。 款子高於中野兮，遇伯成而定慮； 欽真人之德美兮，淹躊躇而弗去。 意斟愖而不淡兮，俟回風而容與； 求善卷之所存兮，遇許由於負黍。 軔吾車於箕陽兮，秣吾馬於潁滸； 聞至言而曉領兮，還吾反乎故宇。
Yang Zhu cried out at the crossroads; Mozi wept for silk turned from white; They knew how habit alters the heart, and grieved that people plot without reflection. I honor how the 'Guan ju' read the small signs; I pity the royal way as it crumbled; I lift up the great virtue of the Zhou founders and collect the cunning triumphs of Huan and Wen. I rage at the disasters of the Warring States and hate ministers who seized strength for themselves; I cast down the lord of Chu at his southern capital and hold Zhao Wu to account at Ju-liang. I praise loyalty that saves the times and despise hollow stratagems; I would summon Shen Shu from Chen and Cai and seize Xun Xi where Yu and Guo fell; I would punish poseurs who feign sainthood and bring down slanderers like Zang Cang; I judge Zifan at Pengcheng and raise Guan Zhong at Yiyi with a noble title; I loathe the steady spread of war and the endless rise of campaigns; I would drown Sun Wu in the five lakes and strike down Bai Qi at Changping. I abhor the tricks that disorder the world and the alliance arts that poisoned custom; I would cast Su Qin into the Huan and shut Zhang Yi away in Ghost Valley. I mourn how moral influence faded and how cruel punishments flamed; I would burn Shang Yang's statutes and consume Han Fei's treatises in flame. I deride the First Emperor's tyranny and banish Li Si to the farthest frontier; They wiped out the laws of the ancient kings until disaster spread without end. I take the ancient sages as my measure and rebuke the pride and excess of two rulers; I feed Nü Qi at the Jiang terrace and feast Jiao Ju at Zhanghua Pavilion; I would unfold the light of the Way and set right the puny temper of a failing age; I honor Duke Xiang of Song at Hong and raise up Jizha of Yanling as a model; I gather the flower of humanity and insight and try to stir the dying tide of ruined states; I watch Zichan by the Zhen and Wei and seek Yan Ying at Yingqiu. The sun sinks in haze; alone in my hamlet I fret and lose my way; How wide the nine regions—yet I cannot tell south from north; My team of white horses flies; I ride the green clouds and roam at ease; I seek Boyi for balance and find Wuguang until my purpose shines clearer. I call on Zigao in the open fields and meet Bocheng until my mind steadies; I marvel at the worthies' virtue and linger, unable to tear myself away. My heart is anxious and never light; I wait on the turning wind and drift; I search for Shan Juan's dwelling and meet Xu You at Fushu. I halt my carriage at Jiyang and water my horses by the Ying; Perfect teaching clears my mind; I turn back toward my home.
11
覽天地之幽奧兮，統萬物之維綱； 究陰陽之變化兮，昭五德之精光。 躍青龍於滄海兮，豢白虎於金山； 鑿巖石而為室兮，托高陽以養仙。 神雀翔於鴻崖兮，玄武潛於嬰冥； 伏朱樓而四望兮，采三秀之華英。 篡前修之誇節兮，曜往昔之光勛； 披綺季之麗服兮，揚屈原之靈芬。 高吾寇之岌岌兮，長吾佩之洋洋； 飲六醴之清液兮，食五芝之茂英。
I scan heaven and earth's hidden depths and grasp the threads that bind all things; I trace how yin and yang turn and show the bright essence of the five powers. The azure dragon leaps from the deep sea; the white tiger is fed on Golden Mountain; I hollow stone for a chamber and trust Gaoyang's line to school my soul toward transcendence. The sacred bird wheels above Hong cliff; the Dark Warrior lurks in utter gloom; From a red tower I scan the world and pluck the splendid blooms of the immortals' herb. I claim the great integrity of the ancients and let their old glory shine again; I don the fair robes of Qiji and breathe Qu Yuan's haunting virtue. My tall crown rises steeply; my long pendants sway with easy grace; I drink the six pure nectars and feed on the five magic fungi in bloom.
12
揵六枳而為籬兮，築蕙若而為室； 播蘭芷於中廷兮，列杜衡於外術。 攢射幹雜蘼蕪兮，構木蘭與新夷； 光扈扈而煬燿兮，紛郁郁而暢美； 華芳曄其發越兮，時恍忽而莫貴； 非惜身之埳軻兮，憐眾美之憔悴。 遊精神於大宅兮，抗玄妙之常操； 處清靜以養誌兮，實吾心之所樂。 山峨峨而造天兮，林冥冥而暢茂； 鸞回翔索其群兮，鹿哀鳴而求其友。 誦古今以散思兮，覽聖賢以自鎮； 嘉孔丘之知命兮，大老聃之貴玄； 德與道其孰寶兮； 名與身其孰親？ 陂山谷而閑處兮，守寂寞而存神。 夫莊周之釣魚兮，辭卿相之顯位； 於陵子之灌園兮，似至人之仿佛。 蓋隱約而得道兮，羌窮悟而入術； 離塵垢之窈冥兮，配喬、松之妙節。 惟吾誌之所庶兮，固與俗其不同； 既俶儻而高引兮，願觀其從容。
I fence my plot with six rows of bitter-orange and roof my cell with orchid and ruo; I plant orchid and iris in the courtyard and line the outer walk with duheng; I mix shegan with miju and weave magnolia with fragrant bay; Light blazes and dazzles; fragrance spreads rich and sweet; The blossoms flare with scent—yet in this drifting hour nothing seems worth cherishing; Not that I cling to ease for myself—I grieve that every lovely thing wilts. I let my spirit roam the vast inward hall and hold fast to the subtle constant Way; In quiet clarity I cultivate my purpose—this is what my heart truly loves. Peaks rear toward heaven; the woods stand dark and thick; Phoenix wheels, calling its kind; deer cry out for companions. I read past and present to clear my mind and study the sages to steady my soul; I honor Kong Qiu's acceptance of fate and Laozi's reverence for the hidden Way; Which shall we treasure—virtue or the Way? Which is closer—reputation or one's own life? I terrace hills and valleys and live withdrawn, guarding stillness and sustaining spirit. Zhuang Zhou angled by the river and refused the highest offices; Yulingzi watered his garden—almost the figure of a perfect sage. In modest retreat one finds the Way; at the limit of insight one masters the craft. I leave the world's grime behind and aspire to the purity of Wangzi Qiao and Chisongzi. What my heart hopes for has never matched the vulgar world; Already I stand apart on high ground—I would watch how ease unfolds.
13
顯宗即位，又多短衍以文過其實，遂廢於家。
When Emperor Ming took the throne, many maligned Feng Yan for rhetoric that outran the facts, and he was cast aside to live at home.
14
衍娶北地住氏女為妻，悍忌，不得畜媵妾，兒女常自操井臼，老竟逐之，遂埳壈於時。 然有大誌，不戚戚於賤貧。 居常慷慨嘆曰：『衍少事名賢，經歷顯位，懷金垂紫，揭節奉使，不求茍得，常有陵雲之誌。 三公之貴，千金之富，不得其願，不概於懷。 貧而不衰，賤而不恨，年雖疲曳，猶庶幾名賢之風。 修道德於幽冥之路，以終身名，為後世法。 』居貧年老，卒於家。 所著賦、誄、銘、說、《問交》、《德誥》、《慎情》、書記說、自序、官錄說、策五十篇，肅宗甚重其文。 子豹。
Feng Yan married a lady of the Zhu family of Beidi. She was violent and jealous, so he could keep no concubines; his children had to haul water and grind grain themselves. In the end, in old age, he turned her out. His fortunes were bitter thereafter. Yet he nursed great ambitions and did not fret over poverty or low rank. He often said with feeling: "In my youth I served famous men, rose to high office, wore the gold seal and purple ribbon, carried the imperial baton on missions, and never grasped at unworthy gain—I always aimed higher than the clouds. I never reached the honor of the Three Dukes nor wealth counted in gold—but because they were not what I truly sought, I do not resent their absence. Poor but not broken, humble but not bitter—though age wears me down, I still hope to walk in the footsteps of the worthies. I polish character along hidden paths, that my name may endure and later ages may take me as their pattern. " He lived poor and old and died at home. He left fifty works—rhapsodies, elegies, inscriptions, essays, along with 'On Friendship,' 'Moral Injunction,' 'Cautious Feelings,' treatises on correspondence, a self-preface, notes on office, and policy papers—and Emperor Zhang thought highly of his prose. His son was Feng Bao.
15
豹字仲文，年十二，母為父所出。 後母惡之，嘗因豹夜寐，欲行毒害，豹逃走得免。 敬事愈謹，而母疾之益深，時人稱其孝。 長好儒學，以《詩》、《春秋》教麗山下。 鄉裏之語曰：『道德彬彬馮仲文。 』舉孝廉，拜尚書郎，忠勤不懈。 每奏事未報，常俯伏省閤，或從昏至明。 肅宗聞而嘉之，使黃門持被覆豹，敕令勿驚，由是數加賞賜。 是時，方平西域，以豹有才謀，拜為河西副校尉。 和帝初，數言邊事，奏置戊己校尉，城郭諸國復率舊職。 遷武威太守，視事二年，河西稱之，復征入為尚書。 永元十四年，卒於官。
Feng Bao, courtesy name Zhongwen, was twelve when his father divorced his mother. His stepmother hated him; once while he slept she tried to poison him, but he woke and fled to safety. He served her all the more carefully, yet she only hated him more; contemporaries praised his devotion. As a man he loved classical learning and taught the Odes and Spring and Autumn Annals below Mount Li. Local people said: "In virtue and learning none matches Feng Zhongwen." " He was recommended as filial and honest, became a Gentleman of the Masters of Writing, and served with tireless loyalty. When his memorials went unanswered he would wait prostrate in the secretariat, sometimes from dusk until dawn. Emperor Zhang heard of this and approved; he had a eunuch lay a blanket over Feng Bao without waking him, then rewarded him again and again. The court was then pacifying the Western Regions; seeing Feng Bao's ability, they named him deputy colonel in Hexi. Under Emperor He he repeatedly advised on the frontier and memorialized for the Wuji colonelcy; the oasis kingdoms once again fulfilled their former obligations. He became governor of Wuwei; after two years the whole Hexi corridor praised him, and he was recalled to the Masters of Writing. He died in office in Yongyuan 14.
16
論曰：夫貴者負勢而驕人，才士負能而遺行，其大略然也。 二子不其然乎！ 馮衍之引挑妻之譬，得矣。 夫納妻皆知取詈己者，而取士則不能。 何也？ 豈非反妒情易，而恕義情難。 光武雖得之於鮑永，猶失之於馮衍。 夫然，義直所以見屈於既往，守節故亦彌阻於來情。 嗚呼！
The historian remarks: the privileged rely on rank and slight others; clever men trust their gifts and neglect conduct—that is the usual pattern. Were not these two men exactly such cases! Feng Yan was right to compare choosing a wife to choosing allies. Everyone knows to marry someone who will speak plainly—even harshly—about her own faults, yet no one applies that rule when recruiting officials. Why is that? Perhaps resentment comes easily to human nature, while generosity grounded in duty does not. Thus Guangwu gained Bao Yong but lost Feng Yan. So it is: an unbending sense of right explains the slights of the past, and clinging to principle will only draw harder resistance from the world to come. Alas!
17
贊曰：譚非讖術，衍晚委質。 道不相謀，詭時同失。 體兼上才，榮微下秩。
The summation runs: Huan Tan spurned omen lore; Feng Yan, late in life, offered his allegiance to the throne. Their paths never met in purpose; each misread the age, and both were left in the cold. They had the endowment of the greatest ability, yet reaped scant honor and meager office.