Fu Wan

Fu Wan (伏完, ? – 209) was an official of the late Eastern Han dynasty, a native of Dongwu County (東武縣) in Xuzhou's Langya State. He was the son of Grand Minister of Agriculture Fu Zhi (伏質) and the father of Emperor Xian's empress, Empress Fu.¹

Career

He was a descendant of Fu Sheng, a scholar of the early Western Han. The Fu family was a distinguished lineage that produced high officials for generations: his seventh-generation ancestor Fu Dan served as Grand Minister during the reign of Emperor Guangwu, and his great-grandfather Fu Chen (伏晨) married a daughter of the imperial house. Fu Wan himself enjoyed great renown as the father-in-law of the emperor, and he formed a friendship with Xun Yu.

In the first year of the Jian'an era (196), he was appointed General Who Protects the State (輔國將軍) and Vice Minister with the Rank of the Three Excellencies (儀同三司). However, Fu Wan, aware that Cao Cao was wary of him as an imperial in-law, returned his seal of office. Afterwards he was appointed Grand Master of the Interior (中散大夫) and served as Colonel of the Cavalry Guards (屯騎校尉).

In the fifth year of Jian'an (200), Dong Cheng and others attempted to assassinate Cao Cao but failed. As retribution, Cao Cao executed the ringleader Dong Cheng and others, and also killed Lady Dong (董貴人), Dong Cheng's daughter, who was pregnant with Emperor Xian's child. Empress Fu was greatly alarmed by this and wrote a letter to Fu Wan urging him to keep his distance from Cao Cao.

He died in the fourteenth year of Jian'an (209).

Family

Fu Wan had five sons and one daughter. In order of birth, they were: the eldest son Fu De (伏德), the second son Fu Ya (伏雅), the daughter Fu Shou (伏壽), the third son Fu Jun (伏均), the fourth son Fu Zun (伏尊), and the fifth son Fu Lang (伏朗).