At one point, Xu Zhigao, the adoptive son of Wu (which was the state that succeeded Tang in the lower Yangtze River region) regent Xu Wen, commissioned Feng Lingjun as the secretary of the bureau of salt and iron monopolies at She Prefecture (歙州, in modern Huangshan, Anhui). Feng Yanji apparently followed his father there, for it was mentioned that, in 916, there was a time when the prefect of She, Gu Yan (), was very ill, and rumors spread that Gu was already dead, causing destabilization of morale among the soldiers. At Feng Lingjun's request, Feng Yanji, then 13, went to see Gu, and then, after exiting Gu's mansion, relayed Gu's words to the officers, causing the soldiers to be calmed. As he grew older, he became known for his elegance and writing skills.