He Ning
Later Liang was replaced by the Later Tang in 926, and Fàn passed the imperial examination in 933. The chief examination administrator He Ning () reportedly liked Fàn's writing the most that he intentionally assigned Fàn 13th place, which was the placing he himself got back in the day. Fàn became a prefectural judge () for the Zhongwu Commandery (忠武軍; roughly governing today's central Henan), and was later promoted to the post of subprefect of Fengqiu which he served until Later Tang was overthrown in 936.