Early life

Fu Rong, when he was young, was known for his virtues. His uncle, the state founder Fu Jiàn (note tone difference) wanted to make him the Prince of Anle. However, Fu Rong declined and although Fu Jiàn was surprised he accepted his nephew's refusal. After Fu Jiàn's death, his son and successor Fu Sheng greatly favored Fu Rong, and often had Fu Rong attend him in the palace.

After Fu Jiān overthrew the arbitrarily violent Fu Sheng in 357 and claimed the title of "Heavenly Prince" (Tian Wang), he made Fu Rong the Duke of Yangping, and made Fu Rong one of his chief advisors. Ancient historians left behind records stating that Fu Rong was a tall and handsome gentleman, and that he was intelligent with an excellent memory, he was also physically strong, skilled at horsemanship, archery, as well as the use of spears. They also stated that he was skillful at ruling on legal cases and in governing the state. In 359, Fu Jiān offered to make Wang Meng the prime minister, but Wang Meng initially declined and recommended Fu Rong instead. Fu Jiān refused to accept Wang's declination. Throughout the years, Fu Rong largely acted as a voice for caution, urging Fu Jiān against risky actions. For example, in 360, Fu Jiān was going to relocate some Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes that had surrendered near the capital Chang'an, but after Fu Rong argued that it was too risky to locate recently surrendered peoples near the capital, Fu Jiān relented.

Career as Fu Jiāns advisor

After Former Qin destroyed rival Former Yan in 370, Fu Jiān initially put Wang Meng in charge of the six provinces that Former Yan possessed, as viceroy, but in 372 he recalled Wang to again be prime minister, and made Fu Rong the viceroy of the six provinces. Although he was away from the capital, he urged Fu Jiān not to incorporate so many Xianbei officials (particularly those from Former Yan's imperial Murong clan) into his own government, a suggestion Fu Jiān did not accept. Indeed, from this point on, although it was clear that Fu Jiān still trusted his brother deeply, he rarely listened to Fu Rong's cautionary suggestions.

In 379, while Fu Jiān's son Fu Pi was sieging the Jin city Xiangyang (襄陽, in modern Xiangfan, Hubei), Fu Jiān had initially ordered Fu Rong to mobilize the six eastern provinces and meet him personally at Xiangyang, but at Fu Rong's urgings (that it would be overly costly to mobilize so many troops for the battle at Xiangyang), Fu Jiān cancelled the order.

In 380, when his cousin Fu Luo (苻洛) the Duke of Xingtang rebelled in You Province (幽州, modern Beijing, Tianjin, and northern Hebei), Fu Rong was the supreme commander of the forces attacking Fu Luo, although he did not personally engage Fu Luo before the general Lü Guang defeated and captured Fu Luo. Later that year, Fu Jiān recalled Fu Rong to serve as a prime minister, replacing Wang Meng, who had died in 375. Fu Pi took over as viceroy of the six provinces.

In 382, Fu Rong urged against a campaign that Fu Jiān launched, under Lü's command, against the Xiyu kingdoms, but Fu Jiān did not listen to him.

Battle of Fei River

Late that year, Fu Jiān resolved to attack Jin, hoping to destroy and unite China. Most officials were opposed. He summoned Fu Rong to a private conversation, hoping that Fu Rong would support it, but Fu Rong, citing Wang's urging against it on his deathbed, opposed—arguing that it would be a dangerous venture and that what Fu Jiān truly had to look out for were the Xianbei and Qiang generals who might rebel. Fu Jiān did not listen to him, but instead put him in charge of commanding the invasion force against Jin. In 383, the campaign was launched, as Fu Rong led some 300,000 men and headed toward the Jin city of Shouyang (壽陽, in modern Lu'an, Anhui), capturing it with relative ease. Fu Jiān soon joined him personally, and they prepared further movements. However, Jin forces, commanded by Xie Shi (謝石), dealt Fu Rong's forward troops minor defeats, and the morale dropped. Eventually, the armies were stalemated across the Fei River (which no longer exists but probably flowed through Lu'an, near the Huai River), Former Qin forces to the west and Jin forces to the east.

The Jin general Xie Xuan sent a message to Fu Rong, suggesting that the Former Qin forces retreat slightly to allow Jin forces to cross the Fei River, so that the armies could engage. Fu Jiān overruled the generals' reluctance for the plan, wanting to attack Jin forces as they were crossing the river, and Fu Rong agreed, ordering a retreat. However, the Former Qin forces fell into a panic while retreating, and Jin forces attacked. Fu Rong tried to personally calm the troops, but as he was doing so, his horse suddenly fell, and he was killed by Jin forces. His death brought further panic to the Former Qin forces, and it entirely collapsed. Former Qin would not able to restart its attack against Jin, and a chain of events eventually led to its near destruction in 385.

早年

史稱「少而岐嶷夙成，魁偉美姿度。」從年少時已經以品德聞名。其伯父苻健曾打算為苻融進封安樂公，卻為苻融拒絕，苻健為之訝異，故而打消念頭。苻健死後，苻生繼位，苻融於苻生在位時極受重視，在且朝中有很高的聲望，更經常受苻生邀請進宮謁見。

357年苻堅殺苻生登王位，自封為天王，封苻融為陽平公，官累司隸校尉、冀州刺史等，終苻堅一朝，皆以苻融為心腹左右。史書謂苻融博聞強識、體魄強健、精騎射、善使槍，且文學、玄學、武藝、政事等百般精通，更善斷訟案與行政事。

359年苻堅打算拜王猛為丞相時，王猛曾經推辭，勸苻堅以苻融為相。苻融的進言經常是謹慎的意見，勸阻其兄急進冒險的決定。例如360年，杜兼打算將烏桓與鮮卑降民遷到都城長安，卻因苻融勸止說新近投降的人不宜安置在首都周圍，使他打消遷移人民的念頭。

輔佐苻堅

370年，前秦滅前燕，以王猛為冀州牧，管轄原是前燕版圖的六州，但王猛受苻堅召任丞相之後，苻融便代為鎮東大將軍冀州牧。儘管遠離中央，苻融依然關注中央政府局勢，力勸苻堅少以鮮卑慕容姓在政府任職，卻不獲採納，由此可見其兄雖然信任自己，卻不常聽從其意見。

379年，苻丕攻襄陽，苻堅曾命苻融率六州兵馬支援，苻融卻勸止說動員將耗費甚巨，使苻堅收回成命。

380年，苻融堂弟行唐公苻洛在幽州反叛，苻融擔任名義上的統帥，出兵討伐，呂光卻在苻融實際苻洛接戰前已經擊敗並擒獲苻洛。同年，苻堅召苻融返京，接替375年逝世的王猛，歷任侍中、中書監、司隸校尉、太子太傅、錄尚書事等職位。苻融走後，以苻丕任冀州牧。

382年，苻堅採納呂光建議，以呂光為統帥征討西域。苻融雖曾勸阻，但苻堅不從。

淝水之戰

同年，苻堅不理多數官員反對，決意南征東晉。他曾召苻融密談，希望乃弟能支持自己的南征計劃，苻融卻以王猛死前的忠告，勸苻堅應當正視鮮卑及羌人離心的問題，當務之急是防止他們叛變，同時善待重用同族的氐族人，而非進攻東晉，更力數東晉尚有謝石等良將，兼據長江天險，進攻不易成功，可是苻堅不聼，執意發兵。

383年，苻堅以苻融為征東大將軍，率二十五萬先鋒步騎南下，令其攻克壽陽城，然後自己率領大軍會合。可是交戰當中，謝石率領的晉軍略獲小勝，前秦軍士氣稍挫。然後兩軍在淝水兩岸對壘，前秦軍在西，東晉軍在東。

不久，謝玄致書苻融，要求前秦軍稍稍後退，使東晉軍可渡河作戰。苻堅策劃等東晉軍半渡河時攻擊，苻融同意，故接受謝玄的要求，號令全軍後退。可是由於原為東晉梁州刺史的降將朱序叛變，在軍隊後退時大喊「秦軍敗了！敗了！」又自背後襲擊前秦軍，使前秦軍受到前後夾擊而潰散大敗。苻融亦「馬倒被殺，軍遂大敗」。死後贈大司馬，謚曰哀公。