Guo Ziyi

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Guo Ziyi bigraphy, stories - Monarchs

Guo Ziyi : biography

697 – 781

Guo Ziyi (Traditional Chinese: 郭子儀, Simplified Chinese: 郭子仪, Hanyu Pinyin: Guō Zǐyí, Wade-Giles: Kuo Tzu-i) (697 – July 9, 781), formally Prince Zhongwu of Fenyang (汾陽忠武王), was a general during the Tang Dynasty who ended the An Shi Rebellion, and participated in expeditions against the peoples of Huihe (the Uyghur Khaganate) and Tubo (the Tibetan Empire). Guo Ziyi is reputed to be one of the greatest generals in Chinese history and was revered as the best general in East Asia during his lifetime. During his life, Guo Ziyi was a Nestorian Christian.Wu, 61 After his death, he was immortalized in Chinese mythology as the God of Wealth and Happiness.

Later life

Guo was later made the Prince of Fenyang (汾陽郡王), and hence is sometimes called "Li Fenyang". He lived to the age of 85 and was given the posthumous name of Zhongwu (忠武: "Loyal and Martial") after his death.

There is a commonly remembered anecdote dated to the year 767 in which his son had an argument with his wife, a princess. During the argument, the princess and Guo’s son compared their fathers, Emperor Daizong and Guo Ziyi. Guo’s son was purported to have said, "What is so great about being an emperor? My father could become emperor at any time if he wanted to." Guo was so angry at his son for implying such an idea of disloyalty to the emperor that he had him locked up and waited for Emperor Daizong to pass judgement on him. The princess regretted what had happened and asked Guo to forgive his son, but Guo refused. When Emperor Daizong arrived, he pardoned the son and said to Guo, "When the son and daughter fight, it is better as old men to pretend to be deaf.":“不痴不聾,不作家翁。兒女子閨房之言,何足聽也!”

In another instance, the son hit his wife in a drunken rage. Again Guo was so angry at his son that he had him arrested again. But again the princess begged for her husband to be forgiven, and again Emperor Daizong stepped in and forgave his son-in-law. This story of Guo’s son and the princess was popularized by the rather literally titled Beijing Opera "Hitting the Princess While Drunk" 醉打金枝.

Popular folklore states that the Jade Emperor was so pleased with Guo’s actions in protecting the Tang Dynasty and in giving happiness to the people that he sent a fairy down from Heaven to ask Guo what his greatest desire was. Guo replied that he had fought for so long and had seen so much bloodshed that all he wanted was peace and happiness. As a reward, the Jade Emperor had Guo guided to Heaven and gave him the post of God of Prosperity and Happiness.

Achievements

Guo Ziyi has been much credited by many historians with putting down the An Shi Rebellion, characterizing him as the man who single-handedly saved the Tang Dynasty. His impact on East Asia was also dramatic in that he renewed Tang relations with many of its Uyghur allies, who would later support the dynasty in campaigns against Tibet. After his various victories over them, the Tibetans were never able to restore their military might and lost much of their political strength in Asian affairs.

In 757, or thereabouts, Guo Ziyi successfully saved renowned poet Li Bai from a death sentence for treason, by offering to the new Emperor, Suzong, to trade his own official rank in exchange for Li Bai’s life. In the event, the Emperor commuted Li Bai’s sentence to exile, and later pardoned him, and Guo Ziyi was allowed to retain his rank.Wu, 61

Future members of his family would also go to become famous generals, among them Guo Puyo, a general greatly used by Genghis Khan, and Guo Kan, one of the best generals of the Mongol Empire.

Early life

Guo Ziyi was born into a family of a middle-class civil servant in Hua Prefecture (華州, present-day Hua County in Shaanxi).

In 735, or thereabouts, while still a common soldier, Guo Ziyi, was saved from a court martial by the poet Li Bo, who intervened on his behalf with the local commander.Wu, 59

Unlike other members of his family, Guo Ziyi entered political life through a martial test (a test for military officers) instead of a literary test (for civil servants). In 749 AD, he passed a martial test and became an officer in the border regions of the Tang Empire and quickly rose through the ranks to become a Jiedushi (regional military governor).