1. Guo Ziyi, posthumously Prince Zhongwu of Fenyang, was a Chinese military general and politician who ended the An Lushan rebellion and participated in expeditions against the Uyghur Khaganate and Tibetan Empire.
40 Facts About Guo Ziyi
1. 2.
Guo Ziyi was regarded as one of the most powerful Tang generals before and after the Anshi Rebellion.
3.
Guo Ziyi is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu by Jin Guliang.
4.
Guo Ziyi was born into the family of a middle-class civil servant in Hua Prefecture, he was described as a handsome man and was over 1.9 meters tall.
5.
Around 735 Guo Ziyi was saved from a court martial by the poet Li Bai, who intervened on his behalf with the local commander.
6.
Unlike other members of his family, Guo Ziyi entered political life through the official military examinations instead of a literary exam.
7.
Guo Ziyi passed the military examinations in 749 and became an officer in the border regions of the Tang Empire and quickly rose through the ranks to become a jiedushi.
8.
When rebellion broke out in 755, Guo Ziyi was assigned to protect the Tong Pass, a strategic location on the Chinese frontier.
9.
Guo Ziyi took advantage of the situation by luring the rebels onto the plains in front of the pass where there were only scarce settlements.
10.
Meanwhile, Guo Ziyi confronted a great force of a hundred thousand led by rebel commander Shi Siming.
11.
Shi Siming was tricked into thinking he would be ambushed if he moved against Guo Ziyi and was delayed forty days.
12.
Guo Ziyi was given the post of Imperial Commander and Suzong provided support for his military operations, which were met with great success.
13.
The rebels suffered dramatic losses, including the deaths of their generals, after which Guo Ziyi declared victory on the Shaanxi front.
14.
Guo Ziyi attacked with 15,000 men, whereas the rebels were able to assemble only 10,000 men, and defeated them.
15.
The jiedushi began to blame one another, and many of them targeted Guo Ziyi, placing much of the blame on him.
16.
Suzong, worried by Guo Ziyi's popularity, used this as a pretext to decrease Guo Ziyi's authority, demoting him while generously rewarding the other jiedushi.
17.
When Guo Ziyi arrived instead of thanking Wang he condemned the general for his disloyalty in killing his commander.
18.
Guo Ziyi pointed out that such an act disrupted the chain of command, which might embolden the Tibetans to attack.
19.
Guo Ziyi quickly assumed command of the post and the Tibetans ceased their attacks.
20.
Guo Ziyi advised the emperor to take a note of the threat posed by the Tibetans, but the emperor largely ignored this.
21.
In reality Guo Ziyi ordered cavalry scouts to go forward and light fires, in places where the enemies could see, and then retreat.
22.
Guo Ziyi sent secret messages to Chang'an, ordering citizens to strike gongs and create fire.
23.
The Tibetans, confused by these actions, panicked, scattering when the rumor spread that Guo Ziyi moved against them with a large force.
24.
Various Uyghur chieftains, believing that Guo Ziyi was dead, joined force with the Tibetans.
25.
When news of the Tibetan attack reached Emperor Daizong, he dispatched Guo Ziyi to defend the Tang with only few thousand men.
26.
Guo Ziyi laughed and convinced his officers to let him go, but his son would not.
27.
Angered, Guo Ziyi whipped his son's hand so that he released the reins, reprimanding him and telling him that this was a life and death situation for the empire; their force was small and if they fought the Tibetans alone, both father and son, and their troops, would die.
28.
When Guo arrived at the Uyghur's camp, he did not reveal his identity and appeared to be a messenger who had been sent to tell them that Guo Ziyi was coming to see them.
29.
The Uyghur chieftains, many of whom had joined the rebel side in the An Lushan Rebellion, were surprised and panicked to hear that Guo Ziyi was alive, deciding that they had to meet with him.
30.
Guo insisted that Guo Ziyi did not seek their retreat but instead wanted them to join him against the Tibetans.
31.
The Uyghur chieftains, saying they had been deceived by the Tibetans about Guo Ziyi's death, agreed to break the alliance with them.
32.
Guo Ziyi returned to his camp and ordered a thousand light horsemen to make a quick rush at the Tibetan camp at Xiyuan.
33.
Guo Ziyi continued to pursue the Tibetans and freed over 4000 Tang subjects they had taken captive.
34.
Guo Ziyi was later made the Prince of Fenyang, and is hence often referred to as "Guo Ziyi Fenyang".
35.
Guo Ziyi lived to the age of 85 and was given the posthumous name of Zhongwu after his death.
36.
The princess regretted what had happened and asked Guo Ziyi to forgive his son, but Guo Ziyi refused.
37.
Again Guo Ziyi was so angry at his son that he had him arrested again.
38.
Guo Ziyi replied that he had fought for so long and had seen so much bloodshed that all he desired was peace and happiness.
39.
Guo Ziyi has been credited by many historians with putting down the An Lushan Rebellion, characterizing him as the man who single-handedly saved the Tang dynasty.
40.
In 757, or thereabouts, Guo Ziyi saved the renowned poet Li Bai from a death sentence for treason by offering Emperor Suzong of Tang his own official rank in exchange for Li Bai's life.