How old did Guo Ziyi, the Ming general of the Tang Dynasty, live? What were his main achievements?

At the age of 84, the most incredible thing was to scare away Tubo single-handedly. At that time, the Uighurs and Tubo rebelled, and Guo Ziyi ran to the Uighur camp alone. After the Tubo knew about it, they ran away overnight.

In his later years, Guo Ziyi’s son married a princess. Once the couple had a quarrel, his son said, without my father, the Tang Dynasty would have been gone. The princess went to the emperor to complain. This was a crime of confiscating the house. , but the emperor said: "Indeed, without the Guo family, there would be no Tang Dynasty."

Guo Ziyi can be said to be one of the only marshals and generals with great achievements who started well and ended well, and had rich descendants.

Solo Shuofang’s unlimited power—Guo Ziyi, a famous general of the Tang Dynasty

When people think of Guo Ziyi, they often think of the play "Striking the Golden Bough" and his loyalty to the Tang Empire He is generous and generous, but few people notice that he is a man who is both affectionate and infatuated. Emotionally, he has never really betrayed his wife Wang. They have stayed together throughout their lives and never left each other. The two are A truly loving couple. Guo Ziyi had eight sons in her life, six of whom were born to the Wang family. All eight daughters were Wang's legitimate daughters. The depth of their relationship can be inferred just from the frequency and number of births. From the records on Wang's tombstone It can be seen that Guo Yan is the legitimate son of Guo Ziyi and the Wang family, and later became the consort of Princess Shengping. Guo Ying is the youngest son of Guo Ziyi and the youngest son born to the Wang family. When Wang passed away, Guo Ziyi was so grief-stricken that she could not restrain herself. She stayed in the coffin for almost half a year and could not bear to bury his beloved wife. Finally, there was no other way, so he sent his beloved wife to her grave. She asked the famous scholar Yang Wan to write an inscription for Wang. Write down affectionate memories throughout your life. A noble lady born in the Wang family of Taiyuan had such a deep love for her husband. What a pity she had. She married a man who was upright and upright.

Guo Ziyi (AD 697-AD 781) was a native of Zheng County, Huazhou (now Huaxian County, Shaanxi Province). He was more than six feet tall. According to the Tang ruler, his figure was over 1.80. He was tall and handsome. He passed the martial arts examination and became the chief historian of the Zuo Guard. He was also a son of a noble family (his father Guo Jingzhi served as governor of five states). The Tang Dynasty advocated military merit and attached great importance to the martial arts system. Guo Ziyi naturally gained the favor of the Wang family of Taiyuan. Later, the 15-year-old Miss Wang became Guo Ziyi's wife. Although Guo Ziyi was only a potential stock at the time, he had outstanding qualifications. The Taiyuan Wang family had a keen eye and never let go of such a good young man. The "Anshi Rebellion" broke out, which brought countless chaos and pain to ordinary people, but brought Guo Ziyi the opportunity to make a great journey and become famous in history.

In the fourteenth year of Tianbao (AD 755), Fan Yang Jiedushi, who had long planned, rebelled in An Lushan. The rebels moved south like a tide and soon captured Luoyang, the eastern capital. An Lushan claimed to be Emperor of Dayan, and the court, which had been peaceful for a long time, fell into panic. Guo Ziyi was ordered to be in danger and became the governor of Shuofang (now southwest of Lingwu, Ningxia). He launched an arduous battle with the well-trained rebels and successively recovered Yunzhong (now Datong, Shanxi) and Mayi (now northeast of Shuoxian, Shanxi). He also joined forces with Li Guangbi, the governor of Hedong Province, to regain the nine counties of Changshan County, which seriously threatened the return path of the Anshi rebels, because the counties in Hebei are the only places where Luoyang and Fanyang, the home base of Anlu Mountain, must pass through, and Anlu Mountain cannot If you dare to neglect, let Shi Siming lead tens of thousands of troops to attack Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi. The troops of Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi retreated to Changshan (today's Zhending, Hebei), and Shi Siming's troops followed them like a shadow. Guo Ziyi made a surprise move and sent out 500 cavalry, which led the enemy to pursue them for three days and three nights. Just as the enemy was exhausted, the Tang army Taking advantage of the situation to attack, Shi Siming was defeated and quickly begged An Lushan for reinforcements. Shi Siming's troops soon increased to 50,000. At this time, Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi's troops totaled 100,000 people, but Guo Ziyi was not in a hurry to fight. "Defend when thieves come, chase after thieves when they go, raise their troops during the day, and attack their curtains at night", leaving 50,000 rebels. Tired of running for their lives but unable to fight, morale is very low. Guo Ziyi saw that the time was ripe, so he beheaded 40,000 people against 50,000 in Jiashan (now Dingxi, Hebei), and captured 5,000 alive. Shi Siming fled to Boling (now Dingzhou, Hebei) with disheveled hair and bare feet.

After the great victory in Jiashan, more than ten counties in Hebei killed the rebel guards one after another and welcomed the king's army. The rebels' retreat had been cut off, and people's hearts were floating. General Shu Han of the Tang Dynasty insisted on guarding the natural dangers of Tongguan and closed the door. Out, the rebels were in a dilemma, and the situation was very favorable to the court. At this critical moment, the old Tang Xuanzong insisted on going his own way and made a foolish move that will be regretted for eternity.

Originally Guo Ziyi advocated sticking to Tongguan to avoid the enemy's edge, and then went north to Fanyang, but Tang Xuanzong severely forced Ge Shuhan to leave Tongguan to meet the enemy. The Tongguan defenders were completely wiped out in the first battle, and the rebels pointed directly at Chang'an. Tang Xuanzong fled in panic to Sichuan. Chang'an and Luoyang both fell into the hands of An Lushan. The Tang Dynasty was in turmoil and the buildings were about to collapse.

In July 756 AD, Prince Li Heng ascended the throne in Lingwu as Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty, and Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty was appointed the Supreme Emperor. Guo Ziyi led 50,000 Shuofang troops to escort him. "The army's voice was revived, and the people were hopeful that it would be revived."

In the second year of Tang Zhide (757 AD), An Lushan was killed by his own son An Qingxu. Shi Siming refused to listen to An Qingxu's orders, and the Anshi Group split. The imperial court decided to launch a counterattack. The prince Li Chu was appointed as the marshal of the world's troops and horses, and Guo Ziyi was appointed as the deputy marshal of the world's troops and horses. The important task of recovering the two capitals fell on Guo Ziyi. The cavalry in the Anshi rebels were originally the elite of the Tang army and were always unstoppable. In the Battle of Qingqu, the rebel cavalry formed a formation of 9,000 snakes and surrounded them on both sides. The Tang army was defeated and had to retreat to Wugong (today's Wugong County, Shaanxi Province). Guo Ziyi saw the gap in strength between the two sides and advocated borrowing troops from the Uighurs. Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty married his daughter Princess Ningguo to the Uighur Khan. 4,000 Uighur cavalry rushed to Fengxiang to assist in the battle. The Tang army assembled 150,000 troops, under the full command of Guo Ziyi. Suzong of the Tang Dynasty made an oath, "If I fail to win this trip, I will die to apologize."

The Tang army marched to the west of Chang'an City, with Li Siye as the front army, Wang Sili as the rear army, and Guo Ziyi led the middle army to confront the 100,000 rebels of An Shouzhong and Li Guiren. The war began. The Tang army was at a disadvantage in the first battle and could not withstand the rebel offensive. Seeing the critical situation, the former army commander Li Siye took off his armor, exposed his upper body, and slashed with a knife. He shouted loudly, "If we don't kill the enemy with all our strength today, we will kill them." "We want the whole army to be wiped out." The soldiers in the front army were holding broadswords and were invincible. The Tang army gradually gained the upper hand in the fight. The rebels' frontal attack failed to work. The rebel cavalry ambushing in the east of the formation took the opportunity to rush out and sneak attack the Tang army's rear. The Tang army's general Pugu Huai'en led 4,000 Uighur cavalry to attack head-on. The rebel cavalry suffered all casualties. Li Siye and the Uighur cavalry charged in The Chinese army, led by Guo Ziyi, fought in front of the enemy and then around the enemy's rear. The two sides fought from noon to night. The Tang army beheaded more than 60,000 people and achieved an exciting victory. An Shouzhong and Li Guiren abandoned Chang'an and evacuated eastward. An Qingxu once again gathered 150,000 rebels and fought fiercely with the Tang army in Xindian (now west of Shaanxian County, Henan).

The rebels lined up on the mountain and occupied favorable terrain. The Tang army's frontal attack failed. The Huihe cavalry detoured back to the enemy's rear, annihilated all the rebel ambush, and then attacked from the flanks. Guo Ziyi led the Tang army to attack from the front, and the rebels Defeated, he fled eastward. An Qingxu was frightened and fled to Yecheng (today's Anyang, Henan Province) with only more than a thousand infantry and cavalry. The eastern capital Luoyang was recovered. Tang Suzong expressed his sincere thanks to Guo Ziyi, "The reconstruction of the country is all due to you." After the two capitals were restored, Guo Ziyi was granted the title of Situ and Dai Guogong for his meritorious service, and he became famous all over the world. The next step is to reorganize the team and attack the rebels in Hebei.

In the first year of Qianyuan (758 AD), nine military governors were ordered to attack An Qingxu. Among them, Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi made the most outstanding contributions. Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty did not appoint a marshal, and only the eunuch Yu Chaoen served as the military commander. The Xuanwei Disposal Envoy is responsible for coordinating senior officials in the army.

Guo Ziyi led his troops across the river from Xingyuan (southeast of today's Ji County, Henan Province) and surrounded Weizhou (now Ji County, Henan Province). Anqingxu's troops were divided into three groups and sent 70,000 troops for reinforcements. Guo Ziyi arranged three thousand crossbowmen behind the earthen fortress, all of whom were skilled in archery. Guo Ziyi told them, "If I pretend to be defeated, the enemy will surely chase me here. Then you will fire thousands of arrows to kill the enemy." During the battle, the Tang army retreated, and the rebels pursued them to the edge of the earthen fortress. The ambush rained down arrows, and the rebels were frightened. The Tang army beheaded 40,000 people, and gained hundreds of thousands of armors. With great prestige, An Qingxu retreated to Ye. The city (today's Anyang, Henan Province) could not escape.

Yecheng was heavily surrounded by the Tang army. Guo Ziyi diverted the Zhang River to flood the city. The water in Yecheng flooded the Jinshan Mountain. When the food in the city was exhausted, they ate wild vegetables and tree bark. Even a mouse could be sold for a sky-high price of 4,000. From winter to the next spring, Yecheng had not yet been conquered. In March, Shi Siming personally led 50,000 elite troops to challenge the Tang army. During the fierce battle, suddenly a strong wind roared, flying sand and rocks, the sky was dim and the ground was dark, and it was difficult to see the southeast, northwest and northwest at close range. The camps of both sides were in chaos. The Tang army retreated south and the rebels fled north. The supplies and equipment were scattered all over the mountains and fields. Guo Ziyi led Shuofang's army to retreat to Heyang and demolished the bridge. In this battle, the Tang army lacked unified command and suffered heavy losses. All the king's divisions had to withdraw to their own towns. The failure of Yecheng gave the eunuch Yu Chaoen an excuse to blame Guo Ziyi.

Suzong of the Tang Dynasty summoned Guo Ziyi back to the court and asked Li Guangbi to command Shuofang's army in his place. The soldiers cried to persuade Guo Ziyi to stay, but Guo Ziyi did not dare to disobey the emperor's order and left sadly.

In the second year of Shangyuan (761 AD), Li Guangbi was defeated at Mangshan and Heyang fell. In 762 AD, the troops stationed in Taiyuan and Yizhou (today's Xinyi, Shanxi Province) killed their commanders without permission, and the court was deeply concerned. Guo Ziyi was reactivated by Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty and granted the title of Fenyang County Prince by the Jin Dynasty. Guo Ziyi was already sixty-six years old at that time.

As for the rebels, Shi Siming killed An Qingxu and gathered hundreds of thousands of troops to fight against the imperial court. Suzong of the Tang Dynasty was seriously ill again and was lying on a collapsed bed. The emperor told Guo Ziyi, "I will leave all the affairs in Hedong to you." When he arrived in Jiangzhou, Guo Ziyi killed Wang Yuanzhen and dozens of other people according to military law. The military chaos quickly subsided. Guo Ziyi led his troops to win several battles in succession. However, the situation in the DPRK changed and he was dismissed from military power. The newly succeeded Tang Dynasty Emperor Li Yu was encouraged by the eunuch Cheng Yuanzhen and suspected Guo Ziyi. In order to show his true feelings, Guo Ziyi handed over thousands of edicts praising him from Emperor Suzong of the Tang Dynasty to Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty was deeply moved and expressed his shame to his courtiers.

In the second year of Baoying (763 AD), the Anshi Rebellion had just been put down and Chang'an was empty of troops. Tubo raised 200,000 troops and invaded Chang'an. Tang Daizong fled to Shaanzhou. As the deputy marshal of the pass, Guo Ziyi collected 4,000 soldiers. Many soldiers died and dispersed. During the day, they beat drums and flags, and at night they spread torches. They asked the people to tell the Tubo people, "Marshal Guo's army came from Shangzhou (now Shangxian County, Shaanxi Province)." The Tubo people believed it and quickly withdrew from Chang'an. , Tang Daizong was welcomed back to the palace. He took Guo Ziyi's hand and was extremely grateful, "It's not too early to hire you, so I have to do this."

In the second year of Guangde (764 AD), Pugu Huai'en was dissatisfied with the imperial reward, launched an army to plunder, and led Shuofang's army against the imperial court. The Shuofang soldiers used to be Guo Ziyi's subordinates, and they loved Guo Ziyi very much. When Guo Ziyi arrived as the governor of Shuofang, the Shuofang soldiers left Pugu Huai'en one after another and returned to Guo Ziyi's tent. Pugu Huai'en had to take three hundred soldiers with him. The cronies fled to Lingwu (now Lingwu, Ningxia) for refuge. Unwilling to do so, he attracted 100,000 troops from the Uighurs and Tubos to invade the Tang Dynasty. Guo Ziyi, a sect leader of the Tang Dynasty, led his troops to resist, but the Uighurs and Tubos retreated without a fight. In the first year of Yongtai (AD 765), Pugu Huai'en attracted another 300,000 men and horses from Huihe, Tubo and Dangxiang. As soon as Guo Ziyi led 10,000 Tang troops to Jingyang, he was surrounded by more than 100,000 Uighur and Tubo horses. The situation was extremely urgent. God bless the Tang Dynasty. At this critical moment, Pugu Huai'en died of a sudden illness, and the enemy camp was divided. Guo Ziyi knew that the opportunity was not to be missed, and decided to ride alone to meet the Huihe general Yao Geluo.

When Guo Ziyi set off, his third son Guo Xi held on to his father's horse rein tightly, "The Uighur people are like wolves and tigers, and my father is a marshal. How can he be sent as a prisoner by himself?" "Guo Ziyi told his son, "Now the enemy is strong and we are weak. If we fight hard, both our father and son will die in battle, and the country will be in danger. If we can negotiate with the Huihe and persuade them to defect, it will be a blessing for the people of Li and turn the tide of the war. "In one fell swoop," he pushed his son away and rode towards the Huihe military camp. When Yao Geluo heard that Guo Ziyi was coming, he was suspicious. He was afraid of being deceived, so he ordered his men to bend their bows and set up arrows, and prepare for the attack. Guo Ziyi took off his helmet, took off his armor, put down his weapons, and walked slowly. When he came to Yaogeluo, the Huihe chiefs prostrated together and expressed their sincere welcome.

Guo Ziyi blamed Yao Geluo, "In the past, the Huihe army traveled thousands of miles to help us regain the two capitals. The Tang Dynasty court treated you very well. Today you betray the old covenant and help the rebels. What a stupid move. Pugu Huai'en betrayed the court and abandoned his mother. What benefit does such a person have to Huihe?" Yao Geluo was very ashamed and immediately expressed his position to Guo Ziyi, "We were deceived by Pugu Huai'en. He said that Tian Khan was the emperor. He has passed away, Guo Linggong has passed away, and the Central Plains has no owner, so we raised troops and came here. Now we know that Tian Khan is still in Chang'an City, Guo Linggong is here again, and Pugu Huai'en was killed by heaven. How can we Can we go against the great army of the Tang Dynasty again?" Seeing Yao Geluo's attitude, Guo Ziyi took the opportunity to encourage him, "Tubo and the Tang Dynasty were originally the kingdoms of my nephew. They betrayed their trust and violated their borders many times, stealing countless cattle, sheep, and horses. and gold, silver and jewels. If you join forces with the Tang army and fight back, you can not only obtain the property stolen by the Tibetans, but also continue to be friendly with the Tang Dynasty. This is a God-given opportunity that cannot be missed." Yaoge Ma immediately agreed, "We were deceived by Pugu Huai'en to come here, and we are already ashamed of your command. We are willing to kill the enemy and perform meritorious service, and exchange the merit for the crime."

The two sides made a plan to jointly attack Tibet. The Tubo army was facing a disaster. At Chishan Ridge in the western plains of Lingtai (today's west of Lingtai County, Gansu Province), the Tang and Uighur coalition forces launched a thunderous attack, beheading 50,000 people and capturing more than 10,000 people. They recaptured the territory that had been robbed by the Tubo. More than 4,000 craftsmen and women fled, and tens of thousands of cattle, alpacas, and horses were seized. All the troops attacking Tang Dynasty were frightened and fled away. Guo Ziyi retreated alone and became famous throughout the ages.

During the Dali period of Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty, Guo Ziyi was stationed in Hezhong (now west of Yongji, Shanxi Province) and Pizhou as deputy marshal. He repelled the Tibetan invaders several times and guarded the peace of the Tang Empire. In the fourteenth year of the Dali calendar (AD 779), Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty passed away. Li Shi, Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, succeeded to the throne. He summoned Guo Ziyi to return to the court, and was granted the title of Taiwei, Zhongshuling, and the title of Shangfu. The old general went home to enjoy his happiness. In the second year of Jianyuan (AD 781), 85-year-old Guo Ziyi passed away and was buried in Jianling (the tomb of Emperor Suzong Li Heng of the Tang Dynasty, today's Liquan County, Shaanxi Province). Tang Dezong personally went to Anfumen to bid him farewell and gave him the posthumous title "Zhongwu". According to the etiquette system, Guo Ziyi's tomb should be eight feet high. The imperial court deliberately increased the height of the tomb by ten feet to highlight Guo Ziyi's unparalleled achievements.

Looking at Guo Ziyi's life, he has been involved in the security of the world for nearly thirty years. "The power is overwhelming to the world, but the government does not scruple it, the achievements have been achieved in a lifetime, and the superiors do not doubt it, and the poor people who want to talk about it will not be demoted." It is not easy for others to get one of them, but Guo Ziyi has everything. It is really an anomaly in Chinese history. As a boss, he is tolerant and good at cultivating and discovering talents. There are dozens of his subordinates who have reached the rank of general or minister due to their merit.

As a minister, he is loyal to the sun and the moon, and he has the same heart. As a father, he and Mrs. Wang strictly taught their children. Their sons and daughters had good character and outstanding talents, and none of them went astray. His third son, Guo Xi, was stationed in Pizhou and assisted Bai Xiaode, the governor of Pizhou, in defending Tubo and Uighur. A dozen of Guo Xi's soldiers were drunk and causing trouble, and even drew a knife and stabbed the owner of the hotel. Duan Xiushi was not merciful and killed the dozen A soldier was executed on the spot, which caused great shock in Guo Xi's military camp. The sergeants were ready to kill this daring old man. Duan Xiushi lectured Guo Xi face to face, "Guo Linggong's merits are unparalleled and everyone respects him. As his son, you allow the soldiers to commit lawlessness and misbehave. If this continues, will the Guo family's reputation be preserved?" Guo Xi felt very ashamed and asked Duan Xiushi He sincerely expressed his gratitude, thinking that this was his care and love, and he did not allow the sergeant to embarrass Duan Xiushi. Duan Xiushi spent the night in Guo Xi's military camp, and Guo Xi personally stood guard for him to prevent evildoers from harming him. The next day, he and Duan Xiushi went to Bai Xiaode's place to apologize. Guo Xi should be credited to Guo Ziyi and his wife for their good parenting and their loyalty to the family. Guo Ziyi’s daughter is also a talented woman. Once, two famous painters painted a portrait of Guo Ziyi’s son-in-law Zhao Zong. After the painting was completed, everyone thought that the two portraits were equally superior. Guo Ziyi’s daughter made an amazing statement and was unanimously recognized by everyone. She said The painter surnamed Han "obtained Zhao Lang's appearance", and the painter surnamed Zhou "transferred his air and captured Zhao Lang's temperament with a smile." If he did not have profound cultural accomplishment, how could he make such incisive comments. Guo Xi and the consort Guo Yan were both the legitimate sons of Mrs. Wang. They lived and died with Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty during the Fengtian Disaster, and fought bloody battles, inheriting Guo Ziyi's family tradition of loyalty. The emperor relied on the Guo family. The daughter of Guo Ai and Princess Shengping married his cousin Li Chun, who later became Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty. The son of Guo Ai and Princess Shengping, Guo Kui, married his cousin, Princess Hanyang. Guo Kui was seven feet tall. (2.1 meters), with a majestic appearance. If it were not for his outstanding character, how could the royal family be so keen on "kissing each other". Guo Ziyi's blessings lasted so long that during the reign of Renzong in the Song Dynasty, the emperor also sought out his civilian descendants and granted them official positions to show that loyal people would protect their descendants.

As a colleague, Guo Ziyi has an insight into the world. The gate of Fenyang County Prince's Mansion has always been open, allowing traffickers and lackeys to come in and out. Once, one of Guo Ziyi's generals went to serve in another place and went to Fenyang County Prince's Mansion to say goodbye. In the palace, he saw the dignified Prince Fenyang working as a slave for his wife and daughter, carrying face wash and handkerchief. Guo Ziyi's sons felt that their faces were shameless, and they all tried to persuade their father, hoping that his father could respect himself and not let outsiders laugh at him. Guo Ziyi explained the truth to his sons, "I have 500 horses that eat public fodder, and my slaves eat official food." There are more than 1,000 people. If I build a high wall and don't communicate with the outside world, as long as someone has a grudge against the Guo family or is jealous of the Guo family and stirs up trouble, the Guo family is likely to cause genocide. Now I open the door of the house and let anyone In and out, even if someone wants to frame me, they can't find an excuse." The sons suddenly realized that they all admired their father's foresight.

When Guo Ziyi was taking care of himself at home in his later years, princes, generals and ministers came to visit him, and Guo Ziyi's concubine never had to avoid it. When Lu Qi, the favorite minister of Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, came to visit, Guo Ziyi quickly asked all the concubines to leave, and she sat upright to receive the "ghastly blue" minister of the court. After Lu Qi left, his family asked about the reason. Guo Ziyi said, "Lu Qi is ugly in appearance and sinister in heart. If concubine Ji sees him, she will definitely laugh out loud. Lu Qi will definitely hold a grudge. In the future, he will have great power. In retrospect, As I said before, our Guo family is about to be in disaster." Later, when Lu Qi became prime minister, "a small disobedience to oneself will not stop until death", which completely fulfilled Guo Ziyi's statement, and Guo Ziyi eliminated a catastrophe without leaving any trace.

Being an enemy, in addition to the heroic tiger who retreated alone, the generals of the feudal town also bowed to Guo Ziyi. The always unruly Tian Chengsi of the feudal town once said, "I haven't knelt on my knees for a long time." I am a man, and I kneel down here especially for Guo Linggong." Guo Ziyi lived through the seven dynasties of Wu Zetian, Tang Zhongzong, Tang Ruizong, Tang Xuanzong, Tang Suzong, Tang Daizong, and Tang Dezong. He had both good fortune and longevity, and was famous all over the world. He was a minister, a boss, a commander-in-chief, a colleague, a husband, a father, and an enemy. Almost perfect, he can truly be called a model of a minister and a model of a soldier. He married a good woman from a family with five surnames. If he got a wife like this, what else could he ask for? At this point in your life, what regrets do you have?