I believe everyone knows that the most taboo thing throughout the dynasties has been the phrase ‘high achievements shake the ruler’. Anyone who is associated with this word, whether they are nobles or commoners, will not have a good outcome. However, nothing is absolute. Everything has an exception, and the person I want to talk about today in the History Encyclopedia is a typical lucky one.
This person is Guo Ziyi, the King of Fenyang during the Tang Dynasty. This person is brave and skilled in battle. First, he quelled the An Lushan Rebellion and recaptured the two capital regions. Later, he gained a lot of obedience from ethnic minorities through his own efforts. During his lifetime, he gained the respect of the emperors of four dynasties and was even referred to as his “adoptive father” by the emperors. Even many of his subordinates have been enfeoffed and appointed as ministers. And the honors he received are even more imaginable. Later generations also highly praised him, so how did he manage to avoid suspicion from the court?
The author believes that the reason why Guo Ziyi was not suspected by the court is largely due to the word ‘sincerity’. He is very sincere in dealing with people, regardless of whether they are gentlemen or villains. He interacts with them in a humble manner, without any arrogant attitude.
According to historical records, in order to express gratitude to Guo Ziyi, the emperor specially ordered the construction of a palace for him, which was located near Chang’an City. The luxury level inside the palace was comparable to that of the imperial palace. At first, Guo Ziyi refused, but the imperial favor was immense and difficult to shirk. After moving into the palace, Guo Ziyi told his subordinates that they were not allowed to close the gate of the palace at any time. If anyone wanted to come in and visit, they could not be stopped.
Guo Ziyi’s action left her son very puzzled. So he asked, why can’t we close the door of our house? Even if it’s not closed, you can’t let people visit at will! Guo Ziyi said to him, ‘Actually, I’m doing this to prevent unnecessary disasters in our family!’! The reason why I keep the door open is to prove to the world that there are no secrets in our home. If we close the door, we will inevitably be framed by some villains. If that’s the case, what might happen to our family?
In fact, Guo Ziyi’s move was to prove his loyalty to the court. Not only that, Guo Ziyi is also able to treat enemies with honesty. In 764, some ethnic minorities rebelled. The court ordered Guo Ziyi to go and besiege the enemy. In the eyes of ordinary people, this will definitely be a very massive war, but what many people did not expect was that Guo Ziyi went alone to negotiate with the enemy camp. In the end, he used his sincerity to impress the other party. So, without spending a single soldier, a war was quelled.
And Guo Ziyi also received great respect from the local authorities when dealing with the rebels in Hebei. At that time, the leader of the enemy was Tian Chengsi. This person is extremely arrogant and shows almost no respect towards the envoys of various dynasties. However, when he encountered the envoy sent by Guo Ziyi. But he was able to put down his dignity and kneel down with the etiquette of an emperor to welcome him. From this, it can be seen that Guo Ziyi’s character is truly impeccable.
However, although Guo Ziyi’s sincerity is admirable. However, for the treacherous minister Lu Qi at that time, he could only give a perfunctory response. Normally, if someone visits, Guo Ziyi would greet them with her family as a sign of respect. However, as long as it is Lu Qi, Guo Ziyi does not want his family to be around him. Someone may ask here, why is Guo Ziyi completely opposite to Lu Qi when he can be honest with even the enemy?
Guo Ziyi has also answered such questions to his subordinates. Because Lu Qi is not only ugly in appearance but also narrow-minded, and if my concubine sees him, she will inevitably be ridiculed. If such a situation really occurs, Lu Qi will definitely hold a grudge. If we gain power in the future, we will inevitably face retaliation, and in that case, our Guo family is likely to be wiped out as a result.
