Below, the history encyclopedia editor brings you the story of Guo Ziyi. Interested friends can continue reading.
Emperors often have a deep sense of suspicion towards those who have achieved great success and impressed the emperor, which is also human nature. Especially for the generals among these meritorious officials, the reason is very simple. The generals have military power and high prestige in the army. As long as they have two hearts, they can easily threaten the emperor’s rule. Therefore, emperors throughout history have loved and feared these generals and meritorious officials, so most of them cannot avoid the fate of being killed by rabbits and dogs. However, there are always exceptions to everything. Guo Ziyi of the Tang Dynasty was the one who made great contributions and saved the Li Tang royal family from danger. Since he was the one who made great contributions and shook the emperor, why was he still safe and sound in the end?
Guo Ziyi does not make enemies in the court, regardless of past grievances and true feelings, and eliminates grudges
First of all, let’s talk about the achievements made by Guo Ziyi at that time. This capable minister, who was both a military general and a politician, successively quelled the An Lushan Rebellion, the Khitan Rebellion, and the Tubo Rebellion. He had outstanding military achievements throughout his life, especially in the An Lushan Rebellion. It can be said that he saved the Li Tang royal family from the chaos, and his official position was so powerful that he could even compete with the emperor. He was such a “god like” powerful minister, and of course, his position also meant that he was at the forefront of the storm.
Firstly, in terms of being a person, Guo Ziyi should not make enemies with others if possible, and if he does, he should also find ways to resolve them. Before the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion, there was a general named Li Guangbi who had always been at odds with Guo Ziyi and neither was convinced by the other. After the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang promoted Guo Ziyi to the position of Shuofang Jiedushi, far above Li Guangbi. Li Guangbi naturally felt restless when he saw this situation, and in order to prevent Guo Ziyi from causing trouble, he voluntarily applied to be transferred elsewhere.
Coincidentally, at this time, the court was going to select a general for Guo Ziyi to help him pacify Hebei. Guo Ziyi recommended Li Guangbi out of public concern. After Li Guangbi found out, he only felt that Guo Ziyi was trying to use a knife to kill someone, but he could not disobey the military orders. Before leaving, he approached Guo Ziyi and asked him not to harm his wife and children. After listening, Guo Ziyi immediately shed tears and explained to Li Guangbi that he was not going here for personal gain, but only to jointly suppress the bandits. He chose the general because of your abilities. After listening, Li Guangbi was also deeply moved. The two of them had already resolved their enmity and even became good friends.
For those who have always been at odds with him and can easily deal with him, Guo Ziyi is still able to ignore past grievances and is willing to express his true feelings to resolve grievances. Therefore, there is naturally no such thing as making enemies in the court, which is also the reason why Guo Ziyi has made great achievements but is safe and sound.
Guo Ziyi went through seven dynasties and remained loyal from beginning to end
In addition, Guo Ziyi’s loyalty to the emperor remains unchanged even after seven dynasties, and his loyalty can be seen by every emperor. Whether it’s wielding military power or stationed at the border, as long as the emperor issues an edict, Guo Ziyi will immediately enter the court for an audience without any excuses or tardiness.
After being slandered by eunuch Yu Chao’en and stripped of military power, Pugu Huai’en led a 100000 strong army to rush towards the capital. At a time when the court urgently needed personnel, he thought of Guo Ziyi and immediately appointed him as a Grand Commandant, Deputy Marshal of Guannei and Hedong, and a large number of other titles. However, Guo Ziyi proposed to only retain the position of Pacification and Observation Commissioner. After quelling the rebellion, when the court rewarded him for his achievements, Guo Ziyi refused to grant him any titles or previous official positions. This is what people often say about contentment, non greed, and loyalty. For such talents, the emperor naturally favors and values them.
To be a person and an official, to be extremely cautious
After the An Lushan Rebellion was quelled, Guo Ziyi, who had made great contributions, became more cautious in both his official and personal life. He was well aware of the temperament and personality of every official and colleague. For example, when Guo Ziyi fell ill, Lu Qi came to visit him. Due to Lu Qisheng’s ugly appearance, ordinary women would inevitably burst into laughter upon seeing him. In order to prevent arousing Lu Qi’s jealousy, Guo Ziyi had his concubines retreat to the back hall in advance and wait alone.
As expected, Lu Qi later became the prime minister, seeking revenge against those who mocked him in the past. He repeatedly spread rumors and attacked other factions, framing all those who had previously offended him. However, he still held a respectful attitude towards Guo Ziyi, which shows his caution in both personal and official aspects.
It is precisely because Guo Ziyi is humble in his character, cautious towards colleagues, loyal to the emperor, not greedy, not seeking fame, and other excellent qualities that he was able to go through seven dynasties and become the backbone of four emperors, truly achieving great achievements and winning the emperor without fear.
