Guo Wei () (10 September 904[According to Guo Wei's biography in "Old Histories of the Five Dynasties", he was born on the 28th day of the 7th month of the 1st year of the Tianyou era of the reign of Emperor Ai of Tang. This corresponds to 10 Sep 904 on the Julian calendar. (后以唐天祐元年甲子歲七月二十八日，生帝於堯山之舊宅。) ] – 22 February 954[According to Guo Wei's biography in "Old Histories of the Five Dynasties", he died between 9am and 11 am on the renchen day of the 1st month of the 1st year of the Xiande era of his reign. This corresponds to 22 Feb 954 on the Julian calendar. (顯德元年春正月壬辰.....是日巳時，帝崩於滋德殿，聖壽五十一。) ]), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou (後周太祖), was the founding emperor of the Chinese Later Zhou during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, reigning from 951 until his death in 954.
Nicknamed " Sparrow Guo" (郭雀兒) after a sparrow-shaped tattoo on his neck,[(周太祖少賤，黥其頸上為飛雀，世謂之郭雀兒。) ] he rose to a high position in the Later Han as an assistant military commissioner. He founded the Later Zhou in 951.
Early life
When Guo Wei was born in 904 in Yaoshan (堯山; in modern
Longyao County,
Hebei), the
Tang dynasty had disintegrated into regions controlled by
fighting amongst one another. Guo was just a
toddler when his family moved to
Taiyuan (in modern
Shanxi), as his father Guo Jian (郭簡) became the
prefect (刺史) of Shunzhou (順州, modern
Shunyi District,
Beijing), serving the Taiyuan-based warlord
Li Keyong. Shortly afterwards, Guo Jian was killed by warlord
Liu Rengong's forces which conquered Shunzhou, and before Guo Wei's
deciduous teeth fell out, his mother Lady Wang (王氏) also died. Orphaned, the young boy was raised by a distant relative, Lady Han (韓氏).
[(居無何，皇考為燕軍所陷，殁於王事。帝未及齠齔，章德太后蚤世，姨母楚國夫人韓氏提携鞠养。) Jiu Wudai Shi, vol.110][(父簡，事晉為順州刺史。劉仁恭攻破順州，簡見殺，子威少孤，依潞州人常氏。) In Xin Wudai Shi, Lady Han was not mentioned.]
Guo Wei grew up into a muscular young man interested more in warfare than agriculture.[(及長，形神魁壯，趨向奇崛，愛兵好勇，不事田產。) Jiu Wudai Shi, vol.110] He was also fond of drinking and gambling, and frequently participated in brawls; his wife Lady Chai often advised him not to indulge in these activities.[(太祖微時，喜飲博任俠，不拘細行，后常諫止之。) ] When he was around 17, to escape arrest, he went to live with an acquaintance Gentleman Chang (常氏) in Huguan County close to Luzhou (潞州, modern Changzhi, Shanxi), shortly before joining the army of Luzhou's interim regent (留後) Li Jitao. Li Jitao was serving Jin, ruled by Li Keyong's son Li Cunxu, but actually plotting to defect to the Later Liang, Jin's archenemy. He was therefore more interested in recruiting brave and talented soldiers than enforcing the law, so when an inebriated Guo stabbed a menacing marketplace butcher to death following an argument, he let Guo walk free, eventually summoning Guo back to serve him.[(天祐末，潞州節度使李嗣昭常山戰歿，子繼韜自稱留後，南結梁朝，據城阻命，乃散金以募豪傑。帝時年十八，避吏壺關，依故人常氏，遂往應募。帝負氣用剛，好鬥多力，繼韜奇之，或逾法犯禁，亦多假借焉。嘗游上黨市，有市屠壯健，眾所畏憚，帝以氣凌之，因醉命屠割肉，小不如意，叱之。屠者怒，坦腹謂帝曰：“爾敢刺我否？”帝即剚其腹，市人執之屬吏，繼韜惜而逸之。) Jiu Wudai Shi, vol.110]
Career under Later Tang
In 923, Li Cunxu established the
Later Tang and overthrew Later Liang. Li Jitao was killed a few months later and all of his former soldiers, including 19-year-old Guo Wei, were assigned to the
cavalry rotations. As Guo was literate and good at mathematics, he soon became an officer. He delved into the available literature on military strategy as much as he could, particularly enjoying
Spring and Autumn Annals for a Wider World (閫外春秋), recommended by a
blood brother Li Qiong (李瓊); Guo Wei also regarded Li Qiong as a teacher as he asked Li to explain to him parts of the
Annals which he could not understand.
[(威以通書算補為軍吏。好讀閫外春秋，略知兵法...) Xin Wudai Shi, vol.11][(即應募，與周祖等十人約為兄弟。一日會飲，瓊熟視周祖，知非常人。因舉酒祝曰：“凡我十人，龍蛇混合，異日富貴無相忘，苟渝此言，神降之罰。”皆刺臂出血為誓。周祖與瓊情好尤密，嘗造瓊，見其危坐讀書，因問所讀何書，瓊曰：“此《閫外春秋》，所謂以正守國，以奇用兵，較存亡治亂，記賢愚成敗，皆在此也。”周祖令讀之，謂瓊曰：“兄當教我。”自是周祖出入常袖以自隨，遇暇輒讀，每問難瓊，謂瓊為師。) ]
In 927, the Later Tang emperor Li Siyuan personally led an army to suppress Zhu Shouyin's rebellion. Guo Wei, then under the leadership of general Shi Jingtang, was among the first soldiers scaling the defensive wall of Xun County (in modern Henan). Shi saw Guo's literary talents and tasked him to manage military records. Guo proved very popular among generals and ministers.[(天成初，明宗幸浚郊。時朱守殷嬰城拒命，帝從晉高祖一軍率先登城。晉祖領副侍衛，以帝長於書計，召置麾下，令掌軍籍，前後將臣，無不倚愛。) Jiu Wudai Shi, vol.110]
Career under Later Jin
Later Tang was replaced by the Later Jin in 936.
Career under Later Han
The Later Han was a
Shatuo-led Chinese dynasty founded by
Liu Zhiyuan, posthumously known as Emperor Gaozu of Later Han. Guo Wei was already familiar with life under the Shatuo people as he had lived under their rule since he was nineteen years old. He served as the Assistant Military Commissioner to Liu Zhiyuan. However, when the teenage
Liu Chengyou assumed the Later Han throne in 948, court intrigue enabled Guo to usurp the throne in a coup and declare the establishment of the
Later Zhou on New Year's Day in 951 (11 February in the modern calendar).
Reign
He was the first
Han Chinese Emperor in northern
China since 923. His rule was stable, and he passed reforms that attempted to relieve pressures on
China’s massive
peasantry. His rule was vigorous and well-organized. However, he died from an illness three years into his reign in 954.
Ancestry
Family
Consorts and issue
-
Empress Shengmu, of the Chai clan (聖穆皇后 柴氏)
-
Pure Consort, of the Yang clan (楊淑妃 楊氏; 911 – 947)
-
Noble Consort, of the Zhang clan (張貴妃 張氏; 915 – 950)
-
Virtuous Consort, of the Dong clan (董德妃 董氏; 915－953)
-
Unknown
-
Unnamed Prince,
[Most likely died young.] 1st son
-
Guo Qingge, Prince of Shan (剡王 郭青哥, d. 24 December 950), 2nd son
-
Guo Yige (郭意哥, d. 24 December 950), 3rd son
-
Unnamed Princess, 1st daughter
-
Unnamed Princess, 2nd daughter
-
Princess Chang of Ju State (莒國長公主, d. 950), 3rd daughter
-
Princess Shou'an (壽安公主), 4rd daughter
-
Married Zhang Yongde (張永德)
-
Princess Yongning (梁國長公主), 5th daughter
Sources
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