Guo Congqian (郭從謙)

Overview

The translated histories identify Guo Congqian as a military officer, musician, and rebel. This record brings together 11 passages from 2 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Guo Congqian	郭從謙	Guo Congqian
Personal	Congqian	從謙	Congqian
Personal name	Guo Congqian	郭從謙	Guo Congqian
Nickname	Men Gao	郭門高	Guo Mengao
Nickname	Men Gao	門高	Mengao
Surname		郭	Guo

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:074:s0076
Sex: male
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0060

Roles

Military Officer
Musician
Rebel

Life and dates

Death

Manner: execution
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0112

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 同光 · Western Interval: Start: AD 923 · End: AD 926
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:037:s0060, xinwudaishi:037:s0090
Source Date: Text: 同光四年 · Western Year: AD 926
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:074:s0076
Source Date: Text: 四月丁亥朔 · Western Year: AD 926
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0104, xinwudaishi:037:s0106, xinwudaishi:037:s0112

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Child of Li Cunyi (李存乂)
Kinship Term: adopted son / 養子 · Parentage: adoptive · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Kin of Guo Chongtao (郭崇韜)
Kinship Term: uncle / 叔父 · Parentage: claimed · Subject Role: nephew · Object Role: uncle

Career and standing

Label: commander of the Following Horse Direct / 從馬直指揮使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0091
Label: prefect of Jingzhou / 景州刺史 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0112

Places and affiliations

Organization: Following Horse Direct / 從馬直 · Relation: commander-of
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0091, xinwudaishi:037:s0092

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0098, xinwudaishi:037:s0099

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: attacked-xingjiao-gate · Other Person Id: Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (後唐莊宗) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四月丁亥朔 · Western Year: AD 926
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0104, xinwudaishi:037:s0106

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: foremost among those who ruined government · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0060

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0060

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 74Volume 74 Book of Later Tang 50: Biographies 126: Kang Yanxiao, Zhu Shouyin, Yang Li, Dou Tingwan, Zhang Qianzhao, Yang Yanwen · 1 passage

Open chapter

及郭從謙犯興教門，步軍始亂，中使急召騎士，守殷按甲不進，莊宗獨領宦官斫射，屢退，而騎軍終不至。 When Guo Congqian stormed Xingjiao Gate the infantry broke first. Palace envoys urgently summoned the cavalry, but Shouyin held his men back. Zhuangzong fought on alone with his eunuchs, was driven back again and again, and the horsemen never came.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 37Volume 37 Biographies 17: · 10 passages

Open chapter

其敗政亂國者，有景進、史彦瓊、郭門高三人為最。 The men who wrecked the realm were three: Jing Jin, Shi Yanqiong, and Men Gao.

郭門高者，名從謙，門高其優名也。 Men Gao was really named Congqian; Men Gao was his stage name.

從謙以姓郭，拜崇韜為叔父，而皇弟存乂又以從謙為養子。 Congqian was a Guo by birth and called Chongtao uncle; imperial brother Cunyi had adopted him as a son.

崇韜死，存乂見囚，從謙置酒軍中，憤然流涕，稱此二人之冤。 When Chongtao was dead and Cunyi in chains, Congqian feasted his troops, wept, and cried out at the wrong done to both men.

莊宗戲從謙曰：「汝党存乂、崇韜負我，又教王溫反。 Zhuangzong teased Congqian: “Your friends Cunyi and Chongtao betrayed me, and you set Wang Wen on the path of treason.

從謙恐，退而激其軍士曰：「罄爾之貲，食肉而饮酒，無為後日計也。」 Congqian was terrified; he went back and roused his men: “Spend everything you have—feast today and leave tomorrow to chance.”

軍士問其故，從謙因曰：「上以王溫故，俟破鄴，盡坑爾曹。」 They asked why; Congqian said: “The emperor blames you for Wang Wen—when Ye falls he will massacre every one of you.”

莊宗入食内殿，從謙自營中露刃注矢，馳攻興教門，與黄甲軍相射。 Zhuangzong went to eat in the inner palace; Congqian rode out of camp with blades bare and bows drawn, struck Xingjiao Gate, and traded volleys with the yellow-armor guard.

以從謙為景州刺史，已而殺之。 They made Congqian prefect of Jingzhou—and soon put him to death.

莊宗好伶，而弑於門高，焚以樂器。 Zhuangzong doted on actors—yet was killed by Men Gao and consumed in a fire of instruments.