Five Dynasties · General

Guo Wei 郭威

Attested AD 948 - AD 949

Passages: 9
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Guo Wei was a general.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 949 城破，守貞與妻子自焚
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passages 90-91
AD 948 to AD 949 漢遣白文珂、常思等出軍擊之
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passages 79, 83, 88

Career and standing

Grand Councilor 樞密使
AD 948 to AD 949 漢遣白文珂、常思等出軍擊之 · Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 79

Places and affiliations

Polity Later Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 79

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Mode quotation Speaker Guo Wei (郭威)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 90

Events and relationships

Besieged and stormed Hezhong
AD 948 to AD 949 漢遣白文珂、常思等出軍擊之 · Military · Commander · With Li Shouzhen (李守貞)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passages 83, 88, 91
Relation Advisee of · Person Feng Dao (馮道)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 84

Assessments and attributes

in youth a wastrel who loved gambling
Character
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 85

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 79

References in the histories

Search passages

History

9 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 52Volume 52 Miscellaneous Biographies 32: Du Zhongwei, Li Zhouzhen, Zhang Yanze · 9 passages

文珂等攻景崇、思綰等久無功，隱帝乃遣樞密使郭威率禁兵將文珂等督攻之。 Wenke and the others had long attacked Jingchong and Siwen without success. Emperor Yin sent Grand Councilor Guo Wei to lead palace troops and take command of Wenke and the others to press the assault.

諸將皆請先擊思綰、景崇，威計未知所向。 All the generals asked to strike Siwen and Jingchong first. Wei had not yet decided which way to turn.

行至華州，節度使扈彥珂謂威曰：「三叛連衡，以守貞為主，守貞先敗，則思綰、景崇可傳聲而破矣。 Reaching Huazhou, Military Governor Hu Yanke said to Wei, "The three rebels are allied with Shouzhen as their head. If Shouzhen falls first, Siwen and Jingchong can be broken by rumor alone.

威以為然，遂先擊守貞。 Wei agreed and first attacked Shouzhen.

是時，馮道罷相居河陽，威初出兵，過道家問策，道曰：「君知博乎？」 At that time Feng Dao had retired from the chancellorship and lived at Heyang. When Wei first set out he passed Feng's house to ask advice. Feng said, "Do you know gambling?"

威少無賴，好蒲博，以為道譏之，艴然而怒。 In youth Wei had been a wastrel who loved gambling and thought Feng was mocking him. He flushed with anger.

威大悟，謀以遲久困之，乃與諸將分為三柵，柵其城三面，而闕其南，發五縣丁夫築長城以連三柵。 Wei understood at once. He planned to wear the enemy down over time. With the generals he divided into three palisades, palisading three sides of the city and leaving the south open. He drafted corvée labor from five counties to build a long wall linking the three palisades.

守貞出其兵壞長城，威輒補其所壞，守貞輒出爭之，守貞兵常失十三四，如此逾年，守貞城中兵無幾，而食又盡，殺人而食。 Shouzhen sent troops out to destroy the long wall. Wei at once repaired what was broken. Shouzhen again sent men out to contest it. Shouzhen's forces regularly lost three or four tenths. After more than a year there were few troops left in the city and food was exhausted; men killed one another for food.

威曰：「可矣。」 Wei said, "It can be done."