Guo Chongtao

Guo Chongtao (died February 20, 926 ), courtesy name Anshi , formally the Duke of Zhao Commandery , was a Chinese military general and politician of the Later Tang dynasty and its predecessor state, the Former Jin. He served as the chief of staff for Later Tang's founding emperor Li Cunxu (Emperor Zhuangzong) from before the time of the Later Tang's establishment and was instrumental in the Later Tang's destruction of its rivals Later Liang and Former Shu, but came under suspicion after Former Shu's destruction. Despite that suspicion, the Emperor Zhuangzong did not initially intend to kill him, but the Emperor Zhuangzong's wife Empress Liu issued an order herself and had him executed.

Background It is not known when Guo Chongtao was born, but it is known that he was from Yanmen (present-day Daixian, Shanxi). All that is known about his family origins is that his father was named Guo Hongzheng . Guo Chongtao started his military career serving as a follower of Li Kexiu , a cousin of the major late-Tang dynasty warlord Li Keyong the military governor (jiedushi) of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). While Li Kexiu served as the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), Guo was in charge of much of the affairs of his headquarters and became known for capability and honesty.

After Li Kexiu's death, Li Keyong took Guo onto his own staff to serve as an attendant. After a successful diplomatic mission to Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), then ruled by the warlord Li Maozhen), Li Keyong made him the discipline officer. It was said that Guo became known for being dextrous and capable in reacting to the situation. Guo continued to serve Li Cunxu, and it was said that Li Cunxu valued his service.

Later in 919, there was an incident when Guo opined that Li Cunxu was having too many people attending meals with him, and wanted Li Cunxu to reduce the size of these meal gatherings. Li Cunxu, in anger, told his secretary Feng Dao to draft a declaration stating that he was going to leave the command of his main army to someone else and return to Hedong's capital Taiyuan by himself. Feng, however, defused the situation by persuading Li Cunxu that Guo was not faulty in his suggestion. Guo subsequently apologized, and this matter did not affect their relationship significantly at that time. When Jin forces subsequently captured Zhen Prefecture, Li Cunxu sent Guo to gather the contents of the Chengde treasury. It was said that despite the opportunity to take from the treasury and despite many people offering him bribes, Guo took nothing from the treasury, and instead used the chance to purchase books from the people of Chengde.

Despite the declaration of himself as emperor, Emperor Zhuangzong was actually facing some difficult times at that time—it was said that due to frequent Khitan pillaging incursions, Lulong lacked sufficient food supplies; meanwhile, a recent Later Liang counterattack had caused Later Tang to lose Wei Prefecture (衛州, in modern Puyang, Henan, not the same Wei Prefecture where Emperor Zhuangzong was at that time) to Later Liang; further, Li Jitao the military governor of Anyi Circuit (安義, i.e., Zhaoyi, as he was the son of Emperor Zhuangzong's deceased cousin Li Sizhao and the circuit was therefore renamed to observe naming taboo for Li Sizhao) had also rebelled and submitted to Later Liang. The Later Tang morale was thus low at the time. However, at that time, the Later Liang officer Lu Shunmi of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong) defected to Later Tang and exposed the fact that Tianping's capital Yun Prefecture , deeply inside Later Liang territory south of the Yellow River (which formed the de facto boundary between Later Tang and Later Liang at that time, notwithstanding Later Tang's recent loss of Wei Prefecture and Anyi Circuit, both of which were north of the Yellow River), was poorly defended, with its military governor Dai Siyuan serving as the overall commander of Later Liang forces against Later Tang at that time and therefore away from the circuit. When Lu further suggested a surprise attack on Tianping, Guo opposed, finding the plan too risky. However, Emperor Zhuangzong's adoptive brother Li Siyuan advocated for the plan, believing that to break the stalemate with Later Liang, a risky move was necessary. Emperor Zhuangzong thus commissioned Li Siyuan to carry out the attack, and Li Siyuan subsequently captured Yun Prefecture in a surprise attack.

After Emperor Zhuangzong shortly after offered sacrifices to heaven and earth at Luoyang (which he made his capital), he created Guo the Duke of Zhao Commandery, and also granted Guo an iron certificate pre-pardoning him from death 10 times. Meanwhile, Guo had previously had a reputation for complete honesty and not accepting bribes, He ordered that Guo be properly reburied at Taiyuan and that a mansion be granted to his widow Lady Zhou at Taiyuan. As Guo Tinghui and Guo Tingrang each had a young son who were hidden by their relatives and escaped death, these grandsons of Guo Chongtao's were given to Lady Zhou to be raised.

Notes and references

Old History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 57. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 24. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 270, 271, 272, 273, 274.