Guǎngshùn (廣順), began on 13 February 951 Year 1: 9 February 951 – 29 January 952 Year 2: 30 January 952 – 17 January 953 Year 3: 18 January 953 – 5 February 954 Xiǎndé (顯德) Year 1: 6 February 954 – 26 January 955
Nicknamed "Sparrow Guo" (郭雀兒) after a sparrow-shaped tattoo on his neck,[5] 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 warlords 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).[6][7]
Guo Wei grew up into a muscular young man interested more in warfare than agriculture.[8] He was also fond of drinking and gambling, and frequently participated in brawl; his wife Lady Chai often advised him not to indulge in these activities.[9] When he was around 17, to escape arrest, he went to live with an acquaintance Gentleman Chang (常氏) in Huguan 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.[10]
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.[11][12]
In 927, the Later Tang emperorLi 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 (in modern Henan). Shi saw Guo's literary talents and tasked him to manage military records. Guo proved very popular among generals and ministers.[13]
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 dynasty on New Year's Day in 951 (11 February in the modern calendar).[14]
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
Ancestors of Guo Wei, Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou[15]
^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。) Wudai Shi, ch. 110.
^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。) Wudai Shi, ch. 113.
^(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。) Song Shi, ch. 261.
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