Guo Jia's Story and Introduction

Guo Jia's profile:

Guo Jia (170-207), also known as Fengxiao, was born in Yangzhai, Yingchuan (now Yuzhou, Henan). A figure from the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Originally a subordinate of Yuan Shao, he later defected to Cao Cao and made contributions to his unification of northern China. He was promoted to the rank of military adviser and was granted the title of Marquis of Yuyang Pavilion. He passed away due to illness during Cao Cao's campaign against Wuwan at the age of only 38. His posthumous title is Marquis Zhen. In historical books, he is referred to as a "talented strategist and a remarkable figure in the world". And Cao Cao praised him for his extraordinary knowledge, calling him his' Qizuo '.

Guo Jia's Biography and Story:

1. Insight recognizes the subject:

Guo Jia was born in Yingchuan. In his youth, he had foresight and saw that the world would be in chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty. After the age of twenty, he went into seclusion and secretly made friends with heroes. He did not socialize with the secular world, so not many people knew about him.

When Guo Jia was 21 years old, he went north to meet Yuan Shao and said to Yuan Shao's advisors Xin Ping and Guo Tu, "A wise person can carefully and thoughtfully evaluate his master, so every measure is comprehensive, and thus he can make a name for himself. Yuan Gong only wanted to emulate Zhou Gong's example of being a virtuous and virtuous corporal, but he did not know the importance of using talent. He was full of thoughts but lacked essentials, liked to plan but did not make decisions, and it was really difficult to work with him to save the country from danger and build a great cause of hegemony!" So he left Yuan Shao from then on. Thus, Guo Jia remained unemployed for six years.

In 196 AD (the first year of Jian'an), a highly regarded strategist by Cao Cao, Xi Zhicai, passed away. In his sadness, Cao Cao wrote a letter to Xun Yu, asking him to recommend a strategist who could replace the talented actor. So Xun Yu recommended his friend Guo Jia to Cao Cao. Cao Cao summoned Guo Jia to discuss major events in the world. After the discussion, Cao Cao said, "He is the one who can help me achieve great things!" After Guo Jia left the tent, he was overjoyed and said, "This is my true master

From then on, Guo Jia was appointed as a military advisor and advisor to Cao Cao, offering advice and strategies for Cao Cao's campaigns in all directions, and serving faithfully.

2. Repeatedly presenting ingenious plans:

At that time, various feudal lords were vying for control, and tigers were vying for control of the world. In this situation, Guo Jia's accurate judgment of the psychological state of each opponent often became the key to Cao Cao's victory.

In 197 AD (the second year of Jian'an), Cao Cao defeated Zhang Xiu and Yuan Shao and Xin were humiliated. When Cao Cao was worried that he did not have the ability to compete with Yuan Shao, Guo Jia put forward the famous saying of "ten wins and ten losses". He gave ten reasons in a row to prove that "the public has ten victories, and Shao has ten defeats." Guo Jia's analysis was very convincing, not only boosting the fighting spirit of Cao Cao's soldiers, but also helping Cao Cao formulate long-term and short-term combat goals. At the same time, Guo Jia officially established his core position in Cao Cao's Military Intelligence Corps.

In 198 AD (the third year of Jian'an), Liu Bei was defeated by Lu Bu and became dependent on Cao Cao. Strategist Cheng Yu suggested to Cao Cao to kill Liu Bei in order to avoid future troubles. Cao Cao then asked Guo Jia for his opinion, and Guo Jia believed, "Indeed. However, Cao Gong's uprising with his sword to eliminate violence for the people and promote integrity to attract heroes and heroes may not have been achieved. Currently, Liu Bei has a heroic reputation, and when he was at the end of his road, he defected to us and we killed him. This is the infamous name for killing wise men. Wise men and soldiers will doubt who they want to choose as their master again, and who Cao Gong wants to pacify the world with. Therefore, to eliminate the threat of one person and endanger the reputation of the four seas, the choice of safety cannot be ignored!" Cao Cao also felt this. So, don't kill Liu Bei. However, Guo Jia also believed that Liu Bei had ten thousand enemies, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, following him, and Liu Bei won the hearts of the people and would not be inferior to others. So he advised Cao Cao, 'The ancients said,' Indulging the enemy in one day will become a calamity for generations to come. 'It is advisable to establish an appropriate position earlier.' This meant that Liu Bei should be placed under house arrest, but Cao Cao did not accept the strategy of placing Liu Bei under house arrest. In order to make him more convinced, he became closer to Liu Bei.

In September of the same year, Cao Cao sent troops to attack Lu Bu, who was stationed in Xuzhou. The Cao army first defeated Pengcheng, then defeated Lu Bu, and finally besieged Xiapi. L ü Bu couldn't hold out. The battle lasted for more than half a year, and Cao Cao saw his soldiers exhausted and prepared to give up. At this moment, Guo Jia saw the opportunity to win. He used Xiang Yu as an example to advise Cao Cao, proposing the viewpoint that "those who are brave but lack strategy will soon perish when their energy is depleted", and urged Cao Cao to launch an urgent attack. Cao Cao followed Guo Jia's plan and attacked the city while breaking the embankment to cover Xiapi. As expected, he captured Xiapi in the same year and captured and killed Lu Bu.

In 199 AD (the fourth year of Jian'an), Liu Bei took advantage of the opportunity of Yuan Shu's northward attack on Yuan Shao and actively requested Cao Cao to intercept him. At this moment, just as Guo Jia was not by his side, Cao Cao agreed to Liu Bei's request. After Guo Jia and Cheng Yu returned and learned about this matter, they advised Cao Cao together, saying, 'If Liu Bei is released, there will be a change!' However, at that time, Liu Bei had already left and had taken Xiapi, raising an army to resist Cao Cao. Cao Cao regretted not listening to Guo Jia's words.

3. Shine brilliantly:

In the year 200 AD (the fifth year of Jian'an), Cao Cao decided to first eliminate Liu Bei, who had an unstable foothold in Xuzhou, in order to avoid being attacked before and after fighting against Yuan Shao in the future. At that time, all the generals were afraid that Yuan Shao would take the opportunity to attack Xudu, and they would be unable to advance and retreat, losing their stronghold. Cao Cao also felt doubtful, so he asked for Guo Jia's advice. Guo Jia analyzed, "Yuan Shao has always been indecisive and will not react quickly. Liu Bei's heart is not at ease, and if he attacks quickly, he will undoubtedly be defeated. Then he will return to confront Yuan Shao, which is the best opportunity to change the situation of being surrounded by enemies from both sides." Therefore, Cao Cao launched an eastern expedition, defeated Liu Bei, captured Liu Bei's wife, captured Guan Yu, and then defeated the East China Sea bandits allied with Liu Bei. As expected by Guo Jia, before Yuan Shao could react, Liu Bei had already been defeated.

Just as Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were in a standoff over the official crossing, another unsettling news reached the Cao camp: Sun Ce, a heroic figure in Jiangdong, was preparing to launch a surprise attack on Cao Cao's base in Xudu. Cao Cao, who was already at a disadvantage in the confrontation with Yuan Shao, could not withdraw any more troops to defend Xudu. And once Xudu falls, Cao Cao's camp will immediately disintegrate. This is the most turbulent period in the hearts of the people in the Cao camp, and many people have begun to secretly flatter Yuan Shao, preparing to leave a way out for themselves.

At that time, there were many private correspondence between the Cao army and Yuan Shao. After the Battle of Guandu, many bamboo slips that colluded with the enemy were found in Yuan's camp. At this critical moment, Guo Jia predicted, "Sun Ce has just annexed Jiangdong and killed all the heroes and heroines. He is someone who can make people die. However, Sun Ce is reckless and not good at defense. Although he has a million troops, he is no different from coming to the Central Plains alone. If an assassin ambushes him, he is just an enemy of one person. In my opinion, Sun Ce will definitely die at the hands of the assassin." Sun Ce arrived at the riverbank and had not yet crossed the river, but was indeed killed by the enemy Xu Gong's followers. This may be a coincidence, but it does add to Guo Jia's ingenious calculations.

In 202 AD (the seventh year of Jian'an), Yuan Shao, who had returned from a major defeat in the Battle of Guandu, passed away due to illness. Cao Cao attacked his two sons and achieved consecutive victories. All the generals of the Cao army wanted to seize the victory and break through the Second Yuan, but at this moment, Guo Jia, who had previously advocated advancing northward, defied public opinion and proposed a unique strategy of retreating. He analyzed the conflict between the two brothers of the Yuan family for Cao Cao and said, "Yuan Tan and Yuan Shangsu are not at odds with each other, and there is Guo Tu. If such a strategist is involved in the conflict, they will inevitably turn against each other. It is better to first launch a campaign against Liu Biao in the south, wait for him to change, and then attack him. This can be done in one fell swoop

Guo Jia suggested that Cao Cao pretend to attack Liu Biao southward and "wait for his change". Sure enough, as soon as Cao Jun returned to Xuchang, news of Yuan Jun's rebellion had already arrived. Cao Cao took the opportunity to return to the north and defeated Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang one by one, with one Yuan dying and the other fleeing. Thanks to Guo Jia's clever plan, this battle was won both easily and smoothly.

In 204 AD (the ninth year of Jian'an), Guo Jia was conferred the title of Marquis of Yuyangting.

In the year 205 AD (the tenth year of Jian'an), Guo Jia suggested that Cao Cao recruit and reuse more famous scholars from the Qing, Ji, You, and Bingzhou regions, win over the hearts of the people, and thoroughly consolidate control and resistance. Cao Cao adopted his opinion and even reused Chen Lin, who had previously slandered him, which indeed had a profound effect.

4. Premature death:

In 207 AD (the 12th year of Jian'an), Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to Wuhuan, which is now the area around Jinzhou, Liaoning. The generals of the Cao army all said, "Yuan Shang is like a lost dog, and the Hu people outside the Great Wall will not support them. If we go on another expedition, Liu Bei will definitely provoke Liu Biao to attack Xuchang. What if there are any changes

At this time, Liu Bei had accumulated considerable strength by the side of Liu Biao in Jingzhou after several years of recuperation. Based on Cao Cao's understanding of Liu Bei, he had reason to worry that Liu Bei would launch a rebellion behind his back during his solo expedition.

At this point, Guo Jia put forward a different perspective from others: "Although you can go on an expedition with peace of mind, leaving behind an empty Xudu is fine. I predict that Liu Bei cannot cause trouble for you. It's not that Liu Bei doesn't want to cause trouble, but someone will replace you to stop him, and this person is Liu Biao." Amidst the uproar of the crowd, Guo Jia analyzed in detail the feasibility and significance of the Battle of Pingwu Huan. "The Hu people rely on their remote location, and now they must be unprepared. Suddenly launching an attack will definitely be able to eliminate them. Yuan Shao has shown kindness to the Hu people. If Yuan Shang is still alive, they will definitely help, and it will be a hidden danger sooner or later. Now the influence of the Yuan family is still great, and at this time, the southern region will be vulnerable. Zheng, if the Hu people take action, our rear will be unstable. But Liu Biao is a politician who only knows how to sit and talk, and he knows that his ability is not enough to control Liu Bei, so he will inevitably be wary of Liu Bei. Although it's a virtual expedition now, once and for all, there will be no more troubles

Guo Jia's viewpoint hit the nail on the head, and Cao Cao was enlightened upon hearing it, immediately advancing into Liucheng. When Cao Cao's army arrived in Yicheng, Guo Jia felt that the speed of advance was still too slow, and advised, "The speed of war is crucial. Now, with the potential for expedition, there are too many supplies, and the movement is slow. If the enemy detects it, they must take precautions. It is better to leave supplies, advance lightly and quickly, and attack them if they are unprepared." Later, this battle became a classic example of "the speed of war is crucial, and surprise troops win" in the history of Chinese warfare. After setting up some illusions of withdrawal, Cao Cao secretly led a light and elite army, which suddenly appeared behind Wu Huan under the guidance of guide Tian Chou. The leader of Wuhuan, Dadun, along with Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi, led their troops to hastily fight. In this battle, Dadun was executed, and the Cao army captured more than 200000 people. With no other options, Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to Gongsun Kang in Liaodong.

The road conditions during this march were extremely harsh, with 200 miles of dry and waterless areas along the way. After the food was eaten up, the soldiers of the Cao army had to kill thousands of war horses to satisfy their hunger before they could reach their destination with difficulty. In the autumn of the same year, the governor of Liaodong, Gongsun Kang, surrendered with the head of Yuan Shang. Based on Guo Jia's plan, Cao Cao finally completely pacified the north and unified the entire area north of the Yellow River basin. On the way back from Liucheng, Guo Jia passed away due to illness caused by the unsuitable environment, harsh weather, and excessive work during the day and night rush.

5. King and minister know each other:

Among Cao Cao's many strategists, only Guo Jia understood him the most, and the two had a close relationship, like friends. According to reports, two people travel in the same car and sit in the same seat. In the strict military camp, Guo Jia exhibited many unconventional behaviors, but in the eyes of Cao Cao, who favored him, "this is an extraordinary person and should not be restrained by common sense. Cao Cao had a discipline inspection official under his command named Chen Qun, who once reported Guo Jia to him for not behaving properly. However, while Cao Cao praised Chen Qun for his meritorious service in reporting, he turned a blind eye to Guo Jia. Not only that, Cao Cao also secretly cheered for Guo Jiayi to maintain his old way of life. During his long years of military campaigns, Cao Cao always brought Guo Jia with him so that he could exchange ideas and act according to the situation at any time. Whenever there were major military events, Guo Jia's strategies never went wrong. Cao Cao had unlimited hopes for the young Guo Jia and planned to entrust the important task of governing the country to him after pacifying the world.