To Mingzhu

Guo Jia was born during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, and was active during the periods of Emperor Shao and Emperor Xian of the Eastern Han Dynasty. During his teenage years, the rule of the Eastern Han Dynasty became increasingly decadent, relatives and eunuchs alternated in power, and peasant uprisings were raging. Guo Jia, who grew up under such social and historical conditions, had great ambitions. He studied strategies diligently, made friends with people with lofty ideals, and was determined to achieve something in his career. Initially, Guo Jia sought refuge with Yuan Shao, who owned Jizhou, Bingzhou, Qingzhou, and dominated Hebei. After Yuan Shao accepted him, he appointed him as Sikong Jijiu (official name). Later, seeing that Yuan Shao was a mediocre person who could hardly achieve great things, he decisively resigned from the post appointed by Yuan Shao and returned home to his hometown.

In the first year of Jian'an (196) of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, Cao Cao, who ruled Yanzhou and Yuzhou areas separately, issued the "Only Only Talents Order" to recruit talents extensively. After the death of his senior adviser Xi Zhicai, he said to Xun Yu (yù), who was then a minister and minister: "Since Zhicai's death, there has been no one with whom I can discuss national affairs", and Xun was asked to recommend talents to him. Xun Yu recommended Guo Jia to Cao Cao. When Guo Jia and Cao Cao met for the first time, they discussed the general trend of the world, discussed the rise and fall of the country, and talked about how to govern the country and use troops. They were very speculative and tacit. Cao Cao was very happy and said to everyone: "The person who can make me achieve great things in the world must be this person!" Guo Jia also admired Cao Cao's political thought and military strategy, and excitedly said to people: "He is the one who I can achieve great things in the world!" The true master who follows and assists!" Cao Cao petitioned Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty and appointed Guo Jia as the Chief of Air Force Jijiu (official name), and Guo Jia became Cao Cao's senior staff.

Accept Liu Bei

In the first year of Jian'an (196), Liu Bei, who was separatist in the Xuzhou area, was attacked by Lu Bu. He was defeated and had nowhere to hide, so he led his remaining troops to defect to Cao Cao. The generals and counselors under Cao Cao's account persuaded Cao Cao to take the opportunity to get rid of Liu Bei. They also emphasized that Liu Bei is a powerful hero in the world and has great ambitions. If he is not eliminated as soon as possible, he will definitely become a serious problem in the future. Cao Cao was also hesitant and asked Guo Jia for his opinion. Guo Jia said: "Liu Bei has great talents and great ambitions. He has great ambitions in the world and has won the hearts of the people. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are famous generals in the world. They have a deep friendship with Liu Bei and will accompany him in life and death. Therefore, Liu Bei will definitely not be willing to stay under others for a long time. My lord, you will punish the traitors of the country. The Kuangfu Han Dynasty raised troops for the purpose of eradicating cruelty and violence for the people of the world, and recruited talents with great fanfare. The now famous hero Liu Bei came to the lord because he had no other way to go. If the lord wants to kill him, He will definitely have a bad reputation of killing heroes and sages and being intolerable. From now on, who of the heroes and sages in the world will come to serve you again? In order to get rid of someone who may be detrimental to his future, As a result, the hope of the world's heroes to surrender and serve is cut off. My lord, you have to think carefully about the interests and priorities involved!" Guo Jia's words dispelled Cao Cao's doubts. He took Liu Bei in and treated Liu Bei favorably. He went to the imperial court and said, He appointed Liu Bei as the shepherd of Yuzhou, assigned 3,000 soldiers to Liu Bei's command, provided him with sufficient military supplies, and also asked Liu Bei to take in the scattered troops.

Destroy Lu Bu

Guo Jia is very good at analyzing the world situation, taking advantage of the opponent's contradictions, and formulating correct strategies and tactics to defeat the opponent. Cao Cao welcomed Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty to Xuchang. Politically, he gained a favorable position of "holding the emperor to command the princes." Economically, he adopted Zao Zhi's suggestion and implemented the farming system, thus having sufficient food supply. However, at that time, Cao Cao faced at the same time: Yuan Shao north of the Yellow River, Lu Bu centered in Xuzhou, Liu Biao in Jingzhou, and Yuan Shu in Huainan, and was surrounded by enemies on all sides. After a detailed analysis of the situation in all aspects, Guo Jia suggested that Cao Cao should make full use of Yuan Shao's attack on Gongsun Zan in Youzhou and raise troops in successive years; Liu Biao sat in Jingzhou and did not want to make progress; Yuan Shu had arrogated the title of emperor, and it was a good opportunity for everyone to rebel and alienate, so he should first cut off Lu Bu's forces were separatist in the Xuzhou area. Cao Cao adopted his suggestion and sent troops to Xuzhou to attack Lu Bu in 198. Cao's army won three of three battles, but Lu Bu's army resisted tenaciously in the Xiapi area. Since Cao Cao's army fought a long distance and fought for many months, his soldiers were exhausted and there were difficulties in supplying military supplies. Cao Cao wanted to withdraw his troops and return north. Guo Jia advised Cao Cao: Lu Bu is as brave and foolhardy as Xiang Yu. Now he will be defeated in every battle. He has no food and grass inside and no reinforcements outside. If Yuan Shao does not take the opportunity to eliminate him, once Yuan Shao eliminates Gongsun Zan and then supports Lu Bu, it will cause endless troubles for his lord's hegemony. Then he offered Cao Cao a plan to irrigate the city with the Yishui River and the Si River, and finally captured Lu Bu's base of Xuzhou. Lu Bu was executed, Lu Bu's separatist power collapsed, and the Huanghuai area (referring to the area between the Yellow River and the Huaihe River) was included in Cao Cao's sphere of influence.

Attack Liu Bei

After Cao Cao unified the Huanghuai region, Yuan Shu was unable to gain a foothold in Huainan and planned to go to Hebei to join Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao also planned to go south to attack Cao Cao. Once the two Yuan met, they would become one. A lot of strength. So Cao Cao sent Liu Bei to intercept Yuan Shu. After Guo Jia learned the news, he advised Cao Cao: Liu Bei is in Xudu, just like a dragon trapped on the beach and a tiger falling on the sun. It is all under your control. You must not let Liu Bei leave Xudu. After hearing Guo Jia's words, Cao Cao suddenly came to his senses and quickly sent troops to chase Liu Bei. Unfortunately, it was too late. After Liu Bei defeated Yuan Shu in the winter of 199, he reoccupied Xuzhou and his power expanded rapidly. He formed an alliance with Yuan Shao and jointly dealt with Cao Cao. He also contacted some veterans of the Han Dynasty in Xudu and plotted to eliminate Cao Cao. Later, the incident was revealed and Cao Cao prepared to attack Liu Bei. The generals and counselors persuaded him to attack Yuan Shao. Guo Jia said to Cao Cao: "Yuan Shao is suspicious by nature.

When he saw our army sending troops to attack Xuzhou and Liu Bei, he would definitely hesitate. He could not quickly send troops to cut off our army's retreat. Now Liu Bei has just occupied Xuzhou. If he quickly sends troops before he has a firm foothold, Liu Bei will definitely be defeated. "Cao Cao adopted Guo Jia's suggestion and quickly sent troops to conquer Liu Bei eastward. Liu Bei lost a series of battles and fled to Qingzhou, thus relieving Cao Cao from worries about the decisive battle with Yuan Shao.

Fighting Yuan Shao

< p> In the process of Cao Cao's unification of the north, Yuan Shao was always a major obstacle. Cao Cao wanted to destroy Yuan Shao, who had many soldiers and generals, but he always felt that he was unable to do so. Therefore, among the many suggestions Guo Jia gave Cao Cao, He also always regarded Yuan Shao as a direct or indirect target of attack. When Cao Cao asked about the strategy to deal with Yuan Shao during their first meeting, Guo Jia said: "Since ancient times, success or failure has not all depended on the army. In the case of Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, the contrast between the strength of the army and the weakness of the army is very different, but Liu Bang used strategies to defeat the strong with the weak, and finally destroyed Xiang Yu. Although Yuan Shao has several states and millions of troops, he seems powerful, but in my opinion, he is separatist, ignores the people's desire for peace in the world, goes against the will of nature, and is suspicious by nature. He was indecisive. Although he had the intention to imitate Zhou Gong and treat the virtuous and virtuous officials, he did not understand the importance of knowing people and assigning them well. Surrounded by villains, there is no distinction between right and wrong, unclear rewards and punishments, and many internal conflicts; but the Lord, you are entrusted by the emperor to command the princes, comply with the people of the world, and strive to unify the world. Strict discipline, consistency from top to bottom, no doubts about employing people, only talents, clear rewards and punishments, and good at using troops. Therefore, although Yuan Shao was powerful for a while, it was difficult for him to accomplish anything. My lord, although you have few troops now, you will eventually defeat the strong with the weak and destroy Yuan Shao. "Guo Jia's meticulous analysis won Cao Cao's approval. In the following years, Guo Jia proposed plans for Cao Cao to recruit Liu Bei, destroy Lu Bu, fight Yuan Shu, and attack Liu Bei, all in order to stabilize the rear and cut off Yuan Shao's allies and wings. The ultimate goal was to attack Yuan Shao. In the fifth year of Emperor Xian's reign of the Han Dynasty (200), Yuan Shao led 100,000 elite troops to attack Guandu. Cao Cao led 30,000 troops to fight and defeated Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao fled to Jizhou in embarrassment.

After Yuan Shao's death, Cao Cao sent troops to Hebei to attack his two sons Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang. The two Yuans were defeated in several battles, and Cao's army was victorious. Jia Que advised Cao Cao to withdraw his troops in time. The reason was that Yuan Shao doted on his younger son and was unwilling to abandon his elder son and establish an heir. Now that Yuan Shao is dead, his two sons will definitely fight with each other to inherit the great cause. If we attack them now, they will unite to fight against our army. It may be difficult for our army to win for a while. It is better for our army to temporarily withdraw from the siege and pretend to go south to attack Liu Biao, and then return when the two of them are exhausted from fighting. The division attacked the two Yuans, so that they could be wiped out in one fell swoop. Soon after Cao's army retreated, the army moved south to Jingxiang, making a move to launch an expedition against Liu Biao. As expected, as soon as Cao's army arrived near Xiping, the Yuan brothers fought for it. Yuan Tan was defeated by Yuan Shang and was cornered. He sent Xinbi to ask Cao Cao to surrender. Cao Cao immediately led his troops back to the north, defeated Yuan Shang and expelled him in 204. In order to consolidate the power of the Yuan family in Hebei, Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi (another son of Yuan Shao) fled to Wuhuan. In order to consolidate Cao Cao's rule in Hebei, Guo Jia also suggested that Cao Cao recruit a large number of prominent landowners from Hebei to serve in Xuzhou. The policy of tax reduction and exemption was implemented to win over the people, and Hebei gradually became a stable rear area for Cao Cao to unify the north. Guo Jia was also named the Marquis of Weiyang Ting for his outstanding contribution in the war to pacify the Yuan family. Wuhuan

After Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to Wuhuan, they often joined Wuhuan to invade the northern border. The remaining forces of the Yuan family in Hebei often launched rebellions to cooperate with the Yuan brothers' actions. Wuhuan, completely eliminated the Yuan brothers to eliminate the hidden danger, but everyone believed that once the army went to Wuhuan, Liu Biao and Liu Bei would take the opportunity to send troops to attack Xudu. Guo Jia said to Cao Cao: "Although my lord is famous throughout the world, Wuhuan thinks they are." They are located in a remote location, with dangerous mountains and rivers, and inconvenient transportation. We certainly didn’t expect that we would attack them, so we would not take precautions in advance. If we take advantage of them, we will definitely destroy them. What's more, when Yuan Shao was in Hebei, he was very generous to them, so the Yuan brothers fled to Wuhuan. Since the Yuan brothers were never willing to give up Hebei, they would encourage Wuhuan to invade heavily on the pretext of avenging Yuan Shao. The soldiers and civilians of Hebei are forced to obey you out of helplessness. Compared with the Yuan family and his sons who have been entrenched in Hebei for decades, your kindness to the soldiers and civilians of Hebei is far inferior to that of the Yuan family. If the remnants of the Yuan family are not completely eliminated now, and once they use the power of Wuhuan to invade in a large scale, and the old troops in Hebei who are loyal to the Yuan family respond one after another, then Hebei will no longer belong to you, my lord. As for Liu Biao, he had no choice but to reuse Liu Bei. Liu Bei would not do his best for him, so there was no need to worry about their sneak attacks. So Cao Cao made up his mind to lead an expedition to Wuhuan in the twelfth year of Jian'an (207). Due to the long distance and rugged roads, it was very difficult for the army to move. When they arrived in Yizhou, Cao Cao planned to withdraw his troops. Guo Jia said to Cao Cao: "Soldiers are expensive and fast. Our army is unable to advance quickly due to too much food and baggage. Once the news is discovered by Wuhuan, it will not be able to achieve the effect of a surprise attack. It is better to leave the food, grass and baggage behind, and use light cavalry to quickly go out of the fortress day and night. Only by taking the enemy by surprise and attacking them unprepared can the effect of a surprise attack be achieved. "Cao Cao ordered Guo Jia to recuperate in Yizhou. The army abandoned their baggage and led their light cavalry to attack Liucheng, the capital of Wuhuan.

King Wuhuan and the Yuan brothers were caught off guard and hurriedly responded to the battle. They were beaten to a pulp by Cao's army. King Tadun of Wuhuan and his chief and many other people were killed. The Yuan brothers fled and fled to Liaodong. Later, they were killed by Gongsun Kang, the governor of Liaodong. Cao Cao finally eliminated the remaining forces of the Yuan family and unified most of the north.

When Cao Cao returned to Yizhou after conquering Wuhuan, Guo Jia had died for several days, and Cao Cao was extremely sad. Guo Jia followed Cao Cao in the first year of Jian'an (196) and "camped freely in the army for more than ten years". He and Cao Cao "rided together, sat on the same mat, captured Lu Bu in the east (captured together in ancient times), and captured Suigu in the west." , beheaded Yuan Tan, killed Ping Shuo, crossed the dangerous fortress, and defeated Wu Wan." Cao Cao expressed his gratitude to Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, gave Guo Jia the posthumous title of "Zhenhou", and let his son Guo Yi inherit the title. Later generations recited poems and praised: "Guo Fengxiao was born, a hero who ranks among the heroes; he has scriptures and history in his belly, and armored soldiers in his chest; his fortune is like Fan Li, and his decision-making is like Chen Ping. It is a pity that he died first, and the pillars of the Central Plains are outstanding." The poem fully expresses this. People admire Guo Jia's peerless talent and feel sorry for his premature death in middle age.