Guo Jia 郭嘉

Guo Jia, courtesy name Fengxiao, was a man of Yangdi County in Yingchuan Commandery. He first went north to meet Yuan Shao, and told Yuan Shao's advisers Xin Ping and Guo Tu that a wise man must be careful in judging his lord. Lord Yuan, he said, merely wished to imitate the Duke of Zhou in humbling himself before scholars, but did not understand the essentials of employing men; his affairs had many threads but few essentials, and he liked to scheme but lacked decision, so it would be hard to settle the great enterprise of a hegemon with him. And so he left. Records, Wei 14 §31

Before this, Xi Zhicai of Yingchuan, whom Cao Cao valued highly, had died young, and Cao Cao wrote to Xun Yu asking who could succeed him; Xun Yu recommended Guo Jia. After discussing the affairs of the realm with Guo Jia, Cao Cao said, 'The one who will enable me to achieve the great enterprise will surely be this man,' and Guo Jia too rejoiced, saying, 'He is truly my lord.' Cao Cao submitted a memorial making him Libationer of the Army under the Minister of Works. Records, Wei 14 §32

When Cao Cao attacked Lü Bu, he won three battles, but Lü Bu withdrew to hold fast, and as the soldiers were exhausted Cao Cao wanted to turn his army back. Guo Jia, together with Xun You, persuaded him that Lü Bu was brave but without strategy, that having lost all three battles his spirit was broken, and that Chen Gong had wisdom but was slow, so a swift attack could bring them down. They then drew the Yi and Si Rivers to flood the city of Xiapi and captured Lü Bu. The Annals of Emperor Wu records that the flooding was done 'using the plans of Xun You and Guo Jia'. Records, Wei 14 §33Records, Wei 10 §57Records, Wei 1 §49

When Cao Cao sent Liu Bei to Xu Province to block Yuan Shu, Guo Jia, together with Cheng Yu, said that if he were lent troops now he would surely harbour other intentions. Cao Cao regretted it and had him pursued, but could not catch him, and Liu Bei killed Che Zhou in Xu Province and turned against Cao Cao. In the 1st month of the 5th year of Jian'an (200), when Cao Cao intended to go east in person to attack Liu Bei, the generals feared that Yuan Shao would strike from behind, but Guo Jia also urged Cao Cao to march, and in the end he defeated Liu Bei. Records, Wei 14 §15–16Records, Wei 1 §56 · 58

After Sun Ce had taken all of Jiangdong, he heard that Cao Cao was in a standoff with Yuan Shao at Guandu and meant to cross the Yangtze and make a surprise attack on Xu, and everyone was afraid. Guo Jia reckoned that those Sun Ce had killed in newly bringing Jiangdong under his control were all heroes able to win other men's loyalty unto death, while Sun Ce was rash and unprepared, and so he would surely die at the hands of a common man. Sun Ce reached the river, and before he could cross he was indeed killed by the retainers of Xu Gong. Records, Wei 14 §34–35

Guo Jia followed Cao Cao in defeating Yuan Shao, and after Yuan Shao died they attacked Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang at Liyang and won several times. When the generals wanted to press the attack while victory was with them, Guo Jia said that Yuan Shao had loved his two sons and had not settled the succession, and that Guo Tu and Feng Ji would set them against each other; pressed hard they would hold together, but left alone a contentious spirit would arise between them. So he proposed heading south as if to attack Liu Biao of Jing Province and waiting for things to change. When the army reached Xiping, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang did indeed fight over Ji Province, and Yuan Tan sent Xin Pi to ask to surrender. Guo Jia followed Cao Cao in pacifying Ye, attacked Yuan Tan at Nanpi and pacified Ji Province, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Weiyang Precinct. Records, Wei 14 §36–37

When Cao Cao intended to attack Yuan Shang and the Wuhuan of the Three Commanderies, many of his subordinates feared that Liu Biao would have Liu Bei make a surprise attack on Xu. Guo Jia said that the barbarians, trusting in their remoteness, would not be prepared, so a sudden attack could defeat them, and that if Yuan Shang and his brother were left alone, Qing and Ji Provinces might be lost. He also said that Liu Biao was a man who only sat and talked; if he gave Liu Bei heavy responsibility he would fear being unable to control him, and if he gave him light responsibility Liu Bei would not be willing to serve, so there was nothing to worry about even if they emptied the state to campaign far away. Records, Wei 14 §38–39

When they reached Yi County, Guo Jia said that in war speed is what matters most, and proposed leaving the baggage train behind and sending light troops at double speed to fall on the enemy when they least expected it. Cao Cao secretly went out through the Lulong Pass and headed straight for the Chanyu's court, and beheaded Tadun and the noble kings beneath him. Yuan Shang and his elder brother Yuan Xi fled to Liaodong. Records, Wei 14 §40

Chen Shou wrote that Guo Jia had a deep understanding of principles, was resourceful, and grasped the true state of affairs, and Cao Cao said, 'Only Fengxiao can understand my intentions.' At the age of thirty-eight Guo Jia fell gravely ill while returning from Liucheng, and the messengers Cao Cao sent to ask after him crossed one another on the road. When he died, Cao Cao attended the mourning in person and grieved deeply, telling Xun You and others that they were all of his own generation and only Fengxiao was the youngest, so he had meant to entrust him with what came after once the affairs of the realm were settled, but he had died young in the prime of life. Records, Wei 14 §41

Cao Cao submitted a memorial saying that in the eleven years since the Army Libationer Guo Jia began following him on campaign, at every great deliberation he had faced the enemy and responded to change, and that whenever Cao Cao's own plans were unsettled Guo Jia had always brought them to completion; he asked that 800 households be added to Guo Jia's fief to make 1,000. His posthumous title was Marquis Zhen, and his son Guo Yi succeeded him. Guo Yi became Literary Scholar to the Crown Prince but died young, and his son Guo Shen and grandson Guo Lie inherited the title in turn. Records, Wei 14 §42–43

Earlier, Chen Qun had several times accused Guo Jia at court of not restraining his conduct, but Guo Jia remained unperturbed. Cao Cao valued Guo Jia all the more, but also thought that Chen Qun upheld what was right and liked him as well. Later, returning from the campaign against Jing Province, Cao Cao met with an epidemic at Baqiu and burned his ships, and sighed, 'Had Guo Fengxiao been alive, he would not have let me come to this.' Records, Wei 14 §43

In his assessment, Chen Shou called Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, Dong Zhao, Liu Ye and Jiang Ji outstanding scholars of the age in talent, strategy and planning. He wrote that in upright governance and virtuous conduct their achievements differed from those of Xun You, but in devising plans and weighing affairs they were of his kind. Records, Wei 14 §158