Qiao Guolao 喬國老

In Chapter 44 of the Romance, Zhuge Liang tells Zhou Yu that Cao Cao has long heard it said that Lord Qiao of Jiangdong has two daughters, the elder Daqiao and the younger Xiaoqiao, and that he has sworn to obtain the two Qiaos of Jiangdong, place them on the Bronze Sparrow Terrace and enjoy his last years. He then urges Zhou Yu to go to Lord Qiao, buy the two daughters for a thousand pieces of gold and send them to Cao Cao. In Chapter 48, at a drinking party, Cao Cao says that in former days he was a very close friend of Lord Qiao and so knew that his two daughters were both the foremost beauties of the land, but that, unexpectedly, they were later married to Sun Ce and Zhou Yu. Romance, Ch. 44 §16–17Romance, Ch. 48 §12

In Chapter 54, in the 10th month, winter, of the 14th year of Jian'an (209), Liu Bei arrives at Nanxu with Zhao Yun and Sun Qian to marry Sun Quan's sister. Zhao Yun opens the first brocade bag given him by Zhuge Liang, gives instructions one by one to the 500 soldiers in the escort, and then has Liu Bei first go to call on Qiao Guolao. The Romance introduces Qiao Guolao as the father of the Two Qiaos, living at Nanxu. Liu Bei goes to pay his respects, leading sheep and carrying wine, and tells of how Lü Fan acted as go-between so that he is to take a wife. Romance, Ch. 54 §25–26

After meeting Liu Bei, Qiao Guolao promptly goes to Dowager Wu to congratulate her on the happy event, and asks why she is hiding it when her daughter has already been promised to Liu Xuande as his wife and Xuande has already arrived. When the Dowager, who knew nothing of the matter, rebukes Sun Quan, Qiao Guolao says that he himself has known of it for several days. When Sun Quan says that this is Zhou Yu's plan to seize Jing Province, Qiao Guolao says that even if they obtained Jing Province by this plan, they would be laughed at by everyone in the realm. He then urges that, since Imperial Uncle Liu is a kinsman of the house of Han, they had better take him as a son-in-law in earnest and spare themselves disgrace, and when Sun Quan worries that their ages may not be well matched, he says that Imperial Uncle Liu is a hero of the age, so the match would be no dishonor to Sun Quan's sister. The Dowager says she will see Liu Bei at Ganlu Temple the next day. Romance, Ch. 54 §27 · 29–33

Taking leave of the Dowager, Qiao Guolao returns home and sends someone to tell Liu Bei that the next day the Marquis of Wu and the Dowager mean to see him in person, so he should take great care. The next day, having taken his seat first in the abbot's quarters of Ganlu Temple together with the Dowager, Qiao Guolao congratulates the Dowager, who on seeing Liu Bei is overjoyed and says he is truly her son-in-law, saying that Xuande has the bearing of a dragon and a phoenix and the presence of the sun in the heavens, and that his benevolent virtue is spread throughout the realm. When the swordsmen and axemen lying in ambush in the corridors are discovered and the Dowager orders Jia Hua beheaded, Liu Bei intercedes and Qiao Guolao intercedes as well, and the Dowager scolds Jia Hua and sends him away. Romance, Ch. 54 §34 · 36 · 38–39

Sun Qian tells Liu Bei to entreat Qiao Guolao so that the wedding can be completed as soon as possible, and the next day Liu Bei goes to Qiao Guolao's house and says that many people in Jiangzuo wish him harm, so he fears he cannot stay long. Qiao Guolao tells him to set his mind at ease and says he will speak to the Dowager and have her protect him, and he goes in and tells the Dowager that Liu Bei, fearing that someone may harm him, wishes to hurry home. The Dowager, enraged, has Liu Bei moved into the study hall to stay and chooses a day to complete the wedding, and within a few days Lady Sun and Liu Bei are married. Qiao Guolao does not appear in the Romance after this. Romance, Ch. 54 §48–50