RThe duty of remonstrating and offering counsel fell entirely to Dong YunShu 9 §27
NCharged with weighing gains and losses and offering loyal counselCh. 91 §38
Guo Youzhi 郭攸之
| Occupation | RNOfficial · Palace Attendant | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Nanyang Commandery | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R4 |
Profile
Guo Youzhi was a Palace Attendant (shizhong) of Shu. In the memorial Zhuge Liang submitted in the 5th year of Jianxing (227) as he set out north to be stationed at Hanzhong, he was named together with Fei Yi and Dong Yun as a good and loyal minister chosen by the late emperor and left to the Later Sovereign Liu Shan. Zhuge Liang urged that all affairs of the palace be referred to them before being carried out. Records, Shu 5 §24 · 26
The biography of Dong Yun, however, records that Guo Youzhi was by nature mild and compliant and merely filled his post, while the duty of remonstrating and offering counsel fell entirely to Dong Yun. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his place of origin, his later deeds or his death. Records, Shu 9 §27
The Records has no separate biography of him; his name appears in the memorial in Zhuge Liang's biography in Records of Shu 5 and in the biography of Dong Yun in Records of Shu 9, the Biographies of Dong, Liu, Ma, Chen, Dong and Lü, and is not in the assessment. In the Romance he appears in only one of its 120 chapters, Chapter 91, and no chapter title bears his name. He is named in the Memorial on Dispatching the Troops, and appears as one of those whom Zhuge Liang, on setting out, leaves behind as Palace Attendants together with Dong Yun and Fei Yi to take overall charge of palace affairs. Records, Shu 5 §26Records, Shu 9 §26–27 · 45Romance, Ch. 91 §34 · 40
In the Records
In the 5th year of Jianxing (227), when Zhuge Liang was about to lead the armies north to be stationed at Hanzhong, he submitted a memorial before setting out. The memorial said that the Palace Attendants and Gentlemen Attendant Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi, Dong Yun and others were all good and sincere, loyal and pure in their aims and thoughts, and had therefore been chosen by the late emperor and left to His Majesty; if all affairs of the palace, large or small, were referred to them before being carried out, they would surely make good any gaps and omissions and bring wide benefit. Records, Shu 5 §24 · 26
At the end of the memorial Zhuge Liang said that weighing gains and losses and offering loyal counsel to the full was the duty of Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi and Dong Yun. He asked to be entrusted with the task of punishing the rebels and restoring the house of Han, and to be punished if he failed; but if no words promoting virtue were offered, Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi, Dong Yun and the others should be reproached for their negligence and their fault made plain. Zhuge Liang then set out and was stationed at Mianyang. Records, Shu 5 §30–31
According to the biography of Dong Yun, Zhuge Liang submitted this memorial because he worried that the Later Sovereign Liu Shan, still young, would find it hard to tell red from purple, and wished to entrust the affairs of the palace to Dong Yun, whose heart was fair and clear-sighted. The memorial as given in this biography speaks of 'the Palace Attendants Guo Youzhi and Fei Yi and the Gentleman Attendant Dong Yun and others', and says that if no words promoting virtue were offered, Dong Yun and the others should be put to death to make their negligence plain. Records, Shu 9 §26–27
Zhuge Liang soon asked for Fei Yi to be made Army Adviser (canjun), and Dong Yun was transferred to Palace Attendant, concurrently holding the post of General of the Household Rapid as Tigers and commanding the personal troops of the palace guard. Guo Youzhi was by nature mild and compliant and merely filled his post, and the duty of remonstrating and offering counsel fell entirely to Dong Yun. Records, Shu 9 §27
These two volumes are the only places where Guo Youzhi's name appears in Chen Shou's main text. His courtesy name, place of origin, official career and death are not recorded. In his assessment in volume 9, Chen Shou counted Dong He, Liu Ba, Ma Liang, Chen Zhen and Dong Yun among the finest ministers of Shu, but did not name Guo Youzhi. Records, Shu 5 §26 · 30Records, Shu 9 §26–27 · 45
In the Romance
In Chapter 91 of the Romance, Kongming, having pacified the south and returned to Chengdu, is overjoyed to hear that Sima Yi has fallen into a trap, been stripped of office and sent back to his home village. The next day, when the Later Sovereign Liu Shan holds court, Kongming steps forward from the ranks and submits the Memorial on Dispatching the Troops. The memorial says that the Palace Attendants and Gentlemen Attendant Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi, Dong Yun and others are all good and sincere, loyal and pure in their aims and thoughts, and were chosen by the late emperor and left behind, and that all affairs of the palace, large or small, should be referred to them before being carried out. Romance, Ch. 91 §11 · 31–32 · 34
At the end of the memorial Kongming says that weighing gains and losses and offering loyal counsel to the full is the duty of Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi and Dong Yun, and that if no words fit to restore the house of Han are offered, Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi, Dong Yun and the others should be reproached for their faults and their negligence made plain. Romance, Ch. 91 §38
The Later Sovereign worries about the toil of the Father-Chancellor, who has only just returned from the southern campaign, and the Grand Astrologer Qiao Zhou earnestly remonstrates, citing the flourishing vital energy of the north, but Kongming does not listen. Kongming leaves Guo Youzhi, Dong Yun, Fei Yi and others behind as Palace Attendants in overall charge of palace affairs, leaves Xiang Chong behind as Grand General in command of the Imperial Guard, and so has more than a hundred civil and military officials, inside and outside the court, govern the affairs of Shu together. This chapter is Guo Youzhi's only appearance in the Romance. Romance, Ch. 91 §39–40
Where the Romance differs
When he became Palace Attendant: In Chapter 91 of the Romance, Kongming, after submitting the Memorial on Dispatching the Troops, leaves Guo Youzhi, Dong Yun, Fei Yi and others behind as Palace Attendants as he sets out. The memorial in the Records already calls Guo Youzhi and Fei Yi Palace Attendants and Dong Yun a Gentleman Attendant at the time it was submitted, and Dong Yun was transferred to Palace Attendant after the memorial. Romance, Ch. 91 §40Records, Shu 9 §26–27
Those who stayed in the palace: In Chapter 91 of the Romance, Fei Yi also stays behind with Guo Youzhi and Dong Yun as a Palace Attendant in overall charge of palace affairs. In the Records, Zhuge Liang, soon after submitting the memorial, asked for Fei Yi to be made Army Adviser. Romance, Ch. 91 §40Records, Shu 9 §27
Guo Youzhi's role: Chapter 91 of the Romance merely depicts Guo Youzhi as a Palace Attendant in overall charge of palace affairs alongside Dong Yun and Fei Yi. The biography of Dong Yun in the Records says that Guo Youzhi was mild and compliant and merely filled his post, while the duty of remonstrating and offering counsel fell entirely to Dong Yun. Romance, Ch. 91 §40Records, Shu 9 §27
The wording of the memorial: The Memorial on Dispatching the Troops in Chapter 91 of the Romance says that if no words fit to restore the house of Han are offered, Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi, Dong Yun and the others should be reproached for their faults. The memorial in Zhuge Liang's biography in the Records says that if no words promoting virtue are offered they should be reproached for their negligence, and the memorial in Dong Yun's biography says that Dong Yun and the others should be put to death to make their negligence plain. Romance, Ch. 91 §38Records, Shu 5 §30Records, Shu 9 §27
Where the memorial was submitted: In Chapter 91 of the Romance, Kongming submits the Memorial on Dispatching the Troops at the morning court in Chengdu, and leaves Guo Youzhi and the others behind after his exchange with the Later Sovereign and Qiao Zhou. Zhuge Liang's biography in the Records says that in the 5th year of Jianxing (227), when he was about to be stationed north at Hanzhong, he submitted the memorial before setting out and then was stationed at Mianyang; Qiao Zhou's remonstrance is not in this passage. Romance, Ch. 91 §32 · 39–40Records, Shu 5 §24–31
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total411 / 1000Rank 541 of 996 · Top 55%Romance total445 / 1000Rank 254 of 1,113 · Top 23%
Romance adaptation index+34Romance total − Records total
- LEA3232±0
- STR3131±0
- INT4245+3
- POL3545+10
- CHA4545±0
- VIR6872+4
- ADP4545±0
- SCH4545±0
- DIP3045+15
- DIS3840+2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RMild and compliant by nature, he merely filled his postShu 9 §27
NStayed behind as Palace Attendant in overall charge of palace affairsCh. 91 §40
8 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantShu 5 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantCh. 91 §34
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantShu 5 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantCh. 91 §34
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantShu 5 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantCh. 91 §34
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantShu 5 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantCh. 91 §34
RPraised as good and sincere, loyal and pure in his aimsShu 5 §26Shu 5 §30
NPraised in the Memorial on Dispatching the Troops as good, sincere and loyalCh. 91 §34
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantShu 5 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantCh. 91 §34
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantShu 5 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantCh. 91 §34
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantShu 5 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Palace AttendantCh. 91 §34
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Shu · Romance · Romance ch. 91 「孔明乃留郭攸之、董允、费祎等为侍中」 · Q124436984