Guo Huai
| Guo Huai | |
|---|---|
| General of Cao Wei | |
| Born | (Unknown) |
| Died | 255 |
| Names | |
| Traditional Chinese | 郭淮 |
| Simplified Chinese | 郭淮 |
| Pinyin | Guō Huái |
| Wade–Giles | Kuo Huai |
| Courtesy name | Boji (traditional Chinese: 伯濟; simplified Chinese: 伯济; pinyin: Bójì; Wade–Giles: Po-chi) |
| Posthumous name | Marquis Zhen (traditional Chinese: 貞侯; simplified Chinese: 贞侯; pinyin: Zhēn Hóu; Wade–Giles: Chen Hou) |
Guo Huai (died 255), courtesy name Boji, was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He started his career in the late Eastern Han Dynasty as a military officer under the warlord Cao Cao. During Cao Pi's reign, he rose up the ranks and became a subordinate of the Wei marshal Sima Yi. Guo Huai defeated the Qiang and Di tribes several times and defended Cao Wei from Jiang Wei's campaigns.
Guo Huai had a somewhat prestigious heritage. His father was a commandery Grand Administrator, and his grandfather had been the Minister of Finance, one of the Nine Ministers of the Han court. He came to work for Cao Pi, who was the General of the Gentlemen of the Household for All Purposes at the time, in 205 and Cao Pi was very impressed by Guo Huai. He told his father of Guo Huai and by 214 he had been promoted to be one of Cao Cao’s personal advisers.
In 215, Cao Cao led a campaign against Zhang Lu in Hanzhong and brought along Guo Huai as an adviser during this campaign. After a brief battle, Zhang Lu surrendered to Cao Cao. Subsequently, Cao Cao left Xiahou Yuan in charge of pacifying the northwest (which he had been doing since 211 anyway), and he left Guo Huai behind to advise Xiahou Yuan. The two got along extremely well and Guo Huai became Xiahou Yuan’s Major, making him second-in-command of Xiahou Yuan’s personal troops.
Throughout 217 and 218, the Wei forces under Xiahou Yuan successfully repelled various incursions by Liu Bei’s forces. However, in 219 Liu Bei advanced to occupy Mount Dingjun, and Xiahou Yuan decided to go and force him out. He had intended to send Guo Huai but Guo Huai was ill so he went himself. Xiahou Yuan was killed in the ensuing Battle of Mount Dingjun. Guo Huai partly blamed himself for this.
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