Early life

When Guo Wei was born in 904 in Yaoshan (堯山; in modern Longyao County, Hebei), the Tang Dynasty had disintegrated into regions controlled by warlords fighting amongst one another. Guo was just a toddler when his family moved to Taiyuan (in modern Shanxi), as his father Guo Jian (郭簡) became the prefect (刺史) of Shunzhou (順州, modern Shunyi District, Beijing), serving the Taiyuan-based warlord Li Keyong. Shortly afterwards, Guo Jian was killed by warlord Liu Rengong's forces which conquered Shunzhou, and before Guo Wei's deciduous teeth fell out his mother Lady Wang (王氏) also died. Orphaned, the young boy was raised by a distant relative, Lady Han (韓氏).

Guo Wei grew up into a muscular young man interested more in warfare than agriculture. He was also fond of drinking and gambling and frequently participated in brawls. When he was around 17, to escape arrest, he went to live with an acquaintance Gentleman Chang (常氏) in Huguan close to Luzhou (潞州, modern Changzhi, Shanxi), shortly before joining the army of Luzhou's interim regent (留後) Li Jitao. Li Jitao was serving Jin, ruled by Li Keyong's son Li Cunxu, but actually plotting to defect to the Later Liang, Jin's archenemy. He was therefore more interested in recruiting brave and talented soldiers than enforcing the law, so when an inebriated Guo stabbed a menacing marketplace butcher to death following an argument, he let Guo walk free, eventually summoning Guo back to serve him.

Career under Later Tang

In 923, Li Cunxu established the Later Tang and overthrew Later Liang. Li Jitao was killed a few months later and all of his former soldiers, including 19-year-old Guo Wei, were assigned to the cavalry rotations. As Guo was literate and good at mathematics, he soon became an officer. He delved into the available literature on military strategy as much as he could, particularly enjoying Spring and Autumn Annals for a Wider World (閫外春秋), recommended by a blood brother Li Qiong (李瓊).

In 927, the Later Tang emperor Li Siyuan personally led an army to suppress Zhu Shouyin's rebellion. Guo Wei, then under the leadership of general Shi Jingtang, was among the first soldiers scaling the defensive wall of Xun (in modern Henan). Shi saw Guo's literary talents and tasked him to manage military records. Guo proved very popular among generals and ministers.

Career under Later Jin

Later Tang was replaced by the Later Jin in 936.

Career under Later Han

The Later Han was founded by a Shatuo Turk by the name of Liu Zhiyuan, posthumously known as Gaozu of Later Han. Guo Wei was already familiar with life under the Shatuo Turks as he had lived under their rule since he was nineteen years old. He served as the Assistant Military Commissioner to the founder of the Later Han. However, when a teenager assumed the throne in 948, court intrigue enabled Guo to usurp the throne in a coup and declare himself the founding Emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty on New Year』s Day in 951 (11 February in the modern calendar).

Reign

He was the first Han Chinese Emperor in northern China since 923. His rule was able and he passed reforms that attempted to relieve pressures on China』s massive peasantry. His rule was vigorous and well-organized. However, he died from an illness three years into his reign in 954.

Family

Ancestry

• 1st son, no mention in historical texts, most likely died young

• Guo Qingge (郭青哥), 2nd son, almost certainly still a child when he was killed in 950 by Liu Chengyou

• Guo Yige (郭意哥), 3rd son, almost certainly still a child when he was killed in 950 by Liu Chengyou

• 1st daughter, no mention in historical texts, most likely died young

• 2nd daughter, no mention in historical texts, most likely died young

• 3rd daughter, killed in 950 by Liu Chengyou

• 4th daughter, married Zhang Yongde

• 5th daughter, died before 951

出身

其出身不詳，父為後晉時的順州刺史郭簡，母王氏。《舊五代史》記載一說，稱其本姓常，隨母改嫁入郭簡家，因而改姓郭姓。《新五代史》稱其母本來是郭簡之妻，後來改嫁常氏。

生平

唐天祐元年七月二十八日（904年9月10日）郭威生於堯山，父為後晉時的順州刺史郭簡，母王氏。或說本姓常，幼時隨母親改嫁郭簡，故改姓郭。3歲時徙家太原，不久郭簡被殺，郭威成為孤兒，由姨母韓氏撫養。他身材魁梧，習武好鬥。其時李繼韜在潞州招募兵勇，郭威前去投軍，得到李繼韜的賞識。郭威在鬧市與一名欺壓市場的屠戶爭執，醉酒而殺之，原應斬首，李繼韜憐其才勇，暗中將其釋放，而後又召之，任為幕僚。

平定後漢亂事

947年契丹滅後晉，沙陀人劉知遠起兵太原，建國後漢，郭威為鄴都（今河北大名縣）留守。劉知遠稱帝不到一年即死去，其子劉承祐繼位，拜郭威為樞密副使。乾祐元年（948年）三月河中（今山西永濟）李守貞、永興（今陝西西安）趙思綰及鳳翔（今陝西鳳翔）王景崇相繼反漢，郭威陸續平定亂事，趙思綰投降，李守貞、王景崇自焚。

建立後周

乾祐三年（950年）四月，郭威以樞密使出任鄴都留守、天雄軍節度使之際，隱帝疑忌大臣，乘郭威在外時下詔將開封城內郭威（當時郭威已有成年的兒子）、郭威養子郭榮和王峻的全家屠殺殆盡，還派鄴都行營馬軍都指揮使郭崇威去殺郭威、王峻。

清趙翼謂之：「五代亂世，本無刑章，視人命如草芥，動以族誅為事」。 樞密使院吏魏仁浦勸郭威先發制人。同年十一月，郭威發動兵變，隱帝出逃之時被其部將郭允明所殺。後郭威進京，讓太后李三娘主政，郭威起初想擁立劉知遠之子劉承勛為帝，百官皆同意，但是太后以劉承勛身體羸弱不能繼承大統拒絕，眾人無奈，只能迎宗室劉贇為帝，但是郭威與其父劉崇不和，但假意同意。之後因為遼主耶律阮得知後漢內亂，派兵南下，鎮州邢州二州被遼軍所擾後，上報京城請求救援，郭威向李太后稟報情況後帶兵北征。郭威領兵從汴梁出發，走到滑州，遇上劉贇從徐州勞軍的特使，這讓郭威心中感到氣憤，覺得劉贇太過心急，還沒上位，就想要拉攏人心，最終加以拒絕。諸將明白郭威心中意圖，不肯接受賞賜，私下說道：「我等屠戮京師，自知不法，如果劉氏複立，還有我等活路嗎？」。郭威大軍來到澶州的時候，正準備在早上開拔行軍，軍士大噪，軍士們翻牆而入進入郭威營中，表達了複立劉氏的擔憂，沒等郭威回應，軍士們就扯下了桿上的黃旗，披在了郭威的身上，然後大呼萬歲。郭威假裝無奈，和軍士們約法三章，帶兵折返汴梁，逼迫太后授為「監國」，奪得國政。郭威憑藉演出「黃旗加身」的戲碼，讓士兵擁護自己稱帝，建立了後周，建都汴京（今河南省開封市），改元廣順，廢劉贇為湘陰公，將其軟禁殺害。

郭威建立後周后，下詔減免賦稅，並且帶頭節儉，禁止進獻奇貨，把宮中的珍玩寶物當眾打碎，以示自己和之前喜好奢侈的帝王不同。郭威厚待後漢宗室和尊重劉知遠，但他同時也廢除了後漢留下的苛政和酷刑。並且極力推動恢復農業生產，使得當時的編戶增加了三萬多。郭威謙遜地重用了很多文臣，他廣招人才、勵精圖治，得魏仁浦、李穀、王溥、范質等輔臣。郭威改觀了自唐末動亂以來軍人跋扈亂政的情況，為後周之後的鼎盛打下了堅實基礎，並為北宋的繁榮開了好頭。

廣順三年（953年），封郭榮為晉王。廣順四年（954年），周太祖郭威去世，享年50歲，死前託付自己喪事一切從簡，切勿叨擾百姓。因親生兒子全都被劉承祐殺害，由養子暨妻侄晉王柴榮繼位。

家庭

妻妾

周太祖三任嫡妻及一位妾室，一為皇后三為妃，且皆是夫死再嫁的寡婦，趙翼謂之：「統計前後四娶，皆再醮婦，亦不可解也。」

• 髮妻，柴皇后

• 繼妻，楊淑妃

• 繼妻，張貴妃

• 妾室，董德妃

女官或妃嬪

• 尚宮、尚食為女官名，國夫人、郡夫人、縣君在五代時，可為妃嬪封號。

• 廣順（951年）元年八月，丙辰，尚宮皇甫氏等三人並封國夫人，司記劉氏等六人並封郡夫人，尚食李氏等宮官八人並封縣君

• 尚儀趙氏，封沂國夫人

• 尚服蘇氏，封岐國夫人

• 尚宮甫氏或皇甫氏，封汾國夫人

• 司賓高氏，封渤海郡夫人

• 司賓柴氏，封平陽郡夫人

• 司賓茹氏，封穎川郡夫人

• 司記丁氏，封隴西郡夫人

• 司記劉氏，封彭城郡夫人

• 典寶李氏，封隴西縣君

• 司寶王氏，封琅琊縣君

• 司正李氏，封隴西縣君

• 司正王氏，封琅琊縣君

• 尚食椰氏，封隴西縣君

• 尚功曹氏，封鉅鹿縣君

• 司衣李氏，封隴西縣君

• 司藥林氏，封會稽縣君

• 司藥翟氏，特封郡陽縣君

子女

;子

• 長子 剡王郭侗，初名郭青哥，後漢末遇害。太祖即位，詔贈太尉，賜名侗。顯德四年追封。

• 次子 巳王郭信，太祖子，初名郭意哥，後漢末遇害。太祖即位，詔贈司空，賜名信。顯德四年追封。

史書將其記作次子、三子，是因為將養子郭榮算作長子。

;女

• 第三女，樂安公主，為後漢所害，廣順元年二月追封，至顯德四年四月，又追封莒國長公主。

• 第四女，壽安公主，下嫁張永德，廣順元年四月封，至顯德元年，封晉國長公主。

• 第五女，永寧公主，廣順元年九月追封，至顯德四年四月，又追封梁國長公主。

其他晚輩親屬

• 侄郭守筠，為劉承祐所害，贈左領軍衛將軍，因「筠」與「榮」音近，追改名郭守願，又贈左衛大將軍

• 侄郭奉超，為劉承祐所害，贈左監門衛將軍、右衛大將軍

• 侄郭定哥，為劉承祐所害，贈左千牛衛將軍，追賜名郭遜，又贈右武衛大將軍

• 內侄柴榮，郭威元配柴皇后之侄，即後周世宗

• 外甥李重進，郭威姐姐福慶長公主之子

• 女婿張永德，郭威女兒壽安公主之夫

• 內甥曹彬，郭威第三任妻張貴妃之甥，北宋建國宰相

註釋