生平

早年事迹

苟晞起初是司隶部从事，司隶校尉石鉴极为器重他。后又获东海王司马越引荐，任通事令史，后调任阳平太守。永宁元年（301年），齐王司马冏击败篡位的赵王司马伦，以大司马身份辅政，苟晞则参大司马军事、尚书右丞；后调任尚书左丞，并考察属下诸曹办公，下级官员都对他十分忌惮。太安元年十二月（303年），长沙王司马乂击败司马冏，苟晞亦因司马冏倒台而被免官，但不久即被随后上台的司马乂任命为从事中郎。永安元年（304年），司马越带晋惠帝北征邺城，讨伐皇太弟司马颖，苟晞任北军中候。晋惠帝兵败被司马颖俘获后不久，司马颖即被王浚和东嬴公司马腾打败而被逼带同惠帝回洛阳，苟晞此时则投奔范阳王司马虓，司马虓承制任用苟晞行兖州刺史。

比拟韩白

永兴二年（305年），司马颖旧将公师藩因见司马颖被废，于是在河北地区起兵，牧帅汲桑亦加入，并且进攻多个郡县，逼近邺城，司马虓派苟晞和广平太守丁绍一同击退公师藩。次年苟晞更在白马县攻击准备渡过黄河的公师藩，并将他斩杀。

永嘉元年（307年），汲桑作乱，自称大将军并称要为上一年被杀的司马颖报仇，并进攻邺城。新蔡王司马腾兵败被杀，邺城陷落，汲桑于是打算南攻兖州。太傅司马越知道后大惊，先命苟晞为前锋进讨汲桑。后见苟晞与汲桑部将石勒在阳平、平原相持并互有胜负，又领兵出镇官渡，声援苟晞。汲桑素来畏惧苟晞，于是在苟晞攻来时在城外设栏栅加强防卫，苟晞先让士兵休息，只派单骑向汲桑部众陈述祸福，汲桑部众大惊而退入城，后苟晞又领兵在东武阳击败汲桑，汲桑退走；及后苟晞追击汲桑和石勒，连破九垒。冀州刺史丁绍随后又击败刚重整的汲桑军，令事件得以平息。苟晞亦因而获升抚军将军，都督青、兖诸军事，封东平郡侯。因苟晞屡破强敌，建立起威名，当时的人更将他与韩信和白起比拟。

内外争斗

司马越最初与苟晞交好，更结拜为兄弟。但司马越司马潘滔此时则建议司马越自领当时由苟晞所统的兖州，说兖州是军事要冲；又称苟晞有大志，不会甘愿只作臣下，长期统领兖州这个重要地区，一旦生变后果就会很严重。司马越亦同意，于是接纳潘滔的建议，自任丞相并领兖州牧，改苟晞领青州刺史、假节都督青州诸军事，并且升苟晞为征东大将军、开府仪同三司、加侍中，进封东平郡公，增加他的名号去讨好苟晞，但二人关系自此却出现裂痕。

永嘉四年（310年），潘滔及尚书刘望等诬陷苟晞，令苟晞极为愤怒，上表请求斩杀潘滔等人，亦请司马越的从事中郎刘洽为他的军司，但司马越都一概拒绝。苟晞于是与司马越正式决裂，自各州郡宣告自己的战功而陈述司马越的罪状。当时晋怀帝亦厌恶专权的司马越，于是下诏支持苟晞，又命苟晞进攻在境内叛乱的王弥和石勒。此时王弥将领曹嶷正攻打青州，负责留守的苟纯闭门固守，而曹嶷则集结兵力，连营数十里，苟晞回来后与曹嶷作战，成功击破。

次年正月苟晞再选精锐与曹嶷作战，但因大风扬起风沙令苟晞战败，只好弃城夜逃，并遭曹嶷追击，部众都向曹嶷投降。苟晞逃到高平，在当地募兵数千人。此时，晋怀帝密诏苟晞讨伐司马越，司马越亦截获诏命，于是宣布苟晞的罪状，并命杨瑁和裴盾讨伐苟晞。苟晞派兵收捕河南尹潘滔，但被潘滔成功逃脱，另苟晞亦斩杀尚书刘曾和侍中程延。程延，字孝长，程伯符第四十三世孙。

司马越见此而忧愤成疾，当年三月就在项县去世，裴盾等人亦被叛乱的王桑杀死，晋怀帝于是命苟晞为大将军、大都督、督青、徐、兖、豫、荆、扬六州诸军事。

骄纵自害

苟晞见当时洛阳正有饥荒，四周亦有乱事，于是上表请求迁都仓垣，并派从事中郎刘会率船数十艘，宿卫五百人和一千斛谷粮护送怀帝迁都，晋怀帝答应但朝中官员却因害怕潘滔而不肯迁都，宫中人员亦贪恋宫中财宝而不愿离开。晋怀帝最终还是决定到仓垣，但因没有足够士兵守卫，出宫不久就被盗贼掠夺，被逼折返。不久汉国将领刘曜就率军攻破洛阳，俘掳晋怀帝，豫章王司马端和和郁等逃出洛阳投奔苟晞，苟晞置行台，立司马端为皇太子；而司马端又承制命苟晞为太子太傅、都督中外诸军、录尚书。

苟晞原本出身寒微，今天身居重臣，因而十分自满，蓄养婢女千人、侍妾数十，纵情享乐而且刑罚和施政的很苛刻。阎缵之子阎亨上书谏止更遭苟晞杀害。苟晞从事中郎明预知道后，即使抱病仍去见苟晞，以尧舜和纣王的对比劝谏他，终令苟晞面有愧色。但当时人心已离，无人再为苟晞效命，部将温畿和傅宣都已叛离，同时石勒亦攻灭苟晞的盟友王赞，并且袭击苟晞所驻的蒙城，苟晞被石勒所捕并署为左司马。一个多月后，苟晞和王赞图谋反叛石勒，石勒于是将他们杀死。

性格特徵

• 苟晞作风果断而且严厉苛刻。苟晞的姨母前来投靠，苟晞亦供养甚厚，但一次姨母之子请求苟晞让他为将，苟晞拒绝，说：「我不会姑息任何犯法的人，你日后不会后悔吗？」但他坚持，苟晞于是将他任命为督护。后来他犯法，苟晞依例处斩他，姨母叩头恳求但苟晞不听。及后则更换素服哭悼死者说：「杀你的是兖州刺史（苟晞当时的官职），为你哭丧的是苟道将（苟晞字道将）。」可见其执法的严苛。

• 苟晞任青州刺史时施政十分严苛，每日都会杀人，以至当时血流成河，人们于是叫他做「屠伯」。

家庭

• 苟纯，苟晞弟弟，在苟晞麾下，曾代兄长领青州刺史。后和苟晞一同被石勒所杀。

War of the Eight Princes and suppressing Sima Yings loyalists

Early career

Gou Xi hailed from Shanyang County in Henei Commandery and was of humble origins. He was first employed under Shi Jian who later recommended him to Sima Yue to serve as his General Secretary and Prefect of Yangping. Following the fall of Sima Lun in 301, Gou Xi went to serve the Grand General Sima Jiong. After Jiong was killed by Sima Ai in 302, Gou Xi was removed from the government for a brief period before Ai brought Gou Xi back to work under him. In 304, Gou Xi participated in Sima Yue's campaign against Sima Ying which ended in defeat for Yue at Dangyin (荡阴; in present-day Anyang, Henan). Gou Xi was captured, but after Sima Ying was lost to Wang Jun that same year, Gou Xi escaped to Sima Yue's brother, Sima Xiao (司马虓), who appointed him Inspector of Yanzhou.

Defeating Gongshi Fan and Ji Sang

By 305, Sima Ying had been removed from his position as Crown Younger Prince by Sima Yong. The people of Hebei still supported Ying at this point and were angered by the decision. Because of this, former generals of Ying led by Gongshi Fan rebelled in the region, attacking many local counties and commanderies before making their way to Yecheng. Gou Xi through Sima Xiao』s order reinforced the city and turned away the rebels. In 306, Gou Xi』s army killed Gongshi Fan while he and his soldiers were trying to cross the Yellow River from Baima (白马; near present-day Hua County, Henan).

However, two of Gongshi Fan's followers, Ji Sang and Shi Le, survived and fled to the pastures to raise their own army. In 307, claiming of wanting to avenge Sima Ying, they sacked Yecheng, killed the city's commander Sima Teng, and stole the coffin of Sima Ying (who died in 306) before invading Yanzhou. Sima Yue tasked Gou Xi and Wang Zan (王赞) in defeating the rebels. Gou Xi and Ji Sang and Shi Le's forces were locked in a stalemate for several months at Pingyuan and Yangping (阳平; in present-day Shen County, Shandong) while Sima Yue provided Gou Xi with support from Guandu (官渡; northeast of present-day Zhongmu County, Henan). On 14 September, Gou Xi finally landed a decisive victory over Ji Sang at Dongwuyang County (东武阳; in present-day Shen County, Shandong), forcing Ji Sang and Shi Le to fall back to Qingyuan County (清渊; in present-day Linxi County, Hebei). Gou Xi pursued the duo and broke through eight ramparts, killing more than ten thousand of the rebels. The pair decided to flee to Liu Yuan's state of Han Zhao, but were forced to split up after they were intercepted and routed by Ding Shao (丁绍) along the way. Shi Le eventually found his way to Liu Yuan while Ji Sang was killed by the Qihuo group.

Gou Xi's feats in defeating Gongshi Fan, Ji Sang and Shi Le made him highly revered by the populace of his time. Many compared him to the ancient generals Han Xin and Bai Qi. By the time Ji Sang was defeated, Sima Yue had already established himself as Jin's paramount leader from his civil war with Sima Yong. As reward for quelling the rebellions, Sima Yue made Gou Xi General Who Nurtures The Army and Commander of military affairs in Qingzhou and Yanzhou.

During Sima Yues regency

Fall out with Sima Yue

In Yanzhou, Gou Xi was said to have administered well while enforcing strict laws over the provinces. Sima Yue and Gou Xi were both initially on good terms to the point that they were described as close as brothers whenever they were in court. However, their relationship began to crack when, at the advice of Pan Tao (潘滔), Sima Yue appointed himself the Governor and acting Commander of military affairs of Yanzhou while moving Gou Xi to positions in Qingzhou. Sima Yue and Pan Tao both saw Yanzhou as a strategically important province and did not trust Gou Xi in holding it. When Gou Xi arrived in Qingzhou to assume his posts, he immediately implemented excessively strict laws and oversaw many executions each day, earning him the nickname 'Butcher (屠伯)'. In 307, the Administrator of Dunqiu (顿丘, in present-day Qingfeng County, Henan) Wei Zhi (魏植), rebelled in Yanzhou, but was quickly defeated by Gou Xi. During this, Gou Xi left his brother, Gou Chun (苟纯), in charge of Qingzhou, and Gou Chun carried out more executions than his brother had.

At the time, the powerful bandit, Wang Mi was terrorizing Yanzhou and Qingzhou. After Wang Mi defeated Sima Yue's general Ju Xian (派鞠), Gou Xi attacked Wang Mi and routed him, dispersing his troops. However, Wang Mi returned with more momentum in 308 to pillage Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Yanzhou and Yuzhou. This time, Gou Xi was unable to defeat him. Wang Mi eventually looted the Xuchang and tried to capture Luoyang but, fortunately for Jin, he was turned back by Wang Yan.

While Gou Xi and Sima Yue's relationship deteriorated, Gou Xi was constantly slandered to Sima Yue by Pan Tao and Yue's other advisors. In 310, Gou Xi became furious about this issue and sent a petition to Yue asking him to behead the slanderers, but Yue refused. This was the breaking point for Sima Yue and Gou Xi, as shortly after, Gou Xi began sending proclamations in his provinces alleging and denouncing Yue for his offences and calling for a campaign against him. Meanwhile, Emperor Huai of Jin, who hated Sima Yue for abusing his power, decided to reach out to Gou Xi and collaborate with him, which Gou Xi agreed to.

Alliance with Emperor Huai

Emperor Huai's first edict to him was to put down Wang Mi and his subordinate Cao Ni, who were now generals of Han Zhao, as they were threatening the Luoyang region again. Gou Xi did so, but had to return to Qingzhou when Cao Ni broke into Langye. Gou Xi defeated Cao Ni several times, but in January 311, Gou Xi conceded a devastating lost to Cao Ni at Linzi due to strong winds blowing dust and obstructing his army's vision. Gou Xi fled to Gaoping in the middle of the night while many of his soldiers surrendered to Cao Ni. At Gaoping, Gou Xi gathered new troops and rebuilt his army.

Soon after, Emperor Huai secretly wrote an edict and sent it to Gou Xi ordering him to campaign against Sima Yue. However, Yue had previously noticed that Emperor Huai and Gou Xi were exchanging letters frequently, and this time he sent his cavalry to intercept Emperor Huai's envoys. Upon knowing the content of the edict, Sima Yue denounced Gou Xi and sent Yang Mao (杨瑁) and Pei Dun (裴盾) to campaign against him. Gou Xi in response sent his soldiers to capture Pan Tao. Pan Tao escaped, but his colleagues Liu Zeng (刘曾) and Cheng Yan (程延) were executed by Gou Xi. Overly stressed with the situation at hand, Yue soon died of illness.

Disaster of Yongjia and death

With Sima Yue's death, Emperor Huai appointed Gou Xi the Grand General, Grand Commander, and Commander of military affairs in Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Jingzhou, and Yangzhou, giving him very significant power over the state's military. Gou Xi wrote a petition to the emperor asking him to move the capital over to Cangyuan (仓垣, in present-day Kaifeng, Henan) in Yanzhou. Gou Xi even sent his official, Liu Hui (刘会), with boats, 500 guards and grains to escort the Emperor from Luoyang. Emperor Huai wanted to go, but later refused at the behest of his ministers who did not want to leave their property behind. Luoyang was in a dire situation at this point due to an ongoing famine and the Han Zhao threat, but Emperor Huai faced a number of difficulties in trying to leave the capital. In the end, Han Zhao forces captured Luoyang as well as the Emperor himself in July 311.

Emperor Huai's surviving son, Sima Duan (司马端), fled to Cangyuan, where Gou Xi proclaimed him as the new crown prince and moved his base to Mengcheng. In his final days, Gou Xi grew very cruel and indulgent. His advisors Yan Heng (阎亨) and Ming Yu (明预) criticized him for this, but Gou executed the former and ignored the latter. Because of this, Gou Xi alienated himself from his supporters. Shi Le, now a general of Han Zhao, captured Wang Zan at Yangxia (阳夏; present-day Taikang County, Henan) and pressed on to Mengcheng where he defeated Gou Xi. Shi Le placed a lock around Gou Xi's neck and made him his Marshal of the Left. Just a month later, Gou Xi plotted with Wang Zan to assassinate Shi Le, but the plan was discovered, and Shi Le put the two of them as well as Gou Chun to death.