Guo Yan, styled Yanwen, claimed to be from Jiexiu, Taiyuan. His father Guo Chong followed Cao Cao into Guanzhong and later rose to the rank of Minister. Guo Yan was brave and skilled in battle from a young age, excelling in horseback riding and archery. The Prince of Chen in Northern Zhou, Yuwen Chun, valued him and appointed him as his right-hand man, eventually promoting him to Grand Commander. At that time, Northern Qi had not yet been conquered, and Guo Yan was ordered to gather troops and procure horses in Tianshui, defend the eastern border, and recruited thousands of families to garrison in Shancheng. He was later appointed as Commissioner, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Supervisor of the Right. Whenever enemies invaded, he led his troops into battle, achieving victory several times a year, striking fear into the hearts of the Northern Qi. King Yizhou (Yuwen) Xian trusted him greatly.
During the Jiande period, Emperor Wu of Zhou went to Yunyang to relax, and Guo Yan went to his palace to pay his respects. At that time, everyone was discussing plans to attack Northern Qi, and Guo Yan offered to take the lead. After capturing Heyin City, he was appointed as General of the Right. Later, when Emperor Wu of Zhou besieged Jinzhou and feared that Northern Qi would send troops to rescue, he ordered Guo Yan to secure the lengthy road alongside Prince Chen. He also engaged in battle against the Emperor of Northern Qi at Jinzhou, pursuing the Northern Qi army all the way to Gaobi and defeating them. He then assisted in pacifying Bingzhou and was promoted to the rank of Kaifu, appointed as Duke of Wuqiang County with a fief of 1200 households, and granted the surname Chiluo. In the first year of Xuanzheng, he became the Grand Master of the Right Central Army.
When Yu Jiao led a rebellion, he engaged in battle against Wei Xiaokuan in Wuzhi and then went to Xiangzhou for another battle. Previously, Yu Jiao had sent his disciple Qin to be the governor of Qingzhou, leading soldiers from Qingzhou and Qizhou to assist him. After Yu Jiao's defeat, Qin, his sons Dun and You, wanted to escape back to Qingzhou. Guo Yan led a thousand elite troops to pursue and defeat them, capturing You on the battlefield while Qin and Dun managed to flee.
Guo Yan arrived in Jizhou, captured the city, defeated the remnants of Yu Jiong's forces in the north of Jizhou, won consecutive battles, and sent all the captives to the capital. The emperor appointed him as the Senior General, Duke of Wushan County, and rewarded him with seven thousand bolts of fabric. He secretly advised the emperor to quickly eliminate the princes of the Zhou dynasty and usurp the throne sooner. Because of this, his relationship with the emperor grew closer. In the first year of the Kaihuang era, the emperor allowed him to restore his original surname, Guo.
When the Turks invaded the border, the emperor appointed Guo Yan as the commander of the army, stationed in Pingliang. For several years, the Turks refrained from invading. Later, the emperor appointed him as the chief engineer for the canal project, leading the water workers to dig the canal, diverting the water of the Wei River from Daxingcheng to the east to Tongguan, constructing over four hundred li of canal. The local people benefited from this, and it was called the "Wealthy People's Canal."
Five years later, he was appointed as the governor of Yingzhou. That autumn, there was heavy rain and flooding, many counties were submerged, and the common people climbed high trees and took shelter in the homes of the wealthy. Guo Yan personally prepared boats and tools, and brought food to help the people, saving many lives. He first opened the granary to assist the victims, and then reported to the court. The emperor greatly appreciated him and appointed him as the governor of Shuozhou.
In the area under his jurisdiction, there was a town called Heng'an, near the northern border, where food had to be frequently redistributed. Guo Yan chose fertile land to establish farmland, leaving tens of thousands of shi of surplus grain every year, thus relieving the people of the burden of transporting food. He also established the town of Sanggan, and all of these efforts earned him the emperor's praise.
Ten years later, he followed Prince Jin Yang Guang to Yangzhou to garrison the town. At that time, there was a rebellion in the Jianghuai region, and the emperor appointed Guo Yan as the commander, assigning him to station ten thousand elite troops at Jingkou. He fought against the rebels in the southern part of Guizhou, defeated them, captured the rebel leader alive, seized a large number of ships, food, and military supplies, and then suppressed the mountain bandits in Dongyang, Yongjia, Xuancheng, Yi, and She, and all were subdued. Finally, he was appointed as the governor of Jiangzhou.
Guo Yan was extremely arrogant with his subordinates while being particularly adept at flattering his superiors. Prince Jin Yang Guang liked him very much, lavished rewards upon him, and promoted him to the position of governor of Hongzhou. Prince Jin was plotting to seize the throne at that time, so he sent Yu Wenshu to disclose this plan to Guo Yan through one of his confidants. Upon hearing this, Guo Yan was overjoyed and exclaimed, "If this works out, I can become the Crown Prince! If it doesn't, I can still occupy the Huaihai region and restore the old territories of Liang and Chen. What can those guys who feast with Prince Jin do to me?" Prince Jin then summoned Guo Yan and secretly discussed the plan.
To conceal their true intentions, they fabricated a reason, claiming that Guo Yan's wife had a large tumor on her neck, and Princess Xiao had a way to cure it. They reported to Emperor Gaozu, stating that Guo Yan needed to take his wife to Jiangdu for treatment, back and forth many times. Later, Guo Yan feigned a rebellion by the natives of Guizhou, so Prince Jin reported to let Guo Yan lead troops to quell them. In this way, Guo Yan extensively built a weapons depot and secretly trained his army. After Prince Jin ascended to the position of Crown Prince, Guo Yan was appointed as the commander of the Left Guard, and later promoted to the commander of the Left Guard. When Emperor Gaozu was seriously ill in Renshou Palace, the Crown Prince and Yang Su fabricated an edict, granting Guo Yan and Yu Wenshu command of the Eastern Palace's army and stationing them within the palace for its defense, with the responsibility of defending the palace gate resting on them.
After the death of the founding emperor, the Han King rebelled, leaving the capital vulnerable. Guo Yan was hastily summoned back to the capital to lead the army for defense. In the first year of Daye, Guo Yan was appointed as the General of the Left Military Guard. After the emperor moved to Jiangdu, he appointed Guo Yan to lead the left army and later appointed him as the Grand Minister of Ceremonies. He followed the emperor to conquer the Tuyuhun, deploying troops via Jinshan Road and capturing over twenty thousand households. Guo Yan was particularly good at understanding the emperor's thoughts, who was adept at flattery, and the emperor often said to others, "Only Guo Yan understands my thoughts." Guo Yan often advised the emperor to enjoy more leisure, only attending court every five days, and not to toil like the founding emperor. The emperor took his advice to heart, praising him even more for his loyalty. When the new noble title system was introduced, Guo Yan received a title in accordance with the regulations. Six years later, due to the emperor's favor, he was granted the title of Marquis of Zhending. Seven years later, he followed the emperor to Jiangdu, where he died. Posthumously, he was promoted to General of the Left Guard, and the court granted him lavish funeral honors, with the posthumous title of Xiang. His eldest son, Guo Zhen, was a military general, while his second son, Guo Siben, was the magistrate of Xiaochang.
Historians say: Ah, upright and honest, not bending or kneeling, this exemplifies the noble character of a servant; cooperative yet not blindly compliant, this is the proper way to serve the monarch. Yu Wenshu and Guo Yan went with the flow like water, slick as grease, always going to great lengths to flatter and please the emperor. If the emperor said yes, they said yes; if the emperor said no, they said no. They had no sense of right or wrong, unable to distinguish urgency or importance, silently enduring just to maintain their high positions, willingly accepting the stigma of living off others, and enduring the ridicule of the world. This behavior, of course, is not that of a nobleman, and is something Confucius deeply despised.
You see, the actions of Yuwen Shu and Guo Yan completely throw their own principles to the wind, only knowing how to blindly cater to the emperor, with no spine. They are like water, letting the emperor shape them however he wants. On the surface, such people may appear impressive, but in reality, they are empty inside, without any principles. In order to maintain their positions, they'll do anything, without a thought for their own reputation or dignity. This is a far cry from the loyal ministers and generals who speak their minds for the country and its people. "Modest and humble, not seeking personal gain; harmonious yet different, following the normal path of serving the emperor." These sixteen characters encapsulate the core principles of being a loyal subject.
