Guo Chongtao () (died February 20, 926Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 274.Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.), courtesy name Anshi (), formally the Duke of Zhao Commandery (), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Later Tang dynasty and its predecessor state, the Former Jin. He served as the chief of staff for Later Tang's founding emperor Li Cunxu (Emperor Zhuangzong) from before the time of the Later Tang's establishment and was instrumental in the Later Tang's destruction of its rivals Later Liang and Former Shu, but came under suspicion after Former Shu's destruction. Despite that suspicion, the Emperor Zhuangzong did not initially intend to kill him, but the Emperor Zhuangzong's wife Empress Liu issued an order herself and had him executed.
Background It is not known when Guo Chongtao was born, but it is known that he was from Yanmen (present-day Daixian, Shanxi). All that is known about his family origins is that his father was named Guo Hongzheng (). Guo Chongtao started his military career serving as a follower of Li Kexiu (), a cousin of the major late-Tang dynasty warlord Li Keyong the military governor (jiedushi) of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). While Li Kexiu served as the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), Guo was in charge of much of the affairs of his headquarters and became known for capability and honesty.Old History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 57.As Li Kexiu (under Li Keyong's orders) seized Zhaoyi's capital Lu Prefecture (潞州) in 883 and died in 890, Guo's serving under him at Zhaoyi would have been during those years. See Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 255, 258.
After Li Kexiu's death, Li Keyong took Guo onto his own staff to serve as an attendant. After a successful diplomatic mission to Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), then ruled by the warlord Li Maozhen), Li Keyong made him the discipline officer. It was said that Guo became known for being dextrous and capable in reacting to the situation.
During Jin The last Tang emperor, Emperor Ai, was forced to yield the throne to the major warlord (and Li Keyong's archrival) Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) in 907, and Zhu declared himself emperor of a new Later Liang (as its Emperor Taizu). Li Keyong and several other major warlords (Li Maozhen, Wang Jian, and Yang Wo) refused to recognize the new Later Liang state, and effectively became rulers of their own states (in Li Keyong's case, Jin, as he carried the Tang-bestowed title of Prince of Jin). In 908, Li Keyong died and was succeeded as the Prince of Jin by his son Li Cunxu.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 266. Guo continued to serve Li Cunxu, and it was said that Li Cunxu valued his service.
In the late 910s, Li Cunxu had the trusted eunuch Li Shaohong and the official Meng Zhixiang (the husband of his cousin, who would later receive the title of Grand Princess Qionghua during his reign as emperor) serving as his chiefs of staff (中門使, Zhongmenshi). At Meng's recommendation, Guo was made the deputy chief of staff in 917. When the major general Zhou Dewei the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing) died in battle in 918, Li Cunxu was forced to take over the command of Lulong himself and dispatch Li Shaohong to Lulong to actually take control. As prior chiefs of staff had often received punishment from Li Cunxu, however, Meng did not want to remain chief of staff, particularly by himself and wished to resign the post. Li Cunxu required him to nominate a successor, and Meng recommended Guo. Li Cunxu accepted the recommendation, and made Guo the chief of staff. It was said that thereafter, Guo became in charge of the affairs of Li Cunxu's headquarters and followed Li Cunxu through his campaigns against Later Liang.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 270.
Later in 919, there was an incident when Guo opined that Li Cunxu was having too many people attending meals with him, and wanted Li Cunxu to reduce the size of these meal gatherings. Li Cunxu, in anger, told his secretary Feng Dao to draft a declaration stating that he was going to leave the command of his main army to someone else and return to Hedong's capital Taiyuan by himself. Feng, however, defused the situation by persuading Li Cunxu that Guo was not faulty in his suggestion. Guo subsequently apologized, and this matter did not affect their relationship significantly at that time.
In 921, at a time when Li Cunxu was faced with battling rebels at Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) led by Zhang Chujin, while, at Zhang's inducement, Khitan Empire's Emperor Taizu was invading from the north, intending to aid Zhang. Khitan forces were initially successful in advancing deep into Jin territory, going through Lulong and Yiwu (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei) Circuits, and most generals suggested to Li Cunxu that Khitan forces were too difficult to combat with on their own; instead, they suggested abandoning the siege on Chengde's capital Zhen Prefecture () and withdrawing completely back from the region back to Hedong. Guo, however, pointed out that Khitan forces were fearful of Li Cunxu's reputation and had only invaded due to inducements by Wang Yu (王郁, a Khitan officer and son to Yiwu's former military governor Wang Chuzhi); he suggested facing Khitan forces directly, believing that even a small victory would cause Khitan forces to withdraw. Li Cunxu agreed with his suggestion and faced Khitan forces directly, and, after a Jin victory, Khitan forces withdrew.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 271. When Jin forces subsequently captured Zhen Prefecture, Li Cunxu sent Guo to gather the contents of the Chengde treasury. It was said that despite the opportunity to take from the treasury and despite many people offering him bribes, Guo took nothing from the treasury, and instead used the chance to purchase books from the people of Chengde.
During Later Tang
The campaign to destroy Later Liang In spring 923, Li Cunxu, then at Wei Prefecture (魏州, in modern Handan, Hebei, renamed Xingtang () shortly after), declared himself the emperor of a new Later Tang (as Emperor Zhuangzong). He commissioned Guo Chongtao and a senior eunuch, Zhang Juhan, as chiefs of staff (now with the title changed to Shumishi). (The new emperor also summoned Li Shaohong back from Lulong, but with the ambitious Guo not wanting Li Shaohong, whom he had previously served under, becoming chief of staff again (since Li Shaohong would effectively be more senior than he was), Guo dissuaded Emperor Zhuangzong from making Li Shaohong chief of staff and recommended Zhang instead; this incident caused Li Shaohong, who was instead made the director of palace affairs, resentful of Guo.) Meanwhile, the official Kong Qian, who had long been overseeing the responsibility of supplying the Jin forces, wanted to be the director of material pricing (i.e., overseeing the three financial agencies in charge of taxation, treasury, and salt and iron monopolies), but the other officials opined that Kong lacked a lengthy career and came from low birth, and so Guo recommended the senior official Zhang Xian () instead, having Kong made Zhang Xian's deputy; this also displeased Kong.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 272.
Despite the declaration of himself as emperor, Emperor Zhuangzong was actually facing some difficult times at that time—it was said that due to frequent Khitan pillaging incursions, Lulong lacked sufficient food supplies; meanwhile, a recent Later Liang counterattack had caused Later Tang to lose Wei Prefecture (衛州, in modern Puyang, Henan, not the same Wei Prefecture where Emperor Zhuangzong was at that time) to Later Liang; further, Li Jitao the military governor of Anyi Circuit (安義, i.e., Zhaoyi, as he was the son of Emperor Zhuangzong's deceased cousin Li Sizhao and the circuit was therefore renamed to observe naming taboo for Li Sizhao) had also rebelled and submitted to Later Liang. The Later Tang morale was thus low at the time. However, at that time, the Later Liang officer Lu Shunmi () of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong) defected to Later Tang and exposed the fact that Tianping's capital Yun Prefecture (), deeply inside Later Liang territory south of the Yellow River (which formed the de facto boundary between Later Tang and Later Liang at that time, notwithstanding Later Tang's recent loss of Wei Prefecture and Anyi Circuit, both of which were north of the Yellow River), was poorly defended, with its military governor Dai Siyuan serving as the overall commander of Later Liang forces against Later Tang at that time and therefore away from the circuit. When Lu further suggested a surprise attack on Tianping, Guo opposed, finding the plan too risky. However, Emperor Zhuangzong's adoptive brother Li Siyuan advocated for the plan, believing that to break the stalemate with Later Liang, a risky move was necessary. Emperor Zhuangzong thus commissioned Li Siyuan to carry out the attack, and Li Siyuan subsequently captured Yun Prefecture in a surprise attack.
In reaction, Later Liang's emperor Zhu Zhen relieved Dai of his command and replaced him with Wang Yanzhang, who immediately launched an attack on the Later Tang city of Desheng (德勝, in modern Puyang), whose two parts straddled the Yellow River, capturing the southern city of Desheng. Wang then headed east on the river, intending to capture Yangliu (楊劉, in modern Liaocheng, Shandong), to control the Yellow River crossings in the region so that the Later Tang forces at Yun would be isolated and have their supplies cut off. Guo, however, foresaw this situation and advised Emperor Zhuangzong to immediately build another fort at Majiakou (馬家口, also in modern Liaocheng) to allow another crossing point, while distracting Wang by sending other forces to harass his army. Emperor Zhuangzong agreed and did so, sending Guo to build the fort and defend it, and meanwhile, Yangliu's defenses were holding under the capable Later Tang general Li Zhou (). By the time that Wang realized that a new fort was being built at Majiakou and attacked it, the fort was sufficiently complete that Guo was able to hold off his attack until Emperor Zhuangzong arrived to force Wang's withdrawal.
Despite the victory at Majiakou, the Later Tang army's military supplies were low, and there were rumors of an impending major Khitan attack to the north. Further, after Zhu Zhen then replaced Wang with Duan Ning (because Zhu Zhen's close associates, led by his brother-in-law Zhao Yan, resented Wang for speaking against them), Duan planned an ambitious multi-prong assault against Later Tang, and the plans were becoming known to Later Tang. Li Shaohong advocated negotiating a peace accord with Later Liang—exchanging Tianping for Wei Prefecture and Liyang, with the two states formally setting their boundary at the Yellow River. Guo, in consultation with the recently defected Later Liang officer Kang Yanxiao, opposed, however, believing that this was the time to use Tianping as a launchpad to destroy Later Liang and that, if Emperor Zhuangzong did not attempt to do so, even if there were a peace agreement, the Later Tang morale would become so low that its people would scatter. Emperor Zhuangzong agreed.
In fall 923, Duan started his multi-prong plan. Under Duan's plan, he himself would cross the Yellow River north to Chan Prefecture (澶州, in modern Anyang, Henan), and then the Later Liang army would launch in four different prongs:
Dong Zhang would head toward the major Later Tang city Taiyuan (formerly Jin's capital). Huo Yanwei would head toward Zhen Prefecture (鎮州, Chengde's capital). Wang and Zhang Hanjie (張漢傑, the brother of Zhu Zhen's deceased wife Consort Zhang) would head toward Yun Prefecture.