Historical sources on Guo Jias life

The authoritative historical source on Guo Jia's life is the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), which was written by Chen Shou in the third century. In the fifth century, Pei Songzhi annotated the Sanguozhi by incorporating information from other sources to Chen Shou's original work and adding his personal commentary. Some alternative texts used in the annotations to Guo Jia's biography include: Fu Zi, by Fu Xuan; Wei Shu (Book of Wei), by Wang Chen, Xun Yi and Ruan Ji; Shiyu (Accounts of this Generation), by Guo Song.

Early life

Guo Jia was from Yangzhai County, Yingchuan Commandery (潁川郡), which is in present-day Yuzhou, Henan. As a youth, he was famous for his intelligence and foresight. Since reaching adulthood at around the age of 19, Guo Jia had been travelling around the country and befriending members of the scholar-gentry and other talented persons. He did not associate himself with the hoi polloi and was thus not very well known outside of his circles. However, all those who knew him recognised his talent and felt that he was extraordinary. When he was 26, he served in the Han government as a minor official in the office of the Minister over the Masses (司徒).

Guo Jia once travelled to Hebei to meet Yuan Shao, an influential warlord who controlled most of northern China at the time. He later told Yuan Shao's advisers Xin Ping and Guo Tu, "An intelligent adviser should be prudent when he chooses which lord he wishes to serve so that his lord will heed every piece of advice he gives. The adviser can then establish his reputation. Lord Yuan (Yuan Shao) wishes to mimic the Duke of Zhou by recruiting men of talent to serve under him but he does not know how to tap into their abilities. He focuses too much on unnecessary details and neglects the main points; he likes to listen to many ideas but is indecisive. It is difficult for him to save the Empire from its troubles and achieve hegemony over the various warlords!" Guo Jia then left Yuan Shao.

Coming to serve Cao Cao

Around the time, Cao Cao had a brilliant adviser, Xi Zhicai (戲志才), whom he appreciated greatly, but Xi died early. Cao Cao told another adviser Xun Yu, "Ever since Xi Zhicai died, I've been lacking someone whom I can form strategies with. I heard there are many talents in the Ru and Ying regions. Who can replace Xi Zhicai?" Xun Yu recommended Guo Jia to Cao Cao. Cao Cao and Guo Jia had a discussion on the affairs of their time, after which the former remarked: "This must be the man who will help me achieve greatness." Guo Jia also happily said, "He's truly the lord I wish to serve." Guo Jia was then appointed as a Libationer (祭酒) in the army of Cao Cao, who then held the position of Minister over the Masses (司空) in the Han imperial court.

Evaluation of Cao Caos advantages over Yuan Shao

The Fu Zi recorded a detailed conversation between Guo Jia and Cao Cao, in which the former carefully pointed out ten advantages the latter had over Yuan Shao. Cao Cao asked Guo Jia, "Benchu (Yuan Shao) rules Ji, Qing and Bing provinces and has vast territories and large numbers of troops under his command. However, he has also been making offensive moves. I intend to attack him, but my forces are weaker than his, so what should I do?"

Guo Jia replied,

Cao Cao laughed and said, "If what you've said is true, I feel really flattered." Guo Jia said, "Yuan Shao is now occupied in a war with Gongsun Zan in the north. We should head east to attack Lü Bu. If we don't eliminate Lü Bu first, when Yuan Shao attacks us and Lü Bu assists him, we'll be in deep trouble." Cao Cao agreed with Guo Jia.

Cao Caos campaign against Lü Bu

In 198, Cao Cao launched a campaign against his rival Lü Bu in Xu Province, leading to the Battle of Xiapi. Lü Bu lost three battles and retreated to Xiapi (下邳; present-day Pizhou, Jiangsu). Cao Cao's forces besieged the city for months but they still could not conquer it because Lü Bu and his men resisted firmly. By then, Cao Cao's troops were tired and weary of battle, so Cao intended to withdraw his forces. However, Guo Jia and Xun You told Cao Cao, "Lü Bu is courageous but foolhardy. His army's morale is low because he has already lost three battles. The troops look up to their commander. If their commander shows any sign of weakness, the men will lose their fighting spirit. Lü Bu may have Chen Gong as an intelligent adviser but the latter's strategies always come late. Now, we should take advantage of this situation, when the morale of Lü Bu's forces is low and when Chen Gong has yet to think of a solution, to press on a fierce attack and we'll achieve victory." Cao Cao heeded their advice and directed the waters of the Yi (沂) and Si rivers to flood Xiapi, resulting in his triumph over Lü Bu.

The Fu Zi recorded another piece of advice Guo Jia gave to Cao Cao during the Battle of Xiapi: "In the past, Xiang Yu never lost any of the over 70 battles he fought in, but once the tide turned against him, he ended up in death and destruction. This was due to his reliance on his personal courage and his negligence towards strategy. Lü Bu has lost three consecutive battles and his army's morale is low and his defences are weakening. His might is not comparable to Xiang Yu, and he is now overwhelmed by defeat and weariness. If we take advantage of our successes to press on the attack on him, we can defeat him." Cao Cao agreed with him.

Advice to Cao Cao on how to handle Liu Bei

According to the Wei Shu, Guo Jia advised Cao Cao on how to handle Liu Bei when Liu Bei came to join Cao Cao in 196, after Lü Bu seized control of Xu Province from Liu's general Zhang Fei. On Cao Cao's suggestion, Emperor Xian appointed Liu Bei as the Governor (牧) of Yu Province (豫州). Someone told Cao Cao, "Liu Bei has the ambition of a hero. If you don't eliminate him now, he'll become a threat to you in the future." Cao Cao asked Guo Jia for his opinion, to which Guo replied, "That's true. However, when you raised an army in the name of righteousness and pledged to help the common people eliminate tyrants, you attracted talented and capable people to serve under you based on your sincerity and integrity. Liu Bei is known to be a hero, so if you kill him when he comes to serve you, you will be viewed as someone who harms men of virtue. Other talented persons will start to doubt you and may even change their minds about serving you. If that happens, who will help you achieve your goals? Therefore, it's imperative that you carefully consider the consequences of ruining your good reputation for the sake of eliminating one man who poses a threat to you." Cao Cao laughed and said, "I understand."

However, the Fu Zi gave a completely different account of Guo's advice to Cao Cao on how to handle Liu Bei. Guo Jia told Cao Cao, "Liu Bei has great ambitions and has won the hearts of many people. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are formidable fighters and they have pledged to serve him with their lives. From what I observe, Liu Bei will never truly submit to anyone, and his intentions are unclear. The people in the past once said, 'If you let the enemy off today, they will become a threat to you for a long time.' You should settle (Liu Bei) soon." At the time, Cao Cao was using Emperor Xian as a figurehead to command respect and had attracted many heroes to serve under him so he did not heed Guo Jia's advice. When Cao Cao later sent Liu Bei with an army to attack Yuan Shu, Guo Jia and Cheng Yu warned Cao, "Liu Bei will rebel if you let him go!" By then, Liu Bei had already left and he really did rebel against Cao Cao as he later seized control of Xu Province from Che Zhou, the provincial governor appointed by Cao Cao. Cao Cao regretted not following Guo Jia's advice.

Pei Songzhi noted that the Wei Shu account is exactly the opposite of the Fu Zi account, but did not give his opinion on which he regarded to be the genuine one. The Chronicles of Huayang stated that following Lu Bu's defeat at Xiapi. Both Cheng Yu and Guo Jia encouraged Cao Cao to have Liu Bei killed but that Cao Cao refused fearing that such an act may hurt his reputation.

Prediction of Sun Ces death

Between 194 and 199, the warlord Sun Ce embarked on a series of conquests in Jiangdong and seized control of most of the territories in the region. Around 200, Cao Cao finally engaged Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu. When Sun Ce heard that Cao Cao was locked in a stalemate with Yuan Shao at Guandu, he planned to lead an army across the Yangtze River and launch a surprise attack on the imperial capital Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan), which was Cao Cao's base. When Cao Cao's men received news of the impending assault, they were all shocked and frightened, but Guo Jia said, "Sun Ce had newly conquered the lands in Jiangdong and he killed many heroes whose followers were willing to die for them. Besides, Sun Ce is overly confident and is unprepared, so even though he has thousands of troops, the situation is not much different from him setting out to conquer the Central Plains all by himself. If he encounters assassins, he'll have to deal with them alone. From what I observe, he'll eventually die at the hands of a common man." Guo Jia's prediction came true as Sun Ce was assassinated by the followers of Xu Gong (a commandery administrator he killed earlier) before he could even carry out his plan.

Pei Songzhi commented that Guo Jia's accurate prediction of Sun Ce's assassination was a display of Guo's foresight, but not a good gauge of Guo's brilliance because Guo did not manage to predict which year Sun Ce would die. He felt that it was purely coincidental that Sun Ce was assassinated in the same year he was planning to attack Xu.

Suggestion to Cao Cao to attack Liu Bei first before attacking Yuan Shao

According to the Fu Zi, before the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao wanted to attack Liu Bei (who had rebelled and seized control of Xu Province) first before dealing with Yuan Shao. However, some of Cao Cao's advisers expressed their worries that Yuan Shao would take advantage of their absence to attack them, rendering them trapped between Yuan and Liu Bei. Cao Cao faced a dilemma so he asked Guo Jia for his opinion. Guo Jia suggested, "Yuan Shao is suspicious and he hesitates before he makes any decision, so he won't make his move fast. Liu Bei had just taken control of Xu Province so his situation isn't stable yet. He can be easily defeated if we attack him fast and hard. This is a critical opportunity, we mustn't lose it." Cao Cao agreed and immediately led an army east to attack Liu Bei and defeated the latter. After his defeat, Liu Bei fled to Hebei to join Yuan Shao. Throughout that period of time, Yuan Shao did not make any move.

However, Pei Songzhi commented that Guo Jia was not the one who pointed out Yuan Shao's weakness and suggested to launch a swift attack on Liu Bei. Rather, according to Cao Cao's biography in the Sanguozhi, it was Cao who thought of that plan himself.

Cao Caos campaigns against Yuan Shaos sons

Cao Cao scored a decisive victory over Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu in 200. Yuan Shao died two years after his defeat and his sons Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang started fighting each other for control over their father's vast ___domain. Cao Cao defeated Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang at the Battle of Liyang in 202–203 and won several consecutive battles. At the time, many of Cao Cao's generals urged Cao to take advantage of his successes to continue attacking the Yuans, but Guo Jia said, "Yuan Shao loved both sons so he couldn't decide between them who would succeed him. With advisers like Guo Tu and Pang Ji to assist the Yuans, internal conflict will definitely break out between them. If we press on our attacks, the Yuans will unite to resist us. If we withdraw our forces, the Yuans will start fighting among themselves. Why don't we turn south and attack Liu Biao in Jing Province first? We should wait until the Yuan brothers start fighting each other and then attack them. We'll achieve victory in this way." Cao Cao agreed and prepared for a campaign against Liu Biao.

Internal conflict did break out between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang later, which resulted in Yuan Tan being defeated by his younger brother. Yuan Tan retreated to Pingyuan (平原) and sent Xin Pi to meet Cao Cao, agreeing to surrender to Cao and requesting for assistance in dealing with Yuan Shang. Cao Cao led his forces north and defeated Yuan Shang at the Battle of Ye in 204. In 205, Cao Cao attacked Yuan Tan on some pretence and defeated him at the Battle of Nanpi. By then, Cao Cao had pacified most of Ji Province in northern China. In recognition of his contributions, the Han imperial court enfeoffed Guo Jia as the Marquis of Weiyang Village (洧陽亭侯).

Battle of White Wolf Mountain

When Cao Cao was preparing for another campaign against Yuan Shang (who had fled to join his second brother Yuan Xi and the Wuhuan tribes), many of his followers were worried that Liu Biao might send Liu Bei (who had become a vassal under Liu Biao) to attack Cao Cao's base, the imperial capital Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan). However, Guo Jia said to Cao Cao, "Your military might may be very well known now, but the Wuhuan will definitely not set up defences because they are deluded by a false sense of security since they are far away from you. As such, if you seize this opportunity to launch a surprise attack on them, you can eliminate them. Besides, Yuan Shao treated the ethnic minorities well and the Yuan brothers are still alive. Now, the people of northern China submit to you because they fear your military might, and you've yet to pacify them through benevolent governance. If you abandon the campaign and head south instead, the Wuhuan and Yuan Shao's former followers might rally the support of the people in northern China, who are likely to respond to their call. When that happens, the attention of Tadun (a Wuhuan chieftain) will be aroused and he may think of attacking you, and by then we would have lost Qing and Ji provinces. Liu Biao is a person who does nothing but sit and talk. He also does not trust Liu Bei as the latter is more capable than him – if he entrusts Liu Bei with important responsibilities, he will be worried that the latter will no longer submit to him; if he gives Liu Bei trivial tasks to do, the latter will be reluctant to serve him. Even if you empty your territories to campaign far away, you have no worries." Cao Cao proceeded with his campaign against the Yuan brothers and the Wuhuan.

When Cao Cao's forces arrived at Yi (易), Guo Jia said, "A swift army is powerful. Now, as we've travelled a long distance, we have much heavy baggage so we cannot launch a swift attack. If the enemy learns of our approach, they will definitely prepare defences. Why don't we leave the heavy baggage behind and send our light forces to take a shortcut and launch a surprise attack?" Cao Cao led his army through a secret passage at Lulong Pass (盧龍塞) and headed directly towards the Wuhuan chieftains' headquarters. The Wuhuan were shocked when they heard of Cao Cao's approach and they hastily assembled their army, but were defeated by Cao Cao at the Battle of White Wolf Mountain. Tadun was killed in battle. The Yuan brothers fled to Liaodong to join the warlord Gongsun Kang, who captured and executed them and then sent their heads to Cao Cao.

Death

Guo Jia was known for his deep foresight, which allowed him to accurately predict the outcomes of events. Cao Cao once remarked, "Only Fengxiao knows what's on my mind."

Chen Qun once made many complaints about Guo Jia, saying how Guo was very unbridled in his ways. Guo Jia, however, remained calm in the face of these accusations. Cao Cao still regarded Guo Jia highly but was also pleased that Chen Qun stood by his own principles.

Guo Jia fell ill after departing from Liucheng (柳城; in present-day Chaoyang County, Liaoning) following Cao Cao's victory at the Battle of White Wolf Mountain in 207. He was 38 years old (by East Asian age reckoning) at that time and he died not long later. Cao Cao was very grieved by Guo Jia's death. He told Xun You, "All of you are around the same age as me; only Fengxiao was the youngest. I planned to entrust him with responsibilities before my death, but it's destined that he would die at such a young age."

Cao Cao then wrote a memorial to Emperor Xian: "Army Libationer Guo Jia had served in the military for 11 years. There would be a discussion whenever we faced difficult situations, and when I could not decide on what to do, he was the one who helped me arrive at my decisions. He has made great contributions in the pacification of the Empire. It is unfortunate that he died early and did not manage to complete his task. We should not forget his contributions. I suggest that his family be granted an additional 800 taxable households under their control, making it a total of 1,000 households." The Wei Shu (魏書) recorded a longer memorial written by Cao Cao to Emperor Xian, requesting for Guo Jia to be honoured. Guo Jia was granted the posthumous title "Marquis Zhen" (貞侯), which literally means "chaste marquis".

In 209, when Cao Cao was returning to Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan) after his defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs, he passed by Baqiu (巴丘), where a plague broke out in his army. He ordered the boats to be burnt, and sighed, "If Guo Fengxiao was around, I wouldn't have ended up like this." Cao Cao mourned Guo Jia again. He also wrote to Xun Yu twice to lament Guo Jia's death.

Family

Guo Jia's peerage was inherited by his son, Guo Yi (郭奕/郭弈), whose courtesy name was Boyi (伯益). Wang Chang wrote in his book Family Rules (家誡) that Guo Yi was "well-read and intelligent, but prejudiced and not generous in how he treated others; he was respectful towards people he favoured, but contemptuous towards people he disliked." Wang Chang thus hoped that his children would learn from Guo Yi's example and not be like him. Guo Yi served as a Literary Scholar of the Crown Prince in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period and died relatively early like his father before him.

Guo Yi's son, Guo Shen (郭深), inherited his father's peerage, and was in turn succeeded by his son Guo Lie (郭獵) when he died.

Guo Jia had another grandson, Guo Chang (郭敞), whose courtesy name was Taizhong (泰中). Guo Chang was known for his brilliance and he served as a Regular Mounted Attendant (散騎常侍) in the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Guo Jia appears as a character in the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Yanyi) by Luo Guanzhong, which romanticises the historical events before and during the Three Kingdoms period.

In chapter 33 of the novel, Guo Jia was accompanying Cao Cao on his campaign against the Yuan brothers (Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi) and the Wuhuan when he fell sick because he could not adjust to the climate. He advised Cao Cao to leave the heavy baggage behind and launch a swift attack on the enemy with a light force, which resulted in Cao's victory later at the Battle of White Wolf Mountain. Guo Jia remained in Yizhou (易州) to recover and did not follow Cao Cao to the frontline. When Cao Cao returned to Yizhou later, he was deeply grieved to hear that Guo Jia had already died several days ago. Before his death, Guo Jia wrote Cao Cao a note, whose contents were not revealed until later in the chapter. When Cao Cao received news that Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi had fled to Liaodong to join the warlord Gongsun Kang, his subordinates urged him to either attack Liaodong or return to Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan), but Cao told them to wait until they had received the Yuan brothers' heads. Just then, Cao Cao heard that Gongsun Kang had captured and killed the Yuan brothers and sent their heads to him, and his followers were very surprised. Cao Cao then revealed Guo Jia's note, which stated: "I heard that Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang had fled to Liaodong. You should not mobilise the army. Gongsun Kang had long feared that the Yuans would conquer his territory so he would definitely feel suspicious when the Yuan brothers join him. If you attack them, they will unite to resist you and you cannot overcome them quickly; if you do not move, Gongsun Kang and the Yuans will fight each other, and this is definite."

In popular culture

Guo Jia is first introduced as a playable character in the Xtreme Legends version of the seventh instalment in Koei's Dynasty Warriors video game series. He also appears in Koei's Dynasty Tactics and Romance of the Three Kingdoms series.

Guo Jia is the protagonist of the manga by .

He is portrayed by Wang Jinxin in the 2010 Chinese television series Three Kingdoms.

生平簡介

弱冠隱居

郭嘉少年時已有遠見，見漢末天下將會大亂，於弱冠（二十歲）後便隱居，秘密結交英傑，不與世俗交往，所以不是太多人知道他。此前曾北見袁紹，瞭解袁紹的器度後，對其謀臣辛評、郭圖說：「有智慧的人，會審察自己的主公，這樣才可做一百件事而一百件事都成功，這才可建立功名。袁公徒欲仿傚周公禮賢下士，但未知用人之道。頭緒繁多卻不得要領，喜歡謀劃但優柔寡斷，想與他救濟天下的大難，成就霸王之業，難了！」於是離開遠去。

喜得明主

196年，郭嘉二十七歲時，被司徒趙溫闢為府吏；彼時曹操以司空之職架空三公，荀彧趁機向曹操推薦郭嘉頂替早逝的戲志才，曹操與郭嘉討論天下大事後說：「使孤成大業者，必此人也。（能使我成就大業的，必定是這個人。）」而郭嘉出門後，亦高興的說：「真吾主也。（果然夠資格當我的主公。）」曹操便為郭嘉特設司空府軍師祭酒一職。

料敵制勝

劉備被呂布襲擊，依附於曹操。謀士程昱向曹操建議殺死劉備，郭嘉則認為劉備已是有關張兩名虎將的名人，絕不會甘於人下，但殺之又會損曹操名聲，故建議軟禁劉備，但曹操覺得郭程二人言過其實，劉備根本沒那麼可怕與難馭，便不採二人之言，一心想讓劉備歸順自己。

198年，曹操東征呂布，呂布固守城池，曹軍疲乏，曹操有意退兵，但郭嘉勸說道：「昔日項籍七十多場戰爭未嘗敗北，但一朝失勢便身死國亡，因他恃勇無謀。如今呂布每戰皆敗，氣衰力盡，內外失守。呂布不及項籍，若乘勝攻擊，必定能擊敗他。」曹操同意。郭嘉與荀攸都認為必敗呂布，建議用水計強攻，果然攻克呂布。

不久，劉備藉口攻打袁術而離開曹操的勢力中心，程昱、郭嘉曾再勸阻曹操：「放走劉備，會生變數了！」但當時劉備已走，而且果然奪了下邳，對抗曹操，曹操大嘆不應放走劉備，便決定與袁紹開戰前，先東征劉備，眾將領都擔心袁紹會南下，令曹軍進退失據，曹操對此有疑惑，便問上郭嘉，郭嘉勸說曹操：「袁紹生性遲而多疑，必定不會來得很快。但劉備新起，眾心未附，若盡快攻擊，必敗劉備。此乃影響存亡的機會，一定不可以失去。」曹操同意。曹軍遂大破劉備，解決了東邊的問題，令劉備逃奔投靠袁紹。

籌畫所料

官渡之戰前，曹操擔心勢力不及袁紹，郭嘉與荀彧便分析出曹袁間的十勝十敗，令曹操信心大增。開戰後，兩軍於官渡對峙，江東之主孫策有意北上，攻擊曹操根據地許都，曹營眾人皆感恐懼，但郭嘉認為：「孫策剛平定江東，所殺的都是值得為他拼命的英雄豪傑。然而孫策平時又喜歡輕騎單出，雖然他擁有百萬之眾，但亦無異於獨自一人行走中原。若有刺客伏擊，他只是一人之敵而已。我的看法是他必為刺客所害。」果然，孫策未渡江已在一次狩獵中被仇敵許貢的食客所殺。

200年，曹操大敗袁紹。不久袁紹死去，曹操出兵討伐袁紹兒子袁譚、袁熙、袁尚，節節勝利，眾人都認為應該乘勝追擊，郭嘉則認為應退兵，令其自相殘殺，曹操從計，南擊劉備。袁譚、袁尚果因爭奪冀州而開戰。可是袁譚被袁尚所敗，出走平原，並派遣辛毗向曹操求降。曹操便進攻鄴城，將袁尚趕向北走。不久曹軍又擊敗袁譚，平定冀州。郭嘉被封為洧陽亭侯。

袁尚逃到烏桓，許多人都認為烏桓地處偏僻，不用征討袁尚。郭嘉卻提出，袁家父子於烏桓人有恩，是烏桓舊主，讓其逃脫，恐將來東山再起。曹公意欲對南方用兵，到時候難免腹背受敵。趁袁尚根基未穩立即發兵，方能防範於未然。

征伐遼東

曹營中都怕荊州的劉表會派劉備偷擊許都，但郭嘉認為劉表並未完全信任劉備，暫時不會有大動作，所以應儘快解決北方事宜，更建言要兵貴神速，宜留輜重，輕騎兼程，出其不意。207年，曹操繼續北上，討伐袁尚及外族烏桓，由於郭嘉建言，曹軍不帶輜重，遠征軍乏食，糧道也未建完善，軍糧無法送達，董昭建議開鑿平虜、泉州二渠因而解決運糧問題，然而夏天經常積水，道路不通，胡虜亦遮守蹊要，軍隊也無法前進，靠著田疇獻計假裝撤退，實際行小路攻擊大本營，大破敵軍，斬殺蹋頓，一路追殺袁尚。袁熙、袁尚前去投奔遼東太守公孫康，公孫康將他們殺死，表示歸附曹操，曹操成功統一北方。

追惜良臣

郭嘉隨同曹操征討烏桓的途中，已經身染重病。在臨行前，就留下遺言：「吾不南回。」當曹操自柳城北還時，郭嘉因水土不服而病情加重，曹操非常擔心，不斷前去探望。可惜，郭嘉回天乏術，死時三十八歲。郭嘉臨走前，也曾託付曹操照顧自己的妻子和一歲的兒子郭弈。曹操承諾以親子待之。曹操一輩的人中，郭嘉年紀最輕，曹操曾有意自己身故之後，由郭嘉輔佐自己的兒子。如今郭嘉早逝，曹操對自己的繼承人也無比擔憂。曹操到其喪禮時，慟哭流涕，對荀攸等說：「公達等人年紀都是我的一輩，唯獨奉孝最為年少。當天下定了後，想囑託他後事，但他中年夭折，真是天命呀！」諡郭嘉為貞侯，其子郭奕繼嗣。208年，曹操於赤壁之戰大敗，大歎：「郭奉孝在，不使孤至此。」而後也經常懷念起他，如「哀哉奉孝！痛哉奉孝！惜哉奉孝！」262年，因功而受到曹奐於曹操廟庭祭祀的禮遇。

形象特徵

郭嘉體弱多病，行為不守禮法，就算被陳群檢舉，但仍不作改變，不過曹操愛惜郭嘉的才能不加責備，也對陳群的公正態度加以讚許。看其弱冠後隱居，可見他喜愛不受拘束。此外他有遠見，對他人的心理與性格都能推測清楚，如劉表、劉備、孫策、袁紹、袁譚、袁尚等都被其推測過，極其準確，又能精確地表達事情，曹操也大讚「只有郭奉孝能明白我的心思。」

民間藝術

三國演義

前期由荀彧推薦給曹操，再讓程昱加以肯定與推舉；是曹操麾下洞察力敏銳的謀士，深得信賴，自身也曾經推舉過參謀劉曄。遺計定遼東的劇情，成功讓公孫康斬殺二袁並降曹，使曹操不費一兵一卒兼領遼東（史書未載定遼東之策為郭嘉遺策）。

電視劇

• 1983年香港邵氏電影《神通術與小霸王》：顧冠忠飾演郭嘉

• 1993年電視劇《關公》：秦寶林飾演郭嘉

• 1994年電視劇《三國演義》：蔣愷飾演郭嘉，鮑大志配音，日語版為家中宏配音。

• 1999年電視劇《曹操》：安澤豪飾演郭嘉

• 2004年電視劇《武聖關公》：宋瑞飾演郭嘉

• 2010年電視劇《三國》：王今心飾演郭嘉

• 2013年電視劇《曹操》：嚴琨飾演郭嘉

• 2017年電視劇《軍師聯盟》：曹磊飾演郭嘉

• 2018年電視劇《三國機密》：王陽明飾演郭嘉

動漫遊戲

• 真三國無雙系列 / 無雙OROCHI系列（光榮公司開發，原三宅淳一配音；系列作真三國無雙八中，三宅淳一因病休養決定退出無雙系列，現在改由神原大地任郭嘉配音）

• 三國演義

• 《火鳳燎原》（陳某）、火鳳燎原外傳小說《袁方》、《奉孝》（王貽興）:設定是司馬徽的弟子，更是名聞天下的軍師集團「水鏡八奇」中的四奇，本來是袁紹收買其以分化八奇，後脫離控制，本身便身患重病得華佗診治，經三師兄賈詡推薦予曹操，為曹操策劃奉孝殺戳、濮陽練兵、水淹下邳，為官渡之戰穩定後方及鍛鍊軍心，在統一北方後病死，臨死前為曹操定下南征戰略，並訂囑曹操在自己死後七師弟諸葛亮即將出山及司馬懿為其接班人和可與諸葛亮匹敵，同時暗中制定副策，萬一南征失敗實行以保曹操安危。

• 《蒼天航路》中的郭嘉和正史一樣是洞察力敏銳的謀士，有慧眼識人的能力，乃當世奇才。

家庭

子

• 郭奕，郭嘉之子，繼嗣。任太子文學，早卒。

孫

• 郭深，郭奕之子，繼嗣。

• 郭敞，字泰中，有才識，任散騎常侍。

曾孫

• 郭獵，郭深之子，繼嗣。

評價

《三國誌》評曰:「程昱、郭嘉、董昭、劉曄、蔣濟才策謀略，世之奇士，雖清治德業，殊於荀攸，而籌畫所料，是其倫也。」

曹操：「使孤成大業者，必此人也。」、「唯奉孝為能知孤意。」、「郭奉孝在，不使孤至此。」、「哀哉奉孝！痛哉奉孝！惜哉奉孝！」

曹操表郭嘉：「臣聞褒忠寵賢，未必當身，念功惟績，恩隆後嗣。是以楚宗孫叔，顯封厥子；岑彭既沒，爵及支庶。故軍祭酒郭嘉，忠良淵淑，體通性達。每有大議，發言盈庭，執中處理，動無遺策。自在軍旅，十有餘年，行同騎乘，坐共幄席，東擒呂布，西取眭固，斬袁譚之首，平朔土之眾，踰越險塞，盪定烏桓，震威遼東，以梟袁尚。雖假天威，易為指麾，至於臨敵，發揚誓命，凶逆克殄，勳實由嘉。方將表顯，短命早終。上為朝廷悼惜良臣，下自毒恨喪失奇佐。宜追增嘉封，並前千戶，褒亡為存，厚往勸來也。」、 「軍祭酒郭嘉，自從征伐，十有一年。每有大議，臨敵制變。臣策未決，嘉輒成之。平定天下，謀功為高。不幸短命，事業未終。追思嘉勳，實不可忘。可增邑八百戶，並前千戶。」

曹操書信給荀彧，追思郭嘉：「郭奉孝年不滿四十，相與周旋十一年，阻險艱難，皆共罹之。又以其通達，見世事無所凝滯，欲以後事屬之，何意卒爾失之，悲痛傷心。今表增其子滿千戶，然何益亡者，追念之感深。且奉孝乃知孤者也；天下人相知者少，又以此痛惜。奈何奈何！」、「追惜奉孝，不能去心。其人見時事兵事，過絕於人。又人多畏病，南方有疫，常言『吾往南方，則不生還』。然與共論計，云當先定荊。此為不但見計之忠厚，必欲立功分，棄命定。事人心乃爾，何得使人忘之！」

《彧別傳》：「戲志才、郭嘉等有負俗之譏，杜畿簡傲少文，皆以智策舉之，終各顯名。」

朱敬則：「神人無功，達人無跡。張子房元機孤映，清識獨流。踐若發機，應同急箭；優遊澹泊，神交太虛，非諸人所及也。至若陳平、荀彧、賈詡、荀攸、程昱、郭嘉、田豐、沮授、崔浩、張賓等，可謂天下之菁英。帷幄之至妙，中權合變，因敗為功，爰自秦漢，訖於周隋。」

薛稷：「張良之翼漢王，郭嘉之協魏主，宋武之得穆之，齊高之得褚彥：定策決勝，謀夫孔多。」

李隆基：「孝文之得魏尚，虜不足憂；太祖之見郭嘉，知成吾事。」

洪邁：「荀彧、荀攸、郭嘉皆腹心謀臣，共濟大事，無待贊說。」

章如愚：「至于三國，各自據其土而成鼎峙之勢，亦諸人之力也。故在魏，則荀攸、賈詡之算無遺策，郭嘉、劉曄之才策謀畧，管寧之淵雅高尚，毛玠之典選清正；在吳，則周瑜、魯肅之儔入為腹心，出為股肱，甘寧、凌統之徒奮其威，黃蓋、蔣欽之屬宣其力；在蜀，則諸葛孔明之長于治國，費禕、董允之志慮忠純，向寵之性行均淑，皆一時之人傑也。」

陳亮：「以成魏之霸業者，昱、嘉之謀為多，而曹公尤痛惜嘉之死也。」

劉祁：「已而諸豪割據，士大夫各欲擇主立功名，如荀攸、賈詡、程昱、郭嘉、諸葛亮、龐統、魯肅、周瑜之徒，爭以智能自效。」

郝經：「危哉！昭烈防不出數子之彀，操之遣拒袁術也，昱、嘉、昭皆以為不可遣，毒手莫施幸而颺去，料敵制勝卒使昭烈不得中原尺土。嗚呼！數子何讎漢之深也。當是之時，魏有荀彧、荀攸、賈詡、程昱、郭嘉、董昭、劉曄、蔣濟、司馬懿為之謀，吳有張昭、周瑜、魯肅、呂蒙、陸遜運其籌。」

羅貫中：「天生郭奉孝，豪傑冠群英。腹內藏經史，胸中隱甲兵。運籌如范蠡，決策似陳平。可惜身先喪，中原棟梁傾。」「雖然天數三分定，妙算神機亦可圖。若是當時存奉孝，難容西蜀與東吳。」「經天緯地實可誇，少年才學冠中華。曹公深識真梁棟，兵敗猶然想郭嘉。」

王夫之：「曹孟德推心以待智謀之士，而士之長于略者，相踵而興。孟德智有所窮，則荀彧、郭嘉、荀攸、高柔之徒左右之，以算無遺策。」

何焯：「孟德追惜奉孝，而諸葛亦思孝直帷幄之助，不可或失其人，雖英雄必資群策也。」

姚范：「襲許年死，故屬偶合，即死于刺客，亦非事之可決。嘉此語藉以強鎮一時眾志，又或兼知卜筮之術耳。」

朱乾：「故國以一人興，以一人亡。郭嘉歸魏而魏興，管寧去漢而漢亡。跡其興廢，關乎人才去就如此。」

王鳴盛：「諸人皆魏之謀主也，運籌決勝，功績卓然。」

毛澤東：「才識超群，足智多謀，出謀劃策，功績卓著。」「郭嘉是歷史上一位傑出的智謀之士，他的十勝論幾乎涉及了中國兵法思想的各個方面，切中要害，言簡意賅，博大精深，古今罕成。」

延伸閱讀

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