Five Dynasties · Military Officer

Gu 古

Gǔ

Attested AD 921 - AD 922

Passages: 12
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Gu was a Military Officer.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Nielakun	涅剌昆	Nièlàkūn
Alternate name	Xiamage	霞馬葛	Xiámǎgé

Life and dates

Death

Expression died 卒
Directly stated · History of Liao 75, passage 62

Attested activity

AD 921 to AD 922 神冊末
Directly stated · History of Liao 75, passage 56

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Father of Yelu Duozhen (耶律鐸臻之父)
father 父 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 75, passages 31, 47
Sibling of Yelu Duozhen (耶律鐸臻)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · History of Liao 75, passage 47

Career and standing

Xiangwen of the Right Pishi Division 右皮室詳穩
Appointed
Directly stated · History of Liao 75, passage 61

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 75, passage 61

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Emperor Taizu of Liao (遼太祖)
Directly stated · History of Liao 75, passages 57-58

Events and relationships

Fought at Yunbi and was cleared of suspicion
AD 921 to AD 922 神冊末 · Military · Deputy
Directly stated · History of Liao 75, passages 56, 60
Planned destruction of rebellious imperial brothers
Military · Advisor
Directly stated · History of Liao 75, passages 54-55
Relation Deputy of · Person Laogu (老古)
Directly stated · History of Liao 75, passage 56
Relation Successor of · Person Laogu (老古)
Directly stated · History of Liao 75, passage 61

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

History of Liao, Chapter 75Volume 75 Biographies 5: Yelu Dilie, Yelu Duozhen, Wang Yu, Yelu Tulujiong · 12 passages

〈（古突呂不）〉 (Gu and Tulubu)

弟古、突呂不。 His younger brothers were Gu and Tulubu.

古，字涅剌昆，初名霞馬葛。 Gu, whose courtesy name was Nielakun and whose original name was Xiamage,

會李克用於雲州，古侍，克用異之曰：「是兒骨相非常，不宜使在左右。」 He met Li Keyong at Yunzhou while attending the emperor; Keyong remarked in wonder, "This boy's bearing is extraordinary—he should not be kept close at hand."

時方西討，諸弟亂作，聞變，太祖問古與否，曰無。 While the army was campaigning in the west, the emperor's younger brothers rose in revolt. On hearing the news, Emperor Taizu asked whether Gu had taken part; he was told no.

趣召古議。 He at once summoned Gu to counsel him.

古陳殄滅之策，後皆如言，以故錫賚甚厚。 Gu laid out a plan for their destruction, and events afterward unfolded exactly as he had said; for this the emperor lavished rewards upon him.

神冊末，南伐，以古佐右皮室詳穩老古，與唐兵戰於雲碧店，老古中流矢，傷甚，太祖疑古陰害之。 At the end of the Shence era, during the southern campaign, Gu served as deputy to Laogu, commander of the Right Pishi Division; they fought Tang forces at Yunbi, where Laogu was struck by an arrow and badly wounded. Emperor Taizu suspected that Gu had plotted against him in secret.

古知上意，跪曰：「陛下疑臣恥居老古麾下耶？ Gu understood the emperor's suspicion, knelt, and said, "Does Your Majesty think I was ashamed to serve under Laogu?

太祖使問老古，對曰：「臣於古無可疑者。」 Emperor Taizu did so; Laogu replied, "I have no suspicion of Gu whatsoever."

老古卒，遂以古為右皮室詳穩。 After Laogu died, Gu was appointed commander of the Right Pishi Division.

既卒，太祖謂左右曰：「古死，猶長松自倒，非吾伐之也。」 After his death Emperor Taizu told those around him, "When Gu died, it was like a great pine toppling of its own weight—not because I felled it."