Guoliu (國留) | 24 Histories

Overview

Guoliu was a scholar and Writer.

PeriodSong, Liao, and Jin

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Death

Executed · Authority Empress Dowager (太后)
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passages 123, 126
Execution
Directly stated · History of Liao 83, passage 155

Attested activity

AD 983 to AD 1012 統和中
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 83, passages 141, 153; History of Liao 104, passage 24
AD 983 to AD 1031 聖宗重之
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 88, passage 121

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Mother of Wubulü (烏不呂之母)
mother 母
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 83, passage 153
Sibling of Yelü Zhao (耶律昭)
elder brother 兄 · Full siblings
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passage 24
Sibling of Yelü Zizhong (耶律資忠)
elder brother 兄
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 121
Spouse of Wife of Guoliu (國留之妻)
wife 妻
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 88, passage 122
Sibling of Wubulü (烏不呂)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings · paternal line
Directly stated · History of Liao 83, passage 153

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Suffered
Executed · Authority Empress Dowager (太后)
Directly stated · History of Liao 83, passage 155

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 121

Learning and skills

literary composition 屬文
Level skilled
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 121

Works and attributed material

Rabbit Rhapsody 兔賦
Relation Author
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 127
Songs of Waking and Dreaming 寤寐歌
Relation Author
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 127
Speech · Speaker · Mode quotation
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 125

Events and relationships

Case that implicated younger brother Zhao
Legal · Subject
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passage 24
Killed slave of Agu
Legal · Killer
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 122

Assessments and attributes

Assessment many considered his death a miscarriage of justice · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 126

References in the histories

History of Liao, Chapter 83Volume 83 Biographies 13: Yelu Xiuge, Yelu Xiezhen, Yelu Xidi, Yelu Xuegu · 3 passages

Open chapter

而弟國留以罪亡，烏不呂及其母俱下吏。 But his younger brother Guoliu fled after committing a crime, and Wubulü and his mother were both handed over to the authorities.

恐禍及母，陰使人召國留，紿曰：「太后知事之誣，汝第來勿畏。」 Fearing harm would reach his mother, he secretly sent men to summon Guoliu, telling him, "The empress dowager knows the charge is false—come alone and have no fear."

國留至，送有司，坐誅。 Guoliu came, was handed to the authorities, and was executed.

History of Liao, Chapter 88Volume 88 Biographies 18: Xiao Dilie, Yelu Pennu, Xiao Paiya, Yelu Zizhong, Yelu Yaozhi, Yelu Honggu, Gao Zheng, Yelu Delu, Da Kangyi · 3 passages

Open chapter

兄國留善屬文，聖宗重之。 His elder brother Guoliu was skilled at letters, and Emperor Shengzong valued him highly.

時妻弟之妻阿古與奴通，將奔女直國，國留追及奴，殺之，阿古自經。 At that time Agu, wife of his wife's younger brother, had an affair with a slave and was about to flee to the Jurchen state. Guoliu overtook the slave and killed him, and Agu hanged herself.

國留謝曰：「陛下憫臣無辜，恩漏九泉，死且不朽！」 Guoliu thanked him, saying: "Your Majesty pities my innocence; your grace reaches the nine springs. Dead, I am not destroyed!"

History of Liao, Chapter 104Volume 104 Biographies 34: Literature 2 · 1 passage

Open chapter

統和中，坐兄國留事，流西北部。 During the Tonghe era he was implicated in his elder brother Guoliu's case and exiled to the northwest.