Guo Ziyi - Later Life

Later Life

Guo was later made the Prince of Fenyang (汾陽郡王), and hence is sometimes called "Li Fenyang". He lived to the age of 85 and was given the posthumous name of Zhongwu (忠武: "Loyal and Martial") after his death.

There is a commonly remembered anecdote dated to the year 767 in which his son had an argument with his wife, a princess. During the argument, the princess and Guo's son compared their fathers, Emperor Daizong and Guo Ziyi. Guo's son was purported to have said, "What is so great about being an emperor? My father could become emperor at any time if he wanted to." Guo was so angry at his son for implying such an idea of disloyalty to the emperor that he had him locked up and waited for Emperor Daizong to pass judgement on him. The princess regretted what had happened and asked Guo to forgive his son, but Guo refused. When Emperor Daizong arrived, he pardoned the son and said to Guo, "When the son and daughter fight, it is better as old men to pretend to be deaf."：“不痴不聾，不作家翁。兒女子閨房之言，何足聽也！”

In another instance, the son hit his wife in a drunken rage. Again Guo was so angry at his son that he had him arrested again. But again the princess begged for her husband to be forgiven, and again Emperor Daizong stepped in and forgave his son-in-law. This story of Guo's son and the princess was popularized by the rather literally titled Beijing Opera "Hitting the Princess While Drunk" 醉打金枝.

Popular folklore states that the Jade Emperor was so pleased with Guo's actions in protecting the Tang Dynasty and in giving happiness to the people that he sent a fairy down from Heaven to ask Guo what his greatest desire was. Guo replied that he had fought for so long and had seen so much bloodshed that all he wanted was peace and happiness. As a reward, the Jade Emperor had Guo guided to Heaven and gave him the post of God of Prosperity and Happiness.