Guo Jingyou

Life and career

His examination career included failure in the presented-scholar and miscellaneous examinations, as well as the military-jinshi designation. In the sixth year of the Xining era, Lü Dafang recommended him for the military examination.

He served as sanban jiezhi, zhaizhu, xianwei, zuo shijin, xunjian, and du xunjian shi, with postings at Bazhou, Fushi, Dengzhou, and Mizhou.

His appointments also included deputy general and senior general, at Dongjing Circuit, Shaanxi-Xihe, Kaifeng Prefecture, Hebei Circuit, Jingxi Circuit, and Shaanxi-Jingyuan.

Other posts were military commander, prefectural military-and-civil administrator, controller of pacification-office affairs, Western Palace Gate Envoy, Eastern Palace Gate Envoy, and Four Directions Pavilion Envoy, with service at Huoshan Command, Jiezhou, Deshun Command, Zhenrong Command, and Zhaozhou. He held the Western Palace Gate Envoy post in the third year of the Chongning era and became governor of Zhaozhou in 1105, the fourth year of that era.

Lü Dafang, Su Shi, Liu Zhi, and Fan Yu recommended him. Fan Yu later ordered him to replace the military officer Hao Gui and command the troops of Xihe Circuit; Shen Kuo, recognizing his ability, had him take charge of a local administration.

His superiors included Zhang Jie, Hu Zonghui, Shen Kuo, Sun Lan, Lin Xi, Zhong E, Zhong Pu, and Yang Gong. Among those under him were Sun Yi, Cao Ding, and Yuan Ji; he petitioned for special favor for Cao Ding, who consequently received three promotions and retained the status of a distant-command prefect.

Guo Jingyou was patron to He Guan, Xu Tong, and Guo Zimou, and helped Xu Tong return his father for burial. When An Tao inspected the area, he praised Guo Jingyou's administration, saying that the fortifications under his charge were complete and that soldiers and civilians contributed willingly without hardship. Guo Jingyou associated with Wang Yunzhong and Wang Mou, and was also opposed or attacked by Yan Mou.

Family

His great-grandfather was Guo Yifang, his grandfather Guo Yongcheng, his father Guo Lin, and his mother Lady Zong; Guo Zhongxian was a sixth-generation ancestor in the same clan.

His first wife was Lady Liu and his second wife was Lady Cheng. His sons were Guo Mou, Guo Chou, and Guo Wei, respectively the eldest, second, and third sons.

A daughter married Wang Yanhui, and his eldest daughter married Dong Dongcheng. His grandchildren included Guo Sansheng, another Guo Mou, and a granddaughter surnamed Guo.

Posthumous commemoration

Wang Yunzhong composed his epitaph, Sun Yi wrote his xingzhuang, Wang Jian supplied the seal-script title for the epitaph, and Zhao Linggao wrote the inscription in cinnabar. Bai Qi and Zhang Gou were associated with his burial, which took place at Xucheng.