Guo Jia, Part Two

Guo Jia began serving Cao Cao at the age of twenty-eight. In just ten years, he helped Cao Cao capture Lü Bu and defeat Liu Bei, advised him on military strategy at Guandu, and predicted the moves of Sun Ce, Liu Biao, and Liu Bei. He helped destroy Yuan Shao, whose forces outnumbered Cao Cao's several times over, then conquer Yuan Shao's ally Wuhuan, eliminate the two Yuan brothers through stratagem, and finally seize control of the entire north. Nearly every decision Cao Cao made on Guo Jia's advice proved successful.

After Guo Jia's death, Cao Cao suffered defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs, fared poorly against Ma Chao at Tong Pass, and failed to defeat Liu Bei despite personally leading a large army in the Hanzhong campaign. Once that aura of invincibility was gone, it was hard not to wonder: what might have happened if Guo Jia, the master of sound decisions, had still been at Cao Cao's side?

No wonder Cao Cao said after his defeat at Red Cliffs: “If Guo Fengxiao were still alive, I would never have come to this.”