Wu Guotai

Historical Record

Regarding Wu Guotai, the official history Records of the Three Kingdoms and its related accounts contain no clear biography or detailed record of her deeds. It is therefore impossible to extract from historical sources any account of Wu Guotai's life, words, or specific contributions. Her presence in history is reflected mainly through the shaping of her image in literary works.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Wu Guotai is portrayed as a woman of great wisdom and authority, an elder of the family. She is the mother (or stepmother) of Sun Quan, the birth mother of Sun Ce, and the birth mother of Sun Shangxiang. Her portrayal in the novel revolves chiefly around her decisive influence over Sun Quan's decisions and the important role she plays in the affair of Liu Bei's marriage.

Wu Guotai first appears on the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs, when Sun Quan was hesitant and undecided in the face of Cao Cao's great army bearing down on him. She reminded Sun Quan that his elder sister had left a deathbed injunction: "For internal matters that cannot be decided, ask Zhang Zhao; for external matters that cannot be decided, ask Zhou Yu." ^c:937 These words awakened Sun Quan and prompted him finally to resolve to employ Zhou Yu and resist Cao together, thereby turning around the crisis facing Eastern Wu. This shows Wu Guotai's insight at a critical moment and her profound understanding of family affairs.

Subsequently, in the "beauty scheme" affair of Liu Bei's marriage, Wu Guotai's image is further enriched. When Qiao Guolao informed her that Sun Quan had betrothed his sister to Liu Bei, she knew nothing of it and was greatly shocked ^c:9118. She demanded of Sun Quan why he had hidden it from her, stressing that her daughter was her own flesh and blood and that a great matter such as marriage must be decided by her ^c:939. When she learned that this was in fact Zhou Yu's "beauty scheme," meant to lure and capture Liu Bei and seize Jing Province, Wu Guotai flew into a rage, denouncing the scheme not only as base but as something that would ruin her daughter's happiness for life ^c:940. She insisted on personally inspecting Liu Bei at Ganlu Temple: if she found him unsatisfactory, Sun Quan might do with him as he pleased; if satisfactory, she would truly give her daughter to him ^c:940. At Ganlu Temple, Wu Guotai was very pleased with Liu Bei's "bearing of a dragon and phoenix, the look of the sun and sky," praising him as "truly my son-in-law" ^c:941. When she discovered that Sun Quan had arranged swordsmen and axemen in ambush, she flew into a fury, ordering Jia Hua executed, and ultimately brought about the genuine marriage of Liu Bei and Sun Shangxiang ^c:942.

After Liu Bei married Sun Shangxiang, Wu Guotai was also much concerned for Liu Bei's safety. When Liu Bei sought to take Sun Shangxiang and flee Eastern Wu under the pretext of offering sacrifices to his ancestors, Sun Shangxiang sought Wu Guotai's leave, and Wu Guotai permitted them to go, regarding it as an act of filial duty ^c:9132. This indirectly helped Liu Bei escape successfully. Later, when Sun Quan again secretly plotted to take Jing Province and sought to deceive Sun Shangxiang and Adou back by claiming Wu Guotai was critically ill, Wu Guotai once more stepped forward to stop Sun Quan's scheme, angrily rebuking him for disregarding flesh-and-blood kinship for petty gain and stressing her daughter's life and safety ^c:943.

On the whole, the Wu Guotai of the novel is a woman of foresight, authority, and devotion to kin. She is not only Sun Quan's mother but the guardian of the family, who at critical moments changed the course of events more than once through her distinctive wisdom and influence (novel only).

Key Relationships

* Sun Quan (reminds him of the deathbed words): Wu Guotai is Sun Quan's mother (or stepmother). When Sun Quan was hesitant and undecided, she reminded him of his sister's deathbed injunction, prompting him to adopt Zhou Yu's counsel and resist Cao Cao ^c:937. In the affair of Liu Bei's marriage, as a mother she held great power to restrain Sun Quan's conduct, repeatedly rebuking the schemes of Sun Quan and Zhou Yu and ultimately bringing about the genuine marriage of Liu Bei and Sun Shangxiang ^c:940.
* Zhou Yu (enemy_of): In the affair of Liu Bei's marriage, Wu Guotai utterly detested Zhou Yu's "beauty scheme," believing it not only base but a thing that would spoil her daughter's lifelong happiness, and so she showed strong hostility and displeasure toward Zhou Yu, even cursing him in public ^c:940 (novel only).
* Liu Bei (kin_of): Wu Guotai is Liu Bei's mother-in-law. She had an excellent impression of Liu Bei, regarding him as having "the bearing of a dragon and phoenix, the look of the sun and sky," and personally approved the match ^c:941. At Ganlu Temple, she even rebuked Sun Quan for Liu Bei's safety and dismissed the ambushing swordsmen and axemen ^c:942. Her approval and protection of Liu Bei allowed him to escape safely and marry Sun Shangxiang (novel only).
* Jia Hua (enemy_of): At the matchmaking at Ganlu Temple, Jia Hua was ordered to set swordsmen and axemen in ambush, intending to harm Liu Bei. When Wu Guotai discovered this, in her fury she ordered Jia Hua executed, relenting only after Liu Bei and Qiao Guolao pleaded for him ^c:942 (novel only).

Signature Scenes

* On the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs, awakening Sun Quan: When Sun Quan could neither eat nor sleep for the pressure of Cao Cao's great army, Wu Guotai appeared in time, awakening Sun Quan with her sister's deathbed words—"For internal matters that cannot be decided, ask Zhang Zhao; for external matters that cannot be decided, ask Zhou Yu"—and prompting him to resolve firmly to resist Cao ^c:937. This scene displays Wu Guotai's wisdom and insight into great family affairs, exerting a decisive influence on Eastern Wu's fate (novel only).
* The matchmaking at Ganlu Temple and her rebuke of the "beauty scheme": When Wu Guotai learned that Sun Quan and Zhou Yu had set a "beauty scheme" to lure and capture Liu Bei, she flew into a rage, denounced Zhou Yu's scheme as base, and insisted on personally inspecting Liu Bei at Ganlu Temple. During the inspection she was very pleased with Liu Bei, dismissed on the spot the swordsmen and axemen Sun Quan had arranged, and ultimately brought about the genuine marriage of Liu Bei and Sun Shangxiang ^c:942. This scene is a high point in the shaping of Wu Guotai's image, displaying her authority, fairness, and protection of her daughter's happiness (novel only).
* Stopping Sun Quan from again plotting against Liu Bei: After Liu Bei married Sun Shangxiang, Sun Quan again secretly plotted to take Jing Province, seeking to deceive Sun Shangxiang and Adou back by claiming Wu Guotai was critically ill. Wu Guotai once more stepped forward, angrily rebuking Sun Quan for disregarding flesh-and-blood kinship for petty gain and stressing her daughter's life and safety, thereby stopping his scheme ^c:943. This scene further consolidates Wu Guotai's image as guardian of the family and moral standard-bearer (novel only).