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Gu Yong, courtesy name Yuantan, was a native of Wu County, Wu Commandery, and an important statesman of the Wu Kingdom during the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period.

He was taught by Cai Yong in his youth and became skilled in playing the zither and calligraphy. Gu Yong's talent and focus earned him high praise from Cai Yong, who then bestowed upon him a name.

Gu Yong served as magistrate in several counties, including Hefei, Lou, Qu'a, and Shangyu. He achieved outstanding results in governing these places.

Later, he entered Sun Quan's staff as Left Sima, and gradually rose to the positions of Dali and Fengchang, eventually becoming Shangshu Ling and Yangsui Township Marquis.

In 221 AD, Sun Quan declared himself King of Wu, and Gu Yong continued to serve as Dali, Fengchang, and Shangshu Ling. Gu Yong's family was very surprised to learn of his titles only later.

In the fourth year of the Huangwu era (225 AD), he was reassigned as Grand Master of Ceremonies, and in the same year he was promoted to Chancellor and Marquis of Liling. Gu Yong served as Chancellor for 19 years, and repeatedly offered advice and suggestions for improvement.

In 243 AD, Gu Yong passed away at the age of 76. Sun Quan personally went to offer his condolences and posthumously awarded him the title "Su". The Tang Huiyao (Collected Statutes of the Tang Dynasty) lists Gu Yong and eight others as the "Eight Gentlemen of the Wei and Jin Dynasties".

Gu Yong was born in Wu County, Wu Commandery. His great-grandfather, Gu Feng, was the governor of Yingchuan Commandery during the Eastern Han Dynasty. As a child, Gu Yong studied under the renowned scholar Cai Yong, learning to play the zither and calligraphy.

He was quick-witted, focused, and made rapid progress in his art, earning the deep favor of Cai Yong. Cai Yong bestowed upon him a name. Thus, Gu Yong shared the same name as his teacher, Cai Yong.

Because of his teacher's praise, he adopted the courtesy name Yuantan. Later, he was recommended by the state and county authorities and became the magistrate of Hefei County at a young age. He subsequently served as the magistrate of Lou, Qu'a and Shangyu Counties, where he achieved good results in governance.

In 200 AD, the fifth year of the Jian'an era, Sun Quan was appointed General Who Subdues the Barbarians and Governor of Kuaiji Commandery by the imperial court. However, after receiving the appointment, Sun Quan did not take up his post in the commandery.
Instead, Gu Yong was appointed as the Assistant Prefect of Kuaiji Commandery, acting as the Prefect. Gu Yong quelled bandits and thieves, bringing peace to the commandery and winning the submission of officials and the people. Several years later, he joined Sun Quan's staff as the Left Sima.

In the first year of Huangwu (221 AD), Sun Quan became the King of Wu, and Gu Yong was appointed as Dali, Fengchang, and Shangshu Ling, and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Yangsui. After Gu Yong was enfeoffed, his family had no idea, and were only greatly surprised when they heard about it later.

In the fourth year of Huangwu (225 AD), Gu Yong welcomed his mother to Wuchang from Wu County. Upon arrival in Wuchang, Sun Quan personally offered his congratulations and paid homage to his mother in the courtyard. Ministers and officials attended the banquet, and later Crown Prince Sun Deng also came to celebrate.

Gu Yong did not drink alcohol, was taciturn, and acted with propriety. Sun Quan once remarked, "Lord Gu doesn't speak, but when he does, his words are always insightful." During the banquets and celebrations among the officials, everyone was afraid that Gu Yong would see them lose their composure after drinking, so they dared not indulge themselves.

Sun Quan also said, "With Lord Gu present, we cannot be happy." He commanded such awe. In the same year, he was reassigned as Grand Master of Ceremonies and enfeoffed as Marquis of Liling. Soon after, he succeeded Sun Shao as Chancellor and concurrently served as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

After Gu Yong became prime minister, he followed the governance methods of the early Han Dynasty, selecting competent civil and military officials and never choosing based on personal preferences.

Once appointed, he would entrust them with his duties wholeheartedly. He frequently visited the common people to gather advice and secretly submitted memorials to Sun Quan.

If his suggestion was adopted, he would attribute the credit to Sun Quan; if it was not adopted, he would remain silent. Sun Quan therefore valued him highly.

However, when he made statements and suggestions in court, although his words and expressions were respectful, the principles he upheld were upright and unyielding.

Sun Quan once consulted Zhang Zhao, the General Who Assists Wu, about the merits and demerits of the government. Zhang Zhao took the opportunity to present the opinions he had collected, and believed that the laws were too strict and the punishments too severe, and that they should be reduced.

Sun Quan listened without saying a word. He turned to Gu Yong and asked, "What do you think?" Gu Yong replied, "What I heard is what Zhang Zhao said." Only then did Sun Quan discuss reducing the punishment in legal cases.

At that time, the generals stationed at the front line offered their strategies for defeating the enemy. Sun Quan asked Gu Yong about this, and Gu Yong replied: "I believe they are all doing this for their own personal gain and fame, so we should not listen to them."

Sun Quan respected and trusted Gu Yong greatly, and whenever he encountered a difficult problem, he would send a court official to consult him. Whenever Gu Yong agreed with Sun Quan's opinion, he would invite Sun Quan's secretary to dinner to thoroughly discuss the issue.

Then he would see the secretary off; if Gu Yong did not agree with Sun Quan's opinion, he would not host a dinner party or say much, so that Sun Quan would know that his views needed improvement.

Therefore, when Sun Quan sent his secretary to consult Gu Yong, he didn't ask the secretary, "What did Master Gu say?" but instead asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

In his later years, Sun Quan favored the cruel officials Lü Yi and Qin Bo, appointing them as secretaries to oversee the review of documents submitted by various government offices and prefectures.

As a result, Lü Yi and his associates gradually became arrogant and domineering, and began to establish institutions to sell wine, collect taxes at passes to make huge profits, report the crimes of others, and even report minor matters to the court.

They further fabricated charges to frame and slander ministers, and excluded and persecuted innocent people. Gu Yong and others were reported and condemned for this.

Later, Lü Yi's evil deeds were exposed, and he was imprisoned in the Court of Justice. Gu Yong went to hear the case, and Lü Yi met with Gu Yong as a prisoner. Gu Yong was kind and gentle, and asked him about his testimony.

Before leaving, he asked Lü Yi, "Is there anything else you want to say?" Lü Yi simply kowtowed, speechless. At that time, the Imperial Secretary Huai Xu publicly rebuked and humiliated Lü Yi, and Gu Yong criticized him, saying, "The government has clear laws; why resort to such measures?"

Gu Yong was a skilled educator. Once, when Sun Quan married off one of his nieces to Gu Yong's nephew, Gu Yong, his son, and his grandson Gu Tan were invited to the wedding banquet.

At that time, the emperor and his ministers were in high spirits. Gu Tan drank too much and got drunk. He started dancing and couldn't be stopped. Gu Yong was furious and had to leave it for the next day.

The next day, Tan was summoned and severely reprimanded in person, saying: "A monarch should be virtuous in bearing humiliation and heavy burdens, and a subject should be respectful and cautious. In the past, Xiao He and Wu Han both made great contributions, but Xiao He always seemed speechless when he met Emperor Gaozu; Wu Han served Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu) and was always cautious and diligent."

What merit have you made? You are only favored because of our Gu family's status. Why are you so smug and arrogant?
Although it was said to be due to being drunk, it was actually a case of taking kindness for granted and lacking humility. It seems that you are the one who will ruin my family. After saying this, he turned and lay down against the wall, ignoring Tan. Tan stood there regretfully for a full hour (two hours) before being sent away by his grandfather.

When Gu Yong's condition improved slightly, Sun Quan ordered the imperial physician Zhao Quan to diagnose him and appointed Gu Yong's youngest son, Gu Ji, as a cavalry commandant. Upon hearing this, Gu Yong said sadly:
"If Zhao Quanshan were to decide whether I live or die, I would certainly not be able to get up again. That's why His Majesty wants me to live to see Gu Ji and be appointed to an official position!"

In November of the sixth year of the Chiwu era (243 AD), Gu Yong passed away at the age of seventy-six. Sun Quan, dressed in mourning clothes, went to pay his respects and bestowed upon him the posthumous title "Su".

The title was inherited by Gu Ji, who had no descendants, so the imperial line ended after his death.

In the first year of Yong'an (258 AD), Emperor Sun Xiu of Wu issued an edict appointing Gu Yu as the Marquis of Liling. As one of the powerful local families that dominated Wu Commandery in Jiangdong, the Gu family of Wu Commandery was someone Sun Quan tried hard to win over. Gu Yong, as the most outstanding member of the family, was entrusted with an important task without much hesitation.

From the time Sun Quan inherited his father and brother's legacy to his ascension to the throne and the establishment of the state, Gu Yong witnessed the rise of Jiangdong and was always the head of the ministers of Eastern Wu, enjoying the favor and trust of Sun Quan.

Not only was Gu Yong the longest-serving prime minister of Eastern Wu, but he was also the longest-serving prime minister of the Three Kingdoms period. How did he govern the country with such secrecy and rigor?

Gu Yong possessed the talent to save the world and was also a pragmatic politician who spoke little. The great development of Eastern Wu was inseparable from his governance.

In the fourth year of Huangwu (225), Gu Yong became the second prime minister of Eastern Wu, but for Sun Quan it was a bittersweet experience.

Gu Yong was taciturn and dignified. Even Sun Quan dared not put on airs in his presence. All the officials were good drinkers, but none dared to get drunk at a banquet where Gu Yong was present.

Fearing that Gu Yong would see him lose control after drinking and reprimand him, even Sun Quan, who dared not drink to his heart's content, lamented, "With Lord Gu present, one cannot be happy."

The taciturn and cautious Gu Yong offended many people, which led to his unjust imprisonment later on. However, it is undeniable that during his eighteen years as prime minister, Gu Yong's role in Eastern Wu was comparable to that of Xiao He in the Western Han Dynasty.

Gu Yong was mature and prudent. He did not deceive his superiors or subordinates because his family was a prominent clan in Wu County. Instead, he selected virtuous and capable officials and made appropriate appointments to civil and military officials.

Having worked at the grassroots level in his early years, Gu Yong deeply understood the importance of local public opinion. He often traveled incognito and secretly submitted memorials to Sun Quan, attributing the credit to Sun Quan if Sun Quan accepted these suggestions.

If Sun Quan did not heed his advice, Gu Yong would remain silent, waiting for the right opportunity to offer his counsel. How could Sun Quan not like such a minister who was wholeheartedly devoted to the country and the ruler?

However, Gu Yong was someone whom Sun Quan respected. He wouldn't verbally contradict Sun Quan, but he would uphold his principles through actions. Sun Quan would convey his opinions to Gu Yong through the Imperial Secretary.

If Gu Yong agreed, he would invite the Secretary to stay for a meal, and then report back to Sun Quan after checking for any shortcomings. If Gu Yong disagreed, the Secretary would not be able to enjoy the Prime Minister's meals, so the question Sun Quan asked the Secretary most often was whether he had eaten.

"Gu Gong is pleased, which is appropriate; his silence indicates that the matter is not yet settled, and I will reconsider." This shows that Sun Quan's regard for Gu Yong was comparable to that for Zhou Yu.

Gu Yong is most praised for his "refined and serious" qualities. He studied under the famous scholar Cai Yong and was "focused, quiet, quick-witted and easy to teach." He learned a lot of skills from his teacher. Cai Yong valued him highly and gave him a name. Because Cai Yong often praised Gu Yong's talent, he was given the courtesy name Yuan Tan.

Sun Quan inherited his father's position and was appointed General Who Subdues the Barbarians by the court. When he was appointed Governor of Kuaiji Commandery, he faced a situation of internal and external troubles. He decisively appointed Gu Yong to act as governor, which brought stability to the entire commandery.

At the same time, Gu Yong was not interested in fame or fortune, and remained unmoved by being granted titles and positions. Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, once said, "Wealth and honor not returned to one's hometown are like wearing brocade at night."
However, Gu Yong was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Yangsui after Sun Quan became the King of Wu, and his family did not know it. "On the day Gu Yong received the title of Marquis, his family did not know it, so previous generations praised him as virtuous."

Similarly, Gu Yong was renowned for his impartiality and selflessness. Gu Yong's grandson, Gu Tan, was talented and learned, and "he was not concerned with cultivating his character, so people looked up to him for this." Sun Quan often treated Gu Tan very well because of his talent, and gave him many rewards and special audiences.

However, Gu Yong was much more sober than Gu Tan. At a banquet, Gu Tan, who considered himself a rising star in the court, got drunk and started dancing.

In a fit of rage, Gu Yong berated his grandson the next day after he sobered up, saying, "You take our kindness for granted and are utterly disrespectful. You are not humble enough. You are the one who will bring ruin to our family." He then made Gu Tan stand for two hours before allowing him to leave.

It was his grandfather's punishment that made Gu Tan realize his mistakes and inspired him to uphold his principles even when he was slandered by villains and exiled.

Although Gu Yong was not involved in the power struggle between Crown Prince Sun and Prince Lu Sun Ba, and served longer than his successors, it does not mean he had an absolutely safe political environment.
Even though he served Sun Quan in the central government and gained Sun Quan's trust and favor in his early years, Gu Yong still fell victim to the cruel official Lü Yi. He had followed Sun Quan for decades...

Gu Yong was probably the one among the ministers of Eastern Wu who understood Sun Quan the most, and he also knew what kind of minister he should be in order to survive in the cruel political infighting.

After Sun Ce's death, Sun Quan's foundation was not yet stable. With the help of Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao, who "led the officials to establish themselves and assist him," he finally laid the foundation for the Eastern Wu dynasty.

However, compared to Zhou Yu, who held military power, and Zhang Zhao, who was rebellious and defiant, Gu Yong, serving Sun Quan as a follower, did not speak without certainty.

He would not contradict his lord with words, nor would he take advantage of his family's power to commit insubordination. Even if Sun Quan wanted to take action against him, he would not find an opportunity.

Sun Quan's reluctance to act openly did not mean that his "secret agent" Lü Yi would not cause trouble. Lü Yi "fabricated ways to circumvent the monopoly system, investigated and punished crimes, and heard every minor matter. He would then fabricate serious cases to slander and defame officials, and frame innocent people."

Gu Yong unfortunately became the biggest official to be brought down by Lü Yi, but until Lü Yi was executed, Gu Yong was not seriously harmed. He even gave Lü Yi a final moment of dignity and maintained Sun Quan's dignity as a monarch.

However, Gu Yong, who had received numerous honors, did not live much longer. After being diagnosed by the imperial physician Zhao Quan, Sun Quan knew that Gu Yong's days were numbered, so he appointed Gu Yong's youngest son, Gu Ji, as Cavalry Commandant.
After Gu Yong passed away, Sun Quan even wore mourning clothes to pay his respects, an honor that none of the later prime ministers of Eastern Wu had received.

Sun Quan had no one he trusted; he was surrounded by his elder brother's old subordinates, and the areas he nominally controlled were controlled by deeply entrenched powerful clans. Even his own relatives were secretly in contact with Cao Cao.

Sun Quan initially chose Gu Yong because he needed to set an example for the powerful families of Jiangdong. Once he truly controlled the region, this representative would no longer be relevant.

Gu Yong was incredibly intelligent. As a representative of the Gu clan of Wu Commandery, his decades of experience serving under Sun Quan allowed him to be both respectful and principled when facing Sun Quan.

Although he came from a powerful and influential family, he always put his lord first; he was meticulous and mature, which ultimately made Gu Yong the longest-serving prime minister in Eastern Wu and also the one with the best ending.

Gu Yong's broad-mindedness, his cautious and meticulous approach to life, his dedication to the country and its people, his profound indifference to fame, and his exceptional wisdom are all worthy of emulation.

Gu Yong's life was so fortunate, not only because of his talent or family background, but also because of his personal charisma. And being humble is perfectly fine! (End of Chapter)