Guo Zhengyi

Guo Zhengyi (郭正一) (died September 10, 689) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong and the regency of Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) over their son Emperor Zhongzong.

It is not known when Guo Zhengyi was born. He was from Ding Prefecture (定州, roughly modern Baoding, Hebei). He passed the imperial examination during the reign of Emperor Taizong, and subsequently served as a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng), as well as an imperial scholar.

In 678, Tang forces commanded by the chancellor Li Jingxuan, suffered a major defeat at the hands of Tufan's general Gar Trinring Tsendro ("Lun Qinling" (論欽陵) in Chinese), and the major general Liu Shenli (劉審禮) was captured. In light of this major defeat, Emperor Gaozong asked his officials for the proper response against Tufan. Guo Zhengyi advocated going on the defensive for several years while regathering the people's strength, a proposal concurred in by other officials Liu Jingxian and Huangfu Wenliang (皇甫文亮), and Emperor Gaozong accepted the proposal.

In 681, Guo was made the Mishu Shaojian (秘書少監), deputy head of the archival bureau as well as acting Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau. In 682, he was given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. It was said that because Guo had been at the legislative bureau for a long period and was familiar with how it was run, most of the edicts were drafted by him, and he was considered capable in this. In 683, when Emperor Gaozong became seriously ill, he had Guo, along with Pei Yan and Liu, assist his crown prince Li Zhe in handling important matters of state.

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