郭镇 / Guo Zhen (late Han)

Overview

郭镇 / Guo Zhen appears in Hanji 803 as the shangshu who helps end the Yan-family counterattack during 汉顺帝’s restoration. His defining scene is leaving sickbed, taking Yulin guards out through the South Stop-Carriage Gate, confronting Yan Jin at Shengde Gate, and capturing him under the new edict.

Current Profile

Hanji 803 places Guo Zhen after 孙程’s group has already enthroned Liu Bao and after 阎显’s attempted mobilization begins to fail. Yan Xian’s brother Yan Jin leaves the palace for an outside office and gathers troops at Shengde Gate. Sun Cheng transmits an edict ordering the shangshu officials to arrest Yan Jin.

Guo Zhen is ill at home, but he gets up, leads on-duty Yulin guards, exits through the South Stop-Carriage Gate, and meets Yan Jin’s force. He reads the edict. Yan Jin attacks with a blade and misses; Guo Zhen strikes back, knocks him from his carriage, and the Yulin guards capture him. Yan Jin is sent to the commandant of justice and dies before dawn, which marks the collapse of Yan-side armed recovery.

Key Characteristics

• Shangshu actor who turns the restored side’s edict into immediate armed enforcement.
• Sickbed official whose action matters because he can mobilize on-duty Yulin guards quickly.
• Gate-level enforcer in the same palace-coup sequence that installs Shun.
• Counter-coup breaker whose capture of Yan Jin prevents the Yan side from regaining momentum.

Evidence

• Arrest order: Hanji 803 says Sun Cheng transmits an edict ordering shangshu officials to arrest Yan Jin.
• Guard mobilization: Hanji 803 says Guo Zhen leaves illness, leads Yulin guards, and exits by the South Stop-Carriage Gate.
• Capture: Hanji 803 says Guo Zhen reads the edict, survives Yan Jin’s attack, knocks him down, and captures him.

Qualifications

This page is bounded to Hanji 803. It does not reconstruct Guo Zhen’s earlier career, later promotion, or the full procedure after Yan Jin is sent to the commandant of justice. Yan Jin remains source-scoped until later notes provide recurring evidence.

What Changed

• Created Guo Zhen as the shangshu enforcer who captures Yan Jin and helps close the Yan counterattack.

Relationships

• 汉顺帝 - restored ruler whose edict Guo Zhen enforces.
• 孙程 - coup leader who transmits the arrest order for Yan Jin.
• 阎显 - defeated powerholder whose brother’s counter-move Guo Zhen stops.
• 宫廷政变中的符印与门户控制 - mechanism visible in Guo Zhen turning edict, guards, and gate control into enforcement.
• 继位合法性清洗 - downstream consolidation pattern that Guo Zhen’s arrest action helps make executable.