[ Fictional sister to Lady Wu, wife to Sun Jian. Mother figure to Sun Quan and Lady Sun after Lady Wu’s death.
Officer Details
Wade-Giles: Wu Kuot‘ai [Lady Wu]
Simplified Chinese: 吴国太
Pronunciation: Wu2 Guo2tai4
Cantonese (Yale): Ng Gwoktaai
Cantonese (Jyutpin): Ng Gwoktaai
Birthplace: Wu Commandary
Other Names: Lady Wu, second wife
Name Notes: Either Lady Wu or ‘Lady Wu’s sister’ (chapter 7) in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. You can read more about Wu Guotai’s novel appearances.
Family and Relationships
Sun Jian ƒ (Husband); Wu Jing ƒ (Brother); Lady Wu ƒ (Sister); Sun Lang ƒ (Son); Lady Sun [Sun Shangxiang] ƒ (Daughter)
Fact vs. Fiction
Differences Between Fact and Common Fiction
- Sun Lang and Sun Ren, listed in the novel as Wu Guotai’s children, are both references to Sun Lang. Furthermore, Sun Lang was born to an unnamed concubine and Sun Ren is not a reference to Lady Sun (Lady Sun).
Literary Appearances
Search Results
- Wu Guotai (the Other Lady Wu)
- Date:
03/10Replies:14
Biography
Wu Guotai, aka Lady Wu, is not to be confused with Lady Wu (mother to Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Yi and Sun Kuang) although both are referenced as Lady Wu in the novel. Wu Guotai is a literary device which was introduced into Romance of the Three Kingdoms to serve as a mother figure to Sun Quan and Lady Sun. There are multiple theories behind her creation in the novel. One of which includes that of Yi Zhongtian, a professor at the Xiamen University, who suggested that Wu Guotai was invented as a literary device to denigrate Wu’s officers and advisors.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, chapter 7, reads: “Sun Jian had a second wife who was the sister of his first wife. And the second wife bore him a son and a daughter, the former called Sun Lang, the latter Sun Ren.” Yi Zhongtian observes that the idea of a sister came along with Lady Wu was quite ridiculous as Wu’s family didn’t even want to marry her off, let alone give another daughter to Sun Jian.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, chapter 43, “Lady Wu [Wu Guotai], the sister of his late mother, whom he also regarded as his own mother, asked him what so troubled him, and he told her of the threatened danger of Cao Cao and the different opinions his advisers held one and another and all his doubts and fears.” Sun Quan laments the possibility of surrender and complains of his plight and here Wu Guotai reminds him of his mother, Lady Wu’s, dying council, “In Zhou Yu’s counsels you safety find.” Thus Sun Quan turns to Zhou Yu for council on repelling Cao Cao at the Battle of Red Cliffs.