Cai Jing
Encyclopedia
Cai Jing style name
Yuanchang (元長), was a government official and calligrapher
who lived during the Northern Song Dynasty
. Cai Jing is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan
heroes in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
.
, Xinghua (present-day Putian
, Fujian
). In 1070, he participated in the imperial examination
and was a jinshi (successful candidate). He served as a civil official in Qiantang before moving on to work in the Grand Secretary's office.
In 1086, Cai Jing was posted to the administrative office in Kaifeng
, the capital. He supported the conservative faction in the imperial court, headed by Sima Guang
, and won the praise of Sima. In 1094, Cai Jing became the Minister for Revenue
. He helped Zhang Dun (章惇) revive the New Policies of reformist chancellor Wang Anshi
, although he set out on a campaign of attrition to destroy or radically alter the written work of his predecessors and especially conservative enemies, thereby probably also purging much of Shen Kuo
's written work.
During the reign of Emperor Huizong, Cai Jing was impeached
and ordered to retire in Hangzhou
. Cai Jing collaborated with the eunuch
-general Tong Guan
to win back his place in the imperial court. After rising to prominence in politics and becoming chancellor at one point, Cai Jing introduced the policy of huashigang (花石綱), for officials to focus on offering precious gifts and tribute to the emperor. In 1102 and 1113, he introduced reforms to the taxation laws on tea and salt trading, as well as increasing human labour. Cai Jing's policies were unpopular among the common people and led to corruption in the government.
In 1125, Imperial Academy
official Chen Dong submitted a report to Emperor Huizong, denouncing six "traitors" in the imperial court, deemed responsible for the government's decline. The six were Cai Jing, Wang Fu (王黼), Tong Guan
, Zhu Mian (朱勔), Li Yan (李彥), and Liang Shicheng (梁師成), with Cai as the group's leader. Cai Jing was stripped off his official post and banished to Lingnan (present-day Guangdong
) after Emperor Qinzong
came to the throne. He starved to death along the journey at Tanzhou (present-day Changsha).
, Cai Jing is depicted as a corrupt and treacherous government official, who wields considerable political power as the Imperial Tutor (太師). Together with Gao Qiu
, Tong Guan
and others, Cai Jing frames many loyalists for treason and other crimes, forcing some of them to join the outlaws at Liangshan Marsh
. His son-in-law, Liang Shijie, is the Grand Secretary (中書), while his son, Cai Jiu, is the governor of Jiangzhou (present-day Jiangxi
). This further illustrates nepotism
in Chinese politics of that time.
Cai Jing and Gao Qiu strongly oppose Emperor Huizong's decision to grant the Liangshan outlaws amnesty
, after the outlaws attempt to ask the emperor to redress their grievances and grant them an opportunity to serve the country. Eventually, with help from righteous and honest officials, the outlaws are granted amnesty and sent on military campaigns to eliminate the Liao
invaders in the north and suppress rebel forces in China (Fang La
, Tian Hu
and Wang Qing
). After the campaigns, the surviving heroes return to the imperial court to report their victory. They are granted official posts by the emperor in recognition of their contributions. However, Cai Jing and Gao Qiu later have some of them framed and killed on false charges of treason or other "reasons".
Despite his villainy, Cai Jing is portrayed as a master of Chinese calligraphy
. He is named as one of the best calligraphers of his time, along with Su Shi
(Su Dongpo), Huang Tingjian
and Mi Fu
. In one chapter, the Liangshan heroes have to recruit the scholar Xiao Rang
, who holds a reputation for his ability to imitate the handwriting of famous calligraphers, to forge a letter in Cai Jing's handwriting to authorize Song Jiang
's release from prison.
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
Yuanchang (元長), was a government official and calligrapher
East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China. There is a general standardization of the various styles of...
who lived during the Northern Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
. Cai Jing is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan
Mount Liang
Mount Liang is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong province, China which rises to 197.9 m above sea level. It is well known as the stronghold of the 108 legendary Song Dynasty heroes of the classic Chinese novel Water Margin...
heroes in the Water Margin
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
Four Great Classical Novels
The Four Great Classical Novels, or the Four Major Classical Novels of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly regarded by scholars to be the greatest and most influential of pre-modern Chinese fiction. Dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, they are well known to most Chinese readers...
of Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
.
Biography
Cai Jing was a native of XianyouXianyou County
Xianyou is a county in the municipal region of Putian, FJ.-Administration:The county executive, legislature, and judiciary are in Licheng Street Committee , along with the CPC and PSB branches.-Towns :*Linan *Laidian...
, Xinghua (present-day Putian
Putian
Putian is a prefecture-level city in eastern Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders Fuzhou City to the north, Quanzhou City to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east.-Administration:...
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
). In 1070, he participated in the imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
and was a jinshi (successful candidate). He served as a civil official in Qiantang before moving on to work in the Grand Secretary's office.
In 1086, Cai Jing was posted to the administrative office in Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, the capital. He supported the conservative faction in the imperial court, headed by Sima Guang
Sima Guang
Sīmǎ Guāng was a Chinese historian, scholar, and high chancellor of the Song Dynasty, jinshi 1038.-Life, profession, and works:...
, and won the praise of Sima. In 1094, Cai Jing became the Minister for Revenue
Three Departments and Six Ministries
The Three Departments and Six Ministries system was the main central administrative system adopted in ancient China. The system first took shape after the Western Han Dynasty , was officially instituted in Sui Dynasty , and matured during Tang Dynasty...
. He helped Zhang Dun (章惇) revive the New Policies of reformist chancellor Wang Anshi
Wang Anshi
Wang Anshi was a Chinese economist, statesman, chancellor and poet of the Song Dynasty who attempted controversial, major socioeconomic reforms...
, although he set out on a campaign of attrition to destroy or radically alter the written work of his predecessors and especially conservative enemies, thereby probably also purging much of Shen Kuo
Shen Kuo
Shen Kuo or Shen Gua , style name Cunzhong and pseudonym Mengqi Weng , was a polymathic Chinese scientist and statesman of the Song Dynasty...
's written work.
During the reign of Emperor Huizong, Cai Jing was impeached
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
and ordered to retire in Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
. Cai Jing collaborated with the eunuch
Eunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
-general Tong Guan
Tong Guan
Tong Guan , style name Daofu , was a court eunuch, military general, political adviser, and Council of State to Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. In the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, Tong Guan is featured as an antagonist and enemy of the 108...
to win back his place in the imperial court. After rising to prominence in politics and becoming chancellor at one point, Cai Jing introduced the policy of huashigang (花石綱), for officials to focus on offering precious gifts and tribute to the emperor. In 1102 and 1113, he introduced reforms to the taxation laws on tea and salt trading, as well as increasing human labour. Cai Jing's policies were unpopular among the common people and led to corruption in the government.
In 1125, Imperial Academy
Taixue
Taixue , or sometimes called the "Imperial Academy", "Imperial School" , "Imperial University" or "Imperial Central University", was the highest rank of educational establishment in Ancient China between the Han Dynasty and Sui Dynasty. It was replaced by the Guozijian...
official Chen Dong submitted a report to Emperor Huizong, denouncing six "traitors" in the imperial court, deemed responsible for the government's decline. The six were Cai Jing, Wang Fu (王黼), Tong Guan
Tong Guan
Tong Guan , style name Daofu , was a court eunuch, military general, political adviser, and Council of State to Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. In the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, Tong Guan is featured as an antagonist and enemy of the 108...
, Zhu Mian (朱勔), Li Yan (李彥), and Liang Shicheng (梁師成), with Cai as the group's leader. Cai Jing was stripped off his official post and banished to Lingnan (present-day Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
) after Emperor Qinzong
Emperor Qinzong of Song
Emperor Qinzong was the ninth emperor of the Song Dynasty of China, and the last emperor of the Northern Song. His personal name was Zhao Huan. He reigned from January 1126 to January 1127....
came to the throne. He starved to death along the journey at Tanzhou (present-day Changsha).
In fiction
In the Water MarginWater Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
, Cai Jing is depicted as a corrupt and treacherous government official, who wields considerable political power as the Imperial Tutor (太師). Together with Gao Qiu
Gao Qiu
Gao Qiu was a government official who served Emperor Huizong during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the main antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan outlaws in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:According to the Chinese...
, Tong Guan
Tong Guan
Tong Guan , style name Daofu , was a court eunuch, military general, political adviser, and Council of State to Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. In the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, Tong Guan is featured as an antagonist and enemy of the 108...
and others, Cai Jing frames many loyalists for treason and other crimes, forcing some of them to join the outlaws at Liangshan Marsh
Mount Liang
Mount Liang is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong province, China which rises to 197.9 m above sea level. It is well known as the stronghold of the 108 legendary Song Dynasty heroes of the classic Chinese novel Water Margin...
. His son-in-law, Liang Shijie, is the Grand Secretary (中書), while his son, Cai Jiu, is the governor of Jiangzhou (present-day Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
). This further illustrates nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
in Chinese politics of that time.
Cai Jing and Gao Qiu strongly oppose Emperor Huizong's decision to grant the Liangshan outlaws amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
, after the outlaws attempt to ask the emperor to redress their grievances and grant them an opportunity to serve the country. Eventually, with help from righteous and honest officials, the outlaws are granted amnesty and sent on military campaigns to eliminate the Liao
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
invaders in the north and suppress rebel forces in China (Fang La
Fang La
Fang La was a rebel leader who lived during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:...
, Tian Hu
Tian Hu
Tian Hu is one of the antagonists in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Tian Hu is one of the three rebel leaders in China, together with Fang La and Wang Qing, that the Liangshan heroes have to defeat in the final chapters of the novel.-Biography:Tian...
and Wang Qing
Wang Qing
Wang Qing is one of the antagonists in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Wang Qing is one of the three rebel leaders in China, together with Fang La and Tian Hu, that the Liangshan heroes have to defeat in the final chapters of the novel.-Early life:The...
). After the campaigns, the surviving heroes return to the imperial court to report their victory. They are granted official posts by the emperor in recognition of their contributions. However, Cai Jing and Gao Qiu later have some of them framed and killed on false charges of treason or other "reasons".
Despite his villainy, Cai Jing is portrayed as a master of Chinese calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China. There is a general standardization of the various styles of...
. He is named as one of the best calligraphers of his time, along with Su Shi
Su Shi
Su Shi , was a writer, poet, artist, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and statesman of the Song Dynasty, and one of the major poets of the Song era. His courtesy name was Zizhan and his pseudonym was Dongpo Jushi , and he is often referred to as Su Dongpo...
(Su Dongpo), Huang Tingjian
Huang Tingjian
Huang Tingjian was a Chinese artist. He is predominantly known as a calligrapher, but was also admired for his painting and poetry. He was one of the Four masters of the Song Dynasty, and was a student of Su Shi at his school of literati painting.Huang is generally regarded as the finest and most...
and Mi Fu
Mi Fu
Mi Fu , also known as Mi Fei , was a Chinese painter, poet, and calligrapher born in Taiyuan, Shanxi during the Song Dynasty. In painting he gained renown for his style of painting misty landscapes. This style would be deemed the "Mi Fu" style and involved the use of large wet dots of ink applied...
. In one chapter, the Liangshan heroes have to recruit the scholar Xiao Rang
Xiao Rang
Xiao Rang is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 46th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 10th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Sacred Handed Scholar".-Background:...
, who holds a reputation for his ability to imitate the handwriting of famous calligraphers, to forge a letter in Cai Jing's handwriting to authorize Song Jiang
Song Jiang
Song Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
's release from prison.
External links
- Cai Jing and his Calligraphy Gallery at China Online Museum