14 Facts About Cai Yong

Cai Yong was well-versed in calligraphy, music, mathematics and astronomy.

Cai Yong was born in a substantial local family in Yu County, Chenliu Commandery, which is around present-day Qi County, Kaifeng, Henan.

The Cai Yong family had a reputation of not having their territory divided for three generations.

When his father Cai Leng died, Cai Yong lived with his uncle Cai Zhi while taking great care for his own mother for her last three years.

When she died, Cai Yong became known for his arrangement of his mother's tomb.

On his way to the capital, Cai Yong feigned illness to return home to study in seclusion.

Ten years later in the early 170s, Cai Yong served as a clerk under the official Qiao Xuan, who greatly admired his abilities.

Cai Yong was successful in persuading the emperor to participate in a ritual in the winter of 177 through his memorials, but his attacks on the eunuchs were not so successful.

Cai Yong fled south to Wu and Kuaiji commanderies and stayed there for 12 years.

At first Cai Yong was unwilling, but Dong Zhuo enforced his demand with the threat "I can eliminate whole clans", Cai Yong had no choice but to comply.

Under Dong Zhuo, Cai Yong was appointed Left General of the Household, and became in charge of revising rituals for Dong Zhuo's new government.

However, Cai Yong had apparently entrusted the bulk of his library to his protege, Wang Can, and it is through Wang Can's collection that Cai Yong's works can be found in compilations like the Book of Later Han.

Cai Yong Bojie is the main protagonist in the 14th-century play Tale of the Pipa by Gao Ming.

Cai Yong appears in Total War: Three Kingdoms, being a Strategist serving under Han Empire in 182 and 190.