Cai Yong was a famous scholar in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He had a very high reputation in the society and was praised by people at that time as "the most outstanding talent in the world". It was such a talented and learned man who died innocently in the ever-changing political struggles in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.
Cai Yong (133-192), courtesy name Bojie, was a native of Chenliuyu County (southwest of Qixian County, Henan Province today). His sixth generation ancestor Cai Xun was good at Huang Lao's skills and was the county magistrate during the reign of Emperor Ping of the Han Dynasty. At that time, Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty and established a new dynasty. He wanted to appoint Cai Xun as the governor of Longxi County. But Cai Xun faced the seal and looked up to the sky and sighed: "Since I have become an official in the Han Dynasty, I will belong to the orthodox dynasty even if I die. In order to maintain his innocent reputation of observing etiquette and law, Zengzi even ordered Ji Sun to He refused to accept the bamboo mat he was given, let alone ask me to serve as an official in two dynasties today." So Cai Xun took his family and fled into the mountains, refusing to serve in the new dynasty. Several other ancestors of Cai Yong also had upright and noble conduct.
Cai Yong's character, like his ancestors, did not disappoint. It is said that Cai Yong was extremely filial to his mother. His mother had been on the sickbed for many years. During the years when his mother was seriously ill, Cai Yong served his mother untiedly. He even took care of his mother for more than 70 days without ever having a good night's sleep. After his mother died, he built a small wooden house next to her tomb and lived there to honor his mother. Legend has it that his filial piety moved heaven and earth, and even some small animals abnormally stayed by his cabin and refused to leave, looking very peaceful and peaceful.
People from far and near heard about it and came to watch it. They thought it was very strange. Because of this, Cai Yong was unanimously praised by the villagers, and many people came to visit him.
Cai Yong was knowledgeable and talented and good at music. Not only is he good at playing the harp, he can also make the harp and knows its sound well. When he fled to Wu, he happened to hear the sound of burning and popping wood when Wu people were using paulownia wood for cooking in the mountains. He knew it was a good wood. He asked to use this piece of paulownia wood for his piano. After the piano was made, Sure enough, it produced a beautiful sound, but there was still a burnt mark on the end of the instrument, so it was called the "scorched tail instrument". When he was in his hometown, he often went to drink at the invitation of his neighbors, so the relationship between the two families was very good.
One day, he was invited by his neighbor again. When he arrived at the door of the neighbor's house, he heard a guest from the neighbor's house playing the piano behind the screen. When he listened carefully, he suddenly felt that there were bursts of "" in the sound of the piano. "Killing intention", I couldn't help but feel very strange, thinking in my heart: The owner of this house invited me to drink, how come he has the intention to kill me in the sound of the piano? So, without entering, he turned around and returned home. At this time, the owner learned that Cai Yong had arrived at the door but left again. Not only did he feel strange, he quickly chased after Cai Yong and asked Cai Yong for the reason. Cai Yong told this reason, and the master also found it strange.
When they returned to their neighbor's house, they talked to the guest who was playing the piano. The guest said: When I was playing the piano just now, I saw a mantis crawling towards a singing cicada on the tree outside the window. He was about to fly away, but the mantis was still hesitant. He took a step forward and then took a step back. I was very anxious, lest the mantis could not catch the cicada. Could this be the "murderous intention" reflected in the sound of the piano? After hearing this, Cai Yong smiled and said, "That's it."
During the reign of Emperor Huan, the eunuch in power heard that Cai Yong played the piano well, so he reported it to the emperor and summoned Cai Yong to play the piano. Yong came to the court. Cai Yong had no choice but to set out for the capital under the supervision of local magistrates. However, halfway through, he pretended to be ill and ran back. From then on, he stayed at home playing the piano, painting, reading history and studying the Bible. He no longer had any contact with the people at that time, and lived a stable and comfortable life.
In the third year of Jianning (AD 170), Emperor Ling, Cai Yong finally entered the official career. He first served as an official in Situ Qiaoxuan's mansion, and received courtesy and respect from Qiao Xuan. He was soon replaced by Ren Ping. The magistrate of A County. Soon, he was worshiped as a doctor and was responsible for organizing books in Dongguan, and then he was moved to Yilang. At his suggestion, Emperor Ping ordered the Six Classics to be re-collated, and Cai Yong personally wrote the collated scriptures on the stone tablet with a red pen, and asked the craftsmen to engrave them and set them up at the gate of Taixue for scholars all over the country to study the classics. For the children to copy.
This is the famous "Xiping Stone Scripture".
It is said that when the stone tablet was first erected, there were so many people coming to watch and copy it. There were more than a thousand vehicles coming every day, blocking the nearby roads.
Later, Cai Yong was framed by treacherous officials in the court and imprisoned. He was initially sentenced to beheading. Later, Emperor Ping thought of his previous merits, reduced his rank by one level, and was exiled to Far away. When Cai Yong was finally pardoned and returned to the court, the local prefect of Wuyuan County, Wang Zhimu, paid his respects to him. When the wine was in full swing, Wang Zhi asked Cai Yong to sing and dance. Cai Yong thought it was an insult and ignored him.
The younger brother of Wang Fu, the eunuch who controlled the political power of the Wang Zhi family at that time, had always been arrogant. He felt that Cai Yong had lost face in front of the guests, so he became angry and scolded Cai Yong: "How dare you despise me, you idiot!" After hearing this, Cai Yong walked away. From then on, Wang Zhi held a grudge in his heart. Later, he reported that Cai Yong was resentful and slandered the court. The eunuchs in the court hated Cai Yong even more. In order to avoid disaster, Cai Yong fled to the rivers and seas and hid in the land of Wu for twelve years.
In the sixth year of Zhongping (189 AD), after the death of Emperor Ling, Dong Zhuo became Sikong. He heard that Cai Yong was very famous, so he ordered him to be recruited as an official in the capital. Cai Yong always refused to apply because he was ill.
Dong Zhuo was furious and cursed: "My power is enough to kill everyone in his family. If Cai Yong is so arrogant, he will be close to death." Cai Yong really had no choice but to comply. Ming came to the court and was worshiped as a sacrificial wine by Dong Zhuo. He was highly respected by Dong Zhuo. Then he was appointed as the imperial censor, then the imperial censor, and then the minister. It rose three times in three days.
Subsequently, he moved to the post of governor of Bajun, and then stayed in the court as a servant. In the first year of Chuping (AD 190), Cai Yong was worshiped as General Zuo Zhonglang. He moved the capital to Chang'an with Emperor Xian and was granted the title of Marquis of Gaoyang Township. When Cai Yong was around Dong Zhuo, he made some good suggestions to Dong Zhuo whenever he had the opportunity. However, Dong Zhuo was always stubborn and could not listen to the advice of others. Cai Yong once sighed to others: "Dong Gong has a strong character and is easy to hide his mistakes. In the end, it is difficult to achieve anything. I want to find a chance to escape, but every time I play the piano, there are so many people watching, and I am worried that I will leave. Wherever I go, people know me. What should I do?" In the end, he couldn't escape from the capital.
After Dong Zhuo was executed by Wang Yun, Cai Yong accidentally talked about Dong Zhuo with others and couldn't help but sigh. Unexpectedly, Wang Yun, who had already gained power, found out about this. He became furious and called Cai Yong an accomplice of Dong Zhuo. He was thrown into prison and wanted to execute him. Cai Yong wrote a letter admitting his mistake, and was even willing to tattoo his face or cut off his legs, just to save his life and continue to write the history of Han Dynasty.
Many scholar-bureaucrats also took pity on Cai Yong's talents, and people kept interceding for him. But Wang Yun refused to agree to anything. In the end, Cai Yong died in prison without being able to fulfill his wish to write a history of Han Dynasty.
Cai Yong is famous not only because he was a famous figure at that time, but also because he cultivated a daughter with rare talents in the world - Cai Wenji. The story of Wenji returning to the Han Dynasty has been passed down to this day. When people mention Cai Wenji, a talented woman, they always mention her father Cai Yong.