Cai Xiang, courtesy name Junmo, was born in Fengting, Xianyou, Fujian. Cai Xiang was born in a poor peasant family in the fifth year of Xiangfu reign of Dazhong in the Song Dynasty. Although Cai Xiang's parents were farmers, they were relatively educated. They taught their children to read and write while instilling Confucianism in Cai Xiang. Cai Xiang's home is at the foot of Woniu Mountain. There is a tall pine tree in front of the door. His mother often points to the tall pine tree to inspire Cai Xiang, asking him to learn from the pine's noble integrity, study hard since childhood, and serve the country and the people when he grows up. When Cai Xiang was a child, he went to Hui'an to study with his grandfather Lu Ren. Lu Ren specialized in classics and history in his youth and was good at writing good articles. He failed several Jinshi examinations and made a living by teaching in his hometown. Lu Ren's teaching methods are flexible and good at inspiring, which greatly stimulated Cai Xiang's ability to think independently.
In the seventh year of Renzong's Tiansheng reign (AD 1019), Cai Xiang was eighteen years old. He took part in the Kaifeng Prefecture Township Examination and won the first place. In the second year, Cai Xiang became a Jinshi Jiake, became famous in the capital, and served as a military judge in Zhangzhou. After that, Cai Xiang successively held official positions in the central government of the Song Dynasty, including collation of pavilions and pavilions, direct bachelor of the Privy Council, direct bachelor of Longtuge, and bachelor of Duanming Palace. He also served as county governor in Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Kaifeng, and Hangzhou.
Cai Xiang, together with Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang Xiu, implemented the "Qingli New Deal", advocated political reform, and introduced innovative figures. During the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, Lu Yijian was the prime minister and acted arbitrarily. Song Renzong obeyed his advice, and all civil and military officials rushed to attach themselves to Lu Yijian. Fan Zhongyan, a member of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, made a speech to the emperor, pointing out that Lu Yijian used power for personal gain and favored nepotism. Fan Zhongyan was demoted to Raozhou. Yu Jing, the director of Jixian School, and Yin Zhu, the editor of Guange School, successively defended Fan Zhongyan and were demoted at the same time.
Ouyang Xiu, the editor of Guange, wrote to Gao Ruona, accusing him of not only failing to defend Fan Zhongyan, but instead catering to Lu Yijian. Gao Ruona was very angry and Ouyang Xiu was demoted. For a time, traitorous officials in the court attacked the loyal and virtuous ministers as "cronies". When Fan Zhongyan left the capital, no relatives or friends dared to see him off. Cai Xiang, who was the editor of Guange at that time, wrote the poem "Four Sages and One Unworthy", praising Fan Zhongyan, Yu Jing, Yin Zhu, and Ouyang Xiu for their uprightness and criticizing Gao Ruona for following his influence. This poem was copied all over the world at that time.
When Cai Xiang was appointed as an admonishment officer, he was not afraid of the powerful. He once impeached Lu Yijian on eight major crimes and requested that Lu Yijian be deposed. The emperor adopted his opinion. Cai Xiang also recommended talents such as Fan Zhongyan, Yu Jing, Ouyang Xiu, and Han Qi to the emperor. In the fourth year of Qingli (AD 1044), serious drought and insect disasters occurred, and the people were in dire straits. Cai Xiangshangshu directly criticized Renzong for his mistakes and advised the emperor to take responsibility for his position. During the "Qingli New Deal", Cai Xiang put forward many feasible suggestions in terms of political reform, official selection, and military management and use based on the situation at that time.
Cai Xiang was born in a peasant family and values ??people-oriented. When he was a local official, Cai Xiang sympathized with the sufferings of the people and paid attention to doing practical things for the people. Fuzhou is also called "Rong City" because Cai Xiang mobilized people to plant banyan trees extensively in Fuzhou. During his two terms as Fuzhou County Governor, Cai Xiang relied on the people to build many ponds, canals, ponds, and rivers, turning the city's canal network into a system, which played a great role in irrigating farmland, waterway transportation, purifying the environment, and increasing aquatic income. Great promotion effect.
In the fourth year of Qingli Dynasty (1044), the drought in Fuzhou was severe. On the one hand, Cai Xiang petitioned for tax exemptions for the people of Fuzhou, and on the other hand, he mobilized the masses to build the "Ancient Five Ponds" to irrigate farmland. Wutang is located in the East Lake, located in the northeast of Fuzhou City, with a circumference of about 23 miles. It was excavated at the same time as the West Lake when Yan Gao was the prefect of the Jin Dynasty when he was building a new city. As time goes by, East Lake gradually becomes clogged, leaving dozens of miles of streams with nowhere to flow. Floods occur when it rains, and droughts occur when there is no rain. Cai Xiang restored the ancient five ponds in East Lake, benefiting a large area of ??farmland. This event has been commemorated by future generations.
Cai Xiang initiated the dredging of the original river channels in Fuzhou City, starting from Qingshuiyan to Lishe Bridge and Qingtai Bridge, passing through Kaiyuan Temple and ending at Dongkangmen Bridge. This city canal network system has been maintained for more than 900 years, promoting the prosperity and development of Fuzhou City's history.
Cai Xiang ordered all counties to plant trees on both sides of the road, from Dayidu to Quanzhou and Zhangzhou, a total of more than 700 miles, to protect the road. At that time, there was a folk song: "There are pines on the road, pines on the road, ask who planted them, I am Cai Gong. Pedestrians don't know the heat in June, and the breeze blows through the ages."
"In order to stop witch doctors from harming the people, Cai Xiang selected a group of young people to learn medical skills and treat the people's illnesses.
In order to correct the shortcomings of Confucian scholars at that time who were obsessed with writing articles, Cai Xiang hired Confucian scholars Zhou Ximeng, Zheng Mu, Chen Lie and others taught Taoism about "clear principles and enlightenment", and also went to the school to teach scriptures in person. In the third year of Jiayou's reign (1058), Cai Xiang went to Quanzhou to preside over the construction of Luoyang Bridge (also known as Wanwan Bridge). Anqiao), and personally wrote the book "Wan'an Bridge". Luoyang Bridge occupies a very important position in the history of world bridges. Important position. Luoyang Bridge also played a great role in the rise and development of Quanzhou. After the completion of Luoyang Bridge, the imperial court accepted the suggestion of Li Chang, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, and Quanzhou became a maritime customs. The starting point of the Silk Road, it became the largest port in the East.
In the fifth year of Jiayou (1060), Cai Xiang returned to Kaifeng and became a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, in charge of finance. Cai Xiang went to Hangzhou to serve as a local official. In the fourth year of Zhiping (1067), Cai Xiang died at home in Xianyou County at the age of fifty-six. Cai Xiang was posthumously named "Zhonghui". "Duanming Collection", also known as "Cai Zhonghui Collection", was handed down from generation to generation. In 1999, Fujian People's Publishing House collated and published "Cai Xiang Collection".
In the history of calligraphy, there are "Su, Huang and Mi". ", Cai". Among the four, the first three refer to Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian and Mi Fu respectively. From the perspective of calligraphy style, the four have their own style and are typical representatives of the calligraphy style of the Song Dynasty. Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian and Mi Fu They are all good at cursive and regular script, but Cai Xiang is the one who likes to write regular script. He is an indispensable key figure in the development of calligraphy in the Song Dynasty. Cai Xiang set the standard for the Jin and Tang Dynasties and the people of the Song Dynasty with his complete calligraphy achievements. It builds a bridge of skills between the past and the future.
Cai Xiang's calligraphy enjoys a high status in the history of calligraphy. . The calligraphy of the Song Dynasty advocates interest. So Cai Xiang's calligraphy inherits the calligraphy art of his predecessors, and also has the characteristics of Song calligraphy. In other words, Cai Xiang's calligraphy is both traditional and innovative. The leader of the family. His calligraphy is innovative on the basis of inheriting tradition. His calligraphy is a transition from the Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty. It is pure and graceful. When I unfold Cai Xiang's calligraphy works, I suddenly feel a spring breeze blowing on my face, which makes people feel warm. In his calligraphy, Cai Xiang wrote about his temperament and integrity. His calligraphy was highly praised during his lifetime and was extremely famous. Su Dongpo believed that Cai Xiang's calligraphy "corresponds to the heart and hand, and is endlessly perverted". Feng Zhishi was the number one calligrapher in the Song Dynasty.
Ouyang Xiu believed that Cai Xiang's calligraphy was unique in the world, and he was humble and refused to be the leader of calligraphy. Song Renzong especially liked Cai Xiang's calligraphy and once issued an edict to order Cai Xiang to write Yuan Dynasty. An inscription by his uncle, King Longxi, and an inscription written by the emperor Yiyingge. Because he was very self-conscious and did not write casually for others, there are relatively few handed down works. Cai Xiang's calligraphy ink is mostly composed of rulers, tablets and poems. The ink written by Cai Xiang passed down from generation to generation includes "Poem of Thanks for the Imperial Letter", and the inscriptions on the tablets include "The Story of Wan'an Bridge", "The Story of Zhoujintang" and the regular script "Forgetting Stone" and "Guoshi Rock" in Lingyuan Cave, Gushan, Fuzhou.
Cai Xiang studied calligraphy from Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan. When the predecessors commented on Cai Xiang's calligraphy, they all believed that it was "similar in shape to the Jin and Tang Dynasties". His running script "Chengxintang Paper Ruler" can be regarded as the most typical and representative work of Cai Xiang's handed down ink that most follows the style of the Jin and Tang Dynasties. The letter is signed with the year "Guimao", and Cai Xiang was fifty-two years old at the time. This is a representative work of his advocating dignified style in his later years.
After regular script entered the Song Dynasty, Cai Xiangying was the first person to write regular script in the Song Dynasty. "Zijintang Ji" is broad and generous, and is Cai Xiang's representative work in regular script. This work was written by Cai Xiang for Han Qi. In order to show respect for Han Qi, Cai Xiang was ingenious in the creation process. He wrote each character dozens of times and selected the best characters to combine them. Therefore, "Zijintang Ji" is also called "Baini Monument".
If you take a complete work apart and write it, both the echo between the words and the coherence of the composition will be destroyed, so "Zijintang Ji" has mixed gains and losses. The individual words are perfect, but the overall arrangement has the shortcoming of being distracted.
The ancients said: The most important thing is to establish virtue, the second is to perform meritorious service, and the second is to establish words. Cai Xiang's life can be summarized as "establishing morality, meritorious service and establishing words", and calligraphy can be said to belong to "establishing words". As one of the four great calligraphers of the Song Dynasty, Cai Xiang is often praised more for his calligraphy skills, but other aspects of Cai Xiang are often ignored. "Lychee Pu" written by Cai Xiang is the world's earliest monograph on fruit cultivation. "Lychee Spectrum" records in detail the lychee varieties in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan and other places. It mainly compares and identifies the 32 varieties in Fujian and makes a detailed discussion on the cultivation of lychees.
Cai Xiang is very knowledgeable about tea tasting and tea appreciation. He is a tea doctor who loves tea like his life. Cai Xiang must take tea as his companion when writing. Cai Xiang has made important contributions to Fujian tea industry and can be called a tea expert. Cai Xiang's "Tea Records" is based on the description of tea events and is divided into two parts. "Tea Records" was the first to record the use of spices in making Xiaolong Tuan, put forward the content of evaluating the color, aroma and taste of tea, and introduced the method of drinking tea. "Cha Lu" is the most influential monograph on tea after Lu Yu's "The Classic of Tea". It is a famous work on the tea culture of the Song Dynasty. It has been translated into English and French and spread abroad.