CIVILIZATION DOSSIER
Cai Jing蔡京
Grand Preceptor of the current court, father-in-law of Liang Zhongshu.
- DIRECT FIGURES
- 47
- RELATION RECORDS
- 62
- SOURCE WORKS
- 1
RELATIONSHIP COMPASS
Cai Jing, and the people around them.
Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.
01KINSHIPKinship
Blood, marriage and sworn bonds
3 figures · 3 records+
Kinship
Blood, marriage and sworn bonds
Cai JingisCai You’s father
Cai Jing—Cai Bianbrothers
Cai Jing—Cai Xiangclaim cousin
02ALLEGIANCEAllegiance
Rulers, appointments and allegiance
10 figures · 12 records+
Allegiance
Rulers, appointments and allegiance
Cai Jing→Zhang Dunwork together
Emperor Huizong of Song→Cai Jingappoint
Cai Jing→Tong Guanfellow officials
Cai Jing→Sima Guanguphold law
03CONFLICTConflict
Battles, captures and defeat
21 figures · 24 records+
Conflict
Battles, captures and defeat
Chen Guan→Cai Jingdiscuss crime
Cai Jing→Fan Zuyupersecute
Zheng Juzhong—Cai Jingcolleague
Cai Jing→Wang Guiplot against
04THE UNSEENMythic acts
Transformation, aid and divine punishment
1 figure · 1 record+
Mythic acts
Transformation, aid and divine punishment
Cai Jing→Tong Guancollude
12 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.
In history · History of Song
A powerful minister of the Northern Song dynasty, associated with Zhao Tingzhi, Zhang Shangying, and others. A powerful minister who served as chancellor multiple times and advocated for an alliance with the Jin to attack the Liao. A powerful minister whom Hou Meng criticized for his intentions, and later Cai Jing harbored resentment against Hou Meng.
In fiction ·
Grand Preceptor of the current court, father of Cai Jiu, the prefect. Grand Preceptor of the current court, whose calligraphy and books were imitated to forge a reply letter.
History vs. fiction
Grand Preceptor of the current dynasty
- novel inventionMaster of the Birthday Gifts
In the novel, the hundred thousand strings of birthday gifts seized by the Liangshan heroes were a tribute to Cai Jing; however, there is no such record in the "History of Song", and the clever seizure of the birthday gifts is entirely a literary creation of the novelist. The original text states: "Each cart had a yellow flag inserted, on which was written 'Presented as birthday gifts to the Grand Tutor.'" ("Water Margin", Chapter 16)
The novel lists him as the chief treacherous minister who drove the heroes to rebellion; the "History of Song: Biography of Cai Jing" places him in the "Biographies of Treacherous Ministers." His implementation of the New Policies and repeated initiation of major trials indeed bear heavy responsibility for the decline and fall of the Northern Song. In the original text, Chen Guoting states: "致寇者蔡京,养寇者王黼,窜二人,则寇自平。" (History of Song: Biography of Zhang Shuye)
Relationship network
To keep this page fast, the 40 most important records are shown here.View all 62 relationships in the atlas →
Original text (2)
进蔡京官三等
封嘉国公
Original relation: confer title · History of Song, 徽宗本纪一
Original text (1)
以蔡京为尚书左仆射兼门下侍郎
Original text (1)
京撰《奸党碑》,令郡国皆刻石
Original text (1)
京独如约,悉改畿县雇役
Original text (1)
命蔡京、安惇、蹇序辰穷治
Original text (1)
Original text (1)
蔡京以向氏后戚,规欲自结,奏拓四邻田庐
Original text (1)
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崇宁中,蔡京当国,又降朝请大夫
Original text (1)
六月乙亥,张商英自守中书侍郎加通议大夫、守尚书右仆射兼中书侍郎。
Original text (2)
将害王珪
蔡京秉政,复夺赠谥
Original relation: posthumously strip · History of Song, 韩琦忠彦曾公亮孝宽孝广孝蕴陈升之吴充王珪罕琪传
Original text (1)
蔡京擅政,复降左光禄大夫,入党籍
Original text (1)
京积憾未已,加布以赃贿
Original text (1)
用蔡京、安惇杂治
Original text (1)
陈东上书,乞诛蔡京、蔡攸、童贯、朱勔、高俅、卢宗原等。
Original text (2)
十一月辛卯,童贯自节度使、开府仪同三司、陕西河东河北宣抚使除签书枢密院事。
以武信军节度使童贯为太尉
Original text (1)
京与游,不舍昼夜
Original text (1)
- discuss crime← Chen Guan → Cai JinghistHistory of Song, 刘安世邹浩田昼王回曾诞陈瓘任伯雨传History of Song, 郑獬陈襄钱公辅孙洙丰稷吕诲刘述刘琦钱𫖮郑侠传
Original text (2)
遂草疏论京
既而陈瓘、江公望皆言之
Original relation: impeach · History of Song, 郑獬陈襄钱公辅孙洙丰稷吕诲刘述刘琦钱𫖮郑侠传
Original text (1)
正月庚戌,王黼自翰林学士承旨以尚书左丞起复。
Original text (1)
Original text (1)
京小有才,非端良之士
Original text (1)
安石婿蔡卞恶之,祖禹坐谪死岭表
Original text (1)
惟京轻险贪愎,不可用
Original text (3)
子攸
命蔡攸提举秘书省并左右街道箓院
攸,字居安,京长子也。
Original text (1)
六月乙巳,蔡攸以少师、安远军节度使领枢密院事。
Original text (1)
蔡京用事,素忌浩,乃使其党为伪疏
Original text (1)
蔡京既相,连七谪至峡州羁管
Original text (1)
Original text (1)
Original text (1)
Original text (1)
蔡京素恶安国与己异
Original text (1)
Original text (1)
三月丁酉,赵挺之自尚书右仆射兼中书侍郎以特进、观文殿大学士领佑神观致仕。
- fellow officialsCai Jing → Zheng JuzhonghistHistory of Song, 宰辅表三History of Song, 赵挺之张商英唐英刘正夫何执中郑居中张康国朱谔刘逵林摅管师仁侯蒙传
Original text (2)
郑居中自资政殿学士、太中大夫、中太乙宫使兼侍读、实录修撰仍前官同知枢密院事。
居中始仕,蔡京即荐其有廊庙器。
Original relation: recommend · History of Song, 赵挺之张商英唐英刘正夫何执中郑居中张康国朱谔刘逵林摅管师仁侯蒙传
Original text (1)
居中疑不己援,始怨之,乃与张康国比而间京。
Original text (1)
京与太宰郑居中不相能
Original text (1)
极论惇、卞、曾布、蔡京之恶