Is “Cai You was ordered to campaign against the Huai River region and his entire army was annihilated.” true?
The official history 'History of Song', Annals of Emperor Huizong, Volume 4, records: 'On the day Dingmao, Cai You, the military governor of Huaikang, was appointed as Grand Master of Ceremonies with the same rank as the Three Excellencies.' It does not record his annihilation in the Huai River region. The novel 'Water Margin', Chapter 101, records: 'Tong Guan and Cai You, by imperial order, campaigned against the Huai River region and their entire army was annihilated.' This is a fictional military achievement in the novel.
A high-ranking official in the Northern Song Dynasty, reaching the position of Grand Master of Ceremonies with the same rank as the Three Excellencies.
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