Chapter 52: Cai Jing

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Cai Jing was intelligent and studious from childhood, harboring great ambitions, brimming with energy, quick-witted, fond of grandeur, skilled in socializing, sharp and outspoken, and decisive without fear of offending others. In his early years, while studying at the Imperial Academy in Dongjing with his younger brother Cai Bian, he gained renown throughout the academy for his vast learning and talent.

In the third year of Xining, Cai Jing and Cai Bian both passed the imperial examination together, a feat that became a celebrated story.

During the Xining era, Wang Anshi's reforms were sweeping through the land.

Cai Bian studied under Wang Anshi and married Wang Anshi's second daughter, becoming his son-in-law.

Thus, Cai Jing joined the New Party camp and actively promoted the new laws.

Wang Anshi once believed four men might inherit his teachings and assist the Emperor along the path of reform.

These four men were his son Wang Yuanze, Cai Bian, Cai Jing, and Lyu Huiqing.

Wang Yuanze died of a mysterious illness long before Wang Anshi was dismissed from the chancellorship.

Lyu Huiqing was Wang Anshi's principal assistant during the reforms, the second most important figure in the movement, who contributed greatly to advancing the reforms and shared a master-disciple bond with Wang Anshi—but later fell into resentment and broke with him.

Only the brothers Cai Jing and Cai Bian did not betray Wang Anshi's high expectations, steadfastly upholding his reformist doctrines throughout their lives.

Especially Cai Jing: in history, during Zhao Ji's reign, he served as chancellor for an extended period, not only inheriting but further developing Wang Anshi's reformist ideas in practice.

Originally, before he turned thirty, Cai Jing was summoned by Wang Anshi from the provinces to serve in the imperial court in a key post, receiving heavy reliance.

But amid the prolonged strife between the New and Old Parties, Cai Jing rose and fell repeatedly, drifting through officialdom for thirty years. He held nearly every type of post in the Zhao Song dynasty, including serving as Department Magistrate, Prefect, or Transport Commissioner in nine different regions, and also held the position of Acting Prefect of Kaifeng with the title of Attendant of the Longtu Pavilion. Moreover, he was dispatched as an envoy to Liao, where his talent and demeanor earned high praise from the Liao court.

Without exaggeration, Cai Jing had received ample training and possessed extraordinarily rich experience in governance and reform.

When Zhao Xu assumed personal rule, he ordered the restoration and implementation of the Yuanfeng New Laws, dismissed the Old Party officials appointed by Gao Taotao, and appointed New Party leaders such as Zhang Dun, Ceng Bu, and Cai Bian as chancellors and vice-chancellors; Cai Jing was also recalled to court by Zhao Xu to serve as Minister of Revenue, actively cooperating with Zhang Dun and others in promoting the new laws.

Soon after, Cai Jing was reassigned as Hanlin Academician and Imperial Reader, then promoted to Chief Hanlin Academician, entrusted solely with drafting imperial edicts and managing confidential court affairs, earning Zhao Xu's deep trust.

Yet throughout, Cai Jing's official rank had never surpassed that of his younger brother, Left Vice Minister Cai Bian, nor had he been as highly regarded.

The reason was not merely that Cai Bian, as Wang Anshi's son-in-law, seemed more like Wang Anshi's true successor, nor that Cai Jing's abilities were inferior to Cai Bian's, but that Cai Jing had two major flaws:

The first flaw was that Cai Jing's political stance was flexible—that is, he was suspected of being a political opportunist, and many New Party members doubted he was a thoroughgoing careerist.

When Gao Taotao first assumed regency, her very first act was to immediately appoint Sima Guang, Wang Anshi's bitter political enemy and leader of the Old Party, as chancellor.

Upon taking office, Sima Guang immediately ordered the abolition of the new laws, demanding that all relevant departments complete the task within five days.

All ministers declared the task impossible, but Cai Jing completed it within five days. In Kaifeng, he replaced the recruitment system with the corvée system, demonstrating formidable administrative ability and a swift, iron-fisted style that earned Sima Guang's admiration.

This reveals that Cai Jing indeed had poor character: he turned the world upside down with a flip of the hand, possessing not the slightest political integrity.

The second flaw was that Cai Jing was greedy and fond of luxury, unlike the morally upright Wang Anshi.

Similarly virtuous figures such as Zhang Dun and Cai Bian therefore looked down upon Cai Jing.

Yet simultaneously, many discerning individuals—both from the New and Old Parties, and all of them senior figures—believed Cai Jing possessed the talent of a chancellor and felt only Cai Jing could save the Zhao Song dynasty.

At this critical moment, Zhao Yu recommended Cai Jing to secure funds for the court—this choice was, on one hand, unexpected to all, yet on the other, perfectly reasonable.

As for Zhao Yu's decision to entrust this task to Cai Jing, whom he trusted, rather than overstepping the red line forbidding imperial clan members from interfering in state affairs by leveraging his own talent and usefulness, Zhao Xu was deeply satisfied.

All the chancellors and vice-chancellors, seeing Zhao Yu choose Cai Jing—a capable man with a flexible political stance—to secure funds for the court, had nothing to say.

For Cai Jing himself, he saw no issue with Zhao Yu's recommendation: Empress Dowager Xiang greatly admired his talent, and he maintained close ties with the Xiang family; moreover, Zhao Yu was now nearly as a son to Empress Dowager Xiang, so Zhao Yu's recommendation was entirely natural.

Why did Zhao Yu recommend Cai Jing for this task?

First, because this was Cai Jing's specialty—he was exceptionally skilled in financial management, and entrusting this matter to him would likely yield no problems.

More importantly, you may call Cai Jing treacherous, but you cannot call him incompetent. He had served in nearly every region of the Zhao Song dynasty, held numerous offices, and possessed rich governing experience; he held an extremely profound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Zhao Song policies and the state of the people's livelihood, his thinking had been thoroughly honed, and his politics were highly mature. If Zhao Yu intended sweeping reforms of the Zhao Song dynasty, Cai Jing was unquestionably the most capable general—without equal.

Is it not clear that Zhang Chun's list of the Five Capable Ministers placed Cai Jing at the very top?

Therefore, if an opportunity arose without adverse consequences, Zhao Yu should establish contact with this key minister.

After court dismissed, Cai Jing voluntarily visited the Shen Wang Fu to thank Zhao Yu: "Thank Your Highness for your promotion!"

Zhao Yu waved his hand: "If not you, I wouldn't trust anyone else—I vouched for you, after all."

Then Zhao Yu and Cai Jing began discussing how to carry out the matter.

With Cai Jing's experience, he could not fail to notice that Zhao Yu was unfamiliar with the specific personnel involved—but Cai Jing discovered that Zhao Yu excelled at focusing on the big picture and was willing to delegate authority to him.

Moreover, Cai Jing was stunned to find that, on a macro level—whether regarding economics, the Zhao Song dynasty's systemic flaws, or its surrounding geopolitical situation—Zhao Yu understood them all profoundly.

Crucially, Zhao Yu knew even more and understood even more deeply than Cai Jing himself.

Cai Jing was greatly alarmed! He finally understood why Empress Dowager Xiang so admired Zhao Yu, and why Zhao Xu and all the chancellors held such high expectations for him.

At that moment, Cai Jing felt the same regret as Zhang Dun: "What a pity—Shen Wang is merely a prince!"

The two spoke late into the night.

Cai Jing gained much.

Just as Cai Jing was preparing to rise and take his leave, Zhao Yu ordered his glassware brought forth and said to Cai Jing: "Please, Chief Hanlin Academician, oversee their sale as well."

Cai Jing had already learned from Xiang Zonghui and Xiang Zongliang that Zhao Yu had presented many glass items to Empress Dowager Xiang, said to be wondrous.

Now, having personally examined each of the glass items Zhao Yu produced, Cai Jing was stunned to discover they were far more wondrous than he had heard.

After asking the price, even Cai Jing, a man of vast experience, could not help but stare in disbelief.

Zhao Yu's glassware was no longer a matter of being expensive—it was absurdly priced.

Yet when Cai Jing removed his spectacles from his nose and could no longer see clearly, he could not help thinking: "For merely thirty thousand guan, I could regain clear vision—perhaps… it is not too expensive."

…

(End of Chapter)