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 youth, 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 realm.

Cai Bian studied under Wang Anshi and married his second daughter, becoming Wang Anshi’s 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 Lu Huiqing.

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

Lu Huiqing was Wang Anshi’s chief assistant during the reforms, the second most important figure in the movement, who made many contributions to advancing reform 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 lived up to 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 from the provinces to the imperial court by Wang Anshi, appointed to key posts, and heavily relied upon.

Yet amid the bitter factional struggles between the New and Old Parties, Cai Jing rose and fell repeatedly, drifting through officialdom for thirty years. He had 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 as Acting Prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture with the title of Hanlin Academician. He also led diplomatic missions 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 and appointed Minister of Revenue, actively cooperating with Zhang Dun and others to advance the new laws.

Soon after, Cai Jing was transferred to 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 his true successor, nor that Cai Jing was less capable than Cai Bian—but because Cai Jing had two major flaws:

The first was his flexible political stance—he was suspected of being a political opportunist, a “wall-top grass,” and many New Party members doubted he was a thoroughgoing careerist.

When Gao Taotao first assumed regency, her 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 ordered the immediate abolition of the new laws, demanding all relevant departments complete the task within five days.

All ministers declared the task impossible, yet Cai Jing completed it within five days: he reformed the recruitment system back to the corvée system in Kaifeng Prefecture, demonstrating formidable administrative ability and a ruthless, decisive style that earned Sima Guang’s admiration.

This reveals that Cai Jing indeed lacked moral character—he flipped between extremes, utterly devoid of political integrity.

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

Similarly virtuous figures like 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 statesmen—believed Cai Jing possessed the talent of a chancellor and that only he could save the Zhao Song dynasty.

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

As for Zhao Yu choosing the trusted Cai Jing to carry out this task, rather than leveraging his own talent and influence to cross the red line forbidding imperial clan members from interfering in state affairs, Zhao Xu was deeply satisfied.

All the chancellors and vice-chancellors, seeing Zhao Yu select Cai Jing—a capable man with flexible political alignment—for the task of securing funds, had nothing to say.

For Cai Jing, he saw no issue with Zhao Yu’s recommendation: Empress Xiang greatly admired his talent, and he maintained close ties with the Xiang family; Zhao Yu was now nearly as a son to Empress 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 excelled at financial management, and entrusting him with this matter would likely yield no problems.

More importantly, you may call Cai Jing corrupt, but you cannot call him incompetent. He had served in nearly every region of the Zhao Song dynasty, held numerous posts, and possessed rich governing experience; he understood deeply 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 exceedingly 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, ranked first, was Cai Jing?

Thus, if an opportunity arose without adverse consequences, Zhao Yu ought to establish a connection with this key minister.

After court dismissed, Cai Jing voluntarily visited Prince Shen’s mansion to thank Zhao Yu: “Thank Your Highness for your promotion!”

Zhao Yu waved his hand: “If not in your hands, I wouldn’t trust it—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 realized Zhao Yu excelled at focusing on the big picture and delegating authority to him.

Moreover, Cai Jing was stunned to discover that, on a macro level—whether in economics, Zhao Song’s systemic flaws, or the geopolitical situation surrounding the dynasty—Zhao Yu understood everything profoundly.

Crucially, on many matters, Zhao Yu knew even more clearly and understood more deeply than Cai Jing himself.

Cai Jing was deeply alarmed! He finally understood why Empress Xiang adored Zhao Yu, and why Zhao Xu and the entire chancellorate held such high expectations for him.

At that moment, Cai Jing felt the same regret as Zhang Dun: “Pity—Prince Shen is merely a prince!”

The two spoke late into the night.

Cai Jing gained immensely.

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

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

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

When Cai Jing inquired about the price, even this well-traveled man was left speechless.

Zhao Yu’s glassware was no longer a question of whether it was expensive—it was absurdly priced.

Yet as 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 isn’t too expensive.”

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(End of Chapter)