Cai Xun 蔡勳

In Chapter 34 of the Romance, when Liu Biao puts off Cai Mao's request to seize Liu Bei, saying it is not something to be done rashly, Cai Mao consults secretly with Lady Cai and has a grand gathering of officials held at Xiangyang. Liu Biao, whose shortness of breath has flared up again, summons Liu Bei from Xinye to receive the guests in his place, and on the day when the officials of the nine commanderies and forty-two counties have all arrived, Cai Mao calls in Kuai Yue beforehand and discusses with him that Liu Bei must be done away with that very day. Romance, Ch. 34 §29–31 · 35

When Kuai Yue worries that they may lose the trust of the gentry and the people, Cai Mao says that he has already secretly received word from Liu of Jing Province and reveals how he has placed his troops. He has had his younger brother Cai He lead troops to guard the main road to Mount Xian at the east gate, Cai Zhong guard the area outside the south gate and Cai Xun the area outside the north gate, while the west gate needs no guard because the Tan Stream blocks the way in front of it. Romance, Ch. 34 §36

After the wine has gone round three times, Yi Ji tips off Liu Bei that troops are guarding all three places outside the city, east, south and north, and tells him to flee by the west gate, and Liu Bei rides out of the west gate alone on his horse Dilu. Cai Mao pursues him at the head of five hundred troops. The Romance does not say what Cai Xun, who was guarding the north gate, did at this time. Romance, Ch. 34 §39–40

In Chapter 45, when Zhou Yu tears up Cao Cao's letter and beheads his envoy, Cao Cao, in a great rage, makes Cai Mao, Zhang Yun and the other generals who had surrendered from Jing Province his front division, takes the rear himself, and drives his warships on to Sanjiangkou. The ships of Eastern Wu come on, covering the river, and when Gan Ning, sitting at the prow of the leading ship, shouts to ask who dares come out and fight him to the finish, Cai Mao has his younger brother Cai Xun advance. Romance, Ch. 45 §25–27

As the two ships draw near, Gan Ning fits an arrow to his bow and shoots at Cai Xun, and Cai Xun falls at the twang of the bowstring. Gan Ning drives his ship forward in a great advance as ten thousand crossbows loose at once, and Jiang Qin from the right and Han Dang from the left break into the ranks of Cao Cao's army. After fighting that lasts from the hour of si to the hour of wei, Cao Cao's troops fall back in defeat, and Cao Cao summons Cai Mao and Zhang Yun and rebukes them, saying the defeat was because they had not put their minds to it. With this scene Cai Xun disappears from the Romance. Romance, Ch. 45 §28–30