Cai Yang 蔡陽
| Occupation | RGeneral NGeneral · General | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Died | Place of death | RRunan Commandery | |
| Cause of death | RKilled in battle NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Cai Yang was a general under Cao Cao. He has no biography of his own in the main text of Chen Shou, and appears once each in the Annals of Emperor Wu in Records of Wei 1 and the Biography of the First Sovereign in Records of Shu 2. When Liu Bei, sent back to Runan on Yuan Shao's orders, joined forces with the bandit Gong Du and others and his following grew to several thousand, Cao Cao sent Cai Yang to attack him. The Biography of the First Sovereign records that Cai Yang was killed by Liu Bei, while the Annals of Emperor Wu record that he attacked Gong Du but fared badly and was defeated by Gong Du. The main text of Chen Shou does not record his courtesy name or origins. Records, Shu 2 §18Records, Wei 1 §73
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 26 as a general who steps forward on hearing that Guan Yu has left and offers to pursue him with 3,000 armored cavalry, and he appears in 3 of its 120 chapters; the title of Chapter 28 begins with 'Beheading Cai Yang, the brothers resolve their doubts'. In that chapter he comes to seize Guan Yu, who has killed his nephew Qin Qi, and is beheaded by Guan Yu before the first roll of the drum sounded by Zhang Fei has ended. Romance, Ch. 26 §40Romance, Ch. 28 §35–36
In the Records
According to the Biography of the First Sovereign, when Cao Cao faced Yuan Shao at Guandu, the Yellow Turbans of Runan under Liu Pi and others rebelled against Cao Cao and answered Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao had Liu Bei lead troops together with Liu Pi and the others to raid the region around Xu, but when Cao Cao sent Cao Ren to attack him, Liu Bei returned to Yuan Shao's army. Secretly wishing to leave Yuan Shao, Liu Bei persuaded Yuan Shao to ally to the south with Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province, and Yuan Shao had him take the troops he had originally commanded back to Runan. When Liu Bei joined forces with the bandit Gong Du and others and his following grew to several thousand, Cao Cao sent Cai Yang to attack him, but Cai Yang was killed by Liu Bei. Records, Shu 2 §17–18
The Annals of Emperor Wu place this event after the entry on Cao Cao's return to Xu in the 9th month of the 6th year of Jian'an (201), as something that happened before Yuan Shao had been defeated. When Yuan Shao had Liu Bei raid Runan, the bandit Gong Du and others of Runan answered him, and Cao Cao sent Cai Yang to attack Gong Du, but Cai Yang fared badly and was defeated by Gong Du. The Annals of Emperor Wu do not say that Cai Yang died. Later, when Cao Cao marched south against Liu Bei, Liu Bei heard that Cao Cao was coming in person and fled to Liu Biao, and Gong Du and the others all scattered. Records, Wei 1 §73
These two passages are the only places in the main text of Chen Shou where Cai Yang appears. His courtesy name, origins and offices are not recorded, and there is no assessment of him either. Records, Shu 2 §18Records, Wei 1 §73
In the Romance
In Chapter 26 of the Romance, Guan Yu seals away the gold and silver he has been given, hangs the seal of Marquis of Hanshou Precinct in the hall, and leaves by the north gate. Everyone is astonished at the report, and one general steps forward and offers to lead 3,000 armored cavalry to capture Guan Yu alive and present him to the Chancellor; this is the general Cai Yang. Romance, Ch. 26 §39–40
In Chapter 27 the Romance writes that among the generals under Cao Cao, apart from Zhang Liao only Xu Huang was on close terms with Guan Yu, and the rest all respected him as well, but Cai Yang alone did not submit to Guan Yu, and so, on hearing that he had left, he wished to pursue him. Cao Cao says that a man who does not forget his old lord and is open in his coming and going is truly a great man, and he rebukes Cai Yang, sends him away and does not let him give chase. Romance, Ch. 27 §1
Guan Yu then kills Qin Qi, a subordinate of Xiahou Dun, in a single bout at a ford of the Yellow River. In Chapter 28 Xiahou Dun, who has come after Guan Yu, says that Qin Qi was Cai Yang's nephew, whom Cai Yang had entrusted to him, and that now that he has been killed by Guan Yu, he cannot simply let the matter pass. Zhang Liao says that he himself will meet General Cai and settle it with him separately, and makes Xiahou Dun withdraw. Romance, Ch. 27 §44Romance, Ch. 28 §6–7
In the same chapter Guan Yu meets Zhang Fei at Gucheng, but Zhang Fei, saying that Guan Yu has betrayed their elder brother and surrendered to Cao Cao, thrusts his spear at him. Just then Cao Cao's troops arrive, and Guan Yu says he will behead the general who is coming to show his true heart; Zhang Fei tells him to do it before he has finished beating the drum three times. Cai Yang, at the head of the troops, gallops up brandishing his blade and shouts that he has come on the Chancellor's orders to seize Guan Yu, who killed his nephew Qin Qi. Guan Yu brings his blade down without another word, and before the first roll of the drum, beaten by Zhang Fei himself, has ended, Cai Yang's head falls to the ground. Romance, Ch. 28 §31 · 34–36
A soldier carrying the marker banner, whom Guan Yu captures, reports that when Cai Yang heard that his nephew had been killed he was furious and wanted to go to Hebei to fight Guan Yu, but the Chancellor did not permit it and instead sent him to Runan to attack Liu Pi, and that he unexpectedly met Guan Yu here. Only after Zhang Fei has questioned this soldier in detail about what happened while Guan Yu was in Xudu does he believe Guan Yu. Romance, Ch. 28 §36–37
Where the Romance differs
The would-be pursuer: In Chapters 26–27 of the Romance, Cai Yang steps forward to pursue Guan Yu, and Cao Cao rebukes him and sends him away. In the Biographies of Guan, Zhang, Ma, Huang and Zhao in the Records, when his attendants wished to pursue Guan Yu, Cao Cao only said that each man serves his own master and they should not pursue him; the names of those who wished to pursue him are not recorded. Romance, Ch. 26 §40Romance, Ch. 27 §1Records, Shu 6 §6
His nephew Qin Qi: In Chapter 28 of the Romance, Cai Yang is the maternal uncle of Qin Qi, whom Guan Yu killed, and he seeks to avenge his nephew. Neither Qin Qi nor any kinsman of Cai Yang appears in the two passages of the main text of Chen Shou where Cai Yang appears. Romance, Ch. 28 §6 · 35–36Records, Shu 2 §18Records, Wei 1 §73
His killer: In Chapter 28 of the Romance, Guan Yu beheads Cai Yang at Gucheng before Zhang Fei's first roll of the drum has ended. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, Cai Yang goes to attack Liu Bei in Runan and is killed by Liu Bei, and the Annals of Emperor Wu say only that he was defeated by Gong Du. Romance, Ch. 28 §36Records, Shu 2 §18Records, Wei 1 §73
His target: In Chapter 28 of the Romance, the soldier reports that Cao Cao sent Cai Yang to Runan to attack Liu Pi. In the Records, the one Cao Cao sent Cai Yang to attack is Liu Bei, joined with Gong Du and others, in the Biography of the First Sovereign, and Gong Du in the Annals of Emperor Wu. Romance, Ch. 28 §37Records, Shu 2 §18Records, Wei 1 §73
The order of Guan Yu's return: In the Romance, Cai Yang dies before Guan Yu has been reunited with Liu Bei, while Guan Yu is on his way to find his elder brother. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, Cai Yang comes and is killed after Guan Yu has returned to Liu Bei, and after Liu Bei has gone back to Yuan Shao's army and then gone again to Runan. Romance, Ch. 28 §27 · 36Records, Shu 2 §18
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
- LEA3540+5
- STR4038−2
- INT3530−5
- POL3131±0
- CHA3533−2
- VIR4240−2
- ADP3533−2
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3131±0
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
No ability differs by 10 or more — the Romance portrays this person much as the Records do.
10 similar abilities — show evidence
RWent to attack Gong Du and was defeated, and was killed by Liu BeiWei 1 §73Shu 2 §18
NLed troops in pursuit of Guan Yu but soon collapsedCh. 28 §35Ch. 28 §36
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalShu 2 §18
NHis head fell to Guan Yu before the first roll of the drum had endedCh. 28 §36
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalShu 2 §18
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalCh. 26 §40
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 2 §18
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 28 §36
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalShu 2 §18
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalCh. 26 §40
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalShu 2 §18
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalCh. 26 §40
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalShu 2 §18
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalCh. 26 §40
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (3)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Related events (1)
- Cai Yang Slain, the Brothers Reconciled Romance ch. 28 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).