Cai Zhong

Historical Record

Regarding Cai Zhong, there is no clear record in the official Records of the Three Kingdoms and its related historical sources. His life, his appointments, and his specific role in historical events are nowhere found in the histories. Therefore, from a historiographical standpoint, Cai Zhong is not a figure attested by history.

In the Novel

In Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cai Zhong, as a clan-younger-brother of Cai Mao, first appears in Chapter 34. He is assigned by Cai Mao to guard the south gate of Jing Province ^c:3226, to prevent Liu Bei from escaping during a banquet. This episode highlights Cai Mao's suspicion of and murderous intent toward Liu Bei, while Cai Zhong plays the role of his henchman, acting on orders.

Cai Zhong's more important role in the novel appears on the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs. After Cao Cao had been troubled by the cunning of Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, he adopted Xun You's advice and decided to send spies to Eastern Wu to feign surrender ^c:6198. Since Cai Mao had already been killed by Cao Cao, Xun You recommended Cai Mao's clan-younger-brothers Cai Zhong and Cai He, reasoning that, as members of the Cai clan, they would more easily gain Zhou Yu's trust. Cao Cao secretly summoned Cai Zhong and Cai He, promised them rich rewards, and ordered them to go to Eastern Wu to feign surrender and spy out the military situation. The two pledged their loyalty to Cao Cao and promised to present the heads of Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang ^c:6198.

Subsequently, Cai Zhong and Cai He led five hundred soldiers and sailed to Eastern Wu to feign surrender. Zhou Yu, perceptive of the smallest details, saw through their scheme. On the surface he received the two warmly and entrusted them with important duties, ordering them to serve together with Gan Ning as commanders of the vanguard. Privately, however, Zhou Yu revealed to Gan Ning that Cai Zhong and Cai He had not surrendered sincerely but were spies sent by Cao Cao. Zhou Yu decided to turn the scheme to his own advantage, using them to relay false information, and planned to behead the two as a sacrifice to the banner on the day of setting out ^c:13445.

To further gain Zhou Yu's trust, in conversation with Gan Ning and Kan Ze, Cai Zhong and Cai He feigned revealing that they were surrender-pretenders sent by Cao Cao, and tried to win over Gan Ning and Kan Ze. They even wrote a secret report to Cao Cao, claiming that Gan Ning was an inside collaborator along with them ^c:6199. But this was precisely part of Zhou Yu's "Bitter-Flesh Stratagem"; Cai Zhong and Cai He unwittingly became pawns in Zhou Yu's stratagem of sowing discord, providing "real" corroboration for Huang Gai's feigned surrender to Cao Cao.

Key Relationships

* Cai Mao (serves): Cai Zhong was a clan-younger-brother of Cai Mao. While Liu Bei was in Jing Province, he obeyed Cai Mao's orders to guard the south gate, taking part in Cai Mao's plan to trap Liu Bei ^c:3226 (novel only).
* Cao Wei (serves): On the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cai Zhong was dispatched by Cao Cao, together with Cai He, to go to Eastern Wu to feign surrender, acting as Cao Cao's spy, attempting to spy out the military situation and sow discord among the Eastern Wu generals ^c:6198 (novel only).
* Zhou Yu (exploited by): Cai Zhong's scheme of feigning surrender to Eastern Wu was seen through by Zhou Yu, who instead turned the scheme to his own advantage, making Cai Zhong a tool of his stratagem of sowing discord and the Bitter-Flesh Stratagem, relaying false intelligence to Cao Cao ^c:13445 (novel only).
* Cai He (companion): Cai Zhong and Cai He were clan-brothers and also companions sent by Cao Cao to feign surrender to Eastern Wu. In the novel the two always act together, jointly carrying out Cao Cao's mission ^c:6198 (novel only).

Iconic Scenes

* Guarding the south gate of Jing Province: When Liu Bei was invited to Cai Mao's banquet, Cai Zhong, on Cai Mao's orders, led troops to guard the south gate of Jing Province, intending to prevent Liu Bei from escaping. This scene displays Cai Zhong's role as a confidant of Cai Mao and foreshadows the classic episode of Liu Bei's horse leaping the Tan Stream ^c:3226 (novel only).
* Feigning surrender to Eastern Wu as a spy: On the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cai Zhong and Cai He were dispatched by Cao Cao to go to Eastern Wu to feign surrender and spy out the military situation. They wept before Zhou Yu over the injustice of Cai Mao's death and asked to join Eastern Wu, willing to serve as the vanguard ^c:13445. This scene is Cai Zhong's most central role in the novel, directly advancing the implementation of Zhou Yu's stratagem of sowing discord and the Bitter-Flesh Stratagem at the Battle of Red Cliffs, with an important impact on the course of the battle (novel only).
* Seen through and exploited by Zhou Yu: Although Cai Zhong believed he had successfully infiltrated, Zhou Yu had long seen through his identity as a spy. On the surface Zhou Yu gave Cai Zhong important duties, but in fact used him to relay false intelligence to Cao Cao, creating the conditions for Huang Gai's feigned surrender ^c:13445. Cai Zhong unwittingly became part of Zhou Yu's stratagem, ultimately failing to complete the mission Cao Cao had entrusted to him, and instead hastening Cao Cao's defeat (novel only).