Cai Yan

Historical Record

(No historical material)

In the Novel

Cai Yan, courtesy name Wenji, is shaped in Romance of the Three Kingdoms as a woman of brilliant talent and ill-fated destiny. Her story centers mainly on Cao Cao's ransoming of her. In the novel, Cai Yan was originally the wife of Wei Daojie, but was later carried off by the northern Hu people and bore two children in the north ^c:3230. In the Hu lands she composed the famous "Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute," a melody that later spread to the Central Plains and moved Cao Cao to pity. Cao Cao had long been on good terms with Cai Yan's father Cai Yong, and so dispatched an envoy bearing a thousand pieces of gold to the north to ransom Cai Yan back. The Worthy Prince of the Left, fearing Cao Cao's power, sent Cai Yan back to the Han lands ^c:3230.

After Cai Yan returned to Han, Cao Cao gave her in marriage to Dong Si. In Chapter 71 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, while marching out to Tong Pass, Cao Cao passed through Lantian and specially went to Cai Yong's estate to call on Cai Yan. At the time Dong Si had gone out to hold office, and only Cai Yan was at home. Hearing of Cao Cao's arrival, Cai Yan hastened out to receive him and attended at his side ^c:13454. In the estate Cao Cao happened to see hanging on the wall a scroll depicting the inscription on the stele of Cao E, and asked Cai Yan about it. Cai Yan recounted in detail the story of Cao E's filial conduct, and how her father Cai Yong had inscribed eight characters on the back of the stele—"yellow silk, young wife, maternal grandson, ground-spice mortar"—but said she herself did not understand their meaning ^c:13454. Cao Cao's accompanying advisor Yang Xiu on the spot unraveled this riddle, pointing out that it meant "exceedingly fine phrasing," to Cao Cao's great astonishment, and allowing Yang Xiu's talent and learning to be displayed. Although Cai Yan's appearance in the novel is brief, through her life story and her interaction with Cao Cao it displays her deep cultural attainment and tragic personal fate, while also setting off Cao Cao's love of talent.

Key Relationships

* Cai Yong (kin_of): Cai Yan's father. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, because Cao Cao was on good terms with Cai Yong, he deeply pitied Cai Yan's plight and paid to ransom her back ^c:3230.
* Wei Daojie (spouse_of): Cai Yan's first husband. Before being carried off to the north, Cai Yan was the wife of Wei Daojie (novel only) ^c:3230.
* Dong Si (spouse_of): After Cai Yan returned to Han, Cao Cao gave her in marriage to Dong Si. When Cao Cao called on Cai Yan, Dong Si had gone out to hold office (novel only) ^c:3230.
* Cao Cao: Cao Cao was the key figure in ransoming Cai Yan; out of his old affection for Cai Yong and his regard for Cai Yan's talent, he spent a thousand pieces of gold to ransom her back from the north ^c:3230.

Iconic Scenes

* Carried off to the north and the "Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute": Cai Yan was carried off by the northern Hu people and bore two sons in the Hu lands, during which time she composed the famous "Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute." This melody spread to the Central Plains and drew Cao Cao's notice and pity, bringing about her return to Han (novel only) ^c:3230.
* Cao Cao calling on Cai Yan at Lantian: While marching out to Tong Pass, Cao Cao specially went to Cai Yong's estate to call on Cai Yan. This meeting not only displayed Cao Cao's care for the descendant of an old friend and for a talented woman, but also led into the allusion of the Cao E stele inscription (novel only) ^c:13454.
* The Cao E stele inscription and "exceedingly fine phrasing": When Cao Cao called on Cai Yan, Cai Yan recounted to Cao Cao the story of the Cao E stele inscription and mentioned the eight characters her father Cai Yong had inscribed on the back of the stele—"yellow silk, young wife, maternal grandson, ground-spice mortar." This riddle was finally unraveled by Yang Xiu as "exceedingly fine phrasing," displaying Cai Yan's learning and Cao Cao's regard for talent (novel only) ^c:13454.