Cai Yang

Historical Record

Cai Yang, as a general under Cao Cao, has little recorded life in the historical materials, his deeds centering mainly on the campaign he was ordered to wage against Liu Bei. According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, in the fifth year of Jian'an (200 CE), while Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were locked in stalemate at Guandu, the Yellow Turbans Liu Pi and others in the Runan region rebelled against Cao Cao and responded to Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao thereupon dispatched Liu Bei to lead troops together with Liu Pi and others to raid the area around Xu. During this time, Guan Yu left Cao Cao and returned to Liu Bei. Cao Cao then sent Cao Ren to lead troops against Liu Bei, and after Liu Bei was defeated he returned to Yuan Shao's army. However, Liu Bei harbored other intentions and secretly wished to break away from Yuan Shao, and so persuaded Yuan Shao to ally with Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province, in the south. Yuan Shao again dispatched Liu Bei to lead his old followers to Runan, where he joined forces with the local bandit Gong Du and others, gathering several thousand men. Faced with this, Cao Cao dispatched Cai Yang to lead troops against Liu Bei. However, Cai Yang was killed by Liu Bei in this campaign ^c:3248. The historical record of Cai Yang ends here, mentioning no other details of his life, nor any direct connection or enmity between him and Guan Yu.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cai Yang's image is given a more vivid personality and dramatized episodes, deviating from the historical record. In the novel, Cai Yang first appears after Guan Yu "hung up his seal and sealed up the gold" to leave Cao Cao. When Cao Cao learned that Guan Yu had departed without taking leave, all the generals were startled. At this point Cai Yang stepped forward and volunteered, declaring he was willing to lead three thousand armored cavalry to capture Guan Yu alive and present him to the Prime Minister ^c:6214. Cao Cao did not grant this; instead he praised Guan Yu as "not forgetting his former lord, coming and going openly—truly a true man," and rebuked Cai Yang, forbidding him to pursue Guan Yu ^c:3249.

Cai Yang's enmity with Guan Yu in the novel mainly stems from the death of his nephew Qin Qi. Qin Qi was a general guarding the Yellow River crossing who, during Guan Yu's journey of "passing five passes and slaying six generals," was slain for blocking Guan Yu's way. Cai Yang bore this in his heart and thereby formed a deep grudge against Guan Yu. When Zhang Liao, on Cao Cao's orders, conveyed the decree permitting Guan Yu to pass through the various passes, Xiahou Dun mentioned that Qin Qi was Cai Yang's nephew and that Cai Yang would therefore not let the matter rest ^c:3250.

Cai Yang's eventual end in the novel also differs from historical fact. He was not ordered by Cao Cao to campaign against Liu Bei; rather, upon learning that Guan Yu had killed his nephew Qin Qi, he was furious and intended to avenge his nephew. Cao Cao would not permit him to go, and instead sent him to Runan to attack Liu Pi. However, Cai Yang privately changed his route and encountered Guan Yu at Runan. To the beat of Zhang Fei's drums, Guan Yu crossed swords with Cai Yang, and in just one bout Cai Yang was cut down from his horse by Guan Yu, his head falling to the ground ^c:3251. Through the words of a foot soldier, the novel further confirms that Cai Yang fought Guan Yu out of private enmity rather than on orders, forming a sharp contrast with the historical record of Cai Yang being ordered by Cao Cao to campaign against Liu Bei.

Key Relationships

* Cao Wei (serves): In both history and the novel, Cai Yang served Cao Cao [c:3248, c:6214].
* Liu Bei (dies_in): In history, Cai Yang was killed by Liu Bei while ordered by Cao Cao to campaign against him ^c:3248.
* Guan Yu (rival_of): In the novel, Cai Yang formed a deep grudge against Guan Yu because his nephew Qin Qi was killed by Guan Yu, and was ultimately slain by Guan Yu ^c:3251 (novel only).
* Qin Qi (kin_of): In the novel, Qin Qi was Cai Yang's nephew, and his being slain by Guan Yu was the direct cause of the enmity between Cai Yang and Guan Yu ^c:3250 (novel only).
* Zhang Liao (intervenes): In the novel, Zhang Liao once came forward to dissuade Xiahou Dun and conveyed Cao Cao's order to Cai Yang, averting a direct clash between Cai Yang and Guan Yu as Guan Yu passed through the passes ^c:3250 (novel only).

Iconic Scenes

* Volunteering to pursue Guan Yu: After Guan Yu "hung up his seal and sealed up the gold" and left Cao's camp, Cai Yang stepped forward and asked Cao Cao for orders, wishing to lead three thousand armored cavalry to capture Guan Yu alive, but was rebuked by Cao Cao [c:6214, c:3249] (novel only).
* Dying in battle at Runan: In history, Cai Yang, on Cao Cao's orders, led troops to Runan to campaign against Liu Bei, and was killed by Liu Bei as a result ^c:3248.
* Slain by Guan Yu: In the novel, Cai Yang, bearing a grudge over his nephew Qin Qi's death, privately pursued Guan Yu to Runan. With Zhang Fei beating the drums in support, Guan Yu cut Cai Yang down from his horse with a single stroke, dashing his attempt to avenge his nephew ^c:3251 (novel only).
* The enmity sparked by Qin Qi's death: Cai Yang's nephew Qin Qi was killed during Guan Yu's journey of "passing five passes and slaying six generals," which became an irreconcilable conflict between Cai Yang and Guan Yu and ultimately led to Cai Yang's death [c:3250, c:3251] (novel only).