Cai Jing - in Fiction

In Fiction

In the Water Margin, Cai Jing is depicted as a corrupt and treacherous government official, who wields considerable political power as the Imperial Tutor (太師). Together with Gao Qiu, Tong Guan and others, Cai Jing frames many loyalists for treason and other crimes, forcing some of them to join the outlaws at Liangshan Marsh. His son-in-law, Liang Shijie, is the Grand Secretary (中書), while his son, Cai Jiu, is the governor of Jiangzhou (present-day Jiangxi). This further illustrates nepotism in Chinese politics of that time.

Cai Jing and Gao Qiu strongly oppose Emperor Huizong's decision to grant the Liangshan outlaws amnesty, after the outlaws attempt to ask the emperor to redress their grievances and grant them an opportunity to serve the country. Eventually, with help from righteous and honest officials, the outlaws are granted amnesty and sent on military campaigns to eliminate the Liao invaders in the north and suppress rebel forces in China (Fang La, Tian Hu and Wang Qing). After the campaigns, the surviving heroes return to the imperial court to report their victory. They are granted official posts by the emperor in recognition of their contributions. However, Cai Jing and Gao Qiu later have some of them framed and killed on false charges of treason or other "reasons".

Despite his villainy, Cai Jing is portrayed as a master of Chinese calligraphy. He is named as one of the best calligraphers of his time, along with Su Shi (Su Dongpo), Huang Tingjian and Mi Fu. In one chapter, the Liangshan heroes have to recruit the scholar Xiao Rang, who holds a reputation for his ability to imitate the handwriting of famous calligraphers, to forge a letter in Cai Jing's handwriting to authorize Song Jiang's release from prison.