Cai Yong

Cai Yong (onyomi: Sai Yō) is Cai Wenji's father and Yang Hu's grandfather. A famed scholar of his time, he was skilled in music, calligraphy, mathematics, and astronomy. He spoke against the eunuchs and was threatened by Dong Zhuo.

Role in Games
In Dynasty Warriors 7, Cai Yong appears as a defender near Dong Zhuo's main camp at Hulao Gate. The Xtreme Legends expansion has him join his daughter during her Hero scenario. They defend the Emperor after Dong Zhuo's death. Father and daughter struggle against Lu Bu, but Diaochan has mercy on them and asks that they be spared. Cai Yong is aware of the dancer's past and is grateful to her.

Dynasty Warriors 8 has him fight in the front lines of Hulao Gate. The Xtreme Legends expansion has him and Li Ru ambush Lu Bu's forces at Chang'an. He and Wang Yun are also hosts of the nobility tournament at Wujun.

Quotes

 * "Your talents never cease to amaze me. I can't believe you memorized that entire book"
 * "I simply read the intent of the author infused in the text. If I do that, it naturally stays with me"
 * "Hmm... That's an interesting ability, as long as it doesn't start affecting your real life anyway."
 * Cai Yong and Cai Wenji; Dynasty Warriors 8

Historical Information
Cai Yong was born in Chenliu (present-day Qi county, Kaifeng, Henan). When his father, Cai Leng died, Cai Yong moved to stay with his uncle, Cai Zhi. When his mother died, Cai Yong gained recognition due to how he prepared her funeral. After his mother's death, Cai Yong became the student of Hu Guang, one of the highest ranked officials of the time, and Cai would study mathematics, astronomy, composition and the pitch pipes under Hu.

For his skills with the drums and the guqin, senior eunuchs recommended Cai to Emperor Huan during the 160s, but Cai feigned illness on the way, and returned home to study further. After a decade, he began working for Qiao Xuan as a clerk and duly impressed his employer. In 175, Cai and a group of scholars requested that the Five Classics of Confucianism be engraved on stone. Emperor Ling approved of the petition, and the result was the Xiping Stone Classics, which would be completed by 183. As his political career went on, Cai Yong was often given tasks regarding setting up ceremonies and festivals, and Cai began speaking more often against the influence of the eunuchs.

In 178, the eunuchs accused Cai and his uncle of extortion, and the two were initially sentenced to death, but they were exiled to the northern frontiers instead. Cai Yong later was allowed to return to the capital when he stated that his records on dynastic history and classics would be threatened due to the fighting in the area, but he offended the sibling of an influential eunuch, and fled south to the lands of Wu. He would end up staying at the south for more than a decade, and many people became his students, among whom was Gu Yong. After twelve years, Dong Zhuo, who had taken control of the emperor, demanded that Cai return to the capital. Cai initially declined, but Dong Zhuo relented that he could "eliminate whole clans", and Cai reluctantly accepted Dong's request.

During his service under Dong Zhuo, the warlord admired Cai's skills as a scholar and as a musician, but Cai was often alert and concerned regarding Dong's temper. He once considered sneaking back home, but quickly brushed off the idea when he realized he was too famous to do so without incident. In 192, Wang Yun killed Dong Zhuo in a plot to return power back to the emperor, and declared that any who dared to claim Dong's corpse, or openly grieved for Dong would be put to death. Cai Yong challenged the order, and was subsequently imprisoned awaiting death sentence despite pleas that Cai be allowed to finish his records before death. It was said that Wang eventually began regretting the order, but Cai Yong had died in prison by that time.

After his death, many of his works were lost in the succeeding wars. Parts of his library survived through his student Wang Can and were later recorded into the Book of the Later Han. Cai Yan memorized four hundred of the four thousand books that were left to her at Cao Cao's request.