Cai Yong
My Life
I was Born to a wealthy family in Chenliu during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Though my life from the start was filled with great tragety. My father died when i was young so me and my mother went to live with my Uncle Cai Zhi. From my uncle i learned most of my Authorship abilities. Though it was nt long before my mother died as well. Though besides these set backs in my life i continued to learn all the various aspects of education and became some what of a renesiance man. I as proficent in composition, caligraphy, mathematics, astronomy, pitch-pipes, and music. Though I tried to Avoid Civil Office until the age of 40. once in office I worked on the Han records of the Easter Institute (dongguan Han Ji).
Though I was always filled with fire one might say. While working under Emperor Ling I wrote several Pettions critixising recently appointed men in the government. They were chosen by the emperor not on thier ability understand the Classics but thier ability to write Fu's. I saw them all as Vulgar Upstarts. I also Wrote a Pettition Critisising the Eunuchs. They were a courrpt entity in the court and abused power. They instantly retaliated and had me sentanced to death, yet one eunuch made a plea to the emperor that i should only be banished to the interior of mongolia. I worked as a laboured there for one ear untill the emperor pardoned me. Though the eunuchs never stopped harrashing me for denouncing them.
I was so displace by the harrasment i moved away and was soon hired by the war lord Dong Zhou. He Sacked Luoyang and moved the capital to Chang'an where he was assasinated. After his death I was aressted and died in prison.
My Works and Influence
I was always very acomplished I wrote 104 works, including poetry, fus, epitaphs, dires, inscription, encomia, admonation. laments., discourses, prayers, petitions, and notes. My most Famous Fu was Fu on Recounting a journey. I was asked to preform on a zither for the eunuch Xu Huang. I had to travel from my home in Chenliu, to the captital which was much to far. When I was Almost to the capital I became ill and stoped at Yanshi, where I realized how much i didn't want to play for Xu Huang so I went home and compsed this Fu about my juorney. It was filled with accounts the historical sites and the pure beauty of everything, and also the darkness, which was the political landscape.
Other Fu's of mine include: Fu on the Han river ford, Fu on Strumming on the zither, Fu on the Writing Brush and, Fu on Dwarfs. My Fu on Dwarfs was by far my strangest Composition and had a Light heartened air about it, not to be taken to seriously.
I was also know for writing Erotic Fu’s such as: Fu on Curbing Excess, Fu on the maid servant, Erotic desire, Fu on settling passions, and Fu on Harmonious Marriage. In these I went to as far as describing the bed activities of a Bridesmaid, and how i wanted to be the reed of a wind Organ that a woman would play. I was lastly known for my Stele Inscription on Graves, which where so profound and important that they were included in the selections of Refined Literature.
I was a a hot headedman and quite acommplished in nearly every aspect. In the end I am one of the great men to have taken part in Chinese Literature.
References and Powerpiont
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cai_Yong
Chang, Kang-i Sun, and Stephen Owen. The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2010. Print