Bad people are not necessarily useless, Cai Jing's merits and faults

Cai Jing

After talking about Cai Bian, let's talk about Cai Jing.

Cai Jing and Cai Bian are from the same branch, and both brothers are absolute academic overlords.

In the early days of Cai Jing's politics, he worked as a Lieutenant of Qiantang and a governor of Shuzhou, and these two positions are considered grass-roots positions, which can be regarded as grass-roots work experience.

Cai Jing served as prime minister for 17 years, which eventually led to national turmoil. Because he was fierce and cunning in nature, danced with power, saw profit and forgot righteousness, in his later years he took his family as the official government, sold officials to bribe and enriched his own pockets, and suffered gains and losses everywhere, cultivated personal power, entangled in entanglement, and was unbreakable.

But he has served as prime minister four times, and each time he has been degraded, he has been able to gain new trust, which can be regarded as a legend. What ability does he have to fall around and rise again?

First, he is good at seeing the wind and making the rudder.

When Wang Anshi came to power, he resolutely supported the new law and became Wang Anshi's proud protégé, and his younger brother Cai Bian also became Wang Anshi's son-in-law.

When Sima Guang came to power, he vigorously supported Sima Guang. Sima Guang reinstated the law of bad service for five days, and the courtiers were worried that it was too urgent, and only Cai Jing did as promised, so that all his jurisdictions were changed to bad service, and none of them violated it.

Second, he is extremely good at observing words and colors, and throwing in his favor.

Liang Qichao commented on Cai Jing: "Offering the Lord's favor. During his stay in Hangzhou, he tried his best to worship the official Tong Guan in the palace, helped him visit the calligraphy and painting Kit Kat, and asked Tong Guan to send his own paintings to the palace to give to Emperor Huizong of Song. When Emperor Huizong of Song was rich, the world was rich, and Emperor Huizong of Song also liked a luxurious life, but he was afraid of the discussion of his subordinates, and Cai Jing said: "Your Majesty should enjoy the worship of the world, a small jade, He Zu Ji Ya."

Third, there are actions that change the world.

Cai Jing has certain deeds, there are reform measures, and there are reforms for the clan office, taxation, salt industry, etc.

Salt, for example, is managed by the government, which greatly increases the government's financial resources.

Another example is Cai Jing's large-scale and institutionalization of social relief activities. The system of nursing homes, anjifang and leaky zeyuan that he promoted was undoubtedly the peak of the development of the relief system in the Northern Song Dynasty, unprecedented in Chinese history, and even above the three dynasties of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

In terms of education, Cai Jing's achievements are enormous. During the Chongning years, he presided over the "Chongning Xingxue", set up local schools throughout the country, established a system of study system linking county schools, prefecture studies, and Taixue, built a new Yong, developed Taixue, resumed the establishment of medicine, and established specialized schools in arithmetic, calligraphy, and painting.

Fourth, talented.

Cai Jing's prose and painting are excellent.

Calligraphy can be said to be the best in the world, beautiful, the character is heroic, painful and calm, unique style, the Northern Song Dynasty has "Su Huang Mi Cai" four major calligraphers, "Su, Huang, Mi" respectively refers to Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, as for "Cai", originally referred to Cai Jing, later generations with its "character adultery and evil", and changed to Cai Xiang.

But Cai Jing is not worthy of talent after all, so the end is tragic.

After Emperor Qinzong of Song ascended the throne, Cai Jing was degraded again and again, and eventually died on the way to Lingnan.

Cai Jing was demoted with a cart of belongings and a large retinue. However, Cai Jing's treachery was known to the world, and the people along the way spread the word of mouth not to sell him any food, and it was three thousand miles from Danzhou in Bieliang, Tokyo, and when he arrived in Changsha, Hunan Province, the hungry Cai Jing finally starved, and he couldn't help but sigh: "Beijing has lost its hearts, why is this!" "

On August 11, 1126, Cai Jing, who was in power, starved to death in the Chongjiao Temple in Changsha City.

"Eighty-one years of the past, three thousand miles away without a home, alone in the ends of the world, looking at Shenzhou in tears. The fifth golden hall once worshiped the face, and the jade hall was ten degrees of Xuanma, reminiscing about the prosperity of the past, and turned it into a dream here. ”

This was his last word before his death.