In the tenth year of the Qianlong Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, a new minister came to the study, this person named Cai Xin, a jinshi in the first year of Qianlong, worked in the Hanlin Academy for 10 years, and finally entered the political center. At the same time, Qianlong learned that Cai Xin's mathematics was relatively good, especially he understood the Pythagorean theorem and the opening formula, so Qianlong asked Cai Xin to take time and the popes to study. In feudal society, Confucianism was orthodox learning, mathematics was nothing more than kitkat, and the princes were not interested in mathematics. One day, Qianlong asked Cai Xin, "How are the princes learning mathematics?" Cai Xin calmly replied: "The brothers are very intelligent, but mathematics is an after-school interest, some are interested, some are not interested." Qianlong listened, felt that Cai Xin knew education very well, so he sent Cai Xin to Henan to supervise the school, and then to Jiangxi to study politics, and a few years later, Cai Xin got full experience, was promoted by Qianlong to a cabinet scholar, and became a humerus of the imperial court.
Speaking of Cai Xin, Qianlong knew him as early as ten years ago. In the first year of Qianlong, when Qianlong had just ascended the throne for less than half a year, the Qianlong Dynasty held its first imperial examination, because it was the lunar calendar year, so the imperial examination of that year was also called "Chengchenke". Cai Xin, a candidate from Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, was brilliant and ranked first (fourth in total) in the second class of the Chengchen Branch, because Cai Xin's name contained a "new" character, which was very in line with Qianlong, who had just ascended the throne, so Qianlong was very impressed with Cai Xin.
In the thirty-fourth year of Qianlong, Cai Xin was appointed as the Shangshu of the Bingbu, and soon after he was transferred to the Shangshu of the Rebbe and became a member of the imperial court, during which time Cai Xin assisted Qianlong in the administration of the government and assisted Ji Yun in compiling the "Four Libraries Complete Book", and after the compilation of the "Four Libraries Complete Book", Cai Xin was awarded the Wenhuadian University scholar for his merits. In the Qing Dynasty, cabinet scholars were known as "prime ministers". Cai Xin also became the only prime minister in the history of Zhangzhou.
Fifty years after Qianlong, the then 74-year-old Qianlong was overjoyed to have a grandson, the fifth emperor of the same hall, which was still the first in history. At the suggestion of He Yan and others, Qianlong planned to learn from his grandfather Kangxi and hold a "feast of a thousand sons". At that time, Cai Xin was 78 years old, the oldest of the hundred officials (excluding retirement) in the DPRK. Although there were many princes and ministers and envoys of the king of the clan at the banquet, Qianlong Qin ordered the chief military minister Ah Gui (70 years old) and the scholar Cai Xin (78 years old) of Wenhuadian University to sit at the first table, and the two of them were foremans, representing the Manchu and Han ministers to be the first to toast to Qianlong, which became a good story.
It can be said that at the Banquet of a Thousand Sorrows, Cai Xin's glory reached its peak. But after the banquet, Cai Xin's life took a turn. On the third day after the feast of the Thousand Sorrows, Qianlong suddenly invited Cai Xin into the palace for dinner. Cai Xin was full of joy, changed into a brand new imperial dress, and came to the Yangxin Hall.
Here, Qianlong not only invited Cai Xin to a big meal, but also talked with Cai Xin about poetry, and Qianlong talked about poetry describing "brotherly love" with great interest. Immediately after, Qianlong asked, "Cai Qing, which of us is older?" I heard you're 4 years older than Shuo? Cai Xin replied with a smile:
"The subject was lucky enough to live to be seventy-eight years old, but the micro-minister was weak, I am afraid that he would not live to be eighty, and His Majesty is the honor of longevity, and it is comparable to the micro-minister."
Cai Xin was four years older than Qianlong, and Cai Xin thought that he could skillfully avoid Qianlong's question by answering in this way, but he did not expect that Qianlong would not be spared, and Qianlong sighed and said:
"If you are a courtier today, you can be the seat of the three elders and five changes, and cai Xin, the independent scholar, is four years older, or he can be among the brothers." (Draft History of the Qing Dynasty)
Qianlong means that among the Manchu ministers now, the only one who is older than me is Cai Xin, and you are 4 years older than me, and you can be my brother.
After Cai Xin heard this, he felt a panic and thought for a moment, Cai Xin finally made a decision, although he was reluctant to do so. Draft History of the Qing Dynasty:
Cai Xin was panicked and cramped, and after the ceremony was completed, he begged for a rest.
Cai Xin knelt down to give a great gift to the emperor, and then asked Qianlong to pay tribute, saying that he was 78 years old, dying of old age, and had long passed the year of hanging cars, and pleaded with the old man to return to his hometown.
After Qianlong listened, he did not even retain it, and immediately agreed to Cai Xin's request, and added Cai Xin as the prince's master, ordering the stagecoach and horse to send Cai Xin back to his hometown in Zhangpu as soon as possible. In this way, from the first year of Qianlong to the fifty years of Qianlong, Cai Xin, who accompanied Qianlong for 51 years, returned to his hometown of Zhangzhou.
Why did Cai Xin suddenly want to return to his hometown? Because in the feudal society, the emperor is the father of everyone, no one dares to be the emperor's brother, the Qianlong Emperor is known for his high lifespan, and there are ministers in the DPRK who are older than Qianlong, and Qianlong has a knot in his heart. So he took the opportunity to invite Cai Xin to dinner and knocked Cai Xin. Cai Xin has been immersed in the DPRK for more than 50 years, and this is still clear. Therefore, Cai Xin proposed to return to his hometown, and Qianlong gladly agreed. Qianlong sent the carriages and horses of the station to personally send Cai Xin back to his hometown, and Qianlong was relieved. Qianlong's purpose was achieved, so there was no need to embarrass Cai Xin.
History is always so coincidental, in the first year of Qianlong, Cai Xin just became a jinshi and became an official of the Qianlong Dynasty, accompanying Qianlong for 51 years. In 1799, Qianlong died at the age of 89, and in the same year, Cai Xin died at the age of 93. Until his death, Cai Xin was still 4 years older than Qianlong.