Ancient China · Statesman

Cai Ze 蔡澤

Attested BC 255 - BC 240

Passages: 7
Chapters: 3
Histories: 2

Overview

Cai Ze was a statesman.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 243 to BC 240 剛成君蔡澤事燕三年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 188, 194
BC 250 昔三仁去而殷虛…
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 99, passage 69
BC 255 to BC 240 蘇、張、范、蔡之時
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 117, passage 225

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Lord Gangcheng 剛成君
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 188

Places and affiliations

Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 188

Events and relationships

Flourished in warring states Qin court age
Political · Statesman
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 225
Served in Yan three years
BC 243 to BC 240 剛成君蔡澤事燕三年 · Diplomatic · Envoy · At Yan 燕
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 188, 194

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 99Volume 87b: Yang Xiong 2 · 4 passages

昔三仁去而殷虛，二老歸而周熾，子胥死而吳亡，種、蠡存而粵伯，五□入而秦喜，樂毅出而燕懼，范睢以折□而危穰侯，蔡澤雖噤吟而笑唐舉。 The Three Worthies left and Shang collapsed; the Two Elders came home and Zhou flourished; Wu died with Wu Zixu; Yue rose while Zhong and Fan Li lived; five captives entered Xianyang to Qin’s delight; Yue Yi’s exile struck terror into Yan; Fan Ju’s stratagem toppled the Marquis of Rang; Cai Ze, stammering all the while, still got the laugh on the physiognomist Tang Ju.

范、蔡以下何必《玄》哉？」 Men like Fan and Cai never needed such a book—why should you?"

蔡澤，山東之匹夫也，顉頤折頞，涕唾流沫，西揖強秦之相，扼其咽，炕其氣，附其背而奪其位，時也。 Cai Ze was a rough man from the eastern hills—stooped, scarred, slobbering—yet he crossed to Qin, bowed to the chief minister, seized him by the throat, leaned on his back, and took his chair because the hour called for it.

有談范、蔡之說於金、張、許、史之間，則狂矣。 To peddle the stratagems of Fan Ju and Cai Ze in the antechambers of the Jin, Zhang, Xu, and Shi clans would be madness.

Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 1 passage

或譏以無功，又感東方朔、揚雄自諭以不遭蘇、張、范、蔡之時，曾不折之以正道，明君子之所守，故聊復應焉。 Critics mocked his want of deeds; remembering how Dongfang Shuo and Yang Xiong excused their obscurity by the absence of Su or Zhang, yet never rebuked opportunism with the true Way, he felt compelled to answer.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 71Biographies of Shu Lizi and Gan Mao · 2 passages

秦始皇帝使剛成君蔡澤於燕，三年而燕王喜使太子丹入質於秦。 Qin Shi Huang sent Gangcheng Jun Cai Ze to Yan. After three years, King Xi of Yan sent Crown Prince Dan as hostage to Qin.

文信侯曰：「吾令剛成君蔡澤事燕三年，燕太子丹已入質矣，吾自請張卿相燕而不肯行。」 Wenxin Hou declared: 'I had Gangcheng Jun Cai Ze serve Yan for three years, and Crown Prince Dan of Yan has already entered as hostage. I personally requested that Zhang Qing serve as prime minister of Yan, but he refuses to go.'