Qin and Han · Official and General

Li Cai 李蔡

Attested BC 166 - BC 118

Passages: 7
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Li Cai was an official and General.

Life and dates

Death

suicide 自殺 · Cause charged with encroaching on Emperor Jing's park land 侵孝景園壖地
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 150
Executed
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 142

Attested activity

BC 124 元朔五年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 104
BC 121 元狩二年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 105
BC 121 其後…繼踵為丞相
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 68, passages 139-140
BC 166 孝文帝十四年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passages 5-6
BC 118 廣死明年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 150

Family

Kin of Li Guang (李廣)
younger cousin 從弟 · paternal line
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passages 6, 101

Key source chapters

Career and standing

General of the Light Chariots 輕車將軍
BC 124 元朔五年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 104
Imperial Chancellor 丞相
BC 121 元狩二年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 105
Chancellor of Dai 代相
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 103
chancellor 丞相
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 140
Marquis of Le'an 樂安侯
BC 124 元朔五年 · Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 109, passage 104

Places and affiliations

Han 漢
Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 140

Events and relationships

Relation Successor of · Person Gongsun Hong (公孫弘)
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 140

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 2 passages

其後李蔡、嚴青翟、趙周、石慶、公孫賀、劉屈氂繼踵為丞相。 After him came Li Cai, Yan Qingdi, Zhao Zhou, Shi Qing, Gongsun He, and Liu Qumao, each in turn as chancellor.

自蔡至慶，丞相府客館丘虛而已，至賀、屈氂時壞以為馬廄車庫奴婢室矣。 From Li Cai through Shi Qing the chancellor's guest halls stood empty as ruins; under Gongsun He and Liu Qumao they were torn down for stables, coach houses, and servants' quarters.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 109Biography of General Li · 5 passages

廣從弟李蔡亦為郎，皆為武騎常侍，秩八百石。 Guang's younger cousin Li Cai also served as an Attendant. Both were appointed as Regular Attendants of the Martial Cavalry, with a salary rank of eight hundred shi.

初，廣之從弟李蔡與廣俱事孝文帝。 Earlier, Guang's younger cousin Li Cai had entered service alongside Guang under Emperor Wen.

景帝時，蔡積功勞至二千石。 Under Emperor Jing, Cai had accumulated enough merit to attain the rank of two thousand shi.

蔡為人在下中，名聲出廣下甚遠，然廣不得爵邑，官不過九卿，而蔡為列侯，位至三公。 Cai was a man of middling ability at best, and his reputation fell far below Guang's. Yet Guang never received a noble title or a fief, and his office never rose above that of one of the Nine Ministers, while Cai became a full marquis and attained the rank of one of the Three Excellencies.

廣死明年，李蔡以丞相坐侵孝景園壖地，當下吏治，蔡亦自殺，不對獄，國除。 The year after Guang died, Li Cai, then serving as Imperial Chancellor, was charged with encroaching on the land around Emperor Jing's funerary park. Facing prosecution, Cai too took his own life rather than submit to interrogation, and his fief was abolished.