Cai Kan

Life

Cai Xiang was his great-great-grandfather, or fourth-generation ancestor; his father was Cai Tuan, his younger brother Cai Wu, his agnatic younger cousin Cai Jun, his son Cai Kang, and his affine relative Hu Jianchang.

Cai Kan entered office through hereditary privilege as Commandant of Liyang County and passed the jinshi examination in the second year of the Qiandao era (1166). In the seventh year of Qiandao, he was summoned for examination for a library post and appointed Zhengzi in the Palace Library; the following year he became military prefect of Jiangyin.

Early in the Chunxi era he became military prefect of Suizhou and memorialized on military preparedness. He later served as transport commissioner for the Western Capital and Guangdong circuits and as judicial commissioner for Hunan, proposing the stationing of troops for farming and the substitution of payment for the required silver, with notable administrative results. His other appointments included Shaoqing and Qing of the Court of Agriculture, a circuit judicial commissioner, and an assistant professor of legal studies.

His prefectural and prefectural-government appointments included Mingzhou, Shezhou, Lin'an, and Jingjiang; his ranks and palace appointments included Chaofeng Daifu, Chaoqing Daifu, Youwen dian Xiuzhuan, Jiying dian Xiuzhuan, and Huawen dian Xiuzhuan.

In the tenth year of Chunxi (1183), he served in the zongling offices, successively associated with Huguang, Jiankang, and Huaixi; the sequence is variously given as Huguang to Jiankang and then Huaixi, or Huaixi followed by Huguang. In the first year of the Shaoxi era (1190), he became Judicial Commissioner for Eastern Zhejiang and was summoned to serve as Investigating Secretary of the Zhongshu menxia; he was later dismissed after memorials against him and given an office of support at a shrine.

After Ningzong came to the throne, Cai Kan was summoned to be Qing of the Court of Agriculture and concurrently military prefect of Lin'an, then concurrently acting Vice Minister of Revenue, and again zongling for Huguang. In the second year of the Qingyuan era (1196), he became military prefect of Longxing; after an intervening dismissal, he withdrew behind closed doors for years before being appointed Jiying dian Xiuzhuan and military prefect of Jingjiang.

In 1196, Zhang Zhongshu, Fang Xinru, and Hu 槻 recommended him. At the beginning of the Jiatai era (1201), he became military prefect of Jingjiang and concurrently Military Commissioner and Pacification Commissioner of Guangxi; the term is also dated 1202–1204.

During his tenure at Lin'an, a flood prompted him to provide relief grain to the victims. As Military Commissioner and Pacification Commissioner of Guangxi, he promoted incorrupt officials and dismissed the greedy, bringing order to the region. When Han Tuozhou dominated the court at the beginning of the Kaixi era, Cai Kan declined to serve in his administration and requested retirement; he retired with the title of Bao'mo ge Zhixueshi, also given as Bao'wen ge Zhixueshi. He later died, but the year is unknown.

Cai Kan entered office in early adulthood and served for forty years in demanding posts inside and outside the capital. Upright and unyielding, he ran against the customs of his age and consequently spent much of his career in arduous external appointments.

Writings

His prose avoided ornate embellishment and often addressed practical affairs of state; his collected writings are known as *Dingzhai ji*.

The original *Dingzhai ji* comprised forty juan and was later lost; Qing editors compiled a twenty-juan version from the *Yongle dadian* and other materials. He also compiled the twelve-juan *Jingjiang fuzhi*; both works are now lost.