Cai Zhong is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.[1] He was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao. He was a cousin of Cai Mao. Cai Zhong and Cai He later defected to Cao Cao after Liu Biao's death. Cao Cao sent them as spies to Sun Quan's camp before the Battle of Red Cliffs. However, Zhou Yu easily saw through this false desertion, and used them to spread false information in Cao Cao's forces. Cai He and Cai Zhong were later executed by Zhou Yu just before the battle.
