During the Three Guards Rebellion, he attempted to usurp the Duke of Zhou's position as regent to the young king and his defeat meant his deposition and exile.

As the Chinese peerage developed, Cai was initially considered a county and then elevated to a march; it was never able, however, to become a duchy or kingdom in its own right.

Invasions from Chu during the Spring and Autumn period relocated Cai several times, first to Xincai (lit.

In 447 BC, King Hui of Chu conquered Cai completely, but allowed the marquesses to settle near Changde in Hunan and establish a rump state called Gaocai (lit.

The rulers of Cai were all descended from the Zhou imperial Ji family and – after the first three – held the rank of Hou (translated as "Marquis").