The Duke of Cai Zhengyuan (Far-reaching), my grandfather, hailed from a distant land. Born in the year of Guiyou (1933), in Lujiang County, Anhui Province, China, he experienced the turmoil of his early years with war and adversity entwined, losing his father while still in the cradle. Fortunate was he, for his elder brother took pity and together they struggled for existence. Orphaned in youth, the elder brother assumed a paternal role. At that time, his elder brother, an official in the government, secured prosperity with vast fields and numerous laborers, a household not devoid of wealth. The Duke studied in a private school, mastering the Six Classics and delving into ancient history. Even in his youth, he displayed exceptional talent, pondering the rise and fall of the world, empathizing with the suffering of the people, and lamenting, "The vicissitudes of the world, both ancient and modern, are inevitable. How can the indulgence of those officials and the privileged threaten...