Abstract: Cai Yong is an important writer in the Late Eastern Han Dynasty, whose pursuit of "Pian Li"had direct influence on literary style in the Six Dynasties. Meanwhile, his writings, especially his epitaphs, no matter it is their identification with classical Confucian works or their employment of allusions, all evince well-read scholarly depth, which is a rebuttal of the superficial and flamboyant literary styles among his contemporaries. Liu Xie's The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons contains a comprehensive criticism of Cai Yong's works including his artistic styles and importance in literature history.