Cai E Cai E or Tsai Ao ( ; 18 December 1882 – 8 November 1916 ) was a Chinese revolutionary leader and warlord . He was born Cai Genyin ( 蔡艮寅 " Cài Gěnyín " ) in Shaoyang , Hunan , and his was Songpo ( 松坡 " Sōngpō " ) . Cai eventually became an influential warlord in Yunnan , and is most well known for his role in challenging the imperial ambitions of Yuan Shikai . Biography . Early career . Cai studied at the prestigious and progressive " Shiwu Xuetang " ( School of Current Affairs ) , where he was taught by Liang Qichao and Tang Caicheng , and went to Japan to study in 1899 . Cai returned to China in 1900 , when he was only eighteen , and attempted to take part in an uprising against the Qing Dynasty as part of the Self - Support Army , a revolutionary militia led by Tang Caichang . When the rebellion failed , Cai returned to Japan . Cai joined the Tongmenghui , a Chinese revolutionary organization sometimes referred to in English as the " Chinese United League " , after returning to Japan . Cai returned to Yunnan shortly after the Xinhai Revolution began on October 10 , 1911 . Leading the 37th brigade , Cai successfully occupied Yunnan . After the revolution , he served as Commander - in - Chief of the Military Government of Yunnan . Cai E was Governor of Yunnan from 1911 - 1913 . After the revolution , Cai gained a reputation as a strong supporter of democracy , and of the Kuomintang politician Song Jiaoren . Following Song ' s assassination by Yuan Shikai , and Yuan ' s subsequent assumption of the presidency of the Republic of China , Yuan had Cai removed from office , and eventually held Cai under house arrest in Beijing . Tang Jiyao replaced Cai E as Military Governor of Yunnan in 1913 . Opposition to Yuan Shikai . In 1915 , Yuan Shikai announced his plans to dissolve the Republic and proclaim himself the emperor of a new dynasty . After hearing of Yuan ' s intentions , Cai escaped detention on November 11 , first returning to Japan , and then to Yunnan . After returning to Yunnan , Cai established the local National Protection Army to resist Yuan and defend the Republic . On December 12 Yuan formally " accepted " a petition to become emperor , and protests spread throughout China . On December 23 Cai sent a telegram to Beijing threatening to declare independence if Yuan did not cancel his plans within two days . When Yuan did not respond favourably , Cai declared independence on December 25 , and made plans to invade Sichuan . The governor of Guizhou joined Cai in rebellion , declaring independence on December 27 . Yuan had himself inaugurated as emperor on January 1 , 1916 , and Cai successfully occupied Sichuan later that month . Yuan sent two leading military commanders from northern China to attack Cai ; but , although the forces sent by Yuan outnumbered Cai ' s army , Yuan ' s commanders were either unwilling or unable to defeat him . When it became clear that Cai ' s rebellion would be successful , numerous other provinces joined Cai in resisting Yuan . Guangxi and Shandong declared independence in March , Guangdong and Zhejiang declared independence in April , and Shaanxi , Sichuan , and Hunan declared their independence in May . With several provinces behind them , the revolutionaries successfully forced Yuan to abandon monarchism on March 20 , 1916 . After Yuan died , on June 6 , 1916 , Cai held the positions of Governor - General and Governor of Sichuan . Cai left for Japan for medical treatment later in 1916 , but died shortly after his arrival . With no effective central government and with most of China under the control of " military governors " , China descended into a period of warlordism . Legacy . Many of the warlords who served under Yuan Shikai did not support Yuan ' s ambition to revive the monarchy , and Cai E was one of the leading figures who successfully forced Yuan to step down . He served as an inspiration for the young Zhu De , who later became one of the most successful military leaders of the Chinese Red Army , the forerunner to the People ' s Liberation Army .