In the fourth lunar month of the Huangyou third year (1051), when Cai Xiang was about to leave Hangzhou, he wrote this farewell letter to Feng Jing (1021–1094). He also presented gifts of “large dragon” pressed tea and a Yue celadon tea bowl, which were quite valuable at the time. “Large dragon” pressed tea was probably still a tribute item for the court, and “small dragon” pressed tea began production as tribute under the supervision of Cai Xiang when he was serving as Transport Commissioner of Fuzhou in 1047. The brushwork throughout this letter is steady and the characters beautiful and upright, the brush moving fluidly and with ease in a kind of natural grace, making this one of Cai Xiang’s masterpieces of semi-cursive calligraphy. Cai also chose weave-pattern decorative paper pressed with a butterfly design consisting of paired butterflies circled by a ring of beads. In fact, it appears much like the design on some porcelains and apparel at the time, perhaps thus having particular meaning.

釋文：襄得足下書。極思詠之懷。在杭留兩月。今方得出關。歷賞劇醉。不可勝計。亦一春之盛事也。知官下與郡侯情意相通。此固可樂。唐候言王白今歲為遊閏所勝。大可怪也。初夏時景清和。願君侯自壽為佳。襄頓首。通理當世屯田足下。大餅極珍物。青甌微粗。臨行忩忩致意。不周悉。