In 106 BC, a long-horned horse appeared in Liaodong, with the horns measuring three inches long, growing beneath the horse's ears. As Liu Xiang noted, "This is a portent of military disaster!" Later, Emperor Wu of Han passed away, and the royal family fell into chaos, which fulfilled the earlier omen. Jing Fang also noted in the "Book of Changes": "When ministers overshadow their sovereign, and the government loses the people's support, strange phenomena such as horses growing horns will occur, indicating a lack of virtuous men." He also said, "When the Son of Heaven personally leads an expedition, horses will also grow horns." The "Records of the Lu Family" also states: "When a ruler loses virtue, horses will grow horns." Later, when Emperor Hui of Han ascended the throne, he was incompetent and personally led troops to attack Chengdu, which once again fulfilled the omen.
In December of the eighth year of Emperor Hui's reign, the crown prince was to hold a ceremony for the release of the sacrificial offerings. The chariot of Grand Tutor Zhao Wang Lun arrived at the southern city gate, but the horse suddenly stopped, and even a strong man could not push it. Wang Lun had no choice but to dismount and switch to a sedan chair to proceed. The horse's strange behavior signaled imminent disaster. It seemed heaven was warning: Wang Lun lacked propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame, and would ultimately rebel and cause turmoil; he was not someone who should assist the crown prince in performing the ceremony.
On the day of Wu Yin in November of the ninth year, a male bay horse ran into the interrogation hall of the Court of Judicial Review in a panic and died with a mournful cry. It seemed heaven was warning that this was a sign of a wronged soul dying with grievances! Did this horse running into the interrogation hall represent heaven's will?
In February of the sixth year of Emperor Huai's reign, a celestial horse neighed at the southern city gate. In September of the second year of Emperor Min's reign, a strange occurrence was reported in Puzi County of a horse giving birth. Jing Fang stated in the "Book of Changes": "When the Son of Heaven dies, and the feudal lords fight among themselves, strange phenomena such as horses giving birth will occur." At that time, the royal family was in decline and on the brink of collapse, as the Hu and Di peoples constantly invaded and war raged on. Soon after, the emperor also fell, resulting in such strange occurrences.
In the second year of Emperor Han Yuan's Tai Xing era, a horse owned by the official Pu Yang Yan in the Dan Yang Commandery gave birth to a two-headed foal, which was stillborn with its two heads joined at the neck. Sima Biao explained, "This symbolizes that power has fallen into private hands." Later, Wang Dun indeed rebelled.
On the Jiaxu day in May of the eighth year of the Xian Kang era of Emperor Han Cheng, a horse appeared that was as red as blood, running straight from the Xuan Yang Gate to the front of the palace, circling around the palace before running away. People chased after it but could not find it. On the Jimao day, the emperor felt unwell. In June, the emperor passed away. The appearance of this red horse was a bad omen. In the same year, Zhang Chonghua in Liangzhou planned to kill the governor of Xihe, Zhang Xiang, and dozens of horses in his stable all simultaneously gave birth to tailless freaks.
In October of the fourth year of Long An, a horse with long horns appeared in Liangzhou, and the inspector Guo Quan reported this to Huan Xuan. Some people interpreted Liu Xiang's statements to mean that a horse shouldn't have horns, just as Huan Xuan should not raise an army to rebel. Huan Xuan did not heed this, and in the end, his family was exterminated. This shows that some omens should definitely be taken seriously.
In Ye City, during the reign of Shi Jilong, a horse's tail caught fire as it ran in through the Yang Gate and out through the Xian Yang Gate. The people from the Eastern Palace couldn't get in, and the horse kept running northeast before disappearing. The fortune teller Fotu Cheng sighed, "Disaster is coming!" The next year, Shi Jilong died, and his state fell. This horse truly fulfilled the omen of disaster.
In the first year of Huang Chu, Song Shizong from Qinghe had a mother who turned into a turtle and crawled into the water. This was truly a strange and bizarre occurrence.
In the third year of Taihe, a peasant girl named Qiu Xi, a subordinate of Cao Xiu, died and came back to life. At that time, the tomb of a Zhou Dynasty emperor was opened, and a buried woman was found. After a few days, she started breathing again. Although she couldn’t speak for several months, Empress Guo took her in. In addition, in Taiyuan, someone opened a coffin and found a living woman inside. When asked what happened, she didn’t know herself. According to the records on the tombstone, she was probably around thirty years old. Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" says: "The yin transforms into yang, the lower position rises to the top." This was seen as a sign of Emperor Xuan of Han's rise! Similar strange events occurred during the reigns of Emperor Ping and Emperor Xian of Han, which were considered signs of the rise of Wang Mang and Cao Cao.
In the fourth year of Yong'an, a man named Chen Jiao in Anwu died and came back to life after seven days, crawling out of the grave. Gan Bao said: "This is reminiscent of the events surrounding Emperor Xuan of Han. Marquis Wucheng Hao inherited the legacy of the deposed emperor and received the auspicious sign of the world!"
In the first year of Sun Hao's Baoding, a woman from Danyang named Xuan Qian, who was eighty years old, transformed into a giant tortoise while bathing. Her two brothers quickly closed the door to protect her. They dug a large pit in the hall, filled it with water, and the tortoise went in to play. For a day or two, it always stretched its neck to look outside. When the door was cracked open, it turned around and jumped out by itself, swimming to a distant pool and never returning. This was akin to the incident involving Huang Shi's mother during the reign of Emperor Ling of Han; both were omens of the nation's impending doom!
In August of the second year of Xianxi, someone in Xiangwu County reported seeing a giant over three zhang tall, with footprints three chi and two cun long, white hair, wearing a yellow headscarf and a yellow robe, leaning on a cane, shouting the name "Wang Shi" and saying, "Now it will be peaceful." Not long after, the Jin Dynasty overthrew the Wei Dynasty.
In the fifth year of Taishi, a seventy-year-old man in Yuancheng grew horns. This was likely a portent of Zhao Wang Lun's usurpation!
In the twelfth month of the second year of Xian Ning, a man named Yan Ji who was from Langya died. A long time after his burial, his family all had a dream in which Yan Ji said, "Hurry and open the coffin." So the family opened the coffin, and Yan Ji gradually regained the ability to eat, drink, move his limbs, and see, but he was unable to walk or speak. He passed away again two years later. Jing Fang's "Commentary on the Book of Changes" states: "The ultimate yin transforms into the ultimate yang, lower-class people become upper-class people; this is a kind of monster. When a person dies and comes back to life, it is this kind of monster." Later, Liu Yuanhai and Shi Le rebelled and ultimately destroyed the Jin Dynasty, fulfilling the prophecy of "lower-class people becoming upper-class people."
During Emperor Hui's Yuan Kang period, there was a woman named Zhou Shining in Anfeng who gradually began to transform into a man by the age of eight. By seventeen or eighteen, her demeanor was entirely like that of a man. Jing Fang's "Commentary on the Book of Changes" states: "A woman transforming into a man indicates the flourishing of yin energy, and lowly people becoming kings and nobles." This was also a portent of the chaos caused by Liu Yuanhai and Shi Le.
At the start of the Yong Ning period, Prince Qiang Jiong mustered an army to fight the rebels and supported the emperor's return to the palace. Suddenly, a woman came to the gate of the Grand Marshal's residence, requesting to leave a baby there. The guard asked her what was happening, and she said, "I just had a cesarean section and I’m leaving." At that time, Prince Qiang Jiong had successfully restored the royal family, and people credited him for it, but those who were perceptive sensed that he was in danger, and as a result, Prince Qiang Jiong had him killed.
On the Jiazi day of the twelfth month in the first year of Yong Ning, a white-haired old man entered the Grand Marshal's residence of Prince Qiang Jiong and shouted loudly, "A great army is coming to attack within ten days!" Prince Qiang Jiong had him killed. The following year, on the Wuchen day of the twelfth month, Prince Qiang Jiong was defeated, and this day marked exactly the tenth day after the Jiazi day.
In April of the first year of Tai'an, on the day of Guichou, a man claimed to have come from Longmen, ran to the front of the palace, knelt facing north, and said, "I will become the Minister of the Interior." He was immediately killed after saying this. Gan Bao remarked, "The imperial palace is so sacred, yet this person was able to easily enter without the guards noticing. This indicates that the palace is about to be empty, a portent of chaos where the lower classes rise above the elite!" Later, the emperor relocated north to Ye City, and then to Chang'an, and the imperial palace eventually stood empty.
During the Yuankang period, in the Liang Kingdom, a woman was promised to a man and had already received the betrothal gifts. Later, her husband went to serve in the army in Chang'an and did not return for several years. The woman's family then married her to someone else. The woman was unwilling to marry, but her parents pressured her, leaving her no choice but to go through with it. Soon after, she fell ill and died. Later, her husband returned and inquired about his wife's whereabouts. Her family told him what had happened. He went straight to his wife's grave, heartbroken, and dug it up. Surprisingly, the woman was still alive, so they returned home together. When her former husband found out, he went to the authorities to claim his wife back, and the officials found themselves at a loss for a while. The Secretary Wang Dao said, "This is an extraordinary matter that cannot be judged by common sense. The woman should be returned to her former husband." The court accepted his suggestion.
During Emperor Hui's reign, there was a family named Du Xi. When their maid passed away, she wasn’t buried on time for various reasons. After ten years, the grave was opened and she was reburied, only to discover that she was still alive! When she woke up, she was still dazed at first, but gradually came to her senses. When asked what had happened, she replied that it felt like she had only slept for two days. The maid was buried at the age of fifteen or sixteen, and when unearthed, she still appeared to be fifteen or sixteen. Eventually, she married and had children.
In the first year of the Guangxi era, there was a man named Xie Zhen in Kuaiji who gave birth to a strange child. The child had a very large head, was born with hair, had feet facing upwards, and surprisingly had both male and female organs. Even more strangely, the child made a man's voice when born and only lived for one day before dying. This indicated that the emperor's virtue was lacking and the situation of subordinates rebelling against their superiors was serious, so various princes began to show signs of rebellion.
During the reign of Emperor Hui, there appeared an intersex person in the Jingluo region who could play both male and female roles at the same time and had an extremely lascivious character. These were all strange phenomena that arose in troubled times. From the time of Xianning and Taikang, male favorites became more prevalent than female ones, with officials and nobles vying to imitate each other, which caused chaos in society and led to many divorces and complaints. Therefore, the confusion in male-female relationships led to the appearance of these monsters and demons.
In the first year of Yongjia during the reign of Emperor Huai, a servant girl in the household of Wan Xiang in Wu County, Wu Commandery, gave birth to a strange child: with a bird's head, horse hooves, only one hand, no hair, a yellow tail, and a size similar to a pillow. This was also a monster, signifying that great chaos was about to engulf the world.
In May of the fifth year of Yongjia, a courtesan in the household of Yan Gen, the magistrate of Fanghan County, gave birth to "triplets": a dragon, a girl, and a goose. Jing Fang's Book of Changes says, "When non-human things are born, it is a sign that great chaos is about to occur in the world." At that time, the emperor inherited the mess left by Emperor Hui, and the world was already in chaos. Not long after, he was defeated by Pingyang and killed by the Hu, and these strange occurrences were a clear sign of what was to come!
In the fourth year of the Jianxing reign of Emperor Min, there was a county official named Ren Qiao in New Cai County. His wife gave birth to twin girls, whose abdomens and hearts were conjoined, but separated above the chest and below the navel. This was a rare and strange occurrence! At that time, Grand Historian Lu Hui reported, "According to the records of the Book of Auspicious Responses, plants with different roots growing together are called 'joined branches,' and grains from different fields growing together are called 'auspicious grains.' These strange phenomena of plants are considered auspicious. Now these two children are one in heart and body, as the Book of Changes says, 'When two people are of one heart, their strength is as that of cutting through metal.' This should be seen as a sign of unity and virtue!" At that time, people thought his words were absurd, but not long after, the country fell apart and the emperor perished.
During the Taixing period of Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there was a woman whose genitals were on her belly near the navel. She came from the Central Plains to Jiangdong, had a licentious behavior, but could not conceive. Another woman had her genitals on her head and was seen at the Yangzhou ferry, and she also had a licentious behavior. Jing Fang said in "Yi Yao," "If a person is born with genitals on their head, the world will be in chaos; if on the belly, major events will occur in the world; if on the back, the world will face a lack of descendants." At that time, Wang Dun occupied the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and was preparing to rebel, fulfilling Jing Fang's prophecy.
In the twelfth month of the third year, the wife of Shangshu Zou Xieping gave birth to a daughter who made a "pu pu" sound when she landed and died shortly after. Her nose and eyes were on the top of her head, her face was as long as her neck, her mouth was filled with connected teeth, her chest resembled a turtle shell, and her hands and feet had bird-like claws that curved downwards. This was truly a monster that ordinary people would rarely see. Two years later, the Battle of Shitou took place (referring to the war between the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Cheng Han).
In the seventh month of the second year of the Taiping reign of Emperor Ming, the wife of Ji, the Marquis of Jiangning, died and came back to life three days later.
In the fourth month of the fifth year of Xiankang during the reign of Emperor Cheng, Wang He, a man from Xiapi, lived in Jiyang. His daughter Ke, around twenty years old, claimed to have come down from the heavens and received a symbol of auspiciousness, claiming to be the mother of all. The Jinling Prefect thought she was a demon and imprisoned her. In November, a man named Lu Ci arrived at the carriage gate of the imperial palace with a staff made of mulberry wood and wearing crimson clothes, claiming to be a sage sent to seek an audience with the emperor. The gatekeeper recorded his words, stating that his name was Lu Ci and that under Ke, Wang He's daughter, there were seven stars on her right foot, each with hair and seven inches long, signifying her as the mother of the world. After this matter was reported, both Lu Ci and Wang He's daughter Ke were executed.
In the tenth month of the second year of Jiande during the reign of Emperor Kang, the Commandant of the Guards stationed at Guowang, who was in charge of Chendu Women's Platform in Nanchun State, discovered the words "Mother of the World" on a woman's foot, which became even clearer after moxibustion. The capital was in an uproar, and the authorities arrested her and reported it to the court. She soon escaped from Jiankang County Prison. The following year, the emperor passed away, and the Empress Dowager assumed control of the government, perhaps as a premonition.
During the early years of Emperor Xiaowu's reign, in Ningkang, a woman named Tang from Lingzhou gradually turned into a man.
In the seventh year of Emperor Yixi's reign, a man named Zhao from Wuxi suddenly grew to eight feet tall and sprouted a beard at the age of eight, but died just three days later.
During the Yixi era, a woman from Dongyang named Mo gave birth to a daughter but didn't care for her and buried her for several days. However, they heard a baby's cries coming from the ground, and when she was dug out, she was found to be alive.
In the later years of the Yixi era, two individuals from Yuzhang named Wu Ping were both hermaphrodites with male and female genitalia.
In the first year of Emperor Gong's Yuanxi reign, Yang Dao, a person from Jian'an, was born headless, but with a normal body that should have belonged to a woman.
