In the year 252 AD, during the third year of Sun Liang's reign, continuous rain began in August and lasted for over forty days. At that time, Sun Liang was preparing to execute Sun Chen, but the plan was leaked. On September, Sun Chen surrounded the imperial palace with his troops, deposed Sun Liang, and relegated him to the position of King of Kuaiji. This was probably the punishment from the heavens for the prolonged rainy weather.
In the year 275 AD, in the first year of Sun Hao's reign, in the twelfth month of the Baoding era, the court historian reported that the continuous rain had not stopped for a long time, and there might be a conspiracy happening. Sun Hao was terrified. At that time, Lu Kai and his associates planned to overthrow Sun Hao during his sacrificial rites. When they were leaving, Liu Ping led the troops, and Lu Kai had informed Liu Ping of the plan in advance, but Liu Ping refused to participate, so the plan ultimately failed. Sun Hao was known for his tyranny and cruelty, and many people in the court had rebellious thoughts, ultimately leading to the downfall of the state of Wu.
General Deng Zhi of Shu went to battle in Fuling and saw a black ape on the mountain, so he shot it with an arrow. The black ape pulled out the arrow and used tree leaves to block the wound. Deng Zhi exclaimed, "Oh, I have defied the natural order! It seems I am going to die!" Shortly after saying this, he died, which was akin to shooting a demon! Some also say that it was the mother ape cradling her child, and Deng Zhi shot the child, who pulled out the arrow and used tree leaves to block the wound. Deng Zhi sighed, threw his crossbow into the river, knowing he was going to die.
When Emperor Gong was the King of Langye, he enjoyed engaging in peculiar and unusual games. Once, he locked a horse in a room and had people shoot at it to see how many arrows it would take to bring it down. Someone nearby advised against it, saying, "A horse represents the nation! It's bad luck to shoot it now!" So they stopped, but the horse had already taken over ten arrows. This was probably just as cruel! Not long after, he abdicated the throne to the Song dynasty.
In the year 230 AD, on the Jia Shen day of the first month of the Qinglong era during Emperor Ming's reign in Wei, a Qinglong appeared in the Mo Bi well in Jia County. Generally speaking, the appearance of auspicious signs is often either poorly timed or indicative of misfortune, especially being trapped in a well, which is definitely not a good sign. As a result, the Wei state changed its era name, but this was a misguided move. Gan Bao said: “From Emperor Ming onward, the appearances of the Qinglong and Huanglong are connected to the rise and fall of the Wei rulers. Wei's national fortune is associated with wood and is represented by green, but it is no match for gold. The appearance of the Huanglong and the disappearance of the Qinglong symbolize the loss of position of the Qinglong and the gaining of position by the Huanglong. The frequent appearances of the Qinglong suggest internal conflicts within Wei's national fortune. Thus, the Duke of Gao Gui ultimately faced defeat and perished.” Liu Xiang stated that the dragon is a symbol of nobility, yet being trapped in a well is a portent of the lords being imprisoned. During the Wei dynasty, dragons always appeared in wells, which resulted from the oppression of the rulers. The "Qianlong Po" written by the Duke of Gao Gui conveys this meaning.
In the year 260 AD, on the day of Wu Xu in the tenth month of the Zhengyuan era of the Duke of Gao Gui, a Huanglong appeared in a well in Ye City. On the day of Xin Chou in the first month of the first year of Ganlu, a Qinglong appeared in a well in Zhi County. On the day of Yi Chou in June, a Qinglong again appeared in a well within the territory of Yuancheng County. By the second month of the second year of Ganlu, a Qinglong appeared in a well in Wen County. In the third year of Ganlu, both the Huanglong and Qinglong appeared simultaneously in wells in Dunqiu, Guanjun, and Yangxia counties. In the first month of the fourth year of Ganlu, the Huanglong appeared twice in wells in Ningling County.
These records describe the appearances of dragons in wells, which seems quite miraculous; it's unclear if there are any omens involved. Next, let’s look at other records.
In the first year of the Jingyuan era of Emperor Yuan, on the Jia Shen day in the twelfth month, a Huanglong appeared in a well in Huayin County. In the third year of Jingyuan, in the second month, a dragon again appeared in a well in Zhi County.
During Sun Hao's rule, in Changsha, dragon's milk emerged from a household well and even devoured the family's chicks. Jing Fang said in "Yi Yao": “The emergence of dragon's milk in a household signals that the king is about to become a commoner.” Eventually, Sun Hao was indeed overthrown by the Jin dynasty.
In the sixth month of the second year of Emperor Wu of the Xian Ning era, two white dragons appeared in the well in Jiuyuan. In the first month of the fifth year of Tai Kang, two dragons appeared in the well in Wuku. The emperor was pleased by this, and all the officials prepared to congratulate him, except for Liu Yi, who opposed, stating: "Dragons have appeared in the courtyard of the Xia Dynasty before, and that dynasty fell; dragons appeared at the gates of Zheng, and Zichan did not offer congratulations." The emperor said: "My virtuous governance is not yet established, and I am unworthy of such auspicious signs." So he did not congratulate. Sun Sheng said: "Dragons are creatures of the water; what does it have to do with humans? Zichan is right. However, when dragons appear in places where they shouldn’t, it signifies disaster. Dragons should manifest by flying in the sky, but now they are lurking in dark places, which is not a good omen." In the second year of Emperor Hui of Han, two dragons appeared in the well in Lanling, and the "Book of Han" regarded this as an omen of Prince Zhao's imminent death. Wuku is a place where imperial weapons are stored, with tall, imposing structures, which is not a fitting home for dragons. Seven years later, the princes began to kill each other, and twenty-eight years later, two usurpers with the surname Long emerged, suggesting that these omens were indeed forewarnings. In the eleventh month of the second year of Emperor Min's Jianxing, a courtesan from the Fanghan Qiang tribe gave birth to a dragon child, with colors resembling patterns on brocade, often nursing from his mother and emitting a divine light, though his appearance was seldom clear. This further indicated the emperor's ineffective rule, and Emperor Min indeed lost his country later. As Lü Zuan lay dying, a dragon emerged from the well in the east wing, lay in front of his palace, and disappeared by dawn. Then a black dragon flew onto his palace gate. Lü Zuan interpreted this as a good omen. Some remarked, "Dragons are yin creatures that appear at specific times; their recent appearances suggest a rebellion among subordinates." Later, Lü Zuan was indeed killed by Lü Chao.
During the Xianning period of Emperor Wu of the Western Jin Dynasty, two large snakes appeared in the Situ Mansion, each more than ten zhang long, coiled on the beams of the hall, completely unnoticed. For several years, children and livestock such as pigs and dogs went missing from the mansion. Later, one of the snakes came out at night, was injured by someone, and couldn't escape, finally being discovered. The people in the mansion quickly attacked and killed it after a while. The Situ Mansion, which oversaw education, indicates the court's weak rule, leading to such strange occurrences. During the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, snakes also appeared in the palace, which Yang Ci attributed to the emperor's excessive indulgence in women. During the Wei and Jin periods, there were many women in the palace, especially during the Jin Dynasty, where emperors were consumed by pleasure, which was the root cause of the issue. The Book of Songs says, "Only snakes and serpents, signs of women," explaining this principle.
On the guisi day of the third month of the fifth year of Yuankang reign of Emperor Huidi of the Western Jin Dynasty, a large snake over ten zhang long with two small snakes appeared in Linzi, entering the city from the north gate, passing through the market directly into the Han Dynasty's Chengyang King Temple, and then disappearing. It appeared to be a divine warning: Emperor Jing of Han had made great contributions, but he didn't maintain integrity and loyalty, lost his position, causing his achievements to fade away. Although Prince Qi Jiong had restored the royal family, his pride and arrogance led to disaster, serving as a dire omen!
During the Taiping period of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a large snake appeared in Wuchang, taking up residence in an old temple within a hollow tree, frequently poking its head out to beg for food. Jing Fang in "Yiyao" once said, "If snakes appear in the city, within three years, there will be a large-scale war and great calamity for the country." Shortly thereafter, Wang Dun staged a rebellion.
In the first year of the Taixi era of Emperor Wu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a horse with long antlers appeared in Liaodong, with antlers three inches long beneath its ears. As noted by Liu Xiang, "this is a sign of military disaster." Indeed, after the death of Emperor Wu, the royal family faced military calamities, fulfilling this omen. Jing Fang said in the "Yi Zhuan": "If ministers surpass the king, and politics are in disarray, strange occurrences like horses growing horns will appear, indicating a lack of virtuous scholars!" He also said: "When the emperor personally goes to war, horses will grow horns." The "Lu Shi Chunqiu" also states: "When the monarch is immoral, horses will grow horns." After Emperor Hui ascended the throne, being incompetent and tyrannical, he personally went to war in Chengdu, fulfilling these prophecies!
In the twelfth month of the eighth year of the Yuankang era of Emperor Hui of the Western Jin Dynasty, when the crown prince was about to hold a sacrificial ceremony, the Grand Tutor Prince Zhao Lun went by carriage. When they arrived at the south gate, the horse suddenly stopped, and several strong men could not move it. Prince Zhao Lun had to switch to a lighter carriage before continuing. This was a disaster brought by the horse! It seems as if the heavens were warning: Prince Zhao Lun did not understand the path of righteousness and would eventually rebel; he was not responsible for teaching etiquette and rituals!
One November day in an unspecified year, a chestnut horse suddenly ran in panic to the interrogation hall of the Court of Judicial Review and died with a mournful cry. It seems like the heavens were warning, showing mercy to those who died unjustly! Look, this horse ran to the interrogation hall of the Court of Judicial Review, isn't it the will of heaven?
In the second month of the sixth year of Yongjia, a miraculous horse neighed at the south gate.
In the ninth month of the second year of Jianxing, a bizarre incident occurred in which a horse gave birth to a human in Puzi County. Jing Fang mentioned in the "Yi Zhuan": "When the emperor dies, the vassals will attack each other, leading to strange phenomena like horses giving birth to humans." At that time, the royal family was in decline and facing imminent threats, with barbarians constantly invading, and the flames of war encroaching. It wasn't long before the emperor fell, leading to such bizarre occurrences.
In the second year of Taixing, an official named Puyang Yanjia from Danyang County gave birth to a small foal whose neck split from the front and died shortly after birth. Sima Biao explained: "This heralds that power is held in the hands of private individuals; this is a sign of a two-headed horse." Later, Wang Dun indeed rebelled.
On a day in May during the eighth year of Xiankang, a horse of blood-red color appeared, running straight from Xuanyang Gate to the front of the palace, circling around the palace and then disappearing. Everyone chased after it but could not find it. A few days later, the emperor fell ill and passed away in June. This red horse was a sign of disaster and bad omens. In the same year, Zhang Chonghua in Liangzhou wanted to execute the Prefect of Xihe, Zhang Xiang, and dozens of horses in his stable all gave birth to tailless foals at the same time!
In the fourth year of Long'an in October, a horse with unusually long horns appeared in Liangzhou, and the governor Guo Quan reported this to Huan Xuan. According to Liu Xiang, horses should not have horns, just like Huan Xuan should not have rebelled. Huan Xuan did not understand this omen, which ultimately led to the destruction of his entire family.
When Shi Jilong was in Ye City, a horse had its tail burned; it entered through the Zhongyang Gate and came out through the Xianyang Gate. The people from the East Palace were unable to enter, and the horse ran straight northeast and vanished in an instant. The fortune teller Fotu Cheng sighed, "Disaster is about to befall!" Over a year later, Shi Jilong died, and his kingdom was also destroyed.
During the Huangchu era of Emperor Wen of Wei, Song Shizong's mother from Qinghe transformed into a turtle and then vanished into the water.
In the year 239 AD, a peasant girl named Qiu Xi died and came back to life; this occurred in the jurisdiction of Cao Xiu. At that time, an ancient tomb from the Zhou Dynasty was excavated, and a woman who had been buried with it was found to still be breathing several days after her death. Although she was able to come back to life after a few months, she could not speak, and she was cared for by Empress Dowager Guo. Additionally, in Taiyuan, someone dug up a grave and found a living woman in the coffin. When asked what happened, she didn't know, but according to the inscription on the tombstone, she was about thirty years old. The book "Jing Fang Yi Zhuan" states: "The deepest yin becomes yang; the lower becomes the higher." This was an omen of the rise of Emperor Xuan of Han! Similar events occurred during the reign of Emperor Ping of Han and Emperor Xian, which were interpreted as omens of the rise of Wang Mang and Cao Cao.
In the year 264 AD, a man named Chen Jiao from Anwu County came back to life seven days after dying, crawling out of his grave. Gan Bao stated, "This is reminiscent of the situation during Emperor Xuan's reign; the Marquis of Wucheng, Hao, inherited a discarded family, and this is an auspicious sign for his ascension!"
In the year 266 AD, a man named Xuan Qian from Danyang had an eighty-year-old mother who turned into a turtle while bathing. The two brothers quickly closed the door to protect her. They dug a large pit in the main room and filled it with water, and the turtle went in to play, frequently stretching its neck to look outside for a day or two. When the door was slightly opened, it turned around and jumped out by itself, running to a distant pond and never returned. This was similar to the incident with the mother of the Huang family during the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, signifying the impending downfall of the Kingdom of Wu.
In August of 264 AD, someone in Xiangwu County claimed to have seen a giant more than thirty feet tall, with footprints over three feet long, white hair, wearing a yellow headscarf and yellow robe, leaning on a staff and shouting "Wang Shi," saying, "Now there will be peace!" Later, the Jin Dynasty replaced the Wei Dynasty.
In the year 275 AD, a seventy-year-old man in Yuancheng grew horns. This was likely an omen of Zhao Wang Lun's rise to power.
In December of the year 276 AD, Yan Ji, a man from Langye, fell ill and died. He had been buried for some time when his family dreamt that he said to them, "I am going to resurrect, quickly open the coffin!" So they dug him out, and he gradually regained the ability to eat, drink, bend his limbs, see, and hear, but he could not walk or speak. Two years later, he died again. The "Jing Fang Yi Zhuan" says, "Reversal of yin and yang, those below become those above, the demon-like person dies and comes back to life." Later, Liu Yuanhai and Shi Le rebelled, ultimately overthrowing the Jin dynasty, fulfilling the prophecy of "those below rise to power."
During the Yuan Kang era of Emperor Hui, there was a woman named Zhou Shining in Anfeng who began to transition into a man at the age of eight, and by the age of seventeen or eighteen, he had fully adopted a man's temperament. The "Jing Fang Yi Zhuan" says, "A woman turns into a man, this is called the rise of yin, the lowly become kings." This was also a sign of Liu Yuanhai and Shi Le sweeping across the world.
During the Yongning period, Prince Qi Jiong, under the pretense of rebellion, executed corrupt officials and traitors, reinstated the emperor, and enjoyed great success. At this time, a woman suddenly ran to the gate of the Grand Marshal's Mansion and said she wanted to leave her baby with them. When asked why, she said, "I will leave after giving birth." At that time, Prince Qi Jiong was praised by all for his contributions to the court, but some perceptive individuals sensed trouble ahead for him. Indeed, Prince Qi Jiong was later killed.
Then, on the Wuchen day of the following year, exactly ten days after Jiazi, a white-haired old man burst into Prince Qi Jiong's Grand Marshal's Mansion, shouting, "A great rebellion is about to happen, within ten days!" Prince Qi Jiong had him killed. As a result, Prince Qi Jiong was defeated and killed, fulfilling the old man's words.
In April of the first year of Tai'an, on the day of Guiyou, someone claimed to have come in from Longmen, ran to the front of the palace, kowtowed twice to the north, and said, "I should be the Chief Minister." Immediately after he said this, he was arrested and executed. Gan Bao commented on this incident, saying, "The imperial palace is an extremely noble and mysterious place. Now, a lowly person can easily break in, while the guards are unaware. This is an ominous sign that the lowly will rise above the noble!" Later, the emperor moved the capital to Ye City, and then to Chang'an, and the imperial palace ultimately fell into emptiness.
During the Yuankang period in the Liang Dynasty, there was a woman who was engaged to someone, and they had already received the betrothal gifts. However, her husband had gone to serve in the army in Chang'an and had not returned for several years. The woman's family then engaged her to someone else. The woman did not want to marry, but her parents forced her to, so she had no choice but to marry. Soon after, she fell ill and died. Later, her husband returned and inquired about his wife's whereabouts. Her family explained the situation to him. He ran to his wife's grave, overwhelmed with grief, and actually dug up the grave, opened the coffin, and found that the woman was astonishingly still alive! So they returned home together. Later, when the new husband found out, he reported it to the authorities, who found themselves at a loss on how to proceed. The Secretary Wang Dao suggested, "This is an extremely rare occurrence, and cannot be judged by common sense. She should be returned to her former husband." The court accepted his suggestion.
During the reign of Emperor Hui, a maid from the Du Xi family died and was not buried in time due to some negligence. Ten years later, when the grave was opened for a reburial, the maid was astonishingly still alive! At first, she seemed to be sleeping, and slowly woke up after a while. When asked what had happened, she replied that it felt like she had only slept for two days. She was about fifteen or sixteen years old when she was buried, and when she was unearthed ten years later, she appeared to be the same age, around fifteen or sixteen. She eventually married and had children.
In the first year of the Guangxi era, there was a person named Xie Zhen in Kuaiji who gave birth to a child with a very large head, covered in hair, with feet pointing upwards, and surprisingly with both male and female features. The child let out a man's cry when born and died the next day. This was a sign of the emperor's misconduct and the common people rebelling against the elites, so various kings began to show signs of usurping power.
During the reign of Emperor Hui, there was a hermaphrodite in Luoyang who could have relationships with both men and women at the same time, with a strong sexual desire. This was all caused by the chaotic times! Starting from the Xianning and Taikang periods, male concubines became all the rage, even more favored than women. Officials and nobles all imitated this, spreading chaos across the nation, leading to divorces, grievances, and confusion in relationships, resulting in the appearance of monsters and demons.
In the first year of the Yongjia era, a servant girl named Wan Xiang in Wujin, Wu County, gave birth to a bizarre child with a bird-like head, horse hooves for legs, one hand, hairless, and a yellow tail the size of a pillow. This was yet another monster, a sign of the chaotic times! In the fifth year of the fifth month, a prostitute of Yan Gen, the magistrate of Fanghan County, gave birth to a dragon, a daughter, and a goose. Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" says: "When something non-human is born, it is a sign of impending chaos in the world." At that time, the emperor was the son of Emperor Hui, and the world fell into chaos, which ultimately led to his assassination in Pingyang, which was a sign indeed!
In the fourth year of Jianxing of Emperor Min, there was an official named Ren Qiao in Xincai County. His wife gave birth to two daughters whose stomachs and hearts were connected, separated from the chest up and the navel down, a bizarre occurrence never seen before! At that time, the Minister of the Interior, Lu Hui, submitted a report stating: "According to the records of 'Ruiyingtu', when roots are connected, it is called 'Lianlizhi', and when two ears grow on the same stem, it is called 'Jiahe'. Strange phenomena in plants and trees are considered auspicious signs. Now, when two people share a united heart, the 'Yijing' says 'When two people are of one heart, their advantage is as strong as breaking metal.' This is a sign of the world being of one heart and mind!" At that time, everyone thought his words were laughable. However, not long after, the world fell apart, and the emperor died.
In the early years of Emperor Yuan's Tai Xing, there was a woman whose private parts were located on her abdomen, below her navel. She came from the Central Plains to Jiangdong, had a strong libido, but could not bear children. There was another woman whose private parts were on her head, at the Yangzhou ferry, and she also had a strong libido. In Jing Fang's "Yi Yao," it is said: "If a person’s child has private parts on the head, the world will be in great chaos; if on the abdomen, the world will face troubles; if on the back, the world will have no descendants." At that time, Wang Dun occupied the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and wanted to rebel; this was definitely a bad sign!
In December of the third year, the wife of the Minister Zou Xie Ping gave birth to a daughter who, when she was born, let out a "pipi papa" sound and soon died. Her nose and eyes were on the top of her head, her face looked like it was part of her neck, she had teeth in her mouth that were all connected, her chest resembled a turtle shell, and her limbs had claws like those of a bird, all bent downwards. This was yet another instance of something unnatural being born, an unprecedented strange occurrence. Two years later, the Battle of Shitou took place.
In the second year of Emperor Ming's Tai Ning, in July, the wife of Duke Ji of Danyang died and came back to life three days later.
In the fifth year of Xian Kang, in April, Wang He from Xia Pi moved to Ji Yang. His daughter, twenty years old, said she was from heaven and even had a seal given by heaven, wanting to be the mother of the world. The governor of Ji Yang thought she was some kind of demon and captured her, imprisoning her. By November, a guy in red with a zhi wood staff ran to the palace gate, claiming to be a sage sent to meet the emperor. The gatekeeper asked about him, and he said his surname was Lü, named Ci, saying that Wang He’s daughter had seven stars under her right foot, each star having hair, seven inches long, and that heaven wanted to establish her as the mother of the world. They reported this to the emperor, and Lü Ci was killed, and so was Wang He’s daughter.
In the second year of Jianyuan, in October, the camp inspector of General Wei, while inspecting near the Chen Du Female Platform, discovered a soldier whose feet were inscribed with the words "Mother of the World." After using moxibustion, the writing became even clearer. This news spread throughout the capital, and the authorities arrested him and reported the incident. Shortly after, he escaped from the Jiankang County prison. The next year, the emperor died, and the Empress Dowager Xian took charge of the court, which seemed to be an omen.
At the beginning of the Ningkang period, there was a woman named Tang in Nanjunzhou Ling who gradually transformed into a man.
In the seventh year of Andi Yixi, there was a person named Zhao in Wuxi who suddenly grew to eight feet tall and developed a beard at just eight years old, and died three days later.
During the Yixi period, a woman named Mo in Dongyang gave birth to a daughter, who was not raised and buried for a few days. However, cries from the child were heard from the ground, so she was unearthed and raised.
Towards the end of the Yixi period, on Eryang Road in Yuzhang, people there experienced repeated reincarnations.
In the first year of Emperor Gongxi, there was a place named Yangdao in Jian'an, where a headless person eventually recovered and transformed into a woman.
