During the time of Emperor Wei Wu, there was a famine throughout the land, and the treasury was empty. He thought about being frugal and planned to imitate ancient practices by making a hat from rough cloth, replacing his old clothes with a white hat. Consequently, Fu Xuan remarked, "White is the color of the army, not the color of the state!" Gan Bao also chimed in, "White clothing is a symbol of mourning! Calling it 'cap' sounds uncomfortable; this clearly signals a change of dynasty and chaos ahead!"
Emperor Wei Ming, on the other hand, liked to wear embroidered hats and light silk short-sleeved robes, often donning this attire when meeting the upright minister Yang Fu. As soon as he saw him, Yang Fu advised, "Your Majesty, what dynasty's ceremonial attire is this?" Emperor Wei Ming fell silent at that moment. This outfit was truly a bad omen! The light silk didn’t even follow the colors prescribed by ritual law. Ordinary clothing should not be red or purple, let alone when receiving ministers! The emperor wearing attire that defied ritual law was inviting disaster! As a result, Emperor Wei Ming didn't enjoy his reign for long; after his death, he lost his title, and his descendants could not continue, ultimately leading to the fall of the Wei state.
In the first year of Jingchu, Emperor Wei Ming ordered the casting of two enormous bronze figures called Wengzhong, which were placed outside the Sima Gate. Ancient texts record that the appearance of giants foretells the destruction of a nation. The appearance of the Changdi people in Lintao led to the fall of the Qin state. Qin Shi Huang did not understand this principle and instead took it as a good omen, even casting bronze figures to imitate them. The casting of bronze figures by Emperor Wei Ming was yet another sign of the nation's downfall; this practice was utterly unreasonable. All of this stemmed from wearing inauspicious clothing!
He Yan, the Shang Shu, likes to wear women's clothing. Fu Xuan said: "This is demonic clothing! The style of clothing serves to distinguish ranks and status. In the 'Da Ya', it says 'dark robes and red shoes, with hooked breast ornaments and engraved sashes', praising the gorgeous attire; in the 'Xiao Ya', it says 'with strictness and wings, sharing the attire of war', praising the military attire. If there is no distinction between internal and external, no distinction in rank, and wearing inappropriate clothing, disasters will come, and people will suffer. Xia Jie wore hats that violated etiquette, leading to his downfall; He Yan's wearing of women's clothing also led to the ruin of his family and himself, the sin is the same!"
Women in the state of Wu love to adorn themselves; they tightly tie up their hair, even styling their hair close to their ears. This is due to the customs of Wu, which tend to be excessive, with sharp tongues and a competitive spirit. Those who observe three years of mourning often succumb to overwhelming grief. Zhuge Liang was very worried about this trend and wrote "Zhengjiao Lun" to advise; though it could not entirely change this chaos, it is still regarded as a significant work.
After Sun Xiu came to power, the clothing style shifted to longer tops and shorter bottoms, with multiple layers of collars, while the skirts had only one or two layers. Gan Bao said: "Extravagant on top, simple and crude on the bottom, this signifies an imbalance!" When Sun Hao came to power, indeed the upper class was extravagant and tyrannical, while the common people suffered, ultimately leading to the destruction of the country, fulfilling the earlier omens.
During the Taishi period of the Emperor Wu, at the beginning, the clothing was simple above and wide below. People wearing the clothes complained that the collars were too narrow, which was a sign of the monarch's weakness, the indulgence of the ministers, and the omen of the lower usurping the higher. By the end of the Yuankang period, women's clothing began to feature a design with two gussets added on top of the collar, representing an exposure of inner qualities. Those who made carriages and horses sought after luxury and convenience, often changing the styles of carriages and horses, all using white bamboo strips to make carriages, which was likely a remnant of ancient funeral carriages. It should be noted that carriages and horses are tools of gentlemen, suggesting that gentlemen lack resolve and practicality. Gan Bao believed this was a sign of impending disaster for the Jin Dynasty. When Emperor Hui ascended the throne, power was in the hands of favored courtiers, confirming the omen of the lower usurping the higher. By the end of the Yongjia period, many concubines from the palace were captured by the barbarians, fulfilling the omen of inner qualities being exposed outwardly. When the world fell into chaos, most prime ministers and local officials neglected their responsibilities, repeatedly changing systems without valuing practicality, also fulfilling the previous omens.
After the Taishi period, the use of Hu-style beds, Mo pans, and the boiled and roasted meats of the Qiang people became popular in the Central Plains region. Officials, wealthy families, and prosperous households all had to have these items, which were prominently displayed at festive banquets. During the Taikang period, hats, belts, and trouser cuffs were made from felt. People joked that the barbarians would surely defeat China. Felt and fur were both produced in the barbarian lands, and everyone used them to make hats, belts, and trouser cuffs. The barbarians had taken control of the production of these three items, so how could they possibly succeed? By the Yuankang period, the Di and Qiang people rebelled against each other, and after the Yongjia period, Liu Yao and Shi Le successively seized control of the Central Plains region, followed by the four barbarian tribes alternately occupying the Central Plains, fulfilling the ominous signs in clothing.
When wooden clogs were first made, women's clogs had round toes, while men's clogs had square toes. The round shape symbolized submission, so it was used to distinguish between men and women. In the early years of the Taikang period, women's clogs also became square-toed, no longer distinguished from men's. This was a sign of the domineering jealousy exhibited by Empress Jia. During the Taikang period of the Jin Dynasty, a dance called "Jin Shi Ning" became popular nationwide, where dancers performed with cups and plates while singing "Jin Shi Ning, dancing with cups and plates." Some learned individuals remarked, "Music and dance can reflect social reality; let us observe the world through it. In this dance, holding cups and plates flipping back and forth, this is a perilous act! Cups and plates are vessels for food and drink, but the dance is called 'Jin Shi Ning,' meaning that the scholars of the Jin Dynasty only care about eating, drinking, and having fun, short-sighted and unable to see the long term. The peace and prosperity of the Jin Dynasty was as fragile as these cups and plates, ready to shatter at any moment." During the reign of Emperor Hui of Jin, women's accessories became popular with ornaments shaped like five types of weapons, made of materials such as gold, silver, and tortoiseshell, used as hairpins. Gan Bao believed, "The distinction between men and women is a major issue for the country, so clothing and betrothal gifts should be different. But now women are using weapons as decorations; this is an extreme manifestation of feminine vice." As expected, this prediction later came to pass, as Empress Jia's abuse of power ultimately led to the downfall of the country. At that time, once women had tied up their hair, they would tightly bind it with silk, known as "Xie Zi Ji" (a traditional hairstyle). This custom started in the palace and quickly became popular nationwide. Later, Empress Jia deposed the crown prince, which was also connected to this sinister trend.
During the Yuan Kang era, it became popular nationwide to walk with ebony canes tucked under their armpits. Later, metal decorations were added to the heads of the canes, and when stopped, the cane would be stuck into the ground. Ebony is a product of the East, belonging to the metal category, and canes are aids for walking, with the ebony cane heads being more practical. Tucked under the armpit, it resembles someone being supported by another; with the added metal decoration, when stuck in the ground, it can stand independently, symbolizing that the wood's independence is due to the metal. By the time of Emperor Huai Min, the royal family was troubled, and the government was corrupt. As a regional prince, Emperor Yuan accumulated virtue in the East and maintained peace in the world, which aligns with the image of the cane under the armpit. Later, as chaos erupted across the land and various regions submitted to him, he ultimately accepted the mandate of heaven and established his capital outside the Yangtze River, which again corresponded to the image of the cane standing independently.
During the Yuan Kang and Tai An years, worn-out shoes appeared on the roads in the Jianghuai region, sometimes numbering between forty to fifty pairs. Some people threw them into pits, but the next day, they found the shoes had gathered there again. Some claimed that raccoon dogs were dragging them back. Gan Bao believed: "Shoes are the common people's humble footwear, representing the laboring masses. Worn-out shoes symbolize fatigue and decline; the road serves as a thoroughfare for all and a means of conveying the king's commands. Now, the tattered shoes are gathering on the road, symbolizing the common people's exhaustion and impending rebellion against the king's orders." During the Tai An years, the Renwu Rebellion indeed broke out, with the people's grievances boiling over. Zhang Chang from Jiangxia rose up in rebellion, and the Jingchu region responded in succession, leading to continuous warfare, all of which were the result of malevolent forces.
At the beginning, the Wei Kingdom invented a white headband, which featured a horizontal line sewn in front to indicate the front and back, called "Yan Ke." Later, it became popular. By the Yongjia period, people gradually eliminated this sewn line, calling it "Wu Yan Ke." Women's hair was becoming more and more casual; the hair bun could barely hold its shape, with only a pair of eyes visible. "Wu Yan" means shame, and "Fu'e" means ashamed. The looser the hair bun became, the more absent propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame became. People indulging their baser instincts would ultimately lead to great shame. After the Yongjia period, both emperors were unable to return to power, and people felt ashamed.
During the Yongjia period, scholars vied to wear single-layer silk garments. Those in the know pointed out, "This is the ancient Sui Cui, the clothing offered by vassals to the emperor. Now wearing this kind of clothing for no reason, this could be a bad omen!" Later, indeed, a rebellion broke out among the Hu people, and the emperor was killed as a result.
During the reign of Emperor Yuan Tai Xing, soldiers tied their hair buns with red cloth bags. Those who understood remarked, "The hair bun on the head symbolizes the heavens and represents the monarch's authority; the cloth bag, resting on the ground, symbolizes the earth, representing the subject's way. Tying the hair bun with a red cloth bag signifies that the subject's way is surpassing the monarch's authority!" So Wang Dun rebelled.
In the past, the handle of the feather fan used to be relatively short, with a bone-shaped wooden carving on the handle, and the fan's surface was made of ten feathers, symbolizing completeness. Starting from the early period of the Zhongxing era, when Wang Dun led a southern expedition, the handle was changed to a longer one that could be gripped at the bottom, and the number of feathers was reduced to eight. Those who were perceptive expressed their concerns, saying: "The feather fan represents wings. Making the handle longer is to control the wings by holding the handle. Changing the ten feathers to eight indicates that preparations have been made before complete seizure. This likely reflects Wang Dun's ambition to monopolize political power, using talents without virtue to seize a position that does not belong to him." At that time, people's clothes were getting shorter, with belts only tied up to the armpits, and those wearing hats tied a strap around their necks. The lower class oppressed the upper, leaving the elite with no ground to stand on. The pant legs flared out at the bottom, resembling bells. Soon after, Wang Dun rebelled and attacked the capital twice. After Haixi ascended to the throne, he neglected to wear the leopard tail. It seemed as if heaven was warning that the leopard tail was a symbol of ceremony, used by dignitaries to display dignity. Haixi forgot it when he should have displayed dignity, which was an ill omen. He was not a ruler, so forgetting the leopard tail foreshadowed that his rule would not last long. Soon after, he was deposed. During the reign of Emperor Xiaowu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, head ornaments were no longer worn. Some remarked, "This isn't a good omen!" "Head" represents the monarch, and "head ornaments" are the decorations on the monarch's head, similar to the monarch's chief ministers. Now suddenly not wearing them is like the monarch being without his advisors; the nation is in peril! Sure enough, during Emperor An's reign, Huan Xuan staged a coup.
Let's talk about shoes again. In the past, shoe teeth were exposed on the shoe surface, referred to as "exposed teeth." In the Taiyuan era, the shoe teeth suddenly became hidden, known as "hidden teeth." Experts say, "卯" means "plot," and "hidden teeth" signifies plotting in secret; there must be some conspiracy about to happen! Sure enough, when Emperor Jin Lie was about to die, the cavalry officer Yuan Yuezhi began to engage in scheming at court, and during the Long'an period, he colluded with others, mutually attacking each other, which ultimately led to chaos across the realm.
Also, during the Taiyuan era, princesses and noble ladies were quite fashionable with fluffy, tilted hair buns, decorated with a lot of wigs. Since wigs were frequently used and it was inconvenient to wear them all day, everyone would first prepare the wigs on a wooden frame or cage, then put them on, known as "fake hair buns," or "false heads." Less fortunate families couldn't afford them, so they referred to themselves as "headless" and borrowed false heads from others to wear. This trend swiftly spread throughout the country, which was also seen as a bad omen! Not long after, Emperor Xiaowu passed away, chaos erupted across the land, many people were killed, countless casualties, many lost their lives. Even after death, wooden heads, wax figures, or woven grass were used for burials, which confirmed the omen of "false heads," don't you think?
After Huan Xuan usurped the throne, he draped red curtains in the palace, intricately carved with golden designs, with golden dragons holding colorful feather tassels at the four corners. Ministers whispered among themselves, "This scene is a bit like a prisoner's cart!" Before long, Huan Xuan was defeated, and this lavish display was also a symbol of malevolence!
In the late Eastern Jin Dynasty, people donned small hats but oversized clothing, dressing in an elegant and stylish manner; this trend gained popularity both in the court and among the populace. Some remarked, "small on top and large on the bottom—this is a sign of abdication!" Eventually, the Song Dynasty did indeed succeed the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
In the second year of Emperor Ming of Wei's Jingchu era, there was a hen in the Tingwei Mansion that had transformed into a rooster, but it neither crowed nor chirped. Gan Bao said, "This year, Emperor Xuan pacified Liaodong, and the people began to have the ability to participate in national affairs. This is a portent of a hen turning into a rooster. However, all three empresses of Eastern Jin met their end as subjects, and the hen's silence is also a sign of heaven's will!"
In the sixth year of the Yuan Kang era of Emperor Hui, a chicken in Chen gave birth to a wingless rooster, which died after falling into a pit as it grew up. Wang Yin said, "The rooster symbolizes the heir, and the pit symbolizes the mother. This chicken, lacking wings, fell into the pit and died; doesn’t this suggest that the heir, lacking wings, was harmed by the mother?" Later, Empress Jia indeed framed and killed Crown Prince Min Huai, fulfilling this omen!
During the Tai'an era, a hen at Zhou Xi's home hid under the eaves for six or seven days before coming down. It flapped its wings and crowed, but its feathers did not change at all. What transpired later involved Chen Min. Although Chen Min controlled the Jiangzhou area, he ultimately did not establish any decent order or regime; perhaps this was the omen of the hen. In the end, he was destroyed by Zhou Xi. The hen's odd behavior in Zhou Xi's home was also a manifestation of heaven's will. The "Jingfang Yizhuan" states: "When a hen crows, the master will not prosper."
During Emperor Yuan's Tai Xing era, Wang Dun was stationed in Wuchang when a hen turned into a rooster. This served as a warning from heaven; a hen turning into a rooster signifies a minister's rebellion. Later, Wang Dun attacked the capital.
In the thirteenth year of the Taiyuan era of Emperor Xiao Wu, in April, at Yan Song's home in Gaoping, Guangling, a hen was born without a right wing, while in Liu Xiang's home in Pengcheng, there was a chicken born with three legs. The "Jingfang Yizhuan" states: "If a ruler listens to the words of women, there will be chickens that give birth to strange offspring." At that time, the court was filled with the ramblings of those old women, and excessive rewards were given, which explains the appearance of these strange phenomena.
In the first year of the Long'an era of Emperor An, in August, a blue hen in the family of Wang Daozi of Langya changed into a red rooster, neither crowing nor clucking. Huan Xuan wanted to usurp the throne, but ultimately failed, which might explain this incident.
In the fourth year, a chicken in Jingzhou grew horns, but the horns quickly fell off. At that time, Huan Xuan had just begun to dominate the Western Xia, arrogant and disregarding rules, thus the bizarre phenomenon of a chicken sprouting horns occurred. This was a heavenly warning; horns symbolize weapons, and their quick fall signifies a temporary rise that ultimately cannot succeed—a sign that something bad was about to happen. The subsequent events confirmed this.
In the second year of the Yuanxing era, a hen in Hengyang turned into a rooster, and after eighty days, its feathers withered. A warning from heaven; Hengyang is a strategic location for Huan Xuan's Chu state. After Huan Xuan usurped the throne, he indeed met his downfall in eighty days, confirming this omen.
In the first year of the Xian Ning era of Emperor Wu, on the day of Ding You in August, a strong wind knocked down the Great Community Tree, and blue gas emerged from it, which is an auspicious sign! The divination said, "A son of heaven will emerge from Dongguan." The following year, Emperor Yuan was born. At that time, Emperor Yuan's grandfather, King Wu, was enfeoffed in Dongguan, and later moved to Langya. Sun Sheng believed this was a sign of restoration. The turmoil of the Jin dynasty resulted in the loss of all descendants of Emperor Wu, and the Great Community Tree's downfall was also a consequence of the relentless winds.
During the Yuan Kang era of Emperor Hui, a fly in the southern mountains of Luoyang was calling out "Han Shishi." Those who practiced divination said, "The Han family is about to perish; 'Shishi' means that all will die." Later, Han Mi was killed, and the Han clan was exterminated; this was another auspicious sign.
In the first month of the year 226, Wei Emperor Cao Pi went to Xuchang for an inspection. As a result, the south gate of Xuchang city mysteriously collapsed, and Cao Pi felt uneasy, thinking it was a bad omen, so he simply did not enter the city and returned directly to Luoyang. This phenomenon is referred to as "Golden Wind and Wooden Movement," where wood is disturbed by malevolent forces. In May, Cao Pi passed away. Jing Fang's "Commentary on the I Ching" states: "Both heaven and earth have gone against divine will, which explains why strange occurrences like the city gate's collapse happen."
In June of the year 316 AD, the rice storehouse belonging to Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Sima Rui, inexplicably collapsed in Wu County (modern-day Suzhou, Jiangsu). It was as if the heavens were warning: the rice storehouse, a place for storing food, collapsed on its own, suggesting food prices would rise, making it unaffordable for the common people. That year indeed experienced a severe drought, leading to countless deaths.
In the year 324 AD, during the reign of Emperor Ming, Sima Shao, Zhou Ye sought refuge with Wang Dun. Just after Zhou Ye finished building a five-room, six-beam house, it suddenly collapsed, with the other beams still hanging on the pillars. This was yet another sign of misfortune! In May of the following year, Qian Feng rebelled, and Zhou Ye's entire family was wiped out, with his old mansion quickly turning into ruins.
On the day of Bingzi in January of the year 402 AD, during the reign of Emperor An of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Sima Yuanxian, the Crown Prince of Kuaiji, was preparing to launch an attack on Huan Xuan. He raised his military flag at the south gate of Yangzhou, but the flagpole on the east side just couldn't stand steady, and it took considerable effort to stabilize it. This was clearly an ominous sign! Later, Sima Yuanxian was indeed captured by Huan Xuan.
In May of the year 405 AD, the Hall of Joyful Virtue collapsed. At that time, the emperor was incompetent and did not care about cherishing talent, so the Hall of Joyful Virtue's collapse was a form of divine punishment.
In May of the year 411 AD, the Sacred Hall of the National University collapsed. It seemed as if the heavens were warning: the Sacred Hall, the cornerstone of propriety and music, collapsed on its own, indicating that the country was about to decline. Indeed, less than ten years later, the emperor abdicated.
