In May of the year 223 AD, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, a flock of pelicans suddenly flew into the Lingzhi Pool. According to Liu Xiang, this was not a good omen, but a sign of disaster and also a sign of good fortune. The emperor decreed, "This is akin to what the poem refers to as 'the muddy waters.' In the 'Cao Shi,' it is written 'assassinate the Duke of Gong, far from the gentleman near the villain.' Could it be that talented and virtuous gentlemen have been pushed into lowly positions? Otherwise, why would these birds fly here? Quickly recommend widely across the country those talented, virtuous, and principled gentlemen as a response to Cao Zhi's satire!" So, people like Yang Biao and Guan Ning were recommended; this exemplifies the saying 'seeing strange phenomena and knowing fear.' However, even so, Emperor Wen of Wei still failed to nurture talented and virtuous individuals, but instead favored his close associates. Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" says, "Excluding people of virtue will lead to strange phenomena, such as water birds gathering in the capital." In the year 220 AD, in the Palace of Unending Spring, a swallow bizarrely gave birth to a hawk, with red beak and claws. This mirrors the ominous signs seen during the reigns of King Zhou of Shang and King Yin of Song. In the year 226 AD, in the household of Li Gai of the State of Wei, a swallow gave birth to a huge chick, resembling an eagle with the beak of a swallow. This too was a portent of disaster, a red calamity. Gao Tanglong said, "This is a great change in the Wei clan; we must be wary of ambitious courtiers stirring chaos in the court." Later, Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, indeed executed Cao Shuang, and the Wei clan was able to endure.
In the year 218 AD, a bald eagle appeared in the pool behind the Wenchang Hall in the Ye Palace. The following year, Emperor Wu of Wei, Cao Cao, died. In 222 AD, the bird appeared again in the pool at Fanglin Garden in Luoyang. In 226 AD, the bird appeared once more. That summer, Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, also died. Towards the end of the Jingchu era, the bird appeared again in the pool at Fanglin Garden. The previous two appearances were followed by major funerals, and the emperors were wary of this bird. That year, Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, also died.
In October of the year 231 AD, during the reign of Liu Shan in Shu Han, thousands of birds flew from the south to the north between Jiangyang and Jiangzhou, but they couldn’t make it across and drowned. At that time, Zhuge Liang had been leading troops in battles for several years, with the intention to conquer the Central Plains, but he ended up dying at Weinan and failed to achieve his goal. Moreover, the Shu Han generals fought amongst themselves, resulting in the loss of many soldiers and officers. The birds couldn’t make it across the river and drowned, which is quite similar to the situation at that time! Zhuge Liang ultimately couldn’t cross the Wei River; couldn’t this be seen as an omen? This is quite similar to the situation when the crow of the Chu State fell into the Sishui River during the Han Dynasty.
In the first year of the Jingchu era, which was the first year of the establishment of the Western Jin Dynasty, the construction of the imperial palace began, and surprisingly, magpies built nests in the palace. These magpies were black and white, which is usually considered an ominous sign, but some people believed it to be auspicious. The emperor asked his minister, Gao Tanglong, who said, "The Book of Songs says 'only magpies have nests, only turtledoves inhabit them.' Now that the palace is just beginning to be built, and magpies have come to build nests, this indicates that the palace is not yet completed, and magpies have already occupied it. This foretells that before the palace is completed, people of other surnames will come to control it. Your Majesty should consider this carefully!" After hearing this, the emperor's expression changed.
In the twelfth year of Sun Quan's Chiwu reign, in the fourth month, two crows dropped a magpie into the East Hall. Sun Quan then ordered Prime Minister Zhu Ju to burn the magpie as a sacrifice. According to Liu Xin's explanation, the magpie is considered an ominous symbol, indicating punishment of blurred vision and decreased hearing. At that time, Sun Quan's power had expanded, his virtues declined, he listened to slander, indiscriminately killed innocents, his two sons were also in danger, and the ministers were also at risk, but he turned a blind eye to these ominous signs and even burned the magpie as a sacrifice, truly demonstrating extreme foolishness! The following year, Crown Prince Sun He was deposed, Prince Sun Ba was executed, Zhu Ju was demoted, and Lu Yi died of depression, all of which fulfilled the previous predictions. The East Hall was an educational institution of Wu State, and the magpie falling into the East Hall could it also be a warning from heaven?
In the first month of the second year of Sun Quan's Taiyuan, the former Crown Prince Sun He was appointed as the King of Nanyang and sent to Changsha. As a result, a magpie built a nest on the mast of Sun He's ship. When the officials who had served with Sun He in the palace heard about this, they were very worried, believing it was a sign of impending disaster and instability. Sun He did indeed suffer an untimely death later on.
In the eleventh month of the second year of Jianxing, five large birds appeared in Chunshen, and the people of Wu believed it to be a phoenix. The following year, Sun Liang changed his reign to "Five Phoenixes." During the reign of Emperor Huan of Han, there were also sightings of five-colored large birds. Sima Biao said, "This is due to political corruption and a lack of virtuous governance, which is why real phoenixes cannot be attracted, and only strange birds appear." Sun Liang failed to implement good policies, while Sun Jun was arrogant and cruel, similar to the situation during Emperor Huan's reign. The "Ruining Picture" states that there are various large birds that resemble phoenixes but actually signify ominous signs, so all these situations are the same.
In the third year of Jianheng, someone in the West Garden claimed to see phoenixes gathering, so Sun Hao changed his era name accordingly, similar to Sun Liang's situation.
In the fourth year of the Tai Shi era of Emperor Jin Wu, in August, a pheasant flew up to the Changhe Gate. It seemed as if heaven was warning that the Changhe Gate was not a place for the pheasant to linger, much like the omen of a pheasant perched on a cauldron during the Yin Dynasty.
In the year 291, Zhao Wang Lun usurped the throne, and a strange bird appeared in the capital, which no one could identify. Zhao Wang Lun had people take the bird around the city to inquire about it, and after several days, a child from the western part of the palace recognized it and said, "This is a 'Fu Liu Bird'." The person hurried back to inform Zhao Wang Lun, who then sent people to look for it, and indeed, they saw the bird again. Consequently, Zhao Wang Lun locked the bird in the palace and also locked the child in a room. The next day, both the bird and the child were gone. This was undoubtedly a disaster brought by the bird! At that time, Zhao Wang Lun was suffering from an eye tumor, and the term "Fu Liu" implied that Zhao Wang Lun would have to pay for his crimes. Not long after, Zhao Wang Lun was killed.
In the year 307, after Zhao Wang Lun's usurpation, a quail flew into the Taiji Hall, and a wild chicken landed in the East Hall. This was indeed a divine warning! Both the Taiji Hall and the East Hall were places where the emperor handled state affairs, and the simultaneous appearance of a quail and a wild chicken suggested that Zhao Wang Lun was unfit for this position. The Book of Songs states: "The magpie cries fiercely, the quail flies in panic, the character of the man is poor, yet I regard him as king." Isn’t this precisely the issue? Later, Zhao Wang Lun was indeed overthrown.
In February of the year 313, the ground in Buguangli, located northeast of Luoyang, collapsed, and two geese of different colors flew out, one blue flying into the sky, and one white staying behind. This was again a calamity brought by birds, and the contrasting colors of blue and white carried ambiguous meanings. Dong Yang from Chenliu said: "Buguang is the place of Di Quan during the Zhou Dynasty, a place of alliance. The white goose represents gold, a symbol of the nation. The blue goose represents the Hu people, and what this signifies is hard to interpret." Later, Liu Yuanhai and Shi Le rebelled one after another, and chaos erupted throughout the land.
In the year 329 AD, on the eighth day of the eighth month, two huge black and grey birds appeared, with wings spreading fourteen feet wide. One landed at the Situ Mansion and was shot dead by people; the other landed on the roof of a family's house in the north of the city and was captured. This was yet another disaster heralded by these black birds, signaling misfortune. On the day of Wuzi in the intercalary month, the emperor died, and later, Su Jun and Zu Yue rebelled.
In the year 330 AD, in the first month, five seagulls landed in the palace courtyard, which was considered a good omen! At that time, Yu Liang went against the opinions of others and wanted to summon Su Jun. Some people said that his actions would bring disaster, leading to the appearance of this good omen. In the second month of the third year, Su Jun indeed rebelled; the palace was set ablaze, reducing it to ruins, fulfilling the previous good omen.
In the year 344 AD, in the seventh month, a white heron landed on the roof of the palace. At that time, Emperor Kang had just ascended the throne, which was an ominous sign. Not long after, the emperor died. Liu Xiang once said, "When wild birds fly into the palace, the palace will be empty." This saying came to pass.
In the third month of the third year of Xingning, the Haixi Emperor ascended the throne, and at that time, wild pheasants gathered near the court. This was a troubling omen of impending chaos caused by birds! Not long after, he was indeed deposed by Huan Wen.
In the sixteenth year of the Taiyuan reign of Emperor Xiaowu, in the sixth month, magpies built nests at the eastern eaves of the Taiji Hall, and also built nests at the western corner of a national school. By the eighteenth year, the East Palace was completed, and in the first month of the nineteenth year, magpies built nests at the west gate of the East Palace. This was probably similar to the events that occurred during the early years of the Wei Jing, all of which confirmed the earlier omens. The national school was a place of educational gathering; the west was a lucky direction for metal. After the emperor's death, Emperor An ascended the throne, Huan Xuan usurped the throne, education declined, and metal lost its advantage, all of which confirmed the earlier omens.
In the third year of Emperor Andi's Yixi era, General Zhu Yi of Longxiang was stationed in Shouyang. A maidservant was cooking, and suddenly many crows gathered by the stove, competing for food. The maidservant was unable to chase them away. Later, a hunting dog killed two crows, and the remaining crows pecked the dog to death, ate the dog meat, and left only bones. This was an ominous sign of avian mischief, and it was also a bad omen in black. In June of the following year, Zhu Yi died, and this omen came true.
In the second year of the Xianhe reign, in May, in the stable of Minister Wang Dao, a lamb was born without hind legs. This was a portent of disaster brought by the lamb. Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" says, "With fewer legs, the lower limbs cannot support it." The following year, Su Jun broke through the capital, and Wang Dao and the emperor were trapped in the stone city. They barely escaped, and this omen also came true.
During the reign of Gongsun Wenyi, in the northern market of Xiangping, a bizarre creature with flesh appeared, several feet long, with a head and a mouth, but no hands or feet, yet it could move. This was a red ominous sign. Divination said, "Having a form yet lacking substance, having a body but no sound, the nation is on the brink of collapse." Gongsun Wenyi was soon killed by the Wei Kingdom.
The Wu Kingdom's garrison general Deng Xi slaughtered a pig to sacrifice to the spirits. After the sacrifice, he hung up the pork and suddenly saw a head eating the pork. Deng Xi quickly drew his bow and shot it, and the creature emitted a "zazha" sound, spinning around the house for three days. This was also a strong indicator of a red omen. Later, someone accused Deng Xi of plotting rebellion, and his whole family was killed. Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" says, "Grass appears on the mountain, river water flows through the cities, wars occur in the cities, the shapes are like human heads, and the color is red."
In the fifth year of the Taikang reign of Emperor Wu, on the Renzi day of April, the water in the pool of the Lu Kingdom turned a blood-red color.
In the seventh year of October, red snow fell over two acres of land in Heyin. This too was a foreboding red omen. Four years later, the emperor died, and the royal family was thrown into turmoil.
In March of 165 BC, there was a bloody incident in Lu County, with bloodstains stretching over a hundred steps from east to west, marking an ominous sign! By the end of the Yuan Kang era, the world was in chaos, with dead bodies and bloodstains everywhere, confirming the earlier omens. Gan Bao believed that this foreshadowed a rebellion in Xuzhou eight years later, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands, all as a result of the blood omen coming true.
In March of 164 BC, there was a blood rain in Weishi. If the court's politics and legal system were lax, abnormal phenomena like this bizarre crimson phenomenon would emerge. In the first month of that year, the Crown Prince Minhuai was imprisoned in Xuchang Palace. It appeared the heavens were warning that evil people should not be indulged, as this would lead to the Crown Prince's unjust death! Emperor Hui, lacking insight, failed to grasp this principle, so the Crown Prince Minhuai died that month. From then on, internal strife within the royal family escalated, leading to widespread calamity. It is said that on the day King Qihuan of Qi was killed by Naochi, blood rain also fell from the sky, dyeing his clothes red. This served as a warning from the heavens; isn't this the same principle? Jing Fang and the "Book of Changes" both state: "When cases accumulate without resolution, it signifies the pursuit of accountability; when blood rain falls from the sky, it means the monarch is not close to wise ministers, allowing evil people below to cause chaos, and within three years, the monarch's family will perish." It also says: "Evil and cunning individuals receive high positions and rewards, while loyal ministers are killed; this explains why blood rain falls from the sky."
In December of 17 BC, an earthquake occurred in the Hedong region, accompanied by a meat rain. On the Bingyin day in December of 15 BC, the Prime Minister's office executed Inspector General Chunyu Bo, whose blood inexplicably flowed upwards, spraying onto a pillar and reaching a height of two zhang and three chi. This was an ominous sign! At that time, General Chupu was stationed in Guangling, and the Prime Minister threatened to launch a northern expedition. Chunyu Bo was executed for delays in transportation and for accepting bribes and embezzling. Before his death, he protested, saying, "The transportation work has been completed without any delay, and I should not die for the accusation of accepting bribes and embezzlement. According to military law, we should first assert ourselves before taking action. Currently, we are just garrisoning troops, not preparing for war. For the past four years, the transportation has been stagnant, but no one has followed the military regulations." His colleagues turned a deaf ear to him. Later, the situation changed, and the censors indicted a number of officials, but Emperor Yuan ignored it, leading to three consecutive years of drought. Gan Bao believed this was the result of Chunyu Bo's restless spirit. Guo Jingchun said, "Blood is a type of water, both of which relate to the 'Kan' hexagram. 'Kan' symbolizes the law; water flows downward and should not flow upwards. This suggests there are issues within the court's politics."
In January of 304 AD, a major earthquake occurred in Pingyang, causing the entire Chongming Temple to collapse into a large pit filled with water, where the water was a deep crimson, and red gas rose into the sky as a red dragon soared into the sky and vanished quickly.
At that time, a shooting star rose from near the Altair star, heading straight for the Ziwei star, twisting and coiling like a dragon, casting light upon the earth, and finally landing ten li north of Pingyang City. When people went to investigate, they discovered a massive piece of meat giving off a foul stench that filled the entire city of Pingyang. The piece of meat measured thirty steps in length and twenty-seven steps in width. Strangely, cries could be heard near the meat, day and night, without pause.
A few days later, Liu Cong's wife, Lady Liu, gave birth to a snake and a ferocious beast, both of which attacked people before fleeing. People searched high and low and soon found them beside the fallen flesh. During that time, Liu Cong married the three daughters of Liu Yin, all of whom were crowned as queens. This is truly a divine warning! Liu Cong himself is surnamed Liu, and the three queens are also surnamed Liu, which goes against moral order and ethics. The calamities brought by the fallen flesh and those creatures were immense. Not long after, Lady Liu, Liu Cong's queen, passed away, and the wails faded away.
