The Prince of Qi of the Wei Kingdom, his affairs ultimately came to no good end. Li Sheng, the magistrate of Henan, was working in his office when a small wooden beam suddenly fell, striking Shi Biao, the official in charge of delivering documents, and killed him on the spot. This incident, referred to as "wood overcoming metal," signifies a bad omen. Within a few days, Li Sheng fell into misfortune and faced failure.
In the eighth year of the Huidi Yuankang era in May, at the sacrificial altar outside the city, the stone within it cracked open and split in two by itself! This was yet another sign of "wood overcoming metal"! The sacrificial altar outside the city serves as a place to pray for offspring, and if it inexplicably crumbles, it signals danger for the crown prince. As anticipated, the following year, Crown Prince Mianhuai passed away.
In the tenth year of the Taiyuan era in April, Xie An was appointed as the Prefect of Guangling. Just as he was departing from the Stone City, the drum and gong inexplicably broke by themselves. This was yet another strange occurrence of "wood overcoming metal," a warning from the heavens! It seems the heavens are saying: "Xie An, despite your boasting of military talents everywhere, in the end, you will accomplish nothing—not even the use of the drum and gong—indicating your ultimate failure." Within a month, Xie An succumbed to illness.
The book says, "If you can't see clearly, that's what we call unwise. Its flaw lies in laxity, and its consequence is prolonged heat, ultimately leading to illness. Sometimes there will be grass spirits, sometimes there will be pest disasters, sometimes there will be sheep disasters, sometimes there will be eye diseases, sometimes there will be redness and radiance. Only flooding and fires are exceptions." If you can't see clearly, that's being unwise. Zhe means wisdom. The Book of Songs says, "If your virtue is unclear, it will lead to the destruction of courtiers and ministers. If your virtue is unclear, it will lead to betrayal and sidelong glances." This means, if the ruling class is foolish, blind, and ignorant, they will be unable to distinguish between good and evil, closeness and distance, similarity and dissimilarity. Those deserving punishment will be rewarded, those who should die won't, officials will be in chaos, government affairs are lax, the issue stems from laxity. The long days of summer, the heat nourishes all things, and government affairs are lax, so its punishment is prolonged heat. Heat leads to warm winters, unharmonious springs and summers, causing harm and illness, ultimately leading to disease. If punishments are not enforced, frost will not kill the wild grass, the subordinates will rebel, killing will be untimely, so grass spirits may emerge. All monsters and demons deceive people through attire, speech, and voice. If you can't see colors clearly, the five colors represent the fundamental distinctions of all things, linked to fortune and misfortune, so sages believe grass spirits represent a loss of the ability to distinguish things. A warm, humid environment breeds insects, so disasters of pests will occur, referring to insects such as moths, that should die but don't, or should thrive but fail to, or their numbers are excessive and become a disaster. Liu Xin believes this is related to excessive deliberation and mental unrest. In the Book of Changes, strength combined with gentleness is the hexagram of Li, representing fire and also eyes. The horns of the sheep point downward, the hooves upward, strong combined with gentle, the sheep's eyes are large but not sharp, vision impaired, so sheep disasters will occur. Some also say, in hot years, sheep are prone to disease and die, then strange phenomena occur; this aligns with that reasoning. When calamities befall people, there will be many eye disease patients, so eye diseases will occur. Fire is red, so redness and radiance will appear. Those with eye injuries are affected by fire; if fire is harmed, it will be invaded by flooding. For those who ultimately lead to illness, allow nature to take its course, their reward will be longevity. Liu Xin mentioned in 'Shi Zhuan' disasters caused by feathered insects and chickens. He explained that in astronomical terms, the southern Vermilion Bird star is a bird star, so it represents feathered insects. Calamities also come from birds, so it is chickens. Chickens belong to the Xun hexagram in the Book of Changes; this interpretation is flawed.
It is said that the ancients believed that the "Spring and Autumn Annals" recorded only major events, and not minor ones. Only major events like "the lack of ice" would be recorded. Jing Fang also said similar things in the "Book of Changes." He stated: "Acting against the rules is called deception, which will bring disasters. This type of disaster is excessive warmth. Excessive warmth results in rain everywhere and unseasonably warm weather. Officials living in ease and pleasure without striving for progress create chaos. Excessive warmth can cause heat-related deaths in summer and prevent plants from bearing fruit in winter. Failing to punish serious crimes signals the decline of a nation. This kind of disaster should be cold, but instead it is excessive warmth, lasting for six days."
In the ninth month of the first year of Jianxing in the Wu Kingdom, peach and plum blossoms unexpectedly blossomed. At that time, during Sun Quan's rule, the tax burden was greatly heavy, and the people were suffering. Zhuge Ke had just started assisting in governance; he reduced labor, exempted debts, abolished tolls, and implemented lenient policies, indicating a relaxation of the previously tense political climate. Some people also said that the out-of-season blooming of peach and plum blossoms was a sign of evil omen.
In the tenth month of the third year of Jingyuan in the Wei Kingdom, peach and plum blossoms also bloomed. At that time, the young emperor implemented benevolent policies, the country was stable, and the people lived in peace and contentment, which was a sign of auspiciousness.
In the second month of the second year of Yuankang in the Huandi, the grass in Baxi County bloomed and bore edible fruit resembling wheat. At that time, the emperor had just ascended the throne, and the King of Chu, Sima Wei, falsely issued an imperial edict, executing Sima Liang of Runan and the Grand Protector Wei Guan. The emperor was unable to see the truth. The out-of-season fruiting of plants was a consequence of the lenient policies previously implemented.
In the twelfth month of the ninth year of Yonghe in the Mudi, peach and plum blossoms bloomed again. At that time, Emperor Jianwen was assisting in governance, and the court was relatively relaxed, indicating a relaxation of the previously tense political climate.
In the twenty-fifth year of Jian'an during Emperor Xian of Han's reign, Cao Cao constructed the main hall in Luoyang, cutting down the Zhaolong tree that bled, and also digging up the Pear tree which bled from its roots. Cao Cao was so frightened that he fell ill and died later that month. This was likely the doing of evil spirits and a bad omen, marking the first year of Emperor Wen of Wei's reign, Huangchu.
In the first year of Sun Liang's rule in Wu, in the sixth month, the grass in Jiaozhi unexpectedly transformed into rice. In ancient times, when the Sanmiao tribes were on the brink of extinction, the five grains also transformed, all due to the work of evil spirits. Later on, Sun Liang also fell from power.
In the fifth year of Liu Shan's reign in Shu, a large tree in the palace inexplicably broke on its own. Qiao Zhou was very worried and, unable to find anyone to consult with, wrote on a pillar: "When many come together, their power is great. When they are equipped and appointed, what options did Shu Han have?" This meant that the Wei forces were becoming too powerful, the world was on the brink of unification, and Wei had already met the conditions to rule the world. Shu Han indeed perished, just as Qiao Zhou had predicted, again due to evil spirits.
In the first year of Sun Hao's Tianxi reign in Wu, overnight, the mud in Linping Lake completely disappeared, leaving it clean and free of any weeds. The elders said, "When this lake is blocked, chaos reigns; when it's clear, peace prevails." Eventually, Wu fell, leading to the unification of the realm.
In the third year of the Tianji era, in August, in the city of Jianye, a strange vegetable sprouted under the jujube tree in Huang Gou's yard. It resembled an eye and was over a zhang long, with a stem four inches thick and two fen wide. At the same time, a peculiar lettuce also sprouted in Wu Ping's yard, growing four feet tall and looking like a loquat, with a round top measuring eighteen inches in diameter, a stem five inches thick, and lush green leaves growing on both sides. The illustrations in the Dongguan Archives called the eye-like vegetable "Zhicao" and the lettuce "Pinglu." Consequently, the emperor granted Huang Gou the title "Shizhilang" and Wu Ping the title "Pinglulang," both receiving silver seals and blue ribbons. Gan Bao noted that the next year, when the Wu state was subdued, Wang Jun's ship just happened to dock at "Pingzhu" (the sandy islet of Ping), and the name matched the people's names, truly fulfilling the omen! The appearance of these strange plants at Huang Gou's home was a sign of the Wu state’s inheritance from the Han dynasty, thus there was initially an auspicious sign of the yellow dragon. However, by the end of the Wu state, such peculiar plants appeared, signifying that the nation's fortunes were about to decline. Although the names did not change, their status was vastly different, which truly reflects the subtlety of heavenly principles!
In the spring of the second year of Emperor Hui's reign, bamboo in Baxi County bloomed with purple flowers, and the fruits looked like wheat, with a green outer skin and red-white insides, tasting sweet.
On the day of Gengzi in June of the ninth year of Yuankang, a mulberry tree grew more than a foot in the west wing of the Eastern Palace, but it withered by the day of Jiachen. This was reminiscent of a strange event during the reign of Emperor Taiwu of the Yin dynasty, when the crown prince failed to grasp the omen, which ultimately led to his downfall and execution. Ban Gu once stated, "Wild trees suddenly growing quickly in the court signify that petty individuals are about to take ministerial positions, threatening the state and its foundations, leading the court toward ruin." Later, the concentration of power by Sun Xiu and Zhang Lin truly resulted in significant chaos.
In the first year of Yongkang, in April, the grandson Zang was named the imperial heir. On the Jiazi day in May, he moved into the Eastern Palace, and a mulberry tree grew in the western wing. The following year, Zhao Wang Lun usurped the throne and poisoned the imperial heir Zang, which was similar to the strange events that took place during the time of Prince Min. In the same month, the mulberry tree in the territory of Zhuangwu (Zhang Hua's fief) transformed into a cypress tree, and Zhang Hua was also killed.
In the winter of the second year of Yongjia, the mulberry trees in Xiang County emitted sounds as if they were being cut down, and people said that the mulberry trees were crying. Liu Xiang once said, "Mulberry" means "mourning," and combined with the sound of crying, this is certainly not a good omen! At that time, the capital was weak, and the Hu people continuously invaded; King Yue of Donghai had no thought of defending the country and fled south in the winter of the fourth year, dying in that city in the spring of the fifth year. Shi Le led his army to besiege him and shot him dead with arrows, resulting in the deaths of over a hundred thousand people, including nobles and commoners. Shi Le also opened the coffin of King Yue and burned his corpse. After this great defeat, there was no one in the Central Plains to seek help, and Luoyang was quickly captured, fulfilling the omen of the weeping mulberry trees.
In May of the sixth year, four fragrant osmanthus trees appeared in Wuxi County, their branches intertwined, resembling the branches of a couple. Previously, Guo Jingchun had used turtle shells to divine the shrew of Yanling, and the result was the "Benefit" line of the "Lin" hexagram. He said, "In the future, there will be another strange tree that looks auspicious, but in reality, it is a bitter and poisonous tree. If such a situation occurs, there will definitely be a rebellion within hundreds of miles east and west." After these trees appeared, Xu Fu indeed rebelled, which could be seen as plants transforming into demons. Guo Jingchun also believed that "trees that are neither straight nor crooked" were also an inauspicious sign. In July of the same year, a camphor tree in Yuzhang County had been dead for a long time but suddenly flourished again this month, similar to the revival of the dead tree from the Han Dynasty in Changyi, both serving as omens. This was a sign of the downfall of Emperor Huai and the restoration of Emperor Yuan.
In the first year of Taining, September, the magistrate of Shanyin County in Kuaiji discovered a tree with a pattern resembling a human face on its trunk. Subsequently, Wang Dun launched a rebellion, which ultimately failed. In the past, during the reigns of Emperor Ai and Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, similar "demon trees" appeared, with very realistic human faces on them, causing great chaos. However, this tree only resembles a human face, resulting in much less chaos.
On May 5th in the sixth year of the Xianhe era, a willow tree in Qu'a had been dead for six years but suddenly came back to life, sprouting new shoots. Then, on May 5th in the ninth year of the Xianhe era, a dead elm tree at Wu Xiong's home in Wuxian County also came back to life suddenly after a storm. This resembles the resurrection of a willow tree in the Han Dynasty's Shanglin Garden. Initially, Emperor Kang was the King of Wu; although later he was renamed as the King of Langya, he still considered Wu County as his fief, signifying the emperor's return to the kingdom of Wu. Qu'a was also part of Wu in the past, and this resurrection of trees in Wu Xiong's home might also be a divine sign!
On a certain day in May of the year 1 BC, a dead chestnut tree at Xiuming's home in Xichang County, Luling, Jiangxi suddenly came back to life and started to grow. At that time, Emperor Xiaowu was just four years old. Shortly after, Emperor Ai died, and Haixi Wang succeeded him, but was soon deposed. Emperor Jianwen inherited the throne from the position of a vassal king, ruled for less than two years, and then died, followed by the succession of Emperor Xiaowu. Emperor Xiaowu's name was Changming, and some knowledgeable people secretly said that the characters Xichang Xiuming foreshadowed Emperor Xiaowu's ascension, which turned out to be the case! This situation is very similar to that of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty.
In 366 BC, a pine tree grew on a poplar tree in Liangzhou. It seemed like a warning from heaven: pine trees are tall and strong, with leaves that do not easily fall off, while poplar trees are weak. Now, with a pine tree growing on a poplar tree, is it not indicating that a long-established foundation is facing danger and potential ruin? At that time, Zhang Tianxi dominated Liangzhou, but not long after, he surrendered to Fu Jian.
In June of the year 373 AD, after a dead tree in Tongle County, Jianning Prefecture unexpectedly reconnected itself after breaking apart. The "Jing Fang Yi Zhuan" states: "If one strays from the right path and engages in debauchery, strange occurrences like trees reconnecting after breaking apart will happen; if a concubine holds too much power, trees will fall and then stand upright again." At that time, the court was in turmoil, and later, Lady Zhang gained the emperor's favor. After the emperor passed away, everyone blamed the Zhang family for the chaos.
In the year 405 AD, at the border of Jingzhou and Jiangzhou, bamboo unexpectedly produced fruit resembling wheat.
In September of the year 406 AD, a soldier named Chen Gai from General Yang Wu's camp had a bitter melon grow in his home, with a stem four feet six inches tall, three feet two inches wide, and three inches thick, which was another odd plant. This likely mirrored the downfall of the Wu Kingdom. Scholars believed that "bitter melon" symbolized "buying diligence and suffering," and the subsequent years of war and the people's relentless suffering led to this "bitter buying." Over a decade later, Yao Hong was defeated, and the war finally subsided, fulfilling the omen of the bitter melon.
Between the years 406 AD and 416 AD, thistles overran the walls of the imperial palace and flanked the imperial road, which was yet another odd plant. Thistles have thorns, and people cannot step on them. Growing on the palace walls and imperial road, it seemed like a warning from the heavens: if the ruler neglects state affairs, even with grand palaces and imperial roads, they become as empty and abandoned, thus, thistles grew.
In May of 223 AD, a heron landed in the Lingzhi Pool. According to Liu Xiang, this was an ominous bird, but it could also be a good omen. Emperor Wen of Wei issued a decree saying, "This aligns with what the Book of Songs says about 'tainted waters'. The 'Cao Shi' states 'favoring the close villains while neglecting the distant virtuous.' Is it possible that a person with both virtue and talent has been buried? Otherwise, how could this bird have flown here! We must widely recommend talented, virtuous, and independent gentlemen from all over the world to respond to Cao Zhi's criticism." As a result, Yang Biao, Guan Ning, and others were recommended, a phenomenon known as "seeing the demon and fearing it." However, Emperor Wen of Wei remained intolerant of upright individuals, showing favoritism instead. Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" says, "Rejecting and avoiding virtuous people will lead to the appearance of demons and anomalies, such as water birds gathering in the capital."
In 220 AD, a swallow gave birth to a hawk in Weiyang Palace, with a red beak and claws, similar to the situations of King Zhou of Shang and King Yin of Song, both of which were ominous signs.
In 226 AD, in the home of Li Gai in the State of Wei, a swallow gave birth to a huge chick resembling an eagle with a beak like a swallow, also an ominous bird, heralding a red disaster. Gao Tanglong said, "This is a great change in the Wei family, and we should guard against ambitious courtiers causing chaos within the court." Later, Emperor Xuan raised an army and executed Cao Shuang, which allowed the Wei family to persist.
In 208 AD, a buzzard landed in the pond behind Wenchang Hall in Ye Palace. The following year, Emperor Wu of Wei, Cao Cao, passed away. In 222 AD, this bird landed in the pond of Fanglin Garden in Luoyang. In 226 AD, this bird appeared again. That summer, Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, passed away. Towards the end of the Jianchu era, this bird appeared again in the pond of Fanglin Garden. The previous two appearances were followed by significant funerals, and Emperor Wen of Wei loathed this bird. That year, Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, also passed away.
In October of the year 231 AD, thousands of birds flew from the South of the Yangtze River to the North of the Yangtze River, but they couldn't make it across and fell into the water, drowning. At that time, Zhuge Liang had been waging war for many years, intending to annex the Central Plains, but he ended up dying in Weinan, failing to achieve his goal. Moreover, the generals of Shu Han were embroiled in internal conflicts, leading to heavy losses. The inability of these birds to cross the river and their subsequent drowning mirrors these events. Zhuge Liang ultimately failed to cross the Weishui River; could this not be seen as an omen? This is similar to the incident of crows falling into the Si River during the Han Dynasty.
In the first year of Jingchu, the founding year of the Western Jin Dynasty, when the Lingxiaoqiao palace was just beginning its construction, a magpie had built its nest there. This magpie was black and white, which in ancient times was considered an ominous sign, though some believed it to be a good omen. The emperor inquired about this matter with Gao Tanglong, who replied, “The Book of Songs states, ‘Only the magpie has a nest, only the dove resides in it.’ Now that the palace is just beginning to be built, and the magpie comes to build a nest, it symbolizes that before the palace is completed, someone will come to occupy it. This is a warning from heaven, indicating that the palace is not yet finished, and there may be people of other surnames who will come to control it; this is something that shouldn't be taken lightly!” Hearing this, the emperor's expression shifted dramatically.
In the year 243 AD, in the twelfth year of Sun Quan's reign over Wu, in April, two crows were carrying a magpie that fell at the Eastern Pavilion. Sun Quan ordered Prime Minister Zhu Ju to burn the magpie and conduct a ritual. According to Liu Xin, this was considered an ominous sign, predicting blurred vision and hearing loss. At that time, Sun Quan was arrogant and self-indulgent, his virtues were in decline, he favored petty officials, and indiscriminately executed innocent people. His two sons were also in danger, and the ministers in the court were precarious, yet he turned a blind eye to these strange phenomena and even ordered the magpie to be burned, truly bewildered! The following year, the Crown Prince Sun He was deposed, King Sun Ba of Lu was given death, Zhu Ju was demoted, and Lu Yi died of depression, all of which fulfilled the previous omens. The Eastern Pavilion was an educational institution of the Wu state; did the magpie falling there also serve as a warning from heaven?
In the year 246 AD, in the second year of Sun Quan's Taiyuan reign, in January, Sun Quan conferred the title of King of Nanyang on the former Crown Prince Sun He and sent him to Changsha. Upon hearing this, Sun He’s former court officials were deeply concerned, believing it signaled that Sun He’s situation was precarious and would not remain peaceful for long. As a result, Sun He ultimately met a tragic end.
In the year 252 AD, in the second year of Sun Liang's Jianxing reign, in November, five large birds appeared in Chunshen (a place name). The people of Wu believed they were phoenixes. The following year, Sun Liang changed the reign title to "Five Phoenixes." During Emperor Huan of Han's time, five-colored large birds also appeared, and Sima Biao said: "This is due to political corruption and lack of virtuous governance, which attracted these ominous birds instead of true phoenixes." Sun Liang failed to implement good governance, and Sun Jun was also arrogant and overbearing, which was very similar to the situation during Emperor Huan of Han. The "Book of Auspicious Omens" recorded that many birds resembled phoenixes, but in reality, they were ominous signs, so these circumstances all fulfilled the records in the book.
In the year 270 AD, in the third year of Sun Hao's Jianheng reign, someone in the Western Garden claimed to have seen a phoenix, and Sun Hao therefore changed the reign title, mirroring Sun Liang's situation.
In the year 275 AD, during the fourth year of the Tai Shi era of Emperor Wu of Jin, in August, a zhai pheasant flew up to the Changhe Gate. This was a bad omen, as the Changhe Gate was not a place where zhai pheasants should go, just like when a pheasant landed on a tripod during the Yin Dynasty, it foretold the decline of the dynasty.
In the year 291 AD, King Zhao Lun usurped the throne, and a strange bird appeared in the capital city that no one could identify. King Zhao Lun sent people throughout the city to inquire about the bird for several days, until a child in the palace's west wing identified it as a "fuliu bird." The person hurried back to tell King Zhao Lun, who sent people to find the bird, and indeed they saw it again. So, King Zhao Lun confined the bird in the palace and the child in a room. The next day, both the bird and the child were gone. This bird was indeed an ominous sign! At that time, King Zhao Lun had an eye tumor, and the term "fuliu" suggested he would pay for his sins. Not long after, King Zhao Lun was killed.
After King Zhao Lun usurped the throne, a quail flew into the Taiji Hall, and a pheasant landed in the East Hall. This was clearly a divine warning! The simultaneous appearance of a quail and a pheasant indicated that King Zhao Lun was unfit for his position. As stated in the Book of Songs, "The magpie is chattering, the quail flies in alarm; with a bad character, how can you be king?" This incident exemplified that! Later, King Zhao Lun was indeed overthrown.
In February of the year 317 AD, the ground in Buguanli, located northeast of Luoyang, collapsed, and two geese of different colors emerged—one blue and flying high, the other white and remaining grounded. This was another disaster brought by birds, with the black and white colors indicating unpredictable fortunes. A man named Dong Yang from Chenliu said, "Buguan was the site of the alliance between the Zhou Dynasty and the Di Quan. White represents gold, symbolizing the country's legitimacy; blue represents the barbarians, which does not bode well!" Later, Liu Yuanhai and Shi Le rebelled one after another, resulting in chaos throughout the realm.
In August of the year 329, on the Gengxu day, two large blackish-gray birds appeared, with wings spread measuring fourteen feet wide. One landed at the Minister's residence and was shot dead; the other landed on the roof of a house in the north of the city and was also captured. This was yet another disaster caused by birds, an ominous sign! By the Wuzi day of the intercalary month, the emperor died, and later, the rebellions led by Su Jun and Zu Yue broke out.
In the first month of the year 330, five seagulls landed in the palace courtyard, which was seen as a good omen! At that time, Yu Liang went against the consensus and wanted to summon Su Jun; some said it would bring trouble, thus the good omen appeared. In the second month of that year, Su Jun indeed rebelled, the palace was burned down, leaving it in ruins, fulfilling the previous omen.
In July of the year 342, a white egret landed on the roof of the palace. At that time, Emperor Kang had recently ascended the throne, which was considered a bad omen! Before long, the emperor died. Liu Xiang once stated, “When wild birds enter the palace, it will be empty.” This truly came to fruition!
Shortly thereafter, after Emperor Haixi ascended the throne in the third year of Xining, a flock of wild chickens landed on the palace eaves. This was a bad omen, foreshadowing disaster. Indeed, shortly thereafter, he was deposed by Huan Wen.
Now, let's discuss the reign of Emperor Xiaowu. In June of the sixteenth year of the Taiyuan era, magpies built nests on the eastern side of the Taiji Hall within the imperial palace, and also built a nest west of a national academy. By the eighteenth year, the Eastern Palace was completed; in the first month of the nineteenth year, magpies built a nest at the western gate of the Eastern Palace. This situation mirrored events from the early years of Wei Jing. The national academy was an educational institution, representing the state's moral teachings; the west was linked to the element of metal, which was considered auspicious. However, after Emperor Xiaowu passed away and Emperor An ascended the throne, Huan Xuan usurped power, moral teachings declined, and the metal element did not flourish, transforming the previous good omens into bad omens.
In the third year of Emperor An's reign, General Longxiang Zhu Yi was stationed in Shouyang. A maid was cooking when suddenly many crows flew to the stove, fighting to peck at the food, and the maid couldn't shoo them away. Later, a hunting dog killed two crows, but the remaining crows actually pecked the dog to death and ate all the dog meat, leaving only the bones. This was another disaster brought by the birds and an ominous sign. In June of the following year, Zhu Yi died, fulfilling the previous omen.
In the second year of Emperor Cheng's Xianhe era, in May, a sheep from the family of Minister Wang Dao gave birth to a lamb without hind legs, and this was considered a disaster! The "Book of Changes" by Jing Fang states: "Those with short legs cannot bear heavy responsibilities." This means that if one is not fully capable, one cannot take on important duties. The next year, Su Jun captured Jiankang, and Wang Dao, along with the emperor, was trapped in Shitou City, nearly losing their lives, which fulfilled the omen.
During the reign of Gongsun Wuyi, a stone that looked like flesh appeared in the northern market of Xiangping, several feet long, with a head and a mouth but no hands or feet, and it could move by itself; this was an ominous red sign! The diviners said: "Formless yet existent, silent yet substantial, its nation will perish." Later, Gongsun Wuyi was indeed killed by the Wei state.
The general of Wu, Deng Xi, sacrificed a pig to the gods, and after the sacrifice, he hung the pig meat. Suddenly, he saw a head gnawing at the pig meat. Deng Xi quickly drew his bow and shot it. It emitted a strange sound and circled the house for three days, which was reminiscent of an ominous red sign. Later, someone reported that Deng Xi was plotting a rebellion, and his entire family was killed. Jing Fang's "Book of Changes" states: "The mountain sees the preservation, the river in the city, the city has soldiers, resembling a human head, red in color."
On the day of Renzi in April of the fifth year of Emperor Wu's Taikang era, the waters of the Lu state's ponds turned blood red. In October of the seventh year, red snow fell across two fields in He Yin. These were all ominous red signs. Four years later, Emperor Wu passed away, and the royal family descended into chaos.
In March of the year 300, a strange event occurred in Lvxian County: blood flowed on the ground for over a hundred paces. This was indeed a bad omen! By the end of Emperor Hui's Yuan Kang period, the world fell into chaos, with killings everywhere, and this bloodshed was indeed a reflection of the chaos of the time. Gan Bao claimed this foreshadowed great unrest in Xuzhou eight years later, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands; this calamity of bloodshed indeed came true.
In March of the year 300, Weishi experienced a rain of blood. You see, the court's lenient punishments led to these ominous signs. In the first month of that year, Emperor Hui imprisoned the Crown Prince Minhuai in the palace at Xuchang. It appeared that Heaven was warning Emperor Hui: one should not be overly lenient with wicked individuals! As a result, the Crown Prince died unjustly, and the royal family sowed the seeds of disaster, resulting in chaos across the land. It is said that on the day King Min of Qi was killed by Naochi, it also rained blood from the sky, splattering onto his clothes; Heaven was warning him! Doesn't this closely resemble the situation? Jing Fang and the "Book of Changes" wrote: "If a person commits a crime and is imprisoned but not released, this indicates a pursuit of accountability for the crime, hence the blood rain. This indicates that the court is disconnected from the people, and with wicked individuals stirring up chaos below, within three years, their clan will face destruction." The book also says: "When treacherous flatterers attain high positions and great wealth, while loyal ministers are killed, this is a sign of Heaven’s blood rain."
In December of the year 314 AD, an earthquake occurred in the Hedong region, accompanied by a rain of blood, a truly strange event! Four years later, on the Bingyin day in December, the Chief Minister's office executed Shi Chunyu, the official in charge of transportation. Even more strangely, his blood flowed upwards and sprayed onto a pillar, reaching a height of two zhang and three chi! This was yet another omen of blood and disaster! At that time, General Chupo was stationed at Guangling, and the Chief Minister threatened to launch a northern expedition. Shi Chunyu was executed for delaying transportation and accepting bribes and corruption. He protested, "My transportation work has been completed without delay, and the charges of bribery and corruption do not warrant a death sentence! In warfare, seizing the initiative is crucial. We are currently only garrisoned and not preparing for an expedition. Transportation has been blocked for four years, but the court has failed to adhere to military regulations." His colleagues did not speak up for him. Later, when issues arose, the Imperial Censor indicted numerous officials, but the Emperor ignored them, leading to three years of severe drought. Gan Bao believed this was the restless spirit of Shi Chunyu. Guo Jingchun said, "Blood is a form of water, belonging to the Kan hexagram in the Eight Trigrams. The Kan hexagram represents laws and regulations, and water should flow downwards, not reverse upwards. This indicates errors in the court's policies."
In January of the year 304 AD, a major earthquake occurred in Pingyang. At that time, Liu Cong had just declared himself emperor, and the Chongming Temple he built collapsed into a large water-filled pit, with water that was red like blood, red vapor ascending into the sky, and a red dragon seen fleeing quickly.
At this time, a meteor suddenly appeared near the Cowherd Star in the sky, winding like a dragon, flashing with dazzling light, and falling straight to a location ten li north of Pingyang City. When people went to investigate, they found it to be a large piece of meat, giving off a stench that filled the entire city of Pingyang. This piece of meat measured thirty steps in length and twenty-seven steps in width, incredibly huge! Even stranger, cries could be heard constantly near the piece of meat, never ceasing day or night.
A few days later, Liu Cong's queen, Liu Shi, gave birth to a snake and a wild beast, both of which attacked people before fleeing. Everyone searched for them for a while but couldn't find them. Eventually, they unexpectedly found them next to the meteorite flesh from earlier! At that moment, Liu Cong was just marrying Liu Yin's three daughters as queens, all of whom were named Liu. This situation seemed like a warning from the heavens: you, Liu Cong, share the surname Liu, and all three queens are also named Liu. This incestuous and unnatural situation violates the principles of human relationships! The meteorite flesh and those monsters are divine punishments for you! Shortly after, Liu Cong's queen, Liu Shi, died, and the cries near the meteorite flesh faded away.
