In the ninth year of the Zhengshi era under King Weiqi, in the eleventh month, there were strong winds for dozens of days, blowing down houses and breaking trees. On the day of Wuyou in the twelfth month, which is the last day of the month, the wind picked up even stronger, shaking even the eastern pavilion of the Taiji Hall.
After that, on the first day of the first month in the Jiaping era, a northwest wind picked up again, damaging houses and trees, filling the sky with yellow dust and making it hard to see. Guan Lu said that this was heaven's punishment for the powerful ministers, a bad omen for those in power. At that time, Cao Shuang acted arrogantly and overstepped his bounds, exceeding the limits. Warnings from heaven appeared time and time again, but he refused to change, because he lacked wisdom, and thus faced the wrath of the fierce winds. Before long, Cao Shuang was executed. Jing Fang wrote in the "Yi Zhuan": "...(quote from the original text: When numerous rebels are united, the virtue is hidden, and the wind is different. The wind rises without resolution, things do not grow, the rain is light but harmful. When politics go against virtue, it is called chaos; the wind rises before the rain, a great windstorm arises, roofs collapse and trees break. When officials do not advance righteousness, it is called blindness; the wind and clouds rise together, breaking the stems of the five grains. When ministers are not following the right path, it is called disobedience; a great windstorm arises, roofs are destroyed. When taxes are not collected properly, it is called calamity; the wind cuts off the administration, stopping at warmth, warmth leads to insects. When nobles are not governing properly, it is called mismanagement; the wind is fierce, yet the trees stand still, and the grains do not ripen. When people abandon the consideration of benefits, it is called lack of blessings; the wind doesn't stir the trees, and the sky is cloudless in the drought, harming the crops. When officials are constantly seeking personal gains, it is called chaos; the wind is light and warm, giving rise to insects and locusts, damaging the five grains. When leadership is abandoned for indulgence, it is called confusion; the wind is warm, causing moths to rise and harm beneficial resources for the people. When vassals do not attend court, it is called rebellion; the wind blows unpredictably, the ground turns red, and the rain becomes deadly.)"
In the first year of the Taiyuan era, on August 1st, Sun Quan of Wu experienced a strong wind that caused floods in rivers, lakes, and seas. The standing water was eight feet deep, more than two thousand tall trees were uprooted, stone tablets were displaced, and two city gates on the walls of Wu were blown off. Hua He analyzed that this was due to Sun Quan's heavy labor demands and high taxes on the people, leading to divine retribution. The following year, Sun Quan died.
In the first year of Jianxing, on the day of Bingshen in December, a strong wind blew accompanied by lightning. That year, Wei sent three large armies to attack. Zhuge Ke defeated one of the Wei armies in Dongxing, and the other two retreated. However, the following year, Zhuge Ke launched an attack on Xincheng, suffering heavy losses. Upon his return, he was killed.
In the first year of Yong'an, in November, there were several days of strong winds and heavy fog. At that time, Sun Chen and his family were all made marquises, with more power than the King of Wu, Sun Xiu. This wind disaster, reminiscent of the downfall of the five marquises during the Han Dynasty and the decline of the Ding and Fu families, was a divine punishment! In December, a strong wind blew through the night, toppling trees and stirring up dust. The following day, Sun Chen was killed.
During the fifth year of the Taishi reign of Emperor Jinwudi Sima Yan, in May, a strong wind blew in the Guangping area, snapping trees. In the first year of Xianning, in May, a strong wind blew in the Xiapi and Guangling areas, damaging over a thousand homes and uprooting trees. On the Jia Shen day in the same month, Guangling, Siwu, and Xiapi experienced another strong wind, causing trees to snap. In the eighth month of the third year of the Taishi reign, a strong wind blew in the Hejian area, breaking trees. In the second year of Taikang, in May, a violent storm hit Jinan, breaking trees and harming the wheat crop. In June, a strong wind blew in the Gaoping area, breaking trees and damaging over forty government buildings. In July, there was another strong wind in the Shangdang area, resulting in significant damage to the autumn harvest. In the sixth month of the eighth year, eight regions across the country experienced strong winds. In the first month of the ninth year, hail fell in the capital, causing houses to collapse and trees to be uprooted. Two years later, the emperor passed away.
During the fourth year of the Yuankang reign of Emperor Huidi Sima Zhong, in June, a strong wind and rain blew, uprooting trees. In the fourth month of the fifth year, during the night of Gengyin, a violent storm hit, causing the river in the east of the city to surge, resulting in the deaths of many people. In July, a strong wind blew in the Xiapi area, causing houses to collapse. In September, Yanmen, Xinxing, Taiyuan, Shangdang, and other areas experienced a strong wind, damaging the crops. The following year, the Di and Qiang tribes rebelled against the court, and the court sent a large army to the west to suppress the rebellion. In the sixth month of the ninth year of Yuankang, a gust of wind blew Jia Mi's court attire to a height of several hundred zhang. The following year after the wind incident, Jia Mi was killed. On the day of Jiazi in the eleventh month, the capital was hit by a series of strong winds, causing houses to collapse and trees to snap. In the twelfth month, the Crown Prince was deposed and placed under house arrest in Xuchang.
In February of the first year of Yongkang, a strong wind uprooted trees. In the third month, the Crown Prince was murdered, prompting a period of mourning. On the Jimao day of that month, his coffin was sent back from Xuchang to Luoyang. That day, another strong wind and thunderstorm blew, tearing the canopy of the funeral procession. In the fourth month, Zhang Hua's house was struck by a fierce wind, trees were broken, cloth was blown away, and six or seven axles of carts were broken. Zhang Hua was also murdered that month. On the day of Wuwu in the eleventh month, a strong wind blew from the northwest, breaking trees, blowing sand and stones, and lasting for six days. In the first month of the following year, Zhao Wang Lun usurped the throne. In the eighth month of Yongning, three regions across the country experienced strong winds. On the Yichou day of the first month of Yongxing, a strong wind blew from the northwest. On the Guixu day of the first month of the Jianshi era, Zhao Wang Lun went to the ancestral temple to pay his respects, and suddenly a violent storm blew up, with dust filling the air. That year in April, Zhao Wang Lun was executed. In July of the year of Yongchang, a fierce wind blew, knocking down trees and roof tiles flying everywhere. In the eighth month, another violent storm blew, toppling over a hundred willow trees lining the imperial road! This wind was wild and unpredictable, as if blowing from all directions at once. At that time, Wang Dun held all the power and even killed the Minister of Works Diao Xie and the Prefect Zhou Yi, so this wind seemed aimless, blowing everywhere. I think this is a punishment for the emperor's poor judgment in appointing officials and the defiance of the feudal lords. The emperor passed away later that year.
In March of the fourth year of Xian Kang, a strong wind swept through Chengdu, damaging houses and uprooting trees. In April, Li Shou murdered Li Qi and proclaimed himself emperor. In July of the first year of Jian Yuan, Jinling and Wu County also suffered calamities, all due to fierce winds. In August of the first year of Sheng Ping, He was named empress, and on that very day, a strong wind arose. Later, Huan Xuan usurped the throne, demoting this empress to the title of County Lady of Lingling, which was a consequence of her folly and imprudence! In the first month of the fifth year, another strong wind blew.
During Duke Hai Xi's reign, in the sixth year of Taihe, in February, there was an abrupt and violent wind, and that year he was deposed. In March of the first year of Emperor Xiaowu's reign, a strong wind arose in the capital, accompanied by a great fire. At that time, Huan Wen entered the capital with ambitions of usurpation, and with the emperor being young, everyone was fearful; the strong wind and fire were seen as ominous signs! In March of the third year, another fierce storm blew, first coming from the east and then suddenly changing direction to come from the north, with sand and stones flying everywhere; it was truly terrifying.
In February of the second year of Taiyuan, a storm rolled in, bringing heavy rain, damaging many houses and breaking many trees. In June of the third year, a strong wind blew through Chang'an, toppling the trees in Fu Jian's palace. Later, Fu Jian went south to fight, ultimately facing a crushing defeat at the Battle of Feishui, leading to his death and the fall of the state. In August of the fourth year, another storm with flying sand and stones occurred.
In January of the twelfth year, a storm broke out at midnight. In July, a strong wind broke trees. In December of the thirteenth year, a strong wind blew, darkening the day. Later, the emperor died, the lords became rebellious, Yuan Xian seized power, and Huan Xuan rebelled; all of this was a bad omen! In June of the seventeenth year, a strong wind again broke trees.
In the second year of Emperor An's reign, in February, a storm with strong winds and rain struck at night, blowing the tiles off the roof of the Great Navigation Gate. The next year, Huan Xuan usurped the throne, coming through this very gate.
In the first month of the year 396 AD, Huan Xuan went on a voyage to the south, but encountered a fierce wind that blew off his carriage top. The wind lasted for three months, and Huan Xuan returned to Jiangling in a sorry state. In May, another fierce wind swept through Jiangling, breaking all the trees. In that same month, Huan Xuan met his end on Zhengrong Island and was killed, leaving no trace behind. On Dingyou day in November, many people died in Jiangling because of another fierce wind.
On the first day of the first month of the year 407 AD, a strong northwest wind started blowing. On the day of Dinghai in the leap tenth month of the year 408 AD, the strong wind blew down houses. The following year, Lu Xun fled to Caizhou. On the day of Renshen in May of the year 409 AD, centuries-old trees in the northern suburbs were blown down, and the archery halls in Langye and Yangzhou were flattened. On that day, Lu Xun's large ship sank because of the wind. On the day of Jiaxu, houses and trees were destroyed by another fierce wind. That winter, the court dispatched troops on a southern campaign. In the first month of the year 412 AD, the pillars of the Buddha pagoda at Baima Temple were damaged by fierce winds. On the first day of Jichou in the fourth month of the year 413 AD, trees were blown down. On the day of Xinhai in June, more trees were toppled by fierce winds. In July, a fierce wind hit northern Huai, causing widespread house collapses. The following year, the court sent Sima Xiuzhi for a western expedition.
On the day of Wuxu in the first month of the year 254 AD, Emperor Jing launched an attack on Guanqiu Jian, which brought a fierce wind that darkened the sky, causing people on the road to lie down. This was regarded as an ominous sign. Liu Xiang said, "It is daytime, yet it turned dark. The Yin energy is overpowering the Yang energy, suggesting that ministers would take control of the ruler."
In October of the year 260 AD, a major earthquake occurred in the capital, casting darkness over the day, which was likewise viewed as an ominous sign. Ban Gu said, "The so-called 'night demon' arises when clouds and wind converge, causing the sky to darken, similar to a normal fierce wind." Liu Xiang in the "Spring and Autumn Annals" said, "Heaven seems to be warning us against allowing nobles to inherit official positions, but to let them focus on governing. The daytime turning dark indicates the decline of the court." The Wei state saw these ominous signs as a premonition that the Jin Dynasty would soon unify the country.
In the year 311 AD, on the Xinyou day in October, it became dark during the day until the day of the Gengzi, which was considered an ominous sign. The following year, Liu Yao attacked Luochuan, and the imperial army suffered repeated defeats, leading the emperor to flee to Pingyang.
In the year 390 AD, on the Yiwu day in December, a strong wind rose and the sky darkened. Later, the emperor died, the vassals did not obey, and internal turmoil continued. Power ultimately fell into the hands of Yuan Xian, and the disaster was ultimately brought about by Huan Xuan.
Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" says: "Being content with one's position in office and still wanting more is greed; disasters will gnaw at the roots of crops like insects. Virtue is not constant; this is a disturbance, and insects will gnaw at the leaves of crops. Failing to correct faults and lacking virtue will cause insects to gnaw at the roots of crops. Working out of season will lead to insects gnawing at the stems of crops. Concealing sins and breeding calamities will cause insects to gnaw at the heart of crops."
What does this signify? It means that during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, in July of the first year of Xianning, all counties and states experienced locust plagues. In September, Qingzhou suffered another locust plague. In the same month, various counties and states also had green worms eating crops. By the fourth year, more than twenty counties and states, including Sizhou, Jizhou, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Jingzhou, and Yangzhou, all suffered locust plagues.
In the fourth year of Taikang, large numbers of Peng Qi and crabs in Kuaiji County transformed into mice, resulting in disasters as they ate a large amount of rice. In the eighth month of the ninth year, twenty-four counties experienced locust plagues again; in September, insect damage also harmed the crops of the autumn harvest. At that time, the emperor believed in slander and favored Jia Chong and Yang Jun, so the insect and locust disasters occurred, which serves as retribution for failing to correct faults and lacking virtue.
In the third year of Emperor Huidi Yuan Kang in September, locust plagues occurred in six counties including Daifang, and the leaves of the crops were completely devoured.
In the first year of Yongning, in July, the three provinces of Liangzhou, Yizhou, and Liangzhou were all plagued by locusts. At this time, Prince Qi Jiong was in power, and this was a manifestation of his greed and cruelty. In October, locusts ravaged crops in places such as Nan'an, Baxi, Jiangyang, Taiyuan, Xinxing, and Beihai, with as much as fifty to sixty percent of the crops destroyed. In December, six more counties experienced locust plagues.
In the ninth year of Emperor Han Wudi's Taikang, strange occurrences of dead cows speaking were reported in the north of Youzhou, signifying that a disaster related to cattle was on the horizon. At that time, the emperor was ill and constantly worried about what would happen after his death, but when it came to entrusting matters to others, he did not act fairly and justly, a sign of his incompetence and the ensuing chaos. As the philosopher Shi Kuang said, "When resentment and anger spread among the people, unexplainable phenomena will emerge." This is consistent with what Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" says, "Slaughtering the innocent will lead to the birth of monstrous cows."
During the reign of Emperor Hui of the Han, a man named Zhang Cheng was startled when his cow suddenly spoke, saying, "Chaos is coming, where do you think you're going on my back?" Zhang Cheng was terrified and hurried back home. Soon after, his dog barked, "Why are you back so soon?" Not long after, the cow actually stood up and walked on two legs! Zhang Cheng quickly consulted a fortune teller, who predicted, "There will be a civil war, and the disaster will not be limited to one household." Sure enough, that year Zhang Chang led a rebellion, attacking Jiangxia first, where Zhang Cheng was a general. Consequently, chaos ensued across five provinces, and Zhang Cheng's family was wiped out. Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" states, "Cows speaking can predict good or bad outcomes based on what they say." The "Yi Meng Qi Shu" also says, "If a ruler mistreats scholars and instead adorns horses with luxurious decorations and feeds dogs and wolves human food, then all animals will speak." At that time, the emperor and the feudal lords showed little regard for the people's welfare, thus fulfilling these omens.
In July of the first year of Emperor Yuan's Jianwu era, a cow at the Chen Gate of Jinling gave birth to a calf, which astonishingly had two heads and one body! Jingfang's "Yi Zhuan" states: "When a cow gives birth to a calf with two heads and one body, it is a sign that the world will split apart!" At that time, Emperor Min was besieged in Pingyang and was later killed by the Hu. Emperor Yuan declared himself emperor in Jiangdong, and indeed the world was split in two, fulfilling this omen.
In the first year of the Tai Xing era, a cow belonging to Wang Liang, the governor of Wuchang, gave birth to an even more bizarre calf, with two heads, eight legs, and two tails sharing a single belly; it died three years later. There was also another cow that had only one leg but three tails, which also died at birth. Sima Biao said, "Two-headed cows symbolize that power is in private hands, where there is no distinction between ranks." Jingfang's "Yi Zhuan" states: "Those with many legs cannot bear heavy responsibilities; those with few legs lack capability." Later, Wang Dun and others caused chaos in the regime, and this omen was also fulfilled.
In December of the fourth year, the cow designated for sacrifice died. Liu Xiang explained in "Spring and Autumn" that the death of the sacrificial cow signifies that the rulers are incompetent and corrupt, thus heaven does not accept their sacrifices. The grand plans of Emperor Yuan's restoration were actually orchestrated by Wang Dao. However, Liu Wei ingratiated himself with the emperor and gained his favor, while Wang Dao was pushed aside, which exemplifies the calamity of incompetence and corruption.
In May of the second year of Emperor Cheng's Xianhe era, a cow belonging to the Hu Jun family gave birth to a calf with two heads and six legs. In that winter, Su Jun rebelled. Seven years later, a cow belonging to Yuan Rong, a man from Jiude, again gave birth to a calf with two heads, eight legs, and two tails sharing a single belly.
Huan Xuan was in Jingzhou at that time, going to visit the governor Yin Zhongkan. When he arrived at He Cave, he met an old man driving an oddly shaped green ox. Without saying a word, Huan Xuan exchanged his own ox for the old man's. Riding the green ox to Lingling Jingxi, the ox ran at a great speed, and when it stopped to drink water, it ran straight into the river and disappeared. Huan Xuan sent people to search for a long time but could not find any trace of the ox. Later, Huan Xuan was defeated in battle and killed.
In the second year of Liu Bei's Zhangwu era in Shu Han, he went on an eastern expedition. In February, he set out from Zigui and camped at Yidao. In June, a yellow mist appeared in Zigui, stretching for more than ten miles and several dozen feet wide. Over ten days later, Liu Bei was defeated by Lu Yi, which coincidentally aligned with the appearance of the yellow mist.
In the Zhengshi era of Wei, the King of Zhongshan, Zhou Nan, became the county magistrate of Xiangyi. A mouse ran out of the hole and said, "Zhou Nan, you will die on a certain day!" Zhou Nan ignored it, and the mouse went back into the hole. On that day, the mouse came out again wearing a hat and black clothes, saying, "Zhou Nan, you will die at noon today!" Zhou Nan still ignored it, and the mouse went back into the hole. After a while, the mouse came out again and repeated the same thing. As noon approached, the mouse came out several times, repeating the same thing. At noon, the mouse said, "Zhou Nan, if you ignore me, what else can I say!" Then, the mouse performed a somersault and died, its hat and clothes falling off. Upon closer inspection, it was no different from an ordinary mouse. Ban Gu's book says that this was a sign of Huang Xiang. At that time, Cao Shuang was in power, and there was fierce competition among them, which is why the mouse came out to cause trouble.
In the twelfth month of the fourth year of the Yuankang era of Emperor Hui, a thick fog pervaded. The emperor was then confused and incompetent, and the government affairs were not decided by himself, leading to the occurrence of such strange phenomena.
In the eighth month of the fourth year of the Taixing era of Emperor Yuan, yellow mist pervaded everywhere, clouding the sky with dust.
In October of the first year of Yongchang, there was heavy fog in the capital city, with black fog rising straight into the sky, obscuring the sun. In the first month of the first year of Taining, yellow fog spread everywhere. In February, yellow fog spread everywhere again. At that time, Wang Dun was in power, and the conspiracy to rebel grew increasingly serious. In the seventh year of Yonghe, in March, a strong wind blew in Liangzhou, blowing down all the trees, and yellow fog mixed with dust fell. At that time, Zhang Chonghua believed slander and demoted Xie Ai to be the governor of Jiuquan, and the people he appointed were all ill-suited. As a result, Xie Ai died nine years later, and his son was also killed, which fulfilled the earlier omens. Jing Fang in the "Book of Changes Commentary" said: "Not accepting good advice is ignorance; the appearance of yellow anomalies will lead to disaster, ultimately leading to the extinction of descendants. Yellow refers to the yellow, murky air pervading the world, obscuring talents, cutting off the right path, leading to destruction." On a certain day in February 373 AD, yellow fog enveloped the sky. At that time, Daozi held all the power and used treacherous and evil people, causing chaos in the court. On a certain day in October 402 AD, yellow fog covered the sky again, gloomy and completely dry. At this time, Huan Xuan was plotting rebellion. In November 408 AD and November 410 AD, there were two occurrences of heavy fog. At that time, the court was weak, ministers had significant power, and the military and land were largely out of the emperor’s control, all of which were bad omens. Liu Xiang said: "Earthquakes occur when there are problems with the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth." Boyang Fu also said: "The workings of heaven and earth follow their own rules. If the rules are disrupted, chaos will ensue. When Yang energy is suppressed and cannot emerge, while Yin energy overwhelms, earthquakes will occur."
In the year 223 AD, the Jiangdong region experienced a series of earthquakes. At that time, Sun Quan was granted a title by the Wei Kingdom, becoming the Grand General and King of Wu, changing the era name, and consolidating power while neglecting to reform the governance. Jing Fang said in the "Yi Zhuan": "Even if the ministers do things right, if the power is too great, earthquakes will definitely occur. Earthquakes, in water are waves, in trees are shaking, on houses are tiles falling. If the court's policies are distorted, and ministers have too much power, this is a manifestation of dark forces, which will lead to earthquakes that shake the court. If the court's policies are distorted and ministers do not listen, this is the disruption of negative energy, which will cause earthquakes, shake mountains, and bring forth springs. If an unvirtuous heir monopolizes power, it goes against the natural order, which will cause earthquakes, shake hills, and bring forth springs." Liu Xiang also said: "When subordinates have strong power, they will cause trouble; this is a sign of chaos to come!"
In November of 234 AD, an earthquake occurred in the capital; the tremors originated from the east, and faint noises could be heard, causing the tiles on the roof to shake off.
In June of 235 AD, another earthquake occurred in the capital. That autumn, Wu's general Zhu Ran besieged Jiangxia, but was driven back by Jingzhou's Inspector, Hu Zhi. Additionally, Gongsun Yuan rebelled, proclaimed himself King of Yan, changed the era name, and established officials. The following year, he was defeated.
In May of 238 AD, an earthquake occurred in Jiangdong.
In January of 239 AD, another earthquake occurred. At that time, Lv Yi was arrogant and oppressive. Bu Zhi submitted a memorial saying: "I have heard that the officials are being overly critical and trying to frame people everywhere to show their power; many innocent people have faced severe punishments, even the ministers cannot gain the emperor's trust. If this continues, how can the heavens and earth remain unchanged! Thus, the recurring earthquakes signal the ministers' abuse of power! I hope Your Majesty can seriously consider the reasoning behind this!" Ultimately, Lv Yi did meet his downfall.
In November of 241 AD, an earthquake occurred in Nan'an County. The following July, Nan'an County experienced another earthquake. Later that December, Wei County also experienced an earthquake. Then in February of 244 AD, Nan'an County had a third earthquake. At that time, Cao Shuang had consolidated power and relocated the Empress Dowager to Yongning Palace, and the Empress Dowager and the Emperor tearfully bid farewell. These successive earthquakes were likely a warning from heaven.
In February of 248 AD, an earthquake also occurred in the Jiangdong region. At that time, Sun Quan was swayed by slander, leading him to dismiss Zhu Ju and depose the Crown Prince.
In 263 AD, an earthquake occurred in the Shu Kingdom. At that time, the eunuch Huang Hao wielded significant power. Sima Biao remarked, "Eunuchs lack masculine energy, just like women." Huang Hao's rule resembled that of the Han Emperor He. That winter, the Shu Han dynasty fell.
In April of 274 AD, an earthquake occurred. That winter, the Di and Qiang tribes rebelled in Xinping. The following year, Sun Hao sent a large army to Wukou. In June of 277 AD, another earthquake occurred.
In August of 276 AD, earthquakes struck Henan, Hedong, and Pingyang. In June of 278 AD, earthquakes struck Yinping and Guangwu, with another occurring later that day.
In February of 281 AD, earthquakes were reported in Huainan and Danyang. On the first day of the first month of 284 AD, the capital Luoyang experienced an earthquake. In July of 285 AD, an earthquake occurred. In July of 286 AD, earthquakes struck Nan'an and Jianwei; in August, another earthquake hit Jingzhao; in May, earthquakes were reported in Jian'an; in July, earthquakes occurred in Yinping; in August, earthquakes occurred in Danyang. In January of 287 AD, earthquakes were reported in Kuaiji, Danyang, and Wuxing; in April, eight regions, including Changsha and Nanhai, experienced earthquakes; from July to August, four more earthquakes occurred, three of which were thunderous; in September, Linhe experienced an earthquake, and there was another one in December; in the same December, Danyang experienced another earthquake.
In January of 289 AD, another earthquake occurred. From the time of Jia Chong to Yang Jun's administration, the Wei Dynasty's powerful officials formed factions, pursued personal gain, and controlled the court. In the later period of the Wei Dynasty, the officials they appointed became increasingly inept, all due to their defiance of the will of heaven, ultimately resulting in the country's demise.
In December of the year 291 AD, an earthquake occurred in Luoyang. That summer, Empress Jia instructed the King of Chu, Sima Wei, to kill the King of Runan, Sima Liang, and the Grand Tutor Wei Guan, which signified the weakening of yang and the strengthening of yin.
In February of the year 4 AD, earthquakes happened in places like Shanggu, Shangyong, and Liaodong. In May, the mountains in Shujun literally shifted! In Huainan and Shouchun, floods surged, mountains collapsed, and cities were destroyed. In August, there was another earthquake in Shanggu, with water gushing out, resulting in hundreds of deaths. In October, the capital Luoyang also experienced an earthquake. In November, places like Xingyang, Xiangcheng, Ruyin, Liangguo, and Nanyang all shook. In December, Luoyang experienced another earthquake. At that time, Empress Jia was abusing her power and the court was in disarray; these earthquakes were a sign of the damage she caused!
During the reign of Empress Dowager Deng of the Han Dynasty, earthquakes also occurred in various places. Li Gu analyzed, “The earth belongs to yin, and governing a country should be based on tranquility. Now, however, it goes against the properties of yin and exclusively enacts yang policies, which is why earthquakes happen.” This analysis aligns with later interpretations. The "Jingfang Yizhuan" also states, “When dishonorable individuals create chaos, disasters such as mountain collapses and earth fissures will occur, which signifies the overpowering of yin over yang, and the weak defeating the strong.” The book further states, “When yin betrays yang, there will be earth fissures and mountain collapses, fathers and sons will be separated, and minority groups will rebel.”
On Dingchou Day in May of the year 5 AD, there was an earthquake. In June, there was an earthquake in Jincheng. On Dingchou Day in the first month of the year 6 AD, there was an earthquake. On Bingchen Day in the first month of the year 8 AD, there was an earthquake.
In October of the first year of Tai'an, there was an earthquake. This earthquake signified the tyranny of King Qiao. On Bingchen Day in December of the year 2 AD, there was an earthquake. This earthquake signified the tyranny of King Changsha.
In October of the third year of Emperor Xiaohua's Yongjia reign, there were earthquakes in Jingzhou and Xiangzhou. At that time, Sima Yue held great power. In April of the fourth year, there was an earthquake in Yanzhou. In May, Shi Le attacked Jijun, captured the governor Hu Chong, and then crossed the Yellow River to march south; this could also be interpreted as a portent of disaster.
In the second year of the reign of Emperor Min, on the Jiachen day in April, there was an earthquake. In the third year, on the Dingmao day in June, Chang'an experienced another earthquake. At that time, the young emperor had no real power, which was held by others, and wars were breaking out everywhere; this earthquake was seen as a sign of impending chaos.
In the first year of Emperor Yuan's reign, in April, Xiping experienced an earthquake, and water gushed forth. In December, places like Luling, Yuzhang, Wuchang, and Xiling also experienced earthquakes, with water gushing out and mountains collapsing. Gan Bao interpreted this as a sign that Wang Dun was planning a rebellion.
On the Jichou day in May of the second year, there was an earthquake in Qishan, leading to the collapse of mountains and many fatalities. At that time, Chancellor Wang Bao was in Qishan, and some interpreted this as a sign that the Jin Wang would meet a grim fate. In the third year, on the Gengyin day in May, there were earthquakes again in Danyang, Wujun, and Jinling.
In the second year of Emperor Cheng's reign, in February, Jiangling experienced an earthquake. In March, there was an earthquake in Yizhou. On the Jiwai day in April, Yuzhang experienced an earthquake. That year, Su Jun rebelled. In the ninth year, on the Dingyou day in March, there was an earthquake in Kuaiji.
In the first year of Yonghe, on the Guihai day in June, there was an earthquake. At that time, the emperor was still young, and his mother was the regent, while real power was in the hands of the ministers, hence the continuous earthquakes. In the following October, there was another earthquake. In the third year, on the Bingchen day in January, there was an earthquake. In September, there was another earthquake. In the fourth year, on the Jiwai day in October, there was an earthquake.
In the fifth year, on the Gengyin day in January, there was an earthquake. At that time, Shi Jilong usurped the throne and claimed the title of emperor, which was another indication of the ongoing turmoil. In the ninth year, on the Dingyou day in August, there was an earthquake in the capital, and the tremor roared like thunder. In the tenth year, on the Dingmao day in January, there was an earthquake, the thunderous sound startling both domestic and wild chickens into a frenzy. In the eleventh year, there was an earthquake in April on the Yiyou day. In May, on the Dingwei day, there was another earthquake.
In the second year of Shengping, on the Xinyou day in November, there was an earthquake. In the fifth year, in August, there was an earthquake in Liangzhou. In the first year of Emperor Ai's reign, on the Jiaxu day in April, there was an earthquake. At that time, power lay with the generals and ministers, leaving the emperor as nothing more than a figurehead. In the first year of Xingning, on the Jiaxu day in April, there was an earthquake in Yangzhou, and lakes and rivers overflowed. In the second year, on the Gengyin day in February, there was an earthquake in Jiangling. During this period, Huan Wen wielded considerable power.
In the first month of the second year of the Tahe era of Haixi Gong, there was an earthquake in Liangzhou, and water gushed out. This was a precursor to the impending downfall of Haixi Gong. In October of the second year of Xian'an during Emperor Jianwen's reign, an earthquake struck Ancheng. The emperor passed away that year. In the tenth month of the first year of Ningkang of Emperor Xiaowu, there was an earthquake. In the second month of the following year, there was another earthquake. In the seventh month, there was another earthquake in Liangzhou, and the mountains crumbled. At that time, the emperor was still young, and power was in the hands of the generals, a sign of decline in the imperial power.
In the third month of the second year of Taiyuan, there was an earthquake. In the fifth month, there was another earthquake. In the sixth month of the eleventh year, there was an earthquake. Afterwards, the generals along the Yellow River fought for several years, causing hardships for the people, which was also a reason for the earthquakes. In the third month of the fifteenth year, there was an earthquake. In August, there was an earthquake in the capital. In the twelfth month, there was another earthquake. In the sixth month of the seventeenth year, there was an earthquake. In the twelfth month, there was another earthquake. At that time, the unscrupulous controlled the court, and the people were in fear. In the first month of the eighteenth year, there was an earthquake. In the night of the second month, there was another earthquake.
In the fourth month of the fourth year of Long'an of Emperor An, there was an earthquake. In the ninth month, there was another earthquake. At that time, the young emperor was still naive, and power was in the hands of the ministers.
On the night of January in 408, there was a powerful earthquake! In the tenth month of the same year, there was another earthquake! In the night of the first month of the year 409, there was an earthquake in Xunyang that sounded like thunder. The next year, Lu Xun's rebellion was quashed. In the year 412, from January to April, there were four earthquakes in a row in Nankang and Luling! In the following year, Wang Lu led troops to march west to Jingzhou and Yizhou. In the third month of the year 414, another earthquake struck!
In August of the year 240, the mountains of Dan Yang and Ju Rong in the Wu Kingdom, as well as those in Gu Zhang and Ning Guo, collapsed, and floods ravaged the land. As Liu Xiang noted: “Mountains represent Yang, symbolizing the ruler; water represents Yin, symbolizing the common people. This celestial phenomenon suggests that if the ruler is unfit, the common people will suffer!” During the Spring and Autumn period, Liang Mountain collapsed, and during the Han Dynasty, many mountains in Qi and Chu collapsed, causing great floods; this reflects the same principle. In ancient times, sacrificial sites during the Three Dynasties were not allowed to exceed the graves of their ancestors; fortunes and misfortunes all have their reasons. Although the Wu Kingdom proclaimed itself an empire, it was still a feudal state. The disaster in Dan Yang is a sign from heaven! Liu Xin also said: “The rise and fall of a nation is closely tied to its mountains and rivers; mountain collapses and river drying up are omens of a nation’s demise.” Two years later, Sun Quan died, and twenty-six years after that, the Wu Kingdom fell.
In February of the year 265, Taihang Mountain collapsed, which was an omen of the Wei Kingdom’s downfall! That winter, the Jin Dynasty unified the country.
In March of the year 275, on the Wu Wu day, Da Shi Mountain collapsed. In July of the following year, Tai Shan collapsed, sinking three li deep. Jing Fang said in the "Book of Changes": “A downward collapse is called a ‘collapse,’ which corresponds to the stones rolling down Tai Shan, indicating that the sage king has received the Mandate of Heaven, and the ruler is captured.” Later, the emperor passed away, the power of the royal family diminished, and Emperor Hui was weak and incompetent; Emperor Huai and Emperor Min were both captured in the north, and the country fell until Emperor Yuan revived it in the south. Didn’t this come true?
In May of the year 285, on the day of Bing Wu, the temple of Emperor Xuan collapsed. In October of the following year, Xinxing Mountain in Nan'an collapsed, releasing a lot of water. In February of the year 287, Zhu Ti’s Da Lu Mountain collapsed, damaging houses in the county, and the Yinping’s Qiu Chi Cliff also collapsed. In July of the year 288, there was heavy rain, and the ground in front of the palace collapsed, an area of five feet wide and several zhang deep, and remarkably, a broken ship was found in the collapsed area!
In the year 284 AD, there was a landslide in the Shu area, leading to many fatalities. On the ninth day of the fifth month, Shou Chun also experienced a landslide, along with flash floods, collapsed city walls, and the emergence of a thirty-zhang square pit, causing many deaths. In June, Shou Chun faced heavy thunderstorms, landslides, and cracks in the earth, burying many households, and Shangyong faced similar devastation. In August, the ground at Juyong Pass cracked open with a crevice thirty-six zhang wide and eighty-four zhang long, causing floods and leading to a severe famine. Landslides and cracks occurred throughout Shangyong, with crevices that were thirty zhang wide and one hundred thirty zhang long, resulting in many deaths from the flooding. These disasters were all retribution for the chaos caused by Empress Jia's misrule!
In April of the year 285 AD, there was a landslide in Xiyong.
In March of the year 307 AD, the ground in Buguanli northeast of Luoyang collapsed. Two years later, on the twenty-eighth day of August, the city walls of Juancheng inexplicably collapsed over seventy zhang, causing Sima Yue to feel that it was a bad omen, prompting him to move to Puyang. This was truly a calamity of both natural and human origins! Sima Yue later suffered misfortune due to damage to his tomb. On the twenty-seventh day of July in the year 308 AD, three places in Dangyang cracked open, with each crevice three zhang wide and over three hundred steps long. Jing Fang once said in the "Yi Zhuan": "When the earth cracks open, it is because the subjects have strayed from loyalty and righteousness, refusing to cooperate with each other!" Later, Sima Yue and Gou Xi had a falling out, with various feudal lords dispersing, leading to the downfall of the Western Jin Dynasty. In the same year in October, there was a landslide in Yidu Yidao; in April of the year 309 AD, Heishishan in Ling County, Xiangdong also collapsed.
In February of the year 318 AD, there were earthquakes and landslides in Luling, Yuzhang, Wuchang, and Xiyang. In the following year in May, Qishan experienced an earthquake and landslide, resulting in many deaths. In the year 320 AD, there was a landslide in Nanping Prefecture, revealing several thousand catties of realgar. At that time, Wang Dun was arrogant and overbearing, yet the emperor tolerated and indulged him, which was like raising a tiger to bring trouble! In August of the year 321 AD, Changshan collapsed, causing flooding, as the water of the Huluo River surged, toppling even large trees.
In October of the year 334 AD, the northwest cliff of Lushan Mountain in Chaisang collapsed. In December, Liu Yin was killed by Guo Mo.
In September of the year 349 AD, Junping Tomb and Chongyang Tomb both collapsed. In November of the twelfth year of the reign, the court sent Cavalry Attendant Che Guan to repair Junping Tomb, but while excavating the tomb passage, a landslide occurred, killing dozens of people.
In February of the year 357 AD, near the South Yamen Gate, a horse's hoof sank into the ground, revealing a bell with four characters engraved on it. (This part is not translated in the original text)
On the tenth day of April in the year 386 AD, Haowei Mountain collapsed, a sign of Zhang Tianxi's downfall.
In the year 402 AD, on the first day of March, the ground suddenly collapsed in the Shanyin area, with a width of four zhang, and the sound was thunderous. By the fifth day of May in the year 410 AD, the ground near the Ximing Gate also cracked, releasing a large amount of water that damaged the city gate and threshold. This suggested that flooding was causing issues with the land. Two years later, in May of the year 412 AD, Huoshan Mountain experienced a landslide, and six bronze bells were unexpectedly unearthed. Moving forward, in July of the year 414 AD, a thunderous noise was heard near the river in Chenggu County, Hanzhong, followed by the collapse of the river bank and the discovery of twelve bronze bells.
These strange events are not yet complete. In the year 300 AD, on a night in June of the ninth year of Emperor Huandi's Yuankang reign, a sudden heavy rain accompanied by loud thunder occurred. The pillars of Jia Mi's hall actually sank into the ground, directly pressing on his bed and canopy. This suggests that the wood had been affected by the earth's energy, and the land lost its bearing capacity. Strangely, the following year, Jia Mi was killed.
In May of the first year of Guangxi in the year 806 AD, the ground beneath Fanyang Country caught fire, and the fire was so intense it could be used for cooking! At that time, the world was in turmoil, the feudal lords acted independently, rituals and music fell into disarray, and wars continued. "Rituals, music, and warfare all stemmed from the feudal lords!"
The book says that if the emperor cannot achieve moderation and peace, the country will not stand, and the consequences will be severe; the punishment will manifest as prolonged rain, and the national strength will weaken. Sometimes there will be monsters wreaking havoc, sometimes there will be disasters in the form of dragons and serpents, sometimes there will be calamities involving rampaging warhorses, sometimes there will be instances of rebellion among subordinates, and sometimes the sun, moon, and stars may behave erratically. If the emperor cannot achieve moderation and peace, the country cannot be stabilized. Here, "emperor" refers to the emperor, "extreme" refers to moderation, and "establish" refers to establishing. The emperor's words, actions, thoughts, feelings, and overall demeanor have all deviated, and if he cannot achieve moderation and peace, he cannot govern the country, because his faults stem from being biased and erratic, which leads to such sins. The emperor should follow the natural order of heaven and earth, just as clouds rise from the mountains, eventually filling the sky; if the celestial order is disrupted, it will lead to prolonged rain, which is also "if the upper leadership does not achieve moderation, the lower levels will become strong, clouding the ruler's judgment." The I Ching states: "A dragon that overreaches will come to regret it, attaining greatness but losing authority, while the wise man may find himself in a lowly position and lose backing." This means that if the emperor cannot achieve moderation, he will lose the support of his subjects and ultimately become very weak.
In the heat of midsummer, yang energy rises swiftly, so in ancient times, a grand archery ceremony was held in spring to align with the rising yang energy. If the emperor is inept and feeble, subordinates will rebel, resulting in chaos from demons and monsters. The Book of Changes says, "Clouds follow the dragon," and also states, "The dragon and the snake lie dormant to preserve themselves." With the dominance of yin energy, disasters akin to dragons and snakes will arise. In the Book of Changes, the hexagram "Qian" represents the king and also the horse. If there is excessive reliance on military force, the king's authority will be undermined, resulting in disasters such as losing control of warhorses. Some say that due to the large number of warhorses dying, they turned into demons and monsters. If the emperor is inept and feeble, he will lose the people's trust, and heaven will forsake him. Without a wise king to eliminate treacherous officials, rebellions will occur among the subordinates. Ultimately, if the king acts immorally, it will impact celestial phenomena. The text does not explicitly claim that an imbalance of the five elements results in natural disasters, but rather mentions "the sun and moon in disarray, the stars in retrograde." This is because the lower class dares not directly attribute disasters to heaven, just as in the "Spring and Autumn Annals" where it says "the king's army suffered a defeat at Maorong," avoiding directly stating defeat but using "suffered a defeat" euphemistically, which reflects respect. Liu Xin in the "Imperial Chronicles" said that the events below stem from those above, also referring to the rebellion of subordinates, where divine retribution has already been decreed, and it can no longer be called an illness. During the reign of Sun Liang, in the third year of Taiping, a stretch of continuous rain and gloom commenced in August, with no rain for over forty days. At that time, Sun Liang was preparing to execute Sun Chen, but the plot was exposed. On the day of Wuyu in September, Sun Chen led troops to surround the imperial palace, deposing Sun Liang and installing him as the King of Kuaiji, which served as punishment for the extended period of rain and gloom.
When Sun Hao was in power, in December of the first year of the Bao Ding era, the astronomers reported that the sky had been gloomy for a long time without rain, fearing that something bad might happen. Upon hearing this, Sun Hao was terrified. At that time, Lu Kai and others planned to remove him during a sacrificial ceremony. When they set out, they had Liu Ping lead the charge, and Lu Kai had informed Liu Ping of the plan in advance, but Liu Ping disagreed, so the plan failed. Sun Hao was a very cruel person, and those beneath him were all thinking of rebellion, which ultimately led to the downfall of the Wu state.
Deng Zhi, the charioteer general of Shu, went to Fuling to fight and saw a black ape on the mountain, so he shot it with an arrow. The black ape pulled out the arrow and used leaves to stop the wound. Deng Zhi said, "Ah, I have violated the laws of nature; I might be doomed!" Shortly after saying this, he died. This is what you call shooting a monster! Some say the black ape was a mother with her child, and Deng Zhi shot the child, who pulled out the arrow and used leaves to stop the wound. Deng Zhi sighed and threw his crossbow into the water, realizing his fate was sealed.
When Jin's Emperor Jing was the Prince of Langya, he had a penchant for peculiar games and once locked a horse in a room, letting people shoot at it to see how many arrows it would take to kill it. Someone nearby advised, "The horse is a symbol of the royal family! Shooting it now is inauspicious!" They stopped, but by then, the horse had already been hit with over ten arrows. You could also call this shooting a monster! Shortly after, he abdicated in favor of Emperor Wu of Song.
In the first month of the first year of Wei Mingdi, a blue dragon appeared in Mobei Well in Ji County. Generally speaking, if an auspicious sign appears at the wrong time, it turns into an evil omen, especially when it's stuck in a well. This is not a good sign! Wei changed its era name because of this, but it didn’t make much difference. Gan Bao said: "From the reign of Wei Mingdi to the downfall of the Wei Dynasty, the appearances of blue and yellow dragons were all signs of the rise and fall of Wei. Wei's destiny is associated with wood, represented by blue, but it can't withstand gold. When the yellow dragon appears and the blue dragon vanishes, it symbolizes the replacement of blue by yellow. The frequent appearances of blue dragons indicate internal conflict within Wei's fate. Therefore, Noble Duke Xiang ultimately met his demise." Liu Xiang's interpretation was that the dragon is a symbol of nobility, but being trapped in a well indicates that the feudal lords will face imprisonment and disaster. During the Wei Dynasty, dragons always appeared in wells, which was a sign of rulers oppressing the people. The "Hidden Dragon Poem" by Noble Duke Xiang reflects this idea. In the first month of the first year of Noble Duke Xiang, a yellow dragon appeared in a well in Ye City. In the first month of the first year of Ganlu, a blue dragon appeared in a well in Zhi County; in the sixth month, a blue dragon appeared in a well in Yuancheng County. In the second month of the second year, a blue dragon appeared in a well in Wen County. In the third year, both yellow and blue dragons appeared in wells in Dunqiu, Guanjun, and Yangxia counties. In the first month of the fourth year, a yellow dragon appeared twice in wells in Ningling County. During these years, blue and yellow dragons often showed up in wells across different regions, which is quite an extraordinary omen! Who knows if the heavens are trying to tell us something? In the twelfth month of the first year of Emperor Yuan, a yellow dragon appeared in a well in Huayin County; in the second month of the third year, a dragon appeared in a well in Zhi County. During Emperor Yuan's reign, dragons appeared in wells; it seems these dragons really like well water.
During the reign of Sun Hao in the Wu Kingdom, a dragon offspring was born in a well in Changsha, and it even fed on chicks! Jing Fang's "Yi Yao" states: "When the dragon's milk is in a household, the ruler becomes a commoner." Later, Sun Hao was indeed destroyed by the Jin state. The birth of this dragon offspring surprisingly foretold that the emperor would become a commoner! This truly confirmed the ancient saying.
In the second year of the Xian Ning era during Emperor Wu's reign, on the day of Bing Wu in June, two white dragons appeared in a well at Jiu Yuan.
During the Xian Ning era, the appearance of double dragons was indeed a continuous auspicious sign!
In the fifth year of the Tai Kang era, on the day of Gui Mao in the first month, two dragons appeared in the armory's well. When the emperor saw this, he was overjoyed and prepared to celebrate grandly. However, Minister Liu Yi opposed, saying, "Dragons appeared in the courtyard during the Xia Dynasty, and later the Zhou Dynasty encountered troubles; when dragons appeared at the gates of Zheng, Zi Chan did not celebrate." The emperor said, "My benevolent rule has not yet been established, and I am not qualified to enjoy such auspicious signs." Thus, he did not celebrate. Sun Sheng remarked, "Dragons are creatures of water; what do they have to do with humans? Zi Chan is right! If dragons appear in the wrong place, it is a sign of calamity. Dragons appearing is auspicious only when they fly in the sky; lurking in a well is not a good omen." In the second year of Emperor Hui's reign, two dragons appeared in a well in Lanling. "Ben Zhi" states that this was a precursor to the death of King Zhao. The armory is a place where the emperor stores weapons, a grim location; how could dragons possibly be there? Seven years later, the feudal kings began to kill each other, and twenty-eight years later, indeed two people with the surname Long rebelled and usurped power. This dragon truly fulfilled the prophecy.
The appearance of double dragons in the armory, however, foretold internal strife and usurpation, which is truly chilling to think about!
In the second year of the Jian Xing era during Emperor Min's reign, in November, a courtesan of the Fan Han Qiang ethnic group gave birth to a dragon child, its color resembling brocade, often fed with breast milk, and it could be seen radiating divine light, rarely visible to anyone. This was also a result of the emperor's incompetence, and later Emperor Min indeed lost his kingdom.
The birth of this dragon child was unexpectedly a precursor to the fall of the nation, truly confirming the saying, "When a nation is about to perish, there must be monstrous omens!"
In the late years of Emperor Lü Zuan, a dragon emerged from the well in the east wing, coiled in front of the palace, and disappeared the next morning. Shortly after, another black dragon flew onto the palace gate. Lü Zuan thought this was a good omen. Some people remarked, "Dragons are yin creatures, and their appearances follow a certain temporal pattern. Now they are appearing one after another; surely someone is planning a rebellion." Later, Lü Zuan was indeed killed by Lü Chao. This Lü Zuan truly thought he was clever, insisting on interpreting the appearance of the dragon as a good omen, but ended up being killed. It truly reflects the saying "misfortune and fortune are intertwined"!
During the Xian Ning period of Emperor Wu of the Western Jin Dynasty, two large snakes appeared in the residence of the Minister of Education, each over ten zhang in length, living on the beams of the office building without anyone noticing. For several years, the residence kept losing children and livestock. Later, one of the snakes came out at night, got injured and couldn't escape; only then were they discovered. The people in the residence joined forces to kill the snakes, but it took a while to finally kill them. The residence of the Minister of Education is a place in charge of education; this indicates that the court's governance is failing, hence such strange incidents occurred. During the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, snakes also appeared in the palace. Yang Ci said this was caused by the emperor's obsession with women. During the Wei and Jin periods, there were particularly many women in the palace, especially in the Yan state, indulging in pleasure; this is simply retribution. The Book of Songs says, "Only vipers and snakes are the auspicious signs of women," this is the reason behind it.
In the fifth year of Emperor Hui of the Western Jin Dynasty, on the day of Guisi in the third month, a large snake over ten zhang long appeared in Linzi, carrying two small snakes. It entered the city through the north gate, passed directly through the market, entered the Han Jing King's shrine, and then disappeared. This serves as a warning from the heavens! Although Han Jing King had made great achievements in the past, he did not pay attention to maintaining virtue and caution, and in the end, lost his position and achievements. The current Qi King Jiong has also failed to learn from this lesson; although he also made achievements, he became proud and arrogant, attracting disasters. This is a sign!
During the reign of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a large snake appeared in Wuchang, residing in a hollow tree within an ancient temple, frequently emerging to be fed by passersby. Jing Fang said in "Yi Yao": "When snakes appear in the city, within three years there will be a large-scale war and the country will face great disasters." Not long after this ominous sign, Wang Dun rebelled.
In the first year of Emperor Wu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a horse with three-inch-long horns located beneath its ears appeared in Liaodong. According to Liu Xiang, "This is a sign of military disaster." Later, after the emperor's death, the imperial family indeed faced military calamities, fulfilling this omen. Jing Fang said in "Yi Zhuan": "When courtiers oppress the emperor and the politics are not smooth, strange things like horses growing horns will appear, indicating a lack of virtuous talents!" He also said: "When the emperor takes the field himself, horses will grow horns." "Lu's Spring and Autumn" also stated: "When the ruler loses virtue, horses will grow horns." When Emperor Hui ascended the throne, he was incompetent and personally led troops to Chengdu to suppress the rebellion, all of which came to pass!
In the twelfth month of the eighth year of Emperor Hui of the Western Jin Dynasty, the crown prince was to hold a sacrificial ceremony. The Grand Tutor, Prince Zhao Lun, went by carriage to the ceremony. When they reached the south gate, the horse suddenly stopped, and several people couldn't push it forward. Prince Zhao Lun had to get off the carriage and ride a smaller one to continue. This was a portent of disaster brought by the horse! It was a warning from heaven that Zhao Lun lacked understanding of what it means to be human and would eventually rebel, as he was not fit to teach others etiquette.
On the day of Wu Yin in the eleventh month, a chestnut horse suddenly ran in panic to the interrogation hall of the Ministry of Justice, let out a mournful cry before collapsing. It seemed like heaven was warning us, pitying those who died unjustly! The Ministry of Justice interrogation hall, could this be the will of heaven?!
In the sixth year of Yongjia, in February, a divine horse neighed at the southern city gate. In the second year of Jianxing, in September, a strange event occurred in Puzixian where a horse gave birth to a creature resembling a human. Jing Fang mentioned in the "Book of Changes": "When the emperor passes away and the feudal lords attack each other, strange phenomena such as horses giving birth to humans will appear." At that time, the royal family was in decline and in a precarious state, with the Hu and Di people continuously invading, and the flames of war drawing closer. Not long after, the emperor fell, which resulted in these strange phenomena.
In the second year of Taixing, an official from Danyang named Pu Yangyan had a horse that gave birth to a two-headed foal, which was split at the neck and died at birth. Sima Biao explained: "This signifies that power is held by private individuals, a portent of the two-headed horse." Later, Wang Dun indeed rebelled, his power directly threatening the court.
On the eighth day of the fifth month in the eighth year of Xiankang, a horse appeared, as red as blood, running straight from Xuanyang Gate to the palace front, circling around the palace and then running out again. Everyone chased after it, but it vanished. On the day of Jimao, the emperor fell ill. In June, the emperor passed away. This horse was a portent of disaster and also an ominous sign due to its red color. In the same year, Zhang Chonghua in Liangzhou was set to execute Zhang Xiang, the governor of Xihe, when dozens of horses in his stable unexpectedly all gave birth to tailless foals at the same time.
In the tenth month of the fourth year of Long'an, a strange event occurred in Liangzhou when a horse grew horns. The Inspector Guo Quan reported this to Huan Xuan. According to Liu Xiang, horses should not grow horns, just as Huan Xuan should not rebel. Huan Xuan ignored the advice and ultimately faced a disgraceful end.
When Shi Jilong was in Ye City, a horse's tail was burned. It entered through the Zhongyang Gate and exited through the Xianyang Gate. The people of the Eastern Palace were unable to enter, and it ran toward the northeast, disappearing shortly after. The sorcerer Fotucheng sighed, saying, "Disaster is coming!" More than a year later, Shi Jilong died, and his state perished as well.
In the Huangchu period, the mother of Song Shizong from Qinghe transformed into a turtle and submerged herself in the water.
In the year 237 AD, a farmer's daughter named Qiu Xi died and was revived; this took place in the territory governed by Cao Xiu. At that time, another event occurred: someone excavated the tomb of a certain noble from the Zhou dynasty and discovered a woman buried with him. After a few days, she unexpectedly began to breathe, and although she still couldn't speak months later, Empress Dowager Guo took her in. There was also an incident in Taiyuan where someone dug a grave and opened a coffin, only to find a living woman inside! When asked what happened, she herself was unclear, but according to the inscription on the tombstone, she had likely lived for about thirty years. The "Jingfang Yizhuan" states: “The deepest yin transforms into yang, and the lower rises to the upper,” which is a sign of the rise of Emperor Xuan of Han! Similar events occurred during the reign of Han Emperor Ping and Han Emperor Xian, and people at the time believed this was an omen of the rise of Wang Mang and Cao Cao.
In 261 AD, in Anwu County, a man named Chen Jiao was revived seven days after his death, emerging from his grave. Gan Bao said, “This is reminiscent of the incident involving Emperor Xuan of Han; it is an auspicious sign for the heir of the deposed emperor's family, the Marquis of Wucheng, Hao, to inherit and gain the world.”
In 265 AD, in Danyang, a man named Xuan Qian had an eighty-year-old mother who turned into a large soft-shelled turtle during a bath. Xuan Qian and his brothers quickly closed the door to protect their mother. They dug a large pit in the main room and filled it with water, and the large turtle went in to swim, constantly stretching its neck to look outside for a day or two. When they cracked the door open, the turtle turned around and jumped out by itself, swimming away to a distant pool and never returning. This incident was reminiscent of the tale of Huang's mother during Emperor Ling's reign and was an omen of the fall of the Wu kingdom.
In August 264 AD, in Xiangwu County, someone reported seeing a giant more than three zhang tall, with footprints measuring over three feet in length, white hair, wearing a yellow headscarf and yellow robe, leaning on a walking stick and calling out the name "Wang Shi," exclaiming, "Now peace is at hand!" Later, the Jin dynasty replaced the Wei dynasty.
In 271 AD, in Yuancheng, a seventy-year-old man grew horns. This was probably an omen of Zhao Wang Lun's usurpation.
In December of the year 276 AD, Yan Ji, a man from Langye, passed away due to illness. His coffin had been buried for quite some time, but his family all dreamt that Yan Ji said to them, "I am going to be resurrected, quickly open the coffin!" So his family opened the coffin, and Yan Ji slowly regained the ability to eat, move his limbs, and see things, but he was still unable to walk or speak. After two years, he died again. The "Jing Fang Yi Zhuan" said, "To the yin as yang, the lower person as the upper, the demon-like person dies and is revived." Later, Liu Yuanhai and Shi Le rebelled, ultimately overthrowing the Jin Dynasty, fulfilling the prophecy of "the lower person as the upper."
During the Yuan Kang period of Emperor Hui of Jin, there was a woman named Zhou Shining in Anfeng who gradually became more masculine starting at the age of eight, and by the age of seventeen or eighteen, her demeanor had completely changed to that of a man. The "Jing Fang Yi Zhuan" said, "A woman turns into a husband, this is called the rise of yin, a lowly person becoming a king." This was also a premonition of the chaos caused by Liu Yuanhai and Shi Le.
During the Yongning period, Prince Qi Jiong raised an army under the guise of supporting the rightful emperor, executed traitors and rebels, and restored the emperor to the throne, enjoying great success. But during this time, a woman ran to the gate of the Grand Marshal's Mansion, requesting to leave her baby there, saying, "I will leave after giving birth." At that time, everyone credited Prince Qi Jiong for his efforts to support the royal family, but some discerning individuals foreboded trouble. Indeed, Prince Qi Jiong was later killed.
On the day of Jiazi in December of the first year of Yongning, an old man with white hair burst into Prince Qi Jiong's Grand Marshal's Mansion, shouting loudly, "There is a rebellion about to happen, within ten days!" Prince Qi Jiong had him killed. As a result, on the day of Wuchen in December of the following year, Prince Qi Jiong was defeated, exactly ten days after the day of Jiazi.
In the fourth month of the first year of Tai'an, on the day of Guiyou, a person claimed to have entered the palace via Longmen, bowed twice in front of the palace facing north, and said, "I should be the Chief of the Secretariat." After speaking, he was arrested and killed. Gan Bao believed, "The imperial palace is so heavily guarded, yet this person could easily break in without the guards noticing. This indicates that the palace is destined to become empty, a sign of the emergence of evil where lower class people will surpass the upper class." Later, the emperor moved north to Ye City, ultimately leaving the imperial palace deserted.
During the Yuankang period, there was a woman from the Liang kingdom who was betrothed to a man and had already received the bride price. However, not long after, her husband went to guard the border in Chang'an and did not return for several years. The woman's family then betrothed her to someone else. The woman did not want to marry, but her parents pressured her into it, leading her to marry, only to die shortly afterward. When her husband returned and inquired about his wife's whereabouts, her family told him what had happened. He ran to her grave, grief-stricken, and dug up her grave, only to find his wife alive. They then returned home together. When the ex-husband found out, he went to the authorities, but they found it difficult to reach a decision. The Secretariat Wang Dao suggested, "This is an extremely rare occurrence that cannot be judged by common sense. She should be returned to her ex-husband." The court accepted his suggestion.
During the reign of Emperor Hui, a maid from the Du Xi family died and was not buried together due to some oversight. Ten years later, when the grave was reopened for a joint burial, the maid was found to be alive! At first, she appeared to be asleep, but gradually woke up and said she felt like she had only slept for two days. She was around 15 or 16 years old when buried and looked the same age when the grave was reopened. She later married and had children.
In the first year of Guangxi, a man named Xie Zhen in Kuaiji fathered a child with an unusually large head, hair, feet pointing upwards, and possessing both male and female physical characteristics. The child made male sounds when born and died a day later. This suggests that the emperor has lost his virtue, and the signs of the lower class rising against the upper class have begun to manifest, indicating signs of rebellion and chaos among the princes.
During the reign of Emperor Hui, there were people in the capital city of Luoyang who had both male and female genitalia and could engage in sexual relations with both men and women, showing particularly wild behavior. This was a sign of great chaos! Starting from the years of Xian Ning and Tai Kang, male favorites became prevalent, even more so than the affection for women. High officials and nobles took pride in having male favorites, and people across the nation began to imitate this, leading to marital discord and widespread resentment. Thus, the natural order between men and women was thrown into chaos, resulting in the rise of demons and monsters.
In the first year of the Yongjia era under Emperor Huai, a maid named Wan Xiang from Wu County in Wu Commandery gave birth to a strange child with a bird-like head, legs that looked like hooves, only one hand, no hair, and a tail the size of a pillow. This too was a sign of great chaos! In May of the fifth year, a prostitute of the county magistrate Yan Gen in Fenghan gave birth to a dragon, a daughter, and a goose. The "Yizhuan" by Jing Fang states: "The birth of creatures is a sign that great turmoil is about to occur in the world." At that time, the emperor succeeded Emperor Hui's throne, and chaos broke out, eventually leading to his murder by the Hu people in Pingyang—this was truly a bad omen!
In the fourth year of the Jianxing era under Emperor Min, the wife of an official named Ren Qiao from Xincai County gave birth to two daughters whose abdomens and hearts were joined together, separated above the chest and below the navel. This was a truly bizarre occurrence! At that time, the Minister of State Lü Si submitted a report saying: "According to the records in the 'Rui Ying Tu', plants with different roots that grow together are called lianli zhi, and wheat ears from different fields that grow together are called jiahe. Even strange plant and tree phenomena are seen as good omens. Now, these two girls are united in heart and body; the 'I Ching' states, 'When two people share the same heart, their strength can cut through metal.' This is a good sign that the people are united in heart and spirit!" Everyone laughed at him back then. Soon after, the world descended into chaos, and the emperor also died.
In the early years of Emperor Yuan's Tai Xing, there was a woman with her genitals located in her abdomen, below her navel. She came from the Central Plains to Jiangdong, had a promiscuous nature, but could not bear children. There was also another woman whose genitals were on her head, at the Yangzhou ferry, who was also sexually provocative. In Jing Fang's "Yi Yao," it is said: "If a person’s child has genitals on their head, the world will be in great chaos; if they are in the abdomen, there will be great events; if on the back, there will be a severing of the world." At that time, Wang Dun occupied the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and was preparing to rebel, which was seen as a portent. In December of the third year, the wife of Minister Zou Xie Ping gave birth to a daughter, who made a "bi bi" sound as she was born and died shortly after. Her nose and eyes were on top of her head, her face resembled a neck, her mouth had teeth, all connected together, her chest resembled a turtle, and her hands and feet had claws like bird claws, all bent downwards. This was also an unnatural being born, an unprecedented strange occurrence. Two years later, the Battle of Shitou occurred.
In the second year of Emperor Ming's Tai Ning, in July, the wife of Ji, Marquis of Jiangning in Danyang, died and came back to life three days later.
In April of the year 340, a man named Wang He from Xia Pi moved to Ji Yang. His daughter, twenty years old, claimed to have come down from heaven and returned to life, also saying she had received a seal and jade seal from heaven, and would one day become the mother of the world. The governor of Jinling thought she was a monster and arrested her. By November, a person carrying a staff made of zhi wood and dressed in a crimson robe came to the palace gate, claiming to be a sage sent to meet the emperor. The gate guards recorded his testimony; this person said his surname was Lü and his name was Ci, and also claimed that seven stars were beneath the sole of Wang He’s daughter's right foot.
In October of the year 374 AD, General Wei's camp was under inspection when his soldiers discovered a woman at Chendu Nütai with the words "Mother of the World" inscribed on her feet. The writing became even clearer after moxibustion. The news caused a stir in the capital, and the authorities captured the woman and reported her to the emperor. Not long after, she escaped from a prison in Jiankang County. The following year, the emperor passed away, and the Empress Dowager assumed control of the government, fulfilling the previous omens.
Around the year 373 AD, in Nanzhongzhou, there was a woman named Tang who gradually transformed into a man.
In the year 405 AD, there was a person named Zhao in Wuxi who, at the age of eight, suddenly grew to eight feet tall and developed a beard overnight, only to die three days later.
During the period of Yi Xie, a family surnamed Mo in Dongyang had a daughter who was not raised and was buried for several days. However, cries of a baby were heard coming from the ground, and she was excavated and subsequently raised.
In the later period of the Yi Xie era, in a place called Er Yang Dao in Yuzhang, it was said that people repeatedly reincarnated.
In the year 412 AD, there was a place called Yang Dao in Jian'an where a headless person was discovered, who later returned to normal, originally possessing a female body.
