On a day in the first month of 233 AD, a blue dragon appeared in the Mobei Well in Jia County. This was a strange occurrence! Generally speaking, if an auspicious sign appears at the wrong time, it is considered a bad omen. Furthermore, the fact that the blue dragon was trapped in the well was not a good sign. As a result, the Wei Dynasty changed its era name, which was an inappropriate response. Gan Bao said: "From the beginning of Emperor Ming of Wei to the fall of the Wei Dynasty, the appearance of blue and yellow dragons is related to the rise and fall of the Wei Dynasty emperors. The fortune of the Wei Dynasty belongs to wood, its color being blue, but wood restrains metal, so it cannot compete with metal. The appearance of the yellow dragon and the disappearance of the blue dragon signify the blue dragon's decline and the yellow dragon's rise. The frequent appearance of the blue dragon indicates that there are internal contradictions within the Wei Dynasty's fortune, with rulers attacking one another. Therefore, Gao Guixiang Gong eventually met his downfall in battle." Liu Xiang also said that the dragon, a precious symbol, being trapped in a well foreshadows impending disasters of imprisonment for the princes. Throughout the Wei Dynasty, dragons always appeared in wells, which was a sign of rulers suppressing and plotting against each other. Gao Guixiang Gong's poem "Hidden Dragon" expresses this idea. In the year 256 AD, on a day in October, a yellow dragon appeared in a well in Ye City. In the year 260 AD, on a day in the first month, a blue dragon appeared in a well in Zhixian. In June, a blue dragon appeared in a well in Yuancheng County. In February of the year 261 AD, a blue dragon appeared in a well in Wen County. In the year 262 AD, both a yellow dragon and a blue dragon appeared in wells in Dunqiu, Guanjun, and Yangxia counties. In January of the year 263 AD, a yellow dragon appeared twice in a well in Ningling County. In December of the year 264 AD, a yellow dragon appeared in a well in Huayin County. In February of the year 266 AD, a dragon appeared in a well in Zhixian. During the reign of Sun Hao of the Wu Dynasty, a dragon unexpectedly laid eggs in the homes of ordinary people in Changsha and even devoured some chicks! Jing Fang said in "Yi Yao": "When a dragon lays eggs in the homes of ordinary people, it signifies that the ruler will fall to the level of commoners." Eventually, Sun Hao was indeed overthrown by the Jin Dynasty. In the year 276 AD, on a day in June, two white dragons were spotted in a well in Jiuyuan.
In the fifth year of Taikang, on the Gengmao day of the first month, two dragons appeared in the well of the armory. When the emperor saw this, he looked pleased. All the officials were ready to congratulate, but only Liu Yi spoke up: "In the past, when dragons appeared in the courtyard of the Xia Dynasty, it led to the downfall of the Zhou Dynasty; when dragons appeared at the city gate of the capital of the Zheng State, Zichan did not congratulate." The emperor replied, "I haven't fully implemented my virtuous rule, and I cannot bear the responsibility of accepting auspicious signs." So he chose not to congratulate. Sun Sheng said, "Dragons are aquatic creatures; what does that have to do with us! Zichan is right. But the place where the dragon appeared is troubling; it’s actually a bad omen. Dragons appear as auspicious signs when they fly, but now they're lurking in dark places, which is not a good sign."
In the second year of Emperor Hui of Han, two dragons appeared in a well in Lanling, and some people believed that this was a precursor to the death of Prince Zhao. The armory is where the emperor kept his weapons, a tall and secretive building, not where dragons should be. Seven years later, the princes started turning on each other; twenty-eight years later, two men with the surname Long indeed seized the throne. These two rebels both surnamed Long, and this omen came true.
In the second year of Jianxing of Emperor Min, in the eleventh month, a Qiang tribal prostitute in Fanghan gave birth to a dragon son, with a brocade-like pattern, often nursing, and emanating a strange light from his body that could be seen from afar, which few people could see. This was also a result of the emperor's failure to govern with virtue, so Emperor Min eventually perished.
In the late years of Emperor Lv Zuan, a dragon came out of the well in the east wing and lay in front of his palace, but was gone the next morning. Soon after, a black dragon flew up to his palace gate. Lv Zuan thought this was a good omen. Some said, "Dragons are yin creatures, appearing at their own time; now they're showing up one after another, someone's definitely plotting a rebellion." Eventually, Lv Zuan was killed by Lv Chao.
During Emperor Wu's reign in the Xian Ning period, two large snakes appeared in the Minister's office, each more than ten zhang long, living on the beams of the hall where officials listened to reports, without anyone knowing. For several years, children, pigs, and dogs frequently went missing from the manor. Later, one of the snakes came out at night and was injured by someone, unable to move, which finally led to its discovery. After a while, they managed to kill it. The Minister of Education is in charge of education; this was due to the emperor's neglect of virtuous governance, which resulted in the emergence of these monstrous snakes. During Emperor Ling of Han's reign, a snake appeared on the imperial throne, and Yang Ci claimed this was a result of the emperor's indulgence in women. During the Wei and Jin dynasties, there were many palace maids, and it became even worse in the Yan state, where the emperor was obsessed with pleasure; this is a sign of calamity. The Book of Songs states, "Only the viper and the snake, a sign of women."
On March 23, 300 AD, a large snake appeared in the city of Linzi, over ten zhang long, accompanied by two small snakes, entering the city through the north gate, passing through the market, and directly into the temple of King Jing of Han, before disappearing. This was a heavenly warning! Just like the former King Jing of Han, who, despite his significant achievements, neglected self-cultivation and ended up losing his official position and his merits. Now King Qiang of Qi is in the same situation; although he has also made contributions, he is arrogant and invites disaster, which serves as a bad omen!
In 317 AD, during Emperor Ming's reign in the Tai Ning period, a large snake appeared in Wuchang, living in a hollow tree of an old shrine, often sticking its head out to be fed by locals. Jing Fang stated in "Yi Yao": "When a snake appears in the city, within three years there will be widespread warfare, and the nation will face great disasters." Not long after, Wang Dun staged a rebellion.
In the year 326 AD, the first year of Emperor Wudi's Taixi era, a horse with long horns appeared in Liaodong, with horns three inches long, growing just below its ears. According to the records of Liu Xiang, it was said to be "a sign of war." Later, after the emperor's death, the royal family was deeply affected by the chaos of war, which fulfilled the prophecy! Jing Fang said in the "Book of Changes": "If the ministers oppress the monarch and politics are in disarray, strange occurrences like horses growing horns will appear, which indicates a shortage of virtuous scholars!" He also said: "If the emperor personally goes to battle, horses will grow horns." The "Lushi Chunqiu" also stated: "When the monarch loses virtue, horses will grow horns." After Emperor Hui ascended the throne and proved to be inept, he personally went to battle in Chengdu, fulfilling these prophecies!
In the year 308 AD, in December, the crown prince was to hold a sacrificial ceremony, and the Grand Tutor, Prince Zhaowang Lun, went by chariot. When they reached the south gate, the horse suddenly stopped, and despite the strong efforts of the men, it could not be moved. Wang Lun had to switch to a lighter carriage to continue. This was a calamity brought on by the horse! The heavens were warning: Wang Lun did not understand the ways of proper conduct and would eventually rebel, as he was not a person who taught proper etiquette!
In the year 309 AD, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, a chestnut horse suddenly ran in panic to the Magistrate's office, let out a mournful cry, and died. This served as a warning from the heavens: a sign of a tragic death of a wronged soul! The horse's dash to the Magistrate's office was a divine message!
In the year 311 AD, in February, a celestial horse neighed at the south gate.
In the year 318 AD, in September, a horse gave birth to a human in Puzi County. Jing Fang said in the "Book of Changes": "When the emperor dies, the nobles will fight each other, leading to a horse giving birth to a human." At that time, the royal family was in decline, facing imminent danger, with the Xiongnu and Di people constantly invading, and the flames of war drawing closer each day. Soon, the emperor fell, and this strange occurrence appeared.
In the year 329 AD, in Danyang Commandery, an official named Puyang Yan had a horse that bore a two-headed foal, that split from its neck and died shortly after birth. Sima Biao said: "This signifies that hidden motives lurk within the family, and a two-headed horse is a sign of this." Ultimately, Wang Dun did indeed rebel.
In the year 342 AD, one day in May, a blood-red horse appeared, running straight from Xuan Yang Gate to the front of the palace, circling around the palace before running off, and no one could catch up. In a few days, the emperor fell ill and died in June. This blood-red horse was an omen of disaster. In the same year, Zhang Chonghua in Liangzhou wanted to kill Zhang Xiang, the Prefect of Xihe, and all the horses in his stable gave birth to tailless foals simultaneously.
In October of the year 398 AD, a horse with long horns appeared in Liangzhou, and the governor Guo Quan reported this to Huan Xuan. Checking the records of Liu Xiang, it was said in the book that horses should not have horns, just like Huan Xuan should not have rebelled. Huan Xuan did not listen and met with downfall.
When Shi Le was in Ye City, there was a horse whose tail looked burnt, entering from one gate of the palace and exiting from another, and the people from the East Palace were unable to enter. The horse ran off to the northeast and disappeared shortly thereafter. The fortune teller Fotu Cheng sighed and said, "Disaster is coming!" The following year, Shi Le died, and his kingdom fell.
During the reign of Emperor Wen of Wei in the Huangchu era, the mother of Song Shizong from Qinghe turned into a turtle and slipped into the water.
In the year 263 AD, a peasant woman named Qiu Xi, who was under Cao Xiu, died and came back to life. At that time, there was also an incident where someone dug open the tomb of an emperor from the Zhou dynasty and found a woman who had been buried with him. A few days later, she began to breathe, and though she couldn’t speak for several months, Empress Dowager Guo adopted her. In another incident in Taiyuan, someone opened a tomb and found a living woman inside a coffin. When asked what had happened, she didn’t know either, but according to the inscription on the tombstone, she had been buried for thirty years already. According to Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan," the book states, "The transformation of Yin energy into Yang energy, a person in a lower position can rise to a higher position." This was seen as a sign of Emperor Xuan's rise to power. Both Emperor Ping of Han and Emperor Xian of Han encountered such strange incidents, at that time, everyone believed it indicated that Wang Mang and Cao Cao were plotting to usurp the throne.
In the year 261 AD, Chen Jiao from Anwu County died and came back to life seven days after his death, climbing out of his grave. Gan Bao said, "This resembles the case of Emperor Xuan of Han; it is an auspicious sign that the Marquis of Wucheng, Hao, inherited the family business of the deposed emperor and obtained the imperial throne."
In the first year of the Baoding reign under the rule of Sun Hao, there was a man named Xuan Qian in Danyang. When his mother turned eighty years old, she suddenly transformed into a giant soft-shelled turtle while bathing. Xuan Qian and his brother quickly closed the door to protect their mother. They dug a large pit above the hall, filled it with water, and the giant soft-shelled turtle went in to swim. It would always stretch its neck out to look outside for one or two days. As soon as the door opened even a crack, it would immediately turn over and jump out, running to a distant pond and never returning. This is reminiscent of the incident involving Huang's mother during the reign of Emperor Ling of Han; both are signs of the imminent downfall of the country.
In the second year of the Xianxi reign of Emperor Yuan of Wei, in August, there were reports of a giant man in Xiangwu County, over three zhang (approximately ten meters) tall, with footprints measuring three chi and two cun long, white hair, wearing a yellow headscarf and a single garment, leaning on a cane, shouting loudly, "Peace is coming now!" Shortly after, the Jin Dynasty replaced the Wei Dynasty.
In the fifth year of the Taishi reign of Emperor Wu of Jin, a seventy-year-old man in Yuancheng grew horns. This is likely another sign of Zhao Wang Lun usurping power and seizing the throne.
In the twelfth month of the second year of the Xianning reign, a man named Yan Ji in Langye died of illness, and his coffin had been buried for a long time. However, his family dreamed that Yan Ji spoke to them, saying, "I am going to come back to life; quickly open the coffin!" So the family opened the coffin, and Yan Ji slowly began to eat, move his limbs, and see things, but he was unable to walk or speak. Two years later, he died again. Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" says, "The extreme yin turns into extreme yang; lower-class people turn into higher-class people, and this kind of strange event is when people die and come back to life." Later, Liu Yuanhai and Shi Le rebelled, ultimately overthrowing the Jin Dynasty, which seems to validate the prophecy of "lower-class people becoming higher-class people," doesn't it?
During the reign of Emperor Hui in the Yuan Kang period, there lived a girl named Zhou Shining in Anfeng. At the age of eight, she gradually transformed into a boy, and by the age of seventeen or eighteen, she had fully adopted a masculine personality. Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" states: "When a woman becomes a man, this phenomenon is referred to as 'yin sheng,' and a humble person becomes a king." This also foreshadowed the rise of Liu Yuanhai and Shi Le, who would sweep across the land, signaling great chaos in the world!
At the beginning of the Yongning period, Prince Qi Jiong rushed to the gate of the Grand Marshal's Mansion, requesting to leave her baby there. When the gatekeeper asked her what was happening, she said, "I will leave after giving birth." At that time, Prince Qi Jiong was instrumental in restoring the emperor's rule, and everyone attributed it to him. However, those who were perceptive believed he harbored ulterior motives, and eventually, Prince Qi Jiong was killed.
On the Jiazi day of the first year of Yongning, an old man with white hair burst into Prince Qi Jiong's Grand Marshal's Mansion and shouted loudly, "There will be a rebellion by a large army within ten days!" Prince Qi Jiong ordered his execution. On the Wuchen day of the second year, Prince Qi Jiong was defeated, exactly ten days after Jiazi.
On the Guixu day in the fourth month of the first year of Taian, a man who came from nowhere unexpectedly burst into the imperial palace through Longmen, entered the main hall, bowed to the emperor, and shamelessly declared, "I should be the Minister of the Palace!" Consequently, he was swiftly executed. Gan Bao remarked on this incident: "The imperial palace was heavily guarded, yet this person managed to swagger in without being noticed by the guards. This signifies a portentous sign of chaos, where the palace will be left vacant!" Later, the emperor indeed moved the capital to Ye City and then to Chang'an, and the imperial palace ultimately stood empty.
During the Yuan Kang era, there was a woman in the Liang Kingdom who was promised to a man and had already received the betrothal gifts. However, the groom went to Chang'an to serve in the military and did not return for several years. The woman's family was arranged to marry another man. The woman was unwilling, but her parents forced her to marry, and she had no choice but to go. Not long after, she fell ill and died. Later, her original fiancé returned, inquiring about her whereabouts, and her family told him what had happened. He rushed to the woman's grave, heartbroken, and actually dug up the tomb, only to find that the woman had astonishingly come back to life! They both returned home together. Later, her current husband learned of this and went to the authorities to report the matter, but the officials were at a loss as to how to proceed. Secretary Wang Dao stepped forward and remarked, "This matter is too special to be judged by common reasoning; she should be returned to her original fiancé." The court accepted his suggestion.
During the reign of Emperor Hui, a maidservant in the family of Du Xi died, and for various reasons, she was not buried in time. Ten years later, the family opened the grave to prepare for a joint burial, only to find that the maidservant was still alive! At first, she seemed to be in a deep sleep, and after a while, she slowly woke up. When asked what had happened, she said she felt like she had only slept for two days. The maidservant was just fifteen or sixteen at the time of her burial, and ten years later, she still looked like she was fifteen or sixteen; later, she even got married and had children.
In the first year of Guangxi, a man named Xie Zhen in Kuaiji had a child with an unusually large head, who was born with a full head of hair, and whose feet were turned upward. The child even had both male and female reproductive organs and emitted the voice of an adult male, but passed away just a day later. This indicated the decline of imperial authority and the uprising of the lower classes against the elite, which later led to various princes rising in revolt.
During the reign of Emperor Hui, a hermaphrodite appeared in the Jingluo region who could engage in intimate relations with both men and women and displayed highly lascivious behavior. This was a sign of the chaos of the times. Starting from the years of Xian Ning and Tai Kang, male favorites became prevalent, even surpassing the love for women, and high-ranking officials and nobles vied to imitate this, leading to marital discord and growing resentment. As a result, the balance of male and female energies became chaotic, giving rise to various monsters and anomalies.
In the first year of the Yongjia era under Emperor Huai, in Wu County, Wu Prefecture, there was a maid named Wan Xiang who gave birth to a child with a bird's head, horse's hooves, a single hand, no hair, and a yellow tail about the size of a pillow. This was also a monstrous anomaly and a symbol of chaos in the world.
Five years earlier, in May, the concubine of Yan Gen, the county magistrate of Fohan County, gave birth to a strange creature: a dragon, a girl, and a goose. Jing Fang mentioned in the "Book of Changes": "When a person gives birth to something non-human, it is a sign that great chaos will occur in the world." At that time, the emperor had succeeded to the throne from Emperor Hui, and the world was in turmoil. Not long after, he was defeated by Pingyang and was killed by the Hu people, which truly fulfilled Jing Fang's prediction.
In the fourth year of the Jianxing era of Emperor Min, a woman named Ren Qiao, the wife of an official from Xincai County, gave birth to a pair of twin girls whose bellies and hearts were connected. They were separated above the chest and below the navel, an unprecedented phenomenon! At that time, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Lü Si, declared: "The 'Book of Auspicious Omens' records that trees with branches intertwined are called 'lianli zhi', and rice ears growing from the same root are called 'jiahe'. These extraordinary phenomena of plants are all auspicious signs. Now these two girls are of one heart and one body; the 'Book of Changes' states, 'Two people with one heart can cut through gold,' which is indeed a sign of peace in the world!" At that time, everyone thought his words were too absurd, and soon after, the world fell into chaos, and the emperor was doomed.
During the Tai Xing era of Emperor Yuan, there was a woman whose genitals grew on her belly, below the navel. She ran from the Central Plains to Jiangdong, was promiscuous and unable to bear children. There was another woman whose genitals grew on her head, who lived in Yangzhou and was also promiscuous. Jing Fang noted in the "Book of Monsters": "When a child is born with genitals on the head, the world will descend into great chaos; if they are on the belly, troubles will arise; if they are on the back, the world will face extinction." At that time, Wang Dun occupied the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and was preparing to rebel, which indeed confirmed Jing Fang's prediction!
In the twelfth month of the third year, Zou Xieping, the Minister of Works, had a daughter. When the child was born, she let out a "thump thump" sound and died shortly after. Her nose and eyes were on the top of her head, her face was like her neck, her mouth was filled with interconnected teeth, her chest was like a turtle shell, and her hands and feet had claws like bird claws, all bent downwards. This was truly an unprecedented phenomenon! Two years later, the Stone Rebellion occurred.
In the seventh month of the second year of the Tianing reign of Emperor Ming, the wife of Ji Shi, the Marquis of Jiangning, died and came back to life three days later.
In the fourth month of the fifth year of the Xiankang reign of Emperor Cheng, a man named Wang from Xiapi and residing in Ji Yang had a daughter named Ke, who was about twenty years old. She claimed to be from heaven and had received a seal from the Heavenly Emperor to become the mother of the world. The Prefect of Jinling believed she was a demon and had her arrested. In November, a man arrived at the palace gate with a staff made of zhu wood, wearing crimson clothes, claiming to be an envoy sent by a sage to see the emperor. When the gatekeepers inquired about his name, he said his name was Lv Ci and mentioned that there were seven stars under Ke's right foot, each with fur, seven inches long, and that she was destined to be the mother of the world. After this was reported, both Lv Ci and Wang's daughter Ke were executed.
In October of the year 420 AD, the Commandant of the Guard at the time, Guo Wang, discovered a strange phenomenon at the Chen Du Female Platform: there were words "Mother of the World" written on a woman's foot! When they tried moxibustion, the words became even clearer. This news spread to the capital, causing a great commotion, and the relevant departments arrested her and reported to the court. However, she soon escaped from the prison in Jiankang County. The following year, Emperor Kang died, and the Empress Dowager began to rule, which was truly an ill omen!
In the year 417 AD, during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu, there was a woman named Tang living in Nanjun Prefecture who gradually transformed into a man!
In the year 411 AD, there was a man named Zhao Wei in Wuxi, who was only eight years old at the time. Suddenly, he grew to a height of eight feet and grew a beard, looking like an adult man, and died three days later. During the Yixi period (405-418 AD), a family in Dongyang had a daughter born with the surname Mo. They did not keep her and buried her for several days. Unexpectedly, the sound of a baby crying could be heard from the ground! They dug her up and raised her. Towards the end of the Yixi period, in Yuzhang Wuping, there was a place known as Er Yang Dao, where twins were often born. In the year 465 AD, in Jian'an, there was a person named Yang Dao who was born headless! Later, her body developed normally and she eventually took on the appearance of a woman.
