It is said that auspicious signs have been noted since ancient times, kept in the Golden Coffer Stone Chamber. The prophecies and records about auspicious signs have never been properly organized before. The appearance of these auspicious signs is closely related to the rise and fall of dynasties, predicting the destiny and prosperity or decline of these dynasties. Throughout the ages, from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to later emperors, their rise and fall, glory and disgrace, are all intricately linked to the appearance of these auspicious signs. For example, the rise of the Zhou Dynasty was accompanied by the auspicious sign of the red bird; the founding of the Han Dynasty had the omen of the carved clouds and divine spirits; the revival of Emperor Guangwu also had the appearance of the imperial symbol; and there are corresponding records of auspicious signs during the Wei and Jin periods, all of which are detailed in historical records, though they are now considered ancient history. The establishment of the Qi Dynasty also referenced the precedent of the Shang Dynasty. Huangmen Lang Su Yan authored "Records of the Holy Emperor's Auspicious Signs," and during the Yongming period, Yu Wen wrote "Auspicious Signs Illustration." Many similar records are scattered throughout historical texts. Now I will organize these records and make a record of them.
In the "Laozi Heluo Prophecy," it states: "In the forty-nine years of the seventh seven, the water disaster will come to an end, the wind and clouds will meet, and the dragon and unicorn will appear." The Song Dynasty represents water virtue, starting from the fourteenth year of Yixi, until the third year of Shengming, a total of seventy-seven years, hence it is called "seven seven" years. The "Book of Changes" says: "Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger." Guan Yinzi also said: "The dragon doesn't even know how it rides the wind and clouds to ascend to the heavens."
The prophecy also says: "The vegetation flourishes, virtuous and literary people will enter officialdom, govern the land of Wu, and establish the capital in Southern Xu Province, known as Jingkou." "Shang" refers to the emperor's surname and given name.
The prophecy also says: "Construct roads and bridges, block the dragon abyss, eliminate water disasters, and dredge mountains and rivers." "Building roads and bridges" refers to roads; blocking the dragon abyss metaphorically refers to the completion of road construction. The surname "Taizu" is also concealed within. "Eliminating water disasters" refers to overcoming the challenges faced by the Song Dynasty.
The prophecy also says: "The upper part corresponds with the first star of the Southern Dipper, and the lower part is a thatched cottage representing the Purple Palace. On the hill of the divine dragon, a parasol tree grows, and the phoenix spreads its wings, flying and chirping." The "first star of the Southern Dipper" refers to the land of Wu. "Thatched cottage" refers to the Xiao surname, which also resembles the Xiao wind instrument and the shape of a phoenix's wings.
The prophecy also says: "Two outstanding figures will emerge from the Xiao surname, bringing peace to the world." The "two outstanding figures" refer to the character "主" (zhǔ).
The prophecy concludes: "Where is the emperor? He is encamped in the grass." The character "宿" can also mean "肃."
In the "Book of Documents - Yiming Chapter," it is mentioned: "A benevolent person, whose power is symbolized by the character '角,' pronounced as '于.'" Su Yan explains: "Xiao is the '角' surname. Moreover, the Xiao wind instrument is included among the eight traditional musical instruments." This means that benevolent individuals and scholars who hold power are prominent like horns, and the surname Xiao sounds like the character '于' and is related to the musical instrument 'xiao.'
Historical records state that He Zhen, a Grand Master of the Guanglu during the Jin Dynasty, believed that the sound and meaning of the character '于' is the character '曹,' referring to the Cao surname. Wang Yin in the "Book of Jin" mentioned: "The sound '于' of the metal element is also the Cao surname." The chapters in "Yiming" are not organized in a specific order, and both of these explanations have been mentioned before, but it is unclear how Su Yan deduced this.
In the "Xiaojing Gouming Jue," it is said: "Who will rise up? Look at their names and you will know." "君" refers to the collective group, and "理物为雄" means the one who can govern the world, with a ranking of superiority and inferiority, waiting for the opportunity to rise. "将" is a name taboo associated with the founding emperor. When General Xiao Sihua saw this, he said, "This is the avoidance of our family!" This passage means that to see who will become a leader, simply look at their names. The character "将" is a name taboo associated with the founding emperor, which Xiao Sihua recognized.
In the song written by Prince Nian, it sings: "After the golden sword rules the world, it becomes bitter instead. The emperor is incompetent, angering the heavens, and disasters frequently occur to warn the monarch. The world is divided into three parts, with two rebellions resulting in the loss of many provinces and territories. Three kings, with one in the land of Jiujiang under the state of Wu, the others are still young and have become orphans early on, a country with two emperors, all arranged by the heavens." "Golden sword" refers to the Liu family, "three parts, two rebellions" refers to the period of Emperor Song Ming, "three kings, Jiujiang" refers to the rise of Emperor Xiaowu in Jiujiang; although Prince Xun of Jin did not succeed, he also became emperor, and later Liu Yu established his dominance in Jiujiang, these three are the "three kings." "One in Wu" refers to the homeland of the Qi family in Wu, using Wu as a base. "One country, two rulers" refers to the opportunity seized by the founding emperor Liu Yu, driving out the enemies for the Song dynasty. This song reflects the turbulent times before Liu Yu's rise and the establishment of the Song dynasty.
The song also sings: "With three crops flourishing and trees abundant, golden swords and sharp blades unite to cut." "Cut" means to remove. As stated in the Book of Songs: "Indeed, the beginning is to cut down Shang." This suggests that Liu Yu, much like a golden sword, eliminated the previous powers.
The song also sings: "To discern his surname, observe the solemn grass and trees; the smallest in the valley bows its head and matures, with scales and armor, destined to be forever prosperous and thriving." "Valley" refers to the road, "mature" means mature, also avoiding taboo. The founding emperor had dragon-like scales on his body, initially thought to be moles, but they became more prominent after being treated. Fuxi also had scales. This passage metaphorically hints at Liu Yu's surname and characteristics.
In "Jin Xiong Ji," it says: "The knife forged from melted gold resides within the dragon, and the one who divines in their dreams must rise." It also states: "There will be a solemn atmosphere entering the grass and trees again." The word "Xiao." In the "Book of Changes," it says: "The sage created it." "Jin Xiong Ji" further states: "The grass gate is in a sorry state; the establishment of the title will fail, and the tides of change will swell." In the "Book of Songs," it mentions "not always," referring to timing; "not successful," referring to success; "establishing the name," referring to the establishment of the reign title; and "easy operation," referring to the change of dynasty. This passage foretells the rise and fall of the Xiao clan, as well as the reform of dynastic change.
It is said that there is a prophecy; the original text is: "King Wen of Zhou received the heavenly mandate, fifteen hundred years, the sage emerged from the rivers, received the mandate in the year of Jiwei, until Bingzi for eighteen weeks. Traveling through six counties in the southeast corner, four countries will be stable and long-lasting." If you calculate from the time when the Zhou Dynasty overthrew the Shang Dynasty to the first year of Jianyuan, it is exactly seven hundred and eighty years plus forty-nine years (Qin Dynasty) plus four hundred and twenty-five years (Han Dynasty) plus forty-five years (Wei Dynasty) plus one hundred and fifty years (Jin Dynasty) plus sixty years (Song Dynasty), a total of one thousand five hundred and nine years, which is similar to the "fifteen hundred years" in the prophecy.
In Wujin County, Pengshan, there used to be a tomb in that place, surrounded by undulating mountains stretching for hundreds of miles. There were often colorful auspicious clouds on the mountain, and even dragons appeared! Emperor Song Ming felt this was very ominous, so he sent Gao Lingwen, who was knowledgeable in feng shui, to take a look. Gao Lingwen had a good relationship with the emperor at the time, and when he returned, he fooled the emperor by saying, "This tomb is merely that of a local official." But privately he told the emperor, "This tomb, in the future, will produce an extraordinary figure!" The emperor remained uneasy, so he had people hunt around the tomb and used long, thick iron nails measuring five or six feet to surround the tomb, trying to suppress the feng shui of the tomb in this way. Later, when Taizu became emperor, he changed the emblem of the tomb, and as a result, the pillar unexpectedly roared like a dragon, shaking the valley, and the locals found it truly miraculous.
In Kuaiji County, there exists a stone mountain with inscriptions, but the characters were unknown to everyone. In the late years of the Shengming era, a villager named Erxi went hunting on the mountain and accidentally discovered inscriptions on the stone, three in total, all covered in moss and unreadable. After cleaning the moss, he found the inscription on the large stone: "This is the place where Huang Gong's aura is transmitted." Another standing stone was inscribed with: "Huang Tianxing, surname Xiao, awarded the title of virtuous general, bringing peace to the realm." There was also a small stone with the inscription: "Who was the carver of the stone? It was Li Si from the southern mountains of Kuaiji who carved the seal of Qin Wangzhi."
In Yizhou, there is a mountain called Qihou, and the locals did not know how this name came about. In the third year of Shengming, a monk named Xuanchang built a temple on the mountain, and coincidentally, it was the same day the founding emperor abdicated.
On Mount Songgao, in the fourth month of the third year of Shengming, a man named Yin Wu from Xingyang witnessed a stone falling from the sky into a stream on the southern side of the mountain. The stone cracked open upon landing, revealing a jade seal that was three inches square. The seal was inscribed with: "The person of Wuding is in accord with the Dao, solemnly entering the grass to heed the celestial omen." It also said: "The emperor's fortunes are rising." Yin Wu hastily presented the jade seal to the governor of Yongzhou, Xiao Chifu, who subsequently reported it to the court.
Historical records state: Historically, officials in Lintao cast bronze figures, but when Dong Zhuo rose to power, the bronze figures were destroyed. Dong Zhuo's appearance caused chaos in the world; chaos led to Dong Zhuo's death. This seems quite similar! In the late Jin Dynasty, thirty-two jade bi discs were unearthed on Mount Song, and the Song Dynasty regarded this as a heavenly sign. Now, a jade seal has been unearthed on Mount Song, but the rule of the Song Dynasty is in decline. The signs, from beginning to end, are remarkably similar.
In the fourth year of the Yuanhui era, Taizu (Xiao Daocheng) returned from the southern suburbs after offering sacrifices, and the person observing the celestial phenomena, Chen Anbao, saw an auspicious yellow and purple aura rising straight into the sky from Taizu's body. Chen Anbao told his relative Wang Hongfan, "When I was young, I never saw such a fine complexion on any soldier!"
When Taizu was seventeen years old, he dreamed of riding a green dragon chasing the sun to the west. The sun was about to set when he finally stopped, and he woke up feeling very scared. His family consulted a fortune teller who said, "This is a sign that you will become a nobleman!" Su Yan said, "Green is the color of wood, and the sun was about to set, which signifies that the Song Dynasty's fate was nearing its end."
In the seventh year of the Taishi era, Emperor Ming sent the former Huainan Governor, Sun Fengbo, to Huaiyin to oversee the Yuanhui meeting. Sun Fengbo and Taizu slept in the same room and both dreamed of riding a dragon flying into the sky but unable to hold onto the dragon's foot. Upon waking up, Sun Fengbo said to Taizu, "Yanzhou (now southeastern Shandong province) is going to be a good place to shelter the people, but you missed it." Sun Fengbo later died in the Song Dynasty.
Cui Lingyun from Qinghe was appointed as a military officer at the Imperial Court. He dreamed that the Emperor of Heaven told him, "Xiao Daocheng is my nineteenth son, and I bestowed the title of emperor upon him last year." From the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to those appointed as rulers during the Qi Dynasty, there were nineteen people.
During the Taishi era of the Song Dynasty, a nursery rhyme said, "The emperor will come from the east city," which led Emperor Ming to execute Prince Xiuren. Su Yan said, "Later, Emperor Shundi ascended from the east city, and some say this is the fulfillment of the nursery rhyme, but it actually refers to the east city in Wujin County where he lived." Xiong Xiang said, "The emperor's hometown used to have a main road, said to have been walked by Qin Shihuang, called 'Emperor's Road,' and later became the emperor's hometown." Historical records comment that Emperor Shundi should have actually been enthroned, just like Emperor Huai and Emperor Min of the Jin Dynasty, as there were also signs. The Qi Dynasty did not tour various places, so the name of this road may have originated from the Qin Dynasty, but this claim is uncertain.
When he was thirteen, he had a dream that he was completely covered in hair, with hair growing all the way down to his toes. He also dreamed that someone pointed at his feet and said, "This is the land of King Wen of Zhou." Then he dreamed of flying in the air and wearing clothes made of peacock feathers. Yu Wen remarked, "The peacock represents nobility." Later, he dreamed of a phoenix flying down from the sky and landing in front of his Qingxi residence in Xiangyang, with wings spread wide, measuring over ten zhang, and purple clouds underneath. When he arrived in Xiangyang, he dreamed of wearing wooden clogs and walking up the steps of the Taiji Hall. Yu Wen explained, "Clogs represent wood." You see, the character for 'mulberry' consists of forty plus two dots; he became emperor after he was over forty, isn't wearing wooden clogs a representation of wood? Wooden clogs have two teeth; they make noise, suggesting that his ascent to the throne in his forties was indeed a significant reality.
While in Yingzhou, he dreamed of someone flying down from the sky, holding a pen and drawing on both sides of his coat, then flying away without saying a word. Yu Wen explained, "Drawing refers to mountain dragons and floral insects." These were all dreams foretelling an extraordinary destiny!
In the seventeenth year of Song Yuanjia, on the night of the sixth month, he was born. Strangely, there was no fire that night; a maid just gently blew on the ashes, and the fire lit itself.
When he was a musician in Nankang County, the band only had string instruments, no wind instruments, yet suddenly the sound of a flute suddenly resonated in the air, perfectly complementing the string instruments.
When he served as the magistrate of Guangxing, the river at the foot of the hills had dried up from the drought, and boats could not pass. Just as the army was approaching, the river suddenly flooded. Yu Wen said, "This aligns perfectly with the saying 'beneficial to cross the great river' from the Book of Changes!"
While stationed in Pocheng, the city lacked water, so he planned to dig wells to channel river water into the city. After digging a few wells, he unexpectedly discovered nine underground springs, which gushed forth with water.
In April of the first year of the Jianyuan era, someone reported to the court: "Dai Jingduo, the county magistrate of Yanling, mentioned that there were originally two springs in the temple he managed. The temple priest said that recently, the well to the north suddenly produced a sound like metal and stone. When they dug it open, they found a boiling spring after digging down three feet. The well to the east also suddenly made a clanging sound, and after digging it open, they also discovered a boiling spring, with water surging like waves. In the spring, a silver wooden tablet was found, one foot long and two inches wide, with faint characters engraved on it: 'Lu Shan Daoist Zhang Ling pays his respects to the court.' This wooden tablet is hard and white, with yellow characters." According to the "Ruiying Map": "The Langjing Well forms on its own; when the king is peaceful, then the immortals are in charge." The "Kong Shi Shi Lu" also states: "Ye Jingdi is the Dao; Kong Shuming is clever; it should be Zhang Ling." Song Jun explained: "Zhang Ling assisted in the Fengshan ceremony. Some also claim that Zhang Ling is an immortal." In the year 483 AD, Taizu suddenly noticed waves surging in the pond in front of the fasting hall in his residence in Qingxi; the water surged like a mountain's waves and made a sound like metal and stone. Soon after, a green dragon emerged from the pond, and everyone saw it. In the year 485 AD, the green dragon was sighted in Qijun. In the year 488 AD, the green dragon appeared in Pingquan Lake in Shunyang County. In the year 491 AD, the yellow dragon was spotted in Huangchi in Qujiang County, remaining for a day and a night. In the year 496 AD, the mountain was enveloped in clouds and mist, and after a while, a dragon over ten feet long, adorned in black and yellow, appeared, flying up to the sky from the northwest.
During the Taishi years of the Song Dynasty, a strange creature appeared in the old cemetery of Wujin, having a single horn, a sheep's head, dragon wings, and horse legs. The village elders all witnessed it, but no one could identify what it was. In 494 AD, a unicorn featuring a qilin's head, a deer-like body, and colors reminiscent of a dragon and a phoenix was presented by Poyang Commandery. In 495 AD, a nine-headed white elephant appeared in Wuchang.
Historical records indicate that the Book of Documents states that when the emperor possesses noble virtue, qilins, phoenixes, tortoises, and dragons will appear. Phoenixes will build nests on high towers, qilins will appear in the outskirts, not to mention the domesticated animals, which are all considered auspicious signs! Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, there have been numerous accounts of mystical creatures, but chaotic times outnumber peaceful times, with many records in historical books.
In March 487 AD, a white tiger was seen in Xinchang Village, Longkang County, Liyang—what a lovely name! According to the "Ruiyingtu," "when the king is not tyrannical, white tigers will appear." In March 488 AD, a white tiger was seen in Qianhua County. In February 496 AD, a white tiger was spotted in Anle Village, Dongping Shouzhang.
In 486 AD, Zouyu appeared at Wujieshan in Andong County, with the head of a lion, the body of a tiger and the feet of a dragon. The "Book of Songs" says: "Zouyu is a kind-hearted creature, white with black markings, does not eat living creatures, only appears in prosperous times." In the second year of the Shengming era, Zouyu was seen at Wujieshan in Andong County, with the head of a lion, the body of a tiger and the feet of a dragon. "The Commentary on the Book of Songs" says: "Zouyu, a righteous beast, white tiger with black patterns, does not eat living creatures, only appears in virtuous times." In 487 AD, Taizu ascended to the throne as the King of Qi, and a white-haired turtle appeared in the city walls of Dongfu. In 486 AD, Xiu'anling caught a dark turtle. In 490 AD, the military attendant Tang Qian presented a green-haired sacred turtle. In June of 491, a green-haired turtle was caught in the fields of Pengcheng County. In August, a hoary turtle was caught on the edge of the former marsh in Yanling County.
In April of a certain year, a man named Wang Hui in Changshan County caught a six-eyed turtle, with "Ten Thousand Joys" carved on its shell, as well as hexagrams. In June, in the fields of Changcheng in Jiancheng County, someone caught a four-eyed turtle, with "Ten Thousand Unity" carved on its shell. The frequent appearance of these strange turtles made people feel uneasy.
In May of a certain year, another divine turtle was caught in Changshan County, with hexagrams of Xun and Dui carved on its shell. These days, catching such bizarre creatures is quite a rarity! In January of the second year of Zhongxing, a military officer named Pan Daogai caught a furry turtle in a stone cave in the mountains. It was quite a stroke of luck to catch such a turtle in this remote area.
In the third year of Shengming, the emperor sent people to the Gongting Lake Temple to make offerings. When the boat stopped at the water's edge, suddenly two white fish jumped into the boat. This was a good omen! In the fifth year of Yongming, the Governor of Southern Yuzhou, the Crown Prince of Jian'an, presented a golden fish. This was a real gem! In August of the first year of Jianyuan, a man named Wang Yue caught a white bird. In September, a white bird was also caught in Moling County. The number of these white birds showing up was getting a bit excessive!
In April of the second year, a white sparrow flew to the Yizhou prefectural office. In May, the white sparrow appeared again in Yongxing County, Kuaiji. This white sparrow seems to be everywhere, not knowing where it is going.
In May of the first year of Yongming, a white sparrow was also caught in Dingpo Tun, Yizhou. In July of the third year, a white sparrow was caught in the residence of Prince Ancheng. In September, a white sparrow was caught in Jiangling County, Nanguo. This white sparrow truly travels across the country!
In July of the fourth year, a white sparrow appeared in Linru County. In June of the seventh year, a white sparrow was caught in Yanguan County. In the eighth year, a white sparrow was caught in Linli County, Tianmen. In July of the ninth year, a white sparrow was caught in Qiantang County, Wujun. In August, a white sparrow was also caught in Yuzhou. In May of the tenth year, a white sparrow was caught in Qijun.
In the first year of Jianyuan, a black crow appeared in Bajun. In March of the fourth year of Yongming, a three-legged crow built a nest in the courtyard of Zhongtao County, Nan'an. This crow is quite remarkable.
In April of the eighth year, a black crow was caught in Yangxian County. In April of the first year of Longchang, another black crow was caught in Yangxian County. Is Yangxian County becoming a gathering place for crows?
In the second year of Jianyuan, a white rat was caught in Jiangling County. In the sixth year of Yongming, a white rat appeared in Fanglinyuan. In September of the tenth year, a white rat was caught in Yiyang County.
In the fourth year of Yongming, a white rabbit was caught in Danyang County. In June of the first year of Shengming, a sign of good luck appeared in Yidu. These auspicious signs keep appearing one after another.
In the first year of Jianyuan, on the day the emperor proclaimed the crown prince, a sign of good luck appeared next to the sun. In the third year, sudden auspicious clouds appeared on the east side of Li Quan Tang in Hualinyuan, with a diameter of more than ten zhang, similar in height to Jingyun Tower, colorful and radiant, circling in the sky for a long time, then drifting south, passing Changchuan, and finally entering Huachi. It was truly a spectacular sight!
In the second year of Shengming, a purple Lingzhi was discovered in Jizhi Mountain in Lincheng County, Xuanzhou. This is a valuable medicinal herb! In March of the eighth year of Yongming, another purple Lingzhi was found in Yangcheng County. In the first month of Longchang's first year, a purple Lingzhi was discovered in Xiangyang County. In the fourth month of Shengming's second year, the hawthorn tree in Xu Wannian's yard in Changguo County grew into intertwined branches. In September, in Wansuijian, Yuzhou, there appeared an intertwined tree several yards wide, with branches spanning across the mountain stream, connected together like a single tree.
In the second year of Jianyuan, in September, it was reported that the maple trees in Shangyu County grew into intertwined branches, with two trees nine feet apart, both growing to nine feet high, merging into one. There were also two intertwined maple trees in Guzhang County, seven feet apart, with trunks so thick that eight people could wrap their arms around them, growing to a height of approximately ten feet, merging into one, just like a single tree. There is a ginkgo tree in Ruoxie Village, Shanyang County, which has also grown into intertwined branches. The pear tree in Jianye Temple in Huaiyin County also developed intertwined branches. The pear tree in Jiankang County, with a trunk thick enough for five people to hug, had six branches intertwined.
In the first year of Yongming, in May, intertwined trees appeared in Xinyu County, Ancheng, and Chen County in Nanliang. In the intercalary month, the locust tree on the south side of the outer pavilion of Xuanming Palace also grew into intertwined branches. In August, there were intertwined trees in Le Village, Yanguan County. In the seventh month of the second year, the hibiscus tree in Chen Wenzhe's home in Wucheng County grew into intertwined branches. In the same month, the locust and chestnut trees in Xinye County developed separate roots underground, merging a few feet above ground, forming a single tree above ground. In the third month of the third year, two elm trees in Ancheng County grew into intertwined branches. In the second month, the Chinese catalpa tree in Anyang County grew into intertwined branches. In September, the hibiscus tree on Gu Mountain in Juyang County grew into intertwined branches, although the roots were separate, the tops of the trees were intertwined. In December, the chestnut tree in Yongning's left county grew into intertwined branches. In the second month of the fourth year, the plum tree in Qiaotianming Garden in Moling County grew into intertwined branches, eventually merging back together as two branches grew apart, then growing another three feet.
In the fifth year of Zhengyue, in the Huaseng Xiuyuan in Moling County, four trees grew into connected branches! In the sixth year of April, in Taichang Xiaohuiji Garden in Qipingli, Beijie, Lai Village, Jiangning County, there were two tung trees that grew into connected branches, with the two trees spaced two feet apart, the southern one being larger and the northern one being smaller. The branches of the smaller tree curved southward and attached to the larger tree, forming one entity, with lush foliage, resembling a large umbrella. In the seventh year, two pear trees in Jiangning County grew into connected branches, with a distance of fifteen feet between the two trees. In the eighth year, four trees in Baling County grew into connected branches. In March, the tung tree in Baisha Shu in Wuling grew into connected branches, with a distance of five feet, both growing to three feet high, with the eastern and western branches merging together. In December, the trees in Taowei Tian's home in Chaisang County also grew into connected branches.
In the year 487 AD, the tung tree in Kongguang's home in Shanyin County grew to a height of twelve stories high! At that time, the governor of Kuaiji, Wang Zilong, moved this tree to the west side of his Fengguang Palace in his Fanglin Garden.
In the year 491 AD, in Anming Temple in the Dou Chang of Moling County, there was an old tree. The monks wanted to rebuild the temple, so they cut it down to use as firewood. When they cut open the trunk, they found that it had naturally formed the three characters "法大德" inside! This is truly a miracle!
Shixing County had never had a tung tree before, but it's an essential ingredient for seasoning. Later, when the emperor went to Shixing County, a tung tree suddenly grew behind the hall where he was staying, which was truly remarkable!
In October of the year 494 AD, there was manna rain in Jiankang County. In November, there was also manna rain in Changshan County. In December, there was manna rain on the pine trees in Pengshan County, lasting for nine days!
In September of the year 495 AD, there was manna rain on the peach trees and pomegranate trees in Huainan County. Officials also reported that there was manna rain on the trees at Wang An's home in Xinji County.
In April 489 AD, tung trees in Nanchun experienced a sweet dew rain.
In February of the year 491 AD, Li Shu in Xiang County had sweet dew rain. In March, the tung tree in Nanjun also had sweet dew rain. In April, the peach tree in Suiyang County also had sweet dew rain.
In April of the year 492 AD, the tung tree outside the pavilion in Jingzhou had sweet dew rain.
In the year 493 AD, the tung tree in Fanglin Garden Gu Mountain Hall had sweet dew rain.
In August of the year 496 AD, the courtyard of the Buddha Hall at Shangdinglin Temple had sweet dew rain, which fell as if it had been sprinkled from the sky, filling the air with a sweet fragrance, shining in the sunlight, dancing in the wind, and continuing until evening. After that, the pine trees on Zhongshan Mountain also frequently had sweet dew rain, lasting for more than forty days.
In October, the trees in Tai'an Mausoleum had sweet dew rain.
In March of the year 498 AD, Maoshan had sweet dew rain, spreading over several miles!
In March of the year 500 AD, a sweet and fragrant spring gushed out from Bailu Mountain in Changguo.
In January of the year 488 AD, Gushi County in Xincai County harvested a stalk of Jiahe with five heads!
In August, Xincai County harvested Jiahe with two stalks and nine heads, and one stalk with seven heads. In November, Gushi County harvested a stalk of Jiahe with nine heads.
In August of the year 489 AD, in the wild fields of Suiyang County in Liangjun, a stalk of Jiahe was harvested with an astonishing twenty-three heads!
In September of the year 492 AD, Ju County harvested a stalk of Jiahe.
In June of the year 497 AD, Qichang County in Hailing harvested a stalk of Jiahe with six heads.
In September of the year 498 AD, Suiyang County's fields harvested another stalk of Jiahe.
In September of the year 483 AD, in Jianning County's Jianchang Village, a villager collecting herbs on Shansheng Mountain suddenly heard a strange sound coming from the mountain stream and uncovered a bronze bell measuring two feet one inch in length, with ancient inscriptions along the edge.
In October of the year 484 AD, there was a fisherman named Tian Jian from Fuling County. In the cave where he lived, swirling clouds often surrounded him, accompanied by sounds resembling a dragon's roar. He had searched for several years without finding anything. On the night of April 27th, two beams of light suddenly appeared several miles from the cave, lasting until dawn. The next day, he found an ancient bell and an artifact known as "Chunyu." The fishermen believed these were divine artifacts, so they began to venerate them.
In April of the year 486 AD, strange sounds had been coming from a mountain in Dongchang County for several years. On February 15th, a rock suddenly collapsed. The resident of the county, Fang Yuantai, went to investigate and found an ancient bell underneath the rock.
In March of the year 487 AD, a divine bell was discovered on the mountain of Changgang in Yuning County.
In November of the year 491 AD, a farmer named Tian from Guanghan County in Ningshu, while plowing the land, discovered an ancient bell buried 14 inches below the surface. The bell stood three feet eight inches tall and had a circumference of four feet seven inches. The handle was one foot two inches long, making it a total of five feet tall. There were nine holes on each side of the bell. Strangely, white light kept appearing between the tiles of his roof. Despite thorough searches, nothing was found. Every night, white light would appear. A few days later, villager Zhang Qingxuan noticed white light flashing both inside and outside his house while he was repairing the roof. Finding this strange, he informed Kong Xiuxian, and together they dug and discovered a square jade seal with a nose-shaped protrusion on top, engraved with the words "Emperor Zhen."
There was a man named Huang Qing in Qua County. Next to his house on the left, there was a garden. In the southeast corner of the garden, approximately four zhang in width, no matter what vegetables were planted, they all grew exceptionally well; even with frequent harvesting, new ones sprouted quickly. There was often a white light appearing at night, bright and pure, resembling something from the sky, shaped like the silk of the county, which Huang Qing found very unusual. He consulted a diviner, Taoist Fu Dezhan, who told him to dig the ground. After digging three feet deep, they found a jade seal with the words "Long Cheng Wanfu" engraved on it.
In the second year of Yongming, in January, General Zhou Pusun discovered an unusual light shining on the city wall in the north wing hall of Shitoucheng. He went to take a look and unexpectedly found a jade seal, about the size of a fist, with the words "Ming Xuanjun" engraved on it. This was quite an extraordinary discovery!
In November, a man named Qi Xiang from Northern Wei surrendered at Lingqiu Pass. Everyone heard a strange sound, looked up, and saw purple mist rising from the mountains, like clouds, with many birds flying in the purple mist. Qi Xiang followed the purple mist and also found a jade seal, this time about the size of a square inch, featuring a beast-shaped seal engraved with the words "Kunwei Shengdi Yongchang." Qi Xiang gave the jade seal to the surrendered Northern Wei Empress Dowager Shidao Ren Huidu, hoping to present it to the Northern Wei Emperor. However, upon seeing the words, Huidu thought to himself, "The rightful dynasty is now in Qi!" So he handed the jade seal to another Taoist, Huicang, who delivered it to the capital of Qi, and it was later presented to the Emperor by Cui Shiliang, the Yulin Supervisor.
In the seventh month of the third year, there was a commoner named Gong Xuanxuan in Shixing County who said that in the previous year in February, a Taoist suddenly appeared asking for food. He opened his robe and revealed a scroll of scriptures written in seal script, a total of six pages, with one page depicting the North Star and another addressed to the Layman Luohan, stating it came from the Heavenly Palace of Duoshuaitian and was intended for the emperor. However, the Taoist vanished shortly after. In the first month of this year, Gong Xuanxuan reported that an immortal sent him a jade seal shaped like a tortoise, five inches long, two inches wide, and two and a half inches thick, engraved with "Heaven and Earth" on top, "Xiao" in the center, and "Eternal Generation" at the bottom. This was indeed a series of auspicious omens!
Ten years later, a commoner named Qi Bosheng in Lanling discovered a golden jade seal button on the Six Harmonies Mountain, engraved with the characters "Year I Rule."
While the Emperor was governing Pencheng, ten five-foot-long swords were unearthed, which coincidentally corresponded with the Yongming era.
In the third year of Shengming, someone in Zuoli Village found two ancient javelins in Gongting Lake, with indistinct ancient characters next to them.
During the Taishi era, the Emperor discovered a coin in his residence in Qingxi, engraved with the Big Dipper and the Double Festival, along with a human figure holding a sword. Later, while governing Pencheng, he discovered another large coin inscribed with "Peaceful Hundred Years."
In the seventh year of Yongming, the Prefect of Qixing, Liu Yuanbao, unearthed a million unusually large coins while constructing the county city in the moat. He presented these coins to the emperor as a good omen. The Emperor then rewarded these coins to the court officials, with each receiving a varying amount.
Ten years later, there was a commoner named Wang She in Qianan County who dug up twelve thousand seven hundred large coins of the same size and quality while excavating.
In the first year of Jianyuan, the water in Tianjing Lake, located in Jianli County, Yingshou, suddenly became crystal clear and the lakebed was covered with cotton, which the locals harvested for use as cotton stuffing.
In the second year of Yongming, a mulberry tree outside the Hujun Mansion unexpectedly sprouted silkworm silk and cotton blankets, entwined on the branches and trunk of the tree. Historical records note: during the reign of Emperor Guangwu of Han, wild silkworms spun silk cocoons, allowing the common people to weave cloth and make clothes. Could these auspicious signs be similar to those from that time? In the eighth year of Yongming, a white dove was caught in Changle Village of Shixing County. Two years later, a white pheasant was caught in Pengze County. In the seventh year of Yongming, a white pheasant was caught in Yulin County. In the tenth year of Yongming, a white pheasant was caught in Shiyu Shu of Qingzhou. In the fifth year of Yongming, a white deer was caught in Wangcai County. In the ninth year of Yongming, a white deer was caught in Linxiang County. In the sixth year of Yongming, a white roe deer was spotted in Liangye Village of Putao County. In the seventh year of Yongming, a white roe deer was caught in Jingzhou. In the eighth year of Yongming, a white roe deer was caught in Yugan County. In the ninth year of Yongming, a white roe deer was caught in Anchang County of Yiyang. In the tenth year of Yongming, a white roe deer was caught in Qingji Shu of Sizhou. In the eleventh year of Yongming, a white roe deer was caught in Hailing County of Guangling. In the seventh year of Yongming, Yuezhou presented a white pearl, naturally formed in the shape of a Buddha statue, only three inches long. The emperor sent it to Chanzheng Temple and placed it below the Buddha statue. In the same year, the magistrate of Wu County, Jiang Xuan, obtained a green jade bi in Qiantang County and presented it to the emperor. In the same year, the chief scribe Zhu Ling obtained a miraculous stone in Zhejiang, which required ten people to lift and could float on the water surface even when submerged three feet deep. The emperor personally threw it into Tianyuan Pond for testing and then had it sculpted into a Buddha statue. In the second year of Yongming, an ancient tripod was discovered at the foot of a mountain in Yangdanshui County. In the third year, the natives of Nangaoli in Yuezhou were fishing in the sea and fished out a bronze animal sculpture inscribed with the words: "Made as a treasure tripod, passed down to the descendants of the Qizhen clan for ten thousand years."
Finally, let's summarize: these auspicious signs are all sent down from the heavens or springing up from the earth, just like the appearance of stars signals good fortune. Nature produces a variety of wonders, and we keep detailed records of them.
