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Written by: Realhistories

Category: Book of Southern Qi （南齊書）

Published: 05 January 2025

Created: 05 January 2025

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The Book of Changes (Yijing) says: the East. The Book of Changes (Yijing) states that the trees on the ground correspond to the "Guan" hexagram. Therefore, wood symbolizes a person's demeanor and conduct. Wood is the vibrant onset of spring and the foundation of agriculture. If one can ensure that the common people pay taxes and perform corvée for no more than three days a year, implementing a tax system of taking one-tenth, without seeking personal gain, then one can conform to the characteristics of wood. But if the ruler loses dignity, violates the growth laws of wood, indulges in hunting and playing, does not return to the palace, indulges in wine and women, disregards etiquette and laws, goes in and out without restraint, arbitrarily imposes corvée, delays the farming season, engages in conspiracies, and extorts the people's wealth, then the essence of wood will be lost. Look at the numerous failed examples of craftsmen making cart wheels and arrows; it is said that the nature of wood cannot be violated.

In the first year of Song Taiyu, the soapberry tree at Zhiyuan Temple in the capital withered. By the end of Shengming, it unexpectedly blossomed with flowers and leaves. The Jing Fang Yi Zhuan says: "If trees grow in the winter, within two years, there will be a funeral in the country, and a nobleman will also die." This omen came true, and the emperor of the Song Dynasty abdicated.

In the first year of Jianyuan, branches and leaves grew on the decorative pillars of Zhuque Bridge. In the early years of Jianyuan, the plum tree sprouted fuzz. In the second year of Jianyuan, a mulberry tree in the office of the Wuling Yuantou Wei grew leaves in winter. The Jing Fang Yi Zhuan says: "If trees bloom in winter, there will be a funeral in the world." This omen also came true, and two years later, the emperor passed away.

In the fourth year of Jianyuan, the cypress pillar of a centuries-old building in west Bazhou City suddenly bloomed. In the sixth year of Yongming, a cypress tree on Shizigang grew to two feet four inches long and four and a half inches wide before turning to stone. At that time, the emperor went on outings multiple times, which confirmed the saying in the Book of Changes (Yijing) that "wood has lost its essence." During the Yongming period, a large ship sank for no reason, yet there was no water in the hold.

In the first year of Longchang, blood flowed inexplicably from the beams and pillars of the house of Prince Qing of Luling. In the early years of Jianwu, Prince Yaoguang of Shi'an repaired the temple and cut the beams from Dong'an Temple to repair the temple walls. After cutting the beams, water flowed out like tears would. "Mao Zhuan" says: If a monarch loses his dignity and becomes arrogant and indulgent, then he will be arrogant and not dignified. If subordinates are disrespectful, superiors will not have authority. If the people are disrespectful to the monarch and indulge in arrogance, this cannot continue. If the people do not respect the monarch and do not abide by the laws, then yin energy will prevail, so punishment is like continuous rain.

In the eighth year of the Yongming era, it started raining on the Jisi day in April; sometimes it would briefly clear during the day, and you could see stars and the moon at night, but the rain continued until the seventeenth day.

On the new moon day of Xinsi in November, starting from the day of Wuyin in March, there were brief sunny days in between, but it started to rain continuously from the first day of April. Occasionally, you could see the sun during the day and the moon at night, then it returned to rainy weather until July.

It started raining on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month of the first year of Yongtai, and it didn't clear up until the twenty-first day of the fifth month of the first year of Yongyuan. Jing Fang's divination said: "Rain in winter means famine in the world; rain in spring means small-scale wars." At that time, minority ethnic groups invaded Yongzhou, which aligned with ancient records. The book says: "Heavy rain and snow, although they are common signs, can also indicate serious events. Rain is yin energy, and heavy rain and snow are manifestations of accumulated yin energy. Some believe that heavy rain and snow resemble a flood, except that water is replaced with snow."

In the second year of the Jianyuan era, on the day of the leap month of Jichou, it began to rain mixed with snow. In the eleventh month of the third year, it rained and snowed again, with overcast skies and haze alternating for more than eighty days, until it finally stopped in the second month of the fourth year. The text states: "Thunder is the firstborn between heaven and earth, because it can make all things grow, interacting with all things. Therefore, when thunder roars, all things flourish; when thunder quiets, all things rest. Thunder is a symbol of the ruler; thunder striking the ground dispels harm, while thunder rising from the ground brings fortune. The subtle essence of thunder appears in the first month, thunder sounds in the second month, stops in the eighth month, and the remaining subtle essence stops in the ninth month. In the third month of winter, thunder remains silent; if the yang energy fails to contain the yin energy, thunder will sound at inappropriate times, bringing disasters and harming all things." On the night of Renwu in the first year of Jianyuan, lightning appeared, followed by thunder. On Gengxu day in the eleventh month, lightning also appeared, followed shortly by thunder, which stopped after a while. On Wushen day in the first month of the fifth year of Yongming, thunder was heard coming from the northwest. On the night of Jiasen day in the sixth year, the weather was overcast with light rain, and thunder was heard from the direction of the northwest Kun Palace. On the night of Jiazi day in the seventh year, with gloomy weather, thunder was heard from the direction of the southwest Kun Palace, rumbling once before stopping. On the night of Gengxu day in the eighth year, thunder was heard from the direction of the Kan Palace water gate, rumbling once before stopping. On Bingzi day in the ninth year of the second month, lightning appeared in the northwest, followed by rumbling thunder, which rumbled ten times before ceasing. On the night of Gengxu day in the tenth year of the second month, lightning appeared in the south, followed by rumbling thunder, which lasted until Dinghai day before stopping. On Gengzi day in the tenth month, thunder and lightning were heard from the northwest. On Dingchou day in the eleventh month, lightning appeared in the southwest, followed by faint thunder, rumbling twice before stopping, in the direction of the southwest Kun Palace. On Jiasen day in the twelfth month, with rainy weather, lightning appeared, followed by thunder from the southwest and northwest, rumbling three times in succession. On the night of Bingshen day, two consecutive rumbles of thunder were heard from the northwest. On the day of Xinhai, a thunderstorm occurred.

The book says: Hail symbolizes the imbalance in the relationship between the ruler and his subjects. Hail falls when yang energy is too strong, while sleet (霰, xiàn) falls when yin energy is too strong; sleet refers to a specific type of snow. When yang energy is excessive, it suppresses yin energy, and when yin energy is excessive, it suppresses yang energy. Hail is a sign of weak yin energy and strong yang energy, while sleet is a sign of weak yang energy and strong yin energy. The "Spring and Autumn Annals" do not mention sleet, similar to how they do not mention solar or lunar eclipses.

In the fourth year of Jianyuan, on the first day of May, it hailed. In the first year of Yongming, on a certain day in September, it hailed, with hailstones as large as garlic cloves, which stopped shortly after. In the eleventh year, on a certain day in April, it hailed, with hailstones as large as garlic cloves, and then it disappeared.

The book also says: When the emperor behaves immorally, indulges in luxury and depravity, and the people below are disrespectful and negligent, breaking the rules, disrespecting the law, violating the system, and not respecting the emperor, it leads to famine. People's appearances and temperaments deteriorate, resulting in outbreaks of avian flu. Another theory is that in years of water disasters, many chickens die in large numbers and in strange ways. A lack of trust between superiors and subordinates, along with corrupt ministers and common people turning to banditry, are seen as the worst omens. Another theory is that many people being punished, having ugly appearances, arrogant customs, and changing rules overnight, while wearing strange and inappropriate clothing, results in the emergence of strange and inappropriate clothing.

During the Yongming period, the palace promoted the wearing of brocade clothing with hunting patterns, symbolizing archery and warfare. By the Jianwu period, there were large-scale invasions by minority ethnic groups from the north.

In the later period of the Yongming era, a type of hat called the "Yiquan Hat" (倚劝帽) became popular among the common people. After the deposition of Prince Hailing and the ascension of Emperor Ming, there was much anticipation for advice and support regarding his reign.

During the Jianwu period, both hats and skirts covered the head; by the time of the Donghun Marquis, it was believed that skirts should be worn below, but now they were worn above, which was seen as an ominous sign, so it was abolished. This was seen as a sign of subjects rebelling against their ruler. During the Yongyuan period, the Donghun Marquis personally designed and created banquet attire, adorned with flowers and intricate embroidery, though the specific details are hard to convey. Some unscrupulous individuals also designed four types of hats, each named for its shape: the first called "Magpies Returning to the Forest," from the Book of Songs saying "magpie nest," referring to the virtues of a lady, as the Donghun Marquis favored concubines, indulging in debauchery, so the magpies all flew back to their nests. The second was called "Rabbit Crossing the Pit," implying that there will be a chase for rabbits in the world. The third was called "Bound Yellow Lirou," referring to a yellow-billed bird, with "bound" meaning tied up. The fourth was called "Phoenix Crossing Three Bridges," with the phoenix being auspicious, and the three bridges being where the Prince of Liang lived.

The text further states that any disturbances that occur are unusual signs from heaven and earth. Trees are green, so they are called "Green Misfortune," which is considered a bad omen. Whenever bad omens appear, it signifies gold overcoming wood and wood overcoming gold, indicating a conflict between two opposing forces. Legend has it that in the first year of Yanxing, shortly after King Hailing ascended the throne, an apparition resembling a person appeared on the tomb of Crown Prince Wenhui, standing several zhang tall, green in color, soaring into the clouds, its voice booming like thunder.

The text states that fire represents the south, symbolizing brightness and splendor. A monarch should govern the country with the openness and brilliance of fire. If the monarch is wise, evil officials are kept at bay, and virtuous officials hold power, then the country will thrive like a blazing fire, with the national fortune flourishing. However, if the monarch is foolish, disregards the law, and fails to punish corrupt officials, then corrupt officials will thrive, sowing discord among family members and pushing out loyal officials, even resorting to killing the crown prince, excluding meritorious officials, and favoring concubines. In such cases, fire loses its rightful brightness, resulting in disasters from the ancestral temple to the palace, even if a million troops are mobilized, they cannot avert the disaster.

In the third year of the Yongming era, in the first month, on the night of Jia, wildfires appeared in the northwest direction, with fire apparitions manifesting in the flames. Four appeared in the northwest direction and one in the northeast direction, each approximately seven to eight feet long, of a yellow-red hue. In the third month, on the night of Gengwu, wildfires appeared in the north, with fire apparitions manifesting in the flames, six feet long; another one appeared on the night of Wuye, five feet long, of the same yellow-red hue. In the fourth year, in the first month of Dinghai, three fire apparitions appeared that evening. In the intercalary month of Dingsi, four fire apparitions appeared that evening. In the twelfth month of Xinyou, two fire apparitions appeared in the southeast direction that evening. In the twelfth month of Bingyin in the fifth year, wildfires appeared in the northwest direction that evening, with fire apparitions manifesting in the flames, one about three feet long, of a yellow-white color. In the eleventh month of Wushen in the sixth year, wildfires appeared in the southwest and north that evening, with nine fire apparitions manifesting in the flames, each two feet long, of a yellow-red hue. In the second month of Bingyin in the ninth year, on the night of Ji, wildfires appeared in the north, with two fire apparitions manifesting in the flames, and another one appeared in the northwest direction, each three feet long, disappearing soon after.

In the second year of Yongyuan, in August, a fire broke out in the palace, burning down the Xuan Yi Hall located in the West Hall, as well as the Zhao Yang Hall, Xian Yang Hall, and other palaces, burning all the way to the Hualin Wall in the north and the Secret Pavilion in the west, destroying more than three thousand houses in total. The "Jing Fang Yi Zhuan" states: "If the monarch does not think about advancing virtue and cultivating industry, evil spirits will haunt, and the palace will be burned." The Secret Pavilion and the "Spring and Autumn" Xuan Xie were burned at the same time, as if to say, without laws and regulations, what is the use of classics and documents! In the winter of the second year, the people of the capital were frightened, fearing that a fire disaster was imminent. People on the south bank often found firekindling wrapped in cloth between the fences, saying that they were used by the authorities to ward off potential disasters.

Several years ago, in the first month, a massive fire suddenly broke out in Yuzhang County, burning down more than three thousand households. Jing Fang, based on the "Book of Changes" divination, said: "The heavenly fire that consumes homes is a portent of political turmoil, violence, and war." In the same year, there were intense conflicts between the imperial forces and the rebel factions in the counties of Nanjiang.

In February, a fire broke out in the west wing of the Qianhe Hall in the imperial palace, destroying thirty rooms. At that time, the west wing had already burned down, so the emperor had to move to the east wing to live, which was the palace where Emperor Gaozong had lived. The divination result of this fire mirrored the palace fire. The Book of Changes states, "Those who commit rebellion but are not put to death are like grass that does not die after frost. Perhaps the killing is not done at the right time, the killing is not done according to the rules, so it is called 'grass demon'." Another interpretation is that "'grass demon' symbolizes losing the hearts of the people."

In the Yongyuan era, the iris flowers planted in front of the Huang Wenji family's Zhaiyuan suddenly bloomed, and the colorful flowers cast their light on the wall. Only his son saw it, and no one else saw it. Shortly thereafter, Huang Wenji was executed. Liu Xin's "Shi Zhuan" records the omen of feather insects causing trouble, referring to a calamity involving chickens. Ban Gu explained that chickens correspond to the Xun hexagram in the Book of Changes, and now using feather insects causing trouble as a metaphor also means this. Therefore, according to Liu Xin's explanation, it was included in the "Shi Zhuan."

In the second year of Jianwu, a large bird appeared in Jian'an County, resembling a water buffalo calf. That year, Jian'an County suffered a major flood. In the third year, the large bird flew to Dongyang County, and Prefect Shen Yue reported, "This bird is covered with colorful feathers, mostly red." The "Leiwei Yetu Zheng" records: "Jiaoming bird feathers are red, and its appearance indicates a flood."

In April of the second year of Yongming, a crow built a nest on the eaves of the inner hall in the east. In the third year, the large bird flew to Shangyu County in Kuaiji County. That year, Shangyu County suffered a major flood. The Book of Changes states, "Water and fire are disasters." It also says, "The red omen may signify either a bad or a good omen."

In the fourth year of Jianwu, bloodstains appeared out of nowhere on the curtain in the room where Wang Yan's son, Wang Yanzideyuan, lived; a few days later, the bloodstains vanished. Not long after, Wang Yan was executed. "Si Xin Zhuan" says: "The heart corresponds to the qualities of earth. Incomplete thoughts can lead to chaos and disorder. It's the ruler when yang energy is strong and the minister when yin energy prevails. If someone is overbearing and arrogant, they'll face punishment. The heart is the master of the five viscera, just like earth is the master of the five elements." Another perspective is: "When yin and yang are out of balance, excessive yang energy forms wind, and in extreme cases, it turns into a violent wind. Excessive yin energy leads to continuous rain, and in severe cases, it results in prolonged overcast without rain." Another perspective is: "Strong winds at night and gloomy days resemble prolonged overcast without rain."

On the Gengxu day in the first year of Jianyuan, a strong wind suddenly blew at night, with dark clouds, lightning, and thunder rolling in from the xu and hai directions.

In the eleventh month of the fourth year of Yongming, on the day of jiayin, around Xu hour (7-9 pm), a gentle breeze picked up, and in the second half of the night (1-3 am), it started snowing, with the wind shifting towards Langjin.

On the day of bingyin in the second month of the fourth year of Yongming, around the hour of si (9-11 am), the wind picked up fiercely.

On the day of jichou in the eleventh month of the fourth year of Yongming, around Xu hour (7-9 pm), the wind howled fiercely from the northwest.

On the day of bingyou in the fifth month of the fifth year of Yongming, around the hour of zi (11 pm - 1 am), the wind picked up fiercely from the northwest.

On the day of dingmao in the first month of the seventh year of Yongming, which was a yin thief day, around the hour of zi (11 pm - 1 am), the wind picked up fiercely from the north, with tremendous force, causing rolling waves, not letting up until around Yin hour (3-5 am).

In the sixth month of the eighth year of Yongming, on the day of Yiyou, between 11 pm and 1 am, the wind blew violently, with great force. The waves rolled, houses collapsed, trees snapped, and dust flew. It came from the southwest, accompanied by thunder and rain, and quickly the wind stopped and the rain ceased.

In the seventh month of the ninth year of Yongming, on the day of Jiayin, a day dedicated to Yang Yu's integrity, during the night hours (from 9 pm to 11 pm), the wind blew violently from the east. The wind was strong, and the waves rolled until gradually weakening in the early morning hours of Yimao. This fierce wind was called "Yudongyu."

In the ninth month of the ninth year of Yongming, on the day of Yichou, during the afternoon hours (from 1 pm to 3 pm), thunder and rain occurred. The wind blew violently from the northwest.

In the tenth month of the ninth year of Yongming, on the day of Renshen, a day dedicated to Yang Yu's treachery, during the early morning hours (from 1 am to 3 am), the wind blew violently from the north. The wind was strong, and the waves rolled before gradually weakening in the early morning hours of Yimao. This fierce wind was called "Yudonggong."

In the first month of the tenth year of Yongming, on the day of Xinsi, a day dedicated to Yang Shang's generosity, during the early morning hours (from 3 am to 5 am), the wind blew violently from the northwest. The wind was strong, and the waves rolled, lifting dust and breaking trees, before finally stopping in the evening hours of You.

In the second month of the tenth year of Yongming, on the day of Jiachen, a day dedicated to Yang Zheng's treachery, during the morning hours (from 7 am to 9 am), the wind blew violently from the northwest. The wind was strong, and the waves rolled until stopping in the evening hours of You.

In the third month of the tenth year of Yongming, on the day of Dingyou, a day dedicated to Yang Zheng's integrity, during the afternoon hours (from 1 pm to 3 pm), the wind blew violently from the north. The wind was strong, and the waves rolled until stopping in the evening hours of Xu.

In the seventh month of the tenth year of the Yongming Era, on the Gengshen day, it was a Yin-Greedy Wolf Day. At noon (from eleven in the morning to one in the afternoon), the wind blew from the northeast, strong and fierce, causing the waves to roll until the Xinyou hour (from nine to eleven in the morning) when it gradually weakened.

In the second month of the eleventh year of the Yongming Era, on the Gengyin day, it was a Yang-Lianzhen Day. At the hour of Hai (from nine to eleven at night), the wind blew from the northwest, with great force causing the waves to roll until the hour of Chou (from one to three in the morning) when it gradually weakened. This strong wind was referred to as "Jiao Dong Jiao."

In the early days of July, a strong wind blew; it was the day when the Lianzhen Star was in charge. The wind howled from the northeast, strong and fierce, causing houses to crumble and trees to snap. The wind gradually subsided by midnight. The next day, the wind came again, this time with the Jiaosu Star in charge. The wind blew from the northwest, even more violently than the day before, and it took a long time to stop. These sudden and fierce winds seemed like a result of an imbalance of yin and yang.

In the first month of Jianwu, on a particular afternoon, a strong wind suddenly blew from the north, with surging waves, aligning with previous records. In the second, third, and fourth years of Jianwu, every autumn in July and August, strong winds would blow, particularly severe in the Jiangnan region, causing houses to crumble, trees to snap, and even deaths. Jing Fang's divination said, "When prison guards are cruel, it will lead to disasters affecting people." The emperor at that time was known for his strictness.

In the first year of Yongyuan, on the twelfth of July, a strong wind blew in the capital, causing trees within a radius of ten miles, as well as official buildings and houses of the common people, to be blown down, aligning with previous records. The Book of History says, "Mountains are to the earth as kings are to a country. When mountains collapse, it symbolizes the loss of the king's power, the capital will be relocated, and changes will occur in the world. Tombs will turn into swamps, and the noble will be reduced to humble status."

In the second year of Jianyuan, during the summer, the Changxi River in Luling's Shiyan County washed away the foot of the mountain, causing a landslide. The landslide stretched six or seven zhang, exposing thousands of stone pillars. These stone pillars were as thick as cartwheels, ranging from one zhang to eight or nine chi in length, with ancient inscriptions on their tops that were hard to decipher. Jiang Yan took this matter to Wang Jian, who said, "There is no such ancient clerical script in the Jiangdong region. These stone pillars should be from the Qin and Han dynasties." The next year, the royal carriage met with an accident, confirming the omen of impending change.

In the second year of Yongming, during the autumn, a landslide occurred in Qujiang County, Shixing, blocking a stream and forming a pond. Jing Fang's divination said, "A landslide is an ominous sign for the ruler." The Book mentions, "Where thunder and lightning strike, it is due to induction, caused by a deficiency in the heart."

In the second year of Jianyuan, in the intercalary sixth month, thunder and lightning suddenly struck in the middle of the night. On the fifth day of the fifth month of the fourth year, hail fell, shrouding everything in darkness and unleashing deafening thunder, and the Anchang Hall in Leyou Yuan was struck by lightning, burning it to the ground. On the sixth day of the fourth month of the eighth year of Yongming, lightning struck the Baolin Temple in Shan Yin of Mount Heng in Kuaiji, wrecking the temple’s corners and setting the pagoda ablaze, while the Buddha statues and windows remained intact. During the Yongming era, lightning struck the south gate of the Eastern Palace, causing no damage but tragically killing a chef. In the eleventh year of March, lightning struck the East Chamber, causing the roof to cave in. While people wanted to fix it right away, Prince Liang of Jingling remarked, "This cannot be repaired! Let it be, this is a warning from heaven and a sign of its protection for me." The following year, Liang passed away.

As the book says, if the earth's energy is thrown into chaos, it's the doing of the elements: wood, metal, water, and fire.

In the second month of the second year of Jianwu, on the day of the Dingsi (丁巳) zodiac sign, there was an earthquake. In July of the first year of Yongyuan, there were eighteen earthquakes that shook continuously, day and night. On the nineteenth day of September, there were five more earthquakes. Gold represents the west, and after all things mature, there arises a spirit of violence. For emperors, it means fighting and conquering. If the emperor raises an army and goes to war, the energy of gold flows harmoniously. But if the emperor is always aggressive, likes to expand and fight, covets cities, and disregards the lives of the people, causing great suffering and internal and external difficulties, then the energy of gold does not flow smoothly, like improperly melted metal, which is stiff and hard; hence the saying "Gold does not yield to change," and also "Wood restrains gold."

In the fourth year of Jianwu, Emperor Ming sent Princess Sui'an into the palace as a concubine. When she returned to the palace, the golden-winged bird on her sedan suddenly fell off and broke inexplicably.

It is also said in the book that in the Book of Changes, the west is associated with the trigram representing the mouth. If the emperor acts excessively, punishes unfairly, imposes heavy taxes, or goes to war, and still squanders resources when the yang energy is at its peak, then it means his words are not reliable. If the emperor loses the people's support, his decrees become ineffective, and he struggles to rule alone. The common people fear his severe punishments, and an overabundance of yang energy can result in drought, which is considered a self-inflicted consequence.

In the third year of Jianyuan, there was a severe drought and invasion by foreign tribes. In the third year of Yongming, there was also a severe drought, and the following year, Tang Yuzhi rebelled. In the second year of Jianwu, there was also a severe drought, and at that time, there was a severe invasion by foreign tribes, all of which were the results of squandering resources and causing suffering to the people.

It is also said in the book that when the common people suffer and fear harsh punishments, they often express their grievances through songs and ballads. When the people's grievances boil over, strange stories or rumors will emerge.

During the Taishi era of the Song Dynasty, after losing Pengcheng, people in Jiangnan began to plant pear trees, which they had never planted before, and everyone eagerly rushed to grow them. Some scholars predicted, "In the future, a person with the surname Xiao will ascend to the throne." Several years later, Xiao Qi usurped the throne.

During the Yuanhui period, there was a children's rhyme that said, "Xiangyang's white bronze hooves, the man killed the children of Jingzhou." Later, Shen Youzhi rebelled, and the Governor of Yongzhou, Zhang Jing'er, attacked Jiangling, killing Shen Youzhi's son Yuan Yan and others.

On the first day of the first year of the Yongming era, a small official got drunk, grabbed a pen and scribbled, not knowing what to write, and said, "Longing for Emperor Gaozu." The emperor pardoned him for his crime.

Emperor Shizu built the old palace at Qingxi. At that time, someone mocked, "An old palace? Isn’t that just a rundown stable!" After Emperor Shizu died, the palace maids moved in.

In the early years of Yongming, the common folk sang a song, "The white horse neighs at the edge of the city, wanting to eat the grass at the edge of the city." The song also included the line "Tao Lang is coming." The white horse symbolized the army, and three years later, Tang Yuzhi's rebellion broke out, claiming that the Tang Dynasty sent troops to suppress it.

The newly built Chanling Temple by Emperor Shizu drew many visitors. Someone said, "'Chan' means to impart, and 'Ling' is not a good name. The things imparted will definitely not fall into the right hands." Later, the crown prince was deposed, proving this statement true.

During the Yongming period, except for the meals made by the imperial kitchen, everything else in the palace was labeled as guest food. Emperor Shizu felt that "guest food" did not sound like the food of his own family, so he changed it to "other food." At that time, people thought it was a bad omen. Shortly after, the emperor passed away.

When Crown Prince Wenhui was in the Eastern Palace, he wrote a poem that included the line "delicate at both ends..." and ended with "collapsing like a jade mountain." Since then, royal officials and the crown prince successively passed away, and even the imperial palace had funeral events.

Crown Prince Wenhui also wrote a seven-character poem, with the lines always ending with "sorrow and truth." Later, the event of the emperor's abdication indeed took place.

During the Yongming period, a children's rhyme circulated among the northern ethnic minorities: "Black water flows north, red fire enters Qizhou." Soon, fires suddenly broke out everywhere in the capital city, its color was redder than usual, but the temperature was low. Officials and nobles vied to use it for healing. Some people used this fire for moxibustion on peach wood boards with seven incense sticks, and they would recover in seven days. The court ordered a ban, but it could not be stopped. People in the capital city who suffered from thyroid swelling would recover in a few days using this fire for moxibustion. Neighbors joked that the illness would have healed on its own, not because of the fire. The person felt itchy on the neck, and the swelling returned the next day. Later, the Liang Dynasty thrived due to the virtue of fire.

Prince Wenhui reclaimed the eastern fields, and at the time, someone said, "There will surely be a mad child in the future." As a result, the prince was indeed deposed.

From the Qi Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, the phrase "disturbance, build martial arts" was passed down among the people. Just as the Ming Emperor ascended the throne, he killed many royal ministers, causing widespread panic in the capital.

In the first year of Yongyuan, another children's rhyme emerged: "The river water flows east for a thousand miles, flowing to the foot of the east city. Wearing black leather pants, wearing a black leather hat, seeking revenge at the stroke of three. Unable to walk due to a limp, accidentally killed an old woman." The "thousand miles flow" refers to the Yangtze River, and "east city" refers to Yaoguang. Yaoguang rose in rebellion at night, and people wearing black leather pants ran to join him. "Limp" also refers to Yaoguang, and "old lady" refers to the character "Xiao," subtly indicating Xu Xiaosi.

In the Yongyuan period, there was a children's rhyme circulating among the people: "Although the wild boar grunts, the horse guards the empty granary. Not realizing that the dragon and tiger feast in the villages of Jiangnan. Seven, nine, six, three—there's not a soul left in Guangmo City. Crows gather at the post station gate; now you can finally rest. But after the third month of the eighth year, Jingyang Tower will collapse." Experts explain that this refers to Chen Xianda being a pig, Cui Huijing being a horse, but it is actually incorrect. Dong Hunhou is the pig; who the horse's owner is remains unclear. The Prince of Liang represents the dragon, while Xiao Yingzhou represents the tiger. Cui Huijing attacked Taicheng and died in battle in front of Guangmo Gate; he was sixty-three that year. The gathering of crows at the post station means "where the crow lands, that's whose roof it rests on." Three eights equal twenty-four, from the first year of Jianyuan to the second year of Zhongxing, a total of twenty-four years. The collapse of Jingyang Tower also signifies the downfall of the high platform. It signifies that peace is about to return to the world, allowing people to finally rest.

During the Qi and Song periods, there was a popular saying called "Heqi," meaning to initiate reforms with a gentle attitude. Later, the He Emperor ascended the throne.

When Cui Huijing besieged Taicheng, a colorful flag appeared, fluttering in the air before vanishing after half a day. Everyone was puzzled and remarked to one another, "This flag signals that things are about to turn around quickly." A few days later, Huijing failed.

In "Yan Chuan," it states: "Words can hurt, leading to many disputes among the common people, so there will be diseases of the mouth. Gold is white, so there will be disasters in white; the appearance of white is an ominous sign."

In the second year of Song Shengming, a fierce wind swept through Nantang, Jiankang County, lifting a piece of cloth high into the sky. When the wind died down, the cloth landed on the imperial road. Ji Sengzhen informed the founding emperor that the abdication of the Song Dynasty came from a commoner.

Water belongs to the north, all things are dormant in winter, and its essence is of extreme yin. Ancestral sacrifices are akin to water. The spirits of the dead wander and will not return, so temples must be erected to gather their spirits, allowing filial sons to fulfill their filial duties. If they are respected, the spirits will accept, the extreme yin energy will be appeased, and the waters will flow through the channels, sparing the people. If the ruler does not pray and sacrifice, simplifies the ancestral temples, abolishes sacrifices, and goes against the will of heaven, dense fog and heavy rain will occur, rivers will flood, towns and villages will be destroyed, and people will drown; thus, water will not bring nourishment.

In the summer of the second year of Jianyuan, Danyang County and Wu County experienced a major flood.

In the fourth year of Jianyuan, a major flood occurred.

In the fifth year of Yongming, summer, Wuxing County and Yixing County suffered from floods and waterlogging, causing damage to crops.

In the sixth year of Yongming, Wuxing County and Yixing County experienced a major flood.

In the winter of the second year of Jianwu, Wu County and Jinling County suffered from floods and waterlogging, causing damage to crops.

In July of the first year of Yongyuan, tidal waves surged into Shitoucheng, drowning many residents along the Huai River. This is documented in historical texts. In Jingzhou City, there was a sand pit that continuously leaked water. When Xiao Yingzhou served as chief historian, the leaking ceased; but when he died, it started leaking again. The book says: "The manifestation of extreme yin energy brings about fish disasters. Fish disasters serve as a warning of retribution for years of cold."

In the ninth year of Yongming, Shipu in Haiyan County saw sea fish surging in with the tide, but unable to return when it receded. The fish measured over thirty meters in length, black and without scales, still alive, and making a sound like a cow. Locals called it a sea swallow and even feasted on its flesh. In the first month of Yongyuan, twelve large fish swam into the river in Shangyu County of Kuaiji Prefecture. The large ones were nearly twenty meters long, while the small ones were over ten meters long. One swam into Pujiang in Shanyin County, and another swam into Yongxing River, all of them stranded on the shore, and the locals went to feast on their flesh. The text states: "When signs of ignorance arise, demons will be born from the ears, and there will be mutual induction among the same kind, hence the term 'drum demon'." Some also say that this kind of sound belongs to the drum demon. On the night of the guimao day in the eleventh month of the first year of Yongming, there were sounds in the sky in the northeast direction, continuing until the wunight. The text states: "The emperor cannot achieve the ultimate, which is called the failure to achieve greatness. Its fault lies in confusion and disorder, not listening to advice, so its fault lies in confusion. The guilt in the heart is as elusive as mist." Heaven is the beginning of all things, and the king is the beginning of all matters. If one cannot achieve moderation, it will harm the celestial phenomena, and there will be mutual induction among the same kind. Heaven spins downward before rising, clouds rise from the mountains and spread to the sky. When celestial phenomena shift, corresponding signs emerge, so punishment is often harsh. If the king fails to maintain balance, the ministers will grow powerful, clouding the king's judgment, and there will be many dark clouds obscuring the sunlight.

In the fourth year of Jianyuan, on the day of Bingwu in October, after the sun set, a thick fog appeared on the ground, resembling smoke from a fire. In the second year of Yongming, on the day of Jihai in November, there was fog coming from all directions, causing discomfort to people's eyes and noses, and it did not stop until the day of Xinchou. On the day of Bingzi in November of the second year, after the sun rose and set, there was thick fog from all directions, resembling smoke from a fire. On the night of Bingye in November of the sixth year, the sky was filled with dense, dark fog, only slightly dispersing by the sixth day at the hour of Wei, then becoming dense again, like smoke from a fire, causing misery and confusion to people's eyes and noses. On the day of Renshen in October of the eighth year, the sky was filled with thick fog at night, as dense as smoke from a fire, causing discomfort to people's eyes and noses, which finally dissipated by the ninth day at the hour of Chen.

In previous years, on the day of Bingchen in some years, there was thick fog both day and night, resembling burning smoke, irritating and pungent, causing discomfort to people's eyes and noses, and the sun turned reddish-yellow, lasting until the night of Jia.

After a few years, in some years, on the day of Xinyou in the first month, during the hour of You (5-7 pm), there was thick fog everywhere, like smoke from burning, irritating and pungent, causing discomfort to people's eyes and noses.

According to the "Book of Changes," "Qian represents a horse," and this ominous celestial phenomenon predicts a significant number of horse deaths, hence the term "horse disaster." Some also say that horses represent the army, suggesting an invasion by foreign enemies, which explains the strange occurrences involving horses.

In the fourth year of Jianwu, Wang Yan went out of the city to the grass market; his horse suddenly became frightened and bolted, forcing him to walk back with the cart. Just over ten days later, Wang Yan was executed.

During the Jianwu period, a peculiar blue horse appeared along the southern bank. It chased after women on the road, causing them to hide under beds in nearby homes. However, this horse would not stop, and it even lifted the beds to eat the flesh between the women's thighs! The officials reported this incident, and the emperor ordered the horse's execution. After that, a series of thefts occurred.

In Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan," it is said: "If a person has more than two breasts, the common people will conspire against their rulers; if a person has more than three hands, ministers will plot against their monarch; if a person has more than two mouths, the country will be frightened by war; if a person has more than three ears, known as excessive listening, the nation's affairs will become unpredictable; if a person has more than two noses, the sovereign will fall ill for a long time; if a person has more than three hands and feet, the world will experience war." There are many similar omens, all divined using symbolic methods.

In the fifth year of the Yongming era, Wu Xiu's family in Wuxing Dong gave birth to a pair of twins, whose bodies were conjoined below the chest but separated above.

In Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan," it further states: "When wild beasts enter cities, those cities will fall into desolation." It also says: "If wild beasts enter cities, the imperial gates, or palaces for no reason, those cities will experience rebellion and become empty."

During the Yongming era, Prince Han of Nanhai served as the governor of Nanyanzhou. A deer ran into Guangling City and met its end by crashing into a well; there was also a large elephant that came to Guangling City. Later, Governor Prince Jing of Anlu was killed during his tenure.

In the spring of the fourth year of Jianwu, while performing sacrifices at the round mound outside the suburbs, all preparations were completed, but at night a tiger attacked people.

During the Jianwu period, a deer broke into Emperor Jing's sleeping temple, all of which foretold the emperor's impending death or abdication. Any divination that failed to materialize was due to a misinterpretation of the original signs.

In conclusion: the wooden beast Kui and the spirit Wanglei, the fire-born water deity, the earth that carries all things, and the gold that symbolizes light and majesty. These various shapes, sounds, and signs all ultimately point to the same outcome. It is because they conform to the omens that the results can be inferred.

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Written by: Realhistories

Category: Book of Southern Qi （南齊書）

Published: 05 January 2025

Created: 05 January 2025

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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.

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Written by: Realhistories

Category: Book of Southern Qi （南齊書）

Published: 05 January 2025

Created: 05 January 2025

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Speaking of which, a long time ago, during the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, people began using carriages for travel, and those carriages were quite exquisite. During the Xia Dynasty, Xi Zhong was in charge of managing the carriages, and during the Yin Dynasty, there were also very beautiful carriages, such as the "mountain carriage with hanging lines," which were recorded in historical books. According to the "Book of Rites," craftsmen who made carriages had to imitate heaven and earth, paying great attention to detail!

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, in the fourth year of Tianhan, he summoned the feudal lords to Ganquan Palace and also established a system of carriage and attire, which was mandated nationwide. By the thirteenth year of Emperor Guangwu's reign, he obtained luxurious horse carriages from Gongsun Shu, which finally completed the emperor's carriage fleet. Later, Cai Yong authored a work that was included in the "Book of Han" compiled by Ma Biao. During the Jin Dynasty, when Zhi Yu studied etiquette, the system of the five carriages (the five carriages used by ancient emperors for travel) was also discussed.

In the early Eastern Jin Dynasty, the carriages and horses were very simple, with only golden war chariots, and the grand court ceremonies were entirely omitted. By the time of Taixing, when the crown prince went to school, there weren't even any decent carriages, so Emperor Yuan specifically ordered him to use a safe carriage. During the reigns of Emperors Yuan and Ming, the emperor's entourage comprised only nine carriages. During the Yonghe period, when Shi Hu died, his craftsmen all fled back to their hometowns, and that marked the beginning of the slow process of building carriages.

During the Taiyuan period, Fu Jian was defeated, and some of his carriages were acquired, raising the number of carriages for the emperor's travels to twelve. During the Yixi period, Emperor Wu of Song pacified Guanzhong and Luoyang, and obtained many carriages and horses from Yao Xing. During the Song Dynasty, the emperor's carriages were rebuilt, making them the most luxurious of that era, not only incorporating features from the Di tribe but also restoring the grand court ceremonies. During the Yongming period, even more decorations were added, making them even more opulent than before.

In conclusion, based on references from the "Book of Rites" and the "Book of Han," I observed that the names and styles of carriages varied across the dynasties, with changes made during the Jin and Song dynasties, making them quite different from the past. This article mainly aims to record the situation of carriages in various dynasties.

The carriage has a golden roof, and the wheels are ornately painted, magnificent! The handrails on either side of the carriage feature intricate gold carvings inlaid with emerald green silk fabric and gold leaf. The outer surface is adorned with brocade, while the inner side showcases intricate gold carvings inlaid with tortoiseshell. The handrails are also covered with gold leaf, accompanied by gold incense burners and crane-shaped decorations. Perched on the handrails are golden phoenixes, stepping on lotus flowers and holding bells, alongside silver ribbons, tortoiseshell tiles, intricately carved gold accents, knife handles, and gold flower ornaments wrapped in brocade. The underside of the handrails, on the interior of the carriage, is similarly adorned with gold carvings and brocade. The front of the handrails is decorated with tortoiseshell and gold patterns. The front of the handrails also features golden upside-down dragons, with silver tortoiseshell turtle shells and gold patterns on the back. Every decoration on the carriage features intricate dragon engravings. In short, every part of the carriage is decorated with dragon patterns.

At the front of the carriage, there is a dragon-shaped panel, adorned with silver floral and animal motifs, with an inscription of "blessing" in gold, and edged with hollow metal, tortoiseshell, and brocade decorations. The interior is carved with gold, while the exterior features golden incense burners, guardian tigers, and phoenixes holding flowers. The roof of the carriage is also carved with gold, featuring 28 claw-shaped supports, covered with yellow satin, bordered with emerald green silk and oilcloth, secured with red ropes, and adorned with peacock feathers, satin, green ribbons, and hanging decorations of beads, seashells, gold bells, red knotted cords, and ribbons of various colors.

The pole is painted with silver patterns, and there is a golden incense burner on it. Four golden phoenixes stand on lotus flowers, each holding a bell; this is referred to as "Phoenix Standing on the Balance." There is also a dragon head holding the yoke on the pole, with decorative patterns on both sides, secured with red and green ropes, and featuring eight hanging ropes. The carriage's flag has twelve streamers, adorned with a painted rising dragon, and atop the flagpole is a golden dragon clutching a flame banner, along with peacock feathers. The halberd is sheathed in brocade, embellished with golden decorations and inscribed with the words "Receiving Blessings," as well as golden goose-shaped openwork carvings. Inside the carriage, there’s a lacquered table draped with brocade and yellow silk ribbons. Outside the carriage, there are eight brocade mudflaps, each nine feet long, edged with red brocade ribbons, and embroidered with intricate patterns.

Later, during the Yongming reign of Emperor Shizu, the emperor added a heavy canopy and crafted a qilin head adorned with colorful decorations to be placed on the horse's head. This left Prince Liang of Jingling quite alarmed, so he quickly reported: "I have heard that the patterns on the carriage flags are meticulously derived from historical texts; the items on the carriage must adhere to ritual norms, and the attire must comply with regulations. The round canopy symbolizes heaven, while the shape of the carriage represents the earth. There should not be two symbols of heaven above, nor two canopies below. Check the ancient classics; this could potentially violate established protocols. Furthermore, wearing a qilin head on the horse's head is not the practice of ancient times; it may not be appropriate." The emperor listened to his words and in the Jianwu period, all the heavy canopies and such were abolished.

In addition to the jade shaft, there is also a gold shaft, which is similar to the jade shaft but with slightly fewer decorations, also in gold color; there is also an ivory shaft, which is comparable to the gold shaft but with even fewer decorations; the wooden shaft is even more straightforward, featuring fewer decorations than the ivory shaft; the leather shaft is comparable to the large carriage. Finally, there is a large red flag topped with a flame-shaped pennant.

In the third year of the Shengming era of the Song Dynasty, the emperor rewarded the Prince of Qi with two carriages: one large carriage and one war carriage. The emperor himself rode a yellow carriage, but lacked matching carriages. Wang Qun, the Left Minister, expressed his view, saying, "The large carriage is a vehicle used for sacrificial rites of the Yin Dynasty, so it was not included in the types of carriages in the Zhou Dynasty's classics. However, the text 'Bright Hall Position' records: 'The large carriage is also a Yin carriage.' The accompanying annotation explains: 'The large carriage is a wooden carriage.' The 'Monthly Ordinance' states: 'The central region, ride the large carriage.' The accompanying annotation explains: 'It is also a Yin carriage.' The 'Rites and Instruments' states: 'The large carriage is adorned with a rich tassel,' with the annotation explaining: 'The large carriage is the Yin sacrificial vehicle.' The 'Rites of Zhou' mentions five types of carriages: jade, gold, elephant, leather, and wood carriages. Therefore, the wooden carriages of the Zhou Dynasty were essentially the large carriages from the Yin Dynasty. The Zhou Dynasty's leather carriages were adorned with large white flags for military campaigns, which is the war carriage. My point is that the major affairs of the state are sacrifices and warfare, so the emperor rewarded the Prince of Qi with a carriage for Yin Dynasty sacrifices and a carriage for Zhou Dynasty warfare. The sacrifices used the Yin Dynasty carriage, and the warfare used the Zhou Dynasty carriage, because the significance of sacrifices to heaven and earth is profound, so the rituals of the previous dynasty are continued; while warfare is immediate, so the current system is used. The 'Bright Hall Position' also records: 'The Lord of Lu, in the spring of Meng, rode on the main road, carrying the twelve flags of the sun and moon, to perform a sacrifice to the Emperor in the outskirts.' It is reasonable for the emperor to reward the vassals with a large carriage. Now, the wooden carriage is the large carriage." The Grand Commandant's Left Chief Clerk Wang Jian also expressed his opinion, believing that a nine-flag gold carriage should be used. At that time, the emperor's yellow carriage lacked matching carriages, so several of the five carriages were temporarily borrowed and placed in front of the hall during the court meeting, meeting the specifications of three carriages.

During the Yongming reign of the Southern Qi Dynasty, the Prince's Infantry Colonel Fu Manrong made a suggestion, saying, "Our Qi Dynasty values the color green. The five routes, five cattle sacrifices, and five colored banners should all start with green, followed by the other colors. The vehicles used for military travel and the sacrifices for worship should also follow this color system. The color system from the Three Dynasties is based on the pronunciation of surnames. The Han Dynasty did not be familiar with these phonetic rules, so they continued to use the colors they used during their reign. Currently, we also lack individuals who understand phonetic rules, so Great Qi should adopt the practices of the Han Dynasty. If there are people who understand phonetic rules in the future, then we can determine based on the pronunciation of surnames."

However, the Prince's Attendant Zhou Yu disagreed. He said, "The pronunciation of surnames in the Three Dynasties is not recorded in ancient books. The notion of determining color preferences based on pronunciation comes from you, Fu Manrong. In other words, since you can distinguish the pronunciation of surnames, there's no need to depend on those who understand phonetics. If you understand the ancient phonetic rules, why can't you grasp the musical theory of our dynasty and still say that there are no people who understand phonetic rules to determine the preference for colors, and we should follow the practices of the Han Dynasty? Our dynasty has always advocated for the colors used during the reign, which is unrelated to phonetic rules. Therefore, even if there are people who understand phonetic rules in the future, they should not dictate color preferences based on pronunciation." Cavalier Liu Lang and fifteen others also voiced their opposition to Fu Manrong's suggestion, and ultimately, his suggestion was rejected.

The crown prince's chariot is an elephant chariot, similar in decoration to the emperor's chariot. The flags on the chariot have nine tails, embroidered with a dragon descending motif. The empress dowager and empress's chariot is a heavy Zhai carriage, with a golden body and luxurious decorations. The interior of the carriage is adorned with white brocade featuring motifs of humans and horses. There is a hidden side door at the back of the carriage, and the decorations on the chariot are finely crafted from white ivory, gold paint, lacquer, and other materials. The wheels are lacquered and fitted with iron bells, while the rear of the carriage is similarly adorned with gold. Various parts of the chariot, such as the Shizi Xian (lion-headed finials) and the Kangyan (eaves), are decorated with gold Chi dragons, divine dragons, birds, and other patterns. The yoke features a golden Boshan decoration, and there are gold-painted long horned heads. The carriage cover is golden with twenty-eight claw-shaped flowers, made of blue silk and yellow silk cloth on the outside and lacquered cloth on the inside. The carriage curtain is purple, with yellow and purple twisted ribbons that vary with the shape of the curtain, and the edges are decorated with blue stripes. The exterior of the carriage cover is secured with crimson purple ties.

The crown princess's chariot is a Yanzhai chariot, similar to the empress dowager and empress's chariot, but slightly simpler in decoration. The "Golden Roots" chariot referred to in the "Donggong Yiji" during the Song and Yuan Dynasties was used by the empress dowager's attendants, but the specific meaning of "Golden Roots" is not explained in the book.

The guide car is a vehicle featuring directional indicators. Imagine a closed carriage with an operator inside managing the guidance, dressed in celestial-like clothing. Dragon-shaped poles are mounted at each corner of the carriage roof, with colorful peacock feathers hanging from them. The carriage is draped in black cloth curtains, the wheels are painted black and adorned with copper accents, and the carriage is pulled by oxen.

The drum car, which shares a similar structure with the guide car, features an additional canopy on top and is decorated with painted patterns on the carriage. The drum and timing mechanisms are located inside the carriage.

The carriage, similar to a calf cart, has a bamboo canopy on top. The exterior of the carriage is adorned with gold leaf, draped with emerald green silk, and embroidered with various patterns of brocade. The interior of the carriage, including the roof and back panel, is decorated with gold foil, inlaid with tortoiseshell, and features exquisite decorations like gold-painted pine nuts and dengxian flower knots. The carriage is trimmed with green accents, has gauze windows, and boasts exquisite carvings at both the front and back. The yoke pillow features a long-horned dragon, along with ivory, tortoiseshell, and gold ornaments. A dust shield in front of the yoke is intricately carved with gold and silver patterns, depicting various rare birds and beasts along with exquisite designs. Golden phoenix bells, silver reins, and an array of exquisite decorations adorn the yoke. From the emperor's carriage down, including other vehicles in the imperial palace, they are adorned with green oil flags and crimson ties. The emperor's carriage is two-tiered, while the princess's is adorned with emerald green oil flags. In the "Sima Fa," it is said that the Xiahou tribe's carriage is called the golden carriage, the Yin dynasty's is called the Hunu carriage, and the Zhou dynasty's is called the Zhi carriage; all of these refer to carriages. In the "Book of Han · Shusun Tong Chuan," it is recorded that "the emperor's carriage came out of the house." Emperor Cheng also once rode a carriage to the harem, showing that carriages were also used in court banquets. The "Yufuzhi" records that "the carriage is decorated with gold, silver, and paintings, carved with grape patterns." When Yinxian encountered Jing Dan, attendants carried a carriage as well, indicating that ministers could also ride in carriages. Emperor Wu of Jin once bestowed a mica carriage to King Fu of Anping. In the later period of the Jin dynasty, there was also the Xiangyi carriage, while in the Jiangzuo region only the emperor could ride it. The litter is decorated similarly to the sitting carriage, but is less commonly used.

First paragraph: This lacquered cart, adorned with gold and styled like the emperor's carriage, is just a bit simpler. The golden carriage bells, even the handrails at the back of the carriage are shaped like lions. It is used by ministers to pay their respects to the emperor. The empress and the crown princess also travel in this carriage.

Second paragraph:

This painted carriage, (small and exquisite, shaped like an ancient carriage, adorned with gold, the handrails at the back of the carriage are shaped like lions, iron bells, and the carriage is adorned with brocade. The doors on both sides of the carriage can cover the knees, decorated with ivory and orchids, the yoke, headrest, and roof pillars of the carriage are all decorated with gold.) is used by the emperor and the crown prince, also known as the ancient "yangche." During the Tai Shi period of the Jin Dynasty, the Central Guard Yang Xiu was riding in a "yangche" and was reported by the Colonel Liu Yi. Emperor Wu decreed, "Although there is no specific regulation prohibiting the use of 'yangche', it is not for ordinary people to use. He was relieved of his official position." The "Wei Jia Zhuan" records: "Wei Jia rode in a 'yangche' when he was young, and the people on the street all watched." Nowadays, they no longer drive "yangche", but this type of carriage is still called "yangche."

The second paragraph:

This sedan chair, (shaped like a carriage, painted and embellished with gold, adorned with brocade. The doors on both sides of the carriage can cover the knees, decorated with ivory and orchids, inlaid with tortoiseshell, with knife handles, hollow patterns, and nails. The roof pillars of the carriage are also decorated with gold. There are eight wheels under the carriage, and the wheels are also adorned with gold decorations, and there is a "zhao chuang" (a type of sedan chair) as an accessory. It is carried by people.) is also called a small sedan chair, used by the emperor when traveling incognito. The crown prince can also ride in this type of carriage in the palace.

The third paragraph:

These twelve book transport carts, (as recorded in "Mu Zi": elm wheels, Jizi walls (a type of decoration), green painted carriage, green gauze curtains outside the carriage, painted canopy and ropes, a through canopy, pole spikes instead of roof pillars, dragon carvings on the yoke, decorated with floral motifs on the carriage. There are mud boards shaped like divine beasts and wheel axle decorations behind the yoke, all decorated with gold.) are the style of ancient auxiliary carts. Nowadays, they are also called "wushi auxiliary carts."

Qingmengche, also known as the "Shixi Manche" in our language (the character "Shixi" is not recognized here, so it is retained in the original text). The princess, queen, and three noblewomen ride in oil-painted Anche, which are considered high-end! During the Han Dynasty, the empress and noblewomen rode in exquisite purple silk carriages. The empress of the Jin Dynasty rode in a mother-of-pearl decorated Anche, pulled by six horses, with a pair of five-horse carriages as auxiliary carriages. The princess's Anche was pulled by six horses, with a pair of carriages pulled by three horses as auxiliary carriages. The princess's Anche pulled by three horses and the three noblewomen's Qingjiaolian Anche, also pulled by three horses, all had a purple silk carriage pulled by three horses as auxiliary carriages. The carriages of the nine concubines and noblewomen were pulled by two horses, while the carriages of the royal concubines and distinguished ladies were pulled by two horses as auxiliary carriages. During the Han Dynasty, they valued the carriages of noblewomen and looked down on the carriages of concubines, while during the Jin Dynasty, it was the opposite, depending on the occasion for the use of the carriages.

The Huangwu carriages are of the highest specifications! Nine green flags are displayed atop the carriage, and the nine flags symbolize the phoenix. The "Han Yu Fu Zhi" writes: "The golden root carriages are lined with yellow silk, so they are called Huangwu." Now, both the golden and jade carriages use yellow brocade; only the Huangwu carriages use yellow silk. The decorations on the carriage are all gilded, featuring a yellow carriage, green feathers, twenty-eight claw-shaped flower holders, and purple ties, it looks very grand! Only officials of the Ninth Rank are permitted to ride in them.

The Qinggai Anche has a vermilion canopy, black wheels, one horse pulling the carriage, with an additional horse on each side, and a Tongyan ox-drawn carriage as an auxiliary. This is the carriage used by the princes when traveling. Any carriage with a canopy is called a "Xuan." The Zaogai Anche has a vermilion canopy, black wheels, one horse pulling the carriage, paired with a Tongyan ox-drawn carriage as an auxiliary; this is the carriage used by the three nobles when traveling.

The Anche features black carriage ears, a black canopy, and a vermilion canopy, with one horse pulling the carriage, and an ox carriage as an auxiliary. This is the carriage used by the dukes and marquises when traveling.

This one-horse carriage is used by officials such as the Nine Qing, Ling, Hu, two guards, Xiaoyou, and others during worship ceremonies in the suburbs.

During the Jin Dynasty, from the Three Dukes to the Nine Ministers, each person was assigned a black carriage. The Three Dukes used three horses to pull the carriage, the Special Envoys used two horses, and the Ministers used one horse. They were also each assigned a black small carriage, with a door at the back and black wheels.

The Youzhuang Liaoche was used by the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, the Minister Steward, the Director of the Palace Library, the Prefect, the Palace Attendants, the Central Yellow Gate, the Masters of Writing, and the Cavalry Attendants. They rode in this type of carriage, pulled by a cow, when going to court. It was stipulated during the Jin Dynasty that the Prefect of the Masters of Writing's carriage had a door at the back and black wheels; the Minister Steward, the Director of the Palace Library, and the Prefect's carriages also had doors at the back and black wheels; the Masters of Writing's carriage had no door and the wheels were pitch black.

The two teachers of the Crown Prince traveled in an Anche with a red screen, pulled by a horse, and accompanied by a Lu carriage with a door at the back as a secondary carriage.

In ancient times, the hierarchy of carriages was quite elaborate! First, there was the "Four-View Carriage," with a grand name, a magnificent carriage cover, and shiny black wheels, reserved for the highest-ranking officials. Emperor Wu of Jin even specially granted Wei Shu a "Four-View Small Carriage"!

Next came the "Three-View Carriage," similar to the "Four-View Carriage" but slightly less prestigious, for high-ranking officials with a slightly lower status. The "Youzhuang Liaoche" was similar in style to the "Three-View Carriage," but slightly simpler, usually used by nobles and with a lower status than the "Three-View Carriage."

Then there was the "Pingcheng Carriage," a more ordinary carriage with a bamboo body, elm wheels, and a carriage cover, but simpler in other aspects, which commoners could also use, although without a carriage cover. However, the "Pingcheng Carriage" used by the Three Dukes and various princes was distinct, featuring copper decorations.

Finally, let's talk about the luxurious carriage, which is even more opulent! Featuring four wheels and dazzling decorations, adorned with dragon heads at each corner, various colored ribbons and jade ornaments hanging, and cloud patterns painted on the carriage curtain, it is nothing short of magnificent! This type of carriage is reserved for the funerals of only the most distinguished officials, although the standards may be slightly reduced, and the horses pulling the carriage are all top-quality white horses, led by the Grand Equerry himself!

The "Book of Yu" states: "I wish to see the ancient totems, such as the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and various patterns, as well as ancestral vessels, algae, fire, powdered rice, fupu, and fu, along with various silk fabrics, decorated with patterns of five colors on clothing of five colors." The emperor's clothing features the most elaborate patterns, decreasing in order from dukes downwards. The emperor has six crowns, and the empress has six sets of clothing, as detailed in the "Zhou Officials." Officials ranked below dukes all have designated clothing and jade ornaments, and these ceremonial systems are recorded in later works such as the "Han Annals" and "Jin Clothing System Regulations." Cai Yong's "Du Duan" mentions thirteen levels of crowns. In the fourth year of the Taishi reign of Emperor Song Ming, five types of carriages and crowns were officially established, with distinct attire for court meetings, sacrificial rites, and hunting, all recorded in the "Song Annotations."

In the past, officials ranked below the Three Excellencies wore crowns adorned with seven hanging pearls crafted from blue jade, while officials below the rank of marquis wore crowns with five hanging pearls made of black jade. In the sixth year of the Yongming era, the Minister of Rites, He Yin, proposed to modify the rule based on the "Rites of Zhou," suggesting that the Three Excellencies wear crowns with eight hanging pearls, and marquises wear crowns with six hanging pearls. The Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Wang Jian, suggested that, following the attire of the Three Excellencies in the Han dynasty, the patterns on the Three Excellencies' clothing should feature nine motifs of mountains and dragons, while the patterns on the clothing of marquises should consist of seven chapters of huachong. Finally, Wang Jian's suggestion was adopted.

Talking about the clothes of ancient emperors, they were very exquisite! Take the "平冕黑介帻" (pingtian crown) for example; wearing it was truly majestic! The hat was seven inches wide and twelve inches long, with a black brim and a red lining, adorned with twelve strands of beads hanging from it, tied with red silk ribbons matching the color of the hat. The upper garment was black, and the lower garment was red, featuring three panels in front and four in back of the skirt. The upper part had painted patterns while the skirt was embroidered with images of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, phoenixes, algae, fire, grains, and decorative motifs, totaling twelve kinds. The belt was four inches wide, red inside, decorated with red and green silk ribbons on the sides, and a red center with green silk ribbons hanging down three feet. The inner garment featured red collars and sleeves, and the shoes matched in red. This attire was reserved for ceremonies honoring heaven and earth or for court appearances. During the Han Dynasty, the beads on the hat were made of white jade, but Emperor Ming of Wei favored women's adornments, leading to a switch to coral beads. In the early Jin Dynasty, they were changed back, then changed again later. In the Jiangnan region, where quality jade was scarce, they used something called "Bing Zhu" as a substitute, known as white xuan beads. Regarding the Guan Yi, during the Han Dynasty, it was woven in Chenliu Xiangyi. In the late Song Dynasty, there were both embroidered and woven versions. During the Jianwu era, Emperor Ming deemed the woven version too heavy, so it was changed to a painted version with added gold and silver foil, referred to as "Tian Yi." Historical records say that the designs on the Guan Yi were meticulously crafted, with five colors, six patterns, and twelve garments that complemented each other. The dragon robes of previous dynasties were traditionally woven, and now, these garments are uncomfortable to wear. With the alteration of traditional styles, how can these be deemed beautiful ceremonial attire?

Let's talk about the official headwear in ancient times. Wearing a black cap, paired with a golden incense burner shaped like Mount Bo, and a red silk robe over a black inner garment, this outfit was worn by the emperor when attending court. Previously, hairpins were made of rhinoceros horn, but during the Dong Hun Marquis period, they were changed to jade. The ministers' court attire is similar to that of the emperor.

There is another type of clothing, worn with a black cap and a single garment in varying colors, worn by the emperor when worshipping at tombs. Wearing a white cap and single garment is called plain clothing, used for expressing mourning and attending funerals.

The traveling crown is worn by the crown prince and other princes. The crown prince wears a red silk ribbon, emerald green feathers, and decorations made of pearls; the other princes wear black silk ribbons.

The flat crown is secured with ribbons, featuring eight strings of pearls on the hats of princes and dukes, and nine patterns of mountains and dragons on their robes; seven strings of pearls on the hats of officials, and seven patterns of Chinese insects on their clothes, worn during sacrifices. These garments are all made of black and red silk.

Well, all the above are about the hats and clothes of ancient officials! First of all, civil officials, from the highest-ranking to the lowest-level, wear different hats. According to the "Jin Code," senior officials wear three-beam crowns, middle-ranking officials wear two-beam crowns, and junior officials wear one-beam crowns, where the beams indicate the number of decorations on the hats. The regulations for wearing these hats specify ranks from the Duke of Kaiguo and Marquis, down to village marquis, officials, imperial secretaries, inner marquis, two thousand stones, scholars, secretaries, assistant secretaries, prince's attendants, equerries, attendants, prefects, and sub-prefects, down to the magistrate of six hundred stones and minor officials.

Then there are the military officials' hats; the attendants' hats are required to have fur tails attached, while other military academies, imperial guards, cavalry officers, imperial princes' attendants, second-rank officials, court officials, and commandants all wear military caps. However, the cavalry officers wear the attire of civil officials but with pheasant tails added to their military caps, which is quite unique. Historical records state that in Ying Shao's "Han Officials" and Sima Biao's historical records, there is no mention of any difference between the hats of the Palace Attendants and the Palace Attendants, only that they both wear fur tails. However, Xiang Shi's explanation is that the pheasant on the hat of a Palace Attendant in the Han Dynasty is carved out, while that of the Palace Attendant is just a ring without a pheasant. Which explanation is correct, it's really hard to say; it's unclear when this change occurred.

The fa guan is worn by law enforcement officers such as the court magistrate; the gao shan guan is worn by envoys; the fan kui guan is worn by palace gate guards. The hei jie zhi guan is a civil official's hat, while the ping zhi guan is a military official's hat; the decorations on the hats of the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, the Minister of Works, and the Imperial Secretaries are also different. Children wear hats with open tops and wear fake hair buns, regardless of wealth or poverty. If there is a solar eclipse, civil and military officials must remove their hats, put on red silk caps, and then wear court dress. This red silk cap symbolizes power and authority.

Ku zhe is the attire worn by the emperor when going to war or holding grand ceremonies, wearing a black hat with purple silk decorations on it, using silk cords instead of leather belts. The inner officials wear purple decorations, while the outer officials wear crimson decorations. However, during grand ceremonies, the military attire lacks any silk decorations; everything else remains the same. When hunting or going on excursions, officials accompanying the emperor wear military attire, using leather belts or silk cords; civil officials do not wear tassels, and military officials remove their hats.

Finally, this gui yi is a type of outer garment called yi yi, worn by the empress when making offerings at the temple; princesses wear large hair buns when receiving guests, and their everyday attire is more luxurious, adorned with a variety of precious jewelry. This gui yi is made of embroidered fabric, the skirt has five different colors, and is decorated with gold and silver. Wow, the clothing system of ancient times is incredibly complex!

Ah, the ancient official clothing system and official rank insignia are really complicated! Look at these sashes: the emperor uses five colors of yellow, red, cyan, dark blue, and pale green. The crown prince uses four colors of red, yellow, pale green, and dark blue, and the princes and princesses are similar. The prime minister uses a sash with three colors of green, purple, and dark blue, the duke uses black and red, the earls use blue and red, and the viscounts use white and red, all of which are three colors. The duke's heir apparent uses purple, the marquis's heir apparent uses blue, and the marquis of the county uses a black sash, which are two colors. The provincial governors and ministers of the interior use blue, the chief ministers, officials, directors of the imperial archives, prefects, and secretaries of the imperial secretariat use black, while the subordinates use yellow, and the subordinates of each department also use yellow. The empress wears a red sash just like the emperor, the noble concubines, ladies, and noble ladies use purple, the princess dowagers, princesses, and feudal lords also use purple, and the concubines of the six palaces use blue sashes, which include blue, white, and red.

Next are the seals. The emperor uses the jade seal that has been passed down through generations, which was from the Qin Dynasty. Later, during the turmoil in the Central Plains during the Jin Dynasty, the jade seal fell into the hands of the barbarians. Initially, the Eastern Jin did not have the jade seal, and the northerners mocked the Jin Dynasty, calling it the "blank emperor." It was not until Ran Min was defeated that the jade seal returned to the south. In addition to the jade seal, there are six other seals, all made of gold, with styles similar to those of the Qin and Han periods. The empress, crown prince, and princes all use gold seals with turtle knobs. The five ranks of nobility all have gold seals, with the heir apparent of a duke using a gold seal, a marquis using a silver seal, noble concubines and ladies using gold seals, princesses, princess dowagers, and feudal lords using gold seals, and the wives of lower-ranking nobility using silver seals. The nobles and generals use gold seals, while the grand masters, ministers, magistrates, crown prince's tutors, various generals, generals of the imperial guard, colonels, governors of provinces and ministers of the interior, fourth and fifth rank generals, all use silver seals. The chief ministers, officials, directors of the imperial archives, prefects, secretaries of the imperial secretariat, subordinates of the imperial secretariat, deputy tutors to the crown prince, chief historians of each department, ministers, magistrates, subordinates, colonels, deputy directors, water commissioners, and governors of various provinces all use copper seals as well.

The second-grade civil officials from the three divisions and five provinces all wear white hairpins (簪子). The nobles of the fifth rank and military officials do not wear hairpins; only the eunuchs do. All officials carry hand boards, with the heads of the Minister of Personnel, the Minister of Works, and the Secretariat having white pens inserted on top, wrapped in purple leather, referred to as "hu." According to Zhong Changtong of the late Han Dynasty, all officials were expected to carry a "hu." They also carry purple cloth bags slung over their shoulders, called "qi nang," also known as "zi he" by others. Wearing jade, from the emperor downwards, the system of jade ornamentation is similar to that of the Jin and Song dynasties. In the fourth year of Jianyuan, it was stipulated that the jade ornaments worn by high-ranking officials, including princes, marquises, barons, and ministers, should be made of pearls and crystals, while others should be made of ivory and shells. Officials of the Tai Bureau wear "li zhi" robes, and later this system was established. "Praise: The cultural artifacts are impressive, the ceremonial practices are solemn. The distinctions of etiquette, nothing surpasses the carriage and attire." Look, this ancient system is so particular! Clothing and accessories must be based on rank and status, truly strict and meticulous. This praise poem is also right; the ancient system of cultural artifacts is impressive, with clear ranks and various ceremonial norms, most clearly reflected in these ceremonial vehicles and attire. From the emperor to ordinary officials, the materials used for the jade ornaments vary, and this hierarchical system can be seen from these details. Just think, the distinction between pearls and crystals, and ivory and shells, is significant!

Details

Written by: Realhistories

Category: Book of Southern Qi （南齊書）

Published: 05 January 2025

Created: 05 January 2025

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Establishing official positions has been in existence since the time of the Yan Emperor and Huangdi and has been documented in the classics from the Zhou Dynasty and the historical accounts of the Han Dynasty. Throughout the dynasties, there have been changes and continuities, with many scholars studying and writing on this topic. Works such as Hu Guang's "Old Rituals" are relatively concise; Ying Shao's "Official Canon" is nearly exhaustive. Wang Lang's official memorials were about the early days of hegemony; Chen Jiao's supplements were meant to improve the system with a focus on military affairs. Additionally, there are works such as "Wei's Official Rituals" and Yu Yan's "Domestic and Foreign Officials." Shantao, commenting on others with his own thoughts, not quite... (the original text is missing here). Xun Xu wanted to simplify complicated affairs, advocating for the merging and elimination of some institutions. The system that ultimately formed was established according to the "Laws of Jin," which later dynasties used as a standard for implementation. The establishment of official positions and ranks, along with clear regulations on the selection process and detailed descriptions of these positions, were all outlined. Yu Tong, Liu Yin, and others referenced Xun's works, made modifications and additions, and compared ancient and modern systems. The Qi Dynasty inherited the system of the Song Dynasty, maintaining the previous regulations and institutions with a dedicated organization in charge, ensuring that no aspect was overlooked. Other scattered records can be found in the annotations of historical texts, most of which have been compiled. These records are straightforward, so I won't reiterate. (For the duties of officials such as the Langzhong and Lingshi of various government offices, refer to Wang Gui, Chief of Changshui Wei's "Rituals.")

The position of Prime Minister, starting from Xiao He and Cao Can, has been the highest ministerial position. During the reign of Emperor Xiaojian of the Song Dynasty, it was held by King Yixuan of Nanqiao. During the Qi Dynasty, this position was not used for official appointments but was instead an honorary title, not included in the official system.

The position of Grand Preceptor, during the reign of Emperor Daming of the Song Dynasty, was held by King Yigong of Jiangxia, and it remained unoccupied thereafter. In the Qi Dynasty, it was similarly reserved as an honorary title.

The positions of Grand Tutor, Grand Minister, and Grand Protector were official positions in the Zhou Dynasty. During the late Han Dynasty, Dong Zhuo held the position of Grand Minister. In the early years of Emperor Hui of Jin, Wei Guan served as Grand Protector. After that, the position of Grand Minister was no longer reinstated, and Grand Protector became merely an honorary title. The Qi Dynasty established only the position of Grand Tutor.

Grand Marshal and Grand General. During the reign of Emperor Yuanjia of the Song Dynasty, Prince Yikang of Pengcheng held the title of Grand General, and no one else held that position afterwards. In the Qi Dynasty, it too was used only as an honorary title.

The positions of Grand Commandant, Minister of State, and Minister of Works were historically common official titles. The Minister of State was responsible for managing the population, household registration, and various records across the nation's provinces and counties. Although this position lacked real power, it often had subordinate officials such as Left and Right Chief Historians, Left and Right Secretaries, Principal Clerk, Ritual Master, and Historiographer. During the Jin Dynasty, Wang Dao served as Minister of State, and his Right Chief Historian, Gan Bao, wrote the "Regulations of the Minister of State" for the office, which was already very detailed.

Special Attendant, a rank equivalent to the Three Excellencies. Various titles of the Three Excellencies. General of Chariots and Cavalry, General of the Guards, General of the Garrison, General of the Central Army, General Who Pacifies the Army, and Four Expeditionary Generals (East, West, South, North).

The Four Towns General is a very powerful general! Any general, as long as the word "大" (great) is added to their title, their status will be equivalent to that of a high-ranking official, and they can establish a government office just like those of high-ranking officials. In the government office, there should be a Chief Historian, a Sima (military officer), and two advisors responsible for providing counsel and making plans. Other departments include record officers, clerks, secretaries, treasury officers, warehouse officers, infantry, guards, cavalry, as well as departments for managing thieves, city management, legal affairs, land affairs, water affairs, armor affairs, collection affairs, and household management, for a total of eighteen departments. The heads of departments above the city management department are called Chief Military Advisors, while those below are called Acting Advisors, with each department having one official. If there are no vacancies for Acting Advisors, the heads of departments may also take on that role. In the government office, there are also two assistants, a warehouse clerk, a treasury officer, and a ceremonial officer for the east and west halls, as well as two clerks. If the status is higher, there will be four Chief Historians and an increase in the number of clerks. If the level is not high enough to establish a government office, there will still be assistants in the government office, but fewer in number. In smaller government offices, there may not be a department for dealing with thieves; instead, a security advisor will be appointed.

The Four Peace Generals, Four Equality Generals, Left General, Right General, Front General, Rear General, Pacifying the Barbarians General, and Four Chief Advisors are also very important positions. During the Jin Dynasty, Xun Xian and Wang Hu held these positions. However, starting from the Song and Qi Dynasties, these positions were reserved for members of the imperial family and influential clans who were not actively engaged in duties. The Champion General, the Assistant General, the Tranquil Frontier General, the Peaceful Distant General, and the Dragon General, although these positions may have less prestige, some of these positions still allow for the establishment of government offices.

The office of Taichang in the prefecture should include a Deputy, as well as five officials: a Gongcao and a Zhubu. The nine offices in each prefecture are set up in the same way. Now let's talk about the positions under the jurisdiction of Taichang: there is a Doctor, also known as a Doctor of the Imperial Academy; one Libationer of the National University, two Doctors, and ten Teaching Assistants. In the fourth year of Jianyuan, someone suggested the establishment of the National University, with the rank of the National University Libationer equivalent to that of a Minister in each department, the Doctor equivalent to the Zhongshu Lang, and the Assistant equivalent to the Nantai Imperial Censor. When selecting talents, the first criterion for selection is their proficiency in classical studies. If suitable candidates are not easy to find, they should be selected from those who are well-versed in the classics from the Yushi up, allowing them to hold concurrent positions. Below the National University, there are two Directors of Studies, third rank, equivalent to the Zhubu of Taichang; two officials for the Household Department and Ceremonial Department, fifth rank; eight officials responsible for ceremonial matters, sixth rank; as well as two people teaching medicine and two people in charge of ceremonial escorts. In summer, due to the monarch's superstitions, the school was closed, and it was suggested to eliminate positions below the rank of Assistant. In the third year of Yongming, the school reopened, with Wang Jian, the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, assuming the role of National University Libationer. Eight years later, the National University Doctor He Yin served as Libationer alone, and due to a dispute over attire with Lu Cheng and others, he eventually wore red clothing.

The Zongming Temple had only one Libationer. In the sixth year of the Taishi period of the Southern Song Dynasty, the national school was abolished, and the Zongming Temple was established, offering four subjects: metaphysics, Confucianism, literature, and history, each subject had ten scholars, as well as a Chief Historian, two Chief Historians, a civil official, a gatekeeper, and two temple officials. By the time of the Jianyuan era, the Zongming Temple was in charge of the ritual ceremonies of the Five Rites. In the third year of Yongming, the national school was rebuilt, and the Zongming Temple was subsequently abolished.

The five institutions of Taimei, Mingtang, Taizhu, Taishi, and Linxi each have a Ling (equivalent to a bureau chief) and a Cheng (equivalent to a deputy bureau chief). Other institutions, such as those below the Ling and Cheng, all have their own responsibilities.

The position of Taileling also has a Deputy, and a Deputy is also appointed for each Ling. The position of Zhulings was established at the end of the Yongming period, and officials holding this position must have the second or third rank of merit. There is also a Chief Clerk and Household Clerk, both of whom are sixth-class officials and need to be recommended for appointment.

The Guanglu Xunfu has a Deputy. The officials under its jurisdiction include the Left and Right Guanglu Dafu, whose ranks are equivalent to nobles, and they can establish their own offices and appoint subordinate officials, just like nobles. The official uniform of the Guanglu Dafu is a silver insignia with a blue ribbon, and if the emperor bestows a golden insignia with a purple ribbon, it is called a Jinzi Guanglu Dafu. Ren Xia from Le'an once served as a Guanglu Dafu and requested a piece of gold from Wang Yan in order to be promoted to Jinzi Guanglu Dafu, but after Wang Yan submitted a memorial, the emperor did not agree.

The Taizhong Dafu, Zhongsan Dafu, and other officials of the Dafu level are all officials with extensive experience and advanced age, and those of higher status will also be provided with an additional twenty trusted personnel.

The Weiwei Fu has a Deputy who oversees the palace gate security and guards. Zhang Heng wrote in the "Xi Jing Fu": "The Weiwei has eight posts, guarding day and night," referring to this practice. Originally, there were drums on each defense tower in the palace, and the guards on duty would beat the drums to signal the time. Emperor Taizu felt that the drumming was too noisy and affecting sleep, so he switched to using iron chimes instead.

The Tingwei Fu has a Deputy, a Chief, a Supervisor, a Reviewer, and a Legal Scholar.

The Dasi Nong Fu has a Deputy. Its subordinate officials include the Taicang Ling and Deputy, the Daoguan Ling and Deputy, and the Jiting Ling and Deputy.

The Shaofu Fu has a Deputy. Its subordinate officials include the Left and Right Shangfang Supervisors and their Deputies, the Duanshu Deputy (which was abolished in the third year of Yongming and reinstated in the fourth year of Yongming), the Yufu Ling and Deputy, the Dongye Ling and Deputy, the Nanye Ling and Deputy, the Pingzhun Ling and Deputy, and the Shanglin Ling and Deputy (also under the jurisdiction of the Shangshu Dianzhong Cao).

The Chief Architect, Grand Master of Ceremonies, and Grand Minister of Rites.

These departments are not commonly established. The Ministry of Works is responsible for the civil engineering of palaces and temples; the Ministry of Rites is responsible for the rituals and chariots of suburban sacrifices; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for receiving foreign envoys and guiding them to participate in worship ceremonies. If needed, temporary officials may be appointed and will be dismissed once the matter is concluded.

There is only one Yellow Gate Commander. He is responsible for managing the Emperor's five-wheeled carriage, the imperial carriage, and other large ceremonial vehicles.

The Commander of the Guest House is responsible for receiving guests from all over.

The Hall of Declarations, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Rites were established under the names of palaces when Prince Yulin ascended the throne and Empress Wen'an was posthumously honored.

The Grand Minister was established as an official position after Prince Yulin established the Empress.

The Director of the Imperial Secretariat and the Chief Scribe, who oversees the twenty departments under the Imperial Scribe's Office, are the highest officials of the Inner Court. When they encounter officials of lower rank during travel, they must stop and wait. The Left and Right Supervisors oversee different departments. If there is no Chief Scribe, the Left Supervisor serves as the highest official of the Imperial Scribe's Office, with the same power as the Chief Scribe.

The Left Supervisor is responsible for the affairs of the Hall of Internal Affairs and the Guest Hall, as well as other departments related to suburban temples, tombs, the Emperor's travels, court rituals, internal affairs of the palace, appointments, promotions, transfers, leaves of absence for civil officials; as well as handling major events such as auspicious occurrences, calamities, and insurrections, the Emperor's audiences, changing of reign titles, selection and appointment of officials, all appointments and dismissals of officials, assessment of merits, enfeoffment, demotion, handling of the Eight Deliberations, difficult cases, checkpoint cases, etc. These are all the responsibility of the Left Supervisor, with the assistance of the Right Supervisor. When handling cases involving the Yellow Register, both the Left Supervisor and the Right Supervisor must sign in red ink on the memorial, after which the Right Supervisor draws a horizontal line, the Left Supervisor then draws a vertical line, and the Chief Scribe finally affixes his seal. If the Right Supervisor is absent, other officials sign in order. If both the Left and Right Supervisors are absent, the Chief Scribe manages all affairs independently.

The Minister of Personnel oversees the Ministry of Personnel, Editing, Three Excellencies, and Department of Comparisons; The Minister of Revenue oversees the Revenue, Treasury, Warehouse, and Construction Affairs Departments; The Minister of Civil Affairs oversees the Civil Affairs and Transportation Departments; The Minister of Justice oversees the Ministry of Justice, Water Department, Treasury Department, and Office of Meritocracy; The Minister of War oversees the Central Army and Foreign Army Departments; The duties of the Minister of Rites are concurrently handled by the Right Deputy Supervisor, without separate appointment; The Minister of Construction Affairs is temporarily appointed when building palaces and temples and is dismissed after the project is completed.

There is one Left Chancellor, responsible for ancestral temples, sacrifices in the suburbs, ceremonies, auspicious events, omens, and disasters, establishing rules and regulations, handling cases, selecting and appointing officials, appointing, promoting, transferring, and arranging duties of officials. There is also only one Right Chancellor.

Wow, this ancient official system is so complex! Let's go through it sentence by sentence and see what each one is responsible for.

Firstly, it talks about the military, craftsmen, various tasks, handling deaths, betrayals, or illnesses of older people, checking the food and cloth in the warehouse, various cases, land, ships, weapons factories, various tasks, weapons and equipment, taxation in states and counties, population movements, merging of states and counties, division of urban populations, appointment and dismissal of officials such as governors, county magistrates, and deputies, as well as demotions of civil and military officials for mistakes. For straightforward cases, the Right Chancellor signs first, followed by the Left Chancellor; for complex cases, the Left Chancellor signs first, followed by the Right Chancellor; for important regulations and major cases related to ancestral temples and the imperial court, the Left Chancellor signs first, followed by the Right Chancellor.

From the servants below, there are five Ministers, eight Zuos, and twenty Caos; each department has a Langzhong, a Lingshi, and a Du Lingshi to oversee their operations. The Pushe oversees the court's regulations, the Shangshu is responsible for reviewing memorials, and the Du Cheng handles some minor matters, including impeaching departments that violate regulations, as well as managing some foreign affairs. If a meeting is necessary, the Langguan first presents their opinions, then the relevant matters are reported, and the official who presents the opinions chairs the meeting. If someone appeals, the old rules are followed if there were previous orders; if there are new orders, the person who proposed the opinions will chair the meeting.

Next are the personnel settings of several specific departments: one Wuku Ling, part of the Ku Department; one Chefu Ling and one Cheng, belonging to the Jia Department; one Gongche Ling; one Daguang Ling and one Cheng; one Dayi Ling and one Cheng; one Neiwai Dianzhong Jian each; one Neiwai Hualiujiu Cheng each; one Caiguan General and one Sima, belonging to the Qi Department, also part of the Lingjun; Shizhong Jijiu, a title for senior officials; Shizhong.

In summary, this passage outlines the establishment and personnel configuration of ancient government institutions, as well as the process of handling various affairs, with clearly defined levels of authority and responsibility. Just examining the personnel structure reveals the complexity of the management.

During the Han Dynasty, the position of Chamberlain was fairly close to the emperor. By the Wei and Jin periods, the status and treatment of Chamberlains had slightly improved, but the main responsibilities remained the same. During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty, Wang Hua, Wang Tan Shou, and Yin Jingren concurrently served as Chamberlains, who had a particularly close rapport with the emperor. They were allowed to speak directly with the emperor, and even if the emperor's sable fur duster fell, they could help the emperor pick it up, place it on the table, speak, and then return the duster to its place. During the reign of Emperor Xiaowu of the Song Dynasty, Chamberlain He Yan accompanied the emperor to the southern suburbs for sacrifices. When the emperor's carriage passed through the Bai Gate, He Yan wanted to get off the carriage to pay his respects, but the emperor quickly supported him, saying, "I am accompanying you." During the Qi Dynasty, many officials attending court were appointed to official positions because of their good looks. In the third year of Yongyuan, the Eastern Prince of Qi went to the southern suburbs for sacrifices and did not want to attend court with the ministers, so he allowed the prince's seal to accompany him, which was unprecedented.

Chamberlain is also called the Ministry of the Interior and is staffed with officials such as the Lingshi. Officials under the jurisdiction of Chamberlain include the Huangmen Shilang. They are also responsible for handling imperial edicts, so they are also referred to as "Xiaomenxia." There are also the Sanqi Changshi, Tongzhi Sanqi Changshi, and Yuanwai Sanqi Changshi. These official positions used to be on par with Chamberlain, but later the Tongzhi and Yuanwai positions were assigned to older officials, so their status gradually declined. During the Song Dynasty, although the selection criteria for Sanqi Changshi were elevated to match those of the Chamberlain, people tended to overlook them, and later they returned to their original state. Others include the Sanqi Shilang, Tongzhi Sanqi Shilang, Yuanwai Sanqi Shilang, Geishizhong, Fengchaoqing, and Fuma Duwei. These official positions are all under the jurisdiction of the Jishu province, staffed with officials such as the Zhengshu Lingshi. The position of Chaosan Dafu is primarily occupied by well-dressed officials, and there are many of them. By the Yongming period, there were more than six hundred officials in the Fengchaoqing role.

The Zhongshu Province has one supervisor, one prefect, four deputies, and an unspecified number of staff members. The officials in the Zhongshu Province also include chief clerks, magistrates, and regular clerks. The Secretariat has one supervisor, one deputy, as well as officials such as clerks and assistants. During the Jin Dynasty, the Secretariat had magistrates responsible for managing various books, as noted in the "Jin Ling." The Secretariat also had magistrates, regular clerks, and disciples, all responsible for organizing classics and preserving calligraphy and paintings. There is one deputy censor. During the Jin Dynasty, the deputy censor of Jiangzuo was responsible for overseeing all officials, as mentioned by Fu Xian in "Xing Ma Nei Wai." The deputy censor in contemporary times has great power, overseeing all matters, with a grand procession, which often leads to conflicts with military commanders. When encountering the emperor's procession, they must give way to one another. In the second year of the Xiaojian era of the Song Dynasty, the court stipulated that the deputy censor and the Minister of Personnel Affairs should walk separately. Even if lower-ranking officials meet at court, the deputy censor can handle it directly, and all other officials must obey his orders. There are two imperial archivists, ten assistant imperial archivists, and various officials in the Orchid Pavilion responsible for supervision and oversight. Firstly, there is a Prefect of the Ye Zhe, equivalent to a major steward. There are also ten Ye Zhe responsible for receiving visiting guests. The Ye Zhe Tai is mainly responsible for handling court meetings and receiving guests. Next are the Leading General, Middle Leading General, Guard General, and Middle Guard General. In essence, officials with the "middle" title have similar ranks, all assisting the generals. All officials of general rank must show respect to the Leading General and Guard General and yield to them. If a prince also holds a general position and encounters the Leading General or Guard General on the road, the latter must yield to the prince. Additionally, there are Chief Clerks, Marshals, Five Officers, Registrars, and other auxiliary officials.

There are also two generals on the left and right, the General of Gallant Cavalry and the General of Skirmish. Since the Jin Dynasty, the four generals responsible for the army's command, defense, gallant cavalry, and skirmishing have been referred to as the "Six Armies." Of course, this term is a bit strange, as it should include the generals on the left and right as well. Under these two Household Generals, there are also officials such as Sima, Gongcao, and Zhubu.

Next are the Forward Army, Rear Army, Left Flank, and Right Flank, collectively known as the "Four Armies." In addition, there are five Colonels: Garrison Cavalry, Infantry, Archers, Cavalry, and Long Water, collectively known as the "Five Colonels." There are also the General of the Tiger's Elite, the Imperial Attendant, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, the Accumulated Archer General, the Strong Crossbow General, the Palace General, the External General of the Palace, as well as the Commander of the Palace Guards, the General of Military Guards, and the Attendant Cavalier.

From these two generals on the left and right, the four armies, and the five colonels downwards, these official positions all belong to the "Western Province," while the Cavalry Province is known as the "Eastern Province."

Moving on to local officials, the Intendant of Danyang ranks below the Nine Ministers.

Next are the officials related to the Crown Prince: the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and the Junior Tutor, who have officials such as Cheng, Gongcao, Wuguan, and Zhubu in their court. There is also the Crown Prince's Supervisor, who has some assistant officials under him. In addition, there are the Crown Prince's Chief Commandant, the Crown Prince's Household Commandant (both with Cheng), the Crown Prince's Attendant, the Crown Prince's Chief Horsekeeper, the Crown Prince's Chamberlain, the Crown Prince's Aide-de-Camp, the Crown Prince's Chamberlain, the Left and Right Guard Commanders of the Crown Prince (one for each side), the Three Colonels of the Crown Prince's Infantry, Cavalry, and Garrison Cavalry, the General of the Crown Prince's Mobile Elite, the Left and Right Accumulated Crossbow Generals of the Crown Prince, the General of the Crown Prince's Palace, the External General of the Crown Prince's Palace, the Steward of the Crown Prince's Granary, and the Crown Prince's Constant Supervisor of the Tiger's Elite. These are all officials of the Eastern Palace.

Finally, there are the Governors and Prefects.

During the Wei and Jin dynasties, the position of provincial governor was highly significant, and the power of the governor determined their official title: those with greater power were called "Imperial Commander," while those with less power were called "Commander-in-Chief." This system began during the reign of Emperor Shun of the Han dynasty. Feng She, the Chief Censor at the time, led the campaign against bandits in Jiujiang and also served as the military commander of Yangzhou and Xuzhou. However, the starting time recorded in the "Book of Song" and "Rites of Offices" differs, with the "Book of Song" stating that it began during the reign of Emperor Wu of Wei, while Wang Gui's "Rites of Offices" states that it began during the reign of Emperor Guangwu of Han, indicating discrepancies in historical records. During the Taikang period of the Jin dynasty, the Commander-in-Chief was responsible for military affairs, while the provincial governor was responsible for civil affairs, each performing their respective duties. By the end of the reign of Emperor Hui, these positions were merged, with only one provincial governor appointed, unless the province was deemed particularly important. Each province also had officials such as Deputy, Supervisor, Director of Records, Libationer of Literature, and other officials in various departments.

Next, let's talk about some local official positions. The Protector-General of the Southern Barbarians had an assistant historian in the Jingzhou prefecture. This position was abolished near the end of the Jin and Song dynasties, restored in the first year of Jianyuan, canceled again three years later, established again in the first year of Yanxing, and canceled during the Jianwu period. The Protector-General of the Three Ba was established during the Song dynasty and changed to a governor in the second year of Jianyuan. The Protector-General of the Ning Barbarians also had an assistant historian in the prefecture under the jurisdiction of Yongzhou. The Protector-General for Pacifying the Barbarians was established in the third year of Yongming under the jurisdiction of Yizhou. The Protector-General of the Pacification of the Barbarians was under the jurisdiction of Ningzhou. The Protector-General of the Western Rong and the Protector-General of the Qiang, these four generals were also responsible for overseeing other minority regions. The General for Pacifying the Yue had an assistant historian in the prefecture under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou.

County-level officials include magistrates and county magistrates, while prefectural officials include the prefect and the deputy magistrate. If the county is a directly administered area of the state, officials are called intendants and chancellors. Additionally, there were positions such as the Garrison Commander and the Peacekeeping General in the Jin Dynasty, which were mostly under the jurisdiction of the counties. Under the various princes, there were positions like the Master, the Friend, and the Literary Scholar. National officials such as the Minister of Personnel, the Lieutenant, and the Grand Minister of Agriculture were known as the Three Ministers; the Left and Right Guards, the Attendant, the Upper Army, the Middle Army, and the Lower Army; the Director of Records, the Director of Shrines, the Director of Learning, and the Director of Guards were known as the Four Commandants; officials responsible for provisions, stables, and ceremonial duties, among others, were all part of the court officials. Princes could also appoint a Minister of Personnel as one of their officials.

In summary: the various offices are established, each fulfills its responsibilities, all obeying the emperor's commands. Both military and civil officials have their own regulations. "The hundred offices are appointed, all following the emperor's orders. The clouds and birds record, each has its own form."