In the fourth year of the Tianbao era of the Later Qi, there were incidents of dogs mating with women in Ye City and Dunqiu. The texts say that when different species mate, it is a sign of chaos; the mating of dogs with women foretells impending disaster. This disaster manifests as excessive yang energy and a loss of the people's hearts. At that time, the emperor was indifferent to national affairs, and his benevolence could not benefit the common people.
During the rule of the Later Emperor, dogs were even given the title of "Minister of the Three Departments," and female dogs were given titles such as "Madam" and "County Princess," with soldiers assigned to serve them, eating fine rice and sleeping on soft beds. It seemed like Heaven was robbing him of his sanity, bestowing noble titles upon dogs; this was clearly a sign of disaster to come! It seemed Heaven was saying, "You ministers are just like dogs!" The Later Emperor did not understand this principle, which ultimately led to the downfall of the state.
In the third year of the Baoding era of the Later Zhou, a dog gave birth to a puppy that was split in two at the waist, with two tails and six legs. The dog was fierce and had its minions; did this not resemble soldiers in an army? At that time, Yuwen Hu and figures like Hou Fu and Hou Long'en were all thinking about rebellion. The dog's body being split in two was indeed an omen!
In the first year of the Daye era, the folks at Yanmen Pass noticed that many dogs had abandoned their masters, running in packs into the wild, looking like wolves, even biting and eating people, causing a ruckus for years. The texts say that dogs are meant to guard homes, and now they have abandoned their masters; this is a sign of disloyalty among ministers. The dogs turning into wolves, which are white, foretold that war was about to break out. Later, the emperor went on reckless military campaigns, constantly conscripting the common people. Heaven was warning him: do not further harm the people and waste resources, or those ministers who guard homes will rebel! The emperor did not understand, insisting on repairing the Great Wall, then attacking the Western Regions and Liaodong, which led to widespread complaints. In the end, a mutiny broke out in Jiangdu, involving his own bodyguards.
In the second year of Liang Datong, white fuzz grew on the ground, measuring two feet long; this was likely an auspicious omen. Sun Sheng believed this was a sign of the people's exhaustion. Previously, there had been a large-scale mobilization of the populace to build the Fushan Dam, which consumed vast resources, and just as it was about to be completed, it breached multiple times. The people grew weary of forced labor, and complaints were rampant.
In September of the first year of Qi Heqing, many tufts sprouted on the ground at the foot of the Great Wall in Cangzhou, some white and some black, growing four to five inches long; this was likely an auspicious omen. At that time, the Great Wall was being constructed, and the San Tai was also under construction, leading to immense suffering among the people.
In July of the sixth year of Kaihuang, a light drizzle fell in the capital, resembling strands of hair, with some over three feet long and others six to seven inches. Jing Fang's "Yifei Hou" stated: "When there is a light drizzle in the world, the country will suffer a great famine." At that time, the Guanzhong region was suffering from severe drought, and rice prices skyrocketed.
It is said that during the Tian Tong period of Northern Qi, a piece of jade bi unexpectedly emerged on the Fengshan altar; this was truly an auspicious sign! Mount Tai has long been a site for emperors' sacrifices during dynastic changes, and the appearance of this jade bi, used for sacrificial rites, suggested that a new emperor would soon take part in rituals. However, not long after, Northern Qi was destroyed, and its territory was annexed by the Zhou Dynasty. Later, Emperor Gaozu accepted the abdication of the Zhou, unifying the realm, which was fulfilled by his incense offerings and sacrifices at Mount Tai to heaven and earth.
In the third year of Wuping, the phrase "Qi Wang Zou" appeared on the blue stone wall beneath Baishui Rock. Someone changed these three characters to "Shang Yan," and the subsequent ruler considered this a good omen, with all the officials coming to congratulate him. But later, the Zhou army invaded, and the subsequent ruler did indeed abandon Ye City and flee.
In the seventeenth year of Kaihuang, more than ten stones fell consecutively between Wu'an and Fuyang. The "Hongfan Wuxing Zhuan" states: "When stones fall from the sky, the ruler is in danger!" Indeed, seven years later, the emperor died.
Towards the end of the Kaixuan reign, Gaozu buried two small stones beneath the palace to mark the position of the bed. Before long, these stones miraculously transformed into jade! Liu Xiang once remarked, "Jade is the most valuable treasure in the world. When something cheap turns into something valuable, it is a sign of becoming valuable!" Consequently, during the Daye era, rebellions erupted everywhere, with various factions declaring themselves emperors.
In the thirteenth year of Daye, a stone was found in Xiping County inscribed with the words "The Emperor will reign for a thousand years." The entire court rejoiced and celebrated. However, those who were knowledgeable worried and said, "A thousand years is a blessing meant for the afterlife. To proclaim that the emperor will reign for a thousand years now foretells imminent disaster!" Sure enough, the emperor was killed the following year.
In the twelfth year of the Daitong era of the Liang Dynasty, the stone qilin at the entrance of the Qua'an Mausoleum inexplicably moved! In the philosophy of Five Elements, wood overcomes metal; thus, the qilin's movement signifies impending relocation! It seemed heaven was issuing a warning: this tomb will have no master in the future, and this stone qilin will be moved by someone! Later, the Liang Dynasty indeed perished.
In the fourth year of Heqing in the Northern Qi Dynasty, the stones in the palace began to move on their own, clashing against one another. Sui Meng said the stones had heavy yin energy, resembling human shapes. The movement of the stones in the palace was an omen of betrayal by trusted aides. Later, when the Zhou army advanced eastward, favored courtiers like Wei Xiangyuan, Qifu Gui, and Han Jianye indeed betrayed their loyalties and joined the Zhou Dynasty.
In the twelfth year of the Daitong era of the Liang Dynasty, in the first month, two guardian statues were sent to Jianling for placement. The one on the left, with two horns, arrived at the tomb smoothly. The one on the right, with a single horn, had just started to be moved when it suddenly jumped three times on the cart! As a result, both shafts of the cart were broken by the impact. There was no choice but to switch to another cart. Not long after setting off, just under two miles from the tomb, it jumped three more times! Each time it jumped, the people on the cart were so startled that they all leaped up together, at least three or four feet in the air, and the wheels sank three inches into the ground! This guardian statue was indeed formidable, made entirely of metal. Liu Xiang once said, “When the hearts of the people are lost, orders do not carry out, and words are not followed,” which reflects chaotic energy. In his later years, Emperor Wu of Liang neglected state affairs entirely, and he and his ministers spent their days reciting Buddhist scriptures and discussing metaphysics, resulting in a chaotic government where orders went unexecuted and words went unheard. This was the root of disaster! Ultimately, it led to the Hou Jing Rebellion.
In the first year of the Jian De era during the Zhou Dynasty, a stone statue was discovered in Puyang County. The officials wanted to transport it to the government office to scrape off the gold on it. However, the statue jumped off the cart on its own during the journey, falling to the ground, and it did this twice more! Later, they used thick ropes to tie it to the side of the cart, but the ropes were broken by it, and it fell again! At that time, the emperor had just destroyed the Qi state and was attacking Huainan, with endless wars leaving the common people exhausted and losing their hearts; the statue's behavior symbolized the people's discontent.
