The following events highlight the recurring droughts during this period:
In the year 502 AD, there was a great drought, and a dou of rice cost five thousand coins, causing many people to starve to death. The "Hongfan Wuxing Zhuan" states: Your Majesty, you are too overbearing, always eager to mobilize the military, exhausting the common people. You focus solely on building cities, utterly ignoring the plight of the people, and the ministers are filled with grievances. But you cannot let go of power in your heart, so the yang energy is too strong, leading to an imbalance, and the yin energy sinks, unable to keep up. With the yang energy being too strong, drought naturally follows. At the beginning of his military campaigns, the emperor attacked Xiangyang, defeating Zhang Chong and Chen Bozhi, stabilizing Jiankang, and fought many battles, exhausting the common people. After ascending the throne, he continued endless wars with Northern Wei, which is the cause of the drought.
In the spring of 557, it had not rained at all, and by April, it was still the same. Previously, the Zhou army plundered the Huai Bei region, and the generals such as Wang Shuling suffered defeat, leaving Huai Bei entirely to the Zhou Dynasty, which is also a cause of the drought.
In 534, several states including Bingzhou, Sizhou, Fenzhou, Jianzhou, Jinzhou, Jiangzhou, Qinzhou, and Shan Zhou experienced severe drought, causing many people to flee in search of food. That year, the Northern Qi's Emperor Shenwu fought against the Western Wei at Sha Yuan, losing and resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers.
From the winter of 548 through to the spring, there was drought. Previously, the Western Wei army invaded Luoyang, and Emperor Shenwu personally led troops to fight a major battle against the Western Wei at Mangshan, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.
In the summer of 559, there was a great drought. Previously, the emperor mobilized the populace in large numbers to build over four hundred miles of the Great Wall, exhausting the people and depleting resources, which is the cause of the drought.
In the spring of 560, there was a drought. Previously, the emperor gathered hundreds of thousands of people to construct the luxurious buildings of Jinfeng Tai, Shengying Tai, and Chongguang Tai, indulging in lavishness while ignoring the suffering of the people, which caused the drought due to excessive yang energy.
In April 562, five states to the west of Bingzhou and Jinzhou faced drought conditions. That year, the emperor again called upon the people to construct Zhi Guan and encountered an attack from 200,000 Turkic troops that destroyed the Great Wall and raided Hengzhou.
In the spring of 570, there was a drought. At that time, the emperor mobilized the populace in large numbers to construct the Daming Palace.
After the year 584 AD, the capital often faced droughts. At that time, the emperor moved the capital to Longshou, built palaces, and the people were exhausted, which was attributed to excessive yang energy.
In 614 AD, there were droughts in border regions like Yanzhou and Daizhou. The emperor at that time mobilized over one million people to build the Great Wall, personally inspected the border, and the people were left jobless, with people starving to death one after another along the roads.
In 618 AD, there was a nationwide drought, and the people fled in search of food. The emperor at that time mobilized the national army, personally went to attack Goguryeo, and the army suffered from the bitter cold and hunger, with eighty to ninety percent dying. In 623 AD, there was another nationwide drought. At that time, people from various counties and towns were conscripted to repair the city walls, regardless of age or sex, and were all forced into service.
On June 8, 504 AD, Emperor Wu of Liang was giving a lecture in the Chongyang Hall when suddenly a monk named Zhigong leaped up, sang and danced, then started crying sadly, and then composed a five-character poem:
"Joyful for over thirty, sorrowful for fifty miles!
Just look at eighty-three, calamities arise on this land.
Deceitful ministers deceive, treacherous ministers destroy the righteous.
If you do not believe my words, treachery will rise in the time of the dragon.
Even amidst horses, sorrow outweighs joy."
This poem foretells the rise and fall of the Liang Dynasty. Emperor Wu of Liang ruled for over thirty years from the Tianjian period to the Taiqing period, during which the Jianghuai region enjoyed peace. However, in the second year of Taiqing, Taicheng fell, and Emperor Wu of Liang ruled for forty-eight years, fulfilling the poem's prophecy of "fifty li." On August 13th of the first year of Taiqing, Hou Jing surrendered to the Liang Dynasty from Xuanhu, which is north of Danyang, referred to as "Zidi" in the poem. Emperor Wu of Liang trusted Zhu Yi's advice and accepted Hou Jing's surrender, which led to Hou Jing's rebellion. Starting from the Wuchen year until the Wunian year, Emperor Wu of Liang died from anxiety. Ten years later, on April 8th, Zhi Gong composed another poem during a large gathering: "The stubborn dog starts to go insane, wanting to die but not dying, biting and harming people, self-destructing in no time. The disaster is in Ruyin, where three Xiang perish, corpses lying horizontally with no one to hide them." Hou Jing's nickname was Dog, and he initially surrendered from Xuanhu, which was the ancient Runan. South of Baling, there is a place called Sanxiang, where Hou Jing was defeated.
In the Tianjian period, the Maoshan hermit Tao Hongjing also wrote a five-character poem predicting this disaster: "Yifu indulges in debauchery, Pingshu sits idle in conversation, unexpectedly in the Zhao Yang Palace, suddenly becomes the palace of the Chanyu." During the Datong period, court ministers were preoccupied with metaphysics, neglecting their responsibilities. "Yifu" and "Pingshu" were famous ministers at the time. After Hou Jing's rebellion, he even took residence in Zhao Yang Palace.
During the Datong period, a nursery rhyme also circulated: "Green silk white horse from Shouyang comes." Later, when Hou Jing captured Danyang, he rode a white horse, using reins made of green silk.
In the early days of the Chen Dynasty, another nursery rhyme emerged: "Yellow class green dapple horse, originating from Shouyang Estuary. Coming in the end of winter, leaving when the spring breeze begins." Later, the Chen Dynasty emperor was indeed defeated by Han Qinhud. Han Qinhud's nickname was Yellow Class, and when he captured Jiankang, he also rode a green dapple horse, echoing the timeline mentioned in the nursery rhyme.
During the Chen Dynasty, the song "Peach Leaf Song" written by Wang Xianzhi was particularly popular in the Jiangnan region. The lyrics are: "Peach leaf after peach leaf, crossing the river without a paddle. But there is no trouble in crossing, I will welcome you myself." Later, when the Jin Dynasty attacked the Chen Dynasty, the army camped at the foot of Peach Leaf Mountain. When Han Qinhut crossed the river, the general Ren Mannu even went to Xilin to guide the northern army.
Emperor Chen Shubao built a Qiyun Temple, and the people began to sing: "Qiyun Temple, the enemy comes endlessly." Before the Qiyun Temple was completed, Chen Shubao was captured by the Sui Dynasty army. The lyrics "the enemy comes endlessly" truly came to pass!
During the reign of Zhenming, Chen Shubao composed a new song with particularly mournful lyrics, which he had the beauties in the palace taught to sing. The lyrics are: "In the back courtyard, the jade tree flowers, flowers bloom but do not last long." People at that time regarded this song as a prophecy, believing that the Chen Dynasty would soon perish.
When the Northern Qi's Emperor Shunwu had just moved the capital to Ye City, there were already children singing a nursery rhyme: "Poor little blue sparrow, flying into Ye City. The nest has yet to be built, raising its head, it has lost its homeland. Sending a letter to the wife and mother, to see the new bride and her child." The blue sparrow referred to Emperor Xiaojing of Wei, the son of King Qinghe, who later married the daughter of Emperor Shunwu. Before the palaces in Ye City were completed, a change of dynasties occurred, just as the nursery rhyme mentioned, "the nest has yet to be built." Not long after, Emperor Xiaojing died, and the daughter of Emperor Shunwu, who later became the mother of Emperor Wenxuan, married Yang Yin. At that time, Empress Dowager Lou was still around, so the nursery rhyme said "sending a letter to the wife and mother," while "new bride and her child" referred to the deposed empress.
During the reign of Wuding, another nursery rhyme emerged: "A hundred-foot high pole is broken, the lamp at the bottom of the water has gone out." "High" refers to the Northern Qi royal family, and "clear" refers to Emperor Wenxiang. Five years later, Emperor Shunwu died, fulfilling "broken"; seven years later, Emperor Wenxiang was killed by thieves, fulfilling "extinguished."
During the Tianbao period, there was a man named Lu Fahe who wrote on the wall of someone's house: "Ten years for a good emperor, a hundred days for a hasty emperor, a year for an emperor to rule." Later, Emperor Wenxuan died after reigning for ten years, the deposed emperor lasted just over a hundred days, and Emperor Xiaozhao died after reigning for a year. Isn't this a fulfillment of the prophecy?
In the first year of Wuping, another nursery rhyme surfaced: "Cut off the fox's tail, if you want to get rid of me, I'll get rid of you." In April of that year, Prince Hu Changren of Longdong wanted to send an assassin to kill Heshikai, but the plan was exposed and he ended up being falsely accused and killed by Heshikai.
Two years later, children began to sing a nursery rhyme: "Heshikai, on the thirtieth of July, I will send you to the Southern Platform." After the children finished singing, they clapped and said together, "Kill him!" As a result, on the twenty-fifth of July, Wang Yan, the Chief Imperial Censor from Langya, arrested Heshikai, took him to the Southern Platform, and beheaded him. That same year, another nursery rhyme surfaced: "In July, harvest the crops early, in September, enjoy the cakes, in October, wash the rice barrel, in November, drive out Zhao Lao." This nursery rhyme also came true, as Heshikai was killed in July, Wang Yan of Langya died in September, and Zhao Yanshen was exiled and became the governor of Xiyanzhou in November.
As the Wuping era was coming to an end, someone started singing another nursery rhyme: "The yellow flowers are about to fall, the clear wine is just right." At that time, Empress Mu and her son behaved improperly and interfered in court affairs, which worried everyone. Empress Mu's nickname was Yellow Flower, and this nursery rhyme foretold the fall of the Qi Dynasty, much like a flower wilting.
In Ye City, there was a nursery rhyme that went: "Gold as a broom, jade as a handle, sweep the palace to welcome the Western family." Before long, the Zhou army stormed into Ye City.
When the Zhou Dynasty was first established, there was a nursery rhyme: "The white poplar tree crows with a golden rooster, only Uncle has no nephews." This refers to Emperor Jing, the nephew of the Sui Dynasty's emperor. Shortly after abdicating, he died, while his uncles were all quite powerful.
Once, Emperor Zhou Xuan danced and sang with a palace maid in the middle of the night, singing, "Knowing my life is short, wandering through the candlelit night." As a result, he died after being emperor for three years.
In the tenth year of the Kaihuang era, Emperor Gaozu went to Bingzhou and hosted a banquet for Prince Qin and Prince Xiang. Emperor Gaozu even spontaneously composed a four-line poem: "How long can beauty last, a jade face in a moment? When flowers fall in the morning, white hair is hard to avoid. Next year and the years after, who has who doesn't." As a result, Prince Xiang died the following year, and eighteen years later, Prince Qin also died.
In the eleventh year of the Daye era, Emperor Yang of Sui departed the capital for the Eastern Capital, arrived at Chang Le Palace, got drunk, and then enthusiastically composed a five-line poem. The last two lines of the poem were: "Only my heart longs to return, no longer relying on the wind's strength." He had the beauties in the palace recite these lines repeatedly, and he cried so much that his tears flowed down his face, even the servants attending him sighed in sympathy. After that, Emperor Yang went to Jiangdu and wrote another five-line poem: "Seeking to return but unable to leave, truly facing a spring disaster. The birds' cries urge me to drink, the plum blossoms mock death." This poem was written in March, and he was also killed in March, truly echoing the poem's "facing a spring disaster"! That year, bandits rose everywhere, and the roads were blocked, which terrified Emperor Yang, causing him to completely give up on the idea of returning to the capital. He even dreamed of two young men singing: "Staying is death, leaving is death. Better to take a boat across the river." So he built a palace in Danyang, planning to settle there. Unfortunately, before the palace was completed, he met his demise.
During the Daye period, a nursery rhyme circulated among the people: "Peach and plum trees, swans circling around Yang Mountain, twisting through the flower forest. Do not speak carelessly; who speaks of Xu?" Later, Li Mi was arrested by the authorities for being involved in Yang Xuangan's rebellion and fled. He secretly gathered a group of bandits, broke out from Yangcheng Mountain, attacked the Luokou granary, and then stationed himself in the garden. “‘Do not speak carelessly’ refers to Li Mi”; “Yu Wenhua also proclaimed himself Xu Guo,” Yu Wenhua also claimed the title of emperor, but was later overthrown. “Who speaks of Xu is indeed a phrase expressing shock and doubt,” indicates that people at that time were astonished and puzzled by these events.
In the first year of the Datong era of Emperor Wu of Liang, Prince Xiaolun of Shaoling, while in his bedroom in South Xuzhou, witnessed two civet cats fighting on the beams during the day, which fell, and he caught them. Later, during the Hou Jing rebellion, Xiaolun led troops to rescue Taicheng. When he reached Zhongshan, a bear that had just awakened from hibernation suddenly appeared and bit Xiaolun's mount. This was likely an ominous sign! Later, Xiaolun was defeated by Wang Sengbian, fled to Nanyang, and was ultimately killed by the Western Wei.
During the Datong era of Emperor Wu of Liang, every night, foxes would call out beneath the palace for several years without stopping. In Jingfang's "Yifei Hou," it says: "Wild beasts cry out, the city is empty." Not long after, the country descended into chaos, and almost all the people in Danyang City were dead or injured.
In the early years of the Chen Dynasty, a fox ran under the emperor's bed and couldn't be caught no matter how hard they tried. In Jingfang's "Yifei Hou," it says: "A fox enters the emperor's chamber, and it becomes uninhabitable." Shortly after, the Chen Dynasty fell.
In September 550, a leopard entered the southern gate of Ye City and was killed. Five years later, in August, another leopard appeared at the Copper Wine Terrace. The "Yifei Hou" says: "When wild beasts enter cities, even running to the main roads of the court and the gates of official buildings, it is a great omen of disaster, and the ruler will die." That year, Eastern Wei was defeated in the Battle of Yubi, and Gao Huan also died of illness.
In 552, during the Later Qi period, a rabbit ran out of the ancestral temple. The "Yifei Hou" says: "When a rabbit runs into the royal family, the ruler will die." The ancestral temple is the place where ancestral spirits reside. Five years later, the Zhou army invaded Ye City, and the Later Emperor was forced to flee.
As the Wu Ping years of Later Qi were coming to an end, many wolves appeared in places like Bingzhou and Sizhou, attacking humans. The "Hongfan Wuxing Zhuan" says: "Wolves are greedy and violent beasts, mostly white, and symbolize military disasters. Wolves resemble dogs, indicating dog calamities." The "Yizhuan" also says: "If the ruler is unjust, disasters will befall the people, and they can only preserve their lives by hiding in the deep mountains. Wolves attacking humans is a sign of such disaster." At that time, the emperor favored corrupt officials and was greedy and cruel, harming his subjects, which validated the omen of wolves attacking humans. Soon after, Later Qi was destroyed by the Zhou army, which also confirmed that wolves symbolize military disasters.
During the Wu Ping years, a child's footprint suddenly showed up outside the gate of Shuozhou, and dirt was stacked to look like a city wall. People found it very strange and went to investigate, finding out it was caused by a fox; later, this phenomenon spread to Bingzhou and Ye City. This mirrored the omen of the leopard entering the city in the third year of Wuding. That year, Prince Sihao of Nan'an launched a rebellion, heading straight for Bingzhou, but was defeated by government forces. Zheng Zirao, Yang Fahao, and others did too in Shandong.
In the year 557 AD, during the fourth year of the Taiping era of the Later Qi dynasty, bizarre occurrences of dogs mating with women appeared in the cities of Ye and Dunqiu. The "Hong Fan Wuxing Zhuan" stated: "Different species should not mate, but they did; this is a sign of chaos. The mating of dogs and humans is a sign of disaster." The disaster of dogs signifies an excess of yang energy, a sign of losing the people's hearts. At that time, the emperor did not care about state affairs, and his blessings failed to reach the common people.
When the emperor was in power, he even appointed officials for dogs, gave female dogs the title of lady, and even provided dogs with soldiers to raise, feeding them fine grains and letting them sleep on soft beds. Heaven seemed to be punishing him by bestowing titles upon dogs, which was a clear sign of disaster! It seemed as if Heaven was saying, "All you ministers are like dogs." The emperor did not understand this misunderstanding, which ultimately led to the country's downfall.
In the year 561 AD, during the third year of the Baoding era of the Later Zhou dynasty, a dog gave birth to a puppy that was split in two below the waist, had two tails, and six legs. The "Hong Fan Wuxing Zhuan" stated: "Dogs are fierce beasts with claws, symbolizing soldiers." At that time, Yuwen Hu and others conspired to rebel. The split body of the dog's lower half was a foreboding sign of the impending rebellion!
In the first year of Daye, many dogs in Yanmen ran away from their owners, running in groups to the wilderness, that resembled wolves and even began to bite people! This situation lasted for several years before ending. The "Wuxing Zhuan" stated: "Dogs are meant to guard homes, yet now they have abandoned their owners, a sign of disloyal subjects. Dogs looking like wolves, with white fur, is a sign of impending war!" Afterwards, the emperor engaged in endless military campaigns and forced labor, as if Heaven was warning him to cease the forced labor! The loyal subjects who protect their homes are on the verge of rebellion! The emperor did not listen, and continued to repair the Great Wall, followed by engaging in affairs in the Western Regions and Liaodong. The people were seething with grievances, and eventually an incident occurred in Jiangdu, where even his own guards turned against him.
In the second year of Liang Datong, white fur sprouted in the fields, two feet long, which seemed to be a good omen. Sun Sheng felt this was a sign of wasted efforts and resources. Previously, there had been a large-scale mobilization of the populace to build the Fushan Dam, costing a huge amount of money, and just as it neared completion, it collapsed multiple times. The people were tired of the forced labor, and everywhere on the roads there were complaints.
In the first year of Qi Heqing, in September, many tufts of fur appeared in the fields at the foot of the Great Wall in Cangzhou, in both white and black, four to five inches long, which also appeared to be a good omen. At that time, the Great Wall was being built in the north, and three platforms were being constructed domestically, causing the people to suffer from labor.
In the sixth year of Kaihuang, in July, a light rain fell over the capital, with raindrops as fine as hair, some over three feet long and others six or seven inches. The "Yifei Hou" stated: "Hair falls from the sky, the country will face great famine." At that time, there was a severe drought in Guanzhong, and food prices soared.
In the early years of the Tian Tong period of the Later Qi, a jade disc appeared on the Taishan Fengshan altar, which also appeared to be a good omen. Taishan was the place where emperors changed dynasties, and the jade disc was used in sacrifices, and its appearance signified a change in dynasty. Later, the Qi state was destroyed, its territory occupied by the Zhou Dynasty, and Gaozu accepted the abdication from the Zhou, unifying the world, fulfilling the omen seen during the sacrificial burning of firewood at Taishan.
In the third year of Wuping, inscriptions appeared on the blue stone wall beneath Baishui Rock: "Qi has fallen." Someone changed it to "Shang Yan," and the later ruler interpreted this as a good omen, prompting all the officials and military to come and congratulate him. As a result, the Zhou army invaded, and the later ruler indeed fled from Ye City.
In the seventeenth year of Kaihuang, more than ten meteorites fell between Wuan and Fuyang. The "Hongfan Wuxing Zhuan" said: "When stones fall from the sky, the ruler will be in danger." Seven years later, the emperor died.
In the late years of Kaihuang, Gaozu buried two small stones in the palace as a marker for the position of the bed. Before long, the stones transformed into jade. Liu Xiang said: "Jade is the most precious; when cheap things turn into valuable ones, it signifies a change in the heavens!" By the end of the Daye period, thieves even dared to proclaim themselves kings and emperors.
In the thirteenth year of Emperor Yang's Dà Yè era, a stone was discovered in Xiping County, inscribed with the words "The Son of Heaven shall stand for a thousand years." The entire court, both civil and military officials, was overjoyed and celebrated. However, some knowledgeable individuals were deeply worried, saying, "A thousand years and ten thousand years are phrases meant for the afterlife! To claim it can stand for a thousand years now means disaster is coming soon!" Indeed, the following year, Emperor Yang was killed.
In the twelfth year of Emperor Wu of Liang's Dà Tóng era, at the entrance of the tomb in Qu'a, the stone qilin unexpectedly began to move on its own! This was a sign that wood was overcoming gold! The stone's movement indicated it was about to be moved. It seemed heaven was warning: this tomb would soon have no owner, and the stone qilin would be taken away by others. Sure enough, the Liang Dynasty fell shortly after.
In the fourth year of the Hé Qīng era of the Later Qi, the stones in the palace suddenly jumped up and collided with one another. A man named Suī Mèng believed that stones were associated with yin, symbolizing the subjects, and their movement in the palace signified that the emperor's trusted aides would betray him. Later, the Zhou army marched east, and indeed, the emperor's favored ministers Wei Xiangyuan, Qifu Gui and his brothers, Han Jianye, all defected to the Zhou.
In the first month of the twelfth year of Emperor Wu of Liang's Dà Tóng era, two pi xie statues were sent to Jianling. The one with two horns on the left arrived smoothly at the tomb. The one with a single horn on the right, just about to set off, jumped three times on the cart, breaking the yoke! They quickly changed to another cart, but before reaching the tomb, it jumped three more times! With each leap, the people in the cart were startled, rising three to four feet into the air, with the wheels sinking three inches into the soil! This was yet another sign of wood overcoming gold! Liu Xiang once said: "Losing the hearts of the people, orders cannot be executed, and words are not adopted, this is due to the chaos in the golden energy." Stones belong to the yin, representing subjects. If the subjects are in turmoil, it signals that great events are on the horizon! In his later years, Emperor Wu of Liang neglected state affairs, spending all day reciting scriptures and discussing metaphysics with his ministers, leading to chaos in the court, orders that could not be executed, and words that were not adopted, leading to dire consequences! Ultimately, this led to the Hou Jing rebellion.
In the first year of the Jian De reign of the Zhou Dynasty, a stone statue was discovered in Puyang County. The county officials intended to take it to the government office to extract the gold from it. Unexpectedly, the statue leapt off the cart on its own during transport and fell twice! Later, they secured it to the side of the cart with a thick rope, but it actually managed to break free! At that time, the Zhou Emperor had just defeated the Qi state and was waging war in Huainan, leading to continuous conflict and an exhausted populace, which signaled a loss of the people's support!
