Hou Jing, this fellow, proclaimed himself king in Jiangnan, and every time he went to battle, if the white horse he rode on raised its head high and neighed loudly while prancing around, then they would definitely win; but if the horse drooped its head, then they would surely lose. Once during a battle in Xizhou, the horse lay down on the ground and refused to get up, no matter how much Hou Jing pleaded and whipped it. It later turned out that this was a sign something bad was about to happen to the horse! "The Book of Hong Fan Five Elements" says: "Horses represent the army, and strange phenomena will only appear when the generals are about to go to war." Hou Jing's battle ended in a disastrous defeat.
In the fifth year of the Taichu period of the Chen Dynasty, the horses in Hengzhou strangely grew horns! "The Book of Hong Fan Five Elements" states: "When horses grow horns, it is a sign of defeat in battle!" At that time, Emperor Chen Xuan sent Wu Mingche to lead the troops to fight against the Zhou Dynasty in Luoyang. After years of fighting, the troops were worn out, and Wu Mingche was eventually captured by the Zhou Dynasty.
During the Tianbao period of the Northern Qi Dynasty, in Guangzong County, there was a horse with a horn growing between its ears, looking like a sheep's tail. "The Book of Jing Fang Yi Zhuan" says: "The emperor has to personally lead the troops into battle for horses to grow horns." Four years later, the Khitan people invaded the border, and Emperor Wenxuan personally led the troops to fight.
In the fourth year of the Daye period of the Sui Dynasty, many horses in the stables in Taiyuan died, angering the emperor, who sent people to investigate. The stable manager said: "Every night, the horses in the stables inexplicably frighten themselves and then die." The emperor called for a sorcerer, who, aware that the emperor was planning an attack on Liaodong, agreed with the emperor's thoughts and said: "The previous emperor had sent Yang Su and Shi Wansui to lead the troops into Liaodong, intending to use ghost soldiers in battle!" The emperor was delighted to hear this and released the stable manager. "The Book of Hong Fan Five Elements" states: "Going against the will of heaven is why so many horses died." At that time, the emperor traveled around each year, from the north to the Great Wall, and from the west to Qiemo, draining the country's resources. Heaven was trying to warn him: all the horses in the stables have died, yet you continue to wander around! The emperor did not heed the warning, which ultimately led to chaos in the country.
In the eleventh year of the Deyi period, the three counties of Henan and Fufeng had horses growing horns several inches long. This is similar to the situation during the Tianbao period! At that time, the emperor personally led his troops to campaign against Goguryeo for several years. In the first year of Yining, while the emperor was in the Jiangdu Palace, many horses in the dragon stables died mysteriously, with hundreds dying in just over ten days. This mirrors the situation in the fourth year of the Deyi period.
