King Wuling of Liang usurped the throne and declared himself emperor, adopting the era name Tianzheng. Marquis Yongfeng Xiao Hui said, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid this throne may not be secure! When Huan Xuan changed the era name to Daheng before, those in the know said it was 'the second month,' and indeed Huan Xuan failed in early spring. Now with Tianzheng, the character '正' (zhèng) can be split into '一止' (yī zhǐ), can this endure?" Indeed, King Wuling of Liang only lasted a year as emperor.
Later, during the reign of Emperor Wenxuan of the Later Qi dynasty, Crown Prince Yin was to hold a ceremony, and the emperor ordered Xing Zicai to write the congratulatory words. Xing Zicai wrote the words "正道" (zhèngdào). The emperor said, "'正' (zhèng) is '一止' (yī zhǐ). Is my son going to be replaced?" Xing Zicai wanted to request a change, but the emperor refused, saying, "It is the will of heaven!" Then the emperor turned to Prince Changshan Yan and said, "When the time comes, you can act, but do not kill him!" After the emperor's death, the crown prince succeeded, but Prince Changshan Yan indeed deposed the crown prince and became emperor himself, and Crown Prince Yin was soon executed.
During the reign of Emperor Wucheng, the Left Chancellor, Shi Kai, said to the emperor, "Since ancient times, emperors have all eventually turned to dust. What difference is there between Yao, Shun, Jie, and Zhou in the end? Your Majesty should enjoy yourself while young and strong; a day of happiness is better than a thousand years, don't restrain yourself so hard!" The emperor was pleased by this advice and sank even deeper into indulgence. Shi Kai not only led the emperor down a misguided path but also grew arrogant, ultimately being killed by the Chief Imperial Censor.
During the Wuping period, the Chen army attacked Pengcheng, and the emperor was terrified. Han Changluan advised him, "Even if you lose Henan, you can still be the ruler of the Kingdom of Guizi! Huainan is lost now, what's there to worry about? Life is short, enjoy it to the fullest, don't be so worried!" The emperor was delighted to hear this and became even more addicted to pleasure, entirely neglecting state matters. Before long, the Zhou dynasty annihilated them.
In the seventh year of Wuping, the last ruler was defeated by the Zhou army, fled to the city of Ye, proclaimed himself to be the retired emperor, passed the throne to his son Heng, and changed the era name to Longhua. At that time, people split the characters of "Longhua" to read them as "descending to death"! As a result, he indeed surrendered to the Zhou dynasty, and then died.
Emperor Wu of Zhou changed the era name to Xuanzheng. The emperor of the Liang dynasty, Xiao Kui, split the characters of "Xuanzheng" to read them as "the downfall of the Yuwen clan." In June of that year, Emperor Wu of Zhou died.
When Emperor Xuan of Zhou was in the Eastern Palace, he did not follow the laws and was often beaten by Emperor Wu. When he became emperor, he touched his old scars and shouted angrily: "You died too late!" He then changed the era name to Daxiang, and Xiao Kui split the characters of "Daxiang" to read them as "the tomb of the emperor." The following year, Emperor Xuan of Zhou died.
In the early years of Kaihuang, Prince of Liang, Xiao Cong, changed the era name to Guangyun. At that time, the common folk in Jiangling whispered among themselves: "'Yun' means the army fleeing, right? Is our sovereign going to be chased by the army?" Later, Xiao Cong was detained when he went to the capital and was unable to return. His uncle, Xiao Yan, led the people in rebellion, and the Liang dynasty was eventually abolished.
In the early years of Kaihuang, Emperor Wen named the crown prince Yong, the Prince of Jin named Ying, the Prince of Qin named Jun, and the Prince of Shu named Xiu. Some people submitted a petition advising: "'Yong' is just a title for a brave warrior; 'Ying' is the best among a thousand men, 'Jun' is the best among ten thousand men; these are all praises from the common people, not suitable as titles for emperors." The emperor ignored it. At that time, people often said that most people with the surname Yang were descendants of the Ying clan. Someone advised: "If you read 'Yang Ying' backwards, it means disaster!" The emperor was very unhappy when he heard this and quickly changed the name of the Prince of Jin. Later, the three princes—Yong, Jun, and Xiu—were all deposed, Yang Guang ascended the throne, and eventually lost the world, realizing the prophecy of the "disaster of the Yang clan."
When Emperor Yang ascended the throne, he renamed the era Daye. Those with insight felt uneasy and said, "'Daye' literally means 'great suffering is coming' when split apart." Soon, the world fell into chaos, and the common people endured tremendous suffering. Emperor Yang often remarked casually to his secretary, Yu Shinan, "I don't like others advising me. If a high-status person advises me, it's for fame and profit, which I find even more intolerable. As for those of low status, although I might be a bit more lenient, I ultimately won't accept their opinions. Do you understand what I mean?" At that time, people remarked that ancient wise rulers governed with keen insight, attentive ears and eyes, hung a "Drum of Daring to Advise," and established a "Slander Wood" to provide channels for subjects to offer suggestions. Even so, they remained concerned that loyal advice would be difficult to hear. Therefore, their grace spread throughout the world, and their blessings were passed down through generations. Yet this emperor despised honest counsel and suppressed his advisers; how long could he last? In the end, he met a fate of being killed.
In the first year of the Tianjian era during the Liang Dynasty, there was a great drought, and a dou of rice sold for five thousand coins, resulting in many people starving to death. The classic text "Hongfan Wuxing Zhuan" states: "The monarch clings to excessive yang energy, mobilizes troops, overworks the people, constructs cities, and disregards the lives of the common people, which leads to widespread complaints. However, the monarch's heart cannot relax, causing the yang energy to become overly abundant and unbalanced, while the yin energy weakens and cannot cooperate. An excess of yang energy leads to drought." Initially, the emperor mustered troops in Xiangyang, defeated Zhang Chong and Chen Bozhi, and pacified Jiankang, fighting continuously for years, leaving the people exhausted. After ascending the throne, he continued to wage war against the Wei state, fulfilling the omens of drought.
In the spring of 582 AD, there had been no rain at all, and by April, it was still dry. Previously, the Zhou Dynasty's army had plundered the Huai North region, and the troops of General Shuling of the King of Shixing suffered defeats, leading to the entire Huai North region being occupied by the Zhou Dynasty; perhaps this was a divine warning.
In the year 535 AD, there was a severe drought in regions including Bingzhou, Sizhou, Fenzhou, Jianzhou, Jinzhou, Jiangzhou, Qinzhou, and Shanzhou, causing many people to flee. That year, the Northern Qi Emperor and the Western Wei battled at Shayuan, resulting in a defeat for Northern Qi, with tens of thousands killed.
In the winter to spring of 548 AD, there was another drought. Previously, the Western Wei army attacked Luoyang, and the Northern Qi Emperor personally led troops to battle at Mangshan, resulting in tens of thousands dead.
In the summer of 556 AD, there was a severe drought. Previously, the court mobilized the people to build over 400 miles of the Great Wall, which was a tremendous waste of labor and resources.
In the spring of 560 AD, there was a drought. Previously, hundreds of thousands were mobilized to build the luxurious palaces of Golden Phoenix Terrace, Shengying Terrace, and Chongguang Terrace, showing utter disregard for the people's well-being.
In April of 563 AD, there was a drought in five western provinces including Bingzhou and Jinzhou. That year, the people were called upon to construct Zhiguan. Meanwhile, 200,000 Turks destroyed the Great Wall and attacked Hengzhou.
In the spring of 570 AD, there was a drought. At that time, the court mobilized the people on a large scale to build the Daming Palace.
After 584 AD, the capital frequently suffered from drought. At that time, the capital was moved to Longshoushan, where palaces were built, inflicting severe hardship on the people as a result of the rulers' indifference.
In 608 AD, there was a drought in border areas like Yanzhou and Daizhou. Over one million people were mobilized to build the Great Wall, with the Emperor personally inspecting the border, resulting in rampant unemployment and starvation.
In 612 AD, a nationwide drought led to widespread famine. The court conscripted the entire army, and the Emperor personally led an attack on Goguryeo, resulting in nearly ninety percent of the soldiers perishing from freezing or starvation. In 617 AD, there was another nationwide drought, with people from all regions being forced to repair the city walls, regardless of age or gender.
In the third year of Tianjian, on the eighth day of the sixth month, Emperor Wu of Liang was giving a sermon in the Chongyun Hall when suddenly a monk named Zhigong jumped up, singing and dancing, then suddenly began to cry. He then composed a five-character poem: "Joyful for over thirty years, sorrowful for fifty miles! Just look at the year he turns eighty-three, a great disaster will strike in Zidi. Treacherous ministers deceive while loyal officials are slain. If you doubt my words, wait until the Year of the Dragon when the rebels arise. And when it comes to the Year of the Horse, bearing sorrow without joy." The meaning of this poem is that from the Tianjian era to later, there were truly over thirty years of peace, but sadly, later there would be great chaos, affecting an entire fifty-mile area. Specifically, in the year he turned eighty-three (referring to Emperor Wu), a great disaster would occur in Zidi (a place name), with treacherous officials in power and loyal subjects killed. If you don't believe it, just wait until the Year of the Dragon (referring to a specific year) when Hou Jing rebels, and in the end, he will flee on horseback, resulting in a tragic fate. From Tianjian to the final year of the Datong era, there truly were over thirty years of peace, but in the second year of Taiqing, Taicheng fell, and Emperor Wu reigned for forty-eight years, and this "fifty miles" also came true. On August 13 of the first year of Taiqing, Hou Jing came to surrender from Xuanhu, which is north of Danyang, exactly as mentioned in the poem "Zidi." Emperor Wu trusted Zhu Yi's words and accepted Hou Jing's surrender, leading to Hou Jing's rebellion in the Year of Wucheng, and by the year of Wuyin, Emperor Wu died from excessive worry.
Ten years later, on the eighth day of the fourth month, monk Zhigong composed another poem at a large gathering: "The dog with a broken tail starts to go mad, wanting to die yet unable to, biting and hurting people, and in an instant, he self-destructs. The calamity lurks in your shadow, dying in the land of Sanxiang, with corpses scattered about, no one to bury them." This poem refers to Hou Jing, whose childhood name was "Dogzi," who came to surrender from Xuanhu (ancient Runan). Later, he was defeated and died in the land of Sanxiang south of Baling, his corpse left in the wilderness with no one to collect it.
During the Tianjian period, there was a hermit named Tao Hongjing in Maoshan, who also wrote a five-character poem: "Yifu is carefree, Ping Shu talks in vain, Unexpectedly in the Zhaoyang Palace, Suddenly becomes the Chanyu's palace." At that time, the ministers in the court were only concerned with discussing metaphysics and not asking about political affairs. Tao Hongjing used Yifu and Ping Shu (both famous ministers at the time) to satirize them. Later, Hou Jing rebelled and indeed occupied the Zhaoyang Palace.
During the Datong period, there was a nursery rhyme circulating among the people: "Green silk white horse comes to Shouyang." Later, when Hou Jing captured Danyang, he indeed rode a white horse and used green silk rope as a horse rein.
After the establishment of the Chen Dynasty, another nursery rhyme appeared: "Yellow-patterned green dappled horse, comes from Shouyang ferry. When it arrived, winter was coming to an end, On the day of departure, the spring breeze began." Later, the Chen Dynasty emperor was indeed defeated by Han Qinhu. Han Qinhu, whose nickname was Qinhu, and "Yellow-patterned" refers to him. When he captured Jiankang, he also rode a green dappled horse, which corresponds to the timing in the nursery rhyme.
During the Chen Dynasty, the song "Peach Leaves," composed by Wang Xianzhi, was particularly popular in the Jiangnan region. The lyrics were: "Peach leaves and peach leaves, crossing the river without needing a boat. Just cross without any hardship, I will welcome you myself." This song was very popular at the time. Later, when the Jin Dynasty attacked the Chen Dynasty, the army camped under Peach Leaf Mountain. When Han Qin crossed the river, General Ren Mannu also led troops to Xinlin to meet the northern army.
Emperor Chen Shubao of the Chen Dynasty built a Qiyun Temple, and the common people sang a song that went: "Qiyun Temple, endless invaders come." Just as this song began to circulate, before the Qiyun Temple was even completed, the Sui Dynasty army attacked, and Chen Shubao was captured.
During the Zhenming period, Chen Shubao composed a new song, with particularly sad lyrics that the palace concubines learned to sing. The lyrics were: "Jade trees in the backyard, flowers bloom but not for long." People believed this song foretold the end of the Chen Dynasty, and it indeed came true.
When Emperor Gao Huan of Northern Qi just moved the capital to Ye City, there was a children's rhyme circulating among the people: "Poor little blue sparrow, flying into Ye City. Nest not yet built, looking up lost from his hometown. Sending letters to his wife and mother, wishing well for the new bride." This blue sparrow refers to Emperor Xiaojing of Wei, the son of the Prince of Qinghe, whose empress was the daughter of Gao Huan. The palace in Ye City wasn't even finished when the dynasty changed, just like the children's rhyme said "nest not yet built," and later Emperor Xiaojing also died. The "sending letters to his wife and mother" refers to the empress of Emperor Xiaojing sending news to her family, and the "new bride" refers to another daughter of Gao Huan, who later became the empress of Emperor Wenxuan.
During the Wuding period, another children's rhyme emerged: "A hundred feet high pole breaks, the lamp at the bottom of the water extinguishes." "High" refers to the Qi surname, and "Cheng" is the name of Emperor Wenxiang Gao Cheng. Five years later, Emperor Shenwu died, which came true with the death of Emperor Shenwu; seven years later, Emperor Wenxiang was killed by an assassin, fulfilling the "lamp at the bottom of the water extinguishing."
During the Tianbao period, there was a fortune teller named Lu Fahai who wrote on his wall: "Ten years the emperor is still good, a hundred days the emperor is urgent as fire, a year the emperor sits in succession." Consequently, Emperor Wenxuan died after reigning for ten years, the deposed emperor ruled for just over a hundred days before being ousted, and Emperor Xiaozhao died after reigning for a year, all fulfilling this prophecy.
In the first year of Wuping, another children's rhyme emerged: "Fox cuts its tail, you want to eliminate me, I eliminate you." In April of that year, Prince Hu Changren of Longdong wanted to send assassins to kill Heshikai, but his plot was uncovered, and he ended up being falsely accused by Heshikai, leading to his death.
Two years ago, the children sang a nursery rhyme: "He Shikai, on July 30, will you head to the Southern Platform." After they finished singing, everyone clapped their hands and said, "Kill him!" On July 25, the Chief Inspector Langya Wang Yan captured He Shikai and escorted him to the Southern Platform for execution. In the same year, another nursery rhyme appeared: "In July, cutting the grain is early, in September, eating cake is just right. In October, washing the rice pot, in November, Zhao Lao is out of the picture." He Shikai was killed in July, Wang Yan died in September, and Zhao Yanchen was appointed as the Inspector of Xiyanzhou in November.
As the Wuping years were coming to an end, a nursery rhyme spread: "The yellow flowers are about to fall, the clear cup is just for drinking." At that time, Empress Mu and her son were behaving recklessly and interfering in politics, which worried everyone. Empress Mu's nickname was Huanghua (Yellow Flower), and this nursery rhyme foretold the imminent downfall of the Qi Dynasty; "the yellow flower is about to fall" came true.
There was also a nursery rhyme circulating in Ye City: "A broom made of gold, a handle made of jade, cleanly sweeping the palace to welcome the Western family." Soon after, Zhou Dynasty troops invaded Ye City.
When the Zhou Dynasty was first established, there was a nursery rhyme: "On the top of the white poplar tree, the golden rooster crows, only the uncle has no nephew to rely on." Emperor Jing was the nephew of the Sui Dynasty emperor, and he died shortly after abdicating, while his uncles held great power.
Emperor Xuan danced and sang with the palace maidens at night, singing: "Knowing my life is short, I wander with the candle at night." He died three years into his reign.
In the tenth year of Kaihuang, Emperor Gaozu went to Bingzhou to feast with King Qin and Prince Xiang. The emperor also improvised a four-line poem: "How few red faces, how fleeting jade beauty. One morning the flowers fall, white hair is hard to remove. Next year, who will have what and who won't?" The following year, Prince Xiang died, and eighteen years later, King Qin also passed away.
In the eleventh year of the Great Yea era, Emperor Yang of Sui fled from the capital to the Eastern Capital. Upon arriving at the Changle Palace, he drank himself into a stupor and then composed a five-character poem. The last line of the poem reads: "Though my heart longs to return, there's no wind to lift my wings." He had the beauties in the palace recite this line repeatedly, while he cried his eyes out, causing even the officials attending to him to sigh in sympathy. Later, Emperor Yang went to Jiangdu and wrote another five-character poem: "Desiring to return but unable to go, I've really hit a rough patch. The birds call me to drink, while the plum blossoms seem to laugh at the living." He wrote this poem in March, and he was killed that same month, truly fulfilling the line "encountering a spring"! That year, banditry was on the rise, and the roads were completely blocked. Emperor Yang became frightened and gave up all hope of returning to the capital. He even dreamed of two young men singing: "To stay is to die, to go is to die. Better to take a boat across the river." Thus, he started constructing a palace in Danyang, intending to settle there. However, before the palace was completed, he was killed.
During the Great Yea era, a nursery rhyme circulated among the people: "Peach and plum trees, swans circling around Yang Mountain, winding through the flower grove. Don’t talk nonsense, who’s saying Xu?" Later, Li Mi was arrested for taking part in Yang Xuangan's rebellion and escaped halfway. He secretly gathered a group of bandits, broke out of Yangcheng Mountain, attacked the Luokou granary, and then stationed himself in the garden. The line "Don’t talk nonsense, it’s Mi" points to Li Mi; "Yu Wenhua self-titled Xu Guo," the "who’s saying Xu" refers to Yu Wenhua, showing how shocked and confused people were about these events.
In the first year of the Datong era of Emperor Wu of Liang, Prince Shaoling, Xiao Lun, was in his bedroom in Nanxuzhou when, in broad daylight, a civet cat was scrapping on the roof beams and fell down, caught by him. During the Taiqing era, amidst the chaos caused by Hou Jing, Xiao Lun led troops to rescue Taicheng. When they reached Zhongshan, a bear that had just woken up from hibernation suddenly appeared and bit the horse Xiao Lun was riding. This was truly a bad omen! Later, Xiao Lun was defeated by Wang Sengbian and fled to Nanyang, where he was eventually killed by Western Wei.
During the Datong era, every night, foxes would cry under the palace, that went on for several years. Jing Fang's "Yi Fei Hou" says, "Wild beasts roar, the city is empty." Not long after, the country fell into chaos, resulting in countless deaths and injuries in Danyang City.
In the early years of the Chen Dynasty, a fox ran under the emperor's bed; it was impossible to catch. Jing Fang's "Yi Fei Hou" says, "Fox enters the lord's chamber, the chamber will be abandoned." Not long after, the Chen Dynasty was destroyed.
In September of the year 548 AD, a leopard broke into the southern gate of Ye City and was shot on sight. Five years later, in August, another leopard showed up at Copper Jue Terrace. Jing Fang's "Yi Fei Hou" says, "Wild beasts entering the city, running to the court or official roads, is a sign of impending disaster for the king." That year, Eastern Wei suffered a disastrous defeat in the Battle of Yubi, and Gao Huan also died of illness.
In the year 552 AD, a rabbit ran out of the temple. "Yi Fei Hou" says, "When a rabbit runs into the royal palace, the ruler will be finished." The temple is where the ancestral spirits reside. Five years later, the Zhou army attacked Ye City, and the last ruler, Gao Yang, ended up fleeing.
During the late Wuping period of the Northern Qi dynasty, there were many wolves in areas such as Buzhou and Sizhou that even attacked humans. The "Hongfan Wuxing Zhuan" mentions, "Wolves are greedy, violent beasts, mostly white, symbolizing war. Wolves are also like dogs, indicating disaster." Jing Fang's "Yi Zhuan" also states, "If the king is unjust, disaster will befall the people, and they must hide in the mountains to save their lives. Wolves attacking humans is the reason for this." At that time, the emperor surrounded himself with unscrupulous individuals and was greedy and cruel, harming the people. The omen of wolves attacking humans was fulfilled. Not long after, the Northern Qi dynasty was destroyed by the Zhou army, which was a sign of war.
During the Wuping period, outside the gates of Shuozhou Prefecture, there suddenly appeared a child's footprint, and soil was piled up to resemble a city wall. People at that time found it very strange, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the work of a fox spirit. Such incidents gradually spread to Buzhou and Yecheng afterward. This was similar to the incident in 548 AD when a leopard entered the city. That year, Prince Nan'an Gao Sihao rebelled and headed straight for Buzhou, only to be defeated by the imperial army. Zheng Zirao, Yang Fahao, and others also rebelled in Shandong.
In 559 AD, strange occurrences of dogs mating with women were reported in Yecheng and Dunqiu. The "Hongfan Wuxing Zhuan" states, "Different species should not mate, but when they do, it is a sign of chaos. Dogs mating with humans is a sign of disaster." Disasters related to dogs signify an excess of yang energy and a loss of public support. The emperor at that time did not care about state affairs and did not show kindness to the people.
During the reign of the last emperor of the Northern Qi dynasty, officials were actually appointed to dogs, with female dogs even given titles similar to a lady or a princess, and dogs were even given soldiers to accompany them, supplied with good food and drink, and provided with silk and cushions for their beds. He was punished by Heaven for bestowing titles upon dogs, a clear sign of impending disaster! It seemed as if Heaven was saying that these ministers were all like dogs. The last emperor failed to grasp this, leading to the downfall of the kingdom.
In the year 563 AD, a dog gave birth to puppies, but its body was split in two at the waist, having two tails and six legs. Dogs are ferocious animals with fangs, symbolizing warriors. At that time, Yuwen Hu and others conspired to rebel. The dog's split rear was an omen.
In the first year of Daye, many dogs in Yanmen ran away from their owners, running wild in packs, resembling wolves and even biting and eating people, taking several years to calm down. Historical texts say: "Dogs are supposed to guard the house, but now they are leaving their owners, indicating that the ministers were disobedient. The transformation of dogs into wolves, with white fur, is a foreboding sign of war!" Later, the emperor resorted to military force, continuously imposing forced labor. It seemed like heaven was warning him: stop the forced labor, the ministers who guard the house are going to rebel! The emperor did not listen and continued to repair the Great Wall, followed by dealings in the Western Regions and Liaodong. The people were in an uproar, and finally a rebellion broke out in Jiangdu, even the emperor's guards rebelled.
In the second year of Liang Datong, white fur appeared on the ground, measuring two feet long, thought to be an auspicious sign. Sun Sheng believed this was a sign of wasting resources and harming the people. Previously, a large number of people were mobilized to build the Fu Mountain Dam, costing a huge amount of money. Just when it was about to be completed, it collapsed several times, and the people were tired of forced labor, with sighs of discontent heard everywhere.
In September of the first year of Qihe Qing, in Cangzhou and at the foot of the Great Wall, a lot of fur grew on the ground, both white and black, four to five inches long, probably also an auspicious sign. At that time, the Great Wall was being repaired in the north, and three towers were being built internally, leading to great suffering among the populace.
In July of the sixth year of Kaihuang, a light rain fell in the capital, with strands resembling hair mixed in the rain, some over three feet long and others six to seven inches long. The "Yifeihou" in the Jingfang said: "When hair falls from the sky, the nation will face a severe famine." At that time, there was a severe drought in the Guanzhong region, and as a result, food prices soared.
In the early years of the Hou Qi dynasty, the jade bi from the Fengshan altar on Mount Tai came out on its own, which was yet another auspicious sign. Mount Tai was a place for the change of dynasties by emperors, and the jade bi was used for sacrifices. Its emergence signaled a coming change of dynasty. Later, the Qi state was destroyed, the land belonged to the Zhou dynasty, the founding emperor accepted the abdication of the Zhou dynasty, and the world was unified, fulfilling the omen at the sacrifice at Mount Tai.
In the third year of the Wuping era, the words "Qi Perishes and Flees" appeared on the green stone wall under the Baishuiyan. Some people changed these words to "Ascending," and the later emperor thought it was an auspicious sign, with the entire court coming to congratulate. As a result, later the Zhou dynasty's army invaded the Qi state, and the emperor indeed fled the city of Ye.
In the seventeenth year of the Kaihuang era, between Wu'an and Fuyang, more than ten stones fell from the sky. The "Hongfan Wuxing Zhuan" says: "Stones falling from the sky indicate danger for the ruler." Seven years later, the emperor died.
As the Kaihuang era drew to a close, the founding emperor buried two small stones in the palace on the ground as a mark to indicate the position of the bed. Before long, those two stones turned into jade. Liu Xiang said: "Jade is the most precious. When something cheap transforms into something valuable, it signals a change." As the Deyuan era was coming to an end, there were thieves everywhere, daring to declare themselves kings and emperors.
It is said that in the thirteenth year of the Daye era of Emperor Yang of Sui, a stone was found in Xiping County with the words "The Emperor Will Reign for a Thousand Years" carved on it. The entire court was overjoyed and exchanged congratulations. However, some wise observers were concerned, saying, "The phrase 'a thousand years' is typically reserved for the afterlife. To say it now means disaster is imminent!" As a result, the following year, Emperor Yang of Sui was killed.
In the twelfth year of the Datong era of Emperor Wu of Liang, the stone qilin at the entrance of the tomb in Qu'a unexpectedly moved on its own! This was a sign of wood conquering metal! The stone's movement signified relocation, a divine warning! It seemed to imply that this tomb would soon be without an owner, and the stone qilin would be taken away by someone! Later, the Liang dynasty indeed perished.
In the fourth year of the reign of the Houqi River Clear, the stones in the palace jumped up by themselves and collided with each other! An official named Sui Meng analyzed that the stones belong to the yin element, representing the subjects. The movement of the stones in the palace was a portent of rebellion among the trusted aides. Indeed, later, during the Zhou army's eastern expedition, favored officials such as Wei Xiangyuan, Qi Fugui and his brothers, and Han Jianye all defected to the Zhou dynasty.
In the twelfth year of the Daitong era of Emperor Liang, in January, two guardian beasts were sent to Jianling. The left one, a two-horned guardian beast, successfully arrived at the tomb. The right one, a single-horned guardian beast, had just begun its journey when it jumped three times on the cart, breaking the yoke! They had to change to another cart. Not even two miles from the tomb, it jumped three more times! With each jump, the people on the cart were thrown three to four feet into the air, and the wheels sank three inches into the ground! This was yet another sign of wood overcoming metal! Liu Xiang famously said: “Losing the hearts of the people, orders are ineffective, and no one listens when speaking, this is a manifestation of chaotic metal energy.” Stones belong to the yin element, representing subjects, and the subjects are about to rebel! In the later years of Emperor Liang, he neglected state affairs, and both the ruler and ministers were only concerned with reciting Buddhist scriptures and discussing metaphysics, leading to chaos in the court, ineffective orders, and no one listening, and this was the consequence! This ultimately resulted in the Hou Jing rebellion.
In the first year of the reign of Zhou Jiande, a stone statue was discovered in Puyang County. The county officials wanted to transport it to the government office to scrape off the gold. As a result, the statue inexplicably jumped off the cart during the journey, and it went back and forth twice! Later, they used thick ropes to tie it to the side of the cart, but the ropes were surprisingly broken by it! At that time, the Zhou emperor had just conquered the Qi state and was waging war in Huainan, constantly at war, leaving the people exhausted, which was a clear sign of losing the hearts of the people!
