In the year 503 AD, there were dragons fighting in Tanli, Beiliangzhou, with mist rising for miles around. This foreshadowed impending disaster. The "Hongfan Wuxing Zhuan" states: "Dragons are fierce beasts that are difficult to deal with, representing the heavens and symbolizing the monarch. If there are problems with the celestial phenomena and the ruler's authority is undermined, then the dragon will also face trouble. The fighting of dragons signifies impending warfare." Jing Fang's "Yi Feihou" also says: "When people's hearts are uneasy, strange phenomena like dragons fighting will occur." At that time, the emperor had recently ascended the throne and faced rebellions from Chen Bozhi and Liu Jilian, causing internal panic and widespread fear.
In June of 508 AD, dragons fought again at Qu'a Wangbei, then headed west to Jianling City. Along the path the dragons took, trees were broken, stretching for dozens of zhang. Similar to the situation in 503 AD, these were all bad omens. As the dragons passed through Jianling, the broken trees foretold that the nation would face war and the imperial tomb would be damaged. The emperor was preoccupied with scholarly pursuits, resulting in a demoralized military and complacent soldiers. It was the ruler's lack of virtue that caused disasters like dragons fighting to occur. Yet, the emperor remained oblivious to this fact. In the year 518 AD, there was another dragon fight in the waters of Lizhou, with towering waves, swirling clouds, and people seeing a white dragon running south followed by a black dragon. That year, Hou Jing surrendered his forces, and the emperor accepted him without any precautions, instilling fear among the populace. Shortly thereafter, Hou Jing rebelled, leading to the emperor's death from overwhelming anxiety.
In the summer of the tenth year of the Datong era, a dragon fell into the well of a family in Yanling due to a lightning strike. The next morning, people found it about the size of a donkey. People wanted to kill it with a spear, but suddenly huge snakes appeared in the courtyard and house, as large as several hundred hu of cargo ships, sending the family fleeing in terror. "Hong Fan Wuxing Zhuan" says: "Dragons are masculine and represent nobility. In the sky, they are celestial dragons, and on earth, they are terrestrial dragons. They should not appear in ordinary villagers' villages or houses. Wells symbolize depth, so this indicates that princes will face imprisonment and disaster caused by the emperor's moral failings." Later, Hou Jing did rebel, imprisoning and killing Emperor Jianwen in a wine cellar, and royal princes and dukes were also tragically killed.
In the first month of the eleventh year of Taijian in the Chen Dynasty, a dragon appeared in a pond in South Yanzhou, similar to the situation in the tenth year of Datong in the Liang Dynasty. Shortly afterward, the last emperor took the throne, indulging in extravagance and ignoring state affairs, leading to the country's downfall and his own imprisonment.
In the year 543 AD, a large snake appeared in Wulao City. At that time, Li, the wife of Gao Zhongmi, the governor of Beiyu Province, was intelligent and beautiful. The crown prince Gao Cheng fell for her, which made Gao Zhongmi feel uneasy. He rebelled with Wulao as his base, secretly colluding with Western Wei, which sparked a major battle in Heyang. Gao Huan was almost trapped by the Western Wei army, barely escaping, with thousands dead.
In the year 556 AD, a dragon seven to eight zhang long appeared in the hall of Qizhou, similar to the situation in 546 AD. At that time, the Princes of Changshan and Changguang wielded significant power, yet the emperor was reluctant to challenge them. The following year, the emperor passed away, and Crown Prince Gao Yin ascended the throne. Changshan Prince Gao Yan indeed deposed Gao Yin, and made him the King of Jinan before ultimately imprisoning and killing him.
In the year 557 AD, a dragon appeared in a bathhouse in Jeju. This was the same as the situation in 556 AD. Before this, King Pingqin, Gao Guiyan, accepted Emperor Zhao's posthumous edict to appoint Prince Gao Bainian as his heir. However, Gao Guiyan appointed Prince Changguang, Gao Zhan, as his successor, who would later become Emperor Wucheng. Gao Bainian was demoted to King Leling and eventually imprisoned, where he died.
In the year 558 AD, someone in Guixiang cut down a dead tree and discovered a yellow dragon with a broken leg, dead in a tree hole. The Qi Dynasty believed in the virtue of trees. The dragon symbolizes the monarch. With the withering of the tree, the dragon also died, which was considered a very ominous sign. That year, Emperor Wucheng died.
In the year 560 AD, a dragon appeared in a well in Handan, emanating colorful dragon energy that soared into the sky. A dragon also appeared in a dry well at a Buddhist temple in Jijun. This was the same as the situation in 557 AD. Later, the last emperor of Qi surrendered to the Northern Zhou Dynasty, where he was ultimately killed.
In the year 562 AD, in Bianzhou, beneath Zhaoyuan Tower, a red snake and a black snake fought for many days, and the red snake died. Red was the symbolic color of the Qi Dynasty, and black was the symbolic color of the Zhou Dynasty. The death of the two snakes in their fight was an omen of destruction! Later, the last emperor of Qi heavily relied on corrupt officials and fought against the Zhou army near Jinzhou. He handed over the army to the treacherous official Gao Anagong, who unexpectedly surrendered to the enemy, leading to his own downfall. Eventually, the last emperor of Qi was captured by the Zhou army.
Prince Langye, Gao Yan, demolished the White Horse Stupa in the Northern Palace, originally built by Chengong during the Stone Zhao period. Consequently, a several-foot-long white snake appeared, coiling and writhing before vanishing. At that time, Gao Yan was known for his tyranny and cruelty, which ultimately led to his downfall. His failure to heed these omens ultimately led to disaster.
In the year 578 AD, a black dragon fell and died in Bozhou. Dragons symbolize monarchs, and black is the symbolic color of the Zhou Dynasty. The dragon's death, especially in such a manner, is certainly not a good omen! At that time, the crown prince was seen as incompetent, which worried the emperor. Honest ministers Wang Gui and Yuwen Xiaobo repeatedly requested the removal of the crown prince, but the emperor did not agree. Two years later, the emperor passed away, and the crown prince ascended the throne. What happened next? He cruelly killed the Prince of Qi and Xiaobo, leading to the downfall of the country.
In the year 604 AD, a dragon appeared in a well at the Daizhou Governor's Office. This dragon would sometimes transform into an iron horse, sometimes into a soldier wearing armor, and even bend a bow and prepare to shoot, reminiscent of battling demons. The transformation into an iron horse is related to disasters involving horses; bending a bow and preparing to shoot is reminiscent of battling demons, foretelling wars among princes, with some likely facing imprisonment. At that time, Prince Liang of Han was secretly planning a rebellion, which explains the emergence of these signs. Liang Wang did not realize the meaning of these omens, and after rebelling and failing, he was demoted to a commoner and died after being imprisoned for several years.
This self-proclaimed emperor Hou Jing in Jiangnan declared himself emperor. Every time he went to battle, if his white horse raised its head and pawed the ground restlessly, then they would definitely win; if the horse hung its head, they would surely lose. In a battle in Xizhou, his horse lay down and refused to move, despite Hou Jing's pleas and attempts to urge it on. This was yet another horse-related omen! The "Hong Fan Five Elements" states: "Horses symbolize soldiers, indicating that enemies will invade, which is why horses exhibit strange phenomena." As a result, Hou Jing faced a devastating defeat.
In the year 561 AD, horses in Hengzhou began to grow horns. The "Hong Fan Five Elements" states: "Horse horns symbolize war and are a sign of failure." At that time, Emperor Chen Xuan sent Wu Mingche to lead troops to confront the Zhou Dynasty army in Luoyang. After many years of fighting, the troops endured heavy losses, and Wu Mingche was ultimately captured by the Zhou forces.
During the Tianbao reign of the Northern Qi dynasty, a horse with a horn between its ears and a tail resembling that of a sheep appeared in Guangzong. The "Jing Fang Yi Zhuan" says: "When the emperor personally leads the troops into battle, the horse will grow a horn." Four years later, the Khitan people invaded the frontier, and Emperor Wenxuan personally led the army into battle.
In the year 608 AD, in the fourth year of the reign of Emperor Yang Guang of Sui, many horses inexplicably died in the stables of Taiyuan, with over half of the horses dead! The emperor was furious and sent people to investigate. The stable manager reported, "Every night, the horses in the stable frighten themselves for no apparent reason, and then they die." The emperor summoned a wizard to take a look. The wizard, upon seeing this, realized that the emperor intended to attack Liaodong, so he aligned his words with the emperor's intentions: "Emperor Yang Jian ordered Yang Su and Shi Wansui to attack Liaodong because they wanted to bring ghost soldiers to fight!" Upon hearing this, the emperor was delighted and promptly released the stable manager. The "Hongfan Wuxing Zhuan" writes: "Going against the will of heaven is why so many horses died." At that time, the emperor toured around every year, running to the foot of the Great Wall in the north and to Qiemo in the west, consuming huge domestic resources. Heaven was warning him: stop raising so many horses and cease wandering around! But the emperor failed to comprehend, ultimately leading to chaos throughout the realm.
In the year 615 AD, in the tenth year of Emperor Yang Guang's reign, horses in Henan, Fufeng, and three counties grew horns, several inches long. This was the same omen that had appeared during the Tianbao period of the Northern Qi dynasty. At that time, the emperor personally led the troops to attack Goguryeo every year.
In the year 617 AD, in the Longma stables at Jiangdu Palace, many horses inexplicably died, with hundreds dead within ten days, mirroring the events of 608 AD.
