Yuan Chong, courtesy name Defu, was originally from Yangxia, Chenjun, but later moved to Danyang. His grandfather Yuan Ang and his father Yuan Junzheng both served as Shizhong, which is equivalent to prime minister, during the Liang Dynasty. Yuan Chong was bright and clever from a young age. When he was a teenager, a friend of his father's came to visit. It was the early days of winter, and Yuan Chong was still dressed in thin clothing. The guest joked playfully, "Young Master Yuan, are you cold wearing such thin clothes?" Yuan Chong immediately replied, "I've got plenty of these thin clothes!" The guest admired him greatly.
At the age of seventeen, he became a secretary in the Chen Dynasty. Later, he served as a gentleman of the crown prince, a literary official of Prince Jin'an, a minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and a cavalier attendant, as he rose through the ranks. After the fall of the Chen Dynasty, he returned to the north and served as a sima in Mengzhou and Fuzhou. Yuan Chong had a passion for studying Daoist teachings and was adept at divination, which ultimately led to his appointment as Taishi Ling, in charge of astronomy and calendar.
At that time, the emperor wanted to remove the crown prince and was rigorously investigating officials in the Eastern Palace. Yuan Chong realized that the emperor had a strong belief in divination, so he aligned with the emperor's views and said, "After observing the celestial phenomena, it is indeed appropriate to remove the crown prince." The emperor was very pleased. Yuan Chong then submitted another report, stating that since the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, the sun's shadow had been getting shorter, suggesting that the Sui Dynasty was thriving. He detailed that in the first year of the Kaihuang era, on the winter solstice, the shadow measured twelve zhang and seven cun, and it gradually decreased thereafter. By the seventeenth year of Kaihuang, the winter solstice shadow was only twelve zhang and three cun. In the fourth year, the winter solstice shadow measured twelve zhang and eight cun. In the second year of Kaihuang, the summer solstice shadow was one cun and four fen longer, but it also gradually shortened, reaching only one cun and five fen by the sixteenth year. According to the "Zhou Guan," the summer solstice shadow length is one cun and five fen. Zheng Xuan stated, "The winter solstice shadow is twelve zhang and three chi long." Now, the summer solstice shadow is five fen shorter than before, and the winter solstice shadow is three cun and seven fen shorter than before. When the sun is closer, the shadow is shorter, and the days are longer; when the sun is farther away, the shadow is longer, and the days are shorter. The fact that the sun is closer now indicates that our country is on the right path. The "Yao Dian" states, "When the days are short and the stars are bright, it is the middle of winter." Based on the appearance of the Pleiades, we can tell that during the Yao Emperor's time, the sun was at ten degrees in the Xunü constellation in midwinter. According to the calendar calculations, since the beginning of the Kaihuang era, at the winter solstice, the sun has been at eleven degrees in the Dou constellation, which is quite close to the time of the Yao Emperor. I consulted the book "Chunqiu Yuanming Bao," which states, "When the sun and moon move in the inner path, the celestial mechanism operates normally, and the Heavenly Emperor protects the realm, allowing the sage kings to succeed." Jing Fang's "Bie Dui" says, "In a peaceful and prosperous era, the sun moves in the upper path; in a flourishing period, the sun moves in the middle path; in chaotic times, the sun moves in the lower path." Now, with the founding of the Sui Dynasty and the blessings of heaven, the shadows are getting shorter and the days are getting longer—this has never happened in history!" The emperor was thrilled and announced this news to the entire nation.
Due to the large-scale construction and the need to speed up the progress of the projects, the craftsmen were worn out. During the Ren Shou era, Yuan Chong discovered that the Emperor's birth date and the laws of Yin and Yang were extremely compatible, with over sixty correspondences. He then presented a memorial saying, "On the day of Your Majesty's birth, not only did you have divine light and good omens, but also various prophecies were fulfilled. Your birth date aligns perfectly with the movements of heaven, earth, sun, moon, and the principles of Yin and Yang, both internally and externally. This is an extraordinary sign of a sage's birth, a truly lucky omen. Now, with the change to the Ren Shou era, the year, month, and day are the same as the day of Your Majesty's birth, indicating that Your Majesty is in harmony with heaven and earth, in accordance with the principles of Ren Shou. Therefore, I know that the foundation of the Great Sui Dynasty is solid, and the empire's future is bright." The Emperor was delighted and bestowed many gifts, much better than what others received.
In the fourth year of Emperor Yang of Sui's Ren Shou reign, a Jia Zi year, he had just ascended the throne. A man named Yu Shiji, along with the Chief Astrologer Gao Zhibao, presented a memorial saying, "Last year, the winter solstice cast a longer shadow than normal, and this year, Your Majesty took the throne, just like the year Emperor Yao took his throne. That was forty-nine years ago, on the winter solstice of the eleventh month of the Jia Zi year, the first year of the Shang Yuan era. Your Majesty's ascension this year also takes place on the winter solstice of the eleventh month of the Jia Zi year, the first year of the Shang Yuan era, just like Emperor Yao! Since the time of Emperor Yao, eight Shang Yuan eras have passed, with many dynasties in between, and there's never been a Ren Shou era that coincided with a Jia Zi year. We took a close look at historical records: in the first year of the Shang Yuan era, the Tai Yi star was positioned in the first palace, and the Tian Shu star was in the Wu De constellation, and the Yin and Yang calendar systems were completely in harmony. Emperor Yao was born in the Bing Chen year and received his mandate in the Bing Zi year, which only partially matches the numbers three and five, unlike the Ji Chou Jia Zi year, where both the heavenly stems and earthly branches align with the number six. This aligns with the period of unity and the principles of five eras and nine chapters, matching the numbers of Emperor Yao and the trajectory of the Great Tang Dynasty. This truly reflects the saying 'Emperor Tang, Tang Emperor, Tang Emperor, Emperor Tang!'" Yu Shiji then urged Prince Qi Yang Jian to gather the officials and congratulate the Emperor.
After that, the planet Venus lingered near the Taiwei Star for several months. At that time, Emperor Yang of Sui was busy with construction projects and heavy labor conscription. Yu Shiji submitted a memorial stating, "Your Majesty, your noble virtues are the reason why the planet Venus has retreated." All the officials congratulated him, and Emperor Yang of Sui was pleased and rewarded Yu Shiji with nearly ten thousand guan of money. At that time, the affairs of the country were busy, and Yu Shiji pondered the emperor's thoughts, feeling that the emperor wanted to do something big, so he quickly reported that there were auspicious astronomical phenomena and changes needed to be made to please the emperor. In the sixth year of Daye, Yu Shiji was promoted to Neishi Sheren. Later, he followed Emperor Yang of Sui to campaign against Liaodong and was appointed as a court official and deputy secretary.
Later, chaos erupted across the land, Emperor Yang of Sui suffered losses at Yanmen Pass, and bandits were rampant, making the emperor increasingly anxious. Yu Shiji again manipulated astronomical phenomena, submitted a memorial stating auspicious signs, and continued to flatter, saying, "I have heard that heaven aids the virtuous and blesses the humble. The movements of the stars and the Three Luminaries also signify auspicious signs. Your Majesty holds the power of the country, governs the people, promotes various virtues, educates the four directions, and cares for the people, not just for personal enjoyment. Heaven will surely not go against your wishes and will develop according to your intentions in the future. Therefore, your ascension coincides with the onset of the Yuan Festival and the Qian hexagram's initial line, in accordance with the will of heaven. Please see, since last year, various astronomical phenomena and auspicious signs have been consistent. I have meticulously recorded several particularly rare phenomena, such as heavenly omens vanquishing the Turks, and so on, a total of seven major events."
First, on the evening of August 28th, a huge meteor, as big as a ladle, appeared north of the Wangliang star and fell directly into the Turkic camp, with a sound like a collapsing wall. Second, on the evening of August 29th, another meteor as big as a ladle appeared from the Yulin star, flying directly towards the enemy. According to divination, the fact that meteors fell on the enemy's territory for two consecutive days suggests that they are bound to be defeated.
Third, on the evening of September 4th, two stars as big as a ladle appeared consecutively, flying northeast from the Kui star of the Big Dipper. According to divination, the Big Dipper star governs warfare, so the enemy is sure to fail. Fourth, the Year Star governs blessings and frequently appears in the constellations associated with the capital. According to divination, this is the blessing of the country. Fifth, in July, Mars lingered near the Yulin star, but by September 7th, it had left. Divination suggests that the enemy will certainly be defeated within three days.
Sixth, on the evening of November 20th last year, a blazing red meteor shot from the northeast to the southwest, smashing into the Turkic leader Lumingyue's camp and damaging his war chariot. Seventh, on the evening of December 15th, a red light appeared to the north of Hanzhen, stretching all the way to the north, a sign that doom is looming for the Turkic people! According to the "Chenglu" records, Luoyang in Henan coincides with the Jiazi year, which corresponds to the Nine Yao and the Shangyuan Jiazi in the early Qingyuan. This is a blessed land, one that need never worry.
Looking back at past political events, similar auspicious signs have been recorded in ancient times, but they appeared at different times. Now they have all gathered within one dynasty. Is this not a sign of the heavens backing the emperor's benevolent governance, helping to eliminate the wicked rebels, ultimately pacifying the Nine Yi in the east, conquering the Five Di in the north, bringing comfort to Mount Tai and peace to the Fen River?
After presenting the memorial, the emperor was very pleased and promoted him to the position of Secretary. The emperor grew very fond of him, treating him like a family member. Whenever the emperor wanted to launch an expedition, Li Chunfeng could foresee it and then use astrology to encourage the emperor's decision. The courtiers regarded him with suspicion. Later, Yuwen Huaji launched a coup and killed the emperor, and Li Chunfeng was also killed. He was seventy-five years old that year.
Historical records note: Wang Shao, from a young age, had always been particularly fond of learning, never tired of it, and had studied various books very thoroughly. Those who were knowledgeable and influential all admired his extensive knowledge. He also loved writing, stayed in the historiographical office for a long time, not only wrote "Book of Qi," but also participated in the compilation of the history of the Sui Dynasty. However, he liked those bizarre sayings and was addicted to idle talk in the streets and alleys. The articles he wrote were vulgar, and the structure was disorganized. This is indeed a disgrace to the historians of the Southern Dynasties, lacking the talent of Qian and Gu (referring to Ban Gu and Sima Qian), just a waste of ink, with nothing to be gained.
Yuan Chong was famous in the Jiangnan region when he was young because of his cleverness. He later joined the Sui Dynasty and claimed to be proficient in astronomy and astrology. Both of them flattered the powerful and tried their best to climb up. Wang Shao fabricated auspicious signs, mixed with some rumors of demons and monsters; Yuan Chong tampered with the results of astrological divination, deliberately exaggerating the length of solar eclipses. They seriously distorted the natural order, disrupted social order, and insulted the public. Such crimes should be severely punished! Moreover, Wang Shao came from a prominent family in the Hebei region, and Yuan Chong was also from a prominent family in Jiangnan. They resorted to all means for riches and honor, strayed from the right path, and tarnished their family's reputation, which is truly a pity!
