In the "Five Elements Classic," it is said: "Disregarding the law, oppressing the loyal, murdering the crown prince, and elevating a concubine to wife, this is fire not burning upwards." This means that when fire loses its proper nature, it becomes a disaster. The book also states: "Not being able to see the situation clearly is unwise. Its sins will spread, its punishment will be continuous heat, and when it reaches its extreme, plants will become spiritual, insects will cause trouble, flocks of sheep will riot, and red disasters and auspicious signs will appear; only water can restrain fire." Liu Xin explains in his "Transmission" that the "luo" insect is a term for winged insects.
During the Jianwu period, the Yuyang Prefect Peng Chong was summoned by the court. The very next day after the imperial edict was issued, a massive fire broke out in Lu County, the fire spread from within the city to the outside, destroying thousands of homes and resulting in numerous casualties. Jing Fang said in the "Commentary on the Book of Changes": "If extravagance is above and lack of restraint is below, a great fire will occur and burn down the palace." Confucian scholars believe that fire embodies brightness and governs propriety. At that time, Peng Chong had conflicts with the Governor of Youzhou, Zhu Fu, suspecting that Zhu Fu was slandering him behind his back. As a result, he hesitated despite his wife's advice against going, but he ultimately rebelled against Zhu Fu and was eventually defeated.
On the Ding Si day of the twelfth month in the eighth year of Emperor He's Yongyuan reign, the Xuan Room Palace in Nangong was engulfed in flames. At that time, Emperor He resided in the Beigong, while Empress Dowager Dou was in the Nangong. The following year, Empress Dowager Dou passed away.
On the Ji Hai day of the eighth month in the thirteenth year of the Yongyuan reign, the Shengxian Gate Pavilion in the Beigong was engulfed in flames. At that time, Emperor He was with Lady Dou; Empress Yin was out of favor and resented, and the Emperor was also considering her deposition. The following year, Empress Yin was found engaging in superstitious activities, so she was deposed and moved to the Tong Palace, where she succumbed to despair. Lady Dou was made Empress.
On the Xin You day of the sixth month in the fifteenth year of the Yongyuan reign, the South Gate of Chenggu in Hanzhong City caught fire. This was an omen of Emperor Xiao He's impending death. Two years later, the Emperor passed away, the Crown Prince and Prince Pingyuan both died prematurely, and the line of Emperor He was cut off.
In April of the second year of Yongchu, a huge fire broke out in the city of Ayang in Hanyang, resulting in the deaths of 3,570 people. What a terrible disaster! Earlier, the emperor died, leaving behind two imperial princes, with Prince Liu Sheng being older. Empress Dowager Deng, however, favored the younger prince, hoping to raise him and then make him emperor. As a result, in the first year of Yanping, the younger prince died as well. Liu Sheng was in poor health, but the ministers wanted to make him emperor; however, the Empress Dowager had not supported him before, and in the end, Prince Qinghe was made emperor, known as Emperor An. Sikong Zhou Zhang and others were discontented, plotted to kill the Deng clan, depose the Empress Dowager and Emperor An, and install Liu Sheng. However, the plan was exposed in November of the first year, and Zhou Zhang and others were all executed. Later, there was a rebellion by the Qiang people in Liangzhou, causing widespread chaos. The administrative offices of several counties in Liangzhou relocated to the Fengyi and Fufeng areas for safety. Later, the Empress Dowager died, and the Deng clan was also exterminated.
In the third month of the fourth year, the garden in Duling caught fire again. In the second month of the fourth year of Yuanchu, Wuku also caught fire. At that time, there was a rebellion by the Qiang people, with burning, killing, and looting everywhere. The court mobilized the national forces to suppress it, but after more than a decade of fighting, it was not over. The people of the whole country were suffering, and the common people were weary of the ongoing conflict. In the eighth month of the first year of Yangguang, the garden palace at Yangling also caught fire. These fires all occurred in the mausoleum of the late emperor, which was believed to be a sign that the crown prince was to be deposed. If the crown prince had not voluntarily given up his position, these fires would not have reached the late emperor's mausoleum. Sure enough, the following year, the emperor, swayed by slander, deposed the crown prince, making him the King of Jiyin. Two years later, the emperor died. The Chief of the Central Yellow Gate, Sun Cheng, and nineteen others launched a coup, executed the traitors, and installed the King of Jiyin.
In the fourth year of the seventh month, the Yuyang City gate tower caught fire. In the third year of the Yongjian reign of Emperor Shun, the Maoling imperial tomb also experienced a disaster in the seventh month. In the first year of the Yangjia reign, the main hall of the Gongling tomb and the Mo residence, both east and west, also caught fire. Grand Commandant Li Gu believed this was due to excessive extravagance. When the tombs were just completed, disaster befell the remains; the scale was overly grand, and the decorations were excessively luxurious. The emperor also planned to build new palaces and expand the imperial observatory, which led to the fire spreading to the Mo residence, destroying a significant amount of wood. In the first year of Yonghe, Chengfu Hall caught fire again in October. Before this, the emperor had conferred the title of Lord of Shanyang upon Song E; her husband Liang Shang was originally a marquis, and the emperor granted him a lot of land. Liang Shang's eldest son Ji should have inherited his father's title, but because Liang Shang was still alive, the emperor also appointed Ji as the Marquis of Xiangyi; Liang Shang's stepmother was also posthumously appointed as the Lady of Kaifeng; these titles were excessively extravagant and against proper etiquette. On Jia Wu day in the third month of the first year of Han'an, 197 households in Luoyang City were burned in a big fire; it was truly tragic! Four years later, the emperor passed away in succession, until the first year of Jianhe, when the imperial throne finally settled. In the second year of Jianhe, in May, Deyang Hall in the Beigong Yeting caught fire; even the left palace gate caught fire. Before this, Liang Ji, the nefarious brother of Empress Liang, had committed numerous misdeeds. The upright Grand Commandant Li Gu and Du Qiao were afraid of being implicated by him, so someone falsely accused Li Gu and Du Qiao, resulting in their execution. Later, Empress Liang also died, and the Liang family was exterminated, which can be seen as retribution.
In the fourth year of the Yanxi era, in the first month of the year of Xinyou, the Hall of Great Virtue in the Nangong Palace caught fire. On the Wuzi day, the Bingshu caught fire again. In the second month of the year of Renchen, the Armory also caught fire. In the fifth month of the year of Dingmao, the Changshou Gate in Yuanling also burned. Previously, Empress Bo Shi was favored by the Emperor and was appointed as a noble lady, later becoming the Empress. The Emperor also appointed the Empress's mother as the Chang'an Jun and rewarded the Empress's brothers, showing her great favor and rewarding many others who had little merit. In the spring of last year, Li Yun of the White Horse Order was killed for speaking out. Are these successive fires related to these events? After a comet passed through the Heart and Tail constellations, fires began to break out one after another.
In the fifth year of the Yanxi era, in the first month of the year of Renwu, the Bingshu in the Nangong caught fire again. In the fourth month of the year of Yichou, the East Que in Gongbeiling caught fire. On the day of Wuchen, the Huben Yamen caught fire. In May, the royal tombs in Kangling caught fire. In the month of Jiaxun, the Chengluo Office in Zhongcangfu caught fire. In July, the Shengshan Ta Nei in the Nangong caught fire.
In the sixth year of the Yanxi era, in the fourth month of the year of Xinhai, the East Shu in Kangling caught fire. In July of the year of Jiashen, the royal tombs in Pingling caught fire.
In the eighth year of the Yanxi era, in the second month of the year of Jiyou, the Jiade Shu, Huanglong Hall, and Qianqiu Wansui Hall in the Nangong all caught fire! In the fourth month of the year of Jiayin, the royal tombs in Anling caught fire. In the intercalary month, the Hall of Eternal Autumn and Hehuan Hall in the Nangong, as well as the Hougoudun and Yeting Shuoping Office, all caught fire. In the eleventh month of the year of Renzi, the West Pavilion of Deyang and the Northern Temple of Huangmen both caught fire, and people were burned to death.
In the ninth year of the Yanxi era, in the third month of the year of Guisi, fires erupted all over the capital at night, sending the common people into a panic.
In the fourth year of the Lingdi era, in the fifth month, Yanling Garden also suffered a disaster and caught fire.
In the fourth year of the Guanghe era, in the intercalary month of Xinyou, the Yongxiang Office in the Eastern Courtyard of the Northern Palace also caught fire.
In the fifth year of the Guanghe era, in the fifth month of the year of Gengshen, the residence of Empress Yongle at the Northwest entrance of the Deyang Front Hall caught fire.
In February of the year 186 AD, on a certain day, the Yuntai Palace in Nangong caught fire! The next day, the Lecheng Gate caught fire as well, and the fire spread to the Beique, burning all the way to the Jiade and Hehuan Palaces. It is said that the fire in the Yuntai Palace started from the top, as hundreds of beams ignited simultaneously, burning as quickly as if countless candles had been lit. It's worth noting that the Yuntai Palace was established during the Zhou Dynasty, containing a large number of books, classics, treasures, and exotic artifacts! Jing Fang noted in the "Yi Zhuan": "If the monarch does not think about cultivating virtue, there will be demon fire burning the palace." At this time, the Yellow Turban Rebellion was raging, and the world was thrown into chaos, with the seven states and twenty-eight counties rebelling at the same time. Although the court sent troops to suppress the unrest and arrested many people, places like Wancheng, Guangzong, and Quyang had not been pacified yet, recruiting soldiers everywhere, and the common people were left destitute, with more than half either dead or injured! Yet Emperor Ling showed no signs of reflection, lavishing wealth without restraint, wearing luxurious fabrics, riding fast horses, appointing corrupt officials, embezzling, and corrupting, favoring those treacherous villains, and even granting them titles and positions. At that time, the common people would whisper: "This is the era of the hegemony of the princes!" This serves as a warning from the heavens: if you only favor treacherous villains and do not value talented individuals, what good are the old rules and regulations to you now? That's why your palaces and libraries were burned! Three years later, Emperor Ling died violently, followed by the rebellion of Dong Zhuo, and that fire burned for three days and nights, turning the entire capital into ruins! In August 190 AD, Bajiao also caught fire. Three years later, Dong Zhuo was killed. The "Book of Han" states that a warm winter is a sign of impending significant change in the world. After the revival of the Han Dynasty, there were also cases of warm winters, but they were not recorded.
In the year 118 AD, an unusual melon appeared, with eight melons connected on one stem. People at the time believed this to be an auspicious sign. However, some believed that the melon represented a departure from its original root, symbolizing a woman marrying into a new family. At that time, Empress Yan had just been crowned, and she, along with her relatives, falsely accused the crown prince and deposed him as the Prince of Jiyin, replacing him with Prince Liu Du as the new crown prince. Truly, the plants had come to life!
In the year 168 AD, the leaves of the bamboo and cypress trees in Luoyang City withered. Soothsayers declared, "This is a sign of disaster for the emperor!"
During the third year of Emperor Ling's reign in Xi Ping, there were two chestnut trees in the imperial palace that were only four feet tall. One of the trees suddenly grew overnight to over ten feet tall, with a trunk thick enough to be wrapped around six or seven times, and it took on a foreign appearance, complete with head, eyes, hair, and beard. Jing Fang once said in the "Yi Zhuan": "If the virtue of the emperor declines, the common people will rise up in rebellion, and trees will grow into human forms." This foreshadowed impending trouble.
On a day in the tenth month of the fifth year, the locust trees behind the palace in the imperial palace suddenly uprooted themselves and stood upside down, with their roots facing upwards. This was a strange event that caused panic.
In the summer of the first year of Zhong Ping, peculiar grass grew in Dong and Chenliu counties, Jiyang, and Changhuan, as well as in Yuanju and Lihuxian counties in Jiyin. The grass stems were twisted and swollen, as thick as human fingers, taking the shapes of doves, sparrows, dragons, snakes, birds, and beasts, with various colors and complete features. This was truly strange grass! That year, the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in China. The Empress's brother He Jin and her half-brother Zhu Miao both became generals and led the army. Later, Zhu Miao was appointed as the Marquis of Jiyin, and He Jin and Zhu Miao consolidated power and took control of court affairs, marking the beginning of the Han Dynasty's decline, all starting from here.
During the Zhongping era, approximately six or seven li northwest of Chang'an, in a desolate forest, faces and even sideburns grew out, which was truly unsettling.
In September of the first year of Emperor Xian's Xingping reign, mulberries unexpectedly appeared on the mulberry trees, and they were edible. Perhaps this was a small consolation from the heavens for the people.
In February, on the Wuzi day of the third year of Emperor An's reign, a large, colorful bird landed on the Jinan platform, and in October, it flew to Xinfeng. At that time, people all believed it was a phoenix. Some said the phoenix was a symbol of positive energy, so it would only appear when a wise ruler was in power. But in reality, many colorful large birds resembling phoenixes were actually the work of feather insects. At that time, Emperor An believed the slander of the eunuchs Fan Feng, Jiang Jing, Wang Sheng, and the relative Geng Bao, and dismissed the Grand Commandant Yang Zhen, deposed the Crown Prince, and established him as the King of Jiyin, which was utterly absurd! In the later years of Emperor Zhang, it was said that the phoenix appeared 149 times. At that time, the honest official He Chang believed it was the work of feather insects that resembled phoenixes flying on the palace roof, but no one took notice. Later, after Emperor Zhang's death, people came to see it as a prophecy. According to historical records, during the reigns of Emperor Xuan and Emperor Ming, flocks of colorful birds flew on the palace roof, and Jia Kui believed it was a sign of surrender by the Hu people. Both emperors did many good deeds, and even if there were mistakes, it did not lead to decline. In the later years, 200,000 Hu people surrendered, which was exactly as predicted. During Emperor An's reign, the Qiang and Hu tribes rebelled, and corrupt officials were in power, which was precisely when feather insects were causing chaos. In the "Music and Leaf Illustration," it is stated that all five phoenixes are colorful, with only one being auspicious and the other four representing disaster.
In November of the year 147 AD, a large, colorful bird appeared near the Ji family in Jiyin County, and everyone at that time believed it was a phoenix. At that time, political corruption was rampant, Liang Ji controlled the court, and the emperor was indulging in pleasures of the harem, truly a time of chaos!
In the autumn of 168 AD, a large, colorful bird appeared in the new city, leading many birds to follow it in flight, causing everyone to believe it was a phoenix. At that time, Emperor Ling paid no attention to state affairs, and the eunuchs and court officials in the palace wielded all the power, resulting in chaos! Birds are naturally drawn to unusual sights and love to join in the fun; even the rarely seen small birds followed along to see.
In mid-August of 186 AD, tens of thousands of crows appeared on Huailing Mountain. They first let out a mournful cry, then started pecking and fighting each other, resulting in injuries and deaths, with their heads left hanging from tree branches and thorns. By 189 AD, Emperor Ling died, and the Grand General He Jin wanted to eliminate the favored eunuchs and reform the court, but the Empress Dowager hesitated, and the matter lingered unresolved. He Jin was eventually killed in the palace, and then the court officials began to purge those who relied on eunuchs for power and wealth, leaving no one unscathed. Huailing, with its high terrain, symbolizes power. It seems like the heavens are warning: those who rely on power and wealth will ultimately turn against each other and face destruction!
In July of 158 AD, a strange rain fell in the northern region, with chunks of flesh resembling lamb ribs mixed in the downpour, some as large as a palm. This was seen as an ominous sign! At that time, Empress Dowager Liang ruled the court, while her brother Liang Ji wielded all the power and falsely accused and executed the loyal officials of the Han Dynasty, Commandant Li Gu and Du Qiao, sparking outrage among the populace. Eventually, the Liang family also met their demise.
