The I Ching says: "Heaven reveals various signs, and the sages follow its example. When Fu Xi was in power, he observed the celestial phenomena above and the land below." Observing celestial phenomena refers to the sun, moon, and stars; observing the layout of mountains, rivers, and streams. What happens on earth is mirrored in the sky. Therefore, the North Star is the focal point of the heavens, radiating brilliance, ruling over everything, governing the cosmic order, and leading all the stars. The Three Enclosures, the Nine Columns of Stars, and the Twenty-Seven Major Stars, as well as the Eighty-One Minor Stars, the Dipper, the Balance, and the Great Chariot, among others, all have their designated positions. These correspond to the twelve earthly branches. The positions of heaven and earth are meticulously arranged, and the celestial phenomena are fully established.
In the era of the Three Sovereigns, the social atmosphere was simple and pure, with people living in harmony with nature, like the stars aligning in the sky, with the sun and moon shining together. Everything happened naturally, and the people lived without breaking the law or causing chaos. With the advent of written records, the period of the Five Emperors began. The Yellow Emperor received inspiration from the River Map and Luo Shu, deducing the laws of the movements of the sun, moon, and stars; thus, the recording of celestial positions began with the Yellow Emperor. During the reign of Gao Yang, the Southern Zhenglai was established to oversee astronomy, and the Northern Zhenglai was established to oversee geography.
The officials in charge of astronomy included:
- During the Xia Dynasty: Kunwu
- During the Shang Dynasty: Wuxian
- During the Zhou Dynasty: Shi Yi and Chang Hong
- During the Song Dynasty: Zi Wei
- During the Chu State: Tang Mei
- During the Lu State: Zi Shen
- During the Zheng State: Bi Zao
- During the Wei State: Shi Shenfu
- During the Qi State: Gan Gong
They observed celestial phenomena and examined geography to assist rulers in governing the country; they carefully observed subtle changes and discerned the mysteries within; they investigated the roots of fortune and misfortune, predicting trends of success and failure. Qin Shi Huang deceived the people by burning all the classic texts to ashes, and only the records of celestial positions were spared. Therefore, The Records of Qin indicate that during the time of Qin Shi Huang, a comet passed near Dajiao Star, causing it to dim, and there was a conflict between a large star and a small star in the palace, which were seen as omens of the Qin Dynasty's downfall.
During the rise of the Han Dynasty, during the reigns of Emperor Jing and Emperor Wu, Sima Tan and his son Sima Qian inherited the family legacy of managing the astronomical historians, with Sima Qian serving as the Grand Astrologer. Sima Qian wrote the "Records of the Grand Historian," which included the "Book of Heavenly Officials." During the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, Liu Xiang, the Colonel of the Central Garrison, supplemented the chapters on disasters and anomalies in the "Hongfan," writing a discourse titled "Five Calendar Emperors" to analyze past historical events. Emperor Xiaoming of Han had Ban Gu write the "Book of Han," and Ma Xu further supplemented the "Astronomical Records." I am currently writing a sequel to the "Astronomical Records of the Book of Han," covering the period from the first year of Wang Mang's usurpation to the twenty-fifth year of Emperor Xian, totaling 215 years. The book records the changes in the stars and their corresponding phenomena during this time, to clarify the will of heaven and illustrate the actions of the emperors.
In the eleventh month of the year 6 AD, a comet appeared in the sky near Zhang Su, moving southeast for five days before disappearing. This comet, believed to be generated by evil qi, foretold impending warfare, which is why it was called the "Beixing" comet. The character "Bei" itself represents disaster and obstacles. Some refer to it as a comet, claiming it has the power to cleanse impurities and herald renewal. This "Zhang" Su was a region of the Zhou Dynasty. The comet appeared in Zhang Su, then moved southeast (to Yi Su and Zhi Su), which were regions of the Chu State. Therefore, it was predicted that warfare would occur in the territories of the Zhou Dynasty and Chu State.
In the first month of the following year, Liu Xiu (Emperor Guangwu) launched a rebellion in Chongling. At this time, bandits Zhang Yang and Wang Chang from Jiangxia and Xinshi regions, along with the army of Emperor Gengshi, also arrived. Together, they captured Nanyang, killing Wang Mang's former generals Zhen Fu and Liang Qiu, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties. Emperor Gengshi declared himself emperor, establishing his capital in Luoyang, then advancing west to Chang'an, where he was defeated and killed. Meanwhile, Liu Xiu expanded his power in Hebei and eventually established his capital in Luoyang too. Luoyang was precisely in the region of the Zhou Dynasty, just as the comet had predicted "cleansing impurities and heralding renewal."
In June 23 AD during the reign of Emperor Guangwu of Han, the Han army set out from Nanyang and arrived at Kunyang. Wang Mang dispatched the Minister Over the Masses Wang Xun and the Minister of Works Wang Yi to lead the armies from various counties, claiming to have a force of a million, but only 420,000 actually showed up; there were 63 families of military strategists who served as generals, armed with their maps and weapons. This army set out from the east, even bringing along elephants, tigers, wolves, and other fierce beasts, releasing them on the road to demonstrate their might and intimidate the people of Shandong. Upon reaching Kunyang Mountain, they set up over a hundred camps, surrounding Kunyang City, some using battering rams to strike the walls, some building cloud ladders as high as ten zhang to overlook the city, crossbow bolts raining down on the city, forcing the residents to carry water in buckets. The residents of the city requested to surrender, but their pleas were ignored; they requested to leave the city, but were not allowed. Wang Xun and Wang Yi's armies believed they would surely win, so they did not pay attention to military deployment or discuss battle plans. The signs of Wang Mang's impending failure were already evident. During the day, cloud formations resembling a collapsing mountain descended upon the army, frightening the soldiers, a phenomenon known as the "camp head star." Diviners said: "Where the clouds fall, the army below will be defeated, blood flowing for miles."
At this time, Emperor Guangwu led thousands of men to rescue Kunyang, launching a fierce attack on Wang Xun and Wang Yi's armies. The two sides engaged in battle, the sounds of battle echoing through the heavens, even the tigers and leopards were terrified and fled. Just then, a strong wind blew up, sand and stones flying, tiles flying everywhere, and heavy rain pouring down. Wang Xun and Wang Yi's armies fell into chaos, killing each other, with tens of thousands dying on the spot. They scrambled to escape to the Zhi River, the dead piled up like mountains, clogging the river. Minister Over the Masses Wang Xun was slain. The army scattered and retreated to their respective counties. Wang Yi fled back to Chang'an, and after Wang Mang's defeat, both were executed. The appearance of the "camp head star" fulfilled the prophecy of the army's defeat and blood flowing for miles.
In the autumn of the fourth year, the brilliance of the planet Tai Bai soared through the clouds, illuminating the earth as brightly as moonlight. The planet Tai Bai can be likened to a rebel army, while the planet Tai Wei represents the imperial court. Tai Bai triumphed and moved towards the north, in the direction of Tai Wei, indicating that the rebel army was about to attack the imperial palace.
At that time, Wang Mang sent two generals to Kunyang, but they were defeated by the Han forces led by Emperor Guangwu. Wang Mang then appointed nine generals, giving their troops names that included the character "虎" (tiger), and called them the "Nine Tiger Generals." These Nine Tiger Generals arrived in Huayin, where they were defeated by Han generals Deng Ye and Li Song. General Cang Han had already reached the Changmen gate of the capital in the attack on the capital. On the Wushen day in October, the Han army broke into Chang'an through the Xuanping gate. Two days later, on the day of Yixu, the young men in the city, including Zhu Di and Zhang Yu, took the lead in a rebellion, attacking Wang Mang. They set fire to the Asu gate (作室门) and broke the Jingfa gate (敬法闼). The merchant Du Wu killed Wang Mang on the Jietai platform, and the officer Gong Bin cut off Wang Mang's head. The main force rushed into the imperial palace, leaving traces of trampling everywhere.
Subsequently, Emperor Gengshi entered Chang'an, and the Red Eyebrow Army declared Liu Penzi as emperor. These were all signs of the rebel forces entering the imperial palace, just as predicted by the earlier appearance of Tai Bai.
In the ninth year of Emperor Guangwu's reign, on the day of Yichou in the seventh month, the planet Venus conjured omens for the Xuan Yuan star; in the eleventh month of Yichou, Venus conjured omens for the Xuan Yuan star again. The Xuan Yuan star refers to the officials in the imperial harem, with the star representing the empress. The omens conjured by Venus indicated that the empress would lose her favor. Indeed, Empress Guo had been neglected and later deposed as the Empress Dowager of Zhongshan, while Lady Yin was appointed as the empress, which accurately fulfilled the celestial omen!
In the year 23 AD, on the evening of the Gengmao day in March, a meteor appeared in the sky, as large as the moon. It flew from the Palace of Taiwei to the sixth star of the Big Dipper constellation. The meteor was white, with more than ten small meteors following it. When it vanished, it produced a sound like thunder and lasted roughly the time it takes to have a meal. According to ancient beliefs, meteors symbolize envoys dispatched by the court, with larger meteors indicating higher official positions. The Kuixing star of the Big Dipper symbolizes warfare. The meteor flying from the Palace of Taiwei to Kuixing indicates that the emperor is set to dispatch a great general for a large-scale military campaign.
Next, on the Jihai day in December of the same year, an even larger meteor appeared, as big as a large water tank. It traveled from the southwest of Liuxiu to Zhensiu before vanishing. When it vanished, it broke apart into over ten small points of light, resembling burning flames, and, after a moment, it emitted a faint sound reminiscent of thunder. Liuxiu corresponds to the territory of Zhou, while Zhensiu corresponds to the territories of Qin and Shu. This large meteor traveling from Liuxiu to Zhensiu signifies that the court's great generals will set out from the Zhou territory to engage in battle in the Shu territory.
At that time, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu sent General Wu Han with thirty thousand troops from Nanyang to sail upriver to confront Gongsun Shu, the White Emperor, in Shu. He also ordered Generals Ma Wu, Liu Shang, Guo Ba, Cen Peng, and Feng Jun to launch attacks on Wudu and Bajun, respectively. In October of the year 25 AD, the Han army attacked Gongsun Shu's brother Wei Yong, advancing all the way to Guangdu, killing Gongsun Shu's son-in-law Shi Xing. General Feng Jun seized Jiangzhou and executed Gongsun Shu's general Tian Rong. Wu Han also defeated Gongsun Shu's Grand General Xie Feng, beheading over five thousand soldiers. Zang Gong breached Fucheng and killed Gongsun Shu's brother, the Grand Minister Hui. On the day of the eleventh month, the Han army's Guard General Gao Wu assassinated Gongsun Shu, who perished that very night. The next day, the Han army captured Chengdu, executed Gongsun Shu's generals, including Gongsun Huang and Yancen, killing tens of thousands of Shu soldiers, and annihilated Gongsun Shu's family members, totaling over ten thousand individuals. This fully realized the omen foretold by the meteor's appearance! Those small meteors flying together with the big meteor, as well as the small light spots that split off from the big meteor, symbolize the junior generals following the commander. Those faint, thunder-like sounds signify the soldiers' anger and readiness for battle.
In the year 23 AD, in January, there were many meteors, over a hundred, some in the northwest, some in the due north, some in the northeast, which lasted for two days before fading away. In June, there were many meteors again, over a hundred, flying across the sky. These meteors, like common people running around everywhere, signaled a migration of the common people. The meteors in the northwest, northeast, and across the sky were all signs of the common people fleeing for their lives. At that time, the court was engaged in battles against Gongsun Shu in the northwest and Lu Fang in the north. The Xiongnu supported Lu Fang's invasion of the border, and the Han Dynasty sent generals Ma Wu, Qiduwei Liu Na, and Yan Xing to Quyang, Linping, and Hutuo to guard against the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu reached Hedong, the country was in turmoil, food prices skyrocketed, and many common people fled. Three years later, Wu Han and Ma Wu relocated over 60,000 civilians from Yanmen, Daijun, Shanggu, and Guanxi to the east of Changshan Pass and Juyong Pass to avoid Xiongnu aggression. Isn't this a clear sign of the people's migration?
In the 26th year of the reign, in January, a comet was sighted near the Pleiades, slowly moving northwest and entering the imperial palace, even crashing into the detached palace, disappearing only in Dongbi in March, appearing for a total of forty-nine days. The appearance of a comet signifies war and the purging of corruption, with the Pleiades symbolizing the troops stationed at the border, the comet's appearance heralding the arrival of an army. In November, Dingxiang Commandant Yin Cheng rebelled, and the prefect had him executed. Lu Fang fled to Gaoliu with the Xiongnu and did not surrender until October of the following year, relinquishing his seal and jade stamp. Another interpretation is that the Pleiades symbolizes matters related to prisons. At that time, Grand Minister Ouyang She was imprisoned for over a year before dying. The camp refers to the emperor's palace, and the detached palace is the empress's residence. The comet entering the camp and crashing into the detached palace indicates a purge within the court. At that time, Empress Guo had already lost favor and was demoted to Empress Dowager of Zhongshan in October of the 28th year, and Lady Yin was elevated to empress. Isn't this a clear sign of a court purge?
In the 47th year of the Common Era (AD 47), in the intercalary month, which fell in April, Mercury appeared at 20 degrees east of the Eastern Well, emitting white vapor and pointing southeast. It appeared like a flame, five feet long, and transformed into a comet, moving northeast until it stopped at the edge of the Purple Palace. It disappeared in May after being visible for a total of thirty-one days. Mercury usually appears at the Eastern Well during the summer solstice, but it appeared before the summer solstice, which indicates an early arrival. Mercury's appearance signifies a great flood. In May of that year and the following year, many regions faced severe flooding, city walls crumbled, crops were ruined, and countless lives were lost. The white vapor is a symbol of funerals, and the transformation of the flame into a comet signifies the cleansing of impurities. The comet reaching the edge of the Purple Palace also signifies the purification of the court. Three years later, Emperor Guangwu died.
On a specific day in the seventh month of the 23rd year (AD 23), Mars moved near the Yu Gui constellation and then entered the Gui constellation, shifting half a degree south. On the Jihai day in October, Mars also transgressed the Xuan Yuan star. Simultaneously, a guest star emerged near the Big Dipper, with a brightness of approximately two feet, moving from the southwest until it disappeared on the twenty-second day of the second month of the following year (AD 24), at a distance of six feet northeast of the Yu Gui star, being visible for a total of 113 days. The ancients believed Mars to be a harbinger of disaster, and Yu Gui and Shi stars signify death; Mars's entry into these constellations is a portent of great calamity. The Xuan Yuan star represents the harem, and the Big Dipper represents the territory of the Zhou dynasty. The emergence of the guest star also portends death. Two years later, Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, died.
This passage talks about ancient celestial observations. In modern terms, this can be summarized as follows: one day in July of that year, Mars moved close to the star Yuguixing, entered the Ghost Constellation, and shifted a bit further south. In October, Mars moved to the star Xuanyuan. What's even more bizarre is that a new star appeared near the Big Dipper, shining brightly and moving slowly from the southwest until it disappeared in February of the following year, shining for a total of 113 days. The ancients believed this was extraordinary, as Mars represented disaster, Yuguixing and Shixiang represented death. With Mars moving there, it was seen as a sign that someone would die! Xuanyuan represented the imperial palace, the Big Dipper represented the country, and the appearance of the new star was even more ominous, indicating more deaths. Sure enough, two years later, Emperor Guangwu died.
On the 8th day of the 8th month in the 25th year of the Chinese calendar, Mars invaded the southwest corner star of the Taiwei constellation, with just a two-inch distance between them. On the 10th day of October, a massive meteor streaked across the sky with a deafening roar, sounding like thunder. The ancients believed that Mars invading the southwest corner star of Taiwei foretold trouble for the officials, while the massive meteor represented an envoy. Subsequently, the Grand Commandant Zhao Xi and the Minister of Works Li Yi were dismissed from their positions, while the General Dou Gu, Marquis Yangxu Ma Wu, and Marquis Yangxiang Wang Shang led their troops into battle in the west.
This passage describes another celestial observation from the same year (25 AD), which can be summed up as: one day in August, Mars moved near the southwest corner star of Taiwei, quite close. In October, a massive meteor streaked across the sky with a deafening roar! The ancients believed that Mars moving there meant trouble for officials, while the meteor represented envoys. As expected, two high-ranking officials in the court, Zhao Xi and Li Yi, were dismissed; meanwhile, the three generals Dou Gu, Ma Wu, and Wang Shang were leading their troops into battle in the west.
