In the "Five Elements Transmission," it is said: "If the emperor cannot achieve moderation and peace, then the political authority has not been properly established. This will lead to darkness and obscurity, suffering from prolonged dark retributions. At the extreme, incidents of monster-slaying will occur, or the emergence of dragons and serpents wreaking havoc, or disasters caused by horses injuring people, or subordinate officials rising against their superiors, or even unusual movements of the sun and moon, and retrograde motions of the stars." Here, 'emperor' refers to the sovereign; 'extreme' signifies the doctrine of moderation; and 'mo' indicates darkness and obscurity. The book also explains: "This is the meaning of the disaster sent down by heaven. It does not directly say 'disaster sent down by heaven' because this is a term of respect for the supreme. In the 'Spring and Autumn Annals,' it is recorded as 'the king's army's defeat,' using a self-deprecating tone to write about one's own failures." "Constant Yin" refers to a phenomenon that has not been recorded since the rise of the dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, in the Guanghe period, there was a man in Luoyang who shot the northern gate (palace gate) with a bow and arrow at night. Officials arrested and interrogated him, and he defended himself, saying: "I am destitute and unable to survive, so I bought a bow and arrow to shoot." This case closely resembles the incidents of monster-slaying. Later, the General of Chariots and Cavalry, He Miao, and his brother, the Grand General He Jin, distrusted each other amidst their power struggles, attacked each other, and fought at the palace gate. He Miao was defeated and killed, and thousands of people died. The buildings in the Luoyang palace were completely destroyed by fire. In the third year of the Yongguang reign of Emperor An of the Han Dynasty, reports from Jinan claimed that a yellow dragon had been sighted in Licheng, and in Langya it was said that a yellow dragon appeared in various counties. At that time, Emperor An listened to slander and dismissed the Grand Commandant Yang Zhen, who subsequently took his own life. Emperor An had only one son, who was originally made crown prince, but later he was deposed due to listening to slander. This inability of the emperor to achieve moderation and peace resulted in the emergence of dragon-related disasters. At that time, there were many flatterers in the court, thus, these calamities were interpreted as omens of good fortune. In the first month of the following year, reports from Dongjun indicated that two yellow dragons had appeared in Puyang.
During the seventh year of the Yanxi reign of Emperor Huan of Han, in the sixth month on the day of Renzi, a dead dragon over several dozen zhang long was found on Yewang Mountain in Henan Commandery. Xiang Kai believed that dragons were auspicious signs for emperors, as stated in the Book of Changes. During the Tianfeng reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, a dead dragon was also found at Huangshan Palace. Later, the Han army defeated Wang Mang, and Emperor Guangwu of Han revived the Han Dynasty, all of which were signs of dynastic change. It wasn't until the twenty-fifth year of Jian'an that Emperor Wen of Wei replaced the Han Dynasty.
In the first year of Yongkang, in the eighth month, someone in Ba Commandery claimed to have seen a yellow dragon. At that time, an official named Fu Jian believed it was merely a rumor among the common folk and advised against reporting it. However, the governor disagreed and explained that the commoners were joking about finding a yellow dragon in a pond with muddy water due to the hot weather, and thus the rumor began to spread. The official recorded this in the emperor's annals. Emperor Huan, during his corrupt reign, had a particular fondness for such superstitious tales.
In the first month of the first year of Xiping, a green snake appeared on the throne in the imperial palace. At that time, Emperor Ling had ceded power to the eunuchs, which significantly weakened the imperial family's influence.
In the second month of the second year of Gengshi, starting from Luoyang and heading towards Chang'an, the official Li Song led the way, but the chariot crashed into the iron gate of the Beigong, which resulted in the deaths of three horses. This was a tragic accident! At that time, Emperor Gengshi had lost the support of the people and was nearing his end.
In the fourth month of the fifth year of Yanxi, startled horses and a rampaging elephant stormed into the palace. This was another tragic accident! By that time, Emperor Huan's rule was in serious decline.
In the first year of the Guanghe reign of Emperor Ling, the horse of the Minister of State, Feng Xun, gave birth to a "strange creature." The "Yi Zhuan" by Jing Fang says: "When the emperor is about to die and the feudal lords are fighting each other, strange things like horses giving birth to humans will happen." Later, Feng Xun was transferred to Ganling as a minister, and just as the Yellow Turban Rebellion began, he died at the hands of the rebels, and the country faced enemies on all sides. Subsequently, various counties across the east rose up in arms, attacking each other, and the emperor moved westward, leading to the complete collapse of the imperial court's rule. This omen was exactly as Jing Fang had predicted.
During the Guanghe period, near the West Bridge in Luoyang, a family's horse went mad and ran wildly, biting and killing people. At that time, there were frequent killings of officials and guards at court.
In the eleventh month of the first year of the Yongchu era of Emperor An, the common people fled in terror, abandoning their belongings and leaving their homes.
In the spring of the third year of the Jianning era of Emperor Ling, there were cases of wives eating their husbands and husbands eating their wives in Henan.
In the sixth month of the second year of the Xiping era, rumors circulated among the people of Luoyang that there was a yellow-skinned man in the east wall of the Huben Temple who looked like a human. Tens of thousands of people went to see, causing chaos as people from the palace also rushed out, resulting in blocked roads. By the second month of the first year of the Zhongping era, the Zhang brothers rose up in arms in Jizhou, proclaiming themselves as the Yellow Sky with an army of three hundred sixty thousand men, launching attacks from all sides, with generals spread across various regions, and officials and soldiers flocking to them. Weary from battle, the imperial army was ultimately defeated.
In the first year of Guanghe, on the day of Renwu in May, a man dressed in white wanted to enter Deyang Gate, shouting, "I am Liang Boxia, sent by the Emperor to claim the throne!" The palace's chief eunuch, Huan Xian, quickly summoned the gate guards to apprehend him. However, before the guards could arrive, he had already fled, leaving no trace and no one knowing his identity. Reflecting on Cai Yong's words, during Emperor Cheng's reign, there was a man named Wang Bao who entered the palace in crimson clothes, ran to the front hall, and said, "The Emperor of Heaven told me to stay here," and later Wang Mang usurped the throne of the Han Dynasty. The current situation bears some resemblance to that time, but there are also differences, such as the color of the clothes being different, and this man in white was spotted before he could enter the palace, speaking too recklessly. Comparing the past and present situations, it's likely that arrogant and cunning individuals will attempt to imitate Wang Mang and plot mischief, but they ultimately won't succeed. Later, Zhang Jue led a rebellion under the banner of "The Yellow Sky is About to Rise," which ultimately led to the downfall of the Han Dynasty.
In the second year, outside the west gate of Luoyang, a woman gave birth to a child with two heads, whose shoulders and chest were fused together, both heads facing forward. This was deemed an ill omen, so they discarded it. Since then, the court has descended into chaos, with power concentrated in the hands of private individuals and no clear distinction between ranks, which is somewhat similar to the situation of the two-headed freak. Eventually, Dong Zhuo assassinated the Empress Dowager, accused her of being unfilial, deposed the emperor, and subsequently executed him. Since the reign of Emperor Yuan of Han, the calamities facing the Han Dynasty have never been more dire.
In the fourth year, in Wei County, a man named Zhang Bo brought iron shackles to the Imperial Palace, then ascended to the palace roof, ran amok in the harem's forbidden area, and shouted loudly. The emperor ordered his arrest and interrogation, but he replied, "I have no idea what's happening either." In the first year of Zhongping, in the sixth month of Renshen, outside the west gate of Luoyang, a man named Liu Cang had a wife who gave birth to a child with two heads sharing one body.
During the reign of Emperor Ling, there was a woman surnamed Huang in Jiangxia who, while bathing, turned into a turtle and dove into the deep water, and would occasionally resurface. When she appeared, she still wore a silver hairpin.
In the early Ping years of Emperor Xian, a man surnamed Huan in Changsha died and was buried for over a month. His mother heard noises coming from the coffin, opened it, and found that he was alive! A fortune-teller predicted, "The extreme yin turns into extreme yang, and a humble person will rise to a high position." Later on, Cao Cao gradually rose from an ordinary soldier to a prominent figure.
In the fourth year of Jian'an, in February, there was a woman named Li E in Wuling Chong County, who was in her sixties. She died, and her family buried her in a cedar coffin several miles outside the city. Fourteen days later, someone passing by her grave heard noises coming from inside and informed her family. When they opened the coffin, Li E was miraculously alive!
In the seventh year, a man in Yue Xi turned into a woman. At that time, Zhou Qun reported that a similar strange event had occurred during the reign of Emperor Ai, indicating an upcoming change of dynasty. By the twenty-fifth year of Jian'an, Emperor Xian was enfeoffed in Shanyang.
During the Jian'an period, another woman gave birth to a child with two heads sharing one body.
In the year 116 AD, during the fourth month of the sixth year of Emperor An of Han, a large-scale epidemic broke out in the Kuaiji region.
A few years later, in 124 AD, during the winter of the fourth year of Emperor Yanguang of Han, the capital also faced a severe epidemic. In 147 AD, during the first month of the first year of Emperor Huan of Han, the capital experienced another epidemic, and Jiujian and Lujiang followed suit in the second month. In 151 AD, during the first month of the fourth year of Emperor Yanxi of Han, another major epidemic broke out. In 167 AD, during the third month of the fourth year of Emperor Ling of Han, another major epidemic raged. In 168 AD, during the first month of the second year of Emperor Xiping of Han, the epidemic hit again. In the spring of 178 AD, during the second year of Emperor Guanghe of Han, a major epidemic broke out. In February of 180 AD, there was another major epidemic. In January of 185 AD, during the second year of Emperor Zhongping of Han, a major epidemic occurred. In 197 AD, during the twenty-second year of Emperor Xian of Han, a major epidemic broke out.
In the year 178 AD, on the day of Dingchou in the sixth month of the first year of the Guanghe reign of Emperor Ling of Han, a strange event occurred: in the east courtyard of the North Palace Wenming Hall, a black mist suddenly appeared, the size of a carriage canopy, rolling and emitting colorful light, with a head and a body more than ten zhang long, shaped like a dragon. The emperor asked Cai Yong what this sign was, and Cai Yong replied, "This should be a Niyi (an auspicious omen that resembles a dragon). Since it has no feet or tail, it cannot be considered a dragon. The I Ching states: 'The appearance of Niyi indicates lack of virtue, only relying on appearances to please.' The Qiantan Ba says: 'The appearance of a rainbow signifies that the empress poses a threat to the emperor.' It also says: 'The colorful light illuminating the palace foretells impending war.' The Yankongtu says: 'When the emperor is besieged by war outside, his prestige is undermined within, and his ministers are disloyal, there will be unusual signs like the appearance of a Niyi.' These signs are not without basis, and the results of divination are not random." It is said that prior to this, Emperor Ling of Han appointed Lady He as the empress. Every time the empress offered sacrifices at the ancestral temple, strange occurrences would take place, hindering her ability to perform the rituals properly.
In the year 184 AD, which was the first year of the Han Zhongping era, the Yellow Turban Army launched a rebellion. Zhang Jiao and his followers established thirty-six factions, raising forces to pillage, kill, and burn. Various areas across the seven provinces of Shandong rallied to Zhang Jiao's call. The imperial court dispatched troops to quell the rebellion led by Zhang Jiao, while also appointing the two elder brothers of the Empress Dowager as generals to lead the army. That year, Emperor Ling of Han passed away, and the Empress Dowager took over the regency, while her two elder brothers held significant power. They persecuted the Empress Dowager, ultimately forcing her to take her own life. The Empress Dowager secretly allied with Dong Zhuo, the Governor of Bingzhou, to jointly eliminate the eunuchs. The eunuchs acted first, assassinating the Grand General He Jin. The two sides clashed in battle, and soldiers fought fiercely in the streets of the capital. Ultimately, both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were deposed and murdered by Grand Commandant Dong Zhuo. Chaos erupted across the land, beginning in the court and spreading nationwide. The roots of this turmoil ultimately traced back to Empress He, and all of this unfolded over the course of twenty to thirty years.
