In the fifth year of Emperor Taizong's reign, on the Renchen day of the twelfth month, a spring emerged in Pingcheng.
In the fifth year of Emperor Gaozong's reign, in the eleventh month, the spring at Yanmen Pass burst forth from the rocks.
In the first year of the reign of the former Emperor Fei, in autumn, the wells in front of the Grand Tutor's residence overflowed. Someone divined, "This is a sign of the people's migration." As a result, in the first year of Yongxi, in October, the capital was moved to Ye City.
In the fourth year of Emperor Xiaojing's reign, in July, the wells in Taizhou overflowed as well.
In the first year of Yuanxiang, in February, a previously dry well southwest of Ye City also overflowed.
The "Hongfan Lun" states: When yang energy reaches its peak, it may result in hail; when yin energy reaches its peak, it may result in sleet. This means that if yang energy is too strong and yin energy is insufficient, or if yin energy is too strong and yang energy is weak, and the two cannot harmonize, it may result in hail. This is similar to the disagreement between the opinions of the ministers and the will of the ruler.
In the fourth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, on the day of Gengwu in April, there was a heavy hailstorm in Jingzhou, causing significant damage to crops.
In the first year of the reign of Emperor Chengming, on the day of Xinyou in April, Qingzhou, Qizhou, Xuzhou, and Yanzhou experienced strong winds accompanied by hail.
On the day of Gengshen in August, heavy hail fell in various counties of Bingzhou, with hail accumulating to a foot in thickness on the ground, damaging grass, trees, and crops.
On the day of Guiwei, a heavy hailstorm fell in Dingzhou, killing people, with the largest hailstones reaching two feet in diameter.
In the first year of Emperor Shizong's reign, in June, heavy rain mixed with hail fell in Yongzhou and Qingzhou, resulting in the deaths of many roe deer.
On the day of Guiyou in May of the fourth year, heavy rain mixed with hail fell in Fenzhou.
On the day of Yisi in June, Fenzhou again experienced heavy rain mixed with hail, resulting in the deaths of grass, crops, wild chickens, and hares.
On the day of Jiaxu in July, a storm broke out, bringing heavy rain mixed with hail starting from Fenzhou, passing through Bingzhou, Xiangzhou, Sizhou, and Yanzhou, and only stopping at Xuzhou, spanning a wide area of ten miles, destroying all the grass and trees in its path.
On the day of Dingchou in the third month of the second year of Zhengshi, heavy hail fell in Qizhou and Jizhou, along with rain mixed with snow.
In the third year of Yongping, on the Gengzi day in May, there was a heavy rain mixed with hail in Guangye County, South Qin, resulting in the deaths of many birds, animals, and crops. The "Hongfan Lun" mentions: The heavy rains and snows recorded in the "Spring and Autumn" are just like ordinary rain, only particularly heavy. Rain and snow both represent yin energy; heavy snow indicates an especially intense accumulation of this energy. Some also say that heavy snow is just like heavy rain, only that it is snow because it is winter. During the reign of Emperor Shizu, in the second year of Shiguang, in October, there were several feet of heavy snow. In the eighth year of Zhenjun, in May, there was heavy snow in Beizhen, freezing both humans and animals to death. At that time, the political climate was quite harsh. In the fourth year of Taizhu, on the Jiazi day in September, there was a strong wind in the capital, along with three feet of heavy snow. In the first year of Zhengshi, on Renxu day in May, there was heavy rain mixed with heavy snow in Wuchuan Town. In the second month of the fourth year, on the Yimao day, there were storms in Sizhou and Xiangzhou, along with heavy rain mixed with heavy snow. On the Renshen day in September, there was heavy snow. In the second year of Emperor Suzong's reign, in April, there was heavy snow in Rouxuan Town. This brings to mind the words of Jing Fang in his "Yizhuan": "Raising troops to kill recklessly is called violating the law; disasters are like frost, killing the grains in summer and freezing wheat in winter; killing without questioning the reasons is called unkind, with heavy frost occurring first in summer." Alas, what this book says is indeed quite accurate. In the fifth year of Emperor Taizong's reign, in July, there was frost in Jizhou. In the first year of Emperor Shizu's reign, on the Gengchen day in July, another heavy frost struck, killing all the plants. In the sixth year of Emperor Gaozong's reign, in April, there was also frost. In the third year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, in July, there was heavy frost in Yongzhou, Shuozhou, as well as in Fohan, Tujing, Bogulü, Dunhuang, and Qiuchi Town, causing all the crops and beans to die. This year of disasters has truly been relentless!
In the fourth month of the sixth year of the Taihe era, frost fell in Yingchuan County. In the third month of the seventh year, strong winds swept through Sizhou, bringing frost that damaged the soybeans. In the fourth month of the ninth year, frost fell in Yongzhou and Qingzhou. In June, frost fell in Luozhou, Sizhou, and Xiangzhou, along with Lingqiu and Guangchang Town in Sizhou. In August of the fourteenth year, frost also fell in Fenzhou. This frost spread everywhere, causing great anxiety among the people.
On Bingzi day in the fourth month of the first year of Emperor Taizong's reign, frost fell in Shazhou, killing the grass. In June, frost fell in Jianxing County, killing the grass. In August, strong winds and heavy frost struck Yongzhou, Bingzhou, Shuozhou, Shazhou, Fenzhou, as well as Zhengping and Pingyang in Sizhou; the situation was becoming increasingly dire! In the third month of the second year, frost fell in Qizhou, killing both the mulberry trees and the wheat.
In the third month of the fourth year, frost fell in Yongzhou, killing both the mulberry trees and the wheat. On the same day, frost also fell in Qingzhou, killing both the mulberry trees and the wheat. In the fifth month of the first year of the Zhengshi era, frost fell in Wuchuan Town. In June, frost fell in Huaishuo Town. In July, frost fell in Dongqinzhou. In August, frost fell in Hezhou, killing all the crops. These years have been nothing short of catastrophic!
In the fourth month of the second year, frost fell in Qizhou. In the fifth month, frost fell in Hengzhou and Fenzhou, killing all the crops. In the seventh month, frost fell in Wenzhou and Qizhou. On the day of Yiwai, frost fell in Dunhuang. On the day of Wuxu, frost fell in Hengzhou. In the sixth month of the third year, frost fell in Anzhou. In the third month of the fourth year, Wenzhou experienced several frosts in succession. In the fourth month, frost also fell in Dunhuang. In August, frost fell again in Hezhou. On the day of Yiyou in the third month of the first year of Yongping, frost fell in Qizhou and Wenzhou. On the day of Jichou, frost fell in Bingzhou. In the fourth month, frost fell in Dunhuang. In the fourth month of the second year, frost fell in Wuzhou Town. Alas, this frost truly seems never-ending!
On an unexpected day in March 474, frost unexpectedly fell in eight states of Henan! But this is supposed to be spring!
In July of the year 477 AD, frost occurred in eleven provinces in Henan and the northern border again; the weather was really abnormal! The text "Hong Fan Lun" states: Thunder is yang, clouds are yin. A ruler can only exist if there are subjects. Thunder relies on clouds, and rulers rely on subjects; this reflects the harmony of yin and yang. If there is thunder without clouds, it means the ruler is all alone, without any subjects! In July of the year 478 AD, thunder unexpectedly sounded from the northeast, without a single cloud in the sky! In July of the following year, there was another thunderous sound coming from the northeast, resembling thunder. On a certain day in February of the year 479 AD, thunderous sounds were heard from the northeast; the sound traveled south, echoing twice before stopping. One day in October 482 AD, a sound like a large drum echoed from the north, moving towards the northwest. "Hong Fan Lun" also states: Yang energy governs for 183 days, yin energy governs for 183 days, thunder emerges from the earth for 183 days, and then returns to the earth for 183 days; this is the natural order. Therefore, if thunder behaves normally, all will be well; if thunder is abnormal, everything will suffer disasters. This is similar to a country: if the ruler is well, the country will be well; if the ruler is in trouble, the country will also suffer. Thundering when it shouldn't thunder is all abnormal phenomena. One day in October 483 AD, it rained, accompanied by thunder and lightning. One day in October 485 AD, there was thunder. On another day in the same year in November, there was thunder again. One day in November 488 AD, there was thunder and rain in Yuzhou. On another day in the same month, there was a huge thunderstorm in Yuzhou, with water accumulating three inches deep on the ground! One day in October 491 AD, there was thunder. One day in November 494 AD, there was thunder and rain in Youzhou; lightning lit up the city in a bright red glow. One day in November 497 AD, there was thunder in Liangzhou, sounding seven times. One day in December 498 AD, thunder occurred at night, sounding nine times. One day in November 499 AD, there was thunder and rain in Qinzhou, Qizhou, Jingzhou, and Shuozhou. One day in January 500 AD, there was thunder. The "Spring and Autumn Annals" records that the temple of Duke Yi was struck by lightning; Zuo Qiuming said that the Zhan family had hidden something. Liu Xiang believed that Duke Yi was a hereditary grandee; this served as a divine warning: hereditary grandees should not be allowed, as it will lead to tyranny.
In April of the year 502, the eastern wing of the Hall of Heavenly Peace was struck by lightning. The emperor was very angry and ordered the wings on both sides of the hall to be demolished with a battering ram. As a result, the emperor died suddenly not long after!
In November of the year 504, a thunderstorm occurred at night.
On a day in May of the year 508, the ridge of the roof over the middle gate of the eastern temple was struck by lightning.
Ban Gu once said that if a leader is not magnanimous and cannot accommodate his ministers, he cannot become a wise ruler. A person's expression, words, gaze, and hearing must all be carefully interpreted; if any of these four aspects go wrong, that person will be as confused as a fool lacking insight, thus inviting disaster.
On the day of Gengzi in the first month of the year 474, dust rained down in Luoyang, resembling fog. On the day of Bingxu in November of the year 506, the dust fog in Luoyang blocked out the sky and sun, persisting for six straight days, and by the night of Jiazi, it was thick as fire, making it hard for people to breathe. On the day of Jichou in the second month of the year 503, yellow fog descended in Qinzhou, blanketing the ground with dust. In August of the same year, on the day of Jiyou, murky fog blanketed the area. On the day of Xinsi in August of the year 504, Liangzhou also experienced dust rain, like fog. On the night of Jichou in the first month of the year 477, a thick fog enveloped the area, initially black and later turning red. On the day of Xinchou in the first month of the year 478, dust fog spread throughout the area. In September of the same year, on the day of Renshen, black fog was prevalent. On the day of Jiazhu in the second month of the year 501, yellow fog shrouded the sky and sun. At that time, Gao Zhao was favored due to his status as a relative of the emperor, and his brothers were all granted titles as princes, akin to the five princes of the Han Dynasty.
The climate is abnormal, consistently warm. Liu Xiang and Ban Gu thought it was unusual for there to be no frost in winter and for grass and trees not to wither. Jing Fang said in the "Yi Zhuan" that in summer, extreme heat can be deadly, and in winter, everything can thrive and mature. In August of the year 479, all kinds of fruit trees in Hualin Garden were in bloom. In August of the year 501, the peach and plum trees in Zhongshan were in bloom. In September of the year 478, the fruit of the mulberry trees at Qi Yuan's home in Youzhou had already ripened, but they all fell off overnight, and the flowers and leaves grew back, making the scenery flourish like spring within just seven days. In November of the year 504, the peach and plum trees in Qizhou's Dongqing River County were flowering. On the day of Xinhai in the intercalary tenth month of the year 504, the pear trees in the capital were flowering. The "Hong Fan Zhuan" said: if the law is abandoned, loyal ministers are alienated, the crown prince is killed, and a concubine is made a wife, then fire will not burn upwards. This means that fire loses its inherent nature and turns into a disaster.
In March of the year 489, a massive fire broke out in Feiru City, almost burning down the houses of officials and civilians; only the Buddha statues and houses of two temples in the east and west were spared. On the day of Wuyin in May of the year 504, the marshes in Qin County, Henai, spontaneously ignited, and the fire gradually spread over a hundred steps, taking five days to extinguish. On the day of Yisi in March of the year 501, the ancestral hall in Hengyue caught fire. In May of the year 520, the Forbidden Garden of Hooks and Shields caught fire. In the summer of the year 527, the ground in Qiuxian, Youzhou, spontaneously ignited.
In the spring of the third year, a massive fire broke out in Yingzhou City, burning down more than three thousand households; the devastation was truly heart-wrenching! In February of the third year of Yongxi, the nine-story pagoda at Yongning Temple also caught fire! At that time, many claimed they saw the pagoda soar into the East Sea. The Yongning Temple Pagoda is a place dedicated to the spirits, and this phenomenon seemed to be saying: if something happens to Yongning, Wei Kingdom is also in danger! Bohai is the hometown of King Xianwu of Qi; does this mean that Qi is on the verge of prosperity? In March, the south gate of the third-level temple in Binzhou also caught fire; these fires happening one after another were truly causing panic.
In the autumn of the fourth year of Tianping, the eastern tower of the Changhe Gate in Ye city caught fire. In the winter of the third year of Wuding, in the mountains north of the West River in Fenzhou, the ground spontaneously caught fire, sending hot air rising straight up; it was truly bizarre! In the first month of the second year of Shiguang, on the night of Jia Yin, a black mist appeared in the southeast direction of the sky, one zhang wide and ten zhang long, signaling that a battle was on the horizon! Sure enough, in the second month, Murong Ke rebelled in Beiping. In the first month of the third year of Huangxing, black clouds appeared over the Yellow River, several li wide, shrouding Dongyang City in darkness like night, and as a result, Dongyang City collapsed! In the ninth month of the third year of Jingming, black gas filled the air, creating a terrifying atmosphere! On the day of Jia Chen, Yangzhou defeated General Zhang Xiao of Xiao Yan, killing more than two thousand people. Could this black gas be a sign? In the eleventh month of the second year of Taihe, on the night of Ding Wei, three white gases emerged from the ground, quickly transforming into a bright yellow-red hue, shining brightly—a truly strange sight! In the ninth month of the sixteenth year of Dingsi, in the evening, red mist appeared in the northwest, twenty zhang long and eight to nine feet wide, disappearing in a moment. In the third month of the first year of Yanchang, red gas appeared in the sky from the hour of Mao to the hour of Xu, a very long time indeed! In the eleventh month of the first year of Zhengguang, red mist rose straight up into the sky from the northwest, resembling flames, not visible in the capital, but seen in Liangzhou. In the night of the ninth month of the third year of Jia Chen, red mist resembling flames appeared in the northwest, extending east-west for more than a mile, a sign that Beizhen was on the verge of rebellion! At the time of Shen in the fifth month of the fifth year of Guichou, red mist appeared in the north, stretching across the sky from east to west, resembling flames. In the eleventh month of the third year of Yong'an, a mist-like red gas appeared, extending diagonally from the southwest corner of the Xianyang Palace stairs to the corridor, about one zhang high, extending all the way to the ground, like a red curtain, persisting from the Wei hour to the Xu hour. The emperor saw it and felt very uncomfortable. Later, he indeed died suddenly, indicating that this red mist was indeed an ominous omen!
In the third year of Tianping, in the first month at the Ji Hai hour, a red aura appeared in the east, about three zhang long, and disappeared shortly after.
On a certain day in the sixth month of the third year of Yong'an, during the hour of Shen, a blue gas appeared in the Chen position of the sky, about four feet wide, adjacent to the mountains in the east, extending northwest until it vanished in mid-air. At the same time, in the northwest position of Xu, there were clouds of black, red, and yellow colors resembling mountain peaks, with a blue gas four feet wide at the top, extending southeast until it disappeared in mid-air. These two streams of gas converged in the sky, with the southeast gas dispersing first, followed by the northwest gas. This is a portent of the emperor's impending death!
Ban Gu said: Night demons refer to the appearance of clouds and wind together, which creates an eerie and foreboding atmosphere, resembling ordinary wind phenomena. When the weather is warm and windy, pests like grain-boring insects will emerge.
On a certain day in the first year of the Zhengshi era, the sky was as dark as night. On a certain day in August, it was also as dark as night during the daytime.
Liu Xin said: Being disrespectful in dealing with others indicates a lack of seriousness. When the upper class oppresses the lower class and acts brutally and lawlessly, it leads to the prevalence of yin energy, causing floods that damage crops, resulting in insufficient food and clothing, and chaos from wrongdoing, resulting in severe consequences. Another viewpoint is that the common people suffer many punishments, thus their appearances become ugly. Ban Gu believed that when livestock suffer disasters, it is called "disaster," indicating a serious calamity; when humans suffer disasters, it is called "zhuanzhuan," describing the haggard appearance from illness, indicating deep calamity.
In the third year of Yongxing, someone in the Ulanhou area gave birth to a bone shaped like a sheep's horn, over a foot long.
In the sixteenth year of Taihe, in May, Minister Li Chong reported: "On September 20th of last year, the daughter of Li Banhua from Wujixian in Zhongshan County, Dingzhou, developed nine hairs beneath the nail of her right thumb, and by October 20th, they had grown to a length of one foot and two inches."
On a certain day in November of the second year of Xiping, it was reported from Bingzhou that the daughter of Han Sengzhen from Qixian was born from her mother's right side. Empress Dowager Ling ordered her to be sent to the Yeting Palace.
In the first year of Zhengguang, on a day in May, huge footprints appeared in Xiacao County, Nanyanzhou, with a total of seven steps, each step measuring one foot eight inches long and seven inches five wide. In the third year of Yanxing, in autumn, a woman in Xiurong County gave birth to four sons in one pregnancy, resulting in a total of sixteen sons. In the third year of Yong'an, on a day in November, a family in the capital gave birth to a child with one head, two torsos, four arms, four legs, and three ears. In the sixteenth year of Taihe, Emperor Gaozu and the monk Daodeng together visited the Shizhong Province. After sunset, around the sixth hour of the night, they saw a ghost wearing a yellow top and pants standing at the door wanting to come in. The emperor thought it was a person, so he scolded it, and it retreated. When the emperor asked the people around, everyone said they didn't see anything, only the emperor and Daodeng saw it. In the second year of Huangxing, a plague broke out in Yuzhou, killing around fourteen to fifteen thousand people. In the third year of Yongping, in April, there was a major plague in Changling and Xiangling counties in Pingyang. From January to April, two thousand seven hundred and thirty people died. This is truly frightening—so many lives lost! In the nineteenth year of Taihe, it was reported in Xuzhou that a bronze statue eight feet tall was sweating profusely, which was quite bizarre! During the Yong'an, Putai, and Yongxi years, the golden statue of Dingguang at Pingdeng Temple in the capital also sweated on several occasions, and each time a major event occurred in the country. People at that time thought it was an ominous sign and were very afraid. In the third year of Yong'an, in February, two bronze statues appeared in the homes of ordinary people in the capital, each over a foot long. One statue had four white hairs under the chin, and the other had a black hair on the cheek, which was equally strange! The "Hongfan Lun" says: "The dragon is a scale insect, born in water. Clouds are also a symbol of water. When the yin energy is strong, the dragon's sign will appear. If the emperor does not abide by human ethics and disrupts the heavenly path, there will definitely be disasters of usurpation and murder."
In the third month of the third year of the Shizu era, two white dragons appeared in a well in the capital; in the sixth year of the Zhenjun era, in the second month of Bingchen, a white dragon again appeared in a well in the capital. Dragons are divine creatures, but appearing in a well is a sign of the imminent downfall of the Shizu emperor!
In the first year of the Suzong Zhengguang era, in the eighth month, a black dragon-like creature appeared, running from the south to Xuan Yang Gate, leaping up and running out through the gate tower. This is a sign of the impending decline of the Wei dynasty! In the second year of the Zhuangdi Yong'an era, a dragon appeared in a well in Jinyang and stayed there for a long time, resulting in the sudden death of Zhuangdi in Jinyang; what a coincidence!
In the first year of the Qiandi Putai era, in the fourth month of Jiayin, signs of a dragon were seen leaving the west side of Xuan Yang Gate and then returning to the city. The next day, the ministers came to congratulate, and the emperor remarked, "To ensure the country thrives, we must heed the people's voices; if it is to fall, we should follow the will of the gods. However, we, as rulers and subjects, should be self-disciplined, govern the country, and not rely solely on these auspicious signs for celebration."
The "Hongfan Lun" says, "A horse is a symbol of war, so if there are strange occurrences with horses, it indicates impending warfare." In the second year of the Suzong Xiping era, in the eleventh month of Xinwei, a foal was brought from Hengzhou, with a fleshy tail over a foot long and no hair on its hindquarters. In the first year of the Zhengguang era, in the ninth month, bugs entered the ears of the official horses in Woye Town, resulting in the deaths of fourteen or fifteen horses. These bugs resembled locusts, less than five inches long, and as thick as chopsticks.
The "Hongfan Lun" references the "Book of Changes," saying, "Kun represents a cow," where Kun represents the earth, and when the earth's energy is chaotic, strange occurrences with cows, known as cow disasters, will happen. One theory is that ancestral temples will perish, and another is that busy transportation will also lead to cow disasters.
In the second year of the Jingming era, in the fifth month, it was reported from Jizhou that a cow in Changle County gave birth to a calf with two faces, two mouths, three eyes, and three ears. That's just bizarre! The "Hongfan Lun" also warns that a foolish emperor leads to political blunders.
In the twenty-third year of the reign of Gaozu Taihe, in the third month, a report from Sizhou stated that in Yangqu County, a lamb was born with one head, two bodies—one female and one male, three ears, and eight legs. Shortly after, Gaozu passed away, and the six ministers began to consolidate power.
In the first year of Shizong's Zhengshi reign, in the seventh month, a lamb was delivered from Shanshan Town with one head, two bodies, and eight legs.
In the second year, in the first month, Shanshan Town brought another lamb with eight legs.
In the fourth year of Yanchang, in the fifth month, a report from Bogulv Town indicated that a lamb was born with one head, six legs, and two tails.
Jing Fang mentioned in the "Biography" that creatures with many legs are indicative of the wickedness of those in power. In the "Book of Changes," Jing Fang stated that creatures like this refer to pigs with human heads and bodies, which signals impending chaos and destruction in the region.
In the first year of the reign of Gaozu Yanxing, in the ninth month, a report from the relevant department stated that the Governor of Yuzhou, Wang Rang, reported that a sow had given birth to piglets with one head, two bodies, and eight legs.
In the fourth year of the reign of Shizong Jingming, in the ninth month, a report from Liangzhou stated that dogs and pigs had mated.
In the fourth year of Zhengshi, in the eighth month, a pig in the capital gave birth to piglets with one head, four ears, two bodies, and eight legs.
In the fourth year of Yanchang, in the seventh month, a report from Xuzhou stated that in Yangping Garrison, a pig gave birth to a piglet with a human-like face, a flesh bun on its head, and no hair. This was interpreted as a sign that the Empress Dowager and the young ruler were on the verge of being overthrown.
In the "Hongfan Lun," it is mentioned that Jing Fang stated in the "Biography" that small chickens and livestock are like minor officials; horns symbolize weapons, and on top of them, they represent the majesty of the king. This suggests that minor officials, wielding power, may cause chaos by abusing the king's authority, which is a disaster of mismanagement.
In the first year of Gaozu Taihe, in the fifth month, a report from the relevant department stated that there were two hens in the capital with horn-like crowns on their heads, unlike any other chickens. At that time, Empress Dowager Wenming was in power, and this was seen as a sign of her trusting and favoring unworthy individuals.
In the first year of Shizong Zhengshi, in the fourth month, a chick with four legs and four wings appeared in Henan. This incident is documented in the "Biography of Cui Guang."
In August, Sizhou reported that there was a chicken in Henan that had an extra head near its tail, with a mouth and eyes. Both heads had two pairs of wings growing from behind the neck, and the two legs walked side by side. This was seen as a sign of the emperor trusting evil people and having a clique of supporters who engaged in wicked politics.
In December of the fourth year of Yanchang, Luozhou reported that the yellow hen belonging to Wei Xing, the governor of Changjiao, had a fleshy horn on its head the size of a jujube, one inch and three fen long, with fluffy hair on the horn, one and a half inches long.
In January of the year 520 AD, the chickens at General Landou's house all grew two horns, with mixed colors and the horns standing high, higher than the chicken's comb! At that time, Empress Dowager Ling was in power, holding absolute power.
The "Hong Fan Lun" states: "Blindness and deafness are the punishments." This indicates that if leaders are blind and deaf, there will definitely be problems.
In November of the year 506 AD, a white owl was caught in the capital. This is a bad omen.
One day in August of the year 521 AD, a bald buzzard was caught in the palace! This was in the palace; how could such a bird be there?
In April of the year 502 AD, someone brought a strange duck, with one head, two bodies, four legs, four wings, and two tails! This is just too strange!
In March of the year 504 AD, a male pheasant flew right into the Ministry of War and was caught in the hall. This bird had too much courage!
The "Hong Fan Lun" also states: "Cruel punishments, profiting from the people; insatiable greed, raising troops unnecessarily; taking cities and losing the people's hearts, then pests will cause harm." This means that if rulers are tyrants, greedy, always at war, and lack the people's support, disasters will surely come, such as pestilence.
In July of the year 475 AD, a locust plague occurred in the Dunhuang area, and nearly all the autumn crops were devoured.
By July of the year 476, Qingzhou and Yongzhou also suffered from locust plagues, resulting in total crop failure. In August, the seven states of Xuzhou, East Xuzhou, Yanzhou, Jizhou, Pingzhou, Yuzhou, and Guangzhou, along with the four towns of Pingyuan, Fangtou, Guang'a, and Linji, all experienced locust plagues.
In April of 477, the states of Xiangzhou and Yuzhou were again afflicted by locusts. In March of 478, the three states of Jizhou, Zhou (which appears to be a typo), and Xiangzhou were harmed by locusts. In April, the seven states of Jizhou, Guangzhou, Youzhou, Sizhou, Yongzhou, Qizhou, and Pingzhou were plagued by locusts. On a day in June of 478, Xiangzhou, Qizhou, Guangzhou, and Qingzhou again suffered locust invasions.
On a day in October of 491, Fuhan also experienced a locust disaster, causing severe crop losses. In May of 496, the six states of Qingzhou, Qizhou, Xuzhou, Yanzhou, Guangzhou, and South Qingzhou were all affected by locusts. On a day in March of 499, Hezhou experienced a large-scale armyworm disaster, with wheat yielding nothing. In May, Guangzhou was again afflicted by locusts. In June, Hezhou faced a major locust plague. In July, Donglai County also suffered from locust invasions.
In June of 500, both Xiazhou and Sizhou experienced locust disasters. In April of 503, the jujube flowers in Qingzhou were damaged by stepworms. In August, Jingzhou, Hezhou, Liangzhou, and Sizhou Hengnong County were invaded by various pests such as locusts, yellow moles, and bandworms. On a day in June of 506, Liangzhou experienced a locust disaster. In May of 510, the stepworms in Qingzhou again damaged jujube flowers. These past few years have been marked by relentless disasters!
In July, the locust disaster swept through the capital, and the devastation was truly unbearable! In August, the three states of Qingzhou, Qizhou, and Guangzhou also suffered from locusts, with two-thirds of the crops in the fields being consumed!
In June of the first year of Xiping, Qingzhou, Qizhou, Guangzhou, and South Qingzhou were hit by locust plagues again, and the crops failed to yield, causing immense suffering for the people. In June of the first year of Tian'an, strange events occurred frequently in Yanzhou, with the astonishing sight of a battle between black and red ants; the battle stretched sixty paces long and four inches wide, and in the end, the red ants were completely defeated, with bodies scattered all over the ground. The black ants occupied the north, while the red ants occupied the south. By November, the governor of Yanzhou, Bi Zhongjing, sent envoys to surrender to the court, and the court appointed General Wen Yuan as the commander to oversee the surrender, defeating the rebel leader Zhou Kai and others.
In July of the tenth year of Taihe, Zhang Wanshou, the magistrate of Bingzhou, reported that there was a commoner named Jia Richeng in Jianxing Huoze County who, in mid-April while raising silkworms, discovered that the silk had formed a curtain, inside of which was rolled something resembling a ribbon, four feet long and three inches wide, thin, with two yellow cocoons on top, shaped like footprints.
In March of the second year of Zhengshi, there was an incident in Xuzhou where silkworm moths injured over 110 people, resulting in 22 deaths, which was truly chilling!
The ancients believed that disasters caused by caterpillars were omens of unusual occurrences. During the reign of Emperor Taizu, a tiger appeared in Henan and stayed by the river for three months before leaving. The following year, a multitude of crickets and white deer crossed the Yellow River. Another year later, the river water turned a blood-red color! This was considered a sign of the downfall of the Wei Chen family. Afterwards, all members of the Wei Chen family were cast into the river, and no strange occurrences ever happened there again.
In the first month of the first year of Yuanxiang, a wolf ran into the city and was captured at Keshi. In the twelfth month of Wuding, a leopard was caught on the bronze platform in the north city.
On the Xin Hai day in May of the first year of Taihe, a fox demon emerged to cut people's hair, and Empress Wenming was in court at the time, which was considered a very bad omen!
In the second year of Xiping, spring began, and strange occurrences began in the capital involving fox demons cutting people's hair, which frightened everyone. On the Renshen day in June, Empress Ling summoned those who had their hair cut and ordered Chief Training Officer Liu Teng to whip them outside Qianqiu Gate, just as it had during the Taihe period!
The ancient text "Rui Tu" states: If officials from other regions, such as princes, governors, officials of the Second Rank, and county magistrates, oppress the people cruelly and the people are full of grievances, white mice will appear.
In the third year of Yongxing, in February, in the capital, a man named Zhao Wen discovered a white rat in his house, and he presented the rat to the court. That spring, a white mouse was also caught in Beiyuan, but it died shortly thereafter. Upon dissection, three baby white mice were found in its stomach.
In March of a certain year, the emperor went to the Western Palace and caught a small white mouse.
In August, Zhang An, who was in charge of the palace, also caught another small white mouse.
In the second year of Shenrui, in May, the emperor caught a small white mouse while hunting in Qielun Mountain; three more were caught in Pingcheng. In June, two more were caught in Pingcheng.
In August, Prince Yuzhang also obtained a small white mouse.
In November of the first year of Taichang, someone in the capital caught a small white mouse and presented it to the emperor.
In June of the second year, two small white mice were caught in Zhongshan.
In March of the third year of Taichang, another small white mouse was caught in the capital. In November, another one was caught in the capital.
In August of the third year of Shizong Shiguang, another small white mouse was caught in Xiangzhou, Weijun.
In August of the first year of Taiyan, a small white mouse was sent from Yanmen.
In August of the twenty-third year of Gaozu Taihe, another small white mouse was caught in the capital.
In May of the fourth year of Shizong Jingming, another small white mouse was caught in the capital.
In June of the first year of Zhengshi, another small white mouse was caught in the capital.
In April, a report from Sizhou stated that a small white mouse had been caught and sent.
