The "Hong Fan Lun" states that Jing Fang's "Chuan" explains: a chick, like a small minister. The "horns" represent weapons, growing on the head, symbolizing the majesty of the ruler. Therefore, when small ministers take the ruler's majesty to create chaos, this is the disaster of misrule.
In the first year of the Taihe era, in May, someone reported that two hens appeared in the capital, with combs on their heads resembling horns, different from other chickens. At that time, Empress Dowager Wen was in power, heavily employing petty officials and unscrupulous ministers.
In the first year of the Zhengshi era, in April, a chick appeared in Henan, astonishingly with four legs and four wings! This was recorded in the "Cui Guang Zhuan." In August, reports from Sizhous indicated that in Hanoi, a family raised a chick with an extra head growing out of its rear, with eyes and a mouth; both heads sprouted from the back of its neck, each head having two pairs of wings, and two legs walking side by side. At that time, Emperor Shizong also trusted those petty officials and unscrupulous ministers, forming factions, with wicked small people interfering in state affairs; these were all ominous signs.
In the fourth year of the Yanchang era, in December, Luozhou reported that a yellow hen from the family of Wei Xing's Governor Chang Jiao had a fleshy horn on its head, as big as a jujube, measuring one inch and three points long, with hair growing on the horn that was one and a half inches long.
In the first year of the Zhengguang era, in January, both the rooster and hen of the Hu Ben Zhonglang Jiang Lan Dou's family grew two horns on their heads, with a patchy mix of feathers, standing taller than the comb. At that time, Empress Ling was in power, exercising direct rule.
The "Hong Fan Lun" states: those with poor eyesight and hearing will face punishment.
In the third year of the Taichang era, in November, a white owl was captured in the capital.
On the day of Ji Mao in the second year of the Zhengguang era, a bald buzzard was caught in the palace.
In the second year of the Xiaochang era, in April, someone brought a dead duckling, featuring one head, two bodies, four legs, four wings, and two tails.
In the second year of the Xiaojing Tianping era, in March, a male pheasant flew into the Ministry of Personnel and was caught inside.
The "Hong Fan Lun" says: Harsh punishments squeeze the people's wealth; insatiable greed leads to mobilizing troops at the drop of a hat; building cities while losing the people's trust will invite disaster.
In July of the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, a locust plague hit the Dunhuang region, and the autumn crops were almost completely devoured. In July of the sixth year, Qingzhou and Yongzhou also suffered from locust damage, resulting in heavy crop losses. In August, the seven states: Xuzhou, East Xuzhou, Yanzhou, Jizhou, Pingzhou, Yuzhou, and Guangzhou, as well as the four towns of Pingyuan, Fangtou, Guang'a, and Linji, all faced locust plagues. In April of the seventh year, locust plagues struck Xiangzhou and Yuzhou again. In March of the eighth year, Jizhou, a state (the name of the state is missing in the original text), and Xiangzhou were affected by locusts.
In April, the seven states of Jizhou, Guangzhou, Youzhou, Sizhou, Yongzhou, Qizhou, and Pingzhou were all plagued by locusts, with nothing left to harvest. On the Yisi day in June, Xiangzhou, Qizhou, Guangzhou, and Qingzhou encountered the invasion of locusts again, and all crops were consumed.
On the day of Guisi in October of the sixteenth year, a locust plague broke out in Fohan Town as well, causing severe crop losses. In May of the first year of Jingming, the six states of Qingzhou, Qizhou, Xuzhou, Yanzhou, Guangzhou, and South Qingzhou faced locusts harming their crops again. On the day of Renwu in March of the fourth year, Hezhou experienced a serious pest infestation, leading to a total loss of wheat. In May, locusts returned to harm the crops in Guangzhou; in June, Hezhou experienced a large-scale locust plague; in July, Donglai County was also harmed by locusts. In June of Zhengshi's first year, locust plagues also occurred in Shazhou and Sizhou, resulting in heavy crop losses.
In April of the fourth year, Qingzhou was plagued by the walking worm, which devoured all the jujube blossoms. In August, Jingzhou experienced yellow mice, locusts, and banded insects, while Hezhou saw the appearance of the hairy caterpillar and banded insects. Liangzhou and Sizhou's Hengnong County also suffered from locust disasters; it was indeed a string of disasters! On the Jisi day in June of the first year of Yongping, Liangzhou encountered a locust disaster, leading to complete crop failure. In May of the fifth year, the walking worm returned to ravage the jujube blossoms in Qingzhou; in July, the capital also dealt with hairy caterpillars and rampant locusts. In August, the locust infestation in Qingzhou, Qizhou, and Guangzhou was especially severe, nearly consuming two-thirds of the crops. In June of the first year of Xiping, Qingzhou, Qizhou, Guangzhou, and South Qingzhou were again afflicted by hairy caterpillars.
In June of the first year of Tian'an, a peculiar phenomenon occurred in Yanzhou: black ants and red ants engaged in large-scale combat, with a battlefield measuring sixty paces long and four inches wide. The red ants were completely wiped out, with the black ants occupying the north and the red ants occupying the south. In November, the governor of Yanzhou, Bi Zhongjing, sent envoys to submit to the court, which appointed General Wei Yuan of the Southern Army to take them over, defeating the rebel general Zhou Kai and his men. In July of the tenth year of Taihe, Zhang Wanshou, the magistrate of Bingzhou, reported that a citizen named Jia Richeng from Huozecounty in Jianxing discovered an object resembling silk, measuring four feet long and three inches wide, found wrapped in a silk cocoon, with two yellow cocoons on top that resembled footprints.
In March of the second year of Zhengshi, a bizarre incident took place in Xuzhou: silkworm moths actually attacked people! More than 110 people were bitten by silkworm moths, and twenty-two of them died. "The plague of caterpillars is seen as a sign of abnormal weather and unusual occurrences."
Legend has it that when Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne, there was a large tiger in Henan that stayed by the river for three months before leaving. The following year, both ants and white deer fled to the north bank of the Yellow River. In the year after that, the river water turned as red as blood! These were ominous signs of the Wei Chen clan's impending downfall. Later, the Wei Chen clan was completely wiped out, their bodies thrown into the river, leaving the place empty.
In the first month of the first year of Xiaojing Yuanxiang, a wolf ran into the city and was caught near Kashi. (The details of who caught it remain unclear).
In the twelfth month of the fifth year of Wuding, a leopard was caught on the Copper Jue Terrace in the north city.
In the fifth month of the first year of Gaozu Taihe, a fox demon came out to cut people's hair. At that time, all civil and military officials were present, with the Empress Dowager presiding over the court, suggesting that the court was in disarray.
In the second year of Suzong Xiping, starting from spring, there were occurrences of fox demons cutting people's hair in the capital, striking fear into the hearts of the people. In the sixth month, Empress Ling called those who had their hair cut to the Qianqiu Gate and had Liu Teng, the Weiwei of Chongxun, whip them, similar to what happened during the Taihe period.
According to the book "Ruitu," if local officials are excessively harsh on the people and the people are full of grievances, white rats will appear.
In the second month of the third year of Taizong Yongxing, a white rat was discovered in the home of a man named Zhao Wen in the capital, which he presented to the emperor.
That spring, a white rat was also caught in Beiyuan, which soon perished. Upon dissection, three tiny white rats were found in its belly!
In the third month of the fourth year of Yongxing, the emperor went to the Western Palace and caught another white rat.
In August, a man named Zhang An from the imperial household caught another white rat.
In the fifth month of the second year of Shenrui, the emperor was out hunting on Penglun Mountain when he caught a white rat; three white rats were also caught in Pingcheng. In June, two more were caught in Pingcheng. In August, Prince Kuai of Yuzhang also caught one.
In the eleventh month of the first year of the Taichang era, a white rat (or a creature resembling a white rat) was caught in the capital city and presented to the emperor. In March of the second year, two white rats were caught in Zhongshan. In March of the third year, another white rat was caught in the capital city. In November, another white rat was caught in the capital city.
In August of the third year of the Shizong Shiguang era, a white rat was caught in Weijun, Xiangzhou. In August of the first year of the Taiyan era, a white rat was presented from Yanmen. In August of the twenty-third year of the Gaozu Taihe era, a white rat was caught in the capital city. In May of the fourth year of the Shizong Jingming era, a white rat was caught in the capital city. In June of the first year of the Zhengshi era, a white rat was caught in the capital city. Sizhou reported that a white rat had been caught in the fourth month of the first year of the Suzong Xiping era.
