In the "Hongfan Zhuan," it is said: if the emperor abandons the law, ostracizes his meritorious subjects, kills the crown prince, and appoints his concubine as empress, it is like fire losing its nature, turning into a disaster and burning endlessly.
In the fifth year of the Taian reign of Emperor Gaozong, in March, a huge fire broke out in Feiru, nearly all the homes of officials and commoners were destroyed, and only the statues of Buddha in two temples to the east and west were spared. This was truly miraculous!
In the eighth year of the Taihe reign of Emperor Gaozu, on the day of Wuyin in May, a fire broke out in the fields of Qin County in Henei, slowly spreading and burning over a hundred steps away, and it took five days to extinguish. It is terrifying to imagine the fire burning underground.
In the first year of the Jingming reign of Emperor Shizong, on the day of Yisi in March, the temples on Mount Heng were engulfed in flames.
In the first year of the Zhengguang reign of Emperor Suzong, a fire also occurred in the Imperial City of the capital.
In the second year of the Xiaochang reign, in the summer, the fields of Qiuxian County in Youzhou also caught fire.
In the spring of the third year, a huge fire broke out in Yingzhou City, burning over three thousand households, resulting in significant losses!
In the third year of the Yongxi reign of Emperor Chudi, in February, the nine-story pagoda at Yongning Temple caught fire. Later, people said that someone saw the pagoda flying into the East Sea. Yongning Temple's pagoda is indeed a site of miracles! Some believe that if anything happens to Yongning Temple, the Wei Dynasty will face unrest. Bohai was the fief of King Xianwu of Qi, and the return of the spirits to the sea indicates that the Qi Kingdom is about to prosper.
In March, the south gate of Sanji Temple in Buzhou also caught fire.
In the fourth year of the Tianping reign of Emperor Xiaojing, in the autumn, the east tower of the Changhe Gate in Ye City caught fire.
In the third year of the Wuding reign, in the winter, a fire broke out underground in the mountains to the north of the West River in Fenzhou, with hot air rising from below. Strange incidents occur every year, but this year seems especially rife with them!
In the second year of the Shiguang reign of Emperor Shizu, on the night of Jia Yin in the first lunar month, black smoke appeared in the southeast sky, one zhang wide and ten zhang long. Fortune tellers claimed this was a sign of impending war. Sure enough, in the second month, Murong Ke rebelled in Beiping.
In the first month of the third year of the Xianzu Huangxing reign, black clouds appeared in the Heji region, several li wide, covering Dongyang City, as dark as night. Ultimately, Dongyang City fell. This black cloud is truly eerie!
In the third year of Shizong Jingming, on the Ji Mao day of September, black mist was everywhere. On the Jia Chen day, Yangzhou defeated Xiao Yan's general Zhang Xiao, decapitating two thousand enemy soldiers. It seems that the black mist seems to herald victory in battle! In the second year of Gaozu Taihe, on the night of the Ding Wei day in November, three streams of white mist emerged from the ground and transformed into a yellowish-red hue, illuminating the earth. On the Ding Si day in the ninth month of the sixteenth year, in the evening, red mist appeared in the northwest, twenty zhang long and eight to nine feet wide, vanishing after a short time. In the first year of Shizong Yanchang, on the Bing Shen day in March, red mist appeared in the sky from the Mao hour to the Xu hour. In the first year of Suzong Zhenguang, on the Xin Wei day in November, the red mist in the northwest stretched to the horizon like flames. It was not seen in the capital, but was seen in Liangzhou. The extent of this red mist is quite vast! In a certain year in September, on the night of Jia Chen, red mist appeared in the northwest, like flames, spanning more than a mile east to west. This was a sign of rebellion in Beizhen. In the fifth year of May, during the Geng You hour, red mist appeared in the north, spanning the sky from east to west like flames. In the third year of Zhuangdi Yong'an, on the Ji Chou day in November, red mist appeared like fog, extending diagonally from the southwest corner of the Xianyang Palace stairs to the corridor, about one zhang high, continuing to the ground like a crimson veil, not dissipating from the hour of Wei to the hour of Xu. The emperor found it repulsive and ultimately died a violent death. In the third year of Xiaojing Tianping, during the Ji Hai hour, red mist appeared in the east, measuring about three zhang long, disappearing after three hours.
In the third year of Emperor Zhuang's Yong'an, on the Jiazi day of June, at the time of Shen, an azure mist appeared in the Chen region, four feet wide, extending along the mountain to the east and continuing into the air to the northwest. In the northwest Xu region, black, red, and yellow clouds appeared, resembling mountain peaks, with blue gas at the top, about four feet wide, extending into the air to the southeast, with the two gases connecting together. The southeastern gas dispersed first, then the northwestern gas. This was an omen of the emperor's untimely demise.
Ban Gu said: The strange phenomena appearing at night, with clouds and wind together, appeared dark and unclear, thus resembling ordinary wind phenomena. When the weather is warm and windy, it can lead to disasters such as pests and locusts.
In the first year of Shizong's Zhengshi, on the day of Yisi in June, it was dark at night.
On the day of Jiachen in August, it was dark even during the day.
Liu Xin said: Improper behavior and demeanor indicate a lack of seriousness. When the upper class oppresses the lower class and the lower class behaves tyrannically, negative energy prevails, leading to floods that damage crops, insufficient food and clothing, and chaos caused by evil, resulting in very serious consequences. There is also a saying that the common people suffer many punishments, hence their ugly appearance. Ban Gu believed that abnormalities in livestock signify impending disaster, indicating that calamities are already quite evident; if it occurs in a person, it is known as "Zhuanzhuan," describing a sickly appearance, indicating a severe condition.
In the third year of Taizong's Yongxing, a bone resembling a sheep's horn, measuring over a foot in length, grew beneath someone's throat in Wulan.
In the sixteenth year of Gaozu's Taihe, in May, the official Li Chong reported: "The daughter of Li Banhua, a commoner from Wujixian in Zhongshan County of Dingzhou, reported a peculiar occurrence; on September 20 of last year, nine hairs grew under the nail of her right thumb, which had grown to one foot two inches by October 20."
In the second year of Suzong's Xiping, on the day of Jiwei in November, a report came from Shanxi Province that the mother of Han Sengzhen's daughter Lingji gave birth to a child under her right rib. Empress Dowager Ling ordered it sent to the Yeting.
On the day of Wuxu in May of the first year of Zhengguang, a giant's footprint appeared in Xiaocai County of Nanyanzhou, tracing seven steps, with the footprint measuring one foot eight inches long and seven and a half inches wide.
In the autumn of the third year of Gaozu's reign, a woman in Xiurong County gave birth to four sons all at once, and when the four sons grew up, they together had sixteen sons. That's some serious reproductive ability!
On the day of Dingmao in November of the third year of Emperor Zhuang's reign, a family in the capital gave birth to a child with one head, two bodies, four hands, four feet, and three ears! I mean, come on, that's just wild!
On the day of Yihai in November of the sixteenth year of Taihe, Emperor Gaozu and monk Daodeng were together in the Shizhong Hall. At the sixth watch of the evening, they saw a ghost wearing yellow pleated pants standing at the door wanting to come in. The emperor thought it was a person and scolded it, scaring it away. The emperor asked those around him if they had seen it, and everyone said they had not seen it; only the emperor and Daodeng had seen it. Did these two just see a ghost?
In the second year of Emperor Xizong's reign in October, there was an epidemic in Yuzhou, with around 140,000 to 150,000 people dead! Just thinking about this death toll is terrifying.
In the third year of Emperor Shizong's reign in April, there was also a major epidemic in Chang and Xiangling counties of Pingyang, where from January to April, 2,730 people died. This epidemic just keeps coming!
In June of the nineteenth year of Taihe, Xuzhou reported that a copper statue standing eight zhang tall actually sweated! A sweating copper statue? That's just creepy!
During the years of Yong'an, Putai, and Yongxi, the golden statue of Dingguang in the Pingteng Temple of the capital often sweated; whenever major events occurred in the country, it would sweat, and people back then thought it was really strange and freaky.
In February of the third year of Yong'an, a family in the capital had two copper statues, each more than a foot tall; one statue had four white hairs growing on its chin, while the other had one black hair on its face. It's just weird that these copper statues grew hair.
The "Hongfan Lun" states: "Dragons are scaled critters that hang out in water. Clouds are also a symbol of water; when the yin energy is strong, the image of the dragon will appear. If a ruler goes against humanity and disrupts the heavenly way, there will surely be calamities of usurpation."
In the third year of Emperor Shenzong's reign in March, two white dragons showed up in a family's well in the capital!
In the second month of the sixth year of Zhenjun, on the Bingchen day, a white dragon appeared in the well of a family in the capital city! Dragons are divine beings, but to be confined in a well, this is a sign of the impending demise of the emperor!
In the eighth month of the first year of Suzong Zhengguang, a black dragon that looked like a dog appeared, running from the south to Xuanyang Gate, leaping over the gate tower and running out. This is a sign of the decline of the Wei Dynasty!
In the second year of Emperor Zhuang's Yong'an, a dragon appeared in the well in Jinyang and stayed there for a long time. This is a sign of the impending demise of Emperor Zhuang in Jinyang!
On the day of Jiayin in the first year of Emperor Qian, evidence of a dragon emerged from the west side of Xuanyang Gate and returned to the city. The next day, on the day of Yimao, the courtiers came to congratulate the emperor, who remarked: "For the country to prosper, we must listen to the people; for the country to perish, we must listen to the gods. However, as long as we, the ruler and his subjects, practice self-discipline and govern the country well, these omens may not necessarily come true."
The "Hongfan Lun" states: "Horses are a symbol of the military, and strange occurrences involving horses will arise in the face of enemy invasion."
It is said that on the day of Xinyou in the second year of Xiping's rule, a horse foal was brought from Hengzhou, with an especially long tail measuring a foot long; strangely, there was no hair around its hindquarters.
Years later, in the ninth month of the first year of Zhengguang, the official horses in Woye Town suffered from a strange illness, with about fourteen or fifteen horses dead because insects entered their ears! These insects resembled horsehair worms, not exceeding five inches in length and similar in thickness to chopsticks. The "Hongfan Lun" in the book writes that the "Book of Changes" states "Kun represents cattle," Kun represents earth, and strange phenomena involving cattle will occur when the earth's energy is disrupted, known as a cattle disaster, indicating the impending decline of ancestral temples. The book also states that if transportation is busy, it can also lead to strange occurrences involving cattle.
In the fifth month of the second year of Jingming, it was reported in Jizhou that a cow in Changle County gave birth to a calf, which was quite rare, with two heads, two mouths, three eyes, and three ears! The "Hongfan Lun" explains that this is due to the ruler's lack of wisdom and political missteps.
In the twenty-third year of Gaozu's Taihe reign, in the third month, a report from Sizhou stated that a sheep in Yangqu County gave birth to a lamb, which was a marvel: one head, two bodies (one female and one male), three ears, and eight legs! Shortly after, Gaozu passed away, and six court ministers began to seize power.
In July of the first year of the Zhengshi era, a lamb with two bodies and eight legs was reported from Shanshan Town; in January of the second year, another lamb with eight legs was brought from Shanshan Town. In May of the fourth year of the Yanxiang era, Bogulv Town reported the birth of a lamb with six legs and two tails. Jing Fang said in his commentary that any abnormal creature with many limbs was not of human origin. Jing Fang also stated in the Book of Changes that if a pig gave birth to something with a human head and pig body, disaster would befall that place.
In September of the first year of the Yanxing era, a report was made to the court that in Yuzhou, the governor Wang Rang reported that a pig had given birth to a piglet with one head, two bodies, and eight legs. In September of the fourth year of the Jingming era, a report from Liangzhou stated that there were strange occurrences of dogs and pigs mating. In August of the fourth year of the Zhengshi era, a pig in the capital gave birth to a piglet with one head, four ears, two bodies, and eight legs. In July of the fourth year of the Yanxiang era, a report from Xuzhou stated that a pig in Yangping Shu gave birth to a piglet with a human-like head and face, a lump on the head, and no hair. This was interpreted as a sign that the Empress Dowager and the young ruler were on the verge of downfall.
In the "Hongfan Lun," Jing Fang notes in his commentary that small creatures, such as chicks, resemble lower officials; horns symbolize weapons, and when positioned above, they signify the king's authority. This suggests that lower officials in power may misuse the king's authority, leading to chaos that is hard to manage.
In the summer of the first year of the Taihe era, in May, a report was made to the court that there were two hens in the capital with crests resembling horns on their heads, unlike other chickens. At that time, Empress Wenming was in power, and this was interpreted as a sign of her favoring unworthy individuals.
In April of the year 477 AD, a small chicken that had four legs and four wings appeared in Henan. This event is recorded in the "Biography of Cui Guang." In August of the same year, a report from Sizhou indicated that many chickens raised by the common people in Henan had two heads, with mouths and eyes on each head, which were positioned above the tail, and each head had two pairs of wings and two legs placed side by side. At that time, the emperor placed greater trust in certain unscrupulous individuals, and there were serious factional struggles with corrupt officials controlling the court, which was not a good sign.
In December of the year 480 AD, a report from Luozhou mentioned that a yellow hen raised by Wei Xing, the prefect of Changjiao, had a tumor on its head the size of a jujube, approximately one and a half inches in diameter, with hair one and a half inches long on the tumor.
In January of the year 520 AD, two chickens from the household of the General of the Agile Cavalry, Lando, both had two horns, with mottled feathers, and the horns stood high above their combs. At that time, Empress Dowager Ling was in power, holding all the authority.
In the "Book of Documents," it is said: "Being blind to the situation and deaf to advice leads to punishment." This indicates that if leaders cannot see the situation clearly and refuse to listen to advice, they will be punished.
In November of the year 502 AD, a white owl was caught in the capital city.
On the day of Ji Mao in August of the year 521 AD, a bald buzzard was caught in the imperial palace.
In April of the year 527 AD, someone brought a dead duck which had one head, two bodies, four legs, four wings, and two tails.
In March of the year 530 AD, a male pheasant flew into the Ministry of Works and was caught inside the hall.
The "Book of Documents" also states: "Cruel punishments, exploiting the people; insatiable greed, raising troops and inciting the masses; seizing cities and towns, losing the hearts of the people, then pests will cause harm." This means that if rulers are cruel and unjust, focused solely on exploiting the people and engaging in military aggression while ignoring their will, they will invite disaster.
In July of the year 501, a locust plague occurred in the Dunhuang region, and almost all the autumn crops were devoured.
In July of the year 502, Qingzhou and Yongzhou also suffered from the invasion of 'liang' (a type of pest), resulting in a complete crop failure.
In August, the seven provinces of Xuzhou, East Xuzhou, Yanzhou, Jizhou, Pingzhou, Yuzhou, and Guangzhou, as well as the four towns of Pingyuan, Fangtou, Guang'a, and Linji, were all affected by locusts.
In April of the year 503, Xiangzhou and Yuzhou experienced a locust plague.
In March of the year 504, the three provinces of Jizhou, and a missing state, and Xiangzhou suffered from the invasion of 'liang.'
In April, the seven provinces of Jizhou, Guangzhou, Youzhou, Sizhou, Yongzhou, Qizhou, and Pingzhou suffered from a locust plague.
On the day of Yisi in June, the four provinces of Xiangzhou, Qizhou, Guangzhou, and Qingzhou were affected by 'liang.'
On the day of Guisi in October of the year 516, a locust plague occurred in Fohan Town, resulting in significant crop damage.
In May of the year 504, the six provinces of Qingzhou, Qizhou, Xuzhou, Yanzhou, Guangzhou, and South Qingzhou suffered from the invasion of 'liang.'
On the day of Renwu in March of the year 507, Hezhou experienced a large-scale infestation of armyworms, leading to a complete loss of crops of wheat.
In May, Guangzhou dealt with locusts, and the crops were affected. In June, Hezhou also faced locusts on a large scale. In July, locusts in Donglai County also harmed the crops.
In the first year of Zhengshi, in June, both Xiazhou and Sizhou faced locusts, and the crops were devastated. In April of the fourth year, the 'buqu' insects in Qingzhou wreaked havoc on the jujube flowers. In August, Huangshu, locusts, and 'ban' insects caused widespread devastation in Jingzhou, while Hezhou also had 'liang' and 'ban' insects, and Hengnong County in Liangzhou and Sizhou also faced locusts, with severe disaster conditions.
On the day of Jisi in June of the first year of Yongping, locusts ravaged Liangzhou, leading to a complete loss of crops. In May of the fifth year, the 'buqu' insects in Qingzhou attacked the jujube flowers again. In July, locusts were rampant, and even the capital city experienced 'liang.' In August, Qingzhou, Qizhou, and Guangzhou all faced locusts, and two-thirds of the crops had been devoured.
In the first year of Emperor Suzong's Xiping era, in the sixth month, a locust plague devastated the crops in Qingzhou, Qizhou, Guangzhou, and South Qingzhou. In the first year of Emperor Xianzu's Tian'an era, in the sixth month, a remarkable battle between black and red ants occurred in Yanzhou, measuring sixty steps in length and four inches in width. All the red ants were killed, with black ants claiming the north and red ants the south. In November, the governor of Yanzhou, Bi Zhongjing, sent envoys to surrender to the court, and the court appointed General Weyuan to accept their surrender, defeating the rebel generals Zhou Kai and others.
In the seventh month of the tenth year of Emperor Gaozu's Taihe era, the Zhongzhong Zhang Wanshou of Bingzhou submitted a memorial stating: in Jianxing Huoze County, there was a commoner named Jia Rucheng who started raising silkworms in mid-April. The silk from the silkworms was woven into a net, like a tent, with items rolled up inside, resembling ribbons, four feet long and three inches wide, thin, with two yellow cocoons on top, shaped like footprints.
In the third month of the second year of Emperor Shizong's Zhengshi era, the silkworm moths in Xuzhou unexpectedly started eating people, with more than one hundred and ten people injured and twenty-two dead.
The calamity of caterpillars denotes abnormal changes and strange phenomena. During the reign of Emperor Taizu, a large tiger appeared in Henan and lay by the river for three months before leaving. The following year, a large number of crickets and white deer crossed the Yellow River. Another year, the river water turned red like blood, which signaled the downfall of the Wei Chen clan. Later, they threw all the members of the Wei Chen clan into the river, and the place became peaceful.
In the first month of the first year of the Xiaojing Yuanxiang era, a wolf ran into the city and reached the stone, where it was allegedly caught by Cao. In the twelfth month of the fifth year of the Wuding era, a leopard was caught on the Bronze Jue Platform in the north city.
In the fifth month of the first year of Emperor Gaozu's Taihe era, a fox spirit cut people's hair and even wrote messages. At that time, Empress Wenming was in court, which indicated the court's political corruption.
In the second year of the Xiping era under Emperor Suzong, starting from spring, there was commotion in the capital caused by fox spirits that specifically cut people's hair, frightening everyone considerably. On the Renchen day of June, Empress Dowager Ling summoned those who had their hair cut and had Liu Teng, the commander of the Chongxun Guard, publicly punish them with whips outside the Qianqiu Gate, a practice similar to that used in the Taihe era.
The "Ruitu" records state: If local princes, ministers, governors, and officials of the second rank, as well as county magistrates, cruelly oppress the common people, causing widespread grievances, white mice will appear.
In the third year of Emperor Taizong's Yongxing era in February, there was a commoner named Zhao Wen in the capital, whose family found a white mouse and presented it to the emperor.
That spring, a white mouse was caught at the Royal Hunting Ground in the Northern Garden, but it soon died. Upon dissection, it was discovered to contain three small white mice inside its belly.
In March of the fourth year of Yongxing, the emperor visited the West Palace, where he caught another white mouse. In August, a commoner named Zhang An in the palace also reported catching a white mouse.
In May of the second year of the Shenrui era, while hunting on Qielun Mountain, the emperor caught a white mouse; Pingcheng also reported catching three. In June, Pingcheng caught two more. In August, Wang Kui of Yuzhang also caught one.
In November of the first year of the Taichang era, someone in the capital caught a white mouse (or a similar creature) and presented it to the emperor. In June of the second year, two white mice were caught in the Zhongshan area. In March of the third year, another was caught in the capital. In November, another was caught in the capital.
In August of the third year of Emperor Shizu's Shiguang era, a white mouse was caught in Weijun, in the province of Xiangzhou. In August of the first year of the Taiyan era, a white mouse was presented from the Yanmen region.
In August of the 23rd year of Emperor Gaozu's Taihe era, a white mouse was caught in the capital. In May of the fourth year of Emperor Shizong's Jingming era, a white mouse was caught in the capital.
In June of the first year of the Zhengshi era, a white mouse was caught in the capital. In April of the first year of Emperor Suzong's Xiping era, a report from Sizhou indicated the capture of a white mouse.
