University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XX.

Ominous Signs Investigated (Yen-fu).

It was in the eleventh year of Yung-p`ing.[953] The inhabitants
of the Huan marquisate[954] in Lü-chiang[955] were then in possession of
a lake. There were two small boys in Huan, named Ch`ên Chüo and
Ch`ên T`ing, both over ten years old, who together went angling on
the banks of the lake. Ch`ên T`ing was the first to go. Ch`ên Chüo
arrived later, and asked his comrade whether he had caught anything.
Upon Ch`ên T`ing replying in the affirmative, he went home
to fetch his rod and fishing-line.[956] At a distance of 40 steps from
Ch`ên T`ing he beheld a wine amphora of a bright yellow colour that
had fallen into the water near the edge of the lake. Ch`ên Chüo
mistook it for copper. He waded through the water to get hold of
it, but it was so slippery and heavy, that he was unable to lift
it.—T'ing seeing this from afar shouted, "What have you got?"
Chüo rejoined, "It is copper, but I cannot lift it."—T`ing came to
his assistance and entered the water, but before he had seized
the amphora it quite suddenly was transformed into a covenant
vessel, sank into the deep through the movement, and again became
invisible. But T`ing and Chüo who kept their eyes on it perceived
something of bright yellow colour like so many coins, hundreds
and thousands of pieces. They pushed and raised it, and with
their hands full they went home and told their families.

The father of Ch`ên Chüo was a retired official of the State whose
style was Chün Hsien. He inquired, full of amazement, where he had
found this, and Chüo gave a description. "It is gold", quoth Chün
Hsien and forthwith, along with Chüo, he hastened to the place of
discovery, where there was still much left in the water. He himself
entered the water and seized it. When the neighbours of
Chüo and T`ing had heard the news, there was a general rush, and
they together obtained upwards of ten pounds. Chün Hsien personally
acquainted a minister who advised the prefect, and the prefect

sent his officers to receive the gold and instructed his private official
Ch`êng Kung to take it over and present it to the throne, stating
how he had got the gold. An imperial edict was issued to the
effect that, if it was, as stated in the memorial, all was right, but
if it was not, then capital punishment would be meted out. With
this edict Ch`êng Kung returned to the prefect, who with his subordinates
took cognisance of it. They had the impression that the
emperor doubted the veracity and believed that something had
been concealed and that the report had been unduly embellished.
For this reason the prefect sent in a new report, stating that the
gold had been discovered exactly as reported previously. Therewith
the matter closed.

In the 12th year, Chün Hsien and his associates addressed the
emperor stating how they had found the gold in the water of the
lake, that the chief of the circuit had presented it to the throne,
and that as yet no compensation had been received. In the imperial
rescript to the authorities of Lü-chiang it seemed as if His Majesty
was not willing to grant Chün Hsien and his associates the price
of the gold, for the prefect had reported that the gold found by
Chün Hsien and others came from a public lake, and not from the
private waters of these persons. Consequently no compensation
was given. In the 12th year, however, an edict appeared commanding
the payment of the value of the gold to Chün Hsien and the others
according to the actual market price of gold.[957]

The auspicious portents of the Han were manifold. The discovery
of gold being very strange, it was put on record. The precious
things, gold and jewels are divine, therefore their appearance
is something extraordinary.[958] Something of a golden colour first
appeared in the shape of a wine amphora and afterwards became
a covenant vessel and, being moved, sank into the deep. Was not
this a miracle?[959]

When the Hsia dynasty was flourishing distant countries made
pictures of their produce, and the nine tribes offered gold as tribute.
Yü regarded it as propitious and cast it into tripods. The Nine
Tripods of the Chou[960] were the gold of these distant countries.
No matter whether it was brought by people as tribute or whether
it issued spontaneously from the water, it was the same after all
and in both cases the upshot of conspicuous virtue and an omen
for a sage emperor.

A golden and pearless age is accompanied with gold and gems.
In the time of Wên Ti there appeared a gem flail. Gold and gems
are the choicest omens. The sound of gold and the colour of gems
are most appreciated by mankind.

In the Yung-ch`ang circuit[961] there was gold as well. The
smallest lumps were as big as a grain of millet. In the sand of
the banks of rivers people found five shu[962] of gold every day.
Its colour was a uniform yellow. Earth produces gold, and the
colour of earth is yellow. The ruling element of the Han dynasty
is earth, which accounts for the production of gold.[963] Of metal
there are three kinds.[964]

When yellow is continually seen it becomes a lucky augury.
The old man of the Ch`i bridge transmitted to Chang Liang[965] a book
which turned into a yellow stone. This essence of the yellow
stone became a charm. Stones belong to the same category as
gold, their substance is different, but their colour the same, both
are presages of earth.

In the third year of Chien-ch`u,[966] suddenly five stalks of boletus
grew in the soil of the house of a woman from Ch`üan-ling in Ling-ling[967]
of the name of Fu Ning. The longest measured a foot and

4 to 5 inches, the shortest 7 to 8 inches. Stalks and leaves were
of a purple colour; it was, in fact, the purple boletus. The prefect
Shên Fêng deputed his private officer Yen Shêng to present these
plants to the emperor, who was exceedingly pleased and gave him
money, dresses, and food in return. He then summoned all the
presidents, ministers, governors, shang-chi,[968] officers, and people and
made known the boletus to the empire. When the empire heard
the news, officialdom and citizens rejoiced, well knowing that, the
excellence of the Han being so perfect and universally acknowledged,
felicitous omens were sure to happen.

In the fourth year, sweet dew fell in the five districts of
Ch`üan-ling, Ling-ling, T`ao-yang,[969] Shih-an,[970] and Lêng-tao[971] soaking
all the leaves of the elm, cypress, cherry, and plum trees, which
bending under its weight, caused it to trickle down. The people
drank it and found that it tasted like sweets and honey.

In the fifth year, boletus—viz. six—grew again on the house
of a man of Ch`üan-ling, Chou Fu. In colour and shape they
resembled those of the third year. Together with the former ones
there were eleven in all.[972]

Where the river Hsiang[973] is 7 Li distant from the city of
Ch`üan-ling there are masses of rocks above the river bearing the
name of Yen-shih mountain. The mountain approaches the river
from both sides, narrowing its passage. Under a protruding cliff
the water disappears and forms an unfathomable abyss. There
two yellow dragons put in an appearance. They had a length of
over 16 feet[974] and were bigger than horses. To those who looked
sharply at them they appeared like those dragons painted in pictures.
The people of Yen-shih-ch`iu all saw them at a distance of some
ten steps. They further perceived some animals shaped like colts,
bigger and smaller ones, six altogether. They issued from the
water and roamed about and played on the shore, being, no doubt,

the children of the two dragons. Along with these they were
eight in all. After they had stayed out of the water for some time,
they again returned to it.[975]

Under the reign of Hsüan Ti, a phœnix alighted on the city
of P`êng,[976] which gave notice of it. Hsüan Ti summoned the shih-chung[977]
Sung Wêng Yi who said, "A phœnix comes down on the
capital and alights in the precincts of the son of Heaven. This
phœnix having alighted far away in P`êng-ch`êng cannot be admitted,[978]
for one must not have dealings with second-class birds." The emperor
replied, "At present the empire forms one family, and there
is no difference whether the phœnix alights in P`êng-ch`êng or in
the capital.[979] Why do you say that one must have nothing to do
with second-class birds?" And he called upon his attendants who
were versed in the Classics to argue the point with Sung Wêng
Yi. The latter, pressed very hard, took off his cap, made obeisance
and excused himself.

The time of Hsüan Ti does not differ from the present, and
the alighting of the phœnix, and the appearance of the yellow
dragons is similar. The distance of P`êng ch`êng and Ling-ling is
the same,[980] for, as regards the extension of the emperor's mansions,
the four frontiers of the empire form the boundary lines within
which Ling-ling is situated, so that it even may be considered near.[981]

Kung-Sun Ch`ên of Lu declared, in the time of Hsiao Wên Ti,
that, the ruling element of the Han being earth, a yellow dragon
should appear as corresponding omen. Subsequently, it was seen[982]
in Ch`êng-chi[983] whose distance from the capital equalled that of
Ling-ling. Under the régime of Hsiao Wu Ti as well as of Hsiao
Hsüan Ti dragons made their appearance, and four times yellow
dragons become visible in this place, which proves that earth

was indeed the element of the Han dynasty.[984] Chia Yi was the
first who in the court of Wên Ti proposed that as the colour of
the Han yellow should be adopted, and that they should choose
five as their number. From this circumstance that Chia Yi, an
official of extensive erudition, declared himself in favour of the
yellow colour and of number five,[985] it is evident that earth is
the element of the Han.[986]

Boletus grows in earth. The fluid of earth being congenial,
the boletus grows in it. Earth produces cereals; cereals are sweet,
therefore sweet dew descended.[987]

In former ages, dragons were not seen in pairs, only when
the Hsia dynasty was at its height two dragons appeared in the
court.[988] Since the two dragons which came forth in the present
time agree with those of the Hsia dynasty in number, the present
government must also be conformable to that of the Hsia.

When, formerly, dragons came out, very seldom their children
were seen. Now six young dragons came out simultaneously,
roaming about and playing like the six children of Heaven and
Earth,[989] a sign of a numerous progeny.

In the era of Yao and Shun all the animals danced, at present
the eight dragons likewise played and gambolled for a long while.
Boletus is eaten by immortals, in order to prolong their lives. In
former ages only one or two grew, now there are altogether
eleven pieces indicating a longer duration of life; and grain as
high as a fir-tree was produced. When formerly sweet dew came
down, it did so but in one place, now it poured down in five
districts conformably to the number of earth, the power of which
prevails everywhere.

The frequent occurance of imperial omens is not in vain;
they always are illustrative of something, and correspond to some

virtue. Confucius said, ["The knowing are cheerful, and the
benevolent live long."][990] Our emperor is a holy man, consequently
the boletus pointed to long life. If yellow things be produced
they have the colour of earth, and its place is the centre.[991] Therefore
did Hsien Yuan,[992] whose virtue was excellent, use yellow as
his epithet. Our emperor is so kind and merciful, that his virtue
approaches that of the "Yellow Emperor," whence the colour of
the dragons was yellow to show the identity of their virtue.

The East is called benevolent, and the dragon is the animal
of the eastern region.[993] The emperor being a sage, benevolent omens
appeared. Benevolence implies a taste for feeding and nursing.
The emperor in his benevolence and kind-heartedness loved the
black-haired people, therefore the sweet dew poured down[994] and
dragons, that like to conceal themselves, publicly appeared, attracted
from their rocks and caverns by the emperor's sagehood.

When portents appear they usually follow an excellent man,
and lucky auguries always adhere to some fortunate person. The
principle of Heaven being spontaneity, there must be some coincidence.
The omens obtained by a holy sovereign surpass those of
common worthies. The ruler being enlightened, and his minister
judicious, everything prospers. When Wên Ti and Wu Ti received
their decree, their strength was like that of the Dukes of Chou
and Shao.