The mainstream view in ancient China was that the earthquake was caused by the "imbalance of yin and yang", which was directly related to the inaction of human beings, especially the emperor, and was a warning from heaven to mankind. Like Zhang Heng, Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, who was also from Nanyang, explained this in detail, and the "Biography of Du Qin in the Han Book" (Volume 60) recorded, "When the ministers heard about solar eclipses and earthquakes, the yang was slightly yin and prosperous." The minister, the yin of the king; The Son is the Father's Yin; The wife is also the yin of the husband. ”

One of the earliest recorded earthquakes in Chinese history occurred in the second year of King Youwang of Zhou, that is, in 780 BC. The epicenter of Qishan in Shaanxi Province was about the same magnitude as yesterday's earthquake in Sichuan. According to the "Historical Records of Zhou Benji" (volume 4), the Taishi Boyangfu at that time believed that "Zhou will die." The spirit of heaven and earth does not lose its order; If it goes through the order, the people will also be in turmoil. The sun is subdued and cannot come out, and the yin is forced but cannot be steamed, so there is an earthquake. Today's Sanchuan earthquake is the yang that loses its place and fills the yin. ”

The meaning of this passage is more difficult to understand, and it probably means that this is a sign that the Zhou Dynasty is about to fall. The yin and yang qi between heaven and earth is balanced and orderly; If it is chaotic, the yang energy will not be able to come out, and the yin energy will oppress it so that it cannot rise, so there will be an earthquake. Nowadays, the earthquake in the Sanchuan area is because the yang energy is not in place, but is suppressed by the yin energy. ”

King Zhou You is a famous faint monarch in history, a womanizer, and he made it up to "buy laughter". One of the famous harem beauties in Chinese history, Bao Xi, is his favorite concubine. Bao Xi is the enemy country to offer: "Zhou Youwang conquered the Bao country, Bao people offered a beautiful woman to beg to surrender, Youwang love like a pearl in the palm of his hand, set up as a concubine, favor the Zhou Palace, the following year, Bao Xi gave birth to a son Bofu (a Bo general). "To what extent does King Zhou You love Bao Xi? unexpectedly abolished his queen Shen and the crown prince Yijiu, and appointed Bao Xi as the queen and Li Bofu as the crown prince. At that time, Shi Boyang, the Taishi of Zhou, said that "the Zhou Dynasty is going to have a catastrophe", and attributed the Yin Qi of the Zhou State to the excessive favor and praise of King Zhou You, which caused the earthquake and caused the earthquake.

Obviously, this is a superstitious statement that has no scientific reason, but many emperors believe it to be true.

There was a major earthquake during the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, and sometimes some courtiers took the blame and resigned, and the Shunzhi Emperor thought that it was not the fault of the courtiers, but his fault and responsibility. "Qing Historical Manuscript Shizu Benji II" (Volume 5) records, "Since ancient times, it has changed in vain, and the rate is determined by personnel. I have been in power for seven years, and I have been obedient in political affairs, causing disasters and warnings, and earthquakes have been heard. I bow to the province, and the civil and military ministers should also cooperate and fulfill their duties. I have a loss, and the auxiliary minister Chen Song is not hidden. ”

Du Qin, a courtier at the time of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, also believed that the earthquake was related to the courtiers' power grabbing, father-son injustice, and wives and concubines competing for favor, because they represented "yin qi". If these people commit rebellion, the yin energy will be too heavy, and the yang energy will be suppressed, causing the balance between heaven and earth to be out of balance. This is the so-called "Five Elements Biography", "Governing the palace room, decorating the pavilion, internal chaos, committing relatives, insulting father and brother, then the harvest will not be successful." ”

Emperor Han Cheng was founded in December Wu Shenshuo, "the sun has an eclipse, and the night is not an earthquake in the Yang Palace", the solar eclipse and the earthquake occurred on the same day, but the Han Cheng Emperor was frightened, wondering if he had done something wrong, so that God was unhappy and angry. So he issued an edict saying, "Gai Wen was born with all the people, and he can't rule each other, so he will set up a king to rule them." If you have the way, the grass and trees and insects will be salty; If the king is not virtuous, he will see the heavens and the earth, and the disaster will be different, so that he will not be cured. I am very afraid of the eclipse and the earthquake. The secretary of state thinks about his mistakes and understands Chen Zhi. ”

Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty is named Liu Biao, and he is also a famous lustful emperor in history, but although he is mediocre, he is still self-aware, and he must hold himself accountable, hoping that the courtiers will point out his wrongs in order to correct them. However, the courtier Du Qin believed that "the earthquake in the night hall must be suitable for concubines, and they will compete for favor and harm each other and become patients." It means that if there is an earthquake in the palace at night, it must be a disaster caused by the concubines in the palace competing for favor, jealousy and framing each other, and making the harem messy.

From a historical point of view, Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty is a famous *monarch. The empress of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty is very famous, everyone may know that her name is Zhao Feiyan, and Zhao Feiyan also has a younger sister named Zhao Hede, and Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty favors the Zhao sisters. Feiyan is "crispy on the body", and Hede is "soft as boneless", which makes Emperor Cheng intoxicated. The sisters took turns to sleep, and often shared a bed with three people. In addition to being good at flattery, Feiyan will also prepare an aphrodisiac that helps impotence, which is addictive as soon as you take it, and you can't quit it. Therefore, Emperor Cheng became the most famous aphrodisiac emperor among the emperors of all dynasties. Every time I go to bed with the Zhao sisters, I have to have one and enjoy happiness in the gentle township.

Obviously, Duchin's earthquake theory is a kind of collateral. But judging from the harem life of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty above, this should be Du Qin's reminder to Liu Biao from the side, not to indulge in harem women, and to be more rational about the government. Understood in this way, Duchin's postscript is still commendable. But Emperor Han Cheng did not wake up from the earthquake, but went his own way, and died at the age of 45. Before he died, he slept with Zhao Hede, took aphrodisiacs for a night, and was found dead in bed at dawn. It is said that when he died, he was blood-colored and dripping, and the sheets were stained.

The great earthquake that occurred when Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty was valued by later generations, and was used as an example for the emperor, "The Biography of Yang Zhen in the History of the Song Dynasty" (Volume 300), in the winter of the third year of the reign of Zhao Zhen of Song Zhenzong, a major earthquake occurred in Hebei. The following year there was another solar eclipse. Yang Jin wrote, "When Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, the solar eclipse earthquake, the world of mourning and peace, the heirs were repeatedly extinct, so this day also showed the warning." Your Majesty should appoint an heir as soon as possible to answer the will of heaven. ”

Traitors are considered to be signs of an earthquake. During the period when Yan Songquan, a famous traitor of the Ming Dynasty, was in favor of the government and the opposition, there was a major earthquake, and the people of the time attributed the responsibility to him. In "The Biography of Yang Jisheng in the History of the Ming Dynasty" (volume 209), Yang Jisheng once wrote to the then Jiajing Emperor, that is, Zhu Houxi of the Ming Dynasty in history, saying that "today, the outer thief only answers, and the inner thief only Yan Song, and there is no internal thief who does not go, but can remove the thief." In the spring of last year, the thunder was silent for a long time, and Zhan said: The dictatorship of the minister. There is red under the winter sun, and Zhan said: There are traitors below. There were earthquakes in all directions, and the sun and the moon were eclipsed. The minister thinks that the disasters are all caused by Song, please take the ten sins of Song as Your Majesty. "The earthquake has nothing to do with Yan Song's reign, I think that the upright courtiers at that time wanted to get rid of Yan Song, so they took the opportunity to find a reason.

Yan Song was indeed too powerful at that time, and the history books recorded, "The world knows that there is Song, but I don't know that there is Your Majesty." The common people may not know who the emperor is, but no one does not know who Yan Song is. But the earthquake failed to knock Yan Song down, and then because his son Yan Shifan was affected by his misdeeds, he was cut by the emperor to serve the people, fined and confiscated his family property, and finally died of poverty. It is said that Yan Song left a masterpiece when he died, "he served the country in his life but was loyal, and his death was based on people's right and wrong", and he did not think that he was the culprit of the earthquake and the corruption of the dynasty that year.

From time to time, the ancients associated earthquakes with many strange phenomena. "The Book of Jin Liu Cong" (volume 102) records that when Liu Cong, the king of the Han Dynasty, was in power during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, there was a major earthquake in Pingyang. At that time, a village woman gave birth to a two-headed child, and the child's uncle thought that the child was a monster, so he put him in a pot and cooked him, and ate it. What's even more incredible is that after eating the child for three days, this person died mysteriously. The two-headed child was apparently caused by the mother's distortion during pregnancy, but at the time, it was absurd to associate it with the occurrence of the earthquake.

Others treat the natural phenomena caused by earthquakes as a signal, thinking that the heavens will appear and perform divination.

"Jin Shu Feng Baji" volume 125) records, "It is rumored that the earthquake and landslide in the Bajing realm, and the storks in Hongguangmen are broken." There was another earthquake, and the right bed was broken. asked Min Shang and said: "There have been frequent changes in the ground over the years, and Qing Ke can clearly explain the reason." Shang said: "The earth, the yin, the lord people." There are left and right earthquakes, and this earthquake is to the right, and the ministers are afraid that the people will move west. "When the building fell to the right during the earthquake, it was clearly a superstition to think that people were going to flee to the west.

However, historically, the year of the earthquake was mostly before and after major personnel changes in the upper echelons or the imperial court, and it was also accompanied by the death of big figures, such as the well-known Tangshan earthquake in 1976, when Zhou Enlai and other national leaders passed away. Is this a coincidence, or is there some kind of connection? There is no convincing explanation.

For example, Emperor Wen of Sui Emperor Yang Jian abolished the crown prince Yang Yong, and later became the famous emperor Yang Guang in Chinese history, when the crown prince occurred, there was a major earthquake. "Sui Shu Gaozu Benji" (volume 2) records, "And the crown prince was brave and abolished, and he was established as the crown prince." It is the month, and it should be registered. Gao Zu said: 'I will become the emperor with great prosperity. 'The order is out of Daxing County. At night, strong winds and heavy snow, earthquakes and landslides caused many houses to be damaged, crushing more than 100 people. ”

However, although the ancients' explanation of the earthquake is nonsense, after the earthquake occurred, they were generally able to actively fight the earthquake and alleviate the suffering of the people, which is the policy that the ancient and modern governments of China have retained. For example, during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, "Ningxia earthquake, Chalang Achi went to relief". In the Sichuan earthquake that occurred on May 12, Premier *** of the State Council immediately took various functional officials to the disaster relief, which won the support of the people.

In August of the seventh year of Yuan Dade (September 25, 1303 AD), it happened in many places such as Zhaocheng, Hongdong, and Beijing in Shanxi. According to the "Biography of Zhao Mengfu in the History of the Yuan Dynasty" (volume 172), "it was the year of the earthquake, especially in Beijing, the ground subsided, the black sand water gushed out, hundreds of thousands of people were killed and injured (according to other research, 270,000 people died), the emperor was deeply worried", at that time, even Yuan Chengzong Tiemu's fungus was deeply sad, and he couldn't even eat. After the earthquake, the Yuan government exempted the disaster area from taxes for three years.

In the face of such a disaster, the Chinese have always been fearless, and many good people have emerged.

For example, in the earthquake during the Yuan Dade period, the civil disaster relief force played a great role. "Yuan Shi Xiaoyou I" (volume 197) has such a record, "There is Jia Jin, Datongren." In the ninth year of Dade, the earthquake caused many injuries to the people's houses, and there was a lack of food, so they were given wine, medicine, charcoal, and rice. Every winter, hundreds of people who make cotton fur are cold. Buy land for righteousness, so that those who have no grave may be buried. ”