Delve into the tranquil reign of Emperor Yao, marked by harmonious nature, the mystical Qinghui bird, and the enigmatic Western Sea raft.
After Emperor Yao ascended to the throne, his virtuous rule spread far and wide. Along the Yellow River and Luo River, he obtained a jade tablet with inscriptions, measuring one chi in square, depicting the patterns of heaven and earth. He also acquired auspicious golden and jade treasures, with clear and distinct inscriptions arranged in rows, recording the origins of the creation and evolution of heaven and earth. The four villains, Gong Gong, Weidou, Sanmiao, and Gun, had already been eliminated, and virtuous people came to pledge their allegiance. Yao appointed these loyal subjects to various positions, established official titles, and established a proper order. Yao also commanded Great Yu to dredge the river channels and marshes with stagnant water, ensuring that abnormal phenomena related to the heavens and natural beings no longer occurred in the northern and southern regions. Even the swimming fish and flying birds were tamed and found their proper places. In the area north of Yushan, in Youzhou, there is a bird known for its melodious singing. It has a human face, a bird’s beak, eight wings, one leg, and feathers resembling those of a wild chicken. When it walks, its feet do not touch the ground. This bird is called Qinghui. Its melodious and tuneful cries resemble the sounds of bells, chimes, sheng (a musical instrument), and yu (a musical instrument). “Shi Yu” records: “When the Qinghui bird sings, there is great peace throughout the world.” Therefore, during prosperous and peaceful times, the Qinghui bird flies and sings in marshes and lakes with dense water and vegetation. Its singing follows musical harmony. The Qinghui bird prefers to soar high in the sky and never walks on the ground. After Dayu subdued the Great Flood and pacified the world, the Qinghui bird settled in plains and mountains. Wherever the Qinghui bird gathered, individuals of great virtue emerged. Since ancient times, when people began casting various treasure tripods and objects, they would depict the image of the Qinghui bird on them. Praise and inscriptions celebrating the Qinghui bird’s virtue have continued to this day.
During Emperor Yao’s thirtieth year on the throne, a massive wooden raft was floating in the Western Sea. The raft emitted light, shining brightly at night and disappearing during the day. Fishermen at sea observed the fluctuating brightness on the wooden raft, resembling stars and the moon appearing and disappearing behind clouds. The raft frequently floated around the four seas, completing one circuit around the heavens every twelve years in a continuous cycle. People called it the “Moon-Passing Raft,” also known as the “Star-Hanging Raft.” Flying immortals rested on the wooden raft. They rinsed their mouths with dew, and the dew they spat out made the light of the sun and moon appear dim. Records about the appearance and disappearance of this wooden raft ceased during the later periods of Emperors Yu and Shun. Only sailors continued to pass down stories of its mystical presence. To the west of the Western Sea, there is a Floating Jade Mountain, at the base of which lies a massive cave. Inside the cave, there is a peculiar red-colored water that appears like fire. This water is dimly lit during the day and radiantly bright at night, shining through the cave’s entrance. Even when waves crashed, this light did not fade, known as “Yin Fire.” During Emperor Yao’s reign, this “Yin Fire” displayed vibrant colors, transforming into red-colored clouds, illuminating the four directions and calming rivers, making them clear and tranquil. Sailors referred to these red clouds as “Sinking Flames,” symbolizing the auspicious reign of Fire Virtue.
During Emperor Shun’s seventy-year reign, young phoenixes flew in year after year to roost, while qilins roamed in the lush marshes and lakes, and malevolent birds like owls fled to remote deserts. The Zhi nation presented a Heavy-Bright Bird, also known as the “Double-Pupil” Bird, as it was rumored to have double irises in its eyes. This bird resembled a chicken and had a cry resembling that of a phoenix. At times, it shed its feathers but could still fly with fleshed wings. This bird could fight and drive away fierce beasts like tigers and wolves, preventing calamities caused by evil creatures. People fed it with delicious jade ointment. The Heavy-Bright Bird would visit at times, sometimes multiple times a year, and sometimes with years in between. The entire nation would sweep and clean their courtyards, hoping for the Heavy-Bright Bird to come and roost. When the Heavy-Bright Bird was absent, some people carved it from wood, while others cast it in bronze, creating statues in its likeness to place at their doorways, causing ghosts and demons to retreat and hide. Nowadays, people annually place chicken statues, whether carved, cast, or drawn, in their windows on the first day of the lunar year, preserving the shape passed down from the ancient Heavy-Bright Bird.
帝堯在位，聖德光洽。河洛之濱，得玉版方尺，圖天地之形。又獲金璧之瑞，文字炳列，記天地造化之始。四凶既除，善人來服，分職設官，彝倫攸敘。乃命大禹，疏川瀦澤。有吳之鄉，有北之地，無有妖災。沉翔之類，自相馴擾。幽州之墟，羽山之北，有善鳴之禽，人面鳥喙，八翼一足，毛色如雉，行不踐地，名曰青鸐，其聲似鐘磬笙竽也。《世語》曰：“青鸐鳴，時太平。”故盛明之世，翔鳴藪澤，音中律呂，飛而不行。至禹平水土，棲於川岳，所集之地，必有聖人出焉。自上古鑄諸鼎器，皆圖像其形，銘讚至今不絕。堯登位三十年，有巨查浮於西海，查上有光，夜明晝滅。海人望其光，乍大乍小，若星月之出入矣。查常浮繞四海，十二年一周天，周而復始，名曰貫月查，亦謂掛星查，羽人棲息其上。群仙含露以漱，日月之光則如冥矣。虞、夏之季，不復記其出沒。遊海之人，猶傳其神偉也。西海之西，有浮玉山。山下有巨穴，穴中有水，其色若火，晝則通曨不明，夜則照耀穴外，雖波濤灌蕩，其光不滅，是謂“陰火”。當堯世，其光爛起，化為赤雲，丹輝炳映，百川恬澈。遊海者銘曰“沉燃”，以應火德之運也。堯在位七十年，有鸞雛歲歲來集，麒麟遊於藪澤，梟鴟逃於絕漠。有秖支之國獻重明之鳥，一名“雙睛”，言雙睛在目。狀如雞，鳴似鳳。時解落毛羽，肉翮而飛。能搏逐猛獸虎狼，使妖災群惡不能為害。飴以瓊膏。或一歲數來，或數歲不至。國人莫不掃灑門戶，以望重明之集。其未至之時，國人或刻木，或鑄金，為此鳥之狀，置於門戶之間，則魑魅醜類自然退伏。今人每歲元日，或刻木鑄金，或圖畫為雞於牖上，此之遺像也。