Yang Bochou, a strange man in Sui Dynasty: The Book of Changes and Eight Diagrams are just props of charlatans.

The mysterious culture in ancient China was quite popular, and charlatans were always sought after by people. Anecdotes about warlocks are written not only by unofficial history, but also by official history. For example, Yang Bochou, a warlock of the Sui Dynasty, has a special biography in Sui Shu. Yang Bochou was from Wuxiang, Fengyi (now Dali, Shaanxi). He likes studying the Book of Changes. In his early years, he lived in seclusion in Huashan, but his reputation was abroad. In the early years of Emperor Wendi, Emperor Wendi heard his name and called him into the court. Since he is a warlock, his behavior is naturally different from ordinary people. Yang Bochou didn't bother to bow when he saw the dignitaries in the court. He looks very arrogant. When speaking, don't address the other person's official position or honorific title, but address him directly. Emperor Wendi asked him some questions, but he ignored them and pretended to be inscrutable. A suit given to him by Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty was taken off and thrown away after he went out to the DPRK. Obviously, Yang Bochou is a master of affectation. Yang Bochou behaved recklessly in court, but he somehow pretended to be crazy when he left the court. During his stay in Beijing, he wandered around the street every day, covered in dirt, never combing his hair or losing his face. No one can understand his temper and thoughts. At that time, there was a warlock in Zhang Yongle who lived as a fortune teller in Beijing. Because they are all I ching gossip lovers, Yang Bochou followed him around the Jianghu. Over time, Zhang Yongle found that Bai Yang's ugly behavior was far above him. Zhang Yongle had some unsolvable problems in divination, so Yang Bochou explained divination for him. It is said that the analysis of Bai Yang's ugliness can often reach the realm of seeking subtlety. Later, Yang Bochou thought divination was a good business and simply started divination himself. One day, someone lost his son and hurried to settle accounts with Yang Bochou. Yang Bochou made a divination and said, "Your son is by the wall on the east side of the south gate of Huaiyuan Square, and a woman in a green skirt is holding him. Go there and find him. " The man went where he said, and the child was there. There is also a couple who have several taels of gold at home. Suddenly one day, the gold disappeared. The husband suspected that his wife was having an affair and was going to kick her out of the house. When my wife was wronged, she came to see Bai Yang's ugly divination. Yang Bochou said after divination, "The gold is still in your house." So she called her family together, and Yang Bochou pointed to one of them and said, "Take out the gold." The man was ashamed and handed over the gold. There was a general named Xu Zhichang who asked Yang Bochou to predict good or bad luck for him. Yang Bochou said: "Traveling far away, it is best not to go to the Northeast. If you have to go, you should return as soon as possible, otherwise, Su Yang, a powerful minister, will cut off your head. " Soon, Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty asked Xu Zhichang to go to Taiyuan to assist his fifth son, Hanwang Yang Liang. Taiyuan is in the northeast of Beijing. According to Yang Bochou's prediction, Xu knew that he often ran out to try his luck. Sure enough, after the death of Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty, Yang Liang rebelled because he was dissatisfied with Yang Di Yang Guang's usurpation. Xu Zhichang found something was wrong and quickly fled back to the capital Chang 'an. Soon, Su Yang led the army to quell the rebellion in Yang Liang. Su Yang and Xu Zhichang have always been estranged. After capturing Taiyuan, the first thing to do was to search for Xu Zhichang and cut off his head. Fortunately, Xu Zhichang listened to Yang Bochou and left Taiyuan early to avoid being killed. The Book of Changes, when someone lost his horse, also came to Yang Bochou for divination. At that time, Yang Bochou was going to the East Palace to meet the prince. On the way, I met the man who lost his horse, so I temporarily took a divination for him and said, "I don't have time to analyze divination for you." Go to the third shop in the south of the east gate of Xishi City and buy me a fish as shredded fish, and you will find the lost horse. " The lost horse went to the west market with a grain of salt, and suddenly found someone holding the lost horse, and immediately stepped forward and caught him. Asian local officials once presented a pearl with a diameter of one inch to Emperor Yang Di. I didn't expect the pearl messenger to secretly replace the pearl with a fake one. Emperor Yang Di suspected that someone had changed pearls, but he was not sure, so he called Bai Yang Ugly to calculate divination. Yang Bochou said, "What comes out of water is bright in color. It should be a big pearl. But now it has been hidden. " Bai Yang even uglily said the name and appearance of the Tibetan Pearl people. Emperor Yang Di ordered people to track it, and soon found the perpetrator. The pearl was recovered, which surprised Emperor Yang-ti and gave Yang Bochou 20 silks and satins. Guo's son, He Tuo, once talked with Yang Bochou about the Book of Changes. Yang Bochou laughed at He Tuo's words: "Aren't you talking about the theories of Zheng Xuan (a Confucian scholar in the Eastern Han Dynasty) and Wang Bi (a Confucian scholar in the Three Kingdoms period)?" Yang Bochou then expounded his views on the Book of Changes. The meaning of the words mentioned is different from that of Confucian scholars in the past, and their thoughts are mysterious. At that time, scholars believed that Yang Bochou had mastered the true meaning of the gossip theory in the Book of Changes. In Sui Shu, Yang Bochou was also highly praised, saying that he was "born unique and very popular". However, although Bai Yang's ugly anecdote has been written into the official history, its authenticity has always been doubtful. First of all, if Yang Bochou really has the ability to "tell the truth", he should exert greater influence in the social life at that time. But the stories recorded in these historical materials are trivial matters in daily life, and none of them can be verified. Even the party in the story, Xu Zhichang (also known as Wei Zhichang), is nothing. This kind of rumor was originally the talk of folk after dinner, and it was simply not enough to be believed. Secondly, Bai Yang's ugly behavior of playing the fool in court is unreasonable. The truly wise people in history, whether they entered the WTO or were born, went with the flow and advanced and retreated according to the facts. Although they will also take some unusual ways to express their maverick, their purpose is clear and they will not be as inexplicable as Yang Bochou. Thirdly, although Yang Bochou is proficient in the Eight Diagrams Theory of the Book of Changes, he can "predict things like a god", but in fact he can't even grasp his own destiny. Yang Bochou is just a charlatan from beginning to end, no different from a street fortune teller. The Book of Changes claims to be a philosophical theory that expounds the changes of everything in the world, and its purpose is to know and grasp the world. However, Yang Bochou made no other achievements except divination in the street. Therefore, it is doubtful whether Yang Bochou really understands the Book of Changes. Sometimes I ching gossip theory is just a prop for charlatans to cheat money. (Text/Xie Zhidong) Yijing