From a Child, Zi Wei Dou Shu‘s Master Chen Tuan Saw the Mandate of Heaven
In the final years of the Later Tang dynasty, as Khitan forces invaded, refugees fled inland. One day, while strolling through the streets, Master Chen Tuan noticed a weary woman carrying a bamboo basket with two children inside. Observing them, he softly recited, “Do not say the emperor is young; the emperor will bear the burden.”
Unbeknownst to her, this woman would later become Empress Dowager Du, and those two boys were none other than Zhao Kuangyin, the future Emperor Taizu of Song, and his brother Zhao Kuangyi, the future Emperor Taizong. Chen Tuan foresaw the rise of the Song dynasty over two decades before its founding.
In another encounter, Chen Tuan met Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Pu drinking together in Chang’an. Pushing Zhao Pu under the table, he remarked, “You are merely a minor star beside Zi Wei—how dare you sit so high?” Though Zhao Kuangyin was puzzled, he soon realized Chen Tuan’s profound insight and asked about his future. The master only hinted, “The star of you and your brother shines far brighter than his.”
Years later, when Zhao Kuangyin seized the throne through the Chenqiao Mutiny, becoming the founding emperor of the Song dynasty, Chen Tuan, passing through Hua Yin on a donkey, heard the news and laughed heartily. When asked why, he replied, “Your people are truly blessed—peace has come to the land from this day forward.”
This moment became a legendary story in Chinese history.