Zhōu Xuān appellation Kǒnghé, was a Lèān man.

周宣字孔和，樂安人也。

He became a prefecture official. The Administrator Yáng Pèi dreamed of a man saying: “In the eighth moon first day Excellency Cáo will arrive, and certainly give you a staff, and have you drink drugged liquor.” He had Xuān interpret it.

為郡吏。太守楊沛夢人曰：「八月一日曹公當至，必與君杖，飲以藥酒。」使宣占之。

At the time the Yellow Scarves bandits were rising, and Xuān answered: “A staff allows the weak to rise, drugs cure men’s sickness. On the eighth moon first day, the bandits will certainly be exterminated.”

是時黃巾賊起，宣對曰：「夫杖起弱者，藥治人病，八月一日，賊必除滅。」

When the time arrived, the bandits were indeed defeated.

至期，賊果破。

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Later Dōngpíng’s Liú Zhēn dreamed of a snake growing four legs, and burrowing into a gate. He had Xuān interpret it, and Xuān said: “This is a dream about the state, not your household matters. They will kill the women that became bandits.” Shortly afterward, the women bandits Zhèng and Jiāng were then both suppressed and destroyed, because the snake was the women’s auspicious sign, but legs are not what a snake should have.

後東平劉楨夢蛇生四足，穴居門中，使宣占之，宣曰：「此為國夢，非君家之事也。當殺女子而作賊者。」頃之，女賊鄭、姜遂俱夷討，以蛇女子之祥，足非蛇之所宜故也。

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Wén-dì [Cáo Pī] asked Xuān: “I dreamed of the palace roof having two tiles fall to the ground, and transform into a pair of ducks. What do you say of that?”

Xuān answered: “The Rear Palace [the harem] will have someone violently die.”

The Emperor said: “I am only tricking you!”

Xuān answered: “Dreams are only thoughts, but if what I say comes true, then they can predict good and bad fortune.”

His had not finished speaking, when the Yellow Gate Director memorialized that the harem women were killing each other.

文帝問宣曰：「吾夢殿屋兩瓦墮地，化為雙鴛鴦，此何謂也？」宣對曰：「後宮當有暴死者。」帝曰：「吾詐卿耳！」宣對曰：「夫夢者意耳，苟以形言，便占吉凶。」言未畢，而黃門令奏宮人相殺。

Very soon, the Emperor again asked: “I yesterday night dreamed of a blue-green mist from the ground reaching the sky.”

Xuān answered: “The realm Under Heaven will have a great woman be forced to death.”

At the time, the Emperor had already sent envoy to bestow on Empress Zhēn an Imperial Sealed letter, heard Xuān’s words and regretted it, and sent someone to pursue the envoy but was too late.

無幾，帝復問曰：「我昨夜夢青氣自地屬天。」宣對曰：「天下當有貴女子冤死。」是時，帝已遣使賜甄后璽書，聞宣言而悔之，遣人追使者不及。

The Emperor again asked: “I dreamed of rubbing a coin’s engraving, wishing to erase it but only making it brighter. What does it mean?”

Xuān was upset and did not answer. the Emperor again asked him, and Xuān answered: “This is from Your Majesty’s family matters. Though you wish something the Dowager-Empress will not agree, and this is the engraving you wish to erase but only becomes brighter.”

At the time the Emperor wished to punish his younger brother [Cáo] Zhí’s crimes, was pressured by the Dowager-Empress, and only demoted his rank. Xuān was appointed Internal Cadet, subordinate to the Grand Scribe.

帝復問曰：「吾夢摩錢文，欲令滅而更愈明，此何謂邪？」宣悵然不對。帝重問之，宣對曰：「此自陛下家事，雖意欲爾而太后不聽，是以文欲滅而明耳。」時帝欲治弟植之罪，偪於太后，但加貶爵。以宣為中郎，屬太史。

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Once someone asked Xuān: “I yesterday night dreamed of seeing a straw dog. What does it mean?”

Xuān answered: “You will obtain a gourmet meal and that is all!”

Shortly afterward, he was going out, and indeed encountered an abundant feast.

嘗有問宣曰：「吾昨夜夢見芻狗，其占何也？」宣答曰：「君欲得美食耳！」有頃，出行，果遇豐膳。

Later he again asked Xuān: “Yesterday night I again dreamed of seeing a straw dog. What does it mean?”

Xuān said: “You will fall from your carriage and break your leg. You should be careful of that.”

Shortly afterward, it was indeed as Xuān said.

後又問宣曰：「昨夜復夢見芻狗，何也？」宣曰：「君欲墮車折腳，宜戒慎之。」頃之，果如宣言。

Later he again asked Xuān: “Yesterday night I again dreamed of seeing a straw dog. What does it mean?”

Xuān said: “Your house will catch fire. You should guard well against it.”

Very soon there was indeed a fire.

後又問宣：「昨夜復夢見芻狗，何也？」宣曰：「君家失火，當善護之。」俄遂火起。

He said to Xuān: “Those three times, I did not actually dream anything. I was only testing you. How did it all come true?”

Xuān answered: “This was spirits moving you to speak, and therefore you had real dreams that you did not remember.”

語宣曰：「前後三時，皆不夢也。聊試君耳，何以皆驗邪？」宣對曰：「此神靈動君使言，故與真夢無異也。」

He again asked Xuān: “The three dreams were a straw dog but the fortunes were not the same. Why?”

Xuān said: “The straw dog is a thing for sacrificing to spirits. Therefore your first dream, was to obtain a meal. When the sacrifices are finished, then the straw dog is run over by a carriage, and therefore your middle dream was about falling from a carriage and breaking a leg. After the straw dog is run over by a carriage, it will certainly be used as fire fuel, and therefore the last dream was about fire.”

又問宣曰：「三夢芻狗而其占不同，何也？」宣曰：「芻狗者，祭神之物。故君始夢，當得餘食也。祭祀既訖，則芻狗為車所轢，故中夢當墮車折腳也。芻狗既車轢之後，必載以為樵，故後夢憂失火也。」

Xuān’s interpretation of dreams, was all of this sort.

宣之敘夢，凡此類也。

He was right eight to nine times out of ten, and at the time he was compared to [Zhū] Jiànpíng’s physiognomy. The remaining correct predictions are therefore not listed. At the end of Míng-dì’s reign [239] he died.

十中八九，世以比建平之相矣。其餘效故不次列。明帝末卒。