This occurred during the Three Kingdoms period in China. Guan Lu (209-256 AD), was a famous and skilled diviner at the time. He Yan and Dang Yang were officials in the state of Cao Wei at the time. He Yan was curious about a dream he was having and knew Guan Lu's reputation. The two went to visit him one day.
He Yan asked Guan Lu to divine his fortune and asked specifically if he would become one of the Excellencies. He also mentioned that he had a recurring dream where dozens of green flies landed on his nose, and they wouldn’t leave no matter how he tried to drive them off. He hoped that Guan Lu might be able to interpret that dream.
Guan Lu did have some thoughts on the subject. As far as becoming an Excellency went, he said that while He Yan had great power in the government, he had few friends and many, many enemies. That could only lead to bad things. For the dream, Guan Lu said that the nose represented a lofty and exalted position; and the fact that it was covered in flies that would not leave was a sign of bad things to come for He Yan. As he put it, “One whose rank is too high will trip; one who takes his power lightly will come to ruin.” He told He Yan to amend his ways or he’d be destroyed before he could achieve his goals.
Dang Yang said that it was just the chattering of an old man, to which Guan Lu replied, “Well, one who has lived long perceives who is devoid of life, and his ‘usual chatter’ apprehends who will no longer chatter at all.”
He Yan responded to this insult by saying that they’d speak again in a year.
By that time next year, though, He Yan and Deng Yang had both been executed.
He Yan and Deng Yang both died in the Incident at Gaoping Tombs in 249 AD.
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