“赤九”谶与“赤精子之谶”性质相近，皆为西汉成帝之时甘忠可、夏贺良等人所撰，目的在于劝说成帝封禅改制。此谶虽为成帝而造，但在成帝之时并未产生效果，其作用发挥于西汉哀帝以至东汉章帝期间。哀帝于建平二年六月的改元易号，是受其影响。莽汉之际，“起兵者皆称后汉”的局面与其颇有关系。更始帝与汉光武先后以移花接木的方式将“赤九世”坐实为自己，藉以证明天命在己，获取士民归附。“赤九”谶还对东汉前期的政治有着重大影响。东汉的宗庙制度是围绕它建立起来的，东汉前期以“制礼乐”为政治目标，也是受其推动。“赤九”谶之所以能具有这种影响，是两汉之际的特殊历史背景造成的。

The Prophesy of the “Essential Spirit of Red” and Politics of the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties

Dai Guoxi

With similar character, the prophesies of the essential spirit of Red and the ninth generation of Red were both written by Gan Zhongke and Xia Heliang et al. in the reign of Emperor Chengdi of the Western Han, aiming at persuading the emperor to change the ritual system and offer sacrefices to Heaven and Earth. However, the prophesies did not function at that time, but played a role in the period from Emperor Aidi of the Western Han to Emperor Zhangdi of the Eastern Han. Emperor Aidi changed the designation of his reign in June, 5 B.C. was affected by those prophesies, and the situation that the leaders who rose rebellions in the reign of Wang Mang all called themselves as the “successor of the Han dynasty” was also rela ted to them. Emperors Gengshi and Guangwu successively grafted themselves onto the “ninth generation of Red” to gain allegiance of the people. Moreover, the prophesy of the “ninth generation of Red” had a significant impact on politics of the early Eastern Han dynasty. The ancestral temple system was established around this prophesy, and it promoted “making rites and music” to be  the political object in this period. Such influence was caused by the special historical background in the transitional period of the two Han dynasties.