Preface (叙)叙曰
1How could it be strange that the founders of the Three Kingdoms came from wonders?
叙曰,“大抵古之聖人方其禮樂興邦仁義設敎,則怪力亂神在所不語.然而帝王之將興也,膺符命受圗籙必有以異於人者,然後能乗大變握大噐成大業也.故河出圗洛出書而聖人作.以至虹繞神母而誕羲,龍感女登而注炎,皇娥遊窮桑之野有神童自稱白帝子交通而生小昊.簡狄呑卵而生契,姜嫄履跡而生弃.胎孕十四月而生堯,龍交大澤而生沛公.自此而降豈可殫記.然則三國之始祖皆發乎神異何足怪㦲.此紀異之所以𠌲諸篇也,意在斯焉.”
The preface (叙) says.
In general, when the sages of old raised the state with rites and music and set forth their teaching with humanity and righteousness, the strange, the violent, the disorderly, and the spirits were among the things they did not speak of.
Yet when an emperor or king was about to rise, he answered Heaven's mandate (符命) and received the charts and registers (圖籙), and there was always something that set him apart from other men. Only then could he ride the great change, grasp the great vessel, and complete the great work.
Thus the chart came out of the Yellow River and the writing came out of the Luo River, and the sages arose.
It went as far as a rainbow circling the divine mother and giving birth to Fuxi, and a dragon stirring Nüdeng and giving birth to Yandi.
When Huang'e wandered in the fields of Qiongsang, there was a divine boy who called himself the son of the White Emperor. They joined, and she bore Shaohao.
Jiandi swallowed an egg and bore Xie. Jiangyuan stepped in a footprint and bore Qi.
A pregnancy of fourteen months gave birth to Emperor Yao. A dragon coupled at a great marsh and gave birth to the Duke of Pei.
How could all that came down from then on be written out in full?
Then how could it be called strange that the founders of the Three Kingdoms all came from divine wonders?
This is why the "Wonders" are placed at the head of the several chapters. The meaning lies here.