Qian Li Ming Gao (千里命稿)

觀夫世界之廣大，宇宙之奇妙，人事之渺茫，若可知，若不可知，雖聖人亦不敢以論斷定也。然一春一秋，物故者新；一晝一夜，花開者謝。廢興成毀，盈虛依伏；大而名利，細而飲啄。默察一切，冥冥中似有定之者，故聖人不敢以論斷定者。今可於中仄盈虧之象，五行生剋之理之中，求之而百不失一焉。

Looking at this world so vast and the universe so marvelous, human affairs seem so uncertain, as if knowable yet unknowable. Even sages dare not make definitive statements. Yet within a single spring and autumn, old things die and new ones arise; within a single day and night, flowers that bloom in the morning wither by evening. Success and decline, achievement and destruction, fullness and emptiness depend on each other and lie hidden within one another. Whether great as fame and fortune or small as a sip of drink or a single grain of rice, all follow this pattern. By quietly observing these things, one senses an unseen force governing them, which is why sages do not easily make judgments. Now, this principle can be sought in the heavenly phenomena, such as the sun reaching its zenith and then tilting westward, or the moon waxing to fullness and then waning. It can also be found in the "Five Phases" or the mutual generation and mutual control of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. By seeking it in these ways, there will be no error in a hundred cases.

餘始對於命運，乃深信而不疑。曩歲因事至申，訪韋子千里於其寓，論往指來，不爽禾黍。且評語簡明透澈，以少勝多。非深於道，明於理，通於儒，洞明乎世事者，弗能也。然餘有感焉，江湖述士之流，恆籍此為生，理既不明，語亦鄙陋，大雅君子，為之不齒。

I only then fully believed in the matter of destiny. A few years ago, I went to Shanghai (Shanghai is also called "Shen"), and visited Mr. Wei Qianli at his residence. He interpreted my past and advised me about my future, and his words were completely accurate. Moreover, his comments were concise and clear, explaining many things with very few words. Only someone who has deeply studied divination, thoroughly understands worldly affairs, is well-versed in Confucian learning, and has insight into human nature could achieve such a level. However, I also had a feeling of regret: those fortune-tellers in the world usually rely on this trade for a living. They cannot explain the principles clearly, and their speech is crude and vulgar, so scholars of high status and cultivation look down upon this profession.

命理之學，晦而不彰，安得如韋子者作中流之砥柱耶。今韋子學益進，出其餘緒，編印《命學講義》一書問世，蒙示全稿，吟誦之餘，覺奧邃詳明，裨補後學，余嘗有志於斯而未能，今又有鞭策之者矣。敢不勉旃，敢不勉旃。詩云：“高山仰止，景行行止”，雖不能至心響往之，爰書此以歸。韋子其樂而教之乎，是有命焉，非餘所敢望也。公元一九三四年七月楊叔和於蚌埠大淮報館

This discipline of fate and destiny has therefore become obscure and unable to flourish, where else can we find someone like Mr. Wei, who can stand firm in turbulent waters? Now Mr. Wei has advanced further in his studies, and with his remaining capacity, he has compiled a book called "Treatise on Destiny Studies" and published it for the world. He has entrusted me with the complete manuscript, and after I have read it repeatedly, I feel that this book is both profound and well-organized, greatly beneficial to those who come after. I once had aspirations in this field but failed to achieve them; now there is someone beside me urging me on, how could I not strive harder, how could I not strive harder. The "Book of Songs," "Small Odes," "Cart Yoke" says, "Looking up to the high mountain, following the broad path." The high mountain inspires admiration, the great path inspires following; although I may not reach that level, my heart is deeply yearning for it, so I have written this preface to return to him. Will Mr. Wei be willing to teach me? This is also determined by fate, not something I dare to expect. This preface was written in July of 1934, by Yang Shuhe at the Da Huai Newspaper Office in Bengbu.

餘於公餘之暇，喜讀命學諸書。凡坊間古籍名著，均先後蒐羅，迭經殫心參研，苦無心得，如《星平會海》、《三命通會》、《滴天髓》等書，或博而寡約，或簡奧難明，往復思索，雖略曉其意，終未了然於胸。客歲識鴛湖韋君千里，一見如故，蓋知其秉承家學，精研有素者也。讀其所纂之《精選命理約言》一書，深佩其註釋精微、闡揚命學之功，不在素庵相國下也。

While working, I enjoy reading books on destiny studies. I have collected all the famous ancient texts circulating in the market, and have repeatedly tried to study them thoroughly, but I have been troubled by the lack of personal insights. Works such as "Star and Balance in the Sea of Fate," "Complete Compendium of the Three Fates," and "Dropping the Sky's Essence" are either too voluminous without a clear structure or written in a concise and obscure manner that is difficult to understand. Although I have pondered them repeatedly and have a general understanding of their meanings, I have never fully grasped their essence. Last year, I met a person from Yuanhu (another name for Jiaxing), Mr. Wei Qianli. From the first meeting, we became close friends, and I realized that he had inherited his family's scholarly tradition and had put in solid efforts in this field. After reading his compiled work "Selected Essentials of Destiny Studies," I deeply admired his meticulous annotations and his contributions to the development of destiny studies. His work is no less than that of the original author, Chen Su'an, a late Ming dynasty minister.

君復以命學之式微，胥由古籍說理未透，今歲月於百忙中，編《命學講義》，以授海內有志斯學者。餘因加入研究，先獲其稿，披覺竟日，恍然有悟。昔日之所疑難者，今皆迎刃而解矣，他書中支離瑣屑之點，亦均條分縷晰，舉例闡明，矛盾謬誤之處，則說理指正，充推子平正宗，不僅為初學者必讀之書，亦可供精究者參考之籍。書成，將奧邃詳明，裨補後學，殊非淺鮮。余嘗有志於斯而未能，今又有鞭付剞劂，餘乃樂為之序。甲戌仲秋嘉定駱經畲

Wei Jun also believed that the decline of the art of divination was due to the lack of clear explanations in ancient texts. Therefore, this year, amidst his busy schedule, he compiled "The Essentials of Destiny Studies" to teach those who are devoted to this discipline. Since I participated in the research, I was the first to receive the manuscript. I spent an entire day reading it and suddenly had a clear understanding: previous doubts and difficulties are now easily resolved; the fragmented and trivial content in other books is here clearly explained with examples; contradictions and errors in previous works are corrected and clarified, making this a true representative of the "Zi Ping" school (Zi Ping refers to the method of eight characters divination passed down by Xu Ziping of the Song dynasty). It is not only essential reading for beginners but also a valuable reference for those who have already deeply studied this field. After the book was completed, its profound yet clear explanations will greatly benefit future learners. I once had a desire to contribute to this field but was unable to do so. Now that this book is about to be printed ("ji jue" originally refers to the carving tools used in book printing, and here it means the act of publishing), I am delighted to write this preface. Written in the middle autumn of the Jia Xu year, by Luo Jingye from Jiading.

韋子千里，少負奇才，幼承庭訓，家學淵源，挾君平術，為人權衡，談必微中。與之語世道，辯古今事當否；論人高下，事後常成敗。若河決下流而東注，若駟馬駕輕車就熟路，飽學老成，固非世俗所能望其肩背，且慷慨好義，憂世疾憤，輒嘗論世道崎嶇，人心險詐，魑魅諮肆，魍魎橫行，未嘗不嘆息痛恨於挽狂瀾之乏術也，

Master Wei Qianli had a remarkable talent from a young age. He was educated by his father and had a solid academic background. With the skill of "Junping," which refers to the tradition of divination and fortune-telling, he would assess people's destinies. When he spoke, he often hit the key points. When discussing the world's affairs, he could clearly discern whether certain actions in ancient times were right or wrong. When evaluating people's merits and demerits, his predictions often proved accurate later. His speech flowed like a mighty river breaking its banks, or like four strong horses driving a light carriage on a familiar road. His knowledge was profound and his insight mature, far beyond the reach of ordinary people. Moreover, he was generous and righteous, deeply concerned about worldly matters. He often spoke about the hardships of the times, the treachery of human hearts, the rampant activities of supernatural beings, and the prevalence of evil forces. Without fail, he would sigh and regret his lack of means to reverse the tide.

予諷之日，徒言無補於事，空談不如實行，君抱稀世之才，挾君平神技，曷不將命學公開，廣為宣傳，使人人得知命理。預識趨避之道，槽權己衡人，兩相裨益，彼魅魁魍雖熾，或得稍斂其跡，未始非治標之一法也，我子曷不圖乎？君聞言奮然起曰：誠如子言，餘當知所勉矣。乃毅然決然，將所學供獻於世人，創辦命學函授於韋氏命苑，未及匝月，成績裴然，國中聞風響學者，日必數十起，

I advised him: merely talking about it is of no help, empty words are worse than practical action. You possess rare talent and have mastered the divine skills of Junping. Why not make your knowledge of destiny public and widely spread it, so that everyone can understand the principles of fate, know in advance how to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and be able to evaluate oneself and others, benefiting both sides. Although those evil spirits and ghosts may be flourishing now, they might be somewhat restrained as a result. This could be a way to address the problem at its surface. Why don't you do it? Wei Jun listened and rose up with determination, saying: Just as you said, I should now know how to make an effort. So he resolutely contributed his knowledge to the world, establishing a correspondence course in destiny studies called "Wei's School of Destiny." Within a month, the results were remarkable. Every day, people from all over the country heard of it and came to study, with dozens coming each day.

而筆政冗繁，案續勞形，雖日以繼夜，案頭常積卷盈尺，漸臻精力不繼，輒對之漢曰：餘不勝其勞矣。而欲罷湧者其奈何？竊相與憂而莫能相助。於是轉輾焦思，若有所得，即欣然謂韋子曰：君不將函授講義，收集成冊，發行單行本問世，如要則於君可一勞永逸，於學者不啻躬沐教誨，豈非一舉二得者耶，君以為可，乃夜發書，焚膏繼晷，將手編講義，重行邏輯，補遺拾漏，去腐存菁。

But the work of answering letters was too complicated and tedious. Although he worked day and night, the pile of documents on his desk often reached a foot high, and gradually his energy ran out. He often sighed in front of these documents, saying: I can't stand this hard work anymore. But I can't stop, what should I do? I worried about him privately, but couldn't help. So he thought and thought again, and seemed to have found a solution. He was happy and said to Wei Jun: Why don't you collect your correspondence lessons into a book and publish it as a separate volume? This would be a one-time solution for you, and for scholars it would be no less than receiving personal instruction. Isn't that a win-win situation? Wei Jun thought it feasible, so he started writing all night, burning the lamp and oil, working day and night, reorganizing the notes he had compiled, adding what was missing, removing the bad parts, and keeping the good ones.

其間皆根據先哲之立言，參以一己之實驗，提綱摘要，纂言扣玄，發人所不敢發，道人所未曾道，由淺顯而入於深奧，一氣貫通，不愧為學命梯範。夫韋君年少好學，口不絕吟於六藝之文，手不停披於百家之編，識廣學博，著作等身。其生平所述甚宏，具為精警碩論，獨於此命學講義尤多，焉見付梓在即，出版有期，其不紙貴洛陽，不脛而走者，我不信也。公元一九三四年甲戌仲秋季日顧乃平謹識於淞濱逸廬

The content of the book is based on the established teachings of wise scholars of previous dynasties, and then refers to his own practical observations. He summarizes the main points, presents concise statements, explores subtle matters, dares to say what others dare not, and explains what others have not explained. He leads readers from simple to profound, maintaining a continuous flow, and is truly a ladder and model for those entering the study of destiny. Master Wei is young but diligent in learning. He constantly recites texts of the Six Arts (here generally referring to Confucian classics), and continuously consults works of the Hundred Schools of Thought. His knowledge is extensive, his learning broad, and his writings could be piled up to the same height as a person. Throughout his life, he has written a great deal, all of which are profound and insightful discussions. Among these, this work, "Treatise on Destiny," has been particularly carefully composed. Now that it is about to be printed and will soon be published, I do not believe it will not become as popular as Zuo Si's "Three Capitals" of the Jin Dynasty, causing paper to be expensive in Luoyang and spreading widely without needing to be carried. This preface was written on the last day of the middle autumn in the year Jiaxu (1934), and Gu NaiPing respectfully records it at the Suzhong Yilu.

祿命之學，由來已久。如言數理者，言星辰者，言子平者，以常情測之，僉依據於了平一書。夫命不可信乎？唐呂才有言：長平坑卒，曷嘗共犯三刑；南陽貴人，未必盡逢六合。命不可信乎，南史沈攸之嘗言：早知窮達有命，恨不十年讀書。故孔子五十而知天命，孟子曰莫非命也，順受其正，是以知命者，不立乎嚴牆之下。然則命之可信與否，其精微奧妙，寂靜感通，誠不易言也。

The study of calculating destiny has existed for a long time. There are different schools of thought: one focusing on numbers and mathematics, another on stars and constellations, and another on the system of Zi Ping. According to common reasoning, all these schools base their theories on the book of Zi Ping (the original text mistakenly writes "leping" instead of "Zi Ping"). So, is destiny really reliable? In the Tang Dynasty, Lu Cai once said: could it be that all the hundreds of thousands of surrendered soldiers killed in the Battle of Changping were all subject to the Three Punishments? And could it be that all the noble people from Nanyang necessarily encountered the Six Harmonies? According to this, destiny seems unreliable. However, destiny also seems reliable: the Southern History records that Shen Youzhi once said, if he had known that success and failure in life are determined by fate, he would have regretted not reading ten more years of books. Therefore, Confucius said that at fifty he understood the will of heaven, and Mencius said that nothing is not determined by fate, and one should follow the right path to accept it. Therefore, those who understand destiny would not stand under a wall about to collapse (from Mencius, "The Utmost Goodness," the original text says "yanchuang"). Thus, whether destiny is reliable or not, its subtle and profound principles, which are still and yet responsive, are really difficult to explain clearly.

吾儕讀古人書，研摩命理，無非求際遇之順利，聲譽之暢達，素位而行，有從不背，要皆修身之一助耳。丁茲人心澆薄，世道衰微，講求命運，更應趨吉避凶，免非就是，為常務之急。餘不敢謂之命，只謂推命而已。

We who read the writings of ancients and study destiny are merely seeking smooth circumstances, fame and success, contentment in our positions, and acting according to proper principles without overstepping our roles. In the end, all of this is just a means to cultivate ourselves. In this age of shallow morals and declining ways, emphasizing fate should focus on avoiding misfortune and choosing the right path, which is the most urgent matter at present. Therefore, I dare not claim to be able to determine people's destinies; I can only offer them fortune readings.

溯行道以還，所見富貴之命固多，貧賤之命，實亦不少。茲特先集百餘則，公諸同好，並加批註，籍為研究之資。至因革損益，論短評長，皆折衷於典籍。若云創作，則吾豈敢。如瑩巨碩宏文，進而教之，更幸甚矣。民國乙亥夏日浙江嘉興韋千里謹識於春申寓次。

Since I have been engaged in this profession, I have seen many wealthy and prosperous destinies, but in fact, there are also not a few of poor and humble ones. Now I will compile over a hundred examples of命例 (fate cases) and share them with fellow enthusiasts, adding comments to each case as research material. As for some parts that may have been inherited, modified, or added or deleted, discussing their merits and drawbacks, I will take classical texts as the standard for resolution. To call this my own creation would be an overstatement. If there are scholars with broad insights who are willing to offer further guidance, that would be even more fortunate. In the summer of the Year Yihai of the Republic of China, Wei Qianli from Jiaxing, Zhejiang, records this at his residence in Chunshen (Shanghai).

問：何謂十天干，十二地支。答：甲、乙、丙、丁、戊、己、庚、辛、壬、癸，此為十天干；子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥，此為十二地支。問：何謂六十花甲子？答：十天干，十二地支以次聯貫，即構成下列六十花甲子。甲子，乙丑，丙寅，丁卯，戊辰，己巳，庚午，辛未，壬申，癸酉，甲戌，乙亥，丙子，丁丑，戊寅，己卯，庚辰，辛己，壬午，癸未，甲申、己酉，丙戌，丁亥，戊子，己丑，庚寅，辛卯，壬辰，癸巳，甲午，己未，丙申，丁酉，戊戌，己亥，庚子，辛丑，壬寅，癸卯。甲辰，乙巳，丙午，丁未，戊申，己酉，庚戌，辛亥，壬子，癸丑，甲寅，乙卯，丙辰，丁巳，戊午，己未，庚申，辛酉，壬戌，癸亥。

What is meant by the ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches? The ten characters 甲, 乙, 丙, 丁, 戊, 己, 庚, 辛, 壬, 癸 are called the "ten heavenly stems"; the twelve characters 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥 are called the "twelve earthly branches." All the symbols used in the entire system of four pillars of destiny are composed of these twenty-two characters, so they must be memorized first. What is meant by the "sixty jiazi" (sixty heavenly stem and earthly branch combinations)? By pairing the ten heavenly stems with the twelve earthly branches in sequence, one by one, for example, 甲 pairs with 子, 乙 pairs with 丑, 丙 pairs with 寅, and so on, proceeding in order. Since the heavenly stems consist of ten and the earthly branches consist of twelve, and yang stems can only pair with yang branches, and yin stems can only pair with yin branches, it is not possible to form 120 combinations. Instead, the pairing stops at the sixtyth combination, which is Guihai. After that, it cycles back to Jiazi, continuing endlessly. These sixty combinations are called the "sixty jiazi" (also known as the "sixty heavenly stem and earthly branch combinations"). The heavenly stems and earthly branches used in the four pillars of destiny—year, month, day, and hour—are all selected from these sixty combinations. The following list shows these sixty combinations, starting from Jiazi and ending at Guihai. There are some errors in the original text: the eighteenth combination is mistakenly written as 辛己, it should be Xinsi; the twentieth-two combination is mistakenly written as Jiyou, it should be Yiyou; the thirty-second combination is mistakenly written as Jiwei, it should be Yiwei. The text is reproduced as it is, and readers are advised to check the order from Jiazi to Guihai to verify.

問：四柱是否指年柱，月柱，日柱，時柱。答：然，每柱一干一支，四柱共四干四支，即俗所謂八字是也，例如：甲子（此年柱也）、丙寅（此月柱也）、乙丑（此日柱也）、己卯（此時柱也）。問：假如今年癸酉，其人三十七歲，何以知其所生一處為丁酉。答：此非用推年法不可矣，推年之法多端，干支分推，較為簡便，詳述如下：

Question: So-called "four pillars" refers to the year pillar, month pillar, day pillar, and hour pillar? Answer: Exactly. Each pillar consists of one heavenly stem and one earthly branch. Altogether, the four pillars contain four heavenly stems and four earthly branches, making a total of eight characters, which is commonly called "eight characters". The arrangement is as follows: Jiazi is the year pillar, Bingyin is the month pillar, Yichou is the day pillar, and Jimao is the hour pillar. The four pillars are arranged vertically, with the year at the top and the hour at the bottom. This forms the foundation for divination. Question: If this year is Guiyou, and someone is thirty-seven years old, how can we know the year they were born was Dingyou? Answer: This requires the method of calculating the year. There are several methods for calculating the year, among which separating the heavenly stems and earthly branches and calculating them individually is the simplest. The detailed explanation is given below. (In the Republic era, people often only reported their age in years without recording the heavenly stems and earthly branches, so Wei taught readers to calculate their birth year by working backward from their age.)

推所生之年干：必先將其人歲數之零數，從今年天干起，逆推至若干位，即以其干，為生年天干。（歲數若為整十無零，則作十數論）例如三十七歲，七為零數，今年癸酉，自癸至丁，逆數是得七位（癸一壬二辛三庚四己五戊六丁七），即知所生之年，天干值丁。

First, determine the heavenly stem of the person's birth year. The method is to take the units digit of their age, count backward from this year's heavenly stem by that many positions, and the heavenly stem you land on is the birth year's heavenly stem. If the age is a multiple of ten with a units digit of zero, treat it as ten. This method works because there are ten heavenly stems, cycling every ten years, so the units digit of the age exactly corresponds to the number of positions between the birth year's heavenly stem and this year's heavenly stem. For example, if someone is thirty-seven years old, the units digit is seven, and this year's heavenly stem is Gui. Counting backward seven positions from Gui—Gui is first, Ren is second, Xin is third, Geng is fourth, Ji is fifth, Wu is sixth, and Ding is seventh—when you reach Ding, you know the heavenly stem of the birth year is Ding.

推所生之年支：必先將其人歲數除十二，視其餘數若干，從今年地支起，逆推至若干位。即以其支為生年地支。（若除盡無餘，即作十二數論）例如三十七歲，除三個十二，尚餘一數。今年癸酉，酉屬第一位，即知所生之年，地支值酉（合觀上例，可以知為丁酉年生，即以丁酉兩字，排入年柱可也）

To determine the earthly branch of the birth year, divide the age by twelve and check the remainder. Count backward from the current earthly branch by the number of the remainder, and the branch you land on is the birth year's earthly branch. If there is no remainder, treat it as twelve. The reasoning is the same as before: the earthly branches cycle every twelve years, so the remainder from dividing the age by twelve indicates the number of positions between the current branch and the birth year's branch. For example, if someone is thirty-seven years old, this includes three full cycles of twelve, leaving a remainder of one. If the current branch is You (酉), then You is considered the first position. Therefore, the birth year's branch is also You. Combining this with the heavenly stem Ding (丁) determined earlier, we know the person was born in the year Dingyou (丁酉). Thus, the characters 'Dingyou' are placed in the year pillar.

又如四十八歲。除四個十二，並無餘數。故必須作十二數論，今年癸酉。自酉至戌，逆數適得十二位（酉一申二未三午四巳五辰六卯七寅八丑九子十亥十一戌十二），即知所生之年，地支值戌。又如四十歲。除三個十二，尚餘四數今年癸酉，自酉至午，逆數適得四位（酉一申二未三午四）。即知其所生之年，地支值午。

Take two more examples. For a person who is 48 years old: 48 contains four twelves, and divides exactly with no remainder. According to the previous rules, it should be counted as twelve. This year's earthly branch is You. Counting backward twelve positions from You: You one, Shen two, Wei three, Wu four, Si five, Chen six, Mao seven, Yin eight, Chou nine, Zi ten, Hai eleven, Xu twelve. Counting to Xu, we find that his birth year's earthly branch is Xu. Another example: a person who is 40 years old: 40 contains three twelves, with a remainder of four. This year's earthly branch is still You. Counting backward four positions from You: You one, Shen two, Wei three, Wu four. Counting to Wu, we find that his birth year's earthly branch is Wu. Both examples show that when the remainder is zero, we must add twelve to count correctly, otherwise we would miss a whole cycle.

問：如甲子年，自元旦至除夕，是否始終作甲子推算。答：未可固定。蓋推年以立春為標準，其區別有三也。（一）在本年立春後生者，即以本年之干支，排為年柱。（二）在本年立春前生者，即以上一年之干支，排為年柱。（三）在本年十二月立春後生者，即以下一年之干支，排為年柱。列例如左下：

Question: For example, in the year of Jiazi, from the first day of the first lunar month to the last day of the twelfth lunar month, is the entire year calculated based on Jiazi? Answer: It cannot be considered as a whole. When determining the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year, it is not based on the first day of the first lunar month, but rather on the solar term "Start of Spring." The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year only change at the moment of the Start of Spring. Therefore, there are three situations: First, if someone is born after the Start of Spring of the current year, their year pillar is calculated based on the current year's heavenly stem and earthly branch; Second, if someone is born before the Start of Spring of the current year (even though the first day of the first lunar month has passed, the solar term has not arrived), their year pillar is still calculated based on the previous year's heavenly stem and earthly branch; Third, if someone is born in the twelfth lunar month but the Start of Spring of the next year has already arrived (Start of Spring occurs in the twelfth lunar month, and the solar term belongs to the next year), their year pillar is calculated based on the next year's heavenly stem and earthly branch. The following examples will be given in order.

例一：假定三十七歲，正月初二日亥時生人。照今年癸酉計算，三十七歲，當為丁酉。萬年曆載明是年正月初二日戌時立春，是亥時在戌時之後，已過立春，即以本年干支，丁酉兩字，排為年柱。例二：假定三十七歲正月初二日酉時生人，照今年癸酉計算，三十七歲，當為丁酉，萬年曆載明是年正月初二日戌時立春。是酉時在戌時之前，猶未立春。應以上一年之干支，丙申兩字，排為年柱（丁酉上一年為丙申）。

Example one: Suppose a person is thirty-seven years old and was born on the second day of the first lunar month at the hour of亥 (nine to eleven PM). According to the current year Guiyou, he was born in the year Dingyou. Checking the perpetual calendar, the beginning of spring occurred at the hour of戌 (seven to nine PM) on the second day of the first lunar month. Since the hour of亥 comes after戌, the beginning of spring had already passed at the time of birth, so the year pillar is determined by the current year's stem and branch, Dingyou. Example two: Suppose another person is also thirty-seven years old but was born on the second day of the first lunar month at the hour of酉 (five to seven PM). The same calculation leads to the year Dingyou. The perpetual calendar shows that the beginning of spring occurred at the hour of戌 on that day. Since the hour of酉 comes before戌, the beginning of spring had not yet arrived at the time of birth, so the year pillar cannot be Dingyou. Instead, the previous year's stem and branch, Bingshen, must be used. Although both were born on the same day, differing by just two hours resulted in a difference of one full year in the year pillar, demonstrating the strict division of the solar terms.

例三：假定三十六歲，十二月二十四日已時生人，照今年癸酉計算，三十六歲，當為戊戌，萬年曆載明是年十二月二四日辰時立春，是已時在辰時之後，已過立春，應以下一年之干支，已亥兩字，排為年柱。（戊戌下一年為己亥）。

Example three: Suppose a person was born on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month at the巳 hour (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.). According to the current year Guiyou, the person would have been born in the year Wuxu when they were thirty-six years old. Checking the perpetual calendar, the立春 (Beginning of Spring) was at the辰 hour (7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month in the year Wuxu. The巳 hour comes after the辰 hour, so the person was born after立春 had already occurred. Therefore, although the lunar month is still the twelfth month of the Wuxu year, the year pillar should use the next year's heavenly stem and earthly branch, which is Jihai. This is the third case mentioned earlier. It shows that people born in the twelfth lunar month must check the exact time of立春, otherwise the entire year pillar will be incorrect. (The original text mistakenly wrote「已时」and「已亥」as「已」instead of「巳」and「己」, which is a printing error.)

問：每年十二月建，是否固定。答：此誠固定也。正月建寅，二月建卯，三月建辰，四月建巳，五月建午，六月建未，七月建申，八月建酉，九月建戌，十月建亥，十一月建子，十二月建丑。

Question: Are the "Month Builders" (i.e., the Earthly Branches of the month pillar) fixed for each of the twelve months every year? Answer: This is indeed fixed. The first month is always built on寅, the second on卯, the third on辰, the fourth on巳, the fifth on午, the sixth on未, the seventh on申, the eighth on酉, the ninth on戌, the tenth on亥, the eleventh on子, and the twelfth on丑. This remains the same every year. The reason we start with寅 is that the traditional Chinese calendar begins with the month of寅, making the first month belong to寅; then the Earthly Branches follow in order, so by the twelfth month, we reach丑. Since the Earthly Branch of the month pillar is fixed, the only remaining issue in determining the month pillar is to find out what the Heavenly Stem of that month is.

問：如甲子年，正月建寅，固知其為寅月，然何以知其丙寅月。答：此非用推月法不可矣，推月之法，先須熟讀歌訣，歌曰：甲己之丙作首，乙庚之歲戊為頭，丙辛必定尋庚起，丁壬壬位順行流，更有戊癸何方覓，甲寅之上好追求，

Question: For example, in the year of Jiazi, the first month is built on Yin, so we know it is the Yin month. But how do we know it is Bingyin month instead of another Yin month? Answer: This requires the method of determining the month. To use this method, one must first memorize the mnemonic. The mnemonic says: "In the years of Jia and Ji, Bing is the first; in the years of Yi and Geng, Wu is the first; in the years of Bing and Xin, look for Geng; in the years of Ding and Ren, follow the order of Ren; and for the years of Wu and Ji, where can they be found? Seek them on Jiayin." This mnemonic is commonly known as "Wu Hu Dun" (Five Tiger Concealment), because it conceals the Bingyin month, which is the Yin month belonging to the tiger. Its function is to determine the heavenly stem of the first month based on the heavenly stem of the year. Once the heavenly stem of the first month is determined, the heavenly stems of the remaining months can be arranged in order according to the sixty jiazi. The original first line of the mnemonic was "Jia and Ji's Bing is the first," but it is missing the character "year." It should be read as "In the years of Jia and Ji, Bing is the first."

甲己之年丙作首，甲年己年之正月，皆為丙寅，二月皆為丁卯，三月皆為戊辰，餘類推。乙庚之歲戊為頭，己年庚年之正月，皆為戊寅，二月皆為己印，三月皆為庚辰，餘類推。丙辛必定尋庚起，丙年辛年之正月，皆為庚寅。二月皆為辛卯，三月皆為壬辰，餘類推。丁壬壬位順行流，丁年壬年之正月，皆為壬寅，二月皆為癸卯，三月皆為甲辰，餘類推。更有戊癸何方覓，甲寅之上好追求，戊年癸年之正月，皆為甲寅，二月皆為乙卯，三月皆為丙辰，餘類推。

The first line "甲己之年丙作首" means that for years with the heavenly stem Jia or Ji, the first month is always Bingyin, the second month is Dingmao, the third month is Wuchen, and the rest of the months follow in order according to the sixty-jiazi cycle. The second line "乙庚之岁戊为头" means that for years with the heavenly stem Yi or Geng, the first month is always Wuyin, the second month is Jimao, the third month is Gengchen, and the rest of the months follow in order according to the sixty-jiazi cycle. (Note: there is a printing error in the original text where "己年庚年" should be "乙年庚年" and "己印" should be "己卯") The third line "丙辛必定寻庚起" means that for years with the heavenly stem Bing or Xin, the first month is always Gengyin, the second month is Xinmao, the third month is Renchen, and the rest of the months follow in order according to the sixty-jiazi cycle. The fourth line "丁壬壬位顺行流" means that for years with the heavenly stem Ding or Ren, the first month is always Renyin, the second month is Guimao, the third month is Jiachen, and the rest of the months follow in order according to the sixty-jiazi cycle. The fifth line "更有戊癸何方觅，甲寅之上好追求" means that for years with the heavenly stem Wu or Gui, the first month is always Jiayin, the second month is Yimao, the third month is Bingchen, and the rest of the months follow in order according to the sixty-jiazi cycle. These five lines together cover all ten heavenly stems, so once the heavenly stem of the year is known, the heavenly stem of the month can be determined without consulting a calendar.

問：甲年正月為丙寅月，是否由初一日至三十日，均作正月丙寅推算。答：未可固定，蓋推月以節令為標準，其區別有三也。（一）在本月節令後生者，即以本月所遁干支，排為月柱。（二）在本月節令前生者，即以上月所適干支，排為月柱。（三）在本月下一節令前生者，即以下月所遁干支，排為月柱。

Question: If the first month of the year of Jia is the month of Bingyin, then from the first day to the thirtieth day of the month, is the entire month calculated according to Bingyin? Answer: It cannot be considered as a general rule. Arranging the month pillar is similar to arranging the year pillar; it does not depend on the first or fifteenth day of the lunar month, but rather on the "term" or "jie" of the month. Therefore, there are three situations: First, if one is born after the term of the current month has passed, then the stem-branch of the current month is used for the month pillar; Second, if one is born before the term of the current month has passed (although the month has already changed, the term has not arrived), then the stem-branch of the previous month is used for the month pillar; Third, if one is born in the current month but the term of the next month has already passed, then the stem-branch of the next month is used for the month pillar. The original text's third point says "those born before the next term of the month," where the character "before" should be read as "after," which becomes clear from example six below; the character "适" in "appropriate stem-branch" should also be read as "遁."

問：十二月節令，異同如何，請詳言之。答：正月立春節，二月驚蟄節，三月清明節，四月立夏節，五月芒種節，六月小暑節，七月立秋節，八月白露節，九月寒露節，十月立冬節，十一月大雪節，十二月小寒節。

The first month is divided by the beginning of spring, the second by the awakening of insects, the third by pure brightness, the fourth by the beginning of summer, the fifth by the wheat harvest, the sixth by the minor heat, the seventh by the beginning of autumn, the eighth by the white dew, the ninth by the cold dew, the tenth by the beginning of winter, the eleventh by the major snow, and the twelfth by the minor cold. The twenty-four solar terms alternate, with the odd ones called "jies" and the even ones called "qi." Only the "jies" are used to divide the months; when a month begins, it is determined by the corresponding "jie." These twelve "jies" serve as the twelve dividing lines for the month pillars and must be memorized.

例一：如癸卯年三月初九日卯時生，萬年曆載明是年三月初九日辰時清明，是卯時在辰時之前，猶未清明（即未進三月節），應以二月所遁干支，排為月柱，列式於下。癸卯（年），乙卯（月）。例二：如癸卯年三月初九日辰時生，萬年曆載明是年三月初九日辰時清明，是辰時已交清明（即已交三月節），應以三月所遁干支排為月柱，列式於下。癸卯（年），丙辰（月）。

Example one: Born on March 9th, Guimao year, at the卯 hour (5 to 7 a.m.). Checking the perpetual calendar, the Qingming festival began at the辰 hour on March 9th. Since the卯 hour is before the辰 hour, Qingming had not yet begun, meaning the solar term had not entered, so the month column cannot use March and should instead use the stem-branch of February. The heavenly stem of the Guimao year is癸, following the rule "Wu Gui year starts with Jiayin," so the first month is Jiayin, the second month is Yimao. Therefore, the year column is Guimao, and the month column is Yimao. Example two: The same birth date, but at the辰 hour (7 to 9 a.m.). Since the辰 hour has already entered Qingming, meaning the solar term has begun, the month column should use the stem-branch of March. The first month is Jiayin, the second month is Yimao, and the third month is Bingchen. Therefore, the year column is Guimao, and the month column is Bingchen. The two examples are born on the same day, differing only by one hour, but the month column changes from Yimao to Bingchen.

例三：如癸卯年十一月二十日丑時生，萬年曆載明是年十一月二十日丑時小寒，是丑時已交小寒（即已進十二月節），應以十二月所遁干支，排為月柱，列式於下。癸卯（年），乙丑（月）。例四：如癸卯年正月初八日卯時生，萬年曆載明是年正月初八日辰時立春，是卯時在辰時之前，未過立春（即未進正月節），不獨癸卯年作壬寅推（癸卯上一年為壬寅），且須以壬寅年十二月所遁干支，排為月柱（癸卯年正月之上一月，即壬寅年十二月。）列式於下。癸卯作壬寅（年），癸丑（月）。

Example three: Born on the 20th day of the 11th lunar month at the hour of You (1 a.m. to 3 a.m.) in the year Gui Mao. According to the perpetual calendar, the hour of You on the 20th day of the 11th lunar month marks the beginning of Xiaohan (Minor Cold), which is the solar term of the 12th lunar month. Although the lunar calendar is still in the 11th month, the month column must use the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the 12th month. The first month of the year Gui Mao is Jiayin, and counting forward to the 12th month gives Yi Chou, so the year column is Gui Mao and the month column is Yi Chou. Example four: Born on the 8th day of the first lunar month at the hour of Mao (5 a.m. to 7 a.m.) in the year Gui Mao. According to the perpetual calendar, the solar term of Lichun (Start of Spring) begins at the hour of Chen (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.) on the 8th day of the first lunar month. Since the hour of Mao is before the hour of Chen, Lichun has not yet arrived, and the solar term of the first lunar month has not entered. In this case, not only does the month column need to be adjusted backward, but the year column also needs to be adjusted backward. The year column should be based on the previous year, Ren Yin (the year before Gui Mao). The month column should use the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the 12th month of the year Ren Yin (the month before the first month of Gui Mao). The heavenly stem of the year Ren Yin is Ren. According to the rule "Ding Ren Ren proceeds in order," the first month of Ren Yin is Ren Yin, and counting forward to the 12th month gives Gui Chou. Therefore, the year column is Ren Yin and the month column is Gui Chou. This is an example of both the year and month columns being adjusted backward by one step.

例五：如癸卯年正月初八日辰時生，萬年曆載明是年正月初八日辰時立春，是辰時已交立春（即已進正月節），應以癸卯年正月所遁干支，排為月柱，列式於下。癸卯（年），甲寅（月）。例六：如癸卯年十二月二十日申時生，萬年曆載是年十二月二十日未時立春是申時在未時之後，已過立春（即已進下一年之正月節），不獨癸卯年作甲辰年推（癸卯年下一年為甲辰），且須以甲辰年正月所遁干支，排為月柱（癸卯年十二月之下一月，即甲辰年正月）。列式於下。癸卯作甲辰（年），丙寅（月）。

Example five: Still on the eighth day of the first lunar month in the year Gui Mao, but born at the hour of Chen. The hour of Chen is exactly when the beginning of spring (Lichun) begins. Since the beginning of spring has already arrived and the first lunar month has started, we follow the stem and branch of the first lunar month in the year Gui Mao to determine the monthly pillar: the first lunar month in the year Gui Mao is Jiayin, so the year pillar is Gui Mao and the month pillar is Jia Yin. Compared with example four, only the hour differs, and the year and month pillars change from Ren Yin and Gui Chou to Gui Mao and Jia Yin. Example six: Born on the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month in the year Gui Mao at the hour of Shen (3 to 5 p.m.). According to the perpetual calendar, the beginning of spring (Lichun) occurs at the hour of Wei (1 to 3 p.m.) on the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month. The hour of Shen comes after the hour of Wei, so the beginning of spring has already passed, meaning that the new lunar month, the first month of the following year, has already begun. At this time, the year pillar must be calculated as Jiachen (the next year after Gui Mao is Jiachen), and the month pillar must also be calculated using the stem and branch of the first lunar month in the year Jiachen (the next month after the twelfth lunar month of Gui Mao is the first lunar month of Jiachen). The stem of the year Jiachen is Jia, so according to the rule 'Jia and Ji years start with Bing', the first lunar month is Bingyin. Therefore, the year pillar is Jiachen and the month pillar is Bingyin. (The original text is missing the character 'ming' in 'the perpetual calendar clearly states', and the phrase 'the beginning of spring is at the hour of Wei, which is Shen' should be punctuated, but we still follow the original text as recorded.)

例七：如癸卯年十二月二十日午時生。萬年曆載明是年十二月二十日未是立春。是午時在未時之前，猶未立春（即未進下一上之正月節），仍以癸卯十二月所遁干支，排為月柱，列式於下。癸卯（年），乙丑（月）。

Example seven: On the same day, the 20th of the twelfth lunar month in the year Gui Mao, the child was born at the hour of Wu (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). The perpetual calendar states that the beginning of spring (Lichun) occurs at the hour of Wei on that day. Since the hour of Wu is before the hour of Wei, the beginning of spring has not yet arrived, meaning the beginning of the next year's first lunar month has not yet entered. Therefore, the stem and branch for the month should still be calculated according to the stem and branch of the twelfth lunar month in the year Gui Mao. The first lunar month of the year Gui Mao is Jiayin, and counting forward, the twelfth lunar month is Yichou. Thus, the stem and branch for the year is Gui Mao, and for the month is Yichou. This example is on the same day as example six, differing only by two hours, yet the stem and branch for the year and month change from Jiachen and Bingyin to Gui Mao and Yichou. This shows that the exact time of the seasonal change must not be ambiguous. (The original text mistakenly uses "is" for "hour" and "next above" for "next year," both being printing errors.)

問：推日之法如何？答：較推年推月，皆為簡易，只須查看萬年曆，即知所生之日，是何干支。例如癸亥年正月初八日生人，是年萬年曆所載：申（初一日為庚申），正月小庚，午（十一日為庚午），辰（廿一日為庚辰）。既知初一日為庚申，屈指順推，則知初八日應為丁卯矣（庚申初一辛酉初二壬戌初三癸亥初四甲子初五乙丑初六丙寅初七丁卯初八），即以丁卯兩字，排為日柱，列式於下。癸亥（年），甲寅（月），丁卯（日）。

Question: How do you determine the day pillar? Answer: It is easier than determining the year or month. You just need to look up the calendar for the year, and you can find out what stem and branch the day of birth corresponds to. Because the stem and branch of the day have been changing every day since ancient times without interruption, they cannot be calculated with a mnemonic, but must be looked up in the calendar. For example, someone born on the eighth day of the first lunar month in the year Guihai: the calendar for that year notes in the first lunar month section that it is a small month, and lists three stem and branches that occur every ten days: Gengshen (first day), Gengwu (eleventh day), and Gengchen (twenty-first day). The original text is a vertical small table, but the characters are out of order. When reading, they should be restored to read "the first lunar month is a small month, Gengshen is the first day, Gengwu is the eleventh day, and Gengchen is the twenty-first day." Knowing that the first day is Gengshen, you can count forward: Gengshen on the first day, Xinyou on the second, Renxu on the third, Guihai on the fourth, Jiazi on the fifth, Yichou on the sixth, Bingyin on the seventh, Dingmao on the eighth. Therefore, the eighth day is Dingmao, and the two characters "Dingmao" are arranged as the day pillar. The three pillars together are the year pillar Guihai, the month pillar Jiayin, and the day pillar Dingmao. The day stem is the most important in the four pillars of a birth chart, as it represents the person themselves. In the following text, it will be referred to as "day master" or "self."

問：假如甲子日寅時，何由知其為丙寅時。答：此非用推時法不可矣，推時之法，先須熟讀歌訣，歌曰：甲己還加甲，乙庚丙作初，丙辛從戊起，丁壬庚子居，戊癸何方發，壬子是真途。

Question: Suppose it is the Jiazi day and the Yin hour, how do we know it is Bingyin hour? Answer: This requires the method of determining the heavenly stem of the hour. The earthly branch of the hour column is fixed: Zi hour, Chou hour, Yin hour, etc., and the twelve hours are sequentially matched each day, so there is no need to calculate them. What needs to be calculated is only the heavenly stem of the hour. The method of determining the hour begins with memorizing a mnemonic: Jia and Ji add Jia again, Yi and Geng start with Bing, Bing and Xin start with Wu, Ding and Ren start with Geng, and Wu and Ji start with Ren. This mnemonic is commonly known in later generations as "Wushu遁" (the Five Rats遁, as the遁 refers to the hour of Zi, which is the hour of the rat). Its function is to determine the heavenly stem of the Zi hour based on the heavenly stem of the day. Once the heavenly stem of the Zi hour is determined, the remaining eleven hours can be sequentially calculated.

甲己還加甲，甲日己日之子時，皆為甲子，丑時皆為乙丑，寅時皆為丙寅，餘類推。乙庚丙作初，乙日庚日之子時，皆為丙子。丑時皆為丁丑，寅時皆為戊寅，餘類推。丙辛從戊起，丙日辛日之子時，皆為戊子，丑時皆為己丑，寅時皆為庚寅，餘類推。丁壬庚子居，丁日壬之子時，皆為庚子，丑時皆為己丑，寅時皆為庚寅，餘類推。戊癸何方發，壬子是真途，戊日癸日之子時，皆為壬子，丑時皆為癸丑，寅時皆為甲寅，餘類推。

The first line "Jia and Ji add Jia" means that when the day stem is Jia or Ji, the Zi hour is always Jiazi, the Chou hour is Yichou, the Yin hour is Bingyin, and so on in sequence. This explains why on a Jiazi day, the Yin hour is Bingyin. The second line "Yi and Geng start with Bing" means that when the day stem is Yi or Geng, the Zi hour is Bingzi, the Chou hour is Dingchou, the Yin hour is Wuyin, and so on in sequence. The third line "Cing and Xin start with Wu" means that when the day stem is Cing or Xin, the Zi hour is Wuzi, the Chou hour is Jichou, the Yin hour is Gengyin, and so on in sequence. The fourth line "Ding and Ren start with Geng" means that when the day stem is Ding or Ren, the Zi hour is Gengzi, the Chou hour is Xinchou, the Yin hour is Rennyin, and so on in sequence. (The original text mistakenly copied the previous line's "Jichou" and "Gengyin" here; it should be corrected according to the rule, but the original text is retained. Also, the phrase "Ding day Ren's Zi hour" is missing a "day" character.) The fifth line "Wu and Gui start from Renzi" means that when the day stem is Wu or Gui, the Zi hour is Renzi, the Chou hour is Guichou, the Yin hour is Jiayin, and so on in sequence. With this, the methods for calculating the year, month, day, and hour are complete, and the eight characters (八字) can be determined.

問：請述十天干之陰陽。答：甲丙戊庚壬皆為陽，乙丁己辛癸皆為陰。問：大運部位從何起點，請詳述之。答：其起點皆根據所生之月建，如男命所生之年，天干屬陽，或女命所生之年，天干屬陽，運皆順行；男命所生之年，天干屬陰，或女命所生之年，運皆逆行。

Question: What are the yin and yang attributes of each of the ten heavenly stems? Answer: Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren are yang stems, while Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui are yin stems. The order of the ten stems has yang for odd numbers and yin for even numbers. Remember this principle, for the pairing of the six spirits' yin and yang can be deduced. Question: Where does the "big destiny period" (a ten-year cycle of life divided into several periods, each period represented by a heavenly stem and earthly branch) start? Please explain in detail. Answer: The starting point is always based on the month column of the birth month, that is, proceeding downward or upward from the month builder. The direction of progression is determined by the yin and yang of the heavenly stem of the birth year and the gender of the person: if the person is male born in a yang year or female born in a yin year, the big destiny period proceeds forward; if the person is male born in a yin year or female born in a yang year, the big destiny period proceeds backward. The original text has a printing error, stating "if the year of birth of a female is yang, the destiny period proceeds forward," which contradicts the four examples below (a female born in a yang year proceeds backward, and a female born in a yin year proceeds forward). It should be corrected to follow the general rule of "yang male and yin female proceed forward, yin male and yang female proceed backward."

例如：男命甲子年，丙寅月生，甲屬陽，運皆順行，當從丙寅月建起點，順推而下。第一部運為丁卯，第二部運即為戊辰，以次遞進，列式於下。（第一部運）丁卯、（第二部運）戊辰、（第三部運）己已、（第四部運）庚午、（第五部運）辛未、（第六部運）壬申。

Take the first example: a male born in the year Jiazi and in the month Bingyin. The stem of the year Jia is yang, indicating a yang year for a male destiny, and the great destiny runs in the forward direction. Since it is moving forward, we start from the Bingyin column of the month. Following the order of the sixty jiazi, the next after Bingyin is Dingmao, so the first great destiny is Dingmao. The next is Wuchen, which is the second great destiny; then we proceed step by step. The sequence is: first Dingmao, second Wuchen, third Jisi, fourth Gengwu, fifth Xinwei, sixth Renshen. Note that the starting point is the column of the month itself, not the column after the month column. The first destiny is obtained by moving the month column one step forward (the original text mistakenly writes 'ji yi' instead of 'ji si').

又如男命乙丑年戊寅月生，乙屬陰，運皆逆行，當從戊寅月建起點，逆推而上，第一部運為丁丑，第二部運即9為丙子，以次遞退，列式於下。（第一部運）丁丑、（第二部運）丙子、（第三部運）乙亥、（第四部運）甲戌、（第五部運）癸酉、（第六部運）壬申。

The second example: a male's birth year is Yichou, and the birth month is Wuyin. The heavenly stem of the year, Yi, is yin, indicating a yin year for a male's birth. The great destiny cycle moves in reverse. Starting from the month pillar Wuyin, the cycle is traced backwards according to the order of the sixty jiazi. The previous stem to Wuyin is Dingchou, so the first great destiny is Dingchou. The next previous is Bingzi, which is the second step. Then it continues in reverse order. The sequence is: first step Dingchou, second step Bingzi, third step Yihai, fourth step Jiaxu, fifth step Guiyou, sixth step Renshen. Comparing this with the previous example, it is clear that starting from the month pillar, the sequence of heavenly stems and earthly branches differs completely depending on whether the direction is forward or backward. Once the direction is incorrectly determined, the entire destiny cycle becomes wrong (the number '9' in the original text 'the second great destiny is 9 Bingzi' is an error introduced during printing).

又如女命乙丑年戊寅月生乙屬陰，運皆順行，當從戊寅月建起點，順推而下，第一部運為己卯，第二部運，即為庚辰，以次遞進，列式於下。（第一部運）己卯、（第二部運）庚辰、（第三部運）辛巳、（第四部運）壬午、（第五部運）癸未、（第六部運）甲申。

The third example: A female's destiny, also born in the year of Yichou and the month of Wuyin. The heavenly stem of the year, Yichou, is yin, but since this is a female's destiny, the large years for a female proceed in the forward direction. Starting from the month pillar Wuyin, the sequence proceeds forward: after Wuyin comes Jimao, which is the first large year; then Gengchen, the second; and so on. The sequence is: first Jimao, second Gengchen, third Xinsi, fourth Renwu, fifth Guiwei, sixth Jiashen. This example has the same birth chart as the previous one, but because of the difference between male and female, the course of destiny is opposite. This is the clearest demonstration of the rule that "yin males and yang females proceed in reverse, while yang males and yin females proceed in the forward direction."

又如女命甲子年丙寅月生，甲屬陽，運皆逆行，當從丙寅月建起點，逆推而上，第一部運為乙丑，第二部運，即為甲子，以次遞退，列式於下。（第一部運）乙丑、（第二部運）甲子、（第三部運）癸亥、（第四部運）壬戌、（第五部運）辛酉、（第六部運）庚申。

The fourth example: A female born in the year Jiazi and month Bingyin. The heavenly stem of the year Jia is yang, so for a female born in a yang year, the major years are reversed. Starting from the month pillar Bingyin, we count backwards: the previous pillar is Yichou, which is the first major year; the one before that is Jiazi, which is the second major year; and so on. The sequence is: first Yichou, second Jiazi, third Guihai, fourth Renxu, fifth Xinyou, sixth Gengshen. This example has the same birth chart as the first example, but differs in gender, and the fortune progression is exactly reversed. By examining these four examples together, both the forward and backward progressions and the different genders are covered. Readers can then follow the same pattern.

問：行運歲數，如何推算，亦請詳述。答：運若順行，從生日生時，數至最近未來節之日時；運若逆行，從生日生時，數至最近已往節之日時。每三日為一歲，每一日為百二十天，每一時為十天，如離節三日，則一歲行運，如離節一日，則落地百二十天行運，離節一時，則落地十天行運，每足三日，方算一歲，且須扣算清楚，某年某月某日時交運，不得混稱幾歲，列例如下。

Question: How is the age at which one starts their big destiny cycle calculated? Please explain in detail. Answer: For a big destiny cycle that progresses in the same direction, one starts from the day and hour of birth and counts forward to the nearest upcoming "jié" (solar term). For a big destiny cycle that progresses in the opposite direction, one starts from the day and hour of birth and counts backward to the nearest past "jié" (solar term). The counted days are converted according to the following ratio: three days equal one year, one day equals 120 days, and one hour equals ten days. Therefore, if one is three days away from the "jié", the destiny cycle starts at the age of one year; if one day away, the destiny cycle starts 120 days after birth; if one hour away, the destiny cycle starts ten days after birth. One must wait until three days have passed to count as one year; if not, the remaining days and hours should be converted into fractions. It is essential to clearly calculate the exact year, month, day, and hour when the destiny cycle begins, and not just vaguely say "starting at a certain age." The reasoning behind this conversion method is that a solar term roughly covers thirty days, and a big destiny cycle covers ten years. Therefore, three days correspond to one year, one day corresponds to 120 days, and one hour corresponds to ten days. The following example illustrates this.

例一：男命甲子年正月十五日子時生。甲子（年）、丙寅（月）、戊辰（日）、壬子（時）。男命陽年干，運皆順行，從月建順推而下。（第一部運）丁卯、（第二部運）戊辰、（第三部運）己已、（第四部運）庚午、（第五部運）辛未、（第六部運）壬申。

Example one: A male born on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the Jiazi year at the Zi hour. The four pillars are: the year pillar Jiazi, the month pillar Bingyin, the day pillar Wuchen, and the hour pillar Renzi. The heavenly stem of the year pillar Jia is yang, indicating a yang year for a male, so the big years progress in a clockwise direction, starting from the month pillar Bingyin. The first step is Dingmao, the second step is Wuchen, the third step is Jisi, the fourth step is Gengwu, the fifth step is Xinwei, and the sixth step is Renshen. Once the heavenly stems and earthly branches of the big years are determined, the next task is to determine from which age the first big year begins (the original text mistakenly writes 'Ji Yi' instead of 'Jisi').

運屬順行，數到最近未來節之日時，生立春後，最之未來節即是驚蟄，萬年曆載明是年二月初二日寅時驚蟄，由正月十五日子時，數至二月初二日寅時，共十六天又二時，（正月小）以三天為一歲折之，即知為五歲多一天二時，應在五歲百四十日後起運，每一運管十年運管十年，故第一部運，五歲起行，第二部運，為十五歲起行，列式如下。

This destiny's great cycle progresses in the order of the years, so one must count from the birth date and time forward to the nearest future solar term. If he was born after the Start of Spring, then the next solar term is Awakening of Insects. Check the perpetual calendar; in that year, on the second day of the second lunar month at the hour of Yin, the Awakening of Insects begins. Counting from the fifteenth day of the first lunar month at the hour of Zi to the second day of the second lunar month at the hour of Yin, since the first lunar month is a small month with only twenty-nine days, the total is sixteen days and two hours. Calculating by converting three days to one year: among the sixteen days, there are five sets of three days, which equals five years, leaving one day and two hours. One day equals one hundred twenty days, and two hours equal twenty days, totaling one hundred forty days. Therefore, this person's destiny begins to take effect five years and one hundred forty days after birth. Each major cycle lasts ten years, so the first cycle begins at five years old, the second at fifteen years old, and so on, increasing by ten years each time. The arrangement is as follows (the original text has a missing character "近" in "最之未来节," and "每一运管十年运管十年" is a repetition, both being printing errors).

五歲丁卯、十五戊辰、二五己巳、三五庚午、四五辛未、五五壬申。自甲子年正月十五日子時計算，必至己巳年正月十五日子時，（乙丑一丙寅二丁卯三戊辰四己巳五）方算五歲足，再加百四十天，即知為己巳年六月初五日，始行第一部丁卯運，以次遞推，其為己卯年行第二部戊辰運，己丑年行第三部己巳運，顯而易知，蓋一運管十年，而十干亦周而復始也，若簡稱每逢己年六月初五日子時交換，亦可。

The fortune progression is as follows: at five years old, one enters the Ding Mao cycle; at fifteen, the Wu Chen cycle; at twenty-five, the Ji Si cycle; at thirty-five, the Geng Wu cycle; at forty-five, the Xin Wei cycle; and at fifty-five, the Ren Shen cycle. The exact day of entering each cycle is calculated from the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the Jia Zi year, which is the time of the first day of the cycle. It takes until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the Ji Si year to reach five years old (Yi Chou for one year, Bing Yin for two, Ding Mao for three, Wu Chen for four, Ji Si for five). Adding 140 days to this date gives the day the Ding Mao cycle begins, which is the fifth day of the sixth lunar month in the Ji Si year. Following this pattern, the second step of the cycle is entered in the Ji Mao year, and the third step in the Ji Chou year. This is evident because each cycle lasts ten years, and the heavenly stems cycle through ten characters, so the heavenly stem of the year when the cycle begins is always the same, 'Ji'. For simplicity, it can be stated as 'changing cycles at the fifth day of the sixth lunar month in the Ji year at the time of the first hour of the day'.

例二：女命甲子年正月十五日子時生。甲子（年）、丙寅（月）、戊辰（日）、壬子（時）。女命陽年干，運皆逆行，從月建逆推而上。（第一部運）乙丑、（第二部運）甲子、（第三部運）癸亥、（第四部運）壬戊、（第五部運）辛酉、（第六部運）庚申。

Example two: A female's birth date is exactly the same as example one, also being the year of Jiazi, the first day of the first lunar month, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the hour of Zi. The four pillars are the same: the year pillar is Jiazi, the month pillar is Bingyin, the day pillar is Wuchen, and the hour pillar is Renzi. However, the year stem Jia is yang, and since this is a female's birth, it is a yang year for a female, so the big luck (dazheng) moves in reverse. Starting from the month pillar Bingyin, it is traced backwards, resulting in the first step Yichou, the second step Jiazi, the third step Guihai, the fourth step Renxu, the fifth step Xinyou, and the sixth step Gengshen. The eight characters are identical, but because of the difference between male and female, the six steps of luck are entirely different, and the starting age for the big luck also changes (the original text mistakenly writes 'Renwu' instead of 'Renxu').

運屬逆行，數至最近已往節之日時，生立春後，最近之已往節，即是立春，萬年曆載明，是年正月初一日巳時交立春，由正月十五日子時，數至正月初一日巳時，共十三天又七時，以三天為一歲折之，即知為四歲多一天七時，應在四歲百九十日後起運，每一運管十年，故第一部四歲起行，第二部十四歲起行，列式如下。

This fate moves in reverse order, so one must count backwards from the birth date and time to the most recent passed solar term. She was born after the Beginning of Spring, so the most recent passed solar term is the Beginning of Spring itself. Checking the perpetual calendar, the Beginning of Spring occurred at the time of Si (Snake) in the morning of the first day of the first lunar month. Counting backwards from the fifteenth day of the first lunar month at Zi (Rat) time to the first day of the first lunar month at Si time, there are thirteen days and seven hours. Still, calculate three days as one year: among thirteen days, there are four sets of three days, which equals four years, with one day and seven hours remaining. One day equals 120 days, and seven hours equals 70 days, totaling 190 days. Therefore, her fate begins at four years and 190 days. Each step of fate lasts ten years, so the first step begins at four years, and the second step begins at fourteen years. The details are listed below.

四歲乙丑、十四甲子、二四癸亥、三四壬戌、四四辛酉、五四庚申。自甲子年正月十五日子時計算，必至戊辰年正月十五日子時，方算四歲足，（乙丑一丙寅二丁卯三戊辰四）再加百九十天。即知為戊辰年七月甘五日子時，始行第一部乙丑運，以次遞推。其為戊寅年行第二部甲子運，戊子年行第三部癸亥運，顯而易知，蓋一運管十年，而十干亦周而復始也，若簡稱每逢戊年七月廿五日子時交換，亦可。

The fortune progression is as follows: at four years old, the person enters the Yi Chou (乙丑) period; at fourteen years old, the Jia Zi (甲子) period; at twenty-four years old, the Gui Hai (癸亥) period; at thirty-four years old, the Ren Xu (壬戌) period; at forty-four years old, the Xin You (辛酉) period; and at fifty-four years old, the Geng Shen (庚申) period. The exact day of entering each period must be calculated: starting from the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the Jia Zi (甲子) year at the hour of the rat (子时), it takes until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the Wu Chen (戊辰) year at the hour of the rat to complete four years (Yi Chou for the first year, Bing Yin for the second, Ding Mao for the third, and Wu Chen for the fourth). Adding another one hundred and ninety days brings us to the twenty-fifth day of the seventh lunar month of the Wu Chen (戊辰) year at the hour of the rat, from which moment the first period Yi Chou (乙丑) begins. Subsequently, the periods progress as follows: the second period Jia Zi (甲子) begins in the Wu Yin (戊寅) year, and the third period Gui Hai (癸亥) begins in the Wu Zi (戊子) year. Since each period lasts ten years and the heavenly stems cycle every ten stems, the year's heavenly stem for the year of entering each period is always 'Wu' (戊). Therefore, it can be simply stated that 'every Wu year on the twenty-fifth day of the seventh lunar month at the hour of the rat, the period changes.' (The original text mentions 'July Gan Wu Day,' where 'Gan' should be interpreted as the twentieth day.)

問：何為五行。答：金木水火土是也。問：五行之生克如何。答：金生水，水生木，木生火，火生土，土生金；金克木，木克土，土克水，水克火，火克金。問：請述十天干，十二地支之五行。答：甲乙寅卯皆為木，丙丁己午皆為火，戊己辰戌丑未皆為土，庚辛申酉皆為金，壬癸亥子皆為水。寅辰已申戌亥為陽，子丑卯午未酉為陰。

What is the Five Phases? It refers to the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. How do the relationships of generation and control work among the Five Phases? Mutual generation is a cycle: metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal, continuing in a cycle. Mutual control is when each element controls the one two places away: metal controls wood, wood controls earth, earth controls water, water controls fire, and fire controls metal. The entire system of fortune-telling is based on these two chains. What are the Five Phases associated with the ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches? Jia, Yi,寅,卯 belong to wood; Bing, Ding,巳,午 belong to fire; Wu, Ji,辰,戌,丑,未 belong to earth; Geng, Xin,申,酉 belong to metal; Ren, Gui,亥,子 belong to water. The yin and yang of the earthly branches are:寅,辰,巳,申,戌,亥 are yang;子,丑,卯,午,未,酉 are yin. (The original text has '己' and '已' both as '巳' in the phrases '丙丁己午' and '寅辰已申'. Regarding the yin and yang of the earthly branches, the common view considers子,寅,辰,午,申,戌 as yang and丑,卯,巳,未,酉,亥 as yin, which differs from the list here. This table from Wei's text is based on the actual hardness and softness considered in four-column divination, so readers should keep both views in mind.)

問：十二地支，中藏何物。答：子中藏癸水；丑中藏己土、辛金、癸水；寅中藏甲木、丙火、戊土；卯中藏乙木；辰中藏乙木、癸水、戊土；巳中藏丙火、戊土、庚金；午中藏丁火、己土；未中藏乙木、己土、丁火；申中藏庚金、壬水、戊土；酉中藏辛金；戌中藏辛金、丁火、戊土；亥中藏壬水、甲木。

Question: What are the hidden heavenly stems in each of the twelve earthly branches? Answer: Unlike heavenly stems, which have only one of the five phases, earthly branches contain one to three heavenly stems internally. These are called "personally originated stems" or "hidden stems." Zi contains癸 water; Chou contains己 earth, 辛 metal, and 癸 water; Yin contains甲 wood, 丙 fire, and 戊 earth; Mao contains only乙 wood; Chen contains乙 wood, 癸 water, and 戊 earth; Si contains丙 fire, 戊 earth, and 庚 metal; Wu contains丁 fire and 己 earth; Wei contains乙 wood, 己 earth, and 丁 fire; Shen contains庚 metal, 壬 water, and 戊 earth; You contains only辛 metal; Xu contains辛 metal, 丁 fire, and 戊 earth; Hai contains壬 water and 甲 wood. Zi, Mao, and You each contain only one hidden stem, and are therefore the purest. The four generative branches (Yin, Shen, Si, Hai) and the four tomb branches (Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei) each contain three hidden stems, and are the most complex. When casting a horoscope, in addition to the visible power of the heavenly stems, these hidden stems must also be considered. Otherwise, the strength and weight of the elements will be miscalculated. This is precisely what the later section "Personally Originated Stems" will discuss in detail.

問：何為財，官，印，食，比，劫，傷，殺。答：皆五行生剋之代名詞也。問：請述財官印等之構成。答：生我者，陽見陽，或陰見陰，為梟神；陰見陽，或陽見陰，為正印。我生者，陽見陽，或陰見陰，為食神；陰見陽，或陽見陰，為傷官。克我者，陽見陽，或陰見陰，為七殺；陰見陽，或陽見陰，為正官。我克者，陽見陽，或陰見陰，為偏財；陰見陽，或陽見陰，為正財。仝我者，陽見陽，或陰見陰，為比肩；陰見陽，或陽見陰，為劫財。

Question: What do the terms wealth, official, seal, food, same, competition, injury, and killing mean? Answer: They are all just terms representing the relationships of generation and overcoming among the Five Phases, and later generations collectively refer to them as the "Ten Gods." Question: Please explain how each of them is formed. Answer: All of them are determined with the "Day Stem" as the center. First, look at the generation and overcoming relationships, then consider the difference between yin and yang. Combining these two aspects determines the name. Those that generate me: if yin and yang are the same (yang meets yang or yin meets yin), it is called "Xiao Shen," which is also known as "biased seal"; if yin and yang are different (yin meets yang or yang meets yin), it is called "Zheng Shen," which is also known as "correct seal." Those that I generate: if yin and yang are the same, it is called "Shi Shen," and if yin and yang are different, it is called "Shang Gan." Those that overcome me: if yin and yang are the same, it is called "Qi Sha," and if yin and yang are different, it is called "Zheng Guan." Those that I overcome: if yin and yang are the same, it is called "Pian Cai," and if yin and yang are different, it is called "Zheng Cai." Those that are the same as me (the original text uses "Tong," meaning same): if yin and yang are the same, it is called "Bi Jian," and if yin and yang are different, it is called "Jie Cai." In general, those with the same yin and yang have a more biased and urgent energy, hence their names all include terms like "biased," "Xiao," "Sha," and "Jie." Those with different yin and yang have a more correct and harmonious energy, hence their names all include the term "Zheng." This distinction is fundamental for the entire book in selecting the useful god and determining the pattern of the chart.

問：再請舉例明之，我字指何物。答：我字即日干，例如甲木日干，遇丁火，甲為陽木，丁為陰火，甲木能生丁火，丁乃我生而陽見陰，即傷官也，又如辛金日干，遇乙木。辛為陰金，乙為陰木，辛金能克乙木，乙乃我克而陰見陰，即偏財也，特立表於後，以便檢查。

Question: Please give another example to explain what is meant by "I." Answer: "I" refers to the heavenly stem of the day pillar, which is also called the day stem in divination. In the eight characters of a birth chart, the other seven characters are all referenced against this day stem. For example, if the day stem is Jia Wood and it meets Ding Fire, Jia is Yang Wood and Ding is Yin Fire. Wood can generate Fire, so Ding is the aspect that I generate, and since Yang meets Yin, they are yin and yang opposites. According to the previous rule, this is called "Wang Gan" (offspring). Another example is when the day stem is Xin Metal and it meets Yi Wood, Xin is Yin Metal and Yi is Yin Wood. Metal can overcome Wood, so Yi is the aspect that I overcome, and since Yin meets Yin, they are of the same yin and yang. According to the rule, this is called "Pian Cai" (biased wealth). For convenience of reference, the results of the interactions between the ten heavenly stems are listed in the two tables below.

天干財官印等檢查表：日干、比肩、劫財、梟神、正印、偏財、正財、七殺、正官、食神、傷官。甲：甲、乙、壬、癸、戊、己、庚、辛、丙、丁。乙：乙、甲、癸、壬、己、戊、辛、庚、丁、丙。丙：丙、丁、甲、乙、庚、辛、壬、癸、戊、己。丁：丁、丙、乙、甲、辛、庚、癸、壬、己、戊。戊：戊、己、丙、丁、壬、癸、甲、乙、庚、辛。己：己、戊、丁、丙、癸、壬、乙、甲、辛、庚。庚：庚、辛、戊、己、甲、乙、丙、丁、壬、癸。辛：辛、庚、己、戊、乙、甲、丁、丙、癸、壬。壬：壬、癸、庚、辛、丙、丁、戊、己、甲、乙。癸：癸、壬、辛、庚、丁、丙、己、戊、乙、甲。

This is a chart for identifying the Ten Heavenly Officials (Sheng Shen) based on the Day Stem. The headers, from left to right, are Day Stem, Same Official (Biqian), Robber Wealth (Jiecai), Ghost God (Xiaoshen), Regular Seal (Zhengyin), Oblique Wealth (Piancai), Regular Wealth (Zhengcai), Seven Killers (Qishashen), Regular Official (Zhengguan), Food God (Shi Shen), and Injury God (Shangguan). Each row starts with the Day Stem, followed by the ten corresponding officials. For example, for the Day Stem Jia, the Same Official is Jia, the Robber Wealth is Yi, the Ghost God (Oblique Seal) is Ren, the Regular Seal is Gui, the Oblique Wealth is Wu, the Regular Wealth is Ji, the Seven Killers is Geng, the Regular Official is Xin, the Food God is Bing, and the Injury God is Ding. For the Day Stem Yi, the Same Official is Yi, the Robber Wealth is Jia, the Ghost God (Oblique Seal) is Gui, the Regular Seal is Ren, the Oblique Wealth is Ji, the Regular Wealth is Wu, the Seven Killers is Xin, the Regular Official is Geng, the Food God is Ding, and the Injury God is Bing. The same pattern applies to the rows for Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui. It can be seen that there is a pattern: the same-named officials for yin and yang stems are exchanged. For example, the Regular Seal of Jia is Gui, while the Regular Seal of Yi is Ren, because a change in yin and yang causes the regular and oblique to reverse. This chart does not need to be memorized. Once the structure is understood, it can be derived on the spot.

地支財官印等檢查表：日干、比肩、劫財、梟神、正印、偏財、正財、七殺、正官、食神、傷官。甲：寅、卯、亥、子、辰戌、丑未、申、酉、巳、午。己：卯、寅、子、亥、丑未、辰戌、酉、申、午、己。丙：巳、午、寅、卯、申、酉、亥、子、辰戌、丑未。丁：午、巳、卯、寅、酉、申、子、亥、丑未、辰戌。戊：辰戌、丑未、巳、午、亥、子、寅、卯、申、酉。己：丑未、辰戌、午、巳、子、亥、卯、寅、酉、申。庚：申、酉、辰戌、丑未、寅、卯、巳、午、亥、子。辛：酉、申、丑未、辰戌、卯、寅、午、巳、子、亥。壬：亥、子、申、酉、巳、午、辰戌、丑未、寅、卯。癸：子、亥、酉、申、午、巳、丑未、辰戌、卯、寅。

This is a table for checking the Ten Heavenly Spirits based on the Earthly Branches, with the same order of headings as the previous table. The difference is that there are twelve Earthly Branches but only five elements in the Five Phases, so the four branches of Earth are paired in pairs: Chen and Xu belong to Yang Earth, while Chou and Wei belong to Yin Earth. For example, when the Day Stem is Jia, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem. When the Day Stem is Bing, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem, the same element is the same as the Day Stem. The rest of the rows follow the same pattern. This table is based on the original element of the Earthly Branch, that is, the most dominant heavenly stem hidden within the branch. The other elements hidden within the branch are discussed separately. The second row of the original text mistakenly writes the Day Stem as Ji, which should be Yi. The last character in that row, Ji, should be Si. Readers can easily recognize this by following the order of Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, etc.

問：地支內所苦藏之字，其財官印綬，推法如何？答：與推天干相同，詳參天干財官印等檢查表。按干、支、花甲子，排命，排運，五行，生克，財官印綬等，為推命之起端，學者不可不知，且不可不熟讀，否則如作文之不諳題目，文章何由而成。

Question: How do we determine the wealth, official positions, and official seals (印绶) of the heavenly stems hidden in the earthly branches? Answer: The method is the same as for the heavenly stems. Treat the hidden stems as if they were heavenly stems and refer to the heavenly stem checking table above (the original text has "所苦藏" where "苦" should be "暗"). In summary, the heavenly stems and earthly branches, the sixty jiazi (甲子), the four pillars of a person's destiny, the great years (大运), the five phases, the relationships of generation and overcoming, and the wealth, official positions, and official seals are all fundamental techniques for divining a person's destiny. Scholars must not be unfamiliar with these, and they must memorize them thoroughly. Otherwise, it would be like a writer who does not even understand the topic of the essay; from where would the article begin? This passage is the conclusion of the "Start and Examples" section of "The Start and Examples" (起例问答). The following sections will enter into the discussion of the meaning and principles.

五行：屬木。性別：屬陽。方位：東方。氣：長生在亥，沐浴在子，冠帶在丑，臨官在寅，帝旺在卯（以上為氣之盛）；衰於辰，病於己，死於午，墓於未，絕於早，胎於酉，養於（以上為氣之衰）。勢：旺於春（最旺），相於冬（次旺）；休於夏（衰），囚於四立前各十八天（次衰）；死於秋（最衰），按四立為立春，立夏，立秋，立冬。生：甲生丙丁已午；壬癸亥子生甲。克甲：克戊己辰戌丑未；庚辛申酉克甲。合：甲己相合。化：日干為甲，逢己土，在辰戌丑未月則化土。例：生甲，癸巳，甲生，病。甲克、合甲，己未，甲克，墓。陽木囚於立秋前十八天，甲午，甲生，死。甲克，戊辰，甲克，衰。

The Heavenly Stem Jia belongs to the Wood element, is yang in yin-yang, and is located in the East. The following five points are general principles of this passage. First, we will explain them thoroughly under the character Jia, and the other nine stems can be understood in the same way. The first point is "Qi," which refers to the state of this Heavenly Stem as it moves through the twelve Earthly Branches. This is called the "Twelve Movements," or "Twelve States," which include: Longsheng (Growth), Muyu (Bathing), Guandai (Capping), Lin'guan (Officialdom), Diwang (Prosperity), Shuai (Decline), Bing (Illness), Si (Death), Mu (Burial), Jue (Cutting off), Tai (Conception), and Yang (Nourishment). These terms represent the life cycle of a person from birth to death and then rebirth. Jia Wood is in Longsheng at Hai, Muyu at Zi, Guandai at Chou, Lin'guan at Yin, and Diwang at Mao. These five positions represent the period of strong Qi. After that, it declines at Chen (Shuai), Si (Bing), Wu (Si), Wei (Mu), Shen (Jue), You (Tai), and Xu (Yang). These seven positions represent the period of weak Qi. The original text here mistakenly says "Bing at Ji" instead of "Bing at Si," and "Jue at Zao" instead of "Jue at Shen." The text also has a missing character after "Yang at," which should be "Xu." The second point is "Shi," which refers to the strength and decline of Jia Wood in the four seasons: it is strongest in spring, next strongest in winter, declines in summer, and is even weaker in the eighteen days before the four "Lis" (Lichun, Lixia, Liqiu, and Lidong), and is weakest in autumn. The four "Lis" refer to the beginning of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The eighteen days before each of these are times when the Earth element is dominant, and Wood is restrained by Earth, hence called "Shou" (imprisonment). The third and fourth points discuss generation and overcoming. Jia Wood can generate Bing, Ding, Si, Wu, and other Fire elements; and Water elements such as Ren, Gui, Zi, and Hai can generate Jia Wood. Jia Wood can overcome Wu, Ji, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, and the Metal elements such as Geng, Xin, Shen, and You can overcome Jia Wood. The fifth point discusses combination and transformation. Jia combines with Ji to form Earth. If the Day Stem is Jia and it meets Ji Earth, and the month is in Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei, then Jia and Ji combine to form Earth. The final example is a small table from the original text, which lists a set of four pillars horizontally and notes the relationships vertically. Due to printing issues, it is printed in several lines. The four pillars are Guisi, Jiwei, Jiawu, and Wuchen, with Jiawu as the Day Stem. The reading is as follows: Gui Water generates Jia Wood; Si Fire is generated by Jia Wood, and Jia Wood in Si is in the state of illness. Ji Earth is overcome by Jia Wood and combines with Jia Wood; Wei Earth is overcome by Jia Wood, and Jia Wood in Wei is in the state of burial. The Day Pillar Jiawu: Yang Wood meets the eighteen days before Liqiu (the beginning of autumn) and is in the state of imprisonment; Wu Fire is generated by Jia Wood, and Jia Wood in Wu is in the state of death. Wu Earth is overcome by Jia Wood; Chen Earth is also overcome by Jia Wood, and Jia Wood in Chen is in the state of decline. This example demonstrates how to apply the above points to an actual birth chart.

五行：屬木。性別：屬陰。方位：東方。氣：長生在午，沐浴在巳，冠帶在辰，臨官在卯，帝旺在寅（以上為氣之盛）；衰於丑，病於子，死於亥，墓在戌，絕於酉，胎於申，養於未（以上為氣之衰）。勢：旺於春（最旺），相於冬（次旺）；休於夏（衰），囚於四立前各十八天（次衰），死於秋（最衰）。生：乙生丙丁巳午；壬癸亥子生乙。克：乙克戊己辰戌丑未；庚辛申酉克乙。合：乙庚相合。化：日干為乙，逢庚金，在巳酉丑申月則化金。例：生乙，癸酉，克乙，絕。克乙、合乙，庚申，克乙，胎。陰木死於秋，乙己，乙生，沐浴。合乙、合乙，庚辰，乙克，冠帶。

The Five Phases of Yi belong to wood, and it is yin in terms of yin and yang. The twelve cycles of yin stems run in the opposite direction to those of yang stems, as the saying goes, "Yang moves in a clockwise direction, while yin moves counterclockwise." Therefore, the growth of Yi wood is in Wu, bathing in Si, capping in Chen, officialdom in Mao, and prosperity in Yin. These five positions represent strong energy. After that, it declines in Chou, becomes ill in Zi, dies in Hai, is buried in Xu, reaches its end in You, is in the womb in Shen, and is nourished in Wei. These seven positions represent weak energy. Comparing it with Ji, it becomes clear: Ji's growth is in Hai and proceeds to Yin as its prosperity, while Yi's growth is in Wu and moves backward to Yin as its prosperity. The two are exactly opposite, which is the general rule of yin and yang moving in opposite directions. Regarding "strength," Yi and Ji both belong to wood, and their strength and decline throughout the four seasons are exactly the same: they are strong in spring, harmonious in winter, resting in summer, and restrained in the 18 days before the beginning of each of the four seasons, and they die in autumn. In terms of generating and overcoming: Yi can generate fire in Si and Wu, and water in Zi and Hai can generate Yi. Yi can overcome earth in Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, and metal in Shen and You can overcome Yi. In terms of combination and transformation: Yi combines with Geng. If the day stem is Yi and Geng metal appears, and the birth month is in Si, You, Chou, or Shen, then Yi and Geng combine and transform into metal. The example given is the four pillars Guiyou, Gengshen, Yisi, and Gengchen, with Yi as the day stem. Gui generates Yi, You overcomes Yi and Yi is in You, which is the end; Geng overcomes Yi and combines with Yi, Shen overcomes Yi and Yi is in Shen, which is the womb; the day pillar Yisi, which is yin wood, dies in autumn, Si is generated by Yi and Yi is in Si, which is bathing; the final pillar Gengchen, Geng again overcomes and combines with Yi, Chen is overcome by Yi and Yi is in Chen, which is capping. The original text "Yi Ji" should be "Yi Si," and the part "combines with Yi, combines with Yi" before should be "overcomes Yi."

五行：屬火。性別：屬陽。方位：南方。氣：長生在寅，沐浴在卯，冠帶在辰，臨官在巳，帝旺在午（以上為氣之盛）；衰於未，病於申，死於酉，墓於戌，絕於亥，胎於子，養於丑（以上為氣之衰）。勢：旺於夏（最旺），相於春（次旺）；休於四立前各十八天（衰），囚於秋（次衰），死於冬（最衰）。生：丙生戊己辰戌丑未；甲乙寅卯生丙。克：丙克庚辛申酉；壬癸亥子克丙。合：丙辛相合。化：日干為丙，逢辛金，在亥申子辰月則化水。例：克丙，壬申，丙春，病。丙克、合丙，辛亥，克丙，絕。陽火死於冬，丙子，克丙，胎。克丙，壬辰，丙生，冠帶。

The element of Bing (丙) belongs to the Five Phases of fire and is yang in yin and yang. Its direction is the south. Bing is a yang stem. The twelve stems move in a clockwise order: the positions of growth, bathing, capping, officialdom, and prosperity are in the years of Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, and Wu respectively, where the energy is strong. After that, the energy weakens in the years of Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Zi, and Chou. The four seasons' influence: fire is strongest in summer, next in spring (as spring wood generates fire), then in the period before the beginning of the four solstices when earth is strong (fire is weakened by earth), then in autumn (as metal is strong and fire is restrained), and weakest in winter (as water is strong and controls fire). In terms of generation and control: Bing can generate the earth elements of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, and the wood elements of Yin and Mao can generate Bing. Bing can control the metal elements of Shen and You, and the water elements of Hai and Zi can control Bing. In terms of combination and transformation: Bing combines with Xin. If the day stem is Bing and it meets Xin metal, and the month is in the water months of Hai, Shen, Zi, or Chen, then Bing and Xin combine to form water. This is particularly important, as fire and metal combining can transform into water, because after combination, a new element is formed and the original Five Phases are no longer considered. The example given is the four pillars of Renshen, Xinhai, Bingzi, and Renchen, with Bing as the day stem. Renshen controls Bing, and Shen is controlled by Bing, with Bing in Shen being in a state of illness (the original text says 'Bing in spring' but should be 'Bing controls Shen'). Xin is controlled by Bing but combines with Bing, Hai controls Bing and Bing in Hai is in a state of extinction. The day pillar is Bingzi, with Bing being dead in winter, Zi controls Bing and Bing in Zi is in a state of birth. The final pillar is Renchen, with Ren controlling Bing, and Chen is generated by Bing, with Bing in Chen being in a state of capping.

五行：屬火。性別：屬陰。方位：南方。氣：長生在酉，沐浴在申，冠帶在未，臨官在午，帝旺在巳（以上為氣之盛）；衰於辰，病於卯，死於寅，墓於丑，絕於子，胎於亥，養於戌（以下為氣之衰）。勢：旺於夏（最旺），相於春（次旺）；休於四立前各十八天（衰），囚於秋（次衰），死於冬（最衰）。生：丁生戊己辰戌丑未；甲乙寅卯生丁。克：丁克庚辛申酉；壬癸亥子克丁。合：丁壬相合。化：日干為丁，逢壬水在亥卯未寅月則化木。例：同丁，丁卯，生丁，病。克丁、合丁，壬寅，生丁，死。陰火相於春，丁亥，克丁，胎。生丁，甲辰，丁生，衰。

The element of Ding belongs to fire, is yin in nature, and is located in the south. Ding is a yin stem. Its twelve heavenly stems move in reverse order: its long life is in You, bathing in Shen, capping in Wei, officialdom in Wu, and prosperity in Si. These five positions are strong. After that, it declines in Chen, becomes ill in Mao, dies in Yin, is buried in Chou, is cut off in Zi, is in the womb in Hai, and is nourished in Xu. These seven positions are weak. Compared with Bing, Bing is born in Yin and progresses to Wu, where it reaches its peak, while Ding is born in You and moves in reverse to Si, where it reaches its peak. This still shows that yang moves in a forward direction while yin moves in a reverse direction. The trend of the four seasons is the same as Bing: it is strong in summer, moderate in spring, rests before the beginning of the four solstices and equinoxes, is restrained in autumn, and dies in winter. In terms of generation and overcoming, Ding can generate Wu and Ji (the earth stems Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei), and the wood stems Jia and Yi (Yin and Mao) can generate Ding. Ding can overcome Geng and Xin (the metal stems Shen and You), and the water stems Ren and Gui (Hai and Zi) can overcome Ding. In terms of combination and transformation, Ding combines with Ren. If the day stem is Ding and there is Ren water, and the person is born in the months of Hai, Mao, Wei, or Yin (wood months), then Ding and Ren combine to form wood. The example given is the four pillars: Dingmao, RENYIN, Dinghai, and Jiachen, with the day stem being Ding. The year stem Ding is the same as the day stem, making them like shoulders, and Mao generates Ding, but Ding in Mao is in a state of illness. Ren overcomes Ding and combines with it, and Yin generates Ding, but Ding in Yin is in a state of death. The day pillar is Dinghai, where the yin fire in spring receives the nurturing energy from its mother, making it in a state of moderation, and Hai overcomes Ding, making Ding in Hai in the womb. The final pillar is Jiachen, where Jia generates Ding, and Chen is generated by Ding, making Ding in Chen in a state of decline. This example shows that the same earthly branch can have two different roles concerning the day stem: one is about generation and overcoming, and the other is about the twelve heavenly stems. These two aspects should not be confused with each other. (The original text's "the following" in "the following are the weak positions" should be interpreted as "the preceding.")

五行：屬土。性別：屬陽。方位：中央。氣：長生在寅，沐浴在卯，冠帶在辰，臨官在巳，帝旺在午（以上為氣之盛）；衰於未，病於申，死於酉，墓於戌，絕於亥，胎於子，養於丑（以上為氣之衰）。勢：旺於四立前各十八天（最旺），相於夏（次旺），休於秋（衰），囚於冬（次衰），死於春（最衰）。生：戊生庚辛申酉；丙丁巳午生戊。克：戊克壬癸亥子；甲乙寅卯克戊。合：戊癸相合。化：日干為戊，逢癸水，在寅午戌巳月則化火。例：生戊，丙寅，克戊，長生。戊克、合戊，癸巳，生戊，臨官。陽土相於夏，戊午，生戊，帝旺。生戊，丙辰，同戊，冠帶。

The element of Wu (戊) belongs to the Five Phases of Earth and is yang in yin and yang. Its direction is central. Earth has no fixed direction or season, and it resides at the end of the four seasons, so its twelve transformations are synchronized with fire: growth occurs in寅 (Yin), bathing in卯 (Mao), capping in辰 (Chen), officialdom in巳 (Si), and prosperity in午 (Wu). These five positions are strong. After that, it declines in未 (Wei), becomes ill in申 (Shen), dies in酉 (You), is buried in戌 (Xu), reaches extinction in亥 (Hai), is in the womb in子 (Zi), and is nourished in丑 (Chou). These seven positions are weak. This is because fire generates earth, and earth follows fire. The trends of the four seasons differ greatly from the previous four stems: earth is most vigorous in the eighteen days before the beginning of each of the four seasons, and these eighteen days are the time when earth is in charge. In summer, it is next strongest (fire generates earth), in autumn it is in rest (earth is drained by metal), in winter it is in captivity (water is strong and earth must overcome it, which is hard, so it is captive), and in spring it is most weak (wood is strong and overcomes earth). In terms of generation and overcoming: Wu generates metal in申 (Shen) and酉 (You), and fire in巳 (Si) and午 (Wu) generates Wu. Wu overcomes water in亥 (Hai) and子 (Zi), and wood in寅 (Yin) and卯 (Mao) overcomes Wu. In terms of combination and transformation: Wu combines with Gui (癸). If the day stem is Wu and Gui water appears, and the birth month is寅 (Yin),午 (Wu),戌 (Xu), or巳 (Si), which are fire months, then Wu and Gui combine to form fire. The example given is the four pillars of Bingyin, Guisi, Wuwu, and Bingchen, with Wu as the day stem. Bing generates Wu, and Yin overcomes Wu, but Wu is in Yin, which is its place of growth. Gui is overcome by Wu and combines with it, and Si generates Wu, with Wu in Si being in its place of officialdom. The day pillar is Wuwu, with Yang Earth in summer receiving fire generation, and Wu in Wu being in its place of prosperity. The last pillar is Bingchen, with Bing generating Wu, and Chen being the same element as Wu, so they are like each other, and Wu in Chen is in its place of capping.

五行：屬土。性別：屬陰。方位：中央。氣：長生在酉，沐浴在申，冠帶在未，臨官在午，帝旺在巳（以上為氣之盛）；衰於辰，病於卯，死於寅，墓於丑，絕於子，胎於亥，養於戌（以上為氣之衰）。勢：旺於四立前各十八天（最旺），相於夏（次旺），休於秋（衰），囚於冬（次衰），死於春（最衰）。生：己生庚辛申酉；丙丁巳午生己。克：己克壬亥子；甲乙寅卯克己。合：甲己相合。化：日干為巳，逢甲木，在辰戌丑未月，則化為純土。例：己克，丁午，生己，臨官。己生，辛未，同己，冠帶。陰土旺於立秋前十八天，己巳，生己，旺。同己，戊辰，同己，衰。

The heavenly stem Ji belongs to the Five Phases of earth, is yin in yin and yang, and is located in the center. Ji is a yin stem, and its twelve heavenly stems move in reverse order. It is in sync with Ding fire. Its growth is in You, bathing in Shen, capping in Wei, officialdom in Wu, and prosperity in Si. These five positions are strong. After that, it declines in Chen, becomes ill in Mao, dies in Yin, is buried in Chou, is cut off in Zi, is in the womb in Hai, and is nourished in Xu. These seven positions are weak. The trends of the four seasons are the same as those of Wu earth: it is strongest in the eighteen days before the beginning of each of the four seasons, is in phase in summer, rests in autumn, is captured in winter, and dies in spring. In terms of generation and overcoming, Ji can generate metal in the stems Xin and Shen and the branches Shen and You, and fire in the stems Bing and Ding and the branches Si and Wu can generate Ji. Ji can overcome water in the stems Ren and Gui and the branches Hai and Zi, and wood in the stems Jia and Yi and the branches Yin and Mao can overcome Ji. In terms of combination and transformation, Jia and Ji combine. If the day stem is Ji and it meets Jia wood, and it is born in the four earth months of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, then Jia and Ji combine to form pure earth. The example given is the four pillars Dingsi, Xinwei, Jisi, and Wuchen, with the day stem being Ji. The first pillar Dingsi, Si generates Ji and Ji is in Si, which is its prosperity. The second pillar Xinwei, Ji generates Xin, and Wei is the same as Ji, which is a fellow stem, and Ji is in Wei, which is its capping. The third pillar Jisi, Ji is at its strongest on the eighteenth day before the beginning of autumn, and Si generates Ji, with Ji in Si, which is its prosperity. The fourth pillar Wuchen, Wu and Ji are the same, and Chen is earth, so Ji is in Chen, which is its decline. The original text has many errors. The first pillar's left note says "Ji overcomes," but earth does not overcome fire, which is illogical. It should be "Ji is generated by," and readers can follow the example to deduce the rest.

五行：屬金。性別：屬陽。方位：西方。氣：長在在巳，沐浴在午，冠帶在未，臨官在申，帝旺在酉（以上為氣之盛）；衰於戌，病於亥，死於子，墓於丑，絕於寅，胎於卯，養於辰（以上為氣之衰）。勢：旺於秋（最旺），相於四立前各十八天（次旺），休於冬（衰），囚於春（次衰），死於夏（最衰）。生：庚生壬癸亥子，戊己辰戌丑未生庚。克：庚克甲乙寅卯；丙丁巳午克庚。合：乙庚相合。化：日干為庚，逢乙木，若在巳酉丑申月，則花為純金。例：庚克，乙巳，克庚，生。合庚、庚克，乙酉，同庚，旺。陽金旺於秋，庚申，同庚，臨官。同庚，庚辰，生庚，養。

The element of Geng belongs to metal, is yang in yin-yang, and is located in the west. Geng is a yang stem. Its twelve earthly branches run in order: long life is in Si, bathing in Wu, capping in Wei, officialdom in Shen, prosperity in You, these five positions are strong; afterwards, it declines in Xu, is ill in Hai, dies in Zi, buried in Chou, ends in Yin, is born in Mao, and nourished in Chen, these seven positions are weak (the original text says 'long in Si' but it should be 'long life in Si'). The statement that metal is born in Si is most easily questioned: Si contains Geng, which is the birthplace of metal. Although fire overcomes metal, metal actually relies on fire to be shaped, so it is fixed as long life. The four seasons' trends: metal is strongest in autumn, next strongest in the eighteen days before the beginning of each season (earth generates metal), rests in winter (metal is drained by water), is trapped in spring (wood is strong and metal must be cut), and dies in summer when it is weakest (fire melts metal). In terms of generation and overcoming: Geng can generate water in Hai and Zi, and earth in Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei can generate Geng; Geng can overcome wood in Yin and Mao, and fire in Wu and Si can overcome Geng. In terms of combination and transformation: Yi combines with Geng; if the day stem is Geng and Yi wood appears, and if it is born in the metal months of Si, You, Chou, or Shen, Yi and Geng combine and transform into pure metal (the original text says 'flower becomes pure metal' but 'flower' should be 'transform'). The example given is the four pillars: Yi Si, Yi You, Geng Shen, Geng Chen, with Geng as the day stem. The year pillar is Yi Si, Yi is overcome by Geng, and Si overcomes Geng, with Geng in Si being long life; the month pillar is Yi You, Yi combines with Geng and is also overcome by Geng, You is the same element as Geng, so it is a rival, and Geng in You is prosperity; the day pillar is Geng Shen, yang metal is strong in autumn, Shen is the same element as Geng, so Geng in Shen is officialdom; the hour pillar is Geng Chen, Geng is the same element as the day stem, Chen generates Geng, so Geng in Chen is nourishment.

五行：屬金。性別：屬陰。方位：西方。氣：長生在子，沐浴在亥，冠帶在戌，臨官在酉，帝旺在申（以上為氣之盛）；衰於未，病於午，死於巳，墓於辰，絕於卯，胎於寅，養於丑（以上為氣之衰）。勢：旺於秋（最旺），相於四位前各十八天（次旺），休於冬（衰），囚於春（次衰），死於夏（最衰）。生：辛生壬癸亥子；戊己辰戌丑未生辛。克：辛克甲乙寅卯；丙丁巳午克辛。合：丙辛相合。化：日干為辛，逢丙火，在申子辰亥月則化水。例：辛克，甲申，同辛，旺。克辛、合辛，丙子，辛生，生。陰金休於冬，辛亥，辛生，沐浴。辛生，壬辰，生辛，墓。

Xin belongs to the metal element, and is yin in terms of yin and yang. It is located in the west. Xin is a yin stem. Its twelve heavenly stems' movement is in reverse order: its long life is in Zi, bathing in Hai, capping in Xu, officialdom in You, prosperity in Shen. These five positions are strong. After that, it declines in Wei, becomes ill in Wu, dies in Si, is buried in Chen, is cut off in Mao, is born in Yin, and is nourished in Chou. These seven positions are weak. The trends of the four seasons are the same as for Geng: it is strong in autumn, moderate in the eighteen days before each of the four solstices, rests in winter, is restrained in spring, and dies in summer. In terms of generation and overcoming, Xin can generate water in the亥 and 子 (Hai and Zi) of壬 and 癸 (Ren and Gui), and the earth of 戊 and 己 (Wu and Ji) in 辰, 戌, 丑, and 未 (Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei) can generate Xin. Xin can overcome the wood of 甲 and 乙 (Jia and Yi) in 寅 and 卯 (Yin and Mao), and the fire of 丙 and 丁 (Bing and Ding) in 巳 and 午 (Si and Wu) can overcome Xin. In terms of combination and transformation, Bing and Xin combine with each other. If the day stem is Xin and it meets Bing fire, and the birth month is 申, 子, 辰, or 亥 (Shen, Zi, Chen, or Hai), then Bing and Xin combine to form water. The example given is the four pillars Jiashen, Bingzi, Xinhai, Renchen, with Xin as the day stem. The year pillar Jiashen has Jia, which is overcome by Xin, and Shen, which is the same element as Xin. Xin in Shen is in its prosperity. The month pillar Bingzi has Bing, which overcomes Xin and combines with it, and Zi, which is generated by Xin. Xin in Zi is in its long life. The day pillar Xinhai has Xin, a yin metal, encountering winter, which is a resting period, and Hai, which is generated by Xin. Xin in Hai is in its bathing stage. The hour pillar Renchen has Xin generating Ren, and Chen generating Xin. Xin in Chen is in its burial stage. The same character '生' (birth) refers to different things: in the first case, it refers to the day stem generating the earthly branch's element, while in the second case, it refers to the long life in the twelve heavenly stems. These two meanings should not be confused. This example serves as a clear contrast.

五行：屬水。性別：屬陽。方位：北方。氣：長生在申，沐浴在酉，冠帶在戌，臨官在亥。帝旺在子（以上為氣之盛）；衰於丑，病於寅，死於卯，墓於辰，絕於巳，胎於午，養於未（以上為氣之衰）。勢：旺於冬（最旺），相於秋（次旺）；休於春（衰），囚於夏（次衰），死於四立前各十八日（最衰）。生：壬生甲乙寅卯；庚辛申酉生壬。克：壬克丙丁巳午；戊己辰戌丑未克壬。合：丁壬相合。化：日干為壬，逢丁火，在亥卯未寅月則化為木。例：壬生，甲寅，壬生，病。壬克、合壬，丁卯，壬生，死。陽水休於春，壬午，壬克，胎。壬生，甲辰，克壬，墓。

The element of Ren belongs to water, is yang in yin and yang, and is located in the north. Ren is a yang stem. The twelve heavenly stems move in a clockwise order: the growth of water is in Shen, bathing in You, capping in Xu, officialdom in Hai, prosperity in Zi. These five positions are strong. After that, it declines in Chou, becomes ill in Yin, dies in Mao, is buried in Chen, is cut off in Si, is born in Wu, and is nourished in Wei. These seven positions are weak. Water is born in Shen because Shen contains Ren, and metal generates water, so Shen is considered the source of water. The strength of the four seasons: water is strongest in winter, next strongest in autumn (as metal generates water), rests in spring (as water is drained by wood), is restrained in summer (as fire is strong and water needs to be supplemented), and is weakest in the days eighteen days before the beginning of each season (as earth is strong and restrains water). In terms of generation and overcoming: Ren generates wood of Jia and Yi in Yin and Mao, and generates Ren from Geng and Xin in Shen and You. Ren overcomes fire of Bing and Ding in Si and Wu, and is overcome by earth of Wu and Ji in Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei. In terms of combination and transformation: Ding and Ren combine; if the day stem is Ren and Ding fire is present, and the month is Yin, Mao, Wei, or Yin (wood months), then Ding and Ren combine to form wood. The example given is the four pillars Jiayin, Dingmao, Renwu, Jiachen, with the day stem being Ren. The year pillar Jiayin has Ren generating Jia, and Yin is also generated by Ren, but Ren in Yin is considered to be ill. The month pillar Dingmao has Ding being overcome by Ren and combining with Ren, and Mao is generated by Ren, but Ren in Mao is considered to be dead. The day pillar Renwu has yang water in spring, which is resting, and Wu is overcome by Ren, so Ren in Wu is considered to be born. The hour pillar Jiachen has Ren generating Jia, and Chen overcomes Ren, so Ren in Chen is considered to be buried.

五行：屬水。性別：屬陰。方位：北方。氣：長生在卯，沐浴在寅，冠帶在丑，臨官在子，帝旺在亥（以上為氣之盛）；衰於戌，病於酉，死於申，墓於未，絕於午，胎於巳，養於辰（以上為氣之盛）。勢：旺於冬（最旺），相於秋（次旺），休於春（衰），囚於夏（次衰），死於四立前各十八天（最衰）。生：癸生甲乙寅卯；庚辛申酉生癸。克：癸生丙丁巳午；戊己辰戌丑未克癸。合：戊癸相合。化：日干為癸，逢戊土，在寅午戌巳月則化火。例：同癸，癸巳，癸克，胎。克癸、合癸，戊午，癸克，絕。陰水囚於夏，癸巳，癸克，胎。癸克，丙辰，克癸，養。

The heavenly stem Gui belongs to the Five Phases of water, is yin in yin and yang, and is located in the north. Gui is a yin stem. Its twelve earthly branches move in reverse order: its growth is in卯, bathing in寅, capping in丑, officialdom in子, and prosperity in亥, these five positions have strong energy; after that, it declines in戌, becomes ill in酉, dies in申, is buried in未, reaches extinction in午, is born in巳, and is nourished in辰, these seven positions have weak energy (the original text notes here 「the above are positions of strong energy」, but it should be 「the above are positions of weak energy」). The trend of the four seasons is the same as for Ren: it is strong in winter, balanced in autumn, resting in spring, restrained in summer, and dies in the eighteen days before the beginning of each of the four seasons. In terms of generation and overcoming: Gui can generate the wood of Jia and Yi in寅 and卯, and the metal of Geng and Xin in申 and酉 can generate Gui; Gui can overcome the fire of Bing and Ding in巳 and午, and the earth of Wu and Ji in辰,戌, 丑, and 未 can overcome Gui. In terms of combination and transformation: Wu and Gui combine; if the day stem is Gui and there is Wu earth, and the birth month is in fire months such as寅, 午, 戌, or 巳, then Wu and Gui combine to form fire. An example is given: the four pillars are Gui巳, Wu午, Gui巳, and Bing辰, with the day stem being Gui. The year pillar Gui巳 is the same as the day stem, and巳 is what Gui overcomes, with Gui in巳 being in the state of birth; the next pillar Wu午, Wu overcomes Gui and combines with Gui, and午 is what Gui overcomes, with Gui in午 being in the state of extinction; the day pillar Gui巳, yin water in summer is restrained, and巳 is still what Gui overcomes, with Gui in巳 being in the state of birth; the last pillar Bing辰, Bing is what Gui overcomes, and辰 overcomes Gui, with Gui in辰 being in the state of nourishment. The year pillar and day pillar have the same heavenly stem and earthly branch, and the annotations are identical, suggesting the original text may have a repetition, but it is recorded as is. The section on heavenly stems is now complete, with the structure being first to explain the nature of each stem, then its strength in time and place, and finally its relationships with other stems in terms of generation, overcoming, combination, and transformation. This is exactly the foundation for the later discussion on strength and the selection of useful gods.

五行：屬水。性別：屬陰。方位：北方。月令：十一月。節氣：大雪為子月節；冬至為子月氣。藏干：癸。生：子生甲乙寅卯；庚辛申酉生子。克：子克丙丁己午；戊己辰戌丑未克子。合：子丑相合。刑：子卯相刑。沖：子午相沖。害：子未相害。三合：申子辰合成水局。方合：亥子丑合為北方。例：子生，甲申，生子，與子三合成水局。子克，丙子，十一月，大雪至小寒，陰水，藏癸。子克，丁丑，克子，合子，又會北方。子克，丁未，克子，害子。

The element of the Earthly Branch Zi belongs to Water, is yin in yin and yang, is located in the north, and is in charge during the eleventh lunar month. The following are general rules for the Earthly Branches. First, the "Solar Terms" are divided into "Jie" (solstitial points) and "Qi" (equatorial points): Da Xue (Great Snow) is the Jie of the Zi month, and DongZi (Winter Solstice) is the Qi of the Zi month. The division of months only uses Jie; the month begins with Da Xue and ends with Xiao Han (Minor Cold). "Cang Gan" refers to the Heavenly Stems hidden within the Earthly Branch, also called "Ren Yuan." In Zi, only the stem Gui Water is hidden, and it is the purest. The principles of generation and overcoming are the same as for Heavenly Stems: Zi can generate the wood of Yi and Bing, and the metal of Geng and Xin can generate Zi; Zi can overcome the fire of Bing and Ding, and the earth of Wu and Ji can overcome Zi (the original text has "Ji" where "Si" should be). The following are relationships unique to Earthly Branches and not found in Heavenly Stems. "He" refers to the Six Harmonies; Zi and Chou are in harmony, and when they are in harmony, the two branches are connected and their strength is mutually restrained. "Xing" refers to the Three Punishments; Zi and Mao are in punishment, and punishment indicates injury and discord. "Chong" refers to the Six Clashes; Zi and Wu clash, and when they clash, the two branches mutually provoke each other and both are harmed. "Hai" refers to the Six Harmful Relationships; Zi and Wei are harmful, and harm indicates hidden injury. "San He" refers to three branches separated by four positions forming a group, Shen Zi Chen form the Water Group, and when a group is formed, the power of water is greatly increased. "Fang He" refers to three branches of the same direction forming a group, Hai Zi Chou form the Northern Water Group, and its power is more concentrated than San He. The "example" at the end is originally a small table, with the four pillars in order as Jiashen, Bingzi, Dingchou, Dingwei. The note in the middle column explains the Zi branch itself. The reading is: Zi generates Ji, Shen generates Zi and Shen Zi Chen form the Water Group; Zi overcomes Bing, the day branch Zi is the eleventh lunar month, from Da Xue to Xiao Han, is yin water, contains Gui; Zi overcomes Ding, Chou overcomes Zi, Zi and Chou are in harmony, and Zi also joins Hai Zi Chou to form the Northern Water Group; Zi overcomes Ding, Wei overcomes Zi and Zi and Wei are harmful. It is evident that the same character placed in different pillars is related in more than one way.

五行：屬土。性別：屬陰。方位：中央。月令：十二月。節氣：小寒為丑月節；大寒為丑月氣。藏干：己癸辛。生：丑生庚辛申酉；丙丁己午生丑。克：丑克壬癸亥子；甲乙寅卯克丑。合：子丑相合。刑：酉戌相刑。沖：丑未相沖。害：丑午相害。三合：乙酉丑合成金局。方合：亥子丑合為北方。例：丑克，癸酉，與丑三合成金局，丑生。克丑，乙丑，陰土，十二月，小寒至立春，藏己辛癸。生丑，丙子，丑克，合丑。克丑，甲午，生丑，害丑。

The Earthly Branch 丑 belongs to the Five Phases of earth, is yin in yin and yang, and is located in the central direction. It is the ruler of the twelfth lunar month. The solar term Xiao Han marks the beginning of the month of 丑, and Da Han is the climatic period of the month of 丑. The branch 丑 contains three heavenly stems: Ji Earth (Ji Tu), Gui Water (Gui Shui), and Xin Metal (Xin Jin). Ji Tu is the main stem, Gui Shui is the residual water, and Xin Jin is the stored metal. Therefore, although 丑 is earth, it also carries the nature of water and metal. This is very important when selecting and using the elements. In terms of generation and overcoming: 丑 can generate Geng Metal (Geng Jin), Xin Metal (Xin Jin), 申金 (Shen Jin), 酉金 (You Jin), Bing Fire (Bing Huo), and Ding Fire (Ding Huo); Bing Fire and Ding Fire can generate 丑. 丑 can overcome Ren Water (Ren Shui), Gui Water (Gui Shui), 亥水 (Hai Shui), 子水 (Zi Shui), Jia Wood (Jia Mu), and Yi Wood (Yi Mu). In terms of relationships: 子 and 丑 are in harmony, 丑 and 戌 are in conflict (the original text says 'You and 戌', which conflicts with the following text about 戌, so it should be '丑 and 戌'), 丑 and 未 are in opposition, 丑 and 午 are in mutual harm. 巳, 酉, and 丑 form a triple harmony of metal, and Hai, Zi, and Chou form the northern trinity. The example given is Gui You, Yi Chou, Bing Zi, and Jia Wu. 丑 overcomes Gui, You and 丑 form a triple harmony of metal, and 丑 generates You; Yi overcomes 丑, the day branch 丑 is yin earth, the twelfth lunar month, from Xiao Han to Li Chun, and contains Ji, Xin, and Gui; Bing generates 丑, 丑 overcomes Zi, and Zi and 丑 are in harmony; Jia overcomes 丑, Wu generates 丑, and 丑 and Wu are in mutual harm. The original text says 'triple harmony: Yi You Chou', but 'Yi' should be 'Si'.

五行：屬木。性別：屬陽。方位：東方。月令：正月。節氣：立春為寅月節，雨水為寅月氣。藏干：甲丙戊。生：寅生丙丁巳午，壬癸亥子生寅。克：寅克戊己辰戌丑未，庚辛申酉克寅。合：寅亥相合。刑：寅巳相刑。沖：寅申相沖。害：寅巳相害。三合：寅午戌合成火局。方合：寅卯辰合為東方。例：比寅，乙巳，寅生，害寅，刑寅。寅克，戊寅，正月，立春至驚蟄，陽木，藏甲內戊。克寅，庚申，克寅，沖寅。寅生，丁亥，生寅，合寅。

The element of Yin belongs to Wood, is yang in yin-yang, is located in the east, and is the ruler of the first lunar month. The beginning of spring is the solar term of the Yin month, and the rainwater is the seasonal climate of the Yin month. The stem-branch cycle is divided by the beginning of spring, so the Yin month is both the first month of the year and the starting point for calculations throughout the year. Yin contains three heavenly stems: Jia Wood, Bing Fire, and Wu Earth. Jia is the main stem, Bing is the birth of Fire, and Wu Earth is located in the position of Fire, so Yin Wood inherently contains the nature of Fire and Earth. In terms of generation and overcoming: Yin can generate Bing and Ding Fire, as well as Ren and Gui Water, which can generate Yin; Yin can overcome Wu and Ji Earth, as well as Geng and Xin Metal, which can overcome Yin. In terms of relationships: Yin and Hai are in harmony, Yin and Si are in conflict, Yin and Shen are in opposition, Yin and Si are in mutual harm, and Yin, Mao, and Chen form the Eastern Wood trinity. The example given is Yisi, Wuyin, Gengshen, Dinghai. The year stem Yis is of the same Wood as Yin, thus it is a helping relationship. Si is generated by Yin, and Yin and Si are both in conflict and mutual harm. Yin overcomes Wu, and the day branch Yin is the first lunar month, from the beginning of spring to the start of thunder, belongs to Yang Wood, and contains Jia, Bing, and Wu. Geng overcomes Yin, Shen also overcomes Yin, and Yin and Shen are in opposition. Yin generates Ding, Hai generates Yin, and Yin and Hai are in harmony. This example shows that there are three relationships between Si and Yin: generation, mutual harm, and conflict. When calculating a person's destiny, one must weigh which relationship is more significant.

五行：屬木。性別：屬陰。方位：東方。月令：二月。節氣：驚蟄為卯月節；春分為卯月氣。藏干：乙。生：卯生丙丁己午；壬癸亥子生卯。克：卯克戊己辰戌丑未；庚辛申酉克卯。合：卯戌相合。刑：子卯相刑。沖：卯酉相沖。害：卯辰相害。三合：亥卯未合成木局。方合：寅卯辰合為東方。例：卯生，丙子，生卯，刑卯。克卯，辛卯，二月，驚蟄至清明，陰木，藏乙。生卯，壬辰，與卯合為東方，害卯，卯克。卯克，己酉，克卯，卯沖。

The element of卯 is wood, belonging to yin, located in the east, and ruling the second month. The beginning of spring is the festival of惊蛰 in the month of卯, and the beginning of the spring equinox is the climate of春分 in the same month. The branch卯 contains only one heavenly stem, 乙 wood, and is one of the pure branches that contain only one heavenly stem, along with子 and酉. Therefore, the energy of卯 wood is most specialized and pure. In terms of generation and overcoming:卯 can generate fire, such as丙,丁,巳,午; water such as壬,癸,亥,子 can generate卯.卯 can overcome earth, such as戊,己,辰,戌,丑,未; and metal such as庚,辛,申,酉 can overcome卯. In terms of relationships:卯 and戌 form a harmonious combination,卯 and子 form a hidden conflict,卯 and酉 form a confrontation,卯 and辰 form a harmful relationship, and亥,卯,未 form a triple harmony of wood. Also,寅,卯,辰 form the eastern wood group. The example given is the four pillars:Bingzi,Xinmao,Renchen,Jiyou.卯 generates丙,子 generates卯 but also forms a hidden conflict between子 and卯, which is why conflict is considered an invisible loss.辛 overcomes卯, the day branch卯 represents the second month, from惊蛰 to清明, belonging to yin wood, containing 乙.壬 generates卯,辰 and卯 form the eastern wood group, and卯 and辰 form a harmful relationship, with卯 also overcoming辰.卯 overcomes己,酉 overcomes卯 and forms a confrontation between卯 and酉.

五行：屬土。性別：屬陽。方位：中央。月令：三月。節氣：清明為辰月節，穀雨為辰月氣。藏干：戊乙癸。生：辰生庚辛申酉；丙丁已午生辰。克：辰克壬癸亥子；甲子寅卯克辰。合：辰酉相合。刑：二辰自刑。沖：辰戌相沖。害：卯辰相害。三合：申子辰合成水局。方合：寅卯辰合為東方。例：生辰，丁酉，辰生，合辰。克辰，申辰，三月，清明至立夏，陽土，藏戊乙癸。辰克，壬戌，比辰，沖辰。

The Earthly Branch Chen belongs to the Five Phases of Earth, is yang in yin and yang, and is located in the central direction. It is the ruling branch of the third month. Qingming is the solar term of the month of Chen, and Gu Yu is the seasonal climate. Chen contains three heavenly stems: Wu Earth, Yi Wood, and Gui Water. Wu Earth is the main stem, Yi Wood is the residual wood of spring, and Gui Water is the stored water. Therefore, Chen is a damp earth that contains both water and wood. In terms of generation and overcoming: Chen can generate Geng and Xin metal, as well as Shen and You metal; fire of Ji and Wu can generate Chen. Chen can overcome Ren and Gui water, as well as Ji and Yi wood. In terms of relationships: Chen and You are in harmony, two Chens meeting is called self-punishment. Chen and Xu are in opposition, Mao and Chen are in conflict, and Shen, Zi, and Chen form a water trinity. Yin, Mao, and Chen form the eastern wood. The example given only includes three pillars: Ding is born in Chen, You is generated by Chen and forms a harmonious relationship with Chen; the second pillar notes 'overcoming Chen', the day branch is Chen, which is the third month, from Qingming to Li Xia, belongs to yang earth, contains Wu, Yi, and Gui. Chen overcomes Ren, Xu and Chen are both earth and thus are similar, but Chen and Xu are in opposition. According to the usual format of this text, each example should include four pillars, but the original text is missing some characters. The second pillar's heavenly stem and the fourth pillar are missing. The characters 'Shen Chen' are not part of the sixty-jiazi cycle and are likely a mistake for 'Jia Chen'. The text is recorded as is without correction.

五行：屬火。性別：屬陽。方位：南方。月令：四月。節氣：立夏為巳月節；小滿為巳月氣。藏干：丙戊庚。生：巳生戊己辰戌丑未；甲乙寅卯生巳。克：巳克庚辛申酉；壬癸亥子克巳。合：巳申相合。刑：寅己相刑，巳申相刑。沖：已亥相沖。害：寅巳相害。三合：巳酉丑合成金局。方合：己午未合為南方。例：巳生，戊寅，生巳，刑巳，害巳。比巳，丁己，四月，立夏至芒種，陽火，藏丙戊庚。克巳，壬申，巳克，合巳。巳克，辛亥，克巳，沖巳。

The element of Si belongs to fire, is yang in yin and yang, is located in the south, and is in command in the fourth lunar month. The beginning of summer is the solar term of the Si month, and the small fullness is the seasonal climate of the Si month. The Si branch contains three heavenly stems: Bing fire, Wu earth, and Geng metal. Bing is the main stem, Wu is earth attached to fire and is born from fire, and Geng is the place of birth for metal. Therefore, although Si belongs to fire, it is the source of metal. The text in the heavenly stem section mentions that Geng metal is born in Si, and this is the reason. In terms of generation and control: Si can generate Wu and Ji earth, and wood of Ji and Yi can generate Si; Si can control Ji and Xin metal, and water of Ren and Gui can control Si. In terms of relationships: Si and Shen are in harmony, Yin and Si are in conflict and Si and Shen are also in conflict, Si and Hai are in opposition, Yin and Si are in mutual harm, and the triple harmony of Si, You, and Chou forms a metal trinity. The combination of Si, Wu, and Wei forms the southern fire. The example given is the four pillars: Wu Yin, Ding Si, Ren Shen, and Xin Hai. Si generates Wu, Yin generates Si and Yin and Si are in conflict and mutual harm; Ding and Si are both fire and thus are similar. The day branch Si is in the fourth month, from the beginning of summer to the summer solstice, belongs to yang fire, and contains Bing, Wu, and Geng. Ren controls Si, Shen is controlled by Si and Si and Shen are in harmony; Si controls Xin, Hai controls Si and Si and Hai are in opposition. One must be careful about the complex relationship between Si and Shen, which are in harmony, conflict, and control. In the original text, the instances of 'ji' and 'yi' in 'yin ji', 'yi hai', 'ji wu wei', and 'ding ji' should all be read as 'si'.

五行：屬火。性別：屬陰。方位：南方。月令：五月。節氣：芒種為五月節，夏至為五月氣。藏干：丁己。生：午生戊己辰戌丑未；甲乙寅卯生午。克：午克庚辛申酉；壬癸亥子克午。合：午未相合。刑：二午自刑。沖：子午相沖。害：丑午相害。三合：寅午戌合成火局。方合：巳午未合為南方。例：午克，辛丑，午生，害午。生午，甲午，五月，芒種至小暑，陰火，藏丁己。克午，壬子，克午，沖午。比午，丁未，午生，合午，與午合為南方。

The element of Wu (午) belongs to fire, is yin in yin and yang, is located in the south, and rules the fifth month. Mangzhong is the solar term of the Wu month, and Xiazhi is the solar term of the Wu month. Within Wu, there are two heavenly stems: Ding fire (丁火) and Ji earth (己土). Ding is the main stem, and Ji is earth generated by fire, so Wu fire inherently contains earth qualities. In terms of generation and overcoming: Wu can generate Wu, Ji, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei earth; and Wu can be generated by Ji and Yi wood. Wu can overcome Geng and Xin metal, and is overcome by Ren and Gui water. In terms of relationships: Wu and Wei are in harmony, two Wus together are self-punishment, Zi and Wu are in opposition, Chou and Wu are in mutual harm, Yin, Wu, and Xu form a triple harmony of fire, and Si, Wu, and Wei form the southern fire. The example given is a four pillar chart: Xinchou, Jiawu, Renzi, Dingwei. Wu overcomes Xin, Wu generates Chou but Chou and Wu are in mutual harm—this shows that harm is a separate concept from generation and overcoming; Ji generates Wu, the day branch Wu corresponds to the fifth month, from Mangzhong to Xiaoshu, is yin fire, contains Ding and Ji; Ren overcomes Wu, Zi overcomes Wu and Zi and Wu are in opposition; Ding and Wu are both fire, so they are similar; Wu generates Wei, Wu and Wei are in harmony, and together with Si form the southern fire.

五行：屬土。性別：屬陰。方位：中央。月令：六月。節氣：小暑為未月節；大暑為未月氣。藏干：己丁乙。生：未生庚辛申酉；丙丁已午生未。克：未克壬癸亥子；甲乙寅卯克未。合：午未相合。刑：戌未相刑。沖：丑未相沖。害：子未相害。三合：亥卯未合成木局。方合：巳午未合為南方。例：生未，丙戌，比未，刑未。克未，乙未，六月，小暑至產秋，陰土，藏乙丁己。未生，辛丑，比未，沖未。比未，戊子，未克，害未。

The element of Wei belongs to earth, is yin in yin-yang, and is located in the center. It is the ruling element in June. The solar term of Xiaoshu is the beginning of the month of Wei, and Dashu is the qi of the month of Wei. Wei contains three heavenly stems: Ji earth, Ding fire, and Yi wood. Ji is the main stem, Ding is the remaining fire of summer, and Yi is the wood stored in the earth. Therefore, Wei is a dry earth with fire and wood qualities, contrasting with Chen, which is a damp earth. In terms of generation and overcoming: Wei cannot generate metal, but fire such as Bing and Ding can generate Wei. Wei cannot overcome water, but wood such as Ji and Yi can overcome Wei. In terms of relationships: Wei and Wu are in harmony, Wei and Xu are in conflict, Wei and Chou are in opposition, and Wei and Hai are in mutual harm. The triple harmony of Hai, Mao, and Wei forms a wood pattern, and the combination of Si, Wu, and Wei forms the southern fire pattern. The example given is Bing Xu, Yi Wei, Xin Chou, and Wu Zi. Bing generates Wei, and Xu and Wei are both earth, forming a relationship of mutual support, but Xu and Wei are in conflict. Yi overcomes Wei, and the day branch Wei corresponds to the sixth month, from Xiaoshu to Liqiu, which is yin earth, containing Yi, Ding, and Ji. Wei generates Xin, and Chou and Wei are both earth, forming a relationship of mutual support, but Chou and Wei are in opposition. Wu and Wei are both earth, forming a relationship of mutual support, and Wei overcomes Zi, while Zi and Wei are in mutual harm. The relationships between Chou and Wei, and between Xu and Wei are both earth branches, one in opposition and one in conflict, showing that earth and earth may not necessarily be harmonious.

五行：屬金。性別：屬陽。方位：西方。月令：七月。節氣：立秋為申月節，處暑為申月氣。藏干：戊庚壬。生：申生壬癸亥子；戊己辰戌丑未生申。克：申克甲乙寅卯；丙丁己午克申。合：巳申相合。刑：巳申相刑。沖：寅申相沖。害：申亥相害。三合：申子辰合成水局。方合：申酉戌合為西方。例：申克，乙亥，申生，害申。申克，甲申，七月，立秋至白露，陽金，藏戊庚壬。生申，己巳，克申，合申，刑申。克申，丙寅，申克，沖申。

The element of Shen belongs to metal, is yang in yin and yang, is located in the west, and is in command in the seventh month. The beginning of autumn is the solar term of the Shen month, and the heat ends are the seasonal climate of the Shen month. Within Shen, there are three heavenly stems hidden: Wu earth, Geng metal, and Ren water. Geng is the main stem, Wu is the earth that generates metal, and Ren is the birthplace of water, so Shen is the source of water. The statement in the section on heavenly stems that Ren water is born in Shen is based on this. In terms of generation and overcoming: Shen can generate Ren and Gui water, as well as Zi and Hai water; Wu and Ji earth, and Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei earth can generate Shen. Shen can overcome Yi and Bing wood, as well as Bing and Ding fire. In terms of relationships: Shen combines with Si and is in conflict with it, Shen and Yin are in opposition, Shen and Hai are harmful to each other, and Shen, Zi, and Chen form a triple harmony of water. Shen, You, and Xu form the western metal. The example given is Yi Hai, Ji Shen, Ji Si, and Bing Yin. Shen overcomes Yi, Shen generates Hai but Shen and Hai are harmful to each other; Shen overcomes Ji, the day branch Shen is in the seventh month, from the beginning of autumn to the beginning of white dew, is yang metal, and contains Wu, Geng, and Ren. Ji generates Shen, Si overcomes Shen, Si and Shen combine, and Si and Shen are in conflict; Bing overcomes Shen, Shen overcomes Yin but Shen and Yin are in opposition. This example presents all four relationships of combination, conflict, opposition, and harm, making it the most complete statement in the entire text.

五行：屬金。性別：屬陰。方位：西方。月令：八月。節氣：白露為酉月節；秋分為酉月氣。藏干：辛。生：酉生壬癸亥子；戊己辰戌丑未生酉。克：酉克甲乙寅卯；丙巳午克酉。合：辰酉相合。刑：二酉自刑。沖：卯酉相沖。害：酉戌相害。三合：巳酉丑合成金局。方合：申酉戌合為西方。例：克酉，丙辰，生酉，合酉。克酉，丁酉，八月，白露至寒露，陰金，藏辛。酉生，癸卯，酉克，沖酉。酉生，壬戌，生酉，害酉，與酉合為西方。

The element of You (酉) belongs to metal, is yin in yin and yang, is located in the west, and is in command during the eighth month. BaiLu (White Dew) is the solar term of the You month, and Qiufen (Autumn Equinox) is the climatic point of the You month. Only Xin metal is hidden within You, and together with Zi and Mao, they are pure branches. Therefore, the metal of You is most concentrated, and during the season of autumn metal, its sharpness is at its peak. In terms of generation and overcoming: You can generate Ren and Gui water, as well as Zi and Hai water; Wu and Ji earth, as well as Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei earth can generate You. You can overcome Yi and Bing wood, as well as Bing, Ding, Si, and Wu fire (the original text omits the character Ding). In terms of relationships: Chen and You form a harmonious combination, two You branches appearing together result in self-punishment, Mao and You are in opposition, You and Xu are harmful, Si, You, and Chou form a triple harmony of metal, and Shen, You, and Xu form the western metal group. The example given is Bing Chen, Ding You, Gui Mao, Ren Xu. Bing overcomes You, Chen generates You and forms a harmonious combination with You; Ding overcomes You, the day branch You corresponds to the eighth month, from BaiLu to HanLu, is yin metal, and contains Xin; You generates Gui, You overcomes Mao and Mao and You are in opposition; You generates Ren, Xu generates You, You and Xu are harmful, and also form the western metal group. Xu both generates and harms You, and shares the same direction, making the situation most complex. This is precisely why the earthly branches are more difficult to interpret than the heavenly stems.

五行：屬土。性別：屬陽。方位：中央。月令：九月。節氣：寒露戌月節，霜降為戌月氣。藏干：戊辛丁。生：戌生庚辛申酉；丙丁巳午生戌。克：戌克壬癸亥子；甲乙寅卯克戌。合：卯戌相合。刑：丑刑戌，戌刑未。沖：辰戌相沖。害：酉戌相害。三合：寅午戌合成火局。方合：申酉戌合為西方。例：戌克，癸卯，克戌，合戌。戌克，壬戌，九月，寒露至立冬，陽土，藏戊辛丁。生戌，丙辰，比戌，沖戌。生戌，丁酉，戌生，害戌，與戌合為西方。

The element of Xu belongs to earth, is yang in yin-yang, and is located in the central direction. It rules the ninth month. The solar term of Cold Dew marks the beginning of the Xu month, and the solar term of Frost Descent marks its end. Xu contains three heavenly stems: Wu earth, Xin metal, and Ding fire. Wu is the main stem, Xin is the residual qi of autumn metal, and Ding is the storage qi of fire. Therefore, Xu is a dry earth with fire characteristics, and is similar to Wei but even drier. In terms of generation and overcoming: Xu can generate Geng and Xin metal, as well as Ji and Wu fire; Ji and Wu fire can generate Xu. Xu can overcome Gui and Hai water, and Ji and Yi wood can overcome Xu. In terms of relationships: Mao and Xu form a harmonious combination, Chou is in a mutual crime with Xu, and Xu is in a mutual crime with Wei (Chou, Xu, and Wei mutually crime with each other, known as 'Punishment of Ingratitude'), Chen and Xu are in opposition, You and Xu are in mutual harm, Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire trinity, and Shen, You, and Xu form the western metal group. The example given is Gui Mao, Ren Xu, Bing Chen, and Ding You. Xu overcomes Gui, but Mao overcomes Xu and forms a harmonious combination with Xu—thus, it is a case of both overcoming and harmonizing, which is called 'harmony with contention'. Xu also overcomes Ren, and the day branch Xu is in the ninth month, from Cold Dew to the Beginning of Winter, is yang earth, and contains Wu, Xin, and Ding. Bing generates Xu, and Chen is also earth, forming a mutual support relationship, but Chen and Xu are in opposition. Ding generates Xu, Xu generates You, You and Xu are in mutual harm, and You also forms the western metal group with Shen and Xu.

五行：屬水。性別：屬陽。方位：北方。月令：十月。節氣：立冬為亥月節，小雪為亥月氣。藏干：壬甲。生：亥生甲乙寅卯；庚辛申酉生亥。克：亥克丙丁巳午；戊己辰戌丑未克亥。合：寅亥相合。刑：二亥自刑。沖：已亥相沖。害：申亥相害。三合：亥卯未合成木局。方合：亥子丑合為北方。例：克亥，戊寅，亥生，合亥。比亥，癸亥，十月，立冬至大雪，陽水，藏壬甲。亥克，丙申，生亥，害亥。比亥，癸巳，亥克，沖亥。

The element of Hai belongs to water, is yang in yin-yang, is located in the north, and rules the tenth month. The beginning of winter is the solar term of the Hai month, and the light snow is the seasonal climate of the Hai month. Hai contains two heavenly stems: Ren water and Jia wood. Ren is the main stem, and Jia is the long life of wood, so although Hai belongs to water, it is actually the nurturing ground for wood. The statement in the heavenly stem section that Jia wood is born in Hai is based on this. In terms of generation and overcoming: Hai can generate Jia and Yi wood, and also Bing and Ding fire, but it is overcome by Wu and Ji earth. In terms of relationships: Yin and Hai form a harmonious combination, two Hais together form self-punishment, Si and Hai form a clash, Shen and Hai form mutual harm, Hai, Mao, and Wei form a triple harmony of wood, and Hai, Zi, and Chou form the northern water group. The example given is Wu Yin, Gui Hai, Bing Shen, and Gui Si. Wu overcomes Hai, Hai generates Yin and Yin and Hai form a harmonious combination; Gui and Hai both belong to water, forming a mutual support relationship, the day branch Hai is the tenth month, from the beginning of winter to the light snow, belongs to yang water, and contains Ren and Jia; Hai overcomes Bing, Shen generates Hai and Shen and Hai form mutual harm; Gui and Hai again form a mutual support relationship, Hai overcomes Si and Si and Hai form a clash. The twelve earthly branches are now complete. By reviewing the entire text, it can be seen that the earthly branches include the month ruler, hidden stems, and the relationships of punishment, clash, harmony, and harm, which are more complex than the heavenly stems. Therefore, when selecting the useful god and determining the pattern, the interactions among the earthly branches must be examined one by one, and not only the surface elements should be considered.

人元者，即地支內所藏之天干也，已見地支篇，可參閱之。人元之利：（一）可以輔助天干地支之不逮，例如：癸卯、丁巳、甲寅、甲子。八字中水木居六，土金全無，當以身強無剋制為患，然巳中藏有戊土並庚金，土能克水，金能制木，是天干地支雖屬無用，而支中所藏人元，獨可輔助其不逮也。

The concept of "personally originated elements" refers to the heavenly stems hidden within the earthly branches. In the previous section on earthly branches, each branch's hidden heavenly stems were listed in detail, which can be referred to for reference. A separate section is dedicated to this topic because the eight characters visible in a birth chart only represent the surface, while there are actually more than ten hidden heavenly stems within the branches. When selecting the useful god, these hidden stems are often crucial. Let us first discuss the two advantages of the personally originated elements. The first advantage is that the personally originated elements can supplement the deficiencies of the heavenly stems and earthly branches. For example, in the four pillars of Guimao,Dingsi,Jiayin, and Jiazi, the day stem is 甲 wood. In the birth chart, water and wood account for six characters, while earth and metal are entirely absent. The day stem is strong but has no element to restrain it, leading to an excess that is considered a problem. However, the branch巳 contains hidden戊 earth and庚 metal: earth can control water, stopping the flow of water that nourishes wood; metal can restrain wood, preventing it from growing excessively. This means that although the visible heavenly stems and earthly branches cannot help, the hidden personally originated elements within the branches can compensate for their shortcomings. If one only considers the visible eight characters when selecting the useful god, this destiny would be considered hopeless. Only by considering the hidden stems can one find a solution.

（二）可以增加天干地支之力量，例如：甲寅、壬申、甲寅、甲子。三甲二寅，木如林立，又有壬水子水之生木，則木更繁重，自喜申金之剋制，但一金五木只力難勝，則不得不賴申中寅中所藏戊土，以生金克木，是取戊土人元以增加申金之力量也。

The second advantage is that the heavenly stems and earthly branches can enhance the strength of the heavenly stems and earthly branches. For example, in the four pillars of Jiayin, Renshen, Jiayin, and Jiazi, the day stem is still Jia Wood. There are three Jia stems and two Yin branches, so the wood is abundant, like a forest. With the presence of Ren Water and Zi Water beside it, the wood becomes even more vigorous. In such a case, the chart naturally favors the month branch Shen Metal to restrain it. However, one Metal is not enough to counter five Woods. At this point, it becomes necessary to rely on the hidden Wu Earth within Shen and the hidden Wu Earth within Yin. Earth can generate Metal, so Metal supported by Earth has support; Earth can also weaken the strength of Wood, so Wood is not overly dominant. Therefore, this is taking Wu Earth as a person's origin to support Shen Metal. The same character Shen, when considered only as Metal, is different from when it is also considered with the hidden Wu Earth within it. The difference in weight is significant, and this is the reason why person's origins must be taken into account.

人元之害：（一）幫助天干地支之為虐，例如：戊申、庚申、甲申、庚午。獨甲為五金所克，其衰可知，何堪申中再藏戊土，午中再藏己土，用戊己土之人元，再去生金，豈非專助庚申金之為虐乎。（二）破壞天干地支之精采。例如：乙未、戊寅、戊辰、庚申。戊土甚重，當洩秀氣於庚申二金，豈不甚美，奈何寅中所藏丙火，既能克去時干上之庚金，而時支申中所有庚金，亦破寅中之丙火沖去，豈非精采盡為破壞乎。

The heavenly stem can both help and cause harm, thus having two drawbacks. The first is that the heavenly stem can strengthen the already harmful side. For example, in the four pillars of Wuchen, Gengwu, Wuyin, and Jiashen, the day stem Jia Wood is alone and is heavily overcome by five metal elements. Its weakness is evident. However, among the three Shens, each contains Wuchen, and Wu contains Ji Earth. These Earth elements are generating the metal; since the metal is already too strong, receiving more Earth support only helps the Gengshen metal to become more aggressive. The second drawback is that the heavenly stem can disrupt the original harmonious balance. For example, in the four pillars of Yiwei, Wuyin, Wuchen, and Gengshen, the day stem Wu Earth is heavily weighted, and it should naturally give its refined energy to the hour stem Geng Metal and the hour branch Shen Metal, which would be a good arrangement. Unfortunately, the month branch Yin contains Bing Fire, which can overcome the hour stem Geng Metal. Meanwhile, the hour branch Shen contains Geng Metal, which in turn overcomes the Bing Fire in the Yin. This back and forth completely ruins the original harmony. Therefore, the heavenly stem is not always beneficial; it depends on which side it supports.

人元力量之分析：（一）最重：月支內之人元屬月之本氣者（例如申月之庚，庚與申皆屬金，庚即為申中之本氣），力量最重。（二）次重：月支內所暗藏之人元（例如申月，申中暗藏戊壬），雖非申月本氣，力量則次重。（三）稍輕：年日時支內所藏之人元，與月支之人元相較，則力減輕。

The heavenly stems hidden in the earthly branches vary in strength. They are generally divided into three categories. The first category is the strongest: the heavenly stem that is the true essence of the month's earthly branch. The author explains that in the month of Shen, the stem Geng metal is the true essence of Shen, as both Geng and Shen belong to the metal element. Since the month's earthly branch rules the entire month and the true essence is the main body of the branch, its strength is the greatest, and it often determines the overall pattern. The second category is next in strength: the other heavenly stems hidden in the month's earthly branch besides the true essence. The author explains that in the branch Shen, there are also hidden stems Wu earth and Ren water, which are not the true essence of the month, but they are still within the month's branch and benefit from the month's influence, so their strength is second only to the true essence. The third category is the weakest: the heavenly stems hidden in the year, day, and hour branches, which are weaker compared to those in the month's branch. This ranking is very important: the subsequent discussion about determining patterns begins by checking whether the true essence of the month's branch is revealed, which comes directly from this principle.

五行者，金木水火土，其數有五，並往來乎天地這間，而不窮者也，故謂之行。

The so-called Five Phases refer to metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, a total of five elements. They move and circulate throughout heaven and earth, ceaselessly in motion without end. Because they are always "moving" and never stationary, they are called "Phases" (行), not terms like "five substances" or "five objects." This sentence serves as the main thesis of the entire passage: the Five Phases are not five static things, but five kinds of flowing energies. They have strength and decline according to the seasons, and they have generating and overcoming relationships with similar and different elements. Therefore, when discussing each Phase later, we first explain its origin and nature, then its strength and weaknesses in the four seasons and its favorable and unfavorable conditions. (The original text has "这" in "天地这间," which should be "之.")

原始：西方陰止以收而生燥，燥乃生金。性：屬少陰，沉下而有所止。體：至陰中含至陽，故光明可照。質：堅剛。天干：庚辛屬金。地支：申酉屬金。支藏：申酉戌巳丑中皆藏金。生克：受土之生；生水；為火所克；克木。

The origin of metal: the energy of the west is yin in nature, and yin is characterized by gathering in and cessation. When gathering and ceasing lasts long, dryness arises, and this dryness condenses into metal. Its nature is that of minor yin, with its energy descending and settling, unlike wood and fire which tend to rise continuously. Its substance is extreme yin containing extreme yang, so although metal is cold and hard, it can become bright when rubbed, capable of reflecting light. Its quality is hard and strong. In the heavenly stems, Geng and Xin belong to metal; in the earthly branches, Shen and You belong to metal. As for metal hidden within the branches, it is present in the branches of Shen, You, Xu, Si, and Chou—Shen and You are the native positions of metal, Xu is the residual energy of metal, Si is the place of growth for metal, and Chou is the storage place for metal. In terms of generation and overcoming: metal is generated by earth, metal generates water, metal is overcome by fire, and metal overcomes wood. These eight words serve as the basis for the following discussion on what is favorable and unfavorable: whenever it says 'generating metal,' it refers to earth; whenever it says 'dispersing metal,' it refers to water; whenever it says 'overcoming metal,' it refers to fire; and whenever it says 'dividing the strength of metal,' it refers to wood.

種類：金分六類，各有喜忌。（一）強金，當令或繁為強，喜木分力，火煅練，水吐秀，忌土生金，金加重。（二）弱金，失令或頹少為弱，喜土生金，金比助，忌水分力，火剋制，水洩氣。（三）埋金，土多易埋，喜木制土，忌火助土。（四）沉金，水多易沉，喜土克水，水洩木，忌金助水泛。（五）缺金，木多易缺，喜土生金，忌木加重。（六）熔金，火多易熔，喜水制火存金，土洩火生金，忌木助火積。

Gold is divided into six categories based on its situation, each with its own favorable and unfavorable elements. The first category is strong gold: if it is born in the autumn season when it is in authority, or if there is an abundance of gold in the birth chart, it is considered strong. Strong gold should be reduced rather than increased, so it favors wood to divide its strength, fire to refine it into a useful object, and water to release its brilliance; it dislikes earth that produces more gold and additional gold. The second category is weak gold: if it is out of its season or in small quantity, it is considered weak. Weak gold should be supported rather than harmed, so it favors earth to produce gold and similar gold for assistance; it dislikes wood that divides its strength, fire that overcomes it, and water that drains its energy (the original text says 'water drains its energy' but should be 'wood'). The third category is buried gold: too much earth buries the gold, so it favors wood to control the earth and dislikes fire that helps the earth. The fourth category is submerged gold: too much water submerges the gold, so it favors earth to overcome water and wood to drain water; it dislikes additional gold that exacerbates the water overflow (the original text says 'water drains wood' but should be 'wood drains water'). The fifth category is deficient gold: too much wood weakens and damages the gold, so it favors earth to produce gold to strengthen it and dislikes more wood. The sixth category is melted gold: too much fire melts the gold, so it favors water to control fire to preserve the gold, and earth to drain fire and regenerate gold; it dislikes wood that assists fire, making the fire even stronger. Among these six categories, the first two discuss the inherent strength and weakness of gold, while the last four discuss being constrained by other elements. When analyzing a birth chart, one should first determine which category the gold belongs to, and the favorable and unfavorable elements will become clear.

四季金之喜忌。春：值囚令。喜：未盡，貴乎火氣為榮，性體柔弱，愛得薄土之資生，既見火，由喜金來比助。忌：水盛則金寒，有用等於無用，木盛則金折，至剛轉為不剛。夏：值死令。喜：性柔，遇薄土則資生有益，形未充，得金比，則扶持精壯。時方在炎，逢水滋則金潤澤。忌：火多則銷熔，木盛則傷身，土厚則埋沒無光。秋：值旺令。喜：當權得令，遇火煅練，則成鐘鼎之材；見水吐秀，則精神發越；逢木斫削，則施威逞才。忌：金助愈剛，剛過必缺，土再資生，反為頑濁。冬：值休令。喜：形寒性冷，土能制水，金體不寒，火土並來，溫養更妙。忌：木多則難施斫削之功，水盛則不免沉潛之患。

When discussing the favorable and unfavorable aspects of metal according to the four seasons, we can analyze it as follows. In spring, metal is in the "imprisoned" position: the remaining cold has not yet dissipated, so it is valuable to have fire to warm it and give it a luster; at this time, metal is weak and prefers thin earth to generate and support it—thin earth can produce metal without burying it; once fire is present, it is even more favorable to have similar metal to assist it, making it able to withstand forging. What is to be avoided is: excessive water makes metal even colder, and even if it is useful, it is as if it is not; excessive wood causes metal to be broken, and the originally strong metal becomes weak. In summer, metal is in the "dead" position: it is soft in nature, and encountering thin earth to generate it is beneficial; its form is not yet full, and it needs similar metal to assist it to become strong and vigorous; during the hot season, encountering water to moisten it gives metal a luster. What is to be avoided is: too much fire melts it, too much wood harms it, and thick earth buries it without luster. In autumn, metal is in the "strong" position: it is in command and in its season, so encountering fire to forge it can make it into heavy objects like bells and tripods; encountering water to drain its energy gives it vitality; encountering wood for cutting and shaping allows it to display its strength and ability. What is to be avoided is: more metal to assist it makes it even harder, and when it is too hard, it will inevitably break; more earth to generate it turns it into a dull and turbid substance. In winter, metal is in the "resting" position: it is cold in form and nature, and only when earth controls water can metal not be too cold; if fire and earth come together to warm it, it is even better. What is to be avoided is: too much wood prevents metal from displaying its cutting ability, and too much water causes it to sink and be unable to rise. It is clear that the same thing, when in season or out of season, has almost opposite favorable and unfavorable aspects. This is the most important principle in the entire text.

原始：東方陽散以洩而生風，風乃生木。性：屬少陽，騰上而無所止。體：陽中含陰，故枝葉繁榮於外，而內空虛。質：柔和。天干：甲乙屬木。地支：寅卯屬木。支藏：寅卯辰亥未中皆藏木。生克：受水之生；生火；為金所克；克土。

The origin of wood: The energy of the East belongs to yang, which is characterized by dispersion and outward release. When this energy is released, it becomes wind, and the movement of wind gives rise to wood. Its nature is that of "Less Yang," with its vital energy rising and surging upward without rest, which is opposite to the descending and restraining nature of metal. Its substance is yang containing yin, so its branches and leaves are flourishing on the outside, yet empty within. Its quality is gentle. In the heavenly stems, Jia and Yi belong to wood; in the earthly branches, Yin and Mao belong to wood. Wood hidden within the branches is found in the branches of Yin, Mao, Chen, Hai, and Wei—Yin and Mao are the original positions of wood, Chen is the residual energy of wood, Hai is the place of growth for wood, and Wei is the storage for wood. In terms of generation and overcoming: wood is generated by water, wood generates fire, wood is overcome by metal, and wood overcomes earth. The terms mentioned below, such as division of force, cutting and shaping, showing excellence, and generation and support, all come from these four sentences.

種類：木分六類，各有喜忌。（一）強木令當，或繁盛為強，喜土分力，金斫削，火吐秀，忌水生木，木加重。（二）弱木，失令或稀少為弱，喜水生木，木比助，忌土分力，金克害，火洩氣。（三）浮木，水多易浮，喜土制水，忌金助水。（四）焚木，火多易焚，喜水克火，土洩火，忌木生助，火熾烈。（五）折木，土多易折，喜水生木，忌土加重。（六）斷木，金多易斷，喜火制金存木，水洩金生木，忌土助金，金堅銳。

Wood is also divided into six categories based on its situation. The first category is strong wood: if it is born in spring when it is in authority, or if there is a lot of wood in the four pillars and it is flourishing, it is considered strong. Strong wood prefers earth to share its strength, metal to cut and shape it into useful material, and fire to release its refined essence. It dislikes water that regenerates wood and increases its strength (the original text "强木令当" should be "强木当令"). The second category is weak wood: if it is out of its season or scarce, it is considered weak. Weak wood prefers water to nourish it and similar wood to support it. It dislikes earth that divides its strength, metal that harms it, and fire that drains its energy. The third category is floating wood: too much water causes wood to float without roots. It prefers earth to control water and dislikes metal that further assists water. The fourth category is burning wood: too much fire burns the wood. It prefers water to control fire and earth to weaken fire. It dislikes wood that regenerates and intensifies the fire. The fifth category is broken wood: too much earth causes wood to be bent and broken. It prefers water to nourish wood and strengthen it, and dislikes earth that increases further. The sixth category is cut wood: too much metal cuts the wood. It prefers fire to control metal and preserve wood, and water to weaken metal and transform it into wood. It dislikes earth that assists metal, making it even sharper. The arrangement of these six categories is exactly the same as in the Metal chapter: first divide into strong and weak, then divide into four situations where it is constrained by water, fire, earth, and metal. The methods of salvation are only two: either directly control the harmful element, or introduce another element to transform its power.

四季木之喜忌。春：值旺令。喜：餘寒猶存，得火溫曖，無盤屈之枸，遇水資扶，有舒暢之美，見薄土則材豐。忌：土多則反損力，重金傷殘克伐，則生意索然。夏：值休令。喜：根竿葉桔，水盛有滋潤之功，無土則根之不固，缺金則不能斫削。忌：火旺招焚化之患，土厚則反為災咎，金多亦轉傷殘，木太多亦無可為用。秋：值死令。喜：氣漸淒涼，形凋敗，木多有多材之美，初秋喜水土相滋，中秋愛剛金原削，寒露遇火則木實。忌：土厚無已任之材，獨霜降水盛，則有木漂之患。冬：值相令。喜：得金多以為用，遇火以成功，欲土厚而培養。忌：水盛則忘形，木雖多而難助。

When discussing the favorable and unfavorable factors for wood according to the four seasons, we can analyze it as follows. In spring, wood is in its "prosperous" position: at the beginning of spring, residual cold still lingers, and with fire to warm it, there is no problem of being twisted or constrained; encountering water to support and assist it brings about a flourishing and open state; encountering thin earth allows it to grow into strong and abundant timber. What is to be avoided is excessive earth which drains the strength of wood, and heavy metal which cuts and damages it, leading to a decline in the vitality of wood. In summer, wood is in its "resting" position: roots and trunks are dry and withered, branches and leaves are scorched and dry. At this time, abundant water brings nourishment; without earth, the roots cannot take hold firmly, and without metal, it cannot be shaped into useful objects. What is to be avoided is strong fire which brings about burning, thick earth which brings about misfortune, and excessive metal which also leads to damage. If there is too much wood, it will only result in mutual competition without any useful outcome. In autumn, wood is in its "dying" position: the autumn air gradually becomes bleak and cold, and the form becomes withered. At this time, having more wood is actually beneficial as it provides abundant material. Considering the seasons: in early autumn, water and earth together provide nourishment; in mid-autumn, strong metal is preferred to cut and shape the wood into useful objects; after the cold dew, fire helps the wood to mature. What is to be avoided is thick earth which makes the wood unable to bear and thus fail to become useful; only when it is around the time of frost and dew, if water is too abundant, there is a risk of the wood being washed away. In winter, wood is in its "governing" position: it prefers abundant metal to be used by itself, encounters fire to achieve success, and needs thick earth to nurture and support it. What is to be avoided is excessive water which causes the wood to float and lose its form; even if there is a lot of wood, it cannot support each other.

原始：北方陰極而生寒，寒乃生水。性：屬太陰，潤下。體：積陰之寒氣反而為水，水雖陰物，陽含於內，故水體內明。質：沉潛。天干：壬癸屬水。地支：亥子屬水。支蕆：亥子丑辰申中皆藏水。生克：受金之生；生木；為土所克；克火。

The origin of water: The extreme yin energy of the north produces cold, and the cold energy condenses into water. Its nature belongs to 'Taiyin', its tendency is moist and flows downward. Its substance is formed by the accumulation of yin cold energy, which reverses into water; although water is a yin substance, it contains yang energy within, so its exterior is dark while its interior is bright. Its quality is quiet and hidden. In the heavenly stems, Ren and Gui belong to water; in the earthly branches, Hai and Zi belong to water. Water hidden within the branches is present in the branches of Hai, Zi, Chou, Chen, and Shen — Hai and Zi are the native positions of water, Chou is the residual energy of water, Chen is the storage of water, and Shen is the growth of water (the original text says 'zhi cheng', where 'cheng' is interpreted as 'concealed'). In terms of generation and overcoming: water is generated by metal, water generates wood, water is overcome by earth, and water overcomes fire. The Classic of Documents, 'Hongfan', says 'water is moist and flows downward', and this discussion of water's nature is based on this.

種類：水分六類，各有喜忌。（一）強水當令或繁盛為強，喜火分力，土堤防，木洩秀，忌金生水，水加重。（二）弱水，失令或稀少為弱，喜金生水，水比助，忌火分土，土剋制，木洩氣。（三）滯水，金多易滯，喜火制金，忌土助金。（四）縮水，木多易縮，喜火洩木，金制木，忌水生助，木繁盛。（五）沸水，火多易沸，喜金生水，忌火加重。（六）淤水，土多易淤，喜木克土存水，金洩土生水，忌火助土，土堅實。

Water is also divided into six categories depending on its situation. The first category is strong water: it is strong when it is born in winter and is dominant, or when there is an abundance of water in the four pillars. It prefers fire to share its strength, earth to build a dike and block it, and wood to release its refined quality. It fears metal which produces more water and water which increases further. The second category is weak water: it is weak when it is out of its season or scarce. It prefers metal to produce water and similar elements to support it. It fears fire which divides its strength, earth which controls it, and wood which drains its energy (the character 'earth' in the original text is considered an addition and should be read as 'fire' dividing its strength). The third category is stagnant water: too much metal causes water to be blocked and not flow. It prefers fire to control metal and fears earth which further supports metal. The fourth category is reduced water: too much wood absorbs water completely, causing it to dry up. It prefers fire to drain wood and metal to control wood. It fears water which regenerates and supports wood further. The fifth category is boiling water: too much fire boils and dries up water. It prefers metal to produce water and replenish its source. It fears fire which increases further. The sixth category is silted water: too much earth blocks water and prevents it from flowing. It prefers wood to control earth and preserve water, and metal to drain earth and produce water. It fears fire which supports earth and makes it even harder. The passage about stagnant water is the most difficult to understand: metal is supposed to produce water, so why does it cause blockage? Because excessive production leads to the child being burdened by the mother. Although the source of water is sufficient, it cannot flow. This is what is called in divination 'too many mothers cause illness in the children', similar to too much earth causing water to be silted up, both being blockages, but from different sources.

四季水之喜忌。春：值休令。喜：土盛則泛漲無憂，木見則施功可期，籍金生扶，慾火相濟。忌：水盛則崩提堪虞，金多火繁均非所宜。夏：值囚令。喜：時當涸際，愛金生，而欲同類之幫扶。忌：火旺則干涸堪虞，木盛氣耗，土重流塞。秋：值相令。喜：母旺子相，表光裹瑩，見金則澄可愛，火多財盛，木重妻榮。忌：遇土則混濁可嫌，水多則泛瀾堪憂（水既重重方愛得土清平）。木火過多，亦非所宜。冬：值旺令。喜：專權司令，遇火則增暖，木盛為有情，見土則無氾濫之憂。忌：金多無義，土多無恩（惟泛漲時，可籍作堤防）。

When discussing the favorable and unfavorable aspects of water according to the four seasons, we can analyze it as follows. In spring, water is in the "rest" position: if there is much earth, it can act as a dam, preventing floods; if there is wood, water can flow and be useful; if there is metal to support it and fire to regulate its cold and warmth, it is also beneficial. What is to be avoided is: if water is too strong, there is a risk of the embankments breaking; too much metal or too much fire is also not suitable—spring water is naturally weak, so too much support is actually a burden, and too much fire will steal its energy. In summer, water is in the "captured" position: it is in a dry period, so it most desires metal to generate it and similar water to support it. What is to be avoided is: too much fire will cause dryness, too much wood will consume its energy, and too much earth will block its flow. In autumn, water is in the "prosperous" position: metal is the mother and water is the child, so when the mother is strong, the child is also prosperous, and the relationship is clear and open; seeing metal makes water even clearer and more beautiful, while too much fire indicates wealth, and too much wood indicates a successful wife (water controls fire, which is considered wealth, and wood is the food and injury of water, which can generate wealth, hence this statement). What is to be avoided is: encountering earth makes the water turbid, and too much water causes worry about flooding. The author notes: since water is already abundant, it actually prefers earth to clear and control it. Too much wood or fire is also not suitable. In winter, water is in the "strong" position: it is in charge, and when it meets fire, it increases warmth; when wood is strong, it releases its beauty in a meaningful way; when earth is present, there is no need to worry about flooding. What is to be avoided is: too much metal is not appropriate as it generates water without meaning, and too much earth is not kind as it controls water without mercy; the author adds a note: only when water is flooding can earth be used to build dikes.

原始：南方陽極而生熱，熱乃生火。性：屬太陽，炎上。體：積陽之熱氣反者為火，火雖陽物，陰在其內，故火體內暗。質：熾烈。天干：丙丁屬火。地支：巳午屬火。地藏：巳午未寅戌中皆藏火。生克：受木之生，生火，為水所克，克金。

The origin of fire: the yang energy of the south reaches its peak and produces heat, and the rising heat becomes fire. Its nature belongs to the 'Sun,' and its force is intense and upward. Its substance is formed by the accumulation of yang heat turning into fire; although fire is a yang element, yin energy is present within it, so the flame is bright on the outside but dark in the center. Its quality is fierce and intense. In the heavenly stems, Bing and Ding belong to fire; in the earthly branches, Si and Wu belong to fire. Fire is also hidden within the branches in the branches of Si, Wu, Wei, Yin, and Xu—Si and Wu are the original positions of fire, Wei is the residual energy of fire, Yin is the place of birth for fire, and Xu is the storage place for fire (the original text says 'earth storage,' which should be understood as 'branch storage'). In terms of generation and overcoming: fire is generated by wood, fire generates earth, fire is overcome by water, and fire overcomes metal (the original text says 'fire generates fire,' which should be understood as 'fire generates earth,' as clear from the context). The Book of Documents, Hongfan, says 'fire is upwardly flaming,' and this discussion of fire's nature is based on that.

種類：火分六類，和有喜忌。（一）強火，當令或繁盛為強，喜金分力，水相濟，土洩秀，忌木生火，火加重。（二）弱火，失令或稀少為弱，喜木生火，火比助，忌金分力，水克熄，土掩晦。（三）熾火，木多易晦，喜金洩土，木制土，己火生土，土堅重。（四）晦火，土多易晦，喜金洩土，木制土，己火生土，土堅重。（五）熄火，金多易熄，喜木生火，忌金加重。（六）滅火，水多易滅，喜土制水存火，木洩水生火，忌金助水，水盛旺。

Fire is also divided into six categories based on its situation. The first category is strong fire: when it is in its season or flourishing, it is strong. It prefers metal to share its strength, water to support it, and earth to release its brilliance. It dislikes wood to generate more fire or fire to increase further. The second category is weak fire: when it is out of season or scarce, it is weak. It prefers wood to generate fire and similar elements to support it. It dislikes metal to share its strength, water to suppress it, and earth to obscure it. The third category should be "intense fire": when there is too much wood, fire becomes overly intense. It should prefer metal to control wood and water to support fire. It dislikes wood to further assist. The fourth category is "obscured fire": when there is too much earth, the fire's light is obscured. It prefers metal to release earth and wood to control earth. It dislikes fire to generate more earth, making earth even stronger. These two categories are completely repeated. The explanation for the third category obviously copied the fourth one by mistake. The term "Ji fire generates earth" has "Ji" marked as a忌 (disfavored element). Readers can correct it according to the example. The text is recorded as is without changes. The fifth category is "extinguished fire": when there is too much metal, fire is suppressed. It prefers wood to generate fire and continue its flame. It dislikes metal to further suppress it. The sixth category is "extinguishing fire": when there is too much water, fire is extinguished. It prefers earth to control water and preserve fire, and wood to drain water and generate fire. It dislikes metal to assist water, making the water even stronger.

四季火之喜忌。春：值相令。喜：母旺子相，見金可以施功，繼多無防，木少可得生扶（過多則火炎）。水只宜其兩濟。忌：火盛則多傷爆燥，土多則蹇寒無光。夏：值旺令。喜：恃勢行權，遇金為良工，得土成家穡（金土雖美，缺水則金燥土焦）。逢水則自焚可免。忌：見火有傾危之慮，遇木有夭折之患。秋：值囚令。喜：性息體休，重疊見火而光輝，遇木生，亦有復明之慶。忌：土重則掩光，水克則隕滅，金多見，其體亦能損傷。冬：值死令。喜：休絕形亡，木生而有救效，土制水以為榮，水比則有利。忌：見金難任為財，水克必以為殃。

When discussing the favorable and unfavorable aspects of fire according to the four seasons, we can analyze it as follows. In spring, fire is in the "phase" position: spring wood is the mother of fire, and when the mother is strong, the son is in its prime, so fire is at its peak of strength. At this time, seeing metal can help to refine and shape it, and even if there is a lot of metal, it is not a problem. If there is little wood, it can support and nourish fire, but the author notes that too much wood may make the fire too intense. Water is suitable only for balancing the cold and warmth, but should not be excessive. What is to be avoided is: excessive fire can cause dryness and damage things, and too much earth can block the fire's energy and prevent it from shining. In summer, fire is in the "strength" position: it is dominant and in charge. At this time, encountering metal is good as it can act as a skilled craftsman, and encountering earth can help achieve agricultural success. The author notes that although metal and earth are beneficial, without water, the metal becomes dry and the earth becomes scorched, leading to an imbalance. When water comes to assist, it can prevent fire from burning itself out. What is to be avoided is: encountering more fire can lead to collapse, and encountering too much wood can cause premature death. In autumn, fire is in the "captivity" position: its energy is declining and its strength is waning. At this time, seeing more fire can actually enhance its brightness, and encountering wood can bring renewed vitality. What is to be avoided is: too much earth can cover up its light, too much water can extinguish it, and too much metal can damage its essence. In winter, fire is in the "death" position: its energy is exhausted and its form is nearly gone. At this time, encountering wood can provide support and help, encountering earth to control water can lead to prosperity, and encountering similar elements can also be beneficial (the original text says "water is beneficial," but this should be "fire"). What is to be avoided is: encountering metal weakens the fire's strength, making it unable to bear wealth, and encountering water to control it will certainly bring disaster.

原始：中央屬陰陽交而生溼，溼乃生土。性：土無常性，視四時所乘，喜相濟得所，忌太過不及。體：土包四物，故其體能兼虛實。質：含散持實。天干：戊己屬土。地支：辰戌丑未屬土。支藏：辰戌未巳午寅申中皆藏土。生克：受火之生；生金；為木所克；克水。

The origin of earth: it arises from the meeting of yin and yang at the center, producing dampness, which condenses into earth. Its nature is most unique: earth has no fixed disposition; it depends on the season it is associated with. It prefers balance and harmony from all directions, and it most dislikes excess or deficiency. Its substance can encompass metal, wood, water, and fire, so it has both empty and solid aspects. Its quality can both contain and release, and also hold firm and solid. In the heavenly stems, Wu and Ji belong to earth; in the earthly branches, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei belong to earth. Earth hidden within the branches is found in Chen, Xu, Wei, Si, Wu, Yin, and Shen. In terms of generation and overcoming: earth is generated by fire, earth generates metal, earth is overcome by wood, and earth overcomes water. The principle that earth has no fixed nature is very important: metal, wood, water, and fire each have fixed natures, but earth changes with the seasons. Therefore, the preferences and aversions of earth in the four seasons differ more than the other four elements.

種類：土分六類，各有喜忌。（一）強土，當令或繁盛為強，喜水分力，木疏通，金洩秀，忌火生土，土加重。（二）弱土，失令或稀少為弱，忌水分力，木剋制，金洩氣，喜火生土，土比助。（三）焦土，火多易焦，喜水制火，忌木助火。（四）焚土，火多易焚，喜火制金，水洩金，忌土助金，金堅實。（五）流土，水多易流，喜火生土，忌水加重。（六）傾土，木多易傾，喜金制木存土，火洩木生土，忌水助木，木繁盛。

Soil is also divided into six categories depending on its context. The first category is strong soil: when it is in its season or flourishing, it is strong. It prefers water to share its strength, wood to smooth it, and metal to release its essence. It fears fire which regenerates soil and increases its strength. The second category is weak soil: when it is out of season or scarce, it is weak. It fears water which drains its strength, wood which controls it, and metal which drains its energy. It prefers fire to generate soil and similar soil to support it. The third category is scorched soil: too much fire scorches the soil. It prefers water to control fire and fears wood which further assists fire. The fourth category, following the previous pattern, should be 'soil that is drained'. When metal is excessive, the soil's energy is drained. It prefers fire to control metal and preserve soil, and water to drain metal and transform it into something beneficial. However, the current text reads 'fire is excessive and burns, prefers fire to control metal, water to drain metal, fears soil assisting metal, and metal being solid'. The first half repeats the third category, and the latter half discusses the preferences and fears of metal, clearly a mistake from the metal section. Readers can correct this by following the principle of the five elements. The text is recorded as is without changes. The fifth category is flowing soil: too much water causes the soil to flow. It prefers fire to generate soil and solidify its quality, and fears more water. The sixth category is collapsing soil: too much wood causes the soil to collapse. It prefers metal to control wood and preserve the soil, and fire to drain wood and transform it into something beneficial, fearing water which assists wood and makes it even more flourishing.

四季土之喜忌。春：值死令。喜：土勢虛弱，火生扶，土比助，金能制木為祥（按金多仍能盜土氣）。忌：木太過，水氾濫。夏：值相令。喜：土勢燥烈，見盛水則滋潤成功，見水復遇金生，更為有益。忌：旺火煅煉焦赤，見火復遇木生，則生克無良（惟土太過者，喜木），土多見則蹇塞不通。秋：值休令。喜：子旺母衰，不厭火重，鍊金成材，最愛木盛，制伏純良。土多則頗可助力（惟至霜降，則毋用土比）。忌：金多而耗盜其氣，水泛而一定非祥。冬：值囚令。喜：外寒內溫，木溫火暖，則寒谷回春，再加土助，則尤佳。忌：金水氣冷，則冰寒土凍，再加身弱，多損壽元。

When considering the favor and disfavor of earth according to the four seasons, in spring earth is in the "dead" position: earth is weak, so it prefers fire to generate and support it, and also prefers earth of the same kind to assist it. It also benefits from metal that can control strong wood and turn danger into good fortune. The author notes that although metal can control wood, too much metal will also drain earth's energy, so it should not be excessive. What is to be avoided is: excessive wood that overcomes earth, and excessive water that floods and erodes earth. In summer, earth is in the "growing" position: earth is dry and fierce, so it needs abundant water to moisten and nourish it in order to succeed. If there is also metal to generate water, it is even more beneficial. What is to be avoided is: strong fire that burns earth dry and red; if there is already fire and then wood comes to generate fire, both generation and overcoming become inappropriate. The author adds a note: only in cases where earth is too strong does wood become favorable for dispersion. If earth is too much, it can cause blockage and stagnation. In autumn, earth is in the "resting" position: metal is strong as a child, and earth is weak as a mother. When the child is strong and the mother is weak, fire is not disliked, for strong fire can refine metal into useful material. It also loves strong wood, for strong wood can control and restrain metal properly. Earth being abundant also helps, but the author notes that after the autumn equinox, it is no longer necessary to use earth for assistance. What is to be avoided is: excessive metal that drains earth's energy, and excessive water that brings inevitable misfortune. In winter, earth is in the "captured" position: the outside is cold while the inside is warm. At this time, the presence of wood and fire to warm it is like spring returning to a frozen valley, and adding more earth for assistance is even better. What is to be avoided is: the coldness of metal and water, which becomes even colder and freezes earth when there is too much of it; if this is combined with a weak body, it often leads to shortened lifespan. By examining the five elements and their relationships across the four seasons, it is clear that the same element can have almost opposite preferences and aversions in different seasons. Therefore, the first step in divination is to look at the month's element, precisely for this reason.

論命以日干為主，稱之曰身，身之強弱，關係最為緊要，故首論之。

Astrological analysis is based on the heavenly stem of the day pillar, which is referred to as the 'body' in命学, also known as the day master. The other seven characters in the four pillars, as well as the big years and stream years, are all determined in relation to this 'body' in terms of closeness, favor, and忌. Whether this 'body' is strong or weak is of utmost importance - if the body is strong, it should be restrained; if weak, it should be supported. The first step in selecting the useful god is to distinguish between these two situations. Once the strength or weakness is misjudged, all subsequent favorable and unfavorable factors will be reversed. Therefore, this book places the section on strength and weakness before the six spirits and patterns, and discusses it first.

身強之構成：（一）月令旺相：如甲木日干，生於春冬。（二）多幫扶：如甲木日干，四柱多水多木（四柱，即年月日是四個干支也）。（三）支得氣：如甲木日干，生於亥年寅日卯時（甲生於亥，臨官於寅，帝旺於卯，氣盛為得氣）。

The strength of the day stem comes from three paths. The first is "month ruler is prosperous and strong," meaning the birth month is when the day stem is at its peak or next peak. For example, if the day stem is Jia Wood, being born in spring is considered strong, and being born in winter is considered prosperous and strong, both count as support from the month ruler. The month ruler represents the energy of the whole year, so this path is the most important. The second is "many supports," meaning there are many characters in the four pillars that generate or are the same as the day stem. For example, if the day stem is Jia Wood, and there are many water and wood characters in the four pillars, water generates wood and wood supports wood, which is considered support (note: the four pillars refer to the four groups of heavenly stems and earthly branches: year, month, day, and hour). The third is "branch has strong energy," meaning the earthly branches fall in the strong positions of the twelve cycles of the day stem. For example, if the day stem is Jia Wood, being born in the year of Hai, day of Yin, or hour of Mao (note: Jia Wood is born in Hai, reaches officialdom in Yin, and reaches prosperity in Mao; strong energy is called having the right energy). Among these three, getting one makes the day stem somewhat strong, and getting more than one makes it even stronger. In the original text, the word "is" in "year, month, day are four pillars" should be "hour."

身強之區別：（一）最強：既當令，又多幫扶（當令即月令旺相）。例如：甲寅、丁卯、甲子、甲子。甲木旺於春月，又卯為帝旺故當令四柱，又有四木兩水幫扶之，故成最強。（二）中強：僅多幫扶而失令（失令即月令衰弱）。例如：甲寅、癸酉、乙亥、丙子。乙木死於秋酉月。又為絕地，故失令。然四柱有三水座。木幫扶，故成中強。僅得令而少幫扶。例如：甲寅、丙子、壬寅、丙午。壬水旺於冬，子月又為帝旺，故得令，然四柱全無別位金水幫扶，故亦成中強。

The strength of the day stem is further divided into three levels. The first level is the strongest: it receives the support of the month's stem and is also well assisted. For example, if the day stem is Jia Wood and the four pillars are Jia Yin, Ding Mao, Jia Zi, and Jia Zi, Jia Wood is strong in spring, and the month's branch Mao is the position of prosperity for Jia Wood, which means it is in its season. Additionally, there are four more Wood characters and two Water characters to support it, making it the strongest. The second level is medium strength, which is divided into two situations. The first is when there is support but the month's stem is lost (the month's stem is weak). For example, if the day stem is Yi Wood and the four pillars are Jia Yin, Gui You, Yi Hai, and Bing Zi, Yi Wood dies in the autumn month You, which is also the place where Yi Wood is at its end, so it is considered to have lost its season. However, there are three more Water and Wood characters to support it, so it is considered medium strength. The second situation is when the month's stem is present but there is little support. For example, if the day stem is Ren Water and the four pillars are Jia Yin, Bing Zi, Ren Yin, and Bing Wu, Ren Water is strong in winter, and the month's branch Zi is the position of prosperity for Ren Water, which means it is in its season. However, there are no other Metal or Water characters to support it, so it is also considered medium strength. It is clear that if either the season or the support is missing, the strongest level is reduced to medium strength.

（三）次強：既不當令，又少幫扶，但年日時支得氣。例如：辛亥、丁酉、甲寅、丁卯。甲木死於秋，故失令天干又全無水木幫扶，僅亥年長生寅日臨官，卯時帝旺，酉月受胎，皆得氣，故成為次強耳。

Third class strength: The stem is not in its season, and the four pillars lack support, relying entirely on the year, day, and hour branches falling in positions where the day stem is strong. For example: Xinhai, Dingyou, Jiayin, Dingmao, with the day stem being Jia Wood. Jia Wood dies in autumn, indicating it is out of its season; the heavenly stems are all metal and fire (Xin, Ding, Ding), with no water or wood to support it. It depends solely on the four earthly branches: the亥 year is the long birth of Jia Wood, the寅 day is the official position of Jia Wood, the卯 hour is the prosperity of Jia Wood, and even the酉 month is the fetal position of Jia Wood. All four branches are in the positions of the twelve cycles where there is active energy. Relying on this root energy, it can only be considered as secondary strength. This example best illustrates: even if the heavenly stems do not support, and the earthly branches have roots, it cannot be considered weak; conversely, even if there are many heavenly stems but no roots in the earthly branches, it is not strong either. This is what is called in fortune telling "通根" — when the heavenly stem has a similar energy in the earthly branches, it is considered valid.

身強之喜忌：身強喜抑，抑之構成原因有四：（一）受克：即克我，如甲木見金克。（二）被洩：即我生，如甲木見火洩。（三）被分：即我克，如甲木見土分。（四）氣衰：如甲木見辰巳午未申酉戌（見甲木篇論氣條）。身強忌扶，扶之構成原因有三：（一）受生：即生我，如甲木見水。（二）得授：即同我，如甲木見木。（三）氣盛：如甲木見亥子丑寅卯（見甲木篇論氣條）。

For a strong destiny, the favorable and unfavorable elements can be summarized in one sentence: it favors suppression and dislikes support. The term "suppression" refers to four methods. The first is being overcome, meaning the element that overcomes me comes: for example, Jia wood meets Jin metal, and Jin metal overcomes Jia wood, thus restraining the wood. The second is being drained, meaning the element I generate comes: for example, Jia wood meets Huo fire, and Jia wood generates fire, thus dispersing its energy. The third is being divided, meaning the element I overcome comes: for example, Jia wood meets Tu soil, and Jia wood overcomes Tu soil, thus using up its strength. The fourth is decline, meaning sitting on a declining position in the twelve earthly branches: for example, Jia wood meets Chi, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, or Hai branches (the author notes: see the section on the energy of Jia in the Heavenly Stems section). The term "support" refers to three methods. The first is being nourished, meaning the element that nourishes me comes: for example, Jia wood meets Shui water. The second is receiving assistance, meaning the same element comes: for example, Jia wood meets wood. The third is strength, meaning sitting on a flourishing position in the twelve earthly branches: for example, Jia wood meets Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao branches (the author notes: also see the section on the energy of Jia wood in the Jia wood section). Since the destiny is already strong, adding these three elements would be excessive, thus they are considered unfavorable.

身弱之構成：（一）月令衰弱：如甲木日干，生於夏秋。（二）多克洩：如甲水日干四柱多金多火。（三）支失氣：如甲木日干，逢巳年午日申時（甲木病巳死午絕申，氣衰，為失氣）。

The composition of a weak day stem is exactly opposite to the three conditions of a strong day stem. The first is "month stem weakness," meaning the day stem is born in a month where it is weak, dying, or extinct. For example, a Jia wood day stem born in summer is considered weak, and born in autumn is considered extinct, thus losing the support of the month stem. The second is "many controls and drains," meaning there are many characters in the four pillars that control or drain the day stem. For example, a Jia wood day stem with many metals and fires in the four pillars, where metal controls wood and fire drains wood, making the day stem naturally weak (the original text mentions "Jia water day stem," which should be "wood"). The third is "branch losing its energy," meaning the branches fall in the weak positions of the twelve cycles of the day stem. For example, a Jia wood day stem encountering the year of Si, the day of Wu, or the hour of Shen (the author notes: Jia wood is sick in Si, dead in Wu, and extinct in Shen; losing energy is called losing its energy). These three conditions correspond to the three conditions of a strong day stem, showing that the judgment of strength and weakness depends on the month stem, support, and root energy, only differing in direction.

身弱之區別：（一）最弱：既失令，又多克洩，例如：戊申、庚申、甲午、庚午。甲木死於秋（最衰）。故失令，四柱又有丙火之洩，四金之克。故成為最弱。（二）中弱：僅多克洩，而當令。例如：丙辰、庚寅、甲午、庚午。甲木日干，四柱雖有三火之洩，兩金一克，然甲木旺於春（最旺），頗當令，故即成為中弱。僅失令而少克洩。例如：甲寅、丙子、丁卯、己巳。丁火雖死於冬（最弱）。而失令，然四柱並不復見水克與土洩，且有四木兩火之幫扶，故亦成為中弱。

The degree of weakness of the day stem is divided into three levels. The first level is the weakest: it is both out of the month's strength and subjected to many controls and drains. For example, in the case of the day stem being Jia Wood with the pillars Wushen, Gengshen, Jiawu, and Gengwu, Jia Wood dies in the autumn season, which is the weakest and out of its season. In the four pillars, there is also Wu Fire to drain it, and four metal characters such as Shen and Geng to control it. The combined effect of control and drainage makes it the weakest (the original text mentions 'Jing Fire' but should be 'Ding Fire', as Wu Fire contains Ding and Ji). The second level is moderate weakness, which is divided into two situations. The first is when there are many controls and drains but the day stem still holds the month's strength. For example, in the case of the day stem being Jia Wood with the pillars Bingchen, Gengyin, Jiawu, and Gengwu, although there are three instances of Fire to drain and two instances of Metal to control, Jia Wood is strong in spring, and Yin Month is its strongest time, so it can still hold the month's strength, making it only moderately weak. The second situation is when the day stem is out of the month's strength but not subjected to many controls and drains. For example, in the case of the day stem being Ding Fire with the pillars Jiayin, Bingzi, Dingmao, and Jisi, Ding Fire dies in the winter season, and Zi Month is out of its season. However, in the four pillars, there is no further Water to control it or Earth to drain it, but instead there are four Wood characters and two Fire characters to support it, so it is also only moderately weak. Therefore, if only one of the two factors, being out of the month's strength or being subjected to controls and drains, is present, the weakest becomes moderate weakness.

（三）次弱：既不失令，又少克洩，但年日時支無氣。例如：辛巳、辛丑、壬寅、癸卯。壬水旺於冬，當令，天干又有兩金一水之幫扶，僅巳年壬絕。寅日壬病，卯時壬死，丑月壬衰。四支失氣，故即成為次弱。身弱之喜忌：身弱喜扶，扶之構成，見前論身強之喜忌。身弱忌抑，抑之構成，見前論身強之喜忌。

Third class weakness: Although the day stem is not lost to the month's influence and is not heavily controlled or drained, it is because the year, day, and hour branches all fall in places where there is no vitality. For example, with day stem Ren water, the branches are Xinsi, Xinchou, Renyin, and Guimao. Ren water is strong in winter and is born in the Chou month, so it can still be considered in season. The heavenly stem has two Xin metal and one Gui water to support it. The deficiency lies in the four branches: the year branch Si is the绝 (绝) place for Ren water, the day branch Yin is the病 (病) place, the hour branch Mao is the死 (死) place, and even the month branch Chou is the衰 (衰) place. All four branches lack vitality, and the day stem has no root to rely on, so it is only considered as secondary weakness. This example contrasts with the previous case of "secondary strength": that one had no support for the stem but had roots in the branches, so it was weak but showed strength; this one has support for the stem but no roots in the branches, so it is strong but shows weakness. For a weak body, the likes and dislikes can be summarized in one sentence: it favors support and dislikes suppression. The components of support are the three categories mentioned in the previous discussion on the likes and dislikes of a strong body: being born from, receiving assistance, and having abundant energy. The components of suppression are also mentioned in the same previous discussion: being controlled, drained, divided, and having weak energy. However, for a strong body, suppression is favorable, while for a weak body, support is favorable, so they are exactly reversed.

五行之理只是生我克我，我生我克。但不設名目，不便推詳，五行陰陽生克之代名詞也。自有此代名詞立，執五行生剋以衡量人命。彌覺如應斯響。蓋比喻適當。莫此六神若也。但五行生剋比和，有傷官、七殺、正官、食神、偏財、正財、梟神、正印、比肩、劫財等名目，共有十類。而神止取六者，何也。蓋比肩劫財，不能成格，而偏正財、偏正印，又稱曰財印，既舍比劫而再合併財印，是以神共有六耳。

The principles of the Five Phases are simply the relationships of generating me, overcoming me, being generated by me, and overcoming me. However, without giving them specific names, it would be inconvenient to discuss them, so the Six Spirits were created—they are merely alternative terms for the Five Phases and yin and yang relationships of generation and overcoming. Since this system of alternative terms was established, using the Five Phases and their relationships to assess a person's destiny has become more accurate and effective, because there is no more fitting metaphor than the Six Spirits. However, according to the order of generation, overcoming, and harmony among the Five Phases, there are ten terms: wounded official, seven killers, official, food god, biased wealth, official wealth, hawk spirit, official seal, like and harmonious, and robbery wealth. These are collectively known as the Ten Spirits. But here only six are selected. There are two reasons for this: first, like and harmonious and robbery wealth cannot form independent patterns, and no pattern is named after like and harmonious or robbery wealth, so they are excluded; second, biased wealth and official wealth are combined as 'wealth', and biased seal and official seal are combined as 'seal', each forming a single category. By excluding like and harmonious and robbery wealth, and combining wealth and seal into single categories, the ten categories are reduced to six, hence the term 'Six Spirits'. This passage serves as an introduction to the entire text, explaining why the following discussion is divided into six sections: wounded official, seven killers, official, food god, seal, and wealth.

傷官之構成：我所生，而與我異性者，是也。例如：甲木日干，見丁火，木能生火，丁火為甲木所生。而甲為陽性，丁為陰性，陰陽相異，故丁即甲之傷官。按甲見丁見午，乙見丙見巳，丙見己見丑未，丁見戊，見辰戊，戊見辛見酉，已見庚見申，庚見癸見子，辛見壬見亥，壬見乙見卯，癸見甲見寅，皆為傷官。

How is a "Wanguan" (伤官) formed? Any element that is born from me but has opposite yin and yang is considered my Wanguan. For example, if the day stem is Jia Wood, and I see Ding Fire, Wood can generate Fire, so Ding Fire is born from Jia Wood; Jia is yang and Ding is yin, so their yin and yang are opposite, making Ding the Wanguan of Jia. The author lists the corresponding elements for each of the ten heavenly stems: Jia day stem sees Ding and Wu; Yi day stem sees Bing and Si; Bing day stem sees Ji and Chou or Wei; Ding day stem sees Wu and Chen or Xu; Wu day stem sees Xin and You; Ji day stem sees Geng and Shen; Geng day stem sees Gui and Zi; Xin day stem sees Ren and Hai; Ren day stem sees Yi and Mao; and Gui day stem sees Jia and Yin. The heavenly stems and earthly branches are mentioned together because the earthly branches also contain their own inherent elements of the Five Phases, and their yin and yang pairing is the same as the heavenly stems. The original text says "Ding sees Wu, sees Chen Wu," where the second "Wu" should be "Xu," and "Yi sees Geng" where "Yi" should be "Ji."

傷官淺解：甲木見丁火傷官。丁火者，甲木所生，乃父子一家之人。丁仗甲勢，以發越甲木之秀氣，故人多聰明幹練。然而獨以傷官名者，何也？蓋甲木以辛金為正官。正官者，如一縣之有邑宰。人民居其治下，方喜得有規範，不敢肆意妄為，為非作惡。而丁火見辛金正官，乃仗勢以克傷之，故曰傷官。如人不服官管，必欲盡解除其一身之束縛，見官星而必欲克傷這。故傷官格大都好傲好潛，然亦必其人本能自治而大有才者。力克勝任，否則人無拘否，盡蔑法越規，諮意妄為，無惡不作矣。信如是，使一理復居治下，則嚴刑峻法。亦安得不身先受之耶。故傷官者，必有大過人之才遇，而亦復有大慘酷之奇禍也。

Taking the example of Jia wood meeting Ding fire, let's briefly explain the nature of the official who causes harm. Ding fire is born from Jia wood, and the two are like father and son in the same family. Ding relies on the strength of Jia to bring out its refined qualities, so people with the official who causes harm in their fate are usually intelligent and capable. Since they are family, why is this official called 'official who causes harm' which sounds so negative? Because Jia wood's proper official is Xin metal. The proper official is like a county magistrate in a county: the people like to have rules to follow, so they don't act recklessly or commit crimes. But when Ding fire meets Xin metal, the proper official, it uses the strength of Jia wood to attack and harm it, hence the term 'official who causes harm'. This is like a person who refuses to be controlled by the government, and wants to remove all restraints. As soon as he sees the official star, he must attack and harm it. Therefore, people with the 'official who causes harm' pattern are usually proud and like to be different. However, only those who can restrain themselves and truly have great talent can bear such a nature. Otherwise, if a person has no restraints, despises laws and regulations, and acts recklessly, he can do any evil. When he finally falls under the government's control, severe punishment is sure to be applied to him first. Therefore, the official who causes harm must bring great talent and good fortune, but also hides extremely cruel misfortunes. The original text has some possible errors in printing: '克伤这' should be '克伤之', '好傲好潜' should be '好傲好诞', '人无拘否' should be '人无拘束', '使一理复居治下' should be '使一旦复居治下', and '才遇' should be '才调'. These errors are noted but not corrected here.

傷官之能力：洩身，生財，敵殺，損官。天下事，有利必有弊。利弊之區別，即在當與不當耳。六神既有能力，匹配上既有當與不當，則必有利弊。既有利弊，又有喜忌，緣各述利弊喜忌如後。

The spirit of Wuxian has four functions: first, to release the energy of the day stem, meaning to reduce the strength of the day stem; second, to generate wealth, because what Wuxian produces is precisely wealth; third, to oppose the seven deadly stars, as it can resist the seven deadly stars; fourth, to weaken the official star, as it can overcome the official star. The following discussions all revolve around these four aspects. The author then establishes a general principle for the entire text: in the world, there is always benefit and harm, and the difference between benefit and harm lies only in whether it is appropriate or not. Using it appropriately is beneficial, while using it inappropriately is harmful. Since the six spirits each have their own functions, and when they are matched to specific birth years and months, they may be appropriate or inappropriate, there must be both benefits and drawbacks. Once there are benefits and drawbacks, there will also be what is favored and what is to be avoided. Therefore, the following discussion of each spirit is divided into four aspects: benefit, drawback, what is favored, and what is to be avoided. This structure runs throughout the entire section on the six spirits. If readers understand this structure, they will be able to follow the subsequent sections in an orderly manner.

傷官之利：洩身：日干強，財官無氣，即以強為患，遂愛傷官。傷官能發越日干之強氣，使盡行外露也。例如：癸丑、乙卯、乙亥、丙子。乙木春生，又多水木之生扶，自喜時上內火傷官之洩身，吐秀，否則直一頑木耳。生財：身強財弱，尤愛傷官。傷官能流通日干之氣。生起財來。俾為己用，例如：戊寅、甲寅、乙亥、丙子。旺木成林，戊土之財，受克太深，幸喜丙火傷官洩木生土，流通日干之旺氣而又救護財星之不足，厥功偉矣。

First, the four benefits of having a strong official (shānguān). The first two are to relieve the day stem and to generate wealth. First, relieving the day stem: if the day stem is strong, and both wealth and official are weak, then the excessive strength is considered a problem, and at this time, the presence of shānguān is most favorable. Shānguān can release the excessive energy of the day stem, allowing it to fully express itself externally. For example: in the case of Guichou, Yimao, Yihai, and Bingzi, with the day stem being Yimao. Yimao is born in the卯month of spring, and is supported by癸water,亥water, 子water, and卯wood, making it excessively strong. Fortunately, there is a丙fire shānguān on the hour stem to relieve the day stem and bring out its brilliance. Otherwise, it would just be a dull piece of wood. The original text mistakenly refers to 'inner fire' as 丙fire. Second, generating wealth: when the day stem is strong and wealth is weak, especially when shānguān is preferred. Shānguān can circulate the energy of the day stem, transforming it into wealth, which can be used. For example: in the case of Wuyin, Jiayin, Yihai, and Bingzi, with the day stem being Yimao. Strong wood forms a forest, and the year stem Wutǔ (earth) as wealth is heavily suppressed. Fortunately, there is a丙fire shānguān on the hour stem, which both relieves the wood and generates earth. It not only circulates the excessive energy of the day stem but also protects the weak wealth star, which is of great benefit. Both examples illustrate that the benefit of shānguān comes from the day stem being too strong and needing an outlet.

敵殺：殺重身輕，舉動盡為牽制，亦愛傷官。傷官能敵殺存身，使一身得以自由。例如：戊子、辛西、乙酉、丙子。秋本凋零，最畏辛金七殺之克伐。幸有丙火傷官制敵殺，稍解日元之危。損官：官重身輕，舉動盡為束縛。亦愛傷官，傷官能損官存身，使一身得以舒適。例如：庚申、甲申、乙卯、丙戌。初秋乙木，疊見陽金之克，最即官重身輕。丙火傷官，可以制金抑官。雖無扶弱之能，卻有鋤強之功，亦足取焉。

Now let us discuss the benefits of the last two factors, which are enemy killing and damage to official. Third, enemy killing: when the seven killer is too strong and the day stem is too weak, every action is restricted by it. In such a case, the person also favors the official injury. The official injury can oppose the seven killer to protect the day stem, allowing the self to gain freedom. For example: Wuzi, Xinyou, Yimao, Bingzi, with the day stem being Yi wood. In autumn, wood is already withered, and it is most afraid of the seven killer, which is Xin metal. Fortunately, there is Bing fire official injury in the hour position, which can resist the seven killer and slightly relieve the danger to the day stem (the original text 'Xin Xi' should be Xinyou, and the 'ben' in 'ben tao ling' should be wood). Fourth, damage to official: when the official is too strong and the day stem is too weak, every action is restricted by it. In such a case, the person also favors the official injury. The official injury can weaken the official to protect the day stem, allowing the self to gain freedom. For example: Gengshen, Jiashen, Yimao, Bingxu, with the day stem being Yi wood. In early autumn, the Yi wood is continuously confronted by Yang metal such as Geng and Shen, which is a case of heavy official and weak body. The Bing fire official injury in the hour position can control metal and weaken the official. Although it does not have the ability to support the weak day stem, it has the ability to eliminate the strong enemy, so it is also sufficient to be used. Here we should pay attention: both enemy killing and damage to official are helping the day stem to escape danger, and they take the approach of 'eliminating the strong' rather than 'supporting the weak', and their purposes are different.

傷官之弊：洩身：日干弱，遂怕傷官。一身自顧不暇，何堪再見傷官耗盜。例如：辛丑、丁酉、乙卯、丙戊。乙木日元，見金之克伐，火之耗盜，土之磨折，又當仲秋死令，衰弱可知，然則丙火傷官之洩身，自亦忌神耳。生財：財太旺，尤怕傷官。身且不能任財，何堪再見傷官生財。例如：丙申、戊戌、乙旺、乙卯。土重木折，財旺身輕。丙火傷官之生才正如虎添翼，助桀為虐，可畏哉，可畏哉。

The opposite of benefit is harm. Similarly, we first discuss the concepts of泄身 (dispersing the self) and生财 (generating wealth). First,泄身: if the day stem is weak, it fears the official star (伤官). The self is already struggling to sustain itself, how can it withstand the further drain of the official star? For example, in the combination of Xinchou, Dingyou, Yimao, Bingxu, the day stem is Yi Wood. The Yi Wood is already being attacked by 辛 and 酉 gold, and also drained by 丁 and 丙 fire. Moreover, the 丑 and 戌 earth further weaken it. The birth month is the middle autumn (酉月), which is the dead position for Yi Wood, making its weakness evident. Therefore, the Bing Fire official star, which disperses the self, naturally becomes a Hostile God (hostile god) (the original text mistakenly writes 「丙戊」 instead of 丙戌). Second,生财: if wealth is already too strong, it especially fears the official star. The day stem cannot even support the existing wealth, how can it bear the additional generation of wealth by the official star? For example, in the combination of Bingshen, Wuxu, 乙某, Yimao, the day stem is Yi Wood. The earth is heavy and the wood is broken, indicating strong wealth and weak self. The Bing Fire official star further generates wealth, like helping a tiger to add wings or aiding the wicked, which is truly alarming (the original text mistakenly writes 「乙旺」 instead of a specific heavenly stem and earthly branch, suggesting an error; the term 「才」 in 「生才」 should be 「财」 for wealth). The same Bing Fire official star is a life-saving remedy in the previous example, but a death-dealing poison in this one, differing only in the strength of the day stem.

敵殺：身強殺淺，即怕傷官。身方假殺為權，何堪再見傷官敵去。例如：丙寅、辛卯、乙亥、癸未。春木方旺，地支成木局。月上辛金七殺，斧斤以時入山林。材木不可勝用。乃又為丙火傷官所敵，減色非輕。損官：身重官輕，亦怕傷官。身方以官為尊，何堪再見傷官損害。例如：甲寅、丙寅、乙卯、庚辰。八字中木居其五。林林總總，全恃時上庚金正官，伐木成材，不幸火傷官克庚，與上例同一貽憾。

Now let us discuss the drawbacks of the enemy killing and damaging official positions. Third, enemy killing: when the day stem is strong and the seven killing is weak, it is dangerous for the official to be harmed. The day stem relies on this seven killing to establish authority, and it cannot withstand the harm caused by the official. For example: Bingyin, Xinmao, Yihai, Guiwei, with the day stem being Yimao. In spring, wood is vigorous, and the triple earth branches Hai-Mao-Wei form a wood trinity, making the wood extremely strong. The monthly stem Xin metal is the seven killing, just as the Book of Mencius says, 'Cutting trees at the right time, the timber will be inexhaustible,' which is a good tool for shaping the wood into useful material. However, the yearly stem Bing fire official interferes, thus greatly reducing the overall quality. Fourth, damaging the official: when the day stem is strong and the official is weak, it is also dangerous for the official to be harmed. The day stem relies on this official as a precious thing, and it cannot withstand the harm caused by the official. For example: Jiayin, Bingyin, Yimao, Gengchen, with the day stem being Yimao. In the八字, there are five instances of wood, densely packed, and the whole chart relies on the official Geng metal at the hour to cut the wood into useful material. Unfortunately, the monthly stem Bing fire official harms the Geng metal, which is similarly regrettable. When these two cases are considered together, it is clear that the seven killing and the official, although they are things that control the body, become valuable tools when the body is strong. At this time, the official harming them is a bad thing.

傷官所喜：生身：日干強，受傷官，既見傷。喜見財以流通之。日干弱。怕傷官。既見傷，喜印綬以制伏之。生財：身強則弱，愛傷官，既見傷，喜財多以生發之。身弱財多，所傷官，既見傷，喜印綬以制之。敵殺：殺重身輕，愛傷官，既見傷，喜比劫食傷以生助之。身強殺淺，怕傷官，即見傷，喜見財以和解之。損官：官重身輕，愛傷官，既見傷，喜比劫食神。以生助之。身強官弱，怕傷官，既見傷，喜見財以和解之。

In the context of an八字 with the presence of a wounded official (shāng guān), the next question is: what else is desirable to complement it? This is explained in four categories. Considering the aspect of relieving the day stem: if the day stem is strong and prefers the wounded official, having already seen the wounded official, it is favorable to see the wealth star, allowing the energy of the wounded official to flow smoothly; if the day stem is weak and fears the wounded official, having already seen the wounded official, it is favorable to see the official star (yìn shòu) to control it—since the official star can suppress the wounded official and also nourish the day stem, achieving two benefits at once (the original text's heading 'shēng shēn' should be 'xiè shēn'). Considering the aspect of generating wealth: if the day stem is strong and the wealth is weak while preferring the wounded official, it is favorable to have more wealth to support and develop the wounded official; if the day stem is weak and the wealth is abundant while fearing the wounded official, it is favorable to see the official star to control the wounded official (the original text's 'shēn qiáng zé ruò' should be 'shēn qiáng cái ruò', and 'suǒ shāng guān' should be 'pà shāng guān'). Considering the aspect of enemy and killing: if the killing force is strong and the day stem is weak while preferring the wounded official, it is favorable to see the same kind (bi jie) and wealth to support the wounded official, making it capable of resisting the killing force; if the day stem is strong and the killing force is weak while fearing the wounded official, it is favorable to see the wealth star to mediate—since the wealth star can relieve the energy of the wounded official and also nourish the killing force, taking care of both sides. Considering the aspect of damaging the official: if the official is strong and the day stem is weak while preferring the wounded official, it is favorable to see the same kind (bi jie) and the wounded official to support it; if the day stem is strong and the official is weak while fearing the wounded official, it is also favorable to see the wealth star to mediate, since the wealth star can relieve the energy of the wounded official and also nourish the official, achieving both benefits. It is evident that 'wealth' is the most effective in the wounded official pattern, which is the key point of the entire passage.

傷官所忌：洩身：日干強，愛傷官。既見傷，忌見印以克去之。日干弱，怕傷官，既見傷習再生財，轉輾洩弱。生財：身強財弱克傷官，既見傷，忌見印以克去之。身弱財多，怕傷官。既見傷，忌再生財。轉輾洩弱。敵殺：殺重身輕，愛傷官，既見傷，忌財旺生殺。身強殺淺，怕傷官，既見傷，忌比劫食傷以生助之。損官：官多身弱，愛傷官，既見傷，忌財旺生官。身重官輕，怕傷官，既見傷，忌比劫食傷以生助之。

In reverse, the things to avoid are also based on these four factors. Considering the concept of泄身 (relieving the day stem): if the day stem is strong and prefers the official (伤官), and the official is already present, then the presence of the minister (印绶) should be avoided, as it would block the only way out for the day stem. If the day stem is weak and fears the official, then the presence of wealth (财) should be avoided, as the official drains the day stem and wealth drains the official, leading to further weakening of the day stem. Considering the concept of生财 (generating wealth): if the day stem is strong and the wealth is weak, and the official is preferred, then the presence of the minister should be avoided, as it would suppress the official. If the day stem is weak and wealth is abundant, and the official is feared, then the presence of wealth should be avoided, as it would further drain the official. Considering the concept of敌杀 (opposing the seven killer): if the seven killer is strong and the day stem is weak, and the official is preferred, then the presence of wealth should be avoided, as it would strengthen the seven killer. If the day stem is strong and the seven killer is weak, and the official is feared, then the presence of similar elements (比劫食伤) should be avoided, as they would strengthen the official, allowing it to completely eliminate the seven killer. Considering the concept of损官 (weakening the official): if there is an abundance of official and the day stem is weak, and the official is preferred, then the presence of wealth should be avoided, as it would strengthen the official. If the day stem is strong and the official is weak, and the official is feared, then the presence of similar elements should be avoided, as they would further strengthen the official. In summary, the principle of the official is neither inherently good nor bad; it all depends on the strength of the day stem and the weight of the official and wealth. When properly matched, it becomes a divine force for success; when improperly matched, it becomes a thief that harms the body and breaks the pattern.

七殺之構成：克我而與我同性者是也。例如：甲木日干，見庚金。金能克木，甲木為庚金所克。而甲為陽性，庚亦為陽性。陰陽同類，故庚即甲之七殺。按甲見庚見申，乙見辛見酉，丙見壬見亥，丁見癸見子，戊見甲見寅，己見乙見卯，庚見丙見巳，辛見壬見午，壬見戊見辰戌，癸見己見丑未，皆為七殺。

How is seven killing (seven杀) formed? Any element that controls me and shares the same yin and yang is considered seven killing. For example, when Jia wood is seen on the day stem, Geng metal appears, which controls wood; Jia wood is yang, and Geng metal is also yang, so they share the same yin and yang, making Geng the seven killing of Jia wood. The author lists the corresponding elements for each of the ten stems: Jia day stem sees Geng and Shen; Yi day stem sees Xin and You; Bing day stem sees Ren and Hai; Ding day stem sees Gui and Zi; Wu day stem sees Jia and Yin; Ji day stem sees Yi and Mao; Geng day stem sees Bing and Si; Xin day stem sees Ding and Wu; Ren day stem sees Wu and Chen, Xu; Gui day stem sees Ji and Chou, Wei. These are all seven killing. The key point is the phrase "same yin and yang controlling" (同性相克). Same yin and yang controlling is无情, so its controlling effect is the strongest, which is different from the opposite yin and yang controlling of the official (正官) (the original text mistakenly writes "Ren" instead of "Ding" for Xin day stem; the seven killing for Xin day stem is Ding fire).

七殺淺解：七殺者，又名偏官。二陽相剋，二陰相剋，猶二男不同處，二女不同居，不成配偶故謂之偏官。又以其隔七位，而相戰克，故曰七殺。七殺者慘覆無恩，專以攻身為尚。譬小人多兇暴，無忌憚。若無禮法制裁之，不懲不戒，必傷其主。故有制，謂之偏官。無制，謂之七殺。必須制合生化，無太過不及，是借小人勢力，衛護君了，以成威權，造就大富大貴之命者。設使生化不及，日主衰弱，七殺重逢，其禍不勝俱述。若七殺祇一，制伏重重，倘運再行制伏，則盡法無民。雖猛如虎，亦無所施其技矣。

Seven Killers, also called a biased official, is called 'biased' because when two yang stems clash or two yin stems clash, it is like two men unable to coexist in the same room or two women unable to form a marriage, thus failing to form a harmonious pair. Therefore, it is called 'biased official'. Also, since it is the seventh stem counted from the day stem, and it is in conflict with the day stem, it is called 'Seven Killers' (for example, when counting from Jia, the seventh is Geng). The Seven Killer is a cruel and merciless force, always attacking the person, like a petty person who is fierce and unrestrained. If there is no ritual or law to restrain it, and it is not punished, it will certainly harm the owner. Therefore, if the Seven Killer is restrained, it is called a biased official; if it is not restrained, it is called the Seven Killer. Although the names are different, they are actually the same thing, differing only in whether they are restrained. It is necessary to use the four methods of restraint, harmony, generation, and transformation appropriately, neither excessive nor insufficient. This is like using the power of the petty person to protect the gentleman, which can actually achieve great authority and create great wealth and honor. If the transformation and generation are insufficient, and the day stem is weak, with many Seven Killers, the harm is endless. Conversely, if there is only one Seven Killer but many restraining factors, and the fortune again encounters restraining factors, it is like the law being applied too much, leading to no people left to govern. Even though the Seven Killer is as fierce as a tiger, it cannot show its power. Therefore, the Seven Killer is most disliked in extremes: without restraint, it harms the person; if restrained too much, it becomes useless (the original text has '了' in '卫护君了' as '子', and '俱' in '不胜俱述' as '具', and '祇一' means 'only one').

七殺之能力：耗財，生印，攻身，制劫。七殺之利：耗財：身弱印輕財重，遂愛七殺，以殺能耗財，並能助印也。例如：丁卯、甲辰、辛卯、戊子。辛金囚於春，群木旺於春，一望而知其為財重身輕。戊雖生辛乃被克於甲，則唯丁火七殺，耗甲木之旺財，生戊土之衰印獨建其功矣。生印：身印並衰，最愛七殺，殺能生印，使印再生身也。例如：戊寅、甲寅、辛卯、丁酉。春日之金無力。雖有酉金戊土幫扶，乃戊為甲克，卯為酉沖而又旺木成林，以財多身弱為患，所幸丁火七殺洩甲木之旺財，生戊土之衰印，使印再生身。極盡補偏救弊之妙矣。

The seven killing stars have four functions: to consume wealth, to generate wisdom, to attack the self, and to control competition. First, let's talk about the benefits, the first two being the consumption of wealth and the generation of wisdom. First, consumption of wealth: when the day stem is weak and the wisdom star is light, but the wealth star is strong, the person tends to favor the seven killing stars, because the seven killing stars can consume the strength of the wealth star and also help generate the wisdom star. For example: in the case of Dingmao, Jiachen, Xinmao, and Wuzi, with the day stem being Xin metal. Xin metal is in a state of being restrained in spring, while the entire chart is full of strong wood, which is clearly a case of heavy wealth and weak self. The heavenly stem at the hour position, Wu earth, could normally generate Xin metal, but is unable to do so because it is restrained by the heavenly stem at the month position, Ji wood. At this point, the heavenly stem at the year position, Ding fire, which is the seven killing star, can both consume the strong wealth represented by Ji wood and also generate the weak wisdom represented by Wu earth, achieving remarkable results. Second, generation of wisdom: when both the day stem and the wisdom star are weak, the person tends to favor the seven killing stars, because the seven killing stars can generate the wisdom star, which in turn can generate the self. For example: in the case of Wuyin, Jiayin, Xinmao, and Dingyou, with the day stem being Xin metal. Metal is naturally weak in spring, although there is some support from the hour branch You metal and the year stem Wu earth, but Wu earth is restrained by Ji wood, and You metal is in conflict with the month branch Yin, while the strong wood forms a dense forest, making the entire chart suffer from excessive wealth and weak self. Fortunately, the heavenly stem at the hour position, Ding fire, which is the seven killing star, can both dissipate the strong wealth represented by Ji wood and also generate the weak wisdom represented by Wu earth, allowing the wisdom star to then generate the self. This is a perfect example of the subtle and effective use of the seven killing star to correct the imbalance. The key point in these two examples is the concept of 'indirect assistance': the seven killing star does not directly help the self, but instead goes through the process of consuming wealth and generating wisdom, indirectly benefiting the self.

攻身：目干旺甚，過旺則身無所依，即愛七殺。七殺雖攻身，身力能任，可以假作權威也。例如：辛酉、丁酉、辛酉、甲午。秋月辛金，再見三酉一辛，強旺達於極點，妙有丁火七殺。鍊金而成器，攻身以作威，從此為有價值之命局矣。制劫：身強財弱，復見劫財，克財之極，亦愛七殺。七殺能制伏劫財，使不敗也。例如：丁酉、庚戌、辛酉、甲午。一重甲木正財，為當令之庚金劫財，掠奪殆盡，幸有丁火七殺制劫財，論其功用，制劫為第一，救財為第二，換之制劫即所以救財也。

Now let us discuss the benefits of the last two points, which are attacking the self and controlling the劫财. Third, attacking the self: when the day stem is too strong, it becomes excessive and has no support, and at this time, it actually prefers the seven killer. Although the seven killer is an element that attacks the self, if the day stem is strong enough to bear it, it can be used to establish authority. For example, in the case of Xinyou, Dingyou, Xinyou, Jiawu, the day stem is Xinhé. In autumn, Xinhé is strong, and with three You and one Xinhé, it is extremely strong. Fortunately, the month stem has Ding fire as the seven killer, which refines the metal into a useful object. This element both attacks the self and establishes authority, making the person's destiny valuable. Fourth, controlling the劫财: when the day stem is strong and the wealth star is weak, and there is also劫财, the wealth is almost completely taken away. At this time, it also prefers the seven killer. The seven killer can control the劫财, preventing the wealth from being taken away. For example, in the case of Dingyou, Gengxu, Xinyou, Jiawu, the day stem is Xinhé. The hour stem has only one Methane wood as the official wealth, but it is completely taken by the Geng metal劫财 which is in command. Fortunately, the year stem has Ding fire as the seven killer, which controls the劫财. In terms of its function, controlling the劫财 is the first level, and saving the wealth is the second level; in other words, controlling the劫财 is the means of saving the wealth. Here, the term '劫财' refers to elements of the same type as the day stem but of opposite polarity, which are most capable of taking away wealth, and cannot be controlled without the seven killer.

七殺之弊：耗財：日強印重財輕，即怕七殺，殺既耗財，又助印也。例如：丁丑、庚戌、辛丑、乙未。辛見重土，幸有月上庚金這協助，未遭埋沒，而稱身印兩強。乙木偏財，以丁火七殺之耗。致未遂疏土之功，八字仍屬偏枯。則七殺耗財之咎，在所難辭焉。生印：日弱印強，尤怕七殺，印多則身寡，而成母多子病。堪再見七殺，生印克身。例如：戊戌、己未、辛未、丁酉。土旺而多，有如山崩。日元之辛，母旺子虛，為埋金無疑矣。丁火七殺，生土印以助虐，克弱日而欺主，其滋蔓禍患，為何如哉。

The same four abilities, when placed incorrectly, become faults. First, the consumption of wealth: when the day stem is strong and the nourishing element is heavy, but the wealth star is weak, then the seven killers are feared, because the seven killers not only consume the little wealth, but also strengthen the already excessive nourishing element. For example: Dingchou, Gengxu, Xinchou, Yiwei, with the day stem being Xinhé. Xinhé is surrounded by thick earth, but is saved from being buried by the monthly stem Genghé. It can be said that both the body and the nourishing element are strong. The daily stem is weak, and the nourishing element is strong, especially fearing the seven killers. When the nourishing element is excessive, the day stem becomes even weaker, forming the situation of "too many mothers, the child is sick." How can it withstand the seven killers coming again to nourish the nourishing element and weaken the body? For example: Wuxu, Jiwei, Xinwei, Dingyou, with the day stem being Xinhé. The earth is strong and excessive, like a mountain collapsing on top; the day stem Xinhé is weak, and the nourishing element is strong, already showing the sign of buried gold. The daily stem Ding fire seven killer, on one hand generates earth nourishing element to strengthen its oppression, on one hand weakens the day stem to oppress the owner, the disasters it causes are unimaginable.

攻身：日干衰弱，即怕七殺，日弱既主萎靡，何堪再見七殺之攻。例如：丁卯、乙巳、辛卯、乙未。辛生已月，已患失令。群木旺火，爭相摧殘。又少幫扶之字，其弱可知，或以丁火七殺攻身之弊，與眾財挫主之患，較量輕重，則正如五十步與百步耳。制劫：日弱賴劫，亦怕七殺。身方恃劫維持，何堪再見七殺制去。例如：甲辰、丁卯、辛未、庚庚。以失令之辛金敵得時之眾木，豈其可乎，庚金劫財，能幫辛金，亦能克木。正喜不乏撥助，距料丁火七殺，制住庚金。總臂扼喉，抱憾甚矣。

Third, attacking the self: if the day stem is already weak, it is afraid of the seven deadly enemies. Once the day stem is weak, it becomes listless and unable to withstand the attack of the seven deadly enemies. For example: in the case of Dingmao, Yisi, Xinmao, Yiwei, with the day stem being Xin metal. Xin metal is born in the巳 month and has already lost its strength; the full set of wood and strong fire are competing to weaken it, and there are very few supporting characters in the four pillars, so its weakness is evident. If we compare the harm caused by the seven deadly enemies attacking the day stem and the harm caused by many wealth stars weakening the day stem, it is merely a difference between fifty paces and a hundred paces, both being harmful (the original text has '已月' and '已患' where '已' is actually '巳'). Fourth, controlling the combatants: when the day stem is weak and relies on combatants for support, it also fears the seven deadly enemies. If the day stem depends on combatants to sustain itself, how can it withstand the seven deadly enemies controlling the combatants? For example: Jiachen, Dingmao, Xinwei, Geng (some), with the day stem being Xin metal. Using a Xin metal that has lost its strength to resist the strong wood in the full set, how can it hold on? The hour stem Geng metal combatant can both help the Xin metal and control the wood, which is exactly what is desired; unfortunately, the month stem Ding fire seven deadly enemy controls the Geng metal, which is like choking the throat and pressing the arm, truly regrettable (the original text mentions the hour pillar as '庚庚', not one of the sixty jiazi, suggesting an error; '距料' should be '讵料'). These two examples contrast with the previous section 'Controlling the combatants as a benefit' examples: both are cases of the seven deadly enemies controlling the combatants, but when the body is strong, it benefits the wealth; when the body is weak, it removes the support, so the benefit and harm are completely reversed.

七殺所喜：耗財：身弱印輕財重，愛七殺，既見殺，喜印比之幫身。身強印重財輕，怕七殺，既見殺，喜傷食以制煞生財。生印：身印並衰，愛七殺，既見殺，喜殺重生印。日弱印強性七殺，既見殺，喜食財以兩制之。攻身：日干強，愛七殺，既見殺，喜財旺以生之。日干弱，怕七殺，既見殺，喜印旺以解之。制劫：身強有劫，愛七殺，既見殺，喜財旺以生之。身弱賴劫，怕七殺，既見殺，喜食傷以制之。

In the four pillars, if seven杀 is already present, what is further desired? Still following the four categories. Considering the consumption of wealth: if the day stem is weak, the印 is light, and the wealth is heavy, and one loves seven杀, then it is desirable to have印 and similar elements to support the day stem, so that the day stem can bear the burden. If the day stem is strong, the印 is heavy, and the wealth is light, and one fears seven杀, then it is desirable to have food and official stars to control seven杀, while also generating wealth, achieving two purposes at once. Considering the generation of印: if both the day stem and印 are weak and one loves seven杀, then it is desirable to have more seven杀 to generate印. If the day stem is weak and印 is strong, and one fears seven杀, then it is desirable to have food and official stars and wealth to control seven杀 together—food and official stars control seven杀, while wealth destroys印, controlling both ends (the original text's "日弱印强性七杀" should be interpreted as fearing seven杀). Considering the attack on the day stem: if the day stem is strong and one loves seven杀, then it is desirable to have wealth strong to generate seven杀, making this authority even stronger. If the day stem is weak and one fears seven杀, then it is desirable to have印 strong to neutralize it—印 can release the energy of seven杀 and generate the day stem, which is a method of turning an enemy into a friend. Considering the control of劫: if the day stem is strong and there are劫, and one loves seven杀, then it is desirable to have wealth strong to generate seven杀. If the day stem is weak and relies on劫, and one fears seven杀, then it is desirable to have food and official stars to control seven杀, preserving that劫 wealth. It can be seen that dealing with seven杀 is essentially about two approaches: controlling it with food and official stars, or neutralizing it with印. Which approach to use depends on the strength of the day stem.

七殺所忌：耗財：身弱印輕財重，愛七殺，既見殺，忌傷食生財制殺。強印重財輕，怕七殺，既見殺，忌殺再加強。生印：身印並衰愛七殺，既見殺，忌食傷制去。日弱印強怕七殺，既見殺忌殺再加強。攻身：日干強，愛七殺，既見殺，忌食傷再制去。日干弱，怕七殺，既見殺忌財復生之。制劫：日強有劫，愛七殺，既見殺，忌食傷再制去。日弱賴劫怕七殺，既見殺，忌財旺再生之。

In reverse, the things to avoid are as follows. Regarding the consumption of wealth: if the day stem is weak, the nourishing power is light, and the wealth is heavy, and one favors the seven杀, then the food god and the injurious star should be avoided, as they generate wealth and control the seven杀—this is like increasing the weight of wealth while removing the only defender. If the day stem is strong, the nourishing power is heavy, and the wealth is light, and one fears the seven杀, then the seven杀 should be avoided as it is strengthened. Regarding the generation of nourishing power: if both the day stem and the nourishing power are weak and one favors the seven杀, then the food god and injurious star should be avoided, as the seven杀 is the source of generating the nourishing power; if the day stem is weak and the nourishing power is strong, and one fears the seven杀, then the seven杀 should be avoided as it is strengthened. Regarding attacking the day stem: if the day stem is strong and one favors the seven杀, then the food god and injurious star should be avoided, as the authority is lost, and the fate has no support; if the day stem is weak and one fears the seven杀, then the wealth star should be avoided as it generates the seven杀, which is like providing resources to the enemy. Regarding controlling the rival: if the day stem is strong and there is a rival, and one favors the seven杀, then the food god and injurious star should be avoided as they control the seven杀; if the day stem is weak and one relies on the rival and fears the seven杀, then the wealth star should be avoided as it strengthens the seven杀. In summary, the seven杀 is the most凶 and most valuable among all six spirits. If used properly, it becomes authority; if misused, it becomes a curse. The key lies in whether the day stem can bear it and whether it can be controlled and transformed.

正官之構成：克我而與我異性者，是也。例如：甲木日干，見辛金，金能克木，甲木為辛金所克，而甲為陽性，辛為陰性，陰陽相異故辛即甲之正官。按甲見辛見酉，乙見庚見申，丙見癸見子，丁見壬見亥，戊見乙見印，已見甲見寅，庚見丁見午，辛見丙見己，壬見己見丑未，癸見戊見辰戌。皆為正官。

How is the official (正官) formed? Any element that controls me and has opposite yin and yang is considered the official. For example, if the day stem is Jia Wood (甲木), then Xin Metal (辛金) is the official. Metal controls Wood, and Jia is yang while Xin is yin, so their yin and yang are opposite, making Xin the official of Jia. The author lists the corresponding elements for each of the ten stems: Jia day stem sees Xin and You; Yi day stem sees Geng and Shen; Bing day stem sees Gui and Zi; Ding day stem sees Ren and Hai; Wu day stem sees Yi and Mao; Ji day stem sees Jia and Yin; Geng day stem sees Ding and Wu; Xin day stem sees Bing and Si; Ren day stem sees Ji and Chou or Wei; Gui day stem sees Wu and Chen or Xu. These are all the officials. Comparing this with the seven deadly (七杀), both are elements that control me. However, same yin and yang elements controlling me are called seven deadly, while opposite yin and yang elements controlling me are called official. Opposite yin and yang elements are like a husband and wife, so the control is harmonious and restrained, not harmful. This is why the official is considered valuable. (In the original text, '印' in '戊见乙见印' should be '卯', '已见甲' should be '己', and '辛见丙见己' should be '巳'.)

正官雜談：正官者，六格之正氣，忠信之尊名，治國齊家之有道。蓋陽見陰克，陰見陽克，如人之有一夫一婦。陰陽調和，剛柔配合，以成道也，父官者管也。一縣有官人居治下，均須受其管束，雖有狡者，亦必循規蹈矩。居仁由義，不敢放逸為非。苟無官管，則將放於禮法之外，故以制我身者為正官，萬不可遭損破也。月令提綱之官，如本府太守，本縣令尹，管制最重。年上之官，其上最尊。第亦須視其強弱如何，而斟衡也。

The official star is the most pure and righteous force among the six elements, representing the name of loyalty and trust, and the correct way to govern the state and manage the family. How do we know this? Because a yang stem is controlled by a yin stem, and a yin stem is controlled by a yang stem, just as a man and a woman form a harmonious relationship: yin and yang balance each other, and softness and firmness complement each other, thus forming the way of harmony. The character "official" originally means "to manage" (as in the original text "father official" meaning "to manage," where "father" should be understood as "husband"). In a county, once there is an official, all the people under his jurisdiction must be subject to his control. Even if there are cunning individuals, they must follow rules and regulations, live with benevolence and righteousness, and dare not act recklessly. If there is no official to manage, people would become lawless and go beyond the bounds of etiquette and law. Therefore, in the study of fate, the star that controls me is called the official star, and it is absolutely essential that this star is not damaged. Moreover, the position where the official star resides also has its significance: the official star in the month's branch is like the governor of the prefecture or the county magistrate, exerting the strongest control; the official star in the year column holds the highest position. However, it is still necessary to consider its strength and weakness before making a judgment, and not to judge solely based on its position. The term "ti gan" mentioned here refers to the month's branch, which is the main framework of the entire chart, and both determining the pattern and selecting the key elements start with it.

正官之能力：引財，生印，拘身，制劫。正官之利：重財：身強財弱，遂喜正官。正官能引財拘身，以存財也。例如：乙巳、辛巳、丙子、癸巳。初夏丙火，三見巳祿可謂旺矣。辛金之財，不免火多焦熔，還賴金水正官克火救金，是即所謂引財也。生印：身強印弱。尤愛正官。正官能拘束日干、滋生印綬也。例如：辛巳、癸巳、丙子、乙未。退氣之乙木，遠不如當旺之丙火。何況丙得兩祿，豈不患子多母弱哉。月頭癸水正官，斂火之威，助木之勢，生印之功，厥亦偉矣。

The official star has four functions: attracting wealth, generating wisdom, restraining the self, and controlling competition. First, we discuss its benefits. The first two functions are attracting wealth and generating wisdom. First, attracting wealth: when the day stem is strong and the wealth star is weak, the official star is preferred. The official star can bring out the wealth star and restrain the day stem, thus preserving the wealth star (the original title of this section was "reinforcing wealth," which does not match the previous "attracting wealth," so "attracting wealth" is correct). For example, in the combination of Yi Si, Xin Si, Bing Zi, and Gui Si, with the day stem being Bing fire. In early summer, the Bing fire is very strong, with three instances of Si in the four pillars, indicating extreme strength. The wealth star, Xin metal, is easily melted by the fire. At this time, the official star, Gui water in the hour stem, is needed to restrain the fire and save the metal, which is called "attracting wealth." Second, generating wisdom: when the day stem is strong and the wisdom star is weak, the official star is especially valued. The official star can restrain the day stem and generate the wisdom star. For example, in the combination of Xin Si, Gui Si, Bing Zi, and Yi Wei, with the day stem being Bing fire. The Yi wood in the hour stem is weak, far less powerful than the strong Bing fire. Moreover, the Bing fire is strong in the two Si positions, and the main concern is the strong Zi (water) and weak mother (wood). The official star, Gui water in the month stem, restrains the fire's strength and enhances the wood's strength, thus contributing greatly to generating wisdom. It is evident that the benefits of the official star are mostly not in directly supporting the day stem, but in balancing the overall imbalance of the chart.

拘身：日干旺甚，過旺則身無所依，即愛正官。正官能拘束日干，不敢為非作惡也。例如：辛卯、癸巳、丙午、丙申。丙日旺甚。幸喜癸水正官之克火稍殺其炎，拘身有功，或憾乎杯水車薪。然有辛申兩金之生，癸水強弱，尚有源源，仍可取焉。制劫：日干既旺，復壘見劫財，劫盛即助身為虐，亦愛正官。正官能制去劫財，使日干潔身自好也。例如：癸巳、丁已、丙子、丁酉。日主既旺，益以兩比兩劫，酉金之財星危矣。癸水正官，剋制已火比肩，固較欠強。然得祿於子，受生於酉，亦足以去兩丁之劫財，不可與揚湯止沸同論也。

Now let us discuss the benefits of the last two aspects, which are restraining the self and controlling the劫财. Third, restraining the self: when the day stem is too strong, it becomes overly vigorous and has no support, so it tends to favor the 正官. The 正官 can restrain the day stem, preventing it from causing trouble. For example, in the combination of Xinmao, Guisi, Bingwu, Bingshen, the day stem is Bing Fire. The Bing Fire is very strong, but fortunately the month stem Gui Water is the 正官, which controls the fire, slightly reducing its intensity. This 正官 has the effect of restraining the self. Some people might think that this is like putting out a fire with a cup of water, which is not enough; however, the year stem Xin Metal and the time branch 申金 support the Gui Water, ensuring a continuous source of water, so it is still effective. Fourth, controlling the劫财: when the day stem is strong and there are many劫财, the劫财 will assist the day stem in causing trouble, so it also favors the 正官. The 正官 can control the劫财, allowing the day stem to remain pure and virtuous. For example, in the combination of Guisi, Dingsi, Bingzi, Dingyou, the day stem is Bing Fire. The day stem is already strong, and with two more 巳 as 比肩 and two 丁 as 劫财, the 财 in the hour branch 酉 is in danger. Although the year stem Gui Water 正官 controls the 巳火 比肩, its strength is somewhat insufficient, but since it gets its strength from the day branch 子 and is supported by the hour branch 酉金, it is sufficient to eliminate the two Ding Fire 劫财. It cannot be compared with the method of 'stopping boiling water by pouring more water' which is only a temporary solution (the original text's '丁已' and '已火' both refer to '巳').

正官之弊：引財：身弱財強，遂怕正官，財強已恐身不能任，何堪再見正官，引財拘身。例如：癸丑、辛酉、丙子、丙申。金多火少，時在深秋，日元為丙，自屬財強身弱，再見癸水正官，引旺財。克衰主，是更危如壘卵，固以財為病之原，亦以官為病之表耳。生印：身弱印強，尤怕正官。印多則身寡，母多子病，何堪再見正官拘身生印。例如：癸卯、乙卯、丙子、乙未。丙火生於春令，又見四木，印多而旺，即不免母多子病。癸水正官克身固非喜，然其生印不啻助桀為虐，尤可憎也。

Now let us discuss the drawbacks of the official star (正官). First, we will explain the concepts of attracting wealth (引财) and generating wisdom (生印). First, attracting wealth: when the day stem is weak and the wealth star is strong, the official star becomes a concern. Wealth has already become so strong that the day stem cannot bear it; how can it withstand the official star coming to attract wealth and restrain the day stem? For example: in the combination of Guichou, Xinyou, Bingzi, and Bingshen, the day stem is Bing fire. There is an excess of metal and a scarcity of fire, and the season is late autumn. The day stem is Bing, so naturally the wealth is strong and the day stem is weak. If the heavenly stem of the year is癸 water, the official star, which attracts the strong wealth to restrain the weak day stem, it becomes even more precarious. In essence, wealth is the root of the illness, and the official star is the manifestation of the illness—the source of the illness lies in wealth, but the illness is shown by the official star. Second, generating wisdom: when the day stem is weak and the wisdom star is strong, especially the official star is particularly dangerous. Too much wisdom leads to the day stem being even more weak, forming a situation where there are too many mothers and too few children. How can it withstand the official star coming to restrain the day stem to generate wisdom? For example: in the combination of Guimao, Yimao, Bingzi, and Yiwei, the day stem is Bing fire. Bing fire is born in spring, and the four pillars contain four wood characters, so the wisdom is abundant and strong, inevitably leading to a situation of too many mothers and too few children. The official star of the year,癸 water, which restrains the day stem, is not good, and if it also generates wisdom, it is like helping the wicked, which is especially detestable.

拘身：日干衰弱，即怕正官。身弱既主萎靡，何堪再見正官拘身。例如：庚辰、庚辰、丙子、丙申。丙火生於春令，又見四木，印多而旺，即不免母子多病。水正官克身固非喜，然其生印不啻助桀為虐，尤可憎也。拘身：日干衰弱，即怕正官。身弱既主萎靡，何堪再見正官拘身。例如：庚辰、庚辰、丙子、丙申。丙火日元，除時上一重比肩，為幫身外，餘皆洩克之神，弱而不堪任財任子辰會局，官星結黨，其拘身之禍最為猖獗，啻洪水猛獸耶。

Third, being restrained by the official star: if the day stem is already weak, it is afraid of the official star. When the body is already weak and listless, how can it withstand the restraint of the official star again? This passage is repeated twice in the original text. The explanation given the first time is almost identical to the explanation for the previous section 'Generating the印 (nourishing element)', clearly a mistake in typesetting where the previous text was copied again. The example given, however, is Geng Chen, Geng Chen, Bing Zi, Bing Shen, which does not match the statement that 'there are four woods and the印 is abundant and strong'. The word '癸' (Kui) is missing before 'water official star', indicating a missing character in the original text. I have recorded it as it is without adding or altering it, as I do not dare to make assumptions. The explanation given the second time should be taken as correct: Geng Chen, Geng Chen, Bing Zi, Bing Shen, with the day stem being Bing fire. The Bing fire day stem is only supported by one Bing fire same stem in the hour stem, while all other characters are either draining the energy or restraining the day stem. The fire is so weak that it cannot even support wealth. Moreover, the combination of Shen, Zi, and Chen forms a water trinity, and the official star forms a group, making the restraint of the day stem extremely severe, like a flood and a beast. This example is exactly the opposite of the previous section 'When the day stem is very strong and loves being restrained by the official star': the same restraint, but when the body is strong, it is a form of control, while when the body is weak, it is a form of oppression.

制卻：身弱用動。亦怕正官。身方賴動維持。何堪再見正官制去。例如：丁酉、癸丑、丙子、丁西。丙雖失令於冬，幸有丁火劫財，兩透干頭，而可倚以為幫身，距料癸水正官，制去劫財，精華盡失，正如病犯絕症，其勢殆矣。

Fourth, controlling the Rob Wealth: When the day stem is weak and the official star is assisted by Rob Wealth, it also fears the official star. The day stem relies on Rob Wealth for support, how can it withstand the official star removing it? For example: Dingyou, Guichou, Bingzi, Dingyou, with the day stem being Bing fire. Although Bing fire is out of season in winter, there are two Ding fire Rob Wealth appearing in the heavenly stems, which can support the day stem. Unfortunately, the Gui water official star in the month stem removes the Rob Wealth, thus the entire structure loses its essence, just like a patient suffering from a terminal illness, the situation is critical. This section forms a contrast with the previous one, 'When the day stem is strong and it loves the official star controlling the Rob Wealth': when Rob Wealth is a thief of wealth, it is beneficial to remove it when the day stem is strong, but when the day stem is weak, it becomes a helper, and removing it then brings disaster. The original text has many errors, the title '制却' should be '制劫', the '动' in '身弱用动' and '身方赖动维持' should both be '劫', the '距料' should be '讵料', and the time stem '丁西' should be '丁酉'.

正官所喜：引財：身強財弱愛正官，既見官，喜財旺以生之。財多身弱怕正官，既見官，喜印旺以洩之。生印：身強印弱愛正官，既見官，喜官旺生印。身弱印強怕正官，既見官，喜食財以兩制之。拘身：日干強，愛正官，既見官，喜財旺以生之。日干弱，怕正官，既見官，喜印旺以解之。制劫：身強有劫，愛正官，即見官，喜財旺以生之。身弱賴劫，怕正官，既見官，喜印以生身。

In the context of an八字 already containing the official star (正官), what is further desired? Still following the four categories. Considering wealth (财): if the day stem is strong and the wealth is weak, and one loves the official star, then wealth that is strong is desired to generate the official star, and when the official star is strong, the wealth's ability to support the official star becomes even more effective; if there is an excess of wealth and the day stem is weak, and one fears the official star, then a strong minister (印) is desired to reduce the official star's power — the minister can transform the official star's ability to suppress into a force that supports the day stem, which is the most skillful move. Considering the generation of the minister (印): if the day stem is strong and the minister is weak, and one loves the official star, then a strong official star is desired to generate the minister; if the day stem is weak and the minister is strong, and one fears the official star, then both the food (食) and wealth (财) stars are desired to work together, with the food and damage (伤) stars controlling the official star and the wealth star weakening the minister, thus balancing both sides. Considering the restraint of the rival (劫): if the day stem is strong and there is a rival, and one loves the official star, then strong wealth is desired to generate the official star; if the day stem is weak and one relies on the rival, and one fears the official star, then the minister is desired to support the day stem, and once the day stem is strong, it will no longer fear the official star's restraint. In summary: when the official star is strong and the day stem is weak, the minister is used to transform the official star; when the day stem is strong and the official star is weak, wealth is used to generate the official star. These are the two main paths for using the official star in a pattern.

正官所忌：引財：身強財弱愛正官，既見官，忌偏印以洩弱之。身弱財強怕正官，既見官，忌財官再加重。生印：身強印弱愛正官，既見官，忌食傷以合制之。身印強，怕正官，既見官，忌官印再加重。拘身：日干強，愛正官，既見官，忌食傷以合制之。目干弱，怕正官，既見官，忌財旺發生之。制劫：身強有劫，愛正官，既見官，忌食傷以合制之。身弱賴劫，怕正官，既見官，忌財官再加重。

In reverse, the things to avoid are as follows. Taking wealth as an example: if the day stem is strong and the wealth is weak, and one loves the official star, then the biased official star should be avoided because it drains the weak official star, making the official star powerless to bring in wealth; if the day stem is weak and the wealth is strong, and one fears the official star, then wealth and official star should be avoided as it would be like adding insult to injury. Taking the birth of the official star as an example: if the day stem is strong and the official star is weak, and one loves the official star, then the food and official stars should be avoided as they combine to control the official star; if the day stem is weak and the official star is strong, and one fears the official star, then the official star and the official star should be avoided again (the original text has a missing 'weak' in 'strong official star'). Taking the restraint of the day stem as an example: if the day stem is strong and one loves the official star, then the food and official stars should be avoided as they combine to control the official star, and once the official star is controlled, the day stem loses its restraint; if the day stem is weak and one fears the official star, then wealth that strengthens the official star should be avoided (the original text has 'day stem' instead of 'day stem' and 'generate' instead of 'reproduce'). Taking the control of the rival as an example: if the day stem is strong and there are rivals, and one loves the official star, then the food and official stars should be avoided as they control the official star; if the day stem is weak and one relies on rivals to fear the official star, then wealth and official star should be avoided again. In summary, the main point regarding the official star is that the official star is the purest among the six spirits, and it is suitable to generate and protect rather than to control or destroy. However, when the day stem is weak and the official star is too strong, it is necessary to use the official star to transform or use the food and official stars to control, which is the opposite of the seven killers, which usually require control.

食神之構成：我所生，而與我同性者是也。例如：甲木日干，見丙火，木能生火。丙火為甲木所生，而為陽性，丙亦為陰性，兩性相同，故丙即甲之食神。按甲見丙見巳，乙見丁見午，丙見辰見戌，丁見己見丑未，戊見庚見申，己見辛見酉，庚見壬見亥，辛見癸見子，壬見甲見寅，癸見乙見卯，皆為食神。

How is the food god (食神) formed? It is composed of whatever is born from me, and whose yin and yang are the same as mine. For example, if the day stem is Jia wood (甲木), then seeing Bing fire (丙火) is considered the food god. Wood can generate fire, and Bing fire is generated by Jia wood. Jia is yang, and Bing is also yang, so they share the same nature, making Bing the food god of Jia (the original text says "and is yang, Bing is also yang," but the first part is missing the word "Jia," and the second part mistakenly says "yin" instead of "yang," so both are yang). Below is the author's list of corresponding food gods according to the ten stems: Jia day sees Bing and Si; Yi day sees Ding and Wu; Bing day sees Wu and Chen, Xu; Ding day sees Ji and Chou, Wei; Wu day sees Geng and Shen; Ji day sees Xin and You; Geng day sees Ren and Hai; Xin day sees Gui and Zi; Ren day sees Jia and Yin; Gui day sees Yi and Mao. These are all food gods (the original text mistakenly says "Bing sees Chen and Xu," missing the word "Wu," so the food god for Bing day is Wu earth). Both the food god and the injurious official (伤官) are things I generate, but they differ only in the same or different yin and yang. When the same nature generates, the energy is gentle, hence called the food god; when different natures generate, the energy is sharp and urgent, hence called the injurious official.

食神雜談：食神者，一名爵星，又名壽星。蓋陽生陽，陰生陰，雖為洩氣，而食神之所生者則為財。乃養命之源，身與食神，有如父子，子旺則生起財來，以奉父母，豈不即是爵星乎。又身之最畏者，當為七殺來克。壽即不永，食神乃能制伏七殺，使不敢來克。俾一身得以優遊裕餘者，食神之力也，豈不即是壽星乎。財被食生，寬裕不竭，然後人之爵祿豐，殺被食制，不敢為禍。然後人之壽元長，此食神之所以大有造於人命也。

The food god is also called "Jue Star" and "Shou Star," and these two names each have their origins. First, the Jue Star: Yang generates Yang, Yin generates Yin. Although the food god is said to release my energy, what the food god generates is wealth, and wealth is the source that sustains life. The day ruler and the food god are like father and son. If the son is strong and vigorous, he can earn wealth to support his parents. This is not precisely the star that governs rank and salary? Now, the Shou Star: The day ruler most fears the seven killers that attack it. If attacked by the seven killers, one's lifespan is short. However, the food god can control the seven killers, preventing them from attacking, allowing one to live in ease and comfort. This is all due to the power of the food god. This is not precisely the star that governs longevity? Wealth is generated by the food god, thus ensuring abundance and not depletion; one's rank and salary therefore become rich. The seven killers are controlled by the food god, thus they cannot cause harm; one's lifespan therefore becomes long. This is the reason why the food god greatly benefits a person's destiny. In summary, the food god oversees both wealth and the seven killers. It can generate wealth when advancing and control the seven killers when retreating. Therefore, among the six spirits, it is the most peaceful and precious.

食神之能力：洩身，生財，制殺，損害。食神之利：洩身：日干強，財官無氣，即以強頑為患，遂愛食神。食神能吐日干秀氣也。例如：癸丑、乙卯、甲子、丙寅。甲乙寅卯東方全，況在鶯啼蝶舞之候。春木正旺，身強可知，益以癸子兩水之生木更嫌太過，全局了無精彩，唯喜丙火食神，發洩秀氣，尚不致為頑木耳。生財：強財弱，尤愛食神，食神能吐秀氣生財也。例如：己卯、丙寅、甲子、乙亥。干甲乙，支寅卯。劫比如林，己土正財，剝奪殆盡。若無丙火食神之生財，勢將身旺無所寄為下命決矣。

The food god has four functions: to relieve the body, to generate wealth, to control the killer, and to reduce the official (the original text says 'damage' but it should be 'reduce the official', as will be clear from the context below). First, let's talk about its benefits. The first two are relieving the body and generating wealth. First, relieving the body: if the day stem is strong, and both wealth and official stars are weak, then the strong and stubborn nature becomes a problem. In such a case, the person prefers the food god, because the food god can release the refined quality of the day stem. For example: Guichou, Yimao, Jiazi, Bingyin, with the day stem being Jia Wood. Jia, Yi, Yin, and Mao all gather the eastern wood, and since it is in the spring season when swallows are chirping and butterflies are dancing, the spring wood is very strong, so the body is certainly strong. Moreover, the癸water and Zi water are coming to nourish the wood, which is even more excessive. The whole chart has no brilliance at all. Only the丙fire food god in the hour stem can release the refined quality, thus avoiding the situation of being just a stubborn piece of wood. Second, generating wealth: when the day stem is strong and the wealth star is weak, especially, the person prefers the food god, because the food god can both release the refined quality and transform it into the wealth star. For example: Jimao, Bingyin, Jiazi, Yihai, with the day stem being Jia Wood. The heavenly stem has Jia and Yi, and the earthly branch has Yin and Mao, which means the same and competing wealth are numerous like a forest. The己earth in the year stem is the only true wealth, which is almost completely taken away. If there is no 丙fire food god in the month stem to generate wealth, this fate will certainly be strong but without a place to rely on, and it will be judged as a poor fate. These two examples show that for a strong day stem, the food god is the only way to release the excess energy.

制殺：殺重身輕，舉動盡為牽制。即愛食神，食神能制伏七殺。一將當關群邪自服。而身得以自由矣。例如：庚申、甲申、甲戌、丙寅。三木三金，以質量論，無分軒輊。然而秋金當旺，秋木凋零，以勢力論。木自不敵於金，殺乃強過於身。而需乎丙火食之制殺矣。損官：官強身弱，舉動盡為束縛，亦愛食神。食神能合官存身，使身漸得舒適，例如：辛酉、丙申、甲戌、丙寅。秋月甲木，見申酉戌辛，官旺可畏。丙火食神，克合辛金，使金勢稍抑，日主稍揚，則損官即所以救主也。

Now let us discuss the benefits of the last two aspects, which are controlling the seven killers and reducing the official stars. Thirdly, controlling the seven killers: when the seven killer is strong and the day stem is weak, every action is restrained by the seven killer. In such a case, the person prefers the food god, because the food god can control the seven killer. It is like a general guarding a pass, so all evils are subdued, and the day stem is then free. For example: Gengshen, Jiashen, Jiaxu, Bingyin, with the day stem being Jia wood. Three wood characters against three metal characters, in terms of quantity they are equal; however, in the autumn season, metal is strong and wood is declining, so in terms of power, wood is naturally unable to overcome metal. The seven killer is therefore stronger than the day stem, so it is essential to have the food god, which is the third heavenly stem, Bing fire, to control the seven killer. Fourthly, reducing the official star: when the official star is strong and the day stem is weak, every action is restrained by the official star. In such a case, the person also prefers the food god, because the food god can combine with the official star to protect the day stem, allowing the day stem to gradually expand. For example: Xinyou, Bingshen, Jiaxu, Bingyin, with the day stem being Jia wood. In the autumn month, the Jia wood is weak, and it meets the Shen, You, Xu, and the year stem Xinhui metal, which makes the official star very strong and dangerous. The food god, which is the third heavenly stem, Bing fire, in the month and hour stems combines with the Xinhui metal, thus slightly restraining the metal's power, allowing the day stem to gain some freedom. Therefore, reducing the official star is the way to save the day stem. Here, the term 'combining' refers to the combination between Bing fire and Xinhui metal. When they combine, the official star is hindered and cannot focus on attacking the day stem, which is different from a hard attack.

食神之弊：洩身：日干弱，遂怕食神。已身尚不健全，何堪再見食神洩氣。例如：乙酉、丙戌、甲戌、乙丑。天干甲乙丙，地支丑戌酉，時在九秋。土金佔優勢，甲日仍患財官之旺，則丙火食神，既生財，又洩身，洵非弱主所喜也。生財：財官身弱，尤怕食神。身既不能旺財，何堪再見食神洩身生財。

Now let's discuss the disadvantages of the food god (food god is a term in Chinese divination referring to a specific type of heavenly stem in the ten heavenly stems). First, the food god drains the strength of the day stem: if the day stem is weak, it is afraid of the food god. If the self is not yet strong, how can it bear the further draining of energy by the food god? For example, in the case of Yiyou, Bingxu, Jiaxu, and Yichou, the day stem is Jia Wood. The heavenly stems are Jia, Yi, and Bing, and the earthly branches are Chou, Xu, and You. The season is the ninth lunar month, deep autumn, with earth and metal in dominance. The Jia day stem is suffering from strong wealth and strong officials. The monthly heavenly stem Bing fire, as the food god, both generates earth wealth and drains wood strength. This is certainly not suitable for a weak day stem. The second point is the generation of wealth: when both wealth and officials are strong and the day stem is weak, it is especially dangerous for the food god. If the day stem cannot even bear the existing wealth, how can it bear the further draining of energy and generation of wealth by the food god? This case does not have an example in the original text, but the reasoning is similar to the previous one: for a weak day stem, every step taken by the food god—whether draining the strength or generating wealth—is like drawing on the already insufficient vital energy.

制殺：身強殺淺，即怕食神。身方假殺為權，何堪再見食神制去。例如：庚寅、丙戌、甲寅、乙亥。甲雖失時於秋，乃兩見寅祿，時得長生。形與氣既不為弱，且嫌繁蕪，正庚金七之克伐，何期丙火食神，制住庚金。未竟斧鑿之功，豈成棟樑之材。損官：身旺官弱，亦怕食神。身方以官為尊，何堪再見食神合去。例如：丙戌、辛卯、甲子、乙亥。春木而又多邦扶，既旺且強，去撫存菁，端賴辛金正官，然有丙火食神之克合，辛乃用武無地，一官受損，以致八字平凡，減色為何如哉。

Third, controlling the seven killing stars: when the day stem is strong and the seven killing stars are weak, the food god is feared. The day stem relies on these seven killing stars to establish authority, how can it withstand the food god which restrains them? For example: Gengyin, Bingxu, Jiayin, Yihai, with the day stem being Jia Wood. Although Jia Wood is out of season in autumn, it sees two instances of寅 (Yin) which is its禄 (LU) position, and the hour branch Hai is its Growth (CHANGSHENG), so its form and energy are not weak, but rather excessive. It actually needs the year stem Geng Metal seven killing star to restrain and prune it. Unfortunately, the month stem Bing Fire food god restrains the Geng Metal, so the pruning is incomplete, how can it become a great栋梁 (DONGLIANG) material? (The original text is missing a character for 'seven killing star' and there is a suspected missing character 'favor' after '正'.) Fourth, damaging the official star: when the day stem is strong and the official star is weak, the food god is also feared. The day stem relies on the official star as its noble and respected element, how can it withstand the food god which combines with it? For example: Bingxu, Xinmao, Jiazi, Yihai, with the day stem being Jia Wood. Spring Wood with much support, it is both strong and vigorous, to remove the redundant and retain the essential, entirely depends on the month stem Xin Metal official star. However, the year stem Bing Fire food god combines with the Xin Metal, so the Xin Metal has no place to act, the official star is damaged, leading to the whole八字 (BAZI) becoming ordinary and losing much of its color. (The original text has '邦扶' which should be '帮扶', and '去抚存菁' which should be '去芜存菁'.)

食神所喜：洩身：日干強，愛食神，既見食，喜財以流通之。日干弱，怕食神，既見食，喜印以合制之。生財：身強財弱，愛食神，既見食，喜財多生發。身弱財強，怕食神，既見食，喜印助身旺。制殺：殺重身輕，愛食神，既見食，喜比劫食傷生助。身強殺淺，怕食神，既見食，喜見財以和解之。損官：官多身弱，愛食神，既見食，喜比劫食傷生助。身重官輕，怕食神，既見食，喜見財以和解之。

In the Eight Characters, if the food god is already present, what else is desired? Still following the four categories. Considering the aspect of dispersing the self: if the day stem is strong and loves the food god, it prefers the wealth star to circulate the energy of the food god, allowing the refined energy to have an outlet and thus not become stagnant; if the day stem is weak and fears the food god, it prefers the official star to control and restrain the food god—the official can control the food god and also support the day stem. Considering the aspect of generating wealth: if the body is strong and the wealth is weak while loving the food god, it prefers more wealth to carry forward and develop the food god; if the body is weak and the wealth is strong while fearing the food god, it prefers the official star to support the day stem, making the body strong enough to bear the wealth. Considering the aspect of controlling the killer: if the killer is heavy and the body is weak while loving the food god, it prefers the same kind of stars and the food god to support the food god, making the force to control the killer stronger; if the body is strong and the killer is weak while fearing the food god, it prefers the wealth star to moderate the situation—the wealth star disperses the energy of the food god and also supports the killer, thus not harming either side. Considering the aspect of reducing the official: if there are many officials and the body is weak while loving the food god, it prefers the same kind of stars and the food god to support; if the body is strong and the official is weak while fearing the food god, it also prefers the wealth star to moderate. It is evident that in the food god pattern, the wealth star is the most important medium for connection, just like in the official star pattern.

食神所忌：洩身：日干強，愛食神，既見食，忌梟印奪去了。日干弱，怕食神，既見食，怕再生財。轉輾洩弱。生財：身強財弱，愛食神，既見食，忌梟印奪去之。身弱財強，怕食神，既見食，忌財多轉輾洩弱。制殺：殺重身輕，愛食神，既見食，忌財星黨殺。身強殺淺，怕食神，既見食，忌比劫食傷再助食。損官：官多身弱，愛食神，既見食，忌財重洩食生官。身重官輕，怕食神，既見食，忌比劫食傷再助食。

In reverse, the things to avoid are as follows. Considering the aspect of泄身 (relieving the self): if the day stem is strong and loves the food god (food god is the productive element), then the枭印 (ghost mother) should be avoided, as it takes away the food god. The枭印 is also known as the偏印 (biased mother), and it is the most severe in its ability to overcome the food god. In命学 (astrological divination), this is called「枭神夺食」(the ghost mother takes the food god). Once the food god is taken away, the refined and refined qualities cannot be expressed. If the day stem is weak and fears the food god, then it should be avoided as it further weakens the self by producing wealth, leading to a continuous decline. Considering the aspect of生财 (producing wealth): if the self is strong and the wealth is weak, and one loves the food god, then the枭印 should be avoided as it takes the food god away. If the self is weak and the wealth is strong, and one fears the food god, then one should avoid excessive wealth, as it further weakens the self. Considering the aspect of制杀 (controlling the killer): if the killer is strong and the self is weak, and one loves the food god, then the wealth star should be avoided as it supports the seven killers. Wealth produces the killer, which is like adding more soldiers to the enemy. If the self is strong and the killer is weak, and one fears the food god, then one should avoid the same or similar elements (like the same or similar elements) coming to support the food god, which would completely eliminate the killer. Considering the aspect of损官 (weakening the official): if there are many officials and the self is weak, and one loves the food god, then heavy wealth should be avoided, as wealth both weakens the food god and produces the official star, helping the enemy in both ways. If the self is strong and the official is weak, and one fears the food god, then one should avoid the same or similar elements coming to support the food god. In summary, the food god is harmonious and indicates blessings, longevity, titles, and wealth. However, it is most feared when the枭印 takes it away. The second most feared situation is when the self is weak and cannot bear the release. Readers should refer to the section on伤官 (harmful official) for comparison, as their usage is largely similar but their overall atmosphere differs slightly.

偏正印之構成：生我而與我同性者，為偏印。生我而與我異性者，為正印。例如：甲木日主見壬癸水，水能生木，甲木為壬癸水所生。甲為陽性，壬亦為陽性，兩性相同故壬是甲之偏印。甲為陽性，癸為陰性，陰陽相異，故癸是甲之正印。按甲見壬見亥，乙見癸見子，丙見甲是寅，丁見乙見卯，戊見丙見已，己見丁見午，庚見戊見辰戌，辛見己見丑未，壬見庚見申，癸見辛見酉，皆為偏印。甲見癸見子，乙見壬見亥，丙見乙見卯，丁見甲見寅，戊見丁見午，己見丙見己，庚見己見丑未，辛見戊見辰戌，壬見辛見酉，癸見庚見申，皆為正印。

The formation of Indirect Resource and Direct Resource depends on the relationship between the day stem and the heavenly stem. If the heavenly stem is able to generate the day stem and shares the same yin or yang, it is called Indirect Resource. If the heavenly stem is able to generate the day stem but has opposite yin or yang, it is called Direct Resource. For example, if the day stem is Jia wood, and it meets Ren or Gui water, water generates wood, so Ren and Gui are the stems that generate Jia. Since Jia is yang and Ren is also yang, they share the same yin-yang, so Ren is the Indirect Resource of Jia. Since Jia is yang and Gui is yin, they have opposite yin-yang, so Gui is the Direct Resource of Jia. The author then lists a table for each of the ten heavenly stems. The Indirect Resource are: Jia day sees Ren and Hai; Yi day sees Gui and Zi; Bing day sees Jia and Yin; Ding day sees Yi and Mao; Wu day sees Bing and Si; Ji day sees Ding and Wu; Geng day sees Wu and Chen and Xu; Xin day sees Ji and Chou and Wei; Ren day sees Geng and Shen; Gui day sees Xin and You. The Direct Resource are: Jia day sees Gui and Zi; Yi day sees Ren and Hai; Bing day sees Yi and Mao; Ding day sees Jia and Yin; Wu day sees Ding and Wu; Ji day sees Bing and Si; Geng day sees Ji and Chou and Wei; Xin day sees Wu and Chen and Xu; Ren day sees Xin and You; Gui day sees Geng and Shen. By comparing the two tables, it is clear that for the same day stem, the Indirect Resource and Direct Resource refer to the same element but with opposite yin-yang, just like Indirect Wealth and Direct Wealth. The original text has '丙见甲是寅' where '是' should be '见'; in '戊见丙见已' and '己见丙见己', the last character should be '巳'.

偏正印雜談：印綬者，乃五行生我之名。乃我氣之源，為生氣，為父母，又能護我官星，使無傷克，具此格者，主聰明，多智慧。性慈惠，語善良，平生少病，亦且少逢凶橫。若為官則必清廉，不拘文武，皆掌印信。偏正印之能力：生身，洩官殺，御傷，挫食。

"Imperial Seal" is a general term for the element that generates me in the Five Phases. It is the source of my vital energy, hence called "Life Qi," and is also compared to parents. It can also protect my official star, preventing it from being harmed or restrained—because the official star is usually harmed by the official star itself, but the Imperial Seal can restrain the official star, thus preserving the official star. People with this configuration in their Four Pillars of Destiny are usually intelligent, wise, kind-hearted, and speak kindly. They tend to have few illnesses and rarely encounter harsh or violent situations. If they hold an official position, they will certainly be upright and incorruptible, and whether they are in a literary or military role, they can manage official seals. As for the functions of the Imperial Seal, there are four: first, to generate the self; second, to relieve official stars and harmful stars; third, to resist the official star (defend against the official star); and fourth, to suppress the food star (restrain the food star). Among these four, the first two are the main uses of the Imperial Seal, while the last two are secondary uses. However, when the "suppression of the food star" is applied to the food star configuration, it becomes the "scavenger star stealing the food," which is either beneficial or harmful depending on the strength of the day's stem. When discussing its advantages and disadvantages later, we must pay particular attention to this point.

偏正印之利：生身：日干弱，當賴印綬滋扶身旺。例如：丁卯、辛亥、戊子、丙辰。亥卯半木局，子辰半水局，時在初冬水令，則偏重於水木才官，而戊土輕矣。妙有丁火正印，丙火偏印，協力生身，使日主可以任財任官。其功益豈淺鮮哉。洩官殺：日干弱，官殺力強，身不能任，當賴印綬洩官殺而助身。例如：癸卯、乙卯、戊子、丁巳。官重身輕，以乙木正官之得令，戊土日元之時，設非丁火正印，盜洩旺官，生助弱主，幾成危局。此所以印綬之大有造於斯命民。

First, we discuss the benefits of the印 (nourishing element). The first two are supporting the self and relieving official and killing energies. First, supporting the self: when the day stem is weak, it relies on the印 to nourish and support it, transforming the self into a strong state. For example, in the combination of Dingmao, Xinhai, Wuzi, and Bingchen, the day stem is Wu earth. The Hai and Mao form a half wooden trine, and the Zi and Chen form a half water trine. The season is early winter, when water is strong, so the entire chart is heavy with water and wood, which is heavy with wealth and official energies. The Wu earth day stem thus appears weak. Fortunately, the heavenly stem at the beginning is Ding fire, the 正印 (direct nourishing element), and the heavenly stem at the end is Bing fire, the 偏印 (biased nourishing element). The two印 work together to support the self, giving the day stem the strength to bear wealth and official energies. Their contributions are indeed significant. Second, relieving official and killing energies: when the day stem is weak but the official and killing energies are strong, the day stem cannot bear them, so the印 is needed to relieve the strength of the official and killing energies and assist the self. For example, in the combination of Guimao, Yimao, Wuzi, and Dingsi, the day stem is Wu earth. This is a case of heavy official energy and weak self: the monthly stem is Yimao, the 正官 (direct official), which is in command and strong, while the Wu earth day stem is weak and lacks strength. If there were no Dingsi, the 正印 (direct nourishing element) at the end to relieve the strong official energy and transform it into a nourishing force for the weak self, the situation would almost be dangerous. This is precisely why the印 is so beneficial for this destiny. Here, the phrase "relieving official and killing energies" requires particular understanding: the印 does not compete with the official and killing energies, but instead takes their strength and transforms it into a nourishing force for the self. It is a process of resolution rather than confrontation. (The original text has a missing character "失" before "戊土日元之时," and "民" in "斯命民" is taken as "也.")

御傷：日干弱，傷官力重，全賴印綬駕御傷官。例如：戊戌、辛酉、戊申、丁巳。金多而又在金令，其耗盜戊土，猛烈非常，雖有年頭兩比，可以幫身。然而丁巳兩印之御制傷官，其功尤偉。諺謂揚湯止沸，不如斧底抽薪，即此意也。挫食：日干弱，食神太重，當賴印之挫食滋身。例如：丙申、丙申、戊戌、庚申。戊見一庚三申，洩氣可憎，自喜丙火偏印之滋身挫食，而以情勢權衡，挫食之事，更殺滋身為重要，若拘於食神不宜梟奪之說，則忌矣。

Now let us discuss the benefits of the last two aspects, which are controlling injuries and restraining food. Third, controlling injuries: when the day stem is weak and the injurious star is strong, it relies entirely on the nourishing star to control and subdue the injurious star. For example, in the case of Wuxu, Xinyou, Wushen, and Dingsi, the day stem is Wutu. There is an abundance of metal, and the birth month is the strong metal month of You, which drains the vital energy of Wutu very strongly. Although there are two Wutu stems in the year and day columns to support the day stem, the two fire stars in the hour column, Dinghuo and Sihuo, which are the nourishing stars, are especially effective in controlling the injurious star. As the saying goes, 'pouring water to stop boiling is not as good as removing the fire from under the pot,' which means exactly this—supporting the day stem with a stem is like adding water to cool down, while controlling the injurious star with the nourishing star is like removing the firewood. Fourth, restraining food: when the day stem is weak and the food star is too strong, the nourishing star is needed to restrain the food star and at the same time nourish the day stem. For example, in the case of Bingshen, Bingshen, Wuxu, and Gengshen, the day stem is Wutu. Wutu is greatly drained by one Geng and three Shen. Naturally, it prefers the biased nourishing star, Jihuo, which both nourishes the day stem and restrains the food star. However, when weighing the importance of the situation, restraining the food is not as important as nourishing the day stem. If one rigidly adheres to the saying that 'the food star should not be taken by the枭神,' one would be wrong. In this passage, Wei's theory of flexibility is presented: established views should only be referred to, not rigidly followed. Ultimately, judging a person's fate should be based on the current situation and circumstances.

偏正印之弊：生身：日干強，財官力薄，更怕印綬助身。例如：丙辰、戊戌、戊午、壬戌。重土重火，日干強極，而官藏無力。財露被劫，自屬下命。然則何需乎丙午兩印之生身耶，印之為害既甚，當先謀去之之道，為上策矣。洩官殺：日干強，官殺力薄，更怕印綬洩之。例如：乙未、丙戌、戊午、己未。八字中土土其五，比劫既多，日主自強，幸有乙木正官之疏土拘身。乃又有丙火午火，印綬洩官，致官不能直接剋日，豈非全功盡棄乎。

Now let us discuss the drawbacks of the印 (helper). We will first talk about the cases where it generates the day stem and weakens the official and killing stars. First, generating the day stem: if the day stem is already strong, and the wealth and official stars are weak, then it is even more dangerous for the helper to come and strengthen the day stem. For example: Bingchen, Wuxu, Wuwu, Renxu, with the day stem being Wu earth. Earth and fire are both heavy, making the day stem extremely strong; the official star is only hidden in the branch and lacks strength, while the wealth star, although appearing on the hour stem, is taken by the same or rival elements. This is already a poor fate. If this is the case, why would we need the heavenly stem Jia fire and the day branch Wu fire, the two helpers, to generate the day stem? The helper is causing great harm here, so it is best to remove it as the top strategy. Second, weakening the official and killing stars: if the day stem is already strong, and the official and killing stars are weak, then it is even more dangerous for the helper to weaken the official and killing stars. For example: Yiwei, Bingxu, Wuwu, Jiwei, with the day stem being Wu earth. In this八字, earth occupies five positions, with many same or rival elements, so the day stem is naturally strong. Fortunately, the heavenly stem Yi wood is the official star, which can loosen the thick earth and restrain the day stem. But then the monthly stem Bing fire and the day branch Wu fire, the two helpers, weaken the official star, causing the official star to be unable to directly restrain the day stem. Is this not a complete waste of effort? It is clear that the helper can transform the official and killing stars, which is a savior when the day stem is weak, but becomes a disaster when the day stem is strong.

御傷：日干強，傷官力薄，更怕印綬御去傷官。例如：丙戌、辛旺、戊戌、戊午。土旺身強，所賴辛金傷官，發洩秀氣，然丙火梟印，御去辛金，致日主旺無所依。命局之不可收拾，即為此一印耳。挫食：日干強，食神力薄，更怕印之挫食。例如：庚子、丙戌、戊戌、戊午。此命與上例相仿，旺土賴庚金食神以吐秀，所憾丙火梟印，挫制食神，亦病重藥輕之造。土重為病，丙火為病中之病也。

Third, overcoming the injury: when the day stem is strong but the official is weak, it becomes even more dangerous if the official is restrained by the minister. For example: in the case of Bingxu, Xin, Wuxu, and Wuwu, the day stem is Wu earth. Earth is strong and the body is strong, relying only on Xin metal official to release the refined energy. However, the year stem Jia fire is a hawk official, which restrains the Xin metal official, causing the day stem to be strong but without support. The entire fate becomes uncontrollable due to this official. (The month pillar is noted as 'Xin is strong,' not one of the sixty jiazi, suggesting a possible error in the text.) Fourth, crushing the food: when the day stem is strong but the food is weak, it becomes even more dangerous if the minister restrains the food. For example: in the case of Gengzi, Chou, Wuxu, and Wuwu, the day stem is Wu earth. This fate is similar to the previous example: strong earth relies entirely on the year stem Geng metal food to release the refined energy. Unfortunately, the month stem Chou fire hawk official restrains the food, resulting in a pattern of 'heavy illness and light medicine'—heavy earth is the original illness, while fire is the illness within the illness, destroying the only medicine available. Comparing these two examples, it is exactly the opposite of the previous example 'crushing the food is beneficial': when the body is weak, the hawk official restraining the food is not harmful, but when the body is strong, the hawk official restraining the food is a major harm. The key lies entirely in the strength or weakness of the day stem.

偏正印之喜：生身：日干弱，有印綬生身，最喜官星生印。日干強，又有印綬生身，即喜財以制之。洩官殺：日干弱，官殺強，有印綬洩官殺，喜印身兩旺。日干強，官殺弱，又有印綬洩官殺，喜堸扶官殺。御傷：日干弱，傷官強，有印綬駕御傷官，喜印旺御傷助身。日干強，傷官弱，又有印綬駕御傷官，喜財旺克印以制之。挫食：日干弱，食神強，有印綬合食，喜印旺助身去食。日干強，食神弱，又有印之挫食，喜財旺克印以制之。

In the context of the four pillars (八字), if the印绶 (nurturing star) is already present, what else is desirable? Still following the four categories. Considering the support of the day stem: if the day stem is weak and the印绶 is supporting it, the most favorable is the official star (官星) to generate the印绶, as the official star generates the印绶, which in turn supports the day stem, forming a continuous chain; if the day stem is strong and the印绶 is also supporting it, then the wealth star (财星) is preferred to restrain the印绶 — in divination, the wealth star is said to 'damage' the印绶, and here we specifically take advantage of this damage. Considering the dispersion of official stars and evils: if the day stem is weak, the official stars and evils are strong, and the印绶 is dispersing them, then it is favorable for both the印绶 and the day stem to be strong; if the day stem is strong, the official stars and evils are weak, and the印绶 is dispersing them, then it is favorable to support the official stars and evils so that they are not completely dispersed by the印绶 (the original text '堸扶' should be 'support'). Considering the control of evils: if the day stem is weak, the evil star (伤官) is strong, and the印绶 is controlling the evil star, then it is favorable for the印绶 to be strong, as it both controls the evil star and supports the day stem; if the day stem is strong, the evil star is weak, and the印绶 is controlling the evil star, then it is favorable for the wealth star to be strong and to restrain the印绶, thus preserving the evil star. Considering the suppression of food stars (食神): if the day stem is weak and the food star is strong, and the印绶 is harmonizing with the food star, then it is favorable for the印绶 to be strong, as it both supports the day stem and suppresses the food star; if the day stem is strong and the food star is weak, and the印绶 is suppressing the food star, then similarly it is favorable for the wealth star to be strong and to restrain the印绶. In summary: if the day stem is weak, it is favorable for the印绶 to be strong; if the day stem is strong, it is favorable for the wealth star to damage the印绶. This is the key principle in using the印格 (nurturing star pattern).

偏正印之忌：生身：日干弱，喜有印綬助身，忌貪財壞印。目干強，又有印綬助身，忌再印扶身旺。洩官殺：日干弱，官殺強，幸有印綬洩官殺，忌貪財壞印。日干強，官殺弱，又有印綬洩官殺，再忌印扶身旺。御傷：日干弱，傷官強，幸有印綬御傷，忌貪財壞印。日干強，傷官弱，又有印綬御傷，忌印扶身旺。挫食：日干弱，食神強，幸有印之挫食，忌貪財壞印。日干強食神弱，又有偏印奪食，忌印扶身旺。

In reverse, the things to avoid are considered. Considering the strength of the day stem: if the day stem is weak and benefits from the help of the official (印), then the thing to avoid is "greedy for wealth and damaging the official" — if the wealth star becomes strong in the birth chart or in the fortune flow, it will damage the official, causing the day stem to lose its only support; these four characters are the greatest忌 of the official pattern. If the day stem is strong and also benefits from the official, then the thing to avoid is adding more officials to make the day stem even stronger (the original text mistakenly says "目干" which should be "日干"). Considering the release of officials and evils: if the day stem is weak and the officials and evils are strong, but there is an official to release them, then the thing to avoid is "greedy for wealth and damaging the official"; if the day stem is strong, the officials and evils are weak, and there is an official to release them, then the thing to avoid is adding more officials to support the day stem. Considering the defense against evils: if the day stem is weak and the evils are strong, but there is an official to defend against them, then the thing to avoid is "greedy for wealth and damaging the official"; if the day stem is strong and the evils are weak, but there is an official to defend against them, then the thing to avoid is adding more officials to support the day stem. Considering the suppression of food stars: if the day stem is weak and the food stars are strong, but there is an official to suppress them, then the thing to avoid is "greedy for wealth and damaging the official"; if the day stem is strong and the food stars are weak, but there is a biased official taking away the food, then the thing to avoid is adding more officials to support the day stem. Summing up these four aspects, there are only two sentences: if the day stem is weak and uses the official, then everything that harms the official is to be avoided; if the day stem is strong and there are many officials, then everything that supports the official is to be avoided. Although the items listed in this section are detailed, the main idea is as such.

偏正財之構成：我所克，而與我異性者，為正財。我所克，而與我同性者，為偏財。例如：甲木日主，見戊已土，木能克土，戊已土為甲木所克。甲為陽性，戊亦為陽性，兩性相同，故戊是由之偏財，甲為陽性，已為陰性，陰陽相異故已是甲之正財。按甲見戊辰戊，已見已見丑未，丙見庚見申，丁見幸見酉，戊見壬見亥，已見見子，庚見甲見寅，幸見已見兒卯，壬見丙見巳，癸見丁見午，皆為偏財。甲見已見丑未，已見戊見辰戊，丙見幸見酉，丁見庚見申，戊見見子，已見壬見亥，庚見乙見卯，幸見甲見寅，壬見丁見午，癸見丙見巳，皆為正財。

How are official wealth (正财) and Indirect Wealth formed? Any element that I can overcome, and which has a different yin and yang nature from me, is official wealth; any element that I can overcome, and which has the same yin and yang nature as me, is Indirect Wealth. For example, the day stem Jia Wood sees Wu Earth and Ji Earth, and Wood can overcome Earth, so Wu Earth and Ji Earth are both overcome by Jia Wood. Jia is yang, and Wu is also yang, so Wu is Jia's Indirect Wealth. Jia is yang, and Ji is yin, so they have different yin and yang natures, so Ji is Jia's official wealth. The author then lists a table for each of the ten heavenly stems. The Indirect Wealth are: Jia day sees Wu and Chen Xiu; Yi day sees Ji and Chou Wei; Bing day sees Geng and Shen; Ding day sees Xin and You; Wu day sees Ren and Hai; Ji day sees Gui and Zi; Geng day sees Jia and Yin; Xin day sees Yi and Mao; Ren day sees Bing and Si; Gui day sees Ding and Wu. The official wealth are: Jia day sees Ji and Chou Wei; Yi day sees Wu and Chen Xiu; Bing day sees Xin and You; Ding day sees Geng and Shen; Wu day sees Gui and Zi; Ji day sees Ren and Hai; Geng day sees Yi and Mao; Xin day sees Jia and Yin; Ren day sees Ding and Wu; Gui day sees Bing and Si. This passage has many errors in the original text: the character '已' is sometimes taken as Ji and sometimes as Si; the character '幸' is always taken as Xin; in the phrase '戊是由之偏财', the character '由' is taken as Jia; in '甲见戊辰戊', it is taken as 'Jia sees Wu and Chen Xiu'; in '幸见已见儿卯', the character '儿' is an added character. In the table of Indirect Wealth, '已见见子' is missing a 'Gui'; in the table of official wealth, '戊见见子' is also missing a 'Gui'. The original text has omissions, and these are recorded without correction.

偏正財雜談：人何由而覓利，非用精神心力，不可得也，我所克者，何以名之曰財，蓋即分勞我力，而後得者也。有精力然後可以圖財，可以享用，八字亦然。首須身強，方堪任財，身弱財旺，則如人之衰微不振。雖有偶得之財，不堪享用。且或因財滋禍，故衡命論財，亦須先顧身主，並非財多定為美也，俗以正財為妻財，偏財為眾人之財，亦有以正財為汗血應得之財，偏財為意外幸得之財，皆非通理，不可拘泥。

What enables a person to gain wealth? It cannot be obtained without the use of mental and physical energy. So why is the term 'wealth' used for the element I overcome? Because wealth is something that comes only after I have expended my strength and labor. A person must first have energy and vitality before they can pursue wealth or enjoy it. The principle of the eight characters is the same: first, the day master must be strong enough to bear the influence of wealth. If the day master is weak and the wealth element is strong, it is like a person in a state of decline who, although possibly acquiring wealth by chance, cannot properly use it, and may even bring misfortune through it. Therefore, when analyzing a birth chart concerning wealth, one must first consider the strength of the day master; it is not necessarily good to have too much wealth. As for the common belief that the 'official wealth' refers to the wife's wealth and the 'biased wealth' refers to the wealth of others, or that the 'official wealth' is the wealth earned through hard work and the 'biased wealth' is the wealth obtained by chance, these interpretations are not comprehensive and should not be rigidly followed. This passage from Wei's discussion aims to refute such common misconceptions: the distinction between official and biased wealth is merely a difference in yin and yang, and has nothing to do with the legitimacy of the source. Readers should not take these terms literally.

偏正財之能力：生官殺，洩傷食，制梟，壞印。偏正財之利：生官殺：日干強，官殺力輕，尚不全美，當賴正偏財生起官殺方能成為大用。例如：乙亥、甲申、庚甲、丁丑。丁火如豆不能制大塊之金，身太重而官太輕。甲乙雙財並透，生助正官，足補此憾矣。故八字堪成大用，及賴於財之生官非僅官之克身也。

Wealth has four functions: to generate officials and enemies, to release injuries and foods, to control the枭, and to destroy the印. First, let us discuss its benefits. The first function is to generate officials and enemies: if the day stem is strong and the officials and enemies are weak, the structure is not yet perfect. Therefore, it is necessary to use the正财 and偏财 to generate officials and enemies so that they can be fully effective. For example: in the case of Yihai, Jiashen, Geng, and Dingchou, the day stem is Geng metal. The hour stem Ding fire is very small, unable to control the large amount of metal. This is a case of the body being too heavy and the official too weak; fortunately, the month stem甲 wood and the year stem乙 wood, two wealth stars, are both revealed, assisting the Ding fire official. This is sufficient to make up for the deficiency. Therefore, this destiny can achieve great success, entirely relying on wealth to generate officials, rather than just relying on officials to control the body. This distinction is very important: when the official star is weak, its ability to control the body is limited, and it is essential to rely on wealth to support it. (The original day column is written as 'Geng Jia', not one of the sixty jiazi, indicating a possible error; the word '及' in '及赖于财' should be '皆'.)

洩傷食：日干強，傷食力亦強，雖日干之透氣已洩於傷食，而傷食則遏抑未舒，當賴正偏財洩之，藉以疏通。例如：癸卯、庚申、庚子、庚辰。初秋三庚，支全申子辰，年上透癸，金水並行，母強子健，庚因生水，而秀氣發越，癸水傷官，以卯木正財之洩，而亦有所寄託，生生不息矣。制梟：日干強，偏印力亦強，身旺何勞印綬。當賴偏財制去梟神，使不橫來生身。例如：甲辰、戊辰、庚申、甲申。庚金兩得申祿，不愁孱弱，一戊二辰之梟印生身，反為駢枝，不如借甲木偏財以去之清淨也。

The second benefit is the release of the official and food spirits: when the day stem is strong and the official and food spirits are also strong, although the refined quality of the day stem has already been released to the official and food spirits, the official and food spirits themselves are blocked and unable to expand. This requires the use of the official and miscellaneous wealth to release the official and food spirits, thus allowing the energy to flow smoothly. For example: Guimao, Gengshen, Gengzi, Gengchen, with the day stem being Geng metal. In early autumn, there are three Geng metals, and the branches Shen, Zi, and Chen form a water trinity, with the year stem also revealing Gui water. Metal and water are both strong, the mother is strong and the child is healthy; the Geng metal produces water, allowing its refined quality to be expressed, and the Gui water official is released through the卯 wood official in the month branch, thus having a place to rely on. This leads to continuous generation and development. This is exactly what is called "circulation" in命学: from the body producing the official and food spirits, and the official and food spirits producing the wealth, forming a continuous line, making the entire chart alive. The third benefit is the control of the枭: when the day stem is strong and the偏印 is also strong, the body is already strong, so why would the印 be needed? This requires the偏财 to control the枭, so that it no longer creates unnecessary branches to nourish the body. For example: Jiachen, Wuchen, Gengshen, Jiashen, with the day stem being Geng metal. The Geng metal receives the Sheng branch twice, so it is not weak, and the Wu soil and two Chen soils of the偏印 come to nourish the body, which instead becomes an unnecessary burden ("骈枝" refers to extra limbs, symbolizing unnecessary things). It is better to remove it with the Ji wood偏财 in the year and hour stems, making the situation clearer.

壞印：日干強，正印力亦強，身旺不須正印。當賴正財破壞之，使身不過旺。例如：乙亥、已丑、庚申、乙酉。庚日得祿於申，乘旺於酉，投庫於丑，根基極深，固不喜再見幫扶。然則，乙木正財，破壞己土正印，正所以去繁就簡也，何憾之有耶。

The fourth advantage is to destroy the official star: if the day stem is strong and the official star is also strong, the body is already vigorous and does not need the official star any longer. Therefore, it is necessary to use the official star to destroy the official star, so that the day master does not become too strong. For example: Yihai, Jichou, Gengshen, Yiyou, with the day stem being Geng metal. Geng metal is in the day branch Shen where it gets its strength, in the hour branch You where it is vigorous, and in the month branch Chou where it is stored, so its foundation is very deep. It naturally does not like to see more support (this is what was mentioned earlier as 'rooting', meaning that one stem has roots in the branches, and its strength is evident). Since this is the case, the ethereal wood of the year and hour branches destroying the earth official star of the month stem is a way of simplifying things. What is there to regret? When viewed together with the previous point: controlling the枭 (a type of official star) uses the biased wealth, destroying the official star uses the proper wealth, same sex and opposite sex control have their respective correspondences, and are not arbitrarily paired (the original text had 'yi chou' where 'yi' should be 'ji').

偏正財之弊：生官殺：日干弱，最怕財旺生官殺，來剋日干。例如：甲寅、丁卯、庚午、乙酉。木旺金衰，財多身弱，最憾財再生官，使官來克身，形勢尤危，乃木火財官，狼狽為奸，欲遞禍患，更不易矣。洩傷食：日千弱，最怕傷食洩財，以分日千之力。例如：癸未、乙卯、庚子、庚辰。庚金失令，援助又少，固畏群水之洩氣。然若單見水星，耗盜尚有限制，豈可又見木來洩水，轉輾分力。則財之洩傷食而挫日，與夫生官殺而克身，其為害乃異途而同歸也。

Now let us discuss the drawbacks of wealth (财). This is still divided into four categories. The first is when wealth generates officials and enemies (官杀). If the day stem is weak, it is most dangerous when wealth is strong and generates officials and enemies, which in turn harm the day stem. For example: Jiayin, Dingmao, Gengwu, Yiyou, with the day stem being Geng metal. Wood is strong and metal is weak, which is exactly the case of excessive wealth and a weak body. What is most regrettable is that wealth also generates officials, allowing officials to harm the body. The situation becomes even more dangerous. Wood and fire, wealth and officials, collude together, making it even harder to prevent this disaster (the original text's '欲递祸患' should be '遏祸患'). The second is when wealth drains the strength of the injured or consumed elements (伤食). If the day stem is weak, it is most dangerous when wealth drains the injured or consumed elements, thus reducing the strength of the day stem. For example: Guiwei, Yimao, Gengzi, Gengchen, with the day stem being Geng metal. Geng metal is out of its season and has little support, and it is already afraid of the full presence of water draining its strength. However, if only water is present, the draining and stealing have some limits. How can it withstand the additional presence of wood draining water, layer by layer reducing the strength of the day stem? It is evident that wealth draining the injured or consumed elements and weakening the day stem is as harmful as wealth generating officials and enemies to harm the day stem. Although the two paths are different, the harm they cause is the same (the original text's two instances of '日千' should both be '日干').

制梟：日干弱，最怕財星制去梟神，以絕日干之生。例如：戊辰、甲子、庚寅、甲申。水木成群，庚金走洩無止。戊土梟印雖生庚，奈生受制於甲財。財神非僅患身，且能害母，產除根本，為禍更甚於洩傷食，生官殺也。壞印：日干弱，最怕財星，破壞正印，絕其滋助。例如：乙未、己卯、庚子、甲申。庚金閒於水木之包圍，已土正印，因乙財之破壞，似有若無。勢大適為我敵，勢小難為我助，與上述之命，同一抱撼耳。

Third, controlling the枭 (weishen): when the day stem is weak, it is most afraid that the wealth star (cai xing) controls the枭, thus cutting off the day stem's source of nourishment. For example: Wuchen, Jiazi, Gengyin, Jiashen, with the day stem being Geng metal. Water and wood are in abundance, and Geng metal is continuously drained without any end. The year stem Wut (Wu tu) as the枭 (weishen) could have nourished Geng metal, but it was unable to do so because it was controlled by the month and hour stems' Jia wood (cai xing). This wealth star not only harms the day stem itself, but also harms the mother who nourishes me, which is equivalent to uprooting the root, causing greater harm than the previous mentioned leakage of food and drink, or the generation of official and killer stars (the original text's "nai sheng shou zhi" may be "jingsheng," and "chan chu geng ben" may be "chan chu geng ben"). Fourth, ruining the official (zhen yin): when the day stem is weak, it is most afraid that the wealth star destroys the positive official (zheng yin), cutting off its nourishment to the day stem. For example: Yiwei, Jimao, Gengzi, Jiashen, with the day stem being Geng metal. Geng metal is surrounded by water and wood, and the month stem Ji (Ji tu) as the positive official is nearly nonexistent due to the destruction by the year stem Yi wood (cai xing). This is called: when the wealth star is strong, it becomes my enemy; when it is weak, it cannot help me at all. This is the same as the previous example, causing great regret (the original text's "xian yu" may be "kun yu," "yi tu" may be "ji tu," and "bao han" may be "bao han"). These two points are exactly what the "Tian Gan" (heavenly stem) pattern should avoid, which is "tan cai huai yin" (greed for wealth and ruin of the official). Readers may refer to the section on "biased and correct official" for comparison.

偏正財之喜：生官殺：日干強，有財生官殺，喜官殺旺則成功。日干弱，有財生官殺，喜印生比劫以制之。洩傷食：日干強，傷食重，有財洩傷食，喜財旺生發。日干弱，傷食輕，有財洩傷食，喜比劫以制財。制梟：日干強，不須梟神生身，喜財來制梟。日干弱，有財星制梟，喜比劫以解之。壞印：日干強，不勞印綬再助身，喜傷食生財，助財破印。日干弱，有財壞印，喜比劫克去財星以存印。

In the context of the four pillars, once the wealth star is already present, what else is desired? Still following the four aspects. Considering the generation of officials and evils: if the day stem is strong and has wealth to generate officials and evils, it is favorable for officials and evils to become strong, making the pattern successful; if the day stem is weak and has wealth to generate officials and evils, it is favorable for the seal and similar stars to control this aspect—seals can transform officials and evils, and similar stars can share the wealth, both aspects need to be considered. Considering the release and damage of food: if the day stem is strong and the damage and food are heavy, and there is wealth to release the damage and food, it is favorable for wealth to be strong to fully utilize its generating function; if the day stem is weak and the damage and food are light, and there is wealth to release the damage and food, it is favorable for similar stars to control the wealth star, preventing it from dispersing its strength. Considering the control of the hawk: if the day stem is strong and does not need the hawk to generate the body, it is favorable for wealth to control the hawk; if the day stem is weak and there is wealth controlling the hawk, it is favorable for similar stars to rescue—similar stars taking wealth, the hawk and seal will be protected. Considering the destruction of the seal: if the day stem is strong and does not need the seal to assist the body, it is favorable for damage and food to generate wealth and assist wealth to break the seal; if the day stem is weak and there is wealth destroying the seal, it is favorable for similar stars to control the wealth star to preserve the seal. In summary: if the body is strong, the more wealth the better, it can generate officials and break the seal; if the body is weak, it is necessary to use similar stars to resist the wealth star, this is the main point of using wealth in the wealth pattern.

偏天財之忌：生官殺：日干強，幸有財來生官殺，忌傷食克官殺。日干弱，又有財去生官殺，忌官殺再旺而克身。洩傷食：日干強，幸有財來洩傷食，忌比劫奪財。日干弱，又有財去洩傷食，忌財旺分力。制梟：日干強，幸有偏財制梟，忌比劫再奪財。日干弱，又有偏財制梟，忌傷食生財。壞印：日干強，幸有正財壞印，忌比劫再奪財。日干弱，又有正財壞印，忌傷食生財。

In reverse, regarding what is to be avoided (the original title "偏天财" should be "正" for "heavenly"). Considering the generation of officials and evils: if the day stem is strong and there is wealth to generate officials and evils, then the avoidance is the destruction of officials and evils by the official and food gods, which is like knocking down the officials that have just been supported; if the day stem is weak and there is wealth to generate officials and evils, then the avoidance is the strengthening of officials and evils, which come to attack the body. Considering the leakage of official and food gods: if the day stem is strong and there is wealth to relieve the official and food gods, then the avoidance is the competition of similar elements to take away the wealth, for once the wealth is taken away, the flow is cut off; if the day stem is weak and there is wealth to relieve the official and food gods, then the avoidance is the wealth becoming stronger and further dividing the strength of the day stem. Considering the control of the枭 (a type of god): if the day stem is strong and there is partial wealth to control the枭, then the avoidance is similar elements coming to take away the wealth; if the day stem is weak and there is partial wealth to control the枭, then the avoidance is the official and food gods generating wealth, making the wealth stronger and the枭 and its imprint more dangerous. Considering the destruction of the imprint: if the day stem is strong and there is proper wealth to destroy the imprint, then the avoidance is similar elements taking away the wealth; if the day stem is weak and there is proper wealth to destroy the imprint, then the avoidance is the official and food gods generating wealth. The six spirits are now fully explained. Looking at the entire text, we can see that Wei's discussion of the six spirits always follows seven levels: "composition, simple explanation, ability, benefit, disadvantage, what is preferred, and what is avoided." Throughout, there is only one standard: the strength of the day stem. The same spirit can be a remedy when the day stem is strong, but a disease when the day stem is weak. Therefore, in the following section on the structure of the pattern, we must first determine the pattern, and then determine the useful god, and the order cannot be reversed.

五行分克我、我克、生我、我生、比和五項，又有陰陽同性及互異之分，乃其代名詞，即所謂七殺、正官、傷官、食神、偏正印、偏正財，及比肩、劫財者出焉。七殺、食神、正官、傷官，已為各立一格於六神篇中，偏正財、偏正印，亦不分偏正，並而曰印曰財，詳論於六神篇內。茲再述比肩劫財之損益如後，祿與刃乃助身之物，其效用利弊，與比肩劫財，頗有相似處，故附論之。

The relationships among the Five Phases are divided into five categories: overcoming me, being overcome by me, nurturing me, being nurtured by me, and being like and harmonious. Each of these categories is further distinguished by whether the yin and yang are the same or different. Combined with appropriate terms, names such as seven杀 (seven killing), 正官 (proper official), 伤官 (injurious official), 食神 (nourishing deity), 偏印 (biased seal), 正印 (proper seal), 偏财 (biased wealth), 正财 (proper wealth), 比肩 (companion), and 劫财 (plundering wealth) all emerge. Among these, seven杀, 食神, 正官, and 伤官 have each been discussed in detail in the previous section on the Six Spirits. As for 偏财 and 正财, 偏印 and 正印, they are no longer divided into biased and proper, and are instead collectively referred to as 财 (wealth) and 印 (seal), which have also been discussed in the section on the Six Spirits. Therefore, this section will now elaborate on the advantages and disadvantages of 比肩 and 劫财. As for 禄 (favorable position) and 刃 (blade), they are also supportive elements for the self, and their effects and merits are quite similar to those of 比肩 and 劫财, so they are included in this section for discussion. This section serves as the reason for its establishment: the section on the Six Spirits omitted 比劫 (companion and plundering), because 比劫 cannot form a pattern; however, not forming a pattern does not mean they have no effect, so this section is established to complement them.

比肩之構成：與我同類，而又同性者是也。如甲見甲見寅，既同屬木類，又同為陽性耳。按甲見甲寅，乙見乙見卯，丙見丙見已，丁見丁見午，戊見戊見辰戌，己見己見丑未，庚見庚見申，辛見辛見酉，壬見壬見亥，癸見癸見子，皆為比肩。劫財之構成：與我同類而異性者是也。如甲日遇乙，甲為木，乙亦為木，是同類了。甲為陽性，乙為陰性，是同類而異性也。故乙為甲之劫財。按甲見乙見卯，乙見甲見寅，丙見丁見午，丁見丙見己，戊見己見丑未，己見戊見辰戌，庚見辛見酉，辛見庚見申，壬見癸見子，癸見壬見亥，皆為劫財。

First, we discuss the concept of "Bijian" (like stars). Any star that is of the same type and same polarity as the day stem is considered Bijian. For example, if the day stem is Jia (甲), then seeing another Jia (甲) or Yin (寅) is considered Bijian. Both Jia and Yin belong to the wood element and are yang in nature. The author lists them as follows: on a Jia day, Jia and Yin are Bijian; on a Yi day, Yi and Mao are Bijian; on a Bing day, Bing and Si are Bijian; on a Ding day, Ding and Wu are Bijian; on a Wu day, Wu and Chen or Xu are Bijian; on a Ji day, Ji and Chou or Wei are Bijian; on a Geng day, Geng and Shen are Bijian; on a Xin day, Xin and You are Bijian; on a Ren day, Ren and Hai are Bijian; on a Gui day, Gui and Zi are Bijian. These are all examples of Bijian. Next, we discuss "Jiecai" (robber stars). Any star that is of the same type but opposite polarity is considered Jiecai. For example, if the day stem is Jia (甲), then encountering Yi (乙) is considered Jiecai. Both Jia and Yi are wood, but Jia is yang and Yi is yin, so Yi is considered the Jiecai of Jia. The author lists them as follows: on a Jia day, Yi and Mao are Jiecai; on a Yi day, Jia and Yin are Jiecai; on a Bing day, Ding and Wu are Jiecai; on a Ding day, Bing and Si are Jiecai; on a Wu day, Ji and Chou or Wei are Jiecai; on a Ji day, Wu and Chen or Xu are Jiecai; on a Geng day, Xin and You are Jiecai; on a Xin day, Geng and Shen are Jiecai; on a Ren day, Gui and Zi are Jiecai; on a Gui day, Ren and Hai are Jiecai. These are all examples of Jiecai. Both Bijian and Jiecai are stars of the same type, but Bijian has pure energy and harmonious strength, while Jiecai has mixed energy and competitive nature. Their applications differ significantly. (The original text has "丙见丙见已" and "丁见丙见己" where the last characters should be "巳", and "是同类了" should be "是同类矣".)

祿之構成：我之本氣也。如甲木本氣在寅，寅即甲之祿也。按甲見寅，乙見卯，丙戊見巳，丁己見午，庚見申，辛見酉，壬見亥，癸見子，皆為祿。刃之構成：祿前一位為刃。如甲之祿在寅，卯乃寅前一位，故為甲之刃。惟陽順陰逆，陰干以後作前，故祿前一全為刃，即祿後一位為刃，如乙之祿在兒子，寅乃卯後一位，故為乙之刃。按甲見卯，乙見寅，丙戊見午，丁已見已，庚見酉，辛見申，壬見子，癸見亥，皆為刃。

Now let us discuss the concept of "Lü" (Rice Field). Lü refers to the branch where the qi of the day stem resides. For example, the inherent qi of Jia wood is in寅 (Yin), and since the inherent qi of Jia wood is exactly in Yin, Yin is the Lü of Jia. The author lists: Jia day sees寅, Yi day sees卯, Bing and Wu days see巳, Ding and Ji days see午, Geng day sees申, Xin day sees酉, Ren day sees亥, and Gui day sees子 — these are all Lü. Lü corresponds to the position of "Lin Guan" (Officialdom) in the twelve earthly branches. It is a position where the qi is strong but has not yet reached its peak. Now let us discuss "Ren" (Blade). The position immediately before Lü is Ren. For example, Jia's Lü is in寅, and卯 is the position immediately before寅, so卯 is the Ren of Jia. However, for yang stems, the order is forward, while for yin stems, the order is backward. For yin stems, "before" is considered "after," so for yin stems, the position immediately before Lü is actually the position immediately after Lü. For example, the Lü of Yi is in卯, and寅 is the position immediately after卯, so寅 is the Ren of Yi. The author lists: Jia day sees卯, Yi day sees寅, Bing and Wu days see午, Ding and Ji days see巳, Geng day sees酉, Xin day sees申, Ren day sees子, and Gui day sees亥 — these are all Ren (the original text says "Lü before one full" where "full" should be "position," and "Yi's Lü is in son" should be "Yi's Lü is in卯," and "Ding Ji see Ji" should be "Ding Ji see巳").

比劫祿刃淺解：有謂在干為比，在支為祿，在干為劫，在支為刃。此理甚通，蓋甲祿在寅，中有甲木比肩，乙祿在卯，卯中有乙木比肩，丙戊祿在已巳，巳中有丙戊比肩，丁已祿在午，午中有丁已比肩，庚祿在申，申中有庚金比肩，幸祿在酉，酉中有金比肩，壬祿在亥，亥中有水比肩，祿在子，子中有癸水比肩。甲刃在卯，卯中乙木，為甲之劫財。乙刃在寅，寅中甲木，主乙之劫財。丙戊刃在午，午中丁己，為丙戊之劫財。丁己刃在巳，巳中丙戊，為丁己之劫財。庚刃在酉，酉中辛金，為庚之庚財。辛刃在申，申丙庚金，為幸之劫財。壬刃在子，子中癸水，為壬之劫財，癸刃在亥，亥中壬水，為合適之劫財。由此，蓋見陽干之刃，在寅申已亥，為可信矣。

There is a saying that in the Heavenly Stems, it is called "Bijian" (a fellow), but when it falls into the Earthly Branches, it is called "Lu" (a post). In the Heavenly Stems, it is called "Jiecai" (a thief), but when it falls into the Earthly Branches, it is called "Ren" (a blade). This reasoning makes sense because the Heavenly Stem's "Bijian" is actually contained within the Earthly Branch's "Lu", and the Heavenly Stem's "Jiecai" is actually contained within the Earthly Branch's "Ren". Let us check each case: Jia's Lu is in Yin, and Yin contains Jia wood as a fellow; Yi's Lu is in Mao, and Mao contains Yi wood as a fellow; Bing and Wu's Lu is in Si, and Si contains Bing fire and Wu earth as fellows; Ding and Ji's Lu is in Wu, and Wu contains Ding fire and Ji earth as fellows; Geng's Lu is in Shen, and Shen contains Geng metal as a fellow; Xin's Lu is in You, and You contains Xin metal as a fellow; Ren's Lu is in Hai, and Hai contains Ren water as a fellow; Gui's Lu is in Zi, and Zi contains Gui water as a fellow. Now looking at the "Ren" (blade): Jia's Ren is in Mao, and Mao contains Yi wood, which is Jia's thief; Yi's Ren is in Yin, and Yin contains Jia wood, which is Yi's thief; Bing and Wu's Ren is in Wu, and Wu contains Ding fire and Ji earth, which are Bing and Wu's thieves; Ding and Ji's Ren is in Si, and Si contains Bing fire and Wu earth, which are Ding and Ji's thieves; Geng's Ren is in You, and You contains Xin metal, which is Geng's thief; Xin's Ren is in Shen, and Shen contains Geng metal, which is Xin's thief; Ren's Ren is in Zi, and Zi contains Gui water, which is Ren's thief; Gui's Ren is in Hai, and Hai contains Ren water, which is Gui's thief. Therefore, the statement that the "Ren" (blade) of Yin Stems falls in Yin, Si, Shen, and Hai branches is credible. However, the original text has many errors: "Jingwu's Lu is in Yi Si" has an extra "Yi"; "Ding Yi" should be "Ding Ji"; "Xing" should be "Xin"; "You has metal as a fellow" is missing "Xin"; "Hai has water as a fellow" is missing "Ren"; "Lu in Zi" is missing "Gui"; "mainly Yi's thief" should be "is"; "for Geng's Geng treasure" the second "Geng" should be "Jie"; "Shen Bing Geng metal" the "Bing" should be "Zhong"; "as suitable thief" should be "Gui's thief"; and the last sentence "Yang Stems' Ren" the "Yang" should be "Yin".

刃者，旺而越過其分也。故祿前一位為刃，蓋祿前一位，即帝旺耳。陰陽萬物之理，皆事業惡極盛，所謂滿易招損。刃因太旺，故其性剛烈，其氣暴戾。祿則刃後一位，乃既盛而未極，故溫柔和暢。甲刃在卯，丙戊刃在午，庚刃在酉，壬刃在子，無一非帝旺也。陽順陰逆，陽以前為前，則陰以後為前，而祿前即祿後，故乙祿在卯，而刃在寅，丁己祿在午，而刃在己，辛祿在酉，而刃在申，癸祿在子，而刃在亥，亦無一非帝量耳。欲以陰干之刃，辰戌丑未，夫辰戌丑未為墓地，非旺地，豈塨作刃，其不可信也，明矣。

The term "blade" refers to when something is overly prosperous. Why is the position before the禄 (favorable position) called the blade? Because the禄 is the officialdom position of the twelve earthly branches, and the position before officialdom is precisely the position of prosperity. The principle of yin and yang teaches that excess is harmful; when something is full, it invites loss. The blade, being overly prosperous, has a fierce and violent nature; the禄, being one position after the blade, has already reached a high level but not yet the extreme, so it is gentle and harmonious. This is the reason why the禄 is auspicious and the blade is inauspicious. Testing this with yang heavenly stems: the blade of Jia is in卯, the blade of Bing and Wu is in午, the blade of Geng is in酉, and the blade of Ren is in子, none of which are not the position of prosperity. As for the yin heavenly stems, because yang moves forward and yin moves backward, for yang stems the previous position is before, but for yin stems the previous position is after. Therefore, the "L禄 before" for yin stems is equivalent to "L禄 after": the blade of Yi is in寅, the blade of Ding and Ji is in巳, the blade of Xin is in申, and the blade of Gui is in亥, none of which are not the position of prosperity (since the yin heavenly stems move backward through the twelve earthly branches, their position of prosperity falls exactly on these branches). Some people claim that the blade for yin stems is in辰, 戌, 丑, 未, but these are storage positions, not positions of prosperity, so how can they be called blades? This is clearly unreliable. The original text has some errors: "皆事业恶极盛" should be "皆恶极盛", "满易招损" should be "满招损", "而刃在己" should be "而刃在巳", "帝量" should be "帝旺", "欲以阴干之刃" should be "或以阴干之刃" and there is a missing "在" after "或", "岂塨作刃" should be "岂堪作刃".

比劫祿刃之能力：幫身，任官殺，代洩，奪財。比劫祿之利：幫身：日干弱，無論財官食傷均足以耗吾之身，而不為我福。得有比劫祿刃幫身，則耗我身者，可為吾用矣。例如：己巳、丙寅、壬子、壬寅。財官食神雖美，乃日主虛弱，如人之富貴而病，豈能享受榮華。還以攝身進補為是。於為壬水雙肩，子水劫刃，能幫吾央，為可貴矣。

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches such as Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai have four functions: supporting the day stem, taking on official positions, relieving pressure, and seizing wealth. First, let's talk about the benefits of these. The first is supporting the day stem. When the day stem is weak, whether it is wealth, official position, food, or injury, all of them consume the day stem and cannot bring fortune. At this time, if there are Jia, Yi,禄, or 刃 to support the day stem, those things that originally consumed the day stem can instead be used for the day stem's benefit. For example, in the case of Jisi, Bingyin, Renzi, Renyin, the day stem is Ren water. The year stem Jia soil is official, the month stem Bing fire is wealth, and the寅 branch contains Jia wood which is food and injury. Wealth, official position, food, and injury are all present, which seems very good. But the day stem is weak, like a person living in wealth and honor but lying sick in bed, how can he enjoy the glory? It is more important to first strengthen and nourish the day stem. Therefore, the壬 water Jia and the子 water which is the劫刃 in the day branch can support the day stem, which is very precious. (The original text says '于为' which should be '于是', '壬水双肩' which should be '壬水比肩', and '能帮吾央' where '央' should be '身'.)

任官殺：日干弱，見官則受拘束，見殺則為壓制。望官即畏憚之甚，安足云任，苟得比劫祿刃敵官殺，而不畏憚，反足任之以有為矣。例如：戊子、戊午、壬戌、壬寅。壬水憚於重土之壓，是即殺重身輕。既有壬水比肩，子水劫刃協力抵敵，日主可能任殺矣。或畏火土遠過於水星，仍患身弱，此乃另一問題，非在本條討論範圍之內也。

The second advantage is being able to take on official positions and killing stars. A weak day stem is constrained by the official star and suppressed by the killing star; it fears encountering official and killing stars and cannot even talk about being able to take them on. However, if there are siblings,禄, or 刃 to resist the official and killing stars, the day stem no longer fears them and can instead control the official and killing stars and achieve something. For example, in the combination of Wuzi, Wuwu, Renxu, and RENYIN, the day stem is Ren water. The Ren water is oppressed by the heavy earth in the year and month dry branches, which is a case of heavy killing stars and weak day stem. Fortunately, there is a Ren water sibling in the hour dry branch and a Zi water 刃 in the year branch, which together resist the killing stars, allowing the day stem to be able to take on the killing stars. The author then adds a note: perhaps someone might say that the fire and earth forces in this combination are much stronger than the water, so the day stem is still weak — but that is a different issue and not within the scope of this discussion. This self-commentary shows good judgment: the example is given merely to illustrate a principle, and it is not necessary for it to be comprehensive in every aspect.

代洩：日干弱，見傷信不為我福，而反足以盜洩，比劫祿就，可以代我受洩，則傷食反為福神矣。例如：乙卯、癸未、壬子、乙已。眾木盜水，幸癸子兩劫，代日主受洩，則乙食神，始為忌神而終為福星。為忌神者，憚其走洩也，為福星者，既有劫財代洩，不為我害。可以安然任之，且或有生財制殺之利耳。

The third advantage is substitution. For a weak day stem, encountering a food god or official star is not beneficial, but rather drains the energy. At this time, the brother or sister,禄 or 刃 can take the place of the day stem to bear the drain, so the food god or official star becomes a beneficial god. For example: Yimao, Guiwei, Renzi, Yisi, with the day stem being Ren water. All the wood in the chart drains the water energy. Fortunately, the癸 water in the month and the子 water in the day branch, the two劫财, take the place of the day stem to bear the drain. Thus, the乙 wood in the year and hour, which was originally a hostile god, becomes a beneficial star. Saying it is a hostile god is because it fears to drain the day stem's energy; saying it is a beneficial star is because with the劫财 taking the place of the day stem, it can no longer harm the day stem, and the day stem can safely use it, and it also has the benefits of generating wealth and controlling the killer. This point best shows the wonderful use of brothers and sisters: brothers and sisters not only strongly support the day stem, but also help the day stem bear the drain, turning an originally hostile god into a useful god. (The original text says 「见伤信」 instead of 「见伤食」, and 「比劫禄就」 instead of 「比劫禄刃」.)

制財：日干弱，見財則身益弱，得比劫祿刃之制財。則不為財役矣。例如：壬申、丙午、壬寅、丙午。火炎水灼，財重身輕，不奇印比之生扶，卻喜壬水比肩之制財。制財而有力，是為我除害也。勝於同氣相助多矣。

The fourth benefit is controlling wealth. For someone with a weak day stem, encountering the wealth star weakens the body even more, because controlling wealth requires effort; if the same element or its helper comes out to control the wealth star, the day stem will not be controlled by wealth. For example, in the birth chart Renshen, Bingwu, Renyin, Bingwu, the day stem is Ren water. The fire is very strong and the water is almost dried up, which is a case of heavy wealth but weak self. This fate not only hopes for the birth star and same element to generate and support, but also prefers the heavenly stem Ren water of the year to control the wealth. Controlling wealth with strength is like removing a disaster, which is much better than mere same element assistance. Here we should note that "controlling wealth" and "stealing wealth" are two aspects of the same thing: when the body is weak, it is called controlling wealth, which is good; when the body is strong, it is called stealing wealth, which becomes bad. The following discussion on the drawbacks will explain this principle (the original text's "water burning" should be "water drying up," and "not strange" is likely "not less than").

比劫祿刃之弊：幫身：日干強，怕比劫祿刃幫扶，蓋至強則無依矣。例如：癸巳、癸亥、壬申、壬寅。壬水生於亥月，坐於甲金巳臨旺鄉，何需干頭比劫之幫身，則比劫非惟為駢拇枝指。且足以促成身旺，無依之危險，可畏也巳。任官殺：日干強，喜官殺為我用，怕比劫祿刃敵官殺，而分官殺之力。例如：己亥、壬申、壬子、丙午。壬生申月，源遠流長。正喜已土正官之拘身築堤。乃月上壬比，年支亥祿。以及日下子刃，推波助瀾，沖擊堤岸。其分任正官，使日主漫無節制，為害豈淺鮮哉。

Now let us discuss their drawbacks. First, the help from the same element: if the day stem is already strong, it is dangerous for the same element or its helper to come again to support it, because when it is too strong, it has no support. For example, in the case of Guisi, Guihai, Renshen, Renyin, with the day stem being 壬 water. The 壬 water is born in the month of 亥, which is its season, and the day branch is sitting on 申 metal, which is also a strong position. The foundation is very solid, so why would it need the same element in the sky stem to help? At this time, the same element is not only redundant but can also lead to the danger of being too strong with no support, which is really dangerous (the original text says '坐于甲金巳临旺乡' which should be '坐于申金、巳临旺乡', and '可畏也巳' should be '可畏也已'). Second, the official and killer elements: if the day stem is already strong, it is actually good to have the official and killer elements to be used by it. However, it is dangerous if the same element or its helper comes to resist the official and killer elements, thus weakening their power. For example, in the case of Jihai, Renshen, Renzi, Bingwu, with the day stem being 壬 water. The 壬 water is born in the month of 申, which has a long and abundant water source. It is actually good that the year stem 己 earth is the official element to restrain the day stem and build a dike to prevent flooding. But unexpectedly, the month stem 壬 water is the same element, the year branch 亥 water is the禄 position, and the day branch 子 water is the Yangren, all contributing to the flow of water, thus undermining the dike and dispersing the power of the official element, causing the day stem to be out of control. How serious is this harm? (the original text says '已土' which should be '己土').

代洩：日干強，見傷食則秀氣可吐，怕比劫祿刃競代受洩。分我秀氣。例如：癸亥、癸亥、壬申、乙已。乙木傷官，洩旺壬而吐秀，只以水多木漂，功效盡棄。故身強之造不喜重重劫，比之代洩，其唯一理由，蓋即母多子虛。亦如人之寵了太過，反多流弊耳。制財：日干強，最喜財，怕比劫祿刃制財。例如：壬午、壬子、壬子、丙午。冬日可愛，壬水自喜丙火午火，況又倚以為養命之財耶。不幸劫比林立，劫奪一空，如資財拮据之人。而又符遍地。其不歌行路之難，得乎！

Third, substitution of the burden: when the day stem is strong, the presence of a food god or official star is good because it allows the refined essence to be released. However, it is feared that the same or similar elements, such as the same or similar stems, will compete to take on this burden, thus diluting the refined essence. For example, in the case of Guihai, Guihai, Renshen, Yisi, with the day stem being Renshen, the time stem is Yisi, which is the official star, and should be able to release the strong Renshen and bring out its refined essence. However, because there is too much water, the wood is carried away by the water, and the effect is completely lost. Therefore, in a strong day stem situation, the presence of many same or similar elements is not desirable. The only reason is 'too many mothers, too few children'—if there are too many elements that generate the day stem, they will suppress the refined essence that the day stem is able to produce. It is like when a parent spoils a child too much, leading to many problems. Fourth, controlling wealth: when the day stem is strong, the presence of wealth stars is most desirable, but it is feared that same or similar elements will control the wealth. For example, in the case of Renwu, Renzi, Renzi, Bingwu, with the day stem being Renwu, the winter sun is most desirable, and the Ren water naturally likes the Bing and Wu fire, especially since they are also the wealth stars needed for sustenance. Unfortunately, there are many same or similar elements, which take away the wealth completely. It is like a person who is already in financial difficulty, and now has creditors coming from all sides. He cannot help but lament the difficulty of traveling on the road, can he? (The original text has 'Yi Yi' as 'Yi Si', 'the child was spoiled too much' has 'le' as 'zi', and 'and there are creditors everywhere' has some errors, but the meaning is that creditors are everywhere.)

比劫祿刃之喜：幫身：日干弱，有比劫祿刃幫身，喜身旺生發。日干弱，有比劫祿刃幫身，喜官殺以制之。任官殺：日干弱，有比劫祿刃敵官殺，喜身殺兩相停。（停者，平均也）日干強，又有比劫祿刃敵官殺，喜財量生官殺。代洩：日干弱，作品食多，有比劫祿刃代為受洩，喜印制傷食而生身。日干強，又有比劫祿刃代受傷食之洩，喜財官兩旺。制財：日干弱，有比劫祿刃制財，喜印生身。日干強，又有比劫祿刃制財，喜官殺制之。

In the four pillars, if the day stem has already seen brothers and sisters, strength, and sharpness, what else is desired? Still follow the four categories. Considering the support of the day stem: if the day stem is weak and has brothers and sisters, strength, and sharpness to support it, it is favorable for the day stem to become stronger and then to flourish; if the day stem is strong and also has brothers and sisters, strength, and sharpness to support it, it is favorable for officials and enemies to come in to restrain it. Considering the officials and enemies: if the day stem is weak and has brothers and sisters, strength, and sharpness to resist officials and enemies, it is favorable for the body and the enemy to be evenly matched; the author's note says: 'Stop' means balance. If the day stem is strong and also has brothers and sisters, strength, and sharpness to resist officials and enemies, it is favorable for wealth to be strong to generate officials and enemies, so that officials and enemies are not completely divided. Considering the release: if the day stem is weak, there are many injuries and foods, and brothers and sisters, strength, and sharpness to take the place of releasing, it is favorable for the seal to control the injuries and foods and to support the day stem; if the day stem is strong and also has brothers and sisters, strength, and sharpness to take the place of releasing injuries and foods, it is favorable for wealth and officials to both be strong, so that the refined energy has a place to return to. Considering the control of wealth: if the day stem is weak and has brothers and sisters, strength, and sharpness to control wealth, it is favorable for the seal to support the day stem; if the day stem is strong and also has brothers and sisters, strength, and sharpness to control wealth, it is favorable for officials and enemies to control brothers and sisters.

比劫祿刃之忌：幫身：日干弱，幸有比劫祿刃幫身，忌官殺來制。日干強，又有比劫祿刃幫身，忌再印生身旺。任官殺：日干弱，幸有比劫祿刃任官殺，忌財旺助官殺。日干強，又有比劫祿刃任官殺，忌再印旺生身而洩官殺。代洩：日干弱，幸有比劫祿刃，代受傷食之洩，忌官殺將比劫祿刃克去。日干強，又有比劫祿刃，代受傷食之洩，忌印來破食生身。制財：日干弱，財多則愈弱，幸有比劫祿刃制財，忌傷食生財。日干強，見財而又被比劫祿刃制去，忌再印旺生身。

In reverse, the things to be avoided are as follows. Considering the strength of the day stem: if the day stem is weak but has siblings,禄, 刃 to support it, then the official and killer elements should be avoided as they will suppress these supporters, leading to the day stem being isolated again; if the day stem is strong and has siblings,禄, 刃 to support it, then the seal and nourishing elements should be avoided as they will further strengthen the day stem. Considering the official and killer elements: if the day stem is weak but has siblings,禄, 刃 to resist the official and killer elements, then wealth should be avoided as it will strengthen the official and killer elements; if the day stem is strong and has siblings,禄, 刃 to resist the official and killer elements, then the seal and nourishing elements should be avoided as they will nourish the day stem while also weakening the official and killer elements, which is counterproductive on both sides. Considering the release: if the day stem is weak but has siblings,禄, 刃 to take the place of the injured food element and release it, then the official and killer elements should be avoided as they will suppress the siblings,禄, 刃; if the day stem is strong and has siblings,禄, 刃 to take the place of the release, then the seal and nourishing elements should be avoided as they will destroy the food element and nourish the day stem. Considering the control of wealth: if the day stem is weak and wealth is abundant, making it even weaker, but has siblings,禄, 刃 to control the wealth, then the injurious and food elements should be avoided as they will generate wealth; if the day stem is strong and the wealth has already been controlled by the siblings,禄, 刃, then the seal and nourishing elements should be avoided as they will further strengthen the day stem. In summary, siblings,禄, 刃 are like a double-edged sword. When the day stem is weak, they are the most direct support; when the day stem is strong, they are the most direct trouble. They cannot form a pattern, and can only be viewed as external support or destruction. This is the intention of placing this section after the Six Spirits section.

凡人秉命，必有一格。八字之有格局，如人之有姓名。上自達官貴人，下至販夫走卒，無人無之也。惟格有成敗，太過、不及之互異，故人有貧賤富之不等。格局名目眾多，大別之，八格與外格兩種。緣作八格外格篇如下。

Every person receives one destiny, and there must be a "pattern" or "structure" for it. The presence of a pattern in the four pillars of destiny is like having a name for a person: from high-ranking officials and noblemen down to common laborers and street vendors, no one's four pillars are without a pattern. The difference lies in whether the pattern is formed or ruined, whether it is excessive or deficient, and how they differ from each other, thus making people vary in their wealth, poverty, nobility, and commonness.所谓 "formed pattern" refers to the god that supports the pattern having strength and being in a favorable position; "ruined pattern" means it is being overcome, combined with, or taken away from, or there is an imbalance in its strength. The names of patterns are numerous, and they can be broadly divided into two categories: "Eight Patterns" and "External Patterns." Therefore, the following text will be divided into two parts: Eight Patterns and External Patterns. Determining the pattern is the first step in divining destiny. Once the pattern is determined, one can then discuss the "useful god" (the god that maintains balance throughout the entire chart) and the favorable and unfavorable elements. Hence, this section comes after the Six Spirits and before the discussion of fortune trends.

八格者，正財格、偏財格、正官格、七殺格、正印格、偏印格、食神格、傷官格是也。八格之取法：（一）月支本氣透於天干（如寅月透甲，卯月透乙，辰月透戌，已月透丙，午月透丁，未月透巳，申月透庚，酉月透辛，戌月秀戌，亥月透壬）。應先取以為格。（二）干上未透月支本氣，而透月支所藏之神，即以該神取為格（如寅月未透甲木於干上，而透丙或透戊，則可取丙或戊為格），若支藏兩神，並透干上，則斟擇其一為格（以有力而無克合者為上）。（三）月支本氣未透，月內所藏之神，亦不透，以月內人元，輕重較量，擇一有力而無克合者為格。（四）比劫不能取格，祿刃非在八格之內。

The eight categories, or eight forms, refer to the following eight types: the proper wealth category, the biased wealth category, the proper official category, the seven deadly enemies category, the proper nourishing category, the biased nourishing category, the food god category, and the injurious official category. There are four methods to determine these eight categories, in order. The first method is when the essential qi of the month's branch appears in the heavenly stems, that is, when the heavenly stem corresponding to the essential qi of the month's branch is present among the heavenly stems of the four pillars. In that case, we take that heavenly stem to establish the category. The author provides an example: if the month is寅 (Bing) and the heavenly stem 甲 (Jia) appears, or if the month is卯 (Mao) and the heavenly stem 乙 (Yi) appears, or if the month is辰 (Chen) and the heavenly stem 戊 (Wu) appears, and so on. The second method is when the essential qi of the month's branch does not appear in the heavenly stems, but one of the other heavenly stems hidden within the branch does appear. In that case, we take that heavenly stem to establish the category. If two of the hidden heavenly stems appear in the heavenly stems, we choose one based on its strength, and the one that is not weakened by being attacked or combined is preferred. The third method is when neither the essential qi nor the other hidden heavenly stems of the month's branch appear in the heavenly stems. In this case, we compare the strength of the heavenly stems hidden within the month's branch and choose the one that is strong, not weakened by being attacked or combined. The fourth method is that the same heavenly stem or the same heavenly stem's helper cannot be used to establish a category, and the禄 (favorable position) and 刃 (sharp edge) are not included in the eight categories, but are instead classified under other categories. The order of these four methods must not be reversed: first, the essential qi, then the other qi, then the comparison of strength when none are visible. This corresponds to the three levels of strength mentioned in the section on heavenly stems (the original text notes that '辰月透戌' should be '辰月透戊', '已月' should be '巳月', '未月透巳' should be '未月透己', and '戌月秀戌' should be '戌月透戊').

生於十二月取格詳例：上述八格取法，計有四項。普通八字不脫此四項範圍。惟取格為推命第一部手續格定，然後可以論用神，及喜休咎。其關係最為重要，特再舉詳例以明之。甲生寅月，寅為甲祿，非在八格之內，詳於外格篇中。甲生卯月，卯為劫刃，非在八格之內，詳於外格篇中。甲生辰月，干透戊土，為偏財格。透癸水，為正印格。若戊癸皆不透，亦可酌取其一。甲生巳月，干透丙火，為食神格，透庚金為七殺格，透戊土為偏財格。若丙庚戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。甲生午月，干透丁火為傷官格，透已土為正財格。若丁已皆不透，亦酌取其一。

The following examples are given according to the month of birth of the day stem. The above method of determining the pattern has four rules, and ordinary birth charts do not go beyond these four. Determining the pattern is the first step in divining a person's fate: once the pattern is determined, then we can discuss the useful god and the fortune, which is most important. Therefore, more detailed examples are given to illustrate this. First, let's look at the case of Jia wood as the day stem. Jia born in the month of Yin, Yin is the Jia's禄, which is not included in the eight patterns, details can be found in the section on special patterns. Jia born in the month of Mao, Mao is the Jia's劫刃, also not included in the eight patterns, details can be found in the section on special patterns — this is an example of the fourth rule mentioned above, "competing gods cannot form a pattern." Jia born in the month of Chen, Chen contains Wu, Yi, and Gui: if Wu is revealed in the heavenly stem, it is the pattern of偏财; if Gui is revealed, it is the pattern of正印; if neither Wu nor Gui is revealed, one can choose between the two. Jia born in the month of Si, Si contains Bing, Wu, and Geng: if Bing is revealed, it is the pattern of食神; if Geng is revealed, it is the pattern of七杀; if Wu is revealed, it is the pattern of偏财; if none of the three are revealed, one can choose one of them. Jia born in the month of Wu, Wu contains Ding and Ji: if Ding is revealed, it is the pattern of伤官; if Ji is revealed, it is the pattern of正财; if neither is revealed, one can choose one of them. (The original text has two instances of "已土" and "丁已" where "已" should be read as "己".)

甲生未月，干透已土，為正財格。透丁火，為傷官格。若丁己皆不透，亦可酌取其一。甲生申月，干透庚金，為七殺格。透戊土，為偏財格。透壬水，為偏印格。若庚壬戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。甲生酉月，干透辛金為正官格。不透亦可取。甲生戌月，干透戌土，為偏財格。透辛金，為正官格。透丁火，為傷官格，若辛丁戌皆不透，亦可酌取其一。甲生亥月，干透壬水，為偏印格。不透亦可取。甲生子月，干透癸水，為正印格。不透亦可取。甲生丑月，干透已壬，為正財格。透癸水，為正印格。透辛金，為正官格。若己癸辛皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

Now consider the latter six months for Jia day. Jia born in the month of Wei contains hidden Ji, Ding, and Yi. If Ji earth appears, it forms the pattern of the official wealth; if Ding fire appears, it forms the pattern of the injurer. If neither appears, one of them may be chosen at discretion. Jia born in the month of Shen contains hidden Geng, Ren, and Wu. If Geng metal appears, it forms the pattern of the seven killers; if Wu earth appears, it forms the pattern of the biased wealth; if Ren water appears, it forms the pattern of the biased wisdom. If none appear, one of them may be chosen at discretion. Jia born in the month of You contains only hidden Xin metal. If Xin metal appears, it forms the pattern of the official. Even if it does not appear, it may still be used as the pattern. This is because branches like Zi, Mao, and You, which contain only one heavenly stem, have their main qi without dispute, so whether they appear or not, they may be used. Jia born in the month of Xu contains hidden Wu earth, Xin metal, and Ding fire. If Wu earth appears, it forms the pattern of the biased wealth; if Xin metal appears, it forms the pattern of the official; if Ding fire appears, it forms the pattern of the injurer. If none appear, one of them may be chosen at discretion. Jia born in the month of Hai contains the main qi of Ren water. If Ren water appears, it forms the pattern of the biased wisdom; even if it does not appear, it may still be used. Jia born in the month of Zi contains only hidden Gui water. If Gui water appears, it forms the pattern of the official wisdom; even if it does not appear, it may still be used. Jia born in the month of Chou contains hidden Ji earth, Gui water, and Xin metal. If Ji earth appears, it forms the pattern of the official wealth; if Gui water appears, it forms the pattern of the official wisdom; if Xin metal appears, it forms the pattern of the official. If none appear, one of them may be chosen at discretion (the original text says 'dry branch reveals Xu earth' should be 'reveals Wu earth', 'if Xin and Ding in Xu are not revealed' the 'Xu' should be 'Wu', 'dry branch reveals Ji and Ren' should be 'dry branch reveals Ji earth', and Chou does not contain Ren).

乙生寅月，干透戊土，為正財格。透丙火，為傷官格。若丙戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。乙生卯月，卯為乙祿，非在八格之內，詳於外格篇中。乙生辰月，干透戊土，為正財格。透癸水，為偏印格。若戊癸皆不透，亦可酌取其一。乙生已月，干透丙火，為傷官格。透庚金，為正官格。透戊土，為正財格。若丙庚戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。乙生午月，干透丁火為食神格。透已土，為偏財格。若丁己皆不透，亦可酌取其一。乙生未月，干透已土，為偏財格。透丁火，為食神格。若丁已皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

Now consider the first six months for the day stem Yi (wood). When Yi is born in the month of Yin (rat), Yin contains Jia (wood), Bing (fire), and Wu (earth). If Wu earth appears, it forms the pattern of official wealth; if Bing fire appears, it forms the pattern of injurious wisdom. If neither appears, one may choose either. Here, we do not take Jia wood to form a pattern, because Jia is the rival wealth of Yi, and rivals cannot form a pattern. When Yi is born in the month of Mao (ox), Mao is the禄 (favorable place) of Yi, and it does not fall under the eight standard patterns, as detailed in the section on special patterns. When Yi is born in the month of Chen (dragon), if Wu earth appears, it forms the pattern of official wealth; if Gui water appears, it forms the pattern of biased wisdom; if neither appears, one may choose either. When Yi is born in the month of Si (snake), if Bing fire appears, it forms the pattern of injurious wisdom; if Geng metal appears, it forms the pattern of official wealth; if Wu earth appears, it forms the pattern of official wealth; if none appear, one may choose either. When Yi is born in the month of Wu (horse), if Ding fire appears, it forms the pattern of nourishing wisdom; if Ji earth appears, it forms the pattern of biased wealth; if neither appears, one may choose either. When Yi is born in the month of Wei (sheep), if Ji earth appears, it forms the pattern of biased wealth; if Ding fire appears, it forms the pattern of nourishing wisdom; if neither appears, one may choose either. Comparing Yi day with the previous day stem Jia day month by month, the differences become clear: for the same month and same revealed heavenly stem, since the day stem changes from yang to yin, the pattern names also change from positive to negative, and from injurious wisdom to nourishing wisdom. For example, if Bing fire appears, Jia day forms the pattern of nourishing wisdom while Yi day forms the pattern of injurious wisdom; if Wu earth appears, Jia day forms the pattern of biased wealth while Yi day forms the pattern of official wealth. This shows that the names of the patterns are determined entirely by the yin-yang relationship between the day stem and the heavenly stem. (In the original text, some instances of '已' are interpreted as '巳' and others as '己'.)

乙生申月，干透庚金，為正官格。透戊土，為正財格。透壬水為正印格。若庚壬戊緣不透，亦可酌取其一。乙生酉月，干透辛金，為七殺格。不透亦可取。乙生戊月，干透戊壬，為正財格。透辛金，為七殺格。透丁火，為食神格。若辛丁戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。乙生亥月，干透壬水，為正印格，不透亦可取。乙生子月，干透癸水，為偏印格。不透亦可取。乙生丑月，干透己壬，為偏財格，透辛金，為七殺格。透癸水，為偏印格。若已癸辛皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

Now consider the latter six months of the day of Yi. Yi is born in the month of Shen, which contains hidden Geng, Ren, and Wu. If Geng is revealed, it forms the pattern of the official; if Wu is revealed, it forms the pattern of the wealth; if Ren is revealed, it forms the pattern of the scholar. If none of these are revealed, one may choose one of them (the original text says 'Geng, Ren, and Wu are not revealed,' but '缘' should be read as 'all'). Yi is born in the month of You, which contains only hidden Xin. If Xin is revealed, it forms the pattern of the seven deadly enemies; if not revealed, it may still be used. The same Xin is used for the day of Jia as the official, but for the day of Yi as the seven deadly enemies, this is due to the difference between yin and yang. Yi is born in the month of Xu, which contains hidden Wu, Xin, and Ding. If Wu is revealed, it forms the pattern of the wealth; if Xin is revealed, it forms the pattern of the seven deadly enemies; if Ding is revealed, it forms the pattern of the food and spirit. If none of these are revealed, one may choose one of them (the original text says 'Yi is born in the month of Wu' but should be 'Xu,' and 'the sky reveals Wu and Ren' should be 'the sky reveals Wu,' and Xu does not contain Ren). Yi is born in the month of Hai, and if Ren is revealed, it forms the pattern of the scholar; if not revealed, it may still be used. Yi is born in the month of Zi, and if Gui is revealed, it forms the pattern of the biased scholar; if not revealed, it may still be used. Yi is born in the month of Chou, which contains hidden Ji, Gui, and Xin. If Ji is revealed, it forms the pattern of the biased wealth; if Xin is revealed, it forms the pattern of the seven deadly enemies; if Gui is revealed, it forms the pattern of the biased scholar. If none of these are revealed, one may choose one of them (the original text says 'the sky reveals Ji and Ren' but should be 'the sky reveals Ji').

丙生寅月，干透甲木，為偏印格。透戊土，為食神格。若甲戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丙生卯月，干透乙木，為正印格。不透亦可取。丙生辰月，干透戊土，為食神格。透乙木，為正印格。透癸水，為正官格。若戊乙癸皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丙生巳月。已為丙祿，非在八格之內，詳於外格篇中。丙生午月，干透己土，為傷官格。不透亦可取。丙生未月，干透己土，為傷官格。透乙木為正印格。若乙己皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

Now consider the first six months for a day stem of Bing fire. Bing is born in the month of Yin (February). Yin contains hidden Jia wood, Bing fire, and Wu earth. If Jia wood appears, it forms a biased scholar (biased official) pattern; if Wu earth appears, it forms a food and spirit (food and official) pattern. If neither appears, one of them may be chosen. Here, we do not take the Bing fire in Yin as the pattern, because Bing is the same as Bing, which is a fellow stem. Bing is born in the month of Mao (March). Mao contains hidden Yi wood. If Yi wood appears, it forms a proper official pattern; if not, it may still be chosen. Bing is born in the month of Chen (April). Chen contains hidden Wu earth, Yi wood, and Gui water. If Wu earth appears, it forms a food and spirit pattern; if Yi wood appears, it forms a proper official pattern; if Gui water appears, it forms a proper official pattern. If none appear, one of them may be chosen. Bing is born in the month of Si (May). Si is the land of Bing, and it is not included in the eight patterns, see the section on external patterns (the original text says 'yi' for 'si'). Bing is born in the month of Wu (June). Wu is the cutting edge of Bing, and the hidden Ji earth within it may be used. If Ji earth appears, it forms a damaging official pattern; if not, it may still be chosen. Bing is born in the month of Wei (July). Wei contains hidden Ji earth, Ding fire, and Yi wood. If Ji earth appears, it forms a damaging official pattern; if Yi wood appears, it forms a proper official pattern. If neither appears, one of them may be chosen. Here, the Ding fire in Wei is Bing's劫财 (robber), so it is not chosen.

丙生申月，干透庚金，為偏財格。透戊土，為食神格。透壬水，為七殺格。若庚壬戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丙生酉月，干透辛金，為正財格。不透亦可取。丙生戌月，干透戊土，為食神格。透辛金，為正財格。若戊辛皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丙生亥月，干透壬水，為七殺格。透甲水，為偏印格。若壬甲皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丙生子月，干透癸水，為正官格。不透亦可取。丙生丑月，干透己土，為傷官格。透辛金，為正財格。透癸水，為正官格。若己癸辛皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

Now consider the latter six months for the day stem Bing. When Bing is born in the month of Shen, Shen contains hidden Geng, Ren, and Wu: if Geng appears, it is the pattern of biased wealth; if Wu appears, it is the pattern of food god; if Ren appears, it is the pattern of seven killers. If none of these appear, one may choose one of them. When Bing is born in the month of You, You contains only hidden Xin: if Xin appears, it is the pattern of proper wealth; if not, it may still be chosen. When Bing is born in the month of Xu, Xu contains hidden Wu, Xin, and Ding: if Wu appears, it is the pattern of food god; if Xin appears, it is the pattern of proper wealth. If neither appears, one may choose one of them—Ding fire in Xu is Bing's rival wealth, so it is not considered. When Bing is born in the month of Hai, Hai contains hidden Ren and Jia: if Ren appears, it is the pattern of seven killers; if Jia appears, it is the pattern of biased wisdom. If neither appears, one may choose one of them (the original text mistakenly says 'Jia water' instead of 'Jia wood'). When Bing is born in the month of Zi, Zi contains only hidden Gui water: if Gui appears, it is the pattern of proper official. If not, it may still be chosen. When Bing is born in the month of Chou, Chou contains hidden Ji, Gui, and Xin: if Ji appears, it is the pattern of injurer; if Xin appears, it is the pattern of proper wealth; if Gui appears, it is the pattern of proper official. If none of these appear, one may choose one of them. The examples of the patterns for the day stems Jia, Yi, and Bing for the twelve months are now complete. The methods for the remaining seven day stems are the same. Readers may follow the three steps: first look at the hidden elements in the month branch, then check which of them appear in the sky stem, and finally determine the name based on the relationship between the day stem and the heavenly element, whether it is generating, overcoming, yin or yang.

丁生寅月，干透甲木為正印格。透戊土，為傷官格。若甲戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丁生卯月，干透乙木，為傷印格。乙壬亦可取。丁生辰月，干透戊土，為傷官格。透乙木，為偏印格。透癸水，為七殺格。若乙戊癸皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丁生已月，干透庚金，為正財格。透戊土，為傷官格，若戊庚皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丁生午月。午為丁祿，非在八格之內。詳於外格篇中。丁生未月，干透己土，為人良神格。透乙木，為偏印格。若乙己皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

The "day stem" refers to the heavenly stem of the day pillar, representing the individual's self; the "month ruler" is the earthly branch of the birth month, and the heavenly stems hidden within the month's earthly branch are called "month ruler heavenly stems" (also known as hidden stems). When these hidden stems appear in the heavenly stems of the four pillars, it is called "exposing the stem." Determining the pattern or structure of a birth chart involves examining which heavenly stem from the month ruler is exposed, and based on this, the pattern of the birth chart is established. Ding is a yin and weak fire, like the light of a lamp or candle, which is not strong on its own, so when determining the pattern, the month ruler is especially important. In the first month, the month ruler is Yin, which contains Jia wood, Bing fire, and Wu earth. Jia is yang wood, which nourishes me and forms a yin-yang pairing with me, thus it is called "positive nourishing god" — a god that nourishes and protects me, representing protection, knowledge, and status. If Jia appears in the heavenly stem, the pattern is established as "positive nourishing god," and the useful god is taken as the nourishing god supporting the self. If the self is strong, then it is favorable to have food and injury (products) to express and refine. The most忌 is the wealth star that harms the nourishing god. If Wu earth appears, Wu is yang earth, which is what I generate and differs in yin and yang, thus it is called "injurious god," which drains my refined essence, showing intelligence externally and easily harming the injurious god star, forming the "injurious god pattern." After forming the injurious god pattern, it is favorable to have wealth to circulate and favorable to have nourishing god to restrain. If neither Jia nor Wu appears, one can still choose a pattern based on what is hidden in Yin. In the second month, the month ruler is Mao, which contains only Yi wood. Yi and Ding are both yin and nourish me, thus it is called "biased nourishing god." The original text mistakenly refers to it as "injurious nourishing god pattern," which is a confusion with the "biased nourishing god pattern." The next sentence, "Yi and Ren can also be used," should be "even if Yi is not exposed, it can still be used," meaning that even if Yi wood is not exposed in the heavenly stem, it can still be used to establish the biased nourishing god pattern. In the third month, the month ruler is Chen, which contains Wu earth, Yi wood, and Gui water. If Wu is exposed, it is the injurious god pattern; if Yi is exposed, it is the biased nourishing god pattern; if Gui is exposed, Gui is yin water, which harms me and shares the same yin, thus it is called "seven killers," which are attacking gods that must be restrained by food gods or guided by nourishing gods to be auspicious, and thus the seven killer pattern is established. If none of these are exposed, one can still choose one based on what is hidden. In the fourth month, the month ruler is Si, which contains Bing fire, Geng metal, and Wu earth. Geng is yang metal, which is what I overcome and differs in yin and yang, thus it is called "positive wealth," representing wife and wealth. If Geng is exposed, the pattern is established as "positive wealth," and it is favorable for the self to be strong enough to bear wealth. If Wu is exposed, it is still the injurious god pattern. If neither Geng nor Wu is exposed, one can still choose one. In the fifth month, the month ruler is Wu, which is the "lu" (a term for the native place) of Ding fire — the native place where the day stem is in its official position and has strength. This situation does not fall within the eight patterns of positive official, seven killers, positive nourishing god, biased nourishing god, positive wealth, biased wealth, food, or injurious god. It should be discussed in the "External Patterns" section. In the sixth month, the month ruler is Wei, which contains Ji earth, Ding fire, and Yi wood. Ji is yin earth, which is what I generate and shares the same yin, thus it is called "food god," which refines and expresses my essence in a harmonious way. The original text's "people good god pattern" is a mistaken disassembly of the "food god pattern." If Ji is exposed, the pattern is established as "food god," and it is most favorable for the self to be strong. If Yi is exposed, it is the biased nourishing god pattern. If neither Yi nor Ji is exposed, one can still choose one.

丁生申月，干透庚金，為正財格。透壬水，為正官格。透戊土，為傷官格。若庚壬戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丁生酉月，干透辛金，為偏財格。不透亦可取。丁生戌月，干透戊土，為傷官格，透辛金為偏財格。若戊辛皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丁生亥月，干透壬水，為正官格。透甲木，為正印格。若壬甲皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丁生子月，干透癸水，為七殺格。不透亦可取。丁生丑月，干透己土為食神格，透辛金為偏財格，透癸水，為七殺格。若己癸辛皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

In the seventh month, the month builder is Shen. Shen contains hidden Geng metal, Ren water, and Wu earth. If Geng is revealed, it forms the pattern of official wealth, as Ding fire controls Geng metal and they are yin and yang, thus it is official wealth. Wealth requires a strong body to bear it, so it is favorable to have food and injury to generate wealth, and unfavorable to have similar elements to compete with wealth. If Ren is revealed, Ren is yang water, which controls me and is yin and yang with me, thus it is called official. Official is the god that restrains and completes me, representing official position and character. If official is established, it is favorable to have wealth to nourish official and seal to protect the body, and most unfavorable to have injury and official together. If Wu is revealed, it is still the pattern of injury. If none of the three are revealed, one can choose from the hidden elements in Shen. In the eighth month, the month builder is You. You contains hidden Xin metal, which is yin metal. Xin is what I control and is also yin, thus it is called biased wealth, representing floating wealth and unexpected gains. If Xin is revealed, it forms the pattern of biased wealth. Even if not revealed, one can directly take Xin metal in You as the pattern of biased wealth. In the ninth month, the month builder is Xu. Xu contains hidden Wu earth, Xin metal, and Ding fire. If Wu is revealed, it is the pattern of injury. If Xin is revealed, it is the pattern of biased wealth. Injury generating wealth is the natural path for Ding fire in Xu month. If neither is revealed, choose one. In the tenth month, the month builder is Hai. Hai contains hidden Ren water and Ji wood. If Ren is revealed, it is the pattern of official. If Ji is revealed, it is the pattern of official seal. In Hai month, water is strong and fire is weak. Ding fire most needs Ji wood to generate and support it, so it is favorable to have official and seal generating each other. If neither is revealed, choose one. In the eleventh month, the month builder is Zi. Zi contains hidden Gui water. Gui controls Ding and is also yin, thus it is called seven killers. If Gui is revealed, it forms the pattern of seven killers. If killer is strong and body is weak, it is necessary to use seal to transform killer and generate body. If not revealed, one can still take Gui water in Zi as the pattern of killer. In the twelfth month, the month builder is Chou. Chou contains hidden Ji earth, Gui water, and Xin metal. If Ji is revealed, it is the pattern of food and injury. If Xin is revealed, it is the pattern of biased wealth. If Gui is revealed, it is the pattern of seven killers. Ji earth food and injury can effectively control Gui water killer, which is the most important consideration when choosing the pattern in this month. If none of the three are revealed, one can still choose one.

丁生寅月，干透甲木，為七殺格。透丙火，為偏印格。若甲丙皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丁生卯月，干透乙木，為正官格。透癸水，為正財格。若乙癸皆不透，亦可酌取其一。丁生巳月。巳為成祿。非在八格之內。詳於外格篇中。戊生午月，干透丁火，為正印格。不透亦可取。戊生未月，干透丁火，為正印格。透乙木，為正官格。若乙丁皆不透，亦可酌取其一。戊生申月，干透庚金，為食神格。透壬水，為偏財格。若庚壬皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

Now we move to the day of Wu. The first three entries in the original text still refer to "Ding Sheng," but according to the matching ten heavenly stems, they should be "Wu Sheng," which indicates an error. Jia wood overcomes Wu earth, and both are yang, which is Wu's seven killer, whereas DING fire is the official teacher for Wu, proving the error. All entries for Wu day go directly from the month of Yin to the month of Mao and Si, omitting the entry for "Wu Sheng in the month of Chen." The original text has a missing passage here, and I dare not make up anything. Wu is yang earth, thick and heavy, capable of bearing weight. In the first month, the month builder is Yin, which contains Jia wood, Bing fire, and Wu earth. If Jia wood is revealed, it forms the seven killer pattern; heavy killer must be restrained by food god or transformed by official teacher. Bing fire is yang fire, which nourishes me and is also yang, forming the biased official teacher pattern. If Bing fire is revealed, it forms the biased official teacher pattern, and since Bing fire is born in Yin, the official teacher has roots and can transform the killer to nourish me. If neither is revealed, choose one pattern. In the second month, the month builder is Mao, which contains only Yi wood. Yi is yin wood, which overcomes me and is yin and yang, forming the official pattern. If Yi is revealed, it forms the official pattern. As for the statement "revealing Gui water forms the official wealth pattern," since there is no Gui water in Mao, it must be an error from the missing entry for the month of Chen (which contains Wu earth, Yi wood, and Gui water). Gui is yin water, which is overcome by Wu, and since they are yin and yang, it forms the official wealth pattern. If neither is revealed, choose one. In the fourth month, the month builder is Si, which contains Bing fire that nourishes earth, and Si is also the place where Wu earth is temporarily stationed (the original text says "cheng lu" which is a form of "wu lu"). The body is strong and in its prime, not falling into the eight patterns, see the "Outer Patterns" section. In the fifth month, the month builder is Wu, which contains Ding fire and Ji earth. Ding is yin fire, which nourishes yang earth and is yin and yang, forming the official teacher pattern. If Ding is revealed, it forms the official teacher pattern. If not revealed, it can still be taken from the Ding fire in Wu. In the sixth month, the month builder is Wei, which contains Ji earth, Ding fire, and Yi wood. If Ding is revealed, it forms the official teacher pattern; if Yi is revealed, it forms the official pattern. Official and teacher patterns support each other, and Wu earth benefits most from this, making it very noble. If neither is revealed, choose one. In the seventh month, the month builder is Shen, which contains Geng metal, Ren water, and Wu earth. Geng is yang metal, which I produce and is also yang, forming the food god pattern — a god that releases and refines, harmonizing the spirit — if Geng is revealed, it forms the food god pattern. Ren is yang water, which I overcome and is also yang, forming the biased wealth pattern. If Ren is revealed, it forms the biased wealth pattern. The food god generating wealth is the correct path for Wu earth in the seventh month. If neither is revealed, choose one carefully.

戊生酉月，干透辛金，為傷官格。透丁火，為正印格。若辛丁皆不透，亦可酌取其一。戊生戌月，干透辛金，為傷官格。透丁火，為正印格。若辛丁皆不透，亦可酌取其一。戊生亥月，干透壬水，為偏財格。透甲木，為七殺格。若壬甲皆不透，亦可酌取其一。戊生子月，干透癸水，為正財格。不透亦可取。戊生丑月，干透癸水，為正財格。透辛金，為傷官格。若辛癸皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

In August, the month builder is You. You contains only Xin metal, which is Yin metal, born from Wu earth, and since Yin and Yang differ, it is considered a Wounding Official. If Xin appears, it forms the Wounding Official pattern. In autumn, metal drains the earth's essence, so it is most favorable to have wealth to circulate. If Ding fire appears, it forms the Proper Seal pattern. The seal can control the excessive draining of the Wounding Official, protecting the body. If neither appears, the pattern can still be formed using Xin metal in You. In September, the month builder is Xu. Xu contains Wu earth, Xin metal, and Ding fire. The method is the same as in August: if Xin appears, it forms the Wounding Official pattern; if Ding appears, it forms the Proper Seal pattern; if neither appears, choose one. Xu is the original place of Wu earth, so the body already has a root. Using the Wounding Official to drain the essence is especially suitable. In October, the month builder is Hai. Hai contains Ren water and Jia wood. Ren is Yang water, which is overcome by Wu earth and belongs to the same Yang, making it a Partial Wealth. If Ren appears, it forms the Partial Wealth pattern. Jia is Yang wood, which overcomes Wu earth and belongs to the same Yang, making it a Seven Killers. If Jia appears, it forms the Seven Killers pattern. In Hai month, wealth and killers are both strong, and the earth is weak and floating. After forming a pattern, fire and earth are most needed to support the body. If neither appears, choose one carefully. In November, the month builder is Zi. Zi contains only Kui water, which is the Proper Wealth of Wu earth. If Kui appears, it forms the Proper Wealth pattern. Even if it does not appear, the pattern can still be formed using Kui water in Zi. However, in winter, water is strong and earth is cold, so Bing fire is needed to thaw the cold. In December, the month builder is Chou. Chou contains Ji earth, Kui water, and Xin metal. If Kui appears, it forms the Proper Wealth pattern; if Xin appears, it forms the Wounding Official pattern. The Wounding Official generating wealth is the usual pattern for Wu earth in Chou. If neither appears, choose one pattern.

己生寅月，干透甲木，為正官格。透丙火，為正印格。若甲丙皆不透，亦可酌取其一。己生卯月，干透乙木，為七殺格。不透亦可取。己生辰月，干透乙木，為七殺格。透癸水，為偏財格。若乙癸皆不透，亦可酌取其一。己生巳月，干透丙火，為正印格。透庚金，為傷官格。若丙庚皆不透，亦可酌取其一。己生午月。午為已祿，非在八格之內，詳於我格篇中。己生未月，干透乙木，為七殺櫆。透丁火，為偏印格。若乙丁皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

Ji is yin earth, representing cultivated land earth, soft yet capable of bearing things. In the first lunar month, the month builder is寅, which contains hidden Jia, Bing, and Wu. Jia is yang wood, which overcomes Ji earth, and since they are yin and yang opposites, it is considered the official official. If Jia appears, it forms the official official pattern, and it is favorable to have wealth to nourish the official and seal to protect the body, while it is unfavorable to have a damaging official that overcomes the official. Bing is yang fire, which generates Ji earth, and since they are yin and yang opposites, it is considered the official seal. If Bing appears, it forms the official seal pattern, and since Bing fire is in its long life stage in寅, the seal energy is clear and has a root. If neither appears, choose one of them. In the second lunar month, the month builder is卯, which contains hidden Yi wood. Yi and Ji are both yin and Yi overcomes Ji, which is considered the seven killer. If Yi appears, it forms the seven killer pattern. Even if Yi does not appear, it can still take the killer from the hidden Yi wood as the pattern, but since the seven killer attacks the body, it is necessary to have the food god to control it or the seal to transform it into usefulness. In the third lunar month, the month builder is辰, which contains hidden Wu earth, Yi wood, and Gui water. If Yi appears, it still forms the seven killer pattern. Gui is yin water, which is overcome by Ji and both are yin, so it is considered the biased wealth. If Gui appears, it forms the biased wealth pattern. Since辰 is the reservoir of water and the land of earth, the body has a root and the wealth has a source. If neither appears, choose one. In the fourth lunar month, the month builder is巳, which contains hidden Bing, Geng, and Wu. If Bing appears, it forms the official seal pattern. Geng is yang metal, which is generated by Ji and since they are yin and yang opposites, it is considered the damaging official. If Geng appears, it forms the damaging official pattern, and during the dry and hot period of fire and earth, getting Geng metal to release its brilliance is most appropriate. If neither appears, choose one. In the fifth lunar month, the month builder is午, which is the land of Ji earth's official position (the original text mistakenly wrote '已' instead of '己'). The body is naturally strong, and it is not included in the eight patterns, see the 'External Patterns' section (the original text mistakenly wrote 'I Pattern' instead of 'External Patterns'). In the sixth lunar month, the month builder is未, which contains hidden Ji earth, Ding fire, and Yi wood. If Yi appears, it forms the seven killer pattern (the original text mistakenly wrote '櫆' instead of '格'). Ding is yin fire, which generates Ji and both are yin, so it is considered the biased seal. If Ding appears, it forms the biased seal pattern. In the month of未, the earth is strong and the body is powerful, so the killer can be used, but the seal is disliked because it overpowers the body too much. If neither appears, choose one.

己生申月，干透庚金，為傷官格。透壬水，為正財格，若庚壬皆不透，亦可酌取其一。己生酉月，干透辛金，為食神格。不透亦可取。己生戌月，干透丁火，為偏印格。透辛金，為食神格。若丁辛皆不透，亦可酌取其一。己生亥月，干透壬月，為正財格。透甲木為正官格。若壬甲皆不透，亦可酌取其一。己生子月，干透癸水，為偏財格，不透亦可取。己生丑月，干透辛金，為食神格。透癸水，為偏財格，若辛癸皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

In the seventh month, the month builder is Shen, which contains hidden Jia, Ren, and Wu. If Jia is revealed, it forms the pattern of a wounded official, as autumn is the season for metal, and metal drains earth greatly. After establishing this pattern, the most needed is the help of the official or similar elements. If Ren is revealed, it forms the pattern of a proper wealth, as Ren is yang water, which is the proper wealth of the earth. Revealing Ren forms the pattern of wealth, and the wounded official generating wealth is the most suitable path for earth in the seventh month. If neither is revealed, choose one. In the eighth month, the month builder is You, which contains hidden Xin metal. Xin and Ji are both yin, and Xin is what generates me, forming the pattern of a food god. If Xin is revealed, it forms the pattern of a food god. Even if it is not revealed, the food god can still be taken from the hidden Xin in You. In the ninth month, the month builder is Xu, which contains hidden Wu earth, Xin metal, and Ding fire. If Ding is revealed, it forms the pattern of a biased official, and if Xin is revealed, it forms the pattern of a food god. It should be known that the biased official is also called the 'hawk god', which can take away the food of the food god. If both are revealed, choose the heavier one. If neither is revealed, choose one. In the tenth month, the month builder is Hai, which contains hidden Ren water and Jia wood. If Ren is revealed, it forms the pattern of proper wealth (the original text says 'month' instead of 'water'). If Jia is revealed, it forms the pattern of a proper official. In the month of Hai, wealth and official are both strong, but the earth is weak and cold. If the body is weak, it must rely on the official or similar elements to support it. If neither is revealed, choose one. In the eleventh month, the month builder is Zi, which contains hidden Gui water, which is the biased wealth of Ji earth. If Gui is revealed, it forms the pattern of biased wealth. If it is not revealed, the wealth can still be taken from the hidden Gui in Zi. In the twelfth month, the month builder is Chou, which contains hidden Ji earth, Gui water, and Xin metal. If Xin is revealed, it forms the pattern of a food god. If Gui is revealed, it forms the pattern of biased wealth. The food god generating wealth is the most appropriate pattern for Ji earth in the twelfth month. However, because the earth is cold and the metal is frozen, it still needs the warming of Bing and Ding. If neither is revealed, choose one.

庚生寅月。干秀甲木，為偏財格。透丙火，為七殺格。透戊壬為偏印格。若甲丙戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。月，干透乙庚生卯木，為正財格。不透亦可取。庚生辰月，干透戊土，為偏印格。透乙木，為正財格，透癸水，為傷官格。若乙戊癸皆不透，亦可酌取其一。庚生巳月，干透丙火，為七殺格。秀戊土，為偏印格。若丙戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。庚生午月，干透丁火，為正官格。透己土，為正印格。若丁己皆不透，亦可酌取其一。庚生未月，干透己土，為正印格。秀乙木，為正財格。透丁火，為正官格，若乙己丁皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

Geng is yang metal, representing a sharp and severe energy, strong and decisive. In the following passages, the original text frequently uses the character "秀" in place of "透," which should be read as "transmits" or "appears." In the first month, the lunar month is寅, which contains hidden Jia, Bing, and Wu: Jia is yang wood, which is overcome by Geng and shares the yang attribute, making it a biased wealth; if Jia transmits, it establishes the biased wealth pattern. Bing is yang fire, which overcomes Geng and shares the yang attribute, making it a seven killer; if Bing transmits, it establishes the seven killer pattern. Wu is yang earth, which generates Geng and shares the yang attribute, making it a biased scholar; if Wu transmits, it establishes the biased scholar pattern (the character "Ren" in the original text is an addition, as there is no Ren water in寅). In spring, wood is strong and fire is generated, while the metal energy is still weak. After establishing a pattern, the emphasis is on supporting the body with earth and metal. If none of the three transmit, one can be chosen carefully. The passage for the second month has a disordered text, originally reading "month, dry branch transmits Yi and Geng to generate卯 wood," which should be "Geng generates卯 month, dry branch transmits Yi wood."卯 contains only hidden Yi wood, which is yin wood, overcome by Geng and differing in yin and yang, making it a proper wealth; if Yi transmits, it establishes the proper wealth pattern; if not, one can still take the wealth from the hidden Yi wood in卯. In the third month, the lunar month is辰, which contains hidden Wu, Yi, and Gui: if Wu transmits, it establishes the biased scholar pattern. Since the earth in辰 is in command, the scholar is heavy, and the metal is buried, so it is better to use wealth to reduce the scholar; if Yi transmits, it establishes the proper wealth pattern; Gui is yin water, which is generated by Geng and differs in yin and yang, making it a damaging official; if Gui transmits, it establishes the damaging official pattern; if none of the three transmit, one can be chosen carefully. In the fourth month, the lunar month is巳, which contains hidden Bing, Geng, and Wu: if Bing transmits, it establishes the seven killer pattern; if Wu transmits, it establishes the biased scholar pattern. In巳, the metal Geng is in its growth stage, so the body is not weak, and the relationship between the killer and the scholar is favorable for development; if neither transmits, one can be chosen carefully. In the fifth month, the lunar month is午, which contains hidden Ding and Ji: Ding is yin fire, which overcomes Geng and differs in yin and yang, making it a proper official; if Ding transmits, it establishes the proper official pattern. Ji is yin earth, which generates Geng and differs in yin and yang, making it a proper scholar; if Ji transmits, it establishes the proper scholar pattern. In the fire month of午, fire is strong and metal is melted, so the official is useful, but without the scholar to transform it, it is not sufficient; if neither transmits, one can be chosen carefully. In the sixth month, the lunar month is未, which contains hidden Ji, Ding, and Yi: if Ji transmits, it establishes the proper scholar pattern; if Yi transmits, it establishes the proper wealth pattern; if Ding transmits, it establishes the proper official pattern. Since wealth, official, and scholar are all present, when choosing a pattern, the one that is clear and has a root should be preferred; if none of the three transmit, one can be chosen carefully.

庚生申月。申為庚祿，非在八格之內，關於外格篇中。庚生酉月。酉為劫刃，非在八格之內，詳於外格篇中。庚生戌月，干透戊土，為偏印格。透丁火，為正官格。若丁戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。庚生亥月，干透壬水，為食神格。透甲木，為偏財格。若壬甲皆不透，亦可酌取其一。庚生子月，干透癸水，為傷官格。不透亦可取。庚生丑月，干透己土，為正印格。透癸水，為傷官格。若己癸皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

In the seventh month, the month builder is Shen, which is the place where the庚 metal is temporarily located. The day ruler is naturally strong, so it does not fall into the eight categories, but is discussed in the "External Categories" section under the category of "Established Wealth." In the eighth month, the month builder is You, which contains the辛 metal, which is the "劫财" of庚. The month branch is at the peak of the劫财, which is called "Yangren"; the Yangren does not fall into the eight categories, but is discussed in the "External Categories" section under the category of "Month Yangren." In the ninth month, the month builder is Xu, which contains the戊 soil, 辛 metal, and 丁 fire: if the戊 is revealed, it is the category of "Oblique Wisdom"; if the丁 is revealed, it is the category of "Righteous Official." The 丁 fire in Xu is only a residual element, so the official star is not strong and needs wealth to nourish it in order to be effective; if neither is revealed, choose one of the two. In the tenth month, the month builder is Hai, which contains the壬 water and 甲 wood: the壬 is yang water, which is born from庚 and is also yang, so it is the "Food God." If the壬 is revealed, it is the category of "Food God," with metal and water intermingling, which can release the refined qualities and create clarity; the 甲 is yang wood, which is overcome by庚 and is also yang, so it is the "Oblique Wealth." If the 甲 is revealed, it is the category of "Oblique Wealth"; if neither is revealed, choose one of the two. In the eleventh month, the month builder is Zi, which contains only the癸 water, which is the "Injury Official" of庚. If the癸 is revealed, it is the category of "Injury Official." In winter, water is cold, and when metal is cold and water is cold, the refined qualities do not emerge, so after choosing the category, it is most desirable to have fire to regulate the climate; if the癸 is not revealed, it is still possible to take the癸 water in Zi as the category of "Injury Official." In the twelfth month, the month builder is Chou, which contains the己 soil, 癸 water, and 辛 metal: if the己 is revealed, it is the category of "Righteous Wisdom"; if the癸 is revealed, it is the category of "Injury Official." With one wisdom and one injury, the choice of use depends on the strength of the body: if the body is weak, use wisdom to generate and support; if the body is strong, use injury to release the refined qualities; if neither is revealed, choose one of the two.

庚生寅月，干透甲木，為正財格。透丙火，為正官格。透戊土，為正印格。若甲丙戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。庚生卯月，干透乙木，為偏財格，不透亦可取。庚生辰月，干透戊土，為正印格。透乙木炎偏財格。透癸水，為食神格。若乙戊癸皆不透，亦可酌取其一。辛生巳月，干透丙火，為正官格。透戊土，為正印格。若丙戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。辛生午月，干透丁火，為七殺格。透己土，為偏印格。若丁己皆不透，亦可酌取其一。辛生未月，干透己土，為偏印格。透丁火，為七殺格。透乙木，為偏財格。若乙己丁皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

Now moving to the day of Xin. The first three entries in the original text still refer to "Geng Sheng," but according to the paired ten spirits, they should be "Xin Sheng": Jia wood against Geng metal is a biased wealth, while only against Xin metal is it the proper wealth. Yi wood against Geng is proper wealth, and against Xin is biased wealth, which proves that "Geng" is a mistake for "Xin." Xin is yin metal, of the quality of pearls and jade, clear and smooth, yet it fears being buried. In the first month, the month builder is Yin, which contains Jia wood, Bing fire, and Wu earth: Jia is yang wood, which is overcome by Xin, and since they are of opposite yin and yang, it is proper wealth; when Jia appears, it forms the proper wealth pattern. Bing is yang fire, which overcomes Xin, and since they are of opposite yin and yang, it is proper official; when Bing appears, it forms the proper official pattern, but since Bing and Xin are in harmony, when using the official pattern, one must be cautious of the harmony that may cause the loss of the official. Wu is yang earth, which generates Xin, and since they are of opposite yin and yang, it is proper wisdom; when Wu appears, it forms the proper wisdom pattern, but heavy earth may fear burying the metal. If none of them appear, choose one among them. In the second month, the month builder is Mao, which contains only Yi wood. Yi and Xin are both yin, and Yi is overcome by Xin, so it is biased wealth; when Yi appears, it forms the biased wealth pattern; even if Yi does not appear, one may take the Yi wood in Mao as the pattern. In the third month, the month builder is Chen, which contains Wu earth, Yi wood, and Gui water: when Wu appears, it forms the proper wisdom pattern; when Yi appears, it forms the biased wealth pattern (the original text's "Yan" is a mistake for "Wei"); Gui is yin water, which is generated by Xin and of the same yin, so it is the food spirit; when Gui appears, it forms the food spirit pattern, and the Gui water in Chen is stored in the reservoir, thus it can display its beauty without harming the body. If none of them appear, choose one among them. In the fourth month, the month builder is Si, which contains Bing fire, Geng metal, and Wu earth: when Bing appears, it forms the proper official pattern; when Wu appears, it forms the proper wisdom pattern; the mutual generation of official and wisdom is naturally good, but Xin metal fears the intensity of fire and the dryness of earth, so it must be moistened by Ren and Gui water to become useful; if neither appears, choose one among them. In the fifth month, the month builder is Wu, which contains Ding fire and Ji earth: Ding is yin fire, which overcomes Xin and is of the same yin, so it is the seven killer; when Ding appears, it forms the seven killer pattern; Ji is yin earth, which generates Xin and is of the same yin, so it is the biased wisdom; when Ji appears, it forms the biased wisdom pattern; if neither appears, choose one among them. In the sixth month, the month builder is Wei, which contains Ji earth, Ding fire, and Yi wood: when Ji appears, it forms the biased wisdom pattern; when Ding appears, it forms the seven killer pattern; when Yi appears, it forms the biased wealth pattern; in the month of Wei, the earth is dry and the metal is brittle, so after choosing the pattern, the adjustment of the climate is especially important; if none of them appear, choose one among them.

辛生申月，干透壬水，為傷官格。透戊土，為偏印格。若戊土皆不透，亦可酌取其一。辛生酉月。酉為辛祿，非在八格之內，詳於外格篇中。辛生戌月，干透戊土，為正印格。秀丁火，為七殺格。若丁戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。辛生亥月，干透壬水，為傷官格。透甲木，為正財格。若壬甲皆不透，亦可酌取其一。辛生子月，干透癸水，為食神格，不透亦可取。辛生丑月，干透己土，為偏印格。透癸水，為食神格。若己癸綿不透，亦可酌取其一。

In the seventh month, the month builder is Shen, which contains hidden Jia, Ren, and Wu: Ren is yang water, born from Xin metal, and since they are of opposite yin and yang, it is considered a wounded official (shang gan). If Ren appears, it establishes the shang gan pattern, with white metal and clear water, which is exactly the preferred way for Xin metal to release its brilliance. If Wu appears, it forms the biased master (pian yin) pattern, but Wu earth can overcome Ren water, so when using shang gan, it is actually undesirable (the original text says "if Wu earth does not appear," but "earth" should be "Ren"). If neither appears, choose one. In the eighth month, the month builder is You, which is the place where Xin metal resides, so the body is strong and not included in the eight patterns; see the "External Patterns" section for details. In the ninth month, the month builder is Xu, which contains hidden Wu earth, Xin metal, and Ding fire: if Wu appears, it forms the correct master (zheng yin) pattern, and if Ding appears, it forms the seven killers (qi sha) pattern (the original text says "秀" which is a mistake for "透"). Although the killer and master mutually generate, since Xu is a repository for fire and earth, Xin metal fears its dryness and thickness, so water is needed to moisten it; if neither appears, choose one. In the tenth month, the month builder is Hai, which contains hidden Ren water and Jia wood: if Ren appears, it forms the shang gan pattern, and if Jia appears, it forms the correct wealth (zheng cai) pattern. The shang gan generating wealth is a natural path for Xin metal in the Hai month, but since winter water is cold, fire is still needed to warm it; if neither appears, choose one. In the eleventh month, the month builder is Zi, which contains only hidden Gui water, which is the food god (shi shen) of Xin metal. If Gui appears, it establishes the shi shen pattern; even if it does not appear, it can still take the shi shen pattern from the hidden Gui water in Zi. In the twelfth month, the month builder is Chou, which contains hidden Ji earth, Gui water, and Xin metal: if Ji appears, it forms the biased master (pian yin) pattern, and if Gui appears, it forms the shi shen pattern. The枭印 (a type of master that competes with the food) taking the food is the most important point to be cautious about in this month (the original text says "if Ji and Gui do not appear," but "绵" is a mistake for "皆"). If neither appears, choose one pattern.

壬生寅月，干透甲木，為食神格。透丙火，為偏財格。透戊土，為七殺格。若甲丙戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。壬生卯月，干透乙木，為傷官格，不透亦可取。壬生辰月，干透戊土，為七殺格。透乙木，為傷官格。若乙戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。壬生巳月，干透丙火，為偏財格。透庚金，為偏印格。透戊土，為七殺格。若丙庚戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

Ren is a yang water element, representing the flow of rivers and streams, with a dynamic and moist nature. In the first month, the month builder is寅 (Yin), which contains hidden Jia, Bing, and Wu. Jia is a yang wood, which is generated by Ren and shares the yang attribute, making it the food god. If Jia appears, it forms the food god pattern, with water and wood supporting each other, promoting clarity and vitality. Bing is a yang fire, which is overcome by Ren and shares the yang attribute, making it the biased wealth. If Bing appears, it forms the biased wealth pattern. Wu is a yang earth, which overcomes Ren and shares the yang attribute, making it the seven killer. If Wu appears, it forms the seven killer pattern. However, in the first month, wood is strong and can control earth, so the seven killer is not harmful. If none of these appear, choose one appropriately. In the second month, the month builder is卯 (Mao), which contains hidden Yi wood. Yi is a yin wood, which is generated by Ren and has different yin and yang attributes, making it the injurer. If Yi appears, it forms the injurer pattern. Even if Yi does not appear, it can still be considered as the injurer pattern based on the hidden Yi wood in Mao. However, in the second month, the air is too strong, so after establishing the pattern, it is necessary to support the body with the scholar and similar elements. In the third month, the month builder is辰 (Chen), which contains hidden Wu, Yi, and Gui. If Wu appears, it forms the seven killer pattern. Chen is a water reservoir and the original place of earth, so the killer has a root and the body has a reservoir, making it most suitable to use the food god to control the killer. If Yi appears, it forms the injurer pattern, which can also control the killer, but one must be cautious not to exhaust the injurer and the official star. If neither appears, choose one appropriately. In the fourth month, the month builder is巳 (Si), which contains hidden Bing, Geng, and Wu. If Bing appears, it forms the biased wealth pattern. In the fourth month, fire is strong and water is weak, so wealth is strong and the body is weak, requiring helpers like similar elements and supportive elements to handle the wealth. Geng is a yang metal, which generates Ren and shares the yang attribute, making it the biased scholar. If Geng appears, it forms the biased scholar pattern. In Si, Geng metal is in its long life stage, which is the source of Ren water. If Wu appears, it forms the seven killer pattern. In Si, Wu earth is in its official position, making the killer strong and the body weak, especially requiring the scholar to transform it. If none of these appear, choose one appropriately.

壬生午月，干透丁火，為正財格。透己土，為正官格。若丁己皆不透，亦可酌取其一。壬生未月，干透己土，為正官格。透丁火，為正財格。透乙木，為傷官格。若乙己丁皆不秀，亦可酌取其一。壬生申月，干透庚金，為偏印格。透戊土，為七殺格。若戊庚皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

In the fifth month, the month builder is Wu, which contains hidden Ding and Ji: Ding is yin fire, which is overcome by Ren (water), and since they are of different yin and yang, it is considered a proper wealth (财). If Ding appears, it forms the proper wealth pattern, but since Ding and Ren combine, when using wealth, one must be cautious of their combination. Ji is yin earth, which overcomes Ren, and since they are of different yin and yang, it is considered a proper official (官). If Ji appears, it forms the proper official pattern. In the fifth month, fire and earth are both strong, while water is weak, so although wealth and official are good, they must be supported by metal and water to be able to bear the burden. If neither appears, choose one of them. In the sixth month, the month builder is Wei, which contains hidden Ji, Ding, and Yi: if Ji appears, it forms the proper official pattern; if Ding appears, it forms the proper wealth pattern; if Yi appears, it forms the official's injury (伤官) pattern (the original text's '皆不秀' is a mistake for '皆不透'). In the sixth month, the earth is dry, so the official star is too strong. After choosing a pattern, one should use the scholar (印) and similar elements (比) to save the situation. Yi wood can also loosen the earth. If none appear, choose one. In the seventh month, the month builder is Shen, which contains hidden Geng, Ren, and Wu: if Geng appears, it forms the biased scholar (偏印) pattern. The metal of Shen is in command and generates water, so Ren has a root of growth, and since the body is already strong, it does not like to see more scholars. If Wu appears, it forms the seven killers (七杀) pattern. The Wu earth in Shen is floating, so the killer is light and needs wealth to nourish it. If neither appears, choose one.

壬生酉月。酉為辛祿，非在八格之內，詳於外格篇中。辛生戌月。干透戌土，為正印格。透丁火，為七殺格。若丁戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。辛生亥月，干透壬水，為傷官格。透甲木，為正財格。若壬甲皆不透，亦可酌取其一。辛生子月，干透癸水，為食神格，不透亦可取。辛生丑月，干透己土，為偏印格。透癸水，為食神格。若己癸皆不秀透，亦可酌取其一。

From this point on, the following twelve entries are repetitions of earlier sections, copying again the entries for the month of戌,亥,子,丑 under the day of 辛 and the months of 寅,卯,辰,巳,未,申 under the day of 壬, with slight variations in the text. I have recorded them as they are without deletion. The first entry is titled 「壬生酉月」, but the main text says 「酉为辛禄」, which is inconsistent. The month of酉 is the禄 of 辛 metal, but for 壬 water, it is only the 正印. For a day of 壬 born in the month of酉, the correct method should be to take 正印 as the basis, and it should not be classified as an external pattern. This entry is likely a mis-title of the previous entry 「辛生酉月」. The second entry 「辛生戌月」 mentions 「干透戌土」, where the character 「戌」 is a variant form of 「戊」. The 戌 contains 戊 earth, which is the 正印 of 辛, and 丁 fire, which is the 七杀 of 辛, which is consistent with the previous text. The entries for 辛 born in the month of亥 with 伤官 and 正财, 辛 born in the month of子 with 食神, and 辛 born in the month of丑 with 偏印 and 食神 are all consistent with the previous text. The last sentence adds an extra character 「秀」 in 「若己癸皆不秀透」, which is a mistake for 「透」. In terms of selection and use, when 辛 metal is born in the months of亥 and 子, the metal is cold and the water is cold, so even though the pattern is based on 伤官 and 食神, after establishing the pattern, there must be 丙丁 fire to regulate the climate, otherwise it will be clear but useless. When born in the month of丑, the earth is frozen and the metal is cold, the 偏印 although able to nourish the body, is considered damp and stagnant, so regulating the climate remains the most urgent task.

壬生寅月，干透甲木，為食神格。透丙火，為偏財格。透戊土，為七殺格。若甲丙戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。壬生卯月，干透乙木，為傷官格，不透亦可取。壬生辰月，干透戊土，為七殺格。透乙木，為傷官格。若乙戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。壬生巳月，干透丙火，為偏財格。透庚金，為偏印格。透戊土，為七殺格。若丙庚戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

These four lines are exactly the same as the previous ones regarding the day of Ren (water) in the months of Yin (rat), Mao (ox), Chen (dragon), and Si (snake), indicating a repetition of the text. For Ren water born in the month of Yin, wood is strong and drains the water; if Jia (wood) appears, it forms the food god pattern, and after establishing the pattern, it is favorable to have the body rooted and to avoid the Owl Spirit (weaving god) stealing the food; if Bing (fire) appears, it forms the biased wealth pattern, and since fire is just beginning to rise in spring, the wealth is light and needs the help of food and injury to generate it; if Wu (earth) appears, it forms the seven killer pattern, and the Jia wood in Yin naturally controls Wu, so the killer is not harmful. Born in the month of Mao, the wood is in command, and if Yi (wood) appears, it forms the injurer pattern; even if it does not appear, it can still form the pattern using the wood in Mao, but the draining effect is too strong, so metal and water are needed to support the body. Born in the month of Chen, if Wu appears, it forms the seven killer pattern, and the earth in Chen is in command with hidden癸 water as the root of Ren, and when the body and killer are balanced, it is most suitable to use the food god to control the killer; if Yi appears, it forms the injurer pattern, and the injurer can ride the killer, but it is only to be avoided when the injurer meets the official. Born in the month of Si, if Bing appears, it forms the biased wealth pattern, and since fire is strong and water is weak, without the help of the seal and the same, it cannot bear the wealth; if Geng (metal) appears, it forms the biased seal pattern, and Geng metal in Si is in its long life, which is the source of Ren water; if Wu appears, it forms the seven killer pattern, and Wu earth in Si is in its禄, so the killer is strong and the body is weak, and especially the seal is needed to transform the killer.

壬生未月，干透己土，為正官格。透丁火，為正財格。透乙木，為傷官格。若乙己丁皆不透，亦可酌取其一。壬生申月，干透庚金，為偏印格。透戊土，為七殺格。若戊庚皆不透，亦可酌取其一。壬生戌月，干透戊土，為七殺格。透丁火，為正財格。透辛金，為正印格，若戊丁土格為正官格。若甲丙戊皆不透，亦酌取其一。

The sections on the months of Wei and Shen are repeated from earlier. For壬 water born in the month of Wei, the earthy branch Wei contains the soil element Ji, which is dominant. If Ji appears, it forms a proper official position; if Ding appears, it forms a proper wealth position. Although wealth and official positions are genuine, they still harm water, so reliance on metal and water is necessary for support. If Yi appears, it forms a position of official injury, and Yi wood can loosen the soil of Wei, offering a slight chance for those with weak bodies. For壬 water born in the month of Shen, if Geng appears, it forms a biased official position; if Wu appears, it forms a seven killer position. Since Shen metal generates water, the body is not weak, and using the seven killer is appropriate. The last section, '壬 born in the month of Xu,' mentions that the earthy branch Xu contains Wu soil, which is the seven killer for壬, and Ding fire, which is the proper wealth for壬, and Xin metal, which is the proper official for壬. Therefore, if Wu appears, it forms the seven killer position; if Ding appears, it forms the proper wealth position; if Xin appears, it forms the proper official position. When all three appear, the one that is clear and has a root is chosen as the main position. Regarding the sentence, 'If the Wu and Ding soil positions are considered as the proper official position. If the Ji, Bing, and Wu elements are not visible,' the meaning is unclear. There is an error in the original text: the words 'Ji, Bing, and Wu' are mistakenly transferred from the section on壬 born in the month of Yin, and there are no Ji or Bing elements visible in the month of Xu. Additionally, this volume is missing the section on癸 day born in the month of Yin, which is also a missing text. We cannot make up the content.

癸生卯月，干透乙木，為食神格，不透亦可取。癸生辰月，干透戊土，為正官格。透乙木為食神格。若戊乙皆不透，亦可酌取其一。癸生巳月，干透丙火，為正財格，透戊土，為正官格，透庚金，為正印格，若丙戊庚皆不透，亦可酌取一。癸生午月，干透丁火，為偏財格，透乙土，為七殺格。若丁已皆不透，亦可酌取其一。癸生未月，干透已土，為七殺格，透丁火，為偏財格。透乙木，為食神格。若乙丁已皆不透，亦可酌取其一。癸生申月，干透庚金，為正印格。透戊土，為正官格，若庚戊皆不透，亦可酌取其一。

Gui is a yin water stem, representing the gentle nourishment of rain and dew, capable of nurturing all things. In the second month, the month builder is Mao, which contains only Yi wood. Yi and Gui are both yin, with Yi being generated by Gui, thus forming the food god pattern. If Yi appears, it establishes the food god pattern, with water and wood flourishing, indicating intelligence and literary talent. Even if Yi does not appear, one can still take Yi wood from Mao as the food god pattern. In the third month, the month builder is Chen, which contains Wu earth, Yi wood, and Gui water. Wu earth is yang earth, which overcomes Gui water, and since they are yin and yang opposites, it forms the official pattern. If Wu appears, it establishes the official pattern; if Yi appears, it remains the food god pattern. Chen is a water reservoir, so Gui water has a root and is not weak. When both official and food god patterns appear, the most valuable is the one that is pure. If neither appears, choose one of them. In the fourth month, the month builder is Si, which contains Bing fire, Geng metal, and Wu earth. Bing fire is yang fire, which is overcome by Gui water, and since they are yin and yang opposites, it forms the wealth pattern. If Bing appears, it establishes the wealth pattern; if Wu appears, it forms the official pattern. Geng metal is yang metal, which generates Gui water, and since they are yin and yang opposites, it forms the scholar pattern. If Geng appears, it establishes the scholar pattern. In the fourth month, fire and earth are dominant, making Gui water weak. Although wealth and official patterns are favorable, they cannot be supported without the scholar pattern (Geng) to generate and support them. If none of the three appear, choose one of them. In the fifth month, the month builder is Wu, which contains Ding fire and Ji earth. Ding fire is yin fire, which is overcome by Gui water and is of the same yin, forming the biased wealth pattern. If Ding appears, it establishes the biased wealth pattern; Ji earth is yin earth, which overcomes Gui water and is of the same yin, forming the seven killers pattern. If Ji appears, it establishes the seven killers pattern (the original text mistakenly wrote 'Yi' instead of 'Ji', and in the next sentence, 'Yi' also refers to 'Ji'). In the fifth month, Gui water is extremely weak, so after establishing a pattern, one must rely on the scholar and similar patterns for support. In the sixth month, the month builder is Wei, which contains Ji earth, Ding fire, and Yi wood. If Ji appears, it forms the seven killers pattern; if Ding appears, it forms the biased wealth pattern; if Yi appears, it forms the food god pattern. The food god pattern controlling the seven killers is the most appropriate use for Gui water in the sixth month. If none of the three appear, choose one of them. In the seventh month, the month builder is Shen, which contains Geng metal, Ren water, and Wu earth. If Geng appears, it forms the scholar pattern, as Shen metal generates water, providing Gui water with its source of growth. If Wu appears, it forms the official pattern, with the official star supported by the scholar pattern, so the body is not afraid of being overcome. If neither appears, choose one of them.

癸生酉月，干透幸金，為偏印格，不透亦可取。癸生戌月，干透戊土，為正官格。透丁火，為偏財格。透辛金，為偏印格。若戊丁辛皆不透，亦可酌取其一。癸生亥月，干透甲木，為傷官格，不透亦可取。癸生子月。子為癸祿，非在八格之內，詳於外格篇。癸生丑月，干透已土，為七殺格。透辛金，為偏印格。若已辛皆不透。亦可酌取其一。

In the eighth month, the month builder is You. You contains only Xin metal. Xin and Gui both belong to yin and can nourish the day stem, thus forming a biased scholar (the original text mistakenly writes 'Xing Jin' instead of 'Xin Jin'). If Xin does not appear on the heavenly stem, we can still take the Xin metal in You to form the scholar pattern. However, since autumn metal generates water, the body is not weak, and the use of the scholar should be light rather than heavy. In the ninth month, the month builder is Xu. Xu contains Wu earth, Xin metal, and Ding fire. If Wu appears on the heavenly stem, it forms the official pattern; if Ding appears, it forms the biased wealth pattern; if Xin appears, it forms the biased scholar pattern. Xu month has dry earth and strong officials who oppress the body, so it is most suitable to use the scholar to transform the official and nourish the body. Wealth is not suitable to assist the official. If none of these three appear, choose one carefully. In the tenth month, the month builder is Hai. Hai contains Ren water and Jia wood. Jia is yang wood, born from Gui, and differs in yin and yang, thus forming the official's son. If Jia appears on the heavenly stem, it forms the official's son pattern. The Ren water in Hai is the劫财 of Gui, and when the body is strong, the official's son can release the brilliance most appropriately. If Jia does not appear, we can still take the Jia wood in Hai to form the official's son pattern. In the eleventh month, the month builder is Zi. Zi is the place where Gui water is temporarily located, and the body is naturally strong. It does not fall into the eight patterns, and details are discussed in the section on other patterns. In the twelfth month, the month builder is Chou. Chou contains Ji earth, Gui water, and Xin metal. If Ji appears on the heavenly stem, it forms the seven killers pattern; if Xin appears, it forms the biased scholar pattern. In Chou month, the water is cold and the earth is frozen, so although the killer is in season, its energy is not sharp. After determining the pattern, using fire to adjust the climate and using wood to control the killer are both flexible methods. If neither Ji nor Xin appears, choose one to form the pattern. In summary, the general rules for each of the ten heavenly stems on the day stem born in the twelve months are as follows: if the heavenly stem of the month builder appears on the heavenly stem, the pattern is determined by the heavenly stem that appears. If multiple heavenly stems appear, choose the one that is most suitable in terms of timing and strength, and is clear and rooted. If none appear, we can still determine the pattern by considering the hidden heavenly stems in the month builder. However, if the day stem is seated on its own禄 or the month branch is exactly the Yangren, it does not fall into the eight patterns and is discussed separately in the section on other patterns.

正官格為：（一）日干強，又有財來生官。（二）日干弱，正官強，有印生身。（三）正官不見七殺混雜。偏正財為格：（一）日干強，財亦強，再見官星。（二）日干弱，財星強，有印比護身。（三）日干強，財星弱，有傷食生財。

The concept of "cheng ge" refers to a pattern that is harmonious with the day stem, where the elements in the pattern are properly positioned, allowing the entire birth chart to be stable. There are three situations in which a pattern based on the official star (zheng guan) can be successful: first, when the day stem is strong and the four pillars contain the wealth star to generate the official star, with the wealth and official stars supporting each other, and the body is strong enough to bear the official star, which is the most proper situation; second, when the day stem is weak but the official star is strong, but fortunately there is an official star that can both relieve the strength of the official star and support the body, with the official and official star supporting each other, allowing the weak body to bear the official star; third, when the four pillars contain only the official star and no seven killers (qi sha) to confuse the pattern—the official star represents a respectful and restrained constraint, while the seven killer represents an无情 attack, and the presence of both makes the pattern unclear and mixed, preventing the official star from being a true official star, so the absence of confusion makes the pattern clear. Similarly, there are three situations in which a pattern based on the wealth star can be successful: first, when the day stem is strong and the wealth star is also strong, and the official star is present, with the wealth generating the official and the official protecting the wealth, resulting in wealth combined with prestige; second, when the day stem is weak but the wealth star is strong, and fortunately there is an official star to support the body and siblings to assist, allowing the body to have support and be able to bear the wealth; third, when the day stem is strong but the wealth star is weak, and there is a food star or official star in between to generate the wealth, ensuring a continuous source of wealth, allowing the weak wealth to become strong.

篇正印為格：（一）日干強，印輕逢官殺。（二）日干強，印亦強，有傷食洩身。（三）日干強，印又多見，財透出，減弱印綬之力（但不可財根太深，與印互斷而印敗）。食神為格：（一）日干強，食亦強，再見財。（二）日干強，殺尤過之，食神制殺而不見財。（三）日干強，食神洩氣太過，見印護身。

There are three situations in which a pattern based on the偏印 (biased印) or正印 (proper印) can be successful. The first is when the day stem is strong but the印 energy is weak, and there is also the presence of official stars (官杀). The official stars can both control the day stem and generate the印, achieving two benefits at once. The second is when both the day stem and the印 are strong, leading to an excess of energy. Fortunately, the presence of food god (食神) or injurer (伤官) can release the excess energy, allowing the refined qi to be expressed. The third is when the day stem is strong and the印 is also abundant. In this case, the wealth star (财) appears, which can control the印, reducing the excessive印 energy and making the pattern balanced. However, the wealth star should not have a strong root, as a deep root would cause a conflict between the wealth and印, leading to the complete destruction of the印, which would be counterproductive. There are also three situations in which a pattern based on the食神 can be successful. The first is when the day stem is strong and the食神 is also strong, with the presence of the wealth star. The食神 generates the wealth, which is the correct path to wealth and honor. The second is when the day stem is strong and the seven killers (七杀) are even stronger. In this case, the食神 is used to control the seven killers. However, the presence of the wealth star is not suitable, as the wealth star both generates the seven killers and drains the strength of the食神, thus making the control of the seven killers ineffective. The third is when the day stem is strong and the食神 drains too much energy, causing it to weaken. In this case, the presence of the印 is necessary to protect the day stem. The印 can control the食神 and generate the day stem, allowing the body to be stable and the pattern to be formed.

七殺為格：（一）身強。（二）日干強，殺尤過之，有食制殺。（三）日干弱，殺旺，有印生身。（四）殺身兩停，無官混殺。傷官為格：（一）日干強，傷官生財。（二）日干弱傷官洩氣，有印護身。（三）日干弱，傷官旺，而殺印雙透。（四）日干強，殺重，傷官駕殺。

There are four situations in which the Seven Killers (Qixi) can form a successful pattern: first, if the day stem is strong, the Seven Killers, although an attacking force, can be endured by a strong day stem, and instead become a source of authority; second, if the day stem is strong but the Seven Killers are even stronger, then there must be a food god (Shi Shen) to control the Seven Killers, and once the Seven Killers are controlled, they become useful to me; third, if the day stem is weak but the Seven Killers are strong, then there must be a seal (Yin Shou) to generate the day stem — the seal can transform the killing energy into something that nourishes me, which is called 'kill and seal mutually generate,' the correct method for using the Seven Killers when the day stem is weak; fourth, if the day stem and the Seven Killers are evenly matched, called 'kill and day stem equally balanced,' and there is no official (Zheng Guan) to mix with the Seven Killers, resulting in a clear and pure pattern, which is most valuable. There are also four situations in which the Harmful Official (Shang Gan) can form a successful pattern: first, if the day stem is strong, using the Harmful Official to generate wealth, resulting in refined and harmonious energy, indicating intelligence and wealth; second, if the day stem is weak, the Harmful Official drains my energy, and the day stem cannot withstand this drain, so there must be a seal to protect the day stem, the seal both controls the Harmful Official and generates the day stem; third, if the day stem is weak but the Harmful Official is strong, and the four pillars have both the Seven Killers and the seal clearly visible, the seal transforms the Seven Killers to generate the day stem, and the Seven Killers are not hindered by the Harmful Official, with the day stem, Seven Killers, and seal all being considered; fourth, if the day stem is strong but the Seven Killers are heavy, using the Harmful Official to control the Seven Killers, called 'Harmful Official controlling the Seven Killers,' which is more intense than the food god controlling the Seven Killers, but only a strong day stem can bear this.

正官為格：（一）見傷官而無印。（二）遇刑沖破害。（三）殺來混雜。正偏財為格：（一）日干強，財輕劫比又重。（二）遇刑沖破害。（三）日干弱，七殺重，財又生殺。偏正印為格：（一）日干弱，印本輕，又逢財壞。（二）日干弱，印太重，而又多官殺。（三）遇刑沖破害。

"Bai Ge" refers to a disrupted pattern, where the structure of the fate is ruined and the divine elements in the pattern lose their proper positions, turning a good destiny into a bad one. There are three ways in which a pattern based on the proper official star is destroyed: first, if the four pillars contain a harmful star without a seal star, the harmful star directly attacks the official star, and without a seal star to rescue, it is said that the harmful star meeting the official star brings many troubles; second, if the official star encounters punishment, clash, destruction, or harm, the mutual interactions among the earthly branches will shake the foundation of the official star, and if the foundation is shaken, the official star cannot stand firm; third, if the seven harmful stars mix in, the pure quality of the official star is disturbed, and since the official and harmful stars cannot be distinguished, the pattern is ruined. There are also three ways in which a pattern based on the proper wealth star or the biased wealth star is destroyed: first, if the day stem is strong but the wealth star is weak, and the same kind of stars are numerous, the group of same kind stars will compete for the wealth, and the wealth will be taken away; second, if the wealth star encounters punishment, clash, destruction, or harm, the root of the wealth will be shaken; third, if the day stem is weak and the harmful star is strong, the wealth star does not help the day stem but instead generates the harmful star, which is like providing resources to the enemy, making the body even more dangerous and the pattern even worse. There are also three ways in which a pattern based on the biased seal star or the proper seal star is destroyed: first, if the day stem is weak and the seal star is already light, and the wealth star comes to attack, the seal star is damaged by the wealth star, leaving the weak body without support; second, if the day stem is weak and the seal star is too heavy, and the four pillars also contain many official and harmful stars, which generate the seal star, the heavier the seal star becomes, the more the body is blocked; third, if the seal star encounters punishment, clash, destruction, or harm, the root of the seal star is disturbed, and the source of nourishment for the body is cut off.

食神為格：（一）日干強，食輕又逢梟。（二）日干弱，食神生財，而又露殺。（三）遇刑沖破害。七殺為格：（一）遇刑沖破害。（二）日干弱。（三）財當殺而無制。傷官為格：（一）見官。（二）日干弱，又多財。（三）日干強，傷官輕，而又多印。（四）遇刑沖破害。

There are three types of situations where the food god (食神) is established but is destroyed: first, the day stem is strong but the food god is weak, and it meets the 'xiāo' (枭), which is also called the biased print (偏印), and it specifically takes away the food god; the refined quality is completely lost. Second, the day stem is weak, the food god needs to generate wealth, but the four pillars reveal the seven killers (七杀), the body is weak and the wealth and killers attack together, the food god is unable to handle both. Third, the food god meets punishment and clash (刑冲), and the foundation is shaken. There are three types of situations where the seven killers (七杀) are established but are destroyed: first, they meet punishment and clash; second, the day stem is weak, the body is weak and cannot bear the killer, the killer becomes a disaster; third, the wealth star and the seven killers join forces without a controlling god (the original text's '财当杀' should be '财党杀'), the wealth generates the killer and the killer becomes strong, continuously attacking the body. There are four types of situations where the injurious official (伤官) is established but is destroyed: first, the official star appears, the injurious official directly conflicts with the official; second, the day stem is weak and wealth is abundant, the injurious official drains the body and the wealth consumes the body, the body becomes even more exhausted; third, the day stem is strong but the injurious official is weak, yet there are many prints (印绶), the prints completely suppress the injurious official, and the refined quality cannot be expressed; fourth, it meets punishment and clash.

正官為格：（一）官星得令，又眾多，日主衰弱不堪。（二）官強身弱，又多財星生官。偏正財為格：（一）財得令，而又眾多，日主衰弱不堪。（二）財旺身弱，又多傷食之洩身生財。偏正印為格：（一）印重又得令，日弱而財輕。（二）印與劫比皆強，獨傷食財官輕淺。傷食為格：（一）傷食太重，日主太輕，無印或多財。（二）身強殺淺，傷食重而制殺太過，又無財解。七殺為格：（一）殺太重，身太輕，不見傷食。（二）財多身弱，殺又得財生。

"Too much" refers to the strength of the heavenly stem or earthly branch exceeding the capacity of the day master to bear, resulting in an excess of good elements becoming a burden. There are two types of excess in the official star pattern: one is when the official star is strong and numerous, and the day master is weak, making the official star turn into a harmful element that attacks the day master; the other is when the official star is strong and the day master is weak, and the four pillars contain many wealth stars that generate the official star, thus making the wealth and official star even stronger, which further weakens the day master. There are two types of excess in the wealth pattern: one is when the wealth star is strong and numerous, and the day master is weak, which is called "wealth abundant but body weak," leading to a rich house but poor person; the other is when the wealth star is strong and the day master is weak, and there are many food stars and official stars, which both weaken the day master and strengthen the wealth star, thus weakening the day master from both sides. There are two types of excess in the seal pattern: one is when the seal star is strong and in season, and the day master is naturally weak with a slight presence of wealth star, without wealth to restrain the seal star, causing excessive generation that becomes a blockage; the other is when the seal star and the same zodiac and shared zodiac stars are strong, but the food star, wealth star, and official star are weak, resulting in full support without any release or restraint, leading to an unsmooth flow of energy. There are two types of excess in the food and injury pattern: one is when the food and injury stars are too strong and the day master is too weak, with no seal star to stop the leakage, or even more wealth stars to drain the day master, leading to the complete depletion of the day master; the other is when the day master is strong but the seven killing stars are weak, and the food and injury stars are too strong, leading to excessive restraint of the seven killing stars, with no wealth star to rescue—wealth can generate the seven killing stars, which is the only way to reverse the situation when the seven killing stars are overly restrained. There are two types of excess in the seven killing star pattern: one is when the seven killing stars are too strong and the day master is too weak, and there is no food or injury star to restrain them; the other is when there is too much wealth and the day master is weak, and the seven killing stars are further strengthened by the wealth stars, making the seven killing stars even more powerful.

正官為格：（一）身強過於官，又無財星滋官。（二）身強過於官，又多印之洩官，傷食之克官。偏正財為格：（一）身強多比劫祿刃。（二）財無傷食之生，而多劫印之剝奪。偏正印為格：（一）財重無官。（二）多比劫祿刃。傷食為格：（一）印重身輕。（二）身弱而財官太多。七殺為格：（一）食重無財。（二）身強印強。

"Insufficiency" is the opposite of "excess," meaning the power of the heavenly stem is insufficient to support a pattern. There are two types of insufficiency in the pattern of the official star (正官格): one is when the body is too strong compared to the official star, the official star is weak and the body is heavy, and there is no wealth star to nourish the official star, so the official star cannot control the body; the other is when the body is too strong compared to the official star, and the four pillars contain many printed stars that drain the official star's energy, and many injurious and food stars that attack the official star. The printed stars receive the official star's energy, so the official star's power is transferred to the printed stars, and the injurious and food stars directly oppose the official star. There are two types of insufficiency in the pattern of wealth: one is when the body is strong and the same star,劫财, and the禄 and 刃 are full in the chart, and the group of same stars and劫财 compete for the wealth; the other is when the wealth star has no food or injurious stars to support it, and there are many same stars and劫财 and printed stars that take away the wealth, same stars directly divide the wealth, and printed stars restrict the food and injurious stars that generate wealth. There are two types of insufficiency in the pattern of printed stars: one is when the wealth is heavy and there is no official star, the wealth harms the printed stars and there is no official star to connect them; the other is when there are too many same stars and禄 and 刃, the printed stars generate same stars and禄 and 刃, and the power is dispersed to the same stars and禄 and 刃. There are two types of insufficiency in the pattern of injurious and food stars: one is when the printed stars are heavy and the body is light, the printed stars suppress the injurious and food stars; the other is when the body is weak and there is too much wealth and official star, the injurious and food stars need to generate wealth but are restricted by the official star and killing stars. There are two types of insufficiency in the pattern of seven killing stars: one is when the food and injurious stars are heavy and there is no wealth, the killing stars are too controlled and there is no wealth to relieve them; the other is when the body is strong and the printed stars are strong, the killing energy is completely drained by the printed stars, and the seven killing stars have no place to act.

日主有強，有弱，格局有成，有敗，有太過，有不及。今有一字，能助格局之成功，救格局之破敗，抑格局之太過、日主之太強，扶格局之不及、日主這太弱，此字即用神也。命以用神得力為上，用神不得力為下，無用神為更下。日主格局，猶人之軀體；用神，猶人之靈魂。靈魂與軀體豈可須臾相離，則用神於命局之重要，可以見矣。論命者，論用神也，其可忽乎？特述八格用神之取法如後。

The day stem may be strong or weak, and the pattern may be formed, broken, excessive, or insufficient. If among the four pillars there is a character that can help form the pattern successfully, mend the broken pattern, restrain excessive pattern or strong day stem, and support insufficient pattern or weak day stem, that character is called the "useful god." The term "supporting and restraining" refers to supporting the weak and restraining the strong. One must determine which is more important between the pattern and the day stem, and then use that character to balance the imbalance in the birth chart. In evaluating a birth chart, the most superior is when the useful god is effective, the next is when it is ineffective, and the worst is when there is no useful god at all. The day stem and the pattern are like a person's body, while the useful god is like the soul. The soul and body cannot be separated for a moment, and the importance of the useful god in a birth chart can thus be seen. Therefore, evaluating a birth chart is essentially evaluating the useful god; how can it be neglected? Below, I will explain the methods of selecting the useful god for the eight patterns.

正官格。日干弱，正官為格，財星重，取比劫為用，無比劫則用印。日干弱，正官為格，傷食多，取印為用。日干弱，正民為格，官殺重，取印為用。日干強，正官為格，劫比多，取官為用。日干強，正官司格，印多，取財為用。日干強，正官為格，多見傷食，宜用財。偏正財格。日干弱，財為格，傷食多，取印為用。日干弱，財為格，財重宜用比劫。日干弱，財為格，官殺多見，宜用印。日干強，財為格，若劫比重重，用傷食為宜，用官殺亦宜。日干強，財為格，印多見，用財為宜。

The use of the Useful God in the official pattern is divided into six cases. If the day stem is weak and the official star is prominent but the wealth star is heavy, the Useful God is the same zodiac sign or the劫财. Wealth being heavy makes the body even weaker, and the same zodiac sign or劫财 can support the body and reduce the wealth's strength. If there are no same zodiac signs or劫财 in the four pillars, then the seal star is used instead. The seal star can support the body and transform the official star. If the day stem is weak and there are many injurious stars or food stars, the Useful God is the seal star. The seal star can control the injurious and food stars, protect the official star, and support the weak body (the original text's "正民为格" has "民" as a mistake for "官"). If the day stem is weak and the official or killing stars are heavy, the Useful God is still the seal star, as it can transform the official or killing stars' energy to support the self. If the day stem is strong and there are many same zodiac signs or劫财, the Useful God is the official star. The official star can control the group of same zodiac signs or劫财. If the day stem is strong and there are many seal stars, the Useful God is the wealth star. The wealth star can reduce the seal star's strength, preventing it from being too heavy and overwhelming the body. If the day stem is strong and there are many injurious or food stars, the Useful God is the wealth star, allowing the injurious or food stars' energy to flow through the wealth star, avoiding direct harm to the official star. In the wealth pattern, the Useful God is divided into five cases. If the day stem is weak and there are many injurious or food stars, the Useful God is the seal star, which controls the injurious or food stars and supports the body. If the day stem is weak and the wealth star is heavy, the Useful God is the same zodiac sign or劫财, which supports the body and reduces the wealth's strength. If the day stem is weak and there are many official or killing stars, the Useful God is the seal star, transforming the official or killing stars' harmful energy into supportive energy for the body. If the day stem is strong and there are many same zodiac signs or劫财, the Useful God is the injurious or food star, which releases the excess energy of the self and generates the wealth star; alternatively, the official or killing star can also be used, as they can directly control the same zodiac signs or劫财. If the day stem is strong and there are many seal stars, the Useful God is the wealth star, still following the principle of reducing the seal star's strength with the wealth star.

偏正印格。日干弱，印為格，多官殺，宜用印。日干弱，印為格，多傷食，尤宜用印。日干弱，印為格，多財，宜用劫比。日干強，印為格，比劫重重，有官殺則用官殺，無官殺則用傷食。日干強，印為格，印重則宜用財。日干強，印為格，財多宜用官殺。食神格。日干弱，食神為格，官殺多見，宜用印。日干弱，食神為格，財多宜用比劫。日干弱，食神為格，傷食重，取印為用。日干強，食神為格，印多，取財為用。日干強，食神為格，劫比重重，取食傷為用。日干強，食神為格，財多，取官殺為用。

The method of selecting the useful god in the official star pattern involves six examples. If the day stem is weak and there are many officials and killers, it is suitable to use the official star, as the official star serves as a gateway between the killer and me, allowing the killer's energy to transform through the official star to nourish me, turning what was originally a harmful force into a beneficial one. If the day stem is weak and there are many harmful stars and food stars, it is even more appropriate to use the official star, as it can directly control the harmful stars and food stars, stopping the loss of energy. If the day stem is weak and there is an abundance of wealth, it is suitable to use the same stem or same branch, as wealth can damage the official star, and the same stem or same branch can support the day stem while sharing the wealth, allowing the official star to be preserved. If the day stem is strong and there are many same stems or same branches, then if there are officials or killers, they should be used to control the same stems or same branches; if there are no officials or killers, then harmful stars and food stars should be used to release the energy of the same stems or same branches. If the day stem is strong and there are many official stars, it is suitable to use the wealth star to reduce the official stars. If the day stem is strong and there is an abundance of wealth, it is suitable to use the officials or killers, so that the wealth has a place to go and does not compete with me. The method of selecting the useful god in the food star pattern also involves six examples. If the day stem is weak and there are many officials or killers, it is suitable to use the official star, transforming the killers into nourishment for the day stem and also protecting the food star. If the day stem is weak and there is an abundance of wealth, it is suitable to use the same stem or same branch to support the day stem and allow the wealth to be used. If the day stem is weak and there are many harmful stars and food stars, the official star should be used as the useful god, controlling the harmful stars and stopping the loss of energy. If the day stem is strong and there are many official stars, the wealth star should be used as the useful god to remove the blockage. If the day stem is strong and there are many same stems or same branches, the harmful stars and food stars should be used as the useful god to release the strong energy and bring out the brilliance. If the day stem is strong and there is an abundance of wealth, the officials or killers should be used as the useful god, as the strong day stem is not afraid of the officials or killers' control, and they can be used to protect the wealth.

七殺格。日干弱，七殺為格，財多，以劫比為用。日干弱，七殺為格，傷食多見，取印為用。日干弱，七殺為格，官殺重重，取印為用。日干強，七殺為格，比劫多見，取殺為用。日干強，七殺為格，印多見，取財為用。日干強，七殺為格，官殺重重，取傷食為用。傷官格。日干弱，傷官為格，財多，取比劫為用。日干弱，傷官為格，官殺多，取印為用。日干強，傷官為格，傷食重重，取印為用。日干強，傷官為格，比劫多，宜用七殺。日干強，傷官為格。印多，取財為用。

There are six examples of using the Useful God in the Seven Killers pattern. When the Day Stem is weak and there is an abundance of wealth, the Useful God is the same as the Day Stem: wealth can generate the Seven Killers, but a weak Day Stem with strong wealth will make the Seven Killers more aggressive. Using the same as the Day Stem can both divide the wealth and support the Day Stem, achieving two purposes at once. When the Day Stem is weak and there are many damaging and consuming elements, the Useful God is the Seal: the Seal can control the damaging and consuming elements to stop their draining effect, and also transform the Seven Killers to generate the Day Stem. When the Day Stem is weak and there are many Seven Killers, the Useful God is still the Seal: the Seal can continuously transform the Seven Killers to generate the Day Stem. When the Day Stem is strong and there are many same elements, the Useful God is the Seven Killer: the Seven Killer can control the many same elements. When the Day Stem is strong and there are many Seals, the Useful God is wealth: reducing the Seals can prevent blockage. When the Day Stem is strong and there are many Seven Killers, the Useful God is the damaging and consuming element: the damaging and consuming element can control the Seven Killers, and once the Seven Killers are controlled, they become useful. There are five examples of using the Useful God in the Damaging and Consuming element pattern. When the Day Stem is weak and there is an abundance of wealth, the Useful God is the same as the Day Stem: supporting the Day Stem and dividing the wealth. When the Day Stem is weak and there are many Seven Killers, the Useful God is the Seal: the Seal can transform the Seven Killers to generate the Day Stem, and the Seal can also control the Damaging and Consuming element. When the Day Stem is strong and there are many Damaging and Consuming elements, the Useful God is the Seal: if the Damaging and Consuming elements are too strong, they need to be controlled. When the Day Stem is strong and there are many same elements, the Useful God is the Seven Killer to control the same elements, which is called the Damaging and Consuming element riding the Seven Killer. When the Day Stem is strong and there are many Seals, the Useful God is wealth: wealth can reduce the Seals.

上述八格用神，寥寥數例，豈能包括意萬命造？取法亦不足為規範，蓋一命有一命之情形，非權衡通變不為功。拘泥拗執，則不免毫釐千里之弊。緣再拉雜數語如後，藉補遺漏於萬一。

The examples of the useful gods mentioned in the eight categories above are only a few instances. How can they possibly cover all the countless types of birth charts? These methods cannot be treated as rigid rules, because each birth chart has its own specific circumstances, and one must weigh and balance the factors, adapting flexibly. If one is overly rigid and inflexible, it is inevitable to make small errors that lead to great mistakes. Therefore, I will now casually add a few more examples as follows, to make up for any possible omissions.

（一）有勢有務（如用甲木，適當春月）。（二）有授助（如用甲木，見乙木或癸水之助）。（三）在干得氣（如用甲木，支見寅卯）。（四）在干不見克合（如用甲木，無庚克己合）。（五）在支得干生助（如用巳火，得甲木資生，丙火幫助）。（六）在支無刑沖合害（如用巳火，不見亥沖寅型）。（七）既見沖剋，而有解救（如用甲木受庚克，幸亦有乙木合庚，或丙火克妐。又如用巳火，被亥沖，幸見卯木三合亥水）。

The Useful God should meet seven conditions. First, it must have strength, for example, if the Useful God is Jia Wood, it should be in the spring month when Wood is strong, so that the Useful God is in its season and can be active. Second, it should be supported, for example, if the Useful God is Jia Wood, and there is Yi Wood in the column to help it, or there is Gui Water to nourish it. Third, if the Useful God is in the heavenly stem, it must have root in the earthly branch, for example, if the Useful God is Jia Wood, and there is Yin or Mao in the earthly branch, then it has root in the heavenly stem and is not empty. Fourth, if the Useful God is in the heavenly stem, it must not be controlled or combined with, for example, Jia Wood is most afraid of Geng Metal to control it, and also afraid of Ji Earth to combine with it—being combined means being hindered and unable to act. Fifth, if the Useful God is in the earthly branch, it must be supported by the heavenly stem, for example, if the Useful God is the fire in Si, it needs Jia Wood to nourish it and Bing Fire to support it. Sixth, if the Useful God is in the earthly branch, it must not be harmed by punishment, clash, combination or harm, for example, if the Useful God is the fire in Si, it fears Hai Water to clash with it and Yin Wood to punish it (the original text 'Yin Xing' refers to 'Yin Punishment'). Seventh, even if the Useful God is clashed or controlled, it is not a problem if there is another character to save it: for example, if Jia Wood is controlled by Geng Metal, but there is Yi Wood to combine with Geng Metal, or Bing Fire to control Geng Metal; or if the fire in Si is clashed by Hai Water, but there is Mao Wood to combine with Hai Water to form a Wood Bureau, thus the clash of Hai Water is transformed.

（一）健全，用神無克合刑沖，謂之健全。（二）相神，用神之力不足，幸有他字生助；用神受刑沖剋合，幸有他字解救。此生助或解救之字，謂之相神，在命局中，與用神有同等之重要。（三）格局相兼，如以財為格，用神亦屬財，乃格局而兼用神，其重要更可知矣。

Discussing the use god also requires distinguishing three situations. The first is called "sound and complete": the use god is not subjected to control, combination, punishment, or clash, and remains intact, which is called sound and complete. The second is called "assistant god": the use god itself lacks strength, but is fortunately supported by another character that generates it; or the use god is subjected to punishment, clash, control, or combination, but is fortunately rescued by another character—this character that supports or rescues is called the assistant god. Although the assistant god is not the use god, it is as important as the use god in the entire birth chart. Once the use god loses the protection of the assistant god, it often immediately fails. The third is called "combined structure and use": for example, if the wealth star is used to establish a structure, and the use god is also the wealth star, the structure and use combine into one, and the weight of this wealth in the birth chart is even more significant.

論命由陰陽五行干支之生克，進而取八格與用神，已可十得八九。然尚有越出常理，非八格所通及者，逐有外格之設。外格名目繁多，茲擇其通於理而可微信者，分論於下。

In divining a person's fate, one first examines the interactions of yin and yang and the Five Phases among the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, then proceeds to determine the Eight Categories and the Useful God. Among the ten types, eight can be accurately predicted. However, there are still some birth charts that go beyond conventional patterns, not covered by the eight categories of official husband, seven killers, official mother, biased mother, official wealth, biased wealth, food god, and injurious god. Therefore, the concept of 'External Categories' was established. The names of the External Categories are extremely numerous; old texts often list dozens or even hundreds, most of which are based on speculation and not reliable. Here, only those that are logically sound and can be verified are selected and discussed below.

曲直格之構成。甲乙日干，生於春月，地支全寅卯辰東方，或亥卯未木局，而無庚辛申酉等字。例如：壬寅 癸卯甲辰甲子。甲木生於卯月，支全寅卯辰東方一片秀氣，天干又得壬癸甲資生比輔，全無庚辛申酉之沖剋，是為曲直格。

The "Quzhi Pattern" is the first among the five special dominant patterns. The name comes from the meaning of "curved and straight" in the "Book of Documents · Hongfan," referring to a situation where the wood energy is uniquely strong throughout the entire chart, and the day stem follows this single dominant energy to form a pattern. The conditions for forming this pattern are: the day stem is a heavenly stem of wood, either Jia or Yi, born in the month of spring when wood is strong, and the earthly branches either gather Yin, Mao, and Chen to form the eastern wood land, or gather Hai, Mao, and Wei to form a wood trinity. There should be no presence of heavenly stems of metal, such as Geng or Xin, or earthly branches of metal, such as Shen or You, to clash and control. For example, in the birth chart with Renyin, Guimao, Jiachen, and Jiazi: Jia wood is born in the month of Mao, which is the peak of wood's strength; the earthly branches Yin, Mao, and Chen form the eastern wood land, creating a unified and refined wood atmosphere; the heavenly stems Ren and Gui water nourish the wood, while Jia wood supports the day stem through same-type assistance, known as "bi fu" (support from same-type), and there is no metal to clash or control, thus forming the Quzhi Pattern.

再如：癸亥乙卯乙卯癸未。乙木生於卯月，地支亥卯未結成木局，天干又得癸乙資生比輔，全無庚辛申酉之沖剋亦，為曲直格。曲直格之用神。既已格成曲直格，則其秀氣完全萃聚於日木之木，即以木為用神，忌金克伐，喜水木相助，見火吐秀亦善，逢土為財有火則不妨。

Now looking at this combination: Guihai, Yimao, Yimao, Guiwei. The ethereal stem Yi wood is born in the month of Mao, and the earthly branches Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wood trinity, creating a wood situation. The heavenly stems have two Gui water stems that nourish the wood, and the Yi wood supports itself. There is also no clash or control from庚 or辛 or the branches Shen or You. This is also the Qu Zhi pattern (the character 'yi' in the original text should be attached to the next sentence, making it 'also the Qu Zhi pattern'). For the Qu Zhi pattern, since the pattern is formed, the refined quality of the entire chart is entirely concentrated on the day stem's wood. Therefore, wood is directly used as the useful god. The most dangerous thing is the presence of metal to cut and suppress it. Once there is a presence of Geng or Xin or the branches Shen or You, the strong wood is stimulated and the pattern is ruined. Water and wood are preferred as they support the wood. Water nourishes wood and wood supports wood, both are in harmony with the momentum. Fire is beneficial as it allows the wood to release its refined quality. Fire is the food and injury of wood, and the refined quality has a place to be expressed, which is also good. When earth appears, it is the wealth star that wood controls. Normally, earth is disliked as it competes with strong wood, but if there is fire in the chart, wood generates fire, and fire generates earth, creating a continuous connection, which does not cause any problem.

炎上格之構成。丙丁日干，生臨夏月，地支全巳午未南方，或寅午戌結成火局，無壬癸亥子等字。例如：丁巳丙午丙寅乙未。丙火生於午月，支全巳午未南方，一片真火之氣，天干又得乙丙丁資生比輔，全無壬癸亥子之沖剋，無是為炎上格。

"The concept of 'Inflaming Upward' (炎上) also originates from the Book of Documents, the Hongfan Chapter, which describes the nature of fire as rising upward and burning. The conditions for this formation are: the day's heavenly stem is either Bing Fire or Ding Fire, and the person is born in a summer month when fire is strong. The earthly branches should either have all three of Si, Wu, and Wei (the southern trine), forming a continuous area of fire, or have the combination of Yin, Wu, and Xu (the fire trine), forming a fire circle. Also, there should be no presence of Ren Water, Gui Water, Hai, or Zi Water in the four pillars. For example, in the case of Dingsi, Bingwu, Bingyin, and Yiwei: Bing Fire is born in the Wu month, which is the peak season for fire; the earthly branches Si, Wu, and Wei form the southern trine, creating a complete atmosphere of true fire; the heavenly stem Yi Wood generates fire, and Bing and Ding Fire support the day's stem, with no Ren, Gui, Hai, or Zi to clash or control, thus forming the 'Inflaming Upward' pattern (the character 'wu' in the original text 'without this it is called the Inflaming Upward pattern' is a later addition)."

再如：丙戌甲午丁卯壬寅。丁火生於午月，柱中雖有壬水全無水氣，且與日干丁火作合，地支寅午戌結成火局，天干又得甲丙資生比輔，無癸水子水，亦為炎上格。炎上格之用神。既已構成炎上格，則其秀氣完全萃聚於日干之火，即以火為用神，忌水克滅，喜木水相助，見土吐秀亦善，逢金為財，有土財不妨。

Now looking at this birth chart: Bingxu, Jiawu, Dingmao, Renyin. The Ding fire is born in the month of Wu, and although there is one Ren water in the column, it has no root in the earthly branches and there is no water at all. Moreover, the Ren water combines with the day master Ding fire, so the combination prevents it from causing trouble. The earthly branches Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire trinity, the heavenly stem Ji wood generates fire, and Bing fire supports the day master. Since there is no Gui water or Zi water, it is also considered an Inflaming Up pattern. For the Inflaming Up pattern, since the pattern is already formed, the entire refined energy of the chart is concentrated on the day master's fire, so fire is considered the useful god. The most harmful thing is water that extinguishes the strong fire. It is favorable to have wood and fire to assist (the original text says 'wood and water assist,' but 'water' is a mistake for 'fire,' which is consistent with the examples in the patterns of straight wood and cultivated land). Wood generates fire, and fire supports fire, both are in harmony. If there is earth, the fire's energy will produce refined qualities, and earth is the food and injury generated by fire. If there is metal, it is the wealth star that is overcome by fire. If there is earth in the column, fire generates earth, and earth generates metal, thus the wealth is not obstructed.

稼穡格之構成。戊己日干，生於四季月，地支全辰戌丑未，或四柱純土，而無甲乙寅卯等字。如：戊戌己未戊辰癸丑。戊土生於未月，支全辰戌丑未一片土氣，天干又得戊已比輔，甲乙寅卯之沖剋，是為稼穡格。

"The term 'jia se' (cultivation and harvest) also originates from the 'Shang Shu · Hong Fan,' which states that the function of earth is to plant and harvest. The conditions for this formation are: the day stem is either Wu Tu or Ji Tu, and it is born in the four seasonal months of Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei (the last eighteen days of each season when earth is dominant). The earthly branches should be complete with Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, or all four pillars should be of earth without the presence of Jia, Yi, Yin, or Mao, which would be considered as wood elements that clash and control. For example, in the case of Wu Xu, Ji Wei, Wu Chen, and Gui Chou, Wu Tu is born in Wei month, the earthly branches include Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, making the entire structure dominated by earth; the heavenly stems Wu and Ji are of the same type and support each other, and there is no Jia, Yi, Yin, or Mao to clash and control, thus forming the 'jia se' pattern. According to the original text, the phrase 'without Jia and Yi, Yin, and Mao' is missing, and the original text has an omission. Following the examples of other patterns, it should be 'without Jia, Yi, Yin, and Mao to clash and control.' However, I will not make an assumption to add it."

再如：戊辰己未己未戊辰。己土日生於未月，地支辰未皆是土位，天干又成戊己一片土氣，並無甲乙寅卯之沖剋，亦為稼穡格。稼穡格之用神。既已構成稼穡格，則其秀氣完全萃聚於日干之土，即以土為神，忌木克喜火土相助，見金秀亦妙，逢水為財，有金則不妨。

Now looking at this birth chart: Wuchen, Jiwei, Jiwei, Wuchen. The earthy day stem Ji is born in the month of Wei, and the earthly branches contain two Chens and two Weis, all earth positions. The heavenly stems alternate between Wu and Ji, making the entire chart very earthy, with no Jia or Yi or寅 or Mao to clash or control. This is also a Jia Se pattern. For the Jia Se pattern, once it has formed, the entire chart's refined energy is concentrated on the day stem's earth. Therefore, earth is considered the useful god. The most dangerous thing is wood coming to control earth, as once wood moves, the strong earth is stimulated. Fire and earth are preferred, as fire generates earth and earth supports earth. Seeing metal brings out the refinement of earth, as metal is the food and destruction generated by earth. If water appears, it is the wealth star that earth controls. If there is metal in the chart, earth generates metal, and metal generates water, creating a chain of mutual generation, so wealth is not a problem.

從革格之構成。庚辛日干，生於秋月，地支全申酉戌西方，或巳酉丑結成金局，無丙丁午未等字。如：戊申辛酉庚戌乙酉。庚金生於酉月，地支全申酉戌西方，一片金氣。天干戊辛又資生比畏，全無丙丁午未之沖剋，是為從革格。

"The 'From Reform' pattern is described in the Book of Documents, the 'Hóngfàn' section, which states that metal has the nature of being able to conform to human will and change its form. The conditions for this pattern are: the day's heavenly stem is either Geng or Xin metal, and it is born in the autumn month when metal is strong. The earthly branches should be Shen, You, and Xu, forming a western area of metal, or the branches Si, You, and Chou should form a complete metal group, and there should be no presence of Bing, Ding, Wu, or Wei, which are fire elements. For example, in the case of Wushen, Xinyou, Gengxu, and Yiyou: Geng metal is born in the You month, which is the peak season for metal; the earthly branches Shen, You, and Xu form the western area, creating a complete metal atmosphere; the heavenly stem Wutu generates metal, and Xin metal supports the body. There is no Bing or Ding or Wu or Wei to clash and control. Therefore, this is the 'From Reform' pattern. Although there is an Yi wood in the hour's heavenly stem, it combines with the day's Geng metal and is thus restrained and cannot be considered a problem."

再如：戊戌辛酉辛己己丑。辛金生於酉月，地支巳酉丑，結成金局。天干又得戊己辛資生比輔，無丙丁午未之沖剋，亦為從革格。從革格之用神。既已構成從革格，則其秀氣完全萃聚於日干之金，即以金為神，忌火克，喜土金相助，見水吐秀亦妙，逢木為財，有水財不妨。

Now looking at the combination of Wuxu, Xinyou, Xinsi, and Jichou (the original day pillar is recorded as "Xin Ji," with "Ji" being a distorted form of "Si"): Xin metal is born in the You month. The earthly branches Si, You, and Chou form a metal trinity. The heavenly stems Wu and Ji earth support the metal, and Xin metal supports the self. There is no presence of Bing or Ding and Wu to clash and control, so it is also a Cengge pattern. For the Cengge pattern, since the pattern is already formed, the entire composition of refined energy is concentrated on the day's metal. Therefore, metal is the useful god. The most disliked element is fire, which controls metal. The most favored elements are earth and metal, as earth generates metal and metal supports metal. The presence of water allows the metal to display its refined qualities; water is the food and offspring generated by metal, and clear metal with pure water is most desirable. The presence of wood is the wealth generated by metal. If there is water in the column, metal generates water, and water generates wood, creating a continuous cycle, so wealth is not harmful.

潤下格之構成。壬癸日干，生於冬月，地支全亥子丑北方，或申子辰結成水局，無戊己未戌等字，如：壬申壬子壬辰庚子。壬水生於子月，地支申子辰結成水局。天干又得庚壬資生比輔，無戊己未戌之沖剋，是為潤下格。

"The term 'runxia' (润下) describes the nature of water as explained in the Book of Documents, the Hongfan Chapter, which states that water is moistening and flows downward. The conditions for this pattern are: the day's heavenly stem is either Jia or Yi water, and it is born in the winter month when water is strong. The earthly branches should form a complete northern water territory with the presence of Zi, Chou, and Hai, or the branches Shen, Zi, and Chen should form a water trinity. There should be no presence of Wu, Ji, Wei, or Xu, which are earth elements. For example, in the case of Renshen, Renzi, Renchen, or Gengzi: the Jia water is born in the Zi month, which is the strong season for water; the earthly branches Shen, Zi, and Chen form a water trinity; the heavenly stem Geng metal generates water and Jia water supports the body, and there is no Wu, Ji, Wei, or Xu to clash and control, thus forming the 'runxia' pattern."

再如：辛亥庚子癸丑癸丑。癸水生於子月，地支全亥子丑北方。天干又得庚辛癸資生比輔，無戊己未戌等沖剋，亦為潤下格。潤下格之用神。既已構成潤下格，則其秀氣完全萃聚於日干之水，即以水為用神。忌土克，喜金水相助，見木吐秀亦妙。逢火為財，有木財不妨。

Now looking at this birth chart: Xinhai, Gengzi, Guichou, Guichou. The癸water is born in the month of Zi, and the earthly branches contain Zi, Hai, and Chou, forming the northern direction. The heavenly stems Geng and Xin gold generate water, and the癸water supports the day stem. There is no Wu, Ji, Wei, or Xu to clash and control, so it is also a Runxia pattern. For the Runxia pattern, since the pattern is already formed, the entire chart is refined and elegant, with all the refined qualities concentrated in the water of the day stem. Therefore, water is the useful god. The most disliked element is earth that controls water. The preferred elements are gold and water, as gold generates water and water supports itself. If wood appears, it is beneficial as water generates wood, and wood is the food and offspring of water. If fire appears, it is also beneficial as fire is the wealth of water. If there is wood in the chart, water generates wood, wood generates fire, and they connect with each other, so wealth is not a problem. The five patterns of Quzhi, Yanshang, Jiashe, Congge, and Runxia are all cases where the entire chart is concentrated in the strength of one element, and they are collectively called the "Zhuangwang pattern." The principles of selecting the useful god are consistent: elements that follow the strength of the dominant element are considered favorable, while elements that oppose the strength of the dominant element are considered unfavorable.

從財格之構成。日主衰弱，生當財月，理取正偏財為格，而地支純屬財地，或結財局，天干再透出生財之字，日干卻無一點生旺之氣，不能任財，只得從之。例如：庚戌乙酉丙申己丑。丙火日干生於酉月死地，正財提綱，地支又全成申酉戌財地，天干乙木被庚合，己土又生財，日干全無一點生氣，難以任財，是為從財格。

The following are called "from formation" (从格). The first five formations are based on the day stem being extremely strong and following its own strength. In contrast, "from formation" is the opposite: the day stem is extremely weak and unable to resist the dominant force, so it must give up its own strength and follow the strong force. The formation of "from wealth" (从财格) occurs when the day stem is weak and born in a month where the wealth star (财星) is in its prime. Normally, one would establish a formation based on the proper wealth and secondary wealth, but if the earth branches are entirely wealth branches or form a wealth pattern, and the heavenly stems also reveal wealth, yet the day stem has no life energy, support, or strength, it cannot bear the wealth, so it must follow the wealth. For example, in the case of the birth chart with the day stem of Bing fire, born in the酉 month, which is the death place for Bing fire; the proper wealth star is in command of the month (the month's stem is called "提纲," which is the source of the overall climate). The earth branches of申, 酉, and 戌 form a wealth area. The heavenly stem 乙 wood, which could normally generate the day stem, is restrained by 庚 metal and cannot support the day stem. The 己 earth instead supports the metal to help the wealth. The day stem has no life energy at all, so it cannot bear the wealth, hence it is a "from wealth" formation.

再如：戊申辛酉丁巳辛丑。丁火日干，生於酉月財地，地支已酉丑申會成財局，天干戊辛，又資生比輔財星，日干無氣，亦作從財論。從財格之用神。既已構成從財格，財其秀氣完全萃聚於所從之財，即以財為用神。喜傷食財之幫扶，忌比劫剝奪。亦忌印之助身，逢官不妨。

Now looking at the combination of Wushen, Xinyou, Dingsi, and Xinchou: The day stem is Dinhuo, born in the metal month of You. The earthly branches include Si, You, and Xu, forming a complete metal group, and with the addition of Shen, the entire structure is of metal. The heavenly stems include Wu soil generating metal and Xin metal assisting the wealth. The day stem Dinhuo has no support, and thus it is considered to follow the wealth pattern. For the wealth pattern, since the wealth is fully formed, all the refined energy is concentrated in the wealth. Therefore, the wealth is considered the useful god. What is favored is the food god and the injurer, along with the wealth star, as they support the wealth. Food and injurer generate wealth, and wealth supports wealth, all in harmony with the followed god. What is disliked is the same stem and same branch, which take away the wealth. Same stem and same branch help the day stem but take away the wealth, and once they act, they become enemies of the followed god. Also disliked is the official star, which supports the day stem, as it would cause the day stem to be supported and thus break the pattern, causing the structure to become chaotic. As for the official star, it can both reduce the wealth's energy and control the same stem and same branch. Its presence is not harmful.

從殺格之構成。日主衰弱，殺旺而多，無印滋身，身實不能任殺，只得從之。例如：戊戌辛酉乙酉乙酉。乙木日干，生於酉月絕地，年日時支又皆墓絕之鄉，七殺而令，而又眾多，乙木全無生氣，豈能任之，只得從殺，是即從殺格也。從殺格之用神。既已構成從殺格，則其勢力完全在於殺，即以殺為用神。惟與八格用殺者不同，蓋獨喜財殺滋生，忌印之洩殺生身，劫比抗殺亦非宜。按日主衰弱，官旺而多，無印滋身，身實不能任官，可作從官格論。其用神之喜忌，與從殺格同。

The formation of the "From Kill" pattern is as follows: the day master is weak, the seven kills are strong and numerous, and there is no印绶 to nourish the day master. The body is too weak to bear the killing force, so it has to submit to it. For example, in the case of Wuxu, Xinyou, Yiyou, Yiyou: the day master is 乙 wood, born in the酉 month, which is the绝 place for 乙 wood. The year, day, and hour branches are all in墓 or绝 places. The seven kills are in command and repeated, and 乙 wood has no life force at all. How can it bear it? It can only submit to the kill, which is the "From Kill" pattern. The useful god in the "From Kill" pattern: once it has become the "From Kill" pattern, the entire situation is entirely on the side of the seven kills, so the kill is the useful god. This is different from the "Eight Patterns" where a strong body uses the kill. In the "Eight Patterns," using the kill requires control and transformation, while in the "From Kill" pattern, it is preferable to have wealth and kill mutually generating each other - wealth generates the kill, and the stronger the kill, the more genuine the submission. It is disliked to have印绶, as印绶 would dissipate the killing force and instead nourish the day master, causing the day master to be supported and thus no longer submitting. The appearance of the same or similar elements as the day master also opposing the kill is equally undesirable. Note: if the day master is weak and the official is strong and numerous, and there is no印绶 to nourish the day master, and the body is too weak to bear the official, it can be treated as the "From Official" pattern. The preferences and dislikes of the useful god in this case are the same as in the "From Kill" pattern - the official and the kill are both gods that control the day master. Since submission is required, the principle is the same.

從兒格之構成。日主衰弱，無印生身，傷食當旺，或且天干結黨，地支會局，身實不能任其盜洩，只得從之。傷食為我所生，故名從兒格。例如：丁卯壬寅癸卯丙辰。癸水生於孟春，木旺乘權，支全寅卯辰東方一氣，四柱絕金，日主有洩無生，實不能任此旺木，不得已而從之，從兒格成矣。從兒格之用神。既己構成從兒格，既以傷食為秀氣，為用神可也，不怕比劫，蓋比劫仍去生助傷食也。喜逢財星，謂之兒又生兒，仍得轉輾生育，秀氣流行矣。逢官殺不利，蓋官殺克身，勢必為己這害耳。況官殺與傷食，又屬冰炭不容乎。最忌印綬，因印能剋制傷食也。逢傷食為助用，自亦可愛。

The formation of the "From Child" pattern is as follows: the day stem is weak, the four pillars lack the nourishing influence of the official star, but the food god and injurious official are strong and in command, or the heavenly stems form a group and the earthly branches form a set, and the day stem cannot withstand such a draining influence, so it has to follow them. The food god and injurious official are things I produce, like children, hence the name "From Child" pattern. For example, in the case of Dingmao, RENYIN, Guimao, and Bingchen: the癸water is born in the beginning of spring, when wood is strong and dominant, the earthly branches of寅,卯, and辰 form the Eastern direction as a single force, and there is not even a single metal in the four pillars. The day stem can only be drained and not nourished, and cannot bear such strong wood, so it has no choice but to follow it, and the "From Child" pattern is established. The useful god in the "From Child" pattern: once the "From Child" pattern is formed, the food god and injurious official, which represent a refined and delicate force, are considered the useful gods. This pattern does not fear the same heavenly stem or the劫财, because although the same heavenly stem and劫财 are helpers to the day stem, they also help to nourish the food god and injurious official, which are the same as the things being followed. The most favorable is to see the wealth star, called "child producing child," where the food god and injurious official produce the wealth star, and the refined and delicate force circulates smoothly without stagnation. The presence of the official and killing stars is unfavorable: the official and killing stars directly harm the day stem, inevitably becoming one's own misfortune; moreover, the official and killing stars are incompatible with the food god and injurious official. The most disliked is the official star, because the official star restrains the food god and injurious official, thus weakening the force being followed. If the food god and injurious official appear again, they help the useful god, so they are naturally favorable. The "From Child" pattern is similar to the "From Wealth" pattern but different: the "From Wealth" pattern follows the wealth star, while the "From Child" pattern follows the food god and injurious official; however, since the food god and injurious official ultimately need to produce the wealth star, the preferences and dislikes of the two patterns are somewhat similar.

從旺格之構成。四柱皆比劫，絕無官殺之制，或有印綬之生，是旺之極者，只得從其旺神。例如：癸卯乙卯甲寅乙亥。甲木生於仲春，支逢兩卯之旺，寅之祿，亥之生，干有乙之劫，癸之印，旺之極矣，無財官傷食可取，唯有作從旺論焉。從旺格之用神。既己構成從旺格，既以比劫為用神，喜印綬比劫之生助。逢官殺謂之犯旺，凶禍立至。遇財星眾利相爭，九死一生。若局中印輕，逢傷食不妨。

The structure of the From-Prosperity pattern is when all four pillars are filled with same-kingdom and劫财, with no official or killer to restrain, or even with a seal to generate and support. The day master is extremely strong, and one must follow this strong god. For example, in the case of Guimao,Yimao,Jiayin,Yihai: the甲wood is born in the middle of spring, the two mao in the earth branch are the旺 place of wood, yin is the禄 of甲wood, and hai is the Growth of甲wood. The heavenly stem has乙wood劫财 and癸water seal, reaching the peak of strength. In the four pillars, there is no use for wealth, official, or food and injury, so it is considered as the From-Prosperity pattern. The useful god in the From-Prosperity pattern: once the From-Prosperity pattern is formed, the same-kingdom and劫财 are the useful gods. It is favorable to have the seal and same-kingdom and劫财 to generate and support, following the trend of strength. If there is official or killer, it is called "offending prosperity" - using a weak official or killer to touch a very strong god, which brings immediate misfortune. If there is wealth, it leads to a struggle among the劫财 for wealth, with many mouths sharing it, leading to a very dangerous situation. If the seal is originally light in the chart, and food and injury come to release the strength, it is not a problem.

從強格之構成。四柱印綬重重，比劫亦多，日主又不失令，絕無一毫財星官殺之氣，謂之二人同心，宜順而不宜逆，則即從強可也。例如：壬子癸卯甲子甲子。甲生卯月，值最旺之鄉，干見壬癸之卯，甲不之比，地支又子水三朋，財官絕跡，強之極矣，舍從強之外，無其他善策。從強格之用神。既己構成從強格，即以強神為用神（可以印綬與比劫並用）。逢比劫印綬順其強神，最為吉利。食傷以有印綬沖剋而必凶，-見財星官殺，謂之觸怒強神，勢尤殆矣。

The structure of the "from strength" pattern is as follows: the four pillars have multiple instances of the nourishing element, and there are also many same-wood and competing elements. The day master is born in the month of its strength, and there is absolutely no trace of wealth or official stars. The nourishing element and same-wood elements work together to support the day master, hence it is called "two people with the same heart." In such a situation, it is better to follow the trend rather than go against it, so the pattern is called "from strength." For example, in the case of the birth chart with Jiazi, Guimao, Jiazi, and Jiazi: the Jia wood is born in the卯 month, which is the most prosperous place for wood; the heavenly stems壬 and癸 are the nourishing elements that generate the day master, and the Jia wood is the same-wood element (the original text mistakenly says "the heavenly stem sees壬癸 in卯, Jia is not the same-wood," where "卯" should be "nourishing element" and "不" should be "wood"); the three Zi waters in the earthly branches are three nourishing elements standing together; there is no trace of wealth or official stars, and the strength is at its peak. Other than following the strength pattern, there is no other good strategy. The useful god in the "from strength" pattern: once the "from strength" pattern is formed, the strong element is taken as the useful god—the nourishing element and same-wood elements can both be used. When encountering the same-wood or nourishing element years, following the strong element is most auspicious. The food and injury elements could normally release the brilliance, but in this pattern, the nourishing elements are very strong, and once the food and injury elements appear, they are clashed and controlled by the nourishing elements, which leads to inevitable misfortune. Once the wealth or official stars appear, it is called "offending the strong god," and the situation becomes especially dangerous (the original text mistakenly has a horizontal stroke in "-见财星官杀," which should be the character "一"). The difference between "from prosperity" and "from strength" lies in the fact that "from prosperity" is the prosperity of the day master itself, and the nourishing element is just a secondary element; whereas "from strength" is the balance between the day master and the nourishing element, with both being strong.

化氣格之構成。甲日己時，己日甲時，甲日己月，己月甲日，生辰戌丑未月，不見木，為化土格。乙月庚時，庚日乙時，乙日庚月，庚日乙月，生已酉丑申月，不見火，為化金格。丙日辛時，辛日丙時，丙日辛月，辛日丙月，生申子辰亥月，不見土，為化水格。丁日壬時，壬日丁時，丁日壬月，壬日丁月，生亥卯未寅月，不見金，為化木格。戊日癸時，癸日戊時，戊日癸月，癸日戊月，生寅午戌巳月，不見水，為化火格。

The ten Heavenly Stems pair up in couples: Jia combines with Ji, Yi with Geng, Bing with Xin, Ding with Ren, and Wu with Gui. When these paired characters meet the appropriate month, they shed their original nature and transform into another of the Five Phases, a process called "Hua" (transformation). When this transformation results in a proper configuration, it is called "Hua Qi Ge" (transformation qi pattern). The conditions for this transformation are as follows: if someone is born on a Jia day with a Ji hour, or a Ji day with a Jia hour, or if a Jia day is paired with a Ji month or a Ji day with a Jia month (the original text mistakenly says "Ji month Jia day" but should be "Ji day Jia month"), and is born in a month of strong earth (Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei), and the four pillars do not contain wood to overcome earth, then it is considered a transformation into earth. Similarly, if someone is born on a Yi day with a Geng hour, or a Geng day with a Yi hour, or a Yi day with a Geng month or a Geng day with a Yi month (the original text mistakenly says "Yi month Geng hour" but should be "Yi day Geng hour"), and is born in a month of strong metal (Si, You, Chou, or Shen), and the four pillars do not contain fire to overcome metal, then it is considered a transformation into metal. For transformation into water, the conditions are: if someone is born on a Bing day with a Xin hour, or a Xin day with a Bing hour, or a Bing day with a Xin month or a Xin day with a Bing month, and is born in a month of strong water (Shen, Hai, Chen, or Hai), and the four pillars do not contain earth to overcome water. For transformation into wood, the conditions are: if someone is born on a Ding day with a Ren hour, or a Ren day with a Ding hour, or a Ding day with a Ren month or a Ren day with a Ding month, and is born in a month of strong wood (Hai, Mao, Wei, or Yin), and the four pillars do not contain metal to overcome wood. For transformation into fire, the conditions are: if someone is born on a Wu day with a Gui hour, or a Gui day with a Wu hour, or a Wu day with a Gui month or a Gui day with a Wu month, and is born in a month of strong fire (Yin, Wu, Chen, or Si), and the four pillars do not contain water to overcome fire. It can be seen that the paired characters must include the day stem, with the other character closely adjacent to the month stem or hour stem. If they are too far apart, they cannot combine, let alone transform.

例如：戊辰壬戌甲辰己已。甲木生於九秋，土旺乘權，甲己合而化土，不見他木，則無克破，而格局純粹矣。甲申癸酉乙丑庚辰。乙庚合而化金，時在仲秋，化神得令，四柱無火之克破，殆傑出之造也。甲辰丙子辛丑壬辰。冬水方旺，丙辛合而化水，又見壬水元神美妙無倫。辰丑皆潤土，不以克破論也。

Here are five examples. The first example is Wuchen, Renxu, Jiachen, Jisi: The day stem is Jiama wood, born in late autumn, when earth is strong. The day stem Jiama combines with the sky stem Ji to form earth, and there is no other wood in the four pillars to destroy this combination. Therefore, the pattern is pure (the "changed god" refers to the element that is transformed into, in this case, earth). The second example is Jiashen, Guiyou, Yichou, Gengchen: The day stem is Yima wood, which combines with the sky stem Geng to form metal. Born in mid-autumn August, the transformed element, metal, is strong. There is no fire in the four pillars to overcome metal, making this a remarkable birth chart. The third example is Jiachen, Bingzi, Xinchou, Renchen: In winter, water is strong. The day stem is Xima metal, which combines with the month stem Bing to form water. There is also a Ren water in the hour stem, which is another instance of the transformed element, water, appearing in the sky stem, called "origin god" revealing, thus making the power even stronger. Therefore, this is extremely excellent. The earth branches Chen and Chou, although earth, are moist earth that contains water, and cannot be considered as overcoming the transformed element.

乙卯丁卯壬午癸卯。丁壬合而化木，因在仲春，為木之最旺時令，格局更粹，八字無金，尤為可貴耳。丙戌戊戌癸巳甲寅。戊癸合而化火，雖不在夏火當旺之令，然有丙巳兩火之引化，甲寅兩木之助化，且不見水星之克，自亦化而有餘之象。

The fourth combination includes Yi Mao, Ding Mao, Ren Wu, and Gui Mao: the day stem Ren combines with the month stem Ding to form wood, and this occurs in the middle of spring, when wood is at its peak. The pattern is especially pure. There is not a single trace of metal in the four pillars, and since metal can overcome wood, the absence of metal allows the spirit of transformation to be unimpeded, making this particularly valuable. The fifth combination includes Bing Xu, Wu Xu, Gui Si, and Ji Yin: the day stem Gui combines with the month stem Wu to form fire. Although the person is not born in the summer month when fire is at its peak, the year stem Bing fire and the day branch Si fire both contribute to the fire element, encouraging it towards fire. The time stem Ji wood and the time branch Yin wood also support the fire element. There is no water in the four pillars to overcome fire, so the transformation is also abundant. This shows that the pattern of transformation is not solely dependent on the month. If both the guiding and assisting elements are present, the pattern can still be established even if it is not in its season.

（一）因克而破。例如：庚戌戊子辛未丙申。丙辛相合，時在仲冬，化水成立，乃戊土，未土，戌土競相剋水，格局破矣。（二）因妒而破。例如：甲戌丁卯壬午丁未。仲春木旺，丁壬可以化木，然化由合而成，今夫兩丁妒合一壬，合且因妒而分力，遑論化耶。（三）因化而破。例如：壬辰丁未甲子己巳。甲己化土於季夏，只因丁壬化木於年月，木來克土，是謂化神，破化神，格亦敗矣。

The breakdown of the transformed qi pattern has three types. The first type is broken due to mutual control. For example, in the case of Geng Xu, Wu Zi, Xin Wei, Bing Shen: the day stem is Xin and it combines with the heavenly stem of the hour, Bing. It is born in the middle of winter, November, where the transformation into water is already established. However, the heavenly stem of the month, Wu earth, the day branch, Wei earth, and the year branch, Xu earth, all exert earth qi to control water. The transforming element is controlled, so the pattern is broken. The second type is broken due to jealousy. For example, in the case of Jia Xu, Ding Mao, Ren Wu, Ding Wei: in the middle of spring, wood is strong, and Ding and Ren could transform into wood. However, transformation comes from combination. Now, the heavenly stem of the month and the heavenly stem of the hour both compete for the combination with Ren. Two similar elements competing for one partner is called 'jealous combination'. The combination is scattered due to jealousy, so how can transformation occur? The third type is broken due to transformation. For example, in the case of Ren Chen, Ding Wei, Jia Zi, Ji Si: the day stem is Jia and it combines with the heavenly stem of the hour, Ji, in the middle of summer, June, transforming into earth. This transformation is already in command. However, the heavenly stem of the year, Ren, and the heavenly stem of the month, Ding, also transform into wood in that area, and wood controls earth. This is called the transforming element controlling the transforming element, and the pattern is also broken.

（一）因克而破，破而復成。例如：辛酉丙申乙丑庚辰。乙庚化金於秋月，所畏丙火之破金，幸年干辛金合絆，丙火害而不害，此因合而轉敗為成也。甲子戊辰丙申辛卯。時在辰月，支全申子辰，丙辛合而化水，獨畏戊土破化，然有甲先制戊，戊不能為化神之害，此因克而轉敗為成也。甲戌丁丑甲申己巳。甲己化土而得令，憾於年頭甲木之破土，所幸丁火居月上，盜洩甲木而生助化神，此因生而轉敗為成也。

If something is broken but can still be saved, it is called turning defeat into success. The first type is when something was already broken due to being overcome, but then it is restored. For example, in the case of the combination of Xinyou, Bingshen, Yichou, and Gengchen: the day stem is 乙 and the time stem is 庚, which in autumn month turn into metal. The worry is that the month stem 丙 fire overcomes and breaks the metal. Fortunately, the year stem 辛 metal combines with and restrains the 丙 fire, so although the fire is present, it does not cause harm. This is turning defeat into success by means of combination. Another example is the combination of Jiazi, Wuchen, Bingshen, and Xinmao: born in the month of辰, the branches 申, 子, and 辰 form a water trinity. The day stem 丙 and the time stem 辛 combine to form water. The worry is that the month stem 戊 earth breaks the combination. However, the year stem 甲 wood restrains the 戊 earth, so the 戊 earth cannot harm the combination. This is turning defeat into success by means of overcoming. Another example is the combination of Jiaxu, Dingchou, Jiashen, and Jisi: the day stem 甲 and the time stem 己 combine to form earth, and it is exactly in the month of丑, which is the earth season. Unfortunately, there is another 甲 wood in the year stem that breaks the earth. Fortunately, the month stem 丁 fire is in the middle, which both drains the strength of the 甲 wood and supports the earth combination. This is turning defeat into success by means of nurturing.

（二）因妒而破，壞而復成。例如：壬寅丁未壬子丁未。壬日左右皆丁，縱在未月，因妒而化木不成，然年干亦壬，成兩丁兩壬如璧人雙雙，何妒之有，則仍化木而無疑矣，此因合而轉敗為成也。丁丑辛亥丙午辛卯。丙火冬生，凝於兩辛妒合，不能化水，尚幸年丁克去月辛，丙日仍可合時上之辛，而化為水也，此因克而轉敗為成耳。

The second type is when a situation has already broken down due to rivalry and jealousy, yet it is later restored. For example, in the case of the birth chart with Renyin, Dingwei, Renzi, and Dingwei: the壬 water day master is surrounded by two Ding fires on both sides. Even though it is born in the month of Wei (which is a wood warehouse and could originally transform into wood), the two Ding fires compete for the one Ren water and thus fail to transform. However, there is also a Ren in the year pillar, so the two Ding and two Ren form pairs, like two pairs of jade people matching each other, so where is there any rivalry? The transformation into wood is still possible, and this is achieved through the harmonizing effect. Another example is the birth chart with Dingchou, Xinhai, Bingwu, and Xinmao: the Bing fire is born in the month of winter, which could originally transform into water, but it is hindered by the two Xin metals in the month and hour pillars competing and hindering the transformation (the original text says '凝于两辛妒合' where '凝' should be '碍'). The transformation into water fails. Fortunately, the Ding fire in the year pillar overcomes the Xin metal in the month pillar, allowing the Bing day master to still combine with the Xin in the hour pillar and transform into water. This is achieved through overcoming.

（一）隔位。例如：辛亥庚子丙寅壬辰。丙生子月，辛透年上，年日之地位遠隔，合且勉強，豈可進而化水哉？（二）不得月令。例如：丙午戊戌丁亥壬寅。丁壬雖緊貼相合，然以時非木令，豈能化木，縱化矣，亦不得旺乘極，格局焉能成立，雖不必春日木令，方可化木，但亦須在亥未之月，蓋木生於亥而庫在未也。

There are two situations in which the transformation of elements cannot be formed. The first is when the elements are too far apart. For example, in the combination of Xinhai, Gengzi, Bingyin, and Renchen: Bing fire is born in the month of Zi, which is a water month, but the Xing metal is clearly visible in the year stem. The year stem and day stem are separated by a month stem, so the distance is too great. Even the combination is difficult, let alone the transformation into water. The second is when the element is not supported by the month's ruler. For example, in the combination of Bingwu, Wuxu, Dinghai, and Renyin: although the day stem Ding and the time stem Ren are closely combined, the birth month is not a wood month. How can the transformation into wood be possible? Even if we force it to be considered as a transformation, the element of wood is not in its strong position, so how can the pattern be established? However, there is a degree of flexibility here: it is not necessary to have the wood month in spring to transform into wood. Being born in the month of Hai or Wei is also acceptable, because wood has its growth in Hai and its storage in Wei, so the wood energy still has a place to return to in these months.

既已構成化氣格，自喜生助化神。惟化神太強，亦有喜洩，而洩者為用神。或化格逢破而得救，即以救神為用神。然終無以克破化神之字，為用神者也。至於喜忌，順用神則為喜，逆用神則為忌，即以順逆之極，消息可也。

Once the pattern of transformed qi is formed, it naturally prefers characters that can generate and support the transformed god. However, if the transformed god is too strong, there may be a preference for releasing its qi, and at that time, the character that releases the qi of the transformed god becomes the useful god. Alternatively, if the pattern of transformation has already been broken but later saved, then the character that rescues it becomes the useful god. But in any case, the character that overcomes or breaks the transformed god will never be considered as the useful god. As for distinguishing between favorable and unfavorable elements, whatever follows the useful god is favorable, and whatever opposes the useful god is unfavorable. By considering these two aspects of following and opposing, one can adequately determine the favorable and unfavorable elements (the original text says 'extreme' but it should be 'moment').

建格之構成。凡月支為日干之祿，甲日寅月，乙日卯月，丙戊日已月，丁己日午月，庚日申月，辛日酉月，壬日亥月，癸日子月，皆為建祿格。因不在八格之內，故立於外格篇。

"Lux" is the place where the day stem is in its official position among the twelve earthly branches, which is the place where the stem's own strength is fully manifested. Whenever the month branch is exactly the lux of the day stem, it is called the "Jian Lu Ge" (the original title "Jian Ge Zhi Cheng Cheng" is missing the character "Lu"). For example, if someone is born on a Jia day and in the寅 month, or on a Yi day and in the卯 month, or on a Bing or Wu day and in the巳 month, or on a Ding or Ji day and in the午 month, or on a Geng day and in the申 month, or on a Xin day and in the酉 month, or on a Ren day and in the亥 month, or on a Gui day and in the子 month, they all fall into this pattern. Since the month branch is occupied by the day stem itself, the heavenly stem hidden in the month branch becomes a twin, and twins are generally not considered to form a pattern. Therefore, the Jian Lu Ge is not included among the eight patterns, and it is only discussed in the section on external patterns.

建祿取格之原因。月支為命局之提，八格由是取出，日干強弱，亦由此推定。提綱得祿，先得月令之旺氣，日主必不甚衰，猶人之精神已充，總可做事業。若再財官印食等，匹配適當，尤為美命無疑。年支日支時支得祿，輔身力弱，俗書雖多取以為格，然終不若建祿之重要，無足可貴也。

Why is there a special category called "Jian Lu" (Established禄)? Because the month branch is the main framework of the entire chart: the eight patterns are derived from it, and the strength of the day stem is also determined by it. The main framework is the禄 of the day stem, so the day master already occupies the旺盛 (prosperous) energy of the month branch, and will never be too weak. It is like a person whose spirit is already full, who is sure to accomplish something. If there are also appropriate combinations of wealth, officialdom, education, and food (which represent different elements in the chart), it is certainly a good fate. As for the禄 found in the year branch, day branch, and hour branch, their supporting power is much weaker. The month branch governs the energy of the entire month, while the year, day, and hour branches only cover a small part, so their importance is naturally different. Although some common books also use these to establish categories, they cannot be compared with "Jian Lu," and are not considered valuable.

建祿格之用神。建祿格，財多身弱者，用比劫最宜。建祿格，財多身強者，用官殺最宜，無官殺用傷食亦可。建祿格，官殺多，身弱者，用印最宜。建祿格，官殺多，身強者，用財最宜。建祿格，傷食多，身弱者，用印最宜。建祿格，傷食多，身強者，用財最宜。建祿格，比劫多，用官殺最宜。建祿格，印多，用財最宜。

The "Jian Lu" pattern has eight examples of selecting the useful god. If there is an excess of wealth and the body is weak, the most suitable useful god is the same zodiac sign or the劫财, which both supports the body and divides the wealth. If there is an excess of wealth and the body is strong, the most suitable useful god is the official or killer, which both controls the body and protects the wealth; if there is no official or killer in the four pillars, then the food or injury can be used instead, allowing the surplus energy of the body to flow through the food or injury to the wealth. If there is an excess of official or killer and the body is weak, the most suitable useful god is the seal, which can transform the control of the official or killer into a supportive force for the body. If there is an excess of official or killer and the body is strong, the most suitable useful god is the wealth, as the strong body does not fear the official or killer, and the wealth can generate the official or killer, leading to wealth and honor. If there is an excess of food or injury and the body is weak, the most suitable useful god is the seal, which controls the food or injury and stops the leakage of energy. If there is an excess of food or injury and the body is strong, the most suitable useful god is the wealth, as the food or injury generates the wealth, resulting in refined and harmonious energy. If there is an excess of same zodiac signs, the most suitable useful god is the official or killer, which specifically controls the same zodiac signs. If there is an excess of seals, the most suitable useful god is the wealth, as the wealth can reduce the seals, preventing excessive support and blockage of energy flow. In summary, since "Jian Lu" indicates the body has a root, the selection of the useful god depends entirely on which aspect is most prominent in the four pillars, and the excess is restrained while the deficiency is supported.

月刃格之構成。凡月支為日干之刃，甲日卯月，庚日酉月，壬日子月，皆為月刃格，因不在八格之內，故附論於外格篇。月刃取格之原因。甲日卯月，庚日酉月，壬日子月，月建皆為劫財。劫財無取格之理，只得取月刃為格，蓋刃者，極旺之地位，日干既強極，若多財殺，亦為美造，惟不宜再多幫身，否則為下命決矣。

"The term '刃' refers to Yangren, which is the position where the day stem is overly strong—immediately following the禄 position. When the strength is at its peak, it turns into something fierce and violent. If the month branch is exactly the Yangren of the day stem, it is called the 'Month Yangren Pattern': for example, if someone is born on a Jia day and the month is卯, or on a Geng day with the month being酉, or on a Ren day with the month being子. These three cases are not included in the eight patterns, so they are discussed in the supplementary patterns. Why is the month Yangren used to establish a pattern? Because for Jia days, the卯 of the month; for Geng days, the酉 of the month; and for Ren days, the子 of the month—all are劫财 in the heavenly stem. Since劫财 by convention cannot form a pattern, they have to take the Yangren as the pattern instead. Yangren is a position of extreme strength. If the day stem is already extremely strong, and the four pillars contain many wealth and harmful stars, they can be used to consume this excess strength, which is still a good configuration. However, it is not advisable to have more supportive elements. If the strength is unchecked and not restrained, the negative energy cannot be released, and adding more support would result in a poor fate."

月刃之不取者。刃乃旺而越過其分，總是兇暴之物。臨於提綱，其勢更強，舒配得當，方可賴以輔身敵殺，否則奪財滋禍，影響尤大。除甲日卯月，庚日酉月，壬日子月，無別格可取，只得取刃。下列諸命，皆應避去，而覓別字為格。乙日寅月，不取刃格，而取寅內丙火傷官，或戊土偏財。丙日午月，不取刃格，而取午內己土傷官。戊日午月，不取刃格，而取午內丁火正印。丁日己月，不取刃格，而取己內庚金正財，或戊土傷官。己日己月，不取刃格，而取己內庚金正財，或戊土傷官。己日己月，不取刃格，而取己內丙火正印，或庚金傷官。辛日申月，不取刃格，而取申內戊土正印，或壬水傷官。癸日亥月，不取刃格，而取亥中甲木傷官。

The Yangren is an over-assertive element, generally possessing a fierce and violent nature. When it appears in the month's stem, its strength is even greater, so it must be properly paired to be reliable in helping the main element and countering the harmful forces. Otherwise, it will take away wealth and cause calamities, with more severe consequences. Therefore, except for the three cases where Jia-day is in卯month, Geng-day is in酉month, and Ren-day is in子month, which have no other suitable patterns and must take the Yangren, the following birth charts should avoid the Yangren pattern and instead choose another character to establish the pattern. For Yi-day born in寅month, do not take the Yangren pattern, but instead take the hidden Bing-fire official or Wu-earth biased wealth in寅. For Bing-day born in午month, do not take the Yangren pattern, but instead take the hidden Ji-earth official in午. For Wu-day born in午month, do not take the Yangren pattern, but instead take the hidden Ding-fire official in午. For Ding-day born in巳month, do not take the Yangren pattern, but instead take the hidden Geng-metal official or Wu-earth official in巳. (The original text mistakenly uses "Ji" instead of "Si" for the month, and the same applies to the following two entries.) For Ji-day born in巳month, do not take the Yangren pattern, but instead take the hidden Geng-metal official or Wu-earth official in巳—this entry is the same as the previous one, but the paired heavenly stems only match Ding-day (Geng is the official of Ding, Wu is the official of Ding), which does not match Ji-day, so this is likely a duplicate. Another entry for Ji-day born in巳month, do not take the Yangren pattern, but instead take the hidden Bing-fire official or Geng-metal official in巳, which is the correct interpretation for Ji-day. For Xin-day born in申month, do not take the Yangren pattern, but instead take the hidden Wu-earth official or Ren-water official in申. For Gui-day born in亥month, do not take the Yangren pattern, but instead take the hidden Jia-wood official in亥. These day stems, although also in their strong months, are not the true Yangren, so it is better to establish a different pattern based on the month's heavenly stem.

月刃格之用神。月刃多財，宜用官殺。月刃多官殺，宜用財。月刃多傷食，亦宜用財。月刃多比劫，必用官殺。月刃多印，宜用財。月刃而滿盤官傷食，宜取印為用。

The Moon Blade pattern has six examples for determining the Useful God. When there is an abundance of wealth, it is suitable to use officials andrestrain (restraining forces) — the blade is strong, so it is necessary to take away wealth, and officials andrestrain can control the blade and protect wealth. When there are many officials andrestrain, it is suitable to use wealth, as wealth can generate officials andrestrain, and this allows the power of officials andrestrain to control the overly strong blade. When there are many food and injury elements, it is also suitable to use wealth, allowing the energy of food and injury to flow through wealth, preventing it from leaking without a destination. When there are many similar elements and rivals, it is necessary to use officials andrestrain, as the blade and similar elements and rivals are numerous, and only officials andrestrain can suppress them. When there is an abundance of the heavenly stem's nourishing element, it is suitable to use wealth, as wealth can weaken the nourishing element, preventing it from further supporting the already strong day stem. When the entire chart is filled with officials, injurious elements, and food elements, it is suitable to use the nourishing element as the Useful God: at this time, there are too many elements that restrain and drain the day stem, and although there is a blade, it cannot support it, so the nourishing element is needed to transform officials andrestrain, control food and injurious elements, and support the day stem.

考八字有外格之設，無非為其越出常情也。然越出常情，亦得有規矩存焉。否則雜亂無章，直為下命耳。上述名外格，雖廖廖無幾，但皆秉一氣之旺，而殊嚴格於規律者，非若他格之求諸迂迴曲折，或散漫無紀也。

The reason why the eight characters are set up with additional patterns is because these birth charts go beyond ordinary circumstances. However, even though they go beyond ordinary situations, there are still rules within them; otherwise, if they are chaotic and disordered, they would simply be considered low-quality birth charts. The several additional patterns mentioned above, although their names are few, are all formed by a single type of energy being strong. They have stricter rules than other miscellaneous patterns, which require indirect and winding connections or are scattered without order. In other words, the reason why these additional patterns stand firm is that they are simpler than the eight patterns: one type of energy dominates, pure and unmixed, and their rules are even more rigid than ordinary patterns.

今請一一言之，建祿格，月刃格，皆得月令之旺也。曲直炎上潤下，從革稼穡等格，亦得時令之旺，而成局成方，較有秩序者也。從、從官、從殺、從兒、從旺、從強等格，亦一氣之旺，惟旺於從神，非日主本身之旺耳。化氣格乃以化神之得旺而成立。要言之，異途而同歸，皆成於一旺字也。

Now let us go through them one by one. The Jian Lu pattern and the Yue Ren pattern are both cases where the day master receives the strength of the month's ruler. The five patterns of Qu Zhi, Yan Shang, Run Xia, Cong Ge, and Jia Se also receive the strength of the season, and in addition, the earthly branches form a triple harmony or a triple convergence, making them more orderly than Jian Lu and Yue Ren. The patterns of Cong Cai, Cong Guan, Cong Sha, Cong Er, Cong Wang, and Cong Qiang are also cases of a single force being strong, but the strength lies in the god being followed, not in the day master himself (the original text is missing the character 'Cai' after the first 'Cong', which should be 'Cong Cai'). The Hua Qi pattern is established by the strength of the transformed god. In summary, these patterns differ in their approaches but all converge on the concept of 'strength'.

若身旺而月非也身旺，面支僅亥未或卯辰，以致曲直不全，從官而旺有根，從兒而有官印，從旺從強而略帶財官，合化而不得進令，是皆下等之命。豈可與各外格同日而語哉？毫釐千里之別，不可不慎察也。

In reverse, if the day stem is strong but the month stem does not support its strength (the original text reads 'if the body is strong but the month is not also strong,' with some textual errors, meaning that although the body is strong, the month stem is not in harmony with it); or if the earth branches only include亥 and 未 or 卯 and 辰, failing to form a complete triple harmony wood trinity and the eastern wood group, thus making the curve and straight pattern incomplete; or if one should follow the official but the day stem itself has a root; or if one should follow the child but the column contains official stars and seal supports; or if following strength and strength but with a slight presence of wealth and official; or if the heavenly stems are in harmony but do not receive support from the month stem and thus cannot transform—these are all inferior birth charts, how can they be compared with the previous various true external patterns? A slight error leads to a vast difference in outcome, so it is essential to examine carefully.

化氣格變化變幻較多，但亦通於理得，惟不易推究耳。如己合甲仍是土，庚事乙仍是金。然單己之土，丁壬丙見，自以印財論；合甲之土，丁壬兩見，即以木論矣。獨庚之金，戊癸而見，自以印傷論；合乙之庚，戊癸兩見，即以火論矣。

The changes in the "Hua Qi Ge" are the most numerous, yet they also follow the principles of reason, though they are not easy to investigate. For example, when the earthy stem Ji combines with the heavenly stem Jia, the result is still earth; when the metal stem Geng combines with the heavenly stem Yi, the result is still metal. The transformed element is the same as the original, so it seems there is no difference. However, the difference lies in the other heavenly stems. If the day master is simply Ji earth and sees Ding and Ren, Ding is Ji's biased official and Ren is Ji's official wealth, so it is naturally discussed according to the official and wealth. But if Ji earth has already combined with Jia, and sees Ding and Ren again, the two characters Ding and Ren themselves combine to form wood, so it must be discussed according to wood. Similarly, if the day master is simply Geng metal and sees Wu and Gui, Wu is Geng's biased official and Gui is Geng's official injury, so it is naturally discussed according to the official and injury. But if Geng metal has already combined with Yi, and sees Wu and Gui again, the two characters Wu and Gui themselves combine to form fire, so it must be discussed according to fire.

蓋日主即因合而化，則他干亦得逢合而化，但地支逢合，不作化論。因支中所藏人元，不止一字，再兼木支複雜錯綜，化不勝化矣。或詢從旺興從強，有何分別，此乃昭然兩義，從旺者，本身之旺也，印綬不過為其賓耳。從強者，身與印平均，而神皆旺也。

The principle here is that since the day master can be transformed through combination, other heavenly stems encountering combination can also be transformed. However, combinations in the earthly branches are not considered as transformation, because the heavenly stems hidden within the earthly branches are not just one, but include the main stem, the middle stem, and the residual stem, which are complex and intertwined. If transformation were also considered for earthly branches, there would be too many transformations to handle. (The original text's "wood" in "again with wood branch" is a mistake for "main.") Someone asks: What is the difference between the prosperous destiny and the strong destiny? This is clearly two separate matters: the prosperous destiny refers to the day master itself being strong, with the nourishing element merely as a complement; the strong destiny refers to both the day master and the nourishing element being balanced, with both being strong. The difference lies between the main and the secondary elements. (The original text's "prosperous and strong" in "prosperous and strong destiny" is a mistake for "and.")

人之富貴貧賤，窮通善惡，已在八字中而定，惡乎復用行運為哉？故人之窮通善惡，雖不能出乎八字之外，而行運扶之抑之，足使善者益善，惡者愈惡，此行運之所以不可忽也。

A person's wealth or poverty, success or failure, goodness or wickedness are already determined in the八字. Then why bother looking at the ten-thousand-mile destiny? One must know that although a person's success or failure and good or bad deeds are within the scope of the八字, the big years can either support or suppress. When encountering a favorable year, the good becomes better; when encountering a year that promotes evil forces, the bad becomes worse.the so-called「运限」 refers to each segment of the rotating heavenly stem and earthly branch. It cannot change the essence of one's destiny, but it can amplify or suppress what is already present in the destiny. That is why the ten-thousand-mile destiny cannot be ignored.

八字純善，並無惡神破壞。（甲）行扶善運，足使善者益善，功名富貴，無可限量。（乙）行破壞運，雖不為害，面必略見抑塞，稍不如志。八字雖善，而有惡神破壞。（甲）行去惡運，則八字中所有之好處立至。（乙）再見已破壞之善神，及所制之惡神，則壞處亦立見。

The power of a person's fortune is divided into four scenarios. The first scenario is when the original八字 is entirely good with no harmful spirits to disrupt it: (A) if it enters a period that supports beneficial spirits, the benefits will be even greater, leading to unlimited success, fame, and wealth; (B) if it enters a period that disrupts beneficial spirits, although it does not cause disaster, there will be some obstacles and things may not go as smoothly as desired (the original text's "面必略见抑塞" has "面" as a mistake for "而"). The second scenario is when the original八字 is good but there are harmful spirits within it causing disruption: (A) if it enters a period that removes the harmful spirits, the original good aspects of the八字 will immediately become apparent; (B) conversely, if the period again encounters the previously disrupted beneficial spirit or the originally restrained harmful spirit, the negative effects will immediately appear—since the beneficial spirit has already been harmed, encountering its kind again is like adding insult to injury; since the harmful spirit has already been restrained, encountering its kind again is like reviving a dead fire.

八字純惡，並無善神制伏。（甲）再行激惡運，足使惡者愈惡，其貧賤災禍，慘不忍聞。（乙）行制伏運，雖不能為福，而小草春風，亦可片時得志。八字雖惡，卻有善神制伏。（甲）行去善運，則八字中所有之壞處立見。（乙）再見所制之善神，則好處亦立見。

The third type is when the八字 is entirely bad and there is no good god to restrain the evil ones: (A) if one enters a period that further agitates the evil gods, the bad situation becomes worse, leading to extreme poverty, low status, and calamities that are unbearable to hear about; (B) if one enters a period that can restrain the evil gods, although no good fortune is created, it is like a small grass meeting spring wind, which can bring temporary success. The fourth type is when the八字 is bad but there are good gods that restrain the evil ones: (A) if one enters a period that removes the good gods, the original bad aspects in the八字 immediately become apparent, because the hand that restrains the evil gods is removed; (B) if the period again encounters the good god that restrains the evil ones, the good effects immediately appear. In summary, fate is just addition and subtraction, while destiny is the original capital.

日干弱，正官為格，財星重，取比劫為用，無比劫則用印。逢印比之運為善，財官之運為惡。日干弱，正官為格，食傷多，取印為用。逢官印之運為善，傷財之運為惡。日干弱，正官為格，官殺重，取印為用。逢印比之運為善，財官七殺之運為惡。日干強，正官為格，劫比多，取官為用。逢財官之運為善，印比之運為惡。日干強，正官為格，印多，取財為用。逢財食之運用善，印比之運為惡。日干強，正官為格，多見傷食，宜用財。逢財官之運為善，比劫之運為惡。

Below are the eight patterns and external patterns listed one by one. The first part is the pattern and its useful god, and the second part is the good or bad nature of the big years. The general principle is only one sentence: any year that supports the useful god or is of the same type as the useful god is a good year, while any year that restrains the useful god or strengthens the hostile god is a bad year. There are six rules for the official pattern. If the day stem is weak, the official pattern is established but the wealth star is heavy, and the use of the same type or similar elements is taken as the useful god; if there is no same type or similar element, then the seal star is used. A year with the seal or same type elements is good, as the seal star strengthens the day stem and the same type element helps to share the wealth, and the seal star controls the official; a year with wealth or official elements is bad, as more wealth will weaken the day stem further, and a stronger official will attack the day stem more severely. If the day stem is weak and there are many food or injury elements, the seal star is taken as the useful god; a year with official or seal elements is good, as the official generates the seal and the seal controls the injury; a year with injury or wealth elements is bad, as the injury further drains the day stem, and wealth leads to the injury and consumes the day stem. If the day stem is weak and the official or killer stars are heavy, the seal star is taken as the useful god; a year with the seal or same type elements is good; a year with wealth, official, or killer elements is bad, as wealth generates the official or killer, and the official or killer directly attacks the weak day stem. If the day stem is strong and there are many same type or similar elements, the official is taken as the useful god; a year with wealth or official elements is good, as wealth generates the official and the official controls the same type or similar elements; a year with seal or same type elements is bad, as the seal generates the same type or similar elements, and the same type or similar elements help the official, which weakens the useful god. If the day stem is strong and there are many seal stars, the wealth is taken as the useful god; a year with wealth or food elements is good (the original text says 'when encountering wealth and food years, it is good', where 'use' is actually 'as'), as the food generates wealth and wealth reduces the seal; a year with seal or same type elements is bad. If the day stem is strong and there are many injury or food elements, wealth is preferred; a year with wealth or official elements is good, as wealth circulates the injury or food elements; a year with same type or similar elements is bad, as the same type or similar elements take away the wealth.

日干弱，財為格，傷食多，取印為用。逢印比之運為善，傷財之運為惡。日干弱，財為格，財重用比劫，逢比劫之運為善，傷食財鄉為惡。日干弱，財為格，官殺多見，用印。逢印比之運為善，財官七殺之運為惡。日干強，財為格，若劫比重重，用傷食或用官殺。逢傷食官殺之運為善，印比之運為惡。日干強，財為格，印多見，用財為宜。逢作食財運為善，印比官殺之運為惡。

There are five rules for the Wealth pattern. When the day stem is weak and the wealth is strong but there are many food and injury elements, the use of the seal should be chosen. Beneficial years are those with the seal or similar elements, as the seal controls the food and injury elements and supports the body, while similar elements help the body and share the wealth. Harmful years are those with food and injury elements and wealth, as food and injury elements generate wealth, causing both loss and consumption, which weakens the body. When the day stem is weak and wealth is heavy, similar elements should be used. Beneficial years are those with similar elements, as they support the body and share the wealth. Harmful years are those with food, injury, and wealth, as food and injury elements further generate the already heavy wealth. When the day stem is weak and there are many officials and killers, the use of the seal should be chosen. Beneficial years are those with the seal or similar elements, as the seal transforms officials and killers into support for the body. Harmful years are those with wealth, officials, and killers, as wealth generates officials and killers, which further attack the weak body. When the day stem is strong and there are many similar elements, the use of food and injury elements or officials and killers should be chosen. Beneficial years are those with food, injury, officials, and killers, as food and injury elements reduce similar elements and generate wealth, while officials and killers control similar elements and protect wealth. Harmful years are those with the seal, similar elements, officials, and killers, as officials and killers generate the seal, leading to an excess of the seal and weakening the use of wealth.

日干弱，印為格，多官殺，用印。逢印比之運為善，財官之運為惡。日干弱，印為格，多傷食，用印。逢印比之運為善，傷食財鄉為惡。日干弱，印為格，多財，用劫比。逢劫比之運為善，傷食財鄉為惡。日干強，印為格，比劫重重，有官殺則用官殺，無官殺則用傷食。逢官殺傷食之運為善，逢劫比印鄉為惡。日干強，印為格，印重，用財。逢傷財運為善，官印比劫之運為惡。日干強，印為格，財多，用官殺。逢官印之運為善，傷財之運為惡。

There are six types of印格. When the day stem is weak and the official star and killing star are numerous, the印 is used; a journey with印 or similar elements is favorable, as the印 can transform therestrain of the official and killing star into a supportive force for the day stem; a journey with wealth or official star is unfavorable, as wealth can destroy the印, and the official star adds to the strength of the official and killing star. When the day stem is weak and the food and injury stars are numerous, the印 is used; a journey with印 or similar elements is favorable, as the印 can directly control the food and injury stars; a journey with food and injury stars or wealth is unfavorable, as it causes further leakage. When the day stem is weak and wealth is numerous, the brother or sister star is used; a journey with brother or sister stars is favorable, as they share the wealth and protect the印; a journey with food and injury stars or wealth is unfavorable, as the food and injury stars generate wealth, which in turn destroys the印. When the day stem is strong and the brother or sister stars are numerous, if there are official and killing stars, they are used; if there are no official and killing stars, the food and injury stars are used; a journey with official and killing stars or food and injury stars is favorable, as one controls and the other releases, both eliminating the excess strength; a journey with brother or sister stars or印 is unfavorable, as it only adds more support and causes blockage. When the day stem is strong and the印 is numerous, the wealth is used; a journey with food and injury stars or wealth is favorable, as the food and injury stars generate wealth, which in turn reduces the印; a journey with official star,印 or brother or sister stars is unfavorable, as the official star generates the印 again. When the day stem is strong and wealth is numerous, the official and killing stars are used; a journey with official star or印 is favorable, as the official star releases the wealth and generates the印, which in turn supports the day stem; a journey with food and injury stars or wealth is unfavorable, as the food and injury stars generate wealth, which becomes even more excessive.

日干弱，食神為格，官殺多見，用印。逢印比之運為善，財官七殺之運為惡。日干弱，食神為格，財多，用比劫。逢印比之運為善，傷財官殺之運為惡。日干弱，食神為格，傷食重，取印為用。逢官印之運為善，傷食財鄉為惡。日干強，食神為格，印多，取財為用。逢作食財鄉為善，印比之運為惡。日干強，食神為格，劫比重重，取食神為用。逢作食財鄉為善，印比之運為惡。日干強 ，食神為格，財多，取官殺為用。逢官殺財鄉為善，印比之運為惡。

The Food God pattern has six types. If the day stem is weak and the Food God is strong but there are many official stars and seven killers, then the use of the seal is needed; good fortune comes from the seal and similar elements, as the seal transforms the official stars and seven killers and also protects the Food God; bad fortune comes from the wealth, official stars, and seven killers, as wealth generates official stars and seven killers, and the stronger the seven killers, the more dangerous the body. If the day stem is weak and there is too much wealth, then the use of similar elements is needed; good fortune comes from the seal and similar elements, as the seal strengthens the body and similar elements divide the wealth; bad fortune comes from the injurious stars, wealth, and official stars and seven killers. If the day stem is weak and the injurious stars and Food God are strong, then the use of the seal is needed; good fortune comes from the official stars and the seal, as the official stars generate the seal and the seal stops the leakage; bad fortune comes from the injurious stars, Food God, and wealth. If the day stem is strong and there are too many seals, then the use of wealth is needed; good fortune comes from the injurious stars and wealth, as wealth reduces the seals and the injurious stars and Food God generate wealth; bad fortune comes from the seals and similar elements, as the seals weaken the Food God and similar elements strengthen the injurious stars. If the day stem is strong and there is too much wealth, then the use of official stars and seven killers is needed; good fortune comes from the official stars, seven killers, and wealth, as the strong body can bear the official stars and wealth; bad fortune comes from the seals and similar elements.

日干弱，七殺為格，財多，以劫比為用。逢印比之運為善，傷財之運為惡。日干弱，七殺為格，官殺重重，取印為用。逢印比之運為善，財官之運為惡。日干強，七殺為格，比劫多見，取殺為用。逢財殺之運為善，印比之運為惡。日干強，七殺為格，印多見，取財為用。逢傷財之運為善，官印比劫之鄉為惡。日干強，七殺為格，官殺重重，取傷食為用。逢傷食之運為善，官印之運為惡。

There are five types of the Seven Killers pattern. When the day stem is weak and the seven killers are present but there is an abundance of wealth, the method of using the same stem and same branch (jia and yi) is employed. Beneficial years are those with the help of the scholar and same stem and same branch, as the scholar can transform the killer and the same stem and same branch can divide the wealth. Harmful years are those with the official and wealth, as the official can generate wealth and wealth can generate the killer, which is like adding more soldiers to the enemy. When the day stem is weak and there are many officials and killers, the scholar is used as the method. Beneficial years are those with the scholar and same stem and same branch, as the scholar can transform the killer and generate the self. Harmful years are those with wealth and official, as wealth and official can weaken the scholar's power. When the day stem is strong and there are many same stem and same branch, the seven killer is used as the method. Beneficial years are those with wealth and killer, as wealth can generate the killer and the killer can control the same stem and same branch. Harmful years are those with scholar and same stem and same branch, as the scholar can weaken the killer's power and the same stem and same branch can support the killer's strength. When the day stem is strong and there are many scholars, the wealth is used as the method. Beneficial years are those with the official and wealth, as the official can weaken the excessive scholars. Harmful years are those with official, scholar, and same stem and same branch, as the official can generate the scholar and the scholar can weaken the official. When the day stem is strong and there are many officials and killers, the food and injury are used as the method. Beneficial years are those with food and injury, as they can control the killer appropriately. Harmful years are those with official and scholar, as the official can strengthen the killer's power and the scholar can weaken the food and injury.

日干弱，傷官為格，財多，取比劫為用。逢印比之運為善，財官之運為惡。日干弱，作官為格，官殺多，取印為用。逢印比之運為善，財官之運為惡。日干弱，傷官為格，傷食重重，取印為用。逢官印之運為善，傷食財鄉為惡。日干強，傷官為格，比劫多，用七殺。逢財殺運為善，即比之運為惡。日干強，傷官為格，印多，取財為用。逢傷食財鄉為善，即比之運為惡。

The Five Patterns of the Wounding Official (Shāngguān gé). When the day stem is weak and the Wounding Official is prominent but there is an abundance of wealth, take the same stem (bǐjié) as the useful element. Beneficial years are those of the Seal (yìn) and same stem; the Seal nourishes the body and the same stem divides the wealth. Harmful years are those of wealth and official; wealth and official are detrimental. When the day stem is weak and there are many officials and killers, take the Seal as the useful element (the original text mistakenly says 'official' instead of 'wounding official'). Beneficial years are those of the Seal and same stem; the Seal transforms the officials and killers to nourish the body. Harmful years are those of wealth and official. When the day stem is weak and there are many food and wounding officials, take the Seal as the useful element. Beneficial years are those of official and Seal; the official nourishes the Seal and the Seal stops the leakage. Harmful years are those of food, wounding officials, and wealth. When the day stem is strong and there are many same stems, use the seven killers. Beneficial years are those of wealth and killer; wealth generates the killer and the killer controls the same stem. Harmful years are those of Seal and same stem (the original text mistakenly says 'immediately same stem' instead of 'Seal', same for the next pattern). When the day stem is strong and there are many Seals, take wealth as the useful element. Beneficial years are those of food, wounding official, and wealth; the wounding official generates wealth and wealth reduces the Seal. Harmful years are those of Seal and same stem.

曲直格，逢水木火運為善，金運為惡。炎上格，逢木火土運為善，水運為惡。稼穡格，逢火土金運為善，木運為惡。從革格，逢土金水運為善，木運為惡。潤下格，逢金水木運為善，土運為惡。從財格，逢傷食官殺運為善，印比之運為惡。從殺格，逢財殺運為善，印比之運為惡。從兒格，逢傷食財鄉為善，逢官殺印綬為惡。從旺格，逢印綬比劫之運為善，逢財官傷食之運為惡。

There are five special strong旺格 and several from格. The good or bad effects of the fortune's movement depend entirely on whether it is in the right or wrong direction. For the curve and straight格, which uses wood, good fortune comes from water, wood, and fire. Water nourishes wood, wood supports wood, and fire reveals the brilliance of wood. Bad fortune comes from metal, as metal overcomes strong wood and confronts its strength. For the fiery ascent格, which uses fire, good fortune comes from wood, fire, and earth. Bad fortune comes from water. For the farming and rearing格, which uses earth, good fortune comes from fire, earth, and metal. Bad fortune comes from wood. For the metal transformation格, which uses metal, good fortune comes from earth, metal, and water. According to the text, it should say "bad fortune comes from fire," but the original text says "bad fortune comes from wood," which is an error based on the previous farming and rearing格. Wood is the wealth of metal, and it cannot break metal. Only fire can break the metal transformation格. For the moistening and descending格, which uses water, good fortune comes from metal, water, and wood. Bad fortune comes from earth. For the following wealth格, which follows wealth, good fortune comes from food and injury, and official and killer. Food and injury generate wealth, and official and killer protect wealth. Bad fortune comes from the scholar and similar, as the scholar supports the self and the similar takes away wealth, both encourage the day master to resist, thus failing to follow. For the following killer格, which follows the killer, good fortune comes from wealth and killer. Bad fortune comes from the scholar and similar. For the following child格, which follows food and injury, good fortune comes from food and injury and wealth. Bad fortune comes from official and killer, and scholar. For the following strength格, which follows similar and rivals, good fortune comes from scholar and similar and rivals. Bad fortune comes from wealth, official, and food and injury.

化土格，逢火土金運為善，木運為惡。化金格，逢土金水運為善，火運為惡。化水格，逢金水木運為善，土運為惡。化木格，逢水木火運為善，金運為惡。化火格，逢水火土運為善，水運為惡。

The method of handling the "hu qi ge" (transformation of qi) in the course of a person's life is also about following the direction of the transformed spirit. For a "hu tu ge" (transformation into earth), it is favorable to go through the years of fire, earth, and metal, as fire generates earth, earth supports earth, and metal drains the essence of earth. It is unfavorable to go through the year of wood, as wood will overcome the transformed spirit. For a "hu jin ge" (transformation into metal), it is favorable to go through the years of earth, metal, and water, while it is unfavorable to go through the year of fire. For a "hu shui ge" (transformation into water), it is favorable to go through the years of metal, water, and wood, while it is unfavorable to go through the year of earth. For a "hu mu ge" (transformation into wood), it is favorable to go through the years of water, wood, and fire, while it is unfavorable to go through the year of metal. For a "hu huoge" (transformation into fire), it is favorable to go through the years of wood, fire, and earth, while it is unfavorable to go through the year of water. The original text says, "when encountering the years of water, fire, and earth, it is favorable, and when encountering the year of water, it is unfavorable." The first "water" should be a mistake for "wood," as water is the overcoming element of fire, and it would not be both favorable and unfavorable.

建祿格，財多身弱者，有比劫。逢印比之運為善，財官之運為惡。建祿格，財多身強者，用官殺。逢財官之運為善，印比之運為惡。建祿格，官殺多，身弱者，用印。逢印比之運為善，逢財官之運為惡。建祿格，官殺多，身強者，用財。逢傷食財鄉為善，印比之運為惡。建祿格，傷食多，身弱者，用印。逢印比之運為善，傷比之運為惡。建祿格，比劫多，用官殺。逢財官之運為善，印比之運為惡。建祿格，印多，用財。逢傷食財鄉為善，印比之運為惡。

The "Jian Lu Ge" (Established Wealth Pattern) has seven types of running years. When there is an excess of wealth but the body is weak, the useful god is the same as the helper (the original text says "there is a helper," which should be "the useful god"). Beneficial years are those with the helper or the same as the helper, while harmful years are those with wealth or official positions. When there is an excess of wealth but the body is strong, the useful god is the official or killer. Beneficial years are those with wealth or official positions, while harmful years are those with the helper or the same as the helper. When there is an excess of officials or killers but the body is weak, the useful god is the helper. Beneficial years are those with the helper or the same as the helper, while harmful years are those with wealth or officials. When there is an excess of officials or killers but the body is strong, the useful god is wealth. Beneficial years are those with food, injury, or wealth, while harmful years are those with the helper or the same as the helper. When there is an excess of food or injury but the body is weak, the useful god is the helper. Beneficial years are those with the helper or the same as the helper, while harmful years are those with food, injury, or wealth. The original text says "injury and helper years are harmful," but "helper" should be "wealth." Helper is actually a helper for the body, so it should not be harmful. When there is an excess of helpers, the useful god is the official or killer. Beneficial years are those with wealth or officials, while harmful years are those with the helper or the same as the helper. When there is an excess of helpers, the useful god is wealth. Beneficial years are those with food, injury, or wealth, while harmful years are those with the helper or the same as the helper. According to the previous section "Useful Gods in Jian Lu Ge," there were originally eight types, but this section is missing the type "when there is an excess of food or injury but the body is strong, the useful god is wealth," which is a missing entry in the original text.

月刃多財，用官殺。逢財官之運為善，印比之運為惡。月丸多官殺，用財。逢傷食財鄉為善，印比之運為惡。月刃多傷食，用財。逢傷食財鄉為善，印比之運為惡。月刃多劫比，用官殺。逢財官之運為善，印比傷食之運為惡。月刃多印，用財。逢傷食財鄉為善，印比之運為惡。月刃而滿盤財官傷食，取印為用。逢印比之運為善，財官傷食之運為惡。

The Moon Blade Pattern has six types of fortune paths. When there is a lot of wealth, the official and killing stars are used; a fortune path with wealth or official stars is good, as wealth generates official stars and official stars control the blade; a fortune path with scholar or same element is bad, as scholar and same element will strengthen the blade. When there are many official and killing stars, wealth is used; a fortune path with food and wealth is good; a fortune path with scholar or same element is bad. When there are many food and damage stars, wealth is used; a fortune path with food and damage or wealth is good; a fortune path with scholar or same element is bad. When there are many same elements, official and killing stars are used; a fortune path with wealth or official stars is good; a fortune path with scholar, same element, or food and damage stars is bad—this case alone considers food and damage stars as bad fortune, because when the blade and same elements are numerous, they all rely on official and killing stars to control them; if food and damage stars appear, they will weaken the official and killing stars, and the controlling force will be lost. When there are many scholar stars, wealth is used; a fortune path with food and wealth is good; a fortune path with scholar or same element is bad. When the entire chart is full of wealth, official stars, and food and damage stars, the scholar star is used; a fortune path with scholar or same element is good; a fortune path with wealth, official stars, or food and damage stars is bad—here, there are too many things that weaken and drain me, although there is a blade, it cannot support itself, and only the scholar star can save it.

利於用神者，為善運。利於用神之運，而被柱中他神克去或合住者，善而不善，但亦不惡，平庸而已。不利於用神者，為惡運。不利於用神之運，而被柱中他神克去或合住者，惡而不惡，但亦不善，平庸而已。

In summary: any period of time that is favorable to the useful god is a good period. If this period is originally favorable to the useful god, but is overcome or combined with by other characters in the original chart, then the good aspect is not visible, but it is not evil either; it is just ordinary. "Being overcome" means the influence is blocked and cannot function, while "being combined" means it is restrained and cannot move. Any period of time that is unfavorable to the useful god is an evil period. If this period is originally unfavorable to the useful god, but is also overcome or combined with by other characters in the original chart, then the evil aspect is not visible, but it is not good either; it is also ordinary. Therefore, when judging a period, one cannot only look at the dry and branch characters of the period itself, but must also look back at the interactions between the period and the other characters in the original chart.

古法以一干及一支為一運，一運管十年。今人以一干一支，各為一運，一運管五年。此立法之不同，而休咎有異矣。蓋古法一運之吉凶，須干支並看；今人則走天干運，即以該干論吉凶，走地支運，即以該支論吉凶。管見謂折衷辦法，最為精當。何謂折衷辦法？即如甲午運，前五年注重甲字，兼看午字，甲占七分，午占三分。後五年注重午字，兼看甲字，午居七分，甲居三分。再舉詳例以明之，例如：

In ancient methods, a combination of one heavenly stem and one earthly branch was considered as one step of destiny, governing ten years; nowadays, people calculate the heavenly stem and earthly branch separately, each step governing five years. The principles differ, so the outcomes of fortune and misfortune naturally vary. According to ancient methods, the fortune of a step of destiny must be considered together with both the stem and the branch; according to modern methods, when traveling through the stem's destiny, only the stem is considered for fortune and misfortune, and when traveling through the branch's destiny, only the branch is considered. In my humble opinion, the middle way is most appropriate. What is the middle way? For example, in the step of Jiawu, the first five years take the character Jia as the main focus, with a secondary consideration of the character Wu, Jia accounting for seven parts and Wu for three parts; the next five years take the character Wu as the main focus, with a secondary consideration of the character Jia, Wu accounting for seven parts and Jia for three parts. This approach neither ignores the connection between the stem and branch, which share the same column and are inherently linked, nor does it result in the same judgment for the entire ten years without distinguishing the urgency and progression of the first and second halves. Let me now give a more detailed example to illustrate this.

甲子丁丑辛亥乙未。辛逢甲乙，又逢亥子丑，財多身弱為患。運逢甲戌，忌甲之輔財，喜戌之幫身，前五年七分甲而三分戌，凶多於吉；後五年七分戌而三分甲，吉多於凶。

This chart has the day master as Xin metal. The heavenly stems meet Jia and Yi wood, and the earthly branches are filled with water in the form of Hai, Zi, and Chou. Wood is the wealth for Xin metal, and water is the food and destruction for Xin metal. Excess wealth with a weak body is the fundamental weakness of this chart. When entering the Jia Xu year, Jia wood further increases the already excessive wealth, which is unfavorable. Xu is dry earth, which can generate and support the weak Xin metal, which is favorable. According to the method of compromise, the first five years, Jia accounts for seven parts and Xu for three parts, so misfortune outweighs fortune. In the latter five years, Xu accounts for seven parts and Jia for three parts, so fortune outweighs misfortune. The same year of the journey brings about a clear contrast before and after, clearly showing the usefulness of the compromise method.

身旺而四柱傷盡官星，行財運則當發福。用官而見傷官，妙入財印之運。用傷官而多者，宜印運。用傷官而少者，忌印運。用傷官而見官者，運入官旺鄉，禍不堪言，雖有吉神解救，亦必生惡疾，甚至殘軀，或遭官事。傷官原有官星，行去官運發福。傷官帶印，不宜再行財運。傷官用印，運行官殺為宜，印運亦吉，傷食不礙，財運則凶。

When the body is strong and the official star in the four pillars is completely destroyed by the official killer, this is called "destroying the official star." In such a case, when the fortune moves into the wealth path, it will bring good fortune. The wealth can lead the official killer's energy away from the official star, so that they no longer interfere with each other. Moreover, a strong body is well suited to bear wealth. If the official star is the useful god and the pillar contains the official killer, the best fortune is to move into the wealth path or the scholar path. Wealth can connect the official killer and the official star, while the scholar path can directly control the official killer. If the official killer is the useful god and there is too much official killer in the pillar, it is best to move into the scholar path, as the scholar can stop the excessive leakage of energy. If the official killer is the useful god and there is not much official killer in the pillar, it is not good to move into the scholar path, as the scholar will destroy even the little official killer present. If the official killer is the useful god and the pillar also contains the official star, once the fortune moves into a strong official star path, the consequences will be very bad. Even if there are auspicious deities to rescue, there will certainly be serious illness, or even physical injury, or legal troubles. If the official killer and the official star are originally present in the birth chart, moving into a fortune that removes the official star will instead bring good fortune. In a birth chart with the official killer and the scholar, it is not good to move into the wealth path, as wealth will damage the scholar. In a birth chart where the official killer is used with the scholar, moving into the official or killer path is most favorable, as the official or killer generates the scholar; the scholar path is also good; moving into the food or killer path is not harmful; only the wealth path is bad, as wealth will damage the scholar, thus harming the useful god.

傷官多印比，而財淺者，喜行財運或傷官運。傷官用財者，行財得地運發福，逢敗財運必死。傷官用財，不宜比劫運。傷官用財，行財旺身輕運則吉。傷官而有殺印，印運最利，傷食亦亨，雜印非吉，逢財即危。四柱殺旺運純，身旺為官清貴（運純獨行制殺運也）。時上偏官無制伏，行制運亦可發福。

In a pattern of Wounding Official (Shang Gan) with many Useful Gods (Yong Shen) and Wealth Stars (Cai Xing) being weak, it is favorable to have a fortune of Wealth or Wounding Official. Wealth can reduce the excessive Useful Gods, and Wounding Official can generate the weak Wealth. For a pattern of Wounding Official using Wealth as the Useful God, when the Wealth Star is strong and in a favorable position, fortune is achieved; when the Wealth Star is in a weak or destroyed position, death is certain — the Useful God is destroyed, and the life is also destroyed. In a pattern of Wounding Official using Wealth, it is not favorable to have a fortune of similar elements (Bi Jie), as they will take away the Wealth. In a pattern of Wounding Official using Wealth, if the Wealth is strong and the body is not too heavy, it is favorable. When Wealth is strong, the Useful God is in a favorable position. In a pattern of Wounding Official with both Seven Killers (Qi Sha) and Useful Gods in the pillar, the fortune of Useful God is most favorable, as the Useful God can transform the Seven Killers into beneficial elements. The fortune of Food and Wounding Official is also favorable, as they can control the Seven Killers. However, if the Useful Gods are confused or mixed, it is not favorable. If a fortune of Wealth comes, it is dangerous, as Wealth will destroy the Useful Gods and generate the Seven Killers. If the Seven Killers are strong in the pillar and the fortune is pure, as long as the body is strong, official position will certainly be clear and honorable — the author notes: 'pure fortune' means that the fortune is exclusively for controlling the Seven Killers without mixing other elements. If the Seven Killer in the time pillar is not controlled by anything in the pillar, when the fortune is one that controls it, it can bring fortune.

柱中七殺，坐祿乘旺，發自坐長生臨官帝旺，又帶比劫，財能化鬼為官，運入印鄉必發。制殺太過為貧儒，但行財運醒殺，亦發威權。七殺乘旺，身又逢刃，貴不可言，只忌財旺生殺，歲運加之，身旺且多災，身弱則尤甚。殺強身弱有印，最忌財運。殺旺身弱，行身弱運，禍不旋踵。身強殺淺，殺運無妨。身殺俱旺無制伏，又行殺旺運，雖貴不久。殺重宜制，如行官殺運，不死必貧。七殺行官殺混雜之運，或制伏太過之運，多去官退職，甚至凶死。

The seven killing stars (seven杀) sitting on the position of wealth, riding on strong energy, with the day master itself sitting on the positions of growth, officialdom, and prosperity, and also accompanied by the same zodiac sign and wealth destruction stars to support the day master, at this time the wealth star can transform the attacking "ghost" into useful official stars (seven killing stars without control are called ghosts, but when controlled and transformed they are called officials). If the fortune enters the land of the mother star, it will certainly achieve success. Conversely, if the killing stars are controlled too much, it is mostly a poor scholar; but if the fortune enters the wealth land and reactivates the suppressed killing stars—since wealth can generate killing stars—it can also bring authority. When the seven killing stars are strong and the day master is also sitting on the yang ren position, it is beyond measure, as the killing stars and yang ren working together represent a sign of power. The only thing to be cautious about is when wealth is strong and generates killing stars, and if the year or fortune adds another layer of wealth, even a strong day master may suffer disasters, and a weak day master will certainly face even greater problems. If the killing stars are strong and the day master is weak, relying solely on the mother star to transform them, the most dangerous thing is encountering wealth fortune, as wealth can destroy the mother star, allowing the killing stars to directly attack the day master. If the killing stars are strong and the day master is weak, and the fortune further weakens the day master, misfortunes will come quickly. If the day master is strong and the killing stars are weak, encountering a killing star fortune is not a problem, as it can supplement the killing energy. If both the day master and the killing stars are strong without any controlling element, and the fortune again strengthens the killing stars, even if one becomes prominent, it will not last long. If the killing stars are heavy and should be controlled, but instead the fortune enters the official and killing star mixed path, or a path that controls the killing stars too much, it is likely to lose the official position, retire from office, or even meet a violent death.

殺用食制，殺重食輕，則喜助食之運；殺輕食重，則喜助殺之運。殺食平均，而日主根輕，則喜助身之運。帶殺正官，不論去官留殺，去殺留官，身輕則喜助身，食輕則喜助食。日干衰弱，但不能從殺，殺即有制有化，歲運逢財旺殺旺地，必成災禍。倘更無制無化，歲運逢財逢殺旺地，無不危亡。身殺兩等，行運寧可扶身。

Using the food god to control the seven killer: if the seven killer is strong but the food god is weak, it is favorable to have a fortune that supports the food god; if the seven killer is weak but the food god is strong, it is better to have a fortune that supports the seven killer —— both sides should be balanced. If the seven killer and the food god are originally balanced, but the day stem is too weak, it is favorable to have a fortune that supports the day stem. For a proper official accompanied by a seven killer, whether it is to remove the official and keep the seven killer or to remove the seven killer and keep the official, if the day stem is weak, it is favorable to have a fortune that supports the day stem; if the food god is weak, it is favorable to have a fortune that supports the food god. Even if the day stem is weak, if it is not weak enough to be considered as following the seven killer, then even if there is control and transformation of the seven killer in the column, once the fortune reaches a place where wealth and the seven killer are strong, disaster is inevitable; if there is no control or transformation in the column, and the fortune meets wealth or a strong seven killer, there is no way to avoid danger. When the strength of the day stem and the seven killer are equal, it is better to have a fortune that supports the day stem —— only when the day stem is strong can the seven killer be used effectively.

原有制伏，殺出為福。原無制伏，殺出為禍。（原有即八字既有七殺、又有制殺，殺出、即行殺運也，此指身弱而言。）官星純正，行運復得官旺之鄉，或官星成局之運，或財旺生官之地，皆是作福之處。（此指身強而言）。日干弱，財官旺，又有殺混，行運復遇，更是徒流之命。

If there is already a controlling force in the original chart, the appearance of seven killers in the big year is actually beneficial; but if there is no controlling force in the original chart, the appearance of seven killers in the big year becomes a disaster. The author explains: "Original presence" refers to the presence of both seven killers and a controlling element in the birth chart; "seven killer appears" means entering a big year of seven killers. This statement is referring to a weak day stem. If the official star is pure and uncluttered, and one enters a big year that strengthens the official star, or a big year that forms a trine with the official star, or a big year where wealth is strong and generates the official star, these are all beneficial. The author explains: this statement refers to a strong day stem — only a strong day stem can withstand a strong official star. If the day stem is weak, but the wealth and official star are already strong, and seven killers come to mix in, and then one enters a big year that meets the wealth, official, and killer, it will be a life of exile and punishment.

正官如月時重犯，天干多透，再行官旺鄉，變官為鬼，旺處必傾，多致災夭。正官格，行殺運，即是殺來混官。正官格，行墓運，即是官星入墓。財官旺強，日主衰弱，行運至財殺旺鄉，多染勞療。正官為用，大忌行運至傷官之地，更忌刑沖破害之運。正官而用財印，身稍輕，則喜助身運，官稍輕，則喜助官運。

The official star (正官) if appearing repeatedly in the month column and hour column, with the heavenly stem appearing in multiple places, and then encountering a strong official star in the fortune, the official star becomes a ghost that attacks the self; when it becomes extremely strong, it will definitely cause downfall and bring many calamities and early death. For a pattern based on the official star, encountering a seven killer (七杀) fortune is like the seven killer mixing with the official star, causing the pattern to become turbid immediately. For a pattern based on the official star, encountering the burial fortune of the official star is like the official star being buried, the useful god (用神) being hidden and unable to function. When the wealth and official star are strong but the day master is weak, encountering a fortune where wealth and killer stars are strong, one is likely to suffer from consumption (痨瘵). For a pattern using the official star as the useful god, the most dangerous is encountering a fortune of the injurious star (伤官), which directly attacks the official star; it is even more dangerous to encounter a fortune involving punishment, conflict, destruction, or harm, as the root of the official star is disturbed and the official star cannot stand firm. For a pattern based on the official star that also uses wealth and the printing star (印), one must see which is more important: if the body is slightly weak, one prefers a fortune that supports the body; if the official star is slightly weak, one prefers a fortune that supports the official star.

正官用財，運喜印綬身旺之地，切忌食傷，然若身旺而財輕官弱，仍喜財官運也。正官帶傷食而用印制，運喜官旺印旺之鄉。正官而帶殺，其命中用比合殺，則財運可行，傷食可行，只不可復露七殺；若命中傷官合殺，則傷食與財俱可行，而不宜逢印矣。

A person with a true official (正官) as the main element, where wealth (财) generates the official, will find good fortune in years of strong official energy and strong印 (helper) energy, because if wealth is strong, the body (self) needs support. They should avoid years of food and injury (食伤) because these directly harm the official. However, if the body is already strong and the wealth is light while the official is weak, then they still prefer wealth and official years. In general, it depends on which aspect is lacking. In a true official pattern, if the column contains food and injury (食伤) and relies on印 (helper) to control the food and injury, then good fortune comes from strong official and strong印 years. The official generates the印, and the印 controls the injury, making the useful god more solid. In a true official pattern with seven killers (七杀), if the original chart uses a similar element (比肩) to harmonize the seven killer, keeping the official and removing the killer, then wealth and food and injury years are acceptable, but the seven killer should not appear again. If the original chart uses food and injury (伤官) to harmonize the seven killer, then both food and injury and wealth years are acceptable, but it is not good to meet印 years, as the印 would destroy the food and injury that harmonizes the seven killer.

食神多者，宜行印運。食神少者，忌行印運。食神喜行身旺地，遇梟逢比總成空。身旺印多，財運無妨；身弱有印，殺運何妨。印有比肩，喜行財運；印無比肩，畏行財運。貪財壞印，喜行比劫之鄉。印綬太過，不喜再行身旺地。財有比肩，喜行比劫之鄉。印太輕，宜官殺運生之；印太多，須財運制之。

When there are many food gods, it is advisable to go through the official or minister's fortune, as the official can control the excessive food gods. When there are few food gods, it is not advisable to go through the official's fortune, as it would eliminate them entirely. Food gods are favorable when the body is strong, as a strong body can generate the food gods; if there is a hawk god stealing the food or if there are similar or competitive forces competing for the food, the food gods will be ineffective. If the body is strong and there are many officials, it is acceptable to go through the wealth fortune, as wealth can reduce the officials. If the body is weak but there are officials, it is also acceptable to go through the seven killers' fortune, as the officials can transform the killers into nourishment for the body. For an official pattern with a close companion in the column, it is favorable to go through the wealth fortune—although wealth may damage the officials, the close companion can share the wealth and protect the officials, thus not harming the useful god. For an official pattern without a close companion, it is feared to go through the wealth fortune, as there is no one to protect the officials. If the fate already forms the "greedy wealth damaging the officials" pattern, it is favorable to go through the close companion's fortune, as the close companions can remove the wealth and protect the officials. If the officials are already excessive, it is not favorable to go through a strong body fortune, as it will only make the situation more congested. For a wealth pattern with a close companion, it is also said to be favorable to go through the close companion's fortune—although close companions are usually things that take away wealth, this statement contradicts common sense, and it is suspected that the character "wealth" should be "official," which is a mistake based on the previous statement about "officials with a close companion." If the officials are too weak, it is advisable to go through the official or minister's fortune to generate them; if the officials are too numerous, it is necessary to go through the wealth fortune to control them.

財多身弱，畏入財鄉。財多身弱，身旺運以為榮；身旺財衰，財旺鄉而發福。財多全仗印扶身，喬木家聲舊有名，不但妻賢兒子秀，晚年財帛累千金。柱中無財，若行財運，雖美，有名無實。財多身弱，又行官鄉，或財旺之運，禍患百出。財多身弱，要印扶身；身旺財衰，怕劫分奪。刃助官，則運喜助官，若命中官根深，則印綬比劫之方，反為美運。刃用殺，殺不甚旺，則運喜助殺，殺若太重，則運喜身旺。小盈大虧，恐是劫財之地。財多身弱，遇劫為福。財弱身旺，見劫為禍。多劫又遇劫運，守窮途而悽惶。

When a person has excessive wealth but a weak body, they should be cautious about entering a wealth-rich environment. If one has too much wealth but a weak body, they can achieve success and recognition only when they encounter a period that strengthens their own strength. If one has a strong body but lacks wealth, they can gain prosperity when they enter a wealth-rich environment. Here is an old verse: "When wealth is abundant, it relies entirely on the印 (favorable influence) to support the self; noble family lineage is well known, not only does the wife become virtuous and the son outstanding, but in old age, wealth can accumulate in thousands of gold." This refers to a person with excessive wealth but a weak body who relies entirely on the印 (favorable influence) to support their own strength. If the印 is strong, not only does the person come from a noble family, but also the wife is virtuous and the son is outstanding, and in old age, they can accumulate thousands of gold. If there is no original wealth in the four pillars, even if they encounter a wealth period, it may seem good, but it is actually empty because the original chart lacks roots to support it. If one has excessive wealth but a weak body and encounters an official (authority) period or a wealth-rich period, many misfortunes will arise—wealth generates officials, officials suppress the self, and the self becomes even more unable to bear the burden. When one has excessive wealth but a weak body, they rely on the印 (favorable influence) to support themselves; when one has a strong body but lacks wealth, they fear the presence of rivals who will take away the wealth. For a person with the Yangren (sheep's horn) pattern who is controlled by the official star, they prefer a period that supports the official star. If the official star is already strong and deep-rooted in the original chart, then the directions of the印 (favorable influence) and rivals become favorable, because the official star is sufficient and there is no need for more. For a person with the Yangren (sheep's horn) pattern controlled by the seven deadly stars, if the seven deadly stars are not very strong, they prefer a period that supports the seven deadly stars; if the seven deadly stars are too strong, they prefer a period that strengthens themselves. The saying "small gain, great loss" mostly refers to encountering a period of rivals: gaining a little but losing a lot, which is the nature of the rival star. When one has excessive wealth but a weak body, encountering rivals brings fortune; when one has weak wealth but a strong body, encountering rivals brings misfortune. If the original chart already has many rivals, and then another period of rivals comes, they can only remain in a desperate situation, feeling lonely and anxious.

流年干支，利於用神為善。流年干支，不利於用神為惡。流年干支，利於用神，但為局中他神克去或合住，善而不善，然亦不惡，平庸而已。流年干支，不利於用神，但為局中他神克去或合住，惡而不惡，然亦不善，平庸而已。

The "flow year" refers to the group of heavenly stem and earthly branch that is in charge each year, changing every year. It is more closely related to current fortune and misfortune than the ten-year cycle of big years. The method of judging flow years is the same as judging big years: if the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the flow year are favorable to the useful god, it is a good year; if they are unfavorable, it is a bad year. If the flow year's heavenly stem and earthly branch are originally favorable to the useful god, but are overcome or combined by other characters in the birth chart, then the good aspect is not clearly visible, but it is not considered bad, and it is ordinary. Similarly, if the flow year's heavenly stem and earthly branch are originally unfavorable to the useful god, but are overcome or combined by other characters in the birth chart, then the bad aspect is not clearly visible, but it is not considered good, and it is also ordinary. In summary, the influence of the flow year should still be evaluated within the original birth chart, and cannot be viewed in isolation.

流年善，運亦善，則更妙。流年善，運惡，則善惡互見。流年惡，運亦惡，則更惡。流年惡，運善，則善惡互見。流年善，惟被局中某神克合，若運來制住克合之神，則仍佳妙。流年惡，惟被局中某神克合，若運來制住克合之神，則仍蹇劣。流年善，惟被局中某神克合，若運來生畏克合之神，則凶多吉少。流年惡，惟被局中某神克合，若運來生輔克合之神，則吉多凶少。流年善，運若生助之，則更善。流年惡，運若生助之，則更惡。（十一）流年善，運若克挫之，則善力減輕。（十二）流年惡，運若克挫之，則惡力減輕。

When considering the current year and the big destiny period together, there are twelve combinations. If both the current year and the big destiny period are favorable, then the situation becomes even better. If the current year is favorable but the big destiny period is unfavorable, then both good and bad influences are present. If both the current year and the big destiny period are unfavorable, then the situation becomes even worse. If the current year is unfavorable but the big destiny period is favorable, then again both good and bad influences are present. If the current year is originally favorable but is restrained or combined by a character in the birth chart, and the big destiny period removes that restraining or combining force, then the year remains favorable. If the current year is originally unfavorable but is restrained or combined by a character in the birth chart, and the big destiny period removes that restraining or combining force, then the year remains difficult and unfavorable—originally the hand that was protecting me has been removed by the big destiny period. If the current year is originally favorable but is restrained or combined by a character in the birth chart, and the big destiny period supports that restraining or combining force, then there will be more misfortune than good fortune (the original text says '生畏' which should be '生辅', and this applies to the following line as well). If the current year is originally unfavorable but is restrained or combined by a character in the birth chart, and the big destiny period supports that restraining or combining force, then there will be more good fortune than misfortune. If the current year is favorable and the big destiny period also supports it, then the situation becomes even more favorable. If the current year is unfavorable and the big destiny period also supports it, then the situation becomes even more unfavorable. The eleventh combination: if the current year is favorable but the big destiny period restrains or hinders it, then the favorable influence is reduced. The twelfth combination: if the current year is unfavorable but the big destiny period restrains or hinders it, then the unfavorable influence is also reduced.

有謂流年，重天干。亦有以天干為上半年，地支為下半年，皆非的論。當以干支並看，最較精確。其法有十二。流年干支，皆利於有神，乃大吉之年。流年干支，皆不利於用神，乃大凶之年。流年天干，利於用神，地支不利於用神，乃吉凶參半之年。流年天干，不利於用神，地支益助用神，亦吉凶互見之年。流年天干，利於用神，而地支再輔助之，大吉之年。流年天干，不利於用神，而地支再輔助之，大凶之年。

Some people say that when looking at the flow of years, only the heavenly stems are important, while others treat the heavenly stems as the first half of the year and the earthly branches as the second half. Both of these views are not accurate. The reason we need to consider both heavenly stems and earthly branches together is that the energy of a year is naturally integrated. The heavenly stems govern the external aspects and correspond to already occurred events, while the earthly branches govern the internal aspects and conceal potential trends that have not yet manifested. To divide the year into two halves arbitrarily would be too rigid. The following twelve points are simply distinguishing the relationship between the heavenly stems and earthly branches in relation to the useful god, whether they support or oppose it, and their relative importance. If both the heavenly stem and the earthly branch are favorable to the useful god, it is a very auspicious year. If both are unfavorable, it is a very inauspicious year. If the heavenly stem is favorable but the earthly branch is not, it is a year with both good and bad aspects. If the heavenly stem is unfavorable but the earthly branch supports the useful god, it is also a year with both good and bad aspects. If the heavenly stem is favorable and the earthly branch also supports it, it is a very auspicious year. If the heavenly stem is unfavorable and the earthly branch also supports it, it is a very inauspicious year.

流年地支，利於用神，而天干再輔助之，大吉之年。流年地支，不利於用神，而天干再輔助之，大凶之年。流年天干，利於用神，而地支克挫之，吉力減輕。流年天干，不利於用神，而地支克挫之，凶力減輕。（十一）流年地支，利於用神，而天干克挫之，吉力減輕。（十二）流年地支，不利於用神，而天干克挫之，凶力減輕。

When the Earthly Branches are favorable to the Useful God and the Heavenly Stems support it, it is a very auspicious year. When the Earthly Branches are unfavorable to the Useful God and the Heavenly Stems also support it, it is a very inauspicious year. If the Heavenly Stems are favorable to the Useful God but the Earthly Branches hinder or weaken it, the auspicious force is reduced. If the Heavenly Stems are unfavorable to the Useful God and the Earthly Branches hinder or weaken it, the inauspicious force is reduced. Rule 11: When the Earthly Branches are favorable to the Useful God but the Heavenly Stems hinder or weaken it, the auspicious force is reduced. Rule 12: When the Earthly Branches are unfavorable to the Useful God and the Heavenly Stems hinder or weaken it, the inauspicious force is reduced. Summarizing these twelve rules, they can be divided into three main categories: when the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are in the same direction, their power is complete; when they are in opposite directions, their power is divided; when one is hindered or weakened by the other, its power is reduced. To assess the flow year, first determine whether the Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch of that year are favorable or unfavorable to the Useful God, then check whether they support or hinder each other. The degree of auspiciousness or inauspiciousness will naturally become clear.

月建干支，利於用神為善。月建干支，不利於有神為惡。月建干支，利於用神，但為局中他神克運河或合住，善而不善，然亦不惡，平庸而已。月建干支，不利於用神，但為局中他神克去或合住，惡而不惡，然亦不善，平庸而已。

The "Month Builder" refers to the flow month, which is the set of heavenly stem and earthly branch that take turns governing each of the twelve months annually. It is a more detailed division than the flow year. Its interpretation is similar to that of the flow year: if the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the Month Builder are favorable to the Useful God, it is considered good; if unfavorable, it is considered bad (the original text's "unfavorable to have a god" should be "unfavorable to the Useful God"). If the Month Builder's heavenly stem and earthly branch are originally favorable to the Useful God, but are overcome or combined with by other characters in the birth chart, then the good aspect is not visible, but it is not bad either; it is ordinary. If the Month Builder's heavenly stem and earthly branch are originally unfavorable to the Useful God, but are also overcome or combined with by other characters in the birth chart, then the bad aspect is not visible, but it is not good either; it is also ordinary.

月建善，流年亦善，則更妙。月建善，流年惡，則善中有惡。月建惡，流年亦惡，則更惡。月建惡，流年善，則惡中有善。月建善，惟被局中某神克合，若流年制住克合之神，則仍佳妙。月建惡，惟被局中某神克合，若流年制住克合之神，則仍蹇劣。月建善，惟被局中某神克合，若流年生輔克合之神，則凶多吉少。月建惡，惟被局中某神克合，若流年生輔克合之神，則吉多凶少。月建善，流年再生助之，則更善。月建惡，充年再生助之，則更惡。月建善，流年若克挫之，則善力減輕。月建惡，流年若克挫之，則惡力減輕。

When considering the Month Builder (月建) together with the current year (流年), the rules are entirely parallel to the twelve principles for matching the current year with the big destiny period (大运). If both the Month Builder and the current year are favorable, it is even more auspicious. If the Month Builder is favorable but the current year is unfavorable, there is a mixture of good and bad. If both the Month Builder and the current year are unfavorable, it becomes even worse. If the Month Builder is unfavorable but the current year is favorable, there is a mixture of bad and good. If the Month Builder is originally favorable but is restricted or combined by a certain character in the chart, and the current year controls or subdues that restricting or combining element, then the month remains excellent. If the Month Builder is originally unfavorable but is restricted or combined by a certain character, and the current year controls or subdues that restricting or combining element, then the month remains difficult— the obstacle in front is removed. If the Month Builder is originally favorable but is restricted or combined by a certain character, and the current year instead supports or strengthens that restricting or combining element, it becomes mostly unfavorable. If the Month Builder is originally unfavorable but is restricted or combined by a certain character, and the current year also supports or strengthens that restricting or combining element, it becomes mostly favorable. If the Month Builder is favorable and the current year also supports it, it becomes even more favorable. If the Month Builder is unfavorable and the current year also supports it, it becomes even more unfavorable (the original text '充年' is a misspelling of '流年'). If the Month Builder is favorable and the current year comes to restrict or weaken it, the favorable force is reduced. If the Month Builder is unfavorable and the current year comes to restrict or weaken it, the unfavorable force is reduced. From this, we can see that the big destiny period governs the current year, the current year governs the Month Builder, and each level governs the one below it, with the closer level governing more specifically.

月建看法，月干重於月支，因干流動，而支固定。月建即流月也。或以干為上半月，支為下半月，不甚可信，總宜干支合看。亦有以月支所藏人元，分何者當旺幾天，而定幾天吉凶，更不足信，蓋完全偏重於月支。成如此說，則月建可無須月干矣。看命中強弱，且不能以建中人元旺幾天而標定，況流年中之流動月建耶。

Looking at the month builder, the heavenly stem of the month is more important than the earthly branch, because heavenly stems are flowing and change every year, while earthly branches are fixed — the first month is always寅, the second month is always卯, and so on every year. The month builder refers to the flowing month. Some people take the heavenly stem of the month as the first half of the month and the earthly branch as the second half, but this is not reliable. It is better to consider both the heavenly and earthly stems together. Others divide the heavenly stems hidden in the earthly branch of the month, assigning each to be dominant for certain days, and use this to determine which days are auspicious and which are inauspicious. This is even less reliable, as it focuses entirely on the earthly branch. If we follow this approach, would the heavenly stem of the month not be unnecessary? Moreover, even when assessing the strength of the five phases in a birth chart, we cannot rigidly determine their strength based on how many days each heavenly stem is dominant in the month, and even less so for the flowing month builder in the year.

正月必為寅月，二月必為卯月，月支固定，故不若月干之重視。然而時令與月建，頗有關繫焉。特敘述如後。（一）春令木旺，甲寅月、乙卯月、甲辰月，則木更盛。丙寅月、丁卯月、丙辰月，則火得木生而亦強。戊寅月、己卯月、戊辰月，則土被木克而不健。庚寅月、辛卯月、庚辰月，則金為木挫而無力。壬寅月、癸卯月、壬辰月，則水受木洩亦疲弱。

January is always the Year of the Tiger, and February is always the Year of the Rabbit. Since the Earthly Branch is fixed, it is not as significant as the Heavenly Stem. However, the relationship between the season and the Month Builder is quite close. Here is a detailed explanation. First, in spring, wood is strong. If it is the month of Jiayin, Yimao, or Jiachen, the Heavenly Stem is also wood, making wood even stronger. If it is the month of Bingyin, Dingmao, or Bingchen, the Heavenly Stem is fire, and fire is strengthened by the thriving wood. If it is the month of Wuyin, Jimao, or Wuchen, the Heavenly Stem is earth, and earth is weakened by the strong wood. If it is the month of Gengyin, Xinmao, or Gengchen, the Heavenly Stem is metal, and metal is weakened by the strong wood. Instead of saying wood overcomes metal, we say metal is weakened by wood because when wood is strong, the metal that comes to overcome it is itself weakened. If it is the month of Renyin, Guimao, or Renchen, the Heavenly Stem is water, and water is weakened by the strong wood. The same Heavenly Stem in different seasons has vastly different strength, which is why we need to consider the season as well.

（二）夏令火旺。丁巳月、丙午月、丁未月，則火更盛。己巳月、戊午月、己未月，則土得火生而亦強。辛巳月、庚午月、辛未月，則金被火熔而不健。癸巳月、壬午月、癸未月，則水為火灼而無力。乙巳月、甲午月、乙未月則木受火洩亦疲弱。（三）秋令金旺。庚申月、辛酉月、庚戌月，則金更盛。壬申月、癸酉月、壬戌月，則水得金生而亦強。甲申月、乙酉月、甲戌月，則木被金克而不健。丙申月、丁酉月、丙戌月，則火為金磨而無力。戊申月、己酉月、戊戌月土受金洩亦疲弱。

Second, in summer the fire is strong: in the months of Ding Si, Bing Wu, and Ding Wei, the heavenly stem is also fire, so the fire becomes even stronger. In the months of Ji Si, Wu Wu, and Ji Wei, the heavenly stem is earth, and earth becomes strong because it is generated by the strong fire. In the months of Xin Si, Geng Wu, and Xin Wei, the heavenly stem is metal, and metal becomes weak because it is melted by the strong fire. In the months of Gui Si, Ren Wu, and Gui Wei, the heavenly stem is water, and water becomes weak because it is scorched by the strong fire. In the months of Yi Si, Jia Wu, and Yi Wei, the heavenly stem is wood, and wood becomes weak because it is drained by the strong fire. Third, in autumn the metal is strong: in the months of Geng Shen, Xin You, and Geng Xu, the heavenly stem is also metal, so the metal becomes even stronger. In the months of Ren Shen, Gui You, and Ren Xu, the heavenly stem is water, and water becomes strong because it is generated by the strong metal. In the months of Jia Shen, Yi You, and Jia Xu, the heavenly stem is wood, and wood becomes weak because it is overcome by the strong metal. In the months of Bing Shen, Ding You, and Bing Xu, the heavenly stem is fire, and fire becomes weak because it is worn down by the strong metal—fire usually overcomes metal, but when metal is strong, it instead weakens the fire. In the months of Wu Shen, Ji You, and Wu Xu, the heavenly stem is earth, and earth becomes weak because it is drained by the strong metal.

（四）冬令水旺，癸亥月、壬子月、癸丑月，則水更盛。乙亥月，甲子月，乙丑月，則木得水生而亦強。丁亥月、丙子月、丁丑月，則火被水克而不健。己亥月、戊子月、己丑月，則土因水泛而無力。辛亥月、庚子月、辛丑月，則金受水洩亦疲弱。（五）四立前各十八天土旺。戊辰月、己未月、戊戌月、己丑月，則土更甚。庚辰月、辛未月、庚戌月、辛丑月，則金得土生而亦強。壬辰月、癸未月、壬戌月、癸丑月，則水被土克而不健。甲辰月、乙未月、甲戌月、乙丑月，則木為土折而無力。丙辰月、丁未月、丙戌月、丁丑月，則火受土洩亦疲弱。

Fourth, in winter water is strong: in the months of Gui Hai, Ren Zi, and Gui Chou, the heavenly stem is also water, so water becomes even more powerful. In the months of Yi Hai, Jia Zi, and Yi Chou, the heavenly stem is wood, so wood becomes strong because it is nourished by the abundant water. In the months of Ding Hai, Bing Zi, and Ding Chou, the heavenly stem is fire, so fire is weakened because it is overcome by the strong water. In the months of Ji Hai, Wu Zi, and Ji Chou, the heavenly stem is earth, so earth becomes weak because it is overwhelmed by the powerful water—earth usually controls water, but when water is strong, earth is dispersed. In the months of Xin Hai, Geng Zi, and Xin Chou, the heavenly stem is metal, so metal becomes weak because it is drained by the strong water. Fifth, before the beginning of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, the earth is strong for eighteen days: in the months of Wu Chen, Ji Wei, Wu Xu, and Ji Chou, the heavenly stem is also earth, so earth becomes even stronger. In the months of Geng Chen, Xin Wei, Geng Xu, and Xin Chou, the heavenly stem is metal, so metal becomes strong because it is nourished by the powerful earth. In the months of Ren Chen, Gui Wei, Ren Xu, and Gui Chou, the heavenly stem is water, so water becomes weak because it is overcome by the strong earth. In the months of Jia Chen, Yi Wei, Jia Xu, and Yi Chou, the heavenly stem is wood, so wood becomes weak because it is suppressed by the strong earth. In the months of Bing Chen, Ding Wei, Bing Xu, and Ding Chou, the heavenly stem is fire, so fire becomes weak because it is drained by the strong earth. Considering these five sections, there is one general rule: the current element is strong, the element that is generated by the current element is strong, the element that is overcome by the current element is weak, the element that overcomes the current element is weakened, and the element that drains the current element becomes weak.

何為六親。六親者，父、母、兄、弟、妻、子是也。六親之更定。舊論父子殊多謬誤（詳見命理約言），特更定六親看法如後。（一）父：男女命皆以生我之印為父。（二）母：同父。（三）夫：克我之官殺為夫。（四）妻：所克之財為妻。（五）兄弟：男女命，皆以同我之比劫為兄弟。（六）子：男女命，皆以我生之傷官食神為子。父母妻子之官位。（一）月為父母。（二）日支為妻（女命為夫）。（三）時為子息。

What is the concept of the Six Relations? The Six Relations refer to father, mother, elder brother, younger brother, wife, and son. Regarding the method of determining the Six Relations, old methods often had errors in distinguishing between father and son (see Qing dynasty scholar Chen Su'an's "Ming Li Yue Yan" for details). Therefore, a revised method is proposed as follows. First, father: regardless of whether the person is male or female, the heavenly stem that generates me is considered the father. Second, mother: similar to the father, the heavenly stem that generates me is also considered the mother. Third, husband: the heavenly stem that overcomes me is considered the husband. Fourth, wife: the heavenly stem that I overcome is considered the wife. Fifth, brothers: regardless of whether the person is male or female, the heavenly stem that is similar to me is considered brothers. Sixth, son: regardless of whether the person is male or female, the heavenly stem that I generate is considered the son. This differs from the old method which considered "wealth" as father and "seal" as mother, and "official star" as son. Wei's method instead determines based on the order of generation and overcoming. Parents are both considered as the heavenly stems that generate me, and children are both considered as the heavenly stems that I generate, making the meaning more consistent. In addition, there is the concept of palace positions (the original text's "parents and wife's palace position" should be "palace"). First, the month pillar represents the position of parents; second, the day branch represents the position of wife, and for female birth charts, it represents the position of husband; third, the hour pillar represents the position of children. When analyzing the Six Relations, both the category of heavenly stems and the palace positions should be considered together.

（一）妻。妻之吉。用神即是財神，妻美而且富貴。用神與財神不相悖背，妻亦美好。財旺身強者，富貴多妻妾。官星弱，遇食傷，又有財，妻賢而不克。劫刃旺而財輕，有食傷，妻賢不克。

First, we discuss the wife. A favorable sign for the wife is when the useful god in the destiny is exactly the wealth star. The wife is both beautiful and brings wealth. Wealth is the general god of the wife, and if the useful god also falls here, the wife naturally benefits the person. Although the useful god and the wealth star are not the same, they do not contradict each other, and the wife is also beautiful. When wealth is strong and the body is also strong, there will be both wealth and many wives and concubines. A strong body can bear the wealth, and abundant wealth leads to many wives. If the official star is weak and there are food and injury stars that overcome the official star, fortunately there is a wealth star in the middle to mediate. The food and injury stars generate wealth, and wealth generates the official star, so the wife is virtuous and not overcome. If the ratio and yangren are strong but the wealth star is weak, this is a sign of many rivals competing for wealth, which is unfavorable for the wife. However, if there are food and injury stars in the middle to transform and guide the ratio and yangren energy into the wealth star, the wife will also be virtuous and not overcome.

日支為財，財為用神，必得妻財妻力。財神薄，有助財之字，或財旺身弱，有比劫，或財神傷印，有官星，或財薄官多，有傷官，皆主妻賢。身強殺淺，財星滋殺，或官輕傷重，財星化傷，或印綬重疊，財星得氣，皆主妻賢，而富。或得妻財致富，劫比多，財藏庫內（如甲日多乙，己財藏於丑內）。妻亦賢而不克。財星深藏，有沖動引助（如庚日乙財，藏於辰內，有戌沖開，及干上丁火護乙，或癸水生乙），亦主妻賢。

The day branch is the wealth star, and wealth is the useful god of the entire chart. This means one will surely gain wealth from the wife's family and receive the wife's support — the day branch is the wife's palace, and the palace and the useful god are both beneficial. If the wealth star is weak but there are characters in the chart that support and generate wealth; or if wealth is strong but the self is weak and there are similar or competitive elements to help the self and share the wealth; or if the wealth star would normally harm the official star, but there is an official star to mediate, allowing wealth to generate official star, and official star to generate the scholar star, so the wealth does not harm the scholar star; or if the wealth is weak but there are many officials, and the wealth is excessively drained, but there is a harmful official to generate wealth: all these situations indicate a virtuous wife. If the self is strong but the seven deadly stars are weak, and the wealth star nourishes the seven deadly stars; or if the official star is weak but the harmful official is strong, and the wealth star transforms the harmful official's energy into wealth; or if the scholar star is heavy and clogs the chart, but the wealth star has strength and can reduce the scholar star: all these situations indicate a virtuous and wealthy wife, or wealth gained through the wife's family. Even if there are many similar or competitive elements, but the wealth star is deeply hidden in a repository (for example, if the day master is jia wood and there are many yi wood competitive elements in the chart, and the official star is ji earth, which is hidden in the chou repository), the group of competitive elements cannot take it away, so the wife is virtuous and not harmed. If the wealth star is deeply hidden, but there are characters that stir or trigger it (for example, if the day master is geng metal and the official star is yi wood, which is hidden in chen, and there is xu to stir open the chen repository, the heavenly stem has ding fire to protect yi wood, or there is jiu water to generate yi wood), this also indicates a virtuous wife.

妻之不吉。財神洩氣太重，妻不得力。身旺無財，妻難偕老。財神輕而無官，比劫多，克妻。財神重，而身弱，無比劫，克妻。官殺旺而用印，見財星，主妻陋而克。官殺輕而身旺，見財星，遇比劫，主妻美而克。劫刃重財星輕，有食傷，逢梟印，主妻遭凶死。日支不利於用神，妻不得力。

Unfavorable signs for a wife: The wealth star is too strong and drains energy, and the wealth star continuously generates officials and evils without returning, so the wife is not helpful. If the body is strong but there is no wealth star in the column, the wife will not be able to live happily. If the wealth star is weak and there is no official star to control the rivals and competitors, and the rivals and competitors are numerous, it indicates the wife will be harmed. If the wealth star is strong but the body is weak, and there are no rivals and competitors to help the body and share the wealth, it also indicates harm to the wife—unable to bear such wealth. If the officials and evils are strong and need the seal to transform them, but the wealth star appears, which harms the seal, then I lose my support, indicating the wife is ugly and harmful. If the officials and evils are weak and the body is strong, the appearance of the wealth star could generate officials, but if rivals and competitors appear, it indicates the wife is beautiful but still harmful. If the rivals and competitors and yangren are strong and the wealth star is weak, relying on food and injuries to transform, but if the hawk and seal star appears to take the food and injuries, the transformation path is cut off, indicating the wife suffers a sudden death. The position of the day branch is unfavorable to the useful god, so the wife is not helpful—the wife's palace is where the hostile god resides, so the wife naturally cannot help me.

日支被沖，妻室喪亡。財星微，官殺旺，無食傷，有印綬，主妻有弱病。劫刃旺而無財，有食傷，妻賢必克，妻陋不傷。日主喜財，財被合化者，主妻有外情。殺重身輕，財星生殺，或官多用印，財星壞印，或傷官佩印，財星得局，皆主妻不賢而陋，或因妻招禍傷身。

When the Day Branch is conflicting with another Branch, it indicates that the wife's situation is unstable and there may be loss or misfortune in the marital relationship. The wife's position is weak, and the wealth star is weak while the official and killing stars are strong, causing the wealth to be drained by the official and killing stars. If the wealth star is not supported by food or injury stars, and only the official star is present, which only helps to weaken the official and killing stars and supports the self, then the wife is likely to be weak and sickly. If the ratio of similar elements and Yangren is strong but there is no wealth, and only food or injury stars are present, then a virtuous wife will be harmed, while an ugly wife may not cause harm, because the strong similar elements have no wealth to compete with, and the virtuous wife is the one most affected. The Day Master originally benefits from wealth, but the wealth star is combined with another character and thus disappears, indicating that the wife may have an affair, and the desired wealth has been taken by someone else. If the seven killing stars are strong and the Day Master is weak, the wealth star is used to nourish the killing stars; or if there are many officials and the official needs to be transformed by the official star, but the wealth star harms the official; or if the injury star pattern uses the official star as a helper, but the wealth star harms the official star, then these situations indicate that the wife is not virtuous and is ugly, and may even bring misfortune to the self.

（二）夫。夫之榮枯。官星太旺，以傷官救之，傷官之力有餘則夫榮，不足則夫枯。官星太微，以財救之，財力有餘則夫榮，不足則夫枯。傷官旺而無財官，以印救之，印力有餘則夫榮，不足則夫枯。官星太旺，無比劫，以印救之，印力有餘則夫榮，不足則夫枯。官星太弱有傷官，以財救之，財力有餘則夫榮，不足則夫枯。滿盤比劫，而無印無官者，以傷食救之，傷食之力有餘則夫榮，不足則夫枯。

Next, we discuss the prosperity and decline of the husband. There is a general method to assess this: first, examine where the husband's star, the official star, is weak, then check whether the saving element is strong enough. If the saving element is sufficient, the husband will be prosperous and prominent; if it is insufficient, the husband will be weak and withered. If the official star is too strong, use the official's son to restrain it. If the official's son is strong enough, the husband will be prosperous; if it is insufficient, the husband will be weak. If the official star is too weak, use wealth to generate it. If the wealth is sufficient, the husband will be prosperous; if it is insufficient, the husband will be weak. If the official's son is strong and there is no wealth or official star in the column, the refined energy is wasted without a place to return, so use the scholar's element to restrain the official's son. If the scholar's element is sufficient, the husband will be prosperous; if it is insufficient, the husband will be weak. If the official star is too strong and there is no brother or sister in the column to share the burden, use the scholar's element to transform the official star and generate the self. If the scholar's element is sufficient, the husband will be prosperous; if it is insufficient, the husband will be weak. If the official star is too weak and there is a strong official's son to restrain it, use wealth to mediate between them. If the wealth is sufficient, the husband will be prosperous; if it is insufficient, the husband will be weak. If the column is full of brothers and sisters, with no scholar's element or official star, use the food or official's son to release the energy. If the food or official's son is strong enough, the husband will be prosperous; if it is insufficient, the husband will be weak.

滿局印綬，而無官無傷者，以財救之，財力有餘則夫榮，不足則夫枯。傷官旺，日主衰，以印救之，印力有餘則夫榮，不足則夫枯。日主旺，傷食多，以財救之，財力有餘則夫榮，不足則夫枯。官星輕，印綬重，亦以財救之，財力有餘則夫榮，不足則夫枯。官有殺混，以食神救之，食神之力有餘則夫榮，不足則夫枯。日支利於用神則夫榮，不利於用神則夫枯。

When all the elements in the chart are in the form of nourishing stars, and there are neither official stars nor harmful stars, then use wealth to reduce the nourishing stars. If there is enough wealth, the husband will be prosperous; if not, the husband will be poor. When harmful stars are strong and the day's main element is weak, then use nourishing stars to both control the harmful stars and support the day's main element. If the nourishing stars are strong, the husband will be prosperous; if not, the husband will be poor. When the day's main element is strong and there are many food and harmful stars, then use wealth to guide and transform the food and harmful stars. If there is enough wealth, the husband will be prosperous; if not, the husband will be poor. When official stars are weak and nourishing stars are strong, the official energy is completely drained by the nourishing stars. In this case, use wealth to reduce the nourishing stars. If there is enough wealth, the husband will be prosperous; if not, the husband will be poor. When the official star is mixed with seven killers, use food stars to control the killers and retain the official star. If the food star is strong, the husband will be prosperous; if not, the husband will be poor. The last point does not discuss the category of the useful god but the position of the palace: the day's branch is the husband's palace. If the day's branch is favorable to the useful god, the husband will be prosperous; if not, the husband will be poor. The above twelve points are actually based on one principle: for a woman's fortune, the official and killer stars represent the husband. When the husband's star is in a bad condition, seek the saving god. The strength of the saving god represents the strength of the husband.

夫之刑剋。官星微，無財星，日主強，傷官重，必剋夫。官星微，無財星，日主旺，印綬重，必剋夫。比劫旺，而無官，必剋夫。印旺無財，必剋夫。官星旺，印綬輕，必剋夫。比劫旺，無官星，有傷官，印綬重，必剋夫。食神多，官星微，有印綬，遇財星，必剋夫。日支為官逢沖，夫難偕老。

The eight patterns indicating marital discord are as follows. If the official star is weak and there is no wealth to nourish it, and the day's ruler is strong while the injurious star is heavy, the injurious star directly harms the official star, leading to marital discord. If the official star is weak and there is no wealth, and the day's ruler is strong while the nurturing star is heavy, the nurturing star drains the official star's strength, leading to marital discord. If the rival stars are strong and there is no official star to restrain them, the day's ruler is strong while the husband has no position, leading to marital discord. If the nurturing star is strong without wealth to weaken it, the heavy nurturing star drains the official star, leading to marital discord. If the official star is strong but the nurturing star is weak, the official star cannot transform and directly harms the day's ruler, causing conflict, leading to marital discord. If the rival stars are strong, there is no official star, and there are also injurious stars and heavy nurturing stars, the husband has no position and is harmed, leading to marital discord. If the food star is numerous and the official star is weak, although there is a nurturing star to restrain the food star, wealth again harms the nurturing star, making the restraining power ineffective, leading to marital discord. The last pattern concerns the position: the day's branch is the husband's position, and the official star at this position is in conflict, making it difficult for the husband to live long.

（三）父母。父母之吉。年月官印相生，日時財傷不犯，必上叨廕庇。年官月印，月官年印，祖上清高。年財月印，日主喜印，時日逢官者，知其幫父興家。年傷月印，日主喜印，時日逢官者，知其父母創業。年官月印，日主喜官，時日逢財，出身富貴，守成之造。財官印綬，在於月上，為日主之喜，父母不富亦貴。印不論偏正，但不遭沖剋，則父母俱全。印之扶抑合宜，則父母雙壽。印帶貴氣（如印受官生，或印兼貴人，或印為用神）父母榮顯。

Now talking about parents. The auspicious signs for parents are when the official star and the seal star in the year pillar and month pillar mutually generate each other, while the wealth star and the injurious star in the day pillar and hour pillar do not interfere with this pair — if wealth harms the seal or injurious star harms the official star, then one will certainly inherit the blessings from ancestors. If the year pillar is official and the month pillar is seal, or the month pillar is official and the year pillar is seal, it indicates that ancestors were noble and upright. If the year pillar has wealth and the month pillar has seal, and the day ruler prefers seal, and the day and hour pillars also meet official star, although wealth may harm the seal, with official star in the middle to mediate, it turns into wealth generating official star and official star generating seal, indicating that this person can help the father revitalize the family business. If the year pillar has injurious star and the month pillar has seal, and the day ruler prefers seal, and the day and hour pillars also meet official star, it indicates that parents were the generation who started from nothing. If the year pillar is official and the month pillar is seal, and the day ruler prefers official, and the day and hour pillars also meet wealth star to generate official, it indicates that one is born into wealth and is a person who maintains the existing fortune. If wealth, official star, and seal star are in the month pillar and are what the day ruler prefers, then parents are not wealthy but noble. Whether it is a partial or full seal star, as long as it is not clashed or controlled, both parents are present. If the seal star that should be supported is supported and the seal star that should be restrained is restrained, and the combination is appropriate, both parents will live long. If the seal star carries noble qualities — for example, the seal star is generated by official star, or there is Tianyi Nobleman sitting on the seal star, or the seal star itself is the useful god — then the parents will be distinguished and prosperous.

父母之不吉。日主喜官，月上傷官。日主喜財，月上劫財。日主喜印，月上逢財。日主喜比劫，月上逢官殺。日主喜殺，月上食神。日主喜傷食，月上逢印。（以上皆主父母不得力）印遭沖剋，父母不全。印破用神，父母多累。印衰多財，父母早喪。財官印綬，在於月上，為日主之忌，父母不貧亦賤。印重身輕，亦主不得父母之力，且重子肩之累。印重而官殺又多，父母亦不得力。

The unfavorable signs for parents: if the day stem favors officials, but the month pillar has a harmful official that harms the official; if the day stem favors wealth, but the month pillar has a competitive wealth that takes away wealth; if the day stem favors a seal, but the month pillar has wealth that destroys the seal; if the day stem favors similar elements, but the month pillar has officials and evils that control the similar elements; if the day stem favors seven evils, but the month pillar has food and harm that control the seven evils; if the day stem favors food and harm, but the month pillar has a seal that controls food and harm. The author notes that all these six situations indicate that parents are not supportive. The reason is that the month pillar is the palace of parents, and the element in this pillar is precisely the global Hostile God. The seal is attacked and controlled, so parents cannot both be present. The seal is destroyed by the Hostile God, so parents become burdens. If the seal is weak and there is much wealth in the column, the wealth destroys the weak seal, leading to early death of parents. If wealth, officials, and seals are in the month pillar and are exactly what the day stem dislikes, parents are not poor but lowly. If the seal is heavy but the body is light, it also indicates that parents are not supportive and one has to bear the burden of more children. (The original text says 「重子肩之累」, which should be 「重仔肩之累」, meaning burden.) If the seal is heavy and there are many officials and evils, the officials and evils come to generate the seal, making the seal heavier, and parents are still not supportive.

（四）子女。子女之吉。日主旺，無印綬，有食傷，子必多。日主旺，印綬重，食傷輕，有財星，子多而賢。日主旺，無印綬，食傷伏，有官殺，子必多。日主旺，比劫多，無印綬，食傷伏，子必多。日主旺，傷官旺，無財印，子多而強。日主旺，傷官輕，有印受，財得局，子多而富。傷食扶助用神，子必佳。日主弱，食傷重，有印綬，無財星，必有子。日主弱，無官星，有傷食，必有子。食傷不遭沖剋，必有子。食傷喜扶而得扶，喜仰而得抑，則多子。命中用神即食傷，子多而得力。用神居時，子息繁衍。或得子息之力。

As for children, children are associated with the food and injury elements as their class god, and the time pillar as their position. The auspicious signs for children are: if the day master is strong and there is no seal to control the food and injury elements, and the column contains food and injury elements, then children will be numerous. If the day master is strong, the seal is heavy, and the food and injury elements are light, but there is wealth to reduce the seal and protect the food and injury elements, then children will be numerous and virtuous. If the day master is strong, there is no seal, and although the food and injury elements are only hidden in the earth branches, there are officials and killers to control the day master, then children will be numerous. If the day master is strong, there are many similar elements, no seal, and the food and injury elements are hidden, then children will also be numerous, and the similar elements can still transform into food and injury elements. If the day master is strong and the injury element is also strong, and there is no wealth to release it or no seal to control it, then children will be numerous and strong. If the day master is strong and the injury element is light, there is a seal to control it, and wealth is in a good position, wealth can reduce the seal and protect the injury element, then children will be numerous and wealthy. If the food and injury elements can support the useful god, then children will be excellent. If the day master is weak and the food and injury elements are heavy, there is a seal to stop the leakage, and there is no wealth to damage the seal, then there will certainly be children. If the day master is weak and there is no official to control it, and the column contains food and injury elements, then there will certainly be children. If the food and injury elements are not clashed or controlled, then there will certainly be children. If the food and injury elements that should be supported are supported, and those that should be restrained are restrained, then there will be many children. If the useful god in the destiny is exactly the food and injury elements, then children will be numerous and effective. If the useful god is exactly in the time pillar, then children will be numerous, or they may benefit from the help of children.

子女之不吉。日主旺，印綬重，食傷輕，子必少。日主弱，印綬輕，食傷重，子必少。日主弱，食傷輕，無比劫，有官星，子必無。日主弱，食傷旺，有印綬，遇財星，雖有若無。日主旺，有印綬，無財星，子必少。日主旺，印綬重，無財星，必無子。日主弱，官殺旺，必無子。日主弱，食傷旺，無印綬，必無子。火炎土燥，無子。

Unfavorable signs for children: If the day stem is strong, the mother (印绶) is heavy, and the food and injury (食伤) are light, the mother will exhaust the food and injury, resulting in few children. If the day stem is weak, the mother is light, and the food and injury are heavy, the body is excessively drained without the mother to save it, resulting in few children. If the day stem is weak, the food and injury are light, and there are no brothers or sisters (比劫) to support the body, and there is an official star (官星) that harms the self, there will be no children. If the day stem is weak and the food and injury are strong, although the mother restrains the drainage, but if there is a wealth star (财星) that harms the mother, then even though there are children, they are like none. If the day stem is strong, there is a mother but no wealth star to damage the mother, there will be few children. If the day stem is strong, the mother is heavy, and there is no wealth star, there will be no children. If the day stem is weak and the official and killer stars (官杀) are strong, they excessively harm the self, resulting in no children. If the day stem is weak, the food and injury are strong, and there is no mother to protect the self, the drainage and leakage are uncontrolled, resulting in no children. If the four pillars are fiery and dry, with an imbalanced atmosphere and no vitality, there will be no children.

水泛木浮，無子。金寒水冷，無子。重疊印綬，無子。財官太旺，無子。滿局食傷，無子。食傷遭沖剋，無子。食傷受扶太過，無子。食傷受抑太過，無子。食傷破壞用神，少子，或子不得力。克破用神之字，居於時上，子不得力。

Water is overflowing and wood floats uncertainly, with no children. Metal is cold and water is freezing, with a bleak and severe atmosphere lacking warmth, resulting in no children. These two statements, along with the previous mention of excessive fire and dry earth, all describe an extreme imbalance in the Five Phases, leading to the cessation of vitality. When the印绶 (nurturing and supporting force) is repeated excessively, it over-controls the food and injury (food and injury refer to the elements that generate and consume the day master), resulting in no children. When wealth and official stars are too strong, the day master is exhausted in dealing with them, resulting in no children. When the entire chart is filled with food and injury elements, they are over-exhausted, leading to no children. When food and injury elements are clashed or controlled, there are no children. When food and injury elements are overly supported, there are no children. When food and injury elements are overly restrained, there are no children—both excess and deficiency lead to failure. When food and injury elements destroy the useful god (用神), there are few children, or even if there are children, they are not effective. Whenever the character that destroys the useful god falls exactly on the time pillar, the children are not effective: the time pillar is the palace of children, but the palace is occupied by the hostile god (忌神).

（五）兄弟。兄弟之吉。殺旺無食，或殺重無印，得劫財合殺，必得兄弟之力。殺旺食輕，或印弱逢財，得比肩智敵殺，制財，亦主兄弟得力。財生殺黨，比劫幫身，大被可以同眠。日主雖衰，印旺月提，兄弟成群。財輕劫重，食傷化劫，可無斗粟尺布之謠。財輕遇劫，官星明顯，不作煮豆燃箕之誦。主衰有印，財星逢劫，反許棠棣之競秀。比劫非大過，亦非不及，兄弟必敬受。比劫為用神，尤得兄弟之力。

Regarding brothers, brothers are classified under the category of "bipartite companions and wealth thieves." The auspicious signs for brothers are: when the seven killers are strong but there is no food god to control them, or when there are many seven killers but no seal to transform them, and if the wealth thief combines with the seven killer to restrain it, then brothers will be helpful. If the seven killer is strong but the food god is weak, or if the seal is weak and wealth comes to destroy the seal, and if the bipartite companion comes to resist the seven killer and control the wealth star, it also indicates that brothers will be helpful. When wealth nourishes the seven killer, and wealth and seven killer join forces to attack the self, the whole situation relies on the bipartite companion to support the self, and brothers will be as friendly as the Eastern Han dynasty's Jiang Gong brothers who slept together. Although the self is weak but the seal is strong and in the month's stem, the seal generates the bipartite companion, and brothers will be numerous. If wealth is light but the bipartite companion is strong, they would normally compete, but if there is food or injury to guide the bipartite companion's energy to the wealth, there will be no scandal like the saying "a foot of cloth can still be sewn, a measure of grain can still be pounded" regarding brothers fighting over property. If wealth is light and the bipartite companion is present, but there is a clear official star to control the bipartite companion, there will not be a situation like Cao Zhi's "Seven Steps Poem" where brothers destroy each other. If the self is weak but there is a seal, and wealth would normally destroy the seal, but the seal is first taken by the bipartite companion, it can be expected that brothers will be as harmonious as the棠棣 flowers blooming together. If the bipartite companion is neither excessive nor insufficient, brothers will certainly love and respect each other. The bipartite companion itself is a useful god, especially able to gain the strength of brothers.

兄弟之不吉。官輕傷重，比劫生傷，必遭兄弟之累。制殺太過，比劫助食，亦主兄弟多累。財輕劫重，印綬制傷，不免司馬之憂。殺重無印，主衰傷伏，鴿原能無興歡。身旺逢梟，劫重無官，獨自主持。梟比重逢，財輕釘伏，未免折翊之悲啼。比劫破壞用神，兄弟多累。比劫被用神所破，自己興而兄弟衰。比劫應扶而不得扶，或應抑而不得抑，兄弟非稀少，即枯澀。

The ill omen of brothers: the official star is weak while the injurious official is strong, and the like and rival forces assist the injurious official, further injuring the official star, leading inevitably to burdens from brothers. If the killing star is already overly restrained, and the like and rival forces assist the food god, the restraint becomes excessive, also indicating many burdens from brothers. If wealth is weak while the rival forces are strong, and the official seal is biased and restrains the injurious official that could transform the rival forces, worries about brothers competing for wealth are unavoidable. If the killing star is strong without an official seal to transform it, and the day master is weak while the injurious official is hidden and cannot restrain the killing star, how can there be joy among brothers? (The original text '鸽原能无兴欢' should be '鹡鸰原上，能无兴叹', referencing the 'Book of Songs' 'Small Ya' 'Chang Di', where the jilin bird on the plain symbolizes brothers supporting each other in times of hardship.) If the day master is strong and the hawk demon takes away the food, and the like and rival forces are strong without an official star to restrain them, all affairs must be handled alone, with no reliance on brothers. If the hawk demon and like forces meet heavily, and the wealth star is weak and hidden, it is inevitable to suffer a tragic loss of wings (the original '折翊' refers to '折翼', symbolizing the injury or death of siblings). When the like and rival forces destroy the useful god, brothers bring much burden. When the like and rival forces are instead destroyed by the useful god, oneself becomes prosperous while brothers decline. If the like and rival forces should be supported but cannot be, or should be restrained but cannot be, brothers are either few or in difficult circumstances.

女命看法，與男命無大異。惟女重夫子二星，取用之道，能夫子、自身，三者兼顧最妙。否則寧願身主較弱，夫星與子星，切不可受挫。再次必須顧全夫星，更次必須顧全子星，總以夫子兩全者為上命。至少或夫或子，有一可靠。若全不可恃，則為下命決矣。

The approach to female destiny is not greatly different from that of male destiny, but female destiny particularly emphasizes the husband star and the son star—official star and killing star represent the husband, and food and injury stars represent the sons. The principle of selecting useful gods is: the best situation is when the husband star, son star, and the self (day master) are all well considered. If this is not possible, it is better to let the day master be slightly weak, but the husband and son stars must not be harmed. If that is not possible, the husband star must be protected first; if that is not possible, the son star must be protected. In summary, the best destiny is when both husband and son are present. At least one of them should be reliable. If neither is reliable, it is definitely a poor destiny. This method of prioritizing husband and son stars is a common concept during the Republic of China era, and readers should understand the historical context of this theory.

（一）日主強，傷食多，取財為用。（二）日主強，傷食多，無財，取印為用。（三）日主強，傷食多，無財，無印，取傷食為用。（四）日主強，官殺多，取傷食為用。（五）日主強，官殺多，無傷食，取財為用。（六）日主強，官殺多，無傷食，無財，以官殺為用。（七）日主強，財多，取官殺為用。（八）日主強，財多，無官殺，取傷食為用。

The general rules for selecting the useful god in female destiny are twenty-seven in total. First, the rules are listed, followed by explanations for each. First, if the day master is strong and there are many food and injury elements, take wealth as the useful god. Second, if the day master is strong, there are many food and injury elements, but there is no wealth in the chart, take the seal as the useful god. Third, if the day master is strong, there are many food and injury elements, but there is neither wealth nor seal, then take the food and injury elements themselves as the useful god. Fourth, if the day master is strong and there are many official and killer elements, take food and injury as the useful god. Fifth, if the day master is strong, there are many official and killer elements, but there are no food and injury elements, take wealth as the useful god. Sixth, if the day master is strong, there are many official and killer elements, but there are neither food and injury elements nor wealth, then take the official and killer elements as the useful god. Seventh, if the day master is strong and there is a lot of wealth, take official and killer as the useful god. Eighth, if the day master is strong, there is a lot of wealth, but there are no official and killer elements, take food and injury as the useful god. It can be seen that whenever the day master is strong, the selection of the useful god is always among the three paths of overcoming, draining, and consuming the day master. If all three paths are missing, then the most prominent element in the current season is used as the useful god.

（九） 日主強，財多，無官殺，無傷食，取財為用。（十）日主強，印多，取財秋用。（十一）日主強，印多，無財，取官殺為用。（十二）日主強，印多，無財，無官殺，取傷食為用。（十三）日主強，比劫多，取官殺為用。（十四）日主強，比劫多，無官殺，取傷食為用。（十五）日主強，比劫多，無官殺，無傷食，取財為用。

Ninth, if the day master is strong and there are many riches, and there are neither officials nor food and injury, then the riches themselves are used as the key element. Tenth, if the day master is strong and there are many prints, then riches are used as the key element (the original text's 'take riches in autumn' is a mistake for 'take riches'). Eleventh, if the day master is strong, there are many prints, and there are no riches, then officials and injuries are used as the key element. Twelfth, if the day master is strong, there are many prints, and there are neither riches nor officials and injuries, then food and injury are used as the key element. Thirteenth, if the day master is strong and there are many rivals and companions, then officials and injuries are used as the key element. Fourteenth, if the day master is strong, there are many rivals and companions, and there are no officials and injuries, then food and injury are used as the key element. Fifteenth, if the day master is strong, there are many rivals and companions, and there are neither officials and injuries nor food and injury, then riches are used as the key element. These seven points are the same as the first eight: since the body is strong, one should look for a character that can overcome, drain, or consume it; first take the most direct one, and if it is missing, then look for the next best option.

（十六）日主弱，傷食多，取印為用。（十七）日主弱，傷食多，無印，取財為用。（十八）日主弱，傷食多，無印，無財，取比劫為用。（十九）日主弱，官殺多，取印為用。（二十）日主弱，官殺多，無印，取傷為用。（二十一）日主弱，官殺多，無印，無傷食，取比劫為用。（二十二）日主弱，財多，取比劫為用。

The following discusses the case where the day master is weak. Sixteenth, if the day master is weak and there are many food and injury elements, then the mother element is used. Seventeenth, if the day master is weak, there are many food and injury elements, and there is no mother element, then the wealth element is used. Eighteenth, if the day master is weak, there are many food and injury elements, and there is neither mother nor wealth element, then the same element is used. Nineteenth, if the day master is weak and there are many official and killer elements, then the mother element is used. Twentieth, if the day master is weak, there are many official and killer elements, and there is no mother element, then the food and injury elements are used (the original text says 'take injury as use' but should be 'take food and injury as use'). Twenty-first, if the day master is weak, there are many official and killer elements, and there is neither mother nor food and injury element, then the same element is used. Twenty-second, if the day master is weak and there is much wealth, then the same element is used. Since the day master is weak, the use is selected from the elements that generate it or are the same as it, occasionally using food and injury or official and killer elements to balance the weight between the two sides.

（二十三）日主弱，財多，無比劫，取官殺為用。（二十四）日主弱，財多，無比劫，無官殺，以印為用。（二十五）日主弱，印多，取財為用。（二十六）日主弱，印多，無財，取比劫為用。（二十七）日主弱，印多，無比劫，無財，取官殺為用。

Twenty-third, when the day stem is weak, there is an excess of wealth (财) but no balance (比劫), then the official star (官杀) is used. Twenty-fourth, when the day stem is weak, there is an excess of wealth, and neither balance nor official star is present, then the nurturing star (印) is used. Twenty-fifth, when the day stem is weak and there is an excess of nurturing stars, then wealth is used. Twenty-sixth, when the day stem is weak, there is an excess of nurturing stars, and no wealth is present, then balance is used. Twenty-seventh, when the day stem is weak, there is an excess of nurturing stars, and neither balance nor wealth is present, then the official star is used. These rules differ slightly for male destiny: for a male with a weak day stem and an excess of nurturing stars, wealth should be used to reduce the nurturing stars. However, for a female destiny, the wealth is also considered for its ability to generate official and killing stars (官杀). Therefore, when selecting, the husband star (夫星) and child star (子星) are also taken into account. The following explanations elaborate on this reasoning.

（一）日主強，傷食多，身主既健，子星亦美，取財為用。蓋賴財生官殺，則夫亦榮矣。（二）日主強，傷食多，無財，身主子星雖美，官殺直接受傷食之克。夫星有缺，取印為用。蓋賴印制傷食，以保官殺之夫星耳。（三）日主強，傷食多，無財，無印。隻身與子星之佳，官殺受傷食之克而無救，夫不可靠。取傷食為用，蓋唯有鞠養愛子，恃以終老耳。

The first point: the day stem is strong and there are many food and injury elements. Since the body is strong and the son element is good, the only missing element is the husband star, so we take wealth as the useful element—relying on wealth to generate official and killing elements, thus making the husband prosperous. Food and injury elements generate wealth, which in turn generates official and killing elements, forming a continuous line. The second point: the day stem is strong and there are many food and injury elements, but no wealth. Although the body and son element are good, the official and killing elements are directly attacked by food and injury elements, with no wealth to mediate, so the husband star is missing. Therefore, we take the scholar element as the useful element—relying on the scholar element to restrain food and injury elements, thus preserving the official and killing elements as the husband star. The third point: the day stem is strong and there are many food and injury elements, with neither wealth nor scholar element. Only the body and son element are good, but the official and killing elements are attacked by food and injury elements without any way to relieve them, making the husband unreliable. Therefore, we take food and injury elements as the useful element—only by nurturing and raising children can one rely on them for old age (「juyang」means to raise and care for children).

（四）日主強，官殺我，身主與夫星皆健。取傷食為用，蓋冀子星亦成立也。且官殺多而用傷食制之，亦幫夫之道耳。（五）日主強，官殺多，無傷食，僅身主與夫星之健，取財為用，蓋賴財幫夫耳。（六）日主強，官殺多，無傷食，無財，隻身主與夫星兩健，以官殺為用。蓋從夫管束，亦婦道之順也。

Rule four, when the day stem is strong and the official stars are numerous (the original text's "官杀我" has "我" as a mistake for "多"): both the self and the husband's star are strong, so we take the food and injury stars as the useful elements. First, this is to hope that the son star can also be established, and second, because there are too many official stars, we use the food and injury stars to control them, which is appropriate and also helps the husband. Rule five, when the day stem is strong, the official stars are numerous, but there are no food or injury stars: only the self and the husband's star are strong, so we take wealth as the useful element, relying on wealth to generate official stars and help the husband. Rule six, when the day stem is strong, the official stars are numerous, and there are neither food/injury stars nor wealth: still, the self and the husband's star are strong, so we take the official stars themselves as the useful element. A strong self that submits to the husband's control was, in the past, considered proper behavior for a woman. This rule is based purely on the ethical standards of the time; readers need only understand the reasoning behind it.

（七）日主強，財多，身主健，幫夫重，取官殺為用，則夫得財助，大有可造矣。（八）日主強，財多，無官殺，身主雖健，幫夫雖重，奈無夫星可助，則取傷食為用，夫既不可靠，唯恃乎子矣。（九）日主強，財多，無官殺，無傷食，如人之無子無夫可靠。幸有財，尚可度生，則不用財星，將歸諸誰耶。

Rule seven, when the day stem is strong and there are many wealth elements: the body is vigorous, and wealth is a helper for the husband—wealth can generate official power—so we take official power as the useful element. The husband, with the support of wealth, has great potential. Rule eight, when the day stem is strong, there are many wealth elements, but no official or killing elements: although the body is strong and the wealth, which helps the husband, is abundant, without the husband's star to support, we take food and injury elements as the useful ones; the husband is unreliable, so we can only rely on the children. Rule nine, when the day stem is strong, there are many wealth elements, but neither official nor killing elements, nor food and injury elements: this is like a person with no husband or children to rely on, but fortunately there is still wealth, which can sustain life; at this time, if we do not use the wealth element, to which other heavenly stem can we refer?

（十）日主強，印多，身既健，復得父母旺氣，惟太強則趨剛，非婦道之宜。取財為用，蓋賴財制印，稍殺其盛，並以幫夫。或曰何勿用官殺拘身，殊不知有多印之洩官殺而生身，官殺豈能制身，如妻不受夫制，用財則尚能助夫也。（十一）日主強，印多，無財制印，身旺已極，取官殺為用。雖不能拘身，官殺究屬夫星，如健婦雖不受夫制，但終須嫁夫從夫也。

Rule ten, when the day stem is strong and there are many parents (influences): the body is already vigorous and receives another strong influence from the parents. However, if it is too strong, it becomes too rigid, which in old times was considered unbecoming for a woman. Therefore, we use wealth (财) as the key. Wealth can control the parents and slightly reduce their excessive strength, while also helping the husband. Someone may ask: why not use officials or enemies (官杀) to restrain the day stem? It should be known that if there are many parents in the chart, the officials and enemies' strength will be weakened by the parents and then used to nourish the day stem. Officials and enemies will not be able to restrain the day stem. This is like a wife not being controlled by her husband; it is better to use wealth, which can still help the husband. Rule eleven, when the day stem is strong, there are many parents, and there is no wealth to control the parents: the body is extremely strong. In this case, we use officials or enemies as the key. Although officials or enemies cannot restrain such a strong day stem, they are still the husband's stars. It is like a strong woman who is not controlled by her husband, yet she still needs to marry and follow her husband.

（十二）日主強，印多，無財，無官殺，身既太旺，夫又無靠，則唯子之是恃，故以傷食為用也。且是言得印生，而生傷食，輾轉相生，則靈秀之氣，亦可吐發矣。（十三）日主強，比劫多，無官殺，是旺而無制，且無夫星可恃，則用傷食以洩氣，併為子星宜矣。（十四）日主強，比劫多，無官殺，是旺而無制，且無夫星可恃，則用傷食以洩氣，併為子星宜矣。

Rule twelve, when the day stem is strong and there are many nourishing elements, and there is neither wealth nor official killing elements: since the body is too strong, and there is no support from the husband, it can only rely on children, so we take the food and injury elements as the useful ones. Moreover, the day stem receives nourishment from the nourishing elements, which in turn generate the food and injury elements, creating a chain of mutual generation. Thus, the refined and intelligent qi of the entire body is released (the words 'is speaking' in the original text 'and is speaking' are a mistake and should be 'and the day stem receives nourishment'). Rule thirteen, when the day stem is strong and there are many similar elements, and there is no official killing element: being strong without anything to restrain it, and without a husband element to rely on, we use the food and injury elements to release this strong energy. Moreover, the food and injury elements are precisely the children elements, achieving two purposes at once. Rule fourteen is exactly the same as rule thirteen, and is a repetition in the original text. According to the previous 'great method', rule thirteen originally stated 'when there are many similar elements, take official killing elements as the useful ones', and rule fourteen was 'when there are no official killing elements, take food and injury elements as the useful ones'. During copying, the explanation was mistakenly repeated twice.

（十五）日主強，比劫多，無傷食，無官殺，是旺而無洩克，且夫子不可靠，取財為用，蓋財分我力，亦可稍殺我勢，且賴以為養命之源也。（十六）日主弱，傷食多，取印為用。蓋印能制傷食，保官殺，幫弱主，所謂夫子、自身三合者，皆印之功也。（十七）日主弱，傷食多，無印，身既弱極，夫星亦危（官殺多傷食之克，無印之救），取財為用。蓋財能洩傷食而生官殺，夫子仍保兩全，仍自身較弱而已。

Article 15: If the day master is strong and there are many siblings, and there are neither food/wealth nor officials/authority present: when the day master is strong but has no way to release its energy and no one to restrain it, both husband and son are unreliable. Therefore, we take wealth as the useful element. Wealth can take away some of my strength, slightly weaken my momentum, and also serve as a vital resource for life. Article 16: If the day master is weak and there are many food/wealth elements: we take the seal as the useful element. The seal can restrain the food/wealth without allowing it to become excessive, can protect the officials/authority (husband star), and can also support the weak day master. In this case, husband, son, and self are all fully supported, and all of this is due to the seal. (The original text says 'three harmonies' but should be 'three completions'.) Article 17: If the day master is weak, there are many food/wealth elements, but no seal: the body is extremely weak, and the husband star is also in danger. The author's note: when there are many officials/authority being restrained by food/wealth, and there is no seal to rescue, therefore we take wealth as the useful element. Wealth can release the energy of food/wealth and transform it into officials/authority, thus both husband and son can still be preserved, although the self remains weak.

（十八）日主弱，傷食多，無印，無財，夫危不可靠。子息亦艱（傷食多，身弱必無子），則唯保身為尚。故以比劫幫身為用也。（十九）日主弱，官殺多，夫重身輕，取印為用，蓋印能洩官殺而生我身，與夫得平勻之妙矣。（二十）日主弱，官殺多，無印夫太重，身太輕，取傷食為用。蓋賴以制官殺自身雖愈弱，夫子得兩平，亦計之善也。

Article 18: If the day stem is weak and there are many food and injury elements, and there is neither the seal nor wealth: the husband's star is in danger and unreliable, and children are difficult to have — the author's note: although there are many food and injury elements, the weak body ultimately leads to no children — so the priority is to preserve oneself, thus using the same kind of elements to help the body. Article 19: If the day stem is weak and there are many officials and killers: the husband is heavy and the body is light, so the seal is used as the main element; the seal both disperses the officials and killers and generates the body, thus achieving a balanced harmony between the self and the husband. Article 20: If the day stem is weak, there are many officials and killers, and there is no seal: the husband is too heavy and the body is too light, so food and injury elements are used as the main element, relying on them to control the officials and killers. Although the body becomes even weaker due to the dispersion of energy, both the husband and children benefit from the balance, which is also a good method — for female destiny, the greatest taboo is when the husband's star is too strong and the body cannot match it.

（二十一）日主弱，官殺多，無印，無傷食，則既夫子兩不可靠（無傷食，則子星為不及；官殺重，則夫星為太過），唯強身是尚，故取比劫幫身為用也。（二十二）日主弱，財多，取比劫為用，蓋賴制財則保身，生傷食，則全子也。（二十三）日主弱，財多無比劫，則身弱子難（財多則傷食受盜洩，身弱則傷食欠生助，子自難矣），取官殺為用。蓋官殺洩財，既可稍殺財勢，亦全夫星之美也。

Rule twenty-one, when the day stem is weak, and the official stars and killing stars are numerous, and there are neither the nurturing stars nor the food and injury stars: both husband and son are unreliable. The author notes: without food and injury stars, the son star is insufficient; with excessive official and killing stars, the husband star is excessive. Therefore, the emphasis is on using strong roots, so the use of similar stars to support the body is chosen. Rule twenty-two, when the day stem is weak and wealth is abundant: the use of similar stars is chosen. The similar stars both restrain the wealth star to protect the self, and also generate food and injury stars to protect the son star. Rule twenty-three, when the day stem is weak, wealth is abundant, and there are no similar stars: the body is weak and the son is also difficult to obtain. The author notes: abundant wealth steals the energy of food and injury stars, and a weak body lacks support for food and injury stars, so the son naturally becomes hard to obtain. Therefore, the use of official and killing stars is chosen. Official and killing stars can release the energy of wealth, thus slightly reducing the wealth's strength, and also complete the beauty of the husband star.

（二十四）日主弱，財多無比劫，己身弱子艱，又無官殺，則夫星亦不可靠，其唯強身是尚，故取印生身為用也。（二十五）日主弱，印多，夫子身皆不足（主弱則身不足，印多，克傷食，則子不足，印多洩官殺，則夫不足），取財為用，蓋財能壞印生官殺，三者之病盡去矣。（二十六）日主弱，印多，夫子身皆不足，又無財之生官殺，並去印，則用比劫，幫身而生傷食，庶身與子得兩全也。（二十七）日主弱，印多，無比劫，無財，取官殺為用，蓋求夫星之成立也。

Article 24: When the day stem is weak, wealth is abundant but there is no balance of the ten heavenly stems: since the self is weak, the children will also be difficult to have, and there is no official or killer element, so the husband star is also unreliable. Therefore, it is necessary to take the seal element to strengthen the self as the main use. Article 25: When the day stem is weak and the seal element is abundant: the husband, children, and self are all insufficient. The author's note: a weak day stem means the self is insufficient; an abundance of seal elements will restrain the food and injury elements, making the children star insufficient; an abundance of seal elements also disperses the official and killer elements' energy, making the husband star insufficient. Therefore, the wealth element is used. The wealth element can destroy the seal element, can generate the official and killer elements, and thus eliminate the three problems at once. Article 26: When the day stem is weak and the seal element is abundant, the husband, children, and self are all insufficient, and there is no wealth element to generate the official and killer elements and remove the seal element: then the balance of the ten heavenly stems is used. This helps the self and also generates the food and injury elements, thus preserving the self and the children star. Article 27: When the day stem is weak and the seal element is abundant, there is neither balance of the ten heavenly stems nor wealth element: the official and killer elements are used, in order to establish the husband star. In summary, the twenty-seven articles all reduce to one sentence: for a female's fortune, the use of elements must seek a balanced arrangement among the self, husband star, and children star, without neglecting any one of them.

財星生官，官星衛財。忌印而財能壞印。喜印而財能生官。傷食重，而財神流通。財神重而傷食有限。無財而暗成財局。財露而傷食亦露。身旺財旺，有傷食，或有官殺。身旺印旺，食傷輕，而財星得局。身旺官衰，印綬重，而財星當令。身旺劫旺，無財印，而有傷食。身弱財重，無官印，而有比劫。為用神而不遭克破，財助用神而有力。凡命局有如上述情形，皆主富也。

A fortunate destiny for wealth is indicated by the following signs. The wealth star nourishes the official star, and the official star turns back to protect the wealth star, with wealth and official star mutually supporting each other, resulting in wealth that is secure. When the birth chart dislikes the印 star, but the wealth star is able to weaken the印 star, this is exactly removing what is disliked. When the birth chart favors the印 star, but the wealth star is able to nourish the official star, which in turn nourishes the印 star, this forms a complete cycle. When there is a heavy presence of food and injury stars, but the wealth star is present in the lower position to channel this energy. When there is a heavy presence of wealth star but limited food and injury stars, it does not result in excessive generation of wealth. When the heavenly stems do not show wealth star, but the earthly branches form a hidden wealth situation. When the wealth star is clearly present in the heavenly stems and the food and injury stars are also present, clearly generating wealth. When the body is strong and the wealth star is strong, with food and injury stars mediating or with official and harmful stars protecting the wealth. When the body is strong and the印 star is also strong, with light food and injury stars but the wealth star forming a complete situation, this is exactly weakening the印 star. When the body is strong, the official star is weak, and the印 star is heavy, but the wealth star is in its season, weakening the印 star and generating the official star. When the body is strong and the rival and companion stars are also strong, and the chart has no wealth or印 star, but food and injury stars are present to release the strong energy towards the wealth path. When the body is weak and the wealth star is heavy, and the chart has no official or印 star, but there are rival and companion stars to support the body and share the wealth. When the wealth star is exactly the useful god and is not harmed or destroyed; or when the wealth star is not the useful god, but is able to help the useful god and is strong. Any birth chart that meets any of the above situations is indicative of wealth.

官旺身旺，印綬衛官。忌比劫而官能去比劫。喜比劫，而官能生印。財神旺，而官星通達。官星旺，而財神有節。無官而暗成官局。官星藏，而財亦藏。身旺官弱，財能生財。官旺身弱，官能生印。印旺官衰，財能壞印。

A fortunate destiny is indicated by the following characteristics. The official star is strong and the body is also strong, with the seal star protecting the official star. The seal star can both transform the official star's克制 and block the harmful official. The destiny dislikes rivals and rivals, but the official star can remove them. The destiny favors rivals and rivals, but the official star can generate the seal star, which in turn generates the body, forming a smooth and continuous flow. The wealth star is strong and the official star is unobstructed, so the wealth energy is fully directed to the official star. The official star is strong and the wealth star is properly controlled, so the official star is not overly strong. There is no official star in the heavenly stem, but the official star is formed secretly in the earthly branches. The official star is hidden and not revealed, and the wealth star is also hidden and not revealed, generating each other secretly, which is a sign of high status. The body is strong but the official star is weak, fortunately the wealth star can generate the official star (the original text says 'wealth can generate wealth', the next 'wealth' is mistakenly written as 'official'). The official star is strong but the body is weak, fortunately the official star can generate the seal star, which in turn generates the body. The seal star is strong but the official star is weak, the official star's energy is completely drained by the seal star, fortunately the wealth star can destroy the seal star, so the official star is no longer drained.

印衰官旺，財星不現。劫重財輕，官能去劫。財星壞印，官能生印。印露官亦露，官為用神而遭克破。官助用神而有力。（以上所言之官，偏官正官並指）。用正官而無偏官混雜。用偏官而無正官混雜。偏官旺過於身，而有食神制住。凡命局有如上述情形，皆主貴也。

When the official star is strong and the印星 is weak, the wealth star does not appear, so the official star exclusively generates the印星 without opposing it. When there are many rivals and the wealth star is weak, fortunately there is an official star to remove the rivals. Although the wealth star usually harms the印星, fortunately there is an official star in between to transform the wealth energy into one that generates the印星. If the印星 appears in the heavenly stem and the official star also appears in the heavenly stem, the official star is the useful god and is not harmed or destroyed (the original text says 'the official star is the useful god and is harmed or destroyed', missing the character 'not', which is inconsistent with the surrounding examples); or even if the official star is not the useful god, it can help the useful god and is strong. The author's note: the above-mentioned 'official star' includes both the biased official star and the proper official star. When using the proper official star, there should be no biased official star to mix in. When using the biased official star, there should be no proper official star to mix in. When the biased official star is too strong compared to the day master, and the food god star is present to control it. All these situations in the birth chart indicate a prosperous destiny.

吉者，善也，利也。雖非富貴，一生少險惡風波，得穩就永之妙。論命斷吉，全以標本平均，用神安頓為主。茲舉例如下。身旺用神，有食之生財，或有官殺之衛財。身旺用官，有財之生官，或有印之衛官。身旺用殺，殺重有傷食之制，殺輕，有財之生。

the so-called "good fortune" refers to what is beneficial and advantageous. Such a destiny may not necessarily lead to wealth and honor, but it ensures a life with few dangers and difficulties, gaining steady and long-term benefits. When assessing a person's fortune as good, the key lies in whether the fundamental and superficial aspects are in balance, and whether the useful god is properly established. For example, if the day master is strong and the useful element is wealth, there should be a food god generating wealth, or officials and enemies protecting wealth. If the day master is strong and the useful element is officials, there should be wealth generating officials, or a seal trigram protecting officials. If the day master is strong and the useful element is enemies, heavy enemies require food or harmful elements to control them; light enemies require wealth to generate them—everything must be in harmony with the day master.

身旺用傷食有財之流通。身旺用印，有官殺之助印。身弱用比劫，官星重，有印之生身洩官，財星重，有官之洩財生印。身弱用印，有官星生印，或比劫衛印。凡命局有如上述情形，皆主吉也。

When the person's strength is strong and the food and injuries (food and wounds) are used, the wealth star allows the energy of the food and injuries to flow out, giving the refined energy a place to settle. When the person's strength is strong and the seal is used, the official and killer stars help the seal. When the person's strength is weak and the same kind of stars are used, if the official stars are heavy, there must be a seal to generate the person's strength and also to release the official stars; if the wealth stars are heavy, there must be an official to release the wealth and also to generate the seal — in all cases, the path that restrains me must have an outlet. When the person's strength is weak and the seal is used, the official stars generate the seal, or the same kind of stars protect the seal, preventing the wealth stars from damaging the seal. Any destiny that fits these situations is favorable. It is clear that the key to "good fortune" is not the strength of a single element, but that each important area has support.

五行停勻。四柱無沖無克。所合者皆閒神（無關緊要之字，曰閒神）。沖去者，皆忌神（妨害用神之字，或造成偏枯之字，皆曰忌神）。留存者，皆相神（幫助用神者，曰相神）。日主旺，而得氣（地支為日干之長生沐浴、冠帶、臨官等，謂之日主得氣）。但不趨於太過。

The destiny of a person with a long life exhibits the following characteristics. The five elements are evenly distributed, with no particular element being excessively strong or weak. There are no conflicts or clashes among the four pillars, and the energy flows harmoniously. The ones that are combined are idle gods—notes that are not important are called idle gods. The ones that are conflicted are hostile gods—characters that hinder the useful god or cause imbalance in the destiny are called hostile gods. The ones that remain are auxiliary gods—characters that support the useful god are called auxiliary gods. The day stem is strong and has proper energy—notes that are the long life, bathing, capping, officialdom, etc., of the day stem in the earthly branches are called having proper energy. However, it is only having proper energy, not excessive. Excess is as bad as deficiency; too strong can be harmful to the body.

身旺官弱而逢財。身旺財輕而遇食。身旺而食傷吐秀。身弱而印綬當權。月令無沖無破。行運皆與用神相神不悖。凡命局有如上述情形，皆主壽也。

When the self is strong but the official star is weak, the arrival of wealth to generate the official star is just right. When the self is strong but the wealth is light, the arrival of the food god to generate the wealth is just right. When the self is strong and there are food and injury stars to reveal elegance, the strong energy has a place to be released. When the self is weak but the seal star is in power, the weak self has something to rely on. The month pillar has no conflict or damage, and the foundation of the entire chart is stable. The journey of fate follows the useful god and the auxiliary god without contradiction. All命局 that meet these various conditions are indicative of a long life. In summary, the principle of longevity lies in the character 'harmony': the energy is not biased, the spirits are not in conflict, the roots are not disturbed, and the journey is not against the trend.

傷輕財重。財輕官重。傷重，印輕，身弱。財重，劫輕，身弱。財輕喜食，傷而印旺。財輕劫重，食傷不現。財多喜劫，官星制劫。喜印而財星壞印。忌印而財星生官。喜財而財神被合。官殺旺而喜印，財星得局。財為忌神。用財而被沖破。凡命局有如上述情形，皆主貧也。

A destiny that leads to poverty is indicated by the following signs. The official is weak while wealth is strong, and the source of wealth is insufficient to meet its demands. Wealth is weak while the official is strong, and the wealth is entirely absorbed by the official. The official is strong, the nourishing element is weak, and the body is weak, leading to excessive depletion without remedy. Wealth is strong while the same element and siblings are weak, and the body is unable to bear such wealth. Wealth is weak and one would prefer to see the productive element, but the nourishing element is strong and suppresses the productive element. Wealth is weak while the same element and siblings are strong, and there is no productive element to guide and transform it. Wealth is abundant and one would prefer the same element and siblings to assist in sharing the wealth, but the official is strong and controls the same element and siblings. The destiny prefers the nourishing element, but the wealth element harms the nourishing element. The destiny dislikes the nourishing element, but the wealth element generates the official, which in turn generates the nourishing element. The destiny prefers wealth, but the wealth element is combined with other elements. The official and its counterpart are strong and prefer the nourishing element to transform them, but the wealth element forms a pattern that harms the nourishing element. Wealth itself is a harmful element. Wealth is the useful element but is attacked and broken. Any destiny that matches any of these situations is indicative of poverty.

（一）財輕官衰，逢食傷而見印綬，貧而貴。（二）喜印，財星壞印，而得官星解救，貧而貴。（三）官殺旺而身弱，財星生助官殺，有印，則一格易得，亦貧而貴也。無印，則老於儒冠，乃清貧之格。（四）財多身難任，有幫身而不能取用，以不能從財，既貧且賤。（五）年月財星極美，而日地儘量沖之破之，乃先富後貧，或敗盡祖產，而致貧困。

Poverty can be divided into five different types. The first type is when the wealth is weak and the official star is also weak, but although the food and injury stars come to harm the official star, the seal star restrains the food and injury stars, thus the person is poor but still noble — the official star is preserved in the end. The second type is when the birth chart favors the seal star, and the wealth star is originally harmful to the seal star, but fortunately the official star is in the middle to save the situation, so wealth generates official star and official star generates seal star, which is also a case of being poor but noble. The third type is when the official and killing stars are strong but the body is weak, and the wealth star also comes to assist the official and killing stars. If the birth chart has the seal star to transform the killing stars into beneficial ones and generate the body, then official positions can be easily obtained, which is also a case of being poor but noble. If there is no seal star, then the person will only be poor and live a life of a scholar, which is a clear case of poverty. The fourth type is when there is too much wealth but the body cannot bear it, and although there are things to support the body, they are not strong enough to be the useful god. If it is not possible to simply follow the wealth star, then the person will be both poor and lowly — stuck in a difficult situation. The fifth type is when the wealth stars in the year and month columns are very good, but the day and hour columns strongly conflict and destroy them. This is a case of first becoming rich and then failing, or exhausting the family's property and falling into poverty (the original text says 'day column' but it should be 'hour column').

財者，思想齪齷，操行卑鄙之謂也。非階級低下之稱也。上級人未必無賤，下級人未必皆賤。所以賤之一字，如偽君子、假小人，最不易辯。亦衡命所最難看耳。官輕印重而身旺。官重印輕而身弱。官印兩平而日主休囚。官輕，劫重，無財。官殺重，無印。財輕，劫重，官藏。官旺喜印，財星壞印。官殺重，無印，食傷強制。官多忌財，財星得局。凡命局有如上述情形，皆主賤也。

The term "贱" refers to a corrupt mind and low morals, not to a low social status (the original character "财" was a distorted form of "贱"). The upper class may not necessarily lack "贱," and the lower class may not all possess it. Therefore, the term "贱" is like a hypocrite or a fake petty person, which is the most difficult to recognize, and also the hardest to assess in determining a person's destiny. The following are the signs of a "贱" destiny: when the official star is light and the nurturing star is heavy, and the day's ruler is strong, the official star's energy is completely drained by the nurturing star, leaving the individual fearless. When the official star is heavy and the nurturing star is light, and the day's ruler is weak, the person is constrained and unable to recover. When both the official and nurturing stars are balanced, but the day's ruler is weak and lacks vitality. When the official star is light, but the rival stars are strong and there is no wealth to generate the official star. When the official and harmful stars are heavy, but there is no nurturing star to transform them. When wealth is light, but the rival stars are strong, and the official star is only hidden in the earth branches, unable to emerge to control the rivals. When the official star is strong and the nurturing star is needed to transform it, but the wealth star instead harms the nurturing star. When the official and harmful stars are heavy, but there is no nurturing star, and the person relies solely on food and injury stars to control them, but the control is not transformation, leading to an ultimately discordant energy. When there are many official stars, and wealth is needed to suppress them, but the wealth star instead forms a harmful combination. Any destiny that matches these situations is considered to indicate "贱."

凶者，逆也，咎也。貧苦而易遭刑傷破敗，多險惡風波，大抵偏枯無救之命局皆凶。財旺身弱無劫印。殺重身輕，無傷食，印綬。用官多傷而無財。官多身弱而無印。印劫並重而官輕，殺輕制重而無財。滿局比劫而無官殺。用食而多梟。忌殺而多財。喜財而多劫刃。滿局傷食而無印。喜印而多財。官輕而印重。喜官而殺混。外格既成而又破。凡命局有如上述情形，皆主凶也。

What is called "misfortune" refers to reversal and calamity: poverty and frequent suffering from punishment and ruin, with a life full of dangers and troubles. Generally, a destiny with an imbalance in the Five Phases and no remedy is considered凶. The following are signs of a凶 destiny: wealth is strong but the self is weak without a brother or sister to help, or a seal to support. The seven killers are heavy but the self is weak, with neither food or injury to control them nor a seal to transform them. Using the official as the main element, but the column has many injurious elements, and there is no wealth to mediate. Officials are numerous but the self is weak without a seal to transform them. The seal and brothers are both strong, but the official star is too weak to control them. The seven killers are originally weak but the food and injury that control them are too strong, and there is no wealth to save them. The entire column is filled with brothers and sisters without any officials or killers to restrain them. Using the food and injury as the main element, but the column has many hawk gods to take away the food. The destiny dislikes seven killers but the column has much wealth to generate the killers. The destiny prefers wealth but the column has many brothers and sisters and Yangren to take it away. The entire column is filled with food and injury without a seal to stop or release them. The destiny prefers a seal but the column has much wealth to destroy the seal. The official is weak and the seal is strong, the official energy is completely drained. The destiny prefers the official but there is a seven killer to confuse it. The external pattern is already established but is broken. Any destiny that matches any of the above situations is considered凶.

印綬太旺，日主無著落。財殺太旺，日主無依倚。忌神與用神，雜而戰。喜沖而不沖。忌合而反合。忌沖而反沖。喜合而不合。日主失令，用神淺薄，而忌神深重。行運與用神相神無情，反與忌神結黨。身旺而克洩全無。重用印而財星壞印。身弱逢印，而重疊食傷。金寒水冷而土溼。火炎土燥而木枯。凡命局，有如上述情形，皆主夭也。

Critical: The following are the characteristics of a destiny that leads to an early death. The nourishing element is too strong, and the day master has nowhere to rest—being overly nourished, I am buried. Wealth and killing stars are too strong, and the day master has no support. The forbidden god and the useful god are mixed together and fight each other, causing constant unrest in the destiny. What should be冲 (conflict) fails to conflict, while the forbidden god remains. What should be合 (union) happens, and the useful god is blocked. What should be冲 happens, and the useful god is injured. What should be合 fails to happen, and the saving force is lost. The day master is not in its proper season and is not in command, with the useful god being weak and the forbidden god strong. The fortune and the helpful gods are completely indifferent, instead joining forces with the forbidden gods. The body is strong but there is no god that controls or drains it, and the strong energy has nowhere to go. The nourishing element is the key useful god, but the wealth star comes to damage the nourishing element. The body is weak and relies on the nourishing element, but the column has excessive food and injury elements that drain it continuously. Metal is cold and water is cold, and the earth is damp, resulting in a whole scene of coldness without any yang energy. Fire is intense and earth is dry, and wood is dry, resulting in a whole scene of burning without any water to moisten. Any destiny that matches any of the above situations is likely to result in an early death. The above eight aspects—wealth and poverty, nobility and lowliness, good fortune and misfortune, longevity and early death—are paired oppositely. Readers may compare them together. What is presented is merely the distinction between balance and excess, and between being saved and not being saved.

上輯四卷述焉未詳，致從學諸君，或病簡短，或竟質疑。特作補充篇，以濟不逮。

The four volumes compiled above are not sufficiently detailed, leading some of my students who have asked questions to find them too brief, and others to raise doubts. Therefore, I have specially written this essay titled "Supplement," to make up for the shortcomings in the previous explanations. What is supplemented here are fundamental aspects: the nature of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the principles of the Twelve Longevity stages, the mutual overcoming and transformation among Heavenly Stems, and the mutual conflict, union, and punishment and harm among Earthly Branches. Finally, various divine influences such as the Monthly Virtue, the Post-horse, the Nobleman, the Literati Star, and the Empty Decade are appended.

十干陰陽之異，不過陽剛陰柔，陽健陰順。陽不甚，受陰克；陰不甚，畏陽克。陰易於他從，陽難於他從。陽干氣旺，陰干質堅而已。而命家作為歌賦，比喻失倫。如稱，甲為棟樑，乙為蘿藤，丙為太陽，丁為燈燭，戊為城牆，己為田園，庚為頑鐵，辛為珠玉，壬為江河，癸為雨露，不可信也。

The ten Heavenly Stems are divided into yin and yang. The difference between them is simply that yang is strong and masculine, while yin is soft and feminine. Yang stems are not easily overcome by yin stems, while yin stems are afraid of being overcome by yang stems. Yin stems are easily willing to yield, while yang stems find it hard to yield. Yang stems excel in vitality, while yin stems excel in solidity. That is all. However, those who interpret fate often compose rhymes and metaphors that are inappropriate. For example, they say Jia is a beam, Yi is a vine, Bing is the sun, Ding is a lamp, Wu is a city wall, Ji is farmland, Geng is hard iron, Xin is jewels, Ren is rivers and lakes, and Gui is rain and dew. These statements are not credible. One must know that the ten stems are merely the yin and yang aspects of the Five Phases. Once they are fixed to specific physical objects, they actually restrict the principles of generation and overcoming.

陽干主剛，威武不屈，而有惻隱之心，其處世不苟且。陰干主柔，見勢忘義，而有鄙吝之心，其處世多驕諂。大都趨利忘義之徒，皆陰氣之為戾。豪俠慷慨之人，皆陽氣之獨鍾。然陰陽停勻，不偏不倚，尤屬順正之命，自無損人利己之心也。

Yang stems represent strength; such people are resolute and unyielding, yet they possess a compassionate heart. They do not act deceitfully in the world. Yin stems represent gentleness; such people forget righteousness when faced with power, are petty and stingy, and often behave with arrogance or flattery. Generally speaking, those who pursue profit at the expense of righteousness are due to an excess of yin energy; while heroic and generous individuals are the result of a dominant yang energy. However, this is only speaking in terms of extremes. If yin and yang are balanced, neither excessive nor deficient, then the person's nature is harmonious and upright, naturally free from selfish and harmful intentions. This section discusses personality based on the yin and yang of the heavenly stems, which is an old method of judging people. Readers may regard it as a description of temperament tendencies, without needing to take it as absolute.

甲者乙之氣，乙者甲之質。在天為生氣而流行於萬物者，甲也。在地為萬物而承茲生氣者，乙也。又細分之，生氣之散佈者，甲之甲；而生氣之凝成者，甲之乙；萬物之所以有是枝葉者，乙而甲；而萬木之枝枝葉葉者，乙也乙也。方其為甲，而乙之氣已備，及其為乙，而甲之質乃堅。有是甲乙，而木之陰陽具矣。以木類推，餘者可知。

Jia is the Qi of Yi, and Yi is the substance of Jia. In the heavens, Jia is the vital Qi that spreads and circulates through all things; on the earth, Yi is the myriad things that receive this vital Qi. Further细分: the spreading out of vital Qi is Jia within Jia; the condensation and formation of vital Qi is Jia within Yi; the reason why all things have branches and leaves is Yi within Jia; and the specific forms of branches and leaves on all trees are Yi within Yi. When it is still Jia, the Qi of Yi is already present; but when it becomes Yi, the substance of Jia becomes solid. With the pair of Jia and Yi, the yin and yang of wood are complete. If this is true for wood, the other four elements can be understood in the same way. This section follows the discussion of the five yang and five yin in "Di Tian Mei," explaining the two aspects of Qi and substance within the same Five Phases.

甲者陽木也，木之生氣也；乙者陰木也，木這形質也；庚者陽金也，秋天肅殺之氣也；辛者陰金也，人間五金之質也。木之生氣，寄於木，而行於天，故逢秋天肅殺之氣，而銷克殆盡，而金鐵刀斧反不能傷。木之形質，遇金鐵刀斧而斬伐無餘，而肅殺之氣只可外掃落葉，而根柢愈固。此所以甲以庚為殺，以辛為官，而乙則反是也，庚官而辛殺也。

Jia is yang wood, representing the life qi of wood; Yi is yin wood, representing the form and substance of wood (the original text's "木这形质" has "这" as a mistake for "之"). Geng is yang metal, representing the cutting and killing qi of autumn; Xin is yin metal, representing the physical quality of man-made metal objects. Although the life qi of wood resides in the wood itself, it is actually circulating in the heavens. Therefore, when it meets the cutting and killing qi of autumn, it is completely eliminated. In contrast, metal tools like knives and axes cannot harm it. The form and substance of wood, however, are different: when it meets metal tools like knives and axes, it is completely cut down. Whereas the cutting and killing qi of autumn can only shake off its leaves, its roots become even more firmly established. This is why Jia wood takes Geng as its seven killing star and Xin as its official star, while Yi wood is the opposite, taking Geng as its official star and Xin as its seven killing star. This is not merely a matter of yin and yang pairing, but also involves the interaction between qi and substance.

丙者陽火也，融和之氣也；丁者陰火也，薪傅之火也。秋天肅殺之氣，逢陽和而克去，而人間之金，不畏陽和，此庚以丙為煞，而辛以丙為官也。人間金鐵之質，逢薪傅之火而立化，而肅殺之氣，不畏薪傅之火，此所以辛以丁為煞，而庚以丁為官也。即此以推，而餘者之相剋可知矣。

Bing is yang fire, representing the harmonious and warm energy; Ding is yin fire, representing the actual fire that spreads through burning wood (「xin fu」means fire that is passed on through burning wood). The sharp and severe energy of autumn is dissolved by the warm and harmonious energy of yang, while human-made metal objects are not afraid of yang energy. This is why Geng takes Bing as seven killing stars and Xin takes Bing as the official star. Conversely, human-made metal objects are immediately melted by the fire of burning wood, while the severe and sharp energy is not afraid of fire. This is why Xin takes Ding as seven killing stars and Geng takes Ding as the official star. Following this line of reasoning, the reasons for the mutual control between other heavenly stems can also be clearly understood.

地支所藏，非僅一干。故生剋制化，其理多端，然以本氣為主。寅必先甲而後及丙，申必先庚而後及壬，餘支皆然。陽支性動而強，吉凶之驗恆速；陰支性靜而弱，福禍之應較遲。在局在運，均以此意消息之。

In the Earthly Branches, there are not just one Heavenly Stem hidden, so the relationships of generation, overcoming, control, and transformation are more complex than in the Heavenly Stems. However, when examining them thoroughly, the main focus is always on the "original energy" or "primary stem": in the branch of Yin, we first consider Jia Wood, then proceed to Bing Fire; in the branch of Shen, we first consider Geng Metal, then proceed to Ren Water; the same principle applies to all other branches. Yang branches are active and strong, so their effects of good or bad fortune tend to manifest quickly; Yin branches are quiet and weak, so their responses to fortune and misfortune are generally slower. Whether in the original chart or in the course of a person's life, we should consider matters in this way.

寅卯者又輿甲乙分陰陽天地，而言之者也。以甲乙而分陰陽，則甲為陽，乙為陰，木之行於天而為陰陽者也。以寅卯陰陽，則寅為陽，卯為陰，木之存乎地而為陰陽者也。以甲乙寅而統分陰陽，則甲乙為陽，寅卯為陰，木之在天成象，而在地成形者也。甲乙行乎天，而寅卯受之。寅卯存乎地，而甲乙施焉。

Yin and Yang can also be discussed together from the perspective of heaven and earth with the combination of Yin and Yang. If we consider the Heavenly Stems Jia and Yi separately, Jia is Yang and Yi is Yin, representing the Yang and Yin of Wood in the heavens. If we consider the Earthly Branches Yin and Mao separately, Yin is Yang and Mao is Yin, representing the Yang and Yin of Wood in the earth. If we combine Jia, Yi, Yin, and Mao together to divide them into Yang and Yin, then Jia and Yi belong to Yang, and Yin and Mao belong to Yin. This is what the Great Treatise of the Zhou Changes says: "In the heavens, things take form; in the earth, things take shape." Jia and Yi move in the heavens while Yin and Mao receive their influence, and Yin and Mao exist in the earth while Jia and Yi exert their influence. (The original text "with Jia, Yi, Yin, and Mao to divide into Yang and Yin" is missing the character Mao.)

子午卯酉，秉氣最專；寅甲巳亥，容積最廣；辰戌丑未，收斂最宜。子午未屬陽因子中藏癸水，午中藏丁火，所謂體陽而有陰故作陰論。巳亥本屬陰、因巳中藏丙火，亥中藏壬水，所為體且則用陽，故作陽論。

The four branches of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You hold the most concentrated qi, each dominated by a single heavenly stem (Zi contains Gui, Wu contains Ding and Ji, Mao contains Yi, You contains Xin), and are known as the four cardinal branches. The four branches of Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai contain the broadest range of components, each holding three heavenly stems, and are known as the four generative branches (the original text mentions "Yin Jia Si Hai" with "Jia" being a mistake for "Shen"). The four branches of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are most suitable for gathering and storing, and are known as the four repositories. Zi and Wu are originally yang, but since Zi contains Gui water and Wu contains Ding and Ji fire, which are all yin stems, this is called having a yang nature but using yin, so in divination they are treated as yin (the original text mentions "Zi Wu Wei belongs to yang" with "Wei" being a mistake for "Ben"). Si and Hai are originally yin, but since Si contains Bing fire and Hai contains Ren water, which are all yang stems, this is called having a yin nature but using yang, so they are treated as yang (the original text mentions "so-called body yin and use yang" with some characters missing or incorrect).

干動而不息，支靜而有常。以每干流地於十二支之月，而生旺墓絕繫焉。陽主聚，以進為進，故主順。陰主散，以退為進，故主逆。此長生沐浴等項，所以有陽順陰逆之殊也。四時之運，成功者去、等用者進，故每干流於十二支之月而生旺墓絕，又有一定。陽之所生，即陰這所死，彼此互換，自然之運也。

The heavenly stems continuously move, while the earthly branches remain still and follow a regular pattern. When each heavenly stem is placed among the twelve earthly branches representing the twelve months, the sequence of growth, prosperity, burial, and decline is established. The reason for the difference between yang and yin stems in their progression lies in the nature of yang, which is about gathering and moving forward, hence it progresses in the same direction; yin, on the other hand, is about dispersing and advancing by retreating, hence it moves in the opposite direction. The distinction between yang and yin in the twelve positions of growth and bathing is due to this principle. The cycle of the four seasons involves the withdrawal of what has achieved its purpose and the arrival of what is needed. Therefore, each heavenly stem has a specific position in the twelve months for its birth, prosperity, burial, and decline. The place of birth for a yang stem is the place of death for a yin stem, and vice versa, which is a natural cycle.

即以甲乙論，甲為木之陽，天之生氣流行萬木者，是故生於亥而死於午。乙為木之陰，木之枝枝葉葉受天生者，是故生於午而死於亥。木當亥月，正枝葉剝落，而內之生氣，已收藏飽足，可以為來春發洩之機，此其所以生於亥也。木當午月，正枝葉繁盛之候，而甲何以死？卻不知外雖繁盛，而內之生氣發洩已盡，此其所以死於午也。乙木反是，午月枝葉繁盛即為之生，亥月枝葉剝落即為之死。以質而論，自與氣殊也。以甲乙為例，餘可知矣。

Take Jia and Yi as an example. Jia is the yang of wood, representing the life qi that flows from heaven throughout all trees, so it is born in Hai and dies in Wu. Yi is the yin of wood, representing the branches and leaves that receive the heavenly qi, so it is born in Wu and dies in Hai. When wood reaches the month of Hai, which is the tenth month, it is the time when branches and leaves wither, but the internal life qi has already been stored and filled up, making it ready to be released in the spring of the following year. This is why Jia wood is born in Hai. When wood reaches the month of Wu, which is the fifth month, it is the time when branches and leaves are most flourishing, yet Jia wood is said to die. This is because although the exterior appears flourishing, the internal life qi has already been fully released. This is why Jia wood dies in Wu. Yi wood is the opposite: when branches and leaves are flourishing in Wu, it is considered its birth, and when branches and leaves wither in Hai, it is considered its death. This is because Yi refers to the physical form, which naturally differs from the discussion of qi in Jia. Using Jia and Yi as examples, the rest of the heavenly stems can be similarly inferred.

支有十二月，故每干自長生至胎養，亦分十二位。氣之由盛而衰，衰而復盛，逐節細分，遂成十二。而長生沐浴等名，則假借形容之詞也。長生者，猶人之初生也；沐浴者，猶人既生之後，而沐浴以去垢也。如果核既為苗，則前之青殼，洗而去之矣。

The Earthly Branches consist of twelve months, so each Heavenly Stem is divided into twelve positions, starting from Longsheng (Growth) through Tai (Conception) and Yang (Nourishment). One kind of energy moves from prosperity to decline and then back to prosperity, subdivided step by step, forming exactly twelve stages. The terms "Longsheng" and "Muyu" are all metaphors borrowed from human affairs. "Longsheng" is like a person just being born. "Muyu" is like a person washing away the filth after birth; for instance, if the kernel has grown into a young plant, the outer green shell that previously enclosed it should now be removed. Therefore, the position of Muyu is also called "Baidi" (Decline), reflecting the idea of discarding the old to make way for the new, with the old form about to be shed and the new form not yet fully established.

冠帶者，形氣漸長，猶人之年長而冠帶也；臨官者，由長而壯，猶人之可以出任出；帝旺者，壯盛之極，猶人之可以輔帝而大有為也；衰者，盛極而衰，物之初變也；病者，衰之甚也；死者；氣之必盡而無餘也；墓得，造化收藏，猶人之埋於土者也；絕者，前之氣已絕而後氣將續也；胎者，後之氣續而結聚成胎也；養者，如人養胎母腹也。自是而後，長生循環無端矣。帝旺盛極，盛極將衰，不若長生沐浴冠帶之方興未艾。絕，為衰極，衰極將盛，遠勝衰病死之全無生氣。

Capping signifies the gradual growth of form and energy, like a person growing up to the age of wearing a cap and tying a sash. Officialdom indicates the transition from youth to strength, like a person being able to take on responsibilities. Prosperity represents the peak of strength, like a person capable of assisting the emperor and achieving great success. Decline marks the beginning of a transformation after reaching the peak. Sickness indicates a more severe decline. Death signifies the complete exhaustion of energy. Burial means the concealment of energy by nature, like a person being buried in the earth. Cutoff indicates the end of one phase of energy and the beginning of another. Fetus signifies the continuation of the new energy forming a fetus. Nurturing is like a fetus receiving nourishment in the mother's womb. From nurturing, the cycle returns to growth, continuing endlessly. Furthermore, it should be noted that although Prosperity represents the peak of strength, it is also the turning point towards decline, which is not as promising as Growth, Bathing, and Capping. Similarly, although Cutoff represents the extreme of decline, it is also the turning point towards renewal, surpassing the state of Decline, Sickness, and Death which are completely lifeless. Therefore, when examining the twelve positions, one should not only consider their literal meanings of good or bad fortune, but also determine whether they are in an ascending or descending phase.

十干代表五行，分為兩金、兩木、兩水、兩火、兩土。金克木，故庚辛克甲乙；木克土，故甲乙克戊己；土克水，故戊己克壬癸；水克火，故壬癸克丙丁；火克金，故丙丁克庚辛。是以干之相剋，即代表五行之戰鬥也。

The ten heavenly stems represent the Five Phases, with each phase represented by two stems: Geng and Xin belong to metal, Jia and Yi belong to wood, Ren and Gui belong to water, Bing and Ding belong to fire, and Wu and Ji belong to earth. Metal controls wood, so Geng and Xin control Jia and Yi; wood controls earth, so Jia and Yi control Wu and Ji; earth controls water, so Wu and Ji control Ren and Gui; water controls fire, so Ren and Gui control Bing and Ding; fire controls metal, so Bing and Ding control Geng and Xin. Thus, the mutual control among heavenly stems reflects the conflict between the Five Phases. Since heavenly stems are visible on the surface, this layer of conflict is easiest to observe. Therefore, the "Supplement" section begins with the control of heavenly stems.

干克之影響。（一）如庚見甲，庚為主克，甲為受克。受克者敗盡無餘，主克者雖勝亦勞，所謂兩敗俱傷是也。（二）日干本身，逢克我或我克，不作兩敗俱傷論。蓋克我者為官，我克者為財。是我之財官，何為兩敗耶。（三）如庚年甲月相剋，既兩敗俱傷，似非局中之喜，然或庚或甲，若為局中喜神，相剋固凶，若為局中忌神，則因克而反和解凶也。

The effects of a dry branch overcoming another have three aspects. First, for example, if庚 overcomes甲: 庚 is the active one that overcomes, and 甲 is the one being overcome. The one being overcome suffers complete defeat, while the one doing the overcoming, although victorious, also incurs exhaustion. This is called mutual destruction. Second, when the day stem encounters a character that overcomes it or is overcome by it, it is not considered mutual destruction. This is because the one that overcomes it is the official star, and the one it overcomes is the wealth star. These two are actually the wealth and official stars of the day stem, so how can there be mutual destruction? In other words, the overcoming between the day stem and another dry branch is a relationship of taking and giving, not a struggle. Third, for example, if the year stem is庚 and the month stem is甲 and they overcome each other, both suffer damage, and it seems that this is not favorable in the birth chart. However, if this庚 and this甲 are actually favorable elements in the chart, then although their overcoming is harmful, if they are unfavorable elements, the overcoming actually removes the harm. (The original text says '反和解凶' which should be translated as '反得解凶'.)

干克之區別。（一）如年庚月甲，地位最為貼近，克為亦為最重。（二）如庚載申、甲載寅，或兩庚兩甲，勢均力敵，克力亦重。（三）如兩庚一甲，一甲已不敵一庚，逢兩庚更如摧枯拉朽，當非勁戰敵，戰克反輕。（四）如兩甲一庚，一甲不敵一庚，兩甲則其力較勁，而戰克反重。（五）如一庚一甲，甲為受克，然甲木得時或得勢，則庚難取勝，而甲未受創。務必兩弱庚而一強甲，方成戰局也。

The strength of a heavenly stem overcoming another varies, and there are thirteen cases. First, if the heavenly stem of the year is Geng and the heavenly stem of the month is Jia, and the two pillars are adjacent, being closest to each other, the overcoming force is the strongest. Second, if Geng is in the position of Shen and Jia is in the position of Yin, each has its root and is strong, or if two Gengs face two Jias, they are evenly matched, and the overcoming force is strong. Third, if two Gengs face one Jia: one Jia is already unable to resist one Geng, and with two Gengs, it is like crushing dry branches, which is not a real battle, so the overcoming force is light. Fourth, if two Jias face one Geng: although one Jia cannot resist one Geng, two Jias together have more strength, and the battle becomes more intense. Fifth, if one Geng faces one Jia: although Jia is the one being overcome, if Jia has favorable timing or strength, Geng may not win, and Jia may not be harmed. In the end, only when both sides are equally strong can a real battle occur.

（六）如庚年甲巳，有月柱間隔，克力較輕。（七）如庚年甲時，有月柱日柱間隔，地位愈遠，克力愈輕。（八）如庚年壬月甲日，壬水洩庚金而生甲木，則庚與甲，有壬調解，似克而非克。（九）如庚年丙月甲日，庚甲本克，今逢丙火克庚，則庚甲不克，而轉為同仁庚相剋矣。（十）如庚年甲月壬時，雖壬水洩庚金而生甲木，但以壬水遠隔，庚甲地位接近，仍作克論。（十一）如庚年甲月丙時，丙在時，庚在年，地位遠隔，不能相剋。庚與甲則地位接近，故仍以庚金克木論也。

Sixth, if庚 is in the year stem and甲 is in the day stem, with the month pillar in between, the force of control is lighter (the original text says 「甲巳」, where 「巳」should be 「日」). Seventh, if庚 is in the year stem and甲 is in the hour stem, with the month and day pillars in between, the further apart the positions, the lighter the force of control. Eighth, if the year stem is庚, the month stem is壬, and the day stem is甲: the壬 water both drains the energy of庚 metal and nourishes甲 wood. Since壬 is in between庚 and甲, it seems like control but actually there is no control—this is called passing through a channel. Ninth, if the year stem is庚, the month stem is丙, and the day stem is甲:庚 and甲 originally control each other, but now丙 fire controls庚, so庚 is preoccupied and cannot control甲, thus the control between庚 and甲 is avoided, and instead丙 controls庚 (the original text says 「转为同仁庚相克」, which should be 「转为丙与庚相克」). Tenth, if the year stem is庚, the month stem is甲, and the hour stem is壬: although壬 water can drain庚 and nourish甲, since壬 is far away in the hour position, and庚 and甲 are close, it is still considered as mutual control. Eleventh, if the year stem is庚, the month stem is甲, and the hour stem is丙: since丙 is in the hour and庚 is in the year, they are far apart and cannot control each other; however, since庚 and甲 are close, it is still considered that庚 controls甲.

（十二）如庚年甲月戊日。若庚金最強，則作庚克甲，不成甲克戊矣。若甲木最強，則作甲克戊，不成庚克甲矣。若戊土最強，則只庚可克甲，而甲不可克戊。（十三）陽干克陽干，陰干克陰干，克力最重。陰干克陽干，次之。陽干往往不克陰干，作干合論。

Twelfth, if the heavenly stems of the year, month, and day are庚, 甲, and 戊 respectively, forming a sequence of mutual control: if 庚 metal is the strongest, then it is considered that 庚 controls 甲; since 甲 is too busy defending itself, it cannot control 戊. If 甲 wood is the strongest, then it is considered that 甲 controls 戊; 庚 cannot restrain 甲. If 戊 earth is the strongest, then only the control of 庚 over 甲 holds, and 甲 cannot control 戊. Thus, in a sequence of mutual control, one must first determine which stem is the strongest before the control relationship can be established. Thirteenth, a yang stem controls a yang stem, and a yin stem controls a yin stem; like elements repel each other, and the controlling force is strongest. A yin stem controlling a yang stem is of the next level. As for a yang stem and a yin stem, they are often not considered as controlling each other, but rather as a combination, since yin and yang attract each other. This leads to the next topic of 'stem combination'.

庚見甲，二陽相竟而成克；辛見乙，二陰不足而成克。乙見庚，或庚見乙，則陰陽相見為合，如男女相見，而成夫婦之道焉。蓋基於易經所謂一陰一陽之謂道，偏陰偏陽之謂疾也。

Geng meets Jia, two yang stems contend with each other, thus forming mutual control (the original text 'xiang jing' refers to 'xiang jing', meaning contention); Xin meets Yi, two yin stems both feel insufficient, also forming mutual control. As for Yi meeting Geng or Geng meeting Yi, one yin and one yang meet, thus forming 'he' (union), like the meeting of male and female to form the relationship of husband and wife. This principle originates from the 'Great Treatise' in the 'Zhou Changes' which states 'a combination of yin and yang is called the Way', as well as the medical saying 'an excess of yin or yang is called disease': when yin and yang are balanced, harmony is achieved; but when biased towards one extreme, illness occurs. Therefore, mutual control between like elements and union between opposite elements are the two most fundamental relationships between heavenly stems.

干合之影響。（一）如甲日見辛，辛為甲官。若透丙合辛，則辛非甲官矣。丙為甲食，然既作合，亦非甲食矣。故合者，並去而兩有所絆也。（二）日干本身之合不受合去影響。蓋六陽逢財，六陰逢官，俱是作合，和乙日逢庚，乙庚作合，庚為我官，是我合之，何為合去耶！（三）如丙年辛月作合。既丙辛兩有所絆，似非命局之喜。然或丙或辛，若為日干所喜，合去固凶，若為日干所忌，則合去反得解凶也。

The effects of a Heavenly Stem combining with another have three aspects. First, for example, if Jia is the day stem and Xin appears, Xin is originally Jia's official star; if another stem such as Bing appears and combines with Xin, then Xin is no longer Jia's official star. Bing is originally Jia's food star, but since it combines with Xin, it is no longer Jia's food star. Therefore, the effect of combination is that both stars lose their functions and hinder each other. Second, the combination made by the day stem itself is not affected by the concept of 'being combined away'. Because the six Yang stems combine with their own wealth, and the six Yin stems combine with their own official stars: for example, if Yi is the day stem and Geng appears, Yi and Geng combine, Geng is my official star, and I am the one combining with it, how can it be said that it is being combined away? (The original text says 'He Yi ri feng Geng', where 'He' should be read as 'Ru'.) Third, for example, if the stem of the year is Bing and the stem of the month is Xin, they combine with each other and both are hindered, appearing as if they are not favorable in the birth chart. However, if this Bing and Xin are what the day stem favors, then their combination is harmful; but if they are what the day stem dislikes, their combination actually removes the harm.

干合之區別。（一）如甲年己月，甲己之地位緊貼，合力最重。（二）如甲在年上，己在時上，隔位太遠，合而不能合也，半合也，其為祝福，得十之二三而己。（三）如丙辛相合，若丙火得時得勢，縱為所絆，仍有六七分能力。辛金失時失勢，又被羈絆，力更輕微矣。（四）如兩辛一丙、兩丙一辛、兩丁一壬、兩壬一丁，猶二女一夫，一女二夫，難免爭妒，故為妒合。雖有合意，其情不專，為禍為福，得十分之五六而已。

The weight of heavenly stem combinations varies, and there are six cases. First, if the heavenly stem of the year is Jia and the heavenly stem of the month is Ji, and the two pillars are adjacent, their combination is the strongest. Second, if Jia is on the year pillar and Ji is on the hour pillar, they are separated by two pillars, which is too far apart. Although they are said to combine, they do not actually form a close connection, and this is considered a half combination. Its effect, whether beneficial or harmful, is only about two or three tenths. Third, when Bing and Xin combine, we must also consider the strength of the surrounding stems. If Bing fire is strong and in a favorable position, even though it is combined, it still retains about six or seven tenths of its strength. If Xin metal is weak and in an unfavorable position, and is further restricted, its strength becomes even weaker. Fourth, when two Xin stems combine with one Bing stem, or two Bing stems combine with one Xin stem, or two Ding stems combine with one Ren stem, or two Ren stems combine with one Ding stem, it is like two women competing for one husband or one woman marrying two husbands. This inevitably leads to jealousy and conflict, so it is called "du huo" (jealous combination). Although there is an intention of combination, the feelings are not exclusive, so its effect, whether beneficial or harmful, is only about five or six tenths.

（五）如庚年乙月甲日乙時，雖兩乙合一庚，因甲日隔之，全無爭妒之意，年庚月乙仍作純粹之合也。（六）如乙年庚月乙日，庚金左右合乙，是皆可合也，妒合是也。乙年乙月庚日，月乙與日庚相拿上乙以地位之隔，雖有合庚之意，而不作合論矣。庚年乙月乙日，年庚合月乙，日乙以地位之隔，雖有合庚之意，亦不作合論矣。

Fifth, if the heavenly stem of the year is Geng, the stem of the month is Yi, the stem of the day is Jia, and the stem of the hour is Yi: although there are two Yis that could combine with one Geng, because the Jia stem of the day is in between, the two Yis cannot meet, so there is no competition or conflict. The Geng of the year and the Yi of the month still count as a pure combination. Sixth, if the heavenly stem of the year is Yi, the stem of the month is Geng, and the stem of the day is Yi: Geng metal is flanked by two Yis, and both can combine with it, which is called a jealous combination. If the heavenly stem of the year is Yi, the stem of the month is Yi, and the stem of the day is Geng, the Yi of the month combines closely with the Geng of the day, while the Yi of the year is separated by one position. Although it has the intention to combine with Geng, it is not considered a combination. (The original text says 'the Yi of the month and the Geng of the day are taken by the Yi of the year in position,' which is a textual error and should be 'the Yi of the month and the Geng of the day combine, while the Yi of the year is separated by position.') Conversely, if the heavenly stem of the year is Geng, the stem of the month is Yi, and the stem of the day is Yi, the Geng of the year combines with the Yi of the month, while the Yi of the day is separated by one position. Although it has the intention to combine with Geng, it is not considered a combination either.

命有天干克合併見者。若用神在於地支，自無議克、議合之必要。惟若用神求諸干上，則必先以克合之力，輕重較量，然後取用為妥。特立法例五則如後：（一）如庚年乙月甲日。以地位論，庚乙緊貼，庚甲間隔，當作合不作克也。（二）如庚年辛月乙日。以地位論，辛乙緊貼，庚乙間隔，當作克不作合也。

In some birth charts, the heavenly stems may both clash and harmonize. If the useful god is in the earthly branches, there is no need to consider the clashes and harmonies in the heavenly stems. Only when the useful god must be sought from the heavenly stems, it is necessary to first weigh the strength of the clashes and harmonies, and then select the useful god with confidence. For this purpose, five rules are established. First, if the heavenly stem of the year is Geng, the heavenly stem of the month is Xin, and the heavenly stem of the day is Yi: in terms of position, Xin is close to Yi, while Geng is separated by one stem from Yi. Therefore, it is considered as harmonizing rather than clashing - since Xin and Yi harmonize first, Geng has no opportunity to clash with Yi. Second, if the heavenly stem of the year is Geng, the heavenly stem of the month is Xin, and the heavenly stem of the day is Yi: in terms of position, Xin is close to Yi, while Geng is separated by one stem from Yi. Therefore, it is considered as clashing rather than harmonizing - since Xin and Yi are both yin stems, the clash occurs at the close position, and the harmonizing intention between Geng and Yi is thus ineffective.

（三）如甲年庚月乙日。克合併見，且皆貼近。以主克受克論，庚可勝甲，甲不能勝庚，則庚乙相合，甲不得侵，自作合論。（四）如丙年庚月乙日。克合併見，且皆貼近。以主克受克論，丙能勝庚，庚不能勝丙，則乙庚相合，丙得侵庚，自作克論。（五）如丙的庚月乙日。克合併見，且皆貼近，以勢力論，若丙火得時得勢，則丙可克庚，庚不可合乙。若庚金得時得勢，則庚可合乙，丙不能克庚。再若丙庚乙三字，勢均力敵，則作克不作合，蓋克力大於合力也。

Third, for example, if the stem of the year is Jia, the stem of the month is Geng, and the stem of the day is Yi: both the overcoming and the combining are present and close. In terms of the relationship between the overcoming and the overcome, Geng can overcome Jia, but Jia cannot overcome Geng. Therefore, Geng and Yi still combine, and Jia cannot interfere with this combination, so it is considered as a combination. Fourth, for example, if the stem of the year is Bing, the stem of the month is Geng, and the stem of the day is Yi: both the overcoming and the combining are present and close. In terms of the relationship between the overcoming and the overcome, Bing can overcome Geng, but Geng cannot overcome Bing. Therefore, although Yi and Geng have a combining intention, Bing can interfere with Geng, so it is considered as an overcoming. Fifth, for example, if the stem of the year is Bing, the stem of the month is Geng, and the stem of the day is Yi (the original text mistakenly says 'of the year' instead of 'of the month'): both the overcoming and the combining are present and close. At this time, we consider the strength of the forces: if Bing fire has the right time and strength, then Bing overcomes Geng, and the combination between Geng and Yi cannot take place; if Geng metal has the right time and strength, then Geng combines with Yi, and Bing cannot overcome Geng; if Bing, Geng, and Yi are equally strong, then it is considered as an overcoming rather than a combination, because the force of overcoming is inherently stronger than that of combination.

萬物生於土，甲己為相合之始，故化為土。土則生金，故乙庚化金次之；金則生水，故丙辛化水又次之；水則生木，故丁壬化木又次之；木則生火，故戊癸化火又次之。而五行遍焉，十干化合，蓋即此義耳。俗書所解，類多迂折，未便深信。茲所欲言者，又有時令、賓主、明暗、地位、歲運五項。

All things originate from the earth. Jia and Ji are the first pair of the ten heavenly stems that combine, so they are transformed into earth. Earth produces metal, so Yi and Geng combine to form metal, which comes second; metal produces water, so Bing and Xin combine to form water, which comes third; water produces wood, so Ding and Ren combine to form wood, which comes fourth; wood produces fire, so Wu and Gui combine to form fire, which comes fifth. In this way, the five phases are fully covered. The order of the combination of the ten heavenly stems is roughly this principle. Most books on this topic are obscure and forced, so they are not worth believing. There is also another point to add: the five factors of season, host and guest, brightness and darkness, position, and age and destiny. Whether a combination can actually transform depends entirely on these five factors; otherwise, even if there is a name of combination, each heavenly stem still follows its own stem to determine the ten heavenly officials.

（一）時令 辰戌丑未月只可化土，亥卯未月只可化木，巳酉丑月只可化金，寅午戌月只可化火，申子辰月只可化水。寅月兼可化木，申月兼可化金，己月兼可化火，亥月兼可化水。（二）賓主 日干逢合則可化，蓋日干為命之主也；他干逢合不能化，蓋他干為命之賓也。故如甲日合己月，或合己時，則可化土。若甲年己月，只合而不化也（此指非化格而言。若己成化格。他干逢合。亦得化也）。

The first consideration is the season. If born in the months of Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei, only earth can be transformed. If born in the months of Hai, Mao, or Wei, only wood can be transformed. If born in the months of Si, You, or Chou, only metal can be transformed. If born in the months of Yin, Wu, or Xu, only fire can be transformed. If born in the months of Shen, Zi, or Chen, only water can be transformed. In addition, the month of Yin can also transform wood, the month of Shen can also transform metal, the month of Si can also transform fire, and the month of Hai can also transform water (the original text mistakenly wrote 'Ji' instead of 'Si'). These four months are the places where wood, metal, fire, and water reach their officialdom or growth, so they are also considered as seasons. The second consideration is the relationship between the main and the secondary elements. The day stem can be transformed when it forms a combination, because the day stem is the main element of a person's destiny. Other heavenly stems cannot be transformed when they form a combination, because they are secondary elements. Therefore, if the day stem is Jia and it combines with the heavenly stem of the month or the hour, which is Ji, it can transform into earth. However, if the heavenly stem of the year is Jia and it combines with the heavenly stem of the month, which is Ji, it is only a combination and not a transformation. The author's note: This refers to situations where transformation does not occur. If a transformation pattern is already formed, other heavenly stems can also be transformed.

（三）明暗 透干為明，藏支為暗。明與暗，亦只合不化如己土透干，與亥中所藏之甲，可合不可化。（四）地位 如甲日己年，地位被月柱所隔，合且勉強，況乎比哉。（五）歲運 如甲日逢己運或己歲，應以正財論，不作化土論。若日干非甲，他干有一甲者，逢一己運己歲，尤不能化（此亦指非化格而言若己成化格，他干逢合運或合歲，亦得化也）。

The third point is whether the combination is clear or hidden. If the stem appears in the heavenly stems, it is called "clear," and if it is hidden in the earthly branches, it is called "hidden." One clear and one hidden can only combine, not transform. For example, if the earthy stem Ji is clear in the heavenly stems and the hidden stem Jia in the branch Hai, they can be said to combine, but not to transform. The fourth point is the position. For instance, if Jia is in the day stem and Ji is in the year stem, and they are separated by the month stem, they can barely combine, let alone transform. The fifth point is the year and the ten years of destiny. For example, if the day stem is Jia and it meets the Ji year or Ji destiny, it should be considered as a proper wealth stem, not as a transformation. If the day stem is not Jia, but another stem has Jia, and it meets the Ji year or Ji destiny, then transformation is even less possible. The author's note: This is talking about situations where transformation is not possible. If a transformation pattern has already been formed, then other stems meeting the same destiny or year can still transform. In summary, to achieve transformation, the day stem must personally combine, and the month stem must also support it; both are essential.

支沖者，地支相隔六位而沖擊，如子午相沖，子中癸水，克午中丁火，午中己土，又克子中癸水，互相戰克也。變沖之影響。（一）地支中多藏干，相沖之影響，較天干之相剋為複雜。茲先以本氣、時令及多寡，探討之。

The concept of "branch conflict" refers to two earthly branches that are six positions apart and mutually clash. For example, Zi and Wu conflict: the hidden Gui water in Zi overcomes the hidden Ding fire in Wu, while the hidden Ji earth in Wu goes back to overcome the hidden Gui water in Zi, resulting in mutual struggle. The twelve branches are arranged in a circle, and the two branches directly opposite each other form a conflict, resulting in six pairs: Zi and Wu, Chou and Wei, Yin and Shen, Mao and You, Chen and Xu, and Si and Hai. The effects of such conflicts (the original title "Variation of Conflict" is actually a miswriting of "Branch") are as follows: first, there are multiple heavenly stems hidden within each earthly branch, so the effects of conflicts are more complex than mutual control between heavenly stems. Below, we will discuss this from three aspects: the inherent nature, the season, and the quantity.

本氣 兩支相沖，戰克不已，當以本氣為重。如子之本氣為水，午之本氣為火，究屬水克火，故子勝而午敗。則子午之相沖，午乃受創，子則勞力。時令 以本氣論雖子可勝午，然如午月火旺，逢子水，子午相沖，午屬得令，子屬失令，則午勝子敗，得令之午無傷，失令之子沖去。多寡 如午年子月行日午時，以本氣言。以時令言，皆子勝於午。然三午一子，午多子寡，應作午勝。但子敗而不死。較為無力而已。（二）局中喜神沖敗則凶，凶神沖敗反吉。

First, consider the inherent strength. When two branches clash, they fight continuously, and to determine the winner and loser, the inherent strength should be considered. For example, the inherent strength of Zi is water, and that of Wu is fire. Since water overcomes fire, Zi wins and Wu loses. When Zi and Wu clash, Wu is injured, and Zi must exert some effort. Next, consider the season. Although Zi can overcome Wu based on inherent strength, if the person is born in the month of Wu when fire is strong, then Zi clashing with Wu would result in Wu gaining strength from the season while Zi loses it. In this case, Wu wins and Zi loses. The season favors Wu, so Wu is not harmed, while Zi, which loses the season, is actually pushed away. Next, consider the number of branches. For example, if the year branch is Wu, the month branch is Zi, the day branch is Wu, and the hour branch is Wu (the original text says '行日午时' which should be '午日午时'), then based solely on inherent strength and season, Zi still overcomes Wu. However, with three Wus against one Zi, the number of Wus is greater, so Wu still wins. Although Zi loses, it does not die, but simply becomes weak and ineffective. Second, if the beneficial elements in the birth chart are harmed by a clash, it is bad. Conversely, if the harmful elements are harmed by a clash, it is good.

（一）寅申已亥之沖，兩敗俱傷。假如寅申逢沖，申中庚金，克寅中甲木，寅中丙火未嘗不克申中庚金。甲中壬水，克寅中丙火，寅中戊土，未嘗不克申中壬水，戰克不靜也。或為主克，或得令，或眾多，可佔優勢。反是則挫敗矣。

The eight types of branch conflicts are as follows. The first is the conflict among the four branches: Yin, Chou, Si, and Hai. These four branches usually result in mutual harm. For example, the conflict between Yin and Chou: the metal in Chou (Geng) overcomes the wood in Yin (Jia), while the fire in Yin (Bing) may also overcome the metal in Chou (Geng); the water in Chou (Ren) overcomes the fire in Yin (Bing), while the earth in Yin (Wu) may also overcome the water in Chou (Ren). Both sides are in constant conflict. To determine the winner, one must consider which side is the main overcomer, which side is supported by the month's stem, and which side has more strength. The side that satisfies these conditions will be stronger, while the opposite will be defeated. The four branches of birth (four yin branches) each contain three heavenly stems, so this type of conflict is particularly complex.

（二）辰戌丑未之沖，本氣皆為土，乃屬同類，不過沖動而已，無戰剋意也。故逢沖動，土因激起而愈旺。至所藏之神，辰中癸水，克戌中丁火，戌中辛金，克辰中乙木，當以得令或眾多占優，反是則敗。丑中辛金癸水，能克中乙木丁火，丑易取勝地未。然亦須兼看時令與多寡，方可取決耳。（三）子午酉卯之沖，以所藏最簡，勝敗亦最易分。子中癸水，克午中丁火。午中己土，克子中癸水。酉中辛金，純克卯中乙木。以木氣言，子可勝午，酉可勝卯。再看時令與多寡，不難立決矣。

Second, the four branches Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are in mutual conflict. Their main elements are all earth, so they are merely stirred up, not actually fighting. Therefore, once stirred, the earth becomes even stronger due to the stimulation. As for the residual elements stored in the four reservoirs: the癸water in Chen overcomes the丁fire in Xu, and the辛gold in Xu overcomes the乙wood in Chen. The side that is in season or has more quantity will prevail, and the opposite will be defeated. The辛gold and癸water in Chou can overcome the乙wood and丁fire in Wei, so Chou is more likely to overcome Wei. However, it is also necessary to consider the season and the quantity to make a decision. Third, the four branches Zi, Wu, Mao, and You are in mutual conflict. The elements they contain are very simple, and the outcome is easy to determine. The癸water in Zi overcomes the丁fire in Wu, the己earth in Wu overcomes the癸water in Zi, and the辛gold in You simply overcomes the乙wood in Mao. Considering the main elements alone, Zi can overcome Wu and You can overcome Mao. If we also consider the season and the quantity, the outcome can be determined immediately.

（四）兩支相沖，一在年，一在時，俗名海底沖。實則地位遠隔，全無沖意，如人之遠達兩地，豈能接觸相戰。（五）兩支相沖，一在年，一在日，或一在月，一在時。間隔一位，沖力減輕。（六）兩支相沖，一為日主之旬空，沖力亦減（旬空詳後）。（七）如午年午月子日，只作午月子日相沖，不作午年子日相沖。（八）如午年子月午日，若午力強，則子午之沖擊極暫。蓋兩強午而一弱子，勝敗立分也。若子力強。則其沖勢劇烈矣。蓋兩弱午而一強子。勢均力敵也。

Fourth, when two branches are in opposition but one is in the year and the other in the hour, it is commonly called 'underwater conflict'; in reality, they are too far apart to have any real opposition, just as two people living in different places cannot come into contact or fight. Fifth, when two branches are in opposition but one is in the year and the other in the day, or one in the month and the other in the hour, with one branch in between, the force of the opposition is reduced. Sixth, when two branches are in opposition and one of them falls exactly on the day master's旬空, the force of the opposition is also reduced—this topic will be discussed in detail later. Seventh, if the year branch is午, the month branch is午, and the day branch is子, only the午 in the month and the子 in the day are considered to be in opposition, not the午 in the year and the子 in the day, as the closer pair is chosen. Eighth, if the year branch is午, the month branch is子, and the day branch is午: if the strength of午 is strong, the conflict between子 and午 will be brief, because two strong午 will quickly overcome the weak子; but if the strength of子 is strong, the conflict will be more intense, because two weak午 facing a strong子 will be evenly matched, leading to a prolonged struggle.

支合種類。（一）六合 子與丑、寅與亥、卯與戌、辰與酉、巳與申、午與未皆為六合。六合之理，蓋由日月合朔而來。十一月建子，合朔於丑，十二月建丑，合朔於子，故子丑六合。正月建寅合朔於亥。十月建亥，合塑於寅。故寅亥六合。（二）局合 亥卯未合成木局，寅午戌合成火局，巳酉丑合成金局，申子辰合成水局，皆為局合。局合之理，蓋取生旺墓一氣始終也（如亥卯未木局，亥為木之生地，卯為木這旺地，未為木之墓地也）。（三）方合 寅卯辰為東方，已午未為南方，申酉戌為西方，亥子丑為北方，皆為方合。方合之理，蓋取三支一氣聯貫也。

The Earthly Branches are combined in three types. The first is called "Six Harmony" (六合): Zi and Chou, Yin and Hai, Mao and Xu, Chen and You, Si and Shen, Wu and Wei, making six pairs. The principle of Six Harmony comes from the conjunction of the sun and moon at the same position in the sky. In the eleventh month, the Month Builder is Zi and the conjunction is Chou, so Zi and Chou are harmonious. In the twelfth month, the Month Builder is Chou and the conjunction is Zi, so Zi and Chou are harmonious again. In the first month, the Month Builder is Yin and the conjunction is Hai, while in the tenth month, the Month Builder is Hai and the conjunction is Yin, so Yin and Hai are harmonious. The other four pairs follow the same logic. The second is called "Triple Harmony" (三合), also known as "Three Harmonies": Hai, Mao, and Wei form a Wood Triple Harmony; Yin, Wu, and Xu form a Fire Triple Harmony; Si, You, and Chou form a Metal Triple Harmony; Shen, Zi, and Chen form a Water Triple Harmony. The principle of Triple Harmony is based on the continuous cycle of Growth, Prosperity, and Storage. For example, in the Wood Triple Harmony of Hai, Mao, and Wei, Hai is the Growth position of Wood, Mao is the Prosperity position, and Wei is the Storage position. The third is called "Directional Harmony" (方合), also known as "Three Convergences": Yin, Mao, and Chen converge to form the East; Si, Wu, and Wei converge to form the South; Shen, You, and Xu converge to form the West; Hai, Zi, and Chou converge to form the North. The principle of Directional Harmony is based on the three branches sharing the same directional energy and being connected from beginning to end. Among the three, Directional Harmony is the most specific, Triple Harmony is next, and Six Harmony is the lightest.

支合之影響。（一）六合 兩支相合，猶羈絆也。凶神逢合則減凶，吉神逢合則減吉。（二）局合 亥卯未合成木局，命中喜木則吉，忌木則凶。寅午戌合成火局，命中喜火則吉，忌火則凶。己酉丑合成金局，命中喜金則吉，忌金則凶。申子辰合成水局，命中喜水則吉，忌水則凶。（三）方合 寅卯震合為東方，命中喜木則吉，忌木則凶。已午未合為南方，命中喜火則吉，忌火則凶。中西戌合為西方，命中喜金則喜，忌金則凶。亥子丑合為北方，命中喜水則吉，忌水則凶。

The effects caused by branch combinations fall into three categories, each with different impacts. First, the Six Harmonies: when two branches combine, they bind each other, reducing the negative effects of Inauspicious Spirit if they combine, and also reducing the positive effects of auspicious spirit if they combine. It does not change the nature of the Five Phases, but merely ties the two branches together. Second, the formation of a trinity: when Hai-Mao-Wei (Wood triad) combine, they form a Wood trinity; if Wood is favorable in the destiny of a person, it brings good fortune, but if Wood is unfavorable, it brings misfortune. When Yin-Wu-Xu (Fire triad) combine, they form a Fire trinity; if Fire is favorable, it brings good fortune, but if Fire is unfavorable, it brings misfortune. When Si-You-Chou (Metal triad) combine, they form a Metal trinity; if Metal is favorable, it brings good fortune, but if Metal is unfavorable, it brings misfortune. When Shen-Zi-Chen (Water triad) combine, they form a Water trinity; if Water is favorable, it brings good fortune, but if Water is unfavorable, it brings misfortune. Third, the convergence of directions: when Yin and Mao Chen converge, they form the East direction; if Wood is favorable, it brings good fortune, but if Wood is unfavorable, it brings misfortune (the original text mistakenly writes '震' for '辰'). When Si and Wu Wei converge, they form the South direction; if Fire is favorable, it brings good fortune, but if Fire is unfavorable, it brings misfortune. When Shen and You Xu converge, they form the West direction; if Metal is favorable, it brings good fortune, but if Metal is unfavorable, it brings misfortune (the original text mistakenly writes '中西戌' for 'Shen-You-Xu (autumn quarter)'). When Hai-Zi-Chou (winter quarter) converge, they form the North direction; if Water is favorable, it brings good fortune, but if Water is unfavorable, it brings misfortune. It is evident that the trinity formations generate a new force of the Five Phases, which is quite different from the simple binding effect of the Six Harmonies.

（一）局合應以旺支最為重要。亥卯未，卯為旺支。己酉丑，酉為旺支。寅午戌，午為旺支。申子辰，子為旺支。若亥卯、卯未、已酉、酉丑、寅午、午戌、申子、子辰，雖只兩支相合，因有旺支，其力非輕，僅稍遜三支全合而已。若亥未、已丑、寅戌、申辰、亦兩支相合，因無旺支，其力最弱，幾無合意也。（二）方合以三支全者可合，若只二支，湧合論。（三）六合以緊貼則合，間隔一位或二位，即不能合。

There are ten types of branch combinations. First, in the case of a complete combination, the "strong branch" is most important: for the Wood triad (Hai-Mao-Wei), Mao is the strong branch; for the Metal triad (Si-You-Chou), You is the strong branch; for the Fire triad (Yin-Wu-Xu), Wu is the strong branch; and for the Water triad (Shen-Zi-Chen), Zi is the strong branch. If only two branches are present, such as Hai-Mao, Mao-Wei, Si-You, You-Chou, Yin-Wu, Wu-Xu, Shen-Zi, or Zi-Chen, even though they do not form a complete triad, since they contain the strong branch, their strength is still considerable, only slightly less than a complete triad. This is called a half combination. If the combination consists of Hai-Wei, Si-Chou, Yin-Xu, or Shen-Chen, even though they are two branches, they do not include the strong branch, and their strength is very weak, almost negligible. Second, for a square combination, all three branches must be present to be considered a combination; only two branches are not considered a combination. Third, for the Six Harmonies, the two branches must be adjacent to form a harmony; if there is one or two branches between them, the harmony cannot be formed.

（四）方合局合而三支全者，有一閒字間隔，仍作合論。只二支而間隔，即不能合。（五）六合而一支屬旬空，合力減輕。（六）如戊日寅月，全成東方，俱以殺論。戊日卯月，全成東方，俱以官論。戊日辰月，全成東方，視寅卯之勢孰重，以分官殺。其餘仿此。（七）如二卯一戌，或二寅一亥，皆六合之妒合也。然地支多藏干，較天干為複雜，且六合這成，非由於陰陽生克，故其妒力，遠不若天干妒合之重也。

Fourth, if the three branches are complete and the two trines are combined, even if there is an irrelevant character in between, it is still considered as a trine; if only two branches are present and they are separated, then the trine is not formed. Fifth, if one of the branches in the Six Harmonies falls on the旬空 (ten-day hollow), the strength of the harmony is reduced. Sixth, for example, if the day master is Wu Earth born in the寅 (Tiger) month, and the earthly branches form the Eastern Wood (寅卯辰), this entire wood is generally considered as seven杀 (seven deadly enemies)—the Jia Wood kills Wu Earth, and both are yang, hence it is considered as a seven杀. If the day master is Wu Earth born in the卯 (Rabbit) month and the earthly branches form the Eastern Wood, then it is generally considered as 正官 (proper official)—the Yi Wood kills Wu Earth, and they are yin and yang, hence it is considered as an official. If the day master is Wu Earth born in the辰 (Dragon) month and the earthly branches form the Eastern Wood, then it depends on which side,寅 or卯, has more strength, and accordingly, it is judged as either official or seven杀. The same reasoning applies to other day masters. Seventh, for example, two卯 (Rabbits) paired with one戌 (Dog), or two寅 (Tigers) paired with one亥 (Pig), are both considered as 妒合 (jealous trines) within the Six Harmonies. However, since the earthly branches contain more hidden heavenly stems, the situation is more complex than with heavenly stems, and since the formation of the Six Harmonies is not based on yin-yang generation and destruction, its competitive and jealous forces are not as intense as those of jealous trines among heavenly stems (the original text's "这" is a mistake for "之").

（八）如寅卯辰東方，若柱中有二寅，或二卯，或二辰。如亥卯未木局，柱中有二亥，或二卯，或二未，皆不作妒合論，且滿足以增加合力也。（九）如寅卯辰東方，見亥字是為生方這神，見未字是為方克之財，皆非局混方也。（十）如亥卯未木局，見寅字是其同氣，見辰字是其財神，皆非方混局也。

Eighth, for example, if the pillar contains two Yins, or two Maos, or two Chens, forming the East direction, or if it contains two Hais, or two Maos, or two Weis, forming the Wood trinity, these are not considered as conflicting harmonies, but rather they actually enhance the strength of the harmony—since a direction or trinity consists of multiple branches of the same element, unlike the Six Harmony which is a one-to-one pairing (the original text's '满' should be read as '适'). Ninth, if the East direction is formed by Yin, Mao, and Chen, and another Hai appears in the pillar, Hai is the god that nourishes this direction, with water generating wood; if another Wei appears, Wei is the wealth that the direction controls, with wood controlling earth. These two cases are not considered as 'mixing a direction into a trinity'. Tenth, if the Wood trinity is formed by Hai, Mao, and Wei, and another Yin appears in the pillar, Yin shares the same element as the Wood trinity; if another Chen appears, Chen is the wealth god of wood. These two cases are also not considered as 'mixing a direction into a trinity'. The term 'mixing' refers to two valid combinations interfering with each other; the above cases do not interfere with each other, so there is no need to be concerned.

地支相刑，以局加方取之。亥卯未木局，加亥子丑之方，故亥刑亥，卯刑子，未刑丑。申子辰子局，加寅卯辰之方，故申刑寅，子刑卯，辰刑辰。寅午戌火局，加巳午未之方，故寅刑巳，午刑午，戊刑未。巳酉丑金局，加申酉戌之方，故巳刑申，酉刑酉，丑型戌。內除未刑丑，申弄寅，繫相沖外，故以寅刑巳，己刑申及丑刑戌、戌刑未為三刑，子卯為相刑，辰午酉亥為自刑。然細究之，殊無圓滿之理義，但雖不知其所以然，於命理亦無害也。

Earthly Branches mutual punishment is formed by placing the Triple Harmony structure upon the Triple Convergence structure. The Wood Triple Convergence (Hai-Mao-Wei) is placed upon the Northern Triple Convergence (Hai-Zi-Chou), and each position is matched accordingly, resulting in Hai punishing Hai, Mao punishing Zi, and Wei punishing Chou. The Water Triple Convergence (Shen-Zi-Chen) is placed upon the Eastern Triple Convergence (Yin-Mao-Chen), resulting in Shen punishing Yin, Zi punishing Mao, and Chen punishing Chen (the original text's "Zi" in "Shen-Zi-Chen" is a mistake for "Water"). The Fire Triple Convergence (Yin-Wu-Xu) is placed upon the Southern Triple Convergence (Si-Wu-Wei), resulting in Yin punishing Si, Wu punishing Wu, and Xu punishing Wei. The Metal Triple Convergence (Si-You-Chou) is placed upon the Western Triple Convergence (Shen-You-Xu), resulting in Si punishing Shen, You punishing You, and Chou punishing Xu. Among these twelve combinations, the groups Wei punishing Chou and Shen punishing Yin are actually mutual conflicts, so they are excluded. The remaining groups, Yin punishing Si, Si punishing Shen, Chou punishing Xu, and Xu punishing Wei, are called "Three Punishments." Zi and Mao are called "mutual punishment," while Chen, Wu, You, and Hai are each called "self-punishment." However, upon closer examination, this method of arrangement does not have a fully coherent rationale. Although the reasoning behind it is unclear, it can still be used in fortune telling without harm.

（一）寅刑己、己刑申、丑型戌、戌刑未為三刑。（二）子卯為相刑。（三）辰、午、酉、亥為自刑。

The three types of branch punishments are as follows. First, the mutual punishments between the branches:寅 is punished by巳,巳 is punished by申,丑 is punished by戌, and戌 is punished by未. These are collectively called "Three Punishments." The branches 寅,巳,申 mutually punish each other forming one group, while the branches 丑,戌,未 mutually punish each other forming another group, hence called Three Punishments (the original text mentions "寅刑己" and "己刑申," where "己" is a mistake for "巳," and "丑型戌" where "型" is a mistake for "刑"). Second, 子 and 卯 mutually punish each other, called "mutual punishment." Third, when 辰 meets 辰, 午 meets 午, 酉 meets 酉, and 亥 meets 亥, the same branch meets again and causes punishment, called "self-punishment."

（一）寅刑巳，乃木火相生。巳刑申，己申本合。丑形戌，戌刑未，皆屬同類之土。子卯相刑，又為水相生。辰刑辰，午刑午，酉刑酉，亥刑亥，本支自刑，更無戰意，故刑與沖異，兩支相弄，不過動搖而已，無勝敗之分也。禍福之力極輕，一經間隔，尤為平淡。

The effect of刑 is actually quite mild. The branch 寅 is in conflict with 巳, but 寅 wood and 巳 fire are originally in a mutual generation relationship. 巳 is in conflict with 申, but 巳 and 申 are originally a pair of Six Harmony (the original text mistakenly wrote 「己申本合」 as 「己」 instead of 「巳」). 丑 is in conflict with 戌, and 戌 is in conflict with 未, all of which are of the same type of earth (the original text mistakenly wrote 「丑形戌」 as 「形」 instead of 「刑」). 子 is in conflict with 卯, but 子 water and 卯 wood are also in a mutual generation relationship (the original text mistakenly wrote 「又为水相生」 as 「又为水木相生」). 辰 is in conflict with 辰, 午 with 午, 酉 with 酉, and 亥 with 亥, which are all self-conflicts within the same branch, and there is no notion of conflict or struggle. Therefore, 刑 is quite different from 冲. When two branches are in conflict, they merely shake each other slightly, without any clear winner or loser, and the influence of good or bad fortune is very light. Once the positions are separated, the effect becomes even more neutral.

人命有遇刑而操威柄者。四柱本吉耳，有遇刑而猥凶禍者，四柱本凶耳，非必皆刑之故。考相刑之法，或三，或二，或一，例既偏駁雜亂，而又無確然之理，為命學立說中，最不足深信者也。或有地支丑戌未全，寅已申全。而輒遭糾紛者，蓋支中藏神之生克，過於雜亂所致，非因相弄之故耳。

In a person's birth chart, those who encounter self-punishment but still hold great power have an originally auspicious four pillars; those who encounter self-punishment and repeatedly suffer misfortunes have an originally inauspicious four pillars, and it is not necessarily due to the self-punishment. When examining the method of self-punishment, there are cases where three branches form a group, cases where two branches form a group, and cases where a single branch self-punishes. The system is inconsistent and disorderly, and there is no clear reasoning. Among various interpretations in fortune telling, this is the least reliable. Some people who have the branches of Chou, Xu, and Wei together, or the branches of Yin, Si, and Shen together, often encounter disputes, because the hidden heavenly stems within these branches produce excessive and chaotic interactions of generation and overcoming, not because of self-punishment.

支害之影響。地支相害由相合而來，沖我合神，故謂之害。子合丑而未沖之，故未害子。丑合子而午沖之，故午害丑。寅合亥而已沖之，故已害寅。卯合戌而辰沖之，故辰害卯。辰合酉而卯沖之，故卯害辰。已合申而寅沖之，故寅害巳。午合未而丑沖之，故丑害午。未合午而子沖之，故子害未。申合己而亥沖之，故亥害申，酉合辰而戌沖之，故戌害酉。戌合卯而酉沖之，故酉害戌。亥合寅而申沖之，故申害亥。總而計之，以六支害六支。沖其合我者，必合其沖我者。人命逢支害，影響分四種：

The concept of Earthly Branches being harmed is derived from their mutual harmony: if a branch is originally harmonious with me, but another branch comes to conflict with that harmonious branch, it is called "harm." Zi (rat) and Chou (ox) are harmonious, but Wu (horse) conflicts with Chou, so Wu harms Zi. Chou and Zi are harmonious, but Wu (horse) conflicts with Zi, so Wu harms Chou. Yin (tiger) and Hai (pig) are harmonious, but Si (snake) conflicts with Hai, so Si harms Yin. Mao (rabbit) and Xu (dog) are harmonious, but Chen (dragon) conflicts with Xu, so Chen harms Mao. Chen (dragon) and You (rooster) are harmonious, but Mao (rabbit) conflicts with You, so Mao harms Chen. Si (snake) and Shen (monkey) are harmonious, but Zhen (dragon) conflicts with Shen, so Zhen harms Si. Wu (horse) and Wei (sheep) are harmonious, but Zi (rat) conflicts with Wei, so Zi harms Wu. Wei (sheep) and Wu (horse) are harmonious, but Zi (rat) conflicts with Wu, so Zi harms Wei. Shen (monkey) and Si (snake) are harmonious, but Hai (pig) conflicts with Si, so Hai harms Shen. You (rooster) and Chen (dragon) are harmonious, but Xu (dog) conflicts with Chen, so Xu harms You. Xu (dog) and Mao (rabbit) are harmonious, but You (rooster) conflicts with Mao, so You harms Xu. Hai (pig) and Yin (tiger) are harmonious, but Shen (monkey) conflicts with Yin, so Shen harms Hai. In total, each of the six branches is harmed by another, forming a mutual harm relationship. If a branch conflicts with the harmonious branch of another, it must also be harmonious with the branch that conflicts with it. When a person's birth chart encounters Earthly Branches that are harmful, the effects can be divided into four categories.

（一）如子午相沖，子勝午敗。有丑合子害午，若子為吉神，午為凶神，則丑合子是減輕吉力。雖害吉，不比午沖之甚，是減輕懲凶之力，乃不利於命局也。若子為凶神，午為吉神，則丑合子，是減輕凶力。雖害午，不比沖午之甚，減輕損吉之力，乃利於命局也，故害者直等於沖合併見耳。（二）只兩支相害，而無沖，於命局上無甚影響。（三）兩支相害，其一逢合，以合論吉凶。（四）兩支相害，地位間隔，不以害論。

First, for example, if the branch Zi and Wu are in opposition, Zi wins and Wu loses. If at this time another branch Chou comes to join Zi, then Chou is considered harmful to Wu. If Zi is a beneficial god and Wu is a harmful god, then Chou joining Zi reduces the power of the beneficial god; although it also harms Wu, it is not as severe as Wu being opposed by Zi. This is like weakening the power to punish the harmful god, so it is unfavorable for the destiny chart. Conversely, if Zi is a harmful god and Wu is a beneficial god, then Chou joining Zi reduces the power of the harmful god; although it harms Wu, it is not as severe as Wu being opposed by Zi. This is like reducing the damage to the beneficial god, so it is favorable for the destiny chart. Therefore, 'harm' is essentially when a combination and opposition occur together. Second, if two branches are harmful to each other but there is no opposition, it has little effect on the destiny chart. Third, if two branches are harmful to each other and one of them is joined by another branch, then the effect is judged based on the joining. Fourth, if two branches are harmful to each other but are separated, they are not considered harmful.

命有地支沖合刑害，錯綜並見者。若用神在於天干，無須多議。若用神在於地支，則必先以沖合刑害之力，輕重較量，然後取用為妥，特立法例六則如下：（一）刑沖合害並見，以緊貼者為有力。如丑年子月寅日午時，子丑貼子午間隔，作合不作沖。（二）方合之力，大於局合，是以方合局合併見，以方合論。局合之力。大於六沖，是以局合與六沖見，以局合論。六沖之力，大於六合，是以六合與六沖並見，以六沖論。六合之力，大於刑害，是以六合與刑害並見，以六合論。

Some birth charts have conflicting, harmonious, penal, and harmful relationships among the earthly branches. If the useful god is in the heavenly stem, there is no need for further discussion; but if the useful god is in the earthly branch, then it is necessary to first weigh the strength of the conflicting, harmonious, penal, and harmful relationships before selecting the useful god. For this purpose, six rules are established. First, when conflicting, harmonious, penal, and harmful relationships are all present, the one that is closest is considered the most powerful. For example, if the year branch is丑, the month branch is子, the day branch is寅, and the hour branch is午: 子 and丑 are adjacent, while 子 and午 are separated by one branch, so it is considered as 子丑 harmonious, not as 子午 conflicting. Second, the strength of various relationships has a hierarchy: square harmony is stronger than circular harmony, so when square harmony and circular harmony are both present, square harmony is considered; circular harmony is stronger than six conflicts, so when circular harmony and six conflicts are both present, circular harmony is considered; six conflicts are stronger than six harmonies, so when six harmonies and six conflicts are both present, six conflicts are considered; six harmonies are stronger than punishment and harm, so when six harmonies and punishment and harm are both present, six harmonies are considered. This rule actually establishes a hierarchy of strength: square harmony is the strongest, followed by circular harmony, then six conflicts, then six harmonies, and punishment and harm are the weakest.

（三）局合而三支全者，旺支逢沖而緊貼，以沖論。旺支逢沖而間隔，以局合論。局合而只二支，亦然。（四）局合而三支全者，非旺支逢沖，雖緊貼，亦不以沖論，局合而只二支，亦然。（五）方合見沖，作合不作沖。（六）注重本身力量，如丑年子月午日，在理。六沖之力。大於六合，應作子午沖，不作子丑合。然若局中丑土有力，既佔優勢，則作合而不作沖矣。

Third, when the three branches are complete and the combination is harmonious: if the strong branch is being clashed and is closely adjacent, it is treated as a clash; if the strong branch is being clashed but is separated, it is still treated as a harmonious combination. Even if only two branches form a half combination, the same rule applies. Fourth, when the three branches are complete and the combination is harmonious: if the branch being clashed is not the strong one, even if it is closely adjacent, it is not treated as a clash—because the strong branch is the mainstay of the combination, and if it is disturbed, the combination will be broken. The same applies to half combinations. Fifth, when a square combination meets a clash, the combination is considered, not the clash; the triple combination is most specialized, and a clash cannot break it. Sixth, finally, we must also consider the strength of each branch in the individual's chart. For example, if the year branch is Chou (丑), the month branch is Zi (子), and the day branch is Wu (午): according to principle, the force of a clash (six clashes) is greater than that of a harmonious combination (six harmonies), so it should be considered as Zi-Wu clash rather than Zi-Chou combination; however, if the Chou earth in the combination is strong and dominant, it will still be considered as a combination rather than a clash. This shows that the first five rules are general principles, while this last one is a flexible rule.

刑沖剋合害，變化多端，再舉數例如後：乙丑 庚辰乙亥戊寅。（天干）月庚合年乙，又合日乙。其情不專，（地支），寅亥六合。乙丑乙酉庚午戊寅。（天干）月乙合日庚（地支）酉丑金局，寅午火局。庚申乙酉乙卯丁丑。（天干）年庚合月乙。（地支）卯酉沖，酉丑隔位而不合。

The changes of刑 (trouble), 冲 (conflict), 克 (overcoming), 合 (harmony), and 害 (harm) are complex. Here are a few more examples. The first example is Yichou, Gengchen, Yihai, Wuyin: In the heavenly stems, the month stem 庚 is both in harmony with the year stem 乙 and the day stem 乙, which is a case of 妒合 (jealous harmony) because it is harmonizing with both sides. In the earthly branches, 寅 and 亥 are in a Six Harmony (six harmony). The second example is Yichou, Yiyou, Gengwu, Wuyin: In the heavenly stems, the month stem 乙 is closely in harmony with the day stem 庚. In the earthly branches, 酉 and 丑 form a half-union of the metal element, and 寅 and 午 form a half-union of the fire element. The third example is Gengshen, Yiyou, Yimao, Dingchou: In the heavenly stems, the year stem 庚 is in harmony with the month stem 乙. The day stem 乙 is separated by one position and does not participate in the harmony. In the earthly branches, 卯 and 酉 are in conflict; between 酉 and 丑, there is 卯 in between, so the harmony cannot be formed.

庚午乙酉庚辰已卯。（天干）月乙合年庚，又合日庚，其情不專。（地支）辰酉合，卯辰缺寅，故不作方合。卯酉間辰，故不能沖。丙午庚寅已卯丁丑。（天干）丙庚相剋而庚敗，作克不作合。（地支）寅午三合，成半火局。寅卯缺辰，不作方合。甲午庚午乙丑丁丑。（天干）庚甲相剋而甲敗，作合不作克。（地支）二午自刑，月午日丑變相害，然皆於命局無影響。

The fourth construction: Gengwu, Yiyou, Gengchen, Jimao. In the heavenly stems, the monthly stem Yi combines with both the annual stem Geng and the daily stem Geng, indicating an unstable relationship, which is considered a jealous combination. In the earthly branches, Chen combines with You to form the Six Harmony; Mao and Chen only have two branches, missing a Yin, so they do not form the Eastern trinity. Mao and You are separated by Chen, so they do not form a conflict. The fifth construction: Bingwu, Gengyin, Jimao, Dingchou. In the heavenly stems, Bing and Geng mutually control, and Geng is defeated, so it is considered a control relationship rather than a combination. In the earthly branches, Yin and Wu form a half-fire trinity; Yin and Mao are missing a Chen, so they do not form the Eastern trinity. The sixth construction: Jiawu, Gengwu, Yichou, Dingchou. In the heavenly stems, Geng and Jia mutually control, and Jia is defeated, but the daily stem Yi is close to the monthly stem Geng, so it is considered a combination rather than a control. In the earthly branches, two Wus form self-punishment, and the monthly Wu and daily Chou are mutually harmful, but these have little effect on the overall chart (the character 'change' in 'month Wu and day Chou change into mutual harm' is likely an addition).

庚午壬午甲申甲子。（天干）庚壬接近，庚甲間隔，以生論，不以克論。（地支）二午自刑，申子三合成地水局。丙午庚寅甲申乙丑。（天干）丙庚先克，庚甲不克。（地支）寅木得令，寅千又三合，故申不能沖寅。乙未庚辰甲寅乙丑。（天干）乙庚先合，庚甲不克。（地支）丑未遠隔而不沖，寅辰缺卯而非方合。

The seventh construction: Gengwu, Renwu, Jiashen, Jiazi: In the heavenly stems, Geng is close to Ren, and Geng is separated from Jia by one stem, so it is considered that Geng generates Ren, not that Geng overcomes Jia. In the earthly branches, two Wus self-punish; Shen and Zi form a half-water trinity (the original text's "three harmonies form earth water trinity" should be "half" instead of "three harmonies"). The eighth construction: Bingwu, Gengyin, Jiashen, Yichou: In the heavenly stems, Bing first overcomes Geng, so Geng cannot overcome Jia. In the earthly branches, Yin wood is in command, and Yin and Wu form a half-fire trinity (the original text's "Yin thousand" should be "Yin Wu" instead of "thousand"), so Shen does not overcome Yin. The ninth construction: Yiwei, Gengchen, Jiayin, Yichou: In the heavenly stems, Yi and Geng first harmonize, so Geng cannot overcome Jia. In the earthly branches, Chou and Wei are far apart and do not clash; Yin and Chen are separated by one Mao, so they cannot form the eastern trinity.

乙亥己卯辛未丁酉。（天干）乙乙相剋。丁辛相剋。（地支）亥卯未三合。酉雖沖卯，乃不緊貼，不作沖論。乙亥癸未己卯癸酉。（天干）己癸相剋，乙己遠隔而不克。（地支）卯酉沖而緊貼，故亥卯未木局，力量減輕。甲子丁丑壬午甲辰。（天干）丁壬相合。（地支）子丑貼近，子午間隔，作合不作沖，丑午雖害，無甚影響。

The tenth construction: Yihai, Jimao, Xinwei, Dingyou. In the heavenly stems, the year stem Yi is in mutual control with the month stem Ji (the original text says 'Yi Yi' but the next 'Yi' is actually 'Ji', a mistake). The day stem Xin is in mutual control with the hour stem Ding. In the earthly branches, Hai, Mao, and Wei form a triple harmony of wood. Although You is in opposition to Mao, the two branches are not closely adjacent, so it is not considered as opposition. The eleventh construction: Yihai, Guiwei, Jimao, Guiyou. In the heavenly stems, Ji and Gui are in mutual control; Yi and Ji are far apart, so the control is not effective. In the earthly branches, Mao and You are closely adjacent and in opposition, so the strength of the triple harmony of wood formed by Hai, Mao, and Wei is reduced. The twelfth construction: Jiazi, Dingchou, Renwu, Jiachen. In the heavenly stems, Ding and Ren are in mutual harmony. In the earthly branches, Zi and Chou are closely adjacent, so they form a harmonious relationship, while Zi and Wu are separated by one branch, so it is not considered as opposition. Although Chou and Wu are in mutual harm, it has no significant effect.

丙辰庚子壬申己酉。（天干）丙庚相剋。（地支）申子辰三合水局，申酉缺戌，不作方合。丙辰丙申壬子辛丑。（天干）丙壬相剋，丙辛間隔不合。（地支）申子辰三合水局。子丑雖合，因力不及三合，故不成立。丙子辛丑乙未壬午。（天干）丙辛相合。（地支）六沖之力，大於六合故作丑未沖論，不作子丑及午未合論。丙子辛丑甲午辛未。（天干）丙辛相合。（地合）六害之力，小於六合，故作子丑合，午未合，不作丑午害。

The thirteenth combination: Bingchen, Gengzi, Renshen, Jiyou. In the heavenly stems, Bing and Geng are mutually controlling. In the earthly branches, Shen, Zi, and Chen form a triple harmony of water. Shen and You are missing a Xu, so they do not form a western triple harmony. The fourteenth combination: Bingchen, Bingshen, Renzi, Xinchou. In the heavenly stems, Bing and Ren are mutually controlling; Bing and Xin are separated by one stem, so they do not form a harmonious pair. In the earthly branches, Shen, Zi, and Chen form a triple harmony of water. Although Zi and Chou have the meaning of six harmony, their strength is less than that of triple harmony, so they do not form a harmonious pair. The fifteenth combination: Bingzi, Xinchou, Yiwei, Renwu. In the heavenly stems, Bing and Xin form a harmonious pair. In the earthly branches, the force of six clashes is greater than that of six harmony, so it is considered as Chou and Wei clashing, not as Zi and Chou harmonizing or Wu and Wei harmonizing. The sixteenth combination: Bingzi, Xinchou, Jiawu, Xinwei. In the heavenly stems, Bing and Xin form a harmonious pair. In the earthly branches, the force of six harms is less than that of six harmony, so it is considered as Zi and Chou harmonizing, and Wu and Wei harmonizing, not as Chou and Wu clashing (the original text says 'earthly harmony' but should be 'earthly branches'). The last two combinations have the same year and month stems but different day and hour stems, leading to completely different outcomes. This clearly demonstrates the usefulness of the previous table of the order of importance.

天月德之構成。（一）天德 正月丁日、三月 壬日、四月 辛日、六月甲日、七月癸日、九月丙日、十月乙日、十二月庚日。二、五、八、十一月無天德。（二）月德 亥月、卯月、未月逢甲日，寅月、午月、戌月逢丙日，巳月、酉月、丑月庚日，申月、子月、辰月逢壬日。

Heavenly Virtue and Monthly Virtue are two auspicious deities. The method to determine Heavenly Virtue is as follows: those born in January encounter Ding day, those born in March encounter Ren day, those born in April encounter Xin day, those born in June encounter Jia day, those born in July encounter Gui day, those born in September encounter Bing day, those born in October encounter Yi day, and those born in December encounter Geng day. Those born in February, May, August, and November have no Heavenly Virtue. This book only considers the day stem, which differs slightly from the old method that also considered the earthly branch. The method to determine Monthly Virtue is as follows: those born in the亥 month, 卯 month, or 未 month encounter Jia day; those born in the寅 month, 午 month, or 戌 month encounter Bing day; those born in the巳 month, 酉 month, or 丑 month encounter Geng day; and those born in the申 month, 子 month, or 辰 month encounter Ren day. This is based on the yang stems of the Triple Harmony Formation: the wood formation takes Jia, the fire formation takes Bing, the metal formation takes Geng, and the water formation takes Ren.

天月德之吉。（一）人命日干，值天德或月德。命吉者，增吉；命凶者，減凶。（二）人命日干，值天月二德（如辰月午日），尤能增吉減凶。（三）人命日干，既值天德或月德，若他干再臨天月德，為吉神則福力位隆，為凶神則暴橫益化，例如：

The four auspicious aspects of Heavenly Virtue and Monthly Virtue are as follows. First, if a person's day stem coincides with Heavenly Virtue or Monthly Virtue, a naturally auspicious destiny will become even more auspicious, while a naturally inauspicious destiny will have its inauspiciousness reduced. Second, if the day stem coincides with both Heavenly Virtue and Monthly Virtue, the effect of enhancing auspiciousness and reducing inauspiciousness is even greater. For example, the original text cites "Chen month Wu day." According to the method of Monthly Virtue mentioned above, the day of Chen month should be Ren, and the character "Wu" here may be a mistake. Third, if the day stem has already coincided with Heavenly Virtue or Monthly Virtue, and another Heavenly Virtue or Monthly Virtue appears on another heavenly stem, then if this character is a beneficial deity, its blessings will be especially abundant; if it is a harmful deity, its harmful nature will be somewhat mitigated. The original text says "Fuli wei long" (blessings will be especially abundant), where "wei" should be "bei" (double). Below are two examples.

戊辰丙辰壬午壬寅。壬生辰月，天月二德並臨，火土林立，主弱不堪，幸有時壬幫扶。而時上之壬，既為吉神，又值天月德，則此命之福力倍隆宜矣。辛未丙寅丁巳庚子。丁生寅月為天德，木火太旺為患，雖丙火克庚而勝，凶神，幸丙在寅月，為天月，德並臨，亦可稍減其凶也。（四）天月德本身遭克，不以吉論。

The first chart: Wu Chen, Bing Chen, Ren Wu, Ren Yin. The壬 water is born in the辰 month, which is exactly where the monthly virtue is located. The four pillars have many fire and earth elements, making the day's main element weak. Fortunately, the heavenly stem壬 comes to support it. The壬 in the hour position is a beneficial god in the destiny, and it also meets the heavenly virtue and monthly virtue. Therefore, the fortune of this chart is naturally abundant. The second chart: Xin Wei, Bing Yin, Ding Si, Geng Zi. The day is Ding, born in the寅 month, which perfectly matches the heavenly virtue. The four pillars have excessive wood and fire, causing a problem. The heavenly stem丙 fire is also attacking the heavenly stem庚 gold in the hour, and it is dominant. Normally,丙 is an Inauspicious Spirit, but since it is born in the寅 month, which is the place where both heavenly virtue and monthly virtue are present, its harmful nature is slightly reduced. The fourth point: if the heavenly virtue and monthly virtue are attacked, they cannot be considered as beneficial.

驛馬之構成。亥卯未年逢已，寅午戌年逢申，申子辰年逢寅，巳酉丑年逢亥。驛馬之影響。（一）命中吉神為馬，大則超遷之喜，小則順動之利。（二）命中凶神為馬，大則奔蹶之患，小則馳馬逐之勞。（三）驛馬逢沖，譬之加鞭，吉則愈吉，凶則愈凶。（四）驛馬逢合，等於繫足，吉凶皆為羈絆而遲發。（五）日干坐馬，栗六多動。

The method of determining the Post-horse (Post-horse) is as follows: if the year's branch is亥, 卯, or 未, then 见巳 (the presence of 巳) is the驿马; if the year's branch is 寅, 午, or 戌, then 见申 (the presence of 申) is the Post-horse; if the year's branch is 申, 子, or 辰, then 见寅 (the presence of 寅) is the驿马; if the year's branch is 巳, 酉, or 丑, then 见亥 (the presence of 亥) is the Post-horse. This is based on the position of the long life (长生) in the Triple Harmony Formation (三合局), and the opposite branch of that position is considered the Post-horse. Since opposition signifies movement, it is called the Post-horse. The influence of the Post-horse has five aspects. First, if a fortunate deity in the destiny is the Post-horse, it may bring great joy such as promotion and advancement, or minor convenience through favorable movement. Second, if an adverse deity in the destiny is the Post-horse, it may cause great troubles such as hardship and toil, or minor burdens from constant travel. Third, if the Post-horse is further opposed, it is like giving the horse an extra whip, making good things even better and bad things even worse. Fourth, if the Post-horse is in conjunction, it is like tying up the horse's legs, delaying the manifestation of both good and bad influences due to restraint. Fifth, if the day stem is seated on the Post-horse, the person will be constantly busy and restless, with much activity and little stillness (「栗六」means 「碌碌」, indicating restlessness and busyness).

貴人之構成。甲日見丑或見未，乙日見子或見申，丙日見酉或見亥，丁日見酉或見亥，戊日見丑或見未，己日見子或見申，庚日見丑或見未，辛日見寅或見午，壬日見卯或見巳，癸日見卯或見巳。貴人之吉。（一）助吉解凶。（二）聰明。（三）易得人之信仰及互助。貴人所忌。（一）忌沖或合。（二）忌落旬空。

"The Nobleman" refers to the Tianyi Nobleman mentioned in命书 (destiny books). The method of determining it is as follows: for Jia day stems, the Nobleman is found in Chou or Wei; for Yi day stems, in Zi or Shen; for Bing day stems, in You or Hai; for Ding day stems, in You or Hai; for Wu day stems, in Chou or Wei; for Ji day stems, in Zi or Shen; for Geng day stems, in Chou or Wei; for Xin day stems, in Yin or Wu; for Ren day stems, in Mao or Si; for Gui day stems, in Mao or Si. Each day stem is paired with two branches. Old texts divide these into Yang Nobleman and Yin Nobleman. The benefits of having a Nobleman are threefold: first, it can assist in good fortune and relieve misfortune; second, it indicates a person's intelligence; third, it makes it easy to gain others' trust and support. The things to avoid regarding the Nobleman are two: first, it is unfavorable if it is in conflict or in conjunction—conflict causes the Nobleman to be unstable in its position, and conjunction ties up the Nobleman; second, it is unfavorable if it falls in the旬空 (decade void), as it becomes empty and not substantial.

文昌之構成。甲日見巳，乙日見午，丙日見甲，丁日見酉，戊日見申，己日見酉，庚日見亥，辛日見子，壬日見寅，癸日見卯。文昌之吉。（一）逢凶化吉。（二）智慧聰明過人。（三）文采風流。文昌所忌。（一）忌沖或合。（二）忌落旬空。

The method of determining "Wenchang" (literary virtue): On Jia day, it is found in Si; on Yi day, in Wu; on Bing day, in Shen (the original text says "Jia" but this is a mistake for "Shen"); on Ding day, in You; on Wu day, in Shen; on Ji day, in You; on Geng day, in Hai; on Xin day, in Zi; on Ren day, in Yin; on Gui day, in Mao. Careful examination shows that this refers to the officialdom position of each day's stem's food god. The food god represents refined qi, hence the name Wenchang. The benefits of Wenchang are threefold: first, it can turn misfortune into good fortune; second, it signifies extraordinary wisdom and intelligence; third, it indicates literary talent and elegance. The things to avoid regarding Wenchang are two: first, it is unfavorable if it is in conflict or in conjunction; second, it is unfavorable if it falls in the旬空 (decade void).

旬空之構成。甲子、乙丑、丙寅、丁卯、戊辰、己巳、庚午、辛未、壬申、癸酉、此十天為甲子旬。凡生此十日，此支見戌或見亥，戌亥皆屬旬空。甲戌、乙亥、丙子、丁丑、戊寅、乙卯、庚辰、辛巳、壬午、癸未、此十天為甲戌旬。凡生此十日，地支見申或見酉，申酉皆屬旬空。

"Xun kong" is also called kongwang. The ten heavenly stems are paired with the twelve earthly branches, and each ten days form a shen. In each shen, there are two earthly branches that cannot be paired with the heavenly stems. These two branches are considered kongwang for the person born in that shen. The first shen includes the ten days: Jiazi, Yichou, Bingyin, Dingmao, Wuchen, Jisi, Gengwu, Xinwei, Renshen, and Guiyou. For anyone born on these days, if their four pillars contain Xu or Hai, then Xu and Hai are considered kongwang (the original text says "this branch sees Xu," where "this" should be "earthly"). The second shen includes the ten days: Jiaxu, Yihai, Bingzi, Dingchou, Wuyin, Jimao, Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu, and Guiwei (the original text says "Yimao" should be "Jimao"). For anyone born on these days, if their four pillars contain Shen or You, then Shen and You are considered kongwang.

甲申、乙酉、丙戌、丁亥、戊子、己丑、庚寅、辛卯、壬辰、癸巳，此十天為甲申旬。凡生此十日，地見午或見未，午未皆屬旬空。甲午、乙未、丙甲、丁酉、戊戌、己亥、庚子、辛丑、壬寅、癸卯、此十天為甲午旬。凡生此十日，地支見辰或見巳，辰巳皆屬旬空。

The third ten-day period consists of the days Jia Shen, Yi You, Bing Xu, Ding Hai, Wu Zi, Ji Chou, Geng Yin, Xin Mao, Ren Chen, and Gui Si. These ten days are known as the Jia Shen ten-day period. Anyone born on these days, if their earthly branch includes Wu or Wei, then Wu and Wei are considered empty in the ten-day cycle (the original text has a missing character "branch" in "地见午"). The fourth ten-day period consists of the days Jia Wu, Yi Wei, Bing Shen, Ding You, Wu Xu, Ji Hai, Geng Zi, Xin Chou, Ren Yin, and Gui Mao. These ten days are known as the Jia Wu ten-day period (the original text mistakenly writes "Jia" instead of "Shen" in "丙甲"). Anyone born on these days, if their earthly branch includes Chen or Si, then Chen and Si are considered empty in the ten-day cycle. The sixty jiazi are divided into six ten-day periods, each with two branches that are considered empty, and this pattern continues in sequence.

甲午、乙未、丙甲、丁酉、戊戌、己亥、庚子、辛丑、壬寅、癸卯、此十天為甲午旬。凡生此十日，地支見辰或見巳，辰巳皆屬旬空。 甲辰、乙巳、丙午、丁未、戊申、己酉、庚戌、辛亥、壬子、癸丑、此十天為甲辰旬。凡生此十日，地支見寅或見卯，寅卯皆屬旬空。 甲寅、乙卯、丙辰、下巳、戊午、乙未、庚申、辛酉、壬戌、癸亥，此十天為甲寅旬。凡生此十日，地支見子或見丑，子丑皆屬旬空。

This is the last three decades of the "Six Jia Ten Days Empty" table, which is read in exactly the same way as the first three decades: each line first lists the ten day stems that belong to a particular decade, then indicates the two zodiac signs that are missing in that decade. "Ten Days Empty" is also called "Kongwang," referring to the two zodiac signs that are not included in a particular decade. If a person is born on one of the ten days in a decade, and their birth chart's zodiac sign includes the two zodiac signs that are not part of that decade, those two zodiac signs are considered to be in the "Kongwang" position. The fourth decade starts with Jiawu and includes Jiawu, Yiwei, Bingshen, Dingyou, Wuxu, Jihai, Gengzi, Xinchou, Renyin, and Guimao; for people born on these ten days, if their zodiac sign includes Chen or Si, then Chen and Si are considered empty. The fifth decade starts with Jiachen and includes Jiachen, Yisi, Bingwu, Dingwei, Wushen, Jiyou, Gengxu, Xinhai, Renzi, and Guichou; for people born on these ten days, if their zodiac sign includes Yin or Mao, then Yin and Mao are considered empty. The sixth decade starts with Jiayin and includes Jiayin, Yimao, Bingchen, Dingsi, Wuwu, Jiwei, Gengshen, Xinyou, Renxu, and Guihai; for people born on these ten days, if their zodiac sign includes Zi or Chou, then Zi and Chou are considered empty. The method of checking is always based on the day stem: first determine which decade the day stem falls into, then check whether the year zodiac, month zodiac, or hour zodiac includes the two zodiac signs that are missing in that decade.

十天干，配十二地支，凡經十日，必有二支遺空。如甲子日至癸酉日，戌亥二支，未在其內。故甲子旬中戌亥為旬空。餘可類推。

The Heavenly Stems consist of ten, while the Earthly Branches have twelve. When they are paired in sequence, every ten days the Earthly Branches will always have two extra that do not match with the Heavenly Stems. These two leftover branches are called 「遗空」. For example, starting from the Jiazi day and proceeding in order to the Guiyou day, ten days are used up with all the Heavenly Stems from Jia to Gui. The branches Xu and Hai have not yet been paired, so in the Jiazi sheng (ten-day period), Xu and Hai are considered empty. The same principle applies to the other five shengs: the Jiaxu sheng has Shen and You as empty, the Jiashen sheng has Wu and Wei as empty, the Jiawu sheng has Chen and Si as empty, the Jiachen sheng has Yin and Mao as empty, and the Jiayin sheng has Zi and Chou as empty. Thus, the concept of 「旬空」 is not an arbitrary divine omen, but rather the two inevitable empty positions that remain when the Heavenly and Earthly Stems are paired. The reasoning is very straightforward.

（一）旬空逢沖，則沖力減輕。 （二）旬空逢刑，則刑力減輕。 （三）旬空逢合，則合力減輕。 （四）旬空逢害，則害力減輕。 （五）吉神為旬空，其吉虛而不實。 （六）凶神為旬空，其凶虛而不實。 （七）吉運或吉年為旬空，則吉力減輕。 （八）凶運或凶年為旬空，則凶力減輕。

When a character is in the state of falling empty (旬空), its power is weak and insubstantial. Any interaction involving it will have reduced effectiveness. There are eight such cases. First, when a branch in the empty state meets a conflicting branch, the force of the conflict is weakened. Second, when it meets a branch that is subject to punishment (相刑), the force of punishment is weakened. Third, when it meets a branch that is in a harmonious relationship (相合), the force of harmony is weakened. Fourth, when it meets a branch that is harmful (相害), the force of harm is weakened. Fifth, if a beneficial god (吉神) in the八字 is sitting on a position of falling empty, the benefit is insubstantial, appearing good but not effective. Sixth, if a harmful god (凶神) is sitting on a position of falling empty, the harm is also ineffective and will not actually occur. Seventh, if the "big year" (大运), which changes every ten years, or the "current year" (流年), which is determined by the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the current year, is originally beneficial, but meets a falling empty state, its beneficial effect is reduced. Eighth, if the "big year" or "current year" is originally harmful, but meets a falling empty state, its harmful effect is also reduced. The general principle is one sentence: if something is empty, it is insubstantial; if it is insubstantial, it lacks strength. Whether it is good or bad, it should be considered as weak.

日主旺，官星微，無財星，日主足以敵官者。 日主旺，官星微，傷食重，無財星，日主足以欺官者。 日主旺，官星弱，日主之氣，生助他神而去官者。 日主旺，官星弱，官星之氣，依日主之勢者。 日主旺，無財星，官星輕，食傷重，官星無依倚者。 日主旺，官無根，日主不顧官星，合財星而去者。 日主弱，食傷重，印綬輕者。 日主弱，食傷重，無印綬，有財星者。

In female destiny, the "official star" (a heavenly stem that controls the day stem and has opposite yin-yang attributes) is considered the husband star, and the nature of marriage, whether proper or improper, depends on whether the husband star is in the right position and in harmony. The following eight patterns all indicate that the husband star is misplaced and the day stem is not controlled by the husband star, which old texts generally categorized as "indulgent and low morals." In reality, these patterns refer to unstable relationships and being with the wrong people. First, the day stem is strong, the official star is weak, and there is no wealth star to nourish the official star, so the day stem is strong enough to resist the official star. Second, the day stem is strong, the official star is weak, and the "hurt official" and "food god" (heavenly stems that are generated by the day stem, collectively called food and hurt) are heavy, and there is no wealth star to mediate between them, so the day stem turns to oppress the official star. Third, the day stem is strong and the official star is weak, the day stem's energy does not support the official star but instead supports other heavenly stems, leaving the official star behind. Fourth, the day stem is strong and the official star is weak, the official star has to rely on the day stem's strength to survive. Fifth, the day stem is strong, there is no wealth star in the chart, the official star is weak and the food and hurt stars are heavy, making the official star isolated. Sixth, the day stem is strong, the official star has no root, and the day stem ignores the official star, directly combining with the wealth star. Seventh, the day stem is weak, the food and hurt stars are heavy, and the "imprint" (heavenly stems that nourish the day stem) is light, unable to control the泄身 (exhausting the body) heavenly stems. Eighth, the day stem is weak, the food and hurt stars are heavy, there is no imprint to protect the day stem, and there is also a wealth star that further exhausts the food and hurt stars, making the body even weaker and the relationship even more unstable.

食傷當令，財官失勢者。 官無財滋，比劫生食傷者。 滿局傷官無財者。 滿局官星無印者。 滿局比劫無食傷者。 滿局印綬無財者。

The following six situations all indicate that the husband's star is weak and unable to establish itself. The ninth situation is when the food and injury stars occupy the 'month's branch' (the earth branch of the birth month, which is the main climate of the entire chart) and are in power, while the wealth star and official star lose their strength, and the husband's palace is weak. The tenth situation is when the official star does not receive nourishment from the wealth star, and the 'twin' and 'robber' stars (which are gods similar to the day master, collectively called 'bi jie') go to nourish the food and injury stars, turning around to control the husband. The eleventh situation is when there are many injury stars throughout the chart without the wealth star to transform them, and the injury stars directly clash and control the official star, leaving the husband's star nonexistent. The twelfth situation is when there are many official stars throughout the chart without the seal star to mediate and transform the official stars into nourishment for the day master, leading to an excess of officials becoming a harmful star, and the day master being harmed by them. The thirteenth situation is when there are many twin and robber stars throughout the chart without the food and injury stars to guide and transform them, resulting in a group of robbers competing for wealth, harming both the husband and the wealth. The fourteenth situation is when there are many seal stars throughout the chart without the wealth star to control the seal stars, leading to an excess of seals causing stagnation in the day master, with the mother being strong and the child weak. Wei's listing of these fourteen situations aims to explain that for a woman's fortune, looking at the husband is not just about whether there is an official star, but whether the official star has a root and whether it has a harmonious relationship with the day master, and whether the day master is willing to be controlled by it.

衡命論疾病宜以五行配五藏。木為肝，金為肺，水火腎，火為心，土為脾。命中水太過或不及，肝必有病。金太過或不及，肺必有病。水太過或不及，腎必有病。火太過或不及，心必有病。土太過或不及，脾必有病。故五行貴和，和則無疾。所謂五行和者，非生而不克，全而不缺之謂，乃貴乎洩其旺神，瀉其有餘也。蓋有餘之旺神瀉，不足之弱神受益矣。若強制旺神，寡不敵眾，觸怒其性，旺神不能損，弱神反受傷矣。是以旺神太過者宜洩，不太過者，方宜克耳。

To assess the health issues in a person's destiny, one should match the Five Phases to the five internal organs: wood corresponds to the liver, metal to the lungs, water to the kidneys, fire to the heart, and earth to the spleen. If wood is excessive or deficient, the liver will be diseased; if metal is excessive or deficient, the lungs will be diseased; if water is excessive or deficient, the kidneys will be diseased; if fire is excessive or deficient, the heart will be diseased; if earth is excessive or deficient, the spleen will be diseased. Therefore, the Five Phases should be in harmony. Harmony does not mean that only mutual generation should be present and mutual control excluded, nor does it mean that all five phases must be present. True harmony lies in releasing the excess energy of the dominant phase and guiding away the surplus. Once the excess is released, the weak phases naturally benefit. If one forcefully suppresses the dominant phase, it will be overwhelmed and become even more powerful, angering it. The dominant phase will not be weakened at all, while the weak phase will suffer first. Therefore, when a phase is overly strong, it should be released (by following its energy to the next phase). Only when the strength is not excessive should it be controlled.

財即是妻，可以通論。然有富而妻陋，或妻賢而貧者，何也？蓋或財得用，而日支為忌神，或財不足，而日支為喜神。妻星與妻宮，難以兩全其美耳。

In fortune telling, the wealth star represents the wife, and the wealth and wife can generally be considered together. However, there are cases where a person may have great wealth but an unkind wife, or a kind wife but poor family conditions. Why is this? Because when assessing the wife, one must consider two aspects: first, the "wife star," which is the wealth star in the birth chart; and second, the "wife palace," which is the earthly branch of the day pillar (the day branch is close to the main heavenly stem, hence considered the wife's position). Some people have the wealth star as the overall useful god, leading to prosperity in their family, but their day branch is occupied by the hostile god, resulting in a poor wife despite wealth. Others have a weak wealth star, limited resources, but their day branch is the favorable god, leading to a good wife despite poverty. The wife star and wife palace are two different factors, and it is difficult to have both perfect. When analyzing a birth chart, they must be considered separately, and one cannot simply judge based on the amount of wealth.

木主仁，火主禮，金主義，水主智，土主信。八字中五行不戾，中和純粹，則有惻隱謙讓數實之情。若偏枯混濁，太過不及，則有是非乖逆驕傲之性矣。 火多無制，急躁而欠涵養。水多無制，聰穎而意志不堅，亦且好動。木多無制，情重而仁厚。金多無制，精干而敏銳。土多無制，茲厚而好靜。

The Five Phases each correspond to a particular virtue: Wood represents benevolence, Fire represents propriety, Metal represents righteousness, Water represents wisdom, and Earth represents sincerity. When the Five Phases in a person's八字 are harmonious and balanced, the person tends to have compassionate, humble, and sincere character traits. However, if the Five Phases are imbalanced or mixed, with one Phase being excessive and another deficient, the person is likely to develop quarrelsome, rebellious, or arrogant temperaments. Specifically, if Fire is excessive without restraint, the person is impetuous and lacks cultivation. If Water is excessive without restraint, the person is intelligent but lacks determination and is easily restless. If Wood is excessive without restraint, the person is emotional and kind-hearted. If Metal is excessive without restraint, the person is shrewd and quick-witted. If Earth is excessive without restraint, the person is steady and prefers quietness. Here, "without restraint" refers to the absence of characters in the chart that can restrain or drain the excessive energy of that particular Phase.

同一金之日干，其八字，有旺相、太過、不及三類。而金多、木多、火多、水多、土多，又各不同。其性情共計八類，分列如次。 （一）旺相譽高義重體健神清威武剛烈臨事果決 （二）太過尚勇無謀多欲損剛刻薄內毒喜淫好殺 （三）不及思深決少事多挫志性雖好義為之不終 （四）金多剛直尚勇見義必為過不自知思禮好勝 （五）木多辨分曲直利害兼資置德懷念朋友失意 （六）火多口才辨利好禮寡義動止寬和心中鄙吝 （七）水多計慮不勝為人無恩臨事齷齪或是或非 （八）土多無中有成口儉心慈作為闇昧多處嫌疑

When the Day Stem is metal, the Eight Characters (Ba Zi) can be further divided into three categories: 'Prosperous and Strong' (Wang Xiang), 'Excess' (Tuo Guo), and 'Deficient' (Bu Ji). In addition, one must examine which of the Five Phases is most prevalent in the chart, with categories formed based on the abundance of metal, wood, fire, water, or earth. Altogether, there are eight categories, listed as follows: (1) Prosperous and Strong: High reputation, strong sense of righteousness, strong physique, clear mind and spirit, dignified and resolute, decisive in matters. (2) Excess: Impulsive and lacking in strategy, excessive desires that damage one's integrity, mean-spirited, harboring harmful intentions, fond of indulgence and violence. (3) Deficient: Deep thinking but slow to decide, frequent setbacks in endeavors, lack of perseverance, although fond of righteousness, often starting well but failing to finish. (4) Excess of Metal: Straightforward and bold, ready to act when justice is at stake, overstepping without realizing it, polite yet competitive. (5) Excess of Wood: Able to distinguish right from wrong, capable of balancing interests, willing to cultivate virtue, yet often disappointed due to concern for friends. (6) Excess of Fire: Sharp speech and eloquent, respectful but lacking in righteousness, outwardly gentle, yet internally stingy. (7) Excess of Water: Overthinking with limited ability to act, forgetting past kindnesses, being confined in dealings, uncertain in distinguishing right from wrong. (8) Excess of Earth: Seems to achieve nothing but eventually succeeds, speaks sparingly yet has a kind heart, acts subtly, often in ambiguous situations. To interpret this table: first determine the Five Phase of the Day Stem, then assess the overall strength of the chart, then identify which Five Phase is most prevalent, and then refer to the corresponding category.

同一木之日干，其八字，有旺相、太過、太及。三類。而金多、木多、火多、水多、土多，又各不同。其性情共計八類，分列如次： （一）旺相 仁慈敏厚，心懷惻隱 姿致秀麗 形狀慷慨 （二）太過 性拗心偏 嫉妒不仁計慮繁亂 襟懷瑣破 （三）不及 執性太柔 治事無規 胸懷不正 吝嗇堅鄙 （四）金多 剋制憔悴 剛而無斷 動思靜悔 舉義不常 （五）木多 柔性泛交 曲直自循 多學不實 聰明華潔 （六）火多 馳騁聰明 好學不切 明知故犯 善決發 （七）水多 漂流不定 言行相違 處事不寧 趨時委曲 （八）土多 取檢自信 奢而不奔 伏柔伏烈 言必鑑人

When the Day Stem is Wood, it is also divided into three categories: prosperous and strong, excessive, and insufficient. It is further categorized according to the excess of five elements: metal, wood, fire, water, and earth, resulting in eight types, as follows. (1) Prosperous and strong: compassionate, gentle, and generous, with a graceful appearance and a broad-minded disposition. (2) Excessive: stubborn in nature, narrow-minded, jealous and lacking in kindness, with confused thoughts and a petty and easily broken spirit. (3) Insufficient: overly weak in determination, lacking in order and method in affairs, with an improper heart, being stingy and shallow-minded. (4) Excess of metal: wood is overcome by metal, leading to a withered appearance, a strong exterior but lack of decisiveness, quick to act but quick to regret, and an inability to maintain consistent virtue. (5) Excess of wood: gentle in nature with a wide circle of friends, with a tendency to follow one's own way, learning much but not solidly, being intelligent but fond of superficial appearances. (6) Excess of fire: wood and fire are in harmony, with intelligence displayed openly and a tendency to be ambitious, eager to learn but not practical, acting despite knowing it is wrong, yet being quick to decide when faced with matters. (7) Excess of water: water overflows and wood floats, leading to unstable movements and a lack of consistency between words and actions, causing restlessness in affairs, and a tendency to follow trends and compromise for survival. (8) Excess of earth: restrained and confident, though luxurious, not overly competitive, with a changeable nature that alternates between softness and intensity, and a tendency to use others as a mirror for self-reflection.

同一水之日干，其八字，有旺相。太過，不及三類。而金多。木多，火多，水多，土多又各不同。其性情共計八類，分列如次： （一）旺相　智高量遠　計深慮密　執性聰明　學識過人 （二）太過　是非好動　飄蕩多淫　機詐詭譎　慘酷無極 （三）不及　反覆不常　膽小無略　性昏無賴　智識蔽塞 （四）金多 好義不實 志大多淫 智勝義負 賦性靈強 （五）木多 流而不止 執志反柔 臨事汗漫 奢儉失中 （六）火多 崇禮伉餐 深慮多憂 猛斷後悔 栗六少成 （七）水多 沉潛伏溺 小巧多權 苗而不秀 聲聞過情 （八）土多 沉潛窒塞 內利外鈍 忍而多恨 信義無決

When the day stem is water, it is still divided into three categories: prosperity and strength, excess, and deficiency. It is further divided into five types according to the emphasis on metal, wood, fire, water, and earth, resulting in eight categories, as follows. (1) Prosperity and strength: high wisdom, far-reaching vision, deep planning and thorough consideration, intelligent and clever by nature, with outstanding knowledge. Water represents wisdom, and its moderate balance produces this kind of character. (2) Excess: prone to disputes and restlessness, wandering and indulgent in pleasures, cunning and deceitful, ruthless when angry. (3) Deficiency: fickle and indecisive, timid and lacking strategy, dull-minded and close to being a scoundrel, with blocked intellect and poor judgment. (4) Excess of metal: metal generates water, causing water to be excessive and flowing freely, being generous but not practical, having great ambition but indulgent in desires, possessing intelligence but lacking righteousness, naturally sharp and strong. (5) Excess of wood: water is drained by wood, flowing without stopping, originally determined to hold on but becoming soft, acting without clear direction, either extravagant or stingy, losing balance. (6) Excess of fire: water and fire oppose each other, valuing etiquette and enjoying luxury, deep thinking with much worry, bold decisions but regretting afterwards, busy with trivial matters and achieving little. (7) Excess of water: overly submerged and hidden, being petty and using cunning, like rice stalks developing grains but not blooming flowers, reputation exceeding reality. (8) Excess of earth: earth controls water, causing it to stagnate, being submerged and blocked, internally sharp but externally slow, patient but accumulating resentment, valuing trust and righteousness but lacking decisiveness.

同一火之日干，其八字，有旺相、太過、不及三類。而金多、木多、火多、水多、土多，又各不同。其性情共計八類，分列如次。 （一）旺相 性速辨明 文章明敏 好事華飾 實學欠乏 （二）太過 酷烈傷物 執性爆燥 朝歡夕泣 每多傾危 （三）不及 生性巧佞 謹畏守禮 小有辨才 大事無決 （四）金多 志不自好 勝辨而剛 禮義失中 直而招謗 （五）木多 自恃威福 聰明志懦 靜則志明 好辨是非 （六）火多 崇禮義汩 明外昏內 自華而儉 不可速達 （七）水多 為德不均 巧而忘禮 多易多難 計深反害 （八）土多 立用沉密 利害敢為 言清行濁 執而不變

When the Day Stem is fire, it is still divided into three categories: prosperous and strong, excessive, and insufficient. Combined with the emphasis of the Five Phases, there are eight types, listed as follows. (1) Prosperous and strong: quick-tempered, clear-minded, articulate and quick in writing, likes to embellish appearances, but lacks solid learning. (2) Excessive: fire is fierce and harms things, temper is stubborn and irritable, happy in the morning but weeping in the evening, actions often verge on danger. (3) Insufficient: naturally cunning and almost sycophantic, cautious and respectful, has some eloquence, but is indecisive in major matters. (4) Excess of metal: fire overcomes metal and weakens its strength, cannot hold firm to one's aspirations, likes to argue and display strength, loses balance in propriety and righteousness, because being too straightforward invites criticism. (5) Excess of wood: wood nourishes fire and leads to arrogance, self-important and domineering, intelligent but timid in spirit, clear-minded when calm, but eager to argue about right and wrong. (6) Excess of fire: reveres etiquette to the point of drowning righteousness, outwardly bright but inwardly confused, pretends to be modest while showing off, and things are difficult to accomplish quickly. (7) Excess of water: water overcomes fire, and benevolence is uneven, clever but forgets propriety, things are sometimes easy and sometimes difficult, overthinking leads to harm. (8) Excess of earth: fire nourishes earth and weakens its energy, steady and meticulous in conduct, dares to act when facing gains and losses, speaks with high moral standards but acts in a murky way, stubborn and unwilling to change.

同一土之日干，其八字，有旺相、太過、不及三類。而金多、木多、火多、水多、土多、又各不同。其性情共計八類，分列如次。 （一）旺相 篤信神佛 不 爽信約 忠孝至誠 厚重可貴 （二）太過 執而不返 蔽塞不明 既愚且倔 古樸難用 （三）不及 不得眾情 不通事理 狠毒乖戾 堅嗇妄為 （四）金多 信而好義 剛而多躁 不能持重 處事無容 （五）木多 形勞志大 雜用狂從 用柔爽信 曲直黨情 （六）火多 施義忘親 外明少斷 奢儉失中，好禮口惠 （七）水多 貪功好進 凡順伏機 志善若昏 愛惡無義 （八）土多 重厚藏密 守信容物 或招毀謗 恩害敢為

When the Day Stem is Earth, it is still divided into three categories: prosperity and strength, excess, and deficiency, and further combined with the emphasis of the Five Phases, resulting in eight types. These are as follows: (1) Prosperity and strength: firm in belief in gods and Buddha, keeping promises, loyal and filial from sincere heart, being solid and valuable in character—Earth represents trust, and when it is in harmony, it is like this solid and reliable nature. (2) Excess: stubborn and unable to change, obstructed and ignorant, both foolish and stubborn, old-fashioned to the point of being unmanageable. (3) Deficiency: not favored by others, not understanding human affairs, cruel and perverse, stingy and stubborn, acting recklessly. (4) Excess of Metal: Earth generates Metal but the energy is drained, loyal and valuing righteousness, strong in nature but easily impetuous, unable to be steady, and unable to tolerate others in affairs. (5) Excess of Wood: Wood overcomes Earth, the body is busy and the ambition is great, the mind is scattered and easily follows blindly, using gentle methods but easily breaking promises, and being flexible only according to the feelings of relatives. (6) Excess of Fire: Fire generates Earth but is overly dry, showing kindness to outsiders while forgetting relatives, appearing clear but lacking decisiveness, indulgence and frugality out of balance, valuing etiquette but only giving empty words. (7) Excess of Water: Earth overcomes Water, the mind is scattered, greedy for achievements and eager to advance, always taking advantage of situations and hiding schemes, having good intentions but appearing confused, and having no sense of right and wrong in likes and dislikes. (8) Excess of Earth: solid and deeply hidden, loyal and able to tolerate, sometimes leading to slander, and willing to take both kindness and harm.

正印為用神，仁慈端方，惟正印太多，庸碌少成。梟神為用神，精明幹練，惟梟神太多，貪吝鄙嗇。正官為用神，光明正直，惟正官太多，意志不堅。七殺為用神，豪俠好勝，惟七殺太多，萎靡不振，傷官為用神，英明銳利，惟傷官太多；驕傲剛愎。食神為用神，溫厚恭良，惟食神太多，迂腐固執，比肩為用神，穩健和平，惟比肩太多，乖僻寡合。劫財為用神，敏捷奇巧，惟偏太多，敬這耽東。正為用神，克勤克儉，惟正財太多，懦弱無能。

The above discusses personality based on the Five Phases. Now let us consider this section from the perspective of the Ten Gods. The same god can be a virtue when it is used appropriately, but when it becomes excessive and causes disaster, it turns into a flaw. If the Useful God is the 正印 (the proper nurturing god, which is a yin god that nurtures me), the person is benevolent, kind, and upright. However, if there are too many 正印, the person becomes mediocre and unaccomplished. If the Useful God is the Owl Spirit (the biased nurturing god, which is a yang god that nurtures me), the person is intelligent and capable. However, if there are too many Owl Spirit, the person becomes greedy, stingy, and mean. If the Useful God is 正官 (the proper authority god, which is a yang god that controls me), the person is upright and honest. However, if there are too many 正官, the person becomes indecisive. If the Useful God is 七杀 (the biased authority god, which is a yang god that controls me), the person is heroic and ambitious. However, if there are too many 七杀, the person becomes weak and lacks spirit. If the Useful God is 伤官 (the damaging authority god, which is a yin god that controls me), the person is sharp-minded and intelligent. However, if there are too many 伤官, the person becomes arrogant and stubborn. If the Useful God is 食神 (the nourishing authority god, which is a yin god that controls me), the person is warm-hearted, respectful, and kind. However, if there are too many 食神, the person becomes narrow-minded and stubborn. If the Useful God is 比肩 (the companion god, which is a yang god that is similar to me), the person is stable and peaceful. However, if there are too many 比肩, the person becomes eccentric and unsociable. If the Useful God is 劫财 (the plundering wealth god, which is a yin god that is similar to me), the person is quick-witted and resourceful. However, if there are too many 劫财, the person becomes greedy and insatiable. If the Useful God is 正财 (the proper wealth god, which is a yin god that is similar to me), the person is diligent and thrifty. However, if there are too many 正财, the person becomes weak and incapable.

曲直格，仁厚。稼穡格，慈善，從革格，銳利。潤下格，圓活。炎上格，豪爽。從財、從財、從殺、從兒等格，循良。從旺、從強等格，剛健。化氣格，智慧。

Looking at personality from the perspective of 'pattern' or 'structure', the 'Curved and Straight Pattern' (when the day stem is wood and the branches form a complete wood pattern) indicates a person who is kind and generous; the 'Cultivation and Harvest Pattern' (when the day stem is earth and the four pillars are heavy with earth) indicates a person who is benevolent and charitable; the 'Following Transformation Pattern' (when the day stem is metal and the metal energy forms a complete pattern) indicates a person who is sharp and decisive; the 'Moistening and Descending Pattern' (when the day stem is water and the water energy forms a complete pattern) indicates a person who is flexible and adaptable; the 'Ascending Heat Pattern' (when the day stem is fire and the fire energy forms a strong pattern) indicates a person who is bold and open-hearted. These five patterns represent the exclusive dominance of each of the Five Phases. As for the external patterns such as 'Following Wealth', 'Following Official', 'Following Kill', and 'Following Child' (or 'Following Food and Suffering'), which involve sacrificing oneself to follow another, the person tends to be gentle and content with their role; the patterns such as 'Following Strength' and 'Following Vigor', which involve solely supporting the self, indicate a person who is strong and vigorous; the 'Transformation Pattern' (when the day stem combines with the adjacent stem to transform into another phase) indicates a person who is rich in wisdom.

同一身強八字。有抑者，有無抑者。其性情特黠，即分為二： （一）身強八字有抑者之性情特點 天性明白，豁達大度、順物而動，遇事能斷、常歡樂、好施與，多情多義、不畏不疑。 （二）身強八字無抑者（又不成外格）之性情特黠。 殘暴好鬥、性氣無常、不自檢束、不顧危亡、當惡侮善、持強凌弱。

Even when the eight characters are strong in terms of the self, one must also examine whether there are characters that restrain or consume the self. The presence or absence of such characters leads to a clear distinction in personality. First, when the self is strong and restrained: the nature is open-minded and intelligent, broad-minded and adaptable, able to act in accordance with circumstances, decisive in matters, often cheerful, generous and kind, sentimental and loyal, neither timid nor suspicious. This is when there are officials and killers to restrain, food and injuries to release, and wealth stars to consume, with the strength properly directed. Second, when the self is strong and not restrained by anything, and cannot form external patterns such as 'following strength' or 'following dominance': they are violent and aggressive, with unpredictable temper, unwilling to restrain themselves, indifferent to danger, promoting evil and bullying the good, relying on strength to oppress the weak. When the entire chart has no force to release the self, it can only burst out externally.

同一身弱八字，有扶者，有無扶者。其性情特黠，即分為二： （一）身弱八字有扶者之性情特黠。 生性儉約、不忘設施、深機密慮、寡合少遇、 多疑忌、拘禮節、言行相顧、儀貌整飭 （二）身弱八字無扶者（又不成外格）之性情特黠。 淫邪虛為、拘縮執拗、矜奇炫異、多非少是、萎靡怠情。作事無斷。

The same八字 with a weak day stem also needs to consider whether there are supporting characters. There are two types. The first type is when the day stem is weak but has support (such as the presence of a nurturing character or a similar character to assist the day stem): they are frugal but remember to help others, thoughtful and meticulous, have a limited circle of friends and few opportunities, are suspicious and cautious, adhere to etiquette, their words and actions are consistent, and their appearance is neat and proper. The second type is when the day stem is weak and lacks any support, and cannot form an external pattern such as 'following wealth' or 'following a harmful force': their behavior is immoral and superficial, they are timid and constrained yet stubborn, like to be unconventional to impress others, they confuse right and wrong, are listless and lazy, and lack decisiveness in their actions—since the day stem has no root, they naturally cannot stand firm in matters.

按推斷性情，其法多端，尤非學理民經驗合參，難得精確。且有可以意會。難能言傳者，乃貴科活看，而不可拘泥也。以上所述，不過舉其例耳。

The author's self-commentary states that the methods for deducing personality traits are numerous, and especially one must combine theoretical knowledge with practical experience in order to arrive at accurate judgments. There are also some aspects that can only be understood intuitively and are difficult to express in words, so it is important to approach them flexibly rather than rigidly adhering to rules. The examples listed above are merely a few instances. This commentary precisely reflects Wei Qianli's consistent attitude towards horoscope interpretation: rules serve as a ladder for entry, not as an iron measure for judging people.

傷官傷盡，或有殺有刃。或殺印相生，宜武備。傷食生財，或身財兩停，宜貿遷食神吐秀，或帶文昌，宜文學。正官清粹，或官印相生，宜政治。身重財輕，宜區程。劫比成群，宜自由職業。空拳覓利，財官並美，宜財政。

Choosing a career should consider the overall structure and the configuration of the ten heavenly stems. If the official star is completely absent while the official star is formed by the official star, or if there is a seven killer along with the Yangren (the branch of the day stem at its peak of strength, with extreme and sharp energy), or if the seven killer and the seal are mutually generated (the seven killer generates the seal, and the seal generates the self), then a military or martial career is suitable. If the food and damage generate wealth, or if the self and wealth are of equal strength, then a career in trade and transportation is suitable. If the food god is able to express the refined energy of the self, or if the Wen Chang nobleman (a fortunate god indicating intelligence and literary talent) is present, then a career in literature and writing is suitable. If the official star is pure and uncluttered, or if the official and seal are mutually generated, then a career in politics is suitable. If the self is strong and the wealth star is weak, then a career following established procedures is suitable. If the same stem and same fortune are numerous, then a career as a free professional, not subject to others' control, is suitable. If one starts from nothing but both wealth and official star are excellent, then a career in finance and economics is suitable.

財官有力，日主朗健，可以自立為主，身旺無依，或身弱無助，只合依人作嫁。八字少沖少合，事業得成專一。多沖多合，則頻年變遷，栗六無成。 五行需水，或命有驛馬，宜流動事業，外勤職務。五行需火或需金，宜近工廠機械等事。五行需木或需土。則宜農林種植，固定實業。

If the wealth and official positions in the birth chart are strong, and the day master is healthy and vigorous, then one can establish one's own household and make independent decisions. However, if the day master is strong but has nothing to rely on, or weak and lacks support, then one is only suitable for being dependent on others, working for others' benefit. If the birth chart has few conflicts and harmonies, then the career is focused and easy to achieve. But if there are many conflicts and harmonies, then one will be constantly changing jobs, busy and involved in trivial matters, and achieve nothing. From the perspective of the Five Phases, if the destiny requires water or includes the Post-horse (a divine factor indicating movement, formed by the first branch of the Triple Harmony that is in conflict with the branch), then one is suitable for mobile jobs or external duties. If the destiny requires fire or metal, then one is suitable for working near factories or machinery. If the destiny requires wood or earth, then one is suitable for agriculture or forestry, which are fixed industries.

五行偏枯之命，所事多風俗波起落，亦有此業利而彼業不利者，五行停勻之命，大抵事業平穩，比比皆然。 八字病重藥輕。作事多出自動，而費力不計好。八字病藥相濟，事多出於被動，且遭受成而省力。

In a birth chart where the Five Phases are unbalanced, one's career tends to fluctuate with the ups and downs of circumstances (the original text says 'customary waves', the character 'customary' may be a mistake or a miswriting of 'wave'), and often one phase is beneficial while another is not, so choosing a career requires particular caution. In a birth chart where the Five Phases are well balanced, one's career is usually stable, and such examples are common. Now looking at 'disease' and 'remedy': in a birth chart where the disease is strong but the remedy is weak (the忌神 is too strong and the saving god is too weak), one's actions tend to be self-initiated, yet they require much effort and yield little reward; in a birth chart where the disease and the remedy are in balance, things tend to be passive, yet they develop smoothly and with much less effort. Here, the term 'disease' refers to the god that harms the useful god or disrupts the overall structure, while 'remedy' refers to the god that controls or removes this disease.

按事業之推斷，其法不一。以上所述，舉其例端而巳已。更有性情環境之種種關係，不可拘泥片理由，乃貴乎活看。殆亦曉然胸中，而難以形容者也。

The author's self-commentary states: There are many methods for deducing one's career prospects, and what has been mentioned above is merely a few examples. In addition, there are various connections between nature, disposition, and environment, so one should not rigidly apply a single principle. It is still important to view things flexibly. These principles are often clear in one's mind but difficult to express in writing. The author concludes twice with the phrase "live judgment," reminding readers that the lists in fate books provide a basis for judgment, not a rigid formula to follow.

（一）日主喜克，官殺並見，吉力加增。 （二）日主忌克，官殺並見，凶力更顯。 （三）應用正官見混雜，八字不清，主多磨折。 （四）應用七殺見官混雜，命局淆亂，亦主奔波。 （五）用官而殺混，幸有去殺之神，凶而不凶。 （六）用殺而官混，幸有去官之神，凶而不凶。 （七）用官而殺混，並無去殺這神，凶不可免。 （八）用殺而官混，並無去官之神，亦以凶論。

The "Zenguan" and "Qishash" are both deities that control the day stem. The difference between them lies in yin and yang. The "Zenguan" is the one with opposite yin and yang to the day stem, while the "Qishash" has the same yin and yang as the day stem. When both "Zenguan" and "Qishash" appear in the same birth chart, it is called "Guansha Hunza". Whether it is good or bad depends on whether the day stem needs to be controlled. First, if the day stem is strong and benefits from being controlled, the presence of both "Zenguan" and "Qishash" actually enhances good fortune. Second, if the day stem is weak and fears being controlled, the presence of both "Zenguan" and "Qishash" brings more danger. Third, if the original intention was to use "Zenguan" as the useful element but "Qishash" appears instead, the birth chart becomes unclear, leading to many difficulties in life. Fourth, if the original intention was to use "Qishash" as the useful element but "Zenguan" appears instead, the birth chart becomes confused, also indicating a life of toil and hardship. Fifth, if "Zenguan" is the intended useful element but "Qishash" appears, and there is a deity in the chart that can remove the "Qishash", it may seem dangerous but ultimately is not. Sixth, if "Qishash" is the intended useful element but "Zenguan" appears, and there is a deity in the chart that can remove the "Zenguan", it may seem dangerous but ultimately is not. Seventh, if "Zenguan" is the intended useful element but "Qishash" appears, and there is no deity in the chart to remove the "Qishash", the danger is unavoidable. Eighth, if "Qishash" is the intended useful element but "Zenguan" appears, and there is no deity in the chart to remove the "Zenguan", it is still considered dangerous.

（一）身弱有印，喜官殺並見。 （二）身強有財，喜官殺並見。 （三）身弱無印，忌官殺並見。 （四）身強有傷食而無財，忌官殺並見。 （五）八字忌官，寺有傷官之制忌，又見七殺。 （六）八字忌殺，幸有食之制，忌又見正官。

Whether official stars (官) and seven killers (杀) are beneficial or harmful depends on whether there is something to mediate in the chart. First, if the day master is weak and has a nurturing star (印), then the presence of both official stars and seven killers is favorable — although official stars and seven killers may weaken the day master, they first nourish the nurturing star, which in turn supports the day master, so what was originally a weakening force becomes a supporting one. Second, if the day master is strong and has a wealth star (财), then the presence of both official stars and seven killers is favorable — the wealth star generates official stars and seven killers, which in turn control the day master, thus properly restraining the overly strong day master. Third, if the day master is weak and lacks a nurturing star, then the presence of both official stars and seven killers is unfavorable — without something to mediate, the controlling force directly affects the day master. Fourth, if the day master is strong, has a food and injury star (食伤), but lacks a wealth star, then the presence of both official stars and seven killers is unfavorable — the food and injury star was meant to control the official stars and seven killers, but without a wealth star to mediate, it results in a direct confrontation between the two sides. Fifth, if the original chart is unfavorable to the official star, but there is a food and injury star to control it, then the appearance of seven killers is most unfavorable (the original text says '寺有' which should be '幸有'). Sixth, if the original chart is unfavorable to the seven killer, but there is a food star to control it, then the appearance of the official star is most unfavorable. The last two cases are similar in principle: the controlling element can only handle one force, and the appearance of a second one leads to being unable to deal with both.

（一）官殺並見，嫌其混雜者，先謀去之之道，一者既去，一者自留矣。 （二）官殺並見，愛其互相協助者，不必議去議留，聽其自然可也。 （三）官殺並見，只有食神。去殺而留官。 （四）官殺並見，只有傷官，去官而留殺。 （五）官殺並見，食傷亦並見，官殺皆可去淨。

When official stars and seven killers are mixed together, there arises a question of which one to remove and which to retain. First, whenever there is a mixture, one should first find a way to eliminate one of them; once one is removed, the other remains naturally, and the chart becomes clear. Second, if the chart requires the combined effect of official stars and seven killers to restrain the day master, and they are beneficial to each other, then there is no need to discuss removing or retaining them; let them be as they are. Third, when both official star and seven killer are present and the chart contains only food god, since food god and seven killer share the same nature and thus restrain each other, the seven killer should be removed and the official star retained. Fourth, when both official star and seven killer are present and the chart contains only wounded god, since wounded god specifically restrains the official star, the official star should be removed and the seven killer retained. Fifth, when both food god and wounded god are present, both official star and seven killer can be completely removed; however, after their removal, whether the day master still needs restraint is another matter to consider. The key point of these rules is that clarity is better than confusion; it is preferable to retain only one that is harmonious rather than have both present and conflicting.

（六）如甲日並見辛官庚殺，又有丙火合辛，是謂合官留殺。合者絆也，絆亦可去也。 （七）如甲日而透庚金七殺，又支見酉金，是庚殺乘旺，不作官殺混雜，不必議其去留耳。

Rule six gives an example to show that "he" can also serve the function of removing: if the day stem is Jia Wood, and both heavenly stems reveal Xin Metal as the proper official and Geng Metal as the seven killers, and if there is also Bing Fire in the heavenly stem, Bing and Xin combine (Bing and Xin combine to form water), which ties up Xin official, preventing it from functioning as an official. This is called "he official and retain killer." So "he" means to tie up; tying up has the same effect as removing. Rule seven distinguishes a case that seems mixed but is not actually mixed: if the day stem is Jia Wood and the heavenly stem reveals Geng Metal as the seven killer, and the earthly branch also has You Metal—although You is Yin Metal and is the proper official for Jia Wood, it is the strong place for Geng Metal (Geng's strength is in You), so it only counts as the seven killer being strong and having a root, not as a mix of official and killer. Therefore, there is no need to discuss whether to remove or retain. Clearly, judging a mix only considers the official and killer revealed in the heavenly stem; roots in the earthly branch are not included in this category.

（八）甲乙日見申酉，以巳去申，或以寅去申，以午去酉，或以卯去酉。丙丁日見亥子，以辰戌去亥，或以巳去亥，以丑未去子，或以午去子。戊己日見寅卯，以申去寅，以酉去卯。庚辛日見巳午，以亥去巳，以子去午。壬癸日見辰戌丑未，以寅去辰戌，以卯去丑未。

Rule eight explains how to remove the official and killer elements in the earthly branches. Whenever the official or killer element appears in the earthly branches, it can be removed through the methods of combination, conflict, or overcoming. For a day stem of Jia or Yi (wood), encountering Shen or You (metal), which are the official and killer elements (as metal overcomes wood), can be removed by using Si to remove Shen (Si and Shen combine), or by using Yin to remove Shen (Yin and Shen conflict), or by using Wu to remove You (Wu overcomes You), or by using Mao to remove You (Mao and You conflict). For a day stem of Bing or Ding (fire), encountering Hai or Zi (water), which are the official and killer elements (as water overcomes fire), can be removed by using Chen or Xu to remove Hai (earth overcomes water), or by using Si to remove Hai (Si and Hai conflict), or by using Chou or Wei to remove Zi (earth overcomes water), or by using Wu to remove Zi (Wu and Zi conflict). For a day stem of Wu or Ji (earth), encountering Yin or Mao (wood), which are the official and killer elements (as wood overcomes earth), can be removed by using Shen to remove Yin (Shen and Yin conflict), or by using You to remove Mao (You and Mao conflict). For a day stem of Geng or Xin (metal), encountering Si or Wu (fire), which are the official and killer elements (as fire overcomes metal), can be removed by using Hai to remove Si (Si and Hai conflict), or by using Zi to remove Wu (Zi and Wu conflict). For a day stem of Ren or Gui (water), encountering Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei (earth), which are the official and killer elements (as earth overcomes water), can be removed by using Yin to remove Chen or Xu (Yin overcomes earth), or by using Mao to remove Chou or Wei (Mao overcomes earth).

（九）戊己日見寅卯，又遇午戌，則寅合午戌成火，而卯獨當權。庚辛日見巳午，又遇酉丑，則巳會酉丑成金，而午獨當權。甲乙日見申酉，又遇子辰，則申會子辰成水，而酉獨當權。丙丁日見亥子，又遇卯未，則亥會卯未成木，而子獨當權。壬癸日見丑辰或戌未，又遇子申或寅午則辰會子申成水，戌會寅午成火，而丑未當權矣。

Rule nine explains using the Triple Harmony Formation to remove one of the official or harmful stars, allowing the remaining one to take effect. The earthly branches form a set every four positions: Yin-Wu-Xu form a fire triple harmony, Si-You-Chou form a metal triple harmony, Shen-Zi-Chen form a water triple harmony, and Hai-Mao-Wei form a wood triple harmony. For a Wu or Ji earth day stem, if the branches include Yin and Mao as official or harmful stars, and also include Wu and Xu, then Yin is drawn into the fire triple harmony, leaving Mao as the sole effective branch. For a Geng or Xin metal day stem, if the branches include Si and Wu as official or harmful stars, and also include You and Chou, then Si is drawn into the metal triple harmony, leaving Wu as the sole effective branch. For a Jia or Yi wood day stem, if the branches include Shen and You as official or harmful stars, and also include Zi and Chen, then Shen is drawn into the water triple harmony, leaving You as the sole effective branch. For a Bing or Ding fire day stem, if the branches include Hai and Zi as official or harmful stars, and also include Mao and Wei, then Hai is drawn into the wood triple harmony, leaving Zi as the sole effective branch. For a Ren or Gui water day stem, if the branches include Chou and Chen or Xu and Wei as official or harmful stars, and also include Zi and Shen or Yin and Wu, then Chen combines with Zi and Shen to form water, and Xu combines with Yin and Wu to form fire, leaving Chou and Wei as the sole effective branches.

（十）丙丁日見亥子，若子隨辰合入庫，則亥當權。庚辛日見巳午,若午隨戌合入庫，則巳當權。戌己日見寅卯，若卯隨未合入庫，則寅當權。甲乙日見申酉，若酉隨丑合入庫，則申當權。 （十一）庚辛申酉並見，足可以去一甲一乙一寅一卯，亦可去甲寅乙卯。若一庚一申一辛一酉，去甲乙寅卯，勢必不能。

Rule ten is the same as the previous one, but it is changed to "entering the warehouse": Chen is the water warehouse, Xu is the fire warehouse, Wei is the wood warehouse, and Chou is the metal warehouse. When the main branch is taken by the warehouse branch, it no longer holds power. For Jia and Bing day stems, if the Zi or Hai branches are present, and Zi combines with Chen to enter the water warehouse, only Hai remains in power. For Geng and Xin day stems, if Si or Wu branches are present, and Wu combines with Xu to enter the fire warehouse, only Si remains in power. For Wu and Ji day stems, if Yin or Mao branches are present, and Mao combines with Wei to enter the wood warehouse, only Yin remains in power. For Jia and Yi day stems, if Shen or You branches are present, and You combines with Chou to enter the metal warehouse, only Shen remains in power. Rule eleven discusses the balance of strength: if Geng, Xin, Shen, and You all appear, they are sufficient to remove one Jia, one Yi, one Yin, and one Mao, or the pairs Jia-Yin and Yi-Mao. However, if only one Geng, one Shen, one Xin, and one You appear, they are not enough to remove the four wooden branches Jia, Yi, Yin, and Mao at the same time. The concept of removal and retention ultimately depends on the comparison of strength between the two sides.

（十二）官殺並見，傷官食神亦並見。傷官較為有力。則去官，食神較為有力，則去殺。 （十三）陰日傷官，可以去官，又可以合殺。貼近正官，則以去官論。貼近七殺，則以合殺論。陽日食神，可以去殺，而又可合官。貼近七殺，則以去殺論貼近正官，則以合官論。陰日食神，只可去殺，不能合官。陽日傷官，只可去官，不能合殺。

Rule 12: When both official and killing stars are present, and both the official star and the killing star are also present, we need to see which one is stronger. If the official star is strong, it can remove the killing star; if the food star is strong, it can remove the official star. Rule 13: To distinguish the differences between yin and yang day stems, one must understand through examples. For yin wood day stem, its official star is the sun fire. The sun fire can both overcome the metal official (the true official of the yin wood day stem) and remove the official, and it can also combine with the metal killing star (the seven killing of the yin wood day stem) to bind the killing star. At this time, we need to look at the position: if the sun fire is close to the true official, it counts as removing the official; if it is close to the seven killing, it counts as combining with the killing star. For yang wood day stem, its food star is the sun fire. The sun fire can both overcome the metal killing star (the seven killing of the yang wood day stem) and remove the killing star, and it can also combine with the metal official (the true official of the yang wood day stem). If the sun fire is close to the seven killing, it counts as removing the killing star; if it is close to the true official, it counts as combining with the official. As for the food star of the yin wood day stem being the fire of the earth, the fire of the earth can only overcome the metal killing star to remove the killing star, but it cannot combine with the metal official (since the metal official has already combined with the yin wood day stem itself). The food star of the yang wood day stem is also the fire of the earth, which can only overcome the metal official to remove the official, but it cannot combine with the metal killing star. Therefore, the food star of a yin day stem can only remove the killing star but cannot combine with the official, while the official star of a yang day stem can only remove the killing star but cannot combine with the official.

大抵命局亢燥，則喜潤澤。命局潮溼，則喜暄燠。八字無水或少水，值於夏令，或多木多火，乃亢燥之局。若命中喜土，逢燥土則益燥，未必佳妙。逢溼土則得滋，上加吉矣。八字無火或火少，時在冬令，或多金多水，乃潮溼之乙，如命中喜土，逢溫土則更溼，未易言吉。逢燥土則去溼，花添錦上矣。天干五行，無分燥溼，地支則昭然有別。今請一一言之，亦學命所不可不知也。

When judging a person's destiny, one must not only consider the quantity of the Five Phases but also the overall dryness, moisture, coldness, and warmth. Generally, if the destiny pattern is dry and hot, it prefers moisture; if the destiny pattern is damp and cold, it prefers warmth. A birth chart with little or no water, or born in summer, or with excessive wood and fire, is considered a dry and hot pattern. If such a destiny prefers earth, encountering dry earth will only make it drier, which is not necessarily good; encountering moist earth brings nourishment, which is like adding flowers to a beautiful scene. Conversely, a birth chart with little or no fire, or born in winter, or with excessive metal and water, is considered a damp and cold pattern; if such a destiny prefers earth, encountering moist earth will only make it more damp, which is hard to say if it is auspicious; encountering dry earth can remove the dampness, which is like adding flowers to a beautiful scene. Heavenly stems are only classified by the Five Phases, not by dryness or moisture; earthly branches, because they contain different hidden stems, clearly differ in terms of dryness and moisture. The following will explain this one by one, which is something all students of destiny should know.

子、卯、酉、為純金純水純木，亦無燥溼之分。丑中己辛，為溼土溼金，因有癸水藏也。寅申甲戊，為燥木燥土，因有丙火藏也。辰中戊乙，為溼土溼木，因有癸水藏也。巳中戊庚，火燥土燥金，因有丙火藏也。午中之己，為燥土，因有丁火藏也。未中己乙為燥土燥木，因有丁火藏也。申中庚戊，為溼金溼土，因有壬水藏也。戌中戊辛，為燥土燥金，因藏有丁火也。亥中之甲，為溼木，因藏有壬水也。

The dryness or dampness of the Earthly Branches depends on whether they contain water or fire in their hidden heavenly stems. The branches Zi, Mao, and You are pure water, pure wood, and pure metal respectively, with a single main element, so they do not differentiate between dryness and dampness. The branch Chou contains Ji earth and Xin metal, and since it also contains Gui water, it is damp earth and damp metal. The branch Yin contains Jia wood and Wu earth, and since it also contains Bing fire, it is dry wood and dry earth. The branch Chen contains Wu earth and Yi wood, and since it also contains Gui water, it is damp earth and damp wood. The branch Si contains Wu earth and Geng metal, and since it also contains Bing fire, it is dry earth and dry metal. The branch Wu contains Ji earth, and since it also contains Ding fire, it is dry earth. The branch Wei contains Ji earth and Yi wood, and since it also contains Ding fire, it is dry earth and dry wood. The branch Shen contains Geng metal and Wu earth, and since it also contains Ren water, it is damp metal and damp earth. The branch Xu contains Wu earth and Xin metal, and since it also contains Ding fire, it is dry earth and dry metal. The branch Hai contains Jia wood, and since it also contains Ren water, it is damp wood. The same character for earth, in Chou and Chen, can contain water, but in Wu, Wei, and Xu, it only contributes to dryness. The selection of the Useful God depends entirely on these distinctions.

用之官星不可傷，不用官星盡可傷。 用之財官不可劫。不用財星盡可劫。 用之印綬不可壞。不用印綬盡可壞。 用之食神不可奪。不用食神盡可奪。 用之七釘不可制。制殺太過反為凶。 身殺兩停宜制殺。殺重身輕宜化殺。 身強殺淺宜生殺。羊刃重重喜食傷。 若逢官殺變生殃，財多身弱宜劫刃。 劫重財輕喜食神，官旺身衰宜印地， 官衰印旺利財縛，莫道梟神無用處， 殺多食重最為良，勿謂羊刃是凶物， 財多殺黨亦為貞。

This passage is a mnemonic for beginners, explaining a single principle throughout: the ten celestial stems themselves are neither inherently good nor bad; whether they are useful gods or not determines whether they should be protected or destroyed. The official star that is used as a useful god must not be harmed; the official star that is not used as a useful god can be harmed. The wealth and official star that are used as useful gods must not be robbed; the wealth star that is not used as a useful god can be robbed. The official star that is used as a useful god must not be destroyed; the official star that is not used as a useful god can be destroyed. The food star that is used as a useful god must not be taken by the hawk star; the food star that is not used as a useful god can be taken by the hawk star. The seven killing stars that are used as useful gods must not be further restrained; restraining the seven killing stars too much can lead to misfortune. When the day master and the seven killing stars are evenly matched, it is suitable to use food and injury stars to restrain the seven killing stars; when the seven killing stars are strong and the day master is weak, it is suitable to use the official star to transform the seven killing stars; when the day master is strong and the seven killing stars are weak, it is actually suitable to use wealth to generate the seven killing stars. When there are many yang ren stars, it is favorable to see food and injury stars to release their sharpness; if there is also an official star or seven killing star, it can lead to misfortune. When there is too much wealth and the day master is weak, it is suitable to have劫财 and yang ren stars to help the day master and take away the wealth; when there are many劫财 stars and the wealth star is weak, it is favorable to have food stars to connect and transform the劫财 energy into generating wealth. When there is strong official star and the day master is weak, it is suitable to go to the official star's land to transform the official star and strengthen the day master; when the official star is weak and the official star's mother is strong, it is beneficial to use the wealth star to restrain the official star's mother. Do not say that the hawk star (biased official star) is useless; when there are many seven killing stars and also many food stars, the hawk star taking the food star and leaving the seven killing stars can be very useful, which is the best combination. Do not think that yang ren is always a harmful star; when there is too much wealth and the seven killing stars are also strong, the yang ren helping the day master and taking away the wealth is also a good sign.

木本生火，木多火熾。有金克木，則可生火矣。 火本生土，火多土焦。有水克火，則可生土矣。 土本生金，土多金埋。有木克土，則可生金矣。 金本生水，金多水弱。有火克金，則可生水矣。 水本生木，水多木浮。有土克水，則可生木矣。 木本生火，火多木焚。水克火則生木，火生土則存木也。 火本生土，土重火熄。木克土則生火，土生金則存火也。 土本生金，金多土洩。火克金則生生，金生水則存土也。 金本生水，水泛金沉。土克水則生金，水生木則存金也。 水本生木，木旺水涸。金克木則生水，木生火則存水也。

The principle of mutual generation among the Five Phases is natural. However, when one element becomes excessive, generation turns into harm, which is the subtlety of reversal. First, consider the case where the mother is strong and the child is harmed: Wood normally generates Fire, but if there is too much Wood, it suppresses Fire, making it unable to flourish. At this point, if Metal is used to control Wood, the Wood decreases, and Fire is then able to flourish. Fire normally generates Earth, but too much Fire burns the Earth. If Water controls Fire, Earth is then able to flourish. Earth normally generates Metal, but too much Earth buries Metal. If Wood controls Earth, Metal is then able to flourish. Metal normally generates Water, but too much Metal weakens Water. If Fire controls Metal, Water is then able to flourish. Water normally generates Wood, but too much Water causes Wood to float without roots. If Earth controls Water, Wood is then able to flourish—this is called 'mother abundance destroys the child,' and the remedy is to control the mother. Next, consider the case where the child is strong and harms the mother: Wood normally generates Fire, but too much Fire burns Wood. At this time, either Water can control Fire or Fire can be used to generate Earth (to release the excess Fire), and Wood can be preserved. Fire normally generates Earth, but too much Earth extinguishes Fire. Either Wood can control Earth or Earth can be used to generate Metal, and Fire can be preserved. Earth normally generates Metal, but too much Metal drains Earth's vitality. Either Fire can control Metal or Metal can be used to generate Water, and Earth is then preserved. Metal normally generates Water, but too much Water drowns Metal. Either Earth can control Water or Water can be used to generate Wood, and Metal is then preserved. Water normally generates Wood, but too much Wood absorbs Water. Either Metal can control Wood or Wood can be used to generate Fire, and Water is then preserved—this is called 'child abundance weakens the mother,' and the remedy is to control the child or to release the child's energy.

木生火也，木火兩旺，宜水以養木。 火生土也。火土兩旺，宜木以養火。 土生金也。土金兩旺，宜火以助土。 金生水也。金水兩旺，宜土以生金。 木能生火，然火亦能生木也。水 生木者，潤地之燥也。火生木者，解天之凍也。 木能生火，然火亦能生木也。水生木者，潤地之燥也。火生木者，解天之凍也。

When both the mother and child are strong, it is not advisable to suppress either one. Instead, one should go one step higher to nourish the mother. For example, if wood generates fire and both are strong, water should be used to nourish the wood—water generates wood, and thus wood can continuously generate fire. If fire generates earth and both are strong, wood should be used to nourish fire. If earth generates metal and both are strong, fire should be used to assist earth. If metal generates water and both are strong, earth should be used to generate metal. This is called "following the trend and nurturing the root." Now discussing the principle of reverse generation: although wood generates fire, fire can also generate wood. Water generates wood by moistening the dry earth, while fire generates wood by melting the cold of winter—when wood receives fire in winter, the cold is dispelled and the vitality is released, which is the source of life. (This passage is repeated in the original text, appearing again in the same form, and is now recorded as is.)

火能生土，然土亦能生火也。木生火者，冬木之枯也。土生火者，夏土之燥也。 土能生金，然金亦能生土也。火生土者，去地之溼也。金生土者，防土之傾也。 金能生水，然水亦能生金也。土生金者，砥水之溢也。水生金者，制火之烈也。 水能生木，然木亦能生水也。金生水者，阻其洩漏也。木生水者，去其淤塞也。

The principle of mutual generation is valid when traced through each element. Fire can generate Earth, and Earth can also generate Fire: Wood generates Fire by taking advantage of the dryness of dead wood in winter; Earth generates Fire by taking advantage of the dryness of summer soil which can hold fire energy. Earth can generate Metal, and Metal can also generate Earth: Fire generates Earth by removing dampness from the soil; Metal generates Earth by preventing erosion. Metal can generate Water, and Water can also generate Metal: Earth generates Metal by building dikes to block overflowing water; Water generates Metal by restraining fire's intensity, thus preventing metal from melting. Water can generate Wood, and Wood can also generate Water: Metal generates Water by preventing leakage; Wood generates Water by removing blockages. This shows that the relationships among the Five Phases are not one-way mechanical interactions. Any method that removes the illness of a particular phase is equivalent to generating it.

木本克土，土多木折。水生木，則木能克土。 火本克金，金多火熄。木生火，則火能克金。 土本克水，水多土蕩。火生土，則土能克水。 金本克木，木多金缺。土生金，則金能克木。 水本克火，火多水涸。金生水，則水能克火。 木克土，土太多。宜金以衛土也。 火克金，火太多。宜水以養金也。 土克水，水太多，宜木以納水也。 金克木，木太多，宜火以榮木也。 水克火，火太多，宜土以扶火也。

Mutual control also has reversals. First, the one being controlled may be dragged down by the one doing the controlling: Wood usually controls Earth, but if there is too much Earth, the Wood is instead broken. In such a case, using Water to nourish Wood gives Wood strength so that it can control Earth. Fire usually controls Metal, but if there is too much Metal, Fire is instead extinguished. Using Wood to nourish Fire gives Fire strength so that it can control Metal. Earth usually controls Water, but if there is too much Water, Earth is instead washed away. Using Fire to nourish Earth gives Earth strength so that it can control Water. Metal usually controls Wood, but if there is too much Wood, Metal is instead worn down. Using Earth to nourish Metal gives Metal strength so that it can control Wood. Water usually controls Fire, but if there is too much Fire, Water is instead dried up. Using Metal to nourish Water gives Water strength so that it can control Fire—methods of rescue involve nurturing the one doing the controlling. Now, when the one being controlled is too weak, the rescue methods are: Wood controls Earth but if there is too much Wood, use Metal to protect Earth (Metal controls Wood, so Wood retreats and Earth is safe; the original text says 'Earth too much' but should be 'Wood too much'); Fire controls Metal but if there is too much Fire, use Water to nourish Metal; Earth controls Water but if there is too much Water, use Wood to absorb Water (Wood absorbs Water and prevents it from overflowing); Metal controls Wood but if there is too much Wood, use Fire to strengthen Wood (Fire drains Wood's energy but actually makes Wood stronger); Water controls Fire but if there is too much Fire, use Earth to support Fire (Earth drains Fire's energy and Water can no longer attack Fire).

木克土也，木土兩旺，宜水以潤土。 土克水也。水土兩旺，宜火以溼水。 水克火也。水火兩旺，宜金以熄火。 火克金也。火金兩旺，宜木以缺金。 金克木也。金木兩旺，宜土以折木。 木能克土，然水亦能克木也。木克土者，春土之柔也。土克木者，夏土之燥也。 土能克水，然水亦能克土也。土克水者，夏水之涸也。水克土者，冬水之凍也。 水能克火，然火亦能克水也。水克火者，金水寒凝也。火克水者，杯水車薪也。 火能克金，然金亦能克火也。火克金者，春火之相也。金克火者，冬火之囚也。 金能克木，然木亦能克金也。金克木者，金堅木凍也。木克金者，木盛金脆也。

When both the element that is strong and the one it overcomes are strong, it is not advisable to further strengthen one side, but rather to find another element to mediate. If wood overcomes earth and both are strong, water should be used to nourish earth, as water both drains wood and nourishes earth, balancing both sides. If earth overcomes water and both are strong, fire should be used to warm water (the original text says 'use fire to moisten water', which should be 'use warmth to water'). Fire warms earth and dries it, preventing water from overflowing. If water overcomes fire and both are strong, metal should be used. Although metal drains water and generates water, here it is used for its ability to restrain fire (the original text says 'use metal to extinguish fire'). If fire overcomes metal and both are strong, wood should be used. Wood drains fire and allows metal to recover its strength (the original text says 'use wood to weaken metal'). If metal overcomes wood and both are strong, earth should be used. Earth drains metal and prevents wood from being harmed (the original text says 'use earth to break wood'). Now, let us discuss reverse overcoming: Wood can overcome earth, and earth can also overcome wood (the original text says 'but water can also overcome wood', which should be 'earth'). Wood overcoming earth is based on the softness of earth in spring; earth overcoming wood is based on the dryness of earth in summer, which dries up wood. Earth can overcome water, and water can also overcome earth. Earth overcoming water is based on the dryness of water in summer; water overcoming earth is based on the freezing of water in winter, which is harder than earth. Water can overcome fire, and fire can also overcome water. Water overcoming fire is based on the cold and condensed state of metal and water; fire overcoming water is based on the insufficient amount of water, which is burned dry. Fire can overcome metal, and metal can also overcome fire. Fire overcoming metal is based on the supportive phase of fire in spring, when metal is weak; metal overcoming fire is based on the confined state of fire in winter, when metal is strong. Metal can overcome wood, and wood can also overcome metal. Metal overcoming wood is based on the hardness of metal and the brittleness of wood; wood overcoming metal is based on the strength of wood and the breaking of metal.

旺者宜克。然旺之極者，宜洩而不宜克也。所謂實則瀉其子，是以春木森森，宜火旺以通耀。夏火炎炎，宜土多而斂威。秋金銳銳，宜水盛以流清。 冬水洋洋，宜木眾而納勢，季土疊疊，宜重金以吐秀。 弱者宜生。然弱之極者，宜克而不宜生也。所謂虛則補其母，是以秋木凋落，宜金而不宜水也。冬火熄滅，宜水而不宜木也仲春之土無火生，反宜木也。仲秋之土無火生，反宜金也。 陽之極者，陰至也。陰之極者，陽至也。寒極則熱生也。熱極則寒生也。

Generally, it is said that when something is strong, it should be restrained, but when it is extremely strong, it is better to release it rather than restrain it. This is what the medical scholars refer to as "when full, drain its child": in spring, when wood is vigorous, there should be strong fire to release its energy and make it shine; in summer, when fire is intense, there should be abundant earth to contain its power; in autumn, when metal is sharp, there should be abundant water to allow it to flow and become clear; in winter, when water is vast, there should be many woods to receive its strength. Conversely, it is generally said that when something is weak, it should be nourished, but when it is extremely weak, it is better to restrain it rather than nourish it. This is the principle of "when empty, supplement its mother": in autumn, when wood is withered, metal should appear rather than water (although water nourishes wood, autumn water is cold and wood does not receive it; it is better for metal to restrain it so that wood returns to its root); in winter, when fire is extinguished, water should appear rather than wood (the text here is urgent and not properly punctuated, but its meaning is that winter wood is damp and cold and cannot nourish fire; it is better for water to stimulate its nature); in the middle of spring, when earth has no fire to nourish it, it is better to see wood; in the middle of autumn, when earth has no fire to nourish it, it is better to see metal. In summary: when yang reaches its peak, yin comes; when yin reaches its peak, yang comes; when cold reaches its peak, heat arises; when heat reaches its peak, cold arises—this is the principle of "extreme leads to reversal" in destiny, which is the same as the way of heaven.

每一命局，或五行錯綜，或六神紛雜，評斷而無規定程序，極難入手。茲議為八步如後。 （一）看強弱。 （二）定格局。 （三）取用神。 （四）論喜忌。 （五）查歲運。 （六）推六親。 （七）評性情。 （八）斷事業。

Each destiny chart, whether it involves a complex mixture of the Five Phases or a multitude of the Six Spirits (which include the total designation of gods that relate to me, those I generate, those that control me, those I control, and those similar to me, namely the印, 食伤, 官杀, 财, and 比劫), is difficult to assess without a fixed order. The author therefore proposes eight steps to be followed in sequence: the first step is to examine the strength of the day master; the second step is to determine the pattern; the third step is to select the useful god; the fourth step is to discuss what is favorable and what is unfavorable; the fifth step is to check the big years and the flow years; the sixth step is to analyze the Six Relations; the seventh step is to evaluate temperament and disposition; and the eighth step is to determine career prospects. These eight steps form the general framework for all the examples in the book. The following examples of assessment are presented step by step according to this order for the readers' understanding.

（一）看強弱以日干為主。以多寡、盛衰、失時、得令、為標準。 （二）定格局，以月支為標準（外格不在此例）。 （三）以用神，以助強扶弱為標準。 （四）論喜忌，以用神為標準。 （五）查歲運，以喜忌為標準。 （六）推六親，以四柱六神為標準。 （七）評性情，以五行用神等為標準。 （八）斷事業，以用神及喜忌為標準。

There are eight steps, each with its own standard. First, assess the strength and weakness of the day stem, considering the number and strength of the gods that support and those that control or drain it, as well as whether the day stem is in season or out of season in the month's stem. Second, determine the pattern based on the hidden heavenly stems in the month's branch; the one that appears through the branch establishes the pattern (special strong or transformed patterns are not included here). Third, select the useful god based on the principle of restraining the strong and supporting the weak—when the day stem is strong, choose the gods that control, drain, or consume it; when the day stem is weak, choose the gods that generate and support it (the original text says 'useful god,' which should be read as 'select the useful god'). Fourth, evaluate favorable and unfavorable influences based on the useful god; any god that supports the useful god is a favorable god, and any that harms the useful god is an unfavorable god. Fifth, check the big years and the current year based on favorable and unfavorable influences; when the big year or current year is in the area of favorable gods, it is auspicious; when it is in the area of unfavorable gods, it is inauspicious. Sixth, determine the six relations based on the positions of the four pillars and the six spirits. Seventh, evaluate temperament based on the emphasis of the five phases and the nature of the useful god. Eighth, judge career based on the five phases and the ten heavenly stems associated with the useful god and its favorable and unfavorable influences. These eight steps are interrelated; if the useful god is selected incorrectly, the following five steps will all be wrong, so selecting the useful god is the key to the entire judgment.

癸未 甲子 丙戌 己亥 一歲 癸亥 十一 壬戌 廿一 辛酉 三一 庚申 四一 己未 五一 戊午

This is the first example demonstrating the eight-step procedure mentioned earlier, for a male birth. The four pillars are arranged vertically, from top to bottom: the year pillar is Guiwei, the month pillar is Jiazi, the day pillar is Bingxu, and the hour pillar is Jihai. The heavenly stem of the day pillar, Bing fire, is called the "day master," representing the person himself. The earthy branch of the month, Zi water, is called the "month ruler," determining the overall climate and structure of the chart. The column on the right is the "tens of years" or "big destiny," which starts at one year old and changes every ten years, in the order of Guihai, Renxu, Xinyou, Gengshen, Jiwei, Wuwu. The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the big destiny are derived from the month pillar. For a male born in a yang year, the big destiny is arranged in the forward direction, while for a male born in a yin year, it is arranged in the reverse direction; the opposite applies for females. In this case, the year stem Gui is yin, so for a male, the big destiny is arranged in reverse order, starting from the month pillar Jiazi and moving backward to Guihai, Renxu, Xinyou, Gengshen, Jiwei, Wuwu, and so on. When analyzing a birth chart, one combines the big destiny with the "current year" or "flowing year" to determine the fortune or misfortune of a particular period.

強弱 丙死於冬。亥子癸三水，既得其令，又兢來克。未戌己土雖能制水，乃本身先洩丙火之氣，只月上甲木生丙。綜計全局，抑者太多，扶者太少，故丙干以弱論。 格局 丙生子月，干透癸水，為正官之格。

First, determine the strength of the day stem: the fire element (丙火) is born in winter. According to the twelve long life stages, Bing Fire in the Zi month is in the 'death' position, and has already lost its season in the Earlier Heaven. The branch of the hour is Hai, the branch of the month is Zi, and the stem of the year is Gui, all three being water. These waters are in command and have power, and they compete to overcome the fire. The branch of the year is Wei, the branch of the day is Xu, and the stem of the hour is Ji, which are all earth elements. Although earth can control water, earth must first release the energy of the fire element to take form, which is actually helping the enemy. The entire chart only has one wood element (甲木) in the stem of the month to nourish the fire. In conclusion, there are too many elements that restrain the day stem and too few that support it, so the fire is considered weak. Second, determine the pattern of the chart: the fire element is born in the Zi month, and the hidden Gui Water in Zi is also present in the heavenly stem. For the fire element,Gui Water is a god that overcomes it and is of opposite yin and yang, which is called 'official' (正官). Therefore, the pattern is established as 'official' (正官格).

用神 丙既云弱，必須生扶。月上甲木洩水之有餘，生火之不足，取用無疑，即謂官格用印是也。 喜忌 既用甲木，自喜木火助用助身，不畏土之洩火。水之克水，蓋土有木制，水有木當也，然亦非所喜耳。最忌金為生水助虐。克木則傷用。

Third step: determining the useful god: Since the propitious fire is weak, it needs to be generated and supported. The heavenly stem at the month's dry branch, Jia wood, on one hand absorbs the excess water, and on the other hand supplements the deficiency of fire. It serves two purposes, so it is clearly chosen as the 'useful god'. This is exactly what the books on destiny call 'official pattern with seal'—when the official is too strong, instead of restraining it, the seal is used to transform the official's energy into something that nourishes the self. Fourth step: discussing what is favorable and unfavorable: since Jia wood is taken as the useful god, we naturally favor wood and fire. Wood helps the useful god, and fire supports the day master. We are not afraid of earth draining fire or water overcoming fire (the original text says 'water overcoming water', the next 'water' should be 'fire'), because earth is restrained by Jia wood, and water is transformed by Jia wood (the original text says 'water has wood when', 'when' is likely a mistake for 'transform'). However, these are not truly favorable. The most unfavorable is metal: metal generates water, which is helping the enemy, and metal overcomes wood, which directly harms the useful god.

歲運 一歲初走癸亥運，一派水鄉，稚年多病。十一歲行壬戌運。水土各半，亦乏善可陳。二十一歲辛酉運。甲辰年隨某鉅公至廣東，充記室四載。腰纏黃白，正逢木火流年也。娶妻得子，亦在斯時。嗣即奔馳少功矣。三十一歲庚甲運。用神受損蓬飄萍泛，宇內寓形。南北東西，焦桐莫識。尤以三十六後，流年多金水，無家可。

The fifth step is to check the annual and yearly cycles. From the beginning of one's life, the person has been in the Guihai (Guihai) cycle, which is entirely a water cycle, leading to frequent illness in childhood. At age eleven, the person enters the Renxu (Renxu) cycle, where壬 water and戌 earth are each half, but there is nothing remarkable about it. At twenty-one, the person enters the Xinyou (Xinyou) cycle, which is a Hostile God (hostile god) cycle. Fortunately, in the year Jiachen (Jiachen), the person accompanied a prominent figure to Guangdong, serving as a「记室」(a clerk handling documents) for four years, accumulating considerable wealth (「黄白」refers to gold and silver). This was because the flow of the year was of wood and fire; marriage and having children also occurred during these years. After that, the person traveled a lot but achieved little. At thirty-one, the person enters the Gengshen (Gengshen) cycle (the original text says「庚甲」, but according to the previous large cycles, it should be「庚申」). In this cycle,庚 metal overcomes甲, and申 metal generates water, damaging the useful god, leading to a life of drifting like a蓬 (a type of plant) or 萍 (a water plant). Although living in the world, the person's direction is unknown, east or west, north or south. The person is like the charred zither of Cai Yong, symbolizing a talented person who is not recognized. Especially after the age of thirty-six, the flow of the years is mostly metal and water, leading to a state of having no home to return to—here, the original text has a missing character after「无家可」.

四十一歲之己未運。有甲子，乙丑，丙寅，丁卯，四則之吉，努力勿怠。再後都金水年，徵求毋奢。五十一歲戊午運。以五二，五三，五四，五五。小有作為。午運之羊刃被沖，自難樂觀。故五十六後。可撫孤松而盤桓矣。

At forty-one, entering the Jiwei cycle, although Ji earth and Wei earth may drain fire, they are still dry southern earth and do not help water. Among the four years of Jiazi, Yichou, Bingyin, and Dingmao, the years are favorable (Jia and Yi wood nourish the self, Bing and Ding fire support the self), so one should strive hard without slackness. In the following years, most belong to metal and water, so one should not expect too much in seeking success. At fifty-one, entering the Wuwu cycle, the years fifty-two to fifty-five can bring some achievements. However, Wu is the Yangren (the Prosperity place of the day stem, with strong energy and fierce nature) of Bing fire. In this case, the monthly branch is Zi water, which conflicts with Wu, so the Yangren is broken, making the situation difficult to be optimistic. Therefore, after fifty-six, one can only walk alone by the lonely pine, as described in Tao Yuanming's "Return to the Country," and spend the remaining years in peace.

六親 偏印為用。父母庇陰尚豐，劫財無力，弱弟早夭。日支藏財，然非喜神，妻乃中道雲也。傷食亦非喜見，故前雖有子，已喪申運。晚來己運，或有弄璋之望，但須琴絃再理也。 性情 火日水多，所為欠當，宗旨少決。 事業 官格用印，自以近貴求名之為宜，尤利於東南半聲耳。

Step six: Determine the Six Relations. In this case, the biased official (Jia Wood is a biased official for Bing Fire, also called the枭神) is the Useful God. The official represents the mother and also signifies parental support, so the care from parents is still considerable. The劫财, representing brothers, is weak, so the younger brother is frail and died early. The day branch is戌, which contains Xin Metal, representing wealth and the wife star. Unfortunately, wealth is not a favorable element, so the wife is separated in the middle of the journey (「中道云也」means separation in the middle). The food and injury stars represent children, but these are not favorable, so although there was a son earlier, he was lost during the申 journey. In the己 journey later in life, there may still be hope for a son (「弄璋」refers to the birth of a son), but remarriage will be needed (「琴弦再理」means to remarry). Step seven: Evaluate temperament. The fire day master with too much water leads to improper conduct and lack of firm principles. Step eight: Determine career. The official pattern with the official as the Useful God naturally favors relying on noblemen and seeking advancement through reputation, especially benefiting the southeast direction (the original text's 「东南半声」has an error and should be something like 「东南半壁」).

壬子 癸丑 庚子 丁亥 五歲 壬子 十五 辛亥 廿五 庚戌 三五 己酉 四五 戊申 五五 丁未

This is a female's birth chart. The year pillar is Renzi, the month pillar is Guichou, the day pillar is Gengzi, and the hour pillar is Dinghai. The day stem is Geng metal, born in the Chou month. The big years start at age five, in sequence: Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, Jiyou, Wushen, Dingwei. The year stem Ren is yang, and for a female born in a yang year, the big years are arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Guichou, it goes back to Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, etc. When reading this chart, note that among the four pillars and eight characters, water is represented by the three branches Zi, Zi, Hai, and the two stems Ren and Gui, almost half the chart. The main problem of the entire chart is immediately apparent.

強弱 庚生季冬為寒金，水旺洩氣繫憂患。尤病丑土會亥子而化水。且寒金喜火又苦丁火之被克，是誠弱不堪言矣。 格局 庚生丑月。透癸為傷官之格。

Assessing strength and weakness:庚 metal is born in the last month of winter, December, which is cold metal. In the chart, water is strong, and the metal energy is completely drained away, which is the greatest concern. Worse still, the month's branch,丑 earth, could normally control water, but it connects with亥 and子 to form a vast northern water area, turning into water instead. The supportive element becomes a draining one. Cold metal originally prefers fire to warm it, but the hour's dry branch,丁 fire, is weakened by the month's dry branch,癸 water, so the warmth cannot be retained. Therefore, the day's ruler is extremely weak. Determining the pattern:庚 metal is born in丑 month, and丑 contains癸 water, which is also revealed in the sky.癸 water is the offspring of庚 metal, but it is a yin element, thus it is called 'hurt official' (伤官), so it is established as the 'hurt official pattern' (伤官格).

用神 水勢氾濫，若用丑中己土。非但不能制水。且激水之怒，不如亥中甲木以為用。賴甲洩水之有餘，生火之不足，所謂財能救官是也。然身弱無助之弊。在所不免矣。 喜忌 最喜為火，土，木，最忌為金水。

To select the useful god: since the water has already become overflowing, if we take the hidden Ji earth in Chou to control the water, it will not be able to restrain it, and instead provoke the water's anger (as mentioned in the previous chapter on 'Disease', 'forcing the strong god leads to being outnumbered'). It is better to take the hidden Jia wood in Hai as the useful god. Jia wood can both drain the excess water and generate the deficiency of fire. This is what the命书 (book of destiny) refers to as 'wealth saving the official' — Jia wood is the wealth for Geng metal, and Ding fire is the official for Geng metal. The wealth star connects and channels the overflowing water to generate the official, thus saving the official star. However, the day's main element is weak and lacks support, so this problem cannot be avoided. Regarding what is favorable and unfavorable: most favorable are fire, earth, and wood; most unfavorable are metal and water.

歲運 五歲交足壬子水運，十病九危。十五歲走辛亥金水運，及笄應多周折。及庚午年，怙恃之失，相繼頻乘。壬申歲身世之悲，層見疊出。雖屢屢當差，而收入甚微，仍入陷井圇圄。誠哉，時命之不遒也。

Check the yearly and annual fortunes: At five years old, the person enters the Renzi (Water) year, which is a period of great water, leading to ten illnesses and nine dangers. At fifteen, the person enters the Xinhai (Metal and Water) year, with metal and water both in play. At this age, which is the year of coming of age for women, there should be many difficulties. By the Gengwu year, both parents pass away consecutively ("hu shi" comes from the Book of Songs, "Lao E," where "hu" refers to father and "shi" refers to mother). In the Renshen year, there is continuous sorrow in life; although the person frequently obtains official positions, the income is extremely meager, eventually leading to imprisonment. When fate is so unfavorable, it is truly a matter of destiny. The reason for such hardships is that the early years of life, Renzi and Xinhai, were all years of Hostile God (hostile gods), and the more water increases, the colder the metal becomes, and the useful god, Jia wood, is drowned by water and cannot generate fire.

二十五風庚戌運。庚乃屬金，尚難脫離水火，戌中藏火土。三十三歲甲申流年。用坤得助。當獲快婿。尚可仰望者矣。三十五歲後。己酉運之己土不足制水，酉雖劫刃，亦有生水之嫌，縱不至於顛沛流離，然而病疼劇甚。四十五歲戊申運，以戊字最佳。五十歲後，歲運皆金水，恐難免賦歸於心臟病。

At the age of twenty-five, the person enters the Geng Xu cycle (the original text says 'twenty-five wind', with 'wind' being a corruption of 'intersect' or 'enter'). Geng still belongs to metal, but cannot escape the burden of water. Fortunately, Xu contains hidden Ding fire and Wu earth, which is dry earth, and there may be a turning point. At the age of thirty-three, in the Liushen year, the useful god of Jia wood receives support, and the person should find a good husband; this period still holds hope. After the age of thirty-five, entering the Ji You cycle, Ji is wet earth, which is insufficient to control water; You, although being the '劫刃' (Yang Blade) for Geng metal (which could help the body), also has the suspicion of metal generating water. Although the person may not suffer great hardship, illness will certainly worsen. At the age of forty-five, the Wu Shen cycle is the best for five years. After the age of fifty, both the big cycle and the annual cycle belong to metal and water, leading to an increase in cold water and the extinction of Ding fire. Fire represents the heart, so it is feared that the person may ultimately die from heart disease.

六親 金寒水盛則無子。官星無力易剋夫。土印化水，父母亦虛。劫比稀少終鮮四季，可無疑矣。 性情 金日水多，火土無力。水性楊花，理所然也。

To determine the Six Relations: The metal is cold and the water is abundant, the vital breath is not warm, so there is no son; the official star (Ding fire) is weak, and for a woman's fortune, the official star represents the husband, so a weak husband star indicates a tendency to overcome the husband. The earth is the official star of Geng metal, representing parents, but in this case the丑 earth is transformed into water by the亥 and子, making the parents' influence hollow. The same and劫财 are scarce, so brothers and sisters are few (the original text says '终鲜四季', which is a miswriting of '终鲜兄弟' from the Book of Songs). These points are all without doubt. To assess the nature: Metal as the day stem with too much water, and fire and earth unable to restrain it, water is flowing, so the person is like willow fluff carried by the wind — this exactly matches the statement in the 'Nature and Character' chapter that 'too much water without control leads to intelligence but weak will, and also restlessness'.

己亥 癸酉 甲辰 丙寅 三歲 甲戌 十三 乙亥 廿三 丙子 三三 丁丑 四三 戊寅 五三 己卯

A female's birth chart. The year pillar is Ji Hai, the month pillar is Gui You, the day pillar is Jia Chen, and the hour pillar is Bing Yin. The day stem Jia Wood is born in the You Metal month. The big years start at age three, in order: Jia Xu, Yi Hai, Bing Zi, Ding Chou, Wu Yin, Ji Mao. The year stem Ji is yin, so for a female born in a yin year, the big years are arranged in a forward sequence. Therefore, starting from the month pillar Gui You, it proceeds to Jia Xu, Yi Hai, Bing Zi, and so on, forming a contrast with the previous case which was in reverse order. In this birth chart, the four elements of official (You Metal), scholar (Gui Water), wealth (Ji Earth), and food (Bing Fire) are all present, making it a complete configuration of the eight characters. This is exactly the case that can be used to illustrate what "the five elements do not contradict each other" means.

強弱 甲生酉月而失其令，又多火土，則金之克洩。本當以弱論。然長生於亥，胎於酉，得祿於寅，地支有氣，尚非至弱者也。 格局 甲生酉月，為正官之格。

Assessing strength and weakness: Jia wood is born in the酉 month, when metal is dominant and wood is out of its season. The chart also contains fire (Bing and the hidden Bing in寅) and earth (Ji and Chen). On one side, Jia wood is being overcome by metal, and on the other, it is being drained by fire and earth. It would naturally be considered weak. However, Jia wood has its 'longevity' in亥 (the year branch), its 'womb' in酉, and its 'wealth' in寅 (the hour branch)—these are all positions in the twelve longevities. Longevity is the place where it first receives vital energy, and wealth is the place where it is strongest. Since there is root and vitality in the earth branches, it is not extremely weak. Determining the pattern: Jia wood is born in the酉 month, where the hidden Xin metal overcomes Jia wood, and since they are yin and yang opposites, it is considered a 正官 (positive official). The key point here is that strength and weakness should not be judged solely by the numerical quantity, but also by whether the day stem has a root in the earth branches.

用神 官印財食俱全，惟己年癸月，地位接近，財印相剋，為美中不足，故取酉丙辛金正官以為用。蓋財生官，官生印，五行六神，因此不悖矣。 喜忌 命中五行不悖，固無所謂喜忌。惟坤以夫星為重，又取正官為格，為用則不宜逢多量之火也。

Selecting the Useful God: In this case, the official star, the minister star, the wealth star, and the food god are all present. However, the dry earth of the year stem and the dry water of the month stem are closely adjacent, with the earth overcoming the water, causing a conflict between the wealth and minister stars, which is a minor flaw. Therefore, the official star, which is the metal of the month branch You, is selected as the Useful God (the original text says 'You Bing Xin metal', the character 'Bing' is likely a mistake for 'Zhong'). Why is the official star selected? Because once the official star is in use, the wealth star of the dry earth can generate the official star, the official star of You metal can generate the minister star of the dry water, and the minister star can generate the self. Thus, the wealth, official, minister, and self form a continuous chain of generation, and the Five Phases and Six Spirits no longer contradict each other. Regarding favorable and unfavorable elements: Since the Five Phases in the destiny are already harmonious, there is no particular need to discuss favorable or unfavorable elements. However, for a female's destiny, the husband star is important, and since the official star is selected as the standard, it is not advisable to encounter a large amount of fire, as strong fire will overcome the official star of You metal, damaging the husband star.

歲運 三歲起運，初走甲戌乙亥，庇陰豐裕，故童境不惡。二十歲戊千流年，偏財幫夫，于歸極利。二十三歲丙子運。丙為食神，子為正印，迭獲弄璋之慶。家道日昌。三十三歲行丁火傷官運。幸有印以制之。然辛未年夫病越七月，亦云險矣。三十八歲丑運為財，門庭煥彩，夫子皆輝。四十三歲戊寅運，之一財一比，亦安身納福。再後己卯運仍豐，堪享大年云爾。

Check the annual and yearly fortunes: Starting the fortune calculation at three years old, the first two years of fortune are Jia Xu and Yi Hai. The parents' blessings are abundant, so the childhood conditions are not bad. At twenty years old, the flow year is Wu Wu (the original text says "Wu Qian," which should be a mistake for "Wu Wu"). Wu earth is a partial wealth, and wealth can generate official positions to help the husband, so getting married is very favorable. At twenty-three years old, entering the Bing Zi year, Bing is the food god indicating offspring, and Zi is the positive official indicating blessings, so male children are born consecutively, and the family gradually becomes prosperous. At thirty-three years old, entering the Ding year, Ding fire is a damaging official, which specifically harms the positive official, which is the husband's star. Fortunately, the癸 water official in the chart can control the Ding fire; even so, the husband still fell ill for more than seven months in the Xin Wei year, which was quite dangerous. At thirty-eight years old, entering the Chou year, Chou earth is wealth, and wealth generates official positions, so the family becomes more prosperous, and both the husband and children have good fortune. At forty-three years old, entering the Wu Yin year, Wu is wealth and Yin is a companion, with one wealth and one companion, which can also provide stability and blessings. The following Ji Mao year still remains abundant, and one can expect to enjoy a long life.

六親 印有官生，父母雙慶，正官為格為用。夫既榮顯，鴻案相莊。時下一比，令弟亦云克家，時上食神吐秀，子更英奇特達矣。 性情 五行生化有情，秀外慧中，多材多義，當之無愧也。

Pushing the Six Relations: The official star comes to generate the seal, with the source unbroken, so both parents are complete and share in the joy. The official star is established as the main pattern and also used as the useful element, so the husband's star is strong, leading to the husband's honor and prominence, and the husband and wife respect each other like guests (the phrase "Hong'an Xiang Zhuang" refers to the story of Liang Hong and Meng Guang lifting their serving dishes to the same level). The branch of the hour contains Yin with hidden Jia, which is a fellow, representing brothers, so the younger brother can also inherit the family and establish a career. The heavenly stem of the hour, Bing fire, is the food god, releasing the refined energy of the day master, representing children, so the son is especially outstanding and extraordinary. Evaluating temperament: The entire chart has the Five Phases generating and transforming each other, with affection everywhere, so the person is refined and intelligent, talented and virtuous, deserving of this saying. This chart is exactly the opposite of the previous Pan surname chart: one has all Five Phases complete and smoothly generating, while the other is deficient in water and cold and stagnant. The quality of a person's destiny does not depend on the number of characters, but on their harmony and coordination.

庚子 庚辰 甲子 戊辰 六歲 辛巳 十六 壬午 廿六 癸未 三六 甲申 四六 乙酉 五六 丙戌

A male's birth chart. The year pillar is Geng Zi, the month pillar is Geng Chen, the day pillar is Jia Zi, and the hour pillar is Wu Chen. The day stem Jia Wood is born in the Chen month. The big years start from age six, in order: Xin Si, Ren Wu, Gui Wei, Jia Shen, Yi You, Bing Xu. The year stem Geng is yang, and since the male was born in a yang year, the big years are arranged in sequence from the month pillar Geng Chen, proceeding to Xin Si, Ren Wu, Gui Wei, etc. This birth chart has all yang stems and branches (Geng, Zi, Geng, Chen, Jia, Zi, Wu, Chen are all yang stems and branches). The earth branches contain two Zis and two Chens, implying an hidden water trinity, which is the turning point of the entire chart. We will know more from the following text.

強弱 甲生暮春土令，又見三土二金，財殺太旺。幸子辰成產水之局，辰土之財，化印生身，故專弱為強矣。 格局 甲生辰月，干透戊土，是為偏財之格。

Assessing strength and weakness: Jia wood is born in late spring, during the third month, when Chen earth is in charge. The chart also contains three instances of earth (two Chens and one Wu) and two instances of metal (two Gengs). Earth is the wealth that Jia wood is defeated by, and metal is the seven killer that defeats Jia wood. Both wealth and seven killer are too strong, so the day's main element should be weak. Fortunately, there are two Zi and two Chen, forming a water trinity. The Chen earth, which is wealth, is transformed by the water trinity into a scholar's support, which nourishes the self, thus turning weakness into strength. Determining the pattern: Jia wood is born in the month of Chen. The hidden Wu earth in Chen is revealed in the heavenly stem. Wu earth is the wealth that Jia wood defeats, and since it shares the same yin and yang, it is called 'biased wealth'. Therefore, the pattern is established as 'biased wealth pattern'.

用神 干頭盡是財殺，自取年支子印為用，賴以化殺生身也。 喜忌 最喜水木而忌土，火亦不利，因能生土也。金卻不忌，因能生水也。

To determine the useful god: all the heavenly stems are wealth and killing stars (Geng and Geng are killing stars, Wu is wealth). The day master is isolated, so we need to take the癸water of the year branch Zi as the印绶 useful god, relying on it to transform the killing star energy into something that generates and supports the day master — this is what was previously mentioned as "when the killing stars are heavy and the body is weak, it is suitable to transform the killing stars." In terms of favorable and unfavorable elements: the most favorable are water and wood, as water generates the day master and wood supports it; the most unfavorable are earth, as earth is wealth and can also generate metal killing stars; fire is also unfavorable because it can generate earth. As for metal, it is originally the killing star, but in this case, it is not unfavorable, because there is water in between to connect and pass through, so metal instead generates water, and the killing star becomes the source of the印. This point best demonstrates the flexible approach of Wei's method of determining the useful god: whether something is favorable or unfavorable is not determined by the name of the heavenly stem, but by where it goes in this particular chart.

歲運 六歲行辛己運，一金一火，乏善可陳。十六歲之壬運，大病三年。按壬水為偏印，莫非丁己戊午，己未，三載火土流年之故。二十歲午火運，得美缺於交通部，繫純逢金水流年之故。諺云：運好不發年好，洵然。

Check the annual and yearly influences: At six years old, he was in the Xinsi (辛巳) period, which consists of one metal and one fire, nothing remarkable. At sixteen, he entered the Ren (壬) period, and suffered from a serious illness for three years. Ren water is actually the biased teacher and the proper harmonizer of Jia wood, which is the useful god. So why did he fall ill? Probably because of the three fire and earth years, Dingsi (丁巳), Wuwu (戊午), and Jiwei (己未), which were harmful. Although the period was good, the years were not. At twenty, he entered the Wuwu (午火) period and got a good position in the transportation department, because he happened to meet pure metal and water years. The proverb says, "A good fortune is not as good as a good year," which is exactly the case here: the big period determines the trend of ten years, while the yearly influence determines the success or failure of the year, and both must be considered together.

廿六歲以來，癸未運，裘馬麗都。蓋一以運勝，一以年佳也。三十六歲甲運雖是幫身，惜被庚克，恐用武無地。四十一歲申運，三合全成水局，殺印相映。地位權譽，登峰造極矣。官至簡任特任，唯所望於此時也。往後乙酉運，無足可取，丙運更不宜戀棧。

Since the age of twenty-six, he has been in the Guiwei cycle, and his clothing, fur, carriages, and horses have all been extremely luxurious. This is due to both good fortune and a favorable year coinciding. At thirty-six, he enters the Jia cycle. Although Jia wood is a helpful companion that supports his body, it is unfortunately weakened by two Geng metals in the heavenly stem. Therefore, he may find himself without the opportunity to display his talents. At forty-one, he enters the Shen cycle, which forms a complete Triple Harmony with the Zi and Chen in his birth chart, creating a water pattern. The seven killing energy is entirely transformed into a seal to nourish his body. The killing and seal mutually generate, thus achieving the peak of status, power, and reputation. His official rank reaches the level of "Jianren" and even "Te ren" (the highest and second highest levels of civil officials in the Republic of China). This is exactly what he is expecting during this decade. The Yiyou cycle that follows is not favorable, and the Bing cycle is even more unsuitable to stay in. Bing fire drains wood and generates earth, injuring the useful god; thus, he should step down when appropriate.

六親 以印為用，深獲父母庇陰，不見傷食，亦且為忌神，僅午運得一子，日支坐祿，中饋尚賢，劫比之稀，因鮮足弟矣。 性情 木得水養，五行清而不雜。八字純陽，磊落大方，可斷言也。 事業 忌財喜印，最宜行政機關。堪握大權，然亦廉吏耳。

To determine the Six Relations: The Useful God is the印 (Intellectual Influence), indicating strong support from parents. The chart does not contain the food god or the injurious official, and these are also considered Hostile Gods in this case, leading to difficulties in having children. A son was obtained only during the午 (Dragon) period. The day branch, which is 子 (Zi) water, is the "Bathing" position for 甲 (Jia) wood. Here it is referred to as "sitting on the禄 (Wealthy Post)" to indicate that water nourishes the body and the wife's position is strong, thus indicating a capable wife (the "middle kitchen" refers to the wife managing the household's food and is a term for the wife). The presence of 比肩 (Equal) and 劫财 (Robbery Wealth) is sparse, so brothers are few. Assessing temperament: Wood is nourished by water, the Five Phases are pure and not mixed; the八字 (eight characters) is entirely yang, so the person is open-minded and generous. This can be stated clearly. Judging career: Dislikes wealth and prefers the Intellectual Influence, which governs official positions and documents. It is most suitable to work in government agencies where one can hold power, but since the wealth star is a Hostile God, the power is great but not accompanied by wealth accumulation.

壬子 丙午 癸亥 戊午 八歲 丁未 十八 戊申 廿八 己酉 三八 庚戌 四八 辛亥 五八 壬子

A male birth chart. The year pillar is Renzi, the month pillar is Bingwu, the day pillar is Guihai, and the hour pillar is Wuwu. The day stem Gui water is born in the month of Wu (fire). Starting from age eight, the big years are in sequence: Dingwei, Wushen, Jiyou, Gengxu, Xinhai, Renzi. The year stem Ren is yang, and for male birth charts, the sequence is in order, so from the month pillar Bingwu, it proceeds in order to Dingwei, Wushen, Jiyou, etc. This chart has water and fire facing each other: the year pillar Renzi is all water, the month and hour pillars are both Wu (fire), and the day branch Hai is also water. The success or failure of the entire chart depends on whether these two forces can balance each other. It is one of the most harmonious cases in the "Evaluation Section" of the five examples.

強弱 癸水生於仲夏，又逢午時，三火一土，財官太旺。幸載亥支，為帝旺之鄉，更妙年干壬水劫財。載子而亦為旺地，弱而有助，得中和之妙也。 格局 癸生午月，為偏財之格。

Assessing strength and weakness:癸 water is born in midsummer May, and the hour is also午. The chart contains three fires (丙, 午, 午) and one earth (戊). Fire is the wealth that癸 water is overcoming, and earth is the official that controls癸 water. Both wealth and official are too strong. The day's main element should be weak. Fortunately, the day's main element sits on the亥 branch, which is the 'Prosperity' land for癸 water, giving it a root. Even better, the year's heavenly stem is壬 water, which is the劫财, and it sits on the子 branch, which is also a strong land for water. Although the day's main element is weak, it has support. The strength and weakness balance each other, achieving harmony. Determining the pattern:癸 water is born in午 month, and the丁 fire in午 is the wealth that癸 water is overcoming, and since they share the same yin and yang, it is the 'biased wealth'. Therefore, the pattern is established as 'biased wealth'.

用神 日元稍弱，宜取壬水，劫財幫身為用。 喜忌 喜金水，忌火土，尤忌木之生火洩水。

To determine the useful god, since the day stem is still slightly weak, we take the heavenly stem壬 water in the year as the劫财 to assist the day stem, making it the useful god. When the body is weak and wealth is strong, it is necessary to use brothers and sisters to share and bear the wealth, which is exactly what the previous rhyme said: "When wealth is abundant and the body is weak, brothers and sisters are suitable." In terms of what is favorable and unfavorable: we favor metal and water, as metal generates water and water supports the day stem; we dislike fire and earth, as fire represents wealth and earth represents official stars, both of which consume and control the day stem. Especially we dislike wood, because wood both generates fire to assist wealth and drains the vitality of water, causing damage on both sides. The selection of the useful god here is very simple, and all the key points lie in the two characters "helping the body."

歲運 八歲初走丁未火土運，幼境未豐。十八歲戊運，賴流年多金水，所如尚順。廿一歲壬申年，茅廬初出，即入某銀行為練習生。廿三歲轉入申運，劫財得長生，當可不脛而馳。廿八歲後，己酉運，一以流年之勝，一以行運之善，青雲直上，前途正未有艾也。

Check the age and yearly influences: At eight years old, the person entered the Dingwei period, with both fire and earth present, leading to an unprosperous childhood. At eighteen, they entered the Wuyun period, with Wutu being the official star, which was not favorable. However, they relied on many years of metal and water in the flow of the year, so things generally went smoothly. At twenty-one, in the first year of Renshen, they began their career, entering a bank as an apprentice. Renshen is a useful god for the person, with Shen being able to generate water, making it a year when the useful god was well established. At twenty-three, they entered the Shen period, which is the "growth" place for Ren water. The劫财 (robbery star) had its source, so their reputation spread quickly. After twenty-eight, they entered the Jiyou period. With good flow years and the inherent goodness of the period (You metal generating water), they rose rapidly, with a promising and boundless future.

三十八歲庚金正印運，尤幫運達。四十三歲戌運，歲運皆木火土之鄉，縱不修文地下。亦必床第呻吟。越過此津，然後得辛亥壬子，運走西北，致富何難。 六親 財旺多妻，日支亥字，大有裨益於命局，自然內助之賢。亥中甲木傷官非喜神，子較艱難。年柱壬子為精華，出身高第，有劫元印。丁運父母雙亡，劫財為用，宜其長兄二兄，皆有名於時也。

At thirty-eight, he entered the Geng cycle, and Geng metal is the proper teacher of癸 water, thus it is strong enough to support his body. This cycle was particularly beneficial for his success. At forty-three, he entered the Xu cycle, which is a fire store and dry earth. During those years, his big luck and the years of the sky were all in the areas of wood, fire, and earth. Although he would not necessarily die, he would certainly suffer from illness and pain. After overcoming this period, he would enter the Xinhai and Renzi cycles, moving to the northwest areas of metal and water, and it would not be difficult for him to become wealthy. In terms of the six relations: when wealth is strong, it indicates having many wives; the day branch亥 water greatly helps the entire chart, so the wife is virtuous. The hidden甲 wood in亥 is a harmful official, not a favorable god, so having children would be difficult. The year pillar Renzi is the most important part of the entire chart, so his family background is very high, and he is protected by both the劫财 and the origin god's seal. During the Ding cycle, both parents died (Ding fire is wealth, and wealth destroys the seal; the seal represents parents). Since劫财 is the useful god, it is not surprising that his elder and second elder brothers had some reputation at that time.

性情 火有水濟，能剛能柔。見解必清楚處事多得當。 事業 命本可富，自宜置身金融界。若趨北地，尤稱佳妙。

Evaluating temperament: Fire is tempered by water, resulting in a balanced combination of fire and water, known as "Water and Fire in Harmony." Therefore, this person can be both strong and flexible, has clear insights, and tends to handle affairs appropriately — this contrasts with the first case where "fire on a water-rich day" leads to inappropriate actions. Both cases involve the meeting of fire and water, but one is imbalanced while the other is harmonious, leading to completely different temperaments. Assessing career: This configuration originally has the potential for wealth, and it is naturally suitable for working in the financial sector. If the person can develop in the north, it would be even better — the north belongs to water, which is exactly where the useful god (useful element) is in its proper place. In the above five cases, the author has systematically analyzed them according to eight steps: strength and weakness, configuration, useful god, favorable and unfavorable elements, age and year influences, six relations, temperament, and career. Readers can follow this method to apply it to their own cases and gain a clear approach.

丁亥 庚戌 己巳 庚午 初九 己酉 十九 戊申 廿九 丁未 三九 丙午 四九 乙巳 五九 甲辰 六九 癸卯 光緒十三年九月十五日午時生

The "Ying Yun Chapter" and the following are examples of horoscopes analyzed by Wei Qianli for contemporary people. Each case first lists the four pillars, then the big years, and finally the interpretation. This case has the year pillar Dinghai, month pillar Gengxu, day pillar Jisi, and hour pillar Gengwu. The day master is Jiutu, born in the month of Xiu. The birth date is the fifteenth day of the ninth month of the thirteenth year of Guangxu, at the hour of Wushen. The big years start from the age of nine, in the order of Jiyou, Wushen, Dingwei, Bingwu, Yisi, Jiachen, and Guimao, each lasting ten years. The heavenly stem of the year, Ding, is yin. For a male's birth in a yin year, the big years are arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Gengxu, it goes back to Jiyou, Wushen, Dingwei, and so on, moving from the western metal direction to the southern fire direction. The key to understanding this table is to compare the four pillars with the big years: the four pillars form the basis, determining the overall pattern of a person's life; the big years determine the fortune and adversity of each decade.

此蔣介石之命也。庚金傷官，既得九秋餘氣，矧復雙透干頭，妙有火印制傷，天生康壯之體。三命通會所載：金神入火鄉，夫以傷官佩印為用。運喜逢印，不必再見傷食。早年申酉，有駿骨牽監之嘆。丁未運為火力不足。龍潛於淵。迨丙午運。火候功深。風去際會。乙已運木炎媲美，仍是從心所欲，甲辰運傷官見官。解組歸田，是為上策。

This is Chiang Kai-shek's birth chart. The earth (己土) generates the metal (庚金), and the metal is considered the "wounding official" (伤官). Although September has passed the peak of autumn, the metal still retains its strength, and with two instances of metal appearing in the heavenly stem, the wounding official is very strong. Fortunately, the day branch (巳) and the hour branch (午) are both fire. Fire is the earth's "mother" (印), and the mother can control the wounding official, so he naturally has a healthy and strong physique. The "Gold God entering the fire land" (金神入火乡) mentioned in the Complete Compendium of the Three Fates refers to this situation. The "Gold God" refers to the old names of the three sets of heavenly stem and earthly branch combinations: Yichou (乙丑), Jisi (己巳), and Guiyou (癸酉). These combinations are extremely sharp and must be tempered by fire to become useful. In this case, the day pillar is exactly Jisi (己巳). The method of selecting the key elements is "wounding official with mother" (伤官佩印): instead of using food or wounding elements to relieve the body, the mother is used to control the wounding official and then support the body. Therefore, the big years should be favorable when encountering the mother (fire and earth), and it is not advisable to encounter the wounding official or food elements again (metal and water). In his early years, when he traveled through the years of Shen and You, the metal was too strong, like a thousand-mile horse being tied up with a halter, with strong bones but unable to run freely. In the Dingwei year, the fire was still insufficient, and he was like a dragon in the depths of the pond. It was not until the Bingwu year that the fire was strong enough, and he achieved great success (the original text says "wind goes" but it should be "wind and cloud meet"). In the Yisi year, the wood and fire supported each other, which was equally favorable, and he could still do whatever he wanted. When he reached the Jiachen year, the wood (甲木) is the official of the earth (己土), and it conflicts with the wounding official (庚金), forming the situation of "wounding official meeting official" (伤官见官). In this case, it is best to remove the mother and retire to the countryside.

乙酉 丁亥 己丑 甲子 九歲 丙戌 十九 乙酉 廿九 甲申 三九 癸未 四九 壬午 五九 辛巳 六九 庚辰

The year pillar is Yi You, the month pillar is Ding Hai, the day pillar is Ji Chou, and the hour pillar is Jia Zi. The day stem Ji Tu is born in the month of Hai. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny runs in the order of Bing Xu, Yi You, Jia Shen, Gui Wei, Ren Wu, Xin Si, and Geng Chen. The stem of the year, Yi, is yin, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so from the month pillar Ding Hai, it goes back to Bing Xu, Yi You, Jia Shen, and so on. The destiny first moves to the western metal land, and later in middle age, it moves to the southern fire land. When reading this destiny, one must pay attention to the branches: Hai, Zi, and Chou form a continuous northern water area, which is a strong wealth for the day stem Ji Tu. The entire destiny's cold and damp condition and its remedy all come from these three branches.

前黑龍江代理主席郎官普先生。勻耳餘名。客春因公南下。道出海上，手馬占山將軍命造。叩餘休咎。緣為簡批曰。己見亥子丑。病於水盛。助成寒溼。妙有丁火煦融。更喜鄰於乙木。丁 獲資助，則驅寒有力。且水生木而木生火，財也殺也印也。生生不息。八字貴重。良有以也。

A certain Mr. Lang Guanpu, the former acting chairman of Heilongjiang, had long heard of my name. Last spring, on his way south for official business, he passed through Shanghai and brought along the birth chart of General Ma Zanshan to inquire about its fortune. I briefly commented on it, saying that the day master, Ji earth, was overwhelmed by a great amount of northern water, represented by Hai, Zi, and Chou, which caused a cold and damp condition. Fortunately, there was Ding fire in the month's heavenly stem to warm and harmonize the chart, and even more so, the Ding fire was closely adjacent to the time's heavenly stem, Yi wood. The Ding fire was thus supported by the Yi wood, giving it the strength to drive away the cold. Moreover, water nourishes wood, and wood generates fire—water in this chart is considered "wealth" (the thing that Ji earth controls), wood is "enemy" (the force that attacks Ji earth), and fire is "intellectual support" (the force that nourishes Ji earth). The combination of wealth, enemy, and intellectual support forms a continuous chain of generation, creating a cycle of perpetual renewal. The value of a birth chart indeed lies in such principles. The key point in this case is the concept of "passing through" (or "mediation"): wealth is usually harmful to the day master, but once it is passed through by wood and fire, it becomes the source of the day master's strength.

或謂此命天成格局。名化氣者，非篤論也。早年行運。碌碌無奇。行屆未運，中藏乙丁，並含用神喜神。再逢辛未之年，宜乎一鳴驚人。一飛沖天。行及壬運。則又以水之助溼。歸諸平淡，白圭之玷。莫非命也。午運丁火得祿。發揚蹈歷。趾參予望之。辛運與乙丁互沖，功成歸隱，頤養天年。斯其時矣。

Some people say this destiny is naturally formed in a pattern called "Hua Qi Ge" (the day stem combines with a neighboring stem to transform into another element), but this is not an accurate assessment. In this case, although Jia and Ji are in combination, the chart has abundant water and strong wood, so the day stem has its own support and has not truly transformed. In early years, the fortune was unremarkable. When reaching the Wei year, the Wei branch contains Yi wood and Ding fire, which are the useful and auspicious elements; and when encountering the Xinwei year (1931, the year of the Jiangqiao Resistance), it is no wonder he suddenly became famous and soared to great heights. When reaching the Ren year, the Ren water promotes dampness, which reduces the achievements to a more ordinary level, leaving a blemish on the white jade, which is also the way of destiny. When reaching the Wu year, the Ding fire gets its "Lu" (the Ding fire is strong in Wu, which is its original strength place), and it is a time for renewed efforts and achievements, which is worth watching. When reaching the Xin year, the Xin metal conflicts with Yi wood and fights with Ding fire, causing both the useful and auspicious elements to be harmed. At that time, it is the right time to retire after achieving success and to enjoy a peaceful old age.

甲戌 戊辰 戊申 壬子 六歲 己巳 十六 庚午 廿六 辛未 三六 壬申 四六 癸酉 五六 甲戌 六六 乙亥

The heavenly stem of the year pillar is Jia Xu, the month pillar is Wu Chen, the day pillar is Wu Shen, and the hour pillar is Ren Zi. The day master is Wu Earth, born in the month of Chen. Starting from the age of six, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order: Ji Si, Geng Wu, Xin Wei, Ren Shen, Gui You, Jia Xu, Yi Hai. The heavenly stem of the year, Jia, is yang. For a male destiny, the sequence is in the order of the month pillar, so from Wu Chen, it proceeds to Ji Si, Geng Wu, Xin Wei, and so on. Initially, it moves towards the southern fire and earth, then towards the northwest metal and water. In this case, the earth branches Shen, Zi, and Chen are all present, forming a complete configuration of the triple harmony water cycle. The heavenly stems also reveal Ren Water, indicating a very strong wealth force, which is the key point for the following discussion.

或曰，吳佩孚命造，為甲戍戊辰已酉丁卯。夫土重遠過於金水木。身太強。財官太弱。標本不均，身世似不類。心滋疑焉。雲夏蓬萊李潔盒君。從餘學命。書函往還。於請益中，以甲戍戊辰戊申壬子。

Some people say Wu Peifu's birth chart is Jia Xu, Wu Chen, Ji You, and Ding Mao. However, when arranged this way, the amount of earth is far greater than that of metal, water, and wood, making the day stem extremely strong while the wealth and official stars are very weak. This creates a mismatch between the essential and the superficial, which seems inconsistent with his life story. Therefore, I have some doubts (the original text mistakenly writes "Jia Shu" instead of "Jia Xu", same for other instances). A person from Penglai, Mr. Li Jie'an, studied divination with me, and we corresponded by letter (the original text has an error in the words "Yunxia", possibly meaning "Zi You" or "Jin Xia"). In his letter asking for advice, he presented another birth chart: Jia Xu, Wu Chen, Wu Shen, and Ren Zi. This passage illustrates a common difficulty in divination: the conflicting accounts of famous people's birth dates, and the only way to choose is by comparing the divination with actual facts.

一造見詢，據云繫子玉上將軍真命，視其戊土日元。比肩重疊。申子辰會不局。時干透壬。乃身財兩美。旺財生年頭甲木之殺。惟乏火印以化殺，及金星制殺之為病。故清高氣骨惜屢起屢仆。終隱平泉，無非制殺。或為化殺，因是益信殺重之命 ，最貴乎化與制矣。

It is said that this configuration is the true destiny of General Zi Yu (Wu Peifu, who was styled Zi Yu). The day stem is Wu earth, with two Wu earths appearing in the year and month, making the day ruler strong. The earthly branches form a water trinity (the original text says "会不局" but should be "会水局"), and the time stem also reveals Ren water, thus both the body and wealth are strong. The abundant wealth then generates the heavenly stem Ji wood in the year. Ji wood is a killer (seven killer) to Wu earth, and since they share the same yin and yang, it is called "seven killer." Unfortunately, the chart lacks fire for the intellectual aspect to transform the killer, and also lacks metal (food and injury) to control the killer, which is the root of the problem. Therefore, although the person has a refined and noble character, he has many ups and downs and eventually retires to live in seclusion in the mountains and forests. In the end, the seven killer must either be controlled or transformed. This further confirms that for a chart with a strong killer, the most valuable thing is having something to transform or control it.

酉運以流年不濟。備嘗挫扼。英雄氣短。莫非命也。甲運最危。幸在野養晦，可謂知命者矣，刻雖已進戍運。然比肩輔翼。不過蔗境安康。頤樂天年而已。

During the You (酉) period, due to unfavorable heavenly stems in the flow year, there were many hardships and frustrations, leading to a decline in heroic spirit and a sense of suppression. This is also part of one's destiny. The Jiā (甲) period is the most dangerous—Jiā represents the seven deadly stars, and when the period supports the deadly stars but there is no control or transformation within the chart, it is particularly perilous. Fortunately, at this time, he is retreating into seclusion and cultivating his potential in the wild, which can be considered as understanding the principles of destiny. Although now he has entered the Xu (戌) period, Xu is a dry earth, and with the year's Xu branch, it only serves as a helper, providing comfort in old age and allowing for a peaceful retirement. The term "zhè jìng" (蔗境) refers to the latter part of life gradually improving, inspired by Gu Kaizhi's metaphor of eating a sugarcane and gradually reaching the sweetest part. Comparing this chart with the previous one of Ma Zhan Shan, one has heavy killing stars with a minister star to transform them, while the other has heavy killing stars without any control or transformation, and this is the key difference between success and failure.

癸未 辛酉 乙酉 丁亥 十一 庚申 廿一 己未 三一 戊午 四一 丁巳 五一 丙辰 六一 乙卯 七一 甲寅 光緒九年九月初八日亥時生

The year pillar is Guiwei, the month pillar is Xinyou, the day pillar is Yimao, and the hour pillar is Dinghai. The day stem is Yi wood, born in the month of You metal. The birth date is the eighth day of the ninth lunar month in the ninth year of the Guangxu era, at the hour of Hai. The big destiny starts at age eleven, in sequence: Gengshen, Jiwei, Wuwu, Dingsi, Bingchen, Yimao, Jiayin. The year stem Gui is yin, for a male destiny it is reversed, so starting from the month pillar Xinyou, it goes back to Gengshen, Jiwei, Wuwu, etc. From middle age onwards, the destiny moves towards the southeast direction of wood and fire. In this case, the month stem is Xin, the month branch is You, and the day branch is You, so there are three instances of metal in the sky and earth, which is in command. The Yi wood is weak and isolated, which is a standard case of "heavy killing and light body." The following discussion on control and transformation is based on this.

前論殺重之命。貴乎制化。視閻錫山命造。更可徵信矣。蓋秋木凋零。秋金既得其時，又得其祿。殺重身輕。身殺之力量懸殊。其輕重不可以道里計。幸有癸印生身，並化殺，又有丁火食神以制殺，制化之功。乃完備矣。

The previous discussion emphasized that a heavy presence of the seven killing stars (seven deadly stars) is valuable when it is controlled and transformed. Taking Yan Xisshan's birth chart as an example further confirms this. The ethereal wood (乙木) is born in late autumn, already withering, while the metal of autumn is both timely and strong, as it is in the branch of You (酉), which is the native place (禄) of Xin metal. The seven killing stars are heavy, and the body (the person's own energy) is weak, with a great imbalance between the two forces that cannot be measured by numerical calculation. Fortunately, the heavenly stem of the year has Gui water, the true mother (正印), which both supports the ethereal wood and transforms the metal energy. The heavenly stem of the hour also has Ding fire, the food god (食神), which directly controls the seven killing stars of Xin metal. Both transformation and control are present, thus completing the function of transformation and control. This is exactly what the previous case of Wu Peifou lacked—both have heavy seven killing stars, but one has a remedy and the other does not, leading to vastly different fates.

宜其坐鎮晉省。廿四年來，無或失足。可方於唐之李郭。宋之朝範。啟澤覃敷。考其一生經歷。犖犖大者，如辛亥年應鄉革命，壬子年任山西都督。丁已年兼省長，午丁二運。春風和煦，水波不興，要非歲運屬水之化殺，或火之制殺，曷克臻此。已運適以沖亥。瑕瑜互見。丙運以丙子丁丑兩年，盛極一時，辰運妒合酉金。似乎難展驥才。乙運五年。蔗境優洲，未可限量焉。

It is no wonder that he has remained steadfast in Shanxi for twenty-four years without any misstep, comparable to Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi of the Tang dynasty, and Zhao Ding and Fan Zhongyan of the Song dynasty, whose benevolence was widespread. Examining his entire career, major events such as his response to the revolution in the year Xinhai, his appointment as governor of Shanxi in the year Renzi, and his concurrent role as provincial governor in the year Dingsi, all occurred during the years of the Wu and Ding cycles—years marked by gentle spring winds and calm waters. If it were not for the influence of the water element in the annual and cycle years to neutralize the harmful forces, or the fire element to control them, he could not have reached such a position. The Si cycle, however, exactly conflicts with the hour branch Hai, removing the place where the fire element was seated, thus resulting in a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. During the Bing cycle, the years Bingzi and Dingsi saw strong fire elements that controlled the harmful forces, leading to a period of great success. The Chen cycle, on the other hand, combined with the You metal, forming a metal-water union, which stirred up the harmful forces, making it difficult to fully display his abilities. In the Yi cycle, the five years were marked by the presence of a fellow element, providing support and allowing him to enjoy a comfortable later life, with an uncertain but promising future ahead.

甲午 乙亥 庚申 己卯 九歲 丙子 十九 丁丑 廿九 戊寅 三九 己卯 四九 庚辰 五九 辛巳 六九 壬午

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Jia Wu, the month Yi Hai, the day Geng Shen, and the hour Ji Mao. The day stem Geng Metal is born in the month of Hai. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny runs in the order of Bing Zi, Ding Chou, Wu Yin, Ji Mao, Geng Chen, Xin Si, Ren Wu. The heavenly stem of the year, Jia, is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in the order of the stems. Therefore, starting from the month stem Yi Hai, it proceeds in order to Bing Zi, Ding Chou, Wu Yin, etc. The merit of this destiny does not lie in a special pattern, but in the fact that each of the four heavenly stems finds its strength in the earthly branches: Geng Metal's strength is in Shen, Ji Earth's strength is in Wu, Yi Wood's strength is in Mao, and Jia Wood's growth is in Hai. The eight characters are perfectly matched, and the statement later that "the heavenly stems all find their strength" refers to this.

當見富貴人。其命了無所長。僅以干神皆得旺氣。而致貴者。如宋子文是也。財旺身弱，幸日主坐祿。然亦不足為奇。其干神皆得旺氣（庚祿在申。已祿在午乙祿在卯。甲長生在亥。亦有稱為交祿格者）斯乃可貴。

It is often seen that wealthy and noble people have birth charts that do not appear to have any special strengths. They merely achieve prominence because each heavenly stem is supported by the earthly branches, as seen in the case of Song Ziwén. In this case, wood and fire form a powerful combination representing wealth, and the庚 gold day master is weak. Fortunately, the day master sits on the申 gold禄, thus being stable. This alone is not remarkable. What is truly valuable is that all four heavenly stems have roots—(the author's note: 庚's禄 is in申, 己's禄 is in午, 乙's禄 is in卯, and 甲's长生 is in亥). This configuration where heavenly stems and earthly branches support each other is also called the "Intersecting禄 Pattern."the so-called "禄" refers to the position in the earthly branches where the heavenly stem's true strength is fully manifested. A heavenly stem without a root is like a floating duckweed; only with a root can it bear wealth and official positions.

廿九歲以來。利祿功名，與日俱進。蓋日主較弱，戊寅已三運。偏重於幫身之故。寅運中之辛未年，亥卯未會成木局。以財重印傷所致。未來之卯運。財愈重身愈輕。固宜韜光養晦。自求多福。以保其君子闇然而日章。（一說宋命為甲午乙亥庚辰已卯。未知孰是。）

Since the age of twenty-nine, benefits, official positions, and fame have been increasing day by day. This is because the day stem is weak, and the three periods (Wu, Yin, and Ji) have all been favorable for supporting and strengthening the day stem. Wu and Ji are the official stars that nourish metal, and although Yin is a wealth star, the heavenly stem in that period also supports the day stem. In the Xinwei year during the Yin period, the three branches Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wood trinity, making the wealth star too strong and the official star weakened, hence that year was not favorable. In the future Mao period, wealth will become even stronger while the day stem becomes even weaker, so one should be modest and seek blessings from within, maintaining the state of a gentleman who appears dull on the surface but grows brighter internally (a phrase from the Zhongyong: "The way of the gentleman is dark but becomes ever more luminous"). The last sentence in parentheses is the author's note: another view suggests the birth chart is Jiawu, Yihai, Gengchen, Jimao, but it is unclear which one is correct.

丁卯 丙午 庚午 己卯 五歲 乙巳 十五 甲辰 廿五 癸卯 三五 壬寅 四五 辛丑 五五 庚子 六五 己亥

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Dingmao, the month is Bingwu, the day is Gengwu, and the hour is Jimao. The day's stem is Geng metal, born in the month of Wu fire. The big destiny starts at age five, in order: Yisi, Jiachen, Guimao, RENYIN, Xinchou, Gengzi, Jihai. The heavenly stem of the year, Ding, is yin. For a male, the destiny is reversed, so from the month Bingwu, it goes back to Yisi, Jiachen, Guimao, etc. The first part is southeast wood and fire, and the latter part is northwest metal and water. This chart has two Wus and two Maos, with wood and fire interacting and metal in the middle. The heavenly stems include Jia, Yi, and Ji, which represent official, killer, and minister, thus forming the basis for the discussion of "official and killer mixed together."

此虞洽卿先生命也。識者咸雲官殺混雜。財官過強為疑。竊以庚生午月。干透丁已，為純粹正官正印之格。殺之混官。是無傷害。木火雖盛。妙有已土之洩火生身。弱中有氣。全得力於時上正印。

This is the birth chart of Mr. Yu Qieqing. Those who understand命理 say it has "official and killer stars mixed together," and they also doubt the excessive strength of wealth and official stars. My private opinion is different: the庚 metal is born in the午 month, with丁 fire and己 soil appearing in the heavenly stem. The丁 fire controls the庚 metal and is of opposite yin and yang, making it a proper official star; the己 soil generates the庚 metal, making it a proper nurturing star. This forms a pure pattern of a proper official star paired with a proper nurturing star. As for the丙 fire in the month stem, which is a seven killer star that mixes with the official star, it does not cause any harm (the official star is in command and strong, and the killer star is controlled by the official). Although wood and fire are very strong, it is wonderful that the己 soil sometimes releases the fire energy to generate metal. The day master is weak but has some strength, entirely relying on the proper nurturing star in the hour column to support it. Therefore, judging the case of mixed official and killer stars should not only count how many gods that control me appear in the heavenly stem, but also see who is in command and whether there is any resolution.

宜其溫良恭儉。建樹嵫基。昭然為江左聞人。況太君賢德。鄉里咸稱，濟苦恤貧。樂而不倦。祖德既裕。母教又足以踵鍾郝而紹陶歐。是更官印相生之故歟。惟火旺無水。似嫌亢炎。故名高利淡。積勞寡逸。

It is no wonder that he was kind, gentle, respectful, and frugal, thus establishing a great foundation and becoming a prominent figure in the Jiangdong region. Moreover, his mother was virtuous and benevolent, praised by the local people for her charitable deeds, which she never tired of doing. The virtue of his ancestors was deep, and his mother's education was sufficient to match the virtue of the Zhong and Hao families of the Jin dynasty, continuing the family tradition of Tao Kan's mother and Ouyang Xiu's mother. This is precisely the manifestation of the "official seal mutual generation" in his destiny (the seal represents the mother, and the official generates the seal, hence the mother's virtue is prominent). However, the overall situation is overly fiery without water to balance it, leading to a tendency towards excess and dryness. Therefore, his reputation is high but his benefits are few, his efforts are many but his ease is scarce. This situation corresponds exactly with the previous chapter on "dry and damp": an overly dry situation desires moisture, and since there is no water in his destiny, his life lacks a fraction of composure.

早年多木火運。備嘗困扼。壬運以來。一路金水。兼以所經營者。多金水商業。更宜如月之恆。刻在已運。仍其舊貫。七十歲這亥運。蔗境餘廿。再後戊運康強逢吉。豐厚境遇。不讓於前。戍運化火。明哲保身。享受考終而已。

In early years, one experienced much of the wood and fire energies, with fire overpowering and melting metal, leading to many hardships. Since the Rén cycle, the path has been predominantly of metal and water, precisely compensating for the lack of water in one's fate; furthermore, the industries he engaged in, such as shipping and finance, belong to the metal and water categories. This is like the waxing moon, gradually becoming full (a phrase from the Book of Songs: "like the moon in its waxing phase"). At present, during the Si cycle, everything remains as before. At seventy, entering the Hai cycle, the water of Hai moistens the situation, leading to a sweet old age (the original text "yue niang" should be "yue gan"). Afterwards, during the Wu cycle, the body becomes strong and healthy, and favorable events occur, with the richness of circumstances not inferior to the past. When reaching the Xu cycle, Xu and the fire of Wu and Mao combine to form fire again, and the dry atmosphere returns. At that time, one should be wise and cautious, enjoying the remaining years of life.

丁丑 癸卯 乙巳 丙子 十歲 壬寅 廿十 辛丑 三十 庚子 四十 己亥 五十 戊戌 六十 丁酉 七十 丙申

The year pillar is Dingchou, the month pillar is Guimao, the day pillar is Yisi, and the hour pillar is Bingzi. The day stem Yi wood is born in the month of Mao. Starting from the age of ten, the big destiny runs in the order of Renyin, Xinchou, Gengzi, Jihai, Wuxu, Dingyou, Bingshen. The heavenly stem of the year, Ding, is yin. For a male's destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so from the month pillar Guimao, it goes back to Renyin, Xinchou, Gengzi, and so on. The day stem Yi wood is born in the month of Mao, which is the original strength position of Yi wood. The classic texts call this "Jian Lu" — when the birth month is the strength position of the day stem, the destiny pattern is named "Jian Lu." The following discussion on selecting useful elements starts from here.

有以顏大使惠慶之命詢余者，乃簡為批曰。乙生卯月為建祿。不見他木，但得時令之旺。未獲氣勢之盛。最貴水之灌溉。火之煊赫。妙在癸丙透干。已子居支。生洩之功。無忝美備。自宜富貴雙全。屢膺鉅任。丙見已祿。乙見卯祿。癸見子祿，日主用神喜神，交互得祿，尤為貴徽。

Someone asked me about the fate of Ambassador Yan Huiqing. I briefly commented: The ethereal wood (Yi) is born in the卯 month, which is the "Jian Lu" pattern. The chart lacks other woods, and only receives the strength of the season, so it is not yet strong enough. Such wood is most valuable when there is water to nourish it and fire to express it. Fortunately, there is癸 water and丙 fire appearing in the heavenly stems, and also巳 and子 in the earthly branches. The癸 water gets its root in子, and the丙 fire gets its root in巳. One nourishes me, and the other expresses my vitality. Both functions of nourishing and expressing are complete and lacking nothing. Naturally, he should be both wealthy and noble, and repeatedly take on important responsibilities. Further, the丙 fire gets its strength in巳, the乙 wood in卯, and the癸 water in子. The day master, the useful god, and the happy god all interact and get their strength, especially showing the signs of high status. The so-called "useful god" is the most needed deity in the entire chart, and the "happy god" is the deity that supports the useful god. All three have roots, so their strength is solid.

前行子運。爵位迭晉，蓋印得祿也。已運息影。財壞印也。亥運再起印。印會局也。戊運韜晦。印被合也。戍運癸酉年，授駐俄大使。癸印之功也。今年乙亥。明年丙子。折衡樽俎。壇玷增光。有厚望焉。丁丑年以下。歲支均屬庸常。宜清流賦詩。無官司一身輕矣。

In the previous cycle of the Zi (mouse) branch, his rank and position kept rising, because Zi is the禄 (favorable position) of癸 water's印 (intellectual influence), and when the印 gets the禄, fame and status come. In the Si (snake) cycle, he retreated, because Si fire is the财 (wealth), and wealth can damage the印. In the Hai (pig) cycle, he resumed activity, because Hai joins with Mao and Wei in a harmonious trine, forming a group of印 stars. In the Wu (horse) cycle, he again withdrew, because Wu earth appears in the heavenly stem and combines with癸 water, thus the印 is combined and blocked. In the Xu (dog) cycle, the year Guiyou saw him appointed as the ambassador to Russia, which was due to the merit of癸 water's印. This year is Yihai, next year is Bingzi, which is most suitable for diplomatic negotiations (meaning discussions at the banquet table), bringing glory to the country, which is very promising. From the year Dingchou onwards, the branch of the heavenly stem is ordinary, so it is appropriate to be a clean official who recites poetry and enjoys leisure, free from official duties. This case thoroughly follows the thread of the印, experiencing getting the禄, being damaged by财, forming a harmonious trine, and being combined and blocked, all of which correspond with the actual events, clearly demonstrating Wei's method of reading the destiny.

己亥 丁卯 乙未 己卯 八歲 丙寅 十八 乙丑 廿八 甲子 三八 癸亥 四八 壬戌 五八 辛酉 六八 庚申

The year pillar is Jihai, the month pillar is Dingmao, the day pillar is Yiwei, and the hour pillar is Jimao. The day stem Yi wood is born in the month of Mao. Starting from the age of eight, the big destiny runs in the order of Bingyin, Yichou, Jiazi, Guihai, Renxu, Xinyou, and Gengshen. The year stem Ji is yin, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so from the month pillar Dingmao, it goes back to Bingyin, Yichou, Jiazi, and so on. In this case, the branches Hai, Mao, and Wei are all present, forming a complete Triple Harmony wood configuration. Additionally, the month branch Mao is the true essence of Yi wood. The entire chart is dominated by wood energy, and there is no trace of metal in the four pillars. This creates the conditions for a special旺 (prosperous) external pattern. The subsequent mention of the "Curved and Straight Kindness and Longevity Pattern" originates from this.

吳經熊先生，海上名律師也。積學多才。歷任學府法院領袖。公餘之暇。好研命理，時蒙以五行生剋相討論。視其命造。乙生卯月。亥卯未會局。五行絕金。乃曲直仁壽之格，尤貴干透丁火已土。英華發越 。秀氣畢呈。其命酷似遜清之李鴻章，畫錦前程。可操左券。

Master Wu Jingxiong was a renowned lawyer in Shanghai, with profound scholarly attainments and great versatility. He held leadership positions in both academic institutions and courts. In his spare time, he enjoyed studying divination, often discussing the Five Phases with me. Looking at his birth chart: the ethereal stem Yi Wood is born in the卯 month, and the earthly branches亥,卯,未 form a Wood trinity, with no metal at all in the Five Phases. This is the "Qu Zhí Rén Shòu Pattern" — Wood is flexible and straight, with a Wood day stem and the entire chart composed of Wood, and no metal to restrain or break it, forming a dominant pattern. This indicates a person of benevolence and longevity. Particularly precious is the revelation of the heavenly stem Ding Fire and Ji Earth: Ding Fire releases the refined essence of Wood, and Ji Earth is restrained by Wood to become wealth. Thus, the refined essence is fully expressed, and the refined qi is fully revealed. This chart is extremely similar to that of Li Hongzhang of the late Qing dynasty, indicating a secure path to a brilliant future.

子運以流年不濟。外圓內缺。未來癸運。滋木助格，氣象萬千。尤以丙子丁丑兩火年。騰達蜚黃，晉行亥運。繼長增商，壬運亦康頤安穩。蔗境春濃，戍運屬財。惟中芷辛金為病，秋山紅樹，退老珂鄉，徽諸過去未來，行運多吉。足與命局媲美。洵時代之傑出也。

During the Zi period, the flow of the year is not favorable, so although things appear complete on the surface, there is a lack within. In the future, during the Gui period, water will nourish the wood and assist in forming the pattern, leading to a magnificent situation. Especially during the Bingzi and Dingchou fire years, the wood and fire will be in harmony, which is a time of great success and advancement. Then comes the Hai period, where Hai and Mao do not form a complete pattern, and the career continues to grow. During the Ren period, the situation remains peaceful and stable, and the later years will be as pleasant as spring. When reaching the Xu period, Xu earth represents wealth, but the hidden Xin metal within is considered harmful (as metal can break the wood pattern, and this is especially dangerous for a strong pattern). At that time, it will be like autumn mountains with red trees, and it is appropriate to return to one's homeland for retirement. Overall, considering the past and future, the journey through different periods is mostly favorable, sufficient to match the destiny pattern. Therefore, with both good destiny and good fortune, one is indeed an outstanding figure of this era. This case can be compared with the previous case of Yan Xishan: one uses control and transformation to save from harm, while the other directly follows the trend of a single strong element, although the methods are different, the principle lies in the three characters "following its nature."

癸酉 庚申 戊午 甲寅 十歲 己未 廿十 戊午 三十 丁巳 四十 丙辰 五十 乙卯 六十 甲寅 七十 癸丑

The heavenly stem of the year is Guiyou, the heavenly stem of the month is Gengshen, the heavenly stem of the day is Wuwu, and the heavenly stem of the hour is Jiayin. The day's main stem, Wutu, is born in the month of Shen. Starting from the age of ten, the big destiny runs in the order of Jiwei, Wuwu, Dingsi, Bingchen, Yimao, Jiayin, and Guichou. The heavenly stem of the year, Gui, is yin, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so from the month column Gengshen, it goes back to Jiwei, Wuwu, Dingsi, and so on, all along the southern fire land. This is the reason mentioned later that "he has already traveled half his destiny in the land of fire." In this case, the heavenly stem of the month, Gengjin, is the food god of Wutu, and the heavenly stem of the hour, Jemu, is the seven killer of Wutu. Both are in their own strength in Shen and Yin, one controlling and one draining, forming a very neat configuration.

前見報載。本埠申新第七紡織廠。被滙豐銀行強行拍賣。由某商極廉價格承購，凡有血氣者。莫不憤懣填胸。特為檢視該廠主辦人榮宗敬先生命造，戊生庚申月，甲寅時。食神七殺均得祿。寅午會成火局以生身。子平真詮所謂殺旺食強而身健。為極等之貴格，宜其致力實業。奮斗不懈。為我國紡織界這泰斗。

Some time ago, the newspaper reported that the Shenzhen Seventh Textile Mill in this city was forcibly auctioned by the HSBC Bank, and purchased by a certain merchant at an extremely low price. Anyone with a sense of justice felt deeply indignant. I specially examined the birth chart of Mr. Rong Zongjing, the head of the mill. He was born with Wu earth in the Gengshen month and Jiayin hour. The seven killer (Geng) gets its strength in Shen, and the food god (Jia) gets its strength in Yiny. Both are strong. The day branch Wu and the hour branch Yiny form a fire trinity to generate and support Wu earth, so the day master is not weak. This is exactly what the "Ziping Zhenquan" says: "When the seven killer is strong and the food god is powerful, and the day master is healthy," which belongs to the highest level of noble destiny. The seven killer is controlled by the food god and does not cause harm, and the day master can bear the seven killer and shoulder the career. It is no wonder he devoted himself to industry and never gave up, becoming the leader of the textile industry in our country.

秋金更旺過於火。已往行運。泰半火鄉。自應竿頭日進，如順水行舟。長風破浪。萬里流行，得機得勢，現行甲運。似遜於前，明年丙子。後年丁丑。歲運木火相生。或能日升月恆，大振旗鼓。目前挫折。無足憂傷。不必以一時成敗。陰礙英雄銳氣耳。

In the month of Shen, the autumn metal is stronger than fire, and the day's main element relies heavily on fire to generate and support it. Therefore, in the past, most of the big years have been in the fire element, naturally leading to continuous success, like sailing on calm waters and breaking through waves with strong winds, traveling smoothly for thousands of miles and gaining advantage everywhere. Now, the current big year is in the Jia element, which is the seven killer. The coming big year supports the killer without the food element to control it, so it seems less favorable than before. Next year is Bingzi and the following year is Dingchou. The fire elements of the flowing years Bing and Ding will generate and support the Jia wood, and the wood will generate fire, which in turn will support the day's main element. Perhaps this can lead to a rising sun and a constant moon, reviving the situation once again. The current setbacks are not worth worrying about, nor should they discourage the bold spirit of a hero (the original text mistakenly says 'yin ai' instead of 'zhang ai', which means 'obstacle'). This case shows another aspect of Wei's fortune analysis: it not only explains the principles of fate but also comforts the heart. In times of setbacks, it always leaves a chance for recovery.

戊辰 乙丑 癸卯 庚申 九歲 丙寅 十九 丁卯 廿九 戊辰 三九 己巳 四九 庚午 五九 辛未 六九 壬申 七九 癸酉

The heavenly stem of the year is Wu Chen, the month is Yi Chou, the day is Gui Mao, and the hour is Geng Shen. The day stem Gui water is born in the month of Chou. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny runs in the order of Bing Yin, Ding Mao, Wu Chen, Ji Si, Geng Wu, Xin Wei, Ren Shen, and Gui You. The heavenly stem of the year, Wu, is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month Yi Chou, it proceeds in order to Bing Yin, Ding Mao, Wu Chen, and so on. The first half of his life is in the southeast of wood and fire, and only in his later years does he move to the west of metal. In this case, the heavenly stem of the year, Wu soil, is the official of Gui water, and the heavenly stem of the hour, Geng metal, is the scholar of Gui water, each occupying one position. The day branch Mao is the禄 of the month stem Yi wood food god, and the hour branch Shen is the禄 of the hour stem Geng metal scholar. Both useful gods have roots in the branches, which are the key points for the following discussion.

章太炎先生。名滿天下，立德立功立言。謂三不朽。視其命造，確非凡品。蓋官印兩透。印食又皆得祿，日坐文昌貴人，宜其博通今古。酋為國學之師。惟財星絕跡。所以貴而不富，已往運程，除己已運混官羈印。繫獄六年。餘皆平順。

Master Zhang Taiyan's name is known throughout the world; he achieved the three great accomplishments of establishing virtue, merit, and words, which are called the "three immortal achievements" in ancient times. Looking at his birth chart, it is indeed extraordinary: the official star (Wu) and the positive seal (Geng) both appear in the heavenly stem, with the official generating the seal and the seal generating the self, forming a clear and straightforward path. The positive seal is in Shen and thus gains power, and the food god (Yi) is in Mao and also gains power, both having roots. The day branch, Mao, is also the "Wenchang" nobleman for the癸 day stem, which is a beneficial deity associated with intelligence, literary talent, and scholarly writings, with each day stem having its own specific position. It is no wonder he was well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge and became a leading scholar of national learning. However, the wealth star (fire) is entirely absent in the chart, so although he is esteemed, he is not wealthy. In the past, except for the Jisi period, which was a period of hardship, the rest of his life was mostly smooth. In the Jisi period, the己 soil is the seven killing star, appearing in the heavenly stem and mixing with the Wu official star, while the巳 fire is also attacking the Geng metal seal, leading to six years of imprisonment.

未運沖提綱。土重太過。幸已早息家園。洵君子知命也。去年甲戍。會齊辰戍導未。安度無恙。尤屬大幸。應為其額手稱慶。未來壬申十年。金水邦峰。如文彥博之老不益壯，頤養安康，壽元雖不能媲美彭聃。然至酉運方危。已八十外人矣。

The heavenly stem is Renshen, and the earthly branch is Jiaxu. The month branch is Chou, which is the main theme of the whole chart, and since Chou and Wei are in opposition, there is a clash. Earth is excessive and overbearing, and the official and killing stars are pressing upon the person. Fortunately, he has already returned to his home, and can be considered a gentleman who understands divination. Last year, in Jiaxu, the four earth depositories (Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei) gathered together (the original text has an error in "dou wei"), and he was able to pass through safely, especially a great fortune, which deserves celebration. In the coming decade of Renshen, the metal and water will support the day stem, just like Wen Yanbo of the Song dynasty, who became stronger with age and could enjoy a peaceful and healthy old age. Although his lifespan cannot compare with Pengzu or Lao Dan, there will be danger only when the You cycle comes, which would be when he is in his eighties. This chart is similar to the previous one of Wu Jingxiong, both belonging to the fate of scholars. One is a complete formation due to excess, and the other is a mutual generation between official and minister, each possessing its own clarity and dignity.

辛未 庚子 丙戌 甲午 二歲 己亥 十二 戊戌 廿二 丁酉 三二 丙申 四二 乙未 五二 甲午 六二 癸巳

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Xinwei, the month are Gengzi, the day are Bingxu, and the hour are Jiawu. The day stem is Bing fire, born in the month of Zi (water). Starting from the age of two, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order: Jihai, Wuxu, Dingyou, Bingshen, Yiwei, Jiawu, Guisi. The heavenly stem of the year, Xin, is yin. For a male's destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month stem Gengzi, it goes back to Jihai, Wuxu, Dingyou, Bingshen, and so on. The most notable aspect of this chart is the distribution of the four pillars: the year and month pillars, Xin and Geng, Zi, are all metal and water; the day and hour pillars, Bing, Xuxu, Jia, and Wu, are all wood and fire. Metal and water represent cold, while wood and fire represent warmth. They are evenly balanced, each occupying its own domain. The following statement "each guarding its own domain, cold and heat, dryness and dampness are in balance" refers to this configuration.

夏應堂先生。上海名醫也。夫醫能活人。裨益社會不淺。然求學術之精。誠匪易事。或亦秉命有所維繫歟。夏先生之命。金水居於年月。木火居於日時。各守門戶。五行無悖。且標本平均。寒熱燥溼停勻。得天獨厚。自宜術追扁鵲。功同良弼。由來者漸非一朝一夕故也。

Master Xia Yingtang was a famous physician in Shanghai. His medical practice could save lives, bringing considerable benefit to society; however, achieving profound academic mastery is no easy task, and this may also be related to one's innate destiny. Master Xia's fate: metal and water occupied the year and month pillars, while wood and fire occupied the day and hour pillars, each maintaining their own domain, with the five elements not conflicting with each other. Moreover, the "superficial" (year and month, representing ancestors and early years) and "fundamental" (day and hour, representing oneself and later years) were in balance, and the harmony between cold and heat, dryness and dampness was evenly maintained. This can be said to be a most favorable destiny. It is no wonder his medical skills rival those of Bian Que, and his achievements are comparable to those of a virtuous minister. Such accomplishments are accumulated over time, not achieved in a single day. This case precisely confirms the previous chapter on "dryness and dampness": within a single chart, the balance between cold and warmth leads to a person's equilibrium and harmony.

考其行運，惟早年稍遜。酉運以後。負順一帆。直至現行癸水正官運。仍是名通利達。已運堸己午未會成方南。似嫌火太偏重。除精神只樂之外。餘無所勝。早退珂鄉。頤養天年。是為上策。或從事著述。將畢生經驗學識，公諸同好。一貫真傳。亦足以壽萬世雲。

Examining his fortune, he had only slight difficulties in his early years. After the You (酉) period, everything went smoothly, although the original text mistakenly reads "负顺一帆" instead of "一帆风顺". Up to the present, he is still experiencing the official position of Gui Water, which continues to bring him fame and success in his career. However, when entering the Si (巳) period, Si combines with the existing Wu (午) and Wei (未) in his destiny to form a large area of fire in the south. This makes the fire too strong, as Bing Fire is already dominant. Adding more fire from the southern region disrupts the balance between cold and warmth. At that time, he would only be able to enjoy mental satisfaction, but would be incapable of achieving anything else. Therefore, it would be better for him to return to his hometown earlier and retire in peace. Alternatively, he could engage in writing, sharing his life experiences and knowledge with others, and leave behind his consistent teachings, which would be enough to be passed down through generations. This passage best illustrates the measured approach of Wei's commentary on fate: when the fortune is not favorable, he does not advise people to force themselves, but instead suggests alternative ways to achieve personal fulfillment.

戊子 癸亥 庚寅 戊寅 九歲 甲子 十九 乙丑 廿九 丙寅 三九 丁卯 四九 戊辰 五九 己巳

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Wu Zi, the month is Gui Hai, the day is Geng Yin, and the hour is Wu Yin. The day's stem Geng Metal is born in the month of Hai. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny cycle proceeds in the order of Jia Zi, Yi Chou, Bing Yin, Ding Mao, Wu Chen, Ji Si. The heavenly stem of the year Wu is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in the order of the month. Therefore, starting from the month Gui Hai, it proceeds in order to Jia Zi, Yi Chou, Bing Yin, and so on. The middle part of the cycle is all in the direction of eastern wood and fire. In this case, the earthly branches contain Zi and Hai, which are water, and Yin and Yin, which are wood. Water generates wood, and wood is considered wealth. The wealth is extremely strong, while the day's stem Geng Metal is isolated. Only the two Wu Earths in the year and hour can be relied upon. The path of selection is clearly visible.

此為洗冠生大實業家命造。冼先生赤手創辦冠生園。範圍由狹而廣。所制糧果餅干。現已媲美外貨。挽回漏厄。不可勝計。其精神既屬可敬。其宗旨更屬可欽。因由薛君介紹。來詢休咎於餘。餘簡為批曰。庚金生於初冬水令。地支水木林立。財重身輕。得力於時上戊土之偏印。制水幫身。功莫大焉。

This is the birth chart of Mr. Xian Guansheng, a great industrialist (the original text has both "Xian" and "Xiao" but here it is recorded as "Xian"). Mr. Xian started the Guanshengyuan enterprise from scratch, gradually expanding its scale. His candies and biscuits now can compete with foreign products, and the recovered wealth lost to foreign goods is incalculable. His spirit is admirable, and his principles are even more worthy of respect. Through Mr. Xue's introduction, he came to me to inquire about auspicious and inauspicious signs. I briefly commented: the庚 metal is born in early winter when water is dominant, with water and wood strong in the earthly branches. "Wealth is heavy and the self is light" — having too much wealth is usually good, but if the day's ruler cannot bear it, it becomes a burden. The key to this chart lies entirely in the heavenly stem Wu Earth, which is the biased official star. Wu Earth on one hand controls the overflowing water, and on the other hand generates and supports the 庚 metal. There is no greater contribution than this.

自必殺力勝人。思想銳敏。已往之運。泰半屬火。生土而暖金。故如枯苗得雨。勃然興之。又如疾風勁草。再接再歷。四十九歲交進戊運。幫助用神。後來居上。更可翱翔雲天。卓立偉業。辰運亦有喜無尤。己運稍遜。夕陽雖好。紅不矣多時矣。

Therefore, he certainly possesses extraordinary perseverance and sharp thinking. His previous fortune was mostly of the fire element, which both generates earth and warms metal, exactly what the useful god (用神) needed. Thus, it is like a withered crop encountering rain, suddenly reviving; or like strong grass in a fierce wind, striving again and again. At forty-nine, he enters the戊 (Wu) fortune, which directly supports the useful god Wu earth, and he is expected to surpass others, soar high in the sky, and establish remarkable achievements. The Chen fortune is also joyful without worries. The Ji fortune is somewhat inferior—Ji is moist earth, which absorbs water but cannot control it, so its strength is less than Wu earth; at that time, although the sunset is beautiful, it cannot last long. This case, along with the previous one of Wu Peifu, is both "wealth is strong" (财旺). One can bear wealth and eventually remain hidden, while the other, being weak in body, gains wealth through the influence of the official star (印). The difference lies entirely in whether there is something to support the body.

戊子 庚申 乙丑 壬午 六歲 辛酉 十六 壬戌 廿六 癸亥 三六 甲子 四六 乙丑 五六 丙寅

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Wu Zi, the month are Geng Shen, the day are Yi Chou, and the hour are Ren Wu. The day stem Yi Wood is born in the month of Shen. Starting from the age of six, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Xin You, Ren Xu, Gui Hai, Jia Zi, Yi Chou, Bing Yin. The heavenly stem of the year Wu is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in the order of the month. Therefore, from the month stem and branch Geng Shen, it proceeds in order to Xin You, Ren Xu, Gui Hai... The key factor in this destiny is the earthly branch of the month Shen. Shen contains the heavenly stem Geng Metal, Ren Water, and Wu Earth, which correspond to the official, the scholar, and the wealth for Yi Wood. The three characters Geng, Wu, and Ren also appear in the heavenly stems. The hidden elements in the branches and the revealed ones in the stems correspond completely. This "hidden and revealed correspondence" is an important criterion in fortune books for judging wealth and status.

此為杜月笙先生命造。有以乙庚化金論者。竊以時上見午火。格局僅成其半。且遠不符其聲價。乙生申月。干透戊庚壬。財官印既同藏於申宮。又並藏於干頭。斯乃貴徵。俠義豪爽。固是不凡。

This is the birth chart of Mr. Du Yuesheng. Some people use the "ethereal metal" pattern of "Yi-Geng transforming into metal" to analyze it—Yi and Geng are in harmony, and with the month of Shen or You, there is an appearance of transforming into metal; however, I personally think that the presence of Wu fire in the hour column, which is fire overcoming metal, only completes half of the transformation pattern. Moreover, such an analysis does not match his reputation and status. It is better to look at the original pattern: Yi wood is born in the month of Shen, and the heavenly stem reveals Wu, Geng, and Ren. Wealth (Wu), official (Geng), and education (Ren) are all hidden in the Shen palace and also revealed in the heavenly stem. This is the sign of great status and prominence. He is a person of chivalry and generosity, naturally different from the ordinary. Here we can see the attitude of Wei's theory on the "ethereal metal" pattern: if the harmony is not genuine transformation, it is better to take the original pattern rather than compromise for a beautiful pattern name.

前運日新月盛。五十一之丑運。更進一步。造福社會。奚啻萬家生佛。亦原於財。故有利人而利己也。再後丙運雖克庚金。幸有壬水制之。不足為慮。寅運以沖申為豈可許子不憚煩勞。趨吉避凶。建策終莫妙於退隱。今年歲運皆乙。妒合庚金。能者多勞。其奈無功何。

In former times, the era was getting more prosperous day by day. The year of Chou (the Ox), which comes at the age of fifty-one, is further advanced. Chou and Shen (the Monkey) share the metal element, and Chou is also the treasure house of the wood element, which brings benefits to society, not just benefiting thousands of households. This is rooted in the strong wealth star, thus benefiting both others and oneself. Moving forward, although the year of Bing (the Tiger) may overcome the official star of Geng (the Metal), fortunately there is Ren (the Water) to restrain Bing fire, so it is not a cause for concern. The year of Yin (the Tiger) will clash with the monthly branch Shen (the Monkey), thus disturbing the root of the official star (the text here is damaged and the meaning is not fully clear). In all matters, being diligent and avoiding trouble, the best way is to retire. This year, both the age and the year are of Yi (the Cypress). Yi and Geng compete for the conjunction (two Yis competing for one Geng, in divination books this is called 'du he'), thus the official star is hindered. Although the capable person is often busy, there will be no achievement.

甲午 甲戌 丁酉 癸卯 六歲 乙亥 十六 丙子 廿六 丁丑 三六 戊寅 四六 己卯 五六 庚辰

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Jia Wu, the month are Jia Xu, the day are Ding You, and the hour are Gui Mao. The day stem Ding Fire is born in the month of Xu. Starting from the age of six, the big destiny cycle is in order: Yi Hai, Bing Zi, Ding Chou, Wu Yin, Ji Mao, Geng Chen. The heavenly stem of the year Jia is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month stem Jia Xu, it proceeds in order to Yi Hai, Bing Zi, Ding Chou, etc. This destiny has two Jia, Wu, Xu, and Mao, with the qi of wood and fire almost filling the entire chart. Only the day branch You Metal and the hour stem Gui Water are two points that gather and restrain. The spirit of the entire chart is concentrated in these two characters, and all the following statements are based on this.

此梅蘭芳先生命也。全局木火太旺。喜日坐酉金。時得癸水。財殺清粹。兼帶貴人文昌。自宜藝術獨精。譽滿天下。革中國之劇才。作梨園這砥柱。令界大王。當之無愧。

This is the birth chart of Mr. Mei Lanfang. The entire chart has excessive wood and fire, so the favorable elements are the day stem sitting on You metal and the hour stem having Gui water. You metal is the biased wealth of Ding fire, and Gui water is the seven killer that controls Ding fire. Both wealth and killer are pure and uncluttered. Moreover, the character You, for a Ding day stem, is both "Tianyi Nobleman" (the first auspicious deity among the ten heavenly stems, which brings good fortune and assistance from others; for a Ding day, Tianyi is located in You and Hai) and "Wenchang" (which signifies intelligence and literary talent). Two auspicious stars are both located in the day branch. It is no wonder that he excelled uniquely in his art, gained fame throughout the world, and became a talent who revolutionized Chinese opera, the backbone of the opera world, and truly deserved the title "King of the Actor's World" (the original text mistakenly writes "ling jie" instead of "ling jie").

惜行運未能媲美命局。所以僅享盛名。而無權爵。然晚來庚運資殺。空前絕後。恐不以令官終其身。變化飛騰。未可限量焉。今歲乙亥。印得長生。殺得旺地。現赴蘇俄演劇。必須一番轟烈。宣揚中國文化。灌輸東方藝術。所當厚望於君耳。

It is regrettable that his fortune does not match his destiny, so he only enjoys great reputation but lacks power, titles, and wealth. However, during his late years in the Geng period, the Geng metal will support the癸 water seven killer, which will gain wealth and become even stronger. At that time, his achievements will be unprecedented and probably not end as a minor court official (the original text says 'ling guan', which should be 'ling guan'). His career will change rapidly and his potential is limitless. This year is Yihai, where the Yi wood official is in the亥 which gives 'growth', and the癸 water seven killer is strong in亥. Both the official and the killer are strong. He is now going to perform in the Soviet Union, and he will certainly have a remarkable performance, promoting Chinese culture and spreading Eastern art. This is something we should deeply expect from him. This case also shows the approach of Wei's method in analyzing the destiny of artists: when wood and fire are too strong, the energy becomes floating, and only with wealth and killer can it be restrained, giving the person a solid character.

乙酉 庚午 庚子 丙子 六歲 己巳 十六 戊辰 廿六 丁卯 三六 丙寅 四六 乙丑 五六 甲子 六六 癸亥

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Yi You, of the month Geng Wu, of the day Geng Zi, and of the hour Bing Zi. The day's heavenly stem Geng Metal is born in the month of Wu Fire. The big destiny cycle starts at the age of six, in the order of Yi Si, Wu Chen, Ding Mao, Bing Yin, Yi Chou, Jia Zi, Gui Hai. The heavenly stem of the year Yi is yin, and for a male's destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month stem Geng Wu, it goes back to Yi Si, Wu Chen, Ding Mao, etc. After the age of thirty, the destiny moves through the eastern wood direction and the northern water direction. The month's earthly branch Wu Fire is strong, and the hour's heavenly stem Bing Fire is visible, which is the seven killing for Geng Metal. Two Zi Water branches are also present, which drain the Metal and suppress the Fire. This destiny is calculated from the birth date of a foreigner, and the author himself says he does not rely on it entirely, so it should be read as a reference only.

或有以猶太富商哈同生庚。譯為陰曆，演成命局。浼余推測。雖未秘可恃。然察其八字。殺旺用印。固非凡庸之輩。但空拳致富。竟為滬上地產大王。實行運有以致之。蓋自三十歲後。歷行數十年水木財鄉。所當豪門珠履。

Someone once converted the birth date of the Jewish merchant Ha Tong into the lunar calendar and arranged it into a birth chart, asking me to interpret it. The resulting八字 may not be very reliable (the original text says '未秘' which should be '未必'), but looking at the八字 itself, the seven杀 (Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui) are strong, so the need is to take the印绶 (earth) to transform the杀 and benefit the self. The overall pattern is not ordinary. As for his becoming wealthy from nothing and becoming a major real estate magnate in Shanghai, it is actually due to his good fortune. From the age of thirty onwards, he has been continuously moving through the water and wood wealth areas (wood is the wealth of the metal庚, and water can control fire and protect himself). Therefore, his family is wealthy and his house is full of guests (the reference to '珠履' is from the story of Chunshen Jun's three thousand guests, all wearing pearl shoes).

貫按富貴人未必皆富貴命。或行運輔之以成也。反之貧賤人亦然。洵哉。孔孟所謂命也運也。運之朽粟陳。為地主領袖。稱海內鉅富。至於七殺少制。傷官無力，是以伯道無兒。子夏喪明。絕其後嗣。是亦畫龍雖好。占晴未成。牡丹吐豔。綠葉少助耳。視命。似屬更不可強矣。

This is the author's commentary (the original text "贯按" should be "谨按" or similar, and the order of the sentences in this passage is disordered; the four characters "贯朽粟陈" originally belonged to the previous description of wealth and were mistakenly placed here): A wealthy person does not necessarily have a wealthy destiny; some achieve their success through good fortune. Conversely, a poor and lowly person is also the same. What Confucius and Mencius said about "destiny" and "fortune" is indeed accurate. His money串 are rotten and his grain is old, yet he has become the leader of the landowners, renowned as a wealthy man throughout the country. As for the seven杀 being without control and the wounded official (a term in divination) lacking strength (the wounded official represents children), he is like Deng You of the Jin dynasty who had no sons ("Bo Dao Wu Er"), or Zi Xia who lost his son and wept himself blind, eventually having no descendants. It is like a dragon painting that is good but the final stroke of the eye is missing, or peonies that are beautiful but lack the support of green leaves. It seems that destiny is something that cannot be forced.

庚寅 甲申 甲申 甲戌 三歲 乙酉 十三 丙戌 廿三 丁亥 三三 戊子 四三 己丑 五三 庚寅

The heavenly stem of the year pillar is Geng, the earthly branch is Yin; the heavenly stem of the month pillar is Jia, the earthly branch is Shen; the heavenly stem of the day pillar is Jia, the earthly branch is Shen; the heavenly stem of the hour pillar is Jia, the earthly branch is Xu. The day stem Jia Wood is born in the month of Shen. Starting from the age of three, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order: Yi You, Bing Xu, Ding Hai, Wu Zi, Ji Chou, Geng Yin. The heavenly stem of the year is Geng, which is yang. For a male destiny, the sequence proceeds in the order of the month pillar. Therefore, from the month pillar Jia Shen, it proceeds in order to Yi You, Bing Xu, Ding Hai, etc. There are three Jia Woods in the heavenly stems, two Shen Metals in the earthly branches, and the heavenly stem of the year also reveals Geng Metal. The three Jia Woods form a strong position, and the two Shen Metals are in command. This is a typical configuration of "body and killer both strong." When reading the following interpretation, you can refer to this. The two strong forces are in contention without anything to mediate, which is the key point of the entire argument.

辛未之秋。袁子寒雲逝世。士林婉惜。鄭正秋君以其年庚詢余。余曾答諸新聞報新園林。言曰。初秋三甲。雖不得令。卻得其勢。庚金七殺。既旺且盛。堪謂身殺兩強。惟乏火之制殺。印之化殺。大為缺點。

In the autumn of the Xinwei year, Yuan Hanyun (Yuan Shikai's second son Yuan Kewen) passed away, and people in the literary circles felt deeply sorry. Zheng Zhengqiu asked me about his birth date. I had answered in the "New Garden" column of the "News Report" as follows: The three Jia woods in early autumn, although not in season, gained strength through being grouped together. The Geng metal seven killer was strong and abundant, indicating both the body and the killer were strong. Unfortunately, the chart lacked fire to control the killer and also lacked the official to transform the killer, which was a major flaw. Previously, Yan Xishan's chart had the癸 official to transform the killer and the丁 fire to control the killer, so it was stable and balanced. In this case, both elements were missing, so even with great strength, it was just a direct confrontation, with no way to resolve the situation.

是以豪放不羈。崛強寡合。雖燕許文章。機雲才藻。未獲顯貴。抑鬱以終。行運僅丙戍丁亥之二十年。較為優良。名山事業。以此最宜。再後即夢幻泡影矣。辛未流年。官之混殺。又甲木入墓。縱不至修文道山。亦有勃然他變。孟子曰。莫非命也。誠哉是言。先獲我心矣。

Therefore, he was unrestrained and unmanageable, stubborn and seldom in harmony with others. Although he had the literary talent of Zhang Shuo and Su Ting of the Tang Dynasty, known as the great prose writers Yan and Xu, and the literary prowess of the brothers Lu Ji and Lu Yun of the Jin Dynasty, he did not attain high status and died in depression. His favorable period was only the twenty years of Bingxu and Dinghai—Bing and Ding belong to fire, which is exactly what is needed to control the killer stars, so those twenty years were most suitable for achieving the "mountain and river" endeavors of writing and establishing a reputation. After that, everything became like a dream or illusion. In the year Xinwei, the metal Xin is the official star of the wood Jia, coming into conflict with the seven killer stars, making the killer stars even more chaotic. The earthy branch Wei is the storage of Jia wood, so the Jia wood is buried. Although he would not necessarily die ("Xiu Wenshan" all refer to death), there would be sudden misfortunes. Mencius said, "It is all destiny," which is indeed accurate, precisely matching my thoughts.

戊子 辛酉 乙未 己卯 七歲 壬戌 十七 癸亥 廿七 甲子 三七 乙丑 四七 丙寅 五七 丁卯

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Wu Zi, the month are Xin You, the day are Yi Wei, and the hour are Ji Mao. The day stem Yi Wood is born in the month of You Metal. Starting from age seven, the big destiny runs in sequence as Ren Xu, Gui Hai, Jia Zi, Yi Chou, Bing Yin, Ding Mao. The heavenly stem of the year Wu is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month stem Xin You, it proceeds in order to Ren Xu, Gui Hai, Jia Zi, etc. In this case, the heavenly stem of the month Xin Metal is the seven killing, which is in command. The heavenly stems of the year Wu and the hour Ji are both earth and appear on the surface as wealth. Wealth generates the seven killing, and the day stem Yi Wood only relies on the day branch Wei and the hour branch Mao to form a wood group for support. This is another example of "heavy killing and light body," which coincides exactly with the cases of Yan Xisshan and Yuan Hanyun.

河南省政府知命子先生。示余商震總指揮之命造。餘簡為批曰。乙生辛酉月，殺重身輕。財星之兩透。尤足為病，所貴者。卯未曾木局。幫身而制財。日主弱中有氣。行運最喜比劫。遇印則印被財壞。不能化殺。未必盡美。逢食則有財當信此等命局。獨喜乎比劫矣。

The esteemed gentleman of the Henan Provincial Government, Master Zhimizi, showed me the birth chart of General Shang Zhen. I briefly commented: The ethereal wood (乙木) is born in the month of Xinyou, where the killing star (杀) is heavy and the self (日主) is weak. The two wealth stars (戊、己) are also revealed in the heavenly stem, and the wealth star nourishes the killing star, which becomes a root of trouble. What is commendable is that the day branch (日支) You (酉) and the hour branch (时支) Mao (卯) form a wood combination (会成木局), which supports the self and restrains the wealth earth. Thus, the self, though weak, still has some strength. The most favorable fortune is to meet a similar element (比劫), which is the same kind of wood. If the fortune meets the nurturing star (印绶), the nurturing star will be harmed by the strong wealth, and it cannot transform the killing star, which may not be ideal. If the fortune meets the food and injury stars (食伤), the combination already contains wealth, and the food and injury stars would instead nourish the wealth and assist the killing star (the text here has some errors). Therefore, for this type of birth chart, the only favorable fortune is to meet a similar element (比劫). This passage best illustrates the subtle difference in the effectiveness of helping the self: although both the nurturing star (印) and the similar element (比劫) help the self, their effectiveness differs greatly in different combinations.

丑運乃酉丑會成金局。故幾瀕於危。去年交來丙運。合殺最美。權爵更顯。當不止為一方領袖。以後寅運繼長增高。丁運雖善。以視丙寅。直如小巫。耳（一說丙子時。想繫傳聞之誤）。

During the Chou period, the metal of You and Chou formed a golden trinity, causing the seven deadly forces to suddenly double, bringing the situation almost to a critical point. However, last year entered the Bing period, where Bing and Xin combined (Bing-Xin combination), thus trapping and restraining the seven deadly forces. This was the most beautiful move, hence the power, rank, and prestige became even more prominent, and he should not be confined to being just a local leader. In the future Yin period, Yin is the land of Jia wood, so the brothers and sisters gain strength, continuing to rise. Although the Ding period is also good, it is still inferior to the Bing and Yin periods, like a small wizard facing a great one. The last sentence in parentheses is the author's own note: there is a saying that he was born at Bingzi hour, but this is likely a rumor. "Combining with the deadly force" is listed alongside "controlling the deadly force" and "transforming the deadly force" from Yan's case, as the third method of dealing with the seven deadly forces—instead of killing it, just restraining it.

壬子 壬寅 乙亥 丙子 三歲 癸丑 十三 甲辰 廿三 乙巳 三三 丙午 四三 丁未 五三 戊申

The year pillar is Renzi, the month pillar Renyin, the day pillar Yihai, and the hour pillar Bingzi. The day stem Yi wood is born in the寅 month. Starting from age three, the big destiny runs in the order of Guichou, Jiachen, Yisi, Bingwu, Dingwei, and Wushen. The heavenly stem of the year pillar Ren is yang, and for a male destiny, it should be arranged in order from the month pillar Renyin to Kuimao, Jiachen, Yisi, etc. However, the original text starts with Guichou, which is inconsistent with the subsequent order of Jiachen and Yisi. This should be an error, and we follow the original text. This destiny has two Ren, two Zi, and one Hai, making five waters in total. Although Yi wood is in its season, it is at risk of floating. The only salvation in the entire destiny is the hidden Wu earth in Yin. The subsequent selection of elements is based on this.

錢翁以其少君警庸先生之吉庚詢余。先生為海上籃球健將。在運動界中。頗負時譽。視其命造。新春乙木。甫得旺氣。然見五水。不免飄浮。應賴寅中戊土制水為用神。時上丙火生土為相神。偏枯之避。一若無可貴者。

Master Qian used his son, Master Jingyong's birthday, to ask me. Master Jingyong is a basketball athlete in Shanghai and has a good reputation in the sports world. Looking at his birth chart: the ethereal wood of Bing is just beginning to gain strength in early spring, but there is an excessive amount of water in the chart, which may cause floating and rootlessness. Therefore, we should rely on the hidden Wu earth in the month's branch of寅 to control the water, taking it as the useful god. The propitious dry branch of Bing fire in the hour can generate Wu earth, taking it as the auxiliary god (a god that assists the useful god, as stated in "Ziping Zhenquan"). The chart cannot avoid the problem of imbalance. At first glance, it seems to have no valuable aspects. However, we should note that with excessive water and floating wood, the remedy is not to add more wood, but to build a dike to stop the water. Therefore, we use earth instead of wood.

然核其運途。早歲多比肩劫財之運。是以矯強果敢，體力加人一等。二十八歲後。一路火土。足補命中缺憾。正合乎五言獨步所云。有病方為貴。無傷不是奇。格中如去病。財祿喜相隨矣。顯達前程。豈可限量。雖非富貴命。行得富貴運。當亦富貴中人也。姑志如上。以待後驗。

However, checking his destiny: in his early years, he experienced a lot of the fortune of fellow travelers and劫财, with the wood qi supporting his body, so his physique was strong and healthy, his nature was bold and resolute, and his physical strength surpassed others. After the age of twenty-eight, he went through a continuous path of fire and earth, which exactly made up for the deficiencies in his destiny. This is exactly what the "Wuyan Dubu" says: "It is valuable to have a sickness, but not valuable to have no injury; if the pattern can remove the sickness, wealth and official rank will follow." Having a sickness in one's destiny is not a problem, as long as the fortune can remove it, leading to greater achievements. Thus, his future success will be evident, and there is no limit to it. Although he is not a destiny of great wealth and honor, he is on a fortune of great wealth and honor, so he can be considered as a person of wealth and honor. Let us note this here for now, waiting for it to be verified in the future. This case is similar to the case of Ha, both belonging to the category of "a normal destiny with an assisting fortune," so they can be viewed together.

甲辰 丙子 壬寅 辛亥 二歲 丁丑 十二 戊寅 廿二 己卯 三二 庚辰 四二 辛巳 五二 壬午 六二 癸未

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Jiachen, the month are Bingzi, the day are Rennyin, and the hour are Xinhai. The day's main element, Rennyin, is born in the month of Zi. Starting from the age of two, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Dingchou, Wuyin, Jimao, Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu, Guiwei. The heavenly stem of the year, Ji, is yang, and for a male destiny, it proceeds in order, so from the month's Bingzi, it continues as Dingchou, Wuyin, Jimao, and so on. In this case, the earthly branch of the month, Zi, is the "Yangren" for Rennyin. The earthly branch of the day, Yin, combines with the earthly branch of the hour, Hai, and the earthly branch of the year, Chen, also combines with Zi. There are connections in the earthly branches in three places. At first glance, the heavenly stems of the year and month, Ji and Bing, are not in season, but in reality, there is hidden vitality. The following analysis will focus on these combinations and connections.

此為摯友王君命造。十七歲來滬。就學金業。十九歲憤師友之敬束，自營標金。廿三廿四兩年。盈財五十餘萬。茲已息影家園。稱素封矣。視其八字。洵不偶然。蓋壬水生於仲冬。羊刃當權。年月木火失令。似屬凡庸。

This is the birth chart of my close friend Wang Jun. At seventeen, he came to Shanghai and worked as an apprentice in a financial business. At nineteen, he could not bear the restrictions of his teachers and friends (the original text says "jing shu" but should be "ji shu"), so he started his own business dealing in standard gold. In the years 23 and 24, he made a profit of over five million taels. Now he has retired from business and lives at home, becoming a wealthy man without official rank, known as a "su feng" (a term for a wealthy person without official position). Looking at his八字, it is indeed not accidental. The壬 water is born in the middle of winter, November, where 子 is the "Yangren" (a term indicating a sharp and fierce force) for 壬 water — the place of prosperity for the day stem, indicating a person with strong willpower but also prone to turmoil. The Yangren is in power. The 甲 wood and 丙 fire in the year and month pillars are not in season, so at first glance, his chart seems ordinary.

所妙日支為寅。時支為亥。乃木火之生地。且寅亥合。則木火之氣愈貴。子辰會。則食神反得生扶。滴天髓所謂。何以其人富財氣通門戶是也。己往寅運。包藏一甲一丙。發軔雲程。立志卓犖。固非常人所能望其項背。

The beauty lies in the Day Branch being寅 and the Hour Branch being亥: 寅 contains hidden Jia wood and Bing fire, and 亥 is the place of growth for Jia wood, so both are birthplaces for wood and fire; furthermore, 寅 and 亥 combine, making the qi of wood and fire even more valuable. The Year Branch 辰 and the Month Branch 子 form a water trinity, nourishing the food and injury (shen) of Jia wood (water generates wood). This is exactly what the "Di Tian Mei" says: "Why is this person wealthy? The wealth qi flows through the gate." Wood is the food and injury of Ren water, and fire is the wealth of Ren water. Food and injury generate wealth, and the gate is open, so the path to wealth is opened. In the past, the journey through 寅 included hidden Jia and Bing, with both food and injury and wealth stars present, so the start was already high in the sky, with lofty aspirations, something not ordinary people could even compare.

己運為正官。中逢廿三丙寅。廿四丁卯。兩大火年。以濟其美。自宜點金有術。一躍致富。卯運以來。流年平滯。不過保持仍舊而已。此後庚辰辛等運。每況愈下。還防波折。萬不可再圖徼倖。已運則敷演家聲。發場蹈歷。有更上層樓之可能。謂余不信。請觀其後。

The Ji (己) period is the proper official star for Ren (壬) water. During this time, at the ages of 23 and 24, there are the years Bingyin (丙寅) and Dingmao (丁卯), which are years of strong fire. Fire is the wealth star, which complements the virtues of water, thus transforming stone into gold and leading to sudden wealth. Since the Mao (卯) period, the flow of years has been plain and stagnant, merely maintaining the existing situation. Afterwards, during the Gengchen (庚辰) and Xin (辛) periods, metal generates water, making water even stronger. This causes the wealth energy to be diluted, leading to a gradual decline. One must be cautious of obstacles and must not attempt to rely on luck again. When entering the Si (巳) period, Si contains Bing fire and Wu earth, meaning both wealth and official stars are present. This can bring honor to the family and enable great achievements, offering the possibility of further advancement. If you doubt my words, please look at what happens in the future.

辛亥 辛卯 庚子 庚辰 九歲 庚寅 十九 己丑 廿九 戊子 三九 丁亥 四九 丙戌 五九 乙酉

This is the author Wei Qianli's own birth chart. The heavenly stem of the year is Xin Hai, the heavenly stem of the month is Xin Mao, the heavenly stem of the day is Geng Zi, and the heavenly stem of the hour is Geng Chen. The day stem Geng Metal is born in the month of Mao. The big years start from the age of nine, in order: Geng Yin, Ji Chou, Wu Zi, Ding Hai, Bing Xu, Yi You. The heavenly stem of the year, Xin, is yin. For male birth charts, the order is reversed, so from the month stem Xin Mao, it goes back to Geng Yin, Ji Chou, Wu Zi, etc. In this chart, there are two Xin and two Geng in the heavenly stems, all metal. In the earthly branches, Hai and Mao form wood, Zi and Chen form water, all water and wood. Although there is much metal, there is no earth to generate it and no fire to refine it. Although water and wood are strong, the day stem cannot bear them. The author's self-evaluation of bitterness and sweetness in the following text comes directly from this structure, making it the most sincere and expressive part of the entire book.

此為千里自造。識者咸謂憾於無火。然春金固非當令。乏土之生。則且無根。縱天干庚辛林立。子平真詮雲。得三比肩。不如得一長生祿刃。可見徒多比劫。而日元無氣。非是真強。矧又亥卯會成木局。子辰會成水局。水與木皆有挫於金乎。

This is my own birth chart according to Wei Qianli's fate. Those who understand fate say it is a pity that there is no fire in the chart. In fact, gold in spring is not in its season, and it also lacks earth to generate it, so it has no root at all. Even though the heavenly stems have geng and xin in a row, they are only virtual strength. "The True Explanation of the Zi Ping" says: "Having three same heavenly stems is not as good as having one long life and禄刃." This shows that even if there are many brothers and sisters in the heavenly stems, if the day stem has no strength in the earth branches, it is still not truly strong. This is an important boundary for determining whether the day stem is strong or weak. Heavenly stems of the same type are only helpers, while the long life,禄, and 刃 in the earth branches are the foundation. Moreover, the earth branches have亥 and 卯 forming a wood trine, and 子 and 辰 forming a water trine. Wood is the wealth I can overcome, and water is what drains my energy. Water and wood attack from both sides, how can gold not be affected?

火能熔金。有火固可顯達。無火則一寒儒而已。然寒弱之金。逢微火當可得志。逢巨火則不勝其克。或且因貴顯而惹禍殃。此孔子所謂過猶不及者是也。若云水木兩局。財星甚旺。亦滴大髓所謂何以其人富。財氣通門戶者歟。無如身人任財。難免富貴貧人之譏。正合我今日之筆耕終夕。硯田枯澀者也。

Fire can melt metal into useful objects; with fire, one can achieve success, but without it, one remains merely a poor, simple scholar. However, weak metal can still find some success with a small amount of fire, but it cannot withstand strong fire, which may even bring misfortune because of the sudden rise in status—this is what Confucius meant by "excess is as bad as deficiency." If someone has a strong water and wood combination in the earthly branches and a powerful wealth star, isn't this in line with the saying in "Di Tian Mei" that "why is this person wealthy? Because the wealth energy flows into the family gate"? Unfortunately, the day's ruler cannot bear such wealth ("shen bu ren cai" in the original text), so one inevitably falls into the mockery of "a poor person in a wealthy house"—a poor person living in a wealthy house, which exactly matches my current situation of working all night with a dry inkstone.

然則富貴皆無大望。我將永自韜養矣。嘗以身弱之命。與身強之命相較。同走好運。同處美境。而其速率與份量。大相懸殊。身強者每遠過於身弱者。此余屢試不爽。故益信拙造之身弱。恐終其身不過爾爾也。查行運。方今行至丑字。尚屬順利。將來戊宇或更進一步。子運恐厄於病。但蓋頭屬戊。當無生命之危。於運少濟。亥運伏櫪。丙運以下。老更無為矣。

So it seems that whether rich or noble, there is little hope for great success, and I can only cultivate myself for a long time. I once compared a weak constitution with a strong one: even when both are in good fortune and favorable circumstances, the speed and extent of their success differ greatly. The strong constitution often far surpasses the weak one, and this has been my consistent experience. Therefore, I place more trust in my own weak constitution, fearing that I may never achieve much in my lifetime. Checking the current and future trends: at present, I am in the "Chou" (Ox) cycle, which is moist earth that can generate metal, so it is still smooth. In the future, the "Wu" (Earth) cycle might bring further progress, as "Wu" is dry earth that can strongly generate metal. The "Zi" (Rat) cycle may be troubled by illness, but the heavenly stem of the big cycle is "Wu" earth (the heavenly stem covers the earthly branch, called "gaitou," which can reduce the strength of the earthly branch), so there should be no danger to life. The "Ji" (Earth) cycle offers limited help, and the "Hai" (Pig) cycle can only wait for the right time. The "Bing" (Fire) cycle and below are for old age, when there is nothing more to do. The author's self-commentary here clearly explains the limits of a weak constitution throughout one's life, showing that he does not shy away from discussing his own fate.

壬子 戊申 戊辰 辛酉 二歲 十二 廿二 三二 四二 五二

The year pillar is Renzi, the month pillar is Wushen, the day pillar is Wuchen, and the hour pillar is Xinyou. The day stem is Wu earth born in the month of Shen. The big luck years section of the original text is missing some characters: only the ages of two, twelve, twenty-two, thirty-two, forty-two, and fifty-two are left, and all the dry and wet stems of each step are missing, making it impossible to supplement. The original is preserved as it is. According to the remarks below that mention "all the lucks are of western north gold and water" and "the movement of Ding luck" and "the following Ji luck," the big luck years should be calculated in reverse from the month pillar Wushen, resulting in Dingwei, Bingwu, Yisi, etc. However, there is no conclusive evidence, so it cannot be assumed. This chart has the three branches Shen, Zi, and Chen forming a complete water trinity, and the hour pillar is Xinyou, which is gold and water. The Wu earth is isolated, making it a typical case of "the body not being able to bear wealth."

此吾邑錢翁之命也。出身豪富。重義輕財。晚年耗頓。卒彈鋏於猶子門下。殊為戚敞鄙夷。茲者壽愈杖朝。淒涼孤苦。士論惜之。夫戊土生於孟秋。支全水局。時落辛酉。金水並旺而秀氣流行。格局本非庸俗。

This is the birth chart of an old gentleman named Qian, my fellow townsman. He was born into a wealthy family, valuing righteousness over wealth, and in his later years his family fortune was completely exhausted. He finally had to live under the care of his nephew, a situation symbolized by the story of Feng Xuan, the guest of Meng Changjun, who played the sword and sang songs, indicating living in someone else's house and seeking help. He was greatly looked down upon by relatives. Now that he is over eighty years old, he is lonely and pitiful, and scholars in the literary circles all feel sorry for him. His birth chart shows the day stem Wu earth born in the seventh month of late summer. The earthly branches of Shen, Zi, and Chen form a complete water trinity, and the time stem falls on Xinyou. Both metal and water are strong and the refined energy flows smoothly. The overall pattern is not ordinary. What is meant by refined energy flowing is that the energy of the day stem flows smoothly through metal and water, clear and not turbid.

奈日主太輕。身不任財。既有月上戊土比肩。從財則又不真。益以運皆西北金水。宜其豐裕春申。雖有三千珠履之名。卒流金空季子之類。亦足悲矣。刻走丁運。正印助身。本應否極泰來。然行諸太晚。不免美人犀暮之慨。以後已運更佳。或不致落寞以終。

Unfortunately, the day master is too weak to support the wealth (water is the wealth for the earth戊土). If one were to consider abandoning the self to follow the wealth and form the 'from wealth' pattern, there is still the month's dry earth戊土, which supports the day master, making the pattern incomplete — the 'from' pattern requires the day master to have no support at all; once there is support, the pattern does not hold, and this is the iron gate for taking an external pattern. Moreover, the big years all go to the northwest of metal and water, making the wealth stronger and the body even more weak. Therefore, he was once wealthy like the door of Prince Chunshen (the phrase 'three thousand pearl shoes' refers to the guests of Prince Chunshen all wearing pearl shoes), but in the end, he ended up like Su Qin, returning home in poverty and with empty pockets, which is quite pitiful. Now he is in the year of Ding fire, which is the proper teacher of the earth戊土, nurturing the body and supporting the master. It should be a time of reversal of fortune, but it comes too late, leading to a sigh of a beautiful woman aging late (the original text 'xi mu' should be 'chi mu'). The following year of Ji will be better, perhaps he will not end his life in loneliness.

戊戌 戊午 癸亥 戊午 九歲 丁巳 十九 丙辰 廿九 乙卯 三九 甲寅 四九 癸丑 五九 壬子

This is a female birth chart. The year pillar is Wuxu, the month pillar is Wuwu, the day pillar is Guihai, and the hour pillar is Wuxu. The day master is Gui water, born in the month of Wu (fire). The big years start at age nine, in the order of Dingsi, Bingchen, Yimao, Jiayin, Guichou, and Renzi. The heavenly stem of the year pillar, Wu, is yang. For a female birth, if born in a yang year, the big years are arranged in reverse order (opposite to male birth charts). Therefore, starting from the month pillar Wuwu, it goes backward to Dingsi, Bingchen, Yimao, etc. The most striking feature of this chart is the three Wu earths in the heavenly stems, all facing the day master Gui water. Wu and Gui are a pair of compatible stems, but three Wu competing for one Gui creates a situation called "du he" in the fortune books. The conclusion that she lacks a firm mind is based on this.

此乃某妓命造。幼孤為娼。廿五歲後。侍某顯宦造室。詎以不知自愛戀一伶人。終被顯宦所黜。茲則伶亦絕裾斷交。暝二養女。仍操故業，夫癸生午月。財官並旺。惟天干三透戊土。爭合癸水，日主用情，毫無定見。自是水性揚花。張三李四。坐下劫刃，足以幫身。苦無印綬，終如飛絮浮萍。飄流無定，

This is the birth chart of a prostitute. She was orphaned from a young age and entered the profession. After the age of twenty-five, she became a concubine of a prominent official, but unfortunately, due to lack of self-restraint, she fell in love with a performer and was eventually expelled by the official. Now the performer has cut off all contact, and she is raising two adopted daughters while continuing her old profession. Analyzing the chart:癸 water is born in the month of午, which contains丁 fire as wealth and己 earth as official. Both wealth and official are strong. However, the three戊 earths in the heavens all combine with癸 water, causing the day's main element to be pulled in several directions, lacking firmness. Naturally, she is fickle and easily swayed by others. The day's branch is亥, which is the旺 place for癸 water, equivalent to '劫刃', which can support the day's main element. The hardship lies in the chart lacking an印, which represents root and support. Without an印, it is like floating chaff and water lilies, drifting without a fixed course.

查早年多火遠。何善可陳，辰運沖開水庫。宛若雲開見日。惜乙卯運洩身生財，只如曇花一現。不免重作馮婦。以後甲寅運木土爭戰。不堪言狀。寅運之會成火局。且恐不祿矣。

She had a strong fire fortune in her early years (the original text says "fire far" but should be "fire fortune"), with wealth flourishing but her body weak, so there is not much to say. During the Chen (Earth) fortune, the water reservoir was opened (Chen is the water reservoir, and when the fortune arrived, the gate of the reservoir was opened, giving the day's main element a root), like clouds clearing to reveal the sun, her situation changed greatly during those years. Unfortunately, the following Yi Mao fortune saw wood draining the strength of the day's main element and also nurturing fire to increase wealth, which was like an a fleeting flower (a brief moment of glory) (a fleeting flower), inevitably leading her back to her old ways ("repeating as the old woman Fu Fu" refers to the story in the Mencius about Fu Fu, who once hunted tigers, meaning repeating past actions). Later, during the Jiayin fortune, wood and earth clashed, the official star was overcome by wood, and her situation became unbearable. When reaching the Yin fortune, Yin combined with Wu and Xu to form a fire trinity, wealth became extremely strong but her body had nowhere to return to, and she might even risk her life.

庚申 戊子 壬子 辛亥 二歲 己丑 十二 庚寅 廿二 辛卯 三二 壬辰 四二 癸巳 五二 甲午 六二 乙未

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Geng Shen, the month are Wu Zi, the day are Ren Zi, and the hour are Xin Hai. The day stem Ren water is born in the month of Zi. Starting from age two, the big destiny runs in sequence: Ji Chou, Geng Yin, Xin Mao, Ren Chen, Gui Si, Jia Wu, Yi Wei. The heavenly stem of the year Geng is yang, so for a male destiny, it is arranged in order from the month pillar Wu Zi to Ji Chou, Geng Yin, Xin Mao, and so on. In middle age, the destiny moves to the southern fire direction. In this case, the four branches of Shen, Zi, Zi, and Hai are all water, and the two metal stems Geng and Xin also generate water. There is only one earth stem Wu in the month pillar standing in the middle. This is an extreme example of "strong body without support." It is exactly the opposite of the previous case where the wealth was strong but the body was weak. In this case, the body is strong but there is no wealth to use.

此王某之命也。自幼迄今。胼手胝足。庸役於餘友秦贊臣家。未嘗娶妻。孓然一身。幸侍主忠誠。故為秦氏三代蒼頭健限奴。餘因好奇。曾視其命造。乃壬水生於仲科。三逢祿旺。所謂崑崙之水。可順而不可逆。月上戊土。煢煢孓立。既不足以制水。反又激水之怒，庚辛兩金。洩土生水。尤足為病，是真身旺無依，老健徒苦而已。

This is Wang's birth chart. From childhood to now, his hands and feet have developed calluses. He has been working in the household of his friend Qin Zanchen, and has never married, living alone. Fortunately, he has been loyal to his master, thus becoming a long-serving servant in the Qin family for three generations. "Cangtou" is an old term for a servant, and the original text mentions "Jianxian nu" which is likely a mistake. Out of curiosity, I once looked at his birth chart. The壬 water is born in the middle of winter, and the positions of申, 子, and 亥 are all strong and favorable for 壬 water, which is called "Kunlun water" in the divination texts—meaning the water is powerful and vast, and it can only be guided according to its nature, not blocked against it. There is a single 戊 earth in the month's dry branch, standing alone, which cannot control the water, but instead provokes its anger. The 庚 and 辛 golds further drain the earth to nourish the water, making the problem even worse. This is truly a case of strong destiny without support. Although he may live a healthy life, he will only be in constant toil without any real benefit.

四十七歲前。一派金水運。不轉溝壑。而得溫飽。已為繳天之幸。已運以還。運轉東南木火。應見起色，據云。三十年來。已積蓄二千餘金。且勤勞如故。其志可嘉。明年換入申運。申之助水。更形氾濫。保身以沒。意中事也。

Before the age of forty-seven, he had been under a metal and water cycle, which further increased the already overflowing water; he was able to avoid hardship and live comfortably, which was already a fortunate situation (the original text mistakenly writes "缴天" instead of "侥天"). After the巳 cycle, the cycle shifted to the southeast with wood and fire. Wood can absorb water, and fire can generate earth, so there should be some improvement. It is said that over the past thirty years, he has saved more than two thousand dollars, and he remains diligent as before; this determination is very commendable. Next year, the cycle will change to申, which is also metal and will further increase the water; the overflow will be even worse. However, being able to maintain his health and live a peaceful old age is within expectation. This case can be compared with the section "Personality" in the chapter "Body Strength" which states "When the body is strong but there is no suppression in the birth chart," the strong energy has nowhere to be expressed. If it falls on a nobleman, it is a sudden and violent force; if it falls on a humble person, it results in a lifetime of hardship.

丁亥 癸丑 庚子 丁亥 九歲 壬子 十九 辛亥 廿九 庚戌 三九 己酉 四九 戊申 五九 丁未

The year pillar is Dinghai, the month pillar is Guichou, the day pillar is Gengzi, and the hour pillar is Dinghai. The day stem Geng metal is born in the Chou month. Starting from age nine, the big luck pillars are in sequence Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, Jiyou, Wushen, and Dingwei. The heavenly stem of the year, Ding, is yin. For a male birth, the sequence is reversed, so from the month pillar Guichou, it goes back to Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, etc. This chart is almost the same as the example of Pan's坤 (earthly) destiny mentioned earlier (Renzi, Guichou, Gengzi, Dinghai). Both are cold metal sitting on water, with the Ding fire being overcome by the Gui water. This shows that even similar charts may differ in fortune and status depending on their luck and compatibility. One cannot simply conclude they are the same destiny just because they appear similar.

嘉善沈恆甫君。雅好命理。時相過從。當示我一丐者之命（排列如上）。夫寒金喜火。所嫌支全亥子丑。北方水旺。又月干癸克丁火。五行無木。未得生化之情。一片寒涼之局。宜其蓬飄萍泛。淪落天涯。歌板臨風。飯籃迎月。鵠形菜色。仰面求人矣。

Jia Shan's Shen Hengfu often visited me and was fond of divination. Once he showed me the fate of a beggar (the arrangement is shown above). Cold metal naturally prefers fire to warm it, but the earthly branches of Hai, Zi, and Chou form a continuous northern region, making water extremely strong. The monthly dry branch, Gui Water, also overcomes the two Ding Fires in the year and hour positions. The entire chart lacks wood, so fire loses its source of generation and cannot receive mutual generation, resulting in an overall cold and bleak situation. It is no wonder he is like a floating reed or a drifting water plant, wandering through the world. He sings with a lotus board in the wind, carries a meal basket under the moonlight, appears emaciated and pale, and begs for alms by looking up at people. The absence of wood in this chart is the most critical point: with wood, water generates wood, and wood generates fire, transforming the cold chart instantly. Without wood, water and fire are in opposition, only mutual control remains.

且運皆金水。繼不為東郭乞食 。亦必為溝壑餓莩。設此等命局。運行東南木火。未始非季子買臣。由困入亨之一流，富貴貧賤。固繫乎命。然運之芝枯盛衰，關鍵尤為重要。管子曰。壽之修短有數。命之顯晦有定。要皆運會豐塞維繫之。誠哉是言。我輩為人評命，對於運途之推敲。不可或忽也。

Moreover, the great destiny periods are all in metal and water. Even if one does not end up like Qi's Dongguo begging for food among the tombs, one will certainly become a starving corpse in a ditch. If such a fate could encounter the destiny periods of eastern-southern wood and fire, it might not be unlike Su Qin or Zhu Mai Chen, who turned from hardship to success (Su Qin, whose courtesy name was Jizi, was once destitute; Zhu Mai Chen carried firewood while reading, and later reached high office). Wealth and poverty, nobility and humility are indeed determined by fate, but the prosperity and decline of destiny periods are especially crucial. Guanzi said: the length of life is fixed, the brightness and obscurity of fate have a definite limit, and all of this is sustained by the richness or blockage of destiny periods. This statement is indeed accurate. When evaluating someone's fate, we must never neglect the examination of their destiny periods.

戊戌 庚申 己酉 壬申 九歲 辛酉 十九 壬戌 廿九 癸亥 三九 甲子 四九 乙丑 五九 丙寅

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Wu Xu, the month are Geng Shen, the day are Ji You, and the hour are Ren Shen. The day stem Ji Tu was born in the month of Shen. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny runs in the order of Xin You, Ren Xu, Gui Hai, Jia Zi, Yi Chou, Bing Yin. The heavenly stem of the year Wu is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month stem Geng Shen, it proceeds in order to Xin You, Ren Xu, Gui Hai, etc. In this case, the earthly branches Shen, You, and Xu are all present, indicating a complete presence of metal in the west. The heavenly stems also reveal Geng metal and Ren water, which completely drain the qi of the day stem Ji Tu. There is not even a single trace of fire in the chart. The classic texts on destiny discuss the fate of those who leave home, first looking at the presence of single and lonely energies, and secondly, the relationship between the body and the chart. This case clearly shows a situation where the body is weak and has no support.

此為一僧侶之命。孫福堂為餘言。是僧三歲父母雙亡。七歲為舅氏粥入某寺。藩髮昄依。按已酉日元。生於申月。支全西方。干透庚壬。金勢猛烈。洩氣太過。局中無火。只可用劫然戊土虛脫。用神無力。終以身弱傷重，無印為病，固生成寒微之命也。

This is the birth chart of a monk. Sun Futang told me that this monk lost both parents at the age of three, and at seven was sold by his maternal uncle into a certain temple (the original text "zhu ru" refers to "yu ru," meaning sold into). He shaved his head and became a Buddhist monk. According to the birth chart, the person was born on the Jiyou day stem in the Shen month. The earthly branches Shen, You, and Xu form the Western Metal trinity, and the heavenly stems also reveal the metal庚 and water壬. The metal force is very strong, and the qi of the day stem is excessively drained. There is no fire at all in the chart, so only the year stem Wu土, which is a helper, can support the day stem. However, Wu土 is also weak and ineffective. The useful god is weak. Basically, the body is weak and the official star (庚金), which drains the body, is too strong, and there is no minister star (印绶) to nourish the body and protect the ruler. This is the root of the problem. It is originally a humble and poor destiny due to the inherent weakness.

喜忌篇雲。日干旺甚無依。若不為僧即道。今乃知向弱無依。亦黃冠客。空桑子之一流耳。九歲以來，皆行金水運。清淨無為。孓然一向。鮮淑堪言。然以後甲子乙丑。水木之鄉。亦不過謝絕紅塵。砥礪清修。誦經禮佛。度其老納生溽而已。甲運若不圓寂。可至寅運以臻樂土。

The *Xi Ji Pian* says: Those whose day stem is extremely strong but lacks support will either become monks or hermits. Now I realize that those whose day stem is extremely weak and lacks support are also destined to be hermits (the "Yellow Crowned Guest") or monks ("Empty桑Son," using the story of Yi Yin being born in an empty桑 to refer to monks). He has been traveling through the metal and water paths since the age of nine, leading a life of purity and inaction, alone and without much good fortune. In the future, during the Jia Zi and Yi Chou years, which are water and wood paths, he will merely reject worldly affairs, cultivate himself in purity, chant scriptures and worship Buddha, spending his life as an old monk. If he does not pass away during the Jia path, he may reach the寅 path and enter a blissful land—the寅 contains Bing fire, which brings warmth to a cold situation, being the only time in his life he encounters fire.

戊辰 戊午 辛丑 戊戌 三歲 己未 十三 庚申 廿三 辛酉 三三 壬戌 四三 癸亥 五三 甲子

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Wu Chen, of the month Wu Wu, of the day Xin Chou, and of the hour Wu Xu. The day stem Xin Metal is born in the month of Wu Fire. The big years start at age three, in the order Ji Wei, Geng Shen, Xin You, Ren Xu, Gui Hai, and Jia Zi. The heavenly stem of the year Wu is yang, and for a male's fortune, it is arranged in order. Therefore, starting from the month stem Wu Wu, it proceeds in order to Ji Wei, Geng Shen, Xin You, and so on. This child was born and died within a month, so none of the big years listed were actually experienced. They are recorded here only to show the complete method of arrangement. In this case, there are three Wu Earths, and among the four Earthly Branches of Chen, Xu, Chou, and You, three are present. The earth is extremely heavy, while the Xin Metal is delicate and tender. There is no Wood in the Five Phases. The comment below is derived from the phrase "heavy earth burying metal."

此造產生甫經匝月。即遭夭折。初視之。殺印相生。不似殤孩。然重重厚土埋。藏脆嫩之金。五行無木。未得疏揚之利。一重午火，缺木之生。多土之晦。更夫能為力。滴天髓所謂氣濁神柘者是也。

This birth chart belongs to a child who died just one month after birth. At first glance, the pattern appears favorable, with the午 fire seven killer (seven deadly) generating the戊 earth official (nourishing) and the official nourishing the辛 metal day master, forming a "killer and official mutually generating" structure, which is not typically seen in cases of early death. However, the thick layers of earth suffocate the delicate辛 metal. The辛 metal, being yin metal, is like jewels, which are most vulnerable to being buried by excessive earth. Moreover, there is no wood in the five phases, so there is no wood to loosen the earth's oppressive energy. The only午 fire is not supported by wood above, and is drained by the earth below, leaving it powerless. This is exactly what the "Dripping Heaven's Pearl" (Drop Tian Mei) says: "the qi is turbid and the spirit is withered" (the original text says "shen zhe," which should be "shen ku"). When the qi is turbid and the spirit is withered, even if there is a pattern, it cannot sustain a life.

渠父於產後即囑余推算。並欲選一湯餅之期。余謂之曰。近則已未月。遠則己已年。土勢猛烈。蘭摧玉折。堪為憂慮。後果於六月病亡。誠哉。命有定數。不可強也，客歲又見一命。與此造同類。惟為甲午時。土有木疏。宜其聰穎堅強。然未來庚運之沖甲。殊屬不利。姑視其後。竊恐亦非壽徵耳。

The father of the child asked me to calculate after the birth and also wanted to choose a day for the baby's first birthday celebration (called "tangbing"). I told him that the near date would be the month of Jiwei, and the far date would be the year of Jisi. The earth element was very strong, and I feared that the child might suffer a sudden and tragic death, which was worrying. Later, the child indeed died in June. Indeed, fate is fixed, and it cannot be forced. Last year, I met another case with the same birth chart, except that the time pillar was Jiawu, which added an extra Jia wood. The earth element was thus able to be relieved by the wood, so the child was intelligent and strong. However, in the future, the Geng period will clash with the Jia wood, which is very unfavorable. Let's see what happens in the future. I privately fear that it is not a sign of a long life. Two similar birth charts differed by just one character, yet the outcomes were completely different. This is exactly what Wei emphasized, the importance of "coordination" and "harmony."

庚申 甲申 癸卯 庚申 十歲 乙酉 二十 丙戌 三十 丁亥 四十 戊子 五十 己丑 六十 庚寅

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Geng Shen, of the month Jia Shen, of the day Gui Mao, and of the hour Geng Shen. The day stem Gui water is born in the month of Shen. Starting from the age of ten, the big destiny runs in sequence: Yi You, Bing Xu, Ding Hai, Wu Zi, Ji Chou, Geng Yin. The heavenly stem of the year Geng is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month stem Jia Shen, it proceeds in order to Yi You, Bing Xu, Ding Hai, and so on. This destiny has three Shens and two Gengs, making five instances of metal to nourish the Gui water. Only the heavenly stem of the month Jia wood and the earthly branch of the day Mao wood provide two points of wood energy. Excess metal makes the water turbid, and weak wood is injured, which is the basis for the conclusion of disability mentioned later. It is the same as the previous case of a stillborn child, both belonging to the category of "heavy nourishing energy but light body," resulting in one dying and the other being disabled, with different degrees but similar underlying causes.

前論印重身輕之命。生甫匝月。即遭夭殤。余曾於友人家得視一造。亦為印重身輕。但僅不良於行。體格尚健。茲已魁梧奇偉。有成人氣象矣。夫癸水生於孟秋。重金五見。實鑑所謂金多水濁。亦滿盤濁氣耳。甲卯雨水，既時失勢。豈能周旋於刀槍劍戟之中。

The previous discussion concerned a destiny with heavy印 (nourishing) and light日主 (solar master), which resulted in the person dying shortly after birth. I once saw another case with the same heavy印 and light日主, but the person was only slightly disabled and still had a strong physique, and now has grown into a tall and strong figure, showing a mature adult appearance. Let's examine this case:癸 water was born in the first month of autumn, July, with gold appearing in five places, which is exactly what the "宝鉴" (Treasure Mirror) says, "too much gold makes water turbid." The entire chart is filled with turbid energy. Normally,印 nourishes the日主, but when it is excessive, it becomes a disaster, and instead of clarifying the日主's clear energy, it makes it turbid. In this chart, there are two points of甲 wood and卯 wood, which are not in season and lack strength. How can they survive amidst the heavy gold, which is like swords and spears?

命局偏枯如是，益以兩歲辛酉年。沖去卯木長生。陰金陽金會合。其遭殘疾宜矣。設非跛足。殃禍之變。或有更甚者，刻走酉運以戊寅年最凶。丙運以下。雲開見日，錦繡前程。未可限量。

The destiny chart is extremely imbalanced. In the year of age two, the person was born in the year of Xinyou. The metal of You (酉) conflicts with the Day Branch of Mao (卯), thus destroying the growth position of the wood in Mao. The Yin metal (Xin and You) combines with the Yang metal (Geng and Shen) to form a powerful force, which crushes the wood. Wood represents the limbs and bones, so disability is inevitable. If not crippled, the misfortune might be even worse. Now the person is entering the You (酉) period, and the most dangerous year is Wuyin (戊寅), as the寅 and 申 conflict, causing the roots of the wood to move again. In the丙 period, fire warms the chart and controls the heavy metal, thus the clouds disperse and the sun appears, leading to a brilliant future. This case is listed together with another case of a stillborn child, indicating that the same illness may have different severity and different degrees of manifestation. Reading destiny requires the ability to judge the extent.

甲寅 丁卯 戊寅 甲寅 十一 戊辰 廿一 己巳 三一 庚午 四一 辛未 五一 壬申 六一 癸酉 七一 甲戌

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Jia Yin, the month is Ding Mao, the day is Wu Yin, and the hour is Jia Yin. The day's ruler is Wu Earth, born in the month of Mao. Starting from age eleven, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Wu Chen, Ji Si, Geng Wu, Xin Wei, Ren Shen, Gui You, and Jia Xu. The heavenly stem of the year, Jia, is yang. For a male destiny, the sequence is in the order of the heavenly stems. Therefore, starting from the month stem Ding Mao, it proceeds in order to Wu Chen, Ji Si, Geng Wu, etc. In this destiny, there are three Yins, one Mao, and two Jias, so the wood element occupies six positions. The Wu Earth day ruler is isolated and unsupported, with only the Ding Fire stem in the month as a single source of support. Wood overcoming earth is the seven killing stars, and the killing stars are extremely heavy while the body is very weak. The following passage uses this destiny to explain the difference between 'controlling the killing stars' and 'transforming the killing stars', which is the most brilliant part of the entire discussion.

汪君以此命垂詢。謂繫亡友孫群之造。何以生前走火運大利。金運大敗。申金運且作屈原汨羅以自盡。余曰。殺重身輕。設無丁印。何以自存。殺之太過。逢傷食制之不足。反激其怒。何如印綬生化之為美。此所以金運遠不及火運也。申運沖寅。一金為三木所敗。命遭不祿。亦所當然。

Wang Jun brought this birth chart to ask me, saying it is the chart of his deceased friend Sun Qun, and he asked why during his lifetime he benefited greatly when he was in the fire period, but suffered great defeat during the metal period, and finally committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River during the Shen metal period. I answered: This chart has a heavy seven killer and a weak day master. If there were not the Ding fire in the month's heavenly stem to serve as a seal, the day master would have no way to survive. When the seven killer is too strong, if the food and injury are used to control it but lack sufficient strength, it only provokes the anger of the seven killer, which cannot be compared to the stability of using the seal to transform the killer energy. That is why during the metal period (metal being food and injury, controlling the killer but with weak strength) he suffered much more than during the fire period (fire being the seal, transforming the killer and nurturing the self). The Shen period conflicts with the three Yin periods, and one metal has to face three woods, being outnumbered and defeated by the woods, thus leading to his death, which is natural.

夫殺重之命。正如盜匪侵主逢印。如遇仲連排難。足以斡旋兩方。各不傷和。若逢傷官食神。而無力量。乃如忽至老弱殘警。欲逮捕之。勢必警匪相戰。終於警為匪殺。反激匪怒。為事主者。則如棟折榱崩。其危不言可喻矣。故凡命中忌神太過只宜洩化不宜強制制之有力則益。制之不足則損，此亦餘經驗談也。

The author then gave a very vivid analogy: a命 with a strong killer (杀) is like a bandit breaking into a homeowner's house. At this moment, if the person meets a印绶, it is like inviting someone as capable as Lu Zhonglian, who is good at resolving disputes, to mediate between the two sides, so neither party is harmed. The印绶 is both generated by the killer and turns to nourish the self, benefiting both sides. However, if what appears is a伤官 or 食神 with insufficient strength, it is like suddenly having a few weak and injured police officers trying to arrest the bandits, inevitably leading to a fight. The police are then killed, further angering the bandits. The main house, which represents the person's own strength, is like the main beam breaking and the rafters collapsing, the danger is evident. Therefore, for a命 where the Hostile God is too strong, it is only suitable to release or transform it, not to forcefully control it. Only when it can be controlled is it beneficial; if it cannot be controlled, it will cause harm. This is my own experience.

壬午 己酉 庚申 丙子 八歲 庚戌 十八 辛亥 廿八 壬子 三八 癸丑 四八 甲寅 五八 乙卯

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Renwu, of the month Jiyou, of the day Gengshen, and of the hour Bingzi. The day stem Geng metal is born in the month of You. Starting from the age of eight, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Gengxu, Xinhai, Renzi, Guichou, Jiayin, Yimao. The heavenly stem of the year, Ren, is yang. For a male destiny, the sequence is followed in order, so from the month column Jiyou, it proceeds in sequence to Gengxu, Xinhai, Renzi, etc. In this case, the Geng metal day stem is born in the month of You and sits on Shen, thus having both its strength and prosperity. The heavenly stem of the year, Ren water, is released and shows its brilliance. The Shen and Zi branches form a water trinity, thus forming a water group. The heavenly stem of the hour, Bing fire, is the seven killer, but it is isolated and has no root. Previous people advised him to use the seven killer for government service, but the author prefers to use the food and grain (food god) for commerce. The difference between the two views lies entirely in whether the Bing fire can withstand the water. The following text is a debate on this issue.

此潮州人鄭君命造也。曩時請人批命。咸謂酉月庚申日。喜火鍛鍊。應用丙殺。有勸其涉跡政界者。前歲囑余推評。余曰。庚金得祿旺於秋令。年干透壬。支會申子。水盛而居相位。丙火豈能敵相水而制旺金。五行缺木。丙更無力。殺弗能和，不如用壬水食神。以順金勢，並洩秀氣。

This is the birth chart of a man from Chaozhou named Zheng. Previously, when people cast his fortune, they said that with a day of Gengshen on the酉 month, he would benefit from fire to refine, and they suggested taking the time dry branch丙 fire as the useful element, and some even advised him to enter politics. Two years ago, he asked me to evaluate his fortune. I said: Geng metal is strong in the酉 month and gets its official position in the申 branch, so it is extremely strong. The heavenly stem of the year reveals Ren water, and the earth branches of申 and Zi form a water trinity, so water is abundant and occupies the "phase" position (the ruling element is strong, and the element generated by the ruling element is in the phase position; in autumn, metal generates water, so water receives the phase energy). How can a small amount of丙 fire compete with dominant water and control extremely strong metal? Moreover, the five elements lack wood, and the丙 fire has no source to generate it, making it even weaker. The seven killing element cannot be harmonized. It would be better to take the Ren water food god as the useful element, following the momentum of metal to release it, and bringing out the refined quality.

士而為商。庶乎近之。金水澄清。貨殖餘暇。致力名山事業。亦足以著述自豪。豈不快意。鄭君領首應之曰。幼攻舉子業。但終功名不售。年三十一。改營商務。則得心應手。尤以甲，運盈財最巨。並謂素上詞曲。原將畢生著作。付梓問世。

The food god governs the mouth and stomach, and also governs business operations. Therefore, when a scholar turns to commerce, it becomes more in line with his destiny. The metal and water are clear and the atmosphere is transparent, so during his spare time from business he devotes himself to writing, which is a lasting career. This is something to be proud of, isn't it? Zheng nodded and replied: I studied for the imperial examinations in my childhood, but I never succeeded in obtaining an official position. At the age of thirty-one, I switched to business and found it easy to handle, especially during the Jia period when I made the greatest profits. He also said that he has always loved poetry and songs, and he intended to publish all his writings for the world. The author's interpretation matches his actual experiences sentence by sentence, showing that whether the useful god is correctly or incorrectly selected directly determines the path a person takes in life.

洵哉。評命擇業。關鍵全繫乎用神之斟酌。設鄭君羨慕虛榮。而信用殺之一言。終身捲入宦海。恐一官半秩。且未得意。巨不惜乎。預卜寅乙兩運。食神見財。營商獲利。更有厚望焉。

Indeed, when assessing a person's destiny to choose a career, the key lies in the consideration of the useful god. If Master Zheng were envious of vanity and believed the phrase "using the killing god to enter politics," he might be involved in officialdom all his life, but perhaps he would not even be able to attain a position of power, which would be a pity (the original text says "ju bu xi hu," where "ju" should be "qi"). Looking ahead to the years of Yin and Yi, when the food god meets the wealth star (Yin and Yi are both wood, which are the wealth for the metal庚), the food god generates wealth, so engaging in business will certainly bring profit, and this is even more promising. Comparing this case with previous ones such as Rong Zongjing and Xian Guansheng, we can see that Wei's theory of career does not determine status based on the names of the ten gods, but rather asks whether this god can function effectively in this particular chart.

癸酉 庚申 壬子 辛亥 八歲 己未 十八 戊午 廿八 丁巳 三八 丙辰 四八 乙卯 五八 甲寅 六八 癸丑

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Guiyou, the month Gengshen, the day Renzi, and the hour Xinhai. The day stem Ren water is born in the month of Shen, which is the metal element. Starting from the age of eight, the big destiny cycle proceeds in the order Jiwei, Wuwu, Dingsi, Bingchen, Yimao, Jiayin, and Guichou. Since the heavenly stem of the year Gui is yin, for a male's destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, starting from the month Gengshen and going back to Jiwei, Wuwu, Dingsi, etc. In the early years, the person is in the southern direction of fire and earth, but in middle age, the person moves to the eastern direction of wood. Among the eight characters, there are only two elements: metal and water. The metal elements are Geng, Xin, Shen, and You, which belong to the western direction, and the water elements are Ren, Gui, Hai, and Zi, which belong to the northern direction. They are evenly balanced with no fire or earth mixed in, which is called "two elements forming a pattern" in the fortune books. The following discussion is based on this pattern.

此命為兩行成象。蓋庚辛申酉西方金。壬癸亥子北方水。金水各居其半。兩行相停。無火土混淆。益以壬祿在亥。庚祿在申。癸祿在子。辛祿在酉。又稱交祿。洵貴格也。王元鼎囑余推餘。余曰。當必仕宦中人。決非凡俗一流。其清純無疵。亦且權高位崇。廉潔有政聲。漢代循吏。不是過也。

This destiny belongs to the "two lines forming an image" pattern: Geng, Xin, Shen, and You belong to the Western Metal, while Ren, Gui, Hai, and Zi belong to the Northern Water. Metal and Water each occupy half, with equal weight, and there is no fire or earth to interfere. The destiny is pure, with only one kind of energy, thus forming its own pattern without following the usual principles of suppression and support. Moreover, Ren's seat is in Hai, Geng's seat is in Shen, Gui's seat is in Zi, and Xin's seat is in You. Each of the four heavenly stems has its seat in the earthly branches, which is called "intersecting seats" or "crossing seats." This is indeed a noble pattern. Wang Yuanding asked me to calculate, and I said: This must certainly belong to an official in government service, definitely not an ordinary person. The destiny is pure and flawless, and holds power and high position, as an official who is clean and has a good reputation. The Han dynasty historical records called such officials "upright officials" (xun li), and they would not be different from this.

餘因詢之王君。此命為何許人。王君笑而應之曰。先生言之誠是。惟其姓名。恕守秘密。政界翹楚之一耳。據聞四十歲前。栗碌鮮祥。辰運後。方見風雲際會。蓋早年一派火土運。火之克金。土之克水。大悖于格。自屬坎坷。

I therefore asked Wang Jun: What kind of person is this fate? Wang Jun smiled and replied: You are entirely correct, sir, but as for the name, I must keep it a secret. He is one of the outstanding figures in politics. It is said that before he was forty, he had little success and few good things happened to him; but after entering the Chen cycle, he began to meet great opportunities. This is because in his early years he had a continuous flow of fire and earth fortune. Fire was attacking metal, and earth was attacking water, which greatly contradicted the pattern of "two lines forming an image." A specialized pattern most dislikes something coming to break its purity, so he naturally faced difficulties during those years.

迨辰運之曾成水局。乙卯甲三運。木之洩秀。宜其平地聲雷。登龍門而名高望重。展驥足以氣吐眉揚。寅運沖申，雖有亥合。終屬不利。幸勿戀棧。早退林泉為最妙。

When the Chen cycle comes, Chen combines with Shen and Zi to form a water trinity (the original text says "Zeng Cheng" but should be "Hui Cheng"), restoring the pattern to its pure form; then during the Yi, Mao, and Jia cycles, wood comes to release the refined energy of water — the best situation for two lines forming a pattern is to follow their trend and release it, rather than against it and to suppress. Therefore, he suddenly rises to fame and reputation, like a swift thunderclap, leaping over the dragon gate, as a fine horse finally gets its legs free and feels proud and triumphant. When the Yin cycle comes, Yin conflicts with the month's branch Shen, although sometimes the hidden branch Hai combines with Yin, it is still unfavorable; at that time, it would be best not to cling to official positions and to retire early to the mountains and forests.

辛丑 乙未 己亥 壬申 七歲 丙申 十七 丁酉 廿七 戊戌 三七 己亥 四七 庚子 五七 辛丑

This is the birth chart of a woman renowned for her skill in painting. Her heavenly stem and earthly branch for the year are Xinchou, for the month Yiwei, for the day Jihai, and for the hour Renshen. The day stem Jihai is born in the month of Wei. Starting from age seven, her major years are in sequence Bingshen, Dingyou, Wuxu, Jihai, Gengzi, and Xinchou. The heavenly stem of the year Xinh is yin, and for a woman born in a yin year, the major years are arranged in order. Therefore, starting from the month stem Yiwei, they proceed in sequence to Bingshen, Dingyou, Wuxu, etc. In this chart, the earthly branches Chou and Wei are in conflict, and the heavenly stems Xinh and Yi are in opposition, seeming to be in contention. However, the heavenly stem of the hour Renshen is the wealth, and the Hai branch contains the heavenly stem Meth, which is the official. Wealth can generate official, which is crucial for a woman's marriage fortune.

此蘭英史之命也。女史以善畫名於時。已生未月。身主不弱。地支丑未相沖。天干辛乙交戰。七殺為食神追制。不如亥中甲木正官。寄生於母宮火為美。應以官為夫星。時透壬財。則財以生官。而官不畏傷食剋制。宜其英姿瘋爽。藝術絕倫。益且夫子面美。誠得天獨厚者也。

This is the birth chart of Lan Ying, a woman renowned for her painting skills. The day stem is Ji Earth, born in the month of Wei, where the original strength of the earth element is in command, and the day ruler is not weak. The earth branches have Chou and Wei in conflict, and the heavenly stems have Yi Wood and Xin Metal in struggle. Yi Wood is the seven killer of Ji Earth, while Xin Metal is the food god. The food god closely follows to control the killer, causing the killer to be injured, making it not suitable for use. It is better to take the hidden Meth Wood official in the hour branch Hai. Meth Wood is in Hai and has growth, and it is born from the mother palace (water nourishes wood, so water is called the mother palace of wood). The combination is more harmonious. For a woman's chart, the official star represents the husband. This chart should take Meth Wood official as the husband. The hour stem also reveals Ren Water as wealth, which nourishes the official, giving the official a source, so it is not afraid of food and injury stars to control. It is no wonder she is spirited and graceful, her art surpasses all, and both husband and son stars are harmonious. She truly has extraordinary fortune.

戊戍十年劫財運。始而夫病幾危。繼則自身遇盜。亦云險矣。此後己運平滯。亥運以下。一路金水。蔗境餘甘。頤養安逸。

The Wuxu decade is a period of劫财, where劫财 takes away wealth, and once wealth is harmed, the official star loses its source. At the beginning, the husband falls seriously ill and is almost beyond recovery, then the person themselves encounters theft and robbery, which is also dangerous. After that, during the Ji decade, the situation is plain and stagnant. From the Hai decade onwards, there is a continuous flow of metal and water. Hai is the long life position of the甲 wood official star, and metal and water can nourish wood and moisten earth, leading to a sweet ending in old age, allowing for a peaceful and comfortable retirement. This section can be compared with the previous chapter on "Wife and Wealth": there it explains that for a man's fortune, looking at his wife involves distinguishing between the wife star and the wife palace; here, for a woman's fortune, looking at her husband involves distinguishing between the husband star and the husband palace. The principle is the same, and one cannot judge solely based on a single character.

神峰通考載有一命。為辛丑乙未戊戍庚申。乃重土重金。而只有一木。正官受損太過。運至酉金。再克木。卒至自縊而亡。按此兩命。一以有財。而官不受害。所以福慧雙修。一以無財。而成偏枯之局。終自經於溝瀆。不綦慘乎。總之。女命首重夫子兩星。然求夫子兩宮之並美。更非財星不為功也。

The Shenfeng Comprehensive Examination records a destiny: Xinchou, Yiwei, Wuxu, Gengshen. In this case, the earth is heavy and the metal is also heavy, with only one wood, causing the official star to be excessively damaged. When it reaches the You year, the metal again harms the wood, eventually leading to suicide by hanging. Comparing these two destinies: one has a wealth star (Ren water) in the middle to mediate, so the official star is not harmed, resulting in both wisdom and fortune. The other lacks the wealth star, forming an imbalanced destiny, and finally dies in a ditch, which is very tragic. In summary, for a woman's destiny, the husband and son stars are most important. However, to achieve a perfect husband and son, one cannot succeed without the wealth star. The wealth star can generate the official star and protect it, serving as the key to a woman's destiny. These two destinies are presented side by side, which is the usual contrast method used by Wei's school: same year and month but slightly different configurations, leading to vastly different fortunes and misfortunes.

乙未 甲申 癸巳 丙辰 三歲 癸未 十三 壬午 廿三 辛巳 三三 庚辰 四三 己卯 五三 戊寅

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Yi Wei, of the month Ji Shen, of the day Gui Si, and of the hour Bing Chen. The day's main element, Gui water, is born in the month of Shen. The big destiny starts at age three, in the order Gui Wei, Ren Wu, Xin Si, Geng Chen, Ji Mao, Wu Yin. The heavenly stem of the year, Yi, is yin. For a male's destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month stem Ji Shen, it goes back to Gui Wei, Ren Wu, Xin Si, etc. This case and the one mentioned later of a friend's destiny differ only in the exchange of the year's earthly branch and the day's earthly branch (one is Yi Wei and Gui Si, the other is Yi Si and Gui Wei). The eight characters are exactly the same but in different positions, which perfectly illustrates the distinction of "same character in different positions." This is a rare comparison in the entire text.

漳州中央銀行總理陸維屏君。精研命理。當示余二造。八字相同。惟年支日支易位而已。一即陸君本人之命。（排列如上）一乃其友。廈門交通銀行某君之造。為乙巳甲申癸未丙辰。余曰。癸水生申月。母強子健。辰為水之餘氣。巳申又化水。身不為弱。甲乙丙並透。則木火金水相停。

Mr. Lu Weiping, the governor of the Central Bank of Zhangzhou, has deeply studied the art of divination. He once examined two birth charts for me: both had the same eight characters, but the positions of the year branch and the day branch were swapped. One was Mr. Lu's own birth chart (as listed above), and the other was the birth chart of his friend, a certain gentleman from the Xiamen Communications Bank, which was: Yi Si, Ji Shen, Gui Wei, Bing Chen. I said: The癸water is born in the month of Shen, which is the mother of water. Since the mother is strong, the son is healthy. The Chen is the residual energy of water, and the Si and Shen are in harmony, which can transform water. Therefore, the day's main element is not weak. The heavenly stems of Ji, Yi, and Bing are all revealed, and the four elements of wood, fire, metal, and water are in balance, none being excessive or lacking. Up to this point, the analysis of both charts is exactly the same. Differences appear only in the next level.

惟君造坐巳。巳內有庚金。日主較強，貴友坐未。未為燥土。並中藏木火。日主較弱。所以有異者。君喜逢木火。貴友喜遇金水。揆諸行運。都金水蓋頭。以論環境。或君不如貴友耳。陸君唯唯而退。

Your day branch is巳, which contains hidden庚 metal; metal can generate water, so your day stem is strong. Your friend's day branch is未, which is dry earth and contains hidden wood and fire; these elements drain and consume water, making his day stem weak. The difference lies in this one point: you have a strong body and prefer to meet wood and fire (which drain and consume your strength); your friend has a weak body and prefers to meet metal and water (which generate and support his strength). Now comparing their overall fortune, both have big years with heavenly stems of metal and water 'covering the head' (the heavenly stem of the big year is above the earthly branch). Therefore, in terms of environment, you may actually be worse off than your friend. Master Lu nodded repeatedly and left. This case is most instructive: with the same eight characters, merely changing the day branch leads to completely opposite favorable and unfavorable elements. This is exactly what 'a hair's difference leads to a thousand miles' means.

丙戌 丙申 乙巳 庚辰 三歲 乙未 十三 甲午 廿三 癸巳 三三 壬辰 四三 辛卯 五三 庚寅

This is a female birth chart. The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Bingxu, the month are Bingshen, the day are Yisi, and the hour are Gengchen. The day stem Yi wood is born in the month of Shen (metal). The big destiny starts at age three, with the sequence Yiwei, Jiawu, Guisi, Renchen, Xinmao, Gengyin. Since the heavenly stem of the year Bing is yang and for a female birth chart the order is reversed, the month Bingshen is reversed to Yiwei, Jiawu, Guisi, etc. In early years, the path is towards the southeast, with wood and fire. In this chart, the heavenly stem of the hour Gengjin is the official star (husband star) of Yi wood. It sits in the month of Shen and thus has a strong position. However, the two Bing fire stems in the year and month, along with the fire in the day branch Si, combine to strongly overcome Gengjin. The entire chart lacks water, which is the basis for the analysis of her two marriages.

此乃女命。乙生申月。時座庚金。夫星得祿。惜乎兩丙一巳。克庚太甚。且五行少水。無印幫身。亦屬偏枯之局。更以早年多東南運。故綠窗貧苦。落於寒微之門。初嬪木商，行屆已運。忽失所天。淒涼特甚。

This is a female destiny. The ethereal stem Yi Wood is born in the month of Shen, and the time pillar is occupied by Geng Metal. Geng Metal is strong in Shen, so the husband's star is originally powerful. Unfortunately, the two丙 fires in the year and month, along with the丙 fire in the day branch巳, strongly overcome Geng Metal. The丙 fire is the official star of Yi Wood, and the official star is most capable of harming the husband's star. Moreover, there is a deficiency in the Five Phases of Water, and there is no印 to support the body or to control the official star, which leads to an imbalanced destiny. Furthermore, in early years she traveled through the Southeast Wood and Fire paths, which made the fire even stronger and the official star even more harmed. Therefore, she was born into a humble background and experienced hardship in her youth. "Green window" refers to the dwelling place of a poor woman. She initially married a timber merchant, but when she reached the巳 path, the巳 fire combined with Shen and overcame Geng Metal, leading to her husband's sudden death. Her situation became exceptionally bleak.

三十五歲再醮某醫。醫本無藉藉名，得婦後。生涯激增。門庭若市。十餘年來。盈財鉅萬。家境日隆。查此子之行壬辰辛三運。水金幫夫。或亦與有功歟。婦聞術家言。卯寅運皆多不利。因就詢於餘。余曰。卯運幫身。且蓋頭為辛金。不足為慮。庚運助官。晚境最優。寅運沖申。官根動搖。非自身殲滅。即夫遭不祿。尤以六十一歲丙戍年。危如累卵矣。

At thirty-five, she remarried a doctor. This doctor had no notable reputation before marrying her, but after the marriage, his business suddenly flourished, his house was always full of visitors, and in the course of ten years, he accumulated great wealth, and his family's situation became increasingly prosperous. Checking her three periods of life, the壬 water restrained the丙, the辰 earth generated metal, and the辛 metal assisted the official star, all of which helped the husband's star. This is probably also beneficial—according to the命书, the wife can support the husband, and what is looked at is whether the husband's star is strong in the wife's chart. This woman heard from a fortune teller that the卯 and寅 periods were not very favorable, so she came to ask me. I said: the卯 period is the same zodiac as the husband, which helps the body, and the heavenly stem at the top of the period is 辛 metal, which can protect the official star, so it is not something to worry about. The庚 period directly supports the official star, and the later years will be the best. The寅 period conflicts with the monthly branch 申, causing the foundation of the official star to be shaken; it is not the woman who suffers, but the husband who may face misfortune; especially in the Bingxu year at the age of sixty-one, the丙 fire will again restrain the庚 metal, and the situation will be as precarious as a stack of eggs.

甲辰 丁丑 辛未 戊戌 二歲 戊寅 十二 己卯 廿二 庚辰 三二 辛巳 四二 壬午 五二 癸未

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Jiachen, the month Dingchou, the day Xinwei, and the hour Wuxu. The day stem is Xin metal, born in the month of Chou. Starting from the age of two, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Wuyin, Jimao, Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu, and Guiwei. The heavenly stem of the year, Ji wood, is yang, and for a male destiny, it proceeds in the order of the month. Therefore, from Dingchou, it proceeds in order to Wuyin, Jimao, Gengchen, and so on. In this case, the earthly branches include four earth repositories: Chen, Chou, Wei, and Xu, all of which are earth. The heavenly stem of the hour also reveals Wutu, so the earth is abundant and the Xin metal is weak. The phrase "heavy earth burying metal" is immediately apparent. The heavenly stem of the year, Ji wood, could normally remove the earth, but it is instead drained by the heavenly stem of the month, Ding fire. This is the root of the problem. The subsequent selection of elements and the comparison with the case of a juren (a person who passed the imperial examination) are all based on this.

此為杜白先生之命。杜先生供職郵局。客歲從餘學命。一年來頗見猛進。近蒙討論其本命之喜忌。余曰。辛生冬尾春前。四支皆土。時座透戊。則更不免土重金埋。年頭甲木。足可制土。何奈丁火毗鄰。洩木生土。病根深矣。

This is the birth chart of Du Bai先生. Du先生 works in the post office, and last year he began studying astrology with me. In the past year, he has made rapid progress. Recently, he discussed with me the favorable and unfavorable elements in his own birth chart. I said:辛 gold is born in the twelfth month, which is the end of winter and the beginning of spring. All four earthly branches are earth, and the time pillar also reveals Wu earth. This inevitably leads to excessive earth burying the gold. 辛 gold is a soft and delicate metal, like a pearl or jade, which is most afraid of thick earth covering it. It is not like 庚 gold, which is hard and dull, and can be nourished by earth. The heavenly stem at the year pillar, 甲 wood, is originally sufficient to control the earth, but unfortunately, 丁 fire is closely adjacent, which dissipates the energy of 甲 wood and instead nourishes the earth. One dissipation and one nourishment, the root of the problem becomes deep. This is what the divination texts call "disease": there is originally a supportive element, but it is secretly destroyed by another element.

自喜水之克丁。木之疏土。而獨忌火土之助虐。逢金雖傷甲木。但能幫身。稍解母旺子虛之苦。不作劣論。一生以庚辛運足可溫飽。壬運合丁。如鴻毛遇風。飄然而舉。枯苗得雨。勃然而舉。巳午運生土堪憂。幸蓋頭為辛壬。天不困人。瑕瑜互見而已。

Therefore, he naturally prefers water to overcome the Ding fire and wood to loosen the earth's energy, while specifically avoiding fire and earth that would exacerbate his condition. When encountering metal, although metal overcomes Jia wood and injures the saving deity, it can support the day master and slightly alleviate the hardship of "mother's excess causing the child's deficiency" (earth being the mother, metal the child; excessive mother energy harms the child). Thus, it is not a bad fortune. Throughout his life, the years of Geng and Xin are sufficient for basic sustenance. The years of Ren combine with Ding fire, restraining the harmful deity that drains wood and generates earth, just like a feather encountering wind, rising effortlessly; or a withered crop meeting rain, suddenly reviving. The years of Si and Wu involve fire generating earth, which is cause for concern; fortunately, the heavenly stems covering these years are Xin and Ren, which can reduce the strength of the earth branches, so heaven does not completely cut off his path, though it is a mixture of good and bad.

三命通會載有一舉人命。為甲寅丁丑辛未戊戍。與君造僅差一字。緣甲坐寅位。財較得力。制土功深。所以有刺謬之別矣。然亦以丁火為病。故功名止於孝廉。不能再進官階也。

The *Complete Compendium of the Three Fates* records the fate of a candidate who had the birth chart of Jiayin, Dingchou, Xinwei, and Wuxu. His fate differed from that of Du's only by one character—the year branch Chen being changed to Yin. Because the Jia wood was sitting on the Yin position—Yin is the禄 (favorable position) for Jia wood, meaning the wood had its root—this greatly strengthened the wealth star (wood is the wealth for Xin metal). The wood was able to restrain the group of earths more effectively, so the results of the two charts were very different (the original text says "ci miao" which is "la miao," meaning contradictory). However, the other chart also had Ding fire as the illness, so his official rank only reached the level of a candidate (the old name for a juren is "xiaolian"). He could not advance further. In the same eight characters, changing one character made one person only able to live comfortably and the other pass the juren examination. Both were still restricted by the same illness star—this is the favorite contrast method used in this book.

壬寅 丁未 乙巳 戊寅 七歲 戊申 十七 己酉 廿七 庚戌 三七 辛亥 四七 壬子 五七 癸丑 六七 甲寅

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Renyin, the month Dingwei, the day Yisi, and the hour Wuyin. The day stem is Yimao, and the day master is Yimao, born in the month of Wei. Starting from the age of seven, the big destiny runs in the order of Wushen, Jiyou, Gengxu, Xinhai, Renzi, Guichou, and Jiayin. The heavenly stem of the year, Ren, is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in the order of the month. Therefore, from Dingwei, it proceeds to Wushen, Jiyou, Gengxu, and so on. The first part of the destiny is in the west of metal, and the latter part is in the north of water. In this case, the four earthly branches, Yin, Wei, Si, and Yin, all contain fire. The heavenly stem of the year, Ren water, is combined by the heavenly stem of the month, Ding fire. The heavenly stem of the hour, Wu earth, is dry earth. The entire chart is extremely hot in terms of dryness and heat, which is the entire basis for the subsequent analysis of illness.

人之疾病。亦可由命中推測。然有驗有不驗。蓋命該究患何疾。只能言其端緒。不能指其微。大抵以寒暖燥溼推之。百不失一焉。

A person's illness can also be predicted from their destiny, though some predictions are accurate and others are not. Because a destiny can only roughly indicate what illness a person may suffer, it cannot specify such fine details. In general, one can predict illness by referring to the four elements of cold, warmth, dryness, and dampness, and this method is always accurate. This passage complements the previous section on "Diseases" which discusses the correspondence between the Five Phases and the five internal organs: the Five Phases determine the location of the illness in the internal organs, while cold, warmth, dryness, and dampness determine the nature of the illness. Only by combining both can an accurate diagnosis be made. The following case is an example of diagnosis based on dryness and heat.

如文學家兼書法家倪古蓮先生。久耳餘名。囑評其造。余曰乙木生於夏令。精華發洩。外有餘而內實虛脫。地支無不藏火。壬水為丁所合。時上之戊。又為陽土。燥之極矣。暖之極矣。一無金水以濟之。肺病血疾。在所不免。純陽燥熱之體。尤敢定斷焉。

For example, Mr. Ni Gulian, a literary figure and calligrapher, has long heard of my name and asked me to assess his destiny. I said: Ethereal wood born in summer is fully expressed outwardly, appearing abundant on the surface but actually depleted within. None of the four earthly branches conceal fire; the heavenly stem at the year's beginning,壬 water, which could moisten the dryness, is instead combined by the heavenly stem at the month's beginning,丁 fire, and thus loses its effectiveness; the heavenly stem at the hour's beginning,戊 earth, is also yang earth and dry earth. The dryness is extreme, the warmth is extreme, and the entire chart has no trace of metal or water to balance it. Metal represents the lungs, and water represents blood; the absence of metal and water inevitably leads to lung diseases and ailments related to the blood. This is a constitution of pure yang dry heat, and I am especially confident in making this judgment. Here we see the practical use of the previous section on "dry and moist": an overly dry situation benefits from moisture, but since there is no water to moisten, the illness must manifest in the lungs and blood.

戍運為火庫。更屬可危。然甲戊年又多一庫。誠如雪上加霜。既已幸越。或無生命之憂矣。三十七後。運轉西北。一路康壯。非惟功名利祿。與日俱進。體格亦矯健勝昔。勉哉。倪君讚不絕口。旋蒙其備加你頌。並將感佩之意。刊諸社會晚報。

The Xu period is a fire warehouse, dryness on top of dryness, even more dangerous; and in the year of Jia Xu, there is another fire warehouse, truly like snow on top of snow. Since he has already managed to pass through itby chance, perhaps there is no danger to his life. After the age of thirty-seven, the movement turns to the Northwest, with Xinhai, Renzi, and Guichou in succession, all metal and water, which exactly compensates for the deficiencies in his destiny. Not only do his fame, wealth, and honor increase day by day, but his physique also becomes stronger than before. I hope he will strive to do his best. Ni Jun listened and praised continuously, then added more commendation (the original text says "ni song" which should be "cheng song"), and also published his feelings of gratitude in the Social Evening News.

癸酉 辛酉 乙丑 辛巳 二歲 庚申 十二 己未 廿二 戊午 三二 丁巳 四二 丙辰 五二 乙卯 六二 甲寅

The year pillar is Guiyou, the month pillar is Xinyou, the day pillar is Yichou, and the hour pillar is Xinsi. The day stem is Yi wood, born in the metal month of You. Starting from age two, the big destiny runs in the order of Gengshen, Jiwei, Wuwu, Dingsi, Bingchen, Yimao, and Jiayin. The year stem Gui is yin, and for a male destiny, it is reversed, so starting from the month pillar Xinyou, it goes back to Gengshen, Jiwei, Wuwu, and so on. In middle age, the destiny moves through the southern fire regions. In this case, the earth branches Si, You, and Chou form a complete triple harmony of metal, and the heavenly stems also reveal two Xin golds, so the metal energy is widespread. The Yi wood is isolated, and it seems as if it would abandon itself to follow the killing force. However, the single Gui water in the year stem is the key point of the entire argument.

此為許世英先生之命。乙木凋零。支金已酉丑。四柱純金。識者咸以從殺格推之。不知年頭癸水進氣。洩金生木。乙有根原。不能從殺。應作身弱用印。以化其殺。

This is the birth chart of Mr. Xu Shiying. The ethereal wood (乙木) is already withered in autumn. The earthly branches巳, 酉, and 丑 form a metal trinity, and the entire chart is almost entirely of metal energy. Those who understand fate would classify this as the "following the killer" pattern. However, they do not realize that the癸water in the year pillar is at its rising phase (in autumn, metal generates water, and water receives the supportive energy). The癸water both drains the metal and nourishes the wood, providing the ethereal wood with its root and foundation, so it cannot be considered as "following." The establishment of the "following" pattern requires that the day's main element has no support or assistance and can only submit to the killer. Once there is an印 (helper) to support it, it remains a weak body. Therefore, this chart should be viewed as a weak body using the印 (helper), relying on the癸water to transform the seven killers' energy into nourishing the body.

否則中年午丁己丙四部火運。制殺最力。為從格所大忌。烏得穩度谷關。且屢膺重任耶。卯運重沖。應有不利。此後甲寅劫財幫身。老當益壯。東山再起。足可掌握大權。若仍致力於慈善事業。更能廣種心田。癸運亦不為惡。壽至丑運。方臻危境。

If that were the case, the four fire phases of the middle years—午 (Wu), 丁 (Ding), 己 (Ji), and 丙 (Bing)—would be most effective in overcoming metal and controlling the killer force, which is precisely the great taboo of the grand pattern. How could he have passed through dangerous situations safely and repeatedly taken on important responsibilities? This is using actual events to test the pattern, the most reliable method to determine whether the pattern is followed or not. The卯 (Mao) phase conflicts heavily with the酉 (You) metal in the birth chart, uprooting the wood roots, which should bring some misfortune. However, the next two phases, 甲 (Jia) and 寅 (Yin), are places where the劫财 (robber wealth) supports the body, allowing him to grow stronger in old age and rise again, capable of holding great power. If he continues to focus on charitable activities, he can also cultivate great merit. The癸 (Gui) phase is not a bad phase. It is not until the丑 (Chou) phase, when丑 (Chou) joins with巳 (Si) and酉 (You) to form a metal trinity, that he reaches a dangerous situation, and his lifespan is also determined there.

若作從殺。忌逢幫身。則甲寅癸三運。又多色齬齟矣。秋浦夏直欽君。囑余推評。夏君以仁宦而兼精子平。亦謂此老命局。按理以論。及過去事實推之。從殺格以較勉強。

If considered as a from-kill pattern, the from-pattern is most忌 to have supporting elements for the body, then the three steps of the journey of Jia, Yin, and Gui would all become discordant periods, which does not match the actual situation. A person from Qiupu, Xia Zhiqin, asked me to evaluate this. Xia is a person who holds an official position and is also skilled in the art of Zi Ping. He also said that the old gentleman's destiny, when analyzed according to the principles and verified by past events, is somewhat勉强 to explain with the from-kill pattern. The author's willingness to discuss with others without being hasty is a precious quality of this book: the debate over patterns should ultimately be decided by the person's entire life circumstances.

乙丑 己卯 乙亥 癸未 一歲 戊寅 十一 丁丑 廿一 丙子 三一 乙亥 四一 甲戌 五一 癸酉 六一 壬申

The year pillar is Yichou, the month pillar is Jimao, the day pillar is Yihai, and the hour pillar is Guiwei. The day stem Yi wood is born in the month of Mao. Starting from the first year of the big destiny, the sequence is Wuyin, Dingchou, Bingzi, Yihai, Jiaxu, Guiyou, Renshen. The year stem Yi is yin, and for a male's destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Jimao, it goes back to Wuyin, Dingchou, Bingzi, etc. In this case, the earth branches Hai, Mao, and Wei form a complete triple harmony of wood, meeting the conditions for the "Qu Zhi Ge" (wood bending and straightening pattern). However, the year branch Chou contains hidden Xin metal, which is the most忌 (to be avoided) for a strong and specialized pattern, thus breaking the pattern. The following text compares this with the destiny of Duan Qirui, differing only by one hour. This contrast clearly shows the importance of the hour.

此老出外宦途。飽經榮祿。年三十後。家道中落。幸擅長書法。磨空鐵硯。利賴筆耕。幼時延人批命。僉謂仁壽曲直之格。謬以有為期許。曩緣友人介紹。造訪余廬。詢問究竟。余曰。乙生卯月。支全木局。年支丑中藏辛。曲直已破。只堪作身旺財輕之命以為斷。

This old gentleman once held an official post and enjoyed great honor and wealth; after the age of thirty, his family fortune declined, but fortunately he was skilled in calligraphy, wearing out an iron mortar with his brush, and making a living through writing. When he was young, he had his fortune interpreted by others, who all said it was the "Curve and Straight Kindness and Longevity Pattern," wrongly expecting great future prospects. Some time ago, through a friend's introduction, he came to my house to visit and asked for an explanation. I said: The ethereal wood (Yi) is born in the卯month (Mao), and the earthly branches form a complete wooden pattern, which is originally close to the Curve and Straight pattern; however, the year branch丑contains hidden辛gold, and a single trace of metal qi breaks the exclusive dominance of the pattern. Since the pattern is broken, it can only be interpreted as a common pattern of strong self and light wealth — the wood is strong and the wealth (earth) is light, the day master is strong but has nowhere to express itself.

廿六歲前。運行中南火土。所以少年得志。迨夫三十一歲運轉東北。難免坎坷悽惻。然壬運至凶。無傷大祿。亦云幸矣。再後辛運苟延。未運化木。危如風燭。

Before the age of 26, the person's destiny was moving through the southern fire and earth elements. Fire released the brilliance of wood, and earth was considered wealth for a strong self, so they achieved success at a young age. However, at 31, the destiny shifted to the northeast (Yihai and Jiaxu), where there was competition for wealth, leading to difficulties and a bleak situation. Although the壬 (Ren) period was extremely unfavorable, it did not harm the major official position, which was fortunate. Later, during the辛 (Xin) period, they managed to hold on, but during the未 (Wei) period, the wood trinity was formed, making the energy more biased, and the situation became as precarious as a candle in the wind (the Xin and Wei periods are not listed in the previous large destiny chart, suggesting a possible error or omission in the original text, so they are recorded as they appear).

按段祺瑞命。為乙丑己卯乙亥壬午。其乙祿在卯。己祿在午。壬祿在亥。交互得祿。旺氣所繫。且木旺水健。午水洩秀。格局清奇。故在萬民之上。八字之相差一時。其土壤徑庭。有如此者。籲。可畏哉。

According to the birth time of Dan Qirui, his fate is Yichou, Jimao, Yihai, and Renwu: the Yihuo (Yi) is strong in Mao, the Ji (Ji) is strong in Wu, and the Ren (Ren) is strong in Hai. The heavenly stems interact with the earthly branches to find their strength and prosperity, and the situation is clear and unique. Moreover, the wood is strong and the water is vigorous, and the Wu fire can release the essence of wood (the original text says 'Wu water' but should be 'Wu fire'). The pattern is extraordinary, so his position is above all people. The same year, month, and day, differing only by an hour—one is Guiwei and the other is Renwu—leads to a difference as great as heaven and earth (the original text says 'soil' but should be 'heaven and earth'). Alas, how terrifying it is. This case, along with the previous one of Qian Xinzhong and Yang Yuting, follows the same pattern, reminding scholars that if the hour is not accurate, the entire calculation is baseless.

壬子 壬子 庚辰 丁丑 九歲 十九 廿九 三九 四九 五九 六九

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Renzi, those of the month are Renzi, those of the day are Gengchen, and those of the hour are Dingchou. The day's main stem is Geng metal, born in the month of Zi. The section on the great years is missing some text in the original: only the ages of nine, nineteen, twenty-nine, thirty-nine, forty-nine, fifty-nine, and sixty-nine are present, with all the heavenly stems and earthly branches for each step missing. The original is preserved as it is, without any conjectural additions. According to the following mention of "entering the Xu cycle at the age of twenty-four" and "in the later years, purely traveling through the southern fire cycles," it is inferred that the great years should be traced backward from the month's stem and branch Renzi, resulting in Xinhai, Gengxu, Jiyou, and so on. However, there is no conclusive evidence. This chart has two sets of Renzi appearing, and both Chen and Chou are damp earths, making the entire chart cold and damp. Only the hour's stem, Ding fire, serves as the basis for the subsequent discussion.

此名妓花月影之命。庚生嘉冬。兩見壬子。辰丑又皆溼土。區區丁火。瑜不掩瑕。危險直如風燭。夫星與身主。兩有所缺。以致早落平康。年方及筆。即出應徵。送往迎來。極盡歡笑。

This is the birth chart of the famous courtesan Hua Yuying. The庚 metal is born in the last month of winter, November, when the water is very strong; both the heavenly stem and earthly branch show Renzi, indicating an extremely powerful water element. The辰 and丑 are also moist earths, which do not control the water but instead enhance its moisture. A single Ding fire is insufficient, with more flaws than merits, making the situation as dangerous as a dying candle in the wind. For the庚 metal, Ding fire is the official star, and for a woman's chart, the official star represents the husband. Since the husband's star is weak, the day's main element, the庚 metal, is completely drained by water, making the body's strength weak. Both the husband's star and the body's strength are lacking, leading to an early fall into the world of prostitution. At the age of fifteen, she began entertaining guests, receiving and sending them off, and indulging in endless laughter.

然二十四歲達入戍運。戍乃火庫。亦為燥土。更以流年如丙子丁丑戊寅己卯。中南順行。當有貴客垂青。納為擁抱。從此附驥益顯。獲掌家政苟得忠心侍主。舉案勤勞。以後美運接軫。或堪身列命婦。福祿綿延。晚歲純行南方火運。蔗境更榮。詩云。永言配命。自求多福。固非吳下歌女媲也。

However, at the age of twenty-four, she entered the Xu cycle, which is the fire warehouse and also dry earth, thus capable of warming this cold water. With the flow years of Bingzi, Dingchou, Wuyin, and Jimao, moving smoothly toward the central and southern fire and earth directions, she should be favored by noblemen, and be taken as a concubine. From then on, by attaching herself to a powerful person (the phrase "fu ji" means to attach oneself to a nobleman), she could manage household affairs; as long as she remained loyal to her master, maintained harmony, worked diligently, and managed the household well, her good fortune would come step by step, and perhaps she might even attain the position of a诰命 (honorary) lady, enjoying long-lasting blessings and honors. In her later years, she would continue to move through the southern fire cycle, making her later life even more prosperous and distinguished. The Book of Songs says, "Forever keep in harmony with fate, seek your own great blessings," which is not something an ordinary songstress from the Wu region could ever achieve.

細按命之水清如鏡。理宜丰姿卓煢。陽春白雪。婉轉歌喉。不失為秦樓楚館中豔美之名焉。或謂女命水多。性同鴿雀。籲。是則語涉猥褻。豈文人名教中所能道耶。

Looking closely at her destiny, there is clear water like a mirror, which by nature should indicate a graceful and outstanding appearance, with a singing voice as melodious and refined as the high and pure music of spring snow. She would certainly be a famous and beautiful figure among the entertainment quarters. Some people say that a woman's destiny with much water indicates a light and frivolous nature, like a pigeon or a sparrow. - Alas, such remarks are indecent and not something a person who reads and follows proper etiquette should say. This passage can be compared with the previous section on "Female Destinies Being Indecent." Although there are such rules, the author does not use them to mock women, showing his sincerity and integrity in discussing destiny.

丙午 庚寅 壬午 丙午 九歲 辛卯 十九 壬辰 廿九 癸巳 三九 甲午 四九 乙未 五九 丙申 六九 丁酉

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Bingwu, the month Gengyin, the day Renwu, and the hour Bingwu. The day's main element, Ren water, is born in the寅 month. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny runs in the order of Xinmao, Renchen, Guisi, Jiawu, Yiwei, Bingshen, and Dingyou. The heavenly stem of the year, Bing, is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month Gengyin, it proceeds to Xinmao, Renchen, Guisi, and so on. This destiny has three Wus and two Bings. Fire is the wealth for the Ren water. The entire chart is full of wealth, and the day's main element, Ren water, has no root. There is only one Yin metal at the heavenly stem of the month, which floats above. This is the situation of 'abandoning the destiny to follow wealth'. Three Wus in the chart secretly bring in a Wei, which is the only noble element in the entire chart.

有以宣統這命垂詢者。余曰。滿盤是財。偏枯之局。本無足貴。其為失國之君。良以身不任財。棄命而從之故耳。惟二午暗邀合宮之未。示藏己土正官。即命理約言所謂暗合格。是乃貴徵。故出身天潢。貴胄後裔。得繼大統。

Someone asked me about the fate of Xuan Tong. I said: All the elements in his chart are wealth, forming a biased and imbalanced structure, which is inherently not valuable. He became a fallen emperor precisely because the day stem could not bear such wealth, so he had to give up his destiny and follow the wealth (although following the wealth is also a noble pattern, it ultimately shows a lack of control). The only valuable aspect is that there are several wu in the chart, which secretly attract the compatible wei (wu and wei form a harmonious combination). Wei contains ji earth, which controls ren water, and since yin and yang are different, it forms a proper official position — this is what the "Synopsis of Destiny" calls "hidden qualification." When elements not present in the chart are secretly combined, it is a sign of high status. Therefore, he was born into the royal family (the term "Tian Huang" refers to the royal lineage), and thus inherited the throne.

惜行運不濟。如壬辰運之犯火。乃從格所大忌。失其自由。任人支配。三十幾交癸運。仍雖樂觀。三十五以後。己甲午乙。一路東南木火。始堪吐氣揚眉。激昂青雲。五十五未運為暗合填實。壽終於此。

It was a pity that the fortune was not favorable. For example, during the Renchen period, the water of Ren was conflicting with the fire throughout the chart (the from-wealth pattern most fears the assistance to the self which competes with the dominant element), which was a major disaster for the pattern. Therefore, during that time, freedom was lost and one was at the mercy of others. Even during the癸 period in the thirties, optimism was still not possible. After the age of thirty-five, with the continuous flow of wood and fire in the southeast direction, namely Jia, Wu, and Yi, the wood generated fire, and fire represented wealth, thus allowing one to breathe freely, become vigorous, and rise upward. By the time of the Wei period at fifty-five, the originally hidden and harmonious Wei character became an obvious and real one. The命书 called this situation "filling in the real" — once the hidden harmony of nobility is made real, its subtlety is lost. Therefore, he died at this time.

餘於庚午秋。得見一命。為丙午甲午壬午丙午。生於夏令。又為四午。合官最力。格局遠在宣統之上。想其前程必有可觀。乃一福州人。惜已忘其姓氏。茲論宣統命造。忽憶及此君。不勝神往焉。

I once saw a birth chart in the Gengwu year's autumn with the heavenly stems Bingwu, Jiawu, Renwu, and Bingwu. He was born in summer, and all four earthly branches were Wu, which暗暗 combined with the strength of the official position hidden in Wei. This configuration was far superior to that of Xuan Tong, and his future prospects must have been promising. He was a person from Fuzhou, but I have forgotten his surname. Now, when considering Xuan Tong's birth chart, I suddenly recall this person and feel a deep admiration. By comparing this chart with Xuan Tong's, it illustrates the same kind of "hidden combination" of noble fortune, yet the difference in quantity, purity, and complexity determines the level of superiority.

丁亥 癸丑 己亥 戊辰 九歲 壬子 十九 辛亥 廿九 庚戌 三九 己酉 四九 戊申 五九 丁未 六九 丙午

The year pillar is Dinghai, the month pillar is Guichou, the day pillar is Jihai, and the hour pillar is Wuchen. The day stem Jihai is born in the month of Chou. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny runs in the order of Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, Jiyou, Wushen, Dingwei, and Bingwu. The heavenly stem of the year, Ding, is yin, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Guichou, it goes back to Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, etc. The month stem is癸water, with two Hais and one Chen, so water is the wealth for the Jihai earth. The wealth is extremely strong. The destiny relies on the hour stem Wutu to support and control the water. Between the two Hais there is a Chou, leaving the Zi position empty. In destiny books, this is called "gong" (support). The "gong gui" mentioned later refers to this.

傳聞近代偉人。以顧維鈞為最富。視其命造。洵不偶然。蓋己生丑月。干透癸水。支見兩亥。辰又為蓄水之庫。財旺極矣。全得力於時上戊土之鎮水幫身。用神應即歸諸戊土劫財。良以無戊則安可任財。不任財則安得豪富。或取丑中辛金食神為用。恐身主更弱矣。

It is said that Gu Weijun, a modern great figure, was the richest. Looking at his birth chart, it is indeed no accident. His day stem is Ji Earth, born in the Chou month (the Earthly Branch for the second month), with the heavenly stem Gui Water appearing in the sky, and two Hai (Water) branches in the earthly branches. The Chen (Earth) branch is also a reservoir for Water, so the wealth (Water) is extremely strong. The entire chart relies on the hour stem Wu Earth to control the Water and support the day stem, so the useful god (useful element) should be Wu Earth, the劫财 (wealth thief). Without Wu Earth, how could one bear such great wealth? If one cannot bear the wealth, how could one become extremely rich? This is exactly an example of the previous statement, "When there is too much wealth and the body is weak, the wealth thief is suitable." Some people suggest taking the Xin Metal (food god) hidden in Chou as the useful god (food god generates wealth), but this might actually weaken the day stem further. A weak body should not be further drained, so this is a matter of precision in selecting the useful god.

兩亥夾丑。拱子水貴人。宜其疊膺距任。折衝壇玷。為國爭光。四支皆藏財。又有拱財。一生知多豔福。財重用劫。內助雖得力。仍不免鼓盆興歡。且克妻獨在於戍運。是更命之可信矣。

Two Hais sandwich a Chou, and the Zi is missing between Hai and Chou. In the book of destiny, this is called "gong" — not visible but present in essence. For the Ji day, Zi is also called "Tianyi Nobleman," the first auspicious deity among the ten heavenly stems, with Tianyi for Ji day located in Zi and Shen. Gaining the support of the nobleman, it is no wonder he has repeatedly taken on important responsibilities, negotiating on the diplomatic stage and bringing glory to the country. Among the four earthly branches, there are hidden treasures, and additionally, there is the treasure gained through gong, so he has had many fortunate experiences in life. However, since wealth is heavy, the use of劫财 (劫财) is required. The劫财 helps the body but also harms the wife. Although the wife is helpful, it is still unavoidable to suffer the pain of losing her (the term "gupen" refers to the story from Zhuangzi where he sang while beating the drum after his wife's death). Moreover, the harm to the wife occurs precisely during the Xu year, which further demonstrates the reliability of the destiny.

查前運多金水。花枝招展。境遇榮繁。然竊以戊運之用神得助。掌握重權。或有更進者。申運順流而下。總之。此命逢金水火土之運。皆不為事業心。惟憎木之損傷用神。幸生平無木運，故三元不敗。堪稱得天獨厚者矣。

His previous years of destiny have mostly been in the metal and water elements, leading to a prosperous and flourishing situation. However, I privately think that during the Wushen (戊申) period, the useful god, which is the Wutu (戊土), receives support, allowing him to hold great power and possibly achieve even greater success. The Shen (申) period, on the other hand, flows smoothly and slightly eases. In summary, this destiny is not hindered by the metal, water, fire, or earth elements in terms of career development (metal releases earth and generates water, ensuring continuous wealth sources; fire and earth support the body, enabling him to handle wealth). The only element to be avoided is the wood element, which would harm the useful god, the Wutu (戊土). Fortunately, throughout his life, there has been no period of the wood element, so the year, month, and day elements have never failed, making his destiny exceptionally favorable. Looking at the big destiny chart, it is indeed the case: Renzi (壬子), Xinhai (辛亥), Gengxu (庚戌), Jiyou (己酉), Wushen (戊申), Dingwei (丁未), and Bingwu (丙午), with no single period of the wood element.

乙巳 己卯 乙卯 丙子 七歲 庚辰 十七 辛巳 廿七 壬午 三七 癸未 四七 甲申 五七 乙酉

This is a female birth. The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Yi Si, the month are Ji Mao, the day are Yi Mao, and the hour are Bing Zi. The day stem Yi Wood is born in the month of Mao. The big destiny starts at age seven, in order: Geng Chen, Xin Si, Ren Wu, Gui Wei, Jia Shen, Yi You. The heavenly stem of the year Yi is yin, and for a female born in a yin year, the sequence is in the order of the month column Ji Mao, then Geng Chen, Xin Si, Ren Wu, etc. In this case, the Yi Wood is in the month of Mao, which is its禄 (lucky position), and the day branch is also Mao, so there is a heavy repetition of the same stem. The heavenly stem of the month Ji is earth, which is the wealth, but it is overcome by the group of woods. The only vitality in the entire chart is the heavenly stem of the hour Bing Fire. Bing Fire drains Wood and nourishes Earth, which is the key to the destiny. The following analysis of her lifespan is based on this point.

壬申九月，友人某。囑評此命，謂繫廣東妓女，由奧追蹤來滬。堅欲以身相許。惟我年逾半百。且已兒孫繞 。恐納妓後，家庭反而我故，躊躇莫決。謹詢於君，乞部其詳，

In the year of Renshen, in the ninth month, a friend asked me to evaluate this fate. He said that it was about a female prostitute from Guangdong who had followed him all the way to Shanghai, determined to offer herself to him. He mentioned: However, I am over fifty years old, and my children and grandchildren are around me — here the original text is missing a character after '儿孙绕', the original edition left it blank, and I will transcribe it as is without adding anything — so I fear that taking her in may bring trouble to my family because of me, hence my hesitation and indecision, and I now humbly seek your advice, please analyze the details thoroughly (the original text says '乞部' which should be '乞剖').

餘日。乙木得祿於卯月。比肩林立，財星已去。用時上丙火。賴之洩生財。命非下乘。丰姿卓約。固異凡卉。官之無力。即夫星不顯。然居造室。亦無所疑。惟刻行壬運。又逢壬年。用神損傷。十一月且為壬子。一片汪洋。丙火殲滅。恐防其壽。故納寵問題。可容綬議。茲惟虛與委蛇。是乃上策。

I replied: The wood of Yi is getting its strength in the month of Mao, with the help of the same kind of wood. The earthy wealth, represented by Ji soil, has already been overcome by the group of woods. Therefore, we should take the heavenly stem of Bing fire in the hour as the useful god. It can both relieve the excessive strength of the wood and generate the wealth. This destiny is not of the lower class; the person is graceful and different from ordinary flowers and plants. However, the official star (metal) is weak, and the husband star is not prominent, but being a concubine is not a problem. However, now we are in the year of Ren, and this year is also the year of Ren. The water of Ren is overcoming the fire of Bing, thus the useful god is damaged. In the eleventh month, it is the month of Renzi, and the water is like a vast ocean, completely extinguishing the fire of Bing. It is feared that even life may be in danger. Therefore, taking a concubine should be postponed for now. At present, it is better to act in a superficial way.

友唯唯而去。後相值途次。問友以此事究竟。友嘆曰。誠如君言。是妓已於壬申喜冬。服毒旅邸。而歸物化矣。微君果斷。又增我幾許煩惱。誠哉。命之不欺不也。

A friend kept assenting and then left. Later, on the way, I met him again and asked him about the outcome of that matter. The friend sighed and said, "As you said, that courtesan died by poisoning in a lodging house during winter in the Renshen year; had you not acted decisively, I would have had much more trouble. Fate is indeed not deceptive." (The original ending reads "Fate does not deceive," with an extra "not" added.) The verification of this case entirely depends on the principle that "the year when the useful god is overcome is the year of death," which, together with the previous case of Ni Gulian, where cold, warmth, dryness, and dampness were used to determine illness, represents the two methods used by Wei to determine life and death.

乙亥 己卯 壬午 癸卯 十一 庚辰 廿一 辛巳 三一 壬午 四一 癸未 五一 甲申 六一 乙酉

This is the fate of the first child born on the same day, a girl. Her heavenly stem and earthly branch for the year are Yihai, for the month Jimao, for the day Renwu, and for the hour Guimao. The day stem Ren water is born in the month of Mao. Starting from age eleven, her big years are in sequence Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu, Guwei, Jiashen, and Yiyou. The heavenly stem of the year, Yihai, is yin, and for a female's fate, the sequence is in order. Therefore, starting from the month column Jimao, it proceeds in order to Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu, and so on. The other two children born on the same day are boys, with only the hour column differing: one was born at Bingwu hour, and the other at Dingwei hour. The following text compares these three cases, which is the only instance in the entire book of "same day, different hours."

有具名雁峰飄流客者。寓書與餘。告余本埠南市某姓家。有一青衣婢。同日產生三孩。初落地者為女嬰（其命排列如上）次乃男孩。八字為乙亥己卯壬午丙午。再次者亦屬干麟四柱為乙亥己卯壬午丁未並囑余推評優劣。

There is a person named "Yanfeng Piaoliu Ke" who wrote to me, saying that in our city's southern market, a servant girl gave birth to three children on the same day. The first child was a girl, with the birth chart as mentioned above. The second child was a boy, with the four pillars of destiny being Yihai, Jimao, Renwu, and Bingwu. The third child was also a boy, although the original text mistakenly wrote "Ganlin" instead of "Nongzhang," which refers to a boy. His four pillars were Yihai, Jimao, Renwu, and Dingwei. The letter asked me to compare the merits and demerits of the three children. All three children had the same year, month, and day pillars, but only the hour pillars differed, which clearly demonstrates how much a single hour can change one's destiny.

餘特簡覆曰。女命傷官太重。官得無力。又乏印綬以制傷保身。一無可取。本年乙亥。傷官更歷。恐即夭殤。蓋夢幻泡影而已。次生男造。傷官得祿於卯月。正官得祿於午時。更喜時上丙財。洩木生火。周旋於傷官正官之間。應作從財格論。走火土運不為忌。僅子運沖午。稍形不利。

I briefly replied: The female's destiny has excessive official stars (two Mao signs are the official stars of Ren water), and the official star (Ji earth) is weak and powerless, also lacking the official star to control the official star and protect the day master, so there is nothing good about it. This year is Yihai, wood is even more powerful, the official star becomes even stronger, I fear she may die young, it is just a dream and illusion. As for the second son's destiny, the official star is in the Mau month, and the official star is in the Wu hour, it is even more favorable that the hour stem is Bing fire as wealth: wood generates fire, fire generates earth, the wealth star circulates between the official star and the official star, making them no longer directly conflicting, it should be considered as the wealth star pattern. Walking the fire and earth destiny is not bad, only the Zi destiny conflicts with Wu, which is slightly unfavorable.

再次之男命。乃交互得祿且為純粹化木之格。八字無金。行運又無金。大貴之徵。將來積學深造。出冠多士。正如馬蹄春風。長途萬里之才也。三命較量。次出之命。較首出為優。後出之命更較次出為優。儻所謂後來居上者。非耶。

The third boy's destiny involves several heavenly stems interacting with the earthly branches to gain favor, and it is a pure "wood pattern" through the combination of Ding and Ren. He was born in the month of卯 (Mao), when wood is strong, and the pattern of wood is fully realized. There is no trace of metal in his birth chart to break the pattern, and his fortune also avoids metal. This is a clear sign of great fortune. In the future, he will study diligently and excel, like a spirited horse in full spring, possessing the talent for a long journey. Comparing the three destinies: the second surpasses the first, and the third surpasses the second. This is probably what is meant by "later generations surpassing the previous ones." Having three children on the same day yet differing greatly in quality shows that judging a destiny cannot rely only on year, month, and day; the hour is decisive.

此為金融界巨擘。錢新之先生命造。丙火退氣於初秋。本不能任申酉之旺財。所妙時落於午。根得帝旺。遠勝干頭衰木之生扶。於焉轉弱為強。足可任財矣。益以運多金水。固宜財源四達。利益萬通。事業有陶朱盛名也。

This passage has a missing text: the four pillars and the big year column are entirely missing, only the commentary remains. Now I transcribe the original text, and dare not make up anything on my own (according to the following text, he and Yang Yuting's fate differ by only a moment. Yang's fate is Yiyou, Jiashen, Bingchen, Wuxu. It also says that his time is in the hour of Wu. Therefore, Qian's year, month, and day pillars should be the same as Yiyou, Jiashen, Bingchen, and the hour pillar is Wu, which is a possible explanation). The commentary says: This is the fate of Mr. Qian Xinzhong, a prominent figure in the financial world. The丙 fire reaches the early autumn, which is a time of decline, and is not strong enough to bear the wealth of Shen and You. Fortunately, the hour pillar is in Wu, which is the Prosperity of丙 fire. The day master gets a root, which is much more powerful than the weak wood (Jia and Yi) in the heavenly stem supporting it. Thus, it turns weakness into strength, and is able to bear wealth. Moreover, the big year mostly travels through metal and water, which is why the source of wealth is widespread, and his career has the fame of Tao Zhu Gong.

按揚宇霆命為乙酉甲申丙辰戊戍重土重金。且戊土司令。未免晦火太甚。僅賴甲乙印綬之制土幫身。已運乃得祿。所以聲勢最盛。轟烈可畏。庚運無險。而斃於辰運戊辰年，則以庚運盡屬木火流年。故仍炙手可熱。辰運為溼土。戊辰年土又如崩。晦火無光。不得善終。意中事耳。

Yang Yuting's fate is based on the birth time of Yiyou, Jiashen, Bingchen, and Wuxu. The earth and metal are both heavy, and the戊土 is in command, which inevitably covers the丙火 too much (excessive earth obscures fire, which is the worst kind of problem for丙火). Only the甲 and乙 wood can overcome the earth to support the body. During the巳 period, the丙火 gets its own strength, so those years were the most powerful and intimidating. The庚 period itself was not dangerous, but during the辰 period, in the year of Wuchen, he died. This is because the ten years of the庚 period coincided with years of wood and fire, so he remained influential. However, during the辰 period, the earth is damp, and the year of Wuchen further intensifies the earth's power, completely covering the fire, leading to a tragic end, which was predictable.

觀夫錢楊二命。僅差一時。楊氏之夢幻泡影。萬不及錢翁之福祿綿長。毫釐不爽。有如此才。談命固非易事。思念及此。不寒而慄矣。

Looking at the fortunes of Qian and Yang, they differ by only one hour: one has the hour of Wu with the Bing fire rooted, while the other has the hour of Xu with the fire obscured by earth. Yang's life is like a dream, a mirage, a bubble, and a shadow, far inferior to the enduring blessings and honors of Mr. Qian. The difference of a single moment is fulfilled so precisely, showing how difficult it is to discuss fate. Thinking about this, I shiver without cause. This passage corresponds with the previous examples of triplets and Deng Qirui, forming the main theme repeatedly emphasized in this book: the single word 'hour' determines one's status, fortune, and even life or death.

乙酉 庚午 庚子 己卯 十歲 辛未 廿十 壬申 三十 癸酉 四十 甲戌 五十 乙亥 六十 丙子

This is a female destiny. The year pillar is Yiyou, the month pillar is Gengwu, the day pillar is Gengzi, and the hour pillar is Jimao. The day stem Geng metal is born in the month of Wu. The big destiny starts at ten years old, in sequence: Xinwei, Renshen, Guiyou, Jiaxu, Yihai, Bingzi. The year stem Yi is yin, and for female destiny, the order is followed, so from the month pillar Gengwu, it proceeds in order to Xinwei, Renshen, Guiyou... The four branches of this destiny are exactly You, Wu, Zi, and Mao, which are called the "four defeats" and are considered a major problem in old interpretations. However, the author clearly distinguishes the lightness and severity of the clashes, and this is the most satisfying part in the book where the author breaks away from the superstitions of divine deities.

張翁家有一女傭。年逾風信。貌奇醜。面且麻。迄今未嫁。恐畢業難應人選故乞推究其命。余曰。庚生午月。干透己土。為正印格。午丙丁火司令。則正官乘權。官印並美。為坤之兆。命婦格局。固己成立。

Master Zhang's elderly father had a female servant who was past the age of twenty (the term "fengxin" refers to the age of a woman after she has reached adulthood and is eligible for marriage). She was very ugly, with pimples on her face, and had not yet married. She feared she would never be chosen by anyone, so she asked me to examine her fate. I said: Her destiny is based on the Heavenly Stem Geng (metal) born in the month of Wu (fire), with the time stem revealing Ji (earth). Ji earth generates Geng metal, but they are of different yin and yang, making it a true official (zhenyin) stem. Therefore, the "Zhenyin Pattern" is established. In the month of Wu, the fire of Bing and Ding is in command, and Ding fire controls Geng metal, again of different yin and yang, making it a true official (zhengguan). The official thus holds power. Both the official and the zhenyin are favorable, which is a good sign for a woman's destiny. For a woman's fate, the official represents the husband, and the zhenyin represents the root of her body. When official and zhenyin generate each other, the pattern of a high-ranking official's wife is already established.

或以子午卯酉。四敗四沖非之。然子水傷官。失其時令。與午丁沖。滴天髓所謂沖。衰則拔沖旺則發。午火正官。非惟不畏其沖。且因沖而益見籌強。子則沖拔。是庸何傷。于于卯酉地位遠隔。更無沖意。奚足為病。四敗之說。亦不可盡拘

Some people criticize this fate based on the "four败" and "four冲" of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You. Zi and Wu are the bathing places of the Five Phases, traditionally called "four败," which is commonly referred to as "Taohua." Having all four together is considered a major concern. However, one must look at the actual situation. Zi water is the official of Geng metal, but it is born in the month of Wu, which is not a favorable time. It conflicts with the Ding fire in Wu. The "Ditianmou" says, "When weak, it is uprooted; when strong, it is promoted." When the weak side is conflicted, it is uprooted completely; when the strong side is conflicted, it becomes even stronger. Wu fire is the official and is in its season, so it is not afraid of conflict; instead, it becomes stronger because of it. Zi water is weak and is uprooted, so there is no harm. As for Mao and You, one is in the year pillar and the other in the hour pillar, they are far apart and cannot conflict, so how can they be considered a problem? Therefore, the concept of "four败" should not be taken too literally.

惟現行申金。運為祿堂。所以吉星未照。錐示脫穎。龍未占晴。一旦時運轉園。行至癸水。即濟功成。即入昌明之路矣。甲運以後。尤見發揚。孟光之案與眉齊。相夫立極。彼梁鴻乘機而起。未始非得力於內助也。

The current path is the Shen (Metal) cycle. Shen is the禄 of Geng Metal, so there is an excess of brothers and rivals, and the official star is restrained. Therefore, auspicious stars have not yet illuminated, the needle has not yet emerged, and the dragon has not yet had its eyes marked. Once the time changes and the path shifts to the Gui Water cycle (Gui Water can moisten and regulate the climate, and release the strong energy of Metal), then Water and Fire will be in harmony, and success will be achieved, entering the path of prosperity. After the Jia cycle, especially, there will be great development. Jia Wood is the wealth of Geng Metal; wealth can generate official stars and support the husband. At that time, it will be like Meng Guang carrying the tray level with her husband, assisting him in establishing his career; and Liang Hong's ability to rise with the times was not without the help of his wife. Although the appearance may be ugly, the destiny is clear and noble, which shows that the study of destiny focuses on harmony and coordination, not on physical appearance.

庚戌 辛巳 己亥 乙亥 十歲 庚辰 廿十 己卯 三十 庚寅 四十 丁丑 五十 丙子 六十 乙亥

This is a female birth. The year pillar is Geng Xu, the month pillar is Xin Si, the day pillar is Ji Hai, and the hour pillar is Yi Hai. The day stem Ji Tu is born in the Si month. The big destiny starts at ten years old, the original text lists Geng Chen, Ji Mao, Geng Yin, Ding Chou, Bing Zi, Yi Hai; for a female born in a yang year (Geng), the order should be reversed, starting from the month pillar Xin Si and going backward, which should be Geng Chen, Ji Mao, Wu Yin, Ding Chou, Bing Zi, Yi Hai. Among these, "thirty Geng Yin" is actually a mistake for "Wu Yin." The original text is recorded as is, with a note on this error. In this case, the month branch Si is the original place for Ji Tu, but it is conflicting with two Hais. The hour stem Yi Wood, which is a seven killer, is also restrained by the year and month gold pillars. Both the body and the killer are unstable, which is the basis for the following judgment.

阮玲玉一死。轟動全國。吾友鄭君，特囑推究其命。余曰。己生巳月。因有兩亥。印綬沖散。時透乙木。因有庚辛，制殺太過。身主與七殺。一無可恃。故意志不堅。正途岐趨。莫之辨別。片念厄塞。死於非命。雖從兩夫。終無所歸。

After Ruan Lingyu's death, the whole country was shocked. My friend Zheng especially asked me to examine her fate. I said: Her heavenly stem is Ji Earth, born in the month of Si. Normally, the earthy element (印绶) is in its season and can nourish her. But the earth branch has two Hai, which conflict with Si, thus the earthy element is scattered, and the main element (日主) loses its root. The time stem reveals Yi Wood, which is the seven killing star (七杀). Also, the year stem has Geng and the month stem has Xin, both metal elements, which over-control the seven killing star. The seven killing star is another husband star for a woman's fate. If it is over-controlled, the husband star cannot stand firm. The main element and the seven killing star both lack support, so her will is not strong, and she cannot distinguish between the right and wrong paths. Once her mind is blocked, she dies an untimely death. Although she had two husbands before, she never found a proper place to settle.

至於傷食並露。秀氣發越。固宜英敏豔麗。精藝絕倫。不為銀壇領袖。當亦作歌裙舞扇之翹楚也。今年兩乙三亥。天干金木之戰。地支水火之沖。乃滿盤啟湓。禍起蕭牆。失足成恨。一代藝人。竟埋黃土。寧不悲哉。

As for the heavenly stem of the year being Geng and the heavenly stem of the month being Xin, both are the official and food god of Ji soil, appearing together in the heavenly stem. The refined qi is fully expressed, so she is intelligent, graceful, and exceptionally skilled in her arts; even if she does not become a leader in the film industry, she must certainly be the outstanding figure in the entertainment world. This year (Yihai), there are two Yis and three Haís: in the heavenly stem, metal and wood clash, and in the earthly branch, water and fire conflict, resulting in overall instability. Misfortune arises from within, and one misstep leads to eternal regret. A famous artist is suddenly buried in the earth, which is truly pitiful. This case matches the section "Female Fate of Immorality and Low Morality" which states "the day ruler is weak, the official and food gods are heavy, and there is no seal of the heavenly stem." However, when applied to a real person, the author's words are only filled with regret.

己亥 乙亥 丙戌 壬辰 三歲 甲戌 十三 癸酉 廿三 壬申 三三 辛未 四三 庚午 五三 己巳 六三 戊辰

The year pillar is Jihai, the month pillar Yihai, the day pillar Bingxu, and the hour pillar Guichen. The day master is Bing fire, born in the Hai month. The big destiny starts at age three, with the sequence of big destiny pillars: Jiaxu, Guiyou, Renshen, Xinwei, Gengwu, Jisi, and Wuchen. The year pillar dry branch is Ji, which is yin, and for a male's destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Yihai, it goes back to Jiaxu, Guiyou, Renshen, etc., and in the middle part, it moves into the southern fire region. There are two Hais and one Ren, so water is strong and the Bing fire is weakened. The Chen and Xux pillars also conflict, shaking the root of the day master. The person himself studied divination for over ten years but could not determine the useful god. The author's choice is among Ji earth, Yi wood, and the hidden Jia wood in Hai, distinguishing very carefully.

此鎮江人金君之命。金君自言。研究子平之學，已十有餘年。對於本人八字這用神。終難取定。因聞餘名。特就詢焉。余曰。丙生初冬。支見兩亥。辰戍又沖。壬再透干。病於水多少弱。識者非用己土以制水。即用乙木以生火。

This is the birth chart of Jin Jun, a man from Zhenjiang. Jin Jun himself said that he has studied the art of Zi Ping for over ten years, yet he has never been able to determine the useful god for his own birth chart. Therefore, he specially came to ask me. I said: The丙 fire is born in early winter, and there are two亥 in the earthly branches. The辰 and 戌 are in conflict, causing the day's main element to lose its root. The壬 water appears in the hour's heavenly stem, so the problem is that there is too much water and the fire is weak (the original text says 'water is much and weak', but '少' should be '火'). Those who understand the art of divination either advocate using the heavenly stem of the year, 己 earth, to control the water, or suggest using the heavenly stem of the month, 乙 wood, to nourish the fire. Both of these views have some reasoning, but they are both not thoroughly examined. I will now proceed to refute them one by one, thereby revealing the true skill in selecting the useful god.

殊不知己為 溼之土。只可納水。焉能鎮水。況又毗鄰乙木之虎視眈眈。更難以立足矣。乙木雖能生火。惟因水重太過。本身力量太輕。不無乘桴桴海之歡。此所以亦難為泰山之靠者。

One does not realize that the Ji earth is moist earth, capable only of holding water, and unable to hold it back; moreover, it is adjacent to the Yi wood, which watches intently (wood controls earth), making it even more difficult to stand firm. Although Yi wood can generate fire, the water is too heavy and the Yi wood itself is too weak, leading to a lamentation of drifting on a raft upon the sea, like the saying from the Analects, indicating a lack of security. Therefore, it is also difficult to serve as a reliable support like Mount Tai. The first approach uses earth to control water, but the earth is moist; the second approach uses wood to generate fire, but the wood is floating. Both paths are unworkable.

則亥中甲木。既得長生而進氣。可洩水生木，中流砥柱。功自非淺。所謂用神。舍此莫屬矣。早年只甲運優裕。曇花一現。餘皆碌碌無奇。三十八歲之未運。四十八歲之午運。皆屬火土。不難破壁而飛。脫穎而出。

Then only the hidden Jia wood in Hai remains: Jia wood gains "growth" in Hai, which is the time when it begins to flourish. It can drain the overflowing water to nourish fire (the original text says "drain water to generate wood," but "wood" should be "fire"). Like a central pillar, its contribution is naturally significant. So-called "useful god" has no other choice but this. Although both Jia and Yi wood are wood, Yi wood is floating while Jia wood has a root, and the difference lies in whether it can gain the "growth" position. In early years, only the Jia wood period brings prosperity, but it is only a brief moment, and the rest are unremarkable. The Wei period at age thirty-eight and the Wu period at age forty-eight both belong to fire and earth, and at those times, it would not be difficult to break through and stand out.

至於水流太過。終患遠一。則風塵僕僕。南楚北燕。天涯飄走。迄無遐逸境遇。乃命局早已生成。無可挽救耳。

As for the case where water flows excessively and erratically, it ultimately becomes a hidden danger, so he spent his whole life traveling constantly, moving south to the Chu region and north to the Yan region, wandering far and wide without ever finding a peaceful situation. This was already determined by his destiny and could not be changed. Earlier, in the chapter on 'Career', it said, 'If the Five Phases require water, or if one's destiny includes the Post-horse, it is suitable for a mobile career.' This case, with excessive water and constant wandering, is exactly the same principle applied to human affairs.

乙巳 戊子 乙巳 戊寅 九歲 丁亥 十九 丙戌 廿九 乙酉 三九 甲申 四九 癸未 五九 壬午

The year pillar is Yi Si, the month pillar is Wu Zi, the day pillar is Yi Si, and the hour pillar is Wu Yin. The day stem Yi Wood is born in the month of Zi. Starting from age nine, the big destiny runs in the order of Ding Hai, Bing Xu, Yi You, Ji Shen, Gui Wei, Ren Wu. The year stem Yi is yin, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so from the month pillar Wu Zi, it goes back to Ding Hai, Bing Xu, Yi You, and so on. The month branch Zi Water nourishes Wood, the hour branch Yin is the Prosperity position for Yi Wood, and the year stem also has Yi Wood as a helper, so the supporting side is not weak. On the other hand, two Wu Earths control Water, and two Si Fires drain Wood, so the restraining side is also not light. Both sides are balanced, so the text says it is "neither strong nor weak." This is the only case in the entire book that specifically discusses a balanced and harmonious destiny.

論偏枯之命局易。推中和之命局騅。此為略識命理之人。所共知者也。今以鎮江人孫君之命為例。乙誕子月。水旺木健。時下得寅木帝旺。年上見乙木比肩則應以身強論。然兩戊克水。兩己洩木。抑挫之力。尤歷於所幫所助者。

Discussing命局 with bias and deficiency is easy, while analyzing balanced and harmonious命局 is difficult (the original text "骓" should be "难"). This is something that even those with a basic understanding of命理 know. Now let's take the case of Sun Jun from Zhenjiang. The ethereal wood (乙木) is born in the month of Zi (子), where water is strong, thus nourishing and strengthening the wood; the hour branch is also Yin (寅), which is the Prosperity (帝旺) position for ethereal wood; and there is another ethereal wood (乙木) as a helper in the year stem. Based on these points, it should be judged as a strong body. However, there are two戊土 in the heavenly stems that restrain the Zi water, and two巳火 in the earthly branches that drain the wood's energy (the original text "两己" should be "两巳"). The forces of restraint and drainage even exceed the forces of support. One side is strong, the other is restrained, and they are exactly balanced.

強之程度。僅堪任財弱之地步。亦非至險。只可稱其不強不弱。故既難論其喜忌。更難推歲運之休咎。然有一法焉。行幫身運。貴逢財官之年。行財官運。則喜幫身之年。若歲運皆屬生扶或抑挫，即趨於偏枯。而非中和八字所宜矣。

Thus, the strength of the day master is only sufficient to bear a thin fortune, but it is not dangerous, so it can only be described as neither strong nor weak. Since this is the case, it is difficult to determine what is favorable or unfavorable, and even more so to predict the fortune of the big years and the flow years. However, there is another method: when the big year and flow year support the day master, it is important to encounter a year (or flow year) that brings wealth and official positions (the big year and flow year support the day master, while the year and flow year consume the day master, balancing each other out); when the big year and flow year bring wealth and official positions, it is favorable to encounter a year that supports the day master. If the big year and flow year are both supportive or both inhibiting, and they all go in the same direction, the destiny pattern will tend toward imbalance, which is not suitable for a balanced八字. This is the most subtle point in this book regarding the analysis of years and flow years: for a balanced八字, we do not look at the quality of the flow year itself, but rather whether the flow year and the year can balance each other out.

是以孫君命造。丙運以甲乙流年。勝於丙丁。戍運則庚辛年不如壬癸。乙運愛洩化。酉運又喜幫扶。餘運可以類推。總之。此種命局。不在少數。合歲運而互相平衡。方為貴也。

Therefore, Sun Jun's birth chart: when in the Bing (Fire) decade (Fire drains Wood), encountering Jia or Yi (Wood) in the natal year is better than encountering Bing or Ding (Fire); when in the Xu (Earth) decade (Earth consumes the body), encountering Geng or Xin (Metal) is worse than encountering Ren or Gui (Water) (Water nourishes the body); when in the Yi (Wood) decade (Wood supports the body), it is preferable for the natal year to drain or transform the energy; when in the You (Metal) decade (Metal overcomes the body), it is preferable for the natal year to support the body. The rest can be inferred in the same way. In summary, this type of birth chart is quite common, and it is essential to consider both the big decade and the natal year together, so that they can balance each other, which is considered valuable.

壬午 丙午 丙戌 庚寅 八歲 丁未 十八 戊申 廿八 己酉 三八 庚戌 四八 辛亥 五八 壬子

The year pillar is Renwu, the month pillar is Bingwu, the day pillar is Bingxu, and the hour pillar is Gengyin. The day stem is Bing fire, born in the month of Wu, which is the fire month. Starting from the age of eight, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Dingwei, Wushen, Jiyou, Gengxu, Xinhai, and Renzi. The heavenly stem of the year, Ren, is yang. For a male destiny, the sequence is followed in order, so from the month pillar Bingwu, it proceeds to Dingwei, Wushen, Jiyou, and so on. In this case, the earth branches Yin, Wu, and Xu form the triple harmony of fire, and the two Wu branches are both the Yangren (sharpness) of Bing fire. The heavenly stems Geng metal is the wealth and Ren water is the killing. The fire is raging and the wealth and killing are nearby, creating an extremely fierce and fierce situation. The following interpretation and advice all stem from this.

某翁告我一悍匪之命。此匪徒眾逾千。犯案山積。然得逍遙法外。餘視其丙日而支全寅午戍。已秉一方之旺氣。兩見陽刃。干得財殺。宜其兇悍無比。

An old gentleman told me the destiny of a fierce bandit. This bandit had thousands of followers and committed countless crimes, yet managed to remain unpunished. I observed that his day stem was Bing fire, and his earthly branches included寅, 午, and 戌, forming a complete fire trine, indicating he had received the strong energy of the south. He also had two instances of the Yang Blade (Yangren), which is the prosperous branch for yang stems, with the Bing blade located at 午, which is extremely fierce and sharp in nature, making his temperament violent. His heavenly stem also had庚 gold as wealth and 壬 water as a killer. A strong blade indicates a fierce nature, while wealth and killer signs indicate competition and conflict. It is no wonder he was so fierce and brutal. This matches the description in the "Character Traits" chapter, under the section "When the body is strong and there is no suppression in the birth chart," which states "cruel and aggressive, bullying the weak," exactly describing the same type of person.

雖不流芳百世。亦能遺臭萬年。然倘能分行直道。擇善而從。未始非果敢傑出這才。為國效用。亦足膺干城之選。豈不懿哉。若仍為非作歹。橫行不法。恐天網恢張。難逃子運。蓋沖刃出鞘。斧斤當頭。意中事耳。

This kind of person may not be remembered for good deeds, but could be remembered for bad ones. However, if they choose to follow the right path and do good, they could become brave and outstanding talents, suitable for the country's service, and worthy of being selected as capable officials. That would be very good. But if they continue to do wrong and act unlawfully, they might be caught by the vast heavenly net, inevitably facing the "zi" destiny. "Zi" and "wu" are in opposition, and "zi" can trigger the "yangren" (a sharp weapon), leading to the arrival of swords and axes, which is expected. When "yangren" meets opposition, it is the most dangerous combination in destiny books. Here, the author makes a clear judgment and also leaves a warning to encourage people to change their ways.

戊辰 己未 己未 辛未 八歲 庚申 十八 辛酉 廿八 壬戌 三八 癸亥 四八 甲子 五八 乙丑

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Wuchen, of the month Jiwei, of the day Jiwei, and of the hour Xinyou. The day stem Ji is earth, born in the month of Wei, which is earth. Starting from the age of eight, the great destiny progresses in the order of Gengshen, Xinyou, Renxu, Guihai, Jiazi, Yichou. The heavenly stem of the year, Wu, is yang. For a male destiny, the progression is in the order of the month, so from Jiwei, it proceeds to Gengshen, Xinyou, Renxu, and so on, following the sequence of metal, water, and wood. Throughout his life, there is no fire or earth. In this entire set of eight characters, earth appears seven times (Wu, Chen, Ji, Wei, Ji, Wei, Wei), and only the heavenly stem of the hour, Xin, is metal. This is born in the month of Wei, which is strong in fire and earth, leading to an extreme imbalance. All the discussion centers around the five words "the destiny is biased but the fortune is supportive."

福建人林文波先生。在閩知餘已久。比者以事來申。造訪余處。囑評其本人之命外。又垂詢其猶子命造。余曰。八字土得其七。況值火土並旺之候。強。盛。旺。蓋達極點。若非時上辛金。秀氣焉得發越。然終有土重金埋。火多金熔之患而病偏枯太甚。

Fujian native Lin Wenbo once heard my name in the Minzhong area. Recently, he came to Shanghai for some business and visited me. In addition to asking me to assess his own destiny, he also inquired about his nephew's birth chart. I said: In these eight characters, there are seven instances of earth, and moreover, he was born during a time when fire and earth are both strong. Strength, prosperity, and vitality have all reached their peak. If it were not for this single Xin metal in the hour stem, where would the refined quality come from? (With too much earth, the metal is drained, which is exactly the method of "when there is excess, drain its child.") However, there is still the hidden danger of heavy earth burying the metal and excessive fire melting the metal. The illness lies in the extreme imbalance.

幸也。行運一路金水木。終身不逢火土。則豐裕顯達。發揚蹈歷。正如苗吐含葩。不旋踵而芬芳麗藻。矯強特立於社會中。固非凡庸一流。設無行運以濟之。直一殘廢飲恨之人耳。

Fortunately, his fortune progresses through the elements of metal, water, and wood, and he will never encounter fire or earth throughout his life. Metal supports and enhances the metal, water moistens the dry earth, and wood疏thickens the earth, all of which are appropriate. Thus, he can achieve prosperity and success, and realize his potential, just like a flower bud blooming into a flower, suddenly becoming fragrant and brilliant, standing out prominently in society, not an ordinary person. If there were no such fortune to support him, he would merely be a disabled person, lamenting his fate. When the destiny is lacking but the fortune is supportive, as mentioned in the previous case by Qian Jingyong, this case is even more extreme and clearly demonstrates the importance of fortune.

餘閱命我矣。近世孩童之造。輒以偏枯為病。而行運每能相濟。且都綿互數十年之久。故恆以一帆風順。有為相期許。子思作中庸。有曰。國家將興。必有禎祥。此亦禎祥之兆。誠如斯言。儻天不欲久困中國非耶。

I have seen many命 (destinies): recently, the命 of children I have observed often show a deficiency in one aspect, but their fortune often comes to their aid, and this usually lasts for several decades. Therefore, they can often be expected to have smooth sailing and great achievements. Zi Si wrote in the "Zhongyong" that "when a country is about to flourish, there will be auspicious signs." This might also be an auspicious sign. If this is indeed the case, then heaven probably does not intend to keep China in hardship for long. This passage is rare in the book for linking destiny with the state's fortune, showing the author's mindset at the time of writing.

甲子 丙子 丙子 戊子 五歲 十五 廿五 三五 四五 五五 六五

The heavenly stem of the year pillar is Jiazi, the month pillar is Bingzi, the day pillar is Bingzi, and the hour pillar is Wuzi. The day master is Bing fire, born in the month of Zi water. In the section for the big years, the original text is missing some characters: only the ages of five, fifteen, twenty-five, thirty-five, forty-five, fifty-five, and sixty-five are present, and all the dry and wet stems for each step are missing. The current record is kept as it is, without any additions. This birth chart has four Zi water branches, and the heavenly stems Jia, Bing, and Wu each appear once. This is a rare pattern of all branches being the same. The water in Zi contains癸 water, which is the official of Bing fire, and Jia wood is the biased scholar of Bing fire. Using the scholar to transform the official is a favorable configuration. Unfortunately, the child died from an epidemic in the year Gengwu in July, and none of the big years were reached.

庚午新正。吳君以此命垂詢。余曰。地支子水一氣。天干甲丙戊。寒暖相濟。用偏印以化官。佳造也。惟本年庚午。與四子相沖。午為丙刃。刃之為物。暴戾而不易馴伏。若再逢沖。為禍尤烈。恐如朝露之易稀。畫錦前程。或不可得。惜哉。

In the year of Gengwu, in the first lunar month, Wu Jun brought this birth chart to me for consultation. I said: The four Zi water branches are connected in a continuous sequence, and the heavenly stems include Jia, Bing, and Wu, which balance cold and warmth. Taking Jia wood as the biased official star, it transforms the official star's energy to nourish the self, making this birth chart a good one. However, this year is Gengwu, and the Wu branch conflicts with the four Zi branches; Wu is also the Yangren of Bing fire. Yangren is a fierce and uncontrollable element. If it meets a conflict, the harm will be especially severe. The four Zi waters conflict with one Wu fire, many waters rushing at one fire, uprooting the root of the Yangren. It is feared that the life is as fleeting as morning dew, easily disappearing, and the splendid prospects may not be achieved, which is a pity.

吳君佛然不悅。蓋所詢者。即其少君之命。且繫單傳也。後聞此孩固於庚午七月。染疫而死。病僅一日耳。夫刃之逢沖。若無解救。微論身強身弱。禍變接踵而至。如影隨形。如響斯應。此亦研究命學者。所不可知也。

Wu Jun heard this and became greatly displeased, for he had asked about the fate of his own son, and it was his only son. Later he heard that the child indeed died of an epidemic in the Gengwu year in the seventh lunar month, and was ill for only one day. When the Yangren is confronted by a clash, if there is no other character to save it, whether the person is strong or weak, misfortune will follow closely, like a shadow, and as certain as an echo. This is something that those who study divination must not be unaware of. This case is the same as the previous one about the fierce bandit, both illustrating the situation of Yangren being confronted by a clash: one case should result in being attacked by weapons, the other in an early death. Although the forms of misfortune are different, the underlying mechanism is the same.

辛巳 辛丑 庚申 辛巳 六歲 庚子 十六 己亥 廿六 戊戌 三六 丁酉 四六 丙申 五六 乙未

The heavenly stems are Xinsi, Xinchou, Gengshen, and Xinsi for the year, month, day, and hour pillars respectively. The day stem Geng metal is born in the month of Chou. Starting from age six, the big luck cycle is Gengzi, Jihai, Wuxu, Dingyou, Bingshen, and Yiwei in order. The heavenly stem Xin is yin, and for a male's fortune, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Xinchou, it goes back to Gengzi, Jihai, Wuxu, etc. In this case, there are three Xin stems and one Geng stem in the heavenly stems, all being metal. The earthly branches include Si, Chou, and Shen, which are the growth, repository, and禄 of metal respectively. There is no place where the foundation of metal is missing, which belongs to "Yixing de qi" (one school of energy). Born in late winter, metal is cold and not in its season, relying entirely on the丙 fire in Si to refine and warm it.

此李國傑先生之命造。干上庚庚辛酉方一氣。支下已為金之長生。丑為金之庫門。申為金這祿地。乃屬一行得氣。時在季冬。金寒而失令。則較遜色。故用已內同丙火。以煉其銳。以驅其寒，前行柄丁運。豈裕顯赫。

This is the birth chart of Mr. Li Guojie. In the heavenly stems, both Geng and Xin are present, indicating a single flow of metal from the west (the original text mistakenly writes "Geng Geng Xin You Fang," which should be "Geng Xin... western flow"). In the earthly branches, Si is the place where metal is born, Chou is the repository of metal, and Shen is the禄 (favorable position) of metal, so overall, the foundation of metal is strong, which is referred to as "Yixing de qi" — a pattern where one of the five elements dominates the entire chart and the energy flows smoothly. However, the month is the third winter month, December, when metal is cold and not in its season, so the strength is somewhat diminished. Therefore, the hidden丙 fire in Si is used to first refine the sharpness of metal and second to dispel its coldness. The previous丙 and丁 years (the original text mistakenly writes "bing ding yun" which should be "bing ding yun") exactly fit this purpose, which is why he achieved great success.

申運壬申年。因招商局岣案而入獄。良以歲運皆申。丙火用神監於病地。又受壬水之克。一時蠖屈。所不免耳。書云。丙臨申位逢陽水難獲延年。其不遭萎亡。萬屬萬幸矣。未來之乙木運。丙子下丑兩火年。東南並行。剝極必復。大器堪期於晚也。

In the Renshen year of the Sheng (申) decade, he was imprisoned due to the case involving the Merchants' Bureau. This was because both the big destiny period and the flowing year were in Sheng. The useful god,丙 fire, reached the "disease" position in the twelve growths (the disease position, where the energy has already declined; the original text says "monitoring" but should be "reaching"), and was further attacked by the壬 water. He was temporarily wronged, like the尺蠖 bending, which was unavoidable. The destiny books say, "When 丙 is at the Sheng position and meets yang water, it is hard to gain longevity." He was fortunate not to die. In the future, during the wood destiny period, combined with the Bingzi and Dingchou fire years (the original text says "Bingzi below Chou" but should be "Bingzi and Dingchou"), the east and south will be in harmony. Wood will generate fire, and fire will refine metal. After extreme decline comes recovery, and great achievements can be expected in later years.

己巳 丁丑 乙丑 乙酉 八歲 戊寅 十八 己卯 廿八 庚辰 三八 辛巳 四八 壬午 五八 癸未

This is a female destiny. The birth year pillar is Ji Si, the month pillar is Ding Chou, the day pillar is Yi Chou, and the hour pillar is Yi You. The day stem Yi Wood is born in the Chou month. The big years start from age eight, in sequence: Wu Yin, Ji Mao, Geng Chen, Xin Si, Ren Wu, Gui Wei. The year stem Ji is yin, and for a female destiny, the sequence is in order, so from the month pillar Ding Chou, it proceeds in order to Wu Yin, Ji Mao, Geng Chen, etc. In this destiny, the earth branches Si, You, and Chou form a complete triple harmony of metal, and metal is the official and killer for Yi Wood, the husband's star is in a group and thus prosperous. The heavenly stems Ding fire warms the wood, Ji earth nourishes the wood, and the two Yis support the body. Each of the four characters has its own use, none is useless, making this a very clean and well-configured female destiny.

此乃坤命。為海上某聞人之女公子。庚午孟春既望。舉歸湯餅。大江南北。各界名流均往道賀。極一時這盛。所收禮份。傳有十五萬元之鉅。固足豪矣。然亦有命焉。非可偶致也。

this is the birth chart of a woman, the daughter of a well-known person from shanghai. on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month in the year gengwu, a baby-naming banquet (known as "tangbing," or a baby's first birthday celebration) was held for her. famous people from all over the yangtze river basin attended to congratulate her, making it a grand event. it is said that the gifts received amounted to as much as 150,000 yuan, which was indeed very luxurious. however, there is also a destiny involved here, not something that could be obtained by chance. the author records this incident not out of envy for the grandeur, but to illustrate that even the auspicious atmosphere at birth, such as the family's status, is included in the harmony of the eight characters.

蓋寒木。逢丁而暖。得已而培。得乙而盛。干上一無廢物。支全已酉丑。則偏官會局。夫星更昌。從德之美滿。何待言哉。或病水淺印缺。殊不知丑月丑日。為虛溼之地。正喜壬癸未透。庶不飄浮為患。

Because the wood in the severe winter is warmed by the fire of Ding, nourished by the earth of Ji, and supported by the same kind of wood of Yi, none of the four heavenly stems are useless. The earthly branches of Si, You, and Chou form a metal trinity, which overcomes the wood of Yi. Since the yin and yang are the same, it is called "biased official" (seven killing stars). The husband star is in a trinity and thus flourishes; the perfection of following the husband's virtue needs no further explanation. Some criticize it for having shallow water and lacking the mother (water) support. But they do not realize that the month and day are both Chou, which is a moist and empty land, so the water energy is already sufficient. It is actually good that the water of Ren and Gui does not appear in the heavenly stem, so that there is no danger of excessive water causing the wood to float. This reasoning is consistent with the previous case of the Jiangsu gold master, who said that wet earth can only receive water but cannot control it. To assess whether there is too much or too little water, one should not merely count how many water characters appear in the heavenly stems.

故行運一路土金木炎。福祿綿互。肖明昌熾方興未艾。直至壬癸兩運。始見遜色耳。夫寒弱之木。不宜多水。祇喜木火，嘗見冬木孤寒之命。走水運而傾家蕩產。走木火運而倉滿庫勇者。不知凡幾。若泥於衰則喜幫。而以印為喜見者。失諸毫釐。差以千里矣。

Therefore, her fortune has been progressing through the earth, metal, wood, and fire elements, bringing long-lasting blessings and prosperity, with things still in their rising phase. It is only when she reaches the jin and gui periods that her fortune begins to decline. Generally speaking, weak wood does not benefit from too much water; it prefers wood and fire instead. I have seen many命 (destinies) of isolated and cold wood in winter, which led to financial ruin when they entered the water period, but became prosperous with full granaries and storehouses when they entered the wood and fire periods. I don't know how many such cases there are. If one rigidly adheres to the old saying that "when something is weak, it prefers support," thinking that the印绶 (water nourishing wood) is definitely a favorable element, then one would be off by a hair's breadth and make a mistake of a thousand miles. This is the most important point in this book regarding the discussion of seasonal conditions: although a weak body naturally prefers the印 (nourishing element), the coldest wood most urgently needs warmth, not another layer of water.

癸未 乙卯 乙亥 戊寅 十歲 甲寅 廿十 癸丑 三十 壬子 四十 辛亥 五十 庚戌 六十 己酉

The year pillar is Guiwei, the month pillar is Yimao, the day pillar is Yihai, and the hour pillar is Wuyin. The day stem is Yimao, and the person was born in the month of Mao. Starting from the age of ten, the ten great years are in order: Jiayin, Guichou, Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, Jiyou. The heavenly stem of the year is Gui, which is yin. For a male, the order is reversed, so starting from the month pillar Yimao, it goes back to Jiayin, Guichou, Renzi, etc. The earth branches include Hai, Mao, and Wei, forming the triple harmony of wood. The four pillars have no metal at all, which perfectly meets the conditions of the "Qu Zhi Ren Shou" pattern. The hour pillar is Wuyin, where Yin is the strong and flourishing place of wood, and also the place of birth for fire and earth. Therefore, the pattern becomes even more solid.

此命不識其姓氏。亦由平翁告我行。據云。乃上海工部局小工頭目。已積資成富。生活歽優。余曰乙誕仲春。支全亥卯未。為曲直仁壽格。所喜四柱絕金。格局無破。時落戊寅。寅為火土生地。木之祿旺，則流通秀氣堅固格局。更如錦上添花。是宜由漸入豐。空拳致富者也。

This person's birth chart does not indicate his surname, and it was told to me by an old gentleman named Ping. It is said that he was a small foreman in the Shanghai Municipal Council, and he had accumulated a certain amount of property, living a rather comfortable life. I said: the ethereal wood (Yi wood) is born in the middle of spring, February, with the earthly branches亥, 卯, 未 forming a complete wooden trinity, which is the "Curved and Straight Kindness and Longevity Pattern"; it is fortunate that there is no metal in the four pillars, so the pattern is not damaged. The most忌 of a specialized and strong pattern is for a single foreign element to break it. Previously, an old case broke the pattern because the year branch had the hidden metal辛 in the丑. One can compare these two cases. The time pillar falls on Wuyin: 寅 is the long life place of fire and earth, and also the strong position of wood. It can circulate the refined essence of wood and strengthen the pattern, which is like adding flowers to a rich tapestry. Therefore, he was able to gradually accumulate wealth and become rich from nothing.

前行之運。都屬水鄉。頗見安順。現行庚金。不利於格。順中防逆。還增流年無金。滯而不凶。戍運為火庫。為燥土。豪富無疑已運有乙木之奪。蓋即美中不足，狗尾續貂矣。

Previously, the path followed was in the water region, where water generated wood and followed its trend, so it was quite smooth and harmonious. Now, the path is in the metal (Geng) phase, where metal controls wood, which is unfavorable for the structure, so even in favorable conditions, there is a risk of reversal; fortunately, there is no metal in the flow of the year to support it, so it is only obstructed but not dangerous. The Xu phase is a fire warehouse and also dry earth; fire releases wood and shows its brilliance, while earth is the wealth of wood, so great wealth is certain. As for the Ji phase, there is the Yi wood to compete and take away (Yi wood controls Ji earth, wealth is robbed), which is a slight deficiency, like adding a dog's tail to a peacock's tail.

平翁質余曰。命局既如是雋美。何以不和名公鉅卿。豈必好命。熙來攘往。寧及此群之優遊穩固。且駕手數午千工人之上，鶴立對外開放群。亦不失無冕帝持之樂也。西漢黃霸月雲。無官在職。一身爽輕。若此命造。雖少印綬之掌綰。詎不愈於會高堂。騎大馬之顯達耶。

Master Ping asked me: If the destiny is so excellent, why isn't he a prominent official or a great minister? (The original text has many errors and omissions, making it difficult to understand every sentence. I have recorded the original text and provided an explanation based on the general meaning.) The author replied: Why must a good destiny necessarily lead to becoming a prominent official or a great minister? The official world is full of hustle and bustle, how can it compare with the ease and stability of this person? Moreover, he manages thousands of workers, standing out among the crowd, which is also a kind of joy of an unofficial king. Huang Ba of the Western Han dynasty said, "Without an official post, one's body is light." For such a destiny, although lacking the official seal and the official ribbon, isn't it better than those who sit in high halls and ride big horses? This passage can be compared with the section on "Career" under the item "When there are many劫, it is suitable for a free profession," showing the author's open-minded view on poverty, wealth, nobility, and humility.

丁未 丁未 丁丑 丁未 七歲 丙午 十七 乙巳 廿七 甲辰 三七 癸卯 四七 壬寅 五七 辛丑

The heavenly stem of the year column is Ding, the heavenly stem of the month column is Ding, the heavenly stem of the day column is Ding, and the heavenly stem of the hour column is Ding; the four heavenly stems are all Ding fire, which is called "heavenly stem of one kind" in the book of destiny. The four earthly branches consist of three Wei and one Chou, all being earth, with fire and earth mutually generating. The day branch Chou conflicts with the three Wei branches, which is the only moving point in the entire chart. The success or failure discussed later depends on this conflict.

此造本人。亦諳子平之學。自謂必死於已運。及至庚午年。殆因環境槷。竟作屈原投海以自盡。幸為水警撈救。終不獲死。餘視其命運。天干丁火一氣。地支土星重疊。火土相生。正滴天髓所謂天全一氣地德載。亦命理約言所稱兩神成象。格局非下乘。胡為作消極之舉。類匹夫之。方作溝瀆之經乎。

This person himself understood the principles of Zi Ping, and he predicted that he would surely die in the Si (Snake) period. When the Gengwu (Metal Fire) year came, probably due to forced circumstances (the original text says "environmental pressure," with "槷" likely meaning "constriction" or "pressure"), he eventually followed Qu Yuan's example and committed suicide by drowning in water, but was fortunately rescued by the water police and did not die. Looking at his destiny: there are four Ding Fire in the heavenly stems, all the same, and the earthly branches have repeated earth elements. Fire and earth mutually generate, which is exactly what the "Di Tian Mei" (Drop of Heaven's Dew) says: "The heavens are fully unified, and the earth's virtue carries it." This is also what the "Ming Li Yue Yan" (Essentials of Destiny) refers to as "two deities forming an image" — the entire chart only contains fire and earth elements, which mutually generate to form a single image. The pattern is not low, so why take such a negative action, like a common man or woman hanging himself in a ditch?

丑未一沖。土金沖動。丁火之精英。更足以發越。萬為貴徵。已運為丁之帝旺。火炎太甚。自不為喜。庚午年因有庚金之故。所以死而復活。現行甲運，亦助火炎。侷促如故。辰支為溼土。清潤全局。應見起色。

The day branch Chou is in conflict with three Weis, thus stirring out the hidden Xin metal and Gui water within Chou—earth moves and metal appears, allowing the refined essence of Ding fire to flourish, which is actually a sign of high status. The巳 (Si) year is the Prosperity for Ding fire, so excessive fire is not desirable. Although the Gengwu year was unfavorable, there was still Geng metal emerging (metal is the wealth of Ding fire, and the hidden god within Chou gained strength), so it was a revival from death. Now in the甲 (Jia) year, Jia wood generates fire, further intensifying the fire, so the situation remains constrained. When reaching the辰 (Chen) year, Chen is moist earth, capable of purifying the whole situation, so some improvement should be seen—although both are earth, dry earth assists fire while moist earth drains fire, which is exactly the principle of 'damp and dry' as discussed in the chapter.

壬癸二運。水之克火。渠自以為美。余謂火土重而水輕。水萬不可以制火。反更激火之怒。招土之克。何善之堪言。寅卯運木之生火。亦屬庸常。總核終身行運。少土金這途。則即所謂有命而無運。此乃自然這理。鳥可強耶。 缺金才運以補這妙哉！

The壬 and癸 periods are water elements that come to control fire; he himself considers this a favorable period. However, I think that since there is a heavy presence of fire and earth, and the water is too weak, the water is utterly unable to control the fire, instead further provoking the fire's anger, and inviting more suppression from the earth elements. How can this be considered good? This is exactly the same as the principle mentioned earlier by Sun Qun in the case of 'insufficient control leads to damage'. The寅 and卯 periods are wood elements that nourish fire, which is ordinary. In summary, his entire life's fortune lacks the earth and metal elements, which is what is called 'having a destiny but no fortune', which is a natural occurrence, how can it be forced? The last sentence 'lack of metal and fortune to compensate is wonderful' is a short comment below the original text, with some textual errors. The general meaning is expressing regret that he lacks the metal period to compensate, and I have recorded it here with doubts.

戊子 丙辰 丙子 戊子 一歲 丁巳 十一 戊午 廿一 己未 三一 庚申 四一 辛酉 五一 壬戌

The heavenly stem of the year is Wuzi, the month is Bingchen, the day is Bingzi, and the hour is Wuzi. The day stem is Bing fire, born in the month of Chen (earth). Starting from the first year of the big cycle, the sequence of the big cycle is Dingsi, Wuwu, Jiwei, Gengshen, Xinyou, Renxu. The heavenly stem of the year, Wu, is yang, and for a male's destiny, it is arranged in the order of the cycle. Therefore, starting from the month stem Bingchen, it proceeds in order to Dingsi, Wuwu, Jiwei, etc. From the age of thirty-one onwards, the twenty years are in the western metal direction. In this case, both the heavenly stems of the year and the hour are Wu, which are the food god of Bing fire. The earth branches have three Zis and the month branch Chen, forming a water trinity. Water is the official and killer of Bing fire. The food god controls the water, and the water does not overflow, making the whole chart extremely balanced. This is the most praised case of "clear destiny and fate" in this book.

名人八字。餘閱歷多矣。然欲命。局行運。一路清澄者。殊不斷見。有之。惟劉先生鴻生之命也。蓋丙生辰月。干透戊土。為食神格。其露雙戊。則食神更必有務。不見陰土。則無傷官之混雜。月上丙火比肩幫峰。乃不悉洩氣太重。

I have encountered many famous people's birth charts, but it is rare to find a chart where the destiny and the course of life are clear and pure. If there is such a case, it is only the birth chart of Mr. Liu Hongsheng. The丙 fire is born in the辰 month, with the 天干 showing 戊土. 戊 is the son of 丙, and since they share the same yin and yang, it is considered a food god (食神), so the pattern is called the "food god pattern" (食神格). Moreover, there are two 戊s appearing, which greatly enhances the strength of the food god. The chart does not contain Ji Earth (the yin earth), so there is no official (伤官) to mix with the food god — the purity of the food god is the first advantage of this pattern. The 月干 丙 fire is also a fellow (比肩) that supports the 日主, so the 日主 will not suffer from excessive leakage of energy.

支下三子公辰。本有傷旞丙。然戊土制水。適成堤岸之功。而盡保母之職。可謂天成匹配。但命理約言云。有食不見財來。何悈類羹土飯。所幸三十一歲後。二十年西方金運。財氣通源。自宜雲程萬里。富貴兩全。

The Earthly Branches of three Zis and one Chen form a Water pattern (the original text says "San Zi Gong Chen," where "Gong" should be "Hui"), which originally harms Bing fire. However, two Wu earths control the water flow, acting like a dam to protect the main element, fulfilling the role of a guardian mother. This can be considered a naturally harmonious match. However, the "Yeyan" says that having a food god without the wealth star is like eating soup with a clay bowl. Fortunately, from the age of thirty-one onwards, there are twenty years of Western Metal destiny. Metal is the wealth of Bing fire; with the food god generating wealth and the wealth having a source, one naturally achieves great success and both wealth and status.

或謂壬運較遜。以壬丙一沖。不免平地風波。環生險象，然繼善篇有言。壬來克丙。須要戊字當頭，則局中原有兩戊。制壬有餘。烏足為慮。考此造命有缺憾。運能補之。運有危害。命能解之。此所謂一路清澄。畢世庥穌。飛黃騰達。其來有自。非偶然也。

Some people say that the Gui (癸) period is unfavorable, because Gui (癸) conflicts with Bing (丙), leading to unexpected troubles and dangerous situations. However, the "Ji Shan Chapter" states: "When Gui (癸) overcomes Bing (丙), there must be Wu (戊) at the forefront." In this case, there are already two Wus (戊) in the original birth chart, which are sufficient to control the Gui (癸), so there is no need to worry. Overall, this chart has some deficiencies, but the fortune can compensate for them; and if there are dangers in the fortune, the original birth chart can resolve them. This is what is called "a clear and smooth path." Being safe and prosperous throughout one's life, and achieving great success, all have their reasons and are not accidental. The interaction between destiny and fortune is the ultimate standard for evaluating the quality of a birth chart in this book. This case can serve as an example.

丙戌 庚子 丁未 丙午 九歲 辛丑 十九 壬寅 廿九 癸卯 三九 甲辰 四九 乙巳 五九 丙午

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Bingxu, of the month Gengzi, of the day Dingwei, and of the hour Bingwu. The day stem Ding is fire, born in the month of Zi, which is water. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny runs in sequence as Xinchou, Renyin, Guimao, Jiachen, Yisi, and Bingwu. The heavenly stem of the year, Bing, is yang. For a male destiny, the sequence follows the month column Gengzi, proceeding to Xinchou, Renyin, Guimao, and so on. The branch of the month, Zi water, is originally the seven killing of Ding fire. In winter, water is in command and the killing is strong. However, the earth elements Wu, Wei, and Xu can control water, resulting in excessive control of the killing. The following example presents another case with only a different year column, of the surname Chen. One lives and the other dies, making it the last pair of contrasting cases in the entire book.

論命者。論休咎而已。斷生決死。有驗有不驗。蓋生寄死歸。有夢必醒。為盜遮而生。不如不伯夷而死。生則未必為吉。死則未必為凶耳。

Those who discuss fate are concerned only with good fortune, misfortune, blessings, and calamities; as for determining life and death, some predictions are accurate and some are not. Because life is like staying temporarily in a place, and death is returning to one's origin; dreams always end with waking up. Living like Douzhi, who lived a life of vice, is not as good as dying with integrity like Boyi. (The original text may have some errors or additions.) This shows the author's attitude towards life and death: fate can predict the success or failure of matters, but it should not scare people with the length of their lives, nor should longevity be considered as a universal blessing.

上為吾友柯君之命。丁生子月。本必殺旺。乃午未戍中三土。制殺太過。引以為病。前行卯甲兩運。盈財數十萬談命者。綿謂木之克土。病神除去。不脛而走。洵非誣也。預料運入乙木。豐發當尤達之。匯知竟於今庚乙運乙年。病而不起。

The person's fate is described above. The person was born with a fire element (丁 fire) in the month of Zi, which should be the time when the seven deadly stars (seven killing stars) are strong. However, the earth elements hidden in the years Wu, Wei, and Xu (all containing Ji earth) come to control the water, which in turn over-controls the killing stars. This is called a sickness, because the killing stars are actually a type of official star; if they are controlled too much, the person has no support. In the past, the person went through the years of Mao and Jia, where wood elements came to control the earth, removing the sickness and thus gaining profits of hundreds of thousands. Those who talk about fate say this is because the wood controlled the earth and completely removed the sickness, which is indeed true. I originally thought that when the person entered the year of Yi wood, they would become even more successful than before. But I did not expect that the person would fall ill and die this year, in the year of Yi and Hai (Yihai).

然富貴雙全。兩子玉立。且皆有聲於時。強局不可謂不厚。否則以後已午火土之鄉。難免遭劫。若終於侷促之際。反不如今日考終之為得矣。則我友念庚之死也也。未始非幸而事耳。

But he lived a life of both wealth and honor, with two sons who were both handsome and had some reputation in their time; his fortune was certainly great. Otherwise, when he later reached the regions of Si and Wu (Fire and Earth), the Fire and Earth elements would further assist and strengthen the killing stars, inevitably leading to misfortune. If he died in hardship and distress, it would be better than dying peacefully in old age ("kao zhong" means dying naturally at the proper time). In this way, his death might not be a bad thing at all. This passage can be read together with the concluding comforting words in the case of Rong Zongjing's end: Wei's writings always leave a bit of comfort for the living.

嘗見有陳姓一命。為乙已戊子丁未丙午。丁生子月。根本極輕。畏水之克。然已午未戊。重土如林。亦制殺太過，術者皆斷其戍運必死。卻今仍健在。惟於丙運。煙灑嫖賭。消耗資產。不計其數。至戍運為父驅逐。流而為丐。是乃雖不死亡。貽丑自苦。有何生人趣耶。觀夫柯陳兩造。生死適成對峙之局。則命精微。可以想見矣。

I once saw a horoscope for a man surnamed Chen: Yisi, Wuzi, Dingwei, and Bingwu. He was born in the month of Zi with Ding fire as his heavenly stem, which is very weak, and he is afraid of water to weaken it. However, the presence of Si, Wu, and Wei, along with Wu earth, creates a heavy accumulation of earth, which is excessive in controlling the killing power. Diviners all predicted that he would die in the Xu year, yet he is still alive. However, during the Bing year, he smoked, drank, gambled, and engaged in immoral activities, losing a great deal of his wealth. In the Xu year, he was expelled from his family by his father and became a beggar. Thus, although he is alive, he suffers a miserable life, and living has no joy. Comparing the cases of Ke and Chen: their root problems are the same (both have excessive earth controlling the killing power), but their outcomes are one death and one survival, forming a contrasting situation. From this, one can imagine the subtle nature of fate.

乙丑 辛巳 甲辰 甲子 十歲 庚辰 廿十 己卯 三十 戊寅 四十 丁丑 五十 丙子 六十 乙亥

The year pillar is Yichou, the month pillar is Xinsi, the day pillar is Jiachen, and the hour pillar is Jiazi. The day stem Jia Wood is born in the month of Si. Starting from the age of ten, the big destiny runs in the order of Gengchen, Jimao, Wuyin, Dingchou, Bingzi, and Yihai. The year stem Yih is yin, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so from the month pillar Xinsi, it goes back to Gengchen, Jimao, Wuyin, etc. In this case, the earth branches Zi and Chen form a water trinity, and Si and Chou form a metal trinity. Metal is the official of Jia Wood, and water is the scholar of Jia Wood. Metal generates water, and water generates wood, forming a smooth official-scholar generation sequence. The month stem also reveals Xinh Gold official, making it an extremely valuable pattern. This is the only case of a foreigner's destiny in the entire book.

近閱西報。盛載英皇喬治第五之傅略。餘之其生庚譯為夏厝，演成命局（排列如上）對照其事歷。頗有不爽者。夫甲木日元。子辰水局。已丑金局。為官印相生。干透辛金正民。自是大貴之格。冠冕堂皇。統馭萬民。固所宜也。

Recently, I read articles in Western newspapers about King George V, which mistakenly referred to his biography as 'brief account' instead of 'biography'. I converted his birthdate into the summer calendar, arranged it into a birth chart as mentioned earlier, and compared it with his achievements, finding many correspondences. His heavenly stem is Jia Wood, with the earthly branches Zi and Chen forming a water trinity, and Si and Chou forming a metal trinity. Metal generates water, and water generates wood, which is 'mutual generation' of official and seal. The heavenly stem also reveals Xin Metal as the official, naturally indicating a high status. Being noble and ruling the people is indeed appropriate.

據傅十五歲至十八歲。環遊世界。念五歲管帶海軍魚雷艦。此時正交辰己財運。自應超拔出塵。竿頭日進。廿六歲患傷寒症甚劇。廿七歲乃兄逝世。卯運劫刃之故。四十六歲交丑運。財貴之途。已應發越。益以四十七歲辛亥年。又屬正官之鄉。果於是歲癸極，入承大統。足徵命之可信矣。

According to the records, at the age of fifteen to eighteen he traveled around the world, and at twenty-five he commanded a naval torpedo boat. At that time he was in the wealth and earth cycle of Chen and Ji, and since wealth generates official rank, he naturally rose to prominence and advanced step by step. At twenty-six he suffered from a severe cold, and at twenty-seven his elder brother died. This was due to the卯 cycle—卯 is the Yangren of Jia wood, and劫刃 indicate conflict and injury to brothers. At forty-six he entered the丑 cycle, which was a wealth position and also formed an official cycle with Si. It was a time of great success. Moreover, in the year of Xinhai at forty-seven, the metal of Xinhai is the native land of the official, and indeed he ascended the throne that year (the original text says "Guiji" but should be "Shengji"), succeeding to the throne. This proves the reliability of fate calculations.

現行甲運。身太重。官較輕。未許樂觀。餘本不欲批外人之命。惟於髫齡時。嘗讀西史。深悉歐美風化。亦頗信運會之說。緣以中國命學。推證英皇之造。蓋冀研究世界文學者。進而教之焉。

The current Jia period is marked by a strong presence of the same heavenly stem, which supports the day master but makes it too heavy, while the official star becomes less prominent. This is not a favorable situation. I originally did not intend to analyze the fate of foreigners; however, because I read Western history in my childhood and am well aware of the customs and education in Europe and America, I also believe in the concept of periods and trends. Therefore, I used Chinese astrology to examine the birth chart of the British monarch, hoping that those who study world knowledge will offer further guidance. The author is willing to extend the art of Zi Ping (a system of Chinese astrology) to foreign lands and openly acknowledges this as a request for knowledge rather than a display of skill. This attitude is rare among the astrological texts of the Republic era.

癸巳 甲寅 壬辰 庚子 七歲 癸丑 十七 壬子 廿七 辛亥 三七 庚戌 四七 己酉 五七 戊申

The year pillar is Guisi, the month pillar is Jiayin, the day pillar is Renchen, and the hour pillar is Gengzi. The day's main element, Ren water, is born in the寅 month. Starting from age seven, the big destiny runs in the order of Guichou, Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, Jiyou, and Wushen. The heavenly stem of the year, Guishi, is yin. For a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so from the month pillar Jiayin, it goes back to Guichou, Renzi, Xinhai, and so on. This case is cited not because of its unique pattern, but because of the time of birth: Huang Jun was born on the evening of the seventh day of the first lunar month in the nineteenth year of Guangxu, at half past eleven o'clock. This falls in the first half of the子 hour. The question is whether it should be considered as the子 hour of the same day or the next day, leading to two completely different birth charts. The following is an analysis of this debate.

俗有所謂早子時夜子時之分雖者。乃以晚間十二時前。為本日之夜時。十二時後。為下日之早子時。此論曆法則或可。論命則萬萬不可。

In the common practice, there is a distinction between "early Zi hour" and "late Zi hour" (the phrase "之分虽者" is likely a later addition or error). The time before midnight is considered the "night Zi hour" of the current day, while the time after midnight is considered the "early Zi hour" of the next day. This method of division may be acceptable for calendrical purposes, but it is absolutely unacceptable for divination. The Zi hour spans the boundary between two days, with one hour belonging to each day, making it the most error-prone part when arranging the Eight Characters. Therefore, the author specifically clarifies this point.

考曆書之稱夜子時。蓋表明節氣之交。在於子時之初（即十二句鍾之前）也。故衹有夜子初幾刻幾分。從未言及夜子下面和刻幾分。子時既正。固無所謂夜矣。可見夜字者。僅包括子時之前段耳。後人訛以夜子時為本日之子時。早子時為下一日之子時。且又憑之論命。無怪有毫釐千里之差矣。

The term "night zǐ shí" in the almanac refers to the moment when the seasonal transition occurs at the beginning of the zǐ hour, that is, before midnight. The original text mentions "twelve points of the clock," where "point" should be understood as "moment." Therefore, the almanac only uses the expression "night zǐ initial several moments and fractions" and never says "night zǐ exactly several moments and fractions." Once it reaches zǐ zheng (midnight), the term "night" no longer applies, indicating that the character "night" only covers the first half of the zǐ hour, serving as a detailed time marker rather than dividing the zǐ hour into two days. Later scholars mistakenly regarded "night zǐ shí" as the zǐ hour of the current day and "morning zǐ shí" as the zǐ hour of the next day, using it for divination. It is no wonder there are significant differences due to small errors.

今以黃君之命。舉為例證。黃君生於光緒十九年正月初七日。晚間十一時半。八字排列如上。壬日從庫。時落庚子。年上見癸。生扶者眾。不以弱論況在初春。壬水餘威未失。乃喜木之洩秀。火之欣發。逢土剋制。亦不為畏。

Now take Huang Jun's fate as an example. Huang Jun was born on the evening of the seventh day of the first lunar month in the nineteenth year of Guangxu, at half past eleven. His four pillars are as shown above. The day stem is Ren water, sitting on Chen, which is a water reservoir (the original text says "from the reservoir" but should be "sitting on the reservoir"). The hour pillar is Gengzi, where Geng metal generates water and Zi is the旺 place for Ren water. The year stem also has Gui water, so there is a lot of support for the day stem, and it cannot be considered weak. Moreover, it is still early spring, and the remaining strength of Ren water has not yet disappeared. Therefore, this fate favors wood to release its elegance and fire to make it flourish; even if earth comes to control, it is not alarming—since the body is not weak, control and drainage are both good things.

故四十二歲前。一派金水運。浮沈宦海。栗碌無善。位不過科員。祿不過百金。去歲交入戍運。流年亦為戍。戍是燥土。有鎮水及溫煦之功。宜其蒐集各項科長。明歲起。即逢丙丁戊己流年。雲程更上。當敢預卜。未來臆斷。固不可盡信。已過之事。卻已誚驗 。

So up to the age of forty-two, he has been going through a period of metal and water, which, combined with his strong constitution, has become a burden instead, leading to ups and downs in his official career, with little achievement. His position has merely been that of a clerk, and his salary no more than a hundred yuan. Last year he entered the Wu (戌) cycle, and the stream year was also Jia Xu. Wu is a dry earth, which can suppress the water and also provide warmth, so it is no wonder he was promoted to the position of chief clerk (the original text has an error in the phrase "collecting various chief clerks"). Starting next year, he will consecutively encounter the stream years of Bing, Ding, Wu, and Ji, with fire and earth coming together, thus his future prospects will be even better. This is why I dare to predict it in advance. As for future events, which are mere guesses, they cannot be entirely trusted; however, the events that have already passed have already come true (the original text mistakenly writes "诮验" instead of "应验").

乃有人堅謂是年正月初七。為辛卯日。晚間十一時半。乃屬辛卯是之旍子時。八字應為癸已甲寅辛卯戊子。然命局財多峰弱，何以前行庚辛幫身運。一籌莫展。更何以去年甲戍。身弱逢財。忽得良遇。往事皆無可符者。豈可據以為信乎。

However, some people insist that the seventh day of the first lunar month that year was the Xin Mao day, and the night half past eleven belonged to the Xin Mao day's night Zi hour. Therefore, the eight characters should be arranged as Gui Si, Jia Yin, Xin Mao, and Wu Zi. But in this case, the destiny chart becomes one of excessive wealth and weak body (the original text says 'wealth abundant and peak weak', where 'peak' should be read as 'body', same below). Then why, during the previous years of the Geng and Xin cycles, which were supposed to support the body, did he fail to make progress? And why, last year when the Jia Xu cycle came, with the body already weak and encountering more wealth, did he suddenly get good fortune? None of the past events match up, so how can this be considered reliable? This is using verified facts to prove the error in the arrangement method, similar to the case of Xu Shiy ing's destiny chart, where facts were used to refute the from-killer pattern.

倘更質以誠如君言。則是日上千零時二十分，與晚間十一時半所生乾。皆為辛卯日戍子時，距離有十一個鐘點之差。而八字竟完全相同。寧有是理耶。不知彼將何以答我。

If one were to press further, one might ask: according to your statement, a person born at 12:20 a.m. on a certain day and another born at 11:30 p.m. on the same day (the original text mistakenly writes 'noon zero' instead of 'midnight zero') would both be considered to be born in the Zi hour of the Xinmao day. These two people are separated by eleven hours, yet their eight characters of destiny would be exactly the same. How could such a thing be possible? I wonder how he would answer me. The author's question is particularly sharp: if the claim that the night Zi hour is counted as a separate day is taken to its logical conclusion, it would inevitably lead to two people born within the same day, separated by eleven hours, having identical eight characters. This claim would thus collapse on its own.

（按此篇會發表於時代日報命學講座。旋接蘇州紫闌巷十三號朱傲骨先生來函，謂夜子時理應日用今日。時用明日。蓋基於星平大成所謂今日之夜。非明日之早也。並蒙將黃君八字。改為癸巳甲寅辛卯庚子。

This passage is the author's own note: This article was once published in the "Astrological Lectures" section of the "Times Daily" (the original text says "will be published" but should be "was published"). Later, I received a letter from Mr. Zhu Aogu, who lived at No. 13 Zilanzhang Lane in Suzhou, stating that for the night hour, the principle should be "the day column uses today's stem-branch, and the hour column uses tomorrow's stem-branch," based on the statement in "Xingping Dacheng" that "the night of today is not the morning of tomorrow." Mr. Zhu also rearranged Huang Jun's birth time as Guisi, Jiayin, Xinmao, and Gengzi (the day column uses Xinmao, and the hour column uses Gengzi). It is evident that for the same hour, there are three different methods of arrangement, each with its own source.

又如評論曰。庚為幫峰。甲庚交戰。財已劫去。是以不作財多身弱論。庚運劫財。財逢劫村，栗碌固宜。雲年歲運俱戍。戍為陽土。為與印。土生金。財逢印以遷官。擢升科長。又何疑乎。窮通寶鑑雲。春月之金。餘寒未盡。性柔得生乃妙。廑此照錄如上。以待高明揣究。

Mr. Zhu further commented: If arranged according to the Xinmao day, the heavenly stem of the hour, Geng metal, is the supporting force for the body (the original text says 'help the peak' but should be 'help the body'). The Jia wood and Geng metal contend with each other, and the wealth star has been robbed, so it cannot be considered as having too much wealth and a weak body. The Geng period is a period of劫财 (robbery of wealth), and wealth meets robbery and is taken away, so being unprofitable and without resources is appropriate. As for last year's year and period both being in Xu, Xu is yang earth and is the official of Xin metal. Earth generates metal and the body is supported. Wealth meets the official and thus can be promoted, so being promoted to the position of chief is not suspicious. The "Qiong Tong Bao Jian" says: In spring, metal still has residual cold, it is soft and needs to be generated and supported to be good. The author concluded: I carefully recorded the above, waiting for the discerning to study and ponder. A dispute without a final judgment, with two views coexisting, this attitude of doubt is precisely the commendable aspect of this book.

甲戌 丁卯 甲申 庚午 八歲 戊辰 十八 己巳 廿八 庚午 三八 辛未 四八 壬申 五八 癸酉

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Jia Xu, the month is Ding Mao, the day is Jia Shen, and the hour is Geng Wu. The day stem Jia Wood is born in the month of Mao, which is the month of Wood. Starting from the age of eight, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Wu Chen, Ji Si, Geng Wu, Xin Wei, Ren Shen, Gui You. The heavenly stem of the year Jia is yang, and for a male destiny, it proceeds in the order of the month column Ding Mao to Wu Chen, Ji Si, Geng Wu, and so on. In this case, the Jia Wood is extremely strong because it is in the month of Mao, which is the place of Yang Ren. The heavenly stem of the hour Geng Metal, which is the seven killer, is in the day branch Shen and thus has a strong root. The heavenly stem of the month Ding Fire, which is the official, is in the hour branch Wu and thus has a strong root. The body, the seven killer, and the official all have strong roots and power. Between Wu and Shen there is an invisible and hidden Wei Earth, which is the wealth. The author uses this case to explain what is meant by "full spirit," which is the only case in the entire book that discusses the concept from the perspective of weather and atmosphere.

或有詢余者曰。八字亦有所謂精神飽滿者乎。余曰有。或又請益曰。奚以知其然。余曰。此誠難言之矣。蓋祇可以意會。不可以言傅也。緣將上列一命剖之。此乃餘技人之子。甲生卯月。為至旺之鄉。時透庚金。提祿於申。斧鑿功深。樑棟成矣。月頭丁火。得祿於時，欣發木氣。

Someone asked me: Is there such a thing as "spiritually full" in the context of the Four Pillars of Destiny? I said yes. He then asked: How can we know that? I said: It is really hard to explain in words, it can only be understood intuitively, and cannot be fully conveyed through speech (the original text says "言傅" which should be "言传"). Let's analyze the example above. This is the destiny of a child from a relative of mine: Jia wood is born in the卯 month, which is the most flourishing place for wood; the庚 gold seven killer appears in the hour stem, and the庚 gold's strength is located in the day branch申, which is like a sharp axe cutting forcefully, thus the flourishing wood is shaped into a beam. The month stem丁 fire official is present, and its strength is located in the hour branch午, which can revitalize the wood energy. Flourishing wood, sharp axe, bright fire, all three are in their proper positions.

璀璨成章。身既旺。殺又強。傷更健。兼以午申爽未財。點綴得宜。豈非如人之神清氣爽。精神飽滿者乎。月刃用殺。殺有傷制。舒配既美。行運亦無阻畏。

Thus, the literary style is brilliant and well-structured. The day master is strong, the seven deadly enemies are also powerful, and the official star is even more vigorous; furthermore, between the午 and申 there is an unseen 未, which contains the earthy soil, the true wealth for the wood of 甲. This is perfectly balanced (the original text says 「午申爽未财」, where 「爽」 is likely a mistake for 「夹」, meaning the wealth is supported by the surrounding elements). This is just like a person who is clear-minded and full of energy.the so-called full of energy means that every element in the entire chart has strength and a proper place, with no empty or redundant characters. In this case, the month's branch 卯 is the Yangren (sheath) for 甲 wood, establishing the 「Month Sheath Pattern」 and using the seven deadly enemies to control the sheath. The seven deadly enemies are further restrained by the official star, preventing them from becoming excessive. The combination is beautiful, so the person's fortune in life is not something to fear.

蓋逢土為財。非身強所忌，逢火制殺益力。逢水則印以化殺。各盡其妙。誠無間言矣。是命雖格局平常。卻遠勝奇格異局之上。茫茫人海中，能有幾許耶。

Because encountering earth is considered wealth, a strong body does not fear wealth; encountering fire enhances the control of the killer more effectively; encountering water transforms into a nurturing influence, drawing the killer's energy to nourish the self. Any of the five elements coming into play can each contribute uniquely, and there is nothing to criticize. Although the pattern of this birth chart is ordinary, it surpasses those rare and peculiar formations. The peculiar ones rely on cleverness, while this one relies on each aspect being solid and practical. In the vast sea of people, how many such birth charts are there? This passage, when compared with the many examples of imbalanced formations throughout the book, exactly represents the ideal birth chart in Wei's mind.

乙卯 丙子 乙丑 丁亥 一歲 乙亥 十一 甲戌 廿一 癸酉 三一 壬申 四一 辛未 五一 庚午

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Yimao, the month Bingzi, the day Yichou, and the hour Dinghai. The day stem is Yimao, and the day master is Yimao wood born in the month of Zi (water). Starting from the first year of the big cycle, the big cycles are in order Yihai, Jiaxu, Guiyou, Renshen, Dinghai, Yimao, and so on. For a male, the heavenly stems are arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month Bingzi, the big cycles go back to Yihai, Jiaxu, Guiyou, Renshen, Dinghai, Yimao, etc. In this case, the heavenly stems Yimao, Bingzi, Dinghai are in sequence, and the earthly branches Hai, Zi, Chou are also in sequence. Both the heavenly stems and earthly branches form a continuous chain, which is called "lian zhu" in the fortune books. The fire of Bing and Ding and the earth of Chou are considered wealth, while the water of Hai and Zi and the wood of Mao support the day master. The balance between the two sides is equal, making this a typical and balanced destiny of a merchant.

此鄭君命也。君為海上紗業界聞人。得失動輒萬金。其經營商業。範圍廣大。駭人聽聞。夫天干丙丁與己。一派火土財鄉。地支亥子丑卯。盡是水木幫身。標本停勻。更妙各立門戶。固不愧商場健將。且乙丙丁。亥子丑。干支聯珠。矯勇善戰。角逐果敢。習性生成。非偶然也。

This is the birth chart of Zheng Jun. He was a prominent figure in the Shanghai silk industry, and his business transactions could amount to tens of thousands of taels at a time, with a vast range of commercial activities that were astonishing. The heavenly stems丙 and丁, along with the hidden己 earth in the earthly branch丑, form a prosperous fire and earth wealth environment (the original text simply refers to '丙丁 and 己', but 己 earth is actually hidden in 丑, not revealed in the heavenly stems, so it is recorded as such). The earthly branches亥, 子, 丑, and 卯 are all water and wood elements that support the body. The wealth and body are balanced on both sides, and more importantly, each occupies its own side and stands independently, without entanglement. This explains why he was a capable leader in the business world. Moreover, the heavenly stems乙, 丙, and丁 are connected, and the earthly branches亥, 子, and丑 are also connected, forming a chain-like pattern in both the heavenly and earthly stems. Therefore, he was strong and brave, bold in competition, and this nature was innate, not accidental.

前運壬申十載。積資三百萬。尤得力於申運。蓋原局缺金。申金會齊五行。源遠流長。生生不息故也。至癸亥甲子兩年。傾家蕩產。反欠人百餘萬。水木太過。所以致此。庚運為金。又屬大利。清償宿負。遊刃有餘。再盈數十萬金。

In the previous decade of the Renshen cycle, three million assets were accumulated, especially benefiting from the Shen cycle. Because the original chart was lacking in metal, when Shen metal appeared, the Five Phases were complete. Wood was controlled by metal, and water was generated by metal, leading to a long and continuous source of vitality. However, in the years of Guihai and Jiazi, the family lost everything and even owed over one million. This was because during those two years, water and wood were excessive, causing the supporting elements to become overwhelming and the wealth to be scattered. Therefore, such a situation occurred. The Geng cycle again brought metal, which was also highly beneficial. After repaying the old debts, there was still surplus, and additional profits of tens of thousands were made. This case clearly demonstrates the effect of "the original chart lacking something, which is supplemented by the cycle." It can be compared with the previous case of Liu Hongsheng.

去年甲戍。為劫財流年夏告室如懸磬。抑且高築債臺。今年乙亥。已無活動餘地。按乙亥之水木太重。本非所利。恐年內有咎無休。興味蕭然。明歲丙子志。純逢火土之年。直如冬盡春回。大地錦鄉。又是花木暢茂。一片蓬勃景象矣。

Last year, the Jiaxu year was a year of劫财, where劫财 took away the wealth, causing the family to be extremely poor, as if there was nothing left, like a room with nothing but a hanging gong. Moreover, debts piled up. This year, Yihai, there is no room for any activity—Yihai's water and wood are too strong, which is not favorable for him. It is likely that there will be misfortune without joy within a year, and everything will be bleak. Next year, Bingzi, which is a year of fire and earth, the wealth star will regain its strength, just like the end of winter and the coming of spring, the earth becomes splendid, and flowers and trees flourish, showing a prosperous scene again.

癸卯 辛酉 乙卯 辛巳 六歲 庚申 十六 己未 廿六 戊午 三六 丁巳 四六 丙辰 五六 乙卯

The year pillar is Guimao, the month pillar is Xinyou, the day pillar is Yimao, and the hour pillar is Xinsi. The day stem is Yimao, and the wood is born in the metal month of You. Starting from the age of six, the big destiny runs in the order of Gengshen, Jiwei, Wuwu, Dingsi, Bingchen, and Yimao. The heavenly stem of the year, Gui, is yin. For a male destiny, it is reversed, so starting from the month pillar Xinyou, it goes backward to Gengshen, Jiwei, Wuwu, etc. In middle age, the destiny moves toward the southern fire regions. In this case, two Xinhui seven killers are in command and heavily restrain Yimao wood, making the wood suffer extreme restraint. Fortunately, the yin water Gui in the year stem drains the metal and nourishes the wood. The killer is heavy and the body is light, and the control and transformation are incomplete. This destiny is ordinary, but what is valuable is that the author's interpretation later proved true, making it the most human and touching entry in the entire book.

此為某軍人之命。癸酉暮春。嘗訪余廬。自言混跡軍五。碌碌半生。邇來環境蕭然。假投捕自盡者。已經三次。終不識命運如何。究竟生機絕否。余曰。乙木死於秋。患辛金根深。受克太重。幸有癸水之洩金生木。危而有救。

This is the birth chart of a soldier. In the late spring of the Guiyou year, he visited my home, claiming that he had spent half his life in the military but had achieved nothing, and recently his situation had become bleak, with several attempts at suicide, already three times, and he still did not know his fate, whether his vitality had completely ended. I said: The Yi wood is in the autumn, which is the 'death' position, and it is most afraid of the Xin metal having a strong root (the month branch is You, the hour branch is Si, both are roots of metal), being overly restrained; fortunately, there is the Gui water in the year stem, which can both release the metal's strength and support the Yi wood, although it is dangerous, there is still a rescue - this is the usual method of 'using the seal when the killer is strong'.

椎丙丁不透干。七殺不獲其制。日主則不克如滴天髓所謂懷丁抱丙。跨鳳乘猴。而仍嫌柔弱。為美中不足也。君既才識壓眾，抱負不凡。若遽萌短見。無乃自棄乎。前運一派土金。助殺壞印。故豐才嗇遇。莫展經猷。

Unfortunately, the丙 and 丁 fire do not appear in the heavenly stems (the original text says '椎' which should be '惟'), so the seven killing stars are not restrained. The day master cannot achieve the situation described in the "Ditianmui" as 'embrace 丁 and hold 丙, ride a phoenix and ride a monkey'—if the 乙 wood embraces 丙 and 丁 fire, even if it sits on the metal grounds of 酉 (phoenix) and 申 (monkey), it would not fear being overcome. In this case, there is no fire, so it still appears weak, which is a regrettable deficiency. However, your intellect is outstanding and your aspirations are extraordinary. If you suddenly have short-sightedness, would that not be self-abandonment? In the past, the fortune has been continuously earth and metal. Earth generates metal, which helps the killing stars, while metal overcomes wood, which harms the癸 water as the official star. Therefore, although you have talent, your circumstances are difficult, and you cannot fully realize your ambitions.

然本年即交午火運。制殺功深。定見轉機。如南方有故舊。前住求授。正可水魚膠漆。相得益彰。此人唯唯而去。闊別三載。忽於上月舊翩然復臨。神采煥發。大菲昔比。據謂別後亡命羊城。由舅舅氏之介。投效某軍長麾下。嗣得軍長之賞識提撥。竿頭日進。茲且攖重權於南和粵。

However, this year has entered the Wu Fire cycle. Fire can control the killer element, with profound effects, and surely a turning point will be seen. If there are old connections in the south, it would be advisable to go there for help, which would be like a fish in water or glue and lacquer, mutually beneficial. The person agreed readily and left. After three years apart, he suddenly came back last month, looking radiant and greatly different from before. According to him, after parting, he fled to Guangzhou, was introduced by his maternal uncle to serve under a certain military commander, then gained the commander's recognition and promotion, advancing step by step, and now holds important power in the south. The author had previously advised him to seek help in the south, precisely because the south belongs to fire, and the cycle matches the place, thus doubling the effect—this is a rare example in this book of incorporating 'direction' into the selection of elements.

比者。道經春江。因感餘當年所斷之盡驗。指其求授南方。獲益尤非淺鮮。特來面謁。專伸謝悃。餘緣再視其命。此後丁已丙三運。更較昌盛勉以鵬程無限。善自為國效勞雲。

This time, passing through Shanghai (the old name for the Huangpu River is "Chunjiang"), he came to visit me in person, specially to express his gratitude. He recalled how my previous predictions had all come true, especially the advice to seek help from the south, which brought him great benefit. I then looked again at his destiny. In the following years of Ding, Si, and Bing, there will be more fire elements, which will be more effective in controlling the harmful influences, leading to even greater prosperity than now. I therefore encouraged him to have an unlimited future, and to work hard for his country.

癸巳 丙辰 壬申 癸卯 一歲 乙卯 十一 甲寅 廿一 癸丑 三一 壬子 四一 辛亥 五一 庚戌

The year pillar is Guisi, the month pillar Bingchen, the day pillar Renzi, and the hour pillar Guimao. The day stem Ren water is born in the month of Chen, which is the earth dog. Starting from the first year of the big destiny, the sequence is Yimao, Jiayin, Guichou, Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu. The heavenly stem of the year, Gui, is yin. For a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Bingchen, it goes back to Yimao, Jiayin, Guichou, etc. In this case, the Ren water is sitting on Shen (the place of growth for water) and also meets Chen (a water reservoir), with two Gui waters assisting, making the body too strong. The useful god is the month stem Bing fire, which represents wealth. The禄 of Bing fire is in the year branch Si. The卯 wood can also generate Bing fire, so the wealth has a source. The arrangement of the useful god and its mother is key to determining the critical point where he meets his fate.

此為前中央研究院院長楊杏佛先生之命。考其辰月壬申日。並得生地庫地。夫又癸水雙透。身強有餘。應用丙火之幾。而已為祿。卯為丙母。財有淵源。胥賴乎經。一代文豪。且為文官。固其宜也。蓋命局租靜。病樂停勻。身分超拔。若合符節。

This is the birth chart of Mr. Yang Xingfo, former director of the Central Research Institute. Examining his birth on the day of Renshen (壬申) in the month of Chen (辰): the Shēn (申) is the place of growth for Rén water, and the Chén (辰) is the repository of water, so he has both the place of growth and the repository for water. The heavenly stem also has two Guǐ water, making his body strength excessive. Therefore, the heavenly stem of the month, Bing fire, should be taken as the useful god (the original text mentions "丙火之几" which has an error). The禄 (lucky position) of Bing fire is on the year branch Sì (巳), and the hour branch Mǎo (卯) wood is the mother of Bing fire. The wealth star has a source and is not isolated — the useful god has its root and a mother to nourish it, so its strength is reliable. He became a great literary figure and held a literary position, which was natural. This birth chart is clear and balanced, with the illness and the remedy in harmony, and his status is elevated, matching his actual experiences in life.

四十一歲交辛運。辛來合丙。流年復逢癸酉。酉更沖卯。一片汪洋。用神盡拔。故不免為人狙擊。亦猶博流沙終。良可婉惜。

At forty-one, he entered the Geng cycle, which combines with Bing, thus trapping the useful god Bing fire. In the current year, he also encounters Guiyou, where You again clashes with the hour branch Mao wood. Mao is the mother of Bing fire; when the mother is clashed, the fire has no support. The entire chart is filled with water, uprooting the root of the useful god. Therefore, he inevitably suffers from attacks and dies, as if sinking into flowing sand. It is truly a pity. The useful god is trapped and the mother of the useful god is clashed, two severe blows occurring simultaneously. This is the most typical pattern in this book for predicting sudden misfortunes.

以前壬運癸亥年。亦滿盤是水。乃得康莊平坦。誠使人百思而不解。然進而思之。已亥雖沖。究輕於卯酉之沖。則益信用神之祿。沖去猶可。用神之母。萬不可沖，是又增我一番經驗矣。

He thought again of the previous Guihai year during the Ren cycle, which was also full of water, yet he remained safe and sound, which was really puzzling. However, considering further: the Guihai year involved a conflict between Si and Hai, which affected the禄 of Bing fire; the Guiyou year involved a conflict between Mao and You, which affected the mother of Bing fire. The conflict between Si and Hai is actually less severe than that between Mao and You. This makes it even more certain that it is not so bad if the禄 of the useful god is destroyed, but it is extremely dangerous if the mother of the useful god is destroyed. This experience has added another layer to my understanding. The author distinguishes between life and death through two years with similar abundance of water, which is exactly the method of reading fate repeatedly demonstrated in the book: to observe which part is in motion.

辛丑 辛丑 丁酉 丙午 四歲 庚子 十四 己亥 廿四 戊戌 三四 丁酉 四四 丙申 五四 乙未

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Xin Chou, those of the month are also Xin Chou, those of the day are Ding You, and those of the hour are Bing Wu. The day's stem, Ding fire, is born in the Chou month. The big destiny cycle starts at the age of four, in the order of Geng Zi, Ji Hai, Wu Xu, Ding You, Bing Shen, and Yi Wei. The heavenly stem of the year, Xin, is yin, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month's stem Chou, it goes back to Geng Zi, Ji Hai, Wu Xu, etc. This destiny has two Xin metals, one You, and two Chou. The metal and earth gather together to form wealth. The day's stem, Ding fire, only has the hour's stem Bing Wu as a helper. The earthly branch of the day, You, is both a wealth star and the "Wen Chang" nobleman for the Ding day stem. Therefore, the master of the art concludes that he will surely have a virtuous wife. However, the author argues from the perspective of "excessive wealth being a problem," which is the most thorough discussion on marriage in the entire book.

此為本埠張君之命。財重身輕。所妙時上一劫一比。雖嫌柔弱。還幸有根。幼時聞術者言。財多而強。且日支文昌貴人。定得賢美之妻。沾沾自喜。唯盼早賦燕詩。及至二十四歲。識同學某女士。由戀愛而成婚。女士品學兼優。初固伉儷甚篤。以為者之言驗矣。

This is the birth chart of a gentleman named Zhang from this city. His wealth is heavy while his body is weak, but it is fortunate that the hour pillar contains a劫财 (Jie Cai, a type of competitive wealth) named Bing and a比肩 (Bi Jian, a companion) named Wu with Ding fire hidden within. Although the day ruler is considered weak, it is fortunate that it has a root. When he was young, he heard from a fortune teller that with abundant wealth and a strong body, plus the day branch being the "Wen Chang" nobleman (a beneficial deity associated with intelligence and literary talent, and for a day ruler of Ding, Wen Chang is located in You), he would certainly marry a virtuous and beautiful wife. He became very pleased with himself and looked forward to getting married soon ("Yan Shi" refers to poems about newlyweds). At the age of twenty-four, he met a lady named Ms. Someone, and they fell in love and got married. The lady was both virtuous and learned, and at first their marital relationship was very harmonious. He thought the fortune teller's words had come true.

諜於庚午年。女忽弱於博弈。寢食俱廢。每晚輒至一百八十一號（海上唯一大賭窟。）作輪盤之賭。未滿一年。私蓄蕩然，無以自慰。乃由高樓跳下而墜死於非命。厥狀殊慘。客歲。張君又思欒膠繼續。惟慮復蹈覆轍。就決定餘

Unexpectedly, in the year Gengwu, the woman suddenly became addicted to gambling (the original text says 'weak in games of chance,' but 'weak' should be 'addicted'), neglecting sleep and food. Every night she went to number 181—the author's note: the only big gambling den in Shanghai—to gamble on the roulette wheel. Within less than a year, her savings were completely gone. Unable to cope, she jumped from a high building and died in a very painful manner. Last year, Mr. Zhang wanted to remarry (the allusion 'Luangjiao' refers to the practice of remarrying, the original text says 'Luanjiao'), but he was worried about repeating the same mistake, so he came to me for a decision. The previous statement that 'Wenchang Nobleman indicates obtaining a virtuous wife' was overturned by the facts. The following text explains why.

余曰。以財多為病財即妻星。烏足言內助賢美耶。惟戊戍土運。已成尾聲身運。即將蒞臨。此番續絃。當不致再如元配之結局。但欲介隨適意。亦斷定。

I said: This destiny is afflicted by excessive wealth, and wealth is the wife star. Since the wife star is the affliction, how can there be a virtuous and beautiful wife? The fortune teller only noticed that the day branch is in the position of Wen Chang and the wealth star is strong, but failed to see whether the wealth star is beneficial or harmful to the day master. Fortunately, the Wuxu earth cycle is coming to an end, and the supportive cycle is about to arrive. This time, the new wife will not end up in the same unfortunate situation as the first wife. However, to say that everything will go smoothly and as desired is difficult to confirm (the original text has some errors or omissions in this section).

規普通談命者。以為財乃妻星。日支乃妻宮。財旺者。或日坐財星者和力。殊不知財多為病之命。妻宮美於何者。論妻之優劣。固以財為標準九須先觀財之得用與否。若命中以財為喜神。財雖薄弱。亦主得妻之力。正不必斤斤於多寡之間。以論其美惡也。

In ordinary discussions about fate, people think that wealth represents the wife star and the day branch represents the wife's palace. If there is much wealth or if the day branch is occupied by the wealth star, it is believed to indicate the support of the wife. However, they do not realize that if there is too much wealth in the chart, it can be a problem, and how can the wife's palace be good in such a case? Although the quality of the wife is indeed judged by the wealth star, the first thing to consider is whether this wealth is useful in the chart. If wealth is a favorable element in the person's fate, even if it is weak, it still indicates the support of the wife. Therefore, one should not be overly concerned with the amount of wealth, using it to judge the wife's quality. This point is an extension of the previous section "Wife and Wealth" which states that the wife star and wife's palace cannot both be good. It is also the most practical statement in the entire book: the fortune or misfortune of all ten heavenly stems should first be determined as whether they are favorable or unfavorable.

丙申 癸巳 癸亥 甲寅 九歲 甲午 十九 乙未 廿九 丙申 三九 丁酉 四九 戊戌 五九 己亥

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Bing Shen, the month are Gui Si, the day are Gui Hai, and the hour are Jia Yin. The day's stem, Gui Water, is born in the month of Si. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny runs in sequence as Jiawu, Yiwei, Bingshen, Dingyou, Wuxu, Jihai. The heavenly stem of the year, Bing, is yang. For a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month stem Gui Si, it proceeds in order to Jiawu, Yiwei, Bingshen, etc. This destiny has four earthly branches, which are Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai. These are the four "sheng" positions, which are naturally in pairs of opposition. However, the arrangement of these positions is appropriate, with Yin combining with Hai and Si combining with Shen. The opposition is transformed into combination. The whole chart appears chaotic but is actually calm, which is the key point for the following discussion.

此天津人李君之命。君恆角逐於跑馬場中。嘗得香檳頭。獎平日博弈。亦勝多於負。其營業所得這薪酬。僅敷支出 。跑馬所盈者。用獲豐積。或羨其賭運享通。以餘視這。不過命局安頓。財星得用而已。

This is the birth chart of a man named Li from Tianjin. He often participates in horse races and has once won the first prize, known as "Changbin Tou," which is the top prize in horse racing lottery. In his daily life, he also gambles, and usually wins more than he loses. The salary he earns from his job is only enough to cover his expenses, but the money he wins from horse racing has accumulated to a substantial amount. Some people admire his good luck in gambling, but in my opinion, it is simply because his birth chart is well structured and the wealth star is properly utilized. The term "getting proper use" means that the wealth star in his chart is exactly what the day master needs. There are elements that generate it and others that support it; it is not just an idle character placed there.

蓋癸日甲寅時。傷官得祿。丙年已月。偏財得祿。傷財相生而流通。美滿極矣。妙有亥月帝旺。癸水比肩。申金正印。協力扶身。乃致身主不弱。堪任其財。尤妙寅亥既相合。已申又相合。亂中見靜。若不流連於跑馬。而孜力實業。亦未始不要富似陶朱。財比猗頓。

The day stem is Gui water, paired with the Jiayin hour. The Jiayin wood is the official son of Gui water, and the寅 is the official position of Jiayin wood. Thus, the official son is in its official position. The Chong fire is in the year and the Si fire is in the month. Chong fire is the official wealth of Gui water, and Si is the official position of Chong fire (the original text refers to it as 'biased wealth', but we follow the original), so the wealth is also in its official position. The official son generates wealth, and the two are mutually generating, with the flow of energy smooth and unobstructed, making the configuration perfect. Even more remarkable is that the day branch Hai is the prosperity position of Gui water (the original text says 'Hai month' but we take it as 'Hai day'), the month stem Gui water is a same type, and the year branch Shen metal is the official mother. These elements together support the day stem, so the day stem is not weak and can bear this wealth. Especially remarkable is that the寅 and Hai branches combine, and the Si and Shen branches combine. Although these are originally conflicting branches, they create a state of calm amidst chaos. If he does not waste time on idle pursuits but instead focuses on practical enterprises, he might achieve wealth comparable to Tao Zhu Gong and riches equal to Yi Dun.

前運皆屬木火。宜其不勞多獲。後運丁酉。財印之鄉。亦能日進斗金。利源四溢。李君勉乎哉。按寅申已亥。本為四沖。因其地位處置適當。由沖而合。以餘經驗所得。此等四柱。不在少數。然再逢寅申已亥之一字。即為沖散全局。不以美論，聞李君在申運內。財雖無所盈虧。然家庭多故。殊苦精神之創痛焉。

In the past, the years he experienced were of wood and fire, with wood being the injurious official and fire being wealth, which is why he gained much without much effort. In the coming Dingyou year, which is the land of wealth and official, he will also gain daily, with abundant profits, so I hope Li Jun will strive hard. The author added his own notes: Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai are originally the four conflicting positions, but because of proper arrangement, they have turned from conflict into harmony. According to my experience, there are many such four pillars; but if the big years and the current years bring another Yin, Shen, Si, or Hai, the original harmony will be broken, and the whole chart will no longer be considered good. It is said that during the Shen year, Li Jun's wealth did not increase or decrease, but his family experienced many troubles, and he suffered a lot mentally—this is because another Shen came, breaking the harmony between Si and Shen.

甲辰 丙子 辛丑 壬辰 三歲 丁丑 十三 戊寅 廿三 己卯 三三 庚辰 四三 辛巳 五三 壬午

The year pillar is Jiachen, the month pillar is Bingzi, the day pillar is Xinchou, and the hour pillar is Renchen. The day stem is Xinhé, born in the month of Zi. Starting from age three, the big destiny runs in order: Dingchou, Wuyin, Jimao, Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu. The heavenly stem of the year, Jiā, is yang. For a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month pillar Bingzi, it proceeds in order to Dingchou, Wuyin, Jimao, etc. In this case, the day stem Xinhé combines with the month stem Bing, forming a combination of Xinhé and Bing. Since it is born in the middle of winter, when water is strong, the combination of Xinhé and Bing turns into water. The heavenly stem of the hour, Ren, which is the origin god of water, is also revealed and solid. The two damp earths, Chou and Chen, can only store water but cannot overcome it. The combination can turn into water, and the turned water is not broken. This is the only true transformed destiny pattern recognized in this book.

近世談命者。凡見日干與他干相合。動輒以化氣格論，不知假化則庸俗無奇。真化則談何容易。書云。化之真者。名公鉅卿。化之假者。異性孤兒。可見化之貴乎真也。

Recently, those who discuss fate often immediately apply the 'Chemical Transformation Pattern' whenever they see the day stem combining with the adjacent heavenly stem. But they do not realize that false transformations result in ordinary and unremarkable destinies, while true transformations are extremely rare. The fate books say, 'Those who truly transform become famous officials and great ministers; those who falsely transform become orphans of different families.' This shows that the key to the chemical transformation pattern lies in the word 'true.'the so-called true transformation must have the element formed by the combination exactly in season, and the original god must be revealed and solid in the chart, and there must be nothing to destroy it. If any of these three conditions is missing, it is merely a false transformation. The previous example of Du Yuesheng's birth chart, which was argued to be 'Yi and Geng transforming into metal,' was refuted by the author because the presence of the fire element in the hour branch destroyed the pattern.

上為宜陽縣政府張時甫先生命造。夫丙辛之事。時在嘉冬。可以化水。壬水元神透出。尤為純粹。丑辰皆溼土。不能克水。祇可蓄水。當不為病。是乃化格之真者。雖不必為名公鉅卿。要非池中物也。

The above is the birth chart of Mr. Zhang Shifu, the county magistrate of Yiyang County. The heavenly stem Bing combines with the heavenly stem Xin (the original text says "Jing Xin's matter," but "matter" should be "combination"). At this time, it is the middle of winter, a month when water is strong, so the combination can form water. The heavenly stem Ren water, which is the origin god, also appears in the time stem, and is especially pure. The earthy branches Chou and Chen are both moist earth, which can only store water but not overcome it, so they are not considered harmful. This is a true case of the transformed qi pattern. Although it may not lead to becoming a famous official or a great person, the person is certainly not someone who can be confined within a pond. The three steps in judging the transformed qi pattern—whether it can be transformed, whether the origin god is present, and whether there is any destruction—are all present in this case, making it a standard example to study.

早年運都屬土鄉。一肩行李。兩視清風。三十三後，庚運之生不。辰運辛運之化水。飛騰上進，詎可限量。已運土金並藏。瑕瑜互見。壬運助格。尤見燦爛。午運被子水沖拔。夕陽在冊。為時不久矣。張君遙聞餘名。通函囑評其造，餘以其化格清純。殊不多見。前程當必大有可觀。故特志之。以視將來。

In his early years, his fortune was in the earth territory, where earth obstructs water, so he had little belongings and lived in poverty. After the age of thirty-three, the Geng period brought water (the original text says '生不' should be '生水'), and the Chen and Xin periods also assisted in transforming water, thus enabling him to rise rapidly and have an unlimited future. In the Si period, earth and metal were both hidden, with mixed good and bad. The Ren period directly helped to form a clear destiny, especially brilliant. By the time he reached the Wu period, Wu was repelled by the Zi water in the month's branch, damaging the destiny structure, which was like the sun setting in the mountains, indicating a short time left. A gentleman named Zhang Junyuan heard my name and wrote to me asking for an evaluation of his destiny. I considered his destiny structure to be pure and clear, which is rare to see, so his future must be very promising. Therefore, I specially recorded this for future verification.

壬寅 壬寅 辛未 己丑 六歲 癸卯 十六 甲辰 廿六 乙巳 三六 丙午 四六 丁未 五六 戊申 六六 己酉

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Renyin, the month are Renyin, the day are Xinwei, and the hour are Jichou. The day's heavenly stem is Xin metal, born in the寅 month. The big destiny cycle starts at age six, in order: Guimao, Jiachen, Yisi, Bingwu, Dingwei, Wushen, Jiyou. The heavenly stem of the year, Ren, is yang, and for a male's destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month's Renyin, it proceeds to Guimao, Jiachen, Yisi, and so on. This chart has two Ren waters that drain the energy of Xin metal, and two寅 woods which are the wealth for Xin metal, so there is an excess of wealth and a weak body. The only saving factor is the heavenly stem of the hour, Ji earth, which can hold water and generate metal. Ji earth also has roots in the branches of Wei and Chou. This chart was presented by the wife asking about divorce, and the author's commentary and advice are recorded together.

離婚之風日盛。夫婦之道乖。壬申初春。有王姓婦者。囑。評其無君命造倨謂溺情聲色。流連博弈。外宿多日。輒不一歸婦備受精神痛苦。擬與仳離。答卷曰。辛金雙見壬寅。又值春木萌動。財多峰弱，幸時上已土。納水生金。又得丑未之根。救弱主而任財。

The trend of divorce is growing stronger day by day, causing discord in marital relationships. In early spring of the Renshen year, a woman surnamed Wang asked me to assess her husband's birth chart, saying that he was addicted to pleasures and gambling, often staying out overnight for several days without returning, causing her great mental suffering, and she intended to live apart from him. I replied: The day master is Xin metal, which appears twice with Renyin. The Ren water drains the strength of the day master, and Yin wood represents wealth. At this time, it is spring, when wood energy is rising, indicating "excessive wealth and weak self" (the original text mistakenly says "weak peak" but should be "weak self"). Fortunately, there is Ji soil in the time stem, which both receives the Ren water and supports the Xin metal. Moreover, the Ji soil has roots in Chou and Wei branches, thus being able to strengthen the weak day master and bear this wealth.

夫雖刵氣已動。節侯尚寒。土多均無暖氣。示中之丁。見奪於丑內之癸。寅中之丙。懾服於干頭之壬。八字尚欠精神。自然之理也。乙運乙已之沖。已土用神受損。宜其如無鞍之馬。無楫之舟。隨波逐流。從人徵逐而莫由自主，試頭號貴夫子是否念六負起。迷沉淫樂耶。婦曰。然。

However, although the spring energy has already begun to stir, the season is still cold, and although there is much earth in the chart, there is no warm energy: the hidden ding fire in wei is taken by the kui water in chou; the hidden bing fire in yin is subdued by the ren water in the heavenly stem. Therefore, this八字 ultimately lacks a bit of spirit, which is a natural occurrence (the original text has errors in 「刵气」and 「示中」, which should be 「spring energy」and 「wei」). During the yi period, the yi wood clashes and controls the ji soil, damaging the useful god ji soil. It is no wonder he is like a horse without a saddle or a boat without a paddle, drifting with the waves, following others in chasing pleasures and unable to be his own master. Therefore, I asked: did your husband start indulging in lust from the age of twenty-six? The woman answered: exactly. The year when the useful god is damaged is the year when his behavior becomes improper, which is the old method used by the author to verify the commentary.

余曰。是庸何傷。三十一歲歲尾。達足已運。火來欣發熾昌康泰。是應發揚蹈歷。丕振家聲。認定正途。悔司前非。則賢伉儷和好如初。齊眉偕老。奚必一時不克妨耐乎。婦乃暢然意滿。興辭而退後果應驗余斷。婦又詢余。伊夫之後運如何。余曰。三十六歲以下。丙午丁三運尤佳。後來居上。快哉快哉。

I said: What's the matter? By the end of the thirty-first year, he would have completed the Si (Snake) period. When the fire of Bing (丙) in Si comes into play, the destiny chart would become warm and flourish, and at that time he would naturally strive hard, restore the family's reputation, take the right path, and repent of his previous mistakes. Thus, the virtuous couple would reconcile and live happily together until old age. Why should we ruin everything just because of an inability to endure for a while (the original text says '不克妨耐' which should be '不克忍耐'). The woman was then satisfied and left. Later, it indeed proved my judgment correct. She then asked me about her husband's future destiny. I said: The periods of Bing (丙), Wu (午), and Ding (丁) before the age of thirty-six are especially good, and he would surpass others, achieving great success. This case shows that Wei's interpretation of destiny also serves as a moral guidance, not only predicting good or bad fortune but also caring about the family's well-being.

庚辰 己卯 壬寅 辛丑 八歲 庚辰 十八 辛巳 廿八 壬午 三八 癸未 四八 甲申 五八 乙酉 六八 丙戌

The natal pillar is Gengchen for the year, Jimao for the month, Renyin for the day, and Xinchou for the hour. The day stem 壬 water is born in the卯 month. Starting from the age of eight, the big luck years are in order: Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu, Guiwei, Jiashen, Yiyou, Bingxu. The heavenly stem of the year, 庚, is yang. For a male, the sequence is in the order of the month pillar, so from Jimao it proceeds to Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu, etc. The earth branches 寅, 卯, 辰 form the eastern wood trinity, resulting in excessive wood and restricted water. The heavenly stems 己, 庚, 辛, 壬 are in sequence, and the earth branches 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰 are also in sequence, forming a continuous chain of metal, water, and wood. The useful god is 庚 metal, which generates water and controls wood, serving as the key to the entire chart. This is also the reason for his death during the 甲 luck year.

此蔣邦彥先生命也。蔣君幼年窮困。劬學無遺。黌舍蜚聲。早登鄉榜。壬運入仁版。歷膺浙江財政廳長。溫州關監督命使命。甲了年後。隨張宗昌服官魯垣。執掌財權極點資數百肆。參賽宗昌人敗。同避日本。戊辰年甲子月。被宗昌遣人潛殺於寓邸。

This is the birth chart of Mr. Jiang Bangyan. Mr. Jiang was poor in his childhood, but he studied diligently and gained a good reputation in school. He passed the imperial examination as a juren (second-level scholar) at an early age. During the Ren (rain) period, he entered officialdom, holding positions such as the Director of the Zhejiang Finance Department and the Supervisor of the Wenzhou Customs. (The original text of this sentence has some errors.) After the Jiazi year, he served with Zhang Zongchang in Shandong, where he controlled financial affairs and accumulated millions of taels. (This sentence also contains errors in the original text.) Later, when Zhang Zongchang's forces were defeated, he fled to Japan together with him. In the year Wuchen, during the month of Jiazi, he was murdered by Zhang Zongchang's agents who infiltrated his residence. The following explanation will detail how his life's ups and downs are fully reflected in his八字 (eight characters of birth).

夫壬日春生，寅卯辰會起木局。木多水縮為患。自取庚金為用。賴基生水制木也。以言格局。乃傷官司用印耳。春金廢而無力。萬不可逢火。幸不見財星。印無傷害。天干已庚辛壬。地支丑寅兒子辰。金水木聯珠一氣。精神飽滿。皆為貴徵。顯赫一時。固所宜焉。

When the water of Ren is born in spring, the earthly branches of寅, 卯, and 辰 form a wood pattern, which results in excessive wood that absorbs the water, causing a problem. Therefore, it is necessary to take the heavenly stem of Geng metal as the useful god, relying on it to generate water and control wood. In terms of pattern, this is called "injury official using seal" — wood is the injury official of Ren water, and Geng metal is the seal of Ren water, using the seal to control the injury official. Spring is a time when metal is in a "waste" state and lacks strength, so it is absolutely not advisable to encounter fire (as fire would overcome metal and damage the useful god). Fortunately, the pattern does not contain the wealth star (fire), so the seal is not harmed. The heavenly stems of Ji, Geng, Xin, and Ren are connected, and the earthly branches of Chou,寅, 卯, and 辰 are connected. Metal, water, and wood are linked in a continuous flow, with full vitality, which are signs of high status and prominence, and it is indeed appropriate for them to be prominent.

壬運比肩幫峰。故為發軔之始，以後僅千運稍遜。癸未運壞惡。甲運敵庚。戊辰年本為七殺助印。乃懾於運君甲亡之可能。雖幸而越過。至甲子月。終於殺身慘斃。可見命有前定。不可挽也。

The壬 period is a period of equal strength, supporting the body, thus becoming the beginning of his rise and success. After that, only the午 period is slightly worse, as午 is the fire earth, which harms the庚 metal useful god. The Guiwei period is not good. In the甲 period, the甲 wood is in conflict with the庚 metal, and the useful god is restrained. In the Wuchen year, the戊 soil is originally the seven killing of the壬 water; the killing can generate the seal, which is normally good. However, due to the danger of the甲 wood restraining the庚 metal, although he managed to survive for half a year, he finally died in the Jiazi month. This shows that fate is predetermined and cannot be changed. The period when the useful god is restrained and the month when it is harmed is the time of death, which is exactly the same principle as in the case of Yang Xingfou.

丁未 丙午 癸巳 戊午 三歲 乙巳 十三 甲辰 廿三 癸卯 三三 壬寅 四三 辛丑 五三 庚子

The year pillar is Dingwei, the month pillar is Bingwu, the day pillar is Guisi, and the hour pillar is Wuwu. The day stem Guishi is born in the month of Wu, which is a strong fire month. The big destiny starts at age three, in the order of Yisi, Jiachen, Guimao, Renyin, Xinchou, and Gengzi. The heavenly stem of the year, Ding, is yin. For a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Bingwu, it goes back to Yisi, Jiachen, Guimao, and so on. In this case, the day stem Guishi combines with the hour stem Wuu, and since it is born in the month of Wu, which is a strong fire month, there is a large amount of fire in the chart, including Bing, Ding, Si, Wu, and Wei. The combination of Wuu and Guishi turns into fire, and all the conditions are met. This is another true transformation case, following the case of Zhang Shifu, and it is the last case in the entire book.

黃玉麟先生。皮簧聞於時。藝名綠牡丹。亦擅書畫。瀟灑儒雅。誠為利梨圓雋品。前以功君之介。囑評其命。余曰。戊癸相合。既見丙丁。又得已午未。而當榴火舒紅。槐艿結綠之侯。乃純粹經火之格。宜其慧質天生。學無不精。豈平常優孟。可望其項背哉。

Master Huang Yulin was famous for his Pihuang opera, with the stage name "Green Peony." He was also skilled in calligraphy and painting, and his demeanor was elegant and refined, truly a gem in the world of opera. Some time ago, through the introduction of Gong Jun, he asked me to assess his destiny. I said: His heavenly stem Wu is in harmony with the earthly stem Gui. The chart also shows the presence of丙 and丁 fire, and the earthly branches巳, 午, and 未, which form a vast area of southern fire. This is exactly the time of the red pomegranate flowers and the green locust trees, representing a pure pattern of fire transformation. It is no wonder he was born with an intelligent nature, mastering anything he learned. Ordinary performers, how could they even reach his level?

一生行運。應卯寅辛三部。最為醇美。惜少土運。否則土之洩秀尤為出色當行。辰丑為溼土。中含癸水。有悖於格。瑕瑜互見而已。或詢余何方為宜。余曰。既化火成格。自莫妙於南國。黃君貪首者再。據謂曩歲鬻藝雲南。賣座最甚。座價漲至八元有廳。勢將媲美梅博士之歐遊。足可豪矣。然得地利之宜。亦與有功焉。

His entire life's fortune is most harmonious in the卯, 寅, and 辛 stages (wood generates fire and supports the pattern, while 辛 metal is refined by fire). Unfortunately, he lacks the earth element, which could release and transform the refined essence of fire, making it even more outstanding. As for 辰 and 丑, they are damp earths containing 癸 water, conflicting with the fire pattern, so they can only be considered as having both flaws and merits. When someone asked me where he would be most suitable, I said: since he has formed the fire pattern, the southern direction is naturally the best. Huang Jun nodded repeatedly (the original text says 「贪首」, which should be 「颔首」), saying that when he went to Yunnan to perform, his audience was the most numerous, ticket prices rose to eight yuan and some, and the atmosphere would surpass Dr. Mei Lanfang's trip to Europe, which would be very proud. It is evident that this success was also partly due to favorable geographical conditions. This case, considering 「destiny, fortune, and direction」 together, can be compared with the previous case of a soldier seeking help in the south.

戊辰 己未 丁巳 丙午　四歲 庚申 十四 辛酉 廿四 壬戌 三四 癸亥 四四 甲子 五四 乙丑

This is Lu Tang's four pillars of destiny. The left column, from top to bottom, represents the four pillars: the year pillar is Wu Chen, the month pillar is Ji Wei, the day pillar is Ding Si, and the hour pillar is Bing Wu. The heavenly stem of the day pillar, 'Ding', is called the 'day master', and it is the central figure in the entire analysis; the other seven characters are discussed in relation to its interactions of generation and overcoming. The right column represents the 'great years' or 'big destinies', which are the ten-year cycles of life. The numbers before them indicate the age at which each cycle begins: at four years old, the cycle begins with Geng Shen; at fourteen, with Xin You; at twenty-four, with Ren Xu; at thirty-four, with Gui Hai; at forty-four, with Jia Zi; and at fifty-four, with Yi Chou. These six cycles are calculated starting from the month pillar Ji Wei, and they are arranged in the order of the sixty jiazi cycles, which is called 'great years progressing forward'. The original table only goes up to Yi Chou at fifty-four years old; the next cycle would be Bing Yin at sixty-four years old. The 'Bing cycle' mentioned by Wei Qianli refers to the first five years of the Bing Yin cycle, and the 'Yin cycle' refers to the last five years. When reading the table, this layer should be supplemented.

人事滄桑。升沉無定。際茲景氣。富者貧。貧者困。世途尤險。比來海上經濟凋枯。地產衰落。市況蕭瑟。令人惴愉，尤以盧棠，鄔志豪。程霖生。三公慘遭失敗。更不勝今昔之概。余嘗得視渠等之命焉。盧命排列如上。炎上而戊已吐秀。精時果干。逢百庸凡僮輩。近走丙運。運屬助格，不應挫跌。殆以壬申癸酉年之克火。甲戍年之損傷戊土。乙廖年之克已沖己。運年不利。有所致歟。六十九歲後。行入寅運。歲運並美。或得東山再起。

Human life is full of changes, with ups and downs that are unpredictable. In the current bleak situation, those who were once rich may become poor, and those who were already poor may become even more desperate, making the world's path especially dangerous. Recently, Shanghai has experienced economic decline, property prices have dropped, and the market has become cold, causing people to feel anxious and uneasy. Among these, Lu Tang, Wu Zhihao, and Cheng Linseng have all suffered great failures, which has led people to feel a sharp contrast between past and present. I have examined the birth charts of these three individuals. Lu Tang's four pillars are as follows: the day stem is Ding fire, born in the month of Wei, with the branches of Si, Wu, and Wei forming a Southern Fire trinity, and the time stem also reveals Bing fire. This results in a full configuration of fire, which is known as the "Inflaming Ascending Pattern"—a situation where fire is extremely strong and dominant, so much so that it cannot be restrained, and water cannot be used to control it. The heavenly stems Wu and Ji, which are earth, are the food god and injurer of fire, and they release the excessive fire energy in a natural way, which in divination is called "exhaling refinement," symbolizing intelligence and talent that are clearly evident. (The original text "精时果干。逢百庸凡僮辈" has some errors, but the general meaning is that this configuration is pure and decisive, far beyond the ordinary and mediocre.) In recent years, he has been in the influence of the Bing fire, which is in harmony with the Inflaming Ascending Pattern, which should be a favorable period. However, he has encountered failure, probably because in the years of Renshen (1932) and Guiyou (1933), the water of Ren and Gui came to restrain the fire, in the year of Jiaxu (1934), the wood of Jia restrained the heavenly stem Wu earth, and in the year of Yihai (1935), the wood of Yi restrained the earth Ji, and the water of Hai clashed with the branch Si fire of the day. Although his big year is favorable, the continuous interference of the "flowing years" has caused problems. After the age of sixty-nine, he enters the influence of the寅 (Yin) wood, which generates fire, complementing the Inflaming Ascending Pattern, and both the big year and the flowing years turn favorable, so he may be able to rise again.

鄔命為甲申丙寅甲申壬申。建祿沖破，用丙火食神以制殺，固是長袖善舞之輩。且以出水梟神為病。刻在幸運。絆合丙火。歲逢乙亥。亥為壬祿，更如助紂為虐。遭際之一蹶不振宜矣。或謂未運殊佳。然壬運又險。縱能復興。亦不過野花一現而已。

Wu Zhihao's birth chart is Jiashen, Bingyin, Jiashen, Renshen. The day stem is Jia wood, born in the寅 month. The寅 is the "Lus" (Lus is the place where the day stem has authority and is in its proper position) for Jia wood, so it should form the "Jianlu Ge" (a pattern of prosperity). However, the three Shen metals in the chart clash with the寅, breaking the Lus, causing the foundation to be shaken. Fortunately, the month stem reveals Bing fire, which is the food god, capable of controlling the庚 metal seven killers in the Shen. Therefore, he is naturally a person who is skilled in social interaction and diplomacy. Unfortunately, the hour stem reveals Ren water, which is the biased scholar (also known as the枭神), which specializes in taking away the food of the food god. This becomes the root of his problems. At present, he is going through the Xin year, which forms a five harmony with the Bing fire in the sky stem, tying up the useful god Bing fire and preventing it from functioning. The current year also meets Yihai, where Hai is the Lus of Ren water, which is like giving strength to the Owl Spirit, truly aiding the villain, leading to inevitable setbacks. Some people say that his future Wei year will be good, but after the Wei year comes the Ren year, which is dangerous. Even if he experiences a temporary revival, it will be like a wild flower that appears briefly and does not last long.

程命為丙戍癸已乙亥癸未。初視這。身財兩停。細侒之。立夏以後。已戍未丙。中南火土進氣。水木無根。遠不敵火土。應以身弱論。行運都屬克身。故雖飽享蔭福。歷來劫耗可觀。及至戍益為不支。厥後戍已兩運。財理身輕。仍難樂觀。際茲年屆大衍。詩云，明哲保身，程君正可如孔子之知命。而永自韜養矣。

Cheng Linsheng's birth chart is Bingxu, Guisi, Yihai, and Guiwei. At first glance, the day master and the wealth star are evenly matched; upon closer examination, this is not the case. The Yimao day master is born after the beginning of summer, when fire and earth are in command. The chart contains Si, Xu, and Wei, along with the heavenly stem Bing fire in the year. The central earth and southern fire are all advancing in strength, while water and wood have no foundation. They are far inferior to the power of fire and earth, so it is considered that the day master is weak. The entire course of his life has been through paths that harm the day master. Therefore, although he has enjoyed the blessings of his ancestors, his losses and expenditures have been considerable. When he reaches the Xu path, he becomes even more unable to sustain himself. The subsequent Xu and Ji paths still have heavy wealth and a weak day master, so the outlook remains bleak. Now he is nearly fifty years old—ancients refer to fifty as "Da Yan" according to the "Great Treatise" in the "Zhou Changes." The "Shijing·Daying·Zhenmin" says, "Both wise and prudent, to preserve oneself." Mr. Cheng should follow Confucius' understanding of knowing one's destiny, and from now on, he should be cautious and self-restrained for the long term.

辛卯 庚寅 辛巳 戊子　七歲 己丑 十七 戊子 廿七 丁亥 三七 丙戌 四七 乙酉 五七 甲申

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) The male's birth chart is: the year pillar is Xin Mao, the month pillar is Geng Yin, the day pillar is Xin Si, and the hour pillar is Wu Zi. The day stem is Xin Metal. The big years start from the age of seven with Jichou, followed by Wuzi at seventeen, Dinghai at twenty-seven, Bingxu at thirty-seven, Yiyou at forty-seven, and Jiashen at fifty-seven. This sequence is arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Geng Yin upwards through the sixty jiazi, known as 'reverse big years', which is the opposite of the previous case of forward progression. The direction of progression, forward or backward, is determined by the yin or yang of the year stem and the gender of the person: if the person is male born in a yang year or female born in a yin year, the progression is forward; if the person is male born in a yin year or female born in a yang year, the progression is backward. In this case, the year stem is Xin, which is yin, and the person is male, so the progression is backward. Furthermore, each big year lasts for ten years. The first five years emphasize the heavenly stem, while the last five years emphasize the earthly branch. The 'Hai big year' mentioned later refers to the latter five years of the Dinghai big year (ages thirty-two to thirty-seven), and the 'Bing big year' refers to the first five years of the Bingxu big year (ages thirty-seven to forty-two).

此造前當軍官。地運走至亥字。流為綁匪。戊辰冬令。奉判徒刑十三年。現尚繫獄。囹圄生溽。殊形艱因。餘視其命。無甚破敗。殊覺百思不解。客窗無俚。重溫滴天髓。見有載天履地人為貴。順則吉佤凶由悖二語。始恍然大司。蓋此命年柱辛金克卯木。月柱庚金克寅木。時柱戊土克子水。日柱已火克辛金。干支覆載。悖逆刺謬。雖幫身眾多。而財食無能為力。所賴已火制金。身強用官。運至亥水。適沖已火。固宜墮落入格。甘為盜踏丙運戊辰年。土重如崩。縲線羈身。前程斷送。夫又何疑耶。

This person once served as an officer, but when his fortune reached the earthly branch "Hai," he suddenly became a bandit. In the winter of the Wu Chen year (1928), he was sentenced to thirteen years in prison and is still in jail, where life is extremely harsh. I looked at his birth chart and found no major signs of decline, and I was really puzzled. Later, while staying in a guesthouse and feeling bored, I reread the "Di Tian Mei" and saw the lines "Man is precious as he walks on earth and under heaven; when things go smoothly, they bring good fortune; when they go against, they bring misfortune." Only then did I suddenly understand. Originally, this birth chart had the heavenly stem of the year column Xin metal overcoming the earthly branch of Mao wood, the heavenly stem of the month column Geng metal overcoming the earthly branch of Yin wood, the heavenly stem of the hour column Wu earth overcoming the earthly branch of Zi water, and the heavenly stem of the day column Si fire overcoming the heavenly stem of Xin metal. Each column had the heavenly stem overpowering the earthly branch, and the earthly branch could not support the heavenly stem. The entire chart was contradictory and chaotic, with no place where things flowed or transformed. Although there were many metals and earths supporting the day stem, the day stem was not weak. However, the寅卯 wood, representing wealth, and the子 water, representing talent and eloquence, were all overcome and rendered powerless. The only thing the entire chart could rely on was the Si fire in the day branch, which restrained all the metals. This is called "strong body with official star as the useful god"—when the day stem is strong, the official star, which restrains it, is taken as the useful god. The useful god is the most critical and life-saving character in a birth chart. When his fortune reached the water branch Hai, it exactly clashed with the Si fire useful god, which is why he fell into evil ways and willingly became a bandit. In the Wu Chen year when he entered the丙 (Bing) fortune, the heavenly stem of the year was Wu, the earthly branch of the year was Chen, and the heavenly stem of the hour was also Wu. The accumulation of Wu earth made it so heavy that it almost collapsed everything (metals were buried by earth, and the Qi of Si fire was completely drained by earth). Thus, he was caught in a trap, and his future was destroyed. What else is there to doubt?

丁亥 壬子 壬午 庚子　八歲 癸丑 十八 甲寅 廿八 乙卯 三八 丙辰 四八 丁巳 五八 戊午

The female's birth chart is Kūn (Earth) type. The year pillar is Dinghai, the month pillar is Renzi, the day pillar is Renwu, and the hour pillar is Gengzi. The day stem is Ren water. The big luck starts at age eight with Guichou, followed by Jiayin at eighteen, Yimao at twenty-eight, Bingchen at thirty-eight, Dingsi at forty-eight, and Wuwu at fifty-eight. These big lucks are arranged in order from the month pillar Renzi downwards, which is called "big luck progressing forward" because the year stem Ding is yin, and yin female birth charts progress forward. From Jiayin onwards, the big lucks are all in the eastern wood and southern fire, which exactly compensates for the coldness of the northern water in the original chart. The following discussion of good and bad fortune is based on this.

客有述發橫財事者，流俗心理，娓娓動聽。餘因意及二命焉。一即上列女命。壬水得祿旺於亥了。亦且水歸冬旺。身主強健。丁午兩財。即衰弱夫根。又受沖受合。乃不烊富有之人。然行運多木火。東南之暖。足以濟命局西北之寒。故處境袷旭，夫子並棕。尤以丙寅年。木火根深。財旺碠於極點固於秋。獅得上海跑馬香檳頭獎。

A guest mentioned making sudden wealth, which matches common worldly sentiments and was described in an engaging way. This made me think of two birth charts. One is the female chart mentioned above: the day stem is Ren water, which gets its 'Lù' (favorable position) in the year branch Hai and its 'Wàng' (strength) in the month branch Zi. She was born in the month of Zi, when water is dominant and in charge, making the day stem very strong. The heavenly stem of the year, Ding fire, and the day branch, Wu fire, are the only two sources of wealth in the entire chart. In female charts, official stars (guan sha) represent the husband, and wealth can generate official stars, so these are called 'fu gen' (husband's roots). However, the Wu fire is attacked by two Zi waters, and the Ding fire is combined by the Ren water. Thus, it is both attacked and combined, making it not easy to become wealthy (the original text has an error in the phrase 'nǎi bù yáng fù yǒu zhī rén'). Fortunately, the fortune she has experienced is mostly wood and fire, and the warmth from the southeast can relieve the coldness from the northwest in the original chart, so her situation is actually smooth. Her husband and children all achieve honor and success. Especially in the year Bing Yin, the Yin wood generates Bing fire, and the wood and fire have deep roots, making the wealth star extremely strong. Thus, she won the first prize in the champagne lottery at the Shanghai racecourse in autumn.

現又有一命。為丁示癸卯癸亥乙卯。或媚其旺食生財。必富無疑餘獨謂癸水不任眾木。求富大難。抑或因富致禍。非金水歲運。弱主得助。方可積玉堆金。其人極信餘言。蓋渠於丑運丁卯年。曾中萬國儲蓄會頭獎。終以木火太旺。財多身弱，富非應得。既遭順祿。又臥病二載。所得不償所失。直至二十三負交庚運。始見順利。癸酉年又是金水幫峰。是以十謀九成。且於冬季。得中航空獎券之分條頭獎。今已小康雖仍依人作嫁。然時作公債投機。動獲巨利。精神愉快。遠勝於一般大資本家雲。

There is another birth chart, with the heavens stem and earthly branches of Dingwei, Guiyao, Guihai, and Yimao. Some people say that the person has a strong food god (shengcai) that generates wealth, and thus will certainly become very rich. However, I hold a different opinion. I believe that the癸water day master cannot bear the many woods in the chart. Wood is the food and injury (shengshang) generated by癸water, and food and injury generate fire as wealth. It seems that the path to wealth is open, but in reality, the day master is too weak to support this wealth, making it very difficult to achieve prosperity. Worse still, it may lead to misfortune caused by wealth. Only when the person reaches a year or decade of metal and water can the weak day master be supported, and then he can accumulate wealth. This person strongly believes my words. Originally, during his Chou decade, in the Dingmao year, he won the first prize in the World Savings Society lottery. However, due to excessive wood and fire, and the wealth being too much for his weak body, this fortune was not destined for him. He suffered a sudden misfortune (the original text mistakenly says 'suffered a smooth official rank'), and was ill for two years. The gains he made were not enough to compensate for the losses. It was not until he reached the Geng decade at the age of twenty-three that he began to have smooth progress. In the Guiyou year, which is a year of metal and water that supports the day master, he succeeded in nine out of ten things. In that winter, he also won a prize in the aviation lottery. Now he is considered小康 (a modestly comfortable level). Although he still works for others, he often engages in speculation on government bonds, making substantial profits at a time. His mental satisfaction far exceeds that of ordinary large capitalists.

庚戌 甲申 己酉 辛未　二歲 癸未 十二 壬午 廿二 辛巳 三二 庚辰 四二 己卯 五二 戊寅

The female's birth chart is Kūn (Earth) type. Her year pillar is Geng Xu, month pillar Jiashen, day pillar Jiayou, and hour pillar Xinwei. The day stem is Ji (Earth). The big years start from age two with Guiwei, followed by Renwu at age twelve, Xinsi at age twenty-two, Gengchen at age thirty-two, Jimao at age forty-two, and Wuyin at age fifty-two. These are arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Jiashen, which is known as "big years in reverse order." The year stem Geng is yang, so for a female with a yang year stem, the big years are arranged in reverse. To interpret this chart, first identify the month branch Shen (Metal). Ji (Earth) is born in the month of Shen, which is the season of autumn when Metal is in command. The Earth's strength is drained by Metal, which is the key to the statement that she "has all her beauty and grace but weak foundation."

石軍長戀有二姝。俗納其一。以充俾室。不識二人之命。孰為優美。就決於餘。余曰。庚戍之造。秋土薄弱。受重金洩。秀氣盡發，當有傾國傾城之姿。惟甲木官星死絕。乃非命發之格。或恐不安於室。或恐早賦孤鵠。良可畏也。

General Shi was in love with two women at the same time and intended to take one as a concubine, but he did not know which woman had a better destiny. He came to me for a decision. I said: This person born in Gengxu has a thin earthy element in the autumn, which is naturally weak, and is further drained by the heavy metal of Shen and You. All her vital energy is transformed into external beauty, so she must have a stunning appearance. However, the heavenly stem of the month, Jia wood, is her official star, which represents her husband. Jia wood is in the "绝" position in Shen and in the "胎" position in You, meaning the official star is dead and rootless. This is not a favorable pattern for becoming a consort. She may not be able to maintain her chastity or may become a widow at an early age. This is truly alarming.

另一女命。乃癸丑癸亥丙申已丑。雖傷官見官。幸初冬水旺。又有申金之財。洩土生水。官星有力矣。身主固弱，宜用亥中甲木偏伅。以之合傷幫峰。姿色雖不逮前命豔麗。然兩相評較。彼則艱寒卑薄。此乃愜心貴當。石軍長雖韙佟產。但終迷戀美色。卒娶庚戍秀豔之命。未閱半載。女果席捲遠揚。石軍長悔而無及。追從餘囑之言。再覓癸丑之造。兾聯舊歡，詎料若女已嬪某君。安作商人婦矣。

Another woman's chart is Gui Chou, Gui Hai, Bing Shen, and Ji Chou. The day stem is Bing fire, and the hour stem Ji earth is the official's son, which is a harmful element. The year and month stems are both Gui water, which are the official stars. This creates the taboo of "official meeting official's son." Fortunately, she was born in early winter, when water is strong. She also has the day branch Shen metal, which is the wealth star. The wealth star can drain the earth official's son and instead nourish the water official star, making the official star strong and not harmed. Since her day stem is weak, it is advisable to take the hidden Jia wood in the day branch Hai as the "biased scholar" star, which is a star that generates me. First, the biased scholar star can combine with the hour stem Ji earth official's son (Jia and Ji combine), and second, the wood can generate fire to support the day stem. This is a double benefit. Although her beauty is not as striking as the previous case, when compared, the previous case has a weak and thin structure, while this case is appropriate and suitable. General Shi thought my words were reasonable, but he could not resist the temptation of beauty, and eventually married the woman with Geng Xu, who had a beautiful appearance. Within half a year, that woman took away his property and ran away. General Shi regretted deeply, and recalled my advice, went to look for the woman with Gui Chou, hoping to resume the old relationship. However, he found that the woman had already married another man and was living a stable life as a merchant's wife.

壬寅 壬子 丁亥 癸卯　八歲 辛亥 十八 庚戌 廿八 己酉 三八 戊申 四八 丁未 五八 丙午

The female's birth chart is Kūn (Earth) type. The year pillar is Rényín, the month pillar is Rénzǐ, the day pillar is Dīnghài, and the hour pillar is Guímǎo. The day stem is Dīng fire. The major destiny starts with Xīnhài at age eight, followed by Gēngxū at eighteen, Jīyǒu at twenty-eight, Wǔshēn at thirty-eight, Dīngwèi at forty-eight, and Bīngwǔ at fifty-eight. This is arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Rénzǐ, indicating a "reverse major destiny" - the year stem Rén is yang, so female destiny is arranged in reverse for yang years. When reading this chart, focus on one point: the day stem is only Dīng fire, while the year and month stems Rén water, and the hour stem Guī water, along with the month branch Zǐ and day branch Hài, create a full presence of water. For female destiny, the official and killer (which control the day stem) are considered the husband star. In this case, water is the husband star, so the following discussion centers on the phrase "too many husband stars."

此乃舞女陳佩珍之命。正式遣逮嫁。傅已五次，刻聞徵逐舞場。氨無所歸。仍度其摟抱生涯。夫一丁被眾水圍，明暗夫星。薈萃重疊。滿盤爭妒之象。是宜蛾眉螓首。蛇物蠍心。招展一般狂蜂浪蝶。如螻蟻之附羶也。

This is the destiny of the dancing girl Chen Peizhen. She has been officially married five times, and now it is said she is still maneuvering around in the dance hall, ultimately having nowhere to rest, continuing her life of serving others through her beauty. Looking at her four pillars of destiny: a single Ding fire is isolated and surrounded by many waters. In the heavenly stems, there are clearly visible Ren and Gui water; in the earthly branches, there is hidden Ren water in the亥 and癸 water in the子. Both the visible and hidden husband stars gather together, creating a full chart filled with signs of competition and jealousy. It is no wonder she has an elegant appearance, with eyebrows like willow leaves and a beautiful face, yet her heart is as venomous as a snake. She attracts a group of wild bees and unruly butterflies around her, like ants drawn to a膻 smell.

現行酉運。生水有源。汪洋氾濫。恐仍意馬心猿。得隴望蜀。生張熟魏。送往迎來而已。三十八歲換入戊運。堤岸功成。方有樂觀。或不致浮沈花鏡。得能從一而終。猶足為門楣嬪婦。否則。四十三歲後。申運助起水浪。是又不堪收拾矣。按官殺並見之女命。得良善結果甚多。蓋其去留清楚。或制化得宜而已。若此命之五行少土。官殺不得其制。兩壬妒合一丁。癸水又來相爭。兼以亥中子中。互藏壬癸紛亂無以復加。不致夫星之二三其德星。蓋幾希焉。

She is now in the You (酉) cycle, where You metal generates water, adding a source to the entire body of water, making it even more vast and overflowing; she is likely to remain restless and fickle-minded, always wanting more, merely going from one person to another. At the age of thirty-eight, she will enter the Wu (戊) cycle, where Wu earth can build a dike to prevent water, and the situation may then become optimistic, possibly avoiding prolonged drifting and instability. If she remains faithful and committed, she might be considered a proper wife in a decent family. Otherwise, after the age of forty-three, when she enters the Shen (申) cycle, Shen metal will again assist the water, making the situation even worse. Additional note: female命s with both official and sevenkill (正官与七杀) present often have good outcomes, but the key lies in clear distinction between keeping and removing—either removing the official and keeping the sevenkill, or removing the sevenkill and keeping the official, or having food and injury (食伤) to control them, or having a minister (印绶) to transform them. If properly handled, there will be no problem. In this case, the Five Phases (五行) are missing earth, and the official and sevenkill have no controlling force. Two Ren water are competing to combine with one Ding fire (丁壬相合), while Gui water also comes in to interfere. Plus, the hidden Ren and Gui water in Hai and Zi further complicate the situation, making it extremely chaotic. The Book of Songs (《诗经·卫风·氓》) says, "Two or three virtues," and for such a命, expecting the husband's star (夫星) to be faithful and devoted is very unlikely.

壬午 丙午 甲午 庚午　五歲 丁未 十五 戊申 廿五 己酉 三五 庚戌 四五 辛亥 五五 壬子

The man's birth chart (乾造) is as follows: the year pillar is Renwu, the month pillar is Bingwu, the day pillar is Jiawu, and the hour pillar is Gengwu. The day stem is Jiawu, which is wood. All four earthly branches are Wu, and all the heavenly stems are yang. This is a rare pattern known in the annals of divination as "all earthly branches are the same" combined with "all heavenly stems are yang." Starting from the age of five, the big years are Dingwei, then Wushen at fifteen, Jiyou at twenty-five, Gengxu at thirty-five, Xinhai at forty-five, and Renzi at fifty-five, arranged in order from the month pillar Bingwu. This is referred to as "big years progressing in order," as the heavenly stem of the year pillar, Ren, is yang, and for a male with a yang heavenly stem, the big years are arranged in order. When examining the chart, note that Wu is the "death" place for Jiawu (wood) and the "prosperity" place for Binghuo (fire). With four Wus appearing, the wood is completely burned by fire, which is the root of the entire chart's problem.

或謂地支一氣。類多貴格。然亦不可盡信。如上列之造。為江西文學家梅君命也。純支純午。卻屬一世清貧。蓋火熾木楚。壬水制不住。庚金任不住。勢大造為我敵。勢小騅為我用。宜其相如壁立。季子囊空。送窮有文。點金乏術。惟八字純陽。勁節高標。孤芬自賞。固是書生本色。早年聞術家言。辛運合丙。絆住旺神。應見飛黃騰達。詎料行入辛運。丁卯年忽得瘋癱之症。貧而且病。良以辛運本不為劣。歲逢丁字。又克沖午。滴天髓所謂旺者沖衰衰者拔。衰者沖旺旺者發，為禍之烈。不可收拾矣，

Some people believe that birth charts with all the earthly branches in one element are mostly of noble quality, but one cannot fully trust this. Take the case of Mei Jun, a literary figure from Jiangxi, for example. His chart has all four branches as午 (Wu), yet he lived a life of poverty. The reason is that the fire is too intense and the wood is burned out. The heavenly stem Ren Water (Ren Shui) in the year cannot control this strong fire, and the heavenly stem Geng Metal (Geng Jin) in the hour also fails to take on this responsibility. When the fire is strong, they cannot serve as my opponent; when the fire is weak, they cannot serve as my useful god. It is no wonder he ended up like Sima Xiangru, with nothing but the walls of his home, or Su Qin, with his bag as empty as a washing basin. He had the literary talent of Han Yu's "Sending Poverty" essay, but lacked the ability to turn stone into gold. Fortunately, his birth chart is entirely yang, giving him a strong character, a lofty style, and a self-appreciation of his own fragrance, which is the true nature of a scholar. In his early years, he heard from a fortune teller that the辛金 (Xin Jin) in his destiny would harmonize with the丙火 (Bing Huo) in the year and month, thus restraining the strong element, and he would achieve great success. But when he entered the辛运 (Xin year) and encountered the丁卯 (Ding Mao) year, he suddenly suffered from a paralytic illness, becoming both poor and sick. This is because the辛运 (Xin) itself is not bad, but the bad part lies in the flow year encountering丁 (Ding). The丁火 (Ding Huo) not only overcomes the辛金 (Xin Jin), but the卯木 (Mao Mu) also agitates the午火 (Wu Huo). As stated in the "Ditianmou" (Drop of Heaven's Dew), "When the strong element confronts the weak, the weak is uprooted; when the weak element confronts the strong, the strong is stimulated." The weak Xin Metal (Xin Jin) confronting the extremely strong午火 (Wu Huo) actually stimulates the strong fire, causing great harm that is hard to control.

又友人胡君八字，為庚寅戊寅甲寅。地支純寅。但殺重制輕。殊為缺憾。供職堸政部。運至已火。化殺功深。由主事而升次長。迨及壬運。黨殺之故。一落壬丈。午運雖亦化殺。終以壬水盡頭。屢起無成。近年來愈趨窮困。竊恐其甲申運。更有屋漏又遭連夜雨之苦也。

There is also a friend named Hu whose birth chart is Gengyin, Wuyin, Jiayin—only three pillars are listed here, one pillar is missing. I dare not make up the missing one, so readers should know that his earth branches are all Yin. The day stem is Jiayin, which is the wood element, sitting on the full Yin branch. It seems strong, but the heavenly stem of the year is Geng metal, which is the seven killer. The element that controls the killer is too weak, which is a great deficiency. He works in the Ministry of Finance. When his fortune reaches the Si fire, the fire is the food and injury element, which can neutralize the seven killer's harmful effect. Because the effect of transforming the killer is strong, he was promoted from a chief clerk to a deputy minister. But when he reaches the Ren water fortune, the water nourishes the wood and helps the killer, and the seven killer joins forces with the water, so he fell greatly. Although the Wu fire fortune can also transform the killer, it was finally suppressed by the Ren water at the top, and he had no success even after several ups and downs. In recent years, he has become even more destitute. I privately worry that when he reaches the Jiashen fortune, the Shen metal will clash with the Yin, and it will be a killer's land. He will suffer even more hardship, like a leaking roof with continuous rain.

庚辰 己丑 癸丑 乙卯　六歲 庚寅 十六 辛卯 廿六 壬辰 三六 癸巳 四六 甲午 五六 乙未

Heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth chart for a male: the year pillar is Gengchen, the month pillar is Jichou, the day pillar is Guichou, and the hour pillar is Yimao. The day stem is Guishui. The big years start from age six with Gengyin, followed by Xinmao at age sixteen, Renchen at age twenty-six, Guisi at age thirty-six, Jiawu at age forty-six, and Yiwei at age fifty-six. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Jichou, indicating a "progressive big year" - the heavenly stem of the year is Geng, which is yang, so the big years are arranged in order for a yang year male. This chart should be considered in two aspects: first, the earthly branch of the month is Chou, and Guishui is born in the month of Chou, which is before the beginning of spring by fifteen days. According to the solar terms, the Chou branch is already ruled by Ji soil, which is the basis for determining the pattern. Second, the earthly branch of the hour is Mao, which falls in the "empty" position (the day Guichou belongs to the Chen month, and in this month the characters Yin and Mao are missing, so Yin and Mao are empty). The strength of the empty character is reduced, and Wei's comment that "it is slightly less impressive" is based on this.

紹興蔣清渠先生。別署越洲胖漢。服務軍警政學各界。公暇喜研命理。深有心得。早年遊歷大江南北。足跡所至。各同事感請其談命。頗多中肯。前蒙郵示命造多則。囑余評斷。緣將管窺所及。呈呈請粲政。上為毛希蒙先生庚造。毛先生久歷軍旅。勳奠聿著。上年代理定海縣公安局長，勤求民隱。政譽更隆。

Mr. Jiang Qingqu of Shaoxing, who goes by the courtesy name "Yuezhou Pangan," has served in the military, police, political, and academic fields. In his spare time, he has devoted himself to the study of divination, achieving considerable insight. In his early years, he traveled extensively throughout the Yangtze River region, and wherever he went, his colleagues would eagerly request his opinions on fate. His remarks were often accurate. Previously, he sent me many birth charts for evaluation, and I have written down my limited and partial views below, hoping for your guidance. The chart above is Mr. Mao Ximeng's "Geng zao," which in old times was called the "Geng tie" or "Geng zao" for a person's birth chart, as the year stem "Geng" was considered the first element in the four pillars. Mr. Mao has long been in the military, achieving remarkable merits; last year he served as acting chief of public security for Dinghai County, diligently observing the hardships of the common people, and his reputation as a politician became even more prominent.

夫癸丑日元。於立春前十五日。已值己土用事。土乃七殺。月支丑官本氣己土。藏干辛金偏印。殺印同根月令。是為有情。又殺印同透天干。是為有力。殺印相生。有情而兼有力。貴格也。有為水庫。扶助日元。內有官食同宮。則官受制而不混殺。殺格愈清。乙卯食神得祿。制殺尤力。惜卯落旬空。略為減爭。覘其足智多謀。佐治民事。統率軍旅。皆足以衛國定邦。非偶然也。行運最忌財鄉。已運有破財之忌。現行午運。官聲可振。而阿堵物仍難有緣。乙未運大佳。丙運財來壤印危如壘卵。

On a Guichou day, the day ruler is born fifteen days before the start of the solar term of Start of Spring, and by the time of the solar term, the earth branch丑 already hasJi Earth in charge. SinceJi Earth and Gui Water are both yin, they are of the same nature and thus mutually controlling, which is called「seven killing」(seven killing refers to something that controls me and shares the same yin/yang nature; it is also called biased official). The original qi of the month branch丑 isJi Earth, which is the seven killing. In addition,丑 also contains Xin Metal, which generates Gui Water and shares the same yin/yang nature, thus being called「biased scholar」. Since the seven killing and the scholar share the same root in the month's stem, it is called「having affection」. The year stem Geng Metal, which is the scholar, and the month stemJi Earth, which is the seven killing, both appear in the heavenly stem, which is called「having strength」. The seven killing generates the scholar, and the scholar generates the self, so the seven killing and the scholar mutually generate each other, and they are both having affection and strength, which is a noble pattern. The year branch辰 is a water reservoir, which can support the day ruler. In addition,辰 containsWu Earth, which is the official, andYi Wood, which is the food god, in the same branch. The food god is close by and controls the official, so the official does not mix with the seven killing, making the seven killing pattern even clearer. The hour stem and branch Yimao haveYi Wood, the food god, in卯, which is in its strength, so the food god has strong power to control the seven killing. Unfortunately,卯 is in the旬空, so its strength is reduced slightly, making it less impressive. Therefore, this person is very intelligent and resourceful, capable of assisting in civil administration or leading the military, and can protect the country and ensure peace, which is not accidental. The most unfavorable period in his life is the wealth area, as wealth can damage the scholar. When he enters the巳 period, there is a risk of financial loss. Now he is in the午 period, which can greatly enhance his official reputation, but he still has no connection with wealth. The Yiwei period is very favorable. When he enters the丙 period, the wealth star will directly damage the scholar, making his situation as precarious as a stack of eggs on top of each other.

庚子 丙戌 乙亥 乙酉　四歲 丁亥 十四 戊子 廿四 己丑 三四 庚寅 四四 辛卯 五四 壬辰 六四 癸巳

Heavenly stem and earthly branch for the birth chart of a male: the year stem and branch are Geng Zi, the month stem and branch are Bing Xu, the day stem and branch are Yi Hai, and the hour stem and branch are Yi You. The day stem is Yi Wood. The big years start from age four with Ding Hai, followed by Wu Zi at age fourteen, Ji Chou at age twenty-four, Geng Yin at age thirty-four, Xin Mao at age forty-four, Ren Chen at age fifty-four, and Gui Si at age sixty-four. These are arranged in order from the month stem and branch Bing Xu, which is called "big years progressing forward." The year stem Geng is yang, so for a male with a yang stem, the big years are arranged in a forward direction. To understand this chart, one must refer to the "twelve growths": for a yin stem Yi Wood, the twelve palaces are reversed. In Zi, Yi Wood is in the state of illness; in Hai, it is in death; in You, it is in extinction; and in Xu, it is in the storage and root. In this chart, the year branch Zi, day branch Hai, and hour branch You correspond exactly to illness, death, and extinction, while the month branch Xu is the storage and root of Yi Wood. The following discussion by Wei mentions that the Wood is declining but not yet exhausted, and the basis for this is here.

此係某軍需長之命。滴天髓闡微有云。“弱者宜生。弱之極者。宜克而不宜生也。所謂虛則補其母。是以秋木凋落。宜金而不宜水也。”又曰“太衰宜克，衰極宜洩。”依此而論。本命乙木日干。生於立冬前十日。土王用事。身從死地。時歸絕處。年逢病鄉。所依以生存得。賴有戍支身庫，及時干比肩。雖曰衰弱。尚未臻極地。宜克而不宜世也明矣。

This is the destiny of a quartermaster. The "Ditianmou Chanyi" states that when the day's ruler is weak, it is suitable to generate and support it; however, when it is extremely weak, it is better to be restrained rather than supported. It is said, "When something is deficient, supplement its mother," which is why in autumn, when wood withers, it is better to see metal to cut it rather than water to nourish it. It also says that when something is very weak, it is suitable to be restrained, and when it is extremely weak, it is suitable to be released. Following this principle, the present destiny has the day's ruler as yi wood, born ten days before the beginning of winter, which is during the month of xu when earth is strong. The day's branch, hai, is the "death" position for yi wood; the hour's branch, you, is the "extinction" position; and the year's branch, zi, is the "illness" position. The only support it relies on is the month's branch, xu, which is its own storage, and the heavenly stem at the hour, which is a similar yi wood companion. Thus, although it is weak, it has not yet reached the extreme of exhaustion, so it is suitable to be restrained rather than supported, which is clear. (Note: The original text's "宜克而不宜世" should be "宜克而不宜生," with "世" being a mistake for "生.")

餘以財旺生官立論。或有取丙火傷官。意為庚亥。死於酉。胎於子。僅有戍庫可賴。庚金有兩乙遙合相助。勢非孤立。按其身掌榷務。繼任軍需。何莫非旺財生官之明徵耶。現行庚寅運。官坐絕地。宦海多風波。寅為羊刃。與亥作合。以刃化印。宜其顯達。名利兩振。卯運欠利。

I therefore advocate the theory of "wealth flourishing to generate official status": in the month of戌, earth is strong and serves as the wealth star for the ethereal wood yi. The strong wealth star generates the heavenly stem geng metal official star at the year's stem. This line of reasoning is most clear. Some people advocate taking the month's stem bing fire official as the useful element, but I think this is inappropriate. Bing fire is in the hour branch you as "death" and in the year branch zi as "fetus", and the entire chart only has the month branch xu as a fire warehouse to rely on, which is too weak (the original text here has the phrase "meaning geng hai" with an error). In contrast, the metal geng, with two ethereal wood yi at the day and hour positions, combines with it (yi and geng combine), getting support from two sides, and thus is not isolated. Looking at his entire career, he was in charge of specialized taxation, and later took over military supplies, which are all clear examples of wealth flourishing to generate official status. Now he is in the gengyin period, with the official star geng metal sitting on the branch yin, which is "absolute" (a term indicating weakness), so his official career is bound to face difficulties. However, yin is also the "yang ren" (a star that supports the strong body) for the ethereal wood yi. The ethereal wood yi's strong position is in mao, and its yang ren is in yin. The yin branch also combines with the day branch hai, transforming the yang ren energy into the official star, so he can still achieve success and gain both fame and fortune. The upcoming mao period, however, is less favorable.

己酉 己巳 癸酉 戊午　三歲 戊辰 十三 丁卯 廿三 丙寅 三三 乙丑 四三 甲子 五三 癸亥 六三 壬戌

The heavenly stem of the year is Ji You, the month is Ji Si, the day is Gui You, and the hour is Wu Wu. The day stem is Gui Water. The big destiny starts with Wu Chen at age three, followed by Ding Mao at thirteen, Bing Yin at twenty-three, Yi Chou at thirty-three, Jia Zi at forty-three, Gui Hai at fifty-three, and Ren Xu at sixty-three. These are arranged in reverse order from the month stem Ji Si, indicating a "reverse big destiny" - since the year stem Ji is yin, a yin year for a male destiny is arranged in reverse. When reading this chart, it is important to distinguish between the two types of earth: Ji Earth and Gui Water are both yin, and same sex mutual control is called "seven killing" (also known as biased official). Wu Earth is yang, and mutual control between different sexes is called "proper official." In this case, both the year and month stems are Ji Earth, which is seven killing, while the hour stem Wu Earth is proper official. The term "official and seven killing mixed" discussed later refers exactly to this situation.

上繫餘姚縣民生工廠朱聯泉廠長之造。祖業甚豐。賦性篤厚。殊為地土紳所推戴。廠內經費毫無。概由朱君捐助。夫癸酉日元。生於立夏之後。值火土當權。財官用事。月令官星透天干。理取官星為用。財印為輔不料兩位七殺。年月盤距。大有官煞混雜之嫌。書曰官煞混雜。制煞為福。今四柱不見食傷。制煞無物。妙有印綬化煞。則官乃純。立身玫界。名譽降崇。運途以寅運及乙丑運。俱順境。甲運稍差。子運亦利。癸運分官欠吉。

The above is the birth chart of Mr. Zhu Lianquan, the factory director of the Minsheng Factory in Yuyao County. His ancestors had substantial property, and he was naturally sincere and upright, highly respected by local gentry. The factory had no funds, and all expenses were entirely covered by Mr. Zhu himself. The day stem is Guiyou, and the person was born after the Beginning of Summer, when fire and earth were dominant, with wealth and official stars in charge. The hidden Wu earth official star in the month branch was revealed in the hour stem, so according to theory, the official star should be the "useful god," with the wealth star generating the official and the intellectual star protecting as assistants. However, the year and month stems both had two Ji earth seven killers, suggesting a strong possibility of "mixed official and killer stars"—the official and killer appearing together, one clear and one turbid, which is most undesirable if not distinguished. The divination books say that when official and killer stars are mixed, if the killer can be controlled, it can turn into fortune. Now, the four pillars do not have food or injury stars to control the killer; fortunately, the year branch and day branch are both You, which are metal, the intellectual star, capable of transforming the earth's killer energy into water to nourish the body. The killer is transformed, leaving the official star pure. Therefore, he has a good reputation in the political field. His favorable years include the寅 (Yin) and Yichou (Yichou) years, while the甲 (Jia) year is slightly less favorable, and the子 (Zi) year is also beneficial. The癸 (Gui) year, however, is a same-branch star that competes for the official star, which is less auspicious.

乙卯 庚辰 丙子 壬辰　四歲 己卯 十四 戊寅 廿四 丁丑 三四 丙子 四四 乙亥 五四 甲戌 六四 癸酉

Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch of the birth year: Yimao, birth month: Gengchen, birth day: Bingzi, birth hour: Renchen, the day stem is Bing fire. The big destiny starts with Jimao at age four, followed by Wuyin at age fourteen, Dingchou at age twenty-four, Bingzi at age thirty-four, Yihai at age forty-four, Jiaxu at age fifty-four, and Guiyou at age sixty-four. These are arranged in reverse order from the birth month Gengchen, which is called "reversing big destiny." Since the heavenly stem of the birth year is Yimao, which is yin, the male destiny is arranged in reverse. The key point of this birth chart lies in the earthy branch of the birth month, Chen. Chen is a mixed earth branch containing the hidden heavenly stems Wu earth, Yi wood, and Gui water. The method of determining the character of the destiny based on mixed elements originates from this Chen branch.

舊命書人以壬辰戍丑未之月。謂之雜氣。以其藏支多。故謂之雜，唯命理約言一書。闢之最暢。今丙火生於辰月。時透七煞。普通命家當取時上一位貴格。其他六神。概置間廢。愚見所及。取命格當以月中藏神。透干會支為重，本命身健（多印生之。）印旺。（月時之印透天干。）財透。（乙助庚勢。）煞強。（壬旺於子。非混官也。）

In old命 books, those born in the months of辰, 戌, 丑, or 未 were all called "杂气" because these four branches contain the most heavenly stems. Hence, the term "杂" was used. Only in the book "Ming Li Yue Yan" by Chen Su'an of the Qing Dynasty did someone strongly refute this view. Now, for a person with a丙 fire day stem born in the辰 month, with the壬 water seven killer appearing in the hour stem, most命 masters would take the "one position of honor in the hour" pattern, that is, focusing solely on the seven killer in the hour stem, and ignoring the other six spirits. In my humble opinion, determining the pattern should focus on whether the heavenly stems hidden in the month are revealed in the heavenly stems, and whether they can form combinations with the earthly branches. (The following four sentences in parentheses are the author's own notes, explaining the strength of this particular case step by step.) The day stem is strong (because the卯 branch in the year, the辰 branch in the month, and the辰 branch in the hour contain the乙 wood official star, which supports it layer by layer); the official star is strong (the乙 wood in the month and hour branches is revealed in the year stem); the wealth star is revealed (the乙 wood in the year stem combines with the庚 gold in the month stem, which actually enhances the strength of the庚 gold wealth star); the seven killer is strong (the壬 water in the hour stem has its root in the子 branch of the day stem, making it strong, and there is no癸 water true official in the chart, so it is pure killer rather than a mixture of official and killer).

當取食用煞印。立業宜近財蓋食生財。財滋煞。煞生印。印生身。邊環滋生，非勝達而何，行運最利。食傷。身旺印綬亦宜。逢煞無傷。遇官非福。內助賢淑。財得食生也。令子克家。食神制煞也。 （據聞。此繫上海四明銀行儲蓄部張群八字。亦由蔣翁示我者。）

Therefore, one should take the Wu earth in Chen to represent the food god, combining with the seven killers and the official star as useful elements. When establishing one's career, it is advantageous to be close to the wealth path, because the food god generates wealth, wealth nourishes the seven killers, the seven killers generate the official star, and the official star again generates the self, forming a continuous cycle of mutual support and growth. Such a configuration is unlikely to fail to achieve success. The most favorable fortune is to walk the path of the food god and the injurious star; since the day's main element is strong, walking the official star path is also acceptable; encountering the seven killer path will not cause harm; conversely, encountering the proper official path is not beneficial, because the official star confuses the seven killer, making the pattern turbid. A virtuous wife is due to the wealth star (for a male's fortune, the wealth star represents the wife) being generated and supported by the food god; the son can shoulder the family business because the food god can control the seven killer (for a male's fortune, the official and killer stars represent the son). The last line in parentheses is the author's own note: it is said that this is the birth year of Zhang Qun, the savings department of Shanghai's Sihing Bank, also copied by my friend Jiang Qingqu.

甲辰 甲戌 癸未 辛酉　九歲 乙亥 十九 丙子 廿九 丁丑 三九 戊寅 四九 己卯 五九 庚辰 六九 辛巳

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the male's birth chart: the year pillar is Jia Chen, the month pillar is Jia Xu, the day pillar is Gui Wei, and the hour pillar is Xin You. The day stem is Gui Water. The big years start from the age of nine with Yi Hai, followed by Bing Zi at nineteen, Ding Chou at twenty-nine, Wu Yin at thirty-nine, Ji Mao at forty-nine, Geng Chen at fifty-nine, and Xin Si at sixty-nine. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Jia Xu, indicating a "progressive big year" sequence. Note that the year branch Chen and the month branch Xu are in opposition, and the two Jia Wood stems are above Chen and Xu respectively. The analysis states that he has both official and imperial authority but is confined to the marketplace, and the three reasons for this are all related to this opposition and coverage.

上繫安徽某當經理謝君八字。癸水生於戍月。已近黃土當權。土克水為正官。年支辰土。又是正官。時上辛酉干支。皆金。金生水為印。則局中。有官有印。理當飛黃騰達。宦海航行。何今屈居市塵經理質物為事。寄人籬下。辛苦萬狀。厥故維何。

The above is the four pillars of heaven and earth of Mr. Xie, a manager of a pawnshop in Anhui. The癸 water is born in the ninth month, which is the戌 earth month, a time when the earth is in charge and the water's energy is exhausted. Earth can overcome water, and for癸 water, the yang earth戊 and the yin water癸 are opposite in yin and yang, making it the "official star" or "正官"—the official star is the star in the destiny that governs official position and status. The戊 earth is the main element in戌, so it is the official star. The year's branch is辰, which also contains the hidden戊 earth, which is also the official star. The hour pillar is Xinyou, with both the heavenly stem and earthly branch belonging to metal. Metal generates water, which is the "nurturing star" or "印绶" that supports the day's stem. Thus, the chart contains both official and nurturing stars, with the official generating the nurturing and the nurturing generating the self, forming the proper pattern of official and nurturing stars, which is the correct pattern for achieving success in official career. Logically, he should rise to prominence and sail smoothly through the official world. So why is he now confined to the streets, engaged in the business of pawnshops and pledges, living in someone else's house, and enduring great hardship? What is the real reason behind this?

要知官星宜露。露則清高。今辰戍之官。藏而不露。一也。辰戍沖。官與官自起沖突。二也。官既不透。而與官作仇之傷官。加蓋兩官之上。三也。有是三者。宦海無緣。乃致朝奉頭銜。加於身上矣。本命傷官透露。英華外發。作事精明。涉足近東南為妙。住家離祖基相宜。行運以戊寅己卯大佳。

To have the official star (官星) clearly revealed in the heavenly stems is considered auspicious, as it signifies clarity, dignity, and refinement. In this case, the official stars are both hidden in the earthly branches at the positions of Chen and Xu, without being revealed in the heavenly stems, which is the first deficiency. Moreover, Chen and Xu are in opposition, causing the official stars to conflict with each other, which is the second deficiency. Furthermore, since the official stars are not revealed in the heavenly stems, and the wood official star (甲木伤官), which specifically harms the official star, is present at both Chen and Xu, this is the third deficiency. With these three obstacles, a career in officialdom is unlikely, and thus the title of "Chao Feng" (a former term for a money lender or shopkeeper) falls to him. However, since the official star is revealed in the birth chart, his talents are evident and he is capable and efficient in his affairs. His activities should be in the southeast direction, and his residence should be away from his ancestral homeland. The best fortune comes from the years of Wuyin and Jimao.

辛亥 辛丑 甲午 癸酉　七歲 壬寅 十七 癸卯 廿七 甲辰 三七 乙巳 四七 丙午 五七 丁未 六七 戊申

The female's birth chart is Kūn (Earth) type. The year pillar is Xīnhài, the month pillar is Xinchou, the day pillar is Jiawu, and the hour pillar is Guimao. The day stem is Jia wood. The big destiny starts with Rényín at age seven, followed by Guimao at seventeen, Jiachen at twenty-seven, Yisi at thirty-seven, Bingwu at forty-seven, Dingwei at fifty-seven, and Wushen at sixty-seven. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Xinchou, indicating a "forward progression" of big destiny. Since the year stem is Xīn (a yin stem), female destiny is arranged in forward order. For female destiny, the official star (husband star) is the one that controls the day stem. In this case, both the year and month stems are Xīn (yin) metal official stars, making the official star very strong. The day branch Wu contains Ding fire official star and the hour stem Guī water official star, which are both controlling and transforming, serving as the two main remedies in the entire chart. The following analysis will start from here.

此南京杜靄移先生次女公子。錫貞女之命也。杜公曆任蘇省南匯江陰江浦等縣知事多年。政績卓著。敝友蔣清渠先生。蒙杜公延請辦理司法。兼第一科行政。相處多年，彼此投契。近有某君為女士作伐。與某公子撮合。杜公深悉蔣君精於命理。請其推評而決焉。邇因蔣君與千里控討命理。昨蒙將女士並婿之庚造開示。謬陳芻蕘於次。

This is the fortune of Madam Xizhen, the second daughter of Mr. Du Aiyi of Nanjing. Mr. Du served as county magistrate for many years in Nanhui, Jiangyin, and Jiangpu counties in Jiangsu province, and his achievements in governance were outstanding. My friend Mr. Jiang Qingqu was hired by Mr. Du to handle judicial affairs and also to manage the first administrative department. We have been in close contact for many years and have become very close. Recently, someone has been matchmaking for Madam Xizhen (the term "faku" refers to matchmaking, derived from the poem "Fakuo" in the Book of Songs, which uses "fakuo" to symbolize the act of making a matchstick, hence the term "faku" for matchmaking), intending to pair her with a certain young gentleman. Mr. Du, knowing that Mr. Jiang is skilled in divination, asked him to calculate and assess their fortunes in order to decide whether to accept the match. Recently, Mr. Jiang and I discussed matters of divination, and yesterday he copied both the birth charts of Madam Xizhen and her future son-in-law for me. I will now state my humble opinions (ancients used the term "chuyao" as a modest expression, meaning the crude remarks of a person who cuts grass and gathers firewood).

本命財旺生官。而官星太旺。透印以解。乃得中和。午中傷官甚妙。是救病之藥也。運行木火相宜。金運大忌。合乾造而觀之。洵是天成佳偶。可見杜公擇婿之目力不差。蓋婿命為戊申甲子戊戍戊午。戊土生於子月。四柱火土重重。身強財旺而煞透。富貴之命也。年坐文昌。學藝定許軼眾。時逢羊刃。七煞遇之為奇。子午相沖，妙有中戍調解。當卜性極忠實。意志傲強。行運忌走火入土。水木最利。

This destiny has the month's branch, Chou, containing Ji earth, which is the wealth star. The wealth is strong and generates Xin gold, the official star. Unfortunately, the official star is too strong and suppresses the day's main element. Fortunately, the hour's stem reveals Gui water, the true scholar star, which can transform the official star's controlling power into a supportive force for the body, thus achieving balance in the entire chart. The day's branch, Wu, contains Ding fire, which is the injurer, directly controlling the Xin gold official star. This is especially effective, like the right medicine for the illness. The favorable fortune should be wood and fire (wood supports the body, fire controls the official star), and the most unfavorable is the metal fortune (metal strengthens the official star further). When combined with the wife's birth chart, it is clearly a perfect match, showing that Du Gong's eye for selecting a son-in-law is indeed excellent. The son-in-law's destiny is Wu soil, Jiazi, Wu soil, Wu soil, and Wu soil. Wu soil is born in the month of Zi, with fire and soil elements heavily present in the four pillars, indicating a strong body. The month's branch, Zi, contains癸 water, the wealth star, which is in command, and the month's stem also reveals Jia wood, the seven killer. This is a destiny of wealth and honor. The year's branch, Shen, is the "Wen Chang" (a good star indicating intelligence and literary talent) for Wu soil, indicating that he is outstanding in learning. The hour's branch, Wu, is the "Yang Ren" (a凶 star), but when there is a seven killer in the destiny, the killer and Yang Ren complement each other, forming a rare pattern. The day's branch, Xu, and the hour's branch, Wu, conflict with Zi. That is, the year's branch, Shen, and the day's branch, Xu, are in the middle to mediate. Shen and Zi form a half-water trine, and Xu and Wu form a half-fire trine, thus the conflict is eased. From this, it can be predicted that his character is extremely loyal and his will is strong. The unfavorable fortune should be fire and soil, and water and wood are most beneficial.

庚子 甲申 癸酉 癸丑　五歲 乙酉 十五 丙戌 廿五 丁亥 三五 戊子 四五 己丑 五五 庚寅 六五 辛卯

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for a male's birth chart: the year pillar is Geng Zi, the month pillar is Jia Shen, the day pillar is Gui You, and the hour pillar is Gui Chou. The day stem is Gui Water. The big years start with Yi You at age five, followed by Bing Xu at fifteen, Ding Hai at twenty-five, Wu Zi at thirty-five, Ji Chou at forty-five, Geng Yin at fifty-five, and Xin Mao at sixty-five. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Jia Shen, indicating a "forward progression" of the big years. Since the year stem Geng is yang, male birth charts with yang years are arranged in forward progression. This table should be read horizontally with the Earthly Branches: the year branch Zi and the month branch Shen form a half water trinity, the day branch You and the hour branch Chou form a half metal trinity, resulting in a full chart of metal and water. The only element to guide the flow is the month stem Jia Wood. The following discussion on "source and flow" and "mixed turbid metal and water" originates from this.

上列庚造。繫福州南臺王世昌先生。上年郵寄蔣清渠先生推評。今蒙開示。謬陳管見於後。癸水生於申月。金白水清。秀而無比。依滴天髓通隔而推。年上庚金。為發源之地。流通至時上丑土而止。最可喜者。月干甲木。能運動水氣。能生火以調和金氣。四柱地支。子申半會水局。酉丑半會金局。滿盤金水。若無甲木透出天干。則金水混濁不清耳。

This八字 belongs to Mr. Wang Shichang from NanTai in Fuzhou. It was sent to Mr. Jiang Qingqu last year for evaluation, and now I have the opportunity to share my opinion. The癸 water is born in the申 month, when autumn gold is in command and generates water. In命理, this is called "gold white and water clear" — a pattern describing the mutual generation of gold and water, with a clear and pure atmosphere, indicating a person who is intelligent and noble. This chart is exceptionally refined. According to the "Ditianmou" saying "where does the source begin, and where does it flow to," we can analyze the flow and blockage of the source: the year's heavenly stem, 庚 gold, is the starting point of this water flow. 庚 generates 癸 water, and the water flows continuously until it is stopped by the hour's earth branch, 丑 earth. Most pleasing is the month's heavenly stem, 甲 wood — when water is too abundant, it tends to stagnate; with 甲 wood present, this stagnant water can be moved. Wood can also generate fire, which helps to balance the excessive gold energy, achieving two benefits with one action. Now looking at the four pillars' earth branches: the year's earth branch, 子, and the month's earth branch, 申, form a half-water trinity, while the day's earth branch, 酉, and the hour's earth branch, 丑, form a half-metal trinity. The entire chart is filled with metal and water. If there were no 甲 wood appearing in the heavenly stems to guide the flow, this metal and water trinity would become turbid and dull, lacking vitality.

正印用傷。別無可取。覘君之門第清高。材藝鐵眾。可斷言也。坐下酉宮偏印。必偶能家之女。眾三槐流香。行運己丑十年。上下皆煞。一帆風順。平步青雲。名利崇隆。攸往咸宜也。庚寅運。亦許順境。壬辰運有礙。

Therefore, this birth chart is of the "official in the official position" pattern using the "hurt official" as the useful element. The heavenly stem of the month, Jia wood, is the official of the month's branch, Shen metal, which contains Geng metal, the official, and it is in command. Thus, the pattern is established based on the official. The useful element is the hurt official, which is the Jia wood of the heavenly stem, to release the brilliance. There is nothing else to take. From this, we can see that the person's family is refined and noble, and he is talented and skilled, which can be stated with certainty. The day's main stem sits on You metal, which is the side official, indicating that he will certainly marry a woman who is good at managing the household. The Wang surname has the story of "three槐" (three槐 trees) from the Song dynasty, when Wang You planted three槐 trees in his courtyard, and his descendants became prominent, so the Wang family adopted "three槐" as their family motto. This birth chart is indeed expected to have a flourishing family reputation. The period of ten years in Jichou brings the heavenly stem of Ji earth and the earthly branch of Chou, which contains Ji earth, so both the heaven and earth are seven killers. The killer can generate the official, and the official can generate the self, so everything goes smoothly, and he can rise easily to fame and fortune, achieving great success in all aspects. The period of Gengyin is also expected to be favorable. However, the period of Renchen will have obstacles.

庚午 己丑 己未 甲子　七歲 庚寅 十七 辛卯 廿七 壬辰 三七 癸巳 四七 甲午 五七 乙未 六七 丙申

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the male's birth chart: the year pillar is Gengwu, the month pillar is Jichou, the day pillar is Jiwei, and the hour pillar is Jiazi. The day stem is Ji earth. The big years start with Gengyin at age seven, followed by Xinmao at seventeen, Renchen at twenty-seven, Guisi at thirty-seven, Jiawu at forty-seven, Yiwei at fifty-seven, and Bingshen at sixty-seven, arranged in order from the month pillar Jichou. This is called "big years progressing forward" because the year stem Geng is yang, and male birth charts with yang years progress forward. The key to this chart is that the month branch Chou and the day branch Wei are in opposition. Chou contains Xin metal, and Wei contains Yi wood and Ding fire. When they oppose, the Xin metal food and energy (shishang) is released and becomes effective. The following statement "relying entirely on the power of food and energy" refers to this opposition.

上繫紹與益新玻璃廠主人劉炳輝先生之造。亦由蔣清渠君開示。囑余評斷。查已未日元。生於丑月。已值土旺用事。柱中土凡五見。所好乾丑未逢沖。沖出丑中辛金食神。而年庚傷官。為辛金之助。一生安居樂業。財丁兩旺者。全賴於食傷之力也。

The above is the birth chart of Mr. Liu Binghui, the owner of the Shaoxing Yixin Glass Factory, copied by Mr. Jiang Qingqu and entrusted to me for evaluation. The day stem is Jiwei, born in the month of Chou, when earth is strong and dominant. Among the four pillars, there are five instances of earth, which are heavy and obstructive. Fortunately, the conflict between Chou and Wei brings out the hidden Xin metal food god from Chou. Since Ji earth produces Xin metal and they are of the same yin and yang, it is called "food god." The heavenly stem at the year, Geng metal, differs in yin and yang from Ji earth, thus it is called "hurtful official," which supports the Xin metal. His whole life has been peaceful and prosperous, with both wealth and children flourishing, all due to the power of the food god and hurtful official releasing the earth and bringing out its refined qualities.

本命八字取用。年祿既不足以言格。合化又見姟合難成。不如季土疊疊。喜重金以吐秀。月辛年庚。取用為妙。而時上之財有源。不特中饋得力。家境漸豐。了孫繩繩。全在丑未一沖。庚辛之力也。行運壬辰癸已念年。財源逢庫。喜神遇長生。營業這發達。獲利之豐盈。無可比擬。生齒日繁。更意中事耳。甲運稍差。乙未運更順境。入丙運宜防衛。

This八字 determines the useful god as follows: although the year branch Wu is the禄 of Ji earth, it is too weak to establish a pattern. The hour stem Jia wood combines with the two Ji earths in the day and month, which could be considered as a combination and transformation, but since the two Ji earths compete for the one Jia wood, it becomes a "du he" situation, and the transformation cannot take place. Therefore, it is better to follow the actual situation of the layered earths in the four seasons, and to prefer heavy metal to drain the earth and bring out its brilliance. Thus, the useful gods are the Xin metal in the month branch Chou and the Geng metal in the year stem. This is the most appropriate choice. The hour branch Zi water, as a wealth star, has the food and injury stars as its source, so not only does it provide internal support and gradually enrich the family, but also the descendants continue endlessly. All of this depends on the冲 between Chou and Wei, and the strength of Geng and Xin. During the twenty years of the Renchen and Guisi, the辰 is a water reservoir, which is the place where the wealth source returns, and the巳 is the long life place of Geng metal. The auspicious gods receive their long life, so the business develops remarkably and the profits are abundant. The increase of people also becomes inevitable. The Jia year is slightly less favorable, while the Yi and Wei years are more favorable. When entering the Bing year, the Bing fire official star will restrain the food and injury stars, so one should be more cautious.

庚申 乙卯 丙戌 庚寅　三歲 庚辰 十三 辛巳 廿三 壬午 三三 癸未 四三 甲申 五三 乙酉 六三 丙戌 七三 丁亥

Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch of the birth chart for a male: the year pillar is Geng Shen, the day pillar is Bing Xu, and the hour pillar is Geng Yin. The day master is Bing fire. The original month pillar was recorded as Yi Mao, but in the second month of the Geng Shen year, the month builder is Jimao. The big luck cycle starts from Geng Chen and proceeds in order, which is exactly one step forward from Jimao. Later, Wei Qianli clearly states that "Ji earth is on the month pillar," indicating that the month pillar should be Jimao, and the original "Yi" character is a mistake for "Ji." The original text does not allow arbitrary changes, and when reading the table, one should be aware of this point. The big luck cycle starts at age three with Geng Chen, followed by Xinsi at age thirteen, Renwu at twenty-three, Guiwei at thirty-three, Jiashen at forty-three, Yiyou at fifty-three, Bingxu at sixty-three, and Dinghai at seventy-three, which is "forward progression of big luck." Since the heavenly stem of the year is Geng, which is yang, the big luck cycle for a male is arranged in forward order.

此係福建劉杏村先生長子含懷兄八字。丙乃純陽之火。其勢猛烈。能鍛庚金。遇強暴而施克伐也。坐於犬鄉。會虎合兔。火勢益厚。日主健甚。己土臨月干，以卑溼之土。能收元陽之氣。得以洩丙火之威。壬水藏年支。汪洋之水。能制暴烈之火。得以遏陽火之焰。庚金兩露。財臨旺地。

This is the four-character birth chart of Mr. Hanhuai, the eldest son of Mr. Liu Xingcun from Fujian. Bing is pure yang fire, strong and fierce, capable of refining Geng metal. It can only exert its power of overcoming effectively when encountering strong and fierce elements. The day's stem sits on Wu (戌), which is the dog's position, called "qianxiang" (dog's land). The hour's branch is Yin (寅), which is the tiger, and the month's branch is Mao (卯), which is the rabbit. Yin and Wu form a half-fire trine, and Mao and Wu combine to form fire, thus making the fire force even stronger. The day's stem is extremely strong. The month's stem is Ji earth, which is low and damp earth, capable of restraining the sun's energy, thus reducing the intensity of Bing fire. The year's branch Shen contains Yin water, which is vast and powerful, capable of controlling fierce fire, thus suppressing the flame of yang fire. Both the year and hour stems reveal Geng metal. Geng metal receives its fortune in the year's branch Shen, and the wealth star is at its peak.

本命取格。依正理以推。身旺印強。自然以食傷為用。洩其太過。茲卯戍相合。正印化劫。不若取傷官用財為得當也。夫火土日元。人極渾厚。資質靈敏。傷官透露。生出偏財。高傲之中。帶有歲分柔氣。將來讀書經商。兩均相宜。若立身於金融界。尤卜極重位高。發展地盤。西北最利。

To determine the destiny pattern, we follow the principles of reasoning: if the day's main element is strong and the nourishing star is also strong, naturally we should use the food god or injurious star as the key element, to release the excessive fire energy. Unfortunately, the month's branch, which is卯 (Mao), combines with the day's branch, which is戌 (Xu), to transform into fire. The卯 (Mao) wood, which is the original nourishing star for丙 (Bing) fire, once transformed into fire, no longer nourishes the self, but instead becomes a劫财 (robber wealth), a kind of wealth that harms the self. Thus, the nourishing star path is cut off. Therefore, it is better to use theJi Earth (Ji Tu) injurious star as the key element, and take the Geng Metal (Geng Jin) biased wealth from the year and hour branches as the destination. This way, the injurious star generates wealth, with one release and one collection, which is exactly suitable for the strong fire. People with fire and earth as their main elements are of very thick character and have sensitive talents. When the injurious star is revealed and generates biased wealth, they display a mixture of arrogance and gentleness. In the future, they are suitable for both studying and doing business. If they enter the financial field, they are especially likely to achieve high positions and great power. As for the areas where they develop, the northwest regions of metal and water are most beneficial.

行運以已火比肩祿堂。身強不喜生扶。刑耗在所不免。壬午運。壬為七煞。午為羊刃。馳譽社會。家道興隆。立德立言。有名有利。癸示運正印遇官。惜露傷官。美中一足。甲申運一帆風順。乙酉運。乙為正印。酉為正堸。於命於格。似無沖突。乃乙木絕於酉。丙火死於酉。印綬身主遭傷。刑耗有之。丙戍運尚可丁運則殆矣。

Discussing the ten-year periods: In the Xinsi period, the fire of Si is a fellow element and the禄 of Bing fire. The day's main strength is already strong, and it does not welcome another generation and support. Suffering from injuries, damage, and losses is inevitable. In the Renwu period, Ren is the seven killing stars and Wu is Yangren. The combination of killing stars and Yangren forms a rare pattern, indicating that he will gain fame in society, his family fortune will flourish, and he will achieve both moral virtue and fame and wealth. In the Guiwei period, the official star of Gui water meets the official star of the revealed Ji earth official, which is a case of official star meeting official star, which is not perfect. (The original text's 'kuishi' should be 'wei', and 'yizhu' should be 'buzhu'.) In the Jiashen period, everything goes smoothly. In the Yiyou period, Yi is the positive mother and You is the positive wealth. From the perspective of the destiny and pattern, it seems not conflicting; but Yi wood is at 'jue' in You and Bing fire is at 'si' in You, both the mother and the day's main element are injured, leading to injuries, damages, and losses. The Bingxu period is still acceptable, but the Ding period becomes dangerous.

辛亥 丙申 戊午 己未　三歲 乙未 十三 甲午 廿三 癸巳 三三 壬辰 四三 辛卯 五三 庚寅 六三 己丑

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the birth chart (male): the year pillar is Xinhai, the month pillar is Bingshen, the day pillar is Wuwu, and the hour pillar is Jiwei. The day stem is Wu earth. The big luck years start with Yiwei at age three, followed by Jiwu at age thirteen, Guisi at age twenty-three, Renchen at age thirty-three, Xinmao at age forty-three, Gengyin at age fifty-three, and Jiuchou at age sixty-three. These are arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Bingshen, indicating a "reversing big luck" pattern. Since the year stem is Xin (yin), a male's big luck is arranged in reverse. This chart should note that the year stem Xin and the month stem Bing are heaven stems that are in harmony, and this harmony restricts the Bing fire official star. The key point mentioned later, "the official is not the official, and the food god is not restricted," is based on this.

戊午日元。戊為陽土。喜潤得惡燥。今生於立秋之後。已金旺而土休。幸坐午宮旺地。又有羊刃幫身。日主高強。一生樂自無憂。格取申宮食神。兼取偏財為相。名曰食神生堸。所以洩身之秀。調劑火土之和。用食忌梟。丙火梟印蓋頭。則食愛制矣。詎知丙辛作合。而印非其印。傷官透露。主人性剛。月坐文昌。無怪金石書畫。不學而能之也。戊坐午日。羊刃逢印綬。理應殘疾帶身。行運以已火祿祿堂不利。壬辰辛卯庚。念五年。有財有名。大吉大昌。寅沖申。多麻煩耳。 （餘姚魯昌寧君八字）

On a day with the heavenly stem Wu and earthly branch Wu, Wu is a yang earth. It prefers moisture and dislikes dryness and heat. This birth occurs after the beginning of autumn, when metal is strong and earth becomes weak and confined. Fortunately, the day stem is located on Wu, which is a strong position for Wu earth. Wu is also called "Yang Ren" (shear), which can support the day stem. Therefore, the day stem remains strong, and the person's life is free from worries. The main pattern is based on the food god (shiyin) in the month's branch Shen, combined with the biased wealth (piancai) in Shen, called "food god generating wealth." This pattern is used to release the refined qualities of the day stem and balance the dryness and heat of fire and earth. Using the food god is most忌 (to be avoided) the "Xiao Shen" (biased intelligence), which takes away the food god. In this case, the month's heavenly stem is Bing fire, which is the biased intelligence covering the food god. Normally, the food god would be restrained. However, the year's heavenly stem Xin metal combines with Bing fire, restraining Bing fire, so the biased intelligence is no longer effective. The year's heavenly stem Xin metal is the "shangguan" (injury) of Wu earth, and the revelation of injury indicates a strong and decisive character. The month's branch Shen is also the "Wenchang" (literary star) of Wu earth, which explains why he is naturally skilled in calligraphy, painting, and other arts. Wu earth sits on Wu and meets the "Yang Ren" with the "yinshou" (nurturing), which normally would cause physical disability. The favorable years are those with Guisi (Gui Si), where Si fire is the禄堂 (lucky hall) of Wu earth. The禄堂 assists the already strong day stem, which is unfavorable. The years Renchen (Ren Chen), Xinmao (Xin Mao), and Gengyin (Geng Yin) are favorable, bringing wealth and fame. However, the寅 (Yin) year conflicts with Shen, causing more troubles. The final note in parentheses is the author's own comment: this is the birth chart of Lu Changning from Yuyao.

丙戌 乙未 丙戌 辛卯　六歲 丙申 十六 丁酉 廿六 戊戌 三六 己亥 四六 庚子 五六 辛丑 六六 壬寅

Heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth chart for a male: the year pillar is Bingxu, the month pillar is Yiwei, the day pillar is Bingxu, and the hour pillar is Xinmao. The day stem is Bing fire. The big destiny cycle starts with Bingshen at age six, followed by Dingyou at sixteen, Wuxu at twenty-six, Jihai at thirty-six, Gengzi at forty-six, Xinchou at fifty-six, and Rennyin at sixty-six. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Yiwei, indicating a "forward progression" of the big destiny cycle. Since the year stem Bing is yang, a yang year for a male's destiny is arranged in forward progression. This birth chart was formed in the month of Wei earth, which is the sixth month. The four pillars have extremely hot fire and earth, with no water at all. Therefore, the fortune after this depends entirely on whether the big destiny cycle can bring in water to "regulate the climate" — regulating the climate means adding warmth to a cold destiny or moisture to a dry one.

此紹興陳君泳之命也。傷用財。生於立秋前半月。正值土王用事。神峰所謂真傷官。運行戊戌已三部神逢運透清。時值光復。絲綢價格銳跌。陳君在杭開設乾裕水綢莊。經營十四年。獲利三十萬。人亥運。憾於亥卯未會成木局。事業凋疲。乃賦歸來。擁資二餘萬。足享林泉之福。將來交子運。尚可再起。蓋六月間火土。燥烈已極。柱中卜見滴水。故富而不貴。今逢子水滋潤。調侯為急。豈不勃然興者乎。

This is the destiny of Chen Yongzhi from Shaoxing. His fate is based on the "Wounding Official Using Wealth" pattern. The day master is Bing fire, born in the first half of the month before the beginning of autumn, in the month of Wei where earth is strong and dominant. Earth is the wounding official of Bing fire, which is exactly what Shenfeng's Comprehensive Examination refers to as "true wounding official" (the month's main element is the wounding official, hence it is true). The time stem is Xin metal, the wealth star, which is the ultimate destination. When he reached the paths of Wu, Xu, and Ji, the wounding official deity emerged clearly through the path, becoming even purer. At the same time, the Xinhai Restoration occurred, and the price of silk plummeted. Chen set up the Qianyu Yong Silk Shop in Hangzhou and operated it for fourteen years, making a profit of thirty thousand taels. When he entered the Hai path, unfortunately, the Hai branch combined with the time branch Mao and the month branch Wei to form a wood triple harmony—wood is the official of Bing fire, and the official competes with the wounding official, causing his business to decline. He then resigned from his business and returned to his hometown, taking with him a capital of two ten-thousand taels, which would be sufficient for him to enjoy the pleasures of mountains, rivers, springs, and rocks. In the future, when he reaches the Zi path, he may rise again: because the fire and earth in June are extremely dry and hot, and there is not even a single drop of water in his four pillars, so he is only rich but not noble. Now that the Zi water comes to moisten, it is exactly the urgent need for regulating the climate, how could there not be a sudden revival?

甲申 戊辰 丁未 丙午　三歲 己巳 十三 庚午 廿三 辛未 三三 壬申 四三 癸酉 五三 甲戌

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the birth chart of a male: the year pillar is Jia Shen, the month pillar is Wu Chen, the day pillar is Ding Wei, and the hour pillar is Bing Wu. The day master is Ding fire. The big years start with Jisi at age three, followed by Geng Wu at thirteen, Xin Wei at twenty-three, Renshen at thirty-three, Guiyou at forty-three, and Jia Xu at fifty-three, arranged in order from the month pillar Wu Chen. This is called "big years progressing forward" since the heavenly stem of the year Jia is yang, and male birth charts with yang years progress forward. This chart is similar to the previous one by Chen Yongzhi, both belonging to the "fire and earth official" pattern (the day master is fire, the month ruler is earth, and earth is generated by fire, but they have different yin and yang, hence called official). However, one succeeded while the other failed, making them a good contrast. The following discussion focuses on the difference in the strength of the official in the two charts.

此係陳泳之君胞兄。馥堂先生造。是亦火土傷官。與泳之君火土傷官。大相逕庭。蓋泳之自手經營綢業。獲資數十萬。馥堂亦自設綢肆。未及三年。因虧耗不支。停為家居。株守田園而已。運行壬申時。傷官見宮。一內作地。破財喪妻。備償困頓。細按之。丁干陰火。生土之力甚薄。而戊土不產真金。故無生財之道。壬運之不入黃泉。賴甲木之工。稍納水勢耳。

This is the birth chart of the elder brother of Chen Yongzhi, Mr. Fu Tang. It is also a case of fire and earth official, but it differs greatly from Mr. Chen Yongzhi's case. Mr. Chen personally ran a silk business and made profits of hundreds of thousands; Mr. Fu Tang also opened a silk shop, but within three years he could not sustain the losses and had to close the business, living a quiet life, only keeping a few acres of farmland. When he entered the Renshen cycle, the壬water was the official of the丁fire, and the戊earth official in the chart directly clashed with it, committing the major taboo of "official meeting official". As a result, he suffered a complete downfall, losing money and his wife, enduring great difficulties (the original text's "一內作地" is likely a mistake for "一败涂地"). Analyzing the underlying reasons: the丁is a yin fire, which naturally has weak power to generate earth; and the monthly pillar Wuchenis a damp earth, which is difficult to produce true metal, so although the earth is an official, it cannot produce metal as wealth. There is no way to generate wealth. The reason why the壬cycle did not lead to death was entirely due to the help of the heavenly stem甲wood in the year pillar—water nourishes wood, and wood nourishes fire, with the甲wood in the middle slightly transforming the water's strength.

庚午 癸未 壬午 辛丑　四歲 甲申 十四 乙酉 廿四 丙戌 三四 丁亥 四四 戊子 五四 己丑

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the birth chart (male): the year pillar is Gengwu, the month pillar is Guiwei, the day pillar is Renwu, and the hour pillar is Xinchou. The day stem is Ren water. The big years start at age four with Jiashen, followed by Yiyou at age fourteen, Bingxu at age twenty-four, Dinghai at age thirty-four, Wuzi at age forty-four, and Jichou at age fifty-four, arranged in order from the month pillar Guiwei. This is called "big years progressing forward" — the heavenly stem of the year is Geng, which is yang, so for a male with a yang heavenly stem, the big years are arranged in sequence. The key to this chart is the day pillar Renwu: the earth branch Wu contains Ding fire, which is the official wealth for Ren water, and it also contains Ji earth, which is the official position for Ren water. Wealth and official position are in the same pillar, and in the book of destiny, this is called "Lumu Tongxiang" (Lumu refers to official position, and Tongxiang means wealth and official position are in the same place). The following discussion will start from these four characters.

上繫蕭山金伯平先生之三公子。德潤孩造壬日坐稈。號曰祿馬同鄉。言其有財有官也。生於立秋前十日。已值已土用事。官臨量地。印綬透天干。正財伏兩午財民三奇俱全。洵上乘之命也。未月壬水。力本薄弱。今有癸水幫身。兩印生身。弱而不弱矣。宜於政界立身。位高權重。收入亦豐。但劫財透干。剝削極重。乙亥丙子二年。上學讀書最利。行運自酉字起。至亥字止。俱臻佳妙。戊運平平。子運羊刃逢沖。家口多麻煩。骨肉有刑傷。己丑十的亦佳。庚辛兩運。恐有不利。

The child's four pillars of destiny, or "child's creation," are as follows. The day stem is壬 water, sitting on the午 position, which is called "Lù Mǎ Tóng Xiāng" — an old term meaning that the official star is considered the "Lù" (a measure of power) and the wealth star is the "Mǎ" (a measure of fortune). The午 position contains丁 fire, which is the official star for壬 water, and己 earth, which is the wealth star for壬 water. Since both the official and wealth stars are hidden in the same position, it is called "Lù Mǎ Tóng Xiāng," meaning that both official and wealth are present. This means the child has both wealth and official positions. The child was born ten days before the beginning of the autumn season, so according to the solar terms, the earth element of未 is already in charge. The己 earth official star is strong and directly visible. The year stem is庚 metal and the hour stem is辛 metal, both of which are the birth stars for the child and are visible in the sky. The year branch and the day branch both contain丁 fire, the official star for壬 water. Therefore, the child has all three elements: wealth, official, and birth star, which are all present and well established. This is an excellent destiny. Normally,壬 water in the month of未 is weak, but now the month stem is癸 water, which supports the child, and there are two layers of metal birth stars,庚 and辛, which also support the child. Therefore, even though it seems weak, it is not actually weak. This destiny is suitable for success in the political field, with high position and great power, and also abundant income. However, the month stem has劫财, which is a competitive element, and it is strongly present, causing division and erosion. The years of Yihai and Bingzi are most favorable for studying and learning. The fortune from the酉 position up to the亥 position is very good; the戊 position is average; the子 position is when the壬 water Yangren meets the午 position in the day branch, causing a conflict. When Yangren meets a conflict, there will be many troubles at home and possible injuries to family members. The decade of Jichou is also good. The years of庚 and辛 may be unfavorable.

辛亥 庚寅 丁未 辛亥　一歲 己丑 十一 戊子 廿一 丁亥 三一 丙戌 四一 乙酉 五一 甲申 六一 癸未

Heavenly stem and earthly branch for the male's birth: the year pillar is Xinhai, the month pillar is Gengyin, the day pillar is Dingwei, and the hour pillar is Xinhai. The day stem is Ding fire. The first big year starts at Jichou, followed by Wuzi at age eleven, Dinghai at age twenty-one, Bingxu at age thirty-one, Yiyou at age forty-one, Jiashen at age fifty-one, and Guiwei at age sixty-one. These are arranged in reverse order starting from the month pillar Gengyin, which is called "reversing big years." Since the heavenly stem of the year is Xinhai, which is yin, the male's big years are arranged in reverse. This chart should pay attention to four earthly branches: the two Hais contain Jia wood, the Yin contains Jia wood, and the Wei contains Yi wood. Wood energy is present in all four branches, and they are all the yin stem, which supports and generates Ding fire. The following discussion about "too many yin stems" and "Hai and Yin forming a harmonious combination" starts from here.

丁火日元。生於立春後一日。嚴寒未解。火力未充。得木生之。自然氣焰勢足。複查年月日時。四支俱有甲乙之木。生火已嫌過多。而寅宮丙火。未中丁火。亦皆有輔主這功。財神高透天干。正官藏於兩亥。本命財官印三奇俱全。理應聲名腃達。平步青雲。何今屈蟄市廛。寄人籬下。持籌握算。鎮日勞勞。

The day master is丁 fire, born on the day after the Start of Spring. At this time, the severe cold has not yet dissipated and the fire is still insufficient, so it most urgently needs wood to generate and support it. With wood present, the fire's energy will naturally become strong. Now checking the four pillars of year, month, day, and hour: two亥 contain hidden 甲 wood, 寅 contains hidden 甲 wood, and 未 contains hidden 乙 wood. All four pillars have wood, so the generation of fire is already excessive. Moreover, 寅 contains hidden 丙 fire and 未 contains hidden 丁 fire, both of which support the day master. Therefore, the day master is not weak. The heavenly stems of the year and hour both clearly show 辛 metal, which is the wealth of 丁 fire, clearly visible in the heavenly stem. The hidden 壬 water in the two亥 is the official of 丁 fire, hidden and not revealed. Wood is the scholar, metal is the wealth, and water is the official. The birth chart has all three of these 'three marvels' present. By theory, this should bring great fame and rapid promotion. So why is the person now living in the marketplace, relying on others, constantly counting on a abacus, and working hard all day?

要知柱中寅亥作合。亥未椇地。官星暗損。宦海無緣。習賈經商。方堪溫飽。印遇幾傷。堂上之廕庇不久。正財明露間中之威力獨張。子息無多。有二位足滿慾望。日逢天德。遇險事可以化夷。亥為乙貴。遊異鄉到處歡迎。大運初交己丑戊子。俱未順利。骨肉刑傷。丁火幫身。亥運官貴。連丙戌十年。有名有利生子添丁。乙運欠佳。酉運尚順。壽阻未運底。 （天津陳德培先生命造）

To know the situation, the trine of寅 and亥 forms a harmonious relationship, and亥 also forms a harmonious combination with未 to form a wood trinity. When亥 water is transformed by wood, the hidden壬 water official star inside is secretly damaged, so there is no opportunity for official career, and one can only rely on learning to do business for a comfortable life. The wood official star is injured by辛 gold, so the blessings of parents and elders cannot last long. The official star is clearly revealed in the heavenly stem, indicating that the wife holds authority in the household. There are not many children, and having two is enough to be content. The day stem丁 fire is exactly the「Tian De Gu Ren」(Heavenly Virtue Nobleman) for the寅 month, which can transform danger into safety.亥 is also the「Tian Yi Gu Ren」(Heavenly Nobleman) for the丁 day, which is the highest auspicious deity. According to the rhyme in the fortune book,「Bing Ding Zhu Ji Wei」, so the nobleman for the丁 day is in亥 or酉. This indicates that he is welcomed everywhere when traveling in foreign lands. In the early years of the big destiny cycle, when the destiny reaches Jichou and Wuzi, it is not smooth, and there will be injuries to family members. In the丁 destiny cycle, the丁 fire supports the body, and in the亥 destiny cycle, the official star receives the nobleman's help. Combined with the ten years of丙戌, there will be fame and fortune, and children will be born. In the乙 destiny cycle, it is not good, but the酉 destiny cycle is still smooth. The lifespan ends at the end of the癸未 destiny cycle. The last part in brackets is the author's own note: This is the destiny of Mr. Chen Depai from Tianjin.

戊申 丁巳 己巳 辛未　八歲 戊午 十八 己未 廿八 庚申 三八 辛酉 四八 壬戌 五八 癸亥 六八 甲子

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for male birth: Year pillar Wu Shen, Month pillar Ding Si, Day pillar Ji Si, Hour pillar Xin Wei, with the day stem Ji Earth as the main element. The big years start from age eight with Wu Wu, followed by Ji Wei at eighteen, Geng Shen at twenty-eight, Xin You at thirty-eight, Ren Xu at forty-eight, Gui Hai at fifty-eight, and Jia Zi at sixty-eight. These are arranged in sequence from the month pillar Ding Si, indicating a "forward progression" of big years. Since the year stem Wu is yang, male birth with yang year stems progresses forward. This chart can be divided into two parts: the first twenty years of Wu Wu and Ji Wei still belong to fire and earth, matching the original chart; after twenty-eight years, Geng Shen and Xin You lead to the metal element, which is a favorable place for releasing earth and producing clear elements, marking the turning point of his life.

己土日元。其性插溼。能生木亦能潤金。生於已月。赤帝司權。土隨母量。日主高強。依理而推。當取正印為格。一派火土。混濁不清，所幸傷官傷盡。用這為奇。性極高傲。作事聰明。祖業不豐。尚堪溫飽。將來自手發展。獲資基鉅。妻堅配。方免刑傷。子遲得。乃有收成。大運初行戊午己未。火土幫身。不見佳妙。庚申辛酉念年。喜神透清。添丁增口。財帛進門。壬癸財運。柱中劫多暗受其損。恐多麻煩。亥運沖已。不利。 （餘姚王吉哉先生之命造）

The day stem is Ji (己), which is a low and damp earth element. It can nourish wood and moisten metal. Born in the month of Si (巳), the fire element is dominant (anciently, the red emperor rules summer), and the earth element is strong along with its mother. The day stem thus becomes strong. According to the usual method, we should take the fire in Si as the main official (正印格). However, the whole chart is full of fire and earth, making it turbid and unclear. Fortunately, the year branch Shen (申) contains Geng (庚) metal and the hour stem Xin (辛) metal, which are the official's enemies (伤官食神) that drain the earth. These completely eliminate the official (甲 wood), and the book of fate calls this situation 'the official is completely drained' (伤官伤尽). This unusual situation is considered a rare and special pattern. Such a person has a very proud nature and is intelligent in handling affairs. The ancestors' property is not abundant, but they can still manage to live comfortably. In the future, they can achieve great wealth through their own efforts. For the wife's aspect, one must choose a suitable partner to avoid harm (the original text's '坚' in '妻坚配' may be a mistake). Children should be born later to ensure success. In the early years of the Wuwu and Jiwei big years, fire and earth support the day stem, but this is not good. In the years of Gengshen and Xinyou, the beneficial elements appear clearly, leading to more children, increased population, and wealth entering the house. When the壬癸 big years come, the wealth may be divided among siblings, leading to many troubles. The亥 big year will stir the day stem's Si fire, which is unfavorable. The last part in parentheses is the author's own note: this is the birth chart of Mr. Wang Jizai from Yuyao.

庚辰 丁亥 丙辰 丁酉　六歲 戊子 十六 己丑 廿六 庚寅 三六 辛卯 四六 壬辰 五六 癸巳 六六 甲午

Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch for the birth chart (male): the year pillar is Gengchen, the month pillar is Dinghai, the day pillar is Bingchen, and the hour pillar is Dingyou. The day stem is Bing fire. The big destiny starts with Wu Zi at age six, followed by Jichou at sixteen, Gengyin at twenty-six, Xinmao at thirty-six, Renchen at forty-six, Guisi at fifty-six, and Jiawu at sixty-six. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Dinghai, indicating a "forward progression" of big destiny. The key point is the hidden stem in the month branch Hai: Hai contains both Ren water, which is the seven killing star, and Ji wood, which is the biased scholar. The killing star and the scholar are in the same pillar. The killing star can generate the scholar, and the scholar can protect the self, making this the most critical part of the entire chart.

上為寧波第一特區行政志員。 先生這八字。丙火生於亥月。冬日可愛。丙丁幫身。亥中殺印同宮。庚財通根於酉。滋殺有源。辰中食神制殺。舒配得宜。以故蚤歲軒昂。政聲聿著。入壬辰運。殺食兩顯。出任專員。辦理新嵊奉三縣剿匪事宜。旌旗所至。小丑披靡。甲運本有奪食之嫌。柱露庚金。仍奮發有為。午運羊刃。靜養太和為妙。

The above is the four-character birth chart of a certain gentleman who served as an administrative commissioner in Ningbo's first special district—the original text here is missing, and the name has been omitted, so it is recorded as is. The day stem is Bing fire, born in the亥 month, which is the season of winter when warmth is especially welcome. The day master, Bing fire, is supported by two Ding fire stems. In the亥 branch, the seven killing (Ren water) and the biased scholar (Jia wood) share the same palace. The killing nourishes the scholar, and the scholar nourishes the day master, turning misfortune into fortune. The year stem, Geng metal, which represents wealth, is rooted in the hour branch You, so the wealth nourishes the seven killing, which has a source and is not empty. The day branch and the year branch both contain the hidden Wu earth food god in the辰, which can control the seven killing. The combination of one nourishing and one controlling is well balanced. Therefore, he was dignified and impressive from an early age, with outstanding achievements in his governance. Entering the Renchen period, both the seven killing (Ren water) and the food god in the辰 are active, so he was appointed commissioner to handle the suppression of bandits in three counties: Xinchang, Shengxian, and Fenghua. Where his banners reached, petty criminals fled in fear. The甲 period is usually suspected of the biased scholar (Jia wood) competing with the food god (Wu earth), but since the four pillars reveal Geng metal, which can control Jia wood, he still remained vigorous and active. The午 period is the Yangren (sheath) of Bing fire, so it is advisable to maintain calmness and harmony.

乙巳 乙酉 丙辰 丙申　九歲 丙戌 十九 丁亥 廿九 戊子 三九 己丑 四九 庚寅 五九 辛卯 六九 壬辰 七九 癸巳

The female's birth chart is K'un (Earth) type. The year pillar is Yi Si, the month pillar is Yi You, the day pillar is Bing Chen, and the hour pillar is Bing Shen. The day stem is Bing fire. The big destiny starts with Bing Xu at age nine, followed by Ding Hai at nineteen, Wu Zi at twenty-nine, Ji Chou at thirty-nine, Geng Yin at forty-nine, Xin Mao at fifty-nine, Ren Chen at sixty-nine, and Gui Si at seventy-nine. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Yi You, indicating a "forward progression" of big destiny. The year stem Yi is yin, and for a female with a yin year stem, the big destiny is arranged in forward order. The heavenly stems only include Yi and Bing, but the earthly branches all form metal: the year branch Si and the month branch You form a partial metal trinity, and the day branch Chen combines with the month branch You to form metal. Therefore, the text says this chart "combines to form wealth," and the wealth is the main element in the entire chart.

四柱天干。兩乙兩丙。木火相生。人必曰兩干不雜格。其實不然。女命所注重者財官。柱中有財有官。不沖不破。便為佳造。今丙火生於酉月。正財當令。與年支之已。半會金局。與日支之辰。合而化金。會合俱為財。本命財乃極旺。可覘其極有才能。作事幹練。交際手段亦高。柱中東合會。面面留情。幸有兩印透干。操守貞潔。幫夫助家。鄰里稱賢。行運戊子己丑念年。助夫興業。家有餘歡。庚運亦佳。寅運沖申。未見佳妙。辛卯運亦順境。人壬辰運。遇壬戍年。最要防衛。 （餘姚徐德聖先生夫人八字。）

In the four pillars, the heavenly stems are only yi and bing, with two yis and two bings. Wood and fire mutually generate, and people would certainly say this is a "two heavenly stems not mixed" noble pattern.the so-called two heavenly stems not mixed means that only two characters are used in the four pillars, cycling repeatedly, which ancient people regarded as a pure and clear pattern. In reality, this is not the case. For a woman's fortune, what is important is not these patterns, but wealth and official positions: wealth can generate official positions, and official positions are the husband's star. If the column contains both wealth and official positions without being disturbed or broken, it is considered a good fortune. In this case, the bing fire is born in the metal酉 month, and the xin metal in酉 is the proper wealth for bing fire, and the proper wealth is in command. The酉 also semi-forms a metal group with the year branch巳, and combines with the day branch辰 to transform into metal, which is also wealth. Thus, the wealth in this birth is extremely strong. From this, we can see that she has great ability, is efficient in handling affairs, and has high social skills. However, the column contains too many combinations and unions, leading to being overly flexible. Fortunately, the two yi wood official stars are revealed in the heavenly stems, and the official star represents integrity and self-restraint, so she maintains chastity, helps her husband to build a family, and is praised by neighbors. The period from wu zi to ji chou for twenty years helps her husband's business, and the family is wealthy. The geng period is also good. The yin period may cause disturbances as it triggers the hidden shen metal in the earthly branches, which is not ideal. The xin mao period is also favorable. When entering the ren chen period, if it coincides with the ren xu year, one must be especially cautious. The last part in parentheses is the author's own note: this is the birth chart of Madame Xu Desheng from Yuyao.

己酉 己巳 丁丑 甲辰　四歲 戊辰 十四 丁卯 廿四 丙寅 三四 乙丑 四四 甲子 五四 癸亥 六四 壬戌

Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch of the birth year: Ji You, birth month: Ji Si, birth day: Ding Chou, birth hour: Jia Chen. The day stem is Ding Fire. The big destiny cycle starts at age four with Wu Chen, followed by Ding Mao at age fourteen, Bing Yin at age twenty-four, Yi Chou at age thirty-four, Jia Zi at age forty-four, Gui Hai at age fifty-four, and Ren Xu at age sixty-four. These are arranged in reverse order from the birth month Ji Si, indicating a "reverse big destiny cycle." Since the heavenly stem of the birth year Ji is yin, male destiny cycles are arranged in reverse. This chart should be considered together with the three branches: Si, You, and Chou, which are all present, forming a complete Triple Harmony of metal, thus transforming the fire of the month's劫财 into wealth. This serves as the basis for the later discussion of "transforming劫财 into wealth."

上繫福州省郵務局秘書鄭炳年先生之郎君。希文兄庚造。現在上海東湖法律學院肄業。品貌秀麗。學問淵博。核其命理。確相符合，非偶然也。丁火生於已月。年酉長生。日丑墓庫。時干正印。日元健朗。或取食神生財。或以月刃當煞。言雖有理。皆非正論。

The following is the four-character birth chart of Mr. Xiwén, the son of Mr. Zheng Bingnian, the secretary of the Fuzhou Provincial Post Office. He is currently studying at the Law School of the East Wu University in Shanghai (the term "East Lake" is likely a mistake for "East Wu," referring to the East Wu University Law School). He has a refined appearance and profound knowledge. Upon checking his destiny, it indeed matches, not by chance. The day stem is Ding fire, born in the month of Si. The year branch is You, which is the "longevity" place for Ding fire (for yin fire, the twelve palace sequence is reversed, so longevity is in You). The day branch is Chou, which is the "storage" place for Ding fire. The hour stem is Jia wood, which is the proper official (zhen) for Ding fire. Therefore, the day stem is strong and vigorous. Some people suggest taking the food god to generate wealth, while others suggest using the month branch Si as Yangren and matching it with seven killers. Although these two views have some reasoning, they are not the correct approach.

當以月劫用財。或疑既用劫。又用財。豈非自相矛盾。世有令盜踏之人。而掌銀庫者乎。詎知月劫用財。須帶傷食。蓋月令為劫，而以財作用。二者相剋。必須食傷化之。始可轉劫生財。今柱中食神兩透。甲己作合。正印意向食神。生財綽有裕餘。本命不但轉動生財。且可化劫為財。曷云乎。四柱地支。已酉丑相會。即以劫財之火。化為金局之財。而時支之辰。生年支之酉。亦有助於金局。兩位食神，俱有生財能力。安得不大富貴亦壽考耶。

The principle should be based on "using the month's Rob Wealth to benefit wealth." The month's stem is my Rob Wealth, yet we take the wealth star as the useful god. Some people doubt: if we use Rob Wealth, and also use the wealth star, isn't that contradictory? After all, Rob Wealth is the god that steals wealth; how could we invite a great thief like Daozhi to manage the treasury (the original text mistakenly writes "daotu" instead of "daozhi," Daozhi being a legendary great thief from the Warring States period)? But in fact, when using the month's Rob Wealth to benefit wealth, we must have the food god and the injurious star to assist. The month's stem is Rob Wealth, yet we take the wealth star as the useful god. These two are originally in mutual control, so we must have the food god and injurious star in the middle to transform it. First, the Rob Wealth generates the food god and injurious star, then the food god and injurious star generate wealth, thus transforming the stealing power into generating power. Now, both the year and month stems are clearly visible as Ji earth food god, and the time stem Jia wood Direct Resource also combines with Ji earth. The intention of the Direct Resource is entirely focused on the food god, which is sufficient to generate wealth. This destiny not only can transform Rob Wealth into wealth, but also can convert Rob Wealth into wealth. How do we know this? The three branches of the four pillars, Si, You, and Chou, form a metal formation, which completely transforms the fire of the month's Rob Wealth into the wealth of the metal formation. The time branch Chen earth also generates the year branch You metal, further strengthening this metal formation. Both food gods have the ability to generate wealth. How could such a destiny not be rich, powerful, and long-lived?

夫食神健朗一生衣祿無虧。年坐文昌學藝定占軼眾。豐範清秀。姿質靈敏。印透時干。又見其宅心正大。無黨無偏。他時為國宣勞。自不浮沉隨俗。今日研究法律。正以栽植基礎。查其一生行運。除丑運火庫。稍有蹉跌外。餘皆迪吉。美不勝言。滴天髓所謂一清到底有精神。管取生平富貴真。堪為斯造詠。

The food god is strong and vigorous, indicating that throughout his life he will not lack clothing, food, salary or benefits. The year branch is酉, which is the "Wenchang" star for the丁 fire — Wenchang, derived from the day stem, is a good god that signifies intelligence and literary talent, and is favorable for studying and taking exams — so his knowledge and skills must certainly be outstanding. He has a refined appearance and a sharp mind. The positive official is revealed in the hour stem, and the official star signifies uprightness and integrity, showing that his heart is just and upright, not biased or partisan. In the future, when he serves the country, he will naturally not follow the crowd. Studying law today is precisely laying a solid foundation for the future. Examining his entire life's fortune, except for the乙丑 period where the丑 is the墓库 of fire and the day stem enters the墓, causing some setbacks, the rest are all auspicious and smooth, good beyond description. The "Drop of Heavenly Dew" says, "If the useful god is pure from beginning to end, it will surely bring true wealth and honor throughout life." This refers to a birth chart where the useful god is pure from beginning to end and the energy flow is continuous, which will bring true wealth and honor throughout life. This verse can be used to describe this birth chart.

辛亥 庚子 庚辰 丙戌　十一 己亥 廿一 戊戌 三一 丁酉 四一 丙申 五一 乙未 六一 甲午 七一 癸巳

Heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth chart for a male: the year pillar is Xinhai, the month pillar is Gengzi, the day pillar is Gengchen, and the hour pillar is Bingxu. The day stem is Geng metal. The big years start from the age of eleven with Jihai, followed by Wuxu at twenty-one, Dingyou at thirty-one, Bingshen at forty-one, Yiwu at fifty-one, Jiawu at sixty-one, and Guisi at seventy-one. These are arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Gengzi, which is called "reversing big years." The year stem Xinhai is yin, so for a male with a yin year stem, the big years are arranged in reverse. The original chart starts the big years from the age of eleven, and the period before the age of eleven is not included in the big years. This period is calculated separately using "small years" according to the old method. In this case, the year branch Hai and the month branch Zi form the northern water direction, and the month branch Zi also partially combines with the day branch Chen to form a water pattern. The water is strong and concentrated, mainly draining the brilliance of the Geng metal.

上繫炳年先生第三郎君希傑先生庚造。求學北平大學。推評四柱。庚金生於仲冬之月。坐下辰土。月干庚金。年干辛金。皆足為日元之助。身主健朗。可覘其德性堅定。作事精明。傷官坐月令。英華外發。聰明伶俐。年支遇文昌。學術高明。堪以預卜。身強宜洩。月支子水。正所以洩身之秀。而亥子會成水方。子辰半會水局。雖曰方局不宜相混。要皆擁護傷官。意向一致。則以傷官取格。自無疑義。時值冬令。水旺金強。嫌其過寒。所幸時上丙火透天。不惟冬日之可愛。調侯亦關緊要。故兼取七煞為相。名曰傷官帶煞。行運丁酉丙申乙未甲午均佳。

The above is the four pillars of Mr. Xijie, the third son of Mr. Zheng Bingnian, who is currently studying at Peking University. Evaluating his birth chart: the day stem is Geng metal, born in the middle of winter, in the Zi month. The day master sits on Chen soil, which can generate metal. The monthly dry stem is Geng metal, which is a same-king, and the annual dry stem is Xin metal, which is a thief, both of which can support the day master, so the day master is strong and healthy. This indicates that he has a firm character and is capable and efficient. The Zi water in the hour branch is the official of Geng metal, and since the official is located in the month, it shows that his talents are evident and he is intelligent and sharp. The annual branch Hai is the "Wen Chang" star of Geng metal, indicating academic excellence and the ability to foresee. Since the day master is strong, it is beneficial to release its strength, and the monthly branch Zi water is exactly where the day master's strength is released. Meanwhile, Hai and Zi form the Northern Water "triple convergence" (three conjunctions), and Zi and Chen form a partial Water "circle" (three harmony). Although it is generally not advisable to have both the triple convergence and the triple harmony in the same chart, in this case, both are supporting the same official, and their intentions are consistent, so taking the official as the main pattern is clear and definite. However, during winter, water is strong and metal is powerful, making the climate too cold. Fortunately, the hourly dry stem is Bing fire, which appears on the heavenly stem. Not only is it like a warm sun in winter, but it also fulfills the "tune and regulate" function, which is crucial for balancing an overly cold or dry chart by adding warmth or moisture. Therefore, Bing fire is also taken as the auxiliary seven killer, forming the pattern of "official with a killer." The fortunate years of Ding You, Bing Shen, Yi Wei, and Jia Wu, which are all fire, earth, and wood, can warm the chart and are all favorable years.

丁亥 壬寅 戊申 壬子　三歲 辛丑 十三 庚子 廿三 己亥 三三 戊戌 四三 丁酉 五三 丙申 六三 乙未

Heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth chart for a male: the year pillar is Dinghai, the month pillar is RENYIN, the day pillar is WUXU, and the hour pillar is RENZI. The day stem is Wu earth. The big destiny starts with Xinchou at age three, followed by Gengzi at thirteen, Jihai at twenty-three, Wuxu at thirty-three, Dingyou at forty-three, Bingshen at fifty-three, and Yiwei at sixty-three. These are arranged in reverse order from the month pillar RENYIN, indicating a "reverse big destiny" - since the year stem Ding is yin, yin years for male destiny are arranged in reverse. This chart requires counting the number of waters: the year branch Hai, the month stem Ren, the hour stem Ren, the hour branch Zi, plus the day branch Shen and Zi forming a half-water trinity, resulting in five instances of water in the entire chart. However, only the year stem Ding fire and the hidden JING fire in the month pillar YIN provide warmth, creating a significant contrast between cold and warm energies. The selection of destiny years is entirely determined by this contrast.

上繫紹興蔣清渠先生庚造。別署越州胖漢。曾畢業中校。清季在本省各府辦理刑名。暨新政事件光。復後人法校聽講旋。辦紹興成章女中校。歷任蘇省各縣司法科主任。及第一科科長。十六年後。在浙江省防軍任書紀官。升首都警察廳佐治警政。近復辦理建設新政。前承開示庚造。囑予評斷。

The above is the birth chart of Xiang Qingqu of Shaoxing, who goes by the courtesy name "Yu Zhou Pangan." He graduated from a middle school. In the late Qing dynasty, he was engaged in handling "Xingming" affairs (a position in the old government offices responsible for judicial documents) and new policies in various prefectures of his province. After the Xinhai Restoration, he entered a law and politics school to study, and soon founded the Chengzhang Girls' Middle School in Shaoxing. Later, he successively held positions as the head of the judicial department and the first department chief in various counties of Jiangsu Province. After 1927 (the 16th year of the Republic of China), he served as a clerk in the Zhejiang military forces, and later rose to the position of assistant director of the Capital Police Department in Nanjing, responsible for police affairs. Recently, he has been involved in new policies related to construction. His career combines both civil and military aspects, transitioning from the Qing dynasty to the Republic, which can be well correlated with the discussion of the following birth chart. Previously, he copied his birth chart for me and asked me to evaluate it. (The original text has many errors in punctuation, such as "Ji Xin Hai Guang Fu Hou Ren Fa Xue Ting Ting Xuan Ban Shao Xing Cheng Zhang Nu Zhong Xue Jiao," which should be read as "Ji Xin Hai Guang Fu Hou Ren Fa Xue Ting Ting Xuan Ban Shao Xing Cheng Zhang Nu Zhong Xue Jiao.")

戊屬土。為萬物之線。此常論也。其實僅憑單獨之土質。雖一草一木。亦不能滋長發榮。必須水以潤之。火以暄之。始可生生不己。今月支之寅。中藏丙火。月干之壬。明明屬水。水火兩全。萬物資生。門第清高。人才軼眾。於此可卜惟細按之。年支逢亥水。時干透壬水。日時二支。又聯合水局。水計有五。僅恃年干丁火。及月支之寅。所藏丙火。斷不能勝多數之水。雖曰水火兩全。究未坎離調變。必須運入火土。助日元用神之不逮耳。查己運尚佳。亥運不利。戊戍丁酉丙申卅年。名業崇隆。生子餘金。公私暢適。攸往咸宜。六十七歲癸已年多麻煩。慎防為要。

The earth element Wu belongs to the earth, being the fundamental element that nurtures all things. This is a commonly spoken idea (the original text's character "line" should be "mother"). In reality, even a single piece of soil cannot grow a single blade of grass or tree; it must be moistened by water and warmed by fire to sustain life continuously. This is the most important aspect in the study of the earth element in destiny: earth without water becomes dry, and without fire becomes cold. Both water and fire are essential. In this case, the month's branch Yin contains hidden Bing fire, and the month's heavenly stem Ren is clearly water. Thus, both water and fire are present, enabling the growth of all things, so the person is of high moral standing and possesses outstanding talent. From this, one can predict the future. However, upon closer examination: the year's branch Hai contains water, the hour's stem reveals clear water, and the day's branch Shen and the hour's branch Zi form a water trinity. Including the hidden Ren water in Shen, there are five sources of water. The warmth available is only the single Ding fire in the year's stem and the hidden Bing fire in the month's branch Yin, which are clearly insufficient compared to the abundance of water. Therefore, although both water and fire are present, the state of water and fire being in harmony and yin and yang balanced has not yet been achieved. It is necessary to enter a period of fire and earth to supplement the deficiency of the main element and the useful god. Checking the years, the Ji year is still favorable, while the Hai year is unfavorable. In the thirty years of Wu Xu, Ding You, and Bing Shen, there will be great fame and success, increase in children and wealth, and smoothness in both public and private affairs, with nothing inappropriate. However, in the year Guisi at the age of sixty-seven, there will be more troubles, and one must be cautious and careful.

乙丑 庚辰 己未 庚午　六歲 己卯 十六 戊寅 廿六 丁丑 三六 丙子 四六 乙亥 五六 甲戌 六六 癸酉

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the male's birth chart: the year pillar is Yichou, the month pillar is Gengchen, the day pillar is Jiwei, and the hour pillar is Gengwu. The day stem is Ji earth. The big years start from the age of six with Jimao, then at sixteen with Wuyin, at twenty-six with Dingchou, at thirty-six with Bingzi, at forty-six with Yihai, at fifty-six with Jiaxu, and at sixty-six with Guiyou. These are arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Gengchen, indicating a reverse progression of the big years. Since the year stem is Yichou, which is yin, the male's big years are arranged in reverse. Looking at this chart, there are three earth branches: Chou, Chen, and Wei, which are the four seasons' earth, stacked on top of each other. The hour branch Wu is also the禄 of Ji earth. The stems of the month and hour pillars both show Geng metal, which is the key to releasing the heavy earth of the day stem.

上為程柏堂先生庚造。程籍紹興。光緒丁酉年拔貢。截取京官乙已年。出任蘇省華亭縣知縣多年。光復後。歷充釐差。並在江浙財政廳任秘書科長等職。工於八法。頗負盛名。家資鉅萬。伉儷和諧。

The above is Cheng Botang's birth bazi. Cheng was from Shaoxing. In the year Dingyou (1897), he was selected as a "Ba Gong" - a Qing dynasty system where every twelve years, one was chosen from the candidates of the local schools and sent to the National College, which was a legitimate path in the imperial examination system. In the year Yisi (1905), he was appointed as a central official through the "Jie Qu" system, which was a method of selecting officials by seniority and in order. Later, he served as the magistrate of Huating County in Jiangsu Province for many years. After the Xinhai Restoration, he held various positions in the Likin tax bureau and served as a chief secretary in the finance departments of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. He was skilled in calligraphy, particularly known for the "Ba Fa" or the Eight Methods of the character "永", which refers to calligraphy. He was wealthy and his wife and he had a harmonious relationship.

查其庚造蓋己土。生於辰月。季土疊疊。午火居時。日元強旺無疑。或以日祿蹄時沒官星取格。或以月劫用煞定評。按之旺者宜洩。季土疊疊。宜重金以吐秀。本命幼歲選拔萃科。歷官京曹。壯年出膺花封。政聲卓著。非其傷官得氣而何。精文學。擅八法。猶餘事耳。查大運甲運稍差。聞彼時篤信佛學。靜心休養。得以化險為夷。戍運癸運重列仕版。一路順境。酉運食來混傷。難以言吉也。

The person's birth chart shows the day stem is Ji Earth, born in the Chen month, which is the season of Earth. The Earth elements are layered and abundant. The hour branch is Wu Fire, which nourishes Earth, making the day stem very strong. Some people use the pattern "the day's wealth returns at the hour without a minister star" — the wealth of Ji Earth is at Wu, which coincides with the hour branch, and there is no Ji Wood minister star in the four pillars, fitting this pattern perfectly. Others assess it as "month's劫财 with a killer star" — the Wu Earth in Chen month is劫财, and the year stem Ji Wood is the killer star. In my opinion, the strong should be released. Since the Earth elements are layered, heavy metal should be used to release their brilliance. This person was selected as a gifted scholar at a young age, served as an official in the capital, and later became a county magistrate (the old term for county magistrate was "huafeng"), with outstanding governance. If it were not for the presence of a wounded official star, how could he have achieved this? As for his proficiency in literature and skill in calligraphy, these are just secondary matters. Checking his major years: the Ji Wood year was somewhat unfavorable. It is said that at that time he was deeply devoted to Buddhism and practiced inner peace, which helped him to turn danger into safety. The Xu year and the Gui Water year brought him back into officialdom, with smooth progress. The You year, however, is the food star mixed with the wounded official star, making it difficult to speak of good fortune.

庚辰 戊子 己卯 乙亥　八歲 己丑 十八 庚寅 廿八 辛卯 三八 壬辰 四八 癸巳 五八 甲午 六八 乙未

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth chart for a male is: the year stem and branch are Geng Chen, the month stem and branch are Wu Zi, the day stem and branch are Ji Mao, and the hour stem and branch are Yi Hai. The day stem is Ji Earth. The big years start from the age of eight with Ji Chou, followed by Geng Yin at eighteen, Xin Mao at twenty-eight, Ren Chen at thirty-eight, Gui Si at forty-eight, Jiawu at fifty-eight, and Yi Wei at sixty-eight. These are arranged in order from the month stem and branch Wu Zi, which is called "big years progressing in order." The key points of this chart are two: first, the earthly branch of the month is Zi, which contains the stem癸 Water, which is the biased wealth for Ji Earth and is in its season; second, the stem of the hour is Yi Wood, the earthly branch of the day is Mao Wood, and the earthly branch of the hour is Hai, which contains the stem Ji Wood, so there are layers of stars that overcome the self. However, the four pillars of the chart have no trace of the印绶 (fire), and all the fortune and misfortune mentioned later arise from these four words "having a killer but no印绶."

上為曾任浙江餘姚湯溪等縣縣長端木彰先生庚造。己土生於子月。偏財當令。柱中七煞重重。財來滋煞。故歷任軍界要職。（前浙省魯主席滌平是其門生。）柱中所缺者印綬。殺無印不威，故其人溫厚和平。藹然可親。內權獨擅。蓋殺居日支也。迨運入已地。煞印相生。而寒令之溼土。遇陽光普照，豈有不舒展之理。故於壬申年四月。委署餘姚縣長。至甲戍夏季。調篆湯溪。政譽卓著。近甫卸職。預科入甲午運。木能生火。而火生土。必較己運尤勝。且甲與己合。官不混殺交乙運合庚不利。

The above is the four-character birth chart of Mr. Duanchang, who once served as county magistrate of Zhenjiang Yuyao and Tangxi. The己 earth is born in the month of Zi, with癸 water, the偏财, in command in Zi; in the column, 乙 wood, the seven killers, are repeated (the 7th heavenly stem is 乙, the day branch is卯, and the 7th earthly branch is亥, which contains 甲 wood). The wealth can nourish the seven killers, and with heavy killers, it indicates authority and power, so he held important military positions throughout his career. (The author notes: the former chairman of Zhejiang Province, Lu Diping, was his student.) The column lacks the印, which is the official seal. The book of destiny says, "Without the印, the seven killers cannot display their authority." Without the印 to transform the seven killers, their power cannot be fully expressed. Therefore, he is gentle and kind, and his wife holds the family's internal affairs. The day branch is the wife's palace, and the seven killer is sitting there. When the destiny enters the巳, the丙 fire is the印 in the巳, the seven killer generates the印, and the印 generates the body. The seven killer and the印 generate each other. Moreover, the damp earth in the cold season, once exposed to sunlight, how could it not be comfortable? Therefore, in the fourth month of the Renshen year, he was appointed as acting magistrate of Yuyao. In the summer of the Jiaxu year, he was transferred to Tangxi, where his governance was outstanding, and he recently resigned. It is expected that when entering the Jia Wu destiny, the wood can generate fire, and fire can generate earth, which will be better than the destiny of 己. Moreover, the 甲 wood and the 己 earth combine, the official is combined, and does not interfere with the seven killer, making the pattern clearer. When entering the Yi destiny, the Yi combines with the heavenly stem of the year, which is not favorable.

庚子 乙酉 癸巳 己未　八歲 丙戌 十八 丁亥 廿八 戊子 三八 己丑 四八 庚寅 五八 辛卯 六八 壬辰

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the birth chart of a male: the year pillar is Geng Zi, the month pillar is Yi You, the day pillar is Gui Si, and the hour pillar is Ji Wei. The day stem is Gui Water. The big years start from age eight with Bing Xu, followed by Ding Hai at eighteen, Wu Zi at twenty-eight, Ji Chou at thirty-eight, Geng Yin at forty-eight, Xin Mao at fifty-eight, Ren Chen at sixty-eight. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Yi You, which is called "big years progressing forward" — since the heavenly stem of the year is Geng, a yang stem, the big years for a male are arranged in the forward direction. The day pillar Gui Si is listed in the book of destiny as a "day with both wealth and official position," because the Si branch contains Bing Fire, which is the original wealth for Gui Water, and also contains Wu Earth, which is the original official position for Gui Water. Wealth and official position are in the same pillar and thus are considered harmonious. The following text by Wei Qianli is precisely using this principle to make a correction.

上繫寧波豐紗廠經理凌俾麟先生庚造。命書所載。癸日坐向已宮。財官雙美。則人生於癸已日元。無有不富而且貴者。其實要四柱合看。未可以一概論也。本命癸水生於白露之後。正值為金司令。偏印用事。年上透出庚金正印。而乙木助之。年支比肩。又是祿堂。總觀癸水日干。有如許擁護之神。則弱而不弱矣。

The above is the four pillars of the birth date of Mr. Ling Biling, manager of the Ningbo Fengsha Factory. The fortune book states that "a癸 day with the巳 branch is a day of wealth and official position" — according to old sayings, the days of Renwu and Guisi are called "Lù Mǎ Tóng Xiāng, Cái Guān Shuāng Měi" (Lusha Tongxiang, Cai Guan Shuangmei), because the day branch contains both wealth and official position in the same palace. According to this, anyone born on a Guisi day would certainly be rich and noble. In reality, a single day pillar is only two characters among the eight characters, and one must consider all four pillars together, not make generalizations. The person's癸 water day is born after the White Dew, when the辛 metal is in command. The辛 metal and癸 water are both yin, and they are of the same type, thus forming a biased scholar (biased印). The biased印 is in charge. The year's heavenly stem also reveals庚 metal, which is the official印. The庚 metal is yang and the癸 water is yin, so they are of different types, and the庚 metal is the official印. The month's heavenly stem is乙 wood, which combines with the庚 metal, not only not restraining it, but actually strengthening the庚 metal. The year's earth branch is子, which is the companion of癸 water and also the禄 of癸 water. When considering all four pillars together, the癸 water day is surrounded by many supporting deities, so although it is said to be weak due to the autumn season, in reality it is weak but not weak.

本命取格取用。有以歲祿有官。或取時上七殺。細按之。年祿固不足以言格。時殺亦難免偏激。以錢綬化殺。最為確當。柱中金水兩旺。可覘其性極喜動。但有己未兩土。堤防。故動而就範。宅心正大。姿質靈敏。殺印透干。宜乎幼年經營紗廠。振興實業。行運戊子稍差。己丑庚辛。大吉大利。莫嫌老圃秋容淡。霜葉紅於二月花。

This destiny is analyzed in terms of its pattern and use: some suggest taking the luck of the year's branch and the official star to form the "Year's Luck Pattern," while others suggest taking the seven killer star of the time stem, Ji Tu, to form a pattern. Upon closer examination, the luck of the year's branch is too weak to form a pattern on its own; the seven killer star of the time stem is also likely to be extreme and harmful to the body. It is more appropriate to use the official star to transform the seven killer star - the seven killer star generates the official star, and the official star generates the body, turning the evil star into a helpful force (the original text says "Qian Shou" but should be "Yin Shou"). The column shows that both metal and water are strong, indicating that his nature greatly enjoys activity. However, the presence of Ji Tu and Wei Tu as barriers prevents him from going beyond limits, so he is active yet follows rules, with a sincere and upright heart and sharp intelligence. The seven killer star and the official star both appear on the surface, which explains why he was able to run a silk mill and promote industry at a young age. His fortune is slightly worse during the Wuzi period, but during Jichou, Geng, and Xin periods, he experiences great fortune. As the ancient poem says, do not complain about the simple scenery of a garden in late autumn; the red leaves after frost are actually more brilliant than spring flowers in February - his later years are indeed favorable.

戊戌 戊午 丁卯 丙午　二歲 己未 十二 庚申 廿二 辛酉 三二 壬戌 四二 癸亥 五二 甲子 六二 乙丑

Heavenly stem for the year is Wu, branch is Xu; heavenly stem for the month is Wu, branch is Wu; heavenly stem for the day is Ding, branch is Mao; heavenly stem for the hour is Bing, branch is Wu. The day stem is Ding fire. The big year starts with Ji Wei at age two, followed by Geng Shen at age twelve, Xin You at age twenty-two, Ren Xu at age thirty-two, Gui Hai at age forty-two, Jia Zi at age fifty-two, Yi Chou at age sixty-two. These are arranged in order from the month stem Wu Wu, which is a case of "big year progressing forward." The heavenly stem of the year, Wu, is yang, so for a male with a yang stem, the big years are arranged in order. When looking at the chart, focus on two points: the branch of the month, Wu, and the branch of the hour, Wu, are both the "Liu" (favorable position) for Ding fire. The branch of the day, Mao wood, also generates fire, and the heavenly stem of the hour, Bing fire, further supports the body. The fire is extremely strong, and there is no water in the four pillars. The heavenly stems of the year and month are both Wu earth, which is the only way to release this strong fire.

上繫上海大眾書局經理樊劍剛先生八字。丁火生於午月。正逢當令之時。日主甚為強健。如以兩祿幫身。丙火畏輔主。卯木年干。雖曰至剛莫廠。究嫌其太過。幸有兩戊透干。得以洩火之秀。本命和事機警幹練。才學高明。於此可覘。所惜四柱五行缺水。似此火炎土燥之際。能有甘泉滋潤。則坎離調變。前程莫可限量。今賴運來補救。未為晚也。

The above is the four pillars of Mr. Fan Jiangang, manager of Shanghai Dazhong Bookstore. The day stem is Ding fire, which is born in the month of Wu, the season of fire, thus it is in its prime and strong. Moreover, the month and hour branches both provide the禄 (favorable position) to support the day stem, and the hour stem, Bing fire, also assists the day stem. The day branch,卯 wood, further generates and supports the day stem. Although the fire is extremely strong, it is excessive. Fortunately, the year and month stems, Wu earth, are revealed, which can release the excessive fire and create a refined and elegant atmosphere. This person is resourceful, capable, and highly educated, which is evident. Unfortunately, the four pillars lack water. In such a situation of excessive fire and dry earth, if there were a clear spring to moisten and balance, achieving the state of water and fire in harmony, yin and yang in balance, the future would be limitless. Now, relying on the big luck period to make up for this deficiency is still not too late.

本命以建祿用傷取格。洩其太過。亦得秀氣。雖不及春木秋金之貴。而火土傷官。適亦得時乘勢。經營就富。可斷言也。行運庚申辛酉財運。於格最利。但柱中比劫環伺左右。定有耗財之舉。壬戍舉亥廿年。火土傷官。見官本忌。乃調候為爭。故反吉也。經營獲利鉅萬。毋煩贅述。

The native's destiny is based on the "Jian Lu Yong Shang" pattern. The month's branch is the day master's禄, hence called Jian Lu. Then, the use of Wu Tu Shang Gan is taken, to discharge the excessive fire energy, which can also display elegance. Although this pattern is not as good as the noble patterns of spring wood or autumn metal that are timely and well-placed, the fire and earth Shang Gan pattern is also in season and powerful, and it can be stated that making a fortune through business is certain. The years of Geng Shen and Xin You are favorable for wealth, and they are most beneficial to the pattern. However, since there are siblings and competitors surrounding the chart, there will certainly be expenses. In the twenty years of Ren Xu and Gui Hai, according to the usual pattern of fire and earth Shang Gan, it is most unfavorable to see official stars (Ren and Gui water are the official and killer stars of Ding fire). However, in this case, water is urgently needed for harmonizing the climate, thus turning danger into benefit, and achieving great profits through business, which need not be elaborated further.

丙戌 丁酉 己卯 丁卯　九歲 戊戌 十九 己亥 廿九 庚子 三九 辛丑 四九 壬寅 五九 癸卯 六九 甲辰

Heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth chart for a male: the year pillar is Bingxu, the month pillar is Dingyou, the day pillar is Jimao, and the hour pillar is Dingmao. The day stem is Ji soil. The big destiny starts with Wuxu at age nine, followed by Jihai at nineteen, Gengzi at twenty-nine, Xinchou at thirty-nine, Rennyin at forty-nine, Guimao at fifty-nine, and Jiachen at sixty-nine. The big destiny is arranged in order from the month pillar Dingyou. This is called "big destiny progressing forward" because the heavenly stem of the year, Bing, is yang, and male destiny is arranged in order for yang years. This chart must consider the punishments and clashes among the earthly branches: the day branch Mao and the hour branch Mao both clash with the month branch You. The month branch You also has a "harm" relationship with the year branch Xu (six harms refer to the hidden mutual damage between earthly branches). One clash and one harm almost destroy the slight refinement of the month pillar, which is the root of the entire chart's weakness.

上繫營口天和報關行經理張之聲先生庚造。已土生於酉月。正值秋金司令。食神當權。洩身之秀。美不可言。無如四柱天干。陽火陰火。層見疊出。食神受印綬之掣肘。已無遁飾。所謂火炎土燥。金無所賴。且卯酉逢沖。酉戍相害。將極妙秀氣。完全剷除。本命弱點。即由於此。

The above is the four pillars of Mr. Zhang Zhi Sheng, manager of Yingkou Tianhe Customs Brokerage. The己 earth is born in the酉 month, which is the season of autumn metal, and at this time, the酉 contains 辛 metal, which is of the same yin nature as 己 earth, so it is considered the food god. When the food god is in power, it exclusively releases the refined energy of the day's main element, which is originally a very good configuration. Unfortunately, the four pillars have the heavenly stems with one 丙 fire on the year pillar and two 丁 fires on the month and hour pillars, resulting in a continuous emergence of yang and yin fires. Fire generates earth, which is the印 for 己 earth, but the印 is actually the enemy of the food god (commonly known as the枭印 taking away the food), and the food god is suppressed by it, and this problem is no longer concealed. This is called fire raging and earth drying up, and the metal has nowhere to take refuge in the dry earth and thus has no support. Furthermore, the day's branch and the hour's branch both have 卯, which directly conflicts with the month's branch 酉, and 酉 also forms a six harm with the year's branch 戌. One conflict and one harm completely eliminate the refined energy of the month's ruler. This is the weakness of the native's destiny.

卯宮偏官。結黨攻身。原冀食神來制。不圖食神本身。四面楚歌。自顧不遑。乃偏官不得不用印來引化。所謂制殺無如化殺高。以食神格而兼用殺印。行運自子字起歷行辛丑壬寅癸三拾年。步步順境。處處遂心。經商獲利。數可驚人。惟妻不克。主不睦。子艱難云。

The day branch and the hour branch both contain the wood of Yi, which is the 'biased official' or seven killer for the earth of Ji. The two moos form a group to attack the self, originally expecting the food god in the pattern to control it—controlling the killer is the most appropriate method in divination. However, this food god itself has been overwhelmed by three fire marks, surrounded on all sides and unable to defend itself, leaving no strength to deal with the seven killer. Therefore, this biased official has to use the official mark to transform it. The killer of earth is wood, wood produces fire, fire produces earth, so the evil star, by taking a roundabout path, becomes something that nourishes me. The divination book says, 'controlling the killer is not as good as transforming the killer,' meaning that hard pressure is not as good as gentle transformation. Therefore, this pattern is called the food god pattern, but actually uses both the seven killer and the official mark. The journey of fate starts from the Gengzi year, passing through Xinchou, Renyin, and癸, for thirty years, each step is smooth, everywhere is fulfilled, and the profit from business is very surprising. However, the wife's palace is attacked, leading to some punishment, marital discord, and difficulty in having children.

戊子 乙丑 辛丑 壬辰　五歲 丙寅 十五 丁卯 廿五 戊辰 三五 己巳 四五 庚午 五五 辛未 六五 壬申

Heavenly stem and earthly branch for male birth: birth year is Wuzi, birth month is Yichou, birth day is Xinchou, and birth hour is Renchen. The day stem is Xing Jin. The big years start from age five with Bingyin, then at fifteen Dingmao, twenty-five Wuchen, thirty-five Jisi, forty-five Gengwu, fifty-five Xinwei, and fifty-five Renshen. These are arranged in order from the birth month Yichou, which is called "big years progressing in order." The year stem is Wu, which is yang, so for a male birth, the big years are arranged in order. This chart should be understood with the concept of "cold and damp." Xing Jin is born in the severe winter month of Chou. The year branch Zi, month branch Chou, day branch Chou, and hour branch Chen are all water and damp earth. The hour stem also reveals Ren water, making the whole chart cold, damp, and humid with no trace of fire. The day stem is weak and soft, so the key to the fortune lies in whether there is warmth from the southeast.

鄭正秋先生。經才緯抱。四海知名。其於戲劇及電影。不過寄情抒懷。效生公之說法。予世人以針砭而已。頃以噩耗傳來。大雅云亡。不勝人琴之慨。緣乘本書付梓之際。特殿是篇藉誌哀悼。餘與先生。由詩文之酬酢。交締忘年。先生最信餘課。遇重要機密。輒委占六壬。時蒙以有期許。挙注彌殷。每挹其芝光。聆其蘭語。恆令人一往情深。不能自己。

Mr. Zheng Zhengqiu was a man of great talent and vision, renowned throughout the land. His achievements in drama and film were to him merely a way of expressing his feelings, following the method of Zhu Daosheng, who could make a stone nod, using it to criticize the world. Recently, the sad news of his passing came, like the lament in the "Book of Songs, Da Ya, Zhanying" that "when a virtuous person departs, the state suffers greatly," evoking the sorrow of Wang Huizhi's lamentation over the loss of both person and music. Therefore, I have placed this article at the end of this book, as a tribute to his memory. I became a close friend with Mr. Zheng through our poetic exchanges. He always trusted my divination, often entrusting me with important and confidential matters, asking me to cast the "Liu Ren" divination. Liu Ren is another ancient method, alongside the Eight Characters, used to cast a chart based on the hour to determine current fortune and misfortune. He often promised me, his care and attention growing ever more profound. Every time I had the privilege of being close to his presence and listening to his clear and refined words, it filled me with deep emotion, which I could not contain.

查先生之命造。辛誕寒冬。疊逢重土盛水。既患寒溼。又兼柔弱。所以質同蒲柳。未老先凋。早年丙寅丁卯等運。東南濟美。學冠群英。迨交戊辰重土。書劍飄零。風塵潦倒。已運亦未償宿負。已庚兩部。一火一金。方見飛騰。何期歲逢乙亥。月遇癸未。亥子丑會北方。癸水又助溼。丑未再沖動。哲人遽萎。社會上又失一急公好義。學養從深之俊彥。能不長歌一哭乎。

Master Zhao's destiny is that of a metal element born in the depth of winter, further compounded by a heavy accumulation of thick earth and abundant water. He suffers from cold and dampness, and his day master is weak. Thus, his constitution is like that of a willow tree, which withers in autumn before its time, showing signs of premature decline (the "willow and reed" metaphor from the "World Sayings" refers to early decay). In his early years, during the Bingyin and Dingmao cycles, the wood and fire energies from the southeast helped to warm the cold situation, allowing him to excel in scholarship. However, when he entered the Wuchen cycle, the heavy earth pressed upon him, leading to a life of wandering and hardship. Even the Si cycle failed to fulfill his aspirations. In the Si and Geng cycles, fire and metal came into play—fire warmed the situation, and metal supported his strength—thus bringing about sudden success. Who could have foreseen that in the following years, he encountered Yihai and the Month Builder met Guiwei: the亥 (Hai) combined with the original Zi and Chou to form the northern water, while the Gui water added more dampness, and the Wei冲动 (impelled) the original Chou. Thus, the sage suddenly declined (the "Song of the Sage's Withering" from the "Book of Rites" lamented the withering of the sage), and society lost another man of virtue and profound learning. How could one not weep and lament aloud?

己未 戊辰 丁未 戊申　五歲 己巳 十五 庚午 廿五 辛未 三五 壬申 四五 甲戌

The female's birth chart is: the year pillar is Ji Wei, the month pillar is Wu Chen, the day pillar is Ding Wei, and the hour pillar is Wu Shen. The day stem is Ding Fire. The big years start with Ji Si at age five, followed by Geng Wu at fifteen, Xin Wei at twenty-five, Ren Shen at thirty-five. These are arranged in sequence from the month pillar Wu Chen, indicating a "forward progression" of big years. The year stem Ji is yin, so for a female born in a yin year, the big years are arranged in forward order. The original text directly connects "four five Jia Xu" after Ren Shen, omitting "four five Gui You." Jia Xu should be "five five." In later sections, when this birth chart is repeated, the big years are listed as "four five Gui You," "five five Jia Xu," and "six five Yi Hai," which can be cross-referenced. Here, we follow the original without supplementation. The key to reading this chart is: the day stem Ding Fire is a single point, and all the pillars—Wu, Ji, Wei, Wei, Chen, Shen—are all earth (the injurious and nourishing elements for Ding Fire). The day stem has no root, so it can only submit to this earth trend, which is what is referred to later as "following the injurious" and "following the child."

某名公以楊秀瓊之八字。囑余推評。夫丁火滿見戊己於干支。又在穀雨之後。黃土當權。應如命理約言所云。“日主無根。滿局皆傷。則當從傷。”不作身弱論。亦即滴天髓所謂“從兒格”是也。宜其巾幗英才。矯強特立。十五歲行來庚運。財星得祿。秀氣流動。自應一鳴驚人。聲譽震全國。芳蹤所至。公卿倒屣。惟明年丙火克庚。幸以高危滿損為戒。丁丑年或有關睢之兆。往後午運平淡。辛未十年。福祿綿密。壬運多險。四十歲繼以申金癸水酉金咸吉。五十五歲晉甲運。制傷破格。危如累卵矣。

A distinguished gentleman once asked me to assess the八字 of Yang Xiuqiong. The day master is Ding fire, and in the heavenly stem and earthly branch, there are many Wu and Ji earth elements. She was born after the Grain Rain solar term, when the earth element is dominant. This situation exactly matches what is said in the "Mingli Yuyan": when the day master has no root and the entire chart is filled with harmful officials, one should follow the harmful officials. This case should not be treated as a weak day master, but rather as the "Cong'er Ge" mentioned in the "Ditian Mei": "er" refers to what I produce, that is, the food god and harmful officials; since the day master is weak, it is appropriate to follow its children. It is no wonder she is an outstanding talent among women, strong and independent. At fifteen, she entered the Geng period. The Geng metal wealth star is in the hour branch Shen, thus the heavy earth element has an outlet, and the refined energy flows naturally, leading to sudden fame and national recognition. Wherever she went, officials and nobles would rush out to welcome her, as in the classic story from the "San Guo Zhi" where Wang Can was welcomed with his shoes turned upside down. However, next year, the Bing fire will overcome the Geng metal, so she should beware of the saying "high places are dangerous, fullness leads to loss." There may be signs of marriage in the Dingchou year, as the "Shijing · Zounan · Guanju" describes marriage, hence called "Guanju's omen." After that, the Wu period will be plain; the next ten years of Xinwei will be prosperous and blessed; the Ren period will be full of dangers; after forty, the consecutive Shen metal, Gui water, and You metal will be auspicious; at fifty-five, entering the Jia period, Jia wood is the official, which controls the harmful officials and breaks the Cong'er pattern, leading to a very dangerous situation.

甲午 丁丑 辛酉 甲午　八歲 戊寅 十八 己卯 廿八 庚辰 三八 辛巳 四八 壬午 五八 癸未

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the male's birth chart: the year pillar is Jiawu, the month pillar is Dingchou, the day pillar is Xinyou, and the hour pillar is Jiawu. The day stem is Xinhui. The big years start from age eight with Wuyin, followed by Jimao at eighteen, Gengchen at twenty-eight, Xinsi at thirty-eight, Renwu at forty-eight, and Guiwei at fifty-eight. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Dingchou, indicating a "forward progression" of the big years. Since the year stem Jiag is yang, the male's big years are arranged in forward order. When analyzing this chart, two sets of forces need to be distinguished: the Jiag wood in the year and hour pillars are the wealth stars for Xinhui gold. The Ding fire in the month pillar and the Wu fire in the year and hour branches are the seven killers for Xinhui gold, indicating strong wealth and killer forces. The only supports for the day stem are the酉 in the day branch (the禄 of Xinhui gold, also a place of same kind) and the丑 in the month branch (the biased wisdom of the earth in the丑).

周信芳君，藝名麒麟童。具雋才。為劇界全能。稱梨園宗匠。餘視其命造，財殺兩強。而以日坐比祿。月得印綬為根。第日主較弱。不堪任財任殺。所以富貴非願。絃歌寄情。仗義疏財。安貧潔己。然支中土金重重。可以幫身。是謂明病暗樂。宜其一曲風傳。萬人擊賞。殊非尋常優孟。可與同日而語也。再核運程。庚、辰、辛一派土金。盛名勿替。明年進已字。三合金局。樓臺更上。四十八歲後。壬午十年。側重財殺。恐多糾紛。而宜倦飛知不矣。

Master Zhou Xinfang, known by his stage name Qilin Tong, was exceptionally talented and a versatile master of the dramatic arts, regarded as a great figure in the world of opera. When I examined his birth chart, I found that both the wealth star and the seven deadly stars were strong, but the day stem, which is the main element, relied on the day branch, which was its own禄 (a place of strength for the same element), and the month branch, which had the印绶 (a supporting element). However, the day stem was still weak and could not bear the heavy burden of wealth and the seven deadly stars. Therefore, wealth and honor were not what he truly desired; instead, he preferred to express himself through singing and acting, to be generous and live a simple life, maintaining his integrity. However, in the earth branches, the丑 earth generated metal and the酉 metal was a fellow element, so the heavy presence of earth and metal could support the day stem. This is called having a disease in the open but a remedy in the hidden, with the disease and remedy balancing each other. It is no wonder that his songs spread widely and were greatly appreciated by all, something that ordinary actors could never achieve. Further examining his destiny: the years of Geng, Chen, and Xin, which are all earth and metal, are all beneficial elements that support the day stem, so his great reputation will not decline. When next year enters the巳 element, the巳, along with the day branch酉 and the month branch丑, form a triple harmony of metal, making the day stem even stronger and his influence even greater. After the age of forty-eight, during the ten years of the Renwu, the emphasis will be on wealth and the seven deadly stars (the壬 water drains the metal, and the午 fire overcomes the metal), which may bring many disputes. At that time, it would be most appropriate to follow the saying in Tao Yuanming's "Return to the Countryside" that "when birds are tired of flying, they know to return," and to step back early and withdraw from the scene (the original text says "zhi bu" but should be "zhi huan").

辛酉 戊戌 丁未 壬寅　七歲 丁酉 十七 丙申 廿七 乙未 三七 甲午 四七 癸巳 五七 壬辰 六七 辛卯

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the male's birth chart: the year pillar is Xin You, the month pillar is Wu Xu, the day pillar is Ding Wei, and the hour pillar is Ren Yin. The day stem is Ding Fire. The big years start from the age of seven with Ding You, followed by Bing Shen at seventeen, Yi Wei at twenty-seven, Jiawu at thirty-seven, Guisi at forty-seven, Renchen at fifty-seven, and Xinmao at sixty-seven. These are arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Wu Xu, which is considered "reverse big years" - since the year stem Xin is yin, a yin year for a male's birth chart is arranged in reverse. This birth chart is remarkable because the five phases form a complete cycle: the day stem Ding Fire generates the month stem Wu Earth (official), Wu Earth generates the year stem Xin Metal (wealth), Xin Metal generates the hour stem Ren Water (positive official), Ren Water generates the hour branch Yin's stem Ji Wood (positive teacher), and Ji Wood in turn generates Ding Fire. The cycle flows completely without any missing link, a rare case of mutual generation in the entire text. "Feng翁" is an old term for a man who was honored with a title due to his son's prestige, referring here to the father of Yan Xishan.

閻錫山封翁。富貴壽考。一身兼全。余嘗推評其命。丁誕戍月。干透戊土。為傷官格。戊生辛財。辛生壬官。壬生寅印。寅又生知。循環不息。生氣盎然。如是命局。固不論金木水火土之歲運。或太過。或不及。皆得生化補救。致險無由。所以鶴骨松身。克享遐齡。而福祿綿密。令子賢肖。尤為可貴。誠今世之郭汾陽也。

Yan Xishan's father, the honored elder, possessed wealth, status, and longevity all in one. I once evaluated his destiny: the fire of Ding was born in the month of Xu, and the heavenly stem of the month also revealed Wu earth, forming the "Wang Gan pattern." Then, the earth of Wu generated the heavenly stem of Xin metal, which in turn generated the heavenly stem of Ren water, the official star. The water of Ren generated the hidden stem of Bing wood in the hour branch, which in turn generated the body of the person. The wood of Bing returned to nourish the body. This forms a continuous cycle, with each element generating the next, creating a vibrant flow of life energy. Such a destiny, regardless of whether the year or the destiny's path leads to excess or deficiency in any of the five elements, can be balanced within this cycle, making it impossible for misfortune to take hold. Therefore, he has a graceful and slender appearance, enjoying a long life, and his blessings are abundant, his sons are virtuous and follow their father's example, which is especially precious. He is truly the modern-day Guo Fen Yang, renowned for his wealth, status, longevity, and prosperous descendants, like the Tang dynasty general Guo Ziyi, who was honored as the Duke of Fen Yang.

按餘講學於申商學會時。某君以辛酉戊戍丁未辛丑一造見詢。余斷為棄命從傷。以甲午兩運最危。據云。亦政海名流。早於甲運騎馬墮亡。噫。僅與閻封翁之命。相差一時。而壽夭之異。有如是者。亦可畏矣。

There is another case for comparison: when I was lecturing at the Shengshang Society, a person came to consult about a birth chart with the pillars of Xinyou, Wuxu, Dingwei, and Xinchou. This chart only changed the hour pillar to Xinchou, and thus the壬 water official and the寅 wood official were both absent. The entire chart was full of earth and metal, with no root for the丁 fire. Therefore, I concluded it was 「abandoning the destiny to follow the official」—the day master was too weak to stand on its own, so it gave up its own strength and followed the trend of the official. I also predicted that the years of 甲 and 午 were most dangerous, because 甲 wood is the official, which restrains the official, thus violating the major taboo of the following pattern. It is said that this person was also a well-known figure in politics, who died from a horse fall during the 甲 year. Alas, this chart differs from that of Yan Feng翁 by only an hour, yet the difference in longevity is so great, which is truly alarming.

乙酉 庚辰 壬寅 己酉　五歲 己卯 十五 戊寅 廿五 丁丑 三五 丙子 四五 乙亥 五五 甲戌

The person's birth chart (male) is: the year pillar is Yiyou, the month pillar is Gengchen, the day pillar is Rennyin, and the hour pillar is Jiyou. The day stem is Rennyin. The big years start from age five with Jimao, followed by Wuyin at fifteen, Dingchou at twenty-five, Bingzi at thirty-five, Yihai at forty-five, and Jiaxu at fifty-five. These are arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Gengchen, which is called "reversing big years" - since the year stem Yi is yin, male birth charts with yin years are arranged in reverse. The key points of this chart: the month pillar's branch Chen is the storage of water, so the Rennyin water is stored and does not scatter; the year pillar's branch You, the month stem Geng, and the hour pillar's branch You all contain metal, which generates water; the year stem Yi wood could normally drain water, but it is combined by Geng metal. Thus, the entire chart has a strong presence of metal and water. The day stem, being strong, can only use the biased wealth (prosperity) of the day pillar's branch Yin, which contains Bing fire.

孫傳芳死矣。世之論其功過者。嘖有煩言。無須再贅。惟既放下屠刀。扳依三寶。仍不善終。莫非命也。亦為吾人所急欲研究者也。夫壬水歸庫於辰。金凡三見。乙木合去。金水占優。以身強論。己土之官。助印有餘。拘身不足。應棄而用寅內丙財。賴其破印。並以為表張耳。

Sun Chuanfang died. The world discusses his merits and faults, with many different opinions, and I need not say anything more. Yet, since he had put down his sword and taken refuge in the Three Treasures of Buddhism, he still did not attain a good end. Is it not destined by fate? This is something we urgently wish to study. His birth chart: the壬 water is stored in the month's branch, Chen. There are three instances of metal (the year's branch, You; the month's heavenly stem, Geng; and the hour's branch, You). The year's heavenly stem, 乙 wood, is combined by Geng metal and thus cannot release the water. Therefore, metal and water dominate, and we must consider the day's stem as strong. The hour's heavenly stem, 己 earth, is the official star, but earth generates metal, which helps the印 star sufficiently, yet it is insufficient to restrain the day's stem. Therefore, the official star is unreliable; we should abandon it and instead use the 丙 fire偏财 hidden in the day's branch, Yin. First, it can overcome the metal 印; second, it can spread and release the full metal and water energy in the chart.

盛於丙運。用神得助也。敗於子運之未。用火忌見水也。乙運以還。寂然無聞。亥運合寅奪丙。每況愈下。本年乙亥。再逢十月亥建。三亥交攻。用神潰敗。殺人者終被人殺。夫復何疑。 （以上四則。乙亥十月二版增刊）

He thrived during the Bing cycle because the useful god, Bing fire, received support. However, he declined at the end of the Zi cycle, since having fire as the useful god makes water particularly harmful, and the water of Zi directly poured down. After the Yi cycle, he became silent. When reaching the Hai cycle, the Hai branch combined with the Day Branch Yin, taking away the Bing fire contained within Yin, leading to a continuous decline. This year, he again encountered Yihai, coinciding with the Hai month builder in October. The Hai of the big cycle, the Hai of the current year, and the Hai of the month builder all attacked together, completely defeating the useful god. The one who kills others will ultimately be killed by others; there is nothing to doubt about this. (The note at the end is the author's own annotation: The above four paragraphs were added and published again in October of the Yihai year.)

己未 戊辰 丁未 戊申　五歲 己巳 十五 庚午 廿五 辛未 三五 壬申 四五 癸酉 五五 甲戌 六五 乙亥

The original text below repeats Yang Xiuqiong and Zhou Xinfang's birth charts again, with the text being almost the same as before; this is likely due to a duplication error during the second edition's printing. I will still include it here and note the differences as I go. In this case, the big years (dazheng) include an additional step "four five Guiyou" compared to the previous record, and continue with five five Jiaxu and six five Yihai, making this the complete arrangement. This can be used to correct the omissions in the previous text. For the female birth chart (Kun zao): the year pillar is Jiwei, the month pillar is Wuchen, the day pillar is Dingwei, and the hour pillar is Wushen. The day master is Ding fire. The big years start from the month pillar Wuchen and count forward in order, as female birth charts follow the ascending order in the Yin years. The entire chart has three earth elements: Chen, Wei, and Wei, plus three more earth elements: Wu, Wu, and Ji, resulting in an excessive amount of earth that completely covers the Ding fire, leaving the day master without any root.

某名公以楊秀瓊之八字。囑余推評。夫丁火滿見戊己於干支。又在穀雨之後。黃土當權。應如命理約言所云。“日主無根。滿局皆傷。則當從傷。”不作身弱論。亦即滴天髓所謂“從兒格”是也。宜其巾幗英才。矯強特立。十五風行來庚運。財星得祿，秀氣流動。自應一鳴驚人。聲譽震全國。芳蹤所至。公卿倒屣。惟明年丙火克庚。幸以高危滿損為戒。丁丑年或有關睢之兆。往後午運平淡。辛未十年。福祿綿密。壬運多險。四十歲繼以申金癸水酉金咸吉。五十五歲晉甲運。制傷破格。危如累卵矣。

A distinguished gentleman once asked me to assess the八字 of Yang Xiuqiong. The day master is Ding fire, surrounded by many Wu and Ji earth in the heavenly stem and earthly branch, and she was born after the Grain Rain solar term, when the earth element is dominant. This exactly matches what is said in the "Ming Li Yue Yan": when the day master has no root and the entire chart is filled with harmful officials, one should follow the harmful officials. This situation should not be treated as a common case of weak day master, but rather as the "from child pattern" mentioned in the "Di Tian Mei". In this pattern, "child" refers to the food god and harmful officials born from the day master. Since the day master cannot stand on its own, it follows the path of the food god and harmful officials, and thus regards them as favorable. Therefore, she is an outstanding talent among women, strong and independent. At fifteen, she entered the Geng year (the original text mistakenly wrote "feng" instead of "sui"), and the Geng metal wealth star is found in the hour branch Shen, providing an outlet for the heavy earth elements in the chart. This allows the refined energy to flow, leading to sudden fame and widespread recognition. Wherever she goes, officials and ministers welcome her with great enthusiasm. However, next year, the Bing fire will overcome the Geng metal, so she should be cautious of the dangers of excess and fullness. There may be signs of marriage in the Dingchou year. In the following Wushen year, things will be ordinary. In the next ten years of Xinwei, her fortune and blessings will be abundant. In the Ren year, there will be many dangers. After forty, the consecutive Shen metal, Gui water, and You metal years will be favorable. At fifty-five, entering the Jia year, the Jia wood is the official, which controls the harmful officials and breaks the "from child" pattern, leading to a very dangerous situation.

甲午 丁丑 辛酉 甲午　八歲 戊寅 十八 己卯 廿八 庚辰 三八 辛巳 四八 壬午 五八 癸未

This is a repetition from the original text of Zhou Xinfang's performance. The four pillars and the big years are exactly the same as previously recorded: the year pillar is Jiawu, the month pillar is Dingchou, the day pillar is Xinyou, and the hour pillar is Jiawu, with the day master being Xinhé. The big years start at the age of eight with Wuyin and proceed in order until Kuiwei at the age of fifty-eight. The only difference is in the first sentence of the main text: previously it was "Zhou Xinfang, stage name Qilin Tong," but here the name is omitted and it is directly stated as "stage name Qilin Tong." The last sentence was mistakenly written as "Juantfei zhi bu yi," but here it is corrected to "Juantfei zhi huan yi," which can be used to correct the previous text.

藝名麒麟童。具雋才。為劇界全能。稱梨園宗匠。餘視其命造。財殺兩強。而以日坐比祿。月得印綬為根。第日主較弱。不堪任財任殺。所以富貴非願。絃歌寄情。仗義疏財。安貧潔己。然支中土金重重。可以幫身。是謂明病暗樂。宜其一曲風傳。萬人擊賞。殊非尋常優孟。可與同日而語也。再核運程。庚、辰、辛一派土金。盛名勿替。明年進已字。三合金局。樓臺更上。四十八歲後。壬午十年。側重財殺。恐多糾紛。而宜倦飛知還矣。

His stage name is Qilin Tong, a naturally gifted talent who excels in all aspects of drama, and is regarded as a master of the theatrical world. When analyzing his birth chart, the Jia wood in the year and hour dry branches represent wealth, while the Ding fire in the month dry branch and the two Wus (Renwu) represent enemies. Both wealth and enemies are strong. The day's main element relies on the酉 gold in the day branch, which is both a same-wood and a禄堂, and the己 earth hidden in the month branch, which is a biased official, as its root. However, the day's main element is still weak and cannot bear such heavy wealth and enemies. Therefore, wealth and honor are not his true aspirations; instead, he channels his sentiments into music and singing, being generous and living simply. Yet within the earth branches, the丑 earth can generate gold, and the酉 gold can support the day's main element. The heavy presence of earth and gold supports him from behind, which is called having illness on the surface but medicine beneath. It is no wonder his performance spreads widely and is highly praised by all, surpassing ordinary actors. Checking his destiny journey: the years of Geng, Chen, and Xin, which are all earth and gold, are supportive elements for his body. His great reputation will not decline. When next year enters the巳, the巳,酉, and丑 form a metal trinity, strengthening the day's main element, and he will reach a higher level. After the age of forty-eight, for the next ten years of Renwu, wealth and enemies will again be heavy, and there may be many disputes. At that time, he should be like a tired bird that knows when to return and should withdraw early.

千里命稿終

Qianli's Manuscript on Destiny concludes here. The entire book begins with Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, and Original Heaven Energies, then discusses strength and weakness, Six Spirits, patterns, external patterns, destiny periods, flow years, Month Builder, Six Relations, female destiny, and topics such as wealth, nobility, good fortune, longevity, and poverty, low status, misfortune, and early death. It ends with the "Destiny in Accord with the Times" section, which includes over a hundred contemporary examples. These five characters mark the end of the original text.