Ren Zhan Hui Xuan (壬占匯選)

七月甲子日午將申時占來意。《一字玉連環》

On the 7th month, Jiazi day, take the Wu general and add the Shen hour to cast the divination. The divination is for "coming intention" — the person does not state the reason for coming, and the diviner deduces what is in the person's mind based on the divination signs. This example is taken from "One Character Jade Linked Ring."

朱合勾龍 　卯辰巳午　虎玄玄后　財 　戌 玄 ◎ 螣寅　未空　申戌戌子　官 壬申 虎 ⊙ 貴丑　申虎　戌子子甲　子 庚午 龍 　子亥戌酉 　后陰玄常

This is a compressed six壬 lesson board divided into three sections. The outer frame is the "Heaven and Earth Plate": the positions of the Earthly Branches on the Earth Plate remain fixed. The upper row from left to right is巳, 午, 未, 申; the right column from top to bottom is 酉, 戌; the lower row from left to right is 寅, 丑, 子, 亥; the left column from top to bottom is 辰, 卯. The characters inside the frame are the Heavenly Branches on top of the Earth Plate, while those outside are the Heavenly Generals riding them. In this lesson, the general is 午 and the time is 申, so the Heaven Plate is two positions behind the Earth Plate: 寅 rides巳, 辰 rides午, 巳 rides未, 午 rides申, 未 rides酉, 申 rides戌, 酉 rides亥, 戌 rides子, 亥 rides丑, 子 rides寅, 丑 rides卯, 寅 rides辰. The Twelve Heavenly Generals start from "Nobleman" riding 丑 (which is at the Earth Branch position 寅) and proceed in order: Teng Snake rides 寅, Vermilion Bird rides 卯, Liu He rides 辰, Gou Chen rides 巳, Azure Dragon rides 午, Tian Kong rides 未, White Tiger rides 申, Tai Chang rides 酉, Black Tortoise rides 戌, Tai Yin rides 亥, Heavenly Empress rides 子. The middle three rows are the "Four Lessons," read from right to left: the first lesson, the Day Stem 甲 is in the 寅 palace, 寅 has 子, riding Heavenly Empress; the second lesson, 子 has 戌, riding Black Tortoise; the third lesson, the Day Branch 子 has 戌, riding Black Tortoise; the fourth lesson, 戌 has 申, riding White Tiger. The right three rows are the "Three Transmissions": the first transmission is 戌, which is a wealth yao for 甲, riding Black Tortoise, 戌 is in the Jiazi cycle and is empty, so the hidden stem column is blank and marked with "◎"; the middle transmission is 申, which is an official ghost for 甲, the hidden stem is 壬, riding White Tiger, the "⊙" next to it is another mark from the original text; the final transmission is 午, which is a son yao for 甲, the hidden stem is 庚, riding Azure Dragon.

徐次賓曰：來意因西南上，緊速追捕一盜，墜馬折傷右足，感風七日而殞。蓋時為日刑是破，與日馬並，主外動。發用天魁，為日干之財，上得元武為盜賊，故知西南上緊追一盜也。先鋒門傳送為白虎，作中傳，帶日馬克日，又與刑殺並，故主墜馬也。愚按：《管子神書》，馬加辰戌為跌撲殺。戌為足，在日辰之右，是傷右足也。白虎為風神，七月申為風殺，故感風也。甲木秋死而被旺金所克，申數七，至第七日庚午，又並起白虎，故知七日殞也。末傳勝光不論救神者，蓋秋火休囚也。

Xu Cibin explained: The person's mind is in the southwest, urgently chasing a thief, fell from his horse and broke his right foot on the way, then caught a cold from the wind, and died seven days later. He reasoned: The time of the divination was Shen, which is the god of punishment and destruction for the day stem Jia, and also shares the same position as the heavenly horse, indicating there is action outside. The initiating transmission (first transmission) is "Hekui" (River魁), which is Xu, and in the case of the day stem Jia, it is the wealth hexagram. The upper rider is "Xuanwu," which is the god of thieves, so it was concluded that he was chasing a thief in the southwest. The leading gate "Chuansong" (Shen) is riding on "Baihu," falling into the middle transmission, and together with the heavenly horse, it attacks the day stem, and also combines with punishment and killing, so it indicates falling from a horse. Cheng Shuxun commented: The "Guanzi Shen Shu" says that the heavenly horse added to Chen and Xu is "Dipu Sha" (falling and bumping death). Xu corresponds to the foot on the human body, and it is located on the right side of the day branch, so it indicates injury to the right foot. Baihu is the wind god, and the metal Shen in July also has the wind killing power, so he caught a cold from the wind. The wood Jia reaches its death in autumn, and is further attacked by the strong metal of the season. The number of Shen is seven, and on the seventh day, which is Gengwu, it combines with Baihu again, so it is known that he died on the seventh day. The final transmission "Shengguang" (Wu) is originally the saving god, but here it is not considered as the saving god, because in autumn, the fire is weak and confined, and unable to save.

正月甲子日子將寅時占來意。《玉連環》

On the first day of the first lunar month, taking the hour of Yin (3 a.m. to 5 a.m.) to cast the divination, the question is about the matter the person is thinking about. This example is taken from "Yu Lianhuan."

朱合勾龍 　卯辰巳午　虎玄玄后　財 　戌 玄 ◎ 螣寅　未空　申戌戌子　官 壬申 虎 ⊙ 貴丑　申虎　戌子子甲　子 庚午 龍 　子亥戌酉 　后陰玄常

The layout of the divination board is the same as the previous example: in the first month with the Zi general added to the寅 hour, the Heaven Plate is again two positions behind the Earth Plate, so the layout remains unchanged. In the outer circle of the Heaven and Earth Plates, the Heaven Plate is added to the Earth Plate as follows:卯 added to巳, 辰 added to午, 巳 added to未, 午 added to申, 未 added to酉, 申 added to戌, 酉 added to亥, 戌 added to子, 亥 added to丑, 子 added to寅, 丑 added to卯, 寅 added to辰. The Twelve Heavenly Generals start from the Nobleman and proceed in order: Teng Snake is added to寅, Vermilion Bird to卯, Liu He to辰, Gou Chen to巳, Azure Dragon to午, Tian Kong to未, White Tiger to申, Tai Chang to酉, Black Tortoise to戌, Tai Yin to亥, Heavenly Empress to子. The middle three rows are the Four Lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has Jia (in the 寄宫寅) with 子 added and Heavenly Empress; the second lesson has 子 with 戌 added and Black Tortoise; the third lesson has the Day Branch 子 with 戌 added and Black Tortoise; the fourth lesson has 戌 with 申 added and White Tiger. On the right side are the Three Transmissions: the first transmission is 戌, representing a wealth yao, added with Black Tortoise, and since 戌 is in the旬空, it is marked 「◎」; the middle transmission is 申, representing an official ghost, with the hidden stem Ren, added with White Tiger; the final transmission is 午, representing a son's yao, with the hidden stem Geng, added with Azure Dragon.

徐次賓曰：來意因失陷官錢，勾喚入官，而得驚恐，以致患脾虛下臟之疾。見祟持刃相驚，可移病人於南方，設緋幕，至第九日，南方有屬馬巫醫，艾薩克火為姓名，下赤藥、艾灸、書朱符，其祟自除也。

Xu Cibin explained that the person's worries were due to owing money to the government, being summoned to the authorities, and being frightened, which led to a spleen deficiency and illness in the lower abdomen and internal organs. He also saw malevolent spirits holding knives and threatening him, so he advised moving the patient to live in the southern direction, hanging a large red curtain. On the ninth day, a witch from the southern direction, whose name is related to 'fire', would arrive. The name is roughly related to 'fire' (the original text has a mistake and is difficult to understand, but the meaning is that someone whose name includes 'fire'), who would administer red medicine, perform moxibustion, and write red talismans. The evil spirits would then naturally disappear.

何以知失陷官錢而驚恐？蓋發用天魁為財，上得元武，為失財之象。時為日德日祿，主動，官上見螣蛇主驚恐。何以知脾虛下臟之疾？蓋發用天魁，主脾，春土無氣，又為甲木所克，故主脾虛；上得元武水與天魁內戰，故知下臟病。又言有祟者，《經》云：“傳見天魁為有祟”。又中傳申金為鬼，上得白虎，為刀兵，故言見祟持刃相驚。

How do we know it is about a loss of official funds and being startled? The initiating transmission "Tiankui" (Heavenly Encouragement) is the day stem's wealth爻, and it is occupied by Xuanwu (Black Tortoise), which is the image of losing wealth. The time of the divination is also the day stem's virtue god and禄god, indicating some action. The official ghost above is occupied by Teng Snake, which governs fear and alarm. How do we know it is a disease of spleen deficiency and lower abdomen organs? The initiating transmission Tiankui 戌 belongs to earth, which in the human body governs the spleen. In spring, the earth energy is weak and is further attacked by Jia wood, so it indicates spleen deficiency. The 戌 is occupied by Xuanwu, which belongs to water. Water and earth fighting within the same position indicates the disease is in the lower abdomen. As for the presence of malevolent spirits, this is because the Classic says "if Tiankui appears in the three transmissions, there are spirits." The middle transmission Shen metal is the day stem's ghost, and it is occupied by Baihu (White Tiger), which governs weapons and warfare. Therefore, it is said that there are malevolent spirits holding weapons to threaten.

移於南方設緋幕者，南方及緋幕，皆火象，火能制金祟矣。末傳勝光為救神，勝光九數。故云九日。勝光為馬、為灸、為赤、為巫，故云巫醫也。《經》云：土丸，木散，水湯，火灸，金針，今申金為鬼，若針則病加，灸則病減也。金為日鬼，火為救神，故宜書朱符以鎮之。春月木旺火相，金無氣矣，救神秉相氣，病當瘥也。

Moving the patient to the south and hanging a red curtain is because the south and red both belong to the fire element, and fire can overcome the malevolent gold energy. The final transmission 'Shengguang' is the saving deity of this divination, and Shengguang's number is nine, so the effect will be seen on the ninth day. Shengguang governs horses, moxibustion, red color, and witches in terms of class deities, so a witch doctor who rides a horse will be encountered. The classic says: earth governs pills, wood governs powders, water governs decoctions, fire governs moxibustion, and metal governs acupuncture; in this divination, the shen metal is the harmful spirit. If acupuncture is used, the illness will worsen, but if moxibustion is used, the illness will improve. Metal is the ghost of the day stem, and fire is the saving deity, so it is appropriate to write a cinnabar talisman to suppress it. In spring, the wood energy is strong and fire energy is in harmony, so the metal energy is weak. The saving deity is in harmony with the supportive energy, so the illness will certainly recover.

七月甲子日巳將未時占來意。《指歸靈文論》

On the 7th month, on the Jiazi day, take the Si branch to add the Wei hour to cast the divination, to inquire about the coming intention. This example is taken from the "Zhi Gui Ling Wen Lun."

朱合勾龍 　卯辰巳午　虎玄玄后　財 　戌 玄 ◎ 螣寅　未空　申戌戌子　官 壬申 虎 ⊙ 貴丑　申虎　戌子子甲　子 庚午 龍 　子亥戌酉 　后陰玄常

At the time of the snake hour (巳) added to the hour of the goat (未), the Heaven Plate moves back two positions relative to the Earth Plate, so the lesson disk is the same as the previous two examples. The outer circle of Heaven and Earth Plates: the Heaven Plate is positioned over the Earth Plate as follows:卯 (Mao) over巳 (Si), 辰 (Chen) over午 (Wu), 巳 (Si) over未 (Wei), 午 (Wu) over申 (Shen), 未 (Wei) over酉 (You), 申 (Shen) over戌 (Xu), 酉 (You) over亥 (Hai), 戌 (Xu) over子 (Zi), 亥 (Hai) over丑 (Chou), 子 (Zi) over寅 (Yin), 丑 (Chou) over卯 (Mao), 寅 (Yin) over辰 (Chen). The Heavenly General starts from the Nobleman at丑 (Chou) and proceeds in a clockwise direction: Teng Snake at寅 (Yin), Vermilion Bird at卯 (Mao), Liu He at辰 (Chen), Gou Chen at巳 (Si), Azure Dragon at午 (Wu), Tian Kong at未 (Wei), White Tiger at申 (Shen), Tai Chang at酉 (You), Tai Yin at戌 (Xu), Tian Hou at亥 (Hai). In the center are the four lessons, read from right to left: Jia (in the lodging palace of寅 (Yin)) is over子 (Zi) with Tian Hou, 子 (Zi) is over戌 (Xu) with Xuan Wu, the day branch子 (Zi) is over戌 (Xu) with Xuan Wu, and戌 (Xu) is over申 (Shen) with Bai Hu. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is戌 (Xu), a wealth hexagram, riding Xuan Wu, in the旬空 (decade void); the middle transmission is申 (Shen), an official ghost, hidden dry branch Ji (壬), riding Bai Hu; the final transmission is午 (Wu), a son hexagram, hidden dry branch Geng (庚), riding Qing Long. The Nobleman at丑 (Chou) is in the position of Tian Yi. The statement later refers to 'the first transmission after Tian Yi and the final transmission before Tian Yi' as the relationship between the first transmission at戌 (Xu) and the final transmission at午 (Wu) relative to the Nobleman at丑 (Chou).

斷曰：來意主奴僕奸謀道路出行之狀。又主一外任武官不滿任而回者。何以知之？戌為用，主奴僕，元武主奸謀。初傳在天乙後，末傳在天乙前，名傳陰出陽，主在家者遠出，況申與白虎俱是道路之神，而午又為天馬也。又申並白虎為武官，以申主刀兵，且為日之官星也，奈末傳勝光克之，故云不滿任而回也。余按：四課不全亦為不滿任也。

The interpretation says: The person is asking about a servant plotting against the master, and matters related to travel. Also, it indicates that there is a military officer serving away from home who will return before completing his term. How do we know this? The first transmission is戌 (Xu) initiating the transmission. Xu governs servants, and the superior sign above it is the Black Tortoise (Xuanwu), which signifies treachery and deceit. The first transmission comes after the Heavenly Nobleman (Tianyi Guiren), and the final transmission comes before it, which is called "Transmission Yin emerging in Yang," indicating that someone at home will travel far away. Moreover, the combination of Shen and the White Tiger (Baihu) are deities related to roads, and Wu is the Heavenly Horse (Tianma). Furthermore, the combination of Shen and the White Tiger signifies the image of a military officer, as Shen governs weapons and is the official star for the day stem Jia. However, the final transmission "Shengguang" (Wu fire) restrains Shen metal, so it indicates that the term of service is not completed and the officer will return early. I (the diviner) further note: The four lessons are incomplete (only three are formed), which also indicates an unfinished term of service.

六月甲子日午將申時占病，《張本占案》。此課出於《通神集》，然非邵案。

On the 1st day of the 6th month, using the hour of Wu as the starting point with the time of Shen, a divination was made concerning illness. This example is found in the "Zhang Ben Zhan An." The compiler notes that this lesson comes from the "Tong Shen Ji," not from Shao Yanhe's divination cases.

朱合勾龍 　卯辰巳午　虎玄玄后　財 　戌 玄 ◎ 螣寅　未空　申戌戌子　官 壬申 虎 ⊙ 貴丑　申虎　戌子子甲　子 庚午 龍 　子亥戌酉 　后陰玄常

It is still the same divination chart with the general at Wu and the hour at Shen. In the outer circle of the heaven and earth plates, the heaven plate retreats two positions from the earth plate: Mao adds Si, Chen adds Wu, Si adds Wei, Wu adds Shen, Wei adds You, Shen adds Xu, You adds Hai, Xu adds Zi, Hai adds Chou, Zi adds Yin, Chou adds Mao, Yin adds Chen. The twelve heavenly generals start from the nobleman and proceed in order to the heavenly empress, moving from Chou to Zi. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Jia (lodging palace Yin) has Zi with the heavenly empress, Zi has Xu with the black tortoise, the day branch Zi has Xu with the black tortoise, and Xu has Shen with the white tiger. Among the four lessons, two are repeated, forming only three lessons, so the text says "the four lessons are insufficient." On the right side, the three transmissions are: the first transmission is Xu, which is a wealth hexagram riding the black tortoise and in the empty period; the middle transmission is Shen, which is the official ghost hexagram with the hidden壬 riding the white tiger; the final transmission is Wu, which is the son hexagram with the hidden Geng riding the azure dragon. When divining about illness, the official ghost is the illness god, and the son is the saving god.

邵彥和曰：四課不足，脈息短小。發用戌土，祟元武，主脾病瀉痢；中傳申鬼並白虎，主沉重。然得末傳午火作青龍，剋制虎鬼，久而自安。藥宜辛溫及？陽耳。

Shao Yanhe interpreted that when the four lessons are incomplete, it reflects on the human body as short and weak pulse. The initiating transmission is on the戌 earth, which is occupied by the White Tiger, indicating signs of evil spirits, mainly diseases of the spleen and diarrhea. The middle transmission is the申 metal, which is the ghost of the day stem, and it is combined with the White Tiger, indicating a serious condition. Fortunately, the final transmission is the午 fire, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon, capable of restraining the White Tiger's申 metal ghost. Therefore, although the illness may last long, it will eventually recover on its own. In terms of medication, it is advisable to use herbs with pungent and warm properties, as well as those that support yang energy (the question mark in 「及？阳」 is a missing character in the original text, and I have not made up any words).

三月甲子日酉將酉時，范蠡占吳王病。《直指》引《吳越春秋》。

On the 3rd month Jiazi day, take You as the month general and start the divination with the You hour — when the month general and the time of divination are the same, this is called 'Hidden Chant' lesson. This example is cited from "Luyin Zhizhi" which is quoted from "Wuyue Chichun".

朱蛇貴后 巳午未申　虎虎龍龍　兄 丙寅 龍 合辰酉陰　子子寅寅　子 己巳 朱 勾卯戌玄　子子寅甲　官 壬申 后 寅丑子亥 青空虎常

The lesson board. The month general is You, added to the time of You, so the heaven plate and earth plate completely overlap. Each of the twelve branches returns to its original position, which is called 'Hidden Chant'. Therefore, the branches within the frame, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, Chen, Mao, Yin, Chou, Zi, Hai, You, Xu, correspond exactly with the earth plate. The twelve heavenly generals start from the nobleman riding Xu (Xu is at the earth position of Xu, which belongs to the Yin position from Si to Xu) and move in reverse order: Teng Snake rides Wu, Vermilion Bird rides Si, Liu He rides Chen, Gou Chen rides Mao, Azure Dragon rides Yin, Tian Kong rides Chou, White Tiger rides Zi, Tai Chang rides Hai, Black Tortoise rides Xu, Tai Yin rides You, Heavenly Empress rides Shen. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ji is in the lodging palace of Yin, Yin still shows Yin, riding Azure Dragon; the second lesson, Yin shows Yin, riding Azure Dragon; the third lesson, the day branch Zi shows Zi, riding White Tiger; the fourth lesson, Zi shows Zi, riding White Tiger. The right-hand three rows are the three transmissions: the first transmission is Yin, which is the brother's yao for Ji, hidden stem Bing, riding Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is Si, which is the son's yao, hidden stem Ji, riding Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is Shen, which is the official ghost's yao, hidden stem Ren, riding Heavenly Empress. In a Hidden Chant lesson, the four lessons are paired and identical, so the transmissions are taken by punishment and clash, thus the three transmissions are Yin, Si, Shen.

范蠡曰：德祿在寅，病在巳，絕在申。春木旺，金囚無傷也。己巳日有瘳，壬申日痊癒。愚按：白虎生日，主病癒。子屬水，故斷壬也。然查《吳越春秋》，無日時，不知《直指》何所據。

Fan Li's divination: The first transmission is寅, which is the virtue god and禄 god of the day stem Jia. The middle transmission is巳, which in the twelve growths is the disease position of Jia. The final transmission is申, which is the绝 position of Jia. Although disease and绝 are unfavorable, in spring the wood energy is strong and the metal energy is weak, so it cannot harm the Jia wood. Therefore, on the day Jisi, the disease is reduced, and on the day Renshen, it is cured. Cheng Shuxun comments: In this divination, the White Tiger is riding on the Zi water, which can generate the day stem Jia wood, so it indicates that the illness can be cured. Zi belongs to water, and water in the heavenly stem is壬, so the recovery is predicted for the day of壬. However, checking the original text of "Wuyue Chunqiu," there is no record of the day and time of this divination. It is unknown what the "Liu Ren Zhi Zhi" is based on.

建炎己酉年九月甲子日卯將寅時，謝省元乙丑生四十五歲占赴省試。《口鑑》《方本占案》。

In the Jiyou year of the Southern Song dynasty, September 10th, the divination was cast by placing the卯 trigram on the寅 hour. The person seeking divination was Xie Xingyuan, born in the Yichou year, aged forty-five, asking about the outcome of his examination in the provincial capital. This case is recorded in the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an."

蛇貴后陰 　午未申酉　青空合勾　財 戊辰 合 朱巳　戌玄　寅丑辰卯　子 己巳 朱 合辰　亥常　丑子卯甲　子 庚午 蛇 　卯寅丑子 　勾青空虎

The divination board. In the ninth month, with the卯 general added to the寅 hour, the Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate:午 is added to the Earth Plate's巳, 未 is added to午, 申 is added to未, 酉 is added to申, 戌 is added to酉, 亥 is added to戌, 子 is added to亥, 丑 is added to子, 寅 is added to丑, 卯 is added to寅, 辰 is added to卯, and巳 is added to辰. The Twelve Heavenly Generals start from the Nobleman on the未 (since the未 is located at the Earth Plate's午 position and belongs to the Yin, it moves in reverse): Teng Snake is on午, Vermilion Bird is on巳, Liu He is on辰, Gou Chen is on卯, Azure Dragon is on寅, Tian Kong is on丑, White Tiger is on子, Tai Chang is on亥, Black Tortoise is on戌, Tai Yin is on酉, and Heavenly Empress is on申. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem 甲 lodging in寅, with卯 on寅, and Gou Chen as its general; the second lesson has辰 on卯, with Liu He as its general; the third lesson has the Day Branch 子 with丑 on子, and Tian Kong as its general; the fourth lesson has寅 on丑, with Azure Dragon as its general. The three transmissions on the right side are: the first transmission is辰, which represents wealth in the context of 甲, hidden stem 戊, with Liu He as its general; the middle transmission is巳, representing descendants, hidden stem 己, with Vermilion Bird as its general; the final transmission is午, also representing descendants, hidden stem 庚, with Teng Snake as its general. The three transmissions,辰,巳,午, proceed in order, advancing continuously without returning, which is what is referred to later as 'progressing smoothly without looking back'.

邵彥和曰：謝省元三次到場屋，今次定不得，更五次不遂，不免受文學中心病而死。蓋甲日迤邐生去，更不回顧，以此言之，無文學尚可，有則不利。行年上亥加戌，亥乃甲之長生學堂，惜乎空而加空，而宅上日貴又作天空，不過虛名文學耳。中末傳巳午脫干，午火心病見蛇必死。謝果省試不中，後為文學不遂，遂納賄，又是五甲，大不如意，回家遂成心病，辛酉年十一月卒。蓋甲木生巳午蛇雀諸火，木隨火而上炎，木向南奔，本主便死。因背後有行年見亥，亥為甲木長生學堂，故尚有虛名而未死耳。造化前定，所以不由人也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted that Xie Xingyuan had already taken the examination three times and would certainly not pass this time, and even if he took it five more times, he would still not succeed. Eventually, he would die from a heart disease caused by his frustration over his failure in academic pursuits. Why? The day stem is Jia Wood, which in the three transmissions moves continuously towards growth (Chen generates Si, Si generates Wu), and once it begins to grow, it does not turn back. According to this image, this person lacks literary talent, which would be acceptable, but having literary talent is actually detrimental. His age is亥 added to戌, where亥 is the long life place of Jia Wood and represents academic achievements, but亥 itself is empty and is placed on another empty戌. The day's noble star at the residence is also occupied by Tian Kong, indicating that academic success is just an empty title. The middle transmission Si and the final transmission Wu both drain the energy of the day stem. Wu belongs to fire and represents the heart, and with Teng Snake present, heart disease is certain and death will follow. Later, Xie Xingyuan indeed failed the provincial examination, and continued to have no success in his academic career, even attempting to bribe officials. He still failed five times, greatly disappointed, and eventually developed a heart disease, dying in November of the Xinyou year. This is because Jia Wood generates Si and Wu, and encounters Teng Snake and Vermilion Bird, the fire gods. The wood follows the fire's intensity and burns upward, continuously draining towards the south. He should have died immediately; however, his age is亥, which is the long life place of Jia Wood and represents the academy, thus allowing him to retain a hollow title and not die suddenly. The fate was already determined, and no human effort could change it.

大觀己丑年十二月甲子日子將戌時，建寧李大夫占憂銀網事，鞏罷官。《方本占案》《一針見血》。

In the Jichou year of the Da Guan period of the Northern Song dynasty, on the 12th lunar month, Jiazi day, the divination was started by taking the Zi general added to the Xu hour. Li Doctor from Jianning was worried about an incident called "Silver Net," fearing it might lead to his dismissal from office, so he came to seek divination. This case is recorded in "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Yi Zhen Jian Xue."

貴后陰玄 　未申酉戌　合青蛇合　財 戊辰 合 蛇午　亥常　辰寅午辰　子 庚午 蛇 朱巳　子虎　寅子辰甲　官 壬申 后 　辰卯寅丑 　合勾青空

The lesson board. The general at the hour of Xu is added to the Zi position. The Heaven Plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth Plate: Wei is added to the Earth Plate's Si position, Shen is added to Wu, You to Wei, Xu to Shen, Hai to You, Zi to Xu, Chou to Hai, Yin to Zi, Mao to Chou, Chen to Yin, Si to Mao, and Wu to Chen. The Twelve Heavenly Generals start from the Nobleman at Wei (Wei is located at the Earth Plate's Si position, which is yin, so it moves in reverse): Teng Snake is at Wu, Vermilion Bird at Si, Liu He at Chen, Gou Chen at Mao, Azure Dragon at Yin, Tian Kong at Chou, White Tiger at Zi, Tai Chang at Hai, Black Tortoise at Xu, Tai Yin at You, and Heavenly Empress at Shen. The middle three lines are the Four Lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem Jia lodging in Yin, with Chen on Yin, riding Liu He; the second lesson has Wu on Chen, riding Teng Snake; the third lesson has the Day Branch Zi with Yin on Zi, riding Azure Dragon; the fourth lesson has Chen on Yin, riding Liu He. The right three lines are the Three Transmissions: the first transmission is Chen, which is a wealth hexagram for Jia, hidden stem Wu, riding Liu He; the middle transmission is Wu, which is a son hexagram, hidden stem Geng, riding Teng Snake; the final transmission is Shen, which is an official ghost hexagram, hidden stem Ren, riding Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions Chen, Wu, and Shen advance in order of yang, which is called the 'ascending to the third heaven' lesson.

邵彥和曰：登三天主有撓，中午作螣蛇，五月末沖替可知。末申作後，六月初有赦。寅作龍入宅，明年三月必轉官。果然庚寅年正月朝廷差兩浙提刑，三月轉大夫，五月沖替，六月赦。蓋明年者，歲上發用也。五月替者，蛇入中傳也。六月赦者，申加午作天后恩澤之神也。寅天吏作龍入宅，故必遷轉。

Shao Yanhe interpreted that the three-day divination indicated that matters would be troubled. The middle transmission was on Wu with Teng Snake, indicating that by the end of May he would be displaced by someone else. The final transmission was on Shen with Heavenly Empress, meaning that in June there would be a pardon. The house was on Yin with Azure Dragon, meaning that definitely in March of next year he would be promoted. Later it turned out that in the year of Gengyin, in January the court appointed him as the inspector of two zhe regions, in March he was promoted to a higher rank, in May he was displaced, and in June he received a pardon. The reason for saying 'next year' is because the initiating transmission was on the sovereign's position. The reason for saying he was displaced in May is because Teng Snake was on the middle transmission. The reason for saying he received a pardon in June is because Shen was added to Wu and had Heavenly Empress, and Heavenly Empress is the god of grace. The house was on Yin, which is the god of heavenly officials, and had Azure Dragon, so he would certainly be promoted.

嘉佑七年，太歲壬寅，三月十七日甲子日，上宣苗公達賜當日午時占課，問射覆。《苗公達斷經》。射覆當作來意。

In the seventh year of the Jiayou era of the Northern Song dynasty, the heavenly stem was Ren and the earthly branch was Yin. On the seventeenth day of the third lunar month, which was the Jiazi day, the emperor summoned Miao Gongda into the palace and ordered him to cast a divination on that day at the noon hour, to inquire about "she fu" — that is, guessing the object that was hidden. This example is taken from "Miao Gongda's Divination Classics." The compiler's note: here "she fu" should be understood as "lai yi," which means deducing the matter that the emperor had in mind.

龍勾合朱 　申酉戌亥　虎陰龍常　官 壬申 龍 空未　子螣　午卯申巳　父 　亥 朱 ◎ 虎午　丑貴　卯子巳甲　兄 丙寅 后 ⊙ 　巳辰卯寅 　常玄陰后

The divination board. In the third month, the month general is You, placed on the hour of Wu. The heaven plate advances three positions ahead of the earth plate: Shen is placed on the earth plate's Si, You on Wu, Xu on Wei, Hai on Shen, Zi on You, Chou on Xu, Yin on Hai, Mao on Zi, Chen on Chou, Si on Yin, Wu on Mao, and Chen on Yin. The twelve heavenly generals start from the nobleman on Chou, which is currently on the earth plate's Xu position, an yin position, so they move in reverse: Teng Snake is on Zi, Vermilion Bird on Hai, Liu He on Xu, Gou Chen on You, Azure Dragon on Shen, Tian Kong on Wei, White Tiger on Wu, Tai Chang on Si, Black Tortoise on Chen, Tai Yin on Mao, and Heavenly Empress on Yin. The middle three lines are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Jia, which is lodged in the palace of Yin, with Si on Yin, riding Tai Chang; the second lesson is Si with Shen on it, riding Azure Dragon; the third lesson is the day branch Zi with Mao on it, riding Tai Yin; the fourth lesson is Mao with Wu on it, riding White Tiger. The right side has the three transmissions: the first transmission is Shen, which is the official ghost of the day stem Jia, hidden stem Ren, riding Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is Hai, which is the parent爻, riding Vermilion Bird, and since Hai is in the Jiazi cycle and is empty, the hidden stem is missing and marked as 「◎」; the final transmission is Yin, which is the brother爻, hidden stem Bing, riding Heavenly Empress.

苗公達奏曰：“臣聞古經云，凡傳課，剛日先看日上神，柔日先看辰上神，次分天乙順逆，及看三傳，並太歲行年，只取勝者為事類。據來意，主貴人將婦人使用銅鐵尖長之物，欲傷小蟲之命；其蟲必生於穢雜不潔之處，人所不喜；今蟲卻未傷死而飛去，而銅鐵尖長之物，反在木上傷折，不堪用矣。”

Miao Gongda submitted a memorial stating: I have heard from ancient texts that when determining a divination, on a yang day one should first examine the god associated with the day stem, and on a yin day, the god associated with the day branch. Then one should distinguish whether the heavenly master and nobleman are moving forward or backward, next examine the three transmissions, and combine them with the heavenly stem of the year and the personal year. One should select the element with the strongest energy to determine the matter. By applying this method to the person's affairs: a nobleman caused a woman to take an object made of copper or iron, long and sharp, intending to kill a small insect. This insect must have been living in a dirty and unpleasant place, which people detest. Now the insect has not been killed, but has flown away, and the long and sharp object made of copper or iron has fallen on wood and broken, thus becoming unusable.

上宣問曰：“何以知之？”公達奏曰：“上巳作太常，卦名重審，亦名天網天乙逆行，故取故取太歲是寅，並天后勝事言也。故云：‘主有貴人慾有害心也’；將婦人銅鐵尖長之物者，為發用得申金，春占又是甲日，申金囚死，更加巳上受克，故為銅鐵尖長之物也；婦人使用者，初傳沖末傳，見天后寅木，此乃旺相，又在所生之處也。在木上傷折者，為木受生旺，金受囚死，又在巳火之上，所謂重重無氣也。

The emperor asked, "How do you know this?" Miao Gongda replied, "The day stem has a巳 (Si) that is occupied by Tai Chang. The name of this divination is 'Chong Shen' (Rechecking), also called 'Tian Wang' (Heavenly Net). The heavenly master, the nobleman, is moving in reverse. Therefore, taking the year stem寅 (Yin), and combining it with the Heavenly Empress is the most powerful aspect. Therefore, it is said, 'There is a nobleman harboring harmful intentions.' It is said to let a woman take a sharp iron rod because the initiating transmission is on the metal申 (Shen). In spring, when the day stem is甲 (Jia), the metal申 is in a state of imprisonment and death, and it is also on the fire巳 (Si) which is overcoming it, which is the image of a sharp iron rod. It is said that the woman should act because the first transmission and the final transmission are opposing each other. The final transmission is on the wood寅 (Yin), which has the Heavenly Empress (the Heavenly Empress represents a woman). The wood寅 is currently prosperous and strong, and it is in the place that generates me. It is said that the object breaks on the wood because the wood is in its birth and prosperity, while the metal is in imprisonment and death, and it is placed on top of the fire巳, which can be described as being without vitality at every level."

小飛蟲生於穢雜不潔之處者，為發用是月厭，為汙穢，將得青龍，中傳將得朱雀，皆有飛象；金為蟲，雖然無氣，又申亥相害，然末傳見生氣加亥，其生氣春以日旺，又在生鄉，故主欲害飛蟲，究竟未傷死而飛去也。臣出於短拙，有犯聖皇，合當萬死。”上曰：“為適來有蠅子，在殿柱之上，朕戲以針刺之，而蠅飛去，其針在柱上傷折，故應課也。”

The small insects are born in dirty and disorderly places because the initiating transmission is aligned with the month aversion, which governs filth; the initiating transmission is associated with the Azure Dragon, and the middle transmission is associated with the Vermilion Bird, both of which have the image of flying. Metal can be classified as an insect in the class god, although it has no qi, and it is also in conflict with the亥 branch; but the vital qi of the final transmission is added to the亥, and the spring vital qi grows strong with the day, and falls in the place of growth, so it is predicted that the insect will be harmed, but the insect did not die and flew away. The minister's knowledge is shallow, and he has offended the emperor, deserving a thousand deaths. The emperor said: Just now a fly stopped on the pillar of the hall, I playfully tried to stab it with a needle, and the fly flew away, while the needle broke on the pillar — this exactly corresponds to your divination.

正月甲子日亥將申時占來意。《指歸靈文論》

On the first day of the first month, on the Jiazi day, take the亥 as the starting point and add the time of Shen to cast the divination, to inquire about the coming intention. This example is taken from the "Zhi Gui Ling Wen Lun."

龍勾合朱 　申酉戌亥　虎陰龍常　官 壬申 龍 空未　子螣　午卯申巳　父 　亥 朱 ◎ 虎午　丑貴　卯子巳甲　兄 丙寅 后 ⊙ 　巳辰卯寅 　常玄陰后

At the time of the hour of Hai with the general at Shen, the Heaven Plate moves three places ahead compared to the Earth Plate, so the lesson plate is the same as the previous example: Shen is added to the Earth Plate's Si, You to Wu, Xu to Wei, Hai to Shen, Zi to You, Chou to Xu, Yin to Hai, Mao to Zi, Chen to Chou, Si to Yin, Wu to Mao, Wei to Chen. The Heavenly General moves from the Nobleman at Chou (occupying the Earth Plate's Xu position) in reverse: Teng Snake is at Zi, Vermilion Bird at Hai, Liu He at Xu, Gou Chen at You, Azure Dragon at Shen, Tian Kong at Wei, White Tiger at Wu, Tai Chang at Si, Tai Yin at Chen, Black Tortoise at Mao, Heavenly Empress at Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Jia (in the lodging palace of Yin) is on Si with Tai Chang, Si on Shen with Azure Dragon, the day branch Zi on Mao with Tai Yin, and Mao on Wu with White Tiger. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Shen, representing official ghosts, hidden Jinn, riding Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is Hai, representing parents, empty in the ten days, riding Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is Yin, representing siblings, hidden Bing, riding Heavenly Empress. The first transmission Shen is before the Nobleman at Chou, and the final transmission Yin is after the Nobleman at Chou, so it is referred to as 'transmission from yang to yin' in the following text.

斷曰：來意主望道路行人，其人路遇奸賊，欲相謀害，幸而奸賊自受其難，謀害不成，但主道路上遲延，終平安而歸也。又主有文字，兩重一明一暗，藏在樓閣中，其樓柱繫用物墊著。何以知之？蓋初傳在天乙前，末傳在天乙後，名傳陽入陰，主在家不出，遠人歸家，外來之信立至。況申主道路，又主行人，奈為日鬼，又在巳上被刑害，故遇奸賊。申鬼受旺火克，故云賊人受難，干為占者上得巳火為救，故謀害不成，但主遲歸耳。朱雀乘亥主明文字，天后乘寅主暗文字，寅加於亥上，故藏在樓閣，亥是旬空，其柱必有損而用物墊之也。

The interpretation says: The person is asking about expecting travelers on the road. The person encountered a villain on the road, and the villain intended to harm him. Fortunately, the villain himself suffered the consequences, and the plot failed. The person only experienced a delay on the way, and eventually returned safely. There are also two documents, one obvious and one hidden, stored in a building. The building's pillars are supported by something. How do we know this? The first transmission is before the Heavenly Nobleman, and the final transmission is after the Heavenly Nobleman, which is called "transmission of yang into yin," indicating that those at home do not go out, and those who traveled far will return home. Moreover, the monkey is associated with roads and travelers. However, it is the ghost of the day stem, and it is on the snake, which is under punishment and harm, so there is an encounter with a villain on the way. The monkey ghost is defeated by the strong fire, so the villain himself suffers. The day stem represents the person asking the question, and it is supported by the fire, so the plot fails, and the return is delayed. The Vermilion Bird is on the pig, indicating obvious documents, and the Heavenly Empress is on the tiger, indicating hidden documents. The tiger is on the pig, so the documents are stored in a building. The pig is in the empty period, indicating that the pillars must be damaged and supported by something.

十月甲子日卯將子時，乙卯人占子命行人。《行人類證》

On the tenth month, Jiazi day, take the Mao branch as the general and start the divination for the time when a person returning from a journey will come back. This example is taken from "The Classification of Travelers." The person born in the Yimao year is divining for their son whose destiny is associated with the Zi branch.

蛇朱合勾 　申酉戌亥　后常蛇陰　官 壬申 蛇 貴未　子龍　午卯申巳　父 　亥 勾 ◎ 后午　丑空　卯子巳甲　兄 丙寅 虎 ⊙ 　巳辰卯寅 　陰玄常虎

Lesson Disk. The time is the hour of卯 (Mao), with the general (天将) added to the子 (Zi) position. The Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate, and the arrangement of Heaven and Earth Plates is the same as in the previous two examples: 申 (Shen) is added to the Earth Plate's巳 (Si), 酉 (You) to午 (Wu), 戌 (Xu) to未 (Wei), 亥 (Hai) to申 (Shen), 子 (Zi) to酉 (You), 丑 (Chou) to戌 (Xu), 寅 (Yin) to亥 (Hai), 卯 (Mao) to子 (Zi), 辰 (Chen) to丑 (Chou), 巳 (Si) to寅 (Yin), 午 (Wu) to卯 (Mao), 未 (Wei) to辰 (Chen). The difference in this lesson is the use of night nobleman (夜贵). The Heavenly General starts from 未 (Wei) and is multiplied by the nobleman (贵人). Since 未 (Wei) is located at the Earth Plate's辰 (Chen) position and belongs to a yang position, it proceeds in the order of the yang. Teng Snake is multiplied by申 (Shen), Vermilion Bird by酉 (You), Liu He by戌 (Xu), Gou Chen by亥 (Hai), Azure Dragon by子 (Zi), Tian Kong by丑 (Chou), White Tiger by寅 (Yin), Tai Chang by卯 (Mao), Black Tortoise by辰 (Chen), Tai Yin by巳 (Si), and Heavenly Empress by午 (Wu). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has 甲 (Jia) (in the lodging palace寅 (Yin)) with Si (Si) on it, multiplied by Tai Yin; the second lesson has Si (Si) with Shen (Shen) on it, multiplied by Teng Snake; the third lesson has the day branch Zi (Zi) with Yin (Yin) on it, multiplied by Tai Chang; the fourth lesson has Yin (Yin) with Wu (Wu) on it, multiplied by Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Shen (Shen) as official ghost, hidden Jia (Jia), multiplied by Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Hai (Hai) as parents, empty in the ten days, multiplied by Gou Chen; the final transmission is Yin (Yin) as brother, hidden Bing (Bing), multiplied by White Tiger. To divinate about a traveler, one should look at Black Tortoise and the final transmission. In this lesson, Black Tortoise is directly on Chen (Chen) and added to Chou (Chou).

雪心曰：占行人責元武及末傳，今元武在辰加丑。末傳寅為馬，當主來，果於十一月十四癸巳日大雪歸。

Snow Heart Divination says: To predict the arrival of a traveler, one should examine the Black Tortoise and the Final Transmission. In this case, the Black Tortoise is on the Dragon (Chen) and is placed on the Ox (Chou). The Final Transmission is the寅 (Yin), which is the Post-horse. Therefore, the prediction is that the traveler will return. Later, indeed, he arrived home on the fourteenth day of the eleventh month, which was the day of Guisi with heavy snow.

天聖戊辰年正月甲子日，亥將未時，七十四歲老人占逃亡。《一針見血》

In the fifth year of the Tiansheng era of the Northern Song dynasty, on the first day of the first lunar month, on the Jiazi day, the divination was cast with the亥 (Hai) general added to the Wei (Wei) hour. A seventy-four-year-old man consulted about a person who had left home. This example is taken from "Yizhen Jianxue."

愚按：甲木克元武辰土，干上午火，克元武陰神申金，故易獲。

Cheng Shuxun notes: The day stem Jia Wood can overcome the Chen Earth that the Black Tortoise is riding on, and the Wu Fire on the day stem can also overcome the Yin Spirit Shen Metal of the Black Tortoise. The fleeing spirit is restrained on both sides, so it is easy to capture.

勾合朱蛇 　酉戌亥子　龍玄合虎　財 戊辰 玄 龍申　丑貴　申辰戌午　官 壬申 龍 空未　寅后　辰子午甲　父 甲子 蛇 　午巳辰卯 　虎常玄陰

The divination plate shows that the hour of Wei is added to the general of Hai. The Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate: You is added to Si, Xu to Wu, Hai to Wei, Zi to Shen, Chou to You, Yin to Xu, Mao to Hai, Chen to Zi, Si to Chou, Wu to Yin, Wei to Mao, Shen to Chen. The twelve Heavenly Generals start from the Nobleman on Chou, moving in reverse as it is a yin position: Teng Snake is on Zi, Vermilion Bird on Hai, Liu He on Xu, Gou Chen on You, Azure Dragon on Shen, Tian Kong on Wei, White Tiger on Wu, Tai Chang on Si, Tai Yin on Chen, Heaven Empress on Mao, and the Heavenly Empress on Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia lodging in Yin, with Wu on Yin, riding the White Tiger; the second lesson has Wu with Xu, riding Liu He; the third lesson has the day branch Zi with Chen, riding the Black Tortoise; the fourth lesson has Chen with Shen, riding the Azure Dragon. The three transmissions on the right side are: the first transmission is Chen, representing a wealth hexagram, hidden stem Wu, riding the Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is Shen, representing a ghost hexagram, hidden stem Ren, riding the Azure Dragon; the final transmission is Zi, representing a parent hexagram, hidden stem Jia, riding Teng Snake. The divination is about a disappearance, and the responsibility lies with the Black Tortoise. In this divination, the Black Tortoise is on Chen and added to the day branch Zi, so the transmission starts from the branch.

苗公達曰：主昨夜三更門戶不閉，婢逃失財，網羅水際辰為羅網，往正北所至人家藏匿。其錢藏水中，速尋可得。愚按：“門戶不閉”句，似從斬關課取義也；失財者，元武臨財也。

Miao Gongda interpreted the divination: This reading indicates that last night at the third watch the doors were not closed, a servant girl ran away and took away the money; a net was set near the water (since the branch Chen is associated with nets), she went towards the north, and took refuge in someone's house; the stolen money was hidden in the water, so it should be sought quickly before it is lost. Cheng Shuxun commented: The phrase "doors not closed" seems to take its meaning from the "Cutting the Gate" reading; the loss of money is because the Black Tortoise is riding on the wealth爻.

《精華摘錦》云：元陰見青龍乘申為損鱗，故主失財。果於當日申時獲之。論曰：貴人臨酉，門戶驚恐。天罡加子將得元武，子為三更，在支上發用，是急應之兆。行年立卯上，天空乘未，屬陰為婢，被旺木所制，故逃竄。元武陰上見申金，金生水，故錢藏水中。

The Essence and Selection of the Best says: The dark god of Xuanwu appears with Qinglong riding on Shen, indicating the image of "loss of scales," thus presaging loss of wealth. Later, indeed, the person was caught at the hour of Shen that day. The book explains: When the nobleman is present at You position, it indicates disturbance within the household; Tiangang at Chen is placed on Zi, which is at the third watch, and since it originates from the day branch, it is a sign of quick verification. The person's year falls on Mao, with Tiankong at Wei. Wei is yin, and in the category of spirits it represents a servant, who is subdued by the strong wood energy, so she ran away. The dark god of Xuanwu sees the metal of Shen, which can generate water, so the money is hidden in water.

言逃往北者，謂陽作元武，婢走求陽也。法以初覺逃時只就元武立處求之，今在子，逃亡未經旬，只看元武立處。愚按：元武從不臨東南，豈逃亡未經旬者，從不往東南方乎？故云正北。本人行年在卯，卯刑子，是元武遭刑可獲。當日申時者，甲日屬木，克元武所乘辰土，又末傳臨申，是元武三傳之終也。

She is said to have fled north because her yang spirit is associated with the Black Tortoise. The servant girl's escape is interpreted as her going to join a man. The method of capturing a fugitive is: when someone is first discovered to have fled, one should search only where the Black Tortoise is located. Now the Black Tortoise is positioned at the Zi position, and the escape has not exceeded ten days, so one should only look where the Black Tortoise is located. Cheng Shuxun comments: the Black Tortoise never appears in the southeast direction. How can it be that those who have fled for less than ten days do not go to the southeast? (This statement is questionable.) Therefore, the book only mentions due north. The owner's birth year is in the Mao position, which is in conflict with the Zi position, thus the Black Tortoise is affected by this conflict, making it possible to capture the person. The judgment is made at the Shen hour of the day because on a Jia day, which belongs to wood, wood can overcome the earth (Chen) that the Black Tortoise is associated with. Additionally, the final transmission is at Shen, which is exactly where the Black Tortoise ends up in the three transmissions.

建炎戊申年二月甲子日亥將午時，何七秀才壬申生三十七歲占流年。《口鑑》。方本作占家宅。

In the fifth year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, on the second month, Jiazi day, the divination was cast with the hour of Hai as the starting point and the time of Wu. The case involves He Qiuxiu, born in the year Renshen, aged thirty-seven, who consulted about the fortune of this year. This example is found in the "Koujian"; the "Fang Ben Zhan An" records it as a consultation about the family dwelling.

合朱蛇貴 　戌亥子丑　合常蛇空　父 甲子 蛇 勾酉　寅后　戌巳子未　子 己巳 常 青申　卯陰　巳子未甲　財 　戌 合 ◎ 　未午巳辰 　空虎常玄

The divination board shows that at the time of the hour of You (亥), the Heavenly General is added to the position of Wu (午). The Heaven Plate moves five positions ahead of the Earth Plate: Xu (戌) is added to the Earth Plate position Si (巳), Hai (亥) to Wu (午), Zi (子) to Wei (未), Chou (丑) to Shen (申), Yin (寅) to You (酉), Mao (卯) to Xu (戌), Chen (辰) to Hai (亥), Si (巳) to Zi (子), Wu (午) to Chou (丑), Wei (未) to Yin (寅), Shen (申) to Mao (卯), You (酉) to Chen (辰). The Twelve Heavenly Generals start from the Nobleman at position Chou (丑) and move in reverse since Chou is at the Earth Plate position Shen (申), which is yin. Teng Snake is at Zi (子), Vermilion Bird at Hai (亥), Liu He at Xu (戌), Gou Chen at You (酉), Azure Dragon at Shen (申), Tian Kong at Wei (未), White Tiger at Wu (午), Tai Chang at Si (巳), Black Tortoise at Chen (辰), Tai Yin at Mao (卯), and Heavenly Empress at Yin (寅). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem Jia (甲) lodging in position Yin (寅), with position Wei (未) on top, riding Tian Kong; the second lesson has position Zi (子) on top of Wei (未), riding Teng Snake; the third lesson has position Si (巳) on top of Zi (子), riding Tai Chang; the fourth lesson has position Xu (戌) on top of Si (巳), riding Liu He. The three transmissions on the right side are: the first transmission is Zi (子), representing the parent's yao, hidden stem Jia (甲), riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Si (巳), representing the child's yao, hidden stem Ji (己), riding Tai Chang; the final transmission is Xu (戌), representing the wealth yao, riding Liu He, with Xu (戌) being in the empty position of the ten-day cycle, marked as 「◎」. The position Wei (未) on the Day Stem is the burial place of Jia (甲) wood, and the following discussion about 'buried stem' and 'heavenly prison' begins from here.

邵彥曰：歲內眷屬人來，必成大獄。天罡加日本，名天獄故也。鄭體功先生曰：占流年以行年為主，行年上未來墓干，故主一年之事皆不橫亨通。其事為何？體用：體是天獄課，用是子與未六害，故以官訟等事斷之。訟起六月者，未為六月建也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: Within this year, relatives will come to the door, and it will certainly lead to a big legal dispute, because the Tiangang (Chen) is placed on the Day Branch's position, and the lesson is called "Heavenly Prison." Master Zheng Tigong said: When divining the current year, the person's age stem is the main factor. This person's age stem is "Wei," which is exactly the storage place of the Day Stem Jia. The "Wei" comes to store the Day Stem, so it indicates that all matters will be unsmooth during this year. As for what kind of matter, it should be combined with the lesson pattern and the initiating transmission: the lesson pattern is "Heavenly Prison," and the initiating transmission is "Zi." "Zi" and "Wei" form a six-harm relationship, so it is judged to be related to legal disputes. The legal dispute starts in June, because "Wei" is exactly the month builder of June.

愚按：《指掌賦》云：太常乘破碎為孝服，加天獄螣蛇生災致訟，法本於此。破碎作太常入宅，主有喪服人歸來分撓，被他爭屋。以行年與身作一處，蓋未交生，行年尚在丑，丑加申命，故曰行年與身作一處。只是今年事。末後須添一口，又見分灶也。蓋未加甲乃墓神，未為眷屬，天空為平地起堆之象。初傳子為父母，未為眷屬而作六害害人也，螣蛇擾人也。傳歸入宅，卻是兩重破碎，巳為廚灶，必主分灶不寧也。

Cheng Shuxun notes: The "Zhi Zhang Fu" states, "Tai Chang riding on the broken pieces god indicates mourning attire, and if combined with Tian Yu and Teng Snake, disaster and litigation will arise." Zheng's method of interpretation is based on this. The broken pieces god riding on Tai Chang and entering the dwelling position indicates that someone wearing mourning attire will return and cause disturbance, and there will be a dispute over the house. The phrase "the year of birth and the original birth year are in the same place" is because this person's birthday has not yet arrived, and their year of birth is still on Chou, while Chou is placed exactly on the position of the original birth year Shen. Therefore, the year of birth and the original birth year are in the same place, which limits the matter to within this year. In the end, the family will add another person, and the image of dividing the stove and cooking separately appears: Wei is placed on Ji, which is the tomb god, and Wei in the category god position indicates family members. Tian Kong indicates a mound rising from flat ground. The first transmission Zi is the parent's yao, and Wei, representing family members, forms a six harm with Zi, indicating harm. Teng Snake indicates disturbance. The third transmission finally returns to the dwelling position, which is again two layers of broken pieces. Si is in the category god position, indicating the kitchen stove, so there will certainly be division of the stove and unrest in the household.

何秀才兄弟五人，最小者與姊為子，父母在日家產已作四股均分，當年四月其姑丈死，姑已先亡，家務又已久退，故小弟於六月歸家，諸兄皆不容，遂興訟，州縣斷理撥財產與之，著依舊歸姑家過活，小弟仍不服，直上控至大理寺，始有歸條。自戊申六月興訟，至壬子年十二月方止。

The matter was as follows: He Xiucai had five brothers. The youngest was adopted by his aunt as her son. While his parents were still alive, the family property had already been divided into four shares. In this year's fourth month, his aunt's husband died. His aunt had already passed away earlier, and the property of his aunt's family had long since declined. Therefore, in June of that year, the youngest brother returned to his original family. However, his elder brothers refused to take him in, leading to a lawsuit. The county magistrate ruled to allocate a portion of the property to him and ordered him to continue living with his aunt's family. The youngest brother was不服, and kept appealing all the way to the Supreme Court, only then did a final decision come about. The lawsuit started in June of the Wushen year and continued until December of the Renzi year when it was finally settled.

甲以巳為子息，末傳戌刑未，故動而有爭。所謂不沖不發，不刑不動也。戌乘六合，卯與戌合，主進人口，是此子歸來之兆。當年六月興訟，未加甲，蛇撓之。初子與未相害，故興訟。壬子年十一月又見子水克火，制破碎，故寧貼。

The day stem Jia takes巳 as its子孙, and the final transmission is戌, which also harms未. Therefore, once the matter is set in motion, disputes arise — this is the principle of "without a clash, there is no success; without a刑, there is no movement." The戌 is covered by Liu He, and卯 and戌 are in a harmonious relationship, indicating the addition of household members, which is a sign that the brother who was adopted out has returned. In June of that year, litigation arose because未 was not added to Jia, and Teng Snake caused disturbances; the first transmission子 formed a six harm relationship with未, leading to the lawsuit. By the eleventh month of the Renzi year, it coincided with子 water overcoming fire and controlling the破碎 god, thus the matter settled down.

愚按：此小注惟方本有之，蓋後人所增也。愚按：邵諸課皆以六合為合，此注是也；《直指》以戌刑未字火為填小口，大謬。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: The above note is only found in the Fang Ben Zhan An, and it should have been added by later people. Another remark: Shao Yanhe used 'Liu He' as the harmonious deity in all his lessons, and this note exactly follows his method; however, the Liunin Zhizhi mistakenly explained the section on戌 being in conflict with未 as 'filling the small mouth', which is a great error.

建炎戊申年二月甲子日亥將巳時。徐學士戊辰生四十一歲，占前程。《方本占案》《口鑑》。

In the fifth year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, on the day of Jiazi in the second lunar month, the divination was cast with the hour of Hai as the starting point for the time of Si. Xu, a learned man born in the year of Wuchen, aged forty-one, consulted about his official career prospects. This case is recorded in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

朱蛇貴后 　亥子丑寅　蛇虎後青　兄 丙寅 后 合戌　卯陰　子午寅申　官 壬申 青 勾酉　辰玄　午子申甲　兄 丙寅 后 　申未午巳 　青空虎常

The divination plate. The month general is亥, added to the巳 hour. The month general and the time of divination are directly opposite. The heaven plate advances six positions ahead of the earth plate. The twelve branches are paired in opposition, which is called 'returning echo' (返吟) lesson. The heaven plate亥 is added to the earth plate巳, 子 is added to 午, 丑 to 未, 寅 to 申, 卯 to 酉, 辰 to 戌, 巳 to 亥, 午 to 子, 未 to 丑, 申 to 寅, 酉 to 卯, 戌 to 辰. The heavenly general starts from the nobleman on 丑. 丑 is on the earth plate 未, which is yin, so it moves in reverse: Teng Snake is on 子, Vermilion Bird on 亥, Liu He on 戌, Gou Chen on 酉, Azure Dragon on 申, Tian Kong on 未, White Tiger on 午, Tai Chang on 巳, Black Tortoise on 辰, Tai Yin on 卯, Heavenly Empress on 寅. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem 甲, which is in the 寅 palace, with 申 on 寅, riding the Azure Dragon; the second lesson is 申 with 寅 on it, riding the Heavenly Empress; the third lesson is the day branch 子 with 午 on it, riding the White Tiger; the fourth lesson is 午 with 子 on it, riding the Teng Snake. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is 寅, which is the brother's yao, with the hidden stem 丙, riding the Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is 申, which is the official ghost, with the hidden stem 壬, riding the Azure Dragon; the final transmission is again 寅, which is still the brother's yao, with the hidden stem 丙, riding the Heavenly Empress. 寅 is the禄神 and 德神 of 甲, appearing twice in the three transmissions, so the following text repeatedly takes merit from the 德禄 to achieve fame and status.

愚按：寅為德祿，馬作天后為恩澤，寅與戌為三合，故戌年及第，寅既有兩重又生支上午火子孫，故子亦霑恩，但返吟事不悠久，雖有德祿諸吉及第後而即亡也，祿臨絕地，豈能食祿乎。程聖一日此課全在德祿馬上看出功名。鄭體功先生曰兩重祿馬日德官星，當有兩重功名，一重繫占人不待言矣，仍一重看支上是何六親，今支上午為子息故父子同及第。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: Yin is both the virtue god and the禄 god of the day stem Jia, and the post-horse is also riding on the Heavenly Empress, who is the god of grace and favor. Yin forms a triple harmony with Xu, so the prediction is that the person will pass the examination in the year of Xu. Yin appears twice in the three transmissions and can generate the fire child on the day branch Wu, so the child also receives the grace. However, the reverse transmission lesson indicates that things cannot last long. Although there are various auspicious signs such as virtue and禄, the person passes the examination and then dies immediately - the禄 god is on the绝 position, how can one enjoy the禄 position for a long time? Cheng Shengyi said: this lesson fully reveals the official rank from virtue,禄 and the post-horse. Zheng Tigong said: there are two禄 and post-horse, the day virtue and official star are all present, so there will be two official ranks. One belongs to the person asking the question, which does not need further explanation. The other needs to look at which of the six relations is on the day branch. Now the day branch Wu is the child, so it is the father and son who pass the examination together.

邵彥和曰：本主身庚戌年及第，唱名當在第三甲。令郎當亦霑恩。至庚戌年，徐果中，在第三甲，其子習春秋，中在第五甲。徐銓試不中，六月授潭州司戶，七月病死。甲寅年其子亦死。蓋因日上見申，讀書人見之為無後，又是太歲來克干，當年即應不寧。何直至庚戌年中後方死耶？蓋因行年上子水生甲木，宅上午火制申金，且是催官使者，須見官而後死。及至庚戌年，行年在申，甲木臨申金而絕，故死。

Shao Yanhe interpreted that the master would pass the imperial examination in the Gengxu year and be ranked third in the third class; his son would also be favored. In the Gengxu year, Xu Xueshi indeed passed the examination and was ranked third; his son, who studied the Spring and Autumn Annals, was ranked fifth. Later, Xu Xueshi failed the official selection examination and was appointed as the official of Tanzhou in June, and died in July. In the Jiayin year, his son also died. This is because the day stem saw the sign of Shen; in the fortune chart of a scholar, the presence of Shen indicates no descendants, and since Shen is the year's master that overcomes the day stem, there should be disturbances that year. So why did it happen only after passing the examination in the Gengxu year? Because the year's sign, Zi water, can nourish Jia wood, and the house's sign, Wu fire, can overcome Shen metal. Moreover, Shen is the messenger of officialdom, so one must first obtain an official position before death. When the Gengxu year came, the year's sign reached Shen, and Jia wood at Shen entered the state of decline, so he died.

初末寅作天后，兩重兩露恩神，在官星之上，甲與寅皆承其恩澤。甲尊也，父也；寅卑也，子也。故俱霑恩。庚戌年身死，甲寅年子死，乃刑沖之故。又行年神克第三課，死神乘白虎入宅，為水所克，又甲木以午為子息，故子必受殃也。

The first transmission and the final transmission both have the寅 (Yin) occupied by the Heavenly Empress, indicating two instances of the benevolent deity appearing. This deity is above the official star, so both Jia and Yin receive its grace. Jia represents honor and father, while Yin represents humility and son, so both father and son are blessed. In the year of Gengxu, the person dies, and in the year of Jiayin, the son dies, due to punishment and clash. Furthermore, the year's deity overcomes the third lesson, the Death Deity occupies the White Tiger and enters the dwelling position, and is overcome by water. Since Jia wood takes the午 (Wu) as its son, the son is certainly affected.

愚按：此課邵公先未斷出，事後乃推測言之。

Cheng Shuxun notes: In this case, Shao Yanhe did not originally predict all the outcomes beforehand; instead, he made the deductions and comments after the fact.

己酉年九月甲子日卯將申時，樊郎中占項秀才病，項丁丑生三十三歲。《口鑑》《方本占案》。

In the year Jiyou, ninth month, on the day Jiazi, the divination was started by placing the hour of Mao over the hour of Shen. Fan Langzhong cast the divination for Xiang Xiucai's illness. Xiang was born in the year Dingchou and was thirty-three years old. This example is found in the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an."

愚按：寅中有甲，未中有己，甲己相合是以相通，況陰神見酉為色慾也。

Cheng Shuxun notes: The branch Yin contains hidden Jia wood, and the branch Wei contains hidden Ji earth. Jia and Ji are compatible, so they communicate secretly with each other. Moreover, the hidden Yin spirit shows You, and You in the category of spirits is associated with desire.

蛇貴后陰 　子丑寅卯　后空玄勾　兄 丙寅 后 朱亥　辰玄　寅未辰酉　官 癸酉 勾 合戌　巳常　未子酉甲　財 戊辰 玄 　酉申未午 　勾青空虎

The divination plate. In the ninth month, with the hour stem of卯 (Mao) and the hour branch of申 (Shen), the Heaven Plate advances seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate: Zi (子) is added to the Earth Plate's巳 (Si), Chou (丑) to午 (Wu), Yin (寅) to未 (Wei), Mao (卯) to申 (Shen), Chen (辰) to酉 (You), Si (巳) to戌 (Xu), Wu (午) to亥 (Hai), Wei (未) to子 (Zi), Shen (申) to丑 (Chou), You (酉) to寅 (Yin), Xu (戌) to卯 (Mao), Hai (亥) to辰 (Chen). The Heavenly General starts from the Nobleman at丑 (Chou), and since it is yin, it moves in reverse: Teng Snake is on子 (Zi), Vermilion Bird on亥 (Hai), Liu He on戌 (Xu), Gou Chen on酉 (You), Azure Dragon on申 (Shen), Tian Kong on未 (Wei), Bai Hu on午 (Wu), Tai Chang on巳 (Si), Tai Yin on辰 (Chen), Tian Hou on寅 (Yin). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia (甲) lodging in寅 (Yin), with酉 (You) on寅 (Yin), riding Gou Chen; the second lesson has辰 (Chen) on酉 (You), riding Xuan Wu; the third lesson has the day branch Zi (子) with未 (Wei) on Zi, riding Tian Kong; the fourth lesson has寅 (Yin) on未 (Wei), riding Tian Hou. On the right side, the three transmissions are: the first transmission is寅 (Yin), representing a brother's yao, with the hidden stem Bing (丙), riding Tian Hou; the middle transmission is酉 (You), representing the official ghost of the day stem, with the hidden stem Gui (癸), riding Gou Chen; the final transmission is辰 (Chen), representing wealth yao, with the hidden stem Wu (戊), riding Xuan Wu.

邵彥和曰：此病因往妻家有私情，暗中相約，又失去情人所贈之物，遂思慮而得病，久而不治，必成癆怯。丑事固難言然必說明而病乃安矣。當時樊亦庸醫，因聞此斷，假託診脈為名，言其病症，人皆驚異以為神醫。蓋項先與舅嫂通，被妻舅知覺，項遂歸。舅嫂以手帕贈之，後為妻？去，項不敢問，思之成病，肌膚消瘦。妻聞樊言，以帕還之且深戒利害，兼服藥而愈。

Shao Yanhe diagnosed the case saying: this illness was caused by going to his wife's family and having an affair with someone, secretly making an appointment, later losing the item given by the lover, and worrying himself sick; if left untreated for long, it would certainly turn into consumption and weakness. The shameful matter was hard to mention, but the illness could not be cured unless it was revealed. At that time, Fan Langzhong was originally an ordinary physician, but after hearing this diagnosis, he pretended to examine the pulse and told the patient's condition, and everyone was amazed, thinking him a divine doctor. In fact, Xiang Xiusheng had previously had an affair with his wife's sister-in-law, and was discovered by his wife's brother, so he returned home; his mother-in-law had given him a handkerchief, which was later taken by his wife (the question mark in "为妻？去" is a missing character in the original text). Xiang was too afraid to ask, and the more he thought about it, the sicker he became, and he became thin. When his wife heard what Fan Langzhong said, she returned the handkerchief to him and seriously warned him of the consequences, and then gave him some medicine, and his illness was cured.

蓋此課日干投入四課發用，傳復歸於日之二課，主循環不斷，支為宅，支上未為妻，四課者，宅內也，是妻家矣。今寅投入四課，加妻財上作天后，是與妻家婦人通矣。日上酉為色作勾陳，為思慮，今為日鬼，陰神又見辰，辰為脾，為肌膚，加酉敗氣上是思慮已傷脾，肌膚消瘦。辰作元武兼主走洩，酉為閉口，丑事難言。行年在戌，戌上巳，作太常，常主絲棉，是手帕也。己與酉三合，故主情人之物也。太常加空，故遺失。明說而安者，行年上巳火能制酉金之鬼也。

This reasoning is as follows: the spirit of the day stem enters the four lessons and initiates the transmission, and the three transmissions return to the second lesson of the day stem, thus indicating a continuous cycle. The day branch represents the house, and the earthly branch 'wei' on it signifies the wife. The fourth lesson belongs to matters within the house, which is precisely the wife's family. Now, the 'yin' enters the fourth lesson, added to the wife's wealth and riding the Heavenly Empress, indicating an affair with the wife's woman. The 'you' on the day stem represents desire, riding Gou Chen which signifies worry and thought, and now it is the ghost of the day stem. The hidden spirit meets 'chen', which in the human body represents the spleen and the skin. Added to 'you' which is a declining energy, it indicates that worry has harmed the spleen and skin, leading to thinness. 'Chen' riding the Black Tortoise also signifies leakage; 'you' is associated with closing the mouth, so this disgrace cannot be spoken of. The year of the person is on 'xu', which is 'si' on it, riding Tai Chang, which signifies silk and fabric, exactly a handkerchief. 'Si' and 'you' form a triple harmony, so it is determined to be an item belonging to the lover. Tai Chang is added to Kongwang, so something is lost. Revealing the illness brings relief, because the fire of 'si' on the year can control the metal ghost 'you'.

乾隆乙卯年子月甲子日丑將巳時，某占辛亥女病，二十九歲。《牧夫占驗》

In the year of Yimao of the Qianlong era, in the month of Zi (eleventh month), on the day of Jiazi, with the hour of Si, the divination was cast using Chou as the general. A person cast a divination for a woman born in the year of Xinhai, aged twenty-nine, who was ill. This example is taken from Wang Mufu's "Mufu Zhanyan."

貴后陰玄 　丑寅卯辰　玄龍虎合　財 　戌 合 ◎ 蛇子　巳常　辰申午戌　子 庚午 虎 ⊙ 朱亥　午虎　申子戌甲　兄 丙寅 后 　戌酉申未 　合勾龍空

The lesson board. With the general at Chou (丑) added to the hour of Si (巳), the Heaven Plate advances eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate: Chou is added to the Earth Plate's Si, Yin to Wu, Mao to Wei, Chen to Shen, Si to You, Wu to Xu, Wei to Hai, Shen to Zi, You to Chou, Xu to Yin, Hai to Mao, and Zi to Chen. The Heavenly General starts from the Nobleman at Chou, moving in reverse because Chou is on the Earth Plate's Si position, which is yin: Teng Snake is on Zi, Vermilion Bird on Hai, Liu He on Xu, Gou Chen on You, Azure Dragon on Shen, Tian Kong on Wei, White Tiger on Wu, Tai Chang on Si, Black Tortoise on Chen, Tai Yin on Mao, and Heavenly Empress on Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem Jia (甲) residing in Yin (寅), with Wu (戌) on Yin, riding Liu He; the second lesson has Wu on Xu, with Wu (午) on Xu, riding White Tiger; the third lesson has the Day Branch Zi (子) with Shen (申) on Zi, riding Azure Dragon; the fourth lesson has Shen with Chen (辰) on Shen, riding Black Tortoise. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is Wu (戌), a wealth yao, riding Liu He, marked with '◎' for empty; the middle transmission is Wu (午), a son yao, hidden stem Geng (庚), riding White Tiger; the final transmission is Yin (寅), a brother yao, hidden stem Bing (丙), riding Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions, Yin (寅), Wu (午), and Xu (戌), form a fire trinity, which is the 'Inflaming Upward' trinity mentioned later.

王牧夫曰：占病得寅午戌炎上之局。天后在下，上生午火，戌墓蓋之，火不能出，炎上為狂蕩，病由高興太過所致，無礙久而自痊，此數細看，支上申作青龍為夫星，而天后即乘寅，本命上未作天空。申陰神又作華蓋，此與僧人有私，狂蕩太過，有所傷而致病耳。不然何故局得炎上，支得申子相生，子乃婦人，行年上與申會合，種種可疑。後有人道其事，始知數不妄發耳。

Wang Mufu interpreted the divination: The illness is indicated by the triple harmony of Yin, Wu, and Xu forming a fire trigram, which represents the "ascending fire" pattern. The Heavenly Empress is in the lower position, generating the Wu fire, while the Xu is above covering the fire, preventing it from escaping. The "ascending fire" signifies unrestrained and wild behavior, indicating that the illness resulted from excessive indulgence. There is no great concern, as time will bring recovery. Upon closer examination, there are further implications: the Sheng (Monkey) in the day branch is riding the Azure Dragon, which is the star representing the husband, while the Heavenly Empress is riding the Yin. The native's birth year is associated with Hai (Water), which meets the Wei (Earth) in the chart. The Wei is riding the Tian Kong (Heavenly Void). The Yin's yin spirit coincides with the Huagai (Star of the Celestial Cover), a star associated with monks and Taoists. Taken together, this suggests an affair with a monk, excessive indulgence, and thus the illness. Otherwise, why would the trigram be "ascending fire" and the day branch have the Sheng and Zi (Water) in mutual generation? Zi is associated with women, and the age also harmonizes with Sheng. Many details are suspicious. Later, when the truth was revealed, it became clear that the divination was not random.

愚按：此課正是蕪淫，所以有姦淫之事也。

Cheng Shuxun remarks: The imagery of this lesson precisely belongs to the category of "wu yin," hence there is the matter of lewdness and immorality.

十一月甲子日丑將巳時占行人。雪心《行人類證》

On the 11th month, Jiazi day, take Chou as the general and start the divination with the time of Si. This example is taken from Xue Xin's "Xingren Lü Zheng" (Cases of People Going Out).

貴后陰玄 　丑寅卯辰　玄龍虎合　財 　戌 合 ◎ 蛇子　巳常　辰申午戌　子 庚午 虎 ⊙ 朱亥　午虎　申子戌甲　兄 丙寅 后 　戌酉申未 　合勾龍空

The divination board is the same as the previous example: the general is placed on the巳 position with the time of the day being巳. The Heaven Plate moves ahead eight positions relative to the Earth Plate: the丑 general is placed on the巳 position, the寅 is placed on the午, the卯 on the未, the辰 on the申, the巳 on the酉, the午 on the戌, the未 on the亥, the申 on the子, the酉 on the丑, the戌 on the寅, and the亥 on the卯, with the子 on the辰. The Heavenly General moves from the Nobleman, starting on the丑 position (which is on the巳 position of the Earth Plate) and moves in reverse: the Teng Snake is on the子, the Vermilion Bird on the亥, the Liu He on the戌, the Gou Chen on the酉, the Azure Dragon on the申, the Tian Kong on the未, the White Tiger on the午, the Tai Chang on the巳, the Black Tortoise on the辰, and the Tai Yin on the卯, with the Heavenly Empress on the寅. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem is Jia (located in the寅 position) with the戌 on top, multiplied by the Liu He; the戌 has the午, multiplied by the White Tiger; the day branch is子 with the申 on top, multiplied by the Azure Dragon; the申 has the辰, multiplied by the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions: the first transmission is戌, representing a wealth yao, multiplied by the Liu He, and is in the旬空; the middle transmission is午, representing the son, hidden as Geng, multiplied by the White Tiger; the final transmission is寅, representing the brother, hidden as Bing, multiplied by the Heavenly Empress. When divining about a person's whereabouts, the focus is on the position of the first transmission and the Post-horse. On a Jiazi day, the Post-horse is located in the寅 position, and the first transmission戌 is exactly placed on the寅 position.

雪心曰：三傳日同初。辰得申加子，占行人，是要來方動。蓋初傳戌加驛馬上也，十二月節至。

Snow Heart Divination: The three transmissions start together with the day stem in the first transmission. The day branch has the hour of Shen added on top of Zi, indicating a sign that the traveler is about to return. Since the first transmission Wu is directly placed on top of the post-horse寅, it is predicted that the traveler will return around the solar term of the twelfth month.

杭州芝寺住持印宗師一日害背病疽甚重，臭至見骨，往求苗叔芳卜醫生，甲子日三傳午卯子。《一針見血》

The abbot of the Zhisi Temple in Hangzhou, Yin Zongshi, once developed a severe back abscess, so foul-smelling that it had exposed the bone. He went to consult Miao Shufang for a divination to determine which doctor to seek. The divination was cast on a Jiazi day, with the three transmissions being Wu, Mao, and Zi. This case is taken from "One Needle Sees the Blood."

蛇朱合勾 　寅卯辰巳　龍常虎陰　子 庚午 龍 貴丑　午龍　午酉申亥　兄 丁卯 朱 后子　未空　酉子亥甲　父 甲子 后 　亥戌酉申 　陰玄常虎

The divination plate. This lesson does not record the month general and the time of divination in the original text. From the plate, the heaven plate advances nine positions ahead of the earth plate:寅 is added to the earth position巳, 卯 to 午, 辰 to 未, 巳 to 申, 午 to 酉, 未 to 戌, 申 to 亥, 酉 to 子, 戌 to 丑, 亥 to 寅, 子 to 卯, and 丑 to 辰. The heavenly general starts from the nobleman on 丑, with 丑 located on the earth position 辰, which is yang, so it proceeds in order: Teng Snake on 寅, Vermilion Bird on 卯, Liu He on 辰, Gou Chen on 巳, Azure Dragon on 午, Tian Kong on 未, White Tiger on 申, Tai Chang on 酉, Black Tortoise on 戌, Tai Yin on 亥, and Heavenly Empress on 子. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia lodging in 寅, with 寅 showing 亥, riding Tai Yin; the second lesson has 亥 showing 申, riding White Tiger; the third lesson has the day branch 子 showing 酉, riding Tai Chang; the fourth lesson has 酉 showing 午, riding Azure Dragon. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is 午, representing the son, with hidden stem Geng, riding Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is 卯, representing the brother, with hidden stem Ding, riding Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is 子, representing the parent, with hidden stem Jia, riding Heavenly Empress—this is exactly the three transmissions mentioned as 午, 卯, and 子 in the text.

苗叔芳曰：無妨，可救，宜向南方求醫。初傳青龍勝光須用火。針一開即愈，後果得南方醫者，用針一開之後卻不潰膿，乃子卯相刑之故。再加一針，膿方出盡。用涼藥敷貼，旬日全愈。此是天醫之驗，加於三傳，病必可治。愚按：此課不載月將正時，若處午，為天醫制鬼而吉，則七月占或十一月占也。

Miao Shufang said: There is no need to worry, the patient can be saved. One should go to the south to see a doctor. The first transmission is riding on the Azure Dragon with Shengguang (Wu) of the午 fire, so fire treatment is needed. By needling the wound, the illness can be cured. Later, a doctor from the south was indeed invited, and the wound was opened by needling, but no pus came out, which was due to the conflict between Zi and Mao. Another needle was given, and the pus was fully drained. Then a cooling medicine was applied, and the patient recovered in about ten days. This is an example of the Tianyi (Heavenly Doctor) coming true - when Tianyi falls on the third transmission, the illness is definitely curable. Cheng Shuxun noted: This case does not record the month general and the actual time of divination. If Tianyi is exactly on the午 position, it can control the disease spirit and be auspicious, then it must have been divined in July or November.

若三月占則不用晝貴矣，天醫有兩種，一是正月起子順行四仲，一是正月起辰順行十二支。

If the divination is done in March, the daytime nobleman should not be used. The method of calculating Tianyi has two approaches: one is to start from the first month at Zi, moving in sequence only on the four central positions of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You; the other is to start from the first month at Chen, moving in order through the twelve branches.

七月乙丑日午將卯申時某占生產。《方本占案》

On the 17th day of the seventh month, using the horse as the hour stem to cast the divination, the record in a certain manuscript states "the hour of卯 and申", but according to the divination board, it should be the hour of申. A person cast this divination to inquire about a woman giving birth. This example is found in the "Fang Ben Zhan An".

合勾青空 　卯辰巳午　玄后貴朱　父 　亥 后 ◎ 朱寅　未虎　酉亥子寅　官 癸酉 玄 ⊙ 蛇丑　申常　亥丑寅乙　財 辛未 虎 　子亥戌酉 　貴后陰玄

The divination board. At the time of the monkey (申), the heavenly plate is two positions behind the earthly plate: the卯 (Mao) is placed on the巳 (Si) of the earthly plate, the辰 (Chen) on the午 (Wu), the巳 (Si) on the未 (Wei), the午 (Wu) on the申 (Shen), the未 (Wei) on the酉 (You), the申 (Shen) on the戌 (Xu), the酉 (You) on the亥 (Hai), the戌 (Xu) on the子 (Zi), the亥 (Hai) on the丑 (Chou), the子 (Zi) on the寅 (Yin), the丑 (Chou) on the卯 (Mao), and the寅 (Yin) on the辰 (Chen). The heavenly general starts from the nobleman, moving with the子 (Zi) position: the子 (Zi) is placed on the寅 (Yin) of the earthly plate, which is yang, so it moves in a clockwise direction: the Teng Snake is on the丑 (Chou), the Vermilion Bird on the寅 (Yin), the Liu He on the卯 (Mao), the Gou Chen on the辰 (Chen), the Azure Dragon on the巳 (Si), the Tian Kong on the午 (Wu), the White Tiger on the未 (Wei), the Tai Chang on the申 (Shen), the Black Tortoise on the酉 (You), the Tai Yin on the戌 (Xu), and the Heavenly Empress on the亥 (Hai). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem 乙 (Yi) is located in the辰 (Chen), the first lesson is on the辰 (Chen) with the寅 (Yin), which is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; the second lesson is on the寅 (Yin) with the子 (Zi), accompanied by the nobleman; the third lesson is on the day branch 丑 (Chou) with the亥 (Hai), accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson is on the亥 (Hai) with the酉 (You), accompanied by the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is亥 (Hai), which is the parent爻 (yao) for 乙 (Yi), accompanied by the Heavenly Empress, marked with 「◎」 for the empty period; the middle transmission is酉 (You), which is the official ghost of the day stem, with the hidden stem癸 (Gui), accompanied by the Black Tortoise; the final transmission is未 (Wei), which is the wealth爻 (yao), with the hidden stem辛 (Xin), accompanied by the White Tiger — the未 (Wei) is also the burial place of 乙 (Yi) wood.

邵彥和曰：此課主母死子存。書云：支是母兮干是兒，今天后被支所克，發傳，中末又歸凶將，白虎乘墓入酉之內門，內門者，產門也，故主母死。愚按：白虎在末傳克天后，亦主母凶。子存者，乙干是兒，乘寅為少陽，朱雀火又臨其上，乙日木旺火相，日干得旺相氣，故主兒存也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted this divination: this reading indicates the mother's death and the infant's survival. The text states, "the day branch represents the mother and the day stem represents the child." Today, the Heavenly Empress (representing a woman) is being overcome by the day branch, and the initiating transmission originates from here. The middle transmission and final transmission fall under the Inauspicious General (malevolent generals) of Xuanwu and Baihu. Baihu is riding on the Tomb Spirit (grave deity) of ethyl wood, which is the earth dog (未), and enters the酉 (you) gate, which is the inner gate. The inner gate is the birth gate, so it indicates the death of the mother. Cheng Shuxun commented: Baihu in the final transmission overcomes the Heavenly Empress, which also indicates danger for the mother. The infant is said to survive because the day stem is yi, which represents the child, and it is riding on寅 (yin), which belongs to the young yang energy. The bird (朱雀) fire is also above it. Although ethyl wood is declining in July, fire receives the assistance of its own element, and the day stem ultimately retains the prosperous and strong energy, so it indicates the infant's survival.

乾隆辛巳年七月乙丑日巳將未時某占索捕。《牧夫占驗》

In the year Xinsi of the Qianlong era, on the 10th day of the 7th lunar month, a divination was cast at the time when the hour of Si was about to join the hour of Wei. The person consulted about recovering a debt and pursuing the debtor. This example is taken from "Pastoral Divination Verification."

合勾青空 　卯辰巳午　玄后貴朱　父 　亥 后 ◎ 朱寅　未虎　酉亥子寅　官 癸酉 玄 ⊙ 蛇丑　申常　亥丑寅乙　財 辛未 虎 　子亥戌酉 　貴后陰玄

At the time of the snake hour added to the goat hour, the Heaven Plate is again two positions behind the Earth Plate, so the lesson chart is the same as the previous example:卯 adds to巳, 辰 adds to午, 巳 adds to未, 午 adds to申, 未 adds to酉, 申 adds to戌, 酉 adds to亥, 戌 adds to子, 亥 adds to丑, 子 adds to寅, 丑 adds to卯, 寅 adds to辰. The Heavenly General proceeds from the Nobleman, riding the子 (positioned on the Earth Plate's寅 position): Teng Snake rides丑, Vermilion Bird rides寅, Liu He rides卯, Gou Chen rides辰, Azure Dragon rides巳, Tian Kong rides午, White Tiger rides未, Tai Chang rides申, Black Tortoise rides酉, Tai Yin rides戌, Heavenly Empress rides亥. The four lessons proceed from right to left: 乙 (lodging in the辰 position) appears on寅, riding the Vermilion Bird; 寅 appears on子, riding the Nobleman; the day branch丑 appears on亥, riding the Heavenly Empress; 亥 appears on酉, riding the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions: the first transmission is亥, representing parents, riding the Heavenly Empress, and is empty; the middle transmission is酉, representing official ghosts, hidden癸, riding the Black Tortoise; the final transmission is未, representing wealth, hidden辛, riding the White Tiger, and 未 is also the resting place of乙 wood. In divination about debts, the water on the day branch's亥 nourishes the day stem, indicating the other party has the intention to repay; while the ghost酉 riding the Black Tortoise is pressing on the亥, indicating a critical point of losing wealth and squandering money.

王牧夫曰：此債非其人有心不還，實因好睹好飲，日就衰敗，將來居屋都要賣，賣屋始能得其財，然亦不能全其數矣。問之果然，蓋支上亥水生干是有心要還也，奈陰神酉加亥上，酉乃乙日之鬼，乘元武，酉加亥為酒，元武為嬉戲之神，走？之殺，未乘白虎為賭博呼？而散財也。三傳自生傳鬼，自鬼傳墓，安得不敗壞乎。賣屋者，支為宅，末傳未乘虎沖之也，屋賣而末傳見財，為干之財庫，故尚有也。不全者，白虎臨於其上耳。

Wang Mufu explained: This debt is not due to the debtor intentionally refusing to repay, but rather because he is fond of gambling and drinking, causing his family's fortune to decline day by day; in the future, he will have to sell his house in order to repay the debt, and even then, the amount will still be insufficient. Upon inquiry, it proved to be true. The reasoning is: the water of the day branch,亥, is able to nourish the day stem, indicating that the debtor is indeed willing to repay. However, the hidden spirit酉 is added to亥, and酉 is the ghost of the day stem乙, and it is also associated with the Black Tortoise.酉 added to亥 indicates drinking, and the Black Tortoise is a god of amusement and loss, also representing a destructive force. The final transmission is at未, which is associated with the White Tiger, indicating gambling and losing money. The three transmissions proceed from growth to official ghost, then from official ghost to storage, so how could he not decline? The reason for selling the house is that the day branch represents the house, and the final transmission at未, associated with the White Tiger, is conflicting with it. Although the house is sold, the final transmission also shows the presence of wealth, as未 is the wealth storage of the day stem, so some money will eventually remain. The reason for the insufficiency is that the White Tiger is directly pressing upon this wealth storage.

六月乙丑日午將未時占來意。《一字玉連環》

On the 2nd day of the 6th month, using the hour of午 as the starting point for the time of未, the divination was cast to determine the intention of the person coming. This example is taken from the "One Character Jade Linked Ring."

勾龍空虎 　辰巳午未　后貴朱合　父 甲子 貴 合卯　申常　亥子寅卯　父 　亥 后 ◎ 朱寅　酉玄　子丑卯乙　財 　戌 陰 ◎⊙ 　丑子亥戌 　蛇貴后陰

The lesson board. The hour of Wei is added to the general of Wu, and the Heaven Plate is one step behind the Earth Plate: Chen is added to the Earth Plate Si, Si to Wu, Wu to Wei, Wei to Shen, Shen to You, You to Xu, Xu to Hai, Hai to Zi, Zi to Chou, Chou to Yin, Yin to Mao, Mao to Chen. The Heavenly General moves from the Nobleman, starting with Zi: Zi is on the Earth Plate Chou position, which is yang, so it proceeds in order: Teng Snake is on Chou, Vermilion Bird on Yin, Liu He on Mao, Gou Chen on Chen, Azure Dragon on Si, Tian Kong on Wu, White Tiger on Wei, Tai Chang on Shen, Black Tortoise on You, Tai Yin on Xu, Heavenly Empress on Hai. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem Yi is lodged in Chen, the first lesson has Mao on Chen, riding Liu He; the second lesson has Yin on Mao, riding Vermilion Bird; the third lesson has Zi on Chou, riding Nobleman; the fourth lesson has Hai on Zi, riding Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions on the right: the first transmission is Zi, representing the parent's yao, hidden stem Ji, riding Nobleman; the middle transmission is Hai, also representing the parent's yao, riding Heavenly Empress, and is in the empty period; the final transmission is Xu, representing the wealth yao, riding Tai Yin, also in the empty period. 'Tian Gui' is Xu, and 'Shenhou' is Zi. These two names of the Six Rats divination gods are used in the following interpretation.

徐次賓曰：來意事干西北方承繼姓王人財產也。相托一屬鼠有官人。九月內定見成就，又目下西南方虛望外財，道路有所畏隔，不敢往也。蓋末傳天魁為日干之財，天魁臨亥主王宇，發用神后為日干三合，上見天乙為貴人，又子屬鼠，故知承繼姓王人財產而得屬貴人力也。九月成就者，歸計戌為九月建也。又言西南虛望外財者，末時為日干之財，陰神見天空主虛詐，又值事門上見白虎主道路，白虎金也，為日之鬼，故知畏而不敢往也。

Xu Cibin explained: The person's matter is about inheriting property from a man surnamed Wang in the northwest. This matter is entrusted to a person who is a rat sign and holds an official position, and it will definitely be completed within the ninth month. Additionally, he is currently hoping for some external fortune from the southwest, but he feels some fear and hesitation due to obstacles on the way. The reasoning is as follows: The final transmission's 'Tian Kuai' (戌) is the wealth hexagram of the day stem, and Tian Kuai is located on亥, whose shape is related to the character 'Wang', so it indicates the surname Wang. The initiating transmission's 'Shenhou' (子) forms a triple harmony with the day stem, and above it there is the Tian Yi Nobleman, and since 子 is the rat sign, it is concluded that the person is inheriting property from someone surnamed Wang, and it requires the assistance of a nobleman who is a rat. The reason for the completion in the ninth month is that the gate of returning is戌, which is the month builder of the ninth month. The reason for the hope of external fortune in the southwest is that the last deity is the wealth hexagram of the day stem, but its hidden deity is Tian Kong, which signifies deception. Moreover, the gate of the matter shows Bai Hu, which governs roads, and Bai Hu is metal, which is the ghost of the day stem Yi, so it is known that the person feels fear and hesitates to go forward.

乾隆戊辰年閏七月乙丑日巳將巳時占風水。《牧夫占驗》

In the year Wuchen of the Qianlong era, on the leap seventh month, Yichou day, the divination was cast with the巳 general added to the巳 hour. Since the month general and the time of divination are the same, it is a 'Hidden Chant' lesson. The subject of the divination is about the fengshui of a burial site. This example is taken from "The Farmer's Divination Verification."

龍空虎常 　巳午未申　蛇蛇勾勾　財 戊辰 勾 勾辰　酉玄　丑丑辰辰　財 乙丑 蛇 合卯　戌陰　丑丑辰乙　財 　戌 陰 ◎⊙ 　寅丑子亥 　朱蛇貴後

The divination plate shows that the hour stem is added to the hour of巳, and the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate completely coincide, with each of the twelve branches returning to their original positions, forming a 'Hidden Chant' (伏吟) lesson. The Heavenly General moves from the Nobleman, starting with the Zi position on the Earth Plate, which is yang, so it proceeds in order: Teng Snake occupies Chou, Vermilion Bird occupies Yin, Liu He occupies Mao, Gou Chen occupies Chen, Azure Dragon occupies Si, Tian Kong occupies Wu, White Tiger occupies Wei, Tai Chang occupies Shen, Black Tortoise occupies You, Tai Yin occupies Xu, and Heavenly Empress occupies Hai. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem 乙 is lodged in the Chen position, the first lesson has Chen on Chen, occupied by Gou Chen; the second lesson also has Chen on Chen, occupied by Gou Chen; the third lesson has the day branch Chou on Chou, occupied by Teng Snake; the fourth lesson also has Chou on Chou, occupied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is Chen, representing a wealth yao, with the hidden stem Wu, occupied by Gou Chen; the middle transmission is Chou, representing a wealth yao, with the hidden stem Yi, occupied by Teng Snake; the final transmission is Xu, representing a wealth yao, occupied by Tai Yin, which is in the旬空. In divination for风水, Gou Chen represents mountains, Teng Snake represents the undulations of the land, and Tai Yin in the final transmission conflicts with the day stem and forms a刑 with the day branch, these are the key points for the subsequent interpretation.

王牧夫曰：庸實七兄為以寧侄子容溪隱汰看風水，已定向封固命，餘占是何向。以占數字精粗，餘以前人看來龍山向法，用干支上神合者斷之曰，祖龍從西南坤上來，落脈在巽上，立乙山辛向加卯酉。以寧侄拆封閱之，果符所？。七兄曰龍脈山向如見，此地可扦葬否。余曰勾陳居辰，為山。山高峻穴卻在中平處，以蛇居中傳丑為平土故也。此課雖伏吟靜象卻不可葬。以太陰在末沖干刑支戌中又懷暗鬼耳。穴乘丁，雖有情活潑，惟此處亦曾葬，有人來不然丑乃鬼墓壘壘，在支上何故。以寧侄曰此地名程家墳，一一果符所占，遂共歎服。

Wang Mufu recorded: Yongshi's seventh brother had his nephew Yining look for a good site for a tomb at Zirongxi. They had already determined the direction and sealed it, asking me to cast a divination to determine the direction, to test the accuracy of the divination. Following the methods of previous generations, I observed the coming dragon and determined the mountain direction. I used the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the day to determine the direction, saying: The ancestral dragon comes from the southwest, the Kun direction, and falls on the Xun direction. The direction chosen is the mountain facing the Xin direction, combining the卯 and酉 directions. Yining opened the sealed strip and found it exactly matched my prediction (the character at "所" is missing in the original text). The seventh brother asked: Since you seem to have seen the dragon and mountain direction with your own eyes, can this site be used for burial? I replied: Gouchen is in the Chen direction, which is the mountain. Although the mountain is high and steep, the tomb is located in a flat area on the mountain. This is because Teng Snake is in the middle transmission at the Chou direction, which is flat earth. Although this divination is a quiet image of Fu Yin, it is not suitable for burial, because Tai Yin is in the final transmission, conflicting with the day stem and conflicting with the day branch. The戌 direction also contains hidden ghosts. The tomb is occupied by the Ding god, which although affectionate and lively, there had been burials here before. Otherwise, the Chou direction is the ghost's tomb, and the graves are piled up on the day branch, so what is the reason? Yining said: This place is called Cheng family's tomb. The prediction matches exactly, and everyone was convinced.

乾隆己巳年三月乙丑日酉將午時某占風水。《牧夫占驗》

In the sixth month of the fourth year of Qianlong, on the second day of the third lunar month, which was the Yichou day, the divination was cast by taking the You zodiac as the starting point and using the Wu hour. A person consulted about the good fortune or bad fortune of a piece of burial land. This example is taken from "Mu Fu Zhan Yan."

貴后陰玄 　申酉戌亥　蛇勾陰蛇　財 辛未 蛇 蛇未　子常　未辰戌未　財 　戌 陰 ◎ 朱午　丑虎　辰丑未乙　財 乙丑 虎 ⊙ 　巳辰卯寅 　合勾龍空

The divination board. The general is酉 (You), and the time is午 (Wu). The Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate: 申 (Shen) is added to the Earth Plate's巳 (Si), 酉 (You) to 午 (Wu), 戌 (Xu) to 未 (Wei), 亥 (Hai) to 申 (Shen), 子 (Zi) to 酉 (You), 丑 (Chou) to 戌 (Xu), 寅 (Yin) to 亥 (Hai), 卯 (Mao) to 子 (Zi), 辰 (Chen) to 丑 (Chou), 巳 (Si) to 寅 (Yin), 午 (Wu) to 卯 (Mao), 未 (Wei) to 辰 (Chen). The Heavenly General starts from 申 (Shen) with the Nobleman, moving in reverse because 申 (Shen) is on the Earth Plate's巳 (Si) position, which is yin. Thus, Teng Snake is on 未 (Wei), Vermilion Bird on 午 (Wu), Liu He on 巳 (Si), Gou Chen on 辰 (Chen), Azure Dragon on 卯 (Mao), Tian Kong on 寅 (Yin), White Tiger on 丑 (Chou), Tai Chang on 子 (Zi), Tai Yin on 戌 (Xu), Heavenly Empress on 酉 (You). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem 乙 (Yi) is in the Lodging Palace 辰 (Chen), the first lesson has 未 (Wei) on 辰 (Chen), with Teng Snake; the second lesson has 戌 (Xu) on 未 (Wei), with Tai Yin; the third lesson has 辰 (Chen) on 丑 (Chou), with Gou Chen; the fourth lesson has 未 (Wei) on 辰 (Chen), with Teng Snake. The three transmissions on the right: the first transmission is 未 (Wei), which is a wealth yao, hidden stem 辛 (Xin), with Teng Snake; the middle transmission is 戌 (Xu), which is a wealth yao, with Tai Yin, and is empty; the final transmission is 丑 (Chou), which is a wealth yao, hidden stem 乙 (Yi), with White Tiger. 未 (Wei) is the tomb of 乙 (Yi) wood, and 丑 (Chou) is the Day Branch. Both the Day Stem and Day Branch are under the tomb god, which is the key point for the following interpretation.

王牧夫曰：此地無風水，純是粗石，不可買也。凡占風水以支辰為主，今支上戴墓。干上又戴墓，是前此已有墳墓，皆在平田處，因氣不足。今皆衰替，此占乃未葬而占風水，已有穴處，故以蛇而論之。未乘蛇坐辰上。辰為惡山，辰戌重見，為石，未又不務，何能求全。若必扦葬，人亦衰敗，安可買耶。後其人不信買之，開穴數處皆石，始棄也。

Wang Mufu said: This piece of land has no good fengshui, it is all rough stone and cannot be bought. When judging fengshui, the day branch is the main consideration. Now the day branch is wearing the Tomb Spirit (grave spirit), and the day stem is also wearing the Tomb Spirit, indicating that there was previously a grave here, and it was located on flat land, because the earth energy was insufficient, and now it has declined. This time, the grave has not yet been buried, but fengshui has already been selected, so the Teng Snake is used to discuss the underground energy: "Wei" is riding on the Teng Snake, sitting on Chen; Chen is a bad mountain, when Chen and Xu appear together, they become stone; Wei is also not strong, how can one expect completeness? If one insists on burying a grave, the person will also decline, how can one buy it? Later, that person did not believe and still bought it, dug several graves, but all were stones, and then gave up.

建炎己酉年九月乙丑日卯將戌時沈保正壬戌生四十八歲占脫役事。《方本占案》《口鑑》

In the Jiyou year of the Southern Song dynasty, during the ninth month of the Jiyou year, on the Yichou day, the divination was cast by placing the卯 trigram on the戌 hour. The person named Shen, born in the Renxu year, aged forty-eight, consulted about whether he could be relieved of his duty as a local official. This case is recorded in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

朱合勾龍 　戌亥子丑　合陰空蛇　兄 丙寅 空 蛇酉　寅空　亥午寅酉　財 辛未 后 貴申　卯虎　午丑酉乙　父 甲子 勾 　未午巳辰 　后陰玄常

The lesson board. The hour is戌, with the general (将) on卯. The heaven plate advances five positions ahead of the earth plate:戌 is added to巳,亥 to午,子 to未,丑 to申,寅 to酉,卯 to戌,辰 to亥,巳 to子,午 to丑,未 to寅,申 to卯,酉 to辰. The heavenly general starts from the nobleman (贵人) on申 and proceeds in a clockwise direction: the Teng Snake is on酉, the Vermilion Bird on戌, Liu He on亥, Gou Chen on子, Azure Dragon on丑, Tian Kong on寅, White Tiger on卯, Tai Chang on辰, Black Tortoise on巳, Tai Yin on午, Heavenly Empress on未. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem 乙 is lodged in辰, the first lesson is on辰 with酉, riding the Teng Snake; the second lesson is on酉 with寅, riding Tian Kong; the third lesson is on the day branch丑 with午, riding Tai Yin; the fourth lesson is on午 with亥, riding Liu He. The three transmissions on the right: the first transmission is寅, representing a brother's yao, with the hidden stem丙, riding Tian Kong; the middle transmission is未, representing wealth yao, with the hidden stem辛, riding Heavenly Empress; the final transmission is子, representing parents yao, with the hidden stem甲, riding Gou Chen. In the Six Rats system,寅 is called 'Gongcao', representing officials;酉 is the official ghost for the day of乙, and it is currently placed on the day stem.

邵彥和曰：保正不能脫手，於道理上合當做此役也。酉加乙作蛇官鬼自纏其身，初傳功曹身已在公了，鄭云功曹為胥吏，保正亦胥吏之屬，為保正之後平安無此子事，汝若不認此役，須被監禁必待認了方釋。

Shao Yanhe interpreted that this position of the village head cannot be avoided, and by reason it should be held by him. The酉 (you) is placed on the day stem 乙 (yi) and is multiplied by Teng Snake, indicating that the official ghost is like a snake coiling around himself. The first transmission is 'Gongcao' (寅 yin), meaning the person is already trapped in the official system. Zheng Tigong said that Gongcao governs officials and clerks, and the village head also belongs to the category of clerks. After taking on the position of village head, one would be safe and free from such troubles; if one refuses to accept this duty, he would be detained and must accept it to be released.

又行年與宅上午作太陰，有一人與爾家陰人是親眷，來為爾打關節，陰也又探爾口氣，午為言語。卻去報他為內鬼也，午遁庚為暗鬼，加支為內，蓋乙見酉為官，所制蛇是被監勒，初寅作天空，為官吏若不認，必入獄，辰加日本為天獄，中傳天后認了全賴寅制之，寅為吏，天空為役，故充了保正之後便不入獄卻無慮，末傳子未相穿，又作勾陳，斷然難脫，脫後又重做也。沈公之事果皆如其言，自後既脫，九年又做一次。

Now looking at the year pillar and the house position with the horse (午) riding Tai Yin: there is a person who is a relative of your family's female member, who comes to help you get things done. Tai Yin governs secret matters and is also probing your intentions. The horse (午) in terms of class deity governs speech. However, he turns around and betrays you, becoming an inside informant. The hidden stem of the horse (午) is Geng, which is the dark ghost, and when it is placed on the day branch, it signifies 'internal'. The Yi (乙) is restrained by the metal of You (酉), which represents an official, and when restrained by Teng Snake, it indicates being imprisoned and detained. The first transmission is寅 riding Tian Kong, which governs officials and subordinates. If you do not acknowledge this duty, you will certainly be imprisoned. The Chen (辰) added to the day branch's position forms 'heavenly prison'. The middle transmission is Heavenly Empress, which indicates acknowledging the matter, and it is controlled by寅, which represents an official, and Tian Kong represents the subordinate, so after being appointed as a guardian, you will not be imprisoned and can be at ease. The final transmission is Zi (子) and Wei (未) forming a conflict, and riding Gou Chen. This duty cannot be removed, and even if it is removed, you will have to take it again. Shen Baozheng's later experience indeed matched the prediction: after resigning, he served again nine years later.

乾隆己巳年五月乙丑日未將丑時揚州商人占監院反任否。《牧夫占驗》

In the sixth month of the Jisi year of the Qianlong era, on the Yichou day, the divination was cast starting from the time of Chou with the hour of Wei Jiang added. A merchant from Yangzhou came to consult, asking whether the former monk in charge would return to his post. This example is taken from "Mu Fu Zhan Yan."

合勾龍空 　亥子丑寅　龍后常朱　財 　戌 朱 ◎ 朱戌　卯虎　丑未辰戌　財 戊辰 常 ⊙ 蛇酉　辰常　未丑戌乙　財 　戌 朱 ◎ 　申未午巳 　貴后陰玄

The lesson disk. The month general is at You, and the time is Chou. The month general and the time are in opposition. The heaven plate moves six places ahead of the earth plate, forming a 'returning echo' lesson. The heaven plate is added to the earth plate as follows: Hai on Si, Zi on Wu, Chou on Wei, Yin on Shen, Mao on You, Chen on Xu, Si on Hai, Wu on Zi, Wei on Chou, Shen on Yin, You on Mao, Xu on Chen. The heavenly general starts from Sheng, riding the nobleman, and moves in a clockwise direction: Teng Snake on You, Vermilion Bird on Xu, Liu He on Hai, Gou Chen on Zi, Azure Dragon on Chou, Tian Kong on Yin, White Tiger on Mao, Tai Chang on Chen, Black Tortoise on Si, Tai Yin on Wu, Heavenly Empress on Wei. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Yi is lodged in Chen, the first lesson has Wu on Chen, riding Vermilion Bird; the second lesson has Chen on Wu, riding Tai Chang; the third lesson has Wei on Chou, riding Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson has Chou on Wei, riding Azure Dragon. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is Wu, which is a wealth yao, riding Vermilion Bird, and is in the empty period; the middle transmission is Chen, which is a wealth yao, hidden dry branch Wu, riding Tai Chang; the final transmission is again Wu, still riding Vermilion Bird and in the empty period. Wu is the fire tomb, representing the old, while Chen is Tiangang, representing the new. One new and one old opposing each other, this is exactly the key to determining the retention or removal of new and old officials in this lesson.

王牧夫曰：占此數新舊皆官，何以核實。因思數不妄傳。今戌辰，辰為新，戌為舊，今戌居始末實舊復蒞任也，夏占火墓發用，雖空然得時之旺氣，況反覆仍歸干上，干為外，故仍蒞外任也。貴居申上為刑慮，為往來又是日德，丑為揚州，未為太陽，丑見青龍，龍陽相遇亦無禍患，況丁神作日祿與馬作合。將來戌旺辰衰，則舊官至矣，來期其在夏秋之交乎，果於六月末旬，立秋前一日到。

Wang Mufu explained: In this divination, both the new official and the old official are officials, so how can we determine which one it is? It seems the numbers of the divination will not be confused. Now the three transmissions are戌, 辰, and戌. 辰 represents the new, and戌 represents the old. Since戌 occupies both the beginning and the end, it is actually the old official returning to take office. Since this is a summer divination, the fire墓戌 is the initiating transmission. Although it is in the empty position, it still receives the flourishing energy of the season. Moreover, the repeated movements still return to the day stem, which governs the outside, so he will still take office in an external position. The nobleman is in the position of申, indicating worries about legal matters and also indicating movement. It is also the day's virtue. 丑 corresponds to Yangzhou, 未 is the sun, and 丑 has the azure dragon. The dragon and the yang meet, so there is no disaster. Moreover, the丁 spirit is the day stem's luck, and it is in harmony with the post-horse. In the future, when the energy of戌 becomes stronger and the energy of辰 weakens, the old official will arrive. The day he arrives is probably around the middle of summer and the beginning of autumn. Later, it indeed happened on the last days of June, the day before the beginning of autumn.

凡占官以官星為主，馬附之，干為外任，支為內任，以新舊論，生氣為新，死氣為舊，天罡旺氣為新，河魁休囚為舊，長生為新，死墓為舊，推而廣之，干上為新，支上為舊，以職守而論，申為兵，亥子為？法。以貴而論，則晝貴晝占為現任，夜貴夜占為退休。以動而言，則斷關為動，返吟為動，馬作長生為動，貴臨傳送為動。

Here is a supplementary explanation of the general principles for divining official positions: when divining about official posts, the official star is the main focus, and the post-horse serves as an auxiliary. The day stem represents an external position, while the day branch represents an internal position. To distinguish between new and old: life qi indicates new, death qi indicates old; the tiangang (Chen) being in its旺 period indicates new, and the hekui (Xu) in its weak and confined state indicates old; growth indicates new, and death and墓 indicate old. Extending this, the day stem indicates new, and the day branch indicates old. According to the duties: Shen governs military affairs, and Hai and Zi govern legal matters (the missing character in 「亥子为？法」 is lost in the original text). According to the nobleman: the daytime nobleman in a daytime divination indicates the current position; the nighttime nobleman in a nighttime divination indicates retirement. According to movement and stillness: cutting-off-the-gate lessons indicate activity, returning-echo lessons indicate activity, the post-horse riding growth indicates activity, and the nobleman approaching the chuansong (Shen) indicates activity.

欽差則以馬為主祿次之以此類推無有不驗。

If the divination is about an imperial envoy, then the Post-horse is the main focus, followed by the禄神. Following this approach, there is no case that will not come true.

天聖六年戊辰五月丙寅日申將丑時丁卯人六十二歲占訟。《一針見血》《玉連環末卷》

In the sixth year of Tiansheng during the Northern Song dynasty, which was the year of Wuchen, on the fifth month, on the day of Bingyin, the divination was cast with the hour of Chou and the general (Shen) added. A person born in the year of Dingmao, aged sixty-two, consulted about legal matters. This example is found in the final volume of "Yizhen Jianxue" and "Yulianhuan."

合勾龍空 　子丑寅卯　虎貴陰合　官 甲子 合 朱亥　辰虎　辰酉未子　子 辛未 陰 蛇戌　巳常　酉寅子丙　父 丙寅 龍 　酉申未午 　貴后陰玄

The divination plate. The general of the day, Shēn, is placed on Chǒu at the time of You. The Heaven Plate advances seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate: Zi is placed on Si of the Earth Plate, Chǒu on Wu, Yin on Wei, Mao on Shen, Chen on You, Si on Xu, Wu on Hai, Wei on Zi, Shēn on Chǒu, You on Yin, Xu on Mao, Hai on Chen. The Heavenly General starts from the Nobleman at You, moving in a clockwise direction: Téng Snake is on Xu, Vermilion Bird on Hai, Liu He on Zi, Gōu Chén on Chǒu, Qing Long on Yin, Tian Kong on Mao, Bai Hu on Chen, Tai Chang on Si, Xuan Wu on Wu, Tai Yin on Wei, Tian Hou on Shēn. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem, Bing, is located in Si, the first lesson is on Si with Zi, riding Liu He; the second lesson is on Zi with Wei, riding Tai Yin; the third lesson is on Yin with You, riding the Nobleman; the fourth lesson is on You with Chen, riding Bai Hu. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is Zi, representing the official ghost of the Day Stem, Bing, hidden stem Jiā, riding Liu He; the middle transmission is Wei, representing the son, hidden stem Xin, riding Tai Yin; the final transmission is Yin, representing the parents, hidden stem Bing, riding Qing Long. Hekui, Xu, rides Téng Snake at the position of Mao on the Earth Plate, and Tiangang, Chen, rides Bai Hu at the position of You on the Earth Plate. The positions of Mao and You are the gate and the door, and the following analysis begins with the instability of these gate and door positions.

苗公達曰：主門戶不寧，卑幼為尊長所欺，反有詞訟，須坐獄，兩旬必有貴人釋罪。來日丁卯便見官入獄也。果是兄訟其弟得大尹勸和。

Miao Gongda interpreted the divination: This reading indicates that the household is not peaceful, the younger relative is oppressed by the elders, and a lawsuit ensues, leading to imprisonment. However, within twenty days, a nobleman will clear his name. The person will be taken to court and imprisoned on the next day, which is the Dingmao day. Later, it turned out that the older brother accused the younger brother, and finally the county magistrate mediated and resolved the matter.

論曰：魁罡乘蛇虎立卯酉，故知門戶不寧，三上克下，為幼度厄，故主尊凌卑，神后加水為用，水在五月為囚氣，丙火正旺不受上神所制，則反起爭訟，年上見戌，戌為日墓，故主坐獄，發用神后為甲子旬首，年上河魁為甲戌旬首，應以兩旬為期，傳中合陰龍俱是吉神，又是比用課故主和允。酉作貴人臨日支，順行與用神金水相生，故得貴人釋罪，卯上見戌，戌為火墓，故在丁卯日見官入獄也。

The reasoning is as follows: Hekui (Xu) and Tiangang (Chen) are respectively occupied by Teng Snake and White Tiger, and are positioned at the卯 and酉 gate positions, indicating instability at the gates. Among the four lessons, three instances show the upper god overcoming the lower god, which indicates that the younger is suffering hardship, hence the elder is oppressing the younger. The Shenhou (Zi) water is the initiating transmission, and water is in a state of captivity in May, while Bing fire is strong and refuses to be controlled by the upper god, thus leading to disputes. The year pillar shows Xu, which is the墓 of Bing fire, indicating imprisonment. The initiating transmission Shenhou (Zi) is the first day of the Jiazi ten-day period, and the year pillar Hekui (Xu) is the first day of the Jiaxu ten-day period, so the period is determined to be twenty days between the two ten-day periods. In the three transmissions, Liu He, Tai Yin, and Qinglong are all auspicious generals, and the lesson pattern is a comparison lesson, hence indicating reconciliation. You is occupied by a nobleman and is located on the day branch, with the nobleman moving in order, and the useful god being metal and water, which are in harmony with the nobleman, thus enabling the nobleman to exonerate the person. The卯 position has Xu, which is the墓 of fire, hence the judgment is that on the Dingmao day, the person will face official charges and imprisonment.

楊商占散輪否，乾隆甲戌年六月丙寅日午將酉時。《牧夫占驗》

A salt merchant of the Yang surname divined about the "Scattering Wheel" — whether the order of salt sales by the various banners in the Huainan salt monopoly would be disrupted. The divination was performed on the day of Bingyin in the month of Jiaxu of the Qianlong era. The class was set with the hour of Wu added to the hour of You. This example is taken from "Pastoral Divination Verification."

合勾龍空 　寅卯辰巳　玄貴貴合　官 　亥 貴 ◎ 朱丑　午虎　申亥亥寅　財 壬申 玄 ⊙ 蛇子　未常　亥寅寅丙　兄 己巳 空 　亥戌酉申 　貴后陰玄

The lesson disk. The general is placed on the酉 (you) position at the hour of酉 (you). The heaven plate advances nine positions ahead of the earth plate: 寅 (yin) is placed on the earth plate's巳 (si), 卯 (mao) on 午 (wu), 辰 (chen) on 未 (wei), 巳 (si) on 申 (shen), 午 (wu) on 酉 (you), 未 (wei) on 戌 (xu), 申 (shen) on 亥 (hai), 酉 (you) on 子 (zi), 戌 (xu) on 丑 (chou), 亥 (hai) on 寅 (yin), 子 (zi) on 卯 (mao), 丑 (chou) on 辰 (chen). The heavenly general starts from 亥 (hai) with the nobleman. 亥 (hai) is placed on the earth plate's 寅 (yin) position, which is yang, so it proceeds in order: Teng Snake is on 子 (zi), Vermilion Bird on 丑 (chou), Liu He on 寅 (yin), Gou Chen on 卯 (mao), Azure Dragon on 辰 (chen), Tian Kong on 巳 (si), White Tiger on 午 (wu), Tai Chang on 未 (wei), Black Tortoise on 申 (shen), Tai Yin on 酉 (you), Heavenly Empress on 戌 (xu). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem 丙 (bing) is placed in the 寅 (yin) position, the first lesson has 寅 (yin) with 亥 (hai), riding Liu He; the second lesson has 亥 (hai) with 申 (shen), riding Black Tortoise; the third lesson has the day branch 寅 (yin) with 亥 (hai), riding Black Tortoise; the fourth lesson has 亥 (hai) with 申 (shen), riding Black Tortoise. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is 亥 (hai), which is the official ghost of the day stem, riding the nobleman, marked with '◎' for empty; the middle transmission is 申 (shen), which is the wealth爻, hidden stem 壬 (ren), riding Black Tortoise, and 申 (shen) is also the post-horse of the day; the final transmission is 巳 (si), which is the brother爻, hidden stem 己 (ji), riding Tian Kong. The first transmission 亥 (hai) and the final transmission 巳 (si) are in opposition, which is the basis for the conclusion that this lesson indicates 'eventually dispersing'.

王牧夫曰：此占惟淮南鹽務中有之，古之所無，故無成斷模楷。夫輪之為象，循序動而不息，中傳傳送，乃其象也，申又乘馬，其象更的，貴人乘亥發用貴為官，亥為監鹽官司，之首先發用用不務是鹽不足也，而貴為之，躊躇也，申在中末巳合之，金火相合，有疑而未決之象，然初末相沖終必散也，散而不久，又必合也。其散期在秋後，果驗。口岸之鹽各旗挨次輪賣，散輪則有人越次而。

Wang Mufu said: This type of divination inquiry only occurs in the Huainan Salt Office, and it is not found in ancient texts, so there is no ready-made interpretation to follow. The image of "wheel" is that of sequential movement and continuous cycle, which matches perfectly with the "Chuansong" (Transmission) in the middle transmission. On top of that, the position of Shen is also occupied by the Post-horse, making the image even more accurate. The Nobleman is on亥 and initiates the transmission; since the Nobleman represents an official, and亥 is the official office in charge of salt, its position at the beginning of the transmission with the Useful God not being effective indicates insufficient salt supplies, leading to the official's hesitation. Shen falls in the middle transmission, and the final transmission's Si combines with it; the combination of metal and fire indicates hesitation and indecision. However, the first and final transmissions are in opposition, indicating that eventually it will scatter. Once scattered, it will not last long, and later it will reunite again. The period of scattering is in the autumn. Later, it indeed came true. The salt at the various ports in Huainan is sold in turn by each banner in sequence; the so-called "scattering of the wheel" refers to someone selling out of turn and grabbing the sale (the original text ends here, with the following text missing).

九月丙寅日卯將卯時占行人。《玉連環末卷》

On the 15th day of the ninth month, using the卯 (Mao) general added to the卯 (Mao) hour to cast the divination, the month general and the time of divination are the same, which is a 'Hidden Chant' lesson. This lesson is used to determine whether a person who is away will return. This example is taken from the last volume of the 'Juyilianhuan'.

空虎常玄 　巳午未申　合合空空　兄 己巳 空 龍辰　酉陰　寅寅巳巳　財 壬申 玄 勾卯　戌后　寅寅巳丙　父 丙寅 合 　寅丑子亥 　合朱蛇貴

The divination plate shows the time of卯 (Mao) with the general at卯 (Mao). The Heaven Plate and Earth Plate are completely aligned, with each of the twelve branches returning to their original positions, forming a Hidden Chant lesson. The Heavenly General starts from亥 (Hai) with the Nobleman:亥 (Hai) is on the Earth Plate at its own position and is yang, so it proceeds in order: Teng Snake is on子 (Zi), Vermilion Bird on丑 (Chou), Liu He on寅 (Yin), Gou Chen on卯 (Mao), Azure Dragon on辰 (Chen), Tian Kong on巳 (Si), White Tiger on午 (Wu), Tai Chang on未 (Wei), Tai Yin on申 (Shen), Heavenly Empress on酉 (You). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem 丙 (Bing) is in the Lodging Palace at巳 (Si), the first lesson is at巳 (Si) with巳 (Si) again, riding Tian Kong; the second lesson is also at巳 (Si) with巳 (Si) again, riding Tian Kong; the third lesson is at寅 (Yin) with寅 (Yin) again, riding Liu He; the fourth lesson is also at寅 (Yin) with寅 (Yin) again, riding Liu He. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is at巳 (Si), representing a brother's yao, with the hidden stem 己 (Ji), riding Tian Kong; the middle transmission is at申 (Shen), representing wealth yao, with the hidden stem 壬 (Ren), riding Xuan Wu; the final transmission is at寅 (Yin), representing parents yao, with the hidden stem 丙 (Bing), riding Liu He. In a Hidden Chant lesson, the four lessons are paired and identical, so the transmission is initiated by the crime, resulting in the three transmissions of巳 (Si), 申 (Shen), and 寅 (Yin), which correspond to the four Meng positions of寅 (Yin), 申 (Shen), 巳 (Si), and 亥 (Hai).

劉日新曰：此乃貴人占從人到否，須責天空，其人已動在路，巳乃地足，為用，更在日辰上，主亥日當到，末寅作六合，乃船車動也。又寅申巳亥乃傳終也。凡天？二馬加日辰發用，定主行人至，更傳盡處定歸，或傳送在日辰之後，陰神在日辰之後，未到也。

Liu Rixin interpreted the divination: this is about whether the attendant will arrive, and it should be specifically attributed to the Tian Kong. The person has already started on the way: Si is the "earth foot," also the initiating transmission, and it is located above the day stem, so it is predicted that the person will arrive on the day of Hai. The final transmission Yin is riding on Liu He, which is the image of a boat or vehicle in motion; moreover, Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai are the end of the three transmissions. Whenever the Heavenly Horse and the Post-horse are added to the day branch and serve as the initiating transmission, it certainly indicates that the traveler will arrive; then look at the end of the three transmissions to determine the arrival date. If Shen, the Chuansong, falls after the day branch, and the yin spirit also falls after the day branch, then the person has not yet arrived (the question mark in "天？二马" is a missing character in the original text).

徐經干辛酉生三月二十日巳時生四十八占赴任，建炎戊申年六月丙寅日巳時未將。《口鑑》

Xu Jing was born on the fourth day of the third lunar month in the Xinyou year, at the hour of巳, and is now forty-eight years old. He is consulting whether it is feasible for him to take up an official post elsewhere. The time of the divination is in the fifth year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, on the day of Bingyin in the sixth lunar month. The divination is cast by taking the hour of巳 and adding the element of 未 as the starting point. This case is recorded in the book "Koujian."

勾合朱蛇 　未申酉戌　龍虎朱勾　子 戊辰 虎 龍午　亥貴　午辰酉未　兄 庚午 龍 空巳　子后　辰寅未丙　財 壬申 合 　辰卯寅丑 　虎常玄陰

Divination plate. The hour of巳 is added to the position of未, with the Heaven Plate advancing two positions ahead of the Earth Plate: 未 is added to the Earth Plate's巳, 申 is added to午, 酉 is added to未, 戌 is added to申, 亥 is added to酉, 子 is added to戌, 丑 is added to亥, 寅 is added to子, 卯 is added to丑, 辰 is added to寅, 巳 is added to卯, 午 is added to辰. The Heavenly General starts from the Nobleman riding亥, and moves in reverse because亥 is on the Earth Plate's酉 position, which is yin: Teng Snake rides戌, Vermilion Bird rides酉, Liu He rides申, Gou Chen rides未, Azure Dragon rides午, Tian Kong rides巳, White Tiger rides辰, Tai Chang rides卯, Black Tortoise rides寅, Tai Yin rides丑, Heavenly Empress rides子. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem 丙 is located in the宫 of巳, the first lesson has巳 with未, riding Gou Chen; the second lesson has未 with酉, riding Vermilion Bird; the third lesson has the Day Branch寅 with辰, riding White Tiger; the fourth lesson has辰 with午, riding Azure Dragon. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is辰, representing a son, with the hidden stem 戊, riding White Tiger; the middle transmission is午, representing a brother, with the hidden stem 庚, riding Azure Dragon; the final transmission is申, representing a wealth yao, with the hidden stem 壬, riding Liu He. The three transmissions, moving from辰 to午 to申, ascend step by step, forming the 'ascending three heavens' lesson.

邵彥和曰：辰午申登三天課，因前高峻而至危險。占行人不歸，占疾病不起，今經干占赴任得此，萬不可往，恐有去無回來。年行年到寅正是登三天，尤不可往也。經干不信於己酉年七月動身赴任，八月到京西，庚戌年五月病死，自後子孫家眷俱不得歸，以飛廉作白虎故也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: Chen, Wu, and Shen are called "Deng San Tian" or "ascending to three heavens" divination, because they move forward continuously to higher positions, eventually leading to danger. This type of divination indicates that if used for a traveler, the traveler will not return; if used for illness, the patient will not recover. Now Xu Jinggan obtained this divination for taking office, and it is absolutely forbidden for him to go. He might not return at all. His birth year is exactly on Yin, which is precisely the position of "Deng San Tian," making it especially dangerous for him to go. Xu Jinggan did not believe it, and he left in July of Jiyou year, arriving in western capital in August. He died of illness in May of Gengxu year. After that, his family and relatives could not return either, because the spirit of Feilian rode upon the White Tiger.

《口鑑》。愚按：六月飛廉在卯，不在辰。

The above is from "Kou Jian." Cheng Shuxun notes: The flying crane (Fei Lian) in June is in the Mao position, not the Chen position. The original text's statement here is inconsistent with the example of Fei Lian.

建炎戊申年二月丙寅日亥將申時徐教授丙子命三十三歲十一月二十一日丑時生占前程。《口鑑》

In the fifth year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, on the second day of the second lunar month, which was the Bingyin day, the divination was cast with the亥 (Hai) hour as the starting point. Xu Professor was born on the 21st day of the 11th lunar month of the Bingzi year, at the Chou (Chou) hour, his birth sign is Zi (Boar), he is thirty-three years old, and he is consulting about his official career prospects. This example is found in the book "Koujian."

合朱蛇貴 　申酉戌亥　合空貴合　財 壬申 合 勾未　子后　申巳亥申　官 　亥 貴 ◎ 青午　丑陰　巳寅申丙　父 丙寅 玄 ⊙ 　巳辰卯寅 　空虎常玄

The divination board. The month general is亥, and the time is申. The Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate: 申 is placed on the Earth Plate's巳, 酉 on午, 戌 on未, 亥 on申, 子 on酉, 丑 on戌, 寅 on亥, 卯 on子, 辰 on丑, 巳 on寅, 午 on卯, 未 on辰. The Heavenly General starts from亥 and moves with the Nobleman: 亥 is placed on the Earth Plate's申 position, which is yin, so it moves in reverse. Teng Snake is on戌, Vermilion Bird on酉, Liu He on申, Gou Chen on未, Azure Dragon on午, Tian Kong on巳, Bai Hu on辰, Tai Chang on卯, Xuan Wu on寅, Tai Yin on丑, and Tian Hou on子. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem is 丙, which is placed in the Lodging Palace of巳. The first lesson has 申 on巳, riding Liu He; the second lesson has亥 on申, riding the Nobleman; the third lesson has巳 on寅, riding Tian Kong; the fourth lesson has申 on巳, riding Liu He. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is申, which is a wealth yao, with the hidden stem Ren, riding Liu He; the middle transmission is亥, which is the official ghost of the day stem, riding the Nobleman, marked with '◎' for旬空; the final transmission is寅, which is the parent yao, with the hidden stem 丙, riding Xuan Wu. 亥 is both the month general of the second month and the position of the heavenly gate. The following interpretation repeatedly draws its imagery from this position.

邵彥和曰：申本時臨日，為日所克，丙為夫，申為妻。既從日上發用，空亡又臨妻宮，必主克妻，亥數四主克四妻，中年子息亦克，以六合不得地也。申為西南之金，到巳之爐冶上，必有聲名於西北也。申乘今日之馬，干又坐本命之馬而得長生，主為官至老不倦也。宅上丙火受寅而生，不可以外內言也。年將四旬必遇曹姓人而顯官亦終於六曹，亥為月將不論空亡，但時少遲耳。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: Shen is originally the god of time, but it is placed upon the day stem and is thus overcome by the day stem. Bing represents the husband, Shen the wife, and since it initiates from the day stem, and the empty void falls in the wife's position, it certainly indicates the wife will be harmed. The number of Hai is four, which indicates harm to four wives; in middle age, there will also be damage to descendants, because the Liu He is not in the right place. Shen is the metal of the southwest, falling upon Si, the furnace, and thus being refined, so in the northwest there will be fame. Shen also rides the post-horse of the current day, and the day stem sits upon its own post-horse and gains growth, indicating a career in government that continues until old age. The fire in the residence is supported by the wood of Yin, and this cannot be divided into internal and external. At the age of forty, one will certainly meet a person surnamed Cao and achieve success, and the official position will ultimately be within the six departments. Hai is the month general of this month, so regardless of the empty void, the timing is just slightly delayed.

月將貴人入傳四年之後，便顯自絳帳，從此達於天庭。又寅來生身，十一月天馬在寅，寅臨天門，元武歸本家，為黑煞，黑煞為刑職，中傳既有天門，寅又在天門上，以天見天，必出疆見諸侯，然後入奉天子，處六曹中帶刑職者。寅申巳亥為四維，主代天子而守四方，必四任也。

The Moon General and the Nobleman enter the Three Transmissions; after four years, he will achieve success. He will start from a position of teaching, and then rise to serve in the imperial court. Then looking at寅 which comes to assist the Day Stem, the Heavenly Horse of the eleventh month is located at寅, and寅 is also at the Heaven Gate position亥. The Black Tortoise returns to its original position and becomes the Black Evil; the Black Evil is associated with the position of judicial affairs. The Middle Transmission is the Heaven Gate亥, and寅 is above the Heaven Gate; heaven meets heaven, so this person will certainly first be sent to govern an outer province and meet the feudal lords, then enter the court to serve the Son of Heaven, and hold a position in the six ministries involving judicial affairs.寅, 申, 巳, and亥 are the four cardinal positions, which are responsible for guarding the four directions on behalf of the Son of Heaven, so he must certainly serve four posts as an official outside the capital.

徐君當年服滿得江州德化縣令，次年二月赴任，五月喪妻楊氏，庚戌正月再娶李氏，辛亥年宣撫使劉大中保舉，得諸王府教授，李氏又亡，又娶毛氏，此應中傳之亥，自絳帳而入絳帳，從此達於天庭也，果然四年自諸王教授，出為饒州通判，丁母憂服，再得宣州通判，是時知州曹泳，乃秦太師上客，曹赴京因薦之，徐隨赴召，毛氏又卒，再娶江氏，轉知江陰州軍，召為監察御史，又除殿中侍御史，七月除吏部侍郎，出作奉使兼樞密院承旨，八十六矣。

Later events proved that after completing his mourning period, Professor Xu was appointed as the county magistrate of Dehua in Jiangzhou. In the second month of the following year, he took up his post, but his wife Yang died in May. In the first month of the Gengxu year, he married again, this time Li. In the Xinhai year, he was recommended by the supervisor of pacification affairs Liu Dazhong and appointed as a professor in various王府s. Li died again, and he married Mao. This exactly matched the Middle Transmission's亥, moving from a teaching position to another teaching position, and from then on he reached the imperial court. Indeed, four years later, he was transferred from the professorship in the王府s to the position of assistant governor in Raozhou. He then observed mourning for his mother, and upon completing the mourning period, he was appointed as the assistant governor of Xuanchou. At that time, the prefect of the state, Cao Yong, was a close associate of Qin Hui. When Cao went to the capital, he recommended Xu, and Xu was soon summoned. Mao died again, and he married Jiang. He was then transferred to the position of prefect of Jiangyin military state, and was summoned to serve as a supervisory censor. He was later promoted to the position of imperial court censor, and in July he was appointed as the deputy minister of personnel. He was then sent on an official mission and also served as an assistant to the secretariat. He lived to be eighty-six years old.

愚按：內有十一月天馬在寅之句，今繫二月，豈用其生用乎。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: The statement says "In November, the Heavenly Horse is in Yin," but this divination was made in February. How can the Heavenly Horse from November be used as the Useful God? This is inconsistent with the method of establishing the example.

何三公丙午生六十三歲占身位，戊申年六月丙寅日未將寅時。《口鑑》《方本占案》

He Zigan was born in the year of Bingwu, and is now sixty-three years old. He consulted about his own safety. The time of the divination was in the year of Wushen, sixth month, day of Bingyin. The divination was started with the hour of Yin, using the method of adding Wei to Yin. This example is found in the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an."

蛇朱合勾 　戌亥子丑　合陰空蛇　官 甲子 合 貴酉　寅青　子未卯戌　兄 己巳 常 后申　卯空　未寅戌丙　子 　戌 蛇 ◎ 　未午巳辰 　陰玄常虎

The divination plate shows that the Heavenly General is added to the寅 (Yin) hour. The Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate:戌 (Xu) is added to the巳 (Si) position,亥 (Hai) to午 (Wu),子 (Zi) to未 (Wei),丑 (Chou) to申 (Shen),寅 (Yin) to酉 (You),卯 (Mao) to戌 (Xu),辰 (Chen) to亥 (Hai),巳 (Si) to子 (Zi),午 (Wu) to丑 (Chou),未 (Wei) to寅 (Yin),申 (Shen) to卯 (Mao), and酉 (You) to辰 (Chen). The Heavenly General starts from酉 (You) with the Nobleman, moving in a clockwise direction: Teng Snake is on戌 (Xu), Vermilion Bird on亥 (Hai), Liu He on子 (Zi), Gou Chen on丑 (Chou), Azure Dragon on寅 (Yin), Tian Kong on卯 (Mao), White Tiger on辰 (Chen), Tai Chang on巳 (Si), Tai Yin on午 (Wu), Heavenly Empress on未 (Wei), and Tian Hou on申 (Shen). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem 丙 (Bing) is in the巳 (Si) position, the first lesson has戌 (Xu) on巳 (Si), riding Teng Snake; the second lesson has卯 (Mao) on戌 (Xu), riding Tian Kong; the third lesson has未 (Wei) on寅 (Yin), riding Tai Yin; and the fourth lesson has子 (Zi) on未 (Wei), riding Liu He. The three transmissions on the right side are: the first transmission is子 (Zi), representing the official ghost of the Day Stem, with the hidden stem 甲 (Jia), riding Liu He; the middle transmission is巳 (Si), representing the brother, with the hidden stem 己 (Ji), riding Tai Chang; and the final transmission is戌 (Xu), representing the son, riding Teng Snake, marked with the term '◎' for the empty term. Both the Day Stem and Day Branch are accompanied by the tomb god. The ghost in the fourth lesson,子 (Zi), is activated, and the three transmissions return to the Day Stem, which serves as the basis for the subsequent judgment of a ghostly presence causing disturbances.

邵彥和曰：干支帶墓，第四課見子鬼發動，卻又傳歸日上，六月死神在戌作蛇，主有伏尸，帶迷惑煞，殃及於人，因宅中皆是舊墓，前後俱有尸骸，鬼入四課，在內之鬼也。傳出日上，漸次侵害於人也。主不出八年，癆病相纏，當死五人，中傳雖有生氣，受克化而為鬼，是以不利。戌年戌月難以救也。考何三公宅內原是舊冢，聞此言，乃掘之，共掘得十四穴，皆無主之墓。庚戌年九月未日，何公不祿，七年之中，果喪五人。

Shao Yanhe interpreted that the day stem and day branch both carry the Tomb Spirit, and the fourth lesson has the子鬼 activated, yet it returns to the day stem. In June, the death deity is in戌 and is乘 by the Teng Snake, indicating there are buried bones beneath the house, along with a confusing evil spirit, which will affect the living. The reason is that the house is built on old graves, with corpses in front and behind. The ghost entering the fourth lesson indicates ghosts within the house; when it returns to the day stem, it gradually harms the body. The main issue is that within eight years, the family will suffer from chronic illness, and five people will die. Although the middle transmission carries life qi, it is overcome and transforms into a ghost, thus being unfavorable; it will be even more difficult to save in the year and month of戌. Upon investigation, it was found that the house of He San Gong was originally on an old graveyard. After hearing this, he went to dig, and fourteen graves were found, all without masters. On the sixth day of September in the year Gengxu, He San Gong died; within seven years, indeed five people died.

畢法賦云，兩蛇夾墓凶難免，此課凶矣，再（）其山之所自（ ）發用見子水（）為鬼出迤邐歸（）干上未為天（）殺加宅主有（）尸侵害人也。

The *Bi Fa Fu* says, "Two snakes enclosing the tomb, misfortune is inevitable," and this lesson indeed presents ainauspicious sign. The following passage is damaged, with the words in parentheses all missing. The meaning can be roughly understood as: Further examine the origin of the mountain's momentum, the initiating transmission shows the water of Zi as a ghost, and the ghostly energy spreads continuously to the day stem. The hexagram *Wei* is the heavenly killer, added to the dwelling position, thus indicating the invasion of corpses harming the living. The missing text is not conjectured, and is preserved as it originally was.

某占宅內鬼哭丁卯年未月丙寅日未將寅時。《牧夫占驗》

A person divined about a ghostly cry heard at night in his home; the time was in the year Dingmao, month Wei (June), day Bingyin. The divination was cast using the time of the hour starting with Wei as the starting point. This example is taken from "Pastoral Divination Verification."

蛇貴后陰 　戌亥子丑　后勾常蛇　官 甲子 后 朱酉　寅玄　子未卯戌　兄 己巳 空 合申　卯常　未寅戌丙　子 　戌 蛇 ◎ 　未午巳辰 　勾龍空虎

The lesson board. At the time of寅 (rat), the heavenly and earthly plates are the same as the previous example, with the heavenly plate advancing five positions ahead of the earthly plate:戌 (dog) adds to巳 (snake),亥 (pig) adds to午 (horse),子 (rat) adds to未 (sheep),丑 (ox) adds to申 (monkey),寅 (rat) adds to酉 (rooster),卯 (rabbit) adds to戌 (dog),辰 (dragon) adds to亥 (pig),巳 (snake) adds to子 (rat),午 (horse) adds to丑 (ox),未 (sheep) adds to寅 (rat),申 (monkey) adds to卯 (rabbit),酉 (rooster) adds to辰 (dragon). The difference here is that this lesson uses the night nobleman. The heavenly general starts from亥 (pig) with the nobleman:亥 (pig) is located at the earthly plate's午 (horse) position, which is yin, so it moves in reverse: Teng Snake is on戌 (dog), Vermilion Bird on酉 (rooster), Liu He on申 (monkey), Gou Chen on未 (sheep), Azure Dragon on午 (horse), Tian Kong on巳 (snake), White Tiger on辰 (dragon), Tai Chang on卯 (rabbit), Tai Yin on寅 (rat), Heavenly Empress on子 (rat). The four middle lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem 丙 (bing) is located in the巳 (snake) palace. The first lesson has戌 (dog) on巳 (snake), with Teng Snake; the second lesson has卯 (rabbit) on戌 (dog), with Tai Chang; the third lesson has未 (sheep) on寅 (rat), with Gou Chen; the fourth lesson has子 (rat) on未 (sheep), with Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is子 (rat), representing official ghost, with hidden stem 甲 (jia), riding Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is巳 (snake), representing brother, with hidden stem 己 (ji), riding Tian Kong; the final transmission is戌 (dog), representing son and daughter, riding Teng Snake, with a旬空 (decade void). Heavenly Empress represents crying and women, and子 (rat) corresponds to the middle of the night, so the conclusion is that it is a female ghost crying at midnight.

王牧夫曰：鬼由四課發用，乃宅內之鬼，天后主哭泣，子屬半夜，後為女鬼，儀神為尊長，當自東北而依西北哭去，主家中有月厭氣事。此來警覺耳。於人無傷也，中傳作天空，天空乃奏事之神，又為月厭煞，又是生氣，家中恐有糊塗不明事，不然何自宅內傳歸戌地，乃是日墓又歸干上，以墓丙火支辰又乘墓。人宅招晦，不得分明當慎之也。夫事見理明尚義體仁關照大局，棄小遇內外整則可讓而禍自可遠矣。

Wang Mufu explained: The ghost arises from among the four lessons, indicating it is a ghost within the house. The Heavenly Empress governs crying, and the hour of Zi is midnight, so the Heavenly Empress also represents a female ghost. The ritual god represents a superior elder. This ghost comes from the northeast and departs toward the northwest, indicating there is an ill omen of month aversion in the family. It comes only to warn, not to harm. The middle transmission is accompanied by Tian Kong, which is a deity responsible for reporting matters, also the month aversion evil spirit, and also life qi. Therefore, the family may have unclear matters; otherwise, why would the three transmissions originate from within the house and reach the Xu place? Xu is the grave of Bing day, and it also belongs to the day stem. The grave suppresses the Bing fire, and the day branch also carries a grave. Both people and the house are attracting bad luck, and matters are unclear, so one should be cautious. Whenever encountering matters, as long as one understands the principles clearly, upholds righteousness, has a kind heart, considers the whole situation, is willing to give up small matters to maintain order both inside and outside, and is willing to yield a step, calamities will naturally be far away.

六月丙寅日午將未時占來意。《一字玉連環》

On the 17th day of the sixth month, using the hour of午 (horse) as the starting point for the time of未 (sheep), the divination was cast to determine the matter the visitor is inquiring about. This example is taken from the "One-Character Jade Linked Ring."

龍空虎常 　辰巳午未　蛇朱勾龍　官 甲子 蛇 勾卯　申玄　子丑卯辰　官 　亥 貴 ◎ 合寅　酉陰　丑寅辰丙　子 　戌 后 ◎⊙ 　丑子亥戌 　朱蛇貴後

The lesson board. The general is placed on the hour of Wei, and the Heaven Plate is one position behind the Earth Plate: Chen is placed on the Earth Plate's Si, Si on Wu, Wu on Wei, Wei on Shen, Shen on You, You on Xu, Xu on Hai, Hai on Zi, Zi on Chou, Chou on Yin, Yin on Mao, Mao on Chen. The Heavenly General starts from the Nobleman riding Hai, moving in a clockwise direction: Teng Snake rides Zi, Vermilion Bird rides Chou, Liu He rides Yin, Gou Chen rides Mao, Azure Dragon rides Chen, Tian Kong rides Si, White Tiger rides Wu, Tai Chang rides Wei, Black Tortoise rides Shen, Tai Yin rides You, Heavenly Empress rides Xu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem, Ji, is located in Si, the first lesson has Chen on Si, riding Azure Dragon; the second lesson has Mao on Chen, riding Gou Chen; the third lesson has Yin on Mao, riding Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson has Chou on Yin, riding Teng Snake. The three transmissions on the right: the first transmission is Zi, representing the official ghost of the Day Stem, hidden stem Ji, riding Teng Snake; the second transmission is Hai, also an official ghost, riding Nobleman, in the empty period; the third transmission is Xu, representing the son, riding Heavenly Empress, also in the empty period. In the Six Rats system, Zi is called 'Shenhou', Hai is called 'Dengming', Xu is called 'Tiankui', and Chen is called 'Tiangang', these divine names are used in the following interpretations.

徐次賓曰：來意主北面近水酒莚，間與額尖眼小之人相爭，又一貴人與彼相助照，乃息怒而欲見官，卻得一姓王人勸合無事也。蓋值事門上見太常主酒食，發用亥子為北面又臨亥為近水，神后為日之鬼，見蛇為眼小額尖之人，中傳登明亦為日鬼，上見貴人，穩中有降與彼相助照緣。日上見天罡土能制亥子水，又主怒惡，故知息怒，惡而欲見官，卦體比且主和，合末傳天魁亥主王字，故云姓王人勸合也。

Xu Cibin explained: The person's matter is about attending a banquet near water in the north, where he got into an argument with someone who has a sharp forehead and small eyes. Then a nobleman helped the other side, so he suppressed his anger and wanted to go to the authorities to complain. Later, a man named Wang mediated and prevented any incident. The reasoning is: The door of the matter shows Tai Chang, which governs wine and food. The initiating transmission is亥 and子, which are in the north and near water. The 'Shenhou' Zi is the ghost of the day stem Jia, and it is above Teng Snake, which represents the person with a sharp forehead and small eyes. The middle transmission 'Dengming' Hai is also the ghost of the day stem, and it is above a nobleman, so there is a nobleman helping the other side. The day stem sees 'Tiangang' Chen, which is earth and can control the water of Hai and Zi, and it also governs anger, so it is said he suppressed his anger. When anger is extreme, he wants to go to the authorities, but the lesson pattern is the 'ratio' pattern, which governs reconciliation. The final transmission 'Tiankui' Xu is on top of Hai, and the shape of Hai relates to the character 'Wang', so it is said a man named Wang mediated.

吳公望問終身，即以生年月日時演課斷之，康熙二十四年乙丑歲五月初七丙寅日申將酉時。殘篇

Wu Gongwang asked about his destiny. The diviner used his birth year, month, day, and hour to cast the divination. The time was the 24th year of the Kangxi era, with the stem-branch cycle being Yichou. On the 7th day of the fifth lunar month, Bingyin, the diviner set the hour as Shen and added You for the time. This example comes from a fragmentary text.

龍勾合朱 　辰巳午未　玄常空龍　官 甲子 玄 空卯　申蛇　子丑卯辰　官 　亥 陰 ◎ 虎寅　酉貴　丑寅辰丙　子 　戌 后 ◎⊙ 　丑子亥戌 　常玄陰后

The divination plate. The general is at the hour of You, with the Heaven Plate moving one position behind the Earth Plate. The arrangement of Heaven and Earth Plates is the same as the previous example: Chen added to Si, Si added to Wu, Wu added to Wei, Wei added to Shen, Shen added to You, You added to Xu, Xu added to Hai, Hai added to Zi, Zi added to Chou, Chou added to Yin, Yin added to Mao, Mao added to Chen. The difference here is that this lesson uses the night nobleman. The Heavenly General starts from the nobleman at You, moving clockwise: You is at the Earth Plate position Xu, which is yin, so it moves in reverse. Teng Snake is at Shen, Zhu Que at Wei, Liu He at Wu, Gou Chen at Si, Qing Long at Chen, Tian Kong at Mao, Bai Hu at Yin, Tai Chang at Chou, Xuan Wu at Zi, Tai Yin at Hai, and Tian Hou at Xu. The four middle lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem is Bing, which is in the lodging palace Si. The first lesson has Si with Chen, riding Qing Long; the second lesson has Chen with Mao, riding Tian Kong; the third lesson has the day branch Yin with Chou, riding Tai Chang; the fourth lesson has Chou with Zi, riding Xuan Wu. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is Zi, which is official ghost, hidden stem Ji, riding Xuan Wu; the middle transmission is Hai, also official ghost, riding Tai Yin, and is in the旬空; the final transmission is Xu, which is son, riding Tian Hou, and is in the旬空. The Chen on the day stem and the Chou on the day branch are both the burial places of water, so the official star is buried, which is the key to this lesson regarding fame and status.

黃斷曰：初傳旬儀，二十歲以前自在愉活之場，有無邊之樂事，干支上神雖係龍常各載鬼墓，鬼亦官也，官星入墓，功名有不蹭蹬者乎。宜其十赴？而悲於不遇到耳，況甲科最要廉幕貴人得力，中傳亥幕貴也，兼是官星，乃又旬空，空則無力也。欲填實除是有亥年之恩科則填補而可望，又或有巳年之恩科沖實亦可望，否則不能矣。末傳子息又空乃是天將后加後妻也，空而尚能育子乎，故須覓一肖夫之妾以填補之，鄧攸之哭，吾知其可免矣。

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) Glossary: Heavenly Empress = Tian Hou Azure Dragon = Qing Long First Transmission = Chu Chuan Middle Transmission = Zhong Chuan Final Transmission = Mo Chuan Heavenly General = Tian Jiang Nobleman = Gui Ren Day Stem = Ri Gan Day Branch = Ri Zhi Storage = Mu Ku Kongwang = Kong Wang Tai Chang = Tai Chang A certain person named Huang interpreted the divination: The first transmission is "Xun Yi," indicating that before the age of twenty, the person was in a place of ease and happiness, with endless joys. Although the gods on the day stem and day branch are riding the auspicious generals Qing Long and Tai Chang, they are each carrying a ghostly tomb; the ghost is the official star, and when the official star enters the tomb, how can one's official career not be full of difficulties? It is no wonder he took the examination ten times (the original text has a missing character for "ten times"), each time feeling heartbroken due to lack of opportunity. Moreover, the most important thing for passing the examination with a first-class rank is to have the support of "Lian Mu Gui Ren." The middle transmission, which is亥, is exactly the Mu Gui, and it is also the official star, but it falls into the旬空, making it ineffective. To fill this vacancy, one must wait for an imperial examination in the year of亥, which would allow the vacancy to be filled; or an imperial examination in the year of巳, which would fill the vacancy by opposing亥 through the principle of冲. Otherwise, it would not be possible. The final transmission is the son's branch, which also falls into Kongwang, and the heavenly general is Tian Hou added to Tian Hou, indicating a second wife. Since it falls into Kongwang, can a son be born? Therefore, one must find a concubine with the same zodiac sign as the husband to fill this vacancy. In this way, the sorrow of Deng You, a Jin dynasty man who had no sons and wept bitterly, can be avoided.

某占失麥面，丁卯日卯將戌時。

A man's house lost some wheat flour. On Dingmao day, he took the卯将 and set the lesson at the戌 hour to divinate who stole it.

蛇朱合勾 　戌亥子丑　勾后常合　兄 己巳 常 貴酉　寅青　丑申巳子　子 　戌 蛇 ◎ 后申　卯空　申卯子丁　父 丁卯 空 ⊙ 　未午巳辰 　陰玄常虎

The divination plate. The time is戌 (Dog) with the general at卯 (Rabbit). The Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate:戌 is added to巳 (Snake),亥 (Horse) to午 (Goat),子 (Rat) to未 (Sheep),丑 (Ox) to申 (Monkey),寅 (Tiger) to酉 (Rooster),卯 to戌,辰 (Dragon) to亥,巳 to子,午 to丑,未 to寅,申 to卯,酉 to辰. The Heavenly General starts from the Nobleman at酉 (Rooster) and proceeds in a clockwise direction: Teng Snake is on戌, Vermilion Bird on亥, Liu He on子, Gou Chen on丑, Azure Dragon on寅, Tian Kong on卯, Bai Hu on辰, Tai Chang on巳, Xuan Wu on午, Tai Yin on未, Heavenly Empress on申. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem is丁 (Ding), which is located in the Lodging Palace of未 (Sheep). The first lesson has子 (Rat) on未, riding Liu He; the second lesson has巳 (Snake) on子, riding Tai Chang; the third lesson has申 (Monkey) on卯 (Rabbit), riding Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson has丑 (Ox) on申, riding Gou Chen. The three transmissions on the right side are: the first transmission is巳 (Snake), representing a brother's yao, with the hidden stem己 (Ji), riding Tai Chang; the middle transmission is戌 (Dog), representing a son's yao, riding Teng Snake, and is in the旬空 (empty period); the final transmission is卯 (Rabbit), representing a parent's yao, with the hidden stem丁 (Ding), riding Tian Kong. In divination for lost items, it is customary to blame Xuan Wu, but in this case, Xuan Wu is not used, and the thief is instead determined from the first transmission, which is in accordance with the ancient method as mentioned later.

邵彥和曰：據此課象是人力勾引來偷去，後知果是人力與對門面店博士合偷。蓋巳為爐灶，又鑄印課，太常為博士，亦主酒食，中傳戌為人力，末傳天空，亦是人力，是兩人力合偷也。申為麥面，陰神丑土墓之，而作勾陳，故主勾引也。《方本》。愚按：此課不用元武斷賊而以初傳斷賊，兼以中末？之，最合古法。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: According to this divination pattern, the theft was committed by the household servant who was lured by an outsider. Later investigation confirmed that it was indeed the servant who conspired with the assistant from the adjacent shop to commit the theft. The reasoning is: the branch Si is associated with the stove, and the lesson pattern is "casting a seal" lesson. Tai Chang governs assistants and also food and drink. The middle transmission Wu indicates the servant, and the final transmission Tian Kong also refers to the servant, so it is two servants who conspired to steal. The branch Shen is associated with wheat and flour, but its hidden deity Chou earth restrains it, and Chou is governed by Gou Chen, which governs connection and linkage, so it is said that the thief was lured. This case is from "Fang Ben Zhan An". Cheng Shuxun commented: This lesson does not use Xuan Wu to determine the thief, but instead determines the thief from the first transmission, and then confirms it with the middle and final transmissions (the missing character in "兼以中末？之" is taken as the original text's missing character), which is most consistent with ancient methods.

某占訟己巳年五月丁卯日未將丑時乙酉生四十五歲。《牧夫占驗》

A person consulted about legal matters, the time being in the year Jisi, fifth month, day Dingmao. The divination was started with the hour of You added to Chou. The person seeking the divination was born in the year Yiyou, aged forty-five. This example is taken from "The Farmer's Divination Verification."

朱合勾龍 　亥子丑寅　空貴陰勾　父 丁卯 空 蛇戌　卯空　卯酉未丑　財 癸酉 貴 貴酉　辰虎　酉卯丑丁　父 丁卯 空 　申未午巳 　后陰玄常

The divination plate. The month general is at You, added to the Chou hour. The month general and the time of divination are in opposition. The heaven plate advances six positions ahead of the earth plate, forming a 'returning echo' lesson. The heaven plate positions are: Hai added to the earth plate Si, Zi added to Wu, Chou added to Wei, Yin added to Shen, Mao added to You, Chen added to Xu, Si added to Hai, Wu added to Zi, Wei added to Chou, Shen added to Yin, You added to Mao, Xu added to Chen. The heavenly general starts from You, riding the nobleman, moving in a clockwise direction: Teng Snake rides Xu, Vermilion Bird rides Hai, Liu He rides Zi, Gou Chen rides Chou, Azure Dragon rides Yin, Tian Kong rides Mao, Bai Hu rides Chen, Tai Chang rides Si, Xuan Wu rides Wu, Tai Yin rides Wei, Tian Hou rides Shen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Ding is in the lodging palace Wei, the first lesson is on Wei with Chou, riding Gou Chen; the second lesson is on Chou with Wei, riding Tai Yin; the third lesson is on the day branch Mao with You, riding the nobleman; the fourth lesson is on You with Mao, riding Tian Kong. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is Mao, representing the parent's yao, hidden stem Ding, riding Tian Kong; the middle transmission is You, representing wealth yao, hidden stem Ji, riding the nobleman; the final transmission is again Mao, still hidden stem Ding, riding Tian Kong. The interaction between Mao and You indicates mutual opposition, which corresponds to the description of 'repetition without end' mentioned later.

王牧夫曰：此訟乃見貴而起罪重落獄遣戌也。蓋發用天空，天傳反覆是卯酉。卯酉乃私門也，貴人坐此一官未了，又換一官，反覆不止一次。喜太歲上神亥克丁，乃是今日德神，年上辰戌為牢獄，乘白虎，故主落獄，陰神戌與命作合，罪止遣戌而已，且貴臨卯酉，占訟多牽他人，後果一一如占。

Wang Mufu interpreted that this case arose from a court appearance, and the charge was serious, leading to imprisonment and exile. The initiating transmission was accompanied by Tian Kong, and the three transmissions moved only between卯 and酉;卯 and酉 are positions of private matters, with a nobleman sitting there. One official had not yet concluded the case when another took over, and this repeated several times. Fortunately, the god at the year's stem,亥, was able to overcome the day stem Ding, and亥 was also the moral god of the day. The year's stem,辰 and戌, indicate imprisonment, and they were accompanied by the White Tiger, so imprisonment was indicated. The hidden god戌, which is yin, harmonized with the personal stem, so the charge would end with exile. Moreover, the nobleman was present at the private positions of卯 and酉, and in divination about lawsuits, it often involves others. Later, everything turned out exactly as predicted.

某占家宅正月丁卯日子將卯時。《方本占案》

A person divined the fortune of their home, with the time being the Dingmao day of the first month. The calculation started with the Zi general added to the Mao hour. This example is found in the "Fang Ben Zhan An."

合勾龍空 　寅卯辰巳　陰蛇朱龍　官 甲子 蛇 朱丑　午虎　酉子丑辰　財 癸酉 陰 蛇子　未常　子卯辰丁　兄 庚午 虎 　亥戌酉申 　貴后陰玄

The divination board shows that the Heavenly General is placed on the卯 (Mao) position at the time of the卯 (Mao) hour. The Heaven Plate moves ahead of the Earth Plate by nine positions:寅 (Yin) is placed on巳 (Si),卯 (Mao) on午 (Wu),辰 (Chen) on未 (Wei),巳 (Si) on申 (Shen),午 (Wu) on酉 (You),未 (Wei) on戌 (Xu),申 (Shen) on亥 (Hai),酉 (You) on子 (Zi),戌 (Xu) on丑 (Chou),亥 (Hai) on寅 (Yin),子 (Zi) on卯 (Mao), and丑 (Chou) on辰 (Chen). The Heavenly General starts from亥 (Hai) with the Nobleman, moving in a clockwise direction: Teng Snake is on子 (Zi), Vermilion Bird on丑 (Chou), Liu He on寅 (Yin), Gou Chen on卯 (Mao), Azure Dragon on辰 (Chen), Tian Kong on巳 (Si), White Tiger on午 (Wu), Tai Chang on未 (Wei), Black Tortoise on申 (Shen), Tai Yin on酉 (You), and Heavenly Empress on戌 (Xu). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem is丁 (Ding), which is located in the宫 (palace) of未 (Wei). The first lesson has辰 (Chen) on未 (Wei), with Azure Dragon as its general. The second lesson has丑 (Chou) on辰 (Chen), with Vermilion Bird as its general. The third lesson has子 (Zi) on卯 (Mao), with Teng Snake as its general. The fourth lesson has酉 (You) on子 (Zi), with Tai Yin as its general. The three transmissions on the right side are: the first transmission is子 (Zi), which is the official ghost of the Day Stem, hidden as Jia, with Teng Snake as its general. The middle transmission is酉 (You), which is the wealth element, hidden as Gui, with Tai Yin as its general. The final transmission is午 (Wu), which is the brother element, hidden as Geng, with White Tiger as its general. The子 (Zi) is placed on the Day Branch卯 (Mao), and午 (Wu) is placed on酉 (You). The two Inauspicious General (malevolent generals), Teng Snake and White Tiger, are directly over the卯 (Mao) and酉 (You) positions, which are the gate positions.

愚按：鄭本雲正月占不宜出路，似此方於子午道路之神句有著落，鄭云子酉午皆屬婦人，子午為道路，酉為天鬼，恐是婦人在道路中染了疫氣至家，以致滿門受傷也。愚按邵公最嫌天鬼，鄭君補出此層甚是。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: According to Zheng Tigong's explanation, if one draws this divination during the first lunar month, it is not advisable to go out. In this way, Shao Yanhe's statement that "zi and wu are the deities of roads" makes sense. Zheng also said that zi, you, and wu can all indicate women. Zi and wu represent roads, while you is the heavenly ghost. Perhaps a woman in the family caught an epidemic while traveling, bringing it back home and causing harm to the whole family. I further remarked: Shao Yanhe particularly disliked the heavenly ghost. Zheng's addition of this point is correct.

邵彥和曰：此課占宅，主門戶幽暗，有重喪。又陰小有災，蓋子作蛇入宅為用，午作虎在酉上為末。以子午道路之神而作蛇虎臨卯酉之上，是蛇虎加二八門也，故主重喪。又子加卯相刑也，午作虎死氣也，安得不凶乎，當年其人果死，其孫又亡。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: This reading concerns the dwelling, indicating darkened gates and serious mourning within the family. Women and young children are also affected by misfortune. This is because the child's trigram is riding on Teng Snake and entering the dwelling position as the initiating transmission, while the horse's trigram is riding on White Tiger and falling on You as the final transmission. The child and horse are originally the deities of roads, but now they are riding on Teng Snake and White Tiger over Mao and You, which are the positions of the second and eighth months, representing the gate positions. Therefore, it indicates consecutive deaths. Moreover, the child's trigram added to Mao is mutually harmful, and the horse's trigram riding on White Tiger is accompanied by death qi, how could it not be ominous? Indeed, the person in question died, and his grandson later also passed away.

乾隆丙子年九月丁卯日辰將丑時，都轉盧雅雨先生辛未生，六十六歲，占遷官否。牧夫占驗。

In the 21st year of Qianlong's reign (1756), in the ninth month, on a Dingmao day, the calculation was made with the hour of Chen as the month general and the time of Chou. The question was asked by Lu Yayu, the salt transport commissioner of the two Huai regions. "Duzhuan" is a short form for "Duzhuan yun yan shi si yun shi," meaning the commissioner of the salt transport bureau. He was born in the year Xinwei and was sixty-six years old at the time. He asked whether he could be promoted. This case is recorded in Wang Mufu's records of divination practices.

蛇貴后陰 申酉戌亥 貴合常后 財 癸酉 貴 朱未 子玄 酉午丑戌 官 甲子 玄 合午 丑常 午卯戌丁 父 丁卯 空 巳辰卯寅 勾龍空虎

This passage describes the text of the spread-out divination board. The Heaven and Earth plates start with the general of Chen (辰将) added to the hour of Chou (丑时). The Heaven plate deities are each three positions ahead of the Earth plate branches: on the branch Si (巳), the Heaven plate gets Shen (申); on Wu (午), it gets You (酉); on Wei (未), it gets Xu (戌); on Shen (申), it gets Hai (亥); on You (酉), it gets Zi (子); on Xu (戌), it gets Chou (丑); on Hai (亥), it gets Yin (寅); on Zi (子), it gets Mao (卯); on Chou (丑), it gets Chen (辰); on Yin (寅), it gets Si (巳); on Mao (卯), it gets Wu (午); on Chen (辰), it gets Wei (未). The twelve Heavenly Generals are in order: Teng Snake (螣蛇) is on Shen (申), Nobleman (贵人) is on You (酉), Heavenly Empress (天后) is on Xu (戌), Tai Yin (太阴) is on Hai (亥), Xuan Wu (玄武) is on Zi (子), Tai Chang (太常) is on Chou (丑), Bai Hu (白虎) is on Yin (寅), Tian Kong (天空) is on Mao (卯), Qing Long (青龙) is on Chen (辰), Gou Chen (勾陈) is on Si (巳), Liu He (六合) is on Wu (午), Zhu Que (朱雀) is on Wei (未). Nobleman is on You (酉) and moves backward, indicating the night nobleman for the day of Ding (丁). The four lessons are read from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ding (丁) is in the lodging palace of Wei (未), and on Wei (未) is Xu (戌), which is occupied by Heavenly Empress; the second lesson, on Xu (戌) is Chou (丑), which is occupied by Tai Chang; the third lesson, on the day branch Mao (卯) is Wu (午), which is occupied by Liu He; the fourth lesson, on Wu (午) is You (酉), which is occupied by Nobleman. The three transmissions are: initial transmission You (酉), middle transmission Zi (子), and final transmission Mao (卯). The initial transmission You (酉) is concealed by the stem Gui (癸), which on the day of Ding (丁) fire is the wife and wealth, and is occupied by Nobleman. The middle transmission Zi (子) is concealed by the stem Ji (甲), which is the official and ghost, and is occupied by Xuan Wu. The final transmission Mao (卯) is concealed by the stem Ding (丁), which is the parents, and is occupied by Tian Kong. You metal generates Zi water, Zi water generates Mao wood, and Mao wood in turn generates the day stem Ding fire. The three transmissions generate one after another, which is called "reciprocal generation" or "successive generation."

王牧夫曰：憲臺不能升遷，安榮此任甚久。公曰：三傳遞生人舉薦，何故不能？曰：遞生雖屬舉薦，但是閉口不能顯薦，況公年命皆空，不能著實。三傳是大概之象，年命方切於己耳。且丁神心動身動，實有所望，奈自乘墓，又與支神作合，所以安榮此任不能？遷者也。後果不能升遷，壬午冬告休而回。

Wang Mufu said: The magistrate will not be promoted, but will remain in his current position for a long time. Lu Gong asked: The three transmissions are all in a sequence of mutual generation, which is the image of someone recommending him, so why can't he be promoted? Wang Mufu answered: Although mutual generation is indeed the image of recommendation, the life qi is closed and not flowing, so the support can only be given secretly, not openly recommended; moreover, your birth stem and age are both in kongwang. Your birth stem is Xinwei, and your age of sixty-six also reaches Wei. The Wei is occupied by Xu, which is the empty of the Jiazi cycle, empty and not real, not able to reach a real position. The three transmissions are only the general outline, but the birth stem and age are what truly relate to the person being divined. Moreover, the "Ding Shen" that the day stem Ding has escaped has both heart and body moving, you indeed have hope in your mind, but the day stem itself is riding on the tomb god - the tomb of Ding fire is on the god Xu on the stem; Xu also forms Liu He with the day branch Mao, being caught by the combination and unable to move, so you can only enjoy your current position and cannot be transferred. (The character below "cannot" is missing in the original text). Later, he indeed did not get promoted, and retired in winter of the 27th year of Qianlong (1762) and returned to his hometown.

乾隆乙亥年八月丁卯日辰將子時，占督院文書批發何如。牧夫占驗。

In the twentieth year of the Qianlong era, Yihai (1755), in the eighth month, on a Dingmao day, the divination was cast with Chen as the month general, starting at the Zi hour. The case concerns the outcome of a document submitted to the governor's office (the "dushu" or governor's headquarters) receiving a reply. This case is recorded in Wang Mufu's divination records.

貴后陰玄 酉戌亥子 陰朱空陰 官 亥 陰 ◎ 蛇申 丑常 亥未卯亥 父 丁卯 空 ⊙ 朱未 寅虎 未卯亥丁 子 辛未 朱 午巳辰卯 合勾龍空

After the lesson disk is laid out flat as above. The Heaven and Earth plates start with the hour of Chen and the Heavenly General. The Heaven plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth plate: the Earth plate's Si position corresponds to You, Wu to Xu, Wei to Hai, Shen to Zi, You to Chou, Xu to Yin, Hai to Mao, Zi to Chen, Chou to Si, Yin to Wu, Mao to Wei, and Chen to Shen. The Twelve Heavenly Generals are: the Nobleman is on You, the Heavenly Empress on Xu, Tai Yin on Hai, Black Tortoise on Zi, Tai Chang on Chou, White Tiger on Yin, Tian Kong on Mao, Azure Dragon on Chen, Gou Chen on Si, Liu He on Wu, Vermilion Bird on Wei, and Teng Snake on Shen. The hour of Zi is night, and the nobleman in the night of Ding is on You, and the nobleman moves in reverse. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ding is in the lodging palace of Wei, and Wei corresponds to Hai, which is occupied by Tai Yin; the second lesson, Hai corresponds to Mao, which is occupied by Tian Kong; the third lesson, the day branch Mao corresponds to Wei, which is occupied by Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson, Wei corresponds to Hai, which is occupied by Tai Yin. The three transmissions are Hai, Mao, and Wei, which form the triple harmony of wood: the first transmission, Hai is the official ghost, as it falls in the empty position of the Jiazi cycle, so it does not carry a hidden stem, and is marked with 「◎」 for the empty position, occupied by Tai Yin; the middle transmission, Mao carries the hidden stem of Ding, which is the parent, occupied by Tian Kong, marked with 「⊙」; the final transmission, Wei carries the hidden stem of Xin, which is the child, occupied by Vermilion Bird.

王牧夫曰：省中文字不能如意，鹽窩當大退。丙丁之日批成，戊巳之日到。果於丁日批，巳日到。批語與生意甚無益也，連日大退數錢，甚驗。凡占？？大位，俱以歲破為用。歲破之上生酉，正沖木局，故不能如意也。正時與朱雀六害，與卯相刑，何能有望，？？是以必退耳。朱雀為批辭，遁辛克支，為？？受墓受克，安得有好語乎。丙丁之日批者，未即丁，又辛與丙合，以丙丁而為期。戊己之日到者，馬帶巳又合戊也。

Wang Mufu said: The official document from the provincial government will not be satisfactory, and the business of the salt fields will suffer a big drop. It will be approved on the days of Bing and Ding, and delivered on the days of Wu and Ji. Later, it was indeed approved on the day of Ding and delivered on the day of Si. The approval comments brought no benefit to the business, and the price dropped several units in the following days, which was extremely accurate. Whenever one divines matters such as taking a high position, the "year destruction" is taken as the useful god. In the year of Yihai, the year destruction is in Si. On the earth plate, Si is exactly where the heaven plate酉 is. The metal of酉 clashes and controls the central god of the triple harmony wood circle, which is卯. The wood circle is thus scattered, so the matter will not go smoothly. When divining, Zi does not form the six harms with the bird Vermilion, but Zi is in conflict with the day branch卯. Where is there any hope, so the business must decline. The bird Vermilion governs official documents and comments. The hidden stem of the final transmission, which is Wei, is Xin. The metal of Xin controls the day branch卯 wood. Wei is also the storage of wood, which is both trapped in the storage and controlled, where can there be good words. It is said that the approval will be on the days of Bing and Ding because the day stem Ding is lodged in Wei, and Wei represents Ding. The hidden stem of the final transmission, which is Xin, is in harmony with Bing, so Bing and Ding are taken as the time of response. It is said that the delivery will be on the days of Wu and Ji because the post-horse is in Si, and Si contains Wu, which is in harmony with Wu.

雍正乙卯年五月丁卯日未將卯時，阮帝臣老占求孔公司委買之事允否。殘編。

In the thirteenth year of the Qing Yongzheng era, which was the Yimao year (1735), in May, on a Dingmao day, the class was cast with the hour of卯 (Mao) and the month general of未 (Wei). The old gentleman, a former official, was divining whether he could obtain an assignment from Kong Gong to be in charge of purchasing goods. This entry is taken from a fragmentary compilation.

朱蛇貴后 酉戌亥子 貴勾常貴 官 亥 貴 ◎ 合申 丑陰 亥未卯亥 父 丁卯 常 ⊙ 勾未 寅玄 未卯亥丁 子 辛未 勾 午巳辰卯 龍空虎常

After the lesson plate is laid out as above. The heaven and earth plates are arranged with the general of the hour (未) added to the卯 hour. The heaven plate moves four positions ahead of the earth plate, and the heaven and earth plates are exactly the same as in the previous case: the earth plate has酉 on巳,戌 on午,亥 on未,子 on申,丑 on酉,寅 on戌,卯 on亥,辰 on子,巳 on丑,午 on寅,未 on卯,申 on辰. The arrangement of the heavenly generals differs from the previous case: the Vermilion Bird is on酉, the Teng Snake on戌, the Nobleman on亥, the Heavenly Empress on子, the Tai Yin on丑, the Black Tortoise on寅, the Tai Chang on卯, the White Tiger on辰, the Tian Kong on巳, the Azure Dragon on午, the Gou Chen on未, and the Liu He on申. The卯 hour belongs to the day time, and on a丁 day, the nobleman is in亥 during the day, and the nobleman moves in reverse. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the丁 lodges in未, and the未 has亥, which is occupied by the nobleman; the second lesson, the亥 has卯, which is occupied by the Tai Chang; the third lesson, the day branch卯 has未, which is occupied by the Gou Chen; the fourth lesson, the未 has亥, which is occupied by the nobleman. The three transmissions,亥,卯, and未, form a wood trinity: the first transmission,亥, is the official ghost, located in the empty position, marked with「◎」, and occupied by the nobleman; the middle transmission,卯, is the hidden heavenly stem丁, which is the parent, occupied by the Tai Chang, marked with「⊙」; the final transmission,未, is the hidden heavenly stem辛, which is the child, occupied by the Gou Chen. Seeking official position and wealth should focus on the nobleman, but the nobleman is on the empty position亥.

黃斷曰：求貴不宜貴空，空則無力。且夏令得木局，乃休氣。休氣者，廢也，不成之象。果於七月另委他人矣。

Huang's interpretation states that seeking assistance from a nobleman is most unfavorable when the nobleman is in an empty position, as the nobleman's influence is ineffective in such a case. In this case, the first transmission falls on the亥 (Hai) which is empty for the current ten-day period, and the nobleman is precisely occupying that position. Furthermore, in the fifth lunar month, which is the summer season, fire is dominant. However, the triple harmony forms a wood pattern instead. Wood generates fire, and the one that generates me is called 'rest,' which indicates a state of decline. Wood in summer is considered to be in a state of rest, which is a sign of inefficiency and inability to accomplish tasks. Later, indeed, in the seventh lunar month, this task was assigned to someone else.

揚州某氏子求占父柩在何處，己巳年巳月戊辰日酉將丑時。

A son from a family in Yangzhou came to seek divination: where should the father's coffin be placed. The time is the Jisi year, Si month, Wuchen day. Use You as the month general and start the lesson from Chou hour.

空虎常玄 丑寅卯辰 蛇龍朱空 財 甲子 龍 龍子 巳陰 申子酉丑 子 壬申 蛇 勾亥 午后 子辰丑戊 兄 戊辰 玄 戌酉申未 合朱蛇貴

After the lesson board is laid out flat as above. The heaven and earth plates are set with the hour of You (酉) as the general and the time of Chou (丑) as the starting point. The heaven plate advances eight positions ahead of the earth plate: the earth plate's Si (巳) corresponds to Chou (丑), Wu (午) corresponds to Yin (寅), Wei (未) corresponds to Mao (卯), Shen (申) corresponds to Chen (辰), You (酉) corresponds to Si (巳), Xu (戌) corresponds to Wu (午), Hai (亥) corresponds to Wei (未), Zi (子) corresponds to Shen (申), Chou (丑) corresponds to You (酉), Yin (寅) corresponds to Xu (戌), Mao (卯) corresponds to Hai (亥), and Chen (辰) corresponds to Zi (子). The twelve heavenly generals are: Tiankong (Sky Void) is on Chou (丑), Baihu (White Tiger) is on Yin (寅), Taichang (Great Constancy) is on Mao (卯), Xuanwu (Black Tortoise) is on Chen (辰), Taiyin (Great Yin) is on Si (巳), Tianhou (Heavenly Empress) is on Wu (午), Guiren (Nobleman) is on Wei (未), Tengshe (Teng Snake) is on Shen (申), Zhuque (Vermilion Bird) is on You (酉), Liuhe (Six Harmonies) is on Xu (戌), Gouchen (Hook Heaven) is on Hai (亥), and Qinglong (Azure Dragon) is on Zi (子). The time of Chou (丑) belongs to the night, and on the fifth day of the earth, the nobleman is on Wei (未), and the nobleman moves in the order of the heavenly stems. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Wu (戊) is in the lodging palace of Si (巳), and Si (巳) corresponds to Chou (丑), which is occupied by Tiankong (Sky Void); the second lesson, Chou (丑) corresponds to You (酉), which is occupied by Zhuque (Vermilion Bird); the third lesson, the day branch Chen (辰) corresponds to Zi (子), which is occupied by Qinglong (Azure Dragon); the fourth lesson, Zi (子) corresponds to Shen (申), which is occupied by Tengshe (Teng Snake). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi (子), the middle transmission is Shen (申), and the final transmission is Chen (辰). The first transmission, Zi (子), corresponds to the hidden stem Jiā (甲), which represents the wife and wealth on the day of Wu (戊) earth, occupied by Qinglong (Azure Dragon); the middle transmission, Shen (申), corresponds to the hidden stem Rén (壬), which represents the son and grandson, occupied by Tengshe (Teng Snake); the final transmission, Chen (辰), corresponds to the hidden stem Wu (戊), which represents the brother and sibling, occupied by Xuanwu (Black Tortoise). The three characters Zi (子), Shen (申), and Chen (辰) are exactly the triple harmony of Shen (申), Zi (子), and Chen (辰), forming the water trinity.

王牧夫曰：尊人之柩在北門寺庵中，庵前有河一條，詢之僧人便知。此占因柩失，非問墓也，不可以墓論。發用青龍子水在申，申乃死氣，而蛇居之。子由辰上發用，子為北，辰為關，故曰北門外。龍丑辰上，主寺觀。申與僧同音，故曰詢之僧人。前有河一條者，申子辰合成水局也。

Wang Mufu said: Your father's coffin is in a temple monastery outside the northern gate. In front of the monastery there is a river; one should ask the monks there to find out. This divination is about the unknown location of the coffin, not about the tomb, so it cannot be interpreted using the methods for divining tombs. The initiating transmission (first transmission) is the Jia Wood (Qinglong) riding on the Zi Water. Zi is supported by Shen, and Shen is the death qi of water. Also, the Teng Snake resides on Shen. Zi initiates from the earth plate Chen, and Zi belongs to the northern direction. Chen governs pass and gate, so it is said to be outside the northern gate. Qinglong, along with Chou and Chen, represents the image of temples, monasteries, and shrines. "Shen" and "monk" have the same sound, so it is said to go and ask the monks. The river in front of the monastery is because the three characters Shen, Zi, and Chen form a water pattern.

占者父亡，時只數歲，後隨姐遷於他處。及長，因母亡，欲逄柩合葬，其父柩在北門外庵中，只一姐夫知之，而庵中柩累累。詢之僧人，乃得其父柩，即逄合殯。占者得此數甚異之。王氏占驗。愚按：王公不責白虎而論三傳，極？邵公之法合。

The person who was divining had just a few years old when his father died, and later followed his sister to live elsewhere. When he grew up, his mother also passed away, and he wanted to move his father's coffin for a joint burial. The father's coffin was already in a temple outside the northern gate, but only his brother-in-law knew about it. However, the coffins in the temple were placed next to each other, making it impossible to distinguish them. According to Wang Mufu's suggestion, he asked a monk, and indeed found his father's coffin, then proceeded to move it for a joint burial. The diviner was greatly surprised by the accuracy of this divination. This case comes from Wang's verified records. The editor's note: Wang did not consult the White Tiger (a conventional practice for divining matters related to death), but instead based his judgment on the Three Transmissions, which is very consistent with the method of Master Shao Yanhe.

葉某庚戌生，五十九歲，占宅。建炎戊申年六月戊辰日未將酉時。口鑑。

Ye was born in the Geng Xu year and is now fifty-nine years old. He came to divinate his family's residence. The time was the second year of the Jianyan era of Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song, the Wu Shen year (1128), in the sixth month on the Wu Chen day. The month general was Wei, and the lesson was cast for the You hour. This case is from Shao Yanhe's "Kou Jian."

勾合朱蛇 卯辰巳午 虎青空勾 兄 乙丑 空 青寅 未貴 子寅丑卯 財 亥 常 ◎ 空丑 申后 寅辰卯戊 子 癸酉 陰 ⊙ 子亥戌酉 虎常玄陰

After the lesson disk is laid out as above. The Heaven and Earth plates are arranged with the "Wei" general added to the "You" hour. The Heaven plate is two positions behind the Earth plate: the Earth plate's "Si" position corresponds to "Mao", "Wu" to "Chen", "Wei" to "Si", "Shen" to "Wu", "You" to "Wei", "Xu" to "Shen", "Hai" to "You", "Zi" to "Xu", "Chou" to "Hai", "Yin" to "Zi", "Mao" to "Chou", and "Chen" to "Yin". The Twelve Heavenly Generals are: Gou Chen on "Mao", Liu He on "Chen", Vermilion Bird on "Si", Teng Snake on "Wu", Nobleman on "Wei", Heavenly Empress on "Shen", Tai Yin on "You", Black Tortoise on "Xu", Tai Chang on "Hai", White Tiger on "Zi", Tian Kong on "Chou", and Azure Dragon on "Yin". The "You" hour belongs to the night, and on the fifth day of the fifth month, the nobleman is located at "Wei", and the nobleman moves in reverse. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem "Wu" is in the "Si" position, and "Si" corresponds to "Mao", which is occupied by Gou Chen; the second lesson, "Mao" corresponds to "Chou", which is occupied by Tian Kong; the third lesson, the day branch "Chen" corresponds to "Yin", which is occupied by Azure Dragon; the fourth lesson, "Yin" corresponds to "Zi", which is occupied by White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is "Chou", which corresponds to the hidden stem "Yi", representing a brother, occupied by Tian Kong; the middle transmission is "Hai", which falls in the empty position of the Jiazi cycle, so there is no hidden stem, marked as "◎", representing a wife's wealth, occupied by Tai Chang; the final transmission is "You", which corresponds to the hidden stem "Gui", representing a son, occupied by Tai Yin, marked as "⊙". The sequence of "Chou", "Hai", and "You" moves in reverse, entering the northwest阴 area, which is referred to as the "extreme yin lesson" mentioned later.

邵彥和曰：丑亥酉為極陰課，幸中末旬空，故雖有災危，尚不至不測。只是子孫多門戶事擾，遂消折財本，晚年主不得意而死。不合土塞東門，壁外又不合堆木板；太陰乘酉加亥，敗處乘空，母患酒病死，家業衰矣。

Shao Yanhe said: The three transmissions of Chou, Hai, and You are called "extreme Yin lesson." Fortunately, both the middle transmission and the final transmission are accompanied by empty periods, so although there is disaster and danger, it does not lead to unforeseen calamity. However, there are many descendants and a miscellaneous household, with continuous domestic troubles, thus causing loss of capital, and in old age, one will end up dissatisfied and unhappy. Moreover, there is mud blocking the eastern gate, and wooden boards are piled outside the walls. Tai Yin is riding You and added to Hai, earth fails at You, and You is seated on the empty period Hai, indicating that the mother will die from alcohol-related illness, and the family business will thus decline.

葉宅東邊有門，果有泥土，乃戊辰干支皆土，丑土又加卯門之上發用，故主土塞東門。二木克干支二土，故知壁外有木板。課得極陰，主災變，最喜空亡可解。今中末空，不入亥地陰極之處，故不至大災。然畢竟陰耗財物也。

The eastern gate of the Ye family's house indeed has a door, and there are actually piles of soil at the entrance: this is because the day stem and branch, Wu and Chen, both belong to earth, and the first transmission, Chou, is also earth. Moreover, the initiating transmission is on the earth plate at Mao, which is the eastern gate, so it is interpreted as soil blocking the eastern gate. Among the four lessons, the wood deities Yin and Mao are overcoming the two earth deities Wu and Chen of the day stem and branch, so it is known that there are wooden planks piled outside the walls. The lesson pattern becomes extremely yin, indicating a calamity, and the most favorable situation is for Kongwang to resolve it. Now, both the middle and final transmissions carry Kongwang (the middle transmission, Hai, is itself in the empty period, and the final transmission, You, is added on top of the empty Hai), so it does not sink into the extreme yin place of Hai, thus no major disaster occurs, but there will still be hidden loss of wealth.

子孫眾多者，戊辰一帶皆是東方，丑寅卯之旺氣也。甲子旬中乙丑丙寅丁卯乃真三奇，所以無災。不合退歸亥酉西北方，土敗於酉，三奇亦暗，夫日月星辰傾於西北，自然消折也。母患酒病，死於辛亥年者，太陰老婦象母，酉乘亥為酒，太歲填實，亥仍入極陰不空也。男女七人婚嫁所費，家業消缺乏矣。

The reason for many descendants is that the earthly branches of the Wuchen period all belong to the east, which is the flourishing period of the丑, 寅, and 卯. In the Jiazi cycle, the Yichou, Bingyin, and Dingmao are the true three marvels. With the three marvels protecting, there is no great disaster. However, the three transmissions retreat along the path of 亥 and 酉, which is the northwest. The earth is ruined at 酉, and the light of the three marvels also fades. As ancient people said, the sky tilts toward the northwest, and the sun, moon, and stars all move toward the northwest. Therefore, family fortune naturally declines. The mother died of a drinking illness in the Xinhai year, because the Tai Yin is the image of an old woman, which can be taken as the mother. 酉 is on 亥, and 亥 represents wine. In the Xinhai year, the heavenly stem fills the kongwang, so 亥 is no longer empty, and it falls again into the extreme yin place, so it happened in that year. The expenses for the marriage of seven children consumed the family's resources.

乾隆戊辰年九月戊辰日卯將寅時，程桐江甲申命，四十五歲，占月建休咎。牧夫占驗。

In the thirteenth year of the Qianlong era, Wuchen (1748), in the ninth month, on a Wuchen day, the divination was cast with the hour of Mao as the month general and the time of Yin as the starting point. The person seeking the divination was Cheng Tongjiang, born in Jiashen year, aged forty-five at the time, asking about the fortune and misfortune of this month. This case is recorded from Wang Mufu's divination records.

蛇貴后陰 午未申酉 蛇朱貴蛇 官 丙寅 龍 朱巳 戌玄 午巳未午 父 庚午 蛇 合辰 亥常 巳辰午戊 父 庚午 蛇 卯寅丑子 勾龍空虎

After the divination board is laid out flat as shown above. The Heaven and Earth plates are arranged with the卯 general added to the寅 hour. The Heaven plate moves one step ahead of the Earth plate: the Earth plate's巳 is paired with午, 午 with未, 未 with申, 申 with酉, 酉 with戌, 戌 with亥, 亥 with子, 子 with丑, 丑 with寅, 寅 with卯, 卯 with辰, and 辰 with巳. The Twelve Heavenly Generals are: 螣蛇 on午, 贵人 on未, 天后 on申, 太阴 on酉, 玄武 on戌, 太常 on亥, 勾陈 on卯, 青龙 on寅, 天空 on丑, 白虎 on子, 朱雀 on巳, and 六合 on辰. The寅 hour belongs to the night, and on the戊 day, the nobleman is on未, and the nobleman moves in reverse. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem戊 lodges in巳, and巳 is paired with午, which is occupied by 螣蛇; the second lesson, 午 is paired with未, which is occupied by 贵人; the third lesson, the day branch辰 is paired with巳, which is occupied by 朱雀; the fourth lesson,巳 is paired with午, which is occupied by 螣蛇. The first and fourth lessons both have午 added to巳, so the four lessons actually form only three. Therefore, the method of "别责" is used to determine the transmissions: on a yang day, the initial transmission is the god of the day stem's combined partner's lodging palace, which is the god above it. Since戊 and 癸 are combined, 癸 lodges in丑, and the Earth plate's丑 is paired with寅, so the initial transmission is寅. The middle and final transmissions both use the god above the day stem, which is午. The initial transmission寅 moves through the heavenly stems to become丙, which is the official ghost in the戊 earth day, occupied by Azure Dragon. The middle and final transmissions both have午 moving through the heavenly stems to become庚, which is the parent, occupied by Teng Snake.

王牧夫曰：此課平看，不過鬼克不利而已，然關係甚大。何以見之？今茲九月火潛之時，安得有此一派炎炎之氣？午為陽刃羅網纏身，疊見必有大纏繞事來累身。彼雲目下無甚事，那得至此。曰：本月內要見，然終無礙，先凶後吉。彼雲禍應主何人。曰：發用別責，青龍作鬼，乃由別事而起；青龍為官位，木為舟車之官，必因此而起事也。

Wang Mufu said: At first glance, this divination seems ordinary, merely indicating that the official ghost is overcoming the self and there is slight disadvantage. In reality, the matter is of great significance. How can one see this? Now is September, the time when the fire energy is hidden. Where should there be such intense fire? The four lessons and three transmissions contain many instances of巳 and午.午 is the yang blade of the戊 day, and the day branch is辰, which is the earth net. The blade and the net entangle the self, and the fire god appears repeatedly, which certainly indicates a major entanglement that will involve the person himself. Cheng Tongjiang said that there is nothing happening at present, how could it reach this situation? Wang Mufu said: The matter will be clear within this month, but ultimately it will not cause harm, it will first be凶 and then吉. Cheng Tongjiang asked again who will be affected by the misfortune. Wang Mufu said: The initiating transmission takes the 'alternative responsibility' method, and the azure dragon also serves as the official ghost, indicating that the misfortune is caused by something else. The azure dragon represents official position, and wood represents transportation and vehicles, so it must be caused by matters related to this area.

不數日，果為借河晌事波累及身，數月因審實無事。次年春月復占月建，獨未吉，囑慎防。後復為漕替所奏，幾付部讞，仲賴恩旨半路赦回。此課事關重大者，以太歲干支為日辰故也。火雖炎上，而火虛誕，中末相併不足，又兼生干，故有始無終，不須慮耳。凡螣蛇太旺則主驚疑，此以陽刃羅網為利害也。

A few days later, Cheng Tongjiang was indeed implicated in the matter of misappropriating silver for river works, but after several months the case was thoroughly investigated and found to be baseless. The next spring he came again to consult about the auspiciousness of this month, but that particular month was inauspicious, and Wang Mufu warned him to be cautious. Later he was indeed impeached by the granary transport authorities, almost reaching the level of being submitted to the ministry for trial, but he was pardoned and recalled on the way thanks to the imperial grace. This divination was significant because the stem and branch of the year's heavenly stem and the day's branch coincided (the Qianlong Wuchen year met with a Wuchen day), so the matter fell under the influence of the year's stem and branch. Although fire is strong and rising, it was actually a false fire: both the middle transmission and the final transmission formed the same 'wu' (noon), which lacked sufficient strength; moreover, the 'wu' fire turned back to nourish the day's stem 'wu' earth, so the matter began but did not end, and there was no need for excessive worry. Generally speaking, when the Teng Snake is too strong, the person experiences anxiety and unease, and the consequences of this divination lie between the yang blade and the network of Luo.

建炎戊申年六月戊辰日未將巳時，徐將仕辛卯命，三月三十日巳時生，一十八歲，占前程。口鑑。

In the second year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, Wuchen (1128), on the sixth month, on the Wuchen day, the divination was cast with Wei as the month general and the time of the divination was the fourth hour (si). The question was about Xu Jiangshi, who was born at the fourth hour of the Xinmao year, on the thirtieth day of the third month, and was eighteen years old at the time. He was asking about his future career and official rank. This case is from Shao Yanhe's "Koujian."

空虎常玄 未申酉戌 虎青常空 子 壬申 虎 青午 亥陰 申午酉未 兄 戌 玄 ◎ 勾巳 子后 午辰未戊 財 甲子 后 ⊙ 辰卯寅丑 合朱蛇貴

After the lesson plate is laid out flat as shown above. The heaven and earth plates are arranged with the "un" (未) general added to the "si" (巳) hour. The heaven plate advances two positions ahead of the earth plate: on "si" (巳) the heaven plate shows "un" (未), on "wu" (午) it shows "shen" (申), on "wei" (未) it shows "you" (酉), on "shen" (申) it shows "xu" (戌), on "you" (酉) it shows "hai" (亥), on "xu" (戌) it shows "zi" (子), on "hai" (亥) it shows "chou" (丑), on "zi" (子) it shows "yin" (寅), on "chou" (丑) it shows "mao" (卯), on "yin" (寅) it shows "chen" (辰), on "mao" (卯) it shows "si" (巳), on "chen" (辰) it shows "wu" (午). The twelve heavenly generals are: "tian kong" (天空) on "un" (未), "bai hu" (白虎) on "shen" (申), "tai chang" (太常) on "you" (酉), "xuan wu" (玄武) on "xu" (戌), "qing long" (青龙) on "wu" (午), "gou chen" (勾陈) on "si" (巳), "tai yin" (太阴) on "hai" (亥), "tian hou" (天后) on "zi" (子), "liu he" (六合) on "chen" (辰), "zhu què" (朱雀) on "mao" (卯), "teng she" (螣蛇) on "yin" (寅), "gui ren" (贵人) on "chou" (丑). The "si" (巳) hour belongs to the day, and on a "wu" (戊) day, the nobleman is in "chou" (丑) during the day, and the nobleman moves in order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem "wu" (戊) is in the lodging palace "si" (巳), and on "si" (巳) the heaven plate shows "un" (未), which is occupied by "tian kong" (天空); the second lesson, on "un" (未) the heaven plate shows "you" (酉), which is occupied by "tai chang" (太常); the third lesson, the day branch "chen" (辰) is in the lodging palace "wu" (午), and on "wu" (午) the heaven plate shows "wu" (午), which is occupied by "qing long" (青龙); the fourth lesson, on "wu" (午) the heaven plate shows "shen" (申), which is occupied by "bai hu" (白虎). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is "shen" (申), which hides the stem "ren" (壬), representing the son and grandson, occupied by "bai hu" (白虎); the middle transmission is "xu" (戌), which falls in the empty position of the "jia zi" (甲子) ten-day cycle, without a hidden stem and marked with "◎", representing the brother, occupied by "xuan wu" (玄武); the final transmission is "zi" (子), which hides the stem "ji" (甲), representing the wife's wealth, occupied by "tian hou" (天后), marked with "⊙". The transmissions "shen" (申), "xu" (戌), and "zi" (子) proceed in order towards the northwest, which is referred to as "she san yuan" (涉三渊) in the text.

邵彥和曰：涉三淵課，主跋涉奔波，勞力無成。干支上午與未合，出身甚妙，歷事三授，兩丁上服。申為子孫，居午火陽刃上，而受下克，且乘白虎，主難為子息。中傳同類為兄弟，加子息上，日後當以弟為子。末傳妻爻坐空，天后？神加之，妻因產而亡。

Shao Yanhe said: This is a "Shi San Yuan" divination, indicating a life of continuous travel and effort without success. The day stem's heavenly stem does not form a Liu He with the day branch's heavenly stem Wu. The person was born into a good family and held three official appointments in his lifetime, but experienced two periods of mourning for his parents. The sheng (son's element) is Shen, which is located on top of Wu fire Yang Ren, being overcome by the fire below, and also riding the White Tiger, indicating difficulties in having children. The middle transmission Xu shares the same earth element with the day stem Wu, which is the brother element, placed above the son Shen. In the future, the son will be adopted from a younger brother. The final transmission Zi is the wife's wealth element, sitting on the empty position Xu, with the Heavenly Empress also riding on it, indicating the wife's death from difficult childbirth.

涉三淵數一傳遂一傳，又入空亡上去，主所授之差，一任遠，一任勞。戊辰年干支皆東南神，辛卯命又是東方，三傳反流入西方，那更涉三淵陷於西北，必主死於外州。傳既不回，即子亦不能歸也。四十五六歲行年到子丑，為過三淵之外，然而落空，雖過得此年，亦不濟事也。

The term "invading three depths" refers to the three transmissions following one after another, continuing to move into the Kongwang. This indicates that the person's assigned duties involve distant places and great hardship. On the day of Wuchen, the heavenly stem Wu resides in the palace of Si, and the day branch is Chen, both belonging to the Southeast. The person's birth stem is Xinmao, which belongs to the East. However, the three transmissions flow in the opposite direction, towards the West. Combined with "invading three depths" falling into the Northwest, it indicates that the person will die away from his native state. Since the three transmissions do not return, even his son will not come back. At the age of forty-five or forty-six, the year pillar reaches Zi and Chou, which is beyond the three depths, but again falls into the Kongwang. Even if he survives this year, it will ultimately be of no help.

徐二十五歲銓試中，當年授嶽州尉；二十七丁父憂，二十九授渾州尉，三十歲丁母憂，三十三授？州司戶，當年冬赴任；三十四妻因產亡，止有四女，而以小弟為子；任滿再授廣西提學干官，又授廣州東莞縣令，四十五歲終於任，繼子遂家於彼而不歸。

Later, Xu Mou passed the examination for official appointment at the age of twenty-five and was appointed as the county magistrate of Yuezhou. At twenty-seven, his father died, and he observed the mourning period. At twenty-nine, he was appointed as the county magistrate of Hunzhou. At thirty, his mother died, and he again observed the mourning period. At thirty-three, he was appointed as the county magistrate of a certain state (the name of the state is missing one character in the original text), and that winter he went to take up his post. At thirty-four, his wife died from complications during childbirth, leaving behind four daughters. He then adopted his younger brother as his son. After completing his term, he was appointed as an official in charge of education in Guangxi, and later as the county magistrate of Dongguan in Guangzhou. He died in office at the age of forty-five. His adopted son settled down in the local area and did not return to his hometown.

山西姚君昌祚於崇正丁丑年五月戊辰日未將辰時，占任所。

A man from Shanxi named Yao Changzuo, in the tenth year of the Chongzhen era (Dingchou, 1637, "Chongzheng" is the euphemistic way to write Chongzhen), asked a divination on the fifth month's Wuchen day to inquire about where he would be assigned to serve in official duty. He used Wei as the month general and started the calculation at the辰 hour.

龍勾合朱 申酉戌亥 合空朱龍 財 亥 朱 ◎ 空未 子蛇 戌未亥申 官 丙寅 后 ⊙ 虎午 丑貴 未辰申戊 父 己巳 常 巳辰卯寅 常玄陰后

After the lesson board is laid out as above. The heaven and earth plates are arranged with the general of Wei added to the time of Chen. The heaven plate advances three positions ahead of the earth plate: on the earth plate, the position of Si is matched with Shen, Wu with You, Wei with Xu, Shen with Hai, You with Zi, Xu with Chou, Hai with Yin, Zi with Mao, Chou with Chen, Yin with Si, Mao with Wu, and Chen with Wei. The twelve heavenly generals are: Qinglong (Azure Dragon) rides Shen, Gouchen (Hook Star) rides You, Liuhe (Six Harmonies) rides Xu, Zhuque (Vermilion Bird) rides Hai, Tiankong (Heavenly Void) rides Wei, Baihu (White Tiger) rides Wu, Tengshe (Coiling Snake) rides Zi, Guiren (Nobleman) rides Chou, Taichang (Supreme Harmony) rides Si, Xuanwu (Black Tortoise) rides Chen, Taiyin (Supreme Yin) rides Mao, and Tianhou (Heavenly Empress) rides Yin. The time of Chen belongs to the day, and on the fifth day of earth, the nobleman is in Chou, and the nobleman moves in reverse. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Wu is in the lodging palace of Si, and Si is matched with Shen, which is ridden by Qinglong; the second lesson, Shen is matched with Hai, which is ridden by Zhuque; the third lesson, the day branch Chen is matched with Wei, which is ridden by Tiankong; the fourth lesson, Wei is matched with Xu, which is ridden by Liuhe. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Hai, the middle transmission is Yin, and the final transmission is Si. The first transmission Hai falls in the empty position of the Jiazi (甲子) ten days, without a hidden stem, marked with 「◎」, and on the day of Wu earth, it represents the wife and wealth, ridden by Zhuque; the middle transmission Yin has the hidden stem of Bing, which represents the official ghost, ridden by Tianhou, marked with 「⊙」; the final transmission Si has the hidden stem of Ji, which represents the parents, ridden by Taichang. Hai generates Yin, Yin generates Si, and Si again generates the day stem Wu earth, forming a chain of generation in the three transmissions. The post-horse of the Wu Chen day is in Yin, which is the same position as the official ghost.

郭御青曰：此課天上行年加申，為山西分野，豈有選本省之理。官馬加臨衛，初臨燕，余初斷非衛即燕。後選新野周分，傳課全無影響。餘後詳課情數日夜，乃得之：蓋四課暗拱地盤周地也。此斷在官祿馬行年之外。餘後占劉夢巖任所，日干上見癸亥，法從此出。課體隱現無窮，執一便謬，後遇占任所又不必盡照此法也。

Guo Yuqing said: In this divination, the heavenly plate shows Yao Jun's age placed on Shen, which belongs to Jin, exactly the territory of Shanxi. How could there be a selection within the same province? The official ghost combined with the post-horse, the寅, is placed on Hai, which belongs to Wei, and寅 itself belongs to Yan. So I initially concluded that it must be either Wei or Yan. But the result was Xinye, which belongs to Zhou. None of the three transmissions and four lessons corresponded. After thinking over the case for several days and nights, I finally realized that the upper spirits of the four lessons secretly supported and enclosed the one on the earth plate that belonged to Zhou. This method is beyond the usual symbols such as official star,禄神, post-horse, and age. Later, when I divined Liu Mengyan's appointment, I used the method derived from this. The manifestation of the lesson pattern is infinite, and sticking to one method will lead to mistakes. In the future, when divining appointments, there is no need to follow this method entirely.

愚按：占任所或占官職，以支上測之多驗。然取初交未將，非新乎？合之非新野乎？如此取象，難乎不難乎。

Editor's note: When predicting one's official position or assignment, using the heavenly stem on the day branch to make a guess often proves accurate. However, here Guo takes the just-entered Wei Jiang, which is the beginning of the Wei period. 'Just-entered' means 'new', and 'Wei' signifies fields, so together they form 'Xinye'. This method of breaking down characters to derive meaning is not as difficult as it seems.

十月戊辰日寅將亥時，占來意。一字玉連環。

On the Wuchen day of the tenth month, using Yin as the Month General and starting the divination at the亥 hour, the question is about why the visitor has come. This passage is from the "One Character Yulianhuan."

蛇朱合勾 申酉戌亥 合貴勾蛇 財 亥 勾 ◎ 貴未 子龍 戌未亥申 官 丙寅 虎 ⊙ 后午 丑空 未辰申戊 父 己巳 陰 巳辰卯寅 陰玄常虎

After the lesson disk is laid out as above. The heaven and earth plates are set with the hour of Yin as the starting point, and the heaven plate advances three positions ahead of the earth plate. The heaven and earth plates are exactly the same as in the previous case: on the earth plate, the position of Si is occupied by Shen, Wu by You, Wei by Xu, Shen by Hai, You by Zi, Xu by Chou, Hai by Yin, Zi by Mao, Chou by Chen, Yin by Si, Mao by Wu, Chen by Wei. The heavenly generals are different: Teng Snake is on Shen, Vermilion Bird on You, Liu He on Xu, Gou Chen on Hai, Nobleman on Wei, Heavenly Empress on Wu, Azure Dragon on Zi, Tian Kong on Chou, Tai Chang on Si, Tai Yin on Chen, Tai Yin on Mao, and Bai Hu on Yin. The hour of Hai is night, and the nobleman for the fifth day is on Wei, and the nobleman moves in order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Wu is in the lodging palace of Si, and on Si is Shen, which is occupied by Teng Snake; the second lesson, on Shen is Hai, which is occupied by Gou Chen; the third lesson, the day branch Chen is on Wei, which is occupied by Nobleman; the fourth lesson, on Wei is Xu, which is occupied by Liu He. The three transmissions are still Hai, Yin, and Si: the first transmission is Hai, which is empty in the ten heavenly stems, marked with '◎', representing wife's wealth, occupied by Gou Chen; the middle transmission is Yin, which is concealed by the stem of Bing, representing official ghost, occupied by Bai Hu, marked with '⊙'; the final transmission is Si, which is concealed by the stem of Ji, representing parents, occupied by Tai Yin. The general of Hai is called 'Dengming', and the general of Yin is called 'Gongcao'. The following interpretation is based on these two generals.

徐次賓曰：來意主西北上出入干財，有李姓人無髮鬢者暗為鬼賊，其事自解，其財不得而空，主回也。何以知西北上出入干財？先鋒與發用皆亥，亥主西北，又為日財，日為也。

Xu Cibin said: The person coming is seeking wealth by entering and exiting in the northwest direction; there is a man surnamed Li, who has no hair, secretly causing trouble, but this matter will resolve itself naturally; the wealth sought cannot be obtained, it is empty, and he will return empty-handed. How do we know that the person is seeking wealth by entering and exiting in the northwest? The time of the divination and the initiating transmission (first transmission) both fall on亥, which is associated with the northwest direction. Also, it is precisely the wife's wealth in the戊 day (the last three characters 'day of also' seem to be a possible omission in the original text).

何以知李姓人無髮鬢者為鬼賊？蓋中傳功曹為木，下臨壬水，配合為李字也。白虎主無髮鬢人，為日下之鬼，故知此人為害也。言自解者，經云鬼自受制，憂將自救。寅木為日之鬼，上得白虎金剛制之，故曰自解也。其財不得而主空回者，蓋發用登明為空亡，雖為日下之財，而進亦空亡，豈不是空回也。

How do we know that the person named Li, who has no hair on his temples, is a malevolent spirit? The Middle Transmission is in the寅 (Yin) position, and the general there is called Gongcao (Yin). The Five Phases belong to wood, and below it is the Earth Plate's亥 (Hai), which corresponds to the water of壬 (Ren). Wood above and water below form the character for Li. The White Tiger governs those with no hair on their temples, and寅 is the official ghost of the day stem戊 (Wu) soil. Therefore, we know this person is coming to cause harm. The statement that the matter will resolve itself is because the classic says, "The ghost is restrained by itself, and the worry will be resolved by itself." The寅 wood is the ghost of the day stem, and the White Tiger, which belongs to metal, is directly on top of it. Metal can overcome wood, so it is self-resolving. The reason for not being able to obtain wealth and returning empty-handed is because the Initiating Transmission is亥, and the general there is called Dengming (Hai). However,亥 is in the旬空 (decade void), even though it is the wealth爻 of the day stem, it is trapped in the void, which is why one returns empty-handed.

乾隆丁丑年亥月己巳日日卯將辰時，占走失十二歲。

In the twenty-second year of the Qianlong era, Dingchou (1757), on the Jisi day of the亥 month, using Mao as the month general and starting the divination at the Chen hour, the case concerns the whereabouts of a twelve-year-old child who has gone missing.

勾龍空虎 辰巳午未 合勾龍空 官 丁卯 合

This is the remaining upper half of the lesson board after it has been flattened, with the final transmission and the lower half of the board not included in this section. The heaven and earth plates start with the卯 general added to the辰 hour, and the heaven plate is one position behind the earth plate: on the earth plate, the辰 has the卯, the巳 has the辰, the午 has the巳, the未 has the午, the申 has the未, and the酉 has the申. The heavenly generals listed here include Gou Chen riding the辰, Qinglong riding the巳, Tiankong riding the午, and Baihu riding the未; the remaining heavenly generals are found in the lower half. The four lessons here only show the four upper deities in the top row:卯, 辰, 巳, 午 and their respective deities: Liuhe, Gou Chen, Qinglong, Tiankong, and the lower row of the four lessons is not included in this section. The three transmissions only show the initial transmission of卯, with the hidden stem being Ding, which belongs to the official ghost in the己 earth day, riding Liuhe. The lower half of the earth plate and the lower row of the four lessons belong to the part of the lesson board that was cut off after flattening; therefore, it is not appropriate to make assumptions and complete them.

合卯　申常　卯辰巳午　官 丙寅 朱 朱寅　酉玄　辰巳午己　兄 乙丑 蛇 　丑子亥戌 　蛇貴后陰

This is the latter half of the divination chart for the case "Qianlong Dingchou Year,亥 month, Ji Si day, Mao general, Chen hour divination for a missing person," the former half having been mentioned earlier. On the left side: the Earth Plate at the Chen position has the Heaven Plate "Mao" riding on "Liu He"; the Earth Plate at the Mao position has the Heaven Plate "Yin" riding on "Zhu Que." On the right side: the Earth Plate at the You position has the Heaven Plate "Shen" riding on "Tai Chang"; the Earth Plate at the Xu position has the Heaven Plate "You" riding on "Xuan Wu." Below, the two lines show the Earth Plate positions of Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, with the Heaven Plate above them in the order "Chou," "Zi," "Hai," and "Xu," and the corresponding Heavenly Generals riding on them being "Teng Snake," "Heavenly Emperor Nobleman," "Heavenly Empress," and "Tai Yin." In the middle, the two lines show the upper and lower gods of the four lessons, which should be read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Ji (with its lodging palace at Wei) with "Wu" above it, the second lesson has "Wu" with "Si" above it, the third lesson has the day branch Si with "Chen" above it, and the fourth lesson has "Chen" with "Mao" above it. On the right column are the three transmissions, with the middle and final transmissions present here: the middle transmission is "Yin," belonging to the Six Relations as official ghost, with the hidden stem being "Bing Yin" riding on "Zhu Que"; the final transmission is "Chou," belonging to the Six Relations as brother, with the hidden stem being "Yi Chou" riding on "Teng Snake." Combined with the previously mentioned initial transmission "Mao" riding on "Liu He," the three transmissions are "Mao," "Yin," and "Chou," each moving backward in sequence, which is exactly the "Lian Ru" retreat pattern mentioned in the following interpretation.

王牧夫曰：連茹之課，當數人同行，今已退歸，不能遠去。干上午屬姤卦，姤者遇也，午陰得日支青龍，少刻即是。驗甚。近事爭遂，看天罡，天罡臨宅，加孟亦不礙，當即見也。

Wang Mufu said: This is a "Lian Ru" divination lesson, where the three transmissions are in retreat. The missing person was originally traveling in a group, but now has turned back and will not have gone very far. The day stem is Ji, and its upper god is "wu." Wu pairs with the lower god to form the hexagram "Gou," whose meaning is meeting. The hidden god of "wu" (i.e., the god at the position of the earth plate's "si" where the heaven plate's "wu" is located) is exactly the day branch "si," and it is also accompanied by the auspicious general "Qinglong." Therefore, they will meet soon. This prediction proved to be very accurate. When determining whether something can be obtained or if it will proceed smoothly, one should look at where the "Tiangang" (i.e., Chen) is located. In this case, the heaven plate's "Chen" is exactly on the earth plate's "si," which is the day branch's position, meaning the Tiangang is at the residence. Although "Chen" is placed on the "four Meng" positions (Yin, Shen, Si, Hai), it does not cause any obstruction, and the person can be found immediately.

六合朱科院在西南社壇廢址白站起宅第，斯人富豪權勢，竟往縣中請佃，蓋欲陰當。彼處有人妒其所為者，往邵提刑卜課，問其起宅吉凶。

In Luhe County, Zhu Keian selected a piece of abandoned land at the southwest altar and began building a residence there. This man was both wealthy and powerful, and he even went to the county office to apply for the lease of the land, intending to secretly claim it as his own. Some locals resented his actions and went to seek Shao Tingxing's divination, asking whether building a house there would be auspicious or inauspicious. Shao Tingxing was a famous expert in the Six壬 system of the Song Dynasty.

空虎常玄 　午未申酉　虎空玄常　子 壬申 常 龍巳　戌陰　未午酉申　子 壬申 常 勾辰　亥后　午巳申己　父 庚午 空 　卯寅丑子 　合朱蛇貴

The course plate is laid out in a row as above. In this course, the Heaven Plate is one position ahead of the Earth Plate. The Earth Plate positions of Zi, Wu, Wei, and Shen are at the top, with the Heaven Plate positions above them in order as Wu, Wei, Shen, and You. The Heavenly Generals accompanying these are Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, and Xuan Wu respectively. The Earth Plate positions of Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai are at the bottom, with the Heaven Plate positions above them in order as Mao, Yin, Chou, and Zi. The Heavenly Generals accompanying these are Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake, and Tian Yi Gu Ren respectively. On the left side, the Earth Plate position of Chen has the Heaven Plate position of Si, accompanied by Qing Long; the Earth Plate position of Mao has the Heaven Plate position of Chen, accompanied by Gou Chen. On the right side, the Earth Plate position of You has the Heaven Plate position of Xu, accompanied by Tai Yin; the Earth Plate position of Xu has the Heaven Plate position of Hai, accompanied by Tian Hou. The middle three rows are the Four Lessons, which must be read from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem Ji (with its lodging palace at Wei) encountering 'Shen', accompanied by Tai Chang; the second lesson has Shen encountering 'You', accompanied by Xuan Wu; the third lesson has the Day Branch Si encountering 'Wu', accompanied by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson has Wu encountering 'Wei', accompanied by Bai Hu. On the right column are the Three Transmissions: the first transmission is 'Shen', with the Six Relations as descendants, the hidden stem is Ren Shen, and the accompanying Heavenly General is Tai Chang; the middle transmission is still 'Shen', with the same Six Relations, hidden stem, and Heavenly General; the final transmission is 'Wu', with the Six Relations as parents, the hidden stem is Geng Wu, and the accompanying Heavenly General is Tian Kong. There is no mutual control between the upper and lower lessons of the Four Lessons, and Ji Si is a yin day, so it is taken as the 'Mao Xing' course pattern, with the three transmissions as Shen, Shen, and Wu.

邵提刑曰：課得昴星，三傳申申午，犯重？金神白虎，舊址上神祗往來之處，又值火旺。本人辛亥生，火克金，犯初傳，又犯本命，又犯歲君。然西南方有佛地，亦被他害，屋宇未十分完備，不及一年傷害宅母並中子。本人因南首有火發，飛火近燎於本宅，新屋片瓦不存。本人驚後得患，半月後亦死矣。

Shao the Inspector said: This divination takes the form of the "昴星" lesson. The three transmissions are Shen, Shen, and Wu, which heavily conflict with each other. The conflict involves the metal god and the White Tiger. The original site chosen was a shrine for the local deity, which is naturally a place where the local gods pass through and are worshipped. Now it coincides with a time when the fire element is at its peak. The person who asked the divination was born in the Xinhai year, which belongs to the fire element. Fire can overcome metal, so it conflicts with the initial transmission which belongs to metal, conflicts with the person's own destiny, and also conflicts with the current year's heavenly stem. Although there is another area in the southwest with a Buddhist temple that can be relied upon, it is also harmed by this evil energy: the house was not completely built, and within a year, the main wife and the middle son in the family were both injured. Later, because the house to the south caught fire, the fire spirit flew over and quickly spread to this house, leaving not a single tile of the newly built house remaining. After being frightened, the person who asked the divination got sick and died after half a month.

一針見血。愚按：此課不載月將正時，未可執一。

This example is found in "One Needle Sees the Essence." Cheng Shuxun remarks: this lesson does not record the used Month General and the time of divination, so it cannot be mechanically applied with a fixed pattern.

揚州錢陰陽一日與堂叔爭分家私，因毆死其叔，受陷於囹圄已及二載。一日鄰人攜其子往邵提刑占問六壬，犯罪者甲辰生。

There was a man named Qian, a practitioner of yin and yang, in Yangzhou. One day he quarreled with his uncle over dividing the family property and beat his uncle to death, thus being imprisoned and having been held for two years. One day a neighbor brought his son to visit the official Shao to cast a six壬 divination. This criminal was born in the year Jiachen.

空虎常玄 　午未申酉　虎空玄常　子 壬申 常 龍巳　戌陰　未午酉申　子 壬申 常 勾辰　亥后　午巳申己　父 庚午 空 　卯寅丑子 　合朱蛇貴

The course plate is laid out in a row as above, identical to the previous example. On the earth plate, the heavenly plate on the positions of巳, 午, 未, and 申 are 「午」, 「未」, 「申」, and 「酉」, respectively, with the accompanying divinatory signs of Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, and Xuan Wu. On the earth plate positions of 寅, 丑, 子, and 亥, the heavenly plate positions are 「卯」, 「寅」, 「丑」, and 「子」, respectively, with the accompanying divinatory signs of Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake, and Tian Yi Gu Ren. On the earth plate position 辰, the heavenly plate is 「巳」 with the sign of Qing Long. On the earth plate position 卯, the heavenly plate is 「辰」 with the sign of Gou Chen. On the earth plate position 酉, the heavenly plate is 「戌」 with the sign of Tai Yin. On the earth plate position 戌, the heavenly plate is 「亥」 with the sign of Tian Hou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Ji (with its lodging palace at 未) showing 「申」 with the sign of Tai Chang. The second lesson on 申 shows 「酉」 with the sign of Xuan Wu. The third lesson on the day branch巳 shows 「午」 with the sign of Tian Kong. The fourth lesson on 午 shows 「未」 with the sign of Bai Hu. The three transmissions are: initial transmission 「申」 (son, Renshen, Tai Chang), middle transmission 「申」 (same as above), and final transmission 「午」 (parent, Gengwu, Tian Kong). It remains the same as the 'Mao Xing' course of a yin day.

邵公曰：己巳日得申申午，昴星雲虎視眈眈，此課險惡。且喜天乙乘天馬，合起皇恩，天將又吉。然末傳火，反克用神之金。火生人旺於午，合寅午戌，寅上日德朱雀，末又救神值天后（愚按：此句有訛），他日朝廷必有恩赦，至期人恐被喝，而出獄無罪。半月後果有赦至，乃高宇宴駕，孝宗登極，此赦書輕重罪囚釋放得脫。

Shao Gong said: On the day of Jisi, the three transmissions were Shen, Shen, and Wu, forming the "Mao Star" lesson. The lesson text describes it as "the tiger stares intently," which is a dangerous lesson. Fortunately, Tianyi Guiren rode the Heavenly Horse, connecting and activating the "Imperial Grace" deity. The heavenly generals accompanying it were all auspicious generals. However, the final transmission belonged to fire, which in turn restrained the useful god, Shen metal. The person was a fire destiny, with fire strong in Wu, and also forming a fire trinity with Yin and Xu. Yin was the day virtue, riding the Vermilion Bird, and the final transmission also met the saving deity, with the value of Heavenly Empress (Cheng Shuxun noted: there is an error in this sentence). Therefore, it was concluded that the court would soon issue an amnesty, and at that time, although the person would suffer a scolding and a shock, he would ultimately be released without guilt. Half a month later, the amnesty order indeed arrived—originally, Emperor Gaozong had died, and Emperor Xiaozong had ascended the throne. This amnesty decree released all prisoners, both light and heavy offenders, and thus the person was able to escape.

一針見血。愚按：此課亦不載月將正時，然玩此斷語，當是紹興壬午年四月申將未時占。

This example is found in "One Needle Sees the Essence." Cheng Shuxun notes: This lesson does not record the Month General or the time of divination, but upon careful examination of this interpretation, it should have been cast in the fourth month of the Renwu year in Shangyuan, using the Shen General and the Wei time.

正月己巳日子將酉時占宅中景象。方本占案

On the 14th day of the first lunar month, using 'Zi' as the Month General, the time of divination is in You. The question concerns the situation within the family residence. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An."

勾合朱蛇 　申酉戌亥　蛇勾后朱　子 壬申 勾 龍未　子貴　亥申丑戌　財 　亥 蛇 ◎ 空午　丑后　申巳戌己　官 丙寅 陰 ⊙ 　巳辰卯寅 　虎常玄陰

The divination board is laid out in rows as shown above. The heavenly plate is three positions ahead of the earthly plate. On the earthly plate, the heavenly plate on the positions of巳, 午, 未, and 申 are respectively 申, 酉, 戌, and 亥, with the accompanying trigrams being Gou Chen, Liu He, Zhu Que, and Teng Snake. On the earthly plate, the heavenly plate on the positions of 寅, 丑, 子, and 亥 are respectively 巳, 辰, 卯, and 寅, with the accompanying trigrams being Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, and Tai Yin. On the earthly position 辰, the heavenly position is 未, accompanied by Qing Long. On the earthly position 卯, the heavenly position is 午, accompanied by Tian Kong. On the earthly position 酉, the heavenly position is 子, accompanied by Tian Yi Gu Ren. On the earthly position 戌, the heavenly position is 丑, accompanied by Tian Hou. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson is on the day stem Ji (with its lodging palace at 戌), showing 戌, accompanied by Zhu Que; the second lesson on 戌 shows 丑, accompanied by Tian Hou; the third lesson on the day branch Si shows 申, accompanied by Gou Chen; the fourth lesson on 申 shows 亥, accompanied by Teng Snake. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 申, with the six relations being the son, the hidden stem is Ren Shen, accompanied by Gou Chen; the middle transmission is 亥, with the six relations being the wife's wealth, since the day stem Ji is in the Ji Si day, which is in the Jia Zi cycle, and the cycle's empty position is in Xu and Hai, so Hai is the actual empty position (marked by ◎ as the empty position), accompanied by Teng Snake; the final transmission is 寅, with the six relations being the official ghost, the hidden stem is Bing Yin, accompanied by Tai Yin.

斷曰：主家中有婦人損了牙齒，近又新修廚灶，地上用新磚鋪砌。蓋申加巳作勾發用，巳為雙女，申為骨牙，乘勾陳主損折，且又傳破也。巳為爐灶，乘旺相主新修。果其人有乃妹缺口齒，而灶新修。

The interpretation states that there is a woman in the family who has damaged her teeth, and recently a new kitchen stove was built, with the floor newly paved with bricks. This is because the 'Shen' is placed on top of 'Si', and with Gou Chen forming the initiating transmission: 'Si' represents two women, indicating a female; 'Shen' signifies bones and teeth; riding on Gou Chen indicates breakage, and there is also a clash among the three transmissions. 'Si' also symbolizes the stove, and riding on a prosperous and strong energy indicates recent construction. Later, it was indeed found that the person's sister was missing a front tooth, and the family had recently built a new stove.

六月己巳日午將酉時占來意。指歸靈文論

In June on the Jisi day, using 'Wu' as the Month General, the time of divination is in You. The question is about the purpose of the visitor's coming. This example is taken from the "Zhi Gui Ling Wen Lun."

朱合勾龍 　寅卯辰巳　后朱蛇勾　官 丙寅 朱 蛇丑　午空　亥寅丑辰　財 　亥 后 ◎ 貴子　未虎　寅巳辰己　子 壬申 常 ⊙ 　亥戌酉申 　后陰玄常

The divination board is laid out in a horizontal row as above. At the hour of Wu with the general at You, the Heaven Plate is three positions behind the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate has in sequence Yin, Mao, Chen, and Si, each accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, and Azure Dragon respectively. On the Earth Plate positions Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate has in sequence Hai, Xu, You, and Shen, each accompanied by the Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, and Tai Chang respectively. On the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate has Chou accompanied by Teng Snake; on the Earth Plate position Mao, the Heaven Plate has Zi accompanied by Tian Yi Nobleman; on the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate has Wu accompanied by Tian Kong; on the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate has Wei accompanied by Bai Hu. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the Day Stem Ji (with its lodging palace at Wei), shows Chen, accompanied by Gou Chen; the second lesson, on Chen, shows Chou, accompanied by Teng Snake; the third lesson, on the Day Branch Si, shows Yin, accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson, on Yin, shows Hai, accompanied by Heavenly Empress. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is Yin, with the six relations as official ghost, hidden stem Bingyin, accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the middle transmission is Hai, with the six relations as wife wealth, falling into the empty旬, accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the final transmission is Shen, with the six relations as son grandson, hidden stem Renshen, accompanied by Tai Chang.

斷曰：發用在天乙前，中末在天乙後，此名傳陽入陰。申主道路，又為足神，末傳為足，發用朱雀，主先見外來遠信，遠處官員遣人送書至，亦主官員罷職之信至也。

The interpretation states: When the initiating transmission (first transmission) falls before the heavenly virtue nobleman, and the middle and final transmissions fall after the heavenly virtue nobleman, this is called "transmission of yang entering yin." "Shen" signifies roads and is also the deity governing the feet. The final transmission itself corresponds to the position of the feet. The initiating transmission is governed by the Vermilion Bird, indicating that one will first receive a letter from afar, implying that an official from a distant place will send a messenger. It also signifies that a certain official will be dismissed from his post.

康熙乙巳年二月十二己巳日戌將申時高郵王周士都司不說某事代占友人壬子生四十四歲。捷錄

In the second month of the year Kaiqing Yisi, on the day Jisi, with the hour animal Xu as the Month General, the time of divination was in Shen. Wang Zhoushi, a military officer from Gaoyou, refused to disclose the matter being asked about and instead divined for his friend. This friend was born in the year Renzi and was forty-four years old. This example is taken from the "Jielu."

龍勾合朱 　未申酉戌　合龍蛇合　財 　亥 蛇 ◎ 空午　亥蛇　酉未亥酉　兄 乙丑 后 ⊙ 虎巳　子貴　未巳酉己　官 丁卯 玄 　辰卯寅丑 　常玄陰后

The divination board is laid out in rows as shown above. With the hour of Xu and the general of Xu added to the hour of Shen, the Heaven Plate advances two positions relative to the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate on the positions of Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen are respectively "Wei," "Shen," "You," and "Xu," accompanied by the divinatory animals Qinglong, Gou Chen, Liu He, and Zhu Que. On the Earth Plate positions of Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate positions are respectively "Chen," "Mao," "Yin," and "Chou," accompanied by Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, and Tian Hou. On the Earth Plate position of Chen, the Heaven Plate position is "Wu," accompanied by Tian Kong; on the Earth Plate position of Mao, the Heaven Plate position is "Si," accompanied by Bai Hu; on the Earth Plate position of You, the Heaven Plate position is "Hai," accompanied by Teng Snake; on the Earth Plate position of Xu, the Heaven Plate position is "Zi," accompanied by Tian Yi Gu Ren. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Ji (with its lodging palace at Wei), shows "You," accompanied by Liu He; the second lesson, on You, shows "Hai," accompanied by Teng Snake; the third lesson, on the day branch Si, shows "Wei," accompanied by Qinglong; the fourth lesson, on Wei, shows "You," accompanied by Liu He. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is "Hai," with the six relations being wife wealth, falling into the empty position of the ten days, and since the year of Yi Si, the sovereign is in Si, and Hai is the year's breaking, accompanied by Teng Snake; the middle transmission is "Chou," with the six relations being brother, with the hidden stem Yi Chou, accompanied by Tian Hou; the final transmission is "Mao," with the six relations being official ghost, with the hidden stem Ding Mao, accompanied by Xuan Wu.

斷曰：日上乘官符，支上亦是官符，是占此人之訟也。訟因奸詭蔽匿，事干朝廷，鬼乘元武，巳入宅也。當破家蕩產，死中復生。蓋四下生上，為源消根斷，且破敗臨身，歲破發用，支神死氣，用起返魂也。訟累多官，三傳初中遁乙，末又鬼也，必須坐獄。

The interpretation says: The day stem is riding on "Guanfu," and the day branch is also riding on "Guanfu," indicating that the divination concerns this person's legal case. This lawsuit arises from deceit and concealment, involving the court. The official ghost is riding on the Black Tortoise, and "Si" has entered the dwelling position. Therefore, it is predicted that he will lose his family fortune, yet he will be revived from certain death. This is because all four lessons are lower generating upper, called "source exhausted and root cut off"; combined with the "broken decline" deity affecting him, the year's brokenness "Hai" is the initiating transmission, and the deity on the day branch is in the death qi position. The useful deity thus forms the "return soul" image. This lawsuit will involve many government offices; in the three transmissions, the first and middle transmissions are concealed as yi wood, and the final transmission is again the official ghost, so he will definitely be imprisoned.

法司械？。初旬空，中關神，命又乘寅鬼，奸吏為禍，故李撫臣起訟端。然始凶終救，必是恩赦，宥死發配，蓋酉加巳為配，且日上年上乘皇恩，命上見月德也。後方知賈象因李撫臣詐贓事，因盜窩以致朝廷罪譴。況午加辰為朱雀入勾陳，午加病符是舊事復發。

Are the official instruments already on the person? The first transmission falls in the empty旬, the middle transmission is the obstructing god, and the personal stem is occupied by the "寅" which represents an official ghost. This indicates that cunning clerks are stirring up trouble, so it was Li Futian who started this lawsuit. However, this divination begins with danger but ends with salvation, so it is certain that an imperial pardon will occur, reducing the death sentence to exile. This is because "酉" placed on "巳" is the image of exile, and both the day stem and the year stem are occupied by "Imperial Grace," while the personal stem also meets "Monthly Virtue." Later it was known that Jia Xiang was implicated in the case of Li Futian embezzling funds, and also involved in harboring thieves, leading to imperial punishment. Moreover, "午" placed on "辰" indicates the Vermilion Bird falling into Gou Chen; "午" also combines with "Bingfu," which is the image of an old matter being revived.

孫履安代姐占休咎。姐癸亥生，六十五歲。乾隆庚午年二月庚午日亥將卯時。

Sun Lian'an divined the fortune for his sister. His sister was born in the year Guihai, and she is now sixty-five years old. The time of divination was on the day of Gengwu in the second lunar month of the year Qianlong Gengwu. The month general was "Hai," and the time of divination was at "Mao."

貴后陰玄 　丑寅卯辰　合後蛇玄　子 甲子 蛇 蛇子　巳常　戌寅子辰　兄 壬申 龍 朱亥　午虎　寅午辰庚　父 戊辰 玄 　戌酉申未 　合勾龍空

The divination plate is laid out in rows as above. At the time of the hour of Hai with the general at Mao, the Heaven Plate is four positions behind the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate positions are in sequence 'Chou', 'Yin', 'Mao', and 'Chen', with the following deities: Tianyi Guiren (Heavenly Ethereal Nobleman), Tianhou (Heavenly Empress), Taiyin (Great Yin), and Xuanwu (Black Tortoise). On the Earth Plate positions Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate positions are in sequence 'Xu', 'You', 'Shen', and 'Wei', with the following deities: Liuhe (Six Harmonies), Gouchen (Hook Star), Qinglong (Azure Dragon), and Tiankong (Heavenly Void). On the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate position is 'Zi' with the deity Tengshe (Teng Snake); on the Earth Plate position Mao, the Heaven Plate position is 'Hai' with the deity Zhuque (Vermilion Bird); on the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate position is 'Si' with the deity Taichang (Great Constancy); on the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate position is 'Wu' with the deity Baihu (White Tiger). The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Geng (with its lodging palace at Shen), shows 'Chen' with the deity Xuanwu (Black Tortoise); the second lesson, on Chen, shows 'Zi' with the deity Tengshe (Teng Snake); the third lesson, on the day branch Wu, shows 'Yin' with the deity Tianhou (Heavenly Empress); the fourth lesson, on Yin, shows 'Xu' with the deity Liuhe (Six Harmonies). On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 'Zi', with the six relations as descendants, the hidden stem Jiazi, and the deity Tengshe (Teng Snake); the middle transmission is 'Shen', with the six relations as brothers, the hidden stem Renshen, and the deity Qinglong (Azure Dragon); the final transmission is 'Chen', with the six relations as parents, the hidden stem Wuchen, and the deity Xuanwu (Black Tortoise). The three transmissions, Shen, Zi, and Chen, form a water trinity.

王牧夫曰：弟占姐，用起支上，得相氣之財，又居支，天后臨於其上，其家必富厚也。但嫌本合空亡，官星入墓，主早年守寡，然女利幽貞，不宜火局旺相。干支交互相剋，家庭中必主官非口舌，皆由無和氣而參商耳。末傳見天后，卻得好歸結。

Wang Mufu said: The younger brother divined on behalf of his sister, with the initiating transmission starting from the day branch. The result obtained was the wealth god of the current season, and wealth was sitting on the day branch. The heavenly empress was also sitting on top of it, indicating that this family must certainly be wealthy and prosperous. However, the combined god of the native's birth is falling into kongwang, and the official star (for female fate, the official ghost represents the husband) has entered the storage, indicating she will become a widow at an early age. However, for women, it is advantageous to be quiet and chaste, so it is not suitable to see a fire situation being strong. The day stem and day branch mutually control each other, indicating there will certainly be lawsuits and disputes in the family, caused by the family members not getting along, like the star Canopus and the star Antares, which rise and set alternately, and are incompatible with each other. Fortunately, the final transmission shows the heavenly empress, so ultimately a good ending can be achieved.

某占訟事。庚午日午將未時。

A person divined about a legal matter. On the day of Gengwu, the month general was 'wu' and the time of divination was in the hour of wei.

合勾龍空 　辰巳午未　合勾龍空　官 庚午 龍 朱卯　申虎　辰巳午未　官 己巳 勾 蛇寅　酉常　巳午未庚　父 戊辰 合 　丑子亥戌 　貴后陰玄

The lesson plate is laid out in rows as above. At the time of the fifth hour, the Heaven Plate is placed one position behind the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions of巳, 午, 未, and 申, the Heaven Plate respectively shows 辰, 巳, 午, and 未, with the accompanying elements of Liu He, Gou Chen, Qing Long, and Tian Kong. On the Earth Plate positions of 寅, 丑, 子, and 亥, the Heaven Plate respectively shows 丑, 子, 亥, and 戌, with the accompanying elements of Tian Yi Gu Ren, Tian Hou, Tai Yin, and Xuan Wu. On the Earth Plate position of 辰, the Heaven Plate shows 卯, with the accompanying element of Zhu Que. On the Earth Plate position of 卯, the Heaven Plate shows 寅, with the accompanying element of Teng Snake. On the Earth Plate position of 酉, the Heaven Plate shows 申, with the accompanying element of Bai Hu. On the Earth Plate position of 戌, the Heaven Plate shows 酉, with the accompanying element of Tai Chang. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Geng (with its lodging palace in Shen) showing 未, accompanied by Tian Kong; the second lesson has 未 showing 午, accompanied by Qing Long; the third lesson has the day branch 午 showing 巳, accompanied by Gou Chen; the fourth lesson has 巳 showing 辰, accompanied by Liu He. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 午, with the six relations as official ghost, hidden stem Geng Wu, accompanied by Qing Long; the middle transmission is 巳, with the six relations as official ghost, hidden stem Ji Si, accompanied by Gou Chen; the final transmission is 辰, with the six relations as parents, hidden stem Wu Chen, accompanied by Liu He. The three transmissions, 午, 巳, and 辰, each successively retreat one position, indicating the image of retreating herbs.

斷曰：午作青龍，吉合在合，奈午是今日支辰，又是今日之刑，而德神遭刑之克。中傳巳加午又刑申，下又見午刑也。末傳辰加巳，又刑也。此之謂助刑伐德，事難小而必大，三者來攻。天上德又臨在酉，作白虎，以此占訟深為不利，即家國平安亦防寇盜也。

The interpretation says: The first transmission is "Wu" riding the Azure Dragon, which is a favorable general and also matches the Liu He, which is good. Unfortunately, "Wu" is exactly the day branch of today and also the criminal spirit committed today, so the day's virtue spirit is now subjected to punishment. The middle transmission "Si" is placed on "Wu", and "Si" also punishes the day stem's lodging palace "Shen". Below it is also "Wu" self-punishment. The final transmission "Chen" is placed on "Si", and "Chen" is also self-punishment. This is called "assisting punishment to attack virtue" — the power of punishment is continuously strengthened, while the power of virtue is continuously weakened. The matter was not serious at first, but it will certainly escalate because the first, middle, and final transmissions all attack together. The heaven plate's day virtue falls on "You" and rides the White Tiger. Using this lesson to predict legal matters is very unfavorable. Even if the country is peaceful and there are no incidents, one must still be cautious of thieves.

某占失銀，庚午日子將丑時。

A person divined about lost silver, on a Gengwu day. The 'Zi' was taken as the Month General, and the time of divination was in the Chou hour.

合朱蛇貴 　辰巳午未　合朱蛇貴　官 庚午 蛇 勾卯　申后　辰巳午未　官 己巳 朱 青寅　酉陰　巳午未庚　父 戊辰 合 　丑子亥戌 　空虎常玄

The lesson plate is laid out in a row as shown above. The heavenly general is placed on the hour of Chou. The heaven plate is one position behind the earth plate. The arrangement of the heaven and earth plates is the same as the previous example, except that the heavenly general differs. On the earth plate, the heaven plate in the positions of Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen are respectively "Chen", "Si", "Wu", and "Wei", with the accompanying elements of Liu He, Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, and Heavenly Empress. On the earth plate, the heaven plate in the positions of Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai are respectively "Chou", "Zi", "Hai", and "Xu", with the accompanying elements of Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, and Black Tortoise. On the earth plate at Chen, the heaven plate is "Mao" with Gou Chen; on the earth plate at Mao, the heaven plate is "Yin" with Qing Long; on the earth plate at You, the heaven plate is "Shen" with Tian Hou; on the earth plate at Xu, the heaven plate is "You" with Tai Yin. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Geng (lodging palace in Shen), shows "Wei" with Heavenly Empress; the second lesson, on Wei, shows "Wu" with Teng Snake; the third lesson, on the day branch Wu, shows "Si" with Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson, on Si, shows "Chen" with Liu He. The right side has the three transmissions: the first transmission is "Wu", representing official ghost, hidden stem Geng Wu, with Teng Snake; the middle transmission is "Si", representing official ghost, hidden stem Ji Si, with Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is "Chen", representing parents, hidden stem Wu Chen, with Liu He.

邵彥和曰：其物在南方，爐灶近水邊，溼泥土中藏之，或落水缸畔中，有楊樹枝及有水果處尋之。蓋南方爐灶者，發用午巳蛇雀也；近水溼泥者，乃午未上遁得壬癸也。類神酉臨火墓作太陰，是以銀不出去也。吳稼云曰：午發用南方也，傳入巳故在灶下也，末見辰作六合，乃水缸也。方本占案

Shao Yanhe said: This item is located to the south, near the stove, close to the water, hidden in damp soil, or fallen by the side of the water container. One should look for it where there are willow branches and where fruit is stored. The reason for the judgment in the south near the stove is that the initiating transmission is 'wu' and the middle transmission is 'si', both belonging to fire and located in the south. Moreover, they are accompanied by Teng Snake and Vermilion Bird, two fire generals. The reason for the judgment near water and dampness is that the heavenly stems 'ren' and 'gui' are hidden in the positions of 'wu' and 'wei'. The spirit of silver 'you' is located on the Storage of fire and is accompanied by Tai Yin, which governs concealment, so the silver has not been taken out. Wu Jiayun said: Because 'wu' is the initiating transmission, it is judged to be in the south; because the transmission enters 'si', it is judged to be under the stove; the final transmission sees 'chen' accompanied by Liu He, which is the water container. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An."

某尋銀未見再占。庚午日子將酉時。

A person was unable to find a silver ingot, so he cast another divination. The time was on Gengwu day, with 'Zi' as the Month General, and the hour was You.

龍勾合朱 　申酉戌亥　蛇勾后朱　兄 癸酉 勾 空未　子蛇　子酉寅亥　子 甲子 蛇 虎午　丑貴　酉午亥庚　財 丁卯 陰 　巳辰卯寅 　常玄陰后

The divination board is laid out in rows as above. With the initial hour of the day being You (酉), the Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate shows in sequence 'Shen', 'You', 'Xu', and 'Hai', each accompanied by the following: Qinglong, Gou Chen, Liu He, and Zhu Que respectively. On the Earth Plate positions Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate shows in sequence 'Si', 'Chen', 'Mao', and 'Zi', each accompanied by the following: Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, and Tian Hou respectively. On the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate shows 'Wei' accompanied by Tian Kong; on the Earth Plate position Mao, the Heaven Plate shows 'Wu' accompanied by Bai Hu; on the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate shows 'Zi' accompanied by Teng Snake; on the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate shows 'Chou' accompanied by Tian Yi Gu Ren. In the middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the Day Stem Geng (with its lodging palace in Shen), shows 'Hai' accompanied by Zhu Que; the second lesson, on Hai, shows 'Yin' accompanied by Tian Hou; the third lesson, on the Day Branch Wu, shows 'You' accompanied by Gou Chen; the fourth lesson, on You, shows 'Zi' accompanied by Teng Snake. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 'You', with the six relations being Brothers, and the hidden stem Gui You, accompanied by Gou Chen; the middle transmission is 'Zi', with the six relations being Children, and the hidden stem Jia Zi, accompanied by Teng Snake; the final transmission is 'Mao', with the six relations being Wife Wealth, and the hidden stem Ding Mao, accompanied by Tai Yin.

邵彥和曰：銀在南方爐灶前水溼處尋之，乃自家人盜耳。蓋辰作元武，當主僕輩；酉作類神，作勾加午；末傳更見太陰臨水，太陰亦類神也，故主在水溼處尋之。果然。

Shao Yanhe said that silver should be found in a damp and watery place near the southern furnace stove, and it was stolen by a family member. This is because "Chen" is associated with the Black Tortoise, which governs theft, and "Chen" also represents servants; "You" is the spirit associated with silver, riding on Gou Chen and added to "Wu," which belongs to the southern furnace stove. The final transmission also shows Tai Yin at the water position, and Tai Yin is also the spirit associated with silver. Therefore, it was concluded that the silver should be searched for in a damp and watery place. Later, this proved to be true.

凡占失物須看類神，類神在傳或加日辰？見傳日不出日，傳時不出時，宜秘之。方本。吳稼云曰：大抵類神並見者，則合而斷之，此秘訣也，今乃悟之矣。愚按：類神未見，則以初傳為方向類神；已見，則以類神所臨處為方向。

Whenever divining about lost items, one must consider the class god. If the class god appears among the three transmissions or is added upon the day branch, then the lost item can be found on the same day. If the transmission contains the day branch, the item can be found on the same day. If the transmission contains the time of the divination, the item can be found at that time. This secret should be kept confidential. The above is from "Fang Ben Zhan An." Wu Jiayun said: When several class gods appear simultaneously, they should be combined for interpretation, which is a secret technique I only recently understood. Cheng Shuxun remarked: If the class god does not appear, use the first transmission as the class god to determine the direction. If the class god does appear, use the place where the class god is located to determine the direction.

壬寅年六月庚午日午將午時占訟。一字玉連環

In the year Renyin, sixth lunar month, on the day Gengwu, using 'wu' as the month general, the time of divination is also wu. The question is about a lawsuit. This example is taken from "Yi Zì Yù Lián Huán."

勾龍空虎 　巳午未申　龍龍虎虎　兄 壬申 虎 合辰　酉常　午午申申　財 丙寅 蛇 朱卯　戌玄　午午申庚　官 己巳 勾 　寅丑子亥 　蛇貴后陰

The lesson plate is laid out in rows as above. The month general and the time of divination are both "Wu," and the heaven plate and earth plate completely coincide, forming a "Hidden Chant" lesson. On the earth plate, the positions of Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen have the heaven plate also showing Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, respectively, with the following generals: Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, and White Tiger. On the earth plate, the positions of Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai have the heaven plate also showing Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, respectively, with the following generals: Teng Snake, Tian Yi Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, and Tai Yin. On the earth plate, the position of Chen has the heaven plate also showing Chen, with the general Liu He; the position of Mao has the heaven plate also showing Mao, with the general Vermilion Bird; the position of You has the heaven plate also showing You, with the general Tai Chang; and the position of Xu has the heaven plate also showing Xu, with the general Black Tortoise. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Geng (with its lodging palace in Shen) showing "Shen," with the general White Tiger; the second lesson has "Shen" showing "Shen," with the general White Tiger; the third lesson has the day branch Wu showing "Wu," with the general Azure Dragon; and the fourth lesson has "Wu" showing "Wu," with the general Azure Dragon. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is "Shen," with the six relations as brothers, the hidden stem Renshen, and the general White Tiger; the middle transmission is "Yin," with the six relations as wife wealth, the hidden stem Bingyin, and the general Teng Snake; the final transmission is "Si," with the six relations as official ghost, the hidden stem Jisi, and the general Gou Chen. The three transmissions Shen, Yin, and Si form the triple punishment of Yin, Si, and Shen.

徐次賓曰：六庚日伏吟者，古法以申寅巳為三傳，一書以申寅申為三傳，餘當謂刑始於寅，終於申。甲戊丙日當盡三刑，庚日先刑而後沖也。壬寅秋七月，餘以隴西公事匿村落中，父即求課於元公，得庚午日午將午時，三傳申寅申，將虎蛇虎。至壬申日，勾喚餘妻到官，以中傳寅為妻爻為用，申所克也，餘於是日避難赴官出頭。

Xu Cibin said: For the six days of Geng, the Hidden Chant lesson, the ancient method uses Shen, Yin, and Si as the three transmissions, while another book uses Shen, Yin, and Shen. I think the punishments start at Yin and end at Shen: On days of Jia, Wu, and Bing, the three punishments of Yin, Si, and Shen should be completed. On days of Geng, the punishment comes first and then the opposition. In the year of RENYIN, in the autumn of the seventh month, I was hiding in a village due to official business in Longxi. My father went to seek a lesson from Yuan Gong and got a lesson on the day of Gengwu, at the time of Wu general Wu. The three transmissions were Shen, Yin, and Shen, with the heavenly generals being Baihu, Tengshe, and Baihu. On the day of RENSHEN, the officials summoned my wife to the office - because the middle transmission Yin is the wife's yao and the useful god, which was being overcome by Shen. On that day, I ended my hiding and went to the office to appear.

蓋傳送白虎俱為道路，故壬申日動也。此日餘妻回家，餘仍下村去，至戊寅日喚餘至州，蓋應中傳寅字為庚日之天馬也。至己卯日聞隴西公承服，餘復下村去。至壬午日斷訖，蓋庚日課中正是畏其螣蛇也，至壬午日制之矣。又發用申與白虎俱是七數，二七一十四數，彼以己巳日入州，壬午日事畢，恰是十四日也。戊申日餘始歸，蓋末傳申為歸計，申乃庚之本位也，故申日至家矣。

This is because "Chuansong" (Shen), which is another name for "Shen," and "Baihu" both govern roads, so the action was initiated on the Renshen day. On that day, my wife returned home, and I still went down to the village. On the Wuyin day, the authorities summoned me again to the county office, which corresponds to the "Yin" in the middle transmission. Yin is exactly the heavenly horse of the Geng day. On the Jimao day, I heard that the Lengxi public had already confessed to his crime, so I returned to the village again. On the Renwu day, the case was concluded. This is because in the Geng day's divination, the most feared element is the Teng Snake, but on the Renwu day, fire is strong and the Teng Snake is subdued. Furthermore, the initiating transmission "Shen" and Baihu both belong to the number seven. Adding two sevens gives fourteen. The other party entered the county on the Jisi day and completed the matter on the Renwu day, which exactly totals fourteen days. I returned home on the Wushen day because the final transmission "Shen" indicates returning home. "Shen" is also the root of Geng metal, so I returned home on the Shen day.

先鋒門為日破，主破財，又中傳寅為財爻，被初末二申制之也。傳送主姓張人，先鋒門午亦姓張人，案吏姓張，住正南勝光也。占親人請客亦姓張，往西南傳送也。破財二七之數，同前數也。餘父經兩個月對問，應餘命上大吉為父母爻，見天乙，主動官也。所居村去州七里，連高阜，蓋中傳寅為東北，為七里，建得戊字，寅配艮為山，得戊寅即阜也。村名黃村，戊土黃也。申數亦七，而止言七里者，伏吟主近故也。

The "Vanguard Gate" (which refers to the divine being of the time) is exactly the Day Break, indicating loss of wealth. The Middle Transmission is "Yin" which is the wealth hexagram, and it is restrained by the First and Final Transmissions, both "Shen." The "Chuansong" (Shen) is associated with people surnamed Zhang. The "Wu" in the Vanguard Gate is also associated with people surnamed Zhang—the clerk handling the case indeed surnamed Zhang and lived in the position of "Shengguang" (Wu) which is due south. The relative who invited the guest for the banquet also surnamed Zhang, and he went to the position of "Chuansong" (Shen) which is southwest. The amount of wealth lost is two sevens, totaling fourteen, which matches the previous calculation. My father underwent two months of cross-examination, which corresponds to the "Daji" (Chou) in my native hexagram, which represents the parents. The presence of the Heavenly Ethical Person indicates disturbance of the authorities. My village is seven li away from the prefecture city, adjacent to a high hill, because the Middle Transmission "Yin" represents the northeast, and its number is seven; the hidden stem is "Wu," and "Yin" is paired with the trigram Gen (Mountain), which represents a hill. The hill is thus symbolized by "Wu Yin." The village is called Huang Village, because "Wu" belongs to earth, and earth is yellow. The number of "Shen" is also seven, but only seven li is mentioned instead of fourteen, because the Hidden Chant lesson favors nearness over distance.

六月辛未日午將寅時占來意。玉連環

On the 18th day of the sixth month, with "Wu" as the month general and the time of divination in the hour of Yin, the question was about the purpose of the visitor. This example is taken from "Yi Zi Yu Lian Huan."

合勾龍空 　酉戌亥子　玄龍貴常　子 　亥 龍 ◎ 朱申　丑虎　卯亥午寅　財 丁卯 玄 ⊙ 蛇未　寅常　亥未寅辛　父 辛未 蛇 　午巳辰卯 　貴后陰玄

The divination board is laid out in a horizontal row as above. At the time of the hour of午, the Heaven Plate is four positions ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over巳, 午, 未, and 申 are respectively 酉, 戌, 亥, and 子, with the accompanying elements of Liu He, Gou Chen, Qing Long, and Tian Kong. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over 寅, 丑, 子, and 亥 are respectively 午, 巳, 辰, and 卯, with the accompanying elements of Tian Yi Gu Ren, Tian Hou, Tai Yin, and Xuan Wu. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate position over 辰 is 申, with the accompanying element of Zhu Qu. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate position over 卯 is 未, with the accompanying element of Teng Snake. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate position over 酉 is 丑, with the accompanying element of Bai Hu. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate position over 戌 is 寅, with the accompanying element of Tai Chang. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson is on the day stem 辛 (with its lodging palace at 戌) where the element is 寅, accompanied by Tai Chang; the second lesson is on 寅 where the element is 午, accompanied by Tian Yi Gu Ren; the third lesson is on the day branch 未 where the element is 亥, accompanied by Qing Long; the fourth lesson is on 亥 where the element is 卯, accompanied by Xuan Wu. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 亥, with the six relations as children, since the day is Xinwei, belonging to the Jia Zi cycle, with the cycle's void in 戌 and 亥, so 亥 is exactly in the void, accompanied by Qing Long; the middle transmission is 卯, with the six relations as wife wealth, with the hidden stem Ding Mao, accompanied by Xuan Wu; the final transmission is 未, with the six relations as parents, with the hidden stem Xin Wei, accompanied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions 亥, 卯, and 未 form a wood trinity, forming the lesson of "Qu Zhi."

徐次賓曰：來意主酒宴間有姓劉人做媒說親，一席便成其新婦，必是亥生也。蓋時上見太常主宴會，值事門見六合為和合，又為日干子孫，酉為酒，發用子孫上見六合，豈不是酒宴上與子孫說親也。發用從魁，為今日等輩，酉為金刀，故言姓劉。上見青龍吉將，主婚姻禮儀之慶。時為日劫煞，主緊急，又中傳天罡為天馬，故言一席便成其新婦。亥生者，以末傳登明為子孫，故知為亥生也。

Xu Cibin said: The intention of the person coming is that there is a man surnamed Liu who is acting as a matchmaker at a banquet, and this marriage is settled during one banquet. The bride is certainly born in the year of亥. This is because at the time of the divination, Tai Chang appears, which governs banquets and gatherings; at the gate of the matter, Liu He appears, which governs harmony and union, and it is also the son's trigram of the day stem Xin; 'You' signifies wine; and on the initiating transmission, the son's trigram again meets Liu He - this is exactly the situation of arranging a marriage for a young person at a banquet. The initiating transmission is 'Congkui' (another name for You), representing people of the same generation as today, and You also signifies the image of a golden knife, with the metal character added to a knife forming the character 'Liu', so it is concluded that the surname is Liu. Above it, the auspicious general Qinglong is present, indicating the joy of wedding ceremonies. The time of the divination is exactly the jiesha of the day stem, indicating urgency of the matter; the middle transmission is 'Tiangang' (another name for Chen), and Chen here is the heavenly horse, so it is said that the marriage is settled during one banquet. The bride is born in the year of亥 because the final transmission 'Dengming' (another name for Hai) is the son's trigram, thus knowing she was born in the year of Hai.

長星見於西方，蔡太師免為中太乙宮使，占以後功名。崇寧丙戌年四月辛未日酉將寅時。方本占案。一針見血

A comet known as Chang Xing (a bright comet) appeared in the west. Cai Taishi was dismissed from his original post and transferred to serve as the commissioner of the Taiyi Palace. He then consulted about his future achievements. The time was the fourth month of the third year of Chongning (Jingxu), on the day of Xinwei. The month general was You, and the time of the divination was in the hour of Yin. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and also appears in "Yi Zhen Jian Xue."

朱蛇貴后 　子丑寅卯　青貴朱玄　兄 癸酉 青 合亥　辰陰　酉寅子巳　父 戊辰 陰 勾戌　巳玄　寅未巳辛　子 　亥 合 ◎ 　酉申未午 　青空虎常

The divination chart is laid out in rows as shown. With the hour of You and the time of Yin, the Heaven Plate advances seven positions relative to the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate's positions of Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate shows Zi, Chou, Yin, and Mao respectively, with the following divinatory elements: Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Heavenly Ethereal Nobleman, and Heavenly Empress. On the Earth Plate's positions of Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate shows You, Shen, Wei, and Wu respectively, with the following divinatory elements: Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, and Tai Chang. On the Earth Plate's position of Chen, the Heaven Plate shows Hai, with the element of Liu He. On the Earth Plate's position of Mao, the Heaven Plate shows Xu, with the element of Gou Chen. On the Earth Plate's position of You, the Heaven Plate shows Chen, with the element of Tai Yin. On the Earth Plate's position of Xu, the Heaven Plate shows Si, with the element of Black Tortoise. The middle three rows are the Four Lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson, on the Day Stem Xin (with its lodging palace at Xu), shows Si, with the element of Black Tortoise; the second lesson, on Si, shows Zi, with the element of Vermilion Bird; the third lesson, on the Day Branch Wei, shows Yin, with the element of Heavenly Ethereal Nobleman; the fourth lesson, on Yin, shows You, with the element of Azure Dragon. On the right side are the Three Transmissions: the first transmission is You, with the Six Relations as Brothers, the hidden stem Guiyou, and the element of Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is Chen, with the Six Relations as Parents, the hidden stem Wuchen, and the element of Tai Yin; the final transmission is Hai, with the Six Relations as Children, falling into the empty position of the ten-day cycle, and the element of Liu He.

邵彥和曰：酉作龍為用，酉於辛為上元真祿，寅乃地下真官，又是天吏，中末自刑而生合。相公目下雖有撓，全罪有赦，將來朝廷必大用，權威震上矣。愚按：月將乘青龍，主入相，相何故未之言，此必轉抄者遺之也。

Shao Yanhe said: "You" is riding the Azure Dragon as the initiating transmission, and You, in relation to the metal Xin, is precisely the true禄 of the upper beginning; "Yin" is the true official beneath the earth and also the position of the Heavenly Official. Although the middle transmission and final transmission have self-punishment, they also mutually generate and harmonize. The distinguished gentleman is currently encountering some obstruction, but all the charges will eventually be pardoned, and in the future he will certainly be greatly favored by the court, his authority capable of shaking the court. Cheng Shuxun remarked: The moon general riding the Azure Dragon usually indicates the person will enter the government and become a minister, but why does the interpretation not specifically mention "entering the government" ? It is likely that the person copying the text omitted this sentence.

後庚寅年出居杭州，壬辰年果再入朝大用。愚按綱？丙戌二月免為中太乙官使，丁亥正月為尚書左僕射兼門下侍郎，戊子正月初太師，己丑六月免，十一月詔以太師，庚寅五月彗星出奎，再貶為太子少保，出居杭州，壬辰二月復太師。

Later, in the year of Gengyin, he was sent away to Hangzhou. In the year of Renchen, he was indeed recalled to the court and given important positions. Cheng Shuxun remarks: Check the "Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government" (Tongjian Gangmu)? (The original text here is missing one character) which records - in the year of Bingxu, in February, he was dismissed from office and transferred to serve as the commissioner of the Taiyi Palace; in the year of Dinghai, in January, he was appointed as the Left Chancellor and Deputy Minister of the Door and the Minister of the Secretariat; in the year of Wuzi, in January, he was first appointed as the Grand Preceptor; in the year of Jichou, in June, he was dismissed again, but in November, an imperial edict was issued to recall him again with the title of Grand Preceptor; in the year of Gengyin, in May, a comet appeared in the Legs mansion, and he was again demoted to the position of Deputy Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and sent away to Hangzhou; in the year of Renchen, in February, his position as Grand Preceptor was restored.

夫應辰年者，月將青龍日祿之六合也。大凡四上克下，名無祿，天動於上為純陽，主動。若久困在下者遇之而發，居家者出。

As for why it should be in the year of Chen, it is because the Month General and the Azure Dragon's occupied position 「You」 are the day's禄 (favorable position), and Chen is precisely the Liu He (six harmonies) of You. Generally, the Four Lessons are all instances of upper overcoming lower, called 「no禄」 (lack of favorable position); the Heaven Plate's deity moves in the upper position, representing pure yang, which is active rather than passive. This type of lesson, when encountered by someone long confined in a lower position, will lead to success, and when encountered by someone idling at home, will lead to taking up an official post.

丙寅年十月辛未日辛未日卯將午時吳畹春占侄在中不知何往，並問吉凶。牧夫占驗

On the day of Xinwei in the tenth month of the year Bingyin, with the hour stem being Wu and the month general being Mao, Wu Wanchun divined about his nephew who had gone out to another place and was unknown where he had gone, asking about the fortune and misfortune. This example is taken from "Mu Fu Zhan Yan."

勾合朱蛇 　寅卯辰巳　龍朱朱后　子 　亥 虎 ◎ 龍丑　午貴　丑辰辰未　父 辛未 后 ⊙ 空子　未后　辰未未辛　父 辛未 后 ⊙ 　亥戌酉申 　虎常玄陰

The divination board is laid out in rows as shown above. At the time of the hour of Mao, the Heaven Plate is three positions behind the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate shows in order: Yin, Mao, Chen, and Si, each accompanied by Gou Chen, Liu He, Zhu Que, and Teng Snake respectively. On the Earth Plate positions Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate shows in order: Hai, Xu, You, and Shen, each accompanied by Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, and Tai Yin respectively. On the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate shows Chou, accompanied by Qing Long. On the Earth Plate position Mao, the Heaven Plate shows Zi, accompanied by Tian Kong. On the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate shows Wu, accompanied by Tian Yi Gu Ren. On the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate shows Wei, accompanied by Tian Hou. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the Day Stem Xin (with its lodging palace at Xu), shows 'Wei' accompanied by Tian Hou; the second lesson, on Wei, shows 'Chen' accompanied by Zhu Que; the third lesson, on the Day Branch Wei, shows 'Chen' accompanied by Zhu Que; the fourth lesson, on Chen, shows 'Chou' accompanied by Qing Long. The second and third lessons are repeated, so only three lessons are formed, and thus the 'Bie Ze' method is used. Since Xin Wei is a yin day, the trine before the Day Branch Wei 'Hai' is taken as the first transmission. The middle and final transmissions are both taken from the Day Stem's heavenly stem 'Wei'. On the right side, the first transmission is 'Hai', with the six relations as children, falling into Kong Wang, accompanied by Bai Hu. The middle and final transmissions are both 'Wei', with the six relations as parents, hidden heavenly stem Xin Wei, accompanied by Tian Hou.

王牧夫曰：目今在西南方，有楊姓人牽引而去，十二月必得信。彼曰：去已一年，吉凶若何。曰：馬作長生，土神生日，何必慮乎。至十二月果接信云，因楊姓結伴往河南固姓縣去買糧食。諸人歎服。蓋巳馬居西南，又支來加干，未屬羊，羊楊同音，故擬姓楊人也。

Wang Mufu said: This child is now in the southwest, being taken away by a man surnamed Yang, and there will certainly be news by the twelfth month. Wu Wan Chun asked: He has been away for a year, how is his fortune and misfortune? Wang Mufu replied: The post-horse is in the growth position, and the earth god is also giving birth to the day stem, so what is there to worry about? Indeed, by the twelfth month they received a message saying that he was traveling with a man surnamed Yang to buy grain in the area around Guoshi in Henan. Everyone was very convinced. This is because on the Xinwei day, the post-horse was in 'Si', and the heaven plate's 'Si' was exactly in the southwest direction; also, the day branch was added upon the day stem; 'Wei' in the earthly branches belongs to the sheep, which sounds the same as 'Yang', so it was deduced that it was a man surnamed Yang.

乾隆己巳年未月辛未日未將午時，某占子病。牧夫占驗

In the year Jisi of the Qianlong era, during the sixth month, on the day Xinwei, with "Wei" as the month general and the time of divination at Wu, someone asked about the illness of their son. This example is taken from "Mu Fu Zhan Yan."

勾龍空虎 　午未申酉　虎空陰玄　兄 壬申 空 合巳　戌常　酉申子亥　子 　亥 玄 ◎⊙ 朱辰　亥玄　申未亥辛　兄 壬申 空 　卯寅丑子 　蛇貴后陰

The divination board is laid out in rows as above. When the hour is Xinwei, the Heaven Plate advances one position relative to the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate on the positions of Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen are respectively "Wu", "Wei", "Shen", and "You", with the accompanying elements Gou Chen, Qinglong, Tiankong, and Baihu. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate on the positions of Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai are respectively "Mao", "Yin", "Chou", and "Zi", with the accompanying elements Tengshe, Tianyi Guiren, Tianhou, and Taiyin. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate on the position of Chen is "Si" with the accompanying element Liuhe; on the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate on the position of Mao is "Chen" with the accompanying element Zhuque; on the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate on the position of You is "Xu" with the accompanying element Taichang; on the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate on the position of Xu is "Hai" with the accompanying element Xuanwu. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Xin with "Hai" on it, accompanied by Xuanwu; the second lesson has "Zi" on Hai, accompanied by Taiyin; the third lesson has the day branch Wei with "Shen" on it, accompanied by Tiankong; the fourth lesson has "You" on Shen, accompanied by Baihu. There is no mutual control between the four lessons. Since the day is a Yin day, the "Mao Xing" pattern is selected, which is "Winter Snake Covering the Eyes". The initial transmission is taken from the Earth Plate position under the Heaven Plate "You", which is "Shen"; the middle transmission is taken from the heavenly element above the day stem Xin, which is "Hai"; the final transmission is taken from the heavenly element above the day branch Wei, which is "Shen". On the right side, the three transmissions are: initial transmission "Shen", with the six relations as brothers, hidden stem Ren Shen, accompanied by Tiankong; middle transmission "Hai", with the six relations as descendants, falling into Kongwang, accompanied by Xuanwu; final transmission "Shen", with the six relations as brothers, hidden stem Ren Shen, accompanied by Tiankong.

王牧夫曰：主腹中有冷病，或上或下，乃癎症也。曰：然，可得愈否。曰：此病嬰之於身，終難愈矣。夫以一辛金而生二水，亥上乘元，脫盡辛干之氣，支上申酉金堅固不化，金寒水冷，何能望愈。用申乘天空，元武居中，申為傳送，空無所阻，而痰得以上下往來，中見亥為痰母，故時好時發，醫無益也，逢金之歲命難保矣。後果驗。

Wang Mufu said: The patient has a cold disease in the abdomen, with the illness moving up and down suddenly, which is a symptom similar to epilepsy. The diviner said: Exactly so, can it be cured? Wang Mufu said: This illness has already taken root in the body, and it is ultimately difficult to cure. Because a Xin metal is required to produce two waters, and the 'Hai' position is occupied by the Black Tortoise, which completely drains the original energy of the Xin metal day stem; the day branch has two heavy metals, Sheng and You, which are firm and unchanging, resulting in cold metal and cold water. How can we expect the illness to be cured? The initiating transmission is 'Shen' with Tian Kong, and the Black Tortoise is in the middle transmission: 'Shen' is also called 'Chuansong', and Tian Kong is open and unobstructed, so the phlegm qi can move up and down; the middle transmission sees 'Hai', and 'Hai' water is the source of phlegm production, so the condition fluctuates between good and bad, and taking medicine is of no use; once encountering a year of metal, the life is in danger. Later, it indeed came true.

乾隆己卯年巳月辛未日酉將申時占己酉命人官訟，三十一歲。牧夫占驗

In the year Ji Mao of the Qianlong era, in the fourth lunar month (the巳 month), on the day Xin Wei, using 'You' as the Month General and the time of divination at Shen, a divination was performed for a man born in the year Ji You, aged thirty-one, concerning legal matters. This example is taken from "The Farmer's Divination Verification."

勾龍空虎 　午未申酉　虎空陰玄　兄 壬申 空 合巳　戌常　酉申子亥　子 　亥 玄 ◎⊙ 朱辰　亥玄　申未亥辛　兄 壬申 空 　卯寅丑子 　蛇貴后陰

The lesson plate is laid out in a row as above, identical to the previous example: with the酉 general added to the申 hour, the Heaven Plate is again one position ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions巳, 午, 未, and 申, the Heaven Plate shows 午, 未, 申, and 酉, riding on Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, and White Tiger respectively. On the Earth Plate positions寅, 丑, 子, and 亥, the Heaven Plate shows 卯, 寅, 丑, and 子, riding on Teng Snake, Tian Yi Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, and Tai Yin respectively. On the Earth Plate position辰, it shows巳 riding on Liu He; on the Earth Plate position卯, it shows辰 riding on Vermilion Bird; on the Earth Plate position酉, it shows戌 riding on Tai Chang; and on the Earth Plate position戌, it shows亥 riding on Black Tortoise. The four lessons, read from right to left: on the day stem 辛, it shows亥 riding on Black Tortoise; on the亥, it shows子 riding on Tai Yin; on the day branch 未, it shows申 riding on Tian Kong; and on the申, it shows酉 riding on White Tiger. There is no conflict among the four lessons. For a yin day, the昴 star is taken, which is "Winter Snake Covering Eyes." The three transmissions are申, 亥, and 申: the first transmission is a brother Renshen riding on Tian Kong, the middle transmission is a son亥 falling into Kongwang riding on Black Tortoise, and the final transmission is a brother Renshen riding on Tian Kong.

王牧夫曰：此代占也。其友人之母已經改嫁，常來取索，一日先服毒藥而來其家，恰門閉未開，坐移時吐黑水而死，友人代占其吉凶。余曰：冬蛇掩目，有凶事。上申下申，中見自刑之水，主毒在中，或上或下，其象如此。其友人命在酉，上見戌而空，而年立歲破（原作歲，訛），幸不至受刑落獄也。貴人坐丑沖支，其事可釋。後果驗。

Wang Mufu said: This was a divination done on behalf of someone else. His friend's biological mother had already remarried, but she often came to demand money. One day she first took poison and then came to this house, but the door was closed and had not yet been opened. She sat there for a while and died, vomiting black water. His friend then came to consult about the fortune. I said: This is the "Winter Snake Covering the Eyes" divination, indicating a calamity. The upper and lower parts are both "Shen", with "Hai" water in the middle, which is self-punishment. This indicates poison in the abdomen, fluctuating up and down, and the hexagram exactly matches this. The friend's birth year is "You", and "You" meets "Xu" which is in Kongwang, while the year of the consultation is in the position of the year's destruction. Fortunately, he does not have to be punished or imprisoned. The nobleman is sitting on "Chou", which conflicts with the day branch. This case can be resolved. Later, it indeed came true.

然事有權宜，生母非他人可比，千求萬乞不宜拒絕，當顧養身，始為合理。今年立申酉，頑金堅固之鄉，而戌酉又在不明之地，亦為子者不善處耳，致有此不幸之事也。嗚呼，能如范文正公者有幾人耶。

But matters often require some flexibility and adaptability: one's biological mother is not like an outsider. Even if she pleads and begs a thousand times, one should not refuse her outright. One should at least consider her physical well-being, which would be reasonable. This person's age this year is positioned at the positions of Shen and You, which are places of hard, unyielding metal. Moreover, the positions of Xu and You are in dark and obscure places. In the end, it is the son's handling of the situation that is at fault, leading to this unfortunate event. Alas, how few people in the world are like Fan Zhongyan, who treated his stepmother with great kindness.

四月壬申日申將未時癸酉命人占來意。玉連環

In the fourth lunar month on the Renshen day, using 'Shen' as the month general, the time of divination is in Wei. A person born in the Guiyou year asks about the purpose of their coming. This example is taken from "Yi Zi Yu Lianhuan."

蛇朱合勾 　午未申酉　龍勾常虎　官 乙丑 常 貴巳　戌龍　戌酉丑子　子 丙寅 玄 后辰　亥空　酉申子壬　子 丁卯 陰 　卯寅丑子 　陰玄常虎

The divination board is laid out in rows as shown above. The general is placed on the hour of Wei, and the Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate above Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen is respectively 'Wu', 'Wei', 'Shen', and 'You', with the accompanying elements Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, and Gou Chen. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate above Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai is respectively 'Mao', 'Yin', 'Chou', and 'Zi', with the accompanying elements Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, and White Tiger. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate above Chen is 'Si', accompanied by Tian Yi Nobleman; the Heaven Plate above Mao is 'Chen', accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the Heaven Plate above You is 'Xu', accompanied by Azure Dragon; and the Heaven Plate above Xu is 'Hai', accompanied by Tian Kong. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the Day Stem Ji (with its lodging palace in Hai), shows 'Zi', accompanied by White Tiger; the second lesson, on Zi, shows 'Chou', accompanied by Tai Chang; the third lesson, on the Day Branch Shen, shows 'You', accompanied by Gou Chen; and the fourth lesson, on You, shows 'Xu', accompanied by Azure Dragon. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 'Chou', with the six relations as Official Ghost, hidden stem Yichou, accompanied by Tai Chang; the middle transmission is 'Yin', with the six relations as Son and Grandson, hidden stem Bingyin, accompanied by Black Tortoise; the final transmission is 'Mao', with the six relations as Son and Grandson, hidden stem Dingmao, accompanied by Tai Yin. The three transmissions, Chou, Yin, and Mao, progress in order, forming the image of 'progressing to eat'.

徐次賓曰：來意主在外因姓王人失了水牛一隻，為眼疾老男子老陰人相逐，牽牛往東北去，其牛終不得見也。何知在外失牛，蓋時與日干三合，故言在處，不言和合而言失物者，未時為日鬼故也。何知姓王人失牛，發用大吉為日鬼，下臨子水，水數一，配土為王字。大吉為牛，中傳功曹乘元武，克大吉，為賊，豈不是失牛也。

Xu Cibin said: The intention of the person coming for divination is about a man surnamed Wang who lost a water ox. He was chased by an elderly man with eye disease and an elderly woman, and they led the ox toward the northeast, and the ox could not be found. How do we know the ox was lost outside? Because the time of divination and the day stem form a triple harmony, so it is determined to be outside. Triple harmony usually signifies harmony, but here it is said to be lost because the time of divination is 'Wei', which is the official ghost of the day stem Ren. How do we know it was Wang who lost the ox? The initiating transmission 'Daji' (the alias of Chou) is the official ghost of the day stem, and below it is 'Zi' water. The number of water is one. One horizontal stroke combined with 'earth' forms the character 'Wang'. 'Daji' (Chou) in terms of classification is an ox. The middle transmission 'Gongcao' (the alias of Yin) is multiplied by Xuanwu to attack Daji. Xuanwu signifies thieves, which is exactly the image of losing an ox.

言水牛者，月建得壬字，故言水也。何知患目老男子並老陰人。蓋寅為老翁，元武為眼疾人，卯上見太陰，主老陰人，寅卯相連，故言逐也。言東北者，下臨丑也。何以知不得見，以占時發用，本命上神俱為日鬼，又日干落空亡故言終不得見也。

The reason it is called a water ox is because the month builder reveals the character 「Ren」, which belongs to water, so it is interpreted as a water ox. How do we know it refers to an elderly man and an elderly woman suffering from eye disease? Because 「Yin」 represents an old man, and the Black Tortoise governs those with eye ailments; 「Mao」 has the Tai Yin, which signifies an elderly woman. Yin and Mao are connected head to tail, so it is said they are chasing each other. The direction towards the northeast is determined because 「Yin」 is associated with 「Chou」, which is located in the northeast direction. How do we know the ox cannot be found again? Because the time of the divination, the initiating transmission, and the spirits related to the native's destiny are all the officials and ghosts of the day stem 「Ren」, and the day stem 「Ren」 is also in the Kongwang position, so it is concluded that it will never be seen again.

四月壬申日申將午時占來意。玉連環

In the fourth lunar month on the Renshen day, take 'Shen' as the Month General, and the time of divination is at Wu. The question is about the intention of the person who came. This example is taken from "Yi Zi Yu Lian Huan."

朱合勾龍 　未申酉戌　虎龍陰常　兄 甲子 虎 ⊙ 蛇午　亥空　子戌卯丑　子 丙寅 玄 貴巳　子虎　戌申丑壬　官 戊辰 后 　辰卯寅丑 　后陰玄常

The divination board is laid out in rows as shown above. At the time of the monkey general (申) over the horse (午), the Heaven Plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions of snake (巳), horse (午), goat (未), and monkey (申), the Heaven Plate shows in sequence 'horse (未)', 'monkey (申)', 'rooster (酉)', and 'dog (戌)', each accompanied by Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, and Azure Dragon respectively. On the Earth Plate positions of rat (寅), ox (丑), pig (子), and boar (亥), the Heaven Plate shows in sequence 'dragon (辰)', 'rabbit (卯)', 'rat (寅)', and 'ox (丑)', each accompanied by Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, and Tai Chang respectively. On the Earth Plate position of dragon (辰), the Heaven Plate shows 'horse (午)', accompanied by Teng Snake; on the Earth Plate position of rabbit (卯), the Heaven Plate shows 'snake (巳)', accompanied by Tian Yi Nobleman; on the Earth Plate position of rooster (酉), the Heaven Plate shows 'pig (亥)', accompanied by Tian Kong; on the Earth Plate position of dog (戌), the Heaven Plate shows 'rat (子)', accompanied by White Tiger. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Ren (寄宫 in亥), shows 'ox (丑)', accompanied by Tai Chang; the second lesson, on ox (丑), shows 'rabbit (卯)', accompanied by Tai Yin; the third lesson, on the day branch Shen (申), shows 'dog (戌)', accompanied by Azure Dragon; the fourth lesson, on dog (戌), shows 'rat (子)', accompanied by White Tiger. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 'rat (子)', with six relations as brothers, hidden stem Jiazi, accompanied by White Tiger; the middle transmission is 'rat (寅)', with six relations as children, hidden stem Bingyin, accompanied by Black Tortoise; the final transmission is 'dragon (辰)', with six relations as official ghost, hidden stem Wuchen, accompanied by Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions, 'rat (子)', 'rat (寅)', and 'dragon (辰)', proceed in sequence with one position between them, indicating a progressive transmission.

徐次賓曰：來意主人出外，東南上干財，因姓崔人成合交易，此人內懷欺詐，終不敢發。又有一屬犬人姓王欲相侵害，終而自解。何知出之？發用神后，將得白虎，主道路，又天魁臨支為斬關，故言出外。午時為日干之財，乘螣蛇，下臨辰，故言東南干財。末傳天罡為山，加寅配艮為疊土，艮數八，似為人旁，以山配疊土，又有人傍，是崔也。

Xu Cibin said: The intention of the person coming is to go out to another place to seek wealth in the southeast direction, and the transaction will be facilitated by a person named Cui. This Cui has intentions of fraud, but ultimately dares not act. There is also a person named Wang who is a dog sign, who wants to harm him, but in the end it will be resolved by itself. How do we know he is going out? (The original text is missing one character here) The initiating transmission is "Shenhou" (another name for Zi), which is riding on the White Tiger. The White Tiger governs roads; also, "Tiankui" (another name for Xu) is on the day branch, forming the image of "Zhanguan" (cutting the gate), so it is judged that he is going out. The time of the divination is "Wu", which is the wealth for the day stem Ren. It is riding on Teng Snake and descending to "Chen", which is in the southeast. Therefore, it is judged that he will seek wealth in the southeast. The final transmission "Tiangang" (another name for Chen) represents a mountain, placed on "Yin", which is paired with the Eight Trigrams' Gen (mountain). Gen represents mountain and overlapping earth. The number of Gen is eight, which resembles a single radical for person. Pairing mountain with overlapping earth, and adding a radical for person on the side, together forms the character "Cui".

然天罡為日鬼，何以姓崔人成合交易？緣天罡臨寅，自受其制，又為中傳功曹制之，故不能為鬼，反為我照應，但懷欺詐而不能害也。天罡為虛詐之神，剋日，故主欺詐也。支上天魁為屬犬人，日上大吉為姓王人，皆為今日之鬼。而侵害自解者，日既落空，彼我不見，孰為爭也？

But the Tiangang (Chen) is the official ghost of the day stem, so why does it say that people with the surname Cui can facilitate trade? Because the Tiangang is located on Yin, which itself is restrained by the wood of Yin, and is further restrained by the Middle Transmission's Gongcao (Yin). Therefore, it cannot function as an official ghost to harm others, but instead becomes a supportive force for me. It may have deceitful intentions but cannot harm anyone. The Tiangang is originally a god of deceit and falsehood, and it is also attacking the day stem, so it indicates that the other party is deceitful. The Tiankui (Xu) on the day branch represents people who belong to the dog zodiac, and the Daji (Chou) on the day stem represents people with the surname Wang. Both are the official ghosts of today. As for the harm being self-resolving, it is because the day stem has already fallen into Kongwang, so there is no mutual confrontation, and thus there is no conflict between anyone.

乾隆己巳年未月壬申日未將辰時某占棄產。牧夫占驗

In the year Jisi of the Qianlong era, during the sixth month, on the day Renshen, with "Wei" as the month general and the time of divination at Chen, a person asked about selling property. This example is taken from "The Diviner's Verification."

龍空虎常 　申酉戌亥　后常朱后　財 己巳 朱 勾未　子玄　寅亥巳寅　父 壬申 龍 合午　丑陰　亥申寅壬　兄 　亥 常 ◎ 　巳辰卯寅 　朱蛇貴後

The layout of the pan is spread out in rows as above. The unadjusted time is added to the third hour. The Heaven Plate moves three positions ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate shows '申' (Monkey), '酉' (Rooster), '戌' (Dog), and '亥' (Pig) on the positions of '巳' (Snake), '午' (Horse), '未' (Sheep), and '申' (Monkey), respectively, with the following divination animals: Azure Dragon, Tian Kong (Heavenly Void), White Tiger, and Tai Chang (Imperial Constellation). On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate shows '巳' (Snake), '辰' (Dragon), '卯' (Rabbit), and '寅' (Tiger) on the positions of '寅' (Rat), '丑' (Ox), '子' (Pig), and '亥' (Pig), respectively, with the following divination animals: Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Tian Yi Gu Ren (Heavenly Nobleman), and Heavenly Empress. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate shows '未' (Sheep) on '辰' (Dragon), which is accompanied by Gou Chen (Commander of the Earth); '午' (Horse) on '卯' (Rabbit), accompanied by Liu He (Six Harmonies); '子' (Pig) on '酉' (Rooster), accompanied by Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise); and '丑' (Ox) on '戌' (Dog), accompanied by Tai Yin (Dark Yin). The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Ren (with its lodging palace in Hai), shows '寅' (Rat), accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the second lesson, on '寅' (Rat), shows '巳' (Snake), accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the third lesson, on the day branch Shen (Monkey), shows '亥' (Pig), accompanied by Tai Chang (Imperial Constellation); the fourth lesson, on '亥' (Pig), shows '寅' (Rat), accompanied by Heavenly Empress. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is '巳' (Snake), with the six relations being wife wealth, hidden stem Ji Si, accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the middle transmission is '申' (Monkey), with the six relations being parents, hidden stem Ren Shen, accompanied by Azure Dragon; the final transmission is '亥' (Pig), with the six relations being brothers, falling into the void, accompanied by Tai Chang (Imperial Constellation).

王牧夫曰：此屋有兩房人居住，甚安。若賣此屋，外人不得買，日後歸本家。蓋日去加支，受生得太常眷屬之神，加於寅上，寅主雙，故主有兩房人居住也。外人不得典買者，課上之寅入於宅內作合，成了不備，寅上後，與寅同氣，若要買必有本家之人作阻，此宅不得為外人有也。申乃日之長生，亦即寅之長生，壬帶沖絕，則寅與壬同氣而踞其上矣。後果末得賣，至今尚是兩家同居。

Wang Mufu said: This house is occupied by two families and they live in peace. If it were to be sold, outsiders would not be able to buy it, and in the future it would still remain in the possession of the original family. This is because the day stem is going to join the day branch, and is also being generated by the day branch, thus receiving the auspicious general Tai Chang, who represents the family members. Tai Chang is placed on 'Yin', which has the meaning of being in pairs, so it indicates that there are two families living together. The reason why outsiders cannot buy it is because the 'Yin' in the chart has entered the house position and combined with it, forming the image of the four lessons not being complete. Moreover, 'Yin' is also riding on the heavenly empress, who is of the same nature as 'Yin', so if someone wants to buy it, the original family members will certainly come out to block it, and the house will not fall into the hands of outsiders. Furthermore, 'Shen' is both the long life of the day stem Ren and the long life of 'Yin'. Ren also carries the energy of conflict and destruction, so 'Yin' and Ren are connected by the same energy and thus occupy it. In the end, it really did not sell, and to this day, the two families still live together.

四月壬申日申將辰時占來意。玉連環

In the fourth lunar month on the Renshen day, take 'Shen' as the Month General, and the time of divination is at Chen. The question is about the purpose of the visitor. This example is taken from "Yi Zi Yu Lian Huan."

空虎常玄 　酉戌亥子　蛇玄勾貴　官 辛未 勾 龍申　丑陰　辰子未卯　兄 　亥 常 ◎ 勾未　寅后　子申卯壬　子 丁卯 貴 ⊙ 　午巳辰卯 　合朱蛇貴

The course is laid out in a horizontal format as above. The general is at the hour of Shen, and the Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen are successively "You", "Xu", "Hai", and "Zi", with the accompanying elements of Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, and Xuan Wu. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai are successively "Wu", "Si", "Chen", and "Mao", with the accompanying elements of Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake, and Tian Yi Gu Ren. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate position over Chen is "Shen" with the element Qing Long; the Heaven Plate position over Mao is "Wei" with the element Gou Chen; the Heaven Plate position over You is "Chou" with the element Tai Yin; and the Heaven Plate position over Xu is "Yin" with the element Tian Hou. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, with the day stem Ren (lodging palace in Hai), shows "Mao", with the element Tian Yi Gu Ren; the second lesson, over Mao, shows "Wei", with the element Gou Chen; the third lesson, with the day branch Shen, shows "Zi", with the element Xuan Wu; and the fourth lesson, over Zi, shows "Chen", with the element Teng Snake. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is "Wei", with the six relations as official ghost, hidden stem Xin Wei, and the element Gou Chen; the middle transmission is "Hai", with the six relations as brother, falling into the empty term, and the element Tai Chang; the final transmission is "Mao", with the six relations as son, hidden stem Ding Mao, and the element Tian Yi Gu Ren. The three transmissions, Hai, Mao, and Wei, form a wood trinity, so the following statement says "the hexagram is of the bending and straight type."

徐次賓曰：來意主家中不和，其妻姓王，性甚剛暴，常口舌爭？。因此休棄，後因生子而復還合也。何知內事不和，蓋日辰三合帶鬼。天后為妻，乘天罡，下臨子，故知姓王。天罡主欺詐凶惡，故知性暴。

Xu Cibin said: The intention of the person coming in is that there is disharmony within the family. His wife is surnamed Wang, and her nature is extremely fierce and impetuous, often quarreling with words. (The original text is missing one character here), so he divorced her. Later, because she gave birth to a son, they reconciled again. How do we know it is about family discord? Because the day stem and day branch form a triple harmony and are accompanied by the official ghost. The Heavenly Empress represents the wife, riding on 'Tiangang' (another name for Chen), with 'Zi' below it. One horizontal line matches the earth element and combines with the water element, thus knowing she is surnamed Wang. Tiangang is originally associated with deceit and malevolence, so it is judged that her nature is fierce and impetuous.

因口舌相爭休棄者，以卯酉為門戶，朱雀從卯上發用，主口舌。占時用傳皆剋日，日既落空亡，不能相爭故也。卦得曲直，為子孫爻，占時與日支合，用傳與日干合，內外俱合之象。向之所謂占時用傳俱鬼，今得子孫制之，是因生子而復返還合也。

The reason for divorcing due to quarrels over words is because the卯 and 酉 represent the gate and house, and the Vermilion Bird starts from the卯. The Vermilion Bird primarily governs disputes and verbal conflicts. At the time of the divination, both the three transmissions and the day stem are in a position to overcome the day stem, and since the day stem has fallen into Kongwang, the two parties can no longer quarrel. This divination forms a "curved and straight" wood structure with the three transmissions, and wood is the son and grandson of the壬 water. The time of divination combines with the day branch, and the three transmissions also combine with the day stem, indicating a harmonious situation internally and externally. Previously, it was mentioned that both the time of divination and the three transmissions were official ghosts, but now the son and grandson爻 come to control the official ghosts, which corresponds to the idea of "reconciliation because a son was born."

六月癸酉日午將卯時占生產。一針見血

In June on the Guiyou day, take 'Wu' as the Month General, and the time of divination is at Mao. The question is about childbirth. This example is taken from "One Needle Sees the Essence."

合勾龍空 　申酉戌亥　陰虎朱后　官 戊辰 后 朱未　子虎　卯子未辰　官 辛未 朱 蛇午　丑常　子酉辰癸　官 　戌 龍 ◎ 　巳辰卯寅 　貴后陰玄

The divination board is laid out in a horizontal row as above. At the time of the fifth hour, the heavenly plate is three positions ahead of the earthly plate. On the earthly plate, the heavenly plate is sequentially "申", "酉", "戌", "亥" over the positions of "巳", "午", "未", "申", with the respective divinatory elements of Liu He, Gou Chen, Qing Long, and Tian Kong. On the earthly plate, the heavenly plate is sequentially "巳", "辰", "卯", "寅" over the positions of "寅", "丑", "子", "亥", with the respective divinatory elements of Tian Yi Gu Ren, Tian Hou, Tai Yin, and Xuan Wu. On the earthly plate position "辰", the heavenly plate is "未" with the element of Zhu Qu. On the earthly plate position "卯", the heavenly plate is "午" with the element of Teng Snake. On the earthly plate position "酉", the heavenly plate is "子" with the element of Bai Hu. On the earthly plate position "戌", the heavenly plate is "丑" with the element of Tai Chang. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Gui (with its lodging palace at Chou), shows "辰" with the element of Tian Hou; the second lesson, on the position Chen, shows "未" with the element of Zhu Qu; the third lesson, on the day branch You, shows "子" with the element of Bai Hu; the fourth lesson, on the position Zi, shows "卯" with the element of Tai Yin. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is "辰", with the six relations as official ghost, the hidden stem is Wu Chen, and the element is Tian Hou; the middle transmission is "未", with the six relations as official ghost, the hidden stem is Xin Wei, and the element is Zhu Qu; the final transmission is "戌", with the six relations as official ghost, the day Gui You belongs to the Jia Zi cycle, and the cycle's void is in Xu and Hai, so "戌" falls into Kong Wang, and the element is Qing Long. The three transmissions, "Chen", "Wei", and "Xu", all belong to the earth element and are all official ghosts that control the body.

斷曰：腹中必有雙兒，然恐於母當日死。因天罡為鬼，為墓覆干，魁罡又是刑禍，三傳皆土克干，又傷破支上神。經曰：罡作天后臨日上，主傷胎。子作白虎臨宅，又是母位有破，日辰盡傷故也。

The interpretation states that there are definitely twins in the womb, but the mother is likely to die on the same day. This is because "Tiangang" (another name for Chen) is the official ghost of the day stem Gui, and Chen is also the storage of water, pressing repeatedly on the day stem. "Hekui" (Xu) and "Tiangang" (Chen) are paired, which is an omen of punishment and misfortune. The three transmissions, Chen, Wei, and Xu, all belong to earth, which together overcome the day stem and damage the spirit of the day branch. The classic text says: when "Tiangang" rides on "Heavenly Empress" and is above the day stem, it indicates harm to the fetus. "Zi" rides on "White Tiger" and is on the dwelling position, which is the mother's position and has been damaged. Both the day stem and day branch are completely harmed, hence the severe interpretation.

崇正癸酉年十二月癸酉日丑將申時占出行。郭氏占案

In the year Guiyou of the Chongzheng era, on the twelfth lunar month and Guiyou day, with 'Chou' as the month general and the time of divination at Shen, the question was about going on a long journey. This example is taken from the "Guo氏 Divination Cases."

龍空虎常 　戌亥子丑　朱玄空蛇　官 辛未 朱 勾酉　寅玄　未寅亥午　兄 甲子 虎 合申　卯陰　寅酉午癸　財 己巳 貴 　未午巳辰 　朱蛇貴後

The course is laid out in a straight line as shown above. With the hour of Chou and the general of Chou added to Shen, the Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate positions are successively Xu, Hai, Zi, and Chou, with the respective divination animals Qinglong, Tiankong, Baihu, and Taichang. On the Earth Plate positions Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate positions are successively Wei, Wu, Si, and Chen, with the respective divination animals Zhuque, Tengshe, Tianyi Guiren, and Tianhou. On the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate position is You, with the divination animal Gouchen; on the Earth Plate position Mao, the Heaven Plate position is Shen, with the divination animal Liuhe; on the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate position is Yin, with the divination animal Xuanwu; on the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate position is Mao, with the divination animal Taiyin. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Gui (with its lodging palace at Chou), shows Wu, with Tengshe; the second lesson, on Wu, shows Hai, with Tiankong; the third lesson, on the day branch You, shows Yin, with Xuanwu; the fourth lesson, on Yin, shows Wei, with Zhuque. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is Wei, with the six relations as Guigui, the hidden stem Xinwei, and the divination animal Zhuque; the middle transmission is Zi, with the six relations as Xiongdi, the hidden stem Jiazi, and the divination animal Baihu; the final transmission is Si, with the six relations as Qicai, the hidden stem Jisi, and the divination animal Tianyi Guiren. The first transmission Wei is before the heavenly stem of the day stem Gui, which is Wu, and the final transmission Si is after Wu, thus surrounding the day stem, forming the pattern of 'yin cong'.

郭御青曰：癸酉年冬，餘與同胞內弟張君公函、王君肇與，約春正公車同行，得此課。初末引從日干，必不能同行，一在餘先，一在餘後也。果張公函於正月初三庚寅日先行，餘於初八乙未日行，乃發用也。

Guo Yuqing said: In the Guiyou year, in the winter, I made an appointment with my twin brother's brother-in-law Zhang Gonghan and Wang Zhaoyu to go to the capital together the following lunar January to take the examination, and I cast this divination. The first transmission and the final transmission are before and after the day stem, forming the image of 'leading and following'. This indicates that the three of us certainly cannot travel together: one ahead of me, one behind me. In the end, Zhang Gonghan left first on the third day of the first lunar month, the Gengyin day, while I departed on the eighth day of the first lunar month, the Yiwei day - the 'wei' in Yiwei is precisely the initiating transmission of this divination.

王君尚卜行期。餘密示余弟季升：王君必於子日行，今且勿言，言則有意先就矣。王君果於正月二十五壬子日行。蓋張行於初傳之地盤，王行於末傳之地盤，干為餘，居中真引從也。人一動一履，莫非前定，奇哉。

Wang Zhao and the day he set out was determined by divination. I privately told my younger brother Ji Sheng: Wang Jun must certainly have set out on a Zi day, and for now we should not reveal it, for if we did, he would deliberately try to match that day. Wang Zhao indeed set out on the 25th day of the first lunar month, which was the Renzi day. Originally, Zhang Gong's journey followed the position of the initial transmission "Wei" which was located on the Earth Plate position "Yin", while Wang Zhao's journey followed the position of the final transmission "Si" which was located on the Earth Plate position "Zi". The day stem represents myself, and I am in the center, being influenced by both sides - this is truly the form of being led and followed. Every movement and step of a person is already predetermined, which is truly marvelous.

辛卯年正月癸酉日寅將巳時占宅。一針見血

In the year Xinmao, first lunar month, on the day Guiyou, using "Yin" as the month general, the time of divination is in the hour Si. The question is about the household. This example is taken from "Yizhen Jianxue."

合朱蛇貴 　寅卯辰巳　朱后陰虎　財 庚午 后 勾丑　午后　卯午未戌　子 丁卯 朱 龍子　未陰　午酉戌癸　兄 甲子 龍 　亥戌酉申 　空虎常玄

The divination board is laid out in rows as shown above. With the hour stem寅 added to the time巳, the Heaven Plate is three positions behind the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate is sequentially: on巳,午,未,申, it is respectively「寅」「卯」「辰」「巳」, with the accompanying divinatory elements of Liu He, Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, and Heavenly Nobleman. On the Earth Plate, on寅,丑,子,亥, the Heaven Plate is respectively「亥」「戌」「酉」「申」, with the accompanying divinatory elements of Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, and Black Tortoise. On the Earth Plate, on辰, the Heaven Plate is「丑」with Gou Chen; on卯, the Heaven Plate is「子」with Azure Dragon; on酉, the Heaven Plate is「午」with Heavenly Empress; on戌, the Heaven Plate is「未」with Tai Yin. The middle three rows are the Four Lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson is on the Day Stem癸 (with its lodging palace in丑) showing「戌」, with White Tiger; the second lesson is on戌 showing「未」, with Tai Yin; the third lesson is on the Day Branch酉 showing「午」, with Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson is on午 showing「卯」, with Vermilion Bird. On the right side are the Three Transmissions: the first transmission is「午」, with the Six Relations as wife wealth, hidden stem Gengwu, with Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is「卯」, with the Six Relations as children, hidden stem Dingmao, with Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is「子」, with the Six Relations as brothers, hidden stem Jiazi, with Azure Dragon.

斷曰：課得返吟，主門戶內有私財，外人慾來爭奪。蓋酉是宅，為門，太陰為私財，則水日逢丁，兼下克上，亦為財也。勾陳主爭，卯私門入太陰，主私暗隱之財。未作雀加癸為官鬼，未是兄弟，丑年曾爭論，今年再論，丑刑未故也。小刑大，為逆亂之刑也。

The interpretation states: This reading indicates a reverse repetition, suggesting that private money is hidden within the household, and outsiders desire to compete for it. Since "You" represents the dwelling and also signifies the gate, and Tai Yin governs hidden wealth, along with water day encountering "Ding," which also signifies a lower element overcoming a higher one, forming an image of wealth. Gou Chen signifies conflict; "Mao" as the private entrance entering the Tai Yin position indicates concealed money. "Wei" combined with Vermilion Bird on the day stem Gui, Wei earth is precisely the official ghost of Gui water, and Wei here also represents siblings, so there was a dispute in the year Chou, and this year another dispute will occur, due to the mutual conflict between Chou and Wei. Small element offending a larger one is a crime of rebellion and disorder.

建炎己酉年八月癸酉日巳將申時占宅。方本占案

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, eighth month, day Guiyou, using 'Si' as the month general, the time of divination was at Shen. The question was about the family dwelling. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An."

合朱蛇貴 　寅卯辰巳　朱后陰虎　財 庚午 后 勾丑　午后　卯午未戌　子 丁卯 朱 青子　未陰　午酉戌癸　兄 甲子 青 　亥戌酉申 　空虎常玄

The lesson board is laid out in a row as shown above, with the same arrangement as the previous example: at the time of "巳将加申", the Heaven Plate is three positions behind the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions of巳, 午, 未, and 申, the Heaven Plate shows "寅", "卯", "辰", and "巳", respectively, with the following divinatory signs: Liu He (六合), Vermilion Bird (朱雀), Teng Snake (螣蛇), and Heavenly Nobleman (天乙贵人). On the Earth Plate positions of寅, 丑, 子, and 亥, the Heaven Plate shows "亥", "戌", "酉", and "申", respectively, with the following divinatory signs: Heaven Void (天空), White Tiger (白虎), Tai Chang (太常), and Black Tortoise (玄武). On the Earth Plate position of辰, "丑" is associated with Gou Chen (勾陈); on the Earth Plate position of卯, "子" is associated with Azure Dragon (青龙); on the Earth Plate position of酉, "午" is associated with Heavenly Empress (天后); on the Earth Plate position of戌, "未" is associated with Tai Yin (太阴). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: on the Day Stem癸 (with its lodging palace at 丑), "戌" is associated with White Tiger (白虎); on "戌", "未" is associated with Tai Yin (太阴); on the Day Branch酉, "午" is associated with Heavenly Empress (天后); on "午", "卯" is associated with Vermilion Bird (朱雀). The three transmissions: the first transmission is the wife's wealth "午" (Gengwu) associated with Heavenly Empress (天后); the middle transmission is the son's fortune "卯" (Dingmao) associated with Vermilion Bird (朱雀); the final transmission is the brother's fortune "子" (Jiazi) associated with Azure Dragon (青龙). The third lesson has 午 added to 酉, and the fourth lesson has 卯 added to 午. Both are cases of the four cardinal divine forces (子, 午, 卯, 酉) being added to each other, which is referred to as the "Three Intersections" (三交) lesson pattern as mentioned below.

邵彥和曰：凡四正相加，非死即敗。今午加酉作後發用，午火至酉而無光。鄭云三交課體已主闇昧不明之事，邵公每出新意，而日午火到酉而光沒，則宅之昏暗更的。天后水又敗在酉，即用死敗神，則主男女淫奔。

Shao Yanhe said: Whenever the four cardinal divine stems of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You are added together, it either indicates death or failure. Now, the stem Wu is added upon You, and it initiates transmission with the Heavenly Empress. Wu belongs to fire, but when it reaches You, its brightness fades. Zheng said: The lesson pattern of three intersections inherently indicates obscure and unclear matters. Shao often brings new insights, saying that the fire of Wu is completely extinguished when it reaches You, thus confirming that the dwelling is even more dim and obscure. The Heavenly Empress belongs to water, and the place of decline for water is You. Now the useful god is precisely this dead and failing deity, so it indicates that men and women are running away and engaging in licentiousness.

如何用死敗神便主淫奔，蓋敗者敗門風也。干尊支卑，午作天后加支陰神，再見子孫，是子之妻也，奈何發用而與干上戌三合乎。水日逢丁則妻財動，奈何與干上戌又六合乎，豈非新臺之事乎。

Why does using the dead and defeated spirits indicate adultery? Because the term "defeated" refers precisely to the family's reputation. The day stem represents the superior, while the day branch represents the inferior. The "wu" (午) rides on the Heavenly Empress and is placed upon the Yin Spirit of the day branch, and also sees the Children Line, which refers to the wife of the son. Unfortunately, this "wu" happens to be the initiating transmission, and it forms a triple harmony with the "xu" (戌) on the day stem. When a water day meets "ding" (丁), it indicates the wife's wealth is activated, but it also forms a Liu He with the "xu" on the day stem. Is this not exactly the scandal mocked in the "Xin Tai" poem of the Book of Songs, where the grandfather has an affair with his son's wife?

今加於宅，主宅中有淫亂不明之事，大不可居。占者不聽，竟居之，後果公淫其媳，家丑外揚。蓋子作龍加卯，為無禮刑；龍乘水則腳浮；戌加日上主動，故應此也。

Now these signs have been placed on the dwelling position, indicating that there is improper and unclear behavior within the household, making it absolutely unsuitable to live there. The person who cast the divination did not listen and still moved in. Later, indeed, the grandfather had an affair with his granddaughter-in-law, and the family disgrace spread outside. This is because "Zi" (Water) is riding on the Azure Dragon and is placed on "Mao" (Rabbit), and the conflict between Zi and Mao is the "Punishment of Impropriety"; the Azure Dragon riding on water indicates a weak and improper foundation; "Xu" (Dog) is placed on the day stem, indicating an action is taken—thus fulfilling this outcome.

三月癸酉日酉將未時占來意。指歸靈文論

On the Guiyou day of the third month, using 'You' as the Month General, the time of divination is in Wei. The question is about the intention of the person who came. This example is taken from "Zhi Gui Ling Wen Lun."

朱合勾龍 　未申酉戌　常空貴陰　官 乙丑 常 ⊙ 蛇午　亥空　丑亥巳卯　子 丁卯 陰 貴巳　子虎　亥酉卯癸　財 己巳 貴 　辰卯寅丑 　后陰玄常

The divination board is laid out in rows as shown above. With the hour of You (酉) as the general and the time of Wei (未), the Heaven Plate advances two places ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate is arranged as follows: on the positions of Si (巳), Wu (午), Wei (未), and Shen (申), the Heaven Plate shows Wu (未), Shen (申), You (酉), and Xu (戌), respectively, with the accompanying animals being Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, and Azure Dragon. On the positions of Yin (寅), Chou (丑), Zi (子), and Hai (亥), the Heaven Plate shows Chen (辰), Mao (卯), Yin (寅), and Chou (丑), respectively, with the accompanying animals being Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, and Tai Chang. On the position of Chen (辰), the Heaven Plate shows Wu (午), accompanied by Teng Snake; on the position of Mao (卯), the Heaven Plate shows Si (巳), accompanied by Tian Yi Nobleman; on the position of You (酉), the Heaven Plate shows Hai (亥), accompanied by Tian Kong; on the position of Xu (戌), the Heaven Plate shows Zi (子), accompanied by Bai Hu. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the Day Stem Gui (癸) (with its lodging palace at Chou (丑)), shows Mao (卯), accompanied by Tai Yin; the second lesson, on Mao (卯), shows Si (巳), accompanied by Tian Yi Nobleman; the third lesson, on the Day Branch You (酉), shows Hai (亥), accompanied by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson, on Hai (亥), shows Chou (丑), accompanied by Tai Chang. On the right side, the three transmissions are: the first transmission is Chou (丑), with the six relations as official ghost, the hidden stem Yichou (乙丑), accompanied by Tai Chang; the middle transmission is Mao (卯), with the six relations as son and grandson, the hidden stem Dingmao (丁卯), accompanied by Tai Yin; the final transmission is Si (巳), with the six relations as wife's wealth, the hidden stem Jisi (己巳), accompanied by Tian Yi Nobleman. The three transmissions, Chou (丑), Mao (卯), and Si (巳), proceed in order, each separated by one position.

斷曰：來意主行人進發復有盤桓，往還三日而再發立至。蓋大吉是陽局之神，退而臨寅，寅為陰局之用神，退在陰局，凡春冬占得者，主發動而復還。以月建而言，丑是十二月建，亥是十月建，丑至寅三位，即三日也。癸日為占者身，發用丑，此人必動。末傳巳作貴人加卯，凡末傳為足，卯酉為門戶，貴人臨此，為人身與足俱動矣，故云立至也。

The interpretation says: The inquiry is about the movement of a person—this person has already set out, but stopped in the middle, lingered around, and returned three days later before starting again, and will soon arrive. Because "Daji" (which is also the name of "Chou") belongs to the Yang group of deities, it is now retreating and coming to rest on the position of "Yin". "Yin" is the Useful God of the Yin group. When Yang retreats into Yin, if this pattern appears in spring or winter, it indicates that the person has already started but turned back. If we consider the Month Builder: "Chou" is the Month Builder of the twelfth month, and "Hai" is the Month Builder of the tenth month. Counting from "Chou" to "Yin" involves three positions, which corresponds to three days. "Gui" day represents the person asking the question, and the Initiating Transmission is "Chou", indicating that the person must definitely move. The Final Transmission "Si" is riding on Tianyi Nobleman and is placed on "Mao": since the Final Transmission represents the feet, "Mao" and "You" represent the gate, and the Nobleman is located here, it means both the body and the feet are about to move, so it is said that the person will arrive soon.

崇正九年丙子歲三月甲戌日酉將酉時自占吉凶。郭氏占案

In the ninth year of Chongzheng, during the year Bingzi, on the third month, on the day Jiaxu, using 'You' as the Month General, and the time of divination also being You, the person themselves inquired about auspiciousness and inauspiciousness. This example is taken from the "Guo's Divination Cases."

勾龍空虎 　巳午未申　玄玄蛇蛇　兄 戊寅 蛇 合辰　酉常　戌戌寅寅　子 辛巳 勾 朱卯　戌玄　戌戌寅甲　官 　申 虎 ◎⊙ 　寅丑子亥 　蛇貴后陰

The divination plate is laid out in a straight line as above. The month general and the time of divination are both "You", and the heaven plate and earth plate completely overlap, forming a "Hidden Chant" lesson. On the earth plate, the heaven plate still shows "Si", "Wu", "Wei", and "Shen" on the positions of Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, with the accompanying elements of Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Heaven Void, and White Tiger respectively. On the earth plate, the heaven plate still shows "Yin", "Chou", "Zi", and "Hai" on the positions of Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, with the accompanying elements of Teng Snake, Heavenly Ethereal Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, and Tai Yin respectively. On the earth plate, the position of Chen has Chen with the accompanying element of Liu He, the position of Mao has Mao with the accompanying element of Vermilion Bird, the position of You has You with the accompanying element of Tai Chang, and the position of Xu has Xu with the accompanying element of Black Tortoise. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson shows "Yin" on the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace at Yin), accompanied by Teng Snake; the second lesson shows "Yin" on Yin, accompanied by Teng Snake; the third lesson shows "Xu" on the day branch Xu, accompanied by Black Tortoise; the fourth lesson shows "Xu" on Xu, accompanied by Black Tortoise. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is "Yin", with the six relations as brothers, the hidden stem is Wu Yin, accompanied by Teng Snake; the middle transmission is "Si", with the six relations as sons and grandsons, the hidden stem is Xin Si, accompanied by Gou Chen; the final transmission is "Shen", with the six relations as officials and ghosts, on the day of Jia Xu, which belongs to the Jia Xu cycle, with the cycle's void in Shen and You, so Shen falls into Kongwang, accompanied by White Tiger. The three transmissions, Yin, Si, and Shen, are exactly the three punishments of the Hidden Chant.

郭御青曰：末傳馬載虎鬼，課傳天將皆惡，猶幸申空，到七月月建填實可畏。四月辛巳日，又占得亥辛一課，三傳午未申，蒿矢帶金射中傷身，進茹主事體瓜蔓相纏，又幸申空，亦慮七月填實，兩課一意。

Guo Yuqing said: The final transmission is the post-horse carrying the white tiger official ghost, and the lesson pattern, the three transmissions, and the riding heavenly general are not good. Fortunately, 'Shen' falls in kongwang. It is feared that by July, when the month builder reaches the position of Shen, the kongwang will be filled, which would be dangerous. On the fourth month Xinsi day, I divined another lesson 'Hai jia Xin', with three transmissions of Wu, Wei, and Shen, belonging to the 'hao shi' lesson, which carries the metal qi and may injure the body. The three transmissions advancing in order show the image of 'jin ru', indicating that matters will be connected like a gourd vine. Fortunately, 'Shen' also falls in kongwang, and the same caution is needed regarding July when the kongwang is filled. The two lessons refer to the same matter.

余每對親友言，知避居鄉村，至七月二十八忽有不相干事被人纏繞，餘欣然順受不與較，數日而紛定。人皆服予之量，餘安命而已。凡遇凶課守正可免，不則凶如分數而止，愈橫命愈決裂，於天何尤，人自作孽也。

I often tell this to my friends and relatives, knowing that I should retreat to the countryside to live. On the 28th day of the seventh lunar month, suddenly an unrelated matter was connected to me, and I calmly accepted it without quarreling with others. Within a few days, the disturbance was resolved. Everyone admired my tolerance, but in reality, I was merely content with the will of heaven. Whenever I encounter an ominous fate, as long as I stay on the right path, I can avoid misfortune; otherwise, the calamity will only reach its destined limit. The more you are stubborn and unreasonable, the more your fate will be ruined. What can you blame heaven for? It is the result of your own actions.

愚按：前課申鬼應在月建，後課五鬼應在日辰，七月二十八實庚午日也。申鬼空亡，五鬼蒿矢，皆為無力，故數日而紛定，況加以逆來順受乎。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: In the previous lesson, the official ghost of metal in the hour of Shen should have been on the month builder, while in the following lesson, the five ghosts should have been on the day branch. July 28th was precisely the day of Gengwu. The official ghost of metal fell into Kongwang, and the five ghosts were merely a lesson of "hao shi", a weak and powerless situation, so they could not cause great harm, thus the matter calmed down within a few days. Moreover, he was able to endure hardship and accept adversity.

乾隆辛巳年八月甲戌日巳將辰時乙未命人四十七歲占月建。牧夫占驗

In the year Xinsi of the Qianlong era, on the eighth month, on the day Jiaxu, with "Si" as the month general and the time of divination at Chen, a person born in the year Yiwei, aged forty-seven, inquired about his fortune for this month. This example is taken from "Mu Fu Zhan Yan."

龍空虎常 　午未申酉　后陰合朱　財 庚辰 合 勾巳　戌玄　子亥辰卯　子 辛巳 勾 合辰　亥陰　亥戌卯甲　子 壬午 龍 　卯寅丑子 　朱蛇貴後

The divination board is laid out in rows as above. At the time of the fourth hour, the Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions of巳,午,未,申, the Heaven Plate successively shows 午, 未, 申, 酉, with the respective divination animals of Qinglong, Tiankong, Baihu, and Taichang. On the Earth Plate positions of寅, 丑, 子, 亥, the Heaven Plate successively shows 卯, 寅, 丑, 子, with the respective divination animals of Zhuque, Tengshe, Tianyi Guiren, and Tianhou. On the Earth Plate position of 辰, the Heaven Plate shows巳, with the divination animal of Gouchen. On the Earth Plate position of 卯, the Heaven Plate shows辰, with the divination animal of Liuhe. On the Earth Plate position of 酉, the Heaven Plate shows戌, with the divination animal of Xuanwu. On the Earth Plate position of 戌, the Heaven Plate shows亥, with the divination animal of Taiyin. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson shows the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace in寅) with 卯, with the divination animal of Zhuque; the second lesson shows 卯 with 辰, with the divination animal of Liuhe; the third lesson shows the day branch 戌 with 亥, with the divination animal of Taiyin; the fourth lesson shows 亥 with 子, with the divination animal of Tianhou. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 辰, with the six relations as wife wealth, hidden stem Gengchen, and the divination animal of Liuhe; the middle transmission is巳, with the six relations as children, hidden stem Xinsi, and the divination animal of Gouchen; the final transmission is午, with the six relations as children, hidden stem Renwu, and the divination animal of Qinglong. The three transmissions, 辰, 巳, 午, progress in order, indicating the image of advancing.

王牧夫曰：干上卯木乘朱雀，與支之戌交車合，正時發用沖破支辰，主因尊長之財而破財事，雖有始無終，然要費口舌破財，八月甚平常耳。蓋支儀為尊長，卯乘朱雀與之合，是因尊長口舌也。支為財，初傳與正時為財，是因財而破財也。

Wang Mufu said: The "Mao" wood on the day stem is riding the Vermilion Bird, and combines with the day branch "Xu"; at the time of divination, it also serves as the initiating transmission, which breaks the day branch - this indicates that the loss of money is due to the elder's wealth. Although the matter starts but does not end, there will be much verbal dispute and some financial loss. This eighth month will be ordinary. Since the day branch represents the elder, and "Mao" riding the Vermilion Bird combines with it, it is clear that the dispute comes from the elder's words. The day branch belongs to wealth, and both the initial transmission and the time of divination also relate to wealth, so the loss is due to wealth.

年上丑貴人又與支相刑，戌支又坐酉月上，故主重重破財，若不忍耐順受，恐致官非。喜三傳辰巳午皆火，有始無終耳。果真人本月內因其父昔日借有銀兩來索，不婉轉而使氣，債主欲到官也。驗甚。

The 'Chou' in the year pillar is multiplied by the nobleman, and also conflicts with the day pillar; the day pillar 'Xu' is sitting on top of the You month, so it indicates layer upon layer of financial loss. If one cannot endure and reacts angrily, there is a risk of legal trouble. Fortunately, the three transmissions are in the order of Chen, Si, and Wu, which belong to fire, so the matter will have a beginning but no end. Later, indeed, this person in this month had his father's old debt collectors come to demand repayment. He refused to speak politely and even acted stubbornly, so the debt collectors threatened to take the matter to court. This prediction was extremely accurate.

己巳年酉月甲戌日巳將辰時占失脫。牧夫占驗

In the year Jisi, during the month of You (August), on the day Jiaxu, using 'Si' as the month general, the time of divination was at Chen. The question was about a theft. This example is taken from "The Shepherd's Divination Verification."

龍空虎常 　午未申酉　后陰合朱　財 庚辰 合 勾巳　戌玄　子亥辰卯　子 辛巳 勾 合辰　亥陰　亥戌卯甲　子 壬午 龍 　卯寅丑子 　朱蛇貴後

The lesson plate is laid out in a straight line as above, identical to the previous example: the hour of巳 is added to the hour of辰. On the Heaven Plate, compared to the Earth Plate, it advances by one position. On the Earth Branches of巳,午,未, and申, the Heaven Plate shows午,未,申, and酉, with the accompanying animals of Qinglong, Tiankong, Baihu, and Taichang. On the Earth Branches of寅,丑,子, and亥, the Heaven Plate shows卯,寅,丑, and子, with the accompanying animals of Zhuque, Tengshe, Tianyi Guiren, and Tianhou. On the Earth Branch of辰, the Heaven Plate shows巳, with Gouchen; on the Earth Branch of卯, the Heaven Plate shows辰, with Liuhe; on the Earth Branch of酉, the Heaven Plate shows戌, with Xuanwu; on the Earth Branch of戌, the Heaven Plate shows亥, with Taiyin. The four lessons, read from right to left: on the Day Stem Jia (with its lodging palace in寅), it shows卯, with Zhuque; on the Earth Branch卯, it shows辰, with Liuhe; on the Day Branch戌, it shows亥, with Taiyin; on the Earth Branch亥, it shows子, with Tianhou. The three transmissions are: wife wealth '辰' (Gengchen) with Liuhe, son '巳' (Xinsi) with Gouchen, and son '午' (Renwu) with Qinglong.

王牧夫曰：有友在寓所失去人參二兩，來占。餘細詳之：今早有二人至，一人穿土黃衣，一人穿栗色衣，物之失也在此。友云：今早來者所穿衣不差，彼坐吾床邊不語，即去，並無他人至。數甚奇妙。蓋凡脫氣皆為失物，發用即賊之身，六合乃朋友之象，辰之姓又可知也。其衣黃者，辰土；栗色，青林臨土也。發用為財作六合，乃有手足之物。巳午旺氣生天醫，非人參而何。

Wang Mufu said: A friend lost two pounds of ginseng in his residence and came to consult. After careful consideration, I said: This morning, two people came, one wearing yellow clothes, the other wearing chestnut-colored clothes, and the lost items were in their hands. The friend said: The people who came this morning were exactly as described. One sat by my bed in silence and then left, and no one else came. This divination is truly marvelous. Because any loss of the day stem's energy indicates a loss of property. The initiating transmission is the thief himself. The six harmonies represent friends, and even the surname corresponding to the 'Chen' branch can be known from this. The yellow clothes refer to the 'Chen' branch being earth; the chestnut color refers to the green and lush wood energy resting on earth. The initiating transmission is the wealth hexagram and is combined with the six harmonies, indicating something with branches and roots, with whiskers and feet. The middle and final transmissions, 'Si' and 'Wu', are in their flourishing phase and support the Tianyi deity, so what else could it be but ginseng.

甲戌年十二月甲戌日子將戌時占試上舍。一針見血

In the year of Jiaxu, the twelfth lunar month on the day of Jiaxu, using 'Zi' as the month general, the time of divination is in the hour of Xu. The question is whether one will be selected in the Shangshe examination. This example is taken from "Yizhen Jianxue."

貴后陰玄 　未申酉戌　龍虎蛇合　財 庚辰 合 蛇午　亥常　寅子午辰　子 壬午 蛇 朱巳　子虎　子戌辰甲　官 　申 后 ◎ 　辰卯寅丑 　合勾龍空

The course plate is laid out in rows as above. With the 'Zi' general added to the 'Xu' hour, the Heaven Plate advances two places ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate is 'Wei' on 'Si', 'Shen' on 'Wu', 'You' on 'Wei', and 'Xu' on 'Shen', with the following accompanying deities: 'Tianyi Guiren' (Heavenly Nobleman), 'Tianhou' (Heavenly Empress), 'Taiyin' (Yin Deity), and 'Xuanwu' (Black Tortoise). On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate is 'Chen' on 'Yin', 'Mao' on 'Chou', 'Yin' on 'Zi', and 'Chou' on 'Hai', with the following accompanying deities: 'Liuhe' (Six Harmonies), 'Gouchen' (Hook Star), 'Qinglong' (Azure Dragon), and 'Tiankong' (Heavenly Void). On the Earth Plate 'Chen', the Heaven Plate is 'Wu', accompanied by 'Tengshe' (Teng Snake); on the Earth Plate 'Mao', the Heaven Plate is 'Si', accompanied by 'Zhuque' (Vermilion Bird); on the Earth Plate 'You', the Heaven Plate is 'Hai', accompanied by 'Taichang' (Great Constable); on the Earth Plate 'Xu', the Heaven Plate is 'Zi', accompanied by 'Baihu' (White Tiger). The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the Day Stem 'Jia' (with its lodging palace in 'Yin'), shows 'Chen', accompanied by 'Liuhe' (Six Harmonies); the second lesson, on 'Chen', shows 'Wu', accompanied by 'Tengshe' (Teng Snake); the third lesson, on the Day Branch 'Xu', shows 'Zi', accompanied by 'Baihu' (White Tiger); the fourth lesson, on 'Zi', shows 'Yin', accompanied by 'Qinglong' (Azure Dragon). On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 'Chen', with the six relations as 'Wife Wealth', the hidden stem 'Gengchen', and accompanied by 'Liuhe' (Six Harmonies); the middle transmission is 'Wu', with the six relations as 'Son and Grandson', the hidden stem 'Renwu', and accompanied by 'Tengshe' (Teng Snake); the final transmission is 'Shen', with the six relations as 'Official and Ghost', falling into the void, and accompanied by 'Tianhou' (Heavenly Empress).

邵彥和曰：是登三天之課。天罡為天關，功曹為天梁，六合為天門，三天俱動，必主身動，動則有擾，不能中也。末傳旬空乘天后而敗干，午主二妻；子乘白虎加宅，宅近水而子防水厄。果考試不中，其子在秋間墜水幾死，賴人救之。

Shao Yanhe said: This is a "ascending to the three heavens" divination. "Tiangang" (Chen) is the heavenly gate, "Gongcao" (Yin) is the heavenly beam, and "Liuhe" is the heavenly door. All three heavenly doors are activated together, which definitely indicates that the person will have to move around a lot. Once moving around, there will be disturbances, and thus the examination will not be successful. The final transmission falls into the旬空 and is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, which undermines the day stem. "Wu" indicates two wives; "Zi" is combined with the White Tiger and affects the dwelling position, indicating that the house is near water and the son is prone to water-related dangers. Later, indeed, the examination was not successful, and his son nearly drowned in autumn and was fortunately rescued.

己巳年丑月甲戌日丑將戌時在三義閣夜坐忽聞響聲如雷，友人占主何應候。牧夫占驗

In the year Jisi, during the twelfth month (Chou), on the day Jiaxu, with Chou as the Month General and the time of divination at Xu, someone was sitting in the Sanyi Pavilion at night when they suddenly heard a sound like thunder. A friend then set up a divination to inquire about the omen. This example is taken from "The Farmer's Divination Verification."

蛇朱合勾 　申酉戌亥　玄空蛇陰　官 　申 蛇 ◎ 貴未　子龍　辰丑申巳　父 乙亥 勾 ⊙ 后午　丑空　丑戌巳甲　兄 戊寅 虎 　巳辰卯寅 　陰玄常虎

The course is laid out in a horizontal format as above. With the general at Chou adding Xu at the time, the Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen are respectively 'Shen', 'You', 'Xu', and 'Hai', with the accompanying divinatory animals being Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, and Gou Chen. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai are respectively 'Si', 'Chen', 'Mao', and 'Yin', with the accompanying divinatory animals being Tai Yin, Xuan Wu, Tai Chang, and Bai Hu. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate position over Chen is 'Wei', accompanied by Tian Yi Nobleman; the Heaven Plate position over Mao is 'Wu', accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the Heaven Plate position over You is 'Zi', accompanied by Qing Long; and the Heaven Plate position over Xu is 'Chou', accompanied by Tian Kong. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, with the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace in Yin), shows 'Si', accompanied by Tai Yin; the second lesson, over Si, shows 'Shen', accompanied by Teng Snake; the third lesson, with the day branch Xu, shows 'Chou', accompanied by Tian Kong; and the fourth lesson, over Chou, shows 'Chen', accompanied by Xuan Wu. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 'Shen', with the six relations as official ghost, falling in the empty term, accompanied by Teng Snake; the middle transmission is 'Hai', with the six relations as parents, with the hidden stem Yihai, accompanied by Gou Chen; and the final transmission is 'Yin', with the six relations as brother, with the hidden stem Wuyin, accompanied by Bai Hu.

王牧夫曰：丑為太陽乘丁，戌是大墓與丑相刑，日支又加閉口，恐有火物傷人之事。從支，非天上，不是雷聲；三傳遞生，白虎克支，皆主地上。次日知是南門外走了火藥，傷死扒灰者數人。

Wang Mufu said: "Chou" is the position where the sun is stationed, and also hides "Ding" fire. "Xu" is the great burial place for fire, which forms a conflict with "Chou". There is also a closed mouth god on the day branch, so there is fear of accidents involving fire injuring people. This image originates from the day branch, not from the heaven plate, so it is not thunder. The three transmissions turn and generate each other, and the white tiger also controls the day branch, indicating the matter occurs on the ground. The next day it was found out that there was a fire explosion from gunpowder at the south gate, which killed and injured several people who were digging through ash and slag there.

五月甲戌日未將得卯時三十五歲婦人占親事。王連環末卷。一針見血

On the 15th day of the fifth lunar month, with "Wei" as the Month General and the divination time at "Mao," a 35-year-old woman asked about marriage. This case appears in the final volume of "Yu Lianhuan" (the original text is "Wang Lianhuan") and is also included in "Yizhen Jianxue."

勾合朱蛇 　酉戌亥子　虎后合虎　兄 戊寅 后 龍申　丑貴　午寅戌午　子 壬午 虎 空未　寅后　寅戌午甲　財 甲戌 合 　午巳辰卯 　虎常玄陰

The lesson board is laid out in rows as above. When the unmarked hour is added to the卯 (ox) hour, the Heaven Plate advances four positions relative to the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate's巳 (snake), 午 (horse), 未 (sheep), and 申 (monkey), the Heaven Plate shows 酉 (rooster), 戌 (dog), 亥 (pig), and 子 (rat), respectively, with the following divinatory elements: Gou Chen, Liu He, Zhu Que, and Teng Snake. On the Earth Plate's 寅 (tiger), 丑 (ox), 子 (rat), and 亥 (pig), the Heaven Plate shows 午 (horse), 巳 (snake), 辰 (dragon), and 卯 (ox), respectively, with the following divinatory elements: Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, and Tai Yin. On the Earth Plate's 辰 (dragon), the Heaven Plate shows 申 (monkey), with the element Qing Long. On the Earth Plate's 卯 (ox), the Heaven Plate shows 未 (sheep), with the element Tian Kong. On the Earth Plate's 酉 (rooster), the Heaven Plate shows 丑 (ox), with the element Tian Yi Gu Ren. On the Earth Plate's 戌 (dog), the Heaven Plate shows 寅 (tiger), with the element Tian Hou. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace in 寅) showing 午 (horse), with the element Bai Hu; the second lesson has 午 (horse) showing 戌 (dog), with the element Liu He; the third lesson has the day branch 戌 (dog) showing 寅 (tiger), with the element Tian Hou; the fourth lesson has 寅 (tiger) showing 午 (horse), with the element Bai Hu. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 寅 (tiger), with the six relations as brothers, the hidden stem is Wu Yin, and the element is Tian Hou; the middle transmission is 午 (horse), with the six relations as sons and daughters, the hidden stem is Ren Wu, and the element is Bai Hu; the final transmission is 戌 (dog), with the six relations as wife and wealth, the hidden stem is Jia Xu, and the element is Liu He. The three transmissions, 寅 (tiger), 午 (horse), and 戌 (dog), form a fire trinity, which is referred to as the "Inflaming Ascendancy" lesson mentioned later.

苗公達曰：爾有二夫，正夫不告而去，偏夫巳入？賊，中音信不通。爾今年求別嫁，有鄰家一僕作媒，必有新喜，但請成之。議曰：陰不備是婦人不貞之兆。法以青龍為夫，乘申金剋日又屬空亡，主逃竄，是不告而去也。青龍之陰神為偏夫，見子水乘蛇，主陰私隱匿；再傳子上是辰，乘元武，是入賊黨。

Miao Gongda said: You have two husbands. The official husband left without saying goodbye, and the secondary husband has already joined a group of thieves. (The original text is missing one character here.) There are thieves in the middle, and there is no communication. You want to remarry this year, and a servant from a neighboring family will act as a matchmaker, and there will certainly be new good news. Just agree to do it. The reasoning is: the four lessons are incomplete in the yin lessons, which is a sign of a woman's unfaithfulness. According to the method, the azure dragon represents the husband. The azure dragon is riding the metal of 'Shen' and is attacking the day stem. 'Shen' is also in the kongwang, indicating fleeing and hiding, which corresponds to 'leaving without saying goodbye'. The yin spirit of the azure dragon represents the secondary husband. Seeing the water of 'Zi' riding the teng snake indicates secret hiding. Further down, 'Zi' is on 'Chen', riding the black tortoise, meaning joining a group of thieves.

課得炎上，夏旺則為新，三合六合則為喜，法以納音為媒人。甲戌是陽火，以午為媒位，午上見河魁為奴僕。今日支干在傳，為鄰近，故云鄰僕。婦人行年在戌，上見功曹，夏寅木休囚，課傳屬火，夏為正旺，故有再嫁之說。初傳天后與日辰相生而氣和，必成之理也。果然。

The three transmissions form the "Inflaming Upward" fire pattern, which is suitable for summer when fire is strong and flourishing, indicating new beginnings. The triple harmony also includes the Liu He (Liu He), which signifies joy. According to the method, the媒人 (matchmaker) is determined by the day's nayin sound element. The nayin sound element of Jiaxu is mountain top fire, which belongs to yang fire, so the position of "午" (Wu) is chosen as the媒人. On Wu, there is "Hekui" (Xu's alternate name), which governs servants. Since the day stem and day branch are both within the three transmissions, it indicates that the person is nearby, so it is said to be a servant from a neighboring family. The woman's age is in "戌", and on戌 there is "Gongcao" (Yin). Yin wood is weak in summer, but the three transmissions all belong to fire, which is strong and flourishing in summer, hence the suggestion of remarriage. The first transmission is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, which harmonizes with the day branch and produces a smooth and harmonious energy, so this marriage is expected to succeed. In the end, it indeed turned out that way.

辛巳年八月甲戌日巳將丑時李仁夫占鹽船何日到泰州。牧夫占驗

In the year Xinsi, eighth lunar month, on the day Jiaxu, using 'Si' as the month general and the time of divination at Chou, Li Renfu asked about the day when the salt ships would arrive at Taizhou. This example is taken from "Mu Fu Zhan Yan."

朱合勾龍 　酉戌亥子　后虎合後　兄 戊寅 虎 蛇申　丑空　午寅戌午　子 壬午 后 貴未　寅虎　寅戌午甲　財 甲戌 合 　午巳辰卯 　后陰玄常

The lesson board is laid out in a horizontal row as above. At the time of巳 (Snake) hour added to丑 (Ox), the Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over巳 (Snake),午 (Horse),未 (Goat), and申 (Monkey) are respectively酉 (Rooster),戌 (Dog),亥 (Pig), and子 (Rat), with the following animals: Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, and Azure Dragon. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over寅 (Rat),丑 (Ox),子 (Rat), and亥 (Pig) are respectively午 (Horse),巳 (Snake),辰 (Dragon), and卯 (Rabbit), with the following animals: Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, and Tai Chang. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate position over辰 (Dragon) is申 (Monkey), with the animal Teng Snake; the Heaven Plate position over卯 (Rabbit) is未 (Goat), with the animal Tian Yi Nobleman; the Heaven Plate position over酉 (Rooster) is丑 (Ox), with the animal Tian Kong; and the Heaven Plate position over戌 (Dog) is寅 (Rat), with the animal Bai Hu. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace in寅), shows午 (Horse), with the animal Heavenly Empress; the second lesson, on午 (Horse), shows戌 (Dog), with the animal Liu He; the third lesson, on the day branch戌 (Dog), shows寅 (Rat), with the animal Bai Hu; and the fourth lesson, on寅 (Rat), shows午 (Horse), with the animal Heavenly Empress. The right three transmissions: the first transmission is寅 (Rat), with the six relations as brothers, the hidden stem is Wuyin, and the animal is Bai Hu; the middle transmission is午 (Horse), with the six relations as sons and daughters, the hidden stem is Renwu, and the animal is Heavenly Empress; the final transmission is戌 (Dog), with the six relations as wife and wealth, the hidden stem is Jiaxu, and the animal is Liu He. The three transmissions,寅 (Rat),午 (Horse), and戌 (Dog), form a fire trinity, making this a "Yan Shang" (Inflaming Ascending) lesson.

王牧夫曰：此以類神並傳上決之。卯為舟車，卯坐亥上受生，無險失阻滯。傳出炎上炎局，火最迅速；戌為儀神，支辰為卯之合神，何阻之有。戌為僕，乃遣去探信之人；六合即卯，為舟臨於其上；午為姤卦，姤者遇也。僕到，船己到，今日即抵泰州矣。戌坐午上，故有此應。此翁占二數，非丑即未，乃貴為財，主由貴處見財也。時為目前，故應日內。

Wang Mufu said: This divination requires the combination of the class god and the three transmissions to make a judgment. "Mao" is the class god representing boats and vehicles. "Mao" sits on "Hai" and is nourished by water, indicating no danger along the way and no delay. The three transmissions form a fire pattern, and fire is the most rapid; "Xu" is the divine god of the day stem, and the day branch is the Liu He of "Mao," so there is nothing to obstruct. "Xu" also represents a servant, meaning the person sent out to investigate; the Liu He is "Mao," representing a boat, which is directly above "Xu"; "Wu" corresponds to the Gou hexagram, and the meaning of Gou is meeting. Therefore, when the servant arrives, the boat will also arrive, and it will reach Taizhou today. "Xu" sits on "Wu," so this is the time of fulfillment. The old man was asking about two sums of money, which must be either in "Chou" or "Wei." The celestial master, the nobleman, is acting as the wealth爻, indicating that this wealth comes from the nobleman. The divination was made at the present time, so it should be fulfilled within a few days.

三月甲戌日酉將卯時某秀才占省試回家望得失之信。方本占案

In the third month on the Jiaxu day, using 'You' as the Month General and the time of divination being at Mao, a scholar who had returned home after taking the provincial examination divined about the outcome of the examination results. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An."

朱蛇貴后 　亥子丑寅　合玄后青　兄 戊寅 后 ⊙ 合戌　卯陰　戌辰寅申　官 　申 青 ◎ 勾酉　辰玄　辰戌申甲　兄 戊寅 后 ⊙ 　申未午巳 　青空虎常

The lesson plate is laid out in a straight line as above. With the hour of You and the general of You added, the Heaven Plate is exactly six positions apart from the Earth Plate, forming a 'returning sound' lesson. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen are respectively亥, 子, 丑, and 寅, which are occupied by the Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Heavenly Emperor Nobleman, and Heavenly Empress. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai are respectively申, 未, 午, and巳, which are occupied by the Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, and Tai Chang. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate position over Chen is 戌, occupied by Liu He; over Mao is 酉, occupied by Gou Chen; over You is 卯, occupied by Tai Yin; and over Xu is 辰, occupied by Xuan Wu. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, with the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace at Yin), shows 申, occupied by the Azure Dragon; the second lesson, with 申, shows 寅, occupied by the Heavenly Empress; the third lesson, with the day branch Xu, shows 辰, occupied by Xuan Wu; and the fourth lesson, with 辰, shows 戌, occupied by Liu He. The second lesson, with 申 metal, overcomes the upper god 寅 wood, which is 'lower attacking upper', so according to the lesson of repeated review, 寅 is taken as the first transmission. Repeating the process, the three transmissions are 寅, 申, 寅: the first and last transmissions are both the brother Wuyin, occupied by the Heavenly Empress, and the middle transmission is the official ghost 申, occupied by the Azure Dragon, with 申 being the empty position of the current ten.

邵彥和曰：占求官、望文字，榜即至矣，恐在四十九名中式耳。果當日報至，中四十九名。蓋課傳俱馬，又乘青龍，作官星，祿又得後，故主得官。天罡加支，望事立至，用事嚴緊，故速來。吳稼云曰：三傳俱空，何以竟置之不問。愚按：三月辰建，辰土生申，又三課四課俱能生申，故雖空而亦中也，然三傳空亡，恐居官不久耳。

Shao Yanhe said: When divining for seeking an official position or waiting for an official announcement, the announcement is about to arrive, but there is a fear that the rank will be forty-ninth. In the end, the official announcement was delivered that day, and indeed he ranked forty-ninth. This is because both the four lessons and the three transmissions include the post-horse 'Shen', which is also accompanied by the azure dragon and represents an official star, and the day's禄 is supported by the heavenly empress. Therefore, it indicates the ability to obtain an official position. The tiangang (Chen) is added to the day's branch, indicating that the desired thing will arrive immediately; the spirits involved are closely and tightly arranged, so it comes quickly. Wu Jiayun said: All three transmissions fall into kongwang, why then is it not questioned? Cheng Shuxun explained: The month builder in March is Chen, which is earth and can generate Shen metal. The third and fourth lessons can also generate Shen, so even though Shen falls into kongwang, it still results in success. However, since all three transmissions fall into kongwang, there is a fear that the official position may not last long.

二月甲戌日亥將卯時占失人。直指

On the Jiaxu day of the second month, using 'Hai' as the Month General, the time of divination is at Mao. The question is about a missing person. This example is taken from "Liu Ren Zhi Zhi."

貴后陰玄 　丑寅卯辰　后虎虎合　財 甲戌 合 蛇子　巳常　寅午午戌　子 壬午 虎 朱亥　午虎　午戌戌甲　兄 戊寅 后 　戌酉申未 　合勾龍空

The lesson plate is laid out in rows as above. At the time of the hour of Hai with the general at Mao, the Heaven Plate is four positions behind the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate positions are in sequence: Chou, Yin, Mao, and Chen, with the following spirits: Tianyi Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, and Xuanwu. On the Earth Plate positions Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate positions are in sequence: Xu, You, Shen, and Wei, with the following spirits: Liu He, Gou Chen, Qinglong, and Tiankong. On the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate position is Zi, with the spirit Teng Snake. On the Earth Plate position Mao, the Heaven Plate position is Hai, with the spirit Zhuqiao. On the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate position is Si, with the spirit Tai Chang. On the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate position is Wu, with the spirit Baihu. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia Wood (with its lodging palace at Yin) encountering Wu, with the spirit Liu He; the second lesson has Wu encountering Wu, with the spirit Baihu; the third lesson has the day branch Xu encountering Wu, with the spirit Baihu; the fourth lesson has Wu encountering Yin, with the spirit Tianhou. The day stem Jia Wood overcomes the upper god Wu Earth, which is a case of lower attacking upper, so Wu is taken as the first transmission. In sequence, the three transmissions are Wu, Wu, and Yin: the first transmission is the wife wealth Jia Xu with Liu He, the middle transmission is the son grandson Ren Wu with Baihu, and the final transmission is the brother Wu Yin with Tianhou.

邵曰：支戌刑未，未臨於亥，當於西北亥言尋獲。未八亥四，四八三十二里。亥為水，亦為樓臺，未為酒食，藏於近水酒館中。案驗。愚按：此斷不用課傳，與邵公之斷法不類，然載於直指，姑錄之以備致。

Shao Gong said: The day branch "Xu" is in conflict with "Wei", and "Wei" is also located on "Hai". Therefore, one should look for the location in the northwest area of "Hai". The number of "Wei" is eight, and the number of "Hai" is four. Multiplying four by eight gives thirty-two, which is thirty-two li. "Hai" belongs to water and also represents a building; "Wei" signifies wine and food. Therefore, a person is hidden in a tavern near water. This case was later verified to be true. Cheng Shuxun remarked: This statement does not use the lesson pattern and the three transmissions, which is unlike Shao Gong's usual method of analysis. However, since it is recorded in "Liu Ren Zhi Zhi", it is still included here for reference.

戊戌年八月甲戌日辰將未時占來意。一字玉連環

In the year of Wuxu, eighth lunar month, on the day of Jiaxu, using "Chen" as the month general, the time of divination is in Wei. The question is about the intention of the person who came. This example is taken from "Yi Zì Yù Lián Huán."

龍勾合朱 　寅卯辰巳　合貴后常　官 　申 后 ◎ 空丑　午蛇　辰未申亥　子 辛巳 朱 ⊙ 虎子　未貴　未戌亥甲　兄 戊寅 龍 　亥戌酉申 　常玄陰后

The divination board is laid out in rows as above. The hour stem is placed on the hour of Wei, with the Heaven Plate three positions behind the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate is sequentially placed as 'Yin', 'Mao', 'Chen', 'Si' over the positions Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, and these are associated with the divination terms Qinglong, Gou Chen, Liu He, and Zhu Que respectively. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate is sequentially placed as 'Hai', 'Xu', 'You', 'Shen' over the positions Yin, Chou, Zi, Hai, and these are associated with the divination terms Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, and Tian Hou respectively. On the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate is 'Chou', associated with Tian Kong; on the Earth Plate position Mao, the Heaven Plate is 'Zi', associated with Bai Hu; on the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate is 'Wu', associated with Teng Snake; on the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate is 'Wei', associated with Tian Yi Gu Ren. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace at Yin), shows 'Hai', associated with Tai Chang; the second lesson, on Hai, shows 'Shen', associated with Tian Hou; the third lesson, on the day branch Xu, shows 'Wei', associated with Tian Yi Gu Ren; the fourth lesson, on Wei, shows 'Chen', associated with Liu He. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 'Shen', with the six relations as official ghost, falling in the empty旬, associated with Tian Hou; the middle transmission is 'Si', with the six relations as son and grandson, hidden stem Xinsi, associated with Zhu Que; the final transmission is 'Yin', with the six relations as brother, hidden stem Wuyin, associated with Qinglong.

徐次賓曰：來意主七月中勸和公事到官，以所得財盡數搜檢，法擬斷徒罪。申上，至來年正月文字來，只得杖罪，以寄居作日月相折，無事而出。

Xu Cibin said: The person who came was involved in a case that was originally intended to be privately resolved but ended up being reported to the authorities. All the money he had received was confiscated, and he was sentenced to penal servitude according to the law. After the case was reported to the higher authorities, the official decree came down in the next lunar January, and he was only sentenced to cane punishment. His days of being detained and lodged were also counted towards his sentence, and in the end, he was released without further punishment.

何以知七月公事勸和到官，蓋法用傳送，為七月建，以正時為日干財，上得六合，又為日貴，又主勸和公事到官。以所取財數檢法定徒罪，而申上者何也，蓋時為日干之財，並日貴，又發用申為日鬼，上帶白虎，又為日刑；中傳太乙上得勾陳，與日為刑害；末傳得螣蛇。此課始末俱凶，主重刑，而只言擬定徒罪者，蓋值事門得天空，又發用空亡，中傳臨空亡故也。而不言解散而言擬定申上者，蓋時猶未解也，緣白虎乘秋正旺而又為刑害，故言擬定徒罪也。

How do we know that the public matter was intended to be settled privately but ended up going to court? Because the method of divination uses "Chuansong" (Shen), which is another name for "Shen," and "Shen" is exactly the month builder of July. The time of divination is the day stem's wealth爻, and on top of that it is accompanied by "Liu He," and it is also the day's noble deity. Therefore, the public matter that originally intended to be settled privately ultimately went to court. As for the need to search for property, determine a sentence of imprisonment according to law, and report to higher authorities, how is this discerned? The time of divination is both the day stem's wealth爻 and accompanied by the day's noble deity. The initiating transmission "Shen" is the day stem's official ghost, carrying the White Tiger, and also the day stem's punishment deity. The middle transmission "Taiyi" (another name for "Si") is accompanied by "Gou Chen," forming a punishment and harm relationship with the day stem. The final transmission also receives "Teng Snake." This entire divination is consistently ominous, indicating a heavy punishment. The reason only a sentence of imprisonment is mentioned is because the gate of the matter has "Tian Kong," and the initiating transmission also falls into "Kongwang," and the middle transmission also arrives at "Kongwang." As for why it is not mentioned as being settled on the spot but rather as needing to be sentenced and reported to higher authorities, it is because at that time the case had not yet been resolved. The White Tiger is in the autumn season, which is its prosperous and strong phase, and it forms a punishment and harm relationship, so a sentence of imprisonment is proposed.

何知至正月文字來，只得杖罪，以寄居作日月相折無爭事而出者。蓋七月白虎鬼旺，至十二月支干並無制白虎者，至來年己亥歲正月建丙寅能制虎，且白虎傳送金至寅而絕，又為旺火所制，又太乙螣蛇二火至此俱旺，共為救神，又初中申巳俱空亡，故知正月無事得出也。

How do we know that by the time the official document comes down in the first lunar month, the sentence is only a cane punishment, and that the days and months of detention can be used to offset the sentence, allowing release without incident? Because in July the White Tiger official ghost is at its peak, continuing until December, when the day stem and day branch are unable to restrain the White Tiger's power. But by the following year's first lunar month of Jihai, the month builder is Bingyin, and the wood of Yin can restrain the White Tiger. Moreover, the White Tiger rides on the 'Chuansong' (Shen), which is metal, and metal is at its end at the position of Yin, being further restrained by the dominant fire. The 'Taiyi' (Si) and Teng Snake, both fire elements, are also at their peak here, acting as saving deities. In addition, the first transmission 'Shen' and the middle transmission 'Si' both fall into Kongwang. Therefore, it is determined that one can be released safely in the first lunar month.

癸酉年正月甲戌日亥將寅時辛卯命人四十三歲占流年。牧夫占驗

In the year Guiyou, first lunar month, on the day Jiaxu, using 'Hai' as the month general and the time of divination at Yin, a person born in the year Xinmao, aged forty-three, asks about the annual destiny for the coming year. This example is taken from "The Astronomer's Divination Verification."

龍勾合朱 　寅卯辰巳　合貴后常　官 　申 后 ◎ 空丑　午蛇　辰未申亥　子 辛巳 朱 ⊙ 虎子　未貴　未戌亥甲　兄 戊寅 龍 　亥戌酉申 　常玄陰后

The course plate is laid out in a row as above, identical to the previous example: the Heaven Plate is three positions behind the Earth Plate, with the Heaven Plate on the Earth Plate's Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen positions being "Yin", "Mao", "Chen", and "Si", respectively, accompanied by the Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He, and Vermilion Bird; the Heaven Plate on the Earth Plate's Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai positions is "Hai", "Xu", "You", and "Shen", respectively, accompanied by Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, and Heavenly Empress. On the Earth Plate's Chen position, "Chou" is accompanied by Tian Kong; on the Earth Plate's Mao position, "Zi" is accompanied by Bai Hu; on the Earth Plate's You position, "Wu" is accompanied by Teng Snake; on the Earth Plate's Xu position, "Wei" is accompanied by Tian Yi Guiren. The four lessons, read from right to left, are: on the Day Stem Jia (with its lodging palace at Yin), "Hai" is accompanied by Tai Chang; on "Hai", "Shen" is accompanied by Heavenly Empress; on the Day Branch Xu, "Wei" is accompanied by Tian Yi Guiren; on "Wei", "Chen" is accompanied by Liu He. The three transmissions are: official ghost "Shen" falling into empty position accompanied by Heavenly Empress, son "Si" (Xin Si) accompanied by Vermilion Bird, and brother "Yin" (Wu Yin) accompanied by Azure Dragon.

王牧夫曰：此數宜出外不利家居，宅多蔽塞，不利妻妾，多主喪亡也。蓋干人支宅，干動支靜，干男支女，干外支內，此兩儀之定體也。今年乘旺而衰否，是人吉宅凶，利動不利靜，宜男不宜女，宜外不宜內，故曰宜出外不利家居也。且馬乘天后相生，動之順者也；干見太陽長生，末見青龍德祿，由動得吉者如此。

Wang Mufu said: This fate is suitable for going out and not for staying at home; the residence has many blocked and unsmooth areas, which is unfavorable for the wife and concubines, and often leads to loss or death. Because the day stem represents the person, and the day branch represents the residence, the day stem is active while the day branch is static. The day stem belongs to male, and the day branch belongs to female. The day stem governs the outside, and the day branch governs the inside. This is the general principle that the two principles have their respective positions. Now the year stem is riding on a prosperous atmosphere, while the residence position is weak and blocked, indicating that the person is auspicious but the residence is inauspicious. It is favorable for movement but not for staying, favorable for males but not for females, favorable for the outside but not for the inside. Therefore, it is suitable to go out and not suitable for staying at home. Moreover, the Post-horse is riding on the Heavenly Empress and they mutually generate, indicating a movement that is smooth and favorable; the sun is on the day stem and falls in the long life position, and the final transmission also sees the qinglong accompanied by virtue spirits and禄 spirits—gaining auspiciousness through movement, which is the reason for this.

宅逢純土，未貴墓干，又朱戌為閉口，妻位當之，卑幼之位當之，豈不兆喪亡者乎。況年命俱逢刑，久戀於家必受其害。後出外果清吉，家中妻死子亡，口舌頻頻，妾自縊，家破人宅分離，其驗如此。愚按：未貴墓干，未戌為閉口，何致如此之凶，蓋干支全逢喪吊，而三四課純土克盡干上亥水長生也。

The entire position of the dwelling is filled with earth. The 'Wei' branch is riding on the nobleman and 'Wei' is precisely the storage place for the wood of Jia. The Vermilion Bird also matches with 'Xu' to form the image of 'closed mouth'. These signs fall precisely on the position of the wife and on the position of the children and younger generations. Is this not a premonition of loss? Moreover, both the year of action and the native's birth year meet with mutual harm. If one remains attached to the home, it will surely bring harm. Later, when he went out, he indeed remained safe and peaceful, but at home his wife died, his son died, there was constant disputes and conflicts, the concubine committed suicide by hanging, the family broke up and scattered, and the person and the dwelling became separated, fulfilling the prediction to this extent. Cheng Shuxun comments: How could the 'Wei' branch riding the nobleman and being the storage place for Jia wood, and 'Wei' and 'Xu' forming the 'closed mouth' image, lead to such a severe misfortune? It is because the day stem and day branch both have the mourning-and-condolence spirit and the guest spirit. Moreover, the third and fourth lessons are entirely earth, completely cutting off the 'Hai' water on the day stem, which is the source of growth.

戊寅年七月乙亥日午將戌時占望行人。郭本占案

In the year of Wuyin, seventh lunar month, on the day of Yihai, using 'Wu' as the month general and the time of divination being Xu, the question is asked about when a person away from home will return. This example is taken from the Guoben Zhan'an.

龍空虎常 　丑寅卯辰　虎后貴勾　財 癸未 后 勾子　　巳玄　卯未申子　兄 己卯 虎 合亥　　午陰　未亥子乙　父 乙亥 合 　戌酉申未 　朱蛇貴後

The lesson plate is laid out in rows as above. The beginning "Dragon, Sky, Tiger, Constant" are not stem and branch combinations, but rather the four Heavenly Generals: Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, and Tai Chang, arranged consecutively. These correspond to the next row's Chou, Yin, Mao, and Chen. When the general at Wu is added with the hour of Xu, the Heaven Plate is four positions behind the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate's Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate has Chou, Yin, Mao, and Chen, respectively, each accompanied by Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, and Tai Chang. On the Earth Plate's Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate has Xu, You, Shen, and Wei, respectively, each accompanied by Zhu Que, Teng Snake, Tian Yi Gu Ren, and Tian Hou. On the Earth Plate's Chen, it is "Zi" accompanied by Gou Chen; on the Earth Plate's Mao, it is "Hai" accompanied by Liu He; on the Earth Plate's You, it is "Si" accompanied by Xuan Wu; on the Earth Plate's Xu, it is "Wu" accompanied by Tai Yin. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace at Chen), sees "Zi" accompanied by Gou Chen; the second lesson, on Zi, sees "Shen" accompanied by Tian Yi Gu Ren; the third lesson, on the day branch Hai, sees "Wei" accompanied by Tian Hou; the fourth lesson, on Wei, sees "Mao" accompanied by Bai Hu. The third lesson's Wei earth overcomes the Hai water of the day branch, and the fourth lesson's Mao wood overcomes the Wei earth, resulting in two instances of upper overcoming lower, with both yin and yang matching the day stem. Since the decision cannot be made by comparison, the one with the deeper involvement is chosen, and "Wei" is selected as the initiating transmission. On the right side, the three transmissions are: the first transmission "Wei" is the wife's wealth, with the hidden stem Gui Wei, accompanied by Tian Hou; the middle transmission "Mao" is the brother, with the hidden stem Ji Mao, accompanied by Bai Hu; the final transmission "Hai" is the parent, with the hidden stem Yi Hai, accompanied by Liu He. Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wooden trinity.

郭御青曰：占行人，驛馬類神不入傳課極難琢磨，墓從宅上發用宅上發用，當於此日起身，奴僕青天空乘寅臨午，又千里看太歲所臨，當於壬午日至或者癸未日，乃發用墓神上乘太沖白虎，只此二日可望。果於壬午日離府四十里為雨阻，癸未日至，為雨阻者，涉害故也，果是乙亥日動身。

Guo Yuqing said: When divining the return date of someone away from home, if the Post-horse deity is not among the three transmissions, the divination is extremely difficult to interpret. Fortunately, the Tomb Spirit of the ethereal wood 乙 is 「未」, which is initiated from the day branch亥, that is, the 「residence」 position (the four characters 「宅上发用」 are repeated in the original text). From this, it can be concluded that the person is indeed departing on the day of the divination. The deity of the servant is Tian Kong, which is riding on 「寅」 and is located on the earth plate at position 午 (the character 「青」 in 「奴仆青天空」 is suspected to be an addition). When asking about a long journey, one must also look at where the year's master deity falls. In the year of Wuyin, the master deity is at position 寅, which is also located at 午. Therefore, it is predicted that he will arrive on Renwu day, or possibly be delayed until Guiwei day: because the initiated Tomb Spirit 「未」 is occupied by Taichong (Mao) and White Tiger on the earth plate, only these two days are expected. The result was that the person reached forty li away from the city on Renwu day and was blocked by heavy rain, arriving only on Guiwei day. The reason for the delay was that this divination used the method of involving harm, which inherently implies obstruction and delay; and indeed, the day he departed was the day of the divination, which was Yihai.

十一月乙亥日丑將巳時壬子命人占訟。中黃經

In the eleventh month on the Yihai day, with Chou as the Month General and the time of divination at Si, a person born in the Renzi year asks about a legal case. This example is taken from the Zhonghuang Jing.

蛇朱合勾 　丑寅卯辰　合虎常貴　財 癸未 虎 貴子　　巳龍　卯未申子　兄 己卯 合 后亥　　午空　未亥子乙　父 乙亥 后 　戌酉申未 　陰玄常

The lesson plate is laid out in a row as above. The general at Chou is added to the time of Si. The Heaven Plate is again four places behind the Earth Plate, so the twelve branches falling into the palaces are exactly the same as in the previous lesson, only with a different set of Heavenly Generals: on the Earth Plate at Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate has Xi, Yin, Mao, and Chen, respectively, each occupied by Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, and Gou Chen; on the Earth Plate at Chen, the palace of Zi is occupied by Tian Yi Nobleman; on the Earth Plate at Mao, the palace of Hai is occupied by Heavenly Empress; on the Earth Plate at You, the palace of Si is occupied by Azure Dragon; on the Earth Plate at Xu, the palace of Wu is occupied by Tian Kong; on the Earth Plate at Yin, Chou, Chen, and Hai, the Heaven Plate has Xu, You, Shen, and Wei, respectively. The last row only prints three generals: Xu is occupied by Tai Yin, You by Xuan Wu, and Shen by Tai Chang. The missing general under Wei, following the order of Heavenly Generals in sequence and the annotations in the right column of the three transmissions, should be Bai Hu, but the original text is missing one character here. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace at Chen) occupied by Zi with Nobleman; the second lesson has Zi occupied by Shen with Tai Chang; the third lesson has the day branch Hai occupied by Wei with Bai Hu; the fourth lesson has Wei occupied by Mao with Liu He. The right column of the three transmissions: the first transmission is Wei, representing wife wealth, with hidden stem Gui Wei, occupied by Bai Hu; the middle transmission is Mao, representing brothers, with hidden stem Ji Mao, occupied by Liu He; the final transmission is Hai, representing parents, with hidden stem Yi Hai, occupied by Heavenly Empress. The day Yi Hai falls in the Jia Xu decade, with the void in the positions of Shen and You.

斷曰：未乘白虎，本宜有凶，幸遁得癸水生干，自是救解，且貴人遁得丙子，來日上生日，更為救神，末傳又喜亥為長生，是以來往有喜，縱白虎初傳白虎落壬亦免責矣。

The interpretation says: The first transmission is "Wei" riding on the White Tiger, which should indicate danger; fortunately, in this旬, the hidden stem is Gui, and Gui water can nourish the day stem Yi wood, thus there is a resolution amidst the danger. Moreover, the celestial nobleman is riding on "Zi", and the hidden stem of Zi is Bingzi, which is directly above the day stem and nourishes it, adding another protective deity. The final transmission "Hai" is the place of growth for Yi wood, which is particularly favorable. Therefore, although the case may involve many twists and turns, it ultimately turns into a happy outcome. Even though the White Tiger is present, since it is on a water hidden stem, the punishment can be avoided. (The term "White Tiger" is repeated, and the "Ren" in "falling on Ren" is likely a mistake for "Gui".)

愚按中黃經用遁干自成一家之言，？後銀河棹宗之，張星源金竹江咸用之重之注之。朱氏恆則謂斷來情當用遁干變化參論。若斷休咎不必用變求奇，此誠碓論，即如是課貴作恩星，初墓末生即無責罰不必盡因癸丙兩干也。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: The "Zhonghuang Jing" uses the concealed heavenly stems within the ten-day cycle to determine the divination, forming its own school of thought; later, the "Yinhe Zhao" followed this approach, and Zhang Xingyuan and Jin Zhujiang also adopted and valued it, making annotations on it (the question mark in the sentence is a missing character in the original text, which could not be identified). Zhu Heng argued: In determining the intention of the person coming, one may refer to the changes of the concealed heavenly stems, but when judging fortune and misfortune, one does not need to rely on the changes of the concealed heavenly stems to seek novelty. This is indeed a reasonable opinion. Taking this case as an example, the heavenly stem of Tianyi Guiren is the benevolent star, the first transmission is the tomb god and the final transmission is the growth, which originally does not lead to punishment, so there is no need to attribute all the merit to the two concealed heavenly stems, Jiu and Bing.

乙亥日將時占生產。一針見血

On the Yihai day, the Month General and the time of divination are in the same trigram. The question is about childbirth. This example is taken from "One Needle Sees the Essence."

龍空虎常 　巳午未申　后后勾勾　財 庚辰 勾 勾辰　　酉玄　亥亥辰辰　父 乙亥 后 合卯　　戌陰　亥亥辰乙　子 辛巳 龍 　寅丑子亥 　朱蛇貴後

The divination chart is laid out in rows as shown above. This is a Hidden Chant lesson: the Month General and the time of divination are in the same position. The Heaven Plate's twelve branches remain unchanged, placed directly over the corresponding Earth Plate palaces. On the Earth Plate, the palaces of Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen still have the same branches, namely Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, respectively, with the following deities: Qinglong (Azure Dragon), Tiankong (Empty Sky), Baihu (White Tiger), and Taichang (Grand Constant). The palaces of Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai still have the same branches, namely Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, respectively, with the following deities: Zhuque (Vermilion Bird), Tengshe (Soaring Snake), Tianyi Guiren (Nobleman), and Tianhou (Heavenly Empress). The palace of Chen has Chen with Gouchen (Hooked Chen); the palace of Mao has Mao with Liuhe (Six Harmony); the palace of You has You with Xuanwu (Dark Warrior); the palace of Xu has Xu with Taiyin (Great Yin). The middle three rows are the Four Lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem Yi (with its lodging palace in 辰) with Chen and Gouchen (Hooked Chen); the second lesson again has Chen with Gouchen (Hooked Chen); the third lesson has the Day Branch Hai with Hai and Tianhou (Heavenly Empress); the fourth lesson again has Hai with Tianhou (Heavenly Empress). In a Hidden Chant lesson, the Four Lessons have no mutual conflicts, so the initiating transmission is taken by the deity on the Day Stem according to the method of "self-assignment." The right-hand three transmissions: the initial transmission is Chen, representing wife and wealth, with the hidden stem Gengchen and Gou Chen; since Chen is self-punishing, the middle transmission is taken from the Day Branch, which is Hai, representing parents, with the hidden stem Yihai and Heavenly Empress; since Hai is also self-punishing, the final transmission is taken from its opposing deity, which is Si, representing children, with the hidden stem Xinsi and Azure Dragon.

斷曰：占產凶，生不下。子母俱死，蓋伏吟課陰陽各伏，其家萬物未萌，滯而不通，故生不下，且日辰相刑，刑又發用乘勾陳土，其凶可見，即龍后不能救助也。

The interpretation states: This pregnancy is dangerous, the child cannot be born, and neither the mother nor the child can be saved. This is because the Hidden Chant chart has the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate completely overlapping, with yin and yang energies each hidden and inactive. The whole family is like all things have not yet begun to sprout, with everything stagnant and unsmooth, so the fetus cannot be delivered. Moreover, the Day Stem is in the palace of Chen and sees Chen, while the Day Branch is in the palace of Hai and sees Hai. Both the Day Stem and Chen form self-punishment, and the self-punishing spirit is exactly the initiating transmission. It is also accompanied by Gou Chen, which belongs to the earth element. Gou Chen signifies firm entanglement, and earth can block water paths. The ominous signs are clear. Even though the three transmissions include the Azure Dragon and Heavenly Empress, two auspicious generals, they cannot save the situation.

四月乙亥日申將未時占來意。一字玉連環

In the fourth month on the Yihai day, with 'Shen' as the Month General and the time of divination at Wei, the question is about the purpose of the person's visit. This example is taken from the "One Character Jade Linked Ring."

空虎常玄 　午未申酉　蛇貴空龍　財 丁丑 蛇 龍巳　　戌陰　丑子午巳　兄 戊寅 朱 勾辰　　亥后　子亥巳乙　兄 己卯 合 　卯寅丑子 　合朱蛇貴

The lesson plate is laid out in a row as shown above. The general Shēn is placed on the hour of Wèi. The Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions Sì, Wǔ, Wèi, and Shēn, the Heaven Plate positions Wǔ, Wèi, Shēn, and Yǒu are placed respectively, each accompanied by Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, and Xuan Wu. On the Earth Plate positions Yín, Chǒu, Zǐ, and Hài, the Heaven Plate positions Mǎo, Yín, Chǒu, and Zǐ are placed respectively, each accompanied by Liu He, Zhu Què, Téng Shé, and Tian Yi Guiren. On the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate position Sì is placed with Qing Long; on the Earth Plate position Mǎo, the Heaven Plate position Chen is placed with Gou Chen; on the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate position Xu is placed with Tai Yin; on the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate position Hai is placed with Tian Hou. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace at Chen), shows Sì with Qing Long; the second lesson, on Sì, shows Wǔ with Tian Kong; the third lesson, on the day branch Hai, shows Zǐ with Guiren; the fourth lesson, on Zǐ, shows Chǒu with Téng Shé. The entire plate has only one instance of an upper element overcoming a lower one, which is Chǒu (Earth) overcoming Zǐ (Water). According to the principle of the first lesson, Chǒu is used as the initiating transmission. On the right side, the three transmissions are: the first transmission Chǒu, representing wife wealth, with the hidden stem Dingchou, accompanied by Téng Shé; the second transmission Yín, representing brothers, with the hidden stem Wuyin, accompanied by Zhu Què; the third transmission Mǎo, representing brothers, with the hidden stem Jimao, accompanied by Liu He. Chǒu, Yín, and Mǎo progress in order, forming a lesson of "Jin Ru."

徐次賓曰：來意主人外出取索舊財兩重，繫丑年交易，其錢三百二十貫，至六月得錢五十六貫，至十二月再索，此錢主口舌相爭，卻賴姓董人和勸，而得也。

Xu Cibin said: The person coming to visit intends to go out to collect two old debts, which were owed in the year of Chou. The total amount is three hundred and twenty guan. In June, he will recover fifty-six guan first, and then in December he will go to collect the remaining amount. At that time, there will be an argument over the money. Later, with the help of a man named Dong, he will manage to get the money back.

何以知索舊財，緣時為日干財，值事門見白虎，主道路。又發用大吉，亦為日財，大吉土無氣，故言出入取索舊財兩重。繫丑年交易者，發端門是丑也。三百二十貫者，蓋大吉財八數，螣蛇四數，相乘得三百二十貫也。六月中得財五十六貫，何也，蓋時為日干財，小吉八數，白虎七數，相乘得五十六也。緣白虎無氣，又未為六月建，故於六月中先得五十六貫也。

To know that it is about collecting old debts, note that at the time of divination, the branch "Wei" is the wealth hexagram of the day stem Yi wood, which is being overcome. The "value gate" — that is, the branch of the time on the Heaven Plate, which is occupied by the Heavenly General — shows the White Tiger, which signifies travel and movement. The initiating transmission "Daji" (the alias of Chou) is also the wealth of the day stem. Chou earth has no strength in the fourth month, making it an old and declining wealth, hence the interpretation that one is going out to collect two old debts. It is said that the debt comes from a Chou year transaction, because the "initial transmission" — that is, the first transmission — is exactly Chou. The amount of three hundred and twenty units is calculated because the number of Daji (Chou) as a wealth is eight, and the number of Teng Snake is four, and eight multiplied by four gives thirty-two, which is rounded up to three hundred and twenty units. Why can fifty-six units be obtained in the sixth month? Because the time branch is the wealth of the day stem, and the number of Xiaoji (the alias of Wei) is eight, while the number of White Tiger is seven. Eight multiplied by seven gives fifty-six. The White Tiger is without strength here, and the earthly branch "Wei" is exactly the month builder of the sixth month, so the fifty-six units are first obtained in the sixth month.

至十二月再索有口舌相爭，得姓董人勸和，盡得之，何也。蓋發用大吉為財，為十二月建。中傳功曹為子輩，上得朱雀，主口舌爭競；末傳卯主千里，六合為草頭，配成董字；又六合為和合之象也。

Why does it say that asking for money in the twelfth month will lead to arguments, and only after a person named Dong intervenes can all the money be recovered? Because the initiating transmission is "Daji" (Chou), which is both the wealth hexagram and Chou, which is exactly the month builder of the twelfth month. The middle transmission "Gongcao" (the alternate name of Yin) represents the younger generation, and its upper transmission is the Vermilion Bird, which governs disputes and arguments. The final transmission "Mao" signifies a distance, and the words "thousand miles" combine to form "chong." The Liu He (Liu He) has a grass radical, and grass combined with chong forms the character "Dong." Moreover,Liu He itself symbolizes harmony and mediation, so it is concluded that a person named Dong will intervene to resolve the dispute.

戊寅年七月乙亥日巳將辰時有所為而占。郭氏占案

In the year of Wuyin, seventh lunar month, on the day of Yihai, with the month general being Si and the time of divination being Chen, a person with an important matter to handle cast this divination. This example is taken from the "Guo's Divination Cases."

空虎常玄 　午未申酉　蛇貴空龍　財 丁丑 蛇 龍巳　　戌陰　丑子午巳　兄 戊寅 朱 勾辰　　亥后　子亥巳乙　兄 己卯 合 　卯寅丑子 　合朱蛇貴

The lesson disk is laid out in a row as above. The time of the fourth hour is added to the '巳' position. The Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate, so the entire disk is exactly the same as the previous lesson: on the Earth Plate positions of '巳', '午', '未', and '申', the Heaven Plate positions are '午', '未', '申', and '酉', with the accompanying divinatory signs of Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, and Xuan Wu respectively; on the Earth Plate positions of '寅', '丑', '子', and '亥', the Heaven Plate positions are '卯', '寅', '丑', and '子', with the accompanying divinatory signs of Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake, and Tian Yi Gu Ren respectively; on the Earth Plate position of '辰', it is '巳' accompanied by Qing Long; on the Earth Plate position of '卯', it is '辰' accompanied by Gou Chen; on the Earth Plate position of '酉', it is '戌' accompanied by Tai Yin; on the Earth Plate position of '戌', it is '亥' accompanied by Tian Hou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: on the Day Stem '乙' (with its lodging palace at '辰'), '巳' is accompanied by Qing Long; on '巳', '午' is accompanied by Tian Kong; on the Day Branch '亥', '子' is accompanied by Gu Ren; on '子', '丑' is accompanied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions remain as wife wealth '丑' (Dingchou) accompanied by Teng Snake, brother '寅' (Wuyin) accompanied by Zhu Que, and brother '卯' (Jimao) accompanied by Liu He, with the sequence of '丑', '寅', '卯' connected and advancing. Before the heavenly generals 'Kong Hu Chang Xuan', the original text does not leave a blank space as in other instances.

郭御青曰：進茹主事尚不了，末傳歸祿作六合，將吉丑乘螣蛇，因舊年事驚疑進，而寅卯比日更奇者，夾定虛一所欠者財，然行年在辰為補欠，奇妙奇妙。

Guo Yuqing said: The three transmissions of Chou, Yin, and Mao indicate a situation of advancing and consuming, suggesting that the matter being inquired about cannot be concluded at present. The final transmission 'Mao' is the禄神 of Yi wood, indicating 'returning to禄', and it also rides on Liu He, suggesting that eventually there will be success. The first transmission 'Daji' (Chou) rides on Teng Snake (the original text says 'Jiang Ji', which should be 'Daji' by mistake). Chou is the year branch of the year before Wuyin, and Teng Snake indicates fear and suspicion, showing that this matter is driven by doubts about an old affair. What is even more remarkable is that the middle and final transmissions Yin and Mao are both of the same type as Yi day, indicating siblings assisting the self; and the sequence of Chou, Yin, and Mao stops at Mao, with the next position 'Chen' left empty and unattainable. The missing position 'Chen' is precisely the wealth of Yi wood, which is exactly the money that is lacking. Coincidentally, the person's current year falls on 'Chen', thus filling this gap, which is truly remarkable.

戊戌年六月乙亥日未將巳時汀州府戴公諱儀占風聞朝廷有文字的否。方本占案 一針見血

In the year of Wuxu, sixth lunar month, on the day of Yihai, with the Month General being Wei and the time of divination at Si, Dai Gong, named Yi, from Tingzhou Prefecture, asked whether the rumors circulating outside that the court would issue an official document were true or false. This case is recorded in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and also appears in "Yi Zhen Jian Xue."

青勾合朱 　未申酉戌　玄后勾空　官 　申 勾 ◎ 空午　　亥蛇　卯丑申午　財 甲戌 朱 ⊙ 虎巳　　子貴　丑亥午乙　父 丙子 貴 　辰卯寅丑 　常玄陰后

The course plate is laid out in rows as above. The general at the end of the hour is added to the fourth hour, and the heaven plate advances two positions ahead of the earth plate. On the earth plate, the positions of the snake, horse, goat, and monkey are covered by the heaven plate's positions of the goat, monkey, rooster, and dog, respectively, which are associated with the Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He, and Vermilion Bird. On the earth plate, the positions of the tiger, ox, rat, and pig are covered by the heaven plate's positions of the dragon, rabbit, tiger, and ox, respectively, which are associated with the Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, and Heavenly Empress. The earth position of the dragon is covered by the heaven position of the horse, which is associated with the Sky Void; the earth position of the rabbit is covered by the heaven position of the snake, which is associated with the White Tiger; the earth position of the rooster is covered by the heaven position of the dog, which is associated with the Teng Snake; and the earth position of the dog is covered by the heaven position of the rat, which is associated with the Heavenly Nobleman. The time of divination is the snake hour, which belongs to the day, and on an ethereal day, the nobleman of the day is at the rat position. The nobleman is located at the earth position of the dog, so the twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson is on the day stem of Yi (with its lodging palace at the dragon position) and sees the horse position, which is associated with the sky void; the second lesson is on the horse position and sees the monkey position, which is associated with the Gou Chen; the third lesson is on the day branch of Hai and sees the ox position, which is associated with the Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson is on the ox position and sees the rabbit position, which is associated with the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is the monkey, which is the official ghost, associated with the Gou Chen, with a note of "◎"—since the day is Yi Hai, which belongs to the Jia Xu decade, the empty position is at the monkey and rooster, so the monkey position does not list the hidden stem but marks the empty position; the middle transmission is the dog, which is the wife's wealth, with the hidden stem Jia Xu, associated with the Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is the rat, which is the parents, with the hidden stem Bing Zi, associated with the Heavenly Nobleman. There is also another mark "⊙" beside the middle transmission, but the original text does not explain its meaning, so we do not make any assumptions here.

邵彥和曰：七月內必有朝廷文章來，被蒿惱不意而動。蓋初傳見勾陳乘歲馬作鬼，中傳雀乘太歲，末傳貴人，月建前一辰為用，故應七月，申為傳送，又為道路，帶鬼剋日，故來速也。果於七月癸巳日文字來，充替河州。

Shao Yanhe said that within the seventh month there would certainly be official documents from the court, which would disturb him and cause him to have to leave unexpectedly. This is because the first transmission is 'Shen' riding Gou Chen, which signifies entanglement and disturbance, and Shen is the post-horse of the year Wuxu. Shen metal also overcomes Yi wood, which represents official ghosts. The middle transmission rides the Vermilion Bird, which is naturally associated with documents, and the 'Xu' it rides is exactly the current year's sovereign. The final transmission rides the nobleman, indicating that the matter originates from the court. The initiating transmission is the previous stem of the June month builder 'Wei', so it should be in the seventh month. Shen is also called 'Chuansong', which signifies travel and movement, and it brings the official ghosts to overcome the day stem. As a result, the official documents arrived on the Guisi day of the seventh month, and he was ordered to take over the position in Hezhou.

宣和癸卯年三月乙亥日戌將午時林子成丙辰生四十八歲占平生養息。口鑑 捷要 青錢秘訣

In the year Guimao of the Xuanhe era, on the day Yihai of the third lunar month, using 'Xu' as the Month General and the time of day being Wu, Lin Zicheng, born in the year Bingchen and aged forty-eight at the time, consulted about what kind of livelihood he should rely on to support his family throughout his life. This example is taken from the "Koujian," and is also recorded in the "Jieyao" and "Qingqian Mijie."

合朱蛇貴 　酉戌亥子　青玄貴勾　財 癸未 青 勾申　　丑后　未卯子申　父 乙亥 蛇 青未　　寅陰　卯亥申乙　兄 己卯 玄 　午巳辰卯 　空虎常玄

The course is laid out in a straight line as above. The general戌 is placed on the hour of午. The Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions巳, 午, 未, and 申, the Heaven Plate positions are 酉, 戌, 亥, and 子, respectively, which are occupied by Liu He, Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, and Tianyi Nobleman. On the Earth Plate positions 寅, 丑, 子, and 亥, the Heaven Plate positions are 午, 巳, 辰, and 卯, respectively, which are occupied by Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, and Black Tortoise. On the Earth Plate position 辰, the position 申 is occupied by Gou Chen; on the Earth Plate position 卯, the position 未 is occupied by Qinglong; on the Earth Plate position 酉, the position 丑 is occupied by Tianhou; on the Earth Plate position 戌, the position 寅 is occupied by Taiyin. The time of 午 belongs to the day, and on the day of 乙, the nobleman of the day is in 子. Therefore, the twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson is on the day stem 乙 (with its lodging palace in 辰) where 申 is present, occupied by Gou Chen; the second lesson is on 申 where 子 is present, occupied by nobleman; the third lesson is on the day branch 亥 where 卯 is present, occupied by Black Tortoise; the fourth lesson is on 卯 where 未 is present, occupied by Qinglong. The wood of 卯 is overcome by the earth of 未, which is a case of lower overcoming upper, so according to the method of reviewing again, the transmission starts with 未. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission 未 is wife wealth, with hidden stem Guiwei, occupied by Qinglong; the middle transmission 亥 is parents, with hidden stem Yihai, occupied by Teng Snake; the final transmission 卯 is brother, with hidden stem Jimao, occupied by Black Tortoise. The trinity of亥, 卯, and 未 forms a curve and straight wood formation. The day of Yihai belongs to the旬 of Jiaxu, with the empty position in 申 and 酉, and the position 申 on the first lesson's stem is exactly in the empty position.

邵彥和曰：凡占課見傳送空亡剋日，不可者四：一者養鵝不得，二者不得為醫，三者不得買碓，四者不宜為道士。

Shao Yanhe said: Whenever the "Chuansong" (another name for Shen) falls into Kongwang and then attacks the Day Stem, there are four kinds of occupations that should not be pursued: first, one cannot raise geese successfully; second, one cannot practice medicine; third, one cannot buy a water mill; and fourth, it is not suitable to become a Taoist. These four things all relate to the imagery of metal associated with Shen. The original text did not explain the origin of each image individually.

林曰：我自二十七歲亡父，二十九歲買得一水碓及磨坊，日與人爭訟，今十七年矣，累得累失，是我命不招乎？先生曰：汝命不得碓磨力，莫妄用心。支上幸有卯在長生上，一為驢騾，二為竹木，三為術士沙門，三者皆汝前程，必遂所得也。林遂棄碓磨養孳畜，多種竹木，有牝驢二頭，七年生五驢，竹木又盛茂。先生過其門，林再三拜謝。

Lin Zicheng said: I lost my father when I was twenty-seven, and at twenty-nine I bought a water mill and a mill, and I have been fighting lawsuits over them every day. Up to now, it has been seventeen years, and I have often gained and often lost. Is it that my destiny cannot bring me this kind of property? The master said: Your destiny does not benefit from the water mill and the mill, so you should stop wasting your efforts. Fortunately, there is a '卯' (Mao) in the day branch, which is in the position of growth. The symbolic meanings of '卯' are three: first, donkeys and mules; second, bamboo and wood; third, magicians and monks. These three are the path to your future. If you pursue them, you will surely succeed. Lin Zicheng then gave up the water mill and the mill, started raising livestock, and planted a lot of bamboo and wood. His family had two female donkeys, and within seven years, they gave birth to five young donkeys. The bamboo and wood also grew very vigorously. Later, when the master passed by his house, Lin Zicheng bowed repeatedly to express his thanks.

邵公占驗多係門弟所編，故稱先生。先生又謂之曰：卯可舟車，何不興販？林又從之，數年大發，鄉人叩問曰：曏者指彼數事，全皆大遂，可見吾丈神術有準。先生曰：大不然，是此人造化所該耳。蓋乙日木局，全旺在卯，卯生於亥，故卯全有氣也。元武入廟，又就本家生旺，此所以大全美也。且曲直木局，生於亥，旺於卯，末傳逢祿逢旺，諸事遂意，盡在末也。

Shao Gong's divination records were mostly compiled by his disciples, so the book refers to him as "the Master." The Master once told Lin Zicheng: "The '卯' (Mao) can also represent boats and vehicles, why don't you go into the business of transportation?" Lin Zicheng followed this advice, and within a few years he became very wealthy. The villagers came to ask: "Earlier, the Master pointed out several things for him, and each one went smoothly, which shows your great skill indeed." The Master said: "It's not like that at all. This is just the natural fortune that was destined for this person." Originally, the three transmissions of the day of Yi formed a wood trinity, with the wood energy fully flourishing in Mao. Mao also has its growth in Hai, so Mao is most vigorous. The final transmission is occupied by Xuanwu, which belongs to water. Xuanwu is in its prime, and the added "Hai" is the native land of water and the growth of wood. Water and wood are both in their flourishing places, which is the reason for the perfect situation. Moreover, the curve and straight wood trinity has its growth in Hai and its prosperity in Mao. The final transmission meets both the day's禄 (favorable position) and its prosperity, so everything goes smoothly, and all the good fortune falls on the final transmission.

初限未八卯六，相乘得四十八，折半得二十四。又加卯木三數，共二十七年，正在父母庇廕之下享福，十六娶妻財又大盛，至二十六歲限足，二十七歲交中限，父母便死，何以知其父先死，因中傳亥加未上，亥屬干，干為父，亥又為乙木之父，下被未克，上見螣蛇凶將，所以先喪父也。

The calculation for the first period is as follows: the number for "Wei" is eight, and the number for "Mao" is six. Multiplying eight and six gives forty-eight, which divided by two equals twenty-four. Then adding the number three for "Mao Wood," the total is twenty-seven years. These twenty-seven years are the time when one enjoys happiness under the protection of one's parents. At sixteen, one marries, and one's wealth becomes very prosperous. At twenty-six, the first period ends, and at twenty-seven, one enters the middle period. At this time, the parents pass away. How do we know the father dies first? Because the Middle Transmission "Hai" is added to "Wei": "Hai" belongs to the Qian Palace in terms of direction. The Zhou Changes (I Ching) associate Qian with the father. "Hai" water is also the parent's element for "Yi" Wood. It is below and is overcome by "Wei" earth, and above it is the Inauspicious General Teng Snake, so the father dies first.

二十九歲買水碓磨坊，爭訟十七年猶不已者，是申加辰，申七辰五，五七三十五，空亡減半，得十七年。申空加日上，是平生所不利，故因碓磨而費十七年之財。若申不是鬼，猶不至於訟。

At twenty-nine he bought a water mill, but due to a legal dispute that lasted seventeen years, it remained unresolved. This is because the 'Shen' (metal) is added to the 'Chen' (earth): the number of 'Shen' is seven, and the number of 'Chen' is five, making thirty-five. Since 'Shen' falls in Kongwang, its number is halved, resulting in seventeen years. 'Shen' falling in Kongwang and being added to the Day Stem's Lodging Palace 'Chen' is the most unfavorable aspect of his life, causing him to waste seventeen years of money on the mill. If 'Shen' were not the official ghost of the Day Stem, it would not have led to such legal troubles.

予相見時，林年已四十八歲，遂令息爭改業，而向驢騾船隻竹木營生，今己酉年已五十四歲，現在末限，末傳卯加亥，卯六亥四，相乘得二十四，折半為一十二，加亥地盤四數，共十六數，五十六歲交末限，尚有十六年財利。此限亥與元武水，併力生卯祿旺，是以諸事如意。

When I met Lin Zicheng, he was already forty-eight years old, so I advised him to abandon litigation and switch to business, specifically dealing in donkeys and mules, boats, and bamboo and wood. This year, which is the Jiyou year, he is fifty-four years old and is now in the final phase of his life. In the final transmission, "Mao" is placed on "Hai": the number of Mao is six, and the number of Hai is four. Multiplying them gives twenty-four, which divided by two equals twelve. Adding the number four of the Earth Plate Hai, the total is sixteen. The final phase begins at fifty-six years old, and there will be sixteen more years of wealth and profit. In this phase, the water of the Earth Plate Hai and the water of Xuanwu from the final transmission combine to nourish the wood of Mao. Since Mao is the禄神 (lucky post) and the Prosperity position for Bing Wood, everything will go smoothly.

三傳三限也，大凡日上所見者生我即利，脫我即為彼所苦。我克者為財，克我者，文武職人則為官，常人則為鬼。同類加干則是兄弟，助我也。

The Three Transmissions refer to the three major periods in a person's life. Generally, the spirits seen above the day stem either benefit or harm the person. Those that generate me are beneficial, while those that drain or consume me are harmful. What I overcome is considered wealth; those that overcome me are considered official stars if the person holds a position of authority, but are considered ghosts or spirits if the person is an ordinary civilian. Those of the same type that appear above the day stem are considered siblings, coming to support me.

或又問曰：中限父亡之後，累累官司何也。先生曰：是蛇相擾，又申亥六害，害者害我也。或又問曰：初傳未亦可以養羊賣酒，中傳亥亦可以養豬，何獨取卯乎。先生曰：曲直全在卯，乙祿到卯，長生於亥，故取其全盛之地營之。且未加卯，亥加未，皆受下克，故受生為利，受克為害也。愚按此課及丁巳日干上亥課斷語最為詳細，宜熟玩之。

Another person asked: After my father's death in the middle period, there have been continuous legal disputes. What is the reason for this? The master said: It is because the middle transmission is occupied by Teng Snake causing disturbance, and also because the combination of Shen and Hai results in the six harms.所谓 harm means that it is coming to harm me. Another person asked: The initial transmission 'Wei' can also be used for raising sheep and selling wine, and the middle transmission 'Hai' can also be used for raising pigs. Why is it that we only choose 'Mao'? The master said: The essence of the curve and straight wood structure is fully concentrated in 'Mao'. The benefit of the wood stem Yi reaches 'Mao', and the birth of wood is in 'Hai'. Therefore, we should choose the most prosperous place for business. Moreover, the heaven plate 'Wei' is placed on the earth plate 'Mao', and the heaven plate 'Hai' is placed on the earth plate 'Wei', both are overcome by the earth plate's spirits. Those that are born are beneficial, while those that are overcome become harmful. Cheng Shuxun remarked: This lesson, along with the one on Dingsi day where Hai appears on the day stem, has the most detailed interpretation and should be thoroughly considered.

十月丙子日卯將申時上宣諭占邊事。一針見血

On the Bingzi day of the tenth month, with the "Mao" sign as the Month General and the time of divination at Shen, the Emperor summoned officials to inquire about military affairs on the frontier. This example is taken from "Yizhen Jianxue."

蛇朱合勾 　子丑寅卯　合常常蛇　官 丙子 蛇 貴亥　　辰龍　寅未未子　子 癸未 常 后戌　　巳空　未子子丙　父 戊寅 合 　酉申未午 　陰玄常虎

The divination board is laid out in a straight line as shown above. The general at the卯 position is added to the申 hour. The Heaven Plate is five positions behind the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions巳, 午, 未, and 申, the Heaven Plate positions are子, 丑, 寅, and 卯 respectively, each multiplied by Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, and Gou Chen. On the Earth Plate positions寅, 丑, 子, and 亥, the Heaven Plate positions are酉, 申, 未, and 午 respectively, each multiplied by Tai Yin, Xuan Wu, Tai Chang, and Bai Hu. The Earth Plate position辰 is marked with「亥」multiplied by Tian Yi Nobleman, the Earth Plate position卯 is marked with「戌」multiplied by Heavenly Empress, the Earth Plate position酉 is marked with「辰」multiplied by Qing Long, and the Earth Plate position戌 is marked with「巳」multiplied by Tian Kong. The time is申, which belongs to the day, and on a丙 day, the day's nobleman is at亥. The nobleman is located at the Earth Plate position辰, so the Twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in order. The middle three rows are the Four Lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson is on the day stem丙 (with its lodging palace at巳) with「子」multiplied by Teng Snake; the second lesson on子 has「未」multiplied by Tai Chang; the third lesson on the day branch子 has「未」multiplied by Tai Chang; the fourth lesson on未 has「寅」multiplied by Liu He. The day branch coincides with the day stem's heavenly stem, both being「子」, and the second and third lessons are repeated, so the Four Lessons are incomplete. The right three transmissions: the first transmission「子」is official ghost, with the hidden stem Bingzi, multiplied by Teng Snake; the middle transmission「未」is son, with the hidden stem Guiwei, multiplied by Tai Chang; the final transmission「寅」is parent, with the hidden stem Wuyin, multiplied by Liu He.

祝泌奏曰：臣詳此課，三上克下，日陰不備，日之支來就日之干，而有客來傷主，主乃藏伏，謂騰蛇在巳，為入穴故也。此課宜固守，若論四課不備，又皆克下，勢在再，惟勾陳是卯，與日干上子，不相傷，而元武屬金，反來克勾陳，又游都在日後，主？添兵未巳，卒戰未利，若固守二三日，無有解圍之期，臣曾占此事，皆見白虎，臨月建。

Zhu Bi reported that: I carefully calculated this divination, and among the four lessons, three of them are instances where the superior deity overpowers the inferior deity. The day's yin lesson is incomplete, and the day's branch 'Zi' has moved to the position of the day's stem. The first lesson, which is Bing fire lodging in the 'Si' position, shows exactly the day's branch 'Zi'. This is an image of an outsider harming the host, and the host can only hide and remain concealed. The phrase 'Teng Snake in Si' means that the Teng Snake, which is associated with 'Zi', has fallen into the position of Bing's lodging palace 'Si', thus the snake returning to its original dwelling, indicating the host's concealment and inaction. This lesson is suitable for holding firm. If we consider that the four lessons are incomplete and all instances of superior overpowering inferior, the situation may still change. Fortunately, Gou Chen is riding on 'Mao', which is in harmony with the day's stem 'Zi' water and wood, without causing harm. Meanwhile, Xuan Wu belongs to metal, which can overpower Gou Chen's wood. Also, 'You Du' is located behind the day's position, indicating that the enemy will continue to increase their forces. (The original text mentions 'Wei Si', where 'Si' is likely a mistake for 'Yi', and '?' indicates a missing character in the original.) A sudden battle would not be advantageous. If we only hold firm for two or three days, we still cannot see the day of relief. I have previously divined this matter, and I always saw Bai Hu riding on the month's stem.

月建者，城邑也，即安豐之境土也。白虎為戎兵動擾，其所乘屬火。今日丙上見子，足以制之，雖錐危而安，惟固守勿輕出戰，遇此三四日，自可保全。若輕動則招憂也。

The term "month builder" refers to a city, specifically the territory of Anfeng. The White Tiger governs military disturbances and is associated with the fire element. Now, on a day with the stem Bing (丙), the "Zi" (子) appears on the day stem. The water of Zi is sufficient to control this fire, so although the situation is dangerous, it will ultimately turn favorable. The word "cone" (锥) is likely a mistake. As long as we remain steadfast and do not rashly engage in battle, enduring these few days will naturally ensure safety. If we act recklessly, we will invite disaster.

愚按祝泌字子涇，善六壬，著有六壬大占，進呈。此課只雲祝氏占安知非祝泌也，故書其名焉。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: Zhu Bi, whose name is Zi Jing, was proficient in the Six Changes divination method and wrote a book called "The Great Divination of the Six Changes" which was presented to the imperial court. The original book only mentioned that this divination was done by "Zhu's family," but how can we be sure it was not Zhu Bi? Therefore, here his name is directly written out.

四月丙子日申將丑時占來意。一字玉連環

In the fourth month on the Bingzi day, with 'Shen' as the Month General and the time of divination at 'Chou', the question is about the purpose of the person coming. This example is taken from "Yi Zi Yu Lianhuan".

合勾龍空 　子丑寅卯　龍陰陰合　官 丙子 合 朱亥　　辰虎　寅未未子　子 癸未 陰 蛇戌　　巳常　未子子丙　父 戊寅 龍 　酉申未午 　貴后陰玄

The divination board is laid out in a row as shown above. The general at the hour of Shen is placed on the position of Chou. The Heaven Plate is five positions behind the Earth Plate, so the positions of the twelve branches falling into the palaces are the same as the previous lesson, but with a different set of Heavenly Generals: on the Earth Plate positions Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate positions Zi, Chou, Yin, and Mao are placed in sequence, each accompanied by Liu He, Gou Chen, Qing Long, and Tian Kong respectively; on the Earth Plate positions Yin, Chou, Si, and Hai, the Heaven Plate positions You, Shen, Wei, and Wu are placed in sequence, each accompanied by Tian Yi Gu Ren, Tian Hou, Tai Yin, and Xuan Wu respectively; on the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate position Hai is accompanied by Zhu Que; on the Earth Plate position Mao, the Heaven Plate position Xu is accompanied by Teng Snake; on the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate position Chen is accompanied by Bai Hu; on the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate position Si is accompanied by Tai Chang. The time of Chou belongs to the night, and on a day with the stem Bing, the nobleman of the night is at You. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals move in the order of the Heaven Plate. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Bing (with its lodging palace at Si) with the position Zi accompanied by Liu He; the second lesson has the position Zi with the position Wei accompanied by Tai Yin; the third lesson has the day branch Zi with the position Wei accompanied by Tai Yin; the fourth lesson has the position Wei with the position Yin accompanied by Qing Long. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is Zi, representing official ghost, with the hidden stem Bing Zi, accompanied by Liu He; the middle transmission is Wei, representing son and grandson, with the hidden stem Gui Wei, accompanied by Tai Yin; the final transmission is Yin, representing parents, with the hidden stem Wu Yin, accompanied by Qing Long.

徐次賓曰：來意主內外和合之事，又主添妾媵之喜。蓋丑時與日干三合，與日支六合，故言內外和合事也。日上神后水，時上天后水，不言鬼者，緣先鋒門得大吉土，值事門得勾陳土，為今日之子孫爻，以剋死絕之水，水豈能為鬼也。太陰主妾媵，六合主和合婚姻，青龍主喜慶，此課始末俱吉，豈不是和合添妾媵之象也。

Xu Cibin said: The intention of the person coming for divination is about an internal and external harmony, and it also indicates the joy of acquiring a concubine. Because during the divination, the branch 'Chou' forms a triple harmony with the day stem Bing's lodging palace 'Si', making up the metal triad of Si-You-Chou. Also, 'Chou' and the day branch 'Zi' form the六合 (Liu He), so it is said to be an internal and external harmony matter. The day stem is 'Shenhou' (another name for 'Zi'), which belongs to water. At the position of 'Chou', there is 'Shen' on top, and it is occupied by 'Heavenly Empress', which also belongs to water. Water is originally the official ghost of Bing fire, but here it is not considered as a ghost. This is because the 'Frontier Gate'—which refers to the time of divination—has 'Daji' (Chou) earth, and the 'Event Gate'—which refers to the heavenly general on the heavenly plate corresponding to the day branch—has 'Gou Chen' earth. Earth is the son trigram of Bing fire today, which can control this water that has already died out and lost its strength. Since the water is controlled, how can it still be a ghost? 'Tai Yin' governs concubines, 'Liu He' governs harmonious marriage, and 'Qinglong' governs joy. This entire divination is entirely auspicious, which is exactly the image of internal and external harmony and acquiring a concubine.

四月丙子日申將酉時癸巳命人占來意。一字玉連環

In the fourth month on the Bingzi day, with the Shen as the month general and the hour of You, a person born in the Guisi year asks about the purpose of the divination. This example is taken from the Yi Zhi Yu Lian Huan.

龍勾合朱 　辰巳午未　后陰空龍　子 甲戌 后 空卯　　申蛇　戌亥卯辰　財 　酉 貴 ◎ 虎寅　　酉貴　亥子辰丙　財 　申 蛇 ◎⊙ 　丑子亥戌 　常玄陰后

The course plate is laid out in rows as shown above. The general of the hour, Shēn, is placed on the hour of You. The Heaven Plate is one position behind the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate positions Chen, Si, Wu, and Wei are placed in sequence, each accompanied by Qinglong, Gouchen, Liuhe, and Zhuqiu respectively; on the Earth Plate positions Yin, Chou, Zi, and You, the Heaven Plate positions Chou, Zi, Hai, and Xu are placed in sequence, each accompanied by Taichang, Xuanwu, Taiyin, and Tianhou respectively. On the Earth Plate position Chen, the position "Mao" is placed and accompanied by Tiankong; on the Earth Plate position Mao, the position "Yin" is placed and accompanied by Baihu; on the Earth Plate position You, the position "Shen" is placed and accompanied by Tengshe; on the Earth Plate position Xu, the position "You" is placed and accompanied by Tianyi Guiren. Since the time is You, which belongs to the night, and on a Bing day, the night Guiren is at You, the Guiren is located at the Earth Plate position Xu. Therefore, the Twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in reverse order. The middle three rows are the Four Lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson is on the Day Stem Bing (with its lodging palace at Si) where "Chen" is seen and accompanied by Qinglong; the second lesson is on Chen where "Mao" is seen and accompanied by Tiankong; the third lesson is on the Day Branch Zi where "Hai" is seen and accompanied by Taiyin; the fourth lesson is on Hai where "Xu" is seen and accompanied by Tianhou. The second lesson, Mao wood, overcomes Chen earth, and the fourth lesson, Xu earth, overcomes Hai water, resulting in two instances of upper overcoming lower. Therefore, the one with the same yang attribute as the Day Stem, "Xu," is selected as the initiating transmission, making it a "Bi yong" lesson. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission "Xu" is a son, with the hidden stem Jia Xu, accompanied by Tianhou; the middle transmission "You" is a wife's wealth, accompanied by Tianyi Guiren; the final transmission "Shen" is a wife's wealth, accompanied by Tengshe. Since the day is Bing Zi and belongs to the Jia Xu decade, the void positions are at Shen and You, so the hidden stems are not listed below these two, but marked with "◎" beside them. The final transmission also has an additional mark "⊙" beside it, though the original text does not explain its meaning. The transmissions of Xu, You, and Shen are in sequence and retreat backward, forming a "Tui Ru" lesson.

徐次賓曰：來意本人於家西耕荒地，種麥，至麥熟時，有帶官人來割麥，曰：“是我之地。”相爭到官，勸和，得麥一半，歸其地。

Xu Cibin said: The intention of the person coming is this matter -- he cultivated wasteland to the west of his house and planted wheat. When the wheat was ripe, someone came with officials to cut the wheat, saying, "This is my land." They quarreled and went to the authorities. After being mediated by others, the wheat was divided equally, and the land remained with him.

何以知之，緣酉時與日干三合，故言外。酉為西方，故言家西耕荒地也，酉為日下之財，不言金玉，而言麥者。若婦人占酉財為金玉首飾之類，今老農來占，酉主小麥，既為日下之財，故言麥也。值事門及中傳，上見天乙，故為帶官人。

How is this determined? Because at the time of divination, the branch 「You」 (酉) combines with the lodging palace of the day stem 「Bing」 (丙) to form the triple harmony of Si-You-Chou (巳酉丑), which represents metal. Since triple harmony signifies external matters, the interpretation concerns events outside. 「You」 belongs to the west, so it is said that the farming is taking place to the west of the family's home. 「You」 is the wealth hexagram under the day stem, but instead of referring to gold and silver, it is said to be wheat. The reason is that if a woman were consulting, 「You」 wealth would represent gold and silver jewelry; but since the person consulting is an old farmer, 「You」 represents wheat. Since it is the wealth hexagram under the day stem, it is interpreted as wheat. 「Value Gate」—the branch of the time on the heaven plate, which is occupied by the heavenly general—along with the middle transmission, all show the nobleman. Therefore, it is said that the people coming to cut the wheat are accompanied by officials.

何知相爭到官，蓋日上見天罡，為自己怒惡。時為日貴，中傳又得天乙為動官之象。何知勸和得麥一半，蓋時與日合，卦又得比用，故主勸合。申酉為財而空亡，故主得一半矣。

How do we know there will be a quarrel that goes to the authorities? Because the day stem has the "Tiangang" (a name for Chen), indicating that the person himself becomes angry. At the time of the divination, it is also the nobleman's position on a Bing day, and the middle transmission also receives the nobleman, both of which are signs of disturbance leading to legal matters. How do we know that after being persuaded, only half the wheat is obtained? Because at the time of the divination, it coincides with the day stem, and the lesson pattern is based on the "ratio" relationship, indicating that someone is mediating. The positions of Shen and You are both wealth indicators but both fall into Kongwang, meaning that the amount is reduced by half, hence only half is obtained.

己酉年十月丙子日卯將丑時馮知丞戊辰生四十二歲占升遷。口鑑　方本占案

In the Jiyou year, tenth month, on the Bingzi day, with the 'Mao' trigram as the month general and the time of divination at Chou, Feng Zhi Cheng, born in the Wuchen year, aged forty-two at the time of divination, asked about promotion. This example is taken from the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an".

朱蛇貴后 　未申酉戌　青虎貴朱　子 庚辰 青 合午　　亥陰　辰寅酉未　兄 壬午 合 勾巳　　子玄　寅子未丙　財 　申 蛇 ◎ 　辰卯寅丑 　青空虎常

The course plate is laid out in a row as above. The general at the卯 position is added to the丑 hour. The Heaven Plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions巳, 午, 未, and 申, the Heaven Plate positions are 未, 申, 酉, and 戌 respectively, each accompanied by Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Heavenly Ethereal Nobleman, and Heavenly Empress. On the Earth Plate positions寅, 丑, 子, and 亥, the Heaven Plate positions are 辰, 卯, 寅, and 丑 respectively, each accompanied by Azure Dragon, Heaven Void, White Tiger, and Tai Chang. The Earth Plate position 辰 is marked with 「午」 and accompanied by Liu He, the Earth Plate position 卯 is marked with 「巳」 and accompanied by Gou Chen, the Earth Plate position 酉 is marked with 「亥」 and accompanied by Tai Yin, and the Earth Plate position 戌 is marked with 「子」 and accompanied by Black Tortoise. The time is 丑, which belongs to night. On a 丙 day, the night nobleman is at 酉, so the nobleman is located at the Earth Plate position 未. Therefore, the Twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in reverse order. The middle three rows are the Four Lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson is on the day stem 丙 (with its lodging palace at 巳) with 「未」 accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the second lesson is on 未 with 「酉」 accompanied by Heavenly Ethereal Nobleman; the third lesson is on the day branch 子 with 「寅」 accompanied by White Tiger; the fourth lesson is on 寅 with 「辰」 accompanied by Azure Dragon. The wood of 寅 is overcoming the earth of 辰, which is a case of lower overcoming upper, so according to the lesson of repeated review, 「辰」 is used as the initiating transmission. On the right side, the three transmissions are: the first transmission 「辰」 is a son, with hidden stem Gengchen, accompanied by Azure Dragon; the middle transmission 「午」 is a brother, with hidden stem Renwu, accompanied by Liu He; the final transmission 「申」 is a wife's wealth, accompanied by Teng Snake, with 申 falling in the void, so it is not marked with a hidden stem but is instead noted with 「◎」. The sequence of 辰, 午, 申 advances in order by skipping one position, which is exactly what the statement "ascending three heavens" refers to.

邵彥和曰：登三天，本主升遷之象，但嫌登不過關。關者，日干是也。既不過關，難以升遷。若跳過，則又進銳退速。白虎入宅臨父母，目下必因丁艱而阻。愚按六害主阻隔，課得交車害白虎為喪服之神加於父母之上，故云因丁艱而阻也，況干上又是弔客。且主父母棺內白蟻食壞，以致不利子孫，遂成災咎。服滿之後，雖得一任差遣，恐不能終任矣。

Shao Yanhe said: The three transmissions are Chen, Wu, and Shen, advancing in sequence with intervals, which is called "ascending to the three heavens." This is an omen of promotion, but it is regrettable that it fails to pass through the "gate." The gate refers to the day stem (Bing) which is lodged in Si. Since it cannot pass this gate, promotion is difficult; even if it forces through, it will advance quickly but also retreat quickly. The White Tiger enters the day branch's position through Yin, and is located on the parent's yao. Therefore, there must be obstruction due to mourning for a parent at present. Cheng Shuxun commented: The six harms indicate obstruction. In this lesson, the heavenly stem on the day is not in harm with the day branch Zi, and the heavenly stem on the day branch Yin is in harm with the day stem's lodged position Si, forming "crossing car harm." The White Tiger is also the god of mourning, located on the parent's yao, so it is said that the obstruction is due to mourning. Moreover, the "Wei" on the day stem is also the吊客 (guest) of Jiyou year. Furthermore, the parents' coffin is damaged by termites, which is unfavorable for descendants, eventually leading to calamity. After the mourning period is over, although one may still be appointed to an official post, it is feared that one will not complete the term.

乎服滿得一任者，青龍發用也，不能終任者，中傳得陽刃，末傳即空亡也知丞乃機宜之弟，課象主服不利，彼此相同，機宜課見丙子日干上戌果因阻服未升遷。及舉母棺，欲與父合葬，因起父墳視之，盡為泥水白蟻傷壞，遂不敢葬。續有堪輿人，言此地本吉，因葬高露風不利，若葬低便發。知丞又來占，極斷其不可，而知丞不聽，竟合葬焉。及服滿，授黃州推官，赴任數月，因病假歸，十二月卒。

As for the case where someone is able to take office after fulfilling the mourning period, it is because the Azure Dragon initiates the transmission; but when it comes to not being able to complete the mourning period, it is because the middle transmission has the Yang刃 and the final transmission falls into Kongwang. The initial '乎' is likely a mistake for '夫'. This official is the younger brother of Feng Jiyi. Both their divination charts indicate difficulties in matters of mourning, which are similar. In Feng Jiyi's case, the chart showed Bingzi day stem with Wu on the stem, and later he indeed was prevented from promotion due to mourning obligations. When they started to move his mother's coffin to be buried with his father, they dug up the father's grave and found the coffin completely destroyed by mud and white ants, so they dared not bury him. Later, a geomancer said that the site was originally a good place, but it was not favorable because the grave was too high and exposed to wind; if it were lower, it would be beneficial. The official came again to ask, but I strongly advised against it. He did not listen and eventually buried them together. When the mourning period was completed, he was appointed as the official of Huangzhou, but only a few months after taking office, he fell ill and returned home, dying in December.

夫日干是丙，即身也。辰、午登天，至撞巳而止；末傳雖透過已去，卻是空亡，所謂登不過關，及身而止也。行年未上見酉，再作空亡，逢空則止，運亦盡矣。

The day stem is Bing, representing the person themselves. The three transmissions proceed upward from the辰 and 午, reaching the 'Si' which is Bing's lodging palace, and then they stop. Although the final transmission goes through the Si position, it falls on Kongwang. This is called failing to pass the gate, stopping at the self. His year stem is Wei, and on Wei there is You, which again falls on Kongwang. When encountering Kongwang, movement stops, and thus his destiny comes to an end.

鄭云正時太常遁丁主孝服，正時主目下，上見卯為丙之母，故知其母孺人難久遠也。白虎主喪，寅為丙之父，加子子神后，斷母亦碓究竟寅為父儀墓覆其上，白虎乘之。白虎主白蟻，是父墳內有白蟻滿蝕，不利子孫者，子又為子息，子水病在寅，帶白虎加之故也。

Zheng's interpretation says: At the correct time (the hour of Chou), the trigram Tai Chang is in operation. In the current ten-day cycle, the hidden stem under Chou is Ding, which signifies mourning attire. The current moment is what is directly before us. The position of Chou shows 'Mao'. Mao wood is yin and gives birth to Bing fire, which is the mother of Bing. Therefore, it is known that the mother is not going to live long. The White Tiger indicates death; Yin wood is yang and represents the father of Bing. Yin is placed above 'Zi', which is 'Shenhou'. The original text of the sentence 'the judgment of the mother also concludes that寅 is the father's symbol, with the tomb covering it' is corrupted and difficult to understand. The general meaning is that since寅 represents the father, there is also a tomb deity covering it. The White Tiger is also associated with white ants, so it is concluded that the father's grave is full of white ants. The statement that it is unfavorable for descendants is because 'Zi' also represents descendants, and the sickly place of Zi water is at寅. Therefore, it is unfavorable because寅 is precisely where the White Tiger is placed.

五月丙子日申將午時二十六歲人占失賊。玉連環末卷

In May on the Bingzi day, with the "Shen" trigram as the Month General and the time of divination at "Wu", a man of twenty-six years old inquires about being robbed. This example is taken from the last volume of "Yu Lianhuan".

勾合朱蛇 　未申酉戌　虎玄朱勾　子 庚辰 虎 龍午　　亥貴　辰寅酉未　兄 壬午 龍 空巳　　子后　寅子未丙　財 　申 合 ◎ 　辰卯寅丑 　虎常玄陰

The divination board is laid out in a straight line as shown above. At the time of the hour of Shen, the Heaven Plate is two positions ahead of the Earth Plate, so the twelve branches fall into the same palaces as in the previous lesson, but with a different set of Heavenly Generals: on the Earth Plate positions Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate positions are Wei, Shen, You, and Xu, respectively, occupied by Gou Chen, Liu He, Zhu Que, and Teng Snake; on the Earth Plate positions Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate positions are Chen, Mao, Yin, and Chou, respectively, occupied by Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, and Tai Yin; on the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate position Wu is occupied by Qing Long; on the Earth Plate position Mao, the Heaven Plate position Si is occupied by Tian Kong; on the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate position Hai is occupied by Tian Yi Gu Ren; on the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate position Zi is occupied by Tian Hou. The time of Wu belongs to the day, and on a Bing day, the daytime nobleman is at Hai, so the nobleman falls on the Earth Plate position You, hence the Heavenly Generals move in reverse. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Bing (with its lodging palace at Si) with the Heaven Plate position Wei occupied by Gou Chen; the second lesson has the Heaven Plate position You occupied by Zhu Que; the third lesson has the day branch Zi with the Heaven Plate position Yin occupied by Xuan Wu; the fourth lesson has the Heaven Plate position Chen occupied by Bai Hu. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is Chen, representing a son, with the hidden stem Geng Chen, occupied by Bai Hu; the second transmission is Wu, representing a brother, with the hidden stem Ren Wu, occupied by Qing Long; the third transmission is Shen, representing a wife's wealth, occupied by Liu He, with Shen falling in the empty position of the ten days, so the hidden stem is not listed and is instead marked with a symbol ◎.

苗公達曰：主爾父及兄弟度關而遭賊失財，兄被賊傷左目，其賊不能捕也。

Miao Gongda said: The master's father and brothers encountered bandits while passing through a pass, lost their money, and the elder brother was injured in his left eye by the bandits. These bandits cannot be captured.

議曰天乙臨酉門戶不寧，丙以寅為日本，白虎加之，是長上驚危，寅為天梁，卯為天關，惡人在上自然？關，而財遭賊劫，丙以巳為兄，午為弟，日上勾陳為？敵？月作四月節。大殺月厭俱在未。未臨巳主損左目，法以四孟為頭目，寅巳為左，申亥為右，元武上下不戰，又青龍六合飛騰萬里，主賊有庇佑，必難獲也。

It is said that the nobleman, riding on亥, is located on the earth plate at酉, and since酉 governs the gate, the gate is not peaceful. Bing uses寅 as the basis for the day, and the white tiger is on辰, which is superimposed upon it, indicating a sign of the superior being startled or endangered.寅 is called 'Heavenly Beam,' and卯 is called 'Heavenly Gate,' so evil people are likely to act at the gate and beam. Naturally, there will be trouble at the pass, and wealth will be stolen during the passage. Bing uses巳 as the elder brother and午 as the younger brother; the day stem has Gou Chen opposing, indicating an enemy (the original text has two question marks, both missing characters). Although this divination is cast in May, the solar term still falls within April. In April, the great killer and month aversion are both on未, and the heaven plate's未 is exactly on the earth plate's巳, so it indicates injury to the left eye. The method uses the four 'climbing' positions of寅,巳,申, and亥 to correspond to the head, face, eyes, and eyes.寅 and巳 belong to the left, while申 and亥 belong to the right. The spirit governed by Xuanwu and the earth plate spirit beneath it are in mutual generation rather than conflict, and Qinglong and Liuhe are flying a thousand miles, indicating that the thief is protected by someone else, so it is certainly difficult to capture.

己酉年十一月丙子日卯將戌時馮機宜丁亥生二十三歲占前程。口鑑　方本占案 當是寅將酉時，不然即非十一月也。

In the year Jiyou, during the eleventh lunar month, on the day Bingzi, with the month general as Mao and the time of day as Xu, Feng Jiyi, born in the year Dinghai and aged twenty-three at that time, consulted about his future prospects. This example is taken from "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an". Cheng Shuxun's original note states that it should be Yin general added to You time, otherwise it would not match the month general for the eleventh lunar month.

蛇朱合勾 　戌亥子丑　蛇常空蛇　兄 辛巳 常 貴酉　　寅青　戌巳卯戌　子 甲戌 蛇 后申　　卯空　巳子戌丙　父 己卯 空 　未午巳辰 　陰玄常虎

The divination board is laid out in a straight line as above. The general is placed on the hour of Xu, with the Heaven Plate advancing five positions ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions of Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate positions are Xu, Hai, Zi, and Chou respectively, each accompanied by Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, and Gou Chen. On the Earth Plate positions of Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate positions are Wei, Wu, Si, and Chen respectively, each accompanied by Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, and White Tiger. The Earth Plate position of Chen has 'You' accompanied by Tian Yi Nobleman, the Earth Plate position of Mao has 'Shen' accompanied by Heavenly Empress, the Earth Plate position of You has 'Yin' accompanied by Azure Dragon, and the Earth Plate position of Xu has 'Mao' accompanied by Tian Kong. Since the time is Xu, which belongs to night, and the nobleman for the night on a Bing day is You, the nobleman is located at the Earth Plate position of Chen, so the Heavenly General moves in the order of the Heaven Plate. Cheng Shuxun said, 'It should be Yin General at You time.' Yin added to You and Mao added to Xu both advance five positions, but the arrangement of the Heaven Plate remains unchanged. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Bing (with its lodging palace at Si), sees 'Xu' accompanied by Teng Snake; the second lesson, on Xu, sees 'Mao' accompanied by Tian Kong; the third lesson, on the day branch Zi, sees 'Si' accompanied by Tai Chang; the fourth lesson, on Si, sees 'Xu' accompanied by Teng Snake. The third lesson, Zi water, overcomes Si fire, which is 'lower overcoming upper,' and according to the lesson of re-examination, 'Si' is used as the initiating transmission. The right side three transmissions: the first transmission 'Si' is a brother, with hidden stem Xinsi, accompanied by Tai Chang; the middle transmission 'Xu' is a son, with hidden stem Jiaxu, accompanied by Teng Snake; the final transmission 'Mao' is a parent, with hidden stem Jimao, accompanied by Tian Kong. The luck of Bing is at Si, and Si is located on the day branch Zi, which is the statement 'Lukingzhi' (lucky position on the branch).

邵彥和曰：此課前程未通愚按支為任，太常破碎加之故云阻服，鄭云陰神見戌，戌是正時，主目下即見喪服，是任必見迴避，定是阻服，服滿後得差，尚有九年端坐，方得出頭，數已盡矣愚按巳為德祿。太常與丑三合，故癸丑年州添差通判，無如仰丘俯仇，故又迴避。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination indicates that the person's future prospects are blocked. Cheng Shuxun commented: The day branch represents the official position he holds, and Tai Chang, which carries the Broken Star ill omen, is superimposed upon it, hence the interpretation that he is obstructed due to mourning. Zheng said: The hidden spirit sees 'Xu', which is the time of the divination, indicating that he will immediately encounter mourning in the present, and this position must be avoided; it is determined to be obstruction due to mourning. After the mourning period, he will be assigned a post, but he will remain idle for another nine years before he can rise, and his lifespan will end there. Cheng Shuxun commented: 'Si' is both the virtue and the禄 (favorable position) of Bing. Tai Chang riding on Si, with Si and Chou forming the Triple Harmony, thus in the year of Guichou, the state will appoint him as a Tongpan. Unfortunately, 'Yang Qiu Fu Chou'—both upper and lower positions involve matters to be avoided—so he is forced to avoid it again.

鄭云初傳是兄弟同官一處，例當迴避，正應畢法所講，權攝不正祿臨支也。蓋卯來克戌，戌去墓丙，丙即巳遂走入宅，為宅所克，此亂首自下犯上，照管堂上孺人，既有大災難治，皆自己命滯，所以如此。

Zheng's explanation says: The first transmission is the brother's hexagram, and brothers who are in the same place serving in official positions should, by convention, avoid each other. This precisely corresponds to the statement in the "Bi Fa Fu" that "the authority is not proper, and the official's fortune is on the branch." Originally, the wood of卯 comes to overcome the earth of戌, and the earth of戌 then goes to bury the fire of丙. The fire of丙 is lodged in the palace of巳, so it enters the day branch's dwelling position, and is instead overcome by the dwelling. This is the case of the first source of disorder, where the lower causes harm to the upper, and it also involves the elder lady in the family. Since there is already a great calamity that cannot be saved, it is all because of his own blocked destiny, so he ends up in this situation.

夫丙火敗於卯，墓於戌，敗神逼克戌墓，戌墓遂來墓日，日遂奔入宅被克，去住不容。日上戌五，宅上巳四，共九數，故主九年。九年後卯主事，卯敗丙，加丙墓上，即是敗木，乃棺槨入墓，自然死也。然卯為今日之母，母先入墓，次及我身矣。

The day stem is Bing fire, which is in the position of Mao, a place of bathing and decline. It is also in the position of Xu, which is a storage place. The declining force at Mao comes to attack Xu, the storage place, and Xu then turns back to bury the day stem. The day stem has no choice but to move into the residence position. Once inside the residence, it is attacked by the residence. The number of Xu is five, and the number of Si (residence) is four, adding up to nine, so it indicates nine years. After nine years, Mao takes charge. Mao is the declining force of Bing fire and also lies above the storage place of Bing. This results in the decayed wood entering the storage place, which is the image of a coffin being buried in the earth, so death is inevitable. Mao is also the mother line of the day, so the mother line enters the storage place first, and then it is the turn of the self.

馮乃待制之子，授江州安撫，十二月母死阻服，癸丑年再授洪州差通判，因妹丈除江西運使，遂迴避，得台州崇道觀，二十個月得病，戊午年卒。

Feng Jiyi was the son of a deputy minister, and was appointed as the governor of Jiangzhou. In December, his mother died, and he had to resign due to mourning. In the year Guichou, he was reassigned as the acting deputy governor of Hongzhou. However, because his son-in-law was appointed as the transport commissioner of Jiangxi, he had to follow the regulations and avoid the post, so he was instead given the honorary post of chief priest at the Chongdao Temple in Taizhou. Twenty months later, he fell ill and died in the year Wuwu.

建炎己酉年閏八月丁丑日，己將酉時，王得俊，辛巳生，二十九歲，占前程。（口鑑）／勾龍空虎／丑寅卯辰　常貴朱空　兄辛巳常⊙／合子　巳常　巳酉亥卯　子丁丑勾／朱亥　午玄　酉丑卯丁　財酉貴◎／戌酉申未／蛇貴后陰

In the leap August of the Jiyou year of the Southern Song dynasty, on the Dingchou day, the divination was cast with the month general added to the time of divination (the original text writes 'Ji general', which should be a mistake for 'Si general'), placed on the You hour. Wang Dejun, born in the Xinsi year, aged twenty-nine, came to inquire about his official career prospects. This example is taken from the "Koujian". The following is the flatly printed divination chart: Si general added to You, the heavenly plate is four places behind the earthly plate. On the earthly plate, Si has the heavenly plate Chou, riding 'Gou Chen'; Wu has Yin, riding 'Qinglong'; Wei has Mao, riding 'Tiankong'; Shen has Chen, riding 'Baihu'; You has Si, riding 'Tai Chang'; Xu has Wu, riding 'Xuanwu'; Hai has Wei, riding 'Taiyin'; Zi has Shen, riding 'Tianhou'; Chou has You, riding 'Guiren'; Yin has Xu, riding 'Tengshe'; Mao has Hai, riding 'Zhuqiao'; Chen has Zi, riding 'Liuhe'. The lodging palace for Ding day is Wei, which has Mao, so the first transmission is Mao added to Ding, riding 'Tiankong'; the second transmission is Mao on Hai, riding 'Zhuqiao'; the third transmission is on the day branch Chou, which has You, riding 'Guiren'; the fourth transmission is You on Si, riding 'Tai Chang'. The three transmissions are: first transmission Si (hidden stem Xin, brother's yao, riding 'Tai Chang'), second transmission Chou (hidden stem Ding, son's yao, riding 'Gou Chen'), third transmission You (wife's wealth yao, riding 'Guiren'). Si, You, and Chou form a metal trinity. The Dingchou day belongs to the Jiaxu decade, with the empty place in Shen and You, so the final transmission You wealth falls into the empty place, and the original text marks it with a '◎'.

邵彥和曰：卯木生丁火，而不知火敗於卯，又天空乘之，是虛生也，虛生不足，而實脫有餘。此下稍功名，不就之象也。卯木不足生丁火，而丁火卻克巳酉丑金為財。初不知巳火兄弟占，酉為財發用則非丁所得也。中傳雖是財庫，無奈酉財在末傳而空，是庫中無財也。末見酉作貴人加宅上，只是下稍買一武官，作名目耳。

Shao Yanhe said: At first glance, it seems that the wood of Mao is generating the fire of Ding, but people do not realize that the fire of Ding is in the position of Mao, which is a place of decline. Moreover, the position of Mao is occupied by Tian Kong, which makes this generation a mere illusion. The power of an illusory generation is insufficient, while the actual loss is excessive. This is the image of someone who attains a lifetime of fame and reputation but fails to achieve anything in the end. Since the wood of Mao is not sufficient to generate the fire of Ding, the fire of Ding turns around to overcome the triple harmony of metal in Si, You, and Chou, treating this metal as its own wealth. At first, others do not understand: the initial transmission of fire in Si is a brother's爻, which signifies competition and loss of wealth. The final transmission of metal in You, although it is the wealth爻 and is initiating the transmission, is not something that the day ruler of Ding can obtain. The middle transmission of Chou, although it is the metal storehouse and should be able to hold wealth, is ineffective because the wealth in You falls in the final transmission and is afflicted by Kongwang, as if there was no wealth in the storehouse at all. The final transmission of You is also accompanied by a nobleman, which is placed on the day branch's position. In the end, this is nothing more than spending money in old age to purchase a military position and merely obtaining a title.

王得俊家富而好學，人頗推重佃，惟以功名是望。及聞此斷，伊不信，曰我自有抝命文章，誰知後過三五舉並無寸進。始覺此課有驗，遂罄帑庫之財，買一副尉，欲圖試，又不中。徐侍郎在？州與他權監洄縣後，因呼為有干，終於此而己。大幾卯木加丁，是真生也，卯木卻有敗火之意，是木太旺，火不能勝，反被木壓滅也。如木敗子，子乃太盛之水反將木泛起，泛則根浮，又何生之有。酉財是空亡，是竭財而買小武官也，但貴在宅，是不仕之官也。

Wang Dejun came from a wealthy family and was willing to study, so the people in his village held him in high esteem. He himself was determined to achieve official rank. Upon hearing this interpretation, he refused to believe it, saying that he had outstanding writings. But afterwards, he failed in several examinations without any improvement. Only then did he realize that the prediction was accurate. He then spent all his family's wealth to purchase a military rank of deputy officer, hoping to gain an official position, but failed the examination for official appointment. Later, Xu Shilang assigned him to manage Huai County in a certain state (the text here is missing one character, written as "? State"), because he praised Wang's ability to handle affairs. Thus, Wang's official career ended there. People generally say that the卯wood added to the丁fire is a true mutual generation, but in fact, the卯wood actually harms the丁fire. If wood is too strong, the fire cannot withstand it and is instead extinguished by the wood. It is like when wood is placed in the子position, which is called "failure," because子is extremely strong water that floats the wood, causing its roots to float and making it impossible to generate and support. The酉wealth falls into the empty position, which exactly corresponds to his exhausting his family's wealth to obtain a minor military rank. The nobleman falling on the house position indicates that this is just a false official title without real official status.

應貢元，丁卯生，四十二歲，占前程，戊申年六月丁丑日午將未時。／青空虎常／辰巳午未　貴蛇空虎　官丙子蛇／勾卯　申玄　亥子巳午　官乙亥貴／合寅　酉陰　子丑午丁　子甲戌後／丑子亥戌／朱蛇貴後

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) Glossary: Heavenly Empress = Tianhou Liu He = Liuhe Six Instruments = Liuyi Gou Chen = Gouchen Vermilion Bird = Zhuque White Tiger = Baihu Black Tortoise = Xuanwu Azure Dragon = Qinglong Hekui (Xu) = Heqi Heaven Plate = Tianpan Earth Plate = Dipan Lodging Palace = Jigong Three Transmissions = Sanchuan Four Lessons = Sike First Transmission = Chuchuan Middle Transmission = Zhongchuan Final Transmission = Muchuan Nobleman = Guiren Day Branch = Rizhi Dingmao = Dingmao Jiaxu = Jiaxu Dingchou = Dingchou Wushen = Wushen Teng Snake = Tengshe Tian Kong = Tiankong Tai Chang = Taichang Tai Yin = Taiyin Gong Yuan, born in the year Dingmao, aged forty-two, consulted about his official career prospects. The time was on the day Dingchou in the year Wushen, with the hour of Wei. The Heaven Plate is one step behind the Earth Plate: on the Earth Branch Si, the Heaven Branch Chén is placed, riding on 'Qinglong'; on the Earth Branch Wu, the Heaven Branch Si is placed, riding on 'Tiankong'; on the Earth Branch Wei, the Heaven Branch Wu is placed, riding on 'Baihu'; on the Earth Branch Shen, the Heaven Branch Wei is placed, riding on 'Taichang'; on the Earth Branch You, the Heaven Branch Shen is placed, riding on 'Xuanwu'; on the Earth Branch Xu, the Heaven Branch You is placed, riding on 'Taiyin'; on the Earth Branch Hai, the Heaven Branch Xu is placed, riding on 'Tianhou'; on the Earth Branch Zi, the Heaven Branch Hai is placed, riding on 'Guiren'; on the Earth Branch Chou, the Heaven Branch Zi is placed, riding on 'Tengshe'; on the Earth Branch Yin, the Heaven Branch Chou is placed, riding on 'Zhuque'; on the Earth Branch Mao, the Heaven Branch Yin is placed, riding on 'Liuhe'; on the Earth Branch Chen, the Heaven Branch Mao is placed, riding on 'Gouchen'. The day branch Ding is assigned to the palace of Wei, and on Wei, the Heaven Branch Wu is placed, so the first transmission is Wu added to Ding, riding on 'Baihu'; the second transmission is Wu added to Si, riding on 'Tiankong'; the third transmission is the day branch Chou added to Zi, riding on 'Tengshe'; the fourth transmission is Zi added to Hai, riding on 'Guiren'. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi (hidden stem Bing, official ghost, riding on 'Tengshe'), the second transmission is Hai (hidden stem Yi, official ghost, riding on 'Guiren'), the third transmission is Xu (hidden stem Jia, son's element, riding on 'Tianhou'). Zi, Hai, and Xu move in reverse, forming the pattern of 'retreating connected'. The day Dingchou belongs to the Jiaxu cycle, and Xu is the 'Six Instrument' of this cycle, placed on Hai, which is referred to as Hekui added to the Heaven Gate.

邵彥和曰：令弟年久而得朝郎，奈後不永，吾文雖未第而前程未易量也。此實陰德所至，日後必然位至郎官。應曰何以言之。邵曰此課雖魁杜天門，不作阻隔論，乃六儀扶護，三奇拱秀，小則郎官，大則侍從。因有活人之功，故上天降福，北斗扶身，三光拱照，祿神催逼，即日食祿矣。人見此課，捋謂退連茹不利，殊不知甲戌旬，戌為六儀，戌加亥謂之朝天，亥屬干，干為天，謂之六儀朝天。亥子丑遁得乙丙丁，謂之三奇拱照，午乃丁祿臨干，謂之日祿扶身，且行年並逼白虎，為催官符使，貴人在三奇之中，而前後拱之，此蛇為吉將，名前一先鋒，高甲無疑矣。丁德在亥，戌亥子俱屬陰，故知陰德洪大，神明福佑也。亥為上帝，子為紫微，丑為北斗，是以得上天之降福也。

Shao Yanhe said: Your younger brother endured a long period before obtaining the position of Chaolang, but unfortunately his life was short. You, although not yet admitted to the imperial examination, have a promising future. This is indeed the result of accumulating Yin Virtue, and in the future you will certainly attain the position of a Chaolang official. When asked by Ying Gongyuan why he said this, Shao Yanhe replied: Although this divination shows the obstruction of "Kui Gang added to Tianmen," it should not be interpreted as an obstacle, because it is also protected by the "Six Instruments" and embraced by the "Three Marvels." In the smaller sense, it indicates the position of a Chaolang official, and in the larger sense, it suggests the position of a court attendant. You have the merit of saving lives, so the heavens bestow blessings, the Big Dipper star supports you, the sun, moon, and stars form a triple halo, and the禄神 (Lucky God) urges you from behind, and you are about to receive your official salary. Others who look at this divination say "Tui Lian Ru" which is unfavorable, but they do not know that the day belongs to the Jia Xu sheng (decade), and Xu is the "Six Instrument" of this decade. When Xu is placed on Hai, it is called "Chao Tian" (Facing Heaven). Since Hai belongs to Qian (Heaven), it is called "Six Instruments Facing Heaven." The three positions of Hai, Zi, and Chou emerge the characters of Yi, Bing, and Ding, which are the "Three Marvels" surrounding it. Wu is the禄神 (Lucky God) of Ding day, and it is exactly on the day stem, called "Day禄 God Supporting the Body." In addition, the year's position closely approaches Baihu (White Tiger), which here acts as a symbol of promoting officialdom. The Nobleman is seated among the Three Marvels, and is embraced by the Three Marvels in front and behind. The Teng Snake here also turns into a favorable general, called "Front Vanguard." Thus, passing the first class of the imperial examination is certain. The Heavenly Virtue of Ding is in Hai, and Xu, Hai, and Zi all belong to Yin, so we know he has accumulated deep Yin Virtue and is protected by the divine. Hai is the Emperor, Zi is Ziwu, and Chou is Beidou, so he is able to receive the blessings of heaven.

考之貢元三十八歲時為徽宗宣和七年乙巳北虜犯邊，伊在東京挾友三十餘人，庇護李家宅眷七十餘口，兼不識姓名者三十七人；又以所乘舟及朋友舟載渡諸人，自率友沿岸西走，此所以感動上天，現之於課象也。後貢元庚戌科及弟，授吳縣尉，辛酉除左司郎官，樹禮部郎官。郊祀庚午年五月卒於官，享年六十三歲。

Investigation shows that in the year when Ying Gongyuan was thirty-eight, which was the Yisi year of the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty, northern Jin troops invaded the border. At that time, he gathered together more than thirty friends in the capital city of Dongjing, protecting over seventy people from the Li family inside their residence, as well as thirty-seven others whose names he did not even know. He also used his own boat and his friends' boats to ferry these people across one by one, while he himself led his friends along the riverbank westward. Because of such a moving act, heaven responded with a sign of good fortune in the divination texts. Later, Ying Gongyuan passed the imperial examination in the Gengxu year and was appointed as county magistrate of Wu County. In the Xinyou year, he was appointed as a deputy official in the Left Office, later transferring to the Ministry of Rites. In May of the Gengwu year, when the imperial sacrifices were held, he died in office at the age of sixty-three.

建炎己酉年六月丁丑日午將辰時，應寺簿甲戌生三十六歲占前程。（口鑑　方本占案）／勾合朱蛇／未申酉戌　空常貴朱　財酉朱◎／青午　亥貴　巳卯亥酉　官乙亥貴⊙／空巳　子后　卯丑酉丁　子丁丑陰／辰卯寅丑／虎常玄陰

In the year Jia You of the Jianyan era, on the day Ding Chou of the sixth month, the divination was cast with the hour of Chen and the general of Wu added to Chen. The case concerns a person born in the year Jia Xu, aged thirty-six, who is consulting about his future. This example is found in the "Kou Jian" and "Fang Ben Zhan An." With the general of Wu added to Chen, the Heaven Plate is two places ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate, the position of Si is occupied by the Heaven Plate's position of Wei, which is occupied by "Gou Chen"; on Wu, it is Shen, occupied by "Liu He"; on Wei, it is You, occupied by "Zhu Que"; on Shen, it is Xu, occupied by "Teng Snake"; on You, it is Zi, occupied by "Nobleman"; on Xu, it is Chou, occupied by "Heavenly Empress"; on Hai, it is Chou, occupied by "Tai Yin"; on Zi, it is Yin, occupied by "Xuan Wu"; on Chou, it is Mao, occupied by "Tai Chang"; on Yin, it is Chen, occupied by "Bai Hu"; on Mao, it is Si, occupied by "Tian Kong"; on Chen, it is Wu, occupied by "Qing Long." The day of Ding Chou has its lodging palace at Wei, and on Wei, it is You, so the first transmission is You added to Ding, occupied by "Zhu Que"; the second transmission is You added to Hai, occupied by "Nobleman"; the third transmission is on the day branch Chou, which is Mao, occupied by "Tai Chang"; the fourth transmission is on Mao, which is Si, occupied by "Tian Kong." The three transmissions are: the first transmission is You (a wife's wealth hexagram, occupied by "Zhu Que," falling into Kongwang, marked with "◎" in the original text), the middle transmission is Hai (a hidden heavenly stem of Yi, an official ghost hexagram, occupied by "Nobleman"), and the final transmission is Chou (a hidden heavenly stem of Ding, a son's hexagram, occupied by "Tai Yin"). The day of Ding Chou belongs to the year Jia Xu, with the empty position in Shen and You, so the first transmission's You wealth is empty.

邵彥和曰：寺簿中年，水作官星，宜為朝郎，人所難及。奈何滿局皆貴人，貴多不貴。而且身與初中貴人皆空，是慕十不得一，徒費心力也。日上發用歸亥官星，末傳丑支為宅神又加亥上，是日去投絕，支來迎絕，兼支上得卯木，丁火敗於卯，丑土死於卯，此非酒色之故。只緣日上太歲作雀，是欲上書言事，然日貴作鬼加歲剋日，上書何益，徒貶竄耳。

Shao Yanhe said: The official record keeper is in the middle of his life. In the divination, water is the official star, which should indicate a position as a court official in the capital, something others cannot match. Unfortunately, there are too many noblemen in the chart, and the presence of many noble spirits actually reduces their value. Moreover, the day stem and the first and middle transmissions of noblemen all fall into empty positions, meaning out of ten hopes, only one can be achieved, thus wasting effort. The day stem's酉 initiates the transmission, leading all the way to the亥 official star; the final transmission is丑, which is the day branch, or the household spirit, and also falls on亥—this indicates the day stem itself is going to a dead end, and the day branch is also coming towards the dead end. Furthermore, the day branch has卯 wood:丁 fire is 'defeated' in卯, and丑 earth is 'dead' in卯. This is not caused by alcohol and women. It is only because the day stem's year ruler is riding on the Vermilion Bird, indicating he wants to submit a memorial criticizing current affairs. However, the nobleman on the day is transformed into an official ghost, and also comes to the year ruler to attack the day, so submitting a memorial is of no use, and will only result in being demoted and exiled.

寺簿驚曰現修書十條欲上，非因此乎。曰獻上即海外客也。寺簿曰某不上此書，其它有何禍福。曰寺簿生平其所虧有二，故滅前程，其一不孝母與母各居，其二寵妾而賤妻，若能改過，則吉，否則壽不永矣。應嘿嘿而去，蓋其所上書中內有一條言內張相劉四相等，或死或竄，實無辜。此時黃太師正忌此言，若上此書竄貶不免矣。夫丁日以卯為母，而酉制之，是不孝母也，本宮見巳，會起酉丑，是與母隔而不同居也。丁日申為妻，臨於午火受制之地，酉為妾反加日發用，而作貴人，是寵妾而賤妻也。丁自敗卯、死酉、絕亥，虧倫傷本，造物不容，何問前程耶。愚按應寺簿想是應貢元之弟，蓋寺薄先占而貢元后占也。

The official was surprised and said: I am now drafting ten memorials to submit, could it be about this matter? Shao Yanhe replied: If you submit them, you will be exiled overseas. The official said: I will not submit this memorial, what other misfortunes or blessings could there be? Shao Yanhe replied: The official has two things to make up for in his life, which have already ruined his prospects: first, he is not filial to his mother and lives separately from her; second, he favors his concubine and looks down upon his wife. If he can change his ways, it will be auspicious, otherwise even his lifespan will be short. The official then silently left. Originally, one of the memorials he was going to submit mentioned that Zhang Xiang and Liu Four Ministers and others had either died or been exiled, which was indeed unjust. At that time, Huang Taishi was most resentful of such remarks, so submitting this memorial would inevitably lead to demotion or exile. In terms of the divination: on a day with the stem Ding, the stem卯 represents the mother, but the metal酉 comes to control卯, which indicates not being filial to the mother; the native's palace sees巳, which combines with酉 and丑 to form a trine, meaning being separated from the mother and not living together. On a day with the stem Ding, the stem申 represents the wife, but申 is located in the fire午, which is restrained;酉 represents the concubine, yet it is placed on the day stem and initiates the transmission, and also rides the nobleman, which indicates favoring the concubine and despising the wife. The fire Ding is in卯 as 'failure', in酉 as 'death', and in亥 as 'extinction', which violates human relationships and harms the root. Even heaven and earth cannot tolerate this, so what about future prospects? (Cheng Shuxun notes: This official should be the younger brother of Ying Gongyuan, because the official made the first prediction and Gongyuan made the later one.)

己酉年閏八月丁丑日巳將卯時王子進庚午生四十歲占宅。（一針見血）／勾合朱蛇／未申酉戌　空常貴朱　財酉朱◎／青午　亥貴　巳卯亥酉　官乙亥貴⊙／空巳　子后　卯丑酉丁　子丁丑陰／辰卯寅丑／虎常玄陰

In the year Ji You, leap August, on the day Ding Chou, using the method of Si Jiang added to Mao time to cast the divination, Prince Wang Jin (born in the year Geng Wu, aged forty) consulted about his residence. This example is from "Yi Zhen Jian Xue." The method of Si Jiang added to Mao is also a movement of two places on the Heaven Plate, so the Heaven and Earth Plates and the previous lesson are exactly the same: the Earth Plate on Si has the Heaven Plate on Wei with "Gou Chen," the Earth Plate on Wu has the Heaven Plate on Shen with "Liu He," the Earth Plate on Wei has the Heaven Plate on You with "Zhu Que," the Earth Plate on Shen has the Heaven Plate on Xu with "Teng Snake," the Earth Plate on You has the Heaven Plate on Hai with "Gu Ren," the Earth Plate on Xu has the Heaven Plate on Zi with "Tian Hou," the Earth Plate on Hai has the Heaven Plate on Chou with "Tai Yin," the Earth Plate on Zi has the Heaven Plate on Yin with "Xuan Wu," the Earth Plate on Chou has the Heaven Plate on Mao with "Tai Chang," the Earth Plate on Yin has the Heaven Plate on Chen with "Bai Hu," the Earth Plate on Mao has the Heaven Plate on Si with "Tian Kong," and the Earth Plate on Chen has the Heaven Plate on Wu with "Qing Long." The four lessons are: the first lesson is You added to Ding with "Zhu Que," the second lesson is You added to Hai with "Gu Ren," the third lesson is the day branch Chou added to Mao with "Tai Chang," and the fourth lesson is Mao added to Si with "Tian Kong." The three transmissions are: the first transmission is You (wife's wealth, with "Zhu Que," empty), the second transmission is Hai (official ghost, with "Gu Ren"), and the third transmission is Chou (son's fortune, with "Tai Yin"). The following interpretation is based on the mutual opposition of the four lessons and the emptiness of the first and second transmissions.

邵彥和曰：第一課與第三課沖，第二課與第四課沖，一課作初傳，二課作中傳，三課作宅，四課作行年。初中又是空亡，主所居之宅，乃五露無環抱之處，前後有路，沖射又有新喪之門在前，東主漏風，西主水直去，多招公事破財，風聲是非，男子先喪，婦人在家，主眾讀書不成，何不急就西方近陰人墳，靠山而居，不然則一紀之內，屋敗絕，人星散矣。

Shao Yanhe said: The first lesson conflicts with the third, and the second lesson conflicts with the fourth; the first lesson is taken as the initial transmission, the second as the middle transmission, the third is considered for the residence, and the fourth for the year of movement. Both the initial and middle transmissions fall into kongwang, indicating that the residence is in a place with no shelter on all sides, no embrace, and roads straight ahead and behind the house. In front of the house, there is a newly mourning family. The east side leaks wind, and the west side has water flowing straight away, thus often causing legal troubles, financial loss, rumors, and disputes. The male head of the family will die first, leaving only the woman to stay behind; the whole family's studies will not bear fruit. Why not move quickly to a place westward near the deceased's grave, with a mountain behind for support? Otherwise, within twelve years, the house will fall apart and the family will scatter.

王是秀才，其宅果在田坡中，一大路自南直下，渠乃騎路？宅。果是前後相剋，東邊曠蕩，更無收束。風不可當，西邊裡辛水，迢迢直去，自入此屋，只是破財，六畜不留，奴婢長走，婦人且有不良之名。占後見斷語切當，遂移過北方，近母墳而居。蓋四課相剋，相沖，更無一行不然此名空沖，主在五露之間居止。卯酉加在南北出入，主沖，行年上巳為風門，中傳亥為水路，末傳在西北角，丑為墳墓，惟此可居，前新喪之門，乃太常加卯也，因乳母死，將丑艮方開門出。一雲丑為墳墓，加亥，丁干見壬德合，故西北言近陰人之墓可居。鄭云丑帶丁，亥沖有壬，丁壬化木，生丁干，又壬為丁之德，故此處可選。愚按此課惟卯丑二支不空，但卯為敗神，不可居，惟丑為日支，支為宅加亥上，故西北可居。

Prince Wang Jin was a scholar, and his family's house was indeed in the middle of the field slope, with a big road coming straight down from the south, and the house was right on the road. The four sides were indeed mutually controlling and conflicting; the east was open and vast, with no convergence or obstruction, and the wind was so strong it could not be blocked; the west side had water flowing far away in a straight line. Since moving into this house, there was only loss of wealth, the domestic animals could not be raised, servants kept running away, and the women had bad reputations. After the divination, he found the statements to be accurate, so he moved to a place near his mother's grave to the north. Originally, the four lessons were both conflicting and opposing, and none of them was free from this, which is called "empty conflict." The owner lived in a place with no obstruction on all four sides. The卯 and酉 were added to the north and south entrances, indicating a shooting direction; the year branch was巳, which is the wind gate; the middle transmission was亥, which is the water path; the final transmission fell in the northwest corner, and丑 was also the grave. Only this direction was suitable for living. The saying that there was a new mourning gate in front refers to "Tai Chang" added to卯; because his family's wet nurse had died, they opened a door from the丑 and艮 directions to carry out the body. Another view is that丑 is the grave, added to亥, and the dry branch丁 met the wet branch壬 for a Heavenly Virtue union, so it is said that the northwest near the deceased's grave is suitable for living. Zheng said:丑 contained丁, and in the conflicting亥 there was壬,丁 and壬 formed wood through mutual generation, which nourished the dry branch丁, and壬 was the Heavenly Virtue of丁, so this direction was chosen. (Cheng Shuxun remarked: In this lesson, only卯 and丑 were not empty, but卯 was the defeated god, and it was not suitable for living; only丑 was the day branch, and the day branch is the house, which was added to亥, so the northwest was suitable for living.)

正月丁丑日亥將申時某占失馬。（方本占案）／合朱蛇貴／申酉戌亥　勾虎陰蛇　兄壬午青／勾未　子后　未辰丑戌　子甲戌蛇／青午　丑陰　辰丑戌丁　子庚辰虎／巳辰卯寅／空虎常玄

In the first month on a Dingchou day, a person comes to consult about a lost horse, using the method of starting the divination with the亥 general added to the申 hour. This example is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The亥 general is added to the申 hour, and the Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate: the Earth Plate's巳 is the Heaven Plate's申, which is accompanied by "Liu He"; the Earth Plate's午 is the Heaven Plate's酉, accompanied by "Zhu Que"; the Earth Plate's未 is the Heaven Plate's戌, accompanied by "Teng Snake"; the Earth Plate's申 is the Heaven Plate's亥, accompanied by "Nobleman"; the Earth Plate's酉 is the Heaven Plate's子, accompanied by "Heavenly Empress"; the Earth Plate's戌 is the Heaven Plate's丑, accompanied by "Tai Yin"; the Earth Plate's亥 is the Heaven Plate's寅, accompanied by "Xuan Wu"; the Earth Plate's子 is the Heaven Plate's卯, accompanied by "Tai Chang"; the Earth Plate's丑 is the Heaven Plate's辰, accompanied by "Bai Hu"; the Earth Plate's寅 is the Heaven Plate's巳, accompanied by "Tian Kong"; the Earth Plate's卯 is the Heaven Plate's午, accompanied by "Qing Long"; the Earth Plate's辰 is the Heaven Plate's未, accompanied by "Gou Chen." The Ding day's Lodging Palace is in the position of 未, and the 未 position has the戌, so the first lesson is戌 added to Ding, accompanied by "Teng Snake"; the second lesson is戌 added to丑, accompanied by "Tai Yin"; the third lesson is the day's branch丑 added to辰, accompanied by "Bai Hu"; the fourth lesson is辰 added to未, accompanied by "Gou Chen." The three transmissions are: the first transmission is午 (the hidden stem is Ren, the brother's element, accompanied by "Qing Long"), the middle transmission is戌 (the hidden stem is Jia, the son's element, accompanied by "Teng Snake"), and the final transmission is辰 (the hidden stem is Geng, the son's element, accompanied by "Bai Hu"). The午 is the class god of the horse, and the initial transmission is the starting point of the divination.

邵彥和曰：馬在東方寺院圍牆內不能出，須從一破門入去尋見，在己卯日也。果於二十五日己卯日，於東方寺院從輪藏前破門入牆內尋見。蓋午屬馬，作龍為用，類神在傳，故可尋見。破門者，午破卯，卯為門也。牆垣者，四土周圍也。

Shao Yanhe said: A horse was trapped inside the wall of a temple in the east and could not get out, so it had to be found by entering through a broken door. The day should be the Jimao day. Later, on the 25th day, which was Jimao, the horse was indeed found inside the eastern temple by entering through a broken door in front of the revolving chamber. This is because the horse's corresponding deity is associated with the horse, and the horse's class deity entered the three transmissions. The term "broken door" refers to the fact that the horse's corresponding deity, which is the horse, is associated with the branch of Wu, and Wu breaks the branch of Mao, while Mao represents the door. The term "wall" refers to the four lessons, which include the four earth branches of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, forming a surrounding wall.

戊寅日　將　時占官訟。（一針見血）／龍空虎常／子丑寅卯　玄朱貴龍　財丙子龍／勾亥　辰玄　辰酉未子　兄癸未貴／合戌　巳陰　酉寅子戊　官戊寅虎／酉申未午／朱蛇貴後

On the day of Wu Yin, divining about legal disputes, the original text from "One Needle Sees the Essence" leaves both the month general and the time of divination blank. From the lesson plate, it can be deduced that the heaven plate is five positions behind the earth plate: on the earth branch Si, the heaven plate is Zi, riding the Azure Dragon; on Wu, it is Chou, riding the Tian Kong; on Wei, it is Yin, riding the White Tiger; on Shen, it is Mao, riding the Tai Chang; on You, it is Chen, riding the Xuan Wu; on Xu, it is Si, riding the Tai Yin; on Hai, it is Wu, riding the Heavenly Empress; on Zi, it is Wei, riding the Nobleman; on Chou, it is Shen, riding the Teng Snake; on Yin, it is You, riding the Zhu Que; on Mao, it is Xu, riding the Liu He; on Chen, it is Hai, riding the Gou Chen. The day branch Wu is assigned to the lodging palace Si, and on Si the heaven plate is Zi, so the first lesson is Zi with Wu, riding the Azure Dragon; the second lesson is Zi with Wei, riding the Nobleman; the third lesson is the day branch Yin with You, riding the Zhu Que; the fourth lesson is You with Chen, riding the Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi (hidden stem Bing, wife wealth爻, riding the Azure Dragon), the middle transmission is Wei (hidden stem Ji, brother爻, riding the Nobleman), and the final transmission is Yin (hidden stem Wu, official ghost爻, riding the White Tiger). Zi and Wei are in mutual harm, and the first transmission Zi and the final transmission Yin are at the beginning and end, which is the key point of the following interpretation.

斷曰：子加戊為用子作青龍，未作貴人，乃子未六害為貴人怒而加罪。戊日所畏者，寅木雖云白虎金能解，殊不知是鼠頭虎尾，況青龍雖吉，見未則入墓反以青龍為害也，此課因遺漏事占之，後果斷徒。

The divination states: The 'Zi' (rat) is placed on 'Wu' (earth) and initiates the first transmission, with 'Zi' riding the 'Azure Dragon'; the middle transmission is 'Wei' (earth) riding the 'Nobleman'. 'Zi' and 'Wei' form the six harms, indicating the Nobleman is angry and thus incurs blame. On a 'Wu' day, the feared 'Yin' (wood) official ghost is present. Although the final transmission has 'Yin' riding the 'White Tiger', which is metal and can control wood to relieve the situation, it is unknown that the three transmissions start with 'Zi' (rat) and end with 'Yin' (tiger), which is called 'rat head tiger tail', both ends being ominous. Moreover, the Azure Dragon is originally a favorable general, but upon encountering 'Wei' (earth), it enters the wood tomb, turning the Azure Dragon into a calamity. This divination was for a case involving a fire and water disaster, and later the verdict was a sentence of imprisonment.

崇正壬午年正月初八戊寅日子將辰時占援兵何日到，賊何日退。（課經集）／空虎常玄／丑寅卯辰　后合朱空　兄甲戌合／龍子　巳陰　午戌酉丑　父壬午後／勾亥　午后　戌寅丑戊　官戊寅虎／戌酉申未／合朱蛇貴

In the year Renwu of the Chongzhen era, on the eighth day of the first lunar month, on the day of Wuyin, using the method of starting the divination with the Zi general added to the Chen hour, the question was about which day the allied forces would arrive and which day the enemy troops would retreat. This example comes from the "Lessons Collection." With the Zi general added to the Chen hour, the Heaven Plate is four positions behind the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate's Si, the Heaven Plate is Chou, riding on 'Tiankong'; on Wu, it is Yin, riding on 'Baihu'; on Wei, it is Mao, riding on 'Taichang'; on Shen, it is Chen, riding on 'Xuanwu'; on You, it is Si, riding on 'Taiyin'; on Xu, it is Wu, riding on 'Tianhou'; on Hai, it is Wei, riding on 'Guiren'; on Zi, it is Shen, riding on 'Tengshe'; on Chou, it is You, riding on 'Zhuqiao'; on Yin, it is Xu, riding on 'Liuhe'; on Mao, it is Hai, riding on 'Gouchen'; on Chen, it is Zi, riding on 'Qinglong'. On the day of Wuyin, the lodgment palace is in Si, and on Si, it is Chou, so the first transmission is Chou added to Wu, riding on 'Tiankong'; the second transmission is Chou added to You, riding on 'Zhuqiao'; the third transmission is the day branch Yin added to Xu, riding on 'Liuhe'; the fourth transmission is Xu added to Wu, riding on 'Tianhou'. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Xu (hidden stem Jia, brother's yao, riding on 'Liuhe'), the second transmission is Wu (hidden stem Ren, parent's yao, riding on 'Tianhou'), the third transmission is Yin (hidden stem Wu, official ghost's yao, riding on 'Baihu'), and Xu, Wu, Yin form a fire trinity.

郭御青曰：此課乃丁督師長公，在汴城頭上所占督臺命予斷，予斷三傳喜火局生身，但嫌干上丑為合中犯煞到十三癸未日，沖雲丑字，則援兵到而賊退矣。果干十三日左兵有信，十五日賊移營去。愚按此課之所以賊退者，實因未克初傳也，觀十五是乙酉日非明微乎。

Guo Yuqing said: This divination was cast by the eldest son of Ding the Commander on the city wall of Kaifeng. The Commander asked me to interpret it. I interpreted that the three transmissions combine to form a fire pattern which generates the day stem's wu earth. This is a good sign; however, the day stem's chou is within the harmonious pattern but also incurs a bad influence. On the thirteenth day, guiwei, the future will冲 (conflict) this chou, and then the reinforcements will arrive and the enemy troops will retreat. In fact, on the thirteenth day, there was news from the left general's troops, and on the fifteenth day, the enemy army withdrew. (Cheng Shuxun remarked: The reason the enemy troops retreated was actually because the future transmission restrained the first transmission; please note that the date of the event falls on the fifteenth day, yiyou, which is a clear evidence.)

十月戊寅日寅將巳時占婚姻。（直指）／龍勾合朱／寅卯辰巳　后常常龍　官戊寅龍／空丑　午蛇　申亥亥寅　財乙亥常／虎子　未貴　亥寅寅戊　子申後◎／亥戌酉申／常玄陰后

In the tenth month on the day of Wu Yin, using the hour of Si with the general of Yin, a divination was cast to inquire about marriage. This example is from the "Zhi Zhi." When Yin is added to Si, the Heaven Plate is three places behind the Earth Plate: on Si of the Earth Plate is Yin of the Heaven Plate, riding the Azure Dragon; on Wu is卯, riding Gou Chen; on Wei is辰, riding Liu He; on Shen is Si, riding Vermilion Bird; on You is午, riding Teng Snake; on Xu is未, riding Nobleman; on Hai is申, riding Heavenly Empress; on Zi is酉, riding Tai Yin; on Chou is戌, riding Xuan Wu; on Yin is亥, riding Tai Chang; on Mao is子, riding Bai Hu; on Chen is丑, riding Tian Kong. On the day of Wu, the lodging palace is on Si, and on Si is Yin, so the first transmission is Yin added to Wu, riding the Azure Dragon; the second transmission is on Yin, getting Hai, riding Tai Chang; the third transmission is the day branch also Yin, getting Hai, riding Tai Chang; the fourth transmission is on Hai, getting Shen, riding Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: first transmission Yin (hidden stem Wu, official ghost爻, riding Azure Dragon), second transmission Hai (hidden stem Yi, wife wealth爻, riding Tai Chang), third transmission Shen (son's son爻, riding Heavenly Empress). The day of Wu Yin belongs to the Jia Xu decade, with the empty palace in Shen and You, so the final transmission Shen falls into Kongwang, and the original text marks it with '◎'.

斷曰：四課雖是互合，卻不喜末傳之申作天后來剋日上寅，寅為官，夫星也。青龍亦為夫，受天后之克，夫妻必不睦，且陰不務，必然剋夫。

The interpretation states: Although the four lessons are mutually harmonious, they dislike the final transmission's Shen (申) riding on the Heavenly Empress to reverse and overcome the day stem's Yin (寅). Yin represents official ghost, and in a marriage divination, official ghost stands for the husband. The Azure Dragon riding on Yin also represents the husband. Now the husband's two aspects are both overcome by the Heavenly Empress. The Heavenly Empress in a marriage divination represents the wife, indicating that the couple will certainly not get along well. Moreover, the wife's negative energy is restless, and ultimately she will overcome her husband.

四月戊寅日申將酉時占來意。（一字玉連環）／合朱蛇貴／辰巳午未　虎空勾合　財丙子虎／勾卯　申后　子丑卯辰　財乙亥常／龍寅　酉陰　丑寅辰戊　兄甲戌玄／丑子亥戌／空虎常玄

On the day of Wu Yin (戊寅) in the fourth month, using the month general Shen (申) and the hour You (酉) to cast the divination, the purpose is to determine the intention of the visitor. This example is from the "One Character Yulianhuan." Shen (申) added to You (酉), the Heaven Plate is one step behind the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate, the position of Si (巳) is covered by the Heaven Plate position Chen (辰), which is accompanied by "Liu He"; on Wu (午) is Si (巳), accompanied by "Huang Luo"; on Wei (未) is Wu (午), accompanied by "Teng Snake"; on Shen (申) is Wei (未), accompanied by "Nobleman"; on You (酉) is Shen (申), accompanied by "Heavenly Empress"; on Xu (戌) is You (酉), accompanied by "Tai Yin"; on Hai (亥) is Xu (戌), accompanied by "Xuan Wu"; on Zi (子) is Hai (亥), accompanied by "Tai Chang"; on Chou (丑) is Zi (子), accompanied by "Bai Hu"; on Yin (寅) is Chou (丑), accompanied by "Tian Kong"; on Mao (卯) is Yin (寅), accompanied by "Qing Long"; on Chen (辰) is Mao (卯), accompanied by "Gou Chen." On the day of Wu, the lodging palace is at Si (巳), and on Si (巳) is Chen (辰), so the first transmission is Chen (辰) added to Wu (戊), accompanied by "Liu He"; the second transmission is on Chen (辰) with卯 (卯), accompanied by "Gou Chen"; the third transmission is on the day branch Yin (寅) with丑 (丑), accompanied by "Tian Kong"; the fourth transmission is on丑 (丑) with子 (子), accompanied by "Bai Hu." The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi (子), with the hidden stem Bing (丙), the wife's wealth, accompanied by "Bai Hu"; the middle transmission is Hai (亥), with the hidden stem Yi (乙), the wife's wealth, accompanied by "Tai Chang"; the final transmission is Xu (戌), with the hidden stem Jia (甲), the brother's element, accompanied by "Xuan Wu." Zi (子), Hai (亥), and Xu (戌) move in reverse order. The commentary by Xu Cibin uses the alternative names of the twelve month generals: Zi (子) is called "Shenhou," Hai (亥) is called "Dengming," Xu (戌) is called "Tian Kuai," and Chen (辰) is called "Tian Gang."

徐次賓曰：來意主外望北面陰暗之財，為姓王人所把其人怒惡，兩分其財也。蓋時為日干三合，與空亡並之，又為夜時癸用，亥子為北面，值事門上見太陰，主蒙蔽神后登明俱為日下之財，又亥子皆為陰私故知北面陰暗之財也，何知姓王人所把，緣末傳見天魁屬土，下臨亥屬水，水數一，一加土為王字，天魁為奴，上見元武，天魁亦取亥子為財，故為王姓所把。其本人怒惡者，日上見天罡，主怒惡也。戊與戌俱取二水為財物也。言兩分其財者。

Xu Cibin said: The person's intention is to seek hidden money in the north. This money is controlled by a man surnamed Wang, who is known to be fierce and cruel. The reasoning is as follows: The time of divination forms a triple harmony with the day stem, and also shares the same empty void. Moreover, the night branch is癸, which corresponds to亥 and子, both of which belong to the north. The gate of the matter shows 'Tai Yin', indicating concealment and obscurity. 'Shenhou' (子) and 'Dengming' (亥), both of which are wealth lines subdued by the day stem, also correspond to privacy and darkness, thus indicating hidden wealth in the north. How do we know it is controlled by a man surnamed Wang? Because the final transmission shows 'Tian Gui' (戌). The earth element of戌 is soil, and it is below亥, which is water. The number of water is one, and when 'one' is placed on top of 'soil', it forms the character 'Wang'. 'Tian Gui' represents servants, and it is also overlaid by 'Xuan Wu', which signifies theft. 'Tian Gui' also uses亥 and子 as wealth, so it is concluded that the man surnamed Wang controls the money. The cruelty and fierceness of the man is due to the day stem encountering 'Tian Gang' (辰), which represents anger and cruelty. Wu earth and Xu earth both use two waters as wealth, so it is said that the money will be divided into two parts. (The original text only goes up to 'speaking of dividing the wealth into two parts' and is incomplete.)

乾隆辛巳年酉月戊寅日巳將巳時占訟。（牧夫占驗）／勾龍空虎／巳午未申　蛇蛇勾勾　父辛巳勾／合辰　酉常　寅寅巳巳　子申虎◎⊙／朱卯　戌玄　寅寅巳戊　官戊寅蛇／寅丑子亥／蛇貴后陰

In the year of Xinsi (1751), during the month of You (August) on the day of Wuyin (戊寅), a divination was cast for a legal case using the time of Si (巳) and the month general Si (巳). This example is from "The Diviner's Verification." The month general and the time of day are the same, and the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate completely coincide, forming a "Hidden Chant" (伏吟) lesson. On the Earth Plate, Si remains Si on the Heaven Plate, with the multiplication of "Gou Chen." On Wu, the multiplication is "Azure Dragon"; on Wei, "Tian Kong"; on Shen, "White Tiger"; on You, "Tai Chang"; on Xu, "Black Tortoise"; on Hai, "Tai Yin"; on Zi, "Heavenly Empress"; on Chou, "Nobleman"; on Yin, "Teng Snake"; on Mao, "Vermilion Bird"; and on Chen, "Liu He." The day branch, which is Yin (寅), is placed below, and the third and fourth lessons are both Yin added to Yin, with the multiplication of "Teng Snake." The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si added to Wu, with the hidden stem Xin (辛), representing the parent's yao, and the multiplication of "Gou Chen"; the second transmission is Si added to Si, also with the multiplication of "Gou Chen"; the third transmission is Yin added to Yin, with the hidden stem Wu (戊), representing the official ghost yao, and the multiplication of "Teng Snake." Normally, Yin would be in conflict with Si, and Si with Shen, and Shen with Yin, forming a triple conflict (三刑). However, the middle transmission, Shen, is empty, so the triple conflict cannot be formed, which is the key to the interpretation.

王牧夫曰：此官司受累己久沉摞，反無事，若挑動？？？利囿。反改壓氣，託人亦無益。文書不可遁久自消釋？？？？事。動為？？？？？？蛇。官鬼比吏，？也。寅合亥，乃日財，事情？？？？？？，寅能制干如此。安有不呻吟者乎。喜中傳空不能成三刑，寅雖刑巳，無申可渡，故宜沉擱，不宜挑動，伏吟主靜，亦其禮也。且巳乃太歲生日。太歲作德祿為勾陳。勾陳主留滯，留滯久自得恩星化釋也。餘言其象，占者歎服。

Wang Mufu said: This case has been dragging on for a long time, so let it remain suspended, and it will not cause any trouble; if one were to stir it up, it would instead invite suppression, and even if someone were to plead on one's behalf, it would be of no use. The case documents need not be avoided, for if left for a long time, they will naturally resolve themselves. (The original text is missing four characters here.) Any action taken would (missing six characters) bring about the Teng Snake. The official ghost is represented in human affairs by the clerk (missing one character). The寅 and亥 are in harmony, and亥 is the wealth hexagram of the day stem, so the matter (missing six characters), the寅 can control the day stem in this way, how could it not cause people to suffer? It is reassuring that the middle transmission is empty, and thus the three punishments are not formed: although the寅 is in punishment with the巳, there is no申 in between to connect them, so this case is suitable to be left suspended and not stirred up; the hidden chant lesson inherently indicates stillness, which is its usual nature. Moreover, the巳 is the day on which the year ruler is born, and the year ruler transforms into virtue and honor riding on the Gou Chen, which signifies stagnation. Stagnation for a long time will naturally be resolved by an auspicious star. I merely speak directly about the lesson's image, and the person asking the question was very convinced. (This commentary is very fragmented, with many missing parts marked by '?'.)

餘記昔年寓缺口白衣？，程桐江姐文寓東隱？相隔一街，午後至余寓談敘。偶占文書事，因臨淮口岸，鹽價為本縣所詳。督批運司朱公，桐兄請引例，致朱公回詳，受督駁既而朱公忽墜貴州巡道。代受繫滿州舒公到即交印桐兄悶極無印。那能行文書。余曰，數象如此。尚有證，若驗即依我行之如何。桐兄問何證。余曰今日有人送魚與汝食，如數不驗，不必打。桐兄拉餘同回。以證此驗，繞至巷門家出回稟載南老爺，送？魚，桐兄大笑，即依數將原稿？求朱公，朱公雲是我手內事，印雖交，餘用墨詳去，督批？縣結案此數惜失日時，尚能記其大概。蓋彼行年上，舊太陽作恩星，今日始換將，舊太陽未遂故曰舊官結案，送魚者，支上見亥乘六合也，亥為魚存此以見數理之不妄也。

I remember that in the past, a certain person in white clothes lived in a place called Guoqiao (the text is missing one character), and Cheng Tongjiang lived in a place called Dongyin (missing one character), and the two places were only separated by one street. One afternoon, he came to my residence for a casual chat and happened to divinate an official matter. The matter was as follows: The salt price at Linhuai port was reported by the county to the governor, who then sent it to the transportation commissioner Zhu Gong for handling. Tong Xiong requested the use of an old precedent, but Zhu Gong's reply was rejected by the governor. Soon after, Zhu Gong was suddenly transferred to the position of inspector in Guizhou, and his successor was a Manchu official named Shu Gong, who immediately took over and had to hand over the seal. Tong Xiong was very frustrated, as the seal had already been handed over, so how could he still make official documents? I said: The principle of the divination is like this; there is still another evidence. If it proves true, then follow my suggestion. Tong Xiong asked what the evidence was. I said: Someone will bring you fish to eat today. If this does not come true, you need not blame me. Tong Xiong took me back to verify it. When we reached the entrance of the alley, the family members came out to report that the South老爷 had sent fish (missing one character). Tong Xiong laughed and then followed my suggestion to submit the original draft to Zhu Gong. Zhu Gong said that this was an affair he had been handling himself. Although the seal had been handed over, he still used a brush to make a comment. The governor's approval came down (missing one character), and the county would then conclude the case. This divination unfortunately lost the day and time, so only a rough account remains. Originally, his age was represented by the old sun as the benevolent star, and the moon had just changed the month general. The old sun had not yet fully changed, so it was said that the old official concluded the case. The mention of someone sending fish was because the day branch showed the亥 (Boar) multiplied by Liu He (Six Harmonies). The亥 in the class god is exactly the fish. I record this case to show that the principles of divination are not empty or false.

建炎己酉年五月戊寅日申將未時，葉助教戊寅生三十二歲占前程。（口鑑　宋本　邵案　方本占案　直指）／青空虎常／午未申酉　合朱空青　兄庚辰合／勾巳　戌玄　辰卯未午　父辛巳勾／合辰　亥陰　卯寅午戊　父壬午青／卯寅丑子／朱蛇貴後

In the year of Jiyou of the Jianyan era, fifth month, on the day of Wuyin, the divination was started with the general Shen added to the hour Wei. Ye Zujiao, who was born in the year of Wuyin and thirty-two years old, consulted about his future. This example is found in the "Koujian," "Song Ben Shao An," "Fang Ben Zhan An," and "Zhi Zhi." When the general Shen is added to the hour Wei, the Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate Si, the Heaven Plate is Wu, riding the "Azure Dragon"; on Wu, it is Wei, riding the "Heavenly Void"; on Wei, it is Shen, riding the "White Tiger"; on Shen, it is You, riding the "Tai Chang"; on You, it is Xu, riding the "Black Tortoise"; on Xu, it is Hai, riding the "Tai Yin"; on Hai, it is Zi, riding the "Heavenly Empress"; on Zi, it is Chou, riding the "Nobleman"; on Chou, it is Yin, riding the "Teng Snake"; on Yin, it is Mao, riding the "Vermilion Bird"; on Mao, it is Chen, riding the "Liu He"; on Chen, it is Si, riding the "Gou Chen." The lodging palace of Wu day is Si, and on Si, it is Wu, so the first lesson is Wu added to Wu, riding the "Azure Dragon"; the second lesson is Wu on Wei, riding the "Heavenly Void"; the third lesson is the day branch Yin on Mao, riding the "Vermilion Bird"; the fourth lesson is Mao on Chen, riding the "Liu He." The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Chen (hidden stem Geng, brother's yao, riding the "Liu He"), the middle transmission is Si (hidden stem Xin, parents' yao, riding the "Gou Chen"), and the final transmission is Wu (hidden stem Ren, parents' yao, riding the "Azure Dragon"). Chen, Si, and Wu are connected in order, forming a "progressive chain." The yang blade of Wu is on Wu, and Wu is directly on the day stem, which is the root of the entire lesson's problem.

邵彥和曰：干支皆天羅羊刃，四課發傳歸於日上，主目下赴任，但值羅刃，主不終任，來歲行年到地盤亥上見子，即湊今日之地網，必阻父服。三十七歲到寅上見卯，即是今日支辰愚按卯加支上為官星故，從此行年算起，卯六數，初辰五數，中巳四數，共十五數。自三十七歲後迤邐赴任，綿綿不斷一氣鄭云午而監司在末傳終於此職，合作監司之職，愚按午作青龍不但為天羅陽刃，且克太歲必主降官也。十五年後入午天羅陽刃，必降官閒住；再八年，連前十五年共二十三年而壽阻。愚按來歲是庚戌行年三十三歲在戌不在亥。

Shao Yanhe said: When both the day stem and day branch carry Tian Luo and Yang Ren, and the three transmissions from the four lessons finally return to the day stem, it indicates that one is about to take office soon; however, encountering Luo Wang and Yang Ren suggests that this position will not be held to the end. Next year, the year pillar will reach the earth plate position Hai, and Hai will meet Zi, forming the earth net of today's lesson, which definitely indicates a disruption due to the father's death. At the age of thirty-seven, the year pillar will reach Yin, and Yin will meet Mao, with Mao being the heavenly stem of today's day branch, which is the official star. From this year onward, Mao counts six, the first transmission Chén counts five, the middle transmission Sì counts four, totaling fifteen. From the age of thirty-seven onward, one will continuously take office without interruption. Zheng said: Wu is in the final transmission, indicating that one will reach the position of supervisor, which matches the position of supervisor. Cheng Shuxun noted: Wu is accompanied by Qinglong, not only carrying Tian Luo and Yang Ren, but also overcoming the sovereign, which definitely indicates a demotion. Fifteen years later, the year pillar will enter Wu, again encountering Tian Luo and Yang Ren, which definitely leads to a demotion and idleness. Another eight years later, adding up to twenty-three years in total, one's lifespan will come to an end. Cheng Shuxun noted: Next year is Geng Xu, and at the age of thirty-three, the year pillar should be Xu, not Hai.

葉氏助教二甲二名高中授撫州教官，己酉年八月上任，庚戌年四月丁父憂，三十七歲得國學錄三十八歲名試館職高中得除國子監丞，四十一歲除太常寺丞，四十四歲遷工部待郎，四十六歲遷尚書都官朗中。四十九歲除司農少卿，五十一歲，淮西總領兼少卿。當年又兼淮西運使，五十二歲上，支軍糧交爭降三級，鄭云陽刃主兵凶，午為倉庫，故因支軍糧交爭而罷官。

Ye the tutor passed the examination in second place among the top two candidates in the second category, and was appointed as an instructor in Fuzhou. He took office in the eighth month of the Jiyou year and suffered the loss of his father in the fourth month of the Gengxu year. At the age of thirty-seven, he obtained the Record of National Learning; at thirty-eight, he passed the examination for a government office position and was appointed as Deputy Director of the National University. At forty-one, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Imperial Temple of the Imperial Ancestral Rites; at forty-four, he was promoted to Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works; at forty-six, he was promoted to Minister of the Department of Civil Supplies; at forty-nine, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Ministry of Agriculture; and at fifty-one, he served as the overall commander of Huixi along with the position of Deputy Director, and that same year also held the position of Commissioner of Huixi Transportation. At the age of fifty-two, he was demoted by three ranks due to a dispute over the distribution of military grain. Zheng said: The yang blade signifies military conflict and disaster, and Wu represents the image of a granary, so this precisely corresponds to the incident of the dispute over the distribution of military grain leading to his dismissal from office.

愚按五十二歲行年在己再見午火陽刃。停見任自此間，居八年死。

(Cheng Shuxun notes: At the age of fifty-two, his personal year was in Si, and he encountered the noon fire yang blade again. His current official position came to a halt from then on, and he remained idle for eight years before dying.)

乙卯年十月戊寅日寅將丑時劉五官己巳生四十七歲占店。（口鑑　方本占案）／蛇貴后陰／午未申酉　合勾貴蛇　兄庚辰合／朱巳　戌玄　辰卯未午　父辛巳朱／合辰　亥常　卯寅午戊　父壬午蛇／卯寅丑子／勾青空虎

In the year of Yimao, in the tenth month, on the day of Wuyin, using the general of Yin and starting the divination with the hour of Chou, Liu Wuguan (born in the year of Jisi, aged forty-seven) consulted about a shop. This example is found in the "Kou Jian" and "Fang Ben Zhan An." The general of Yin added to the hour of Chou is again a movement of one position on the Heaven Plate, so the Heaven and Earth Plates are the same as the previous lesson, except that the hour of Chou is a night hour, using the night nobleman, and the arrangement of the Twelve Heavenly Generals changes accordingly: on the Earth Plate, the position of Si is occupied by the Heaven Plate position of Wu, which is occupied by the Teng Snake; on Wu, the position of Wei is occupied by the nobleman; on Wei, the position of Shen is occupied by the Heavenly Empress; on Shen, the position of You is occupied by Tai Yin; on You, the position of Xu is occupied by Xuan Wu; on Xu, the position of Hai is occupied by Tai Chang; on Hai, the position of Zi is occupied by Bai Hu; on Zi, the position of Chou is occupied by Tian Kong; on Chou, the position of Yin is occupied by Qing Long; on Yin, the position of Mao is occupied by Gou Chen; on Mao, the position of Chen is occupied by Liu He; on Chen, the position of Si is occupied by Zhu Que. The four lessons are: the first lesson is Wu added to Wu, occupied by the Teng Snake; the second lesson is Wu on Wei, occupied by the nobleman; the third lesson is the day branch Yin on Mao, occupied by Gou Chen; the fourth lesson is Mao on Chen, occupied by Liu He. The three transmissions remain Chen, Si, and Wu: the first transmission is Chen (a brother's yao, occupied by Liu He), the middle transmission is Si (a parent's yao, occupied by Zhu Que), and the final transmission is Wu (a parent's yao, occupied by the Teng Snake).

邵彥和曰：此課三傳被日辰夾定，占店終久得之。得亥卯未生人方成，目下雖然杜賣，三年後賣主一定來贖此店，卻發嗣後，四五六年，方得頭尾清楚，然必再求方得。謂日辰拋離後再贖故也，恐後有司事業不一，此屋死人多，無氣故也。死氣加宅為日鬼故死人多。

Shao Yanhe said: In this divination, the three transmissions are sandwiched between the day stem and the day branch, indicating that the shop will eventually be acquired. However, it requires people born in the years of Hai, Mao, and Wei to mediate in order for the transaction to succeed. Although it is currently a complete sale with the contract broken, the seller will definitely return to redeem the shop within three years. Then, after another four or five years, the matter can be fully settled, and one must seek again to finally obtain it. This is because the day stem and day branch first separate and then return to redeem each other. One should be cautious that the business operated in the future may involve more than one type. Many people have died in this house because it lacks life qi; death qi has fallen upon the dwelling position and transformed into the official ghost of the day stem, hence the frequent deaths.

己酉年五月戊寅日申將辰時方縣尉己卯生三十一歲占前程。／勾合朱蛇／酉戌亥子　合虎貴勾　兄丁丑貴⊙／青申　丑貴　戌午丑酉　父壬午虎／空未　寅后　午寅酉戊　子酉勾◎／午巳辰卯／虎常玄陰

In the year of Ji You, fifth lunar month, on the day of Wu Yin, using the general Shen and starting the divination with the hour of Chen, the county magistrate (born in the year Ji Mao, thirty-one years old) consulted about his future. The general Shen is added to the hour of Chen, and the Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the position Si has the Heaven Plate position You, riding on "Gou Chen"; the position Wu has the Heaven Plate position Xu, riding on "Liu He"; the position Wei has the Heaven Plate position Hai, riding on "Zhu Que"; the position Shen has the Heaven Plate position Zi, riding on "Teng Snake"; the position You has the Heaven Plate position Chou, riding on "Nobleman"; the position Xu has the Heaven Plate position Yin, riding on "Heavenly Empress"; the position Hai has the Heaven Plate position Mao, riding on "Tai Yin"; the position Zi has the Heaven Plate position Chen, riding on "Xuan Wu"; the position Chou has the Heaven Plate position Si, riding on "Tai Chang"; the position Yin has the Heaven Plate position Wu, riding on "Bai Hu"; the position Mao has the Heaven Plate position Wei, riding on "Tian Kong"; the position Chen has the Heaven Plate position Shen, riding on "Qing Long". The day stem Wu is lodged in the position Si, and the position Si has the Heaven Plate position You, so the first transmission is You added to Wu, riding on "Gou Chen"; the second transmission is You added to Chou, riding on "Nobleman"; the third transmission is the day branch Yin added to Wu, riding on "Bai Hu"; the fourth transmission is Wu added to Xu, riding on "Liu He". The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Chou (hidden stem Ding, brother's yao, riding on "Nobleman"), the second transmission is Wu (hidden stem Ren, parents' yao, riding on "Bai Hu"), the third transmission is You (children's yao, riding on "Gou Chen"). The day Wu Yin belongs to the Xun period of Jia Xu, and the empty position is in Shen and You, so the day stem's You and the final transmission's You both fall into the empty position, and the statement "the day stem is in the empty position and broken" refers to this.

邵彥和曰：日上空亡破碎，到好處，又被不中事奪了。勾陳乘子息，時下有八年，且赴一任半，要特達須待五十四歲，方可言升遷。只做刑部官，長子中子俱不得受陰，下稍第三子受之。五十四後再十四年，得邊上太守，帶武職而終。方後果授溫州樂清尉，任滿調饒州，任滿又調宣州南凌軍到任十四月丁母服歸。恰好八年也。嗣後丁父服，又丁生母服直至五十三上，得台州黃岩縣，又得提刑司干官，任滿遷大理寺正出知和州，兼淮上兵馬路鈐朝請郎致仕。長次子俱不得受恩，第三子受恩。

Shao Yanhe said: When the heavenly stem on the day is in Kongwang and also meets the broken condition, whenever it is about to reach a good situation, it is taken away by some unrelated matters. "Gou Chen" is on the son's爻, so there is still eight years ahead, and one can hold an official position for half a term. To achieve success and rise to prominence, one must wait until the age of fifty-four, at which time one can talk about promotion. One's entire life will be confined to official posts in the Ministry of Justice; the eldest and second sons will not receive the benefits of official favor, but the third son will. After fifty-four years old, another fourteen years later, one can become a governor of a border region and end one's career with a military position. The county magistrate of Fang County later indeed was appointed as county magistrate of Luqing in Wenzhou, then transferred to Raozhou, then to Nanling Army in Xuanzhou; after being in office for fourteen months, he encountered the death of his mother and returned home, which altogether lasted exactly eight years. Afterwards, he also suffered the death of his father and the death of his mother, and it was not until he was fifty-three that he was appointed as county magistrate of Huangyan in Taizhou, and also received a position in the Inspection Department. After serving his term, he was promoted to the official position of the Chief of the Supreme Court, then served as the governor of Hezhou, and also held the military post of commander of the Huishang Army Road. He retired with the rank of Court Attendant. The eldest and second sons did not receive the benefits of official favor, but the third son did.

蓋行年在酉，青龍在辰，從酉數至辰，八年也愚按行年何嘗在酉，此門人錯疏也，想邵公以丑為八年，丑作貴人故耳。又五十四上顯者，日上酉六，辰上午九，六九五十四也愚按此亦門人錯疏何也，酉為空亡破碎敗神，午為陽刃白虎，何得取此斷顯達之年，想邵公之意？以午為天羅主孝服況並白虎凶神，午九加寅七，共十六年，三十一起八年共十六年，是五十四歲也。十四年又遷者，丑加酉，丑八酉六，相併得十四也。丑作貴加酉，虎視課，主邊郡武職也。第三子受恩者，丑作貴人，季乃三也。

The student's explanation says: When the year of birth is in You, the Azure Dragon is in Chen, counting from You to Chen takes exactly eight years (Cheng Shuxun notes: How could the year of birth be in You? This is a mistake made by the student. I think Mr. Shao used Chou to determine the eight years, because Chou is accompanied by the Nobleman). It also says that success is achieved at fifty-four years old, which is calculated by the number six from the Day Stem You and the number nine from the Day Branch Wu, six times nine equals fifty-four (Cheng Shuxun notes: This is also a mistake made by the student. Why is this so? You is considered empty, broken, and defeated, while Wu is the Yang刃 and White Tiger. How can these two be used to determine the year of success? I think Mr. Shao's original intention was probably to use Wu as the Heavenly Net, which relates to mourning, and also considering the Inauspicious Spirit White Tiger. The number nine from Wu added to the number seven from Yin makes sixteen years. Starting from thirty-one years old, first eight years and then a total of sixteen years, which is fifty-four years old). The statement that there will be promotion fourteen years later is because Chou is placed on You, the number eight from Chou and the number six from You add up to fourteen. Chou, accompanied by the Nobleman, is placed on You, forming a lesson of a tiger watching, thus indicating a military post in a border region. The third son receives favor because Chou is accompanied by the Nobleman, and Chou belongs to the last season of the four seasons, and the season corresponds to the third rank. (In the original text, there is a missing character, marked as '?'.)

戊申年戊寅日午將子時應解元辛未生三十八歲占前程。／勾龍空虎／亥子丑寅　虎蛇陰勾　官戊寅虎⊙／合戌　卯常　寅申巳亥　子申蛇◎／朱酉　辰玄　申寅亥戊　官戊寅虎⊙／申未午巳／蛇貴后陰

In the year of Wushen, on the day of Wuyin, using the hour of Wu with the start of the lesson at Zi, the divination is made by a person born in the year of Xinwei, aged thirty-eight, to inquire about his future. Wu as the general is added to Zi, and the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate are exactly six positions apart, forming a "returning echo lesson." On the Earth Plate, the position of Si is occupied by the Heaven Plate's Hai, with the "Gou Chen" (Hook Star); on Wu, it is Zi, with the "Qing Long" (Azure Dragon); on Wei, it is Chou, with the "Tian Kong" (Heavenly Void); on Shen, it is Yin, with the "Bai Hu" (White Tiger); on You, it is Mao, with the "Tai Chang" (Great Constable); on Xu, it is Chen, with the "Xuan Wu" (Black Tortoise); on Hai, it is Si, with the "Tai Yin" (Great Yin); on Zi, it is Wu, with the "Tian Hou" (Heavenly Empress); on Chou, it is Wei, with the "Guiren" (Nobleman); on Yin, it is Shen, with the "Teng Snake"; on Mao, it is You, with the "Zhu Que" (Vermilion Bird); on Chen, it is Xu, with the "Liu He" (Six Harmonies). The lodgment palace for the day of Wu is Si, and on Si, it is Hai, so the first lesson is Hai added to Wu, with "Gou Chen"; the second lesson is Hai on Si, with "Tai Yin"; the third lesson is the day branch Yin with Shen, with "Teng Snake"; the fourth lesson is Shen on Yin, with "Bai Hu." The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Yin (hidden stem Wu, official ghost爻, with "Bai Hu"); the middle transmission is Shen (son's son爻, with "Teng Snake," falling into "Kongwang"); the final transmission is again Yin (official ghost爻, with "Bai Hu"). The beginning and end are both official ghosts that harm the self, with "Kongwang" in the middle, offering no support at all.

邵彥和曰：此課主人脫空亂語，侮弄神祗，絕德喪身，命將不久。宜速禱神修德，前程未料，否則喪無日矣。蓋戊德在巳，巳絕在亥，且又受克，宅受申克，申又上克宅寅，申為寺觀，申乃空亡，是空中神祗來克我也。我去又遭彼克，是喪無日矣。亥乃天門，作勾陳，是天欲勾追也，故主多凶。應字仲敏，為人輕狂，貪酒色，家中姬妾最多，常攜妓於祠廟中飲宴又侵數象人造寺院之財，以為酒色之樂。故先生戒之，應遂修身齋戒改過，盡將田產變賣，修造寺院，後至庚戌年十二月二十九夜死，冥君以其修省放還陽間，應嘗自述於人不諱。

Shao Yanhe said: This case indicates that the person speaks in a hollow and absurd manner, treating the gods with contempt and mockery, his virtue has been cut off, and his life is doomed to be lost, his life will not be long. He should quickly pray to the gods and cultivate virtue; his future prospects are uncertain, otherwise his death is imminent. The reason is: the Heavenly Virtue of Wu is in Si, but from Si to Hai is the place of extinction, and it is also being overcome; the dwelling position is overcome by Shen, and Shen in turn overcomes the dwelling position's Yin. Shen in the category of deities represents temples and monasteries, but now Shen is in the position of Kongwang, which is the empty gate, meaning that the deities in the empty gate are coming to overcome me. I have offended others, and they have turned around to overcome me, so death is imminent. Hai is the Heavenly Gate, and above it is Gou Chen, which is like heaven coming to capture and pursue, so it is judged as full of misfortune. This case should be interpreted as Yuan Zi Zhongmin, who was reckless, indulging in wine and women, had many concubines at home, often bringing courtesans to temples and monasteries for feasting, and had also taken money from several families who had contributed to the construction of temples and monasteries, using it for his own pleasures of wine and women. Therefore, Shao Master warned him. Zhongmin then reformed himself, observed a斋戒, and completely changed his ways, selling all his fields and properties to build temples and monasteries. Later, on the night of December 29th of the Gengxu year, he died. The spirits in the underworld, because he repented and reformed, released him back to the world of the living. This incident, Zhongmin often told people himself, without any hesitation.

崇正丁丑科二月初八日戊寅日京邸為張貞明姻親占會場亥將巳時。（郭氏占案）／朱蛇貴後／亥子丑寅　后龍常朱　官戊寅後⊙／合戌　卯陰　寅申巳亥　子申龍◎／勾酉　辰玄　申寅亥戊　官戊寅後⊙／申未午巳／龍空虎常

In the second month of the second year of the Chongzhen era, on the eighth day of the second lunar month, on a day of Wu-Yin, I cast a divination lesson in my residence in the capital city for the姻亲 Zhang Zhenming to determine the outcome of the imperial examination. The lesson was cast using the hour of Si with the general of Hai. This example is taken from the "Guo Shi Zhan An." The general of Hai added to the hour of Si, with the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate separated by six positions, forming a "Fan Yin lesson." On the Earth Plate, Si is covered by the Heaven Plate Hai, which is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; Wu is covered by Zi, accompanied by the Teng Snake; Wei is covered by Chou, accompanied by the Nobleman; Shen is covered by Yin, accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; You is covered by Mao, accompanied by the Tai Yin; Xu is covered by Chen, accompanied by the Black Tortoise; Hai is covered by Si, accompanied by the Tai Chang; Zi is covered by Wu, accompanied by the White Tiger; Chou is covered by Wei, accompanied by the Tian Kong; Yin is covered by Shen, accompanied by the Azure Dragon; Mao is covered by You, accompanied by the Gou Chen; Chen is covered by Xu, accompanied by the Liu He. The day stem Wu is located in the palace of Si, and Si is covered by Hai, so the first transmission is Hai added to Wu, accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; the second transmission is Hai added to Si, accompanied by the Tai Chang; the third transmission is the day branch Yin covered by Shen, accompanied by the Azure Dragon; the fourth transmission is Shen covered by Yin, accompanied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Yin (the hidden stem Wu, the official ghost爻, accompanied by the Heavenly Empress); the middle transmission is Shen (the son爻, accompanied by the Azure Dragon, falling into the empty position); the final transmission is again Yin (the official ghost爻, accompanied by the Heavenly Empress). The hour of Hai on the day stem Wu is the wife wealth爻 of Wu, and it is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, which is associated with messages and documents. The Post-horse of the day of Wu-Yin is located at Shen, which is also the middle transmission. These two points are the key to the interpretation.

郭御青曰：餘嫌反吟不美，時以課中財爻朱雀加干，驛馬在中傳，一、二日內必家中送盤費人來也。初九日，果家中人至，送銀一封。張君尚未知數，至初十出場。張君過余寓云：家信果至，銀錢幾何？余曰：發用七數，干上四數，必七兩四錢也；張君大笑。餘於此課亦偶中耳，定數最壬課之難者。

Guo Yuqing said: I disliked this lesson as it was a reverse repetition lesson, and the image was not good; but at that time I saw the wife and wealth爻 riding on the Vermilion Bird and added to the day stem, and the post-horse fell on the middle transmission, so I concluded that someone from home would definitely bring money within one or two days. On the first day, the family members indeed arrived and brought a letter with silver. Zhang Jun did not yet know that I had predicted the amount, and he only left for the exam on the tenth day. When he came to my residence, he said: The family letter did indeed arrive, how much silver did you say? I said: The initiating transmission's寅 number is seven, and the day stem's亥 number is four, so it must be seven taels and four cash. Zhang Jun laughed heartily (because the amount was exactly correct). In this lesson, I was just偶然 correct; predicting the exact amount is the most difficult part in the Six壬 lesson.

建炎三年己酉歲十一月初四己卯日寅將酉時韓太守占祈雪。（口鑑　方本占案　捷要）／朱合勾青／戌亥子丑　青貴玄勾　父辛巳玄／蛇酉　寅空　丑申巳子　兄甲戌朱／貴申　卯虎　申卯子己　官己卯虎／未午巳辰／後陰玄常

In the third year of the Jianyan era, on the fourth day of the eleventh month of the Jiyou year, the governor Han came to consult the divination for snowfall. The method used was to start the calculation with the寅 (Yin) general added to the酉 (You) hour. This example is found in the texts "Kou Jian", "Fang Ben Zhan An", and "Jie Yao". When the寅 general is added to the酉 hour, the Heaven Plate advances five positions relative to the Earth Plate: on the巳 (Si) of the Earth Plate is the戌 (Xu) of the Heaven Plate, riding the Vermilion Bird; on the午 (Wu) is the亥 (Hai), riding the Liu He; on the未 (Wei) is the子 (Zi), riding the Gou Chen; on the申 (Shen) is the丑 (Chou), riding the Azure Dragon; on the酉 (You) is the寅 (Yin), riding the Tian Kong; on the戌 (Xu) is the卯 (Mao), riding the White Tiger; on the亥 (Hai) is the辰 (Chen), riding the Tai Chang; on the子 (Zi) is the巳 (Si), riding the Black Tortoise; on the丑 (Chou) is the午 (Wu), riding the Tai Yin; on the寅 (Yin) is the未 (Wei), riding the Heavenly Empress; on the卯 (Mao) is the申 (Shen), riding the Nobleman; on the辰 (Chen) is the酉 (You), riding the Teng Snake. The day's branch, which is卯 (Mao), is in the 寄宫 (Lodging Palace) of 未 (Wei), and on 未 (Wei) is 子 (Zi), so the first lesson is 子 (Zi) added to 己 (Ji), riding the Gou Chen; the second lesson is 子 (Zi) added to巳 (Si), riding the Black Tortoise; the third lesson is the day's branch, 卯 (Mao), added to 申 (Shen), riding the Nobleman; the fourth lesson is 申 (Shen) added to 丑 (Chou), riding the Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is巳 (Si), with the hidden stem 辛 (Xin), representing the parents' yao, riding the Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is戌 (Xu), with the hidden stem 甲 (Jia), representing the brothers' yao, riding the Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is卯 (Mao), with the hidden stem 己 (Ji), representing the official ghost yao, riding the White Tiger. The巳 (Si),戌 (Xu), and卯 (Mao) advance every five positions, forming the "Zhu Yin Ke" (Casting Seal Lesson) in the Six壬 (Rén) system. The day is in the Jiaxu (Jia Xu) decade, with the empty position (空亡) in 申 (Shen) and 酉 (You), so the 申 (Shen) on the day's branch, which is riding the Nobleman, is empty.

邵彥和曰：數日來，天氣和暖，宛如三九月，州縣祈雪，皆無響應，今得此課，今日天色必變，巳時風起轉寒觀此句是早晨占，而得酉時也，未時有雨，亥時作雪，厚有七寸。眾官皆笑曰：今日晴暖，雪從何來？待至巳時，果然風起。霎時雲合，未時微雨，眾官散後，北風大作，甚冷，二更後下雪，至次日未時止，果積七寸。

Shao Yanhe said: These days the weather has been warm, almost like March or September, and all the prefectures and counties have prayed for snow but there was no response. Today we received this divination lesson, and the sky will certainly change that day: at the hour of Si, the wind will rise and the temperature will drop (Cheng Shuxun remarked: from this sentence we can tell that the divination was done in the early morning, but the lesson came at the hour of You). At the hour of Wei, it will rain, and at the hour of Hai, snow will begin to fall, accumulating to a thickness of seven inches. The officials present all laughed and said: today is so sunny and warm, where will the snow come from? But at the hour of Si, the wind indeed rose, and clouds gathered quickly; at the hour of Wei, it began to rain lightly; after the officials had left, a strong north wind arose, and the weather became extremely cold; after the second watch, snow began to fall, continuing until the hour of Wei the next day, and the snow indeed accumulated to a thickness of seven inches.

蓋此課，火伏於下，水升於上，不拘占雨占雪，皆當日有。況申為夜貴，正是權柄。日上又見天河之水，騰運乎上，必流乎下。初傳巳火臨子被克，上見元武水夾克，變成大風雪。況巳戌卯鑄印，春夏秋必雨，冬必雪。末傳卯作白虎，與申皆是白色，申乃空亡，正空中降下之象。夫火伏於下，水升於上，一雨也；申子為水，加臨日辰，二雨也；三傳順行，三雨也；卯為雷，雷過西方為虎所制，雖冬月無雷，豈無雪乎？子作勾陳，占雨主連綿、主雪，主深厚。又凡鑄印課占吉少成，占凶多就，占病無空亡解，占天時必大雨雪。

This divination lesson examines the situation where fire is hidden below and water rises above, regardless of whether it is about rain or snow, there will be precipitation on the same day. Moreover, the hour of Shen is the nobleman of the night, holding authority. The day stem also meets Zi, which represents the water from the Milky Way. Since water is lifted up, it must flow down. The first transmission's Si fire is restrained by Zi, and above it, the water deity Xuanwu also restrains it, thus forming a heavy snowstorm. Additionally, the combination of Si, Xu, and Mao forms the "Cast Seal" pattern, which means rain in spring, summer, and autumn, and snow in winter. The final transmission's Mao is ridden by Baihu, the white tiger, and Baihu and Shen both represent the color white, while Shen is in the empty position, indicating the image of white things falling from the sky. Looking at it in layers: fire hidden below and water rising above is the first sign of rain; Shen and Zi both belong to water, and they are on the day stem and branch, which is the second sign of rain; the three transmissions proceed in order without reversal, which is the third sign of rain. Mao, in terms of its class deity, represents thunder, which moves westward and is restrained by Baihu. Although there is no thunder in winter, can it not be transformed into snow? Zi is ridden by Gou Chen, which indicates continuous rain when predicting rain and thick accumulation when predicting snow. Furthermore, all "Cast Seal" patterns are not favorable for good events but are favorable for bad events. When predicting illness, even the empty position cannot resolve it, and when predicting weather, there will certainly be heavy rain or snow.

己酉年六月己卯日午將丑時應秀才癸酉生三十七歲占前程。（口鑑　方本占案）／朱合勾青／戌亥子丑　青貴玄勾　父辛巳玄／蛇酉　寅空　丑申巳子　兄甲戌朱／貴申　卯虎　申卯子己　官己卯虎／未午巳辰／後陰玄常

In the year Jiyou, sixth lunar month, on the day Jimao, using the general Wu and adding the hour Chou to start the divination, a case is presented where a man born in the year Guiyou, aged thirty-seven, seeks to know his future. This example is found in the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an". The addition of Wu to Chou is again a movement of five positions on the Heaven Plate, so the Heaven and Earth Plates are exactly the same as the previous case of praying for snow. On the Earth Plate, the position Si has Wu riding the Vermilion Bird, the position Wu has Hai riding the Liu He, the position Wei has Zi riding the Gou Chen, the position Shen has Chou riding the Azure Dragon, the position You has Yin riding the Tian Kong, the position Xu has Mao riding the Bai Hu, the position Hai has Chen riding the Tai Chang, the position Zi has Si riding the Xuan Wu, the position Chou has Wu riding the Tai Yin, the position Yin has Wei riding the Tian Hou, the position Mao has Shen riding the Guiren, and the position Chen has You riding the Teng Snake. The four lessons are: the first lesson is Zi with Ji riding the Gou Chen, the second lesson is Zi with Si riding the Xuan Wu, the third lesson is the day branch Mao with Shen riding the Guiren, and the fourth lesson is Shen with Chou riding the Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are still the casting of the seal pattern with the positions Si, Xu, and Mao: the first transmission is Si (parents' yao, riding the Xuan Wu, which is also the Post-horse and破碎 of this lesson), the middle transmission is Xu (brother's yao, riding the Vermilion Bird), and the final transmission is Mao (official ghost yao, riding the Bai Hu). Although both the day stem and the day branch have the Guiren, the position Shen falls into Kongwang, which results in the following statement: "pointing to the empty, speaking of the empty."

邵彥和曰：吾兄心術多，且又毒，以鼠忌羊頭上，雞驚犬吠喉。愚按：此二句邵公蓋引古書殆即所謂元辰也凡所行皆為妒忌之心，好管是非，好談人短，所以滅前程也。大凡七殺元辰，若占前程，多主妒忌，常占多主事體切害。初傳破碎乘元武，又是驛馬，主面東指西，走南奔北，多圖多覓之人。身宅雖皆有貴人，而子作勾陳，申作空亡，謂之指空話空，己以巳為父母，加妻宮，為妻所制，又乘馬與破碎，蹤跡不定，是不在父母之旁，一不足也。子息倚身，為身所克，子息難得，二不足也。申犯空亡，作夜貴加宅，是神像破損香火不安，三不足也。妻臨身宮，上下夾克，若非不和，便多疾病，四不足也。

Shao Yanhe said: Your elder brother has too many schemes in his mind and is too cruel. This corresponds to the saying "the rat fears the sheep's head, the chicken is startled by the dog's barking in the throat" (Cheng Shuxun noted: these two lines are cited by Shao Gong from an ancient text, referring to what is generally called "Yuan Chen" in the study of fate). All his actions stem from jealousy, he likes to meddle in others' affairs and enjoys discussing others' shortcomings, thus ruining his prospects. Generally, the seven killing star and Yuan Chen are often associated with jealousy and are indicative of serious matters that harm people. The first transmission falls on the broken star and is accompanied by "Xuan Wu," while also being the post-horse. This indicates that the person looks east but points west, moving south one moment and north the next, showing a greedy and scheming nature. Although the day stem and the house position both have noblemen, the "Zi" position is occupied by "Gou Chen," and "Shen" falls on the empty position, which is called "speaking to the void about the void." Ji uses Si as parents, but Si is placed in the wife's position, being controlled by the wife. Combined with the post-horse and broken star, it indicates an unstable life, meaning he is not living with his parents, which is the first deficiency. The son's star is near the day stem but is also overcome by the day stem, making it difficult to have children, which is the second deficiency. "Shen" is involved in the empty position and the night nobleman is placed on the house, indicating broken household gods and unstable incense and offerings, which is the third deficiency. The wife's star is in the day stem's position, with both above and below being restricted, indicating either marital discord or the wife being sickly, which is the fourth deficiency.

鑄印乘軒之課，巳作元武加子，上火下水，武為賊，謂之走驢。卯作白虎加戌，謂之破模。虎傷卯，又為墜軒，故主功名不成。且防覆墜騎乘之患也。後至壬戌年二月因爭役乘轎入城，追而折足，血氣上攻而死。蓋卯為車轎驢騾，己土死於卯，支神最緊，若非己卯日，不可言死。愚按元辰煞陽男陰女在本命沖前一位支辰，陰男陽女在本命沖後一位支辰，見於命書，壬家鮮有用者，惟徐氏心鏡用之，即毛頭殺也，命書云生旺則落魄，大度不別是非，不兮良善，顛倒鶻突，死絕則寒酸，薄劣，形貌猥下，語言渾濁，不識羞恥，破敗坷貪，飲好色，甘習下流，亦可知此煞不善矣。

This is the "Zhu Yin Cheng Xuan" lesson pattern. The snake (Si) rides on "Xuanwu" and is placed on the Zi position. Above it is fire and below it is water. Xuanwu also governs thieves, which is called "Zou Lu" (moving a donkey). The卯 (Mao) rides on "Baihu" and is placed on the Xu position, which is called "Po Mo" (breaking the mold)—once the seal mold is broken, the seal cannot be cast. Baihu also harms Mao, and it forms "Zhu Xuan" (falling from the carriage), so it indicates failure in official rank and also warns of accidents involving carriages, carts, or sedan chairs overturning and falling. Later, in the second month of the Renxu year, he rode in a sedan chair into the city because of a dispute over a position. While being chased, he fell and broke his leg, and the blood rushed upward, causing his death. This is because Mao, in terms of class spirits, represents carriages, sedan chairs, donkeys, and horses. The Ji Mao (己卯) earth is in the dead position for Mao, and the day branch spirit is most relevant to the event. If it were not Ji Mao day, we could not have concluded that he would die. (Cheng Shuxun notes: The method of taking Yuan Chen Sha is that for a yang male or a yin female, take the branch that conflicts with the birth branch and take the previous one; for a yin male or a yang female, take the branch that conflicts with the birth branch and take the next one. This is mentioned in the book of destiny; the Six Rens rarely use it, but Xu's "Xin Jing" does, which is also called Mao Tou Sha. The book of destiny says: If Yuan Chen Sha is in a strong and prosperous position, the person is destitute, has a large capacity but cannot distinguish right from wrong, is not friendly to others, is confused and disoriented, and is糊涂 (confused). If Yuan Chen Sha is in a dead or exhausted position, the person is poor and lowly, has a deformed appearance, speaks unclearly, lacks shame, is broken and greedy, loves wine and women, and is willing to fall into ruin. It is clear that this evil spirit is indeed not a good thing.)

己酉年三月己卯日戌將辰時祝省元占婚，男戊辰生四十二歲，女己丑生二十一歲。（宋本邵案　口鑑）／蛇貴后陰／亥子丑寅　玄合青後　官己卯玄⊙／朱戌　卯玄　卯酉未丑　子酉合◎／合酉　辰常　酉卯丑己　官己卯玄⊙／申未午巳／勾青空虎

In the year of Ji You, third lunar month, on the day of Ji Mao, using the general Xu and the time of Chen, a divination was made for a marriage matter by Zhu Shengyuan. The man was born in the year of Wu Chen, aged forty-two; the woman was born in the year of Ji Chou, aged twenty-one. This case is found in the "Song Ben Shao An" and "Kou Jian." Using the general Xu added to the hour of Chen, the Heaven and Earth plates are six positions apart, forming a reverse transmission lesson. On the Earth plate, the position of Si is covered by the Heaven plate's Hai, with the "Teng Snake" riding it; the position of Wu is covered by Zi, with the "Nobleman" riding it; the position of Wei is covered by Chou, with the "Heavenly Empress" riding it; the position of Shen is covered by Yin, with the "Tai Yin" riding it; the position of You is covered by Mao, with the "Black Tortoise" riding it; the position of Xu is covered by Chen, with the "Tai Chang" riding it; the position of Hai is covered by Si, with the "White Tiger" riding it; the position of Zi is covered by Wu, with the "Heavenly Void" riding it; the position of Chou is covered by Wei, with the "Azure Dragon" riding it; the position of Yin is covered by Shen, with the "Gou Chen" riding it; the position of Mao is covered by You, with the "Liu He" riding it; the position of Chen is covered by Xu, with the "Vermilion Bird" riding it. The day of Ji has its lodgment palace at Wei, and Wei is covered by Chou, so the first transmission is Chou added to Ji, with the "Heavenly Empress" riding it; the second transmission is Chou covered by Wei, with the "Azure Dragon" riding it; the third transmission is the day branch Mao covered by You, with the "Liu He" riding it; the fourth transmission is You covered by Mao, with the "Black Tortoise" riding it. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Mao (hidden stem Ji, official ghost爻, with the "Black Tortoise" riding it), the second transmission is You (son's son爻, with the "Liu He" riding it, falling into the void), and the third transmission is again Mao (official ghost爻, with the "Black Tortoise" riding it). The woman's birth year is Chou, and Chou is directly covered by the day's lodgment palace Wei, which also has the "Azure Dragon" riding it; the man's year is covered by the "Heavenly Empress," and these two positions are the key to the interpretation.

邵彥和曰：此課占婚姻，何必用媒，私情久已通矣。其家宅合廣闊，東西皆有小門，因婢子為腳，遂與人通。今所議之人，亦與姦淫，血支在卯乘元武，必非女身，一土生二金，主暗有退子。愚按酉乘六合內戰，臨元武主遺失，當是奸生子而棄之也。夫女命上見日干青龍，是女先有其夫也。男年並日上見天后，是男先有其妻也。女年乘男，男年乘女，婚姻豈有不成之理。酉乃婢，六合加之，為和合。又並元武姦淫之神，婢妾為引無疑。且門來加戶，戶又加門，是門戶重迭，而卯實為今日之支，支為宅，宅上見酉，故云東西皆有小門也。占者嘿然而去。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination concerns marriage, so why bother using a matchmaker? The private feelings between the two have already been communicated. The woman's house should be spacious, with small doors on both the east and west sides, relying on a servant girl to run errands, thus engaging in secret relations. The man currently being considered for marriage has also had an affair with her before. The blood branch falls on the卯 (Mao) and is accompanied by the Black Tortoise, indicating that the woman is no longer a virgin; one earth branch producing two metal branches suggests that she has secretly had an abortion (Cheng Shuxun noted: the酉 (You) branch is accompanied by the Liu He and there is internal conflict, and it is also accompanied by the Black Tortoise, indicating abandonment and loss, which should mean she had a child out of wedlock and then abandoned it). Furthermore, the woman's native branch meets the day stem's lodging palace and is accompanied by the Azure Dragon, indicating that the woman has already had her husband; the man's year branch is also present on the day stem and meets the Heavenly Empress, indicating that the man has already had his wife. The woman's year branch is accompanied by the male image, and the man's year branch is accompanied by the female image, so how could this marriage not succeed? The酉 (You) represents a servant girl, and the Liu He is on top of it, indicating harmony, and it is also combined with the Black Tortoise, which is associated with illicit relations, so the servant girl acting as an intermediary is certain. Moreover, the gate is on the door, and the door is on the gate, with the gates and doors overlapping repeatedly; the卯 (Mao) is the current day branch, and the day branch represents the house, so the house also meets the酉 (You), meaning there are small doors on both the east and west sides. The person asking the question silently left.

己酉年六月己卯日午將戌時歐陽秘教戊寅生三十三歲占秋試。（口鑑　方本占案）／青空虎常／丑寅卯辰　后合合虎　兄癸未後／勾子　巳玄　未亥亥卯　官己卯虎／合亥　午陰　亥卯卯己　財乙亥合／戌酉申未／朱蛇貴後

In the year of Ji You, sixth lunar month, on the day of Ji Mao, using the hour of Xu with the general of Wu, Ou Yang Mi Jiao (born in the year of Wu Yin, thirty-three years old) divined about the autumn examination. This case is found in the "Kou Jian" and "Fang Ben Zhan An." The general of Wu is added to the hour of Xu, and the Heaven Plate is four places behind the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate, the place of Si has the Heaven Plate of Chou, riding the "Qing Long"; on the place of Wu, the Heaven Plate is Yin, riding the "Tian Kong"; on the place of Wei, the Heaven Plate is Mao, riding the "Bai Hu"; on the place of Shen, the Heaven Plate is Chen, riding the "Tai Chang"; on the place of You, the Heaven Plate is Si, riding the "Xuan Wu"; on the place of Xu, the Heaven Plate is Wu, riding the "Tai Yin"; on the place of Hai, the Heaven Plate is Wei, riding the "Tian Hou"; on the place of Zi, the Heaven Plate is Shen, riding the "Gui Ren"; on the place of Chou, the Heaven Plate is You, riding the "Teng Snake"; on the place of Yin, the Heaven Plate is Xu, riding the "Zhu Qiao"; on the place of Mao, the Heaven Plate is Hai, riding the "Liu He"; on the place of Chen, the Heaven Plate is Zi, riding the "Gou Chen." The day stem Ji is in the lodging palace of Wei, and on Wei, the place is Mao, so the first transmission is Mao added to Ji, riding the "Bai Hu"; the second transmission is Mao on the place of Hai, riding the "Liu He"; the third transmission is the day branch also Mao, on the place of Hai, riding the "Liu He"; the fourth transmission is Hai on the place of Wei, riding the "Tian Hou." The god of the day branch is added to the day stem and then attacks the day stem, which is called "Shang Men Luan Shou." The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wei (hidden stem Gui, brother's yao, riding the "Tian Hou"), the middle transmission is Mao (hidden stem Ji, official ghost yao, riding the "Bai Hu"), and the final transmission is Hai (hidden stem Yi, wife's wealth yao, riding the "Liu He"). The combination of Wei, Mao, and Hai forms a wood trinity, and wood is the official ghost of the day stem Ji.

邵彥和曰：上門亂首，不利有三：一者防犯諱字及時禁忌愚按此意從下犯上而生出誠為妙斷，二防場屋中有鬥爭，三防與尊長不足。第二場兼防汙塗（鬼在中傳也）。己日得木局，助支克干，專主凶傷，今科不是取功名之年。若免得是非，既是幸事矣。後入試聚眾相爭喧鬧場屋，試官申學罷斥。大凡上門亂首，不是犯家中尊長，便是占尊長不足。今行年上見馬，馬生動，在外，而破碎元武，是不正神，已是不利，不合木局，又從而克干是聚眾來傷，勢不可遏也，更天后六合皆不正之神，並於傳中而與白虎共作三合，白虎主爭鬧，六合又為朋友相識，自然聚眾喧鬧，合局克干，主試官申學罷斥，若非行年驛馬引出或主內亂，不可專言外也。

Shao Yanhe said: This is a "upward disordering the first" divination, which has three disadvantages: first, one should be cautious of the examination paper conflicting with the imperial taboo and the contemporary taboos (Cheng Shuxun noted: this meaning is derived from "lower defying upper," which is a clever interpretation); second, one should be cautious of disputes happening in the examination hall; third, one should be cautious of discord with superiors. In the second examination, one should also be cautious of the paper being damaged or altered (because the official ghost is in the middle transmission). On a Ji day, the wood situation is formed, the wood situation helps the day branch to overcome the day stem, which is specifically indicative of harm and injury, and this year is not a year for obtaining official rank; if one can avoid trouble, it would be a fortunate thing. Later, when he entered the examination hall, he indeed caused a crowd to quarrel and created a disturbance in the examination hall, and the chief examiner reported him to the academic official, who expelled him. Generally, a "upward disordering the first" divination is either conflicting with family elders or accusing the elders. Now, seeing the post-horse in the year stem, the horse indicates movement and being away, and it is located on the broken position with the "Black Tortoise," which is an improper deity, itself already unfavorable;偏偏 it forms a wood situation to reverse overcome the day stem, which indicates gathering people to cause harm, and the trend is unstoppable. Moreover, the "Heavenly Empress" and "Liu He" are both improper deities, and they are all in the three transmissions, together with the "White Tiger" forming a triple harmony: the White Tiger indicates disputes, and Liu He represents friends and acquaintances, so naturally there will be gathering and noisy disturbances. The harmonized situation overcoming the day stem indicates the chief examiner reporting and expelling. If it were not for the post-horse in the year stem leading the matter outside, this divination might have been interpreted as internal family troubles, and one cannot simply say it is about external affairs.

己酉初一己卯日戌將寅時徐承局辛亥生正月初一日子時生，三十九歲占向後如何。（宋本邵案　口鑑）／青空虎常／丑寅卯辰　后合合虎　兄癸未後／勾子　巳玄　未亥亥卯　官己卯虎／合亥　午陰　亥卯卯己　財乙亥合／戌酉申未／朱蛇貴後

In the year Jiyou, third month of spring, first day of the month, on the day Jimao, using the hour of Chen (3 AM) with the general Xu Shen (born at the hour Zi on the first day of the first month of the year Xinhai, aged thirty-nine) to cast a divination, the course of events in the future is sought. This example is found in the "Song Ben Shao An" and "Kou Jian." The general Xu Shen is using the hour of Chen with the general Xu Shen, which is the same as the previous example of Ou Yang Mi teaching about the imperial examination. The Heaven Plate is four positions behind, so the course of the divination is exactly the same as the previous example. The Earth Plate has: on Si (Snake) the branch Chou (Ox) is covered by "Qinglong" (Azure Dragon), on Wu (Horse) the branch Yin (Tiger) is covered by "Tiankong" (Heavenly Void), on Wei (Earth Pig) the branch Mao (Rabbit) is covered by "Baihu" (White Tiger), on Shen (Monkey) the branch Chen (Dragon) is covered by "Tai Chang" (Great Constable), on You (Rooster) the branch Si (Snake) is covered by "Xuanwu" (Black Tortoise), on Xu (Dog) the branch Wu (Horse) is covered by "Tai Yin" (Great Yin), on Hai (Boar) the branch Wei (Earth Pig) is covered by "Tianhou" (Heavenly Empress), on Zi (Rat) the branch Shen (Monkey) is covered by "Guiren" (Nobleman), on Chou (Ox) the branch You (Rooster) is covered by "Tengshe" (Teng Snake), on Yin (Tiger) the branch Xu (Dog) is covered by "Zhuque" (Vermilion Bird), on Mao (Rabbit) the branch Hai (Boar) is covered by "Liuhe" (Six Harmonies), on Chen (Dragon) the branch Zi (Rat) is covered by "Gouchen" (Hook Star). The four lessons are: the first lesson is Mao (Rabbit) added to Ji (Earth Pig) with "Baihu" (White Tiger), the second lesson is Mao (Rabbit) with Hai (Boar) covered by "Liuhe" (Six Harmonies), the third lesson is the day branch Mao (Rabbit) with Hai (Boar) covered by "Liuhe" (Six Harmonies), and the fourth lesson is Hai (Boar) with Wei (Earth Pig) covered by "Tianhou" (Heavenly Empress). The three transmissions are: Wei (Earth Pig) (Brother, covered by "Tianhou"), Mao (Rabbit) (Official Ghost, covered by "Baihu"), and Hai (Boar) (Wife's Wealth, covered by "Liuhe"). The combination of Hai, Mao, and Wei forms a Wood trinity, which is again "Shangmen Luanshou" (Upper Gate Confusion at the Beginning), and the three transmissions are of the "Quzhi" (Straight and Flexible) type.

邵彥和曰：承局服事通判，豈可得犯上之課。此課支加干克干名上門亂首，傳得曲直，又名失友，主日後因犯官長，斷勒歸家。又與長上爭財，於爭財中又不合強淫尊輩，遂犯重罪，減等充軍於東海，與妻死在配所也。當年六月果因犯上責而遣歸，與叔爭分家產，而淫其嬸，乃叔知之，借他事告發，配在明州，娶後妻同死於配所。大凡上門亂首，多是下犯上，春占木鬼貪旺而不發，至夏木休，其事將發，到秋木囚死，則事乖張，便主爭競，冬木有生氣，但存諸心，未形之口。經曰：旺相相生災未發，死囚刑剋便災臨是也。

Shao Yanhe said: "Chengju is a subordinate official serving the Tongpan, how can he receive a divination lesson that indicates a situation of subordinates rebelling against superiors? In this lesson, the god of the day branch is added to the day stem and then attacks the day stem, which is called 'Shangmen Luanshou'; the three transmissions form a wood pattern called 'Quzhi', also known as 'Shiyou'. The main subject is later punished for offending his superior and is ordered to return home; he also disputes with his elders over property, and during the dispute he commits the crime of raping his elder's wife, thus committing a serious crime and being reduced in punishment and exiled to the East Sea, eventually dying together with his wife in the place of exile. In the sixth month of that year, he indeed was punished for offending his superior and sent home; then he quarreled with his uncle over dividing the family property, and also raped his aunt. After the uncle found out, he reported him on the basis of another matter, and he was exiled to Mingzhou; his later wife whom he married there also died with him in the place of exile. Generally, the lesson 'Shangmen Luanshou' mostly indicates subordinates rebelling against superiors. If divined in spring, the wood ghost is in its prosperous and strong phase, but it greedily stays in its strong state and does not move, so the matter does not happen; when it reaches summer, the wood energy turns to 'Xiu', and the matter will occur; when it reaches autumn, the wood enters 'Qiu Si', the matter goes against expectations, leading to disputes; in winter, the wood has life energy, so the matter is only in the mind and has not yet been spoken out. The classic says, 'When the prosperous and strong phase is in mutual generation, the disaster has not yet occurred; when the dead and imprisoned phase is in mutual restriction, the disaster comes.' This is exactly what it means."

愚按：斷勒歸家音干入第四課也，爭分家產者，亂首課支上見財也，強淫尊輩者，淫泆卦而卯支加未，未作天后為尊輩之婦也，與妻死在配所者，天后為妻乘死氣也，三月初一尚是二月節，死氣在未支也。

(Cheng Shuxun notes: The phrase "judicial decree ordering to return home" is because the day stem belongs to the fourth lesson. "Struggling over property division" is indicated by the presence of the wealth hexagram in the day branch of the "chaos leader" lesson. "Rape of an elder's wife" refers to the lesson being of a licentious nature, with the卯 branch added to the未 branch, and the未 branch being occupied by the Heavenly Empress, which represents an elder's wife. "Dying together with the wife in the marital residence" is because the Heavenly Empress represents the wife and is accompanied by death qi. The third day of the first month still falls within the second month's solar term, and at this time, death qi is located on the未 branch.)

同日時有一行者，占得此課。（宋本邵案　口鑑）／青空虎常／丑寅卯辰　后合合虎　兄癸未後／勾子　巳玄　未亥亥卯　官己卯虎／合亥　午陰　亥卯卯己　財乙亥合／戌酉申未／朱蛇貴後

On the same day and hour, another wandering monk came for a divination and also received the same lesson. This example is found in the "Song Edition Shao Case" and "Oral Insights." The lesson board is exactly the same as the previous two examples: on the Earth Plate, the branch Si has Chou multiplied by "Azure Dragon," the branch Wu has Yin multiplied by "Heavenly Void," the branch Wei has Mao multiplied by "White Tiger," the branch Shen has Chen multiplied by "Tai Chang," the branch You has Si multiplied by "Black Tortoise," the branch Xu has Wu multiplied by "Tai Yin," the branch Hai has Wei multiplied by "Heavenly Empress," the branch Zi has Shen multiplied by "Nobleman," the branch Chou has You multiplied by "Teng Snake," the branch Yin has Xu multiplied by "Vermilion Bird," the branch Mao has Hai multiplied by "Liu He," and the branch Chen has Zi multiplied by "Gou Chen." The four lessons are: Mao added to Ji multiplied by "White Tiger," Mao on Hai multiplied by "Liu He," the day branch Mao on Hai multiplied by "Liu He," and Hai on Wei multiplied by "Heavenly Empress." The three transmissions are Wei, Mao, and Hai, forming a wood trinity. The same lesson with different people results in different interpretations based on their status, which is a typical example of the Six壬 system's "one lesson, two interpretations."

邵彥和曰：此行者先為雞姦先亂了禪堂及諸房後歸家，又擾兄弟，其身終無所歸，卻與一不正婦人苟合，中風而死。

Shao Yanhe said: This wandering monk first committed a homosexual act, causing chaos in the monastery and all the rooms; then he returned to the secular world and disturbed his brothers, eventually finding no place to settle; finally, he secretly united with a woman of improper behavior and died from a stroke.

戊辰年閏七月己卯日巳將酉時占胎產。（牧夫占驗）

On the Ji Mao day of the leap July in the Wu Chen year, the lesson was cast by placing the Month General on Si and adding it to the hour of You. The divination was about pregnancy and childbirth. This example comes from Wang Mu Fu's records of divination. The term "divination of pregnancy and childbirth" refers to asking about the auspiciousness of the pregnant woman giving birth: whether mother and child will be safe, whether the childbirth will be smooth, and the gender of the child.

青空虎常／丑寅卯辰　后合合虎　兄癸未後／勾子　巳玄　未亥亥卯　官己卯虎／合亥　午陰　亥卯卯己　財乙亥合／戌酉申未／朱蛇貴後

This is a flat-printed divination board divided into three sections. The first section is the Heaven and Earth Plates: the Heavenly General is placed at You (酉), with the Heaven Plate four positions behind the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the position of Si (巳) is occupied by the Heaven Plate position Chou (丑), which is accompanied by the 'Azure Dragon'; the position of Wu (午) is occupied by Yin (寅), accompanied by 'Heavenly Void'; the position of Wei (未) is occupied by Mao (卯), accompanied by 'White Tiger'; the position of Shen (申) is occupied by Chen (辰), accompanied by 'Tai Chang'; the position of You (酉) is occupied by Si (巳), accompanied by 'Black Tortoise'; the position of Xu (戌) is occupied by Wu (午), accompanied by 'Tai Yin'; the position of Hai (亥) is occupied by Wei (未), accompanied by 'Heavenly Empress'; the position of Zi (子) is occupied by Shen (申), accompanied by 'Nobleman'; the position of Chou (丑) is occupied by You (酉), accompanied by 'Teng Snake'; the position of Yin (寅) is occupied by Xu (戌), accompanied by 'Vermilion Bird'; the position of Mao (卯) is occupied by Hai (亥), accompanied by 'Liu He'; the position of Chen (辰) is occupied by Zi (子), accompanied by 'Gou Chen'. On an Ji (己) day, the night Nobleman is at Shen (申), and since the time of You (酉) is considered night, the 'Nobleman' is placed on the Heaven Plate at Shen (申). The position of Shen (申) is on the Earth Plate at Zi (子), which is in a forward direction, and the twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in order, matching perfectly with the board. The second section is the Four Lessons, read from right to left: the day stem Ji (己) is in the lodging palace of Wei (未), and the position of Wei (未) is occupied by Mao (卯), making the first lesson Mao (卯) added to Ji (己), accompanied by 'White Tiger'; the second lesson Hai (亥) added to Mao (卯), accompanied by 'Liu He'; the third lesson is the day branch Mao (卯) occupied by Hai (亥), also accompanied by 'Liu He'; the fourth lesson is Wei (未) added to Hai (亥), accompanied by 'Heavenly Empress'. The third section is the Three Transmissions: the first transmission is Wei (未), with the hidden stem Gui Wei, which is the brother's yao on a Ji day, accompanied by 'Heavenly Empress'; the middle transmission is Mao (卯), with the hidden stem Ji Mao, which is the official's yao, accompanied by 'White Tiger'; the final transmission is Hai (亥), with the hidden stem Yi Hai, which is the wife's wealth yao, accompanied by 'Liu He'. The combination of Hai (亥), Mao (卯), and Wei (未) forms a Wood trinity, making it a 'Qu Zhi' lesson. In divination for childbirth, 'Heavenly Empress' represents the pregnant woman, 'Liu He' represents the fetus, 'White Tiger' represents the danger of bloodshed during childbirth, and 'Teng Snake' represents fear and alarm. In this lesson, 'Heavenly Empress' initiates the transmission and 'White Tiger' is in the middle, which is the key point for determining the safety of mother and child.

王牧夫曰：占產雖易，但生難存，母卻無礙。蓋此課秋占木局為鬼干日，此凶微也。己日未乃其身，由身傳鬼自克，故先產後凶。母能保者，傳比日支也，支辰又乘亥水長生，故母無恙，產亦易也。後為初傳，又屬厭翳，木衰而朽，主女，而不吉也。

Wang Mufu said: This divination concerns childbirth. The actual delivery is easy, but the child is difficult to survive. The mother is not harmed. Because this divination was cast in autumn, the three transmissions of Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wood trinity. Wood comes to overcome the earth, which is the official ghost of the day stem. However, in autumn, the wood energy is in prison and dying, so the danger is only slight. The lodgment palace of the day stem Ji is Wei. Wei represents the pregnant woman. From "self" (Wei) to "ghost" (Mao), it is as if the self invites the overcoming, so delivery is smooth at first, but danger appears after childbirth. The mother remains unharmed because the first transmission, Wei earth, is the same as the day stem Ji earth, and thus is a companion deity helping the self. Moreover, the day branch Mao is occupied by Hai water, and Hai is the place of birth for wood, so the life energy is continuous, and thus the mother is unharmed and the delivery is easy. As for the gender of the child: "Heavenly Empress" is a yin deity, representing the woman in divination of childbirth. Now "Heavenly Empress" is on the first transmission Wei, which is an image of yin obscuration. Also, Wei is the storage place of wood, and wood has already decayed and entered storage, so it is judged to be a female child, and this pregnancy is not auspicious.

儀徵吳兄占產，其母年帶死氣白虎，生後當不保，果厄於產。

A friend from Yizheng named Wu came to consult about childbirth. The woman giving birth had a dead qi in her year pillar, and also had the White Tiger. In divination for childbirth, the White Tiger indicates blood-related calamity and danger, while dead qi signifies the cutting off of vitality. Both signs appearing together, I predicted that the mother would not survive the childbirth. Later, she indeed died from complications during labor.

程秀田兄夫人當產期，腹痛己有欲下意，來占。余曰：尚未旬日，後方是產期。初不信，至夜痛止，果隔旬日而生，日時俱不差。其課遺失，秀兄每嘆其異驗也。

Cheng XiuTian's wife had reached her due date, and she was experiencing pain in her abdomen, indicating that the baby was about to be born. Cheng came to consult the divination. I said that there were still ten days left before the actual delivery date. At first, he did not believe me, but during the night the pain stopped, and indeed ten days later she gave birth, with the exact day and time matching perfectly. The divination chart for this case has been lost. XiuTian often remarked on how remarkably accurate the prediction was.

儀徵朱禮山兄，浯村人，其先乃族後，故亦以宗緒相稱。曾於揚州取側室七年不孕，欲遣之，問數於餘。餘為占之曰：此數來年二月必懷孕，去此不過三個月耳，如數不驗，再遣何如。禮曰：吾己帶來揚矣。余謂之曰：七年可待，三個月反不能待耶。禮笑而允之。至次年二月果懷孕，十一月生男。臘月至余寓謝，謂余曰：君何數神如此。其課遺失，附記於此。

Yizheng's Zhu Lishan brother is from Wucun. His ancestors were originally descendants of our same clan, so the two families also regarded each other as relatives. He once married a concubine in Yangzhou, but after seven years, they had no children. He intended to send her away, and first came to me to consult the divination. I cast the divination for him and said: According to this divination, she will definitely become pregnant in February of next year, which is not more than three months away from now; if it does not come true, then send her away later. Lishan said: I have already brought her to Yangzhou. I told him: We have waited seven years, why can't we wait three months? Lishan laughed and agreed. In the following February, the concubine indeed became pregnant and gave birth to a son in November. In the twelfth month, he came to my residence to thank me, and said to me: How divine your divination is. The divination chart for this case has been lost, so I will just record the event here.

己酉年十月初四己卯日寅將丑時，童知丞乙亥生，三十五歲，占赴任吉凶。（口鑑　方本占案）

On the fourth day of the tenth lunar month in the Jiyou year, which falls on the Jimao day, the divination was started by placing the Month General Yin on the time of Chou. Tong Zhi Cheng, born in the Yihai year and aged thirty-five at that time, came to inquire about the auspiciousness of his appointment. This case is recorded in the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an." "Zhi Cheng" is an assistant official in a prefecture or county. At that time, he had already received an official appointment and was asking about the smoothness of his journey to take up his post.

朱蛇貴後／午未申酉　合勾后貴　兄庚辰勾／合巳　戌陰　巳辰酉申　父辛巳合／勾辰　亥玄　辰卯申己　父壬午朱／卯寅丑子／青空虎常

The flat divination board. The heaven and earth plates are combined: the general is placed on the丑 (Chou) at寅 (Yin), and the heaven plate advances one position ahead of the earth plate. On the earth plate's巳 (Si), the heaven plate's午 (Wu) is placed, marked with the Vermilion Bird; on the earth plate's午 (Wu), the heaven plate's未 (Wei) is placed, marked with the Teng Snake; on the earth plate's未 (Wei), the heaven plate's申 (Shen) is placed, marked with the Nobleman; on the earth plate's申 (Shen), the heaven plate's酉 (You) is placed, marked with the Heavenly Empress; on the earth plate's酉 (You), the heaven plate's戌 (Xu) is placed, marked with the Tai Yin; on the earth plate's戌 (Xu), the heaven plate's亥 (Hai) is placed, marked with the Black Tortoise; on the earth plate's亥 (Hai), the heaven plate's子 (Zi) is placed, marked with the Tai Chang; on the earth plate's子 (Zi), the heaven plate's丑 (Chou) is placed, marked with the White Tiger; on the earth plate's丑 (Chou), the heaven plate's寅 (Yin) is placed, marked with the Tian Kong; on the earth plate's寅 (Yin), the heaven plate's卯 (Mao) is placed, marked with the Azure Dragon; on the earth plate's卯 (Mao), the heaven plate's辰 (Chen) is placed, marked with the Gou Chen; on the earth plate's辰 (Chen), the heaven plate's巳 (Si) is placed, marked with the Liu He. The nobleman is on申 (Shen) at night, and since丑 (Chou) belongs to the night, the nobleman is placed on the heaven plate's申 (Shen). The earth plate's申 (Shen) is on未 (Wei), which is in reverse order, and the twelve generals are arranged in reverse, matching the board. The four lessons are combined, from right to left: the lodgment palace is未 (Wei), with申 (Shen) on it, the first lesson is申 (Shen) added to己 (Ji), marked with the Nobleman; the second lesson is酉 (You) added to申 (Shen), marked with the Heavenly Empress; the third lesson is the day branch卯 (Mao) with辰 (Chen) on it, marked with the Gou Chen; the fourth lesson is巳 (Si) added to辰 (Chen), marked with the Liu He. The three transmissions are combined: the first transmission is辰 (Chen), the hidden stem is Geng Chen, which is the brother's yao on the己 (Ji) day, marked with the Gou Chen; the second transmission is巳 (Si), the hidden stem is Xin Si, which is the parent's yao, marked with the Liu He; the third transmission is午 (Wu), the hidden stem is Ren Wu, which is the parent's yao, marked with the Vermilion Bird. The sequence of辰 (Chen),巳 (Si),午 (Wu) progresses in order, indicating the image of advancing.

邵彥和曰：此課因禍成福。本路除一監司，合主迴避，迴避中卻有好處，終久此貴人不歷此任，而我已別除了。童曰：何等貴人。曰：必提刑與知丞是親，乘此得請職，因得周旋文字改官。初傳辰卯六害，勾亦辰，主遲滯，所以先主迴避；中傳驛馬乘龍，飛騰豹變，行年上白虎乘丁，其勢必動；末傳午祿在馬上，其職不停。巳為爐冶，六合為模範，主坑冶干官之屬。午與朱雀並，主文書職事在爐冶中也。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination indicates a fortunate outcome from a misfortune. A senior official is about to be appointed, and according to the official system, you will need to step down and be transferred. However, within this transfer there is actually a benefit - in the end, this nobleman will not be assigned to your current jurisdiction, and you have already been given a different post. Tong Zhi Cheng asked: What kind of nobleman is this? Shao Yanhe said: It must be the newly appointed inspector who is related to you by kinship. You can then use this relationship to request a transfer, thus being transferred through the exchange of official documents. The first transmission, Chen, is placed on the day branch Mao, so Chen and Mao are in conflict. Chen is also occupied by the 'Gou Chen' which signifies delay, so the initial delay in the transfer is indicated. The middle transmission, Si, is the Post-horse of the day branch Mao, which is part of the wood trinity of Hai-Mao-Wei. The Post-horse is activated, like a leopard's sudden leap. The year branch is at Zi, and Zi is occupied by Chou with the 'Bai Hu', which is also the 'Ding Shen' of this ten-day cycle. The 'Bai Hu' and 'Ding Shen' are both active, so movement is inevitable. The final transmission, Wu, is the禄 of Ji day, and Wu itself is the horse in the twelve earthly branches.禄 sitting on a horse indicates that the official position will not be stagnant. Si belongs to fire, which signifies smelting and forging. The 'Liu He' on Si indicates the mold for casting, so the judgment is that the position will be that of an official in charge of mining and metallurgy. The final transmission Wu is also in the same position as the 'Zhu Que', which signifies official documents. Therefore, the position is a clerical role within the bureau of metallurgy and mining. (Note: The interpretation mentions that the middle transmission驿马 'rides a dragon', but on the chart, Si is occupied by 'Liu He'. Later it says 'Liu He is the model', which is inconsistent. The word 'rides a dragon' may be a mistake.)

此課初四日占，二十二日妻父許郎中除提刑，童遂迴避，改都城提點坑冶司鑄錢。此缺人人所喜，所謂因禍成福也。童即受職，而提刑遭章參劾罷官以去。庚戌年又差諸路鹽司，辛亥改官。蓋日上貴人長生，乃尊長父母之屬，作空亡是前妻父也。申金為刑官，是提刑也，不久罷去，亦空亡也。一雲日上貴人長生，故得此周旋文字改官，必竟空亡脫氣，所以此任合主迴避。吳稼云曰：此課不用青龍官星，全以三傳支干作斷，最合規矩，惜乎後人不知取法也。

This lesson was cast on the fourth day of the tenth lunar month. By the twenty-second day, Tong Zhi Cheng's father-in-law, Xu Langzhong, was indeed appointed as the official in charge of judicial review. Tong Zhi Cheng then withdrew from his post and was transferred to serve as a casting money official in the capital's bureau of mining and metallurgy. This position is highly desirable, which perfectly matches the phrase "turning misfortune into good fortune." Tong Zhi Cheng immediately took up his new post, but the official in charge of judicial review was soon impeached by a memorial and dismissed from office. In the year Gengxu, he was again assigned to various salt bureaus across the country, and in the year Xinhai, he was transferred again. This accurate prediction was made because the heavenly stem of the day was supported by the "nobleman" (a divination term), and the position of the nobleman was in the "growth" position, which indicates a high-ranking elder, specifically the father-in-law. The position of the nobleman was in the empty position, indicating that this was the previous father-in-law, who held the position for a short time. The position of the nobleman belongs to the metal element, which represents punishment and execution, thus symbolizing the judicial official. The judicial official was soon dismissed because the position was in the empty position. Another interpretation is that the nobleman sitting on the "growth" position of the day stem allows for the possibility of changing posts through official correspondence, but since it is in the empty position and loses strength, this position still requires avoidance and transfer. Wu Jia Yun said: This lesson does not rely on the "Azure Dragon" or the official star, but instead uses the three transmissions and the day stem and branch for the judgment, which fully conforms to the principles of the Six壬 system. Unfortunately, later generations have not understood how to follow this method.

四月己卯日申將午時，丁丑人占來意。（一字玉連環）

In the fourth month on the day of Ji Mao, the month general Shen is placed on the hour Wu to cast the divination. A person born in the year Ding Chou comes to inquire about "coming intent," which means the person does not state the purpose of their inquiry, and the diviner deduces what the person is thinking about based solely on the lesson pattern. This example is taken from Xu Cibin's "One Character Jade Linked Ring."

龍勾合朱／未申酉戌　龍虎蛇合　財乙亥蛇⊙／空午　亥蛇　未巳亥酉　兄丁丑後／虎巳　子貴　巳卯酉己　官己卯玄／辰卯寅丑／常玄陰后

The flat divination board. Heaven and Earth plates: the general is stationed on the horse (申) and added to the horse (午), the Heaven plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth plate. On the Earth plate, the Heaven plate is on the snake (巳) and gets the dragon (青龙); on the horse (午) it is on the monkey (申), getting the Gou Chen; on the monkey (未) it is on the rooster (酉), getting the Liu He; on the rooster (申) it is on the dog (戌), getting the Vermilion Bird; on the dog (酉) it is on the pig (亥), getting the Teng Snake; on the pig (戌) it is on the rat (子), getting the Nobleman; on the rat (亥) it is on the ox (丑), getting the Heavenly Empress; on the ox (子) it is on the tiger (寅), getting the Tai Yin; on the tiger (丑) it is on the rabbit (卯), getting the Black Tortoise; on the rabbit (寅) it is on the dragon (辰), getting the Tai Chang; on the dragon (卯) it is on the snake (巳), getting the White Tiger; on the snake (辰) it is on the horse (午), getting the Tian Kong. On the day of Ji (己), the nobleman in the daytime is on the rat (子). At the noon hour, which is daytime, the nobleman is on the rat (子) in the Heaven plate. The rat (子) is on the dog (戌) in the Earth plate, which is in reverse order, and matches the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Ji is assigned to Wei, and on Wei it gets You, the first lesson is You added to Ji, getting the Liu He; the second lesson is Hai added to You, getting the Teng Snake; the third lesson is the day branch, which is Mao, getting Si on Mao, getting the White Tiger; the fourth lesson is Wei added to Si, getting the Qing Long. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Hai, the hidden stem is Yi Hai, which is the wife's wealth in the day of Ji, getting the Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Chou, the hidden stem is Ding Chou, which is the brother's element, getting the Heavenly Empress; the final transmission is Mao, the hidden stem is Ji Mao, which is the official's ghost, getting the Black Tortoise. The circle mark (⊙) next to the first transmission is a mark on the original book's divination board. The whole book does not explain the rules, so it is recorded here without interpretation. Later there is another mark (◎), and any transmission marked with this is in the empty position of the ten days. The days of Geng Chen, Ji Mao, etc., all belong to the Jia Xu ten-day period, and the empty position is in Shen and You.

徐次賓曰：來意主人外和合，中虛詐不實，所論必邪僻之事；又主財上驚恐之象，財卻為姓牛人、衣青衣者所取，並有驢一頭，亦被姓牛人所有；意欲遠行，緣心有所畏，緊速而歸也。蓋時為日干六合，主外和合；值事門上見天空，主虛詐不實也。日上從魁即三交，為隱匿不明，上得六合，主私門，故言邪僻之事。發用登明，為日干之財，上見螣蛇主驚恐。中傳大吉為牛，上見卯為青衣。大吉取登明為財，故財為姓牛人所取。何知連驢亦為姓牛人所取。蓋命上見太沖，為驢，上見元武，為賊神，卯又為大吉之陰神也。先鋒門勝光主道路，用神立酉，中傳大吉為丁神，主動，與日刑並故，意欲遠行。末傳為？太沖為日之鬼，上見元武為賊人，故心有所畏，欲速而歸也。

Xu Cibin said: The meaning of the person coming is that the surface appears harmonious and united, but inside it is hollow and deceitful, and the matter to be discussed is certainly improper. It also indicates alarm regarding money, and this money will be taken by a man surnamed Niu who wears blue clothes, along with a donkey, which will also fall into the hands of this man surnamed Niu. The person originally intended to go on a long journey, but due to fear in his heart, he hurriedly returned. The reasoning for this conclusion is as follows: At the time of the divination, the hour stem Wu and the day stem Ji's lodging palace have not formed Liu He, so it indicates the surface is harmonious. Among the three gates, the 'affair gate' has 'Tian Kong', which signifies something hollow and not genuine. The heavenly stem on the day stem is You, which is 'Congkui', also known as 'Sanjiao', indicating something hidden and unclear. You is also accompanied by 'Liu He', which signifies private and obscure matters, so it is said to be something improper. The initiating transmission is亥, which is 'Dengming', and亥 water is the wife wealth of Ji earth. 亥 is accompanied by 'Teng Snake', which indicates fear, hence there is alarm regarding wealth. The middle transmission is丑, which is 'Daji', and丑 is the ox, so it refers to a man surnamed Niu. The position of丑 is accompanied by卯, which is wood, and the color is blue, hence the man wears blue clothes. The earth丑 can overcome the water亥, meaning 'Daji' takes 'Dengming' as wealth, so it is concluded that this wealth is taken by the man surnamed Niu. How do we know that the donkey also falls into the hands of the man surnamed Niu? Because the person's birth stem is丑, and on the position of丑 there is卯, which is 'Taichong', and in Six Rats,卯 is the donkey.卯 is also accompanied by 'Black Tortoise', which is the god of thieves. And卯 is the hidden god of the transmission丑, so the ox and the donkey are together, hence both are taken. Among the three gates, the 'vanguard gate' is the hour stem Wu, which is called 'Shengguang', indicating travel. The initiating transmission亥 is placed on the earth plate You, and the middle transmission丑 is the heavenly stem of this week, which is active. The position of丑 and the lodging palace of the day stem Ji's 未 are in conflict, so it is concluded that he originally intended to travel far. The final transmission (the original text is missing one character, marked as '?') is卯, which is 'Taichong', and卯 wood overcomes Ji earth, which is the official ghost of the day stem.卯 is also accompanied by 'Black Tortoise', which is the thief, so he has fear in his heart and is hurrying to return.

正月己卯日亥將未時，某占失羊。（方本占案）

In the first lunar month on the day of Jimao, the class of the month is Dengming Hai, so the Hai is used as the month general. The divination is started by placing Hai on the hour of Wei. Someone comes to inquire about a lost sheep. This example is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An."

合朱蛇貴／酉戌亥子　蛇青玄蛇　兄癸未青／勾申　丑后　亥未卯亥　財乙亥蛇／青未　寅陰　未卯亥己　官己卯玄／午巳辰卯／空虎常玄

The flat divination board. Heaven and Earth Plates: The Heaven Plate is four positions ahead of the Earth Plate, with the Heaven Plate酉 (You) on the Earth Plate巳 (Si), riding the 'Liu He' (Triple Harmony); the Heaven Plate戌 (Xu) on the Earth Plate午 (Wu), riding the 'Vermilion Bird'; the Heaven Plate亥 (Hai) on the Earth Plate未 (Wei), riding the 'Teng Snake'; the Heaven Plate申 (Shen) on the Earth Plate子 (Zi), riding the 'Nobleman'; the Heaven Plate酉 (You) on the Earth Plate丑 (Chou), riding the 'Heavenly Empress'; the Heaven Plate戌 (Xu) on the Earth Plate寅 (Yin), riding the 'Tai Yin'; the Heaven Plate亥 (Hai) on the Earth Plate卯 (Mao), riding the 'Black Tortoise'; the Heaven Plate子 (Zi) on the Earth Plate辰 (Chen), riding the 'Tai Chang'; the Heaven Plate丑 (Chou) on the Earth Plate巳 (Si), riding the 'White Tiger'; the Heaven Plate寅 (Yin) on the Earth Plate午 (Wu), riding the 'Tian Kong'; the Heaven Plate卯 (Mao) on the Earth Plate未 (Wei), riding the 'Azure Dragon'; the Heaven Plate辰 (Chen) on the Earth Plate申 (Shen), riding the 'Gou Chen'. On a day of Ji (己), the nobleman is at Zi (子) in the daytime, and the time of Wei (未) is considered daytime, so the nobleman is at Zi (子) on the Heaven Plate, which is at Shen (申) on the Earth Plate, which is in reverse order, matching the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Ji (己) is associated with Wei (未), and Wei (未) has Hai (亥), so the first lesson is Hai (亥) over Ji (己), riding the 'Teng Snake'; the second lesson is Mao (卯) over Hai (亥), riding the 'Black Tortoise'; the third lesson is the day branch Mao (卯) over Wei (未), riding the 'Azure Dragon'; the fourth lesson is Hai (亥) over Wei (未), riding the 'Teng Snake'. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wei (未), hidden stem Gui Wei, representing a brother's yao, riding the 'Azure Dragon'; the second transmission is Hai (亥), hidden stem Yi Hai, representing a wife's wealth yao, riding the 'Teng Snake'; the third transmission is Mao (卯), hidden stem Ji Mao, representing an official's ghost yao, riding the 'Black Tortoise'. The combination of Hai (亥), Mao (卯), and Wei (未) forms a triple harmony of wood, and in the first month, wood is strong, making this a timely 'Qu Zhi' (curved and straight) lesson.

邵彥和曰：春占曲直課，未加卯作龍為用，其羊不失，乃走入他人羊群中，往東方尋之必見。果於東方園內羊群中尋見。蓋初傳是類神，作青龍而加支辰，故不失。

Shao Yanhe said: This is a "Qu Zhi" divination case obtained in spring, with the Wood element in its prime; the first transmission does not fall on the day branch Mao. The hexagram "Wei" is also riding on the "Azure Dragon" and initiating the transmission. Therefore, it can be concluded that the sheep has not been lost, but has entered another person's flock, and it can certainly be found by going east. Later, it was indeed found in a flock of sheep in a garden to the east. The reason for this conclusion is that the first transmission "Wei" in the Six Rats system is exactly the symbol of the lost sheep; it itself represents the lost object. It is riding on the "Azure Dragon," a favorable deity, and is placed on the day branch - the day branch represents the "home," and the object's image returns to the home position, so it is concluded that the sheep has not been lost. The direction to the east is indicated because the day branch Mao belongs to the eastern Wood position.

乾隆辛未年閏五月庚辰日未將卯時，占壬申綱窩價長否。（牧夫占驗）

In the year Xinwei of the Qianlong era, on the Gengchen day of the leap fifth month, the divination was cast by placing the Month General "Wei" on the卯 (Mao) position to determine the course of the Renshen group's "wojia" (price of the right to transport salt). During the Qing dynasty, merchants needed to hold an official document called "woben" (salt permit) to transport salt. The "gang" referred to a batch of salt permits assigned in order, and "wojia" was the price at which the right to transport salt was sold on the market. This example comes from Wang Mufu's records of divination cases.

勾合朱蛇／酉戌亥子　蛇龍玄蛇　父庚辰玄／龍申　丑貴　子申辰子　兄　申龍◎／空未　寅后　申辰子庚　子丙子蛇⊙／午巳辰卯／虎常玄陰

The flat divination board. Heaven and Earth plates: On the day of Geng, the Heaven plate is added to Mao, and the Heaven plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth plate. On the Earth plate Si, the Heaven plate酉 is placed, riding on 'Gou Chen'; on Wu, the Heaven plate 戌 is placed, riding on 'Liu He'; on Wei, the Heaven plate 亥 is placed, riding on 'Zhu Que'; on Shen, the Heaven plate 子 is placed, riding on 'Teng Snake'; on You, the Heaven plate 丑 is placed, riding on 'Nobleman'; on Xu, the Heaven plate 寅 is placed, riding on 'Heavenly Empress'; on Hai, the Heaven plate 卯 is placed, riding on 'Tai Yin'; on Zi, the Heaven plate 辰 is placed, riding on 'Xuan Wu'; on Chou, the Heaven plate 巳 is placed, riding on 'Tai Chang'; on Yin, the Heaven plate 午 is placed, riding on 'Bai Hu'; on Mao, the Heaven plate 未 is placed, riding on 'Tian Kong'; on Chen, the Heaven plate 申 is placed, riding on 'Qing Long'. On the day of Geng, the nobleman is in Chou during the day. At the time of Mao, which is daytime, the nobleman is on the Heaven plate Chou. Chou sits on the Earth plate You, which is in reverse, matching the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng's lodging palace is on Shen. On Shen, the lesson is Zi, so the first lesson is Zi added to Geng, riding on 'Teng Snake'; the second lesson is Chen added to Zi, riding on 'Xuan Wu'; the third lesson is the day branch on Chen, which is Shen, riding on 'Qing Long'; the fourth lesson is Zi added to Shen, riding on 'Teng Snake'. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Chen, hidden stem Geng Chen, which is the parent爻 on the day of Geng, riding on 'Xuan Wu'; the middle transmission is Shen, on the day of Geng, which is in the Jia Xu cycle, and the cycle's empty position is on Shen and You. Since Shen is empty, there is no hidden stem here, so it is marked with '◎' indicating the cycle's emptiness. Shen is the brother爻, riding on 'Qing Long'; the final transmission is Zi, hidden stem Bing Zi, which is the child爻, riding on 'Teng Snake'. Shen Zi Chen form a triple harmony of water, which is the 'Run Xia' lesson. Geng metal generates water, and the whole chart is a pattern of releasing the day stem's energy.

王牧夫曰：此占古之所無，以利之權不操於商也。古之鹽法，商人支鹽，其窩在官，商無所利，故前人亦無成斷章楷，致使後學無可執憑。然財利之占，古多成法，未始不可通變而詳之也。窩價長落之占，財關鉅大，身家所繫，何可漫言。且財乃國用之流通，得失關乎命運，未可視為輕忽，得與不得有數存焉。

Wang Mufu said: This kind of divination method is not found in ancient texts, because in ancient times the power to gain profit did not lie in the hands of merchants. In ancient times, the regulation of salt was such that merchants would receive salt goods from official granaries, and the control of the "wo ben" (capital investment) for distributing salt was held by the government. Merchants could not gain much profit from it, so previous generations did not leave behind established methods or examples (this sentence seems to have some errors or omissions), leaving later scholars without any basis to rely on. However, when divining about wealth and profit, ancients had many established methods, which could still be adapted and elaborated upon with careful consideration. Divination concerning the rise and fall of prices for commodities involves very large sums of money, and the fate of an entire family depends on it. How can one speak carelessly about it? Moreover, wealth is the channel through which the state's resources flow, and the gain or loss is connected to people's destinies. It cannot be treated lightly. Whether one can obtain it or not is determined by a fixed destiny.

今妄言一課，以證高明。以干支論，則庚金而生潤下之水，脫氣也，生財之源也。將得元武青龍，水將也，樂育也。干支為財矣，安有不長者乎。潤下舒緩之象，由漸而長也。脫盡干長亦大也，數不過八，以庚數八，脫盡庚身而止矣。甲子旬必有更變，以子乘蛇坐末故耳。後果由數分長至八錢，甲子旬為官司所禁而止。然窩之長落最疾，不可以月計也；而課之休象又繁，不可以一途視也。諺云：富則為金穴，失則為禍胎。此釋窩字之義最妙，而所關又在呼吸之間。存此一課，以見數理之難，正不易占也。

Now I will roughly interpret this divination lesson, and I hope that those with greater knowledge will verify it. From the day stem and day branch, we see that the metal of Geng is drained by the "Runxia" water trinity of Shen, Zi, and Chen, which is a sign of depletion. The source of wealth is being drained, and the price naturally rises. The heavenly general carries "Xuanwu" and "Qinglong"—"Xuanwu" belongs to water, representing the water deity; "Qinglong" governs growth and transformation. Since both the day stem and day branch are draining and controlling wealth, it is natural for the price to rise. "Runxia" indicates a slow flow of water, so the price rises gradually. When the day stem is completely drained, the increase reaches its peak. The number does not exceed eight, because in the Six Rens system, Geng corresponds to eight, and when it is completely drained, the increase stops. By the time it reaches the Jiazi decade, there must be a change, because the final transmission of Zi is the beginning of the Jiazi decade, and Zi is occupied by "Tengsnake," which signifies change. Later, the price indeed rose from several fen to eight cash, but it stopped when it reached the Jiazi decade and was banned by the authorities. However, the fluctuation of prices is very rapid and cannot be measured by months. Within a single lesson, the signs of fortune and misfortune are very complex and cannot be interpreted from a single perspective. There is a saying: "If you obtain it, it is a golden site; if you lose it, it is a curse." This saying best explains the meaning of "wo" (a term for a price fluctuation). The difference between gain and loss is only a breath away. I leave this lesson here to show the difficulty of numerical calculations and the difficulty of divination.

愚按：以支所克者為財，古原有此法。行商看干克之財，坐賈看支克之財。固窩與坐賈同，自當看支所克者。三傳脫干而斷其價長，以脫盡庚身而止，斷其數不過八，此則牧夫先生之心得者耶。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: Using the yao that is overcome by the day branch as wealth is an ancient method. For itinerant merchants engaged in trade, one should look at the wealth indicated by the day stem; for shopkeepers who operate a fixed establishment, one should look at the wealth indicated by the day branch. Since holding a monopoly on salt or running a trading enterprise is similar to that of a shopkeeper, it should naturally be based on the water overcome by the day branch. The herdsman inferred from the three transmissions that the energy of the day stem would be released, thus predicting a price increase, and further deduced that the number would not exceed eight by considering the complete release of the metal element. This is probably his own insight and understanding.

建炎戊申年六月二十七庚辰日午將寅時，邵巡檢癸亥生，九月初九子日酉時生，四十六歲，占家宅。

In the fifth year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, on the 27th day of the sixth month, which was a Wushen day, the Month General was Gengchen. The divination was started by placing the Month General at Wu and adding it to the time of Yin. A person named Shao Xunjian, born in the Guihai year, on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month at the酉 hour, aged forty-six at the time, came to inquire about his family residence. Divination for a family residence involves questioning the safety of a house, the well-being of its inhabitants, and whether to move or stay. The original text mentions 'initial nine on a Zi day' which does not fit the context, suggesting a possible error in the text.

朱合勾青／酉戌亥子　青蛇玄青　父庚辰玄／蛇申　丑空　子申辰子　兄　申蛇◎／貴未　寅虎　申辰子庚　子丙子青⊙／午巳辰卯／後陰玄常

The flat divination board. Heaven and Earth Plates: The general is stationed at寅 on午, and the Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate. On巳 of the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate has酉, accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; on午, it has戌, accompanied by the Liu He; on未, it has亥, accompanied by the Gou Chen; on申, it has子, accompanied by the Azure Dragon; on酉, it has丑, accompanied by the Tian Kong; on戌, it has寅, accompanied by the White Tiger; on亥, it has卯, accompanied by the Tai Chang; on子, it has辰, accompanied by the Black Tortoise; on丑, it has巳, accompanied by the Tai Yin; on寅, it has午, accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; on卯, it has未, accompanied by the Nobleman. At the time of the night, the nobleman is at未, and the time of寅 belongs to the night, so the nobleman is at未 on the Heaven Plate. The Earth Plate has卯 on未, which is in the order of progression, matching the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is庚, which is stationed at申, and on申, it has子, so the first lesson is子 added to庚, accompanied by the Azure Dragon; the second lesson is辰, which is stationed at子, so the second lesson is辰 added to子, accompanied by the Black Tortoise; the third lesson is the day branch, which is on辰, and on辰, it has申, so the third lesson is申 added to辰, accompanied by the Teng Snake; the fourth lesson is子, which is stationed at申, so the fourth lesson is子 added to申, accompanied by the Azure Dragon. The three transmissions: the first transmission is辰, which is the hidden stem of Gengchen, representing the parent's yao, accompanied by the Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is申, which falls into the empty position of the ten days, so there is no hidden stem, marked with「◎」to indicate the empty position, representing the brother's yao, accompanied by the Teng Snake; the final transmission is子, which is the hidden stem of丙子, representing the son's yao, accompanied by the Azure Dragon. The combination of申,子, and辰 forms the water trinity of「Runxia」, and the previous lesson's stem and branch are the same, but the heavenly general is different.

邵彥和曰：金日得水局，三傳日辰皆子孫爻，脫處見青龍，生處見元武，祿上見螣蛇。一生彼子息作吵，一個死了，一個又生，取盡父母氣力了方休，家計亦被子孫磨滅。此宅十二年後出怪，住不得，必別遷。初受任日，兵卒不合，未後卻吉。後任必在水陸之處，更後在水邊屯，三任六十三難過也。

Shao Yanhe said: On a day with the stem Geng Metal, the day branch is Shen, and the trine of water is formed by Shen, Zi, and Chen. The three transmissions together with the day stem and day branch are all the grandson yao. On the water Zi, there is the Qinglong, which drains the energy; on the earth Chen, there is the Xuanwu, which generates metal; and on the day's禄 position Shen, there is the Teng Snake. This person will be troubled by his children: one dies, another is born, until the parents' energy is completely exhausted, and the family's fortune will be worn down by the children. This house will have strange occurrences twelve years later and will be uninhabitable, requiring a move. At the beginning of his appointment, he will have conflicts with the soldiers in the camp, but later it will turn favorable. His future posts will certainly be at the confluence of water and land, and later he will be stationed at a village by the water. He will serve for three posts, and at the age of sixty-three, he will face difficulties.

邵娶宗女為妻，得被恩澤，前後生八子，或三歲、二歲、一歲即死；及妾生三子，亦然；再納一婢，又生二男一女，前後果被子息壞盡心血。及巡檢任滿，果授英州水陸巡檢，本州島駐箚。至紹興十五年乙丑四月初三作古，果年六十三矣。

Shao Xunjian married a daughter of a royal family, thus benefiting from the court's favor. He had eight sons in total; some died at three, some at two, and some at one. Later, his concubine gave birth to three more sons, who met the same fate. He then took in a servant girl, who gave birth to two sons and a daughter. Indeed, his life was consumed by his children. When his term as xunjian ended, he was indeed appointed as the water and land xunjian of Yingzhou, and stationed in the same state. He died on April 3rd of the fourth month in the year of Yichou, 1155, at the age of sixty-three.

蓋金日得潤下局，及干支上神各為脫氣。庚以子為真氣，子息乘青龍脫氣，又有元武螣蛇二凶，與青龍三個皆水獸，只管盜其真氣，故一子死，一子又來。日臨辰非蛇，日申七數，辰五數，併成十二年。螣蛇主變異，所以出怪擾害，遂遷寺中居住。六十三上死者，蓋子加申，子九數，申七數，七九共六十三也。

Therefore, the divination can be made as follows: On the day of Geng metal, the "Runxia" water pattern is present. The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the day both have spirits that drain the energy. Geng metal takes Zi water as its true essence. The son爻 is riding the "Qinglong" and drains the energy. In addition, the "Xuanwu" and "Tengshe" - two Inauspicious General - are also present. The "Qinglong," "Xuanwu," and "Tengshe" all belong to the water animals in the Six Rats system, continuously stealing the true essence of the day's heavenly stem. Hence, one dies and another comes. The day's heavenly stem is lodged in the "Chen" branch, with the "Shen" riding on it (the "Shen" on "Chen" is actually riding the "Tengshe," the original text's "fei she" is likely a mistake for "cheng she"). In the Six Rats system, "Shen" is seven and "Chen" is five. Seven plus five makes twelve, so the prediction is twelve years. "Tengshe" signifies change and strangeness, hence the house had strange occurrences, and he later moved to a temple. The prediction of his death at sixty-three is because Zi is placed on Shen. The number of Zi is nine and the number of Shen is seven. Seven multiplied by nine equals sixty-three.

三月庚辰日酉將辰時，某因親友筵會失銀？占之。（方本占案）

On the Gengchen day in the third lunar month, the divination was started by placing the Month General You (from the branch You) on the hour stem. Someone came to inquire because they had lost silver at a relative's banquet (the original text is missing one character, marked as '?'). The Month General for the third month is You, so the You general was used. This example is from "Fang Ben Zhan An."

合朱蛇貴／戌亥子丑　后勾虎貴　財戊寅後⊙／勾酉　寅后　寅酉午丑　父癸未空／青申　卯陰　酉辰丑庚　子丙子蛇／未午巳辰／空虎常玄

The flat divination board. Heaven and Earth plates: the general is placed on the Chou branch, with the Heaven plate advancing five positions ahead of the Earth plate. On the Earth plate Si, the Heaven plate Wu is placed, accompanied by 'Liu He'; on Wu, the Heaven plate Hai is placed, accompanied by 'Vermilion Bird'; on Wei, the Heaven plate Zi is placed, accompanied by 'Teng Snake'; on Shen, the Heaven plate Chou is placed, accompanied by 'Nobleman'; on You, the Heaven plate Yin is placed, accompanied by 'Heavenly Empress'; on Xu, the Heaven plate Mao is placed, accompanied by 'Tai Yin'; on Hai, the Heaven plate Chen is placed, accompanied by 'Black Tortoise'; on Zi, the Heaven plate Si is placed, accompanied by 'Tai Chang'; on Chou, the Heaven plate Wu is placed, accompanied by 'White Tiger'; on Yin, the Heaven plate Shen is placed, accompanied by 'Tian Kong'; on Mao, the Heaven plate You is placed, accompanied by 'Azure Dragon'; on Chen, the Heaven plate You is placed, accompanied by 'Gou Chen'. On a Geng day, the nobleman in the daytime is on Chou. The time of Chen belongs to the daytime, so the nobleman is placed on the Heaven plate Chou. Chou sits on the Earth plate Shen, which is in reverse order, matching the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is placed on Shen, with Shen having Chou, the first lesson Chou added to Geng, accompanied by 'Nobleman'; the second lesson Wu added to Chou, accompanied by 'White Tiger'; the third lesson, the day branch is on Chen, with You added to Chen, accompanied by 'Gou Chen'; the fourth lesson Yin added to You, accompanied by 'Heavenly Empress'. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Yin, hidden dry branch Wu Yin, which is the wife and wealth hexagram on a Geng day, accompanied by 'Heavenly Empress'; the middle transmission is Wei, hidden dry branch Gui Wei, which is the parents hexagram, accompanied by 'Tian Kong'; the final transmission is Zi, hidden dry branch Bing Zi, which is the sons and grandsons hexagram, accompanied by 'Teng Snake'. The lost item is silver, which belongs to metal. In this lesson, the category god of the lost item is the You on the Earth plate Chen.

邵彥和曰：寅作后加酉，后為隱蔽；酉為類神加支上，日上有丑墓之。寅為用神，未又作墓覆其上，凡見墓則為收藏，有類神則物不失。墓作天空，主汙穢。辰作元武，酉作勾陳太陽而加元武之上，又為元武之敗神，故主尋之必得。

Shao Yanhe said: The trigram Yin (寅) is riding on the Heavenly Empress (天后) which is placed on You (酉). The Heavenly Empress is a hidden and covering deity, indicating that things in the east and west are concealed. You is the deity of silver, and now it is placed on the day branch Chen (辰), which represents the family dwelling. The deity on the day stem is Chou (丑), which is exactly the burial place of metal. This You is thus hidden away. The first transmission Yin is the useful god, and the middle transmission Wei (未) soil is also the burial place of wood, covering Yin above it. Whenever there is a burial, it indicates that things are collected and not scattered. Since the deity is present and then hidden, the thing will not be lost. On top of the burial is Tian Kong (天空), which governs filth, so the thing is hidden in an unclean place. The trigram Chen (辰) on the earth plate亥 is riding on Xuanwu (玄武), which is the thief deity. Meanwhile, You is riding on Gou Chen (勾陈), and You is also the month general of this month. The month general is where the sun is located. Now this You is placed above Chen, which is like the sun covering Xuanwu. Moreover, water in You is a place of decline and washing, and You is exactly the declining deity of Xuanwu. The thief deity is thus restrained, so it is concluded that the thing can be found easily.

尋銀未見，其子再占。三月庚辰日酉將午時。（方本占案）

The silver was searched for but not found. The owner's son then cast another divination. It was still on the third month, Gengchen day. This time, the Month General You was placed on the time of Wu to cast the divination. This example is from "Fang Ben Zhan An."

青勾合朱／申酉戌亥　合空后朱　財戊寅後／空未　子蛇　戌未寅亥　官辛巳常／虎午　丑貴　未辰亥庚　兄　申青◎／巳辰卯寅／常玄陰后

The flat divination board. Heaven and Earth plates: the general is酉 (You) and the day branch is午 (Wu), with the Heaven plate advancing three positions ahead of the Earth plate. On the Earth plate, the Heaven plate is on巳 (Si) and is乘「青龙」(Azure Dragon); on午 (Wu) is酉 (You),乘「勾陈」(Gou Chen); on未 (Wei) is戌 (Xu),乘「六合」(Liu He); on申 (Shen) is亥 (Hai),乘「朱雀」(Vermilion Bird); on酉 (You) is子 (Zi),乘「螣蛇」(Teng Snake); on戌 (Xu) is丑 (Chou),乘「贵人」(Nobleman); on亥 (Hai) is寅 (Yin),乘「天后」(Heavenly Empress); on子 (Zi) is卯 (Mao),乘「太阴」(Tai Yin); on丑 (Chou) is辰 (Chen),乘「玄武」(Black Tortoise); on寅 (Yin) is巳 (Si),乘「太常」(Tai Chang); on卯 (Mao) is午 (Wu),乘「白虎」(White Tiger); on辰 (Chen) is未 (Wei),乘「天空」(Tian Kong). On a庚 (Geng) day, the nobleman is in丑 (Chou) during the day. At the午 (Wu) hour, which is daytime, the nobleman is on the Heaven plate at丑 (Chou). The Earth plate at丑 (Chou) is戌 (Xu), which is in reverse order, matching the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: 庚 (Geng) is in申 (Shen), with亥 (Hai) on申 (Shen), so the first lesson is亥 (Hai) over庚 (Geng),乘「朱雀」(Vermilion Bird); the second lesson is寅 (Yin) over亥 (Hai),乘「天后」(Heavenly Empress); the third lesson is the day branch on辰 (Chen) with未 (Wei),乘「天空」(Tian Kong); the fourth lesson is戌 (Xu) over未 (Wei),乘「六合」(Liu He). The three transmissions: the first transmission is寅 (Yin), with the hidden stem Wuyin (Wu Yin), which is the wife and wealth爻,乘「天后」(Heavenly Empress); the middle transmission is巳 (Si), with the hidden stem Xinsi (Xin Si), which is the official and ghost爻,乘「太常」(Tai Chang); the final transmission is申 (Shen), which falls into the empty旬, so there is no hidden stem, marked with「◎」to indicate the empty旬, which is the brother and sibling爻,乘「青龙」(Azure Dragon). Compared with the previous lesson, the first transmission is the same寅 (Yin) with「天后」(Heavenly Empress), so the interpretations of the two lessons are largely consistent.

邵彥和曰：其物在廁屋左右。蓋寅加亥為用，亦乘天后隱蔽之將；末傳申是類神，加於巳長生之上，其物不失。辰作元武加金墓上，見天空，主汙穢處藏匿，故在廁屋左右。果申牌後於廁坑左右尋得，與前課不殊。

Shao Yanhe said: The thing is near the latrine. Because the first transmission is寅 added to亥 and initiates, and寅 is also riding on the hidden and concealed "Heavenly Empress"; the final transmission is申, which belongs to metal, exactly the spirit of silver, which is added to the earth plate at position巳, and巳 is the place where metal is born, so the spirit of silver can be born and continues, so the thing cannot be lost. The earth plate at position丑 has辰 riding on the "Black Tortoise", and丑 is the storage place of metal, the "Black Tortoise" is pressing on the metal storage; while the day branch at position辰 also sees "Tian Kong", "Tian Kong" governs filth, combined together it means hidden in dirty places, so it is concluded to be near the latrine. Later, it was indeed found after the hour of申 on the signboard, near the latrine pit, exactly the same as the previous lesson.

己酉年正月初一庚辰日子將巳時，錢通判丁巳生，十一月二十一日午時生，五十三歲，占前程。（宋本邵案　口鑑　方本占案）愚按：正月初一未交春，尚是戊申太歲。

On the first day of the first lunar month in the Jiyou year, the day was Gengchen. To cast the divination, the Month General Zi was placed on the time Dingsi. Qian Tongpan, born at noon on the 21st day of the 11th lunar month in the Dingsi year (now aged 53), came to consult about his official career. This case is recorded in the "Song Edition Shao Case," "Koujian," and "Fang Edition Zhan An." Cheng Shuxun notes: On the first day of the first lunar month, the spring equinox has not yet arrived, so according to the calculation of the Tai Su, it still belongs to the previous year's Wushen Tai Su. When calculating the year, the age, and the time, this should be taken into account.

蛇貴后陰／子丑寅卯　虎朱合陰　官壬午虎／朱亥　辰玄　午亥戌卯　父丁丑貴／合戌　巳常　亥辰卯庚　兄　申青◎／酉申未午／勾青空虎

The flat divination board. Heaven and Earth plates: Zi is added to Si, the Heaven plate is five places behind the Earth plate. On the Earth plate Si, the Heaven plate Zi is placed, riding on 'Teng Snake'; on the Earth plate Wu, the Heaven plate Chou is placed, riding on 'Nobleman'; on the Earth plate Wei, the Heaven plate Yin is placed, riding on 'Heavenly Empress'; on the Earth plate Shen, the Heaven plate Mao is placed, riding on 'Tai Yin'; on the Earth plate You, the Heaven plate Chen is placed, riding on 'Black Tortoise'; on the Earth plate Xu, the Heaven plate Si is placed, riding on 'Tai Chang'; on the Earth plate Hai, the Heaven plate Wu is placed, riding on 'White Tiger'; on the Earth plate Zi, the Heaven plate Wei is placed, riding on 'Heavenly Void'; on the Earth plate Chou, the Heaven plate Shen is placed, riding on 'Azure Dragon'; on the Earth plate Yin, the Heaven plate You is placed, riding on 'Gou Chen'; on the Earth plate Mao, the Heaven plate Xu is placed, riding on 'Liu He'; on the Earth plate Chen, the Heaven plate Hai is placed, riding on 'Vermilion Bird'. On a庚 day, the nobleman is in Chou during the day. The time of巳 is during the day, so the nobleman is on the Heaven plate Chou. Chou is on the Earth plate Wu, which is in reverse, matching the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left:庚 is located in Shen, Shen has Mao, the first lesson is Mao added to庚, riding on 'Tai Yin'; the second lesson is Xu added to Mao, riding on 'Liu He'; the third lesson is the day branch on Chen with Hai, riding on 'Vermilion Bird'; the fourth lesson is Wu added to Hai, riding on 'White Tiger'. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wu, the hidden stem is Renwu, which is the official ghost爻 on a庚 day, riding on 'White Tiger'; the second transmission is Chou, the hidden stem is Dingchou, which is the parent爻, riding on 'Nobleman'; the third transmission is Shen, which falls into the empty旬, marked with '◎' for empty旬, representing the brother爻, riding on 'Azure Dragon'. The禄 of庚 is in Shen, but the third transmission is this empty Shen, so it is a lesson of 'no禄'.

邵彥和曰：無祿課，雖受通判，必不能食祿。兼父母年高，先亡母，後亡父，下來又有別差遣，將及瓜而止。末傳又是祿作空亡入墓，亡在乙丑年六十九上，又蔭不得子也。錢乃奉議郎，受臨江軍通判，庚戌春至任，至三月三日作寒食會，母醉死；壬子冬又差南康通判；甲寅又丁父憂；丁巳受江南安撫司；己未避嫌，得主管台州崇道觀；壬戌再轉嶽州通判；乙丑五月本身喪矣。乙丑喪者，乙祿在卯，卯絕在申，而天盤申卻又入墓在丑，且是空亡。申是今日之庚，便是我身，身上有卯，卯中有乙，而庚金恰墓於丑，故乙丑年死。相次轉朝奉郎，止爭二日，不得萌子。可見無祿課中有許多事也。

Shao Yanhe said: This is a "no salary" divination. Although he was assigned the post of Tongpan, he would ultimately not receive the salary. Moreover, his parents were old, and the mother would die first, followed by the father. Later he would be assigned another post, and when his term was about to end, it would stop. The final transmission is both the day's salary and falls into Kongwang, entering the Storage. This indicates that the person would die in the year Yichou at the age of sixty-nine, and would not receive the favor of荫补 for his descendants. Qian Tongpan was originally a Fengyi Lang, and was assigned as Tongpan of Linjiang Jun. In the spring of Gengxu year, he arrived at his post. On the third day of the third month, he held a cold food festival banquet, and his mother died from drunkenness. In the winter of Renzi year, he was again assigned as Tongpan of Nanxiang. In Jiayin year, he experienced the mourning for his father. In Dingsi year, he was assigned a post by the Jiangnan Anfu Si. In Jiwei year, he avoided the post due to family relations and was given the position of managing the Taoist temple at Taizhou Chongdao Guan. In Renxu year, he was again transferred to be Tongpan of Yuezhou. He died in the fifth month of Yichou year. The reason for predicting his death in Yichou year is that the salary of the wood element 乙 is in the卯, but the卯 is dead in the申. The heaven plate's 申 is sitting on the丑, entering the metal Storage. Moreover, this 申 is also Kongwang. The 申 is the lodging palace of the day's 申, which represents himself. Above this is the卯, which contains the 乙 wood. The metal 庚 is buried in the丑. Both the 乙 and the丑 match, so it is predicted that he would die in the year Yichou. He was supposed to be promoted to Chaofeng Lang, but missed by two days, so he could not get荫补 for his son. It is evident that a "no salary" divination can include so many events.

二月庚辰日亥將辰時，某占男人病。（方本占案）

On the Gengchen day in the second lunar month, using the month general Hai to cast the divination for the time of day, someone consulted about a man's illness. The Hai general added to Chen and the previous lesson with the Zi general added to Si both retreat five positions, so the heavenly and earthly plates of both lessons are exactly the same. This example is from "Fang Ben Zhan An."

蛇貴后陰／子丑寅卯　虎朱合陰　官壬午虎／朱亥　辰玄　午亥戌卯　父丁丑貴／合戌　巳常　亥辰卯庚　兄　申青◎／酉申未午／勾青空虎

The spread-out divination board is exactly the same as the case of Qian Tongpan: on the Earth Plate, the branch Si has the Teng Snake, branch Wu has the Nobleman, branch Wei has the Heavenly Empress, branch Shen has the Tai Yin, branch You has the Black Tortoise, branch Xu has the Tai Chang, branch Hai has the White Tiger, branch Zi has the Tian Kong, branch Chou has the Azure Dragon, branch Yin has the Gou Chen, branch Mao has the Liu He, and branch Chen has the Vermilion Bird. The four lessons are Mao with Geng and Tai Yin, Xu with Mao and Liu He, the Day Branch Chen with Hai and Vermilion Bird, and Wu with Hai and White Tiger. The three transmissions are Wu (official ghost, with White Tiger), Chou (parents, with Nobleman), and Shen (brother, with Azure Dragon, empty term). Divination for illness differs from divination for career prospects: for illness, one must look at the ghost爻 and White Tiger. In this case, the initial transmission Wu fire overcomes Geng metal, which is the ghost, and Wu also carries the White Tiger, which signifies death and bloodshed. Therefore, the following interpretation focuses specifically on this point.

邵彥和曰：四課俱下賊上，絕陰之象。白虎乘午作鬼，男病至三日內死。何也，無陽氣也。既不合灸，又不宜服藥，此是血病。蓋午主心，心主血也。宅中有陰人死得不明（稼云曰：午加亥之故也），作鬼為禍。若要陰鬼退，須門前社廟作福（稼云曰：用支上亥制午鬼，午是陰人，乘虎作鬼故也）。又午是天之真火，主灸神，乘虎克日，故不宜灸；又是天醫，故不宜服藥。涉害深者為用，主久病。且火加水上，主寒熱往來剋日，主癆血也。

Shao Yanhe said: All four lessons are instances of lower spirits overcoming upper spirits, which is a sign of the interruption of yang energy. The "White Tiger" is riding on the午 fire to act as a ghost -- the午 fire overcomes the庚 metal, which is exactly the official ghost of the day stem. Therefore, the man's illness will result in death within three days. Why? Because there is no yang energy in the lesson. It is not suitable to use moxibustion or take medicine, this is a disease of the blood; the午 is in the human body associated with the heart, and the heart governs the blood, so it is concluded to be a blood disease. In the house, there is a woman who died in a mysterious way (Wu Jiayun said: this is because the午 is placed on the亥). She has become a ghost to haunt. If one wants to drive away the ghost, one must perform rituals at the gate's temple to pray for fortune (Wu Jiayun said: this is taking the亥 water from the day branch to overcome the午 ghost; the午 is that woman, the午 is riding on the "White Tiger" to become a ghost, so it is necessary to perform exorcism). Moreover, the午 is the true fire in the sky, governing the god of moxibustion; now it is riding on the "White Tiger" to overcome the day stem, so moxibustion is not suitable; the午 is also where the "Heavenly Physician" is located, and the Heavenly Physician is occupied by the tiger ghost, so taking medicine is also not suitable. In this lesson, all four lessons are instances of lower spirits overcoming upper spirits, according to the method of involving harm, take the one that is most heavily overcome as the first transmission, and the involved harm initiating transmission indicates a prolonged illness. Moreover, the午 fire is placed on the亥 water, water and fire are in conflict, leading to alternating chills and fever, and injuring the day stem, which is a severe illness such as tuberculosis and hemoptysis.

十月庚辰日寅將午時，李秀才占往元真觀訪紫衣張道士。（方本占案）

On the Gengchen day in the tenth month, using the Month General Yin placed on the time of Wu to cast the divination, Li Scholar asked whether he could meet the Taoist priest Zhang, who wears purple robes, when he goes to visit Yuanzhen Temple. This example is from "Fang Ben Zhan An."

貴后陰玄／丑寅卯辰　青蛇蛇玄　子丙子蛇／蛇子　巳常　申子子辰　兄　申青◎／朱亥　午虎　子辰辰庚　父庚辰玄⊙／戌酉申未／合勾青空

The flat divination board. Heaven and Earth plates: the general is placed at the hour of Yin, and the Heaven plate is four positions behind the Earth plate. On the Earth plate, the Heaven plate is placed on the position of Si, with the 'Nobleman' as its occupant; on the position of Wu, the 'Heavenly Empress' is on it; on the position of Wei, the 'Tai Yin' is on it; on the position of Shen, the 'Black Tortoise' is on it; on the position of You, the 'Tai Chang' is on it; on the position of Xu, the 'White Tiger' is on it; on the position of Hai, the 'Heavenly Void' is on it; on the position of Zi, the 'Azure Dragon' is on it; on the position of Chou, the 'Gou Chen' is on it; on the position of Yin, the 'Liu He' is on it; on the position of Mao, the 'Vermilion Bird' is on it; on the position of Chen, the 'Teng Snake' is on it. On a Geng day, the nobleman in the daytime is at Chou. The time of Wu belongs to the daytime, so the 'Nobleman' is at the Heaven plate position of Chou. The position of Chou is on the Earth plate at Si, which is in reverse order, and it matches the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is placed at Shen, and on Shen there is Chen, so the first lesson is Chen added to Geng, with the 'Black Tortoise' as its occupant; the second lesson is Zi added to Chen, with the 'Teng Snake' as its occupant; the third lesson is also Zi added to Chen, with the 'Teng Snake' as its occupant; the fourth lesson is Shen added to Zi, with the 'Azure Dragon' as its occupant. The second and third lessons have the same heavenly spirits above and below, so the fourth lesson actually forms only three lessons, hence the statement 'the lesson of Chen is insufficient'. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Bingzi, which is the son's yao, with the 'Teng Snake' as its occupant; the middle transmission is Shen, which falls into the empty position of the ten days, marked with '◎' to indicate the empty position, which is the brother's yao, with the 'Azure Dragon' as its occupant; the final transmission is Chen, with the hidden stem Gengchen, which is the father's yao, with the 'Black Tortoise' as its occupant. Shen, Zi, and Chen form the 'Run Xia' water trinity.

邵彥和曰：此課占訪人，其人在本處水火之傍，造墨為生計，事未畢，必然不出見也。蓋子發用，雖與日辰三合，奈辰課不足，必主事務未畢也。且今日庚金，子水發用，庚落空亡，不能生子，子反畏日上天罡，所以主不出見。罡加孟為在內，故主在家。言為生計者，庚為水之源而生神后，神后加辰，神后北方也，黑色，交合辰土，生計是造墨也。潤下卦有螣蛇火神為用，故曰近水火之傍也。李果訪之不見，後詢之，果因造墨未畢也。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination concerns seeking a person, who is located nearby, near water and fire. He makes a living by making ink, and his work is not yet finished, so he certainly will not come out to meet. Because the first transmission is the water trigram Zi, although it forms a triple harmony with the day stem's lodgment palace Shen and the day branch Chen, it is unfortunate that there are two repeated lessons among the four lessons, so the four lessons cannot be formed, meaning the matter is not completed. Moreover, today's day stem is Geng metal, and the initiating transmission is Zi water. Geng's lodgment palace is Shen, but Shen is in the empty position of the ten days, so it cannot move the Zi water. The Zi water is then afraid of the day stem's upper god Chen - Chen is called Tiangang, and the Chen earth controls the Zi water, so he will not come out to meet. Tiangang Chen is placed on the earth plate Shen, and Shen is one of the four Meng positions. When the Tiangang is on the Meng position, the person is inside and will not come out, so he is at home. He makes a living by making ink because Geng metal is the source of water, producing Shenhou Zi water, and the Zi water is placed on Chen earth. Shenhou belongs to the north, its color is black, and black combines with Chen earth, which is exactly the image of soot and glue mixed to make ink. The entire lesson is the water hexagram of Runxia, and the Zi water is covered by the fire Teng Snake, so he is near water and fire. Li Xiucai indeed went to visit but did not meet him. Later he asked and found out that it was indeed because the ink was not yet finished.

己酉年十月庚辰日寅將辰時，陳主簿戊寅生，三十二歲，占官任吉凶，及問升遷。（口鑑　方本占案）

In the year Jiyou, during the tenth month, on the day Gengchen, the class of the month was set with the stem Yin added to the time of day to cast the divination. Chen the Clerk (born in the year Wuyin, aged thirty-two in the current year) consulted about the fortune of his current official position and whether he could be promoted. "Main Clerk" is an official in the county administration responsible for managing documents and records. This case is recorded in the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an."

朱合勾青／卯辰巳午　后蛇合青　官壬午青⊙／蛇寅　未空　子寅辰午　父庚辰合／貴丑　申虎　寅辰午庚　財戊寅蛇／子亥戌酉／後陰玄常

The spread-out lesson board. Heaven and Earth plates: the general is placed on the Chén (辰) branch, and the Heaven plate is two positions behind the Earth plate. On the Earth plate, the Heaven plate is placed on the Mǎo (卯) branch, accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; on the Wǔ (午) branch, the Heaven plate is placed on the Chén (辰) branch, accompanied by the Liu He; on the Wèi (未) branch, the Heaven plate is placed on the Mǎo (卯) branch, accompanied by the Gou Chen; on the Shēn (申) branch, the Heaven plate is placed on the Wǔ (午) branch, accompanied by the Azure Dragon; on the Yǒu (酉) branch, the Heaven plate is placed on the Wèi (未) branch, accompanied by the Tian Kong; on the Xū (戌) branch, the Heaven plate is placed on the Shēn (申) branch, accompanied by the White Tiger; on the Hài (亥) branch, the Heaven plate is placed on the Yǒu (酉) branch, accompanied by the Tai Chang; on the Zǐ (子) branch, the Heaven plate is placed on the Xū (戌) branch, accompanied by the Black Tortoise; on the Chǒu (丑) branch, the Heaven plate is placed on the Hài (亥) branch, accompanied by the Tai Yin; on the Yín (寅) branch, the Heaven plate is placed on the Zǐ (子) branch, accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; on the Mǎo (卯) branch, the Heaven plate is placed on the Chǒu (丑) branch, accompanied by the Nobleman; on the Chén (辰) branch, the Heaven plate is placed on the Yín (寅) branch, accompanied by the Teng Snake. On a Geng day, the Nobleman is in the Chǒu (丑) branch during the day, and the Chén (辰) hour belongs to the day, so the Nobleman is placed on the Heaven plate at the Chǒu (丑) branch. The Chǒu (丑) branch sits on the Earth plate at the Mǎo (卯) branch, which is in the forward direction, matching the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is placed on the Shen (申) branch, and the Shen (申) branch has the Wǔ (午) branch, the first lesson is Wǔ (午) added to Geng, accompanied by the Azure Dragon; the second lesson is Chén (辰) added to Wǔ (午), accompanied by the Liu He; the third lesson is the day branch Chén (辰) branch having the Yín (寅) branch, accompanied by the Teng Snake; the fourth lesson is Zǐ (子) added to Yín (寅), accompanied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wǔ (午), hidden dry branch Renwu, which is the official ghost爻, accompanied by the Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is Chén (辰), hidden dry branch Gengchen, which is the parents爻, accompanied by the Liu He; the final transmission is Yín (寅), hidden dry branch Wuyin, which is the wife's wealth爻, accompanied by the Teng Snake. The Wǔ (午), Chén (辰), and Yín (寅) branches move backward in sequence, which is called 'retreating', also known as 'looking back' in the Six Rén system. This kind of transmission that moves backward continuously is most unfavorable for predicting promotion.

邵彥和曰：日上發傳，退入支上，又是顧祖，末又見本命入宅，須是差出，經過鄉里而有是非（寅為支馬，故主經過；又是本命，所以主自蒙差出，而後經鄉里也）。不然須是有甚不到處，不合日上退歸本命入宅，為蛇所擾，又是共屋人之事也。蓋主簿族大房多，因爭分家產財，遂告臺部。十一月文書下，令知州差人押歸，分折後再赴任。陳被押歸，分未及半，因占房產又入狀監司，奏罷管押，始分成。

Shao Yanhe said: The first transmission originates from the day stem, the middle transmission retreats to the day branch, which is called "looking back to the ancestor"; the final transmission again sees the person's original birth branch falling into the house position, which certainly indicates being sent out on a mission, passing through the hometown and causing disputes. The reason is that the birth branch is the post-horse of the day branch's shen (element) belonging to the water triad of Shen-Zi-Chen, and the post-horse governs movement, so it indicates passing through. The birth branch is also the person's own, so it indicates the person being sent out. Then he passes through the hometown. If not, it must be that something is not properly handled. Because the day stem's shen should not retreat all the way, and the birth branch falling into the house position, and being troubled by Teng Snake, which indicates disputes with people living in the same house. Originally, the chief clerk's family was large with many branches, and they fought over property and money, and even filed a complaint with the higher authorities. In November, the official document came down, ordering the local magistrate to send him back home to divide the property, and then return to his post. The chief clerk was sent back, but only divided less than half of the property, and then again filed a complaint with the supervisory authority over the property issue. Only after requesting to be exempted from being sent back did the property division finally take place.

蓋日上午為堂屋，又為官鬼，乘龍加申為退鱗，主歡中生悲，退財損身之兆。初午已是不好，末寅又生午火，只管克庚；命又戊寅，是我反去生火，畢竟自己不是，致令如此。青龍為官品，午乃官星，宜乎極利，不知午入空亡，不能作官；寅本助官，今作地帶馬克宅，及宜斷不吉，不宜作助官斷也。況在任只要升轉，今初傳自上降下，中末又自外回家，豈不倒退？又名顧祖，夫復何疑？況庚以寅為財，是爭財也；本命作財，我與彼爭也；蛇在寅，我被撓也。行年乘夜貴，晝作天空閉口，是官未可告也。夜貴廢職也；未為眷屬，天空主爭，是因眷屬而爭也；貴人閉口，告貴無用也。

The day stem's heavenly stem is at the position of Wu, which in the house image represents the main hall, and in the six relations it is the official ghost. Wu is riding on the Azure Dragon and is placed on the earth plate position of Shen. The dragon moves westward against its scales, which is called "retreating scales," indicating joy turning into sorrow, a sign of losing wealth and harming the body. The first transmission is Wu, which is already unfavorable, and the final transmission is寅 wood, which again generates Wu fire, only continuing to overcome Geng metal. Moreover, his own birth stem is Wuyin, which is equivalent to me going against the fire that overcomes me, so ultimately it is my own fault that has led to this situation. The Azure Dragon is the god of official rank, and Wu is also an official star, so by principle it should be very favorable. However, Wu is placed on Shen, which is precisely the empty position of this ten-day cycle. An official star sitting in an empty position cannot achieve official status.寅 wood, which originally could support the official star, is now on the earth plate, accompanied by the post-horse, and is attacking the house, so it should be judged as unfavorable, not as supporting the official star. Moreover, those in office only seek promotion, but now the first transmission has descended from the day stem to the branch, and the middle and final transmissions are coming back from outside to the house, which is not advancing, but retreating. This is called "looking back to ancestors," so there is nothing to doubt. Furthermore, Geng takes寅 as its wife's wealth, and now it is precisely the wealth being contested. The birth stem has become the wealth hexagram, indicating that I am contesting with others. The Teng Snake is riding on寅, indicating that I am being纠缠 by others. His year stem falls on You, and You has the position of Wei. Wei is the night nobleman for Geng day, but since this is a daytime divination, the position of Wei is occupied by Tian Kong, forming "nobleman closed mouth," so this lawsuit cannot be filed. The night nobleman has lost its function; Wei in the six relations represents relatives, and Tian Kong represents contention, together indicating a dispute over relatives. "Nobleman closed mouth" means that even if the case is brought to the nobleman, it will be of no use.

己酉年正月初一庚辰日子將寅時，劉監倉庚午生，三十九歲，生於庚午年四月二十九日。（本邵案　口鑑）愚按：正月初一未交己酉年春，故作三十九歲占年內事。

On the first day of the first lunar month in the Jiyou year, the day was Gengchen. Using the month general Zi placed on the hour Yin to cast the divination, Liu Jiancang (born on the 29th day of the fourth lunar month in the Gengwu year, aged thirty-nine at that time) came to seek divination. "Jiancang" refers to an official in charge of granaries. This example is found in the "Song Edition Shao'an" and "Koujian." Cheng Shuxun notes: On the first day of the first lunar month, the year Jiyou had not yet entered the beginning of spring, so the age was still counted as thirty-nine based on the previous year, and the divination concerned matters within the current year.

勾合朱蛇／卯辰巳午　虎青合蛇　官壬午蛇⊙／青寅　未貴　子寅辰午　父庚辰合／空丑　申后　寅辰午庚　財戊寅青／子亥戌酉／虎常玄陰

The flat divination board. Heaven and Earth plates: The day branch is added to寅, the Heaven plate is two positions behind the Earth plate, and the arrangement of the twelve branches is exactly the same as the previous lesson with Chen Zhubu, except that the time has shifted from day to night, and the Heavenly General has changed. On the Earth plate,巳 is paired with the Heaven plate卯, riding on「Gou Chen」; 午 is paired with 辰, riding on「Liu He」; 未 is paired with 巳, riding on「Zhu Que」; 申 is paired with 午, riding on「Teng Snake」; 酉 is paired with 未, riding on「Nobleman」; 戌 is paired with 申, riding on「Heavenly Empress」; 亥 is paired with 酉, riding on「Tai Yin」; 子 is paired with 戌, riding on「Xuan Wu」; 丑 is paired with 亥, riding on「Tai Chang」; 寅 is paired with 子, riding on「Bai Hu」; 卯 is paired with 丑, riding on「Tian Kong」; 辰 is paired with 寅, riding on「Qing Long」. On the night of 庚, the nobleman is at 未, and at 寅 time, which is night, the nobleman is located at Heaven Plate 未. 未 is on the Earth plate 酉, which is in reverse order, matching the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: 午 is paired with 庚, riding on「Teng Snake」; 辰 is paired with 午, riding on「Liu He」; the day branch 辰 is paired with 寅, riding on「Qing Long」; 子 is paired with 寅, riding on「Bai Hu」. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 午, hidden stem Renwu, which is the official ghost爻, riding on「Teng Snake」; the middle transmission is 辰, hidden stem Gengchen, which is the parent爻, riding on「Liu He」; the final transmission is 寅, hidden stem Wuyin, which is the wife and wealth爻, riding on「Qing Long」. The three transmissions still follow the sequence of 午, 辰, 寅, which is「retreating and returning to the ancestor」. The initial transmission's ghost is on the middle transmission's residence, and the final transmission's 寅 wood is returning to nourish the ghost, which is the key point for this lesson.

邵彥和曰：日鬼傳歸宅上，宅上卻又生鬼。一防倉庫有火，二防當直人走或非理死，三防妻有暴風之疾。正月小子防有飛災退失，二月因省墓起山林之擾，三月妻擾，四月官長追迫，五月當直人有失，六七月防火，八月因閒聞貴內擾，九月進橫財，財中有失，十月婢妾陰私酒色上有失，十一月僕走，十二月媳婦有服。

Shao Yanhe said: When the official ghost of the day stem transmits to the house position, and the final transmission of the house position, which is the wood of the寅, turns back to nourish this ghost, there are three things to be cautious of: first, beware of a fire in the granary, second, beware of the on-duty officer fleeing or dying an untimely death, third, beware of the wife suffering from a sudden stroke. Furthermore, according to the month, in the first ten days of the first month, be careful of unexpected calamities and financial loss. In the second month, due to tomb sweeping, there will be disturbances in the mountains and forests. In the third month, the wife will have an incident. In the fourth month, there will be pressure from the superior. In the fifth month, the on-duty officer will have an accident. In the sixth and seventh months, beware of fire. In the eighth month, due to idle talk reaching the nobleman's ears, there will be internal disturbances. In the ninth month, there will be an unexpected fortune but also loss within the finances. In the tenth month, there will be loss in matters of servants' private affairs and indulgence in wine and women. In the eleventh month, the servant will flee. In the twelfth month, the daughter-in-law will have a mourning event.

果本年七月二十三日倉鄰失火，竟焚倉。經曰：火鬼春歸午，夏月逐雞飛，三秋尋鼠穴，冬月免相期。今本身值火星（愚按：未交立春，何故以午為火星），又傳從火上起，支上與末傳寅又生火也。五月十四夜一當直人差去捉人，暗中墮深坑死。三月初七日妻偶中風，遂成重疾。其餘十二月分，禍福悉應。蓋午為倉庫火鬼，來乘克身，故應。九月妻之兄弟爭分家財，劉在官處請假半月，為伊調停，分得田產財物二千餘緡，遣人往行內買米，為賊所劫，始信數有前定如此。

Later indeed, on the 23rd day of the seventh lunar month, the neighbor's warehouse caught fire, and the warehouse itself was also burned down. The classic text says: the fire spirit returns to the position of Wu in spring, follows the rooster (You) in summer, goes to the rat's hole (Zi) in the third month of autumn, and meets the rabbit (Mao) in winter. Now, the person himself is exactly under the fire star (Cheng Shuxun notes: the first day of the first lunar month has not yet entered the beginning of spring, so why use Wu as the fire star, there is doubt here), and the three transmissions start from fire. The day branch's spirit and the final transmission's寅 wood also come to generate fire. On the 14th day of the fifth lunar month, a night watchman was sent to arrest someone, but he fell into a deep pit in the dark and died. On the 7th day of the third lunar month, his wife had an accidental stroke and became seriously ill. The fortune and misfortune of the other months also came true one by one. Therefore, this outcome occurs because the position of Wu is the fire spirit of the warehouse, which attacks and harms the day stem itself. In September, the wife's brother argued over dividing the family property. Liu Jiance took a half-month leave from the office to mediate for them, thus receiving two thousand multiple of land and property. He sent someone to buy rice from the grain market, but on the way, the goods were robbed by thieves. At this point, he finally believed that fate is indeed already predetermined.

己酉年正月初一庚辰日子將子時，趙將仕丁巳命，生於六月初七日亥時，五十二歲，占武職前程。（口鑑　朱本邵案）

In the year Jiyou, on the first day of the first lunar month, on the day Gengchen, using the month general Zi placed on the time Zi to cast the divination, Zhao Jiangshi (born at the hour Hai on the 7th day of the sixth lunar month in the year Dingsi, aged fifty-two at the time) consulted about his prospects in a military position. "Jiangshi" refers to Jiangshi Lang, the lowest rank among the civilian honorary titles. When the month general coincides with the time, and the heaven plate and earth plate overlap and remain stationary, this is called the "Fuyin" lesson. This example is found in the "Koujian" and "Zhuben Shao An."

朱蛇貴後／巳午未申　合合後后　兄　申後◎⊙／合辰　酉陰　辰辰申申　財戊寅青／勾卯　戌玄　辰辰申庚　官辛巳朱／寅丑子亥／青空虎常

The flat divination board. The day branch is added to itself, and each branch on the Heaven Plate is placed directly over the same branch on the Earth Plate, forming a 'Hidden Chant' (伏吟). On the Earth Plate, the branch Si (巳) is occupied by 'Vermilion Bird' (朱雀); Wu (午) is occupied by 'Teng Snake' (螣蛇); Wei (未) is occupied by 'Nobleman' (贵人); Shen (申) is occupied by 'Heavenly Empress' (天后); You (酉) is occupied by 'Tai Yin' (太阴); Xu (戌) is occupied by 'Black Tortoise' (玄武); Hai (亥) is occupied by 'Tai Chang' (太常); Zi (子) is occupied by 'White Tiger' (白虎); Chou (丑) is occupied by 'Heavenly Void' (天空); Yin (寅) is occupied by 'Azure Dragon' (青龙); Mao (卯) is occupied by 'Gou Chen' (勾陈); Chen (辰) is occupied by 'Liu He' (六合). The nobleman (贵人) is located on Wei (未) at night, and since Zi hour belongs to night, the nobleman is on Wei, which is the same as the Earth Plate's Wei, indicating a reverse movement, which matches the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is placed on Shen (申), and Shen remains on Shen, so the first lesson is Shen added to Geng, occupied by 'Heavenly Empress' (天后); the second lesson is Shen added to Shen, also occupied by 'Heavenly Empress' (天后); the third lesson is the day branch on Chen (辰), which is occupied by 'Liu He' (六合); the fourth lesson is Chen added to Chen, also occupied by 'Liu He' (六合). The three transmissions: the first transmission is Shen, which falls into a void, so there is no hidden stem, marked with '◎' indicating a void, representing a brother's yao, occupied by 'Heavenly Empress' (天后); the middle transmission is Yin (寅), with the hidden stem Wuyin (戊寅), representing a wife's wealth yao, occupied by 'Azure Dragon' (青龙); the final transmission is Si (巳), with the hidden stem Xinsi (辛巳), representing an official ghost yao, occupied by 'Vermilion Bird' (朱雀). The mutual formation of Shen, Yin, and Si constitutes the three punishments (三刑), which is the usual method for initiating transmission in a 'Hidden Chant' (伏吟) lesson. The禄 (lucky branch) of Geng is on Shen (申), but both Shen on the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate fall into the void (空亡), which serves as the basis for the conclusion that military positions will not be successful.

邵彥和曰：將仕之祿，乃虛祿也。夫武職兵權，惟要金盛，無金何武？此課無武有文，今任必不赴，必改岳廟之職，就彼處宜讀書取科第，本年中舉，來年庚戌及第，二甲二十一名。蓋武職主兵，金旺為宜，今天地盤之申俱空，是武職無位也，而申祿又虛，太常又不入傳，故不可為武。寅上青龍入廟，天后為恩澤之神，故宜習文。末傳巳作朱雀為長生，學堂又為官星，故主科甲。宜岳廟者，宅上見辰，辰為山崗，寅為廟，故宜就岳廟讀書而取功名也。趙不信，後果不能赴廣南任，遂授潭州岳廟，因邀數人同讀書，本年投國子監中舉，庚戌年登科。

Shao Yanhe said: The official position of the candidate for appointment is empty. Generally, military officials hold military power, and as long as the metal energy is strong, how can there be military power without metal. This divination lacks military power and has only literary aspects. He certainly cannot go to the current post, and will certainly be transferred to an idle official post in the temple of the mountain deity. At that place, it is most suitable for studying and taking the imperial examination. He will pass the examination this year, and in the year Gengxu, he will be successful in the imperial examination, ranking twenty-first in the second class. Therefore, the conclusion is: military officials are associated with weapons and warfare, and it is suitable when metal is strong. However, today both the Heaven Plate and the Earth Plate have the trigram Shen falling into Kongwang, which means the military position has no basis. The day's official position is Shen, which is also empty, and the "Tai Chang" which governs the official seal and rank does not appear in the three transmissions, so he cannot hold a military post. The trigram Yin is occupied by "Qinglong", which belongs to wood, and Yin is the original position of wood, which is called entering the temple. The first transmission is also occupied by "Tianhou", which is a god of grace and favor, so it is suitable for studying literature. The final transmission is occupied by "Zhuque" on Si, which governs literature, and Si is both the long life and the school of the metal庚, and also the official star, so it indicates success in the imperial examination. The conclusion that he should go to the mountain deity's temple is because the position of his residence shows Chen, which is a mountain, and Yin is a temple, so a temple is in the mountain, thus it is suitable for him to go to the mountain deity's temple to study and seek official rank. At that time, Zhao the candidate for appointment did not believe it, but later he indeed could not take up the post in Guangnan, and was instead transferred to the temple of the mountain deity in Tanzhou, and thus invited several people to study together. He passed the examination by the National University this year, and was successful in the imperial examination in the year Gengxu.

同年月日時唐丞務占一年事，亦得此課。（口鑑，宋本邵案）

In the same year, month, day, and hour, Tang Chengwu came to seek divination about events within a year, and the same hexagram was produced. "Chengwu" refers to a rank of a literary official. The same hexagram being used for different people, yet the interpretations differ, is an example of the Six壬 (Liuren) divination system taking images according to human affairs. This example is found in the "Koujian" and the "Song Ben Shao An."

朱蛇貴後／巳午未申　合合後后　兄　申後◎⊙／合辰　酉陰　辰辰申申　財戊寅青／勾卯　戌玄　辰辰申庚　官辛巳朱／寅丑子亥／青空虎常

The divination chart and the case of Zhao Jiangshi are identical: on the Hidden Chant chart,巳 is乘 by「Vermilion Bird」,午 is乘 by「Teng Snake」,未 is乘 by「Nobleman」,申 is乘 by「Heavenly Empress」,酉 is乘 by「Tai Yin」,戌 is乘 by「Black Tortoise」,亥 is乘 by「Tai Chang」,子 is乘 by「White Tiger」,丑 is乘 by「Tian Kong」,寅 is乘 by「Azure Dragon」,卯 is乘 by「Gou Chen」,辰 is乘 by「Liu He」; the four lessons are: 申 with庚乘 by「Heavenly Empress」, 申 with申乘 by「Heavenly Empress」, day branch on辰 with辰乘 by「Liu He」, and辰 with辰乘 by「Liu He」; the three transmissions are: 申 (brother,乘 by「Heavenly Empress」, falling in the旬空),寅 (wife's wealth,乘 by「Azure Dragon」),巳 (official ghost,乘 by「Vermilion Bird」). The previous case was about a military official's career prospects, so the focus was on申's禄 falling in the Kongwang. This case is about family affairs within a year, so the focus shifts to the initiating transmission「Heavenly Empress」—「Heavenly Empress」represents the wife, and if it falls in the Kongwang, the wife's position is the first to change.

邵彥和曰：天后發用而空亡，主喪妻；中傳得妻財爻，主又娶妻；妻財作青龍，後妻必有財也。末傳巳為店，作朱雀為爭，官鬼爻為訟，主爭店事而起訟，有四人遭刑，以巳之數四，三傳成三刑也。巳為長生，又為尊長，巳又為廚屋，主與尊長爭廚屋地基，亦以巳作朱雀故也。唐於三月果喪妻，十一月再娶，乃客人之妻，甚有財，遂以財開店，與原欠債人相打官司，四人杖二十，次年七月與叔爭廚屋地，卻得理。

Shao Yanhe said: "Heavenly Empress" represents the wife. Now "Heavenly Empress" is initiating transmission and falls on Kongwang, indicating the loss of a wife. The middle transmission receives the wife's wealth爻, indicating the need to remarry. The wife's wealth is accompanied by the Azure Dragon, which represents wealth, so the second wife is certainly wealthy. The final transmission is巳, which in the category of spirits represents a shop. 上乘 the Vermilion Bird indicates disputes over words.巳 is also the official ghost爻, and official ghosts indicate legal disputes. Combined, this means legal disputes over the shop. Four people will be punished, because in Six Rats divination the number four is associated with巳, and the three transmissions of申,寅, and巳 form the three punishments.巳 is also the long life of庚 metal and represents elders, and it also represents the kitchen. Thus, it also indicates a dispute over the foundation of the kitchen with elders. This is again because巳 is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird. Tang Chengwu indeed died his wife in the third month, married again in the eleventh month, marrying a widow of a merchant who was wealthy, and used this money to open a shop. Later, he had legal disputes with those who owed him money, and four people each received twenty lashes. In the following year, in the seventh month, he disputed the foundation of the kitchen with his uncle, but won the case.

己酉年正月初一庚辰日子將亥時，韓省干乙亥生，三十四歲，占赴任及歲中事。（宋本邵案　口鑑）

In the year Jiyou, on the first day of the first lunar month, on the day Gengchen, using the month general Zi placed on the hour Hai to cast the divination, Han Xinggan (born in the year Yihai, thirty-four years old in the current year) consulted about taking office and the fortune for the current year. "Xinggan" refers to the official position of handling administrative affairs in the various departments of the Ministry of Works. This example is found in the "Song Edition Shao An" and "Kou Jian."

蛇貴后陰／午未申酉　蛇朱玄陰　官壬午蛇／朱巳　戌玄　午巳戌酉　父癸未貴／合辰　亥常　巳辰酉庚　兄　申後◎／卯寅丑子／勾青空虎

The flat divination board. Heaven and Earth plates: The heavenly plate is added to the earthly plate starting from Zi. The heavenly plate advances one position ahead of the earthly plate. On the earthly plate Si, the heavenly plate Wu is placed, marked with "Teng Snake"; on Wu, the heavenly plate Wei is placed, marked with "Nobleman"; on Wei, the heavenly plate Shen is placed, marked with "Heavenly Empress"; on Shen, the heavenly plate You is placed, marked with "Tai Yin"; on You, the heavenly plate Xu is placed, marked with "Black Tortoise"; on Xu, the heavenly plate Hai is placed, marked with "Tai Chang"; on Hai, the heavenly plate Zi is placed, marked with "White Tiger"; on Zi, the heavenly plate Chou is placed, marked with "Heavenly Void"; on Chou, the heavenly plate Yin is placed, marked with "Azure Dragon"; on Yin, the heavenly plate Mao is placed, marked with "Gou Chen"; on Mao, the heavenly plate Chen is placed, marked with "Liu He"; on Chen, the heavenly plate Si is placed, marked with "Vermilion Bird". The nobleman is at Wei on the night of Geng, and since the亥 hour belongs to the night, the nobleman is placed on the heavenly plate Wei. The earthly plate at Wei is Wu, which is in reverse order, matching the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is placed on Shen, and on Shen, the heavenly plate You is placed, so the first lesson You is added to Geng, marked with "Tai Yin"; the second lesson Xu is added to You, marked with "Black Tortoise"; the third lesson is on the day branch Chen, which gets Si, marked with "Vermilion Bird"; the fourth lesson Wu is added to Si, marked with "Teng Snake". The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wu, the hidden stem Renwu, which is the official ghost爻, marked with "Teng Snake"; the second transmission is Wei, the hidden stem Guiwei, which is the parents爻, marked with "Nobleman"; the third transmission is Shen, which falls into the empty period without a hidden stem, marked with "◎" indicating an empty period, which is the brothers爻, marked with "Heavenly Empress". The day branch is Chen, and the day stem is placed on Shen. The three transmissions Wu, Wei, and Shen are exactly between this branch and stem, which is what is referred to later as "the branch and stem enclosing the three transmissions".

邵彥和曰：支干夾定三傳，更三四課及初傳俱是鬼，有官人慾赴任，為催官符，上任必在三月盡四月初。奈何末祿卻空亡，上任不久，必主尊堂服動，子又病。蓋日辰夾定，凡事皆緊，只不合夾鬼與空亡耳。韓乃運使之子，授得鹽倉官，果於三月文字來催，四月赴任，韓信先生言不去，六月十七日丁母憂，二月子大病。《玉成歌》曰“日鬼加臨辰兩位，門中官病兩相侵”，占赴任人卻名催官符，只不合日辰夾住，又空亡臨身，太陰乘之，所以喪母。愚按：干支乘羅網，有官人占之亦主丁艱。庚以子為子息，為虎所逼，又加子息亥上，故主只病，幸不刑傷，所以不死（愚按：子不入課傳，何得斷及之，邵公蓋因其加命故耳）。大凡日辰夾定有鬼，鬼應有空，空應俱有則俱應矣。

Shao Yanhe said: The day stem and day branch enclose the three transmissions in between, and with the third and fourth lessons as well as the first transmission all being official ghosts, this indicates that someone who holds an official position is divining. This is called "cui guanfu" (prompting the official symbol), and taking office will certainly happen in the end of March or the beginning of April. Unfortunately, the final transmission's day's luck falls into kongwang (void), so taking office will not last long, and there will certainly be the death of the mother, and the son will also fall ill. Because the day branch and day branch enclose the situation tightly, everything is urgent and cannot be relaxed, but what is enclosed is the ghost and kongwang. Han Xinggan, the son of a transport commissioner, was appointed as a salt warehouse official, and indeed, the official appointment came in March, and he took office in April. Han Xinggan believed Shao's words (the words "not go" do not fit the meaning, and it is suspected that there is an error or omission in the text). On June 17th, he suffered the mourning for his mother, and in February, his son fell seriously ill. The "Yucheng Ge" says, "The day ghost is added to the two positions of the hour, the gate and the official both involve illness," and for those divining about taking office, this is called "cui guanfu." However, it is unfortunate that the day stem and day branch enclose, and kongwang is on the self. Kongwang is also covered by "Tai Yin," so it indicates the death of the mother. Cheng Shuxun commented: When the day stem and day branch are covered by the heavenly net and earthly net spirits, those who hold official positions will also be indicated to be in mourning and observing the mourning period. The庚 metal takes the Zi water as offspring, and the Zi is covered by "Baihu" (White Tiger) and is forced, and the Zi is also added on the亥, which is the same water as the Zi. The亥 is exactly Han Xinggan's birth star. Therefore, it only indicates illness, and fortunately, there is no punishment or injury, so it does not lead to death. (Cheng Shuxun also commented: The Zi does not enter the four lessons or the three transmissions, so how can it be used to make a judgment? It is likely that Shao Gong judged it because it was added to the birth star.) In general, when the day stem and day branch enclose and there is a ghost, the ghost will respond; when there is kongwang, kongwang will respond; if both exist, both will respond.

何省干己未生，生於閏月十三日丑時，五十一歲，於建炎己酉年正月庚辰日占應試，子將酉時。（宋本邵案　方本占案　口鑑　捷要）

Who is He Shenggan, born on the twelfth day of the leap month in the sixth year of the Jiyou era, at the Chou hour, when he was fifty-one years old? In the first month of the Jiyou year of the Southern Song dynasty, he consulted on the Gengchen day about taking the imperial examination, using the Month General Zi placed on the hour of You to cast the divination. This case is recorded in all four books, found in The Song Edition of Shao's Cases, The Fang Edition of Divination Cases, The Oral Guide, and The Essentials.

蛇朱合勾／申酉戌亥　合貴虎勾　財戊寅虎／貴未　子青　戌未寅亥　官辛巳陰／後午　丑空　未辰亥庚　兄　申蛇◎／巳辰卯寅／陰玄常虎

The flat divination board. Heaven and Earth plates: Zi (rat) is added to You (rooster), the Heaven plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth plate. On the Earth plate Si (snake), the Heaven plate gets Shen (monkey), riding on 'Teng Snake'; on Wu (horse), the Heaven plate gets You (rooster), riding on 'Vermilion Bird'; on Wei (sheep), the Heaven plate gets Xu (dog), riding on 'Liu He'; on Shen (monkey), the Heaven plate gets Hai (pig), riding on 'Gou Chen'; on You (rooster), the Heaven plate gets Zi (rat), riding on 'Azure Dragon'; on Xu (dog), the Heaven plate gets Chou (ox), riding on 'Tian Kong'; on Hai (pig), the Heaven plate gets Yin (tiger), riding on 'Bai Hu'; on Zi (rat), the Heaven plate gets Mao (rabbit), riding on 'Tai Chang'; on Chou (ox), the Heaven plate gets Chen (dragon), riding on 'Xuan Wu'; on Yin (tiger), the Heaven plate gets Si (snake), riding on 'Tai Yin'; on Mao (rabbit), the Heaven plate gets Wu (horse), riding on 'Heavenly Empress'; on Chen (dragon), the Heaven plate gets Wei (sheep), riding on 'Nobleman'. On the night of Geng, the nobleman is on Wei. The time of You is night, and the nobleman is on Wei of the Heaven plate. Wei sits on Chen of the Earth plate, which is in the order of progression, matching the board. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is located on Shen, and Shen gets Hai, so the first lesson is Hai added to Geng, riding on 'Gou Chen'; the second lesson is Yin added to Hai, riding on 'Bai Hu'; the third lesson is the day branch on Chen getting Wei, riding on 'Nobleman'; the fourth lesson is Xu added to Wei, riding on 'Liu He'. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Yin, the hidden stem is Wuyin, which is the wife and wealth hexagram, riding on 'Bai Hu'; the second transmission is Si, the hidden stem is Xinsi, which is the official and ghost hexagram, riding on 'Tai Yin'; the third transmission is Shen, which falls into the empty position of the ten days, marked with '◎' indicating an empty position, which is the brother and sibling hexagram, riding on 'Teng Snake'. When divining about an examination, one should look at the hexagram that represents the main subject of the article and its relationship with the day stem. In this case, the hexagram on the day stem is the water hexagram亥, which releases the metal of Geng, and it rides on the slow-moving 'Gou Chen', which is the key point indicating that the person will not pass the examination.

邵彥和曰：何丈已兩次赴試，今次卻又不中，惟令郎中二十八名。吾丈暮秋雖有喜，又有悲，十月防有炊血之夢，及至五十七歲後方能得官，然過一二年便當壽阻，不能度甲子一周矣。何當時望中甚切，臨場病阻；其子入場，將舊文雜湊而成，全不得意，及放榜，果中二十八名。蓋日上亥是庚之子孫，來奪庚之氣，又作勾陳，不落第矣，所以子得中式。亥四申七，四七二十八也。亥為水道，勾乃滯神，加日上，故本身痢病。庚以寅為妻，加盜氣上，臨於十月，又作白虎，所以喪妻。寅財加亥，雖脫氣，卻六合而長生，不合作白虎，故邵公開此口。

Shao Yanhe said: You have already taken the examination twice, and this time you still fail, while your son is admitted in the twenty-eighth place. Although you have good news in late autumn, you also have sad events; in October you should beware of a nightmare involving blood. You will not get an official position until after the age of fifty-seven, but within a couple of years your life span will be obstructed, and you will not live a full Jiazi cycle of sixty years. He Shenggan was very eager for official rank, but in the examination he was prevented by illness. His son took the examination, and used old articles to compose a new essay, which he himself was not satisfied with. When the list was published, he indeed got the twenty-eighth place. The reasoning behind this prediction is: the water element on the day stem,亥, is the son trigram of the metal element,庚, and thus it takes away the energy of the metal. On top of 亥, there is the 'Gou Chen' which signifies delay, so he is bound to fail. However, since the son trigram is present and strong, his son is admitted. The rank is calculated by the number of 亥, which is four, and the number of 申, which is seven, and four multiplied by seven gives twenty-eight. 亥 is the water channel, and 'Gou Chen' is the god of obstruction, placed on the day stem, so he suffers from dysentery. The wife of the metal element,庚, is the wood element,寅. The wood element,寅, is placed on the leaking 亥, and it is also in the month of亥, October. On top of寅, there is the 'White Tiger', which indicates the loss of wife. However, although the wood element,寅, is on the leaking 亥, the combination of寅 and亥 is a harmonious Liu He, and 亥 is the place of growth for wood, so it should not be considered as a凶 sign of the 'White Tiger'. However, since the 'White Tiger' is indeed on the寅, Shao was able to make this prediction.

愚按：庚辰日己酉年元旦尚未立春，仍是戊申太歲，己未生人止作得五十歲，行年在卯，上得午為弔客；本命未上得戌為喪門，喪吊全逢，主孝服。寅作妻財，乘虎，弔客上又作天后，故即以喪妻斷之。夜貴在宅乘未閉口，恰是本命，故將來雖得官，不久即死。愚按：申祿空，雖有官而不能享祿。後何公五十七歲登科，五十九歲死矣。未雖夜貴加宅，然其子既中則宅於先矣，而邵公復云何君自中，何也，蓋未繫何公本命故耳，不可不知。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: On this Gengchen day, which is the first day of the Jiyou year, the solar term of Start of Spring has not yet arrived, so the supreme ruler is still Wushen. A person born in Jiwei year is only fifty years old. A man of fifty has his age in Mao. The branch Mao is associated with Wu, and Wu is the "soul of the deceased" in relation to the supreme ruler Wushen. His native branch Wei is associated with Xu, and Xu is the "mourning-and-condolence spirit." Thus, both the mourning-and-condolence spirit and the soul of the deceased are involved, indicating a matter concerning mourning attire. Yin is the wife's wealth, but it is occupied by the White Tiger. The soul of the deceased Wu is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, which governs the wife, so it is directly concluded that he will lose his wife. The night nobleman for Geng day is Wei, which is placed on the day branch Chen (residence) to form the image of the nobleman being silent. This Wei is also his native branch, so it is concluded that although he will eventually attain an official position, he will die soon. Cheng Shuxun remarked again: The day's wealth is in Shen, which falls into Kongwang, so although he holds an official position, he will not receive his salary. Later, He Gong indeed passed the imperial examination at fifty-seven and died at fifty-nine. As for the Wei, although it is the night nobleman and is placed on the residence, since his son passed the examination, this nobleman's influence on the residence will first manifest in his son. Shao Gong, however, said that He Jun himself could also pass, which is because Wei is his native branch. This point is important to understand.

己酉年七月初四庚辰日午將卯時，應秀才乙亥生三十五歲占前程。（一針見血）

In the year Jiyou, on the fourth day of the seventh lunar month, the day was Gengchen. Using the Month General at Wu placed on the hour of Mao to cast the divination, a case is presented where a scholar (born in the year Yihai, aged thirty-five at the time) seeks divination about his future. This example is taken from the book "One Needle Sees the Essence." There are discrepancies between different versions of the record regarding the year, month, and the time of the divination. The commentary by Cheng Shuxun specifically addresses and verifies these differences.

此課《口鑑》《捷要》俱有而錯，作己酉元旦。餘向喜疑之。今丙子年？日，借得揚州張繼唐先生《一針見血》書，始知是己酉年午將卯時，占乙亥命三十五歲，心始渙然。謹誌之不忘所自。程樹勳識。

This is a note by the compiler Cheng Shuxun. The lesson above is included in both the "Six壬 Oral Mirror" and the "Six壬 Quick Essentials," but the time is incorrectly recorded as having been cast on the first day of the first lunar month of the Jiyou year. I have always suspected this record. On a certain day in the Bingzi year (the source text here is missing one character, marked as "?"), I borrowed the book "One Needle Sees the Essence" from Mr. Zhang Jitang in Yangzhou and learned that the actual case was cast in the Jiyou year, with the Wu general added to the Mao hour, and the person involved was born in the Yihai year, aged thirty-five at the time. My doubts were then completely resolved. I carefully record this incident to remember its origin. Cheng Shuxun records.

蛇朱合勾 申酉戌亥 六空后朱 財 戊寅 后 貴未 子青 戌未寅亥 官 辛巳 常 后午 丑空 未辰亥庚 兄 申 青 ◎ 巳辰卯寅 陰玄常虎

This is a flattened layout of the divination board, divided into three sections. The first section is the Heaven and Earth Plate, placing the twelve Heavenly Generals on the twelve branches of the Heaven Plate: the position of the branch Wei (未) is marked with "Nobleman," the branch Shen (申) with "Teng Snake," the branch You (酉) with "Vermilion Bird," the branch Xu (戌) with "Liu He," the branch Hai (亥) with "Gou Chen," the branch Zi (子) with "Azure Dragon," the branch Chou (丑) with "Heavenly Void," the branch Yin (寅) with "White Tiger," the branch Mao (卯) with "Tai Chang," the branch Chen (辰) with "Black Tortoise," the branch Si (巳) with "Tai Yin," and the branch Wu (午) with "Heavenly Empress." This arrangement places the Nobleman on Wei and arranges the twelve generals in a clockwise order. The second section is the Four Lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson is Hai (亥) added to Geng (庚), with Geng day's lodging palace on Shen (申), so Hai (亥) is on Shen (申); the second lesson is Yin (寅) added to Hai (亥); the third lesson is Wei (未) added to Chen (辰), with Chen (辰) being the day branch; the fourth lesson is Xu (戌) added to Wei (未). The Heavenly Generals riding on the deities of the four lessons are: on Xu (戌) is Liu He, on Wei (未) is Heavenly Void, on Yin (寅) is Heavenly Empress, and on Hai (亥) is Vermilion Bird. The third section is the Three Transmissions: the first transmission is Yin (寅), hidden dry branch Wuyin (戊寅), which is the wife's wealth on Geng day, riding on Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is Si (巳), hidden dry branch Xinsi (辛巳), which is the official ghost, riding on Tai Chang; the final transmission is Shen (申), which is the brother, riding on Azure Dragon, with a note of "◎" indicating it falls in the void (Geng Chen day belongs to the Jia Xu decade, with the void in Shen and You). Note: The Heavenly Generals noted in the four lessons and three transmissions are arranged by placing the Nobleman on Chou (丑) and arranging them in a counterclockwise order, which does not match the previous Heaven and Earth Plate arrangement (where the Nobleman is placed on Wei and arranged clockwise). The following commentary by Shao Yanhe is based on the four lessons and three transmissions, suggesting that the Heavenly Generals in the previous Heaven and Earth Plate may be incorrect.

邵彥和曰：先失後得，先虛後實，耗廢盡了，卻得妻財來助起家。因水利中得財，不可不知。若求功名，不可得也。須是敗盡再發，兄弟並星散，所可喜者，妻與子成家，末年享福有壽，就店房居住，宅舍無氣也。蓋日上見亥，金生水而脫氣，自身受脫不能發也。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson's pattern is first losing then gaining, first empty then solid -- first exhausting the family's resources, then relying on the wealth brought by the wife to start over. This fortune comes from business related to water, which is something not to be overlooked. If asking about official rank, it cannot be obtained. One must wait until everything is completely lost before it can rise again; brothers scatter and go their separate ways, but it is fortunate that wife and children can establish their own households. In old age, there is happiness and longevity, living in a shop facing the street, while the main house lacks life qi. The reason for this is that the day stem is Geng metal, and its controlling heavenly stem is亥 water. Metal generates water, and the qi of the day stem is drained away, itself being drained, so it cannot rise on its own.

愚按：朱雀乘脫氣，故不能得名。又寅財在脫上發用，脫上逢脫，必詩書荒廢，家道空虛。初見妻宮，引歸中傳長生，中又引歸末傳，卻見本身，是破敗後方得妻子起家，因之有福。應一心只思及第，自後讀書不成，家計敗盡，方得妻家做酒生意，果然諧子皆好，日漸豐足，遂享福而壽終。

The case of Cheng Shuxun: The Vermilion Bird, which represents the name, is riding on the亥 water that is losing its strength, so success in officialdom cannot be obtained. Moreover, the first transmission is the寅 wood, which represents wife's wealth, and it is also originating from a place of loss, so loss meets loss again, inevitably leading to neglect of studies and decline of family fortune. The sequence of the three transmissions is: first seeing the wife's wealth palace (the first transmission寅), leading to the middle transmission巳 fire, which is the long life of the庚 metal; the middle transmission then leads to the final transmission申 metal, which is exactly the original self of the day stem庚 metal. This indicates that one must first experience decline, then rely on wife and children to start anew and gain blessings. At first, this person was solely focused on passing the imperial examinations, but later could not complete his studies and his family business was completely ruined, and he only relied on his wife's family's wine business. Indeed, both wife and children were good, and the family fortune gradually became abundant, eventually enjoying happiness and dying in old age.

蓋日上初傳俱脫，卻得妻爻引歸生路；寅上巳乃庚金長生也。末傳申加巳，是得生路在末傳，故主晚年亨福也。愚按：巳為店，作太常為酒食，既為長生又有日祿加其上，故因做酒生意而起家，因之享福。申祿不論空者，以得未建之生也。

The day stem's heavenly stem and the first transmission both indicate places where energy is drained, but the wife and wealth hexagram brings the energy back to a path of growth: above the wood of寅 is the fire of巳, and巳 is the growth position for the metal of庚. The final transmission, the metal of申, is placed on巳, so the path of growth falls on the final transmission, indicating prosperity in old age. Cheng Shuxun explains:巳 represents a shop, and the hexagram of Tai Chang on巳 also indicates food and drink; since巳 is the growth position for庚 metal, and the day's official (庚's official is in申) is also present on it, this person started his career by making alcohol and thus enjoyed prosperity. Although the final transmission申 is the day's official but falls on Kongwang, it is still considered as the day's official because it receives the earth of the month builder 未 to nourish it (this divination uses the general of午, which corresponds to June, with the month builder in 未).

未年四月庚辰日申將酉時占來意。苗公達斷經。

In the year of Wei, fourth month, on the day of Gengchen, using the hour of Shen as the Month General and starting the divination with the time of You, the question was about what the visitor was thinking. (The character 'Wei' is the terrestrial branch of the Supreme Ruler, and 'Shen' is the Month General used for the fourth month.) This example is from the "Miao Gongda Divination Classic."

合勾龍空 辰巳午未 蛇朱龍空 財 己卯 朱 朱卯 申虎 寅卯午未 財 戊寅 蛇 蛇寅 酉常 卯辰未庚 父 丁丑 貴 丑子亥戌 貴后陰玄

The Heaven and Earth plates section: The Nobleman starts on the Chou branch, and the Twelve Heavenly Generals proceed in order—Chou has the Nobleman, Yin has the Teng Snake, Mao has the Vermilion Bird, Chen has Liu He, Si has Gou Chen, Wu has the Azure Dragon, Wei has Tian Kong, Shen has the White Tiger, You has Tai Chang, Xu has the Black Tortoise, Hai has Tai Yin, and Zi has the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are read from right to left: the first lesson is Wei with Geng (Geng's lodging palace is on Shen, so Shen position gets Wei), the second lesson is Wu with Wei, the third lesson is Mao with Chen (Chen is the day branch), and the fourth lesson is Yin with Mao. The heavenly generals on the four lessons are Teng Snake on Yin, Vermilion Bird on Mao, Azure Dragon on Wu, and Tian Kong on Wei. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Mao, with the hidden stem Ji Mao, representing wife's wealth, riding the Vermilion Bird; the middle transmission is Yin, with the hidden stem Wu Yin, representing wife's wealth, riding the Teng Snake; the final transmission is Chou, with the hidden stem Ding Chou, representing parents, riding the Nobleman. The three transmissions, Mao, Yin, and Chou, move backward step by step and are connected to each other, forming a pattern of "connected roots" moving backward. This lesson's Heaven and Earth plates and the heavenly generals noted in the four lessons and three transmissions are completely consistent.

苗公達斷曰：據來意必有飛禽受不足之憂，目下已飛了，其飛卻不去，只在東南樹間住。本時有貴人將同一飛禽往來此處，二禽相見飛下相鬥捉得；其禽亦是好鬥之禽。何以言之？蓋發用見朱雀，又所居辰與生氣併，故知飛活之物。

Miao Gongda interpreted the divination as follows: According to the questioner's mind, there must be a flying bird that has gone wrong. The bird has already flown away, but it has not flown far, only resting among the trees in the southeast. During this divination, a nobleman will arrive with similar flying birds. When the two birds meet, they will fly down to fight. This is the right moment to catch them. The bird itself is a fighting bird. Why can we say this? Because the initial transmission (first transmission) is on the卯 (Mao) which is associated with the Vermilion Bird, an image of flying birds. Additionally, the earthly branch of Mao is in conjunction with 'life qi', so it is determined that the question refers to a living flying creature.

其禽受不足之憂者，以卦名天獄也；今飛了，為正時得鈅神也；其禽卻不去者，為日上見太歲，又年上見天地獄神也；更在朱雀之方，故不能去也。在東南樹間者住，蓋生氣之下是寅卯樹木之鄉也。有一貴人至本時，將同類物從此過者，二飛禽卻相爭飛去致斗，卻捉得此禽者，為日上見月厭，又為相生，又沖末傳，得貴人帶天殺也。斗本時者，發用辰上，更三傳連併，皆主疾速往來之象也。

This bird is said to have worries of loss because the lesson is called "Heavenly Prison," which implies being confined in a cage. It is said that the bird has already flown away because the correct time has the "Key God," and the key can open a lock. It is said that the bird flies but does not leave because the day stem has the "Too Young" spirit, and the year's destiny also has the "Heavenly Prison" and "Hell" two凶神, and the place where it stops is exactly where the Vermilion Bird is located, so it cannot escape. It is said that the bird stops in the southeast woods because the life qi is below, which is exactly the wood area of寅and卯, and wood is trees. It is said that there was a nobleman with a similar bird passing by at the time of the divination, the two birds fought and flew, and eventually were caught because the day stem's spirit "Too Young" is exactly the "Month Aversion" of the fourth month, the "Too Young" earth is compatible with the metal庚, and can stimulate the final transmission丑, and the nobleman on the final transmission丑 is accompanied by "Heavenly Killing." It is said that the fighting happened at the time of the divination because the initiating transmission卯 is exactly placed on the earth plate辰, and the three transmissions are connected in sequence, all showing a rapid movement image.

東京有僧仲褒，精通六壬。元豐八十年乙丑二月十七辛巳日，太學同人李明癸未生，四十三歲，求占，得申時亥將。一針見血。

In Tokyo's Bianliang, there was a monk named Zhongbao who was skilled in the Six Changes divination method. On the second十七 day of the second month in the year Yichou of the Yuanfeng era (the eighth year of Yuanfeng, 1085 CE; the original text's 'eighty years' is likely a mistake for 'eight years'), Li Ming, a student at the Imperial Academy, who was born in the year Guiwei and was forty-three years old, came to seek a divination. The divination was cast for the hour of Shen with the Hai general (Hai general added to the Shen hour). This example is from the book "One Needle Reveals the Essence."

愚按：元豐為神宗年號，是知仲褒在邵彥和先生之前也。

The case of Cheng Shuxun: Yuanfeng was the era name of Emperor Shenzong of Song, which indicates that the monk Zhongbao lived before Shao Yanhe.

朱合勾龍 申酉戌亥 龍朱陰虎 兄 申 朱 ◎ 蛇未 子空 亥申辰丑 子 乙亥 龍 ⊙ 貴午 丑虎 申巳丑辛 財 戊寅 常 巳辰卯寅 后陰玄常

The Heaven and Earth plates section: The Nobleman starts at Wu, and the Twelve Heavenly Generals proceed in order—Wu has 'Nobleman', Wei has 'Teng Snake', Shen has 'Vermilion Bird', You has 'Liu He', Xu has 'Gou Chen', Hai has 'Azure Dragon', Zi has 'Tian Kong', Chou has 'White Tiger', Yin has 'Tai Chang', Mao has 'Black Tortoise', Chen has 'Tai Yin', and Si has 'Heavenly Empress'. The four lessons are read from right to left: the first lesson is Chou added to Xin (on Xin day, the lodging palace is at Xu, so Xu position has Chou), the second lesson is Chen added to Chou, the third lesson is Shen added to Si (Si is the day branch), and the fourth lesson is Hai added to Shen. The heavenly generals on the four lessons are: Hai has Azure Dragon, Shen has Vermilion Bird, Chen has Tai Yin, and Chou has White Tiger. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Shen, which is a brother, riding Vermilion Bird, marked with '◎' indicating it falls in the empty period (on Xin Si day, which belongs to the Jia Xu period, the empty period is Shen and You); the middle transmission is Hai, with hidden heavenly stem Yi Hai, which is a son, riding Azure Dragon; the final transmission is Yin, with hidden heavenly stem Wu Yin, which is a wife's wealth, riding Tai Chang. This lesson's Heaven and Earth plates and the notes on the four lessons and three transmissions fully match.

仲褒曰：若占省試必主高中，只是不承恩命。省榜了，當殿試為犯御諱，遂不及第。李君再謂褒曰：春前之數己驗，不知異日如何？褒曰：且待別占。議曰：發用朱雀，傳入龍常，三傳皆臨長生，行年又得青龍，傳入太常，正屬省府。所乘功曹，本是青龍，春占為旺氣，與月建上神三合，貴人順冶發用在前，故主省試高發。以太歲為殿試，太歲不入傳，青龍正臨空亡，天罡加太歲，太歲加日上，作白虎，為墓庫，來刑日，故不承恩命也。

Zhongbao said: If you are asking about the Ministry of Rites examination, you will certainly pass, but you will not be able to accept the imperial favor. After the provincial list is published, by the time of the palace examination, you will have offended the emperor's name, and thus will not be admitted. Li Ming later told Zhongbao: Everything you said before spring has come true. I wonder what will happen afterwards? Zhongbao said: That requires another calculation. His deduction was: The initiating transmission is the metal of Shen, riding the Vermilion Bird. The middle and final transmissions turn into the Azure Dragon and Tai Chang. All three transmissions are in the position of growth. The year pillar also has the Azure Dragon, and then proceeds to Tai Chang. Tai Chang governs positions at the provincial and prefectural levels. The riding official is the wood of Yin, which is originally the domain of the Azure Dragon (the Azure Dragon belongs to the element of wood). In February, the wood is in its flourishing phase, and it combines with the upper god Wu (the month builder's卯) to form the triple harmony of Yin-Wu-Xu. Moreover, the nobleman proceeds in the right direction, and the initiating transmission is before the nobleman, so it indicates a high result in the provincial examination. As for the palace examination, it is based on the heavenly stem: the current heavenly stem is Chou, which does not appear in the three transmissions. The Azure Dragon is exactly in the position of Kongwang. The Tiangang Chen is placed on the heavenly stem Chou, and the heavenly stem Chou is placed on the day stem Xin. The upper god is the White Tiger. Chou is the storage place of metal, and Chou also harms the戌 palace where the metal Xin is located. Therefore, you will not be able to accept the imperial favor.

辛卯年正月辛巳日亥將申時，曹丙道再占來年省試。一針見血。

In the year of Xin Mao, first lunar month, on the day of Xin Si, using the hour of Hai as the starting point with the time of Shen, Cao Bing cast another divination for the provincial examination of the following year. This example is from "One Needle Sees the Essence."

愚按：辛卯當是徽宗政和元年，稱再占者，是日卯時己占過來年釋褐課也。

The Cheng Shuxun case: This Xinmao year should be the Political Harmony Year of Emperor Huizong of Song (1111 CE). It is called "a second divination" because on the same day, at the卯 (Mao) hour, a divination was already performed for the coming year's "Shihhe" (the first official appointment after passing the imperial examination). This is referred to as the lesson "Cao Bingdao Divined for the Coming Year's Shihhe" in the following sections of this book.

朱合勾龍 申酉戌亥 龍朱陰虎 兄 申 朱 ◎ 蛇未 子空 亥申辰丑 子 乙亥 龍 ⊙ 貴午 丑虎 申巳丑辛 財 戊寅 常 巳辰卯寅 后陰玄常

This lesson is identical to the previous one where Li Ming divined the provincial examination, as the month general, the time of divination, and the day stem and branch are the same. The heavenly generals start at午 and proceed in order: 午 is the nobleman, 未 is the teng snake, 申 is the vermilion bird, 酉 is the liu he, 戌 is the gou chen, 亥 is the azure dragon, 子 is the heavenly void, 丑 is the white tiger, 寅 is the tai chang, 卯 is the black tortoise, 辰 is the tai yin, and 巳 is the heavenly empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left as 丑 added to 辛, 辰 added to 丑, 申 added to 巳, and 亥 added to 申. The heavenly generals on the four lessons are: Azure Dragon on 亥, Vermilion Bird on 申, Tai Yin on 辰, and White Tiger on 丑. The three transmissions are 申 (brother, riding the vermilion bird, falling into the旬空), 亥 (Yihai, son, riding the azure dragon), and 寅 (Wuyin, wife's wealth, riding the tai chang).

邵彥和曰：三傳始末見天城天吏，作朱雀、太常，又是驛四馬，又朱雀火克身，本傳俱在長生學堂之上，定然得官。果次年壬辰三月榜出高甲及第。

Shao Yanhe said: When the three transmissions begin and end with the deities "Tian Cheng" and "Tian Li," they ride on the Vermilion Bird and Tai Chang respectively, and in the middle transmission, the Post-horse is found on Xinsi day, which corresponds to the亥 position, the middle transmission. The Vermilion Bird belongs to fire, which can overcome the metal of Xinsi, indicating a sign of literary fame and success. Moreover, all three transmissions fall on auspicious positions such as Growth and School, so one is certain to attain official rank. Later, indeed, in the second year, Renchen (Zhenghe Second Year), in the third lunar month, when the examination results were announced, he ranked high among the top candidates in the first class.

己酉年正月辛巳日子將酉時，時監院庚午生，四十歲，占謀動遷轉。宋本邵案。口鑑。

In the year Jiyou, first lunar month, on the day Xinsi, the divination was started with the hour of Zi added to the hour of You. The question was about a monk seeking a transfer and promotion. The person in question was born in the year Gengwu and was forty years old. This example is found in the Song edition of Shao Yanhe's "Zhan An" and in "Liu Ren Kou Jian."

空虎常玄 申酉戌亥 玄空朱后 兄 申 空 ◎ 青未 子陰 亥申辰丑 子 乙亥 玄 ⊙ 勾午 丑后 申巳丑辛 財 戊寅 貴 巳辰卯寅 合朱蛇貴

The Heaven and Earth plates section: The nobleman starts on寅 (the night nobleman on辛 day). The twelve heavenly generals proceed in order—寅 has 'Nobleman',卯 has 'Teng Snake',辰 has 'Vermilion Bird',巳 has 'Liu He',午 has 'Gou Chen',未 has 'Azure Dragon',申 has 'Tian Kong',酉 has 'White Tiger',戌 has 'Tai Chang',亥 has 'Black Tortoise',子 has 'Tai Yin', and丑 has 'Heavenly Empress'. The arrangement of the Heaven plate is the same as the previous lesson (both Heaven and Earth plates advance by three positions), but since the night nobleman is used, all the heavenly generals change. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has丑 added to辛, the second lesson has辰 added to丑, the third lesson has申 added to巳, and the fourth lesson has亥 added to申; the heavenly generals on the four lessons are:亥 has 'Black Tortoise',申 has 'Tian Kong',辰 has 'Vermilion Bird', and丑 has 'Heavenly Empress'. The three transmissions: the first transmission is申, which is a brother, riding on Tian Kong, falling into the empty term; the middle transmission is亥, with the hidden dry branch Yihai, which is a son and daughter, riding on Black Tortoise; the final transmission is寅, with the hidden dry branch Wuyin, which is a wife and wealth, riding on Nobleman.

邵彥和曰：此課守妻家，卒未能動身。今喜日墓帶丁，遂有變動之意。臨廟滿後，必得京局監當差遣，多是藥院之類。末傳寅在前引動墓，遂得出去。又是夜貴人，乃久困之貴人，今得起用於朝，因此可以引之。若見廚灶煮麵，僕子為湯所傷，即是喜事到之期。又主小兒落佛堂外水坑亦應也。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination indicates that this person has been staying at his wife's family and has not been able to move. However, it is pleasing to see that the day's墓 (burial) in丑 (Chou) contains the 丁 (Ding) spirit from the旬遁 (decade concealment), which suggests a change. After completing the current temple duty, he will certainly be assigned a position similar to that of the capital bureau supervisor, most likely in the pharmacy department. The final transmission寅 (Yin) wood in front leads the Tomb Spirit (burial spirit), so he will be able to move. The divination also uses the night nobleman, which is a nobleman who has been long unused. Now he is being used by the court, so he can be relied upon to recommend this person. In the future, if one sees the kitchen making noodles or a servant getting burned by hot soup, it will be a day of good fortune. Also, it indicates that a child falling into a water pit outside the temple hall will occur at the same time.

時自二十三上就寄居妻家，是年欲謀動，占得此課。庚戌七月嶽祠滿，討得監和劑局，因乃嶽徐侍郎在九宮觀，遂得台州差遣。所云夜貴久困，即此人也。辛亥其女生日，廚下煮麵，其僕子托面出，被人沖在身，而被湯所傷。又宴客更深，親戚小兒戲於佛堂外，失足墜小池中，次日早文字來催赴任。

This monk, the head of the temple, had been living in his wife's family since he was twenty-three. That year, he wanted to seek a transfer, and he cast this divination. In the year Gengxu, during the seventh month, the temple duties he had been assigned at his wife's family were completed, and he obtained a position in the supervision and preparation bureau. Also, since his father-in-law, Xu the Attendant-Lord, was serving at the Jiugongguan, he was assigned to take office in Taizhou. The previous statement "the nobleman has been long confined" refers to this Xu the Attendant-Lord. In the year Xinhai, on the birthday of his daughter, the kitchen was making noodles, and a servant brought the noodles out, but was bumped into and scalded by hot soup. Another time, during a banquet that lasted until late at night, a child from a relative was playing outside the Buddha hall and fell into a small pond. The next morning, the official document summoning him to take office arrived.

蓋丑加辛作墓神，天后又是滯神，丑中有旬丁為搖動移換，申為醫藥加巳，巳為廚灶，申又為面，天空為僕，亥加申為元武，武乃水神為池，元武又為墮水，辛以亥為子息，主孩童墮此池中。末卻見貴人乘天門，便是赴任之期也。

The principle is: Chou is placed on the day stem Xin as the tomb god, and Chou is also occupied by the Heavenly Empress, who is a god of stagnation, so there is being confined and immobile; Chou contains the hidden Ding god of the ten-day cycle, and Ding governs movement and change, so there is also change. Shen governs medicine, placed on Si, which is the kitchen, and Shen also governs flour, so it should relate to the pharmacy and cooking noodles; Tian Kong represents a servant, so it indicates the servant is injured. Hai is placed on Shen with the Black Tortoise, which is the water god, governing ponds and drowning; Xin day takes Hai as offspring, so it indicates a child falling into this pond. The final transmission is on寅, but there is a Nobleman present, and寅 is directly placed on the Earth Plate Hai (Heaven's gate), which indicates the date for taking office.

戊申年十一月辛巳日寅將酉時，邵三翁癸亥生，邵三翁生於九月初四日亥時，四十六歲，占宅。口鑑。方本占案。

In the year Wushen, the 11th lunar month, on the day Xinsi, using the寅 (Tiger) as the general and starting the calculation with the酉 (Rooster) hour, the divination was performed for Zhao San翁. He was born in the year Guihai, on the 4th day of the 9th lunar month at the hour Hai (Dog), and is 46 years old. The divination concerns his residence. This example is found in the book "Liuren Koujian" and Fang Ben's "Zhan An."

勾合朱蛇 戌亥子丑 后勾空后 財 己卯 后 青酉 寅貴 卯戌申卯 兄 申 空 ◎ 空申 卯后 戌巳卯辛 父 丁丑 蛇 ⊙ 未午巳辰 虎常玄陰

Heavenly and Earthly Plates section: The nobleman starts at寅 (the night nobleman on辛 day). The twelve heavenly generals move in reverse order—寅 has the nobleman, 丑 has the teng snake, 子 has the vermilion bird, 亥 has the liu he, 戌 has the gou chen, 酉 has the azure dragon, 申 has the heavenly void, 未 has the white tiger, 午 has the tai chang, 巳 has the black tortoise, 辰 has the tai yin, and 卯 has the heavenly empress. The four lessons are read from right to left: the first lesson has卯 added to辛 (辛's lodging palace is on戌, so卯 is on戌), the second lesson has申 added to卯, the third lesson has戌 added to巳 (巳 is the day branch), and the fourth lesson has卯 added to戌. The heavenly generals on the four lessons are: on卯 is the heavenly empress, on戌 is the gou chen, on申 is the heavenly void, and on卯 is the heavenly empress again. The three transmissions: the first transmission is卯, with the hidden stem Jimao, representing wife's wealth, riding the heavenly empress; the middle transmission is申, representing brothers, riding the heavenly void, marked with「◎」indicating it falls in the empty period (辛巳 day belongs to the甲戌 period, with the empty period on申 and 酉); the final transmission is丑, with the hidden stem Dingchou, representing parents, riding the teng snake, and the hidden stem in丑 is exactly the stem of this period.

邵彥和曰：此課財作天后，加干發用，乃妻為主。日去加辰，夫往就妻，妻為長，夫反為少也。然汝之妻，本兄之妻，而汝得之，日後只得九年相守。第八年因結生地，與兄弟不足生，雖得此地，而死不得葬也。目下主喪妻，緣是磨塞東門，所以有再娶之患。蓋申為磨，加卯為塞東門也。

Shao Yanhe said: In this divination, the wife's wealth, which is the卯wood, is riding on the Heavenly Empress, and it is added on top of the day stem to act as the initiating transmission, so the wife is the main focus. The day stem is reversed and added to the day branch, indicating the husband going to the wife; the wife is in a position of seniority while the husband is in a position of juniority. However, this wife is originally your elder brother's wife, and later she became yours. In the future, you can only stay together for nine years. In the eighth year, there will be a conflict with your brother over the matter of purchasing a burial ground, although you will obtain the land, the deceased will not be able to be buried. Currently, it indicates the loss of the wife, due to the "grinder" blocking the eastern gate. Therefore, there is a worry of remarrying. The申is the stone grinder, and when it is placed on the卯, it represents the blocking of the eastern gate (since卯is in the direction of due east).

辛以卯為妻。干又就支，反致勾留，上見勾陳故也。申加卯上作天空，申乃今日之同類，而加妻上，是兄之妻也。申同類為兄，加卯妻財上，是為兄之妻。然不加申本空亡，又作天空，必兄已亡過，遂有其妻，所以邵公敢開此口。若申不空，則不可亂斷。

Xin metal takes卯 wood as its wife and wealth. The day stem approaches the day branch, leading to entanglement and delay, because the day branch戌 has Gou Chen. Shen is placed on卯 and also carries Tian Kong. Shen and Xin day stem are both metal, so it is a同类 (same type) added on top of wife and wealth, indicating the wife of the elder brother. Since Shen represents the brother, placed on卯, the wife of the elder brother is indicated. Moreover, Shen is in Kongwang and also carries Tian Kong, showing that the elder brother has already passed away, and the younger brother has thus obtained his wife. Therefore, Shao Yanhe could speak so directly. If Shen were not in Kongwang, such a conclusion could not be drawn.

只得九年相守者，戌加巳，上五下四，共九數也。末丑為辛金之墓；丑土加申金長生上，故為生地。申為兄弟，而丑墓作蛇加之，故與兄弟不足。丑八數，故云八年也。直指雲丑為卯財故得此地，內遁丁鬼，主得此地而死。

The reason it is said that they can stay together for only nine years is because the third lesson has the戌 added to巳. The number of戌 is five and the number of巳 is four, so five above and four below make nine. The final transmission is丑, which is the storage place of辛 metal; 丑 earth is added to the position of the long life of申 metal, so it is called "birth place," which can be used as a burial ground. 申 also represents brothers, and the storage place of丑 is covered by the Teng Snake, so it indicates discord with brothers. The number of丑 is eight, so it is said to be the eighth year. The "Six Yin Direct Pointer" says that丑 can produce卯, which is the wife's wealth, so it can obtain this land; but 丑 contains the hidden丁 ghost, so it indicates obtaining this land but the person is already dead.

何上舍丁丑生三十三歲，於己酉年五月辛巳日申將寅時占前程。口鑑。方本占案。

He Xiangshesheng was born in the year Dingchou, is thirty-three years old, and cast a divination on his official career prospects on the day Xinsi, fifth lunar month, in the year Jiyou, using the hour of Shen with the starting method of adding Shen to Yin. This example is found in the book Liuren Koujian and Fang's Zhanyan.

合朱蛇貴 亥子丑寅 玄合勾陰 官 辛巳 玄 勾戌 卯后 巳亥戌辰 子 乙亥 合 青酉 辰陰 亥巳辰辛 官 辛巳 玄 申未午巳 空虎常玄

The Heaven and Earth Plates section: The Nobleman starts at寅, and the Twelve Heavenly Generals move in reverse order—寅 has the Nobleman, 丑 has the Teng Snake, 子 has the Vermilion Bird, 亥 has Liu He, 戌 has Gou Chen, 酉 has the Azure Dragon, 申 has Tian Kong, 未 has the White Tiger, 午 has Tai Chang, 巳 has the Black Tortoise, 辰 has Tai Yin, and 卯 has the Heavenly Empress. The Heaven Plate is six positions ahead of the Earth Plate, forming a "returning echo" pattern. The four lessons are read from right to left: the first lesson has 辰 added to 辛 (辛 is hidden in 戌, so 戌 position gets 辰), the second lesson has 戌 added to 辰, the third lesson has 亥 added to 巳 (巳 is the day branch), and the fourth lesson has 巳 added to 亥. The heavenly generals on the four lessons are: 巳 has the Black Tortoise, 亥 has Liu He, 戌 has Gou Chen, and 辰 has Tai Yin. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 巳, with the hidden stem Xinsi, which is the official ghost, riding the Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is 亥, with the hidden stem Yihai, which is the son, riding Liu He; the final transmission is again 巳, with the hidden stem Xinsi, which is the official ghost, riding the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions of 巳, 亥, and 巳 move back and forth, exactly resembling the pattern of a returning echo lesson.

邵彥和曰：此課日上見辰，乃濁氣所生，非秀麗也。長生學堂陷入鬼地，來去皆絕，此不是及第課。主三番讀書，四番廢業，少學無成，頭不應尾。五年後做東不成，又去做西，喪妻娶妻，十六年內家計蕩盡，妻嫁武官，子無頭尾。

Shao Yanhe said: In this lesson, the day stem's heavenly stem is the earth of Chen. Chen is the place where turbid qi is born, not a clear and refined image. The main subject's growth and school are trapped in the official ghost place, and both coming and going meet the end. This is not a lesson that can result in passing the imperial examination. The person has read three times and abandoned his studies four times, studied in his youth but achieved nothing, and his affairs have beginnings but no endings. After five years, he will go east to start a business but fail, then turn west. He will first lose his wife and then remarry. Within sixteen years, his family business will be completely ruined, his wife will remarry a military officer, and his son will also have beginnings but no endings.

何上舍發解後，妻家以一莊贈之。己酉年至乙卯年尚如意，乙卯後便不濟，考試皆不利。癸亥年喪妻飲酒無度，家計蕩盡，子留外家，再娶一妻，第十六年上舍死。後妻嫁一武進士。

The actual events were as follows: He Shangshe received a country estate from his wife's family after passing the local examination. From Jiyou year to Yimao year, things went smoothly, but after Yimao year, his situation deteriorated, and he had no luck in subsequent examinations. In Guihai year, his wife died, and he drank excessively, leading to the complete ruin of his family estate. His son was left with his maternal grandfather, and he married again. Sixteen years later, He Shangshe died. His second wife later married a military examiner.

大凡巳亥巳，惟壬日最得便宜，他來我處絕，又是財，只不利占病。丙戌日我往克處逢絕，凡事不利，若占病亦死，行人不來，謀事不遂。若辛巳日，辛生於巳，巳絕於亥，初絕尚可，末又臨絕，長生尚自受克絕，我何望生乎？即不可望生，卻就辰之生，為失十得一，豈不費力耶？

In general, when the three transmissions are all in the positions of巳, 亥, and巳, the most advantageous day is壬 day. What originally harms me arrives at my position and meets its end, and巳 is also the wife and wealth for壬 day. However, this is not suitable for divination regarding illness. On Bingxu day, I go to harm others but meet my end, which is unfavorable for all matters, and for illness it indicates death, with travelers not coming and affairs not succeeding. As for Xinsi day: the metal of辛 is born in巳, but巳 meets its end in亥. The first transmission meeting its end is still somewhat acceptable, but the final transmission falls into the place of end, meaning even the place of birth is harmed and meets its end. What hope do I have for vitality? Since I cannot rely on vitality, I can only seek the birth from the earth of辰. But this is losing ten and gaining one, which is not worth the effort.

愚按：家計蕩盡者，亥水加支克支絕支也。子無頭尾者，六合臨沖地也。十六年內者，亥四巳四，四四一十六也。惟喪取妻嫁武官不知何故。

The case of Cheng Shuxun: saying that the family fortune is completely ruined is because the亥 water branch is added to the day branch巳, which both harms the day branch and causes it to reach its end. Saying that the son has a head but no tail is because the Liu He, which governs descendants, is located in a position of mutual conflict. Saying that it happens within sixteen years is because the number of亥 is four and the number of巳 is four, four multiplied by four gives sixteen. Only the statement about the wife dying and then being remarried to a military officer is unknown, and it is unclear on what basis Shao Yanhe made this judgment.

天聖九年辛未歲閏九月初間，李都尉家被賊從後花園入堂內，偷去金銀財物，辛巳日請元軫占之，卯時未將。玉連環末卷。說約。

In the ninth year of Tiansheng during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, which was the year of Xinwei (the Earthly Branch 'Wei' being the branch of the Supreme Year), in the leap September, the Li General's family was robbed. The thief entered through the back garden and stole silver and gold. On the day Xinsi, Yuanzhen was asked to cast a divination. The divination used the hour of Mao and the general of Wei. The original text said 'Mao hour and Wei general', but according to the calculation where the Heaven Plate is eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate, it exactly matches the combination of Mao general and Wei hour. The month of leap September also used the general of Mao, which shows that the words 'hour' and 'general' were reversed in the transmission. This example is taken from the last volume of Yizihuanlianhuan and Luniushu Yao.

龍勾合朱 丑寅卯辰 玄龍勾貴 官 壬午 貴 空子 巳蛇 酉丑寅午 財 戊寅 勾 虎亥 午貴 丑巳午辛 父 甲戌 常 戌酉申未 常玄陰后

The Heaven and Earth plates section: The nobleman starts at Wu (Wu) for the daytime nobleman on a Xin (Xin) day. The twelve heavenly generals move in reverse order— Wu (Wu) has 'Nobleman', Si (Si) has 'Teng Snake', Chen (Chen) has 'Vermilion Bird', Mao (Mao) has 'Liu He', Yin (Yin) has 'Gou Chen', Chou (Chou) has 'Azure Dragon', Zi (Zi) has 'Tian Kong', Hai (Hai) has 'White Tiger', Xu (Xu) has 'Tai Chang', You (You) has 'Black Tortoise', Shen (Shen) has 'Tai Yin', and Wei (Wei) has 'Heavenly Empress'. The four lessons are read from right to left: the first lesson has Wu (Wu) added to Xin (Xin) (辛 (Xin) is lodged on Xu (Xu), so Wu (Wu) is on Xu (Xu)), the second lesson has Yin (Yin) added to Wu (Wu), the third lesson has Chou (Chou) added to Si (Si) (巳 (Si) is the day branch), and the fourth lesson has You (You) added to Chou (Chou). The heavenly generals on the four lessons are: You (You) has 'Black Tortoise', Chou (Chou) has 'Azure Dragon', Yin (Yin) has 'Gou Chen', and Wu (Wu) has 'Nobleman'. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wu (Wu), with the hidden stem Renwu (Renwu), which is the official ghost, riding the nobleman; the middle transmission is Yin (Yin), with the hidden stem Wuyin (Wuyin), which is the wife's wealth, riding 'Gou Chen'; the final transmission is Xu (Xu), with the hidden stem Jiaxu (Jiaxu), which is the parents, riding 'Tai Chang'. The three transmissions Wu (Wu), Yin (Yin), and Xu (Xu) form the fire triad Yin-Wu-Xu (Fire triad) (Yin-Wu-Xu), which is an 'Inflaming Ascension' lesson.

元軫斷曰：賊有五人，當是年及五旬婦人，原是婢女出身，一目有疾，在郊外東北方五十里墳墓間居住。依此捕之無。後李又索占，元軫曰：不必再占，只能前課推之可。於丙丁日令捕人出東門，轉北伺之，有兩婦人，穿緋衣，負薪而來者詢之，必得賊蹤。

The Heavenly Stems are: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui. The Earthly Branches are: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai. The Trigrams are: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth). Northeast.

如言於丁巳日，捕人伺至午間，果有兩婦人穿紅裙負薪而至。捕人近前，婦人惶遽欲逃，拿住搜其身，上藏有金銀釵釧。切究之，雲伊之鄰婦本是李都尉家舊婢，近因貧困，同其夫與子共五人至李家作賊，二婦知覺，被二婦知覺故分給釵釧。捕人遂押二婦至東北五十里蘇相公墳後，拘獲正賊真贓。其婦果患目也。

Follow his instructions, and on Dingsi day, the constables waited until noon, when indeed two women wearing red skirts and carrying firewood came walking. The constables approached, the women became frightened and tried to flee, but were caught and searched. They were found to be hiding silver and gold hairpins and bracelets. The constables interrogated them severely, and they confessed: the neighboring woman was once an old servant in the household of Li Duyi. Recently impoverished, she had conspired with her husband and son, a total of five people, to commit a theft at Li's house. These two women had discovered the plot, and because of that, they were given the hairpins and bracelets as a way to silence them. The constables then took the two women to the back of the tomb of Su Xianggong, fifty li northeast, where they captured the main thief and recovered the stolen goods. The leading woman was indeed blind in one eye.

議曰：經旬只於元武臨處責之，今元武臨丑，故言東北。武之陰神酉，從丑至酉為五辰，故云五人。三傳逆治，其賊不遠。江村張鋐云：武乘酉，酉陰見巳，巳陰見丑，丑陰又見酉，不能遠遁。酉丑相乘四八之數，故不出五十里。酉金臨丑墓，故云伏墳所。

The reasoning is as follows: The method of capturing thieves has always been to investigate the area where the Black Tortoise is located. In this case, the Black Tortoise is riding on酉 and falls on the Earth Plate at丑, which is in the Northeast. Therefore, the thief is in the Northeast. The hidden spirit of the Black Tortoise is酉, and from the number of丑 to酉 there are five trigrams, indicating there are five thieves. The three transmissions in reverse order suggest that the thieves are not far away. Zhang Fa from Jiang Village said: The Black Tortoise is riding on酉, the hidden spirit of酉 is巳, the hidden spirit of巳 is丑, and the hidden spirit of丑 returns to酉, so the thieves are entangled among these three, and they cannot escape far. The number of酉 is four and the number of丑 is eight, and the product of four and eight is fifty, so the thieves are within fifty li. The metal of酉 falls on the metal tomb of丑, so the thieves are hidden in the graveyard.

愚按：酉為婢，陰見螣蛇巳火，故是婢而有目疾。酉六，丑八，四十八歲，故云年近五旬耳。炎上火局剋制元武，而元武又被陰神巳火所克，故丙丁日必敗露。巳為雙女，乘蛇，故云兩婦穿緋衣。火本無體，因木而發，故因負薪人而敗。

The Cheng Shuxun case: You represents a female servant. The hidden spirit of You meets Teng Snake and巳 fire. Fire injures the eyes, so it is concluded that she was born of a servant and suffers from eye disease. You is counted as six, and Chou is counted as eight. Six times eight is forty-eight, so it is said she is near fifty years old. The three transmissions of Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire trinity that can overcome Xuanwu. However, the hidden spirit of Xuanwu,巳 fire, turns back to overcome it, so it is determined that the case will be exposed on a Bing day or Ding day.巳 belongs to the star sign 'Double Women' and is occupied by Teng Snake. The color of the snake is red, so it is said that two women are wearing red clothes. Fire itself has no form and needs wood to ignite, so it is concluded that the case will be solved by the person carrying firewood.

愚按：張江村說約云，巳乘蛇，蛇性易驚，故兩婦一見捕人即欲逃也。巳陰見龍，龍屬木，木見火為薪，故皆負薪。巳酉丑三合，輾轉不能相離，故於東北伺之而獲也。其於丁巳日午時者，酉陰見巳、用神午俱克元武也。此解明晰，故備錄之。

Cheng Shuxun also cites: Zhang Jiangcun's "Six壬 Say约" explains it more thoroughly--the巳 is occupied by Teng Snake, which is easily startled, so the two women immediately wanted to run away upon seeing the officers. The Yin Spirit of巳 meets Qinglong, which belongs to wood, and wood meets fire to become firewood, so both of them are carrying firewood. The巳,酉, and丑 form a triple harmony, entangling each other and unable to separate, so they can be captured by waiting in the northeast. As for the time being on the Dingsi day and noon, it is because the Yin Spirit of酉 is巳 and the initiating transmission is午, and both巳 and午 can overcome Xuanwu. This explanation is the clearest, so I have recorded it entirely here.

己酉年正月辛巳日子將辰時，仍是戊申太歲。趙監務丁丑生，生於九月十日丑時，三十二歲，占赴任。宋本邵案。口鑑。

In the year Jiyou, during the first lunar month, on the day Xinsi, the calculation was started with the hour of Zi added to Chen. At this time, the beginning of spring had not yet arrived, so the current year's sovereign was still Wushen. The person seeking the divination was Zhao Jianwu, born in the year Dingchou, on the tenth day of the ninth lunar month at the hour of Chou, aged thirty-two, inquiring about taking office. This example is found in the Song edition of Shao Yanhe's "Zhan An" and in "Liu Ren Kou Jian."

龍勾合朱 丑寅卯辰 玄龍勾貴 官 壬午 貴 空子 巳蛇 酉丑寅午 財 戊寅 勾 虎亥 午貴 丑巳午辛 父 甲戌 常 戌酉申未 常玄陰后

This lesson's divination chart is exactly the same as the previous one by Li Dukewei who divined about a thief: the nobleman starts at Wu and moves counterclockwise, with Wu as nobleman, Si as vermilion bird, Chen as azure dragon, Mao as liu he, Chou as gou chen, Zi as tian kong, Hai as bai hu, Xu as tai chang, You as xuan wu, Shen as tai yin, and Wei as tian hou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left as Wu with Xin, Yin with Wu, Chou with Si, and You with Chou. The heavenly generals above the four lessons are Xuan Wu on You, Qing Long on Chou, Gou Chen on Yin, and Guiren on Wu. The three transmissions are Wu (Renwu, official ghost, riding Guiren), Yin (Wuyin, wife's wealth, riding Gou Chen), and Xu (Jia Xu, parents, riding Tai Chang). Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire trinity, making it a fiery lesson.

邵彥和曰：主今年二月上任。蓋日上官星作貴人，會火局，金被火官逼，行年又來添一層官星來趕，必然動身。須見尊長病酒幾死，即應矣。宅上丁神已動，臨交代之時，必有所阻，得十六個月遭父喪而回。

Shao Yanhe said that the person will take office in February of this year. Because the day stem's heavenly stem is wu, which is the official star, and it is accompanied by the nobleman, and forms a fire trinity, the metal of xin is forced by the fire official star; the year stem also adds another official star to urge and hasten the matter, so he will definitely start his journey. When he meets his superior and almost dies from drunkenness, that will be the appointed time. The heavenly stem of the residence has already activated, and when the transfer of duty occurs, there will certainly be obstacles; after sixteen months of taking office, he will suffer the loss of his father and return home.

趙因前任填補，遂於二月催赴任。二月二日父大醉幾死，越七日而文字果至。八月方交割，以前任官要趙認虧空，方得交代，是以遲至八月也。次年十一月丁父憂歸，共十六個月也。大凡平人怕官鬼劈頭來克，主有官事喪禍；惟仕官赴任，須要官星旺，即赴任也。辛長生於巳，巳為父，巳加酉上見蛇，酉為酒，蛇撓之，所以為病酒。巳午相連，巳應了午便應也。

Later, Zhao Jianwu was urgently sent to take office to fill a vacancy left by his predecessor. In February, he was pressed to take up his post. On the second day of the second lunar month, his father became extremely drunk and almost died. Seven days later, the official document urging him to take office arrived. It wasn't until August that the transfer procedures were completed, because the previous official would not hand over the duties unless Zhao Jianwu acknowledged the financial shortfall. Thus, the transfer was delayed until August. The following year, in November, he returned home due to his father's death, making the total period exactly sixteen months. Generally, ordinary people are most afraid of the official ghost (官鬼) being at the forefront and causing harm, which indicates legal troubles or misfortune related to death. However, for officials taking up their posts, they actually need the official star (官星) to be prosperous and strong. When the official star becomes strong, they should start their duties. Xin metal is longed for in Si, and Si also represents the father. Si is placed on You, which represents wine, and Teng Snake disturbs it, hence the father getting drunk and falling ill. Si and Wu are connected, and once Si is verified, Wu follows immediately.

愚按：遭父喪而回者，因喪吊全入三傳，末為歸計門，作太常，為孝服也。惟十六月字不可解，且何以知為十六個月而非十六年乎。

The case of Cheng Shuxun: The divination concluded that he was returning due to his father's death, because the spirits of Mourning-and-Condolence and visitors had both entered the Three Transmissions, and the Final Transmission was "the gate of returning plans," which was superior to Tai Chang, and Tai Chang governs mourning attire. However, the number of "sixteen months" does not make sense, and there is no explanation as to why it is sixteen months rather than sixteen years. Shao Yanhe did not address this point.

辛卯年正月辛巳日亥將卯時，曹丙道占在京來年釋褐。一針見血。

In the year Xin Mao, first lunar month, on the day Xin Si, using the hour亥 as the starting point for the divination, Cao Bing asked whether he would be able to "release his hair" (i.e., remove his coarse cloth robe and be appointed to an official post) in the following year while in the capital. This example is from "One Needle Sees the Essence."

龍勾合朱 丑寅卯辰 玄龍勾貴 官 壬午 貴 空子 巳蛇 酉丑寅午 財 戊寅 勾 虎亥 午貴 丑巳午辛 父 甲戌 常 戌酉申未 常玄陰后

The lesson is the same as the previous two. The Nobleman starts at Wu and the Twelve Heavenly Generals move in reverse. Wu has the Nobleman, Si has the Teng Snake, Chen has the Vermilion Bird, Mao has Liu He, Yin has Gou Chen, Chou has the Azure Dragon, Zi has Tian Kong, Hai has the White Tiger, Xu has Tai Chang, You has the Black Tortoise, Shen has Tai Yin, and Wei has the Heavenly Empress. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left as Wu with Xin, Yin with Wu, Chou with Si, and You with Chou. The upper gods and Heavenly Generals are in order: You has the Black Tortoise, Chou has the Azure Dragon, Yin has Gou Chen, and Wu has the Nobleman. The Three Transmissions are Wu (Renwu, official ghost, riding the Nobleman), Yin (Wuyin, wife's wealth, riding Gou Chen), and Xu (Jiaxu, parents, riding Tai Chang). Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire triad, making it an inflammatory lesson.

邵彥和曰：炎上主文明，貴人乘相氣為用。吾丈是午生人，今午作貴人為用。末見太常乘天魁為印綬，又是天喜神六儀吉將在辰上。行年得天后恩神，炎上三傳相氣。想只是中傳勾陳乘寅加本命上，主遲慢，來年定及第矣。果驗。

Shao Yanhe said: The three transmissions form a fire pattern of ascending flames, and fire governs literary brilliance and brightness; the nobleman also rides on the phase qi and initiates the transmission. You were born in the year of Wu, and now the Wu zhi is acting as the nobleman and initiating the transmission. The final transmission meets Tai Chang riding Tian Kui (Xu), Xu is the god of official seals, and auspicious generals such as Heavenly Joy and the Six Instruments also fall on that hour. The year pillar gains Heavenly Empress, this benevolent deity, and the three transmissions of ascending flames all align with the phase qi. It seems the only missing element is the middle transmission, Gou Chen, riding Yin and adding upon your birth year, which indicates delay; but by next year you will certainly pass the examination. Later, it indeed came true.

崇正丙子年二月辛巳日辛卯時，湖州陸金吾占總鎮陳東明奉命出師江東。指南。

In the Bingzi year of the Ming Chongzheng era, on the Xinsi day and Xinmao hour of the second lunar month, Lu Jinwu of Huzhou divined about General Chen Dongming being ordered to march troops to the Jiangdong region. This example is from the "Six壬 Guide."

勾六 青丑寅卯辰朱 玄青勾貴 官 壬午 貴 空子 巳蛇 酉丑寅午 財 戊寅 勾 虎亥 午貴 丑巳午辛 印 甲戌 常 常戌酉申未后 玄陰

This divination chart is slightly different from the previous ones. The heavenly generals are noted on both sides and above the branches of the heaven plate. When read, it is: Chou (ox) has "Azure Dragon," Yin (tiger) has "Gou Chen," Mao (rabbit) has "Liu He," Chen (dragon) has "Vermilion Bird," Si (snake) has "Teng Snake," Wu (horse) has "Nobleman," Wei (sheep) has "Heavenly Empress," Shen (monkey) has "Tai Yin," You (rooster) has "Black Tortoise," Xu (dog) has "Tai Chang," Hai (pig) has "White Tiger," and Zi (rat) has "Heavenly Void." The nobleman still starts at Wu, and the twelve generals proceed in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the first lesson has Wu with Xin, the second lesson has Yin with Wu, the third lesson has Chou with Si, and the fourth lesson has You with Chou. The upper gods and generals are: on You (rooster) is Black Tortoise, on Chou (ox) is Azure Dragon, on Yin (tiger) is Gou Chen, and on Wu (horse) is Nobleman. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wu (Renwu, official ghost, riding Nobleman), the second transmission is Yin (Wuyin, wife's wealth, riding Gou Chen), and the third transmission is Xu (Jiaxu, which is marked as official seal, riding Tai Chang). Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire trinity, making this a fiery lesson.

斷曰：春得炎上進氣，又合元首三奇，高爵宰官不復言矣。但干敗支墓且乘火鬼，天魁合中犯煞，《易》旅九三「旅焚其次，喪其童僕，貞厲」，不惟興師無濟，且有他虞。即官至卯年亦不見利，由卯上乘白虎驛馬，名為回馬，雖是剝官之煞，幸結貴木局生起初傳官星，故僅撤回討賊。庚辰太歲受克，子水司令制傷火局退位俱驗。

Divination: In spring, the divination shows the "Inflamed" lesson. The fire element is in the rising phase, and it coincides with the "Head of the State" lesson pattern and the auspicious "Three Marvels." High official rank is not needed to be mentioned. However, the day stem is Xin metal, which is in a declining position in the second month, and the day branch is Si, which is the resting place of metal. Moreover, the upper element is a fire ghost. The heavenly stem Wu, which is the guardian, is in the combined structure but is involved in an Inauspicious Sha (malevolent star). This exactly matches the "Third Line" statement in the "Travel" hexagram of the Zhou Changes: "The traveler burns his guest house and loses his servant, even maintaining righteousness is dangerous." Not only does the military campaign fail, but there are also other worries. Even if one holds office in the卯 year, there is no benefit: because the卯 is accompanied by the White Tiger and the Post-horse, called "Return Horse," which is an Inauspicious Sha (malevolent star) that removes official rank. Fortunately, the卯 forms a wood structure with the亥 and the未, which can generate the initial transmission's official star, so it only results in the withdrawal of troops and the suspension of the campaign against the enemy. In the Gengchen year, the heavenly stem is harmed by the year's ruler, and the Zi water is in command, which restrains and damages the fire structure, causing it to retreat. All these have been fulfilled.

順治己丑年正月辛巳日辛卯時，榆林王總兵諱樸者，其子金吾官在揚，聞大同姜總兵亂。指南。

In the sixth year of the Shunzhi era (Jichou year), in the first lunar month, on the day Xinsi and at the hour Xinmao, General Wang Pu of Yulin had a son who held the position of Jinwu and was in Yangzhou. Upon hearing that General Jiang of Datong had rebelled, he cast a divination to inquire about the fortune and misfortune. This example is from the "Six壬 Guide."

勾六 青丑寅卯辰朱 玄青勾貴 官 壬午 貴 空子 巳蛇 酉丑寅午 財 戊寅 勾 虎亥 午貴 丑巳午辛 印 甲戌 常 常戌酉申未后 玄陰

The lesson is the same as the previous one: Chou is on Qinglong, Yin is on Gou Chen, Mao is on Liu He, Chen is on Zhuqiao, Si is on Teng Snake, Wu is on Guiren, Wei is on Tianhou, Shen is on Taiyin, You is on Xuanwu, Xu is on Taichang, Hai is on Bahu, Zi is on Tiankong. Guiren starts at Wu and the twelve generals move in reverse order. The four lessons, from right to left, are Wu with Xin, Yin with Wu, Chou with Si, You with Chou. The upper gods and heavenly generals in order are You with Xuanwu, Chou with Qinglong, Yin with Gou Chen, Wu with Guiren. The three transmissions are Wu (Renwu, official ghost, riding Guiren), Yin (Wuyin, wife's wealth, riding Gou Chen), Xu (Jiaxu, official seal, riding Taichang). Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire triad, making it an inflammatory lesson.

斷曰：游都居支前，賊符侵酉地，且貴人克干發用，又合中犯煞，西北兵動，據城無疑。初傳旺相生合末傳，定主內外奸人勾連；中傳月建克末傳，必然破城殺將。又旬遁丁神臨辰陽入辰陰，更有當地邊界盜賊蜂起，後來終於歸降，蓋因游都臨合處也。但火局旺相於春夏，死於秋冬，又大吉日墓臨支，是主受客愚而墜客計，交秋事敗歸降矣。

Divination indicates that the military general "You Du" is located at the position preceding the day branch, and "Zei Fu" invades the western region of You. With the nobleman overcoming the day stem and initiating the transmission, and the combination of elements being tainted by malevolent stars, it can be concluded that there will be military movements in the northwest, and the enemy will certainly occupy the city. The first transmission is prosperous and strong, and generates and harmonizes with the final transmission, indicating that internal and external traitors are colluding. The middle transmission is the month builder, which overcomes the final transmission, leading to the city being captured and the general being killed. Furthermore, the hidden god Ding, originally from a yang day, enters a yin day, showing that there will be a surge of bandits along the border area, but eventually they will surrender. This is because "You Du" is located in a harmonious combination. However, the fire combination is strong in spring and summer but weak in autumn and winter. Also, the great good star Chou, which is the tomb of the day stem Xin metal, is located on the day branch, indicating that the side is being deceived and falling into the enemy's plan. Therefore, once autumn arrives, the situation will collapse, and surrender will be the only option.

戊申年十一月辛巳日寅將酉時，邵三翁癸亥生，四十六歲，占宅。口鑑。

In the year of Wushen, eleventh month, on the day of Xinsi, using the trine of Yin as the starting point and beginning the calculation at the hour of You, Shao Sanweng, born in the year of Guihai and aged forty-six, divined about his residence. This example is from the "Six Rats Oral Mirror." This case is the same as the previous one titled "In the year of Wushen, eleventh month, on the day of Xinsi, with the trine of Yin at the hour of You, Shao Sanweng divined about his residence," but differs in the version used, with variations in the text. Cheng Shuxun included both versions to facilitate comparison.

六朱 陳戌亥子丑蛇 龍酉 寅貴 後陳空后 財 己卯 后 初 空申 卯后 卯戌申卯 兄 空申 空 中 虎未午巳辰陰 戌巳卯辛 父 丁丑 蛇 末 常玄

This divination chart differs in its presentation from the previous one but contains the same content: "Chen" refers to Gou Chen, and "Long" refers to Qing Long. The three transmissions are directly labeled as initial, middle, and final. The middle transmission is written as "Kong Shen," meaning Shen is in the旬空. The celestial and terrestrial plates: the nobleman starts at寅 and the twelve heavenly generals move in reverse order—寅 has the nobleman,丑 has Teng Snake,子 has Zhu Que,亥 has Liu He,戌 has Gou Chen,酉 has Qing Long,申 has Tian Kong,未 has Bai Hu,午 has Tai Chang,巳 has Xuan Wu,辰 has Tai Yin,卯 has Tian Hou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is卯 with 辛, the second is申 with 卯, the third is戌 with 巳, the fourth is卯 with 戌; the upper gods and heavenly generals are: on卯 is Tian Hou, on戌 is Gou Chen, on申 is Tian Kong, on卯 is Tian Hou. The three transmissions: initial transmission is卯 (Ji Mao, wife's wealth, riding Tian Hou), middle transmission is申 (in Kongwang, brother, riding Tian Kong), final transmission is丑 (Ding Chou, parents, riding Teng Snake).

邵彥和曰：此課乃妻為主，日去加辰，夫去脫妻，妻為長，夫反為少也。然汝之妻，本兄之妻，而汝得之，日後只得九年相守。第八年因作生地，與兄弟不足，生難得此地，而死不得葬也。目下主喪妻，緣是磨壓東門，所以有再娶之患也。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination focuses on the wife. The day stem combines with the day branch, indicating the husband is leaving to consume the wife; the wife is older while the husband is younger. However, this wife originally belonged to your elder brother, and later came to you. In the future, you will only be together for nine years. In the eighth year, due to disputes over the burial ground with your brother, you will have a conflict. Although you manage to obtain the land while alive, after death you will not be able to be buried there. Currently, the divination indicates the loss of the wife, caused by a grinding stone pressing on the east gate, hence the worry of remarrying. (This version reads 'the husband leaves to consume the wife' and 'a grinding stone presses on the east gate,' while the previous version reads 'the husband goes to meet the wife' and 'a grinding stone blocks the east gate,' with the two versions differing in wording.)

申為磨，中卯為壓東門也。辛以卯為妻，上見天后，妻為主。干又就支，反致勾留，上見勾陳故也。申加卯上作天空，申乃今日之同類，而加妻上，是兄之妻也。申同類為兄，加卯妻爻上，是為兄之妻。

Shen is a stone mill, placed on Mao, thus pressing upon the eastern gate (Mao is located in the direction of Due East). Xin day, with Mao wood as wife's wealth, also sees the Heavenly Empress on Mao, so wife is the main focus. The day stem tends towards the day branch, yet brings about hindrance and delay because the day branch has Gou Chen. Shen is placed on Mao and rides Tian Kong: Shen and the day share the same metal element, which is the same as the day stem, so the same element is placed on the wife's wealth, indicating the wife of the elder brother. Shen, being brothers, is placed on Mao, the wife's element, thus forming the image of 'the wife of the elder brother'.

然不加申酉空亡，又作天空，必兄已亡過，遂有其妻，所以邵公敢開此口。若申不空，則不可亂斷。末丑，辛之墓；加於同類之上，並蛇丑八數，是以八年因開生地，與兄弟不和，丑土生申金，乃生地也。九年死者，戌加巳，上五下四，共九數也。

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) Shao Yanhe dared to make such a statement because the branches Shen and You are both in Kongwang, and Shen is further overlaid by Tian Kong. This indicates that the elder brother must have already passed away, and the younger brother thus married his wife. Therefore, Shao Yanhe made such a bold assertion; if Shen were not in Kongwang, one could not make such a hasty conclusion. The final transmission is Chou, which is the tomb and storage of Xin metal. It is placed on top of the same branch Shen metal, and it also carries Teng Snake. Chou's number is eight, so it refers to the eighth year when there was a disagreement with the brother over the opening of the tomb. Chou soil can generate Shen metal, so it is called "birth place." The statement about dying in the ninth year is because the third lesson Wu is placed on Si, and the upper five and lower four combine to form the number nine. (This version states, "Chou soil generates Shen metal, hence it is called 'birth place.'" The previous version states, "Chou soil is placed on top of the long life of Shen metal, hence it is called 'birth place.'" The explanations are slightly different.)

四月辛巳日越王召范蠡占鄭妃六甲。心鏡注引越覆經。

On the Xinsi day of the fourth month, King Goujian of Yue summoned Fan Li to cast a divination, to determine whether the concubine Zheng had conceived (the term "Liujia" refers to pregnancy). This example is found in the annotations of the book "Liu Ren Xin Jing," which cites the text "Yue Fu Jing."

蛇貴后陰 丑寅卯辰 龍蛇貴常 鬼 壬午 常 朱子 巳玄 酉丑寅午 財 戊寅 貴 合亥 午常 丑巳午辛 父 甲戌 勾 戌酉申未 勾龍空虎

Heavenly and Earthly Plates: The Nobleman starts on寅 and the Twelve Heavenly Generals move in reverse order — on寅 is 'Nobleman', on丑 is 'Teng Snake', on子 is 'Vermilion Bird', on亥 is 'Liu He', on戌 is 'Gou Chen', on酉 is 'Azure Dragon', on申 is 'Tian Kong', on未 is 'White Tiger', on午 is 'Tai Chang', on巳 is 'Black Tortoise', on辰 is 'Tai Yin', and on卯 is 'Heavenly Empress'. The arrangement of the Heaven Plate (which is eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate) is the same as in the previous example of Li Duwei's divination of a thief's case. The month general used in April is申, and the corresponding plate here is申 general added to the子 hour. The子 hour belongs to night, so the Night Nobleman is on寅, whereas in the previous case the Day Nobleman was on午, hence the Heavenly Generals are entirely different. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is午 added to辛, the second is寅 added to午, the third is丑 added to巳, and the fourth is酉 added to丑; the upper gods and Heavenly Generals are sequentially: on酉 is Azure Dragon, on丑 is Teng Snake, on寅 is Nobleman, and on午 is Tai Chang. The three transmissions: the first transmission is午 (Renwu, this is marked as official ghost, riding Tai Chang), the middle transmission is寅 (Wuyin, wife's wealth, riding Nobleman), and the final transmission is戌 (Jiaxu, parents, riding Gou Chen).

范蠡對曰：今課上勝光克下，產男矣。後鄭妃果產男也。

Fan Li answered: In this divination, the upper god Shengguang (Wu fire) overcomes the lower god. The upper is strong and the lower is weak, indicating the birth of a son. Later, the Zheng妃 indeed gave birth to a son.

愚按：越覆經久已遺失，今課經集載丁丑日酉將子時，巳加酉為用，上是旺火克下死金，上強下弱，故決生男。如秋占，火囚氣，課皆陰，則未然也。予不知御青先生所集出於何書。至袖中經所引，日辰、月將、正時與心鏡注同，至以巳加酉為用，則又錯也，餘不敢以之為據，而附塔式之於此。

Cheng Shuxun's case: The book "Yue Fu Jing" has long been lost. The current version in "Ke Jing Ji" is for a day of Dingchou, with You as the month general and Zi hour of the day. It uses Si added to You as the initiating transmission. The upper god is a strong fire, and the lower god is a weak metal, so it is concluded to be a male child. However, if this divination is done in autumn, fire is in a state of captivity, and all four lessons are yin, then it cannot be interpreted in this way. I do not know from which book Mr. Guo Yüqing's compilation of this case comes. As for the one cited in "Xiu Zhong Jing," the day branch, month general, and correct time all match the annotations in "Xin Jing," but it uses Si added to You as the initiating transmission, which is wrong. I dare not take it as a basis, so I merely append this lesson here.

順治庚寅十月辛巳朔甲午時，日有食之，莊公遠占當主何應。指南。

In the seventh year of the Shunzhi era (Gengyin year), on the tenth month, on the first day of the lunar month which was also the new moon, at the time of Jiawu, an eclipse of the sun occurred. ZHUANG Gong Yuan cast a divination lesson to determine what omen this solar eclipse would indicate. This example is from the "Six壬 Guide."

六朱 勾寅卯辰巳蛇 白勾朱后 財寅勾 龍丑 午貴 亥寅辰未 子亥虎 空子 未后 寅巳未辛 兄申陰 白亥戌酉申陰 常玄

This divination chart places the heavenly generals on both sides of the branches on the heaven plate. Reading them out: on寅 is "Gou Chen", on卯 is "Liu He", on辰 is "Zhu Que", on巳 is "Teng Snake", on午 is "Nobleman", on未 is "Heavenly Empress", on申 is "Tai Yin", on酉 is "Xuan Wu", on戌 is "Tai Chang", on亥 is "Bai Hu" ("Bai" refers to Bai Hu), on子 is "Tian Kong", on丑 is "Qing Long" — the nobleman starts at午 and the twelve generals move in reverse order. The heaven plate advances nine positions relative to the earth plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 未 added with 辛 (辛 is寄托 in 戌, and 戌 position receives 未), the second lesson is 辰 added with 未, the third lesson is 寅 added with 巳 (巳 is the day branch), the fourth lesson is 亥 added with 寅; the heavenly generals on the four lessons are: on亥 is Bai Hu, on寅 is Gou Chen, on辰 is Zhu Que, on未 is Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions only indicate the six relations and heavenly generals without noting the concealed stems: the first transmission is 寅, representing wife's wealth, riding on Gou Chen; the middle transmission is 亥, representing children, riding on Bai Hu; the final transmission is 申, representing brothers, riding on Tai Yin.

莊公遠曰：太歲做游都（丙辛只向功曹上，故寅為游都）臨翼軫（巳地）發用，且乘勾陳，披刑帶煞，楚地當有戰爭之象。彈射有丸，憂驚必重。中傳虎馬居支，陰沖剋日支，末傳太陰刀乘歲破沖剋太歲，然是旬空，陰謀必敗。

Zhuang Gong Yuan said: This year's Tai Suo Yin is exactly the 'You Du' in the Bing day and Xin day, which only falls on Gong Cao Yin. Therefore, Yin is the You Du. It is located on the巳 ground ruled by the constellations Yi and Zhen, and it initiates the transmission. It also rides on Gou Chen, is covered with punishment, and carries凶煞. It can be concluded that there will be warfare in the area of Chu. Injuries from bows, arrows, and bullets are inevitable, and worries and fears will certainly be profound. The middle transmission is on Hai, which rides on Bai Hu and carries the post-horse, and it is located in the branch position. Its hidden spirit also clashes and controls the day branch. The final transmission is on Shen, which carries Tai Yin's knife. Shen is exactly the year's Suo, which is the year's breaking point. It turns back to clash and control the Tai Suo Yin. Fortunately, Shen falls in the ten-thousand period's void, so this plot will ultimately fail.

又河覆井、玄武入穴、虎出林、乘年（辰加未為河覆井，武乘酉臨子為入穴，虎乘亥臨寅為出林，虎臨寅歲上為乘年），定主風多澇患。奈何雷公雷煞並見，以作病胎，氣不收斂，民生多病之征也。次日，雷電大作，次年水澇為災。餘占亦驗。

In addition, in the divination, the four images of "River Covering Well," "Black Tortoise Entering the Hole," "White Tiger Emerging from the Forest," and "White Tiger Riding the Year" are all present. When the Heaven Plate's Chen is placed over the Earth Plate's Wei, it is called "River Covering Well." When the Black Tortoise rides on You and is placed over the Earth Plate's Zi, it is called "Black Tortoise Entering the Hole." When the White Tiger rides on Hai and is placed over the Earth Plate's Yin, it is called "White Tiger Emerging from the Forest." The Yin that the White Tiger is placed on is exactly the Year Pillar, so it is called "White Tiger Riding the Year." This definitely indicates a lot of wind and waterlogging disasters. Unfortunately, the Thunder God and Thunder Harm also appear at the same time, forming a "Disease Embryo," preventing the convergence of heaven and earth energies. This is a sign that the people will suffer from many diseases. The next day there was a great thunderstorm, and the following year there was a flood disaster. The other divinations I made also came true.

九月辛巳日卯將午時占家中事。郭氏占驗。

On the 26th day of the 9th month, using the卯 (Mao) as the general and starting the divination at the午 (Wu) hour, the divination was cast to inquire about family matters. This example is from Guo's "Divination Verification."

龍勾合朱 丑寅卯辰 玄龍勾貴 官 壬午 貴 空子 巳蛇 酉丑寅午 財 戊寅 勾 虎亥 午貴 丑巳午辛 父 甲戌 常 戌酉申未 常玄陰后

The divination chart is the same as the one used by Li Duiwei in his case of predicting the whereabouts of a thief. The Nobleman is positioned on Wu, and the Twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in reverse order. On Wu is the Nobleman, on Si is the Teng Snake, on Chen is the Vermilion Bird, on Mao is Liu He, on Yin is Gou Chen, on Chou is Qing Long, on Zi is Tian Kong, on You is Bai Hu, on Xu is Tai Chang, on Shen is Tai Yin, on Wei is Tian Hou. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left as Wu with Xin, Yin with Wu, Chou with Si, You with Chou. The heavenly generals above each lesson are: on You is Bai Hu, on Chou is Qing Long, on Yin is Gou Chen, on Wu is Nobleman. The Three Transmissions are Wu (Renwu, official ghost, riding Nobleman), Yin (Wuyin, wife wealth, riding Gou Chen), and Xu (Jia Xu, parents, riding Tai Chang). Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire triad, making this a fiery lesson.

郭御青曰：餘州人王再振者，從張貞明孝廉來京，客久思家，託余占家中事。時吳於老斷曰：此課死氣臨宅發用，又作月厭，家下有死亡事。餘服其斷，不二日，王家信至，兩幼子俱傷。

Guo Yuqing said: There is a man named Wang Zaiwen in our state who followed Zhang Zhenming, a scholar, to the capital city and stayed there for a long time. He missed his family and asked me to divinate about his home affairs. At that time, Wu Yu lão predicted: In this divination, death qi is on the residential line and serves as the initiating transmission, and it coincides with the month aversion. There will be death in the family. I was very impressed by his interpretation; within two days, a letter from the Wang family arrived — both of his young sons had died.

十月辛巳日寅將巳時占求財。指歸靈文論。

On the 18th day of the tenth month, using the寅 (Tiger) as the general and adding the巳 (Snake) hour to start the divination, the subject sought to inquire about wealth. This example is from the "Zhi Gui Ling Wen Lun."

勾合朱蛇 寅卯辰巳 虎勾朱后 財 戊寅 勾 龍丑 午貴 亥寅辰未 子 乙亥 虎 空子 未后 寅巳未辛 兄 申 陰 ◎ 亥戌酉申 虎常玄陰

Heavenly and Earthly Plates: The Nobleman starts at午 and the Twelve Heavenly Generals move in reverse order — 午 has 'Nobleman', 巳 has 'Teng Snake', 辰 has 'Vermilion Bird', 卯 has 'Liu He', 寅 has 'Gou Chen', 丑 has 'Azure Dragon', 子 has 'Tian Kong', 亥 has 'White Tiger', 戌 has 'Tai Chang', 酉 has 'Black Tortoise', 申 has 'Tai Yin', 未 has 'Heavenly Empress'. The Heaven Plate advances nine positions ahead of the Earth Plate, which matches the situation of 寅 general added to the巳 hour. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 未 added to 辛, the second lesson is 辰 added to 未, the third lesson is 寅 added to 巳, and the fourth lesson is 亥 added to 寅; the upper gods and Heavenly Generals are respectively White Tiger on 亥, Gou Chen on 寅, Vermilion Bird on 辰, and Heavenly Empress on 未. The Three Transmissions: the first transmission is 寅 (戊寅, wife's wealth, riding on 勾陈), the middle transmission is 亥 (乙亥, son's offspring, riding on 白虎), and the final transmission is 申 (brother, riding on 太阴, marked with '◎' indicating it falls into the empty旬).

斷曰：寅乃日之財神，加巳發用，寅與巳為刑害，而巳火又克辛金，主道路遙遠，涉害艱辛，有所畏而不能得也。

Divination interpretation: Yin is the wealth god on the Xin day, and it acts as the initiating transmission when placed on Si. Yin and Si mutually harm and conflict with each other, while the fire of Si turns back to harm the metal of Xin. Therefore, the path to seek wealth is long and distant, encountering obstacles and hardships along the way, with fear in the heart but ultimately failing to obtain it.

乾隆己巳年十二月辛巳日丑將寅時，泰州王州尊占前程。牧夫占驗。

In the 12th month of the Jisi year of the Qianlong era, on the Xinsi day, the divination was cast using the Chou general added to the Yin hour. Wang Zhouzun from Taizhou divined his own future. This example is from Wang Mufu's "Divination Verification."

朱蛇貴后 辰巳午未 合朱陰玄 財 己卯 合 合卯 申陰 卯辰申酉 財 戊寅 勾 勾寅 酉玄 辰巳酉辛 父 丁丑 龍 丑子亥戌 龍空虎常

Heavenly and Earthly Plates: The Nobleman starts at午 and the Twelve Heavenly Generals move in reverse.午 has 「Nobleman」,巳 has 「Teng Snake」,辰 has 「Vermilion Bird」,卯 has 「Liu He」,寅 has 「Gou Chen」,丑 has 「Azure Dragon」,子 has 「Tian Kong」,亥 has 「White Tiger」,戌 has 「Tai Chang」,酉 has 「Black Tortoise」,申 has 「Tai Yin」,未 has 「Heavenly Empress」. The Heaven Plate is one position behind the Earth Plate, which matches the situation of the general 丑 added to the hour of寅. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has酉 added to 辛 (辛 is located in戌, so it is on戌), the second lesson has申 added to 酉, the third lesson has辰 added to巳 (巳 is the day branch), and the fourth lesson has卯 added to辰. The heavenly generals in sequence are:Liu He on卯,Vermilion Bird on辰,Tai Yin on申,Black Tortoise on酉. The Three Transmissions: the first transmission is卯 (己卯, wife's wealth, riding六合), the middle transmission is寅 (戊寅, wife's wealth, riding勾陈), the final transmission is丑 (丁丑, parents, riding青龙).卯,寅,丑 each move back one position, forming a 「retreating meal」 lesson.

王牧夫曰：當身之祿，不宜逢空，況冬月金寒，不復起矣。傳見退茹，末歸墓地，獨幸青龍贅墜，未得無事了結。墓者，止也，丑揚州之分野也，其止於是乎？後數月，竟卒於揚寓。

Wang Mufu said: The stem of the day's heavenly stem itself is most忌 to fall into kongwang, especially since in the twelfth month the qi of metal is cold and condensed, and the qi of the stem can no longer revive. The three transmissions are also retreating, continuing to go backward; the final transmission enters the storage, and only the azure dragon is白白 falling into it, ultimately unable to end peacefully. The meaning of storage is 'stop', and chou is precisely the territory of Yangzhou - he must have stopped at Yangzhou. A few months later, this Wang state master indeed died in his residence in Yangzhou.

戊辰年亥月辛巳日卯將辰時，兩人弟占兄來否。牧夫占驗。

In the year of Wuchen, month of Hai, day of Xinsi, using the卯 (Mao) as the general and starting the divination at the hour of Chen, there were two people who were acting as the younger brother to divinate whether the elder brother would come. This example is from Wang Mufu's "Zhanyan."

朱蛇貴后 辰巳午未 合朱陰玄 財 己卯 合 合卯 申陰 卯辰申酉 財 戊寅 勾 勾寅 酉玄 辰巳酉辛 父 丁丑 龍 丑子亥戌 龍空虎常

The lesson is the same as the previous one: the Nobleman is on the horse (Wu), the Teng Snake on the snake (Si), the Vermilion Bird on the dragon (Chen), the Liu He on the rabbit (Mao), the Gou Chen on the tiger (Yin), the Azure Dragon on the ox (Chou), the Tian Kong on the rat (Zi), the White Tiger on the pig (Hai), the Tai Chang on the dog (Xu), the Black Tortoise on the rooster (You), the Tai Yin on the monkey (Shen), and the Heavenly Empress on the goat (Wei). The Nobleman starts on the horse (Wu) and the twelve generals move in reverse order. The four lessons, from right to left, are the rooster (You) added to the metal (Xin), the monkey (Shen) added to the rooster (You), the dragon (Chen) added to the snake (Si), and the rabbit (Mao) added to the dragon (Chen). The heavenly generals above are the Liu He on the rabbit (Mao), the Vermilion Bird on the dragon (Chen), the Tai Yin on the monkey (Shen), and the Black Tortoise on the rooster (You). The three transmissions are the rabbit (Mao) with the Jia Mao (wife's wealth), the tiger (Yin) with the Wu Yin (parents), and the ox (Chou) with the Ding Chou (parents), making it a retreat and consumption lesson.

王牧夫曰：行人不復至矣，宜自為歸詐。夫弟占兄，干上酉，乃辛金同氣，即其類也。酉作旺祿，帶元武走減之殺，又居金錢比固不動，難望其至。雖支上之文書朱雀，未可憑也。丑為揚州，自卯退入金之墓鄉，金畏墓，亦不至也。卯乘六合為弟兄，一步步退歸墓地。墓主遲滯，安能即至？況中末寅丑，皆在艮方，艮者，止也。末為行人足，既墓且止，不易來矣。其人不信。餘占後，待至兩年，尚獨未至，數理之可憑如此。

Wang Mufu said: The person we were hoping to see will not come again, so it would be better to make other arrangements. The younger brother divined about the elder brother. The day stem's deity is You, which is the same as Xin metal, and this is exactly the category of brothers. Although You is a strong and prosperous position, it carries the凶煞 Xuanwu, which signifies loss and reduction, and it is seated on the position of wealth, which is fixed and unmoving, making it difficult to expect him to move. Although the day branch's deity Chen is accompanied by Zhuque, which signifies messages and documents, it is also unreliable. Chou is the territory of Yangzhou, and the three transmissions start from Mao and gradually retreat into the metal's tomb, and metal is most afraid of entering the tomb, so he will not come. Mao is accompanied by Liuhe, which is exactly the category of brothers, and now it gradually retreats to the tomb; the tomb signifies delay, how could he arrive immediately? Moreover, the middle transmission Yin and the final transmission Chou are both in Gen direction, which means 'stop'. The final transmission is also the foot of the person, which has already entered the tomb and signifies stopping, so it is even more difficult for him to come. The two people did not believe my words. After I divined, I waited for two years, and the elder brother never came — the reliability of numbers has reached this point.

己酉年正月辛巳日子將亥時，未交酉春，趙公占乃郎國子監試。戊子生二十二歲，生正月十三日酉時。宋本邵案。口鑑。方本占案。

In the year Jiyou, during the first lunar month, on the day Xinsi, the divination was started with the hour Zi added to Hai. At that time, the beginning of spring had not yet arrived (the original text says 'not yet reached the beginning of spring in You', the character 'You' is likely a redundant addition). Master Zhao predicted the examination results of his son. The young man was born in the year Wuzi, at the age of twenty-two, on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month at the hour You. This case is found in the Song edition of 'Shao Yanhe's Divination Cases', 'Liuren Koujian', and the Fang edition of 'Divination Cases'.

勾青空虎 午未申酉 青勾陰玄 官 壬午 勾 合巳 戌常 未午子亥 父 癸未 青 朱辰 亥玄 午巳亥辛 兄 申 空 ◎ 卯寅丑子 蛇貴后陰

Heavenly and Earthly Plates: The Nobleman starts at寅 (the night Nobleman on辛 day), and the Twelve Heavenly Generals proceed in order—寅 has 'Nobleman',卯 has 'Teng Snake',辰 has 'Vermilion Bird',巳 has 'Liu He',午 has 'Gou Chen',未 has 'Azure Dragon',申 has 'Tian Kong',酉 has 'White Tiger',戌 has 'Tai Chang',亥 has 'Black Tortoise',子 has 'Tai Yin', and丑 has 'Heavenly Empress'. The Heaven Plate is one position ahead of the Earth Plate, which matches the situation where the general of Zi is added to the hour of Hai. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Hai added to辛 (辛 is located on戌, so Hai is on戌), the second lesson is Zi added to Hai, the third lesson is Wu added to Si (Si is the day branch), and the fourth lesson is Wei added to Wu; the upper gods and Heavenly Generals are sequentially: on Wei is Azure Dragon, on Wu is Gou Chen, on Zi is Tai Yin, and on Hai is Black Tortoise. The Three Transmissions: the first transmission is Wu (Renwu, official ghost, riding Gou Chen), the middle transmission is Wei (Guiwei, parents, riding Azure Dragon), and the final transmission is Shen (brother, riding Tian Kong, marked with '◎' indicating it falls into the empty period). Wu, Wei, and Shen proceed in sequence, forming a 'Lian Ru' course.

邵彥和曰：此課主洩精，否則小便頻數，手足痠痛，四肢無力。二三月皆是病月，四月方安。官星臨廚，必入天廚。今年必高中，官星作幕貴故也；癸丑科及第，寅貴加丑上之故。只恐不享，其福終三十五歲矣。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson indicates that this person suffers from a condition of seminal leakage or frequent urination, along with hand and foot weakness and general physical exhaustion. The months of February and March are the time when his illness will manifest, and it will only subside in the fourth month. The official star is located at the position of the kitchen stove, indicating that he will eventually enter the heavenly kitchen and enjoy official benefits. He will certainly pass the examination this year, as the official star is aligned with the night nobleman. He will pass the examination in the Guichou year, as the nobleman's寅 is placed on the earth plate's丑. However, it is feared that he will not be able to enjoy this fortune, and his lifespan will end at the age of thirty-five.

趙生自十九歲每患遺精，公因其病，以婢與之為伴，恐其未有房室也。當年果發解，癸丑年及第，授和州司戶，丁巳年再授邵武司理，己未丁父憂，服闋授信州司戶，癸亥年十月十二日死。蓋亥年亥月，加辛上，作元武，一金生二水，水主腎，自然遺洩。不合末又入空，空上又見天空，是得官徒空也。申七未八，空亡減半，平生為亥所苦，故又見癸亥年亥月而卒也。

Zhang's son has been suffering from nocturnal emissions since he was nineteen. Zhang, fearing that he would not have sexual relations, assigned a servant girl to accompany him. Indeed, he passed the local examination in the year Gui Chou, was appointed as a county magistrate in Hezhou, and later in Dingsi was appointed as a judicial officer in Shaowu. In Jiwei he suffered the loss of his father, and after completing his mourning period he was appointed as a county magistrate in Xinyu. He died on the twelfth day of the tenth month in the year Gui Hai. The reason for his fate is as follows: In the year Hai, during the month Hai, the Hai trigram was placed on the day stem Xin and was accompanied by the Black Tortoise. One metal was used to generate two waters, and since water represents the kidney, it naturally led to leakage. However, the final transmission fell on Kongwang, and on top of Kongwang came Tian Kong, so although he obtained official positions, they were all in vain. The number of Shen is seven and the number of Wei is eight, but when they fall on Kongwang, they are halved. He was all his life plagued by water, so he finally died in the month Hai of the year Gui Hai.

戊申年十一月辛巳日寅將丑時，邵念一公癸巳生，占乃孫讀書前程。其孫丁亥生二十二歲。方本占案。口鑑不載年月時。

In the year of Wushen, the 11th lunar month, on the day of Xinsi, using the寅 (Tiger) as the general and starting the calculation with the丑 (Ox) hour, Master Shao Nianyi, born in the year of Guisi, divined the future of his grandson's studies. This grandson was born in the year of Dinghai and was twenty-two years old. This case is recorded in the Fang edition of "Zhan An," but it is not included in the "Liu Ren Kou Jian."

勾青空虎 午未申酉 青勾陰玄 官 壬午 勾 合巳 戌常 未午子亥 父 癸未 青 朱辰 亥玄 午巳亥辛 兄 申 空 ◎ 卯寅丑子 蛇貴后陰

The divination board is the same as in the previous example of Zhao Gong's divination (the same configuration of the寅 general added to the丑 hour and the子 general added to the亥 hour, both representing the Heaven Plate advancing by one position). The Nobleman starts on寅 and the Twelve Heavenly Generals proceed in order:寅 has the Nobleman,卯 has the Teng Snake,辰 has the Vermilion Bird,巳 has Liu He,午 has Gou Chen,未 has the Azure Dragon,申 has Tian Kong,酉 has the White Tiger,戌 has Tai Chang,亥 has the Black Tortoise,子 has Tai Yin, and丑 has the Heavenly Empress. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is亥 added to辛, the second is子 added to亥, the third is午 added to巳, and the fourth is未 added to午. The upper deities and Heavenly Generals are: on未 is the Azure Dragon, on午 is Gou Chen, on子 is Tai Yin, and on亥 is the Black Tortoise. The Three Transmissions: the first transmission is午 (Renwu, official ghost, riding Gou Chen), the middle transmission is未 (Guiwei, parents, riding the Azure Dragon), and the final transmission is申 (brother, riding Tian Kong, falling into the旬空). The three transmissions of午,未, and申 proceed step by step forward, forming a connected transmission lesson.

邵彥和曰：此課干上盜氣作元武，主虛洩。三傳自宅上火生土，土生金，空亡，不獨前程不顯，尚有夭喪之患。蓋連茹喜進不喜空亡，主不出四年，腎病而死。邵公之孫果清瘦患遺洩，至壬子年十二月而亡。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, the day stem's heavenly stem is a thief and a leaking energy, and it is accompanied by the Black Tortoise, indicating loss and leakage. The three transmissions start from the dwelling position, with fire generating earth and earth generating metal, but finally fall into Kongwang. Not only is the future not prominent, but there is also a risk of early death. A connected transmission lesson prefers gradual progress and most fears falling into emptiness, so it is predicted that he will not survive four years and will die from kidney disease. Shao Gong's grandson indeed had a thin appearance and suffered from leakage symptoms, and he died in December of the Renzi year.

夫辛金生亥水，又生元武水。初鬼作勾，原屬可制，奈脫氣太甚。愚按：年命上皆是脫氣，而亥又是本命，身不能任，故己酉年娶妻後，成癆而卒。末傳同類空，故諸孫前後喪。

Xin metal needs to generate Hai water, as well as water ruled by Xuanwu, but it is excessively drained. The first transmission's official ghost, although riding Gou Chen and originally able to control it, is unable to restrain it due to excessive drainage. Cheng Shuxun's case: his year of birth and natal chart are both drained areas, and Hai is precisely his natal chart (his grandson was born in Dinghai). His body could not bear it, so after marrying in Jiyou year, he died of consumption. The final transmission is a kindred brother falling into Kongwang, hence the successive deaths of the Shao family's grandchildren.

蓋亥加辛乃面前脫氣，午勾是日貴，作鬼入宅，支干上皆自刑，自支上一陰至干上六陰，愚按：午為一陰，亥為六陰，一味行陰道，如何得長久，更何問功名。愚按：此課傳與趙公占子之課同，因亥為本命而脫干，故其凶較甚耳。

Heavenly Stem辛 is overlaid by亥, which causes immediate loss of energy; the official ghost occupies the position of the house, as午 is the noble god of the day but has become the official ghost entering the house position; both the day stem and day branch are involved in self-punishment. Counting from the branch's one yin up to the stem's six yins — Cheng Shuxun's note:午 is one yin and亥 is six yin — the course of events moves only along the yin path, how can it last long? There is no need to ask about official rank or fame. Cheng Shuxun further notes: the three transmissions of this divination are exactly the same as in the case of Zhao Gong's son, but here亥 is the birth stem and also drains the energy of the day stem, making the danger even more severe.

甲戌年九月辛巳日辰將卯時占胎產。牧夫占驗。

In the year Jiaxu, ninth month, on the day Xinsi, using the hour of Chen with the starting method of adding Mao, the divination was made about pregnancy and childbirth. This example is from Wang Mufu's "Zhanyan."

勾青空虎 午未申酉 青勾陰玄 官 壬午 勾 合巳 戌常 未午子亥 父 癸未 青 朱辰 亥玄 午巳亥辛 兄 申 空 ◎ 卯寅丑子 蛇貴后陰

The lesson plate is the same as the previous two (Chen general plus Mao hour also moves the Heaven Plate by one position): Jia is on寅 with Nobleman, Mao has Teng Snake, Chen has Vermilion Bird, Si has Liu He, Wu has Gou Chen, Wei has Azure Dragon, Shen has Tian Kong, You has White Tiger, Xu has Tai Chang, Hai has Black Tortoise, Zi has Tai Yin, Chou has Heavenly Empress. Nobleman starts on寅 and the twelve generals proceed in order. The four lessons from right to left are Hai added to Xin, Zi added to Hai, Wu added to Si, Wei added to Wu. The upper gods and generals are: on Wei is Azure Dragon, on Wu is Gou Chen, on Zi is Tai Yin, on Hai is Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are Wu (Renwu, official ghost, riding Gou Chen), Wei (Guiwei, parents, riding Azure Dragon), Shen (brother, riding Tian Kong, falling into the empty period), which is a connected transmission lesson.

王牧夫曰：此數合當產過，喜信在途，巳日可到。此父占子息之胎，干上仰首見子孫之神，而子邊亥已成孩也。初傳午火克辛金，支乃母位，午與亥絕，乃胎已出腹之象，皆兆已產。

Wang Mufu said: This divination indicates that the child has already been born, and the good news is on its way, arriving by the fourth day. This is a father's divination concerning his child's conception: the day stem shows the presence of the god of descendants, and the character 'zi' (child) combined with 'hai' forms the character 'hai' (child). The first transmission is wu fire which overcomes xin metal, and the day branch represents the mother's position. Wu and hai are in the state of mutual destruction, which signifies the child has already been born. All these signs indicate that the child has already been delivered.

三傳午為馬，末為青龍，皆主文書，申為傳送，天空亦主音信，申為道路，故主音信在路也。巳日到者，末傳甲申，遁合當在巳丑日耳。數是連茹，不止一信，當是女，喜兩陽夾陰，又支干不比也。

In the three transmissions, the Wu (午) is the Post-horse, and later it is also accompanied by the Azure Dragon, both indicating matters related to documents. The Shen (申) is called 'Chuansong' (传送), which also signifies communication, and the Tian Kong (天空) also governs messages. Shen also rules over roads, so it is determined that messages are on the way. It is said that the messages will arrive on the day of Si (巳), because the final transmission is Jiashen (甲申), and the hidden stem matches, which should correspond to the day of Si or Chou (丑). The course number is Lian Ru (连茹), indicating that more than one message is coming. The person being born is likely a girl, which is pleasant, as there are two yang elements surrounding one yin, and the day stem and day branch are not like and harmonious.

此數又主本身有遺精，白濁之疾，兼吐血也。蓋一金而生二水，亥乘元武，是以應之。午為鬼，比旺克午，兼子亥水洩氣，故亦有吐血之症也。凡占病，用蛇司內，虎司外，在於干支者現於肢體。此論不視白虎，非正見，乃旁通附見耳。

This divination suggests that the person being consulted may suffer from symptoms such as seminal emission and white discharge, along with hemoptysis. This is because one metal element is generating two water elements, and the亥 position is occupied by the Black Tortoise, so the issue lies here. The午 position represents official ghosts, and the strong and prosperous siblings are able to overcome午, while the two water elements at子 and亥 drain the energy, leading to hemoptysis. In general, when divining illness, the Initiating Transmission and Teng Snake govern internal conditions, while the White Tiger governs external conditions. If these signs fall on the Day Stem or Day Branch, the symptoms will manifest in the limbs. This particular discussion does not take into account the White Tiger, so it is not a standard example, but rather a supplementary mention.

二月壬午日亥將酉時，或占平生。方本占案。

On the Renwu day of the second month, using the亥 (Boar) as the general and starting the divination with the You (Rooster) hour, someone divined about their own lifetime's misfortunes and blessings. This example is from Fang Ben's "Divination Cases."

勾青空虎 未申酉戌 青六陰常 父 申 六 ◎ 合午 亥常 戌申卯丑 官 甲戌 青 ⊙ 朱巳 子玄 申午丑壬 兄 丙子 白 辰卯寅丑 蛇貴后陰

The heavenly and earthly plates on the left side indicate the following heavenly generals: on the position of Wei is Gou Chen, on Shen is Qing Long, on You is Tian Kong, on Xu is Bai Hu, on Hai is Tai Chang, on Zi is Xuan Wu, on Chou is Tai Yin, on Yin is Tian Hou, on Mao is Gui Ren, on Chen is Teng Snake, on Si is Zhu Que, on Wu is Liu He. This is a set of heavenly generals starting from Mao (day nobleman) and proceeding in order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Chou added to Ren (on the position of Hai, which is the lodging palace for Ren day, so Chou is on Hai), the second lesson is Mao added to Chou, the third lesson is Shen added to Wu (Wu is the day branch), and the fourth lesson is Xu added to Shen. However, the heavenly generals noted in the four lessons are Xu with Qing Long, Shen with Liu He, Mao with Tai Yin, and Chou with Tai Chang. The three transmissions also indicate Shen with Liu He, Xu with Qing Long, and Zi with Bai Hu. This set is based on the nobleman starting from Si (night nobleman) and proceeding in order, which does not match the set on the left side of the heavenly and earthly plates. Since the time is You hour, which belongs to the night, the night nobleman should be used, and the interpretation below is based on this set of four lessons and three transmissions, indicating that the heavenly generals on the left side of the heavenly and earthly plates are incorrect. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Shen (parents, riding Liu He, marked with '◎' indicating it is in the empty position, as the day is Ren Wu, which belongs to the Jia Xu cycle, and the empty position is Shen and You), the second transmission is Xu (Jia Xu, official ghost, riding Qing Long), and the third transmission is Zi (Bing Zi, brother, riding Bai Hu).

邵彥和曰：申作六合加宅發用，主遷宅改宅。六年之內，主造新宅，蓋午為屋，恰好作支也。申為馬，主遷居也。但主兩娶妻。戌加申乘龍，主兒得解。子加戌作虎，明年主死小口二人。三年下狀爭田，得勝，為丑作常加壬，丑為田，日上見類神，故得田也。

Shao Yanhe said: When Liu He is placed on Shen and acts as the initiating transmission on the dwelling position, it indicates moving or rebuilding the house. A new house will be built within six years, because Wu represents the house, and it coincides with the day branch. Shen is the Post-horse, so it indicates moving. It also mainly indicates marrying twice. Xu is placed on Shen and carries the Azure Dragon, indicating that the son will pass the local examination. Zi is placed on Xu and carries the White Tiger, indicating that two young children will die next year. Three years later, there will be a lawsuit over land, and they will win, because Chou is placed on Xu and carries Tai Chang, and Chou represents land. The day stem is Ren, and Tai Chang is placed directly on the day stem, so the class god of land is seen, and thus the land can be obtained.

吳稼云曰：丑既克干，何以斷得乎？愚按：丑雖克干，在旬遁是丁，水日財動，又丁壬合，故得田也，克干故爭也。

Wu Jiayun asked: Since Chou is capable of overcoming the day stem, on what basis can we conclude that he will obtain land property? Cheng Shuxun's case: Although Chou is capable of overcoming the day stem, within the ten-day cycle it functions as Ding. For a day stem of Ren water, encountering Ding signifies the movement of wealth. Moreover, Ding and Ren are in mutual combination, hence he can obtain land. As for the fact that Chou overcomes the day stem, it indicates that he must first go through a dispute.

乾隆己卯年十月壬午日寅將戌時，甲申命人五十六歲，占謁貴見否。牧夫占驗。

In the Jia Mao year of the Qianlong era, on the Ren Wu day, the divination was cast with the寅 (Tiger) general added to the戌 (Dog) hour. The person seeking the divination was born in the Ji Shen year and was fifty-six years old. He wished to know if he could meet the Nobleman when paying homage. This example is from Wang Mufu's "Zhan Yan."

勾龍空虎 酉戌亥子 玄龍朱陰 官 癸未 朱 合申 丑常 寅戌未卯 兄 乙亥 空 朱未 寅玄 戌午卯壬 子 己卯 陰 午巳辰卯 蛇貴后陰

Heavenly and Earthly Plates: The Nobleman starts at巳 (the night Nobleman on a壬 day), and the Twelve Heavenly Generals proceed in order—巳 has 'Nobleman',午 has 'Teng Snake',未 has 'Vermilion Bird',申 has 'Liu He',酉 has 'Gou Chen',戌 has 'Azure Dragon',亥 has 'Tian Kong',子 has 'White Tiger',丑 has 'Tai Chang',寅 has 'Black Tortoise',卯 has 'Tai Yin',辰 has 'Heavenly Empress'. The Heaven Plate is four positions ahead of the Earth Plate, which matches the situation of寅 general added to戌 hour. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has卯 added to壬 (壬 is placed on亥, so卯 is on亥), the second lesson has未 added to卯, the third lesson has戌 added to午 (午 is the day branch), and the fourth lesson has寅 added to戌; the upper gods and generals are in order: on寅 is 'Black Tortoise', on戌 is 'Azure Dragon', on未 is 'Vermilion Bird', and on卯 is 'Tai Yin'. The three transmissions: the first transmission is未 (癸未, official ghost, riding Vermilion Bird), the middle transmission is亥 (乙亥, brother, riding Tian Kong), and the final transmission is卯 (己卯, son, riding Tai Yin). The three branches亥,卯,未 form a wood trinity.

王牧夫曰：明日必見，見必有言語，不致動氣，從此後水乳也。其人到轅三次稟見，俱未見。次日往稟，果傳見，見有責備言語，卻未曾動氣，驗甚。蓋本命行年逢空，故前此未見。今干支上卯與戌合，又年之陰見貴。來日，未發傳，木局生貴，故必見也。有言語者，未為朱雀；不動氣者，乃未中藏丁，與干壬水作合也。三傳木乃脫氣，則氣有所消，故應之耳。

Wang Mufu said: You will definitely see him tomorrow, and when you meet, there will be much to say, but you will not get angry, and from then on, you will get along very well. This person went to the official office three times to request an audience, but was not seen. The next day he went again to report, and indeed was summoned. When they met, he was scolded a few words, but there was no anger, and the prediction was very accurate. The reason is that his birth stem and year stem both encountered Kongwang, so he could not be seen before. Now, the day stem and day branch have the卯 and戌 in harmony, and the hidden spirit of the year stem also meets the Nobleman. Tomorrow, it is exactly the third transmission, which is the initiating transmission, and the亥,卯,未 form a wood triad to generate the Nobleman, so he will definitely be seen. The reason for saying there will be much to say is because the transmission of the sixth is occupied by the Vermilion Bird. The reason for saying there will be no anger is because the transmission of the sixth contains Ding, which harmonizes well with the day stem Ren water. The three transmissions belong to wood, which for Ren water is a draining of energy, so the prediction is accurate in these details.

七月壬午日巳將戌時占來意。一字玉連環。

On the 17th day of the seventh month, on a Renwu day, using the巳 (Snake) hour added to the戌 (Dog) time to cast the divination, the question was about what the person who came had in mind. This example is from the "One Character Yulianhuan."

合朱蛇貴 子丑寅卯 虎朱朱玄 財 壬午 玄 勾亥 辰后 申丑丑午 官 丁丑 朱 龍戌 巳陰 丑午午壬 父 申 虎 ◎ 酉申未午 空虎常玄

Heavenly and Earthly Plates: The Nobleman starts at the卯 position, with the Twelve Heavenly Generals moving in reverse. At卯 is 'Nobleman', at寅 is 'Teng Snake', at丑 is 'Vermilion Bird', at子 is 'Liu He', at亥 is 'Gou Chen', at戌 is 'Azure Dragon', at酉 is 'Tian Kong', at申 is 'White Tiger', at未 is 'Tai Chang', at午 is 'Black Tortoise', at巳 is 'Tai Yin', and at辰 is 'Heavenly Empress'. The Heaven Plate is seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate, which matches the巳 General added at戌 hour. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is午 added to壬 (壬 is located at亥, so午 is at亥 position), the second lesson is丑 added to午, the third lesson is丑 added to午 (午 is the day branch), and the fourth lesson is申 added to丑. The heavenly generals for each lesson are: on申 is 'White Tiger', on丑 is 'Vermilion Bird', on丑 is 'Vermilion Bird', and on午 is 'Black Tortoise'. The Three Transmissions: the first transmission is午 (壬午, wife's wealth, riding on 'Black Tortoise'), the middle transmission is丑 (丁丑, official ghost, riding on 'Vermilion Bird'), and the final transmission is申 (parents, riding on 'White Tiger', marked with '◎' indicating it is in the empty旬). This lesson shows complete consistency between the Heaven and Earth Plates and the Four Lessons and Three Transmissions.

徐次賓曰：來意主失驢一隻，其驢在西北方十三里外，被一姓賈人牧得，至甲午日往牛市得信，自往姓賈處牽回。至甲午日果然。蓋時為日破，時克干為日破，主走失。上得青龍，發用勝光，為日下之財，元武臨之，本合失馬，以勝光無氣，故言失驢。不言盜而言失者，以財在日上手上，故不能盜也。勝光數九，元武數四，相併得十三里也。

Xu Cibin said: The person asked about losing a donkey. This donkey is thirteen li away in the northwest, being herded by a man surnamed Jia. On the day Jiawu, he will get the news at the cattle market and go to Jia's place to bring the donkey back. On Jiawu day, it indeed happened as predicted. Therefore, the divination is interpreted as follows: At the time of the divination, the hour stem is Wu, which is called 'day break' because the hour stem is in conflict with the day stem. This indicates loss. The trigram Qinglong is also present. The initiating transmission is Shengguang (Wu fire). The hour Wu is the wife wealth of the day stem. The Xuanwu is also above it. Originally, this would indicate the loss of a horse; however, since Shengguang is weak, it is instead the loss of a donkey. It is not said to be stolen but rather lost, because the wealth is above the day stem and close at hand, so others cannot steal it. Shengguang counts nine, Xuanwu counts four, and the two numbers combined make thirteen, so it is thirteen li.

何知姓賈人牧得？末傳為歸計門，白虎加申，主西字，又主貝字，配成賈字。何知牛市得驢信？蓋申旬，勝光空亡，至甲午旬填實，又午為日財，故甲午日復見而喜矣。壬與申相生，故自往牽回也。

How do we know it is a person surnamed Jia who is raising livestock? Because the final transmission is "Guijimmen," and the White Tiger is added to Shen. The White Tiger represents the west, giving the character "Xi," and Shen represents the shell, giving the character "Bei." "Xi" and "Bei" combine to form the surname "Jia." How do we know that on the day of the ox (Mao) we receive news of a donkey? Because in the Jiashen decade, Shengguang at Wu is in Kongwang, and it is only filled in the Jiawu decade. Wu is the wife of the day stem, so on the day of Jiawu, the loss is regained, turning sorrow into joy. Yin water generates Shen metal, so he himself goes to bring back the donkey.

建炎己酉年閏八月壬午日，辰將申時，汪四公癸丑生，五十七歲，占家宅。（口鑑、方本占案）

In the third year of the Jianyan era under the Southern Song Emperor Gaozong, during the leap August of the Jiyou year, on a Renwu day, with the hour of Shen and the month general being Chen, four elders from the Wang family came to inquire about the fortune of their home. This person was born in the Guichou year and was fifty-seven years old at the time of the divination. This case is recorded in the "Koujian," and the same case is also included in the "Zhan'an."

勾合朱蛇 丑寅卯辰 虎合朱陰 官 甲戌 虎 青子 巳貴 戌寅卯未 財 壬午 后 空亥 午后 寅午未壬 子 戊寅 合 戌酉申未 虎常玄陰

This passage describes the layout of a Six Rén divination chart, which is flattened and copied, divided into three sections: left, center, and right. On the left, there is a circle of the twelve Earthly Branches, each associated with a Heavenly General: Chǒu (Ox) has Gòu Chén (Hook Star), Yín (Tiger) has Liú Hē (Six Harmonies), Mǎo (Rabbit) has Fēi Què (Vermilion Bird), Chén (Dragon) has Téng Shé (Teng Snake), Sì (Snake) has Guì Rén (Nobleman), Wǔ (Horse) has Tiān Hòu (Heavenly Empress), Wéi (Goat) has Tàiyīn (Great Yin), Shēn (Monkey) has Xuán Wǔ (Black Tortoise), Yǒu (Rooster) has Tàicháng (Great Constancy), Xū (Dog) has Bái Hǔ (White Tiger), Hài (Pig) has Tiānkōng (Heavenly Void), and Zǐ (Rat) has Qīnglóng (Azure Dragon). The Heavenly Generals start from Guì Rén on Sì and are arranged in reverse order. In the center, there are four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Rén (Water) lodging in Hài, with Hài having Wéi and riding Tàiyīn; the second lesson has Wéi with Mǎo and riding Fēi Què; the third lesson has Wǔ with Yín and riding Liú Hē; the fourth lesson has Yín with Xū and riding Bái Hǔ. On the right, there are three transmissions: the first transmission is Xū, with the hidden stem Jia, and the six relations as "official ghost" riding Bái Hǔ; the middle transmission is Wǔ, with the hidden stem Rén, and the six relations as "spouse wealth" riding Tiān Hòu; the final transmission is Yín, with the hidden stem Wù, and the six relations as "son grandson" riding Liú Hē.

邵彥和曰：水日火局，人皆曰財，不知反生日上未土，土反克水，是財化為鬼矣。然皆是眷屬未了，或男未娶，或女未嫁，使用太過。宅上子息不齊，堂屋棟樑，若不是蛇居木，即雷驚木，屢出作怪；否則是廟宇中木，主雷擊驚人，更十年，因訟而死。

In the Song Dynasty, the renowned master of Liu Xin divination, Shao Yanhe, interpreted a case as follows: The day stem is Ren, which belongs to water. The three transmissions consist of Yin, Wu, and Xu, forming a fire trinity. Normally, people see fire as the wealth of water and say this is a fortune-making chart. But they do not realize that this fire trinity does not remain in its original place, but turns back to generate the earth deity Wu Tu on the day stem. The Wu Tu then turns back to restrain the Ren water, thus transforming wealth into a "ghost official" that harms the person. Therefore, this family must have unresolved matters concerning their relatives—either the son has not yet married or the daughter has not yet married, leading to excessive expenses. The family has an uneven number of descendants; the main beams used in the hall come from an improper source, either wood that was once occupied by Teng Snake or wood that was struck by lightning, which will often cause disturbances. Alternatively, it may be old wood taken from a temple, indicating a sudden lightning strike. Within ten years, this person will die due to a lawsuit.

汪公家計，悉為扳高親費盡，甲寅年屋被雷震，戊午年因訟得病而死。蓋八月雷殺在戌（愚按：雷殺正月起卯，順十二辰），戌加寅，更見虎，自是雷驚；寅加午在高處也。故當是棟樑，自己酉至戊午恰是十年，甲木死於午，故此年死。愚按：甲木死於午，似指寅加午而言，然非日干之死地，何故以之斷死？愚窺邵公之意，蓋因戌為虎鬼，戌五數，兩戌則十年矣。況歲干得戊，與戌同類，戌為牢獄，財又生鬼，故斷其十年因訟而死。其甲木死於午句，殆及門之疏錯耶。

Later, the property of the Wang family was completely spent on marrying into high-ranking families. In the year Jiayin, the house was struck by lightning and damaged; in the year Wuwu, he indeed died from illness caused by a lawsuit. Shao Yanhe could make such a prediction because the "Thunder Killing" (Lei Sha) in August fell on the position of Xu. (Cheng Shuxun notes: The Thunder Killing deity starts from the second month at Mao and proceeds in order through the twelve earthly branches.) The Heaven Plate Xu was placed over the Earth Plate Yin wood, and the White Tiger was riding on it, naturally indicating an incident involving thunder shocking wooden materials. Meanwhile, Yin was placed over Wu, and Wu represents the high and bright south, so it was concluded that the incident would occur on the beams in the upper part of the hall. Counting from the year Jiyou when the course was set to the year Wuwu, it exactly amounted to ten years. As for "Jia wood dies in Wu," it was therefore predicted that he would die in this year. Cheng Shuxun further notes: The phrase "Jia wood dies in Wu" seems to refer to Yin wood being placed over Wu. However, Wu is not the death position of the day stem Ren water in this course. So why was Wu used to predict the time of death? I speculate that Shao Yanhe's original intention was probably because Xu, which was ridden by the White Tiger (representing official ghosts), had the number five, and two Xus together made up ten years. Moreover, the heavenly stem of this year was Wu, which belongs to the earth element along with Xu. Xu also represents prison, and the wealth star was assisting the official ghost. Therefore, he died from a lawsuit ten years later. The phrase "Jia wood dies in Wu" might have been a mistake made by his disciples when transmitting the teachings.

己酉年三月壬午日，戌將丑時，孟承務占子病，己亥生，十一歲。（宋本邵案、方本占案、口鑑、一針見血）諸本皆遺去年命，今從《一針見血》書中補入。

In the year Jiyou, third month, on the day Renwu, using the hour Chou as the starting point with Xu as the Month General, Meng Chengwu divined for his son's illness. The child was born in the year Jihai and was eleven years old at the time of the divination. This case is recorded in the Song edition of "Shao Case," the Fang edition of "Zhan Case," "Kou Jian," and "Yizhen Jianxue." All these versions omit the item "year destiny." Now, it is supplemented according to the book "Yizhen Jianxue."

蛇貴后陰 寅卯辰巳 合貴陰虎 財 辛巳 陰 ⊙ 朱丑 午玄 子卯巳申 子 戊寅 蛇 合子 未常 卯午申壬 兄 乙亥 勾 亥戌酉申 勾青空虎

The divination chart is laid out flat. The twelve Earthly Branches are occupied by the Heavenly Generals, arranged in reverse order starting from the Nobleman on the卯 (Mao) branch: the Teng Snake on寅 (Yin), the Nobleman on卯 (Mao), the Heavenly Empress on辰 (Chen), the Tai Yin on巳 (Si), the Black Tortoise on午 (Wu), the Tai Chang on未 (Wei), the White Tiger on申 (Shen), the Tian Kong on酉 (You), the Azure Dragon on戌 (Xu), the Gou Chen on亥 (Hai), the Liu He on子 (Zi), and the Vermilion Bird on丑 (Chou). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren is in the亥 (Hai) palace, with the申 (Shen) branch, occupied by the White Tiger; the second lesson, the申 (Shen) branch has the巳 (Si) branch, occupied by the Tai Yin; the third lesson, the day branch午 (Wu) has the卯 (Mao) branch, occupied by the Nobleman; the fourth lesson, the卯 (Mao) branch has the子 (Zi) branch, occupied by the Liu He. The three transmissions: the first transmission is巳 (Si), with the hidden stem Xin, belonging to 'wife wealth', occupied by the Tai Yin, with a mark '⊙' added beside it in the text, though the format is not explained in the book, it is recorded here without interpretation; the middle transmission is寅 (Yin), with the hidden stem Wu, belonging to 'son', occupied by the Teng Snake; the final transmission is亥 (Hai), with the hidden stem Yi, belonging to 'brother', occupied by the Gou Chen.

邵彥和曰：此課主病，上熱下冷，上膈雖熱而不渴，中間風氣相擊，下部不通，因食冷咸物損肺，遂下痞上滿，今宜補肺通腸。蓋曾寄出家，未曾還願之故。今若寄出家，可以免災，終是柔弱，二十一歲後，狀如老人，皮膚消瘦，若癆病狀；二十八歲，不能過也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the case saying: the main condition presented is fever in the upper body and coldness in the lower body; although there is a heat manifestation above the diaphragm, the patient is not thirsty. There is wind pathogen colliding and hitting in the middle jiao, and obstruction in the lower part. The cause of the disease is that the patient ate cold, salty, and foul-smelling foods, injuring the lungs. As a result, there is痞结 below and fullness above. At present, the treatment should be to tonify the lungs and unblock the intestines. This child had once made a vow to be named and registered in a monastery, but has never fulfilled the vow, thus bringing about this illness. If he is truly registered and named in a monastery now, it can prevent the current disaster. However, his constitution is ultimately weak, and after the age of twenty-one, his appearance will look like an old man, with dry and thin skin, resembling a consumptive patient. By the age of twenty-eight, he will not be able to pass through this stage.

其子病症，果是上熱下冷，因食冷鯗魚湯與麻參，遂得此病。昔日舍在淨安寺，繼又贖歸，遂不安，常若癆怯狀；寄在外祖家養育，瘦弱益甚，不曾娶妻，至紹興十六年丙寅四月三日，病故，果二十八歲也。

This child's illness was indeed characterized by heat in the upper body and cold in the lower body, caused by consuming cold pickled fish soup and a type of herb called maican. He contracted this illness. In his early years, he was given away for adoption to Jing'an Temple, but later his family redeemed him and brought him back, after which his body has never been at ease, often showing signs of weakness, deficiency, and exhaustion. Later, he was placed with his maternal grandfather for care, and he became even more emaciated, never marrying in his lifetime. He died on the third day of the fourth lunar month in the year Bingyin of the 16th year of Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty, and upon calculation, he was indeed twenty-eight years old.

夫日上長生是空亡，申為寺院，虛生是寄舍也。壬受申之虛生，卻去生寅木，木生巳火，克申金，申金受克，走來壬上避之，非本意來生也，故終身瘦弱。申數七，亥數四，四七二十八也。初巳火主上熱，末亥水主下冷，初傳巳火上下皆金，故雖上膈在熱而不渴，中間寅木，主風氣相擊，末傳水作勾陳，故下部不通。又巳火傷申金，肺喘必矣。

Explain the reasoning: The heavenly stem on the day is壬 water, and the god governing the day stem is申 metal. 申 is the place of growth for壬 water, but 申 is located in Kongwang, making the growth a false growth. In terms of symbolic meaning, 申 represents a temple, and false growth symbolizes the act of taking a false name and becoming a monk. 壬 water receives this false growth from 申 metal, but then turns to generate寅 wood, which in turn generates巳 fire, and巳 fire comes back to overcome 申 metal. 申 metal is overcome, so it has to escape to the day stem 壬 water to avoid being overcome, but it is not its true intention to generate 壬 water. Therefore, this person's whole life is weak and thin. Now look at the numbers: 申 is seven, 亥 is four, four multiplied by seven gives twenty-eight, which matches his lifespan. Regarding the location of the illness, the first transmission巳 fire indicates fever in the upper body, and the final transmission亥 water indicates cold in the lower body. The first transmission巳 fire is surrounded by metal on both sides, so although there is heat in the upper abdomen, there is no thirst. The middle transmission寅 wood belongs to wind, indicating wind affecting the middle part of the body and colliding. The final transmission亥 water is combined with Gou Chen, which indicates blockage, so the lower part is not unblocked. Moreover,巳 fire overcomes 申 metal, and 申 metal belongs to the lungs, so the lungs are injured by fire, leading inevitably to shortness of breath and coughing.

十一月壬午日，丑將卯時，遂安宮人占失馬。（方本占案）

On the Renwu day of the eleventh month, with Chou as the Month General and the卯 hour as the starting point, a palace servant from Suian County divined about a lost horse. This case is recorded in the Fang Ben "Divination Cases."

朱蛇貴后 卯辰巳午 合蛇陰常 子 戊寅 合 合寅 未陰 寅辰未酉 兄 丙子 青 勾丑 申玄 辰午酉壬 官 甲戌 虎 子亥戌酉 青空虎常

The divination chart is laid out flat. The twelve Earthly Branches are occupied by Heavenly Generals, starting from the Nobleman on巳 and arranged in reverse order: Vermilion Bird is on卯, Teng Snake is on辰, Nobleman is on巳, Heavenly Empress is on午, Tai Yin is on未, Black Tortoise is on申, Tai Chang is on酉, White Tiger is on戌, Tian Kong is on亥, Azure Dragon is on子, Gou Chen is on丑, Liu He is on寅. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the Day Stem 壬 is in the Lodging Palace 亥, with 酉 on亥, riding Tai Chang; the second lesson, 未 is on酉, riding Tai Yin; the third lesson, the Day Branch 午 has 辰 on it, riding Teng Snake; the fourth lesson, 辰 has 寅 on it, riding Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 寅, with the hidden stem 戊, belonging to 'son' and riding Liu He; the middle transmission is 子, with the hidden stem 丙, belonging to 'brother' and riding Azure Dragon; the final transmission is 戌, with the hidden stem 甲, belonging to 'official ghost' and riding White Tiger. The upper deities of the four lessons are 寅, 辰, 未, 酉, and the three transmissions are 寅, 子, 戌. The horse, 午, only appears in the lower deity position of the Day Branch and does not enter the transmission sequence.

邵彥和曰：午為馬，不入課傳，此馬不見矣。午加申道路之上，正行也，被人騎去矣。果然不見。吳稼云曰：寅為天馬，傳入青龍萬里之翼，故被人騎去也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the case: In the Six Rats system, Wu represents a horse. In this lesson, neither the four lessons nor the three transmissions contain Wu, indicating that the horse cannot be recovered. The Wu on the Heaven Plate is placed on Shen on the Earth Plate, and Shen governs roads, which symbolizes a horse traveling on the road, already ridden away. Later, it was indeed impossible to recover the horse. Wu Jiayun added: Yin is the Heavenly Horse, and in this lesson, Yin enters the three transmissions and is accompanied by the Azure Dragon. The Azure Dragon has the ability to run thousands of miles, and both the horse and the dragon are in motion, so it was concluded that the horse was taken away by someone.

同月丑時，或占失船。愚按：斷語中有「初八日內見」之句，壬午當是月朔也。（方本占案）

In the same month's Chou hour, another person came to inquire about a lost ship. Editor Cheng Shuxun notes: The statement "visible within eight days" in the interpretation indicates that this Renwu day must be the first day of the month. This case is recorded in the Fang edition of "Zhan An."

朱蛇貴后 卯辰巳午 合蛇陰常 子 戊寅 合 合寅 未陰 寅辰未酉 兄 丙子 青 勾丑 申玄 辰午酉壬 官 甲戌 虎 子亥戌酉 青空虎常

This lesson is identical to the previous one concerning a lost horse. After flattening the chart, it remains: the earthly branches are occupied by the heavenly generals, with the nobleman accompanying the巳, moving in reverse. The卯 is occupied by the Vermilion Bird, the辰 by the Teng Snake, the巳 by the nobleman, the午 by the Heavenly Empress, the未 by the Tai Yin, the申 by the Black Tortoise, the酉 by the Tai Chang, the戌 by the White Tiger, the亥 by the Tian Kong, the子 by the Azure Dragon, the丑 by the Gou Chen, and the寅 by the Liu He. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem is壬, lodging in the亥, with the酉 occupying the亥 and riding the Tai Chang; the酉 occupies the未 and rides the Tai Yin; the day branch is午, with the辰 occupying the午 and riding the Teng Snake; the辰 occupies the寅 and rides the Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is寅, with the hidden stem戊, belonging to 'son' and riding the Liu He; the middle transmission is子, with the hidden stem丙, belonging to 'brother' and riding the Azure Dragon; the final transmission is戌, with the hidden stem甲, belonging to 'official ghost' and riding the White Tiger.

邵彥和曰：此船往東南方尋之，初八日內即見，船在旱地上，所以不進耳。蓋六合為船，來寅發用，而加於辰上，船在旱地之象。辰為東南方也，寅木三數，辰土五數，故初八日內果然。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: this boat should go in the southeast direction and will be found within eight days; the boat is stranded on dry land, so it has not moved. The reasoning is as follows: Liu He represents boats and vessels. In this case, the initial transmission is寅 (Yin) riding on Liu He, which indicates the boat. Yin is also placed over Chen (earth), which symbolizes the boat being stranded on dry land. The position of Chen is in the southeast direction, thus indicating the need to search in the southeast. Looking at the numbers: Yin belongs to wood, whose number is three; Chen belongs to earth, whose number is five. Three plus five equals eight, so it is predicted that the news will be received within eight days, and this prediction later proved true.

己酉年正月壬午日，子將子時，邵三公壬申生，三十八歲，占終身。（宋本邵案、口鑑）

In the Jiyou year, first lunar month, on the Renwu day, with the Zi hour as the month general and starting the divination at the Zi hour, Zhao San Gong divined the person's destiny. This person was born in the Renshen year and was thirty-eight years old at the time of the divination. This case is recorded in the Song edition of "Zhao Case" and "Kou Jian."

朱合勾青 巳午未申 合合常常 兄 乙亥 常 蛇辰 酉空 午午亥亥 財 壬午 合 貴卯 戌虎 午午亥壬 兄 丙子 玄 寅丑子亥 后陰玄常

The month general and the hour share the same earthly branch, Zi. The heaven plate and earth plate overlap and remain stationary, forming a "Hidden Chant" lesson. The lesson disk is laid out as follows. The heavenly generals riding on the twelve earthly branches are arranged in reverse order starting from "Nobleman" at Mao: Zi is occupied by Vermilion Bird, Chou by Lake, Yin by Gou Chen, Mao by Azure Dragon, Chen by Tian Kong, Si by White Tiger, Wu by Tai Chang, Wei by Tai Yin, Shen by Heavenly Empress, You by Nobleman, Xu by Teng Snake, and Hai by Black Tortoise. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren is lodged in Hai, with Hai still appearing on Hai, riding Tai Chang; the second lesson, Hai again appears on Hai, riding Tai Chang; the third lesson, the day branch Wu still appears on Wu, riding Lake; the fourth lesson, Wu again appears on Wu, riding Lake. Hai and Hai, Wu and Wu are the same branches appearing again, forming the image of "Self-Punishment." The three transmissions: the first transmission is Hai, with the hidden stem Yi, belonging to "Brother," riding Tai Chang; the middle transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Ren, belonging to "Wife and Wealth," riding Lake; the final transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Ji, belonging to "Brother," riding Black Tortoise.

邵彥和曰：此課本身有自然祿，又有持服人相助，一生守己，衣食自如，但雖為六親，並妻妾子女。干支上本身自刑。自身若得殘疾壓之，方吉。宅上主添造，造後卻進人口。蓋乘六合故也。後被子孫出來使錢。初因豬上發，後因豬上敗。妻能起家，生子又多，午乃妻財，故起家，兼作六合故多子。愚按起家生多子者，午臨旺地也。但刑傷太多，恐九年之上，患癆病，連克子孫矣。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: The person seeking the divination naturally possesses a good fortune, and also receives support from someone who is mourning and wearing mourning clothes. Throughout his life, he remains upright and content, with no worries about food and clothing. However, this fortune, although falling on the Six Relations, also affects his wife, concubines, and children. Both the Day Stem and Day Branch are the same as the person's own branch, forming 'Self-Punishment'. The person himself must have some disability to suppress this punishment, which would be auspicious. The householder will have the construction of a new house, and after it is completed, more household members will be added, because the Branch is riding on Liu He, which signifies increase. In the future, the descendants will spend this wealth. He initially became rich through pigs, but later also lost his fortune due to pigs. His wife can establish a family and have many children, because Wu is the wife's wealth, so he can start a family through his wife; Wu also rides on Liu He, which signifies reproduction, so he has many children. Cheng Shuxun, the editor, remarked: The ability to start a family and have many children is because Wu fire is in his strong position. However, the punishment in this divination is too severe, so it is feared that after nine years, he may suffer from a wasting illness, and it will also cause harm to his descendants.

邵三公十七歲喪父，自起家，一生守己，養豬成家，妻有才幹，生男女十二人，存三男二女。本身有偏僻疾，因娶婦造屋。壬子年娶次媳，乃宦家女，費月數倍。又因豬瘟死，食其肉，舉家病，妻成癆，至癸亥年僅存一女而己。蓋日上自刑，乃人刑人也。宅上自刑，宅不居人也。末傳子作元武，子者子息也，元武為費用之神，元武便是本身之亥，我去刑他，元武便走在子息上，故主子息使錢也。己巳年家退盡。

Later it proved true: Shao San Gong lost his father at seventeen, started from scratch, lived a quiet and law-abiding life, and built up his fortune by raising pigs. His wife was very capable, giving birth to twelve children, both boys and girls, but only three sons and two daughters survived. He himself had a chronic illness, such as paralysis on one side. He built a new house to marry off his son, and in the Renzi year he married his second daughter-in-law, the daughter of an official family, which cost several times more than before. Later, the pigs in the family caught a disease and died, and the whole family ate the diseased pork, causing everyone to fall ill. His wife developed a wasting illness, and by the Guihai year, only one daughter was left. The reason these events came to pass is that the day stem's heavenly stem was self-inflicting, indicating mutual harm among family members, leading to internal family damage. The day branch's dwelling was also self-inflicting, indicating harm to the dwelling, leading to the inability to retain people. The final transmission's son was multiplied by the Black Tortoise, and the son in the Six Relations represents offspring; the Black Tortoise is a deity associated with expenditure. Shao Yanhe also pointed out that this Black Tortoise is equivalent to the亥 water of the diviner's own position. My side exerting influence on it caused the Black Tortoise to shift to the offspring position, thus indicating that the offspring would spend money. By the Jisi year, the family fortune was completely exhausted.

己酉年十月壬午日，寅將寅時，龔縣尉辛巳生二十九歲，占前程。（方本占案、口鑑）

In the year Jiyou, during the tenth month, on the day Renwu, using the hour Zhen as the month general and starting the calculation at the hour Zhen, Gongs County Magistrate asked about his official career prospects. He was born in the year Xinsi and was twenty-nine years old at the time of the divination. This case is recorded in the Fang Ben "Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

朱合勾青 巳午未申 合合常常 兄 乙亥 常 蛇辰 酉空 午午亥亥 財 壬午 合 貴卯 戌虎 午午亥壬 兄 丙子 玄 寅丑子亥 后陰玄常

The month general and the hour share the same stem, which is Yin. The heaven plate remains fixed over the earth plate, forming a 'Hidden Chant' divination. The structure of the divination is the same as the one in the previous example by Zhao San Gong. When the plate is laid out flat, the twelve earthly branches are occupied by the heavenly generals, starting with the 'Nobleman' at Mao and proceeding in reverse order: Zi is occupied by the Vermilion Bird, Chou by Liu He, Yin by Gou Chen, Mao by the Azure Dragon, Chen by Tian Kong, Si by the White Tiger, Wu by Tai Chang, Wei by Tai Yin, Shen by the Heavenly Empress, You by the Nobleman, Xu by Teng Snake, and Hai by the Azure Dragon. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren is lodged in Hai, and Hai is still occupied by Hai, with Tai Chang as its occupant; the second lesson, Hai is again occupied by Hai, with Tai Chang as its occupant; the third lesson, the day branch Wu is still occupied by Wu, with Liu He as its occupant; the fourth lesson, Wu is again occupied by Wu, with Liu He as its occupant. Both the heavenly and earthly stems are the same as their respective branches, forming the image of 'Self-Punishment'. The three transmissions are as follows: the first transmission is Hai, with the hidden stem Yi, belonging to 'Brother', occupied by Tai Chang; the middle transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Ren, belonging to 'Wife's Wealth', occupied by Liu He; the final transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Bing, belonging to 'Brother', occupied by the Black Tortoise.

邵彥和曰：此課本身，現在戴祿，又作太常，必有兼職之事，俸祿亦增。若論升轉則未。蓋支干自刑，日後因得寵，遂做不廉之事，又因納一美妾，貪色尋醫而治，欲解任不能，幸遇一外路監司經過，為公懇告，遂得解任。但伏吟時下未發，只等替時自見耳。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: The person consulted is currently wearing the luck of official rank, with the Tai Chang occupying the position above it. Tai Chang signifies authority and responsibility, so there will certainly be matters of taking on additional duties, and the salary will also increase. However, if asking about promotion or transfer, it is not yet possible. Because both the day stem and day branch are self-punishing, he will later be favored by his superior and thus engage in corrupt practices. He also took in a beautiful concubine, becoming addicted to women and eventually falling ill, requiring medical treatment. He wishes to resign but cannot escape his position. Fortunately, an official from another region happened to pass by and sincerely pleaded on his behalf, allowing him to be relieved of his post. However, this divination is a hidden chant, with the energy suppressed and not yet released. It will only reveal itself when his term of office is completed and someone else takes over.

蓋干支自刑，主自滿，月建前一辰，子上是元武，為天醫（愚按：月建前二辰為天醫，今以前一辰為天醫何也），沖起行年上午之六合，晝貴又乘天后，為干之偏財，乃妾也。元武六合皆不正之神，故貪色而淫泆過度，致得病而求醫。子午為官員往來之所，道路神也。月建前神是外監司，必外除方解。

Explain the reasoning: When both the day stem and day branch are self-incriminating, self-incrimination indicates self-satisfaction and arrogance. The month builder in the tenth month is at Hai. Counting one zhen ahead from the month builder, we reach Zi. On Zi, the Black Tortoise is present, which is taken as "Tianyi" (Heavenly Physician). (Editor Cheng Shuxun notes: According to the usual practice, Tianyi should be two zhen ahead, so why is it taken as one zhen here? It is questionable.) Zi then triggers the Liu He (Liu He) at the hour position of the morning. In the day lesson, the nobleman is taken as the daytime nobleman, and it also takes the image of the Heavenly Empress. The Heavenly Empress and Liu He both relate to women. The fire at Wu is the "biased wealth" of the day stem Ren water. In terms of human affairs, biased wealth represents a concubine. The Black Tortoise and Liu He are both unorthodox deities, so they indicate a tendency to indulge in women, leading to excessive indulgence and illness requiring medical attention. Zi and Wu are places where officials travel, both belonging to the deities of roads. The deity preceding the month builder represents the external supervisor, so it is concluded that one must wait for an assignment to an external post before the current difficulties can be resolved.

龔尉因主簿壞去，遂權署其印，得太守寵，遂傍若無人，又納一妾，頗多淫樂，其後龔尉滿替。因前看騐事受賄，被人論告，欲去不能。州縣又不與批結，遂求湖北運司胡某。胡向與龔父交好，又與天守是往日同寅官。因經過見太守。為龔力肯，遂準放行，乃得歸也。

Later, the prediction proved true: the chief clerk was dismissed for misconduct, and Gongs County Magistrate took over the chief clerk's seal and duties, gaining the favor of the prefect. He became arrogant and behaved as if no one else existed. He also took a concubine and indulged himself in pleasures. When Gongs' term ended and someone was to take over, he was accused of accepting bribes in the course of examining cases. He tried to flee but could not; the county office would not issue a clearance document. He had no choice but to seek help from Hu, a official in the Hubei Transport Commission. Hu had once been friendly with Gongs' father and was also a former colleague of the prefect. On his way to attend official business, Hu visited the prefect, strongly pleaded Gongs' case, and the prefect finally allowed him to leave. Gongs was thus able to escape and return home.

四月癸未日，申將午時，占來意。（指歸靈文論）

On the Guiwei day of the fourth month, using the monkey (申) as the Month General and starting the divination at the hour of the horse (午), the case is about predicting the matter inquired by the person. This case is from the "Zhi Gui" and "Ling Wen Lun".

朱合勾龍 未申酉戌 空勾貴陰 財 辛巳 貴 蛇午 亥空 亥酉巳卯 官 癸未 朱 貴巳 子虎 酉未卯癸 父 酉 勾 ◎ 辰卯寅丑 后陰玄常

The divination board is laid out flat. The twelve earthly branches are occupied by the heavenly generals, starting from the nobleman at巳 and proceeding in order: Vermilion Bird is on 未, Liu He is on 申, Gou Chen is on 酉, Azure Dragon is on 戌, Tian Kong is on 亥, White Tiger is on 子, Tai Chang is on 丑, Black Tortoise is on 寅, Tai Yin is on 卯, Heavenly Empress is on 辰, Nobleman is on 巳, Teng Snake is on 午. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem 癸 is in the lodging palace 丑, with 丑 having 卯, occupied by Tai Yin; the second lesson, 卯 has巳, occupied by Nobleman; the third lesson, the day branch 未 has 酉, occupied by Gou Chen; the fourth lesson, 酉 has 亥, occupied by Tian Kong. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 巳, with the hidden stem 辛, belonging to 'wife and wealth', occupied by Nobleman; the second transmission is 未, with the hidden stem 癸, belonging to 'officials and ghosts', occupied by Vermilion Bird; the third transmission is 酉, belonging to 'parents', occupied by Gou Chen. The symbol '◎' indicates an empty transmission. On the day Guiwei, which belongs to the cycle Jiaxu, the branches 申 and 酉 are in the empty position. Since 酉 is empty, there is no hidden stem to pair with, so the hidden stem column is left blank.

斷曰：來意事起官員出行，道路必遠，行至中途，逢改差。權監酒稅文字，又主本家二婦人，蒙蔽不睦。婢落井內死。因此不滿任而回。

The interpretation states: The matter inquired about by the person originates from an official's travel, and the journey will certainly be very long. Halfway through the trip, he will encounter a change in assignment and be transferred to take charge of administrative duties related to the collection of wine and taxes. It also indicates that there are two women in his household who are deceiving each other and not in harmony; a servant girl will fall into a well and drown. Due to these reasons, he will not complete his current term in office and will have to return.

何以見之，蓋天乙為官員，乘巳加卯，主門戶，又傳陰出陰，主出行赴外任。卦名遙克，主道路。中傳未乘朱雀，主改差，下臨巳月建上，主權。末為酒，朱雀主文字，故云，權監酒稅文字。日上卯作太陰，主婦人。末傳酉亦為婦人，故云二婦人，太陰為妾，又為蒙蔽。酉為婢，作勾陳，主口舌爭訟。酉臨未，未有井宿。甲戌旬，酉為空亡，四月酉為死氣，故云落井而死。初傳克末傳又空，故不滿任而回也。

Why is it interpreted this way? The heavenly stem of Tianyi Guiren represents an official, and it is located on the branch Si, which is also overlaid on the branch Mao. Mao represents the gate and house, indicating an official leaving home. The three transmissions move from a yin branch to another yin branch, indicating going out to take office. The lesson pattern is named "Remote克制" (remote克制), which signifies long-distance travel. The middle transmission is on the branch Wei, which is occupied by Zhuque, representing documents and orders, so it is interpreted as a change in assignment. Wei is also located on the branch Si, which is the month builder for the fourth month, indicating temporary authority. The final transmission is on the branch You, which in symbolic terms represents wine. Zhuque represents documents, and together they indicate the position of supervising wine tax documents. The day stem is on the branch Mao, which is occupied by Taiyin, representing a woman. The final transmission You also represents a woman, so it is said there are two women in the family. Taiyin represents a concubine and also concealment, so it is interpreted that the two women are causing confusion and discord. You also represents a servant, which is occupied by Gouchen, representing disputes and arguments. You is located on the branch Wei, which corresponds to the mansion of Jingxu. The day is Guiwei, which is in the Jiaxu unit, and You is in the empty position. In the fourth month, the metal of You is in the death position, so it is concluded that the servant fell into a well and died. The initial transmission Si fire overcomes the final transmission You metal, and the final transmission is in the empty position, so it is concluded that he will not complete this term of office and will return.

戊申年七月初一癸未日，午將卯時，劉判官己未生五十歲，占前程。（捷要、口鑑）

In the year Wushen, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the day was Guiwei. Using the hour of Wu as the month general and starting the divination at the hour of Mao, Liu Judge divined for a question about official career prospects. The person was born in the year Jiwei and was fifty years old at the time of divination. This case is recorded in both the "Jieyao" and "Koujian."

合勾青空 申酉戌亥 常青朱后 官 庚辰 后 朱未 子虎 丑戌未辰 官 癸未 朱 蛇午 丑常 戌未辰癸 官 甲戌 青 巳辰卯寅 貴后陰玄

The divination chart is laid out flat. The twelve Earthly Branches are occupied by the Heavenly Generals, starting from "Nobleman" on巳 and proceeding in a clockwise direction: 申 has Liu He, 酉 has Gou Chen, 戌 has Qing Long, 亥 has Tian Kong, 子 has Bai Hu, 丑 has Tai Chang, 寅 has Xuan Wu, 卯 has Tai Yin, 辰 has Tian Hou, 巳 has Nobleman, 午 has Teng Snake, 未 has Zhu Que. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the Day Stem 癸 is in the Lodging Palace 丑, with 丑 having 辰, occupied by Tian Hou; the second lesson, 辰 has 未, occupied by Zhu Que; the third lesson, the Day Branch 未 has 戌, occupied by Qing Long; the fourth lesson, 戌 has 丑, occupied by Tai Chang. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 辰, with the hidden stem 庚, belonging to "Official Ghost," occupied by Tian Hou; the middle transmission is 未, with the hidden stem 癸, belonging to "Official Ghost," occupied by Zhu Que; the final transmission is 戌, with the hidden stem 甲, belonging to "Official Ghost," occupied by Qing Long. The three transmissions are all earth, and earth controls water day, so the three transmissions are all "Official Ghost."

邵彥和曰：日上見墓神，天后又是滯神，今方自墓中脫去。中傳未是旬末，末傳歸家，卻見旬首，旬首加旬尾，做官方做起，卻又早歸家，如何得改官遷轉？不如治生，何以見之？本命在中傳，甲戌旬末是癸未，未土癸水，為三傳全鬼，卻變成財，若要求官仍復為鬼，所以治生，必然興發，為甚佳也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: The day stem's heavenly stem is Chen, which is the storage of water. On top of Chen is the Heavenly Empress, which is a god of stagnation. Now this energy has just emerged from the storage. The middle transmission is Wei, which is the last position of the Jiaxu decade. The final transmission is Xu, which returns to its original position, and this is exactly the beginning of the decade. The beginning of the decade is pressing down on the end of the decade, meaning that the official position has just begun, but the person has already returned home early. How can there be promotion or change in official position? It is better to return to manage one's livelihood. Why is it interpreted this way? His true destiny falls on Wei, which is on the middle transmission. The last position of the Jiaxu decade is Guiwei. Wei belongs to earth, and Gui belongs to water. The three transmissions, Chen, Wei, and Xu, are all gods that control the person, which are officials. However, for someone engaged in business, these officials transform into wealth. If one is focused on seeking official positions, they will still show the fierce nature of ghosts. Therefore, it is advised to change one's profession and manage one's livelihood, which will certainly bring prosperity. This is the best path.

劉判官三十八上及第，到五十歲，方受第一任，緣是庶出，丁了三服，服闋，方做判官。任滿，不得改官，任中文字又多不足，遂思先生之言，歸家治生，開雜賣鋪，販賤鬻貴，資財日旺，初開店時，止有三千餘貫，後十二年，共發主三十五萬貫，造屋買田，如法做起，信知先生之言不妄也。

Later it turned out to be true: Liu Panguan passed the imperial examination at the age of thirty-eight, but did not receive his first actual official post until he was fifty. Since he was a庶出 son, he had to serve three periods of mourning, and only after completing the mourning period did he become a judge. After his term ended, he was not allowed to change his post or promote, and the official documents he handled during his term had many that did not meet the standards. It was then that he recalled the words of Master Shao Yanhe. He returned home and started a business, opening a general store, buying low and selling high, and his wealth grew day by day. When he first opened the shop, he had only about three thousand guan of capital. In the following twelve years, he earned a total of thirty-five thousand guan. He built houses and purchased farmland, doing everything properly. Thus we can see that the Master's prediction was not empty talk.

同年月日時，劉一翁代丙辰生人，五十三歲，占身位，同此數。

In the same year, same month, same day, and same hour, Liu Yiweng cast a divination for a person born in the Bingchen year who was fifty-three years old, and the resulting chart was exactly the same as the previous one.

合勾青空 申酉戌亥 常青朱后 官 庚辰 后 朱未 子虎 丑戌未辰 官 癸未 朱 蛇午 丑常 戌未辰癸 官 甲戌 青 巳辰卯寅 貴后陰玄

The divination chart is exactly the same as the previous one by Liu Judge: the twelve earthly branches are occupied by the heavenly generals starting from "Nobleman" on巳 and proceeding in order - on申 is Liu He, on酉 is Gou Chen, on戌 is Azure Dragon, on亥 is Tian Kong, on子 is White Tiger, on丑 is Tai Chang, on寅 is Black Tortoise, on卯 is Tai Yin, on辰 is Heavenly Empress, on巳 is Nobleman, on午 is Teng Snake, on未 is Vermilion Bird. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem is癸, which is lodged in丑, with辰 on丑 and occupied by Heavenly Empress; on辰 is未, occupied by Vermilion Bird; the day branch is未, with戌 on未 and occupied by Azure Dragon; on戌 is丑, occupied by Tai Chang. The three transmissions: the first transmission is辰, with the hidden stem庚, belonging to "official ghost" and occupied by Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is未, with the hidden stem癸, belonging to "official ghost" and occupied by Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is戌, with the hidden stem甲, belonging to "official ghost" and occupied by Azure Dragon. The only difference is the birth year of the inquirer - previously the person was born in Jiwei, with未 in the middle transmission; this time the person was born in Bingchen, with辰 in the first transmission.

邵彥和曰：此人不長久，目下如雲霧中行耳。明年五十四歲，行年在未，見戌加之為閉口，戌為九月，其人九月間，患積塊疼痛，氣塞脹蠱而終。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: This person will not live long. His current situation is like walking through clouds and mist, with the path ahead completely unclear. By next year, when he is fifty-four years old, his age will fall on Wei. Wei is further overlaid by Xu, forming the "closed mouth" pattern, indicating blocked energy flow. Xu also represents September. Therefore, it is concluded that this person will develop a painful mass in the abdomen during September, with blocked energy and swollen abdomen, leading to death like a蛊.

或問：此人與劉判官，同月將日時，同得此課，何故前言治生，此言就死？邵彥和曰：前是己未生，中傳得本命，自墓引生來，末傳見旬首，周而復始，三傳全鬼，卻化為財，所以治生發旺也。此是丙辰生，他的本命自來墓身，既來添墓，如何去得？

Someone asked: This person and Liu Panguan used the same month general, same day and hour, and the divination chart they produced was exactly the same. Why did the previous one predict that Liu Panguan would change his profession to business and become wealthy, while this person is predicted to die? Shao Yanhe answered: The previous one was born in the year Jiwei, his birth year's branch Wei was not in the middle transmission, but was drawn out from the storage, and the final transmission met the beginning of the ten-day cycle Xu, which marks the start of a new cycle. Although all three transmissions were official ghosts, for a person engaged in business, they transformed into wealth, so it was predicted that he would prosper in his business. This person, however, was born in the year Bingchen, his birth year's branch Chen is itself the storage of water. Now he has deliberately added it to himself, adding another storage on top of the storage. How can he escape the consequences?

邵彥和先生嘗謂門人曰，古次客之法，因數人同時來占，乃用前五後三，換將不換時之例，試之每不驗。蓋燭照禍福，全賴太陽之光明，故以正將正時為最，其次則換時不換將耳。今餘以各人年命為主，課雖同而理則異。區別懸殊，十不失一。愚按邵公此論誠為正理。故從張繼唐先生本內，而摘錄之，於此。至於出自何書，則未之也。近見張星源所注河棹，以一時而演五十七課，以為出於中黃經，為次客之秘法。支離穿？誠堪捧腹，況中黃經內，並無此條。殆張星源之杜撰，欲未可知也。

Master Shao Yanhe once told his disciples that the traditional method for handling "secondary guests" (when several people come for divination at the same hour) was to push forward five chens and step back three chens when several people arrived at the same time, changing only the month general but not the hour. I have tried this method many times, but it often fails. Because divination can reveal fortune and misfortune, it relies entirely on the light of the sun—the month general is where the sun is. Therefore, using the correct month general and hour of the original time is the best. If we take a step back, we can only change the hour but not the month general. Now I have changed the method to use each person's year and destiny as the main factor. Although the divination pattern is the same, the reasoning for each person is different, and the distinctions are very significant. This method is accurate ten times out of ten. Editor Cheng Shuxun remarked: Master Shao's remarks are indeed correct, so he has quoted this from Master Zhang Jitang's manuscript. As for the original source, it is unknown. Recently, I have seen Zhang Xingyuan's commentary on the "He Zhao," which claims to perform fifty-seven lessons in one hour, saying it comes from the "Zhonghuang Jing." This claim is very fragmented and baseless, and it is really amusing. Moreover, the "Zhonghuang Jing" does not contain this passage at all, and it is likely that Zhang Xingyuan fabricated it himself.

慶曆八年戊子，楚衍因到雍邱，知縣張邴邀衍至廳。正月十四日，占今年豐歉。是日癸未，得申時。（一針見血）

In the eighth year of Qingli during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, when the stem-branch cycle was Wuzi, the astronomer and calendar expert Chu Yan came to Yuqiu County for some affairs. County Magistrate Zhang Bing invited him to meet in the county hall. On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, a divination was performed to predict the annual harvest. This day was Guiwei, and the divination was started at the hour of Shen. This case is recorded in "Yizhen Jianxue."

勾龍空虎 酉戌亥子 陰空勾貴 父 酉 勾 ◎ 合申 丑常 卯亥酉巳 官 丁丑 常 ⊙ 朱未 寅玄 亥未巳癸 財 辛巳 貴 午巳辰卯 蛇貴后陰

The divination chart is laid out flat. The twelve Earthly Branches are each occupied by a Heavenly General, starting from "Nobleman" at巳 and proceeding in order: 酉 has Gou Chen, 戌 has Qing Long, 亥 has Tian Kong, 子 has Bai Hu, 丑 has Tai Chang, 寅 has Xuan Wu, 卯 has Tai Yin, 辰 has Tian Hou, 巳 has Nobleman, 午 has Teng Snake, 未 has Zhu Que, 申 has Liu He. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the Day Stem Gui is in the palace of 丑, with 巳 on 丑, occupied by Nobleman; the second lesson, 酉 is on 巳, occupied by Gou Chen; the third lesson, the Day Branch 未 has 亥, occupied by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson, 亥 has 卯, occupied by Tai Yin. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 酉, belonging to "parents," occupied by Gou Chen, with "◎" indicating an empty position in the ten-day cycle, as on the Gui Wei day, which belongs to the Jia Xu ten-day cycle, with 申 and 酉 being empty, so there is no hidden stem; the middle transmission is 丑, with hidden stem Ding, belonging to "official ghost," occupied by Tai Chang, with an additional "⊙" mark, the original text did not explain this notation, so it is recorded as is; the final transmission is 巳, with hidden stem Xin, belonging to "spouse wealth," occupied by Nobleman.

楚衍曰：今日申初二刻，立春，卻得申時，以月將神后加申。三下賊上俱比，以涉害從魁加巳為用，將得勾陳，中傳大吉加酉，太常。終傳太乙加丑，貴人。太歲上得天罡，乘天后。此年宜麥宜麻之稔。其餘？米不豐。西南半熟，東北全荒。米？湧貴金銀銅錢，物賤，人民饑荒。仍有疾疫，及盜賊驚恐，其年一一應驗。

Chu Yanyan said: Today, at the second hour of the month of Shen, the beginning of spring begins. The course starts with the time of Shen, so the month general of the first month, "Shenhou" (Zi), is placed on the position of Shen to set up the chart. This course has three instances where the lower deity conquers the upper deity, and all of them are in harmony with the day stem (same yin and yang). According to the rule, "Shihai" is used to determine the use, obtaining "Congkui" (You) placed on the position of Si as the first transmission, riding on Gou Chen. The middle transmission is "Daji" (Chou) placed on the position of You, riding on Tai Chang. The final transmission is "Taiyi" (Si) placed on the position of Chou, riding on the Nobleman. The position of the heavenly stem Zi has "Tiangang" (Chen), which rides on Heavenly Empress. Based on this, it is judged that this year is suitable for planting wheat and hemp, and wheat and hemp can be expected to have a good harvest; the rest of the grains are not abundant. The southwest is partially mature, while the northeast is completely barren. The price of rice is rising sharply, while silver, gold, and copper money become cheap, causing the people to suffer from famine. There will also be an outbreak of epidemic diseases and disturbances by thieves. All these events indeed occurred in the year.

議曰，太歲上神，與初傳從魁為合，是金土相生，所以宜麻麥金銀銅錢物賤，太歲臨空，又天罡加臨歲上，故主人民饑荒、盜賊、疾疫。西南方有亥子水神加之，與立春日干無傷，為吉將，得天空白虎凶神，故得半熟。東北方位，有巳午未火神加之，與立春日干克戰為凶，又將得蛇雀凶神，故主全荒也。

The commentary states: The deity at the position of the year's master is Chen, which combines with the first transmission 'Congkui' in You. Chen earth generates You metal, so it indicates favorable conditions for hemp and wheat, while the prices of silver, gold, and copper money are low. The deity at the position of the year's master is added to the earth plate at Shen. Shen is located in the position of the ten-thousand emptiness, and Tiangang Chen is pressing on the position of the year's master, so it indicates that the people suffer from famine, bandits run rampant, and epidemics spread. In the southwest, the water deities Zi and Hai are added, which share the same energy as the day stem Gui water on the day of Start of Spring and do not harm or control each other, which is a favorable general; however, they also meet the Inauspicious Spirit Tian Kong and Baihu, so the outcome is only half good. In the northeast, the fire deities Si, Wu, and Wei are added, which fight against the day stem Gui water on the day of Start of Spring, indicating a凶 situation. The generals accompanying it are Teng Snake and Zhu Que, two凶 generals, so it is concluded that the entire northeast region suffers from famine.

己酉年閏八月癸未日，辰將子時，方五解元己未生五十一歲，占子病，其子壬辰生十八歲。（一針見血）

In the year Jiyou with a leap August, on the day Guiwei, using Chen as the month general and starting the divination at the Zi hour, Fang Jieyuan, a scholar of the fifth rank, cast a divination for his son's illness. Fang Jieyuan was born in the year Jiyou and was fifty-one years old at the time of the divination. His son was born in the year Renchen and was eighteen years old at that time. This case is recorded in the book "Yizhen Jianxue."

空虎常武 酉戌亥子 貴常空朱 父 酉 空 ◎ 龍申 丑陰 卯亥酉巳 官 丁丑 陰 ⊙ 陳未 寅后 亥未巳癸 財 辛巳 朱 午巳辰卯 合朱蛇貴

The divination chart is laid out as follows. "Wu" is a short form for Xuanwu, "Chen" is a short form for Gou Chen, and "Long" is a short form for Qinglong. The heavenly generals governing the twelve earthly branches are arranged in order starting from the nobleman at卯 (Mao):酉 (You) has Tiankong, 戌 (Xu) has Baihu, 亥 (Hai) has Taichang, 子 (Zi) has Xuanwu, 丑 (Chou) has Taiyin, 寅 (Yin) has Tianhou, 卯 (Mao) has Guiren, 辰 (Chen) has Tengshe, 巳 (Si) has Zhuque, 午 (Wu) has Liuhe, 未 (Wei) has Gouchen, 申 (Shen) has Qinglong. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Gui is in the lodging palace at Chou, with Si on Chou, riding Zhuque; the second lesson, Si has You on it, riding Tiankong; the third lesson, the day branch Wei has Hai on it, riding Taichang; the fourth lesson, Hai has Mao on it, riding Guiren. The three transmissions: the first transmission is You, belonging to "parents," riding Tiankong, with the mark "◎" indicating it falls in the empty period—on Guiwei day, which belongs to the Jiaxu decade, Shen and You are in the empty period, and since the empty period cannot have a hidden stem, the hidden stem column is left blank; the second transmission is Chou, with the hidden stem Ding, belonging to "official ghost," riding Taiyin, with an additional mark "⊙," the original text does not explain the meaning of this mark, so it is recorded as is without interpretation; the third transmission is Si, with the hidden stem Xin, belonging to "wife's wealth," riding Zhuque.

邵彥和曰：日上見巳，巳者嗣也。宅上見亥，亥者孩也。孩與嗣自是相同。奈癸水絕在巳，是嗣自絕也。日上既見絕，而初中空亡。末傳仍歸於此，且帶驛馬，主死後再來，來了又死。故令政不宜懷孕，若懷孕，是此子託生也。此時若出繼與人，即非他絕，或可不死。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: The heavenly stem on the day is seen with the hour of Si, which sounds like "sì" and represents descendants. The earthly branch on the day is seen with the hour of Hai, which sounds like "hai" and represents children. "Hai" and "si" are essentially the same thing. Unfortunately, the twelve long lives of the癸 water stem are exactly cut off at Si, which is the sign of the termination of descendants. Since the heavenly stem on the day already shows "cut off," the first transmission also falls into Kongwang, and the final transmission still returns to this Si position, accompanied by the Post-horse. The Post-horse indicates movement and travel. Taken together, this suggests that the child will die and then be reborn, and when reborn, will die again. Therefore, the respected wife should not become pregnant. If she does become pregnant, it is exactly the case of this child borrowing a womb to be reborn. If this child is now adopted by another family, it would not be considered as the end of the family line, and perhaps it could avoid death.

愚按即非他絕四字，殊不可解。蓋出繼與人，以應己與嗣絕之意雲而。方解元之次子名寄哥，往年一病，死而復生，今又病，故來占，解元之妻鍾愛，不肯繼與弟家。八日外果死，半日又甦。至十一月二十三日，再病而死。其時方妻已懷孕十月。當日未時即差一男，揣其事蹤，似乎寄哥之託也。

The editor Cheng Shuxun notes: the four characters "ji fei ta jue" are difficult to explain. It probably refers to the act of sending a child to live with another family, in order to symbolically end the family's line of descendants. The second son of Fang Jiexuan, named Jige, had a serious illness a few years ago, died but later recovered. This time he became ill again, so he came for a divination. Fang Jiexuan's wife loved this child very much and did not want to send him to live with his younger brother's family. Eight days later, Jige died, but after half a day he regained consciousness. On the 23rd day of the 11th lunar month, he became ill again and died. At that time, Fang Jiexuan's wife was already nine months pregnant, and on that day at the hour of Wei (1 to 3 p.m.), she gave birth to a boy. Investigating the whole matter, it seems that Jige was reborn in this new child.

夫初傳空亡是先來空也，遇日二課為傳是去空也，末傳又來干上是復來投胎也，不合日上見巳為嗣，支上又見亥為孩，是重來為嬰孩也。

Let me explain it more thoroughly: the first transmission falls on Kongwang, indicating that the previous visit came and went without result. In the middle, taking the god of the day stem's second transmission is to send away the state of emptiness. The final transmission returns to the day stem, which symbolizes a new rebirth. Interestingly, the god above the day stem meets the sign of巳, which sounds like 'sì' meaning 'offspring,' indicating children. The sign above the day branch meets the sign of亥, which sounds like 'hái' meaning 'child,' also indicating children. These two signs complement each other, signifying that the deceased child has returned as an infant.

庚戌年八月癸未日，辰將戌時，葉秀才乙亥生三十六歲，占交易。（一針見血）

In the year Gengxu, eighth lunar month, on the day Guiwei, using the hour Chen as the month general and starting the divination at the hour Xu, Ye Scholar consulted about a trade transaction. He was born in the year Yihai and was thirty-six years old at the time of the consultation. This case is recorded in "One Needle Sees the Essence."

空虎常玄 亥子丑寅 朱常常朱 官 癸未 朱 龍戌 卯陰 未丑丑未 官 丁丑 常 勾酉 辰后 丑未未癸 官 癸未 朱 申未午巳 合朱蛇貴

The Moon General is placed on the戌 position at the戌 hour. The Heaven Plate and Earth Plate are in opposition at six positions, forming a "returning echo" lesson. The lesson disk is laid out as follows. The Heavenly Generals riding on the twelve Earthly Branches are arranged in order starting from "Nobleman" on the巳 position:亥 has Tian Kong,子 has White Tiger,丑 has Tai Chang,寅 has Black Tortoise,卯 has Tai Yin,辰 has Heavenly Empress,巳 has Nobleman,午 has Teng Snake,未 has Vermilion Bird,申 has Liu He,酉 has Gou Chen,戌 has Azure Dragon. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the Day Stem癸 is lodged in the丑 position, with丑 having 未, riding on Vermilion Bird; the second lesson, 未 has 丑, riding on Tai Chang; the third lesson, the Day Branch 未 has 丑, riding on Tai Chang; the fourth lesson, 丑 has 未, riding on Vermilion Bird. 未 and 丑 are opposing each other, alternating in influence, which is the image of returning echo. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 未, with the hidden stem癸, belonging to "official ghost", riding on Vermilion Bird; the middle transmission is 丑, with the hidden stem丁, belonging to "official ghost", riding on Tai Chang; the final transmission is 未, with the hidden stem癸, belonging to "official ghost", riding on Vermilion Bird. All three transmissions are official ghosts that harm the self.

邵彥和曰：辰來就日，日去就辰，來來往往，三傳行年又在此上，但以多者為議事之處。末傳更歸行年，又在日上。初間文書自我處發去不遂了，卻又發來。我今又從整頓去，今取入手。雖然成就，畢竟內有弊病，不合又作太常。鬼並在此，又防有反覆，然必竟無害。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: this is a returning transmission lesson, where the god of the day branch approaches the day stem, and the god of the day stem then goes back to the day branch, with both coming and going repeatedly; the three transmissions and the diviner's age also fall on these same characters. Whenever such a situation occurs, the character that appears most frequently is taken as the place of deliberation. The final transmission returns to the diviner's age, which is also the position of the god on the day stem. Therefore, the interpretation is: initially, the contract document was sent out from my side, but the matter was not completed, and the other party then returned the document back. Now, I am reorganizing it and sending it again, thus finally getting the matter settled. Although the transaction can be completed, there is still some flaw within it—especially since the character in question is occupied by Tai Chang, which governs contracts and wealth, and also the official ghost is present here, so one must be cautious of potential reversals; however, in the end, there will be no actual harm.

葉十七秀才，與李宅對換交易。葉宅先印契，李家退悔。葉宅又將別項田產賠，再做契據。前印契不用，卻印後來換者，所謂辰來就日，日去就辰。雖然反覆，畢竟事有濟也。

Later it indeed came true: the seventeenth son of the Ye family, who was a scholar, exchanged farmland with the Li family. The Ye family first sealed the contract with an official stamp, but the Li family later regretted and refused to acknowledge it. The Ye family had to offer another piece of land as compensation and re-established the contract; the previously stamped contract was rendered invalid and replaced by the new one. This back-and-forth exactly matched the reverberating pattern of "the branch deity comes to the day stem, and the day stem goes to the branch deity." Although the matter went through repeated changes, in the end it was successfully resolved.

丁丑、庚寅、甲申、癸未返吟，皆是辰來加日，日去就辰。惟此課皆是初末在日，偶然行年又並在日，一起有四事。他只有二件從我者是也。我遂終得此物，若其餘日辰及八專之類。從所乘者斷之，此又名上門亂首。大不利占病，初末並太常剋日，若占尊長病，是宅中已掛孝矣。不可救無疑。占訟乃彼來值我，若我是卑下，卻好攻之，不利尊長先起也。

The general rule for the lesson pattern known as "returning sound" is that on days such as Dingchou, Gengyin, Jiashen, and Guiwei, the god of the day branch is added to the day stem, and the god of the day stem then goes to the day branch. The special feature of this particular lesson is that both the first and final transmissions fall on the day stem, and the person's age also falls on the day stem, thus gathering four matters together. If someone else were to consult this, they would usually only have two matters aligning with their side. Because of this, my side is ultimately able to obtain the thing in dispute. As for other days and lesson patterns such as "eight specialists," one should judge their fortune based on the heavenly general they are riding. This type of lesson is also called "upstairs disorder," which is most unfavorable for divination regarding illness. The first and final transmissions, along with Tai Chang, all afflict the day stem. If this is used to divinate about a superior's illness, it is as if a mourning cloth has already been hung in the house, indicating that recovery is impossible. If used for legal matters, it means the opponent comes directly to confront me. If my side is of low status, it is actually favorable to take the initiative in attack, but it is unfavorable for the superior's side to make the first move.

乾隆己巳年巳月癸日，申將戌時，揚商因借河餉事赴部，戊子命人占吉凶。（牧夫占驗）

In the year Jisi of the Qianlong era (the fourteenth year of Qianlong), on the day Guiwei of the fourth lunar month, the case was recorded according to the format of this volume, with the original text missing the character "wei". The divination was cast with Shen as the month general and the hour of Xu. A merchant from Yangzhou was summoned to the ministry for questioning regarding the use of river construction funds, and a person born in the year Wuzi divined the fortune of this journey. This case is recorded in Wang Mufu's collection of divination cases.

朱蛇貴后 卯辰巳午 朱貴常空 財 辛巳 貴 合寅 未陰 卯巳酉亥 子 己卯 朱 勾丑 申玄 巳未亥癸 官 丁丑 勾 子亥戌酉 龍空虎常

The divination board is laid out flat. The twelve Earthly Branches are occupied by Heavenly Generals, starting from "Nobleman" on巳 and proceeding in reverse order: Vermilion Bird is on卯, Teng Snake is on辰, Nobleman is on巳, Heavenly Empress is on午, Tai Yin is on未, Black Tortoise is on申, Tai Chang is on酉, White Tiger is on戌, Tian Kong is on亥, Azure Dragon is on子, Gou Chen is on丑, and Liu He is on寅. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the Day Stem 癸 is in the Lodging Palace on丑, with 亥 present on丑,乘 by Tian Kong; the second lesson, 酉 is present on亥,乘 by Tai Chang; the third lesson, the Day Branch 未 has 巳 present on it,乘 by Nobleman; the fourth lesson, 卯 is present on巳,乘 by Vermilion Bird. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 巳, with the hidden stem 辛, belonging to "wife and wealth,"乘 by Nobleman; the middle transmission is 卯, with the hidden stem 己, belonging to "son and grandson,"乘 by Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is 丑, with the hidden stem 丁, belonging to "official and ghost,"乘 by Gou Chen.

王牧夫曰：上明下暗，半路必回，天上好音？去吉來後果至半路得恩旨釋回。蓋癸為旬盡，亥為支盡，二盡相交，主災晦，癸即丑，丑乘勾陳，主身被留滯，喜太歲作德神發傳，占訟得此最美。

Wang Mufu interpreted: In this divination, the upper part is bright and the lower part is dark, indicating that the person will certainly turn back halfway. There will be good news coming from above. Later, indeed, the person was on the way when he received an imperial decree granting him release and returned safely. This interpretation was based on the fact that Gui is the last of the ten heavenly stems, and Hai is the last of the twelve earthly branches. The meeting of two ends signifies disaster and bad luck. Gui's lodging palace is Chou, and Chou is occupied by Gou Chen, which signifies entanglement and restraint, indicating that the person will be detained. Fortunately, the year's master has transformed into a virtue deity and entered the initiating transmission. Encountering such a pattern in a divination about legal matters is the best possible outcome.

自己傳丑，乃自明傳夜，故曰上明下暗，丑卯巳為出戶，今自巳傳丑乃入戶之象。故主半路必回，太歲貴人作德神，故曰天上好音，又卯為朱雀作子孫救神也。其後果然，推而言之。癸未乃旬盡之日。明日甲申又即申將管事，時上見之申為儀神救解百事，況發用與之作合乎。四月巳為皇詔，又為德神，年上見之，吉無疑矣。

Now going into more detail: the three transmissions run from巳 to丑 (the original text says 'self transmits to chou' where 'self' should be 'si'),巳 belongs to the position of daylight, while丑 belongs to the position of midnight, so it is moving from light to darkness, hence it is said 'above is bright, below is dark'. The sequence of丑,卯,巳 proceeding in order represents the image of going out, but now it is reversed from巳 to丑, which becomes the image of returning home, so it is concluded that he will certainly turn back halfway. The sovereign and the nobleman transform into the virtue god, the virtue god comes from heaven, hence it is said 'good news from above'; the middle transmission is卯, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird, the Vermilion Bird governs messages and documents, and卯 on a癸 day is the son and daughter, the son and daughter are the salvation deity that removes calamities. Later on, it indeed turned out to be so. Expanding further:Guiwei is the last day of a ten-day period, the next day is Jiashen, and申 is exactly the current ruling month general; the hour seen is申, which is the 'ritual god', capable of rescuing and resolving all matters, and moreover the first transmission巳 and申 form the combination of巳 and申. In the fourth month,巳 in symbolic terms represents the imperial edict, and it is also the virtue god; seeing it on the year is certainly auspicious.

乾隆丙子年十月，甲申日寅將辰時，占婚。因路遇疑即此女，故占之。（牧夫占驗）

On the Jiashen day of the Bingzi year in the 10th lunar month of the clear Qianlong era, a divination was cast to inquire about marriage. The month general was Yin, and the class was set at the Chen hour. The diviner met a woman on the way and suspected she was the bride previously arranged by the family, so he cast this divination. This case is recorded in Wang Mufu's records of divination.

朱合勾龍 卯辰巳午 合龍玄后 子 ◎午 龍 蛇寅 未空 辰午戌子 財 壬辰 合 貴丑 申虎 午申子甲 兄 庚寅 蛇 子亥戌酉 后陰玄常

The divination chart is laid out flat. The twelve Earthly Branches are occupied by the Heavenly Generals, starting with the Nobleman on Chou and proceeding in reverse order: Zhong (卯) has the Vermilion Bird, Chen (辰) has Liu He, Si (巳) has Gou Chen, Wu (午) has Qinglong, Wei (未) has Tian Kong, Shen (申) has Baihu, You (酉) has Tai Chang, Xu (戌) has Xuanwu, Hai (亥) has Tai Yin, Zi (子) has Tianhou, Chou (丑) has the Nobleman, and Yin (寅) has Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the Day Stem Jiayin is located in Yin, and Yin has Zi, occupied by Tianhou; the second lesson, Zi has Xu, occupied by Xuanwu; the third lesson, the Day Branch Shen has Wu, occupied by Qinglong; the fourth lesson, Wu has Chen, occupied by Liu He. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wu, belonging to 'Son' and occupied by Qinglong, with a note '◎' indicating it falls in the empty space of the ten-day cycle—on Jiashen day, which belongs to the Jiashen cycle, Wu and Wei branches are empty, and since there is no hidden stem to pair with the empty branch, the hidden stem column is left blank; the second transmission is Chen, with the hidden stem Ren, belonging to 'Wife Wealth' and occupied by Liu He; the third transmission is Yin, with the hidden stem Geng, belonging to 'Brother' and occupied by Teng Snake.

王牧夫斷曰：所遇之人在道路上，以子午辰戌干支並見也。書云：子午為道路，辰戌為倉卒，急遽之見也。午乘青龍，其女身長膚融赤而整齊，誠美婦耳，彼有夫，乃歸母家。所遇非是所定之女，然所定之女亦美而賢。以冬占，天后加子水色白而旺，故美；生干，故賢。

Wang Mufu explained: The person encountered was met on the road, because in the divination chart the Day Stem and Earthly Branch include the characters Zi, Wu, Chen, and Xu. The book of Ren says: Zi and Wu indicate roads, Chen and Xu indicate urgency, so together they signify a brief meeting on the way. Wu is occupied by the Azure Dragon, which governs a dignified appearance, so this woman is tall, with a rosy and bright complexion and a neat posture, indeed a beautiful woman; but she is already married, and this trip is to return to her mother's house. Thus, the person met on the road is not the one planned for at home; however, the one planned for is equally beautiful and virtuous. Considering the lesson started in winter, the Heavenly Empress is placed over Zi water. Zi water is strong in winter, and water represents white color, so the color is white and the energy is strong, thus concluding she is beautiful. Zi water can also nourish the Day Stem Jia wood, and those who nourish me are virtuous, thus concluding she is virtuous.

後娶歸，果非所遇者。何以知所遇之女有夫？午坐官鬼上耳。何以知其回母家？課得顧主，自內傳外。甲之寅，即干之身也。干支互乘三合，故因遇此婦。而後成婚，此婦乃引入桃源之仙客也。支上午為遇，申為道路，午加申為疑惑，以支神測之，亦如是也。

Later, the woman who married into the family was indeed not the one met on the road. How do we know that the woman on the road was already married? Because the午 (Wu) representing her is seated above the官鬼 (Official Ghost), and in a woman's chart, the官鬼 is the husband's star. How do we know she was returning to her mother's house? Because this divination takes the form of "visiting the father's house," and the qi flow moves from inside out, indicating a return to the source. The甲 wood (Jia) is lodged in the寅 (Yin), and the寅 is the day stem itself. The stem and branch interact through the triple harmony, thus causing this encounter. And this marriage was formed after meeting this woman, showing that she was the guiding fairy leading him to the Peach Blossom Spring. Checking again from the day branch: the午 (Wu) on the branch represents the meeting, and the申 (Shen) represents the road. With午 placed on申, it shows confusion—precisely because he doubted whether the woman on the road was his future wife that he cast this divination. The conclusion drawn from the branch spirits is the same.

順治庚寅年五月甲申日，未將酉時，司化南問袖中何物？射之。（指南）

In the fifth month of the Gengyin year of the Qing Shunzhi era, on the Jiashen day, the lesson was cast with the hour of You and the month general of Wei. Si Hua Nan concealed east and west in his sleeve and asked what was inside, requesting that it be divined by the method of shooting the cover. This case is recorded in the "Guide."

朱合勾龍 卯辰巳午 合龍玄后 子 ◎午 龍 蛇寅 未空 辰午戌子 財 壬辰 合 貴丑 申虎 午申子甲 兄 庚寅 蛇 子亥戌酉 后陰玄常

The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are in the same position as the previous lesson, with the Heaven Plate retreating two places from the Earth Plate. Therefore, the lesson pattern is exactly the same as the previous one concerning marriage. The lesson plate is laid out as follows: the twelve Earthly Branches are occupied by Heavenly Generals, starting from the Nobleman on the丑 branch and proceeding in reverse order—Zhu Que on卯, Liu He on辰, Gou Chen on巳, Qing Long on午, Tian Kong on未, Bai Hu on申, Tai Chang on酉, Xuan Wu on戌, Tai Yin on亥, Tian Hou on子, Nobleman on丑, and Teng Snake on寅. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem, Jia, is located in the寅 branch, with the子 branch occupying the寅 branch and riding the Tian Hou; the戌 branch is on the子 branch and rides the Xuan Wu; the Day Branch,申, is on the午 branch and rides the Qing Long; the午 branch is on the申 branch and rides the Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is午, belonging to the 'son' and riding the Qing Long, with a note of '◎' indicating the empty ten years; the middle transmission is辰, with the hidden stem Ren, belonging to the 'wife's wealth' and riding the Liu He; the final transmission is寅, with the hidden stem Geng, belonging to the 'brother' and riding the Teng Snake.

斷曰：此必文書之類。化南云：何以知之是文書，乞講一理。予曰：用東方朔射覆斷本課。三傳純陽，取遁申丁卯仰視丑字，陰神是亥，故取亥為初傳，三傳亥酉未，亥主圖書，又甲日文書爻。果透易書一冊。予曰：八十四頁。果然。袁天罡本課法斷：亦當以易書斷，青龍主文書，子又為文書，子午為易氣，即易書也。東方朔射覆之法，其書名為無移集，恐是後人託名耳。

The divination statement says: What is definitely hidden in the sleeve must be something related to documents. Master Si Hua Nan asks: On what basis do you conclude it is documents? Please explain the reasoning. I reply: Here the method used is the covering divination technique attributed to Dongfang Shuo. In this case, the three transmissions are Wu, Chen, and Yin, all yang branches. According to the covering divination method, another set of hidden heavenly stems and yin spirits are taken to start the transmissions—by hiding we get Shen, Ding, and Mao, and by looking upwards we get Chou. The yin spirit of Chou is Hai, so we change to take Hai as the first transmission. Thus, the three transmissions of the covering divination become Hai, You, and Wei. In terms of symbolic meaning, Hai represents books and documents. On the day of Jia, Hai is also the爻 for documents. Later, when it was opened, indeed a volume of the Book of Changes was drawn out. I also said: This book has 84 pages. When counted, it was indeed accurate. If we apply Yuan Tiangang's method of divination for this case, it would also lead to the conclusion that it is the Book of Changes: The Azure Dragon represents documents, Zi also represents documents, and Zi and Wu combine to form the qi mechanism of the Book of Changes, which is exactly the Book of Changes. As for Dongfang Shuo's method of covering divination, the book is called Wu Yi Ji, which is probably written by later people who falsely attributed it to him.

甲申日□將□時，占官訟。（一針見血）

A person asked about legal matters on a Jiashen day. The original text leaves both the Month General and the hour blank. Calculating from the lesson plate, the Heaven Plate is arranged two positions ahead on the Earth Plate. This case is found in "One Needle Sees the Essence."

空虎常玄 未申酉戌 后玄龍合 財 壬辰 合 龍午 亥陰 子戌午辰 子 ◎午 龍 勾巳 子后 戌申辰甲 鬼 甲申 虎 辰卯寅丑 合朱蛇貴

The divination board is laid out as follows. The heavenly generals governing the twelve earthly branches are arranged in reverse order starting from "Nobleman" on Chou: Wei is governed by Tian Kong, Shen by Bai Hu, You by Tai Chang, Xu by Xuan Wu, Hai by Tai Yin, Zi by Tian Hou, Chou by Nobleman, Yin by Teng Snake, Mao by Zhu Que, Chen by Liu He, Si by Gou Chen, and Wu by Qing Long. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Jia is lodged in Yin, with Yin having Chen, governed by Liu He; the second lesson, Chen has Wu, governed by Qing Long; the third lesson, the day branch Shen has Xu, governed by Xuan Wu; the fourth lesson, Xu has Zi, governed by Tian Hou. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Chen, with hidden stem Ren, belonging to "wife and wealth," governed by Liu He; the second transmission is Wu, belonging to "son and grandson," governed by Qing Long, with a note "◎" indicating a void, as Wu is void in the Jiashen decade; the third transmission is Shen, with hidden stem Jia, belonging to "official and ghost," governed by Bai Hu.

斷曰：此課因爭產致訟，今又和而不解也。謂辰為日之財，上見六合夾克，必是同類爭競，又傳見午火青龍以制末傳申金白虎之日鬼，其事雖可了，奈申上戌作玄武，為午火所畏，而白虎後旺，其事必又發矣，戌乃寅之親，主親戚為害，寅加子，課傳有寅午戌，申子辰，一火一水爭鬥不已。其實合非全，故不能解也。

The judgment says: This lawsuit is about a dispute over property. Although there is currently a truce, it has not truly been resolved. The reason is that Chen is the wife and wealth of the day stem Jia Wood, and Chen is also accompanied by Liu He, which is like a clamp. Liu He is of the same type as me, so it must be a dispute among relatives and peers over property. In the three transmissions, there is Wu Fire riding on Qinglong, and Wu Fire can overcome the final transmission's Shen Metal Baihu. Shen Metal is the official ghost of the day stem, which is the god of litigation. Therefore, this case seems to be resolvable on the surface. However, Shen is also accompanied by Xu riding on Xuanwu, and Xuanwu belongs to water, which is what Wu Fire fears. Meanwhile, the energy of Baihu is growing stronger behind, so this matter will inevitably recur. Xu is the relative branch of Yin, which indicates interference and harm from relatives. Yin is placed on Zi, and both the fire trinity of Yin-Wu-Xu and the water trinity of Shen-Zi-Chen are formed in the lesson and transmission. One fire and one water are in constant conflict. Moreover, these two triple harmonies are actually incomplete, and they are only harmonious but not complete, so the matter will never be resolved.

建炎戊申年五月初一甲申日，申將巳時，王縣丞丙寅生四十三歲，占官職。（口鑑、方本占案、捷要）

In the second year of the Jianyan era under the Southern Song Emperor Gaozong, on the first day of the fifth lunar month of the Wushen year, which coincided with the Jiashen day, the divination was cast at the fourth hour (si shi) with the month general set as shen. Wang Xiancheng, the county magistrate, asked about his official career. He was born in the Bingyin year and was forty-three years old at the time of the divination. This case is recorded in the "Koujian," the Fang edition "Zhan An," and the "Jieyao."

勾六 青申酉戌亥朱 后朱龍常 鬼 甲申 龍 空未 子蛇 寅亥申巳 父 丁亥 朱 虎午 丑貴 亥申巳甲 兄 庚寅 后 常巳辰卯寅后 玄陰

The divination board is laid out as follows, where "六" is the abbreviation for "六合," and both "青" and "龙" refer to "青龙." The heavenly generals governing the twelve earthly branches are arranged in reverse order starting from "贵人" on the branch "丑": "青龙" on "申," "勾陈" on "酉," "六合" on "戌," "朱雀" on "亥," "螣蛇" on "子," "贵人" on "丑," "天后" on "寅," "太阴" on "卯," "玄武" on "辰," "太常" on "巳," "白虎" on "午," and "天空" on "未." The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem "甲" is in the "寅" palace, with "巳" on "寅," riding "太常"; the second lesson, "申" is on "巳," riding "青龙"; the third lesson, the day branch "申" has "亥" on it, riding "朱雀"; the fourth lesson, "寅" is on "亥," riding "天后." The three transmissions: the first transmission is "申," with the hidden stem "甲," belonging to "官鬼," riding "青龙"; the middle transmission is "亥," with the hidden stem "丁," belonging to "父母," riding "朱雀"; the final transmission is "寅," with the hidden stem "庚," belonging to "兄弟," riding "天后."

邵彥和曰：日上見巳作太常主兼職而費力。初傳官星主官職，中傳長生臨宅上，主上人垂顧而加俸，末傳寅臨亥名聲必達天庭，是費力而得便宜，勞苦中得遷轉，任滿入朝面君有內絳帳之榮矣。

Shao Yanhe, a renowned master of Liu Xin during the Song dynasty, interpreted as follows: The day stem Jia Wood is governed by the heavenly stem Si. The heavenly stem Si is occupied by Tai Chang. Tai Chang governs salary andofficial stipend, and Jia Wood generates Si Fire. Since Jia Wood is generating Si Fire, it is the subject generating the object, so it is predicted that he will have to take on additional duties and exert much effort. Then, following the three transmissions, the first transmission is Shen. Shen Metal overcomes Jia Wood, which is the official star of the day stem. The official star represents official rank and position, so it is predicted that he will certainly hold an actual official post. The middle transmission is Hai. Hai is the place of growth for Jia Wood, and it is also located above the day branch's residence position. The growth energy is present in the residence, so it indicates that his superior will show favor and support, and also grant him additional salary. The final transmission is Yin. Yin is the self of Jia Wood, and it is located above Hai. Hai is also called Tianmen, so the self is ascending to Tianmen, indicating that his reputation will certainly reach the imperial court. When the three transmissions are considered together, it indicates that he will exert much effort but ultimately gain advantage, achieving promotion through hardship. After completing his term, he will enter the court to meet the emperor, and will also have the honor of teaching within the palace, setting up a "Jiangzhang" for instruction.

後王縣丞因知縣緣恩澤受財事發，遂得縣印，兩項職事悉皆了辦。見知上司，列薦奉旨。任滿日引之，遂得諸王官教授。

Later, it indeed came true: the county magistrate of the county where Wang Xiancheng was stationed was dismissed after being exposed for accepting money under the pretense of imperial grace. Wang Xiancheng then took over the county seal, and the responsibilities of both county magistrate and county clerk were managed smoothly by him alone. Because of this, he was recognized by his superiors, recommended for promotion, and received imperial approval. On the day of his term's completion, he was summoned to court and immediately appointed as a tutor in one of the princes' academies.

緣日上見巳，是甲木生巳火，故費力也，太常為職，巳為雙女，故曰兼職。申官臨於雙女之上，亦為兼職。青龍主喜慶，中傳亥與行年上亥，緣是長官之屬，亥為天庭，朱雀為舉薦，末傳寅為己身，下臨於長生之地，又登天門上，乘天后恩澤之神，同生甲與寅木，甲以亥為學堂，故為絳帳之職，在天門則為內絳帳也。甲木生巳火雖云費力，卻引出天后水及亥水之生，申官居巳長生上，又作青龍，所以費力中而內升也。

The day stem's heavenly stem is巳, and 甲 wood needs to generate巳 fire, which drains its energy, so it is said to be laborious. Tai Chang represents official duties, and巳 is located in the star sequence under the "Double Female" palace, which is one palace containing two numbers, so it indicates holding multiple positions. The first transmission is申, which is an official star directly located on the Double Female palace of巳, which also indicates holding multiple positions. 申 is accompanied by the Azure Dragon, which signifies joy and promotion. The middle transmission is亥, which matches the same亥 on the person's birth year. 亥 belongs to the category of superiors and is also the heavenly court. 亥 is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, which signifies official recommendations, so it is predicted that he will be recommended by his superior. The final transmission is寅, representing himself, located on亥, which is the place of growth. It is also ascending to the heavenly gate. 寅 is accompanied by the Heavenly Empress, who is the deity of grace, and shares the same energy with 甲 wood and寅 wood. 甲 wood uses亥 as its "school," which signifies teaching, so it is predicted to hold the position of "Jiang Zhang" (a term for a teacher's hall). The Jiang Zhang is set on the heavenly gate, becoming the Jiang Zhang within the palace, which refers to the position of teaching in various王府 (princes' courts). Although 甲 wood generates巳 fire, which is laborious, it also leads the Heavenly Empress' water and亥 water to nourish the day stem. The official star申 is seated on the growth position of巳, and is accompanied by the Azure Dragon, so it is predicted that he will be promoted internally despite the effort.

汪五公丁未生（生於七月初八日子時）六十二歲，占買賣，同得是課。（六壬斷案）

Wang family's five elders were born in the Dingwei year (their birth date was July 8th at the Zi hour). At the time of the divination, they were sixty-two years old. They consulted about business ventures, and the chart that emerged was exactly the same as the previous case of County Magistrate Wang. This case is recorded in "Judged Cases in Liuren."

勾六 青申酉戌亥朱 后朱龍常 鬼 甲申 龍 空未 子蛇 寅亥申巳 父 丁亥 朱 虎午 丑貴 亥申巳甲 兄 庚寅 后 常巳辰卯寅后 玄陰

The divination chart is identical to the previous one cast by Wang Xiancheng. The twelve earthly branches are occupied by the heavenly generals starting from "Nobleman" on Chou and proceeding in reverse order: Qingsheng on Shen, Gouchen on You, Liuhe on Xu, Zishen on Hai, Tengshe on Zi, Nobleman on Chou, Tianhou on Yin, Taiyin on Mao, Xuanwu on Chen, Taichang on Si, Baishi on Wu, and Tiankong on Wei. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Jia is lodged in寅, with巳 on寅 riding Taichang; 申 on巳 riding Qingsheng; Hai on申 riding Zishen; and寅 on Hai riding Tianhou. The three transmissions: the first transmission is申, with hidden stem Jia, belonging to "official ghost" riding Qingsheng; the middle transmission is亥, with hidden stem Ding, belonging to "parents" riding Zishen; and the final transmission is寅, with hidden stem Geng, belonging to "brother" riding Tianhou. The difference between the two charts lies in the year and destiny: Wang Xiancheng was born in Bingyin, with his native stem寅 located in the growth position of the final transmission; while Wang Wujigong was born in Dingwei, with his native stem未 located on the Kongwang position of Tiankong, and further burdened by an additional layer of consumption energy in his year.

邵彥和曰：如休染得許多紅紫，今已發變斑點，只好染皂青耳。汪公尚不覺，及開包裹看之，果然紅紫皆變色。汪公大驚曰：為之奈何？邵曰：不妨，十月染皂不折本，但滯得半年耳。

Shao Yanhe said: The many red and purple fabrics you dyed, which seem to have some error in the original text with the words "like rest," now have spots and have changed color. They can only be dyed into black and blue tones. At first, Wang Gong did not notice anything unusual, but when he opened the package, he found that all the red and purple fabrics had indeed changed color. Wang Gong was greatly surprised and said: What are we going to do? Shao Yanhe said: There is no problem. If you dye them into black and blue tones by October, you will not lose your capital, but the goods will have to be stored for half a year.

日上見巳蝕甲，寅往亥上受生，未甚費力。今又添得行年上午火，便是兩火蝕一甲木，雖寅受生於亥，費有餘而得不足也。太常為繡綵衣帛，乘巳火為赤色，便是紅紫之類，太常乘巳加於寅，寅為虎，主斑點，作天后為改色。初傳官鬼破身傷財又立於耗盜之上，好在中傳亥來生甲，只宜染皂。以北方主黑，亥加申上，白而生黑，故為皂色。

The day stem is affected by the god of the heaven's stem appearing on the巳 position. The fire of巳 steals the energy of the甲 wood, which is like fire eating into wood. The final transmission is寅, which is born from亥, so it is not too difficult. Now, with the addition of the午 fire of the person's age, there are two fires eating into one甲 wood. Although寅 receives its strength from亥, it ultimately spends more than it gains. The Tai Chang, which represents embroidered silk and brocade, is riding on the巳 fire, which is red in color, indicating dyed goods of red and purple. The Tai Chang riding on巳 and then resting on寅, which is the tiger, indicates patterns on tiger skin, suggesting spots. Additionally, the Heavenly Empress is on寅, which signifies change, so it is predicted that the brocade will have spots and the color will change. The first transmission is申, which is the official ghost, damaging both the body and wealth, and it is in the position of consumption and theft. Fortunately, the middle transmission is亥 water, which comes back to nourish the甲 wood. Therefore, it is only suitable to change the dye to black, as亥 belongs to the north, which represents black. Also,亥 is placed on申, which is white, and white turning into black produces the color of black.

州人仿他鋪，染暗青黑綠都不好，八九月亦不翻騰，汪公至十月染皂，市中頗有行情，果不折本。蓋末傳有寅生於亥上，中傳亥卻為旬丁主變動之神，末傳天后亦為皂色，又為婦人，以此，女人俱重此色衣服。亥為十月，信知造物亦有時也！可見六壬點驗之神與造物無間矣。

Later, other shops in the same area imitated him, changing to dyeing dark blue, black, and green, but none of these colors sold well; the market remained stagnant throughout August and September. Master Wang waited until October to start dyeing black cloth, and at that time the market had already set a price, so he did not lose money. The reason for this was that the final transmission (末传) was born on寅 (Yin) over亥 (Hai), and the middle transmission (中传)亥 was also the "ten-day god" (旬丁) of the current ten-day period. The ten-day god is the deity governing change. The heavenly empress (天后), which the final transmission was riding on, also governs the color black and soot, and the heavenly empress represents women, so women particularly valued this color of fabric.亥 (Hai) corresponds to the month of October, showing that the natural timing of heaven and earth has its own fixed period. This also demonstrates the marvelous accuracy of the Six Rats divination method, which is in perfect harmony with the operation of nature.

或問王縣丞與汪五公同月將日時，同得此課，何以王縣丞許其升遷，汪五公卻說絲帛變色？先生答曰：縣丞本命寅下臨長生，得恩澤之神，行年即是官星，在任者宜見之，必然升遷。汪公本命下臨魁罡，上得虛誕之神，行年添一盜氣，經濟者忌見之，必然敗壞，幸得寅加亥上，中傳亥又來生身，為不折本耳。

Someone asked: Wang Xiancheng and Wang Wugong used the same month general and the same day and hour, and the divination results were exactly the same. Why did the prediction say Wang Xiancheng would be promoted, but Wang Wugong's silk and cloth would change color? Shao Yanhe said: Wang Xiancheng's true birth stem is in the寅, which is under the亥, the place of growth. Also, the Heavenly Empress, the deity of grace and favor, is present. His age stem is exactly where the official star is. An official in office encountering this pattern is most favorable and will certainly be promoted. Wang Wugong's true birth stem is in the未, which is not under the魁罡 position. On top of that, the Tian Kong, the deity of false and deceptive things, is present. His age stem also adds another layer of leakage. Merchants most dislike this pattern and will certainly suffer loss. Fortunately, the寅 is still placed on the亥, and the middle transmission亥 returns to generate and support the day stem itself, so at least he will not lose his capital.

常巳辰卯寅后　玄陰

These two lines are the remaining end parts after the previous lesson's plate was flattened. The upper half of the Heaven Plate and the four lessons and three transmissions all come before this section. On the Earth Plate, the positions of寅, 丑, 子, and 亥 are successively occupied by巳, 辰, 卯, and 寅 on the Heaven Plate. Above巳 is "Tai Chang," and above寅 is "Heavenly Empress." In the last line, "Xuan" and "Yin" are placed over 辰 and 卯, meaning "Xuan Wu" is above 辰 and "Tai Yin" is above 卯. This lesson is for the day of Jiashen. The Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The four lessons are: on 寅 (with its lodging palace in寅) there is巳 with "Tai Chang," on巳 there is申 with "Azure Dragon," on the day branch 申 there is亥 with "Vermilion Bird," and on亥 there is寅 with "Heavenly Empress." The three transmissions are申, 亥, and 寅. The first transmission, 申 with Dun Jia, is the official ghost riding the Azure Dragon; the middle transmission, 亥 with Dun Ding, is the parents riding the Vermilion Bird; and the final transmission, 寅 with Dun Geng, is the brothers riding the Heavenly Empress. This lesson was obtained by Wang Wugu in the year he turned sixty-two, when he divined about a business transaction.

邵彥和曰：如休染得許多紅紫，今已發變斑點，只好染皂青耳。汪公尚不覺，及開包裹看之，果然紅紫皆變色。汪公大驚曰：為之奈何？邵曰：不妨，十月染皂不折本，但滯得半年耳。日上見巳蝕甲，寅往亥上受生，未甚費力。今又添得行年上午火，便是兩火蝕一甲木，雖寅受生於亥，費有餘而得不足也。

Shao Yanhe said: You should no longer dye so many red and purple silk fabrics, for now there are already spots and discoloration, and you can only change them to black and blue. Wang Wugong did not notice at first, but when he opened the package, the red and purple cloth had indeed all turned color. Wang Gong was greatly alarmed and asked: What should we do? Shao Yanhe said: There is no problem. Changing them to black in October will not result in loss, but you will have to hold the goods for half a year. Therefore, the divination concluded: The day stem shows the fire of Si, which is born from the wood of Jia, but in turn consumes the Jia wood. The final transmission of寅 wood receives birth from the middle transmission of亥 water, which is not too much of a burden. However, the person being divined has added another fire of Wu in their age, resulting in two fires consuming one Jia wood. Although the寅 wood receives birth from the亥 water, it ultimately consumes more than it gains.

太常為繡綵衣帛，乘巳火為赤色，便是紅紫之類，太常乘巳加於寅，寅為虎，主斑點，作天后為改色。初傳官鬼破身傷財又立於耗盜之上，好在中傳亥來生甲，只宜染皂。以北方主黑，亥加申上，白而生黑，故為皂色。

The Tai Chang is the master of this day, adorned with colorful embroidery and silk robes. It rides upon the fire of the snake (巳), which is red in color, corresponding to shades of red and purple. When Tai Chang rides on巳 and is placed on the position of寅, which belongs to the tiger, the tiger's pattern is spotted. Moreover, the position of寅 is also occupied by the Heavenly Empress, which belongs to water and tints the fire red, thus indicating a change of color. The first transmission,申 metal, is the official ghost for the day of Jia, which both breaks the body and damages wealth, and it is also located at the position of the thief and loss god. Fortunately, the middle transmission,亥 water, returns to nourish the wood of Jia, so only a change to black is suitable. Black belongs to the north, and when亥 water is placed on申 metal, the white of metal gives birth to the black of water, so the color is determined as black.

辛未三月甲申日辛未時，萊陽運芝萊、吉安王旋官兩父師代占升遷，重審、玄胎，午未空、酉戌落空。　　　指南

On the day Jiashen of the third lunar month in the year Xinwei, at the hour Xinwei, Master Yuan Zhai Laiyang and Master Wang Xuan Guan from Jianning cast a divination for someone seeking promotion. The lesson pattern was "Chong Shen" combined with "Xuan Tai". On the Jiashen decade, the middle and the hour of Wei were empty. The hour of You and Xu also fell into emptiness. This example is from Chen Gongxian's "Liu Ren Zhi Nan".

勾六　青申酉戌亥朱　后朱龍常　鬼　甲申　龍　空未　子蛇　寅亥申巳　父　丁亥　朱　虎午　丑貴　亥申巳甲　兄　庚寅　后　常巳辰卯寅后　玄陰

This is the remaining part of the lesson disk after it has been flattened: originally circular heaven and earth plates, along with the four lessons and three transmissions, have been pressed into a single line. The heaven plate advances three positions ahead of the earth plate. On the earth plate's positions of巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, the heaven plate's positions are respectively 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未. The heavenly generals on these positions are Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He, Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, and Tian Kong. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Jia is lodged in 寅, with 寅 having 巳, and the heavenly general Tai Chang; the second lesson, 巳 has 申, with the heavenly general Azure Dragon; the third lesson, the day branch 申 has 亥, with the heavenly general Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson, 亥 has 寅, with the heavenly general Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are 申-亥-寅: the first transmission, 申 has the hidden stem Jia, which is "official ghost" on a Jia day, with the heavenly general Azure Dragon; the middle transmission, 亥 has the hidden stem Ding, which is "parents," with the heavenly general Vermilion Bird; the final transmission, 寅 has the hidden stem Geng, which is "brother," with the heavenly general Heavenly Empress.

陳公獻曰：此課大吉，推升官爵必的。何以言之？課中龍常並見，城吏全逢，初傳青龍內戰，必有奇遇趨遷。中傳朱雀生日，公卿交譽。末傳驛馬德祿俱入天門，居官定然顯赫。寅為天吏，天后為恩澤，非天官而可？後屢旨另推七次，終點閔總憲為冢宰。然式中貴履地網，龍神下賊，主自欲退位，次年果請旨歸田。

Chen Gongxian said: This divination is very auspicious, and it is certain that the person will be promoted and receive a noble title. Why is this so? In the divination, the Azure Dragon and Tai Chang appear together, indicating the presence of both the city and the official. The first transmission is the metal of Shen, riding the Azure Dragon, and fighting with the day stem internally, indicating an unexpected opportunity for promotion. The middle transmission is the water of Hai, which generates and supports the day stem of Jia wood, indicating that the minister and the high official will praise him. The final transmission is the wood of Yin, which is also the Post-horse, and carries the virtue god and the禄 god, all entering the Hai position, the heavenly gate, indicating that the official will become prominent. Yin is the Heavenly Official, and the Heavenly Empress is the god of grace, so what else could it be but an official appointment from the court? Later, the court issued several imperial edicts for further recommendations, a total of seven times, and finally appointed Min, the general inspector, as the chief minister. However, in the divination, the nobleman is standing on the earth plate at the position of Xu, the earth net, and the metal of Shen, which the Azure Dragon is riding, is being attacked by the fire of Si below, indicating that the person himself wants to step down. The next year, he indeed submitted a memorial requesting to retire and return to his hometown.

庚寅七月甲申日丙寅時，宜陵景兄占府院試可入泮否？指南

On the day of Jiashen in the seventh lunar month of the Gengyin year, Jing Brother from Yingle came to consult about whether he could pass the county examination and the provincial examination to become a scholar (enter the academy, i.e., be admitted as a student). This is from the "Six壬 Guide".

勾六　龍申酉戌亥朱　后朱龍常　鬼甲申龍　空未　子蛇　寅亥申巳　父丁亥朱　虎午　丑貴　亥申巳甲　兄庚寅后　常巳辰卯寅后　玄陰

The lesson board is the same as the previous case, except that "青龙" is written as "龙". The Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate's positions of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate takes the positions of申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未 in sequence. The corresponding heavenly generals are Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He, Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tian Kong. The four lessons: 甲 (in the 寄宫寅) has巳 with Tai Chang, 巳 has申 with Azure Dragon, the day branch 申 has亥 with Vermilion Bird, and 亥 has寅 with Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions: 申-亥-寅. The first transmission 申 is official ghost with Azure Dragon, the middle transmission 亥 is parents with Vermilion Bird, and the final transmission 寅 is brother with Heavenly Empress.

陳公獻曰：不但府試高取，院考定然首薦。蓋因月建旬首發用。龍朱乘旺相（龍乘申月建旺，朱乘亥相），現於初中，末傳德祿驛馬，又干支交車生合，傳將進引，斗罡天喜加行年（秋三月天喜在辰，加行年丑上），朱雀乘丁神進氣，文字必貼主司之意。且格合天心（年寅、月申、日申、時寅皆在四課之內），主非常喜慶，掀天揭地也，是以首薦無疑。又問：該就府送考，該就司送考？予曰：六合加於辰未酉籍穩妥，後果首進。

Chen Gongxian said: Not only will the candidate pass the county examination in the higher grade, but he will certainly be listed first in the prefectural examination. Why? Because the initiating transmission is the metal of Shen, which is both the month builder and the first day of the Jiashen decade. The Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird are both in a prosperous and strong state (the Azure Dragon rides on Shen, which is the month builder of July and thus in its prime; the Vermilion Bird rides on Hai, which is the water of autumn and thus in its secondary state), appearing respectively in the first and middle transmissions. The final transmission is寅 wood, which also includes the virtue god, the禄 god, and the post-horse. The day stem and day branch also interact with each other through generation and combination. The three transmissions and the heavenly general progress step by step. The star of the pole (Chen) and Heavenly Joy are added to the year of birth (in the third month of autumn, Heavenly Joy is in Chen and is added to the year of birth Chou). The Vermilion Bird also rides on the Ding god and is in a rising state, so the composition will certainly match the examiner's mind. Moreover, the structure conforms to the "Heavenly Heart" - the sovereign year is寅, the month builder is申, the day branch is申, and the time of the divination is寅, all appearing within the four lessons. This indicates a very great joy, with a tremendous momentum, so being listed first is certain. He then asked: Should the candidate be sent for examination by the county or by the prefectural office? I said: Liu He is added to the path of Chen, Wei, and You, so sending the candidate's name through the county school is safe. Later, he indeed passed the examination as the first place.

甲申十二月甲申日癸酉時，予往淮陰時，鳳陽施指揮使相召守歲，見天氣昏沉，占元旦有雪否，午未空、酉戌落空。　　指南

On the day of Jiashen in the year Jiashen, in the twelfth lunar month, I (Chen Gongxian) was about to go to Huaiyin, when Shi Zhuhuishi from Fengyang invited me to stay together for the New Year's Eve. Seeing the sky was overcast, I divined whether it would snow on New Year's Day. The旬空 was in Wu and Wei, and the hours of You and Xu were also empty. This passage is from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan."

朱六　蛇申酉戌亥勾　虎勾蛇陰　鬼　甲申　蛇　貴未　子青　寅亥申巳　父　丁亥　勾　后午　丑空　亥申巳甲　兄　庚寅　虎　陰巳辰卯寅虎　玄常

The Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate and matches the previous two cases' Heaven Plate, but the position of the Nobleman has changed, so the various generals differ. On the Earth Plate's positions of巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, the Heaven Plate positions are respectively 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未. The generals riding on these positions are Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, and Nobleman. The Nobleman is located on the Heaven Plate's position 未 (Earth Plate's position 辰), and the generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 甲 (lodging in 寅) with巳, riding Tai Yin; the second lesson is巳 with申, riding Teng Snake; the third lesson is the day branch 申 with亥, riding Gou Chen; the fourth lesson is亥 with寅, riding White Tiger. The three transmissions are 申—亥—寅: the first transmission 申 is the official ghost riding Teng Snake, the middle transmission 亥 is the parents riding Gou Chen, and the final transmission 寅 is the brothers riding White Tiger.

陳公獻曰：不但元旦有雪，今晚亦雪。因斗罡加丑陰象也。況申為水母發用，生中傳亥水，又乘蛇，乃雙雪頭彎曲之形，是以斷今晚、明日有雪。果然。

Chen Gongxian said: Not only will there be snow on New Year's Day, but it will snow tonight. Because the star of the handle (Chen) is placed on the Chou position, which is a pure yin image. Moreover, the initiating transmission (Fa yong) is Shen metal, which is the mother of water and can generate the middle transmission (Zhong chuan) Hai water. Shen also carries Teng Snake, which is coiled and bent, exactly like snowflakes curled at both ends. Therefore, he predicted that there will be snow both tonight and tomorrow. Later, it indeed happened as predicted.

己丑年十二月甲申日子將申時王知縣占新宰何時至　　方本占案

In the year Jichou, the twelfth lunar month, on the day Jiashen, when the Zi hour was added to the Shen hour, County Magistrate Wang divined the time when the newly appointed county magistrate would arrive. This is from the Fang family edition of "Zhan An."

六朱　陳酉戌亥子蛇　龍申　丑貴　玄蛇六虎　財　壬辰　玄　空未　寅后　辰子戌午　鬼　甲申　龍　虎午巳辰卯陰　子申午甲　父　戊子　蛇　常玄

The Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate positions are酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未,申 respectively. The corresponding Heavenly Generals are Gou Chen, Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Xuan Wu, Tai Chang, Bai Hu, Tian Kong, Qing Long. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Jia (lodging palace寅) with Wu,乘 Bai Hu; the second lesson is Wu with Xu,乘 Liu He; the third lesson is on the day branch申 with Zi,乘 Teng Snake; the fourth lesson is on Zi with Chen,乘 Xuan Wu. The Three Transmissions are from Chen to Shen to Zi: the first transmission is Chen with the hidden壬, representing wife wealth,乘 Xuan Wu; the second transmission is Shen with the hidden Jia, representing official ghosts,乘 Qing Long; the third transmission is Zi with the hidden Wu, representing parents,乘 Teng Snake. The trinity of Shen, Zi, and Chen forms a water triad, so it is referred to as the "Wen Xia Lesson."

邵彥和曰：冬占得潤下課，正及時也。新官今已至潤州，值水淺來遲耳。果第三日得信云，已至潤州，水淺不能前。蓋發用辰加子，作玄武。子江也，上得辰土克之，故淺。甲日子加申，子乃十二月太陽，加支為臨任所，月內必到也。果應。

Shao Yanhe said: In winter, when divining an affair that results in the "Moistening Down" water pattern, it is in harmony with the season. A newly appointed county magistrate has now arrived at Runzhou, but he came late because the water was shallow. On the third day, news came that he had arrived in Runzhou, as the boat could not proceed due to the shallow water. The reasoning is: the initiating transmission is the earth element Chen, which is added to the water element Zi and rides on the Black Tortoise. Zi represents rivers and lakes, but it is overcome by Chen, hence the shallow water. On the day of Jiashen, the day branch is Shen, and Zi, which is the sun of the twelfth month (month general), is added to the day branch, indicating he has arrived at his post. Therefore, it was concluded that he would arrive this month. Later, it proved true.

崇正丁丑年二月十四日甲申日亥將未時，趙景皋兄占會試　　占案

In the Dingchou year of the Chongzhen era, on the 14th day of the second lunar month, on the Jiashen day, at the hour of Hai with the hour of Wei, Brother Zhao Jingao divined the imperial examination. It is from "Zhan An."

六朱　陳酉戌亥子蛇　龍申　丑貴　玄蛇六虎　財　壬辰　玄　空未　寅后　辰子戌午　鬼　甲申　龍　虎午巳辰卯陰　子申午甲　父　戊子　蛇　常玄

The lesson plate is the same as the previous case, both being on the day Jiashen (甲申), with the Heaven Plate advancing four positions in a clockwise direction. The Earth Plate positions from Si to Chen are successively occupied by the Heaven Plate positions You, Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen. The corresponding heavenly generals are Gou Chen, Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Xuan Wu, Tai Chang, Bai Hu, Tian Kong, and Qing Long. The four lessons are: on Jiashen, the position Wu is seen with Bai Hu; on Wu, the position Xu is seen with Liu He; on the day branch Shen, the position Zi is seen with Teng Snake; on Zi, the position Chen is seen with Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are Chen (wife's wealth, Xuan Wu) - Shen (official ghost, Qing Long) - Zi (parents, Teng Snake). Shen, Zi, and Chen form a water trinity.

郭御青曰：干支各自乘死氣，又各脫耗，不利場屋明矣。且四課天將不正，三傳水局，天將又皆水，雖能生日，不敵自受脫耗。凡水局見武蛇，主夢幻鬼魅，安能中乎？放榜果不中。

Guo Yuqing said: The day stem and day branch each carry death qi, and both are depleted and dispersed, which is clearly unfavorable for the imperial examination. Moreover, the heavenly generals on the four lessons are all improper, and the three transmissions form a water pattern; the heavenly generals on the water pattern are all of the water type. Although water can generate the jia wood day stem, it cannot overcome the depletion of the day stem itself. Whenever the water pattern appears with xuanwu and teng snake, it indicates matters of dreams and ghosts, how could one pass the examination? Indeed, after the list was published, he did not pass.

建炎戊申年九月甲申日辰將亥時陳學諭辛未生三十八歲（生於十二月二十八日）占前程。　　方本占案

In the ninth month of the fifth year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, on the Jiashen day, at the hour of Chen added to Hai, Chen Xueyu, born in the Xinwei year, aged thirty-eight, born on the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month, divined about his future prospects. This is from the Fangshi edition of "Zhan'an."

陳龍　六戌亥子丑空　朱酉　寅虎　后空龍貴　父　戊子　龍　蛇申　卯常　午丑子未　子　癸巳　陰　貴未午巳辰玄　丑申未甲　財　丙戌　六　后陰

The Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earthly Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate takes the positions of戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未,申,酉 respectively. The corresponding Heavenly Generals are Liu He, Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Tian Hou, Gui Ren, Teng Snake, and Zhu Que. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Jia (with its lodging palace in寅) with the position of未, accompanied by Gui Ren; the second lesson is on未 with the position of子, accompanied by Qing Long; the third lesson is on the Day Branch申 with the position of丑, accompanied by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson is on丑 with the position of午, accompanied by Tian Hou. The Three Transmissions are子,巳,戌: the first transmission is子 with Wu hidden, representing parents, accompanied by Qing Long; the middle transmission is巳 with Ji hidden, representing children, accompanied by Tai Yin; the final transmission is戌 with Bing hidden, representing wife and wealth, accompanied by Liu He.

邵彥和曰：干支皆墓主前程遲滯，凡事不通。今喜甲申旬，未乃空亡。本身之墓既空，漸次脫去，次第亨通。初傳與貴人云害，不利考試，巳作太陰為閉口，主偏堂不利，終為疾擾。妻宮加閉口子孫上，主無子，今年防被醫人所誤。

Shao Yanhe said: When both the day stem and day branch are in a墓 position, it indicates obstacles in the future and difficulties in all matters. Fortunately, this day falls within the Jiashen decade, and the Wei branch is not empty in this decade; since the墓 is empty, it will gradually be released, and there is hope for smooth progress in the future. The first transmission and the nobleman are in a harmful relationship, which is unfavorable for exams. The巳 branch is occupied by Tai Yin, indicating a "closed mouth" spirit, which is unfavorable for the side wife, and ultimately will be troubled by illness. The wife and wealth palace is placed on the closed mouth's son, indicating no son, and this year should also be cautious of being misdiagnosed by a doctor.

本命是木墓，本身上貴人又空亡，乃是虛貴，宅上又帶墓，宅既不顯，人亦不興。三十發解便不濟，如處雲霧中。妻亦不利，其人果受乳母氣，得心病，九年而卒。妻血病五年，本年又患痢。醫人誤作熱症治之，幾死。庚申年亡。

His true heavenly stem belongs to wood but is in a state of burial, and the nobleman riding on his true heavenly stem has fallen into kongwang, making it a false nobleman. The dwelling also carries the burial deity, so the dwelling does not show success and the person does not flourish. After passing the local examination at thirty, his fortune declined, as if he were in a fog. His wife is also unfavorable. This person later indeed suffered from the anger of his wet nurse, developed a heart illness, and died nine years later. His wife suffered from a blood disease for five years, and that year she also contracted dysentery. The doctor mistook it for a heat condition and almost caused her death, and she died in the year of Gengshen.

戊申年九月甲申日辰將亥時某占家宅　　方本占案　　口鑑

In the year of Wushen, ninth month, on the day of Jiashen, at the time of Chen adding Hai, a person divined about their family dwelling. This comes from the Fangshi edition of "Zhan An" and "Liu Ren Kou Jian."

陳龍　六戌亥子丑空　朱酉　寅虎　后空龍貴　父　戊子　龍　蛇申　卯常　午丑子未　子　癸巳　陰　貴未午巳辰玄　丑申未甲　財　丙戌　六　后陰

The lesson board is the same as the previous case. The Heaven Plate moves forward five positions. The Earth Plate starts from Si and proceeds in order to Chen, taking the positions of Wu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, according to the Heaven Plate. The Heavenly Generals are in sequence: Liu He, Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Tian Hou, Gui Ren, Teng Snake, Zhu Que. The four lessons are: Jia on Wei with Gui Ren, Wei on Zi with Qing Long, the day branch on Shen with Chou and Tian Kong, and Chou on Wu with Tian Hou. The three transmissions are Zi (parents, Qing Long) - Si (son, Tai Yin) - Xu (wife's wealth, Liu He).

邵彥和曰：此宅原是墳，因墓神作梗，宅內常有聲，見一人裹帽而行，乃六十老人葬於內，沿有遊尸，所以出來作怪。每主克子，因灶下墳更多，移灶則無聲。更第三間閣下，是此裹帽老人葬處，掘下五尺便見，遷去即安矣。試之果然，因丑為裹帽老人也。

Shao Yanhe said: This house was originally a burial ground, and because the spirit of the tomb was interfering, there were constant noises inside the house, and a man wearing a headscarf was seen moving around. This was a sixty-year-old man who was buried there, and there were also scattered bones, so they came out to cause trouble. This house often leads to the harm of descendants. Because there were especially many graves under the stove, moving the stove away would eliminate the noises. Moreover, the floorboards under the third room were exactly where the buried bones of the man wearing a headscarf were. If you dug down five feet, you could see them. Once they were moved, the house became peaceful. According to his words, they dug and indeed found it to be true. Therefore, this conclusion was drawn because the earthly branch 'Chou' (the third lesson's heavenly stem) takes the image of an old man wearing a headscarf.

乙卯年閏二月初二甲申日亥將午時占館　　說約

In the year Yimao, on the second day of the leap second month, on the day Jiashen, at the time of the Hour of Hai with the Hour of Wu added, a divination was made concerning matters of teaching and instruction. This is from the book "Renyue Shuo Yao."

陳龍　六戌亥子丑空　朱酉　寅虎　后空龍貴　父　戊子　龍　蛇申　卯常　午丑子未　子　癸巳　陰　貴未午巳辰玄　丑申未甲　財　丙戌　六　后陰

The lesson remains the same as in the previous two cases: the Heaven Plate moves forward five positions, and the Earth Plate starts from Si and proceeds in order to Chen, taking over the Heaven Plate positions of Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You. The Heavenly Generals follow in sequence: Liu He, Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Tian Hou, Gui Ren, Teng Snake, Zhu Que. The Four Lessons are: Jia on Wei (Gui Ren), Wei on Zi (Qing Long), the Day Branch Shen on Chou (Tian Kong), Chou on Wu (Tian Hou). The Three Transmissions are Zi, Si, and Xu, each accompanied by Qing Long, Tai Yin, and Liu He respectively. The Six Relations are in sequence: parents, children, and spouse.

江村張鋐曰：六壬占一事而相因之事牽連出現者，此時時有之。特人多忽而不經意耳。乙卯春間，舍弟在山東平州署館況頗佳，因占何時來接舍侄赴署，得甲申日干上未，三傳子巳戌。餘看課傳全無來接之象，此本事也。又干上雖逢未貴，但干視未為財，為墓。貴視干為鬼，為寇讐，賓主豈能相安？兼子為敗氣發用而與貴人六害，似已分手。寅加酉主酉日到家也，果於次日乙酉舍弟回家。

Jiangcun Zhang Tao said: When using the Six壬 divination method to predict one matter, it often brings up related matters as well. This situation is common, but people usually ignore it. In the year of Yimao spring, my younger brother was teaching in the government office in Pingzhou, Shandong, and his situation was quite good. He asked when he would come to take my nephew to the office, and the divination result was on the day of Jiashen, with the day stem's heavenly stem being Wei, and the three transmissions being Zi, Si, and Xu. I saw that the pattern of the divination showed no signs of him coming to take my nephew. This is the matter being asked about. Moreover, although the day stem encountered a nobleman on Wei, from the perspective of the day stem, Wei was the wife's wealth and also the tomb god; but from the perspective of the nobleman, the day stem was the official ghost and an enemy. How could the host and guest be at peace? In addition, the water of Zi was a defeated energy and initiated the transmission, and it also formed a six harm with the nobleman, which seemed like a sign of separation. Yin was placed on You, indicating that he would return on the day of You. Indeed, my younger brother returned the next day, which was the day of Yiyou.

回後一月舍弟索卜何時得館？餘即以前課推之，命在未上見子水生干，主有人作薦。子與丑夜貴作合，主有官相延，俟子丑月可以得館。後至十一月，由沈湘葵薦就江蘇布臬臺之招。蓋丑貴臨申，申主刑釘，故為臬司，然丑遭太歲剋制，亦不能久於此任。（此課一課與二課相害，三課與四課相害，此賓主不投之象也何況末傳之戌與一課之未，三課之丑共作三刑，為得不分手乎？但一課與四課合，二課與三課合，恰好二課之子發用，與三課支上之丑相合，是失於此者而得於彼也。）

After returning home for a month, my younger brother again asked me to divinate when he could obtain a position as a government official. I used the previous lesson to deduce: his birth stem is in the position of Wei, and there is Zi water in the position of Zi that is born to the day stem, indicating that someone will recommend him. Zi also combines with the night nobleman in the position of Chou, indicating that an official will invite him. He will be able to obtain the position during the month of Zi or Chou. Later, in the eleventh month, he was recommended by Shen Xiangkui, which matched the appointments of the Jiangsu Department of Civil Administration and the Department of Judicial Inspection. This is because the nobleman in the position of Chou is located in the position of Shen, which governs criminal justice and imprisonment, hence the position in the Department of Judicial Inspection. However, the position of Chou is restrained by the year stem, so this position will not be long-lasting. (Original note: In this lesson, the first and second lessons are in mutual harm, and the third and fourth lessons are also in mutual harm, which is a sign of incompatibility between host and guest. Moreover, the final transmission,戌, combines with the first lesson's position of Wei and the third lesson's position of Chou to form the Three Punishments. How could they not part ways? However, the first and fourth lessons combine, and the second and third lessons also combine. Moreover, the second lesson's Zi initiates the transmission, and it combines with the Chou in the day branch of the third lesson. This is a case of losing in one place but gaining in another.)

崇正丁丑年二月十四日亥將巳時占馬氏兄弟會試中否？　　郭氏占案

In the Dingchou year of the Chongzhen era, on the fourteenth day of the second lunar month, at the time of the亥 (Boar) hour added to the巳 (Snake) time, a divination was made about whether the Ma brothers would pass the imperial examination. It is from Guo Yuting's "Divination Cases."

朱蛇貴后　亥子丑寅　龍后后龍　兄　庚寅　后　合戌　卯陰　申寅寅申　鬼　甲申　龍　勾酉　辰玄　寅申申甲　兄　庚寅　后　申未午巳　龍空虎常

This chart is "returning repetition." The Heaven Plate advances six positions ahead of the Earth Plate. Each Earthly Branch is in opposition to another: on the Earth Plate branches Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate branches are Hai, Zi, Chou, and Yin; on the Earth Plate branches You and Xu, the Heaven Plate branches are Mao and Chen; on the Earth Plate branches Hai, Zi, Chou, and Yin, the Heaven Plate branches are Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen; on the Earth Plate branches Mao and Chen, the Heaven Plate branches are You and Xu. The heavenly generals are: Hai rides the Vermilion Bird, Zi rides the Teng Snake, Chou rides the Nobleman, Yin rides the Heavenly Empress, Mao rides Tai Yin, Chen rides the Black Tortoise, Si rides Tai Chang, Wu rides the White Tiger, Wei rides Tian Kong, Shen rides the Azure Dragon, You rides Gou Chen, and Xu rides Liu He. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia (lodging in the palace of Yin) with Shen, riding the Azure Dragon; the second lesson has Shen with Yin, riding the Heavenly Empress; the third lesson has the day branch Shen with Yin, riding the Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson has Yin with Shen, riding the Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are Yin-Shen-Yin: the initial and final Yin transmissions, which遁庚 as brothers, ride the Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission Shen Dun Jia as official ghost, rides the Azure Dragon.

郭御青曰：餘為陳留馬君惕中諱孔健占會場，初嫌其返吟，德祿受克，未敢深許。其胞弟本命在未，行年在申，貴人驛馬並值似勝於惕中。及榜放，獨惕中及第。後詳課情三傳，俱孟吉，應長者何須簾幕貴人也？

Guo Yuqing said: I cast a divination for Ma Ti Zhong (named Kong Jian) from Chenliu for the imperial examination. At first, I was reluctant to promise him a pass because the chart was a reverse rhyme, and the de shen and lu shen were being overcome. His younger brother's birth year was in Wei, and his age year was in Shen. The nobleman and the post-horse both occupied the upper position, which seemed to be more favorable than Ma Ti Zhong's. However, when the results were announced, it was only Ma Ti Zhong who passed. Later, upon re-examining the chart, the three transmissions, Yin, Shen, and Yin, all occupied the first position of the four beginnings and were auspicious. Therefore, it was naturally meant for the elder brother. Why must there be a curtain nobleman?

愚按：登科者，祿馬扶會。此課祿馬如此，且乘天后恩澤之神，青龍吉將相併，安得不中？獨無奈其相沖也，凡相沖者必須合。惕君之命在午，午與寅三合；午上見子，子與申三合。是以中也。若其弟命上見丑，行年上見寅，皆不會合，雖為貴人驛馬，何益之有？郭君以惕中命上子為本日福星，作騰蛇而臨午，為飛空進用卦爻應題，不必多求，此郭君事後之言，似是而非。餘故刪之。又吾郡吳稼雲先生曰：此返吟課幫年命吉者而不中，而中者反作年命不吉者也。此論太奇，附之。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: For a successful examination lesson, the official of fortune and the post-horse must be combined and supportive. In this case, the official of fortune and the post-horse are indeed combined, and further supported by the Heavenly Empress, a god of grace, and the Azure Dragon, a favorable general. How could he not succeed? The only regret is the conflict between寅 and申. Whenever there is a conflict, there must be a harmonizing element to resolve it. In this case, the native's own destiny is in午, and午 and寅 form a triple harmony; also,午 has子, and子 and申 form another triple harmony, so he succeeded. As for his younger brother, his own destiny is in丑, and his age is in寅, which do not form a triple harmony. Although there are the Nobleman and the Post-horse, they are of no use. Guo Jun also said that in this case, the子 on the native's destiny is the daily fortune star, and it is riding on the Teng Snake and approaching午, which is called 'flying empty and using it', and the hexagram and line correspond to the question, so there is no need to seek further. However, this is Guo Jun's later fabrication, which seems correct but is not. Therefore, I deleted it. Moreover, a gentleman from our county, Wu Jiayun, said that in this case, those with a favorable year and destiny did not succeed, while those who succeeded had an unfavorable year and destiny. This view is very strange, so I have recorded it here for reference.

戊申年五月甲申日申將丑時王知縣己未生（生於二月九日午時）五十歲占身位　　方本占案

In the year of Wushen, fifth lunar month, on the day of Jiashen, when the hour of Shen is added to Chou, County Magistrate Wang (born in the year of Jiwei, on the second lunar month, ninth day, at noon, aged fifty) divined his own position and official fortune. It is from the Fangshi edition of "Zhan'an."

空虎　龍子丑寅卯常　陳亥　辰玄　六常玄朱　財　丙戌　六　六戌　巳陰　戌卯辰酉　子　癸巳　陰　朱酉申未午后　卯申酉甲　父　戊子　龍　蛇貴

The Heaven Plate advances seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earthly Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate takes the positions of子,丑,寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥 in order. The Heavenly Generals corresponding to these positions are Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, Nobleman, Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, and Gou Chen. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is on 甲 (in the Lodging Palace of寅) with酉,乘 Vermilion Bird; the second lesson is on酉 with辰,乘 Black Tortoise; the third lesson is on the Day Branch申 with卯,乘 Tai Chang; the fourth lesson is on卯 with戌,乘 Liu He. The Three Transmissions are戌,巳,子: the first transmission is戌 with 丙, representing wife wealth,乘 Liu He; the middle transmission is巳 with癸, representing son and daughter,乘 Tai Yin; the final transmission is子 with戊, representing parents,乘 Azure Dragon.

邵彥和曰：日上破碎作鬼克身，主與陰人具訟，官但不明。來年八月，事起必相擾。干支羅網，不可受財，定被貶謫。更老陰人，因有一子不成器。用度不足，心常怏怏，但難開口。四月十一日，必進人口。來年己酉太歲，防謫為曹屬也。庚戌則大數莫逃矣。

Shao Yanhe said: If the day stem is afflicted by the "broken pieces" star and acts as an official ghost to attack the self, it indicates a lawsuit with a woman, and the official position is unclear. By next year's eighth month, the matter will arise and cause trouble. Both the day stem and day branch are trapped in the heavenly net and earthly trap, so one must not accept any property, otherwise certain demotion will follow. Additionally, there is an elderly woman who has an incompetent son and insufficient expenses, so she is often unhappy but cannot express it. On the eleventh day of the fourth lunar month, the family will certainly add a new member. In the year of Jiyou, one must beware of being demoted to a subordinate official. By the year of Gengxu, it will be a critical time that cannot be avoided.

王知縣次年受鄉紳徐知府長子錢五百緡，被知府恭人所揭，王被責勘。蓋徐長子為義子，與次子爭分家財。次子，徐親生子也。王受賄，判與長子，故至此。庚戌在任，不得意而終。

County Magistrate Wang received five hundred thousand cash from the eldest son of the gentry official Xu, who was the son of Governor Xu. He was later reported by Governor Xu's wife and investigated. Originally, the eldest son of the Xu family was an adopted son, and he was competing with the second son for the family's wealth. The second son was actually the biological son of Governor Xu. Magistrate Wang accepted the bribe and ruled the family wealth in favor of the eldest son, which led to his downfall. He was still in office during the year Gengxu and died in despair.

蓋陽曰：酉為陰官作雀，故本身有訟，官位不明。酉為兌，兌為澤，故因恩澤受財。初傳在日之前，甲克戌為財，卯與之合，又得六合，是暗受財。被追擾者，干支羅網不可脫也。己酉遭謫，是酉克甲也。酉加寅上，故曰曹屬。庚戌年死者，己加戌，用申未旬末，故閉口不能言也。庚戌行年在巳，本宮為子所克，巳又加戌入墓，故閉口而銕也。

Covering the explanation of the Yang interpretation: You is the official of Yin metal and is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, which governs speech and documents, so the person has legal disputes and unclear official status. You belongs to Dui in the Eight Trigrams, and Dui represents a marsh, so it is receiving money due to "favor and grace." The first transmission is Xu, which comes before the day branch. Jia wood overcomes Xu as wealth, and Mao combines with Xu, and is accompanied by Liu He, which is the image of receiving wealth secretly. Therefore, being pursued and troubled is because the day stem and day branch are trapped in a net and cannot escape. In the year Jiyou, he was demoted because You metal overcomes Jia wood. You is placed on寅, which is the lodging palace of Jia, so he was demoted to an official in the office of the Censor. In the year Gengxu, he died because Ji soil is placed on Xu, the useful god falls into the last part of the Sheng and Wei decades, which is the place of Kongwang, so he could not speak. In the year Gengxu, his year stem is in Si, and his native palace is overcome by Zi water, and Si is placed on Xu and enters the tomb, so he died in silence (the original text says "銕," which is likely a mistake for "毙").

又云：一老陰人，因子用度不足，心中常怏怏者，用王知縣有弟不才而窘，母深憐惜，王不垂顧，母常怏怏。蓋巳為閉口乘太陰，故老陰人怏怏不言也。巳下人者，甲以巳為子弟也。

It is also said that the phrase "a old woman is unhappy because her son's expenses are insufficient" refers to Wang County Magistrate having a brother who is unskilled and in a difficult situation. The mother feels very pity for him, but Wang County Magistrate refuses to support him, causing the mother to be often unhappy. This is because巳 is the "closed mouth" deity and is associated with Tai Yin. Tai Yin represents an old woman, so the old woman is unhappy but does not speak out. The person indicated by巳 is taken as the son's younger brother, based on the meaning of the relationship between Jia wood and巳, which signifies a younger relative.

崇正丁丑年四月乙酉日乙酉時，嘉興馮爾忠占六甲，重審、斬關、伏吟，午未空、午未落空。指南

In the fourth month of the Dingchou year of the Chongzhen era, on the Yiyou day and Yiyou hour, Feng Erzhong from Jiaxing cast the "Liu Jia" divination, which concerns pregnancy and childbirth. The lesson pattern is Rezhen, Zhanguan, and Fuyin. In the Jiashen decade, the noon and wei hours are considered empty. The hour of the divination, which is wei, also falls into the empty position. This comes from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan".

朱蛇　六巳午未申貴　后后勾勾　財　壬辰　勾　勾辰　酉后　酉酉辰辰　鬼　乙酉　后　青卯　戌陰　酉酉辰乙　兄　辛卯　青　空寅丑子亥玄　虎常

This chart shows the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate in the same position, forming a 'Hidden Chant' lesson: the Earth Plate's position of Si remains the same as the Heaven Plate's Si, Wu remains Wu, Wei remains Wei, Shen remains Shen, and the remaining twelve positions show no movement. The heavenly generals governing each position are: Si is governed by Liu He, Wu by Vermilion Bird, Wei by Teng Snake, Shen by Nobleman, You by Heavenly Empress, Xu by Tai Yin, Hai by Black Tortoise, Zi by Tai Chang, Chou by White Tiger, Yin by Tian Kong, Mao by Azure Dragon, and Chen by Gou Chen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace in Chen) and sees Chen, governed by Gou Chen; the second lesson has Chen and sees Chen, governed by Gou Chen; the third lesson has the day branch You and sees You, governed by Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson has You and sees You, governed by Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are Chen, You, and Mao: the first transmission, Chen with the hidden壬 (Ren), represents wife wealth, governed by Gou Chen; the middle transmission, You with the hidden乙 (Yi), represents official ghosts, governed by Heavenly Empress; the final transmission, Mao with the hidden辛 (Xin), represents siblings, governed by Azure Dragon.

陳公獻曰：產必雙胎，一男一女，然男必生，女必死。何也？酉為日之胎鬼死氣，偏房婢室之孕不言矣。但末傳卯作支之胎神生氣，中傳酉兌為少陰，末傳卯震為長男；其男子生者，胎財生氣也；女子死者，作死氣日鬼也。

Chen Gongxian said: This pregnancy will certainly result in twins, one boy and one girl, but the boy will survive while the girl will die young. Why? The酉 (You) is the fetal god of the 乙 (Yi) day, and it is also the official ghost and belongs to death qi, which indicates a pregnancy by a concubine. This point does not need further explanation. The final transmission卯 (Mao) is the fetal god of the day branch and belongs to life qi; the middle transmission酉 (You), in the eight trigrams, is Dui (Lake), representing a young girl, while the final transmission卯 (Mao), in the eight trigrams, is Zhen (Thunder), representing the eldest son. The boy can be born because the fetal god of the final transmission is riding on life qi; the girl dies young because the middle transmission is death qi and also the day ghost.

建炎己酉年閏八月乙酉日辰將卯時祝秀才壬辰生三十八歲占訟　　　方本占案　　張本占案

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, on the闰 August day Yiyou, at the time when the Dragon (Chen) was added to the Rabbit (Mao), Zhu Xiucai, born in the year Renchen and aged thirty-eight, consulted about legal matters. This entry is found in both the Fang family edition and the Zhang family edition of the "Zhan'an."

虎常　空午未申酉玄　龍巳　戌陰　后陰空龍　父　丁亥　后　陳辰　亥后　亥戌午巳　父　戊子　貴　六卯寅丑子貴　戌酉巳乙　財　己丑　蛇　朱蛇

The Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate respectively occupies午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰,巳. The corresponding Heavenly Generals are Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Tian Hou, Gui Ren, Teng Sha, Zhu Qu, Liu He, Gou Chen, and Qing Long. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Yi (with its lodging palace in Chen) with巳, accompanied by Qing Long; the second lesson is巳 with午, accompanied by Tian Kong; the third lesson is on the Day Branch酉 with戌, accompanied by Tai Yin; the fourth lesson is戌 with亥, accompanied by Tian Hou. The Three Transmissions are亥,子,丑: the first transmission is亥 with the hidden character Ding, representing parents, accompanied by Tian Hou; the middle transmission is子 with the hidden character Wu, representing parents, accompanied by Gui Ren; the final transmission is丑 with the hidden character Ji, representing wife and wealth, accompanied by Teng Sha. The sequence of亥,子,丑 is connected in succession, forming the "Lian Ru Lesson."

邵彥和曰：主子偷物，出外賣之，陰人乘勢爭財，少女從而應之，迤裡閒氣成訟。蓋因連茹課，故遂連綿起事，卻幸我之行年自前截住，終為我所遏。何也？自酉支上見戌，連接戌亥子丑，卯為行年，加寅截住，此名挫鋒，眾議俱解，但前進俱解，畏怕則被攻不止矣。祝有子將公眾之物偷賣，其嫂與其弟之女說之，遂經官具訟。祝秀才凂公人陳姓者調停，其事遂息。

Shao Yanhe said: The main issue is that the son in the family stole something and took it outside to sell. A woman took advantage of the situation to claim the property, and a young girl joined in from the side, causing a disturbance and eventually leading to a lawsuit. Because it is the "Lian Ru" divination, the matters follow one after another. Fortunately, the person who cast the divination had their year of birth in front, which stopped the matter, and finally my side was able to prevent it. Why? From the day branch酉, starting with戌, the sequence continues through戌,亥,子,丑. The year of birth is卯, placed on寅, which cuts off the sequence, called "cuofeng." When people start to discuss, the matter is resolved. However, one must take a step forward to resolve it. If one is timid, the matter will continue to be attacked. Later, Zhu Xiucai indeed had a son who stole public property and sold it. His嫂子 and his nephew's daughter encouraged the matter, and it was reported to the authorities. Zhu Xiucai asked a public official named Chen to mediate, and the matter was finally settled.

順治乙酉年五月乙酉日申將辰時占出師　　　指南

In the Yiyou year of the Shunzhi era, on the Yiyou day of the fifth lunar month, the Shen general was added to the Chen hour, and the divination was made about military campaigns. It is from the "Six壬 Guide."

朱蛇　六酉戌亥子貴　虎后貴勾　官　甲申　勾　勾申　丑后　巳丑子申　父　戊子　貴　龍未　寅陰　丑酉申乙　財　壬辰　常　空午巳辰卯玄　虎常

The Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate positions are酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未,申 respectively. The heavenly generals accompanying these positions are respectively:Liu He,Vermilion Bird,Teng Snake,Nobleman,Heavenly Empress,Tai Yin,Black Tortoise,Tai Chang,White Tiger,Tian Kong,Azure Dragon,Gou Chen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is乙 (with its lodging palace in辰) with 申, accompanied by Gou Chen; the second lesson is申 with 子, accompanied by Nobleman; the third lesson is on the day branch酉 with丑, accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson is on丑 with巳, accompanied by White Tiger. The three transmissions are申,子,辰: the first transmission 申, with Dun Jia as官鬼, accompanied by Gou Chen; the middle transmission 子, with遁戊 as父母, accompanied by Nobleman; the final transmission 辰, with遁壬 as妻财, accompanied by Tai Chang. The combination of申,子,辰 forms the triple harmony of water, known as '润下'.

陳公獻曰：乙酉五月初四日，予避難福緣庵同盟副帥予避難於福終庵，同盟副師楊九苞督舟師隨徵時，修書差官相召同事，予因幼兒隨身固辭，乃占一課寄之，元首、九丑、潤下，午未空、戌亥落空。南都定然歸順，放心前行，但防東南有兵變之虞。蓋因末傳旺相，財爻生合初傳官貴，且結水局生日，又合中無煞，是為主者必歸順而貢降也。且干支休囚，則旺氣在內，其城不可拔，亦無屠戮之慘，辰陰見太乙白虎建旺合克酉支，因而提防東南兵變也。後果如所占。

Chen Gongxian said: On the fourth day of the fifth lunar month in the Yiyou year, I took refuge in Fuyuan Temple (the original text repeats this sentence, also written as "I took refuge in Fuzhong Temple," indicating a copying error). The deputy commander of the allied forces, Yang Jiubao, led the naval forces and sent a letter to summon me to join him. Because I was accompanied by a young child, I refused to go, and therefore cast a divination for him. The lesson pattern is Yuan Shou, Ji Chou, Runxia, with the旬空 in Wu and Wei. The time of divination was in Xu and Hai, which were empty. The interpretation said: Nanjing will certainly submit, so be at ease and proceed, but be cautious of military disturbances in the southeast. This interpretation was based on the fact that the final transmission, Chen, was prosperous and strong, the wealth hexagram generated and harmonized with the initial transmission's official ghost and noble deity, and the three transmissions formed a water pattern to generate the day stem. There were no Inauspicious Sha in the combination, so the party in question would certainly submit. Moreover, the day stem and day branch were weak and confined, while the prosperous energy was within the city, so the city could not be attacked forcefully, and there would be no massacre. The Yin spirit on Chen was seen with Taiyi and Baihu, which were strong and combined to overcome the day branch You, so one should be cautious of military disturbances in the southeast. Later events proved the divination correct.

庚寅四月乙酉辛巳時，彎子街二人來占子逃看何方找尋、何日得見，元首、九丑、潤下。指南

In the year Gengyin, fourth month, day Yiyou, hour Xinsi, two people came from Wanzizi Street to consult about their son who had run away, asking which direction to search and on which day they could see him again. The lesson pattern is Yuan Shou, Jiuchou, Runxia. It is from the Six Rats Guide.

朱蛇　六酉戌亥子貴　虎后貴勾　官　甲申　勾　勾申　丑后　巳丑子申　父　戊子　貴　龍未　寅陰　丑酉申乙　財　壬辰　常　空午巳辰卯玄　虎常

The lesson board is the same as the previous case: the Heaven Plate moves forward four positions, and the Earth Plate follows the Heaven Plate's酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申 in order from巳 to 辰. The Heavenly Generals are in sequence:六合, 朱雀, 螣蛇, 贵人, 天后, 太阴, 玄武, 太常, 白虎, 天空, 青龙, 勾陈. The four lessons are:乙 on 申 (勾陈), 申 on 子 (贵人), the day branch 酉 on 丑 (天后), and 丑 on 巳 (白虎). The three transmissions are:申 (official ghost, 勾陈), 子 (parents, 贵人), 辰 (wife's wealth, Tai Chang), forming the water trinity of 申, 子, 辰.

陳公獻曰：此子逃於西南四十八里親戚之家，其家近水樓房，門前有羊二隻，柳數株，爾子與金山僧往來，尋之丙丁日可見。蓋申為金，加辰為山又水局圍繞，豈非金山乎？玄卯居亥即近水樓房，亥支居未，上下相乘，即西南四十八里；玄陰未加卯，門內有鬼柳二宿，故言門前有羊有柳。後四日，其子方自金山回，於所云處見之。

Chen Gongxian said: This child has fled to the home of a relative forty-eight miles southwest, where the house is by the water and is a two-story building, with two sheep and several willow trees in front of the door. Your son has had contact with the monks at Jinshan Temple, and he can be found on the third and fourth days, which are Bing and Ding days. The reasoning is as follows: Shen belongs to metal, placed on Chen, which represents a mountain, and surrounded by water, which is exactly 'Jinshan' (Gold Mountain). The Black Tortoise is at卯 and resides at亥, which is water, so it is a two-story building by the water. The original branch of亥 falls on Wei, and the upper and lower positions multiply, with Wei in the southwest, and the number matches forty-eight, so it is forty-eight miles southwest. The Black Tortoise and Tai Yin are at Wei, which is added to卯, and among the twenty-eight constellations there are Ghost Mansion (hosting sheep) and Willow Mansion, so there are sheep and willows in front of the door. Four days later, your son returned from Jinshan, and he was found at that place.

建炎戊申年五月乙酉日申將卯時馮修職己卯生（八月十八日辰時）占家宅　　方本占案

In the fifth month of the year Wushen of the Jianyan era, on the day Yiyou, at the time of the rat hour, Feng Xiu Zhi, born in the year Jimao on the eighteenth day of the eighth lunar month at the hour of the dragon, divined the household fortune. This is from the Fangshi edition of the "Zhan An."

蛇貴　朱戌亥子丑后　青陰陰六　財　乙未　龍　六酉　寅陰　未寅寅酉　印　戊子　貴　勾申　卯玄　寅酉酉乙　子　癸巳　虎　龍未午巳辰常　空虎

The Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earthly Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate takes the positions of戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未,申,酉 respectively. The Heavenly Generals corresponding to these positions are Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, and Liu He. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Yi (with its lodging palace in Chen) with the position of You, accompanied by Liu He; the second lesson is You with the position of Yin, accompanied by Tai Yin; the third lesson is the Day Branch You with the position of Yin, accompanied by Tai Yin; the fourth lesson is Yin with the position of Wei, accompanied by Azure Dragon. The Three Transmissions are 未, 子, 巳: the first transmission is 未 with the hidden Yi, representing wife's wealth, accompanied by Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is 子 with the hidden Wu, representing parents, accompanied by Nobleman; the final transmission is 巳 with the hidden Ji, representing children, accompanied by White Tiger.

邵彥和曰：此課支來加干，名上門亂首，又用神當囚死，斗罡擊日，本課名天獄，不有大服則有大禍。支神犯日，酉為婢妾，恐婢妾死亡為累，初中兩傳，貴人六害，行年又在其上，乙日以子為父母，主先遷橫擾，次值凶喪，又防失火。

Shao Yanhe said: In this lesson, the day branch is added to the day stem, which is called "upward confusion of the head"; the useful god is in a state of imprisonment or death, and the star of the hour (chen) attacks the day branch, making the lesson named "heavenly prison." This is either a heavy death or a great calamity. The god of the day branch conflicts with the day stem, and you (酉) is associated with servants and concubines, so there is likely to be trouble due to the death of a servant or concubine. The first transmission and the middle transmission are afflicted by the nobleman and the six harmful influences, and the year of birth is directly on top of it. For a day of yi, the water of zi is the parent, so there will first be unexpected disturbances, followed by misfortune and death, and also a need to beware of fire disasters.

時為主簿，五月初二日占課，六月十七日婢子爭寵，因責之，遂自縊。縣尉與主簿不足，依法看驗申州，被拘在能仁寺；將近一月，母亡，遂得丁憂而去；又兩月，母之妹又歿，此乃媽之姨母，供養在家者也，未葬而廚下火發，延燒將及堂而滅。蓋支辰犯日，乃下犯上也。酉為婢，六合為人口。五月火鬼在酉，故婢橫死。酉金克乙木，故為所累。貴人六害，所以被拘。又未為眷屬，上見子為父母，即受土克又受未害，行年加之重克重害，所以母亡。五月以巳為月病符，作末傳乘虎加母之本宮歸喪於家也。大凡火鬼克人，不是一個可當，六合為棺木，卯神亦是，所以一年之內連見三人歿也。

At that time, Feng Xiu zhi was serving as the chief clerk. On the second day of the fifth lunar month, he cast a divination. On the seventeenth day of the sixth lunar month, a servant girl was beaten for competing for favor and then committed suicide by hanging. The county police chief and the chief clerk had long been at odds. According to law, the body was examined and reported to the prefecture. Feng was detained at Nengren Temple. Nearly a month later, his mother died, so he resigned from his post to mourn her. Two months later, his mother's sister also died—she was his mother's maternal aunt, who had been living at home. Before the body was buried, a fire broke out in the kitchen, spreading rapidly and almost reaching the main hall before it was extinguished. Therefore, the divination concluded: the day branch conflicts with the day stem, indicating a case of subordination. The酉 (You) represents servants, and the Liu He (Liu He) represents people's mouths. The fire ghost of the fifth month falls on酉 (You), so the servant girl died suddenly. The metal of酉 (You) overcomes the wood of乙 (Yi), so she was involved in the case. The nobleman (贵人) is in a six-harm relationship, so he was detained. Furthermore, the未 (Wei) represents relatives, and the未 (Wei) is not seen with子 (Zi), which represents parents. The子 (Zi) is overcome by the earth and also harmed by the未 (Wei). The year stem is added on top, resulting in double overcoming and double harm, so the mother died. In the fifth month, the巳 (Si) is the month's disease symbol (病符), and the巳 (Si) is the final transmission (末传) with the white tiger (白虎) on it, placed on the mother's native palace, so the funeral affairs returned to the family. Generally, when the fire ghost overcomes people, it affects more than one person. The Liu He (Liu He) represents a coffin, and the卯 (Mao) god also symbolizes a coffin, so three people died within a year.

五月乙酉日酉將辰時史某占謁僧見否。　　　　方本占案

On the Yiyou day of the fifth month, with the You general added to the Chen hour, Shi Mou divined whether he could meet a monk. It is from the Fangshi edition of "Zhan An."

蛇貴　朱戌亥子丑后　青陰陰六　財　乙未　龍　六酉　寅陰　未寅寅酉　印　戊子　貴　勾申　卯玄　寅酉酉乙　子　癸巳　虎　龍未午巳辰常　空虎

The lesson board is the same as the previous case: the Heaven Plate moves forward five positions, and the Earth Plate starts from Si and proceeds in order to Chen, taking the Heaven Plate positions Wu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You. The Heavenly Generals are in sequence: Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He. The Four Lessons are: Yi (lodging in Chen) on You with Liu He, You on Yin with Tai Yin, the Day Branch You on Yin with Tai Yin, Yin on Wei with Azure Dragon. The Three Transmissions are Wei (wife's wealth, Azure Dragon) - Zi (official seal, Nobleman) - Si (son's fortune, White Tiger).

邵彥和曰：和尚出門撞見，要回寺，又有一貴人來訪，僧設款待。吾兄不得豫也。史某至寺門相見，待欲留茶，俄有侍□來，僧便設席，史不豫宴而回。蓋發用空亡，傳入貴人，為日三合，故有貴人來。未為酒食，原為此貴設也。酉來合乙，得合，故主寺門相見。酉為酒，剋日，未為酒、龍為宴，又作空亡，雖有酒宴，我不得豫也。

Shao Yanhe said: When the monk was leaving the temple, he would meet someone, intending to return to the temple; there was also a nobleman visiting, and the monk intended to set a banquet for him, but you, my elder brother, would not be able to sit at the banquet. Later, Shi Mou met the monk at the temple gate, and the monk wanted to invite him for tea. Suddenly a servant came, and the monk set a banquet, but Shi Mou left without being able to sit. The reasoning behind this divination is: the initiating transmission falls on the empty position, and among the three transmissions there is a nobleman who forms a triple harmony with the day stem, so the nobleman comes. The position of 'Wei' is associated with food and drink, which was originally set for this nobleman. 'You' comes to form a harmonious relationship with 'Yi', so the meeting takes place at the temple gate. 'You' represents wine and overcomes the day stem, 'Wei' represents food and drink, and 'Qinglong' represents a banquet. However, it also falls on the empty position, so although there is a banquet, I cannot partake in it.

辛巳正月乙酉癸未時，程翔雲在新安，見雪寒極甚，途中凍餒甚多，因有感而占。指南

In the year Xinsi, first lunar month, on the day Yiyou, at the hour Guiwei, Cheng Xiangyun was in Xin'an, observing the cold weather and heavy snow, with many people on the road suffering from frost and hunger. Moved by this, he cast a divination lesson. It is cited from the "Six Rats Guide."

蛇貴　朱戌亥子丑后　青陰陰六　財　乙未　龍　六酉　寅陰　未寅寅酉　印　戊子　貴　勾申　卯玄　寅酉酉乙　子　癸巳　虎　龍未午巳辰常　空虎

The lesson board is the same as the previous two cases. The Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions of Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, the Heaven Plate positions are Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You respectively. The heavenly generals on these positions are Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, and Liu He in order. The four lessons: on the position of Yi (with its lodging palace at Chen) there is You, which is covered by Liu He; on You there is Yin, covered by Tai Yin; on the day branch You there is Yin, covered by Tai Yin; on Yin there is Wei, covered by Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are Wei (wife wealth, Azure Dragon) - Zi (official seal, Nobleman) - Si (son, White Tiger).

陳公獻曰：今歲天氣亢旱，風大雨少，田禾欠熟，且有疫癘死亡之患。蓋因初中風伯會箕，神后空陷，末傳虎乘遁鬼。又因未為田園，自四課發用，即田莊交界，子屬稻穀亦空，故知田禾欠熟，又天鬼支來克干，此為上門亂首，種種凶象，而況劫煞入辰，三傳遞克，全無和氣，凶荒之征也。後果如占。

Chen Gongxian said: This year the weather is extremely dry and hot, with much wind and little rain, leading to poor harvests and the outbreak of plague and deaths. This is because the first and middle transmissions are associated with the Wind God and the Wind Mansion Ji Xiu, and Shenhou (Zi) is in an empty and lost position. The final transmission is occupied by the White Tiger and thus has a ghostly trigram. Moreover, the sixth earthly branch represents farmland, and the initiating transmission comes from the fourth lesson, indicating the boundary between farmland and fields. Zi, which represents rice, is in an empty and lost position, so it is known that the crops will be poor. Also, the heavenly ghost comes from the day branch to attack the day stem, which is called "upward attack on the head." All these ominous signs, combined with Jiesha entering the position of Chen, and the three transmissions successively attacking each other with no harmony, clearly indicate the signs of a bad year with famine. Later, it indeed came true as predicted.

丙子二月乙酉日辛巳時，淮陽巡撫諱振纓浙湖吳公祖，因賊焚鳳靈被逮，刑部已定重闢索占，涉害、天獄，午未空、亥子落空。　　指南

In the year Bingzi, second lunar month, day Yiyou, hour Xinsi, Wu Zhenying, a governor of Huaiyang and native of Zhejiang's Huzhou, was arrested for the destruction of the Fengyang imperial tombs by bandits. The Ministry of Justice had already sentenced him to death. He asked for a divination. The lesson pattern involved harm and heaven's prison, with the ten-day hollow in the hours of Wu and Wei. The hours of Hai and Zi were also empty. This comes from the "Six Yin Guide."

蛇貴　朱戌亥子丑后　青陰陰六　財　乙未　龍　六酉　寅陰　未寅寅酉　印　戊子　貴　勾申　卯玄　寅酉酉乙　子　癸巳　虎　龍未午巳辰常　空虎

The lesson board remains the same as before: the Heaven Plate moves forward five positions, and the Earth Plate starts from Si and proceeds in order to Chen, taking over the Heaven Plate positions of Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You. The Heavenly Generals in sequence are Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, and Liu He. The four lessons are: Yi on You with Liu He, You on Yin with Tai Yin, Day Branch You on Yin with Tai Yin, and Yin on Wei with Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are: Wei (wife's wealth, Azure Dragon) - Zi (official seal, Nobleman) - Si (son's fortune, White Tiger).

陳公獻曰：目今必遇赦，在六月便有出獄之徵。蓋因皇恩臨干，天赦居支，又中傳太歲作貴人生日，罪雖至重，亦能轉凶為吉。但嫌戌臨孟位，又為本命，謫戍未能免。後曹大司禮奉命熱審，開豁謫戍。

Chen Gongxian said: There is certainly a pardon at present, and there is a sign of release by June. Because the god of imperial grace is present on the day stem, and the god of heavenly pardon is located on the day branch; the middle transmission's son is also the current heavenly official, who comes to birth the day stem with the nobleman's assistance. Although the crime is severe, it can turn from misfortune to good fortune. The only concern is that the戌 is located in the first position, and戌 is also his own destiny, so the punishment of military exile cannot be avoided. Later, Cao Da Sili was entrusted with the hot examination and released him, reducing his punishment to exile.

庚寅五月乙酉日戊寅時，庠友劉二兄占風水吉凶，亂首涉害、不備，午未空、亥子落空。指南

In the year Gengyin, fifth lunar month, on the day Yiyou, at the hour Wuyin, a classmate named Liu Er asked about the auspiciousness of a burial site. The lesson pattern is disordered beginning, involving harm, and incomplete. The旬空 is in the hours of Wu and Wei. The hours of Hai and Zi are empty. This comes from the "Six Yin Guide."

蛇貴　朱戌亥子丑后　青陰陰六　財　乙未　龍　六酉　寅陰　未寅寅酉　印　戊子　貴　勾申　卯玄　寅酉酉乙　子　癸巳　虎　龍未午巳辰常　空虎

The lesson plate is the same as before: the Heaven Plate moves forward five positions, and the Earth Plate starts from Si and proceeds in order to Chen, taking up the positions of the Heaven Plate's Wu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You. The Heavenly Generals are in sequence: Zhu Que, Teng Snake, Guiren, Tianhou, Taiyin, Xuanwu, Taichang, Baihu, Tiankong, Qinglong, Gouchen, and Liuhe. The four lessons are: Yi on You (Liuhe), You on Yin (Taiyin), Day Branch You on Yin (Taiyin), and Yin on Wei (Qinglong). The three transmissions are: Wei (Wife's Wealth, Qinglong) - Zi (Imperial Seal, Guiren) - Si (Son's Offspring, Baihu). The following interpretation of风水 is based on the imagery of the deities and generals on this plate.

斷曰：此風水在西山，無真龍正穴。然不備之中亦有好處。何以論之？玄武為風水，臨卯加戌是西北山崗也。未為夾龍，雖空乘進氣。蛇為穴，加亥落空，喜乘旬丁長生，主穴活潑有情。然美中不足，亦有可取：喜貴人左旋，逆水之局。四課下寅之對沖為對案、是申，理合艮山坤向，兼丑未分金也。勾陳主明堂，陰陽二將見財官幕貴；朱雀河魁建丙臨巳，是對案山出文明富貴，利於中房也。

The judgment says: This site's fengshui is located in the western mountains, without a true dragon and proper burial site; however, among the deficiencies there are still benefits. Why is this so? The Black Tortoise governs fengshui, and the Black Tortoise is at卯 (Mao) and added to戌 (Xu), indicating a mountain ridge in the northwest. 未 (Wei) is the god of the flanking dragon, although it falls into the empty position, it is riding on the incoming energy. The Teng Snake is the burial site, located at亥 (Hai) and falling into the empty position, but it is fortunate that it is riding on the spirit of the current ten thousand days, which is the spirit of Ding, and this spirit is in the state of growth, indicating a lively and harmonious burial site. Although it is not perfect, there are still merits: it is pleasing that the Nobleman rotates to the left, forming an inverse water pattern. The god of the fourth lesson is at寅 (Yin), and its opposite is申 (Shen), which perfectly matches the mountain facing the direction of the earth, with the division of gold at丑 (Chou) and未 (Wei). Gou Chen governs the bright hall, with both the yin and yang spirits showing wealth signs, official signs, and curtain nobleman; the Vermilion Bird is riding on Hekui (Xu), which is the spirit of Bing, and is located at巳 (Si), indicating the mountain in front producing cultural prosperity and wealth, which is beneficial for the middle branch.

但嫌子爻空戰，定艱於子息。酉為日之胎神，陰見寅木生巳火子爻，辰年十一月酉日主婢妾有妊，連生兩兒。因巳為雙義故也。但玄武（卯）建辛，主墳邊小路克比肩，與兄弟宮有礙；況龍虎空戰，長季房分人財不旺。後陰為水口，蛇作羅城，喜與緊關包固，但初中兩傳財貴逢空，一二代虛利虛名。末傳子爻為支之長生學堂，陰神河魁乃文明之宿，三代中房長房子孫，必出青衿科甲之貴。又兼武權之職，存此一案，以俟後學依而斷之。

The problem lies in the fact that the son's hexagram is empty and subject to being overcome, indicating difficulties in having children. The酉 position is the fetal deity of an 乙 day, and its hidden deity is able to generate巳 fire son's hexagram through寅 wood, so on a酉 day in the year of 辰 during the 11th lunar month, the master's servant wife becomes pregnant and gives birth to two sons—because巳 has the meaning of being paired. However, the Black Tortoise (located at the卯 position) evades the 辛 heavenly stem, indicating a small path by the tomb that harms the siblings, causing obstacles in the brothers' hexagram; moreover, both the Azure Dragon and White Tiger fall empty and are overcome, so the descendants and wealth of the eldest and youngest branches are not flourishing. The positions of Heavenly Empress and Tai Yin are water mouths, with Teng Snake forming a walled city, which is favorable as it provides tight enclosure and protection; however, the first and middle transmissions' wealth hexagrams and noble spirits all meet emptiness, so the first couple of generations will only gain empty profits and empty fame. The final transmission's son's hexagram is the long life of the day's branch and also the academy, and its hidden deity Hekui (戌) is a star mansion associated with civilization, so in the third generation, the middle branch and eldest branch's descendants will certainly produce scholars and even high-ranking officials in the imperial examination system, and also possess military power and authority. Leave this case for future students to use for deduction.

壬子五月丙戌日己丑時，予住淮安都府前，有江陰六壬袁友，為宿遷陸庠友諱奪翼者占考試。　　　　指南

In the year Renzi, fifth lunar month, on the day Bingxu, at the hour Jichou, I was staying in front of the Huai'an Military Governor's Office. There was a friend named Yuan from Jiangyin, who was skilled in the Six Changes (Liu Ning), who cast a divination for Lu Xiangyou from Suzhou, whose name was Du Yi. This comes from the "Six Changes Guide."

朱六　蛇子丑寅卯勾　蛇空常蛇　鬼　戊子　蛇　貴亥　辰龍　子巳未子　兄　乙未　常　后戌　巳空　巳戌子丙　父　庚寅　六　陰酉申未午虎　玄常

The Heaven Plate advances seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earthly Branches of Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, and Chen, the Heaven Plate takes the positions of Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai respectively. The heavenly generals accompanying these positions are Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Tian Hou, and Guiren. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Bing (lodging palace in Si) with Zi, accompanied by Teng Snake; the second lesson has Zi with Wei, accompanied by Tai Chang; the third lesson has the day branch Xu with Si, accompanied by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson has Si with Zi, accompanied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions are Zi, Wei, and Yin: the first transmission Zi hides Wu as official ghost, accompanied by Teng Snake; the second transmission Wei is accompanied by Tai Chang, the original six relations mark it as 'brother', but for Bing day, Wei earth is considered as son and grandson, and since Wei is in the Jiashen unit which is empty, the hidden stem 'Yi' has no corresponding position; the third transmission Yin hides Geng as parents, accompanied by Liu He.

斷曰：院試必取，科舉省試未能遂志。問曰：史撫臺已升鳳督去否？余曰：必不能去。蓋因驛馬坐墓（寅為馬臨未），干神歸支（不惟歸支，且為支所墓，為在家不動之象），靜象也。

The interpretation says: The county examination will certainly be passed, but as for the provincial and metropolitan examinations, one cannot be satisfied. The person then asked: Has the governor of history already been promoted to the governor-general of Fengyang and left? I said: He certainly cannot leave. Because the post-horse is sitting on the tomb (Yin is the post-horse, but it is located on Wei), and the day stem's spirit returns to the day branch (not only returning to the branch, but also being buried by the day branch, which is the image of staying at home and not moving). This is an image of being quiet and unmoving.

又問女病，余曰：胎鬼發用，血忌加支（血忌者，正月丑二未三寅四申五卯六酉，五月應在卯；血支者正月自丑順行，五月在巳，此血忌乃血支之誤也。），又四課不備，病主脈息虛弱，心胸不利，以致失血，必因胎產所致，冬月不保。

Another inquiry about a woman's illness. I said: The fetal spirit and the official ghost are both initiating transmission, and the blood taboo is added to the day branch. (Note: Blood taboo is in the ox (丑) in the first month, in the goat (未) in the second month, in the rat (寅) in the third month, in the monkey (申) in the fourth month, in the rabbit (卯) in the fifth month, and in the rooster (酉) in the sixth month. In the fifth month, it should be in the rabbit (卯). The blood branch, however, starts from the ox (丑) in the first month and proceeds in order, so in the fifth month it is in the snake (巳). The blood taboo mentioned here is actually a mistake for blood branch.) Additionally, the four lessons are incomplete. The symptoms are weak pulse and breath, discomfort in the chest, leading to blood loss, which must be caused by pregnancy and childbirth, and she will certainly not survive until winter.

又問：宿遷邊合戰，安堵否？余曰：賊符加干支，冬月必有兵警，然日之陰陽自戰，中傳制初，來兵敗怯而退。干神生支，居守保固，無破城之患（此又不以日祿臨支徒妄作論）。後四事皆驗。

Another question was asked: With warfare occurring in the area around Suzhou, can the region remain peaceful? I said: The enemy's symbol is added to the day stem and day branch, and there will certainly be military disturbances in December. However, the yin and yang spirits of the day stem contend with each other, and the middle transmission restrains the first transmission, so the attacking forces will be timid and retreat. The spirit of the day stem generates the day branch, indicating a firm defense and no risk of the city being captured (here, we should not rashly conclude merely because the day's luck is present in the branch). Later, these four events all came true.

崇正丁丑年二月十六再三日亥將辰時臨晉姚君昌祚暨□姪在朝占會試。郭氏占案

In the Dingchou year of the Chongzhen era, on the sixteenth day of the second lunar month (the original text reads 'sixteenth day of the second lunar month again and again', with some errors and omissions in the text), at the time of the亥 (Hai) hour added to the辰 (Chen) hour, Yao Changzuo, a gentleman from Linyi, and his nephew (the original text lacks one character here, the nephew's name is 'Zaichao') both divined for the imperial examination. This is from Guo Yuting's "Divination Cases."

朱六　蛇子丑寅卯勾　蛇空常蛇　鬼　戊子　蛇　貴亥　辰龍　子巳未子　兄　乙未　常　后戌　巳空　巳戌子丙　父　庚寅　六　陰酉申未午虎　玄常

The lesson board is the same as the previous case: the Heaven Plate moves forward seven positions, and the Earth Plate starts from Si and proceeds in order to Chen, taking the Heaven Plate positions Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai. The Heavenly Generals follow in order: Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, Nobleman. The Four Lessons are: Bing (lodging in Si) over Zi with Teng Snake, Zi over Wei with Tai Chang, the Day Branch Wu over Si with Tian Kong, and Si over Zi with Teng Snake. The Three Transmissions are Zi (official ghost, Teng Snake) - Wei (originally marked as 'younger brother', but for Bing day it is actually 'son' with Tai Chang, and falls in the旬空) - Yin (parents, Liu He).

郭御青曰：此課兩人占，中末空為兩空矣。末克中，中克初，初克干又乘騰蛇，課名殃咎。大姚君命上乘貴人，入墓克雀不美。行年乘白虎作刃。小姚君命在未，但學堂入墓，皆不敢許。放榜果不中。

Guo Yuqing said: This divination was for two people. Both the middle transmission and the final transmission fell into emptiness, forming two layers of emptiness. The final transmission overcame the middle transmission, the middle transmission overcame the first transmission, and the first transmission overcame the day stem while riding on the Teng Snake. The name of the divination is "Yangjiao." Da Yao's personal destiny was riding on the Nobleman but entered the tomb and overcame the Vermilion Bird, which is not a favorable sign. His year of birth was riding on the White Tiger and formed the Yangren. Xiao Yao's personal destiny was in Wei, with the School of Learning also entering the tomb. Both dared not promise success. After the results were announced, indeed neither passed the examination.

建炎己酉年閏八月丙戌日辰將酉時王四官戊寅年生三十歲占差遣。　　一針見血

In the leap August of the Jiyou year of the Jianyan era, on the Bingxu day, at the time of You when Chen jiang added to You, Wang Si guan, born in the Wuyin year and thirty years old, consulted about seeking an official post. It is from "Liu Ren Yi Zhen Jian Xue."

合勾龍空　子丑寅卯　合常陰合　鬼　戊子　合　朱亥　辰虎　子巳未子　子　◎未　陰　蛇戌　巳常　巳戌子丙　父　庚寅　龍　酉申未午　貴后陰玄

Heaven Plate advances seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The Heaven Plate is the same as the first two cases, but with different Heavenly Generals: on the Earth Plate's巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, the Heaven Plate respectively occupies 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥. The Heavenly Generals accompanying them are respectively Liu He, Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Tian Hou, Gui Ren, Teng She, and Zhu Que. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丙 (with its lodging palace at巳) with 子, accompanied by Liu He; the second lesson is 子 with 未, accompanied by Tai Yin; the third lesson is the day branch 戌 with 巳, accompanied by Tai Chang; the fourth lesson is 巳 with 子, accompanied by Liu He. The three transmissions are 子—未—寅: the first transmission is 子, which遁戊 (evades 戊) as an official ghost, accompanied by Liu He; the second transmission is 未, which falls into an empty position in the Jiashen cycle, so it is recorded as 「◎未」, representing a son's branch, accompanied by Tai Yin; the third transmission is 寅, which遁庚 (evades 庚) as a parent's branch, accompanied by Qing Long.

邵彥和曰：日來加辰，人向入宅，豈能快利？但日上子作六合，主得子之喜。中傳又有六害，喜而又害，是虛喜也。此課緣無頭不下在，遂有阻滯。祿隨身入宅，且宜食祿。中末入空亡，乃父母入空，父母者，恩人□主也。食祿之地更空亡，其事休矣。如要功名需再修學。尚有高中之理。王丈只欲甚時討差遣。先生只以可得子，不可望差遣之說告之。王丈笑而不信。

Shao Yanhe said: The god of the day stem is added to the day branch, and people are going into the house, how can it be smooth? But the son of the day stem is riding on Liu He, indicating the joy of having a son; the middle transmission has six harms, joy mixed with harm, which is empty joy. This divination is "no head, no downward movement," so there is obstruction. The禄神 follows the person into the house, only suitable for enjoying the current salary. The middle and final transmissions both fall into Kongwang, which means the parents'爻 falls into Kongwang - parents are the ones who support and help oneself; the place of salary also falls into Kongwang, so this matter is finished. If one wants to seek official rank, one must study more and further one's education, there is still the possibility of high school. The gentleman Wang only wanted to know when he could get an appointment, the master only told him that he could have a son but could not expect an appointment, and the gentleman Wang laughed and did not believe it.

及到行在，元文字並寄書鋪處，並無片紙可驗，方始大驚。既無出生文字，如何參部？遂氣憤歸家，用功讀書。壬子年運司請□。癸卯年及第，授得棘主簿，去任不祿。蓋日來加辰為支所墓，勢不能脫出又本家有子水剋制，退又不得。中空亡不進，末空亡更不得進，既兩傳不進，只得守株待兔耳。官星作合在日，如再求官，可矣。守現再進者不可也。

When he arrived at the capital, he found that none of the original documents, including those entrusted to a bookshop, could be verified. This caused him great alarm. Since he had no official academic credentials, how could he apply for a position at the Ministry of Personnel? He returned home in anger and resolved to study diligently. In the year of Renzi, the local examination office invited him to take part in the examination, though the text is missing one character here; in the year of Guimao, he passed the exam and was appointed as a clerk in the Judicial Ministry, but he died before taking up his post. Therefore, the conclusion is: the day stem is added to the day branch, and is buried by the day branch, so he cannot escape; his family also has the water of the son branch restraining him, so even if he wants to retreat, he cannot. The middle transmission is empty, and the final transmission is even more so; since both transmissions do not advance, he can only wait passively. The official star is in harmony with the day stem, so if he seeks official position again, it might be possible; but if he remains in his current position and tries to advance, it will not work.

戊申年正月丙戌日子將辰時任太公甲午生七十五歲占家宅。　方本占案　一針見血　口鑑

In the year of Wushen, during the first lunar month, on the day of Bingxu, the Zi animal is added to the Chen hour. A man named Ren Taigong, born in the year Jiawu and aged seventy-five, divines the household. This comes from the Fangshi edition of the "Zhan'an," "Liu Ren Yi Zhen Jian Xue," and "Liu Ren Kou Jian."

六陳　朱丑寅卯辰龍　蛇子　巳空　六虎陰朱　財　乙酉　陰　貴亥　午虎　寅午酉丑　兄　癸巳　空　后戌酉申未常　午戌丑丙　子　己丑　朱　陰玄

The Heaven Plate advances eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earthly Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate respectively occupies 丑,寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子; the corresponding Heavenly Generals are Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, Nobleman, and Teng Snake. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丙 (with its lodging palace in巳) with 丑, accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the second lesson is 丑 with 酉, accompanied by Nobleman; the third lesson is on the Day Branch 戌 with 午, accompanied by Bai Hu; the fourth lesson is on 午 with 寅, accompanied by Liu He. The Three Transmissions are 酉,巳,丑: the first transmission is 酉 with 乙, representing wife's wealth, accompanied by Nobleman; the middle transmission is巳 with 癸, representing brothers, accompanied by Tian Kong; the final transmission is 丑 with 己, representing children, accompanied by Vermilion Bird.

邵彥和曰：此課干支六害，一主牛馬自傷。戌以丑作刑神，作朱雀，是害牛也。何不言田而言牛？春丙火相氣，相主處息，牛乃生息之物也。（愚按：正月丑為天牛煞。一云，朱雀丙午火與丑午六害，是以丑作雀乃害牛也，不細參此，何以見雀便害牛也？）午為屋為馬，言馬不言屋者，因午空亡用不定之物。且正月天馬在午，故也。入墓乘虎是害馬也。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, the day stem and day branch form the sixth harmful relationship. The first thing is that cattle and horses suffer injury. The day branch is Xu, which is harmed by Chou, and Chou is occupied by the Vermilion Bird. This is the harm to cattle. Why is it said to be cattle rather than fields? Because in spring, the Bing fire is in its flourishing phase, which governs growth and reproduction, and cattle are exactly things that grow and reproduce. (Cheng Shuxun remarked: In the first month, Chou is the Heavenly Ox煞. Another view is that the Vermilion Bird belongs to Bingwu fire, which forms the sixth harmful relationship with Chou, so Chou occupied by the Vermilion Bird is the harm to cattle; without carefully considering this layer, how could one immediately say that the Vermilion Bird causes harm to cattle?) The Wu is both for houses and horses. Here, it is said to be horses rather than houses, because Wu is in the Kongwang position, taking the uncertain thing; also, the Heavenly Horse is in Wu in the first month. Wu is in its tomb and occupied by the White Tiger, so it is the harm to horses.

二主婦人失明。蓋午為婦人，午乃離為目，自入墓是失明也。三主自身有淫婢而僕從淫僭。蓋以巳加酉，巳即日干，為本身。以身為妻，晬酉為婢，巳加酉是寵婢也。天空為媽，從而加之，是僕從僭亂，有奸也。四主老婦血疾癆。蓋初傳太陰，與酉一體，太陰為老婦，酉為血，加丑上為墓所埋，是血不行也。丑帶破碎而成癆，從革又主癆也。

The second matter indicates a woman losing her sight. Wu represents a woman, and Wu in the Eight Trigrams is Li, which corresponds to the eye. Since Wu is in its墓 position, it signifies the loss of vision. The third matter indicates the person indulging in favoring a servant girl, and the servants also following suit in disorderly conduct. Because Si is added to You, Si is the Lodging Palace of the Day Stem Bing, representing the person himself. With regard to his wife, You represents a servant girl, and Si added to You indicates favoring a servant girl. Tian Kong, which governs servants, is added on top, indicating servants acting improperly and engaging in private affairs. The fourth matter indicates an elderly woman suffering from blood disorders and tuberculosis. The first transmission is occupied by Tai Yin, which is the same as You; Tai Yin represents an old woman, and You represents blood. You is placed on Chou, which is in its墓 position, indicating poor circulation of blood. Chou also carries the破碎 evil spirit, leading to tuberculosis, and You metal, with its nature of transformation, also indicates tuberculosis.

五主山地有爭，乃末傳丑是也。春占巳上見丑是相氣。火生丑土，丑遇生氣，本牛也。然至末傳是秋冬，非丙火之旺可以生丑土，言也。故曰山地。朱雀主爭，子主池塘，行年上見子加辰又乘騰蛇，主爭必失理也。

The fifth instance indicates a dispute between mountain and earth, which should be located on the final transmission's Chou. In spring divination, Si is seen on Chou, and Chou is in a prosperous and strong condition; fire generates Chou earth, and Chou receives life qi, originally taking the image of an ox. However, by the time of the final transmission, it is already autumn and winter, no longer a time when the prosperous and strong fire can generate Chou earth. Therefore, the image of mountain and earth is adopted instead. The Vermilion Bird signifies disputes, Zi represents a pond; the year pillar is on Zi, which is placed on Chen and rides the Teng Snake, indicating that this dispute is certainly unjust.

五月丙戌日未將亥時癸酉命人占來意。　　一字訣玉連環

On the day of Bingxu in the fifth lunar month, when the hour of Wei is added to Hai, a person with Guiyou as their birth stem comes to seek divination. The one seeking divination should first state their intention. This is from "The One-Character诀 Yulianhuan."

龍空　勾丑寅卯辰虎　龍玄貴勾　財　乙酉　貴　合子　巳常　寅午酉丑　兄　癸巳　常　朱亥　午玄　午戌丑丙　子　己丑　勾　蛇戌酉申未陰　貴後

The Heaven Plate advances eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The Heaven Plate is the same as the previous case, but the Heavenly Generals differ. On the Earth Plate positions of巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, the Heaven Plate positions are in sequence 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子. The Heavenly Generals corresponding to these positions are Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Tian Hou, Gui Ren, Teng Snake, Zhu Qu, and Liu He respectively. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丙 (with its lodging palace in巳) with 丑 and Gou Chen; the second lesson is 丑 with 酉 and Gui Ren; the third lesson is the day branch 戌 with 午 and Xuan Wu; the fourth lesson is 午 with 寅 and Qing Long. The three transmissions are 酉, 巳, 丑: the first transmission is 酉 with 乙, representing wife's wealth, and Gui Ren; the middle transmission is 巳 with 癸, representing brothers, and Tai Chang; the final transmission is 丑 with 己, representing children, and Gou Chen.

徐次賓曰：來意事主西北上遠行理會，自己差遣文字，並無難阻，得差遣必是近任，八月內丁酉日還家，當月得俸。本州太守決是一剛毅正直之人，以劉為姓，主太守美愛而有聚財之慶。何知西北遠行？蓋時為日下之驛馬，與天馬並，登明為西北下為遠行。登明為日貴，上乘朱雀，主文字貴人，乘馬有文字之象，豈不是自己差遣文字也？

Xu Cibin said: Your intention is to prepare for a journey to the northwest, and to run about with official documents. This journey will have no obstacles, and the official appointment you will receive will be for a position nearby. You will return home on the Dingyou day in August, and will receive your salary in the same month. The governor of this state is certainly a person of firm and upright character, with the surname Liu. The superior governor appreciates and cares for you, and there will be good fortune in accumulating wealth. How do we know it is a journey to the northwest? At the time of the divination, the earthly branch is the post-horse, which is located below, and also coincides with the heavenly horse. Dengming (Hai) is located in the northwest, and when it is placed below, it indicates a long journey. Dengming is also the nobleman of the day, with the Vermilion Bird above it, indicating a nobleman connected with official documents. The post-horse is combined with the image of official documents, which is precisely running about with one's own official appointment.

何知一路並無難阻？式中無關格故也。何知近任？命上見天恩，日上見官爵，又用傳俱是三合，故知近任。何知八月丁酉日還家？從起從魁，末傳大吉為歸計門，下臨酉，上丁字，故知丁酉日也。眾魁為日之財，故主八月得俸。

How do we know there are no obstacles along the way? Because the divination pattern does not contain the god of obstruction and restriction. How do we know it is a position close at hand? The native's chart shows Heavenly Grace, the day stem shows an official rank, and the useful god and the three transmissions all form triple harmony, so it is judged as a nearby position. How do we know that one will return home on the eighth month's Dingyou day? This divination starts the transmission from Congkui (You), and the final transmission, Daji (Chou), is the gate of returning home. Below it is the You position, and above it is the hidden Ding character, so it is determined to be Dingyou day. Congkui (You) is also the wealth hexagram of the day stem, so it indicates receiving salary in the eighth month.

何知太守為剛毅正人？緣癸酉太乙乘酉屬金，主義，故知剛正，酉為金刀，故姓劉。何知太守美受？蓋天乙與日三合。何知有聚財之慶？謂卦體屬金，為日之財也。

How do we know that the governor is a man of firmness and integrity? Because the person's birth stem is Guiyou. The Taiyi nobleman is riding on酉, which belongs to metal. Metal represents righteousness, so we conclude he is upright. Also,酉 is the metal knife, and the knife beside the character forms the character 刘, so his surname is Liu. How do we know the governor appreciates and values him? Because the heavenly nobleman and the day stem form a triple harmony. How do we know there will be joy from accumulating wealth? Because the hexagram belongs to metal, and metal is the wealth element for a day stem of Bing.

丁丑二月十六丙戌日亥將寅時為魏君沖占會試酉命。 郭氏占案

On the 16th day of the second lunar month in the Dingchou year, on the Bingxu day, at the hour of Hai with the Yiun trigram added to the寅 trigram, a divination was performed for Wei's examination for the imperial examination. His birth year is You. This is from Guo Yuting's "Divination Cases."

龍空虎常　寅卯辰巳　虎陰朱龍　鬼　丁亥朱　勾丑　午玄　辰未亥寅　財　甲申后　合子　未陰　未戌寅丙　兄　癸巳常　亥戌酉申　朱蛇貴後

The Heaven Plate advances nine positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earthly Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate takes the positions of寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑 respectively. The Heavenly Generals associated with these positions are Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, Nobleman, Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, and Gou Chen. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丙 (with its lodging palace at巳) with the position寅 and the general Azure Dragon; the second lesson is寅 with the position亥 and the general Vermilion Bird; the third lesson is on the day branch戌 with the position未 and the general Tai Yin; the fourth lesson is on未 with the position辰 and the general White Tiger. The Three Transmissions are亥,申,巳: the first transmission is亥 with the hidden 丁 representing official ghost, accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the middle transmission is申 with the hidden 甲 representing wife wealth, accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the final transmission is巳 with the hidden 癸 representing brother, accompanied by Tai Chang.

郭御青曰：干上學堂青龍，發用簾幕朱雀，七馬俱全，十分吉課。但嫌簾幕克干，朱雀又遁丁神，命上神作刃，乘玄武，辰上神墓日上神，主場屋不利，有此數端，以致壞局而不中。（愚按：命上乘空亦非所宜。）

Guo Yuqing said: The day stem is occupied by the School God and is accompanied by the Azure Dragon; the initiating transmission is the Curtain and Screen God accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, with seven complete post-horse signs. This is originally a very auspicious divination. However, the Curtain and Screen God is in conflict with the day stem, and the Vermilion Bird is associated with the Ding God, causing disturbance. The personal god is acting as the Yangren and is accompanied by the Black Tortoise, while the god on the Chen position is burying the god on the day stem, indicating difficulties in the imperial examination. Due to these issues, the structure is ruined and he did not pass the examination. (Cheng Shuxun remarked: The personal god also being accompanied by Tian Kong is also inappropriate.)

崇正癸酉年八月二十七丙戌日辰時未將張貞明兄占秋闈　　郭氏占案

In the Guiyou year of the Chongzhen era, on the 27th day of the eighth lunar month, on the Bingxu day, at the time when the Dragon (Chen) hour is added to the Goat (Wei) hour (the original text says 'Chen hour Wei general', but according to the divination board, it should be 'Dragon general added to Goat hour'), Brother Zhang Zhenming divined for the autumn examination for the local academy. It is from Guo Yucheng's 'Divination Cases'.

合勾龍空　寅卯辰巳　龍常貴合　鬼　丁亥　貴　朱丑　午虎　辰未亥寅　財　甲申　玄　蛇子　未常　未戌寅丙　兄　癸巳　空　亥戌酉申　貴后陰玄

The Heaven Plate is the same as the previous case (advancing nine positions relative to the Earth Plate). The Heavenly Generals differ: on the Earthly Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate sequentially has寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑. The Heavenly Generals corresponding to these are Liu He, Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Tian Hou, Gui Ren, Teng Snake, and Zhu Que respectively. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丙 (with its lodging palace at巳) with寅, accompanied by Liu He; the second lesson is寅 with亥, accompanied by Gui Ren; the third lesson is on the day branch戌 with未, accompanied by Tai Chang; the fourth lesson is on未 with辰, accompanied by Qing Long. The Three Transmissions are亥—申—巳: the first transmission is亥 with遁丁, representing official ghost, accompanied by Gui Ren; the middle transmission is申 with Dun Jia, representing wife wealth, accompanied by Xuan Wu; the final transmission is巳 with遁癸, representing brother, accompanied by Tian Kong.

郭御青曰：是日揭曉，占得此課，貴人作官星，相氣，又來劫煞，主極迅速。干上長生，天德命馬；初傳歲時馬；中傳日馬，天馬；末傳行年馬；七馬聚會，目下即捷音至矣，果酉時而報至。

Guo Yuqing said: At this moment the announcement is about to be made, and the divination shows that the Nobleman is riding on the official star, and also meets the auspicious energy, and brings along Jiesha. This indicates that events will come very quickly. The Day Stem is in the position of Growth, accompanied by Heavenly Virtue and the horse of the native's destiny. The first transmission is the Old Age Horse and the time horse, the middle transmission is the day horse and the Heavenly Horse, and the final transmission is the year horse. Seven layers of Post-horse gather together, and the news will arrive immediately. Indeed, a person came to report the good news at酉 hour.

丁丑年二月丙戌日亥將丑時萬弢占常熟張君曠會試本命亥。　　郭氏占案

On the day of Bingxu in the second lunar month of the year Dingchou, at the time of You when Hai is the hour, Wan Tao divined for Zhang Junkuang from Changshu for the imperial examination. Zhang's birth sign is Hai. This is from Guo Yuting's "Divination Cases."

空虎常玄　卯辰巳午　玄后勾空　子　己丑勾　龍寅　未陰　午申丑卯　鬼　丁亥朱　勾丑　申后　申戌卯丙　財　乙酉貴　子亥戌酉　合朱蛇貴

The Heaven Plate advances ten positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earthly Branches of巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, the Heaven Plate takes the positions of卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅 respectively. The Heavenly Generals corresponding to these positions are Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Tian Hou, Gui Ren, Teng Snake, Zhu Qu, Liu He, Gou Chen, and Qing Long. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丙 (located in the Lodging Palace of 巳) with the position 卯, accompanied by Tian Kong; the second lesson is 卯 with the position 丑, accompanied by Gou Chen; the third lesson is on the Day Branch 戌 with the position 申, accompanied by Tian Hou; the fourth lesson is on 申 with the position 午, accompanied by Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are 丑, 亥, 酉: the first transmission is 丑 with 丁 hidden as a son or daughter, accompanied by Gou Chen; the second transmission is 亥 with 丁 hidden as an official or ghost, accompanied by Zhu Qu; the third transmission is 酉 with 乙 hidden as a wife or wealth, accompanied by Gui Ren.

郭御青曰：本命乘酉恰是貴登天門，行年乘寅，而為學堂年馬（愚按年馬是行年之驛馬）。丑作青龍吉將，又太歲作初傳，朱雀作中傳，貴人作末傳，而登天門之上，必中無疑矣。果然。

Guo Yüqing said: Zhang Junkuang's birth stem is in Hai, and Hai is occupied by You, which is exactly where the nobleman is, forming the "nobleman ascending the heavenly gate." His year stem is occupied by Yin, which is the academy, and also the post-horse of his year (Cheng Shuxun noted: the so-called year horse refers to the post-horse on the year stem). Chou is also a favorable general. With the sovereign's year as the first transmission, the Vermilion Bird as the middle transmission, and the nobleman as the final transmission, ascending the heavenly gate, he is certainly destined to pass the exam. Later, he indeed passed the examination.

建炎己酉年七月丙戌日午將未時和主簿戊寅生三十二歲占前程。　一針見血

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, seventh month, on the day Bingxu, at the time when the hour animal Wu is added to Wei, the chief clerk (born in the year Wuyin, aged thirty-two) consulted about his future prospects. This comes from "Liu Ren Yi Zhen Jian Xue."

龍空虎常　辰巳午未　玄陰勾龍　父　辛卯　勾　勾卯　申玄　申酉卯辰　父　庚寅　合　合寅　酉陰　酉戌辰丙　子　己丑　朱　丑子亥戌　朱蛇貴後

The Heaven Plate advances eleven positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earthly Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate respectively occupies 辰,巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯. The corresponding Heavenly Generals are Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, Nobleman, Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, and Gou Chen. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丙 (with its lodging palace in巳) with 辰, riding Azure Dragon; the second lesson is 辰 with 卯, riding Gou Chen; the third lesson is on the day branch 戌 with 酉, riding Tai Yin; the fourth lesson is on 酉 with 申, riding Black Tortoise. The Three Transmissions are 卯—寅—丑: the first transmission is 卯 with 辛 hidden, representing parents, riding Gou Chen; the middle transmission is 寅 with 庚 hidden, also representing parents, riding Liu He; the final transmission is 丑 with 己 hidden, representing children, riding Vermilion Bird.

邵彥和曰：辰為龍也，又見青龍，又名朝陽。三傳又再見父母，自是好課，但臨赴任為母服所阻。宅上酉作太陰，是陰貴人。丙火死於酉而見太陰，來年必有母服，服闕後赴數任，皆得上憲提攜（愚按：此父母長生之故也）。先任海邊船場，次任赴曹屬官，迤邐至於太常，壽得其中矣。

Shao Yanhe said: Chen itself is a dragon, and the day stem also sees the Azure Dragon, this pattern is also called "Sun Rising." In the three transmissions there are two instances of the parents' hexagrams, which is a good pattern. However, when it comes to taking office, it will be obstructed by the mother's mourning clothes. The酉 on the day branch (the day's branch) is riding on Tai Yin, which is a nobleman of the Yin type. The Bing fire dies in the酉 position and also sees Tai Yin, so there will certainly be the mother's death next year. After the mourning period is over, even if he takes several offices in succession, he will still receive support from his superior officials (Cheng Shuxun noted: this is because the parents' hexagrams are in the position of growth). The first position is at a seaside shipyard, the second position transfers to an official in the Cao Si, and he proceeds all the way to Tai Chang, and his lifespan is also in the middle of the calculation.

程丈現授饒州德具主簿，當年赴任，次年丁母憂，服滿得明州船場；任滿，再授戶部架閣；任滿，又得文思院；任滿，得太常簿一年零四個月，除太常丞，至癸亥年冬郊祀權太常寺卿，甲子年三月卒。

This person, Cheng Zhang, was newly appointed as the county magistrate of Dexing County in Raozhou. He took office that year, but the next year he grieved for his mother's death. After completing his mourning period, he was appointed to a position in the shipyard of Mingzhou. Upon completing his term, he was transferred to the position of jia ge in the Ministry of Revenue. After finishing that term, he was assigned a post in the Wensisi. After completing that term, he served as the chief clerk of the Tai Chang Temple for one year and four months, and was promoted to the position of Tai Chang Chancellor. In the winter of the Guihai year, during the imperial sacrifice at the capital, he temporarily served as the chief official of the Tai Chang Temple. He died in the third month of the Jiazi year.

戊申年五月丙戌日申將未時何知錄丁丑生（生於四月十一日丑時）年三十二歲占前程。方本占案

In the year of Wushen, fifth month, on the day of Bingxu, when the hour of Shen is added to the hour of Wei, He Zilu (born in the year of Dingchou, on the fourth month, eleventh day at the hour of Chou, aged thirty-two) divined about his future prospects. This comes from the Fangshi edition of the "Zhan'an."

陳六　龍午未申酉朱　空巳　戌蛇　后貴陳龍　鬼　丁亥　貴　虎辰　亥貴　子亥未午　鬼　戊子　后　常卯寅丑子后　亥戌午丙　子　己丑　陰　玄陰

The Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate positions are respectively午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰,巳. The corresponding Heavenly Generals are Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He, Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, and Tian Kong. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丙 (with its lodging palace at巳) with the position午, accompanied by Azure Dragon; the second lesson is午 with the position未, accompanied by Gou Chen; the third lesson is on the day branch戌 with the position亥, accompanied by Nobleman; the fourth lesson is on亥 with the position子, accompanied by Heavenly Empress. The Three Transmissions are亥—子—丑: the first transmission is亥 with the hidden character丁, representing official ghost, accompanied by Nobleman; the middle transmission is子 with the hidden character戊, also representing official ghost, accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the final transmission is丑 with the hidden character己, representing son and grandson, accompanied by Tai Yin. The position丑 is also the native's own destiny.

邵彥和曰：吾兄雖授台州知錄，然此任不能赴，必有阻也。將來食祿在江西，有刑法二字，改任湖南北。三任赴廣東作倅。四任近京，為安撫司。恐其後雖有授州郡之名，不得赴任也。

Shao Yanhe said: Although your elder brother has been appointed as the chief official of Taizhou, he will certainly not be able to take up this post, for there will be obstacles. In the future, he will receive a salary in Jiangxi, where the term 'criminal law' appears; then he will be transferred to Hunan and Hubei; the third post will be as a deputy governor in Guangdong; the fourth post will be near the capital, serving in the pacification commission. I fear that although he may be given the title of a prefecture, he may never actually reach his post.

何當年乳母死，本心喪，不赴此任。後任江西崇仁縣令；又調湖南北提刑司檢法，因追究劫盜有功，升廣東某州通判；任滿，又為江西安撫司參議，此任與京相近也；後升饒州府太守，未赴任而卒。

How knew he recorded that in his early years his wet nurse died, and he mourned her death with a heart of sorrow, thus not taking up his post in Taizhou. Later he became the magistrate of Chongren County in Jiangxi, then was transferred to serve as an inspector in the judicial offices of Hunan and Hubei provinces. Because of his merit in capturing bandits, he was promoted to the position of assistant governor in a certain county in Guangdong. Upon completing his term, he became an advisor in the Jiangxi Pacification Commission, which was close to the capital. Later he was promoted to the position of prefect of Raozhou Prefecture, but had not yet taken up his post when he died.

蓋日上午作青龍，乘刃為退鱗，又是空亡，午為心，所以遭心喪而不得赴任。次任江西者，亥加戌，水受土制，則為江，臨西方，故言江西。刑法二字者，干支皆自刑，更法字從水從去，亥子丑順流而去，故為法字。子為江湖，又在此方，初中皆官相連，是江西與湖南北相連也。又四任近亦者，本生人丙日占，丙丁皆以寅為生地，父母之邦，故言京也（愚按：亥子丑下即寅，寅加本命上故辰寅上斷之）。但與日遠故不言都下而言近京。

Therefore, the interpretation is as follows: The day stem is on the午, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon. The午 is also the Yangren (sharp weapon) of the丙. The Azure Dragon riding the sharp weapon is called "retreating scales." The午 also falls in the Kongwang (void) position. Since the午 represents the heart, this indicates a loss related to the heart and an inability to take office. The second position is in Jiangxi because the亥 is placed on the戌, and water is restrained by earth to form a river. The亥 is also in the western direction, so it is called Jiangxi. The term "legal punishment" refers to the day stem and day branch both suffering self-punishment. The character "法" (law) consists of water and the radical "去" (to go), and the sequence of亥, 子, 丑 flows smoothly in the direction of going, which perfectly matches the character "法." The子 represents rivers and lakes and is located in this direction. The first and middle transmissions are both connected to official symbols, so it indicates the connection between Jiangxi, Hunan, and Hubei. The fourth position is near the capital because the divination was made on a丙 day. Both丙 and丁 take their growth (longevity) in寅, which is considered their homeland, so it is said to be the capital. However, since寅 is far from the day stem, it is not said to be within the capital itself, but only near the capital. (Cheng Shuxun notes: Under the亥, 子, 丑, comes寅. When寅 is placed on the personal destiny, it is taken from the positions of辰 and寅 for interpretation.)

末傳本命見太陰加子丑土也，土為守土為太守。加在江湖地，依舊江西饒州也。授而不赴，太陰不顯也，既不顯，安得赴？丙子年卒不出亥子丑也。丑是本命乘陰不顯，便是死也。秩九曰丑是本命，為午龍六害，又作官星制神，既害官品，又制官星，嗚呼得顯？不顯自死矣。丑獨加子，故不出丙子年。又曰午得龍為官品，既空，則此任虛度矣。然脫此則就支上官星貴人，發用三傳皆是，烏得不顯？故便從官貴上斷之。

The final transmission is his true birth stem, and it meets Tai Yin, which is added to Zi. Chou belongs to earth, and earth governs guarding the land, so it takes the image of a guardian. When added to the region of rivers and lakes, it still refers to Jiangxi Raozhou. Although he was appointed an official, he could not take up the post, because Tai Yin governs obscurity and lack of visibility. If it is not visible, how can he reach his post? He died in the year Bingzi, which does not include the characters Hai, Zi, or Chou. Chou is his true birth stem and is combined with Tai Yin, which is obscure and not visible, indicating death. The rank nine says: Chou is his true birth stem, and it is in conflict with the Qilong of Wu, which is the six harmful influences of the official star. It injures the official rank and also restrains the official star, so how can he achieve success? If it is not visible, he naturally dies. Chou is only added to Zi, so the time of death does not fall in the year Bingzi. It is also said: Wu originally had Qilong, which was the official rank, but it has fallen empty, so this appointment was in vain. However, if we separate this aspect, it falls on the official star nobleman in the day branch. The initiating transmission and the three transmissions are all official nobleman, so how can he not achieve success? Therefore, we judge his entire career based on the official nobleman.

己酉年閏八月丙戌日辰將寅時錢三郎甲戌生三十六歲占開店　　方本占案

In the year Jiyou, during the leap August, on the day Bingxu, at the time of Chen zhang adding Yin, Qian Sanlang, born in the year Jiaxu and aged thirty-six, consulted about opening a shop. This is from the Fangshi edition of "Zhan An."

六朱　陳未申酉戌蛇　龍午　亥貴　玄后朱陳　鬼　戊子　后　空巳　子后　寅子酉未　父　庚寅　玄　虎辰卯寅丑陰　子戌未丙　子　壬辰　虎　常玄

The Heaven Plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate takes the positions of未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰,巳,午 respectively. The heavenly generals accompanying these positions are Gou Chen, Liu He, Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tian Kong, and Azure Dragon. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is on the position of 丙 (with its lodging palace in巳) with the position of未 and accompanied by Gou Chen; the second lesson is on the position of未 with the position of酉 and accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the third lesson is on the day branch戌 with the position of子 and accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson is on the position of子 with the position of寅 and accompanied by Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are from子 to寅 to辰: the first transmission is子 with the hidden戊, representing official ghosts, accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is寅 with the hidden庚, representing parents, accompanied by Black Tortoise; the final transmission is辰 with the hidden壬, representing children, accompanied by White Tiger.

邵彥和曰：此課開店來，當有他事相擾，主方開店便有人來筭虛賬，主人本無此心，此必是隔皮親人，及去報他，遂來相攻，不能為害，其店終嘈雜不甚興。令郎長大，因淘汰錢物，使用動眾，一一撓其店遂止。此向三陽，乃向高之意，終不可止也。

Shao Yanhe said: For a divination about opening a shop, there will be other matters to disturb it. Just after opening, someone will come to settle a fictitious old debt. The shop owner had no such intention, but the one coming to settle the debt must be a relative by marriage, two layers away. When someone tells him, he will come to slander. Although it cannot cause great harm, the shop will remain noisy and not very prosperous. When your son grows up, because of the need to exchange money and involve many people, one thing after another will cause disturbances, and the shop will eventually be unable to continue. However, this divination's three transmissions proceed towards the three yang, which means going upward, so it will eventually not stop.

錢氏重陽日開店，有邵一郎，與他是姨夫，因前數次向錢氏假貸不允，今因開店，邵令彼主母入狀索前簽過帳內錢七十貫，官中令追還，依舊開店。果不興發。至壬子年，其子斗黃禽與兩邊收錢不明，遂相打經官，因此歇店。先生析曰：蓋日上未作勾陳空亡，空撓也。支子作天后，厭翳無興發也。中寅作元武，子偷錢物也。末辰作白虎，動眾相打也。

Qian Sanlang opened his shop on the Double Ninth Festival. There was a Shao Yilang, his brother-in-law, who had previously tried several times to borrow money from the Qian family but failed. This time, taking advantage of Qian's opening of the shop, Shao Yilang had his wife file a lawsuit to recover the seventy guan of money that had been previously signed for. The court ordered the money to be repaid. The shop continued to operate, but it did not become prosperous. By the year Renzi, his son caught quails, and the money collected from both sides was unclear, leading to a fight and a lawsuit, so the shop had to close. Master Shao analyzed that the day stem had the hexagram of Wei riding on Gou Chen and falling into Kongwang, indicating a disturbance from nothing; the day branch had the hexagram of Zi riding on Heavenly Empress, causing obscurity and obstruction, preventing prosperity; the middle transmission had the hexagram of Yin riding on Black Tortoise, indicating the son stealing money; the final transmission had the hexagram of Chen riding on White Tiger, indicating disputes among the people.

四月丙戌日申將巳時占前程　　精蘊

On the Bingxu day of the fourth month, with the Shen general added to the Si hour, the divination concerns the prospects. It is from the Six壬 Essence.

合朱蛇貴　申酉戌亥　虎陰貴合　財　甲申　合　勾未　子后　辰丑亥申　鬼　丁亥　貴　龍午　丑陰　丑戌申丙　父　庚寅　玄　巳辰卯寅　空虎常玄

The Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate takes the positions of申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未 respectively. The heavenly generals accompanying these positions are Liu He, Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, and Gou Chen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丙 (lodging palace in巳) with 申, accompanied by Liu He; the second lesson is 申 with 亥, accompanied by Nobleman; the third lesson is on the day branch 戌 with 丑, accompanied by Tai Yin; the fourth lesson is 丑 with 辰, accompanied by White Tiger. The three transmissions are 申,亥,寅: the first transmission 申, with Dun Jia representing wife wealth, accompanied by Liu He; the middle transmission 亥, with Dun Ding representing official ghost, accompanied by Nobleman; the final transmission 寅, with Dun Geng representing parents, accompanied by Black Tortoise.

斷曰：申為相氣，財乘六合為用，中傳官鬼，登於天門，主以財納官。考授京職，末傳父母乘玄武，發財發身。三傳遞生，必有上人提挈，為子求官，亦不免用財取貴。支上丑為天喜，主要懷孕也。

The interpretation states: The metal element in the position of the monkey (申) is in a favorable state. The wealth hexagram is riding on the Liu He (Liu He) and is initiating the transmission. The middle transmission is the official ghost hexagram, which is located on the heavenly gate (亥), indicating that one will obtain an official position through financial contributions and examination appointments, receiving a position in the capital. The final transmission is the parents hexagram riding on the black tortoise (玄武), indicating the possibility of both wealth and personal gain. The three transmissions are in a sequence of mutual generation, indicating that there will certainly be support from superiors. If this is for seeking an official position for a son, it is also inevitable that money will be used to obtain fame and status. The branch of the day, the ox (丑), is the heavenly joy (天喜) deity, indicating that there will be a pregnancy in the family.

戊申年正月初一丙戌日子將未時徐大夫乙丑生（生於初六日辰時）四十四歲占前程。方本占案

In the year Wushen, on the first day of the first lunar month, on the day Bingxu, at the time when the子 trigram is added to the未 trigram, Xu Doctor (born in the year Yichou, on the sixth day of the beginning with the day branch at the hour of Zi, aged forty-four) divined about his future prospects. This is from the Fang family edition of the "Divination Cases."

貴后　蛇戌亥子丑陰　朱酉　寅玄　六常常蛇　財　甲申　六　六申　卯常　申卯卯戌　子　己丑　陰　陳未午巳辰虎　卯戌戌丙　兄　空午　龍　龍空

The Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Branches of巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, the Heaven Plate respectively occupies 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉. The heavenly generals accompanying these positions are Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He, and Vermilion Bird. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丙 (with its lodging palace in巳) with 戌, accompanied by Teng Snake; the second lesson is 戌 with 卯, accompanied by Tai Chang; the third lesson is the day branch 戌 with 卯, accompanied by Tai Chang; the fourth lesson is 卯 with 申, accompanied by Liu He. The three transmissions are 申, 丑, 午: the first transmission 申, with Dun Jia as wife wealth, accompanied by Liu He; the middle transmission 丑, with Dun Ji as son, accompanied by Tai Yin; the final transmission 午 falls into the empty旬 (thus recorded as 'empty 午'), representing brother, accompanied by Azure Dragon.

邵彥和曰：支來加日墓，上又騰蛇夾信，主人如處雲霧中，進退不得，且天地轉殺，加宅克宅，上作太常為服，丙以卯為母，母當六月亡。妻加天地轉殺上，六合殃之，妻不宜孕，孕主亡（財，妻也。六合，兒也。卯木即申金之胎，幫以孕斷，妙絕）。本命上午，作末傳，雖空亡，卻是帝旺陽刃，先防妻與母。子年，己身不善終矣。

Shao Yanhe said: The day branch is placed on the Tomb of the day stem, and above it is the Teng Snake blocking the message, indicating the person is like being in a fog, unable to advance or retreat. Adding Mao as the Tiandi Zhuansha (Heaven-and-Earth Turning Sha), which is placed on the house and attacks it, with Tai Chang on Mao indicating mourning for a parent. The fire of Bing uses Mao wood as its mother, so the mother is expected to die in June. The wife's wealth is placed on the Tiandi Zhuansha (Heaven-and-Earth Turning Sha), and the Liuhe (Six Harmony) also brings disaster, indicating the wife should not be pregnant; if she is, it will lead to death. The original note says: wealth represents the wife, and Liuhe (Six Harmony) represents the child; Mao wood is the Fetal Spirit of Shen metal, so predicting from the pregnancy is very accurate. The personal stem's Wu is the final transmission, though it falls into the empty void, it is still the Prosperity and Yang Blade, so one should first be cautious about the wife and mother. By the year of Zi, the person himself will not have a good ending.

徐現授湖廣臨司，當年五月母亡，丁艱。六月妻亡。庚戌年八月，從吉授監司，辛亥年赴任，壬子年十一月，贓敗自刎。

Dr. Xu was newly appointed to the position of inspector in Huguang Province. That year in May, his mother died, and he observed the mourning period. In June, his wife also died. In the eighth month of the Gengxu year, his mourning period ended, and he was appointed as a supervisor. In the Xinhai year, he took office. In the Renzi year, in November, he was exposed for corruption and committed suicide by cutting his throat.

蓋此課十二位，上下皆帶殺，支加干墓，干又補騰蛇夾信，是真墓不可脫。墓上見卯，乃天地轉殺。乘旺克宅而太歲又加轉殺上，本命又加太歲，主是本命為墓壓太歲，太歲遂來逼殺，殺遂入宅克宅，宅遂加干墓，干遞互相逼遂成凶咎，況空亡陽刃加本命，反克太歲，若不是申作太歲，丑作本命，未可如此說。

Therefore, the interpretation is as follows: this divination shows that all twelve positions, both upper and lower, carry Inauspicious Sha (malevolent forces). The day branch is placed on the day stem's Tomb (burial place), and the day stem is trapped by the Teng Snake, indicating a true Tomb that cannot be released. The Tomb is seen with Mao (Mao), which is Tiandi Zhuansha (Heaven-and-Earth Turning Sha) (heaven and earth turning malevolent forces), coming in its prosperous qi (prosperous energy) to attack the dwelling. The Tai Su (sovereign year) is also added on the Zhuan Sha (Turning Sha), and the personal destiny is added on the Tai Su. Thus, the personal destiny is pressed by the Tomb, which in turn presses the Tai Su. The Tai Su turns to attack the malevolent forces, which enter the dwelling to attack it. The dwelling then adds to the day stem's Tomb, creating a layered pressure, eventually leading to misfortune. Moreover, the yang blade (yang sharp weapon) of the empty place is added on the personal destiny, turning to attack the Tai Su. If it were not for Shen (Shen) as the Tai Su and Chou (Chou) as the personal destiny, this could not be said.

五月喪母，六月喪妻者，是今日之鬼所加處也。壬子年十一月自刎者，行年在丑，丑再見陽刃之午，又被太歲沖動，午為自刑，故不法而死也。注：末兩行俱有脫漏，餘稍作潤色之，以俟後之君子參酌。

In the fifth month, the mother dies, and in the sixth month, the wife dies, and this should be considered at the position where the official ghost is overlying. In the year Renzi, during the eleventh month, self-inflicted death occurred, because the year stem is in Chou, and Chou has the Yang刃 at Wu. Wu is then triggered by the sovereign year, and Wu also has self-punishment, so the person did not end well and died. Original note: The last two lines have omissions, and I have slightly refined them, leaving them for later scholars to consider.

同年月日時某乙亥生三十四歲占終身　　方本占案

In the same year, same month, same day, and same time, another person born in the Yihai year, aged thirty-four, consulted about their entire life. This is from the Fangshi edition of the "Zhan'an."

貴后　蛇戌亥子丑陰　朱酉　寅玄　六常常蛇　財　甲申　六　六申　卯常　申卯卯戌　子　己丑　陰　陳未午巳辰虎　卯戌戌丙　兄　空午　龍　龍空

The lesson board is identical to the previous case, both being cast for the same day and hour. The Heaven Plate advances five positions: the Earth Plate moves from Si to Chen in sequence, receiving the Heaven Plate positions Wu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You. The Heavenly Generals follow in order: Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He, Vermilion Bird. The Four Lessons are: Bing (lodging in Si) on Xu with Teng Snake, Xu on Mao with Tai Chang, Day Branch Xu on Mao with Tai Chang, and Mao on Shen with Liu He. The Three Transmissions are Shen (wife's wealth, Liu He) - Chou (son's son, Tai Yin) - Wu (brother, Azure Dragon, falling into the旬空).

邵彥和曰：日上見戌作蛇，支來墓干，巳本屬蛇，與騰蛇夾墓在中間，腹中必有疾病。戌墓主積塊。答曰：腹中果有一塊。曰：此因感風起，後入喪家，傷素食而不化，遂成痞塊，若不來求醫，命必不久。

Shao Yanhe said: When the day stem is seen with Xu and is occupied by Teng Snake, and the day branch also comes to bury the day stem, since Si itself belongs to snake, and Teng Snake is before and after with Si in the middle, there must be a disease inside the abdomen. Xu is a burial place, which indicates accumulation forming a mass. The person replied: There is indeed a hard mass in the abdomen. Shao said: This mass first started from a wind attack on the head, later went to a funeral home, suffered from undigested vegetarian food, and thus formed a痞 block. If he does not seek medical treatment, his life will not be long.

蓋初傳卯上見申作六合，六合亦是卯，兩卯夾一申。卯為風，申為肺，是風傳入肺臟起也。卯為申金所克遂奪居戌上而克。戌作太常，為喪吊家，太常為又為食，戌為脾胃，是食素食傷於脾胃也。戌既為卯所克，便走來墓干，而被兩蛇夾住，益主堅牢，是此病不以脫矣。

The reasoning is as follows: the first transmission is on the卯 (Mao) and sees the申 (Shen), with the Liu He (Liu He) covering it. The Liu He itself also belongs to the卯, forming two moos surrounding a shen. The卯 represents wind, and the申 represents the lungs, so it is wind pathogen entering the lungs causing the illness. The卯 is overcome by the申 metal, so it shifts to overcome the戌 (Xu). The戌 is covered by the Tai Chang (Tai Chang), which governs mourning and funerals, as well as food. The戌 belongs to the spleen and stomach, so it is about eating vegetarian food in a mourning household, injuring the spleen and stomach. Since the戌 is overcome by the卯, it then takes refuge in the day stem, and is caught between two snakes, making it more solid and difficult to dispel, hence the illness cannot be摆脱 (eliminated).

是年占人三十四歲，行年在亥，三十五歲遭官災，大有破耗。八月卒，蓋丙即巳，巳加子，受子水官鬼克，作天空主虛詐，又巳為日祿，祿即財。子水克之，天空耗之，三十五歲行年到此，所以如是。八月卒者，八月火死土敗，而前面便是戌，九月建戌，所以遇不得也。

This person was thirty-four years old and their year pillar was in亥. At thirty-five, they encountered legal troubles and suffered great financial loss, and died in August. This is because the lodgment palace of 丙 is in巳. The巳 is placed on 子, which is then attacked by the water official ghost of 子. On top of that, there is Tian Kong, indicating deception and falsehood. Additionally,巳 is the day's wealth, and wealth represents money. The water of 子 attacks it, and 天空 consumes it. At thirty-five, the person's year pillar arrived exactly at this position, hence the outcome. In August, death occurred because in August, fire dies and earth fails. Moving forward is 戌, and in September, the month builder is 戌, so they could not pass through.

愚按，此斷與徐大夫之斷大異豈以辰作白虎，在亥年命上，故數以痢疾乎？然辰可沖戌墓同，而邵公不言及者，豈以支來墓干，又被兩蛇夾住而辰不能沖乎？予友吳稼雲先生，以此案為邵公最得意之筆，熟玩乃見其精。異未將徐大夫之所斷拿之也。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: This diagnosis differs greatly from that of Xu Doctor. Perhaps it is because the White Tiger is on Chen and falls on the person's birth year,亥, so it is more likely to be diagnosed as a disease like dysentery? However, both cases have the same point that "Chen can break open the戌墓," yet Zhao Gong did not mention it. Perhaps it is because the day branch is墓 to the day stem, and the day stem is sandwiched between two Teng Snakes, so Chen cannot break open the墓? My friend Wu Jiayun believes this case is one of Zhao Gong's most skillful works, and only by repeatedly contemplating it can one appreciate its subtlety. One should not force the diagnosis method from Xu Doctor's case onto this one.

崇正辛巳九月丁亥辛丑時，庠友張奉初為乃弟觀初占病，予袖傳一課答之，重審、鑄印。指南

In the year Xinsi of the Chongzhen era, on the ninth month, the tenth day of the lunar month, at the hour of Xinchou, my classmate Zhang Fengchu asked me to cast a divination for his younger brother Guanchu who was ill. I cast the lesson in my sleeve to answer him. The lesson pattern is Chongshen and Zhuuyin, as cited from the Six壬 Guide.

貴后　蛇戌亥子丑陰　朱白空后　比　癸巳　空　朱酉　寅玄　酉辰巳子　子　丙戌　蛇　六申　卯常　辰亥子丁　印　辛卯　常　勾未午巳辰虎　龍空

The Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, the Heaven Plate positions 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉 are placed in order. The corresponding Heavenly Generals are Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He, and Vermilion Bird. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem 丁 (with its lodging palace at 未) with the position 子, accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the second lesson has the position 子 with the position巳, accompanied by Tian Kong; the third lesson has the Day Branch 亥 with the position 辰, accompanied by White Tiger (the 'White' in the lesson refers to White Tiger); the fourth lesson has the position 辰 with the position 酉, accompanied by Vermilion Bird. The three transmissions are 巳—戌—卯: the first transmission 巳 has the hidden癸, which is a companion, accompanied by Tian Kong and falling into the empty term; the middle transmission 戌 has the hidden丙, which is a son or daughter, accompanied by Teng Snake; the final transmission 卯 has the hidden辛, which is a parent, accompanied by Tai Chang.

斷曰：課得鑄印，占病不吉，三日必死，張友不言而去。頃焉，一人至，占得未亥卯三傳，白虎發用，喪吊全逢，用木空則折，病主風寒，三日內死者。曰：適家伯先已來占矣，因不吉，故復占之。張友又請仙，呂純陽下降，判曰：數合於數。吾無問言，果三日死。

The interpretation said: The divination result was "casting the seal," which is unfavorable for predicting illness, indicating death within three days. Zhang You remained silent and left. Soon afterwards, another person came and obtained the three transmissions of Wei-Hai-Mao, with White Tiger as the initiating transmission, and both the funeral carriage and mourning guest malefics appearing together; the useful god belonged to wood but fell into emptiness, meaning that wood in emptiness would break, and the illness was of wind-cold, also indicating death within three days. The person said: My elder uncle had already come earlier to divinate, but since the result was unfavorable, he came again. The Zhang family then invited a spirit medium, and Lü Chunyang descended from the altar, giving a judgment that "the number coincides with the number," so I had nothing more to say. Later, indeed, he died within three days.

建炎己酉年閏八月丁亥日辰將亥時尹邦達良申生占妻病，妻同庚。　方本占案　口鑑

In the leap August of the Jiyou year of the Jianyan era, on the Dinghai day, with the Chen general added to the Hai hour, Yin Bangda, born in the Gengshen year, consulted about his wife's illness. His wife was of the same age as him. This entry is from the Fang family edition of "Zhan An" and "Liu Ren Kou Jian."

朱六　蛇戌亥子丑陳　貴酉　寅龍　貴虎常六　兄　癸巳　常　后申　卯空　酉辰巳子　子　丙戌　蛇　陰未午巳辰虎　辰亥子丁　父　辛卯　空　玄常

The Heaven Plate is the same as the previous case (advancing five positions relative to the Earth Plate). The Heavenly Generals differ: on the Earth Plate positions巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, the Heaven Plate positions are respectively 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉. The Heavenly Generals corresponding to these positions are Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tian Kong, and Azure Dragon. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丁 (with its lodging palace at 未) with 子, riding Liu He; the second lesson is 子 with巳, riding Tai Chang; the third lesson is the Day Branch 亥 with 辰, riding White Tiger; the fourth lesson is 辰 with 酉, riding Nobleman. The Three Transmissions are巳—戌—卯: the first transmission is巳 with癸, representing brothers, riding Tai Chang; the second transmission is戌 with丙, representing children, riding Teng Snake; the third transmission is卯 with辛, representing parents, riding Tian Kong.

邵彥和曰：丁日會起水局（愚按：干上子，支上辰，本命申，故曰會起水局。吳稼云曰：必取此者，以非交不孕也，此邵氏至精密之處，宜詳玩之），日上子作六合，主孕，恐是鬼胎，眾人大笑曰：五十歲何能有胎？先生曰：心鏡云，受氣於秋何以決？婦在子兮夫立申。今正秋占，及時之課，故主懷孕，中償合，水局走丁日之鬼，故是鬼胎，空中必有響動。來年二月，定見鬼形矣。

Shao Yanhe said: "On a Ding day, the lesson forms a water trinity. (Cheng Shuxun noted: The day stem is Zi, the day branch is Chen, and the birth time is Shen, so Shen-Zi-Chen forms a water trinity.) Wu Jiayun said: One must take this into account, because without a conjunction, one cannot conceive. This is the most precise aspect of Shao's method, and should be carefully considered. The Zi on the day stem is riding on Liu He, indicating pregnancy, but it is feared to be a ghost fetus. Everyone laughed, saying: How can a person of fifty still conceive? The master said: The Xin Jing says, 'How can one decide if the spirit is received in autumn? The wife is at Zi, and the husband is at Shen.' Now, we are casting a lesson in autumn, which matches the season, so it indicates pregnancy. The middle transmission is in harmony, and the water trinity is also the official ghost of a Ding day, so it is a ghost fetus, and there must be some movement inside the house; by next February, one will certainly see the ghost's form."

尹妻數月後漸安，腹漸大，果是孕。次年二月三日生，乃鬼胎也，生後時時或瓦落或物響，更不令安寧。蓋丁火生於寅，胎在子，子又為子息，更作六合臨日，正應心鏡之論。然會起水局為鬼，故曰鬼胎。末見卯與子刑，故交件見鬼形也。若他人占行年不見鬼，不可云鬼胎。若不會起申子辰，卻是官星，必生貴子，非鬼胎也。

Yin Bangda's wife's illness gradually improved after several months, and her belly gradually grew larger, indeed she was pregnant; the next year on the third day of the second lunar month, she gave birth, and the child was a ghost fetus. After birth, there were constant falling tiles or sounds of objects, making the family restless. This is because the fire of Ding is born in寅, and reaches maturity in子, and子 governs offspring.子 is further covered by Liu He and approaches the day stem, which exactly matches the saying in the "Heart Mirror." However, the formed water trinity is the official ghost of the day of Ding, so it is called a ghost fetus. The final transmission of卯 is in conflict with子, so during the transfer, the ghost shape is seen. If someone else were to divinate, and the year of the person's age does not show the ghost line, it cannot be called a ghost fetus; if the trinity of Shen-Zi-Chen water is not formed, then the water of子 is just an official star, which means a noble son will be born, not a ghost fetus.

崇正丁丑十一月丁亥戊申時，東省戶垣諱三傑孫科長代同鄉丁科長占守科失紅本回奏。指南

In the year Dingchou of the Chongzhen era, on the 11th lunar month, the day Dinghai, and the hour Wushen, Sun Sanjie, a household affairs official from Shandong province, helped his fellow townsman Ding, the head of the Department of Revenue, to divinate about the loss of a red document and the submission of a memorial response. This is from the "Six壬 Guide."

後陰　貴亥子丑寅玄　貴空勾陰　比　癸巳　空　蛇戌　卯常　亥巳未丑　鬼　丁亥　貴　朱酉　辰虎　巳亥丑丁　比　癸巳　空　六申未午巳空　勾龍

This is a "Fan Yin" chart, where the Heaven Plate advances six positions ahead of the Earth Plate, with each branch opposing another: on the Earth Plate's巳, 午, 未, and 申, the Heaven Plate has 亥, 子, 丑, and 寅; on the Earth Plate's 酉 and 戌, the Heaven Plate has 卯 and 辰; on the Earth Plate's 亥, 子, 丑, and 寅, the Heaven Plate has巳, 午, 未, and 申; on the Earth Plate's 卯 and 辰, the Heaven Plate has 酉 and 戌. The heavenly generals are: 亥 rides the Nobleman, 子 rides the Heavenly Empress, 丑 rides Tai Yin, 寅 rides the Black Tortoise, 卯 rides Tai Chang, 辰 rides the White Tiger, 巳 rides Tian Kong, 午 rides the Azure Dragon, 未 rides Gou Chen, 申 rides Liu He, 酉 rides the Vermilion Bird, 戌 rides Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem 丁 (with its lodging palace at 未) with 丑, riding Tai Yin; the second lesson has 丑 with 未, riding Gou Chen; the third lesson has the Day Branch 亥 with 巳, riding Tian Kong; the fourth lesson has 巳 with 亥, riding the Nobleman. The three transmissions are 巳—亥—巳: the initial and final 巳 both hide癸, which is a fellow, riding Tian Kong and falling into the empty term; the middle transmission 亥 hides 丁, which is an official ghost, riding the Nobleman.

斷：官必降罰，職必更改。曰：目今朝廷責之，已過當矣，矧又重其責乎？曰：龍神克戰，課將返吟，居官定難滿任，況巳為驛馬，上乘皇詔，主一任未了，二任又臨。曰：比更職無疑。及以降三級回首，不准；降五級，又不准；擬降別衙門，然後依擬。

The interpretation states: This official is certainly going to be demoted and his position definitely changed. Someone says: The court's punishment is already too severe now, how can it be made worse? The response is: The Azure Dragon is being overcome and there is a battle, and the lesson pattern is reverse repetition, so it is certain that the official will not complete his term in office; moreover, the branch of Si is the Post-horse, and there is a royal decree riding upon it, indicating that the first term is not yet finished and the second term has already arrived. Therefore, changing the position is certain. Later, the decision was made: demotion by three ranks was not approved; demotion by five ranks was also not approved; instead, the suggestion to transfer him to another office was approved.

乾隆丁卯年辰月丁亥日戌將辰時占訟。　　牧夫占驗

In the year Dingmao of the Qianlong era, third lunar month, on the day Dinghai, with the hour of Chen and the general of Xu, a divination was made regarding legal matters. It is from Wang Mufu's "Zhanyan."

後陰　貴亥子丑寅玄　貴空勾陰　比　癸巳　空　蛇戌　卯常　亥巳未丑　鬼　丁亥　貴　朱酉　辰虎　巳亥丑丁　比　癸巳　空　六申未午巳空　勾龍

The lesson plate is the same as the previous case, still a reverse transmission: the Heaven Plate advances six positions ahead of the Earth Plate, and the branches of the Heaven Plate on each Earth Plate position are in opposition. The Heavenly General is亥 (Heavenly Pig) with the Nobleman, 子 (Heavenly Rat) with the Heavenly Empress, 丑 (Heavenly Ox) with Tai Yin, 寅 (Heavenly Tiger) with Black Tortoise, 卯 (Heavenly Rabbit) with Tai Chang, 辰 (Heavenly Dragon) with White Tiger, 巳 (Heavenly Snake) with Tian Kong, 午 (Heavenly Horse) with Azure Dragon, 未 (Heavenly Goat) with Gou Chen, 申 (Heavenly Monkey) with Liu He, 酉 (Heavenly Rooster) with Vermilion Bird, 戌 (Heavenly Dog) with Teng Snake. The four lessons are: 丁 (Ding) (lodging in 未) on 丑 (Chou) with Tai Yin, 丑 (Chou) on 未 (Wei) with Gou Chen, the day branch 亥 (Hai) on 巳 (Si) with Tian Kong, and 巳 (Si) on 亥 (Hai) with the Nobleman. The three transmissions are: 巳 (Si) (same rank, Tian Kong, falling into the empty period) — 亥 (Hai) (official ghost, Nobleman) — 巳 (Si) (same rank, Tian Kong, falling into the empty period).

王牧夫曰：訟田地乎？曰：然，何以知之？曰：丁動逢丑未，是以知之。以丑未為田園，故也。其訟有四年矣，以巳亥反覆，皆四數也。曰：四月其歸結之月科？始於巳而終於巳也。何以知其歸結？鬼臨旬尾，官災不起，是以知之。果結於四月。

Wang Mufu asked: Are you involved in a dispute over land? The attendant replied: Exactly, how do you know? Answer: Because on a Ding day, the movement is met by the two earth branches, Chou and Wei, which both represent fields. This lawsuit has been going on for four years, because the branches Si and Hai have been coming and going repeatedly, which correspond to the number four. Wang Mufu then said: April is probably the month when the matter will be settled, because this divination starts with Si and ends with Si. Why do you know it will be settled? Because the official ghost is located at the end of the ten-day period, meaning that official troubles will not arise again, thus knowing it will be settled. Later, it indeed concluded in April.

崇正丁丑年二月十七丁亥日亥將巳時金壇荊君諱庭實占會試。　郭氏占驗

In the second month of the Dingchou year of the Chongzhen era, on the 17th day of Dinghai, when the亥 hour was combined with the巳 hour, Jingtingshi of Jintan divined the imperial examination. It is cited from Guo Yuqing's "Zhanyan."

後陰　貴亥子丑寅玄　貴空勾陰　比　癸巳　空　蛇戌　卯常　亥巳未丑　鬼　丁亥　貴　朱酉　辰虎　巳亥丑丁　比　癸巳　空　六申未午巳空　勾龍

The lesson plate remains the same as in the previous two cases, forming a returning echo plate: the Heaven Plate advances smoothly through six positions, conflicting with each Earth Plate branch. The Heavenly General is亥 (Hai) riding the Nobleman, 子 (Zi) riding the Heavenly Empress, 丑 (Chou) riding Tai Yin, 寅 (Yin) riding the Black Tortoise, 卯 (Mao) riding Tai Chang, 辰 (Chen) riding the White Tiger, 巳 (Si) riding Tian Kong, 午 (Wu) riding the Azure Dragon, 未 (Wei) riding Gou Chen, 申 (Shen) riding Liu He, 酉 (You) riding the Vermilion Bird, 戌 (Xu) riding Teng Snake. The four lessons are 丁 (Ding) on 丑 (Chou) (Tai Yin), 丑 (Chou) on 未 (Wei) (Gou Chen), the day branch 亥 (Hai) on 巳 (Si) (Tian Kong), and 巳 (Si) on 亥 (Hai) (Nobleman). The three transmissions are 巳 (Si) - 亥 (Hai) - 巳 (Si), with both the first and final transmissions falling into the旬空 (decade void).

郭御青曰：凡得返吟即主反覆。馬動而臨絕地，年上乘墓，戌作騰蛇，主有驚礙事，課傳又無簾幕，未敢許中也，果然。

Guo Yüqing said: Whenever a return echo lesson occurs, it indicates that matters will be reversed. The post-horse is moving but is located in the绝地, the year pillar is riding on the Tomb Spirit, and the戌 is also riding on the Teng Snake, indicating there will be matters of fear and obstruction; the lesson and the three transmissions do not have curtain and nobleman, so he is not allowed to pass the examination. Later, he indeed failed.

二月丁亥日戌將卯時王寺丞占兵士往饒州取馬何故未回？　　方本占案

On the Dinghai day of the second month, with the Xu general added to the Mao hour, Wang Shizheng consulted about why the soldiers sent to retrieve horses in Raozhou had not yet returned. This is from the Fangshi edition of "Zhan An."

朱六　蛇子丑寅卯陳　貴亥　辰龍　朱虎陰六　兄　空午　虎　后戌　巳空　丑午酉寅　子　己丑　朱　陰酉申未午虎　午亥寅丁　財　甲申　玄　玄常

The Heaven Plate advances seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earthly Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate takes the positions of子,丑,寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥 in order. The heavenly generals corresponding to these positions are Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, and Nobleman. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is丁 (with its lodging palace at未) with the position寅 and the general Liu He; the second lesson is寅 with the position酉 and the general Tai Yin; the third lesson is the day branch亥 with the position午 and the general White Tiger; the fourth lesson is午 with the position丑 and the general Vermilion Bird. The three transmissions are午,丑,申: the first transmission is午 falling into the void (recorded as "empty午"), representing a brother, with the general White Tiger; the second transmission is丑 with the hidden己, representing a son and grandson, with the general Vermilion Bird; the third transmission is申 with the hidden Dun Jia, representing a wife and wealth, with the general Black Tortoise.

邵彥和曰：其馬必遭虎傷而死。蓋午為馬，乘虎加亥發用。以午自刑而加自刑，上又被亥克故也。後五日，兵士果來報曰：前日，馬上山食草，被虎所噬。

Shao Yanhe said: The horse must have been bitten and killed by a tiger. Because the horse is represented by Wu, and Wu is combined with the White Tiger and applied to Hai, initiating the transmission; Wu itself is a self-punishing branch, and it is also applied to another self-punishing branch Hai, and it is further overcome by the water of Hai above. Five days later, soldiers indeed reported: a few days ago, the horse was eating grass on the mountain and was bitten and killed by a tiger.

癸酉年十月丁亥日寅將未時占產期。　　　郭氏占案

On the Dinghai day of the Guiyou year, in the tenth lunar month, with the寅 (Yin) general added to the Wei (Wei) hour, the divination concerns the date of childbirth. It is from Guo Yucheng's "Zhan An."

蛇朱合勾　子丑寅卯　朱虎陰合　兄　◎午　虎　貴亥　辰龍　丑午酉寅　子　己丑　朱　后戌　巳空　午亥寅丁　財　甲申　玄　酉申未午　陰玄常虎

The divination chart and the previous case (Wang Shicao's horse divination) share the same pattern. The Heaven Plate moves seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The Earth Plate, starting from巳, sequentially receives the Heaven Plate's positions: 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥. The heavenly generals accompanying these positions are: Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, Nobleman. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丁 (with its lodging palace at 未), with 寅 and accompanied by Liu He; the second lesson is 寅, with 酉 and accompanied by Nobleman; the third lesson is on the day branch 亥, with 午 and accompanied by White Tiger; the fourth lesson is on 午, with 戌 and accompanied by Vermilion Bird. The three transmissions are 午, 戌, 申: the first transmission is 午, which falls in the empty position (marked as 「◎午」), representing a brother, accompanied by White Tiger; the middle transmission is 戌, representing a son and grandson, accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is 申, representing a wife and fortune, accompanied by Black Tortoise.

郭御青曰：干上寅，支上午，必戌日生。寅為干之長生，六合生兒之象，後果於戌日申時生子，就末傳之申字也。

Guo Yuqing said: The day stem is寅, and the day branch is午. The Yin-Wu-Xu Fire triad is missing the Xu, so the child must be born on the Xu day.寅 is the growth place for the Ding day stem, and the Liu He is on寅, which is a sign of giving birth. Later, the child was indeed born on the Xu day at the hour of Shen. The hour of birth corresponds to the final transmission's character Shen.

丁丑年二月丁亥日亥將卯時宗成弢占周簡臣諱銓會試中否。　　郭氏占案

On the day of Dinghai in the second lunar month of the year Dingchou, when the hour of Hai was added to the hour of Mao, Zong Chengtao divined whether Zhou Jianchen (whose name was Quan) would pass the imperial examination. This is from Guo Yuting's "Zhan An."

朱合勾龍　丑寅卯辰　勾常貴勾　子　◎未　常　蛇子　巳空　卯未亥卯　父　辛卯　勾　貴亥　午虎　未亥卯丁　鬼　丁亥　貴　戌酉申未　后陰玄常

The Heaven Plate advances eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earthly Branches of巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, the Heaven Plate respectively occupies 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, 子. The corresponding Heavenly Generals are Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, Nobleman, and Teng Snake. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is 丁 (with its Lodging Palace at 未) with the branch 卯, accompanied by Gou Chen; the second lesson is 卯 with the branch 亥, accompanied by Nobleman; the third lesson is the Day Branch 亥 with the branch 未, accompanied by Tai Chang; the fourth lesson is 未 with the branch 卯, accompanied by Gou Chen. The Three Transmissions are 未—卯—亥: the first transmission is 未 falling into the empty position (marked as 「◎未」), representing the son's branch, accompanied by Tai Chang; the middle transmission is 卯 with the hidden 辛, representing the parent's branch, accompanied by Gou Chen; the final transmission is 亥 with the hidden 丁, representing the official ghost's branch, accompanied by Nobleman. The combination of 亥, 卯, and 未 forms a Wood Triple Harmony.

郭御青曰：余初斷此課發用旬空不成木局生日，無簾幕驛馬，未敢深許。及中後，細詳課情，未臨本命可以填空（愚按：此說非也，若未是本命或可填空，今木臨本命安可填空耶），卯為月建亦可填空，會成木局，則能生日，行年乘子為丁日福星，騰蛇臨辰象龍，此中之大端也，餘於此進一識也。

Guo Yuqing said: At first, when I divined this lesson, since the initiating transmission was in the empty旬 (wuxun) and could not form a wood pattern to benefit the day stem, and there was no curtain and nobleman or post-horse, I dared not give a deep interpretation. Later, after he passed the examination, I re-examined the lesson: the "wei" was on his birth destiny, which could fill the empty wuxun (kongwang). (Cheng Shuxun remarked: this statement is incorrect. If "wei" is the birth destiny, or it could fill the empty wuxun; now, if wood is on the birth destiny, how can it fill the empty wuxun?) "Mao" is also the month builder, which can fill the empty wuxun. Once the empty wuxun is filled, it will form a wood pattern to benefit the day stem. The year of action has "zi" as its upper rider, and "zi" is the good star for a "ding" day; the Teng Snake is on "chen" and takes the dragon image. These are the key points, and through this, I have gained another level of understanding.

吳稼云曰：此劉上支傳課，無不相會，且成木局值時，是即會試成進士之確應也，郭君所評，甚為迂謬。愚按：此課木局生日，妙在得時，初傳空亡，妙在末傳不空，且作貴人日德、歲德，何故郭君未之言及也？此案似不應入選，因郭君直書而不諱，故登之以表其直焉。且見此等課象皆必中之兆也，若秋令得此鞏未必然。又按：年月日時及三傳四課皆會三合，更值春季卯木正旺之時，安得不中乎？

Wu Jiayun said: In this case, the day and its branch, along with the three transmissions, all conjoin with each other, forming a wood pattern at the right time, which is indeed an indication of success in the imperial examination and becoming a jinshi. Guo's judgment is very absurd. Cheng Shuxun remarked: In this case, the wood pattern is favorable because it is in season; although the first transmission falls into kongwang, it is favorable because the final transmission does not fall into kongwang, and it is also accompanied by the nobleman, and it is both the day's virtue and the annual virtue. Why didn't Guo mention this aspect? This case should not have been selected, but since Guo wrote it honestly without any concealment, it is included here to commend his straightforwardness. Moreover, it shows that such divination patterns are certainly signs of success. If such a pattern were obtained in autumn, it might not be the case (the original text says 'gong' instead of 'kong'). Furthermore, it is noted that the year, month, day, hour, and the three transmissions and four lessons all form a triple harmony, and it is exactly the time when the卯 wood is in its prime. How could one not succeed?

己酉年八月丁亥日辰將未時傅清欽乙亥生三十五歲占出外謁貴。　　一針見血

In the Jiyou year, eighth lunar month, on the Dinghai day, at the time of Chen zodiac hour added to Wei, Fu Qingqin, born in the Yihai year, aged thirty-five, divined about going out to visit a nobleman. This comes from "Liuren Yizhen Jianxue."

勾青　六寅卯辰巳空　空玄朱龍　比　癸巳　空　朱丑　午虎　巳申丑辰　父　庚寅　六　蛇子　未常　申亥辰丁　鬼　丁亥　貴　貴亥戌酉申玄　后陰

The Heaven Plate advances nine positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earthly Branches of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate takes the positions of寅,卯,辰,巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑 in order. The Heavenly Generals corresponding to these positions are Liu He, Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, Nobleman, Teng Snake, and Vermilion Bird. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is丁 (with its lodging palace at未) with the position of辰, accompanied by Azure Dragon; the second lesson is on辰 with the position of丑, accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the third lesson is on the Day Branch亥 with the position of申, accompanied by Black Tortoise; the fourth lesson is on申 with the position of巳, accompanied by Tian Kong. The Three Transmissions are巳,寅,亥: the first transmission is巳 with癸 hidden, representing a fellow, accompanied by Tian Kong and falling into the empty term; the second transmission is寅 with庚 hidden, representing parents, accompanied by Liu He; the third transmission is亥 with丁 hidden, representing official ghost, accompanied by Nobleman.

邵彥和曰：天罡作青龍，真斬關卦，必至出行。但求遠在近，求久在邇，徒然千里之外，只在目睫之間。傅云：我往道州見太守，乃姑丈。曰：爾即往見彼，而思人在近側耳。求遠得近，但看造物何如耳？傅往道州，姑丈卻與一書，薦在本州汪通判處就館。得二百貫錢。蓋天罡青龍，千里無蹤，故主遠出。時上發用，傳歸父母，卻在近宅，末又歸在父母，皆歸本鄉也。

Shao Yanhe said: When Tiangang (Chen) is above Qinglong, it is a true "Zhangguan" divination, which definitely indicates a journey away from home. However, the matter sought at a distance will actually be near at hand, and matters that seem long-term will be seen right before one's eyes. One might think they need to travel thousands of miles, but in reality, it is just within sight. Fu Qingqin said: I want to go to Daozhou to see the prefect. That is my maternal uncle. Shao said: Go see him, but remember that the person who will help you is nearby. Seeking far leads to near, and see how fate arranges things. Later, Fu Qingqin arrived in Daozhou, and his maternal uncle gave him a letter recommending him to stay at the home of Wang Tongpan in the same state, where he earned two hundred guan. Therefore, this divination is interpreted as: Tiangang riding Qinglong indicates absence from a thousand miles, thus indicating a long journey; however, when considering the divination, the initiating transmission and the three transmissions return to the parents' hexagram, which is near home, and the final transmission also returns to the parents, indicating returning to one's native place.

崇正十五年九月丁亥日丁未時，予住埂子街，一僧人偕十餘人相顧，丙午命人索占。 指南

In the 15th year of the Chongzhen era, ninth month, on the Dinghai day and Bingwu hour, I was living on Gengzi Street. A monk came with more than ten people to see me, among whom a person whose birth year was Bingwu asked for a divination. It is from the Six壬 Guide.

勾青　六寅卯辰巳空　空玄朱龍　比　癸巳　空　朱丑　午虎　巳申丑辰　父　庚寅　六　蛇子　未常　申亥辰丁　鬼　丁亥　貴　貴亥戌酉申玄　后陰

The lesson board is the same as the previous case: the Heaven Plate moves forward nine positions in order, and the Earth Plate starts from Si and proceeds in sequence to Chen, taking the Heaven Plate positions of Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Zi, and Chou. The heavenly generals accompanying each position are Liu He, Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, Nobleman, Teng Snake, and Vermilion Bird. The four lessons are: Ding (in the lodging palace Wei) on Chen with Azure Dragon, Chen on Chou with Vermilion Bird, the day branch Hai on Shen with Black Tortoise, and Shen on Si with Tian Kong. The three transmissions are Si (same as self, Tian Kong, falling into the empty period) - Yin (parents, Liu He) - Hai (official ghost, Nobleman).

陳公獻曰：來意必為功名，公乃未年甲榜。曰然。蓋因貴德官星臨年，月將青龍居丁，且羊角相加，故應未年高第。曰：該做京官做外官。曰：歲居干後，日生青龍，理宜先京城而後外任；嫌身祿不得地。此去身不安而祿不養，況歲君臨嗔怒之所，此番當為國家起見耳。後知為吳門錢大鶴先生也。李賊破京遂歸。

Chen Gongxian said: Your intention must surely be for fame and official rank. Are you an imperial examiner who passed the examination in the year of Wei? The person replied: Yes. This conclusion was reached because the Nobleman, the Deity God, and the Official Star all fell on the person's birth year. The Month General also rode the Azure Dragon and occupied the Lodging Palace of Ding. Moreover, the image of "Goat Horns Added Together" was present, so he should pass the examination in the year of Wei. The person then asked: Should he take an office in the capital or an appointment in the provinces? The answer was: The Sovereign Year is located behind the Day Stem, and the Day Stem generates the Azure Dragon. By reasoning, he should first serve in the capital and then take an appointment in the provinces. However, the problem is that both his body and his official rank are not in a favorable position. This journey will be one of instability and lack of sustenance. Moreover, the Sovereign Year is located in the position of anger, so this trip will be for a matter of state importance. Later it was known that he was the Mr. Qian Dachuo from the Wu Gate. When Li Zicheng captured the capital, he returned to his hometown.

來意占功名者，以時起三傳，陰神辰為月將青龍，干生龍，主人追求官階。羊角相加者，辰未相加也，《類纂》云“辰未加臨解首逢”，以羊角合為解字故也。未年上見月將青龍，《指掌賦》曰“月將青龍，片言入相”，陰神又見朱雀，文學之象，故主未年高第。凡占功名，干支空大為不利。今丁寄宮未空。又不宜祿空，今午祿又空。故曰“嫌身祿不得地”以空，兼之午虎祿臨酉死地，日未臨戌入地網，此皆不利之徵。

Divining the intention of the person is about seeking official rank, based on the fact that this divination begins with the three transmissions from the time of divination. The hidden spirit of the hour is the month general and rides the azure dragon. The day stem generates the azure dragon, indicating the person's pursuit of official position. The phrase "sheep horn adding together" refers to the combination of the hour of the dragon and the hour of the goat. The "Classified Collection" states "the dragon and goat adding together resolve the first encounter," because the characters "sheep" and "horn" together form the character "resolve" (as in "resolve chief" and "resolve first"). The hour of the goat sees the month general and the azure dragon, and the "Handbook of Divination" says "the month general and the azure dragon, a single word leads to becoming prime minister." The hidden spirit also sees the vermilion bird, which is an image of literature, so it indicates success in the year of the goat. In general, when divining official rank, the day stem and day branch falling into the void is very unfavorable. Now the day stem, which is ding, is in the lodging palace of the goat, which is exactly the void. Also, it is not favorable for the禄神 (lucky god) to fall into the void. Now the hour of the horse, which is the禄神, also falls into the void, so it is said "dislike the body and禄神 not being in a proper position," which is exactly for this void. Moreover, the hour of the horse is ridden by the white tiger, and the禄神 is in the hour of the rooster, which is a dead position. The lodging palace of the day stem, which is the goat, also meets the hour of the dog and enters the web of the earth, all of which are ominous signs.

崇正丁丑年二月十七丁亥日亥將寅時金壇張君公亮占會試。　　郭氏占案

In the second month of the Dingchou year of the Chongzhen era, on the 17th day of Dinghai, at the time when the亥trigram is added to the寅trigram, Zhang Gongliang from Jintan divined the imperial examination. This is from Guo Yuqing's "Divination Cases."

勾青　六寅卯辰巳空　空玄朱龍　比　癸巳　空　朱丑　午虎　巳申丑辰　父　庚寅　六　蛇子　未常　申亥辰丁　鬼　丁亥　貴　貴亥戌酉申玄　后陰

The lesson plate is the same as the previous two cases (the Heaven Plate advances nine positions ahead of the Earth Plate). The Earth Plate from Si to Chen successively receives the Heaven Plate positions of Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Zi, and Chou. The Heavenly Generals in sequence are Liu He, Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, Heavenly Empress, Nobleman, Teng Snake, and Vermilion Bird. The four lessons are: Ding on Chen with Azure Dragon, Chen on Chou with Vermilion Bird, Day Branch Hai with Shen and Black Tortoise, and Shen with Si and Tian Kong. The three transmissions are Si (same rank, with Tian Kong, falling into the empty term) - Yin (parents, with Liu He) - Hai (official ghost, with Nobleman).

郭御青曰：初傳巳，為本日、行年、月建三馬。中傳寅為命馬，支上申為時馬、天馬，末傳亥為贈馬。真七馬聚會，又三傳自下遞生，干上青龍，末傳上貴人，初天空旺相，天空見貴人為奏書之神，但無簾幕，即斷為十名以外之魁，定在瀛洲之內。餘占東南名公數十人，獨許張君高列，已而果然。

Guo Yuqing said: The first transmission is the horse of the current day, the horse of the current year, and the horse of the month builder, thus three horses in one person; the middle transmission is the horse of the birth destiny; the shen on the day branch is the horse of the time of divination and the heavenly horse; the final transmission is the gift horse. Truly, seven horses gather together. The three transmissions also follow each other in sequence, with the day stem riding the azure dragon, and the final transmission riding the nobleman. The first transmission is the sky void, which is in the prosperous and strong phase. The sky void meeting the nobleman is the spirit of "presenting a memorial." However, there is no curtain nobleman, so his rank is outside the top ten but he is the top of the first list, ultimately stable within Yingzhou (sure to pass the imperial examination). I divined the metropolitan examination for dozens of scholars in the southeast, only Zhang Jun was ranked high, and indeed it turned out to be so.

戊申年正月丁亥日，子將寅時，王解元辛丑生（生於九月二十作日辰時），六十八歲，占終身。方本占案。

In the year of Wushen, during the first lunar month, on a day of Dinghai, the子 (rat) hour was added to the寅 (tiger) hour. Wang Jiayuan, born in the year of Xinchou, on the twentieth day of the ninth lunar month at a辰 (dragon) hour, consulted about his entire life. This comes from the Fang family edition of the "Zhan An."

虎常　空卯辰巳午玄　龍寅　未陰　陰貴空常　財　乙酉　貴　陳丑　申后　未酉卯巳　子　空未　陰　六子亥戌酉貴　酉亥巳丁　兄　癸巳　常　朱蛇

The Heaven Plate advances ten positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions of巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅,卯,辰, the Heaven Plate positions are in sequence卯,辰,巳,午,未,申,酉,戌,亥,子,丑,寅. The corresponding Heavenly Generals are Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Tian Hou, Gui Ren, Teng Sha, Zhu Que, Liu He, Gou Chen, Qing Long. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is丁 (with its lodging palace at未) with巳, accompanied by Tai Chang; the second lesson is巳 with卯, accompanied by Tian Kong; the third lesson is on the day branch亥 with酉, accompanied by Gui Ren; the fourth lesson is on酉 with未, accompanied by Tai Yin. The Three Transmissions are酉,未,巳: the first transmission is酉 with the hidden character乙, representing wife wealth, accompanied by Gui Ren; the second transmission is未, which falls into the empty position (recorded as 'empty 未'), representing son and grandson, accompanied by Tai Yin; the third transmission is巳 with the hidden character癸, representing brother, accompanied by Tai Chang.

邵彥和曰：主外人有服者，來爭家財，我終被他所擾，而入不明之地，且受太陰之抑。蓋酉作貴登天門，乃夜貴用事，是不明也。酉即太陰，太了酉互相掩蔽，終於失理，行年上太陰門戶亦主分破，況身宅三傳行年皆在陰上，正是不利之年，七十歲必死矣。

Shao Yanhe said: There is a person of a different surname who is currently in mourning and is competing for the family's wealth. My side will ultimately be disturbed by him, ending up in a state of ambiguity and confusion, and will also suffer from the suppression of Tai Yin. Because the hour of You is the nobleman's entry into the heavenly gate, and it is the night when the nobleman is in charge, so it is dark and unclear; the You itself belongs to Tai Yin, and Tai Yin and You (the original text says 'too', which should be a mistake for 'Tai Yin') mutually obscure each other, eventually leading to a loss of reason. The year of the person is on Tai Yin's gate, which also indicates the division and damage of the family. Moreover, the self, the house, the three transmissions, and the year all fall on the yin position, which is a year of disadvantage. He will certainly die at the age of seventy.

何以見外人有服者入宅爭財？蓋巳作太常乘馬加干故也。太常巳未土入本家，乃家人也。丁，我也。丁被巳乘馬逼身而來，丁遂加酉上托於今日陰貴人用事，誰知陰貴人入宅卻是破碎，宅反為他所破。且太陰乘未加酉，未即丁身，是我為他所蔽，陰翳不明。陰貴加陽貴上，陽貴為今日之鬼，又是不明，又自陽貴上發傳，終歷陰貴而末傳仍歸我身上，依舊作支破（沖支為破）。當主爐灶敗壞。巳之本家，又見卯作天空，必至門戶分破也。

How do we know that a person from another family with mourning clothes enters the house to fight over wealth? Because the Si is riding on Tai Chang and also riding on the Post-horse, and it is added to the day stem. Tai Chang belongs to earth, and both Si and Wei are also earth, so they enter the family, which is the image of family members. The Ding is myself. The Ding is forced upon by the Si and the horse, so the Ding is added to the You. It relies on the today's Yin Nobleman for protection. But the Yin Nobleman entering the house brings the Posui Sha (Broken Star), and the house is actually broken by him. Moreover, the Taiyin (Great Yin) is riding on Wei and is added to the You. The Wei is the self of the Ding, so I am covered by him, and the shadow is unclear. The Yin Nobleman is added on top of the Yang Nobleman, and the Yang Nobleman is today's official ghost, which is also unclear. It starts from the Yang Nobleman, passes through the Yin Nobleman, and the final transmission still returns to my own self, which again causes the day branch to be broken (a conflict with the day branch is considered breaking). Therefore, the stove is ruined. The original position of Si also sees the Mao riding on Tian Kong, which definitely leads to the door being split and damaged.

王有一弟，少年與人為子，己酉年其父死，弟乘服未滿歸宗，六月入狀，爭分家財。王托鄉紳徐通判料理，竟為徐所騙用，仍舊分給與弟，將中門拆斷作兩處。廚灶皆壞。此事戊申年何故不發？至己酉年四月方發耶。蓋戊申陽年雖六陰全而不能舉，己酉年故發也。己酉年十月分定，仍是徐通判調停，酉貴作破碎加亥故也。

Wang Jieyuan had a younger brother who was adopted by another family at a young age. In the year Jiyou, their father died, and the younger brother took advantage of the fact that his mourning period was not yet complete to return to his original family. In June, he filed a lawsuit to claim his share of the family property. Wang Jieyuan asked the local magistrate Xu Tongpan to handle the matter, but was instead deceived by Xu, who used the family's wealth. The property was still divided between the brothers, and the main gate was broken down to separate the house into two parts, with the kitchen and stove also destroyed. Why did this incident not occur in the year Wushen, but only in the fourth month of the year Jiyou? Because Wushen is a yang year, and although all six yin elements are present, it could not be activated. It only occurred in the year Jiyou. In the tenth month of the year Jiyou, the property was divided again, and Xu Tongpan still mediated between them, because the nobleman associated with the metal element of You carries a broken calamity that affects the water element of Hai.

同年月日時，邵氏丁巳生，五十二歲，占家宅，同得此課。（口鑑）

The same example of Wang Jieyuan's divination for his entire life was again used, this time with the same戊申 year, 正月, 丁亥 day, and 寅 hour, with no change in the year, month, day, or hour. This time, however, the divination was for Shao's case, who was born in Dingsi year, aged fifty-two, and asked about the household. The same divination chart was obtained. Although the person and the matter being asked were different, the divine elements used changed accordingly, resulting in a completely different interpretation. In the previous case, it was about a relative from another family contesting the family property, while in this case, it concerned a woman's illness, the household, servants, and disputes. This example is taken from the "Kou Jian."

虎常 空卯辰巳午玄 龍寅 未陰 陰貴空常 財乙酉貴 陳丑 申后 未酉卯巳 子空未陰 六子亥戌酉貴 酉亥巳丁 兄癸巳常 朱蛇

This chart is cast with the month general placed on the寅 (Yin) hour. The heaven plate is two positions behind the earth plate. The heavenly generals riding on the twelve earthly branches in sequence are: Zi (mouse) rides Liu He (Six Harmonies), Chou (ox) rides Gou Chen (Hook Star, written as "Chen" in the chart), Yin (tiger) rides Qing Long (Azure Dragon), Mao (rabbit) rides Tian Kong (Heavenly Void), Chen (dragon) rides Bai Hu (White Tiger), Si (snake) rides Tai Chang (Great Constancy), Wu (horse) rides Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise), Wei (goat) rides Tai Yin (Great Yin), Shen (monkey) rides Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress), You (rooster) rides Gui Ren (Nobleman), Xu (dog) rides Teng Snake, and Hai (pig) rides Zhu Que (Vermilion Bird). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Ding (Ding) lodging in Wei (goat), with the branch巳 (snake) on Wei, which rides Tai Chang; the second lesson has the branch卯 (rabbit) on巳, which rides Tian Kong; the third lesson has the day branch Hai (pig) with the branch酉 (rooster) on Hai, which rides Gui Ren; the fourth lesson has the branch未 (goat) on酉, which rides Tai Yin. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is酉 (rooster), with the hidden stem Yi You (Yi You), riding Gui Ren, representing wife and wealth in the day stem Ding fire; the middle transmission is未 (goat), which is in the empty position of the Jiashen (Jia Shen) ten-day cycle, riding Tai Yin, representing son and daughter; the final transmission is巳 (snake), with the hidden stem Gui Si (Gui Si), riding Tai Chang, representing brother and sister. The three transmissions酉 (rooster), 未 (goat), and巳 (snake) each retreat one position and are separated by one branch, forming the pattern of retreat in the intermediate transmission.

邵彥和曰：此課名彈射，一主婦人患血氣，二主門戶不寧，三主婢妾出走，四主家主患口齒之疾，此課可改門戶，不然則口舌立至矣。至五月十五日，己丑皆應。

Shao Yanhe said: The pattern of this lesson is called "Spring Shooting." From this we can determine four things: first, the wife in the family will suffer from a blood condition; second, the household will not be peaceful; third, the female servants and concubines will run away; fourth, the head of the family will suffer from mouth and tooth illness. The remedy is to change the entrance of the house, otherwise, disputes and words will come immediately. On the fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month, which is Jichou, all four things will come true. Analyzing the divination board, the卯 is originally the god of the door and gate, but now it is riding on Tian Kong, which governs loss and waste, hence the household is not peaceful; Tai Yin usually governs servants and concubines, but now it is on the position of Wei, which is in the旬空, so when a person is in the empty position, they will leave, hence the servants and concubines will run away; Zhu Que governs disputes and documents, and it is now riding on the亥, which is the day branch, hence there will be illness of the mouth and teeth and disputes. The so-called changing the entrance means to avoid the卯 position where Tian Kong is located and open another door.

二月丁亥日戌將亥時占生產。（直指引古鑑）

On the Dinghai day in the second lunar month, the lesson is cast by placing the Month General Wu on the亥 hour, to divinate about childbirth. This example is found in the "Liu Ren Zhi Zhi," and the "Zhi Zhi" is derived from the old version of "Gu Jian."

龍勾合朱 辰巳午未 貴后勾合 子丙戌后 空卯 申蛇 酉戌巳午 財乙酉貴 虎寅 酉貴 戌亥午丁 財甲申蛇 丑子亥戌 常玄陰后

This chart is cast with the month general Wu added to the hour Hai. The Heaven Plate is one position behind the Earth Plate. The Heavenly Generals on the Heaven Plate's twelve branches are: Zi with Black Tortoise, Chou with Tai Chang, Yin with White Tiger, Mao with Tian Kong, Chen with Azure Dragon, Si with Gou Chen, Wu with Liu He, Wei with Vermilion Bird, Shen with Teng Snake, You with Nobleman, Xu with Heavenly Empress, and Hai with Tai Yin. The hour Hai belongs to night, so the night nobleman You is used for the day stem Ding. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ding lodging in the palace Wei, with Wei getting Wu, which is governed by Liu He; the second lesson is Wu getting Si, which is governed by Gou Chen; the third lesson is the day branch Hai getting Xu, which is governed by Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson is Xu getting You, which is governed by Nobleman. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Bing Xu, governed by Heavenly Empress, representing a son or daughter; the middle transmission is You, with the hidden stem Yi You, governed by Nobleman, representing wife or wealth; the final transmission is Shen, with the hidden stem Jia Shen, governed by Teng Snake, also representing wife or wealth. The sequence of Xu, You, Shen retreats one step each time, forming the pattern of retreat.

邵彥和曰：占時與日比，用神克下，當生男。亥為頭，戌為足，鞏有倒生之象。末傳蛇對沖寅，寅作白虎為血忌（血忌當作血支）加卯上，卯日當生矣，果驗。

Shao Yanhe said: When casting the divination chart at the hour of Hai, the day branch Hai harmonizes with the hour. The first transmission is Xu placed on top of Hai, which is the upper god overcoming the lower god, indicating a yang yang appearance, which should mean a male child. Hai on the human body represents the head, and Xu represents the foot. Now the foot is placed on top of the head, which is likely to indicate a breech birth, where the fetus's feet come out first. The final transmission is Shen riding Teng Snake, Shen directly opposing Yin, and Yin is occupied by White Tiger, which is the blood taboo god. Yin is also placed on top of Mao, so it is determined that the child will be born on the day of Mao. Later, it indeed came true.

七月丁亥日巳將午時占來意。（一字訣玉連環）

On the Dinghai day of the seventh month, using the Snake (巳) as the Month General added to the hour of the Horse (午) to cast the divination, the diviner predicts the "coming intention" — that is, before the person even speaks, the divination reveals the purpose of their coming. This example comes from "The One-Character诀 Yulianhuan." Then three people come to consult, using the same divination board, because their years and ages are different, and the matters they inquire about are different, the spirits used for interpretation vary, thus resulting in three completely unrelated predictions.

空虎 龍辰巳午未常 陰后空虎 子丙戌后 勾卯 申玄 酉戌巳午 財乙酉陰 合寅 酉陰 戌亥午丁 財甲申玄 朱丑子亥戌后 蛇貴

This chart is cast with the month general at巳, placed on the午 hour. The heaven plate is one position behind the earth plate. The午 hour belongs to the day, so the daytime nobleman is亥. The nobleman is located at the子 position on the earth plate and moves in the clockwise direction. Therefore, the heavenly generals on the twelve earthly branches are:亥 with the nobleman,子 with the teng snake,丑 with the vermilion bird,寅 with the liu he,卯 with the gou chen,辰 with the azure dragon,巳 with the tian kong,午 with the white tiger,未 with the tai chang,申 with the black tortoise,酉 with the tai yin, and戌 with the heavenly empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem丁, which lodges in the palace of未, and at未 there is午, which is乘 by the white tiger; the second lesson is at午, which has巳, which is乘 by the tian kong; the third lesson is at the day branch亥, which has戌, which is乘 by the heavenly empress; the fourth lesson is at戌, which has酉, which is乘 by the tai yin. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is戌, with the hidden stem Bingxu,乘 by the heavenly empress, representing the son; the middle transmission is酉, with the hidden stem Yiyou,乘 by the tai yin, representing the wife's wealth; the final transmission is申, with the hidden stem甲申,乘 by the black tortoise, also representing the wife's wealth. The four lessons and three transmissions of this chart are exactly the same as the previous example of a divination for childbirth in the second month, only this one is cast at the午 hour using the daytime nobleman, while the previous one was cast at the亥 hour using the night nobleman. As a result, the entire set of heavenly generals changes, showing that the distinction between day and night is of great importance in the Six Rats system.

徐次賓曰：先一人五十四歲戊申生男子占來意，因其子在外飲酒過多，胃有宿食，冷氣得病。蓋時為日干六合，支上發用，本命上俱得子孫爻，乘休氣，故為子孫病，命上小吉太常為飲食，併發用，戌為脾胃，上得天后水為冷飲，又值事門得白虎為道路，故云因子孫在外飲食，傷脾胃得病，來占。

Xu Cibin said: The first person who came was a man born in the year of Wushen, aged fifty-four, who asked about his intention. The interpretation was: his son was drinking excessively outside, accumulating food in his stomach, and was affected by cold, thus falling ill. The reasoning was as follows: the time of casting the divination was at noon, and the day stem was Ding. The lodging palace of Ding was Wei, which formed a Liu He with the time of the day, indicating that the matter concerned his own family relations. The initial transmission was determined by the戌 on the day branch Hai. The person's birth year was Shen, and Shen had Wei on it. The戌 on the branch and the Wei on the birth year were both generated by Ding fire, thus both belonging to the son's hexagram. In July, the earth element was in rest and weak, so it was concluded that the illness was in the son's generation. The Wei on the birth year corresponded to the twelve spirits of the Six壬 system, known as Xiaoji. The Xiaoji was accompanied by Tai Chang, which governs wine, food, and meals. The Wei also appeared together with the initial transmission. The戌 on the body corresponds to the spleen and stomach, and the戌 was accompanied by Tianhou, which belongs to water, thus indicating injury from cold drinks affecting the center. Looking at the value of the door, it was White Tiger, which governs roads and people traveling outside. Combined, this meant that the son had fallen ill due to eating and drinking excessively while traveling outside, hence the father came to ask the divination.

一人三十五歲丁卯生男子占來意，因在外與二卑下婦人來往，得氣痞嗽血之病。蓋命上見六合為私門，天后主厭翳，中傳見太陰主伏匿，天魁從魁主奴婢，上得天后、太陰，故曰與二卑下婦人往來，天后剋日、末傳玄武又剋日，戌酉申俱是日干死墓之鄉，丁主心血，故得病嗽血也。

The second person is a man aged thirty-five, born in the year of Dingmao. He also comes for divination. The interpretation is: he is involved with two women of low status outside, thus contracting a condition of qi stagnation and hemoptysis. The basis is: his heavenly stem is in the卯 position, where the Liu He is found, and Liu He indicates private and obscure matters. The Heavenly Empress indicates concealment and obstruction. The middle transmission also sees the Tai Yin, which signifies hidden and concealed things. The戌 is called Tiankui, and the酉 is called Congkui, both indicating servants or lowly people. The戌 is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, and the酉 is occupied by the Tai Yin, with two yin spirits each occupying a branch, so it is said he is involved with two lowly women. The Heavenly Empress belongs to water, which overcomes the Ding fire day stem. The final transmission,申, is occupied by the Xuanwu, which also belongs to water, and thus also overcomes the day stem. The戌,酉, and申 branches are precisely the place of death and burial for the Ding fire. The Ding stem in the human body governs the heart and blood, and since the day stem is heavily overcome by water, the illness becomes hemoptysis.

一人八十一歲來占辛巳生來，占來意，因家中走失奴婢兩口，得一姓馬人往西南追捕捉獲。蓋發用天魁主奴，從魁主婢，末得元武臨門，為窺戶，又值事門上見白虎主道路，卦得斬關主逃亡，今年老有官者來占，豈不是奴婢逃亡也。先鋒門勝光為今日等輩，又主姓馬人克玄武，故捉獲，言往西南追捕者，蓋元武陰神所居也。

The third person is an 81-year-old born in the year Xinsi. The interpretation is: two servants have gone missing from his home, and he will rely on a man named Ma to search in the southwest direction, and he will be able to recover them. The basis is: the first transmission is戌, which is 'Tiankui', indicating servants; the middle transmission is酉, which is 'Congkui', indicating female servants; the final transmission is申, which is occupied by 'Xuanwu', symbolizing someone who is spying or stealing and fleeing. The door of the matter also shows 'Baihu', which governs roads. The lesson pattern is 'Zhanguan', which directly refers to fleeing. Now the person seeking the divination is an elderly person with an official position, so the missing ones are not himself but servants who have fled. The leading door is 'Shengguang' with the fire of午, which represents a man named Ma, as午 is the same type of fire as the day's god, and also indicates a man named Ma. The fire of午 can overcome the metal of申 and the Xuanwu, so it is certain that they can be recovered. The direction to search in the southwest is because the Xuanwu on申 has its hidden god in未, which is located in the southwest.

崇正丁丑七月丁亥日甲辰時，太倉中翰錢是奄占常熟陳南洲逮問事。（指南）

In the year Dingchou of the Chongzhen era (the original text says 'Chongzheng'), seventh month, on the day Dinghai, at the hour Jiachen, Qian Shiyin, a mid-level official from Taicang, cast a divination for the case of Chen Nanzhou from Changshu who had been arrested and was being investigated. This example is taken from Chen Gongxian's "Six壬 Guide."

勾六 龍午未申酉朱 空巳 戌蛇 陰后朱六 財甲申六 虎辰 亥貴 丑子酉申 財乙酉朱 常卯寅丑子后 子亥申丁 子丙戌蛇 陰后

This chart is calculated using the month of July with the month general at巳, placed on the辰 hour. The heaven plate advances one position ahead of the earth plate. The辰 hour belongs to the day time, so for a day stem of丁, the daytime nobleman is at亥. The nobleman is located on the earth plate at戌 and moves in reverse. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each earthly branch are:亥 is occupied by the nobleman,子 by the heavenly empress,丑 by the great yin,寅 by the black tortoise,卯 by the great constant,辰 by the white tiger,巳 by the heavenly void,午 by the azure dragon,未 by the hook heaven,申 by the six harmonies,酉 by the vermilion bird, and戌 by the tending snake. (The original bottom line only printed '阴后' and was misaligned by one position; according to the four lessons, '丑' should be occupied by the great yin and '寅' by the black tortoise, so we follow the four lessons.) The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem丁 lodging in the palace of未, with 申 on 未, 申 occupied by the six harmonies; the second lesson has 酉 on 申, 酉 occupied by the vermilion bird; the third lesson has 子 on 亥, 子 occupied by the heavenly empress; the fourth lesson has 丑 on 子, 丑 occupied by the great yin. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 申, with the hidden stem Jiashen, occupied by the six harmonies, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is 酉, with the hidden stem Yiyou, occupied by the vermilion bird, also representing wife and wealth; the final transmission is 戌, with the hidden stem Bingxu, occupied by the tending snake, representing son and grandson. The sequence of 申, 酉, 戌 advancing in order indicates the pattern of advancing food.

陳公獻曰：占訟最凶，全無救解。蓋因發用皇詔坐空，又蛇虎二墓加臨卯酉，此為冢墓門開，必主重重死喪也。又傳將純劫殺，丁火病死墓絕俱見，原何有救？且年上勾刃帶木，是用刑人執杖，定遭凶死。其後果奉旨廷杖，枷死二人。

Chen Gongxian said: This divination indicates a lawsuit which is extremely dangerous, with no way to escape. The reason is: the first transmission is Shen, which represents the imperial decree, governing the emperor's will, but it sits on the empty position of Wei, causing the imperial command to fall into emptiness. Teng Snake is on Xu and White Tiger is on Chen, both Xu and Chen are tomb deities, and they are placed on the positions of Mao and You respectively. Mao and You are the gates, and two tomb deities pressing on both gates resemble an open tomb, which inevitably leads to continuous deaths. The three transmissions and the heavenly general all carry calamity and killing, and the places of illness, death, tomb, and extinction of Ding fire appear together in the transmissions, where can there be any salvation? Moreover, the year of the person is occupied by Gou Chen with wood, Gou Chen governs punishment and corporal punishment, which is the image of the executioner holding a stick, thus it is concluded that a violent death is certain. Later, they indeed received the imperial decree for corporal punishment, and two people were shackled and executed.

愚按：此課行年在午，則是酉生命，蛇墓加命，所以尤凶。年上勾刃帶木句，帶木二字不可解。以旬遁而言，則勾陳乘未，是空亡；以五子元遁而言，則未支遁得丁干，非乙干也。何以言其帶木耶？豈以未中藏有乙木，故耶？

I remarked: In this divination, the person's birth year is in Wu. By working backwards from the birth year, their true birth year is in You. The Teng Snake is riding on Xu, whose墓 is exactly on the birth year You, so it is especially dangerous. As for the phrase "year with the hook and blade and wood," the words "with wood" do not make sense. If we calculate according to the ten-day cycle, the Ding Hai day belongs to the Jiashen cycle. The birth year Wu is on Wei, which is riding on Gou Chen and falls exactly into the cycle's void. If we calculate according to the five sons' original遁, on a Ding day, the遁 starts from Gengzi hour. The Wei branch遁 out is the Ding stem, not the Yi stem. Why is it said to be with wood? Is it because Wei contains Yi wood?

戊申年五月丁亥日申將午時毛主簿乙亥生三十四歲占前程。（方本占案）

In the year of Wushen, fifth lunar month, on the day of Dinghai, the lesson was cast by placing the Month General of Shen on the hour of Wu. The person consulting is Mao Zhubu, born in the year of Yihai, aged thirty-four, asking about his future prospects and official career. This example is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An."

勾合朱蛇 未申酉戌 常陰貴朱 財乙酉朱 龍午 亥貴 卯丑亥酉 鬼丁亥貴 空巳 子后 丑亥酉丁 子己丑陰 辰卯寅丑 虎常玄陰

This chart is cast with the month general at Shen, placed on the Wu hour. The Heaven Plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The Wu hour belongs to the daytime, so the daytime nobleman is at Hai. The nobleman is located on the Earth Plate's You position and moves in reverse. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: Hai is accompanied by the nobleman, Zi by the Heavenly Empress, Chou by Tai Yin, Yin by the Black Tortoise, Mao by Tai Chang, Chen by the White Tiger, Si by Tian Kong, Wu by the Azure Dragon, Wei by Gou Chen, Shen by Liu He, You by the Vermilion Bird, Xu by Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ding, lodging in the palace Wei, with You on Wei, which is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; the second lesson is You with Hai on it, which is accompanied by the nobleman; the third lesson is the day branch Hai, with Chou on it, which is accompanied by Tai Yin; the fourth lesson is Chou with Mao on it, which is accompanied by Tai Chang. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is You, with the hidden stem Yiyou, accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, representing wife and wealth; the second transmission is Hai, with the hidden stem Dinghai, accompanied by the nobleman, where Hai water overcomes Ding fire, representing official and ghost; the third transmission is Chou, with the hidden stem Jichou, accompanied by Tai Yin, representing son and grandson. You, Hai, and Chou each advance one position in sequence, forming the pattern of sequential transmission.

邵彥和曰：日上破碎發用，中傳官星，即加其上，必因破財得官。三傳日辰，遍地貴人，主簿在任，須多差使，兼之權攝。但九丑在宅，主淫亂，在本命主貪色，末傳又見丑作太陰加官星上。太陰者，陰晦也，主在任因色而死。

Shao Yanhe said: The酉 on the day stem is exactly the broken and shattered star, and it is also the initiating transmission as the first transmission. The middle transmission is亥, which is the official star, exactly placed on top of this broken and shattered star. This indicates first losing wealth and then obtaining official position, and this official position is obtained by spending money. The three transmissions and the nobleman are clearly visible above the day branch, indicating that after taking office, the official will have many duties and also be responsible for other positions. However, the nine evil spirits are located in the house position, indicating disorder and immorality within the family; if they are located on the person's birth star, it indicates that the person is lustful. The final transmission also sees丑 riding on Tai Yin, pressing upon the official star in the middle transmission. Tai Yin is a spirit of darkness and obscurity, indicating that he will die from lust while in office.

毛，鉅富，因此結納四方，乃得此任。任中盡將家財夤緣，故在任差使，更不曾停。家中果淫亂，毛最貪色，暱於婢妾，乙卯年死。蓋卯上有巳，會起酉丑合起破碎。九丑日上死神兼與中傳相沖，名沖起絕神。死與絕會，是以死也。大凡傳課，最畏遍地貴人，又畏行年上會起殺神。今丁亥日，有酉丑而欠巳，卯上見巳，所謂會起殺神也，故不能逃也。

Ma Mou was originally a wealthy man, who made connections with people all over the country through money and thus obtained this position. After taking office, he used all his family's wealth to seek favors and connections, so he was constantly busy with his duties. Indeed, there was disorder at home, for Ma Mou was very fond of women and indulged his concubines and servants. He died in the year of Yimao. Investigating the divination: In the year of Yimao, the Mao (Mao) position had the Si (Si), which together with the You (You) and Chou (Chou) in the lesson formed a Triple Harmony, thus activating the Posui Sha (Broken Star) (Shanghai Sha). The nine evils were also the death deity on the day, and they conflicted with the middle transmission, which is called "conflict awakening the absolute deity." The death deity and the absolute deity came together, so the person died. Generally, when examining the lesson and transmission, one should be most cautious of the nobleman being present throughout the entire chart, and also of the year of birth combining the killing deity. On the day of Dinghai, the lesson already had You and Chou, but lacked a Si. However, the Si appeared at the Mao position in the year of Yimao, completing the Triple Harmony, which is called "combining the killing deity," hence it could not be avoided.

晉元帝五年十月丁亥日寅將子時，聞毛寶叛兵，當來攻武昌城，戴洋占之。（晉書戴洋傳）戴洋字國流，吳興長城人，為晉相，解占侯術數、風角，不但知六壬而已。

In the fifth year of Emperor Jian of the Jin dynasty, in the tenth month, on a day marked Dinghai, the Month General was placed on the hour of Zi and the divination was started. At that time, it was said that Mao Bao's rebellious troops were about to attack the city of Wuchang, and Dai Yang cast a divination for this event. This example is taken from the "Book of Jin · Biography of Dai Yang." Dai Yang, whose name was Guoliu, was from Wuxing Changcheng, and held the position of prime minister in the Jin dynasty. He was skilled in divination, numerology, and wind divination, and his expertise was not limited to the art of Six壬 (Six Changes). (According to historical records, the battle at Zucheng took place in the fifth year of Xiankang of Emperor Cheng of the Jin dynasty, so there is a discrepancy in the dating here.)

蛇貴 朱未申酉戌后 空常陰貴 財乙酉貴 六午 亥陰 卯丑亥酉 鬼丁亥陰 勾巳 子玄 丑亥酉丁 子己丑常 青辰卯寅丑常 空虎

This chart begins with the Month General at寅 (Yin) placed on the Zi (Zi) hour. The Heaven Plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The Zi hour belongs to night, so the night nobleman (night贵人) is酉 (You). The nobleman is on the Earth Plate at the position of Wei (Wei) and moves in reverse. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: You (酉) rides the nobleman, Xu (戌) rides the Heavenly Empress, Hai (亥) rides Tai Yin, Zi (子) rides the Black Tortoise, Chou (丑) rides Tai Chang, Yin (寅) rides the White Tiger, Mao (卯) rides Tian Kong, Chen (辰) rides the Azure Dragon, Si (巳) rides Gou Chen, Wu (午) rides Liu He, Wei (未) rides the Vermilion Bird, Shen (申) rides Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the Day Stem丁 (Ding) lodging in the palace of Wei (未), with You (酉) on Wei, which rides the nobleman; the second lesson is You (酉) with Hai (亥) on it, which rides Tai Yin; the third lesson is Hai (亥) with Chou (丑) on it, which rides Tai Chang; the fourth lesson is Chou (丑) with Mao (卯) on it, which rides Tian Kong. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is You (酉), with the hidden stem Yiyou, riding the nobleman, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is Hai (亥), with the hidden stem Dinghai, riding Tai Yin, where Hai water overcomes Ding fire, representing official and ghost; the final transmission is Chou (丑), with the hidden stem Jichou, riding Tai Chang, representing son and grandson. This lesson's four lessons and three transmissions are exactly the same as the previous one by Mao Zhubian regarding career prospects, both being on Dinghai day and with the Heaven Plate advancing two positions. The difference is that the previous one started at the Wu (午) hour using the day nobleman, while this one starts at the Zi (子) hour using the night nobleman. As a result, the entire set of Heavenly Generals changes, and the interpretations differ, one concerning official affairs and the other concerning military matters.

戴洋曰：十月丁亥夜半時得賊問。干為君，支為臣。干為征西府，亥為邾城，功曹為賊神，加子時，十月水旺木相。旺相氣合，賊必來。寅數七，子數九，賊高可九千人，下可七千人。從魁為貴人加丁，下克上有空亡之事，不敢進武昌也。賊果陷邾城而去。

Dai Yang said: On the night of the tenth month, on the day of Dinghai, at the middle of the night, news of bandits was received. In the divination, the day stem represents the sovereign, and the day branch represents the subject. Specifically, the day stem is the Western Expedition General's residence, and the day branch Hai represents Zhu City. Yin is 'Gongcao' (Yin), here acting as the bandit god. Now Yin is placed over Zi time. In the tenth month, water is prosperous and wood is strong, so the bandit god is both prosperous and strong and coincides with the time, so the bandits will certainly come. The number of Yin is seven, and the number of Zi is nine, so the number of bandits is nine thousand, or seven thousand. You is 'Congkui' (You), riding on the nobleman and placed over the lodging palace of Ding. The lower god conquers the upper god and is connected with the empty period, indicating that the bandits dare not advance to Wuchang. Later, the bandits indeed only captured Zhu City and then retreated.

陳公獻曰：賊自西南而來，城必無虞。曰：游都離日辰甚遠，何以知賊之必來？曰：酉貴臨干發用，故知其來而自西南也。曰：有眾幾何？曰：游都臨日辰遠，干上貴又空，惟以正時上下合斷，約有七九六千三百。曰：城無虞者何？蓋貴臨干受克，故知賊不攻城而退也。

Chen Gongxian commented on this divination: the enemy troops are coming from the southwest, and Wuchang city will certainly be safe. Someone asked: the "You Du" representing the bandits is far away from both the day stem and day branch, so how can we know for sure that the enemy will come? The answer is: the酉 (You) is riding on the nobleman, is located above the day stem, and is the first transmission. Since the position of酉 is to the west-southwest, we know that the enemy will come from the southwest. Another question: how many soldiers are there? The answer is: since You Du is too far from the day stem and day branch, and the nobleman on the day stem is empty, we can only combine the upper and lower deities at the time of the divination, estimating the number to be between seven thousand and nine thousand, taking the middle number as approximately six thousand three hundred. Another question: why do you say the city will be safe? The answer is: the nobleman is on the day stem but is being restrained, so the enemy's attack cannot succeed, thus we know the enemy will not attack the city and will retreat instead.

此課乃晉元帝時因毛寶叛兵屯邾城，命宰相戴洋占後載之於史。予初不知，不意斷法竟與古事相合，然純陰之課，子之陰神魯都剋日，主賊有埋伏，又支為城，上神克之，而上神又被陰神所克，主居守不仁且欲自相攻擊。又末傳生合初貴，主內有暗降之人，此數事皆前人未盡之秘，予不惜筆之於書，以授後之學者。

This textbook was compiled during the reign of Emperor Jianwen of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, when Mao Bao's rebellious troops were stationed at Zhu City. The court ordered the chancellor Dai Yang to divinate the situation, and the result was later recorded in historical records. I was initially unaware of this historical event, but to my surprise, my divination method coincided exactly with the ancient divination results. Let me add a few more layers of interpretation: this divination chart is entirely of a pure yin nature. The yin spirit of the Zi branch is superior to "Lu Du" and thus overcomes the day stem, indicating that the enemy troops have set up ambushes. The day branch represents the city, and the spirit on the branch overcomes it, while this spirit is itself overcome by its own yin spirit, indicating that the defenders of the city lack integrity and there will be internal conflicts. Moreover, the final transmission generates and harmonises with the first transmission's nobleman, indicating that there are secret defectors within the city. These layers were not fully explained by previous scholars, so I have written them down without hesitation to leave for future scholars.

己酉年八月丁亥日辰將丑時傅清卿壬申生三十八歲占平生。（方本占案）

In the year Jiyou, eighth lunar month, day Dinghai, using the Chen month general placed on the Chou hour to cast the divination. The person consulting is Fu Qingqing, born in the year Renshen, aged thirty-eight, asking about his overall fortune throughout his life. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An."

後陰 貴申酉戌亥玄 勾虎常后 兄甲午六 蛇未 子常 巳寅丑戌 子丙戌后 朱午 丑虎 寅亥戌丁 印庚寅虎 六巳辰卯寅空 勾青

This chart begins with the month general at Chen, placed on the Chou hour. The Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The Chou hour belongs to night, so the night nobleman is Yǒu. The nobleman is located on the Earth Plate's Wu position and moves in reverse. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: Yǒu with the nobleman, Xu with the Heavenly Empress, Hai with Tai Yin, Zi with the Black Tortoise, Chou with Tai Chang, Yin with the White Tiger, Mao with Tian Kong, Chen with the Azure Dragon, Si with Gou Chen, Wu with Liu He, Wei with the Vermilion Bird, Shen with Teng Snake. (The Heaven Plate circle in the original diagram was incorrectly marked by one position; the heavenly generals are now determined according to the four lessons and three transmissions.) The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Ding lodging in Wei, with Xu on Wei, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress; the second lesson has Xu on Chou, which is occupied by Tai Chang; the third lesson has the day branch Hai with Yin on Hai, which is occupied by the White Tiger; the fourth lesson has Yin on Si, which is occupied by Gou Chen. There is no conflict between the upper and lower lessons, and the day stem does not remotely conflict with the upper god. Therefore, the method of "Mǎo Xīng" is used: since Ding is a yin day, take the position of Wu on the Earth Plate, which is under the Heaven Plate's Yǒu, as the first transmission. The middle transmission is the upper god on the day stem, which is Xu. The final transmission is the upper god on the day branch, which is Yin. Therefore, the first transmission is Wu with Liu He, representing a brother (the hidden stem is Bing Wu, but Wu is in the Jiashen cycle and is empty, as the next lesson clearly states "Wu Wei kōng," so it should be considered as empty); the middle transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Bing Xu, occupied by the Heavenly Empress, representing a son; the final transmission is Yin, with the hidden stem Geng Yin, occupied by the White Tiger, representing an official. The branches Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire trinity, which is called "Yán Shàng" (inflammation).

邵彥和曰：自有隨身庫，何必求財？傅曰：隨身庫，主何也？曰：只利書會，此是隨身庫，餘不利。蓋父母在鬼鄉，又作虎，才討生涯，便生不足。初祿加卯，又是空亡，故只好書會為活計耳。

Shao Yanhe said: You already have a treasury with you, so why seek wealth elsewhere? Fu Qingqing asked: What does the term "attached treasury" refer to? The answer was: It is only beneficial for those who make a living through writing and calligraphy, which is your attached treasury. Other pursuits are not beneficial. Because the final transmission's parents and official seals are in the area of official ghosts, and it is accompanied by the White Tiger, which signifies disturbance and obstruction. Therefore, when you are just trying to establish a livelihood, you will encounter shortages and obstacles. Furthermore, the day stem Ding's禄神 is in Wu, and the initial transmission's Wu is placed on the卯 position, while Wu is also the empty position of the ten-day cycle. Since the禄神 is in an empty position, great wealth cannot be obtained, so you can only make a living through writing and teaching.

甲申正月丁亥己酉時，程翔雲居廣陵，聞兵警，占歲內吉凶。昴星、炎上，午未空，酉戌落空。

In the year Jiashen, during the first lunar month, on the day Dinghai and at the hour Jiyou, Cheng Xiangyun, who lived in Guangling, heard of an alarm of military disorder and cast a divination for the fortune of the entire year. After the beginning of spring in the first lunar month, the month general was still taken as Zi. The Zi general was placed on the Jiyou hour. The Heaven Plate advanced three positions relative to the Earth Plate, resulting in the same divination board as in the previous case where Fu Qingqing divined his lifetime fortune. The lesson pattern was "Mao Star." The three transmissions were Yin, Wu, and Xu, forming a fire trinity, known as "Inflaming Ascension." The Wu and Wei branches were exactly in the empty position of the Jiashen decade, while the Heaven Plate's You and Xu also fell precisely on the Earth Plate's Wu and Wei empty positions, hence it was said "You and Xu fell into emptiness."

後陰 貴申酉戌亥玄 勾虎常后 兄甲午六 蛇未 子常 巳寅丑戌 子丙戌后 朱午 丑虎 寅亥戌丁 印庚寅虎 六巳辰卯寅空 勾青

The lesson plate is identical to the previous example: the earthly branches on the heaven plate are each accompanied by the following heavenly generals: You (酉) accompanied by the Nobleman, Xu (戌) accompanied by the Heavenly Empress, Hai (亥) accompanied by Tai Yin, Zi (子) accompanied by the Black Tortoise, Chou (丑) accompanied by Tai Chang, Yin (寅) accompanied by the White Tiger, Mao (卯) accompanied by Tian Kong, Chen (辰) accompanied by the Azure Dragon, Si (巳) accompanied by Gou Chen, Wu (午) accompanied by Liu He, Wei (未) accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, Shen (申) accompanied by Teng Snake. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, are Xu (戌) added to Ding (丁, with Ding residing in Wei), Chou (丑) added to Xu (戌), Yin (寅) added to Hai (亥), and Si (巳) added to Yin (寅). The heavenly generals in sequence are the Heavenly Empress, Tai Chang, the White Tiger, and Gou Chen. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wu (午) accompanied by Liu He (旬空), the middle transmission is Xu (戌) accompanied by the Heavenly Empress, and the final transmission is Yin (寅) accompanied by the White Tiger. Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire trinity. In the previous example, Fu Qingqing used this plate to inquire about his life's fortune and success, focusing on the禄神 (favorable god) falling into an empty space and the印绶 (seal) accompanied by the White Tiger. In this example, Cheng Xiangyun used the same plate to inquire about military calamity in a year, focusing instead on the Tomb Spirit (burial god) covering the sun, the丧吊 (funeral and mourning) entering the transmission, and the游都 (wandering capital)刑岁 (crimes of the year). The question differs, so the deities consulted and the matters discussed are entirely different.

程翔云曰：墓神覆日，虎符朝支，又喪吊入傳，末見歲刑白虎，定有兵喪不測事。勾陳游都入辰陰幽燕之地，又見死神陰煞，是以兵戈難免，且干支乘脫，內外空虛，支陰游都刑剋太歲，於君不利，日陰克辰，西北有兵變急進之虞，支又克辰陰，城東邊將兵民必生離異。其後賊果犯燕京，城中內變，而有三月十九日之事。

Cheng Xiangyun said that the tomb deity was pressing upon the day stem, and the tiger symbol carried by the White Tiger was facing the day branch. The spirits of mourning and condolence were both included in the three transmissions, with the final transmission especially involving the year's ruler and the White Tiger sharing the same branch. This indicated that there would certainly be unexpected incidents of war and loss in that year. Gou Chen and "You Du" fell into the position of the day branch's hidden spirit, which corresponded to the region of Youyan. On top of that, the death deity and hidden evil spirits were present, making warfare unavoidable. Moreover, both the day stem and day branch were riding on the spirit of departing energy, indicating that the court was empty both inside and out. The hidden spirit of the day branch and You Du also offended the year's ruler, which was unfavorable for the king. The hidden spirit of the day stem offended the day branch, indicating a military mutiny advancing from the northwest. The day branch, in turn, offended its own hidden spirit, meaning that the border generals and soldiers in the eastern part of the city would certainly become divided. Later, the rebels indeed attacked Yanjing, and an internal rebellion occurred in the city, resulting in the incident on the nineteenth day of the third month—on the day of Jiashen, which was the day the Chongzhen Emperor died and the capital fell.

三月戊子日酉將寅時占失羊。（方本占案）

On the Wuzi day of the third month, using the You month general to start the divination at the Yin hour, the question is about where a lost sheep is. This example is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An."

貴后 蛇子丑寅卯陰 朱亥 辰玄 后空空蛇 財戊子蛇初 六戌 巳常 寅未未子 兄空未空中 陳酉申未午虎 未子子戊 鬼庚寅後末 龍空

This divination chart uses the month general of You (酉) placed on the寅 (寅) hour to begin the calculation. The Heaven Plate advances seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate. For this lesson, the daytime nobleman for Wu (戊) day is Chou (丑), and the nobleman is located on the Earth Plate's Wu (午) position and moves in reverse. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals on each Earthly Branch of the Heaven Plate are: Chou (丑) is accompanied by the Nobleman,寅 (寅) is accompanied by the Heavenly Empress,卯 (卯) is accompanied by Tai Yin,辰 (辰) is accompanied by the Black Tortoise,巳 (巳) is accompanied by Tai Chang,午 (午) is accompanied by the White Tiger,未 (未) is accompanied by Tian Kong,申 (申) is accompanied by the Azure Dragon,酉 (酉) is accompanied by Gou Chen (written as 'Chen' in the chart),戌 (戌) is accompanied by Liu He,亥 (亥) is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, and子 (子) is accompanied by the Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Wu (戊) lodging in Si (巳), with Si (巳) having Zi (子), which is accompanied by the Teng Snake; the second lesson has Zi (子) having Wei (未), which is accompanied by Tian Kong; the third lesson has the day branch Zi (子) having Wei (未), which is accompanied by Tian Kong; and the fourth lesson has Wei (未) having Yin (寅), which is accompanied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi (子), with the hidden stem Wu Zi, accompanied by the Teng Snake, where Zi water is the wife and wealth for the Wu earth day stem; the middle transmission is Wei (未), which is in the empty position of the Jiashen (甲申) ten-day cycle, accompanied by Tian Kong, representing brothers; the final transmission is Yin (寅), with the hidden stem Geng Yin, accompanied by the Heavenly Empress, where Yin wood overcomes Wu earth, representing officials and spirits. The labels 'initial', 'middle', and 'final' next to the three transmissions indicate their order.

邵彥和曰：子作騰蛇，加日為用，主非橫之事，中傳未加子，未羊也，加子為六害。羊非水中物，不宜臨子，況作天空，天空是戌，戌刑未，戌是犬，子為水，此羊被犬趕入水中，而被人烹宰，盛於甕器中而去，藏於廁屋中。蓋天空無氣為器物又為汙穢，故為甕器、為廁屋。末傳寅即白虎，加未故主傷羊，不出今日當捉獲，果然。

Shao Yanhe said: The trigram Zi (Rat) is riding on Teng Snake, which is placed on top of the day stem and initiates the transmission. Teng Snake governs sudden fright and alarm, indicating that the matter in question is an unexpected event. The middle transmission does not add on Zi, and since Zi is not among the twelve earthly branches, it is the sheep. Zi and Wei (the sheep) are in a harmful relationship, which corresponds to the sheep suffering damage. The sheep is not naturally associated with water, so it is not appropriate for it to be on the position of Zi, which is water. Moreover, Wei is riding on Tian Kong, and Tian Kong, as a heavenly general, is originally from Xu. Xu is in a conflicting relationship with Wei, and Xu, as an earthly branch, is the dog. Zi, in the five phases, is water. Taken together, this indicates that the sheep is driven by the dog into the water and then is slaughtered and cooked, placed in a jar and taken away, hidden in the toilet. Tian Kong has no vitality, and is symbolized as a vessel, and also governs dirty places, so it is interpreted as a jar and as a toilet. The final transmission's Yin (the tiger) is the tiger in the earthly branches, and the tiger is placed on the sheep, so it indicates the sheep is harmed. It is determined that the matter will not be resolved today, and later it indeed turned out to be so.

甲戌年元旦戊子日子將卯時占陰人病。（郭氏占案）

On the first day of the first lunar month in the Jiaxu year, on the Wuzi day, the lesson was cast starting from the卯 hour with the Month General placed on the Zi branch, to inquire about the illness of a woman. "Yin person" refers to a woman. This example is from Guo Yuqing's "Guo's Divination Cases."

蛇朱合勾 寅卯辰巳 龍常陰蛇 鬼庚寅蛇 貴丑 午龍 午酉亥寅 財丁亥陰 后子 未空 酉子寅戊 子甲申虎 亥戌酉申 陰玄常虎

This chart is cast with the month general placed on the卯 (Mao) hour, and the heaven plate is three positions behind the earth plate. The卯 (Mao) hour belongs to the day, so on a戊 (Wu) day, the nobleman is at丑 (Chou). The nobleman is on the earth plate at辰 (Chen) and moves in a forward direction. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the heaven plate are: 丑 (Chou) is occupied by the nobleman, 寅 (Yin) by the treading snake, 卯 (Mao) by the vermilion bird, 辰 (Chen) by the six harmonies, 巳 (Si) by the hook chariot, 午 (Wu) by the azure dragon, 未 (Wei) by the heavenly void, 申 (Shen) by the white tiger, 酉 (You) by the great constant, 戌 (Xu) by the black tortoise, 亥 (Hai) by the great yin, and 子 (Zi) by the heavenly empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem戊 (Wu) lodging in the巳 (Si) palace, with巳 (Si) having寅 (Yin), which is occupied by the treading snake; the second lesson is寅 (Yin) having亥 (Hai), which is occupied by the great yin; the third lesson is the day branch子 (Zi) having酉 (You), which is occupied by the great constant; the fourth lesson is酉 (You) having午 (Wu), which is occupied by the azure dragon. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is寅 (Yin), with the hidden stem Gengyin (Geng Yin), occupied by the treading snake, where寅 (Yin) wood overcomes戊 (Wu) earth, representing official ghost; the middle transmission is亥 (Hai), with the hidden stem Dinghai (Ding Hai), occupied by the great yin, representing wife's wealth; the final transmission is申 (Shen), with the hidden stem甲申 (Jia Shen), occupied by the white tiger, representing son's offspring. The three transmissions,寅 (Yin),亥 (Hai), and申 (Shen), each step retreats three positions.

郭御青曰：餘況占陰人病。此病已至危急無望。今課得干上寅鬼，三傳自下遞生克干，支上酉乃旬乙，末傳申乃旬甲，純木克土，誠為難當，然病危不死。畢法云：“鬼賊當時無畏忌。”至初八立春，木旺貪榮，上生枝葉，下不克土，漸有生意。果至初八日漸愈。凡占列愚囚鬼反可畏，若鬼得時反不傷人，不足畏矣。雖然，惟木則如此，凡木性克土，全在秋冬，若金水火土旺愈傷人，不可以一例而論。

Guo Yuqing said: I cast a divination for a woman who was seriously ill, with little hope of recovery. In this divination, the day stem is occupied by the wood trigram Yin, which represents the official ghost, and the three transmissions are arranged from bottom to top, each generating the next, and finally attacking the day stem. The day branch is You, which in the Jiashen decade is concealed by the stem Yi. The final transmission is Shen, which is concealed by the stem Ji. Both Ji and Yi are wood, so the entire transmission is filled with wood energy attacking the earth stem Wu. It is indeed very difficult to bear. However, although the illness is serious, the patient will not die. The "Bifa Fu" says: "The ghost and thief have no fear at the time." When the official ghost is in its proper season and is strong, it is not something to fear. On the eighth day of the first lunar month, the beginning of spring, the wood energy becomes stronger and tends to grow, and its strength is used to sprout branches and leaves upward, so it no longer attacks the earth downward, and thus gradually there is a chance of recovery. Indeed, on the eighth day the patient's condition improved day by day. In general, when the official ghost is weak, like a prisoner, it is more dangerous; but when the official ghost is strong and in its proper season, it does not harm people and is not something to fear. However, this is only true for wood. The strongest time for wood to attack earth is during autumn and winter, when wood is not strong. If it were gold, water, fire, or earth, the stronger they are, the more harmful they become, and they cannot all be treated the same way.

愚按：此課之所以病癒者，實賴申酉二金，克寅木之鬼也。初八日後，申酉二金值日，自當漸愈。予不知郭公何故不引“制鬼之位乃良醫”之句耶？

I remarked: The reason the illness can recover is really because the two metal spirits, Shen and You, reverse to restrain the寅 wood official ghost. After the eighth day, when the days of Shen and You are in charge, the illness naturally gets better day by day. I don't understand why Guo Gong did not use the line from the "Bi Fa Fu" "The position that controls the ghost is indeed a good doctor" to explain this.

十一月戊子日寅將卯時卜安豐敵寇。（一針見血）

On the Wuzi day of the eleventh month, using the寅 month general added to the卯 hour to cast a divination, the question was about the movements of the enemy forces in the area of Anfeng. Anfeng refers to the Anfeng Military Commandery of the Song dynasty, which was the frontline defending against northern troops. This example is taken from "One Needle Sees Blood."

合勾龍空 辰巳午未 玄陰朱合 兄丙戌玄 朱卯 申虎 戌亥卯辰 子乙酉常 蛇寅 酉常 亥子辰戊 子甲申虎 丑子亥戌 貴后陰玄

This chart is cast with the month general at寅 (Yin) added to the卯 (Mao) hour. The heaven plate is one position behind the earth plate. The卯 (Mao) hour belongs to the day time, so the nobleman for the day stem 戊 (Wu) is at丑 (Chou). The nobleman is located at the寅 (Yin) position on the earth plate and moves in a forward direction. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the heaven plate are: 丑 (Chou) rides the nobleman, 寅 (Yin) rides the teng snake, 卯 (Mao) rides the vermilion bird, 辰 (Chen) rides the liu he, 巳 (Si) rides the gou chen, 午 (Wu) rides the azure dragon, 未 (Wei) rides the tian kong, 申 (Shen) rides the white tiger, 酉 (You) rides the tai chang, 戌 (Xu) rides the xuan wu, 亥 (Hai) rides the tai yin, and 子 (Zi) rides the heavenly empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem 戊 (Wu) lodging in the巳 (Si) position, with the巳 (Si) branch having 辰 (Chen), which rides the liu he; the second lesson is the 辰 (Chen) branch having 卯 (Mao), which rides the vermilion bird; the third lesson is the day branch 子 (Zi) having 亥 (Hai), which rides the tai yin; the fourth lesson is the 亥 (Hai) branch having 戌 (Xu), which rides the xuan wu. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 戌 (Xu), with the hidden stem Bingxu (Bing Xu), riding the xuan wu, representing a brother; the middle transmission is 酉 (You), with the hidden stem Yiyou (Yi You), riding the tai chang, representing a son; the final transmission is 申 (Shen), with the hidden stem Jiashen (Jia Shen), riding the white tiger, also representing a son. The sequence of 戌 (Xu), 酉 (You), and 申 (Shen) moves one step back each time, forming the pattern of retreating茹 (ru).

祝泌奏曰：三傳戌酉申，連續而退，乃寇漸退之象。所占安豐，彼地受敵日多，今臣敢忘國家之憂，即以自占，亦到宥府卜之，得數課，皆是臨日辰月建，月建乃侯伯之權，即所卜安豐之郡也。游都為寇，即棲其位，是虜寇迫城之象。今之所占，游都在日干前四位，在日支後三位，占法云：二三依次須防禦，若臨前四不侵圍。則可知，虜寇已退矣。第末去，蓋游都猶在日支第三位也，初傳天魁，未免失利。又占戌亥，日間動為信喜，兩三日內音信當至矣。

Zhu Bi submitted a memorial stating: The three transmissions are戌, 酉, and 申, which are all retreating in sequence, which is exactly the sign that the enemy forces are gradually withdrawing. The area of Anfeng, which was under attack for several days, is the subject of the divination. How could I dare to forget the country's worries and cast a single lesson on my own? I also went to the Office of Military Affairs and cast several other lessons, all of which were in proximity to the day's stem and branch. The month builder represents the authority of a marquis, which refers precisely to the region of Anfeng. The spirit "You Du" represents bandits, and now it is resting in that position, indicating that the enemy is pressing against the city. Looking at this particular lesson, You Du is located four positions before the day's stem and three positions after the day's branch. According to the divination method, it says: "When the second and third are in order, defense is needed; if it is in the fourth position before, it will not be surrounded." Therefore, the enemy has already retreated. However, they have not completely withdrawn, because You Du is still in the third position after the day's branch; the first transmission is also Tian Gui戌, which inevitably leads to some losses. Furthermore, looking at the two branches戌 and亥, which are activated during the day, they signify good news and messages. News should arrive within two or three days.

庚寅年十一月戊子日丑將寅時一吏犯事占此。（一針見血）

In the year Gengyin, eleventh lunar month, on the day Wuzi, with the Month General Chou placed on the hour Yin, a lesson was cast. The person asking the question was an official who had committed a wrongdoing and was involved in a legal case. This example comes from "One Needle Sees the Essence." The placement of the Month General Chou on Yin is the same as the previous lesson where the Month General Yin was placed on Mao, with the Heaven Plate again one step behind the Earth Plate, making the two lessons identical except that the subject of the previous one was military affairs and this one is criminal law.

合勾龍空 辰巳午未 玄陰朱合 兄丙戌玄 朱卯 申虎 戌亥卯辰 子乙酉常 蛇寅 酉常 亥子辰戊 子甲申虎 丑子亥戌 貴后陰玄

The divination board is the same as the previous example: the Heaven Plate has Chou multiplied by the Nobleman, Yin multiplied by Teng Snake, Mao multiplied by Vermilion Bird, Chen multiplied by Liu He, Si multiplied by Gou Chen, Wu multiplied by Azure Dragon, Wei multiplied by Tian Kong, Shen multiplied by White Tiger, You multiplied by Tai Chang, Xu multiplied by Black Tortoise, Hai multiplied by Tai Yin, and Zi multiplied by Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, are Chen with Wu (Wu is寄托 in Si), Mao with Chen, Hai with Zi, and Xu with Hai. The Heavenly Generals are in sequence Liu He, Vermilion Bird, Tai Yin, and Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Xu multiplied by Black Tortoise, representing a brother; the middle transmission is You multiplied by Tai Chang, representing a son; the final transmission is Shen multiplied by White Tiger, also representing a son. The entire divination shows a retreating and consuming pattern. In the previous divination, the retreating and consuming pattern indicated the retreat of enemies, but in this case, the transmission of Shen and You, the metal elements, indicate punishment, injury, imprisonment, and death. The same retreating and consuming pattern, when asked about military matters, is favorable, but when asked about legal matters, it is unfavorable.

斷曰：此事帶眾難了，出一獄，入一獄。初傳戌加亥，戌是天空，戊子日納音屬火，戌是火墓。中傳酉作太常，加戌六害。未臨申作白虎，加酉旺地，邊茹傳陰，陰主殺。申酉臨金，主傷、主獄死。以戊子火克申酉金，故出一獄，入一獄，帶眾難了。況又見辰戌兩墓乎後主壬辰年正月配在本州。

The divination says: This matter involves many people and is difficult to resolve; one enters a prison, then another. The first transmission has戌 placed on亥, for戌 is the native branch of the Heavenly General Tian Kong. On the day of Wuzi, the Nayin sound element is Leipishi fire, and戌 is the storage of fire. The middle transmission has酉 riding Tai Chang, placed on戌, with酉 and戌 being mutually harmful. The final transmission has申 riding Baihu, placed on酉, which is a place where metal is strong. The continuous transmission returns to the yin position, where yin governs severity and killing. Both申 and酉 belong to metal, indicating punishment and death in prison. The fire of Wuzi's Nayin element overcomes the metal of申 and酉, hence entering one prison after another, involving many people and difficult to resolve. Moreover, the divination also includes two storage positions,辰 and戌. Later, this person was sentenced to exile in the year Renchen during the first lunar month, and was exiled to his native state.

崇正丁丑年二月十八戊子日亥將子時江西五家魁孝廉占會試。（郭氏占案）

In the year Dingchou of the Chongzhen era (the original text says 'Chongzheng'), on the eighteenth day of the second lunar month, at the time of Wuzi, the lesson was cast with the Month General of Hai added to Zi hour. The person seeking the divination was Wu Jiakuai, a candidate from Jiangxi, asking whether he would pass the imperial examination. This example is taken from the "Guo's Divination Cases." The Month General of Hai added to Zi still results in the Heaven Plate retreating one position relative to the Earth Plate, so this lesson shares the same plate as the previous two lessons.

合勾龍空 辰巳午未 玄陰朱合 兄丙戌玄 朱卯 申虎 戌亥卯辰 子乙酉常 蛇寅 酉常 亥子辰戊 子甲申虎 丑子亥戌 貴后陰玄

The lesson plate is the same as the previous two examples: the Heaven Plate has Chou multiplied by the Nobleman, Yin multiplied by the Teng Snake, Mao multiplied by the Vermilion Bird, Chen multiplied by Liu He, Si multiplied by Gou Chen, Wu multiplied by the Azure Dragon, Wei multiplied by Tian Kong, Shen multiplied by the White Tiger, You multiplied by Tai Chang, Xu multiplied by the Black Tortoise, Hai multiplied by Tai Yin, and Zi multiplied by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, from right to left, are Chen added to Wu, Mao added to Chen, Hai added to Zi, and Xu added to Hai. The three transmissions are initially Xu multiplied by the Black Tortoise, then You multiplied by Tai Chang, and finally Shen multiplied by the White Tiger. It is the same plate, but when divining about enemies, one takes the positions of the three transmissions' retreat and the wandering place; when divining about criminal cases, one takes the metal energy of Shen and You; when divining about academic success, one focuses on the burial of Chen under the day stem and the year of birth and the native star. The used deities vary according to the question, which is the fundamental principle of the Six Rats system of divination.

郭御青曰：此課墓祿覆日，雖初傳有戌沖之，奈年上又乘墓神？命上乘酉，合住辰墓，則戌墓不能沖開矣。大端不美，餘可不論。吳稼云曰：墓庫加干乃埋沒不得出頭之象。

Guo Yuqing said: This reading shows the Tomb Spirit (mound spirit) pressing upon the day's禄 (favorable position) and day stem. TheWu Earth (Wu earth) is lodged in the巳 (Si) palace, which is its禄 position. However, the辰 (Chen) mound spirit is precisely on top of it. Although the first transmission戌 (Xu) can break open the辰 (Chen) mound, it is ineffective because the year stem is also occupied by the Tomb Spirit (mound spirit). The personal stem is酉 (You), which combines with辰 (Chen), firmly binding the辰 (Chen) mound and preventing the戌 (Xu) mound from being opened. Since the overall situation is unfavorable, further details need not be considered. Wu Jiayun said: When a Storage (mound storage) is placed on top of the day stem, it represents an image of being buried and unable to emerge.

崇正戊寅年正月二十四戊子日亥瘵酉時為高公占功名。（郭氏占案）

In the fifth year of the Chongzhen era (the original text says 'Chongzheng'), on the 24th day of the first lunar month, at the time of Wu Zi, the Month General was placed on the You hour to cast the divination. This was for Gao Gong to inquire about his official rank. This example is taken from the "Guo氏 Zhan An."

貴后陰玄 未申酉戌 合龍陰貴 兄壬辰合 蛇午 亥常 辰寅酉未 父◎午蛇 朱巳 子虎 寅子未戊 子甲申后 辰卯寅丑 合勾龍空

This chart starts with the month general at You (酉) in the hour of You, and the Heaven Plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The hour of You belongs to night, so the night nobleman is at Wei (未). The nobleman is located at the Earth Plate's position of Si (巳) and moves in reverse. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: Wei (未) with the nobleman, Shen (申) with the Heavenly Empress, You (酉) with Tai Yin, Xu (戌) with the Black Tortoise, Hai (亥) with Tai Chang, Zi (子) with the White Tiger, Chou (丑) with Tian Kong, Yin (寅) with the Azure Dragon, Mao (卯) with Gou Chen, Chen (辰) with Liu He, Si (巳) with the Vermilion Bird, and Wu (午) with the Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Wu (戊) lodging in Si (巳), with Si (巳) having Wei (未), which is with the nobleman; the second lesson is Wei (未) having You (酉), which is with Tai Yin; the third lesson is the day branch Zi (子) having Yin (寅), which is with the Azure Dragon; the fourth lesson is Yin (寅) having Chen (辰), which is with Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Chen (辰), with the hidden stem Renchen (壬辰), riding on Liu He, representing brothers; the middle transmission is Wu (午), riding on Teng Snake, with Wu (午) in the Jiashen (甲申) sequence being empty, marked with '◎' on the chart, and Wu fire generating Wu earth, representing parents; the final transmission is Shen (申), with the hidden stem Jia Shen (甲申), riding on the Heavenly Empress, representing children. Chen (辰), Wu (午), and Shen (申) each advance one position in sequence, indicating a forward transmission.

郭御青曰：課名登三天，嫌中末空陷，祿傳墓神。乃正月，目下諸事不爽，未幾，果然有言，須屬犬之人沖之，到四五月方美。行年見白虎，必是臺中，但恐考不能待，孰知其果至期也乃五月中字填實，三天方可登，此番曠興乃真登三天也。與張坦之課俱奇中。（見辛卯日干上巳）

Guo Yuqing said: The pattern of this divination is called "Ascending to the Three Heavens." It is only regrettable that both the middle transmission and the final transmission fall into empty and barren places, and the day's luck is transmitted into the tomb god. At that time it was the first lunar month, and at present, all matters seem to be without error; soon afterwards, there was indeed a sign: a person of the dog sign was needed to break the situation, and it would only improve by mid-May. The year of the person's age shows the White Tiger, indicating that the future will be in the path of the Censorate; it is feared that the examination for appointment will not arrive at that time. Who would have thought that the day actually arrived - by May, the character "wu" was filled in (the original text says "zhong," which is likely a mistake for "wu"), and then the three heavens could be ascended. This time's exceptional appointment finally counted as the real "ascending to the three heavens." This divination is remarkably accurate, just like Zhang Tangu's case (see the entry for Xinmao day "Gan Shang Si").

己酉年閏八月戊子日辰將子時姚博戊辰生四十二歲占家訟。（方本占案）

In the year Ji You, in the leap month of August, on the day Wu Zi, using the month of Chen as the Month General, the divination was started at the Zi hour. The person seeking divination is Yao Bo, born in the year Wu Chen, aged forty-two, asking about a lawsuit concerning family property. This case is from the book "Fang Ben Zhan An."

朱合勾龍 酉戌亥子 蛇玄空朱 兄壬辰玄 蛇申 丑空 申辰丑酉 子甲申蛇 貴未 寅虎 辰子酉戊 財戊子龍 午巳辰卯 后陰玄常

This chart is cast with the month general at Chen (辰) added to the Zi (子) hour. The Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The Zi hour belongs to night, so the nobleman is at Wu (戊) night, and the nobleman is on the Earth Plate's Mao (卯) position and proceeds in order. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: Wei (未) with the nobleman, Shen (申) with the Teng Snake, You (酉) with the Vermilion Bird, Xu (戌) with Liu He, Hai (亥) with Gou Chen, Zi (子) with the Azure Dragon, Chou (丑) with Tian Kong, Yin (寅) with the White Tiger, Mao (卯) with Tai Chang, Chen (辰) with the Black Tortoise, Si (巳) with Tai Yin, and Wu (午) with the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Wu (戊) lodging in Si (巳), with酉 (酉) on Si, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the second lesson is酉 (酉) with Chou (丑), which is occupied by Tian Kong; the third lesson is the day branch Zi (子) with Chen (辰), which is occupied by the Black Tortoise; the fourth lesson is Chen (辰) with Shen (申), which is occupied by the Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Chen (辰), with the hidden stem Renchen (壬辰), occupied by the Black Tortoise, representing a brother; the middle transmission is Shen (申), with the hidden stem Jia Shen (甲申), occupied by the Teng Snake, representing a son; the final transmission is Zi (子), with the hidden stem Wuzi (戊子), occupied by the Azure Dragon, with the water of Zi in the earth of Wu representing a wife's wealth. Shen, Zi, and Chen form a water trinity, which is exactly a wealth trinity.

邵彥和曰：訟因後一項財，卻爭先一項財起。喜得有舊文書為證。姚曰：果是收得伊父筆據，候到宣先將出。曰：今日有一人，面黑有痣，狀貌魁肥，來控爾口中言語，爾可設酒款待，卻將此筆據出看，訟可便止。蓋三傳無官鬼財，在今日之長生上，所以不失財，故與此人說即止也。

Shao Yanhe said: This lawsuit is nominally about a later sum of money, but in reality it was caused by a dispute over an earlier sum. Fortunately, there are old documents in hand to serve as evidence. Yao Bo said: Indeed, there is a handwritten note written by his father, which will be presented when they arrive at the official court. Shao Yanhe said: There will be a person coming today, with a dark complexion, a mole on his face, and a robust, stout build, who will confront you face to face about what you have said. You should just prepare wine and entertain him, then take out this document and show it to him, and the lawsuit will immediately be resolved. This is because among the Three Transmissions, there is no official ghost爻 that harms the wealth, and the wealth爻 is located at the position of Growth on the current day, so the money will not be lost. Precisely because of this, once you explain things to this person, the matter will be settled.

姚博昔與何知鎮干財，知鎮赴任時，姚博將帳簿來呈知鎮於簿內，批判請訖二字。其子名於九者，卻不知及知鎮卒後二年，姚博再向何宅借錢三百貫，何宅將與之，而宅前有沈姓者開店，其人身肥，面黑有痣，卻與何宅說知鎮在日姚博欠錢未還，其子遂欲進狀來追。姚博因來占課，及占後回家，沈姓果來相探，姚博遂置酒相待，將知鎮批據與看，沈乃向何宅言之，遂止。

The original story is as follows: Nao Bo once managed finances for He Zhizhen. When He Zhizhen took office, Nao Bo presented the account book, and He Zhizhen wrote the two characters "qing qi" on it, meaning that the accounts had been settled. However, his son, named Yu Jiun, was unaware of this. Two years after He Zhizhen's death, Nao Bo borrowed three hundred guan from the He family, and the He family had already agreed. There was a man named Shen who ran a shop in front of the He family's house. This man was stout and had a black face with a mole. He told the He family that the money Nao Bo owed during He Zhizhen's lifetime had not been repaid. The son of the He family then intended to file a lawsuit to recover the debt. Nao Bo therefore came to consult a divination. After finishing the consultation, he returned home, and Shen indeed came to inquire. Nao Bo then prepared a meal to entertain him and showed him the document from He Zhizhen's time. Shen then informed the He family about this matter, and thus the matter was settled.

蓋酉作朱雀，為舊文字，陽主新，陰主舊也。辰加子作玄武臨財，是財上之庫也，庫鬼即沈也。申臨庫地，所以便了，財臨生地，所以不失財也。

Careful analysis of the divination: The day stem is on酉, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird. The Vermilion Bird governs documents;酉 belongs to yin, while yang represents new and yin represents old, so it is determined to be an old document. The first transmission is 辰 placed on 子 with the Black Tortoise, the Black Tortoise is on the wealth hexagram, and 辰 is also the water reservoir. This is a treasure chest pressing on wealth; the ghost within the treasure chest refers to a person surnamed Shen. The middle transmission is 申 resting on the treasure chest, so the matter can be resolved immediately. The final transmission's wealth hexagram 子 is in the growth position, so the money will ultimately not be lost.

己酉年三月戊子日戌將巳時何承務丁巳生五十三歲占家宅。（一針見血、方本占案、口鑑）

In the year Jiyou, third lunar month, on the day Wuzi, using the戌 month general placed on the巳 hour to cast the divination. The person asking the question is He Chengwu, born in the year Dingsi, aged fifty-three, inquiring about his family home. This case is recorded in the three books: "One Needle Reveals the Essence," "Case Book of Divination," and "Oral Mirror."

朱蛇 六戌亥子丑貴 六常陰六 父癸巳常 勾酉 寅后 戌巳卯戌 比丙戌六 龍申 卯陰 巳子戌戊 官辛卯陰 空未午巳辰玄 虎常

This chart is cast with the month general Wu at the hour of Si, and the Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The hour of Si belongs to the day time, so the daytime nobleman is at Chou. The nobleman is located at the Earth Plate position Shen and moves in reverse. Therefore, the heavenly generals riding on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: Chou rides the nobleman, Yin rides the Heavenly Empress, Mao rides Tai Yin, Chen rides Black Tortoise, Si rides Tai Chang, Wu rides White Tiger, Wei rides Tian Kong, Shen rides Azure Dragon, You rides Gou Chen, Xu rides Liu He, Hai rides Vermilion Bird, and Zi rides Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Wu lodging in the palace of Si, with Si bearing Wu, which rides Liu He; the second lesson is Wu bearing Mao, which rides Tai Yin; the third lesson is the day branch Zi bearing Si, which rides Tai Chang; the fourth lesson is Si bearing Wu, which rides Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si, with the hidden stem Guisi riding Tai Chang, Si fire generates Wu earth, representing parents; the middle transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Bingxu riding Liu He, representing a peer; the final transmission is Mao, with the hidden stem Xinmao riding Tai Yin, Mao wood overcomes Wu earth, representing official ghosts.

邵先生曰：此課日往加辰，是人廣而宅狹也。宅上發用，傳出日上，是宅居不得許多人而後出也。末傳歸第二課，又見宅不納人。然非宅克人，是人多欲自出也（若丙子日，人來就宅，為宅所克，是宅不容人，居必生災也）。若移出各人自為活計，將因太陰擾動而興詞訟，太陰乘卯為今日鬼，故就卯上論之，在末傳，故至十三年後。十三年後見之後，人財亦興旺。

Master Zhao said: In this divination, the day stem's lodgment palace has moved to the position of the day branch's zi. This represents a situation where there are too many people and the house is too small. The fire sign si, which is located on the house position, initiates the first transmission. The middle transmission then moves to the god xu, which is on the day stem. This indicates that the house cannot accommodate so many people, and eventually some people will have to move out. The final transmission returns to the second lesson's卯, which again suggests that the house cannot hold the people. However, it is not the house that is attacking the people, but rather that the people are too numerous and are forced to leave. If the day were bingzi, then it would be the house that attacks the people, and that would be a situation where the house cannot hold them, leading to disaster. If each person moves out to seek their own livelihood, they will later be disturbed by matters related to tai yin, which will lead to lawsuits. Tai yin is riding the卯, which is the official ghost of today, so we calculate based on卯. Since卯 is in the final transmission, the lawsuit will occur thirteen years later. After thirteen years, the lawsuit will be resolved, and the family's population and wealth will still flourish.

先生愚按：何居祖宅，狹仄人眾，此是日來加宅相逼，又作破碎也。本年十一月移出店房居住，自做經營，亦應初傳巳為店業，妙！妙！前原是兄嫂家掌家，後十三年，歲在甲子，果因家財爭訟，是以加子，人宅相剋也。巳四子九，併成十三年也。其壬戌年有卯制，故不動。癸亥年天罡壓之，亦不動。甲子年人宅相逼，所以至此方爭也。訟起於甲子之春，至乙丑四月方止，宅上見祿神，尚自興旺，人財尚可旺發也。

Master explained himself: He resides in the old family house, which is narrow and has many people, which is exactly the image of the day stem's god pressing down on the house position, indicating a conflict. Moreover, the巳 carries the broken-up evil. In the eleventh month of that year, he moved out to live in a shop and started his own business, which corresponds to the image of the initial transmission's巳 indicating shop business, which is very remarkable. Previously, his elder brother and sister managed the family affairs. After that, in the thirteenth year, when the year was Jiazi, there was indeed a lawsuit over family property, which corresponds to the巳 pressing on the Zi, with people and house conflicting. The number of巳 is four, and the number of Zi is nine, adding up to thirteen years. In the year Renxu, there was a卯 to restrain it, so there was no action; in the year Guihai, the Tiangang of Chen pressed it down, so there was no action; until the year Jiazi, when people and house directly conflicted, so it came to this point. The lawsuit started in the spring of the Jiazi year and stopped in the fourth month of the Yichou year. The house position saw the禄神, so the family fortune remained prosperous, and people and wealth could still flourish.

順治辛卯年二月戊子日亥將午時胡尹二兄占淮揚巡按差可復，吏書缺可照舊否？（指南）

In the 1652 Xinmao year, second month, Wuzi day, the lesson was cast with the Month General of亥 added to the午 time. Hu and Yin came to consult: Can the position of Inspector of Huaiyang be restored? Can the post of official clerk be maintained as before? This example is from the Six壬 Guide. The亥 General added to午 is the same as the previous lesson where the戌 General was added to巳, as both have the Heaven Plate advancing five positions relative to the Earth Plate, so the two lessons are exactly the same.

朱蛇 六戌亥子丑貴 六常陰六 父癸巳常 勾酉 寅后 戌巳卯戌 比丙戌六 龍申 卯陰 巳子戌戊 官辛卯陰 空未午巳辰玄 虎常

The divination plate is the same as the previous example: the Heaven Plate has Chou multiplied by the Nobleman, Yin multiplied by the Heavenly Empress, Mao multiplied by Tai Yin, Chen multiplied by Black Tortoise, Si multiplied by Tai Chang, Wu multiplied by White Tiger, Wei multiplied by Tian Kong, Shen multiplied by Azure Dragon, You multiplied by Gou Chen, Xu multiplied by Liu He, Hai multiplied by Vermilion Bird, and Zi multiplied by Teng Snake. The Four Lessons, arranged from right to left, are Xu added to Wu (Wu is located in Si), Mao added to Xu, Si added to Zi, and Xu added to Si. The Heavenly Generals in sequence are Liu He, Tai Yin, Tai Chang, and Liu He. The Three Transmissions begin with Si multiplied by Tai Chang as the parents, continue with Xu multiplied by Liu He as the companion, and end with Mao multiplied by Tai Yin as the official ghost. In the previous example, He Chengwu asked about his family residence, focusing on the mutual pressure between person and dwelling, and the final transmission's official ghost indicating litigation. In this example, asking about the existence or non-existence of an official messenger, the focus is instead on the first transmission's day's wealth being present in the branch, and the final transmission's Mao, which is exactly the Xinmao year's sovereign, acting as an official star. Since the question is different, the divination elements considered are also different.

斷曰：巡方官可復，吏缺未能如舊也。何也？蓋因鑄印乘軒，主遷官轉職而啟奏事。喜日祿臨支發用，末傳太歲作官，定有差遣，代天子巡狩之官也，且官居奎婁，是鳳廬有官之兆。又格合迴環，四墓加生，去而復來、已廢復興之象，未幾工科上疏題復。不復吏書者，以課不全，故占二得一也。

The interpretation states that the position of patrol inspector can be restored, but the position of the personnel office cannot remain as it was. Why? Because the lesson pattern is "casting the seal and riding the carriage," which indicates a change in official position and matters requiring a report. Fortunately, the day stem's fortune is located on the day branch, and the initiating transmission is the first transmission; the final transmission's卯 is exactly the Xinmao year's sovereign, and it is also the official star, indicating a certain appointment, and specifically an official who tours the four directions on behalf of the Son of Heaven. Moreover, the official star is located precisely in the area of the constellations Qiu and Lou, which is a sign that there will be officials in Fengyang and Luzhou regions. The lesson pattern is also a circular combination, with all four tomb spirits added to the position of growth, which is the image of going away and returning, of being abolished and then revived. Soon after, the Ministry of Works indeed submitted a memorial requesting the restoration. As for why the personnel office cannot be restored, it is because this lesson is not complete, so only one of the two matters came true.

丁丑年二月戊子日亥將巳時江西傅鼎臣孝廉占會試。（郭氏占案）

On the day of Wuzi in the second lunar month of the Dingchou year, the lesson was cast with the Hour General of the亥 month placed on the巳 hour. The person consulting is Fu Dingchen, a juren from Jiangxi, asking whether he will pass the imperial examination. This example is from the "Guo Shi Zhan An."

朱蛇貴后 亥子丑寅 蛇虎常朱 父◎午虎 合戌 卯陰 子午巳亥 財戊子蛇 勾酉 辰玄 午子亥戊 父◎午虎 申未午巳 龍空虎常

This chart is based on the month of Hai as the general, placed on the time of Si. The month general and the hour are directly opposite, and the Heaven Plate advances six positions ahead of the Earth Plate, forming a "returning echo" pattern. The hour of Si belongs to the day time, so the nobleman for a Wu day is Chou. The nobleman is located on the Earth Plate at Wei and moves in reverse. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch are: Chou with the nobleman, Yin with the Heavenly Empress, Mao with Tai Yin, Chen with Black Tortoise, Si with Tai Chang, Wu with White Tiger, Wei with Tian Kong, Shen with Azure Dragon, You with Gou Chen, Xu with Liu He, Hai with Vermilion Bird, and Zi with Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Wu, which is located in the palace of Si, and Si is occupied by Hai, which is occupied by Vermilion Bird; the second lesson is Hai, which is occupied by Si, which is occupied by Tai Chang; the third lesson is the day branch Zi, which is occupied by Wu, which is occupied by White Tiger; the fourth lesson is Wu, which is occupied by Zi, which is occupied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wu, the middle transmission is Zi, and the final transmission is again Wu. The Wu in the first and final transmissions falls in the Jiashen decade and is exactly in the empty position, marked with "◎" on the chart. The fire of Wu generates the earth of Wu, representing parents, while the water of Zi represents wife and wealth. The first transmission Wu is occupied by White Tiger, the middle transmission Zi is occupied by Teng Snake, and the final transmission Wu is again occupied by White Tiger. The mutual conflict between Zi and Wu forms a returning echo pattern, indicating an unstable situation.

郭御青曰：三傳俱空，天將皆凶，日克朱雀，大不美課。凡諸同袍求占者，餘皆含糊應之，獨此課餘面直千，傅君變色。餘心不安，後果不中。

Guo Yuqing said: All three transmissions fall into empty positions, and the heavenly generals are all凶 generals. The day stem also overcomes the vermilion bird representing official documents, which is really a very bad divination. Whenever friends of the same generation come to seek divination, I usually give vague answers. But this time I told him directly in front of him (the original text says 'Yu mian zhi qian', the character 'qian' is likely a mistake for 'yan' or 'gao'). Fu Jun turned pale. I felt very uneasy. Later, he indeed did not pass the examination.

崇正丁丑年二月十九己丑日亥將午時六安祝謙吉孝廉字尊光者占會試。（郭氏占案）

In the Dingchou year of the Chongzhen era (the original text says 'Chongzheng'), on the nineteenth day of the second lunar month, Jichou, the Month General was placed on the午 (Wu) hour to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination was Zhu Qianji, a candidate for the imperial examination from Lu'an, whose courtesy name was Zun Guang. He was asking about his performance in the examination. This case is from the "Guo氏 Zhan An" (Guo氏's Divination Cases).

朱蛇貴后 戌亥子丑 蛇空虎貴 父癸巳虎 合酉 寅陰 亥午巳子 兄丙戌朱 勾申 卯玄 午丑子己 鬼辛卯玄 未午巳辰 龍空虎常

This chart begins with the month general at亥 (Hai) placed on the午 (Wu) hour. The heaven plate advances five positions ahead of the earth plate. The午 (Wu) hour belongs to the day, so the daytime nobleman for the己 (Ji) day is子 (Zi). The nobleman is located on the earth plate's未 (Wei) position and moves in reverse. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each earth branch are: Zi (子)乘 (multiplied by) the nobleman, Chou (丑)乘 the Heavenly Empress, Yin (寅)乘 Tai Yin, Mao (卯)乘 Black Tortoise, Chen (辰)乘 Tai Chang, Si (巳)乘 White Tiger, Wu (午)乘 Tian Kong, Wei (未)乘 Azure Dragon, Shen (申)乘 Gou Chen, You (酉)乘 Liu He, Xu (戌)乘 Vermilion Bird, Hai (亥)乘 Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Ji (己) lodging in Wei (未), with Zi (子) on Wei, which is multiplied by the nobleman; the second lesson has Si (巳) on Zi, which is multiplied by White Tiger; the third lesson has Wu (午) on Chou (丑), which is multiplied by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson has Hai (亥) on Wu (午), which is multiplied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si (巳), with the hidden stem Guisi, multiplied by White Tiger, where Si fire generates Ji earth, representing parents; the middle transmission is Xu (戌), with the hidden stem Bingxu, multiplied by Vermilion Bird, representing siblings; the final transmission is Mao (卯), with the hidden stem Xinmao, multiplied by Black Tortoise, where Mao wood overcomes Ji earth, representing official ghosts.

郭御青曰：簾幕臨行年亦為吉，但申臨胎地，無力，況了午相沖而空陷，傳課全無馬。時即未敢深許。祝君精於五星，亦自知不第，後果落孫山。

Guo Yuqing said: The nobleman's influence on the year of birth is originally considered auspicious, but the position of Shen falls in the state of infant and nurturing, which lacks vitality. Moreover, Zi and Wu are in opposition, and Wu is located in the empty period. In the transmission of the divination, there is not even a single post-horse. Therefore, at that time I did not dare to predict he would pass the examination. May you be skilled in the five stars' knowledge, and you yourself know you would not be admitted. In the end, he indeed failed to pass the examination.

崇正庚午年十一月己丑日寅將未時富平朱西昆占入覲考選何官？（指南）

In the Gengwu year of the Chongzhen era (the original text says 'Chongzheng'), on the Jichou day of the 11th lunar month, the class hour was set with the寅 trigram placed on the Wei hour. Zhu Xikun from Fuping went to the capital to pay homage and asked about the official rank he would receive in this examination. This example is from the Six壬 Guide.

後陰 貴子丑寅卯玄 玄勾六陰 官辛卯六 蛇亥 辰常 卯申酉寅 兄丙戌朱 朱戌 巳虎 申丑寅己 父癸巳虎 六酉申未午空 勾龍

This chart is based on the month of寅 with the month general placed on the hour of未. The heaven plate advances seven positions relative to the earth plate. The hour of未 belongs to the day, so for a day with the stem 己, the nobleman is located at the position of巳 and moves in reverse. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each earthly branch are: 子 is accompanied by the nobleman, 丑 by the heavenly empress, 寅 by the great Yin, 卯 by the black tortoise, 辰 by the great constancy, 巳 by the white tiger, 午 by the heavenly void, 未 by the azure dragon, 申 by the hook heaven, 酉 by the six harmonies, 戌 by the vermilion bird, and 亥 by the tending snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem 己, which is located in the palace of 未, and 未 has 寅, which is accompanied by the great Yin; the second lesson is 寅, which has 酉, accompanied by the six harmonies; the third lesson is the day branch 丑, which has 申, accompanied by the hook heaven; the fourth lesson is 申, which has 卯, accompanied by the black tortoise. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 卯, with the hidden stem Xinmao, where 卯 wood overcomes 己 earth, representing official ghost; the middle transmission is 戌, with the hidden stem Bingxu, accompanied by the vermilion bird, representing brother; the final transmission is 巳, with the hidden stem Guisi, accompanied by the white tiger, representing parents. (The original text's first line of the three transmissions has the heavenly general marked as '六', but the four lessons clearly indicate that 卯 is accompanied by the black tortoise, and Chen Gongxian also states 'the initiating transmission 卯 is accompanied by the black tortoise as official', so it should be '玄'.)

陳公獻曰：考選不得銓部詞林，定是風憲言官，且有貴子由科甲入翰院。蓋因日上天吏官德空墓，陰神又制之，必有明暗相攻不得銓部也。發用卯乘玄武為官，中傳朱雀，末見白虎，是以主黃門金瑣、風憲言官。果後考入垣中，歷轉山海巡撫，都御史。因支上子乘幕貴，貴人又作長生學堂，應子由科甲入翰院也。

Chen Gongxian said: This examination will not result in a position in the Ministry of Personnel or the Hanlin Academy, it must be a position in the Office of Imperial Censor or the Imperial Attendant, a type of official who gives advice. Moreover, he will have a good son who enters the Hanlin Academy through the imperial examination. Because the "Heavenly Official" on the day stem and the official star have both fallen into the earth and been buried, and the hidden spirit is also restraining them, there must be attacks from both inside and outside, so he cannot enter the Ministry of Personnel. The first transmission is卯 (Mao) with the Vermilion Bird, which represents the official star, the middle transmission is the Vermilion Bird, and the final transmission is the White Tiger, so it indicates a position in the secretariat or the office of imperial censors. Later, he indeed entered the advisory path, served as the governor of the mountain and sea region, and reached the position of Grand Imperial Censor. As for the son爻 (yao) on the day branch, which is申 (Shen) riding on the curtain nobleman, the nobleman is sitting on the position of growth and learning, this exactly corresponds to his son entering the Hanlin Academy through the imperial examination.

銓部，吏部；詞林，翰林院；皆文職也。風憲，御史；言官，六科給事中，掌風紀糾察，屬秋官，有肅殺之威，以虎類之。可見德者，文官也。德主生而刑主殺，宜深思之。

Here are explanations of a few terms: "Quanbu" refers to the Ministry of Personnel, and "Cilin" refers to the Hanlin Academy, both belonging to the category of civil posts. "Fengxian" refers to the Imperial Censorate, and "Yanguan" refers to the Six Boards of Attendants, who are responsible for maintaining discipline and conducting inspections. They belong to the sixth of the six ministries, which is associated with autumn, and carry an atmosphere of severity and punishment, hence the use of the White Tiger as a symbolic representation. From this, we can see that deities representing "De" are associated with civil officials. "De" is linked to nurturing and generation, while "Xing" is linked to punishment and execution. This distinction is worth careful consideration.

丁丑年二月己丑日亥將炳時陳名夏孝廉字百史者占會試。（郭氏占案）

In the year of Dingchou, second lunar month, on the day of Jichou, using the month general of Hai to start the divination on the time of Bingyin. The case is about Chen Mingxia, a candidate for the imperial examination, who is asking about his performance in the examination. This example is taken from the "Guo Shi Zhan An."

朱合勾龍 寅卯辰巳 虎陰蛇勾 財戊子貴 蛇丑 午空 未戌丑辰 兄壬辰勾 貴子 未虎 戌丑辰己 兄丙戌陰 亥戌酉申 后陰玄常

This chart uses the month general亥 placed on the寅 hour to generate the divination. The Heaven Plate is three positions behind the Earth Plate. Using the daytime nobleman for the己 day, the nobleman is located on the卯 position of the Earth Plate and moves in a clockwise direction. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: 子 is accompanied by the nobleman, 丑 by the Teng Snake, 寅 by the Vermilion Bird, 卯 by the Liu He, 辰 by the Gou Chen, 巳 by the Azure Dragon, 午 by the Tian Kong, 未 by the White Tiger, 申 by the Tai Chang, 酉 by the Black Tortoise, 戌 by the Tai Yin, and 亥 by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem己 lodging in the palace of 未, with 未 having 辰, which is accompanied by the Gou Chen; the second lesson is 辰 having 丑, which is accompanied by the Teng Snake; the third lesson is the day branch 丑 having 戌, which is accompanied by the Tai Yin; the fourth lesson is 戌 having 未, which is accompanied by the White Tiger. All four lessons are earth deities that are like and harmonious with each other, and there is no mutual control, so the method of "昴星" is used. Since it is a阴 day, the initial transmission is taken from the酉 position on the Heaven Plate, which is associated with the子 position on the Earth Plate. The middle transmission is taken from the heavenly deity on the day stem, which is 辰, and the final transmission is taken from the heavenly deity on the day branch, which is 戌. Therefore, the initial transmission is 子, with the hidden stem Wuzi, accompanied by the nobleman, and the water of 子 is the wife and wealth for the earth of 己; the middle transmission is 辰, with the hidden stem Renchen, accompanied by the Gou Chen, representing brothers; the final transmission is 戌, with the hidden stem Bingxu, accompanied by the Tai Yin, also representing brothers.

郭御青曰：課得昴星已為不美，況發用貴人作財又為中傳所墓，干上辰墓，雖戌能沖之，奈辰作勾陳，是又一辰也，似非戌所能沖矣。課傳並無簾幕驛馬，命乘朱雀，嫌克太歲，安能中乎？陳君為海內名宿，後果抱屈。信乎人遇全有時。

Guo Yuqing said: The divination result is the昴 star lesson, which is already unfavorable; moreover, the initiating transmission's nobleman acts as a wealth hexagram, and is reversed by the middle transmission's chen, which is the墓 of chen. The chen on the day stem is the墓 of water, although the final transmission's xu can break it, the chen is also riding on Gou Chen, whose original position is also chen, which is equivalent to adding another layer of chen earth. A single xu may not be able to move two chens. Since there is neither a curtain nobleman nor a post-horse in the transmission, and the original hexagram is riding on the Vermilion Bird which is too strong to overcome the sovereign, how can it succeed? Chen Jun is a famous scholar in the country, but later indeed suffered injustice and failed the examination. This shows that people's fortunes are indeed determined by fate.

吳稼云曰：命上朱雀、日德、月德是即名士之應。

Wu Jiayun said: On his destiny chart, the Al雀 and the daily virtue and monthly virtue are sitting together, which exactly corresponds to him being a renowned scholar. The Vermilion Bird governs literature, and the virtue deities govern reputation; even though he did not pass the imperial examination, his reputation was already established.

壬申年十月己丑日寅將巳時自占明年得子否？（郭氏占案）

In the year Renshen, tenth month, day Jichou, using the寅 month general placed on the巳 hour to cast the divination, Guo Yuqing asked himself if he would have a son next year. This example comes from the "Guo's Divination Cases." The寅 general placed on the巳 hour is the same as the previous lesson where the亥 general was placed on the寅 hour; the Heaven Plate is again three positions behind the Earth Plate, so both lessons share the same plate. In the previous lesson, the focus was on the昴 star and the Tomb Spirit, but in this lesson, the attention is on whether the character 「子」 appears in the three transmissions.

朱合勾龍 寅卯辰巳 虎陰蛇勾 財戊子貴 蛇丑 午空 未戌丑辰 兄壬辰勾 貴子 未虎 戌丑辰己 兄丙戌陰 亥戌酉申 后陰玄常

The lesson plate is the same as the previous example: the Heaven Plate has Zi with the Nobleman, Chou with Teng Snake, Yin with Vermilion Bird, Mao with Liu He, Chen with Gou Chen, Si with Azure Dragon, Wu with Tian Kong, Wei with White Tiger, Shen with Tai Chang, You with Black Tortoise, Xu with Tai Yin, and Hai with Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, are Chen with Ji (Ji is located in Wei), Chou with Chen, Xu with Chou, and Wei with Xu. The Heavenly Generals are in sequence Gou Chen, Teng Snake, Tai Yin, and White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission, Zi with the Nobleman, representing wife's wealth; the middle transmission, Chen with Gou Chen, representing brothers; and the final transmission, Xu with Tai Yin, also representing brothers. This is still the lesson of昴 star.

郭御青曰：壬申餘因傷子，偶動意占明年得子否，意中不論課體吉凶，但傳出子字，即取為子。果傳出子字，乘貴人且發用，三奇旺相，後果於癸酉年甲子月戊戌日庚申時生子不字。甲戊庚三奇與課同，何其神符也？

Guo Yuqing said: In the Renshen year, because I lost my son, I happened to cast a divination to ask whether I could have another son next year. At that time, I did not consider the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of the lesson pattern, but only thought that if the three transmissions contained the character "zi", I would take it as my son. Indeed, the transmission did contain the character "zi", and it was riding on the nobleman, and also served as the first transmission. The three marvels of Jia, Wu, and Geng were all prosperous and strong. Later, I indeed gave birth to a son on the day of Guiyou in the month of Jiazi of the year Kuiyou, but could not raise him (the character "bu" means not being able to have children). The Jia, Wu, and Geng marvels in the birth date were exactly the same as those seen in the divination lesson, how miraculous it was!

愚按：子貴發用，眾土克之，此應生而不育之象。觀丁丑年十月戊申日子時占夢一課，而知此子不育。郭君雖不論課體吉凶，但六壬神應，無微不到，吉凶何嘗虛報耶？

I remarked: The first transmission's water element, though riding on the nobleman and initiating, was surrounded by many earth deities in the lesson, thus corresponding to the image of "being born but unable to be raised." Looking further at the divination for a dream on the day of Dingchou in the tenth month of the year Wushen, one can also see that this child cannot be raised. Although Guo Jun said he does not personally judge the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of the lesson pattern, the response of the Six Rats is subtle and comprehensive. When has auspiciousness or inauspiciousness ever been falsely reported?

十一月己丑日丑將辰時某占兒病。（方本占案）

On the day of Jichou in the 11th lunar month, using the Month General of Chou added to the time of Chen, a person divined about his son's illness. This example is from "Fang Ben Zhan An." The Month General Chou is added to the time of Chen. The Heaven Plate remains three places behind the Earth Plate. The four lessons and three transmissions are exactly the same as the previous two lessons; the only difference is that the previous two lessons used the daytime noble at Zi, while this lesson uses the nighttime noble at Shen. As a result, the entire set of Heavenly Generals changes, and the method of interpretation also changes completely.

虎常 空寅卯辰巳玄 龍丑 午陰 后朱龍常 財戊子陳 陳子 未后 未戌丑辰 兄壬辰常 六亥戌酉申貴 戌丑辰己 兄丙戌朱 朱蛇

This chart begins with the month general at Chou, placed on the Chen hour. The Heaven Plate is three positions behind the Earth Plate. For this lesson, the night nobleman is at Shen for the day stem Ji. The nobleman is located at the亥 position on the Earth Plate and moves in a clockwise direction. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: Shen riding the nobleman, You riding the Teng Snake, Xu riding the Vermilion Bird, Hai riding Liu He, Zi riding Gou Chen (written as 'Chen' in the chart), Chou riding the Azure Dragon, Yin riding Tian Kong, Mao riding the White Tiger, Chen riding Tai Chang, Si riding the Black Tortoise, Wu riding Tai Yin, and Wei riding the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Ji lodging in Wei, with Wei receiving Chen, which rides Tai Chang; the second lesson has Chen receiving Chou, which rides the Azure Dragon; the third lesson has the day branch Chou receiving Xu, which rides the Vermilion Bird; and the fourth lesson has Xu receiving Wei, which rides the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions follow the method of the昴 star: the first transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Wu Zi riding Gou Chen, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is Chen, with the hidden stem Ren Chen riding Tai Chang, representing brothers; and the final transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Bing Xu riding the Vermilion Bird, also representing brothers.

斷曰：昴星課陰掩其陽，是無陽氣也。辰作常覆日，陰神來破之，末傳戌加丑，被丑相刑，是陰氣陽氣將盡，病人當氣促而喘死。外應虛熱煩躁，又主熱渴，其人果先熱渴而後喘死。

The interpretation states: The昴star lesson indicates that yin energy covers yang energy, equivalent to a person having no yang energy left. The day stem is on the辰, which is covered by Tai Chang, and its yin spirit further breaks it. The final transmission's戌is placed on丑, which is punished by丑—there is mutual punishment between戌and丑. This is a sign that both yin and yang energies are nearly exhausted. The patient should experience shortness of breath and rapid breathing leading to death. External symptoms include false heat and irritability, and also indicate thirst and fever. This child indeed first showed signs of dryness, thirst, and fever, and later died from shortness of breath.

丁丑年二月己丑日亥將子時金壇虞大定孝廉占會試。（郭氏占案）

In the year Dingchou, second lunar month, on the day Jichou, the month general is亥, placed on the Zi hour to cast the divination. The person consulting is Yu Dading, a juren from Jintan, asking about the imperial examination. This example is from the "Guo Shi Zhan An."

勾龍空虎 辰巳午未 后貴龍空 財戊子貴 合卯 申常 亥子巳午 財丁亥后 朱寅 酉玄 子丑午己 兄丙戌陰 丑子亥戌 蛇貴后陰

This chart begins with the month general at Hai in the Zi hour. The Heaven Plate is one position behind the Earth Plate. On the day of Ji, the nobleman is located at Zi during the day, and the nobleman is at the Earth Plate's Chou position, moving forward. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals on each Earthly Branch are: Zi with the nobleman, Chou with Teng Snake, Yin with Vermilion Bird, Mao with Liu He, Chen with Gou Chen, Si with Azure Dragon, Wu with Tian Kong, Wei with White Tiger, Shen with Tai Chang, You with Black Tortoise, Xu with Tai Yin, and Hai with Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ji, which is in the palace Wei, and Wei has Wu, which is with Tian Kong; the second lesson is Wu with Si, which is with Azure Dragon; the third lesson is the day branch Chou with Zi, which is with the nobleman; the fourth lesson is Zi with Hai, which is with Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Wu Zi, accompanied by the nobleman, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is Hai, with the hidden stem Ding Hai, accompanied by Heavenly Empress, also representing wife and wealth; the final transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Bing Xu, accompanied by Tai Yin, representing brother. Zi, Hai, and Xu each step back one position, forming the pattern of retreating steps.

郭御青曰：此課干上命上，祿作天空，無簾幕貴人。宅上雖貴人發用，上下夾克，為逼迫枃。貴人入廟，吉不為吉。天空雖在日相對，入廟則不見面，天空高惡矣。

Guo Yuqing said: In this lesson, both the day stem and the native's stem are riding on the Tian Kong, but the entire lesson does not show any curtain and nobleman. Although there is a nobleman in the dwelling position that initiates the first transmission, it is squeezed by forces on both sides, forming a pattern of oppression. Although there is a nobleman, it is in its own temple palace, so the auspicious deity fails to bring good fortune. Although the Tian Kong is directly opposite the day stem, after entering its temple palace, they cannot see each other, making the Tian Kong appear especially troublesome.

吳稼云曰：貴人入廟為陷而不出之象。

Wu Jiayun said: The nobleman entering his temple signifies a situation where he is trapped and unable to escape - the nobleman should be able to come forward and assist, but now he is confined to his own palace, so his help cannot reach.

乾隆戊午年八月初九己丑日巳將午時闈中頭場四書目。（殘編）

In the year Wuwu of the Qianlong era, on the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, on the day Jichou, the class was cast using the month general Si added to the hour Wu. The divination was for the first question of the local examination on the Four Books. This example comes from a collection called "The Fragmentary Compilation." The Si general added to Wu hour and the previous lesson's亥 general added to Zi hour both have the Heaven Plate retreating one position relative to the Earth Plate, so both lessons share the same plate. The previous lesson asked about the success or failure of official rank, while this lesson used the same plate to predict the wording of the examination question.

勾龍空虎 辰巳午未 后貴龍空 財戊子貴 合卯 申常 亥子巳午 財丁亥后 朱寅 酉玄 子丑午己 兄丙戌陰 丑子亥戌 蛇貴后陰

The lesson plate is the same as the previous example: the Heaven Plate has Zi riding the Nobleman, Chou riding the Teng Snake, Yin riding the Vermilion Bird, Mao riding Liu He, Chen riding Gou Chen, Si riding the Azure Dragon, Wu riding Tian Kong, Wei riding the White Tiger, Shen riding Tai Chang, You riding the Black Tortoise, Xu riding Tai Yin, and Hai riding the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, are Wu added to Ji (Ji is located in Wei), Si added to Wu, Zi added to Chou, and Hai added to Zi. The Heavenly Generals in order are Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, Nobleman, and Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission has Zi riding the Nobleman, the middle transmission has Hai riding the Heavenly Empress, and the final transmission has Xu riding Tai Yin, with the entire transmission being a retreat and consumption. In the year of Wuwu, the sovereign is located in Wu, and Zi is the year's breaking, so the following discussion begins with the concept of "breaking initiated by the year."

斷曰：此課余初斷歲破發用，應出臣子盡忠之命意。及頭牌出，方悟子為道路神，又為支之先，又陰神見丁馬，皆是行神，是先行其言句也。又亥為四數，故只四字。第二題，看中傳，天后冠帶，臨於陰寢，神位有元酒太羹，非享親達孝之命意乎？六字者，戌上見酉，六數也。

The interpretation says: At first, I interpreted this reading as involving the year's breaking and the initiating transmission, and I should have taken a topic expressing the meaning of a subject showing loyalty to his sovereign. But when the first title was displayed, I suddenly realized: Zi is the god of roads, and it is located before the day branch, and its hidden spirit also meets the horse of Ding - these are all images of 'movement'. Therefore, it actually refers to the phrase 'to act before speaking'. Also, because the number of Hai is four, the title has only four characters. For the second title, looking at the middle transmission: the Heavenly Empress is at the position of capping, and is located above the dark and quiet chamber. Before her divine position are arranged black wine and the thick soup, which is not exactly the meaning of worshipping one's parents and achieving filial piety? It is said to be six characters, because on Xu there is You, and the number of You is exactly six.

七月己丑日巳將辰時占來意。（一字訣玉連環）

On the 16th day of the seventh month, using the month general Jichou, the course is started by placing it on the hour of Chen. The divination is about the purpose of the visitor. This example is from "The One-Character诀 Yulianhuan."

虎常 空午未申酉玄 合朱玄常 官庚寅朱 龍巳 戌陰 卯寅酉申 官辛卯合 勾辰 亥后 寅丑申己 兄壬辰勾 合卯寅丑子貴 朱蛇

This chart is calculated with the month of巳 (Snake) as the general, placed on the辰 (Dragon) hour. The Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate. The辰 hour belongs to the day, so on a己 (Ji) day, the daytime nobleman is at the子 (Rat) position. The nobleman is located at the亥 (Pig) position on the Earth Plate and moves in a clockwise direction, so the Heavenly Generals on each branch are: 子 (Rat) is occupied by the nobleman, 丑 (Ox) by the Teng Snake, 寅 (Tiger) by the Vermilion Bird, 卯 (Rabbit) by the Liu He, 辰 (Dragon) by the Gou Chen, 巳 (Snake) by the Azure Dragon, 午 (Horse) by the Tian Kong, 未 (Goat) by the White Tiger, 申 (Monkey) by the Tai Chang, 酉 (Rooster) by the Black Tortoise, 戌 (Dog) by the Tai Yin, and 亥 (Pig) by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem 己 (Ji) lodging in the position 未 (Goat), with 申 (Monkey) on 未 (Goat), which is occupied by the Tai Chang; the second lesson is 申 (Monkey) with 酉 (Rooster) on it, which is occupied by the Black Tortoise; the third lesson is the day branch 丑 (Ox) with 寅 (Tiger) on it, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson is 寅 (Tiger) with 卯 (Rabbit) on it, which is occupied by the Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 寅 (Tiger), with the hidden stem Gengyin (Gengyin), occupied by the Vermilion Bird, 寅 wood overcomes 己 earth, which is an official ghost; the middle transmission is 卯 (Rabbit), with the hidden stem Xinmao (Xinmao), occupied by the Liu He, also an official ghost; the final transmission is 辰 (Dragon), with the hidden stem Renchen (Renchen), occupied by the Gou Chen, which is a brother. 寅, 卯, 辰 in sequence, form the pattern of advancing food.

徐次賓曰：來意主正月間與一姓杜人爭田土事。又有一姓藺人與姓杜人挾勢相助，卻得一姓張貴人力。只於七月間務了畢。蓋時為日墓，又直事門見勾陳，故言爭田土事。發用寅木與丑土為杜字，又寅木為日干之鬼，上得朱雀，主口舌文字。又寅為正月，故知正月與杜姓人相爭也。

Xu Cibin said: The matter involved is a dispute over land in the first lunar month with a man surnamed Du. Another man surnamed Lin, who is powerful, is supporting Du, while he himself received the help of a nobleman surnamed Zhang. The matter will be settled in the seventh lunar month. The reasoning is as follows: the time of the divination was in the morning hour of Chen, which is the tomb of the day stem. The gate of the matter also shows Gou Chen, which governs land disputes, so it is concluded to be a land dispute. The initiating transmission is in the hour of Yin, which belongs to wood, and the day branch is Chou, which belongs to earth. Wood and earth together form the character 'Du'; Yin wood is also the official ghost of the己 earth day stem, with the superior power of Vermilion Bird, which governs speech and documents. Yin in the month builder represents the first lunar month, so it is known that the dispute occurred in the first lunar month with a man surnamed Du.

又言藺姓人相助者，中傳卯為門，六合為草頭，臨寅住為隹字。卯寅為等輩，故相助也。日上得傳送為今日貴人，上得太常吉將，其寅卯二木相併剋日，日上傳送金，正旺於七月反制二木。傳送為弓長合之為張字，故言一姓張貴人力。傳送為七月建，故七月事務了畢也。

There is a surname Lin helping him, as follows: the Middle Transmission (中传) is at the branch Mao, which represents the gate and entrance. Above it is Liu He (六合), which takes the image of the grass radical. Then it connects with the branch Yin, which carries the character 'zhuí' (隹). Combining the grass radical, the gate, and 'zhuí' forms the character 'Lin'. Since Mao and Yin are branches of the same generation, it is concluded that a companion is assisting. Now looking at the Day Stem, it is supported by Chuansong (传送) at the branch Shen. Shen is the residence of the nobleman, and above it is Tai Chang, a favorable general. In the divination, two wooden branches, Yin and Mao, combine to attack the Day Stem. However, the Chuansong at Shen is metal, and in July, the metal energy is strong, so it can overcome the two wooden branches. The character Shen, when split, is 'gong' and 'chang', forming the character 'Zhang', indicating the assistance of a nobleman named Zhang. Shen is also the Month Builder for July, so it is concluded that the matter will be resolved in July.

丁丑年二月己丑日亥將戌時常熟蔣畹仙孝廉名棻占會試。（郭氏占案）

In the year Dingchou, second month, Jichou day, the lesson is cast with the month general Hai added to Xu time. The person consulting is Jiang Wanxian, a candidate from Changshu, whose name is Fen, asking about the imperial examination. This example comes from the "Guo氏 Zhan An." The month general Hai added to Xu is the same as the previous lesson, which was cast in the seventh month with the month general Si added to Chen. The Heaven Plate is again one step ahead of the Earth Plate, and both lessons share the same plate. In the previous lesson, the character "Yin" and "Mao" were split to determine the surname, while in this lesson, the curtain and the post-horse are used to determine the examination result. This shows that even with the same plate, the methods used are entirely different.

虎常 空午未申酉玄 合朱玄常 官庚寅朱 龍巳 戌陰 卯寅酉申 官辛卯合 勾辰 亥后 寅丑申己 兄壬辰勾 合卯寅丑子貴 朱蛇

The divination board is the same as the previous example: the Heaven Plate has Zi (子) with the Nobleman, Chou (丑) with Teng Snake, Yin (寅) with Vermilion Bird, Mao (卯) with Liu He, Chen (辰) with Gou Chen, Si (巳) with Azure Dragon, Wu (午) with Tian Kong, Wei (未) with White Tiger, Shen (申) with Tai Chang, You (酉) with Black Tortoise, Xu (戌) with Tai Yin, and Hai (亥) with Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, are Shen (申) added to Ji (己) (Ji is located in Wei), You (酉) added to Shen (申), Yin (寅) added to Chou (丑), and Mao (卯) added to Yin (寅). The Heavenly Generals in order are Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, and Liu He. The three transmissions begin with Yin (寅) with Vermilion Bird as official ghost, the middle transmission is Mao (卯) with Liu He also as official ghost, and the final transmission is Chen (辰) with Gou Chen as brother. Yin, Mao, and Chen follow in sequence forming an advancing relationship. The day stem is Shen (申), which corresponds to Ji (己) day, and is located at the position of the Nobleman's residence, as well as the position of growth and learning. Jiang Wanxian's birth year is Xu (戌), which is occupied by Tai Yin. The year horse, age horse, and day horse all gather at Xu (戌). These points are the basis for the conclusion that he will certainly succeed.

郭御青曰：簾幕覆日作長生學堂為本房首薦，年馬、歲馬、日馬加於戌命之上而與初傳朱雀生合且得進連茹課，必中之兆，但馬少於公亮，名次不高（張公亮課，見丁亥日干上辰。六壬指南亦有占畹仙一課，見己巳日干上寅）。

Guo Yuqing said: The nobleman is covered over the day stem, and sits on the position of growth and learning, which is the image of the examiner of this house recommending him first. The year horse, the age horse, and the day horse all fall on his birth year, and they harmonize and generate with the first transmission's vermilion bird. The lesson pattern also receives the continuous connection, which is a sure sign of success. However, his post horse is less than that of Zhang Gongliang, so his rank will not be high (Zhang Gongliang's case is seen in the entry "Chen" above the day stem on Dinghai day; there is also a case in the "Six Yin Guide" about Jiang Wanxian, seen in the entry "Yin" above the day stem on Jisi day).

蔣君中後贈詩云：漢帝濘沱失道時，白衣老父指點之。嗣有通元隱中條，長生術得神仙師。繇來傳下傳多奇壬，讖緯星座能旁窺，景純少授青囊秘，五行翻駁參同契。介休獨上元禮船，戶屨時盈占一第。後先得失鏡於胸，餘亦從君考軒輊。君雲馬少幾被落，覆身猶喜存簾幕。撤聞發策券前知，鍛羽彈冠不一錯。君才繡虎兼雕龍，胡為九擯甘泡蠖。洩天應犯天公惱，困君之身識君老。吾聞場中鬼有權，目迷五色烘頭腦。八股不靈六壬靈，主司何如測數好。

After passing the examination, Jiang Wanxian wrote a poem to send to Guo Yuqing. The poem roughly said: In ancient times, Emperor Han Guangwu lost his way by the Hu沱 River, and a white-clothed old man guided him to the ferry. Later, there was a master named Tongxuan who lived in Zhongtiaoshan Mountain, who learned the art of long life from a divine teacher. This lineage of Six壬 divination has always been remarkably accurate, even able to understand omens and celestial phenomena. When Guo Pu was young, he received the Qingnang secret teachings, and repeatedly used the principles of the Five Phases to study the "Cantongqi." In the past, Guo Linzong of Jietou was the only one who could share a boat with Li Yuanli, and the shoes of visitors often piled up at his door. Now you are the same, one divination and you pass the examination. Who comes first or last, who gains or loses, all appear clearly in your mind, and I follow you to compare the importance and value. You said I have too few The Post-horse, almost failing the examination; fortunately, there is still the protection of the curtain and nobleman. As soon as the examination questions were announced, you had already known the outcome. Who will fail, who will be promoted, there has never been a mistake. But you yourself have the talent of carving dragons and tigers, why are you repeatedly rejected, willing to be like a water bubble or a bent inchworm? I think it must be because you have revealed heavenly secrets, angering the heavens, so they have trapped your body, keeping you confined in the examination hall. I have heard that even ghosts and gods have power in the examination hall, the examiners' eyes are confused with five colors, their minds are dizzy. The eight-part essay is not effective, but the Six壬 is effective. Why bother to guess the examiners' minds, why not calculate fate instead?

甲申五月己丑日庚午時，占日暈。（指南）

On the day of Jiashen year, fifth month, Jichou day, and Gengwu hour, the question was asked about the phenomenon of a solar halo and what it signifies. This example is from the "Six Yin Guide."

勾六 青未申酉戌朱 白玄蛇六 鬼辛卯玄 空午 亥蛇 巳卯亥酉 父癸巳白 虎巳 子貴 卯丑酉己 兄乙未龍 常辰卯寅丑后 玄陰

This chart uses the month of Shen as the month general, placed on the fifth hour. The heaven plate advances two positions ahead of the earth plate. The fifth hour belongs to the day, so for a day stem of Ji, the daytime nobleman is at Zi. The nobleman is on the earth plate at position Xu and moves in reverse. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the heaven plate are: Zi rides the nobleman, Chou rides the heavenly empress, Yin rides Tai Yin, Mao rides the black tortoise, Chen rides Tai Chang, Si rides the white tiger (written as "bai" in the chart), Wu rides the heavenly void, Wei rides the azure dragon (written as "qing" in the chart), Shen rides Gou Chen, You rides Liu He, Xu rides the vermilion bird, and Hai rides the teng snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ji, which is in the lodging palace Wei, and Wei has You, which rides Liu He; the second lesson is You with Hai, which rides the teng snake; the third lesson is the day branch Chou with Mao, which rides the black tortoise; the fourth lesson is Mao with Si, which rides the white tiger. The three transmissions are the first transmission Mao, with the hidden stem Xin Mao, riding the black tortoise, Mao wood overcomes Ji earth, representing official ghost; the middle transmission Si, with the hidden stem Gui Si, riding the white tiger, representing parents; the final transmission Wei, riding the azure dragon, representing siblings (Wei is supposed to be empty in the Ji Shen decade, but the original text marks the hidden stem as Yi Wei, which does not conform to the sequence of hidden stems, so it should be considered as empty). Mao, Si, and Wei each advance one position in sequence, making it a forward transmission.

陳公獻曰：偶見有大暈圍繞，眾皆曰此祥瑞之氣，應於福濟，予袖傳得此課，乃謂眾人曰：發用玄武賊符，克干克支，蓋干為天位而乘敗氣，支為社稷而見死神，且歲君臨滅沒之方，貴人又不得地，中州吳越必失封疆，君國敗亡之象。後福藩登位一載而失國，此其應也。

Chen Gongxian said: One day, I happened to see a large halo surrounding the sun, and everyone said it was a sign of auspicious energy, indicating the virtuous governance of Fu Wang. I calculated this divination in my sleeve and told everyone: The initiating transmission is the卯 (Mao) trigram, which is accompanied by the Black Tortoise and carries the symbol of a thief. It both overcomes the day stem and the day branch; the day stem represents the heavenly position but is accompanied by a declining and exhausted energy, while the day branch represents the state but encounters the Death Deity. The year stem is located in the direction of decline and disappearance, and the Nobleman is not in a favorable position. This is the image of the Central Plains and Wu-Yue losing their territories, and the king and country suffering defeat and collapse. Later, when Fu Wang ascended the throne, he lost the country within a year, which was exactly the fulfillment of this divination.

愚按：玄武賊符加丑，丑為吳越之分野。然日暈等物，斷不天下皆見，今既見於江南，則吉凶禍福只應於江南矣。即使玄武賊符臨於他處，亦不應於他處。

I remarked: The thief symbol associated with the Black Tortoise is placed on Chou. Chou, in terms of the regions, belongs to the area of Wu-Yue. However, phenomena such as a solar halo do not appear visible everywhere; since this was observed in the Jiangnan region, the fortune or misfortune should only affect Jiangnan. Even if the thief symbol of the Black Tortoise is located in another direction, it should not correspond to another place.

按：福王以甲申年五月初一由淮安迎入南京十五日即位，乙酉年五月二十五日被俘。

Again, it is noted that Fu Wang was brought from Huai'an to Nanjing on the first day of the fifth lunar month in the Jiashen year, and he was crowned emperor on the fifteenth day of the same month. He was captured on the twenty-fifth day of the fifth lunar month in the Yiyou year—this spanned exactly one year, matching precisely Chen Gongxian's prediction of 'reigning for one year and losing the state'.

丁丑年二月己丑日亥將申時丹陽張孝廉錦鱗午命占會試。（郭氏占案）

In the year Dingchou, second lunar month, on the day Jichou, the month general is亥, placed on the hour Shen to cast the divination. The person consulting is Zhang Jinlin, a candidate from Danyang, whose birth year belongs to the horse. He is asking about the imperial examination. This example is from the "Guo氏 Zhan An."

勾合朱蛇 申酉戌亥 龍常后朱 父◎午空 龍未 子貴 未辰丑戌 兄丙戌朱 空午 丑后 辰丑戌己 兄壬辰常 巳辰卯寅 虎常玄陰

This chart begins with the month general at Hai, placed on the Shen hour. The Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate. Shen hour belongs to the day, so for a day with the stem Ji, the daytime nobleman is at Zi. The nobleman is on the Earth Plate at You and moves backward. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: Zi rides the nobleman, Chou rides the Heavenly Empress, Yin rides Tai Yin, Mao rides the Black Tortoise, Chen rides Tai Chang, Si rides the White Tiger, Wu rides Tian Kong, Wei rides the Azure Dragon, Shen rides Gou Chen, You rides Liu He, Xu rides the Vermilion Bird, and Hai rides the Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Ji lodging in Wei, with Wei having Xu, which rides the Vermilion Bird; the second lesson has Xu lodging in Chou, which rides the Heavenly Empress; the third lesson has the day branch Chou lodging in Chen, which rides Tai Chang; the fourth lesson has Chen lodging in Wei, which rides the Azure Dragon. All four lessons are earth deities that are like and harmonious with no mutual control, so the method of昴star is used: take the Earth Plate position Wu under the Heaven Plate position You as the first transmission, the middle transmission is the heavenly general on the day stem Xu, and the final transmission is the heavenly general on the day branch Chen. Therefore, the first transmission is Wu riding Tian Kong, Wu in the Jiashen sequence is exactly the旬空, marked with 「◎」on the chart, Wu fire generates Ji earth as parents; the middle transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Bing Xu, riding the Vermilion Bird, as brothers; the final transmission is Chen, with the hidden stem Ren Chen, riding Tai Chang, also as brothers.

郭御青曰：課得昴星，其名不佳。初傳空而乘空，雖本命可填實，奈中傳落空，為折腰，大體不美。況無簾幕、驛馬？朱雀乘戌，戌為火墓，未敢許也，果不中。

Guo Yuqing said: The divination result is the昴 star lesson, which is inherently not favorable. The first transmission is the hour of Wu, which falls into the旬空 and is also riding on the Tian Kong, which is an empty god - empty on top of empty; although his true birth hour belongs to Wu and can fill this empty position, the middle transmission is the hour of Xu, which is located on the旬空 of Wei, forming a broken waist image in the middle, which is generally not good. Moreover, the entire lesson has neither a curtain and screen nobleman nor a post-horse. The Vermilion Bird is riding on Xu, which is the Storage of fire, and the god of literature is buried in the Storage - therefore I dare not predict he will pass the examination. Later, he indeed did not pass.

愚按：魁罡利於占功名，其所以不中者，以土氣太多，克去行年上貴人也。

I remarked: The two deities, Qiu and Gang, are originally favorable for divining official rank. However, this divination is not accurate because the lesson has too much earth energy, which overcomes the nobleman on the year of birth. The assisting deity is suppressed, so the official rank cannot be achieved.

十一月己丑日寅將戌時某婦占失金耳環。（捷要）

On the 15th day of the 11th lunar month, using the寅 month general placed on the戌 hour to cast the divination. A woman lost a gold earring and came to inquire. This example is from the book《Jieyao》.

蛇朱合勾 酉戌亥子 蛇玄虎合 子乙酉蛇 貴申 丑龍 酉巳卯亥 兄己丑龍 后未 寅空 巳丑亥己 父癸巳玄 午巳辰卯 陰玄常虎

This chart is cast with the Month General at寅 (Yin) added on the戌 (Xu) hour. The Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The戌 (Xu) hour belongs to the night, so the night nobleman for the己 (Ji) day is申 (Shen). The nobleman is located on the Earth Plate at the辰 (Chen) position and proceeds in the clockwise direction. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals riding on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: 申 (Shen) rides the Nobleman, 酉 (You) rides Teng Snake, 戌 (Xu) rides Vermilion Bird, 亥 (Hai) rides Liu He, 子 (Zi) rides Gou Chen, 丑 (Chou) rides Azure Dragon, 寅 (Yin) rides Tian Kong, 卯 (Mao) rides Bai Hu, 辰 (Chen) rides Tai Chang, 巳 (Si) rides Xuan Wu, 午 (Wu) rides Tai Yin, 未 (Wei) rides Tian Hou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the Day Stem 己 (Ji) residing in the lodging palace 未 (Wei), and on 未 (Wei) comes 亥 (Hai), which rides Liu He; the second lesson is on 亥 (Hai) comes 卯 (Mao), which rides Bai Hu; the third lesson is on the Day Branch 丑 (Chou) comes 巳 (Si), which rides Xuan Wu; the fourth lesson is on 巳 (Si) comes 酉 (You), which rides Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 酉 (You), with the hidden stem Yi You, riding Teng Snake, where 酉 (You) metal is the son of 己 (Ji) earth; the middle transmission is 丑 (Chou), with the hidden stem Ji Chou, riding Azure Dragon, representing the brother; the final transmission is 巳 (Si), with the hidden stem Gui Si, riding Xuan Wu, where 巳 (Si) fire generates 己 (Ji) earth, representing the parent. The 酉 (You), 丑 (Chou), and 巳 (Si) form the metal triad of 巳 (Si) 酉 (You) 丑 (Chou).

邵彥和曰：金環以酉為類神，初傳即加巳上，乃長生之地，不落空亡，又是三合金局，此物乃自己遺失，現在必得。巳為爐灶，酉加之，得蛇亦巳火，當失爐灶灰中。火至冬而死，故云灰中。尋之果於爐下灰中尋見。

Shao Yanhe said: A gold earring belongs to the metal element, with You metal as its class god. The first transmission's You is placed directly on Si position. Si is the place where metal is born, and You does not fall into Kongwang. The three transmissions combine to form the metal triad of Si-You-Chou, indicating that the metal energy is intact. This suggests the earring was lost by itself, not taken by someone else, and it can certainly be found again. Si represents a stove in symbolic terms, with You placed on Si. The You is also associated with Teng Snake, which belongs to fire and is native to Si. This creates two layers of fire imagery. Therefore, it is concluded that the earring was lost in the stove's ashes. Fire dies in winter, leaving only ashes, so it is said to be in the ashes. Following this clue, the earring was indeed found beneath the stove in the ashes.

建炎己酉年十月十五庚寅日寅將酉時，邵伯達占宅基。（方本占案、口鑑）

In the Jiyou year of the Jianyan era of Emperor Song Gaozong, on the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month, at the Gengyin hour, the Month General was placed on the You hour to cast the divination. Shao Bodada divined about the matter of purchasing a plot of land. This example is recorded in both the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and the "Kou Jian."

陳龍 六戌亥子丑空 朱酉 寅虎 龍貴后空 子戊子龍 蛇申 卯常 子未午丑 官癸巳陰 貴未午巳辰玄 未寅丑庚 父丙戌六 后陰

This chart is based on the month of Yin with the month general placed on the You hour. The heaven plate advances five positions ahead of the earth plate. The You hour belongs to night, so the night nobleman for Geng day is Wei. The nobleman is located on the earth plate's Yin position and moves in a clockwise direction. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the heaven plate are: Wei ridden by Guiren (Nobleman), Shen ridden by Tengshe (Soaring Snake), You ridden by Zhuque (Vermilion Bird), Xu ridden by Liuhe (Six Harmony), Hai ridden by Gouchen (Hooked Chen) (written as '陈' in the chart), Zi ridden by Qinglong (Azure Dragon), Chou ridden by Tiankong (Empty Sky), Yin ridden by Baihu (White Tiger), Mao ridden by Taichang (Grand Constant), Chen ridden by Xuanwu (Dark Warrior), Si ridden by Taiyin (Great Yin), Wu ridden by Tianhou (Heavenly Empress). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Geng, which is in the lodging palace of Shen, with Chou on Shen, and Chou ridden by Tiankong (Empty Sky); the second lesson is Wu on Chou, with Wu ridden by Tianhou (Heavenly Empress); the third lesson is the day branch Yin, with Wei on Yin, and Wei ridden by Guiren (Nobleman); the fourth lesson is Zi on Wei, with Zi ridden by Qinglong (Azure Dragon). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Wuzi, ridden by Qinglong (Azure Dragon), Zi water is the son of Geng metal; the middle transmission is Si, with the hidden stem Guisi, ridden by Taiyin (Great Yin), Si fire conquers Geng metal, representing official ghost; the final transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Bingxu, ridden by Liuhe (Six Harmony), Xu earth generates Geng metal, representing parents. The day is Gengyin, which belongs to the Jiashen decade, with Wu and Wei branches exactly in the empty position of the decade. Therefore, the Wei on the day branch and the Wei in the first transmission are both empty positions, which is the key to the statement 'the foundation is not yet determined' in the following analysis.

邵彥和曰：大凡占求宅基，以日為人，辰為宅，須看支辰，合支上空亡，是宅不可得而圖也。本身近基且近宅，何以得移？初傳脫氣，雖得青龍，又在空地，亦是暫住，尚未有定論也。中傳巳，巳為店業，太陰為婦人。巳加子作太陰，庚生於巳，是買得老婦人店業，便是宅基，其婦人幹辦，是本人親族，事皆由他。伯達以兄弟眾多，伯叔共住，欲謀遷外居，累求未許，其婦人店屋，是伊房叔母，因無生計與彼當門戶，卻要設計買得店屋，遂與彼私增價買之，至丁巳年方才造此宅也。

Shao Yanhe said: When divining for the purchase of a plot of land, the day stem represents the person and the day branch represents the house. The focus should be on the day branch. In this case, the day branch is on the position of Wei, which is falling into Kongwang, indicating that this plot of land cannot be obtained at present. He is both close to this plot of land and to his current residence, so why would he be able to move? The first transmission is Zi, which is the spirit of the release of Geng metal. Although it is riding on the Azure Dragon, the position it is on, Wei, is also empty, so it can only be a temporary residence, and the situation is not yet settled. The middle transmission is Si, whose symbolic meaning is a shop, and Tai Yin's symbolic meaning is a woman. Si is placed on Zi and rides on Tai Yin, while Geng metal is born in Si. Taken together, this indicates buying a shop from an old woman, and that shop will become the future residence. The woman is the one who handles the matter, and she is also a relative of his family, and she is in charge of everything. Shao Bo Da, because he has many brothers, and his uncles and cousins live together, wanted to move out, but several times he sought permission and was not allowed. The shop owned by the woman was actually the property of his uncle's wife. The uncle's wife, due to lack of means of subsistence, had joined his family as partners. He then tried to buy the shop, eventually secretly increasing the price and purchasing it, and finally built his house there in the year Dingsi.

愚按：夫宅要看支，支上空，是未有宅基也。卻見中傳長生，便就長生上言，況求新宅，看何方生旺即是。巳為店，加子為北方，太陰為婦人，未戌屬土，生今日之庚，乃是尊長作干人。戌又為僕，乃干僕也。六合則成就也。

I remarked: In general, when examining a dwelling, one should look at the day branch. If the day branch is empty, it indicates that there is no foundation for the house yet. However, in this divination, the middle transmission shows the snake (si) which is the place of growth for the metal of geng. Therefore, we should consider from the perspective of growth: to seek a new dwelling, one should go to the direction where the energy is thriving. The snake (si) symbolizes a shop, and when it is placed on the rat (zi), which resides in the north, it indicates that the shop is located to the north. The Tai Yin symbolizes a woman, so this is a shop owned by a woman. The earth branches wei and xu both belong to earth and can generate the metal of today's geng. This indicates that an elder is involved in handling the matter. Xu can also symbolize a servant, meaning someone who runs errands for him. The final transmission, xu, is also accompanied by Liu He, which signifies harmony and success. Therefore, this matter is finally completed.

崇正丁丑年二月庚寅日金壇虞君諱敬占會試。（郭氏占案）

In the year Dingchou of the Chongzhen era (the original text says 'Chongzheng'), in the second lunar month, on the day Gengyin, Yu Jun Jing from Juntan cast a divination for the imperial examination. According to the following text, the divination was cast on the twentieth day of the second lunar month at noon. This case is from the "Guo's Divination Cases."

合朱蛇貴 戌亥子丑 蛇空虎貴 子戊子蛇 勾酉 寅后 子未午丑 鬼癸巳常 龍申 卯陰 未寅丑庚 父丙戌合 未午巳辰 空虎常玄

This chart shows the Heaven Plate advancing five positions ahead of the Earth Plate. At noon, which is daytime, the daytime nobleman for a day with the stem Geng is Chou. The nobleman is located on the Earth Plate's position Shen and moves in reverse. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals for each branch on the Heaven Plate are: Chou ridden by Guiren (Nobleman), Yin ridden by Tianhou (Heavenly Empress), Mao ridden by Taiyin (Great Yin), Chen ridden by Xuanwu (Dark Warrior), Si ridden by Taichang (Grand Constant), Wu ridden by Baihu (White Tiger), Wei ridden by Tiankong (Empty Sky), Shen ridden by Qinglong (Azure Dragon), You ridden by Gouchen (Hooked Chen), Xu ridden by Liuhe (Six Harmony), Hai ridden by Zhuque (Vermilion Bird), Zi ridden by Tengshe (Soaring Snake). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Geng lodging in the palace Shen, with Shen having Chou, which is ridden by Guiren (Nobleman); the second lesson is Chou having Wu, which is ridden by Baihu (White Tiger); the third lesson is the day branch Yin having Wei, which is ridden by Tiankong (Empty Sky); the fourth lesson is Wei having Zi, which is ridden by Tengshe (Soaring Snake). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Wuzi, ridden by Tengshe (Soaring Snake), representing a son; the middle transmission is Si, with the hidden stem Guisi, ridden by Taichang (Grand Constant), where Si fire overcomes Geng metal, representing an official ghost; the final transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Bingxu, ridden by Liuhe (Six Harmony), representing a parent. This lesson's four lessons and three transmissions are exactly the same as the previous example by Zhao Bodada, who predicted the foundation of a house, except that the previous one started at You hour using the night nobleman Wei, while this one starts at Wu hour using the daytime nobleman Chou, resulting in completely different Heavenly Generals in this chart.

郭御青曰：二月二十日午時，為虞君占得此劉，干支俱被墓覆，宅上乘幕貴，空亡無力，傳課又無馬，何敢許也？果不中。

Guo Yuqing said: On the 20th day of the second month at noon, Yu Jun received this divination lesson (the original text's "Liu" is likely a mistake for "ke"). The day stem and day branch were both covered by the tomb god; the position of the house, although the Wei was exactly the god where the nobleman of the day stem of Geng was located, was nevertheless in the empty period, thus empty and powerless; also, there was no post-horse in the lesson and the transmissions. How could I dare to promise him success in the imperial examination? Later, he indeed did not pass.

丁丑年二月庚寅日亥將巳時宗尤弢占三日餘先生會試，夜占。（郭氏占案）

On the day of Gengyin in the second lunar month of the year Dingchou, the lesson was cast with the month general at Hai added to the time of Si. Zong You Tao cast this lesson for Master Yu for three examination sessions, and it was cast at night. This example is taken from the "Guo氏 Zhan An."

勾龍空虎 亥子丑寅 虎蛇蛇虎 財庚寅虎 合戌 卯常 寅申申寅 兄甲申蛇 朱酉 辰玄 申寅寅庚 財庚寅虎 申未午巳 蛇貴后陰

This chart is cast with the month general at Hai, placed on the time of Si. The month general and the hour form a direct opposition. The Heaven Plate advances six positions relative to the Earth Plate, forming a "returning echo" pattern. Since this is a night divination, the night nobleman is at Wei for the day stem Geng. The nobleman is located at the Earth Plate position Chou and moves in a clockwise direction. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: Wei with the nobleman, Shen with the Teng Snake, You with the Vermilion Bird, Xu with Liu He, Hai with Gou Chen, Zi with Qing Long, Chou with Tian Kong, Yin with Bai Hu, Mao with Tai Chang, Chen with Xuan Wu, Si with Tai Yin, and Wu with Tian Hou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Geng, lodging in the palace Yin, with Yin having Bing, which is occupied by Bai Hu; the second lesson is Yin having Shen, with Shen occupied by Teng Snake; the third lesson is the day branch Yin having Shen, with Shen occupied by Teng Snake; the fourth lesson is Shen having Yin, with Yin occupied by Bai Hu. Yin and Shen repeatedly oppose each other, so the three transmissions are: initial transmission Yin, middle transmission Shen, and final transmission Yin again. The initial and final transmissions both have Yin, which is concealed by Geng Yin, occupied by Bai Hu. Yin wood is the wife and wealth for Geng metal. The middle transmission Shen is concealed by Jiashen, occupied by Teng Snake, representing brothers.

郭御青曰：發用與干上俱命馬，奪胩得支馬、天馬，行年乘太歲，天空為奏書之神，有六七分可望。後中副榜，亦天將蛇虎，無簾幕之過。

Guo Yuqing said: The first transmission and the heavenly stem of the day both indicate the Post-horse of the native's destiny, and they also seize the Post-horse of the day branch and the Heavenly Horse; the year stem is riding on the sovereign, and Tian Kong acts as the messenger god here - there is about six or seven chances. Later he passed the supplementary list but with poor results, also because the heavenly generals were only Teng Snake and White Tiger, these are凶 generals, and there was no帘幕 nobleman.

吳稼云曰：簾幕現臨行年，而曰無，可乎？愚按：此課雖是夜占，然即得巳時仍用五貴為是。

Wu Jiayun said: The Nobleman of the Night Curtain is clearly present in the year's position, yet it is said not to be, is this explanation consistent? I replied: Although this lesson was cast at night, since the time taken is the hour of巳, it should still use the daytime Nobleman. (The original text 'five nobles' is likely a mistake for 'daytime nobleman'.) If we change to the daytime Nobleman of丑, all the heavenly generals would need to be rearranged, and the disagreement between Wu and Guo lies exactly here.

未年五月庚寅日占訟。（中黃經）

The year of Wei, meaning the year when the Supreme Sovereign is in Wei, a day of Gengyin in the fifth month is used for divination regarding legal matters. Here, 'Wei' refers to one of the twelve earthly branches, indicating the year, not meaning 'not yet'. According to the accompanying divination chart, the month general of Wei is placed on the hour of Hai. This example is taken from the Zhonghuang Jing.

空虎常玄 丑寅卯辰 后合龍玄 父丙戌合 龍子 巳陰 午戌子辰 鬼◎午后 勾亥 午后 戌寅辰庚 財庚寅虎 戌酉申未 合朱蛇貴

The Heaven Plate is eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate. Using the night nobleman on the day of Geng, the nobleman is located on the亥 position of the Earth Plate and moves in the clockwise direction. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: 未 is occupied by the nobleman, 申 by the Teng Snake, 酉 by the Vermilion Bird, 戌 by the Liu He, 亥 by the Gou Chen, 子 by the Azure Dragon, 丑 by the Tian Kong, 寅 by the White Tiger, 卯 by the Tai Chang, 辰 by the Black Tortoise, 巳 by the Tai Yin, and 午 by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Geng lodging in the 申, with 申 having 辰, which is occupied by the Black Tortoise; the second lesson is 辰 having 子, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon; the third lesson is the day branch 寅 having 戌, which is occupied by the Liu He; the fourth lesson is 戌 having 午, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 戌, with the hidden stem Bingxu, occupied by the Liu He, where 戌 earth generates Geng metal, representing parents; the middle transmission is 午, occupied by the Heavenly Empress, with 午 in the Jiashen decade being a void position, marked with 「◎」 on the plate, where 午 fire overcomes Geng metal, representing official ghosts; the final transmission is 寅, with the hidden stem Gengyin, occupied by the White Tiger, representing wife's wealth. The positions 戌, 午, and 寅 form the fire triad of Yin-Wu-Xu.

斷曰：戌作初傳，遁得丙火，剋日最凶。上乘六合是因和合上起口舌。卻喜為五月，解神中傳午天后，末傳寅乘白虎主同類陰謀。已定死罪，幸三傳雖是火局，合來剋日，卻是遞生日干。又貴人未土生干，太歲未土亦生干，初傳戌土又生干，主減凶刑作配也。

The judgment states: Wu is the first transmission, and the ten-day cycle reveals the transmission as Bing fire. Fire comes to overcome Geng metal, which is extremely dangerous. Wu is accompanied by Liu He, which signifies harmony and union, indicating that this dispute arises from harmonious interactions. Fortunately, it is the fifth lunar month, and Relief Deity is present to resolve the issue. The middle transmission, Wu, is accompanied by Heavenly Empress, and the final transmission, Yin, is accompanied by White Tiger, which signifies secret schemes by peers. The person was originally sentenced to death. However, although the three transmissions form a fire pattern, which together overcome the day stem, when viewed separately, they are in a sequence of mutual generation, ultimately supporting the day stem. Moreover, the nobleman Wei earth is born by the day stem, the sovereign year Wei earth also generates the day stem, and the first transmission Wu earth again generates the day stem. Three layers of earth protect the day stem, so it is concluded that the death sentence can be reduced, and the person will be sentenced to exile.

戊申年八月庚寅日辰將未時，張九翁戊午生五十一歲，占宅。（口鑑、捷要）

In the year of Wu Shen, eighth lunar month, day of Geng Yin, the class of Chen is placed on the hour of Wei to cast the divination. The person consulting is Zhang Jiuweng, born in the year of Wu Wu, aged fifty-one, asking about his family home. This example is recorded in both the "Koujian" and "Jieyao."

朱六 蛇寅卯辰巳陳 貴丑 午龍 虎陰蛇陳 鬼癸巳陳 后子 未空 申亥寅巳 財庚寅蛇 陰亥戌酉申虎 亥寅巳庚 子丁亥陰 玄常

This chart is cast with the month general at Chen (Dragon) added to the hour of Wei (Earth Ox). The Heaven Plate is three positions behind the Earth Plate. The hour of Wei belongs to the day, so the day's nobleman is at Chou (Ox) for a day of Geng (Metal). The nobleman is located at the Earth Plate position Chen and moves in a clockwise direction, so the Heavenly Generals on each branch are: Chou (Ox) is accompanied by the nobleman, Yin (Tiger) by the Teng Snake, Mao (Rabbit) by the Vermilion Bird, Chen (Dragon) by Liu He, Si (Snake) by Gou Chen, Wu (Horse) by the Azure Dragon, Wei (Goat) by Tian Kong, Shen (Monkey) by the White Tiger, You (Rooster) by Tai Chang, Xu (Dog) by the Black Tortoise, Hai (Pig) by Tai Yin, and Zi (Rat) by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Geng, which is in the lodging palace Shen, with Shen having Si (Snake), which is accompanied by Gou Chen; the second lesson is Si (Snake) having Yin (Tiger), which is accompanied by the Teng Snake; the third lesson is the day branch Yin (Tiger) having Hai (Pig), which is accompanied by Tai Yin; the fourth lesson is Hai (Pig) having Shen (Monkey), which is accompanied by the White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si (Snake), with the hidden stem Guisi, accompanied by Gou Chen, where Si fire overcomes Geng metal, representing an official ghost; the middle transmission is Yin (Tiger), with the hidden stem Gengyin, accompanied by the Teng Snake, representing a wife's wealth; the final transmission is Hai (Pig), with the hidden stem Dinghai, accompanied by Tai Yin, representing a son. Si, Yin, and Hai each retreat three positions, forming a retreat transmission. Geng metal's long life is at Si, and the day branch Yin's long life is at Hai, so both the stem and branch receive the birth from the superior god; however, Geng is released by Hai, and Yin is released by Si, and they mutually steal and drain each other. This birth and release is the key to the following interpretation.

邵彥和曰：干支皆受上神來生，利宅不利人。干上發用歸傳支，末傳亥脫今日之干而生今日之支，因充役費用，又與姓陳吏人不和，尊長末後為兒娶婦，所費盡壞家計；十一年間陰人守寡，是時家產四分矣。張九翁果先好，後因充役，大有所費；又為妻叔與陳姓吏人作鬼，因來動店內物，卻乃爭訟；後二年又與子娶婦，倍陪女家；後五年因弟有事，遂作四分分也。

Shao Yanhe said: When both the day stem and day branch are supported by the superior god, it is beneficial for the house but not for the person. The巳 on the day stem initiates the first transmission, and proceeds through the transmissions to the day branch. The final transmission is亥, which steals the energy of the day stem but generates the day branch. Therefore, it is predicted that he will spend heavily due to being assigned official duties, and will have conflicts with an official named Chen. The family elders will eventually have to marry off their son, which will drain the family's resources. Within eleven years, there will be a woman in the family who becomes a widow, and at that time the family property will be divided into four parts. Later, Zhang Jiuweng indeed experienced first good fortune followed by misfortune: first, he spent heavily due to being assigned official duties; then, his wife's uncle and the official named Chen conspired to move goods from his store, leading to a lawsuit; two years later, he married off his son and had to pay double the dowry to the bride's family; five years later, due to his brother's troubles, the family property was divided into four parts.

愚按：蓋庚生於巳，寅生於亥，庚脫於亥，寅脫於巳，干支俱受生而互受脫，是先興旺而後衰敗也。亥數四、寅數七，乃十一年也。亥脫今日干，則耗洩我矣，故主費財。亥為支之長生，生宅脫我，豈不是為宅舊役累而費用乎？宅上亥乃脫神，從宅發出，為末傳，又來脫我，亥為婦人，故曰為子娶婦費壞也。上加太陰，為老陰人，故又主陰人守寡，中傳寅為吏人，上為蛇撓，又為今日絕神，且寅又為今日財神，陰人得亥為脫氣，故主因妻與吏人爭訟也。

I remarked: Geng metal is born in Si, and the day branch Yin is born in Hai. In reverse, Geng metal is drained by Hai water, and Yin wood is drained by Si fire. Both the stem and the branch are born but also drain each other, forming a pattern of initial prosperity followed by decline. The number of Hai is four, and the number of Yin is seven, adding up to eleven years. Hai draining the day stem is a consumption, thus indicating expenditure of wealth. Hai is also the long-life god of the day branch, which generates the dwelling but drains me. How can this not be due to old servants of the house causing expenditure? The position of Hai is originally a draining force, originating from the dwelling and forming the final transmission, then returning to drain me. The image of Hai is a woman, so it is said that the family wealth is spent on the son's marriage. Hai is overlaid by Tai Yin, which represents an older woman, thus indicating the presence of a widow in the house. The middle transmission Yin is the image of an official, and it is overlaid by Teng Snake, causing disturbance. Yin is also the day's dead god and the day's wealth god. The woman uses Hai as her draining force, so it is concluded that there is a lawsuit between the wife's family and the official.

崇正戊辰十二月庚寅日庚辰時，徽州汪仙民、邵無奇在京，占少宗伯馬康莊能入相否，涉害、顧祖，午未空、寅卯落空。（指南）

In the year Wuchen of the Chongzhen era (the original text says "Chongzheng"), in the twelfth lunar month on the day Gengyin and the hour Gengchen, Wang Xianmin and Shao Wuqi from Huizhou were in the capital and divined whether Li Bu Shilang Ma Kangzhuang could enter the cabinet and become a prime minister. The lesson pattern is "Shehai" with the addition of "Guzu": among the four lessons, there are two instances of upper elements overcoming lower ones, and the deeper "Shehai" is taken as the initial transmission, which is "Shehai". The final transmission is寅 wood, which gives back birth to the initial transmission of午 fire, which is "Guzu". The branches午 and未 are exactly in the void of the Jiashen decade. (The original note also says "Yin and Mao fall into void", which does not match the attached lesson disk, so it is retained as it was.) This example is from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan".

六勾 朱卯辰巳午青 玄后六龍 鬼甲午龍 蛇寅 未空 戌子辰午 印壬辰六 貴丑 申虎 子寅午庚 財庚寅蛇 后子亥戌酉常 陰玄

The Heaven Plate is two places behind the Earth Plate. The time of the morning hour belongs to the day, so using the day stem Geng, the nobleman of the day is at the Chou position. The nobleman is on the Earth Plate's Mao position and moves in the order of the branches. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: Chou is accompanied by the nobleman, Yin is accompanied by the Teng Snake, Mao is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, Chen is accompanied by Liu He, Si is accompanied by Gou Chen, Wu is accompanied by the Azure Dragon (written as 'Qing' in the chart), Wei is accompanied by Tian Kong, Shen is accompanied by the White Tiger, You is accompanied by Tai Chang, Xu is accompanied by the Black Tortoise, Hai is accompanied by Tai Yin, and Zi is accompanied by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Geng, which is in the Xu position, and Xu is accompanied by Wu, which is accompanied by the Azure Dragon; the second lesson is Wu accompanied by Chen, which is accompanied by Liu He; the third lesson is the day branch Yin accompanied by Zi, which is accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson is Zi accompanied by Xu, which is accompanied by the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wu, accompanied by the Azure Dragon, Wu fire conquers Geng metal, which is the official ghost (the hidden stem is 'Jia Wu', but Wu is in the Jiashen cycle and is in the empty position, and the title of this section clearly states 'Wu and Wei are empty', so it should be considered as empty); the middle transmission is Chen, with the hidden stem Renchen, accompanied by Liu He, Chen earth generates Geng metal, which is the official seal; the final transmission is Yin, with the hidden stem Gengyin, accompanied by the Teng Snake, which is the wife's wealth. Wu, Chen, and Yin each move backward in sequence, each separated by one branch, which is a retreating interval transmission.

斷：不但不能入相，且不日歸鄉。凡在朝為官占得顧祖，多不滿仕。又初中空亡，龍化為蛇，只宜猛省退步，且龍神克下，倘欲強進，定遭不足。後果枚卜不就，次年察處歸里。未久棄人間事從赤松子遊矣。

The interpretation states: Not only will he not be appointed to the cabinet, but he will have to return to his hometown within a few days. Anyone who holds an official post and draws the "Gu Zu" divination chart is likely to not complete their term. Moreover, the first transmission falls into an empty position, and the middle transmission also lies in an empty place. The Azure Dragon of the first transmission transforms into the Teng Snake in the final transmission; the transformation of dragon into snake indicates a decline in momentum. He should suddenly realize and withdraw early. Moreover, the Azure Dragon deity turns to attack the lower position; if he insists on striving upward, he will certainly face setbacks. Later, indeed, he failed to be recommended for the cabinet, and in the second year he was dismissed due to an investigation and returned to his hometown. Soon after, he abandoned worldly affairs and followed Zhang Liang in pursuing Chiguangzi.

丁丑年二月庚寅日亥將丑時為金壇虞本忠孝廉占會試。（郭氏占案）

On Dingchou year, second month, Gengyin day, the lesson was cast with You month general placed on Chou hour. This case was divined by Yu Benzhong, a juren from Jintan, as recorded in the Guo氏 Divination Cases. You general is placed on Chou, and the Heaven Plate is two places behind the Earth Plate, so the plate is the same as the previous lesson. The previous lesson asked about entering the cabinet and becoming prime minister, while this lesson asks about passing the imperial examination.

六勾 朱卯辰巳午青 玄后六龍 鬼甲午龍 蛇寅 未空 戌子辰午 印壬辰六 貴丑 申虎 子寅午庚 財庚寅蛇 后子亥戌酉常 陰玄

The divination plate is the same as the previous example: the Heaven Plate has Chou multiplied by the Nobleman, Yin multiplied by Teng Snake, Mao multiplied by Vermilion Bird, Chen multiplied by Liu He, Si multiplied by Gou Chen, Wu multiplied by Azure Dragon, Wei multiplied by Tian Kong, Shen multiplied by White Tiger, You multiplied by Tai Chang, Xu multiplied by Black Tortoise, Hai multiplied by Tai Yin, and Zi multiplied by Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left as Wu added to Geng (Geng is located in Shen), Chen added to Wu, Zi added to Yin, and Xu added to Zi. The Heavenly Generals are in sequence: Azure Dragon, Liu He, Heavenly Empress, and Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are as follows: the first transmission is Wu multiplied by Azure Dragon, representing official ghost and falling into the旬空, the middle transmission is Chen multiplied by Liu He, representing official seal, and the final transmission is Yin multiplied by Teng Snake, representing wife's wealth. The Wu on the day stem is a place of defeat and decline for Geng metal, and the Zi on the day branch is the place of bathing for Yin wood. Both the stem and branch are in a state of decline, which serves as the basis for the conclusion that he will not succeed.

郭御青曰：干支俱乘敗氣，課傳無馬、無簾幕。初中空陷，不中之象。其親荊君庭實問余數次，餘皆不放，後果不中。

Guo Yüqing said: The day stem and day branch are both in a state of decline and exhaustion; the divination and its transmissions neither have the post-horse nor the nobleman; the first transmission falls into emptiness, and the middle transmission is also trapped in emptiness - this is an inauspicious sign. His relative Jing Jun Ting has asked me several times, but I refused to give any advice. Later, it indeed did not come true.

吳稼云曰：日干支俱乘敗氣，即文職而敗之象，安能中？

Wu Jiayun said: When both the day stem and day branch are in a state of decline, this indicates the image of a civil servant's fate being in decline, how can it be successful?

同日子時為王君諱猷占會試，辰命。（郭氏占案）

This lesson is the same as the previous example, occurring on a Gengyin day in the second lunar month of the Dingchou year, but the divination starts at the Zi hour. It is used to predict for Wang You, whether he will pass the imperial examination. The "Chen" is taken as his personal destiny. The imperial examination is a major examination held in the capital by the Ministry of Rites, where candidates from all provinces gather, and passing it allows one to proceed to the palace examination. Therefore, this divination falls under the category of predicting official rank. "Chen destiny" refers to his personal destiny being in the Chen position. When interpreting the divination, one should look at which branch deity and which heavenly general are added to the Chen position on the Heaven Plate, and use this to determine the success or failure of his official rank. This entry is taken from the "Guo's Divination Cases."

合勾龍空　辰巳午未　后貴龍空　子　戊子　后　朱卯　申虎　子丑午未　子　丁亥　陰　蛇寅　酉常　丑寅未庚　父　丙戌　玄　丑子亥戌　貴后陰玄

This is the arranged divination board. The original text compressed the celestial and earthly plates, four lessons, and three transmissions into a few lines. Here they are read sequentially. At the beginning, "He Ji Long Kong" corresponds to "Chen Si Wu Wei," which is the arrangement of heavenly generals with the branches: Liu He (六合) occupies Chen, Gou Chen (勾陈) occupies Si, Qing Long (青龙) occupies Wu, and Tian Kong (天空) occupies Wei. Here, "Wei" refers to the earthly branch Wei, indicating the position on the board and not to be interpreted otherwise. On the left, "Zhu Mao" and "She Yin" mean Zhu Que (朱雀) occupies Mao and Teng She (螣蛇) occupies Yin. On the right, "Shen Hu" and "You Chang" mean Bai Hu (白虎) occupies Shen and Tai Chang (太常) occupies You. Below, "Chou Zi Hai Xu" corresponds to "Gui Hou Yin Xuan," meaning Nobleman (贵人) occupies Chou, Heavenly Empress (天后) occupies Zi, Tai Yin (太阴) occupies Hai, and Xuan Wu (玄武) occupies Xu. Nobleman is on Chou, and the twelve generals proceed in order, using the daytime nobleman. In the middle is the four lessons, read from right to left: the day stem Geng is in the lodging palace at Shen, with Shen having Wei, which is the first lesson; Wei having Wu, which is the second lesson; the day branch Yin having Chou, which is the third lesson; and Chou having Zi, which is the fourth lesson. Thus, it is written as "Chou Yin Wei Geng" corresponding to "Zi Chou Wu Wei," and the upper row "Hou Gui Long Kong" refers to the four heavenly generals corresponding to these lessons. The rightmost column is the three transmissions: the first transmission is Wu Zi, which is the son爻, occupying Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is Ding Hai, which is the son爻, occupying Tai Yin; and the final transmission is Bing Xu, which is the parent爻, occupying Xuan Wu. The day stem Geng Yin falls in the Jiashen (甲申) decade, with Wu and Wei branches being empty, so the Wei on the day stem is the empty god of the decade.

郭御青曰：此課余初斷，簾幕覆日，旬空，馬少。是日同袍數十人，眾中雖皆面談，實未深許。王君中後，細詳課情：渡天門臨行年，玄武入廟不能為惡，月建作朱雀臨本命，太歲作生氣貴人臨宅，簾幕雖空，得支上太歲沖之，不空。天空如不見貴人，當作空論，今與支上太歲貴人對面則為奏書之神，其高中，宜也。遭一蹶，長一智，乃知妙理無窮也。

Guo Yuqing said: At first, when I cast this divination, I only saw the Vermilion Bird of the Curtain and the Nobleman's position in the position of Wei pressing upon the Day Stem, and it was falling into the旬空, while the Post-horse was also lacking, so I did not look favorably upon it. That day, there were dozens of people seeking divination, and although I spoke to each of them in front of everyone, I actually did not sincerely believe he would pass. Later, after Wang Jun passed the examination, I re-examined the situation and found other meanings: the god riding over the Heaven Gate at the亥 position crossed over the Heaven Gate, and it was exactly on his year of birth. The Black Tortoise at亥 is in its temple, and a god in its temple cannot do evil. In the second month, the Month Builder at卯 became the Vermilion Bird, and it was placed on his birth year at辰, which is the god of documents, and it is the main aspect of the examination paper. The Tai sui of the Dingchou year at丑 is the Life Qi, and it is riding on the Nobleman, and it is placed on the Day Branch at寅. The Day Branch represents the house, so this is the Tai sui and Nobleman coming to the house, and the Nobleman is also the symbol of the examiner. Although the Curtain and Vermilion Bird fell into the旬空, it was relieved by the Tai sui at丑 in the Day Branch, which冲 the empty position, so it is not considered empty. The Tian Kong general, if it does not face the Nobleman, should be considered empty. Now, the Tian Kong at未 is on the Day Stem, facing the Tai sui at丑 on the Day Branch, which is the Nobleman, thus transforming into the god of submitting documents, which signifies presenting documents and achieving honor and success. In this way, it is natural for him to pass. Falling down, gaining wisdom, I realized the infinite subtleties of Liu Ren.

愚按：此斷皆牽強。予以載之者，嘉郭君之直也。此課惟有朱雀旺而臨命，中傳生之，末傳合之，可望其中。然不能中處甚多，似未可以一端而許之也。殆郭君逢人便占是日占多而神不告與？抑另有妙義非淺學者所能窺測也？

Cheng Shuxun remarked: The explanations provided by Guo's later additions seem forced. I still include them to commend Guo's honesty in admitting his misjudgment. Considering this lesson, only the fact that the Vermilion Bird is riding on the卯 wood, which is strong in February, and is located on the native's hour stem, is worth noting. Also, the middle transmission亥 water generates卯 wood, and the final transmission戌 combines with卯. Based on these points, one might still hope for success. However, there are too many aspects in the lesson that indicate failure, and it would be inappropriate to rely on a single factor to predict success. Perhaps Guo cast this divination for many people on that day, and the divine beings did not clearly reveal the outcome? Or is there a subtle principle beyond the grasp of those with limited knowledge?

乾隆戊辰年丑建庚寅日子將丑時占胎產，母丁夫人二十二歲。（牧夫占驗）

In the year of Wuchen of the Qianlong era, during the twelfth lunar month (with the month builder in Chou), on the day of Gengyin, the divination was cast using the hour of Zi as the month general added to the hour of Chou, to inquire about the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of a pregnancy. The mother, Lady Ding, was twenty-two years old. For the twelfth month, the month general used was Shenhou Zi, which was added to the hour of Chou. The heavenly and earthly disks were then arranged accordingly. This entry is taken from "Mu Fu Zhan Xian," divined by Wang Mu Fu.

合朱蛇貴　辰巳午未　虎空蛇貴　子　戊子　虎　勾卯　申后　子丑午未　子　丁亥　常　龍寅　酉陰　丑寅未庚　父　丙戌　玄　丑子亥戌　空虎常玄

This case starts on the same day as the previous example, with the four lessons and three transmissions having identical branch spirits. The only difference is that the heavenly generals have changed in a cycle. On the heaven plate, "Chen Si Wu Wei" are paired with "He Zhu She Gui," meaning the Liu He is riding on Chen, the Vermilion Bird on Si, the Teng Snake on Wu, and the Nobleman on Wei. On the left side, the Gou Chen is riding on Mao, and the Azure Dragon on Yin. On the right side, the Heavenly Empress is riding on Shen, and the Tai Yin on You. Below, "Chou Zi Hai Xu" are paired with "Kong Hu Chang Xuan," meaning the Tian Kong on Chou, the White Tiger on Zi, the Tai Chang on Hai, and the Black Tortoise on Xu. The Nobleman is on Wei, and the twelve generals are in reverse order, using the night nobleman. The four lessons remain as the day stem Geng, which is in the lodging palace Shen and gets Wei, Wei gets Wu, the day branch Yin gets Chou, and Chou gets Zi. The first lesson is Wei on Geng, riding the Nobleman; the second lesson is Wu on Wei, riding the Teng Snake; the third lesson is Chou on Yin, riding the Tian Kong; the fourth lesson is Zi on Chou, riding the White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wu Zi, a son's爻, riding the White Tiger; the second transmission is Ding Hai, a son's爻, riding the Tai Chang; the third transmission is Bing Xu, a parent's爻, riding the Black Tortoise.

王牧夫曰：占胎產，主易生。母無恙，子難保也。凡占孕，與產不同。孕忌蛇虎，產喜蛇虎，以其為血神也。干位為子，支位為母，定體也。今干支俱乘墓，互相制，是懷此孕，即當有病。母子俱不安寧。產易生者，蛇虎在干支之陰，為其輔也。母無恙者，支寅木春占得旺氣也。子難保者，傳歸夜時而得遁出丙丁，皆克干之鬼也。生女者何？干支上神相比，皆陰，而正時又下克土上也。

Wang Mufu said: This divination concerns childbirth and indicates a smooth delivery, with the mother remaining unharmed, but the child is difficult to keep. Divination regarding pregnancy differs from divination regarding childbirth: during pregnancy, it is unfavorable to see Teng Snake and White Tiger, but during labor, it is favorable to see Teng Snake and White Tiger, because both are "blood gods" associated with blood, which corresponds to the image of childbirth. In divination regarding childbirth, the day stem represents the child and the day branch represents the mother, following a fixed system. Now, the day stem is occupied by Wei and the day branch is occupied by Chou, both being Tomb Spirit (mound spirits). Wei is the墓 of the day branch's寅 wood, and Chou is the墓 of the day stem's庚 metal. They mutually restrain each other, indicating that the mother and child will not be at peace during this pregnancy. It is said that delivery will be easy because Teng Snake and White Tiger are located on the Yin Spirit (yin spirits) of the day stem and day branch, namely the second lesson's午 with Teng Snake and the fourth lesson's子 with White Tiger, which are assisting nearby. It is said that the mother will remain unharmed because the day branch's寅 is spring wood, which is in a strong state at the time of divination. It is said that the child is difficult to keep because the three transmissions return to the night time spirit, and the hidden stem produces丙 and丁, which are fire and both are ghosts that harm the day stem's庚 metal. Why is it determined that the child is female? Because the day stem's未 and the day branch's丑 both belong to earth and are compared with each other, and both are yin. Moreover, the divination takes place at the time of Chou, and the earth branch's Chou earth is in a position that harms the heaven branch's Zi water, indicating a case of lower harming the upper.

推而言之，戌為蛇足，加於亥，亥為天頭，足上頭下，亦易產也。傳退，亦易生也。三奇，亦無恙也。干空，子不利也，母位之丑乃庚日之墓，又帶丁克干，子亦不利。干上之未，雖墓母位之支，然帶癸水生神，母亦無恙也。子午道路也，蛇虎血神也，故產一女而後不育也。後果一一俱驗。

Now considering it more broadly: Xu is the foot of Teng Snake, and now it is placed on Hai. Hai represents the heavenly gate and is the head; the foot is above and the head is below, which corresponds to the proper position of the fetus with the head down and feet up, indicating an easy childbirth. The three transmissions, Zi, Hai, and Xu, retreat step by step, forming a retreating transmission, which also indicates a smooth delivery. The three transmissions also form the auspicious pattern of the Three Marvels, so neither the mother nor the child will suffer great harm. However, the day stem's Wei is in the empty旬, which is unfavorable for the child. The mother's position, which is Chou, is originally the tomb of Geng day, and it also brings the god Ding to attack the day stem, which is also unfavorable for the child. Although the Wei on the day stem is the tomb of the day branch Yin wood, it also carries the癸 water, which nourishes the day stem, so the mother remains unharmed. Zi and Wu represent the image of roads, while Teng Snake and Bai Hu are blood gods, so it is determined that a daughter will be born but later unable to be raised. The outcome indeed verified all these predictions.

江府左府年二十五歲白身要求陰授，又無學術，一日往苗叔芳家卜課得庚寅日伏吟。（一針見血）

Jiangfu's left mansion, aged twenty-five, still without official rank, wanted to seek an official position through an unorthodox method called "yin授" instead of taking the imperial examination. However, he had no scholarly ability or talent. One day he consulted the divination at Miao Shufang's house, and the result was the Gengyin day with a hidden chant lesson. A hidden chant is when the month general and the day of divination are in the same position, and the heaven plate is placed over the earth plate without moving, indicating a state of stillness, stagnation, and internal affairs. This passage is taken from "One Needle Sees the Essence."

朱蛇貴后　巳午未申　龍龍后后　兄　甲申　后　合辰　酉陰　寅寅申申　財　庚寅　龍　勾卯　戌玄　寅寅申庚　鬼　癸巳　朱　寅丑子亥　龍空虎常

The Heaven Plate is arranged with 「巳午未申」 paired with 「朱蛇贵后」, meaning the Vermilion Bird is on巳, the Teng Snake on午, the Nobleman on未, and the Heavenly Empress on申. On the left, the Liu He is on辰 and the Gou Chen on卯. On the right, the Tai Yin is on酉 and the Black Tortoise on戌. Below, 「寅丑子亥」 is paired with 「龙空虎常」, meaning the Azure Dragon is on寅, the Tian Kong on丑, the White Tiger on子, and the Tai Chang on亥. The Nobleman is on未, and since the twelve generals are in reverse order, it refers to the night nobleman. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem is庚, and its lodging palace is on申, so申 remains on申; the same applies again, with申 on申. The day branch is寅, and its lodging palace is on寅, so寅 remains on寅; the same applies again, with寅 on寅. This results in the upper and lower positions remaining unchanged, forming a Hidden Chant lesson. The upper gods of the four lessons are sequentially the Heavenly Empress, Heavenly Empress, Azure Dragon, and Azure Dragon. The three transmissions begin with申 as the brother爻, with the hidden stem being甲, riding the Heavenly Empress. The middle transmission is寅 as the wife wealth爻, riding the Azure Dragon. The final transmission is巳 as the official ghost爻, with the hidden stem being癸, riding the Vermilion Bird. The three characters申,寅, and巳 mutually punish and harm each other, forming a three punishment transmission.

苗叔芳曰：天后、朱雀、青龍三吉將，末又與初傳合，可以進身。且始終德合，天城、天吏入傳，維持必可成就。天后為用神，須得陰貴人之力，可求刑官，以三傳三刑之故，然不免艱辛耳。後果授泉州司學，乃刑官也，終得陰貴人之力而成。

Miao Shufang said: In this lesson, the three transmissions are respectively occupied by the Heavenly Empress, Azure Dragon, and Vermilion Bird, all auspicious generals. The final transmission, which is Si, combines with the first transmission, which is Shen, forming a harmonious relationship, indicating a favorable sign for obtaining an official position. Moreover, both the beginning and the end have the virtue god in harmony. The two gods associated with official positions, "Heavenly City" and "Heavenly Official," have entered the three transmissions, and with their support, the matter is certain to be accomplished. The first transmission is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, which is the useful god. Since the Heavenly Empress is yin, it is necessary to rely on the power of a yin nobleman, or night nobleman. The sought official position is suitable in the criminal law category, because the three transmissions, Shen, Yin, and Si, form a triple punishment; however, triple punishment indicates hardship and effort. Later, he was indeed appointed as the official in Quanzhou School of Law, which is exactly the "criminal official" mentioned by Miao. And this matter was ultimately accomplished through the power of the yin nobleman.

丁巳年三月庚寅日戌將申時占來意。（五要權衡）

On the Gengyin day of the Dingsi year in the third lunar month, the divination was cast using the Xu general added to the Shen hour. The question asked was about the purpose of the person who came. "Divining the intention" is a specialized branch of the Six Rats (Liu Shen) divination: it does not wait for the guest to speak, but instead infers what is in their mind based on the lesson pattern. This passage is taken from "Wu Yao Quan Ping."

空虎常玄　未申酉戌　龍合後玄　父　壬辰　合　龍午　亥陰　午辰子戌　鬼　◎午　龍　勾巳　子后　辰寅戌庚　兄　甲申　虎　辰卯寅丑　合朱蛇貴

On the Heaven Plate, the positions 「未申酉戌」 are paired with 「空虎常玄」, meaning the Sky Void is on 未, the White Tiger on 申, the Tai Chang on 酉, and the Black Tortoise on 戌. On the left side, the Azure Dragon is on 午 and the Gou Chen on 巳. On the right side, the Tai Yin is on 亥 and the Heavenly Empress on 子. Below, the positions 「辰卯寅丑」 are paired with 「合朱蛇贵」, meaning the Liu He is on 辰, the Vermilion Bird on 卯, the Teng Snake on 寅, and the Nobleman on 丑. The Nobleman is on 丑, and the twelve generals proceed in order, using the daytime Nobleman. The general 戌 is added to the time 申, so the Heaven Plate advances two positions relative to the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem 庚 is in the lodging palace 申 and gets 戌, which is the first lesson; 戌 gets 子, which is the second lesson; the Day Branch 寅 gets 辰, which is the third lesson; and 辰 gets 午, which is the fourth lesson. The four upper spirits 戌, 子, 辰, and 午 are respectively occupied by the Black Tortoise, the Heavenly Empress, the Liu He, and the Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are as follows: the first transmission is 辰, which is the parent's yao, and the hidden stem is 壬, occupying the Liu He; the middle transmission is 午, which is the official ghost yao, occupying the Azure Dragon, and the mark 「◎」 on 午 indicates the旬空 (empty period) — on a day of Gengyin, 午 and 未 are empty; the final transmission is 申, which is the brother's yao, and the hidden stem is 甲, occupying the White Tiger.

朱氏恆曰：來意失去鈔二百張。據經：行鋒門是內動又是馬，值事是白虎為驚憂。中傳見午作龍為財物，旬空未敢以賊盜言。雖玄武乘戌，是庚日之印，又未敢言賊。初建論之為丙戌為庚之鬼，復建論之，符甲戌是復建生初，初建鬼旺矣，況玄武是盜失。

Zhu Shi Heng said: The person's mind is troubled by losing two hundred pieces of money. According to the classics, the door of Xing Feng belongs to internal movement, and it also meets the Post-horse. The current door is occupied by the White Tiger, which signifies alarm and worry, indicating that the lost item is within the house and the mind is frightened. The Middle Transmission meets the Wu door with the Azure Dragon, which signifies wealth, but since Wu falls in the旬空, it is not yet certain that the loss is due to theft. Although the Black Tortoise is on the戌 door, the Black Tortoise is the god of theft, but the戌 earth can generate the庚 metal, which is the official of the庚 day, so it is still not certain that it is theft. If we consider the initial establishment, the戌 hides the丙, and the丙 fire is the ghost of the庚 metal; if we consider the repeated establishment, the symbol's Jia matches with the戌, which is the repeated establishment generating the initial one, thus the ghost energy of the initial establishment becomes strong; moreover, the Black Tortoise naturally signifies theft and loss.

若以戌為僕，太陽在戌又是晝日，為白日賊也。戌與酉交合，是同類之人，否則屋主之親。自西南而來，藏於正南，為何居於西北？相去甚近，戌至申相隔一辰耳。亥戌申，純陽，為男，臨孟，為少，自申至戌二辰，不過二人耳。後獲鈔一半。

If the戌 is considered as a servant, then the sun is now moving to the戌 position, and the time is during the day, which indicates a thief entering the house during the day. The戌 and酉 positions meet, showing that the thief is of the same status, or a relative of the house owner. The thief comes from the southwest and hides the stolen goods in the due south. Why does the person live in the northwest? Because they are very close to each other; the戌 is only one zodiac sign away from the申. The characters亥,戌, and申 are all yang branches, indicating males; they are also in the first positions of the four seasons, indicating young age. From the申 to the戌, there are only two zodiac signs, meaning there are only two people involved. Later, half of the money was indeed recovered.

巳是得之，終是巳生干。中末空，盜者利。經纏以辰上見者為所失之物。今寅上見辰，乃月建，月建為貴物，以此知鈔是世之中現者。發用助日，我為有氣矣。由是觀之，生中有鬼，財中有克，皆在建於變化也。此凝神子郭璞所以妙出人表也。若取來情當以聚散鬼救論，若斷休咎，只用干為主，三傳生克正時論始終平安，不必用變求奇。古人有云：求奇及不奇也。

It can recover half of the lost amount, and the key lies in the position of巳: the metal of 庚 is born in巳, so in the end,巳 can generate and support the day stem. The middle and final transmissions fall into emptiness, which actually benefits the thief, hence only half is recovered. According to the method of entanglement and degree from the classic texts, the god seen on the day branch represents the lost item; now, on the day branch寅, we see 辰, which is the month builder of the third month. The month builder governs valuable things, thus we know the lost money is current currency of the present age. The initiating transmission god comes to support the day stem, so our side gains strength. Thus, it can be seen that within mutual generation there is a ghost, and within the wealth爻 there is arestrain. The key lies in the change of the month builder. This is precisely the profound insight of Ningshenzi Guo Pu. If only taking the situation of the person, one should discuss according to the principles of gathering and dispersing and the rescue by the ghost; if judging fortune and misfortune, one should take the day stem as the main focus, looking at the generation andrestrain of the three transmissions and the correct time of the divination, to determine whether it will end safely. There is no need to seek change or be overly ingenious. The ancients said: seeking the extraordinary often results in something not extraordinary.

戊寅年五月二十八庚寅日未將巳時傅太尊占家下行人。（郭氏占案）

In the year Wuyin, fifth lunar month, twenty-eighth day, on the day Gengyin, using the hour Si with the method of adding Wei as the general, Fu Taizun divined the time when his family members who were away would return. "Taizun" was a respectful term for the prefect, and "jiaxia xingren" referred to family members who had left home and had not yet returned. This entry is taken from the "Guo Shi Zhan An."

空虎常玄　未申酉戌　龍合後玄　父　壬辰　合　龍午　亥陰　午辰子戌　鬼　◎午　龍　勾巳　子后　辰寅戌庚　兄　甲申　虎　辰卯寅丑　合朱蛇貴

This lesson is identical in structure to the previous one: on the Heaven Plate, the positions are Wei, Shen, You, Xu, occupied by Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, and Xuan Wu respectively. On the left, Qing Long occupies Wu and Gou Chen occupies Si. On the right, Tai Yin occupies Hai and Tian Hou occupies Zi. On the lower plate, the positions are Chen, Mao, Yin, Chou, occupied by Liu He, Zhu Qu, Teng Sha, and Gui Ren respectively. The position Wei is occupied by the general, adding Si at the time. The Heaven Plate is again two positions ahead of the Earth Plate, so the day stem Geng is lodged in Shen, resulting in the first lesson as Xu adding Geng. The four upper deities of the four lessons, Wu, Zi, Chen, and Wu, are successively occupied by Xuan Wu, Tian Hou, Liu He, and Qing Long. The three transmissions are as follows: the first transmission is Chen, representing the parent's yao, Dun Ren, occupied by Liu He; the middle transmission is Wu, representing the official ghost yao, occupied by Qing Long, and marked with 「◎」 indicating an empty period; the final transmission is Shen, representing the brother's yao, Dun Jia, occupied by Bai Hu. The key point of this lesson is that the position Hai on the Earth Plate is the Heaven Gate, and directly above it is the position Chou, occupied by the nobleman, which is what is referred to later as 'the nobleman ascends the Heaven Gate'.

郭御青曰：課名斬關，又名登三天，貴登天門，自是行路程北走之象。初傳天馬不久即至，但中末空陷，須到甲午旬六月初三以後，可到，以午字填實，三天可登也。然甲午旬，辰字又空，天馬本行空之物，不怕空也。子孫爻劫煞臨酉，當在酉日到。課名涉害，路中有阻，果於六月初六丁酉日到，路中家人附騾數次，幾傷。

Guo Yuqing said: This lesson is called "Zhang Guan," also known as "Deng San Tian." With the Nobleman approaching Hai and being in the right position, it is called "Gu Deng Tian Men," which originally represents the image of starting a journey and heading north. The first transmission carries the Heavenly Horse, indicating that the traveler will arrive soon. However, the middle and final transmissions both fall into empty and trapped positions, so the traveler must wait until after the sixth day of the sixth month, after entering the Jiawu decade, to arrive. At that time, the character "Wu" becomes filled, allowing the traveler to ascend the "San Tian." However, once entering the Jiawu decade, the character "Chen" again becomes empty. The Heavenly Horse is originally a creature that travels in the air, so falling into an empty position is not a problem. The Jiesha on the grandson's line is approaching You, so the traveler should arrive on the You day. This lesson is also called "She Hai," indicating obstacles on the journey. Later, the traveler indeed arrived home on the sixth day of the sixth month, on the Dingyou day. On the way, the family had several accidents involving the donkey, nearly causing injury.

戊申年九月初九庚寅日辰將丑時繞九公癸卯生（生於十月初四日亥時）六十六歲占店業。（方本占案、口鑑）

In the year Wushen, on the ninth day of the first lunar month, on the day Gengyin, the divination was cast at the hour of Chen with the general Chen added to Chou. The person seeking divination is the Ròu Jiǔ Gōng, born in the year Guimao on the fourth day of the tenth lunar month at the hour of Hai. He is currently sixty-six years old. He is consulting about the prosperity and decline of his shop. This entry is also found in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

朱六　蛇申酉戌亥陳　貴未　子龍　蛇陰虎陳　兄　甲申　蛇　后午　丑空　申巳寅亥　子　丁亥　六　陰巳辰卯寅虎　巳寅亥庚　財　庚寅　虎　玄常

This set of lesson plates is slightly different from the previous examples, with the heavenly generals directly written next to the branches on the heaven plate. The top row "Shen-You-Xu-Hai": Teng Snake rides Shen, Vermilion Bird rides You, Liu He rides Xu, and Gou Chen rides Hai. The characters "Zhu Liu" are marked above You and Xu, and the character "Chen" is attached to the side of Hai. On the left, Nobleman rides Wei, Heavenly Empress rides Wu, and Tai Yin rides Si. On the right, Azure Dragon rides Zi, Tian Kong rides Chou, and White Tiger rides Yin. Below, the branches Mao and Chen are paired with Tai Chang and Black Tortoise. Nobleman rides Wei, and the twelve generals proceed in order. Chou hour belongs to night, so the night nobleman is used. Chen general rides Chou hour, and the heaven plate is three positions ahead of the earth plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Geng is in the lodging palace of Shen and rides Hai, which is the first lesson; Hai rides寅, which is the second lesson; the day branch Yin is on寅 and rides Si, which is the third lesson; Si rides申, which is the fourth lesson; the four upper deities Hai,寅, Si, and申 ride Gou Chen, White Tiger, Tai Yin, and Teng Snake respectively. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Shen, which is a brother's yao, and the hidden stem is Jia, riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Hai, which is a son's yao, and it is recorded as riding Liu He here, while in the four lessons it is recorded as riding Gou Chen, and the original text has conflicting records in these two places; the final transmission is寅, which is a wife's wealth yao, riding White Tiger.

邵彥和曰：干支上皆盜氣，其家世店業，十退五六矣。初申加巳，庚祿在申，祿來加蛇上，又蛇擾，是少人錢物；中亥加日上，脫氣太重；末財在脫上，又遭虎克，到此十分去盡矣。

Shao Yanhe said: When the day stem is亥 and the day branch is巳, the庚 metal generates亥 water and寅 wood generates巳 fire, both are draining my energy, which is called "stealing energy." His family has been in the business of shops, and now they have lost five or six tenths of their fortune. The first transmission is申 placed on the earth plate at巳, the禄 of庚 metal is originally in申, but the禄 god is placed on the position of Teng Snake, which is associated with disturbance, indicating debt and being troubled by others. The middle transmission is亥 placed on the day stem, which drains energy too much. The final transmission is寅, which is the wealth trigram, but it is placed in a position of losing energy and is further attacked by the White Tiger, so their entire fortune is completely lost.

主四十八年中去一半，七年中全退。又妻生病死，占時家甚費力，至辛亥年兩店皆歇。亥為庚脫，且巳為店，亥又克之，故重會亥而歇業。甲寅欠債狼狽，為人所訟。寅爻為店，既為巳脫，故至寅而廢也，妻病浮腫而死也。

It was determined that within forty-eight years the family's business would first lose half, and then after seven more years it would all be lost, with the wife also falling ill and dying. At the time of the divination, the family was already struggling greatly, and by the Xinhai year both shops had closed down. The亥 is the spirit that drains the metal of the庚, and the巳 represents shops. The亥 water also overcomes the巳 fire, so when the flow year repeats on亥, the shop closes. By the Jiayin year, debts accumulated and the situation became desperate, leading to being sued by others. The寅爻 also represents shops, and since the寅 wood is drained by the巳 fire, when the year reaches寅, the business fails. The wife then dies from swelling disease.

同年月日時張逸士庚戌生五十九歲占病，戊申年九月庚寅日辰將丑時。（口鑑、方本占案）

He was born in the year of Gengxu. At the age of fifty-nine, on the ninth month of the year Wushen, on the day of Gengyin, at the time when the hour of Chen begins to add to Chou, Zhang Yishi came to consult about his illness. The case is also recorded in the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an."

朱六　蛇申酉戌亥陳　貴未　子龍　蛇陰虎陳　兄　甲申　蛇　后午　丑空　申巳寅亥　子　丁亥　陳　陰巳辰卯寅虎　巳寅亥庚　財　庚寅　虎　玄常

The divination board is the same as the previous example: Teng Snake is on Shen, Vermilion Bird on You, Liu He on Xu, Gou Chen on Hai, Azure Dragon on Zi, Tian Kong on Chou, White Tiger on Yin, Tai Chang on Mao, Black Tortoise on Chen, Tai Yin on Si, Heavenly Empress on Wu, and Nobleman on Wei, with Nobleman moving in the order of the sequence. The four lessons are: the Day Stem, Geng, is in the Lodging Palace of Shen and gets Hai, Hai gets Yin, the Day Branch, Yin, gets Si, and Si gets Shen. The four heavenly stems above are successively multiplied by Gou Chen, White Tiger, Tai Yin, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: the first transmission, Shen, is a brother's yao with Teng Snake, the middle transmission, Hai, is a son's yao with Gou Chen, and the final transmission, Yin, is a wife's wealth yao with White Tiger. When divining illness, the Day Stem represents the person's body. Today, the Day Stem is on Hai and the Day Branch is on Si, both positions are draining energy, which is exactly the focus for diagnosing illness.

邵彥和曰：此課大凶，上下俱脫，其病恐是洩瀉上得之，自後寒熱往來，必成五癆七傷。又兼翻胃吐食，況日上生水，金去生水，多主冷涎，支上見巳，木生虛火，必心下不寧，遂至此病。兼之白濁，死在二十八日，不然再歷二十八日，難過矣。此課始終見凶神，上下皆盜氣，巳亥俱四數，申數七，四七二十八，兩處皆見，五十六日也。日干為上部，支辰為下部。

Shao Yanhe said: This reading is extremely ominous, with both upper and lower aspects being depleted. The root of the illness is likely from diarrhea. In the future, there will be alternating chills and fever, inevitably leading to five wasting and seven injuries, and also adding the problem of vomiting and regurgitation. Moreover, the day stem is亥, with庚 metal generating亥 water, the metal energy is drained into the water, often indicating cold phlegm rising. The day branch is巳, with寅 wood generating巳 fire, which is a false fire, inevitably causing discomfort below the heart, leading to this illness. Adding the symptom of white discharge, the person will die within twenty-eight days; if they survive, they will surely suffer within another twenty-eight days. This reading begins and ends with Inauspicious Spirit, and both upper and lower aspects are stealing energy. The numbers of巳 and亥 are both four, and the number of申 is seven, four times seven is twenty-eight, and both places are present, totaling fifty-six days. When diagnosing illness, the day stem governs the upper body, and the day branch governs the lower body.

戊寅年正月庚寅日子將酉時占何日雨雪。（牧夫占驗）

On the day of Gengyin in the year of Wuyin, during the first lunar month, using the Zi General added to the You hour to cast the divination, the question was about whether it would rain or snow on that day. Divination for weather is a common practice in the Six壬 system, focusing mainly on the gods of water, fire, wind, and snow represented in the three transmissions, and the heavenly generals they ride. This passage is taken from "The Farmer's Divination Verification."

朱六　蛇申酉戌亥陳　貴未　子龍　蛇陰虎陳　兄　甲申　蛇　后午　丑空　申巳寅亥　子　丁亥　陳　陰巳辰卯寅虎　巳寅亥庚　財　庚寅　虎　玄常

The course plate is the same as the previous two examples. The day master is added to the酉 hour. The heaven plate is three positions ahead of the earth plate. Teng Snake is on the申, Vermilion Bird on the酉, Liu He on the戌, Gou Chen on the亥, Azure Dragon on the子, Tian Kong on the丑, White Tiger on the寅, Tai Chang on the卯, Black Tortoise on the辰, Tai Yin on the巳, Heavenly Empress on the午, and Nobleman on the未. The four lessons are: the庚 is stationed on the申, the申 has the亥, the亥 has the寅, and the day branch寅 has the巳, which has the申. The three transmissions are:申,亥,寅. The first transmission is申, which is the brother's yao riding on Teng Snake. The middle transmission is亥, which is the son's yao riding on Gou Chen. The final transmission is寅, which is the wife's wealth yao riding on White Tiger. When predicting rain or snow, the申 is the place of growth for water, called the mother of water. The亥 is water, and the寅 is wind. These three characters are the key to determining snow in this course.

王牧夫曰：水母發用，蛇乘干上，中見亥水，末見風神，用傳日支，今日當雪，來日當大雪。蓋蛇乃雪象，中見極陰之水，寅為東北，風從東北當有雪也。況三傳遞生乎，今日雪小者，寅與亥合也。來日雪大者，太陽與卯相刑，春夏主雷，冬主雪，各因時而論耳。

Wang Mufu said: The first transmission's Shen is the place where water is born, that is, the so-called "water mother," from which the transmission begins; the Teng Snake is also riding on the Shen of the day stem's lodging palace; the middle transmission shows Hai water; the final transmission's Yin is the wind god, and Yin is exactly the day branch of this day, so the three transmissions return to the day branch. Based on this, it is determined that snow will fall on the day, and heavy snow on the next day. Because Teng Snake is the symbol of snow, and the middle transmission also shows Hai, which is extremely yin water; Yin is in the northeast, and wind comes from the northeast, so snow is expected. Moreover, the three transmissions Shen generates Hai, Hai generates Yin, and they generate one after another. The reason for light snow on the day is that Yin and Hai combine, and combination leads to convergence; the reason for heavy snow on the next day is that the moon general Zi, which the sun rides, is in conflict with Mao, and the conflict between Zi and Mao mainly causes thunder in spring and summer, but in winter it causes snow. It is the same conflict, but it is discussed separately according to the seasons.

建炎己酉年七月辛卯日午將辰時，林丞務丙辰生五十四歲占平生。（方本占案、口鑑）

In the summer of the Jiyou year of the Southern Song Dynasty, on the Xinmao day, the divination was cast using the Wu general at the Chen hour. The person seeking the divination, Lin Chengwu, was born in the Bingchen year, and was fifty-four years old at the time. He was asking about his life's fortunes and misfortunes. "Chengwu" was his official title. This entry is also found in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

朱六　蛇未申酉戌陳　貴午　亥龍　蛇后常空　官癸巳　后　后巳　子空　未巳寅子　父空未　蛇　陰辰卯寅丑虎　巳卯子辛　兄乙酉　陳　玄常

Above the upper row 「Wei Shen You Xu」: Teng Snake occupies Wei, Vermilion Bird occupies Shen, Liu He occupies You, and Gou Chen occupies Xu; on the left, Nobleman occupies Wu, Heavenly Empress occupies Si, and Tai Yin occupies Chen; on the right, Azure Dragon occupies Hai, Tian Kong occupies Zi, and White Tiger occupies Chou; below, the positions of Yin and Mao are paired with Tai Chang and Xuan Wu. Nobleman occupies Wu and the twelve generals proceed in order, with Chen hour belonging to the day, using the day nobleman. Wu general added to Chen hour, the Heaven Plate advances two positions compared to the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Xin is in the lodging palace at Xu, with Zi on Xu, which is the first lesson; Zi has寅, which is the second lesson; the day branch Mao has巳, which is the third lesson; and巳 has未, which is the fourth lesson; the four upper spirits Zi, Yin, Si, and Wei are successively occupied by Tian Kong, Tai Chang, Heavenly Empress, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions: the first transmission is巳, which is the official ghost爻, with the hidden stem being Ji, occupying Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is未, which is the parent爻, occupying Teng Snake, with the word 「empty」 in 「parent empty at Wei」 indicating that Wei falls in the empty period — Xin Mao day belongs to the Jiashen period, with Wu and Wei being the empty periods; the final transmission is酉, which is the brother爻, with the hidden stem being Yi, occupying Gou Chen, and酉 is exactly the禄神 of the Xin day.

邵彥和曰：日上子為盜氣，又見天空，主下部遺洩，兼子息不美。支上破碎，又兼發用、中傳空亡，末傳又加空亡之上，作今日祿神，祿神即空，前程不永。宅犯破碎，子作盜氣，是諸子耗盜財物，各抽入己，於我則空。除非另爨，可以少延。否則家破財散矣。林丞務有四子，二妻所出，家道不齊，堂前之物，子盡盜之，為之一空。本身常有淋疾。家計漸覺退敗。

Shao Yanhe said: When the day stem has the Zi branch, the Xin metal generates Zi water, which is a leakage of my hidden energy. The Zi branch also has Tian Kong, indicating a disease of the lower body involving leakage. Furthermore, the day branch is afflicted by the Broken Branch evil star. In addition, the initiating transmission and the middle transmission both meet Kongwang, and the final transmission also falls on the position of Kongwang. The final transmission's You branch is actually the stem's禄神. When the禄神 falls into Kongwang, the future will not be long. The family's property is afflicted by the Broken Branch, and the sons' divination signs also indicate leakage. This means that several sons are wasting the family's wealth, taking it for themselves, and thus the family's resources are empty. Unless they separate and start anew, it can only be delayed slightly. Otherwise, the family will break down and lose all its wealth. Lin Chengwu has four sons, born from two wives, and the family's affairs were never well-ordered. The things in the hall have been completely stolen by the sons. He himself often suffers from淋病, and the family's fortune is gradually declining.

蓋辛見了盜氣，宅上又見破碎，子為一陽之始，巳為六陽之終，始於身、終於宅也，故始主自身下部遺洩，而卒於破家。子為子息，所以敗家由子也。初傳宅上，中末俱空，號曰不行，故只以干支二處分斷，中末皆空，初仍宅上，等之無傳矣，故只就干支分斷。

Original Jia metal meets a spirit that disperses its energy, and the family position also encounters a breaking-up evil omen. Zi is the beginning of the first yang, while Si is the end of the sixth yang; one end starts from the self, and the other ends at the family residence, so initially it should be a leakage from the lower part of the self, and finally it ends at breaking the family. Zi is also the god of offspring, so the one who destroys the family is the son. The first transmission originates from the family position, but the middle and final transmissions both fall into Kongwang, which is called 'not proceeding'. It can only be interpreted by separating the day stem and day branch. Since the middle and final transmissions are both empty, and the first transmission still falls on the family position, it is as if there are no three transmissions, so it can only be interpreted by separating the stem and branch.

若初傳不從宅與日上起，則又當細審，不得概為不行也。然初傳更加一重破碎，子為脫空，六陽至此極處；又見破碎作初傳，上見天后，數又名泆女卦，其妻最淫蕩，第四子最蠢者是其所生，更有兩子尤作手腳。若占病必死之課，占前程脫精而亡。

If the first transmission is not derived from the house position and the day stem, then a more detailed examination is needed, and it cannot be generally judged as 'not favorable'. However, in this case, the first transmission also carries an additional element of fragmentation. The zi branch is both losing its strength and falling into emptiness, and with six yang elements reaching their end here; the fragmentation serves as the first transmission, with the Heavenly Empress riding upon it. According to numerical calculation, this is called the 'Excessive Woman' hexagram, indicating that his wife is extremely promiscuous. Among the four sons, the fourth, who is the most foolish, is her son, and there are two other sons who are particularly adept at acting secretly. If this hexagram is used to divinate illness, it is a death sentence; if used to divinate prospects, it indicates the complete loss of vital energy and death.

崇正癸酉年七月辛卯日揚州明經宗開先同張向之來占笠場事，報寅時，以午將加寅。（指南）

In the Guiyou year of the Chongzhen era, in the seventh lunar month, on the Xinmao day, Zhang Xiang came together with Mingjing Zong Kaixian from Yangzhou to inquire about the matter of the examination. From the divination by Chen's family mentioned below, it is clear that the question was actually about whether he would pass the imperial examination. The person reported the time as the寅 hour, so the diviner placed the Wu general at the top of the寅 to cast the horoscope. "Mingjing" is another term for a candidate for the imperial examination; "Chongzhen" is the era name of the Ming dynasty, and the Qing dynasty editions altered the character to avoid taboo. This entry is taken from the "Lunin Zhinan," divined by Chen Gongxian.

勾龍　六酉戌亥子空　龍蛇貴常　父乙未蛇　朱申　丑白　亥未午寅　子丁亥龍　蛇未　寅常　未卯寅辛　財辛卯玄　貴午巳辰卯玄　后陰

Above the arrangement of 'You Xu Hai Zi': Liu He occupies You, Gou Chen occupies Xu, Qing Long occupies Hai, and Tian Kong occupies Zi. The words 'Gou Long' are marked above Xu and Hai. On the left, Zhu Que occupies Shen, Teng Snake occupies Wei, and Nobleman occupies Wu. On the right, Bai Hu occupies Chou, Tai Chang occupies Yin. Below, the positions of Si and Chen are paired with Heavenly Empress and Tai Yin, and Mao is occupied by Xuan Wu. Nobleman occupies Wu, and the twelve generals proceed in order. When Wu general is placed on Yin at the time of Yin, the Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem Xin is lodged in Xu, and Xu is occupied by Yin, which is the first lesson; Yin is occupied by Wu, which is the second lesson; the Day Branch Mao is occupied by Wei, which is the third lesson; and Wei is occupied by Hai, which is the fourth lesson. The four upper deities Yin, Wu, Wei, and Hai are successively occupied by Tai Chang, Nobleman, Teng Snake, and Qing Long. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wei, representing the parent's yao, with the hidden stem being Yi, occupying Teng Snake, and Wei is vacant on the day of Xin Mao; the second transmission is Hai, representing the son's yao, occupying Qing Long; the third transmission is Mao, representing the wife's wealth yao, occupying Xuan Wu.

陳公獻曰：即今中矣。曰：何以報一時即知其中。蓋因先鋒為幕貴（雖寅時，用晝貴，故寅時為幕貴），且臨日上。（寅加戌）月將官貴又加寅命（蓋命在寅，午為月將，乘貴神加之），是以必中無疑。然發用未作旬空，必俟未年太歲填實，方中甲榜。

Chen Gongxian said: He will certainly pass this examination. Someone asked: How can one know he will pass just by stating a single time? He replied: This is because the first class is supported by the Nobleman of the Curtain. Although the reported time is寅 (Yin) hour, this divination takes the daytime Nobleman, which is午 (Wu). Therefore,寅 becomes the position of the Nobleman of the Curtain. Moreover, it is directly above the Day Stem. That is,寅 is placed on the position of辛 (Xin), which is戌 (Xu). In addition, the Month General午 (Wu) is multiplied by the noble god and added to his birth time寅. Thus, his birth time is寅, and午 is the Month General of this divination, with the Nobleman added upon it. Therefore, he is certain to pass. However, the initiating transmission is未 (Wei), which falls in the旬空 (decade void). He must wait until the year of未 (Wei) to fill it, then he will pass with the first rank.

元祐六年辛未九月辛卯日角音人戊子生四十四歲占家宅得寅時。（一針見血、玉連環末卷）

In the sixth year of Yuanyou during the Northern Song dynasty, which was the year Xinwei, on the ninth month, on the day Xinmao, a person with the 'Jue Yin' sound element came to consult about his family dwelling. He reported that the time was the first watch, which is the寅 hour. He was born in the year Wuzi and was forty-four years old at that time. In ancient times, the surname was assigned according to the five tones of the Nayin system. Since Jue belongs to wood, he was called a 'Jue Yin person'. For this type of person, the household deity is located at the卯 position, which will be used in the following divination. This passage is also found in the final volume of both the 'Yizhen Jianxue' and the 'Yulianhuan'.

龍勾合朱　酉戌亥子　合虎常貴　父　◎未　虎　空申　丑蛇　亥未午寅　子　丁亥　合　虎未　寅貴　未卯寅辛　財　辛卯　后　午巳辰卯　常玄陰后

On the Heaven Plate, the arrangement of "You Xu Hai Zi" is paired with "Long Gou He Zhu," meaning the Azure Dragon is on You, the Gou Chen on Xu, the Liu He on Hai, and the Vermilion Bird on Zi. On the left, the Tian Kong is on Shen, and the White Tiger is on Wei. On the right, the Teng Snake is on Chou, and the Nobleman is on Yin. Below, the arrangement of "Wu Si Chen Mao" is paired with "Chang Xuan Yin Hou," meaning the Tai Chang is on Wu, the Black Tortoise on Si, the Tai Yin on Chen, and the Heavenly Empress on Mao. The Nobleman is on Yin, and since the twelve generals are in reverse order, Yin corresponds to night, using the night Nobleman. The four lessons and the previous example are the same, "Wei Mao Yin Xin" paired with "Hai Wei Wu Yin": the Day Stem Xin is lodged in Xu, Xu has Yin, Yin has Wu, the Day Branch Mao has Wei, and Wei has Hai; the four upper deities Yin, Wu, Wei, and Hai are successively occupied by the Nobleman, Tai Chang, White Tiger, and Liu He. The first transmission is Wei, representing the parents'爻, occupied by the White Tiger, marked with "◎" to indicate it is in the empty period. The middle transmission is Hai, representing the children's爻, occupied by Liu He. The final transmission is Mao, representing the wife's wealth爻, occupied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wood trinity, making it a "Qu Zhi" lesson.

劉日新曰：君家修造宅舍，不依方所，誤用日時，不知禁忌，故怪異駢集，頻有喪服哭泣之事，留滯月日。占人曰：實有此災怪喪病久矣，願求禳治之法。劉曰：必犯六神黑道，今已日月滋久，不須禳謝，只是君家井而相近，又廁畔有桃樹，葉落廁中，幫有此災怪，君當去此桃樹，移廁遠井，則災怪自消矣。

Liu Rixin said: Your family's construction of houses and buildings does not follow the appropriate directions, and also misused the day branch and time, without understanding the prohibitions and taboos, so strange occurrences have continued to happen, with frequent funerals and mourning, and the matters have been delayed for a long time without resolution. The person seeking divination said: Indeed, there have been these calamities and sicknesses for a long time, and he is willing to seek a method to appease and resolve them. Liu Rixin said: This must be due to the violation of the Six Spirits and the Black Path. Since the time has already been long, there is no need to perform further appeasement rituals. All you need to do is remove this peach tree near the toilet, and move the toilet further away from the well, and the calamities will naturally disappear.

議曰：未加卯為用，上得白虎，其卯是久居之宅。又卯為門戶，兼角音之宅神在卯。中傳有丁神，乘六合，加太歲之上，行年上又是丑乘騰蛇，故云宅中有怪異。末傳天后乘卯加亥，亥為雙魚宮，即為陰怪。九月飛魂喪魄，同居未上乘白虎，故有喪病哭泣之事。九月以寅為月厭，以戌為天目，寅臨戌上乃是月厭加於天目也，所以怪異留滯月日。法以亥為廁，未為井，今相加為近，寅為桃，卯為樹，課得曲直屬木，木至秋則葉落，又六合加井廁上，雲桃葉落在井廁之中也。

It is said that the three transmissions are initiated with the unmarked 'wei' placed on the 'mao' position. The 'wei' is riding on the White Tiger, so 'mao' is the dwelling place where the White Tiger resides. 'Mao' also governs the gate and door, and the spirit of the dwelling of a person with a horn tone is originally located at 'mao'. The middle transmission's 'hai' is the 'ding' spirit, riding on the六合, placed on the 'wei' which is the year's ruler. The person's age position is 'chou' riding on the腾蛇, so there is an occurrence of strange phenomena in the dwelling. The final transmission's Heavenly Empress is riding on 'mao' and placed on 'hai'. 'Hai' is the palace of twin fish, belonging to yin, which is exactly the place of yinvolent spirits. The two evils of flying soul and lost soul in September both fall on 'wei', and 'wei' is also riding on the White Tiger, so there are incidents of illness, mourning, and crying. In September, 'yin' is the month's aversion and 'xu' is the heavenly eye. 'Yin' is placed on 'xu', which is the month's aversion placed on the heavenly eye, so the strange occurrences last for days and months. According to the method, 'hai' is the toilet and 'wei' is the well. Now 'wei' is placed on 'hai', meaning the well and toilet are close to each other. 'Yin' is the peach and 'mao' is the tree, the course forms a curved and straight wood pattern. Wood in autumn sheds its leaves. Also, the Liu He is placed on the well and toilet, so the peach leaves fall into the well and toilet.

戊申年正月辛卯日子將未時葉助教戊午生（生於二月十三日寅時）五十一歲占家宅。（方本占案、捷要、口鑑）

In the year of Wu Shen, during the first lunar month, on the day of Xin Mao, the divination was cast starting with the hour of Zi added to Wei. The person seeking divination, Ye the Assistant Teacher, was born in the year of Wu Wu, on the thirteenth day of the second lunar month at the hour of Yin. He is now fifty-one years old, and he is consulting about his family residence. "Assistant Teacher" refers to an official in the National University. This entry is also found in the three books: "Fang Ben Zhan An," "Jie Yao," and "Kou Jian."

龍空　陳戌亥子丑虎　六酉　寅常　虎朱朱玄　財辛卯玄　朱申　卯玄　丑申申卯　兄甲申朱　蛇未午巳辰陰　申卯卯辛　父己丑虎　貴後

Above the upper row 「Xu Hai Zi Chou」: Gou Chen occupies Xu, Qing Long occupies Hai, Tian Kong occupies Zi, and Bai Hu occupies Chou. The characters 「Long Kong」 are marked above Hai and Zi. On the left, Liu He occupies You, Zhu Que occupies Shen, and Teng Snake occupies Wei. On the right, Tai Chang occupies Yin, and Xuan Wu occupies Mao. Below, the positions Wu and Si are paired with Nobleman and Heavenly Empress, and Chen is occupied by Tai Yin. Nobleman occupies Wu, and the twelve generals proceed in order. At Wei time, which is daytime, the daytime Nobleman is used. Zi general is added to Wei time, and the Heaven Plate advances five positions relative to the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem Xin is in the lodging palace at Xu, with Wu on Xu, which is the first lesson; Wu on Wu is the second lesson; Mao on Wu is the third lesson; and Chou on Wu is the fourth lesson. The four upper deities, Mao, Shen, Shen, and Chou, are successively occupied by Xuan Wu, Zhu Que, Zhu Que, and Bai Hu. The three transmissions: the first transmission, Mao, is the wife's wealth爻, occupied by Xuan Wu; the middle transmission, Shen, is the brother's爻, with the hidden stem being Ji, occupied by Zhu Que; the final transmission, Chou, is the parent's爻, with the hidden stem being Ji, occupied by Bai Hu, and Chou is exactly the tomb deity of the day stem Xin.

邵彥和曰：此課支來就干為干所制，名曰贅婿。太歲入宅克宅，宅來就人又被人克，六年中家破屋拆，遂成墓地，必葬尊長在內。六年之前，四分五裂，門戶分張，主外姓或還俗僧人入撓，遂家破矣。

Shao Yanhe said: In this lesson, the spirit of the day branch comes to the day stem and is instead controlled by the day stem, which is called the "赘婿" lesson. The year stem enters the house position and controls the house, and the house then comes to the person and is controlled by the person. Based on this, it is determined that within six years the family will have the house demolished and the place will finally become a graveyard, with a respected elder buried there. If it does not happen within six years, the family will split apart, the household will scatter, and there will be disturbances from outsiders or a person who has returned to secular life, thus causing the family to break down.

蓋末傳丑為辛日之墓神，臨太歲上，太歲為其所墓，遂來宅上而克宅，宅被克，走回日上，又為日所克，宅既不留，屋何存立？又自身上發傳入宅，又逢太歲來加，又太歲上見今日之墓神丑，丑土生申金，是申金之尊長，庚辛墓於丑，是尊長葬埋之處。卯數六，故不出六年。申為僧，辛與申同類，還俗僧也。或乙酉見辛卯，或辛酉見乙酉，皆係還俗僧。乙為沙門，辛為僧舍也。卯上見元武，故主門戶分張。

The final transmission's Chou is the Tomb Spirit of Xin day, and it is located on the Tai Su (sovereign year) Shen. The Tai Su is buried by it, thus turning to attack the dwelling. The dwelling is attacked and then returns to attack the day stem, which in turn attacks it. The dwelling cannot be retained, so how can the house stand? Furthermore, from the self, three transmissions are issued and enter the dwelling. The dwelling again meets the Tai Su, and on the Tai Su there is also the Tomb Spirit Chou of the current day. The Chou earth can generate Shen metal, which is the respected elder of Shen metal. The庚 and 辛 metals are also buried in Chou, so this is the place where the respected elder is buried. The number of Mao is six, so it is determined that it will not last for six years. Shen governs monks, and both Xin and Shen belong to the metal category, so this indicates a monk who has left the religious life. Whether it is Yiyou meeting Xinmao or Xinyou meeting Yiyou, both indicate the image of a monk who has left the religious life. Yi represents a monk, and Xin represents a monastery. The presence of Xuanwu on Mao indicates that the family will split apart.

後癸丑年其叔死，遂殯於內。叔有三子，一子為僧，還族歸分家產，助教不肯，經官斷定作諸子分家，與叔共五子，作六分分矣，助教止得一分。戊申至癸丑乃六年，若不是太歲入宅克宅，又不可如此斷。當年又死一男一女，乃太歲克宅故也。其經官者，亦太歲入宅克宅也。卯為沙門，申為僧之申與辛同類，今從外退回宅上，是僧還俗也。乙亦沙門，辛為僧舍，申，辛之兄也。

Later in the year Guichou, his uncle died, and they buried him on this piece of land. The uncle had three sons, one of whom became a monk and has now returned to secular life, coming back to divide the family property. The teacher Ye refused to comply, and the matter escalated to the authorities. The court ruled that all the sons should share the property, including the uncle's branch, making a total of five sons, and the property was divided into six parts, with the teacher Ye receiving only one part. From Wushen to Guichou was exactly six years. Without the arrival of the year's master (too shi) causing a conflict within the house, such a ruling could not have happened. That year, one son and one daughter in the family also died, which was also due to the year's master (too shi) causing a conflict within the house. As for the dispute reaching the authorities, it was also caused by the year's master (too shi) causing a conflict within the house. The卯 (mao) sign represents monks, and the申 (shen) sign also represents monks. The申 (shen) and辛 (xin) are of the same type. Now, someone returning from outside to the house signifies a monk returning to secular life. The乙 (yi) sign also represents monks, and辛 (xin) represents a monastery. The申 (shen) is the elder brother of辛 (xin).

三月辛卯日酉將辰時僧人占失度牒。（方本占案、張本占案）

On the Xinmao day of the third month, the class was started by adding You as the general and using the Chen hour. A monk came to consult about a lost degree certificate. The degree certificate is an official document issued to monks and Taoists, which is necessary for them to become ordained and to be exempt from taxes and corvée labor. Losing it is a very serious matter. This entry is also found in both the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and the "Zhang Ben Zhan An."

龍空　陳戌亥子丑虎　六酉　寅常　虎朱朱玄　財辛卯玄　朱申　卯玄　丑申申卯　兄甲申朱　蛇未午巳辰陰　申卯卯辛　父己丑虎　貴後

The lesson pattern is the same as the previous example. The hour is Chen (Dragon) with You (Rooster) as the general. The Heaven Plate is five positions ahead of the Earth Plate: Gou Chen (Hook Star) is on Xu (Dog), Qing Long (Azure Dragon) is on Hai (Pig), Tian Kong (Heavenly Void) is on Zi (Rat), Bai Hu (White Tiger) is on Chou (Ox), Tai Chang (Divine Official) is on Yin (Tiger), Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise) is on Mao (Rabbit), Tai Yin (Divine Yin) is on Chen (Dragon), Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress) is on Si (Snake), Gui Ren (Nobleman) is on Wu (Horse), Teng Snake is on Wei (Goat), Zhu Que (Vermilion Bird) is on Shen (Monkey), and Liu He (Six Harmonies) is on You (Rooster). The four lessons are Xin (Metal) residing on Xu (Dog), Xu (Dog) has Mao (Rabbit), Mao (Rabbit) has Shen (Monkey), and the day branch Mao (Rabbit) has Shen (Monkey), which in turn has Chou (Ox). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Mao (Rabbit), representing the wife's wealth爻, borne by Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise); the middle transmission is Shen (Monkey), representing the brother's wealth爻, borne by Zhu Que (Vermilion Bird); and the final transmission is Chou (Ox), representing the parent's wealth爻, borne by Bai Hu (White Tiger). When divining about lost items, Zhu Que (Vermilion Bird) is the class god associated with documents and evidence, while Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise) is the Inauspicious General associated with theft. Both are present in this lesson, which is the key point for the following interpretation.

邵彥和曰：被親偷去，火焚了，其人腳跛，手指缺。蓋度牒以朱雀為類神，申為僧人，而元武乘卯合辛，故為親人，辛克卯，故卯遂偷去。知乃是外弟偷去，手足有疾不謬。

Shao Yanhe said: The degree certificate was stolen by a relative and then burned; the thief had a limp and missing fingers. Since the degree certificate is associated with the Vermilion Bird, and the monkey (申) is the master of monks, which refers to the owner himself; the Black Tortoise is associated with the rabbit (卯), and the rabbit combines with the dog (戌) which is the day of辛, so it is determined to be a relative; the metal of辛 overcomes the wood of卯, so the rabbit stole the thing. Therefore, it is known that the cousin stole it, and saying he has problems with his hands and feet is not wrong.

崇正戊寅年卯建辛卯日亥將辰時新卿張坦公縉彥占功名。（郭氏占案）

In the year Wuyin of the Chongzhen era, second lunar month (with the month builder in Mao), on the day Xinmao, the class of the hour was set with Hai general added to Chen hour. Zhang Tan Gong, who had newly been promoted to a high official position, whose name was Jinyan and Tan Gong was his courtesy name, came to consult about his official career. "Chongzheng" refers to Chongzhen, a term used in Qing editions to avoid direct mention. This entry is taken from the "Guo Shi Zhan An."

空虎常玄　子丑寅卯　后勾空后　父　丙戌　勾　龍亥　辰陰　巳戌子巳　鬼　癸巳　后　勾戌　巳后　戌卯巳辛　子　戊子　空　酉申未午　合朱蛇貴

The Heaven Plate is arranged with "Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao" paired with "Kong, Baihu, Tai Chang, Xuanwu," meaning Tian Kong is on Zi, Baihu on Chou, Tai Chang on Yin, and Xuanwu on Mao. On the left, Qinglong is on Hai and Gou Chen on Xu; on the right, Tai Yin is on Chen and Tianhou on Si. Below, "You, Shen, Wei, Wu" are paired with "He, Zhuqiao, Tengshe, Guiren," meaning Liuhe is on You, Zhuqiao on Shen, Tengshe on Wei, and Guiren on Wu. Since Guiren is on Wu and the twelve generals proceed in order, Chen hour belongs to the day, so the day Guiren is used. Hai general is added to Chen hour, and the Heaven Plate is seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem Xin is in the lodging palace on Xu, and Xu is on Si, making the first lesson; Si is on Zi, making the second lesson; the Day Branch Mao is on Xu, making the third lesson; and Xu is on Si again, making the fourth lesson. The four upper deities are Si, Zi, Xu, and Si, which are respectively occupied by Tianhou, Tiankong, Gouchen, and Tianhou. The three transmissions are as follows: the first transmission is Xu, representing the parents' yao, with the hidden stem being Bing, occupying Gouchen; the middle transmission is Si, representing the official ghost yao, with the hidden stem being Ji, occupying Tianhou; the final transmission is Zi, representing the son yao, with the hidden stem being Wu, occupying Tiankong. On Xin Mao day, Wu and Wei are empty, so the Wu that is occupied by Guiren is the empty deity of the ten days. The Earth Plate's Hai position is the heaven gate, and directly above it is the Wu that is occupied by Guiren, which is what is referred to as "Guiren ascends the heaven gate."

郭御青曰：本命上貴登天門，行年上青龍乘月將，斷斷乎青華一席矣。張公謙讓不自信，後有民部之轉。餘細詳課體，只嫌貴午旬空，然年上月將作青龍上吉，極難得之課，豈終空乎？至四月，聞有通選之命。餘大喜曰：若至五月，午字填實，坦公翰院無疑。其後果應如響。

Guo Yuqing said: His natal chart shows "Nobleman Ascends the Heavenly Gate" — the Earth Plate position at Hai is the Heavenly Gate, and on top of it is the Nobleman at Wu; his year of movement also has the Azure Dragon riding the Month General at Hai. Based on these two factors, I concluded he would certainly obtain a position in the Han Yuan Qinghua (Imperial Academy). Zhang Gong was modest and did not believe it himself, but later he ended up in the Ministry of Household. I carefully examined the Lesson Pattern, and the only thing I was concerned about was the Nobleman at Wu falling into the旬空 (decade void). However, the Month General acting as the Azure Dragon in the year of movement is an excellent omen. How could such a rare and favorable chart ultimately fail? In April, I heard that the court had issued an order for general appointments, and I was very happy, saying: As long as it reaches May, the character Wu will be filled, and Tan Gong entering the Hanlin Academy will have no doubts. Later, it indeed came true as predicted.

奇哉，餘於壬數，習之已久，不意其神妙包藏至此。從來考選無此曠典。方為真貴登天門，必至五月而成者，午字填實方得天門有貴，不然其貴沿虛也。初傳戌作天喜，帶勾陳，即稽留遲滯之象，至五月與太歲寅字三合，乃成官星，余初斷亦不知此神妙也。

It's truly amazing! I have studied the Six壬 system for a long time, yet I never expected its profound mysteries to be so intricate. There has never been such an extraordinary opportunity in previous examinations, and this can truly be called "the nobleman ascending to the heavenly gate." This matter will surely come to fruition in May, because we have to wait until the character "wu" (午) is fully established, allowing the nobleman at the heavenly gate to be realized in reality. Otherwise, that nobleman would remain merely a hollow existence. The first transmission is戌, which is the heavenly joy deity, but it also carries Gou Chen, indicating an image of stagnation and delay. Only when it meets the character "yin" (寅) of the heavenly stem in May to form a triple harmony will it transform into the official star. At the time I was divining the lesson, I was not aware of this profound mystery.

愚按：三傳回環，官星臨干，亦吉，不但貴登天門，加命，月將乘青龍加年而已也。五月官星旺，故應。

Cheng Shuxun remarks: In this lesson, the three transmissions form a circular pattern from beginning to end. The official ghost star is also located on the day stem, which itself is a favorable omen. This is not only due to the "noble ascending the heavenly gate" combined with the native's star and the month general's star riding the azure dragon and affecting the year's star, but also because in May when fire is strong, the official star is in command, so the effect should manifest at that time.

戊申年十二月辛卯日丑將巳時葉八郎癸亥生四十六歲占行醫。（捷要、口鑑）

In the year of Wushen, during the twelfth lunar month, on the day of Xinmao, the class was cast by adding Chou to the time of Si. The person seeking divination is Ye Baling, born in the year of Guihai, aged forty-six, consulting about his livelihood as a physician. This entry appears in both the "Jieyao" and "Koujian." The divination chart and interpretation are as follows.

陳六 龍丑寅卯辰朱 空子 巳蛇 后虎陳貴 父 空未 后 虎亥 午貴 未亥寅午 財 辛卯 六 常戌酉申未后 亥卯午辛 子 丁亥 虎 玄陰

This is a lesson pattern diagram written out as a flat circle. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches each associated with a heavenly general: Chou is accompanied by the Azure Dragon, Yin by Gou Chen, Mao by Liu He, Chen by Vermilion Bird, Si by Teng Snake, Wu by Nobleman, Wei by Heavenly Empress, Shen by Tai Yin, You by Black Tortoise, Xu by Tai Chang, Hai by White Tiger, and Zi by Tian Kong. The Nobleman is located on Wu, and the twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order from there. The middle section shows the four lessons, counted from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Xin (with its lodging palace in Xu) with Wu, which is accompanied by Nobleman; the second lesson has Wu with Yin, which is accompanied by Gou Chen; the third lesson has the day branch Mao with Hai, which is accompanied by White Tiger; the fourth lesson has Hai with Wei, which is accompanied by Heavenly Empress. The right section shows the three transmissions: the first transmission is Wei, representing the parents' yao, accompanied by Heavenly Empress, with the character 'kong' indicating it falls in the旬空; the middle transmission is Xin Mao, representing the wife's wealth yao, accompanied by Liu He; the final transmission is Ding Hai, representing the children's yao, accompanied by White Tiger. The day stem Xin belongs to the Jiashen decade, with the旬空 on Wu and Wei. The three transmissions, Hai, Mao, and Wei, form a triple harmony of wood, and since wood is the wealth of metal, the text says 'full circle of wealth'.

邵彥和曰：金日得木，滿盤皆財，不合午來化許多敗氣，木又死於午，作貴人偏不利醫貴人，卻有天醫在中傳，地醫在末傳，能制午火，貴人管事，是臨危之病，方來相請。有一婦人害反胃者，醫肝不醫胃；有一小兒中風氣者，通水臟不得治風，依此行人，可以取效也。汝屋上不合著一獸頭東立，人家亦有一獸頭相觸百達人，故財不入耳。葉八郎醫道不甚興，治小兒有效，才治大家便不效，其先人因對面有破山頭，遂以獸頭屋上鎮之，西北之家亦然。在葉氏屋前對沖。

Shao Yanhe said: When the day stem is Xin metal and the three transmissions form a wood pattern, the whole chart is full of wealth signs, but unfortunately the wu fire comes in and turns these wealth signs into a bad atmosphere. Wood in the twelve growths is exactly "dead" at wu; and since wu is occupied by the nobleman, this makes it unsuitable for treating patients who are of nobleman's class. Fortunately, the heavenly physician is in the middle transmission and the earthly physician is in the final transmission, which can control the wu fire. Plus the nobleman is in charge, so those who come to consult him are people in critical condition. For example, a woman suffering from vomiting after eating should be treated by addressing her liver rather than her stomach; a child who has caught a wind illness should be treated by unblocking the water organs and promoting urination, rather than treating the wind directly. Following this method of treatment will be effective. Your house happens to have a beast's head facing east, and the house opposite also has a beast's head facing it, which is in opposition. The meaning of the phrase "when they touch each other, many people pass through" is unclear, and it is suspected that there is an error in the text. Therefore, money cannot enter the house. Ye Bala's medical practice has never been very prosperous; he is effective in treating children, but not when treating wealthy families. His ancestors, because there was a broken hill opposite, installed a beast's head on the roof to suppress it. The family in the northwest also did the same, facing directly opposite Ye's house.

蓋以白虎立亥在卯之上，是本家屋上之獸頭也。亥本宮上見未，有夜之白虎，是西北鄰家之獸頭也。葉因先生之言，而去之，次年正月初七日，楊七小娘子患翻胃，前請數十醫，經年不效，是日請葉治之，葉思先生之言，遂調治肝經即效，得錢二十餘緡。至三月十八日，徐參議之孫六歲，中風四五日瞑目不動，來請。葉又思先生之言，遂以瀉藥利其水臟，六七日能行，脫然無虞。

The basis for determining the head of the beast is: the White Tiger is riding on亥 and is added on the day branch卯 (third lesson), which is the head of the beast on his own house; and on the original position of亥's palace, there is also未 (fourth lesson), the White Tiger in night divination is here, which is the head of the beast on the neighbor's house to the northwest. Hearing Mr. Shao's words, Ye Baling removed the head of the beast. On the seventh day of the first lunar month the next year, Yang family's seventh little daughter suffered from vomiting, having previously consulted dozens of doctors for a whole year without any effect. On that day, they invited Ye to see her. Ye recalled Mr. Shao's words and treated her according to the liver meridian, and it immediately showed effect, earning him more than twenty strings of cash as consultation fee. On the eighteenth day of the third lunar month, Xu Canyi's grandson, who was six years old, had a stroke for four or five days, closed his eyes and did not move at all. They invited Ye to see him. Ye again recalled Mr. Shao's words and used purgative medicine to relieve his water organs. After six or seven days, the child could move around and completely recovered from the danger.

又獲錢三百餘緡，自此醫道大行，遂緣天后在未來加亥，卯來克未，未遂克亥，故主反胃，先因卯克之，卯屬肝經，所以當治肝也。亥為幼子，亥水生木不成局，則生風。叵導水使行，則風自息矣。未為亥胃覆生在下，故翻胃。一作覆在卯下，故主反胃。愛函按：未加亥並非受生，則覆在卯下為是。三傳木局，木克土，故治肝木而不治胃土。辛日亥為幼子，加卯六數，是六歲。亥水生木，木主風，故理水臟而不治風木也。白虎在亥，通之為佳，故宜瀉也。

This time he gained over three hundred strings of money, and from then on his medical practice became widely known. The reasoning is as follows: the Heavenly Empress is on the亥 branch, and the卯 branch overcomes the未 branch, which in turn overcomes the亥 branch, thus indicating a case of regurgitation. The root of the problem lies in the overcoming by卯, which belongs to the liver meridian, so the treatment should focus on the liver. The亥 branch represents a young son; although the water of亥 nourishes wood, it does not form a complete cycle, leading to wind. Therefore, by promoting the flow of water, the wind will naturally subside. The未 branch is the stomach of the亥 branch, which is overturned and located below, hence the condition is called regurgitation. Another interpretation suggests that the亥 is covered by the卯 below, thus causing regurgitation. Ai Han notes: the未 is not being born from the亥, so the explanation that the亥 is covered by the卯 is correct. The three transmissions form a wood cycle, and wood overcomes earth, so treating the wood rather than the earth is appropriate. On a辛 day, the亥 represents a young son, and the亥 is placed on the卯. The number of the卯 is six, so the child is six years old. The water of the亥 nourishes wood, and wood represents wind, so the treatment should focus on the water organ rather than the wind wood. The White Tiger is on the亥, so it is better to let it flow smoothly, hence the use of a purging method is recommended.

年月日時俱以前二辰為天醫，對沖為地醫。日地醫從子起順行十二辰。午剋日，故寅卯為日財，午耗之，亥乘虎自刑又傷午貴。未乘天后為婦人，未又為胃，卯克之，制倒木局，故翻胃。卯為肝，治肝不克胃，六合為小兒。

The method for calculating Tianyi and Diyi is: take the second branch before the Tai sui, the month builder, the day branch, and the time branch to determine Tianyi. The branch that is opposite to Tianyi is called Diyi. For the Diyi on the day, start from the Zi position and count twelve branches in order. In this case: the fire of Wu is overcoming the metal of Xin day stem, and the wood of Yin and Mao, which are the wealth for the day stem, are consumed by the fire of Wu. The亥 branch is occupied by the White Tiger, and since亥 and亥 are self-punishing, it also injures the nobleman on the Wu branch. The Wei branch is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, representing a woman, and Wei also represents the stomach. The wood of Mao is overcoming Wei, which suppresses the wood pattern, thus indicating a disorder of the stomach. Mao represents the liver, so treating the liver can prevent injury to the stomach. Liu He represents a child.

戊申年七月辛卯日午將戌時林丈丙辰生五十三歲占官訟。 口鑑、方本占案

In the year of Wushen, seventh lunar month, on the day of Xinmao, the month general is Wu (Shengguang), placed on the hour of Xu to cast the divination. The questioner is a man named Lin, born in the year of Bingchen, who is fifty-three years old this year. He is asking about a legal case. This case is recorded in the book "Koujian" and the version of "Zhan'an" by Fang.

貴后 蛇丑寅卯辰陰 朱子 巳玄 陳六貴常 父 空未 虎 六亥 午常 未亥寅午 財 辛卯 后 陳戌酉申未虎 亥卯午辛 子 丁亥 六 龍空

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Chou is accompanied by Teng Snake, Yin by Nobleman, Mao by Heavenly Empress, Chen by Tai Yin, Si by Black Tortoise, Wu by Tai Chang, Wei by White Tiger, Shen by Tian Kong, You by Azure Dragon, Xu by Gou Chen, Hai by Liu He, and Zi by Vermilion Bird. The Nobleman is located on Yin, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order from there. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Xin (which is in Xu), shows Wu accompanied by Tai Chang; the second lesson, on Wu, shows Yin accompanied by Nobleman; the third lesson, on the day branch Mao, shows Hai accompanied by Liu He; the fourth lesson, on Hai, shows Wei (the heavenly general for this position is originally written as 'Chen' meaning Gou Chen, which conflicts with the heavenly generals marked as White Tiger in the outer circle and the three transmissions, so it is likely an error in the printed text). The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wei, representing the parent爻, accompanied by White Tiger, and Wei is in the旬空; the second transmission is Xin Mao, representing the wife and wealth爻, accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the third transmission is Ding Hai, representing the son and grandson爻, accompanied by Liu He. The day Xin Mao belongs to the Jiashen decade, and both Wu and Wei are in the旬空, so there is a later statement saying 'Wu is empty and has no blade'. The three transmissions, Hai, Mao, and Wei, still form the Triple Harmony of wood.

邵彥和曰：主有服人爭訟，挾起卑幼，遂乃動眾。夜貴加在日貴，宜暗計囑託，庶可。傳財太盛反化鬼，若要此事了，須至貼幼小財物自止。徒爾有眾，不能成事也。林兄弟三人，又叔伯兄弟四人，分產時，諸弟皆小，所分不均，後兄死，嫂與小弟論他不當，叔伯兄弟從之。

Shao Yanhe said: This lawsuit indicates that someone in mourning will take the lead in the dispute and involve the younger members of the family, thus causing a large group to be involved. The night nobleman is placed on the position of the day nobleman, so it is suitable to privately seek help and make arrangements to resolve the matter. The three transmissions of wealth divination are too strong, turning into officials that harm me; to conclude this matter, one must compensate the younger ones with some money, and the dispute will then naturally stop. Although the other side has many people, they will not be able to achieve anything. Later it indeed turned out to be the case: Lin family had three brothers and four uncles and cousins. When they divided the property, the younger brothers were still young and the division was unequal. Later the eldest brother died, and his wife along with the younger brothers claimed that the division was unfair, and the uncles and cousins also supported them.

蓋木局生干上午火，火來剋日，行年上又見寅，日貴午雖是關切，又是鬼。寅木又生鬼，故有事。貼幼子即止者，因宅見亥為幼子，亥水能制午火。然諸木又生於亥，故住與不住，皆由於亥，故必貼幼小方得止也。後果貼幼弟物，諸人皆散。

The reasoning is that the three transmissions form a wood situation that generates the fire of the day stem's wu (午), which then turns back torestrain the xin (辛) metal day stem. The person being divined also has a yin (寅) wood in their age, which is the year they are going through. Although wu fire is the nobleman (贵人) for xin day stem and is closely related to the person, it is also the official ghost thatrestrain the person. The yin wood further nourishes this ghost, thus causing trouble. It is said that supplementing the young can stop the matter because the house (day branch side) has hai (亥) water, which can control the wu fire. Moreover, all the wood in the three transmissions are born in hai. Whether the matter stops or not depends entirely on the position of hai. Therefore, supplementing the young side is necessary to resolve the matter. Later, they indeed gave财物 to the younger brother, and everyone dispersed.

又論曰：日上太常，是服也。午則婦人，故因嫂而動也。三傳生鬼，動眾之兆。寅加午上，貴人差迭，宜告貴人矣。挾起卑幼，亥水又作六合也。午空無刃，故不必貼婦人。亥能制午，是以貼幼子耳。

There is another interpretation which says: the day stem is joined by Tai Chang, which signifies mourning for parents, so the case involves someone in mourning. Wu also represents a woman, so this disturbance was initiated by the sister-in-law. The three transmissions produce official spirits, indicating a disturbance that affects many people. Yin is placed over Wu, with two noblemen crossing each other, suggesting it is appropriate to go to the official or nobleman's place to report. The statement 'carrying a minor' is because亥 water is joined by Liu He, which directly refers to the younger generation. Wu falls in the empty term, lacking the fierce aspect of Yangren, so there is no need to compensate the woman; the one that can control Wu is亥, so compensating the young son is sufficient.

崇正丁丑年二月二十七辛卯日亥將卯時常熟蘇孝廉祖蔭占會試。 郭氏占案

In the Dingchou year, second month, twenty-seventh day, Xinmao day, the "Hai" (Dengming) was used as the Month General, placed on the Xinmao day to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination was Su Zuyin, a juren (candidate for the imperial examination) from Chongshu. He was asking whether he would pass the current imperial examination. This case is from Guo's "Divination Cases."

貴后 蛇丑寅卯辰陰 朱子 巳玄 陳六貴常 父 空未 虎 六亥 午常 未亥寅午 財 辛卯 后 陳戌酉申未虎 亥卯午辛 子 丁亥 六 龍空

The lesson pattern is exactly the same as the previous case. The outer circle: Chou is multiplied by Teng Snake, Yin is multiplied by Nobleman, Mao is multiplied by Heavenly Empress, Chen is multiplied by Tai Yin, Si is multiplied by Black Tortoise, Wu is multiplied by Tai Chang, Wei is multiplied by White Tiger, Shen is multiplied by Tian Kong, You is multiplied by Azure Dragon, Xu is multiplied by Gou Chen, Hai is multiplied by Liu He, Zi is multiplied by Vermilion Bird. The four lessons, read from right to left: the day stem Xin has Wu multiplied by Tai Chang; Wu has Yin multiplied by Nobleman; the day branch Mao has Hai multiplied by Liu He; Hai has Wei (the position of Heavenly General in the original diagram is marked as 'Chen', which does not match the White Tiger indicated in the outer circle and the three transmissions, so this is likely a carving error). The three transmissions: the first transmission Wei is the parent爻 multiplied by White Tiger and is in the旬空; the middle transmission Xin Mao is the wife and wealth爻 multiplied by Heavenly Empress; the final transmission Ding Hai is the son and grandson爻 multiplied by Liu He. The following statement by Guo Yuqing, "the ruler of the year is on the 太岁," refers to the 太岁 of Dingchou year, with Chou being exactly multiplied by Teng Snake.

郭御青曰：幕貴覆干並行年，本吉，嫌其剋日又是空亡，馬少，末傳丁神，命上太歲作騰蛇，極為不美。後果未中。

Guo Yüqing said: The Nobleman is covering and pressing upon the Day Stem, and also approaching the year's position, which originally is a favorable omen; unfortunately it turns to attack the Day Stem, and falls in the empty period, with few Post-horse signs. The final transmission is the Ding spirit, a fickle deity. The main destiny also has the Tai Suai riding upon the Teng Snake. All these signs are very unfavorable. Later, he indeed did not pass the examination.

十月辛卯日寅將巳時李四官占失錢穀。 方本占案

On the Xinmao day in the tenth month, using 'Yin' (Gongcao) as the Month General, the calculation starts at the 'Si' hour. The person asking the question, Li Si, is seeking to determine the loss of money and grain. This case is from Fang Ben's 'Divination Cases'.

六朱 陳寅卯辰巳蛇 龍丑 午貴 玄空朱后 子 戊子 空 空子 未后 酉子辰未 父 空未 后 虎亥戌酉申陰 子卯未辛 子 戊子 空 常玄

Flat lesson pattern chart. Outer circle twelve branches with their respective heavenly generals:寅 (Yin) is accompanied by Gou Chen, 卯 (Mao) by Liu He, 辰 (Chen) by Zhu Qu, 巳 (Si) by Teng She, 午 (Wu) by Guiren, 未 (Wei) by Tianhou, 申 (Shen) by Taiyin, 酉 (You) by Xuanwu, 戌 (Xu) by Taichang, 亥 (Hai) by Baishi, 子 (Zi) by Tiankong, 丑 (Chou) by Qinglong. Guiren is located on 午 (Wu), and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. Four lessons from right to left: first lesson, day stem Xin (with its root in Xu) has 未 (Wei) on it, 未 (Wei) is accompanied by Tianhou; second lesson, 未 (Wei) has 辰 (Chen) on it, 辰 (Chen) is accompanied by Zhu Qu; third lesson, day branch Mao has Zi on it, Zi is accompanied by Tiankong; fourth lesson, Zi has You on it, You is accompanied by Xuanwu. There is no instance of mutual control among the four lessons, which belongs to the "Mangxing Lesson". Three transmissions: first transmission is Wu Zi, a son爻 (yao) accompanied by Tiankong; second transmission is Wei, a parent爻 (yao) accompanied by Tianhou and marked as旬空 (xun kong); third transmission is again Wu Zi, a son爻 (yao) accompanied by Tiankong. The day Xin Mao is in the Jiashen decade, with xun kong on Wu and Wei, so the character 未 (Wei) is marked with "空" (kong).

邵彥和曰：辛卯日，三傳不行，單只在支干上，初傳是支上之子，中傳是干上之未，末傳又歸支上子。子未相害，雖喜未能制子，無奈未乃旬空，不能剋制，徒作干上空亡，自合失脫也。未空不能生辛金，而辛金反能生支上子水，為之脫氣，故捉賊不得，但初傳自宅發用，末傳又歸宅上，是賊不出門也。當主本家眷屬為腳耳。後卻知是大兄二兄之子，偷回房中，三日後方攜出使用。李四官失錢穀二物。

Shao Yanhe said: On the day of Xinmao, the three transmissions do not go outward, but only circulate between the day stem and the day branch. The first transmission is the Zi of the day branch, the middle transmission is the Wei of the day stem, and the final transmission returns to the Zi of the day branch. Zi and Wei are mutually harmful, and it was originally favorable that the Wei earth could control the Zi water. However, since the Wei falls in the旬空, it cannot control, and the empty Kongwang is placed on the day stem, which itself indicates loss. Since the Wei is empty, it cannot generate the Xin metal, and the Xin metal instead goes to generate the Zi water of the day branch, forming a sign of depletion, so the thief could not be caught. However, the first transmission originates from the residence and the final transmission returns to the residence, indicating that the thief did not leave, and it was likely done by a family member as an inside accomplice. Later, it was indeed found out that it was the son of the eldest and second eldest brothers who stole and hid the items in the house, and they took them out three days later to use. This time, Li Si lost both money and grain.

大凡占賊，日傳歸日，辰傳歸辰，皆不是外人，況辛卯日，三傳皆在干支上耶。若末傳出去，庶可向外尋耳。占人行年又在卯上，乃家賊無疑耳。

In general, when divining about theft, if the three transmissions start from the day stem and return to the day stem, or start from the day branch and return to the day branch, it is not the work of outsiders. Moreover, in this Xinmao lesson, all three transmissions fall within the day stem and day branch. Only if the final transmission goes outside can one look for the thief outside. The diviner's age also falls on the卯 (day branch), which clearly indicates the thief is a family member.

二月辛卯日亥將寅時張一公占州中相論文字何日到？ 方本占案

On the Xinmao day in the second lunar month, using 'Hai' (Dengming) as the Month General, the divination starts at the寅 hour. The person asking the question is Zhang Yigong, inquiring about the day on which the official document decided upon by the county office can be delivered. This case is from Fang Ben's 'Zhan An'.

後陰 貴寅卯辰巳玄 蛇丑 午常 龍朱陰虎 子 戊子 朱 朱子 未虎 酉子辰未 父 空未 虎 六亥戌酉申空 子卯未辛 子 戊子 朱 陳龍

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals:寅 is occupied by the Nobleman, 卯 by the Heavenly Empress, 辰 by Tai Yin, 巳 by the Black Tortoise, 午 by Tai Chang, 未 by the White Tiger, 申 by Tian Kong, 酉 by the Azure Dragon, 戌 by Gou Chen, 亥 by Liu He, 子 by the Vermilion Bird, and 丑 by Teng Snake. The Nobleman is located on 寅, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem 辛 (which is in 戌), shows 未, which is occupied by the White Tiger; the second lesson, on 未, shows 辰, which is occupied by Tai Yin; the third lesson, on the day branch 卯, shows 子, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson, on 子, shows 酉, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon. There is no conflict between the upper and lower lessons, so it remains an昴星 lesson. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wuzi, which is the grandson爻 occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the middle transmission is 未, which is the parent爻 occupied by the White Tiger and is in the旬空; the final transmission is again Wuzi, the grandson爻 occupied by the Vermilion Bird. The Vermilion Bird is on 子, which is also on the day branch 卯. This is the basis for the later statement that "documents will be established."

邵彥和曰：文字今日必來，果應。蓋昴星課，卯日子加卯，朱雀臨門，主文字立至。又子卯相刑，主其來緊速也。又三傳俱在日辰之上，自主日下必然到也。果然。

Shao Yanhe said: That official document will certainly arrive today -- and later it indeed came true. Because this is the昴 star lesson, on a卯 day with子 placed on卯, the Vermilion Bird is exactly at the position of the day branch, indicating that official documents will arrive immediately;子 and卯 also mutually accuse each other, indicating that it will come quickly; furthermore, all three transmissions fall on the day stem and day branch, naturally indicating that it will be delivered right away. The result was indeed as predicted.

丁丑年二月辛卯日亥將丑時郎孝廉名燈者占會試。 郭氏占案

In the year of Dingchou, second lunar month, on the day of Xinmao, the month general is Hai (Dengming), placed on the Chou hour to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination is a candidate named Lang Deng, asking about his performance in the current imperial examination. This case is from Guo's "Divination Cases."

合朱蛇貴 卯辰巳午 虎龍貴陰 父 己丑 龍 勾寅 未后 亥丑午申 子 丁亥 虎 龍丑 申陰 丑卯申辛 兄 乙酉 玄 子亥戌酉 空虎常玄

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Chou is乘 by Qinglong, Yin is乘 by Gou Chen, Mao is乘 by Liu He, Chen is乘 by Zhuque, Si is乘 by Teng Snake, Wu is乘 by Guiren, Wei is乘 by Tianhou, Shen is乘 by Taiyin, You is乘 by Xuanwu, Xu is乘 by Taichang, Hai is乘 by Bahu, Zi is乘 by Tiankong - Guiren is on Wu. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, Day Stem Xin (with its lodging palace in Xu) has Shen on it, Shen is乘 by Taiyin; the second lesson, Shen has Wu on it, Wu is乘 by Guiren; the third lesson, Day Branch Mao has Chou on it, Chou is乘 by Qinglong; the fourth lesson, Chou has Hai on it, Hai is乘 by Bahu. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Ji Chou, representing the parents' yao,乘 by Qinglong; the middle transmission is Ding Hai, representing the children's yao,乘 by Bahu; the final transmission is Yi You, representing the brothers' yao,乘 by Xuanwu. In the year Dingchou, the heavenly stem is Chou, which is also the burial place of Xin metal, and it falls exactly on the first transmission. The three transmissions, Chou, Hai, and You, decline in reverse order, all being yin branches, so the following text refers to the pattern as "Extreme Yin."

郭御青曰：命上乘日祿，行年上乘幕貴，本為好處，嫌課名九丑，格名極陰。太歲作墓神為龍夾克，不美。果不中。

Guo Yuqing said: The native's destiny is riding on the day stem's luck god, and the year's destiny is riding on the curtain nobleman, which are both good signs; unfortunately, the name of the lesson is called 'Nine Disgraces', and the pattern is called 'Extreme Yin'. The sovereign also serves as the tomb god and is controlled by the azure dragon, which is very inauspicious. Later, he indeed failed the examination.

丁丑年二月辛卯日亥將子時歸孝廉名起光者占會試。 郭氏占案

In the year of Dingchou, second lunar month, on the day of Xinmao, the month general is Hai (Dengming), placed on the Zi hour to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination is a candidate named Guī Qǐguāng, asking about his performance in the current imperial examination. This case is from Guo's "Divination Cases."

朱蛇貴后 辰巳午未 龍勾陰玄 父 己丑 龍 合卯 申陰 丑寅申酉 子 戊子 空 勾寅 酉玄 寅卯酉辛 子 丁亥 虎 丑子亥戌 龍空虎常

A flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Chen is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, Si by the Teng Snake, Wu by the Nobleman, Wei by the Heavenly Empress, Shen by Tai Yin, You by the Black Tortoise, Xu by Tai Chang, Hai by the White Tiger, Zi by Tian Kong, Chou by the Azure Dragon, Yin by Gou Chen, and Mao by Liu He. The Nobleman is located on Wu, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Xin (located on Xu) has You, which is accompanied by the Black Tortoise; the second lesson, You has Shen, which is accompanied by Tai Yin; the third lesson, the day branch Mao has Yin, which is accompanied by Gou Chen; the fourth lesson, Yin has Chou, which is accompanied by the Azure Dragon. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Ji Chou, representing the parents' yao, accompanied by the Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is Wu Zi, representing the children's yao, accompanied by Tian Kong; the final transmission is Ding Hai, representing the children's yao, accompanied by the White Tiger. The禄神 of Xin metal is on You, which is currently suppressed by the Black Tortoise on the day stem; the three transmissions, Chou, Zi, and Hai, retreat step by step, gradually draining the energy of Xin metal.

郭御青曰：干上祿神為玄武所奪，遁得丁馬，為辛日之害，雖簾幕在宅，與日上年命俱無干，三傳盜氣，日辰夾住，欠一戌字，而為命上神補足，命上戌臨作闕隔斷，皆非吉象，後果抱屈。

Guo Yuqing said: The禄神 on the day stem was taken by the Black Tortoise; the hidden stem obtained a Ding, becoming a Ding horse, which is precisely the harmful god of the辛 day. Although the nobleman is located on the day branch, it is unrelated to the day stem, the year stem, and the native stem. The three transmissions continuously steal my energy, and are further trapped between the day stem and day branch. In the middle, only the character 戌 is missing, which is exactly filled by the native stem; however, the position of 戌 on the native stem becomes an image of "阙", indicating a blockage. These are all ominous signs. Later, he indeed suffered injustice and failed the examination.

戊申年十二月辛卯日丑將寅時葉七秀才丁卯生四十二歲占終身。 方本占案、口鑑

In the year of Wushen, during the twelfth lunar month, on the day of Xinmao, the Month General is "Chou" (Daji), placed on the Yin hour to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination is Ye Qixiu, born in the year of Dingmao, aged forty-two this year, asking about his life's fortune and misfortune. This case is recorded in the Fang Ben "Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

六陳 朱辰巳午未龍 蛇卯 申空 后貴空虎 父 己丑 后 貴寅 酉虎 丑寅申酉 子 戊子 陰 后丑子亥戌常 寅卯酉辛 子 丁亥 武 陰玄

A flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Chen is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, Si by Liu He, Wu by Gou Chen, Wei by the Azure Dragon, Shen by Tian Kong, You by the White Tiger, Xu by Tai Chang, Hai by the Black Tortoise, Zi by Tai Yin, Chou by the Heavenly Empress, Yin by the Nobleman, and Mao by the Teng Snake. The Nobleman is located on Yin, and the heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order, differing from the counterclockwise arrangement in previous lessons. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Xin (located on Xu) with You, which is accompanied by the White Tiger; the second lesson has You with Shen, which is accompanied by Tian Kong; the third lesson has the day branch Mao with Yin, which is accompanied by the Nobleman; the fourth lesson has Yin with Chou, which is accompanied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Ji Chou, representing the parent's yao accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; the second transmission is Wu Zi, representing the son's yao accompanied by Tai Yin; the third transmission is Ding Hai, representing the son's yao accompanied by the Black Tortoise (the original text reads 'Wu', which is a shortened form of the Black Tortoise). Chou is both the burial place of Xin metal and the parent's yao, and the following interpretation of the ancestral tomb will be based on this position.

邵彥和曰：你堂上所葬，乃丑加寅，艮山地也。水便陡瀉自西北上出去，庚上有一石山，其形甚丑，必主人要錢而死。你因妻起家妻財作貴之故，不是六年是七年喪妻，自此退耗。一則男女債，二乃子不成器，三有水壞田，九年大退，十三年當患氣而卒。葉母艮山坤向丑上乘天后，故主乎母，水從脅下流去西北，庚上有一山，生來皆是怪石。壬子年妻弟來家相訪因要錢入城，中途腹痛而死。甲寅年喪妻，年內賣產嫁女，長子賭錢好色，卯年大水，溪邊田盡壞。丙辰十一月疝氣而亡。

Shao Yanhe said: The grave of your ancestors is a mountain of Gen, with the branch Chou added to the branch Yin. Water flows straight down from the side of the grave and flows toward the northwest. There is a stone mountain at the position of Geng (southeast of due west), which has an ugly shape and will certainly lead to someone dying for money. You have built your family through your wife, because the wife's wealth line is riding on the nobleman. Either in the sixth or seventh year, your wife will die, and from then on, the family will decline. First, there is the debt from marriage; second, the son is not capable; third, floods have ruined the fields. In the ninth year, there will be a great retreat, and in the thirteenth year, there will be a death from a disease of the breath. Later, all these predictions came true: the grave of the Ye family's mother is a mountain facing the earth, with the branch Chou riding on the Heavenly Empress, so it refers to the mother. Water flows down from the side of the mountain toward the northwest, and indeed there is a mountain at the Geng position, which is naturally full of strange stones. In the year Renzi, the wife's younger brother came to the family as a guest, went into the city to borrow money, and died of stomach pain on the way. In the year Jiayin, the wife died, and during that year, the family sold property to marry off their daughter, and the eldest son was addicted to gambling and women. In the year Mao, there was a great flood, and all the fields by the stream were destroyed. In the year Bingchen, in November, Ye Qi died of hernia.

蓋丑土生辛金，故為母。辛以寅為妻，故因妻起家。寅艮方，丑加之，故艮山墳地。金絕於寅，故主妻死。傳見子亥，金水相生，傳見退脫，是以退也。辛以子為子，亥為女，太陰男不明，元武女多賠耗，亥四子九，四九三十六，亥為腎，元武主疝氣，金死於子，故十三年疝氣而亡。沈曰：丑為辛墓，又是父母，是以主堂上墳。然不發用，不可亂斷。水便陡瀉，自西北上出去者，子亥逆入西北，是以言陡瀉也。

The basis of the divination is: the earthy branch Chou (Ox) generates the metal Xin (Silver), so it is taken as the mother. Xin metal takes Yin wood as wife and wealth, so it is predicted that he will become prosperous through his wife. Yin is located in the direction of Gen (Mountain), and Chou is placed above Yin, so the grave site is considered to be a Gen mountain. Metal is in decline at Yin, so it indicates the wife's death. In the three transmissions, the presence of Zi (Rat) and Hai (Pig) indicates a mutual generation of metal and water, showing a continuous retreat and depletion, so the family's fortune will decline. Xin metal takes Zi water as son and Hai water as daughter; Zi is covered by Tai Yin, indicating the son will not achieve success, while Hai is covered by Xuan Wu, indicating the daughter will spend heavily. Hai corresponds to the number four, and Zi corresponds to nine; multiplying four by nine gives thirty-six, which is used to calculate the time of the event. Hai governs the kidney, Xuan Wu governs hernia, and metal is in decline at Zi, so it is predicted that he will die from hernia in the thirteenth year. Shen氏 says: Chou is the tomb of Xin metal and also the parent's yao, so it indicates the grave of the ancestors in the family; however, since it does not initiate the transmission, it should not be misinterpreted. The phrase 'water rushes steeply and flows from the northwest' is because Zi and Hai, when reversed, fall exactly in the northwest direction, indicating a steep and rapid flow.

庚辰年三月辛卯日戌時傅姓者占六甲。 指南

On the Xinmao day of the Gengchen year in the third lunar month, the class was cast at the Xu hour. The person asking the question is surnamed Fu, and the query concerns pregnancy and childbirth. In the Six壬 system, the subject of pregnancy and childbirth is referred to as "Liujia." This case is from the "Liujin Zhi Nan." Observing the lesson diagram, the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate are completely overlapping, indicating that the Month General at that time was also Xu. Since the Month General coincides with the time of casting the class, it forms a Hidden Chant situation.

勾青 六巳午未申空 蛇蛇常常 財 辛卯 蛇 朱辰 酉虎 卯卯戌戌 子 戊子 陰 蛇卯 戌常 卯卯戌辛 財 辛卯 蛇 貴寅丑子亥玄 后陰

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals:巳 is occupied by Liu He,午 by Gou Chen,未 by Azure Dragon,申 by Tian Kong,酉 by White Tiger,戌 by Tai Chang,亥 by Black Tortoise,子 by Tai Yin,丑 by Heavenly Empress,寅 by Nobleman,卯 by Teng Snake,辰 by Vermilion Bird. The Nobleman is located on寅, and the heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem辛 (which is in戌), shows戌, which is occupied by Tai Chang; the second lesson, on戌, still shows戌, still occupied by Tai Chang; the third lesson, on the day branch卯, shows卯, which is occupied by Teng Snake; the fourth lesson, on卯, still shows卯, still occupied by Teng Snake. The heaven plate and earth plate are completely overlapping, forming a Hidden Chant lesson. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Xinmao, which is the wife's wealth hexagram occupied by Teng Snake, the middle transmission is戊子, which is the son's hexagram occupied by Tai Yin, and the final transmission is again Xinmao, the wife's wealth hexagram occupied by Teng Snake. In a Hidden Chant lesson on a yin day, the transmission starts with the god on the day branch, then follows the principle of mutual punishment to determine the middle and final transmissions.卯 is punished by子, and子 is punished by卯, so the three transmissions are卯,子,卯. The戌 on the day stem is Hekui, and the overlapping卯 on the day branch is the fetal god. The following interpretation of twin male children comes from here.

陳公獻曰：此必雙胎，皆男子也，主八月戌日辰時生，母子清吉。何以知為雙胎？以月建重疊，作胎神乘旺氣故也（此必二月建，以金胎在卯故也）。何以知為兩男？卯屬震為長男，日上河魁，乾宮所屬，亦男也。何以知八月生，酉沖卯胎，戌日辰時者，戌為養神，俟辰來沖干上戌也。占男女，以干上之支所寄之卦之陰陽斷之，非以支之陰陽為斷也。

Chen Gongxian said: This must be twins, both boys, born on the day of Xu in the morning hour of Chen in the eighth month, with mother and child safe. How do we know they are twins? Because the month builder overlaps and acts as the fetal god, riding on the strong energy (this must be the month builder of the second month, because the nurturing position of metal is on Mao). How do we know they are two boys? Mao belongs to the trigram Zhen, which represents the eldest son; the day stem's Xu is Hekui, belonging to the Qian palace, which also governs males. How do we know they were born in the eighth month? Because You can stir up Mao, the fetal god. How do we know it was on the day of Xu in the morning hour of Chen? Because Xu is the nurturing god, and we need to wait for Chen to stir up the Xu on the day stem, so that the fetal energy can be activated. When predicting the gender of a child, one should look at the trigram associated with the branch on the day stem to determine if it is yin or yang, rather than just looking at the yin or yang of the branch itself.

建火庚戌年六月壬辰日午將巳時葉解元丁丑生三十四歲占病。 方本占案

On the day of Renchen in the sixth month of the year Gengxu, the month general is Wu (Shengguang), placed on the hour of Si to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination is Ye, a top scholar, born in the year Dingchou, thirty-four years old, inquiring about his own illness. This case is from Fang Ben's "Divination Cases."

朱六 蛇午未申酉陳 貴巳 戌龍 蛇貴常虎 鬼 己丑 常 后辰 亥空 午巳丑子 子 庚寅 玄 陰卯寅丑子虎 巳辰子壬 子 辛卯 陰 玄常

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Wu is accompanied by Teng Snake, Wei by Vermilion Bird, Shen by Liu He, You by Gou Chen, Xu by Azure Dragon, Hai by Tian Kong, Zi by White Tiger, Chou by Tai Chang, Yin by Black Tortoise, Mao by Tai Yin, Chen by Heavenly Empress, and Si by Nobleman. The Nobleman is located on Si, and the heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Ren (with its lodging palace at Hai), shows Zi, which is accompanied by White Tiger; the second lesson, on Zi, shows Chou, which is accompanied by Tai Chang; the third lesson, on the day branch Chen, shows Si, which is accompanied by Nobleman; the fourth lesson, on Si, shows Wu, which is accompanied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Jiachou, an official ghost line accompanied by Tai Chang, the middle transmission is Gengyin, a son line accompanied by Black Tortoise, and the final transmission is Xinmao, a son line accompanied by Tai Yin. The day Renchen falls in the Jiashen decade, with the void in Wu and Wei. The three transmissions, Chou, Yin, and Mao, proceed in a continuous sequence, which is referred to as 'a continuous advancing sequence' in the text.

邵彥和曰：此課本身雖堅固，不合傳進迤邐脫氣，子與丑合作常，因與人相會飲酒食，而喜樂太過，遂惑風邪。今已七八分了，以行年退一步而就祿，壬水又旺，玄又同途，水既太盛，雖生木不為害，但只補元氣，其風自退。宅上見絕神，三傳丑寅卯，若非行年退卻一步，定見進脫，不可療矣。

Shao Yanhe said: The original energy of this divination is still strong, but the three transmissions proceed forward step by step, gradually draining the energy of the day stem. Zi and Chou combine, with Chou receiving Tai Chang, which governs feasting and drinking. Therefore, the illness arises from excessive revelry and eating with others, thus inviting wind pathogen. The illness is now recovering about seven or eight parts, because the year stem has retreated one step and is now on its own luck position, with Ren water being strong and Xuanwu accompanying it. Although water is too strong, it does not become harmful even if it generates wood. As long as the original energy is replenished, the wind pathogen will naturally retreat. The day branch shows the绝神, and the three transmissions proceed through Chou, Yin, and Mao. If the year stem had not retreated this step, it would have formed an "advancing loss" situation, which would be incurable.

大凡壬日行丑寅卯，迄邐進脫，支上又見絕神，必不可治，不問老少皆以死論。惟此課行年在後一位，引退就祿。雖然進其實就退，只不合初傳本命來與子合，太常為燕樂神，過餘遂使風邪入內，以致生病。然喜時令在秋，壬癸水秋生，得亥子相併旺相，必不至死。主今冬得子。若是來年正月節生必貴子。內有暗貴人故也。目下主服，初丑破碎作常是以主之。

In general, if on a day of the Jia water stem, the three transmissions progress through the Chou, Yin, and Mao branches, each step advancing but eventually losing strength, and if the day branch also shows the绝 (cut-off) god, it is certainly not curable, regardless of age. Only in this case, the year of birth falls on the next branch, which is like leading the body back, retreating to the禄 (favorable position). It seems like progress, but in reality it is retreat. Fortunately, the first transmission is exactly the person's own stem, which combines with the Zi (water) stem, and the Tai Chang (god of music and entertainment) is the god of joy. Excessive joy allows evil winds to enter the body, causing illness. Fortunately, the season is autumn, and the Jia and Yi water stems gain strength from the autumn metal. There are also the Hai and Zi branches in the旺相 (prosperous and strong) positions, so death is not certain. This indicates that a son will be born this winter. If born after the beginning of the next year's lunar January, it will certainly be a noble son, as the lesson contains an hidden nobleman. Currently, there is also an indication of mourning for a parent. The first transmission, Chou, carries the Broken Fragments evil star and is accompanied by Tai Chang, so this is the conclusion.

十月壬辰日寅將戌時占逃亡。 精蘊

On the Renchen day in the tenth month, using 'Yin' (Gongcao) as the Month General, the calculation starts at the 'Xu' hour. The divination is about a person who has fled. This case is from the "Six Nines Essence."

勾龍空虎 酉戌亥子 虎合朱陰 鬼 ◎未 朱 合申 丑常 子申未卯 兄 丁亥 空 朱未 寅玄 申辰卯壬 子 辛卯 陰 午巳辰卯 蛇貴后陰

Flat lesson pattern chart. The outer circle consists of twelve branches with their respective heavenly generals: Si (Snake) is accompanied by the Nobleman, Wu (Dragon) by the Teng Snake, Wei (Earth) by the Vermilion Bird, Shen (Monkey) by the Liu He, You (Rooster) by the Gou Chen, Xu (Dog) by the Azure Dragon, Hai (Pig) by the Tian Kong, Zi (Rat) by the White Tiger, Chou (Ox) by the Tai Chang, Yin (Tiger) by the Black Tortoise, Mao (Rabbit) by the Tai Yin, and Chen (Dragon) by the Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is located on Si, and the heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Ren (with its lodging palace at Hai), shows Mao (Rabbit) accompanied by the Tai Yin; the second lesson, on Mao, shows Wei (Earth) accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; the third lesson, on the day branch Chen, shows Shen (Monkey) accompanied by the Liu He; the fourth lesson, on Shen, shows Zi (Rat) accompanied by the White Tiger. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wei (Earth), representing the official ghost爻 accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, with the symbol "◎" indicating an empty position in the ten-day cycle; the middle transmission is Ding Hai, representing the brother爻 accompanied by the Tian Kong; the final transmission is Xin Mao, representing the grandson爻 accompanied by the Tai Yin. On the day of Ren Chen, it belongs to the Jiashen ten-day cycle, with the positions of Wu (Dragon) and Wei (Earth) being empty, so an empty mark is added on Wei. The three transmissions, Wei, Hai, and Mao, are in reverse order of the triple harmony of Hai, Mao, and Wei, forming a wooden trinity.

斷曰：小吉加卯為用，主門戶動搖。將得朱雀，主為詞訟交加，文書口舌。中見登明，將得天空，必因欺詐而逃。甲申旬以午未為孤虛，逃亡終不可獲。末見太沖，得太陰，復臨日上，辰上見傳送，將得六合，為天門，冬日占，太陰臨生門，逃亡必遠去也。

The interpretation states: Xiao Ji (Wei) is placed on Mao and initiates the transmission, indicating instability and unrest in the household. Above it is the Vermilion Bird, suggesting lawsuits and being entangled in legal matters and verbal disputes. The middle transmission shows Dengming (Hai), riding on Tian Kong, indicating that the person must have fled due to fraud and deception. On Renchen day, which belongs to the Jiashen decade, the positions of Wu and Wei are isolated and weak, so the fugitive will never be captured. The final transmission shows Taichong (Mao), riding on Tai Yin, and it turns back to be on the day stem. The day branch, Chen, has Chuansong (Shen) riding on Liu He, which is the heavenly gate. It is also winter, and Tai Yin is on the gate of life, indicating that the fugitive has definitely fled far away.

崇正庚辰年十一月十五壬辰日申時占孟津。 課經集

In the Gengchen year of the Chongzheng era, on the 15th day of the 11th lunar month, on the Renchen day, the divination was cast at the Shen hour. The question was about returning to one's hometown in Mengjin. This case is from the "Ke Jing Ji." The original text only records the time of the divination but does not specify the month general; the month general for the 11th lunar month is Chou (Daji). By placing Chou on the Shen hour, the resulting lesson pattern matches exactly with the one recorded in the text.

龍空虎常 戌亥子丑 玄勾勾后 子 庚寅 玄 勾酉 寅玄 寅酉酉辰 鬼 ◎未 朱 合申 卯陰 酉辰辰壬 兄 戊子 虎 未午巳辰 朱蛇貴後

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals:巳 is occupied by the Nobleman,午 by the Teng Snake,未 by the Vermilion Bird,申 by Liu He,酉 by Gou Chen,戌 by the Azure Dragon,亥 by Tian Kong,子 by the White Tiger,丑 by Tai Chang,寅 by the Black Tortoise,卯 by Tai Yin,辰 by the Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is located on巳, and the heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren (which resides on亥) is accompanied by辰, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress; the second lesson, on辰 is酉, which is occupied by Gou Chen; the third lesson, on the day branch辰 is酉, which is occupied by Gou Chen; the fourth lesson, on酉 is寅, which is occupied by the Black Tortoise. The day branch辰 is directly placed on the day stem, with辰 earth overcoming Ren water, and辰 is also the burial place of Ren water, which is referred to later as "branch adds to stem, overcomes stem, and buries stem." The three transmissions: the first transmission is Gengyin, which is the son爻 occupied by the Black Tortoise; the second transmission is未, which is the official ghost爻 occupied by the Vermilion Bird and is in the旬空; the third transmission is Wuzi, which is the brother爻 occupied by the White Tiger.

郭御青曰：揆臺王公覺斯，北都至懷慶，擬次日渡河。回原籍孟津。餘占得此課，支加干，克干，墓干，卑凌尊，下犯上，為上門亂首，大凶之象，餘痛止之。王公云：二人在堂，急欲往省。餘勸以迎至河北，王公尚猶豫。次早，夫馬駢集署門，餘授書又止之，公始聽餘言不行，迎其椿萱至覃懷，不十數日，而遭內艱，又春正念一日，賊陷洛陽，危哉，設王公至家，即遇太夫人之變，將奈何也？

Guo Yuqing said: The minister Wang Juesi (Wang Duo, from Mengjin) from the cabinet was traveling from Beijing to Huaiqing, planning to cross the Yellow River the next day to return to his hometown of Mengjin. I divined for him and found that the day branch added to the day stem both overcame the day stem and was its墓 (burial place), which signifies a situation where the inferior rises above the superior and the lower position offends the upper position, called "shang men luan shou," which is a major凶 (auspicious) omen. I strongly advised him against it. The minister said that his parents were still alive and he urgently needed to return to visit them. I advised him to bring his parents to the north of the Yellow River, but he was still hesitant. The next morning, his carriage, attendants, and servants had already gathered at the official gate. I then handed him another letter and strongly advised him again, and the minister finally listened to my advice and did not leave, instead bringing his parents to Tanhuai (Huaiqing). Less than ten days later, he suffered the loss of his mother; by the twenty-first day of the first lunar month, bandits attacked Luoyang. How dangerous it was! If the minister had returned home that day and coincidentally met the death of his mother, what would have happened?

甲申年秋壬辰日巳將子時陳殿元占謫官衢州。 方本占案、一針見血

In the year of Jiashen autumn, on the day of Renchen, using the trigram Si (Taiyi) as the Month General, the calculation starts at the Zi hour. The person seeking the divination is Chen, a top-ranking scholar, inquiring about his appointment to an official post in Quzhou after being demoted. This case is recorded in the Fang Ben "Zhan An" and "Yi Zhen Jian Xue."

陳六 龍戌亥子丑朱 空酉 寅蛇 蛇空空后 子 庚寅 蛇 虎申 卯貴 寅酉酉辰 鬼 空未 常 常未午巳辰后 酉辰辰壬 兄 戊子 六 玄陰

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals:卯 is乘 by the Nobleman,寅 is乘 by the Teng Snake,丑 is乘 by the Vermilion Bird,子 is乘 by Liu He,亥 is乘 by Gou Chen,戌 is乘 by the Azure Dragon,酉 is乘 by Tian Kong,申 is乘 by the White Tiger,未 is乘 by Tai Chang,午 is乘 by the Black Tortoise,巳 is乘 by Tai Yin, and辰 is乘 by the Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is located on卯, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Ren (which resides on Hai) with辰, which is乘 by the Heavenly Empress; the second lesson has辰 with酉, which is乘 by Tian Kong; the third lesson has the day branch辰 with酉, which is乘 by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson has酉 with寅, which is乘 by the Teng Snake. The earthly spirits of the four lessons are the same as in the previous case, but the heavenly generals they are乘 by are different. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Gengyin, which is the son爻乘 by the Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Wei, which is the official ghost爻乘 by Tai Chang and is in the旬空; the final transmission is Wuzi, which is the brother爻乘 by Liu He.

邵彥和曰：寅作蛇加酉為用，蛇入雞穴而破腸，未加寅為中傳，是鬼宿入鬼門，子加未作末傳乘六合，是勢害也。那又辰加壬作天后，刑勝德，此課三不吉。內有天后乘喜為恩神，雖帶恩動而過多，加官不起，後謫官編官柳州而死。經曰：魁罡若向日辰遊，貶出天涯地角頭，此之謂也。陳殿元后果編官柳州而死。

Shao Yanhe said: When Yin is multiplied by Teng Snake and initiates the transmission on You, it is called "the snake enters the chicken's nest and breaks the intestines"; when Wei is placed on Yin as the middle transmission, it indicates the ghost mansion entering the ghost gate; when Zi is placed on Wei as the final transmission and multiplied by Liu He, it is the image of "powerful harm." Furthermore, when Chen is placed on Ren and multiplied by Heavenly Empress, it indicates punishment exceeding virtue. This divination has three unfavorable aspects. Although there is Heavenly Empress multiplying the joyful god to act as a benevolent deity, the benevolence is present but excessive, so official status cannot be attained. Later, he was indeed demoted and exiled to Liuzhou where he died. The classic says: If the魁罡 moves towards the day branch, one will be exiled to the farthest corners of the world, which exactly describes this situation. Chen Dianyuan later indeed died in exile to Liuzhou.

戊申年十一月壬辰日寅將未時徐通判戊午生（生於二月初二日未時）五十一歲占赴任及前程。 方本占案 口鑑作丑將午時錯

On the Renchen day of the Wu Shen year in the 11th lunar month, using 'Yin' (Gongcao) as the month general, the calculation starts at the 'Wei' hour. The person seeking the divination is Xu Tongpan, born in the Wu Wu year (on the second day of the second lunar month at the 'Wei' hour), who is fifty-one years old. He is asking about his appointment to office and future prospects. This case is recorded in Fang Ben's "Zhan An"; "Kou Jian" mistakenly records it as 'Chou' general at the 'Wu' hour.

陳六 龍子丑寅卯朱 空亥 辰蛇 后空陳後 財 空午 后 虎戌 巳貴 午亥丑午 鬼 己丑 陳 常酉申未午后 亥辰午壬 父 甲申 玄 玄陰

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals:巳 is occupied by the Nobleman, 辰 by the Teng Snake, 卯 by the Vermilion Bird, 寅 by the Liu He, 丑 by the Gou Chen, 子 by the Azure Dragon, 亥 by the Tian Kong, 戌 by the White Tiger, 酉 by the Tai Chang, 申 by the Black Tortoise, 未 by the Tai Yin, and 午 by the Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is located on巳, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren (which resides on亥) has 午, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress; the second lesson, 午 has 丑, which is occupied by the Gou Chen; the third lesson, the day branch Chen has 亥, which is occupied by the Tian Kong; the fourth lesson, 亥 has 午, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 午, representing the wife's wealth爻, occupied by the Heavenly Empress and falling into the旬空; the middle transmission is 己丑, representing the official ghost爻, occupied by the Gou Chen; the final transmission is 甲申, representing the parents爻, occupied by the Black Tortoise. On the day of Renchen, it belongs to the Jiashen旬, with 午 and 未 falling into the旬空, so a mark of "空" is placed on 午. The following analysis of the servant harming the master is based on the Tian Kong being on the dwelling, the Heavenly Empress indicating licentiousness, and the ghost 丑 being placed on the wealth 午.

邵彥和曰：課名亂首，日後因到官中取財，為僕所持，妻被僕姦淫，本身則死於僕手。其父墓玄武不垂頭，拒尸之故。若速移此墳，可保佑性命，否則戊午年必見凶也。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson is called "Disorder at the Beginning." In the future, you will be caught accepting bribes while in office, and your servant will have evidence against you. Your wife will be violated by your servant, and you yourself will die in the hands of your servant. The root of the disaster lies in the part of your father's tomb where the Black Tortoise is located, which refuses to bow down, forming the image of "Rejecting the Corpse." If you can quickly move this tomb, you may still preserve your life; otherwise, by the Wuwu year, you will certainly meet misfortune.

徐辛亥赴任，權州事，有一婦人打死一婢，徐得二千貫，從輕發落，後新知州怪其用度過多，遂與不足，而徐有僕童吉，常持二十千以挾其主，遂奸其妻，夫知竟不敢明責。乙卯升池州，不帶此僕去，僕每恨之，戊午僕來池州，僕持刃刺徐於門。

Later events showed that Xu took office in the Xinhai year, acting as acting governor of the state. A woman killed a servant girl, and Xu accepted two thousand guan of money and dealt with the case leniently. Later, the new governor governor was jealous of his extravagant spending and stopped giving him full allowance. Xu had a servant named Tong Ji, who often used the matter of the two thousand guan to threaten his master and eventually raped his wife. Xu knew about it but dared not openly accuse him. In the Yimao year, Xu was transferred to Chizhou and did not take the servant with him, and the servant harbored resentment. In the Wuwu year, the servant followed him to Chizhou and killed Xu with a knife at the gate.

蓋其父墓坎山，元武七十餘丈，葬在六十丈，前面又有十餘丈，果不垂頭。亥加辰，乃自取亂首。天空僕犯主也。午為財，丑為鬼，丑鬼加午財上，故在任受財，午到亥，六陰終始，僕*其妻，壬乘午之故也。天后在上，主淫亂，壬以申為父，加丑是父墓，玄武長生而不垂頭為拒尸。午亥俱自刑，故僕傷，下犯上，亂首也。

The basis for the deduction is that his father's tomb is on a mountain of water, and the Black Tortoise section is over seventy feet long, but the tomb was placed at sixty feet, leaving more than ten feet in front, which indeed shows 'not hanging down'. The亥 is added on the辰, which is self-inflicted confusion. The Tian Kong is present at the position, indicating servants offending the master. The午 represents wife's wealth, and the丑 represents official ghosts; the official ghost is placed on top of the wife's wealth, so he will be involved in corruption while in office. Counting from午 to亥, there are six yin positions connected at the ends, and the servant has committed a disgrace against his wife (the original text is missing one character, replaced by a symbol). This is because the壬 water is riding on the午. The Heavenly Empress is in the upper position, indicating disorder. The壬 uses the申 metal as its parents, and the申 is placed on the丑, which is exactly the parents' storage place; the Black Tortoise is in the growth position but refuses to hang down, which is 'rejecting the corpse'. The午 and午, the亥 and亥 are all self-punishment, so it indicates being harmed by the servant; the lower position offending the upper position is exactly the sign of confusion.

十二月壬辰日子將巳時某占因二人力打死一人，解官。 方本占案

In the twelfth lunar month on a Renchen day, using 'Zi' (Shenhou) as the Month General, the lesson is cast starting from the 'Si' hour. A person is divining about an incident where two people together killed someone, and the person is now being sent to the authorities. This case is recorded in the Fang Ben "Zhan An."

陳六 龍子丑寅卯朱 空亥 辰蛇 后空陳後 財 空午 后 虎戌 巳貴 午亥丑午 鬼 己丑 陳 常酉申未午后 亥辰午壬 父 甲申 玄 玄陰

The lesson pattern is exactly the same as the previous case: with the寅 (Yin) general at the未 (Wei) hour and the子 (Zi) general at the巳 (Si) hour, the Heaven Plate moves forward seven positions from the Earth Plate, so the four lessons and three transmissions are identical. Outer circle:巳 (Si) is occupied by the Nobleman,辰 (Chen) by the Teng Snake,卯 (Mao) by the Vermilion Bird,寅 (Yin) by the Liu He,丑 (Chou) by the Gou Chen,子 (Zi) by the Azure Dragon,亥 (Hai) by the Tian Kong,戌 (Xu) by the White Tiger,酉 (You) by the Tai Chang,申 (Shen) by the Black Tortoise,未 (Wei) by the Tai Yin, and午 (Wu) by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, moving from right to left: the day stem Ren (located at Hai) has Wu occupied by the Heavenly Empress; Wu has Chou occupied by the Gou Chen; the day branch Chen has Hai occupied by the Tian Kong; and Hai has Wu occupied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wu, representing the wife's wealth爻, occupied by the Heavenly Empress and in the旬空 (decade void); the middle transmission is Ji Chou, representing the official ghost爻, occupied by the Gou Chen; the final transmission is Jiashen, representing the parents爻, occupied by the Black Tortoise. The Tian Kong is placed on the residence position, which serves as the basis for the conclusion that there is a widowed mother in the family; Wu represents the eyes and is overcome by Hai, which serves as the basis for the conclusion that a daughter suffers eye damage.

邵彥和曰：此課凶，然今次卻免難。六年後俱惡死矣。宅上有寡母，乃天空加宅也。又須有一女損目，午為目，被亥克也。天后為用，後遇恩赦免矣。果蒙恩赦而免死編管。六年上二人復打死人，一人自縊，一人刑死，蓋申金入墓也。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson is ominous, but this time they will be spared from disaster. After six years, both of them will die violently. There is an elderly mother-in-law in the family, because Tian Kong is on the house position. There should also be a daughter with eye damage, as Wu (the hour of the eye) is being overcome by Hai water. Tian Hou initiates the transmission, and later they will encounter imperial clemency and be pardoned. Indeed, they were granted mercy and sentenced to be placed under control instead of executed. In the sixth year, these two people killed someone, one committed suicide by hanging, and the other was executed—this is exactly the fulfillment of Shen metal entering its tomb.

三月壬辰日酉將寅時占殺傷二人能遇赦否。 方本占案

In the third month on a Renchen day, using 'You' (Congkui) as the Month General, the course is cast starting from the 'Yin' hour. The question is whether two people who have been beaten to death or injured can encounter a pardon. This case is from Fang Ben's "Cases of Divination."

合朱蛇貴 子丑寅卯 玄勾朱玄 財 ◎午 玄 勾亥 辰后 午亥丑午 鬼 己丑 朱 龍戌 巳陰 亥辰午壬 父 甲申 虎 酉申未午 空虎常玄

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals:卯 is occupied by the Nobleman,寅 by the Teng Snake,丑 by the Vermilion Bird,子 by Liu He,亥 by Gou Chen,戌 by the Azure Dragon,酉 by Tian Kong,申 by the White Tiger,未 by Tai Chang,午 by the Black Tortoise,巳 by Tai Yin, and辰 by the Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is located on卯, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren (residing in亥) has午, which is occupied by the Black Tortoise; the second lesson,午 has丑, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the third lesson, the day branch辰 has亥, which is occupied by Gou Chen; the fourth lesson,亥 has午, which is occupied by the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions: the first transmission is午, representing the wife's wealth爻, occupied by the Black Tortoise, marked with「◎」indicating it is in the empty旬; the middle transmission is Jichou, representing the official ghost爻, occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is Jiashen, representing the parents爻, occupied by the White Tiger. The day branch辰 is the Tiangang, also the storage for Ren water; the final transmission申, which is originally the place of birth for Ren water, is occupied by the White Tiger and thus falls into storage, indicating ominous signs are revealed here.

邵彥和曰：此課大凶，蓋自取亂首也。日加辰作勾，上下交克。午作玄武為用，亦是交克，日辰上皆是自刑。宅上勾陳即是天罡。天罡是鬼，既是死奇又是日墓。末傳申是長生，又作虎入墓，其凶不可言，安能遇赦也？後果取決。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson is extremely ominous, representing a situation where one brings disorder upon oneself. The day stem (Ren) is located in the亥 lodgment palace and is placed on the day branch Chen, then multiplied by Gou Chen. The upper and lower parts mutually control and attack each other. The Wu is multiplied by White Tiger and initiates the transmission, which is also a mutual control. The upper gods at both the day stem and day branch also suffer from self-punishment. The Gou Chen on the house is exactly on Tiangang Chen, which is the official ghost of Ren. It is both a dead oddity and the storage place of the day stem. The final transmission Shen, which originally is the growth of Ren water, is instead multiplied by White Tiger and enters the storage, resulting in an ominous situation that is hard to describe. How could there be any pardon? Later, he was indeed executed.

乾隆甲戌年七月壬辰日巳時申時占成合事。 牧夫占驗

In the Jiaxu year of the Qianlong era, during the seventh lunar month, a divination was cast starting from the Renchen day to inquire about the possibility of successfully arranging a match. The original text writes "Si hour and Shen hour." According to the lesson pattern as recorded, it is determined that "Si" (Taiyi) serves as the Month General, placed upon the Shen hour. This case is from Wang Mufu's "Zhanyan."

蛇貴后陰 寅卯辰巳 龍朱陰虎 財 癸巳 陰 朱丑 午玄 戌丑巳申 子 庚寅 蛇 合子 未常 丑辰申壬 兄 丁亥 勾 亥戌酉申 勾龍空虎

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve branches with their respective heavenly generals:卯 is occupied by the Nobleman, 辰 by the Heavenly Empress, 巳 by Tai Yin, 午 by the Black Tortoise, 未 by Tai Chang, 申 by the White Tiger, 酉 by Tian Kong, 戌 by the Azure Dragon, 亥 by Gou Chen, 子 by Liu He, 丑 by the Vermilion Bird, 寅 by Teng Snake. The Nobleman is located on 卯, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren (with its lodging palace in Hai) has 申, which is occupied by the White Tiger; the second lesson, 申 has 巳, which is occupied by Tai Yin; the third lesson, the day branch Chen has 丑, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson, 丑 has 戌, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Guisi, which is the wife's wealth hexagram occupied by Tai Yin; the middle transmission is Gengyin, which is the son's hexagram occupied by Teng Snake; the final transmission is Dinghai, which is the brother's hexagram occupied by Gou Chen. The three transmissions 巳, 寅, and 亥 are each successively retreated; the wife's wealth 巳 is also located in the three punishments. The term 'closed mouth' mentioned later refers precisely to this position.

王牧夫曰：占成合事，而財作閉口為用，雖三傳遞生，有人推薦，奈不能明言，況支辰純土，閉塞不通，多有阻隔，事無益矣。據餘看此數，今年宅中，尊長與妻宮，暨卑幼，皆有災咎，何也？干上長生，父母也。帶白虎凶殺，而支上又值歲刑，巳妻財又坐三刑中為閉口，閉口主凶兆。蛇為小兒，亦在刑內，支上為卑幼。種種不吉見於體用。況太歲在支陰刑沖而日支為墓鬼，家運如此，年境如此，豈能望事成合乎？尤防口舌爭競也。丑乘朱雀，為歲刑剋干，故主口舌，是年果見口舌死亡也。

Wang Mufu said: The divination shows that the matter is formed, but the wealth hexagram is acting as "closed mouth"; although the three transmissions are successively generating each other, it indicates that someone is recommending it, but he is unable to express himself clearly. Moreover, the day branch is entirely made up of earth, which is obstructed and unsmooth, leading to many obstacles, so there is no hope for this matter. In my opinion, this year's fate: the respected elders, wife, and younger members of the family all have misfortunes. Why? The day stem is the long life god, representing the parents, but it is accompanied by the White Tiger, a凶煞; the day branch is also suffering from the annual punishment; the巳 is the wife's wealth, but it is located in the three punishments and thus becomes "closed mouth," which itself indicates a凶兆. The Teng Snake represents the child, and it is also in the punishment, while the day branch originally represents the younger members. All these inauspicious signs are evident in the lesson pattern and the initiating transmission. Moreover, the sovereign year is in the hidden place of the branch and is punished and clashed with, and the day branch is also the tomb ghost of the day stem. The family's fate is like this, and the current year is also like this, so where can we expect the matter to succeed? Especially beware of disputes and quarrels. The丑 is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird, which is both the annual punishment and attacks the day stem, so it indicates disputes. Indeed, this year there was a fatal incident caused by disputes.

此課之凶，在於鬼臨三四，且並歲刑太歲也。夫太歲為家長，既遭丑刑，自是不利。若曰：長生帶白虎，主父母不利。彼指掌賦曰：時雖惡，生我則其喜終至。注云：虎勾生我，其力尤雄。此又何以稱耶？況諸家壬癸日，晝貴成用巳，獨牧夫先生晝貴則用卯。若依諸家用巳貴，則申又不乘白虎凶神矣。

The danger in this lesson lies in the official ghost being present in the third and fourth lessons, along with the annual punishment and the year's ruler. The year's ruler represents the head of the family; since it is being attacked by Chou, it is naturally unfavorable. As for the statement "longevity accompanied by the white tiger indicates disadvantage to parents," the "Zhi Zhang Fu" says that although the time deity is evil, if it generates me, happiness will eventually come. The commentary also states that if the white tiger or Gou Chen generate me, the effect is especially strong. So how should we interpret this situation here? Moreover, different schools use the day's nobleman differently; for days of Ren and Gui, the daytime nobleman is taken as Si, but Master Mufu takes it as Mao. If we follow the method of taking Si as the nobleman, then the position of Shen would not be occupied by the white tiger, an Inauspicious Spirit.

淮西安豐軍霍邱孫池信卿仕於錢塘，久不得歸，一日往苗太監姪孫苗叔芳處問宅，壬辰日亥將丑時。

Huai'an Xinfeng Army Huoqiu person Sun Chi, style name Xinying, served as an official in Qiandang and had not returned to his hometown for a long time. One day he went to visit Cao Taichen's nephew Cao Shufang to inquire about the fortune of his family residence. The date was Renchen, with Hai (Dengming) as the Month General, placed on the Chou hour to cast the divination.

貴后陰玄 卯辰巳午 合蛇常空 子 庚寅 蛇 蛇寅 未常 子寅未酉 兄 戊子 合 朱丑 申虎 寅辰酉壬 鬼 丙戌 龍 子亥戌酉 合勾龍空

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals:卯 is occupied by the Nobleman, 辰 by the Heavenly Empress, 巳 by Tai Yin, 午 by the Black Tortoise, 未 by Tai Chang, 申 by the White Tiger, 酉 by Tian Kong, 戌 by the Azure Dragon, 亥 by Gou Chen, 子 by Liu He, 丑 by the Vermilion Bird, 寅 by Teng Snake. The Nobleman is located on 卯, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren (which resides in Hai) has 酉, which is occupied by Tian Kong; the second lesson, 酉 has 未, which is occupied by Tai Chang; the third lesson, the day branch 辰 has 寅, which is occupied by Teng Snake; the fourth lesson, 寅 has 子, which is occupied by Liu He. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Gengyin, which is the son爻 occupied by Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Wuzi, which is the brother爻 occupied by Liu He; the final transmission is Bingxu, which is the official ghost爻 occupied by the Azure Dragon. The day stem Ren belongs to water, and water is also present in the four lessons with 子, which serves as the basis for the statement that there is water surrounding the house; 寅 is the long life position of fire, and Teng Snake is placed on it and added to the house, which serves as the basis for the statement that there is a fire hazard.

苗叔芳曰：此宅團轉水繞，蓋壬辰水日，四課又見子水也。寅為火之長生，克宅為用。又乘騰蛇，主再三回火發於宅，幸得水多有救，但中末傳龍虎迴環艮方（愚按，此處又當是用巳貴），主有雷傷墳墓及驚損老者，宅眷卻無恙，旦夕必有信至，半月後果有一僕自安豐來，詰問仔細，竟如叔芳所言。

Miao Shufang said: This house is surrounded by water on all sides, because Renchen is a day of water, and the Four Lessons also contain the water of Zi. Yin is the position of birth for fire, which overcomes the house and initiates the transmission, and it is accompanied by Teng Snake, indicating that there will be repeated fires in the house. Fortunately, there is a lot of water, so there is still a chance of salvation. However, the Middle Transmission and Final Transmission have Qinglong and Baihu circling around Gen direction (the commentator notes: here it should also be using Si as the Nobleman), indicating there will be lightning striking the tomb and causing alarm and injury to the elderly in the family. The family members inside the house are however unharmed. There will certainly be news coming in soon. After half a month, indeed a servant came from Anfeng, and upon careful inquiry, it turned out to be exactly as Miao Shufang had predicted.

龍虎迴環艮方，何以主雷？況龍虎實不迴環艮方乎？鄙見必是寅為雷公殺，乘騰蛇加宅克宅，陰神又見六合故主雷驚。辰為日之墓庫，凡四季土，皆為老人，故曰：雷傷墓及驚損老者也。

The statement "The Azure Dragon and White Tiger circle around the Mountain (Geng) direction" is used to conclude there will be thunder. But how can it be known that the Azure Dragon and White Tiger actually circle around the Mountain direction? In my opinion, it must be because the寅 (Yin) is the Thunder God's evil spirit, and when the Teng Snake is added to the house and attacks it, its hidden spirit meets the Liu He, thus causing thunder alarm. The辰 (Chen) is the burial place of the Day Stem. All the earth of the four seasons, namely Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, represent the elderly. Therefore, it is said "thunder strikes the tomb, causing alarm and harm to the elderly."

辛巳年六月壬辰日午將申時喬繼遷翁壬辰生五十歲占楚匣可得否？ 牧夫占驗

In the year Xinsi, sixth lunar month, on the day Renchen, using "wu" (Shengguang) as the Month General, the lesson is cast starting from the hour Shen. The person asking the question is Qiao Jiqian, born in the year Renchen, fifty years old this year, inquiring whether he can obtain the post of "xiang" in the state of Chu. This case is from Wang Mufu's "Zhanyan."

貴后陰玄 卯辰巳午 合蛇常空 子 庚寅 蛇 蛇寅 未常 子寅未酉 兄 戊子 合 朱丑 申虎 寅辰酉壬 鬼 丙戌 龍 子亥戌酉 合勾龍空

The lesson pattern is the same as the previous case: at the亥 (Hai) general and丑 (Chou) hour, the Heaven Plate is again two positions behind the Earth Plate. Outer circle:卯 (Mao) is occupied by the Nobleman,辰 (Chen) by the Heavenly Empress,巳 (Si) by Tai Yin,午 (Wu) by the Black Tortoise,未 (Wei) by Tai Chang,申 (Shen) by the White Tiger,酉 (You) by Tian Kong,戌 (Xu) by the Azure Dragon,亥 (Hai) by Gou Chen,子 (Zi) by Liu He,丑 (Chou) by the Vermilion Bird,寅 (Yin) by the Teng Snake. The four lessons, read from right to left: the Day Stem, Ren (Ji Hai), has酉 (You) on it, occupied by Tian Kong;酉 (You) has未 (Wei) on it, occupied by Tai Chang; the Day Branch,辰 (Chen), has寅 (Yin) on it, occupied by the Teng Snake;寅 (Yin) has子 (Zi) on it, occupied by Liu He. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Gengyin (Gengyin), the son's yao, occupied by the Teng Snake; the middle transmission is戊子 (Wuzi), the brother's yao, occupied by Liu He; the final transmission is Bingxu (Bingxu), the official's yao, occupied by the Azure Dragon.寅 (Yin),午 (Wu), and戌 (Xu) could originally form a Triple Harmony fire trinity, serving as the wealth position for the Ren water, but now the middle one has become子 (Zi) water, which opens and occupies the午 (Wu) wealth. The following analysis points out that this difference cannot be obtained, and the root of the problem lies here.

王牧夫曰：正時沖初傳，事即不能順，三傳本寅午戌財局，為子乘六合者沖去財位而踞之。子與壬同氣乃同事之人有之也。天空在酉臨身乃敗氣，生之無力，薦之者亦無力也。命上寅，年上丑，皆屬艮卦，艮者，止也。巳為三楚，其地分乘卯，為貴人所合者戌，戌加子上，午巳無情，安能得之？後知為張姓者任之。比用貴人者，其權操之於官，以運司為之主耳。啇總則以旬首為用，六合加子亦的。以子為地支之首，六合為商賈其象可取也。

Wang Mufu said: When divining, the time happens to be directly opposing the first transmission, so the matter cannot proceed smoothly. The three transmissions should have been the triple harmony of Yin, Wu, and Xu, forming a fire trinity and indicating a wealth position. However, the wealth position of Wu is disrupted by the Liu He (Liu He) of Zi water, which opens up the Wu wealth and takes it over. Zi and Ren both belong to water, indicating that a colleague has obtained this position. The Tian Kong (Sky Void) falls on You and is connected to the self, which is a declining energy, unable to generate or support, showing that the recommended person is also ineffective. The original birth stem is Yin, and the year stem is Chou, both belonging to the Gen trigram, which means 'stop'. Si represents the Three Chu regions, and the territory of that area is connected to Mao; the one that harmonizes with the nobleman is Xu, which is also connected to Zi. Wu and Si have no mutual relationship, so how could this position be obtained? Later it was found out that a man surnamed Zhang filled this position. In cases where the nobleman is taken by comparison, the authority lies in the government office, so this matter is mainly determined by the transportation office. As for commercial positions, they are determined by the first transmission, and the Liu He (Liu He) being on Zi is very appropriate: Zi is the first of the earth branches, and Liu He (Liu He) is associated with commerce, so this image is acceptable.

崇正丁丑二月壬辰日亥將導百為慈谿社丈費君弗庵諱鋐占會試。 郭氏占案

In the Dingchou year of the Chongzheng era (i.e., Chongzhen), second month, on the Renchen day, using 'Hai' (Dengming) as the month general to cast the divination, Guo Yuqing divined for Fei Fufan, a senior colleague from Cixi, asking about the imperial examination. This case is recorded in Guo's 'Zhan An'. Below the phrase 'Hai general leads hundred', there is a suspected omission, and the time of divination is not specified. According to the calculated lesson pattern, it should be Hai general placed on top of Chou time.

朱蛇貴后 卯辰巳午 龍合陰常 子 庚寅 合 合寅 未陰 子寅未酉 兄 戊子 龍 勾丑 申玄 寅辰酉壬 鬼 丙戌 虎 子亥戌酉 龍空虎常

A flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals:巳 is occupied by the Nobleman,午 by the Heavenly Empress,未 by Tai Yin,申 by the Black Tortoise,酉 by Tai Chang,戌 by the White Tiger,亥 by Tian Kong,子 by the Azure Dragon,丑 by Gou Chen,寅 by Liu He,卯 by the Vermilion Bird,辰 by Teng Snake. The Nobleman is located on巳, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren (located on亥) has酉, which is occupied by Tai Chang; the second lesson,酉 has未, which is occupied by Tai Yin; the third lesson, the day branch辰 has寅, which is occupied by Liu He; the fourth lesson,寅 has子, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Gengyin, which is the son's yao occupied by Liu He; the second transmission is戊子, which is the brother's yao occupied by the Azure Dragon; the third transmission is Bingxu, which is the official's yao occupied by the White Tiger.寅 is both the day's horse and the year's horse, located on the first transmission as the initiating transmission; however, the three transmissions move from寅 to子, then to戌, which represents the transition from the visible to the hidden, and this meaning is used in the subsequent interpretation to indicate that he will fail the examination.

郭御青曰：日馬年馬發用，本吉。但格名冥陰，寅乃日出之方，退轉子戌陰地為自明入暗，且交車脫氣，無簾幕，馬少，干支上乘敗病，未敢許中。果然。

Guo Yuqing said: The day's post-horse and the year's post-horse both appear in the first transmission and initiation, which is originally auspicious; unfortunately, the pattern is named "Ming Yin" --寅 is the direction where the sun rises, but now it has retreated to the dark places of Zi and Xu, turning from light to darkness; furthermore, there is a change of vehicle and loss of energy, no curtain nobleman, and the post-horse is few. The day stem and day branch are also riding on the defeated and sick energies, so I dare not predict he will pass the examination. Later, it indeed turned out that way.

張大人垣齡生於康熙辛酉年八月十三癸巳日巳時，問終身於黃先生，遂以其八字演課，以辰將加巳時，得三傳卯寅丑。 殘編

Zhang Yuanling was born on the 13th day of the eighth lunar month in the 42nd year of the Kangxi era, on the day of Guisi at the hour of Si. He asked Master Huang about his fortune and misfortune in life. Master Huang used his birth date to cast a divination chart, taking "Chen" (Tiangang) as the Month General placed upon the Si hour, resulting in three transmissions: Mao, Yin, and Chou. This case is recorded in "The Fragmentary Compilation."

貴后 辛酉 蛇辰巳午未陰 朱蛇空龍 子卯朱 丁酉 朱卯 申玄 卯辰亥子 子寅六 癸巳 合寅 酉常 辰巳子癸 官丑勾 丁巳 勾丑子亥戌虎 龍空

The left column shows Zhang Yuanling's four pillars: the year pillar is Xinyou, the month pillar is Dingyou, the day pillar is Guisi, and the hour pillar is Dingsi. In the middle is the spread-out lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve branches with their respective heavenly generals:巳 is occupied by the Nobleman,午 by the Heavenly Empress,未 by Tai Yin,申 by the Black Tortoise,酉 by Tai Chang,戌 by the White Tiger,亥 by Tian Kong,子 by the Azure Dragon,丑 by Gou Chen,寅 by Liu He,卯 by the Vermilion Bird, and辰 by the Teng Snake. The Nobleman is on巳, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem癸 (with its lodging palace on丑) with子, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon; the second lesson has子 with亥, which is occupied by Tian Kong; the third lesson has the day branch巳 with辰, which is occupied by the Teng Snake; the fourth lesson has辰 with卯, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is卯, which is the son's爻 and occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the middle transmission is寅, which is the son's爻 and occupied by Liu He; the final transmission is丑, which is the official ghost's爻 and occupied by Gou Chen, which matches the previous statement of 'getting the three transmissions of卯,寅, and丑'. The子 on the day stem, occupied by the Azure Dragon, is what is referred to as 'Azure Dragon official salary' in the text.

黃斷曰：是上有青龍官祿，支上太陽照宅。又二貴拱天喜且初傳又喜簾幕，定是鄉榜。張曰：既知鄉榜，可知中在何科？黃鼓掌算之，遂決曰：中在辛卯科也。人問其故。黃曰：雖由理推，亦要意會。蓋癸巳，日主也，乃在甲申旬。當從地盤戌上起一歲，數至三十一歲，行年在辰，上乘卯為朱雀，又是簾幕，下臨辰為天喜，非其中之時而何？故知即在三十一歲辛卯科也。

Master Huang said: The day stem has the Azure Dragon and is the god of official rank, and the day branch has the sun shining on the dwelling position; there are two noblemen supporting Heavenly Joy, and the first transmission also receives the nobleman of curtain and screen. He is certainly going to pass the local examination. Zhang Yuanling asked: Since you know he will pass the local examination, can you tell which examination he will pass? Master Huang clapped his hands and calculated, then decided that he would pass in the Xinmao examination. Others asked him the reason. Master Huang said: Although it is reasoned out, it also depends on intuition. The day stem is Gui Si, belonging to the Jiashen decade, so starting from the戌 position on the earth plate, counting one year, thirty-one years later, his age falls on the辰 position; the卯 is on top of the辰, and the卯 is the Vermilion Bird and also the curtain and screen. The辰 below is Heavenly Joy — isn't this the time he will pass the examination? Therefore, he knows it is the Xinmao examination in the thirty-first year.

此以生日起行年，未知所本何書。

This method of calculating the year of birth based on the day of birth is not known to originate from which specific text.

又問有子否？黃曰：傳中皆子星者，寅卯之木也。合觀基八字，純金局，一派合勦子星。況寅卯為四廢休囚，恐桂子稀疏孔，果官高無子。是六壬之獨步也，故詳記其占案，以廣所學雲。

Zhang Yuanling again asked whether he would have a son in the future. Huang said: In the three transmissions, all are child stars, which are the wood of寅 and卯. Looking at his entire birth chart, it is entirely of the metal structure, and the whole path has been attacking the child stars. Moreover, the寅 and卯 are in the酉 month, which is the Four Wastes and the child stars are weak and confined. It is feared that he will have few sons (the original text says 'fear that the Gui star is sparse and the Kong is missing', the last character is possibly incorrect). Later on, he indeed rose to a high official position but had no sons. This is indeed a unique method in the Six壬 system, so I have recorded this case in detail to expand the study.

建炎己酉年三月癸巳日戌將酉時何宣義丁丑年三十三歲，占身命。 捷要、口鑑、宋本邵案

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, third month, on the day Guisi, the month general 'Xu' (Hekui) was placed on the You hour to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination was He Xuanyi, born in the year Dingchou, thirty-three years old that year, asking about his destiny throughout his life. This case is recorded in the books 'Jieyao', 'Koujian', and the Song edition of 'Shao An'.

陳龍 六午未申酉空 朱巳 戌虎 陳六貴后 鬼 空未 陳 蛇辰 亥常 未午卯寅 父 甲申 龍 貴卯寅丑子玄 午巳寅癸 父 乙酉 空 后陰

Flat lesson pattern diagram. Outer circle: the twelve branches with their respective heavenly generals:卯 (Mao) is occupied by the Nobleman, 辰 (Chen) by the Teng Snake, 巳 (Si) by the Vermilion Bird, 午 (Wu) by Liu He, 未 (Wei) by Gou Chen, 申 (Shen) by the Azure Dragon, 酉 (You) by Tian Kong, 戌 (Xu) by the White Tiger, 亥 (Hai) by Tai Chang, 子 (Zi) by the Black Tortoise, 丑 (Chou) by Tai Yin, 寅 (Yin) by the Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is located on Mao, and the heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. Four lessons, from right to left: First lesson: the day stem is Gui (with its lodging palace in Chou), and Yin is seen on it, with Yin occupied by the Heavenly Empress; Second lesson: Yin is occupied by Mao, with Mao occupied by the Nobleman; Third lesson: the day branch is Si, and Wu is seen on it, with Wu occupied by Liu He; Fourth lesson: Wu is occupied by Wei, with Wei occupied by Gou Chen. Three transmissions: the first transmission is Wei, which is the official ghost爻 (yao) occupied by Gou Chen. Wei is in the empty position of the current term, so it is marked as "empty Wei"; the middle transmission is Jiashen, which is the parent爻 (yao) occupied by the Azure Dragon; the final transmission is Yiyou, which is the parent爻 (yao) occupied by Tian Kong. The day is Gui Si, belonging to the Jiashen term, with the empty positions in Wu and Wei. The day branch Si and the first transmission Wei are both located in the southern direction, which refers to the statement "the three transmissions and the dwelling place are in the southern direction" mentioned later.

邵彥和曰：本身貪色，心高志大。三傳與宅並在南方。一生難為眷屬，未為眷屬空亡故也。勞心費力積得財物。末傳至酉，晚年愈貪色，卻有一妾為主，反欺眾人，終死於此妾之手；家計異日比今日增數倍，只是後來被此妾盜去財物。行年支破作太常，主外服。又主兒婦因病退產。只在三月盡四月初見之。何果高傲好勝，勞心費力，營運積財。庚子暫停，以庚子與身居於下也。宅上財與三傳皆在南方，所以此人運貨至南方，獲利成家。只是不合過寵一妾，被他盜去財也。當年五月有丈母之服，三月長媳小產，七月次媳因感風發熱亦小產。

Shao Yanhe said: This person is lustful and fond of women, with high ambition and great aspirations. The three transmissions along with the dwelling position are all in the south. He will find it difficult to have smooth relations with his family throughout his life, because the position of Wei represents family members, and Wei happens to be in the旬空. He must work hard and put in great effort to accumulate wealth. The final transmission reaches You in the later years, and he will become even more lustful, with a concubine taking charge of the household and mistreating others, eventually dying at the hands of this concubine. Later, his family fortune will increase several times more than it is now, but it will be stolen by this concubine. His age position falls on the position where the day branch is broken, and it is occupied by Tai Chang, indicating mourning for an external relative and also a miscarriage by the daughter-in-law due to illness. This will become clear in late March or early April. Later, He Xuanyi indeed became arrogant and competitive, working hard to accumulate wealth through trade. In the year Gengzi, there was a pause, because Gengzi is in the same position as his own. The wealth line of the dwelling and the three transmissions are both in the south, so this person transported goods to the south and made a profit to establish his family. However, he should not have favored one concubine too much, and eventually she stole his property. In that year, there was mourning for the mother-in-law in May, a miscarriage by the eldest daughter-in-law in March, and another miscarriage by the second daughter-in-law due to a cold and fever in July.

蓋日上天后乘寅木脫神，而寅木又脫於巳午，故主三四月婦人不產，寅以酉為破碎加申，故七月亦然。寅以亥為長生，上作太常，故主孝服。亥卯未三合，五月月建上得未，故五月有服。其晚年愈貪色者，酉作天空加癸水長生之上也。

The reasoning is based on the day stem being connected to the Heavenly Empress riding on寅 wood.寅 wood is a spirit that releases energy, and it further releases energy to巳 and午, so it indicates that women will not give birth full term in the third and fourth months.寅 is associated with酉 being broken, and酉 is placed on申, so the seventh month is also similar.寅 is associated with亥 being the place of growth, and亥 is riding on Tai Chang, so it indicates there will be mourning for parents.亥,卯,未 form a triple harmony, and in the fifth month, the month builder exactly has a 未, so there will be mourning in the fifth month. It is said that he becomes more indulgent in lust in his later years because酉 is riding on Tian Kong and is placed on the person whose癸 water has growth.

己酉年十月癸巳日寅鈄丑時邵七丞務戊寅生三十一歲占求財。 方本占案、口鑑

In the year Jiyou, during the tenth month, on the day Guisi, the Month General 'Yin' (Gongcao) is placed on the 'Chou' hour to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination is Shao Qi Chengwu, born in the year Wuyin, thirty-one years old this year, asking about matters concerning wealth. This case is recorded in the Fang Ben's "Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

陳龍 六午未申酉空 朱巳 戌虎 陳六貴后 鬼 空未 陳 蛇辰 亥常 未午卯寅 父 甲申 龍 貴卯寅丑子玄 午巳寅癸 父 乙酉 空 后陰

The lesson pattern is exactly the same as in the previous case of He Xuanyi: the戌 general at酉 time and the寅 general at丑 time, with the Heaven Plate moving one step forward from the Earth Plate in the same way. Outer circle:卯 is occupied by the Nobleman, 辰 by the Teng Snake, 巳 by the Vermilion Bird, 午 by Liu He, 未 by Gou Chen, 申 by the Azure Dragon, 酉 by Tian Kong, 戌 by the White Tiger, 亥 by Tai Chang, 子 by the Black Tortoise, 丑 by Tai Yin, and 寅 by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, read from right to left: the Day Stem,癸 (located at 丑), has 寅 on it, occupied by the Heavenly Empress; 寅 has卯 on it, occupied by the Nobleman; the Day Branch,巳, has午 on it, occupied by Liu He; and 午 has未 on it, occupied by Gou Chen. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 未, representing the official ghost爻, occupied by Gou Chen and falling into the旬空; the middle transmission is Jiashen, representing the parents爻, occupied by the Azure Dragon; the final transmission is Yiyou, representing the parents爻, occupied by Tian Kong. The癸 water uses 午 fire as its wife wealth, and 午 is exactly in the旬空; the 寅 on the Day Stem is the son爻, which can generate the 午 wealth; the middle transmission 申 is the long life of 癸 water, and it is also occupied by the Azure Dragon, which is the class god of wealth. All the reasoning about seeking wealth comes from these points.

邵彥和曰：爾欲往妻家取往年所許之財，未得。今因生子，乃欲問令岳丈借之。丞務笑曰：然。蓋癸日以午為財，又為妻，旬空故未得。日上寅為子孫生起午財，坆雲以生子為由又借。中傳申為日長生，為尊長又乘青龍為財類神，再求必得也。後遭婢僕之患，隨得隨失。空與破碎並臨，故也。行年酉見戌為六害。白虎與血支相加，恐遭官訟，幾不免刑。幸作三合，終能解散也。

Shao Yanhe said: You are thinking of going to your wife's family to claim the money that was promised but never received; now that you have a son, you plan to ask your father-in-law to borrow it. Chengwu laughed and said: Exactly. The reasoning is: On a癸 day, the午 is the wealth. The午 also represents the wife. However, the午 falls in the旬空, so previously you could not get it. The寅 on the day stem is the son, which can generate the午 wealth, so you can use the reason of having a son to ask again. The middle transmission申 is the long life place of the day stem, representing the elder, and it is accompanied by the Azure Dragon, which is a type of wealth deity, so asking again will certainly succeed. However, later you will suffer from servants' troubles, and the money will be gained and lost quickly, because of the presence of Kongwang and brokenness. The year pillar is in酉, and酉 meets戌, which is the sixth harm; the White Tiger also combines with the blood branch, so you are likely to get into legal trouble, almost certainly facing punishment. Fortunately, the lesson forms a triple harmony, so it will eventually resolve.

邵丞務名康伯，娶鄭氏，先是乃嶽許田未與，後經多年生子欲往取之，乃嶽與之三百千。邵有僕宜童婢榮奴徊有私情，榮奴偷錢與宜童被邵見之，乃行吊打。當夜宜童持刀要傷主人，邵幸走脫。次日，縛宜童送官懲治。宜童卻供出家主去年用我私開田三十餘畝，許我上錢二百貫文又許將榮奴嫁我，今背前約，故欲害之。官因根究私田不稅，邵遂受杖責，所得之錢盡費用而無餘。

The actual events were as follows: A man named Kang Bo, who was called Zhao Chengwu, married a wife named Zheng. At first, his father-in-law promised to give him a piece of land, but never did. After many years, he had a son and went to claim the land, but his father-in-law gave him three hundred thousand coins instead. The Zhao family had a servant named Yi Tong and a maid named Rong Nu, who had a secret relationship. Rong Nu stole money to give to Yi Tong, but Zhao caught them and had them beaten. That night, Yi Tong took a knife to harm his master, but Zhao managed to escape. The next day, Zhao tied Yi Tong up and sent him to the authorities for punishment. Yi Tong confessed that his master had privately allowed him to cultivate over thirty mu of land the previous year, promising him two hundred guan of money and agreeing to marry Rong Nu to him. Now that his master had broken his promise, he wanted to kill him. The authorities therefore investigated his illegal cultivation and failure to pay taxes. Zhao was beaten with sticks, and all the money he had previously received was spent, leaving him with nothing left.

八月癸巳日辰將寅時癸丑生人占行人。 行人類證

In the eighth lunar month on a Guisi day, the month general is Chen (Tiangang), placed on the Yin hour to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination was born in the year of Guichou. The question concerns someone who is away from home. This case is from the "Xingren Leizheng."

龍空 勾未申酉戌虎 空勾朱貴 鬼未勾 合午 亥常 酉未巳卯 父酉空 朱巳 子玄 未巳卯癸 兄亥常 蛇辰卯寅丑陰 貴後

A flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the earthly branches with their corresponding heavenly generals:卯 is accompanied by the nobleman, 辰 by the teng snake, 巳 by the vermilion bird, 午 by the liu he, 未 by the gou chen, 申 by the azure dragon, 酉 by the tian kong, 戌 by the white tiger, 亥 by the tai chang, 子 by the black tortoise, 丑 by the tai yin, and 寅 by the heavenly empress. The nobleman is located on 卯, and the heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, day stem 癸 (with its lodging palace at 丑) has 卯, which is accompanied by the nobleman; the second lesson, 卯 has 巳, which is accompanied by the vermilion bird; the third lesson, day branch 巳 has 未, which is accompanied by the gou chen; the fourth lesson, 未 has 酉, which is accompanied by the tian kong. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 未, representing the official ghost yao accompanied by the gou chen; the middle transmission is 酉, representing the parents yao accompanied by the tian kong; the final transmission is 亥, representing the brothers yao accompanied by the tai chang. The heaven plate's 子 is accompanied by the black tortoise and falls on the earth plate's 戌 position; the heaven plate's 丑 (which is the lodging palace of 癸) falls on the earth plate's 亥 position. The following discussion about the month when a person departs and the time of their return is based on these two positions.

雪心曰：大凡斷行人，看日干為行人，並看玄武及行人足。又曰：日為行人看乘馬與否，以決動靜。今玄武乘子臨戌合九月動，今日癸寄丑，丑臨亥，亥是馬主動。末是亥，足已動。亥為兄弟，交十月節歸。末傳為足，看乘二馬有無勾留戀廄。經云：馬合則勾留，乘生則戀廄，空亡則折足。

Snow Heart says: In general, when determining the movement of a person, the day stem represents the person himself, and one should also look at the Black Tortoise and the final transmission which represents the person's steps. It also says: Taking the day stem as the person, one should see whether it is riding the post-horse, to determine whether he is moving or stationary. Now the Black Tortoise is on Wu and is riding Zi, which indicates departure in September. The lodging palace of Gui is on Chou, and Chou is on Hai, which is the post-horse, indicating movement. The final transmission is Hai, showing that the feet have already moved; Hai is also the brother's yao, and by the tenth month's season, he should return. The final transmission represents the steps, and one should look at whether the two post-horse it is riding are detained or attached. The classic says: When the post-horse meets a combination, it will be detained; when it is riding the growth, it will be attached to the stable; when it falls into kongwang, the feet will be broken.

己酉年三月癸巳日戌將未時王解元辛未生三十九歲占家宅。 方本占案、口鑑、捷要

In the year Jiyou, third lunar month, on the day Guisi, with the month general "Xu" (Hekui) placed on the hour Wei, a divination was cast. The person seeking divination is Wang Jiuyuan, born in the year Xinwei, aged thirty-nine this year, asking about his family home. This case is recorded in the books Fangben's "Zhan An," "Kou Jian," and "Jie Yao."

陳龍 六申酉戌亥空 朱未 子虎 空六朱后 父甲申 六 蛇午 丑常 亥申未辰 兄丁亥 空 貴巳辰卯寅玄 申巳辰癸 子庚寅 玄 后陰

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals:巳 is occupied by the Nobleman,午 by the Teng Snake,未 by the Vermilion Bird,申 by the Liu He,酉 by the Gou Chen,戌 by the Azure Dragon,亥 by the Tian Kong,子 by the White Tiger,丑 by the Tai Chang,寅 by the Black Tortoise,卯 by the Tai Yin,辰 by the Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is located on巳, and the heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem癸 (with its lodging palace at丑), shows辰, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress; the second lesson, on辰, shows未, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the third lesson, on the day branch巳, shows申, which is occupied by the Liu He; the fourth lesson, on申, shows亥, which is occupied by the Tian Kong. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Jiashen, representing the parents' yao, occupied by the Liu He; the middle transmission is丁亥, representing the brothers' yao, occupied by the Tian Kong; the final transmission is Gengyin, representing the children's yao, occupied by the Black Tortoise. The day stem癸巳 belongs to the甲申 decade, with甲申 as the beginning and癸巳 as the end.申 is also the long life position of癸 water, so the statement "the beginning adds to the end, forming a cyclical pattern" follows. The辰 on the day stem is the storage position of癸 water and is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, which serves as the basis for determining delays.

邵彥和曰：此課利宅不利人，若占病訟，真閉口卦也。日上墓作天后，主遲滯，時運未通。蓋天后滯神，更見墓，愈見遲滯也。幸得宅之六儀長生而引進，又與宅合，主進人口，婦人懷胎；然終不安，幸長生可以保全。亥作天空乘丁，主移動缸甕。末傳子息，因溼感風，西南西北二角，不可修動。田遭水患，行年在申，主內事訟。得一道士解和。王自發解後，皆不利，疑其宅生災，故占之。身乘墓作天后，辰雖月建，主興訟，旺卻是墓神滯神，目下如何發得？

Shao Yanhe said: This divination is favorable for the dwelling but not for people; if used for predicting illness or litigation, it is a complete closed mouth hexagram. The day stem is on the storage position and is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, indicating stagnation, and the time fortune has not yet reached its peak - the Heavenly Empress is originally a stagnation spirit, and when it meets the storage position, it becomes even more stagnant. Fortunately, the dwelling has received the ritual spirit of this current ten-day period, which leads to the growth position to guide and connect, and also harmonizes with the dwelling, indicating that the family will add members, and women will be pregnant; however, it is ultimately unstable, but fortunately the growth position can protect. The亥 position is occupied by the sky void and carries the Ding spirit, mainly indicating the movement of jars and pots. The final transmission relates to offspring, and the child will be affected by dampness and wind. The southwest and northwest corners should not be altered. The land will suffer from water disasters. The year of the person is in the monkey position, indicating disputes within the family, and finally resolved by a Taoist priest mediating. Later events were: Wang Jieyuan, after passing the local examination and becoming a jinshi, encountered many difficulties, suspected that there was a disaster in the dwelling, and came for divination. He himself is on the storage position and is the Heavenly Empress, the辰 is the monthly builder, mainly indicating litigation, but although it is in its prime, it is the storage spirit and the stagnation spirit, how can it be activated now?

宅上見本旬儀神，引出長生、旬首加旬尾，乃周而復始格。六合發用，故主退人口血財；中亥乘丁，加旬首上，屬西南西北不可興工。辰加丑為破，不可開田，必被水沖。後其田辛丑年開，盡被水沖作汙沙。又除夜移水甕，妻胎幾墮而得全。蓋寅並元武主墮胎。幸申作六合引長生，能制之，故保全也。其長子十二歲，自學舍歸而澡浴，因溼而感風，後卻無事。家族爭訟，得族人為道士者勸和。蓋寅加長生之地為道士也。經曰：寅作長生道士身。

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the house show the current stem's divine spirit, leading to the growth stage. This forms the pattern of "cyclic repetition" where the beginning of the ten-day period is placed over the end. Since the六合 is initiating the transmission, it indicates loss of people and loss of wealth. The middle transmission is亥 riding on the丁 spirit, placed over the beginning of the period. Therefore, construction should not be done in the southwest and northwest directions. The辰 is placed over the丑, which is a breaking relationship, so plowing should not be done, as it will inevitably be flooded. Later, that field was cultivated in the Xinchou year, and indeed it was completely flooded and turned into silt. On New Year's Eve, they moved a water jar, and the wife's pregnancy was almost lost, but it was saved. The寅 is combined with the Black Tortoise, indicating a risk of miscarriage. Fortunately, the申 is riding on the六合 and leads to the growth stage, which can control it, so the pregnancy was preserved. His eldest son, at twelve years old, returned from school and took a bath, getting wet and catching a cold. Later, he was fine. A dispute arose within the family, but it was resolved by a relative who was a Taoist priest. This is because the寅 is placed on the growth stage, which is the image of a Taoist priest. The scripture says: "When the寅 is on the growth stage, it represents the body of a Taoist priest."

己酉年十月癸巳日寅將亥時孔七公戊午生五十二歲占婚姻。 捷要、方本占案、壬歸、口鑑

In the year Jiyou, the tenth month, on the day Guisi, using 'Yin' (Gongcao) as the Month General, the calculation starts at the hour Hai. The person asking the question is Kong Qigong, born in the year Wuwu, who is fifty-two years old this year, inquiring about marriage. This case is found in the book 'Jieyao', Fang Ben's 'Zhan An', 'Ren Gui', and 'Kou Jian'.

空虎 龍申酉戌亥常 陳未 子玄 常龍陳蛇 父 甲申 龍 六午 丑陰 亥申未辰 兄 丁亥 常 朱巳辰卯寅后 申巳辰癸 子 庚寅 后 蛇貴

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches each accompanied by a heavenly general:卯 is accompanied by the Nobleman, 辰 by the Teng Snake, 巳 by the Vermilion Bird, 午 by Liu He, 未 by Gou Chen, 申 by the Azure Dragon, 酉 by Tian Kong, 戌 by the White Tiger, 亥 by Tai Chang, 子 by the Black Tortoise, 丑 by Tai Yin, and 寅 by the Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is on 卯, and the heavenly generals are arranged in order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem 癸 (which is in 丑) has 辰, which is accompanied by the Teng Snake; the second lesson, 辰 has 未, which is accompanied by Gou Chen; the third lesson, the day branch 巳 has 申, which is accompanied by the Azure Dragon; the fourth lesson, 申 has 亥, which is accompanied by Tai Chang. The three transmissions: the first transmission, Jiashen, is the parent's yao accompanied by the Azure Dragon; the middle transmission, 丁亥, is the brother's yao accompanied by Tai Chang; the final transmission, Gengyin, is the son's yao accompanied by the Heavenly Empress. The earthly spirits of the four lessons are the same as in the previous case, but the heavenly generals differ. The first transmission, 申, is the long life of 癸 water, and the final transmission, 寅, is directly placed on the long life of wood, 亥. The following interpretation of a relationship being successful and marriage resulting in a son is derived from this.

邵彥和曰：孔丈五十二歲，又做新郎，今日上方出墓尋生，其親必成也。此女清白輕盈，知書算，善治家，即生二子享福，但恐不久尊堂服動。孔咲曰：何以知之？曰：課中自見，恨今人不習耳。蓋癸日見初傳申長生，主輕盈；金主清白，長生為學堂，主知書算，善治家。但亥乘丁臨長生之上，又乘常，故主服動。

Shao Yanhe said: Kong is fifty-two years old and still to be a groom -- today the day stem is just coming out of the墓 to seek long life, so this marriage will certainly succeed. This woman is clean and upright, her figure is light and graceful, she knows reading and arithmetic, and is good at managing the household; after marriage, she will give birth to two sons, and they will enjoy happiness. But fear that soon there will be mourning for an elder in the family. Kong laughed and asked: How do you know this? The answer was: It can be clearly seen from the divination chart, only regret that nowadays people are not willing to put in the effort. The reasoning is: On a癸 day, seeing the first transmission at申 indicates long life, so it indicates a light and graceful figure; metal represents purity, so it indicates being clean and upright; long life is also the god of the school, so it indicates she knows reading and arithmetic and is good at managing the household. But亥 is riding on the丁 god and is present on top of long life, and also rides on Tai Chang, so it indicates mourning for a relative.

末寅為子孫，同天后加木之長生丁亥上，所以成親即有子息。巳與申合，寅與亥合，所以無不成就。四課三傳無空亡，所以終身享福也。孔公前妻李氏亡，續妻童氏，次年果即生子，五十八又生一子，而此婦於前夫處，亦有收拾，且能書算，家務全仗其照料，娶來未十四個月而母亡矣。

The final transmission is寅, which is the grandson's yao. It joins with the Heavenly Empress and is added to the wood's growth at Dinghai. Therefore, once married, there will be children.巳 and申 are in mutual relationship, and寅 and亥 are also in mutual relationship, so nothing fails to succeed. The four lessons and three transmissions do not have Kongwang, so one can enjoy happiness throughout life. Later events were as follows: The previous wife of Kong Gong, Lady Li, died, and he later married Lady Tong. The next year, he indeed had a son. At the age of fifty-eight, he had another son. This wife had some savings from her previous husband and was able to read and do accounts, taking care of all household affairs. However, after marrying in, less than fourteen months later, Kong's mother died.

戊申年五月癸巳日申將卯時徐孺人己卯生三十歲占病。 占案、口鑑、捷要

In the year Wushen, fifth lunar month, on the day Guisi, using 'Shen' (Shen) as the Month General, the class is started on the hour Mao. The person seeking the divination is Xu Ruren, born in the year Jimao, thirty years old this year, asking about illness. This case is recorded in the books Zhan An, Kou Jian, and Jie Yao.

空虎 龍戌亥子丑常 陳酉 寅玄 陰龍空蛇 財 空午 蛇 六申 卯陰 卯戌亥午 兄 丁亥 空 朱未午巳辰后 戌巳午癸 鬼 壬辰 后 蛇貴

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their corresponding heavenly generals:巳 is occupied by the Nobleman,午 by the Teng Snake,未 by the Vermilion Bird,申 by Liu He,酉 by Gou Chen,戌 by the Azure Dragon,亥 by Tian Kong,子 by the White Tiger,丑 by Tai Chang,寅 by the Black Tortoise,卯 by Tai Yin,辰 by the Heavenly Empress. On a day with the day stem癸 and daytime divination, the Nobleman is at巳, and the卯 hour belongs to the day, so it matches perfectly. The heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem癸 (with its lodging palace at丑) has午, which is occupied by the Teng Snake; the second lesson,午 has亥, which is occupied by Tian Kong; the third lesson, the day branch巳 has戌, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon; the fourth lesson,戌 has卯, which is occupied by Tai Yin. The three transmissions: the first transmission is午, representing the wife's wealth爻, which is occupied by the Teng Snake. Since午 is in the旬 empty position, it is marked as 'empty午'; the middle transmission is丁亥, representing the brother爻, which is occupied by Tian Kong; the final transmission is壬辰, representing the official ghost爻, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress. The day癸巳 belongs to the Jiashen旬, with the旬 empty positions at午 and未. The Teng Snake is riding on the empty position of午, which is pressing on the day stem, which is referred to as 'the snake meets empty, which is partial empty' in the text.

邵彥和曰：蛇見空亡，為偏空。陰人所苦，遂至心下不足，遇飢則氣攻心胸，眼目昏暗，生子多但不實，內一子足多一趾。中年血海敗，五十左右則成血癭，不宜破，破則死矣。在五十四五之間。平生不宜養蠶，恐因蠶得病也。徐孺人之父有妾，即孺人乳母。父死隨孺人在徐司理家，常與司理不合，故孺人得病，以乳母故也。生子十一胎，存三人，內一子多趾。四十一血敗，三年成癭，五十四因養蠶夜出胃冷致疾，癭破出血數升而死。

Shao Yanhe said: When Teng Snake meets Kongwang, it is called "pian kong." She was tormented by a woman, leading to a weak and insufficient heart, so that when she was hungry, she would feel qi rising to her chest and her eyes would become dim. She gave birth to many children, but none were strong. One of her sons had an extra toe. In her middle years, her blood sea deteriorated, and by the time she was around fifty, she would develop a blood tumor, which could not be pierced. If it was pierced, she would die, and the time would be between forty-four and forty-five. She was unsuitable for raising silkworms all her life, for fear of getting sick from it. Later events showed that the Xu Ruren's father had a concubine, who was the wet nurse of Ruren. After her father's death, the wet nurse lived with Ruren in the Xu Si Li household, and often had conflicts with the Si Li. Thus Ruren fell ill, and the root of her illness was this wet nurse. She gave birth to eleven children, but only three survived. One of her sons had an extra toe. At forty-one, her blood deteriorated, and three years later, the tumor formed. At forty-four, she got sick while going out at night to raise silkworms, caught a cold in her stomach, and the tumor broke open, releasing several liters of blood, and she died.

蓋日上見午為心，癸水滅午火又空亡，是心受制而不足，午為陰人，空則無位為妾，蛇在午上擾，故知為此陰人所苦。又午為目，蛇擾水制，又空亡，自然昏暗。飢痛者，己卯生人，祿在午，空則亂也。蛇擾故痛。戌土上見青龍，故主多趾。又戌為足也。血敗者，亥坐空亡，又乘天空故也。血癭者，辰加亥為天后，辰堅土，加血上，故為血癭。天后主厭穢，癸水入辰墓，故癭破而卒也。

The basis for the deduction is that the day stem has a wu fire, representing the heart. The癸 water extinguishes the wu fire, and the wu fire falls in kongwang, indicating that the heart is restrained and weak. Wu represents a woman, and falling in kongwang means no official status, which matches the identity of a concubine. The teng snake disturbs the wu fire, so it is known that she is troubled by this woman. Wu also represents the eyes, which are disturbed by the teng snake and water, and further weakened by kongwang, leading to poor vision. The pain when hungry is because the person was born in the jima year, with the禄 in wu. Since wu is empty, the禄 is disordered, and the teng snake disturbs it, causing pain. The presence of qinglong on the shu earth indicates an extra toe; shu itself also represents the foot. The mention of blood failure is because the hai water is in kongwang and is also under tian kong. The mention of blood tumor is because the chen earth is added to the hai water and is under tianhou. Chen is solid earth, placed on the blood position, leading to a blood tumor. Tianhou represents filth, and the癸 water enters the chen tomb, so the tumor breaks and causes bleeding to death.

丁丑年二月癸巳日亥將巳時馬君夢桂占會場。 郭氏占案

On the Guisi day of the Dingchou year, second month, with the Hai (Dengming) as the Month General, the lesson is cast by placing it on the Si hour. The person asking the question is Ma Mengui, inquiring about the imperial examination hall. This case is from Guo's "Divination Cases."

虎常 空亥子丑寅玄 貴空常朱 財巳貴 龍戌 卯陰 巳亥丑未 兄亥空 勾酉 辰后 亥巳未癸 財巳貴 合申未午巳貴 朱蛇

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals:巳 is occupied by the Nobleman,午 by Teng Snake,未 by Vermilion Bird,申 by Liu He,酉 by Gou Chen,戌 by Azure Dragon,亥 by Tian Kong,子 by White Tiger,丑 by Tai Chang,寅 by Black Tortoise,卯 by Tai Yin,辰 by Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is on巳, and the heavenly generals are arranged in order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem癸 (located on丑) has未, which is occupied by Vermilion Bird; the second lesson, on未 has丑, which is occupied by Tai Chang; the third lesson, on the day branch巳 has亥, which is occupied by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson, on亥 has巳, which is occupied by the Nobleman. The positions on the heaven plate all conflict with those on the earth plate, forming a reverse echo pattern. The three transmissions: the first transmission is巳, representing the wife's wealth爻, occupied by the Nobleman; the middle transmission is亥, representing the brother爻, occupied by Tian Kong; the final transmission is again巳, wife's wealth爻, occupied by the Nobleman. The Nobleman is on巳 and adds to亥, which is the heavenly gate, as mentioned later in the text, 'the noble virtue ascends to the heavenly gate'.

郭御青曰：此課發用貴德登天門，行年斗鬼相加，合為魁字，命上乘命馬，中傳歲日二馬，美處多端，只嫌朱雀乘未在干上克干，居要緊之地，一疵害九純乎？

Guo Yüqing said: In this lesson, the initiating transmission is the noble virtue ascending the heavenly gate; the combination of the year pillar and the ghost god on the year pillar forms exactly the character "Kui"; the native's pillar is riding on the native's own post-horse, and the middle transmission also has the old age horse and the day horse, two layers of post-horse—there are many advantages. Only a drawback is that the Vermilion Bird is riding on the position of "Wei" and is pressing upon the day stem, thus attacking the day stem. It is precisely occupying an important position. This minor flaw, can it ruin the remaining nine parts of purity?

朱雀空亡且休囚無氣。貴德雖登天門，奈作閉口皆有名無實，郭君何故不言耳？

The Vermilion Bird has fallen into Kongwang, is weak and confined, and lacks vitality; although the noble virtue has reached the heavenly gate, the lesson is closed off, and both are mere names without real substance. Why didn't Guo Jun mention this point?

丁丑年二月癸巳日亥將卯時江右李君光倬占會場。 郭氏占案

On the Guisi day of the Dingchou year, second month, with the Hai (Dengming) as the Month General, the class is started on the Mao hour. The person seeking the divination is Li Guangzhuo from Jiangyou (Jiangxi), asking about the examination hall for the imperial examination. This case is from Guo's "Divination Cases."

合朱 勾寅卯辰巳蛇 常勾貴常 財巳貴 龍丑 午貴 酉丑巳酉 鬼丑勾 空子 未后 丑巳酉癸 父酉常 虎亥戌酉申陰 常玄

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals:寅 (Yin) with Gou Chen, 卯 (Mao) with Liu He, 辰 (Chen) with Zhu Que, 巳 (Si) with Teng Snake, 午 (Wu) with Guiren, 未 (Wei) with Tianhou, 申 (Shen) with Taiyin, 酉 (You) with Xuanwu, 戌 (Xu) with Taichang, 亥 (Hai) with Baihu, 子 (Zi) with Tiankong, 丑 (Chou) with Qinglong. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, day stem Gui (located on Chou) has You; the second lesson, You has Si; the third lesson, day branch Si has Chou; the fourth lesson, Chou has You. The heaven plate moves forward eight positions from the earth plate. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Si, representing the wife's wealth hexagram, riding on Guiren; the middle transmission is Chou, representing the official ghost hexagram, riding on Gou Chen; the final transmission is You, representing the parents' hexagram, riding on Taichang; Si, Chou, and You are in reverse order of the Si-You-Chou metal triad. It should be noted that the heavenly generals marked in the four lessons and three transmissions are exactly one position ahead of those on the outer circle. The four lessons and three transmissions are arranged according to Guiren riding on Si - on a癸 day, Guiren is on Si during the day, and at卯 time, which is also daytime, this is appropriate; however, the outer circle places Guiren on Wu, which seems to be an error of displacement. If Guiren is arranged in reverse from Si, then Mao rides Zhu Que, Chou rides Gou Chen, and You rides Taichang, which would align with what Guo Yucheng mentioned later: "the day stem's You hexagram clashes and controls the curtain Zhu Que."

郭御青曰：此課行年上得歲日二馬、發用月馬、日德貴人，本為吉課，奈合中犯煞不能會金局而生日。干上酉沖剋簾幕朱雀，四課不備，乃不完美之象，何能望中？

Guo Yuqing said: In this lesson, the year stem has both the old age horse and the day horse, two kinds of post-horse, and the initiating transmission is also the month horse. There is also the day virtue and the nobleman, which originally form a favorable omen. Unfortunately, within the triple harmony, there is a bad influence, and it cannot form a golden formation to nourish the day stem. The酉 on the day stem also clashes and controls the curtain god Zhuque. The four lessons only have three positions and are not complete, forming an incomplete image. How can one expect to pass the examination?

崇正壬午年七月甲午日巳將午時偶有一客至埂子街寓中坐定索占。 指南

In the Renwu year of the Chongzheng era (i.e., Chongzhen), on the Jiawu day of the seventh month, the lesson was cast with「巳」(Taiyi) as the Month General, placed on the午 hour. At that time, a guest happened to arrive at the guesthouse on Gengzi Street. After seating himself, he asked Chen Gongxian to cast a divination. This case is recorded in the《Liu Ren Zhi Nan》.

勾龍 六辰巳午未空 六勾后貴 父 庚子 后 朱卯 申虎 辰巳子丑 父 己亥 陰 蛇寅 酉常 巳午丑甲 財 戊戌 玄 貴丑子亥戌玄 后陰

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Chou is accompanied by the Nobleman, Yin by the Teng Snake, Mao by the Vermilion Bird, Chen by Liu He, Si by Gou Chen, Wu by the Azure Dragon, Wei by Tian Kong, Shen by the White Tiger, You by Tai Chang, Xu by the Black Tortoise, Hai by Tai Yin, and Zi by the Heavenly Empress. On a day with the stem Jia, the Nobleman is at Chou during the day, and at the fifth hour, which is daytime, it matches, so the heavenly generals are arranged in order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace at Yin) with Chou, which is accompanied by the Nobleman; the second lesson has Chou with Zi, which is accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; the third lesson has the day branch Wu with Si, which is accompanied by Gou Chen; the fourth lesson has Si with Chen, which is accompanied by Liu He. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Geng Zi, representing the parents' yao accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is Ji Hai, representing the parents' yao accompanied by Tai Yin; the final transmission is Wu Xu, representing the wife's wealth yao accompanied by the Black Tortoise. In the year of Ren Wu, the year's stem is at Wu, and the year's breaking is at Zi. However, Zi is exactly the first transmission that initiates the sequence. The three transmissions, Zi, Hai, and Xu, each step backward, which is referred to as 'the lesson transmission retreats'.

陳公獻曰：公科第中人，非田姓即王姓也，然有朝廷事連累。蓋臨身貴人，必科甲中人；然貴被干克，歲破發用，課傳退茹，是以有獲罪朝廷事。喜初中後陰為恩赦，然而無大咎也。後知為荊州知府王承曾，甲戌進士，以失城逮問，賊破燕京始出。

Chen Gongxian said: You are a person who has passed the imperial examination, either surnamed Tian or Wang; however, there is a matter involving the court. Because the nobleman is present in the chart, it must be a person who has passed the examination; yet the nobleman is overcome by the day stem, the year's broken star is the initiating transmission, and the course of the transmissions is continuously retreating and consuming, so there will be an offense against the court. Fortunately, the Heavenly Empress and Tai Yin in the first and middle transmissions act as gods of mercy and pardon, so there will not be a great calamity. Later it was known that this guest was Wang Chengzeng, a Jiaxu graduate, who was arrested for losing the city, and was only released after the bandits broke into Yanjing.

丁亥年十一月甲午日丑將寅時占行人其人甲寅生三十四歲。 中黃經

In the year of Dinghai, during the 11th lunar month, on the day of Jiawu, using 'Chou' (Daji) as the Month General, the course is started at the hour of Yin. The divination is for a person who is away from home. The person was born in the year of Jiayin and is thirty-four years old this year. This case is from the Zhonghuang Jing.

朱蛇 合辰巳午未貴 合朱虎空 父 庚子 虎 勾卯 申后 辰巳子丑 父 己亥 常 龍寅 酉陰 巳午丑甲 財 戊戌 玄 空丑子亥戌玄 虎常

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Wei is accompanied by the Nobleman, Shen by the Heavenly Empress, You by Tai Yin, Xu by the Black Tortoise, Hai by Tai Chang, Zi by the White Tiger, Chou by Tian Kong, Yin by the Azure Dragon, Mao by Gou Chen, Chen by Liu He, Si by the Vermilion Bird, and Wu by the Teng Snake. On the first day, the Nobleman is on Wei, and at the寅 hour, which is night, it matches perfectly. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia (located in寅) with Chou on top, Chou accompanied by Tian Kong; the second lesson has Chou with Zi on top, Zi accompanied by the White Tiger; the third lesson has the day branch Wu with Si on top, Si accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson has Si with Chen on top, Chen accompanied by Liu He. The earthly spirits of the four lessons are the same as in the previous case, but with a different set of heavenly generals. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Geng Zi, representing the parent's yao accompanied by the White Tiger; the middle transmission is Ji Hai, representing the parent's yao accompanied by Tai Chang; the final transmission is Wu Xu, representing the wife's wealth yao accompanied by the Black Tortoise. The person being consulted is thirty-four years old, with the year of birth on Hai, which is located on Zi. The following calculations of direction, return time, and distance all start from this position.

斷曰：三十四歲行年在亥，亥臨子，其人正北為客去矣，卻從西北還家，何也？經曰：以行年立處為去方，行年上神為還家方位。是以合正北子方去，西北方還家。若問財，其人無財。以日上財坐天空，末傳與行年財又被玄武奪，是以無財。問在外有病否？主無病。以行年立處不見白虎克，故無病。問遠近路程。行二千二十里則還。以行年上下相乘，亥四子九得三十六，又加遁干乙作丙七並之得五十一，遠行人十則言百，合得五百一十里。又亥子水旺於冬，當加一倍，得一千二十里入加一千之數，是以合主二千二十里。問有阻隔否？曰：無，以行年日上不見關格，故無阻也。

The statement says: The person's age of thirty-four falls on the亥 (Hai) position, which is located on the子 (Zi) position. Therefore, it is known that this person is traveling to the north, but must return from the northwest. Why? According to the text: use the position of the Earth Plate where the year stem is located as the direction of departure, and use the spirit associated with the year stem as the direction of return. Therefore, the person goes from the north (Zi) and returns from the northwest. If asking about wealth, this person has no money: the wealth hexagram is sitting on Tian Kong, and the wealth in the final transmission and the year stem is taken by Xuan Wu. Therefore, there is no wealth. If asking if there is illness while away, the person is not sick, because the White Tiger is not present to harm the position where the year stem is located. If asking about the distance of the journey, the person will return after traveling two thousand and twenty li. The calculation is to multiply the upper and lower positions of the year stem: the number for Hai is four, the number for Zi is nine, four times nine is thirty-six; then add the hidden stem 乙 (Yi) which is transformed into 丙 (Bing), whose number is seven, making a total of fifty-one. For a long journey, one 'ten' is counted as 'hundred', resulting in five hundred and eleven li. Since Hai and Zi belong to water and are strong in winter, they should be doubled, resulting in one thousand and twenty li, and then add one thousand, resulting in two thousand and twenty li (this calculation seems to have some missing parts). If asking if there are obstacles on the way, the answer is no; because neither the year stem nor the day stem show signs of obstruction, so there are no obstacles.

若關格上神乘玄武主盜賊、江河水漲之隔；乘六合、太陰、天后主婦人之隔；乘青龍主財帛之隔；乘貴人主官長之隔；乘太常主酒食稽留之隔。問何月日還家？乃戊子年二月還家。非二月則四月決來，謂寅是十一月之天馬信神，臨卯為到門，二月建卯主二月有信。四月來以辰為十一月之戲神，辰臨巳主動是以主四月還家，四月建巳故也。

If the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the gate show the presence of the Black Tortoise, it indicates obstruction from thieves or flooding rivers; if they show the presence of Liu He, Tai Yin, or Heavenly Empress, it indicates obstruction from women; if they show the presence of the Azure Dragon, it indicates obstruction from wealth; if they show the presence of the Nobleman, it indicates obstruction from officials; if they show the presence of Tai Chang, it indicates delay due to drinking and feasting. When asked which month and day to return home, the answer is to return home in the second month of the Wuzi year; if not in the second month, then certainly in the fourth month. This is because the Heavenly Horse of the eleventh month is located on the卯 (Mao) position, which is the gate, so the second month, whose month builder is Mao, will have news; the reason for saying the fourth month is because the game god of the eleventh month is located on the巳 (Si) position, which is active, so it indicates returning home in the fourth month—the month builder of the fourth month is Si.

十月甲午日寅將丑時占何人扣門。 張本占案

On the Jiawu day in the tenth month, using 'Yin' (Gongcao) as the Month General, the calculation starts at the 'Chou' hour. The divination is to determine who is knocking at the door. This case is from Zhang Ben's "Divination Cases."

貴后 蛇午未申酉陰 后貴合勾 財 ◎辰 合 朱巳 戌玄 申未辰卯 子 ◎巳 朱 合辰 亥常 未午卯甲 子 甲午 蛇 勾卯寅丑子虎 龍空

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Wei (丑) is occupied by the Nobleman, Shen (申) by the Heavenly Empress, You (酉) by Tai Yin, Xu (戌) by Black Tortoise, Hai (亥) by Tai Chang, Zi (子) by White Tiger, Chou (丑) by Tian Kong, Yin (寅) by Azure Dragon, Mao (卯) by Gou Chen, Chen (辰) by Liu He, Si (巳) by Vermilion Bird, and Wu (午) by Teng Snake. On the day of Jiawu, the Nobleman is at Wei, which belongs to the hour of Chou, which is night, thus it matches. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Jiā (with its lodging palace at Yin) has Mao, which is occupied by Gou Chen; the second lesson, Mao has Chen, which is occupied by Liu He; the third lesson, the day branch Wu has Wei, which is occupied by the Nobleman; the fourth lesson, Wei has Shen, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Chen, representing the wife's wealth爻, occupied by Liu He; the middle transmission is Si, representing the son's fortune爻, occupied by Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is Jiawu, representing the son's fortune爻, occupied by Teng Snake. The symbols '◎' on Chen and Si indicate the empty period. The day is Jiawu, which belongs to the Jiawu decade, and the empty period is on Chen and Si. The Mao on the day stem is accompanied by Yangren and occupied by Gou Chen, which serves as the basis for the conclusion that the person coming is a monk and that someone will arrest him.

劉公日新指一沙門曰：此來捕汝也。蓋甲上卯挾刃太旺，卯為沙門，勾陳臨之之故。然陳土為木所克，不妨。未上見申天后，甲己非正合，帶奸門，曾犯強姦。宅上陰神申克甲是宅人不容，拒還而敗。卯克辰為財，甲又克之，是偷師傅之銀兩而走。辰數五，午數九，銀共一百四十兩。有汪姓人，藏他家中時果來搜尋，指他走南方，有少女隨之可脫，至北河可以活命。以中偉主巳作朱雀為飛騰之象也。果逃至溪邊，有少女洗菜，見和尚來，驚走和尚隨之果往南脫去。少女者巳也，利北河者，水能生甲木也。

Master Liu Rixin pointed at a monk and said: This is the one coming to catch you. Because the stem Jia has the branch Mao, which is joined by Yangren and is too strong. The branch Mao represents a monk, and Gou Chen is also present above it. However, Gou Chen belongs to earth, which is overcome by wood, so there is no harm. The branch Wei has the branch Shen, and Shen is riding on the Heavenly Empress. Jia and Ji are not a proper match, and it is accompanied by the door of deceit, indicating that this monk had committed rape. The hidden spirit of the house, Shen, comes to overcome Jia, showing that the people in the house cannot tolerate him, and they reject him back, thus exposing him. Mao overcomes Chen, and Chen is wealth. Jia also overcomes Chen, indicating that he stole silver from his master and ran away. Chen is numbered five, and Wu is numbered nine, together making a total of one hundred and forty taels of silver. A man named Wang hid him in his house. At that time, indeed, people came to search for him. Master Liu advised him to go south, where he could escape by following a young woman, and to go to the northern river to survive — because the Middle Transmission's Si is riding on the Vermilion Bird, which is a sign of rising up. Indeed, he ran to the stream and met a young woman washing vegetables. The young woman ran away when she saw the monk approaching. The monk followed her, and indeed escaped south. The young woman is Si; the advantage of going to the northern river is because water can nourish Jia wood.

建炎己酉年十月甲午日寅將戌時管學正辛酉生四十九歲占謁貴。 方本占案、口鑑

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, on the day Jiawu of the tenth lunar month, the class of the day is Jiawu. The month general is Xinyou (Gongcao, Yin), placed on the hour Wu. The person consulting the divination is a school official born in the year Xinyou, aged forty-nine that year, asking about visiting a nobleman. This case is found in the Fang Ben's "Zhan An" and the "Kou Jian."

六陳 朱酉戌亥子龍 蛇申 丑空 虎六六后 兄 壬寅 虎 貴未 寅虎 寅戌戌午 子 甲午 后 后午巳辰卯常 戌午午甲 財 戊戌 六 陰玄

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Wei is accompanied by the Nobleman, Shen by the Teng Snake, You by the Vermilion Bird, Xu by Liu He, Hai by Gou Chen, Zi by the Azure Dragon, Chou by Tian Kong, Yin by the White Tiger, Mao by Tai Chang, Chen by the Black Tortoise, Si by Tai Yin, and Wu by the Heavenly Empress. On the first day of the Jiawu month, the Nobleman is in Wei, and at the Wu hour, which is night time, it matches, so the heavenly generals are arranged in order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace in Yin) has Wu, which is accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; the second lesson, Wu has Xu, which is accompanied by Liu He; the third lesson, the day branch Wu has Xu, which is accompanied by Liu He; the fourth lesson, Xu has Yin, which is accompanied by the White Tiger. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Renyin, a brother's yao accompanied by the White Tiger; the middle transmission is Jiawu, a son's yao accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; the final transmission is Wuxu, a wife's wealth yao accompanied by Liu He. Yin, Wu, and Xu form a triple harmony fire formation, fire is generated by Jia wood, forming a complete image of stealing energy. The lesson is named "Inflaming Ascending."

邵彥和曰：吾兄若欲行正道，則不必見之。若行邪道，見之不妨。愛函曰：此四句當有訛錯。蓋寅午戌相習而為狂黨，天后六合不正之神，又為失友，主下稍埋怨不足，互相冤抑。夫甲日火局，十二分盜氣，支又來耗我，大有所費。吾兄縱有所得，左手得錢，右手便送娼家，被官知覺，亦輕視不肯惠矣。管笑曰：楊尹有書來，安得無利：遂往，楊尹大喜，所贈甚厚，管竟入娼家，楊察知之，曰：吾多方照顧，欲爾收拾養家，如此胡為，枉做人情矣。遂不想信，僅與盤纏而歸。

Shao Yanhe said: If your elder brother wants to follow the right path, he should not go see him; if he is willing to take the wrong path, going to see him is not a problem. Ai Han said: These four sentences should have errors. Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire triad, gathering together to form a reckless group. Heavenly Empress and Liu He are not upright deities, but represent harmful friends, leading to eventual mutual complaints and accusations. On a Jia day, forming a fire trigram brings twelve parts of stolen energy. The day branch also consumes me, resulting in great expenses. Your elder brother may gain something, but he will take money with his left hand and give it to a prostitute with his right. If the authorities find out, they will look down on him and no longer give him favors. Guan Xuezheng laughed and said: Yang Fu Yin has sent a letter, how could there be no benefits? So he went. Yang Fu Yin was very happy and gave him generous gifts. However, Guan Xuezheng eventually ended up in a brothel. When Yang Fu Yin found out, he said: I have taken care of you in many ways, hoping you would use it to support your family. You behaving like this, my kindness has been in vain. From then on, he no longer trusted him and only gave him some money to send him back.

愚按：蓋炎上課，甲日自是不利，又午來蝕甲，天后六合皆不正之神，主酒色蠱惑，四課不足，雖厚本亦主消折，況赤手空拳乎？

I consider that this is the class of the fire lesson, falling on Jia day, which is inherently unfavorable; there is also the fire of Wu to consume and drain the Jia wood. The Heavenly Empress and Liu He are not proper deities, indicating being led astray by wine, women, and deceit. The four lessons are incomplete and insufficient, so even with substantial capital there will be loss, and how much more so if one goes with nothing at all?

崇正壬午年十二月甲午日子將未時占熊司馬功名。 指南

In the Renwu year of the Chongzheng era, on the Jiawu day of the twelfth lunar month, the lesson was cast with 'Zi' (Shenhou) as the Month General, placed on the 'Wei' hour, to inquire about the official rank of Xiong Sima. This case is from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nuan".

朱蛇 六戌亥子丑貴 玄朱蛇空 父庚子蛇 勾酉 寅后 辰亥子未 子乙巳常 青申 卯陰 亥午未甲 財戊戌六 空未午巳辰玄 虎常

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Chou is accompanied by the Nobleman, Yin by the Heavenly Empress, Mao by Tai Yin, Chen by Black Tortoise, Si by Tai Chang, Wu by White Tiger, Wei by Tian Kong, Shen by Azure Dragon, You by Gou Chen, Xu by Liu He, Hai by Vermilion Bird, and Zi by Teng Snake. On a Jiawu day, the Nobleman is at Chou in the daytime divination, and the time of Wei is part of the daytime, so it matches perfectly. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Jiā (with its lodging palace at Yin) has Wu, which is accompanied by Tian Kong; the second lesson, Wu has Zi, which is accompanied by Teng Snake; the third lesson, the day branch Wu has Hai, which is accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson, Hai has Chen, which is accompanied by Black Tortoise. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Gengzi, representing the parents' yao accompanied by Teng Snake, the middle transmission is Si, representing the sons' yao accompanied by Tai Chang, and the final transmission is Wuxu, representing the wife's wealth yao accompanied by Liu He. In the Renwu year, the heavenly stem is at Wu, and the year's breaking point is at Zi. Therefore, the first transmission Gengzi is the year's breaking point. The middle transmission Si is in the Jiawu decade and should be empty, but it is still marked as Yisi in the diagram, which does not conform to the example of an empty transmission. Therefore, it is retained as it is.

陳公獻曰：江西南大司馬熊潭石先生因河北聲息緊迫，急聘予上金陵熊大司馬占得此課。熊司馬功名非久遠之象，來年秋初必解任去。蓋初傳歲破內戰，命上龍馬克下，必因宰執招非，上臺不足，燕京有奏，自欲請退。且斗繫日本，幕貴臨干，為仰丘俯仇，干墓支絕，種種不佳。喜奇儀天赦發用，朱雀皇詔作恩，定然好旨歸里。後果如所占。

Chen Gongxian said: A general named Xiong Tan Shi from Nanchang in Jiangxi, because of urgent military news from Hebei, urgently hired me to go to Jinling to cast a divination for him. Xiong's official position is not a long-term one; he must definitely resign in the early autumn of next year. Because the first transmission is the year's destruction and it fights against the day stem internally, and his own dragon and post-horse are also in conflict with the lower, he will certainly cause trouble because of the prime minister's governance, and the upper authorities are dissatisfied with him. There will be a memorial from Yanjing, and he himself will also request to resign. Moreover, the Dipper mansion is in the position of the day, and the nobleman is above the day stem, forming the image of 'looking up to a hill and looking down on an enemy'. The day stem is in the grave and the day branch is in the extreme, all of which are unfavorable. Fortunately, the odd instruments and the heavenly pardon are initiating the transmission, and the Vermilion Bird is also acting as the benevolent deity of imperial edicts, so there will certainly be a good imperial decree allowing him to return home. Later events indeed confirmed the prediction.

己酉年正月甲午日子將午時馮幹辦丁卯年八月十七日辰時生占前程。 張本占案

In the year Jiyou, first lunar month, on the day Jiawu, using 'Zi' (Shenhou) as the Month General, the lesson is cast starting from the hour Wu. The person seeking the divination is Feng Ganban, born on the 17th day of the eighth lunar month in the year Dingmao at the hour Chen. The case is from Zhang Ben's "Divination Cases."

蛇貴 朱亥子丑寅后 六戌 卯陰 虎蛇后龍 兄 壬寅 后 陳酉 辰玄 午子寅申 鬼 丙申 龍 龍申未午巳常 子午申甲 兄 壬寅 后 空虎

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Chou is occupied by the Nobleman, Yin by the Heavenly Empress, Mao by Tai Yin, Chen by Black Tortoise, Si by Tai Chang, Wu by White Tiger, Wei by Tian Kong, Shen by Azure Dragon, You by Gou Chen, Xu by Liu He, Hai by Vermilion Bird, and Zi by Teng Snake. On a day with the day stem Jia, the Nobleman is at Chou in the daytime divination, and the time of Wu is during the day, which matches perfectly. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace at Yin) has Shen, which is occupied by Azure Dragon; the second lesson, Shen has Yin, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress; the third lesson, the day branch Wu has Zi, which is occupied by Teng Snake; the fourth lesson, Zi has Wu, which is occupied by White Tiger. The positions of the heaven plate and the earth plate are all in opposition, making it a reverse lesson. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Renyin, a brother's yao occupied by the Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is Bingshen, an official ghost yao occupied by Azure Dragon; the final transmission is again Renyin, a brother's yao occupied by the Heavenly Empress. Shen is the place where Jia wood is exhausted, and the opposition between Yin and Shen leads to the explanation later that 'virtue is cut off and fortune is lost' and 'the post-horse is running rapidly on the day'.

邵彥和曰：此課德絕祿喪，婦人主家，干支盡傷，病符臨身，不久主癱瘓風疾之憂，生氣作蛇入宅，主生男子，見此子後，其病便生，須是珍重，不可貪色也。甲寅年尤甚，其宅十八年變為溪溝也。馮受轉運司幹辦公事，有三年缺，上任一歲中風，自後癱瘓更不動，止因壬子得子，賀喜過飲，遂成風疾，解任歸日，食自費兩千餘，雖臥病不起，其食自倍。至甲子歲大水，宅為水所沖損壞，果作溪溝矣。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, the virtue god is in the state of being cut off, and the禄 god is lost. The family is ruled by a woman, and both the day stem and day branch are injured. The disease symbol is also present on the self, so there will be worries of paralysis and illness soon. The life qi god is riding the Teng Snake and entering the house position, indicating a son will be born. After seeing this son, the illness will come, so one must take care and avoid indulgence in lust. In the year of Jiazi, the illness will be especially severe. The house will become a stream after eighteen years. Later events were as follows: Feng Mou took up the position of official in the Transport Department for three years. After one year in office, he suffered a stroke and became paralyzed and unable to move. The cause was that in the year of Renzi, he had a son and celebrated excessively by drinking, which led to the stroke. After being relieved of his post and returning home, the cost of food alone reached more than two thousand taels. Although he was bedridden, his appetite doubled. In the year of Jiazi, a great flood occurred, and the house was destroyed by water, indeed turning into a stream.

某人丁巳生五十歲占出行同得此課。 宋本邵案

Another person born in the year of Dingsi, who is now fifty years old, also asked about travel and received the same divination. This case is recorded in the Song edition of the Shao Case.

蛇貴 朱亥子丑寅后 六戌 卯陰 虎蛇后龍 兄 壬寅 后 陳酉 辰玄 午子寅申 鬼 丙申 龍 龍申未午巳常 子午申甲 兄 壬寅 后 空虎

The lesson pattern is exactly the same as the previous case. Outer circle: Chou is occupied by the Nobleman, Yin is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, Mao is occupied by Tai Yin, Chen is occupied by Black Tortoise, Si is occupied by Tai Chang, Wu is occupied by White Tiger, Wei is occupied by Tian Kong, Shen is occupied by Azure Dragon, You is occupied by Gou Chen, Xu is occupied by Liu He, Hai is occupied by Vermilion Bird, and Zi is occupied by Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem Jia (located in Yin) has Shen occupying it with Azure Dragon; Shen has Yin occupying it with Heavenly Empress; the Day Branch Wu has Zi occupying it with Teng Snake; and Zi has Wu occupying it with White Tiger. The heavens and earth discs are in constant opposition, which is still a case of reverse repetition. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Renyin, a brother's yao occupied by Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is Bingshen, an official ghost yao occupied by Azure Dragon; and the final transmission is again Renyin, a brother's yao occupied by Heavenly Empress. Both Yin and Shen are places of the post-horse and they oppose each other. Since the divination is about travel, this aspect is particularly relevant, so the following statement about movement indicates that the person will travel a long distance.

邵彥和曰：主有三千里之動，七年八年方歸也。七月果隨一官員到廣，二千三百里，至八年方歸。蓋日上驛馬交馳，寅申各七數，故有七年之測。行年亥加巳，天門地足，主動必遠也。

Shao Yanhe said that the person would have a journey of three thousand li and would not return for seven or eight years. Later, in the seventh month, he indeed followed an official to Guangnan, a distance of two thousand three hundred li, and did not return until the eighth year. Because the day stem combined with the post-horse showed mutual movement, with寅 and申 each having seven numbers, the seven-year prediction was made. The year of travel had亥 added to巳, with one end being the heavenly gate and the other the earthly foot, indicating that any movement would result in a long journey.

戊寅年巳月甲甲午日酉將寅時問赴任。 郭氏占案

In the year Wuyin, fourth month, on the day Jiawu (with the character Jia repeated, as written originally as "Jia Jia Wu Ri"), using "You" (Congkui) as the Month General, the calculation starts at the hour Yin. The divination is for taking office. This case is from Guo's "Divination Cases."

空虎 龍子丑寅卯常 蛇空玄朱 鬼 丁酉 朱 勾亥 辰玄 申丑辰酉 財 ◎辰 玄 合戌 巳陰 丑午酉甲 父 己亥 勾 朱酉申未午后 蛇貴

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Wei is occupied by the Nobleman, Shen by the Teng Snake, You by the Vermilion Bird, Xu by Liu He, Hai by Gou Chen, Zi by the Azure Dragon, Chou by Tian Kong, Yin by the White Tiger, Mao by Tai Chang, Chen by the Black Tortoise, Si by Tai Yin, and Wu by the Heavenly Empress. On the first day of the Jiawu cycle, the Nobleman is in Wei, which corresponds to the寅 hour of the night, thus matching perfectly. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace in Yin) with You, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the second lesson has You with Chen, which is occupied by the Black Tortoise; the third lesson has the day branch Wu with Chou, which is occupied by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson has Chou with Shen, which is occupied by the Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Dingyou, representing the official ghost爻, occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the middle transmission is Chen, representing the wife's wealth爻, occupied by the Black Tortoise, marked with「◎」to indicate that Chen is in the empty period (on the Jiawu day, which belongs to the Jiawu period, the empty period is in Chen and Si); the final transmission is Jihai, representing the parents爻, occupied by Gou Chen. The official ghost爻, occupied by the Vermilion Bird, initiating from the day stem, serves as the basis for the following section about precautions against accusations and impeachment; the final transmission Hai, representing the parents' seal, can resolve the official ghost爻.

郭御青曰：戊寅年用奇門，擬於四月初一甲午日寅時到任，偶於先一日，再查六壬，得此課，鬼作朱雀，干上發用，有官音，防彈章。喜中末傳空陷，然行年在辰，為填空，亦喜初鬼生末傳育干，印能化煞。月將作雀鬼，亦日邊之象，得此課，心甚疑懼，不便再更。果於到任之時，聞阺報，真奇事也。

Guo Yuqing said: In the year of Wuyin, I used the Qi Men to calculate, planning to take up my post on the first day of the fourth lunar month, on the day of Jiawu at the hour of Yin. By chance, on the previous day, I used Liu Ren to recheck and obtained this lesson. The official ghost is in the Vermilion Bird, and it is initiating from the day stem, indicating the presence of official news, and one should be cautious of accusations. Fortunately, the middle transmission and final transmission both fall into empty and fallen positions, but the year stem is on Chen, forming a filling of the empty. It is also good that the first transmission official ghost generates the final transmission, and the final transmission generates the day stem, with the seal and support able to resolve the Inauspicious Sha. The month general is acting as the Vermilion Bird official ghost, which is also an image of the emperor's side. Having obtained this lesson, I felt very doubtful and fearful, but it was already inconvenient to change the date. When I took up my post, I indeed heard news from the official邸报, which was truly a strange event.

己酉年正月十五甲午日子將卯時，傅大祿己巳生四十歲，占平生。 宋本邵案、口鑑

On the day Jiawu of the year Jiyou, which is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the person asking the question, Fu Dalu, was born in the year Jisi and is forty years old this year. He is asking about his life's fortune and misfortune. The month general is 'Zi' (Shenhou), placed on the 'Mao' hour to cast the divination. This case is recorded in the Song edition of the 'Shao Case' and the 'Kou Jian'.

朱六 蛇寅卯辰巳陳 貴丑 午龍 后朱虎陰 鬼 丙申 虎 后子 未空 子卯申亥 子 空巳 陳 陰亥戌酉申虎 卯午亥甲 兄 壬寅 蛇 玄常

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve branches with their respective heavenly generals: Chou is accompanied by the Nobleman, Yin by the Teng Snake, Mao by the Vermilion Bird, Chen by Liu He, Si by Gou Chen, Wu by the Azure Dragon, Wei by Tian Kong, Shen by the White Tiger, You by Tai Chang, Xu by the Black Tortoise, Hai by Tai Yin, and Zi by the Heavenly Empress. On a day with the stem Jia, during the day, the Nobleman is on Chou. At the Mao hour, which is during the day, it matches, and the heavenly generals are arranged in order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace in Yin) has Hai, which is accompanied by Tai Yin; the second lesson, Hai has Shen, which is accompanied by the White Tiger; the third lesson, the day branch Wu has Mao, which is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson, Mao has Zi, which is accompanied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Bing Shen, representing the official ghost爻, accompanied by the White Tiger; the middle transmission is Si, representing the son爻, accompanied by Gou Chen and falling into the旬空, since the day is Jiawu, belonging to the Jiawu旬, the empty position is in Chen and Si, so it is marked as 'empty Si'; the final transmission is Ren Yin, representing the brother爻, accompanied by the Teng Snake. Mao is the Yangren of Jia wood, accompanied by the Vermilion Bird and located on the house position Wu, which serves as the basis for the subsequent judgment about events occurring within the family.

邵彥和曰：此課亥來生日，是官星垂顧，太陰神佑之象，但羊刃作雀入宅，乃本家之朱雀，恐目下本家有事起，初虎作鬼，亡祟暗害，是家中人所為，從此遂自生事，末寅加巳，遠則四年，近則四月，被事牽纏。若見金司年入訟，其身不便無疑。傅後與弟不足，挾恨告其子違法事，巳乃子也，第四年八月配英州死。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, the water of Hai comes to birth the day stem, indicating the appearance of official stars and the protection of the Tai Yin deity. However, the Yangren at卯 enters the residence position with the Vermilion Bird, which is the family's own Vermilion Bird. This suggests that there will be troubles within the family soon. The first transmission is White Tiger acting as official ghost, indicating the haunting of a deceased person, but actually it is the family members themselves causing the trouble, and thus he himself brings about the problem. The final transmission is寅 placed on巳, meaning that in the long term it will be four years, and in the short term four months, he will be involved in matters. If he encounters a year of metal that brings punishment, he will certainly not be able to escape legal trouble. Later, Fu Dalu had a conflict with his younger brother, who harbored resentment and reported his son's illegal activities—巳 represents the son—four years later in August, he was exiled to Yingzhou and died.

蓋第四年太歲在子，子上得酉，乃己酉太歲得助，故為禍百端，八月者復助酉也。

The basis for the deduction is that in the fourth year, the supreme ruler is in Zi, and Zi is connected to You, which is exactly the supreme ruler Jiyou receiving support, thus causing many troubles. It should occur in August because August also supports You metal.

何子重壬戌生四十八歲占平生，同得此課。

He Zizhong was born in the year Renxu, which is 48 years ago. When he divined about his entire life's fortune and misfortune, he received the same hexagram.

朱六 蛇寅卯辰巳陳 貴丑 午龍 后朱虎陰 鬼 丙申 虎 后子 未空 子卯申亥 子 空巳 陳 陰亥戌酉申虎 卯午亥甲 兄 壬寅 蛇 玄常

The lesson pattern is exactly the same as the previous case. Outer circle: Chou is multiplied by the Nobleman, Yin is multiplied by the Teng Snake, Mao by the Vermilion Bird, Chen by Liu He, Si by Gou Chen, Wu by the Azure Dragon, Wei by Tian Kong, Shen by the White Tiger, You by Tai Chang, Xu by the Black Tortoise, Hai by Tai Yin, and Zi by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, read from right to left: the Day Stem Jia (located in Yin) has Hai multiplied by Tai Yin; Hai has Shen multiplied by the White Tiger; the Day Branch Wu has Mao multiplied by the Vermilion Bird; Mao has Zi multiplied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Bingshen, representing the official ghost爻 multiplied by the White Tiger; the middle transmission is Si, representing the son爻 multiplied by Gou Chen and falling into the旬空; the final transmission is Rennyin, representing the brother爻 multiplied by the Teng Snake. The White Tiger multiplying the official ghost Shen initiates the transmission, which serves as the basis for the subsequent judgment that he will be punished. Si is counted as four and Hai as seven, adding up to eleven, which is the basis for the calculation of "eleven years of leniency" mentioned later.

邵彥和曰：來年行年到寅，因人喪亡，水邊得物，十有一年之寬餘，往後依舊不足，犯刑，刑後做爐匠，被姓陳人壞了。次年果有一僧過水而死，身邊有銀四錠，被何子重拾得，作小買賣，果有十一年寬餘。第十二年又在此溪邊，卻因傷人受刑，後作坑冶匠人，未足四年，被陳生人告搶踏作賊，配池州。巳四加亥七，乃十一年也。白虎作馬鬼故凶也。

Shao Yanhe said: Next year, the person's year pillar will arrive at the Yin position, and due to someone's death, he will find something by the water, having a period of eleven years of ease; afterwards, he will still be in financial difficulty and will commit a crime; after being punished, he will become a furnace worker, eventually being ruined by a man surnamed Chen. The next year, indeed, a monk drowned while crossing the river, carrying four silver ingots, which were picked up by He Zizhong, and he started a small business, indeed having eleven years of ease. By the twelfth year, again at this stream, he would injure someone and be punished; later he became a miner, but less than four years later, he was accused by a man surnamed Chen of robbery and murder, and was exiled to Chizhou. The number of Si is four and the number of Hai is seven, which makes exactly eleven years. The White Tiger is used as the Post-horse and also represents the ghost, so it is ominous.

順治己丑年六月乙未日未將亥時揚州天寧寺半夜內外人驚，吳一山占主何應候。 指南

In the Jichou year of Shunzhi, on the Yiwei day of the sixth lunar month, the lesson was cast with "Wei" (Xiaoji) as the Month General, placed on the You hour. At that time, in the middle of the night at Tianning Temple in Yangzhou, both inside and outside were startled. Wu Yishan came to inquire about the meaning of this. This case is recorded in the "Lunin Zhi Nan."

空虎 青丑寅卯辰常 六白貴勾 鬼 癸卯 白 勾子 巳玄 亥卯申子 父 己亥 六 六亥 午陰 卯未子巳 財 乙未 后 朱戌酉申未后 蛇貴

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Shen (Hour of the Monkey) is accompanied by the Nobleman, You (Hour of the Rooster) by the Teng Snake, Xu (Hour of the Dog) by the Vermilion Bird, Hai (Hour of the Pig) by Liu He, Zi (Hour of the Rat) by Gou Chen, Chou (Hour of the Ox) by the Azure Dragon, Yin (Hour of the Tiger) by Tian Kong, Mao (Hour of the Rabbit) by the White Tiger, Chen (Hour of the Dragon) by Tai Chang, Si (Hour of the Snake) by the Black Tortoise, Wu (Hour of the Horse) by Tai Yin, and Wei (Hour of the Goat) by the Heavenly Empress. On the night of the second day, the Nobleman is in Shen, and the亥 hour belongs to the night, which matches perfectly. The heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace in Chen) has Zi, which is accompanied by Gou Chen; the second lesson, Zi has Shen, which is accompanied by the Nobleman; the third lesson, the day branch Wei has Mao, which is accompanied by the White Tiger; the fourth lesson, Mao has Hai, which is accompanied by Liu He. There are two points to clarify: first, the character originally carved as 'Si' in the bottom row on the far right should actually be the day stem 'Yi' according to the lesson pattern, as the two characters are similar in shape and may have been mistakenly carved; second, the initial transmission originally marked as 'Gui' is actually 'Mao', but since Mao wood shares the same energy as Yi wood, it should be considered a brother爻 to the day stem, suggesting a possible carving error. The three transmissions are: the initial transmission is Gui Mao accompanied by the White Tiger, the middle transmission is Ji Hai as the parent爻 accompanied by Liu He, and the final transmission is Yi Wei as the wife and wealth爻 accompanied by the Heavenly Empress.

陳公獻曰：主有賊船東來，無攻城破邑之虞。蓋因游都賊符臨干支，自支發用，故主東有賊船至。初中二傳休囚，末傳太陽月建，故主城邑無虞。己亥日報賊自東方來，水陸並進，人民驚走，餘以申時占課，三傳戌酉申為返駕，初旺生末，雖有奸人勾引，不戰自退。官兵出，賊遂奔散。

Chen Gongxian said: The main point is that there is a band of thieves coming from the east by boat, but there is no harm to the city or its districts. This is because the two Inauspicious Spirit, You Du and Ze Fu, are present on the day stem and day branch, and the transmission starts from the day branch, indicating that the thieves are coming from the east. The first and middle transmissions are weak and confined, but the final transmission is where the sun and month builder are located, so there is no harm to the city or its districts. Later, on the Jihai day, it was indeed reported that the thieves came from the east, advancing by both water and land, causing the people to panic and flee. I also divined again at the hour of Shen, and the three transmissions were Xu, You, and Shen, which is a sign of returning and turning back. The first transmission was strong and generated the final transmission. Although there were traitors inside inciting them, they would retreat without fighting. When the official troops came out, the thieves scattered and fled in all directions.

建炎戊申年三月十一乙未日戌將丑時童秀才庚辰生二十九歲占宅。 方本占案、口鑑

On the 11th day of the third lunar month in the 5th year of the Jianyan era, on the Yiwei day, the 'Xu' (Hekui) is taken as the Month General, placed on the 'Chou' hour to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination is Tong Xiaocai, born in the Wushen year, aged 29 that year, asking about his family home. This case is found in the Fang Ben's "Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

虎常 空寅卯辰巳玄 龍丑 午陰 龍常朱龍 財 辛丑 龍 陳子 未后 丑辰戌丑 財 戊戌 朱 六亥戌酉申貴 辰未丑乙 財 乙未 后 朱蛇

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Shen (Hour of the Monkey) is accompanied by the Nobleman, You (Hour of the Rooster) by the Teng Snake, Xu (Hour of the Dog) by the Vermilion Bird, Hai (Hour of the Pig) by Liu He, Zi (Hour of the Rat) by Gou Chen, Chou (Hour of the Ox) by the Azure Dragon, Yin (Hour of the Tiger) by Tian Kong, Mao (Hour of the Rabbit) by the White Tiger, Chen (Hour of the Dragon) by Tai Chang, Si (Hour of the Snake) by the Black Tortoise, Wu (Hour of the Horse) by Tai Yin, and Wei (Hour of the Goat) by the Heavenly Empress. On the night of Yi, the Nobleman is in Shen, and the time of Chou belongs to the night, which matches perfectly. The heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace in Chen) with Chou, which is accompanied by the Azure Dragon; the second lesson has Chou with Xu, which is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; the third lesson has the day branch Wei with Chen, which is accompanied by Tai Chang; the fourth lesson has Chen with Chou, which is accompanied by the Azure Dragon. The upper gods of the four lessons, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, are all earthy elements, which is referred to as 'four earths are complete' in the text. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Xin Chou, the middle transmission is Wu Xu, and the final transmission is Yi Wei, all of which are wife wealth hexagrams, each accompanied by the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and Heavenly Empress respectively. The three transmissions being all wealth hexagrams is the reason for the subsequent interpretation of entering a farmstead and the phrase 'full wealth transforms into a ghost'.

邵彥和曰：此課人來就宅，正是求新宅之課。夫宅不可無土，今四土俱備，是前後左右皆有山也。主山太高來逼宅，山有新墳欲開闢，定與墳主爭競。宅左青龍帶破碎，此云宅左青龍是以支陰論，不以天盤論。惟斷墳墓方用天盤看坐山朝山等。家宅則止就四課言。邵公諸案皆然也。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson indicates a person coming to the house, which is exactly the case for seeking to purchase a new residence. A house cannot do without earth, and now the four earth branches, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, are all present, indicating that there are mountains on all sides. The main mountain is too high, pressing down on the house. There is a new grave on the mountain that is about to be broken ground, which will certainly lead to a dispute with the grave owner. The Azure Dragon on the left side of the house also brings the broken ruin evil omen. (Here, the phrase 'the Azure Dragon on the left of the house' refers to the yin spirit of the day branch, not the Heaven Plate. Only when judging graves do we use the Heaven Plate to examine the sitting mountain and facing mountain; when discussing the house, we only refer to the four lessons. Shao Gong's various divination cases are all like this.)

須用土填，將來必富，青龍加丑雖云破碎，卻又不備，故左必不完，宜用土填也。但無清秀之士。初傳青龍，妻為之主，中傳戌作朱雀，主家西北界未偹，因與人爭界。末財作天后，主婦人守寡；未財作後，何以便曰婦人守寡？蓋財妻也，後女也，未婦人也。未又今日乙未之墓，卻來刑日上之丑，刑則克，故主婦人皆寡。

It is necessary to use earth to fill in, and there will certainly be wealth in the future. The Azure Dragon is placed on Chou, although it carries the meaning of fragmentation, it is not complete, so there must be a gap on the left, which should be filled with earth. However, there will not be any outstanding scholars coming from the family. The first transmission is the Azure Dragon, indicating that the wife will be the one managing the household. The middle transmission is Xu with the Vermilion Bird, indicating that the western north part of the house is not properly built, leading to disputes over boundaries with others. The final transmission is the wealth hexagram riding on the Heavenly Empress, indicating that the women in the family will be widows. Someone asks: why do we say the women in the family will be widows when the wealth hexagram is on Wei with the Heavenly Empress? Because wealth represents the wife, the Heavenly Empress represents women, and Wei also represents the wife. Wei is also the storage of the current day, which is Yiwei, but it instead harms the day stem on Chou. Harm means to overcome, so it indicates that all the women in the family will be widows.

未為年之寡宿殺，故邵公敢如此斷。又主家西北界未修，主與人爭界，西北當作東北，愛函見數本皆作西北，玩味爭界二字，似指戌乘朱雀而言，戌為西北，雀主爭也。奈何都無水出，主出人重濁。乙以土為財，又臨旺地，天將更無凶神，故主其家大發。又緣初財爻，兼得青龍財星也。造宅二十年，應未八戌五，五八相乘得四十，春木旺土死，當折半，故二十年而應也。

The year's Guasu Sha (Solitary Sha) is again on Wei, so Zhao Gong dared to make such a judgment. He also said that the western-north part of the family's property was not properly constructed and needed to dispute the boundary — the term 「western-north」 should be 「northeast」; Ai Han saw several versions that all said 「western-north」. Considering the two words 「dispute boundary」, it seems to refer to Xu riding the Vermilion Bird: Xu is located in the western-north, and the Vermilion Bird governs conflict. Unfortunately, there are no water flows around to discharge, indicating that the people of this family have heavy and turbid temperaments. The wood of Yi is considered to have earth as its wealth, and earth is in a strong position, with no Inauspicious Spirit in the heavenly generals it rides, so this family is destined for great fortune. Also, since the first transmission is the wealth hexagram, and it is accompanied by the Qinglong, which is the wealth star, the fortune is further enhanced. Twenty years after building the house, the prediction will be fulfilled: Wei is the eighth, Xu is the fifth, and five multiplied by eight gives forty. In spring, wood is strong and earth is weak, so it should be halved, thus the fulfillment occurs in twenty years.

童監稅庚午年生三十九歲占財產同得此課。 方本占案、口鑑

A young official was taxed, born in the Gengwu year. At thirty-nine years old, he consulted about property and received the same divination lesson. This case is recorded in the Fang Ben "Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

虎常 空寅卯辰巳玄 龍丑 午陰 龍常朱龍 財 辛丑 龍 陳子 未后 丑辰戌丑 財 戊戌 朱 六亥戌酉申貴 辰未丑乙 財 乙未 后 朱蛇

The lesson pattern is exactly the same as the previous case. Outer circle: Shen is乘 by the nobleman, You is乘 by the teng snake, Xu is乘 by the vermilion bird, Hai is乘 by liu he, Zi is乘 by gou chen, Chou is乘 by the azure dragon, Yin is乘 by tian kong, Mao is乘 by the white tiger, Chen is乘 by tai chang, Si is乘 by the black tortoise, Wu is乘 by tai yin, and Wei is乘 by the heavenly empress. The four lessons, read from right to left: the day stem Yi (located in Chen) has Chou on it乘 by the azure dragon; Chou has Xu on it乘 by the vermilion bird; the day branch Wei has Chen on it乘 by tai chang; Chen has Chou on it乘 by the azure dragon. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Xinchou, the middle transmission is Wuxu, and the final transmission is Yiwei. All three transmissions are wife wealth hexagrams, successively乘 by the azure dragon, the vermilion bird, and the heavenly empress. The day stem has wealth on it乘 by the azure dragon, which serves as the basis for the subsequent judgment about obtaining a field estate. The three transmissions are all wealth without any restriction, which is exactly the image of 'complete wealth transforming into ghost'.

邵彥和曰：此課日上見財，主進田莊，不用錢買，中間一人爭競，又後還他，後卻得眾財，乃是服滿人家得來。六月防家中鬥毆，不然卻門前有尊長新墳，與之爭訟。所得之財，悉化為鬼矣。是年童監稅與妻家主張分產，遂得田二十畝及財物，有第三房舅嫂守寡，得產不中意，要告官悔，眾分不欲破開，因將童氏眾人地與寡婦，眾人遂陪卻童氏財物。

Shao Yanhe said: In this divination, the day stem is seen to have wealth, mainly adding to the fields and estates, and no money is needed to buy it. In the middle, there will be a person who comes to claim it, but later it is given back to him. After that, one can still obtain wealth from others, which comes from the families that have finished their mourning period. In June, one should be cautious of domestic quarrels at home, or else there is a new grave of an elder relative at the front door, leading to disputes with others. The wealth obtained will eventually turn into official ghosts. In this year, there is a dispute over the child servant tax and the wife's family claiming the inheritance, resulting in twenty acres of land and some belongings. The third branch's mother-in-law, who is a widow, is dissatisfied with the share she receives and wants to take the case to the authorities. When the family divides the property, they do not want to divide the land, so they transfer all the land of the Tong family to this widow, and thus the family again loses their belongings.

蓋乙木以辰戌丑未為財，又以丑未為妻，故財自妻家而得。何以見彼之分產？乙未日破碎殺在丑，丑為田，田上有青龍，故得之不費錢買。末傳未作天后，是又彼人之產復還也。既還產又得眾財，乃辰加未，便是乙加未敢，卻克宅；宅者，彼也，故彼為財，辰為眾，故得眾人之財也。當年九月有一尊長葬於童氏門前墳地上，侵童監稅地界，遂與鬥爭訟於官，所得之財，果然悉化為鬼矣。蓋日為尊長，日為前，支為後，日加支，故宅前，辰為日墓，故曰新墓。經曰：三傳全財化為鬼，若非春占，乙木旺於春，財不可得，則反損己財也。

The basis for the inference is that the wood of Yi is considered to have wealth in the branches Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, and also considers Chou and Wei as wife's branches, so the wealth comes from the wife's family. How do we know it is the other party who is dividing the property? On the day of Yiwei, the broken star falls on Chou, which represents land, and there is also the Azure Dragon on top of the land, so the wealth comes without having to buy it. The final transmission is Wei, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, indicating that the property of that family is returned. Since the property is returned and also gains wealth from others, it is because Chen is placed on Wei — that is, Yi is placed on Wei — and it turns back to attack the residence; the residence refers to the other party, so the other party becomes wealth. Chen also represents the multitude, so it is possible to gain wealth from many people. In the previous September, there was an elder who was buried in the graveyard in front of the Tong family's gate, encroaching on the land of Tong's tax office, thus leading to a dispute and a lawsuit. The wealth obtained was indeed transformed into official ghosts. Since the day stem represents the elder, the day stem is in front and the day branch is in back, and the day stem is placed on the branch, it is called the front of the residence. Chen is the tomb of the day stem, so it is called a new tomb. The classic says: if all three transmissions are wealth, they will turn into ghosts. If it is not in spring — when Yi wood is strong — then not only will the wealth not be obtained, but one's own wealth will also be lost.

十一月乙未日丑將卯時占賊盜。 直指

In the eleventh month on the Yiwei day, using 'Chou' (Daji) as the Month General, the class is started on the 'Mao' hour. The divination is about thieves. This case is from the "Six Rats Direct Point."

勾龍 合卯辰巳午空 合龍貴朱 父 己亥 后 朱寅 未虎 卯巳子寅 兄 壬寅 朱 蛇丑 申常 巳未寅乙 子 ◎巳 龍 貴子亥戌酉玄 后陰

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Zi (子) is occupied by the Nobleman, Chou (丑) by the Teng Snake, Yin (寅) by the Vermilion Bird, Mao (卯) by Liu He, Chen (辰) by Gou Chen, Si (巳) by the Azure Dragon, Wu (午) by Tian Kong, Wei (未) by the White Tiger, Shen (申) by Tai Chang, You (酉) by the Black Tortoise, Xu (戌) by Tai Yin, and Hai (亥) by the Heavenly Empress. On a daytime divination for an Yi day, the Nobleman is at Zi. At Mao time, which is daytime, it matches, and the heavenly generals are arranged in order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace at Chen) has Yin, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the second lesson, Yin has Zi, which is occupied by the Nobleman; the third lesson, the day branch Wei has Si, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon; the fourth lesson, Si has Mao, which is occupied by Liu He. There is no mutual control among the four lessons, indicating the昴 star lesson. For a yin day, the initiating transmission is determined by the position of You on the heaven plate, which falls on Hai on the earth plate. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Ji Hai, representing the parents' yao, occupied by the Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is Ren Yin, representing the brothers' yao, occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is Si, representing the sons' yao, occupied by the Azure Dragon. The symbol 「◎」 indicates that Si falls in the empty position (Kongwang). On the Yi Wei day, which belongs to the Jiawu decade, the empty positions are at Chen and Si. The Black Tortoise is on You, representing the class of the thief. The Azure Dragon on Si can control You, while the strong Hai water counteracts the Si fire. The subsequent conclusion that the thief is hidden by water and will eventually be captured is derived from the interactions among these three elements.

邵彥和曰：玄武剋日必主破財。青龍克玄武，賊本合敗，卻被旺亥反制巳火，賊得水中伏匿，戌為來路，亥為去方，皆在西北。酉為賊本家，必屬雞。酉六亥四遁得乙八丁六，酉無氣不倍。當於二十四里外門前有林木，屋後有水處捕之，果驗。

Shao Yanhe said: When the Black Tortoise comes to overcome the day stem, it certainly indicates loss of wealth. The Azure Dragon can overcome the Black Tortoise, meaning the thief is about to be exposed; but he was instead restrained by the strong亥 water, which suppressed the巳 fire. Therefore, the thief was able to hide in the water.戌 is the path he came from, and亥 is the direction he went, both located in the Northwest.酉 is the native branch of the thief, so this person must be of the chicken zodiac.酉 counts as six,亥 counts as four, and the hidden stem also gives乙 as eight and丁 as six, totaling twenty-four. Since酉 has no strength, it does not need to be doubled. One should search for him beyond twenty-four li, where there are trees in front of the door and water behind the house. Later, this prediction was indeed verified.

此斷見於中黃經，非邵氏之案。

This statement is found in the Zhonghuang Jing, not in Shao Yanhe's divination records.

崇正丁酉年六月乙未日未將申時張庠友占九江職方趙光汴先生，請纓行邊。 指南

In the Dingyou year of the Chongzheng era, on the Yiwei day of the sixth lunar month, the 'Wei' (Xiaoji) was used as the Month General, placed on the Shen hour to cast the divination. A candidate for the imperial examination, Zhang Surname, asked H Zhao Guangbian, a specialist in military affairs in Jiujiang, about his intention to volunteer for military service at the border. This case is recorded in the Six壬 Guide.

龍空 勾辰巳午未虎 青空朱六 財 戊戌 陰 六卯 申常 巳午寅卯 兄 癸卯 六 朱寅 酉玄 午未卯乙 子 甲午 空 蛇丑子亥戌陰 貴後

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Zi (子) is occupied by the Nobleman, Chou (丑) by the Teng Snake, Yin (寅) by the Vermilion Bird, Mao (卯) by Liu He, Chen (辰) by Gou Chen, Si (巳) by the Azure Dragon, Wu (午) by Tian Kong, Wei (未) by the White Tiger, Shen (申) by Tai Chang, You (酉) by the Black Tortoise, Xu (戌) by Tai Yin, and Hai (亥) by the Heavenly Empress. On a Yi day, during the Shen hour which is daytime, the Nobleman is at Zi, matching the daytime condition, and the heavenly generals are arranged in order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Yi (寄辰) has Mao on it, with Mao occupied by Liu He; the second lesson, Mao has Yin on it, with Yin occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the third lesson, the day branch Wei has Wu on it, with Wu occupied by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson, Wu has Si on it, with Si occupied by the Azure Dragon. There is no mutual control among the four lessons, indicating the昴星 lesson pattern. For a yin day, the starting point is the position of You on the heaven plate, which falls on Xu on the earth plate. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wu Xu, a wealth and treasure hexagram occupied by Tai Yin; the middle transmission is Gui Mao, a brother hexagram occupied by Liu He; the final transmission is Jia Wu, a son and grandson hexagram occupied by Tian Kong. The Post-horse of Hai-Mao-Wei is at Si, which is exactly the position of the旬空 (empty period) in the Jiawu period (empty periods are Chen and Si), which is referred to as「驿马旬空」. Xu is Hekui, and it is currently pressing on the earth plate's Hai position, which is called「河魁渡亥」.

陳公獻曰：凡陰陽昴星，雖無蛇虎入傳，只宜靜守，不利動用。蓋因貴居本位，驛馬旬空，守舊為上。況河魁渡亥，中傳斷橋，凡事阻隔難行。且赤鳥犯歲君，上疏必攖上怒。後果謫戍，壬午歲授燕遼總督，失機建逮問典刑。如占詞訟，名達朝廷，坐死。

Chen Gongxian said: Whenever the昴 star lesson occurs on a yin or yang day, even if the Teng Snake and White Tiger do not enter the three transmissions, it is only suitable for stillness and not for action. Because the Nobleman is in his original position, the Post-horse falls in the empty term, so maintaining the status quo is the best strategy. Moreover, the Hekui has crossed the Hai position, and the middle transmission is a broken bridge, so all matters are obstructed and difficult to proceed. Also, the Vermilion Bird has offended the sovereign's deity, so an official's memorial will certainly anger the emperor. Later, Zhao先生 was indeed exiled to the frontier. In the Renwu year, he was appointed as the overall governor of Yan and Liao, but was arrested for mismanaging military affairs and was executed. If this lesson is used to predict a lawsuit, it would mean the case reaches the court and the person is condemned to death.

崇正丁酉年二月乙未日亥將戌時荊寔君占閔孝廉度會試。 郭氏占案

In the Dingyou year of the Chongzheng era (i.e., Chongzhen), on the Yiwei day of the second lunar month, the lesson was cast with 'Hai' (Dengming) as the Month General, placed on the 'Xu' hour. Jingshi Jun cast the divination for Mingdu, a candidate, regarding the imperial examination. This case is recorded in Guo's 'Zhan An'.

虎常 空午未申酉玄 玄常空龍 鬼 丁酉 玄 青巳 戌陰 酉申午巳 財 戊戌 陰 勾辰 亥后 申未巳乙 父 己亥 后 六卯寅丑子貴 朱蛇

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches each associated with a heavenly general: Zi (子) is associated with the Nobleman, Chou (丑) with the Teng Snake, Yin (寅) with the Vermilion Bird, Mao (卯) with Liu He, Chen (辰) with Gou Chen, Si (巳) with the Azure Dragon, Wu (午) with Tian Kong, Wei (未) with the White Tiger, Shen (申) with Tai Chang, You (酉) with the Black Tortoise, Xu (戌) with Tai Yin, and Hai (亥) with the Heavenly Empress. The heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Yi (乙) (with its lodging palace in Chen) with Si (巳) on it, which is associated with the Azure Dragon; the second lesson has Wu (午) on Si (巳), which is associated with Tian Kong; the third lesson has Shen (申) on Wei (未), which is associated with Tai Chang; the fourth lesson has You (酉) on Shen (申), which is associated with the Black Tortoise. There is no mutual control among the four lessons, and the only mutual control in the entire lesson is the remote control of the metal of Shen (申) and You (酉) over the wood of the day stem Yi (乙). Therefore, the Yin branch You (酉) is used as the initiating transmission, with the middle and final transmissions following in order as Xu (戌) and Hai (亥). The three transmissions: the first transmission is Dingyou (丁酉), a ghostly official爻 associated with the Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is Wuxu (戊戌), a wife's wealth爻 associated with Tai Yin; the final transmission is Jihai (己亥), a parent爻 associated with the Heavenly Empress. The heavenly stems hidden by the transmissions of You (酉), Xu (戌), and Hai (亥) are exactly Ding, Wu, and Ji, which is what is referred to later as conforming to the "Three Marvels Pattern." The Post-horse of Hai-Mao-Wei (亥卯未) is in Si (巳), and Si (巳) is also associated with the Azure Dragon, which is directly above the day stem.

郭御青曰：簾幕加支而作太常吉將，青龍覆日又為驛馬良神，官星發傳引入長生以五子元遁之三傳恰合三奇格，必中之兆也，果然。

Guo Yüqing said: The Nobleman, when placed on the Day Branch and acting as the auspicious general Tai Chang, and the Azure Dragon covering the Day Stem and also serving as the favorable Post-horse deity; the official star issues the three transmissions, leading all the way to Growth, using the Wu Zi Yuan Dun method to deduce the heavenly stems of the three transmissions, which exactly form the Three Marvels pattern — this is a sure sign of success. Later, he indeed passed the examination.

順治甲申年五月乙未日申將未時費縣諱四知張相公因高鎮兵馬屯北城外，借住府河廳公署，占進退行。 指南

In the year Jiashen of the Shunzhi era, on the Yiwei day of the fifth lunar month, using 'Shen' (Chuansong) as the Month General, the class was cast starting from the Wei hour. Zhang Sizhi, a gentleman from Feixian, was staying in the public office of the Fuhe Hall because the military forces of Gaozhen were stationed outside the northern city. He consulted about whether to advance or retreat. This case is from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan".

虎常 空午未申酉玄 玄常空龍 鬼 丁酉 玄 青巳 戌陰 酉申午巳 財 戊戌 陰 勾辰 亥后 申未巳乙 父 己亥 后 六卯寅丑子貴 朱蛇

The lesson pattern is exactly the same as the previous case: at the hour of戌 in the sign of亥 and at the hour of未 in the sign of申, the Heaven Plate advances one position in the same direction as the Earth Plate. Outer circle: 子 is乘 by Nobleman, 丑 is乘 by Teng Snake, 寅 is乘 by Vermilion Bird, 卯 is乘 by Liu He, 辰 is乘 by Gou Chen, 巳 is乘 by Azure Dragon, 午 is乘 by Tian Kong, 未 is乘 by White Tiger, 申 is乘 by Tai Chang, 酉 is乘 by Black Tortoise, 戌 is乘 by Tai Yin, 亥 is乘 by Heavenly Empress. Four lessons from right to left: the Day Stem 乙 (located in 辰) has 巳 on it, which is乘 by Azure Dragon; 巳 has 午 on it, which is乘 by Tian Kong; the Day Branch 未 has 申 on it, which is乘 by Tai Chang; 申 has 酉 on it, which is乘 by Black Tortoise. Three transmissions: the first transmission is Dingyou, which is the official ghost爻乘 by Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is Wuxu, which is the wife wealth爻乘 by Tai Yin; the final transmission is Jihai, which is the parent爻乘 by Heavenly Empress; 酉, 戌, 亥 proceed in order, which is the so-called "革故从新" lesson mentioned below. The 巳 on the Day Stem is the Post-horse of the triple harmony of 亥, 卯, 未, and it is乘 by Azure Dragon; the 申 on the Day Branch is乘 by Tai Chang.

陳公獻曰：東南水鄉居住安穩。蓋因歲貴劫殺臨支，賊符驛馬加干，此地異日還有兵戈擾攘。幸日上羅網逢空，相公必當解脫而去。然昴星乘玄武剋日來年太歲，革故從新，應在酉年必矣。相公遂渡江而南。 愚按：此課鬼臨三四何故不言？

Chen Gongxian said: One should settle in the southeastern water town for stability. Because the Tai Su, Guiren, and Jiesha are present in the day branch, and the Zhe Fu and Yimashu are added to the day stem, it is known that this place will still have military disturbances in the future. Fortunately, the Luo Wang on the day stem meets Kongwang, so the official will certainly be able to escape. However, the昴 star rides the Xuanwu to attack the day stem, and also attacks the Tai Su of next year, forming the image of "changing the old for the new," the time of the event will certainly be in the year of You. Zhang Xianggong thus crossed the river to the south. I comment: In this lesson, the official ghost is present in the third and fourth lessons, why is it not mentioned?

己丑八月乙未日辛巳時徽友程孝延為同鄉鄭姓占病。 指南

In the year of Jichou, eighth lunar month, on the day of Yiwei, at the hour of Xinsi, a friend from Huizhou named Cheng Xiaoyan consulted for a fellow townsman named Zheng about a sickness. This case is recorded in the "Six壬 Guide."

虎常 空午未申酉玄 玄常空龍 鬼 丁酉 玄 青巳 戌陰 酉申午巳 財 戊戌 陰 勾辰 亥后 申未巳乙 父 己亥 后 六卯寅丑子貴 朱蛇

The lesson pattern is exactly the same as in the previous two cases. The outer circle: Zi is accompanied by the Nobleman, Chou by the Teng Snake, Yin by the Vermilion Bird, Mao by Liu He, Chen by Gou Chen, Si by the Azure Dragon, Wu by Tian Kong, Wei by the White Tiger, Shen by Tai Chang, You by the Black Tortoise, Xu by Tai Yin, and Hai by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, read from right to left: the Day Stem Yi (located in Chen) has Si accompanied by the Azure Dragon; Si has Wu accompanied by Tian Kong; the Day Branch Wei has Shen accompanied by Tai Chang; Shen has You accompanied by the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions: the first transmission Dingyou is the Official Ghost爻 accompanied by the Black Tortoise, the middle transmission Wuxu is the Wife Wealth爻 accompanied by Tai Yin, and the final transmission Jihai is the Parent爻 accompanied by the Heavenly Empress, continuing the progression of You, Xu, and Hai, forming the pattern of 'renewing by replacing the old'. The Shen on the Day Branch is the absolute point for Yi Wood, and the Si on the Day Stem, according to Chen Gongxian's method, is also the absolute point for Wei Earth. This is what is referred to later as 'mutual absolute points of the heavenly stem and earthly branch'.

陳公獻曰：占病不治，且臨於床，八九月之會是其死期乎？蓋干支互乘絕氣（支上申為干乙絕氣，干上巳為支未絕氣，由此知公獻用五行長生，且以土長生於申也），課傳革故從新，且二馬臨身宅，乘青龍太常，謂之孝服紙錢也。病人見驛馬又非所宜，故不起矣。又身加卯上為床為棺，故臥床也。二陰一陽，中傳戌加酉位，是八九交會之時。果交九月節日死矣。

Chen Gongxian said: This illness cannot be cured, and the person is already lying on the bed; during the convergence of August and September, it is probably his time of death. Because the day stem and day branch are both in the place of absolute depletion; the day branch's Shen is the absolute depletion of the day stem's Yi wood, and the day stem's Si is the absolute depletion of the day branch's Wei earth. From this we can see that Chen Gongxian used the theory of the Five Phases and the concept of growth. He placed the growth of earth in Shen. The course of the transmission forms an image of renewal. In addition, two post-horses are present on the person's position and the dwelling position, one with the Azure Dragon and one with Tai Chang, which is called the image of filial mourning and paper money. The person seeing the post-horse is not appropriate, so he cannot get up. Moreover, the person is placed on the position of Mao, which represents a bed and a coffin, so it indicates lying in bed without getting up. The three transmissions consist of two yin and one yang, with the middle transmission of Xu placed on the position of You, which is exactly the time of August and September. Later, when the time of September arrived, he died.

丁丑二月乙未日丙戌時，安慶保舉明經，阮實夫代劉若宜先生占會試。 指南

On the day of Yiwei in the second lunar month of the Dingchou year, at the hour of Bingxu, Ruan Shifu, a candidate for the Mingjing examination from Anqing, divined on behalf of Mr. Liu Ru yi for the imperial examination. This case is recorded in the "Six壬 Guide."

蛇貴 朱午未申酉后 后常朱六 鬼 丁酉 后 六巳 戌陰 酉申午巳 財 戊戌 陰 勾辰 亥玄 申未巳乙 父 己亥 玄 青卯寅丑子常 空虎

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the twelve earthly branches with their respective heavenly generals: Shen (Hour of the Monkey) is accompanied by the Nobleman, You (Hour of the Rooster) by the Heavenly Empress, Xu (Hour of the Dog) by Tai Yin, Hai (Hour of the Pig) by the Black Tortoise, Zi (Hour of the Rat) by the Azure Dragon, Chou (Hour of the Ox) by the White Tiger, Yin (Hour of the Tiger) by Tian Kong, Mao (Hour of the Rabbit) by the Azure Dragon, Chen (Hour of the Dragon) by Gou Chen, Si (Hour of the Snake) by Liu He, Wu (Hour of the Horse) by the Vermilion Bird, and Wei (Hour of the Goat) by Teng Snake. At night, the Nobleman is on Shen, and since the time is戌 (Hour of the Dog), which is also night, it matches. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace in Chen) with Si (Hour of the Snake) which is accompanied by Liu He; the second lesson has Si with Wu (Hour of the Horse) which is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; the third lesson has the day branch Wei with Shen (Hour of the Monkey) which is accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson has Shen with You (Hour of the Rooster) which is accompanied by the Heavenly Empress. The earthly spirits of the four lessons are the same as the first three cases, but with a different set of heavenly generals arranged in reverse. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Dingyou, an official ghost爻 accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is Wuxu, a wife wealth爻 accompanied by Tai Yin; the final transmission is Jihai, a parent爻 accompanied by the Black Tortoise. This follows the pattern of 'changing the old for the new' with the sequence of You, Xu, and Hai. The Shen on the day branch is exactly where the curtain nobleman is located, and the Vermilion Bird on Wu can generate the Tai Su (yearly master) of Dingchou. The following interpretation about the timing being correct and the prediction of success in the first class examination is derived from these symbols.

陳公獻曰：為人代占，今年必中。蓋發用日鬼皇恩，中傳河魁天喜，末見長生太陽，最利試場之象，支見幕貴官星。又朱雀生太歲（朱乘午生太歲丑故也），文字華藻合時。課名革故從新，更鄉科而中甲榜必無疑矣。但嫌干支上乘互絕，居官未能遠大。後補刑部主政，恬退不仕。又代占會武中兩名亦此課。予曾占病亦死二人。（此以土絕在巳論，以水土同長生。）

Chen Gongxian said that when divining for someone else, he would certainly pass the examination this year. The initiating transmission is the official ghost of the day stem, accompanied by imperial favor, the middle transmission is Hekui and Heavenly Joy, and the final transmission shows growth and the sun, which is most favorable for the examination hall. The day branch also shows the nobleman of the curtain and the official star. The Vermilion Bird is generating the year's stem (the Vermilion Bird is on the horse, which can generate the year's stem, the ox), indicating that the article is elegant and in fashion. The lesson is named "Revolution of the Old and the New," indicating a promotion from the local examination to the first rank, which is certain. However, the day stem and day branch are both in the state of absolute depletion, so official career cannot be far-reaching. Later he was appointed as the chief of the Ministry of Punishment, and then retired calmly without further serving. He once used the same lesson to divinate for a military examination, and two candidates passed. I also used this lesson to divinate illness, and both patients died. (This is based on the earth's depletion in the snake, as water and earth share the same growth.)

丁丑年二月乙未日亥將酉時，荊實君占黎樹聲孝廉會試。郭氏占案。　龍勾合朱　未申酉戌　蛇合勾空　鬼 丙申 勾　空午　亥蛇　亥酉申午　財 戊戌 朱　虎巳　子貴　酉未午乙　父 庚子 貴　辰卯寅丑　常玄陰后

On the Yiwei day of the Dingchou year in the second lunar month, using the Hai general added to the You hour to cast the divination, Jing Shihjun predicted for Li Shusheng, a candidate for the imperial examination, whether he would pass the examination. This example is taken from the "Guo Shi Zhan An." The branches on the Heaven Plate are all two positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Heavenly Generals follow the Heaven Plate: the Nobleman rides the Heaven Plate Zi and arrives at the Earth Plate Xu, the Teng Snake rides Hai and arrives at You, the Vermilion Bird rides Xu and arrives at Shen, the Liu He rides You and arrives at Wei, the Gou Chen rides Shen and arrives at Wu, the Azure Dragon rides Wei and arrives at Si, the Tian Kong rides Wu and arrives at Chen, the Bai Hu rides Si and arrives at Mao, the Tai Chang rides Chen and arrives at Yin, the Xuan Wu rides Mao and arrives at Chou, the Tai Yin rides Yin and arrives at Zi, and the Heavenly Empress rides Chou and arrives at Hai. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the wood of Yi is lodged in Chen, with Wu on Chen, which is the first lesson; Wu has Shen on it, which is the second lesson; the day branch Wei has You on it, which is the third lesson; You has Hai on it, which is the fourth lesson. The spirits on the four lessons ride in order Tian Kong, Gou Chen, Liu He, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are Shen, Xu, and Zi: the first transmission is Shen metal riding Gou Chen, with the hidden dry branch being Bing, which is the "official ghost" and it conquers the wood of Yi; the middle transmission is Xu earth riding the Vermilion Bird, with the hidden dry branch being Wu, which is the "wife wealth"; the final transmission is Zi water riding the Nobleman, with the hidden dry branch being Geng, which is the "parents" and it generates the wood of Yi.

郭御青曰：涉三淵之名，即主不佳，況末傳貴人墜落。課體交車雖亦佳，不敵涉三淵課之為害也。時未敢許，荊君知之。愚按：兩貴受克亦不能中。

Guo Yuqing said: This lesson is called "Crossing Three Deep Pits," which is like wading through three deep pits in succession. Just the name itself is ominous. Moreover, the final transmission is the water of Zi, which although riding on the "Nobleman," is placed on the Earth Plate at Xu. Xu is the land of the Heavenly Net and Earthly Net, and the Nobleman falling into the net is called "Nobleman Falling," indicating that the examiner will not be able to help throughout the process. Although the lesson pattern also includes the "Meeting Vehicle" structure, which usually represents mutual communication and exchange, it ultimately cannot overcome the凶害 of crossing three deep pits. Therefore, at that time, we dared not agree that he could pass the examination, and Jing Shi Jun also understood this meaning. Cheng Shuxun commented: On the day of Yi, the daytime Nobleman is at Zi and the nighttime Nobleman is at Shen. In this lesson, the initial transmission is the metal of Shen, which is overcome by the fire of Wu below, and the final transmission is the water of Zi, which is overcome by the earth of Xu below. Both Noblemen are overcome, so naturally, he cannot pass the examination.

丁丑年二月乙未日亥將申時，為江右羅文止孝廉萬藻占會試。郭氏占案。　勾合朱蛇　申酉戌亥　后朱朱龍　財 乙未 龍　龍未　子貴　丑戌戌未　財 戊戌 朱　空午　丑后　戌未未乙　財 辛丑 后　巳辰卯寅　虎常玄陰

On the Yiwei day of the Dingchou year in the second lunar month, a divination was cast for Luo Wenzhi, a scholar from Jiangxi named Wan Zao, to inquire about the imperial examination. This example is taken from the "Guo Shi Zhan An." The heavenly branches on the heaven plate are three positions ahead of those on the earth plate. The heavenly generals are arranged as follows: the nobleman rides on the heaven plate zi and is stationed on the earth plate you; the teng snake rides on the heaven plate hai and is stationed on the earth plate shen; the vermilion bird rides on the heaven plate xu and is stationed on the earth plate wei; the liuhe rides on the heaven plate you and is stationed on the earth plate wu; the gouchen rides on the heaven plate shen and is stationed on the earth plate si; the azure dragon rides on the heaven plate wei and is stationed on the earth plate chen; the tiankong rides on the heaven plate wu and is stationed on the earth plate chen; the baihu rides on the heaven plate si and is stationed on the earth plate yin; the taichang rides on the heaven plate chen and is stationed on the earth plate chou; the xuanwu rides on the heaven plate yin and is stationed on the earth plate zi; the taiyin rides on the heaven plate yin and is stationed on the earth plate hai; the tianhou rides on the heaven plate chou and is stationed on the earth plate xu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the wood stem yi is lodged in chen, with the earth branch wei on chen, which is the first lesson; the earth branch xu is on wei, which is the second lesson; the earth branch xu is on the day branch wei, which is the third lesson; the earth branch chou is on xu, which is the fourth lesson. The heavenly spirits on the four lessons are successively multiplied by the azure dragon, vermilion bird, vermilion bird, and tianhou. The three transmissions are wei, xu, and chou: the first transmission is the earth branch wei with the azure dragon, with the hidden stem yi; the middle transmission is the earth branch xu with the vermilion bird, with the hidden stem wu; the final transmission is the earth branch chou with the tianhou, with the hidden stem xin. All three transmissions are earth, and they all act as "wife wealth" for the day stem yi wood.

郭御青曰：墓神覆日發用，一木難敵眾土，無簾幕驛馬。餘素讀羅君刻稿，嚮往已久，偶於李君光倬寓中得邂逅，余每遇名公即為占之，惟於公亮、畹仙、章君、閔君四人得佳課，餘俱不佳，時餘心恐懼不安，同袍八十餘人豈僅公亮四人乎？放榜後止失周馬兩君，數之前定若此。愚按：指掌賦云，不第者刑害俱並，此等課是也。

Guo Yuqing said: The earth of the tomb for the wood of Yi is the soil of Wei, which lies on top of the day stem. It coincides with the first transmission as the initiating transmission. The three transmissions are all earth: Wei, Xu, and Chou. A single wood of Yi cannot withstand the heavy earth forces. The chart does not show the night nobleman "Lanmu Nobleman" or the post-horse. There is neither support nor movement. I have long admired the writings of Luo Wenzhi, and once met Li Guangzhuo by chance in his residence. Every time I met a famous person, I cast a chart for him. Only Yu Gongliang, Wanxian, Zhang Jun, and Min Jun received good charts, the rest were not good. At that time I felt anxious and uneasy - among more than eighty people taking the examination, could only Yu Gongliang and the others pass? But when the results were announced, only Zhou and Ma failed. The fate was already determined, and it was like this. Cheng Shuxun remarked: The "Zhi Zhang Fu" says that the chart of a failed examinee has "punishment and harm together," which refers exactly to this kind of chart.

五月乙未日未將卯時，某占訟。方本占案。　朱蛇　六酉戌亥子貴　陳申　丑后　玄蛇貴陳　父 己亥 蛇　龍未　寅陰　卯亥子申　兄 癸卯 玄　空午巳辰卯玄　亥未申乙　財 乙未 龍　虎常

On the day of Wu-Yi (May 14th) in the fifth lunar month, using the method of starting the divination with the general of Wei (未) added to the hour of Mao (卯), a person consulted about a legal case. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An." The branches on the Heaven Plate are four positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The configuration of the Heavenly Generals is as follows: the Nobleman is riding on the Heaven Plate Zi and is located on the Earth Plate Shen; the Teng Snake is riding on the Heaven Plate Hai and is located on the Earth Plate Wei; the Vermilion Bird is riding on the Heaven Plate Xu and is located on the Earth Plate Wu; the Liu He is riding on the Heaven Plate You and is located on the Earth Plate Si; the Gou Chen is riding on the Heaven Plate Shen and is located on the Earth Plate Chen; the Azure Dragon is riding on the Heaven Plate Wei and is located on the Earth Plate Mao; the Tian Kong is riding on the Heaven Plate Wu and is located on the Earth Plate Yin; the Bai Hu is riding on the Heaven Plate Si and is located on the Earth Plate Chou; the Tai Chang is riding on the Heaven Plate Chen and is located on the Earth Plate Zi; the Tai Yin is riding on the Heaven Plate Mao and is located on the Earth Plate You; the Tian Hou is riding on the Heaven Plate Chou and is located on the Earth Plate Xu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the wood branch Yi is lodged in Chen, with Shen on Chen, which is the first lesson; Shen has Zi on it, which is the second lesson; the day branch Wei has Hai on it, which is the third lesson; Hai has Mao on it, which is the fourth lesson. The spirits on the four lessons are successively riding on Gou Chen, the Nobleman, the Teng Snake, and the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are Hai, Mao, and Wei: the first transmission is Hai water riding the Teng Snake, with the hidden dry branch Ji, which generates Yi wood, representing "parents"; the second transmission is Mao wood riding the Black Tortoise, with the hidden dry branch Gui, which is of the same type as Yi, representing "brothers"; the third transmission is Wei earth riding the Azure Dragon, with the hidden dry branch Yi, representing "spouse's wealth." Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wood trinity.

邵彥和曰：一出頭，便被枷錮，後卻無事。蓋申作勾加身為鬼，所以枷錮，卻是日德合，末有龍，故無事。果丙申日被枷，後即疏放。三傳曲直，應先曲後直也。

Shao Yanhe said: This person was about to be put in chains and imprisoned when he appeared, but later remained safe. Because the day stem's heavenly stem, which is ethically associated with the god of justice, is Shen metal, which is riding on Gou Chen and affecting Yi. Shen metal overcoming Yi wood is the official ghost, and Gou Chen also signifies chains and imprisonment, so there was a danger of being imprisoned. However, Shen is also the day virtue of Yi (Yi combines with Geng, and Shen contains Geng). The final transmission, Wei earth, is also riding on Azure Dragon, which provides a solution amidst the danger, so in the end there was no harm. Later, he was indeed put in chains on the day of Bingshen, and was soon released. The three transmissions, Hai, Mao, and Wei, form a wood trinity, making it a "qu zhi" lesson, which exactly corresponds to the principle of first bending and then stretching.

戊子六月乙未日未將卯時，山西司化南占得此課，問是何官所占。指南。　朱蛇　六酉戌亥子貴　玄蛇貴勾　父 己亥 蛇　勾申　丑后　卯亥子申　兄 癸卯 玄　青未　寅陰　亥未申乙　財 乙未 青　空午巳辰卯玄　虎常

In the year of Wuzi, sixth lunar month, on the day of Yiwei, the class was cast by placing the hour of You (卯) with the hour stem of You (未). The diviner in southern Shanxi received this class and asked what official position it represented. This example is taken from the "Six Yin Guide." The class format is the same as the previous example: the branches on the Heaven Plate are four positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Nobleman is riding on the Heaven Plate's Zi and is located on the Earth Plate's Chen. The Teng Snake is riding on the Heaven Plate's Hai and is located on the Earth Plate's Wei. The Vermilion Bird is riding on the Heaven Plate's Xu and is located on the Earth Plate's Wu. The Liu He is riding on the Heaven Plate's You and is located on the Earth Plate's Si. The Gou Chen is riding on the Heaven Plate's Shen and is located on the Earth Plate's Chen. The Azure Dragon is riding on the Heaven Plate's Wei and is located on the Earth Plate's Mao. The Tian Kong is riding on the Heaven Plate's Wu and is located on the Earth Plate's Yin. The Bai Hu is riding on the Heaven Plate's Si and is located on the Earth Plate's Chou. The Tai Chang is riding on the Heaven Plate's Chen and is located on the Earth Plate's Zi. The Tai Yin is riding on the Heaven Plate's Mao and is located on the Earth Plate's Hai. The Heavenly Empress is riding on the Heaven Plate's Chou and is located on the Earth Plate's You. The four lessons, from right to left, are Shen added to Yi (Yi's lodging palace is Chen), Zi added to Shen, Hai added to Wei, and Mao added to Hai. The upper gods in order are Gou Chen, Nobleman, Teng Snake, and Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are Hai, Mao, and Wei: the first transmission is Hai water riding Teng Snake, with the hidden stem Ji, representing "parents"; the middle transmission is Mao wood riding Xuan Wu, with the hidden stem Ji, representing "brothers"; the final transmission is Wei earth riding Azure Dragon, with the hidden stem Yi, representing "spouse's wealth."

陳公獻曰：此必林木舟車官也，非科甲中人，卻作科甲之官。將來功名遠大。蓋夏占木局枝葉正見茂盛，況蛇化為龍，定然居官榮耀。因幕貴坐空，是以不由科甲也。卯為林木舟車見於中傳，故知為舟車之官。問果何官？曰：印爻發用，末傳皇恩必是恩蔭之官。問能升兵憲否。答曰：正官在日，偏印居支，先升知府，後轉司道。曰：此清江劉工部所占也。後果升鎮江太守。

Chen Gongxian said: This must be an official in charge of matters related to forests, boats, and vehicles. The person is not of the imperial examination background, yet holds an office that is usually held by those who passed the imperial examination. In the future, his official rank will be great. Because in the summer month, the wood element is strong, which is the time when branches and leaves are flourishing. Moreover, the first transmission is accompanied by 'Teng Snake' and the final transmission by 'Azure Dragon', meaning the snake transforms into a dragon, indicating that his official position will be glorious. However, because the night nobleman 'Lanmu Nobleman' is seated in the Kongwang position, he did not enter office through the imperial examination. The卯 (Mao) element, which is associated with forests and vehicles, appears in the middle transmission, so it is known that he is an official in charge of vehicles. Someone asked what kind of official it is. The answer was: The official seal line is the initiating transmission, and the final transmission meets 'Imperial Grace', so he must be an official appointed through inherited privilege. Another question was asked: Can he be promoted to the position of military commander? The answer was: The official star is above the day stem, and the biased official star is above the day branch. He will first be promoted to the position of prefect, then transferred to the position of provincial governor. The person said: This is the divination lesson for Liu Gongbu of Qingjiang. Later, he indeed was promoted to the position of magistrate of Zhenjiang.

己卯年八月乙未日辰將子時，徐棣存先生占母病，己丑生五十一歲。牧夫占驗。　蛇朱合勾　酉戌亥子　虎合勾貴　父 己亥 合　貴申　丑龍　卯亥子申　兄 癸卯 虎　后未　寅空　亥未申乙　財 乙未 后　午巳辰卯　陰玄常虎

In the year of Jima, eighth lunar month, on the day of Yiwei, using the method of starting the divination with the general of Chen added to the Zi hour, Xu Dicun consulted about his mother's illness. The patient was born in the year of Jichou and was fifty-one years old. This case is taken from Wang Mufu's divination records. The Zi hour belongs to night time. On the day of Yi, the nobleman is located in Shen. The nobleman is on the earth plate at Chen, which belongs to the yang side. The heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman is on the heaven plate at Shen and on the earth plate at Chen; the Teng Snake is on You and on Si; the Vermilion Bird is on Xu and on Wu; the Liu He is on Hai and on Wei; the Gou Chen is on Zi and on Shen; the Azure Dragon is on Chou and on You; the Tian Kong is on Yin and on Xu; the White Tiger is on Mao and on Hai; the Tai Chang is on Chen and on Zi; the Black Tortoise is on Si and on Chou; the Tai Yin is on Wu and on Yin; and the Heavenly Empress is on Wei and on Mao. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Yi is located in Chen, with Shen on Chen, which is the first lesson; Shen has Zi on it, which is the second lesson; the day branch Wei has Hai on it, which is the third lesson; and Hai has Mao on it, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively accompanied by the nobleman, Gou Chen, Liu He, and White Tiger. The three transmissions, Hai, Mao, and Wei, form a wood trinity: the first transmission is water at Hai, accompanied by Liu He, with the hidden dry branch Ji, which represents 'parents'; the middle transmission is wood at Mao, accompanied by White Tiger, with the hidden dry branch Gui, which represents 'brothers'; and the final transmission is earth at Wei, accompanied by Heavenly Empress, with the hidden dry branch Yi, which represents 'spouse wealth'.

王牧夫曰：此課若占男子病，可醫可治。女人病則難醫難治，而終於凶也。蓋女人以支位為主，未為日墓，三傳亥卯未木局剋制支辰，此其本體已弱矣。其得病受病之由，則風疾加溼為多，肝經受病為的。以曲直生風，亥水為痰，木侵滛為溼。白虎居卯帶癸，日祿作閉口，不能飲食矣。虎在中，病在中焦。命乘馬用玄武，魂已出遊。木主瘦弱，未為風伯，又為日墓，風藏於內不得出，其病日深一日，醫藥所不能治也。

Wang Mufu said: If this divination is about a man's illness, it may still be treatable; but if it is about a woman's illness, it is difficult to treat and ultimately ominous. This is because for women, the day branch is the main focus. The day branch is in the position of Wei, which is the Storage of Yi wood. The three transmissions, Hai, Mao, and Wei, form a wood triad, which in turn counteracts the earth element of the day branch. The fundamental constitution is already weak. As for the cause of the illness, it is mostly due to a combination of wind and dampness, with the liver meridian being the most accurate diagnosis. The wood triad, which is of the "curved and straight" type, is responsible for generating wind. The Hai water element indicates phlegm, and the invasion of wood qi leads to dampness. The White Tiger is on the Mao, which also has the癸 dry branch hidden within it. The Mao is originally the禄神 of Yi day, but now it shows the "closed mouth" sign, indicating that the person cannot take in food. The White Tiger is in the middle transmission, indicating the illness is in the middle jiao. The person's birth day is Chou, and the upper god of Chou has the驿马 at Si, which is also occupied by the Black Tortoise. This indicates that the soul and spirit have already left the body. Wood represents a weak and thin physique. The Wei is the "Wind God" in the class of gods, and it is also the墓 of Yi wood. The wind is hidden inside and cannot be released, so the illness is getting worse day by day, and it cannot be cured by medicine.

儀神入墓，救之無緣。且命年巳戌合中傳卯已成鑄印，死形已現。況太歲作虎為支之鬼乎？病深重矣。巳亥之日，其難逃乎？後果於巳亥日卒。亥日凶者，沖命上巳也。巳破而鑄印壞矣，安能久乎？若男占，則支上之亥乃長生，又木局自生，故不必死也。

The guardian deity "Yi Shen" has also fallen into the Storage position, making it impossible to get help. Moreover, the original birth day's巳 (Si) and戌 (Xu) are in mutual partnership, and with the Middle Transmission's卯 (Mao), they form the "Cast Seal" pattern, revealing a fatal sign. Furthermore, the Tai Su of the Ji Mao year is the卯 (Mao) wood, which is riding on the White Tiger, exactly the official ghost of the day branch's未 (Wei) earth. The illness is naturally severe. The days of巳 and亥 are probably unavoidable. Later, he indeed died on the days of巳 and亥. The day of亥 is particularly dangerous because the亥 (Hai) water conflicts with the original birth day's巳 (Si) fire; once the巳 is broken by the conflict, the "Cast Seal" pattern is destroyed, how can one live long? If it were a man consulting, the亥 (Hai) water on the day branch would be the long life position of the乙 (Yi) wood, and the wood cycle would generate itself, so he would not die.

己酉年三月十七乙未日戌將巳時，童學士戊寅生三十三歲占前程。方本占案　口鑑。　蛇貴　朱戌亥子丑后　六酉　寅陰　虎貴陰六　子 空巳 虎　陳申　卯玄　巳子寅酉　財 戊戌 朱　龍未午巳辰常　子未酉乙　兄 癸卯 玄　空虎

In the year Jiyou, third month, seventeenth day, Yiwei, using the戌 general added to the巳 hour to cast the divination, a scholar named Wuyin, born in the year Wuyin, thirty-three years old, asked about his future. This example is taken from the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The branches on the Heaven Plate are five positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The巳 hour belongs to the day time, and on the day of Yi, the nobleman is in the position of Zi. The nobleman is on the Earth Plate at Wei, which is the Yin position. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Zi and on the Earth Plate at Wei; the Teng Snake is on the Heaven Plate at Hai and on the Earth Plate at Wu; the Vermilion Bird is on the Heaven Plate at Xu and on the Earth Plate at Si; the Liu He is on the Heaven Plate at You and on the Earth Plate at Chen; the Gou Chen is on the Heaven Plate at Shen and on the Earth Plate at Mao; the Azure Dragon is on the Heaven Plate at Wei and on the Earth Plate at Yin; the Tian Kong is on the Heaven Plate at Wu and on the Earth Plate at Chou; the Bai Hu is on the Heaven Plate at Si and on the Earth Plate at Zi; the Tai Chang is on the Heaven Plate at Chen and on the Earth Plate at Hai; the Xuan Wu is on the Heaven Plate at Mao and on the Earth Plate at Xu; the Tai Yin is on the Heaven Plate at Yin and on the Earth Plate at You; the Heavenly Empress is on the Heaven Plate at Yin and on the Earth Plate at Shen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Yi is lodged in the position of Chen, with the position of You on Chen, which is the first lesson; the position of Yin is on You, which is the second lesson; the position of Wei on the day branch is with the position of Zi, which is the third lesson; the position of Zi is with the position of Si, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are successively multiplied by Liu He, Tai Yin, Nobleman, and Bai Hu. The three transmissions are Si, Xu, and Mao: the first transmission is Si fire with Bai Hu, Si is the empty position (the day of Yiwei belongs to the Jiawu decade, the empty position is in Chen and Si), which is the "son" of the wood of Yi; the middle transmission is Xu earth with the Vermilion Bird, the hidden dry is Wu, which is the "wife's wealth"; the final transmission is Mao wood with Xuan Wu, the hidden dry is Ji, which is the "brother."

邵彥和曰：酉作六合，主生蓮花痔，因色中躁怒而得。色中何？酉為色也。何言躁也？酉克乙未木，木肝，肝主怒，非色中躁怒而何？正妻無子，必主偏生，三下賊上，前程未能興發。

Shao Yanhe said: The day stem is connected with the god酉 metal, which is riding on the Liu He. This indicates that the person is likely to have a hemorrhoid resembling a lotus flower, which arises from anger during sexual activity. How do we know it is related to sexual activity? The god酉 belongs to the category of gods associated with sexual desire. How do we know it is anger? The metal of酉 is capable of overcoming the wood of Yi, and it also overcomes the hidden Yi wood in the day branch of Wei. Wood belongs to the liver, and the liver governs anger. What else could it be but anger during sexual activity? The main wife is unable to bear children, and one must rely on the offspring from a concubine. In the four lessons, the third lesson is occupied by a lower god that is stealing from the upper god, which indicates that the person's future prospects will not develop well.

初巳作虎，子息防水厄。初巳子爻，加於子水之上，作虎，虎凶將，又遭下克，先是以主乎水厄。中戌，戌陽乙陰，正妻也，加子爻空巳上，烏能生子？奈又作子爻之墓何？戌作雀，防妻有湯傷火厄。末卯作玄，防出入騎乘有傷手足，文書在盜氣上，前程難顯。宅上貴人六害，末財祿又入盜氣，更三十不意而死。

The first transmission is the fire of巳, riding on the White Tiger, indicating a need to be cautious about water-related dangers concerning children. The first transmission is precisely the grandson's hexagram, but it is placed on the Earth Plate's water of子, and it is further afflicted by the Inauspicious General White Tiger. Moreover, it is being overcome by the water below, so it is predicted that the children will suffer from drowning disasters. The middle transmission is the earth of戌: since戌 is yang and乙 is yin,戌 is the proper wife of the day stem. It is placed on the empty巳 (the grandson's hexagram), so where can a son come from? Moreover,戌 is precisely the Storage of the grandson's fire hexagram. The middle transmission is also riding on the Vermilion Bird, so one should also be cautious about the wife suffering from burns or scalds. The final transmission is the wood of卯, riding on the Black Tortoise, indicating a need to be cautious about injuries to the hands or feet when going out or riding. The god of documents is located on the盗气, so one's prospects will be difficult to achieve. The nobleman on the house hexagram is in six harm with the day stem, and the wealth and official rank of the final transmission falls into盗气. After thirty years, one will die in disappointment.

日上酉作合，酉為血，合為蓮花來克身，故主蓮花痔。以巳為子息，巳乃旬空，又作虎，中妻又臨空，無子又妨妻，後辛亥年大水，子墮水幾死，丁巳妻醉後腳燒，乙卯騎馬入城，撲折左足，其言皆應也。六十二因侄分去產，不得意而死。

The day stem is connected to the god酉, which is riding on 「Liu He」. The酉 represents blood, and the image of Liu He is a lotus. Since it is also overcoming the day stem itself, it is interpreted as a hemorrhoid resembling a lotus. The巳 fire represents children, but the巳 falls in the旬空, and also rides on the White Tiger. The wife's爻, which is戌, also falls on the empty position of巳. Thus, there are no children and the wife is also harmed. Later, in the Xinhai year, a great flood occurred, and the son almost drowned; in the Dingsi year, the wife was burned on her foot after drinking alcohol; in the Yimao year, he rode a horse into the city and broke his left foot—everything predicted was fulfilled. At the age of sixty-two, due to the division of family property among his nephews, he became depressed and died.

蓋乙以戌為財乘空，末又被元引將去，反失財也。卯六戌五，五六三十，故更三十死。看驗處著著俱妙，邵先生亦未之反也。亥辛年，亥巳相沖，子動也。妻戌加巳，巳火戌足，足加火上，非燒足而燒何？巳上，故巳年應之。

Yi wood takes Xu earth as its wealth, but Xu is riding on Kongwang. The final transmission is also stolen by Xuanwu, the thief god, thus leading to loss of wealth. The number of卯 is six, and the number of Xu is five. Six and five multiplied together make thirty, so it is said that he will die thirty years later. Looking at the verification, each step is extremely precise, and Zhao Master did not make a mistake. In the Xinhai year,亥 and巳 are in opposition, which moves the son's爻. Therefore, it should be related to the son. The wife's爻 Xu is placed on巳, and巳 belongs to fire while Xu represents the foot. The foot is placed on fire, which is nothing but burning the foot. Since it is on the position of巳, it should be in the year of巳.

卯驢本日祿，不可言凶，乘玄乃凶耳。驢馬類也。克戌是折足，陽左陰右，故折左足。卯乘元武，又受酉沖，故主騎乘而攫折。若無酉沖，或不至此。大抵卯為舟車戶輿騾驢，一遇酉沖，便主翻覆跌撲，予嘗得驗也。

The Trigram Mao represents an ass in the category of animals. It is also the禄神 (favorable deity) for the day of Yi, so it should not be considered ominous. However, when it is combined with the Black Tortoise, it becomes ominous. Since an ass is similar to a horse, the wood of Mao overcomes the earth of Xu, which governs the feet, thus causing a broken foot. Yang represents the left, and Yin represents the right. Xu belongs to Yang, so the left foot is broken. Since Mao is combined with the Black Tortoise and is also attacked by You metal, it is judged as an accident occurring while riding. If there were no You to attack, such an accident might not occur. Generally, Mao relates to boats, vehicles, doors, palanquins, and donkeys and mules. When it is attacked by You, it indicates overturning or falling. I have tested this repeatedly and it has proven accurate.

丙子三月乙未日己卯時，御馬監太監馮允升被逮，刑部已定重闢，求占。指南。　后陰　貴子丑寅卯玄　六陰空蛇　子 甲午 空　蛇亥　辰常　酉寅午亥　財 辛丑 后　朱戌　巳虎　寅未亥乙　官 丙申 勾　六酉申未午空　勾龍

On the day of Ji Mao (乙未) in the third lunar month of the Bing Zi (丙子) year, the eunuch Feng Yunsheng of the Imperial Stables was arrested, and the Ministry of Punishment had already sentenced him to death. A divination was sought to determine the fortune. This case is taken from the "Six Rats Guide." On this day, the Wu General was added to the卯 (卯) hour, and the branches on the Heaven Plate were seven positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The卯 hour belonged to the daytime, and on an Yi day, the nobleman was located at Zi during the day. The nobleman rode on the Heaven Plate's Zi, which was located on the Earth Plate's Si, belonging to the Yin side. The heavenly generals were arranged in reverse order: the nobleman rode on the Heaven Plate's Zi, which was located on the Earth Plate's Si; the Heavenly Empress rode on the Heaven Plate's Chou, which was located on the Earth Plate's Wu; Tai Yin rode on the Heaven Plate's Yin, which was located on the Earth Plate's Wei; Xuan Wu rode on the Heaven Plate's Mao, which was located on the Earth Plate's Shen; Tai Chang rode on the Heaven Plate's Chen, which was located on the Earth Plate's You; Bai Hu rode on the Heaven Plate's Si, which was located on the Earth Plate's Xu; Tian Kong rode on the Heaven Plate's Wu, which was located on the Earth Plate's Hai; Qing Long rode on the Heaven Plate's Wei, which was located on the Earth Plate's Zi; Gou Chen rode on the Heaven Plate's Shen, which was located on the Earth Plate's Chou; Liu He rode on the Heaven Plate's You, which was located on the Earth Plate's Yin; Zhu Que rode on the Heaven Plate's Xu, which was located on the Earth Plate's Mao; and Teng Snake rode on the Heaven Plate's Hai, which was located on the Earth Plate's Chen. The four lessons were arranged from right to left: the wood of Yi was located in Chen, with the branch of Hai on Chen, which was the first lesson; the branch of Wu was on Hai, which was the second lesson; the branch of Yin was on Wei, which was the third lesson; and the branch of You was on Yin, which was the fourth lesson. The upper spirits successively rode on Teng Snake, Tian Kong, Tai Yin, and Liu He. The three transmissions were Wu, Chou, and Shen: the first transmission was Wu fire riding Tian Kong, with the hidden dry branch Ji, which was "son and daughter"; the middle transmission was Chou earth riding Heavenly Empress, with the hidden dry branch Xin, which was "wife and wealth"; and the final transmission was Shen metal riding Gou Chen, with the hidden dry branch Bing, which was "official and ghost."

陳公獻曰：必遇恩宥，仍拔重用之兆。蓋以日主皇恩，支見天赦（春三月天赦在寅，此不必以太寅為天赦也），又太歲貴人生日，罪雖至重，亦能轉凶為吉。傳將遞生，初末引從子命（子命上見未，初末午申拱之），定主上臺推薦。果五月奉旨熱審，開豁謫戍，發京營立功，後監洪黑二將及予追剿，有功復職。

Chen Gongxian said: This person is certainly going to encounter a heavenly pardon and show signs of being reinstated and reappointed. Because the day stem carries the "Imperial Grace" deity, and the day branch, which is寅, also carries the "Heavenly Pardon" deity (the Heavenly Pardon in spring's third month is in寅, but here it is not necessary to strictly use the year's寅 as the Heavenly Pardon). Moreover, the Tai Su of the Bingzi year, which is子, is riding on the Nobleman and generates and supports the day stem. Although the crime is extremely severe, it can turn from bad to good. The three transmissions have the fire of午 generating the earth of丑, and the earth of丑 generating the metal of申; the Heavenly General also follows in sequence and generates each other. The first transmission午 and the final transmission申 are one before and one after, enclosing the person's original destiny子's upper deity未 in the middle (the original destiny子 has the deity未, and the first and final transmissions午 and申 exactly enclose it), forming the "leading and following" pattern. It is certain that a high-ranking official will recommend him. Later, in May, he was ordered to undergo a hot review, and his serious crime was pardoned and changed to a sentence of exile to the capital garrison, where he was to establish merit. Afterwards, he supervised the generals Hong and He, and fought alongside me to suppress the rebels, and was reinstated due to his meritorious service.

登州戚都司諱司宗者因失機已定重闢八載，占吉凶若何，年月日時同。指南。　后陰　貴子丑寅卯玄　六陰空蛇　子 甲午 空　蛇亥　辰常　酉寅午亥　財 辛丑 后　朱戌　巳虎　寅未亥乙　官 丙申 勾　六酉申未午空　勾龍

Heavenly Empress is on the Earth Plate at午 and is also on the Heaven Plate at丑. Tai Yin is on the Earth Plate at未 and on the Heaven Plate at寅. Black Tortoise is on the Earth Plate at申 and on the Heaven Plate at卯. Tai Chang is on the Earth Plate at酉 and on the Heaven Plate at辰. White Tiger is on the Earth Plate at戌 and on the Heaven Plate at巳. Tian Kong is on the Earth Plate at亥 and on the Heaven Plate at午. Azure Dragon is on the Earth Plate at子 and on the Heaven Plate at未. Gou Chen is on the Earth Plate at丑 and on the Heaven Plate at申. Liu He is on the Earth Plate at寅 and on the Heaven Plate at酉. Vermilion Bird is on the Earth Plate at卯 and on the Heaven Plate at戌. Teng Snake is on the Earth Plate at辰 and on the Heaven Plate at巳. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left as亥 with乙 (乙 is in the Lodging Palace at辰),午 with亥,寅 with未, and酉 with寅. The upper gods are successively乘 Teng Snake, Tian Kong, Tai Yin, and Liu He. The Three Transmissions are午,丑, and申. The first Transmission is午 with Fire and Tian Kong, with the hidden heavenly stem 甲, representing 'Son'. The second Transmission is丑 with Earth and Heavenly Empress, with the hidden heavenly stem 辛, representing 'Wife and Wealth'. The third Transmission is申 with Metal and Gou Chen, with the hidden heavenly stem 丙, representing 'Official Ghost'.

陳公獻曰：六月遇赦，轉凶為吉。緣長生臨身（亥為木長生，臨日故也，此不以長生坐墓看。），天赦加支，況太歲貴人俱作恩星，罪雖重，亦減輕矣。尤可喜者，傳將遞生，初末暗拱未命（此又不以拱上神論。），仍有公卿推薦，他日出仕之象也。果六月奉命熱審，豁罪謫戍，發京營立功處贖，後辛巳年升甘肅鎮中軍參將。

Chen Gongxian said: In June, there would be a pardon, turning misfortune into good fortune. This is because the god of growth is present on the day stem (the亥 is the growth of wood, and it is directly above the day stem, here not considering the layer of "growth sitting in the tomb"), and the god of heavenly pardon is added to the day branch. Moreover, the year stem and nobleman both serve as benevolent stars, so even if the crime is serious, it would be mitigated. Especially pleasing is that the three transmissions and heavenly general are successively mutually generated, the first transmission at午 and the final transmission at申 secretly supporting his true birth sign of未 (here not considering the theory of supporting the upper god). There is still a recommendation from officials and ministers, indicating a sign of re-entering officialdom later. Later, indeed, in June he was ordered to conduct a hot review, his crime was pardoned and he was reprimanded and sent to serve in the capital military camp to atone for his crime; later, in the year of Xinsi, he was promoted to the position of参将 in the military command of Gansu.

崇正丁丑八月丙申日巳將巳時，浣中劉太史占楚省袁副鯨及同鄉鄭大司空、玄嶽兩先生枚卜果否。指南。　虎常　空巳午未申玄　玄玄空空　比 乙巳 空　青辰　酉陰　申申巳巳　財 丙申 玄　勾卯　戌后　申申巳丙　父 壬寅 六　六寅丑子亥貴　朱蛇

In the year Dingchou of the Chongzhen era, on the day of Bingshen in the eighth lunar month, a divination was cast using the time of巳 (snake) and the general of巳 (snake) added to the hour of巳 (snake). Liu Taishi of the Han clan asked whether Yuan Fuying, a deputy inspector of Huguang, and his fellow townsman Zheng Dashikong (Ministry of Works Minister), as well as the two gentlemen Xuan Yue, would be recommended for the cabinet and whether their appointment would succeed. This example is taken from the "Six壬 Guide." The month general and the hour are in the same position, and the heaven plate and earth plate are completely identical, forming a "Hidden Chant" lesson. The hour of巳 (snake) belongs to the day time, and on a day of丙 (bing), the nobleman (day's nobleman) is at亥 (pig). The nobleman is on the earth plate at亥 (pig), which belongs to the yang side. The heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman rides亥 (pig), the Teng Snake rides子 (rat), the Vermilion Bird rides丑 (ox), the Liu He rides寅 (tiger), the Gou Chen rides卯 (rabbit), the Azure Dragon rides辰 (dragon), the Tian Kong rides巳 (snake), the White Tiger rides午 (horse), the Tai Chang rides未 (goat), the Black Tortoise rides申 (monkey), the Tai Yin rides酉 (rooster), and the Heavenly Empress rides戌 (dog). Since the heaven plate and earth plate are the same, each general is on its own branch. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the fire of丙 (bing) is lodged in the palace of巳 (snake), and the palace of巳 (snake) is still巳 (snake), which is the first lesson; the palace of巳 (snake) is still巳 (snake), which is the second lesson; the day branch is申 (monkey), and the palace of申 (monkey) is still申 (monkey), which is the third lesson; the palace of申 (monkey) is still申 (monkey), which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods ride in order: Tian Kong, Tian Kong, Xuan Wu, Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are巳 (snake),申 (monkey), and寅 (tiger). The transmission is formed by the Hidden Chant and self-punishment. The first transmission is the fire of巳 (snake) riding Tian Kong, which is the "companion" of丙 (bing) and also the禄神 (lucky god) of the day of丙 (bing). It falls in the empty space (the day of丙申 belongs to the旬 of Jiawu, and the empty space is in辰 (dragon) and巳 (snake)). The middle transmission is the metal of申 (monkey) riding Xuan Wu, with the hidden character丙 (bing), which is the "wife's wealth." The final transmission is the wood of寅 (tiger) riding Liu He, with the hidden character壬 (ren), which is the "parents," and寅 (tiger) is also the Post-horse (post-horse) of the day of申 (monkey).

陳公獻曰：兩公俱不能入相，且主臺省彈劾而回。何也？蓋三傳遞互刑剋，全無和洽之氣，剛日伏吟見馬，歸象已現。此非臺省有言而何？後兩公枚卜不果，袁公當被參去，鄭公為欽仵 獄擬罪而歸。因鄭命見地網日墓，是以罹禍尤重。

Chen Gongxian said: Both of you will not be appointed to the cabinet, and you will be impeached by the censors and officials of the imperial council and then dismissed. How do you know this? The three transmissions show that the snake is in conflict with the monkey, and the monkey is in conflict with the tiger, with each one attacking the other in succession, showing no harmonious energy. The propitious day is a strong day and also meets the hidden chant, and the lesson also shows the post-horse, indicating the sign of returning home. What else could this be but the imperial council having something to say? Later, both of you indeed failed to be recommended for office. Yuan was impeached and dismissed from office, and Zheng was arrested on account of the imperial case, and was sentenced and then returned home. Because Zheng's native star shows both the earth net and the day tomb, the calamity he suffered was especially severe.

凡占仕，三傳遞克是大凶之象。此課縱發用德祿月將，但旬空乘空，空之極矣。此太陽又非在夜方，但竟一毫無用，可見月將不空之說，大謬也，切記，切記！由課推論鄭率嶽為戌年生，陰神戌乘天后，戌為地獄，戌為陰暗滯凝之神，黑暗何如之也。

In divination regarding official career prospects, if the three transmissions mutually control and attack each other, it is a very ominous omen. Although this lesson's initiating transmission is based on the day's virtue and the day's fortune combined with the month's general, the巳 is already in the旬空, and it is also occupied by Tian Kong. This is extremely empty. At this time, the sun is not in the night direction, yet it has no effect at all. This clearly shows that the saying "the month's general does not fall into emptiness" is completely wrong. Remember this, remember this! Further analyzing the lesson's imagery: Zheng Ruyue (i.e., the previously mentioned Xuan Yue Master) was born in the year of Xu. His personal destiny's yin spirit on Xu is occupied by Tian Hou. Xu is the position of hell and also the spirit of darkness and stagnation. The darkness can be imagined.

建炎己酉年十月丙申日寅將寅時，伊秀才占父病，父丙辰生六十四歲。方本占案　口鑑。　六朱　陳巳午未申蛇　龍辰　酉貴　蛇蛇陳陳　兄 空巳 陳　空卯　戌后　申申巳巳　財 丙申 蛇　虎寅丑子亥陰　申申巳丙　父 壬寅 虎　常玄

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, on the day Bingshen of the tenth month, the classmate Yi used the hour of Yin to cast a divination lesson. He was consulting about his father's illness. His father was born in the year Bingchen and is sixty-four years old. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The month general and the hour are in the same position, and the heaven plate and earth plate overlap, forming a "Fu Yin" lesson. The hour of Yin belongs to the night. On the day of Bing, the night nobleman is in You. The nobleman is on the earth plate in You, which is a yin position. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman rides You, the Teng Snake rides Shen, the Vermilion Bird rides Wei, the Liu He rides Wu, the Gou Chen rides Si, the Azure Dragon rides Chen, the Tian Kong rides Mao, the White Tiger rides Yin, the Tai Chang rides Chou, the Black Tortoise rides Zi, the Tai Yin rides Hai, and the Heavenly Empress rides Xu. Each general is on its own branch. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Bing is lodged in Si, and Si remains Si, which is the first lesson; Si is on Si, which is the second lesson; the day branch is Shen, and Shen remains Shen, which is the third lesson; Shen is on Shen, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits ride Gou Chen, Gou Chen, Teng Snake, and Teng Snake in sequence. The three transmissions are Si, Shen, and Yin: the first transmission is Si fire riding Gou Chen, which falls into the empty旬, representing "brother"; the middle transmission is Shen metal riding Teng Snake, with the hidden heavenly stem being Bing, representing "wife's wealth"; the final transmission is Yin wood riding the White Tiger, with the hidden heavenly stem being Ren, representing "parents."

邵彥和曰：此課自本身傳歸妻宮，妻宮又傳歸父母，六旬向上人，占病不宜見父母。蓋父母既故，故是下世重見父母也。行年與本身並（六十四歲行年在巳，巳既丙，丙為本身，故云行年與本身並。然則的是六十四歲）。

Shao Yanhe said: This reading starts from the day stem and transmits to the wife's palace, then returns to the parents'爻. For people over sixty years old who are seeking a divination about illness, it is most undesirable to see the parents'爻 -- since the parents have already passed away, encountering the parents'爻 again signifies going to the afterlife to meet the parents again. His age also coincides with his own stem (the age of Si, which is the lodging palace of Bing, and Bing is his own stem, so his age coincides with his own stem; from this we can determine that he is indeed sixty-four years old).

因財上及舊事不足，酉年以申財為病符，病符主舊事，的是己酉年占，其本命定丙午年。以致傷心。中間又是財爻入課，必是財切，兼與妻不足，遂激成病。末傳生氣，此課本主未死，緣父母宮艮山墳，左邊地風吹骨轉，右邊白蟻又入棺，若急移墳，可以延年。否則歸冥矣。

The root of the illness lies in matters of wealth and old affairs not being fulfilled: in the year of You, the wealth in the middle of Shen is considered the "Bingfu" (Disease Symbol), and the Bingfu signifies entanglements with past matters. This clearly indicates the year Jiyou. His father's birth year must be the year Bingwu. These matters have caused emotional distress. In the divination, the wealth element has entered the lesson, indicating financial difficulties and discord with the wife, which has led to illness. The final transmission is the wood of Yin, which is the life qi of the fire of Bing. This lesson would not have led to death; however, the father's grave is located in the Gen direction (mountain), with wind from the left blowing the bones around and white ants entering the coffin from the right. If the grave is moved quickly, longevity can be extended; otherwise, the person will pass away.

伊父之病，因為子娶婦囊空，不順意、煩心，遂心熱致渴成病，日漸狼狽，兼子又無書舍，愈增煩悶。先生令其移墳，渠及移利方，移意遂決。及開棺視之，則地風吹棺中骸骨顛倒，白蟻滿棺，泥土淤塞，於是易棺移葬，病日漸退，從此安好。次年其子又得一好書舍，雍容而過，安樂八十歲方卒。

The illness of Master Yi's father began because he had spent all his money on marrying his son, leading to many troubles and a troubled mind. As a result, his heart fire rose, he became thirsty, and his condition worsened day by day. Moreover, his son had no place to study, adding more worries. Master Shao told him to move the grave, so he moved it to a favorable direction, and the idea of relocating the burial was decided. When the coffin was opened, indeed, the wind from the earth had blown the bones inside upside down, and there were white ants all over the coffin, with soil blocking the way. They then replaced the coffin and changed the burial place, and the illness gradually improved, and he eventually recovered. The next year, his son obtained a good study room, and their life became more comfortable. The old man lived happily until he reached the age of eighty.

愚蓋丙日寅為父母爻，上見白虎，定是父母墳不安。六旬人見父爻，本不利。然寅為丙之長生，故得不死，而以父母墳斷也。白蟻之凶，乘白虎也。此伏吟上下皆父母，非他占可單用也。余按寅木主風，故云風吹骨轉。因占病又占出墳墓不吉之論，論得病源由。說出墳墓之災。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: On a day of Bing fire, the寅 (Yin) is considered the parent's yao. The Yin also has the White Tiger, so it is determined that the parents' grave is unstable. For people over sixty, seeing the parent's yao is generally unfavorable, but since the Yin is the long life of the Bing fire, it is not fatal. Therefore, the divination is interpreted from the parents' grave. The ominous sign of ants comes from the White Tiger riding on the Yin. This divination is a hidden chant, with both upper and lower parts being parent's yao, unlike other divination methods which can take one part alone. I add: The Yin wood represents wind, so the wind from the earth moves the bones around. Divining illness leads to the discussion of an unfavorable grave, both explaining the root of the illness and the disaster of the grave.

淳祐壬寅年正月丙申日，宣諭卜今年國事、邊事、歲事。一針見血。　六朱　陳巳午未申蛇　龍辰　酉貴　蛇蛇陳陳　兄 空巳 陳　空卯　戌后　申申巳巳　財 丙申 蛇　虎寅丑子亥陰　申申巳丙　父 壬寅 虎　常玄

In the year of Renyin of the Chunyu era, during the first lunar month on the day of Bingshen, by imperial decree, a divination was performed to predict the state affairs, border matters, and harvest conditions of the year. This example is taken from "Yizhen Jianxue." The divination pattern is the same as the previous example, still a "Fuyin" lesson with the Heaven and Earth plates overlapping. The Nobleman is riding the酉 (You), the Teng Snake is riding the申 (Shen), the Vermilion Bird is riding the未 (Wei), the Liu He is riding the午 (Wu), the Gou Chen is riding the巳 (Si), the Azure Dragon is riding the辰 (Chen), the Tian Kong is riding the卯 (Mao), the White Tiger is riding the寅 (Yin), the Tai Chang is riding the丑 (Chou), the Black Tortoise is riding the子 (Zi), the Tai Yin is riding the亥 (Hai), and the Heavenly Empress is riding the戌 (Xu), each general is stationed on their own branch. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, are Si adding Jia (Jia's lodging palace is Si), Si adding Si, Shen adding Shen, Shen adding Shen. The upper gods are successively riding Gou Chen, Gou Chen, Teng Snake, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are Si, Shen, and Yin: the first transmission is Si fire riding Gou Chen, falling into the empty term, representing "brother"; the middle transmission is Shen metal riding Teng Snake, with the hidden dry branch Jia, representing "spouse wealth"; the final transmission is Yin wood riding White Tiger, with the hidden dry branch Ren, representing "parents."

祝泌奏曰：伏吟主靜中有動者，大類去年如宰執之除及邊郡之驚。太乙為月德、日德，六陽既極之地，應有變，而二德神在焉，比國之有道也？次傳今日支上見騰蛇，屬丁為正月天德，臣今為國家占課，則日支為宅，乃宮禁所也。天德之神未奏福，宜有喜慶事。終傳功曹，即今歲之君，其位為今日之日本，主事之先兆。

Zhu Bi submitted a memorial stating: The divination of a hidden chant indicates a state of quiet with movement, similar to last year, which involved the appointment and dismissal of high officials and disturbances in border regions. The first transmission is巳, which in the twelve spirits is called 'Taiyi', and it is both the monthly virtue and the daily virtue. The position of巳 is at the extreme of the six yang, which is naturally a place of change, yet two virtuous spirits are precisely located here, resembling the image of a well-governed state. The middle transmission is today's day branch申, which is accompanied by 'Teng Snake'; Teng Snake pairs with丁, which is the heavenly virtue of the first month. Now, when I cast the divination for the state, the day branch represents the residence, which points exactly to the imperial palace. The heavenly virtue has not yet revealed its blessings, making it an auspicious time for joyous events. The final transmission is寅, which in the twelve spirits is called 'Gongcao', and it is the ruler of this year's Renyin Tai sui. Its position is also precisely the root and place of birth of today's propitious fire, indicating a presage of affairs.

白虎為兵撓，臣言兵來有驚亦與此合，然白虎之金安能當丙午之火？宜可屈折不為害。申主粟麥，巳主禾三谷，有德神臨之，當收成。寅主荳，不能免白虎之災恐收少薄耳。

The White Tiger presides over military strife and disturbances; the alarm caused by the coming of troops mentioned by the minister is consistent with this. However, the metal associated with the White Tiger is unable to withstand the fire of Bingwu; it should be able to overcome the fire and not cause harm. The rat (Zi) and the snake (Si) are associated with grains and rice, and they are under the protection of virtuous deities, so there should be a good harvest this year. The tiger (Yin) is associated with beans, but it is inevitably affected by the White Tiger's calamity, so the harvest is likely to be poor and insufficient.

崇正丁丑四月丙申日酉將酉時，阮實夫在燕京索占，不言所事。指南。　六朱　勾巳午未申蛇　蛇蛇勾勾　兄 乙巳 勾　青辰　酉貴　申申巳巳　財 丙申 蛇　空卯　戌后　申申巳丙　父 壬寅 虎　虎寅丑子亥陰　常玄

In the fourth month of the Dingchou year of the Chongzhen era, on the Bingshen day, a divination was cast using the You general and the You hour. Ruan Shifu in Beijing sought divination, but did not state the question. This example is taken from the "Six壬 Guide." The month general and the hour are in the same position, and the heaven plate and earth plate overlap, forming a "Hidden Chant" lesson. The You hour belongs to the night, and the night nobleman for the Bing day is in You. The nobleman is on the earth plate in You, which is the yin position. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman rides You, the Teng Snake rides Shen, the Vermilion Bird rides Wei, the Liu He rides Wu, the Gou Chen rides Si, the Azure Dragon rides Chen, the Tian Kong rides Mao, the White Tiger rides Yin, the Tai Chang rides Chou, the Black Tortoise rides Zi, the Tai Yin rides Hai, and the Heavenly Empress rides Xu, each general riding their own branch. The four lessons, from right to left, are Si added to Bing (Bing's lodging palace is Si), Si added to Si, Shen added to Shen, and Shen added to Shen. The upper gods in sequence ride Gou Chen, Gou Chen, Teng Snake, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are Si, Shen, and Yin. The first transmission is Si fire riding Gou Chen, which is the "brother" of Bing and also the禄神 of the Bing day, but it falls in the旬空 (the empty position of the Bingshen day, which belongs to the Jia Wu decade, with the empty position in Chen and Si). The middle transmission is Shen metal riding Teng Snake, with the hidden dry branch being Bing, which is the "wife's wealth." The final transmission is Yin wood riding the White Tiger, with the hidden dry branch being Ren, which is the "parents," and Yin is also the Post-horse of the Shen day.

陳公獻曰：仕途得此，主有臺省參劾，秋解任去，然繫何命？曰癸酉。此公必居相位，但不久矣。以太陽日貴臨命（月將從魁乘貴人居酉命），非相而何？獨嫌遞克伏吟丁馬，定有參劾行動之事。況太陽西墜，揮戈返景有幾人乎：後知為烏程溫首揆，占後果被論，秋月準馳驛而歸。（任信丁馬須言動，三傳遞克眾人欺，所以斷為參劾行動。）

Chen Gongxian said: A person in official position receiving this lesson indicates he will be impeached by officials of the examination and advisory departments and the provincial government, and will be dismissed in autumn. He was then asked about his birth year. The answer was Guiyou. This man must be in a position of prime minister, but will not hold the post for long. Because the sun, the month general, and the nobleman all fall on his birth year (the month general is You, which is called 'Congkui' in the twelve spirits, and is riding the nobleman, which is in the You destiny). Is this not the prime minister? The only drawback is that the three transmissions are mutually controlling, and there is also a hidden chant, along with the Ding spirit and the post-horse, which certainly indicates impeachment and action. Moreover, the sun has already set westward, how many can reverse the sun's course like Lu Yang waving his spear? Later it was found out that this was about Wen Tiren, the chief minister of Wucheng, and indeed he was impeached afterwards, and was allowed to return home by post in autumn. (Whenever the Ding spirit and the post-horse appear, one must interpret it as movement. The three transmissions mutually controlling indicate that people are deceiving each other, so it is interpreted as impeachment and action.)

戊日伏吟，三傳遞克而克干。丙日伏吟，三傳遞克卻不克干。惟丙申日，從干上發傳遞克至寅，實沖申支。干為我，支為人，此旬欲參人之象，應在溫體仁與張漢儒密謀卸錢謙益、瞿式耜也。錢有金傍，耜亦金器，皆應申金之支，故也。體仁擬旨逮治，謙益求解於大司禮監曹化淳。體仁知之，遂並罪化淳，此應寅為曹姓也。

On a Wu day, the Hidden Chant occurs, and the three transmissions successively control and attack each other, with the final transmission also controlling the day stem. On a Bing day, the Hidden Chant occurs, and although the three transmissions successively control each other, they do not control the day stem. However, on a Bingshen day, the transmission starts from the day stem's lodging palace, and successively controls through each transmission to the final transmission Yin, and Yin exactly conflicts with the day branch Shen. The stem represents oneself, and the branch represents others. This ten-day cycle indicates a situation where oneself is about to accuse others, which corresponds to the incident where Wen Tiren and Zhang Hanru conspired to exclude Qian Qianyi and Qu Shisi. The character "Qian" has a metal radical, and "Si" is also a metal farming tool, both relating to the day branch Shen metal. Wen Tiren proposed an imperial edict to arrest and punish Qian Qianyi, and Qian Qianyi sought help from the chief eunuch Cao Huachun of the Imperial Attendant Office. When Wen Tiren found out, he also charged Cao Huachun, which corresponds to Yin representing the surname Cao.

殊不知，寅乘白虎及遁壬水克干，此應化淳自請案治，得溫張密謀伏上之，帝命漢儒立枷死。六月，體仁乃引疾歸。踰年，太歲在寅，體仁亦死。此虎乘遁鬼之為害大也。況日祿既空，青龍又空，安得不罷？欲害人而適以害之，觀此課象，可以知成也。夫六壬之細微曲中，有如是神奇也。

But he did not realize that the寅 position was occupied by the White Tiger, and the hidden壬 water returned to attack the day stem. This should indicate that Cao Huachun reversed himself and voluntarily requested an investigation into the case, uncovering the secret plot of Wen and Zhang, and reporting it to the emperor. The emperor then ordered Zhang Hanru to be publicly executed in a wooden cage. In June, Wen Tiren claimed illness and returned to his hometown. After a year, when the Tai Sui reached寅, Wen Tiren also died. This is an example of the White Tiger multiplying the hidden stem ghost causing great harm. Moreover, since the day's禄巳 has fallen into Kongwang, and the position of the Azure Dragon, which is on辰, also falls into Kongwang, how could he not be dismissed from office? Intending to harm others, they ended up harming themselves. By observing the patterns of this lesson, both success and failure can be foreseen. The Six Rats school is so subtle and comprehensive, possessing such miraculous insights.

建炎戊申年九月十五丙申日辰將丑時，施主簿（乙亥年七月初二日亥時生，三十四歲）占前程。口鑑　方本占案。　貴后　蛇申酉戌亥陰　朱未　子玄　虎陰陰蛇　財 丙申 蛇　六午　丑常　寅亥亥申　鬼 己亥 陰　陳巳辰卯寅虎　亥申申丙　父 壬寅 虎　龍空

In the year of the Earth Ox, fifth month, fifteenth day of the ninth month, the day is the year of the Fire Monkey, and the time is the hour of the Earth Dragon. The divination is started with the hour of the Earth Dragon added to the hour of the Ox. The client, born on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year of the Water Rat at the hour of the Pig, is thirty-four years old, is asking about his future. This case is taken from the "Oral Insights" and "Case Book of Divination." The branches on the Heaven Plate are three positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The hour of the Ox is night, and the nobleman of the day of the Fire Monkey is in the West. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at the West and on the Earth Plate at the午, which is the Yin side. The Heavenly Generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on the West at the午, the Teng Snake is on the申 at the巳, the Vermilion Bird is on the未 at the辰, the Liu He is on the午 at the卯, the Gou Chen is on the巳 at the寅, the Azure Dragon is on the辰 at the丑, the Tian Kong is on the卯 at the子, the White Tiger is on the寅 at the亥, the Tai Chang is on the丑 at the戌, the Black Tortoise is on the子 at the酉, the Tai Yin is on the亥 at the申, and the Heavenly Empress is on the戌 at the未. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Fire element is in the巳, and the巳 has the申, which is the first lesson; the申 has the亥, which is the second lesson; the day branch 申 has the亥, which is the third lesson; the亥 has the寅, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are successively the Teng Snake, Tai Yin, Tai Yin, and White Tiger. The three transmissions are 申,亥,寅: the first transmission is the Metal 申, which is the Teng Snake, and the hidden stem is the Fire 丙, which is "wealth"; the middle transmission is the Water 亥, which is the Tai Yin, and the hidden stem is the Earth 己, which overcomes the Fire 丙 and is "official ghost"; the final transmission is the Wood 寅, which is the White Tiger, and the hidden stem is the Water 壬, which is "parents." The day branch 申 is placed on the day stem's lodging palace at the巳, which is "branch approaching the stem," and the lesson name is "bridegroom."

邵彥和曰：支來就干，為干所克，其人無正宅，多在寺觀及外處居住，或在妻家。蓋課名贅婿，所以無正居也。傳見蛇虎必多喪服，將來終於曹職。末傳寅作虎，終於水邊作州府職官而已。其後果丁父母四喪，果於甲子年授江陰軍知錄，己巳有事矣。

Shao Yanhe said: When the day branch approaches the day stem and is overcome by it, this person does not have a proper home, and is mostly staying in temples or monasteries or living in another town, or living with his wife's family. Because the name of the divination is "Zhuixu" (a赘婿), he does not have a fixed residence. The three transmissions contain Teng Snake and White Tiger, which certainly indicates many funerals; in the end, his official position will only be a subordinate official such as a Cao Yuan. The final transmission has寅wood riding on White Tiger, so in the end he can only hold a position in a state with water nearby. Later, he indeed experienced four funerals for his parents, and indeed in the Jiazi year he was appointed as the chief recorder of Jiangyin Military, but in the Jisi year something happened.

愚按：蓋宅加日受克，宅上見亥，金反去生亥，安得正宅？末寅生於亥，丙生於寅，為水邊州府也。寅為曹職，今知錄亦然。大凡占官，寅申為遷轉之神，既為蛇虎所撓，故止於知錄。

Cheng Shuxun says: The dwelling爻 (day branch) is placed above the day stem and is overcome by the day stem. The dwelling is seen as亥 water, with申 metal generating亥 in reverse. Where is there any proper dwelling? The final transmission寅 wood has its growth in亥, and丙 fire also has its growth in寅, so it is said to be a state by the water.寅 in the category of spirits is associated with the position of a clerk, and the position of a recorder also belongs to this category. Generally, when divining about officials,寅 and申 are the spirits indicating transfer. Here, however, it is disturbed by Teng Snake and White Tiger, so the official position only reaches the level of a recorder.

崇正辛未三月丁酉日卯時，劉經歷占梁大司馬推冢宰可允否。指南。　朱六　蛇子丑寅卯勾　貴龍陰六　鬼 己亥 貴　貴亥　辰青　亥辰酉寅　比 甲午 虎　后戌　巳空　辰酉寅丁　子 辛丑 朱　陰酉申未午虎　玄常

In the year Xinwei of the Chongzhen era, on the day Dingyou of the third lunar month at the hour of Mao, Liu Jingli asked about whether General Liang, who was recommended for the position of Zhongzai (Ministry of Personnel), would be approved. This example is taken from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan." For the third month, the general is set as Xu, added to the hour of Mao. The branches on the Heaven Plate are seven positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The hour of Mao is during the day, and on a Ding day, the nobleman (day's nobleman) is at Hai. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Hai and on the Earth Plate at Chen, which belongs to the Yang side. The heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman is at Hai over Chen, the Teng Snake is at Zi over Si, the Vermilion Bird is at Chou over Wu, the Liu He is at Yin over Wei, the Gou Chen is at Mao over Shen, the Azure Dragon is at Chen over You, the Tian Kong is at Si over Xu, the White Tiger is at Wu over Hai, the Tai Chang is at Wei over Zi, the Tai Yin is at Shen over Chou, the Black Tortoise is at You over Yin, and the Heavenly Empress is at Xu over Mao. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the fire of Ding is in the lodging palace of Wei, with the branch of Yin on Wei, which is the first lesson; the branch of You is on Yin, which is the second lesson; the branch of Chen is on You, which is the third lesson; and the branch of Hai is on Chen, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are successively mounted on Liu He, Tai Yin, Azure Dragon, and Nobleman. The three transmissions are Hai, Wu, and Chou, moving backward step by step: the first transmission is water at Hai, mounted on the nobleman, with the hidden dry branch Ji, which is the official ghost, and it overcomes the fire of Ding; the middle transmission is fire at Wu, mounted on the White Tiger, with the hidden dry branch Ji, which is the same as Ding, thus being a companion, and Wu is also the禄神 (lucky god) of Ding; the final transmission is earth at Chou, mounted on the Vermilion Bird, with the hidden dry branch Xin, which is the son.

陳公獻曰：不惟不遷，尋常退位。蓋日馬坐墓庫，祿神臨絕地，傳將又逆行故耳。況命上官貴履天羅，年上蛇做日鬼，交夏月應有一番風波。幸官鬼俱空，官祿退位卻無大咎。後以浙省大行水公參劾，請告而退。東省萬公名應斗者，在辰時壬申又占此，亦逮問擬罪而回。

Chen Gongxian said: Not only is there no promotion, but one will even have to resign without cause. This is because the post-horse in the day branch,亥, is sitting on the storage branch,辰, the禄神,午, is located on the绝地,亥, and the three transmissions and the heavenly general are all moving in reverse. Moreover, the official star and nobleman on the native's chart are stepping on the "Heavenly Net" area, and the year branch is riding on the Teng Snake, which also serves as the day ghost. Once summer comes, there will be some disturbance. Fortunately, the official and ghost divination elements are all falling on the Kongwang, so although the official position is lost, there is no great disaster. Later, he was impeached by a major official from Zhejiang and had to resign. Wan Gong, named Yingshou from Shandong, also got this divination at the辰 hour on Renshen. He was also arrested and charged with a crime, and then returned home.

丁丑年十二月丁酉日卯時，曾應遴先生，因雪後天氣昏沉，占明日有雪否。指南。　青空　勾卯辰巳午虎　六寅　未常　空常勾空　子 辛丑 朱　朱丑　申玄　巳未卯巳　比 乙巳 空　蛇子亥戌酉陰　未酉巳丁　比 乙巳 空　貴後

On the day of Dingyou in the twelfth lunar month, during the hour of Mao, Mr. Zeng Leng asked whether it would snow again the next day after a snowfall, with the sky being dark and cloudy. This example is taken from the "Six壬 Guide." In the twelfth month, the month general is Chou, added to the hour of Mao. The branches on the heaven plate are two positions behind those on the earth plate. The hour of Mao is daytime, and for a Ding day, the daytime nobleman is in Hai. The nobleman is on the heaven plate in Hai and on the earth plate in Chou, which belongs to the yang side. The heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman is on Hai over Chou, the teng snake is on Zi over Yin, the vermilion bird is on Chou over Mao, the liu he is on Yin over Chen, the gou chen is on Mao over Si, the azure dragon is on Chen over Wu, the tian kong is on Si over Wei, the white tiger is on Wu over Shen, the tai chang is on Wei over You, the tai yin is on You over Xu, the black tortoise is on Xu over Hai, and the heavenly empress is on Hai over Zi. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the fire of Ding is lodged in Wei, and Wei has巳, which is the first lesson;巳 has Mao, which is the second lesson; the day branch You has Wei, which is the third lesson; and Wei has巳, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively mounted on tian kong, gou chen, tai chang, and tian kong. The first and fourth lessons are repeated, so only three lessons are formed. Therefore, the method of "bie zhe" is used to establish the transmissions: the first transmission is the earth of Chou mounted on the vermilion bird, hidden dry branch Xin, which is "son and daughter," and Chou is also the sun of this month; the middle and final transmissions both take the dry branch on the god巳, mounted on tian kong, which is "companion."

斷曰：明日無雪且有日色。太陽發用，乘朱雀乃南方火之精也。且三傳四課純陰，陰極陽生，必有日所；至庚日未時有暴風起，酉為風殺，未為風伯，酉與未會故也。又日祿乘白虎加庚，上下克戰，故有此應。

The divination says: It will not snow tomorrow, and the sun will appear. The initial transmission (初传) is Chou, which is the month general (月将) of the sun. Above it is the Vermilion Bird (朱雀), which represents the essence of southern fire. Moreover, the three transmissions and four lessons are all yin spirits. When yin reaches its extreme, it transforms into yang, so the sun will definitely appear. On the day of Geng, at the hour of Wei, there will be a sudden strong wind, because You is the wind killer and Wei is the wind god, and You and Wei meet. Also, on the day of Ding, the禄神 (lucky spirit) of午 is riding on the White Tiger (白虎), which is placed on Shen (the position of Geng metal). The upper and lower elements mutually control and clash, hence this prediction comes true.

壬申年　月丁酉日　　將占子息。郭氏占案。　青空　勾卯辰巳午虎　六寅　未常　空常勾空　子 辛丑 朱　朱丑　申玄　巳未卯巳　比 乙巳 空　蛇子亥戌酉陰　未酉巳丁　比 乙巳 空　貴後

On a Dingyou day in a Renshen year, a divination was performed to determine the fortune of descendants. The example is taken from the "Guo's Divination Cases." The structure of the lesson is the same as the previous example: the Nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at亥 and on the Earth Plate at丑, the Teng Snake is on子 at寅, the Vermilion Bird is on丑 at卯, the Liu He is on寅 at辰, the Gou Chen is on卯 at巳, the Azure Dragon is on辰 at午, the Tian Kong is on巳 at未, the White Tiger is on午 at申, the Tai Chang is on未 at酉, the Black Tortoise is on申 at戌, and the Tai Yin is on酉 at亥, the Heavenly Empress is on戌 at子. The four lessons, read from right to left, are巳 added to丁 (丁's lodging palace is未),卯 added to巳,未 added to酉, and巳 added to未. The upper gods in sequence are Tian Kong, Gou Chen, Tai Chang, and Tian Kong. Although the four lessons are incomplete, the method of "bie zhe" is still used. The first transmission is丑 earth riding the Vermilion Bird, concealed dry branch is辛, which is "sons and daughters." The middle and final transmissions both use the dry branch巳 riding Tian Kong, which is "co-equal."

郭御青曰：壬申年，東鹿李望川者，為餘占子息，是年餘傷子即己巳所生者。李斷此課巳空，即主所傷之子。天上日寄未臨酉，土金相生，又遁干丁，巳火土相生，乃真父子相見。酉年必得子。果於癸酉年十一月得子，李斷亦奇妙矣，附此。且課名別責，亦棄先而科後望之意。愚按：中末空亡，生子不能長大，此前人所未發。余屢回試驗知之，幫特附記於此。

Guo Yuqing said: In the Renshen year, Li Wangchuan of Donglu replaced me in divining about my son. That year I lost a son, who had been born in the Jisi year. Li Wangchuan interpreted this divination, pointing out that the巳 fell into Kongwang, which exactly corresponded to the lost son. On the Heaven Plate, the Day Stem's Lodging Palace was located on the Wei, which was in the position of You on the Earth Plate. Earth and Metal mutually generated, and Wei concealed the Ding Stem, which in turn generated with the巳 fire and earth, forming a true image of father and son meeting. Therefore, the You year would surely bring a son. Later, I indeed had a son in the Guiyou year, in November. Li Wangchuan's interpretation was truly remarkable, so I recorded it here. Moreover, the name of the divination is "Bie Ze," which also implies abandoning the previous and placing hope on the later. Cheng Shuxun remarked: Both the Middle Transmission and the Final Transmission fell into Kongwang, indicating that the child would not live long. This point was not previously mentioned by predecessors, and I have tested it many times, so I specially recorded it here.

丙辰年五月十八日丁酉日申將未時甲申生人三十三歲占求財。方本占案　口鑑。　常玄　虎午未申酉陰　空巳　戌后　貴蛇朱六　鬼 己亥 貴　龍辰　亥貴　亥戌酉申　鬼 庚子 后　陳卯寅丑子蛇　戌酉申丁　子 辛丑 陰　六朱

In the year of Bingchen, fifth lunar month, eighteenth day, on the day of Dingyou, using the hour of Shen as the starting point, a person born in the year of Jiashen, thirty-three years old, seeks fortune. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The branches on the Heaven Plate are one step ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The hour of Shen belongs to the daytime, and on a Ding day, the nobleman is located at Hai. The nobleman rides on the Heaven Plate at Hai and comes to the Earth Plate at Xu. Xu belongs to the yin side, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The nobleman rides on Hai and comes to Xu, the Heavenly Empress rides on Zi and comes to Hai, Tai Yin rides on Chou and comes to Zi, Xuanwu rides on Yin and comes to Chou, Tai Chang rides on Mao and comes to Yin, Baihu rides on Chen and comes to Mao, Tiankong rides on Si and comes to Chen, Qinglong rides on Wu and comes to Si, Gouchen rides on Wei and comes to Wu, Liuhe rides on Shen and comes to Wei, Zhuque rides on You and comes to Shen, and Tengshe rides on Xu and comes to You. The heavenly generals noted in the four lessons and three transmissions are exactly this sequence. Although the order of the heavenly generals on the plate diagram is reversed, the four lessons and three transmissions and the interpretation should be taken as the standard. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Ding is located in the lodging palace of Wei, and Wei has Shen, which is the first lesson; Shen has You, which is the second lesson; the day branch You has Xu, which is the third lesson; and Xu has Hai, which is the fourth lesson. The heavenly generals in sequence are Liuhe, Zhuque, Tengshe, and Nobleman. The three transmissions are Hai, Zi, and Chou in order, which is called "Jin Ru." The first transmission is Hai water riding the Nobleman, with the hidden dry branch Ji, which is "official ghost" because it overcomes Ding. The second transmission is Zi water riding the Heavenly Empress, with the hidden dry branch Geng, which is also "official ghost." The third transmission is Chou earth riding Tai Yin, with the hidden dry branch Xin, which is "son and daughter," and Chou is also the tomb and storage of the wealth god Shen metal.

邵彥和曰：進連茹三傳皆鬼，只喜日上人財，而辰上作六害。日上申加丁作六合，支上戌加酉作蛇，六合乃卯，蛇乃巳，此是卯與戌合，巳與申合，又末見財之庫，三傳雖鬼，只是少阻無妨，此是來往故事，再三方得。本命行年俱在傳課，又本命作財，必主喜兆非鬼兆也。

Shao Yanhe said: Three transmissions of Hai, Zi, and Chou are called "Jin Lian Ru" (progressive connection). The three transmissions are also all considered official ghosts. Fortunately, the day stem's heavenly stem is a wealth hexagram, and the day branch forms the six harms. The metal of Shen, located on the day stem, is placed on Ding and is accompanied by "Liu He" (six harmony). On the day branch You, the Xu is accompanied by "Teng Snake." "Liu He" belongs to Mao in the earthly branches, and "Teng Snake" belongs to Si in the earthly branches. Mao and Xu are in harmony, and Si and Shen are in harmony. The final transmission, Chou, is also the storage of the wealth hexagram Shen. Therefore, although the three transmissions are ghosts, they only cause slight obstruction and do not affect the overall situation. This is an old matter of mutual contact that requires repeated efforts to obtain. His native hexagram Shen and his year hexagram Xu are both within the transmission structure. The native hexagram Shen is also the wealth hexagram, which is certainly a good omen rather than a ghost omen.

建炎戊申年七月十五丁酉日午將辰時，江文老占家宅。方本占案　口鑑。　六朱　陳未申酉戌蛇　龍午　亥貴　陰貴貴朱　財 丁酉 朱　空巳　子后　丑亥亥酉　官 己亥 貴　虎辰卯寅丑陰　亥酉酉丁　子 辛丑 陰　常玄

In the year of Wushen, seventh month fifteenth day, Dingyou, using the hour of Wu as the starting point for the divination, Jiang Wenlao divined for his family residence. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The branches on the Heaven Plate are two positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The hour of Chen belongs to the day time, and on a Ding day, the nobleman (guiping) is located at Hai. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Hai and comes down to the Earth Plate at You. You belongs to the yin direction, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Hai and comes down to You, the Teng Snake is on Xu and comes down to Shen, the Vermilion Bird is on You and comes down to Wei, the Liu He is on Shen and comes down to Wu, the Gou Chen is on Wei and comes down to Si, the Azure Dragon is on Wu and comes down to Chen, the Tian Kong is on Si and comes down to Mao, the White Tiger is on Chen and comes down to Yin, the Tai Chang is on Mao and comes down to Chou, the Black Tortoise is on Yin and comes down to Zi, the Tai Yin is on Chou and comes down to Hai, and the Heavenly Empress is on Zi and comes down to Xu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the fire branch Ding is located in Wei, and Wei has You, which is the first lesson; You has Hai, which is the second lesson; the day branch You has Hai, which is the third lesson; Hai has Chou, which is the fourth lesson. The upper deities in sequence are the Vermilion Bird, the nobleman, the nobleman, and the Tai Yin. The three transmissions are You, Hai, and Chou: the first transmission is You metal with the Vermilion Bird, hidden dry branch Ding, which is "wife's wealth"; the middle transmission is Hai water with the nobleman, hidden dry branch Ji, which overcomes Ding fire as "official ghost"; the final transmission is Chou earth with the Tai Yin, hidden dry branch Xin, which is "son and daughter."

邵彥和曰：汝家中所奉之神非正，乃邪也。是獨足五通之類。與正神相反，獨足亦是自為禍，侵淫了少女，又壞你一缸醬，兼蛇入宅也。是時江氏供一五通神，損折一足，只一足在。

Shao Yanhe said: The gods you worship at home are not proper deities, but evil spirits, belonging to the category of the single-legged "Wutong." It is opposite to the proper deities; the single-legged itself will cause calamity. It has already disturbed the young women in your family, ruined a jar of fermented soy paste, and even had a snake enter your house. At that time, the Jiang family indeed worshipped a statue of a Wutong deity, which had broken off one of its legs, leaving only one foot.

蓋酉為五通，丁只一足，雀乃午也。七月尚是午將，將下見酉，乃醬也。丁主怪異壞物，課中有酉丑會起巳，巳臨門，故主蛇入宅。酉又為兌，兌少女也。故主侵淫少女。丁以酉為妻，丁主獨足，故主妻生獨足兒。

Because the Earthly Branch You is associated with the five senses in the category of divine spirits, the character Ding has only one foot. The Vermilion Bird is paired with the Earthly Branch Wu. In the seventh month, Wu is used as the general, and under Wu, You appears. You govern sauce. The spirit Ding governs strange occurrences and destruction of objects. In the divination, You and Chou meet, triggering Si, which is located at the entrance and door, thus indicating a snake entering the house. You belongs to the Eight Trigrams as Dui, which represents a young girl, so it signifies disturbance of young girls. Ding takes You as its wife, and since Ding has only one foot, it indicates that the wife will give birth to a child with one foot.

童秀才壬戌生四十七歲占官訟同得此課。方本占案　口鑑。　六朱　陳未申酉戌蛇　龍午　亥貴　陰貴貴朱　財 丁酉 朱　空巳　子后　丑亥亥酉　官 己亥 貴　虎辰卯寅丑陰　亥酉酉丁　子 辛丑 陰　常玄

A man named Tong Xiaocai, born in the year Renxu, aged forty-seven, divined about legal matters and received this same lesson. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The lesson format is the same as the previous example: the Nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at亥 and on the Earth Plate at酉, the Teng Snake is on the Heaven Plate at戌 and on the Earth Plate at申, the Vermilion Bird is on the Heaven Plate at酉 and on the Earth Plate at未, the Liu He is on the Heaven Plate at申 and on the Earth Plate at午, the Gou Chen is on the Heaven Plate at未 and on the Earth Plate at巳, the Azure Dragon is on the Heaven Plate at午 and on the Earth Plate at辰, the Tian Kong is on the Heaven Plate at巳 and on the Earth Plate at卯, the White Tiger is on the Heaven Plate at辰 and on the Earth Plate at寅, the Tai Chang is on the Heaven Plate at卯 and on the Earth Plate at丑, the Tai Yin is on the Heaven Plate at丑 and on the Earth Plate at亥, the Heavenly Empress is on the Heaven Plate at子 and on the Earth Plate at戌. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, are酉 added to丁 (丁's lodging palace is未),亥 added to酉,亥 added to酉, and丑 added to亥. The upper gods are successively riding the Vermilion Bird, Nobleman, Nobleman, and Tai Yin. The three transmissions are酉,亥, and丑: the first transmission is酉 metal riding the Vermilion Bird, with the hidden dry branch 丁, representing "wife's wealth"; the middle transmission is亥 water riding the Nobleman, with the hidden dry branch 己, representing "official ghost"; the final transmission is丑 earth riding the Tai Yin, with the hidden dry branch 辛, representing "son and daughter."

邵彥和曰：晝貴在夜，夜貴在晝，謂之貴人失位，不宜訟，必主斷理不明。今貴人差迭，主以財結托，及暗通貴人關節。酉作雀，徒然結托，必主又換衙門。行年寅，又為今日父母，主吏人及尊長為鬼。蓋不合寅反加鬼鄉故也。官斷不明，末傳太陰故也。以後彼必葬老陰人於內，太陰作丑為墓故也。童有房賣田並山，其兄應分取贖，弟反增高價，遂訟於官，買主繫童秀才之姑，自戊申至辛亥六月姑死，彼家果扛姑葬於內，而贖不得。

Shao Yanhe said: The nobleman appears at night during the day and during the day at night, which is called "the nobleman losing his position," and it is not suitable to initiate litigation, for the case will certainly be decided unclearly. Now the nobleman is confused, indicating the use of money to bribe and secretly communicate with the nobleman. The Vermilion Bird is on You, resulting in a futile attempt at bribery, and it is certain that the case will have to be transferred to another office. The year stem is in Yin, and Yin is also the parent's trigram of today, indicating that the officials and superiors have become ghosts - because Yin should not be reversed to the ghost's territory. The case is decided unclearly due to the final transmission being Tai Yin. Later, his family will certainly bury an old woman in that land, because the Tai Yin is on Chou, which is the storage. The Tong family has a house that needs to be sold along with the land and mountains. His elder brother was supposed to redeem the property, but the younger brother raised the price, so they filed a lawsuit. The buyer was the aunt of Tong Xiucai. From the year Wushen to Xinhai, in June the aunt died, and indeed the family took the aunt and buried her there, and the property could not be redeemed.

五月丁酉日午將辰時占事。指歸靈文論。　六朱　陳未申酉戌蛇　龍午　亥貴　陰貴貴朱　財 丁酉 朱　空巳　子后　丑亥亥酉　官 己亥 貴　虎辰卯寅丑陰　亥酉酉丁　子 辛丑 陰　常玄

On the day of Dingyou in the fifth month, using the hour of午 (horse) and starting the divination with the time of辰 (dragon), the question is about the purpose of the person who has come. This example is taken from the "Zhi Gui Ling Wen Lun." The structure of the divination is the same as the previous two examples: the Nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at亥 (pig) and on the Earth Plate at酉 (rooster); the Teng Snake is on the Heaven Plate at戌 (dog) and on the Earth Plate at申 (monkey); the Vermilion Bird is on the Heaven Plate at酉 (rooster) and on the Earth Plate at未 (sheep); the Liu He is on the Heaven Plate at申 (monkey) and on the Earth Plate at午 (horse); the Gou Chen is on the Heaven Plate at未 (sheep) and on the Earth Plate at巳 (snake); the Azure Dragon is on the Heaven Plate at午 (horse) and on the Earth Plate at辰 (tiger); the Tian Kong is on the Heaven Plate at巳 (snake) and on the Earth Plate at卯 (rabbit); the White Tiger is on the Heaven Plate at辰 (tiger) and on the Earth Plate at寅 (ox); the Tai Chang is on the Heaven Plate at卯 (rabbit) and on the Earth Plate at丑 (ox); the Tai Yin is on the Heaven Plate at寅 (ox) and on the Earth Plate at子 (rat); the Heavenly Empress is on the Heaven Plate at子 (rat) and on the Earth Plate at戌 (dog). The four lessons, from right to left, are酉 (rooster) added to丁 (jia),亥 (pig) added to酉 (rooster),亥 (pig) added to酉 (rooster), and丑 (ox) added to亥 (pig). The upper gods in sequence are the Vermilion Bird, the Nobleman, the Nobleman, and the Tai Yin. The three transmissions are酉 (rooster),亥 (pig), and丑 (ox): the first transmission is酉 (rooster) metal with the Vermilion Bird, representing 'wife's wealth'; the middle transmission is亥 (pig) water with the Nobleman, representing 'official ghost'; the final transmission is丑 (ox) earth with the Tai Yin, representing 'son and daughter'. Taking the Nobleman's position as the boundary, the first transmission酉 (rooster) is before the Nobleman, and the final transmission丑 (ox) is after the Nobleman.

斷曰：初傳在天乙前，末傳在天乙後，此名傳陽入陰必主旦暮有奴僕，附書信而至，何也？酉在天乙前為奴，在天乙後為婢（愚按：此論諸家所無）。今酉在天乙前又並朱雀，故也。天乙在酉主門戶動搖，又得傳陽入陰，故主外來書信立至。

The interpretation says: if the first transmission comes before the Heavenly Stem Yi Nobleman, and the final transmission comes after the Heavenly Stem Yi Nobleman, this is called "Transmission of Yang entering Yin," which indicates that there will certainly be a servant bringing a letter in the morning or evening. Why? The hour of You is associated with servants before the Heavenly Stem Yi Nobleman, and with servants' attendants after the Heavenly Stem Yi Nobleman (Cheng Shuxun notes: this view is not found in any other school). Now, the hour of You is before the Heavenly Stem Yi Nobleman and is combined with the Vermilion Bird, the deity in charge of documents, hence the result. When the Heavenly Stem Yi Nobleman falls in the hour of You, it indicates instability in the household; combined with the Transmission of Yang entering Yin, it indicates that letters from outside will arrive immediately.

己酉年十月二十二丁酉日寅將子時，郭彥和壬午生二十八歲占繼子。　蛇貴　朱未申酉戌后　六午　亥陰　常陰陰龍　財 丁酉 貴　陳巳　子玄　丑亥亥酉　鬼 己亥 陰　龍辰卯寅丑常　亥酉酉丁　子 辛丑 常　空虎

In the year Ji You, tenth month, twenty-second day, Ding You, using the寅 (Yin) general added to the Zi (Zi) hour to cast the divination, Guo Yanhe, born in the year Ren Wu, aged twenty-eight, consulted about adopting a son. The branches on the Heaven Plate are two positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Zi hour belongs to night, and the nobleman (guì rén) of the Ding day is in You. The nobleman rides on the Heaven Plate You and comes to the Earth Plate Wei, which belongs to the Yin direction. The Heavenly Generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman rides on You and comes to Wei, the Heavenly Empress rides on Xu and comes to Shen, Tai Yin rides on Hai and comes to You, Xuan Wu rides on Zi and comes to Xu, Tai Chang rides on Chou and comes to Hai, Bai Hu rides on Yin and comes to Zi, Tian Kong rides on Mao and comes to Chou, Qing Long rides on Chen and comes to Yin, Gou Chen rides on Si and comes to Mao, Liu He rides on Wu and comes to Chen, Zhu Què rides on Wei and comes to Si, and Teng Snake rides on Shen and comes to Wu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Ding is lodged in Wei, with You on Wei, which is the first lesson; You has Hai on it, which is the second lesson; the day branch You has Hai on it, which is the third lesson; Hai has Chou on it, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods in sequence ride the nobleman, Tai Yin, Tai Yin, and Tai Chang. (The Heavenly General at the first lesson in the original text is written as 'Dragon', which does not match the diagram, the three transmissions, and the interpretation that 'You is the nobleman'; it should be the nobleman instead.) The three transmissions are You, Hai, and Chou: the first transmission is You metal riding the nobleman, with the hidden dry branch Ding, which is 'wife's wealth'; the middle transmission is Hai water riding Tai Yin, with the hidden dry branch Ji, which overcomes Ding fire as 'official ghost'; the final transmission is Chou earth riding Tai Chang, with the hidden dry branch Xin, which is 'son'.

邵彥和曰：三傳干支，皆是貴人，此子恐日後必不服，而心有回家之意。酉作貴人，內中有丁，終主動。宅上又作中傳，丁絕於亥，丑權住腳，似乎尊閫不看顧他，惟有老陰人撫卹，終老陰人之世，他必去也。然此子不貴，吾兄年三十二上，自有子，三傳貴人太多，所以貴多不貴，兩頭不得也。

Shao Yanhe said: The three transmissions and the day stem and day branch are all occupied by noblemen, so this adopted son is likely to become unruly in the future and secretly think of returning to his original family. On You, there is a nobleman riding on it, and there is also a Ding spirit hidden within, which will eventually take the initiative. The spirit on the day branch's residence also serves as the middle transmission. The Ding fire is extinct at Hai, but only manages to stand firm at Chou. It seems that the main mother of the family is unwilling to take care of him, and only an old woman is taking care of him. When this old woman dies, he will certainly leave. However, this child will not become prominent. Your elder brother will naturally have a biological son at the age of thirty-two. The noblemen in the three transmissions are too many, and being too noble is not really noble, so both ends will be empty.

子就父作貴人，支投干作貴人，可見此子不合留。丁以酉為妻，妻後自有子，故不看管他。彼乃去也酉乃丁之妻，亥乃酉之子，亥加酉上，故曰妻有子，三十二歲行年到酉乃應也。

The son comes to the father and becomes the nobleman, and when the day branch is directed towards the day stem, it also becomes the nobleman. This shows that this son should not be kept. The heavenly stem Ding takes You as its wife; the wife will later give birth to a son, so he does not need to be taken care of, and thus he leaves. You is the wife of Ding, Hai is the son born from You, and Hai is placed above You, so it is said that the wife will have a son. When the year stem reaches You at the age of thirty-two, it is the time when this happens.

然宅中有上穹像，不合觸穢，所以缺子。又兼主山不合造豬圈，辱主氣，故不得子也。果有干亥山來近相沖，正是右脅下，主婦人墮胎，故無子。

However, the house has a shrine for the heavenly deities, which should not be defiled or disturbed, hence the lack of a son. Moreover, constructing a pigpen on the main mountain is disrespectful to the main energy, so a son could not be obtained. Later examination confirmed that the mountain in the direction of Qian and Hai was too close and conflicting, directly facing the right side below, which indicates a woman's miscarriage, hence no son.

蓋酉為貴人，一則支來就干，主子顯父母，二則遍地乃貴人，今亥為元穹，主觸穢；三乃鬼入宅，是主山來處不合豬圈汙穢，乃太陰為鬼也。丑為墓，加亥及干，丑乃丁之子孫，作土犯亥，故墓不利。若移了豬圈，及供上聖，自然有子矣。後果如所占。

Because there is a nobleman in the酉 position: first, the day branch approaches the day stem, indicating the son will be prominent and the parents will be honored; second, all over the chart there are noblemen, but now the亥 represents heaven, which is being defiled; third, the ghost enters the house, meaning the mountain ridge should not have a pigpen with filth, which is exactly the Tai Yin acting as a ghost. The丑 is a storage place, added on top of the亥 and also on top of the day stem. The丑 is originally the son trigram of the丁, belonging to earth and conflicting with the亥 water, so it is unfavorable for the tomb. As long as the pigpen is moved away and the heavenly deity is properly worshipped, there will naturally be a son. Later, it turned out exactly as predicted.

正月丁酉日亥將酉時占來意。五要權衡。　蛇貴　朱未申酉戌后　六午　亥陰　常陰陰龍　財 丁酉 貴　陳巳　子玄　丑亥亥酉　鬼 己亥 陰　龍辰卯寅丑常　亥酉酉丁　子 辛丑 常　空虎

On the day of Dingyou in the first lunar month, using the hour of亥 as the starting point and adding酉, the divination is made to determine the intention of the person coming. This example is taken from the "Five Essentials and Balance." The arrangement of the Heaven Plate branches still advances two positions compared to the Earth Plate. The lesson format is the same as the previous example: the Nobleman is on the Heaven Plate酉 and is located on the Earth Plate未, the Heavenly Empress is on the Heaven Plate戌 and is located on the Earth Plate申, the Tai Yin is on the Heaven Plate亥 and is located on the Earth Plate酉, the Black Tortoise is on the Heaven Plate子 and is located on the Earth Plate戌, the Tai Chang is on the Heaven Plate丑 and is located on the Earth Plate亥, the White Tiger is on the Heaven Plate寅 and is located on the Earth Plate子, the Tian Kong is on the Heaven Plate卯 and is located on the Earth Plate丑, the Azure Dragon is on the Heaven Plate辰 and is located on the Earth Plate寅, the Gou Chen is on the Heaven Plate巳 and is located on the Earth Plate卯, the Liu He is on the Heaven Plate午 and is located on the Earth Plate辰, the Vermilion Bird is on the Heaven Plate未 and is located on the Earth Plate巳, and the Teng Snake is on the Heaven Plate申 and is located on the Earth Plate午. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, are酉 added to丁 (丁's lodging palace is未),亥 added to酉,亥 added to酉, and丑 added to亥. The upper gods in sequence are the Nobleman, Tai Yin, Tai Yin, and Tai Chang. The three transmissions are酉,亥, and丑: the first transmission is酉 metal with the Nobleman, hidden dry branch丁, representing 'wealth'; the middle transmission is亥 water with Tai Yin, hidden dry branch己, representing 'official ghost'; the final transmission is丑 earth with Tai Chang, hidden dry branch辛, representing 'son'.

朱桓曰：來意主盜賊殺人，後獲賊。是婦人因奸與一行人殺死一僧一僕於舟中，沉水內。其婦人與僧通，猶妻也。據經：酉為少女，是因妻。亥為鬼為賊，為孤獨之人。未敢定論是賊殺人。初建觀之，先尋今日建鬼，是癸卯，乘天空，是行人矣是舟人。辛亥，辛乃今日妻，亥卯相合，是妻與行人謀殺，又復見觀之。酉得鬼臨丁，酉為妻，癸為鬼，是妻害巳也。此婦人是癸酉生，可怪，雖敗入獄，曹世變，俱不結案而逃去。

Zhu Huán said: The intention of the person who came was about theft and murder, but later the thief was caught. The incident involved a woman who committed murder with a traveler on a boat, killing a monk and a servant, and then throwing their bodies into the water. The woman had an affair with the monk, and was regarded as the monk's wife. According to the classics: You (酉) represents a young woman, so it is said to be caused by the wife; Hai (亥) represents ghosts, thieves, and solitary people, so it is not immediately certain that the thief was the one who killed. First, we look at the month builder: today's ghost is Guimao (癸卯), and the sky is on Mao (卯), the sky represents a traveler, which here refers to the people on the boat. Then we look at Xinhai (辛亥): Xin is today's wife, and Hai combines with Mao, which is exactly the wife and the traveler conspiring to commit murder. After careful consideration, it still comes to this. You (酉) has a ghost on Ding, You is the wife, and Gui is the ghost, which is the wife harming herself. The woman was born in the year Guiyou (癸酉), which is quite strange; although the case was uncovered and she was put in jail, she escaped without being convicted due to a change in the world situation.

己巳十一月丁酉日丑將戌時占人扣門何故。指南。　貴后　蛇申酉戌亥陰　空玄常后　官 庚子 玄　朱未　子玄　卯子丑戌　父 癸卯 空　六午　丑常　子酉戌丁　比 甲午 六　勾巳辰卯寅虎　青空

In the year of Jisi, on the tenth lunar month, on the day of Dingyou, using the general of Chou added to the hour of Xu, the divination was cast to inquire about the reason for someone knocking on the door. This example is taken from the "Six Nian Guide." The branches on the Heaven Plate are three positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The hour of Xu is night, and the nobleman of the day is located at You. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at You and arrives at the Earth Plate at Wu, which belongs to the yin direction. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on You and arrives at Wu, the Teng Snake is on Shen and arrives at Si, the Vermilion Bird is on Wei and arrives at Chen, the Liu He is on Wu and arrives at Mao, the Gou Chen is on Si and arrives at Yin, the Azure Dragon is on Chen and arrives at Chou, the Tian Kong is on Mao and arrives at Zi, the White Tiger is on Yin and arrives at Hai, the Tai Chang is on Chou and arrives at Xu, the Black Tortoise is on Zi and arrives at You, the Tai Yin is on Hai and arrives at Shen, and the Heavenly Empress is on Xu and arrives at Wei. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Ding is located in the palace of Wei, with Xu on Wei, which is the first lesson; Xu has Chou on it, which is the second lesson; the day branch You has Zi on it, which is the third lesson; Zi has Mao on it, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are successively occupied by the Heavenly Empress, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, and Tian Kong. The three transmissions are Zi, Mao, and Wu: the first transmission is water at Zi, occupied by the Black Tortoise, with the hidden dry branch Geng, which conquers the fire of Ding as "official ghost"; the middle transmission is wood at Mao, occupied by Tian Kong, with the hidden dry branch Gui, which generates the fire of Ding as "parents"; the final transmission is fire at Wu, occupied by Liu He, with the hidden dry branch Jia, which is of the same type as Ding as "companion," and Wu is also the禄神 (lucky position) of the day of Ding.

陳公獻曰：來扣門者必因盜賊之事。及開門時，是遲王兩父師相召，往見之，坐下即云：彼鄉有一舉人做亂。予袖傳一課答之曰：敗擒，無煩過慮。蓋因干支上乘死墓，玄鬼臨於敗地，日上神又制之，是以不能持久，一交土旺時自休息矣。又問家宅安否，曰：然繫何命？曰：乙亥、戊子者。予云：亥年驛馬貴人，子年乘河魁，又二貴拱夾亥命，曰功名而未成，子乃科舉中人，俱遷居他處矣。曰：亥命家兄是秀才，子命舍弟是舉人。果不十二月，為亂者事敗，家中安堵。

Chen Gongxian said: Whoever knocks on the door must be about a robbery. When the door was opened, it turned out to be Che and Wang, two senior teachers, inviting us. When we went to see them, they just sat down and said: There is a candidate causing trouble in that area. I secretly cast a divination in my sleeve and answered: It will fail and be captured, there is no need to worry. Because the day stem and day branch are riding on death qi and the tomb god, the black tortoise ghost is also present in the bathing and defeat place, and the god of the day stem can still control it, so it will not last long, and when the earth element becomes strong, it will naturally be resolved. They then asked if the family residence was safe. I asked: What is your birth date? They answered: Yihai and Wuzi. I said: Those born in the year of Hai have the post-horse and nobleman fully present, while those born in the year of Zi are riding on Hekui. Two layers of noblemen also enclose the Hai birth in the middle. Those born in Hai have the status of a candidate but have not yet achieved it, while those born in Zi are people who passed the imperial examination. Both will move to other places. They said: The one born in Hai is the elder brother, a candidate, and the one born in Zi is the younger brother, an imperial examinee. Indeed, before the twelfth month, the person causing trouble failed, and both families were safe and unharmed.

戊申年五月丁酉日申將辰時何秀才丁亥生二十二歲占前程。口鑑　方本占案。　蛇貴　朱酉戌亥子后　六申　丑陰　空陰常貴　鬼 己亥 貴　陳未　寅玄　巳丑卯亥　父 癸卯 常　龍午巳辰卯常　丑酉亥丁　子 乙未 陳　空虎

In the year of Wu Shen, fifth month, on the day of Ding You, using the general of Shen and the time of Chen, a case is made for He Xiucai, born in the year of Ding Hai, aged twenty-two, to inquire about his future. This example is taken from "Kou Jian" and "Fang Ben Zhan An." The branches on the Heaven Plate are four positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The time of Chen belongs to the daytime, and on a day of Ding, the nobleman is located at Hai. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Hai and on the Earth Plate at Wei, which belongs to the yin side. The Heavenly General is arranged in reverse: the nobleman is on Hai and on Wei, the Teng Snake is on Xu and on Wu, the Vermilion Bird is on You and on Si, the Liu He is on Shen and on Chen, the Gou Chen is on Wei and on Mao, the Azure Dragon is on Wu and on Yin, the Tian Kong is on Si and on Chou, the Bai Hu is on Chen and on Zi, the Tai Chang is on Mao and on Hai, the Xuan Wu is on Yin and on Xu, the Tai Yin is on Chou and on You, and the Heavenly Empress is on Zi and on Shen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the fire of Ding is lodged in Wei, with Hai on Wei, which is the first lesson; Hai has Si on it, which is the second lesson; the day branch You has Chou on it, which is the third lesson; Chou has Si on it, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are successively the nobleman, Tai Chang, Tai Yin, and Tian Kong. The three transmissions of Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wood trinity: the first transmission is water at Hai, riding the nobleman, with the hidden dry branch Ji, which is the "official ghost" and conquers the fire of Ding; the middle transmission is wood at Mao, riding Tai Chang, with the hidden dry branch Ji, which is the "parents" and generates the fire of Ding; the final transmission is earth at Wei, riding Gou Chen, with the hidden dry branch Yi, which is the "son and daughter."

邵彥和曰：本命在日上作初傳，既是官星，上見貴人，貴人帶官來，三十歲定主及第，及第後須見大病，病後卻吉。迤邐至守土官。宅上丑作太陰，終身居於舊宅，一生不能建造，但有守土之名，無守土之實。殘病在身，不能卦美任矣。何二十九中舉，三十及第。第六任授台州太守，為風癱不能赴任。

Shao Yanhe said: His birth stem亥is placed on the day stem and serves as the first transmission. Since it is an official star and is also accompanied by a nobleman, it indicates that the nobleman brings the official position, and he will certainly pass the imperial examination at the age of thirty. After passing the examination, he will surely suffer a serious illness, but after recovery, it will turn out to be auspicious, and he will gradually attain the position of a local governor. The day branch, which is丑, is accompanied by Tai Yin, indicating that he will live in his old house all his life and will never be able to build a new house. He will only have the title of a local governor but not the actual position. He will be plagued by illness and will not be able to take up an important post. Hee the candidate passed the examination at the age of twenty-nine, was admitted as a jinshi at thirty, and was appointed as the governor of Taizhou in his sixth appointment, but he was unable to take office due to a stroke.

蓋亥水克丁為官，本命又是官，是自家官星相催也。三十乃丙辰年分，辰上見申，申金生亥水，官星有氣，故及第。及第後大病四十餘日方安者，先論官，次論克也。病得不死者，亥卯未木局，木能生火故了。卯乃生丁之神，卯數六，故六任。末傳未是本身，加日祿卯上，為勾陳所拘，本能生風，死敗之氣，乃虛風也。勾陳留滯之神，故終為之纏也。未即今日之丁，未死於卯，丁敗於卯，未為守土之任，既死敗不能赴也。

The Hai water overcomes the Ding fire, so it is considered the official star. The native's own destiny is also the official star, which means the official star is urging itself. At the age of thirty, it was the Bingchen year. In the Chen, there was a Shen, which generated Hai water. The official star had strength, so he passed the examination. After passing the examination, he was ill for over forty days before recovering. This is because first we consider the official star and then the aspect and overcoming. Although he was ill, he did not die because Hai-Mao-Wei (Wood triad) formed a wood trinity, and wood can generate fire. Mao is the god that generates Ding, and the number of Mao is six, so he reached the sixth position. The Final Transmission was the Wei earth, which is himself, placed on the day's Lu Mao, and was restrained by Gou Chen. The Wei earth can generate wind, and it carries the atmosphere of death and decline, becoming a false wind.Gou Chen is the god of stagnation, so he was permanently bound by it. The Wei earth is the current day's Ding (丁 is hidden in未), and Wei dies in Mao, while Ding also declines in Mao. The Wei earth is the one responsible for guarding the land, but since it is in a place of death and decline, he could not fulfill his duty.

何學錄庚申生四十九歲占身位及家宅同得此課。口鑑　方本占案。　蛇貴　朱酉戌亥子后　六申　丑陰　空陰常貴　鬼 己亥 貴　陳未　寅玄　巳丑卯亥　父 癸卯 常　龍午巳辰卯常　丑酉亥丁　子 乙未 陳　空虎

He Xuelu was born in the year Gengshen and is forty-nine years old. He divined his own position and family residence, and also received this lesson. This example is taken from "Kou Jian" and "Fang Ben Zhan An." The lesson format is the same as the previous example: the Nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at亥 and comes to the Earth Plate at未, the Teng Snake is on the Heaven Plate at戌 and comes to the Earth Plate at午, the Vermilion Bird is on the Heaven Plate at酉 and comes to the Earth Plate at巳, Liu He is on the Heaven Plate at申 and comes to the Earth Plate at辰, Gou Chen is on the Heaven Plate at未 and comes to the Earth Plate at卯, the Azure Dragon is on the Heaven Plate at午 and comes to the Earth Plate at寅, Tian Kong is on the Heaven Plate at巳 and comes to the Earth Plate at丑, the White Tiger is on the Heaven Plate at辰 and comes to the Earth Plate at子, Tai Chang is on the Heaven Plate at卯 and comes to the Earth Plate at亥, the Black Tortoise is on the Heaven Plate at寅 and comes to the Earth Plate at戌, Tai Yin is on the Heaven Plate at丑 and comes to the Earth Plate at酉, and the Heavenly Empress is on the Heaven Plate at子 and comes to the Earth Plate at申. The four lessons, from right to left, are亥 added to丁 (丁's lodging palace is未),卯 added to亥,丑 added to酉, and巳 added to丑. The upper gods in sequence are the Nobleman, Tai Chang, Tai Yin, and Tian Kong. The three transmissions are亥,卯, and未: the first transmission is亥 water with the Nobleman, hidden dry branch is己, which is "official ghost"; the middle transmission is卯 wood with Tai Chang, hidden dry branch is癸, which is "parents"; the final transmission is未 earth with Gou Chen, hidden dry branch is乙, which is "children."

邵彥和曰：前課二十二歲，官星未過，是取官之年，今乃四十九，官星已過，乃是絕神克身，末又受克，不能制水，是數不永。辛亥必死矣。況卯乃截路空亡，未加於上，亦以空言。所以不得力。更宅前左手，不合被人遷墳，掘斷龍脈葬老陰人，因此生事，家計悉破也。何三十二上中舉，已滿官星之數，四十外已無力，故不及第，為學錄。至辛亥年死。

Shao Yanhe said: The person in the previous lesson was twenty-two years old, and the number of official stars had not yet been completed, which was exactly the age to take an official position; this person was already forty-nine, and the number of official stars had already passed, so the亥 water became the absolute evil that harmed the person, and the final transmission of the earth element was also harmed, unable to control the water, thus the lifespan was short, and he would certainly die in the Xinhai year. Moreover, the卯 was a cutting road and kongwang, and the未 was added on top of it, so it could only be regarded as kongwang, thus not being taken seriously. Furthermore, the left side in front of the house should not have been disturbed by people moving graves, cutting off the dragon pulse, and also burying an old woman, thus causing trouble, leading to the destruction of the family's fortune. He Xue Lu at the age of thirty-two passed the imperial examination, and the number of official stars had already been used up, and after forty, he was powerless, so he could not become a jinshi, only becoming a xuelu, and died in the Xinhai year.

蓋亥克丁為官，亥四未八，四八三十二，故四十外即不得力，既不為官，即是鬼，鬼來克身，又是丁之絕神，至亥年鬼旺，身不可逃，故死。又酉日丑加酉為墓神，丑在前，西方看北方，是左手也。太陰老陰人也。五十二死者，命上子水，變殺破祿也。夫同此一課，而命添一水，便乃迥異如此。一云：五十二死者，命上子水變殺破祿也。

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) Glossary: Tai Yin = Tai Yin The water of Hai overcomes the fire of Ding, thus becoming the official star. The number of Hai is four, and the number of Wei is eight. Four multiplied by eight equals thirty-two, so after forty years, it loses its effectiveness. Since it is no longer an official, it becomes a ghost, which then overcomes the body. Hai is also the terminal phase for Ding fire, and at the year of Hai, the ghost energy is strongest, so the body cannot escape, leading to death. On the day of You, with Chou added to You as the tomb god, Chou is in front, facing from west to north, which is the left side. Tai Yin represents the image of an old woman. As for dying at fifty-two, it is because the water of Zi in the birth chart turns into a killer, breaking the禄 (favorable destiny). It is the same lesson, but due to an additional layer of water in the birth chart, the outcome differs so greatly. Another explanation: dying at fifty-two is because the water of Zi in the birth chart turns into a killer, breaking the禄.

丑四月丁酉日酉將巳時，浣中劉退齋太史請假省親占。指南。　蛇貴　朱酉戌亥子后　六申　丑陰　空陰常貴　鬼 己亥 貴　陳未　寅玄　巳丑卯亥　父 癸卯 常　龍午巳辰卯常　丑酉亥丁　子 乙未 陳　空虎

In the year of the Ox, fourth month, on the day of Dingyou, using the hour of巳 with the general of酉, a scholar named Liu Tuizhai from the Han dynasty asked about whether he would be granted leave to return home to visit his parents. This example is taken from the "Six Yin Guide." With the general of酉 added to the hour of巳, the branches on the Heaven Plate still advance four positions relative to the Earth Plate, making the lesson pattern the same as the previous two examples: the Nobleman rides the Heaven Plate亥 and is located on the Earth Plate未, the Teng Snake rides the戌 and is located on the午, the Vermilion Bird rides the酉 and is located on the巳, the Liu He rides the申 and is located on the辰, the Gou Chen rides the未 and is located on the卯, the Azure Dragon rides the午 and is located on the寅, the Tian Kong rides the巳 and is located on the丑, the White Tiger rides the辰 and is located on the子, the Tai Chang rides the卯 and is located on the亥, the Tai Yin rides the寅 and is located on the戌, the Tian Hou rides the子 and is located on the申. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, are亥 added to丁,卯 added to亥,丑 added to酉, and巳 added to丑. The upper gods in sequence ride the Nobleman, Tai Chang, Tai Yin, and Tian Kong. The three transmissions are亥,卯, and未: the first transmission is亥 water riding the Nobleman as "official ghost," the middle transmission is卯 wood riding the Tai Chang as "parents," and the final transmission is未 earth riding the Gou Chen as "son and daughter."

陳公獻曰：此奏不允所請，必有溫旨相留。何以知之？蓋天驛二馬加臨年命，理應行動之象。但發用官貴，德馬夾克，又戀長生，主不由己而動。曰：朱雀又空，為文書不就，中傳卯與支上太歲相剋，主君上隔阻，有溫旨相留也。後果不允假旋。

Chen Gongxian said: This memorial will not be approved, and he will certainly receive a gentle imperial edict to retain him. How do I know this? The Heavenly Horse and the Post-horse both fall on his year stem, which normally indicates movement. However, the first transmission is the official star and nobleman, with the day virtue and the post-horse both restricting and clinging to the long life position, indicating that he is not in control of his actions and cannot move. He also said: The Vermilion Bird governs documents, but it falls into an empty position, indicating that the documents will not be completed. The middle transmission is the卯 wood which conflicts with the Tai sui on the day branch, indicating that the sovereign is obstructing from the middle, and a warm edict will be issued to retain him. Later, it indeed turned out that his leave request was not approved.

乾隆戊辰年戊戌日辰將酉時山西張貢生占回里。牧夫占驗。　貴后　蛇子丑寅卯陰　蛇常空蛇　財 庚子 蛇　朱亥　辰玄　子巳未子　兄 乙未 空　合戌　巳常　巳戌子戊　鬼 壬寅 后　勾酉申未午虎　龍空

In the year of Wuchen (1740) of the Qianlong era, on a day of Wuxu, a lesson was cast using the hour of Chen with the general Chen. A scholar from Shanxi named Zhang asked whether he could return home. This example is taken from Wang Mufu's divination records. The branches on the Heaven Plate are seven positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. In this lesson, the Nobleman is riding on the Heaven Plate's Chou, which is located on the Earth Plate's Wu, which belongs to the Yin direction. The Heavenly Generals are arranged in reverse order: the Nobleman rides Chou and is located on Wu, the Heavenly Empress rides Yin and is located on Wei, Tai Yin rides Mao and is located on Shen, Xuan Wu rides Chen and is located on You, Tai Chang rides Si and is located on Xu, Bai Hu rides Wu and is located on Hai, Tian Kong rides Wei and is located on Zi, Qing Long rides Shen and is located on Chou, Gou Chen rides You and is located on Yin, Liu He rides Xu and is located on Mao, Zhu Que rides Hai and is located on Chen, and Teng Snake rides Zi and is located on Si. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the earthy Wu is located in the palace of Si, and Si has Zi, which is the first lesson; Zi has Wei, which is the second lesson; the day branch Wu has Si, which is the third lesson; and Si has Zi, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are successively riding Teng Snake, Tian Kong, Tai Chang, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are Zi, Wei, and Yin: the first transmission is water Zi riding Teng Snake, with the hidden dry branch Geng, which is the "wealth" of Wu earth; the middle transmission is earth Wei riding Tian Kong, with the hidden dry branch Yi, which is the same as Wu and is "brother"; the final transmission is wood Yin riding Heavenly Empress, with the hidden dry branch Ren, which is the "official ghost" that conquers Wu earth.

王牧夫曰：此課不能還鄉，出六月尚有帶妾移居之事。恐終信此處也。蓋發用蛇作妻財臨身，還鄉財不足，一也。巳作太常居支，巳乃戊身，身歸支墓豈能動乎？二也。自子傳寅，末歸東北，傳不到西，三也。有此三象安能返故園乎？

Wang Mufu said: This divination indicates that one cannot return to the hometown. After June, there will be matters concerning moving with the wife, and it seems that one can only remain here in the end. First, the initial transmission is initiated by Teng Snake and is associated with wife's wealth, which is located above the day's body. The cost for returning home is insufficient, which is the first layer. Second, the巳 (Si) is riding Tai Chang and falls on the day's branch. Since Si is the lodging palace of Wu, the body is incorporated into the day's branch's storage, so how can one move? This is the second layer. Third, the three transmissions proceed from Zi to Yin, and the final transmission falls in the Northeast direction, failing to reach the West. This is the third layer. With these three layers of signs, how can one return to the homeland?

再視支上巳，巳乃少女，乘太常為親戚由外入內，當主妾家之親來就，共爨作纏繞也。初傳騰蛇又在妻位與中傳未害天空，主喧兢是以有吵鬧之事。未主六月，支上與申馬作合，故主六月有移家之象。占課之時，張兄已娶妾住關南，因妾家親戚來共居，張見惡之。果於六月遷居小東門，家宅始安，至今尚未還鄉。

Now looking at the day branch, which is Si: Si represents a young woman, and it is occupied by Tai Chang above. This indicates relatives coming from outside into the household, which refers to the wife's relatives coming to stay, living together and causing disputes. The first transmission is Teng Snake, falling on the wife's position, and it conflicts with the middle transmission, which is Wu earth, thereby harming Tian Kong. This indicates noise and disputes, so there will be arguments. Wu represents June, and the day branch Si also combines with the Post-horse (post-horse) of the day, which is Shen, from the戌 day. Therefore, there is an indication of moving house in June. When the lesson was cast, Brother Zhang had already married a妾 (concubine) living in the southern pass, and because the concubine's relatives came to live together, Brother Zhang felt very resentful. Indeed, in June they moved to a small eastern gate, and the household became peaceful, and until now they have not returned to their hometown.

崇正癸酉年十一月戊戌日寅將午時占產期。郭氏占案。　后陰　貴丑寅卯辰玄　后虎勾貴　鬼 壬寅 后　蛇子　巳常　寅午酉丑　兄 戊戌 合　朱亥　午虎　午戌丑戊　父 甲午 虎　合戌酉申未空　勾龍

In the year Guiyou of the Chongzhen era, on the Wuxu day of the eleventh lunar month, a divination was cast to determine the time of childbirth, following the method of starting the lesson with the寅 general added to the午 hour. This example is taken from the "Guo's Divination Cases." The branches on the Heaven Plate are eight positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The午 hour belongs to the day time, and on a Wu day, the nobleman is in the丑 position. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate丑 and falls on the Earth Plate巳, which is of the yin direction. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on丑 and falls on巳, the Heavenly Empress is on寅 and falls on午, the Tai Yin is on卯 and falls on未, the Black Tortoise is on辰 and falls on申, the Tai Chang is on巳 and falls on酉, the White Tiger is on午 and falls on戌, the Tian Kong is on未 and falls on亥, the Azure Dragon is on申 and falls on子, the Gou Chen is on酉 and falls on丑, the Liu He is on戌 and falls on寅, the Vermilion Bird is on亥 and falls on卯, and the Teng Snake is on子 and falls on辰. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the戊 is in the巳 palace, with the丑 on top, which is the first lesson; the丑 has the酉 on top, which is the second lesson; the day branch戌 has the午 on top, which is the third lesson; and the午 has the寅 on top, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are successively occupied by the nobleman, Gou Chen, White Tiger, and Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions,寅,戌, and午, form a fire trinity: the initial transmission is寅 wood with the Heavenly Empress, hidden stem Ren, which conquers Wu earth as 'official ghost'; the middle transmission is戌 earth with Liu He, hidden stem Wu, which is the same as the day stem as 'brother'; the final transmission is午 fire with the White Tiger, hidden stem Jia, which generates Wu earth as 'parents'.

郭御青曰：前為產期。丁亥日丁一課，知在戌日矣。至戊戌日占，果是巳日生否？此課貴人臨干，丑為腹神，落空必產而後空也。又午為戊之胎神，作白虎，速產之象。又臨戌必是日生也。前寅丁一課，寅午虛邀戌字，今即三傳寅戌午，又壬申年己丑日辰巳一課發用，子作貴人。今干上丑作貴人，三課呼應如一課，奇矣！

Guo Yuqing said: Previously, I had divined the time of childbirth, and in the lesson on Dinghai day, the Ding spirit was used to initiate the divination, and it was known that the delivery should be on the day of Wu Xu. When I divined again on Wu Xu day, was it indeed on the day of Si that the delivery occurred? In this lesson, the nobleman was present on the day stem, and Chou, which represents the abdomen, was seated on the旬空 of Si, which means that the delivery must have occurred first, and then the abdomen became empty. Also, Wu is the nurturing spirit of Wu, and it is accompanied by the White Tiger, which is an omen of quick childbirth; Wu is also located on the day of Xu, which definitely indicates that the delivery occurred on that day. Previously, in the lesson of Yin and Ding, Yin and Wu virtually invited the day of Xu in the middle. Now, the three transmissions exactly are Yin, Xu, and Wu. In addition, in the lesson of the year Renshen on the day Jichou with Si added, the initiating transmission is on Zi, which is accompanied by the nobleman, and now the day stem Chou is also accompanied by the nobleman. The three lessons correspond with each other in sequence, which is truly remarkable!

二月戊戌日戌將寅時潘道士乙亥生占住持。方本占案　口鑑。　虎常　空丑寅卯辰玄　龍子　巳陰　虎后蛇空　鬼 壬寅 虎　陳亥　午后　寅午申丑　兄 戊戌 六　六戌酉申未貴　午戌丑戊　父 甲午 后　朱蛇

On the Wuxu day of the second month, using the戌 general and starting the divination at the寅 hour, the Taoist priest Pian was born in the Yihai year and asked whether he could become the abbot. This example is taken from the《Fang Ben Zhan An》and《Kou Jian》. The branches on the Heaven Plate are eight positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The寅 hour belongs to the night, and the night nobleman for the戊 day is in the未. The nobleman rides the Heaven Plate's 未 and is located on the Earth Plate's亥. The亥 belongs to the yang side. The heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman rides the 未 and is located on the亥, the Teng Snake rides the申 and is located on the子, the Vermilion Bird rides the酉 and is located on the丑, the Liu He rides the戌 and is located on the寅, the Gou Chen rides the亥 and is located on the卯, the Azure Dragon rides the子 and is located on the辰, the Tian Kong rides the丑 and is located on the巳, the White Tiger rides the寅 and is located on the午, the Tai Chang rides the卯 and is located on the未, the Black Tortoise rides the辰 and is located on the申, the Tai Yin rides the巳 and is located on the酉, and the Heavenly Empress rides the午 and is located on the戌. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the戊 is in the巳 palace, with the丑 on the巳, riding the Tian Kong, which is the first lesson; the酉 is on the丑, riding the Vermilion Bird, which is the second lesson (the original text here reads '申' and notes the Teng Snake, which is inconsistent with the Heaven and Earth Plates, so it is likely a printing error); the午 is on the戌, riding the Heavenly Empress, which is the third lesson; and the寅 is on the午, riding the White Tiger, which is the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are寅,戌, and午, forming a fire trinity: the first transmission is寅 wood riding the White Tiger, with the hidden dry branch壬, which conquers the戊 earth as 'official ghost'; the middle transmission is戌 earth riding the Liu He, with the hidden dry branch戊, which is 'brother'; the final transmission is午 fire riding the Heavenly Empress, with the hidden dry branch甲, which is 'parents', and the午 is also the yang blade of the戊 day.

邵彥和曰：大凡僧道占住持，以日為我，支為住持。春得炎上局，卻喜旺相，只是不合陽刃乘后加支，主住持九月與朱姓人交通，遂受刑而出。初傳是鬼，臨婦人上，雖三傳化火生干，然火旺不久便暗，而寅木獨為戌鬼，身上丑作空，正是傳法之空門，目下即成，後因同牒人反來做造，因奸而壞也。

Shao Yanhe said: Generally, when a monk or Taoist occupies the position of abbot, the day stem represents himself, and the day branch represents the position of the abbot. In spring, if the fire element is strong, it is naturally favorable; however, it is not appropriate for the yang刃 (yang sharpness) of the fire to be on the day branch, with the Heavenly Empress added on top. This indicates that the abbot will hold the position for nine months, and will have an improper relationship with a man surnamed Zhu, leading to punishment and expulsion. The first transmission is the official ghost, which is located on the wife's position of the day branch. Although the third transmission transforms fire to nourish the day stem, the fire will not last long and will eventually fade, while the寅 wood is actually the ghost of the戌 earth. The丑 on the day stem is accompanied by Tian Kong, which is the image of the "empty gate" in the transmission of the teaching. The abbot can currently obtain the position, but later will be accused by someone with the same degree, and will be ruined due to the improper relationship.

潘謀住持，丑作天空，是薦賢空門之象。丑為僧，僧與道同，此住持必成。果五月受貼，六月至觀。宮畔有朱百戶妻，遂與往來，自六月至次年二月共九月，被原與同牒人汪三，使人告發，至官被刑而出。

The Taoist priest Pan sought the position of abbot. The trigram Chou (Ox) is occupied by Tian Kong (Heavenly Void), indicating an omen of recommending a virtuous person into the monastic order. Chou in the category of deities represents monks, and monks and Taoists are of the same kind, so the abbotship would certainly be attained. Later, in the fifth lunar month, he received an official document, and in the sixth month, he took up his post at the temple. There was a woman named Zhu, the wife of a local official, living nearby, and they began to associate. From the sixth month to the second month of the following year, a total of nine months, they were together. However, they were eventually reported by Wang San, who had previously shared the same monastic certificate, and after being subjected to interrogation by the authorities, they were expelled from the temple.

大凡炎上局，自是有頭無尾，如火之炎，暫時便止，那更合後，遂為失友。午作天后，是婦人，午未字像朱姓，戊日陽刃在午，故主刑，自第四課傳出，故出觀。暗貴作空，故可至觀。既至自然被害也。

In general, the fire aspect of the fire element is inherently heady and tailless, like a flame that burns briefly and then dies out; moreover, it combines with the Heavenly Empress, thus losing its companion. The Heavenly Empress is on the position of Wu, which represents a woman. The characters Wu and Wei resemble the surname Zhu. The yang blade of Wu day is located at Wu, so there is a punishment involved. This image originates from the fourth lesson, so it leads to being expelled from the temple. The hidden noble is riding the Tian Kong, so it can still enter the temple; once inside, it is naturally subject to harm.

一訂云，午乃離朱雀，故姓朱。午未字像朱說非。又曰，後乃婦人，午亦婦也。加支為日之刃，故因婦人受責。在支上是以主得住持而始蒙責。

There is another corrected explanation: the element Wu belongs to the trigram Li (Fire) in the Eight Trigrams, and is paired with the Vermilion Bird, so the surname Zhu is determined. Using the shape of the characters 'wu' and 'wei' resembling 'Zhu' is incorrect. It is also said that the Heavenly Empress is a woman, and Wu itself also signifies a woman; when Wu is placed on the Day Branch, it becomes the Yang Blade for the day of Wu, so it indicates punishment due to a woman. Since this image falls on the Day Branch, one should first take refuge and then face the punishment.

建炎戊申年十一月戊戌日丑將卯時袁知鎮癸酉生三十六歲占終身。方本占案　口鑑。　六陳　朱卯辰巳午龍　蛇寅　未空　龍虎貴雀　兄 辛丑 貴　貴丑　申虎　午申丑卯　財 己亥 陰　后子亥戌酉常　申戌卯戊　子 丁酉 常　陰玄

In the year of Wushen of the Jia Shen era, on the Wuxu day of the 11th lunar month, a divination was cast using the Gou Chen general added to the卯 hour. The subject, Yuan Zhi Zhen, was born in the year Guiyou and was thirty-six years old, seeking to know his destiny. This example is taken from the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The branches on the Heaven Plate are two positions behind those on the Earth Plate. The卯 hour belongs to the day time, and on a Wu day, the nobleman is in the丑 position. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at丑 and on the Earth Plate at卯. The卯 belongs to the yang direction, and the heavenly generals are arranged in order. The nobleman is on丑 and on卯, the Teng Snake is on寅 and on辰, the Vermilion Bird is on卯 and on巳, the Liu He is on辰 and on午, the Gou Chen is on巳 and on未, the Azure Dragon is on午 and on申, the Tian Kong is on未 and on酉, the White Tiger is on申 and on戌, the Tai Chang is on酉 and on亥, the Black Tortoise is on戌 and on子, and the Tai Yin is on亥 and on丑, with the Heavenly Empress on子 and on寅. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the戊 earth is in the巳 palace, with卯 on the巳, which is the first lesson; the卯 has丑 on it, which is the second lesson; the day branch戌 has申 on it, which is the third lesson; the申 has午 on it, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively riding the Vermilion Bird, the nobleman, the White Tiger, and the Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are丑,亥, and酉, moving backward in sequence, all being yin branches, so this is called the "extreme yin" lesson. The first transmission is丑 earth riding the nobleman, with the hidden heavenly stem Xin, which is of the same type as Wu, making it "brother"; the middle transmission is亥 water riding the Tai Yin, with the hidden heavenly stem Ji, which is "wife and wealth"; the final transmission is酉 metal riding the Tai Chang, with the hidden heavenly stem Ding, which is "son and daughter."

邵彥和曰：此極陰課，戊土死於卯，敗於酉，初傳貴人，享父之福；中傳臨官加丑，亦秉父之財。丑為父母類神，貴人加之更的，故曰享父之福。末傳酉為日敗，又是本命，而加於亥，主自身自敗壞矣。中水末酉，必因酒色也。又乘陰常，丑土歸西北而傾，必因酒色而成癆病。亥四酉六，主四十六歲亡。後又因有服尊長為主，凡事盡決於他。蓋以宅上見申，戊土生於申，故為有服尊長也。後俱應。

Shao Yanhe said: This is a "extreme yin" divination. The Wu earth dies at Mao and fails at You. The first transmission is on Chou with a nobleman, indicating enjoyment of the father's blessings. The middle transmission is Hai, which is the officialdom place for Wu earth, and it is also on Chou, indicating receiving the family wealth from the father. Chou is originally the god representing parents, and with the nobleman on top, it is even more certain, so it is said to enjoy the father's blessings. The final transmission is You, which is the failing place for Wu day, and it is also his own destiny, but it is placed on Hai water, indicating self-destruction. The middle transmission is water and the final transmission is You, which must be caused by wine and women. You also has Tai Yin and Tai Chang, and the Chou earth tends toward the northwest, so it is certain that it will result in tuberculosis from wine and women. The number of Hai is four and the number of You is six, indicating death at the age of forty-six. Afterwards, it will still rely on a relative of the mourning clothes rank to decide everything, because the house has Shen, and Wu earth's growth is in Shen, so it is said there is a relative of the mourning clothes rank. All these predictions eventually came true.

袁知鎮守湖洲新市鎮，合庚戌年赴任，己酉年十月，有邵龍國知湖洲，袁之父昔年曾有囑託他，遂迴避得差監澤洲南嶽廟，滿載而歸。又覆德州嶺口倉，半年丁母憂。袁一向好酒色。人委房凡七官人，主家辰巳午未年患色癆至己未年正月二十七日，死。先生每怕丑亥酉，名極陰，到此方是極地。何況戊戌二土皆死於卯，皆敗於酉，可謂削極，故成癆。酉加亥可謂敗極，故死也。愚按：占身命及醫與病，丑將卯時以本命上下斷死數。

Yuan Zhi Zhen was in charge of the new town of Huzhou, and was supposed to take office in the year Geng Xu. In the year Ji You, in the tenth month, Shao Longguo came to take charge of Huzhou. Yuan's father had once entrusted him, so Yuan avoided the post and was transferred to supervise the Nan Yue Temple in Zezhou, returning with a full load. Later he was in charge of the Lingkou granary in Dezhou, but after half a year, he suffered the death of his mother. Yuan was always fond of wine and women, and there were seven officials appointed within his household. The master family fell ill with a sexually transmitted disease during the years Chen, Si, Wu, and Wei, and died on the 27th day of the first lunar month in the year Ji Wei. Mr. Shao was always most afraid of the combination of Chou, Hai, and You, called "extreme yin," and this was the true extreme. Moreover, Wu and Xu, both earth elements, die in Mao and are defeated in You, which can be considered as extreme damage, so they developed the disease. You combined with Hai, which is extreme defeat, so they died. Cheng Shuxun remarked: When predicting the lifespan or medical conditions, if the year is Chou and the time is Mao, the death date should be determined by the gods above and below the native's birth chart.

乾隆丁巳年三月戊戌日戌將午時東陽寺僧祥明師壬戌命五十六歲欲投閣憲呈詞，屢遞不收，叩餘占斷何日得能收進。殘編。　合朱　勾酉戌亥子蛇　虎后貴勾　鬼 壬寅 后　龍申　丑貴　午寅丑酉　父 甲午 虎　空未　寅后　寅戌酉戊　兄 戊戌 合　虎午巳辰卯陰　常玄

In the year Dingsi of the Qianlong reign, on the 3rd month, on the Wuxu day, the class was started with the戌 general added to the午 hour. Master Xiangming, a monk at Dongyang Temple, was born in the year Renxu, aged fifty-six, wanted to submit a lawsuit to the official, but the submissions were repeatedly rejected, so he came to me to seek a divination on which day the case would be accepted. This case is taken from the "Cancelling Compilation." The heavenly branches are four positions ahead of the earthly branches. The午 hour belongs to the day, and on a Wu day, the nobleman is in the丑 position. The nobleman is on the heaven plate at丑 and on the earth plate at酉, which belongs to the yin direction. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on丑 and on酉, the teng snake is on子 and on申, the vermilion bird is on亥 and on未, the liu he is on戌 and on午, the gou chen is on酉 and on巳, the qing long is on申 and on辰, the tian kong is on未 and on卯, the bai hu is on午 and on寅, the tai chang is on巳 and on丑, the tai yin is on卯 and on亥, and the tian hou is on寅 and on戌. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the戊 is in the巳 palace, with酉 on the巳, which is the first lesson; the酉 has丑 on it, which is the second lesson; the day branch戌 has寅 on it, which is the third lesson; the寅 has午 on it, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively occupied by the gou chen, the nobleman, the tian hou, and the bai hu. The three transmissions are寅, 午, and 戌, forming a fire trinity: the initial transmission is寅 wood, occupied by the tian hou, with the hidden stem ren, which conquers the wu earth as the "official ghost"; the middle transmission is午 fire, occupied by the bai hu, with the hidden stem jia, which generates the wu earth as the "parents"; the final transmission is戌 earth, occupied by the liu he, with the hidden stem wu, which is the same as the day stem, thus forming the "brother."

斷曰：占投呈，看文書，朱雀為主。今中傳午為文書，旬遁甲木為官星，乘神是白虎，午與白虎皆道路之神也。寅者卦屬艮，是高山也。今天盤寅，去在西北，是高崗官至其處，乘神天后是大士之法像。末傳戌為天喜，與卯六合。況寅卯大小官星，俱聚於天門。意者，此月十五癸卯日，客憲大人，必出牛大士香，登海會寺，爾迎路而求之，可蒙收進也。至十五日果一一如斷。

The divination says: When predicting the submission of documents, one should look at the documents, with the Vermilion Bird as the main focus. Now, the Middle Transmission is at Wu, which represents documents. In the current ten-day period, the hidden Jia wood is taken as the official star, and the Heavenly General riding upon it is the White Tiger. Wu and the White Tiger are both deities governing roads. Yin belongs to the trigram Gen, symbolizing a high mountain; today, the Yin on the Heaven Plate is located in the Northwest, indicating that a high-ranking official has arrived there. The Heavenly Empress riding upon Yin is precisely the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva. The Final Transmission is at Xu, which is Heavenly Joy, and it also forms a Liu He with Mao. Moreover, the large and small official stars of Yin and Mao are both gathered at the Heaven Gate direction. Therefore, on the fifteenth day of this month, Guimao, the guest official will certainly come out to offer incense to the Bodhisattva and visit the Haihui Temple. You should meet him on the way and make a request, and he will certainly accept your petition. On the fifteenth day, everything happened exactly as predicted.

又一壬友曰：十五日癸卯得收進者，取末傳戌為應期。地盤戌前上見卯，故得收進也。又云：卯日者，卯加在亥官星乘長生，故也。

Another friend skilled in the Six壬 system said: On the fifteenth day of the month, which is Guimao, the event can be captured, taking the final transmission戌 as the sign of the time. This is because the earth plate戌 has the卯 in the position before it, so on the day of卯, the event is captured. He also said: The reason the time is fixed on the day of卯 is because the卯 is placed on the亥, and the official star is exactly in the state of growth.

丁卯年午月戊戌日申將卯時程東起翁占父病乙丑命六十三歲。牧夫占驗。　朱蛇　合戌亥子丑貴　龍陰陰合　子 丙申 龍　勾酉　寅后　申卯卯戌　兄 辛丑 貴　龍申　卯陰　卯戌戌戊　父 甲午 虎　空未午巳辰玄　虎常

In the year of Dingmao, month of Wu, and day of Wuxu, a divination was cast using the general of Shen added to the hour of Mao, for the purpose of divining the illness of a father. The father's birth year is Yichou, and he is sixty-three years old. This example is taken from Wang Mufu's divination records. The branches on the Heaven Plate are five positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The hour of Mao belongs to the day time, and on a Wu day, the nobleman is located at Chou in the day time. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Chou and on the Earth Plate at Shen. Shen belongs to the yin side. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Chou and on Shen, the Teng Snake is on Zi and on Wei, the Vermilion Bird is on Hai and on Wu, the Liu He is on Xu and on Si, the Gou Chen is on You and on Chen, the Azure Dragon is on Shen and on Mao, the Tian Kong is on Wei and on Yin, the Bai Hu is on Wu and on Chou, the Tai Chang is on Si and on Zi, the Xuan Wu is on Chen and on Hai, the Tai Yin is on Mao and on Xu, and the Heavenly Empress is on Yin and on You. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Wu is in the lodging palace of Si, with Wu on Si, which is the first lesson; Wu on Si has Mao, which is the second lesson; the day branch Wu has Mao, which is the third lesson; and Mao has Shen, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively riding the Liu He, Tai Yin, Tai Yin, and Azure Dragon. The four lessons only form three lessons, which is called an "incomplete" lesson. The three transmissions are Shen, Chou, and Wu: the first transmission is Shen metal riding the Azure Dragon, with the hidden stem of Bing, which is born by Wu earth, thus being "son"; the middle transmission is Chou earth riding the nobleman, with the hidden stem of Xin, which is of the same type as Wu, thus being "brother"; the final transmission is Wu fire riding the Bai Hu, with the hidden stem of Jia, which generates Wu earth, thus being "father," and Wu is also the yang blade of the Wu day.

王牧夫曰：此課占病極凶，主心傷體弱，手足浮腫，十月不保。以課體言，支加干位戌不備，戌主足，故病在足。不備則氣血虧敗，故主浮腫。命上午乃戊日陽刃，乘虎，虎乃病之主殺。午為心，心持刃，故曰心傷。十月不保者，命陰見亥水絕神也。

Wang Mufu said: This lesson indicates a very凶 disease, with the heart being injured, the body weak, and swelling in the hands and feet, and it is not possible to survive until October. In terms of the lesson pattern, the day branch is added to the position of the day stem's lodging palace, and the four lessons are not fully formed into a 'not complete' lesson. Xu governs the feet, so the illness is in the feet. 'Not complete' indicates a deficiency of qi and blood, hence the swelling. The native's午 is the yang blade of the戊 day, and it is also occupied by the White Tiger, which is the main killing god of the illness. 午 governs the heart, and a blade is placed on the heart, hence the injury to the heart. The reason for not surviving until October is that the native's yin spirit sees the亥 water, which is the绝 god.

以三傳而論：初亦主病症。申為金制木，今卯木不足，是肝虛也。肝藏血，肝不通通養血，則血氣妄行，故主浮腫。中傳丑乃本命自墓長生，病由己身不慎所致。末午女歸本命上神，作虎穿害本命，是心事叢雜，自添其病。午陰終歸亥，絕亥於十月之建，故言十月可畏。目今無礙者，申乃戊之長生，在初傳也。

From the perspective of the Three Transmissions: the first transmission primarily indicates illness. Shen belongs to metal and can control wood; now Mao wood is insufficient, indicating liver deficiency. The liver stores blood, and if liver qi is blocked, it cannot retain blood, leading to erratic blood flow, hence causing swelling. The middle transmission, Chou, is both the place where the native's destiny is buried and the land of growth, indicating that the illness is caused by the person's own carelessness. The final transmission, Wu, returns to the native's heavenly stem position, riding the White Tiger and being harmed by the native's own destiny, indicating a troubled mind and self-inflicted illness. The hidden god of Wu ultimately returns to Hai, which is the month builder of the tenth month, and the point of absolute depletion is exactly here, hence the tenth month is feared. Currently, there is no harm because Shen is the growth of Wu earth and falls in the first transmission.

復視大象，丑乃本命，不應往墓申金，致申克卯，卯去克戌，戌畏卯克，往授於午，一路皆自本命，逼到身上，以成不絕之體，其咎在己自取也。長生乃父母之鄉，丑墓壓之，亦主戴墓所致。

Now looking at the overall image of the entire lesson: Chou is the destiny stem, which should not be in the position of death at Shen metal, leading to Shen metal overcoming Mao wood. Mao wood then goes on to overcome Xu earth. Fearing that Mao wood will overcome Xu earth, this energy is transferred to Wu fire. The entire process originates from the destiny stem and is forced back onto itself, creating a continuous and unending flow. The fault lies in self-inflicted consequences. The place of growth, which is originally the homeland of the parents, is suppressed by Chou, indicating that one is "burdened by the tomb," which is caused by this situation.

以行年本命而言，命乘旺午，若陰神不見，亥水作蛇亦無妨。而亥上乘朱，重重見絕，何可當也？行年在辰而勾陳之本乃戊日敗氣。辰乃戊日墓鄉，又逢空位六十三歲。日巳就老人又逢敗，支歸於墓止之地，豈能久乎？況亥上又乘辰十月之建，恰當其下，壽數由此止矣，後果驗於十月。

Now considering the year of travel and the natal destiny: the natal destiny is riding on a prosperous and strong午 (Wu). If the hidden spirit does not appear, the亥 (Hai) water, even though riding on the Teng Snake, would not be a problem. But偏偏 (precisely) the亥 (Hai) is riding on the Vermilion Bird, and all instances show a state of absolute decline. How can it withstand such a situation? The year of travel is on辰 (Chen), and the position of Gou Chen is exactly the place of decline for the戊 (Wu) day; Chen is also the tomb of the戊 (Wu) day, and it also meets the position of Kongwang. The person is already sixty-three years old. The days are nearing old age, and encountering decline, with the day branch returning to the tomb, how can it last long? Moreover, the亥 (Hai) is also riding on the辰 (Chen), and the month builder of the tenth month is exactly beneath it. The lifespan ends here. Later, it indeed came true in the tenth month.

淳祐七年丁未七月十二戊戌日奉御筆占丙子女命月事不行將及三月或疾或胎明白具奏，得子時。一針見血。　合勾龍空　戌亥子丑　蛇常常合　子 丙申 蛇　朱酉　寅虎　申卯卯戌　兄 辛丑 空　蛇申　卯常　卯戌戌戊　父 甲午 后　未午巳辰　貴后陰玄

In the seventh year of the Chunyu era, on the twelfth day of the seventh lunar month, the day being the Wuxu (Wuxu) day, the imperial decree was issued to cast a divination lesson. The subject is a woman born in the year of Bingzi (Bingzi) whose menstruation has not occurred for nearly three months; the question is whether this is due to illness or pregnancy. The divination must be clear and precise, and the time is the子时 (Zi hour). This case is taken from the book "One Needle Sees the Blood." After the beginning of the处暑 (Chushu) in the seventh lunar month, the巳将 (Si General) is used, with the巳将 (Si General) placed on the子时 (Zi hour). The Heaven Plate branches are five positions ahead of the Earth Plate branches. The Zi hour belongs to the night, and on the戊 (Wu) day, the nobleman (贵人) is located at the未 (Wei) position. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at the未 (Wei) position but on the Earth Plate at the寅 (Yin) position. The寅 (Yin) belongs to the Yang direction. The Heavenly Generals are arranged in order: the nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at the未 (Wei) position and on the Earth Plate at the寅 (Yin) position; the Teng Snake is on the Heaven Plate at the申 (Shen) position and on the Earth Plate at the卯 (Mao) position; the Vermilion Bird is on the Heaven Plate at the酉 (You) position and on the Earth Plate at the辰 (Chen) position; the Liu He is on the Heaven Plate at the戌 (Xu) position and on the Earth Plate at the巳 (Si) position; the Gou Chen is on the Heaven Plate at the亥 (Hai) position and on the Earth Plate at the午 (Wu) position; the Azure Dragon is on the Heaven Plate at the子 (Zi) position and on the Earth Plate at the未 (Wei) position; the Tian Kong is on the Heaven Plate at the丑 (Chou) position and on the Earth Plate at the申 (Shen) position; the White Tiger is on the Heaven Plate at the寅 (Yin) position and on the Earth Plate at the酉 (You) position; the Tai Chang is on the Heaven Plate at the卯 (Mao) position and on the Earth Plate at the戌 (Xu) position; the Black Tortoise is on the Heaven Plate at the辰 (Chen) position and on the Earth Plate at the亥 (Hai) position; the Tai Yin is on the Heaven Plate at the巳 (Si) position and on the Earth Plate at the子 (Zi) position; the Heavenly Empress is on the Heaven Plate at the午 (Wu) position and on the Earth Plate at the丑 (Chou) position. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the戊 (Wu) is located in the巳 (Si) position, and the巳 (Si) position has the戌 (Xu), which is the first lesson; the戌 (Xu) position has the卯 (Mao), which is the second lesson; the Day Branch (day branch) is on the戌 (Xu) position and has the卯 (Mao), which is the third lesson; the卯 (Mao) position has the申 (Shen), which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are successively occupied by the Liu He, Tai Chang, Tai Chang, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are 申 (Shen), 丑 (Chou), and 午 (Wu): the first transmission is 申 (Shen) metal, occupied by the Teng Snake, with the hidden character 丙 (Bing), which is the "son" (子孙); the middle transmission is 丑 (Chou) earth, occupied by the Tian Kong, with the hidden character 辛 (Xin), which is the "brother" (兄弟); the final transmission is 午 (Wu) fire, occupied by the Heavenly Empress, with the hidden character 甲 (Jia), which is the "parent" (父母).

祝泌奏曰：臣謹以此課，今秋屬金，金胎在卯亦卯上發用申字，有胞胎之象，此主孕有胎之課，課中無鬼殺，行年見青龍，為喜，終傳午乘天后，七月之生氣也，此胎可育，第陰數耳。惟三傳申午，行年上子，皆陽神，可變為陽胎。道家有此術，不可為虛無，誕在正二月。

Zhu Bi submitted a report stating: I carefully examined this divination. This autumn belongs to the metal element, and the metal's fetal position is in the卯 (Mao) branch. However, the initiating transmission (发用) is on the申 (Shen) branch above the卯 (Mao), which resembles the image of carrying a fetus. This indicates a lesson indicating pregnancy. There is no ghost or killing in the lesson, and the year of birth is marked by the Azure Dragon, which is a joyful omen. The final transmission (末传) is the午 (Wu) branch with the Heavenly Empress, which represents the vital energy of the seventh month. This fetus can be nurtured, although it belongs to the yin number (female fetus). However, the申 (Shen), 午 (Wu), and 子 (Zi) in the three transmissions (三传) are all yang spirits, so it can be transformed into a yang fetus. Daoist practices have such methods, and they should not be regarded as mere superstition. The delivery is expected to occur in the first or second lunar months.

建炎己酉年正月己亥日子將未時陳上舍戊辰生（生於四月十六日巳時），四十二歲占前程。宋本占案　口鑑。　蛇貴　朱戌亥子丑后　六酉　寅陰　六常虎貴　父 空巳 虎　陳申　卯玄　酉辰巳子　兄 戊戌 朱　龍未午巳辰常　辰亥子己　鬼 癸卯 玄　空虎

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, on the Jihai day of the first lunar month, using the Zi general added to the Wei hour to cast the divination, the person being consulted is Chen Sheshuo, born in the Wuchen year (fourth lunar month, sixteenth day, in the Si hour), aged forty-two, seeking divination about his future prospects. This example is taken from the "Song Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The branches on the Heaven Plate are five positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Wei hour belongs to the daytime, and on the Ji day, the nobleman (guiping) is in the Zi position. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate in Zi and on the Earth Plate in Wei. Wei belongs to the yin side, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Zi and on Wei, the Teng Snake is on Hai and on Wu, the Vermilion Bird is on Xu and on Si, the Liu He is on You and on Chen, the Gou Chen is on Shen and on Mao, the Azure Dragon is on Wei and on Yin, the Tian Kong is on Wu and on Chou, the Bai Hu is on Si and on Zi, the Tai Chang is on Chen and on Hai, the Xuan Wu is on Mao and on Xu, the Tai Yin is on Yin and on You, and the Tian Hou is on Chou and on Shen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Jihai day's branch is in Hai, and the Jihai day's branch is lodged in Wei, so the first lesson is on Wei; the Zi position has Si, so the second lesson is on Zi; the day's branch is Hai, and the Hai position has Chen, so the third lesson is on Hai; the Chen position has You, so the fourth lesson is on Chen. The upper spirits are successively accompanied by the nobleman, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, and Liu He. The three transmissions are Si, Xu, and Mao, forming the "Zhu Yin" pattern: the first transmission is Si fire accompanied by Bai Hu, falling into the empty position (the Jihai day belongs to the Jiwu decade, and the empty position is in Chen and Si), generating the Ji earth as "parents"; the middle transmission is Xu earth accompanied by Zhu Que, with the hidden character Wu, which is the same as Ji, forming "brothers"; the final transmission is Mao wood accompanied by Xuan Wu, with the hidden character Ji, which overcomes Ji earth as "official ghost."

邵彥和曰：初末夾定日墓，又名引從，引既不起，從亦不動，前程只如此。巳戌卯鑄印格，乃貴人課；又貴人臨日，可謂吉矣；見壬子年方脫墓神之滯，終見及第，便持兩服；服滿得任，又不終矣。有坎山墳，白蟻遍食，所以前程不通。陳生當年不中，壬子得解及第，持母服；乙卯又持父服。丁巳年授浦江簿，庚申九月身亡。後開坎山墳，果得蟻食者矣。

Shao Yanhe said: The first and final transmissions enclose the day stem in the middle, which is also called "yin cong." The "yin" side cannot be lifted, and the "cong" side cannot move, so his future prospects can only reach this point. The combinations of巳, 戌, and 卯 form the "zhu yin" pattern, which belongs to a nobleman's chart; and since there is a nobleman present on the day stem, it is considered auspicious. He would not be free from the obstruction of the tomb spirit until the Renzi year, and eventually he would pass the examination, but immediately after that he would have to mourn twice consecutively. After completing the mourning period he would obtain an official position, but would not be able to hold it to the end. His family had a mountain tomb in the Kan direction, which had been completely eaten by termites, so his prospects were blocked. Chen Shangye did not pass the examination in his youth, but in the Renzi year he passed the local examination and was promoted, then he mourned for his mother. In the Yimao year he mourned for his father. In the Dingsi year he was appointed as the county magistrate of Pujia County, and in the Gengshen year in September he died. Later, when they opened the tomb in the Kan direction, they indeed found it completely eaten by termites.

夫引從之格，己見巳為絕，辰為墓，墓辰死卯，日上水子亦墓辰、絕巳、死卯，今反引出死墓絕及白虎元武夾定支干之墓，墓加宅，所以引起孝服。庚申年死者，行年又臨巳宮，乃是絕地。巳與申合，合起墓絕，所以死也。

The term 'yin cong' refers to a situation where the earthy stem Ji Tu is in the position of 'jue' at Si, 'mu ku' at Chen, and 'si di' at Mao. The day stem's Zi water is also in 'mu' at Chen, 'jue' at Si, and 'si di' at Mao. Now, the three positions of 'si di', 'mu ku', and 'jue' are all brought out. The White Tiger and Black Tortoise are in between the stem and branch's 'mu ku', and the 'mu' is added to the dwelling爻. Therefore, it indicates matters related to mourning attire. Death occurs in the year Geng Shen because the year stem also arrives at the Si palace, which is the 'jue' position. Si and Shen are in a harmonious relationship, thus activating the 'mu' and 'jue', leading to death.

己酉年十月己亥日寅將本時曹八秀才戊辰生四十二歲占開店。方本占案　口鑑。　六陳　朱戌亥子丑龍　蛇酉　寅空　蛇常玄陳　父 空巳 玄　貴申　卯虎　酉辰巳子　兄 戊戌 朱　后未午巳辰常　辰亥子己　鬼 癸卯 虎　陰玄

In the year of Jiyou, in the tenth lunar month, on the day of Jihai, the divination was started with the hour of Yin as the general. The month general for the tenth lunar month is Yin, and the "current hour" refers to the present time. From the lesson plate, Yin is placed on the earth plate's You, indicating the time of the divination is You hour. Cao Ba, a scholar born in the year of Wuchen, aged forty-two, consulted about opening a shop. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The heavenly branches are five positions ahead of the earthly branches. You hour is night time, and the nobleman of the day is in Shen. The nobleman is on the heavenly plate's Shen and placed on the earthly plate's Mao, which belongs to the yang direction. The heavenly general is arranged in order: the nobleman on Shen placed on Mao, the Teng Snake on You placed on Chen, the Vermilion Bird on Xu placed on Si, the Liu He on Hai placed on Wu, the Gou Chen on Zi placed on Wei, the Azure Dragon on Chou placed on Shen, the Tian Kong on Yin placed on You, the Bai Hu on Mao placed on Xu, the Tai Chang on Chen placed on Hai, the Xuan Wu on Si placed on Zi, the Tai Yin on Wu placed on Chou, and the Heavenly Empress on Wei placed on Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the earth element Jihai is lodged in Wei, and Wei has Zi, which is the first lesson; Zi has Si, which is the second lesson; the day branch Hai has Chen, which is the third lesson; and Chen has You, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively on Gou Chen, Xuan Wu, Tai Chang, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are Si, Xu, and Mao: the first transmission is Si fire on Xuan Wu, which is in the empty position (the day of Jihai belongs to the Jiawu decade, and the empty position is on Chen and Si), and it generates the earth element Ji as "parents"; the middle transmission is Xu earth on the Vermilion Bird, with the hidden heavenly stem Wu, which is the same as Ji, making it "brothers"; the final transmission is Mao wood on the Bai Hu, with the hidden heavenly stem Gui, which overcomes Ji as "official ghost."

邵彥和曰：日上見貴財，支上見財庫，日上財神又歸財庫，此大利。初又為店，但修葺有費耳。蓋元武為費用倍常也。中又為店之庫，重重皆是財利奮發，但末傳被人取店，須用爭競。曹曰：莫賃，買之如何？曰：買亦爭競。以九年為期。曹曰：九年再問。乃問汪七娘賃房，大費修葺，入店三年大發，積百萬，第六年汪七娘以店賣與之。第七年汪七秀才因分取贖不肯，具告陳論與他。果如先生言。

Shao Yanhe said: The day stem's heavenly stem is seen as "nobleman wealth" - Ji earth lodges in Wei, and Wei is where Zi water is located, Zi water is the wife wealth that Ji earth controls, and Zi is also the native house of the nobleman for Ji day; the day branch is the house, and the house is on Chen, which is the burial place of water, that is, the wealth storage; the wealth god Zi water on the day stem, the storage is exactly on the house Chen, meaning the wealth returns to the wealth storage, which is a very favorable sign. The first transmission is Si, which is the parents, parents represent the house, so it also represents the shop, but the renovation will cost a lot - Si is covered by the White Tiger, the White Tiger represents loss, the cost will be double the usual. The middle transmission is Xu, which is the burial place of Si fire, that is, the warehouse of the shop, all layers are full of wealth; however, the final transmission is Mao wood covered by the White Tiger, which overcomes Xu and breaks the warehouse, indicating the shop is taken away by others, and a lawsuit is needed. Cao Ba asked: If not renting, but buying, what would happen? The answer was: Even if buying, a lawsuit will occur, with a period of nine years. Cao Ba said: Then I will ask again after nine years. So he rented the house from Wang Qi Niang, spent a lot of money on renovation, and after three years of opening the shop, he became very wealthy, accumulating millions; in the sixth year, Wang Qi Niang sold the shop to him; in the seventh year, Wang Qi Cai, the scholar, wanted to redeem the shop due to division of property, but Cao Ba refused, and Wang Qi Niang filed a lawsuit against him, leading to a dispute. The outcome was exactly as Shao Master had predicted.

大凡占店少得如此等課。日上見財，且是行年，安得不厚？更中傳又乘巳火歸庫。若末非卯鬼破庫，財可永久。今既遭破，且盡，巳之四，戌之五，共九年也。

In general, divination for opening a shop rarely yields such a favorable reading. The day stem's heavenly stem indicates wealth, and this position (Earth Plate Wei) is precisely where the person's age of forty-two falls, so the wealth energy is certainly strong. Moreover, the middle transmission Wu follows the initial transmission Si fire and returns to its repository. If the final transmission had not been the卯 wood official ghost breaking the repository, the wealth would have lasted long; now that it has been broken, the wealth comes to an end. The number of Si is four and the number of Wu is five, together making nine years.

十一月己亥日寅將申時卜安豐賊寇。一針見血。　蛇貴后陰　亥子丑寅　蛇虎龍后　父 ◎巳 虎　朱戌　卯玄　亥巳未丑　財 己亥 蛇　合酉　辰常　巳亥丑己　父 ◎巳 虎　申未午巳　勾龍空虎

On the Jihai day of the eleventh month, using the寅 general added to the申 hour to cast a divination, the matter concerns bandits in the Anfeng area. This example is taken from "One Needle Sees Blood." The branches on the Heaven Plate are six positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate, and the Heaven and Earth Plates are in constant opposition everywhere, forming a "reverse echo" chart. The申 hour belongs to the day, and on a Jihai day, the nobleman is in the子 position during the day. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate's子 and on the Earth Plate's午, with午 belonging to the yin side. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse: the nobleman is on子 and on午, the Teng Snake is on亥 and on巳, the Vermilion Bird is on戌 and on辰, the Liu He is on酉 and on卯, the Gou Chen is on申 and on寅, the Azure Dragon is on未 and on丑, the Tian Kong is on午 and on子, the Bai Hu is on巳 and on亥, the Tai Chang is on辰 and on戌, the Xuan Wu is on卯 and on酉, the Tai Yin is on寅 and on申, and the Heavenly Empress is on丑 and on未. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Jihai day's earth is lodged in the未, with丑 on the未, forming the first lesson;丑 has未 on it, forming the second lesson; the day branch亥 has巳 on it, forming the third lesson; and the巳 has亥 on it, forming the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively occupied by the Heavenly Empress, Azure Dragon, Bai Hu, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are巳,亥, and巳: the first and last transmissions are both巳 fire, riding the Bai Hu, falling in the empty position (on the Jiawu decade, the empty positions are辰 and巳), generating the Jihai earth as "parents"; the middle transmission is亥 water, riding the Teng Snake, with the hidden heavenly stem being己, which is overcome by the Jihai earth as "wife and wealth."

祝泌奏曰：死氣十二月在巳，臨日支發用，將見白虎，殺氣頗重，虜賊未退，月破臨城，乘生旺之鄉，不至大害，亦在危疑之間，不至大害者，騰蛇能制白虎也。亦主危疑者，游都加人民也。臣以術測之，安豐必先敗而後勝。安豐受害之民必有損傷，然終可全保。

Zhu Bi submitted a report stating: "The凶煞 'Death Qi' falls on the twelfth month in the position of Si. Now, the Si is placed directly on the day branch Hai, which represents Anfeng City, and is taken as the initiating transmission. The heavenly general accompanying it is the White Tiger, which carries a very strong killing energy, and the enemy will not retreat for the time being. The 'Month Breaker' spirit is placed on the city, but fortunately, the Si fire is in a flourishing and vigorous position, so it does not lead to great harm, yet remains in a state of uncertainty and danger. The reason for saying it does not lead to great harm is that the middle transmission on Hai is accompanied by the Teng Snake, which belongs to fire, and fire can overcome metal, thus restraining the White Tiger. The reason for saying it still indicates uncertainty and danger is that the 'You Du'凶煞, which is associated with military enemies, is placed on the position representing the people. By using divination techniques, I predict that Anfeng City will first suffer defeat and then eventually prevail; the people of Anfeng will inevitably suffer some damage, but ultimately will be preserved."

順治己酉年正月己亥日子將巳時參將盧承山占病吉凶。指南。　后陰　貴子丑寅卯玄　后空六陰　父 甲午 空　蛇亥　辰常　丑午酉寅　兄 辛丑 后　朱戌　巳虎　午亥寅己　子 丙申 勾　六酉申未午空　勾青

In the sixth year of Shunzhi, the first month, on the Jihai day, a divination was made using the Zi general added to the Si hour. General Lu Chengshan consulted about the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of a sickness. This example is taken from the "Six Yin Guide." The branches on the Heaven Plate are seven positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Si hour belongs to the day time, and on a Ji day, the nobleman is in Zi during the day. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate Zi and on the Earth Plate Si. Si belongs to the yin side. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Zi and on Si, the Teng Snake is on Hai and on Chen, the Vermilion Bird is on Xu and on Mao, the Liu He is on You and on Yin, the Gou Chen is on Shen and on Chou, the Azure Dragon is on Wei and on Wei, the Tian Kong is on Wu and on Hai, the Bai Hu is on Si and on Xu, the Tai Chang is on Chen and on You, the Xuan Wu is on Mao and on Shen, the Tai Yin is on Yin and on Wei, and the Heavenly Empress is on Chou and on Wu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Jihai day's Jihai is lodged in Wei, and Wei has寅, which is the first lesson;寅 has酉, which is the second lesson; the day branch Hai has午, which is the third lesson; and午 has丑, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively occupied by Tai Yin, Liu He, Tian Kong, and Heavenly Empress. The third lesson, Hai water, is attacking the fifth lesson, Wu fire, which is a case of lower attacking upper. Therefore, the Wu fire is taken as the initiating transmission. The first transmission is Wu fire, riding on Tian Kong, with the hidden dry branch Ji, which generates Ji soil as "parents"; the second transmission is丑 soil, riding on Heavenly Empress, with the hidden dry branch Xin, which is similar to Ji as "brothers"; the third transmission is申 metal, riding on Gou Chen, with the hidden dry branch Bing, which is generated by Ji soil as "sons."

陳公獻曰：脾土受症，目今無慮。蓋木為官鬼，則脾經受症矣。以平清肺心為上，切勿健脾理肺，七月恐有不測。蓋祿臨絕地，馬入墓鄉，且子巳相加為陽（生）臨陽絕，又卯臨申位是木被金離，病人非宜，且年帶二死剋日，故斷其七月必死。已而果然。

Chen Gongxian said: This is a case of the spleen earth being afflicted, but there is no need to worry at present. Wood is the official ghost that overcomes earth, so when wood comes to overcome, the spleen meridian naturally becomes ill. In terms of treatment, it is best to calm the liver and clear the lungs, and regulate the heart qi, rather than simply strengthen the spleen and regulate the lungs. By July, there may be unexpected misfortune. This is because the day stem is Ji, and the Ji day's禄神 is Wu. However, Wu is placed on Hai, and fire is extinguished at Hai, meaning the禄神 is in a state of extinction. The day branch is Hai, which belongs to the wood triad of Hai-Mao-Wei. The驿马 of the wood triad is Si, and Si is placed on Xu, which is the fire tomb. This is like a horse entering its tomb. Moreover, the heaven plate Zi water is placed on the earth plate Si, and Zi is the life qi of yang water, while Si is the absolute end of water, forming 'yang life meets yang extinction'. In addition, the heaven plate卯 is placed on the earth plate Shen, and卯 wood is overcome by Shen metal, leading to its disintegration. This is not suitable for the patient. Moreover, the year pillar carries two death deities that overcome the day stem. Therefore, it is predicted that he will surely die in July. Later, this prediction was indeed fulfilled.

己亥日占賣馬。郭氏占案。　后陰　貴子丑寅卯玄　后空六陰　父 甲午 空　蛇亥　辰常　丑午酉寅　兄 辛丑 后　朱戌　巳虎　午亥寅己　子 丙申 勾　六酉申未午空　勾青

On the day of Jihai, a divination was made regarding the sale of a horse. This case is taken from Guo Yüqing's divination records. The divination board is identical to the previous example: the heavenly branches are seven positions ahead of the earthly branches. The nobleman is riding the zodiac animal of zi and is located at si, which belongs to the yin side. The heavenly general is arranged in reverse order. The nobleman rides zi and is located at si, the teng snake rides hai and is located at chen, the vermilion bird rides xu and is located at ma, the liu he rides you and is located at yin, the gou chen rides shen and is located at chou, the azure dragon rides wei and is located at wei, the tian kong rides wu and is located at hai, the bai hu rides si and is located at xu, the tai chang rides chen and is located at you, the xuan wu rides ma and is located at shen, the tai yin rides yin and is located at wei, and the heavenly empress rides chou and is located at wu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: ji is associated with wei, and wei has yin, which is the first lesson; yin has you, which is the second lesson; the day branch hai has wu, which is the third lesson; and wu has chou, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively riding tai yin, liu he, tian kong, and heavenly empress. The three transmissions are wu, chou, and shen: the first transmission is wu fire riding tian kong, with the hidden heavenly stem jia, representing 'parents', and wu is also the禄神 (lucky god) of the day ji; the middle transmission is chou earth riding heavenly empress, with the hidden heavenly stem xin, representing 'brother'; the final transmission is shen metal riding gou chen, with the hidden heavenly stem bing, representing 'child'. Wu is the main symbol for horses in the twelve branches, and it is the class god in this divination. It is initiated from the day branch hai, which is the dwelling position.

郭御青曰：餘親有馬二匹，一大一小，問皆出否？課果傳類神午字，時旁有人斷為皆不得賣。以午為日祿也。又一人斷為賣出大馬，以大馬捷足先出也。余斷日馬，馬為日祿，惟賣出乃得價為祿，賣出小馬，以午自刑，大刑出小，小刑不能出大也。馬即從宅上發用，明乎一馬在宅，一馬出外，且馬有戀主之意，凡賣皆不願出。今一馬出　，必大刑小出也。果賣小馬。

Guo Yuqing said: My relative has two horses, one big and one small, and asked whether both could be sold. In the divination, the god of the horse, represented by the character 'wu', was indeed transmitted. At that time, someone nearby said both horses could not be sold, reasoning that 'wu' is the禄神 (favorable deity) of the day 'ji', and禄神 (favorable deity) should not go out. Another person said the big horse could be sold, reasoning that the big horse is faster and would go out first. I said: 'Wu' horse is the禄神 (favorable deity) of the day 'ji', and only by selling it and getting money can one obtain禄 (favorable fortune); the small horse could be sold - because 'wu' and 'wu' self-punish each other, the big one punishes the small one, but the small one cannot punish the big one. The horse was transmitted from the house爻 (day branch 'hai'), indicating one horse at home and one outside. Moreover, horses have a fondness for their master, and when they are to be sold, they do not wish to leave. Now only one horse has gone out, which must be the big one punishing the small one, and the small horse going out. The result was indeed that the small horse was sold.

崇正壬午年十月己亥日卯將未時山東明經王米山索占。指南。　朱六　蛇丑寅卯辰勾　六虎后六　兄 未 虎　貴子　巳龍　卯未亥卯　鬼 卯 六　后亥　午空　未亥卯己　財 亥 后　陰戌酉申未虎　玄常

In the year Renwu of Chongzheng, on the Jihai day of the tenth lunar month, a man named Wang Mishan from Shandong, a candidate for the imperial examination (gongsheng), came to seek divination. This example is taken from the "Lunin Zhinan." The branches on the Heaven Plate are eight positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The time of the divination is the hour of Wei, which is daytime. On an Ji day, the nobleman (guiren) is located at Zi. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Zi and on the Earth Plate at Chen, which belongs to the Yang direction. The heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman is on Zi at Chen, the Teng Snake is on Chou at Si, the Vermilion Bird is on Yin at Wu, the Liu He is on Mao at Wei, the Gou Chen is on Chen at Shen, the Azure Dragon is on Si at You, the Tian Kong is on Wu at Xu, the Baihu is on Wei at Hai, the Tai Chang is on Shen at Zi, the Xuanwu is on You at Chou, the Tai Yin is on Xu at Yin, and the Tianhou is on Hai at Mao. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Jihai day branch is located in Wei, so the first lesson is at Wei with Mao; the second lesson is at Mao with Hai; the third lesson is at Hai with Wei; the fourth lesson is at Wei with Mao. The upper deities are successively occupied by Liu He, Tianhou, Baihu, and Liu He. The three transmissions are Wei, Mao, and Hai, forming the inverted Wood triad of Hai-Mao-Wei. The first transmission is Wei soil with Baihu, which is of the same type as Ji soil, thus indicating 'brother'; the middle transmission is Mao wood with Liu He, which overcomes Ji soil, thus indicating 'official ghost'; the final transmission is Hai water with Tianhou, which is overcome by Ji soil, thus indicating 'wife's wealth'.

陳公獻曰：王米山攜子某，來謁陳東明求官，過小齋訪道。余曰：先生少間，須臾有三客至，內必楊姓者。果如言。余曰：干神歸支，傳將逆行，郎君宜回東省取功名。且貴地不日兵動，且有攻城破邑之事，眷屬宜遷他處避之。曰：祝老母九十壽，方可遷也。曰：尊堂壽止八十有九，因乙發用與地盤己字合斷為八九之數也。此皆日後事，目今須防失脫也。

Chen Gongxian said: Wang Mishan came with his son to pay homage to Chen Dongming in pursuit of an official post, and on the way visited my small study to seek guidance. I said: Please wait a moment, there will soon be three guests arriving, among whom there must be one named Yang. Later it indeed turned out as I had said. I then said: The heavenly stem of the day is connected to the earthly branch, the three transmissions and the heavenly general are all moving in reverse, so your son should return to Shandong to attain official rank; also, there will be military movements in your area soon, and there will be attacks on cities and towns, so your family should move to another place to take shelter. Wang Mishan said: We need to wait until we have held a ninetyth birthday celebration for my mother before we can move. I said: Your mother's lifespan is only up to eighty-nine - the first transmission has not yet been used, and during the ten-day cycle, the hidden heavenly stem is yi, which matches the earth plate's ji. The number of yi is eight, and the number of ji is nine, combining to form the number eighty-nine. These are matters for the future; for now, you should first be on guard against theft and loss.

米山接住灣子街舊同寅陳宅書房，果被盜。復來，余曰：玄武脫氣居丑命，所盜者郎君物耳。曰：然。還防賊復來。果三日又來，將物盡盜去，曰：何以明其然也？余曰：課傳回環，故知其改之復來。米山問曰：山東兵動者何？蓋因三傳純官鬼，又魯都虎鬼克支，賊符將星克干，是以知貴省中外兵動，攻城破邑也。果冬月一一如占。米山遷居淮安新安鎮，其母未度九十而終。

Wang Mishan was staying in the study of his former colleague Chen's family on Wanzijie Street, and indeed he was robbed. When he came back to me, I said: The Black Tortoise is riding on You, which is the son of the branch that drains my energy, and it is precisely on the native's birth branch Chou, so the stolen items are those of his son. He said: That's exactly right. I then said: You should also be cautious of the thief coming again. Indeed, three days later the thief came again and stole everything. He asked: On what basis did you see this would happen? I said: Because in this lesson the four lessons and three transmissions are connected head to tail, forming a cycle, so I knew the thief would return. Wang Mishan then asked: How did you see that there would be military movement in Shandong? That is because the three transmissions Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wood trinity, all of which are officials that overcome the person; the 'robber's sign' and 'general star' come together with the White Tiger and official ghosts to overcome the day branch. Therefore, I knew that both inside and outside the province of Shandong would have military movements, and there would be attacks on cities and towns. By the time of the twelfth lunar month, everything came true as predicted. Later, Wang Mishan moved to Xinhuan Town in Huai'an, and his mother died before reaching ninety years old.

庚戌年七月己亥日午將未時韓省干占子病丙午生五歲。方本占案　口鑑。　龍空　陳辰巳午未虎　六卯　申常　玄陰龍空　兄 戊戌 陰　朱寅　酉玄　酉戌巳午　子 丁酉 玄　蛇丑子亥戌陰　戌亥午己　子 丙申 常　貴後

In the year of Geng Xu, seventh lunar month, on the day of Ji Hai, using the general of Wu and starting the divination at the hour of Wei, Han Xinggan divined about his son's illness. His son was born in the year of Bing Wu and is five years old. This case is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The branches on the Heaven Plate are each one step behind those on the Earth Plate. The hour of Wei belongs to the day time, and on the day of Ji, the nobleman is located at Zi. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Zi and on the Earth Plate at Chou. Chou belongs to the Yang side, and the heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman is on Zi and on Chou, the Teng Snake is on Chou and on Yin, the Vermilion Bird is on Yin and on Mao, the Liu He is on Mao and on Chen, the Gou Chen is on Chen and on Si, the Azure Dragon is on Si and on Wu, the Tian Kong is on Wu and on Wei, the Bai Hu is on Wei and on Shen, the Tai Chang is on Shen and on You, the Xuan Wu is on You and on Xu, the Tai Yin is on Xu and on Hai, and the Heavenly Empress is on Hai and on Zi. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the earth element Ji is lodged in Wei, and Wei has Wu, which is the first lesson; Wu has Si, which is the second lesson; the day branch Hai has Xu, which is the third lesson; and Xu has You, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are successively occupied by Tian Kong, Qing Long, Tai Yin, and Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are Xu, You, and Shen, each step backward: the first transmission is Xu earth with Tai Yin, hidden heavenly stem Wu, which is of the same type as Ji, thus being "brother"; the middle transmission is You metal with Xuan Wu, hidden heavenly stem Ding, which is generated by Ji earth, thus being "son"; the final transmission is Shen metal with Tai Chang, hidden heavenly stem Bing, which is also "son." Hai is the Heaven Gate, and Xu is Hekui. Xu is placed on Hai, forming the image of "Hekui crossing the Heaven Gate."

陳公獻曰：此病至危，宅中謝神請醫，費盡千萬錢，而不知病在目前。今主至困而又發吊，手足拳束，口眼歪邪，還是風症否？曰：然。若作風病，其病必死。其病因親王價領出，與冷粽子吃，及歸又吃冷淘面，二物積中，遂發熱，積緊腸塞，致令手足拳束耳。可依此治即安也。韓丈之子，因七月十五僕家裹粽燒紙，遂與食之，歸又吃令淘面，晚遂得病，困重求重請醫，費千萬錢不效，聞先生言，醫遂以陳皮、青皮、烏藥湯治之，便覺身輕，下黑糞三五塊而全愈。

Chen Gongxian said: The illness has already become extremely dangerous. The family has been worshiping gods and consulting doctors, spending thousands of coins, yet they do not realize the root of the illness is right before their eyes. Now the child is in a state of extreme distress, with convulsions, curled and twisted hands and feet, and crooked mouth and eyes. Are you treating this as a wind illness? Answer: Yes. I said: If you treat this as a wind illness, the child will surely die. This illness is caused by the child being taken out by a servant from a relative's house, given a cold zongzi, and then eating cold cold-tossed noodles, which both accumulated in the abdomen. This led to fever, stagnation, and blockage in the intestines, causing the hands and feet to become twisted. If you treat it in this way, the child will recover immediately. Han's son was given zongzi by the servant family on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, and also burned paper money, then gave it to the child to eat. When he returned, he ate cold cold-tossed noodles, and that night he fell ill, with a severe condition. He consulted many doctors, spending thousands of coins without any effect. After listening to Mr. Chen's advice, the doctor used a decoction of tangerine peel, green tangerine peel, and wu yao, and the child immediately felt relief, passed three or five pieces of black stool, and recovered completely.

蓋己日見戌為同宗，日上見午，火中之物也。巳乃未形似米，以來配宗字，象粽子，加亥水故曰冷粽。太陰老婦，乃僕人之母與之也。酉麥申面，故曰面，玄武主過水，是以為冷淘也。

The principle of taking images is: on a Ji day, the presence of Xu indicates that both Ji and Xu are earth, representing the same lineage, so the character "Zong" is used. The day stem is combined with the upper god, which is Wu, belonging to fire, indicating something cooked in fire. The "Wei" of Ji's lodging palace resembles the character "Mi" (rice), which pairs with "Zong" to form the character "Zongzi" (rice dumpling), hence the image is a rice dumpling. Xu is placed above Hai water, so it is called a cold rice dumpling. Xu is covered by Tai Yin, which represents an old woman, indicating that it is given by the mother of the servant. You represents wheat and Shen represents flour, so it is called a flour food. Xuanwu governs crossing water, so it is determined to be cold noodles passed through cold water.

吳稼云曰：魁渡天門知其為積案，中卻不肯說破，此古人秘密藏也。

Wu Jiayun said: From the single image of 'Kui degree Tianmen' in the 'Xu Jia Hai' combination, one can already know that this is a case of accumulated food; however, Chen Gongxian did not explicitly mention this point in his interpretation, which precisely reflects the secrecy of the ancients.

癸未年正月己亥日亥將未時事來意。指南。　朱蛇　六酉戌亥子貴　龍玄玄蛇　比 乙未 青　勾申　丑后　未卯卯亥　財 己亥 蛇　龍未　寅陰　卯亥亥己　鬼 癸卯 玄　空午巳辰卯玄　虎常

On the Jihai day of the Guiwei year in the first lunar month, the divination was cast using the Guiwei hour as the starting point, to determine the intention of the person coming (the original text says 'the intention of the matter', but 'matter' is likely a mistake for 'divination'). This example is taken from the "Six Nian Guide". The branches on the Heaven Plate are four positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Guiwei hour belongs to the daytime, and on a Jihai day, the nobleman (day's nobleman) is in the Zi position. The nobleman is in the Zi position on the Heaven Plate and in the Shen position on the Earth Plate, which belongs to the yin side. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is in Zi on the Heaven Plate and in Shen on the Earth Plate; the Teng Snake is in Hai on the Heaven Plate and in Wei on the Earth Plate; the Vermilion Bird is in Xu on the Heaven Plate and in Wu on the Earth Plate; the Liu He is in You on the Heaven Plate and in Si on the Earth Plate; the Gou Chen is in Shen on the Heaven Plate and in Chen on the Earth Plate; the Azure Dragon is in Wei on the Heaven Plate and in Mao on the Earth Plate; the Tian Kong is in Wu on the Heaven Plate and in Yin on the Earth Plate; the Bai Hu is in Si on the Heaven Plate and in Chou on the Earth Plate; the Tai Chang is in Chen on the Heaven Plate and in Zi on the Earth Plate; the Xuan Wu is in Mao on the Heaven Plate and in Hai on the Earth Plate; the Tai Yin is in Yin on the Heaven Plate and in Xu on the Earth Plate; the Heavenly Empress is in Chou on the Heaven Plate and in You on the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Jihai day's branch is in Hai, which is assigned to the Wei position, so the first lesson is in Wei; the Wei position has Mao, so the second lesson is in Mao; the day's branch Hai has Mao, so the third lesson is in Mao; the Mao position has Wei, so the fourth lesson is in Wei. The upper gods in order are Teng Snake, Xuan Wu, Xuan Wu, and Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are Wei, Hai, and Mao, which together form the wood triad of Hai-Mao-Wei. The first transmission is Wei earth, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon and has the hidden stem Yi, which is the same as the Jihai day's stem Ji, making it 'like a companion'; the second transmission is Hai water, which is occupied by the Teng Snake and has the hidden stem Ji, which is overcome by the Ji earth, making it 'wife and wealth'; the third transmission is Mao wood, which is occupied by the Xuan Wu and has the hidden stem Gui, which overcomes the Ji earth, making it 'official ghost'. Since the wood triad forms the official triad, it indicates matters related to official positions and fame.

陳公獻曰：予在金陵卞聖瑞書房，偶有兩客進坐索占。余曰：龍神發用，傳課結成官局，來意必占今年功名事。六月即有欽召之應。蓋春得進旺之木，遇夏則枝葉茂密，將來事業遠大。早：六月之說何也？緣歲建皇恩發用，中傳天詔，是以六月定有佳音。後知來占者即趙忻城昆弟也。果於是月奉詔進京授京營提督，甲申又升京營戎政。

Chen Gongxian said: I was in the study of Bian Shengrui in Jinling when two guests came in and sat down to seek divination. I said: The Azure Dragon is riding the first transmission and initiating the transmission, and the four lessons and three transmissions form an official structure, so the intention must be to divinate this year's official status. There will be a response in June with an imperial summons. Because spring is the time when the wood energy is flourishing, by summer the branches and leaves will naturally be lush, and the future career will be great. The guests asked: Where does the saying of June come from? I said: The initial transmission of Wei is both the annual establishment of Guiwei year and carries the evil spirit of 'Imperial Grace' initiating the transmission, and the middle transmission of Hai is 'Heavenly Imperial Edict', so there must be good news in June. Later I found out that the people who came for divination were brothers from the Xin Cheng Marquis Zhao's family. Indeed, they were summoned to the capital in this month and appointed as commander of the capital military camps; in Jiashen year they were promoted to the military affairs of the capital military camps.

此以神煞斷，可見靈機通變，在乎一心。

This case entirely depends on the divine influences of the annual stem, imperial grace, and heavenly edicts to make a judgment, showing the wonderful adaptability of Liunin divination. Ultimately, its subtlety lies in the diviner's understanding and application, which cannot be obtained by rigidly following fixed methods.

建炎己酉年十月二十五庚子日寅將未時曹作秀才癸酉生三十七歲占進屋。方本占案　直指。　貴后　蛇子丑寅卯陰　朱亥　辰玄　后空六陰　父 戊戌 六　六戌　巳常　寅未戌卯　官 空巳 常　陳酉申未午虎　未子卯庚　子 庚子 蛇　龍空

In the year Guiyou of the Jianyan era, on the 25th day of the tenth lunar month, at the time of Wei, using the general of Yin to cast the divination, Cao Zuo, born in the year Guiyou, aged thirty-seven, consulted about moving into a new house. This case is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Zhi Zhi." The branches on the Heaven Plate are seven positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The time of Wei belongs to the day, and on a day of Geng, the nobleman is in Chou. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Chou and on the Earth Plate at Wu, which belongs to the yin direction. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Chou and Wu, the Teng Snake is on Zi and Si, the Vermilion Bird is on Hai and Chen, the Liu He is on Xu and Mao, the Gou Chen is on You and Yin, the Azure Dragon is on Shen and Chou, the Tian Kong is on Wei and Zi, the Bai Hu is on Wu and Hai, the Tai Chang is on Si and Xu, the Xuan Wu is on Chen and Shen, the Tai Yin is on Mao and Shen, and the Heavenly Empress is on Yin and Wei. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the metal of Geng is in the lodging palace of Shen, with the lesson on Shen being the first; the lesson on Mao is on Xu, which is the second; the lesson on Zi is on Wei, which is the third; and the lesson on Wei is on Yin, which is the fourth. The upper spirits are successively governed by Tai Yin, Liu He, Tian Kong, and Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are Xu, Si, and Zi: the first transmission is the earth of Xu governed by Liu He, with the hidden dry branch Wu, which generates the metal of Geng as the "parents"; the middle transmission is the fire of Si governed by Tai Chang, which is in the empty position (on the day of Geng Zi, which belongs to the Jiawu decade, the empty position is in Chen and Si), which overcomes the metal of Geng as the "official ghost"; the final transmission is the water of Zi governed by Teng Snake, with the hidden dry branch Geng, which is generated by the metal of Geng as the "son and daughter."

邵彥和曰：斫輪課，須仔細，後必爭競。支受干制之課，犯者畜產不生，宅上天空作害，主有幼小；干上互換羅網，必有小擾大之事。太陰宅母不明，兼行年湊成羅網，定是不足。末蛇乘子絕了又生，生了又絕，切不可居。庚以酉為天羅，卯為地網。

Shao Yanhe said: This is the "Zhuo Lun" divination lesson, which requires careful consideration, for there will surely be disputes in the future. In this lesson, the day branch is controlled by the upper deity, and those who commit this lesson will have few animals and offspring; the day branch, which is the zi (water) trigram, is afflicted by the Tian Kong, indicating that the young members of the family will be burdened. The day stem and its upper and lower trigrams form a net, which certainly leads to disturbances where the small disturb the great. The upper deity on the day stem is the卯 (rabbit) trigram, which is occupied by the Tai Yin, the deity representing the female head of the household, indicating darkness and confusion. Moreover, the thirty-seventh year of the person's life is in the寅 (tiger) trigram, which is supported by the酉 (rooster) trigram, which is the heavenly net for the metal element. The酉 trigram is the heavenly net for the metal, and the卯 trigram is the earthly net. The final transmission is the Teng Snake occupying the zi (water) trigram, which is the death place for the metal element. However, the zi water is in its prime, so it is first extinguished and then revived, and then extinguished again, leading to constant change. This house must not be occupied. The metal element uses the酉 (rooster) trigram as its heavenly net and the卯 (rabbit) trigram as its earthly net.

十月庚子日卯將未時甲子命婦人占來意。一字訣玉連環。　貴后陰玄　丑寅卯辰　玄龍蛇玄　子 庚子 蛇 ⊙　蛇子　巳常　辰申子辰　兄 丙申 龍　朱亥　午虎　申子辰庚　父 辰 玄 ◎　戌酉申未　合勾龍空

On the tenth month's Geng Zi day, using the卯 general added to the Wei hour to cast the divination, a woman whose birth sign is Jia Zi is asking about the intention. This example is taken from the "One Character诀" and "Jade Linked Ring." The branches on the Heaven Plate are eight positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Wei hour belongs to the day time, and on a Geng day, the nobleman is in the Chou position. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate Chou and falls on the Earth Plate Si, which is a yin position. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Chou and falls on Si, the Teng Snake is on Zi and falls on Chen, the Vermilion Bird is on Hai and falls on Mao, the Liu He is on Xu and falls on Yin, the Gou Chen is on You and falls on Chou, the Azure Dragon is on Shen and falls on Zi, the Tian Kong is on Wei and falls on Hai, the Bai Hu is on Wu and falls on Xu, the Tai Chang is on Si and falls on You, the Shen Hou is on Chen and falls on Shen, and the Tai Yin is on Mao and falls on Wei. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng metal lodges in Shen, with Shen having Chen, which is the first lesson; Chen has Zi, which is the second lesson; the day branch Zi has Shen, which is the third lesson; Shen has Chen, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods in sequence are the Black Tortoise, Teng Snake, Azure Dragon, and Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are Zi, Shen, and Chen, forming the water trinity of Shen, Zi, and Chen, which is a "Runxia" lesson. The first transmission is Zi water with Teng Snake, hidden dry Jia, which is born from Geng metal, thus being "son and daughter." Zi is also called "Shenhou." The middle transmission is Shen metal with Azure Dragon, hidden dry Bing, which is of the same type as Geng metal, thus being "brother and sister." Shen is also called "Chuansong." The final transmission is Chen earth with Black Tortoise, falling in the empty position (on Geng Zi day, which belongs to the Jia Wu decade, the empty position is in Chen and Si), which generates Geng metal, thus being "parents."

徐次賓曰：來意因三月胎氣不安，而有驚恐，至十一月喜見生子，子母俱慶。蓋發用起神后，為今日之子孫，上見螣蛇，為日下之鬼。下臨辰墓而為三月，故胎氣不安而有驚恐之象。至十一月見喜生男者，中傳送為嗣，卻上得青龍吉慶，下臨子，故應在十一月。又天罡所繫與日比陽，三傳日辰俱陽，故生男也。子母俱慶者，三傳與日辰為三合，雖有螣蛇剋日，卦得潤下屬水，又日上有玄武水，其四水乘旺相氣而為救神，其蛇不能害也。

Xu Cibin said: Her intention is that in the third month she experienced restlessness in her pregnancy and fear in her heart; by the eleventh month she would have a happy event, giving birth to a son, with both mother and child safe and sound. The initial transmission of the initiating transmission is Zi, which is named Shenhou, exactly the son born from Geng metal; Zi is ridden by Teng Snake, which belongs to fire, being the ghost that controls the day stem; Zi also lies below the earth plate Chen, which is the burial place of water, and Chen corresponds to the third month, so the restlessness in the third month and the fear are indicated. The prediction of a happy event in the eleventh month giving birth to a son is because the middle transmission is Shen, named Chuansong, which can inherit the lineage, and Shen is also accompanied by Qinglong, a favorable deity, and below it lies Zi, which corresponds to the eleventh month, so the time is set for the eleventh month. Moreover, the Tiangang associated with Chen is the same as the Geng day, both being yang; the three transmissions Zi, Shen, and Chen, along with the day stem and day branch, are all yang, so the child is a son. The reason mother and child both rejoice is that the three transmissions and the day branch form the triple harmony of Shen, Zi, and Chen, forming a water trinity; although Teng Snake controls the day stem, the entire chart shows a downward moistening aspect, belonging to water, and the earth plate Chen on the day stem is accompanied by Xuanwu, which belongs to water, so four layers of water are all in a prosperous and strong state, becoming saving deities, and thus Teng Snake's fire cannot harm.

天聖二年歲在甲子四月庚子日申將子時丁卯年生命五十八歲來占丙申命二十九歲行人。一針見血　玉連環末卷。　空虎常玄　丑寅卯辰　玄蛇龍玄　子 庚子 龍　龍子　巳陰　辰申子辰　兄 丙申 蛇　勾亥　午后　申子辰庚　父 ◎辰 玄　戌酉申未　合朱蛇貴

In the second year of Tian Sheng, when the stem was Jia Zi, on the day of Geng Zi in the fourth month, the divination was started with the general of Shen added to the Zi hour. The person consulted is born in the year Ding Mao and is fifty-eight years old, asking about his birth year of Bing Shen and a thirty-year-old person going out. This example is taken from the last volume of "Yi Zhen Jian Xue" and "Yu Lian Huan." The branches on the Heaven Plate are eight positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Zi hour belongs to the night, and the nobleman of Geng night is in Wei. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Wei and on the Earth Plate at Hai, which belongs to the Yang direction. The Heavenly General is arranged in order: the nobleman is on Wei and on Hai, the Teng Snake is on Shen and on Zi, the Vermilion Bird is on You and on Chou, the Liu He is on Xu and on Yin, the Gou Chen is on Hai and on Mao, the Azure Dragon is on Zi and on Chen, the Tian Kong is on Chou and on Si, the White Tiger is on Yin and on Wu, the Tai Chang is on Mao and on Wei, the Black Tortoise is on Chen and on Shen, the Tai Yin is on Si and on You, and the Heavenly Empress is on Wu and on Xu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is located on Shen, and Shen has Chi, which is the first lesson; Chi has Zi, which is the second lesson; the day branch Zi has Shen, which is the third lesson; Shen has Chi again, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are in order: the Black Tortoise, the Azure Dragon, the Teng Snake, and the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions of Zi, Shen, and Chen still form a water pattern, which is "run down." The first transmission is Zi water with the Azure Dragon, hidden stem Geng, which is "son and daughter"; the middle transmission is Shen metal with the Teng Snake, hidden stem Bing, which is "brother and sister"; the final transmission is Chen earth with the Black Tortoise, which falls into the empty term, which is "parents."

苗公達曰：子去萬里，音信不通。資財大獲，出門迎歸。其人云：某有一子，於天喜元年正月間，因言語不足，將些財物往歧路與販一去八年，不知音信，何能望見之？苗曰：當於乙巳日早晨可出北門外候之。有行李籠其數擔，後有二人騎馬，爾子衣白騎青馬隨一婦人衣紫騎赤馬，得意而歸。本人云：八年音信不通，安能便歸？時有同來人云苗公之術如神可至。是日往伺之，果於是日出城外三里見籠具十餘擔遠來。先一人著白衣乘青馬，一見之便下馬泣拜，乃是其子自陝西得利而歸。

Miao Gongda said: Your son has gone a thousand miles away, and there has been no news from him. Now he has made great gains, so you should go out to meet him. The man replied: I have a son who, in the first month of the first year of Tianxi, had a disagreement over words and took some money to trade in another region. He has been away for eight years and there has been no word from him. How can we expect to see him again? Miao Gongda said: You should go out to wait at the northern gate in the early morning of the Yisi day. There will be several bundles of luggage, followed by two men on horseback. Your son will be wearing white clothes and riding a green horse, accompanied by a woman in purple clothes riding a red horse, returning happily. The man said: There has been no news for eight years, how can we expect him to return just like that? At that time, those who came with him said that Miao Gong's divination was like a god, and it would surely come true. On that day, he really went to wait, and indeed saw more than ten bundles of luggage coming from afar, three miles outside the city. The man in front was wearing white clothes and riding a green horse. When he saw his father, he got off his horse, cried and bowed down — it was indeed his son, returning from Shaanxi with profits.

議曰：課屬斬關，發用神后，是今日庚金之子孫，加辰為空亡，以下賊上，為用將得青龍飛騰萬里，又傳入玄武乘空亡，主失信，故云：子云萬里，音信不知。行人年上乘寅木，是今日之財，加在旺方故云資財大獲。課值日辰相加其見必速而近。又庚德自處加子上申本數七，當囚死，法以折半求之。本人五十八歲，行年在亥，臨卯，卯為門將，勾陳家在戊辰，辰為門外之路，發用水旺於北方，坆雲出北門三里之外候之。

The divination indicates that this lesson belongs to the category of "cutting the gate." The initiating transmission is the "Shenhou" (Zi), which is the son of Geng metal, representing the son. The Zi is placed on the Earth Plate at Chen, which is in the Kongwang (void) position. Therefore, it is taken as the first transmission by the principle of below stealing from above. The heavenly general of the first transmission is the Azure Dragon, which is capable of traveling thousands of miles. The third transmission then arrives at the final transmission on Chen, with the Black Tortoise, which, when riding the void, indicates a lack of trust. Therefore, the son is far away, beyond ten thousand miles, and there is no news or communication. The person going out is twenty-nine years old, with the year stem on Wu. Wu is occupied by Yin wood, which is the wife wealth of Geng metal, and it is in a prosperous and strong position, indicating great gain in wealth. The day stem and day branch deities add and match each other, indicating that their meeting will be both quick and close. Furthermore, Geng metal is lodged in Shen, which has the number seven. At this time, it is in a state of imprisonment and death, so according to the method, we take half of this number, resulting in three. The person seeking divination is fifty-eight years old, with the year stem on Hai. Hai is on the Earth Plate at Mao, which is called "Taichong," a general in charge of the gate. The original home of Gou Chen is at Chen, which is the road outside the gate. The initiating transmission of water is strong in the north, so it is said that one should wait three miles outside the northern gate.

行年有天驛二馬，乘寅，寅木青色，將得白虎金白色，故主白衣乘青馬。天上行年午加戌作天后，戌是火墓，天后水乘午火，水黑火赤相合而成紫色。天后婦人，故言婦人紫衣乘赤馬。課變潤下水之象，見巳為絕，絕為至之兆。又行年臨戌以午為至期，午上見寅，寅中有甲申與巳合。四月建巳又庚與乙合，數取四月乙巳日歸。

A person going out has both the Heavenly Horse and the Post-horse stars on his birth year. He is riding a寅, which belongs to wood and has the color green. The Heavenly General on the寅 is the White Tiger, which belongs to metal and has the color white. Therefore, he is predicted to ride a green horse in white clothes. The Heaven Plate's birth year午 is placed on the Earth Plate's戌. The rider is the Heavenly Empress. The戌 is the storage place for fire, the Heavenly Empress belongs to water and rides on the fire of午. Water is black and fire is red, black and red combine to form purple. The Heavenly Empress also governs women, so it is said that a woman is riding a red horse in purple clothes. The entire divination forms a water pattern of Shen-Zi-Chen. Water meets巳 as its terminal point, which indicates the end and arrival. The birth year is on戌, so the arrival is determined by午. The午 has寅, which contains Jia. The申 combines with巳; the fourth month's Month Builder is巳, and Geng combines with Yi. Therefore, the return is fixed on the day of Yi-Si in the fourth month.

崇正癸酉年七月庚子日午將戌時雲間董兌之占乃祖元宰太史辭大宗伯允否？指南。　空虎常玄　丑寅卯辰　龍子　巳陰　玄蛇龍玄　子 庚子 龍　勾亥　午后　辰申申子　兄 丙申 蛇　戌酉申未　申子辰庚　印 甲辰 玄　六朱蛇貴

In the year Guiyou of the Chongzheng era, during the seventh lunar month, on the day Gengzi, a divination was cast using the hour of Xu (戌) with the general of the southern direction (午将). The person asking the question was Dong Dui from Yunjian (Songjiang Huating), inquiring whether his grandfather, a former grand minister and historian, would be granted permission to resign from his position as Minister of Rites. This case is taken from the "Six Rens Guide." The branches on the Heaven Plate are eight positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The hour of Xu is night time, so the nobleman (贵人) of the day Gengzi is at Wei. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Wei but on the Earth Plate at Hai, which belongs to the Yang direction. The heavenly general is arranged in order: the nobleman is at Wei on the Heaven Plate and at Hai on the Earth Plate; the Teng Snake is at Shen on the Heaven Plate and at Zi on the Earth Plate; the Vermilion Bird is at You on the Heaven Plate and at Chou on the Earth Plate; the Liu He is at Xu on the Heaven Plate and at Yin on the Earth Plate; the Gou Chen is at Hai on the Heaven Plate and at Mao on the Earth Plate; the Azure Dragon is at Zi on the Heaven Plate and at Chen on the Earth Plate; the Tian Kong is at Chou on the Heaven Plate and at Si on the Earth Plate; the White Tiger is at Yin on the Heaven Plate and at Wu on the Earth Plate; the Tai Chang is at Mao on the Heaven Plate and at Wei on the Earth Plate; the Black Tortoise is at Chen on the Heaven Plate and at Shen on the Earth Plate; the Tai Yin is at Si on the Heaven Plate and at You on the Earth Plate; and the Heavenly Empress is at Wu on the Heaven Plate and at Xu on the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is located at Shen, with Chen on Shen, which is the first lesson; Chen has Zi on it, which is the second lesson; the day branch Zi has Shen on it, which is the third lesson; Shen has Chen on it, which is the fourth lesson. The spirits above the four lessons are in sequence: Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, Teng Snake, Black Tortoise. The original text records the spirits above the four lessons as "Chen Shen Shen Zi," which does not match the Heaven and Earth plates of this divination. According to the plates, it should be "Chen Shen Zi Chen," which is likely a transmission error. The three transmissions, Zi, Shen, and Chen, still form a water pattern of nourishment and flow: the first transmission, Zi water, is accompanied by the Azure Dragon, representing "son and grandson"; the middle transmission, Shen metal, is accompanied by the Teng Snake, representing "brother"; the final transmission, Chen earth, is accompanied by the Black Tortoise, representing "imperial seal," which is also "parents." Chen is exactly in the empty position of the ten-day cycle, and the phrase "imperial seal meets empty" mentioned later refers to this.

陳公獻曰：此課不能升遷，請告亦不能退位，卻有加銜恩蔭之兆，何用辭為？蓋因三傳全脫，遞生空亡，雖有公卿推薦，不受已頭虛譽，且日祿歸支，印綬逢空，故不得掌篆正官；惟喜皇詔德祿居中乘旺，必有加銜恩蔭之徵。又課傳回環，進旺之氣，豈退位之象，明年春末龍祿傳墓，則當請告。次年春，晉宮銜，馳驛歸里。

Chen Gongxian said: This case does not indicate promotion in official rank, nor does it show that a memorial of resignation will be rejected. Instead, it shows signs of being granted an honorary title and benefiting descendants. Why resign then? Because the three transmissions all drain my strength, with each one generating the next, eventually leading to the empty void of Chen. Even if there are recommendations from high officials, this side can only result in an empty reputation. Moreover, the庚 metal's禄 is in Shen, but Shen is added to the day branch, which is day禄 returning to the branch. The印 of Chen is also in the empty void, so one cannot actually hold the real position of the official. Fortunately, the "Imperial Decree" and the virtue禄 are in the middle transmission and are riding on strong energy, so there will certainly be a realization of the honorary title and the benefits to descendants. Now looking at the four lessons and three transmissions, the beginning and end form a circular flow of strong energy, which is not a sign of resignation. It should be until the end of spring next year, when the Azure Dragon and the禄神 enter the tomb, then one should submit a memorial of resignation. Later, in the spring of the second year, he indeed received an honorary title and returned home riding the post-horse.

順治乙酉七月庚子日甲申時，揚州兵鹽道諱漢式劉公祖占，占來意。指南

In the second year of the Shunzhi era (1645), during the seventh month, on the day of Gengzi and the hour of Jiashen, Liu Hanshi, the military and salt commissioner, came to consult a divination. "Military and salt commissioner" refers to a local official responsible for both military affairs and salt administration. "Hanshi" is his name, with "huì" indicating that his name should not be spoken directly. "Gongzu" is a respectful term used by common people in the Ming and Qing dynasties to address local officials of the rank of prefect or higher. The subject of the divination was "come intention," which is a specific method in the Six壬 (Liuren) system: the person seeking divination does not state their question, and the diviner first deduces what they are thinking about based on the lesson pattern and heavenly general. If the diviner correctly guesses the question, they then proceed to predict the fortune. This example is taken from the "Six壬 Guide."

六勾 朱卯辰巳午龍 白玄六龍 鬼 甲午 龍 蛇寅 未空 申戌辰午 父 甲辰 六 貴丑 申虎 戌子午庚 財 壬寅 蛇 后子亥戌酉常 陰玄

This is a compressed layout of the divination chart, actually divided into three sections. The left section is the Heaven and Earth Plates: the Earth Plate's twelve branches remain fixed, while the Heaven Plate is arranged according to the month general and the time of day. In this case, the month general is Wu (Shengguang) added to the hour of Shen, so each branch of the Heaven Plate falls two positions later on the Earth Plate—Heaven Plate Mao falls on Earth Plate Si, Chen on Wu, Si on Wei, Wu on Shen, Wei on You, Shen on Xu, You on Hai, Xu on Zi, Hai on Chou, Zi on Yin, Chou on Mao, and Yin on Chen. The twelve Heavenly Generals follow the Heaven Plate branches: Zhu Que (Vermilion Bird) rides Mao, Liu He (Six Harmonies) rides Chen, Gou Chen (Hook Heaven) rides Si, Qing Long (Azure Dragon) rides Wu, Tian Kong (Heavenly Void) rides Wei, Bai Hu (White Tiger) rides Shen, Tai Chang (Great Constancy) rides You, Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise) rides Xu, Tai Yin (Great Yin) rides Hai, Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress) rides Zi, Guiren (Nobleman) rides Chou, and Teng Snake rides Yin. Since the day is Geng and the hour is Shen, it is a daytime divination, so Tianyi Guiren (Heavenly Ethical Nobleman) should be on Chou. Chou is currently on Earth Plate Mao, so the twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in order. The middle section is the Four Lessons, counted from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Geng (with its lodging palace in Shen) encountering Wu, the second lesson Wu encounters Chen, the third lesson the day branch Zi encounters Xu, and the fourth lesson Xu encounters Shen. The Heavenly Generals riding the deities on the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Qing Long (on Wu), Liu He (on Chen), Xuan Wu (on Xu), and Bai Hu (on Shen). The right section is the Three Transmissions: the first transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Jiachen, riding Qing Long, Wu fire overcomes Geng metal, which is the official ghost for the day stem; the middle transmission is Chen, marked as Jiachen on the lesson, riding Liu He, which is the parent; the final transmission is Yin, with the hidden stem Ren, riding Teng Snake, which is the wife's wealth.

陳公獻曰：勝光同天馬，來意問行人，過月望赤龍，眷屬到門庭。曰：然。蓋因中末空亡，是以月內不來，過月驛馬臨辰，故應丙辰日。

Chen Gongxian, a renowned master of the Six壬 system from the late Ming dynasty and author of the Six壬 Guide, interpreted that the first transmission being Wu indicates the "Shengguang" among the twelve spirits, and it also coincides with the Heavenly Horse of July, indicating the case is about a person who has gone out and not returned; this month the person will not arrive, but after this month, when the fire element Wu is accompanied by the Azure Dragon (as fire is red, it is called the "Red Dragon"), the family will arrive. Liu Gongzu answered: Exactly so. The person will not arrive this month because both the middle and final transmissions meet the "Kongwang" (void). On the Gengzi day, which belongs to the Jiawu decade, the void of this decade is in Chen and Si. The middle transmission falls on Chen, which is the void; the final transmission is on Yin, which according to the hidden stem of this decade is Ren, which does not fall on the void. The original text mentions "middle and final transmissions are void" referring to the middle transmission falling on the void. When something is void, people do not arrive and things do not succeed. After this month, the Post-horse (which is on寅 on days of Shen, Zi, and Chen) reaches the position of Chen on the Earth Plate, so the fulfillment will be on the Bingchen day.

此課占功名能復舊缺否？余曰：顧祖中末空，有初必無終。龍化為蛇例，請告始得榮。蓋因初龍末蛇，止於兵憲，龍神克下，上官不足，復任月餘，被劾逮問。詳此課，占官之事分為二段：月將龍神作官星發用，官職必遷之象，以月將為當時之主宰也。此官不為長久，以課得顧祖且中末空亡也。此過程之法甚是精妙，宜詳思之。

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) Chen Gongxian answered that this divination is called "Gu Zu" (Looking Back to Ancestors). The middle and final transmissions also meet Kongwang (Void). The ancient verse says, "Gu Zu middle and final empty, beginning present but end absent," meaning that although there is a beginning, there will be no end. The first transmission is occupied by Qinglong (Azure Dragon), and the final transmission by Tengshe (Teng Snake), which is exactly the pattern of "Long Transforming into Snake." Another ancient verse says, "Only by self-reporting illness can one retain dignity," meaning that one must resign voluntarily to maintain honor. Because the first transmission is Qinglong and the final is Tengshe, the head is large and the tail small, indicating that the official position will only reach the level of "Bingxian" (a term for a military supervisor). The fire of Qinglong, which is the branch of Wu, also overcomes the metal of the Earth Plate, Shen, below it, indicating that the superior power is not strong enough to support, so after serving for more than a month, he was impeached and investigated. Looking closely at this divination, when predicting official positions, it should be divided into two parts: the Moon General, which is Qinglong, serves as the official star and initiates the transmission, indicating a certain promotion, because the Moon General was the dominant force at that time. However, the position cannot be held for long, because the divination is "Gu Zu," and the middle and final transmissions meet Kongwang. This method of segmented interpretation is extremely refined and worth careful consideration.

順治甲申五月庚子日辛巳時，高兵自黃河北來，圍困揚城近半月，江都令諱日成李父師占城池安危，五月十三庚子日申將巳時。指南

In the first year of the Qing Shunzhi era (Jiashen, 1644), in the fifth month, on the day Gengzi and the hour Xinsi, General Gao Jie's army advanced from north of the Yellow River southward, surrounding the city of Yangzhou for nearly two weeks. Li Richen, the county magistrate of Jiangdu, divined the safety of the city. "Father Teacher" was the respectful term used by the people and scholars for a county magistrate, and "huì" indicates that his name was not directly mentioned. The time of the divination was on the thirteenth day of the fifth month, Gengzi, with the Shenshen (Shen) general (Chuansong) added to the Xinsi hour. This example is taken from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan."

勾六 青申酉戌亥朱 白陰后朱 鬼 甲午 白 空未 子蛇 午卯寅亥 兄 丁酉 勾 虎午 丑貴 卯子亥庚 子 庚子 蛇 常巳辰卯寅后 玄陰

The left section shows the heaven and earth plates: the transmission is at the time of巳 (snake), with the heavenly plate branches all falling three positions ahead on the earth plate—Heavenly plate申 (monkey) adds to earth plate巳 (snake), 酉 (rooster) adds to午 (horse), 戌 (dog) adds to未 (sheep), 亥 (pig) adds to申 (monkey), 子 (rat) adds to酉 (rooster), 丑 (ox) adds to戌 (dog), 寅 (tiger) adds to亥 (pig), 卯 (rabbit) adds to子 (rat), 辰 (dragon) adds to丑 (ox), 巳 (snake) adds to寅 (tiger), 午 (horse) adds to卯 (rabbit), 未 (sheep) adds to辰 (dragon). The twelve heavenly generals are arranged according to the heavenly plate branches: Azure Dragon rides申 (monkey), Gou Chen rides酉 (rooster), Liu He rides戌 (dog), Vermilion Bird rides亥 (pig), Teng Snake rides子 (rat), Nobleman rides丑 (ox), Heavenly Empress rides寅 (tiger), Tai Yin rides卯 (rabbit), Black Tortoise rides辰 (dragon), Tai Chang rides巳 (snake), White Tiger rides午 (horse), Tian Kong rides未 (sheep). On the day of庚 (metal) at the time of巳 (snake), it is a daytime divination. The nobleman, Tian Yi, is at丑 (ox), which is now on the earth plate at戌 (dog). The nobleman is in the yin position, so the twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The middle section's four lessons are counted from right to left: the first lesson is on the day stem庚 (metal) (with its lodging palace at申 (monkey)) and sees亥 (pig), the second lesson on亥 (pig) sees寅 (tiger), the third lesson on the day branch子 (rat) sees卯 (rabbit), the fourth lesson on卯 (rabbit) sees午 (horse). The heavenly generals riding the deities above the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Vermilion Bird (亥 (pig)), Heavenly Empress (寅 (tiger)), Tai Yin (卯 (rabbit)), and White Tiger (午 (horse)). The right section's three transmissions: the first transmission is午 (horse), with the hidden stem甲 (jia) riding White Tiger, which is a fire element that overcomes metal, thus being the official ghost for the day stem; the middle transmission is酉 (rooster), with the hidden stem丁 (ding) riding Gou Chen, which is the same element as metal, thus being the brother; the final transmission is子 (rat), with the hidden stem庚 (geng) riding Teng Snake, which is metal generating water, thus being the son.

陳公獻曰：凶必無虞，不日圍困可解。蓋因干支休囚，旺氣在內故也。格合羅網，初傳魯都虎鬼月建，彼兵雖凶，然末傳遊者將星，又係蛇沖剋初傳，此為以凶制凶，不過虎頭蛇尾，故不日圍解。

Chen Gongxian explained: It may seem dangerous, but there is actually no need to worry; the siege can be resolved within a few days. This is because the day stem and day branch are both in weak and confined positions, while the strong energy is actually contained internally. The defending side has not been overwhelmed by external forces. This divination pattern matches the "Net" (Tian Luo Di Wang) pattern. The first transmission, which is the hour of Wu, is a special divine spirit used in six rhymes divination for bandits called "Lu Du," and it is also accompanied by the White Tiger, and is the official ghost of the day stem. It is also the month builder of May, so the invading army is indeed fierce. However, the final transmission, which is the hour of Zi, is a divine spirit of the "You Du" type, and is the general of the Shen-Zi-Chen triple harmony formation. It is also accompanied by the Teng Snake. The water of Zi not only conflicts with but also overcomes the fire of the first transmission, Wu. This is called controlling evil with evil. The situation is like a tiger's head and a snake's tail, so the siege will be resolved within a few days.

《明史》：京師陷，（高）傑南走，福王封傑興平伯，列於四鎮，領揚州，駐城外。傑固欲入城，揚州民畏傑不納。傑攻城急，日掠廂村婦女，民益惡之。知府馬鳴騄、推官湯來賀堅守月餘。傑知不可攻，意稍怠。閣部史可法議以瓜州予傑，乃止。九月命傑移駐徐州，以左中允衛胤文兼兵科給事中監其軍西討。羅網課最宜捕盜尋失，兵戰亦是吉象。

The Ming History records that after Beijing fell, Gao Jie fled south. The Fu Wang (Hongguang Emperor) granted him the title of Xingping Marquis and placed him among the four generals of the Jiangbei region. He was given jurisdiction over Yangzhou and stationed outside the city. Gao Jie insisted on entering the city, but the people of Yangzhou feared him and refused to let him in. Gao Jie attacked the city day after day, looting women from the city and surrounding villages, and the people became even more resentful. The prefect Ma Minglu and the official Tang Laihe held out for over a month. When Gao Jie realized he could not take the city, his attacks eased. The chief military advisor and grand secretary Shi Kefa mediated, and they agreed to give Gao Jie jurisdiction over Guazhou, which ended the siege. In September, the court ordered Gao Jie to move his troops to Xuzhou and appointed Wei Yinfeng, the left Zhongyuan, as a military official to supervise his western campaign. This shows that the "Luowang Ke" is most suitable for capturing bandits and recovering lost items, and it is also a favorable omen for military campaigns.

建炎戊申年三月辛丑日戊將巳時汪淑儀壬戌生四十七歲占訟。方本占案 口鑑

In the second year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, Wushen (1128), on the third month, Xinchou day, the "Wu general" (originally written as "Xu general," i.e., Hekui, the general of the second month) was placed on the巳 hour. The diviner, Wang Shuyi, was born in the year Renxu and was forty-seven years old at the time, coming to consult about a legal case. This example is found in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Lun Yin Kou Jian." According to the arrangement of the lesson pattern, the Heaven Plate Xu was placed on the Earth Plate巳, proving that the original text's "Wu" was a mistake for "Xu."

龍空 陳戌亥子丑虎 六酉 寅常 龍貴朱玄 財 癸卯 玄 朱申 卯玄 亥午申卯 兄 丙申 朱 蛇未午巳辰陰 午丑卯辛 父 辛丑 虎 貴後

Left block of the Heaven and Earth plates: the general戌 is added to the time巳. The branches of the Heaven plate are all placed five positions ahead on the Earth plate—Heaven plate戌 is added to Earth plate巳, Heaven plate亥 is added to Earth plate午, Heaven plate子 is added to Earth plate未, Heaven plate丑 is added to Earth plate申, Heaven plate寅 is added to Earth plate酉, Heaven plate卯 is added to Earth plate戌, Heaven plate辰 is added to Earth plate亥, Heaven plate巳 is added to Earth plate子, Heaven plate午 is added to Earth plate丑, Heaven plate未 is added to Earth plate寅, Heaven plate申 is added to Earth plate卯, Heaven plate酉 is added to Earth plate辰. The twelve Heavenly Generals follow the order of the Heaven plate branches: Gou Chen is on戌, Qing Long is on亥, Tian Kong is on子, Bai Hu is on丑, Tai Chang is on寅, Xuan Wu is on卯, Tai Yin is on辰, Tian Hou is on巳, Gui Ren is on午, Teng Snake is on未, Zhu Que is on申, Liu He is on酉, and the twelve generals proceed in order. Middle block of the four lessons, counted from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem辛 (with its lodging palace in戌) on卯, the second lesson has卯 on申, the third lesson has the day branch丑 on午, and the fourth lesson has午 on亥. The generals accompanying the heavenly spirits on the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Xuan Wu (on卯), Zhu Que (on申), Gui Ren (on午), and Qing Long (on亥). Right block of the three transmissions: the first transmission is卯, with the hidden stem癸, riding Xuan Wu, where辛 metal overcomes卯 wood, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is申, with the hidden stem丙, riding Zhu Que, which is the same as辛, representing brothers; the final transmission is丑, with the hidden stem辛, riding Bai Hu, where earth generates辛 metal, representing parents.

邵彥和曰：干上旬尾，支上旬首，為一旬周遍格。又名周而復始格。來了又去，去了又來。日上我也，支上彼也，我見卯旬尾，是事了畢。彼見午旬首，其事又起。末傳丑與支上午六害，卯財又乘玄武，到了翻論，才輸財，又被人誆賺。辛墓於丑，丑墓於申，主在外州入獄而羈絆也。他是午火，反生他州獄神，我是卯木，能克獄神。翻至二次，卻能勝也。

Shao Yanhe, a renowned expert of the Six壬 system from the Northern Song Dynasty, explained that the heavenly stem on the day is卯, which is at the end of the current ten-day cycle; the earthly branch on the day is午, which is at the beginning of the cycle. On the day of Xinchou, it belongs to the Jiawu cycle, with Jiawu at the beginning and Guimao at the end. Therefore, this divination is called "One Cycle Fully Covered" or "Cyclic Reappearance," indicating that matters come and go repeatedly without end. The day stem represents oneself, and the day branch represents the other party: I see卯, which is at the end of the cycle, meaning the matter has already been resolved; the other party sees午, which is at the beginning of the cycle, meaning the case is restarted. The final transmission is丑, which forms a six-harm relationship with午 on the day branch, and the initial transmission is卯 wealth, which is occupied by the Black Tortoise. Therefore, when the case is reopened for review, it first breaks the wealth, then is deceived. The buried metal of Xinhua is in丑, and丑 is also buried in申, indicating that the parties involved will be imprisoned in another state and be detained. On the other side, it is午 fire, which generates丑 earth, the god of imprisonment; on my side, it is卯 wood, which can overcome丑 earth, the god of imprisonment. Therefore, when the case is reviewed again, it will ultimately result in a victory.

汪與張氏爭山起訟，汪氏初入狀果勝，張氏翻論至州，汪又上司入狀，送隨州。張又上司翻，告送嚴州司理獄，又入州縣獄，方得了絕。

Later, the case came to fruition: the Wang family and the Zhang family disputed over mountain land and ended up in court. The Wang family first filed a lawsuit and indeed won. The Zhang family不服, appealed the case to the county level, and the Wang family again filed a lawsuit with the higher authority, and the case was sent to Suzhou. The Zhang family once more appealed, and the case was taken to the judicial office in Yanzhou for trial in prison. Wang Shuyi again went through the prisons of the state and county, and only then did the case finally conclude.

蓋午作貴人，作日鬼臨支，卻是六害，故彼自然失理也。汪氏被人啜了銀一百兩，乃卯作元武臨干也。卯乃閉口，說不得，又不敢問。凡人不識課名，此為一旬周遍格，若辛未日卯加未，午加辛亦然。謀諸事作吉成凶，作凶成吉，惟訟要散，不要關鎖也。

Therefore, this situation arises because the horse (午) is occupied by the celestial virtue nobleman, and the horse fire is the official ghost of the day stem辛 gold. It is located above the day branch, yet it forms a six harm relationship with the final transmission丑. Thus, although the other party appears formidable, they ultimately lack justification. The Wang family lost one hundred taels of silver because the卯 wealth is occupied by the black tortoise, which governs secret appropriation.卯 is also the "closed mouth" deity, so they suffered a loss but could not express it, and dared not inquire further. Most people cannot recognize the name of this pattern, which is called "a full cycle of ten days." On the day of Xinwei,卯 is added to未 and午 is added to辛, which is the same pattern. When using this pattern to predict matters, what was originally favorable may turn unfavorable, and what was originally unfavorable may turn favorable; however, when predicting legal cases, what is desired is the resolution of disputes, and the most undesirable is the continued entanglement.

二十月辛丑日子將未時某占因人打死欠米錢人解官。方本占案

"The twenty months" is a miswriting in the original text and should refer to something like a certain year and month on the twentieth day. On the Xinchou day, the Zi (Zi) general (Shenhou) was placed on the Wei hour. A person came to consult because he had killed someone who owed him rice money and would be sent to the authorities for investigation; he asked about the fortune. This case is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." According to the calculation of the Heaven and Earth plates, Zi added to Wei and the previous lesson's Wu added to Si are both in the same pattern, so the lesson is exactly the same as the previous one.

龍空 陳戌亥子丑虎 六酉 寅常 龍貴朱玄 財 癸卯 玄 朱申 卯玄 亥午申卯 兄 丙申 朱 蛇未午巳辰陰 午丑卯辛 父 辛丑 虎 貴後

The current divination pattern is the same as the previous one: each branch on the Heaven Plate is placed five positions ahead on the Earth Plate. The Heaven Plate's戌 is placed on the Earth Plate's巳,亥 on午, 子 on未, 丑 on申, 寅 on酉, 卯 on戌, 辰 on亥, 巳 on子, 午 on丑, 未 on寅, 申 on卯, 酉 on辰. The Twelve Heavenly Generals proceed in order: Gou Chen rides戌, Qing Long rides亥, Tian Kong rides子, Bai Hu rides丑, Tai Chang rides寅, Xuan Wu rides卯, Tai Yin rides辰, Tian Hou rides巳, Gui Ren rides午, Teng Snake rides未, Zhu Que rides申, and Liu He rides酉. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem 辛 (lodging in戌) with 卯, the second lesson has 卯 with 申, the third lesson has the Day Branch 丑 with 午, and the fourth lesson has 午 with 亥. The generals riding the upper gods are in order Xuan Wu, Zhu Que, Gui Ren, and Qing Long. The Three Transmissions: the first transmission is 卯, with the hidden stem 癸, riding Xuan Wu, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is 申, with the hidden stem 丙, riding Zhu Que, representing brothers; the final transmission is 丑, with the hidden stem 辛, riding Bai Hu, representing parents.

邵彥和曰：天乙作鬼加丑支而六害，玄武乘卯加辛干而發用卻被中傳申作朱雀來克（稼云曰：朱雀克干上神猶之克干也）。末傳又是白虎乘墓，恐其人入獄而鮮紅。果二月死於獄中。

Shao Yanhe interpreted that the Heavenly Stem of the nobleman, which is Wu, is the official ghost of the day stem Xin metal. It is placed on the day branch Chou. Wu and Chou form the sixth harmful relationship. The Vermilion Bird is riding on Mao and is placed on the day stem Xin, serving as the first transmission. However, the Middle Transmission Shen with the Vermilion Bird comes to attack it. The final transmission Chou is again occupied by the White Tiger riding on the tomb god. It is feared that this person will be imprisoned and suffer injury. Later, he indeed died in prison in the second month.

崇正二月戊寅二月辛丑日癸巳時，東省劉太史諱正宗者相召索占。指南

In the Wuyin year of the Chongzhen era (originally written as "Chongzheng," changed due to taboo), on the Xinchou day of the second month, at the Guisi hour, someone from Shandong named Liu Taishi (whose name was Zhongzhen, "huì" indicates it is not appropriate to use his name directly, "Taishi" is a respectful title for officials in the Hanlin Academy) sent a messenger to ask Chen Gongxian to cast a divination. This example comes from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan." The month general for the second month is Xu (Hekui), with Xu added to the Guisi hour, and this is the same as the previous two lessons, all belonging to the same system.

龍空 陳戌亥子丑虎 六酉 寅常 龍貴朱玄 財 癸卯 玄 朱申 卯玄 亥午申卯 兄 丙申 朱 蛇未午巳辰陰 午丑卯辛 父 辛丑 虎 貴後

The lesson remains as Wu added Si: the Heaven Plate Wu is added to the Earth Plate Si, with the following combinations: Zi added Wu, Chou added Wu, Yin added You, Mao added Xu, Chen added Hai, Si added Xu, Wu added Yin, Wei added Mao, Shen added Chen, You added Si, Xu added Wu, Hai added You. The Twelve Heavenly Generals proceed in order, with Gou Chen riding Wu, Qing Long riding Hai, Tian Kong riding Zi, Bai Hu riding Chou, Tai Chang riding Yin, Xuan Wu riding Mao, Tai Yin riding Chen, Tian Hou riding Si, Gui Ren riding Wu, Teng Snake riding Wei, Zhu Que riding Shen, and Liu He riding You. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem Xin (lodging in Wu) with Mao on it, the second lesson has Mao with Shen on it, the third lesson has the Day Branch Chou with Wu on it, and the fourth lesson has Wu with Hai on it. The deities above the Four Lessons are in order: Xuan Wu, Zhu Que, Gui Ren, and Qing Long. The Three Transmissions: the first transmission is Mao riding Xuan Wu, with the hidden stem Ji, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is Shen riding Zhu Que, with the hidden stem Bing, representing brothers; the final transmission is Chou riding Bai Hu, with the hidden stem Xin, representing parents. In this lesson, the deity on the Day Stem, Mao, is the last stem of the ten, and the deity on the Day Branch, Wu, is the first stem of the ten, forming the pattern of 'a full ten' again.

陳公獻曰：太史所占定是一外官，曾經降罰者。因日生青龍，又上克下故也。曰：家兄任太平知府，為錢糧降罰，看有礙遷升否。曰：支首干尾，格合周遍，何礙升遷。當在何時？余曰：青龍離支六位，初傳月建催官，中傳天馬，傳送為驛郵，為兵馬，為直符，七月內必升吳分兵憲。後果升嘉湖驛傳兵憲。支為任所，丑應吳越揚州，故斷此也。祿臨辰上，亦是東南之徵。

Chen Gongxian first determined the meaning of the question: The inquiry from Tai Shi must be about an official serving outside the capital, and one who has previously been demoted. Because the day stem generates the Azure Dragon, which represents official rank, and the divination shows an upper element overcoming a lower one. Liu Tai Shi said: My elder brother is currently serving as the magistrate of Pingtai, but he was demoted for failing to account for grain and money. He wants to know whether this will hinder his promotion. Chen Gongxian said: The heavenly stem on the day branch is the beginning of the ten-day period, and the heavenly stem on the day stem is the end of the ten-day period. This forms the pattern of "a complete ten-day cycle," meaning that he will be recalled again, so there is no hindrance to his promotion. Liu Tai Shi asked: When will this happen? The answer was: The Azure Dragon is six positions away from the day branch, so take the number six; the first transmission is the second month's month builder, which is the god of promoting officials; the middle transmission is the Heavenly Horse, the god of the Heavenly Horse is also called "Chuansong," which governs postal services, military forces, and also the direct commander. Therefore, he will certainly be promoted to the position of military supervisor in the region corresponding to the seventh month, which is the area of Wu. Later, he was indeed promoted to the positions of postal and military supervisor in Jiaxing and Huzhou. The day branch represents the place of appointment, and the branch "Chou" corresponds to the area of Wu and Yue as well as Yangzhou. Therefore, the divination was accurate. The禄 of Xin metal is in You, and You is currently located on the earth plate at Chen. The position of Chen is in the southeast, which is also a sign that the promotion will take place in the southeast direction.

四月辛丑日卯將申時鄧姓人占市側造客店。一針見血

On the Xinchou day of the fourth month, with the卯将 (Taichong) placed on the申 hour, a man surnamed Deng came to consult: he wanted to build an inn next to a market and asked whether it would be possible. This example is from "Yizhen Jianxue." According to the original text, the proper month general for the fourth month should be申 (Chuansong), but the text mistakenly indicates卯将. The month general does not match the month. The lesson arrangement shows the Heaven Plate卯 added to the Earth Plate申. If changed to the申 general added to the丑 hour, it would be the same lesson.

空虎常玄 子丑寅卯 玄朱空后 財 癸卯 玄 龍亥 辰陰 卯申子巳 父 戊戌 勾 勾戌 巳后 申丑巳辛 鬼 ◎巳 后 酉申未午 合朱蛇貴

Left block of the Heaven and Earth plates:卯 (Mao) is added to 申 (Shen). Each branch on the Heaven plate falls seven positions ahead on the Earth plate: the Heaven branch Zi is added to the Earth branch Si, Chou to Wu, Yin to Wei, Mao to Shen, Chen to You, Si to Xu, Wu to Hai, Wei to Zi, Shen to Chou, You to Yin, Xu to Mao, Hai to Chen. The twelve Heavenly Generals follow the order of the Heaven branches: Tian Kong (Sky Void) is on Zi, Bai Hu (White Tiger) on Chou, Tai Chang (Grand Music) on Yin, Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise) on Mao, Tai Yin (Great Yin) on Chen, Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress) on Si, Guiren (Nobleman) on Wu, Teng Snake on Wei, Zhu Que (Vermilion Bird) on Shen, Liu He (Six Harmonies) on You, Gou Chen (Hook Star) on Xu, and Qing Long (Azure Dragon) on Hai. The twelve generals are arranged in order. Middle block of the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Xin (Xinchou) with the branch Si (Si) in its lodging palace; the second lesson has Si with the branch Zi; the third lesson has the day branch Chou with the branch Shen; the fourth lesson has Shen with the branch Mao. The generals riding on the deities above the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress) on Si, Tian Kong (Sky Void) on Zi, Zhu Que (Vermilion Bird) on Shen, and Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise) on Mao. Right block of the three transmissions: the first transmission is Mao, with the hidden stem Gui, riding on Xuan Wu, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Wu, riding on Gou Chen, representing parents; the final transmission is Si, riding on Tian Hou, representing official ghosts. The character Si has a circle around it, indicating the sign of Kongwang (void). On the Xin Chou day, which belongs to the Jiawu (Jia Wu) decade, the void in this decade is on Chen and Si.

劉日新曰：爾欲市側造店屋，奈此處有祖墓，如何造得？不上一年必致具訟。吃棒坐獄，出獄而死。蓋支為店業，丑為辛金之墓，巳亦為店業而加戌墓之上，故知此處有祖墓也。支上白虎作朱雀，中傳勾陳，故知具訟。財作玄武必主破財，白虎作朱雀加於丑墓，中傳戌作勾陳，戊為牢獄，故必坐獄。戌能生日，故不死於獄中。末傳巳火克干，四月正旺，故知出獄而死。鄧某不聽，後果遭訟被押，押久致病，保出而卒。

Liu Rixin interpreted the divination as follows: You want to build a shop near the market, but the place beneath has an ancestral tomb of someone else, so you cannot build. Within a year, you will certainly get into legal trouble, be beaten, imprisoned, and after release, you will die. The reasoning is this: the day branch represents the shop business, and the branch Chou is the tomb of the metal element Xin. The day stem's heavenly stem Si also represents the shop business, and Si is placed on the tomb god Xu, so it is known that there is an ancestral tomb there. The heavenly stem on the day branch is accompanied by the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird, and the middle transmission is Gou Chen, which together with the Vermilion Bird indicates disputes, so it is known that legal trouble will come. The wife and wealth are accompanied by the Black Tortoise, which indicates financial loss. The White Tiger and Vermilion Bird are placed on the tomb Chou, and the middle transmission Xu is accompanied by Gou Chen, which is the god of prison, so imprisonment is certain. The earth Xu can generate the day stem Xin metal, so he will not die in prison. The final transmission Si fire is strong and will overcome the day stem, and in April, fire is at its peak, so it is predicted that he will die after being released from prison. Deng did not listen to the advice, and later indeed got into legal trouble, was imprisoned, became ill due to long imprisonment, was released, and then died.

辛丑日　將　時占訟。

On Xinchou day, someone came to seek divination regarding legal matters. The original text leaves a blank before the character 「将」 and before the character 「时」, and the original manuscript is missing the month general and the time of divination. According to the lesson format, the heavenly stems all fall one position behind the earthly branches, belonging to the Zi adding Chou section.

朱蛇貴后 辰巳午未 虎空陰玄 子 庚子 空 合卯 申陰 亥子申酉 子 己亥 虎 勾寅 酉玄 子丑酉辛 父 戊戌 常 丑子亥戌 龍空虎常

Left block: The Heaven and Earth plates are arranged so that each Heaven branch is placed on the next Earth branch: Heaven branch Chen is placed on Earth branch Si, Si on Wu, Wu on Wei, Wei on Shen, Shen on You, You on Xu, Xu on Hai, Hai on Zi, Zi on Chou, Chou on Yin, Yin on Mao, Mao on Chen. The twelve Heavenly Generals follow the Heaven branch sequence: Vermilion Bird rides Chen, Teng Snake rides Si, Nobleman rides Wu, Heavenly Empress rides Wei, Tai Yin rides Shen, Black Tortoise rides You, Tai Chang rides Xu, White Tiger rides Hai, Tian Kong rides Zi, Azure Dragon rides Chou, Gou Chen rides Yin, Liu He rides Mao. The Nobleman rides Wu, which is placed on the Yin position of the Earth branch Wei, so the twelve generals move in reverse order. Middle block: The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem Xin (with its lodging palace in Xu) on You, the second lesson has You on Shen, the third lesson has the Day Branch Chou on Zi, and the fourth lesson has Zi on Hai. The generals riding the heavenly spirits above the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Black Tortoise (You), Tai Yin (Shen), Tian Kong (Zi), and White Tiger (Hai). Right block: The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Geng riding Tian Kong, where Xin metal generates water, representing descendants; the middle transmission is Hai, with the hidden stem Ji riding White Tiger, also representing descendants; the final transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Wu riding Tai Chang, where earth generates Xin metal, representing parents.

斷曰：辛丑日子加丑為用，上見天空，即戌也。子為丑之財，上下夾克，為爭財之象也。三傳傳歸於辛，辛上見酉，辛祿所居，所以得財。辛以火為鬼，子亥解之，丑所畏木日，上有酉金解之，三傳日辰相就而傳退，所以言得財而息也。

The interpretation states: On Xinchou day, the Heaven Plate Zi is placed on the Day Branch Chou and serves as the first transmission. Zi water is riding on Tiankong, and Tiankong's original position is Xu. Zi water is the wealth of Chou earth, and Chou earth controls Zi water. The upper and lower positions are enclosing and controlling each other, forming the image of competing for wealth. The three transmissions finally return to the day stem Xin metal. The upper god on the day stem is You, which is the禄 position of Xin metal. Therefore, wealth is ultimately obtained. Xin metal takes fire as its official ghost, and the Zi water and Hai water in the three transmissions remove the fire ghost. Chou earth fears wood to control it, but there is also You metal on the day stem, which can control wood, thus removing the threat. The three transmissions are close to the day stem and day branch, and the sequence of transmissions moves from Zi to Hai and then to Xu, which is a retreating pattern. Therefore, wealth is obtained and the matter is resolved.

己丑二月辛丑日己亥時孫石渠占生育吉凶。指南

In the year Jichou, second lunar month, day Xinchou, hour Jihai, Sun Shique consulted about the auspiciousness of childbirth. This example is from the "Six Rats Guide." In the second lunar month, the month general is Xu (Hekui). Xu is added to the hour Hai. The branches on the heaven plate fall on the earth plate branches shifted one position backward, and this is the same as the previous lesson, belonging to the same layout. However, the hour Hai is a night hour, so the heavenly nobleman is changed to the night nobleman, and the arrangement of the heavenly generals is accordingly different.

六勾 朱辰巳午未青 玄陰空虎 子 庚子 陰 蛇卯 申空 亥子申酉 子 己亥 玄 貴寅 酉虎 子丑酉辛 父 戊戌 常 后丑子亥戌常 陰玄

Left block: Heaven and Earth plates. The Heaven plate branches are placed on the Earth plate branches one position later: Heaven plate Chen is placed on Earth plate Si, Si on Wu, Wu on Wei, Wei on Shen, Shen on You, You on Xu, Xu on Hai, Hai on Zi, Zi on Chou, Chou on Yin, Yin on Mao, Mao on Chen. The twelve Heavenly Generals follow the Heaven plate branches: Vermilion Bird is on Chen, Liu He on Si, Gou Chen on Wu, Azure Dragon on Wei, Tian Kong on Shen, Bai Hu on You, Tai Chang on Xu, Xuan Wu on Hai, Tai Yin on Zi, Tian Hou on Chou, Nobleman on Yin, Teng Snake on Mao. On a辛 day at亥 hour, which is night divination, the Tianyi Nobleman uses the night nobleman at Yin. Yin is placed on the Earth plate Mao, a yang position, so the twelve generals proceed in order. Middle block: Four Lessons from right to left: First lesson, the day stem 辛 (lodging palace Xu) has You; second lesson, You has Shen; third lesson, the day branch Chou has Zi; fourth lesson, Zi has Hai. The generals riding on the deities above the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Bai Hu (You), Tian Kong (Shen), Tai Yin (Zi), Xuan Wu (Hai). Right block: Three transmissions: First transmission is Zi, hidden stem is Geng, riding Tai Yin, which is a son; middle transmission is Hai, hidden stem is Ji, riding Xuan Wu, which is also a son; final transmission is Xu, hidden stem is Wu, riding Tai Chang, which is a parent.

斷曰；占產難生，子母皆亡。友人曰：一手先出矣，據課子必難保。予曰；不然，先母生子時，先一晚手出，次早腳出，母子無恙。此課河魁渡亥被阻隔，天獄無沖，其子何由而出？日干上虎來遁鬼，支上子乘游魂；天后象母，受寅貴劫煞制克，是以子母不保。未幾，子未出母已死矣。

The interpretation says: This child will have a difficult birth, and both mother and child will not survive. A companion nearby says: The child has already stretched out one hand, according to the divination, the child is certainly doomed. I say: That is not the correct way to look at it. When the mother gave birth, on the first night she first stretched out her hand, and on the next morning she first stretched out her foot, mother and child were both safe and sound. The key point of this divination is: Hekui (Xu) needs to cross the Hai position but is blocked, and the heavenly prison deity is not opened, so from where can the child come out? The day stem is occupied by the White Tiger, and the hidden stem is a ghost; the day branch's Zi is occupied by the wandering soul deity; the Heavenly Empress represents the mother, but is restrained by the Jiesha from the寅 position brought by the Nobleman. Therefore, both mother and child cannot be saved. Soon after, before the child was born, the mother died first.

庚辰年七月十六辛丑日午將巳時衢州王四官人犯事求占。方本占案 一針見血

In the year Gengchen, on the sixteenth day of the seventh month, at the time of Xinchou, the official Wang Si from Quzhou came to seek divination because he had committed a wrongdoing. This case is recorded in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Yi Zhen Jian Xue." Although the seventh month has already entered the beginning of the autumn season, it has not yet reached the beginning of the heat, the month general is still using the noon general from the sixth month. The heaven plate branches are all placed one position ahead of the earth plate branches.

貴后陰玄 午未申酉 合勾空虎 財 壬寅 勾 蛇巳 戌常 卯寅子亥 財 癸卯 合 朱辰 亥虎 寅丑亥辛 父 ◎辰 朱 卯寅丑子 合勾龍空

Left block of Heaven and Earth plates: Wu adds to Si, each branch of the Heaven plate is added to the previous branch of the Earth plate: Heaven plate Wu adds to Earth plate Si, Wei adds to Wu, Shen adds to Wei, You adds to Shen, Xu adds to You, Hai adds to Xu, Zi adds to Hai, Chou adds to Zi, Yin adds to Chou, Mao adds to Yin, Chen adds to Mao, Si adds to Chen. The twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged according to the Heaven plate branches: Nobleman rides Wu, Heavenly Empress rides Wei, Tai Yin rides Shen, Xuan Wu rides You, Tai Chang rides Xu, Bai Hu rides Hai, Tian Kong rides Zi, Qing Long rides Chou, Gou Chen rides Yin, Liu He rides Mao, Zhu Que rides Chen, Teng Snake rides Si. On the day of Xin with the hour of Si, which is a daytime divination, the nobleman is at Wu, Wu is added to the Earth plate Si, which is a yin position, so the twelve generals move in reverse order. Middle block of four lessons from right to left: first lesson, the day stem Xin (lodging palace Xu) has Hai, second lesson, Hai has Zi, third lesson, the day branch Chou has Yin, fourth lesson, Yin has Mao. The generals riding on the heavenly spirits above the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Bai Hu (Hai), Tian Kong (Zi), Gou Chen (Yin), Liu He (Mao). Right block of three transmissions: first transmission Yin, hidden stem Ren, riding Gou Chen, Xin metal overcomes Yin wood, representing wife and wealth; middle transmission Mao, hidden stem Gui, riding Liu He, also representing wife and wealth; final transmission Chen, riding Zhu Que, representing parents, the character Chen has a circle indicating Kongwang - on the day of Xin Chou, which belongs to the Jiawu unit, the empty position of this unit is at Chen and Si.

邵彥和曰：此課必有恩赦，是陰人明年辛巳正月內有災，合上即位又生太子，要有赦了。果十月十五日聞聖后還政放赦，至明年正月末旬，太皇后昇天也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: this reading certainly indicates a royal pardon, and a female elder relative will suffer misfortune in the month of Xinsi in the following year. This coincides with the ascension of a new emperor and the birth of a crown prince, so there will be a major pardon. Later, on the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month, news was heard of the太后 returning power to the emperor and issuing a pardon decree. By the following year's middle of the first lunar month, the empress dowager passed away.

午加巳，巳上九乾純陽，陽極於午，午陰。今位午是太陽臨乾上九純陽之位，又作貴人正當天心。在純陽上九乾多用事，雖是居上九極處，然傳內三貴人並見，亥作虎加辛日也。亥是明年正月太陽用午作貴人加巳，是今日之德，又是辰。始於寅。辛丑日會明年辛巳年，用午太陽加巳又見亥作白虎加辛也。亥者，陰氣之盡。明年辛巳歲正月太陽亥上當天心，故辛巳年正月上升，此陰陽歲會例。

The basis for this inference is that the hour of Wu is placed upon Si. The direction of Si corresponds to the upper ninth line of the Qian hexagram, which represents pure yang. Yang energy reaches its peak at Wu, and after Wu comes yin. Now, the hour of Wu is the sun (month general) positioned on the upper ninth line of Qian, which is a place of pure yang, and it is accompanied by the heavenly master (tianyi guiren). This is exactly the position of the heavenly heart. The matter occurs on the pure yang upper ninth line of Qian. Although it is already at the peak of yang about to decline, within the three transmissions there are three appearances of noblemen, and the day stem Xin has Hai riding the white tiger. Hai is precisely where the sun will be in the next year's first month. Today, the sun is at Wu, riding the nobleman and placed on Si, which is today's virtue spirit, or the energy of Chen, originating from Yin. The day Xin Chou coincides with the year Xin Si in the next year. Today, the sun at Wu is placed on Si, and Hai riding the white tiger is placed on Xin day. Hai is where yin energy reaches its end. In the next year's first month of Xin Si, the sun will be at Hai, exactly at the heavenly heart, so the empress dowager will ascend to heaven in the first month of Xin Si. This is an example of "yin and yang annual convergence."

崇正丁丑八月壬寅日癸卯時，浣中劉退齋太史索占：汝看此是何等人？指南

In the tenth year of the Chongzhen era (1637), on the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, at the hour of Gui Mao, Huanzhong's Liu Tuizhai, a scholar-official of the Hanlin Academy, came to consult. He asked, "What kind of person is this?" This example is taken from the "Six壬 Guide." Although August has already entered autumn, the autumn equinox has not yet arrived, so the month general is still the Si general (Taiyi) from July. The Si is placed on the Mao hour. The branches on the heaven plate are all two positions ahead of those on the earth plate.

六勾 朱未申酉戌龍 蛇后陰常 鬼 辰 后 蛇午 亥空 午辰卯丑 財 甲午 蛇 貴巳 子虎 辰寅丑壬 印 丙申 六 后辰卯寅丑常 陰玄

Left block of the Heaven and Earth plates:巳 is added to卯, the Heaven Plate branches are placed on the Earth Plate branches two positions ahead. The Heaven Plate branches added to the Earth Plate branches are: 未 added to巳, 申 added to午, 酉 added to未, 戌 added to申, 亥 added to酉, 子 added to戌, 丑 added to亥, 寅 added to子, 卯 added to丑, 辰 added to寅, 巳 added to卯, 午 added to辰. The Twelve Heavenly Generals follow the order of the Heaven Plate branches: Vermilion Bird is on未, Liu He on申, Gou Chen on酉, Azure Dragon on戌, Tian Kong on亥, Bai Hu on子, Tai Chang on丑, Xuan Wu on寅, Tai Yin on卯, Tian Hou on辰, Guiren on巳, Teng Snake on午. On a Ren day, the night Guiren is used, Guiren is on巳, and巳 is added to the Earth Plate卯 which is a yang position, so the Twelve Generals proceed in order. Middle block of the Four Lessons, from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem Ren (with its lodging palace in亥) on丑, the second lesson has丑 on卯, the third lesson has the Day Branch寅 on辰, the fourth lesson has辰 on午. The generals riding on the deities above the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Tai Chang (丑), Tai Yin (卯), Tian Hou (辰), Teng Snake (午). Right block of the Three Transmissions: the first transmission is辰, riding Tian Hou, earth controls water, which is official ghost; the position of辰 is not noted with a hidden stem, because on the day of Renyin, it belongs to the Jiawu decade, and辰 and巳 are the empty positions of this decade; the middle transmission is午, hidden stem is Jia, riding Teng Snake, which is wife wealth; the final transmission is申, hidden stem is Bing, riding Liu He, metal generates water, which is official seal (parents).

陳公獻曰：餘玩之良久，此近君陰貴人也，太歲常官臨日，陰見夜貴，太陰又居歲位，必近君之陰貴人也。曰：「此公主也。然有何事？曷一決之。」曰：此必請封蔭子之事。蓋末傳皇詔長生，六合為孩兒，是以知之。倘旨意不允。余曰：傳將六陽登天，必事達天廷至尊之前。但嫌初中空亡，必須兩次方許封蔭。果如其占。

Chen Gongxian said: I have pondered this divination for a long time, and the question concerns a female nobleman close to the emperor. The Tai Su of the Dingchou year is Chou, and Chou is occupied by Tai Chang on the day stem; this divination also takes the night nobleman, and Tai Yin is exactly on the Tai Su position of Chou. All these signs indicate that the question is about a female nobleman close to the emperor. Liu Taishi said: This is a princess. What is she asking about? Please decide. Chen Gongxian said: It must be about requesting a posthumous title and granting privileges to her descendants. Because the final transmission, Shen, is both the god of imperial edict and the place of growth for Ren water, and the Liu He in the final transmission takes the image of a child, so this is how it is interpreted. Liu Taishi asked again: What if the imperial decree is not approved? Chen Gongxian said: The three transmissions, Chen, Wu, and Shen, are all yang branches, rising step by step, indicating the image of six yang ascending to heaven. The matter will certainly reach the emperor's presence. However, the initial and middle transmissions fall on Kongwang (the empty position). Since the day is Renyin, belonging to the Jiawu cycle, the cycle's empty positions are Chen and Si, it will take two attempts before the grant of privilege is approved. Later, it indeed turned out as he predicted.

崇珔乙亥年四月壬寅日申將午進再占產期（先得卯時占，遇見干上辰）。郭氏占案

In the year Yihai (the eighth year of the Chongzhen era, 1635), on the day Renyin of the fourth lunar month, the hour of Shen (Chuansong) was placed on the hour of Wu. A second divination was made to determine the date of childbirth—previously, a divination had been made at the hour of Mao, resulting in the Day Stem being seen on Chén. This example is from the "Guo Shi Zhan An." When Shen is placed on Wu, the branches of the Heaven Plate fall two positions ahead of the Earth Plate, forming the same situation as the previous lesson.

六勾 朱未申酉戌龍 蛇后陰常 鬼 辰 后 蛇午 亥空 午辰卯丑 財 甲午 蛇 貴巳 子虎 辰寅丑壬 印 丙申 六 后辰卯寅丑常 陰玄

The current divination pattern is identical to the previous one. The Heaven Plate is not added to the Earth Plate; the combinations are:巳 added to 未, 申 added to 午, 酉 added to 未, 戌 added to 申, 亥 added to 酉, 子 added to 戌, 丑 added to 亥, 寅 added to 子, 卯 added to 丑, 辰 added to 寅, 巳 added to 卯, 午 added to 辰. The Twelve Heavenly Generals proceed in order: Vermilion Bird rides 未, Liu He rides 申, Gou Chen rides 酉, Azure Dragon rides 戌, Tian Kong rides 亥, Bai Hu rides 子, Tai Chang rides 丑, Xuan Wu rides 寅, Tai Yin rides 卯, Tian Hou rides 辰, Guiren rides 巳, Teng Snake rides 午. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem 壬 (Lodging Palace 亥) with 丑, the second lesson has 丑 with 卯, the third lesson has the Day Branch 寅 with 辰, the fourth lesson has 辰 with 午; the generals riding the upper deities are in order Tai Chang, Tai Yin, Tian Hou, Teng Snake. The Three Transmissions: the first transmission is 辰 riding Tian Hou, which is an official ghost, falling into the empty position of this ten-day cycle, so it is not noted with a hidden stem; the middle transmission is 午, with hidden stem 甲, riding Teng Snake, which is wife wealth; the final transmission is 申, with hidden stem 丙, riding Liu He, which is official seal.

郭御青曰：前嫌人宅乘墓，此即自墓傳生。兩課相解，前課初實中末空，此課初中空末實。至甲辰旬俱不空矣。當在丙午日生。以月將臨干作六合，小兒之象；又壬水胎處也。先乙巳日飲於同袍親姻張貞明家餘預達明日，遇餘賀生子。張貞明猶駭異不信。至第二日丙午寅時果得男。凡行人期候最難，亦有決不准者，此其驗之奇中者耳。

Guo Yuqing said: The previous lesson was concerned with both person and house riding the Tomb Spirit, while this lesson moves from Tomb Spirit to Growth, and the two lessons exactly counteract each other. In the previous lesson, the first transmission was active while the middle and final transmissions were empty; in this lesson, the first and middle transmissions are empty while the final transmission is active. When it reaches the Jiachen decade, none of them will be empty. The child should be born on Bingwu day. Because the month general is on the day stem's path and rides the Liu He, which is the image of a child; Wu is also where the壬water is conceived. Previously on Yisi day, I was drinking at the home of my colleague and relative Zhang Zhenming, and I told him in advance that the child would be born the next day, and he would come to congratulate me. At that time, Zhang Zhenming was surprised and did not believe me. On the next day, Bingwu day, at the hour of Yin, a boy was indeed born. In general, predicting the arrival of a traveler or the birth of a child is very difficult to be accurate, and sometimes the prediction does not match at all. This time, however, the prediction was exceptionally accurate.

崇正巳年十二月初一壬寅日丑將酉時在許州占可居否。郭氏占案

In the year of the fourth month of the Chongzhen era (the original text says "Chongzheng fourth month," the heavenly stem of the year is missing), on the first day of the twelfth lunar month, on the day of Renyin, with the month general Chou (big good) added to the hour of You, a divination was performed in Xu State to determine whether one could stay there. This example comes from the "Guo's Divination Cases." The month general for the twelfth lunar month is indeed Chou. Chou added to You, the branches of the heaven plate fall on the earth plate branches four positions ahead.

空虎常玄 酉戌亥子 虎合勾貴 鬼 乙未 勾 龍申 丑陰 戌午未卯 兄 己亥 常 勾未 寅后 午寅卯壬 子 癸卯 貴 午巳辰卯 合朱蛇貴

Left block: Heaven and Earth plates: Chou added to You. The branches of the Heaven plate are added to the Earth plate branches four positions ahead. The Heaven plate You is added to the Earth plate Si, Xu added to Wu, Hai added to Wei, Zi added to Shen, Chou added to You, Yin added to Xu, Mao added to Hai, Chen added to Zi, Si added to Chou, Wu added to Yin, Wei added to Mao, Shen added to Chen. The twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged according to the Heaven plate branches: Tian Kong on You, Bai Hu on Xu, Tai Chang on Hai, Xuan Wu on Zi, Tai Yin on Chou, Tian Hou on Yin, Gui Ren on Mao, Teng Snake on Chen, Zhu Que on Si, Liu He on Wu, Gou Chen on Wei, Qing Long on Shen. The Gui Ren, which is on Mao, falls on the Yang position of the Earth plate Hai, so the twelve generals proceed in order. Middle block: four lessons from right to left: first lesson, the Day Stem Ren (Lodging Palace Hai) has Mao; second lesson, Mao has Wei; third lesson, the Day Branch Yin has Wu; fourth lesson, Wu has Xu. The generals riding on the deities of the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Gui Ren (Mao), Gou Chen (Wei), Liu He (Wu), Bai Hu (Xu). Right block: three transmissions: first transmission Wei, hidden stem Yi, riding on Gou Chen, Earth controls Water, as official ghost; middle transmission Hai, hidden stem Ji, riding on Tai Chang, same as Ren, as brother; final transmission Mao, hidden stem Gui, riding on Gui Ren, Water generates Wood, as son. The three transmissions Wei, Hai, and Mao form the Wood triad Hai-Mao-Wei.

郭御青曰：此課干支上皆逢死氣。畢法云：人宅皆死各衰羸，正合此句。遂同督師於次日癸卯北迴汴城。越日，賊至許而城破矣。

Guo Yuqing said: In this lesson, both the day stem and day branch are afflicted by death qi. The "Bi Fa Fu" states "Ren zhai jie si ge chai lei" - both people and the dwelling are marked by death qi, and both are in a state of severe decline, which exactly matches this situation, indicating that it is not suitable to stay in Xu State. The next day, on the Guimao day, he followed the commander north to return to Biancheng. After one day, the bandits attacked Xu State, and the city fell.

乾隆己巳年午建壬寅日申將辰時庚午命六十歲占流年。牧夫占驗

In the year Jisi of the Qianlong era, during the month of Wu (the month of Wu is the month of the horse), on the day of Renyin, with the hour of Chen, the general Shen (Chuansong) was placed on Chen hour. A person born in the year Gengwu, aged sixty, came to consult about the current year's flow year. This example is from "The Divination Verification of the Herdsman." Shen added to Chen, the branches on the Heaven Plate fell four positions ahead on the Earth Plate, and it was the same as the previous lesson, belonging to the same structure.

空虎常玄 酉戌亥子 虎合勾貴 鬼 乙未 勾 龍申 丑陰 戌午未卯 兄 己亥 常 勾未 寅后 午寅卯壬 子 癸卯 貴 午巳辰卯 合朱蛇貴

Left block: Heaven and Earth plates. The Heaven plate branches are placed four positions ahead on the Earth plate. The Heaven plate酉 is placed on the Earth plate巳, 戌 on 午, 亥 on 未, 子 on 申, 丑 on 酉, 寅 on 戌, 卯 on 亥, 辰 on 子, 巳 on 丑, 午 on 寅, 未 on 卯, 申 on 辰. The twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged according to the Heaven plate branches: Tian Kong on 酉, Bai Hu on 戌, Tai Chang on 亥, Xuan Wu on 子, Tai Yin on 丑, Tian Hou on 寅, Gui Ren on 卯, Teng Snake on 辰, Zhu Que on 巳, Liu He on 午, Gou Chen on 未, Qing Long on 申. The position of Gui Ren on 卯 falls on the Earth plate position 亥, which is a Yang position, and the twelve generals are arranged in order. Middle block: the four lessons are arranged from right to left. The first lesson has the day stem Ren (in the lodging palace Hai) with 卯. The second lesson has 卯 with 未. The third lesson has the day branch 寅 with 午. The fourth lesson has 午 with 戌. The generals associated with the deities on the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Gui Ren (卯), Gou Chen (未), Liu He (午), and Bai Hu (戌). Right block: the three transmissions. The first transmission is 未, with the hidden stem Yi, riding on Gou Chen, representing official ghost. The second transmission is 亥, with the hidden stem Ji, riding on Tai Chang, representing brother. The third transmission is 卯, with the hidden stem Gui, riding on Gui Ren, representing son. The three transmissions 未, 亥, and 卯 form the triple harmony of Hai-Mao-Wei, creating a Wood trinity.

王牧夫曰：此課主多了，木局子孫旺故也。凡三合之局氣聚最好，但以年命推測又有不好處在行年，行年在己巳上酉用木局而年見從革與用相沖，卯酉主門戶，恐有乘亂事也，須慎之。支馬為家宅，旺火脫用傳之氣，恐有狂惑之人在宅生亂也。七月可畏，申上子，乃刑卯之月也。後果於七月門中有殺傷事。此譚式中，方知年命為要耳，若以干支三傳視之，木火相生旺相，安能知之？凡占流年，當以年為緊切也，存此以俟高明。

Wang Mufu said: At first glance, this divination seems favorable because the three transmissions form a wood trinity, and the descendants are all prosperous and strong. Generally, when three branches form a trinity, the energy converges in one place, which is the best situation. However, when considering the year and the native's birth year, there are negative aspects. The problem lies in the year of the person's movement. The year of movement falls on Si, and Si has You. The divination uses the trinity of wood, but the year has the metal 'Cong Ge' image of Shen and You, which conflicts with the wood trinity used. The branches of Mao and You represent the family's entrance and exit, so there is a fear of disturbances and disturbances within the family, which needs to be cautious. The驿马 on the day's branch represents the family residence, and the strong fire drains the useful god and the energy of the three transmissions. There is a fear of a reckless and misleading person causing trouble within the family. July is the most dangerous, because Shen has Zi, and Zi is the month that harms Mao. Later, indeed, there was an incident of killing and injury within the family in July. Talking about this case, one realizes that the year and birth year are most important. If only looking at the dry branches, the wood and fire mutually generate and are all prosperous and strong, how could one predict it? When divining the current year, the sovereign year and the year of movement are most important. Let me record this case for the benefit of those with higher knowledge.

愚按：此斷語甚多牽強附會而未得要領。六十歲行年在丑，丑上見巳，吉凶當從巳推測。何得以巳上之酉言其卯酉相沖，主門戶乘亂事也？支上旺火脫用傳之氣與宅何干？何得言有狂惑之人在宅生亂也？七月可畏亦是事後之言。子刑卯與宅又何干也？據餘看此課，人宅皆死便是不祥，何況支上午火乘旺相氣而脫支之氣？陰神更見白虎死氣作鬼，安得不凶乎？辰時未發用，皆剋日為天網課，亦主刑傷，卯木雖能破網無奈卯巳休囚而辰未皆相氣也。此餘一得之愚，俟高明裁定。

The compiler Cheng Shuxun notes: This passage has many forced interpretations and fails to grasp the essentials. At the age of sixty, the year stem should be Chou. Chou has Si, so the fortune should be judged from Si. How can one use the酉 on Si to say that the卯 and酉 are in opposition, leading to disturbances in the family? The prosperous fire on the day branch that drains the useful god and the three transmissions have nothing to do with the family. How can one say there is a mad person causing chaos in the house? Saying that July is fearful is just an afterthought. The刑 of Zi on卯 has nothing to do with the family. In my opinion, both the person and the house are encountering death qi, which itself is ominous. Moreover, the prosperous fire on the day branch drains the original qi of the day branch. The hidden spirit of the day branch also sees the White Tiger with death qi as the official ghost. How can it not be ominous? The class was cast at the辰 hour, with the initial transmission being the Wei. The three transmissions all attack the day stem, which is a "heavenly net class" and indicates injury. Although卯 wood can break the heavenly net, it is powerless since both卯 and巳 are weak, while辰 and Wei are in the phase of prosperity and cannot break through. This is my shallow opinion, awaiting judgment from more enlightened scholars.

建炎戊申年十一月壬寅日丑將申時任三翁庚午生三十九歲占家宅。口鑑 方本占案

In the second year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, Wushen (1128), on the 11th lunar month, Renyin day, with the month general Chou (big auspicious) placed on Shen hour, Ren San翁, born in Wushen year, aged thirty-nine, came to divinate his family dwelling. This case is recorded in the "Liu Ren Kou Jian" and "Fang Ben Zhan An." The month general for the 11th lunar month is Chou. Chou added to Shen, the branches on the heaven plate fall five positions ahead on the earth plate.

空虎 龍戌亥子丑常 陳酉 寅玄 虎朱陳後 兄 庚子 虎 六申 卯陰 子未酉辰 財 空巳 貴 朱未午巳辰后 未寅辰壬 鬼 戊戌 龍 蛇貴

Left block of Heaven and Earth plates: Chou added to Shen, the Heaven plate branches are placed on the Earth plate branches five positions ahead—Heaven plate Xu added to Earth plate Si, Hai added to Wu, Zi added to Wei, Chou added to Shen, Yin added to You, Mao added to Xu, Chen added to Hai, Si added to Zi, Wu added to Chou, Wei added to Yin, Shen added to Mao, You added to Chen. The twelve Heavenly Generals follow the Heaven plate branches: Qinglong rides Xu, Tiankong rides Hai, Baihu rides Zi, Taichang rides Chou, Xuanwu rides Yin, Taiyin rides Mao, Tianhou rides Chen, Guiren rides Si, Tengshe rides Wu, Zhuque rides Wei, Liuhuo rides Shen, Gouchen rides You; the Guiren riding Si falls on the Earth plate Zi, a Yang position, and the twelve generals proceed in order. Middle block of four lessons from right to left: first lesson, the day stem Ren (lodging in Hai) has Chen, second lesson, Chen has You, third lesson, the day branch Yin has Wei, fourth lesson, Wei has Zi; the deities on the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Tianhou (Chen), Gouchen (You), Zhuque (Wei), Baihu (Zi). Right block of three transmissions: first transmission Zi, hidden stem Geng, riding Baihu, same type as Ren, as brother; second transmission Si, marked as 'Kong Si', riding Guiren, as wife and wealth—on the Renyin day, which belongs to the Jiawu decade, Chen and Si are the empty positions of this decade; third transmission Xu, hidden stem Wu, riding Qinglong, earth controls Ren water, as official and ghost.

邵彥和曰：此課占宅，而身宅居墓無氣，因婢妾相爭，遂出其婢，而後再歸，卻與宅又合。又常被子息及兄弟作擾，又門戶上口舌不足，只喜末空亡，又是絕鄉，下稍口舌擾亂俱絕無矣。何以知婢再歸？

Shao Yanhe interpreted this divination: this reading concerns the family residence. Both the person and the dwelling fall under the Tomb Spirit (grave spirit) and lack life qi. This indicates that there will be disputes among the servants, leading to the expulsion of a servant girl, who later returns. Upon her return, she becomes harmonious with the family residence. However, there will be constant disturbances from children and brothers, and the household will always have disputes and quarrels, lacking peace. Fortunately, the later part of the reading falls into the Kongwang (void) (in this reading, the middle transmission, which is the巳, is the Kongwang of the Jiawu decade). The巳 is also the绝乡 (decline place) of the壬 water, so eventually, all the disputes and quarrels will be completely resolved. How do we know the servant girl will return?

蓋天盤酉之陰神，卻乃寅加酉，又是宅也。兼酉加辰與辰合，天將勾陳夾住，勾陳為牙人，故主辰日其婢再還也。又辰為日上神故也。大凡隔七八局，三傳回環，只是發用與宅六害，故事多阻。巳既絕地，故至甲辰乙巳日自絕也。果一一如占。

Because the hidden spirit of You is connected to Yin, it is exactly that Yin is placed on You. Yin represents the residence. Moreover, You is placed on Chen and combines with Chen, and both ends are enclosed by Gou Chen, which is the intermediary. Therefore, the servant girl will return again on the day of Chen. Furthermore, Chen is exactly the heavenly stem of the day. Generally, when a divination is formed by moving through seven or eight positions and the three transmissions cycle back, it is because the initiating spirit is in the sixth harmful relationship with the residence, causing many obstacles. Since Si is the terminal point for Ren water, by the days of Jiachen and Yisi, the entanglement naturally ceases. Later, it indeed happened exactly as predicted.

細參此課占家宅斷法，日辰逢墓便作凶推，則知邵伯達庚寅日干上丑之課是斷遷移法非斷家宅法矣。人皆草草一例，視之何以得有益乎？

Carefully examine this lesson on divining the condition of a family home: if the day stem and day branch encounter the Tomb Spirit (mù shén, tomb deity), it is considered an ominous judgment. From this we can see that the lesson on the day Gengyin, where the day stem is Chou, uses the method of divining migration rather than the method of divining the family home. Everyone hastily treats them as one case, how can reading lead to any benefit?

乙亥年四月壬寅日申將卯時占產男女。郭氏占案

In the year Yihai, fourth lunar month, day Renyin, with the hour Shen (Chuansong) added to the卯 (Mao) hour, the divination concerns whether a male or female child will be born. This example is from the "Guo Family Divination Cases." Shen added to Mao, the branches on the Heaven Plate fall five positions ahead on the Earth Plate, and it is the same as the previous lesson, belonging to the same formation.

空虎 龍戌亥子丑常 陳酉 寅玄 虎朱陳後 兄 庚子 虎 六申 卯陰 子未酉辰 財 空巳 貴 朱未午巳辰后 未寅辰壬 鬼 戊戌 龍 蛇貴

The current divination pattern is identical to the previous one: the Heaven Plate is戌 added to the Earth Plate巳,亥 added to午,子 added to未,丑 added to申,寅 added to酉,卯 added to戌,辰 added to亥,巳 added to子,午 added to丑,未 added to寅,申 added to卯,酉 added to辰. The Twelve Heavenly Generals proceed in order: the Azure Dragon rides戌, the Sky Void rides亥, the White Tiger rides子, the Tai Chang rides丑, the Black Tortoise rides寅, the Tai Yin rides卯, the Heavenly Empress rides辰, the Nobleman rides巳, the Teng Snake rides午, the Vermilion Bird rides未, the Liu He rides申, and the Gou Chen rides酉. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem壬 (in the Lodging Palace亥) with辰, the second lesson has辰 with酉, the third lesson has the Day Branch寅 with未, and the fourth lesson has未 with子. The generals ridden by the upper spirits are in order: Heavenly Empress, Gou Chen, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger. The Three Transmissions: the first transmission is子, with the hidden stem庚, riding the White Tiger, representing a brother; the middle transmission is巳, falling into Kongwang, riding the Nobleman, representing a wife's wealth; the final transmission is戌, with the hidden stem戊, riding the Azure Dragon, representing an official ghost.

郭御青曰：子字發用，即取為男，不必別求。雖中末空，至二十五日甲辰旬，則不空矣。課名三奇與壬申年己丑日辰巳一課占得子，亦名三奇相合，但嫌人宅乘墓，誰知後課又相應也？

Guo Yuqing said: The first transmission initiates with the Zi branch, which belongs to the Yang category, so it is taken as indicating a male fetus, without needing to look for other evidence. Although the latter two transmissions fall into Kongwang, by the 25th day when it enters the Jiachen shen, it is no longer empty. This divination is called "Three Marvels," and it is similar to the case of a boy predicted in the divination on the Renshen year, Jichou day, and Si hour, which is also called "Three Marvels in Harmony." It is only regrettable that both the person and the house are under the influence of the Tomb Spirit (mound spirit). Who would have thought that the previous divination also came true in the same way.

己酉年十月壬寅日寅將申時水四哥占求財。口鑑 方本占案

In the year Jiyou, tenth month, day Renyin, with the month general Yinyin (Gongcao) placed on Shen hour, a man named Shui, the fourth brother, came to consult about seeking wealth. This case is recorded in the "Six Rats Oral Mirror" and "Fang Ben Divination Cases." In the tenth month, the month general is Shen. Shen is placed on Shen hour, with the heavenly stems and branches falling six positions ahead on the earth plate. The heavenly plate and earth plate are in constant opposition, forming a "returning echo" pattern.

虎常 空亥子丑寅玄 龍戌 卯陰 玄六空貴 子 壬寅 玄 勾酉 辰后 寅申亥巳 父 丙申 六 六申未午巳貴 申寅巳壬 子 壬寅 玄 朱蛇

Left block: Heaven and Earth plates. The Heaven plate branches are placed on the Earth plate branches six positions ahead. The Heaven plate亥 is placed on the Earth plate巳, 子 on 午, 丑 on 未, 寅 on 申, 卯 on 酉, 辰 on 戌, 巳 on 亥, 午 on 子, 未 on 丑, 申 on 寅, 酉 on 卯, 戌 on 辰. Each branch is in opposition, forming a reverse repetition. The twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged according to the Heaven plate branches: Tian Kong is on 亥, Bai Hu on 子, Tai Chang on 丑, Xuan Wu on 寅, Tai Yin on 卯, Tian Hou on 辰, Gui Ren on 巳, Teng Snake on 午, Zhu Que on 未, Liu He on 申, Gou Chen on 酉, Qing Long on 戌. The twelve generals are arranged in order. Middle block: the four lessons are arranged from right to left. The first lesson is on the day stem Ren (lodging in亥) with巳, the second lesson is on巳 with亥, the third lesson is on the day branch寅 with申, the fourth lesson is on申 with寅. The generals on the heavenly spirits above the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Gui Ren (巳), Tian Kong (亥), Liu He (申), Xuan Wu (寅). Right block: the three transmissions. The first transmission is寅, hidden stem Ren, riding Xuan Wu, with Ren water generating wood, representing children. The middle transmission is申, hidden stem Bing, riding Liu He, with metal generating Ren water, representing parents. The final transmission is again寅, hidden stem Ren, riding Xuan Wu, representing children. The three transmissions in a reverse repetition lesson repeat the first and last transmissions.

邵彥和曰：主先討他還本，今再重討利。是如此否？水曰：然。先生曰：壬水絕於巳，巳財絕了。又見申長生，是還本後重討也。但討得此財，下稍必被他擾害，實成不足。四年外必見是非。後癸丑年果爭息錢下獄，得赦免罪。丑年者，惹動丑上朱雀鬼故也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted: You have already recovered your principal before, now you are trying to collect the interest again. Is that correct? The man surnamed Shui answered: Exactly. The master said: The壬 water is in absolute decline in巳, the巳 wealth on the day stem has already declined; in the divination chart, there is also申, which is the long life of壬 water, so it is recovering the principal and then pursuing the interest again. However, this money, although recovered, will eventually be disturbed by the other party, and the actual gain will be insufficient. Four years later, there will certainly be disputes. Later, in the year of Guichou, he indeed got into legal trouble over the interest money and was imprisoned, but was eventually pardoned. The prediction of the year of丑 is because he provoked the official ghost on the earth plate at丑, which is the天 plate未, 未 earth controls壬 water as a ghost, and 未 also carries the Vermilion Bird, which signifies disputes and legal matters.

戊申年九月二十一壬寅日辰將酉時邵梓材戊寅三月初一辰時生三十一歲占前程。方本占案口鑑

In the year of Wushen, ninth month, twenty-first day, at the hour of Renyin, the time of the day is Chén (the hour of the dragon). The heavenly stem is placed at the position of You (the hour of the rooster). Zhao Zicai, born on the first day of the third lunar month in the year of Wuyin at the hour of Chén, is thirty-one years old and seeks divination about his future. This example is found in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Liu Ren Kou Jian". When Chén is added to You, the branches on the heaven plate are placed seven positions ahead on the earth plate.

朱蛇 六子丑寅卯貴 陳亥 辰后 后空朱玄 財 甲午 玄 龍戌 巳陰 辰酉丑午 鬼 辛丑 朱 空酉申未午玄 酉寅午壬 父 丙申 虎 虎常

Left block: Heaven and Earth plates. The Heaven plate branches are placed on the Earth plate branches seven positions ahead. The Heaven plate branches are added to the Earth plate branches in the following order: Zi on Si, Chou on Wu, Yin on Wei, Mao on Shen, Chen on You, Si on Xu, Wu on Hai, Wei on Zi, Shen on Chou, You on Yin, Xu on Mao, Hai on Chen. The twelve Heavenly Generals follow the Heaven plate branches: Liu He on Zi, Vermilion Bird on Chou, Teng Snake on Yin, Nobleman on Mao, Heavenly Empress on Chen, Tai Yin on Si, Black Tortoise on Wu, Tai Chang on Wei, White Tiger on Shen, Tian Kong on You, Azure Dragon on Xu, Gou Chen on Hai. The Nobleman is on Mao, which is the Yin position of the Earth plate, so the twelve generals move in reverse. Middle block: Four Lessons from right to left. First lesson: Day Stem Ren (Lodging Palace Hai) has Wu. Second lesson: Wu has Chou. Third lesson: Day Branch Yin has You. Fourth lesson: You has Chen. The generals on the heavenly spirits of the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Black Tortoise (Wu), Vermilion Bird (Chou), Tian Kong (You), Heavenly Empress (Chen). Right block: Three transmissions. First transmission: Wu, hidden stem Ji, riding Black Tortoise, representing wife wealth. Second transmission: Chou, hidden stem Xin, riding Vermilion Bird, earth overcoming water, representing official ghost. Third transmission: Shen, hidden stem Bing, riding White Tiger, metal generating water, representing parents.

邵彥和曰：此課名四絕，且干支自刑，又名六害，其不利者有三：一者居偏室無正位，二者妻宮不利，三者眼不明，因他父墳不利，皆是白蟻，左畔已虛空矣，前程非惟不遠，又且壽夭，九年將屋基作田園，家破碎，貴賤皆因酒而敗也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: This reading is called "Four Extremes." The day stem and day branch also involve self-punishment, and additionally commit the offense of six harms. There are three unfavorable aspects: first, he can only live in a side room, not in the main position; second, the wife's palace is unfavorable; third, his eyes are not clear. All these are because his father's tomb is not good, with many white ants in the tomb, and the left side has already become hollow and collapsed. His future prospects will not go far, and his lifespan is short. After nine years, he will have to change the foundation of the house into farmland, and the family will decline and disintegrate. Whether rich or poor, it will all be due to alcohol leading to ruin.

邵解元聞先生言，欲啟父墳，因兄弟眾多不肯行，妻不生子，常有血氣，至辛亥年病眼武壬皆亥，夾克午，故主亥年而應，男女皆因酒而敗，乙卯年眾拆屋一半作田，一半作園。邵氏居於店屋水死於卯，又卯上得戌作鬼，故卯年應，戊午身喪，己未啟父墳，果骨為蟻食矣。

Shao Jieyuan listened to his teacher's words and wanted to open his father's grave for a new burial, but his brothers did not agree and it could not be done. His wife was unable to have children and often had blood disorders. In the Xinhai year, he got an eye disease. The Black Tortoise and the壬 water both belong to亥, and they sandwich the day stem's午 (which represents the eyes), so it should happen in the亥 year. All his children and grandchildren were ruined by drinking alcohol. In the Yimao year, everyone tore down the house, half of it was changed into farmland and the other half into a garden. Shao lived in a shop house, the壬 water died in卯, and卯 was also supported by戌 as the official ghost, so it should happen in the卯 year. In the Wuwu year, he himself died. It was not until the Jiwei year that the father's grave was opened, and indeed the bones were completely eaten away by white ants.

蓋壬以申為父，父在墓守白虎，主白蟻。日上午為目為妻，火絕於亥，故不利。丑加午六害，丑為田園，午為層，水克午而屋壞，土克水而以屋成田園，宅上見酉，壬敗於酉，故為所敗，又是破碎，主男婦皆因酒敗也。

The principle is that the壬 water uses the申 metal as its parents, and since申 is in the墓 (grave) and guards the White Tiger, the White Tiger represents insects, so it is concluded that there are termites in the tomb. The day stem's 午, which represents both the eyes and the wife, is weakened by fire in the亥, so both the eyes and the wife are not favorable. The丑 added on top of 午 forms the six harms; 丑 represents farmland, and 午 represents the advancement of the house, so water overcoming 午 causes the house to be damaged, while earth overcoming water turns the house into farmland. The presence of 酉 in the residence indicates that 壬 water is in its败 (decline) position at 酉 (a place of decline), so it is said to be defeated by it. 酉 also carries the破碎 (shattered) evil star, which indicates that men and women will all ruin their families due to alcohol.

辛未年卯月壬寅日戌將寅時某占甲子生八歲子病。　牧夫占驗／勾合朱蛇／丑寅卯辰　后虎朱陰　鬼 戊戌 虎／龍子　巳貴　午戌卯未　財 甲午 後／空亥　午后　戌寅未壬　子 壬寅 合／戌酉申未／虎常玄陰

In the year Xinwei, during the month of Mao, on the day Renyin, the divination was cast using the month general Wu added to the hour Yin. Someone consulted about the illness of a child born in the year Jiazi, who was eight years old. This example is from "The Farmer's Divination Verification." The heaven and earth plates were arranged with Wu as the general added to the hour Yin. The heaven plate branches successively overlaid the earth plate branches: Wu overlaid Yin, Hai overlaid Mao, Zi overlaid Chen, Chou overlaid Si, Yin overlaid Wu, Mao overlaid Wei, Chen overlaid Shen, Si overlaid You, Wu overlaid Xu, Wei overlaid Hai, Shen overlaid Zi, You overlaid Chou. The twelve heavenly generals were arranged in reverse order: Gou Chen occupied Chou, Liu He occupied Yin, Zhu Que occupied Mao, Teng Snake occupied Chen, Nobleman occupied Si, Heavenly Empress occupied Wu, Tai Yin occupied Wei, Xuan Wu occupied Shen, Tai Chang occupied You, Bai Hu occupied Xu, Tian Kong occupied Hai, Qing Long occupied Zi. The four lessons were arranged from right to left: the first lesson was Wei added to the day stem Ren (Ren's lodging palace is Hai) occupied by Tai Yin, the second lesson was Mao added to Wei occupied by Zhu Que, the third lesson was Wu added to the day branch Yin occupied by Bai Hu, the fourth lesson was Wu added to Xu occupied by Heavenly Empress. The third lesson's Yin wood was robbed by the upper god Wu earth, so Wu was taken as the initiating transmission. The first transmission was Wu, with the hidden stem Wu Xu, which was the official ghost for the day stem Ren water, occupied by Bai Hu; the middle transmission was Wu, with the hidden stem Jia Wu, which was the wife wealth for Ren water, occupied by Heavenly Empress; the final transmission was Yin, with the hidden stem Ren Yin, which was the son for Ren water, occupied by Liu He. The three branches Yin, Wu, and Xu formed a fire trinity, which is exactly the "Inflamed Lesson" mentioned in the Six壬 system.

王牧夫曰：戌為白虎又是火局，內有積滯關隔不通火，無力以化之，不能保。凡炎上得后合獻翳之神附之，主炎上不暢。后臨午又相沖，火既受沖，其局散矣。況八歲行年見巳，末傳寅命上申，合成三刑，長生絕矣。七月上辰沖破炎上戌土，此病不得遇也，此病甚凶，極驗。

Wang Mufu said: The first transmission is戌, which is occupied by the White Tiger. The third transmission, with寅, 午, and 戌, forms a fire triad. When divining a child's illness, we usually use the son's爻 and the year's destiny as the useful gods. In this case, the final transmission's寅 wood is exactly the son's爻. Within the fire triad, there is a blockage and obstruction, and the fire energy is not strong enough to dispel it, so this life is doomed. Whenever there is an intense fire lesson, if dark and obscure heavenly generals such as the Heavenly Empress and Liu He attach to it, the fire energy cannot flow smoothly. The Heavenly Empress is originally a water deity, but now it is riding on the午 fire, causing water and fire to clash. Since the fire is attacked, the entire fire triad becomes scattered. Moreover, the child's age of eight meets巳 (the age is in酉, and the heaven plate on酉 is巳), the final transmission is寅, and the original destiny of Jiazi has申 on the Zi position. The combination of寅,巳, and申 forms the three punishments, cutting off the growth energy. By July, the heaven plate on申 is辰, which conflicts with the戌 earth of the fire triad, and the illness cannot be overcome. This illness is extremely dangerous, and it later fully came true.

戊申年九月二十一壬寅日辰將未時鄧省干癸未年十月初七申時生二十六歲占前程。方本占案　口鑑／朱蛇／六寅卯辰巳貴／陳丑　午后　玄空貴玄　財 空巳 貴／龍子　未陰　申亥巳申　子 壬寅 六／空亥戌酉申玄　亥寅申壬　兄 己亥 空／虎常

In the year of Wushen, ninth lunar month, twenty-first day, on the day of Renyin, with the month general at Chen added to the hour of Wei, Deng Xinggan (born at Shen hour on the tenth day of the tenth lunar month in the year of Guiwei, aged twenty-six) divined about his future. This case is recorded in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The heaven and earth plates have not yet been arranged with the month general at Chen added to the hour. The branches of the heaven plate are arranged in order over the earth plate: Chen is over Wei, Si over Shen, Wu over You, Wei over Xu, Shen over Hai, You over Zi, Xu over Chou, Hai over Yin, Zi over Mao, Chou over Chen, Yin over Si, and Mao over Wu. The twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Si, the teng snake on Chen, the vermilion bird on Mao, the liu he on Yin, the gou chen on Chou, the azure dragon on Zi, the tian kong on Hai, the white tiger on Xu, the tai chang on You, the black tortoise on Shen, the tai yin on Wei, and the heavenly empress on Wu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Shen added to the day stem Ren (lodging palace Hai) with the black tortoise; the second lesson is Si added to Shen with the nobleman; the third lesson is Hai added to the day branch Yin with the tian kong; the fourth lesson is Shen added to Hai with the black tortoise. The fire of Si is overcoming the metal of the following Shen, which is the upper god overcoming the lower god, so the starting transmission is Si. The first transmission is Si, representing wife wealth, and it is at the time of the empty (the day of Renyin belongs to the Jiawu decade, with the empty at Chen and Si), with the nobleman; the middle transmission is Yin, with the hidden stem Renyin, representing son, with the liu he; the final transmission is Hai, with the hidden stem Jihai, representing brother, with the tian kong.

邵彥和曰：此課與前課大不同，干支皆受上生，日上得申長生，卻即去生寅，初巳貴人作財，日上長生學堂，盡可取功名。但嫌貴空，又為玄所滯，只運司解發而不能及第。初任管銅鐵，次任管坑冶，三任水船官而止。鄧果初任鑄錢有功，再任坑冶司檢踏官，次得明州船塢，歸家而死。蓋申來生壬為長生學堂，故壬子年發解，初巳作貴為德神加學堂上，寅又加巳生貴生德，故終得前程。銅鐵者，申金也；坑冶司者，巳加申也，水船場者，江湖臨於寅上也。寅木未成船，而卯已成船，故主舡場修造也（直指云：寅作六合為船）。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson is quite different from the previous one. The day stem and day branch are both generated by their respective superior deities. The day stem Ren is generated by Shen, which is the place of growth for Ren water, and this life qi then goes on to generate Yin wood. The first transmission Si is riding on the nobleman and acts as the day's wealth. The Shen on the day stem is both growth and a school, so success in official examination is entirely possible. Unfortunately, the Si ridden by the nobleman falls into Kongwang, and the Shen on the day stem is blocked by the Black Tortoise, so he can only be sent by the transfer office for examination, but cannot achieve the imperial examination success. The first position is in charge of copper and iron, the second position is in charge of mining and metallurgy, the third position is an official in charge of waterway and ship affairs, and that is the end. Deng Xinggan later indeed first served in casting coins with merit, then served as an inspector in the mining and metallurgy office, and then received a post in the shipyard in Mingzhou, and died at home. This is how the prediction was made: Shen generates Ren water, which is both growth and a school, so he passed the provincial examination in the Renzi year. The first transmission Si, riding on the nobleman, becomes the virtuous deity, and is also placed above the school Shen. Yin wood is added to Si, which both generates the nobleman and the virtuous deity, so he eventually achieved success. Speaking of copper and iron refers to Shen metal. Speaking of the mining and metallurgy office refers to Si fire placed on Shen metal, using fire to refine metal. Speaking of waterway and ship affairs refers to Hai water rivers and lakes appearing on Yin. Yin wood is still original wood and not yet a ship, while Mao wood is already a finished ship, so it refers to the construction of shipyards. (The Six Rats Straight Pointer says: Yin riding the六合 is a ship.)

嘉慶己未年六月壬寅日未將戌時占選期。　說約／朱蛇／六寅卯辰巳貴／陳丑　午后　玄空貴玄　財 空巳 貴／龍子　未陰　申亥巳申　子 壬寅 六／空亥戌酉申玄　亥寅申壬　兄 己亥 空／虎常

In the year Jiwei of the Jiaqing era, on the day Renyin of the sixth month, with the month general Jiwei added to the hour Xu, the divination was made to inquire about the date for a civil service appointment. This example is taken from "Renshu Sayue." The configuration of the month general Jiwei added to the hour Xu is identical to the previous case where the month general Chen was added to the hour Wei. The Heaven Plate branches successively align with the Earth Plate branches as follows: Chen aligns with Wei, Si with Shen, Wu with You, Jiwei with Xu, Shen with Hai, You with Zi, Xu with Chou, Hai with Yin, Zi with Mao, Chou with Chen, Yin with Si, and Mao with Wu. The twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Si, the Teng Snake on Chen, the Vermilion Bird on Mao, Liu He on Yin, Gou Chen on Chou, the Azure Dragon on Zi, the Tian Kong on Hai, the White Tiger on Xu, the Tai Chang on You, the Black Tortoise on Shen, the Tai Yin on Jiwei, and the Heavenly Empress on Wu. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, remain: Shen added to the day stem Ren (which is in Hai) with the Black Tortoise, Si added to Shen with the nobleman, Hai added to the day branch Yin with Tian Kong, and Shen added to Hai with the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are as follows: the first transmission is Si, representing the wife's wealth, which falls into Kongwang and is ridden by the nobleman; the middle transmission is Renyin, representing the son, ridden by Liu He; and the final transmission is Jihai, representing the brother, ridden by Tian Kong.

張江村曰：有為人占一事而其人性情、事業以及日下、將來之景況一一皆現於課中者，此時或有之。如己未夏間，餘附糧舟回南，同舟一人已得官，占選期。六月壬寅日戌時未將，三傳巳寅亥。余曰：“選期視長生，申作長生臨干，亦臨亥，主亥年得選。”此本事，餘細推，干上見申作馬，申主躁動，作馬尤甚，此人性情必躁，申作長生乘元武，元武卑鄙齷齪，其官必不由正路得。

Zhang Jiangcun said: When divining for someone about an affair, the person's character, career, and current and future circumstances often appear clearly in the divination. Such situations sometimes indeed occur. For example, in the Jiwei year, in the summer, I traveled back to the south on a grain boat, and there was a man who had already obtained an official position on board. He consulted about the date of the examination. The day was the sixth month, Renyin day, Xu hour, with the month general being Wei. The three transmissions were Si, Yin, and Hai. I said: "To determine the examination date, we look at the growth. Shen is the growth of Ren water, which is present on the day stem and also on Hai, indicating that the person will be selected in the Hai year." This was merely the main point of the question. I then proceeded to analyze further: The day stem had Shen, which was also the驿马 of that day. Shen naturally signifies restlessness, and when it serves as the驿马, it becomes even more restless, indicating that the person's character is certainly impetuous. Shen is both the growth and is accompanied by the Black Tortoise, which is the god of deceit and corruption. Therefore, his official position must not have been obtained through proper channels.

申作馬而干歸支，其行而歸家乎？支上亥為日祿，本是充裕之家，今天空，殆無蓄矣。支陰重見申馬，歸家後又必出行。申與用神巳六合，巳作日財乘貴人，行必投貴人求財。但巳值空亡，又是絕神，必無遇。中傳寅脫氣，末傳亥仍歸支上，徒勞往返，仍回家中耳。又推申為干之長生，巳又為申之長生，此人必祖與父俱在堂，但值空亡，其祖恐不久。巳又為妻，值空亡，當尚未娶。

Shen is the Post-horse, and the three transmissions return from the day stem to the day branch, so it seems he is about to leave home. The day branch's Hai is the禄神 of the壬 day stem, which should indicate a wealthy family, but now Hai is riding the Tian Kong, suggesting there is probably no savings left. The Yin spirit on the day branch again meets Shen, indicating that after returning home he will have to go out again. Shen forms a Liu He with the useful god巳, which is also the day's wealth and rides the Nobleman, so this trip is definitely to seek wealth by relying on the Nobleman. However,巳 is in the Kongwang and is also the绝神 of the壬 water, so he will certainly not meet anyone. The middle transmission寅 wood drains the energy of the day stem, and the final transmission亥 returns to the day branch, meaning it is just a wasted trip and he will end up back home. Looking further: Shen is the long life of the day stem, and巳 is the long life of Shen, so his grandfather and father should still be alive; however, since巳 is in the Kongwang, his grandfather may not live long. At the same time,巳 also represents the wife, which is in the Kongwang, indicating he has not yet married.

當時萍聚，日久見其浮躁，無一刻閒，詢其出身，由供事議敘得官，供事卑鄙，其非正路的矣。今欲歸家，家中昔開布行，久歇。擬歸後往投四川某知府。祖父俱在堂，祖已八十外，定親未娶，一一皆準。然投貴無濟，恐不能久，二節別後不知，第已往皆準，恐未來亦必驗也。

At that time, they were just meeting by chance, but after some time, it became clear that he was restless and never at peace. When asked about his background, he was found to have obtained his position through a low-ranking official post, which was promoted by recommendation, indicating he was not from the proper official path. He was now about to return home, saying that his family had previously run a cloth shop, which had long since closed down. He intended to go to Sichuan to rely on a certain magistrate. Both his grandfather and father were still alive, with the grandfather already over eighty years old. His marriage had been arranged but not yet celebrated. Each of these matters was accurately predicted. However, relying on the nobleman would be of no use, and this official position might not last long. After two seasonal periods, his whereabouts would be unknown. However, all that has already happened has been accurately predicted, and it is certain that what will happen in the future will also come to pass.

己酉年正月二十三壬寅日子將寅時，鄭三公辛亥年四月一日未時生，五十九歲占墳地。方本占案　口鑑　捷要／後陰／貴卯辰巳午玄／蛇寅　未常　龍六常空　鬼 戊戌 龍／朱丑　申虎　戌子未酉　父 丙申 虎／六子亥戌酉空　子寅酉壬　財 甲午 玄／陳龍

In the year Jiyou, on the twenty-third day of the first lunar month, on the day Renyin, with the month general Zi added to the time of寅, Zheng San Gong (born on the sixth day of the fourth lunar month in the year Xinhai, at the time of Wei, aged fifty-nine) divined about a burial site. This example is found in the texts "Fang Ben Zhan An", "Kou Jian", and "Jie Yao". The heaven and earth plates are arranged with Zi as the general added to the time of寅. The branches of the heaven plate are arranged in order over the earth plate: Zi is over寅, Chou over Mao, Yin over Chen, Mao over Si, Chen over Wu, Si over Wei, Wu over Shen, Wei over You, Shen over Xu, You over Hai, Xu over Zi, and Hai over Chou. The twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Mao, the teng snake on寅, the vermilion bird on Chou, the liu he on Zi, the gou chen on Hai, the qing long on Xu, the tian kong on You, the bai hu on Shen, the tai chang on Wei, the xuan wu on Wu, the tai yin on Si, and the tian hou on Chen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is You added to the day stem Ren (which is located at Hai) with tian kong, the second lesson is Wei added to You with tai chang, the third lesson is Zi added to the day branch Yin with liu he, and the fourth lesson is Xu added to Zi with qing long. The Xu earth branch overcomes the Zi water below, which is the upper god overcoming the lower god, so Xu is taken as the initiating transmission. The first transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Wu Xu, representing the official ghost, riding the qing long; the middle transmission is Shen, with the hidden stem Bing Shen, representing the parents, riding the bai hu; the final transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Jia Wu, representing the wife's wealth, riding the xuan wu. The three transmissions Wu, Shen, and Wu form a reverse interval transmission.

邵彥和曰：此課艮山行龍，坎山落穴，不是正龍，左邊無山，右有兩重白虎，第三重為案，主子孫貪淫好酒，後為酒家傭，婦人不正，隨人淫奔，且墓內棺中有泥，白蟻食尸，右邊有水，末主人為道童，自身為酒所敗，老無妻，以他人之妾為妻，六年患酒病，更三年終矣。

Shao Yanhe said: This piece of land is where the dragon pulse comes from the Gen direction (Northeast) and stops in the Kan direction (Due North), but it is not a straight dragon. There is no mountain on the left, but there are two layers of White Tiger terrain on the right, with the third layer serving as the case mountain. This indicates that the descendants will be greedy, lustful, and fond of alcohol, and in the future they will have to work as laborers in a wine shop. The women in the family will behave improperly and will run away with other men. Moreover, within the tomb, the coffin will be filled with mud, and white ants will eat the bones. There is also flowing water on the right. In the end, there will be a Taoist child born in the family. As for the person who owns the land, he will be ruined by alcohol, will be without a wife in old age, and will have to marry another man's concubine. He will suffer from an alcohol-related illness for six years, and then after three more years, he will die.

鄭三公乍富，教子讀書，指望及第，故請先生占之，其地果艮山來，坎山落穴，無正山，以過山為主，右兩重白虎，案山亦從右邊來，似乎三重。三公日夜飲酒，後二年妻死，娶徐知府之妾為妻，又行事不正，三公死後，次子伴徐氏賣酒，妻與媳被外人領走，子孫不成器，一向非為。三公六十四有酒病，六十七上終。皆如先生之言也。左邊無者，傳不行也。申作白虎，午加申上，又是虎，故兩重來為案山，子午作玄合，故主子孫邪淫。壬日酉作天空，故主酒敗，子孫為酒家傭，亦主婦人為淫，酉六數，故主六年酒敗，更三年死，酉增一半也。

Zheng San Gong was newly wealthy and sent his son to study, hoping he would pass the imperial examination. Therefore, he consulted Master Shao about this piece of land. Indeed, the land had a dragon coming from the Gen direction and a burial site coming from the Kan direction, with no main mountain, so they used a passing mountain as the main mountain. On the right side, there were two layers of White Tiger ridges, and the case mountain also came from the right, appearing as three layers. The three elders drank day and night. Two years later, his wife died, and he married a concubine from Governor Xu's family, and his conduct became improper. After the death of San Gong, his second son followed the Xu family to sell wine, and his wife and daughter-in-law were taken by outsiders, and his descendants were not capable, always engaging in improper activities. San Gong got a drinking illness at the age of sixty-four and died at sixty-seven, all exactly as Master Shao had said. The reason there was no mountain on the left was because the three transmissions were reversed and did not proceed forward. The Sheng position was occupied by the White Tiger, and the Wu position was added on top of Sheng, still being the Tiger's energy, so two layers of Tiger ridges came to serve as the case mountain. The Zi position was occupied by Liu He, and the Wu position was occupied by Xuan Wu, so it indicated that the descendants would be immoral. On the Rén day, the You position was occupied by Tian Kong, so it indicated failure due to alcohol, the descendants working as servants in wine shops, and women being unchaste. The number of You is six, so it indicated a six-year illness from alcohol; after three more years, he died, which was adding half of the number of You.

三月壬寅日酉將戌時卜生產。　一針見血／蛇朱合勾／辰巳午未　玄陰空虎　兄 庚子 玄／貴卯　申龍　子丑酉戌　兄 己亥 常／後寅　酉空　丑寅戌壬　鬼 戊戌 虎／丑子亥戌／陰玄常虎

On the day of RENYIN in the third month, the month general YOU is added to the戌 hour. This example is from "One Needle Sees the Point." The heaven and earth plates are arranged with YOU as the general added to the戌 hour. The branches on the heaven plate are successively placed on the earth plate: YOU is on戌,戌 is on亥,亥 is on子,子 is on丑,丑 is on寅,寅 is on卯,卯 is on辰,辰 is on巳,巳 is on午,午 is on未,未 is on申,申 is on酉. The twelve heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman is on卯, the treading snake is on辰, the vermilion bird is on巳, the six harmonies are on午, the hook heaven is on未, the azure dragon is on申, the heavenly void is on酉, the white tiger is on戌, the great constant is on亥, the black tortoise is on子, the great yin is on丑, and the heavenly empress is on寅. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is戌 added to the day stem REN (which is in亥) with the white tiger, the second lesson is酉 added to戌 with the heavenly void, the third lesson is丑 added to the day branch寅 with the great yin, and the fourth lesson is子 added to丑 with the black tortoise. Both the third and fourth lessons are lower spirits stealing from the upper spirits. The two upper spirits,丑 and子, are both yin and yang respectively, while the day stem REN is yang. Therefore, the branch that is the same type as the day stem, which is yang, is taken as the use. Hence, the initiating transmission is子. The first transmission is子, with the hidden stem GENGZI, representing a brother, riding the black tortoise; the middle transmission is亥, with the hidden stem JIHAI, representing a brother, riding the great constant; the final transmission is戌, with the hidden stem WUXU, representing a ghost official, riding the white tiger. The sequence子,亥,戌 is a reverse retreat chain.

劉日新曰：日辰皆陽，壬屬水，用玄武水傳入三淵，皆水。子是女宿，主生女（愚按：下克上亦是女）。支為母，不受克，母平安。干為兒，受戌克，玄武加子發用為武入三淵，末傳仍歸戌虎克干，兒不吉故生女而棄水死。河魁加日主迅速，故當日生。

Liu Rixin says: The day stem and day branch are both yang, and Ren is also water. The initiating transmission is the White Tiger riding on the water of Zi, which flows into the deep water, all being water qi. Zi belongs to the female mansion among the twenty-eight constellations, which indicates giving birth to a girl (the editor of this book notes: when the lower god overcomes the upper god and initiates the transmission, it also indicates giving birth to a girl). The day branch represents the mother, and it is not overcome, so the mother is safe; the day stem represents the infant, but it is overcome by Xu earth. The White Tiger is added on top of Zi and initiates the transmission, which is the image of the White Tiger entering the deep water; the final transmission returns to Xu, and Xu rides on the White Tiger to overcome the day stem, which is not auspicious for the infant, so the child is a girl who is abandoned and drowns in water. Hekui (Xu) is added on top of the day stem's lodging palace, indicating that things happen quickly, so the child is born on the same day.

七月癸卯日巳時占來意。　一字訣玉連環／蛇貴后陰／辰巳午未　空龍空龍　官 癸丑 勾／朱卯　申玄　亥子亥子　兄 壬子 龍／合寅　酉常　子丑子癸　兄 辛亥 空／丑子亥戌／勾龍空虎

On the day of Guimao (Guimao) in the seventh month, at the hour of巳 (Si), divination was performed to inquire about the intent of the person coming. This example is taken from the text "Yizijue Yulianhuan." The original text does not record the month general. According to the relationship between the Heaven and Earth plates, the Heaven plate is 辰 (Chen) over the Earth plate巳 (Si), meaning 辰 general is added to the hour of巳. The branches in sequence are: 辰 over巳, 巳 over午, 午 over未, 未 over申, 卯 over辰, 申 over酉, 寅 over卯, 酉 over戌, 丑 over寅, 子 over丑, 亥 over子, 戌 over亥. The twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on巳, the Teng Snake on辰, the Vermilion Bird on卯, the Liu He on寅, the Gou Chen on丑, the Azure Dragon on子, the Tian Kong on亥, the White Tiger on戌, the Tai Chang on酉, the Black Tortoise on申, the Tai Yin on未, and the Heavenly Empress on午. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is丑, with the hidden stem Guichou, which is the official ghost of癸 water, riding on Gou Chen; the middle transmission is子, with the hidden stem Renzi, which is the brother, riding on the Azure Dragon; the final transmission is亥, with the hidden stem Xinhai, which is the brother, riding on Tian Kong, forming a reverse retreat and connected transmission. Regarding the four lessons, the original text is printed as the upper layer "亥子亥子" and the lower layer "子丑子癸." The third and fourth lessons are completely repeated with the first and second lessons. The day branch of Guimao day is卯, so according to this plate,卯 should have寅, which is the same as in the lesson "Chongzheng Bingzi year, eleventh month,癸卯 day,子 general, hour of丑, divination about the person coming," where the four lessons are "丑寅亥子／寅卯子癸," which can be compared. Therefore, the original text's four lessons here must have an error or omission. Now, the original is recorded as is, without any correction.

徐次賓曰：來意因當日丑時三人巡更，與地方中姓馬人相爭。來日申官。因一姓孫司吏為鬼，三人並遭杖責。何知當日丑時？發用大吉，便為今日丑時。何知三人夜巡？今日癸水與式中子亥等輩，便為三人。言丑時相爭，便言夜巡也。

Xu Cibin said: The purpose of the person coming is because on that day at the hour of Chou there were three people on night patrol, and they had a quarrel with a man named Ma from the local area. The next day they intended to report the matter to the authorities. Because a clerk named Sun became their ghostly obstacle, the three people were all beaten with sticks. How do we know it was at the hour of Chou? Because the initiating transmission is Daji (Chou), which refers to the current hour of Chou. How do we know there were three people on night patrol? Today's day stem is Gui, which belongs to water. The divination pattern also includes Zi and Hai, which are also water, making a total of three, representing three people. Since it is said that they quarreled at the hour of Chou, it also means they were on night patrol during the night.

何知姓馬人相爭？直事門勝光，為姓馬人，勝光為日下之財。何言相爭？與日為六害，又發用勾陳為鬼，豈不相爭也？何知姓孫人吏？緣發用大吉，場面為佃絲，中傳神后與子相配成孫字，大吉與勾陳剋日，故知忘吏孫姓人。何知三人俱受杖責？以今日癸與子亥俱屬水，為大吉所克。又勾陳為杖棒，末傳雖有天空亦克今日，故言俱受杖責也。

How do we know it is a conflict involving someone with the surname Ma? The door of the matter is Shengguang (Wu), and Wu in the twelve animals is the horse, so it refers to someone with the surname Ma. Shengguang is also the wealth god beneath the day stem. Why do we say there is a conflict? Wu and the day stem Gui's lodging palace Chou form the sixth harmful relationship. The initiating transmission Chou also rides Gou Chen and becomes the day ghost, so how could there be no conflict? How do we know the clerk has the surname Sun? Because the initiating transmission is Daji (Chou), and Chou's symbolic meaning is silk and mulberry, while the middle transmission Shenhou (Zi) matches with silk (xi), forming the character for Sun (Sun). Daji also brings Gou Chen to attack the day stem, so we know the clerk has the surname Sun. How do we know all three people will be beaten with sticks? Because today's Gui and the elements Zi and Hai in the lesson all belong to water, and they are all attacked by Chou soil from Daji. Gou Chen is the god of sticks and rods, and although the final transmission is Tian Kong, Tian Kong belongs to earth, which also attacks today's water. Therefore, all three people will be beaten with sticks.

崇正丙子年十一月癸卯日子將丑時占行人。　郭氏占案／蛇朱合勾／辰巳午未　陰后常玄　鬼 辛丑 陰／貴卯　申龍　丑寅亥子　兄 庚子 玄／後寅　酉空　寅卯子癸　兄 己亥 常／丑子亥戌／陰玄常虎

In the year Bingzi (丙子) of the Chongzhen era, on the eleventh month and the day Guimao (癸卯), with the month general (月将) at Zi added to Chou time, the divination was made concerning a person away from home. This example is taken from the "Guo氏 Zhan An" (郭氏占案). The heaven and earth plates are arranged with the Zi general added to the Chou hour. The heaven plate branches successively fall upon the earth plate: Zi falls upon Chou, Chou upon Yin, Yin upon Mao, Mao upon Chen, Chen upon Si, Si upon Wu, Wu upon Wei, Wei upon Shen, Shen upon You, You upon Xu, Xu upon Hai, and Hai upon Zi. The twelve heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman (贵人) is on Mao, the Teng snake (螣蛇) on Chen, the Vermilion bird (朱雀) on Si, the Liu He (六合) on Wu, the Gou Chen (勾陈) on Wei, the Azure dragon (青龙) on Shen, the Tian Kong (天空) on You, the White tiger (白虎) on Xu, the Tai Chang (太常) on Hai, the Black tortoise (玄武) on Zi, the Tai Yin (太阴) on Chou, and the Heavenly Empress (天后) on Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Zi added to the day stem (日干)癸, with the Black tortoise (玄武) as its occupant, and the day stem癸's lodging palace (寄宫) is Chou; the second lesson is Hai added to Zi, with Tai Chang as its occupant; the third lesson is Yin added to the day branch (日支) Mao, with the Heavenly Empress (天后) as its occupant; the fourth lesson is Chou added to Yin, with Tai Yin as its occupant. The first and fourth lessons are both lower spirits (下神) stealing from upper spirits (上神). The two upper spirits Zi and Chou are of yang and yin respectively, and the day stem癸 is yin, so the yin branch is taken as the initiating transmission (发用), which is Chou. The three transmissions begin with Chou, which is the hidden stem (遁干) Xinchou, representing the official ghost (官鬼), occupied by Tai Yin; the middle transmission is Zi, which is the hidden stem Gengzi, representing the brother (兄弟), occupied by the Black tortoise (玄武); the final transmission is Hai, which is the hidden stem Jihai, representing the brother (兄弟), occupied by Tai Chang. The sequence Chou, Zi, Hai is an inverse retreat (逆退连茹).

郭御青曰：東鹿王宏宇者，為衡水令主諱詢占行人。三傳退茹，即斷為歸，所望行人乃貴人也。類神臨辰主明日到，果於甲辰日到。凡望行人，期候最難，此其準者也，附之此課干上天馬，初末引從子水墓於辰，所以辰日到。

Guo Yuqing said: A person named Wang Hongyu from Donglu asked on behalf of the magistrate of Hengshui County (the magistrate's name was "Xun") to divinate when a person away would return. The three transmissions were Chou, Zi, and Hai, which formed an inverse and retreating sequence with continuous connection. At once, it was decided that the traveler would return; the person awaited was himself a nobleman. The spirit associated with the traveler was located at the Chen position, indicating arrival on the next day. Later, he indeed arrived on the day of Jiachen. Whenever one awaits a traveler, it is the most difficult to determine the return date, and this case was accurately divined. As an additional explanation for this case: the day stem was riding the Heavenly Horse, and the first and last transmissions led the middle transmission's Zi water in sequence. Since the burial place of water was at Chen, it was concluded that the traveler would arrive on the day of Chen.

建炎己酉年九月癸卯日辰將卯時徐丞務丁未生六十三歲占墳地。　方本占案　捷要　口鑑／陳龍／六午未申酉空／朱巳　戌虎　朱蛇貴后　鬼 空辰 蛇／蛇辰　亥常　巳辰卯寅　財 空巳 朱／貴卯寅丑子玄　辰卯寅癸　子 甲午 六／後陰

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, on the ninth month, on the day Guimao, the month general was Chen added to the卯 hour. Xu Chengwu, who was born in the year Dingwei and was sixty-three years old, consulted about a burial site. This case is found in the "Fang Ben Zhan An", "Jie Yao", and "Kou Jian". The heaven and earth plates were arranged with the month general Chen added to the卯 hour. The branches of the heaven plate were arranged in order over the earth plate: Chen over卯, Si over Chen, Wu over Si, Wei over Wu, Shen over Wei, You over Shen, Xu over You, Hai over Xu, Zi over Hai, Chou over Zi, Yin over Chou, and Mao over Yin. The twelve heavenly generals were arranged in order: the nobleman was on Mao, the Teng Snake on Chen, the Vermilion Bird on Si, Liu He on Wu, Gou Chen on Wei, Azure Dragon on Shen, Tian Kong on You, Bai Hu on Xu, Tai Chang on Hai, Xuan Wu on Zi, Tai Yin on Chou, and Tian Hou on Yin. The four lessons were arranged from right to left: the first lesson was Yin added to the day stem Gui (which was placed on Chou), with Tian Hou; the second lesson was Mao added to Yin with the nobleman; the third lesson was Chen added to the day branch Mao with Teng Snake; the fourth lesson was Si added to Chen with Vermilion Bird. The third lesson had the wood of Mao stealing the heavenly stem Chen, so Chen was taken as the initiating transmission. The three transmissions were: the first transmission was Chen with Teng Snake, representing official ghost; the second transmission was Si with Vermilion Bird, representing wife wealth; both transmissions were in the empty position (on the day of Guimao, which belongs to the Jiawu decade, the empty positions were on Chen and Si); the third transmission was Wu, with the hidden stem Jiawu, and with Liu He, and its six relations were identified as descendants. Chen, Si, and Wu formed a continuous sequence in the forward direction.

邵彥和曰：此地甚好，但恐此時不可得而葬。徐曰：如何？先生曰：前後左右皆有空穴，山側又有一陰人墳，如何葬得？須於中陪錢去之，然後可葬，必出貴人，最好是水合星辰，山川清秀，文筆雙峰，必是卯龍入首，作乙山辛向也。夫辰為墳地，作空亡而發用，故主有空穴，戌亦是墓，加酉，酉作天空，亦是虛墳，以初傳為主山穴，對前戌墓也。卯為子孫作貴人，不為脫氣也。

Shao Yanhe said: This land is very good, but it is afraid that we cannot bury here at the moment. Xu Chengwu asked: Why is that? The master said: This land has empty holes in front, behind, left and right. There is also a woman's grave on the mountain side. How can we bury here? We must spend money to move it away first, then we can bury. In the future, there will certainly be a nobleman. The best part is that the water flow conforms to the stars, the mountains and rivers are elegant and refined, and there are two peaks like writing brushes in front. The coming dragon must come from the卯 direction and be established at the乙 mountain and辛 direction. Why do I make this judgment? Chen is the god of graves, now it falls on Kongwang and is used as the initiating transmission, so it indicates empty holes. Xu is also a grave god, it is placed on You, and You is also Tian Kong, which is also an empty grave. Taking the first transmission as the hole of the main mountain, it is directly facing the Xu position's grave in front.卯 is the son of the day stem, and it is also the nobleman of the癸 day, so it cannot be considered as a leakage.

徐宅問汪家買山，汪兄弟三分其二分，將來買長兄一分，故將空棺自埋其內。先前亦有三四個虛穴，皆不葬。徐丈齎錢問汪長兄買之。庚戌年九月葬妻，以後子孫皆中舉及第，皆此地發也。巳加辰作貴，巳主雙，故有雙峰，號為文筆星。宅又得貴人，癸見卯不可為脫氣，乃子孫貴人也。申酉為今日水母，故水來去皆合星辰，巳為雙女，故出雙貴人也。

The Xu family bought a mountain from the Wang family, and the Wang brothers divided the mountain into three parts. The Xu family first bought two of the parts and intended to purchase the eldest brother's share later. Therefore, the eldest brother first buried an empty coffin in his own share to claim it. Previously, there were already three or four empty graves there, but no one had actually been buried. Later, Xu Laozhang brought money to buy the eldest brother's share. In the Gengxu year, September he buried his wife. After that, his descendants all passed the imperial examinations and achieved success, all due to this land. The term巳 is placed on top of辰, forming a favorable omen. Since巳 also signifies "double," there are two peaks, known as the literary pen stars. The residence also receives the favor of a nobleman. On a癸 day, the卯 is not considered as a loss of energy, because卯 is precisely the position of descendants and nobleman.申 and酉 are the mothers of today's癸 water, so the flow and movement of water conform to the stars. Since巳 belongs to the palace of twin women, it is destined to produce a pair of noblemen.

按：此課斷法似出勉強，疑有錯誤，後見一針見血作癸亥日卯時占，似較此為確，當因並存之。

The compiler of this book notes: The method of divination in this lesson seems somewhat forced, and there is suspicion that the transmission may be incorrect. Later, upon seeing "One Needle Sees the Essence" which records it as a divination on Guihai day and Mao hour, it seems more appropriate. Therefore, both versions are presented here.

天啟甲子年四月癸卯日申將午時占來意。　指南／六勾／朱未申酉戌青　朱貴貴陰　鬼 乙未 朱／蛇午　亥空　未巳巳卯　父 丁酉 勾／貴巳　子虎　巳卯卯癸　兄 己亥 空／後辰卯寅丑常／陰玄

In the year Jiazi of the Tianqi era, fourth month, day Guimao, with the month general Shen added to the hour Wu, the divination is about the intention of a visitor. This example comes from the "Six Rats Guide." The Heaven and Earth plates are arranged with the month general Shen added to the hour Wu. The branches on the Heaven plate are successively placed on the Earth plate: Shen is on Wu, You on Wei, Xu on Shen, Hai on You, Zi on Xu, Chou on Hai, Yin on Zi, Mao on Chou, Chen on Yin, Si on Mao, Wu on Chen, and Wei on Si. The twelve heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman is on Si, the Teng Snake on Wu, the Vermilion Bird on Wei, Liu He on Shen, Gou Chen on You, Azure Dragon on Xu, Tian Kong on Hai, White Tiger on Zi, Tai Chang on Chou, Black Tortoise on Yin, Tai Yin on Mao, and Heavenly Empress on Chen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Mao added to the day stem Gui (which is placed on Chou) with Tai Yin, the second lesson is Si added to Mao with the nobleman, the third lesson is Si added to the day branch Mao with the nobleman, and the fourth lesson is Wei added to Si with the Vermilion Bird. The second and third lessons are the same, so the four lessons actually consist of only three, which is referred to as "four lessons not complete" in the divination; there is no mutual control between the four lessons, except that the upper god Wei earth of the fourth lesson can remotely control the癸 water, so the Wei is taken as the initiating transmission, which belongs to the "Hao Shi lesson" in remote control. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wei, with the hidden stem Yi Wei, representing the official ghost, riding the Vermilion Bird; the middle transmission is You, with the hidden stem Ding You, representing the parents, riding Gou Chen; and the final transmission is Hai, with the hidden stem Ji Hai, representing the brother, riding Tian Kong.

陳公獻曰：予訪徽州戴義宇，請占來意，戴曰：時為日之胎神（陳公獻用五行長生，占時午為癸之胎財，畢法云“胎財生氣妻懷孕”），必為六甲占也。余曰：然，男乎？抑女也？曰：干上卯屬震，長男之象。又是幕貴，三傳四課純陰極度陽，生貴兒必矣。且支加干，俯首見子，生必順利。但四課不備，未能足月。生於何時？曰：六月生。果一一如所斷。餘又細看之，子沖胎神，子上見寅，子日寅時生。

Chen Gongxian said: I went to Huizhou to visit Dai Yiyu and asked him to divinate my purpose. Dai said: At the time of the divination, the noon hour was the position of the day stem's fetal qi. Chen Gongxian used the Five Phases Longevity Rule to calculate, and found that the noon hour was both the fetal position of癸 water and the wealth hexagram. The "Bi Fa Fu" says "fetal wealth and life qi, wife is pregnant." Therefore, it must be about the matter of pregnancy. I said: Exactly. Then, is it a boy or a girl? Dai said: The卯 of the day stem belongs to the Zhen hexagram, which represents the elder son. The卯 is also the night nobleman for癸 day. All three transmissions and four lessons are yin branches. When yin reaches its extreme, it turns into yang. Therefore, a noble son will be born. Moreover, the day branch is added to the day stem, which is the image of bowing, and the presence of descendants indicates a smooth delivery. However, the four lessons are incomplete, so there is a fear that the child may not be born full term. I asked when the child would be born. Dai said: In June. Later, everything turned out exactly as he predicted. I then looked again at this divination: The子 comes to冲 the fetal qi of午, and on the earth plate's子 position, there is寅, so the child was born on a子 day at寅 hour.

乾隆己卯年寅月癸卯日子將酉時占走失。　牧夫占驗／合勾龍空／申酉戌亥　勾蛇朱后　父 丁酉 勾／朱未　子虎　酉午未辰　兄 庚子 虎／蛇午　丑常　午卯辰癸　子 癸卯 陰／巳辰卯寅／貴后陰玄

In the year Jia Mao of the Qianlong era, during the寅 month and the Guimao day, with the hour of酉, the divination was performed to seek information about a missing person, as recorded in the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The Heaven and Earth plates were arranged with the子 general added to the酉 hour. The Heaven Plate branches successively occupied the Earth Plate branches:子 occupied酉,丑 occupied戌,寅 occupied亥,卯 occupied子,辰 occupied丑,巳 occupied寅,午 occupied卯,未 occupied辰,申 occupied巳,酉 occupied午,戌 occupied未, and亥 occupied申. The Twelve Heavenly Generals were arranged in order: the Nobleman occupied巳, the Teng Snake occupied午, the Vermilion Bird occupied未, the Liu He occupied申, the Gou Chen occupied酉, the Azure Dragon occupied戌, the Tian Kong occupied亥, the White Tiger occupied子, the Tai Chang occupied丑, the Black Tortoise occupied寅, the Tai Yin occupied卯, and the Heavenly Empress occupied辰. The Four Lessons were arranged from right to left: the first lesson had辰 added to the day stem癸 (which is located at丑) and occupied the Heavenly Empress; the second lesson had未 added to辰 and occupied the Vermilion Bird; the third lesson had午 added to the day branch卯 and occupied the Teng Snake; the fourth lesson had酉 added to午 and occupied the Gou Chen. The fire of午 was stolen by the metal of酉, so the酉 was taken as the initiating transmission. The first transmission was酉, with the hidden stem Ding You, representing the parents, and occupied by the Gou Chen; the middle transmission was子, with the hidden stem Geng Zi, representing the brothers, and occupied by the White Tiger; the final transmission was卯, with the hidden stem Gui Mao, representing the children, and occupied by the Tai Yin.

王牧夫曰：此人非走失，乃因酒後誤落水中，已死矣。沿流尋其尸可也。其人曰：素問王先生數學精妙，故特來請教，此是餘鄰居，若果如此，何處？余曰：數也，無可如何。蓋此課干乘鬼墓，發用是酉，癸是見酉，乃酒字也。墓為鬼與作合，三傳遞生，末見閉口，子卯相刑，豈非因酒誤事乎？且死氣在支，閉口亦在支，凡占事課凶得閉口者，必死。落水死者，辰為水庫，天后乘之墓神作鬼，故也。即往尋之，果得其尸。

Wang Mufu said: This person is not missing, but fell into the water after drinking alcohol and died. Follow the current to look for his body. The person who came to consult said: I have heard that Mr. Wang's divination is very accurate, so I specially came to ask. This is my neighbor. If it is indeed the case, where is he? I said: This is fate, there is nothing to be done about it. In this lesson, the day stem is on top of the Chen, which is both the day ghost and the water tomb. The initiating transmission is You, with the side of Gui water combined with You, which forms the character for 'wine'. The Chen tomb is both the day ghost and combines with You; the three transmissions are You generating Zi, Zi generating Mao, and so on, successively generating each other. The final transmission shows the image of a closed mouth (Mao is covered by Tai Yin, indicating inability to speak). Zi and Mao also mutually harm each other, which is exactly due to the wine causing trouble. Moreover, the death qi of Gui water is exactly on the day branch Mao, and the image of a closed mouth also falls on the day branch. Whenever a lesson has an inherently bad pattern and meets the image of a closed mouth, it must be death. The conclusion that he died by drowning is because Chen is the water reservoir, the water deity Tianhou is riding on it, and the tomb deity also acts as the day ghost. The person went to search immediately and indeed found the body.

乾隆壬午年未月癸卯日午將卯時詹經歷戊午生二十五歲佔有差遣否？　牧夫占驗／龍空虎常／申酉戌亥　空合勾蛇　父 丁酉 空／勾未　子玄　酉午未辰　兄 庚子 玄／合午　丑陰　午卯辰癸　子 癸卯 貴／巳辰卯寅／朱蛇貴後

In the year Renwu of the Qianlong era, during the month of Wei and on the day of Guimao, with the hour of Mao, Zhan Jilu (born in the year Wuwu, aged twenty-five) asked about the possibility of being assigned a post. This example is taken from "The Divination Verification of the Herdsman." The Heaven and Earth plates are arranged with the general of the month, Wu, added to the hour of Mao. The branches of the Heaven plate are successively placed upon the Earth plate: Wu is on Mao, Wei on Chen, Shen on Si, You on Wu, Xu on Wei, Hai on Shen, Zi on You, Chou on Xu, Yin on Hai, Mao on Zi, Chen on Chou, and Si on Yin, which is the same as the previous case of a lost person. The twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged starting from the nobleman on Mao in a clockwise order: the nobleman is on Mao, the Teng Snake on Chen, the Vermilion Bird on Si, Liu He on Wu, Gou Chen on Wei, Azure Dragon on Shen, Tian Kong on You, Bai Hu on Xu, Tai Chang on Hai, Xuan Wu on Zi, Tai Yin on Chou, and Tian Hou on Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Chen added to the day stem Gui (which is located on Chou) with the Teng Snake; the second lesson is Wei added to Chen with Gou Chen; the third lesson is Wu added to the day branch Mao with Liu He; the fourth lesson is You added to Wu with Tian Kong. The initiating transmission is still taken from the酉 (You) in the fourth lesson. The first transmission is You, with the hidden stem Dingyou, representing parents, riding Tian Kong; the middle transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Gengzi, representing brothers, riding Xuan Wu; the final transmission is Mao, with the hidden stem Guimao, representing children, riding the nobleman.

王牧夫曰：日內即有差遣，不順過慮也。問是何差遣？余曰：太歲作財在支上乘六合，其財逢旺甚大，主萬數，當是解餉之差。公曰：上下運氣甚平常。余曰：運氣春夏原平常，但公才幹能抵擋，何畏？是日晚，即接運司批命，解京餉數萬。蓋此數，今日癸卯明日甲辰，辰在干，雖是墓氣，然是次日旬首解愁眉也。正時與支皆卯，又屬貴人制鬼，故時下能振墓脫否也。三傳天空遞生，主有推薦，末又是日支，故主今日有差遣也。數以理斷，其驗如此。

Wang Mufu said: There will be an assignment within these days, there is no need to worry too much. Zhan Gong asked what kind of assignment it was. I said: In the year of Renwu, the Tai Su (Great Year) is at Wu, which is the day's wealth, falling on the day's branch and riding on Liu He (Six Harmonies). This wealth is at its prosperous and strong stage, the amount is very large, in the tens of thousands, it should be the task of escorting silver funds. Zhan Gong said: My fortune has been quite ordinary. I said: Your fortune in spring and summer has always been ordinary, but you have ability to withstand it, so what to fear? That night, he received an official document from the Transport Office, ordering the transportation of tens of thousands of taels of silver to the capital. The reason I could predict this amount is: today is Guimao, tomorrow is Jiachen, Chen is on the day's stem, although it is a burial stage, but it is the beginning of the Jiachen decade on the second day, which can relieve the worry; the time and the day's branch are both Mao, Mao is riding on the Nobleman to control the ghost, so at present it can revive the burial stage and remove the blockage. In the three transmissions, Tian Kong (Heavenly Void) is transmitted in mutual generation, indicating that someone will recommend from the side; the final transmission is exactly the day's branch, so I concluded that there will be an assignment today. Divination should be based on reason for deduction, and the verification is like this.

崇正辛未年六月癸卯日未將卯時臺中王旋官先生占上疏。　指南／龍空／勾酉戌亥子虎　空朱勾貴　父 丁酉 勾／六申　丑常　亥未酉巳　鬼 辛丑 常／朱未　寅玄　未卯巳癸　財 乙巳 貴／蛇午巳辰卯陰／貴後

In the year Xinwei (1631) of the Chongzhen era, on the day Guimao (April 23) of the sixth lunar month, the month general was Wei added to the hour Mao. Wang Xuan Guan, an official serving at the Imperial Inspection Office, consulted a divination regarding submitting a memorial. This example is taken from the "Six壬 Guide." The Heaven and Earth plates were arranged with the month general Wei added to the hour Mao. The branches on the Heaven plate were successively placed upon the Earth plate: Wei on Mao, Shen on Chen, You on Si, Xu on Wu, Hai on Wei, Zi on Shen, Chou on You, Yin on Xu, Mao on Hai, Chen on Zi, Si on Chou, and Wu on Yin. The twelve heavenly generals were arranged in order: the Nobleman rode on Si, the Teng Snake on Wu, the Vermilion Bird on Wei, Liu He on Shen, Gou Chen on You, Azure Dragon on Xu, Tian Kong on Hai, White Tiger on Zi, Tai Chang on Chou, Black Tortoise on Yin, Tai Yin on Mao, and Heavenly Empress on Chen. The four lessons were arranged from right to left: the first lesson was Si added to the day stem Gui (which is located in Chou) with the Nobleman; the second lesson was You added to Si with Gou Chen; the third lesson was Wei added to the day branch Mao with Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson was Hai added to Wei with Tian Kong. The first, second, and third lessons were all lower spirits stealing from upper spirits, and the three upper spirits Si, You, and Wei were all yin, making it impossible to distinguish them from the yin day stem. Therefore, the method of involving harm was used to determine the initiating transmission. Since You was located on Si, which is one of the four Meng (younger) branches, You was chosen as the initiating transmission. The first transmission was You, with the hidden stem Dingyou, representing parents, riding on Gou Chen; the middle transmission was Chou, with the hidden stem Xinchou, representing officials and spirits, riding on Tai Chang; the final transmission was Si, with the hidden stem Yisi, representing wife and wealth, riding on the Nobleman. The three branches Si, You, and Chou formed a metal trinity.

陳公獻曰：傳將遞生，有疏薦人乎？曰：非也，有疏參人耳。余曰：雖三傳遞生，嫌初末逢空，獨存中傳 ，歲破為鬼。又朱雀乘太歲剋日；太歲君也，歲破相也，恐得罪於君相，於公不利。後果以上章薦人，下獄擬配。

Chen Gongxian said: The three transmissions and the heavenly general mutually generate and nourish each other, does this mean recommending someone? Wang先生 said: No, it means accusing someone. I said: Although the three transmissions generate each other successively, it is regrettable that the first and final transmissions both fall into kongwang. Only the middle transmission stands firm. However, the branch of the middle transmission, chou, corresponds to the year Xinwei, which is the year's breaking point, and also acts as the day ghost. The Vermilion Bird is riding on the year's ruler, which does not attack the day stem. The year's ruler symbolizes the sovereign, the year's breaking point symbolizes the prime minister. I fear that offending the sovereign and the prime minister would be detrimental to you. Later, he indeed was imprisoned for submitting a memorial recommending someone and was sentenced to exile.

十一月癸卯日丑將酉時占來意。　一字訣玉連環／空虎常玄／酉戌亥子　常勾空朱　父 丁酉 空 ⊙／龍申　丑陰　亥未酉巳　官 辛丑 陰／勾未　寅后　未卯巳癸　財 巳 朱 ◎／午巳辰卯／合朱蛇貴

In the eleventh month on the day of Guimao, the month general is Chou added to the hour of You. The divination concerns the intention of the person who has come. This example is taken from the "One Character诀 Yu Lianhuan." The celestial and terrestrial plates are arranged with Chou as the general added to the hour of You, resulting in the same outcome as the previous example of Wang Xuan Guan's petition: Wei approaches Mao, Shen approaches Chen, You approaches Si, Xu approaches Wu, Hai approaches Wei, Zi approaches Shen, Chou approaches You, Yin approaches Xu, Mao approaches Hai, Chen approaches Zi, Si approaches Chou, and Wu approaches Yin. The divination is performed at the hour of You, using the night nobleman. The twelve heavenly generals are arranged from the nobleman starting at Mao in a clockwise order: nobleman rides Mao, Teng Snake rides Chen, Vermilion Bird rides Si, Liu He rides Wu, Gou Chen rides Wei, Azure Dragon rides Shen, Tian Kong rides You, Bai Hu rides Xu, Tai Chang rides Hai, Xuan Wu rides Zi, Tai Yin rides Chou, and Tian Hou rides Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Si added to the day stem Gui (which is located at Chou), riding Vermilion Bird; the second lesson is You added to Si, riding Tian Kong; the third lesson is Wei added to the day branch Mao, riding Gou Chen; the fourth lesson is Hai added to Wei, riding Tai Chang. The three transmissions remain as follows: the first transmission is You, with the hidden stem Dingyou, representing parents, riding Tian Kong; the middle transmission is Chou, with the hidden stem Xinchou, representing official ghosts, riding Tai Yin; the final transmission is Si, representing wife and wealth, riding Vermilion Bird. The final transmission Si originally does not have a hidden stem but is marked with a circle on the side, indicating that Si is the empty position of the Jiawu decade to which the day of Guimao belongs. The first transmission You is also marked with a circle on the side, and both are recorded together.

徐次賓曰：來意主西南近寺，與姓周老陰人爭競，後移東北近廟居住。蓋先鋒門與日支沖而又發用，主宅不安，中傳大吉為日下之鬼 ，下臨酉為寺，合酉為佛為金仙，又酉為西方，大吉得太陰，主老陰人爭競，因此家宅不安，太陰主口舌事，大吉為土，地盤酉為兌，主口舌，以大吉下，見吉配合為周字，故曰西北近寺，與姓周老陰人爭也。

Xu Cibin said: The meaning of the person's situation is that his family lives near a temple in the southwest and has a dispute with an old woman surnamed Zhou. Later, they plan to move to the northeast near a temple. Why is this conclusion drawn? The first transmission (initial transmission) is You, which conflicts with the day branch Mao, and it is the initiating transmission, indicating that the residence is unstable. The middle transmission is Daji (Chou), which is a ghost and evil spirit under the day stem. It is below You, which represents a temple, and Chou combines with You. You itself symbolizes Buddha and golden immortals, and it is located in the west. Daji is riding on Tai Yin, which symbolizes an old woman. Therefore, there is a dispute with an old woman, causing instability in the residence. Tai Yin governs disputes and words, and Daji belongs to earth. The earth plate under Daji is You, which belongs to the Dui trigram, representing mouth and also disputes. Taking the character 'ji' (good) in Daji and combining it with the outer frame forms the character 'zhou', so it is said that the dispute occurs near a temple in the northwest with an old woman surnamed Zhou.

辰為宅，時既沖剋之，不安之象，何以移往東北近廟居住，蓋卦得從革，革故鼎新，從革本主西南，而運東北者何也？蓋大吉臨酉為日鬼，畏其鬼不敢往，末傳太乙，得朱雀為日下之財，下臨丑，丑主廟，故言往東北近廟居住，丑為天乙本家，故言廟也。

The day branch (卯) represents the residence. The hour of酉 both conflicts and overcomes it, indicating an unstable situation. So why is it predicted that he will move to a place near a temple in the northeast? Because the three transmits (巳酉丑) form a metal trinity, which corresponds to the concept of 'gold being malleable' mentioned in the Book of Documents, the Huafan. This signifies a transformation and renewal. Although metal usually governs the southwest, he moves to the northeast instead. This is because the large blessing (丑) is located on酉 and acts as a day ghost, which he fears and thus avoids going to the southwest. The final transmit is Taiyi (巳), which is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird and acts as a wealth god beneath the day stem. It is located on 丑, which represents temples. Therefore, it is predicted that he will move to a place near a temple in the northeast. 丑 is also the native of Tianyi Guiren, so it is called a temple.

正月癸卯日亥將巳時占宅。　張本占案／龍勾合朱／子丑寅卯　貴虎朱玄　子 癸卯 朱貴／空亥　辰蛇　巳戌卯申　鬼 戊戌 虎龍／虎戌　巳貴　戌卯申癸　財 ◎巳 貴陰／酉申未午／常玄陰后

In the month of January, on the day of Guimao, the month general is Gengyin added to Si hour, divining about a residence, this example is from "Zhang Ben Zhan An." The lesson disk printed here in the original text is exactly the same as the next example "Shunzhi Gengyin October Guimao Gengshen hour divining lost horse": the heaven plate Zi is over the earth plate Si, Chou over Wu, Yin over Wei, Mao over Shen, Hai over Chen, Chen over You, Xu over Mao, Si over Xu, You over Yin, Shen over Chou, Wei over Zi, and Wu over Hai; the twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order, with Qinglong riding Zi, Gouchen riding Chou, Liuhe riding Yin, Zhuque riding Mao, Tengshe riding Chen, Guiren riding Si, Tiankong riding Hai, Baihu riding Xu, Taichang riding You, Xuanwu riding Shen, Taiyin riding Wei, and Tianhou riding Wu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Shen added to the day stem Gui (located in Chou) riding Xuanwu, Mao added to Shen riding Zhuque, Xu added to the day branch Mao riding Baihu, and Si added to Xu riding Guiren; the three transmissions are initial transmission Mao (hidden stem Gui Mao) as son, middle transmission Xu (Wuxu) as official ghost, and final transmission Si as wife wealth falling into Kongwang. Two groups of heavenly generals are noted beside each transmission, the first group is arranged by day Guiren (Guiren riding Si), and the second group is arranged by night Guiren (Guiren riding Mao in reverse). However, the commentary by Shao Yanhe mentions "Wei riding Zhuque over the day stem" and "You riding Gouchen to attack Mao residence" and "the initiating transmission comes from below attacking above," which is exactly the reverse chant lesson of Hai general added to Si hour - the stem shows Wei, the branch shows You, and the three transmissions are Mao, You, Mao - which does not match the printed disk here. Therefore, there is a suspicion that the original disk has a printing error, and it is now recorded without alteration.

邵彥和曰：家內有私財，兄弟來爭之象。蓋卯酉為門戶，主陰私，加宅作克，而發傳用下賊上，是陰私財也。勾陳主爭訟，乘酉克宅，未為官鬼乘雀加干，未兄弟也。丑未相刑，小刑大，為賊亂之刑。丑年已曾爭競一番，今酉乘勾克卯，當復來爭競也。詢之，果胞弟爭財。

Shao Yanhe said: This indicates that there is hidden wealth in the family and brothers are coming to fight over it.卯 and 酉 are the gods of the gate, governing private matters; 酉 is placed on the day branch's house and is thus attacking it. The initiating transmission comes from the lower spirit to the upper spirit, showing that this is hidden wealth. Gou Chen governs disputes and lawsuits, and now it is riding on 酉 to attack the house. 未 is the official ghost, riding on the Vermilion Bird and placed on the day stem, and this 未 represents the brother. 丑 and 未 are in mutual conflict, with the smaller one attacking the larger one, which is a type of disorderly conflict. In the year of 丑, there was already a dispute, and now 酉 riding on Gou Chen is attacking 卯 again, indicating another dispute is coming. When asked, it was indeed his younger brother who was fighting over the family's property.

順治庚寅十月癸卯庚申時王懷蔭占失馬。　指南／勾六／龍子丑寅卯朱　貴虎朱玄　子 癸卯 朱／空亥　辰蛇　巳戌卯申　官 戊戌 白／虎戌　巳貴　戌卯申癸　財 乙巳 貴／常酉申未午後／玄陰

In the year Gengyin of the Shunzhi era, on the tenth lunar month, the day Guimao, and the hour Gengshen, Wang Huayin divined about a lost horse. This case is from the "Six壬 Guide." After the Frost Descent in the tenth lunar month, the卯 general is used. This lesson is the卯 general added to the hour Gengshen: the Heaven Plate Zi is over the Earth Plate Si, Chou is over Wu, Yin is over Wei, Mao is over Shen, Hai is over Chen, Chen is over You, Xu is over Mao, Si is over Xu, You is over Yin, Shen is over Chou, Wei is over Zi, and Wu is over Hai. The twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the Azure Dragon is on Zi, the Gou Chen is on Chou, the Liu He is on Yin, the Vermilion Bird is on Mao, the Teng Snake is on Chen, the Nobleman is on Si, the Tian Kong is on Hai, the White Tiger is on Xu, the Tai Chang is on You, the Black Tortoise is on Shen, the Tai Yin is on Wei, and the Heavenly Empress is on Wu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is Shen added to the day stem Gui (which is located on Chou) with the Black Tortoise; the second lesson is Mao added to Shen with the Vermilion Bird; the third lesson is Xu added to the day branch Mao with the White Tiger; the fourth lesson is Si added to Xu with the Nobleman. The second and third lessons are both lower spirits stealing from the upper spirits. The two upper spirits, Mao and Xu, are of the Yin and Yang respectively, and the day stem Gui is of the Yin. Therefore, the Yin branch is taken as the basis, so the initiating transmission is Mao. The first transmission is Mao, with the hidden stem Gui Mao, representing the son, riding the Vermilion Bird; the middle transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Wu Xu, representing the official ghost, riding the White Tiger; the final transmission is Si, with the hidden stem Yi Si, representing the wife's wealth, riding the Nobleman; Si is both the empty place of this ten-day period and the post-horse of the day Gui Mao.

陳公獻曰：此馬青黑色，在西北山崗，三日必獲。蓋因末傳之馬（此以驛馬為馬）而乘旬中之空，必俟出旬乙巳日填實，方能得馬也。何以知其色為青黑？因馬陰神見子乘青龍，故知色青黑。何以知其在西北山崗也？因馬居戌地故知在西北。果三日後自劉家集尋得。（陰神為形狀，地盤為方向。）

Chen Gongxian said: This horse is black and blue in color, and it is on a hill in the northwest, and it will certainly be found back within three days. Because the final transmission is the post-horse, and it is considered as a horse here. It is riding on the empty of this ten-day period, so it must wait until after this ten-day period, until the day of Yisi, to fill the empty and then the horse can be recovered. How do we know the horse is black and blue? Because the Yin Spirit of the post-horse at巳 is 子, and 子 is riding on the Azure Dragon. The Azure Dragon belongs to wood, which is blue, and 子 belongs to water, which is black, so it is concluded to be black and blue. How do we know it is on a hill in the northwest? Because the post-horse at巳 falls on the戌 position of the earth plate, and戌 is in the northwest, so it is concluded to be in the northwest. Later, indeed, the horse was found back from Liu Family Village three days later. (The阴神 determines the shape, and the earth plate determines the direction.)

愚按：自干陰而傳歸支，自外入內之象，故尋得。

The compiler of this book notes: This lesson is about the transmission starting from the yin spirit of the day stem, and the three transmissions return to the day branch. This is an image moving from outside to inside, so the horse can return.

乙酉年十月癸卯日寅將辰時曹將仕丙午生六十四歲占謀干。　方本占案／蛇貴／朱卯辰巳午後／六寅　未陰　空陳常空　官 辛丑 陳／陳丑　申玄　亥丑酉亥　兄 己亥 空／龍子亥戌酉常　丑卯亥癸　父 丁酉 常／空虎

In the year Yiyou, tenth month, day Guimao, the month general was寅 added to the time of辰. Cao Jiangshi (born in the year Bingwu, aged sixty-four) asked about seeking advancement in his affairs. This case is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The heaven and earth plates were arranged with the general寅 added to the time of辰. The branches on the heaven plate successively occupied the earth plate:寅 occupied辰,卯 occupied巳,辰 occupied午,巳 occupied未,午 occupied申,未 occupied酉,申 occupied戌,酉 occupied亥,戌 occupied子,亥 occupied丑,子 occupied寅,丑 occupied卯. The twelve heavenly generals were arranged in reverse order: the nobleman occupied巳, the teng snake occupied辰, the vermilion bird occupied卯, the liu he occupied寅, the gou chen occupied丑, the azure dragon occupied子, the tian kong occupied亥, the white tiger occupied戌, the tai chang occupied酉, the xuan wu occupied申, the tai yin occupied未, and the heavenly empress occupied午. The four lessons were arranged from right to left: the first lesson was亥 added to the day stem癸 (which is temporarily placed on丑) with the tian kong, the second lesson was酉 added to亥 with the tai chang, the third lesson was丑 added to the day branch卯 with the gou chen, and the fourth lesson was亥 added to丑 with the tian kong. The third and fourth lessons are both lower spirits stealing from the upper spirits. The two upper spirits,丑 and亥, are both yin, so the method of involving harm is used to determine the initiating transmission. Since丑 is located on卯, which is one of the four central points, the initiating transmission is丑. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is丑, with the hidden stem Xinchou, representing the official ghost, riding on the gou chen; the middle transmission is亥, with the hidden stem Jihai, representing the brother, riding on the tian kong; the final transmission is酉, with the hidden stem Dingyou, representing the parents, riding on the tai chang.

邵彥和曰：支上丑作勾陳，自宜用舊，未利謀新。況三傳四課皆陰，豈宜進干？若陽則宜進干，豈不聞《心鏡》曰：大吉臨干為死舊，天罡加日是生新。《心鏡》全以陰陽二字，分別陽宜動，為生、為新、為德；陰宜靜，為殺、為舊、為刑也。

Shao Yanhe said: When the day branch is Chou and it is occupied by Gou Chen, it naturally should follow the old situation, and it is not favorable to seek new paths. Moreover, the upper gods of the three transmissions and four lessons are all yin branches, so where is the suitability for going out to seek favor and advancement? If it were a yang branch, then it would be suitable for advancement. Have you not heard the "Six Rén Heart Mirror" which says: When Daji (Chou) is on the day stem, it is "death" and "old"; when Tiangang (Chen) is added to the day, it is "birth" and "new." The entire "Heart Mirror" distinguishes with the two characters yin and yang: yang is active, belonging to birth, new, and virtue; yin is static, belonging to killing, old, and punishment.

同年月日時第五直壬戌生四十八歲占捕逃有罪人同得此課。　方本占案　口鑑　張本占案／蛇貴／朱卯辰巳午後／六寅　未陰　空陳常空　官 辛丑 陳／陳丑　申玄　亥丑酉亥　兄 己亥 空／龍子亥戌酉常　丑卯亥癸　父 丁酉 常／空虎

In the same year, same month, same day, and same time, a person born in the year of Renxu at the age of forty-eight asked about capturing a fugitive criminal and received the same divination lesson. This example is recorded in the "Fang Ben Zhan An", "Kou Jian", and "Zhang Ben Zhan An". The divination chart is identical to the previous case where Cao Jiangshi sought advice on a matter of governance. The chart shows the hour of Yin with the addition of Chen, the Heaven Plate Yin is placed on the Earth Plate Chen, Mao on Si, Chen on Wu, Si on Wei, Wu on Shen, Wei on You, Shen on Xu, You on Hai, Xu on Zi, Hai on Chou, Zi on Yin, and Chou on Mao. The Twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in reverse order. The Nobleman is on Si, the Teng Snake on Chen, the Vermilion Bird on Mao, the Liu He on Yin, the Gou Chen on Chou, the Azure Dragon on Zi, the Tian Kong on Hai, the White Tiger on Xu, the Tai Chang on You, the Black Tortoise on Shen, the Tai Yin on Wei, and the Heavenly Empress on Wu. The four lessons are: Hai added to the Day Stem Ji (which is temporarily placed on Chou) with Tian Kong, You added to Hai with Tai Chang, Chou added to the Day Branch Mao with Gou Chen, and Hai added to Chou with Tian Kong. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Chou (Xinchou) representing official ghost with Gou Chen, the middle transmission is Hai (Jihai) representing brothers with Tian Kong, and the final transmission is You (Dingyou) representing parents with Tai Chang.

邵彥和曰：此課干來加支，即發用，退歸西北，其人逃往買賣人汪家後空豬圈內藏匿，亥四丑八，去此三十二里，有婢在宅前著孝衣洗酒器，不在可問之，在崩敗東廁內，可往擒之。水日見亥，亥內有壬，壬加水，汪姓也。酉加亥為酒器，酉又為婢，作破碎，乘太常為孝服。七臺河陳剋日，追逃必獲也。此二句照張本補。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, the day stem's lodging palace, Chou, is added to the day branch, Mao, and then the initiating transmission begins. The three transmissions proceed in reverse order and return toward the northwest. The person had hidden behind a deserted pigpen at the back of a merchant's house called Wang. The number of Hai is four, and the number of Chou is eight. Four multiplied by eight equals thirty-two, so the distance is thirty-two li from here. There is a servant girl in front of the house wearing mourning clothes washing wine vessels; if the person is not there, one can ask her. The person is actually hiding in the collapsed and ruined eastern toilet, so one can go there to capture him. Why is it determined to be the Wang family? Because the day stem is癸 water and sees Hai, which contains Ren water. Adding the water radical to the character 'Ren' forms the character 'Wang'. Adding You to Hai represents wine vessels, and You also represents a servant girl, and it also signifies broken things. It is accompanied by Tai Chang, which represents mourning clothes. The original text continues with 'Qitaihe Chen Ke Ri', but the text is clearly corrupted and missing (the initiating transmission Chou is actually riding Gou Chen and overcoming the癸 water day stem). The general meaning is that Gou Chen overcomes the day stem, so the pursuit of the fugitive will certainly result in capture. These two sentences were added according to the 'Zhang Ben Zhan An'.

愚按：當是天網課利於捕亡。

The compiler's note: This lesson should be considered as the "Heavenly Net lesson," for the Heavenly Net covers all directions and is most favorable for capturing fugitives.

三月甲辰日，酉將未時，越王占歸國。（《吳越春秋》）空、虎、常、玄。未、申、酉、戌；虎龍龍合；財，甲辰，合。龍——午，亥——陰；申午午辰；子，丙午，龍。勾——巳，子——後；午辰辰甲；鬼，戊申，虎。辰、卯、寅、丑；合、朱、蛇、貴。

On the 15th day of the third month, on a Jia Chen day, the month general You was placed on the time of Wei to start the divination. King Goujian of Yue asked whether he could return to his homeland. This example comes from the "Wuyue Chunqiu." Below is the divination chart. The outer circle is arranged according to the twelve earthly branches, with each branch noting the heavenly general it carries: on Wei there is "Tian Kong," on Shen there is "Bai Hu," on You there is "Tai Chang," on Xu there is "Xuan Wu," on Hai there is "Tai Yin," on Zi there is "Tian Hou," on Chou there is "Gui Ren," on Yin there is "Teng Sha," on Mao there is "Chu Quan," on Chen there is "Liu He," on Si there is "Gou Chen," and on Wu there is "Qing Long." "Gui Ren" is on Chou, and the twelve heavenly generals proceed from there. The middle column is the "Four Lessons," read from right to left: the first lesson is Jia day with its lodging palace on Yin, which has Chen, carrying Liu He; the second lesson is on Chen, which has Wu, carrying Qing Long; the third lesson is on the day branch Chen, which also has Wu, carrying Qing Long; the fourth lesson is on Wu, which has Shen, carrying Bai Hu. The right column is the "Three Transmissions": the first transmission is Chen, with the ten heavenly stems moving through the cycle to arrive at Jia Chen, carrying Liu He, and Chen earth is the "wife wealth" of Jia wood; the middle transmission is Wu, with the ten heavenly stems moving through the cycle to arrive at Bing Wu, carrying Qing Long, and Wu fire is the "son" of Jia wood; the final transmission is Shen, with the ten heavenly stems moving through the cycle to arrive at Wu Shen, carrying Bai Hu, and Shen metal is the "official ghost" of Jia wood. The original edition printed the heaven and earth plates, the four lessons, and the three transmissions in three columns side by side, and when flattened into text, they are arranged in alternating lines, requiring reading by columns.

吳王赦越王歸國，越王登車，范蠡執御，至三津之上，仰天嘆曰：「嗟乎！孤之屯厄，誰念復生渡此津也？」謂范蠡曰：「今三月甲辰，時加日昳，孤蒙上天之命，還歸故鄉，得無後患乎？」范蠡曰：「大王勿疑，直眡道行，越將有福，吳當有憂。」

King Wu of Wu pardoned King Goujian of Yue and let him return to his country. King Goujian got on the carriage, with Fan Li holding the reins for him. As they approached the Sanjin Ferry, King Goujian looked up and sighed, saying, "Alas! When I was in困境, who could have thought I would live to cross this ferry again?" He then said to Fan Li, "Today is the third month, Jiachen day, and the time is day昳, which is the hour of Wei, when the sun is leaning west. I have been favored by Heaven and have been allowed to return to my homeland. But will there be further troubles ahead?" Fan Li replied, "Your Majesty need not worry. Just proceed straight ahead on the road. The state of Yue will have good fortune, while the state of Wu is destined for misfortune."

筆塵解曰：按三月甲辰，酉將加未，乃「斬關課」，大利逃亡也。

The explanation from "Bi Chen" states: According to this divination, it is on the third month Jiachen day, with the酉 (You) general placed on the Wei (Wei) hour, resulting in the "Zhangguan lesson." Zhangguan signifies cutting off the pass and breaking through obstacles, making it most favorable for matters of escape and evasion. Therefore, the ability of the King of Yue to successfully escape from Wu was achieved smoothly.

愚按：斬關卦，諸書只雲利於逃亡及藏遁形跡等事，殊不知利於治國，亦利行師。觀越王此歸之後，終能霸越治吳，固為顯證。

Cheng Shuxun remarks: The lesson of cutting the gate, as mentioned in various books, is said to be favorable for fleeing and concealing one's whereabouts, but it is not known that it is also beneficial for governing the country and leading military campaigns. Looking at the case of the King of Yue returning to his country, eventually becoming the hegemon of Yue and subduing Wu, this itself is clear evidence.

嘗讀柳柳州《龍城錄》云：上皇始平禍亂，在宮所與道士馮存澄，因射覆，得卦曰「合因」，又得卦曰「斬關」，又得卦曰「鑄印乘軒」。存澄啟謝曰：「昔此卦，三靈為最善，黃帝勝炎帝而筮得之，所謂合因、斬關、鑄印乘軒，始當果斷，終得嗣天。」上皇掩其口曰：「止矣，默衰識之矣。」後即位，應其術焉（上皇即明皇也）。

I once read Liu Zongyuan's "Longcheng Lu," which records that when Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty was quelling disturbances, he was in the palace with the Daoist Feng Cuncheng and played a game of shooting covers to divinate. He first obtained a divination called "He Yin," then "Zhan Guan," and then "Zhu Yin Cheng Xuan." Feng Cuncheng remarked with congratulations, saying, "In the past, these three divinations were the most auspicious among the three spirits. When the Yellow Emperor defeated the Yan Emperor, he also obtained these same divinations. What 'He Yin,' 'Zhan Guan,' and 'Zhu Yin Cheng Xuan' mean is that one should act decisively at the beginning and ultimately inherit the mandate of heaven." Emperor Xuanzong hurriedly covered Feng Cuncheng's mouth and said, "Enough, just keep it in your mind." Later, Emperor Xuanzong indeed ascended the throne, fulfilling the prophecy of his divination. (In the text, "Shanghuang" refers to Emperor Xuanzong, the Tang Minghuang.)

又讀歐陽公《五代史》賀環傳云：事鄆州朱宣，為都指揮使。梁太祖攻朱瑾於兗州，宣遣環與何懷寶、柳存等，以兵萬人救兗州。環趨待賓館，欲絕梁餉道。太祖略地至中都，得降卒，言環等趨待賓館矣，以六壬占之，得「斬關」以為吉，乃選精兵，夜急馳百里，期先至待賓以逆環。而夜黑兵失道，旦至鉅野東，遇環兵擊之，環兵大敗。環走，梁兵急追之。環顧路窮，登塚上大呼曰：「我賀環也，可弗殺我！」太祖馳騎取之。凡此皆足資考證。是此兩課，皆不載月將日時，無式可演，特因論斬關卦，而附載之於此。

I also read Ouyang Xiu's biography of He Huan in the History of the Five Dynasties, which says: He Huan served as the commander of all troops under Zhu Xuan in Yunzhou. When Liang Taizu Zhu Wen attacked Zhu Jin in Yanzhou, Zhu Xuan sent He Huan, He Huaibao, Liu Cun, and others with an army of ten thousand to rescue Yanzhou. He Huan went to the waiting guest house, intending to cut off the grain supply line of the Liang army. When Liang Taizu captured the area and reached Zhongdu, he captured surrendered soldiers who informed him that He Huan and others had already moved towards the waiting guest house. Therefore, he used the Six壬 divination method, and got the "Cutting the Gate" divination, which he considered auspicious. He then selected his elite troops and marched urgently for one hundred miles during the night, intending to arrive at the waiting guest house first to attack He Huan. However, the night was too dark, and the troops got lost. When it was daylight, they arrived east of Juye City, just encountering He Huan's troops. A battle ensued, and He Huan suffered a great defeat. He Huan fled, but the Liang troops pursued him relentlessly. He Huan looked back and found no way to escape, so he climbed a grave and shouted, "I am He Huan, do not kill me!" Liang Taizu rode forward and captured him. All these events are sufficient to illustrate the use of the "Cutting the Gate" divination. However, these two accounts do not mention the Month General, the Day Branch, the time, or the moment, so they cannot be used to arrange the divination formula. I only mention them here because I was discussing the "Cutting the Gate" divination.

甲辰日，辰將寅時，占信。（《玉連環》末卷）貴、後、陰、玄。未、申、酉、戌；後蛇蛇合；財，甲辰，合。蛇——午，亥——常；申午午辰；子，丙午，蛇。朱——巳，子——虎；午辰辰甲；鬼，戊申，後。辰、卯、寅、丑；合、勾、龍、空。

On the day of Jiachen, using the hour of Yin to cast a divination, the question is about a letter or message. This example comes from the last volume of "Yu Lianhuan." The divination chart shows: on Wei, there is "Nobleman"; on Shen, "Heavenly Empress"; on You, "Tai Yin"; on Xu, "Black Tortoise"; on Hai, "Tai Chang"; on Zi, "White Tiger"; on Chou, "Heavenly Void"; on Yin, "Azure Dragon"; on Mao, "Gou Chen"; on Chen, "Liu He"; on Si, "Vermilion Bird"; on Wu, "Teng Snake." The Nobleman is located on Wei, and the Twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in reverse order from there. The four lessons are read from right to left: the first lesson, which is the day's lodging palace on Yin, has Chen with the influence of Liu He; the second lesson on Chen has Wu with the influence of Teng Snake; the third lesson, which is also on the day's branch Chen, has Wu with the influence of Teng Snake; the fourth lesson on Wu has Shen with the influence of Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Chen, with the ten thousand changes indicating Jiachen, and the influence of Liu He, which represents the wife and wealth of Jia wood; the second transmission is Wu, with the ten thousand changes indicating Bingwu, and the influence of Teng Snake, which represents children; the third transmission is Shen, with the ten thousand changes indicating Wushen, and the influence of Heavenly Empress, which represents official ghosts.

雪心曰：三傳日同初，辰同中。占望信，責朱雀。今朱雀乘巳臨印，名「朱雀臨門」，又曰「雀騰空」。巳為子孫，是卑小信來，應在乙巳、戊申日到。蓋巳乃朱雀神，申乃朱雀之六合也。

Snow Heart says: In this lesson, the god on the day stem is the same as the first transmission, both being Chen; the god on the day branch is the same as the middle transmission, both being Wu. When divining about expecting letters or messages, one should focus specifically on the class of god called 'Zhu Que', because Zhu Que governs documents and messages. Now Zhu Que is riding on Si and is located on the official position. The pattern of the lesson is called 'Zhu Que at the Gate' or 'Zhu Que Flying in the Void'. For Jia day, Si fire is the son爻, so the message comes from a younger relative. The time of the response should be on Yisi day or Wushen day, because Si is the original position of Zhu Que (Zhu Que belongs to fire, which resides in Si), and Shen forms the Liu He with Si, which is the combined god of Zhu Que.

甲辰日，未將丑時，父占子。（張本占案）勾、龍、空、虎。亥、子、丑、寅；玄合虎蛇；兄，◎寅，虎。合——戌，卯——常；辰戌寅申；鬼，戊申，蛇。朱——酉，辰——玄；戌辰申甲；兄，◎寅，虎。申、未、午、巳；蛇、貴、後、陰。

On the day of Jiachen, using the general of Wei placed on the hour of Chou to cast the divination, a father is casting the divination for his son, as seen in Zhang's case. The course of the divination: on Hai, 'Gou Chen'; on Zi, 'Qing Long'; on Chou, 'Tian Kong'; on Yin, 'Bai Hu'; on Mao, 'Tai Chang'; on Chen, 'Xuan Wu'; on Si, 'Tai Yin'; on Wu, 'Tian Hou'; on Wei, 'Gui Ren'; on Shen, 'Teng Snake'; on You, 'Zhu Que'; on Xu, 'Liu He'. The nobleman is located on Wei. The twelve heavenly generals proceed in order. The four lessons are read from right to left: Jiachen's lodging palace is on Yin, on Yin there is Shen, riding Teng Snake; the second lesson on Shen has Yin, riding Bai Hu; the third lesson on the day branch Chen has Xu, riding Liu He; the fourth lesson on Xu has Chen, riding Xuan Wu. The four lessons are mutually added upon each other, forming a 'reverse echo' course. The three transmissions: the first transmission is on Yin riding Bai Hu, Yin wood is the brother of Jiachen wood. Yin is marked with '◎', indicating that in this cycle (Jiachen cycle), the empty palace is on Yin and Mao, so this Yin is empty. The middle transmission is on Shen, the hidden cycle gives Wushen, riding Teng Snake, which is an official ghost. The final transmission returns again to the empty Yin, riding Bai Hu, with the beginning and end fluctuating without stability.

苗公達曰：甲木旬空，巳為朽木，申金又克之，此子七歲以前，主驚風或起或僕，不能自立。寅數七，被申克，故主風。白虎亦主風。七歲以後，又申加寅，寅上亦作白虎，寅逢旬空，當是在前山七株樹下，遇一戲猴人，引索而走，受了一驚，害病幾死。猴，申也，蛇空故為斷索。辰投入宅，與申三合，拱生甲木，頗有生意。寅申七，辰戌俱五，蓋至二十四歲，人頗精彩。宅上見戌為財，辰戌沖斷，又為斬關，遂出外買賣。

Miao Gongda said: The Jia wood is in the empty position in this ten-day cycle. The Si position is the sickly place for Jia wood, making it like rotten wood. The Shen metal comes to attack it, so the child will suffer from a sudden illness before the age of seven, with symptoms that come and go, and instability in standing. The Yin is seven in number, and it is also attacked by Shen metal, so it indicates a wind illness. The White Tiger also indicates wind. After the age of seven, Shen again comes to attack Yin, and Yin is again occupied by the White Tiger, while Yin is in the empty position of the cycle. Based on this, it is inferred that he once met a monkey performer in front of the village on a mountain, and the monkey broke free from its rope and jumped out, causing the child a great shock and nearly costing him his life. The monkey represents Shen, and the Teng Snake is also in the empty position, so the image of the rope breaking is taken. Later, the Chen earth entered the dwelling position, forming a triple harmony with Shen metal, supporting and promoting the growth of Jia wood, and his condition improved. The numbers of Yin and Shen are both seven, and the numbers of Chen and Xu are both five. When combined, they reach the age of twenty-four, and the person becomes full of energy. The dwelling position shows Xu as the wealth element, and the conflict between Chen and Xu opens it up, forming the "cutting the gate" pattern, so he went out to do business.

戌上又見辰，為武合相併，主有陰私。一邊三個財，財多身弱，武為盜神，武乘辰龍則能變幻光怪，化為美婦，盜其精血，日後貪淫，一十五年。中傳申化為鬼，日夜跟隨，不離夢醒。寅為夜時，為夢醒。又見蛇虎纏繞。如此七年，三傳返吟來來往往，不得斷絕。申月寅日因天風吹倒大樹，壓在門前，中風而死，魂無所歸，安望歸乎？父子至情，徒生悲切耳。

On the戌 position there is also the辰, with the Black Tortoise and Liu He coming together in the same place, indicating hidden private affairs. On one side, three layers of wealth signs are arranged, but the wealth is abundant while the body is weak, unable to bear the burden. The White Tiger, being the god of thieves, when riding on the辰 and meeting the Azure Dragon, can transform into a strange and dazzling form, appearing as a beautiful woman, secretly stealing his essence. After that, he becomes addicted to lust, for a period of fifteen years. The Middle Transmission is the metal of the申, transforming into the official ghost, following him day and night, even not leaving him even when he wakes from dreams. The寅 is the time of night, also indicating the moment of waking from dreams; the lesson also sees the Teng Snake and White Tiger纠缠 without rest. After another seven years, the three transmissions form a return echo, coming and going continuously, unable to be cut off. By the month of申 and day of寅, because a great wind from heaven uproots a big tree, which falls on the front door, he dies of a stroke, his soul has nowhere to return, how can he talk about returning home? The deep affection between father and son eventually ends up in vain sorrow only.

丁卯年五月甲辰日，未將丑時，甲戌命，五十四歲，占子息。（牧夫占驗）勾、龍、空、虎。亥、子、丑、寅；玄合虎蛇；兄，◎寅，虎。合——戌，卯——常；辰戌寅申；鬼，戊申，蛇。朱——酉，辰——玄；戌辰申甲；兄，◎寅，虎。申、未、午、巳；蛇、貴、後、陰。

In the year of Dingmao, fifth lunar month, day of Jiachen, using the hour of Chou to start the divination, the person asking the question has a birth year of Jiaxu and is fifty-four years old. The question is about children. This example is from Wang Mufu's divination records. The divination chart is the same as the previous example: on Hai, there is Gou Chen; on Zi, Qinglong; on Chou, Tiankong; on Yin, Baihu; on Mao, Tai Chang; on Chen, Xuanwu; on Si, Taiyin; on Wu, Tianhou; on Wei, Guiren; on Shen, Tengsnake; on You, Zhuqiao; on Xu, Liuhe. Guiren is on Wei, and the twelve heavenly generals proceed in order. The four lessons are read from right to left: Jia lodges in Yin, with Shen riding on Tengsnake; Shen has Yin riding on Baihu; the day branch is on Chen with Xu riding on Liuhe; Xu has Chen riding on Xuanwu. The four lessons are interchanged above and below, forming a "returning echo" chart. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Yin riding on Baihu, which also meets the empty (marked with ◎), representing the brother's element; the middle transmission is Shen, with the ten heavenly stems遁 to Wu Shen, riding on Tengsnake, representing official ghosts; the final transmission is again Yin riding on Baihu, which is also empty.

王牧夫曰：此課占子息，主有子不育，直到五十六歲。偏胎之一子可許也。此課三傳無子，惟有遁出丙火子孫，又為日鬼克絕，木受金傷，則子孫何以托以為體？丙受克，則子孫何處以為生？此三傳之現在者，不得有所存也。支乘六合，六合乃子孫類神，居於沖墓之地，不得為旺，然五月火司其正，戌乃火墓，子孫臨庫旺鄉，尚有一子可許。若非五月火有氣，則支上之重土乃丘墳重累，主孤寡也。己巳之歲，胎見長生，又與命上生氣作合，酉為妾，卯為長子，故主是年偏胎生一子也。後果驗。

Wang Mufu said: This divination concerns offspring. The main indication is that the person has had children but they have not grown up, and it will not be until the age of fifty-six that he can be allowed to have a son from a concubine. In the three transmissions of this divination, there is no yao representing descendants. Only the jinghuo (prosperous fire) that emerges from the ten-day cycle is considered to represent descendants. However, this jinghuo is being overcome by the official ghost on the day's stem, which is in the state of extinction. Since wood is injured by metal, how can descendants take form? If jinghuo is being overcome, where will the life qi for descendants come from? Based on the three transmissions, it seems that they cannot be retained. The day's branch is occupied by Liu He, which is the class god of descendants, but it is sitting on a conflicting and buried place, so it is not strong. Fortunately, in the fifth month, fire is in its ruling position, and xu is the burial place of fire. Descendants are located in the storage place of fire, which is a flourishing area, so it is still possible to have a son. If it were not for the presence of fire in the fifth month, the repeated earth on the branch would form a layered grave, indicating a lonely and childless fate. By the year Jisi, the fetal god meets the growth of life, and it harmonizes with the life qi of the person's own birth. You represents the concubine, and mao represents the eldest son, so it is concluded that in this year the concubine will give birth to a son. Later, this prediction was fulfilled.

甲辰日，寅將申時，占官訟。（《一針見血》）朱、蛇、貴、後。亥、子、丑、寅；玄合後龍；兄，◎寅，後。合——戌，卯——陰；辰戌寅申；鬼，戊申，龍。勾——酉，辰——玄；戌辰申甲；兄，◎寅，後。申、未、午、巳；龍、空、虎、常。

On the day of Jiachen, using the寅 general placed on the申 hour to cast a divination, the case is about legal disputes. This example is from "One Needle Sees the Essence." The divination chart shows: on亥 there is the Vermilion Bird, on子 the Teng Snake, on丑 the Nobleman, on寅 the Heavenly Empress, on卯 the Tai Yin, on辰 the Black Tortoise, on巳 the Tai Chang, on午 the White Tiger, on未 the Tian Kong, on申 the Azure Dragon, on酉 the Gou Chen, and on戌 the Liu He. The Nobleman is on丑, and the Twelve Heavenly Generals are in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: Jiachen is lodged in寅, with申 riding on the Azure Dragon; on申 there is寅 riding on the Heavenly Empress; the day branch is on辰 with戌 riding on Liu He; on戌 there is辰 riding on the Black Tortoise. The month general is six positions away from the hour, and the four lessons are added up and down, forming a "returning echo" chart. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is寅 riding on the Heavenly Empress, which is the brother of the Jia wood, and since it is in the empty position of the Jiachen cycle, it is marked with "◎"; the middle transmission is申, which in the cycle becomes Wu Shen, riding on the Azure Dragon, representing an official ghost; the final transmission returns to the empty寅 with the Heavenly Empress again.

斷曰：凡寅申入傳，多應舊事發動，雖有凶，結末小也。如秋冬占之，在正月方入；若春夏占之，在七月方出。其凶解者，德神在寅乘天后也。凡見德神，更行年有氣，空亡在傳，主無害矣。

The interpretation says: Whenever the branches of Yin and Shen appear in the three transmissions, it often indicates that old matters will be revisited; although there is some misfortune, the outcome is not severe. If this divination is cast in autumn or winter, official matters will only begin to be dealt with in the following year's first lunar month; if cast in spring or summer, they will only be resolved by the seventh lunar month. This misfortune can be resolved because the "De God" is located on Yin and is riding on the Heavenly Empress — on the first day of Jia, the day's De is on Yin. Whenever the De God appears in the divination, and the person seeking the divination has a strong and not waning year branch, and the Kongwang falls within the three transmissions, it indicates that they will not suffer harm.

二月甲辰日，戌將寅時，某占失狗。（方本占案）虎、常。空——丑、寅、卯、辰——玄。龍——子，巳——陰；蛇龍后六；財，庚戌，六。陳——亥，午——後；申子午戌；子，丙午，後。六——戌、酉、申、未——貴；子辰戌甲；兄，空寅，虎。朱、蛇。

On the day of Jiachen (甲辰) in the second lunar month, using the戌 general placed on the寅 hour to cast a divination, a person is seeking information about a lost dog, as seen in the case recorded in the Fang Ben divination manual. This divination chart is shaped like a square, with the earthly branches listed on each side and corner, and the heavenly generals that ride them written beside them: on Chou (丑) is Tian Kong, on Yin (寅) is Bai Hu, on Mao (卯) is Tai Chang, on Chen (辰) is Xuan Wu, on Si (巳) is Tai Yin, on Wu (午) is Tian Hou, on Wei (未) is Gui Ren, on Shen (申) is Teng Snake, on You (酉) is Zhu Que, on Xu (戌) is Liu He, on Hai (亥) is Gou Chen, and on Zi (子) is Qing Long. The nobleman is on Wei (未), and the twelve heavenly generals are in order. The four lessons are read from right to left: Jia is lodged in Yin (寅), with戌 on Yin, riding Liu He; on戌 is Wu, riding Tian Hou; on the day branch Chen is Zi, riding Qing Long; on Zi is Shen, riding Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: initial transmission is戌, with the ten-year cycle indicating Geng Xu, riding Liu He, and戌 earth is the wife wealth of Jia wood; middle transmission is Wu, with the ten-year cycle indicating Bing Wu, riding Tian Hou, which is the son; final transmission is Yin, riding Bai Hu, which is the brother. The character '空' indicates that Yin falls into Kongwang in the Jiachen ten-year cycle.

邵彥和曰：尋狗不見矣。蓋戌為類神，加日雖主自歸，奈何戌與寅雖作三合，又作六合，而寅反作虎在未傳克戌，故尋不得，定被殺矣。後知被木排上人殺而烹之。寅作虎克戌，寅木也，遂應木排上人，奇妙至此。蓋卯為排，夾克戌土故也。

Shao Yanhe said: This dog will not be found again. Xu is the divine representative of the dog, and it is placed over the day stem, which originally indicates that the dog would return on its own. However, although Xu and Yin form both a triple harmony and a Liu He, Yin is riding the White Tiger in the final transmission (the original text says "wei chuan," which should be "final transmission," referring to the third transmission) to attack Xu, so it cannot be found, and it must have been killed by someone. Later it was indeed confirmed that the dog was killed and cooked by people on a wooden raft. Yin riding the White Tiger to attack Xu, and Yin belongs to wood, so the result is connected to "people on a wooden raft." The reasoning is refined to this level. Because Mao also belongs to wood, it takes the image of a wooden raft, and Yin and Mao, both wood, enclose and attack Xu, the earth, thus resulting in this prediction.

天啟丁卯年八月乙巳日申時，金華何伴鶴訪陳公獻於揚州，陳母托占兩子武鄉試。（《指南》）朱、六。蛇——丑、寅、卯、辰——勾；玄蛇常貴；鬼，己酉，玄。貴——子，巳——青；酉丑申子；子，乙巳，龍。後——亥，午——空；丑巳子乙；財，癸丑，蛇。陰——戌、酉、申、未——虎。玄、常。

On the day of Dingmao in the eighth lunar month of the Jia卯 year, He Banh鹤, a native of Jinhua, visited Yangzhou to pay a visit to Chen Gongxian. Chen Gongxian's mother asked him to cast a divination for the two sons' military examination for the local level. This case is from the "Six Yin Guide." The divination chart shows: on Zi, there is "Nobleman"; on Chou, "Teng Snake"; on Yin, "Vermilion Bird"; on Mao, "Liu He"; on Chen, "Gou Chen"; on Si, "Azure Dragon" (originally written as "Qing" in the original edition); on Wu, "Tian Kong"; on Wei, "White Tiger"; on Shen, "Tai Chang"; on You, "Black Tortoise"; on Xu, "Tai Yin"; and on Hai, "Heavenly Empress." The Nobleman is located on Zi. The twelve Heavenly Generals proceed in order. The Month General for the eighth lunar month is Chen, with Chen added to Shen at the time of Shen. The Heaven Plate advances eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day is Yi, with the Lodging Palace on Chen, which has Zi with the Nobleman; the second lesson on Zi has Shen with Tai Chang; the third lesson on the Day Branch Si has Chou with Teng Snake; and the fourth lesson on Chou has You with Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is You, with the ten thousand changes leading to Jiyou, with Black Tortoise, where You metal is the official ghost of Yi wood, and the official star is used for the military examination; the middle transmission is Si, with the ten thousand changes leading to Yisi, with Azure Dragon, which is the son; and the final transmission is Chou, with the ten thousand changes leading to Guichou, with Teng Snake, which is the wife's wealth.

何伴鶴曰：昆弟皆中，午命在前，亥命在後。蓋因蒿矢見金，如箭有簇，自四發用，箭數合式。朱雀翱翔，文事武備皆得之矣。且貴臨貴位，必得兩貴周旋推薦。後果前後一一不爽。問何以分前後，因三傳逆合，又午命甲寅、亥命丁未，故知之。（《畢法》云：「兩貴相逢求兩貴。」誠不虛也。）

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) Glossary: Zhuque = Vermilion Bird Sanchuan = Three Transmissions Sikuo = Four Lessons Guiren = Nobleman Fayong = Initiating Transmission Dingwei = Dingwei Jiayin = Jiayin He Banship said: Both brothers could pass the examination. The one whose birth year belongs to Wu came first, and the one whose birth year belongs to Hai came second. Because this lesson is the "Hao Shi Lesson" and the three transmissions involve metal, it is like an arrow fitted with an iron tip. Moreover, the transmission starts from the fourth lesson, so the number of arrows matches the lesson's pattern. The Hao Shi lesson signifies shooting, which is most appropriate for the military examination. The Vermilion Bird soars high, indicating both literary talent and military preparedness. Furthermore, the Nobleman is present at the Nobleman's position, so he would certainly receive support and recommendation from two Noblemen. Later, the order of their ranks was exactly as predicted. Someone asked how the order was determined. The answer was: because the three transmissions are in reverse order, and the one whose birth year belongs to Wu was born in Jiayin, while the one whose birth year belongs to Hai was born in Dingwei. From this, the order could be deduced. (The "Bi Fa Fu" says, "When two Noblemen meet, seek two Noblemen," which is indeed true.)

建炎己酉年三月乙巳日，戌將亥時，邵百一秀才癸丑生，生於閏月十二日辰時，五十七歲，占家宅。（宋本邵案、《口鑑》）六、朱。陳——辰、巳、午、未——蛇。龍——卯，申——貴；龍陳空龍；財，甲辰，陳。空——寅，酉——後；卯辰寅卯；兄，空卯，龍。虎——丑、子、亥、戌——陰；辰巳卯乙；兄，空寅，空。常、玄。

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, third month, day Yisi, using the戌 general placed on the亥 hour to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination is Shao Baiyi, a scholar, born in the year Guichou, on the twelfth day of a leap month at the hour of Chen. He is fifty-seven years old. He is asking about his family home. This case is found in the Song edition of Shao Yanhe's Divination Cases and the "Koujian." The divination chart shows: on the辰, there is Gou Chen; on the巳, Liu He; on the午, Zhu Que; on the未, Teng Snake; on the申, Nobleman; on the酉, Heavenly Empress; on the戌, Tai Yin; on the亥, Xuan Wu; on the子, Tai Chang; on the丑, Bai Hu; on the寅, Tian Kong; and on the卯, Qing Long. This divination uses the night nobleman, with the nobleman located on the申. The twelve heavenly generals are in reverse order. The戌 general is placed on the亥, with the heaven plate one step behind the earth plate. The four lessons are read from right to left: the乙 day's lodging palace is on the辰, with the卯, riding Qing Long; the second lesson on the卯 has the寅, riding Tian Kong; the third lesson on the巳 day branch has the辰, riding Gou Chen; the fourth lesson on the辰 has the卯, riding Qing Long. The three transmissions: the first transmission is on the辰, with the ten thousand years cycle reaching Jiachen, riding Gou Chen, representing wife's wealth; the middle transmission is on the卯, riding Qing Long; the final transmission is on the寅, riding Tian Kong. Both branches are brothers of the乙 wood, and both the寅 and卯 are in the empty position of the Jiachen ten thousand years cycle, so the word "empty" is marked.

邵彥和曰：凡傳用，若干支陰陽已先據其位，只以不備推測，不可重複取用。今第一課卯加辰，卯木辰內乙亦木，不克；第二課寅加卯，第三課辰加巳，俱不克；第四課卯加辰，乙已為干先據，何得重傳？是支課不足用也，當以日遙克為用，卦名「彈射」。如此占之主應。術人多以第四課發用為「元首」，傳用已差，占何得應？皆由用術不精，反雲六壬不靈，豈不誣哉？

Shao Yanhe said: Whenever taking the initiating transmission, if the yin and yang spirits of the heavenly stem and earthly branch have already occupied that position, one can only use the method of 'incomplete' to make predictions, and cannot take it again. Looking at the current lesson: the first lesson has卯 on top of辰,卯 is wood, and the earthly branch辰 contains乙 which is also wood, so there is no overcoming; the second lesson has寅 on top of卯, the third lesson has辰 on top of巳, and none of them overcome each other; the fourth lesson again has卯 on top of辰, but the乙 wood has already been taken by the day stem, so how can it be taken again for the initiating transmission? It is clear that the lessons on the earthly branches are insufficient, and one should instead take the 'remote overcoming' from the day stem for the initiating transmission, which is called 'shooting'. Only by starting the lesson in this way can there be accurate results. Most practitioners take the fourth lesson as the initiating transmission, treating it as the 'primary lesson'. If the initiating transmission is wrong, how can the divination be accurate? This is due to their lack of skill, yet they blame the Six Rats divination as ineffective, which is unjust to the Six Rats.

愚按：此課乙木克土，卯來害日，宅不容人。初傳辰，自宅上傳出，中仍歸卯位，此乃奪父之財祿。三傳不離支干，乙以卯為祿，寅為同類，必有兄弟出去了，後復歸來。辰為勾陳，主爭訟。課中不見父母，止同類自相吞併。占者與父母各居十六七年，至五十九、六十，行年到亥子，上見父母，則有服矣。後一一不爽。

Cheng Shuxun remarks: In this divination, the Yi wood overcomes the Chen earth, and the Mao wood also harms the day stem. This is an image of a house that cannot accommodate people. The first transmission, Chen, comes from the house position, while the middle transmission returns to the Mao position, which is an image of taking away the father's wealth and status. The three transmissions remain closely connected to the day stem and day branch throughout. The Yi wood takes Mao as its禄神 and Yin as its kindred brother, so there must have been a situation where brothers left home and later returned. The Chen position is occupied by Gou Chen, indicating disputes and litigation. The divination does not show the parents' yao, only conflicts among kindred. The person being divined should live separately from the parents for sixteen or seventeen years. At the age of fifty-nine or sixty, when the year reaches Hai or Zi, the parents' yao will appear, indicating a mourning event. Later, all these events occurred exactly as predicted.

乙巳日占家宅。（《一針見血》）朱、蛇、貴、後。午、未、申、酉；蛇朱朱合；財，丁未，蛇。合——巳，戌——陰；未午午巳；鬼，戊申，貴。勾——辰，亥——玄；午巳巳乙；鬼，己酉，後。卯、寅、丑、子；龍、空、虎、常。

On the day of Yisi, divining about the family residence, this example is taken from "One Needle Sees the Essence." The divination chart shows: on Wu there is the Vermilion Bird, on Wei there is the Teng Snake, on Shen there is the Nobleman, on You there is the Heavenly Empress, on Xu there is Tai Yin, on Hai there is the Black Tortoise, on Zi there is Tai Chang, on Chou there is the White Tiger, on Yin there is Tian Kong, on Mao there is the Azure Dragon, on Chen there is Gou Chen, and on Si there is Liu He. The Nobleman is located on Shen, the Twelve Heavenly Generals are in reverse order, and the Heaven Plate is only one step ahead of the Earth Plate. The four lessons are read from right to left: the first lesson, on the day of Yi, is in the lodging palace of Chen, which has Si and is occupied by Liu He; the second lesson, on Si, has Wu and is occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the third lesson, on the day branch Si, also has Wu and is occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson, on Wu, has Wei and is occupied by the Teng Snake. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wei, with the ten thousand changes leading to Ding Wei, occupied by the Teng Snake, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is Shen, with the ten thousand changes leading to Wu Shen, occupied by the Nobleman; the final transmission is You, with the ten thousand changes leading to Ji You, occupied by the Heavenly Empress. Shen and You, both metals, are the official ghosts of the day of Yi.

劉日新曰：四課純是火神，三、四課且乘蛇、朱，不免火災怪異，及出口眼有疾之人。巳支臨日而作六合，主進外口分食，及遇房不定、小口逃亡之事。未蛇加午，小口落井，蛇為怪異。陰神見申貴，是神佛為災。末財化鬼，主損妻。酉作天后，主以婢為妻，並刑及死，出寡婦人也。原本句法多顛倒，愚略為潤色之，文理較順。

Liu Rixin says: The four lessons are all occupied by fire deities, with巳, 午, 未 forming a continuous fire element. The third and fourth lessons are further occupied by Teng Snake and Vermilion Bird, inevitably leading to fire disasters and strange occurrences. There will also be people in the family suffering from speech disorders and eye diseases. The day branch巳 is placed upon the day stem, forming Liu He, mainly indicating an increase in people from outside the family, and there will be incidents of unstable housing and the escape of young children. The 未 is occupied by Teng Snake, placed upon 午, indicating a child falling into a well. Teng Snake itself is associated with strange occurrences. The Yin Spirit shows 申 occupied by the Nobleman, indicating divine or Buddhist interference causing disasters. The final transmission is transformed from wife wealth into official ghosts, indicating harm to the wife. The酉 is occupied by Heavenly Empress, indicating a servant girl acting as a wife, and there will be punishments leading to death, with the family producing widows. (The original text has many inverted sentence structures, and I have slightly revised it to make the meaning clear.)

八月乙巳日，辰將寅時，占來意。（《指歸靈文論》）龍、勾、合、朱。未、申、酉、戌；合龍勾空；鬼，戊申，勾。空——午，亥——蛇；酉未申午；財，庚戌，朱。虎——巳，子——貴；未巳午乙；父，壬子，貴。辰、卯、寅、丑；常、玄、陰、後。

On the 14th day of the eighth lunar month, using the hour of Chen as the starting point, a divination was cast to determine the purpose of the visitor. This example is taken from the "Zhi Gui Ling Wen Lun." The divination board shows: on Wei, there is "Qinglong"; on Shen, "Gou Chen"; on You, "Liu He"; on Xu, "Zhu Que"; on Hai, "Teng Snake"; on Zi, "Guiren"; on Chou, "Tianhou"; on Yin, "Tai Yin"; on Mao, "Xuanwu"; on Chen, "Tai Chang"; on Si, "Bai Hu"; on Wu, "Tian Kong." The Guiren is located on Zi. The twelve heavenly generals are in reverse order. Chen is placed on Yin, with the Heaven Plate advancing two positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day is Yi, with the lodging palace on Chen, which has Wu, riding Tian Kong; the second lesson is on Wu, with Shen, riding Gou Chen; the third lesson is on the day branch Si, with Wei, riding Qinglong; the fourth lesson is on Wei, with You, riding Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Shen, with the ten thousand hidden days as Wu Shen, riding Gou Chen, with Shen metal being the official ghost of Yi wood; the second transmission is Xu, with the ten thousand hidden days as Geng Xu, riding Zhu Que, representing wife wealth; the third transmission is Zi, with the ten thousand hidden days as Ren Zi, riding Guiren, with Zi water nourishing Yi wood, representing parents and official seals.

斷曰：來意是起官人道路往來，欲合婚姻，奈有所隔，而終不成。蓋申為夜貴，故云官人；申為道路，既作勾陳，則勾留不定，往往來來。乙日為占人，庚寄在申，乙與庚合，巳與申合，干支俱與初傳合，豈非欲合婚姻？中傳戌作朱雀，為奴婢，是官人慾買一妾，故道路往來也。奈申金畏干上午火，其妾家畏而不允，故終隔而不成也。

The interpretation says: The person coming to ask the question is trying to help an official travel back and forth on the road to arrange a marriage, but there are obstacles in between, so it ultimately fails. Why is it interpreted this way? The hour of Shen is the night nobleman for a day of Yi, so it is referred to as the official. Shen also represents roads, and now it is riding on Gou Chen, which signifies being tied up, moving back and forth without settling down. Yi day represents the person asking the question, and the metal庚 is lodged in Shen. Yi and Geng are in harmony, and Si and Shen are also in harmony. The day stem and day branch both harmonize with the first transmission, which clearly shows the intention to form a marriage. The middle transmission is in Wu, riding on the Vermilion Bird, which symbolizes servants, indicating that the official wants to buy a concubine, hence the person traveling back and forth on the road. Unfortunately, the metal Shen is afraid of the fire of the day stem's Wu, which is the female side, and the female side is afraid and unwilling to agree, so the marriage ultimately fails due to obstacles.

崇正己巳二月乙巳日辛巳時，楚黃洪半石先生占差，出一成課，已為何姓者批定大同餉部。（《指南》）蛇、貴。朱——戌、亥、子、丑——後；玄朱陰六；兄，甲寅，陰。六——酉，寅——陰；卯戌巳酉；財，丁未，龍。勾——申，卯——玄；戌巳酉乙；父，壬子，貴。龍——未、午、巳、辰——常。空、虎。

In the year Jisi of the Chongzhen era, in the second lunar month, on the day Yisi and at the hour Xinsi, Hong Banshi, a man from Huanggang in the Chu region, consulted about the official post he would be assigned. Previously, a master named He had already cast a divination and determined it would be a post in the finance department of Datong. This case is recorded in the "Six壬 Guide." The divination board shows: on the戌 position, there is the Vermilion Bird; on the亥 position, the Teng Snake; on the子 position, the Nobleman; on the丑 position, the Heavenly Empress; on the寅 position, the Tai Yin; on the卯 position, the Black Tortoise; on the辰 position, the Tai Chang; on the巳 position, the White Tiger; on the午 position, the Tian Kong; on the未 position, the Azure Dragon; on the申 position, the Gou Chen; and on the酉 position, the Liu He. The Nobleman is located on the子 position, and the Twelve Heavenly Generals are in reverse order. The month general for the second lunar month is戌. When戌 is added to the hour of巳, the Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day is乙, so its lodging palace is on the辰 position, which has the酉 position, riding the Liu He; the third lesson is the day branch on the巳 position, which has the戌 position, riding the Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson is on the戌 position, which has the卯 position, riding the Black Tortoise. The second lesson was originally recorded as巳 adding to酉, but according to the calculation of the戌 general adding to the hour of巳, the酉 position should have the寅 position; and the original record notes that the heavenly general for this lesson is Tai Yin, which is exactly where Tai Yin is located at this time, and the first transmission of the three transmissions is also寅. Therefore, the character 「巳」 is likely a mistake for 「寅」—this is still recorded according to the original text without alteration. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is寅, with the ten-thousand-elimination cycle reaching Jiayin, riding the Tai Yin, representing brothers; the middle transmission is未, with the ten-thousand-elimination cycle reaching Dingwei, riding the Azure Dragon, representing wife and wealth; the final transmission is子, with the ten-thousand-elimination cycle reaching Renzi, riding the Nobleman, representing parents.

陳公獻曰：此南行數也。彼以祿臨戌上，故云北差；不知守土官則論祿，欽差官只論馬。今驛馬長生居午，必是南差。曰：明日堂上該先拈、後拈？予云：後拈得利。蓋以初傳、中傳空亡，末見貴人生日故也。次早關中張主政先拈得大同差，暴存九江鈔關洪先生得之。

Chen Gongxian said: This is the number for going south. The diviner said it was a northern post because the禄神 was on戌, but he did not know that the official responsible for guarding the territory discusses禄神, while the imperial envoy only considers The Post-horse. Now the Post-horse is exactly on午, and午 is also the long life position of乙 wood, so it must be a southern post. Hong先生 asked: Tomorrow, when the officials draw lots in the hall, should I draw first or wait until later? I said: Drawing later is more advantageous — because the first transmission and middle transmission fall in Kongwang (the empty position of this ten-day cycle is in寅 and卯, and the first transmission is exactly on寅), and the final transmission is when the nobleman comes to give birth to the day stem. The next morning, Zhang the chief official from Guanzhong drew first and got the post in Datong; the post at Jiujiang Customs indeed went to Hong先生. (The words '暴存' are difficult to understand, and there may be an error or omission in the original text; I have preserved them as they are.)

建炎五年正月乙巳日，亥將巳時，周氏占與羅氏交易。（方本占案）貴、後。蛇——亥、子、丑、寅——陰。朱——戌，卯——玄；虎蛇常朱；子，乙巳，虎。六——酉，辰——常；巳亥辰戌；父，辛亥，蛇。陳——申、未、午、巳——虎；亥巳戌乙；子，乙巳，虎。龍、空。

In the fifth year of the Jianyan era, on the 15th day of the first lunar month, using the亥 general placed on the巳 hour to cast a divination, Zhou family and Luo family were engaged in a trade. This case is recorded in Fang Ben's divination records. The divination chart shows: on亥 there is 'Teng Snake', on子 there is 'Nobleman', on丑 there is 'Heavenly Empress', on寅 there is 'Tai Yin', on卯 there is 'Black Tortoise', on辰 there is 'Tai Chang', on巳 there is 'White Tiger', on午 there is 'Heavenly Void', on未 there is 'Azure Dragon', on申 there is 'Gou Chen', on酉 there is 'Liu He', on戌 there is 'Vermilion Bird'. The Nobleman is located on子, and the twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The亥 general is placed on巳, with the heaven plate and earth plate exactly six positions apart. The four lessons are mutually overlaid, forming a 'reverse echo' chart. Reading the four lessons from right to left: the乙 day's lodging palace is on辰, with戌 on辰, riding Vermilion Bird; the second lesson on戌 has辰, riding Tai Chang; the third lesson on the day branch巳 has亥, riding Teng Snake; the fourth lesson on亥 has巳, riding White Tiger. The three transmissions: the first transmission is on巳, with the ten thousand days cycle indicating Yisi, riding White Tiger, representing a son; the middle transmission is on亥, with the ten thousand days cycle indicating Xinhai, riding Teng Snake, representing a parent; the final transmission is again on巳, riding White Tiger, indicating an uncertain and fluctuating movement.

邵彥和曰：反吟體見凶將，必難成；又日上見財乘雀，必見爭鬧而後成。只是兩家俱有孝服。後來周姓果喪母，羅姓亦喪妻。又至後有三人來作鬧，丁丑日事成。其鬧者，乃過房子也。蓋乙以巳為兒，巳中丙戌，二姓主過房子來爭也。

Shao Yanhe said: When the lesson pattern is a returning sound and there is an Inauspicious General, this matter is certainly difficult to complete. Moreover, the day stem has the wife's wealth but is occupied by the Vermilion Bird, so there must be a quarrel before the matter can be settled. However, both parties will suffer the loss of a relative. Later, the Zhou family indeed lost their mother, and the Luo family lost their wife. Afterwards, three people came to quarrel, and the matter was only settled on Dingchou day. These people were actually the adopted sons. Because the ethyl wood is considered to have the fire of巳 as its son, and the hidden heavenly stems in巳 are Bing and Wu (the original text says 'Bingxu', but 'xu' is likely a mistake for 'wu'), both families had adopted sons who were fighting over the inheritance.

七月乙巳日，亥將巳時，辛酉人占來意。（《一字訣》《玉連環》）合、勾、龍、空。亥、子、丑、寅；玄合常朱；子，乙巳，玄。朱——戌，卯——虎；巳亥辰戌；父，辛亥，合。蛇——酉，辰——常；亥巳戌乙；子，乙巳，玄。申、未、午、巳；貴、後、陰、玄。

On the 7th day of the seventh month, on an Ethereal Dog day, the divination is started with the亥 general placed on the巳 hour. A person born in the year of Xinyou comes to ask about the purpose of his visit, which is called "coming intention." This example is found in the "One-Character诀" and "Jade Linked Ring." The divination chart shows: on亥 there is "Liu He," on子 there is "Gou Chen," on丑 there is "Azure Dragon," on寅 there is "Tian Kong," on卯 there is "White Tiger," on辰 there is "Tai Chang," on巳 there is "Black Tortoise," on午 there is "Tai Yin," on未 there is "Heavenly Empress," on申 there is "Nobleman," on酉 there is "Teng Snake," and on戌 there is "Vermilion Bird." This lesson uses the night nobleman, with the nobleman located on申. The twelve heavenly generals are in order. The亥 general is placed on巳, with the heaven plate and earth plate separated by six positions, making it a "reverse echo lesson." The four lessons are read from right to left: the乙 day's lodging palace is on辰, with戌 on辰, riding the Vermilion Bird; the second lesson has辰 on戌, riding the Tai Chang; the third lesson has the day branch on巳 with亥 on巳, riding the Liu He; the fourth lesson has亥 on巳, riding the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is on巳, with the ten thousand years' movement resulting in Yisi, riding the Black Tortoise, which is the child; the middle transmission is on亥, with the ten thousand years' movement resulting in Xinhai, riding the Liu He, which is the parent; the final transmission is again on巳, riding the Black Tortoise.

徐次賓曰：來意家中內屬雞小兒病，心腹疼痛、血痢頻並，脈氣相反，病症反覆，身體羸弱，只得脾胃氣壯，而善進飲食，至九月節病勢反增，至甲子日，脾胃因不能進食不可救也。

Xu Cibin said: The person coming to consult is concerned about a child in the family who is born in the Year of the Rooster and is ill. The child has pain connecting the heart and the lower abdomen, and frequently passes bloody dysentery. The pulse does not match the condition, the illness keeps recurring, and the body is weak. Fortunately, the spleen and stomach still have strength, and the child can still eat. However, by the time of the September season, the condition worsens. By the day of Jiazi, the spleen and stomach will fail, the child will be unable to eat, and there will be no cure.

何知家內屬雞小兒病？蓋時為日支沖剋，主內動；又用起子孫爻死臨絕，故主小兒病。白虎臨酉，故知家內屬雞小兒病也。

How do we know the sick person is the child in the family who is a rooster? Because the time of divination conflicts and is mutually controlling with the day branch, indicating movement within the family. The initiating transmission starts from the grandson's爻, and the grandson's爻 is in a dead or doomed position, so it is determined that the child is sick. Further, the White Tiger is directly present on You, which corresponds to the生肖 of rooster, so we know the sick person is the child in the family who is a rooster.

何知心腹疼痛、血痢頻並？以巳為心胞絡，上得元武水，克於火，故知心腹疼痛也。巳主血應赤色，水主黑色，水火相雜故曰血痢。末傳又得巳，故知血痢頻並。脈氣相反者，用起火，故脈氣相反也。病症反覆者，卦得返吟也。身體羸困者，以值事門與中傳是亥，亥為幼子，見六合為棺財，又用起死氣，故知羸困也。

How do we know it is heart and abdomen pain and frequent bloody dysentery? The earthly branch巳 takes the image of the pericardium in the human body. Above it is the Black Tortoise (玄武), which belongs to water. Water comes to overcome fire, so it is determined that there is pain in the heart and abdomen. The branch巳 governs blood, and its color should be red; the color of water is black. Water and fire are mixed together, so it is called "bloody dysentery." The final transmission also falls on巳, so we know that the bloody dysentery recurs repeatedly. It is said "the pulse energy is opposite" because the initiating transmission starts with fire, which has an upward tendency, conflicting with the location of the illness. It is said "the condition recurs" because the lesson pattern is reverse repetition. It is said "the body is weak and exhausted" because the door of the matter and the middle transmission both fall on亥.亥 takes the image of a young child, and with the presence of Liu He, it takes the image of a coffin. The initiating transmission also carries death qi, so it is determined that the person's body is weak and exhausted.

得脾胃氣吐壯而進飲食者，緣日上戌土，上得朱雀火，火生土，土主脾胃，故壯而進飲食也。何知九月病勢反覆增，緣中傳亥八月為解神，九月則非解故也。甲子日胃困不能飲食者，緣日上戌土主脾胃，甲子旬空亡而脾敗而無力也。言不可救者，所賴解神與胃氣，今既無解神，又脾胃氣落空亡，故云不可救也。

The statement "the spleen and stomach still have strong energy and can take in food" is because the day stem is戌 earth, and on戌 there is the Vermilion Bird which belongs to fire, fire generates earth, and earth represents the spleen and stomach, so the spleen and stomach are strong and able to eat (the original text's "气吐壮" has the character "吐" possibly as an addition). How do we know that the condition worsens in September? Because the middle transmission is亥, which serves as "Relief Deity" only in August, but by September it is no longer the Relief Deity. The statement that on the day of Jiazi the stomach energy is blocked and unable to eat is because the day stem戌 earth represents the spleen and stomach, and in the Jiazi decade,戌 falls on the position of Kongwang, leading to the failure of the spleen earth and lack of strength. The statement "it cannot be saved" is because the only things we can rely on are the Relief Deity and the stomach energy; now the Relief Deity has passed and the spleen and stomach energy has fallen into Kongwang, hence it is said to be unsalvageable.

戊申年七月二十三乙巳日，午將亥時，沈四公庚戌生，五十九歲，占事保正。（《口鑑》、方本占案）龍、空。陳——子、丑、寅、卯——虎。六——亥，辰——常；後陳陰六；子，丙午，陰。朱——戌，巳——玄；未子午亥；財，癸丑，龍。蛇——酉、申、未、午——陰；子巳亥乙；鬼，戊申，貴。貴、後。

On the 23rd day of the seventh month in the year of Wushen, using the hour of Hai (Water Hour) with the general of Wu (午将) placed upon it, a divination was cast for Shen Sigu, born in the year of Gengxu, aged fifty-nine, concerning a matter of contesting the position of "Baozheng," which is the head of a local official duty. This case is cited in the "Koujian" and Fang's case records. The divination chart shows: on Zi (Rat) is Gou Chen (Hook Star), on Chou (Ox) is Qinglong (Azure Dragon), on Yin (Tiger) is Tiankong (Heavenly Void), on Mao (Rabbit) is Baihu (White Tiger), on Chen (Dragon) is Taichang (Great Constable), on Si (Snake) is Xuanwu (Black Tortoise), on Wu (Horse) is Taiyin (Great Yin), on Wei (Goat) is Tianhou (Heavenly Empress), on Shen (Monkey) is Guiren (Nobleman), on You (Rooster) is Tengshe (Teng Snake), on Xu (Dog) is Zhuque (Vermilion Bird), and on Hai (Pig) is Liuhe (Six Harmonies). This lesson uses the night nobleman, with Guiren located on Shen. The twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. Wu is placed on Hai, with the heaven plate advancing seven positions ahead of the earth plate. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day is Yi (Ethylene), with the lodging palace on Chen (Dragon), which has Hai (Water) and is occupied by Liuhe (Six Harmonies); the second lesson on Hai (Water) has Wu (Horse) and is occupied by Taiyin (Great Yin); the third lesson on the day branch Si (Snake) has Zi (Rat) and is occupied by Gou Chen (Hook Star); the fourth lesson on Zi (Rat) has Wei (Goat) and is occupied by Tianhou (Heavenly Empress). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wu (Horse), with the ten thousand changes resulting in Bingwu (Bing Wu), occupied by Taiyin (Great Yin), which is the son; the second transmission is Chou (Ox), with the ten thousand changes resulting in Guichou (Gui Chou), occupied by Qinglong (Azure Dragon), which is the wife's wealth; the third transmission is Shen (Monkey), with the ten thousand changes resulting in Wushen (Wu Shen), occupied by Guiren (Nobleman), with Shen metal being both the official ghost of Yi wood and its absolute position.

邵彥和曰：課名重審，末本絕神，不合亥子又來生日，絕中又起。奈何你母勸你休爭，你女又勸，俱不聽，下稍自做，雖得財不善可惡，後有悔。所得之物，可以移翁棺葬此內，必陋貴子，為大和尚，汝葬祖側也。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson is called "Re-examination." The final transmission is originally a dead god, but the water of亥 and子 comes to nourish the day stem, so even in a dead situation, an opportunity arises. However, your mother advised you not to compete, your daughter also advised you, but you did not listen, and in the end, you did it yourself; although you gained wealth, the source is improper and causes people's dislike, and later you will certainly regret it. The property you obtained can be used to move your father-in-law's coffin into it, and later it will surely produce a noble son who becomes a great monk. You yourself will be buried next to the ancestral tomb. ("必陋贵子" the character "陋" is difficult to understand, according to the meaning, it should be a miswriting of a character like "荫," and this is recorded as per the original text.)

沈母乃童氏，其女亦嫁童家。童家服滿，沈公欲爭保正，母與又勸不聽，乃自做了。後童分家，請沈公作主，沈卻於公共內，取一生墳安葬。四年生一兒，為大和尚於廣教寺。

Shen Sigu's mother was from the Tong family, and his daughter also married into the Tong family. When the Tong family's mourning period was over, Shen Sigu wanted to apply for the position of head of the neighborhood committee, but his mother and daughter both advised him against it. He did not listen and still went ahead to complete the application himself. Later, when the Tong family divided their property, they invited Shen Sigu to preside over the division. However, Shen Sigu took a piece of the common property and set it aside as a burial ground for the living. Four years later, a son was born to him, and this child later became a great monk at Guangjiao Temple.

愚按：蓋乙以子為母，午為女，亥為父，申為翁，丑為墓，申加之，是為翁墓也。本命庚戌，庚金墓丑，是自亦墓此矣。申為僧，丑為賢，上見貴，是大和尚也。

Cheng Shuxun remarks: In this divination, the Yi wood takes Zi water as its mother, Wu fire as its daughter, Hai water as its father, Shen metal as its grandfather, and Chou earth as its tomb. Shen is located over Chou, which is the image of the grandfather's tomb. Shen Sigu's birth year is Gengxu, and the tomb of Geng metal is also Chou, indicating that he himself will eventually be buried there. Shen represents a monk, and Chou represents virtue. The presence of a nobleman over Chou suggests that a great monk will emerge.

建炎己酉年丙午日，卯將申時，伊伯廷甲戌生，三十六歲，占宅。（方本占案）朱、六。蛇——子、丑、寅、卯——陳。貴——亥，辰——龍；玄朱常蛇；鬼，壬子，蛇。後——戌，巳——空；申丑未子；子，丁未，常。陰——酉、申、未、午——虎；丑午子丙；父，空寅，六。玄、常。

In the year Jiayou of the Jianyan era, on the day Bingwu, using the卯 general added on the Shen hour, the person seeking the divination is Yi Boting, born in the year Jiaxu, aged thirty-six, asking about his residence. This case is found in the Fang Ben divination records. The divination chart shows: on Zi, 「Teng Snake」; on Chou, 「Vermilion Bird」; on Yin, 「Liu He」; on Mao, 「Gou Chen」; on Chen, 「Azure Dragon」; on Si, 「Tian Kong」; on Wu, 「White Tiger」; on Wei, 「Tai Chang」; on Shen, 「Black Tortoise」; on You, 「Tai Yin」; on Xu, 「Heavenly Empress」; on Hai, 「Nobleman」. This lesson uses the night nobleman, with the nobleman located on Hai. The twelve heavenly generals proceed in order. The Mao general is added on Shen, with the heaven plate advancing seven positions ahead of the earth plate. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day is Bing, so the day's lodging palace is on Si, with Zi on Si, riding Teng Snake; the second lesson has Zi with Wei, riding Tai Chang; the third lesson has the day's branch Wu with Chou, riding Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson has Chou with Shen, riding Black Tortoise. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Zi, with the ten thousand hidden getting Renzi, riding Teng Snake, with Zi water being the official ghost of Bing fire; the middle transmission is Wei, with the ten thousand hidden getting Dingwei, riding Tai Chang, which is the son; the final transmission is Yin, riding Liu He, which is the parent and official seal, Yin being in the Jiachen ten thousand hidden and falling into Kongwang, so it is marked as 「Kong」.

邵彥和曰：子與丑合，末又長生，雖子克丙，得丑寅引鬼為生，初中雖六害，可望先凶後吉。奈何寅是空亡，所以不能引進，見生不生，反成凶咎。甲寅必有大災，子丑年多事，急移可免。伊為人狂妄自高，甲寅年與大辟人過財，干人命入獄百餘日，幾死。子丑多事，己未妻母皆喪；庚申喪子，後移居始免災。

Shao Yanhe said: Zi and Chou are in a harmonious relationship, and the final transmission is Yin, which is the place of growth for Bing fire. Although Zi water may overcome Bing fire, the presence of Chou earth and Yin wood leads the official ghost to transform into life qi. Although the first and middle transmissions form a harmful relationship, it is still possible to expect initial misfortune followed by good fortune. Unfortunately, Yin falls exactly on Kongwang, so the transformation does not take place. Although it seems there is growth, it does not actually occur, and instead becomes a misfortune. There will certainly be a great disaster in the year of Jiayin. The years of Zi and Chou will be eventful. One must move house to avoid disaster. Yi Boting was arrogant and self-willed. In the year of Jiayin, he had financial dealings with a person who had already been sentenced to death, getting involved in a murder case, and was imprisoned for over a hundred days, almost losing his life. Indeed, the years of Zi and Chou were eventful. In the year of Jiwei, his wife and mother both died, and in the year of Gengshen, his son also died. Later, after moving house, he was able to avoid disaster.

愚按：大凡干支見合，須有副則為好課。今甲辰旬卻入見寅，進則空亡，退又子克，所以災起子丑之年，死亡於甲寅之歲也。夫以旬末而又引入空亡，故即以其年分言之。

Cheng Shuxun remarks: Generally, when heavenly stems and earthly branches combine, they need assistance and support to form a good divination. Now this is the Jiachen decade, and the final transmission falls precisely on Yin. Moving forward leads to Kongwang, and moving backward is attacked by Zi water. Therefore, calamity begins in the year of Zi or Chou, and people die in the year of Jiayin. Since it is at the end of the decade and leads into Kongwang, it is directly determined by these years to predict the timing.

丙午日占夷冦。（《一針見血》）合、勾、龍、空。寅、卯、辰、巳；蛇勾貴合；鬼，壬子，蛇。朱——丑，午——虎；子卯亥寅；財，己酉，陰。蛇——子，未——常；卯午寅丙；兄，丙午，虎。亥、戌、酉、申；貴、後、陰、玄。

On the day of Bingwu, divining about an invasion by foreign tribes, this example is from "One Needle Sees the Essence." The divination chart shows: on寅 (Yin) is "Liu He," on卯 (Mao) is "Gou Chen," on辰 (Chen) is "Qinglong," on巳 (Si) is "Tian Kong," on午 (Wu) is "Baihu," on未 (Wei) is "Tai Chang," on申 (Shen) is "Xuanwu," on酉 (You) is "Tai Yin," on戌 (Xu) is "Tianhou," on亥 (Hai) is "Guiren," on子 (Zi) is "Teng Snake," and on丑 (Chou) is "Zhuqiao." The Nobleman is on亥 (Hai). The Twelve Heavenly Generals are in order. The lesson does not mention the Month General and the time of divination, so it is inferred from the Four Lessons. The Heaven Plate is nine positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The Four Lessons are read from right to left: the Bing day's Lodging Palace is on巳 (Si), and on巳 (Si) is寅 (Yin), riding "Liu He"; the second lesson on寅 (Yin) is亥 (Hai), riding "Guiren"; the third lesson on the Day Branch午 (Wu) is卯 (Mao), riding "Gou Chen"; the fourth lesson on卯 (Mao) is子 (Zi), riding "Teng Snake." The Three Transmissions: the first is Zi, with the ten-thousand-year cycle indicating Renzi, riding "Teng Snake," and Zi water is the official ghost of Bing fire; the second is You, with the ten-thousand-year cycle indicating Jiyou, riding "Tai Yin," which is wife wealth; the third is Wu, with the ten-thousand-year cycle indicating Bingwu, riding "Baihu," which is brother. The three transmissions, Zi, You, and Wu, combined with the third lesson's Mao, form the "four cardinal points" of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, showing an interwoven pattern.

祝泌奏曰：四課皆無克，辰之陰神子，剋日為用。日丙也，辰外也，外來克內，夷來侵擾之象。遙克謂之無刑，幸而游都與貴人，皆在三傳之外，主虜目今在境矣。

Zhu Bi submitted a memorial stating that the four lessons neither form a mutual control above nor below, so he took the yin spirit Zi Water from the day branch to control the day stem in the initiating transmission. The day stem, Bing Fire, represents the internal side, while the day branch represents the external side; an external control over the internal signifies the image of foreign tribes invading. This kind of mutual control at a distance is called 'no punishment.' Fortunately, the spirit煞 'You Du,' which governs military incursions, and the nobleman are both located outside the three transmissions, indicating that the enemy forces are currently at the border.

此課，蛇虎在傳，四仲相交，歌曰：「今日辰當為子午，傳中四仲類相因，三交家隱奸私客，不是逃亡將避迍。」推目今邊境，想巳被來冦來侵，不利而去。但課之始終，吉氣少而凶氣多，未能免冦之患。目今之吉者，發用落空，游都在三辰之外也；未能免冦者，四仲續蛇虎為初終也；不至大害者，太陰在傳，貴順而加日本也。

In this divination, the Teng Snake and White Tiger both appear in the Three Transmissions, and the four central branches are intermingled. The verse says: "If today's day branch is Zi or Wu, and the Three Transmissions contain the four central branches, then the three intersecting divination indicates that there is a hidden secret guest in the household; either someone has fled or someone is taking refuge." Based on this, the current situation at the border is inferred to have already experienced an attack (the original text mistakenly writes 'Si' instead of 'Yi'), and the enemy failed to gain advantage and retreated. However, throughout this divination, the auspicious energy is minimal while the ominous energy is abundant, so寇患 cannot be avoided. The reason why it is currently considered auspicious is that the initiating transmission falls in Kongwang, and the wandering palace is outside the three heavens. The reason why寇患 cannot be avoided is that the four central branches follow each other, and the Teng Snake and White Tiger occupy the first and final transmissions respectively. The reason why it does not lead to great harm is that Tai Yin is in the Three Transmissions, and the nobleman moves in a favorable direction and overlays the day stem position.

貴后陰玄

This line represents the arrangement of heavenly generals remaining after the previous divination example's lesson disk was compressed into a single line. The four characters are all abbreviated names of heavenly generals: "Guì" refers to the Nobleman, "Hòu" refers to the Heavenly Empress, "Yīn" refers to Tai Yin, and "Xuán" refers to the Black Tortoise. Originally, each of these was positioned over a specific earthly branch position on the earth plate, indicating the heavenly general accompanying the heavenly god at that position. Now, the corresponding earthly branches, four lessons, and three transmissions have all been dispersed outside this line, so the four generals alone cannot restore the complete lesson structure. Therefore, it is preserved exactly as in the original text without any supplementation. The following commentary by Zhu Bi is based precisely on this lesson.

祝泌奏曰：四課皆無克，辰之陰神子，剋日為用。日丙也，辰外也，外來克內，夷來侵擾之象。遙克謂之無刑，幸而游都與貴人，皆在三傳之外，主虜目今在境矣。此課，蛇虎在傳，四仲相交，歌曰：「今日辰當為子午，傳中四仲類相因，三交家隱奸私客，不是逃亡將避迍。」推目今邊境，想巳被來冦來侵，不利而去。但課之始終，吉氣少而凶氣多，未能免冦之患。目今之吉者，發用落空，游都在三辰之外也。未能免冦者，四仲續蛇虎為初終也。不至大害者，太陰在傳，貴順而加日本也。

Zhu Bi submitted a report stating: In this lesson, the upper and lower spirits of the four lessons do not mutually control each other. Only the Yin spirit Zi water at the day branch position controls the day stem. Therefore, it is taken as the 'initiating transmission' (first transmission). The day stem is Bing fire, representing oneself; Chen is the position of external affairs, representing the outside. When the external position controls the internal position, it indicates the image of foreign tribes invading and border disturbances. Since there is no mutual control among the four lessons, but the Yin spirit controls from a distance, the diviners call this 'no punishment'. Fortunately, the 'You Du' spirit and the 'Tian Yi Gu Ren' which represent thieves and invaders are located outside the three transmissions, indicating that the enemy is currently only active along the border. In this lesson, the two凶 spirits Teng Snake and Bai Hu have entered the three transmissions. The four central spirits Zi, Wu, Mao, and You intersect with each other. The verse says: 'Today's Chen corresponds to Zi and Wu, the four central spirits in the transmission are interrelated. The three intersections indicate hidden private outsiders, either escape or avoidance of misfortune.' Therefore, the four central spirits intersecting to form the 'three intersections lesson' indicates that there are hidden outsiders in the family, either escape or avoidance of misfortune. Based on this, it can be inferred that the current border has been disturbed by the invaders for a while, but since they could not gain an advantage, they retreated. However, looking at the entire lesson from beginning to end, there is little auspicious energy and much inauspicious energy, so the border trouble has not yet been removed. The current situation is considered auspicious because the initiating transmission spirit is in the旬空, and You Du is outside the three chens. The reason for the border trouble not being avoided is because the four central spirits are connected with Teng Snake and Bai Hu, forming the first and final transmissions. However, it is said that it will not lead to great harm because the hidden Tai Yin is in the three transmissions, and the Gu Ren is added in a forward direction at the day stem's original position.

乾隆己巳年二月丙午日戌將子時占陰晴。牧夫占驗　空虎常玄　卯辰巳午　龍虎勾空　子 癸丑 勾　龍寅　未陰　寅辰丑卯　鬼 辛亥 朱　勾丑　申后　辰午卯丙　財 己酉 貴　子亥戌酉　合朱蛇貴

In the year Jisi of the Qianlong era, on the second month, on the day Bingwu, the divination was cast using the month general Xu placed on the Zi hour. The question was about the weather for this ten-day period. This entry is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The following is the compressed layout of the divination board. The Heaven and Earth plates form a circle: the top row is "Mao Chen Si Wu," with the following in order "Kong, Hu, Chang, Xuan" (Heavenly Void, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise). On the left side are "Long (Azure Dragon) Yin" and "Gou (Gou Chen) Chou." On the right side are "Wei, Yin (Tai Yin)" and "Shen, Hou (Heavenly Empress)." The bottom row is "Zi Hai Xu You," with the following in order "He, Zhu, She, Gui" (Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake, Tian Yi Gui Ren). The twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in order from the Nobleman, with the Nobleman falling exactly on the Heaven Plate You. The four lessons' lower deities are arranged from right to left as "Chen Wu Mao Bing," and the upper deities are "Yin Chen Chou Mao," each accompanied by "Long, Hu, Gou, Kong," that is, the first lesson Mao added to Bing, the second lesson Chou added to Mao, the third lesson Chen added to Wu (the day branch Wu has Chen on it), and the fourth lesson Yin added to Chen. The three transmissions are Chou, Hai, You: the first transmission Chou is the son grandson yao, hidden dry癸, accompanied by Gou Chen; the second transmission Hai is the official ghost yao, hidden dry辛, accompanied by Zhu Que; the third transmission You is the wife wealth yao, hidden dry己, accompanied by the Nobleman.

王牧夫曰：課名極陰，初用土空，中傳朱雀，又臨亥位，丑為雨師，亥為水神，酉為兌澤，而水墓又在支，俱主陰雨之象，今日上卯乘天空生日，主無雨。丁未戊申己酉三日，未土上巳為風，陰神卯木亦為風，是日主風晴。申日午受克，玄武制陰神白虎天罡，主陰晦。酉日未乘太陰，亦主陰晦。庚戌上申為水母，乘天后相生，主雨。酉為貴人加亥，亥主大雨。壬子日方晴。晴而未融，以蛇居太陽上也。丑日始為正晴，此擬一旬之內，陰晴如此。

Wang Mufu said: This lesson is called "Extreme Yin Lesson." The first transmission is the earth of Chou, which falls within the旬空, and the middle transmission is riding on the Vermilion Bird and is located at the position of Hai. Chou is the "Rain Master" in the divine omens, Hai is the water god, You belongs to the卦 of兑 (Lake) and is water, and the water's storage position Chen is also pressing on the day branch Wu. These are all signs of rain. However, today the day stem Bing has the wood of Mao riding on Tian Kong, which turns back to nourish the fire of Bing, so the day will be clear and not rain. On the days of Dingwei, Wushen, and Jiyou: On the day of Wei, the earth of Wei has the fire of Si, which governs wind, and the hidden spirit of Wei, the wood of Mao, also governs wind, so these three days will be windy and clear. On the day of Shen, the fire of Wu is restrained, the Black Tortoise presses on the hidden spirit of the White Tiger riding on Tiangang Chen, indicating cloudy weather. On the day of You, the earth of Wei has the Tai Yin, also indicating cloudy weather. On the day of Gengxu, the earth of Xu has the metal of Shen, which can generate water, and Shen is the mother of water, and it also rides on the Heavenly Empress, which generates it, so it will rain. On the day of You, the Nobleman is on Hai, which governs heavy rain. It will not be clear until the day of Renzi, but the clarity is not bright, because the Teng Snake is pressing on the Sun (Month General). It is only on the day of Chou that the weather will finally clear. This is Wang Mufu's entire conclusion about the changes of clear and rainy weather within this ten-day period.

十二月丙午日子將亥時某占病。方本占案　朱蛇　六午未申酉貴　陳巳　戌后　蛇朱朱六　財 戊申 蛇　龍辰　亥陰　申未未午　財 己酉 貴　空卯寅丑子玄　未午午丙　子 庚戌 后　虎常

On the 12th month, Bingwu day, using the month general Zi placed on the Hai hour to cast the divination, someone comes to inquire about illness. This passage is from "Fang Ben Zhan An." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with "Zhu, She" (Zhu Que, Teng Snake); the next row is "Liu He (Six Harmonies), Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Gui (Nobleman)"; on the left side "Chen (Gou Chen, in this book, both 'Gou' and 'Chen' are used interchangeably, both referring to Gou Chen) Si" faces the right side "Xu, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; "Long (Qing Long) Chen" faces "Hai, Yin (Tai Yin)"; the lower row is "Kong (Tian Kong) Mao, Yin, Chou, Zi, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; ending with "Hu, Chang" (Bai Hu, Tai Chang). The four lessons have the deities from right to left as "Wei, Wu, Wu, Bing," and the upper deities are "Shen, Wei, Wei, Wu," each riding "She, Zhu, Zhu, Liu," meaning the first lesson is Wu with Bing, the second is Wei with Wu, the third is Wei with Wu (the day branch is Wu, so Wei is on Wu), and the fourth is Shen with Wei. The three transmissions are Shen, You, Xu: the first transmission Shen is the wife's wealth, hidden dry branch Wu, riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission You is the wife's wealth, hidden dry branch Ji, riding Nobleman; the final transmission Xu is the son's son, hidden dry branch Geng, riding Heavenly Empress.

邵彥和曰：定是咳嗽狂言，見鬼見神之狀。蓋三傳金，主肺主嗽，而午火又加丙，午火盛發，心神散亂，故主發躁狂言。鬼神之狀者，申加未，未臨宅，未主鬼神之狀。其人死者，傳歸死墓也。未中有鬼宿。

Shao Yanhe said: This illness must certainly involve coughing and talking incoherently, appearing as if seeing ghosts and spirits. Because the three transmissions are Shen, You, and Xu, which belong to metal, and metal corresponds to the lungs in the human body, thus causing coughing; and the first lesson is Wu fire added to the day stem Bing fire, making the fire too strong, thus scattering the mind and causing restlessness and madness, and speaking nonsense. It is said he sees ghosts and spirits because the fourth lesson has Shen added to Wei, and the heavenly stem Wei is located in the dwelling position; Wei branch in Six Rats corresponds to ghostly and strange phenomena. The prediction of his death is because the three transmissions finally end at Xu, which is the dead place for Bing fire. Moreover, within the territory of Wei, there is also the 'Ghost Mansion' among the twenty-eight constellations, further confirming the ghostly and spiritual phenomena.

皇祐三年辛卯歲三月丙午日仁宗皇帝宣楚衍，立夏日占課，衍依課奏對罷，帝又占陳貴妃六甲，年二十二歲姙身十月未產，得未時以月將從魁加未。一針見血　玉連環末卷　勾合朱蛇　未申酉戌　蛇合朱勾　財 戊申 合　龍午　亥貴　戌申酉未　子 庚戌 蛇　空巳　子后　申午未丙　鬼 壬子 后　辰卯寅丑　虎常玄陰

On the day of the third month of the third year of Huangyou, which was the Xinmao year and the Bingwu day, Emperor Renzong of the Song dynasty summoned Chu Yan and ordered him to cast a divination for the coming of summer. After Chu Yan completed his divination, the emperor asked him to predict the childbirth of Consort Chen. Consort Chen was twenty-two years old and had been pregnant for ten months but had not yet given birth. The divination was cast at the hour of Wei (the sixth hour). The month general was "Congkui" (You), which was placed on Wei to start the divination. This entry is from "Yizhen Jianxue" and also appears in the last volume of "Yulianhuan." The course of the divination is presented as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the upper row is "Wei, Shen, You, Xu" (autumn quarter), with "Gou Chen, Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake" (Gou Chen, Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake) above them; on the left side are "Qinglong (Azure Dragon) Wu" and "Tian Kong (Heavenly Void) Si"; on the right side are "Hai, Guiren (Nobleman)" and "Zi, Tianhou (Heavenly Empress)"; the lower row is "Chen, Mao, Yin, Chou," with "Baihu (White Tiger), Tai Chang, Xuanwu (Black Tortoise), Tai Yin" (Baihu, Tai Chang, Xuanwu, Tai Yin) below them. The four lessons have the heavenly spirits arranged from right to left as "Shen, Wu, Wei, Bing," and the upper spirits are "Xu, Shen, You, Wei," each riding "Teng Snake, Liu He, Zhu Que, Gou Chen," meaning the first lesson is Wei with Bing, the second lesson is You with Wei, the third lesson is Shen with Wu (the day branch is Wu, and Shen is on Wu), and the fourth lesson is Xu with Shen. The three transmissions are Shen, Xu, Zi: the first transmission is Shen, representing the wife's wealth, with the hidden heavenly stem Wu and riding Liu He; the second transmission is Xu, representing the son's fortune, with the hidden heavenly stem Geng and riding Teng Snake; the third transmission is Zi, representing the official ghost, with the hidden heavenly stem Ren and riding Tianhou.

楚衍奏曰：此課占產，臣不敢言。帝曰：但實言課意。衍奏云：於今月二十三庚戌日，辰時，降生一公證，必失左目，生後五日恐有不測，雖產危而無損，宜預備之。上云：有禳法否？衍云：無法禳之，臣當萬死。上當日漸有怒色，云：出外聽旨。即時差人臨守楚衍。至二十三日庚戌辰時，降生一公證，貴妃產生時甚艱難，至當日晚，公主忽發搐搦，遂損左目，至二十七日公主死。即時賜楚衍御酒香藥。次日引見，乞恩謝罪。上云：應驗如神。

Chu Yan presented a report stating: This divination concerns childbirth, and the minister dares not speak plainly. Renzong said: Just tell the meaning of the divination truthfully. Chu Yan then reported: On the 23rd day of this month, Gengxu, at the hour of Chen, a princess will be born. This girl will certainly lose her left eye; within five days of her birth, she may even face the risk of death. Although childbirth is dangerous, the mother will not be harmed. Preparations should be made in advance. The emperor asked: Is there any way to avert this? Chu Yan replied: There is no way to ward it off; the minister deserves to die a thousand deaths. On that day, Renzong's expression gradually turned angry and said: Go outside and wait for the imperial decree. He immediately sent people to guard Chu Yan. On the 23rd day of the month, at the hour of Chen, a princess was indeed born. The imperial consort experienced a very difficult childbirth, and by that night, the princess suddenly convulsed, losing her left eye. On the 27th day, the princess died. Renzong immediately bestowed on Chu Yan imperial wine and aromatic medicine. The next day, he summoned Chu Yan to court, and Chu Yan knelt and thanked him for his pardon. Renzong said: Your divination proved accurate as if by divine power.

議曰：母行年立亥上，見丑加之，丑與子合，庚戌日辰時生午火旺，申金死，下勝於上，故生女。申金乘六合內戰外傷六合之木，木屬眼，申屬陽，陽主左，故損左目。生後五日見寅，寅是金絕之地，以日干為子，則庚戌自絕於寅，寅上又天罡白虎，故五日後子死無疑。變入亂首，故母有產危，支本屬母，午火四月正旺，建上有天醫乘青龍吉神，故母產後無恙。

The commentary states: The mother's age falls on the亥 (Hai) position, and the丑 (Chou) branch is added upon it. Since丑 (Chou) combines with子 (Zi), the child is born on庚戌 (Gengxu) day. At that time,午火 (Wu Fire) is strong and申金 (Shen Metal) is in a dead position, so the lower god overpowers the upper god, indicating the birth of a girl. The申金 (Shen Metal) is riding on六合 (Liu He), creating a situation of internal conflict and external injury, which harms the wood associated with六合 (Liu He). Wood in the human body corresponds to the eyes. Since申 is yang, yang governs the left side, so the left eye is damaged. On the fifth day after birth, it is寅 (Yin) day, which is the绝 (Jue) position for metal. Taking the day stem as the child, Gengxu is cut off by寅. On寅, there is also Tiangang (Chen) and White Tiger, so the child will surely die within five days. The entire chart transforms into the "Disorder of the Head" pattern, so the mother faces the danger of difficult childbirth. However, the day branch represents the mother, and午火 (Wu Fire) is prosperous in the fourth month. Additionally, the month builder has Tianyi (a good god) riding on Qinglong (Azure Dragon), so the mother will have a safe delivery.

四月丙午日申將午時占風水。張本占案　勾合朱蛇　未申酉戌　蛇合朱勾　財 戊申 合　龍午　亥貴　戌申酉未　子 庚戌 蛇　空巳　子后　申午未丙　鬼 壬子 后　辰卯寅丑　虎常玄陰

In the fourth month on a Bingwu day, the lesson is cast using the Month General Shen placed on the Wu hour. The divination is about the风水 of a tomb or residence. This passage is from the "Zhang Ben Zhan An." The lesson disk is arranged as follows. The Heaven and Earth disk is arranged in a circle: the top row is "Wei Shen You Xu," with "Gou, He, Zhu, Sha" (Gou Chen, Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Sha) above it; on the left side are "Long (Qinglong) Wu" and "Kong (Tian Kong) Si"; on the right side are "Hai, Gui (Guiren)" and "Zi, Hou (Tianhou)"; the bottom row is "Chen Mao Yin Chou," with "Hu, Chang, Xuan, Yin" (Baihu, Tai Chang, Xuanwu, Tai Yin) below it. The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Shen Wu Wei Bing," and the upper spirits are "Xu Shen You Wei," each riding "Sha, He, Zhu, Gou," that is, the first lesson Wei with Bing, the second lesson You with Wei, the third lesson Shen with Wu, and the fourth lesson Xu with Shen. The three transmissions are Shen, Xu, Zi: the first transmission Shen is the wife's wealth爻, hidden dry branch Wu, riding Liu He; the middle transmission Xu is the son's wealth爻, hidden dry branch Geng, riding Teng Sha; the final transmission Zi is the official ghost爻, hidden dry branch Ren, riding Tianhou. This lesson is exactly the same as the previous one used by Chu Yan to divinate the birth of the favored concubine, except that the subject being divined is different.

劉日新曰：干為龍，干上未，是朱龍偏斜不正。支為穴，支上申是穴居高地，朱雀臨酉作夜貴，前砂圓正。青龍臨午加辰，左砂尖利有餘。白虎臨辰加寅，洩氣受克，為不足於右砂也。朱旺作丁未向，若戌則為火墓，不可用。三傳為涉三淵，初主買賣破財，兼傷小口。中蛇乘墓，主喪妻。末居子加戌，又因婦人敗家，損害家長。

Liu Rixin says: When divining风水, the day stem represents the coming dragon, and the god on the stem is Wei, which is earth and slopes out, so this coming dragon has red and yellow earth that is slanted and not upright. The day branch represents the site, and the god on the branch is Shen, which belongs to high and elevated, so the site is located on high ground. The Vermilion Bird is present at You, which is the night nobleman of this day, indicating that the case sand in front of the site is round and upright. The Azure Dragon rides the Heaven Plate Wu and is placed on the Earth Plate Chen, indicating that the left sand hand is sharp and excessive. The White Tiger rides the Heaven Plate Chen and is placed on the Earth Plate Yin, where the Chen earth generates the Yin wood and releases energy, and is further weakened by the Yin wood, so the right sand hand is insufficient. The Vermilion Bird's energy is strong, so it is suitable to set the direction as Dingwei. If the direction is set as Xu, which is the burial place of fire, it should not be used. The three transmissions are Shen, Xu, and Zi, with water energy progressing, forming the lesson pattern of "entering three depths," which indicates misfortune: the first transmission indicates loss of wealth in business and injury to the family's young members; the middle transmission is Xu riding the Teng Snake, which is the burial god, indicating the loss of the wife; the final transmission is Zi placed on Xu, which indicates failure due to women, causing damage to the head of the family.

順治甲申年三月十八丙午日酉將午時卞孟井聞真定被圍，占城池安危。指南　朱蛇　六申酉戌亥貴　后朱貴六　財 戊申 六　勾未　子后　子酉亥申　官 辛亥 貴　青午　丑陰　酉午申丙　父 甲寅 玄　空巳辰卯寅玄　虎常

In the year Jiashen of the Shunzhi era, on the eighteenth day of the third lunar month, at the hour of Wu, the method of casting a divination was initiated by placing the Month General You on the Wu hour. Bian Meng Jing heard that Zhending was under siege and consulted about the safety of the city. This passage is from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: beginning with "Zhu, She" (Zhu Que, Teng She); then "Liuxi (Liu He) Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Gui (Nobleman)"; on the left side "Gou (Gou Chen) Wei" facing the right side "Zi, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; "Qing (Qing Long) Wu" facing "Chou, Yin (Tai Yin)"; the lower row is "Kong (Tian Kong) Si, Chen, Mao, Yin, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; ending with "Hu, Chang" (Bai Hu, Tai Chang). The four lessons are arranged from right to left as "You Wu Shen Bing," and the upper gods are "Zi You Hai Shen," each accompanied by "Hou, Zhu, Gui, Liuxi," meaning the first lesson is Shen with Bing, the second is Hai with Shen, the third is You with Wu (on the day branch Wu), and the fourth is Zi with You. The three transmissions are Shen, Hai, Yin: the first transmission Shen represents the wife's wealth, with the hidden stem Wu, riding on Liu He; the middle transmission Hai represents the official ghost, with the hidden stem Xin, riding on Nobleman; the final transmission Yin represents the parents, with the hidden stem Ji, riding on Xuan Wu.

陳公獻曰：不惟真定內變城破，即燕京亦有他虞。蓋因初傳財爻內戰，又乘相氣沖剋旬空之末傳，干支又被兩陰神所克，支又克支上神，主居民心散，兵馬為錢糧內變，左右獻城弒主之象。且末傳寅為幽燕，被初傳申馬沖剋，燕京安能無虞？即此日京城亦被賊所破，月餘聞報，餘言皆驗矣。

Chen Gongxian said: Not only will Zhending be captured due to internal strife, but Yanjing will also suffer other calamities. Because the first transmission is Shen, which is the wife's wealth hexagram, forming an internal conflict situation, and it is riding on the current phase energy to clash and control the final transmission which is in the旬空; the day stem and day branch are both being attacked by their respective yin spirits, and the day branch even attacks the spirit on the branch - all of these indicate that the people within the city are disunited, the troops are causing internal disturbances over food and supplies, and there are ominous signs of subordinates surrendering the city and killing their commanders. Moreover, the final transmission Yin, which is in the territory corresponding to Youyan, is being attacked by the first transmission Shen, which is the post-horse spirit. How can Yanjing remain unscathed? On that very day, the capital was also captured by bandits. More than a month later, the news came, and all my words were fulfilled.

順治乙酉年正月丙午日丙申時，總漕部院白公百原聞高鎮睢州被許定國圍困，占吉凶若何。指南　蛇貴　朱酉戌亥子后　玄蛇陰朱　財 己酉 朱　六申　丑陰　寅戌丑酉　子 癸丑 陰　勾未　寅玄　戌午酉丙　比 乙巳 空　青午巳辰卯常　空虎

In the year of Yiyou of the Shunzhi era, on the first day of the first lunar month, on the day of Bingwu and the hour of Bingshen, the Grand Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Bai Boyuan, heard that Gao Zhen was surrounded by Xu Dingguo in Suizhou, and he consulted the fortune to determine the outcome. This entry is from the "Six Rats Guide." The lesson disk is arranged as follows. The Heaven and Earth disk is arranged in a circle: starting with "Snake, Nobleman" (Teng Snake, Nobleman); then "Zhu (Al雀) You, Xu, Hai, Zi, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; on the left "Liu (Liu He) Shen" facing the right "Chou, Yin (Tai Yin)"; "Gou (Gou Chen) Wei" facing "Yin, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; the lower row is "Qing (Qing Long) Wu, Si, Chen, Mao, Chang (Tai Chang)"; ending with "Kong, Hu" (Tian Kong, Bai Hu). The four lessons' spirits are arranged from right to left as "Xu Wu You Bing," and the upper spirits are "Yin Xu Chou You," each riding on "Xuan, Snake, Yin, Zhu," that is, the first lesson You added to Bing, the second lesson Chou added to You, the third lesson Xu added to Wu (with Wu on the day branch), and the fourth lesson Yin added to Xu. The three transmissions are You, Chou, Si, forming the metal triad of Si You Chou: the first transmission You is the wife's wealth, hidden dry Jia, riding Zhu; the second transmission Chou is the son's son, hidden dry Ji, riding Tai Yin; the third transmission Si is the companion, hidden dry Yi, riding Tian Kong.

陳公獻曰：興平公必被戮。課傳從革，合中刑干害支。春占金局為返射肅殺之氣；戌命長生被其克盡，全無一點化解，況干乘死氣，支乘干支之墓，不惟主墮客計，而主亦自被其愚矣。又干支命年上神俱遭刑剋墓害，死又何疑乎？三日後果應。

Chen Gongxian said: Xingping Marquis Gao Jie is certainly going to be killed. The three transmissions are巳, 酉, and 丑, forming a metal trinity, which is a "from revolution" divination lesson. Within the triple harmony, there is also a hidden凶 mechanism that harms the day stem and harms the day branch. In spring, obtaining a metal trinity, the metal qi comes against the current wood qi of the season, which is a returning cutting and killing qi. The long life place of the native's戌 is completely overcome by this metal qi, with no way to resolve it. Moreover, the day stem is riding on death qi, and the day branch is riding on the tomb god of the day stem and day branch, which not only indicates that he has fallen into the other party's trap, but also that the general himself has been deceived. Now looking at the gods and generals above the day stem, day branch, native's destiny, and the year, they are all subjected to punishment, overcome, buried, and harmed. How can death be questionable? Three days later, it indeed came true.

崇正戊寅年二月丙午日戌將巳時，淮安蔡熙陽任北中府時占推吳淞總戎可得否。指南　貴后　蛇戌亥子丑陰　白貴常蛇　子 甲辰 白　朱酉　寅玄　辰亥卯戌　財 己酉 朱　六申　卯常　亥午戌丙　父 甲寅 玄　勾未午巳辰虎　龍空

In the year Wuyin of the Chongzheng era, on the second month, on the day Bingwu, using the month general Xu placed on the time of Si, a divination was cast. At that time, Cai Xiyang, a person from Huai'an, held the position of Northern Middle Governor and was asking whether he could obtain the position of Commander of Wusong. This entry is from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates form a circle: starting with "Guì, Hou" (Nobleman, Heavenly Empress); then "Shé (Teng Snake) Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin (Tai Yin)"; on the left side "Zhu (Zhu Qiao) You" faces the right side "Yin, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; "Liu (Liu He) Shen" faces "Mao, Chang (Tai Chang)"; the lower row is "Gou (Gou Chen) Wei, Wu, Si, Chen, Hu (Bai Hu)", ending with "Long, Kong" (Qing Long, Tian Kong). The four lessons' deities are arranged from right to left as "Hai, Wu, Xu, Bing," and the upper deities are "Chen, Hai, Mao, Xu," each accompanied by "Bai, Guì, Chang, She," meaning the first lesson is Xu added to Bing, the second is Mao added to Xu, the third is Hai added to Wu (with the day branch Wu having Hai), and the fourth is Chen added to Hai. The three transmissions are Chen, You, and Yin: the first transmission Chen is the son's爻, with the hidden stem Jia, riding on Bai Hu; the middle transmission You is the wife's wealth爻, with the hidden stem Ji, riding on Zhu Qiao; the final transmission Yin is the father's爻, with the hidden stem Jia, riding on Xuan Wu.

陳公獻曰：先推吾兄後推翁也。何以見之？蓋因亥貴作官星臨支，亥乃吾兄之命，辰乃翁之命，辰入辰陰發用，是以先推亥命者，且辰自亥發傳，與陳同姓同音，故知如此。果未及旬日推吾兄吳淞總鎮，兩月後，推蔡狼山提督。

Chen Gongxian said: This case will first be assigned to my elder brother, and then to you. Why do you think so? Because the nobleman is riding on the亥 branch and functioning as an official star, which is directly on the day branch. The亥 branch is exactly the birth year of my elder brother; the辰 branch is your birth year. Now the辰 branch is issuing from its own branch's hidden spirit, so the亥 branch is first recommended. Moreover, the three transmissions of the辰 branch originate from the亥 position, and the word '辰' sounds the same as 'Chen', which is my surname, so we know the result. Later, within less than ten days, my elder brother was appointed as the commander of Wusong. Two months later, Cai Xiyang was recommended as the commander of Langshan.

嘉祐四年己亥歲三月十三日老鶴在殿上，奉御旨宣苗公達，問此鶴何時飛去？後往何方？死在何年月日時？當日丙午，正辰時占，酉將。苗公達斷經　貴后　蛇戌亥子丑陰　白貴常蛇　子 甲辰 白　朱酉　寅玄　辰亥卯戌　財 己酉 朱　六申　卯常　亥午戌丙　父 甲寅 玄　勾未午巳辰虎　龍空

In the fourth year of the Jiayou era, on the thirteenth day of the third lunar month of the Jihai year, an old crane perched on the palace roof. The emperor summoned Master Miao Gongda to court and asked when the crane would fly away, where it would go afterwards, and when and where it would die. That day was Bingwu, and the divination was cast at the hour of Chen. The month general used was You. This entry is from the "Miao Gongda Divination Classic." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with "Guì, Hou" (Nobleman, Heavenly Empress); the next row is "Shé (Teng Snake) Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin (Tai Yin)"; on the left, "Zhu (Zhu Qiao) You" faces the right side "Yin, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; "Liu (Liu He) Shen" faces "Mao, Chang (Tai Chang)"; the lower row is "Gou (Gou Chen) Wei, Wu, Si, Chen, Hu (Bai Hu)"; ending with "Long, Kong" (Qing Long, Tian Kong). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Hai Wu Xu Bing," and the upper spirits are "Chen Hai Mao Xu," each accompanied by "Bai, Guì, Chang, Shé." The three transmissions are Chen, You, and Yin: the first transmission, Chen, is the son爻, hidden dry branch Jia, accompanied by Bai Hu; the middle transmission, You, is the wife wealth爻, hidden dry branch Ji, accompanied by Zhu Qiao; the final transmission, Yin, is the parent爻, hidden dry branch Jia, accompanied by Xuan Wu. This course is the same as the one used by Cai Xiyang in his divination for the general.

苗公達曰：卦名斬關，此鶴今日未時起去，飛正南方，不出一里，卻望回正西方去。今年九月壬寅日辰時此鶴在水邊被軍人將青黑食，用羅網而獲，見血而死。上曰：何也？奏曰：正時加太歲，逢白虎，不出時下起。丙午日並在天網，擇旺處，故望南方飛。不出一里回望正西者，天乙太歲並立，故回兌上。酉為朱雀，陰是從魁，更與生氣並也。今年九月壬寅日辰時，被軍人於水邊所獲者，朱雀被日辰所制，日上見戌，應於九月。終於寅，為玄武，故壬寅日，辰加亥兼亥加支上，則主近水。玄黑色食，天罡是軍人，為大殺（大殺正月起戌行四季）並死氣又見白虎，行年又值天罡，日上又見騰蛇，故及時見血死也。

Miao Gongda reported: This divination is called "Cutting the Gate." This crane will take off at the hour of You (13-15) today, first flying toward Due South, but will not fly more than one li before turning back toward Due West. On the day of Renyin in September of this year at the hour of Chen (9-11), this crane will be caught by soldiers near the water with bait of dark blue color, and will die when it bleeds. The Emperor asked: On what basis do you make this judgment? Miao Gongda reported: The correct hour of the divination is placed on the Tai Su, and it coincides with the White Tiger, so the crane takes off at this hour. On the day of Bingwu, both the day and the hour fall within the "Heavenly Net," so the crane must fly toward the direction of prosperity, hence first flying south. The reason it turns back to Due West within one li is because the Heavenly Ethical Nobleman and the Tai Su are both in the same position, so it returns to the position of Dui (West); You is the Vermilion Bird, whose hidden spirit is Congkui (You), and it also coincides with Life Qi. The judgment that it will be caught by soldiers near the water on the day of Renyin in September at the hour of Chen is because the Vermilion Bird is restrained by the day branch, the hour has Wu, which corresponds to September; the three transmissions end at寅, and寅 is occupied by the Black Tortoise, so the event is fixed on the day of Renyin. The hour Chen is placed on Hai, and Hai is placed on the day branch, so the event occurs near water. The Black Tortoise represents black color, which corresponds to the dark blue bait; the Tiangang Chen represents soldiers, and it is also "Great Killing" (the Great Killing God starts at Wu in January and moves according to the four seasons' branches), coinciding with Death Qi, and also the White Tiger; the year's position also coincides with Tiangang, and the day has Teng Snake. Therefore, at that time, this crane will certainly die with bleeding.

辛丑年九月二十三丁未日卯將戌時占冦。一針見血　蛇貴后陰　戌亥子丑　空后空后　兄 乙巳 空　朱酉　寅玄　巳子巳子　子 庚戌 蛇　合申　卯常　子未子丁　父 ◎卯 常　未午巳辰　勾龍空虎

In the year Xinchou, on the 23rd day of the ninth month, on the day Dingwei, using the month general of the hour of You, the divination was cast for an inquiry about bandits. This passage is from "Yizhen Jianxue." The course is arranged as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates are arranged in a circle: the top row is "Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou," with the superimposed spirits "Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin"; the left side is "Zhu (Zhuqiao), You" and "He (Liuhe), Shen"; the right side is "Yin, Xuan (Xuanwu)" and "Mao, Chang (Tai Chang)"; the bottom row is "Wei, Wu, Si, Chen," with the subordinated spirits "Gou Chen, Qinglong, Tiankong, Baihu." The four lessons have the spirits descending from right to left as "Zi Wei Zi Ding," and the upper spirits are "Si Zi Si Zi," each riding "Kong, Hou, Kong, Hou." Dingwei is an eighth-special day, where the heavenly stem and earthly branch are in the same palace, so the four lessons are repeated above and below. The first lesson is Zi added to Ding, the second is Si added to Zi, the third is Zi added to Wei, and the fourth is Si added to Zi. The three transmissions are Si, Xu, and Mao: the first transmission Si is the brother's yao, hidden stem Yi, riding Tiankong; the middle transmission Xu is the son's yao, hidden stem Geng, riding Teng Snake; the final transmission Mao is the parent's yao, riding Tai Chang. The preceding "◎" is a mark from the original text indicating the旬空 (ten-day emptiness), showing that Mao falls into Kongwang.

祝泌奏曰：謹詳此課，是八專課。有克為用，用起游都者，正主戎冦之神孔。丁日天空在巳，巳火神臨子，被下賊上，今秋冬火無氣。心鏡曰：游神旺相支干損，賊勢憑凌難守持。今游都無氣，傳歸己土，見戌為火墓，則游都立位也。乃受抑塞，其神騰蛇歸家。搓蛇亦賊神也，主賊狐疑而遁。此課於月將加戌，戌月建也。月建為城府，其將見天空，天空卒位也，今天空又歸家，主兵卒武戰者已歸城壁。此戌時課，三傳之占也。臣之算術，曾言九十月之交，有小冦。易曰：自我致冦，敬慎不敗。即而參之，此課當主丑類，一時干犯，隨即逃去。游都在日辰五位，貴人在日辰三位，虜已退矣。太常發用，是郡城拆搭未峰之占。然據此處，恐深冬虜再來。又宜戒飭守臣，無弛預備為主。

Zhu Bi submitted a memorial stating: Carefully analyzing this divination, it is the "Eight Special Class." Among the four lessons, if there is a剋 (overcoming), then the one that is剋 is used as the initiating transmission. The position of the initiating transmission starts from "You Du," which is the god governing military campaigns and bandits. On a Ding day, the Tian Kong (Heavenly Void) falls on Si, and the fire god is located on Zi water, being harmed by the lower god. Moreover, with the arrival of autumn and winter, the fire has already lost its strength. The "Heart Mirror" says: "The wandering god, when prosperous and strong, causes damage to the branches and stems; the thief's power rises and it is hard to hold on." Now, You Du has no strength, and the three transmissions end at Ji earth. Also, Xu is the burial place of fire, so You Du can only remain in place and be obstructed. The Teng Snake god has also returned to its original position. Teng Snake is also a thief god; when it returns to its home, it indicates that the thieves are doubtful and retreat. This divination is initiated by the monthly general placed on Xu, and Xu is precisely the monthly builder of this month. The monthly builder represents the city and government offices; on top of it is Tian Kong, which governs the position of soldiers. Now Tian Kong has also returned to its original position, indicating that the soldiers defending the city have all retreated behind the walls. This is the divination for the hour of Xu. The above is all based on the three transmissions. My divination technique previously mentioned that there would be small bands of bandits around the middle of September and October. The Zhou Yi says: "I invite the enemy, but if I am cautious, I will not fail." - Inviting the enemy is due to one's own actions, but if one is cautious, one will not fail. Considering all these together, this divination indicates a small enemy of the type of Chou, who will attack temporarily and then retreat. You Du is located at the fifth position of the day branch, and the nobleman is at the third position of the day branch, indicating that the enemy has already retreated. Tai Chang initiates the transmission, which is the omen of repairing or demolishing the city and the area around Wei Feng (this sentence is suspected to have errors or omissions, and its meaning cannot be clearly understood; I have preserved it as written). However, looking at the current situation, it is likely that the enemy will return again in deep winter, and it is still necessary to warn the border officials not to relax their vigilance.

建炎己酉年八月丁未日午將子時童巡檢丁卯生四十三歲占前程。方本占案　六陳　朱亥子丑寅龍　蛇戌　卯空　陰陳陰陳　兄 乙巳 常　貴酉　辰虎　未丑未丑　子 癸丑 陳　后申未午巳常　丑未丑丁　子 癸丑 陳　陰玄

In the year Ji You of the Jianyan era, in the eighth month, on the day Ding Wei, using the month general Wu placed on the Zi hour to cast the divination. Tong, the patrol inspector, was born in the year Ding Mao, aged forty-three, and consulted about his future prospects. This entry is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The course disk is arranged as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates form a circle: starting with "Liu He" (Six Harmonies), "Gou Chen" (Hooked Earth); then "Zhu (Zhu Que) Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, Long (Qing Long)"; on the left side "She (Teng She) Xu" faces the right side "Mao, Kong (Tian Kong)"; "Gui (Gui Ren) You" faces "Chen, Hu (Bai Hu)"; the lower row is "Hou (Tian Hou) Shen, Wei, Wu, Si, Chang (Tai Chang)"; ending with "Yin, Xuan" (Tai Yin, Xuan Wu). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Chou Wei Chou Ding," and the upper spirits are "Wei Chou Wei Chou," each riding "Yin, Chen, Yin, Chen." This forms the pattern of eight special days where the day stem and branch are in the same palace, and the upper and lower spirits repeat. The three transmissions are Si, Chou, Chou: the first transmission Si is the brother's yao, with the hidden stem Yi, riding Tai Chang, and Si is also the post-horse for the day Wei; the middle transmission Chou is the son's yao, with the hidden stem Ji, riding Gou Chen; the final transmission is still Chou, with the hidden stem Ji, riding Gou Chen.

邵彥和曰：一火生四土，行年雖有木，又不得地，如何救我？次第須有舊事牽絆。初驛馬動，便見起程，不是六十里，即一百二十里，後來降官壞任之憂，不是一件，定是二件。若止一件，必有大災，只願壽永也。是大幸不可別圖遷擢也。重重丑土作勾，豈是一件可了？童十月起程，過信州，果一百餘里，驀見追回，究前任不了事，遂不赴任，被拘四個月，得赦回家，方欲再去，被差保正。及分析了，又被侄兒爭分，留連半年，竟失此任。又過母墳，被山人誑開穴犯地道，次年六月遂死。

Shao Yanhe said: A fire god is going to give birth to four layers of earth. Although there is wood on the year stem to save the day stem, the wood does not have a proper position, so how can it save the day stem? According to the order, there must first be old matters that entangle the person. When the first transmission of the post-horse moves, he should start his journey, the distance is not sixty li but one hundred and twenty li. Afterwards, there will be worries of demotion and failure in his post, and there will not be only one, but certainly two. If there is only one, then there must certainly be a great disaster - only hoping to preserve his life, which is already considered a great fortune, and he must not seek promotion again. The multiple layers of earth are all Gou Chen, so how can one matter be settled? Later, Tong Xunjian left in October, passed through Xingzhou, indeed traveled over one hundred and twenty li, but suddenly was chased back, because he had unfinished official matters from his previous post, so he could not take office and was detained for four months before being released. Just when he wanted to go again, he was assigned as a guardian of the village; after the assignments were completed, he was disputed by his nephew over the division of family property, which involved him for half a year, and he finally lost this official position. He also passed by his mother's tomb, and was deceived by a fortune teller to dig the grave, which disturbed the land pulse, and he died in June of the next year.

蓋火生四土四勾，豈不脫氣？丑為舊事，又為今日子孫勾，主後必被諸事脫耗財物也。

Investigating the underlying principle: A fire deity must generate four layers of earth and four layers of Gou Chen, so how could the energy of the day stem not be drained away? In this lesson, the character Chou represents old matters and is also the son爻 of the current day, riding on Gou Chen. Therefore, it is determined that he will inevitably be burdened by various miscellaneous affairs, gradually depleting his wealth completely.

辛卯二月丁未癸卯時占董晉侯病。指南　朱六　蛇子丑寅卯勾　陰六陰六　財 己酉 陰　貴亥　辰龍　酉寅酉寅　子 甲辰 青　后戌　巳空　寅未寅丁　鬼 辛亥 貴　陰酉申未午虎　玄常

In the year Xinmao, second month, day Dingwei, and hour Guimao, a divination was made about the illness of Dong Jinhou. This passage is from the "Six Yin Guide." The lesson disk is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with "Zhu, Liu" (Vermilion Bird, Liu He); the next row is "Snake (Teng Snake), Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Gou (Gou Chen)"; on the left side "Gu (Nobleman) Hai" faces the right side "Chen, Long (Azure Dragon)"; "Hou (Heavenly Empress) Xu" faces "Si, Kong (Tian Kong)"; the lower row is "Yin (Tai Yin) You, Shen, Wei, Wu, Hu (White Tiger)"; ending with "Xuan, Chang" (Black Tortoise, Tai Chang). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Yin Wei Yin Ding," and the upper spirits are "You Yin You Yin," each accompanied by "Yin, Liu, Yin, Liu," forming the pattern of an eight-special day with the upper and lower spirits repeating. The three transmissions are You, Chen, and Hai: the first transmission You is the wife's wealth爻, hidden dry branch Ji, accompanied by Tai Yin; the middle transmission Chen is the son's fortune爻, hidden dry branch Ji, accompanied by Azure Dragon; the final transmission Hai is the official ghost爻, hidden dry branch Xin, accompanied by Nobleman.

陳公獻曰：此病主手足不舉，全無一點生氣，因日祿臨絕地（日祿午加亥為絕地），驛馬投墓鄉（巳為馬臨戌入墓也），又行年游魂，子巳相加，合為死字，三傳死墓絕，安能有救乎？蓋因卯加申、戌加卯，故知主風癲發搐之症。在何日？久病，應卯加申申日子時死矣。

Chen Gongxian said: This illness indicates the patient is unable to move his hands and feet, and has no life qi at all. Because the day stem's luck is in the place of death (for a day stem of Ding, its luck is in Wu, and Wu is placed on Hai, which is the place of death for fire), the post-horse also enters the storage (for a day stem of Wei, its post-horse is in Si, which is placed on Xu and enters the storage). Moreover, the year stem falls in the position of wandering souls, with Zi and Si combining, forming exactly the character 'death'. Among the three transmissions, death, storage, and place of death are all present; how can it be saved? Also, because Mao is placed on Shen and Xu is placed on Mao, it is known to be a type of illness involving wind, mania, and convulsions. When is the day it should happen? Since it is a long-term illness, it should happen on the day of Shen, at the hour of Shen, when Mao is placed on Shen.

崇正癸未七月丁未日未時，丹陽葺村盛順白被逮進京，舟泊邦關請占。指南　勾龍　六寅卯辰巳空　朱龍朱龍　鬼 辛亥 貴　朱丑　午虎　丑辰丑辰　子 甲辰 龍　蛇子　未常　辰未辰丁　子 甲辰 龍　貴亥戌酉申玄　后陰

In the year Guiwei of the Chongzheng era, on the day Dingwei of the seventh lunar month, at the hour of Wu, Shen Shun from Danyang Qicun was arrested and taken to Beijing by boat, which was moored at Bangguan. A person asked for a divination. This passage is from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with "Gou, Long" (Gou Chen, Azure Dragon); then "Liuxi (Liu He) Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Kong (Tian Kong)"; on the left side "Zhu (Zhu Que) Chou" faces the right side "Wu, Hu (Bai Hu)"; "She (Teng She) Zi" faces "Wei, Chang (Tai Chang)"; the lower row is "Gui (Gui Ren) Hai, Xu, You, Shen, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; ending with "Hou, Yin" (Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Chen Wei Chen Ding," and the upper spirits are "Chou Chen Chou Chen," each riding "Zhu, Long, Zhu, Long," making it an Eight Special course. The three transmissions are Hai, Chen, Chen: the first transmission Hai is the official ghost hexagram, hidden dry branch Xin, riding the nobleman; the middle transmission Chen is the son hexagram, hidden dry branch Ji, riding the Azure Dragon; the final transmission is still Chen, hidden dry branch Ji, riding the Azure Dragon.

陳公獻曰：其事定然辯雪，到京公訟前休。蓋因月將青龍加臨干支（八專課，月將辰乘龍臨干支），勾陳生日（勾乘卯生日干丁），官鬼空陷（亥子官鬼臨寅卯落空也），是以公訟辯雪白休息矣。

Chen Gongxian said: This case can certainly be cleared up and resolved. When it reaches the capital, the case will be settled before the trial begins. Because the Month General is riding on the Azure Dragon and is placed over the Day Stem and Day Branch (this is the Eight Special Lesson, where the Month General in the辰 position rides the Azure Dragon and is placed over the stem and branch). The Gou Chen also generates the Day Stem (the Gou Chen is riding on the卯, and the卯 wood generates the丁 fire). The official ghost falls into an empty and hidden position (the亥 and子 official ghosts are placed over the寅 and卯, but they fall into the旬空). Therefore, the case can be clarified and resolved.

自為周相公占課何如，手取棋子三十二枚，以十二除之，餘八枚，亦是此課。曰：己丑命見日墓（丁墓戌臨丑），年乘三刑（命上戌，太歲未，三刑故也），與寅命相去甚遠，烏能無罪？後相國賜死，李賊破北京，盛脫自歸。

He again cast a divination for Zhou Xianggong to see what would happen. He casually took thirty-two pieces of chess, divided them by twelve, and there remained eight. The ones he drew were exactly this divination. He then said: The day stem falls on Jichou, which is the墓 of the day stem (the墓 of Ding fire is in Xu, and Xu is directly on Chou). The year stem is also involved in the Three Punishments (the birth stem is Xu, the heavenly stem is Wei, and Xu and Wei are in mutual punishment). Moreover, the birth stem is Yin, which is far from the day stem. How could there be no guilt? Later, Zhou Xianggong was executed. When Li Zicheng captured Beijing, Shengshun Bai managed to escape and returned home himself.

乾隆己卯年八月丁未日辰將未時癸卯人三十七歲占鄉試。牧夫占驗　勾龍　六寅卯辰巳空　朱龍朱龍　鬼 辛亥 貴　朱丑　午虎　丑辰丑辰　子 甲辰 龍　蛇子　未常　辰未辰丁　子 甲辰 龍　貴亥戌酉申玄　后陰

In the year Jia Mao of the Qianlong era, on the 8th month, 4th day of Ding Wei, the divination was cast using the Month General Chen placed on the hour of Wei. The person consulted was born in the year Guimao, aged thirty-seven, and was asking about the provincial examination. This entry is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The used lesson is exactly the same as the previous one, where Sheng Shun Bai consulted. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle starting with "Gou, Long" (Gou Chen, Azure Dragon); the next is "Liuxi (Liu He) Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Tian Kong"; on the left side "Zhu (Zhu Que) Chou" faces the right side "Wu, Hu (Bai Hu)"; "She (Teng She) Zi" faces "Wei, Chang (Tai Chang)"; the lower row is "Gui (Gui Ren) Hai, Xu, You, Shen, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; ending with "Hou, Yin" (Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin). The lower gods of the four lessons are arranged from right to left as "Chen Wei Chen Ding," and the upper gods are "Chou Chen Chou Chen," each accompanied by "Zhu, Long, Zhu, Long." The three transmissions are Hai, Chen, Chen: the first transmission Hai is the official ghost爻, hidden dry branch Xin, accompanied by the nobleman; the middle and final transmissions are both Chen, which are the son and grandson爻, hidden dry branch Ji, accompanied by Azure Dragon.

王牧夫曰：貴德官星發傳，青龍天喜太陽墜末，氣雖不足，卻是功名之吉神，然今科主不得中。以年命逢空，誰為而受之乎？故占事年命亦不可逢空。初七日榜發果不中。

Wang Mufu said: The nobleman, the day's virtue and the official star all entered the three transmissions, while the azure dragon, heavenly joy and the sun fell into the final transmission. Although their energy is insufficient, they are all auspicious deities related to official rank. However, this examination still indicates failure to pass. Why? Because the year's stem and the native's stem both fell into the empty period, so even if the official rank arrives, who will receive it? Therefore, when divining matters, the year's stem and the native's stem should not fall into the empty period. On the seventh day, the list was published, and indeed he did not pass.

六月丁未日未將未時，某占失羊。方本占案　虎常　空巳午未申玄　龍辰　酉陰　常常常常　子 丁未 常　勾卯　戌后　未未未未　子 癸丑 朱　六寅丑子亥貴　未未未丁　子 庚戌 后　朱蛇

On the 26th day of the sixth month, using the month general 'Wei' placed on the 'Wei' hour to cast a divination, the month general and the time of divination are in the same position, so the Heaven Plate remains still, forming a 'Hidden Chant' lesson. Someone comes to inquire about a lost sheep. This passage is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The lesson disk is arranged as follows. The Heaven and Earth Plates form a circle, starting with 'Tiger, Tai Chang' (White Tiger, Tai Chang); the next row is 'Sky Void, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, Black Tortoise'; on the left side 'Azure Dragon, Chen' faces the right side 'You, Tai Yin'; 'Gou Chen, Mao' faces 'Xu, Heavenly Empress'; the bottom row is 'Liu He, Yin, Chou, Zi, Hai, Nobleman'; ending with 'Zhu, Snake' (Zhu Que, Teng Snake). The four lessons, with the spirits moving from right to left, are 'Wei, Wei, Wei, Ding'; the upper spirits are 'Wei, Wei, Wei, Wei'; all four positions are occupied by Tai Chang, which is exactly the image of a Hidden Chant, where the Heaven Plate remains still and the spirits and generals are in their original positions. The three transmissions are Wei, Chou, Xu: the first transmission is Wei, which is the grandson爻, hidden dry branch Ding, occupying Tai Chang; the middle transmission is Chou, which is the grandson爻, hidden dry branch Gui, occupying Zhu Que; the final transmission is Xu, which is the grandson爻, hidden dry branch Geng, occupying Heavenly Empress.

邵彥和曰：伏吟課，其羊定在西南兄弟姐妹親眷家尋之，今日申時可見。果申時在西南方妻姐家尋見。蓋未為羊，上作太陽月將，丁未日又未發用，故在西南。親眷者，未為眷屬者也。伏吟在本位不旺，未乃月將，五月當相氣，故不失。

Shao Yanhe said: This is a Hidden Chant divination, and the sheep must be in the Southwest with relatives and family members. Go there to look for it, and you will find it by the hour of Shen today. Later, it was indeed found at the hour of Shen in the Southwest at the wife's sister's house. The reason is: the branch Wei is the proper match for the sheep in the twelve branches, and Wei is also riding on the Sun and the Month General. On the day of Dingwei, Wei is also the Initiating Transmission, and Wei is located in the Southwest, so the conclusion was made that the sheep is in the Southwest. It is said to be in the family of relatives because Wei naturally governs relatives. In a Hidden Chant divination, the spirits and officials are all stationed at their original positions, and the energy does not move, so it is not considered strong. However, Wei is exactly the current Month General, and in the fifth month, Wei is the governing element, so the sheep cannot be lost.

己酉年九月丁未日卯將寅時應汝言癸未生二十七歲占前程。方本占案　朱蛇　六午未申酉貴　陳巳　戌后　貴蛇貴蛇　財 丙申 蛇　龍辰　亥陰　酉申酉申　財 丁酉 貴　空卯寅丑子玄　申未申丁　子 戊戌 后　虎常

In the year Ji You, ninth month, day Ding Wei, the divination was cast with the month general positioned on the hour of Yin. The divination is for someone born in the year Gui Wei, aged twenty-seven, asking about his future. This passage is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates form a circle, starting with "Zhu, She" (Al雀, Teng Snake); the next row is "Liu He (Six Harmonies) Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Gui (Nobleman)"; on the left side "Chen (Gou Chen) Si" faces the right side "Xu, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; "Long (Qing Long) Chen" faces "Hai, Yin (Tai Yin)"; the lower row is "Kong (Tian Kong) Mao, Yin, Chou, Zi, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; ending with "Hu, Chang" (Bai Hu, Tai Chang). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Shen Wei Shen Ding," and the upper spirits are "You Shen You Shen," each accompanied by "Gui, She, Gui, She," forming a pattern where the upper and lower spirits repeat on an eight-special day. The three transmissions are Shen, You, Xu: the first transmission Shen represents the wife's wealth, with the hidden stem Bing and accompanied by Teng Snake; the middle transmission You represents the wife's wealth, with the hidden stem Ding and accompanied by Nobleman; the final transmission Xu represents the son's wealth, with the hidden stem Wu and accompanied by Heavenly Empress.

邵彥和曰：若問功名難許，問財即富家矣。身宅初傳皆財，中傳上下皆財，財多宜以財營運，必因妻財起家。須把穩不可狂圖，下稍主婢僕上耗費。蓋末傳是火庫，非財庫，丁以金為財，若是金庫財收住。今見火庫反熔壞財矣。蛇主非橫，所以自婢僕生出事來。因此破財，不意而死。汝言此時尚未有妻，次年成親，頗有嫁資，遂得此營運，十餘年成富翁，四十二典錢，四十七八愈厚，五十一歲癸酉年因婢僕通姦，汝言責之，僕縊死，被告首，入官費用，財產一空，得罰贖而歸，甲戌年死。

Shao Yanhe said: If one asks about fame and status, it is unlikely to be achieved; but if one asks about wealth, it indicates becoming rich. The day stem (self), day branch (residence), and the first transmission are all wealth signs. The middle transmission and its upper and lower parts are also wealth. With so much wealth, it is suitable to use money for business and turn a profit. One will certainly become rich through wife's wealth. However, one must be cautious and not be reckless in seeking wealth. In the end, one will lose money due to servants and attendants. Because the final transmission is戌, which is the fire store, not the store of wealth. For a day of丁, metal is considered wealth. If the final transmission were the metal store, wealth could be retained. But now it is the fire store, which actually melts away the wealth. Teng Snake indicates unjust misfortune, so the trouble will arise from servants and attendants, leading to loss of wealth and even unexpected death. You said at that time you had not yet married, but the next year you married and your wife brought a considerable dowry. You used that money for business and became a wealthy man after more than ten years. At the age of forty-two, you started a pawnshop, and by forty-seven or forty-eight, your business had grown even more. At fifty-one, in the year Guiyou, due to servants and attendants committing adultery, you punished them, and the attendant committed suicide. He was reported to the authorities, and the legal expenses drained your wealth. You had to pay a fine to return home. In the year Jiaxu, you died.

己丑年十二月丁未日子將戌時京師富人江明叔甲子生六十二歲占求財。一針見血　朱蛇貴后　未申酉戌　陰貴陰貴　財 己酉 貴　合午　亥陰　亥酉亥酉　鬼 辛亥 陰　勾巳　子玄　酉未酉丁　子 癸丑 常　辰卯寅丑　龍空虎常

In the year of Jichou, the twelfth lunar month, on the day of Dingwei, the divination was started by placing the month general Zi on the hour of Xu. A wealthy man from the capital city named Jiang Ming叔, born in the year of Jiazi, aged sixty-two, asked about seeking wealth. This passage is from "One Needle Sees Blood." The course is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the top row is "Wei Shen You Xu," with the following deities above them: "Zhu, She, Gui, Hou" (Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress). On the left side: "He (Liu He) Wu" and "Gou (Gou Chen) Si"; on the right side: "Hai, Yin (Tai Yin)" and "Zi, Xuan (Xuan Wu)." The bottom row is "Chen Mao Yin Chou," with the following deities below them: "Long, Kong, Hu, Chang" (Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang). The four lessons have the deities from right to left as "You Wei You Ding," and the upper deities are "Hai You Hai You," each accompanied by "Yin, Gui, Yin, Gui." This is an eight-special course. The three transmissions are You, Hai, and Chou: the first transmission You is the wife wealth爻, hidden dry branch Ji, accompanied by the Nobleman; the middle transmission Hai is the official ghost爻, hidden dry branch Xin, accompanied by Tai Yin; the final transmission Chou is the son grandson爻, hidden dry branch Gui, accompanied by Tai Chang.

苗公達曰：群欲斗禽之財，當以己酉日卯時，斗禽必勝。財及萬緍，是時當有商徵音中貴二人，武職一人，各敵到晚。當有酒食喧爭，雖無刑獄，預防破財三分，以此決課而去。後數日，江君來邀小飲云：共有一千餘緍，某斗鶉子得勝，當日同二內官，一人姓陳，一人姓李，飲酒。次張直殿至晚前來，同坐卻云，早來鬥得不是。因是言生氣，領在鋪中一宿，至晚勸和。不曾見官，所費三百餘千，公之術應驗如此，且以銀物三十兩為酬。

Miao Gongda said: If you want to win money by fighting birds, you should choose the day Jiyou and the time Mao to enter the competition, and you will certainly win the fight, making a profit of thousands of strings. At that time there would be two officials of the inner court who belonged to the Shang and Zheng tones, and a military officer, each betting against you, and the competition would continue until the evening. In the middle of it, there would be a quarrel over food and drink, though it would not reach the level of official punishment, you should still be cautious of losing three-tenths of your wealth. Jiang Ming叔 followed this interpretation. A few days later, Jiang came to invite him for a drink and said: In total, I won over a thousand strings, winning by fighting quails; there were two officials of the inner court sitting at the same table, one named Chen and the other Li, who also drank with me. Later, Zhang Zhidian arrived late in the evening and, when sitting together, said that the earlier fight did not count, which made him angry, and he kept the quails in the shop overnight. It was only in the evening that they reconciled. They did not go to court, and in total they spent over three hundred strings. Your divination has come true to this extent! So he gave thirty taels of silver as a reward.

議曰：初見從魁是休氣，丁死火所制，必有戰敵。酉是羽毛，斗禽之屬，其性見殺，又是今日之財，是斗禽取財也。類神之陰，得亥加酉上，作太陰，本屬酉，行年立卯上，見太乙，乘勾陳，酉與巳合，勾陳主斗，故在此也。酉日卯時，見斗也。財傳月建，是財及千緍，酉金丁火，故主商徴用事。中傳亥加酉，為今日貴人，上得太陰，為陰貴人也。末傳太常為武臣，加亥為入獄，太常又主酒食也，行年立卯上，帶勾陳互合，有喧爭，勾陳臨空，故不見官，無刑獄之咎。末傳是月建，為財數，被今日丁未損破，卻亥中有壬，為旺氣所勝，故財只破三分也。

The first transmission shows 'Congkui' (You), which is a weak and confined energy. The Ding fire has died and is being restrained, so there must be a rival competing. You represents feathers and birds, which are associated with fighting and killing. You is also the day's wealth hexagram, so it is interpreted as gaining wealth through fighting. The hidden spirit of the class god is on top of Hai, which is added to You and forms Tai Yin. Tai Yin naturally belongs to You. The year pillar is on Mao, which meets Taiyi (Si) riding on Gou Chen. You also combines with Si, and Gou Chen signifies conflict, so the conflict should occur here. Taking Jiyou day and You hour, it is a direct confrontation between You and Mao, symbolizing a fight. The wealth hexagram reaches the month builder, so the wealth is estimated to be a thousand coins. You belongs to metal and Ding belongs to fire, so it is associated with the Shang and Zheng tones. The middle transmission has Hai added to You, which is the day's nobleman, and Tai Yin is on top, making it a Yin nobleman (inner official). The final transmission has Tai Chang, which signifies a military official, added to Hai, indicating imprisonment. Tai Chang also signifies food and drink. The year pillar is on Mao, which carries Gou Chen and combines with it, leading to a noisy conflict. However, Gou Chen is in the旬空, so there will be no official involvement and no legal trouble. The final transmission is also the month builder, representing the amount of wealth, which is damaged by the day's Dingwei. However, there is hidden Ren water in Hai, which is overcome by strong energy, so only three parts of the wealth are damaged.

戊辰年正月丁未日亥將酉時占婚姻。牧夫占驗　朱蛇貴后　未申酉戌　陰貴陰貴　財 己酉 貴　合午　亥陰　亥酉亥酉　鬼 辛亥 陰　勾巳　子玄　酉未酉丁　子 癸丑 常　辰卯寅丑　龍空虎常

In the year of Wuchen, first lunar month, day of Dingwei, the divination was cast using the month general亥 placed on You time. The divination concerns marriage. This passage is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The course is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the upper row is "Wei Shen You Xu," with the superimposed spirits "Zhu, She, Gui, Hou" (Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress); on the left side "He (Liu He) Wu" and "Gou (Gou Chen) Si"; on the right side "Hai, Yin (Tai Yin)" and "Zi, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; the lower row is "Chen Mao Yin Chou," with the under spirits "Long, Kong, Hu, Chang" (Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang). The four lessons have the spirits descending from right to left as "You Wei You Ding," and the upper spirits are "Hai You Hai You," each accompanied by "Yin, Gui, Yin, Gui" respectively. Dingwei is the day of Ba Zuan, when the heavenly stem and earthly branch are in the same palace, hence the four lessons repeat above and below. The three transmissions are You, Hai, Chou: the first transmission You is the wife's wealth爻, hidden stem Ji, accompanied by the Nobleman; the middle transmission Hai is the official ghost爻, hidden stem Xin, accompanied by Tai Yin; the final transmission Chou is the son's fortune爻, hidden stem Gui, accompanied by Tai Chang.

王牧夫曰：此婚主男克二妻，女克二夫。鰥寡相配，先私後娶，不日即合巹也。蓋丁日以酉為妻，酉帶自刑加身，陰見亥水官鬼，主剋夫再醮。丁以酉為妻，何酉之多也？故亦主克妻再娶。丁主動，為新喜，支末中亦有丁火，男女之位皆逢，豈非合巹在即乎？八專為課，干支不別，帷薄不修，男女往來，非止一次。蓋干即地以，支即干，仰首即見，何用媒為？驗甚驗甚。

Wang Mufu said: This marriage indicates that the man has previously married and lost two wives, and the woman has previously married and lost two husbands. It is a match between a widower and a widow, who had an affair first and then married. They will soon perform the卺 ceremony. Why? For a day stem of Ding, the酉 is the wife. The酉 carries self-punishment and falls on the day stem, and its yin spirit also meets the亥 water official ghost, so it indicates the wife of the man is killed again and she remarries. Ding takes酉 as the wife, but why is there so much酉 in the lesson? Therefore, it also indicates the man kills his wife again and remarries. Ding is originally active, representing the joy of a new marriage; both the day stem and the final transmission contain Ding fire, and both the male and female positions meet, so the卺 ceremony is about to take place. This lesson is the eighth special case, where the stem and the branch are not distinct from each other. It exactly corresponds to the situation where within the curtain, there is no restraint, and the male and female have already met several times. Because the day stem is the same as the earth branch (the original text says '干即地以', where '以' is likely a mistake for '支'), and the day branch is the same as the day stem. When one looks up, they meet each other directly. What need is there for a matchmaker? It is very accurate, very accurate.

庚午年十二月丁未日丑將戌時遲公、王公入覲，行至東省而占。指南　貴后　蛇申酉戌亥陰　常后常后　官 辛亥 陰　朱未　子玄　丑戌丑戌　子 庚戌 后　六午　丑常　戌未戌丁　子 庚戌 后　勾巳辰卯寅虎　青空

In the year of Gengwu, the twelfth lunar month, on the day of Dingwei, the class was cast with the month general Chou placed on the hour of Xu. This class was formed when the officials Che Gong and Wang Gong were traveling through Shandong on their way to the imperial court. This entry is from the Six Rats Guide. The class disk is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with "Nobleman, Heavenly Empress" (Nobleman, Heavenly Empress); next are "Teng Snake in Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Tai Yin"; on the left "Zhu Qiao in Wei" faces the right "Zi, Xuan Wu"; "Liu He in Wu" faces "Chou, Tai Chang"; the lower row is "Gou Chen in Si, Chen, Mao, Yin, Bai Hu", ending with "Qing Long, Tian Kong" (Azure Dragon, Sky Void). The four lessons have the heavenly spirits arranged from right to left as "Xu, Wei, Xu, Ding", and the upper spirits are "Chou, Xu, Chou, Xu", each accompanied by "Tai Chang, Heavenly Empress, Tai Chang, Heavenly Empress", forming the image of eight specialized spirits repeated above and below. The three transmissions are Hai, Xu, Xu: the first transmission Hai is the official star, hidden dry branch Xin, riding Tai Yin; the middle transmission Xu is the son and grandson hexagram, hidden dry branch Geng, riding Heavenly Empress; the final transmission is still Xu, hidden dry branch Geng, riding Heavenly Empress.

陳公獻曰：所占必是顯宦。蓋發用官貴日德，而式中貴人又居歲君日祿旺位，斷非尋常之官。曰：此公將來何如？曰：不能久任。干支乘墓，祿馬空陷，又太陽入山（月將丑加戌），豈能久居廟堂？次年三月因言請歸。後知為大冢宰王射斗先生也。干支乘墓，太陽落山，勢力已衰。祿馬空陷，則不可食此祿矣。此辨象而斷事，不以五行生剋為主也。

Chen Gongxian said: This divination must be about a high-ranking official. Because the initiating transmission is both an official star and a nobleman, and also carries the virtue of the day. Moreover, the nobleman in the lesson is seated in the strong position of the sovereign and the day's禄. Therefore, it is certainly not an ordinary official. Someone asked: What will happen to this person in the future? The answer was: He cannot remain in office for long. The day stem and day branch are both riding on the tomb god, while the禄 god and the post-horse are in an empty and weak position. Furthermore, the sun is entering the mountain (the month general is placed on the hour of Chou, which is added to Xu, and Xu is the mountain land). How can he stay in the court for long? In the third month of the following year, this person indeed resigned and returned to his hometown because of his advice. Later it was known that the divination was about the great official Wang Shedou. The day stem and day branch riding on the tomb god, and the sun falling into the mountain, indicate a decline in power; the禄 and post-horse being empty and weak mean he will not be able to enjoy his salary. This is a case of judging affairs by recognizing the patterns of the lesson, rather than focusing on the five phases' generation and overcoming.

己卯年戌月丁未日辰將丑時程載翁己卯生六十一歲占訟。牧夫占驗　貴后　蛇申酉戌亥陰　常后常后　官 辛亥 陰　朱未　子玄　丑戌丑戌　子 庚戌 后　六午　丑常　戌未戌丁　子 庚戌 后　勾巳辰卯寅虎　青空

In the year of Jimao, month of Xu, day of Dingwei, the class was cast using the month general Chen placed on the hour of Chou. Cheng Zai翁 was born in the year of Jimao, aged sixty-one, and consulted about a legal case. This entry comes from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The used class pattern is the same as the previous case of Li Chong and Wang Gong's divination. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the beginning is "Nobleman, Heavenly Empress" (Nobleman and Heavenly Empress); the next is "Snake (Teng Snake) in Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Tai Yin"; on the left "Azure Dragon (Zhu Qiao) in Wei" faces the right "Zi, Black Tortoise (Xuan Wu)"; "Liu He (Six Harmony) in Wu" faces "Chou, Tai Chang"; the lower row is "Gou Chen (Hooked Earth) in Si, Chen, Mao, Yin, Bai Hu (White Tiger)", ending with "Qing Long (Azure Dragon), Tian Kong (Heavenly Void)". The four lessons' spirits are arranged from right to left as "Xu, Wei, Xu, Ding", and the upper spirits are "Chou, Xu, Chou, Xu", each riding "Tai Chang, Heavenly Empress, Tai Chang, Heavenly Empress". The three transmissions are Hai, Xu, Xu: the first transmission Hai is the official star, hidden dry branch Xin, riding Tai Yin; the middle and final transmissions are both Xu, which are the son and grandson oracles, hidden dry branch Geng, riding Heavenly Empress.

王牧夫曰：官訟漸息，身心漸安寧矣。但文書此次受駁，再遞到十月，方可絕決了釋，後果受駁，至十月始準詳結。蓋丁乃柔火，動盪不常，今丁日戴戌墓，是火有所藏，則不亂動，既深秋火亦休息，故曰官訟漸息，身心漸安寧。其文書初受駁者，酉貴為今日之財，坐午上，乃貴人坐堂上持權，本命乘天空相訓，正時又沖支辰兼動身位，故須再遞也。十月上寅木文書與官作合，亥為十月建，又丁火絕於亥，故主十月方能結絕了釋也。甚驗，此數若以戌墓為凶，則當入獄，然官司已拖三年，不當以此論。斷法當知權變，若新訟夏占又當以凶論也。

Wang Mufu said: This lawsuit will gradually subside, and people's minds and bodies will become increasingly at ease. However, the submitted documents will be rejected this time and need to be resubmitted, and it will not be resolved until October. Later, the documents were indeed rejected, and it was only in October that they were allowed to be concluded. Why? Ding is a soft fire, which is fickle in nature. Now, Ding, the day stem, is wearing the戌, which is a fire grave. When fire has a place to hide, it no longer moves around. Also, it is deep autumn, when fire's energy has already declined, so the lawsuit gradually subsides and people's minds and bodies gradually become at ease. The reason the documents were initially rejected is that the nobleman, who is the wealth hexagram of the day, is sitting on the午, which is a sign of the nobleman sitting in authority. The native's chart is also accompanied by Tian Kong, which indicates being scolded. The starting time of the divination also disturbed the day branch and startled the position of the day stem. Therefore, the documents need to be resubmitted. By October, the寅 wood represents the documents, which is exactly in harmony with the official star. The亥 is the month builder of October, and Ding fire is extinguished in亥. Therefore, it was concluded that the case would be resolved in October. This prediction was very accurate. If one only sees the戌 grave as an ominous sign, then one would predict imprisonment. However, this lawsuit has dragged on for three years, so it should not be interpreted that way. Divination methods require understanding flexibility: if it is a newly started lawsuit and the divination was done in summer, then one should predict it as ominous.

建炎己酉年四月初一戊申日酉將丑時鄧十八官人乙酉生二十五歲，占會試。宋本邵案　口鑑　虎常　空丑寅卯辰玄　龍子　巳陰　龍玄朱空　財 壬子 龍　陳亥　午后　子辰酉丑　子 戊申 蛇　六戌酉申未貴　辰申丑戊　兄 甲辰 玄　朱蛇

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, on the first day of the fourth lunar month, on the day Wushen, the divination was cast with the month general You placed on the Chou hour. Deng Shiqi, who was twenty-five years old and born in the year Yiyou, consulted about the imperial examination. This entry is from the Song edition of the "Shao An" and also appears in the "Kou Jian." The course of the divination is presented as follows. The celestial and earthly plates are arranged in a circle, starting with "Hu, Chang" (White Tiger, Tai Chang); the next row is "Kong (Tian Kong) Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Xuan (Xuanwu)"; on the left side, "Long (Qinglong) Zi" faces the right side "Si, Yin (Tai Yin)"; "Chen (Gou Chen) Hai" faces "Wu, Hou (Tianhou)"; the lower row is "Liu (Liu He) Xu, You, Shen, Wei, Gui (Gui Ren)"; ending with "Zhu, She" (Zhuque, Tengshe). The four lessons have the deities arranged from right to left as "Chen Shen Chou Wu," and the upper deities are "Zi Chen You Chou," each riding "Long, Xuan, Zhu, Kong," meaning the first lesson is Wu on Chou, the second lesson is Chou on You, the third lesson is Shen on Chen (with Chen on the day branch Shen), and the fourth lesson is Chou on Zi. The three transmissions are Zi, Shen, and Chen, forming the water trinity of Shen-Zi-Chen: the first transmission Zi is the wife's wealth, with the hidden stem Ren riding Qinglong; the middle transmission Shen is the son's fortune, with the hidden stem Wu riding Tengshe; the final transmission Chen is the brother's fortune, with the hidden stem Jia riding Xuanwu.

邵彥和曰：土日得財局，須是用財為之卻吉。漕司正是申子辰水局也。既以漕司為財，須費己財為佳。身上是晝貴作天空，主簾幕貴人，馳聲於我，我遂得功名也。宅作元武，是本局作賊，須三換名字，及換卷子，並令人代之，此所以不正中也。甲辰旬十日，皆是魁星，此乃為魁首也。但不知何以有，即日東方江邊魚鹽之職也。鄧宅雖是積世武官，大有錢穀，申子辰正是漕司之局。戊用水為財，所費不可言。知有關節，又聞有易卷之說，不知何如也。末傳歸宅是辰，卻是甲辰旬之魁首也。作本經魁，次年雖省試不中，卻試了弓馬。得明州象山縣稅務。

Shao Yanhe said: On a day with Wu Earth as the day stem, if one has the wealth formation of Shen-Zi-Chen, one must spend money to make connections, and the matter will turn out auspicious. The granary office corresponds to the water formation of Shen-Zi-Chen. If one takes the granary office as wealth, then one should spend one's own money to make connections. The day stem has a nobleman riding on the sky, indicating that there is a ministerial class nobleman who will help one gain fame, thus obtaining official rank. The day branch, which represents the residence, has the Black Tortoise, meaning that the water formation itself is involved in wrongdoing, so one must change one's name three times, change the examination papers, and have someone take the exam on one's behalf. This is why it is said that the official rank is obtained through improper means. The ten days of Jiachen decade are all under the jurisdiction of the Qiu Star, so one can obtain the top rank. However, it is unknown why this person ends up with a position managing fish and salt in the eastern river area. The Deng family, although several generations of military officials and well-provided with food and money, corresponds to the granary office formation of Shen-Zi-Chen. On a Wu day, water is considered wealth, and the amount of expenditure is hard to describe. Although one knows there are ways to make connections, and one has heard of the paper replacement incident, it is unknown how it will turn out. The final transmission returns to the residence position, which is Chen, and Chen is the leader of the Jiachen decade, so one becomes the top of the classics. The next year, although the provincial examination was not passed, one took the archery and horse riding exams and obtained a position in the tax office of Xiangshan County in Mingzhou.

蓋戊土以辰為庫。辰土生於申，乃真庫也。凡墓與庫二名而同體，何以分別？蓋生處為庫，殆囚為墓。今辰生於辰，實真庫，天罡為魚鹽之物，故鹽務兼煎鹽也。

Investigating the underlying principle: Wu earth takes Chen as its repository. Chen earth is born in Shen, so Chen is the true repository. Generally, the terms 'mou' and 'ku' refer to the same thing; how do we distinguish them? The one at the place of birth is called 'ku', and the one at the place of decline and captivity is called 'mou'. Now, Chen is born in its own position, so it is indeed the true repository. Tiangang (Chen) governs fish and salt in terms of things, so it is associated with salt affairs and also oversees the production of salt.

己酉年戊申日酉將子時鄧巡轄本命戊寅生三十二歲占赴任。宋本邵案　陳六　龍寅卯辰巳朱　空丑　午蛇　龍朱常龍　鬼 空寅 龍　虎子　未貴　寅巳亥寅　財 辛亥 常　常亥戌酉申后　巳申寅戊　子 戊申 后　玄陰

In the year Ji You and day Wu Shen, the divination was started by placing the Month General You on the Zi hour. Deng, who was born in the year Wu Yin and is thirty-two years old, asked about taking office. This passage is from the Song edition of "Shao An." The course is arranged as follows. The Heaven and Earth Plate forms a circle: starting with "Chen, Liu" (Gou Chen, Liu He); then "Long (Qing Long)寅,卯,辰,巳, Zhu (Zhu Que)"; on the left "Kong (Tian Kong) Chou" faces the right "Wu, She (Teng She)"; "Hu (Bai Hu) Zi" faces "Wei, Gui (Gui Ren)"; the lower row is "Chang (Tai Chang) Hai, Xu, You, Shen, Hou (Tian Hou)", ending with "Xuan, Yin" (Xuan Wu, Tai Yin). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Si Shen Yin Wu", and the upper spirits are "Yin Si Hai Yin", each accompanied by "Long, Zhu, Chang, Long", meaning the first lesson is Yin added to Wu, the second is Hai added to Yin, the third is Si added to Shen (with Si appearing on the day branch Shen), and the fourth is Yin added to Si. The three transmissions are Yin, Hai, Shen: the first transmission Yin is the official ghost, accompanied by Qing Long, and the source text marks "Kong" before Yin, indicating Yin is in the empty period; the middle transmission Hai is the wife's wealth, hidden dry branch Xin, accompanied by Tai Chang; the final transmission Shen is the son's son, hidden dry branch Wu, accompanied by Tian Hou.

邵彥和曰：大凡占官要見官，今寅值龍作官，奈何寅空，必不得也。卻就支宅上去作朱雀，乃戊祿臨支也，宅神申又加亥為末傳，此仕莫非虛度。蓋寅是官星，巳是祿位，寅乘龍不空，即當赴任，即空反作鬼論，鬼來逼日，去日加支，克支之神，主權攝不正。又戊祿在巳，巳與申合，祿在支，故正任不可望，卻乃食祿。內主陳姓人不足，且當西南上避嫌，待陳姓退去，方得正任。行年上午乘蛇臨行時主婦人纏繞也。

Shao Yanhe said: In general, when divining about official positions, one should first see the official star in the divination. Now, the寅 is riding on the Azure Dragon and is functioning as the official star, but unfortunately, the寅 falls into the empty旬, so this official position is sure to be unattainable. The official star has instead moved to the day branch's residence and is riding on the Vermilion Bird. This is the禄神 of the戊 day, located on the branch. The residence god,申, is also added to the亥 and functions as the final transmission. This position is likely to be wasted. The reasoning is: the寅 is the official star, and the巳 is the禄 position. If the寅 rides on the Azure Dragon and does not fall into the empty旬, then one should be able to take office smoothly. But once it falls into the empty旬, it should be considered as an official ghost, which forces the day stem, leaving the day stem and adding to the day branch, thus restraining the god on the branch, indicating that one can only temporarily hold the position as an acting official rather than as the official. Moreover, the禄 of the戊 is in the巳, and the巳 combines with the申. The禄 is located on the day branch, so one cannot expect to officially take office, but there is still a salary to receive. Internally, it indicates that a person surnamed Chen is interfering, and one should go to the southwest to avoid suspicion. Only after this person named Chen leaves can one obtain the official position. The year of birth,午, is riding on the Teng Snake and is at the time of travel, indicating that there is interference from a woman.

鄧果於當年十一月上任，因陳提刑與伊尊人有仇隙，故行至半途，遂不敢往，經過鄂州，素與太守有舊，遂令權公使及酒稅。至次年八月陳替去，鄧始得到任。

Deng Xunxia indeed started his post in the eleventh month of that year, but because Chen Tixing had an old grudge with his father, he hesitated halfway and did not proceed further. When passing through Ezhou, he had a good relationship with the local governor, who therefore allowed him to temporarily take charge of the official envoy's duties and manage the wine and tax affairs. In the eighth month of the following year, Chen Tixing was replaced and transferred away, allowing Deng Xunxia to officially take up his post.

己酉年六月初一戊申日未將酉時劉秘教己巳生四十一歲占宅。宋本邵案　口鑑　六朱　陳卯辰巳午蛇　龍寅　未貴　六蛇空陳　兄 癸丑 空　空丑　申后　辰午丑卯　財 辛亥 常　虎子亥戌酉陰　午申卯戊　子 己酉 陰　常玄

In the year Jiyou, sixth lunar month, first day, on the day Wushen, using the month general Wei placed on the You hour to cast the divination. Liu Mi was born in the year Jisi, at the age of forty-one, asking about his residence. This passage is from the Song edition of the "Shao'an" and also appears in the "Koujian." The course is arranged as follows. The heaven and earth plate forms a circle: starting with "six, Zhu" (Liuhe, Vermilion Bird); the next row is "Chen (Gou Chen)卯, Chen, Si, Wu, Snake (Teng Snake)"; on the left side "Long (Qinglong)寅" faces the right side "Wei, Gui (Nobleman)"; "Kong (Tian Kong) Chou" faces "Shen, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; the lower row is "Hu (Baihu) Zi, Hai, Xu, You, Yin (Tai Yin)"; ending with "Chang, Xuan" (Tai Chang, Xuanwu). The four lessons' spirits are arranged from right to left as "Wu Shen Mao Wu," and the upper spirits are "Chen Wu Chou Mao," each accompanied by "Liu, Snake, Kong, Chen," meaning the first lesson is Mao added to Wu, the second lesson is Chou added to Mao, the third lesson is Wu added to Shen (the day branch Shen has Wu), and the fourth lesson is Chen added to Wu. The three transmissions are Chou, Hai, You: the first transmission Chou is the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Gui, accompanied by Tian Kong; the middle transmission Hai is the wife's wealth yao, hidden dry branch Xin, accompanied by Tai Chang; the final transmission You is the son's yao, hidden dry branch Ji, accompanied by Tai Yin.

邵彥和曰：家勢退矣。日上空亡剋日，又作勾陳，舊事百般，盡牽在己，宅上午上，騰蛇帶羊刃主家人爭產，四散分飛。初傳丑作天空在卯，主泥土塞門戶，婦人婢腹常疼痛，又有白帶。自身主脾洩，末傳盡去彼被來年難過，主太陰少婦管家，乙卯年果將住宅拆毀，各人四散分居矣。

Shao Yanhe said: This family is going to decline. The day stem is being attacked by the Kongwang spirit above it, and it is also accompanied by Gou Chen, indicating that all old matters will come back to haunt the family. The house position is Wu, which is occupied by Teng Snake and also carries Yangren, indicating that family members will quarrel over property and scatter apart. The first transmission is Chou, which is accompanied by Tian Kong and is located on the position of Mao, indicating that there will be dirt blocking the entrance, and the family's women and servants will often suffer from abdominal pain and white discharge. The owner himself will suffer from spleen deficiency and diarrhea. The final transmission completely drains the energy, indicating that he will not be able to endure the next year; it also indicates that a young woman, represented by Tai Yin, will take charge of the household. In the year of Yimao, the family indeed demolished their house and scattered apart to live separately.

己酉年四月戊申日酉將申時鄒大官人庚辰生三十歲占比試弓馬取功名。宋本邵案　口鑑　空虎　龍午未申酉常　陳巳　戌玄　玄常空龍　兄 庚戌 玄　六辰　亥陰　戌酉未午　子 己酉 常　朱卯寅丑子后　酉申午戊　父 丙午 龍　蛇貴

In the year Ji You, fourth lunar month, on the day Wu Shen, the divination was started by placing the Month General You on the Shen hour. A man named Zou, born in the year Geng Chen, aged thirty, consulted about competing in archery and horseback riding to attain official rank. This passage is from the Song edition of "Shao An" and also appears in "Kou Jian." The course is arranged as follows. The Heaven and Earth Plate forms a circle, starting with "Kong, Hu" (Sky Void, White Tiger); the next row is "Long (Azure Dragon) Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Chang (Tai Chang)"; on the left side "Chen (Gou Chen) Si" faces the right side "Xu, Xuan (Black Tortoise)"; "Liu (Liu He) Chen" faces "Hai, Yin (Tai Yin)"; the lower row is "Zhu (Zhu Qiao) Mao, Yin, Chou, Zi, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; ending with "She, Gui" (Teng Snake, Nobleman). The four lessons' spirits are arranged from right to left as "You Shen Wu Wu," and the upper spirits are "Xu You Wei Wu," each riding "Xuan, Chang, Kong, Long," meaning the first lesson Wu is added to Wu, the second lesson Wei is added to Wu, the third lesson You is added to Shen (the day branch Shen has You), and the fourth lesson Xu is added to You. The three transmissions are Xu, You, Wu: the first transmission Xu is the brother's yao, hidden dryness Geng, riding Xuan Wu; the middle transmission You is the son's yao, hidden dryness Ji, riding Tai Chang; the final transmission Wu is the parent's yao, hidden dryness Bing, riding Azure Dragon.

邵彥和曰：課得昴星，名虎視，身上有馬而無弓，馬帶陽刃，若見焦黃馬，決不可騎，為他所害。況所走之地，有汙穢，不可令新衣人在傍，如要去，須先解禳。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson is called "Mao Star Lesson," also known as "Tiger Watching." The day stem has only a horse but no bow, and the horse is accompanied by a yang blade; if a yellowish horse is seen, one must not ride it, for it may cause harm. Moreover, the place to go has impure things, so new-clothed people should not be near it; if it is unavoidable, some ritual to remove evil influences should be performed first.

蓋干支上各自刑，賓主不投；行年上申，申是箭，卻不得地。干見酉，支見午，名四勝殺，主各逞其能。陽刃午作青龍，僅得兵部垂顧，初戌作玄武，又六害，如何比得中？鄒後果屢試不中，得趙侍郎權兵部，乃與他一虛官銜。

Examining the underlying principles: both the day stem and day branch carry punishments, indicating that the host and guest are not in harmony with each other; the year of birth is Shen, which represents an arrow, but it is located in an unfavorable position. The day stem has You and the day branch has Wu, which is called 'Four Victories Kill', indicating that both sides display their own abilities and do not yield to each other. The Yang Blade is at Wu, which is accompanied by the Azure Dragon, only receiving a little support from the Ministry of War; the first transmission is Xu, which is accompanied by the Black Tortoise and also carries the six harms—how can it be successful? Later, Master Zou indeed failed repeatedly in the examinations, only because Mr. Zhao temporarily managed the Ministry of War, giving him an empty official title.

愚按：蓋巳為弓，申為箭，今有馬有箭，而無弓，所以事終不成也。

I (the compiler, Cheng Shuxun) note: In terms of objects, Si represents a bow, and Shen represents an arrow; in this divination, there is a horse and an arrow, but no bow, so this contest will ultimately not take place.

乾隆戊辰年戌月戊申日辰將卯時弟占兄信息。牧夫占驗　空虎　龍午未申酉常　陳巳　戌玄　玄常空龍　兄 庚戌 玄　六辰　亥陰　戌酉未午　子 己酉 常　朱卯寅丑子后　酉申午戊　父 丙午 龍　蛇貴

In the year of Wuchen (1738) during the month of Xu and on the day of Wushen, a divination was cast at the hour of Mao using the month general Chen placed on Mao. The younger brother asked about the news of his elder brother. This entry is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates form a circle: beginning with "Kong, Hu" (Sky Void, White Tiger); then "Long (Azure Dragon) Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Chang (Tai Chang)"; on the left "Chen (Gou Chen) Si" facing the right "Xu, Xuan (Black Tortoise)"; "Liu (Liu He) Chen" facing "Hai, Yin (Tai Yin)"; the lower row "Zhu (Zhu Que) Mao, Yin, Chou, Zi, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; ending with "She, Gui" (Teng Snake, Nobleman). The four lessons' deities are arranged from right to left as "You Shen Wu Wu," and the upper deities are "Xu You Wei Wu," each accompanied by "Xuan, Chang, Kong, Long," meaning the first lesson Wu is added to Wu, the second lesson Wei is added to Wu, the third lesson You is added to Shen (the day branch Shen has You), and the fourth lesson Xu is added to You. The three transmissions are Xu, You, Wu: the first transmission Xu is the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Geng, accompanied by Xuan Wu; the middle transmission You is the son's yao, hidden dry branch Ji, accompanied by Tai Chang; the final transmission Wu is the parent's yao, hidden dry branch Bing, accompanied by Azure Dragon.

王牧夫曰：此課後日庚戌日，必有信音，但行人不得至，已有動念。蓋昴星為課，主信義，所動必準，故應庚戌日。午為文書，青龍乘其上，文書臨身，故主先有信至。戌酉申為返駕，當主行人至。而酉申皆金，堅固不化，雖有動念而未行也。上乃唐公圭所斷，與餘復視，其兄數年未有信息。又七十以上人，客遊在外，安能望其消息？不知此課昴星，又無凶戰，豈得以凶論之？餘以理斷，果於庚戌日，得馬溜船上人代寄信云：隨後動身來揚也。其弟次日誕辰，青龍居午馬為宴會，午為南山，即此信到在宴會時。驗甚。

Wang Mufu said: This lesson indicates that on the later heaven day Gengxu, there will certainly be news; however, the person who has left home has not yet arrived, but has already begun to think about returning. Because the lesson pattern is the昴star, which governs trust and righteousness, and whatever is set in motion will surely come to pass, so it should occur on Gengxu day. In this lesson, the hour of Wu represents documents, and the Azure Dragon is riding on it. The documents are on the day stem, so it indicates that the message will arrive first. The three transmissions of Xu, You, and Shen represent the return of a traveler, which should indicate the return of the traveler; however, You and Shen both belong to metal, which is firm and unchanging, so although the thought of returning has begun, the steps have not yet been taken. The above is the judgment of Tang Gonggui, which I am now rechecking. His older brother has not had any news for several years, and he is in his seventies, traveling abroad; where could one expect to hear from him? But they did not know that this lesson is the昴star, and there is no ominous or battle-like pattern, so how could they judge it as ominous? According to my reasoning based on the lesson, indeed on Gengxu day, someone who ran on horseback or by boat brought a message saying that he would soon set out for Yangzhou. His younger brother's birthday was the next day, and the Azure Dragon was on Wu, which is the hour of the post-horse, indicating a banquet. Wu also represents the southern mountain, and this message was delivered during the banquet. It was fully verified.

乙酉年八月戊申日巳將卯時童三十四公丙申生七十四歲占家宅。方本占案　口鑑　虎常　空未申酉戌玄　龍午　亥陰　后玄常空　財 壬子 后　陳巳　子后　子戌酉未　鬼 空寅 蛇　六辰卯寅丑貴　戌申未戊　兄 甲辰 六　朱蛇

In the year of Yiyou, eighth lunar month, day of Bingshen, the divination was started with the month general Si placed on the卯 hour. A man of thirty-four years old, born in the year of Bingshen, aged seventy-four, consulted about his family home. This case is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and also appears in the "Kou Jian." The course of the divination is presented as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates form a circle: beginning with "Hu, Chang" (White Tiger, Tai Chang); the next row is "Kong (Tian Kong) Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; on the left side "Long (Qing Long) Wu" faces the right side "Hai, Yin (Tai Yin)"; "Chen (Gou Chen) Si" faces "Zi, Hou (Tian Hou)"; the lower row is "Liu (Liu He) Chen, Mao, Yin, Chou, Gui (Gui Ren)"; ending with "Zhu, She" (Zhu Que, Teng She). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Xu Shen Wei Wu," and the upper spirits are "Zi Xu You Wei," each riding on "Hou, Xuan, Chang, Kong," meaning the first lesson Wu is added with Wu, the second lesson You is added with Wei, the third lesson Xu is added with Shen (with Xu on the day branch Shen), and the fourth lesson Zi is added with Xu. The three transmissions are Zi, Yin, Chen: the first transmission Zi is the wife's wealth, hidden dry branch Ren, riding on Tian Hou; the middle transmission Yin is the official ghost, riding on Teng She, with the text before Yin marking "Kong," indicating Yin falls into the empty period; the final transmission Chen is the brother, hidden dry branch Ji, riding on Liu He.

邵彥和曰：此課老反送幼，良為不利。初子亦為子息，天后為少女，既有初而無中末，是家務不進也。身上見眷屬，行年上引出破敗，宅上戌作元武，主諸子分居，財各入己。其第三子最不肖。四課內發用更傳出玄之陰，是子孫是賊也。當年喪第三媳，又嫁少女，次年爭訟。二子死，壬子年喪長子，甲寅年喪四子，財物悉盡。音公有五子，至此僅存其二矣。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson indicates an elder person being sent to the funeral of a younger relative, which is very inauspicious. The first transmission represents children, and the Heavenly Empress represents a young woman. Only the first transmission is observable, while the middle and final transmissions are ineffective, indicating that the family's affairs cannot progress. The day stem encounters the deity of family members, and the year stem leads to destruction. The position of the house is occupied by the戌, which is riding on the Black Tortoise, indicating that several sons have moved away and each has taken the family's wealth into their own possession. The third son is the most untrustworthy. The initiating transmission within the four lessons originates from the hidden spirit of the Black Tortoise, meaning that the descendants themselves are the family's thieves. At that time, the family had died the third daughter-in-law and married off a younger daughter, and the next year there was a lawsuit and two sons died. In the year Renzi, the eldest son died, and in the year Jiayin, the fourth son died, and the family's wealth was completely exhausted. Tong Gong originally had five sons, but by then only two remained.

蓋日上未為眷屬，陰上見酉，酉屬兌，兌為少女。初傳見子，子是子息也。皆是己下之人，而無老陰老陽之輩。且行年上巳為老陽，卻臨卯上自敗，亥為老陰，卻在酉上自敗，中寅日德而空亡，辰為財庫，庫既空，財亦空矣。

Investigating the underlying principles: The day stem's upper position has the hexagram of Wei, which represents relatives. Its yin spirit appears at You, which belongs to the hexagram Dui, representing a young girl; the first transmission appears at Zi, which is a child. These are all people of a lower generation. However, the lesson does not include spirits representing old yang or old yin, which would be the elders. Moreover, the year of action is at Si, which is originally old yang, but it is placed at Mao, thus being in a defeated position; Hai is originally old yin, but it is placed at You, also in a defeated position. The middle transmission is at Yin, which is originally the day's virtue, but it falls into Kongwang; Chen is the treasure warehouse, and since the warehouse is empty, the treasure also becomes empty.

愚按：此節自陰上見酉以下五十八字與老反送幼相矛盾，必非邵公之語，乃後人之強作解事者，杜撰之詞。餘意，子為子息，乘天后又為少女，既作死氣又受戌土之下克，干上未土之克害，故不利子息與少婦。況子在四課，恰為卑幼之位，受克受害，安得不傷？邵公既引而不發，以待學者之自悟，奈何後人不諳此理，節外生枝，使明鏡而生塵埃也乎？

I (the compiler, Cheng Shuxun) note: The fifty-eight characters from "Yin shang jian You" onwards contradict the statement "old reverses send young", so they must not be the words of Shao Yanhe, but rather additions by later scholars who pretend to know but do not. In my opinion, Zi represents children, and it is also associated with the Heavenly Empress and governs young women. It itself is already under the influence of Death Qi, and is further attacked by Xu earth below, and attacked by the earth of the day stem above. Therefore, it indicates disadvantage for children and young wives. Moreover, Zi is in a subordinate position among the four lessons, and is both attacked and harmed, so how could it not be injured? Shao Yanhe only hinted at the meaning, leaving it for later scholars to understand on their own. Unfortunately, later scholars did not understand this, and added unnecessary interpretations, causing a mirror to be clouded with dust.

戊辰年戌月戊申日辰將寅時占病。牧夫占驗　虎常　空未申酉戌玄　龍午　亥陰　后玄常空　財 壬子 后　陳巳　子后　子戌酉未　鬼 空寅 蛇　六辰卯寅丑貴　戌申未戊　兄 甲辰 六　朱蛇

In the year of Wuchen, month of Xu, day of Wushen, a divination was cast using the month general Chen placed on the hour of Yin. The divination was about illness. This passage is from "The Farmer's Divination Verification." The used lesson is the same as the previous one about the child's family. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: starting with "Tiger, Tai Chang" (White Tiger, Tai Chang); next are "Tian Kong (Sky Void) Wei, Shen, You, Xu; "Dragon (Azure Dragon) Wu" facing "Hai, Tai Yin (Tai Yin);" "Gou Chen (Hook Star) Si" facing "Zi, Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress);" the lower row is "Liu He (Six Harmonies) Chen, Mao, Yin, Chou, Gu (Nobleman);" ending with "Zhu (Zhu Que), Snake (Teng Snake)." The four lessons have spirits arranged from right to left as "Xu Shen Wei Wu," and the upper spirits are "Zi Xu You Wei," each riding "Tian Hou, Xuan Wu, Tai Chang, Tian Kong." The three transmissions are Zi, Yin, Chen: the first transmission Zi is the wife's wealth爻, hidden dry branch Ren, riding Tian Hou; the middle transmission Yin is the official ghost爻, riding Teng Snake, falling into the旬空; the final transmission Chen is the brother爻, hidden dry branch Jia, riding Liu He.

王牧夫曰：此病其患在背，遲遲而愈，無礙也。何以知病患在背？書曰：三壬，天后臨子，遁壬一也。（愚按：此句有錯誤字。當云：三壬為背，天后屬壬，一也。甲辰旬是壬子，二也。戊日五子元遁得壬子，三也。）又寅屬艮，艮為背，是以知之。但官鬼帶蛇，不能即好，末見墓合，又是儀神，既合且墓能救日也。儀神、月將皆吉神，故能化凶為吉也。

Wang Mufu said: The patient has a disease in the back, which will take some time to recover, but there is no serious danger. How do we know the illness is in the back? The book says 'three Ren' (three壬): the Heavenly Empress is on the Zi position, and the Ren is hidden within Zi, which is the first point. (Editor Cheng Shuxun notes: This sentence has a typo; it should read 'three Ren indicate the back, the Heavenly Empress belongs to Ren, which is the first; the Jiachen decade is paired with Renzi, which is the second; on a Wu day, using the Five Sons' Hidden Transmission method, we get Renzi, which is the third.') Furthermore, the寅 position belongs to the Gen trigram, and Gen is located on the back of the human body, so the illness is determined to be in the back. However, the official ghost is accompanied by the Teng Snake, so the illness cannot recover quickly. Fortunately, the final transmission is in the墓 position and forms a combination, and it is also the 'Instrument God'. Since it is both combined and in the墓 position, it can protect the day stem. The Instrument God and the Month General are both auspicious deities, so they can transform misfortune into good fortune.

又丙子日，為人占得戌酉申三傳，余斷其病在舌。蓋心屬火，舌根於心，發用火墓，申酉金主聲為墓，所閉必病啞也。果驗。善推於理，確然必中。

Once again, on a Bingzi day, I divined for someone who was ill and obtained the three transmissions of Xu, You, and Shen. I concluded that his illness was in his tongue. Because the heart belongs to fire, the root of the tongue is connected to the heart. The initiating transmission, Xu, is precisely the storage of fire; Shen and You belong to metal and govern sound, and now they have also entered storage, blocking the sound. Therefore, he would certainly suffer from a speech impediment. Later, it indeed came true. As long as one is good at reasoning from the principles of the divination, one can certainly make accurate predictions.

五月戊申日未將辰時占父子出何時回？張本占案　龍勾合朱　申酉戌亥　后朱朱龍　鬼 ◎寅 后　空未　子蛇　寅亥亥申　父 乙巳 常　虎午　丑貴　亥申申戊　子 戊申 龍　巳辰卯寅　常玄陰后

On the 17th day of the fifth lunar month, using the month general of Wei (未) placed on the hour of Chen (辰) to cast a divination, the question is about when a son who is away will return. This passage is from "Zhang Ben Zhan An." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the top row is "Shen You Xu Hai," with the following deities above them: "Long, Gou, He, Zhu" (Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He, Vermilion Bird); on the left side: "Kong (Tian Kong) Wei" and "Hu (Bai Hu) Wu"; on the right side: "Zi, She (Teng Snake)" and "Chou, Gui (Gui Ren)"; the bottom row is "Si Chen Mao Yin," with the following deities below them: "Chang, Xuan, Yin, Hou" (Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, Tian Hou). The four lessons have the deities moving from right to left as "Hai Shen Shen Wu," and the upper deities are "Yin Hai Hai Shen," each accompanied by "Hou, Zhu, Zhu, Long," meaning the first lesson is Hai added to Wu, the second is Yin added to Hai, the third is Hai added to Shen (with the day branch Shen having Hai), and the fourth is Yin added to Hai. The three transmissions are Yin, Si, Shen: the first transmission Yin is the official ghost爻, accompanied by Tian Hou, with the mark "◎" indicating the source text's note on旬空; the middle transmission Si is the parent爻, hidden dry branch Yi, accompanied by Tai Chang; the final transmission Shen is the son爻, hidden dry branch Wu, accompanied by Azure Dragon.

苗公達曰：支與干會，行人必來。申為子孫，坐干上，不過七日汝從東北四十里大木橋上相等，汝子帶有一妻，年二十八，戴朱冠穿青綢祅，下著白絲套鞋，乘馬而來。有四擔行李，得憲司牌封鑽。一女許一少年醫生，今同汝子來作贅婿。蓋末傳申七數，故七日來。寅為天梁，故曰橋。亥四數，故四十里。寅七數，坐亥故四七二十八。亥為絲綢，寅青色。寅為車馬，故曰青衣乘馬。朱雀帶天空加財上，故曰憲牌，申金為鑽也。亥為申之女，寅為醫亦為婿，寅與亥合乘天后在第四課上，是以女招婿贅到我家也。寅生巳，巳生申，申生戊，一路順生，大得和諧。

Miao Gongda said: When the day branch and day stem meet, the person who has left home will surely return. The branch Shen is the grandson's element, and it is seated above the day stem. Therefore, he will return within seven days. You should wait for him at a big wooden bridge forty li to the northeast. Your son is coming with his wife, who is twenty-eight years old, wearing a red hat, a blue silk robe, and white silk socks and shoes, riding a horse. He will be accompanied by four loads of luggage and carrying a certificate issued by the government office. There is also a daughter who has been promised in marriage to a young doctor, and she will also return with your son to join your family. Why did I make this prediction? The final transmission is Shen, which counts as seven, so he will return in seven days. The branch Yin is called "Tian Liang," so it refers to the bridge. The branch Hai counts as four, so it is forty li. Yin counts as seven and is seated on Hai, so four times seven equals twenty-eight years old. Hai represents silk, Yin represents blue, and Yin also represents carriages and horses, so he is wearing blue clothes and riding a horse. The Vermilion Bird and Tian Kong are combined with the wealth element, so it refers to the certificate from the government office. The metal element Shen is the seal on the certificate. Hai is the daughter of Shen, Yin represents both the doctor and the son-in-law, and Yin and Hai combine to multiply with Tian Hou in the fourth lesson, so the daughter-in-law will come to join the family. Yin generates Si, Si generates Shen, and Shen generates Wu, forming a continuous chain of generation, so the family will certainly be very harmonious.

甲戌年亥月戊申日卯將子時汪昆自兄代占嬰兒病。牧夫占驗　蛇朱合勾　申酉戌亥　虎勾勾蛇　鬼 ◎寅 虎　貴未　子龍　寅亥亥申　父 乙巳 陰　后午　丑空　亥申申戊　子 戊申 蛇　巳辰卯寅　陰玄常虎

In the year of Jiaxu, month of Hai, day of Wushen, the divination was cast with the Month General at Mao placed on the Zi hour. Wang Kun divined for his brother's infant's illness. This entry is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The Heaven and Earth plates form a circle: the upper row is "Shen You Xu Hai," with the following spirits above them: "Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen." On the left side: "Gu (Nobleman) Wei" and "Hou (Heavenly Empress) Wu." On the right side: "Zi, Long (Azure Dragon)" and "Chou, Kong (Heavenly Void)." The lower row is "Si Chen Mao Yin," with the following spirits below them: "Tai Yin, Xuan Wu, Tai Chang, Bai Hu." The four lessons have spirits arranged from right to left as "Hai Shen Shen Wu," and the upper spirits are "Yin Hai Hai Shen," each accompanied by "Hai, Gou, Gou, Teng Snake," meaning the first lesson is Hai added to Wu, the second is Yin added to Hai, the third is Hai added to Shen, and the fourth is Yin added to Hai. The three transmissions are Yin, Si, Shen: the first transmission Yin is the official ghost爻, accompanied by Bai Hu, marked with "◎" indicating it falls in the empty period; the middle transmission Si is the parents爻, hidden dry branch Yi, accompanied by Tai Yin; the final transmission Shen is the sons and daughters爻, hidden dry branch Wu, accompanied by Teng Snake. The four lessons and three transmissions are the same as the previous divination regarding the return of a father and son, except for the different accompanying Heavenly Generals.

王牧夫曰：此風搐之症。虎乘寅，為虎踞山林，故主風搐孔。七日之內，即為嬰鬼矣。蓋小兒占，不宜見刑，用見刑者，百無一存也。此乃三刑，刑盡長生，本元既絕，雖有些小吉象，亦無益耳。常占以虎頭蛇尾，先重後輕，餘獨謂是小棺具之象也。何也？乃日德居於蛇虎之中，成了三刑，安能望其生乎，果驗。餘又占得一九歲兒病，乃是癸丑日伏吟，丑乘勾陳，斷曰：此亂墳堆耳，不能治也。後果驗。

Wang Mufu said: This is a case of convulsions caused by wind. The White Tiger is riding on the寅, which is an image of a fierce tiger occupying the mountains and forests, so it indicates a condition of wind convulsions. Within seven days, this child will become a small ghost. Whenever one divines for a child's illness, the most dangerous thing is to see punishments in the chart; if the initiating transmission shows punishments, out of a hundred cases, none will survive. This chart is exactly the triple punishments of寅,巳, and申, which exhaust the growth energy. The original essence has already been cut off; even if there is a slight auspicious sign, it is of no help. Common people who see the pattern of a tiger's head and a snake's tail usually say that the condition is severe at first but then becomes mild; I, however, believe this is an image of a small coffin. Why? Because the day and virtue are sandwiched between the Teng Snake and the White Tiger, and they also form the triple punishments. How can one expect the child to survive? Later, it indeed came true. I once also divined the illness of a nine-year-old child, which was a hidden chant chart on a Guichou day, with the丑 position occupied by Gou Chen. I predicted that it was nothing but a pile of乱坟, and it could not be cured. Later, it indeed came true.

崇正丁丑年十月戊申日卯將子時占夢。郭氏占案　蛇朱合勾　申酉戌亥　虎勾勾蛇　鬼 ◎寅 虎　貴未　子龍　寅亥亥申　父 乙巳 陰　后午　丑空　亥申申戊　子 戊申 蛇　巳辰卯寅　陰玄常虎

In the year Dingchou of Chongzheng, on the tenth month and fifth day of the lunar calendar, a divination was cast using the month general of卯 (Boar) placed on the Zi hour. This divination concerns a dream. This entry is from the "Guo氏 Zhan An." The used lesson is exactly the same as the previous one where Wang Kun interpreted a child's illness. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the upper row is "Shen-You-Xu-Hai," with the following deities above them: "Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen." On the left side are "Nobleman at Wei" and "Heavenly Empress at Wu." On the right side are "Zi, Azure Dragon" and "Chou, Tian Kong." The lower row is "Si, Chen, Bo, Yin," with the following deities below them: "Tai Yin, Xuan Wu, Tai Chang, Bai Hu." The four lessons have the deities moving from right to left as "Hai Shen Shen Wu," while the upper deities are "Yin Hai Hai Shen," each accompanied by "Bai Hu, Gou Chen, Gou Chen, Teng Snake." The three transmissions are寅 (Yin), 巳 (Si), and 申 (Shen): the first transmission, Yin, is the official ghost爻, riding Bai Hu and falling into the旬空; the middle transmission, Si, is the parents爻, hidden by the dry branch Yi, riding Tai Yin; the final transmission, Shen, is the sons and daughters爻, hidden by the dry branch Wu, riding Teng Snake.

郭御青曰：餘自丁丑八月，京邸候選，至十月十四日，夜得一夢，夢一人叩寓門，高聲腔朗誦曰：正西身上可安坤。餘夢中曰：汝錯念，乃坤上可安身。其人又朗誦如前。遂醒，呼燭占之，卯加子，得申戊一課。戊乃干身，上乘申，非身上可安坤而何？夢中人為餘起此課也。亦奇矣。詳課體，初中官祿俱空，豈十月尚不得選乎？辰課不備，弔客臨宅。至家中幼小不安。其餘莫能盡解。去燈假寐，又夢一老嫗架鷹逐兔，其兔起餘面前，奔入一犬腹內，餘一足踏犬頸曰：剖犬即得此兔矣。遂醒。一夜連得二奇夢，取課詳玩，見酉乘朱雀臨午，戌乘六合臨未。酉乃婢，朱雀乃鷹也。戌乃犬，六合乃兔也。但不知所主何事。

Guo Yuqing said: I have been staying in a guest house in the capital since August of the Dingchou year, waiting for an official appointment. On the night of the fourteenth day of the tenth month, I had a dream. In the dream, someone knocked on the door of my lodging and loudly recited, "On the body of Zhengxi, the Earth can be placed." I replied in the dream, "You have recited it wrong; it should be 'On the Earth, the body can be placed.'" The person repeated the same recitation again. I then woke up, called for a lamp, and cast a divination:卯 added to 子, resulting in a lesson with 申 added to 戊. 戊 is the day stem, representing myself, and on top of it is 申 — this is exactly "On the body, the Earth can be placed" (申). It turns out the person in the dream had cast this lesson for me. It is truly strange. Looking closely at the lesson pattern, the first and middle transmissions have official stars and禄神 falling into empty positions, so does that mean I will not be appointed before the tenth month? The third transmission is incomplete, and the spirit of the吊客 is present in the宅 position, indicating that the family's children will be unsettled. The rest of the meanings cannot all be fully explained. I then extinguished the lamp and pretended to sleep again. I dreamed of an old woman riding an eagle chasing a rabbit. The rabbit darted in front of me and ran into the belly of a dog. I stepped on the dog's neck and said, "Cut the dog open and you can get this rabbit." I then woke up. In one night I had two strange dreams. Taking the lesson and repeatedly pondering it, I saw 酉 riding the Vermilion Bird on 午, and 戌 riding Liu He on 未. 酉 represents a servant girl, and the Vermilion Bird is the eagle; 戌 represents a dog, and Liu He is the rabbit — but at that time I did not yet know exactly what this referred to.

不數日，餘因舊火病，為庸醫針灸，兼得服附子過多，火熾如燎膚，遍身瘡痍，不離床褥，十月遂未得選。餘止兩幼子，家信至，俱為痘傷，至十二月，力疾選得懷慶，取課反覆推詳，一一符合。初中官祿俱空，主十月不得選。干上騰蛇，上下夾克，即主身上火病，且申乃子息爻，騰蛇正斑痘之患，即主傷子。鷹犬之夢，蓋六合小兒之象，前為鷹鶉所逐，後為天狗所食也。至十二月，春節不遠，寅木有氣，所以得選。寅臨亥地，亥乃魏分，懷慶屬焉，且籤選十七又亥日，一一皆前定矣。人生碌碌何為哉？猶幸剖犬而得兔之說，餘良辰年，交壬戌運，辰戌沖，即剖犬可以得子矣。但正西二年尚不得其解，姑存之。

A few days later, I was treated with acupuncture by an unskilled physician for an old fire illness, and I took too much of the herb fuzi, which caused my fire energy to burn like a scorching skin, resulting in sores all over my body and making me unable to get out of bed. In October, I was unable to be selected for an official post. I had only two young sons, and a letter from home arrived saying that both had been afflicted by smallpox. By December, I managed to recover enough to be selected for a post in Huaiqing. When I carefully reconsidered that particular divination, everything matched perfectly: the initial and middle transmissions of the official star and禄神 were both empty, which explained why I couldn't be selected in October. The day stem was covered by the Teng Snake, with pressure from above and below, indicating my fire illness on the body. The position of Shen, which represents children, was also occupied by the Teng Snake, which foretold the smallpox illness, thus causing harm to my sons. As for the dream of the hawk and dog, the六合 represents the image of a child. First, the hawk chased the child, then the Heavenly Dog devoured it, which exactly described this situation. By December, the Spring Festival was not far away, and the wood of Yin was gradually gaining strength, so I was able to be selected. Yin was located at the亥 position, and亥 in the system of regions belongs to the state of Wei, while Huaiqing belongs to the territory of Wei. Moreover, the day of drawing the lottery was the seventeenth, which was also the day of亥. Everything was predestined. How busy is human life, and what is it all for? Fortunately, there is the saying of "cutting the dog to find a rabbit": I was born in the year of Chen, and entered the big year of Renxu, where Chen and Xu conflict, which exactly corresponds to cutting open the dog's belly to find a rabbit. However, the two characters "正西" are still not clear to me in the past two years, so I will just record them here.

十二月戊申日子將申時某占晴雨。方本占案　六朱　陳酉戌亥子蛇　龍申　丑貴　玄蛇貴陳　兄 甲辰 玄　空未　寅后　辰子丑酉　子 戊申 龍　虎午巳辰卯陰　子申酉戊　財 壬子 蛇　常玄

On the 15th day of the 12th lunar month, with the month general placed at Zi on the Shen hour, a divination was made to predict weather conditions. This passage is from "Fang Ben Zhan An." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with "Liu He, Zhu Que" (Six Harmony, Vermilion Bird); then "Chen (Gou Chen), You, Xu, Hai, Zi, Shen (Teng Snake)"; on the left side "Long (Qing Long) Shen" faces the right side "Chou, Gui (Nobleman)"; "Kong (Tian Kong) Wei" faces "Yin, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; the lower row is "Hu (Bai Hu) Wu, Si, Chen, Mao, Yin (Tai Yin)", ending with "Chang, Xuan" (Tai Chang, Xuan Wu). The four lessons are arranged from right to left as "Zi Shen You Wu", and the upper gods are "Chen Zi Chou You", each accompanied by "Xuan, Shen, Gui, Chen", meaning the first lesson is You added to Wu, the second is Chou added to You, the third is Zi added to Shen (Zi appears on the day branch Shen), and the fourth is Chen added to Zi. The three transmissions are Chen, Shen, and Zi, forming the reverse arrangement of the water trinity (Shen, Zi, Chen): the first transmission Chen is the brother's yao, hidden dry Jia, riding Xuan Wu; the middle transmission Shen is the son's yao, hidden dry Wu, riding Qing Long; the final transmission Zi is the wife's wealth yao, hidden dry Ren, riding Teng Snake.

邵彥和曰：潤下課，元臨子作用，中傳龍又乘申，末又是夜青龍。若春占主水漲，今冬占必有大雪。果辛亥日雨，丙辰日大雪，戊午日晴而起風。

Shao Yanhe said: This is the "runxia ke," with the Black Tortoise occupying the water position and initiating the transmission. The middle transmission is the Azure Dragon riding on Shen, and the final transmission falls on the position of the Azure Dragon in a night divination. The entire divination is full of water energy. If this divination was made in spring, it would indicate a great flood of the river; but now it is winter, so there must be a heavy snowfall. Later, on the Xinhai day, it rained, on the Bingchen day, it snowed heavily, and on the Wuwu day, it cleared up and then started to blow wind.

乙酉年六月戊申日未將卯時劉將仕庚午生四十歲占宅。宋本邵案　口鑑　六朱　陳酉戌亥子蛇　龍申　丑貴　玄蛇貴陳　兄 甲辰 玄　空未　寅后　辰子丑酉　子 戊申 龍　虎午巳辰卯陰　子申酉戊　財 壬子 蛇　常玄

In the year of Yi You, sixth lunar month, on the day of Wu Shen, the divination was started with the month general Wei placed on the卯 hour. The month general was born in the year of Geng Wu, at the age of forty, and the question was about his residence. This passage is from the Song edition of the Shao An, and also appears in the Kou Jian. The divination method used here is the same as the previous one concerning weather. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with 「six, Zhu」 (Liu He, Vermilion Bird); the next sequence is 「Chen (Gou Chen), You, Xu, Hai, Zi, Snake (Teng Snake)」; on the left side 「Long (Qing Long) Shen」 faces the right side 「Chou, Gu (Nobleman)」, 「Kong (Tian Kong) Wei」 faces 「Yin, Hou (Heavenly Empress)」; the lower row is 「Hu (Bai Hu) Wu, Si, Chen, Mao, Yin (Tai Yin)」, ending with 「Chang, Xuan」 (Tai Chang, Xuan Wu). The four lessons have spirits arranged from right to left as 「Zi Shen You Wu」, and the upper spirits are 「Chen Zi Chou You」, each riding 「Xuan, Snake, Gu, Chen」. The three transmissions are Chen, Shen, Zi: the first transmission Chen represents the brother's爻, hidden dry branch Jia, riding Xuan Wu; the middle transmission Shen represents the son's爻, hidden dry branch Wu, riding Qing Long; the final transmission Zi represents the wife's wealth爻, hidden dry branch Ren, riding Teng Snake.

邵彥和曰：即戀一舊妾，又討一新妾，精氣衰耗，漸不支持。三傳皆財為家賊所偷，宅上子作騰蛇，主子外橫，乃宅中水不合被長生耗去，故多招是非，常不安妥。今年太歲值水敗尚可，明年不利；本身有臟毒，終為所苦，溝渠為土淤塞，子作溝渠，上加辰作武，故主土注淤塞，坤申方有澗水來克，子必不肖，而婢為宅主也。劉將仕果有新舊二龐，蓋因酉作勾陳加行年又在日上，是有兩婢也。破碎來勾，主舊事擾攘。戊日局局，財氣太盛，自庫傳出，又傳出去。只因庫中有鬼賊，辰比劫財，又元盜神故也。所以偷去。子作蛇加申，主子息非理廢用。至丁巳年退至八分，庚申年退盡。巳上見酉為破碎，故丁巳退八分。申上見子作蛇撓之，故退盡。辛酉年四月臟毒死矣。蓋酉為臟毒，臨巳為四月，又遇酉年，破碎重見故也。

Shao Yanhe said: This master is deeply attached to an old concubine, and has recently taken in a new one. His vital energy is gradually being depleted, and he is becoming increasingly unable to support himself. All three transmissions are wealth lines, indicating that the family's wealth is being stolen by an internal thief. The house's position is occupied by the Zi trigram, which is riding on the Teng Snake, indicating that the son is acting recklessly outside the home. This is because the water energy in the house should not be consumed by the growth god, leading to many disputes within the household and constant instability. This year's heavenly stem is in the declining position of water, so it is still manageable; but next year will be unfavorable. The master himself suffers from a disease like hemorrhoids, and he will eventually suffer greatly from it. The ditches will be blocked by mud: Zi represents ditches, and with the addition of Chen and the presence of the Black Tortoise, it indicates that mud will fill them up. The southwest direction, which is the Kun trigram and the Shen position, has mountain streams coming to clash, so the son will certainly be unvirtuous, and the servant girl will be the one managing the household. Liu Jiangshi indeed has both an old and a new favorite concubine, because the You trigram riding on Gou Chen is both on the year and the day stem, indicating two servant concubines. The破碎 god comes together with Gou Chen, indicating that old matters will continue to cause disturbances. On the Wu day, this wealth situation is obtained, with excessive wealth, coming from the warehouse and spreading out. However, the warehouse is hiding a ghost thief - Chen is a companion and a thief, and the Black Tortoise is the thief god - so all the wealth has been stolen. The Zi trigram riding on the Teng Snake is on the Shen position, indicating that the son is recklessly wasting family property. By the Dingsi year, the family's property will decrease by eight parts, and by the Gengshen year, it will be completely lost. The presence of You on Si indicates破碎, so by the Dingsi year, the property will decrease by eight parts; the presence of Zi on Shen with the Teng Snake disturbing it indicates that by the Gengshen year, the property will be completely lost. In the fourth month of the Xinyou year, he will die from this disease of the internal organs: You represents internal diseases, which is on the Si position corresponding to the fourth month, and also meets the You year, with the破碎 god appearing again.

崇正辛未年正月戊申日亥將未時劉一純占病。指南　六朱　陳酉戌亥子蛇　龍申　丑貴　玄蛇貴陳　兄 甲辰 玄　空未　寅后　辰子丑酉　子 戊申 龍　虎午巳辰卯陰　子申酉戊　財 壬子 蛇　常玄

In the year Xinwei of the Chongzheng era, on the first day of the first lunar month, on the day of Wushen, the method of casting the divination chart was initiated by placing the Month General at Hai on the hour of Wei. Liu Yichun consulted the divination regarding illness. This passage is taken from the "Six壬 Guide." The divination chart used here is the same as in the previous two examples. The Heaven and Earth plates are arranged in a circle, starting with "Liushen, Zhuque" (Liu He, Vermilion Bird); the next is "Gou Chen You, Xu, Hai, Zi, Teng Snake." On the left side, "Qinglong Shen" (Azure Dragon Shen) faces the right side "Chou, Guiren" (Nobleman); "Tiankong Wei" (Sky Void Wei) faces "Yin, Tianhou" (Heavenly Empress). Below, "Baihu Wu, Si, Chen, Mao, Taiyin" (White Tiger Wu, Si, Chen, Mao, Tai Yin), ending with "Taichang, Xuanwu" (Tai Chang, Black Tortoise). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Zi Shen You Wu," and the upper spirits are "Chen Zi Chou You," each riding "Xuan, Teng Snake, Guiren, Gou Chen." The three transmissions are Chen, Shen, Zi: the first transmission, Chen, represents the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Jia, riding Xuanwu; the middle transmission, Shen, represents the son's yao, hidden dry branch Wu, riding Qinglong; the final transmission, Zi, represents the wife's wealth yao, hidden dry branch Ren, riding Teng Snake.

陳公獻曰：病起少陰，目今無慮，但綿纏難脫體。微獨病也，且防賊至。病起少陰者何？從魁臨干為日之敗氣，是因少陰而敗身也。病難脫體者何？傳將合成敗局，生起日之官鬼也。占病而言賊至者何？玄武發用傳歸支上，主賊人入我內室也。醫當如何？木為官鬼，火作白虎，心脾二經受症，當覓東方之醫，理肝清心，切勿健脾補肺。何時當愈？甲戌流年方且不保，遑問愈乎？緣戊日玄墓發用，是為收魂殺。又純財生卯木，死氣剋日，故是年冬可慮乎？果後三月一賊入室，劉復來言及。餘乃以原數斷云：賊北方道路往來，陳姓年少人也。作賊無伴一人耳，然必告官方獲，玄辰乘相氣，主年少，在子為道路，辰與陳姓同音，玄陰生水，水合一數也。官鬼遙克玄武，公命上神又制盜神，必告官然後捕捉也。何日可獲？告官三日即獲。果陳忠也。

Chen Gongxian said: This illness starts from the girl, but there is no need to worry now, only it is persistent and hard to get rid of; moreover, it is not only illness, but also one must be cautious of thieves. Why is the illness starting from the girl? Fromkui (You) is on the day stem, which is exactly the day stem's dying qi, so it is because of the girl that the body is ruined. Why is it hard to get rid of? The three transmissions and all the spirits form a bad situation, and instead they generate the day stem's official ghost. Why does the divination say there will be thieves? Because the white tiger is the initiating transmission and the three transmissions return to the day branch, indicating that thieves will enter my inner room. How to treat it? Wood is the official ghost, fire is the white tiger, which is the illness of the heart and spleen meridians. One should invite a doctor from the east, using methods to relieve liver qi and clear the heart, and must not strengthen the spleen and lungs. When will it get better? By the year Jiaxu, even life is hard to preserve, so what about recovery? Because on the day of Wu, the white tiger's riding spirit is the tomb spirit initiating the transmission, which is called "capturing the soul killer"; also, a pure wealth is used to generate the卯 wood, and death qi attacks the day stem, so that winter of that year is very worrying. Later, indeed, three months later there was a thief entering the room, and Liu Yichun also mentioned it again. I then used the original class of the divination to say: This thief comes from the north road, a young man surnamed Chen, acting alone without any accomplices; however, one must report to the authorities to catch him. Why? Because the white tiger's riding spirit, the辰, carries the phase qi, so it indicates youth; the辰 is in the position of the子, indicating the road; "Chen" and "Chen" have the same sound; the white tiger is yin and generates water, and the number of water's completion is one, so it is one person. The official ghost remotely attacks the white tiger, and the person's own spirit controls the thief spirit, so one must report to the authorities to catch him. On which day can he be caught? Three days after reporting to the authorities, he can be caught. Later, the one caught was indeed Chen Zhong.

崇正戊辰十二月戊申庚申時，予在燕京會高仁齋、夏客還、張環玉邀，蜀中禮部李載溪先生座索占。指南　朱蛇　六戌亥子丑貴　白貴陰六　官 乙卯 陰　勾酉　寅后　午丑卯戌　子 戊申 龍　龍申　卯陰　丑申戌戊　兄 癸丑 貴　空未午巳辰玄　虎常

In the year of Wuchen (戊辰) of the Chongzheng era, on the 12th lunar month, the 5th day of the month, at the hour of Gengshen, I met Gao Renzai and Xia Ke Huan in Yanjing. I was invited by Zhang Huanyu and participated in a divination session hosted by Mr. Li Zailixi of the Li Department in Shu. This passage is taken from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan." The course disk is arranged as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates form a circle: starting with "Zhu, She" (Zhu Que, Teng She); then "Liuxu (Liu He), Hai, Zi, Chou, Gui (Nobleman)"; on the left, "Gou Chen You" faces "Yin, Hou (Heavenly Empress)" on the right, and "Qinglong Shen" faces "Mao, Yin (Tai Yin)"; below, "Tiankong Wei, Wu, Si, Chen, Xuanwu" and ending with "Hu, Chang" (Baihu, Tai Chang). The four lessons, from right to left, are "Chou Shen Xu Wu," and the upper gods are "Wu Chou Mao Xu," each accompanied by "Bai, Gui, Yin, Liu," meaning the first lesson is Xu with Wu, the second is Mao with Xu, the third is Chou with Shen (with Chou on the day branch Shen), and the fourth is Wu with Chou. The three transmissions are Mao, Shen, and Chou: the first transmission, Mao, is the official star, with the hidden dry branch Yi, riding Tai Yin; the middle transmission, Shen, is the son and grandson yao, with the hidden dry branch Wu, riding Qinglong; the final transmission, Chou, is the brother yao, with the hidden dry branch Gui, riding Nobleman.

高仁齋曰：卯與戌合，為大六合，六合加戌為小六合，喜末傳月將貴人，定然片言入相。予反其意曰：太陰臨卯，空即不能成名，此乃舊事又舉行者，二月還宜慎重。曰：何以知其舊事？曰：舊太歲發用，且四墓覆生，主已廢復行，沉而又舉也。嫌初中龍官空戰，朱雀陰見玄墓（亥乘朱陰神見辰也），若上疏，旨意不佳。果後以改授上疏見駁，幾至察處。

Gao Renzhai said:卯 and 戌 are in conjunction, which is called "Great Liu He"; when the Liu He general is added on top of 戌, it is called "Small Liu He"; it is even more favorable if the final transmission is riding on the month general and the nobleman. This gentleman is surely destined to be promoted to the cabinet with a single word. I, however, say the opposite: Tai Yin is present on 卯, and 卯 is empty, so he cannot achieve fame; this matter is a revival of an old affair, and one should still be cautious in February. Someone asked: How do we know it is an old matter? I said: The previous year's Tai Su 发用, combined with the repeated mutual generation of the four graves, indicates that something originally abandoned is now being revived, and what was sunk is now raised up. What is worrying is that the first and middle transmissions have the Azure Dragon and the official star falling empty and fighting; the Yin spirit of the Vermilion Bird also meets the Black Tortoise's grave (the Vermilion Bird is on 亥, and its Yin spirit is on 辰). If a memorial is submitted, the imperial decree will certainly be unfavorable. Later, indeed, because of a change in appointment, he submitted a memorial, but it was rejected, and he almost faced investigation.

己酉年六月戊申日未將寅時劉乾運丙寅生四十四歲占前程。方本占案　口鑑　宋本邵案　陳龍　六戌亥子丑空　朱酉　寅虎　后空常六　鬼 空卯 常　蛇申　卯常　午丑卯戌　子 戊申 蛇　貴未午巳辰玄　丑申戌戊　兄 癸丑 空　后陰

In the year Ji You, sixth lunar month, day Wu Shen, using the month general Wei placed on the寅 hour to cast the divination. Liu Qianyun was born in the year Bing Yin, aged forty-four, and consulted about his future. This case is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An", also found in the "Kou Jian" and the Song edition of the "Shao An". The course of the divination is as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates are arranged in a circle, starting with "Chen, Long" (Gou Chen, Qing Long); the next row is "Liu (Liu He) Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Kong (Tian Kong)"; on the left side "Zhu (Zhu Que) You" faces the right side "Yin, Hu (Bai Hu)"; "She (Teng She) Shen" faces "Mao, Chang (Tai Chang)"; the lower row is "Gui (Gui Ren) Wei, Wu, Si, Chen, Xuan (Xuan Wu)", ending with "Hou, Yin" (Tian Hou, Tai Yin). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Chou Shen Xu Wu", and the upper spirits are "Wu Chou Mao Xu", each riding on "Hou, Kong, Chang, Liu", meaning the first lesson is Xu added to Wu, the second lesson is Mao added to Xu, the third lesson is Chou added to Shen, and the fourth lesson is Wu added to Chou. The three transmissions are Mao, Shen, and Chou: the first transmission is Mao, which is the official ghost爻, riding on Tai Chang, and the source text marks "Kong" before Mao, indicating that Mao is in the旬空; the middle transmission is Shen, which is the son爻, hidden dry branch Wu, riding on Teng She; the final transmission is Chou, which is the brother爻, hidden dry branch Ji, riding on Tian Kong. The four lessons and three transmissions are the same as in the previous case of Li Zaixi's divination, except for the different heavenly general.

邵彥和曰：此課無造化，戊以卯為官星，甲辰旬空亡也。戊以申為長生學堂，入在空亡，只有末傳是丑，丑又來刑日上戌，且作天空，晝貴人空耗，是貴而無位也。晚年孤獨，只與奴婢過殘生，俱不見妻子續。後果然。

Shao Yanhe said: This case has no auspicious signs. On a Wu day, the卯 is the official star, but the卯 falls into Kongwang in the Jiachen decade. Wu also takes the申 as its growth and school, which also falls into Kongwang. Only the final transmission, the Chou, remains, but the Chou comes to injure the戌 on the day stem. Moreover, it is riding on Tian Kong, and the nobleman of the day is consumed by Kongwang. This is a case where there is noble energy but no actual position. The person will be lonely in his old age, living out his remaining years with servants only, and will not see his wife and children continuing the family line. Later events proved this to be true.

乾隆己巳年三月己酉日戌將奪及時雨辛巳人四十九歲占謀生。牧夫占驗　蛇貴后陰　亥子丑寅　合玄龍后　鬼 ◎卯 玄　朱戌　卯玄　酉卯未丑　子 己酉 合　合酉　辰常　卯酉丑己　鬼 ◎卯 玄　申未午巳　勾龍空虎

In the year Jisi of the Qianlong era, on the 15th day of the third lunar month, the divination was cast with the month general Wu. The original text mentions 'Wu general seizes timely rain,' but the four characters 'seizes timely rain' are likely a misreading from the transmission of the text and cannot be accurately identified as a specific hour. The person asking the question was born in the year Xinsi and was forty-nine years old. He was inquiring about his means of livelihood. This entry is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The course of the divination is presented as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates are arranged in a circle: the top row is 'Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin,' with the following deities above them: 'Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin'; the left side is 'Zhu (Zhu Qiao), Wu' and 'He (Liu He), You'; the right side is 'Mao, Xuan (Xuan Wu)' and 'Chen, Chang (Tai Chang)'; the bottom row is 'Shen, Wei, Wu, Si,' with the following deities below them: 'Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu.' The four lessons have the deities from right to left as 'Mao, You, Chou, Ji,' and the upper deities are 'You, Mao, Wei, Chou,' each accompanied by 'He, Xuan, Long, Hou,' meaning the first lesson has Chou added to Ji, the second lesson has Wei added to Chou, the third lesson has Mao added to You (with Mao on the day branch You), and the fourth lesson has You added to Mao. The three transmissions are Mao, You, and Mao: the first transmission, Mao, is the official ghost爻, accompanied by Xuan Wu, with a mark '◎' indicating it is empty; the middle transmission, You, is the son and grandson爻, hidden dry Ji, accompanied by Liu He; the final transmission is again the empty Mao, accompanied by Xuan Wu.

王牧夫曰：夫婦商量，欲為門戶計乎？其人曰：何以知之？余曰：此課龍后相交，故知為夫婦商量也。卯酉相沖，故知為門戶計也。曰：將來如何？余曰：看來此課大不美。不惟門戶不振，猶懼申酉之年，有死亡之憂。蓋酉為敗金，卯為死木，死敗相乘豈能越申酉年乎？且玄合為不正，占亦丑矣。

Wang Mufu said: This is a couple discussing matters concerning their family and livelihood, isn't it? The other person asked: How do you know that? I said: In this reading, the Azure Dragon and Heavenly Empress are both present, the Dragon representing the husband and the Empress the wife, so I know it is a couple discussing together. The卯 and酉 are directly opposing each other, and卯 and酉 are the deities of the family, so I know they are discussing family matters. The other person asked again: What about the future? I said: This reading is very bad. Not only will the family not prosper, but there is also fear of death in the years of申 and酉. Because酉 is the metal of decline, and卯 is the wood of death, death qi and decline qi are interacting and overwhelming, how can they endure the years of申 and酉? Moreover, the Black Tortoise and Liu He are in conjunction, indicating improper conduct, and the matter itself is not honorable.

崇正丙子三月己酉丁卯時，粵東少伯陳秋桃太史，為宗藩建言被逮刑部，占出獄。指南　后陰　貴子丑寅卯玄　蛇常六陰　財 辛亥 蛇　蛇亥　辰常　亥辰酉寅　印 丙午 空　朱戌　巳虎　辰酉寅己　兄 癸丑 后　六酉申未午空　勾龍

In the year Bingzi of the Chongzheng era, in the third month on the day Jiyou and at the hour Dingmao, Chen Qiutao, a high-ranking official from Guangdong, was arrested by the Ministry of Justice for speaking on behalf of a royal family's藩king. He consulted a divination to determine when he would be released. This entry is from the "Six壬Guide." The lesson disk is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with "Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin"; then "Nobleman, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Black Tortoise"; on the left "Teng Snake, Hai" facing the right "Chen, Tai Chang"; "Vermilion Bird, Xu" facing "Si, White Tiger"; the lower row is "Liu He, You, Shen, Wei, Wu, Tian Kong"; ending with "Gou Chen, Azure Dragon." The four lessons' spirits are arranged from right to left as "Chen You Yin Ji," and the upper spirits are "Hai Chen You Yin," each accompanied by "Teng Snake, Tai Chang, Liu He, Tai Yin," meaning the first lesson is Yin added to Ji, the second is You added to Yin, the third is Chen added to You (with Chen on the day branch You), and the fourth is Hai added to Chen. The three transmissions are Hai, Wu, Chou: the first transmission Hai is the wife's wealth, with the hidden stem Xin and accompanied by Teng Snake; the middle transmission Wu is the official's seal, with the hidden stem Bing and accompanied by Tian Kong; the final transmission Chou is the brother's wealth, with the hidden stem Gui and accompanied by Heavenly Empress.

陳公獻曰：目今不能脫難，交四月甲戌日巳時方出獄。同難諸縉紳皆曰：指日即出，余曰：不然，發用驛馬坐墓（驛馬亥坐辰上也），且赤鳥犯歲君（朱雀戌克太歲子也），如上疏旨意必駁。眾不然其說，三月馮大司寇上疏，旨意駁下，四月上疏，依擬脫離。因四月建沖初傳墓中驛馬，方有出獄之應也。可見脫難之事，馬星十分重要，以其亦逃脫之意也。凡坐墓則不能動也，合亦然；受沖為動機。

Chen Gongxian said: We are still unable to escape trouble, and we can only be released on the day of Jiaxu in the fourth lunar month at the hour of Si. Several officials who were imprisoned with me all said that we would be released soon. I said: Not so. The initiating transmission of the Post-horse is sitting on the墓 (mound), with the Vermilion Bird offending the sovereign (the Vermilion Bird is riding on Wu, which is attacking the sovereign Zi). If we submit a memorial, the imperial decree will certainly be rejected. The others did not agree. In the third lunar month, the Grand Minister Feng submitted a memorial, but the decree was rejected. In the fourth lunar month, when another memorial was submitted, we were finally released. This was because the month builder of the fourth lunar month clashed with the initial transmission's墓, thus releasing the Post-horse and making the release possible. This shows that in matters of escaping trouble, the Post-horse is very important, as the Post-horse itself contains the meaning of escape. Whenever the Post-horse is sitting on the墓, it cannot move, and if it is blocked, it also cannot move; only when it is clashed with, does it become the opportunity for action.

乾隆乙卯年正月己酉日子將丑時戌人占病。　勾龍空虎　辰巳午未　虎常龍空　兄 庚戌 陰　合卯　申常　未申巳午　父 丙午 空　朱寅　酉玄　申酉午己　子 戊申 常　丑子亥戌　蛇貴后陰

In the year of Yimao of the Qianlong era, on the day of Jiyou of the first lunar month, a divination was cast using the month general placed on the Chou hour, with the person's destiny belonging to the Xu. The course of the divination is as follows. The circle of the celestial and earthly plates is arranged as: the top row is 'Chen Si Wu Wei', with 'Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu' above them (Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu). On the left side are 'He (Liu He) Mao' and 'Zhu (Zhu Que) Yin'; on the right side are 'Shen, Chang (Tai Chang)' and 'You, Xuan (Xuan Wu)'. The bottom row is 'Chou Zi Hai Xu', with 'She, Gui, Hou, Yin' below them (She, Gui, Hou, Yin). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as 'Shen You Wu Ji', and the upper spirits are 'Wei Shen Si Wu', each riding 'Hǔ, Chang, Long, Kong' respectively, meaning the first lesson has Wu added to Ji, the second lesson has Si added to Wu, the third lesson has Shen added to You (with Shen on the day branch You), and the fourth lesson has Wei added to Shen. The three transmissions are Xu, Wu, and Shen: the first transmission is Xu, representing the brother's yao, with the hidden stem Geng riding Tai Yin; the second transmission is Wu, representing the parents' yao, with the hidden stem Bing riding Tian Kong; the third transmission is Shen, representing the children's yao, with the hidden stem Wu riding Tai Chang.

張江村曰：冬蛇掩目，占病不起。然午加干，雖係死氣，卻作日祿生干；酉加命，雖值四廢，卻作干之長生，因此時少延，至三月辰日卯時必死。以辰上見卯，卯沖酉、破午也。後果然。

Zhang Jiangcun said: This is the "Winter Snake Covering the Eyes" lesson pattern, which indicates that the person will not recover from the illness. However, the Wu element is placed on top of the day stem, although it belongs to death qi, it is actually the禄神 of Ji day that is born by the day stem; the You element is placed on the person's birth day, although it is in the Four Wastes, it is also the long life of the day stem. Therefore, the illness can still be prolonged for a while. On the second month's Chen day at Mao time, the person will surely die. Because the Mao appears on Chen, the Mao will remove the You and destroy the Wu, thus cutting off the last bit of vitality. Later, it indeed happened as predicted.

大凡占病，色色皆凶。尚有一點生意者，視此一點生意。有力者，可救無力者。視此一點生意盡於何時，以決死期，此課可為隅及。

In general, when divining about illness, if the chart shows all ominous signs, yet there is still a bit of vitality left, one should focus on this remaining vitality. If this vitality is strong, the person can still be saved; if it is weak, then one should determine when this vitality will be exhausted, thus deciding the time of death. This lesson can serve as an example to be applied in similar situations.

三月己酉日酉將未時某占失婢。方本占案　陳六　龍未申酉戌朱　空午　亥蛇　后蛇蛇六　兄 癸丑 后　虎巳　子貴　丑亥亥酉　鬼 空卯 玄　常辰卯寅丑后　亥酉酉己　父 乙巳 虎　玄陰

On the 15th day of the third month, on a day with the day branch Jiyou, the divination was started by placing the month general You on the Wei hour. Someone came to inquire about a missing servant girl. This entry is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: starting with "Chen, Liu" (Gou Chen, Liu He); then "Long (Qinglong) Wei, Shen, You, Xu"; on the left side "Kong (Tian Kong) Wu" facing the right side "Hai, She (Teng Snake)"; "Hu (Baihu) Si" facing "Zi, Gui (Nobleman)"; below "Chang (Tai Chang) Chen, Mao, Yin, Chou, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; ending with "Xuan, Yin" (Xuanwu, Tai Yin). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Hai You You Ji," and the upper spirits are "Chou Hai Hai You," each accompanied by "Hou, She, She, Liu," meaning the first lesson is You added to Ji, the second is Hai added to You, the third is Hai added to You (with Hai on the day branch You), and the fourth is Chou added to Hai. The three transmissions are Chou, Mao, and Si: the first transmission Chou is the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Gui, accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the second transmission Mao is the official ghost's yao, accompanied by Xuanwu, with the label "Kong" indicating Mao is in the旬空; the third transmission Si is the parent's yao, hidden dry branch Yi, accompanied by Baihu.

邵彥和曰：此婢不失，但往來處尋之，六里內必見也。日辰三傳俱在陰位，陰主伏匿，巳作虎臨門戶上，其人入門去便止也。蓋己日為尊，酉辰為婢，今加日上，是婢來就尊，日辰相加，所以不走。酉六故不出六里必見。果往東方六里內尋見，乃失路不能歸也。

Shao Yanhe said: This servant girl cannot have been lost; she can be found within six li of her usual place. The day stem, day branch, and the three transmissions all fall in the yin position, and yin signifies concealment. The巳 is riding the White Tiger and is on the door god, so when she enters the door, she stops and does not move further. Since Ji is the day stem representing the master and his elders, You as the day branch represents the servant girl. Now You is placed above the day stem, meaning the servant girl herself is returning close to the master. The day and Chen are mutually added, so she does not go far. You's number is six, so it is said she must be found within six li. Later, she was indeed found within six li to the east, because she had gotten lost and could not return.

己巳年五月己酉日申將午時占行人。牧夫占驗　陳六　龍未申酉戌朱　空午　亥蛇　后蛇蛇六　兄 癸丑 后　虎巳　子貴　丑亥亥酉　鬼 空卯 玄　常辰卯寅丑后　亥酉酉己　父 乙巳 虎　玄陰

In the year of Jisi, fifth month, day of Jiyou, the divination was cast using the month general Shen placed on the hour of Wu. The question was about a person who is away from home. This entry is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The used lesson is the same as the previous one for a lost servant. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the beginning is "Chen, Liu" (Gou Chen, Liu He); the next row is "Long (Qinglong) Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Zhu (Zhuque)"; on the left side "Kong (Tiankong) Wu" faces the right side "Hai, She (Tengshe)"; "Hu (Baihu) Si" faces "Zi, Gui (Guiren)"; the lower row is "Chang (Tai Chang) Chen, Mao, Yin, Chou, Hou (Tianhou)"; ending with "Xuan, Yin" (Xuanyu, Taiyin). The spirits below the four lessons are arranged from right to left as "Hai You You Ji," while the upper spirits are "Chou Hai Hai You." Each is accompanied by "Hou, She, She, Liu." The three transmissions are Chou, Mao, and Si: the first transmission Chou is the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Gui, accompanied by Tianhou; the middle transmission Mao is the official ghost yao, accompanied by Xuanyu and falling into the旬空; the final transmission Si is the parent's yao, hidden dry branch Yi, accompanied by Baihu.

王牧夫曰：行人已出戶外，到期不遠。丙辰日驗，其人果於丙辰日到。此在外望宅中行人之占，故以支加干為宅就人。酉乘六合，門戶動，課名出戶。馬帶蛇逢沖，俱是來象。動爻丑土，乘後作合，中見官鬼，末見白虎，皆遠到也。故即以馬為應期。馬亥臨支又與末沖，歸著當在馬，馬帶辛，丙與辛合，遁丙在辰，故斷丙辰日也。

Wang Mufu said: The person who has left home has already set out, and the day he will return home is not far. It should be on Bingchen day. The person indeed arrived on Bingchen day. This is a divination method for someone who is away from home hoping for the return of family members. Therefore, the day stem is added to the day branch, treating the home as the person. You (the branch) is multiplied by Liu He, indicating the door is activated. The name of the divination is "Out the Door." The post-horse carries the Teng Snake and meets a conflict, both indicating arrival. The activated line is the earth ox, riding the Heavenly Empress and combining with it, the middle transmission sees the official ghost, and the final transmission sees the White Tiger, all indicating arrival from a distance. Therefore, the post-horse is taken as the day of verification. The post-horse亥 is on the day branch, and also conflicts with the final transmission, so the conclusion should fall on the post-horse. The heavenly stem in亥 is Xin, and Bing combines with Xin, while the hidden stem that matches Bing is Chen, so the prediction is on Bingchen day.

建炎己酉年九月己酉日卯將丑時姜子昭庚午生四十歲占向後如何。方本占案　貴后　蛇未申酉戌陰　朱午　亥玄　虎玄玄后　兄 癸丑 虎　六巳　子常　丑亥亥酉　鬼 空卯 龍　陳辰卯寅丑虎　亥酉酉己　父 乙巳 六　龍空

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, on the ninth month Jiyou day, a divination was cast starting with the month general卯 (Mao) placed on the Chou (Chou) hour. Jiang Zizhao was born in the Gengwu year, is forty years old, and is asking about his future fortune and misfortune. This entry is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: starting with "Gu (Nobleman), Hou (Heavenly Empress)" (Gu and Hou); then "Snake (Teng Snake) at Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Yin (Tai Yin)"; on the left "Zhu (Zhu Qiao) at Wu" facing the right "Hai, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; "Liu (Liu He) at Si" facing "Zi, Chang (Tai Chang)"; below "Chen (Gou Chen) at Chen, Mao, Yin, Chou, Hu (Bai Hu)"; ending with "Long (Qing Long), Kong (Tian Kong)" (Qing Long and Tian Kong). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Hai You You Ji," and the upper spirits are "Chou Hai Hai You," each riding "Hu, Xuan, Xuan, Hou," meaning the first lesson You added to Ji, the second Hai added to You, the third Hai added to You, and the fourth Chou added to Hai. The three transmissions are Chou, Mao, Si: the first transmission Chou is the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Ji, riding Bai Hu; the middle transmission Mao is the official ghost's yao, riding Qing Long, with the source text marking "Kong" indicating it falls in the empty period; the final transmission Si is the parent's yao, hidden dry branch Yi, riding Liu He.

邵彥和曰：支來加干敗，又作天后，一主不能讀書，二不得妻子力，三宅氣衰敗，走失財物，四墳中滿棺是水，又有泥並白蟻。吾丈又貪色，夫妻一味嬌態，不管家務，今六陰皆備，不即日為泉下人矣。若改干亥山向，決宅水東流，戒酒色，猶可延，否則死無日矣。姜好酒色，後月餘吐紅，遂成反胃，小腸刺痛，大腸結，十月死矣。

Shao Yanhe said: When the day branch is placed upon the day stem and falls into a weak position, and also rides upon the Heavenly Empress, one can determine four things: first, the person will be unable to study; second, they will not receive help from their wife and children; third, the house will be in decline, with loss of property; fourth, the ancestral graves will be filled with water, mixed with mud and white ants. You have a strong desire for women and sex, and your wife and you spend all day indulging in intimacy and neglecting household affairs. Now all the signs of six yin are complete, and death is imminent. If you change the house to face the direction of Ganshanshang and direct the water in front of the house to flow east, and also give up drinking and indulgence, you may prolong your life for a while; otherwise, death is certain. Jiang Zizhao was always fond of wine and women. After more than a month, he began to cough up blood, then developed vomiting, with pain in the small intestine and constipation in the large intestine, and died in October.

大凡六陰，自是不利，自夜傳出日尚可，日傳入夜，其陰愈甚。今干生支酉，酉金生亥水，更行年上未，六陰俱全，本命又見脫盜，且迄邐傳出寅卯，自敗傳死，自死傳絕，行年又加絕上，即是巳祿本身與行年，相繼投絕，安得不喪？日上酉為血，天后厭穢，自內傳出，是吐血也。武亥加血上，亥本宮被丑克，故反胃。丑作虎，故小腸痛，大腸結也。巳作六合，絕處入廟鎖定，兼六陰相繼，所以不通，傳絕而死。

In general, the image of six yin is inherently inauspicious: if it moves from night to day, it is still somewhat acceptable; but if it moves from day to night, the yin energy becomes even stronger. Now the day stem is born by the day branch You, and You metal generates Hai water, and the year of birth falls on Wei. Thus, all six yin spirits are complete. The native's destiny also shows the loss of energy and stealing of energy, which continues through Yin and Mao, moving from a place of decline to a place of death, then to a place of extinction. The year of birth is also added to the place of extinction. Therefore, the Lu Spirit Si, along with itself and the year of birth, continuously enters the place of extinction, how can it not die? The You on the day stem governs blood, and the Heavenly Empress also governs foul and turbid energy, which arises from within, indicating the symptom of vomiting blood. The Hai, which is governed by the Black Tortoise, is placed on the You, which governs blood. The Hai's native palace is attacked by Chou, thus causing regurgitation. The Chou is governed by the White Tiger, thus causing pain in the small intestine and blockage in the large intestine. The Si is governed by Liu He, and in the place of extinction, it enters its temple and is locked up. Combined with the continuous presence of six yin, the vital energy is blocked, and it spreads to the place of extinction, leading to death.

己卯年六月己酉日未將奪及時雨杭州張澹寧相會占病。指南　六朱　勾申酉戌亥蛇　玄貴辰朱　鬼 乙卯 玄　龍未　子貴　卯子丑戌　父 丙午 空　空午　丑后　子酉戌己　子 己酉 六　虎巳辰卯寅陰　常玄

In the year of Ji Mao, sixth lunar month, day of Ji You, using the month general Wei to cast the divination chart (the source text also reads 'Wei general seizes timely rain'; the four characters 'seizes timely rain' are likely a transmission error from copying, and cannot be accurately determined), I cast a divination for Zhang Daning's illness while meeting him in Hangzhou. This entry is from the Six壬 Guide. The chart is compressed into one line as follows. The heaven and earth plate forms a circle, starting with 'six, Zhu' (Liu He, Vermilion Bird); the next row is 'Gou (Gou Chen) Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Snake (Teng Snake)'; on the left side 'Long (Azure Dragon) Wei' faces the right side 'Zi, Gui (Nobleman)'; 'Kong (Sky Void) Wu' faces 'Chou, Hou (Heavenly Empress)'; the lower row is 'Hu (White Tiger) Si, Chen, Mao, Yin (Tai Yin)', ending with 'Chang, Xuan' (Tai Chang, Black Tortoise). The four lessons' spirits are arranged from right to left as 'Zi You Xu Ji', and the upper spirits are 'Mao Zi Chou Xu', meaning the first lesson has Xu added to Ji, the second lesson has Chou added to Xu, the third lesson has Zi added to You (Zi is on the day branch You), and the fourth lesson has Mao added to Zi. The source text describes the heavenly general as 'Xuan Gui Chen Zhu', where the third character 'Chen' is not the name of the heavenly general, but is likely a transmission error, so it is preserved as it is. The three transmissions are Mao, Wu, You: the first transmission, Mao, is the official ghost hexagram, with the hidden stem Yi, riding on Xuan Wu; the middle transmission, Wu, is the parents hexagram, with the hidden stem Bing, riding on Tian Kong; the final transmission, You, is the son hexagram, with the hidden stem Ji, riding on Liu He.

陳公獻曰：當年病無妨，何須再三詳，黑馬自夷來，跨上往酉方，早覓玄空徑，教爾接命長，宅上見胎喜，一陰並兩陽。蓋太歲發用作日破，勾空目今無妨，但嫌醫神發用剋日，主醫人用藥不當，但木火為虎鬼，脾肺受病，未能脫體，須東南錢劉之醫，平肝清心，其病漸愈。曰：何以言？玄門卯乃死，我門酉為生，我乘玄空，長生在傳，宜避初鬼就末生，須向玄空之門求接命延年之術。否則，壬午春必有他慮矣。曰：有胎者何？余曰：支上見胎神。曰：三兒婦俱懷妊矣。余曰：試言何命。曰：丁未、壬子、甲寅，餘以行年推之，丁未生女，餘二皆男。後果然，澹寧壬午春死。

Chen Gongxian first answered with a verse: This illness of that year is not serious, why worry so much? A black horse comes from afar, rides it westward. Go early to seek the path of the玄门 and空门, so that you can continue your life. The joy of the Fetal Spirit is seen in the dwelling position, which is one yin with two yangs. Then he explained: The Tai Su is initiating the transmission and forming the day break, Gou Chen is also present at the empty position, so there is no problem now. However, the medical god initiating the transmission is attacking the day stem, indicating that the doctor's treatment is improper. Wood and fire become the White Tiger and official ghost, which means the spleen and lung meridians are affected, and one cannot get out of it for a while. One must consult doctors from the Qian and Liu families in the southeast, using methods to calm the liver and clear the heart, and the illness will gradually improve. Someone asked: How does this mean? Answer: The卯 position of the玄门 is the dead position, while the酉 position of the door is the birth position. I am riding on the玄门 and空门, with the long life in the three transmissions. Therefore, it is suitable to avoid the official ghost in the first transmission and choose the long life in the final transmission, and one must seek the art of prolonging life at the玄门 and空门. Otherwise, there will be a big change in the spring of the Renwu year. Another question: How do you know there is a胎? I said: The Fetal Spirit is seen on the day branch. Zhang Daning said: All three daughters-in-law are pregnant. I said: Let me explain their birth years. Answer: Dingwei, Renzi, Jiayin. I calculated according to the year: Dingwei gives birth to a daughter, the other two give birth to sons. Later it turned out to be true. Zhang Daning died in the spring of the Renwu year.

己酉年九月己酉日卯將子時姜子安壬申生二十八歲占前程。方本占案　壬申生二十八歲占課當是己亥年，占此己酉年占又當是壬午年生也或是壬申年三十八歲　后陰　貴申酉戌亥玄　蛇未　子常　龍常虎陰　官 空卯 龍　朱午　丑虎　卯子丑戌　父 丙午 朱　六巳辰卯寅空　子酉戌己　子 己酉 后　陳龍

In the year of Jiyou, ninth lunar month, on the day of Jiyou, the class was cast with the month general placed on the卯 (Mao) and applied to the Zi (Zi) hour. Jiang Zi'an was born in the year of Renshen, at the age of twenty-eight, and he consulted about his future. This entry is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The original text includes a note: if someone was born in the year of Renshen and consulted at the age of twenty-eight, then the year in question should be Jihai; however, since it is stated here that the consultation took place in the year of Jiyou, the person must either have been born in the year of Renwu or have been born in the year of Renshen but already thirty-eight years old. This creates a contradiction between the year and the stem and branch, and the compiler has noted this discrepancy for further investigation. The course of the divination is as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with "Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin"; then "Nobleman, Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Black Tortoise"; on the left side, "Teng Snake, Wei" faces the right side "Zi, Tai Chang"; "Vermilion Bird, Wu" faces "Chou, White Tiger"; the lower row is "Liu He, Si, Chen, Mao, Yin, Tian Kong"; ending with "Gou Chen, Azure Dragon." The four lessons have spirits arranged from right to left as "Zi, You, Xu, Ji," and the upper spirits are "Mao, Zi, Chou, Xu," each accompanied by "Azure Dragon, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tai Yin," meaning the first lesson is Xu with Ji, the second is Chou with Xu, the third is Zi with You, and the fourth is Mao with Zi. The three transmissions are Mao, Wu, You: the first transmission, Mao, represents the official star, accompanied by Azure Dragon, and the text marks it as "Tian Kong" indicating it falls in the empty period; the middle transmission, Wu, represents the parents'爻, with the hidden stem Bing, accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the final transmission, You, represents the children's爻, with the hidden stem Ji, accompanied by Heavenly Empress.

邵彥和曰：吾丈闇昧，亦不永遠。惟令郎好，與老陰人可享此。今則福謝災生，身宮不明，何望顯達？須管一有福之子，喪則君不祿矣。況初中空亡，惟末撞在日之後，作敗神，主酒色傷身夭壽，三年半期，恐難過也。姜子安好奇異，聞言哂而不信。至壬子年一子果死，其子溫厚。姜氏悲愴，日夜追思，相繼而亡。果三年半也。

Shao Yanhe said: Your fortune is dark and your lifespan is not long. However, your son is good; in the future he will share this fortune with an older woman. Now the good fortune is fading and misfortune is growing, the destiny palace is unclear, so what can you expect for success? You are in charge of a son who has good fortune, but once that son is gone, you will also pass away. Moreover, the first and middle transmissions both fall into Kongwang, while only the final transmission meets the day stem's rear position, which is considered a bad omen, indicating that the son will die from excessive indulgence in wine and women. The period of three and a half years is probably not to be survived. Jiang Zi'an has always been curious and likes to do things differently; he just laughed and did not believe it. But in the year Renzi, indeed a son died. The child was kind and gentle, and the Jiang family was very sad, thinking of him day and night. The father then also died, and the time between was exactly three and a half years.

蓋己酉日見支前之太陰，是闇昧也。宅上子作常，己以子為財，財來此敗，太常己未土，亦隨此敗。初上見卯，土死於卯，卯又空亡，是空亡死也。初中即空，只在末酉，又在日後。日干之後也。己日在未，申為前，而午為後，酉加午，故曰在日後也。夫太常到酉上敗，是進敗也。酉在日後，是退敗也。太陰即酉，又來日上敗我，進亦敗，退亦敗，現在亦敗，豈得不死？壬子年子上卯宅自子引入本宮，己土至彼敗且死，人寧不亡歟？

Shao Yanhe explained his reasoning for determining a certain death. On Jiyou day, the "Tai Yin" was located before the day branch. Tai Yin is associated with darkness and concealment, so it indicates the person is "obscure and unclear." The dwelling爻 is on Zi, with "Tai Chang" riding upon it. Ji earth uses Zi water as wealth, but the wealth爻 is in a failed position. Tai Chang belongs to Jiwei earth in the Five Phases, and it also fails along with the wealth. The first transmission shows卯, and according to the sequence of earth's growth in Shen, bathing (which is "failure") in You, and death in Mao, Mao is the earth's death position. Moreover, Mao also meets Kongwang, so it is called "Kongwang death." Both the first and middle transmissions fall into Kongwang, leaving only the final transmission on You. However, You is located after the day stem, meaning "after the day." This refers to Ji day's禄 being in Wei, with Shen as the previous and Wu as the following. In this case, You is placed on Wu, so it is said to be after the day. Tai Chang moving to You is "failure," which is failure when moving forward; You being after the day is also failure when moving backward; and Tai Yin itself is You, which again attacks and causes failure to the day stem. Failure when moving forward, failure when moving backward, and failure at the present moment, all three sides are failures, how can one not die? By the Renzi year, the卯 on Zi is introduced into its own palace, and Ji earth arrives there and is both failed and dead, how can the person not perish? This reasoning combines "failure" (bathing place) and "death" (the death position in the twelve long lives), and adds Kongwang and Tai Yin's dark and obscure images, layer by layer locking in the fate, which is a typical example of Shao Yanhe's method of divination.

建炎己酉年七月庚戌日巳將丑時伍七二秀才辛未生三十九歲占家宅。一針見血　朱合勾龍　酉戌亥子　后虎玄龍　父 甲辰 玄　蛇申　丑空　午寅辰子　兄 戊申 蛇　貴未　寅虎　寅戌子庚　子 壬子 龍　午巳辰卯　后陰玄常

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, on the seventh month, day Gengxu, using the month general Si placed on the Chou hour to cast the divination. Wu Qi'er, a scholar, was born in the year Xinwei, aged thirty-nine, and consulted about his family home. This passage is from "Yizhen Jianxue." The course is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the top row is "You, Xu, Hai, Zi," with "Zhu, He, Gou, Long" (Zhuque, Liuhe, Gouchen, Qinglong) above them (Zhuque, Liuhe, Gouchen, Qinglong). On the left side: "She (Tengsnake) Shen" and "Gui (Nobleman) Wei"; on the right side: "Chou, Kong (Tiankong)" and "Yin, Hu (Baihu)". The bottom row is "Wu, Si, Chen, Mao," with "Hou, Yin, Xuan, Chang" (Tianhou, Taiyin, Xuanwu, Taichang) below them (Tianhou, Taiyin, Xuanwu, Taichang). The four lessons have the heavenly spirits arranged from right to left as "Yin, Xu, Zi, Geng," and the upper spirits are "Wu, Yin, Chen, Zi," each accompanied by "Hou, Hu, Xuan, Long," meaning the first lesson is Zi with Geng, the second is Chen with Zi, the third is Yin with Xu (the day branch is Xu, with Yin on it), and the fourth is Wu with Yin. The three transmissions are Chen, Shen, and Zi, forming the water trinity of Shen, Zi, and Chen: the first transmission Chen is the parent's yao, hidden dry branch Jia, riding Xuanwu; the middle transmission Shen is the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Wu, riding Tengsnake; the final transmission Zi is the son's yao, hidden dry branch Ren, riding Qinglong.

邵彥和曰：此課第二課發用，末傳又歸日上，水自墓中發出，中傳同類去受生，而為騰蛇所克，後歸本宮，又被子蝕，得一而失十。龍武蛇，皆水獸，盡取辨於我，宅上又得三傳之驛馬，家勢更進，子孫好勝而敗。宅中馬作虎，家中必喧吵之人，定主分離。壬子年因喜事而破產。甲寅年因爭競而分開。丙辰受制於人，庚申自身傷喪矣。庚日得水局，又傳歸日上，自他更蝕來，最是怕人，兼龍蛇武，愈緊來蝕庚，便無事之人。亦為病者，若占病人，無疑是亡。今占宅，是財退之兆也，子女皆因緣而敗也。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination takes the second transmission as the initiating transmission, and the final transmission returns to the day stem. Water arises from the storage, the middle transmission is a like stem of the day stem, Shen, which is born into, but is attacked by the Teng Snake; when the final transmission returns to its original palace, it is consumed by the Zi water - gaining one part but losing ten. The Qinglong, Xuanwu, and Teng Snake are all water animals, all demanding from me at once; the residence also receives the Post-horse from the three transmissions, making the family seem to advance, but in reality, the children are ambitious and eventually fail. The Post-horse in the residence is also riding on the Baihu, meaning there must be someone in the family who is quarrelsome, and it certainly indicates a division and dispersal of the family. In the Renzi year, there will be a collapse due to joy; in the Jiayin year, a division due to disputes; in the Bingchen year, being controlled by others; in the Gengshen year, self-injury. On a Geng day, having a water pattern, and the transmission returning to the day stem, it consumes me layer by layer from elsewhere, which is most alarming; adding to this, the Qinglong, Teng Snake, and Xuanwu all bite the Geng metal closely. Even those who have no illness will become sick. If this is a divination about illness, it is certain death; now that it is about the residence, it indicates the loss of property, and the children all fail the family due to their own marriages.

伍七二秀才自他尊丈及令嗣，好賓客筵宴，凡事好勝家勢盡退。宅中弟兄不齊，又不和睦，值白虎作驛馬在宅也。壬子年，女嫁有官便家，皆出產為之。冬又為兒子納婦，亦出產為之。甲寅諸子喧爭，遂至私給，少汪定錢文千貫，為他追擾，自此困窘，不無數年。庚申年十一月喪矣，果如先生之言也。

In the household of Wu Qi'er's son, from his father to his son, they all enjoyed entertaining guests and hosting grand banquets, and were always eager to outdo each other. As a result, their family fortune was completely ruined. Among the brothers in the household, the number was uneven, and they were not harmonious with each other, which corresponded to the White Tiger riding the Post-horse falling on the main house position. In the Renzi year, his daughter married into a family with official status, and the dowry had to be arranged by selling family property. That same winter, he also arranged a marriage for his son, again using the sale of property. In the Jiayin year, the sons quarreled over the inheritance, eventually dividing the property privately, and also owed a fixed amount of money to the Wang family, one thousand taels, which led to being pursued and harassed, and they fell into hardship, all within a few years. By the Gengshen year, in November, he himself passed away, which indeed fulfilled the master's prediction.

己酉年二月庚戌日亥將辰時楊秀才辛未生三十九歲占前程。宋本邵案　口鑑　貴后　蛇子丑寅卯陰　朱亥　辰玄　蛇常六陰　父 庚戌 六　六戌　巳常　子巳戌卯　鬼 乙巳 常　陳酉申未午虎　巳戌卯庚　子 壬子 蛇　龍空

In the year Jiyou, second lunar month, day Gengxu, the divination was cast using the month general Hai placed on the Chen hour. Yang Cui, born in the year Xinwei, aged thirty-nine, asked about his future. This passage is from the Song edition of "Shao'an" and also appears in "Koujian." The course is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: starting with "Guì, Hou" (Nobleman, Heavenly Empress); next are "Shé (Teng Snake), Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Yin (Tai Yin)"; on the left "Zhu (Zhu Qiao) Hai" faces the right "Chen, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; "Liu (Liu He) Xu" faces "Si, Chang (Tai Chang)"; below are "Chen (Gou Chen) You, Shen, Wei, Wu, Hu (Bai Hu)"; ending with "Long, Kong" (Qing Long, Tian Kong). The four lessons have spirits arranged from right to left as "Si Xu Mao Geng," and the upper spirits are "Zi Si Xu Mao," each accompanied by "Shé, Chang, Liu, Yin," meaning the first lesson is Mao with Geng, the second is Xu with Mao, the third is Si with Xu (Si on the day branch Xu), and the fourth is Zi with Si. The three transmissions are Xu, Si, Zi: the first transmission Xu represents the parent's yao, hidden dry branch Geng, accompanied by Liu He; the middle transmission Si represents the official ghost yao, hidden dry branch Yi, accompanied by Tai Chang; the final transmission Zi represents the son's yao, hidden dry branch Ren, accompanied by Teng Snake.

邵彥和曰：到老奔波，只是士人書會而已。庚上見卯空，已是朽木，不堪琢雕。徒有斫輪虛名，戌為模範，亦落空地，雖是巳之爐火，卻無模範鑄，末傳盜氣，主子孫不讀書，宜改業臨於店業之上，四年後得店屋為宅，家計雖不寬，亦不飢寒，子孫以水磨水碓為生計頗好。蓋斫輪不成，正可作水碓之論，磨舂之範而已。雖不富貴，卻有壽。金長生在巳，巳四，二巳得八，巳上見子得九，八九七十二也。楊讀書淹博，累試不中，後徐侍郎知州，令權教授，人稱楊教授，果是虛名。四十二分得店屋居住，其子作水碓生理，果如先生之言。

Shao Yanhe said: This person will be constantly moving all his life, ultimately only playing the role of a scholar gathering and discussing learning. The day stem Geng is seen with the branch Mao, but Mao falls into Kongwang, which is like a piece of rotten wood that cannot be carved into shape; he has only the empty reputation of a master craftsman. The branch Xu, which is originally the model for casting, also falls into Kongwang; although there is the branch Si, which represents the furnace fire, there is no mold to cast. The final transmission is the air of theft and leakage, indicating that the descendants will not study, and they should change their profession to run a shop. After four years, they will get a house to live in, the family's livelihood will not be very prosperous, but they will not suffer from hunger or cold. The descendants will make a living by using water mills and water wheels, which is not bad. Since he cannot become a master craftsman, it is just right to use him as a water wheel. It is merely a mold for grinding rice and pounding grain. Although he will not be rich, he will live a long life. The metal's growth is in Si, and the number of Si is four. Two Sis make eight. Si is seen with Zi, and the number of Zi is nine. Multiplying eight by nine gives seventy-two, which is his lifespan. Yang the Literati is knowledgeable and has read extensively, but he failed the exams repeatedly. Later, Xu the Vice Minister became the prefect and temporarily appointed him as a professor, and he was called "Yang the Professor," which is indeed just an empty title. At the age of forty-two, he was given a house to live in, and his son started a business making water wheels, all of which matched the master's words.

己酉年八月庚戌日巳將酉時王知縣丙子生三十四歲占前程。一針見血　空虎常玄　丑寅卯辰　虎后龍玄　子 壬子 龍　龍子　巳陰　寅午子辰　兄 戊申 蛇　勾亥　午后　午戌辰庚　父 甲辰 玄　戌酉申未　合朱蛇貴

In the year Jiyou, eighth lunar month, day Gengxu, using the month general Si placed on the You hour to cast the divination. County Magistrate Wang was born in the year Bingzi, aged thirty-four, and he consulted about his future. This passage is from "Yizhen Jianxue." The course is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the upper row is "Chou Yin Mao Chen," with "Kong, Hu, Chang, Xuan" (Sky Void, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise) above them; the left side is "Long (Azure Dragon) Zi" and "Gou (Gou Chen) Hai"; the right side is "Si, Yin (Tai Yin)" and "Wu, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; the lower row is "Xu You Shen Wei," with "He, Zhu, She, Gui" (Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake, Nobleman) below them. The four lessons have the heavenly spirits arranged from right to left as "Wu Xu Chen Geng," and the upper spirits are "Yin Wu Zi Chen," each accompanied by "Hu, Hou, Long, Xuan" (White Tiger, Heavenly Empress, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise), meaning the first lesson is Chen added to Geng, the second lesson is Zi added to Chen, the third lesson is Wu added to Xu (with Wu on the day branch Xu), and the fourth lesson is Yin added to Wu. The three transmissions are Zi, Shen, and Chen: the first transmission Zi is the son's yao, concealed dry branch Ren, accompanied by Azure Dragon; the middle transmission Shen is the brother's yao, concealed dry branch Wu, accompanied by Teng Snake; the final transmission Chen is the father's yao, concealed dry branch Ji, accompanied by Black Tortoise.

邵彥和曰：尚是七月節，天馬帶將星入宅，中傳我去被脫，初傳脫神受制，末傳土來生金，此名潤下，其實先脫後生也。天馬入宅，來年會起寅午戌，望見今冬十二月，即赴任也。本是九月動，被婦人病阻，故少遲也。初上任，彼處財賦雖缺，本制治有法，後為失財所苦，甚是不明，即終任必竟為此困也。

Shao Yanhe said: At present, it is still within the July solar term. The Heavenly Horse brings the general star into the dwelling position; the middle transmission indicates that I leave and someone else escapes, while the first transmission has the escaping god restrained. The final transmission has earth coming to generate metal. This divination is called "Runxia" (moistening and descending). The actual trend is first being stripped away, then receiving generation. The Heavenly Horse entering the dwelling position suggests that next year the triple harmony of Yin-Wu-Xu will form a fire trinity, and it seems that I will take office in December this winter. Originally, I was supposed to depart in September, but it was delayed due to my wife's illness at home. When I first took office, although the local finances were in deficit, he governed with order and discipline. Later, however, he suffered from the loss of money, and the situation was unclear. Until the end of his term, he would ultimately be troubled by this matter.

王知縣待次年庚戌，不見從人來催，八月初五日，忽交待文書至，催赴任，十二月十九日，交割。二十二日立春，本年九月起程，緣尊堂太宜人病極，遂未成行。十一月全安，遂行。初上任，為官缺乏錢，措置亦不費力，只是一年零三月餘，倉庫中失銀七片，庫門封鑽如舊，業勘了無限人。外人傳言曰：是知縣與庫子合盜，遂將官誥勅書，往州府納，州府不受，諸人勘無去著而止。自此不如意，卻喜終任，全璧而歸。此課先脫後生，文到生日。只不合玄武偷庫中物，本喜土來生金，所以不成事也。若子加庚作玄武在末，則歷底費力矣。

The county magistrate Wang waited until the next year Gengxu, but did not see anyone come to urge him to take office. On the fifth day of the eighth lunar month, a document arrived suddenly, urging him to take office. On the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, he completed the transfer of duties, and on the twenty-second day, the beginning of spring arrived. Originally, he was supposed to leave in the ninth lunar month, but he did not go because his mother, who was very respected, was seriously ill. In the eleventh lunar month, his mother recovered, and then he set off. When he first took office, the county office was short of money, but he managed it without difficulty. However, during one year and three months in office, seven silver ingots were stolen from the treasury, yet the seal on the treasury door and the mark were exactly the same as before. Many people were interrogated, but nothing was found. Rumors said that the county magistrate and the person in charge of the treasury had conspired to steal the silver. He then sent the official documents and imperial edicts to the prefecture for return, but the prefecture refused to accept them. After thorough investigation, nothing was found, and the matter was abandoned. Since then, everything went against him, but fortunately, he completed his term and returned home with his position intact. This case is one of first losing and then gaining, with the documents arriving exactly on his birthday. It was only inappropriate that the Black Tortoise (a symbol of the south) stole from the treasury. Originally, he should have been happy because earth supports metal, but the matter did not end well. If the child (a trigram) were placed on top of Geng and the Black Tortoise were in the final transmission, it would have been even more difficult from beginning to end.

俞大師在祥符寺，一人於庚戌日酉將戌時占憂疑。（直指引三車一覽）

Master Yu was at Xiangfu Temple when a person came on the day of Gengxu, with the Month General being You and the exact hour being Xu, to inquire about a matter of worry and uncertainty. "Divination of Worry and Doubt" is a common topic in Liu Xin, asking whether a matter troubling the heart can be resolved or if hidden troubles might arise. When interpreting such cases, the emphasis is placed on the heavenly generals Teng Snake, Black Tortoise, and Tian Kong, because Teng Snake signifies fear and false alarms, Black Tortoise indicates hidden matters, and Tian Kong represents falsehood and unreliability. The truth and depth of matters of worry and doubt are precisely examined through these. The case ends with the note "Straightforward Guide Three Vehicles One View," meaning this entry is not directly taken from "Three Vehicles One View" by Cheng Shuxun, but rather quoted from the Qing Dynasty text "Liu Xin Straightforward Guide," which first cited "Three Vehicles One View," and this book then quoted from "Liu Xin Straightforward Guide," with an intermediate layer in between.

合朱蛇貴｜辰巳午未 后陰蛇貴 鬼 丙午 蛇｜勾卯 申后 申酉午未 鬼 乙巳 朱｜龍寅 酉陰 酉戌未庚 父 甲辰 合｜丑子亥戌｜空虎常玄

This is the flat text version of the divination board. The two groups of characters represent the twelve palaces, each with its earthly branch and the heavenly general it is riding: Chen riding Liu He, Si riding Vermilion Bird, Wu riding Teng Snake, Wei riding Nobleman, Shen riding Heavenly Empress, You riding Tai Yin, Xu riding Black Tortoise, Hai riding Tai Chang, Zi riding White Tiger, Chou riding Tian Kong, Yin riding Azure Dragon, and Mao riding Gou Chen. The Nobleman is located in Wei, and the twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order starting from Wei. The middle eight characters are the four lessons. The line below is the lower deity, and the line above is the upper deity, read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Geng (with its lodging palace in Shen) appearing on Wei, the second lesson has Wei appearing on Wu, the third lesson has the day branch Xu appearing on You, and the fourth lesson has You appearing on Shen. The heavenly generals riding the upper deities of the four lessons are Nobleman, Teng Snake, Tai Yin, and Heavenly Empress respectively. The vertical column on the right is the three transmissions, read from top to bottom as initial transmission, middle transmission, and final transmission: initial transmission is Wu, with the ten thousand hidden cycle indicating Bing Wu, Wu fire controls Geng metal as official ghost, riding Teng Snake; middle transmission is Si, with the ten thousand hidden cycle indicating Yi Si, also official ghost, riding Vermilion Bird; final transmission is Chen, with the ten thousand hidden cycle indicating Jiachen, Chen earth generates Geng metal as parents, riding Liu He. There is no mutual control among the four lessons, so the use of the day stem's external Wu fire to remotely control Geng metal is employed as the initiating transmission. Wu and Si, two layers of fire deities, successively control the body, each accompanied by Teng Snake's fear and Vermilion Bird's speech, which is the root of the entire lesson's ominous nature, and it exactly matches the established method of using Teng Snake and Vermilion Bird to interpret fear and speech when divining matters of doubt and uncertainty.

俞曰：庚日陽刃在酉，酉為金，戌為足，恐刃斧傷足。其人因秀才讀書有名聲，實為積盜，後事敗，太歲刖其足。此課午巳二火克干，又作騰蛇朱雀，疊疊火神，固已凶矣，而日上貴人又遁丁火，安得不凶？但貴人生日，想不必五六月間，為太守誘去，以致露敗，而後刖其足耳。惜三車一覽，餘未之見。而直指所引各書，僅寥寥數語，無從印證，為可惜也。

Master Yu said: On a day with the stem Geng, the Yang Rende is at You. You belongs to metal, which represents tools like axes and saws; Xu corresponds to the feet on the human body, so there is concern that this person would be injured on the feet by metal weapons. This person claims the title of a scholar and studies in the village, enjoying a good reputation among the locals, but in reality he is a habitual thief. Later, when the matter was exposed, it happened in the year's Tai Su, and the authorities amputated his feet. In terms of the divination chart, two layers of fire deities, Wu fire and Si fire, both come to overcome the day stem Geng metal, and each is riding on Teng Snake and Vermilion Bird respectively. The fire deities are layered upon each other, which is already very ominous. Moreover, the upper deity of the day stem, Wei, comes out in the ten-day cycle as Ding fire, adding another layer of fire secretly. How could it not be ominous? However, the upper deity of Wei is riding on a Nobleman, and Wei soil can generate Geng metal, offering a little protection. Therefore, it is inferred that the incident did not occur in the months of May and June when fire and soil are in command, but rather the county magistrate devised a way to lure him out, leading to the exposure of his actions, and later he was subjected to the punishment of amputation. It is a pity that I have never seen the book "San Che Yi Lian"; the various divination books cited in "Liu Ren Zhi Zhi" are only a few sentences, and there is no original text to verify them, which is truly regrettable.

又一人占出入，酉加卯為行年，曰：陽刃得子，懼有所傷，不出一月，其人果斷其手，蓋酉為刃，卯為手也。

There was another person who came to consult about travel and retreat. In the divination, the Heaven Plate's You (酉) was placed on the Earth Plate's Mao (卯), and Mao coincided with the position corresponding to his birth year. Master Yu interpreted that the Yang Rende (阳刃) was in power and dominant (the original text mentions 'get a son' which does not quite fit the reasoning, but it is recorded as is). He warned that there might be injury to his body, and it would happen within a month. Indeed, within a month, this person broke his arm. The reasoning is as follows: You (酉) is the Yang Rende for Geng day, indicating injury from a blade; Mao corresponds to the hand on the human body. When You metal is placed over Mao wood, it forms the image of a sharp blade cutting the hand.

丑年庚戌日伏吟課占外處飛蝗。（一針見血）

On the Gengxu day of the Chou year, a Hidden Chant divination was obtained to inquire about a locust plague in another region. The case is cited from "One Needle Sees the Blood."the so-called "Hidden Chant" refers to a divination pattern where the Month General coincides with the correct hour, the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate completely overlap, and each of the twelve branches returns to its original position. This pattern symbolizes stagnation and the recurrence of old matters. "External locusts" refer to reports of locust plagues from other prefectures and counties. This is an example from the Song dynasty of Zhu Bi using the Six壬 system to answer the imperial court.

勾龍空虎｜巳午未申 玄玄虎虎 兄 戊申 虎｜合辰 酉常 戌戌申申 財 ◎寅 蛇｜朱卯 戌玄 戌戌申庚 鬼 乙巳 勾｜寅丑子亥｜蛇貴后陰

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: Si rides Gou Chen, Wu rides Qing Long, Wei rides Tian Kong, Shen rides Bai Hu, Chen rides Liu He, You rides Tai Chang, Mao rides Zhu Qu, Xu rides Xuan Wu, Yin rides Teng Snake, Chou rides Gu Ren, Zi rides Tian Hou, Hai rides Tai Yin; Gu Ren is in Chou, and all the generals start from Chou and proceed in order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Geng, which is lodged in Shen, so Shen remains Shen; Shen is again Shen; the day branch is Xu, so Xu remains Xu; Xu is still Xu—upper and lower positions are the same, forming the image of a hidden chant. The heavenly generals riding the heavenly spirits in the four lessons are in order Bai Hu, Bai Hu, Xuan Wu, Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are from top to bottom: Shen, Yin, Si. The first transmission is Shen, which is the hidden day stem Wushen, and since it is of the same type as Geng metal, it is a brother, riding Bai Hu; the middle transmission is Yin, which is the wife and wealth of Geng metal, marked with 「◎」 indicating it is in the empty period, riding Teng Snake; the final transmission is Si, which is the hidden day stem Yisi, and since fire overcomes metal, it is an official ghost, riding Gou Chen. In a hidden chant lesson, there is no overcoming between upper and lower, so the day stem's lodged palace Shen is used as the initiating transmission, and then from Shen, it is punished by刑 to Yin, and from Yin to Si, forming the transmission through punishment. Zhu Bi's discussion on locusts is precisely about the Teng Snake on Yin—the Yin is the long life place of fire, and Teng Snake being in its proper place means the locust plague does not cease.

祝泌奏曰：謹按騰蛇與天空，主飛蝗之象。今此課次傳見之，乃騰蛇長生之地。凡騰蛇有氣，則為災蝗，而不能全消其害。方此久雨，自不容此物滋蔓。但在課傳，在生地未可撲絕，遺蝗再發，所乘白虎為德神，屬金，金主秋成，申主秔麥，二谷成熟，不如去歲之大歉。況貴人順行，臨於太歲，雖有遺蝗，不全然為災。

Zhu Bi submitted a memorial stating: According to the old methods of Liu Ren divination, the two heavenly generals Teng Snake and Tian Kong both indicate the image of locusts. Now, in this divination lesson, the middle transmission is on寅, which is occupied by Teng Snake. And寅 is the place of growth for the fire of Teng Snake. Whenever Teng Snake has strength and is in the right condition, it should indicate locust plague, and the locust disaster cannot be completely eliminated. At present, there have been continuous rainy days, with abundant dampness and restrained yang fire, which theoretically should not allow such creatures to proliferate. However, according to the transmissions of the lesson, since Teng Snake is in the place of growth, it cannot be completely extinguished, and the remaining locust larvae will still reproduce again. Fortunately, the first transmission on申 is occupied by Bai Hu, which is a benevolent deity here. Bai Hu belongs to metal, and metal signifies autumn harvest. In terms of physical objects,申 corresponds to glutinous rice and wheat, both of which can mature, so the harvest will not be as bad as last year's great famine. Moreover, the nobleman is moving in the direction of the sovereign, indicating smooth governance and harmony between superiors and inferiors. Even if there are remaining locusts, they will not cause widespread disaster.

順治六年六月庚戌日午將午時，陳惟一占揚州陳道臺病。（指南）

In the sixth month of the sixth year of the Shunzhi era, on the Gengxu day, the month general was Wu and the hour of the day was also Wu. Chen Weiyi divined the illness for Chen Daotai of Yangzhou. The case is taken from "The Six Yin Guide," a specialized book of divination compiled by Chen Gongxian in the late Ming dynasty. The month general and the hour of the day were both Wu, causing the heaven plate and earth plate to coincide, resulting in another instance of hidden chant, the same lesson as the previous example. "Daotai" was a common term in the Ming and Qing dynasties for officials responsible for administrative and military affairs in a certain region.

勾龍空虎｜巳午未申 玄玄虎虎 兄 戊申 虎｜合辰 酉常 戌戌申申 財 ◎寅 蛇｜朱卯 戌玄 戌戌申庚 鬼 乙巳 勾｜寅丑子亥｜蛇貴后陰

The distribution of Heavenly Generals in the twelve palaces is: Jia (巳) on Gou Chen, Wu (午) on Qing Long, Wei (未) on Tian Kong, Shen (申) on Bai Hu, Chen (辰) on Liu He, You (酉) on Tai Chang, Mao (卯) on Zhu Que, Xu (戌) on Xuan Wu, Yin (寅) on Teng Snake, Chou (丑) on Gu Ren, Zi (子) on Tian Hou, Hai (亥) on Tai Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the lodgment palace of Geng is on Shen, with Shen on Shen; Shen on Shen; the day branch on Xu has Xu; Xu on Xu — the heaven and earth plates are in the same position, which is a hidden chant. The three transmissions are: first transmission Shen (brother, riding Bai Hu), middle transmission Yin (wife's wealth, accompanied by the empty mark, riding Teng Snake), final transmission Jia (official ghost, riding Gou Chen). In divination concerning illness, the most important is to observe the禄 and 马 and the dead and exhausted places: Shen is both the禄 and the post-horse of Geng day, which should be kept, but now it enters the transmission; the middle transmission Yin is exactly the exhausted place of Geng metal, yet it falls into emptiness; the final transmission Jia fire rides Gou Chen and directly attacks the body. The禄 and 马 are unstable and enter emptiness and exhaustion, and the ghost fire is enclosed at the end, which is the entire basis for Chen Gongxian's conclusion of an untreatable condition.

陳公獻曰：此課不利占病，丁巳日必死。蓋因祿馬（申為驛馬日祿）發用入傳，中空絕之鄉（庚絕於寅），病人見驛馬，乃神氣出遊象。課傳玄胎，主別處投胎之象。虎鬼臨處為畏期。傳既無天醫而末傳巳火剋日，故以日決之。

Chen Gongxian said: This divination is most unfavorable for predicting illness, and death is certain on the day of Dingsi. The reason is that the禄神 and The Post-horse (Shen, which is both the禄 and驿马 of Geng day) are both initiating the transmission. However, the middle transmission is寅, which is both empty in the ten-day cycle and a place of decline for Geng metal (Geng metal is in decline at寅). In the divination, the Post-horse is active, indicating the spirit and soul are wandering outside the body and unwilling to stay in the body. The transmission also shows the pattern of "Xuaitai," which signifies the soul and spirit are going to be reborn elsewhere. The White Tiger and official ghost are present at the place of the ominous sign, indicating the dangerous day. Since there is no Tianyi or other saving deity in the three transmissions, and the final transmission,巳 fire, directly harms the day stem Geng metal, the day of巳 is used to determine the date, and the prediction is set for the day of Dingsi.

乾隆己亥年六月庚戌日未將未時，久雨占何日晴朗。（牧夫占驗）

In the Jihai year of the Qianlong era, sixth month, on the Gengxu day, the month general was Wei, and the proper hour was also Wei, because the rain had not stopped for a long time. The question was asked about which day the weather would clear. The case is taken from "Mu Fu Zhan Yan," a collection of divination records by the Qing scholar Wang Mu Fu. The month general and the proper hour both being Wei caused the heavenly and earthly plates to coincide, forming a lesson of hidden chant. Here, the two "Wei" are both one of the twelve earthly branches. The first refers to the Wei general used for the sixth month, and the second refers to the Wei hour, and neither should be read as a negative word.

勾龍空虎｜巳午未申 玄玄虎虎 兄 戊申 虎｜合辰 酉常 戌戌申申 財 ◎寅 蛇｜朱卯 戌玄 戌戌申庚 鬼 乙巳 勾｜寅丑子亥｜蛇貴后陰

The twelve palaces' heavenly generals:巳 is occupied by Gou Chen,午 by Azure Dragon,未 by Tian Kong,申 by White Tiger,辰 by Liu He,酉 by Tai Chang,卯 by Vermilion Bird,戌 by Black Tortoise,寅 by Teng Snake,丑 by Nobleman,子 by Heavenly Empress,亥 by Tai Yin. The four lessons start from the right:庚 lodges in palace申, with申 on 申; 申 on 申; day branch戌 has戌 on戌;戌 on戌, the upper and lower are the same, which is clearly a hidden chant. The three transmissions are: first transmission申 (brother, occupied by White Tiger), middle transmission寅 (wife's wealth, empty in the ten days, occupied by Teng Snake), final transmission巳 (official ghost, occupied by Gou Chen). The transmission is formed by申 being harmed by寅, and寅 being harmed by巳 in succession. To predict rain or clear weather, one should look at the growth and decline of water and fire, and the movement or stillness of the wind gate: first transmission申 metal is the growth place of water, and White Tiger, which governs wind, is on it; middle transmission寅 and final transmission巳 are both wind gates in the Six Rats system. Teng Snake on寅 and Gou Chen on巳 both indicate entanglement and complications. The metal and water path are strong while fire is restrained, so Wang Mufu concluded that the rain would not stop soon.

王牧夫曰：是年自五月二十日雨起，終日聞簷溜聲，悶甚，占之。余謂日干刑長生，一時難晴，至七月始能晴。豈知至九月初一，始晴不雨。是歲卑下之工，皆為水淹。三伏熱氣，為雨淋盡，竟不知有暑月也。三月間，九頭鳥盤旋鳴號不去。此鳥屬陰，故能預知天時也。余斷即不驗，則復細視之。三傳申為水母，乘虎，水乘旺氣。寅巳為風，乘勾陳纏綿而久。秋金旺，故不晴。至九月晴者巳火受戌墓也。

Wang Mufu said: This year, starting from the twentieth day of the fifth lunar month, it rained continuously, and all day long the sound of water dripping from the eaves could be heard, making people feel suffocated. I cast this divination lesson at that time. I said that the day stem, which was in the lodging palace, had its申 (Shen) being harmed by the three transmissions, and since申 was the place of growth for water, the rain would not stop for a while, and it would only clear up in July. But it turned out that it was delayed until the first day of the ninth lunar month before the rain finally stopped and the sky cleared. During this year, all the low-lying areas' structures and buildings were flooded; the heat of the dog days of summer was completely washed away by the rain, making it seem as if there had been no summer at all. As early as March, there were nine-headed birds circling and calling in the sky, not leaving for a long time; since these birds are of a yin nature, they could sense changes in the weather in advance. Since my prediction did not come true, I carefully reviewed the divination again: the first transmission, which was申 metal, was the mother of water, and it was also accompanied by the White Tiger, indicating that water was strong; the middle transmission,寅, and the final transmission,巳, both belonged to the wind gate, and they were also accompanied by Gou Chen, indicating prolonged entanglement; in addition, in autumn the metal energy was dominant, and the strong metal generated water, so the rain did not stop for a long time. As for why it finally cleared up in the ninth lunar month, it was because the final transmission,巳 fire, fell into the戌 tomb, and the fire energy was collected and stored, so the rain stopped.

愚按：巳火受戌墓，牽強之極。況九月壬申朔，尚未交寒露，豈戌建乎？

Cheng Shuxun remarked: Using "the fire of Si enters the墓 of Xu" to explain the clearing skies in September is extremely forced. Moreover, on the first day of September of that year was Renshen day, and at that time the Cold Dew solar term had not yet arrived, so the month builder had not yet reached Xu, how could one even talk about the Xu墓 collecting fire?

庚辰年九月庚戌日辰將辰時占六甲，丁酉命四十四歲。（牧夫占驗）

In the year Gengchen, during the ninth month, on the day Gengxu, with the month general being Chen and the hour of the day also Chen, a woman born in the year Dingyou, who is forty-four years old this year, was consulted about "Liujia," which refers to pregnancy and childbirth. This case is taken from "Mufu Zhanyan." Since the month general and the hour of the day are the same, it remains a hidden chant lesson where the heavenly and earthly plates coincide. The term "Dingyou birth year" refers to the dry branch of the year the person was born. In Six Rats divination, determining personal fortune and misfortune requires consideration of both the person's birth year and their current age.

勾龍空虎｜巳午未申 玄玄虎虎 兄 戊申 虎｜合辰 酉常 戌戌申申 財 ◎寅 蛇｜朱卯 戌玄 戌戌申庚 鬼 乙巳 勾｜寅丑子亥｜蛇貴后陰

The heavenly generals are arranged as follows:巳 (Si) with Gou Chen,午 (Wu) with Qing Long,未 (Wei) with Tian Kong,申 (Shen) with Bai Hu,辰 (Chen) with Liu He,酉 (You) with Tai Chang,卯 (Mao) with Zhu Que,戌 (Xu) with Xuan Wu,寅 (Yin) with Teng Snake,丑 (Chou) with Guiren,子 (Zi) with Tian Hou,亥 (Hai) with Tai Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is stationed on Shen, with Shen on Shen; Shen on Shen; the day branch on Xu with Xu; Xu on Xu. The four lessons repeat in pairs, indicating a hidden chant. The three transmissions are Shen (brother, riding Bai Hu), Yin (wife's wealth, in the empty period, riding Teng Snake), and Si (official ghost, riding Gou Chen). The transmissions are formed through mutual punishment: Shen punishing Yin and Yin punishing Si. When divining about pregnancy and childbirth, special attention is given to the wife's wealth and the son's fortune. In this case, the middle transmission Yin wood is the wife's wealth for Geng day, but it is both in the empty period and punished by Shen metal, so the wife's wealth is completely destroyed. Chen and Xu form the heavenly net and earth trap, while the year, month, day, and hour, along with the month general, are all trapped between Chen and Xu. The questioner is a woman whose birth day is Dingyou, and You is also the heavenly net for Geng day. There are many ominous signs overlapping, which is the basis for Wang Mufu's conclusion that both mother and child are in danger.

王牧夫曰：此課甚奇，乃是雙胎，然母子俱不能保。何也？年月日時，月將俱是羅網魁罡，何由得出此難？況三傳刑盡妻財，夫占更為不吉。何以知是雙胎？月建重疊，故也。女命丁酉，酉是庚日之網，重重凶徵，故於次年二月。先生一女，腹仍未消，子母俱不能保也。

Wang Mufu said: This divination is very peculiar, it is evident that there are twins, yet neither the mother nor the children can be saved. Why is that? The Tai Su, the Month Builder, the Day Branch, the correct hour, and the Month General all fall into the Chen Xu network and the Qiu Gang location, being caught in such a tight net, how can they escape this difficult situation? Moreover, the three transmissions involve Shen刑Yin and Yin刑Si, which completely injure the wife's wealth represented by Yin wood; since this divination is cast by the husband on behalf of his wife, the injury to the wife's wealth is even more inauspicious. How do we know it is twins? Because the Month Builder and the correct hour are both Chen, overlapping to form a double, thus indicating two. The woman's birth date is Ding You, and You is exactly the heavenly net of the day of Geng, a凶sign piled upon another. Therefore, by the second year's second month, a female infant is born first, but the belly still does not shrink, and ultimately neither the mother nor the children are saved.

甲戌年亥月庚戌日卯將寅時占家宅。（牧夫占驗）

In the year of Jiaxu, the tenth month (Hai month), on the day of Gengxu, the month general is You and the correct time is Yin. The divination is about the safety of the family residence. According to the "Pastureman's Divination Verification," the month general You is placed above the Yin hour. The heaven plate advances one position ahead of the earth plate, differing from the previous lessons which involved hidden chant. In Six Rats divination for family residences, the day stem represents the person residing, and the day branch represents the house. One examines the strength and decline of both the person and the house, as well as their generating and overcoming relationships.

蛇貴后陰｜午未申酉 虎常玄陰 子 辛亥 常｜朱巳 戌玄 子亥戌酉 子 壬子 虎｜合辰 亥常 亥戌酉庚 父 癸丑 空｜卯寅丑子｜勾龍空虎

The earthly branches of the twelve palaces and the heavenly generals they ride are:午 (Wu) rides Teng Snake, 未 (Wei) rides Nobleman, 申 (Shen) rides Heavenly Empress, 酉 (You) rides Tai Yin, 戌 (Xu) rides Black Tortoise, 亥 (Hai) rides Tai Chang, 子 (Zi) rides White Tiger, 丑 (Chou) rides Tian Kong, 寅 (Yin) rides Azure Dragon, 卯 (Mao) rides Gou Chen, 辰 (Chen) rides Liu He, and 巳 (Si) rides Vermilion Bird. Nobleman is located on 未 (Wei), and all the generals start from 未 (Wei) and move in reverse. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is 庚 (Geng), which is in the lodging palace of 申 (Shen), and on 申 (Shen) there is 酉 (You); on 酉 (You) there is 戌 (Xu); the day branch is 戌 (Xu), and on 戌 (Xu) there is 亥 (Hai); on 亥 (Hai) there is 子 (Zi). The heavenly generals riding the heavenly spirits in the four lessons are in sequence Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, and White Tiger. The three transmissions are from top to bottom: Hai, Zi, and Chou. The first transmission is Hai, which is the hidden day of Xinhai, representing the son of Geng metal, riding Tai Chang; the middle transmission is Zi, which is the hidden day of Renzi, also representing the son, riding White Tiger; the final transmission is Chou, which is the hidden day of Guichou, representing Chou earth nurturing Geng metal as the parent, riding Tian Kong. Among the four lessons, only the third lesson "Hai above sees Xu" is a case where the lower spirit Xu earth inversely controls the upper spirit Hai water, which is called "lower attacking upper." Therefore, Hai is taken as the initiating transmission, forming a review lesson, and the three transmissions Hai, Zi, and Chou follow in sequence. The heavenly spirits on the day stem and day branch are both located in the area of You and Xu, which is a net-like area. The final transmission Chou is also the common tomb and storage of Geng metal and the house, which is exactly the focus of Wang Mufu's judgment on the stagnation of this house.

王牧夫曰：干支皆乘羅網，人宅俱晦。傳見脫氣，不見晝神，全無發旺之氣，越居越寂寞也。況末歸丑土墓人刑宅乎，宜速遷移為要。此課金寒水冷，日就蕭條，不至凶咎，以子孫能制鬼耳。

Wang Mufu said: The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the day both fall within the heaven net and earth trap of Chen and Xu, making both the person and the dwelling obscure and unclear. The two transmissions in the three transmissions,亥 and Zi, are the sons and daughters of Geng metal, which are draining my energy. The divination also lacks the bright and noble generals such as the day's noble, resulting in no signs of growth or prosperity. The longer one stays, the more desolate it becomes. Moreover, the final transmission, Chou earth, is the storage of Geng metal, and Chou also harms Xu. This is exactly the image of people harming the dwelling. Therefore, one should urgently move to a new residence. However, this divination shows cold metal and cold water, indicating the family's fortune is gradually declining, but it does not yet bring about misfortune or calamity. The reason is that the sons and daughters of the three transmissions,亥 and Zi, can control the official ghosts, thus restraining the Inauspicious Spirit.

己酉年二月初一庚戌日亥將酉時，汪解元丁卯生四十三歲，占宅墓。（宋本邵案、口鑑）

In the year Jiyou, on the first day of the second lunar month, on the day Gengxu, the month general was Hai and the correct time was You. Wang Jiuyuan, who was born in the year Dingmao and was forty-three years old at that time, consulted about the auspiciousness of his family's residence and burial ground. The case is found in the Song edition of "Shao Yanhe's Divination Cases" and "Liu Ren Kou Jian." "Jiuyuan" refers to the first place winner in the local examination. The month general Hai was placed above the You time, with the heaven plate advancing two positions ahead of the earth plate. Divination of residences and tombs in the Six壬 system is particularly concerned with the form and structure. It is necessary to use the day stem to represent a person and the day branch to represent the residence, and then combine them with the objects represented by the heavenly general to examine the shape and layout of the mountain behind the house and the water path in front.

虎常｜空未申酉戌玄｜龍午 亥陰 蛇后后玄 子 壬子 後｜陳巳 子后 寅子子戌 財 空寅 蛇｜六辰卯寅丑貴 子戌戌庚 父 甲辰 六｜朱蛇

The twelve palaces of the lesson board have their earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: Wei (Earth Dog) rides Tian Kong (Heavenly Void), Shen (Dragon) rides Bai Hu (White Tiger), You (Rooster) rides Tai Chang (Grand Music), Xu (Dog) rides Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise), Hai (Pig) rides Tai Yin (Grand Yin), Zi (Rat) rides Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress), Chou (Ox) rides Gui Ren (Nobleman), Yin (Tiger) rides Teng Snake, Mao (Rabbit) rides Zhu Qu (Vermilion Bird), Chen (Dragon) rides Liu He (Six Harmonies), Si (Snake) rides Gou Chen (Hook Star), Wu (Horse) rides Qing Long (Azure Dragon); Gui Ren (Nobleman) is located in Chou (Ox), and the heavenly generals proceed in order from Chou. The middle eight characters are the four lessons, read from right to left: the day stem is Geng (Metal), which is lodged in Shen (Dragon), and Shen (Dragon) has Xu (Dog); Xu (Dog) has Zi (Rat); the day branch is Xu (Dog), which has Zi (Rat); Zi (Rat) has Yin (Tiger). The heavenly generals riding the heavenly spirits of the four lessons are in order Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise), Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress), Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress), Teng Snake. The three transmissions on the right side, from top to bottom: the first transmission is Zi (Rat), with the ten-thousand-year movement Ren Zi, which is the son of Geng Metal, riding Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress); the middle transmission is Yin (Tiger), marked 'Kong Yin' indicating it falls in the empty period, which is the wife and wealth of Geng Metal, riding Teng Snake; the final transmission is Chen (Dragon), with the ten-thousand-year movement Jiachen, Chen Earth generates Geng Metal as parents, riding Liu He (Six Harmonies). Among the four lessons, only 'Zi (Rat) has Xu (Dog)' shows the lower heavenly spirit Xu Earth counteracting the upper heavenly spirit Zi Water, which is 'lower attacking upper,' so the lesson takes Zi as the initiating transmission, and from Zi gets Yin, and from Yin gets Chen. Xu is a mountain ridge behind the house, Zi is water riding Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress) in front of the house, Yin Wood breaks through and the water flows directly above it—Shao Yanhe's judgment of the house being pressed by the mountain behind and the water in front comes entirely from these characters.

邵彥和曰：宅後逼山，宅前逼水，水雖東流過宅，反直去。若為宅基，主女多男少，子為吏人，孫為軍卒僕從，財退人散。蓋四陽雖臨東南，無關格拘檢，日後主水壞宅。因身役而盡敗也。此宅基乃庚兌山行龍，坎山為主，蓋緣逼迫，遂欲鑿山為之。果是後逼山，前近水，次年建造，不過十年，連產四女。男作縣吏，自後諸孫為屠兒，又為僕從，又有投軍者。此宅因為公人押網，折破敗壞。後卒為水沖基也。

Shao Yanhe said: This piece of land has a mountain pressing against the back of the house and water pressing against the front. Although the water flows across the east side of the house, it is a straight flowing water that does not turn back. If used as a site for a residence, it will lead to a family with more daughters than sons, and the sons can only become local officials, while the grandchildren will become soldiers and servants. Wealth will decline and family members will scatter. Because the four yang energies are present in the southeast direction, but there is no confinement or containment, in the future water will destroy the house, and the whole family will be ruined due to official duties and corvée labor. This site comes from the direction of Geng and Dui, with the mountain in the Kan direction as the main mountain. However, because of the narrow terrain, the owner wanted to dig into the mountain to build. Later, it was confirmed that the house is backed by a mountain and fronted by water; the construction began the next year, but within ten years, four daughters were born. The son became a local official, and later the grandchildren became butchers, servants, or soldiers. The family was ruined by being forced to serve the government, and eventually the site was destroyed by water.

蓋為宅來加申，戌為山崗，是後逼山也。宅上子作天后，是前逼水也。水橫過，寅為直去，東南兩處風路，為騰蛇所撓，故主吏人。又主失陷財物，兼木敗壞在子故也。末傳辰為軍卒僕從，六合加之故也。

Explain the reasoning: The day branch is戌, which represents a house. Now,戌 is placed on the day stem's lodging palace of申 (first lesson shows戌 on申). In terms of physical objects,戌 represents a hill, meaning the hill is right behind the house. On the day branch戌, there is子 water, which is also riding on the Heavenly Empress, and the Heavenly Empress governs water, meaning water is right in front of the house. Since the water flows across, the middle transmission寅 wood also indicates straight flow without turning, so the water flows straight away without returning. The southeast direction has寅 and巳, which are the paths of wind, but they are disturbed by Teng Snake. Teng Snake governs documents, twists and turns, and instability, so the descendants can only be officials of the lower ranks. It also indicates loss of wealth, because the wife's wealth寅 wood is destroyed by子 water (wood is bathed in子), causing the wealth element to be self-destructed. The final transmission辰 rides on Liu He, and辰 represents soldiers and attendants, while Liu He indicates gathering in groups, so it is concluded that among the descendants, there will be soldiers and attendants.

辛巳年五月庚戌日申將午時占胎產。男己卯生六十三歲，女丙戌生五十六歲。（牧夫占驗）

On the day of Geng Xu in the fifth lunar month of the year Xin Si, the month general is Shen and the correct time is Wu. The divination is about pregnancy and childbirth. The man was born in the year Ji Mao and is sixty-three years old, while the woman was born in the year Bing Xu and is fifty-six years old. This case is taken from "The Divination of the Herdsman." The month general Shen is placed on the Wu time, and the heaven plate still advances two positions ahead of the earth plate, the same as the previous lesson's heaven and earth plates. Both are of advanced age, and this is the key point in the following interpretation.

虎常｜空未申酉戌玄｜龍午 亥陰 蛇后后玄 子 壬子 後｜陳巳 子后 寅子子戌 財 空寅 蛇｜六辰卯寅丑貴 子戌戌庚 父 甲辰 六｜朱蛇

The distribution of Heavenly Generals in the twelve palaces is: Wei (戌) rides Tian Kong, Shen (申) rides Bai Hu, You (酉) rides Tai Chang, Xu (戌) rides Xuan Wu, Hai (亥) rides Tai Yin, Zi (子) rides Tian Hou, Chou (丑) rides Gui Ren, Yin (寅) rides Teng Snake, Mao (卯) rides Zhu Que, Chen (辰) rides Liu He, Si (巳) rides Gou Chen, Wu (午) rides Qing Long. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is lodged in Shen (申), with Wu (戌) on Shen; Zi (子) on Wu; Zi (子) on the day branch Wu; Yin (寅) on Zi; the spirits on the four lessons ride Xuan Wu, Tian Hou, Tian Hou, and Teng Snake respectively. The three transmissions are: initial transmission Yin (寅), which is the son and rides Tian Hou; middle transmission Chen (辰), which is the wife's wealth, falls into the empty period and rides Teng Snake; final transmission Wu (午), which is the parents and rides Liu He. The key to divining pregnancy and childbirth lies in the fetal spirit and the blood spirit: Zi water is the fetal spirit of the day branch Wu, and also the spirit transformed at the correct time of the lesson, but it is broken when it is initiated. The middle transmission Yin rides Teng Snake and also falls into the empty period; the final transmission Chen rides Liu He, which is the spirit of offspring, but is also broken by the day branch. Tian Hou governs blood, Yin wood governs the liver, and the liver is the organ that stores blood, yet it rides Teng Snake, indicating insufficient blood. All three transmissions are broken and fall into the empty period, so Wang Mu Fu concluded it as 'seeming like a fetus but not a true fetus'.

王牧夫曰：占胎當以支位之胎神為類用。六十三歲人，血氣已衰，不當以干之胎神論也。今正時即支之胎神，發用天后沖破。中見蛇，又逢空。末見六合子息之神，又為日破，此似胎而非胎也。午於五月為月厭殺，天后為血，寅木為肝，肝乃藏血之臟，帶蛇，主不足，此主氣旺血不足，似胎而非胎，不能產也。後竟不產面腹自消。又初傳子沖時，中傳寅沖申，末傳辰沖支，其氣散矣。

Wang Mufu said: When divining about pregnancy, one should use the fetal god corresponding to the day branch as the class god. Since the man is already sixty-three years old, his blood and qi are exhausted, and it is not appropriate to use the fetal god corresponding to the day stem. Now, the hour of Wu corresponds to the fetal god of Zi water, which is the day branch's fetal god. But this Zi water is immediately broken when it is initiated. The middle transmission is on Yin, which is occupied by Teng Snake and falls into the empty旬. The final transmission is on Chen, which is occupied by Liu He, the original god of offspring, but it is also broken by the day branch. This indicates the presence of a fetal image but not a real pregnancy. Wu in the fifth month is the killer of the month's aversion, and the Heavenly Empress governs blood in the body. Yin wood governs the liver, which is the organ that stores blood. Now, Yin wood is accompanied by Teng Snake, indicating a deficiency in the blood aspect. Taken together, this shows an excess of qi but a deficiency of blood. It appears as if there is a pregnancy, but in reality, there is none, so there is no need to consider childbirth. Later, it was indeed confirmed that there was no childbirth, and the abdomen naturally disappeared. Moreover, the first transmission Zi conflicts with the hour Wu, the middle transmission Yin conflicts with the day stem's lodging palace Shen, and the final transmission Chen conflicts with the day branch's Wu. The three transmissions are all conflicting and dispersing, indicating that the fetal qi has already completely dispersed. (In the original text, the word 「面」 in 「后竟不产面腹自消」 should be read as 「而」.)

己巳年三月庚戌日戌將申時占友人病。（牧夫占驗）

In the year Jisi, third month, on the day Gengxu, the month general is Xu and the correct time is Shen. I cast a divination for a friend's illness. The case is taken from "The Farmer's Divination Verification." The month general Xu is placed above the Shen hour, and the heaven plate still advances two places ahead of the earth plate, the same as the previous two lessons. For divination on illness, one must distinguish the location and nature of the illness: Six Rats divination determines the location of the illness based on the god governing the day branch, determines the cause of the illness based on the nature of the heavenly general, and determines whether the illness can be cured based on the generation and overcoming relationships among the three transmissions.

虎常｜空未申酉戌玄｜龍午 亥陰 蛇后后玄 子 壬子 後｜陳巳 子后 寅子子戌 財 空寅 蛇｜六辰卯寅丑貴 子戌戌庚 父 甲辰 六｜朱蛇

The Heavenly Generals of the twelve palaces are: Wei (戌) on Tian Kong (天空), Shen (申) on Bai Hu (白虎), You (酉) on Tai Chang (太常), Xu (戌) on Xuan Wu (玄武), Hai (亥) on Tai Yin (太阴), Zi (子) on Tian Hou (天后), Chou (丑) on Gui Ren (贵人), Yin (寅) on Teng Sha (螣蛇), Mao (卯) on Zhu Que (朱雀), Chen (辰) on Liu He (六合), Si (巳) on Gou Chen (勾陈), Wu (午) on Qing Long (青龙). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng (庚) is in Xu (申), with Xu (戌) on top; Xu (戌) has Zi (子) on top; the day branch Xu (戌) has Zi (子) on top; Zi (子) has Yin (寅) on top; the ascending deities are successively Xuan Wu (玄武), Tian Hou (天后), Tian Hou (天后), and Teng Sha (螣蛇). The three transmissions are: initial Yin (子) (son/daughter, riding Tian Hou), middle Yin (寅) (spouse's wealth, empty in the ten days, riding Teng Sha), and final Chen (辰) (parents, riding Liu He). Regarding the illness: the day branch Xu (戌) is placed on the day stem's lodging palace Shen (申), which is "branch added to stem." Xu (戌) corresponds to the foot on the human body, so the illness is in the lower limbs; Xu (戌) is ridden by Xuan Wu (玄武), which signifies obscurity and impropriety, so the illness arises from improper matters; the initiating transmission's Yin (子) water is ridden by Tian Hou (天后), which governs blood, indicating that the wound will eventually rupture and discharge blood; the middle transmission's Yin (寅) is ridden by Teng Sha (螣蛇), which signifies twisted shapes and a protruding wound head; the final transmission's Chen (辰) is ridden by Liu He (六合), which signifies gathering and closing, so the wound will eventually close.

王牧夫曰：此毒瘡生於下部，由不正而起。將來必出頭，血膿行遇，方得全好。其瘡當在左足腿義，與腎相關處。喜是順症可治，不致喪命。所病之處，果然絲毫不差，一一如所占。蓋支加干，戌為足，玄武為不正，用見天后，故必要出頭，見膿血也。庚乃戌之左，子臨戌上，故斷以鬱鬱蔥蔥足腿義，近腎也。子為血汙，寅乘蛇，知其必出頭耳。末辰帶六合尚得收口，寅數七至有七十餘日痛楚也。後果然。

Wang Mufu said: This is a poisonous boil on the lower part of the body, caused by improper actions. In the future, there will certainly be a pus head, and only after the pus and blood are completely drained will it heal. The location of the boil should be at the left leg crease, near the kidney area. Fortunately, this is a favorable condition and can be treated, without endangering life. Later, when checking the actual location, it was exactly as predicted, every detail matching the divination. The reasoning is: the day branch Wu is placed upon the day stem, and Wu corresponds to the foot on the human body; Wu is occupied by the Black Tortoise, which signifies improper matters; the initiating transmission is the water of Zi, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, which signifies blood, so it is determined that the boil will definitely come to a head and there will be pus and blood. The lodgment palace of Geng metal is Shen, which is one position to the left of Wu, and Zi water is located on Wu, so it is determined to be on the left leg crease, close to the kidney area. Zi represents dirty blood, and寅 is occupied by Teng Snake, which signifies swelling and protrusion, so it is known that the boil will definitely come to a head. The final transmission Chen carries Liu He, which signifies closure, so the wound will eventually heal. In the Six Rats system,寅 is numbered seven, so it is deduced that the pain will last more than seventy days. Later, it indeed turned out to be so.

七月辛亥日巳將寅時卜伐齊。（吳越春秋）

On the Xinhai day of the seventh month, the month general was Si, and the correct time was Yin. A divination was made concerning an expedition to attack Qi. The case is cited from the "Wuyue Chunqiu," which recounts the old story of King Fuchai of Wu disregarding Wu Zixu's advice and insisting on attacking Qi. The month general Si was placed over Yin time, with the heaven plate advancing three positions ahead of the earth plate. This is the earliest recorded example in "A Collected Selection of Ren Divinations," and it has always been regarded as a classic by the Six Rens.

朱合勾龍｜申酉戌亥 后常陰虎 鬼 乙巳 後｜蛇未 子空 巳寅辰丑 兄 戊申 朱｜貴午 丑虎 寅亥丑辛 子 辛亥 龍｜巳辰卯寅｜後陰玄常

The twelve heavenly generals are stationed on the earth branches as follows: on Shen there is the Vermilion Bird, on You the Liu He, on Xu the Gou Chen, on Hai the Azure Dragon, on Wei the Teng Snake, on Wu the Nobleman, on Zi the Tian Kong, on Chou the White Tiger, on Si the Heavenly Empress, on Chen the Tai Yin, on Mao the Black Tortoise, and on Yin the Tai Chang. The Nobleman is located on Wu, and the twelve heavenly generals proceed in order from Wu. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Xin, which is lodged in Xu, and on Xu there is Chou; on Chou there is Chen; the day branch is Hai, and on Hai there is Yin; on Yin there is Si. The heavenly generals riding on the four lessons are in order the White Tiger, Tai Yin, Tai Chang, and Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Si, with the ten thousand changes of Yisi, where Si fire controls Xin metal as an official ghost, riding the Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is Shen, with the ten thousand changes of Wushen, which is of the same type as Xin metal as a brother, riding the Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is Hai, with the ten thousand changes of Xinhai, which is the son of Xin metal, riding the Azure Dragon. There is no mutual control among the four lessons, only Si fire remotely controls the day stem Xin metal from outside, so the transmission starts with Si. The following statement by Wu Zis Xu that "Daji" refers to the alternative name of Chou in the Six壬 system, and "Gongcao" refers to the alternative name of Yin: Chou rides the White Tiger and is located on the lodging palace of the day stem Xin on Xu, and Yin rides the Tai Chang and is located on the day branch Hai, which is consistent with this chart.

吳王從勾踐之師伐齊，子胥聞之，諫曰：竊觀金匱第八，其可傷也。吳王曰：何謂也。子胥曰：今年七月辛亥平旦，大王以首事。辛，歲位也，亥，陰前之辰也，合壬子歲，前合也。利以行武，武決勝矣。然德在合，斗擊丑。丑，辛之本也，大吉為白虎而臨辛，功曹為太常而臨亥。大吉得辛為九丑，又與白虎並重，有人若以此首事，前雖小勝後必大敗。天地行殃，禍不久矣。吳王不聽，次年復伐齊，勾踐使范蠡伐庸，率師以絕吳路，遂入。

King Wu wanted to lead the army sent by King Goujian of Yue to attack Qi. Wu Zixu heard about this and advised him, saying: "I privately calculated according to the eighth chapter of the Golden Chest, and this matter is truly regrettable." King Wu asked, "How so?" Wu Zixu replied: "On the morning of the Xinhai day in July, the King will start the campaign at this time. Xinhai is the position of the year, and Hai is the position before the Yin energy, matching the year of Renzi. This is a favorable conjunction in front, which is originally beneficial for military action and can lead to victory. However, the De God is located in the Liu He position, and the handle of the Big Dipper is pointing at Chou. Chou is the original tomb of Xinhai metal. Now, the Daji Chou is riding on the White Tiger and is located in the lodging palace of Xinhai. The Gongcao Yin is riding on the Tai Chang and is located in the day branch Hai. The Daji Chou meeting Xinhai forms the 'Nine Disgrace' ominous pattern, and it overlaps with the White Tiger. Whoever starts an action on such a day will have small victories at first, but will certainly suffer a great defeat later. Heaven and Earth are both bringing down calamities, and disaster will not be far away." King Wu did not listen to the advice. The next year, he again attacked Qi. Goujian sent Fan Li to attack the state of Yong, while personally leading a large army to cut off Wu's retreat route, and then attacked within Wu's territory.

四月辛亥日申將巳時僧占舉請長老望州中文字到否。（方本占案）

On the Xinhai day of the fourth month, the month general was Shen, and the correct time was Si. A monk asked about whether the expected official document from the prefecture could arrive, concerning the recommendation of an abbot for the monastery. The case is taken from the "Fang Ben Zhan An," which is the transmission of Shao Yanhe's divination cases. The month general Shen was placed over the Si hour. The heaven plate advanced three positions ahead of the earth plate, matching the previous lesson's heaven and earth plates. "Waiting for the prefecture's written orders" refers to waiting for the official document from the prefecture.

朱合勾龍｜申酉戌亥 后常陰虎 鬼 乙巳 後｜蛇未 子空 巳寅辰丑 兄 戊申 朱｜貴午 丑虎 寅亥丑辛 子 辛亥 龍｜巳辰卯寅｜後陰玄常

The twelve palaces are occupied by the following heavenly generals: Shen (Hour of the Monkey) rides the Vermilion Bird, You (Hour of the Rooster) rides Liu He, Xu (Hour of the Dog) rides Gou Chen, Hai (Hour of the Pig) rides Qing Long, Wei (Hour of the Goat) rides Teng Snake, Wu (Hour of the Horse) rides the Nobleman, Zi (Hour of the Rat) rides Tian Kong, Chou (Hour of the Ox) rides Bai Hu, Si (Hour of the Snake) rides Tian Hou, Chen (Hour of the Dragon) rides Tai Yin, Mao (Hour of the Rabbit) rides Xuan Wu, and Yin (Hour of the Tiger) rides Tai Chang. The four lessons, from right to left: Xin is in Xu, with Chou on Xu; Chou has Chen on it; the day branch Hai has Yin on it; Yin has Si on it. The heavenly generals riding the upper gods in order are Bai Hu, Tai Yin, Tai Chang, and Tian Hou. The three transmissions are: initial transmission Si (Official Ghost, riding Tian Hou), middle transmission Shen (Brother, riding Vermilion Bird), and final transmission Hai (Son, riding Qing Long). For divination regarding whether a document will arrive, the emphasis is on the Post-horse and the Month Builder. Si is the Post-horse of Hai day and also the Month Builder of the fourth month. The Month Builder signifies documents issued by the state. Si is also riding Tian Hou, who is a god of grace, and it is also the correct time of the lesson, so the document arrived at that time. As for the calamity to the elder, look at Bai Hu on Chou. Chou is the storage of Xin metal, and Bai Hu riding the storage and adding upon the day stem's lodging palace Xu indicates a harmful effect to the body.

邵彥和曰：定得文字，目下便至。蓋初傳日馬乘後，為恩澤神。又月建主州府文字。巳時為用，故不出時見之也。只是長老得了，自卻有災，宜保重。乃虎乘墓加身也。果當日文字至，長老交割了，卻謝州府，中路門轅拱柱顛下，手廢而成疾矣。

Shao Yanhe said: One will certainly be able to obtain this paper document, and it will be delivered right now. Because the first transmission is in the hour of Si, which is the Post-horse of the day of Hai, and it is riding upon the Heavenly Empress, a deity of grace. The hour of Si is also the Month Builder of the fourth month, and the Month Builder oversees official documents issued by the state and prefecture. Moreover, the hour of Si is exactly the time when the divination was cast, so one will see it before this hour. However, although the elder has received an appointment, he himself has misfortune, and should take care. This is because the White Tiger is riding upon the Storage of Xin metal, which is the storage of Chou, and it is added upon the day stem. Later, indeed, the official document arrived that day. The elder completed the transfer and went to the state and prefecture to express his thanks, but on the way, he fell from the arch of the gate, broke his hand, and thus developed a chronic illness.

順治甲申十月辛亥日丁亥時，公明長兄占黃虎山功名。（指南）

In the year Jiashen of the Shunzhi era (the 17th year of the Ming Chongzhen reign), on the Xinhai day of the tenth lunar month, at the Dinghai hour, Gongming Changxiong divined for Huang Hushan about his official career. The case is recorded in "The Six壬 Guide." "Huang Hushan" refers to Huang Degong, a Ming general, with Hushan being his courtesy name; at this time, the Ming dynasty was about to fall and the Qing dynasty was rising. The prediction given below concerns his fate as the commander of the Four Garrisons in the Jiangbei region during the Southern Ming Hongguang regime, and his eventual defeat and suicide the following year. The original text only records the hour and not the month general; from the four lessons, it can be calculated that the Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate.

勾六｜青酉戌亥子朱 虎后常貴 父 丁未 虎｜空申 丑蛇 未卯午寅 子 辛亥 六｜虎未 寅貴 卯亥寅辛 財 乙卯 後｜常午巳辰卯後｜玄陰

The twelve palaces of the divination chart are marked with earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them: on You is the Azure Dragon, on Xu is Gou Chen, on Hai is Liu He, on Zi is Vermilion Bird, on Shen is Tian Kong, on Chou is Teng Snake, on Wei is Bai Hu, on Yin is Nobleman, on Wu is Tai Chang, on Si is Black Tortoise, on Chen is Tai Yin, and on Mao is Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is in Yin, and all the generals start from Yin and move counterclockwise. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Xin, which is lodged in Xu, and on Xu is寅; on寅 is午; the day branch is Hai, and on Hai is卯; on卯 is未. The celestial generals riding the four lessons are in order Nobleman, Tai Chang, Heavenly Empress, and Bai Hu. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is未, with the hidden stem of Dingwei, where未 earth generates Xin metal, representing parents, riding Bai Hu; the middle transmission is亥, with the hidden stem of Xinhai, which is the son of Xin metal, riding Liu He; the final transmission is卯, which is the wife wealth of Xin metal, riding Heavenly Empress (the original text writes the hidden stem as 'Yimao', but the following interpretation clearly states 'the branch卯 is empty', indicating that in this divination the卯 is actually empty, suggesting an error in the hidden stem). In the four lessons, the fourth lesson has卯 with未, where the upper god未 earth reversely controls the lower god卯 wood, which is an instance of upper controlling lower. Therefore, the transmission starts with未, forming the initial lesson. The three characters未,亥,卯 form a wood pattern, which is exactly the wood pattern mentioned in the interpretation as 'destroying the wood pattern'.

陳公獻曰：據此課，藩臺不得善後矣。蓋課中干乘絕氣，支見死神，兩貴空亡，祿神受制，功名安得久長。且官得空矣，誰與居位？營壘空矣，（支上卯空）誰與禦侮？財星空矣，誰與生官？況太陽西墜，桑榆之返照無多。冬木逢空，腐朽之折傷必應；歲在大梁，餘言必驗。何故也？明歲行年酉為自刑，破壞木局，次年五月御敵自刎。

Chen Gongxian said: According to this divination, the governor general will not have a good ending. Because the day stem is in the lodging palace of absolute depletion, and the day branch meets the death deity. Both noblemen are in the empty旬, the禄 deity is restrained, how can his official rank be maintained for long? Moreover, since the official star is in the empty旬, who will occupy this position? The military camp is also empty (the卯 in the day branch is in the empty旬), who will resist foreign aggression? The wealth star is also empty, who will nourish the official star? Moreover, the sun has already set, and there is little remaining light in his later years. In winter, the wood meets the empty旬, and the collapse and breaking of the wood will surely come to pass. When the year god reaches the next position of the big beam (酉), my words will surely come true. Why? Because next year his personal year will reach酉, which is self-punishment, and it also breaks the wood trinity of 未,亥, and卯. In the second month of the following year, he will commit suicide while defending against enemies.

乙酉五月初十福王出奔，授黃得功。劉良佐追至，伏弩射中得功喉得功，嘆曰：我無能為矣。歸營拔劍自刎。

In the year of Yiyou, on the tenth day of the fifth lunar month, the Hongguang Emperor, Duke Fu Wang, fled and entrusted his military command to Huang Degong. Liu Liangzuo, who had surrendered to the Qing, led his troops to pursue and ambushed Huang Degong, shooting an arrow that struck his throat. Huang Degong sighed deeply, saying, "I can no longer do anything." He returned to his camp and committed suicide by drawing his sword. (In the original text, the phrase "shooting Huang Degong's throat, Huang Degong" repeats "Huang Degong," which is likely an error in the printed edition.)

辛亥日　將　時占婚姻。壬歸。（愚按：此課不載月將、正時，未知壬歸所引何書。）

On the Xinhai day, for a certain month general and a certain hour, the divination concerns marriage. The case is taken from "The Return to Ren." The original text leaves blank spaces between "day" and "month general," and between "month general" and "hour," with both the month general and the correct hour missing. Here we reproduce the original text as it is, without filling in the missing parts. Cheng Shuxun's own note says: this lesson does not record the month general and the correct hour, and it is also unknown from which book the "Return to Ren" is quoted. According to the four lessons, the Heaven Plate in this chart advances eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate.

龍勾合朱｜丑寅卯辰 合後勾貴 父 丁未 後｜空子 巳蛇 卯未寅午 財 ◎卯 合｜虎亥 午貴 未亥午辛 子 辛亥 虎｜戌酉申未｜常玄陰后

The twelve earthly branches of the lesson disk and the heavenly generals they carry: Chou (Ox) is carried by Qinglong (Azure Dragon), Yin (Tiger) by Gou Chen (Hook Star), Mao (Rabbit) by Liu He (Six Harmonies), Chen (Dragon) by Zhuque (Vermilion Bird), Zi (Rat) by Tiankong (Heavenly Void), Si (Snake) by Tengshe (Coiling Snake), Hai (Pig) by Baihu (White Tiger), Wu (Horse) by Guiren (Nobleman), Xu (Dog) by Taichang (Imperial Constellation), You (Rooster) by Xuanwu (Black Tortoise), Shen (Monkey) by Taiyin (Tai Yin), and Wei (Sheep) by Tianhou (Heavenly Empress). Guiren (Nobleman) is located on Wu (Horse), and the twelve heavenly generals start from Wu (Horse) and move in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Xin (Metal), which is assigned to Xu (Dog), and Xu (Dog) carries Wu (Horse); Wu (Horse) carries Yin (Tiger); the day branch is Hai (Pig), which carries Wei (Sheep); Wei (Sheep) carries Mao (Rabbit). The heavenly generals carried by the deities in the four lessons are in order: Guiren (Nobleman), Gou Chen (Hook Star), Tianhou (Heavenly Empress), and Liu He (Six Harmonies). The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Wei (Sheep), with the hidden transmission of Dingwei (Ding Wood), where Wei (Sheep) earth generates Xin (Metal) as parents, carried by Tianhou (Heavenly Empress); the middle transmission is Mao (Rabbit), marked with 「◎」 indicating it falls in the empty period, representing the wife and wealth of Xin (Metal), carried by Liu He (Six Harmonies); the final transmission is Hai (Pig), with the hidden transmission of Xinhai (Xin Water), representing the son and grandson of Xin (Metal), carried by Baihu (White Tiger). The three characters Wei (Sheep), Mao (Rabbit), and Hai (Pig) form a wood trinity, and Tianhou (Heavenly Empress) initiates the transmission from Wei (Sheep), which is the basis for the statement 「three yin are self-reliant and strongly dominant in the maternal family」. Here, 「Wei」 refers to the earthly branch, which is both the deity of the first transmission and numerically corresponds to eight, as mentioned later as 「Wei number eight」.

斷曰：姻事必成，但嫌不旺夫家，偏旺母家，八年之後，妻必改嫁，非吉象也。

The interpretation says: This marriage will certainly succeed, but it is somewhat unfavorable for the husband's family, instead benefiting the wife's family. After eight years, the wife will certainly remarry, which is not a favorable omen.

蓋干支之上，午未作合，故主必成。凡天后發用，而三傳自合成局者，謂三陰自旺，得天后臨支，支繫母家，故主偏旺母家。後之所乘，明生暗鬼，而三傳木局，又生起干上之鬼以克干，故不旺夫家。未數八，八年之後，丁動而中空橋斷，卯即辛之妻星，其象若此，尚可成乎？婚姻之占，關係甚大，其可忽乎？

The reasoning is as follows: the heavenly stem on the day is Xin, and the earthly branch on the day is Wei. The stem Wei is compatible with the branch Wei, so the marriage is certain to succeed. Whenever the Heavenly Empress is the initiating transmission, and the three transmissions naturally form a complete set, it is called "three yin self-boosting." In this case, the Heavenly Empress is directly on the day branch Wei, which represents the bride's family, so it indicates the bride's family is strong. The earthly branch Wei, which the Heavenly Empress rides upon, appears to be the parents of the day stem Xin metal, but in reality, it contains ghostly energy. Moreover, the three transmissions, Wei, Hai, and Mao, form a wood trinity, which generates the fire official ghost on the day stem's heavenly stem, the stem Wei, to attack the Xin metal. Therefore, the groom's family is not strong. In the Six Rats system, the earthly branch Wei is counted as eight, meaning that after eight years, the hidden Ding fire in Wei will be activated, but the middle transmission Mao falls into the empty position, like a bridge broken in the middle, with both ends disconnected. The Mao branch is the wife star of Xin metal, which is both empty and broken. The divination shows such a pattern, so can this marriage be long-lasting? Divination regarding marriage concerns a person's entire life, so how can it be taken lightly?

乙丑年十月辛亥日午時，金陵王養吾索占。（指南）

On the Xinhai day of the tenth month in the Yichou year, at the hour of Wu, Wang Yangwu from Nanjing came to seek divination. The case is taken from the "Six Rats Guide." The original text only records the main hour but does not mention the Month General. By calculating the Four Lessons, it is found that the Heaven Plate advances nine positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The person seeking divination did not specify what he was asking about. Chen Gongxian first deduced from the lesson patterns that he was inquiring about his wife's illness. This is also a method of the Six Rats called "divining the present from the other," which is a way of verification.

六朱｜勾寅卯辰巳蛇 蛇陰朱后 鬼 乙巳 蛇｜龍丑 午貴 巳申辰未 財 甲寅 勾｜空子 未后 申亥未辛 子 辛亥 白｜虎亥戌酉申陰｜常玄

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk are marked by the Earthly Branches and the Heavenly Generals riding them: Yin on Gou Chen, Mao on Liu He, Chen on Vermilion Bird, Si on Teng Snake, Chou on Azure Dragon, Wu on Nobleman, Zi on Tian Kong, Wei on Heavenly Empress, Hai on White Tiger, Xu on Tai Chang, You on Black Tortoise, and Shen on Tai Yin. The Nobleman is located on Wu, and the generals proceed in reverse order from Wu. The four lessons are read from right to left: the Day Stem is Xin, which is lodged in Xu, and Xu has Wei; Wei has Chen; the Day Branch is Hai, which has Shen; Shen has Si. The Heavenly Generals riding the four lessons in order are Teng Snake, Tai Yin, Vermilion Bird, and Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Si, with the hidden stem Yisi, where Si fire overcomes Xin metal as an official ghost, riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Yin, which is the wife wealth of Xin metal, riding Gou Chen (the hidden stem under the third transmission is written as Jiayin, but the interpretation clearly states that the wealth爻 is empty, indicating that this lesson actually takes Yin as the empty stem); the final transmission is Hai, with the hidden stem Xinhai, which is the son of Xin metal, riding White Tiger—'White' is the abbreviation for White Tiger. Among the four lessons, the fourth lesson 'Shen has Si' shows Si fire overcoming Shen metal, which is an upper overcoming lower, so Si initiates the lesson as the first transmission. Si fire is a ghost and rides Teng Snake, which signifies fear and blockage, thus causing a narrow chest; the son Hai water, although able to overcome the ghost, is located in the final transmission, so its effect is only temporary.

陳公獻曰：公為陰人占病。主胸膈不寬，飲食少進。曰：果婦病，若何？傳得病玄胎，又四課德鬼發用，巳作閉口，食神乘空，依知病在胸膈，不能飲食。且祿臨絕地，何以養生？目今子支制鬼無妨，恐來年初夏太歲生鬼可慮；況夫占妻豈宜財空，主半路斷絃續娶也。辛日亦不宜占病，因辛作亡神故也。

Chen Gongxian said: You are divining for a female relative in the family. The main issue is discomfort in the chest area and loss of appetite. The person replied: Indeed, it is an internal illness. What will be the outcome? Chen Gongxian said: The three transmissions show the image of 'disease, dark, and embryo'. In the four lessons, the巳 fire is both a virtue and a ghost, and it is the initiating transmission. In six rhymes,巳 represents closed mouth and obstruction. The food god and descendants are in the empty旬, indicating the illness is in the chest area and the person cannot eat. Moreover, the day stem's禄神 is in the绝 position, so what can sustain life? At present, the day branch's descendants can control the official ghost, so it is temporarily okay. But beware, by next spring and summer, the year's master will come and support the official ghost, which is worrying. Moreover, when a husband divines for his wife, the most忌 is the wealth爻 falling into the empty, which indicates the wife will die midway and the husband will remarry later. Also, the day is 辛, which is not suitable for divining illness, because 辛 is in the position of Wangshen in the divine and ominous terms.

建炎己酉年九月辛亥日卯將巳時，趙主簿丙子生三十四歲，占赴任及前程。（方本占案）

In the ninth month of the Jiyou year of the Southern Song dynasty's Jianyan era, on the Xinhai day, the month general was You and the correct time was Si. Zhao ZhuBu, born in the Bingzi year and thirty-four years old at that time, asked whether he could take office and about his future prospects. This case is recorded in the "Fangben Zhan'an". The month general You was placed above the Si time, with the heaven plate lagging two positions behind the earth plate. "ZhuBu" was an official in the prefecture or county responsible for managing documents and records; the "Yue庙" mentioned later refers to the position of palace observatory and temple official, a nominal appointment given to officials in idleness during the Song dynasty, with salary but no actual duties.

朱蛇｜六卯辰巳午貴｜陳寅 未后 后玄貴陰 鬼 丙午 貴｜龍丑 申陰 未酉午申 父 甲辰 朱｜空子亥戌酉玄 酉亥申辛 財 空寅 陳｜虎常

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them:卯 is occupied by Liu He, 辰 by Vermilion Bird, 巳 by Teng Snake, 午 by Nobleman, 寅 by Gou Chen, 未 by Heavenly Empress, 丑 by Azure Dragon, 申 by Tai Yin, 子 by Tian Kong, 亥 by White Tiger, 戌 by Tai Chang, and 酉 by Black Tortoise. The Nobleman is located on 午, and all the generals start from 午 and move in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is 辛, which is lodged in 戌, so 戌 has 申; 申 has 午; the day branch is 亥, which has 酉; 酉 has 未. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in order are Tai Yin, Nobleman, Black Tortoise, and Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is 午, with the ten-thousand-year movement of Bing Wu, where 午 fire overcomes 辛 metal, representing official ghost, riding Nobleman; the middle transmission is 辰, with the ten-thousand-year movement of Jiachen, where 辰 earth generates 辛 metal, representing parents, riding Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is 寅, marked as "empty 寅" indicating it falls in the empty period, representing wife wealth of 辛 metal, riding Gou Chen. The second lesson "申 has 午" is where the upper god 午 fire overcomes the lower god 申 metal, which is an upper overcoming lower, taking 午 as the initiating transmission to form the original head lesson. The first transmission is 午, riding the daytime Nobleman, while the final transmission shifts to the night Nobleman's domain. Between day and night, this is the key point Shao Yanhe used to judge "self-governance ends in failure to govern."

邵彥和曰：主簿美差不能赴，自是岳廟，兩次二任岳廟，後雖授美差，不得赴而丁憂，服滿更授差遣，下稍喪妻，以妾為主，貪酒中風而死。庚戌年當赴任，因新任運使是姑丈，遂迴避就岳廟，二任既滿，受烏江丞，丁父母憂，服滿授壽昌令，諸賓作賀，醉後不幸中風而死。

Shao Yanhe said: The position of chief clerk was a good post, but he could not take it up, and had to be appointed as a nominal official at the Yue Temple instead; moreover, he would have to serve two consecutive terms as a temple official. Later, although he was given a good post, he could not take office because he had to observe mourning for his parents; after the mourning period was over, he was assigned another post, but in his later years he lost his wife, and his concubine took charge of household affairs, and he finally died from drinking too much and suffering a stroke. Indeed, in the year Gengxu he was supposed to take office, but since the newly appointed transport commissioner was his maternal uncle, by regulation he had to avoid the post, so he was appointed to the idle post at the Yue Temple instead; after completing two terms, he was assigned the post of county magistrate of Wujiang County, but again encountered the mourning period for his parents; after the mourning period ended, he was assigned the post of county magistrate of Shouchang County, and guests came to congratulate him, but he drank too much and died of a stroke.

蓋初傳日貴，傳歸夜貴，自治事終反不治事。日上申作太陰，申為神佛，太陰管陰私，寅為廟，艮為山嶽，自日歸夜，自然監廟，又是顧祖，何能赴任？自宅上一帶引去，直至東南而止潭州岳廟，正在東南上也。一味投絕，又自日傳夜，所以如此。

The reasoning is as follows: the first transmission is on the horse (午), which is the daytime official, but by the time it reaches the final transmission, it has moved to the position governed by the night official. From day to night, the one who was originally in charge is no longer in charge. The god on the day stem is the monkey (申), which represents deities and monks, and the monkey is also associated with the Tai Yin, which governs private and hidden matters. The final transmission is on the tiger (寅), which represents temples, and the tiger's direction, the mountain (艮), also represents mountains. The transition from the daytime official to the night official naturally leads to a position of guarding temples, which is a minor duty. Moreover, the three transmissions move inward from the outside, indicating a return to the ancestral home, so he cannot take office. The energy of the day branch leads from the house to the southeast and stops there — the temple he later supervised was exactly in the southeast direction. The three transmissions all lead to a dead end, and the transition from day to night results in this outcome.

十二月辛亥日子時丑將占失雞。（方本占案、張本占案）

On the Xinhai day of the twelfth month, at the Zi hour with Chou as the general, the question was asked about a lost chicken. The case is found in two transmitted versions, the Fang Ben Zhan An and the Zhang Ben Zhan An. According to the four lessons, in this chart the Heaven Plate is one position behind the Earth Plate. If taken literally as 'Chou general added to Zi hour,' the Heaven Plate should move forward one position, which would not match the four lessons. Therefore, the original text may have a reversed order of the hour and general. Here, we only follow the actual relationship shown in the lesson plate, without altering the original text.

六陳｜朱辰巳午未龍｜蛇卯 申空 虎常空虎 父 庚戌 常｜貴寅 酉虎 酉戌申酉 兄 己酉 虎｜後丑子亥戌常 戌亥酉辛 兄 戊申 空｜陰玄

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them: Chen with Vermilion Bird, Si with Liu He, Wu with Gou Chen, Wei with Azure Dragon, Mao with Teng Snake, Shen with Tian Kong, Yin with Nobleman, You with White Tiger, Chou with Heavenly Empress, Zi with Tai Yin, Hai with Black Tortoise, and Xu with Tai Chang; the Nobleman is in Yin, and all the generals proceed in order from Yin. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Xin, which is lodged in Xu, so Xu has You; You has Shen; the day branch is Hai, which has Xu; Xu has You. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in order are White Tiger, Tian Kong, Tai Chang, and White Tiger. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Xu, with the ten thousand years movement of Geng Xu, Xu earth generates Xin metal as parents, riding Tai Chang; the middle transmission is You, with the ten thousand years movement of Ji You, which is of the same type as Xin metal as brothers, riding White Tiger; the final transmission is Shen, with the ten thousand years movement of Wu Shen, which is also brothers, riding Tian Kong. The third lesson "Hai has Xu" is where the upper god Xu earth overcomes the lower god Hai water, which is an upper overcoming lower, so Xu is taken as the initiating transmission to form the original lesson. The three transmissions, Xu, You, and Shen, each follow the previous one in a backward sequence. In divination for lost objects, emphasis is placed on the class gods: You is the class god of the chicken, and now You is riding White Tiger, which governs killing; Shen is the native house of White Tiger and is placed above You; the final transmission Shen is riding Tian Kong, which governs empty vessels. This entire sequence is the complete evidence that Shao Yanhe used to conclude that the chicken has been slaughtered and is temporarily held under a broken pot.

邵彥和曰：雞尋不見矣。被犬沖入鄰家，一奴便捉去，殺而食之矣。蓋戌為用，奴偷也。鄰近人家者，酉為刃作虎，申亦是虎加酉，酉與戌鄰故也。酉為雞，雖類神入傳，加日主自歸，奈何加戌，陽刃殺上作虎，如何得活。蓋申為白虎之本家，臨於酉上亦為宰割，乘天空，為瓦器，此時覆在瓦盆之下，尚未烹飪耳。

Shao Yanhe said: This chicken cannot be recovered. It was chased by a dog and ran into a neighboring house, where a servant caught it and killed it for food. The reasoning is: the first transmission is戌, which in terms of objects represents a servant, indicating that the servant stole it. The judgment is made on the neighboring house because酉 is the yang刃 of a辛 day and is riding the White Tiger, while申 is the native branch of the White Tiger and is pressing on酉. Since酉 and戌 are adjacent, this indicates the neighboring house.酉 is the class god of the chicken. Although the class god is in the three transmissions and is placed above the day stem as if it would return on its own, it is pressed by戌, and the killing power of the yang刃 is carrying the White Tiger, so how can it survive? Moreover,申 is the native branch of the White Tiger and is on酉, which is an image of being cut off;申 also rides the Tian Kong, which governs earthenware and pots. Therefore, the chicken is still under a pot and has not yet been cooked.

六月辛亥日午將酉時射覆。（苗公達斷經）

On the Xinhai day of the sixth month, the month general is Wu and the correct time is You. A divination is made for the game of "Shè Fù" (covering objects). This is recorded in "Miao Gongda's Divination Classic." "Shè Fù" refers to covering an object under a vessel and allowing the diviner to identify the hidden object based on the divination signs, which is a type of Six Rén divination. The month general Wu is placed over the You hour. The heaven plate advances smoothly nine positions ahead of the earth plate, matching the heaven and earth plates of Wang Yangwu's previous case.

勾合朱蛇｜寅卯辰巳 蛇陰朱后 鬼 乙巳 蛇｜龍丑 午貴 巳申辰未 財 ◎寅 勾｜空子 未后 申亥未辛 子 辛亥 虎｜亥戌酉申｜虎常玄陰

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the heavenly generals riding them: Yin on Gou Chen, Mao on Liu He, Chen on Vermilion Bird, Si on Teng Snake, Chou on Azure Dragon, Wu on Nobleman, Zi on Tian Kong, Wei on Heavenly Empress, Hai on White Tiger, Xu on Tai Chang, You on Black Tortoise, Shen on Tai Yin; Nobleman is located on Wu, and the generals start from Wu and move counterclockwise. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Xin, which is lodged in Xu, and Xu has Wei; Wei has Chen; the day branch is Hai, which has Shen; Shen has Si. The heavenly generals riding the four lessons in order are Teng Snake, Tai Yin, Vermilion Bird, Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Si, with the ten-thousand-year movement Yisi, which is an official ghost, riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Yin, marked with 「◎」indicating it is in the empty ten-thousand-year, which is wife's wealth, riding Gou Chen; the final transmission is Hai, with the ten-thousand-year movement Xinhai, which is son's offspring, riding White Tiger. To determine the covered object, focus on the initiating transmission: Si is riding Teng Snake, which represents creatures like snakes and flying things; Si also corresponds to the month's aversion and life qi of June, indicating living things; Si's nayin belongs to water, and water's number is one, so it is concluded to be a small flying insect. This is the 'water number one' that the master and apprentice debated in the following dialogue.

苗公達之師斷曰：必有一個小飛蟲活物，須至壬癸日，被小兒將銅鐵物或刀杖物作害而死。蓋發用是癸巳納音屬水，水主一數，又帶死數，故主小物之象。發用見月厭生氣，更有蛇加巳，故主飛蟲活物。公達問曰：陰神是寅，何為水數一？師曰：此法數與諸經不同，勿輕傳於世也。此法更知數目多少，無不驗也。公達曰：弟子堅心二十餘年，未嘗聞此數，求師父教之。師曰：此法授於汝，切宜秘之。只如此，謂射物在發用，是太乙。以五子元遁之。即見納音甚數也，故遁得癸巳，水數一也。甲乙日用干遁，庚午之數八五也。其間更看四時休旺，加減乘除相因，請秘言之。

Master Miao Gongda's teacher interpreted the divination saying: There must be a small flying insect or similar creature inside, and it will be killed by a child using a metal or iron object or a knife or stick on a壬 day or癸 day. The reason is that the initiating transmission (发用) of the five elements and the five sons' hidden transmission (五子元遁) leads to Guisi, and the Nayin sound element of Guisi belongs to water. Water in numerical terms represents one, and it also carries the number of death qi (死气), so it shows the image of a small creature. The initiating transmission also coincides with the month's aversion (月厌) and the life qi (生气) of June, and the Teng Snake (螣蛇) is exactly on巳, so it is concluded to be a flying living insect. Miao Gongda asked: The hidden spirit (阴神) of巳 is寅, so why is water's number one chosen instead? His teacher replied: This method of calculation differs from the methods of various schools, and it cannot be easily passed on to outsiders. Using this method, one can also predict the number of the hidden object, and there is no case that fails. Miao Gongda said: I have devoted myself to studying for more than twenty years, but I have never heard of this method of calculation. Please teach me, Master. The teacher said: I will pass this method to you, but you must keep it secret. The key point is: When guessing what is hidden in a covered object, look at the initiating transmission (发用), for the initiating transmission is where Taiyi (太乙) is located. Then use the 'five sons' hidden transmission (五子元遁)' to find it out, and you will see what the Nayin sound element belongs to and how many there are. In this case, the hidden transmission leads to Guisi, and the Nayin sound element of Guisi belongs to water, so the number of water is one. If it is on a甲 day or乙 day, then start from the day stem (日干) for the hidden transmission, and it leads to Gengwu, whose number is eight and five. In between, one must also refer to the prosperity and strength (旺相) and weakness and confinement (休囚) of the four seasons, and perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, with each affecting the others. Please keep these secrets strictly confidential.

余謂壬癸日，被小兒將銅鐵物或刀杖作害死者，為壬癸所克，騰蛇勝光月厭生氣。小兒者，末傳亥加寅。白虎銅鐵刀杖者，為支上見申，又辛日占言也。作害者，巳申相傷。死者，末傳白虎帶死氣。後果應其課也。

Cheng Shuxun said: The divination on the day of Ren or Gui indicates that a child was killed by a child using copper or iron weapons or a knife and stick, because the initiating transmission of Guisi belongs to the position of fire and earth, which is overcome by the water of Ren and Gui. The Teng Snake is riding on Shengguang (Wu), and also meets the month aversion and life qi, which clearly indicates insects. The term 'child' is derived from the final transmission of Hai placed on Yin, where Yin and Hai combine, and Hai is the god of the young. The term 'copper and iron knife and stick' is because Baihu governs metal weapons, and there is also the metal of Shen on the day branch, and this divination itself is on the day of Xin metal. The term 'harm' is because Si and Shen mutually harm each other. The term 'death' is because the final transmission of Hai is occupied by Baihu and carries death qi. Later, it indeed verified this divination.

建炎戊申年十月初一壬子日卯將丑時，邵木匠乙丑年六月六日未時生四十四歲，占終身。（方本占案、口鑑）

In the year Wushen of the Southern Song dynasty, on the first day of the tenth lunar month, on the Renzi day, the month general was You and the correct time was Chou. A man named Shao, a carpenter, was born on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month in the year Yichou, at the hour Wei, and was forty-four years old at the time of the divination. He asked about his entire life's fate. The case is recorded in "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Liu Ren Kou Jian." His birth hour "Wei" is one of the twelve hours, corresponding to 1 to 3 pm. The month general You was placed on top of the Chou hour. The heaven plate advanced two positions ahead of the earth plate. "Zhan Zhen Shen" refers to asking about one's entire life regarding wealth, poverty, longevity, death, and children. In Liu Ren divination, the three transmissions are most important, focusing on their generation and overcoming, as well as the positions of growth, burial, and decline.

龍空｜陳未申酉戌虎｜六午 亥常 蛇后貴陰 鬼 甲辰 蛇｜朱巳 子玄 辰寅卯丑 財 丙午 六｜蛇辰卯寅丑陰 寅子丑壬 父 戊申 龍｜貴後

The twelve palaces of the lesson board have their earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: Wei with Gou Chen, Shen with Qing Long, You with Tian Kong, Xu with Bai Hu, Wu with Liu He, Hai with Tai Chang, Si with Zhu Que, Zi with Xuan Wu, Chen with Teng Snake, Mao with Gu Ren, Yin with Tian Hou, and Chou with Tai Yin; Gu Ren is located in Mao, and all the generals start from Mao and move in reverse. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem Ren is lodged in Hai, and Hai has Chou; Chou has Mao; the day branch Zi has Yin; Yin has Chen. The heavenly generals riding the four lessons in order are Tai Yin, Gu Ren, Tian Hou, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Chen, with the ten thousand changing Jiachen, where Chen earth overcomes Ren water as official ghost, riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Wu, with the ten thousand changing Bingwu, which is the wife wealth of Ren water, riding Liu He; the final transmission is Shen, with the ten thousand changing Wushen, where Shen metal generates Ren water as parents, riding Qing Long. Among the four lessons, only the fourth lesson "Yin has Chen" is a lower god Yin wood overcoming the upper god Chen earth, which is called "lower thief upper," so the transmission starts with Chen and proceeds to the second position to get Wu, then Wu proceeds to the second position to get Shen. Chen, Wu, and Shen advance by two positions each, and they are called "ascending three heavens" in the Six Rens, which represents the image of ascending from a low place to a high place step by step; the final transmission Shen is the long life of Ren water, and the middle transmission Wu is wealth, so it is concluded that he has wealth and longevity.

邵彥和曰：登三天本是至高至危之象，今細微中出入人，卻能顯煥又富貴也。蓋身宅皆居西北極地，迤邐出東南來，將來必做富人。中傳見財，末長生，有財有壽，長生入財位，子先死，孫送終矣。長生能害子孫故也。邵仁占課時，四十四歲正窘，與人工作，後七年與城山寺造殿，從此興旺。六十左右，家典錢，連喪三子。丙寅又喪一子，辛未癸酉又喪二子，是時七十九，充保正。甲午年九十七歲卒，七孫送葬。

Shao Yanhe said: The pattern of "ascending to the three heavens" originally indicates a very high position, which also implies extreme danger. However, this person was born into a humble background, surviving by making small efforts and adjustments, yet eventually achieved success and became wealthy. This is because his day stem and day branch are located in the extreme yin area of the northwest, and the qi of the lesson gradually flows towards the prosperous direction of the southeast. In the future, he will certainly become rich. The middle transmission indicates wife and wealth, and the final transmission indicates growth, meaning he has both wealth and longevity. However, the growth is located in the wealth position, so his son will die before him, and ultimately his grandson will be the one to mourn him, because the growth supports himself on one side and harms his descendants on the other. When Shao Ren cast this lesson, he was forty-four years old, in a state of hardship, working for others. Seven years later, he built a large hall for Chengshan Temple, and from then on, his family prospered. Around the age of sixty, his family was already able to lend money and collect debts, but he lost three sons in succession. In the year Bingyin, another son died, and in the years Xinwei and Guiyou, two more sons died. At the age of seventy-nine, he served as the head of the village. He died at the age of ninety-seven in the year Jiawu, and was buried by seven grandsons.

蓋壬子皆西北方，至幽至陰之地，轉出東南旺方，宅上有寅，寅為子息空初亡，辰為鬼，又臨寅地，中午為財，末申為長生，故有財有壽。宅上有寅為子息，奈作空亡，初罡為鬼又臨子息之地，故難為子息也。邵公蓋取中午為孫。愚按：李衛公十韻內有云，問子須看脫氣星，財宿逢之曰見孫。邵公以午財為孫，可知矣。午財乘六合相生，故孫吉也。

Explain the reasoning: Ren and Zi both belong to the Northwest, which is the most dark and cold place, yet the qi of the divination moves all the way to the Southeast, which is the flourishing direction. The day branch and the house position show Yin, which is the god of offspring. However, it falls into the empty period, so the first few sons died young. The first transmission is Chen, which is the official ghost, and it is directly located on Yin, the position of offspring. The middle transmission is Wu, which is the wife's wealth, and the final transmission is Shen, which is the growth. Therefore, it is judged that he has wealth and longevity. The Yin on the house position is originally the god of offspring, but it falls into the empty period. The first transmission, Tiangang Chen, is the official ghost, which also presses on the position of offspring, so the offspring are difficult to have. Zhao Gong probably regarded the middle transmission Wu wealth as the grandson. Cheng Shuxun says: In Li Weigong's "Ten Rhymes," there is a line "To ask about sons, look at the star of departing qi; if the wealth mansion meets it, it means seeing the grandson." This shows that Zhao Gong regarded Wu wealth as the grandson, which has a source. The Wu wealth is covered by Liu He, which is in mutual generation with wealth, so the grandson is auspicious.

丁未年十月初三壬子日子時，奉御筆占向去京邑風燭休祥。（一針見血）

On the Renzi day of the tenth lunar month in the Dingwei year, at the hour of Zi, following the imperial decree, a divination was performed to inquire whether the capital city would face misfortune or blessing in terms of wind disasters and fires. The text is taken from "Yizhen Jianxue," which is a statement by Zhu Bi of the Song dynasty. The "Dingwei" in the era name refers to the stem-branch system of dating years, where "Wei" is the earthly branch and should not be interpreted otherwise. "Fengzhu" refers to wind disasters and fire hazards, while "xiuxiang" means auspicious or inauspicious events. The original text only records the main hour, and from the four lessons, it is calculated that the Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate.

龍空虎常｜申酉戌亥 合貴朱后 財 丙午 合｜勾未 子玄 午卯巳寅 父 己酉 空｜合午 丑陰 卯子寅壬 兄 壬子 玄｜巳辰卯寅｜朱蛇貴後

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them: Qinglong on Shen, Tiankong on You, Baihu on Xu, Taichang on Hai, Gouchen on Wei, Xuanwu on Zi, Liuhex on Wu, Taiyin on Chou, Zhuque on Si, Tengsnake on Chen, Guiren on Mao, and Tianhou on Yin. Guiren is located on Mao, and the generals proceed from Mao in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem Ren is in the palace of Hai, with Yin on Hai; Yin has Si on it; the day branch Zi has Mao on it; Mao has Wu on it. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in order are Tianhou, Zhuque, Guiren, and Liuhex. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Wu, with the ten thousand changes of Bingwu, which is the wife and wealth of Ren water, riding Liuhex; the middle transmission is You, with the ten thousand changes of Jiyou, which is the parents of Ren water, riding Tiankong; the final transmission is Zi, with the ten thousand changes of Renzi, which is the same type as Ren water, representing brothers, riding Xuanwu. There is no mutual control among the upper and lower lessons, except that the day stem Ren water controls Wu fire, which is called "day controls the god." Therefore, Wu is taken as the initiating transmission. Wu is fire that is in a state of imprisonment and death, and it is placed on Mao. In terms of physical objects, Mao represents city gates. The final transmission Zi water, riding Xuanwu, closes the lesson, with water suppressing fire, so Zhubai concludes that there is a small fire in the city, but it will start and disappear quickly. Zi and Mao are in mutual conflict, and Guiren is stationed on Mao, so within the palace, there is actually peace and tranquility.

祝泌奏曰：午加卯為用，六合乘之。囚死之火，來加城門而今日之水及傳終於子之水。玄武水人乘其上，縱城內有小小驚恐，隨見撲滅，不至動眾。若宮闈之間，更有天乙貴人，則子卯為刑，自主安寧。只有感冒風寒之疾，在後宮之屬耳。

Zhu Bi submitted a report stating: This divination lesson uses the Wu branch added to the Mao branch as the initiating transmission, with Liu He (Six Harmonies) riding upon it. The Wu branch is a fire that is in a state of imprisonment and weakness, coming to govern the Mao position, which represents the city gate. The day branch of today is water, and the three transmissions ultimately end at the Zi water. The Xuanwu, which is a heavenly general belonging to water, is now riding upon this Zi water. Therefore, although there may be some minor fire alarms within the city, they will arise and disappear quickly without causing alarm to the people. As for within the palace, the Mao position has the Tianyi Guiren (Heavenly Nobleman) guarding it. Although Zi and Mao are in a conflicting relationship, this actually indicates natural peace; there will only be minor illnesses such as colds and fevers, and these will occur among the palace concubines and attendants.

淳祐丁未年九月壬子日卯將戌時，奉御筆再占丙子女命懷孕或是或非、或男或女，具奏。（一針見血。先是七月戊戌日占遏，見戊戌日干上戌。）

In the ninth month of the Dingwei year of the Southern Song Dynasty's Chunyu era, on the Renzi day, the month general was You and the correct hour was Xu. Again, by the emperor's imperial decree, a divination was performed to inquire whether a palace woman born in the Bingzi year was pregnant, and if so, whether the child was male or female. The case is recorded in "Yizhen Jianxue." The original annotation states: previously, on the Wuxu day of the seventh month, a divination was conducted. In that case, the day stem's heavenly spirit was Xu. The month general You was placed upon Xu hour, and the heaven plate advanced five positions ahead of the earth plate.

龍勾合朱｜戌亥子丑 龍陰空后 財 乙巳 陰｜空酉 寅蛇 戌巳酉辰 鬼 庚戌 龍｜虎申 卯貴 巳子辰壬 子 ◎卯 貴｜未午巳辰｜常玄陰后

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them: Wu on Qinglong, Hai on Gou Chen, Zi on Liu He, Chou on Zhu Que, You on Tian Kong, Yin on Teng Snake, Shen on Bai Hu, Mao on Guiren, Wei on Tai Chang, Wu on Xuanwu, Si on Tai Yin, Chen on Tianhou; Guiren is located on Mao, and all the generals start from Mao and move in reverse. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem Ren is lodged in Hai, with Hai having Chen; Chen has You; the day branch Zi has Si; Si has Xu. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in order are Tianhou, Tiankong, Taiyin, Qinglong. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Si, with the ten-thousand-year cycle starting at Yisi, which is the wife wealth of Ren water, riding Taiyin; the middle transmission is Xu, with the ten-thousand-year cycle starting at Gengxu, which is Xu earth overcoming Ren water as official ghost, riding Qinglong; the final transmission is Mao, marked with 「◎」 indicating it is in the empty position of the ten-thousand-year cycle, which is the son of Ren water, riding Guiren. The third lesson 「Zi has Si」 is the lower god Zi water overcoming the upper god Si fire, which is the case of lower attacking upper, taking Si as the initiating transmission to form a review lesson; Si advances five positions to reach Xu, and Xu advances five positions to reach Mao. The hidden Wu and Kui in Si and Zi, the hidden Xin and Bing in Xu and Si, and Mao and Xu themselves being the Liu He, the three transmissions are all connected by combinations, which is the origin of the term 「Zhu Yin Cheng Xuan」 as described by Zhu Bi.

祝泌奏曰：此課三傳巳戌卯，皆有合，巳加子，巳中有戊，子中有癸，戊與癸合。中傳戌加巳，戌中有辛，巳中有丙，丙與辛合。末傳卯加戌，卯與戌合。臣故曰：三傳皆有合，此課名鑄印乘軒，真吉課也。但三傳陰將神稍多，中傳戌與陰，恰見為諸臣之主照。自是陽胎未可必。

Zhu Bi submitted a report stating: The three transmissions of this divination are Si, Xu, and Mao, and each character has a harmonious match. The first transmission Si is placed on Zi, with Si containing Wu earth and Zi containing Gui water, Wu and Gui harmonize with each other; the middle transmission Xu is placed on Si, with Xu containing Xin metal and Si containing Bing fire, Bing and Xin harmonize with each other; the final transmission Mao is placed on Xu, and Mao and Xu are naturally in Liu He. Therefore, I say that all three transmissions carry harmonious matches, and this divination is called "Zhu Yin Cheng Xuan," which is indeed a favorable omen. However, the yin generals riding on the three transmissions are relatively numerous, and the middle transmission Xu is connected with Tai Yin, which exactly presents the image of ministers surrounding and supporting the sovereign. In this way, whether it is a male or female fetus cannot yet be determined.

己酉年六月壬子日未將子時，蓋判院辛未生三十九歲，占前程。（方本占案、口鑑）

In the year Jiyou, sixth month, on the day Renzi, the month general was Wei and the correct time was Zi. The person, born in the year Xinwei and aged thirty-nine at that time, was asking about his future. The case is cited from "Fangben Zhan'an" and "Liu Ren Kou Jian." "Panguan" is a shortened term for officials who handled cases in institutions such as the Review Office and the Examination Office during the Song Dynasty. Here, "Wei jiang" refers to the month general Wei used in the sixth month, and "Xinwei sheng" means he was born in the year Xinwei. Both "Wei" are earthly branches. The month general Wei is placed on top of the Zi hour. The heavenly plate advances seven positions ahead of the earthly plate.

朱蛇｜六子丑寅卯貴｜陳亥 辰后 蛇常朱玄 財 丙午 玄｜龍戌 巳陰 寅未丑午 鬼 癸丑 朱｜空酉申未午玄 未子午壬 父 戊申 虎｜虎常

The twelve palaces of the divination chart are marked with the Earthly Branches and the Heavenly Generals riding them: Zi (rat) is occupied by Liu He (Six Harmonies), Chou (ox) by Vermilion Bird, Yin (tiger) by Teng Snake, Mao (rabbit) by Nobleman, Hai (pig) by Gou Chen, Chen (dragon) by Heavenly Empress, Xu (dog) by Azure Dragon, Si (snake) by Tai Yin, You (rooster) by Tian Kong, Shen (monkey) by White Tiger, Wei (sheep) by Tai Chang, and Wu (horse) by Black Tortoise. The Nobleman is located on Mao, and the generals proceed from Mao in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the Day Stem is Ren (water), which is assigned to Hai (pig), and Hai has Wu (horse); Wu has Chou (ox); the Day Branch is Zi (rat), which has Wei (sheep); Wei has Yin (tiger). The Heavenly Generals riding the four lessons are in sequence: Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, Tai Chang, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Wu (horse), which is Bingwu (Jia and Yi) in the ten heavenly stems, representing the wife and wealth of Ren (water), riding Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is Chou (ox), which is Guichou (Ji and Geng) in the ten heavenly stems, representing the official and ghost of Ren (water), riding Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is Shen (monkey), which is Wushen (Wu and Xin) in the ten heavenly stems, representing the parents of Ren (water), riding White Tiger. The first lesson "Hai has Wu" is the lower god Hai (water), which is the Day Stem's palace, and it reversely attacks the upper god Wu (fire), which is a case of lower attacking upper, known as the repeated review lesson. Wu moves seven positions to reach Chou, and Chou moves seven positions to reach Shen. The upper god of the Day Stem and the first transmission are both Wu, riding Black Tortoise; the middle transmission Chou, riding Vermilion Bird, is in conflict with Wu; the final transmission Shen, riding White Tiger, enters the tomb of Chou. All these indicate signs of damage and loss.

邵彥和曰：此課動涉中皆有利害，又名四絕，偃蹇不通，身與初傳玄武入廟，中雀又害，末申作虎入墓，宅未作常六害，又兼四絕體，前程如此，主妻不足妻死，又主親戚入宅亦死。只因損掘艮方父母墳，所以前程不通也。蓋與妻果不和，辛亥妻死卻令姨母來家住，又死。因開墳，果如先生言。壬以申為父母，申墓於丑，是父母墳也。白虎主損壞，以致家敗身不榮也，至癸丑年亡。

Shao Yanhe said: In this lesson, between movement and involvement, there are everywhere advantages and disadvantages, also known as "Four Extremes." The path ahead is obstructed and unsmooth. The day stem's heavenly stem and the first transmission are both at Wu, with the Black Tortoise in its prime. The middle transmission, with the Vermilion Bird on Chou, also harms Wu. The final transmission, with the White Tiger on Shen, falls into the tomb of Chou. As for the day branch, the house's Wei is accompanied by Tai Chang and forms a six harm with Wu. Combined with the lesson pattern of the Four Extremes, the future is like this, indicating loss and even death of the wife, and also that relatives living in the house would die. All of this is because the parents' graves in the Northeast Gen direction were disturbed and dug up, so the path ahead became blocked. Later, it indeed turned out that there was discord with the wife. In the Xinhai year, the wife died, and then the aunt came to live in the house, who also died. When the parents' graves were dug up, it was indeed as the master said. On a Ren day, Shen metal is the parents, and the tomb of Shen is at Chou. Therefore, the connection between Shen and Chou corresponds to the parents' graves. The White Tiger also indicates damage, leading to family decline and failure to achieve honor. In the Guichou year, he died.

乾隆甲戌年十月壬子日卯將申時，未命人占流年。（牧夫占驗）

In the year Jiaxu of the Qianlong era, in the tenth lunar month, on the day Renzi, the month general was You and the correct time was Shen. A person whose birth year is Wei (earth dog) asked about the fortune of the current year. The case is taken from "Mu Fu Zhan Yan." "Wei fate" is a term in the Six Rats divination, referring to the person's birth year's earthly branch being Wei, and has nothing to do with "not yet." The month general You was placed on top of the Shen time, and the heaven plate advanced seven positions ahead of the earth plate, matching the same heaven and earth plates as the previous lesson from Gai Juan Yuan.

朱蛇｜六子丑寅卯貴｜陳亥 辰后 蛇常朱玄 財 丙午 玄｜龍戌 巳陰 寅未丑午 鬼 癸丑 朱｜空酉申未午玄 未子午壬 父 戊申 虎｜虎常

The distribution of Heavenly Generals in the twelve palaces is: Zi palace is occupied by Liu He, Chou by Vermilion Bird, Yin by Teng Snake, Mao by Nobleman, Hai by Gou Chen, Chen by Heavenly Empress, Xu by Azure Dragon, Si by Tai Yin, You by Tian Kong, Shen by White Tiger, Wei by Tai Chang, and Wu by Black Tortoise. The four lessons, from right to left, are: Ren resides on Hai, with Wu on Hai; Wu on Wu; Day Branch Zi has Wei on it; Wei has Yin on it. The deities riding the heavenly generals in order are Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, Tai Chang, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: first transmission Wu (wealth, riding Black Tortoise), middle transmission Chou (official ghost, riding Vermilion Bird), and final transmission Shen (parents, riding White Tiger). Considering the current year: the deity on the Day Stem Wu combines with the deity on the Day Branch Wei, appearing harmonious. However, the first transmission Wu wealth is sandwiched between two conflicting deities and carries Teng Snake, indicating hidden private matters. There is also a harmful relationship between the wealth Wu and the official ghost Chou. The long life Shen metal is injured by White Tiger. The inquirer's birth palace is Wei, which is directly on the Day Branch and conflicts with Wu. The year palace is Zi, which conflicts with Wu on the Day Stem. The birth, year, day, and branch palaces all conflict with each other, which is the entire basis for Wang Mufu's judgment that there is discord within his family.

王牧夫曰：此課干支上神，維作合。然大象頗有事故，心甚不寧，恐有私情口舌也。初傳午為財，被夾克，玄武逼迫，論財有失而無得，況財與鬼穿害乎？長生又作虎，本源受傷，年境何能得佳？以支辰論，子沖干上午，午為心，受支沖剋，而本命又立支上穿害。自又午未作合，干為妻，主妻宮口舌不安，牽連父母亦不安也。且子見於行年，而未又是本命，玄武為用，畢竟由己不正，惹起事端，以致如此。後知其私乳婦，為妻撞遇，歸母家，同岳母來作吵。彼時，余謂彼當出門，以避口舌，為吉。後因出門始免。行動免者，以馬在寅能制丑上朱雀也。

Wang Mufu said: In this divination, the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the day are only in mutual harmony, but the overall situation of the divination indicates many troubles. The person's mind is very restless, and he is afraid of getting into disputes over private matters. The first transmission is the horse (午), which is the wealth hexagram, but it is surrounded and controlled by the previous and following hexagrams, and is also forced by the Black Tortoise. When discussing wealth, there is only loss and no gain. Moreover, the wealth hexagram and the official hexagram are connected by a harmful relationship. The long life of the day's heavenly stem, which is the metal of the seventh position, is occupied by the White Tiger, indicating damage to the source. How could the situation of this year be good? Looking at the day's earthly branch, the water (子) is conflicting with the heavenly stem of the day's hexagram (午), and the horse (午) in the human body represents the heart, which is being conflicted and controlled by the day's earthly branch. The person's true birth year (未) is directly on top of the day's earthly branch, and conflicts with the horse (午). Moreover, the horse (午) and the true birth year (未) are in mutual harmony. The day's heavenly stem represents the wife, so this indicates disputes in the wife's area, and also involves the parents not being at peace. Furthermore, the water (子) is exactly the person's current age, and the true birth year (未) is also the person's true birth year. The initiating transmission is occupied by the Black Tortoise, which represents obscurity and wrongness. In the end, it was found out that he had an affair with a wet nurse, which was discovered by his wife. The wife returned to her parents' house and even went together with her mother-in-law to quarrel. At that time, I advised him to go out to avoid the dispute, and later he was able to avoid it by going out. Therefore, being able to avoid the trouble was because the Post-horse (post-horse) is in the tiger (寅), and the wood of the tiger can control the ox (丑) occupied by the Vermilion Bird. The Vermilion Bird is the main cause of disputes.

甲寅年七月壬子日午將酉時占妻病。（說約）

In the year Jiayin, seventh month, on the day Renzi, the month general is Wu, and the correct time is You. The divination is about the illness of the wife. This case is taken from "Six Rats Explanation." The month general Wu is placed above the You hour, and the heaven plate advances smoothly ahead of the earth plate by nine positions. This case is special because Zhang Jiangcun first used this lesson to consult about securing a position, and from that lesson he first saw that his wife was ill. Later, in the seventh month, when his wife's illness worsened, he started another lesson to inquire about life and death, so the following text discusses both lessons together.

蛇貴后陰｜寅卯辰巳 玄空陰虎 財 丙午 玄｜朱丑 午玄 午酉巳申 子 ◎卯 貴｜合子 未常 酉子申壬 兄 壬子 合｜亥戌酉申｜勾龍空虎

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk are marked with earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: on寅 is Teng Snake, on卯 is Nobleman, on辰 is Heavenly Empress, on巳 is Tai Yin, on丑 is Vermilion Bird, on午 is Black Tortoise, on子 is Liu He, on未 is Tai Chang, on亥 is Gou Chen, on戌 is Azure Dragon, on酉 is Tian Kong, and on申 is White Tiger. The Nobleman is located on卯, and the generals proceed from卯 in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is壬, which is lodged in亥, so on亥 there is申; on申 there is巳; the day branch is子, so on子 there is酉; on酉 there is午. The heavenly generals riding the heavenly spirits in the four lessons are in sequence: White Tiger, Tai Yin, Tian Kong, and Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is午, which is Bingwu by the ten-day cycle, representing the wife wealth of壬 water, riding Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is卯, marked with「◎」indicating it is in the empty heaven, representing the son of壬 water, riding Nobleman; the final transmission is子, which is Renzi by the ten-day cycle, being of the same type as壬 water, representing brothers, riding Liu He. The second lesson「on申 there is巳」and the fourth lesson「on酉 there is午」both show upper overcoming lower. Since both overcoming situations are present, the one with the same yin or yang as the day stem, which is午, is chosen as the initiating transmission, forming a mutual use lesson. In divining about a wife's illness, the wife is represented by the wealth爻. Since午 is the initiating transmission and represents the wife's position, it is appropriate. Also,申 metal is located on the palace where the day stem is lodged, and申 is the long life of壬 water, so it is indicated that someone is recommending the wife. The following statement refers to the heavenly general on午 as Heavenly Empress, which does not match the heavenly general marked as Black Tortoise in the current disk. This is likely due to differences in transmission versions, and it is recorded as is without alteration.

張江村曰：占此現彼，往往有之。餘甲寅四月初一丁巳日酉將申時，因占幕館。而知妻有病（見丁巳日干上申）。及於七月間妻患病甚重，為占死生得此課，午為妻，發用乘天后外戰，幸午為太陽，病雖重無妨。又看干為我，申作長生臨干，主有人作薦，巳作貴人臨申六合，餘亦有館矣。

Zhang Jiangcun said: Divination for one matter often reveals another matter, and such situations are common. On the fourth day of the fourth month in the Jiayin year, on the Dingsi day, when the Month General was You and the correct time was Shen, I cast a divination for the purpose of seeking a position as a clerk in a government office. However, from the divination, I observed that my wife was ill (the spirit Shen was on the day stem Dingsi). Later, in the seventh month, my wife became seriously ill, and I cast another divination for her life and death, and it turned out to be the same lesson. The position of the wife was represented by Wu, which is the position of wife's wealth; the initiating transmission spirit was riding on the Heavenly Empress and was in conflict with the outer spirit. Fortunately, Wu was the position of the sun, so although her illness was serious, there would be no major harm. Looking at the day stem, which represents myself, Shen was the long life of Ren water and was on top of the day stem, indicating that someone would recommend me. The nobleman was on Si and was on top of Shen, and also combined with Shen, showing that my position as a clerk would also be secured.

壬子日申將亥時，或占求酒。（方本占案）

On a Renzi day, the month general is Shen and the correct time is Hai. Someone asked if they could get some wine. According to the case in "Fangben Zhan An," the month general Shen is placed over the Hai time. The heaven plate advances nine positions ahead of the earth plate, and the arrangement of the heaven and earth plates is the same as the previous case where a person asked about a sick wife. This is a typical example in the Six Rats system where the sky void indicates deception or something that does not exist. The thing being sought does not exist, and the divination shows signs of emptiness and failure everywhere.

貴後｜蛇寅卯辰巳陰｜朱丑 午玄 玄空陰虎 財 戊午 玄｜六子 未常 午酉巳申 子 空卯 貴｜陳亥戌酉申虎 酉子申壬 兄 壬子 六｜龍空

The twelve palaces of the divination chart are marked with earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: on寅 is Teng Snake, on卯 is Nobleman, on辰 is Heavenly Empress, on巳 is Tai Yin, on丑 is Vermilion Bird, on午 is Black Tortoise, on子 is Liu He, on未 is Tai Chang, on亥 is Gou Chen, on戌 is Azure Dragon, on酉 is Tian Kong, and on申 is White Tiger. The Nobleman is located on卯, and the heavenly generals proceed in reverse from卯. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is壬, which is assigned to the palace of亥, and on亥 is申; on申 is巳; the day branch is子, and on子 is酉; on酉 is午. The heavenly generals riding the four lessons in order are White Tiger, Tai Yin, Tian Kong, and Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is午, which is the wife and wealth of壬 water, riding Black Tortoise (the hidden stem beneath the third transmission is written as戊午; on the day of壬子, which belongs to the Jiachen cycle,午 should be concealed as丙, but this transmission is different, so it is kept as it was). The middle transmission is卯, marked as "empty卯" indicating it falls in the empty period, which is the son and grandson of壬 water, riding Nobleman. The final transmission is子, which is concealed as Renzi in the cycle, and since it is the same type as壬 water, it is the brother, riding Liu He. The key to determining the presence of wine lies in the third lesson: the day branch子 represents the vessel for wine, and the酉 above it is the class god of wine. However, the酉 is riding Tian Kong, which signifies falsehood and unreality. Since the class god of wine is on a false and unreal general, and the middle transmission also falls into the empty period, it is concluded that there is no wine to be found.

邵彥和曰：酉加子作天空，支為酒，其酒必敗，器必破，必無酒也。酉為酒加子，酉破子，乃破器也。子水敗於酉，酉金死於子，乘空為虛詐，又傳入空亡，是以無酒。

Shao Yanhe said: You is placed over Zi and is riding on Tian Kong. The day branch is originally the master of wine, so it is evident that the wine must have already spoiled, and the vessel containing the wine must also be broken, in reality there is no wine at all. You is the god representing wine, now placed over Zi, and You and Zi are mutually destructive, thus indicating the image of a broken vessel. Moreover, Zi water is in the position of bathing and decline, which is exactly where You is, and You metal's death position is also at Zi. The two are mutually destructive and dying. The Tian Kong riding over You is specifically associated with falsehood and unreality, and the three transmissions also fall into the empty position of the ten days. All these factors together lead to the conclusion that there is no wine.

戊申年十月壬子日卯將卯時，王德卿辛酉生四十八歲，占宅。（方本占案、口鑑）

On the Renzi day of the Wushen year in the tenth month, the month general was You and the hour of the day was also You. Wang Deqing, born in the Xinyou year and aged forty-eight at the time, divined about his family residence. The case is cited from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Liu Ren Kou Jian." The month general and the hour of the day were both You, with the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate completely overlapping, forming a Hidden Chant lesson. Hidden Chant indicates that matters remain stationary and do not change. When divining about a residence, it signifies that the house will not be moved and the previous situation will continue.

後陰｜貴巳午未申玄｜蛇辰 酉常 龍龍空空 兄 辛亥 空｜朱卯 戌虎 子子亥亥 兄 壬子 龍｜六寅丑子亥空 子子亥壬 子 空卯 朱｜陳龍

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them:巳 is occupied by the Nobleman,午 by the Heavenly Empress,未 by Tai Yin,申 by the Black Tortoise,辰 by the Teng Snake,酉 by Tai Chang,卯 by the Vermilion Bird,戌 by the White Tiger,寅 by Liu He,丑 by Gou Chen,子 by the Azure Dragon, and亥 by Tian Kong. The Nobleman is located on巳, and all the generals start from巳 and move in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Ren, which is lodged in亥, so亥 remains亥;亥 is again亥; the day branch is子, which is子;子 remains子—both upper and lower positions are the same, which is a Hidden Chant. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in order are Tian Kong, Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, and Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is亥, which is the hidden transmission of Xinhai, and since it is of the same type as the water stem Ren, it is a brother, riding Tian Kong; the middle transmission is子, which is the hidden transmission of Renzi, also a brother, riding Azure Dragon; the final transmission is卯, marked as 'empty卯' indicating it is in the empty period, which is the son of the water stem Ren, riding Vermilion Bird. In a Hidden Chant there is no conflict, and on a yang day, the transmission starts with the celestial general on the day stem. Therefore, the first transmission is亥; since亥 is self-punishment, it is changed to the celestial general on the day branch, which is子, as the middle transmission; since子 conflicts with卯, the final transmission is卯. In October, the water of亥 and子 is at its peak, and the day branch is at its peak, so it is predicted that wealth will flourish; the final transmission卯 rides Vermilion Bird and conflicts with the day branch, and Vermilion Bird governs speech and documents, so it is predicted that the household will be unsettled and there will be disturbances from officials.

邵彥和曰：此課財祿極穩，但自有膀胱氣及陰腫水氣之擾。宅上帝旺，財物興隆。今年進子又添孫，中傳及支子也。子邊作亥，乃孫字也。末傳卯乘朱雀，主門戶不寧，戶役事擾。堂上不合安符，主家中無一時安靜（蓋卯雀脫壬子而刑子支，故其斷如此，若不刑支，不可如是斷也），家資得地，池塘之利，必然大發。尚有二十六年壽，主水腫而亡。王乃士人，善治家，只是受膀胱病累，本年三月生子，十二月又添孫，常為戶役聒吵。堂上掛一天師，自此夢寐不安，怪異影響，遂去之，果無事。其家池塘最盛，一年有數萬魚利，越十六年果死。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, wealth and official rank are very stable. However, the person himself will suffer from diseases of the bladder and lower body swelling or water retention. The day branch is in the Prosperity position, so wealth will certainly flourish. This year he has added both a son and a grandson. The middle transmission's son and the day branch's son both indicate offspring. The son is connected to the亥, which together means "grandson." The final transmission's卯 is occupied by the Vermilion Bird, indicating that the family will not be at peace and will be disturbed by officials and taxes. It is not appropriate to hang talismans in the hall, as doing so will bring no peace to the family. This is because the Vermilion Bird on the卯 releases the energy of the壬子 and harms the day branch's子, so the conclusion is made this way. If it does not harm the day branch, then this conclusion would not be made. The place where property is located is favorable, and the income from the pond will certainly be very good. He has twenty-six more years of life, and will eventually die from water retention. Wang Deqing is a scholar who is good at managing his household, but is often troubled by bladder diseases. This year, he had a son in March and a grandson in December. He is often disturbed by official duties and taxes. He once hung a talisman of the Celestial Master in the hall, and since then, he has had trouble sleeping at night and strange noises. After removing the talisman, everything became peaceful. His family's pond has the best income, earning several thousand coins from fish annually. After sixteen years, he indeed passed away.

蓋壬子日十月亥子水旺，又壬祿居亥，而旺於子，亥四數，課中四個亥，四四一十六年也。此非先生意，乃及門諸子增入之辭也。何則？課傳止二亥，亥為旺氣，當倍進，即曰伏吟，斷少則二亥八年，又不可云十六年矣。且亥乃日祿，何反之決死？是此說之謬可知矣。按邵公之意，或用越十六年而行年在辰，辰為壬日之墓，流年太歲在亥，太歲乘空臨身，所謂當頭立也。太歲即臨身而行年又入墓地，故主十六年而亡耳。邵公之意，毋乃在此乎？

Some people explain that on a Renzi day in the tenth month, the water of Hai and Zi is at its peak; Ren's strength is in Hai, and it is also strong in Zi; Hai is counted as four in the six壬 system, and the lesson contains four Hais, so four multiplied by four equals sixteen years. Cheng Shuxun comments: this is not the original meaning of Shao先生, but rather something added by his disciples later. Why? In the lesson and transmission, there are actually only two Hais; since Hai is a strong position, it should be doubled, and moreover, this is a Fu Yin lesson, so the prediction of a short lifespan would only be two Hais combining to eight years, how could it be sixteen? Moreover, Hai is the禄 of Ren day, how can it be used to determine the time of death? It is clear that this explanation is wrong. In my opinion, Shao's original intention might have been that sixteen years later, his age would reach Chen, which is the Storage of Ren day; and that year's heavenly stem is Hai, the heavenly stem is riding on the empty position of the ten-day cycle and falls on his own birth stem, which is what the diviners call 'standing directly in front'. Since the heavenly stem is on the body and the age falls into the墓, that is why it was predicted that he would die at sixteen. Shao's meaning, I suppose, was probably like this.

己丑年三月癸丑日酉將戌時，長老占休咎。（方本占案）

In the year Jichou, third lunar month, on the day Guichou, the month general was You and the correct time was Xu. A senior monk in a temple asked about fortune and misfortune. The case is recorded in "Fang Ben Zhan An." The month general You was placed over the Xu hour, with the heaven plate lagging one position behind the earth plate. "Xiujiu" refers to fortune and misfortune: "Xiu" signifies good fortune, while "jiu" signifies calamity. The key to this divination lies in the first transmission, which is Zi water riding the Black Tortoise. The Black Tortoise is a spirit associated with theft in the Six Rats system and also represents darkness and concealment. Therefore, Shao Yanhe immediately concluded that the temple would suffer a theft.

朱六｜蛇辰巳午未陳｜貴卯 申龍 常玄常玄 兄 壬子 玄｜後寅 酉空 亥子亥子 兄 辛亥 常｜陰丑子亥戌虎 子丑子癸 鬼 庚戌 虎｜玄常

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them: Chen with Teng Snake, Si with Vermilion Bird, Wu with Liu He, Wei with Gou Chen, Mao with Nobleman, Shen with Azure Dragon, Yin with Heavenly Empress, You with Tian Kong, Chou with Tai Yin, Zi with Black Tortoise, Hai with Tai Chang, and Xu with White Tiger. The Nobleman is in Mao, and the generals proceed from Mao in a clockwise direction. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is癸, which is lodged in Chou, and Chou has Zi; Zi has Hai; the day branch Chou has Zi; Zi has Hai. The celestial deities riding the four lessons in order are Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, and Tai Chang. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Zi, with the ten-thousand-year cycle Renzi, which is of the same type as癸 water, representing brothers, riding Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is Hai, with the ten-thousand-year cycle Xinhai, also brothers, riding Tai Chang; the final transmission is Xu, with the ten-thousand-year cycle Gengxu, Xu earth overcoming癸 water as official ghost, riding White Tiger. The third lesson "Chou has Zi" is the lower deity Chou earth overcoming the upper deity Zi water, which is classified as lower attacking upper, taking Zi as the initiating transmission for a review lesson; Zi retreats one position to Hai, Hai retreats one position to Xu. The three transmissions Zi, Hai, Xu are connected in sequence, and in Six Rats it is called "Lian Ru", indicating that matters are connected one after another, and people follow in a chain; the final transmission Xu riding White Tiger also overcomes the day stem, so it indicates a凶 in human affairs.

邵彥和曰：子作元武加日相合，即作傳，加丑為陽刃大吉，又是僧寺，中傳亥加子作常，亥即元類，作常加子，又是勢害，末虎克日，此課凶矣。必旬日內盜欲入方丈不得，乃入庫下偷三人物，後來干三人命。蓋連茹體也。且損水姓人。果第七日賊入庫，偷監寺副典庫三人物，既覺行者尋蹤往，他客汪家捉獲。將汪氏一鐵椎擊死，因解行者至官獄死。三僧吃棒，一僧患杖死，皆因連茹在不明，末虎作鬼故也。庫中者，丑為庫也。

Shao Yanhe said: The Zi branch is riding on Xuanwu and is placed upon the day stem, and also combines with the day stem. Then it initiates the transmission and enters the transmission. The Zi branch is added upon Chou, which is the yang blade of the癸 day. Chou is called "Daji" in the Six Rats system, and also indicates monasteries. The middle transmission is Hai placed upon Zi and riding Tai Chang. Hai itself is a water deity of the Xuanwu type. Now it rides Tai Chang upon Zi, and forms a harmful situation. The final transmission is Xu with Baihu directly attacking the day stem. This lesson is ominous. Within ten days, thieves will certainly first attempt to steal from the abbot's room but fail, then go to the storeroom and steal from three people. Later, it will involve the death of three people. This is because the lesson pattern is "Lian Ru," meaning one thing follows another in a chain. Moreover, it will injure someone whose surname is associated with water. Later, on the seventh day, thieves entered the storeroom and stole from the abbot, deputy abbot, and storekeeper. After the incident, the monks followed the trail and caught the thieves at the merchant Wang's house, but killed Wang with an iron hammer. Therefore, the monk was sent to the authorities and died in prison. The three monks were beaten with sticks, and one monk died from the beating. All of this was due to the Lian Ru pattern causing confusion and the final transmission Baihu transforming into official ghosts. The theft in the storeroom is because Chou symbolizes a warehouse in terms of objects.

庚辰年浙江大旱，八月癸丑日辰將辰時占雨澤。（張本占案）

In the Gengchen year, Zhejiang experienced a severe drought. On the Guichou day of the eighth lunar month, the month general was Chen and the time of the day was also Chen. The question was asked about when it would rain. This case is recorded in the "Zhang Ben Zhan An." Since the month general and the time of the day were both Chen, the heaven plate and earth plate overlapped, forming a Hidden Chant lesson. "Rain and moisture" refers to the blessing of rain. Although Hidden Chant usually indicates stagnation, in this case, the three transmissions were Chou, Xu, and Wei, successively conflicting with each other. This conflict actually released the癸 water, causing it to descend. Therefore, Shao Yanhe predicted that the rain would come suddenly and be accompanied by wind.

貴后陰玄｜巳午未申 勾勾勾勾 鬼 癸丑 勾｜蛇辰 酉常 丑丑丑丑 鬼 庚戌 虎｜朱卯 戌虎 丑丑丑癸 鬼 丁未 陰｜寅丑子亥｜合勾龍空

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding upon them:巳 is occupied by the Nobleman,午 by the Heavenly Empress,未 by Tai Yin,申 by the Black Tortoise,辰 by the Teng Snake,酉 by Tai Chang,卯 by the Vermilion Bird,戌 by the White Tiger,寅 by Liu He,丑 by Gou Chen,子 by the Azure Dragon, and亥 by Tian Kong. The Nobleman is located on巳, and all the generals start from巳 and move in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is癸, which is lodged in丑, and丑 remains丑; the earthly branch of the day is丑, which is also丑; the first lesson is丑, which is also丑; thus all four lessons are丑, which is a case of Hidden Chant. All the heavenly spirits in the four lessons ride upon Gou Chen. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is丑, which is Guichou according to the ten thousand changes, and丑 earth overcomes癸 water, indicating an official ghost, riding upon Gou Chen; the middle transmission is戌, which is Gengxu according to the ten thousand changes, also an official ghost, riding upon the White Tiger; the final transmission is未, which is Dingwei according to the ten thousand changes, again an official ghost, riding upon Tai Yin. In Hidden Chant there is no overcoming, so the initiating transmission is taken from the day stem's lodged palace,丑.丑 is in conflict with戌, and戌 is in conflict with未, which completes the three punishments. The term「未」here refers to one of the twelve earthly branches, serving as the final transmission's spirit, and the later mention「未时有云」refers to the time of未. The Nayin sound element of丑 belongs to wood, and wood represents wind; Gou Chen belongs to earth and is overcome by wood, so earth is weakened and water leaks out, indicating a sudden storm.

邵彥和曰：伏吟課，定是今日未時有云，一霎時起大風，又下小雨。明日甲寅，一日大風，下微雨。至乙卯日風止，大雨一日，水暴漲也。

Shao Yanhe said: This is a Hidden Chant divination. It predicts that clouds will appear today at the hour of Wei (1 to 3 PM), followed by a sudden strong wind and then some light rain. On the next day, the day of Jiayin, there will be all-day strong winds and some light rain. On the day of Yimao, the wind will stop and there will be all-day heavy rain, with the water level rising sharply.

蓋丑在癸上，即癸丑為初傳，而中戌、末未，疊疊刑開，使癸水下注。癸丑納音屬木，木主風，故未時兼有風，是八月十五日也。至十七日乙卯，是大溪水，故大雨水漲。由丑、寅二日，風以動之也。太陰月宿十五日在戌，十六、十七日在酉，乃是月宿離於畢，畢在酉宮也。十七日朱雀加卯，火敗於卯，而得月離於畢，故主大雨。雨常附陰而降，以酉為太陰之門，純陰之位。凡占雨，但用月宿到今日，看臨在酉，則是月離於畢也。癸丑納音木，克乘神勾陳土，土潰而水漏，故一霎時風雨。甲寅乘六合，木盛多風。至十八日丙火辰土，而納音又土，辰又為八月太陽，上乘螣蛇火神，至是雨霽而晴矣。

The reasoning is as follows: The branch Chou (丑) presses upon the day stem Gui (癸), making Gui Chou the first transmission. The middle transmission is Xu (戌), and the final transmission is Wei (未), which are connected and mutually injurious. This injurious relationship opens up the closed癸 water and causes it to flow downward. The nayin sound element of Gui Chou belongs to wood, and wood represents wind. Therefore, at the hour of Wei (未), there is both cloud and wind. This day is the fifteenth of the eighth month. On the seventeenth, which is Yi Mao (乙卯), the nayin sound element is Great Stream Water, so there is heavy rain and rising water levels. The reason why wind begins on the days of Chou (丑) and Yin (寅) is that wind comes first and stirs up the qi. The position where the moon resides on the fifteenth is Xu (戌), on the sixteenth and seventeenth it is You (酉), which is exactly what the Book of Songs says: "The moon is in the Net mansion" — the Net mansion is in the You palace. On the seventeenth, the Vermilion Bird is positioned over Mao (卯). Fire is in its bath and decline at Mao, so the fire is weak and meets the moon in the Net mansion, thus causing heavy rain. Rain always follows the Yin qi, and You is the gate of Tai Yin and a position of pure Yin. Therefore, to predict rain, one should calculate the position where the moon resides on that day and see if it reaches You, which is "the moon is in the Net mansion." The nayin sound element of Gui Chou belongs to wood, which attacks the earth of Gou Chen (勾陈), and once the earth is broken, water leaks out, hence the sudden arrival of wind and rain. On Jiayin (甲寅), the Liu He is above, and with strong wood qi, there is much wind. On the eighteenth, the heavenly stem is Bing (丙) fire and the earthly branch is Chen (辰) earth, with the nayin sound element also belonging to earth. Chen is the palace of the sun in the eighth month, and above it is Teng Snake, the fire deity. At this point, the rain stops and the weather clears up.

九月癸丑日卯將卯時，某知縣宴客失去銀器衣物，索占。（方本占案）

In the tenth lunar month on the day of Gui-Chou, the month general was Mao, and the time of the day was also Mao. A county magistrate who was hosting a banquet lost silverware and clothing, and sought a divination to find the lost items. The case is recorded in "Fang Ben Zhan An." Since the month general and the time of the day were the same, it was again a hidden chant (fu yin) lesson with the celestial and earthly plates overlapping. This was the same lesson pattern as the previous case which predicted rain. The hidden chant lesson indicates that things have not left their original place, which is the basis upon which Shao Yanhe concluded that the stolen property was still within the magistrate's office and had not been taken out.

貴后陰玄｜巳午未申 勾勾勾勾 鬼 癸丑 勾｜蛇辰 酉常 丑丑丑丑 鬼 庚戌 虎｜朱卯 戌虎 丑丑丑癸 鬼 丁未 陰｜寅丑子亥｜合勾龍空

The distribution of Heavenly Generals in the twelve palaces is:巳 (Si) is occupied by the Nobleman, 午 (Wu) by the Heavenly Empress, 未 (Wei) by Tai Yin, 申 (Shen) by the Black Tortoise, 辰 (Chen) by Teng Snake, 酉 (You) by Tai Chang, 卯 (Mao) by the Vermilion Bird, 戌 (Xu) by the White Tiger, 寅 (Yin) by Liu He, 丑 (Chou) by Gou Chen, 子 (Zi) by the Azure Dragon, and 亥 (Hai) by Tian Kong. The four lessons, read from right to left, are:癸 (Gui) is placed on Chou, Chou is on Chou; Chou is on Chou; the day branch Chou is on Chou; Chou is on Chou, so all four lessons are the same, indicating a Hidden Chant. All the heavenly spirits on the four lessons are occupied by Gou Chen. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Chou (official ghost, occupied by Gou Chen), the middle transmission is Xu (official ghost, occupied by the White Tiger), and the final transmission is Wei (official ghost, occupied by Tai Yin). The relationship of Chou to Xu and Xu to Wei forms a cycle of mutual punishment. In divination for capturing a thief, special attention is given to the Black Tortoise and the punishing spirit. The Black Tortoise is on Shen, which in symbolic terms represents a high place or building, so the thief is concluded to have come from a high place. The day stem Gui is placed on Chou, which punishes Xu, and Xu represents human laborers and high buildings. The final transmission is Wei, which is the burial place of wood, and Wei contains the Ghost Mansion with Tai Yin above it. Tai Yin governs concealment, and Wei also corresponds to a temple, so the stolen goods are concluded to be hidden in a temple. Chou is both an official star and carries the punishment, so it is concluded that the thief will be captured on the same day.

邵彥和曰：賊從高處下來作竊，物必藏在神廟中，未出衙門，今日午時二姓徐王人敗。丁己在未，故主二姓人。癸為日主刑戌，戌為人力，又為高樓宿處，伏吟不離本家也。未為木墓，內有鬼宿乘太陰，主神廟，又為隱匿。丑為官星，勾作刑，故獲。果於本衙中神廟龕下尋見，乃是更樓上更夫偷也。人在高處者，元武在申，申為高處也。

Shao Yanhe said: The thief came from a high place to commit the theft, and the stolen goods were definitely hidden in a temple, and had not yet been taken out of the office. The case will be exposed at noon today, involving people from the Xu and Wang families. This is because both Ding and Ji have hidden in Wei, and two heavenly stems are now appearing, so it involves two family names. The day stem Gui is associated with Chou, which is in conflict with Xu. Xu represents servants and also high buildings. This is also a hidden chant lesson, indicating that the stolen goods have not left the family. Wei is the burial place of wood, and it contains the Ghost mansion among the twenty-eight constellations. On top of that, Tai Yin is present, which represents temples and also concealment. Chou is both an official star and carries the punishment of Gou Chen, so it is concluded that the thief will be caught. Later, the lost items were indeed found under the shrine in the office, and they were stolen by the night watchman on the watchtower. The thief was judged to be in a high place because the Black Tortoise is in Shen, and Shen represents a high place in terms of objects.

戊申年八月癸丑日巳將丑時，鄭宣義己亥生（生於五月六日酉時）七十歲，占家宅。（方本占案）

In the year Wushen, eighth lunar month, on the day Guichou, with the month general being Si and the correct time being Chou, Zheng Xuanyi, born in the year Jihai, on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month at You time, aged seventy, consulted about his family residence. The case is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An." "Xuanyi" is a shortened term for Xuanyi Lang from the Song dynasty, belonging to the category of literary officials. The month general Si is placed above the Chou time, with the heaven plate advancing four positions ahead of the earth plate. This lesson's three transmissions form the metal triad of Si-You-Chou, and since August is the time when the metal energy is dominant, it is concluded that the human population is extremely prosperous while the residence's energy is instead being drained and weakened.

虎常｜空酉戌亥子玄｜龍申 丑陰 空朱空朱 父 己酉 空｜陳未 寅后 酉巳酉巳 鬼 癸丑 陰｜六午巳辰卯貴 巳丑巳癸 財 乙巳 朱｜朱蛇

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk are marked with earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: on You is Tian Kong, on Xu is Bai Hu, on Hai is Tai Chang, on Zi is Xuan Wu, on Shen is Qing Long, on Chou is Tai Yin, on Wei is Gou Chen, on Yin is Tian Hou, on Wu is Liu He, on Si is Zhu Que, on Chen is Teng Snake, and on Mao is Gu Ren. The Gu Ren is on Mao, and the generals proceed from Mao in a clockwise direction. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Gui, which is lodged in Chou, and on Chou is Si; on Si is You. The day branch is Chou, which is on Si; on Si is You. The heavenly generals riding the four lessons in order are Zhu Que, Tian Kong, Zhu Que, and Tian Kong. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is You, with the ten thousand years cycle Ji You, You metal generates Gui water as parents, riding Tian Kong; the middle transmission is Chou, with the ten thousand years cycle Gui Chou, Chou earth overcomes Gui water as official ghost, riding Tai Yin; the final transmission is Si, with the ten thousand years cycle Yi Si, which is Gui water's wife wealth, riding Zhu Que. The characters Si, You, and Chou form a metal trinity, and in August metal is strong, so metal generates the day stem's water, indicating prosperity of people; but the day branch Chou, which originally governs the house, is now within the metal trinity and is continuously drained, so the house appears narrow and in decline. Si represents kitchen, stove, and shop, You represents wine and female servants, and the following interpretation is derived from these symbolic meanings step by step.

邵彥和曰：此課人盛宅狹，人與宅替；不出四年，必主修造酒房，廚下一婢酒中死；不要買叔婆之產，必有退悔；又主有三所店，先開二所見財，後開一所主敗；宅前不合置淘鍋，主八年內淘鍋屋下必停喪，是時其家四分矣。鄭兄弟十人，共四十餘口，未曾分；至辛亥年，公果造酒房；十二月婢盜酒飲，醉死。己酉年與叔婆交易，叔婆有子二人，年幼不曾預名，後果退悔。又丙辰戊午二年兩店興旺，己丑又開淘鍋，正對門前，至乙卯二月弟婦死，殯於內。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, the family is prosperous but the house is cramped, with the people and the house in a state of mutual decline. Within four years, they must definitely build a wine cellar, and a servant girl will die from drinking wine beneath the kitchen; they should not buy property from the aunt's family, for if they do, they will certainly regret it and have to return it; they will also open three shops, the first two will bring profit, but the third will suffer loss; they should not place a pot for washing rice in front of the house, for if they do, within eight years the room where the pot is placed will surely be used for mourning, by which time the family will have split into four branches. At that time, the Zheng family had ten brothers and over forty people in the household, and had not yet divided. In the year Xinhai, Zheng Gong indeed built the wine cellar; in December, a servant girl stole wine and died from drinking too much. In the year Jiyou, they made a transaction with the aunt's family, but the aunt had two sons who were still young and did not sign the contract, and later they indeed regretted it and had to return the property. In the years Bingchen and Wuwu, two shops flourished; in the year Jichou, they set up a pot for washing rice in front of the house, and in the second month of the year Yimao, the wife of the younger brother died, and her spirit was laid to rest in that room.

蓋謂人盛者，癸日遇巳酉丑，八月旺金來生也。宅狹宅替者，丑為宅，值金局而脫氣也。丑為八月死氣，加於酉婢之上，丑上見巳，巳為廚灶，癸水見酉，乃酒也，故主婢死於酒房廚下。三店者，日上、支上、傳上見三個巳，巳為店業。一所敗者，癸水絕於巳故也。又為巳為鍋，值癸水乃淘鍋也。八年者，雙巳四數也。支上巳，末傳巳，皆為日財，故二所見財。日上巳獨不以財爻論，乃絕神加日也，故主敗，丑為宅，上加巳，是必宅前置淘鍋也。

Explain the reasoning: The reason for the prosperity of people is that on a癸 day, the巳, 酉, and 丑 form a metal trinity, and in the eighth month, the metal energy is strong, so the strong metal supports the water of the day stem. The reason for the narrow foundation and declining household energy is that 丑 represents the house, but it is trapped in the metal trinity and continuously loses energy. 丑 is the dead qi of the eighth month, and it is also on the酉, which represents servants; 丑 has a巳 on top, and in terms of objects,巳 represents the kitchen stove;癸 water meets酉, which represents wine, so the servants die in the kitchen. The three shops are because there are three 巳 on the day stem, day branch, and the third transmission, and in terms of objects, 巳 represents shops. One shop will fail because癸 water is in its dead state in 巳. 巳 can also be seen as a pot, and a pot with癸 water is a pot for washing rice. The eight years is because there are two 巳, each counted as four, totaling eight. The 巳 on the day branch and the 巳 on the final transmission are both wealth signs for the day stem, so those two shops have wealth; however, the 巳 on the day stem cannot be considered a wealth sign because it is the dead god of the day stem, so it indicates failure. 丑 represents the house and has a 巳 on top, indicating that a pot for washing rice must be placed in front of the house.

又一人論曰：癸絕於巳，似矣。然予猶有說焉，丑生於申，寧不絕於巳乎？則絕巳云云者，非其至也。其或癸水克巳，巳為店受克，則自敗。庶幾近是。此二論不知何人之筆，附錄於此，以便對考。要知先開二所見財，似指干支上二巳而言也。後開一所主敗，似指末傳上巳而言也。末傳為歸計，不宜逢絕也。一得之愚，附此備改。

There is another person who remarked: It seems reasonable to say that癸 water is in a state of绝 at巳, but I have another point to make—丑 earth has its growth at申, so why shouldn't it also be in绝 at巳? Therefore, merely stating that癸 water is in绝 at巳 does not fully capture the issue. Perhaps it should be said that癸 water overcomes巳, and since巳 is a business establishment that is overcome, it naturally leads to loss, which would be more accurate. Cheng Shuxun said: The above two discussions are not known to be from which person's hand, so they are temporarily recorded here for readers to compare and refer to. In short, the first two instances of gaining wealth seem to refer to the two巳 in the day stem and day branch; the later instance indicating failure seems to refer to the巳 in the final transmission. The final transmission represents the conclusion of an affair, and it is most unsuitable to fall in a state of绝. This is merely my personal opinion, recorded here for possible correction.

己酉年二月初四癸丑日亥將午時，葉助教丙辰生，生於四月初九寅時，五十四歲，占家宅。（方本占案）

On the Guichou day of the second lunar month in the Jiyou year, the month general is Hai and the hour of the day is Wu. Ye Zuhui, a teacher at the Imperial Academy and local schools, born in the Bingchen year on the ninth day of the fourth lunar month at the寅 hour, now fifty-four years old, consulted about his family home. The case is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An." "Zuhui" refers to an official in the Imperial Academy and local schools. The month general Hai is placed over the Wu hour. The heaven plate advances five positions ahead of the earth plate. This lesson specifically predicts various illnesses caused by blockage in the water channels of the house, and is a well-known example in the Six Rats system for using the lesson's imagery to determine the layout of a residential house.

空虎｜龍戌亥子丑常｜陳酉 寅玄 空蛇空蛇 財 丙午 蛇｜六申 卯陰 亥午亥午 兄 辛亥 空｜朱未午巳辰后 午丑午癸 鬼 甲辰 後｜蛇貴

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk are marked with earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: on戌 is the Azure Dragon, on亥 is the Heavenly Void, on子 is the White Tiger, on丑 is the Tai Chang, on酉 is the Gou Chen, on寅 is the Black Tortoise, on申 is the Liu He, on卯 is the Tai Yin, on未 is the Vermilion Bird, on午 is the Teng Snake, on巳 is the Nobleman, and on辰 is the Heavenly Empress; the Nobleman is located on巳, and the generals proceed in order from巳. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is癸, which is lodged in丑, and on丑 is午; on午 is亥; the day branch is丑, which shows午; on午 is亥. The heavenly generals riding the four lessons in sequence are Teng Snake, Heavenly Void, Teng Snake, Heavenly Void. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is午, with the ten-thousand-year movement of Bingwu, which is the wife wealth of癸 water, riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission is亥, with the ten-thousand-year movement of Xinhai, which is the brother of癸 water, riding Heavenly Void; the final transmission is辰, with the ten-thousand-year movement of Jiachen, which is the official ghost of癸 water, riding Heavenly Empress. The first lesson 「丑上见午」 is the lower god丑 earth (the day stem's lodged palace) counteracting the upper god午 fire, which is a case of lower attacking upper, taking午 as the initiating transmission to form a review lesson;午 moves five positions to reach亥, and亥 moves five positions to reach辰. The final transmission辰 is the earth of Tiangang, which exactly blocks the middle transmission亥 water, stopping the water flow, and thus blocking the flow of blood in the body, which is the key to the entire lesson's diagnosis of illness.

邵彥和曰：主宅後東廁水溝不通，一主人患眼疾，二主人常有腸風瀉痢之疾，三主婦人血脈不通，四主人浮腫而死，只因西北水路閉塞，所以如此。若不開通，定主婦人癲狂重病也。葉家果有人常患眼，兼婦人有病。蓋因西北水溝為人所塞，凡雨後東廁及後屋常為水浸，助教自有腸風疾，妻妾每患吐瀉。

Shao Yanhe said: This case indicates that the water ditch on the east side of the main house's back is blocked. The first owner has eye disease, the second owner often suffers from bloody diarrhea and dysentery, the third owner has blocked blood circulation, and the fourth owner suffers from swelling and eventually dies. All of these are due to the blockage of the water channel in the northwest. If not unblocked, there will certainly be another case of women suffering from severe insanity. Later, the Ye family indeed had people suffering from eye diseases and women also fell ill. The reason was that the water ditch in the northwest was blocked by people. Every time it rained, the east side toilet and the back house were often flooded. The tutor himself had the disease of bloody discharge, and his wives and concubines often had vomiting and diarrhea.

蓋三傳辰土塞亥水，亥克午火，午卻逃臨身宅，身雖制得他，宅卻為他所害，故宅被害而反害人也。干屬水，支屬土，土來克水，中傳又是水，末傳天罡截住，壅塞亥水，故水不通，血脈不行，致生諸病。至戊午年婦人產後遂患癲病，蓋為騰蛇所撓耳。午為心，血脈不通而克心，故有是病。

The principle is as follows: the final transmission, which is the earth element of Chen, blocks the middle transmission, which is the water element of Hai. The water of Hai then goes on to overcome the initial transmission, which is the fire element of Wu. However, the fire of Wu escapes to the day stem and day branch, where it is still controlled by the day stem itself, but the house has already been harmed by the fire. Therefore, the house is harmed first, and then it harms people. The day stem is Gui, which belongs to water, and the day branch is Chou, which belongs to earth. The earth element overcomes the water element. The middle transmission is also water, and the final transmission, Tiangang, which is the earth element of Chen, cuts off the water of Hai, blocking its flow. Thus, the water path is blocked. When the water path is blocked, the blood circulation in the body is also obstructed, leading to various diseases. In the year Wuwu, a woman developed a manic illness after childbirth, which was caused by the disturbance of Teng Snake. The fire element Wu governs the heart in the human body. When the blood circulation is blocked, it turns back to overcome the heart, resulting in this illness.

己酉年六月初六癸丑日未將寅時，姜伯達丁卯生四十三歲，占前程。（宋本邵案、口鑑、捷要）

On the day of Gui Chou, the sixth day of the sixth lunar month in the year Ji You, the month general was Wei and the correct time was Yin. Jiang Bodada, born in the year Ding Mao and aged forty-three at that time, asked about his future prospects. The case is cited from the Song edition of Shao Yanhe's "Zhan An," "Liu Ren Kou Jian," and "Liu Ren Jie Yao." Here, "Wei Jiang" refers to the month general of the sixth month, which is one of the earthly branches. The month general Wei is placed on top of the Yin hour. The heaven plate advances five positions ahead of the earth plate. The four lessons and three transmissions are exactly the same as those in the case previously interpreted by Ye Zhaojiao, but since the time of casting the horoscope differs between day and night, the position of the nobleman varies, and thus the heavenly general changes accordingly, leading to a completely different interpretation. This is precisely what Cheng Shuxun's commentary in the following text aims to clarify.

陳六｜龍戌亥子丑朱｜空酉 寅蛇 陳玄陳玄 財 丙午 玄｜虎申 卯貴 亥午亥午 兄 辛亥 陳｜常未午巳辰后 午丑午癸 官 甲辰 後｜玄陰

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk are marked with earthly branches and the heavenly generals riding them: on戌 is the Azure Dragon, on亥 is Gou Chen, on子 is Liu He, on丑 is Vermilion Bird, on酉 is Tian Kong, on寅 is Teng Snake, on申 is White Tiger, on卯 is Nobleman, on未 is Tai Chang, on午 is Black Tortoise, on巳 is Tai Yin, and on辰 is Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is located on卯, and the generals proceed from卯 in reverse order—this is night nobleman, differing from the day nobleman used in the lesson of Ye's tutor. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is癸, which is lodged in丑, and on丑 there is午; on午 there is亥; the day branch is丑, and on丑 there is午; on午 there is亥. The heavenly generals riding the four lessons in order are Black Tortoise, Gou Chen, Black Tortoise, Gou Chen. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is午, with the ten-day cycle moving to丙午, which is the wife wealth of癸 water, riding Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is亥, with the ten-day cycle moving to辛亥, which is the brother, riding Gou Chen; the final transmission is辰, with the ten-day cycle moving to甲辰, which is the official star, riding Heavenly Empress.午 represents the heart in the human body and the eyes and houses in objects. Now the first transmission午 is overcome by the day stem癸 water; the middle transmission亥, riding Gou Chen, is on the house position, and Gou Chen specializes in disputes and lawsuits; the final transmission辰 is the burial place of癸 day and rides Heavenly Empress, which governs women's blood and energy. These three layers correspond exactly to what Shao Yanhe said about house suffering, wife suffering, and heart suffering.

邵彥和曰：吾子平生有三苦：一為屋苦，二為妻苦，三為心所苦。初午被癸克，婦人常患心血不寧；中亥為同類，臨屋上，主官訟爭產；愛函析曰：勾陳主爭也。此惟夜貴則乘勾，若作亥將午時，則用晝貴，亥乃乘天空，何從而斷其官訟爭屋乎？末墓作天后，主女人血氣之災。自身隨傳入墓，必是公姑干亥山之墳內，有泥水侵棺，走獸入內為穴，所以前程不通。九年心病，又四年遭同族爭產，又五年死。若不動移，必然喪身也。

Shao Yanhe said: You will suffer from three kinds of hardship throughout your life: first, hardship from housing; second, hardship from wife and family; third, hardship from heart disease. The first transmission is Wu, which is overcome by the day stem Gui water, indicating that the woman in the family often suffers from heart discomfort. The middle transmission is Hai, which is of the same type as the day stem and is located on the day branch representing housing, indicating legal disputes and contention over property (Ai Han's analysis says: this is because Gou Chen governs contention. Gou Chen is on Hai because night honor is used; if the lesson is cast starting at the Wu time with day honor, then the sky void would be on Hai, and then how could one conclude there would be legal disputes over property?). The final transmission is Chen, which is the storage of Gui day and is governed by the Heavenly Empress, indicating that the woman in the family will suffer from blood-related calamities. The self follows the three transmissions into the storage, which certainly means that the grandparents' graves are on the Hai mountain, where the graves have been flooded by mud and water, and wild animals have made nests inside, so the future path is blocked. The first nine years are years of heart disease, followed by four years of contention over property with the same clan, then five years of death; if the ancestral graves are not moved, one's life will certainly not be preserved.

伯達乃士人，占課之時，殊不為意，其後宅宇摧損，拆而再造畢，遂心氣發作，日夜呻吟，財物耗散，妻亦心血不安，此九年午所管也。第十年兄弟日夜爭吵，或塞東廁，或開西庫，又爭三處店房，遂致興訟，此四年亥所管也。末辰卻管五年，二年女人血病死，三年自身大病，遂移公婆之墳，啟攢視之，泥土淤塞，除泥改喪，後乃安穩。

Jiang Bodada was a scholar who did not pay much attention when casting a divination. Later, his house collapsed and had to be rebuilt. Soon after the new house was built, he became very angry, suffering from continuous moaning day and night, spending a lot of money, and his wife also developed a heart condition. This was the nine-year period governed by the first transmission, which is the hour of Wu. In the tenth year, there were constant quarrels among his brothers. Sometimes they blocked the eastern toilet, sometimes they opened the western storehouse, and they also disputed over three shophouses, eventually leading to legal disputes. This was the four-year period governed by the middle transmission, which is the hour of Hai. The final transmission, governed by the hour of Chen, covered the remaining five years: in the first two years, a woman in the family died from a blood disease, and in the third year, he himself fell seriously ill, leading to the relocation of his parents-in-law's graves. When they opened the grave, they found the soil blocked and muddy. After clearing the mud and reburial, everything became stable.

蓋午受癸克，走回本家，又受亥克，雖虎賁之勇，亦不能當，所以見諸般不利。午為目、為屋、為妻，故皆不安也。

Explain the reasoning: The fire of Wu is first overcome by the癸 water of the day stem, and it retreats to its original position at Wu. However, it is then attacked again by the middle transmission亥 water. Even with the strength of a brave warrior, it cannot withstand attacks from both sides, so everything goes smoothly. The fire of Wu also represents eyes, houses, and spouses, so these three things all become unsettled.

愚按：此課與葉助教占宅之課同，然彼是亥將午時，故邵公之斷語不同，不知何人將二課皆作亥將午時占，而入於一課二事各斷式例內，剛錯課多矣。今得宋本改正。

Cheng Shuxun notes: This lesson and the previous one where Ye Zhujiao divined a residence are exactly the same in the four lessons and three transmissions; the difference is that the previous one started at the hour of Wei with the time of Wu, using the daytime noble, so Zhao Gong's interpretation was different. It is unknown who mistakenly wrote both lessons as being divined at the hour of Wei with the time of Wu, and included them in the format of "one lesson with two matters, each with its own interpretation," leading to many errors. Now, according to the Song edition, the correction has been made.

乾隆丙子年十二月癸丑日丑將申時占婚姻。男辛卯生四十六歲，女壬子生二十五歲。（牧夫占驗）

In the year Bingzi of the Qianlong era, on the day Guichou of the twelfth lunar month, the month general was Chou and the correct time was Shen. The divination was about a marriage matter. The man was born in the year Xinmao and was forty-six years old, while the woman was born in the year Renzi and was twenty-five years old. The case is taken from "Pastureman's Divination Verification." The month general Chou was placed above the Shen time, and the heaven plate advanced five positions ahead of the earth plate, matching the previous two lessons in terms of the heaven and earth plates, but the heavenly generals used differed according to day and night.

陳六｜龍戌亥子丑朱｜空酉 寅蛇 陳玄陳玄 財 丙午 玄｜虎申 卯貴 亥午亥午 兄 辛亥 陳｜常未午巳辰后 午丑午癸 官 甲辰 後｜玄陰

The distribution of Heavenly Generals in the twelve palaces is:戌 is occupied by the Azure Dragon,亥 by Gou Chen,子 by Liu He,丑 by Vermilion Bird,酉 by Tian Kong,寅 by Teng Snake,申 by White Tiger,卯 by Nobleman,未 by Tai Chang,午 by Black Tortoise,巳 by Tai Yin, and辰 by Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, read from right to left:癸 is located on丑, with午 on丑;午 has亥 on it; the day branch丑 has午 on it;午 has亥 on it; the gods above are successively the Black Tortoise, Gou Chen, Black Tortoise, and Gou Chen. The three transmissions are: initial transmission is午 (wealthy wife, occupied by Black Tortoise), middle transmission is亥 (brother, occupied by Gou Chen), and final transmission is辰 (official star, occupied by Heavenly Empress). In divination for marriage, the wealth sign represents the wife and the official star represents the husband. In this case, the wealth sign午 is in use but falls in the绝 position.癸 water is绝 in巳, and午 and巳 are both fire signs, thus losing strength and having no root, indicating that the couple cannot live together in harmony and the family will be poor. The final transmission辰 is both the墓 and storage of癸 day and transforms into official ghost. The Heavenly Empress above it represents an old female relative, causing disturbance in the family. The number of辰 is five, and the number of癸 is also five, so it is predicted that there will be an empty marriage within five years.

王牧夫曰：此婚必成。成後有老陰人不能安靜。然財臨絕地，不能齊眉，亦主貧窮。五年之內一夢醒矣。老陰人者，天后作墓鬼也。五年者，辰數五，癸干亦五數也。婚成後，岳母隨女居子婿家，年老瑣碎，吵鬧無時，三年而卒。妻懷孕，得病分娩，至次年卒。一夢醒矣，五年之內拮据異常，亦主妻家窮極。

Wang Mufu said: This marriage will certainly succeed. After the wedding, there will be an elderly female relative in the family who will cause much disturbance. However, the wealth hexagram is in the state of decline, indicating that the husband and wife will not live together until old age, and the family will be poor. Within five years, this marriage will be like a dream that fades away. The term "old woman" refers to the final transmission on the Chen position, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, and the Chen position transforms into the tomb ghost. The term "five years" refers to the number five associated with the Chen position in the Six Rats system, and the day stem Gui also has the number five. Later, the marriage did take place, and the mother-in-law moved in with her daughter to live with the son-in-law. As she grew older, her temper became irritable and she constantly quarreled without ceasing, and she died three years later. The wife became pregnant, but she fell ill during childbirth and died the following year. The phrase "awakening from a dream" precisely refers to the family's unusual financial difficulties within these five years, and also indicates that the wife's family became extremely impoverished.

戊申年十二月癸丑日丑將未時，何知丞丙寅生，生於二月初三日酉時，四十三歲，占赴任。（方本占案）

On the day of Gui Chou in the twelfth lunar month of the Wu Shen year, with the month general being Chou and the hour of Wei, the question concerns the appointment to office. The person in question was born in the year Bing Yin, on the second day of the second lunar month at the hour of You, and is currently forty-three years old. According to the case recorded in "Fang Ben Zhan An," the hour of Wei refers to the third watch of the twelve hours, which is from 1 to 3 pm. "Zhi Cheng" is a general term for assistant officials such as county magistrates and county deputies. The month general Chou is placed on top of the hour of Wei. The heaven plate and earth plate differ by six positions, forming a reverse repetition lesson. Reverse repetition indicates going back and forth, going and returning, so this lesson suggests that he will be delayed in taking up his post.

虎常｜空亥子丑寅玄｜龍戌 卯陰 常朱常朱 鬼 丁未 朱｜陳酉 辰后 丑未丑未 鬼 癸丑 常｜六申未午巳貴 未丑未癸 鬼 丁未 朱｜朱蛇

The twelve palaces of the divination board have their earthly branches and the heavenly generals riding upon them:亥 is occupied by Tian Kong, 子 by Bai Hu, 丑 by Tai Chang, 寅 by Xuan Wu, 戌 by Qing Long, 卯 by Tai Yin, 酉 by Gou Chen, 辰 by Tian Hou, 申 by Liu He, 未 by Zhu Qu, 午 by Teng Snake, and 巳 by Guiren. Guiren is located on 巳, and the other generals start from 巳 and proceed in a clockwise direction. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is 癸, which is assigned to the palace 丑, and on 丑 we find 未; on 未 we find 丑; the day branch is 丑, which also shows 未; on 未 we again find 丑. The upper and lower elements are in mutual conflict, indicating a reverse rhyme. The heavenly generals riding upon the four lessons are in the order Zhu Qu, Tai Chang, Zhu Qu, and Tai Chang. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is 未, which is Dingwei by the ten-day cycle, and 未 earth overcomes 癸 water, indicating an official ghost, riding Zhu Qu; the second transmission is 丑, which is Guichou by the ten-day cycle, also indicating an official ghost, riding Tai Chang; the third transmission is again 未, still an official ghost, riding Zhu Qu. The three transmissions only move between 丑 and 未, all indicating official ghosts. 未 is also a position of Bingfu and an official ghost for 癸 day, so Shao Yanhe called it "Jiu Zheng" — the old official position lingers on, and the new assignment naturally cannot be carried out promptly.

邵彥和曰：此課舊政上又見舊政，不知已有幾年。何曰：有三年。先生曰：以此觀之，第六年方得赴任。何以為不然。蓋何欲歸安縣，被吏部差一考，果六年至任。先生曰：知丞終此任矣。果六年至任，八年喪歸。

Shao Yanhe said: This case is one of an old post overlapping with another old post; I don't know how many years you have already been delayed. He Zhi Chen answered: Already three years. The master said: According to this, it will take until the sixth year to take office. He Zhi Chen did not agree. Originally, he had intended to take up a post in Guai'an County, but was reassigned by the Personnel Department for another performance review, and indeed, he did not take office until the sixth year. The master then said: This magistrate will die in this post. Later, indeed, he took office in the sixth year and served until the eighth year, when his family carried his coffin back.

蓋戊申年未為舊政（愚按：未為病符，故為舊。作日之官鬼，故為舊政也），初末日辰皆見，又十二月月建丑，又加於舊上，來往皆是舊人，故不能速。六故斷其八年扶喪而歸。

Explain the reasoning: In the year of Wushen, the position of Wei in the hour of Zheng represents the former position (Cheng Shuxun notes: Wei is the Bingfu in the divine and ominous factors, hence called "old"; Wei is also the official ghost for the day of Gui, hence called "old government"). This Wei appears in the first transmission, the final transmission, and on the day stem and day branch; it also coincides with the twelfth month's month builder being Chou, which presses upon the old position of Wei. Repeated encounters are with old people and old matters, so things do not progress quickly. Since the predicted time falls in the sixth year, it is concluded that he will serve until the eighth year and then return home with his coffin. (In the original text, the sentence "six therefore concludes the eighth year" has a suspected missing character below the character "six.")

六月癸丑日巳將亥時，壬辰老人占。（一字訣玉連環）

In the sixth month on the day of Guichou, the month general is Si and the correct time is Hai. A man born in the year Renchen comes to cast a divination lesson. The case is taken from "The One Character诀 Zhi Lianhuan." The month general Si is placed over Hai time. The heaven plate and earth plate differ by six positions, making it still a reverse lesson. The four lessons and three transmissions are the same as those in the lesson cast by He Zhongcheng, but this is because it is cast at night and uses the night noble, while the heavenly general is different. Although the old man's question is not explicitly stated, from the lesson it is clear he is asking about illness. The following text by Xu Cibin directly states that the illness was caused by diet and that the man will die within a day or two.

勾合朱蛇｜亥子丑寅 朱常朱常 官 丁未 常｜龍戌 卯貴 丑未丑未 官 癸丑 朱｜空酉 辰后 未丑未癸 官 丁未 常｜申未午巳｜虎常玄陰

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the heavenly generals riding them:亥 is occupied by Gou Chen, 子 by Liu He, 丑 by Vermilion Bird, 寅 by Teng Snake, 戌 by Azure Dragon, 卯 by Nobleman, 酉 by Tian Kong, 辰 by Heavenly Empress, 申 by White Tiger, 未 by Tai Chang, 午 by Black Tortoise, and 巳 by Tai Yin. The Nobleman is located in 卯, and the generals move in reverse from 卯. This is using the night nobleman. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is 癸, which is lodged in 丑, and 丑 has 未; 未 has 丑; the day branch is 丑, which has 未; 未 has 丑. The upper and lower branches are in opposition, indicating a return echo. The heavenly generals riding the four lessons are in sequence Tai Chang, Vermilion Bird, Tai Chang, and Vermilion Bird. The three transmissions are read from top to bottom: the first transmission is 未, which is Dingwei in the ten heavenly stems, representing an official star riding Tai Chang; the middle transmission is 丑, which is Guichou in the ten heavenly stems, also representing an official star riding Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is again 未, still an official star riding Tai Chang. In the Six Rats system, 未 is also called Xiaoji, which symbolizes mutton and wine. Tai Chang represents banquets and feasts; 未 belongs to earth and governs the spleen and stomach. All three transmissions are earth, surrounding the癸 water, preventing the water from flowing freely. Therefore, the diagnosis is that drinking and eating injure the spleen, and there is obstruction in the two excretory functions.

徐次賓曰：此人因酒食過多，傷損肝胃，並下孟血痢；又小腸不通，添心腹脹滿，用藥不效，飲食不進，旦暮而死。蓋日上小吉主羊酒，太常主筵宴，土主脾胃，各乘休氣，故言酒食傷於脾胃也。癸水受未土制，故下痢。三傳皆土，癸水不能流行，故小腸不通。心腹脹滿者，癸亥水不能外行也。蓋小吉為藥，太常為飲食，既為日鬼，故藥不效，食不進矣。且時為日馬，卦得返吟遊子，未遁丁神，老病得之，豈能出入？當是陽魂乘天馬、馭六丁，遊於天涯地角之外，其病身一虛殼耳。又命上乘喪魄，與三傳俱是日鬼，以四鬼守虛殼，豈不應旦墓而死者乎？

Xu Cibin said: This person has eaten too much meat and alcohol, injuring his liver and stomach, and has also developed diarrhea with bloody stools. In addition, his small intestine is blocked, causing distension and fullness in the chest and abdomen. He has taken medicine but it has not worked, and he cannot eat anything. He is expected to die within a day or two. The day stem's heavenly stem is not named 'Xiaoji' in the Six Rens, and the physical signs indicate mutton and alcohol. The 'Tai Chang' is riding on the 'Wei' and indicates a banquet. 'Wei' belongs to earth and governs the spleen and stomach, and these are all in a state of weakness and confinement, so it is said that the person has been injured by alcohol and food. The癸 water is restrained by the 'Wei' earth, hence the diarrhea. All three transmissions are earth, and the癸 water has no way to flow, hence the blockage in the small intestine. The distension and fullness in the chest and abdomen are due to the癸亥 water qi being unable to discharge outward. 'Xiaoji' is also associated with medicine in the physical signs, and 'Tai Chang' is associated with food. Now they have both transformed into the official ghost of the day stem, so the medicine is ineffective and he cannot eat. Moreover, the hour of亥 is the 'Yi Ma' of the癸 day, and the lesson pattern is a 'Youzi' pattern in the reverse repetition. The 'Wei' also hides the 'Ding' spirit. A sick person encountering such a lesson can hardly be expected to move about. This is clearly a yang soul riding on the Heavenly Horse and driving the six Ding, wandering to the ends of the earth. The remaining body is nothing but an empty shell. Moreover, his original destiny is governed by the 'Sangpo' spirit, and the three transmissions are all the official ghosts of the day stem. Four layers of official ghosts guarding a single empty shell, how could it not be that he dies within a day or two?

崇正丁丑年十月癸丑日酉時，太監陳國用占東宮田妃六甲。（指南）

On the Guichou day of the tenth month in the Dingchou year of the Ming Chongzhen era, at the You hour, Eunuch Chen Guoyong divined about the pregnancy of the Eastern Palace Consort Tian. The case is recorded in the "Six壬 Guide." "Chongzheng" refers to Chongzhen, and the Qing dynasty changed the character to avoid taboo. "Liu Jia" refers to pregnancy. The original text only mentions the main hour, and the four lessons and three transmissions are the same as the previous lesson, still a reverse transmission lesson, and the heavenly general is still the night noble. Consort Tian was the favored concubine of the Chongzhen emperor, and the sixth son who died mentioned later was a real event in the Ming palace.

勾合朱蛇｜亥子丑寅 朱常朱常 官 丁未 常｜龍戌 卯貴 丑未丑未 官 癸丑 朱｜空酉 辰后 未丑未癸 官 丁未 常｜申未午巳｜虎常玄陰

The distribution of Heavenly Generals in the twelve palaces is:亥 is occupied by Gou Chen, 子 by Liu He, 丑 by Vermilion Bird, 寅 by Teng Snake, 戌 by Azure Dragon, 卯 by Nobleman, 酉 by Tian Kong, 辰 by Heavenly Empress, 申 by White Tiger, 未 by Tai Chang, 午 by Black Tortoise, and 巳 by Tai Yin. The four lessons, read from right to left, are:癸 is located on 丑, 丑 has 未; 未 has 丑; the day branch 丑 has 未; 未 has 丑. The Heavenly Generals corresponding to these are Tai Chang, Vermilion Bird, Tai Chang, and Vermilion Bird respectively. The three transmissions are 未, 丑, and 未, all of which are official stars of the day stem. The Heavenly Generals for these are Tai Chang, Vermilion Bird, and Tai Chang respectively. To determine the gender of the fetus, we look at yin and yang: both 丑 and 未 are yin branches, but due to the reciprocal nature of the lesson, they turn to yang. The Heavenly General on the day branch and the day branch itself are of the same nature, so it is certain to be a male fetus. As for the time of death, we look at the fetal god: the fetal god is sandwiched between two conflicting forces and lacks vitality. The final transmission is on 卯, which is the position of the eastern palace and the zodiac sign of the rat. However, it is attacked by the酉 general and the yin killer in the lesson, so it is predicted to occur in the year of 卯.

陳公獻曰：此男子之祥也，然生而難育，應在卯年。蓋因純陰返陽，支上神與支相比，故主男必矣。然而卯年不育者何也？胎神夾克無氣，此追魂之魔，卯為東宮子宿，受酉將陰殺沖剋，是以知其卯年不育。未幾田妃生第六子，卯年命殞。

Chen Gongxian said: This is a favorable omen for giving birth to a boy, but the child will be difficult to raise and should be in the year of Mao. Because this divination shows a pure yin image turning into yang, and the heavenly stem on the day branch also shares the same energy as the day branch, so it is determined to be a male fetus. Then why can't the child survive in the year of Mao? Because the fetal spirit is blocked and controlled by both sides, resulting in no life qi, which is a凶魔 (evil spirit) that steals souls; the year of Mao is the position of the Eastern Palace Prince's star mansion, yet it is precisely attacked by the酉 general and the yin killer used in the divination, thus it is known that the child cannot survive in the year of Mao. Soon after, the Tian妃 gave birth to her sixth son, and the child died in the year of Mao.

戊辰年寅月癸丑日亥將辰時，餘思五兄占僕病吉凶。（牧夫占驗）

On the Guichou day of the寅 month (the first lunar month) in the Wuchen year, the month general is亥 and the correct hour is辰. I was thinking about consulting my fifth brother regarding the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of the illness of a servant in the household. The case is taken from《Mùfū Zhànyàn》. The month general亥 is placed on top of the辰 hour. The heavenly plate advances seven positions ahead of the earthly plate. To divinate the illness of a servant, one should take the day branch as the position of the servant and use戌 as the class god representing the servant. Then one should examine whether the class god has a path of survival.

合朱蛇貴｜子丑寅卯 貴虎貴虎 子 ◎卯 貴｜勾亥 辰后 卯申卯申 鬼 庚戌 龍｜龍戌 巳陰 申丑申癸 財 乙巳 陰｜酉申未午｜空虎常玄

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them: Zi (rat) has Liu He (Six Harmonies), Chou (ox) has Vermilion Bird, Yin (tiger) has Teng Snake, Mao (rabbit) has Nobleman, Hai (pig) has Gou Chen, Chen (dragon) has Heavenly Empress, Xu (dog) has Azure Dragon, Si (snake) has Tai Yin, You (rooster) has Tian Kong, Shen (monkey) has White Tiger, Wei (sheep) has Tai Chang, and Wu (horse) has Black Tortoise. The Nobleman is located on Mao, and all the generals start from Mao and move in reverse. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is癸 (Gui), which is lodged in Chou (ox), and on Chou there is Shen (monkey); on Shen there is Mao. The day branch is Chou (ox), and on Chou there is Shen; on Shen there is Mao. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in order are White Tiger, Nobleman, White Tiger, and Nobleman. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Mao, marked 「◎」 indicating it is in the empty period, representing the son and daughter of癸 water, riding Nobleman; the middle transmission is Xu, with the hidden transmission being Geng Xu, Xu earth overcoming癸 water as official ghost, riding Azure Dragon; the final transmission is Si, with the hidden transmission being Yi Si, representing the wife and wealth of癸 water, riding Tai Yin. The second lesson 「Shen on Mao」 is where the lower god Shen metal overcomes the upper god Mao wood, which is a case of lower overcoming upper, taking Mao as the initiating transmission to form a review lesson. The day stem and day branch both have Shen metal, which overcomes the first transmission's Mao wood. In terms of physical objects, Mao wood represents a coffin. Xu is the class god representing a servant, and the final transmission Si is also confined within the coffin. Therefore, Wang Mufu concluded that this servant must die.

王牧夫曰：此課占僕病，大凶不治，必死。來日寅沖去支上長生是凶期耳。蓋主占僕，干支乘金克卯木為棺槨，為鑄印，為煉尸。而戌為僕之類神，巳在棺槨之內，安能望其生乎？至死日果死。占病五十以上，亦不宜得顧祖課。餘首為程姑母占，斷以必不能起。蓋顧祖乃返本殺也，後為人得此屢驗，附記於此。

Wang Mufu said: This divination concerns the illness of a servant, which is extremely ominous and untreatable, certain death is inevitable. Tomorrow is a Yin day, and the Yin trigram will clash with the day branch's long life, which is the metal Shen. This is the day of misfortune. Since the master is divining for the servant, both the day stem and day branch are occupied by the metal Shen, which overcomes the wood Mao. The wood Mao symbolizes a coffin in terms of objects. This pattern is also known as "casting a seal" and "reducing a corpse." The Xu is the class god of the servant, and the final transmission Si is trapped within the coffin. How could he possibly survive? On that day, he indeed died. Those who are over fifty years old should not receive the "Gu Zu" lesson. The first time I divined for Cheng's aunt, I predicted she would certainly not recover, for "Gu Zu" is the killing force of returning to the original. Later, when I divined for others and received this lesson, it often proved accurate, so I have recorded it here.

崇正丙子年七月癸丑日午將酉時占兵。（郭氏占案）

On the Guichou day of the seventh month of the Bingzi year in the Ming Chongzhen period, the month general was午 and the hour was酉. The divination was about military affairs. This case is recorded in the《Guo Shi Zhan An》, which is a record of divinations by Guo Yüqing. The month general午 was placed over酉 hour. The heaven plate advanced nine positions ahead of the earth plate. In this lesson, the three transmissions were戌, 未, and 辰, all of which were official ghosts, which was extremely dangerous. However, because the Teng Snake and the White Tiger clashed with each other, the凶 spirits restrained each other, and thus did not cause great harm.

合朱蛇貴｜寅卯辰巳 陰虎陰虎 鬼 庚戌 虎｜勾丑 午后 未戌未戌 鬼 丁未 陰｜龍子 未陰 戌丑戌癸 鬼 甲辰 蛇｜亥戌酉申｜空虎常玄

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them: Yin is occupied by Liu He, Mao by Vermilion Bird, Chen by Teng Snake, Si by Nobleman, Chou by Gou Chen, Wu by Heavenly Empress, Zi by Azure Dragon, Wei by Tai Yin, Hai by Tian Kong, Xu by White Tiger, You by Tai Chang, and Shen by Black Tortoise. The Nobleman is located on Si, and the generals proceed from Si in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is癸, which is lodged in Chou; on Chou there is Xu; on Xu there is Wei; the day branch Chou has Xu; on Xu there is Wei. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in sequence are White Tiger, Tai Yin, White Tiger, and Tai Yin. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Xu, with the ten-day cycle遁 of Geng Xu, where Xu earth overcomes癸 water as official ghost, riding White Tiger; the middle transmission is Wei, with the ten-day cycle遁 of Ding Wei, also official ghost, riding Tai Yin; the final transmission is Chen, with the ten-day cycle遁 of Jiachen, also official ghost, riding Teng Snake. The first lesson "Chou has Xu" is where the upper god Xu earth overcomes the lower god, which is upper overcoming lower, taking Xu as the initiating transmission to form the original head lesson. All three transmissions are earth, forming ghosts, which exactly matches the saying "official ghosts everywhere"; and the first transmission White Tiger on Xu and the final transmission Teng Snake on Chen, with the conflict between Chen and Xu, two evils fighting each other, so the evil is not extreme. Shen is the god of wandering capital, riding the month builder of July and being prosperous and strong, indicating the military force is at its peak.

郭御青曰：七月十一閏　，大兵入寨之信。得此課，官鬼滿目，幸以凶制凶，蛇虎自沖，不為大害。申為游都，乘月建旺相，主大兵勢盛，至九月，申入墓則衰。時有會稽陶湛生社丈問八月科場移否？比時另占一課，不記，止記朱雀乘戌為九月，後大兵果於九月初三日東歸。文場移於九月二十九。

Guo Yuqing said: On the eleventh day of the seventh month (the text here is missing a character), news came that a large army had stationed itself in a camp. Receiving this divination, the entire chart was filled with official ghosts, fortunately it was a case of using a凶 to control another凶 -- the Teng Snake and White Tiger, riding on the branches of Chen and Xu, clashed with each other, thus causing no major harm. The branch of Shen is the "You Du" deity representing military forces, riding on the month builder of the seventh month and being prosperous and strong, indicating that the large army was at its peak. By the ninth month, Shen would fall into the storage, and its strength would naturally decline. At that time, a friend from Sheji named Tao Zhansheng asked whether the examination in August would be postponed. I had cast another divination for that, but now I cannot recall the exact chart, only remembering the interpretation that the Zhu Que riding on Xu would indicate September. Later, the army indeed withdrew eastward on the third day of the ninth month, and the examination was moved to the twenty-ninth day of the ninth month. (Below "July eleventh is a leap month," there is a missing character, and the original text is incomplete.)

崇正癸酉年七月甲寅日申時，浙嘉善諱龍正陳先生在京會試時，占同鄉少宗伯諱士升錢太史可能入相否。　　指南

In the sixth year of the Chongzhen era (Guiyou year, 1633 CE), on the seventh month, the first day of the Jiayin, at the hour of Shen, a divination was cast. "Chongzheng" is another name for "Chongzhen," changed due to taboo. The person casting the divination was Mr. Chen Longzheng, a famous scholar from Jiaxiang in Zhejiang Province. He was a renowned Confucian scholar of the late Ming dynasty and had studied under the leader of the Eastern Forest faction, Gao Pianlong. He became an imperial examiner in the Jiaxu year of the seventh year of Chongzhen. At that time, he was in the capital preparing for the imperial examination and cast a divination for his fellow townsman Qian Shisheng, asking whether Qian could be appointed to the cabinet and become a prime minister. "Shao Zongbo" is a term for the Minister of Rites, and "Tai Shi" is a term for a historian in the Hanlin Academy. Qian Shisheng was also from Jiaxiang, and he had been the top scholar in the Bingchen year of the forty-fourth year of the Wanli era, and was then serving in the Ministry of Rites. This passage is from Chen Gongxian's "Lunin Zhinan" of the Ming dynasty.

朱六勾青　卯辰巳午　玄后玄后　財 壬戌 玄　蛇寅　未空　戌子戌子　鬼 庚申 虎　貴丑　申虎　子寅子甲　子 戊午 龍　子亥戌酉　后陰玄常

This is a flattened version of the circular layout of the divination chart. The outer circle consists of the twelve earthly branches of the Heaven Plate and the Heavenly Generals associated with each branch: the Vermilion Bird is on卯, the Liu He on辰, the Gou Chen on巳, the Azure Dragon on午, the Tian Kong on未, the White Tiger on申, the Tai Chang on酉, the Black Tortoise on戌, the Tai Yin on亥, the Heavenly Empress on子, the Nobleman on丑, and the Teng Snake on寅. Since the time is申, which belongs to the daytime, and on a Jia day the daytime nobleman is on丑, the generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The middle three rows represent the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Jia is lodged in寅, and on寅 there is子, with the Heavenly Empress as its general; the second lesson, on子 there is戌, with the Black Tortoise as its general; the third lesson, the day branch寅 has子 on it, with the Heavenly Empress as its general; the fourth lesson, on子 there is戌, with the Black Tortoise as its general. The last column is the three transmissions, read from top to bottom as initial, middle, and final: the initial transmission is戌, with the hidden stem Ren, representing the wife's wealth in the wood element, with the Black Tortoise as its general; the middle transmission is申, with the hidden stem Geng, representing the official ghost, with the White Tiger as its general; the final transmission is午, with the hidden stem Wu, representing the son, with the Azure Dragon as its general.

陳公獻曰：發用干支旬空日敗，本不許入相。然餘終以入相許之。因中傳驛馬皇詔，末傳月將青龍，又歲建乘太常作官星加臨年命。經曰：太常入官鄉當朝執政，月將乘青龍片言入相。非宰執而何？嫌龍神克歲君（龍乘午克太歲酉），將來未必不獲意於君上而退位。後如其占。

Chen Gongxian said: In this divination, the initiating transmission falls on the heavenly stem and earthly branch. The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the day both have the god of the branch as zi. Zi is located in the void of the Jiayin decade, and it is also the place where the wood of Jia is weakened. Normally, one should not be allowed to become a prime minister. However, I still concluded that he would become a prime minister. There are three reasons: the middle transmission, shen, is both the post-horse of yin day and indicates royal orders; the final transmission, wu, is exactly the month general of the current month, and it is also occupied by the azure dragon; furthermore, the heavenly stem of the year, you, is riding on Tai Chang, and you metal is the official star for jia wood, and it is also placed on the person's year. The REN Jing says: "When Tai Chang enters the official's territory, it is the current prime minister; when the month general rides the azure dragon, one can become a prime minister with a single statement." With such a divination pattern, what else can one do but be a prime minister? The only concern is that the azure dragon, which is the general, is actually attacking the heavenly stem of the year. The azure dragon is riding on wu fire, and wu fire attacks the heavenly stem of the year, you metal. In the future, he might inevitably face disappointment at court and have to step down. Later events indeed matched exactly what was predicted.

按鑑：士升癸酉年九月入閣，丙子年九月罷歸。因前獻寬簡虛平四箴，後言不可括，江南富戶輸官，帝皆不悅，故引罪而去也。

The editor's note for verification: Qian Shisheng entered the cabinet in the Guiyou year (the sixth year of Chongzhen), and was dismissed back to his hometown in the Bingzi year (the ninth year of Chongzhen). The reason was that he had previously presented the four maxims "broad, simple, humble, and impartial" to the emperor, and later submitted a memorial opposing the search for civilian wealth and resisting the forced collection of money from wealthy families in Jiangnan to contribute to military funds. The emperor was displeased with both matters, so he resigned and left. The divination text's statement "perhaps not being pleased by the sovereign and thus resigning" precisely applies here.

乾隆戊辰年戌月甲寅日卯將辰時，占天花。　　　　牧夫占驗

In the clear reign of Qianlong during the Wuchen year (the thirteenth year of Qianlong, 1748), in the戌 month, on the Jiayin day, the Month General was Mao (Taichong). The divination was cast at the辰 hour. The subject of the divination was a child contracting smallpox, also known as measles. This entry is from Wang Mufu's "Divination Records."

合勾龍空　辰巳午未　后貴后貴　父 ◎子 后　朱卯　申虎　子丑子丑　父 癸亥 陰　蛇寅　酉常　丑寅丑甲　財 壬戌 玄　丑子亥戌　貴后陰玄

The outer circle of the Heaven Plate has twelve Earthly Branches each multiplied by a Heavenly General: Chen is multiplied by Liu He, Si by Gou Chen, Wu by Qing Long, Wei by Tian Kong, Shen by Bai Hu, You by Tai Chang, Xu by Xuan Wu, Hai by Tai Yin, Zi by Tian Hou, Chou by Guiren, Yin by Teng Snake, and Mao by Zhu Que. The hour of Chen belongs to the daytime, and on a Jiayi day, the daytime nobleman is used, with the generals proceeding in order. The Mao general is placed on the Chen hour, and the Heaven Plate is one position behind the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, Jiayin's lodging palace is on Yin, with the Zi branch on Yin, multiplied by Guiren; the second lesson, the Zi branch on Chou, multiplied by Tian Hou; the third lesson, the day branch on Yin has the Zi branch, multiplied by Guiren; the fourth lesson, the Zi branch on Chou, multiplied by Tian Hou. The three transmissions proceed from first to last: the first transmission is Zi, representing parents, multiplied by Tian Hou, with the mark 「◎」 indicating it falls in the旬空 (the Zi and Chou branches are empty in the Jiayin decade); the middle transmission is Hai, with the hidden heavenly stem Gui, representing parents, multiplied by Tai Yin; the final transmission is Xu, with the hidden heavenly stem Ren, representing wife and wealth, multiplied by Xuan Wu.

王牧夫曰：此課占子出痘無礙，課無鬼克而子孫又立嚮明之方。天喜亦臨生地，三傳生干，貴後會合於干支之上，又甲祿在寅。父問子，支為卑幼，支旺亦無傷也。貴丑在前，戌支在後夾住子亥克子孫者，皆吉象也。三傳退入夜，先水末土帶玄武血厭之神，已結痂矣。後果驗。

Wang Mufu said: This divination is about a son developing a rash, and there is no harm. In the chart, there is no official ghost coming to afflict the day stem. The son's line is positioned in the southern direction, which is bright. The "Heavenly Joy" deity is also located in the life qi area. In the three transmissions, the water elements of zi and hai both nourish the day stem jia wood. The nobleman and heavenly empress are combined above the day stem and day branch. Moreover, the jia wood's禄 is in yin, which is the day branch itself. Since this is a father asking about his son, the day branch represents the younger generation, and since the day branch is in a strong position, the son will not be harmed. Looking further, the branch you, which is the nobleman's riding branch, is in front, and the branch xu is behind, enclosing the water elements zi and hai that could afflict the son. These are all auspicious signs. The three transmissions, zi, hai, and xu, retreat step by step, moving towards night, and the first two transmissions are water, while the final transmission is earth. The final transmission xu is occupied by xuanwu, and also carries the凶神 "blood厌"—water retreating and earth coming to close it off, which is exactly the appearance of a rash that has formed a scab. Later, it indeed came true.

凡占痘不宜太陽過旺兼有刑剋，痘乃先天火溼，故畏之。

In general, when divining about smallpox or measles, one should avoid the "Sun" (i.e., the deity presiding over the Sun) being too strong, especially when accompanied by mutual destruction. Because smallpox is originally a toxic combination of Earlier Heaven fire and dampness carried from the womb, if the fire energy becomes strong, the disease will erupt. Therefore, this type of divination pattern is most feared.

建炎己酉年六月甲寅日未將午時，郭德音壬申生三十八歲占家宅。　　方本占案　　口鑑

In the third year of the Jianyan era (1129 CE), during the sixth month, on the day Jiayin, the Month General was Wei (Xiaoji), and the divination was cast at the hour Wu. The person seeking the divination was Guo Deyin, born in the year Renshen, aged thirty-eight that year, asking about his family home. This entry appears in both the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian" texts, with the interpretation provided by Shao Yanhe, a renowned master of the Six壬 school during the Song dynasty.

空虎　龍午未申酉常　勾巳　戌玄　六朱六朱　財 丙辰 六　六辰　亥陰　辰卯辰卯　子 丁巳 陳　朱卯寅丑子后　卯寅卯甲　子 戊午 龍　蛇貴

The outer circle consists of the twelve Earthly Branches of the Heaven Plate and the corresponding Heavenly Generals: Chou is accompanied by 'Nobleman', Yin by 'Teng Snake', Mao by 'Vermilion Bird', Chen by 'Liu He', Si by 'Gou Chen', Wu by 'Azure Dragon', Wei by 'Tian Kong', Shen by 'White Tiger', You by 'Tai Chang', Xu by 'Black Tortoise', Hai by 'Tai Yin', and Zi by 'Heavenly Empress'. The time of Wu is daytime, and on a Jia day, the daytime nobleman is Chou, with all generals proceeding in order. The general Wei is placed on the time of Wu, and the Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, Jia's lodging palace is Yin, with Yin having Mao, accompanied by 'Vermilion Bird'; the second lesson, Mao has Chen, accompanied by 'Liu He'; the third lesson, the day branch Yin has Mao, accompanied by 'Vermilion Bird'; the fourth lesson, Mao has Chen, accompanied by 'Liu He'. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Chen, with the hidden stem Ding, representing wife wealth in the Wood element, accompanied by 'Liu He'; the middle transmission is Si, with the hidden stem Ding, representing son, accompanied by 'Gou Chen' (the 'Chen' in the column of the three transmissions refers to 'Gou Chen'); the final transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Wu, representing son, accompanied by 'Azure Dragon'.

邵彥和曰：人宅皆逢旺神，今六月占非本姓之旺，乃守東方之旺，只宜守分，不宜運用。若安分則自享福，一運用便有艱辛。辰加卯六害，六合又鎖之，巳加辰作勾地網，又逢勾陳鎖之，迤邐傳出子息，火為子息，破費錢物，因此衰敗。子又個個多病，費盡卻死，是取債之子，來年後年行年到處，子愈取債也。

Shao Yanhe said: The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the person and the house both meet the current strong god. Now the lesson is cast in June, this strong energy does not belong to the five phases of his surname, but only stays with the strong energy of eastern wood. Therefore, he should only keep to his proper role and not engage in any business. If he remains content with his proper role, he will naturally enjoy happiness, but if he starts to engage in business, he will suffer. The heaven plate has chen added to mao, mao and chen are in conflict, and chen is also occupied by Liu He, which is like adding another lock. The heaven plate has si added to chen, chen is the position of the earth net, and si is also occupied by Gou Chen, which is like adding another lock. The three transmissions proceed in this way, passing on to descendants - fire is the son of jia wood, which indicates spending money, leading to the decline of the family. The children are also many and sickly, money is exhausted but people still die, these are children coming to collect debts. In the coming years, the places where the year of birth arrives, the children's debts will be even more severe.

己巳年五月甲寅日申將未時，占怪異。　　　　牧夫占驗

In the year Jisi, fifth month, on the day Jiayin, the Month General is Shen (Shen), and the divination is started at the hour Wei. The subject is to inquire about a strange occurrence that suddenly happened in the family. This passage is from Wang Mufu's "Zhanyan."

空虎　龍午未申酉常　勾巳　戌玄　六朱六朱　財 丙辰 六　六辰　亥陰　辰卯辰卯　子 丁巳 陳　朱卯寅丑子后　卯寅卯甲　子 戊午 龍　蛇貴

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) Heavenly Plate and Earthly Plate both advance by one position at the hour of Shen, so the resulting Heaven and Earth Plates and the Four Lessons and Three Transmissions are identical to the previous example of Guo De Yin's divination of a residence. Outer circle: Chou is occupied by 'Nobleman', Yin is occupied by 'Teng Snake', Mao is occupied by 'Vermilion Bird', Chen is occupied by 'Liu He', Si is occupied by 'Gou Chen', Wu is occupied by 'Azure Dragon', Wei is occupied by 'Tian Kong', Shen is occupied by 'White Tiger', You is occupied by 'Tai Chang', Xu is occupied by 'Black Tortoise', Hai is occupied by 'Tai Yin', Zi is occupied by 'Heavenly Empress'. Four Lessons, moving from right to left: Jia's Lodging Palace is on Yin, Yin is occupied by Mao, which is occupied by Vermilion Bird; Mao is occupied by Chen, which is occupied by Liu He; the Day Branch on Yin is occupied by Mao, which is occupied by Vermilion Bird; Mao is occupied by Chen, which is occupied by Liu He. Three Transmissions: First Transmission is Chen, hidden stem is Bing, representing wife's wealth, occupied by Liu He; Middle Transmission is Si, hidden stem is Ding, representing son, occupied by Gou Chen; Final Transmission is Wu, hidden stem is Wu, representing son, occupied by Azure Dragon.

王牧夫曰：其人居揚州舊城，忽生怪異，滿屋灰塵，居人晝夜不安。余曰：門戶口舌不寧，卯是陽刃，帶朱雀皆由人心失和所致。天目在未，未加午為堂屋，其怪異當在堂屋之內。經云：卯為狐，卯為大火心星。火主禮，失禮則失其常，故異物能侮之矣。然亦無礙，不久自退。蓋發用天罡乘六合，辰由卯上發用，中見巳為勾陳，主勾留四十日自消滅。凡天目並月厭丁神主怪異，此課見矣。然此課發用為財，而末傳青龍應之又帶財在門戶間，其餘不合，故亦不言也。巳午為灰塵其家甚的。

Wang Mufu said: This person lives in the old city of Yangzhou, and his family suddenly experienced strange occurrences, with dust everywhere in the house, and the whole family could not rest day or night. I said: This is an omen of discord among the household. The卯 (Mao) is the yang blade of the Jia wood, and it is occupied by the Vermilion Bird, which governs disputes, indicating that the problem is caused by lack of harmony among people. The "Heavenly Eye" spirit is in the Wei position. The Heaven Plate Wei is placed on the Earth Plate Wu, and Wu represents the hall, so the strange occurrence should be within the hall. The壬 Jing says: Mao is associated with foxes; Mao also corresponds to the second mansion of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Heart Mansion. Fire, in the Five Constants, governs propriety, and when propriety is lost, it loses its regular course, so supernatural beings can harass people. However, this is not a serious matter and will soon disappear. Because the initiating transmission is the Chen, which is the "Heavenly Pole," and it is occupied by the Liu He, while Chen is derived from Mao. The middle transmission shows the Si, which is occupied by the Gou Chen, which governs entanglement and delay, so it will disappear after forty days. Whenever the "Heavenly Eye" appears together with the "Month Aversion" and the "Ding Spirit," it indicates strange occurrences, and this lesson exactly includes all these elements. As for the initiating transmission of this lesson being the wife's wealth, and the final transmission being the Azure Dragon responding to it, along with wealth appearing in the household, the other elements of the lesson do not match, so I did not comment on them. The Si and Wu belong to fire, which is the image of dust, perfectly matching the situation in his family.

九月甲寅日卯將丑時，官人寓寺中失婢而求占。　　　　方本占案

In September, on the day of Jiayin, the Month General is Mao (Taichong). The divination is cast at the hour of Chou. There was a gentleman staying in a temple who lost a servant girl, so he sought a divination. This case is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An," and the interpretation was provided by Shao Yanhe.

後陰　貴未申酉戌玄　蛇午　亥常　蛇六蛇六　財 丙辰 六　朱巳　子虎　午辰午辰　子 戊午 蛇　六辰卯寅丑空　辰寅辰甲　鬼 庚申 后　陳龍

The outer circle of the Heaven Plate, with its twelve earthly branches, each carries a Heavenly General: Wei carries 'Nobleman', Wu carries 'Teng Snake', Si carries 'Vermilion Bird', Chen carries 'Liu He', Mao carries 'Gou Chen' (written as 'Chen'), Yin carries 'Azure Dragon', Chou carries 'Tian Kong', Zi carries 'White Tiger', Hai carries 'Tai Chang', Xu carries 'Black Tortoise', You carries 'Tai Yin', and Shen carries 'Heavenly Empress'. Chou hour belongs to night, and on a Jia day, the night Nobleman is at Wei. Therefore, the generals move in reverse. The Mao general is added to the Chou hour. The Heaven Plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, Jia's lodging palace is at Yin, with Yin carrying Chen, which carries Liu He; the second lesson, Chen carries Wu, which carries Teng Snake; the third lesson, the day branch at Yin carries Chen, which carries Liu He; the fourth lesson, Chen carries Wu, which carries Teng Snake. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Chen, with the hidden stem Bing, representing wife and wealth, carrying Liu He; the middle transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Wu, representing son and grandson, carrying Teng Snake; the final transmission is Shen, with the hidden stem Geng, representing official and ghost, carrying Heavenly Empress.

邵彥和曰：此婢走不遠，被一兇徒藏在西南閣子上，只在今日敗矣。辰加寅作六合，甲寅日納音屬水，水墓辰，人皆言斬關課。辰上見魁罡，必主動。近者遠去。殊不知甲寅水墓辰，辰初為傳午為陰婦人，在辰上曰阻關，所以不進。末申作後，是女鬼，加午道路路上，被鬼阻不行。天后主厭翳藏匿。又勾在卯，午乘戌。戌為樓閣，故藏高處閣上，主敗者，內戰也。果次日於寺西南人家閣上擒之。

Shao Yanhe said: This servant girl has not gone far; she is hidden by a violent man in the southwest attic. It is about to be revealed today. The Heaven Plate's Chen is placed on the Earth Plate's Yin, and Chen and Yin form Liu He; the Nayin sound element of Jiayin day belongs to water, and the storage of water is in Chen, so everyone calls this the "Cutting the Gate" divination. Also, seeing Chen as the "Kui Gang" initiating transmission, it is certain that the master has already left, and those nearby will also go far. But they do not know: the water of Jiayin's Nayin is in its storage in Chen, and since Chen is the first transmission, the middle transmission's Wu is the image of a gentle woman, Wu placed on Chen is called "Blocking the Gate," so the person cannot actually go out. The final transmission's Shen rides the Heavenly Empress, which is the image of a female ghost, and Shen is placed on Wu, which is the image of roads, meaning she is blocked by a ghost on the road and cannot proceed; the Heavenly Empress naturally governs concealment and hiding. Also, Gou Chen is riding on Mao, and Wu on Wu is seen, with Wu being the image of a building, so it is determined that she is hidden in an attic above. As for why it will be revealed today, it is because the divination shows an "internal conflict" image. (The original text briefly mentions "Wu riding Wu" without detailed explanation; the "southwest" refers to the direction of the place where Wu is placed on the Earth Plate.) Later, she was indeed caught the next day in an attic in the southwest of a house near a temple.

明道癸酉年京城自三月不雨以至六月，仁宗召元軫占之，甲寅日未將辰時。　　　玉連環末卷

In the Guiyou year of Mingdao during the reign of Emperor Renzong (the second year of Mingdao, 1033 CE), the capital city had not rained since March and remained dry until June. Emperor Renzong summoned the diviner Yuan Zhen to cast a horary chart to inquire about the situation. The day on which the chart was cast was the Jiayin day, with the month general being 未 (small auspicious), and the time was in the辰 hour. This passage is from the last volume of the book titled "Yu Lianhuan."

龍勾合朱　申酉戌亥　龍常龍常　鬼 庚申 龍　空未　子蛇　申巳申巳　父 癸亥 朱　虎午　丑貴　巳寅巳甲　兄 甲寅 后　巳辰卯寅　常玄陰后

The outer circle of the Heaven Plate, with its twelve earthly branches, each carries a Heavenly General: Chou carries 'Nobleman', Zi carries 'Teng Snake', Hai carries 'Vermilion Bird', Xu carries 'Liu He', You carries 'Gou Chen', Shen carries 'Azure Dragon', Wei carries 'Tian Kong', Wu carries 'White Tiger', Si carries 'Tai Chang', Chen carries 'Black Tortoise', Mao carries 'Tai Yin', and Yin carries 'Heavenly Empress'. The hour of Chen belongs to the daytime, and on a Jia day, the daytime nobleman is used, which is Chou. The general Wei is placed on the hour of Chen, and the Heaven Plate is three positions ahead of the Earth Plate, so the nobleman on Chou falls on the Earth Plate's position of Xu, causing the generals to move in reverse. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, Jia's lodging palace is Yin, and Yin is occupied by Si, which carries Tai Chang; the second lesson, Si is occupied by Shen, which carries Azure Dragon; the third lesson, the day branch Yin is occupied by Si, which carries Tai Chang; the fourth lesson, Si is occupied by Shen, which carries Azure Dragon. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Shen, hidden heavenly stem Geng, representing official ghost, carrying Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is Hai, hidden heavenly stem Gui, representing parents, carrying Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is Yin, hidden heavenly stem Jia, representing brother, carrying Heavenly Empress.

元軫奏曰：今日申時，風雲大作，雷聲進發，酉時收斂，至庚申日午時，風雨大作，其勢雖急，洪澍一時，自茲風雨數至甲子日，雷電風暴，大雨滂沱。後俱一一不爽。

Yuan Zhen reported that today by the hour of Shen the sky would become stormy with clouds and thunder would burst forth, and by the hour of You the storm would subside. Then on the day of Gengshen at the hour of Wu, there would be a great storm with strong winds and heavy rain, although the onset would be sudden, the heavy rain would only last for an hour. From then on, the storms would continue without ceasing, and on the day of Jiazi there would certainly be thunder and lightning, with torrential rains. Later, all these predictions came true one by one.

論曰：發用青龍乘申加巳名為龍跨虎，當有風雨。中傳朱雀乘亥加申名為水火交戰，主發雷。日上有巳火乘太常土神，故不降雨。登明為水神加申，故應庚申日。午為陰盛，故曰午時。中傳亥是白虎之陰（申為白虎本家），其來迅速。乘朱雀主滂霈。末傳寅加亥乘天后為雲神，故云起西北。甲子日卯加子，雲雷相加，夏為雷電風暴，上得太陰金神，金能生水，故雨大作。恰一伏時，緣太陰臨至本家，酉上卻是神后故也。

The interpretation is as follows: The initiating transmission is on the branch of Shen, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon. Shen is also placed on the Earth Plate at Si, and since Shen belongs to the White Tiger's own branch, this is called "Dragon over Tiger," indicating there will be rain and wind. The middle transmission is on the branch of Hai, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird. Hai is also placed on the Earth Plate at Shen, and since the Vermilion Bird belongs to fire and Hai belongs to water, this is called "fire and water fighting," indicating thunder. The day stem's heavenly stem is Si fire, but it is occupied by Tai Chang, the earth god. Fire generates earth and consumes fire, so there will be thunder but no rain. "Dengming" is Hai, the water god, which is placed on Shen. Therefore, it corresponds to the day of Geng Shen. Wu is the position where yin begins, so it should occur at the hour of Wu. The middle transmission's Hai is also the yin god of Shen (Shen being the White Tiger's own branch), so the effect comes quickly. Hai is occupied by the Vermilion Bird, indicating heavy rain. The final transmission's Yin is placed on Hai, and Yin is also occupied by the Heavenly Empress, the cloud god. Hai is located in the Northwest, so clouds rise from the Northwest. On the day of Jia Zi, the Heaven Plate's Mao is placed on the Earth Plate's Zi, and clouds and thunder overlap, forming thunderstorms in summer. Mao is also occupied by Tai Yin, the metal god, which generates water, so there is heavy rain. The rain lasts for one fu period (one day and night) because Tai Yin has returned to its own branch You, and the Earth Plate's You is occupied by Shenhou Zi water.

己卯年七月甲寅日巳將寅時占胎產，男命辛亥二十九歲，女命戊午二十二歲。　　　牧夫占驗

In the year of Jimao, seventh month, on the day of Jiayin, the Month General is Si (Taiyi). The divination is cast at the hour of Yin. The subject of the divination is about pregnancy and childbirth. The man's birth year is Xinhai, aged twenty-nine; the woman's birth year is Wuwu, aged twenty-two. This entry is from Wang Mufu's "Zhanyan."

龍勾合朱　申酉戌亥　龍常龍常　鬼 庚申 龍　空未　子蛇　申巳申巳　父 癸亥 朱　虎午　丑貴　巳寅巳甲　兄 甲寅 后　巳辰卯寅　常玄陰后

At the time of巳 (Snake) adding to寅 (Rat), the Heaven Plate moves three places ahead of the Earth Plate, so the arrangement of Heaven and Earth Plates and the Four Lessons and Three Transmissions is exactly the same as in the previous case of Yuan Zhen's rain divination lesson. Outer circle: Chou (Ox) is occupied by 'Nobleman', Zi (Rat) by 'Teng Snake', Hai (Pig) by 'Vermilion Bird', Xu (Dog) by 'Liu He', You (Rooster) by 'Gou Chen', Shen (Monkey) by 'Azure Dragon', Wei (Sheep) by 'Tian Kong', Wu (Horse) by 'White Tiger', Si (Snake) by 'Tai Chang', Chen (Dragon) by 'Black Tortoise', Mao (Rabbit) by 'Tai Yin', and Yin (Tiger) by 'Heavenly Empress'. The Four Lessons, moving from right to left: Jia (Jia) is lodged in Yin (Tiger), with Si (Snake) on Yin, occupied by Tai Chang; Si (Snake) has Shen (Monkey) on it, occupied by Azure Dragon; the Day Branch Yin (Tiger) has Si (Snake) on it, occupied by Tai Chang; Si (Snake) has Shen (Monkey) on it, occupied by Azure Dragon — only two lessons are formed, and the heavenly stem above the Day Stem and the Day Branch are indistinct from each other, which is exactly the case of 'Ba Zhuang' (Eight Special). The Three Transmissions: the first transmission is Shen (Monkey), with the hidden stem Geng (Geng), representing official ghost, occupied by Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is Hai (Pig), with the hidden stem Gui (Gui), representing parents, occupied by Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is Yin (Tiger), with the hidden stem Jia (Jia), representing brother, occupied by Heavenly Empress.

王牧夫曰：占胎而得閉口，又係八專。胎神作鬼，此私胎也。凡蕪淫之課，多主淫亂，因干支不分，內外無別耳。況行年男交女命，女交男命，此豈夫婦之道乎？況明日七夕日，近巧期。卯酉私門往來，無忌，幸見老陰人救解耳。後知為苟合之胎，辛亥命非其夫也，神不可欺如此。

Wang Mufu said: Divining pregnancy resulted in the 'Closed Mouth' pattern, which also belongs to the 'Eight Special' category. The fetal god transforms into an official ghost, indicating a private pregnancy. All miscellaneous and licentious patterns usually indicate disorder and licentiousness, because the day stem and day branch are not distinct, and there is no clear boundary between internal and external. Moreover, the ages of the two people are intermingled: the man at twenty-nine has his age at Wu, which is exactly the woman's birth year Wuwu; the woman at twenty-two has her age at Hai, which is exactly the man's birth year Xinhai. Each person's age falls on the other's birth year, how can this still be considered a proper marital relationship? Furthermore, tomorrow is the Qixi Festival, which is close to the time of the乞巧 (Qiqiao) festival;卯 and酉 are also 'private doors', and the two have unrestricted interactions. Fortunately, the divination showed an elder woman appearing to save the situation. Later it was found out that this was indeed a pregnancy from an illicit relationship, and the man with the Xinhai birth year was not her husband. Divine wisdom cannot be deceived, and it has reached such a point.

戊申年六月甲寅日未將卯時，王縣丞甲戌生三十五歲占病。　　　　口鑑　　　　方本占案

In the year Wushen, sixth lunar month, on the day Jiayin, the Month General is Wei (Xiaoji). The divination is cast at the hour Mao. The person seeking the divination is Wang Xiancheng, born in the year Jiaxu, who is thirty-five years old this year. He is asking about an illness. This case is found in the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an," and the interpretation is from Shao Yanhe.

六朱　陳酉戌亥子蛇　龍申　丑貴　六虎六虎　鬼 庚申 龍　空未　寅后　戌午戌午　子 戊午 虎　虎午巳辰卯陰　午寅午甲　子 戊午 虎　常玄

The outer circle of the Heaven Plate, with its twelve earthly branches, each carries a Heavenly General: Chou carries 'Nobleman', Zi carries 'Teng Snake', Hai carries 'Vermilion Bird', Xu carries 'Liu He', You carries 'Gou Chen' (written as 'Chen'), Shen carries 'Azure Dragon', Wei carries 'Tian Kong', Wu carries 'White Tiger', Si carries 'Tai Chang', Chen carries 'Black Tortoise', Mao carries 'Tai Yin', and Yin carries 'Heavenly Empress'. The卯 hour belongs to the day, and on a Jia day, the day's nobleman is used at the daytime hour Chou. The general Wei is added to the卯 hour. The Heaven Plate moves ahead four positions relative to the Earth Plate, so the Nobleman, who is on Chou, falls on the Earth Plate's You position, causing the generals to move in reverse. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, Jia's lodging palace is on Yin, and Yin is occupied by Wu, which carries the White Tiger; the second lesson, Wu is occupied by Xu, which carries Liu He; the third lesson, the day's branch Yin is occupied by Wu, which carries the White Tiger; the fourth lesson, Wu is occupied by Xu, which carries Liu He. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Shen, with the hidden stem Geng, representing official ghost, carrying the Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Wu, representing son, carrying the White Tiger; the final transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Wu, representing son, carrying the White Tiger. The middle and final transmissions are the same Wu, together with the heavenly stem on the branch, making four Wus in the entire lesson.

邵彥和曰：此課日辰皆見午，甲寅二木，皆死於午，那堪中末又是午，初傳又是絕神，六月午為月病符，旺火蝕休木，本宮又克父母，既無父母，亦難為子息，及自身。幸行年在子上燒不盡，三十七行年到寅，鞏難。三十九行年到辰見申，尤難過矣。須先克了子，便乃心病，且作廢人也。王縣丞授邵武軍，是年遭喪男女四人，果成心病不赴任，恣狂而走，至三十七癲痴不知人事，亦不飲食，幾兩月方瘥。三十九上，又復如此，卻不死，四十歲上，太歲到寅死。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, both the day stem and the day branch are connected to the god of the hour, which is Wu. Jia and Yin, both wood, die at Wu. How can they withstand the middle transmission and final transmission both being Wu? The initial transmission is Shen, which is the绝神 of Jia wood. In June, Wu is the "month bingfu," the strong fire consumes the weak and confined wood. Also, this palace is attacking the parents' yao, so it cannot protect the parents, nor can it protect the children, and even the self is in danger. Fortunately, his year of birth is on Zi water, so it cannot be completely burned. When he reaches the age of thirty-seven and his year of birth moves to Yin, it becomes difficult. At thirty-nine, his year of birth moves to Chen, and Chen also has Shen, which is even worse. He will certainly first kill his children, then suffer from heart disease, and eventually become a cripple. Later, Wang Xiancheng was assigned to take office in Shao Wu Jun, and that year he lost four children. He indeed suffered from heart disease and did not go to take office, but became crazy and wandered around. At thirty-seven, he became痴呆 and did not recognize people, nor did he eat or drink, and it took nearly two months to recover. At thirty-nine, it happened again, but he did not die. At forty, the heavenly stem reached Yin, and he died.

蓋上午、辰上午、中傳午、末傳午，共四午來蝕甲寅，是四個月病符、四個天鬼。天鬼常傳四仲神，建寅居酉逆相巡，行年日上如遭著，災禍刑傷病擾人。四個天地轉殺春卯夏午秋酉冬子、四個白虎，所以喪四子，午為心，遇虎故主顛狂。木死於午，故為廢人。

this is because there are four wus on the day stem, day branch, middle transmission, and final transmission, which together devour the wood of jiayin. these four wus are four 'month bingfu' and four 'heavenly ghosts'. the heavenly ghost is a divine evil that only moves on the four central branches: zi, wu, mao, and you. the song says 'jian yin resides in you and moves in reverse order', meaning that when the first month is jian yin, the heavenly ghost is in you, and then it moves in reverse order on the four central branches each month. it also says 'if the year's branch is on the day's stem, it brings calamity, punishment, and illness'. this lesson is in the sixth month, which is jian wei, so the heavenly ghost falls on wu. these four wus are also four 'heaven and earth turning killings' (spring in mao, summer in wu, autumn in you, winter in zi), and combined with four white tigers, so four children will be lost. wu on the human body represents the heart, and wu meets the white tiger, so it indicates madness. wood dies in wu, so he will become a useless person. (the original text has a missing character at the beginning of the sentence 'gai shang wu', which refers to the wu on the day stem.)

天鬼多生於疫病，故死者非二四即五六也。用五月祿說神煞用六月以得節論。此處論生死，太歲到寅，上見午，為日之死神。四午字，為死神、天鬼、病神、白虎加之，為脫耗日干甲木之休氣。午為心作昏迷煞，白虎為道路神，故狂而走。

Heavenly ghosts mostly arise from epidemic diseases, so the number of deaths is usually two, four, five, or six. As for the method of calculating deities and ominous influences, "Lucky Post" is calculated according to the fifth month, while other deities and ominous influences are calculated according to the sixth month. This is determined based on whether the solar term has already passed (the original text is very brief, and this is the general meaning). Here we further discuss life and death: when the year stem arrives at寅 (Yin), and午 (Wu) appears on寅, Wu is the death deity for the day stem. The four instances of Wu also serve as death deity, heavenly ghost, and disease deity, and on top of that, the White Tiger is added. This completely drains the weak and confined energy of the day stem Jia Wood. Wu represents the heart in the human body and is considered the "confusion and delirium deity." The White Tiger is also the deity of roads, so this person becomes insane and runs about.

庚寅年五月甲寅日申將卯時，因天氣亢旱聞鳩鳴，遂占一課看有雨否？　　　　指南

In the year of Gengyin, fifth lunar month, on the day of Jiayin, the Month General was Shen (Chuansong). The divination was cast at the hour of Mao. Because of a severe drought, a sudden sound of the sparrow-hawk (a bird) was heard, and there is a folk belief that the call of the sparrow-hawk is a sign of rain. Therefore, a divination was made to see if rain would come. This passage is from the Six壬 Guide. The interpretation was given by Chen Gongxian.

朱蛇　六戌亥子丑貴　勾酉　寅后　蛇空蛇空　父 甲子 蛇　龍申　卯陰　子未子未　子 丁巳 虎　空未午巳辰玄　未寅未甲　財 壬戌 六　虎常

The outer circle of the Heaven Plate, with its twelve Earthly Branches, each carries a Heavenly General: Chou carries 'Nobleman', Zi carries 'Teng Snake', Hai carries 'Vermilion Bird', Xu carries 'Liu He', You carries 'Gou Chen', Shen carries 'Azure Dragon', Wei carries 'Tian Kong', Wu carries 'White Tiger', Si carries 'Tai Chang', Chen carries 'Black Tortoise', Mao carries 'Tai Yin', and Yin carries 'Heavenly Empress'. The hour of Mao belongs to the day, and on a Jia day, the day's nobleman is at Chou. The general Shen is added to the hour of Mao, and the Heaven Plate is five positions ahead of the Earth Plate, so the nobleman, who is at Chou, falls on the Earth Plate's position of Shen, thus the generals move in reverse. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, Jia's lodging palace is at Yin, and Yin is occupied by Wei, which carries Tian Kong; the second lesson, Wei is occupied by Zi, which carries Teng Snake; the third lesson, the day's branch Yin is occupied by Wei, which carries Tian Kong; the fourth lesson, Wei is occupied by Zi, which carries Teng Snake. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Zi, hidden stem Jia, representing parents, carrying Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Si, hidden stem Ding, representing children; the final transmission is Xu, hidden stem Ren, representing wife and wealth, carrying Liu He. It should be noted that the Heavenly General carried by the middle transmission Si, according to the original text, is marked as 'Tiger' (White Tiger) in the column of the three transmissions, but the outer circle places White Tiger at Wu and Tai Chang at Si, which are inconsistent. In the following commentary by Chen Gongxian, it says 'the middle transmission White Tiger is a wind killer', which is based on the White Tiger marked in the column of the three transmissions.

陳公獻曰：鳩雖喚雨，此課乃風大雨小之象。蓋以神后發用旬空，中傳白虎風殺旬丁，又風伯臨干支、會寅，寅中有箕宿好風。豈不今日有風？夜子時填實旬空，豈不微雨？因休廢空亡，故略灑塵而已。未為風伯者，亦干支本象也。論神煞，五月風伯在辰，風煞在戌。

Chen Gongxian said: Although the sparrow is known for calling rain, this divination shows the image of strong wind and light rain. Because the initiating transmission "Shenhou" Zi falls into the旬空; the middle transmission is riding the White Tiger, which is the wind killer, and Si is also the "Ding Si" of the Jiayin decade; furthermore, the "Fengbo" is present on the day stem and day branch, and meets with Yin, and the Yin palace originally has the good wind mansion of Jiuxu. So how can there be no wind today? By the night of Zi hour, the旬空 fills up, yet there is still no rain at all. This is only because the course god is resting and meets with the empty place, so only a little rain falls, just to suppress the dust. Saying that it is not "Fengbo" is also the image of the day stem and day branch themselves. As for the divine omens, in the fifth month, the Fengbo is in Chen, and the wind killer is in Xu.

丙子年亥月甲寅日卯將戌時，辰命人占首尾。　　　　牧夫占驗

In the year Bingzi, the tenth month (Hai), on the day Jiayin, the Month General is Mao (Taichong). The divination is cast at the hour Xu. The person seeking the divination belongs to the sign Chen. They are asking about the beginning, middle, and end of a particular matter. This passage is from Wang Mufu's "Zhanyan."

合朱蛇貴　戌亥子丑　蛇空蛇空　父 ◎子 蛇　勾酉　寅后　子未子未　子 丁巳 常　龍申　卯陰　未寅未甲　財 壬戌 合　未午巳辰　空虎常玄

The outer circle of the Heaven Plate's twelve branches are occupied by the Heavenly Generals: Xu is occupied by Liu He, Hai by Vermilion Bird, Zi by Teng Snake, Chou by Nobleman, Yin by Heavenly Empress, Mao by Tai Yin, Chen by Black Tortoise, Si by Tai Chang, Wu by White Tiger, Wei by Tian Kong, Shen by Azure Dragon, You by Gou Chen. When the general of Mao is added to Xu hour, the Heaven Plate is five positions ahead of the Earth Plate, and the Heaven and Earth Plates are the same as the previous lesson of Wen Jiao Zhan Yu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, Jia's lodging palace is in Yin, with Wei on Yin, occupied by Tian Kong; the second lesson, Wei has Zi on it, occupied by Teng Snake; the third lesson, the day branch Yin has Wei on it, occupied by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson, Wei has Zi on it, occupied by Teng Snake—the heavenly stem and heavenly branch above the day stem are both Wei, which is still the lesson of 'Ba Zuan'. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Zi, representing parents, occupied by Teng Snake, '◎' indicates it is in the旬空; the middle transmission is Si, with hidden stem Ding, representing children, occupied by Tai Chang; the final transmission is Xu, with hidden stem Ren, representing wife and wealth, occupied by Liu He.

王牧夫曰：此課可咲你的財是他的財，他的財是你的財。又兩人各自誤，到後你哄他，他哄你，遂致不清。可是否？曰：然。蓋八專之課，彼此不別，各各戴墓，陰神自相穿害，其象如此。命上勾陳，年上丑貴，幾至起訟。末傳幸得六合在戌，尚有模範可以免強結局。太歲作恩星可以化解，朱雀又生日，不然纏繞不清也，來年春二月可了，木絕於申加於卯也。驗。

Wang Mufu said: This divination is really absurd - your money is his money, and his money is your money; both of you have wrong calculations, and in the end you deceive each other, so the matter becomes entangled. Is it like this? The person replied: Exactly so. This is because the "Bazhuan" chart has no distinction between the two sides, and both sides are each bearing the Tomb Spirit (mù shén, tomb god). The hidden spirits are interfering with each other, and this is the situation. His birth year is in the辰 (chén) which is ruled by酉 (yǒu), and酉 is occupied by Gou Chen (gòu chén). His year of movement is丑 (chǒu) which is occupied by Nobleman (guì rén), almost leading to a lawsuit. Fortunately, the final transmission (末传) on戌 (xū) has Liu He (liú hé), leaving a bit of order, so it can bewith difficulty (miǎn qiǎng) concluded. The year god is also an auspicious star, able to resolve the situation. The Vermilion Bird (zhū què) also comes to birth the day stem, otherwise it would be entangled. It will be resolved in the spring of next year in the second month, because the wood is cut off in申 (shēn), and申 is added to卯 (mǎo). Later it came true.

己酉年六月甲寅日未將寅時，郭仲起辛未生三十九歲占宅。　　　　宋本邵案　　口鑑

In the year Jiyou, sixth lunar month, on the day Jiayin, the Month General is Wei (Xiaoji). The divination is cast at the hour of Yin. The person asking the question is Guo Zhongqi, born in the year Xinwei, who is thirty-nine years old this year. He is asking about his residence. This entry appears in the "Song Edition Shao Case" and "Kou Jian," with the interpretation coming from Shao Yanhe.

陳龍　六戌亥子丑空　朱酉　寅虎　龍貴龍貴　父 空子 龍　蛇申　卯常　子未子未　子 丁巳 陰　貴未午巳辰玄　未寅未甲　財 壬戌 六　后陰

The outer circle of the Heaven Plate, with its twelve earthly branches, each carries a Heavenly General: Wei carries the Nobleman, Shen carries the Teng Snake, You carries the Vermilion Bird, Xu carries Liu He, Hai carries Gou Chen (written as Chen), Yin carries the Azure Dragon, Chou carries Tian Kong, Yin carries the White Tiger, Mao carries Tai Chang, Chen carries the Black Tortoise, Si carries Tai Yin, and Wu carries the Heavenly Empress. The hour of Yin belongs to night, and on a Jia day, the night nobleman is used at Wei. The Wei general is placed on the Yin hour, and the Heaven Plate advances five positions relative to the Earth Plate, so the Nobleman, riding on Wei, falls on the Earth Plate's Yin position, thus the generals proceed in order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, Jia's lodging palace is on Yin, with Wei on Yin, riding the Nobleman; the second lesson, Wei has Zi on it, riding the Azure Dragon; the third lesson, the day branch on Yin has Wei on it, riding the Nobleman; the fourth lesson, Wei has Zi on it, riding the Azure Dragon. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Zi, representing parents, riding the Azure Dragon, with the character 'Kong' beside it indicating it falls in the旬空; the middle transmission is Si, with the hidden heavenly stem Ding, representing children, riding Tai Yin; the final transmission is Xu, with the hidden heavenly stem Ren, representing wife's wealth, riding Liu He.

邵彥和曰：本命墓身，名天網自裹。子作空亡，又從　上發用。中傳又臨空，乃子息上又見子息，主克子退子，定是星運不利。青龍既空，雖登仕路，亦無寸進。末又見妻財，必是再娶，晚年始亨。未為井墓，干支宅中有井，不吉。若不遷移，必主十六年而死。未乃八數，二八一十六也。次年郭即遷居，其凶乃免。

Shao Yanhe said: His destiny is Xinwei. Wei is the tomb of Jia wood, and the tomb covers the body, which is called "the heavenly net envelops itself." The first transmission is Zi, which is also Kongwang, and it is taken from the upper god Wei of the day stem and day branch. The middle transmission is Si, which also falls in Kongwang, equivalent to seeing descendants again on top of descendants, both falling into emptiness, indicating the loss of children and retreat of children, and the destiny's stars and fortune are certainly unfavorable. Since Qinglong falls into emptiness, even if he enters officialdom, he will not make any progress. The final transmission meets wife wealth, which certainly means he will need to remarry again, and only in his later years will it become smooth. Wei is also the tomb image of the well, and both the day stem and day branch's upper gods are Wei, indicating there is a well in the house, which is not auspicious. If he does not move, he will certainly die after sixteen years. Wei belongs to the number eight in the Ren system, and two eights multiplied together make sixteen. In the second year, Guo Zhongqi indeed moved to a new residence, and this ominous disaster was thus avoided.

丙辰年八月甲寅日巳將亥時，某己巳生四十八歲占求財。　　　　口鑑　　方本占案

In the year of Bingchen, eighth lunar month, on the day of Jiayin, the Month General is Si (Taiyi), and the divination is cast at the hour of Hai. The person seeking the divination has a birth date of Jisi and is forty-eight years old this year. They are asking about matters related to seeking wealth. This case is found in both "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an," and the interpretation is from Shao Yanhe.

龍空　陳亥子丑寅虎　六戌　卯常　虎蛇虎蛇　兄 甲寅 虎　朱酉　辰玄　寅申寅申　鬼 庚申 蛇　蛇申未午巳陰　申寅申甲　兄 甲寅 虎　貴後

The outer circle of the Heaven Plate, with the twelve Earthly Branches, each carries a Heavenly General: Wei carries 'Nobleman', Shen carries 'Teng Snake', You carries 'Vermilion Bird', Xu carries 'Liu He', Hai carries 'Gou Chen' (written as 'Chen'), Zi carries 'Azure Dragon', Chou carries 'Tian Kong', Yin carries 'White Tiger', Mao carries 'Tai Chang', Chen carries 'Black Tortoise', Si carries 'Tai Yin', and Wu carries 'Heavenly Empress'. The hour of Hai is night, and on a Jia day, the night Nobleman is at Wei. The Nobleman is located at the Earth Plate position Chou, and the generals proceed in order. The general Si is added to the hour of Hai. The Heaven Plate is six positions apart from the Earth Plate, with each branch opposing the other, forming a 'returning echo' situation. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, Jia's lodging palace is at Yin, with Yin having Shen, carrying Teng Snake; the second lesson, Shen has Yin, carrying White Tiger; the third lesson, the day branch Yin has Shen, carrying Teng Snake; the fourth lesson, Shen has Yin, carrying White Tiger. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Yin, with the hidden stem Jia, representing a brother, carrying White Tiger; the middle transmission is Shen, with the hidden stem Geng, representing an official ghost, carrying Teng Snake; the final transmission is Yin, with the hidden stem Jia, representing a brother, carrying White Tiger.

邵彥和曰：此乃反覆爭奪之財，甚薄。應在戊寅日得之。據課體本無財，蓋此人己巳乃是寅作德，又蛇制申金，行年財臨甲戌日得之也。此課又是論化氣，甲日己年，甲己化土也。

Shao Yanhe said: This is money that must be fought for repeatedly and is very thin. It should be obtained on the day of Wuyin. Looking at the lesson pattern, there is originally no wealth: both the first transmission and the final transmission are brothers in the branch of Yin, and brothers indicate competition and seizure of wealth. Therefore, it is possible to obtain it because the person's birth stem is Jisi, and Yin is considered as 'De' for Jisi, with the fire of Teng Snake suppressing the metal of Shen. In addition, the person's age in the year forty-eight falls on Chou, and the earth of Chou is the wife wealth of the wood of Jia. Therefore, the money is obtained on the day of Jiaxu. (The original text first says 'on the day of Wuyin' and later says 'on the day of Jiaxu', with two different day branches.) This lesson should also be considered in terms of transformed qi: the day stem is Jia, and the birth year is Ji. Jia and Ji combine to form earth, which is the wealth of Jia wood.

崇正辛巳年十二月十三甲寅日丑將午時，在陽武縣占省城。　　　　課經集

In the year of Xinsi (1641), the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen era, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, on the day of Jiayin, the Month General was Chou (a great auspicious sign), and the divination was cast at noon. The person seeking the divination was then in Yangwu County, Henan Province, and cast the divination to inquire about the safety of the provincial capital, Kaifeng. "Chongzheng" is another name for "Chongzhen," changed due to taboo avoidance. By the end of this year, the bandits were advancing toward Kaifeng for the second time. This entry comes from the "Ke Jing Ji," and the interpretation was provided by Guo Yuqing.

蛇貴后陰　子丑寅卯　玄勾玄勾　鬼 辛酉 勾　朱亥　辰玄　辰酉辰酉　財 丙辰 玄　合戌　巳常　酉寅酉甲　父 癸亥 朱　酉申未午　勾龍空虎

The outer circle of the Heaven Plate consists of the twelve Earthly Branches, each associated with a Heavenly General: Chou is associated with the Nobleman, Zi with Teng Snake, Hai with Vermilion Bird, Xu with Liu He, You with Gou Chen, Shen with Azure Dragon, Wei with Tian Kong, Wu with White Tiger, Si with Tai Chang, Chen with Black Tortoise, Mao with Tai Yin, and Yin with Heavenly Empress. The noon hour belongs to the day, and on a Jia day, the day's nobleman is Chou. Chou general is placed on the noon hour, and the Heaven Plate moves ahead seven positions relative to the Earth Plate. Therefore, the generals move in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has Jia's lodging palace on Yin, with Yin having You, which is associated with Gou Chen; the second lesson has You having Chen, which is associated with Black Tortoise; the third lesson has the day's branch Yin with You, which is associated with Gou Chen; the fourth lesson has You with Chen, which is associated with Black Tortoise. The three transmissions: the first transmission is You, hidden dry branch Xin, representing official ghost, associated with Gou Chen; the middle transmission is Chen, hidden dry branch Bing, representing wife wealth, associated with Black Tortoise; the final transmission is Hai, hidden dry branch Gui, representing parents, associated with Vermilion Bird. The three branches You, Chen, and Hai seen in the lesson and transmission are exactly the branches that are self-punishing.

郭御青曰：滿盤自刑，酉以破碎作勾陳全傷干支，又發用，城池最忌，危至九分。幸生起末傳育干支，危中有救。酉臨艮地，東北受傷。次日，乙卯巳時，因雪再占，得子乙一課，即得白虎作墓發用，墓亦鑿城掘坑之象也，亦賴末傳亥水育干支自墓傳生，先迷後醒，亦危中有救。

Guo Yuqing said: The entire chart is full of self-punishment signs. You, carrying the Inauspicious Sha of 'fragmentation', also rides on Gou Chen, and injures both the day stem Jia and the day branch Yin completely. Yet it is the initiating transmission god. The most dangerous thing in divining cities is precisely this. The danger has already reached nine parts. Fortunately, the transmissions can generate the final transmission, and the final transmission's亥 water returns to nourish the day stem and day branch, thus there is a rescue in danger. You is placed on the earth plate at the position of Yin, which belongs to the northeast direction, so the injured part is the northeast corner of the city. On the next day, on the Yimao day at the time of巳, because of snow, another divination was done, resulting in a chart where the day stem is covered by the god Zi, which is added by Yi. This is exactly White Tiger riding on the tomb god as the initiating transmission. Tomb also symbolizes digging into the city and making pits. Similarly, thanks to the final transmission's亥 water nourishing the stem and branch, life qi is revived from the tomb, which is first confused and then clear, also considered as a rescue in danger.

二課游都皆空，交甲子旬俱實。亥水救神反空，所以預斷賊二十三日至。占時賊在汴東百餘里，餘在河北陽武縣以占稿具稟各院臺，彼時，督師丁公聖林、撫臺高公鷺機、按臺任公汶水急呼餘進汴，餘即於二十三日早入城，午後而賊至城下，即攻城東北角。二十餘日晝夜不息，危至萬分，後克保全，此丁公同事所親見者。

In the two lessons, the "you du" both fell into kongwang; they would not be filled until the beginning of the jiazi shen. Even the saving deity, the water of hai, also fell into kongwang. Therefore, I predicted beforehand that the enemy troops would arrive on the twenty-third day. When the lesson was cast, the enemy troops were still over one hundred li east of kaifeng. I was in yangwu county, north of the yellow river, and submitted the divination paper and documents to the various officials. At that time, the commander-in-chief ding shenglin, the governor gao luji, and the inspector ren minshui urgently summoned me to kaifeng. I entered the city early on the twenty-third day, and that afternoon the enemy troops arrived at the city gates and immediately launched an attack on the northeast corner. For more than twenty days they continuously attacked day and night, creating an extremely critical situation. Eventually, the city was saved; these events were witnessed by ding and his colleagues.

辛巳年八月甲寅日壬申時，浙紹範玄同占袖內帨包中何物。 指南

In the year Xinsi, in the eighth lunar month, on the day Jiayin, at the hour Renshen, Fan Xuantong from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, came to seek a divination. He wanted to know what was wrapped inside the handkerchief case in his sleeve. This was a "shefu" divination, where the diviner is not told in advance what is concealed, but must deduce the actual object based on the Five Phases, forms, colors, and objects indicated in the divination chart. This case is recorded in "The Six壬 Guide."

朱六 蛇寅卯辰巳勾 虎陰虎陰 財 丑貴 貴丑 午龍 申亥申亥 父 癸亥陰 后子 未空 亥寅亥甲 父 癸亥陰 陰亥戌酉申虎 玄常

This is a lesson pattern diagram written out as a flat circle. The outer circle lists the twelve branches each accompanied by their respective Heavenly Generals:寅 is accompanied by Teng Snake, 卯 by Vermilion Bird, 辰 by Liu He, 巳 by Gou Chen, 午 by Azure Dragon, 未 by Tian Kong, 申 by White Tiger, 酉 by Tai Chang, 戌 by Black Tortoise, 亥 by Tai Yin, 子 by Heavenly Empress, and 丑 by Nobleman. Since it is the day of Jiayin and the time is Shen (申) in the daytime, the daytime Nobleman is used, and the Nobleman is located on 丑. The twelve Heavenly Generals are then arranged in sequence from there. The middle section shows the four lessons, counted from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace in寅) with亥, which is accompanied by Tai Yin; the second lesson has亥 with申, which is accompanied by White Tiger; the third lesson has the day branch寅 with亥, which is accompanied by Tai Yin; the fourth lesson has亥 with申, which is accompanied by White Tiger. Since the day stem and branch of Jiayin are both in寅, the four lessons only show two different entries, making it an "eight-special" lesson. The right section shows the three transmissions: the first transmission is丑, representing the wife's wealth, accompanied by Nobleman; the middle and final transmissions are both亥, which hide the stem of the ten-day cycle癸, representing the parents' wealth, accompanied by Tai Yin. In the Jiayin ten-day cycle, the stems Zi and Chou are empty, so the first transmission 丑 is not marked with its hidden stem.

陳公獻曰：剛日發用，兼日上神射之發用，丑為牛，其色黃兼黑，亥為雙義，必是黃黑二件；又為日貴，必貴重之物，乘天醫必能治病，其數四八。範大服，開筒視之，是石黃二塊，每塊約重四分七八釐。

Chen Gongxian said: Jia is a yang day, and the eight specialized divination lessons follow the example of counting three positions from the day stem in the order of the heavenly stems. Therefore, the initiating transmission is at Chou. Then, combining the heavenly stem at the day stem and Hai, we can determine the hidden object. Chou, in the twelve earthly branches, is the ox, which has a yellowish-black color. Hai also signifies a pair, indicating that the hidden object must be two items, one yellow and one black. Chou is also the nobleman for Jia day, indicating that the object is valuable. Chou also carries the Tianyi, meaning it can treat illness. Chou's number is eight, and Hai's number is four, so the weight is determined to be four and eight. Fan Xuantong was greatly impressed. He opened his sleeve and looked inside a small tube, and indeed found two pieces of stone yellow (realgar), each weighing about four and seven tenths parts.

戊申年六月甲寅日未將戌時王司法乙亥生三十四歲占前程。 口鑑、方本占案

In the year of Wushen, sixth lunar month, on the day of Jiayin, the month general is "Wei" (Xiaoji), placed on the hour of Xu to cast the divination. The person seeking the divination is Wang Si Fa, born in the year of Yihai, thirty-four years old this year, asking about his official career prospects. This case is recorded in both "Koujian" and Fang's "Zhan An."

陳六 龍寅卯辰巳朱 空丑 午蛇 后常后常 財 空丑 空 虎子 未貴 申亥申亥 父 癸亥 常 常亥戌酉申后 亥寅亥甲 父 癸亥 常 玄陰

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the twelve branches with their corresponding heavenly generals:寅 is occupied by the Azure Dragon, 卯 by Gou Chen, 辰 by Liu He, 巳 by Vermilion Bird, 午 by Teng Snake, 未 by Nobleman, 申 by Heavenly Empress, 酉 by Tai Yin, 戌 by Black Tortoise, 亥 by Tai Chang, 子 by White Tiger, and 丑 by Tian Kong. Since it is戌 hour, which is night, on a Jiayin day, the night nobleman is used, and the nobleman is located on 未. The twelve heavenly generals are thus arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Jiayin (with its lodging palace in寅), shows亥, which is occupied by Tai Chang; the second lesson, on亥, shows申, which is occupied by Heavenly Empress; the third lesson, on the day branch寅, shows亥, which is occupied by Tai Chang; the fourth lesson, on亥, shows申, which is occupied by Heavenly Empress. Since the day stem and branch are both Jiayin, it remains an "Eight Special" lesson. The three transmissions: the first transmission is丑, representing the wife's wealth, occupied by Tian Kong. A "空" is marked before the character 丑, indicating it falls in the旬空 of the Jiayin cycle. The middle and final transmissions are both癸亥, representing the parents' wealth, occupied by Tai Chang.

邵彥和曰：亥是本命，加支干相生極好。只不合是旬末為閉口，主父母閉口，兼行年又在其上，而父母上見公婆，是父母見公婆也。空丑又乘天空作初傳，虛墓已動。更加辰為鍬鋤殺，當主十月亡母，次年正月亡父。本人須入學館，歷臺諫侍從，只不守土，至戊子年七十四或七十八死矣。王當年十月丁母憂，次年正月丁父憂，三十七得溫州法司，三十九得太常學錄，又遷司業正言，不曾守土。七十八卒。

Shao Yanhe said: The Hai (Xia) is the true birth year of Wang Jifa (he was born in the year of Yihai). The Hai is placed above the day stem and day branch, and it generates with the stem and branch, which is originally very favorable. However, the Hai is at the end of the Jiayin cycle, belonging to the "closed mouth" deity, which indicates one parent is silent, meaning there will be mourning. Moreover, his year of life also falls on Hai, and there is again the deity of grandparents on top of the parents'line, indicating the parents going to visit the grandparents (superiors), which is an omen of death. The Chou is in the decanal void and carries the Tian Kong, making it the first transmission, and the spirit of emptiness and storage has already begun. Furthermore, the Chen is the Qiaochu Sha (Spade-and-hoe Sha) (active earth killer), which indicates the burial of the earth, so this year's October will be the mother's death, and the next year's January will be the father's death. This person will later certainly start school, hold positions such as the platform advisor and attendant, which are types of officials who speak on behalf of the court, but will never be assigned to govern a local area. He will die in the year of Wuzi, either at seventy-four or seventy-eight years old. Later it turned out that Wang Jifa indeed mourned his mother in the tenth month of that year and his father in the first month of the next year. At thirty-seven he obtained a position in the Wenzhou legal office, at thirty-nine he became the Tai Chang Si Xuelu, then moved to the national university's official position and the position of Zhengyan, and throughout his life he never governed a local area. He died at seventy-eight.

此課旬末加旬首，父母加主父母亡，自身閉口，仕途不通。然既言七十四，又言七十八，何也？亥加寅，亥四寅七，乃七十四也。亥有四個，又添四數，七十八也。況甲與寅上兩個亥，故云。

This lesson involves the亥 (Hai) trigram added to the寅 (Yin) trigram at the beginning of the ten-day cycle. When the parents' trigram is thus added, it indicates the parents' death. The self-trigram also encounters a closed mouth, so the career path remains unsmooth. Since the number seventy-four is broken, it is also mentioned as seventy-eight. How do these two ages come about? The Hai trigram is added to the Yin trigram, with Hai corresponding to the number four and Yin to the number seven, combining to form seventy-four. The character Hai appears four times in the lesson, and adding another four gives seventy-eight. Moreover, there is a Hai trigram on both the day stem and the day branch, hence the two interpretations coexist.

又云，亥乃父母爻，作真閉口，作太常，陰神又見申金乘後，而與亥六害，無惑乎父母之亡也。初丑，土也；空上乘空，故終身不能守土。亥乃天門，又是長生學堂，中末都是，所以入學館也。

There is another view:亥 represents the parents' yao, which falls at the end of the ten-day period and becomes a true closed mouth. It also rides on Tai Chang, which signifies mourning for parents. Its yin spirit shows Shen metal riding on Tian Hou. Shen and亥 are exactly in mutual harm, so there is no need to doubt the death of the parents. The initial transmission is Chou, which originally belongs to earth, but it falls in the empty period and also rides on Tian Kong, empty on top of empty, so he cannot become a local official responsible for guarding the land.亥 is the position of the heavenly gate, also the place of growth for Jia wood and the location of the school of literature. The middle and final transmissions are all亥, so it is concluded that he can start school and rise through scholarly achievement.

建炎戊申年十月乙卯日卯將未時劉運干丁卯生四十二歲占前程。 方本占案、口鑑

In the year Wushen of the Jianyan era of Emperor Gaozong of the Song dynasty, on the Yimao day of the tenth month, the "Mao" (Taichong) was taken as the month general, and the class was started on the "Wei" hour. The person seeking the divination was Liu Yun Gan, an official in the transport bureau, born in the Dingmao year, aged forty-two that year, asking about his future prospects. This case is recorded in the Fang Ben's "Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

朱六 蛇丑寅卯辰陳 貴子 巳龍 虎后常貴 財 己未 虎 后亥 午空 未亥申子 兄 乙卯 六 陰戌酉申未虎 亥卯子乙 父 癸亥 后 玄常

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals riding the earthly branches: Chou rides Teng Snake, Yin rides Vermilion Bird, Mao rides Liu He, Chen rides Gou Chen, Si rides Azure Dragon, Wu rides Tian Kong, Wei rides White Tiger, Shen rides Tai Chang, You rides Black Tortoise, Xu rides Tai Yin, Hai rides Heavenly Empress, and Zi rides Nobleman. Since the time is Wei hour, which belongs to the day, and the day is Yi, the day's nobleman is used, and the nobleman is on Zi. The heavenly generals are arranged in order from there. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace in Chen) has Zi, which rides Nobleman; the second lesson, Zi has Shen, which rides Tai Chang; the third lesson, the day branch Mao has Hai, which rides Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson, Hai has Wei, which rides White Tiger. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Ji Wei, which is the wife wealth hexagram, riding White Tiger; the second transmission is Yi Mao, which is the brother hexagram, riding Liu He; the third transmission is Gui Hai, which is the parent hexagram, riding Heavenly Empress. Wei, Mao, and Hai form a triple harmony of wood. The wood is buried in Wei, strong in Mao, and born in Hai. The movement follows the path from burial to strength, then to birth. The day Yi is in the Ji Yin decade, with the empty position in Zi and Chou.

邵彥和曰：此課身坐貴人，又來生日，三傳又是木局，乙木生亥、旺卯、庫未，自墓傳旺，自旺傳出亥，必由窮途漸至榮顯至侍從。先喪妻害眷屬，而先納兄弟一子，後一小妻大有財物，壽近九十矣。錢此時為朝議郎，辛亥喪妻，乙卯喪子，繼兄子為子，庚申又娶妻，其時年五十四，妻三十九，有數萬貫錢來嫁，後直至吏部侍郎，八十七而終。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, the day stem is seated upon a nobleman, and the nobleman turns back to nourish the day stem. The three transmissions form a wood pattern. The ethyl wood is born in亥, reaches its prosperity in卯, and is stored in未. The transmission starts from the storage, moves to the prosperity, and then proceeds to the birth in亥. This person will certainly rise from poverty to honor, eventually reaching the rank of attendant official. However, he will first lose his wife and suffer loss to his family, then adopt a son from his brother. Later, he will marry a younger wife who brings a great amount of wealth. He will live to nearly ninety years old. At that time, he held the position of court counselor (the text later refers to him as surnamed Qian, which conflicts with the title head "Liu Yun Gan," suggesting a possible error in transmission). In the year Xinhai, he lost his wife; in the year Yimao, he lost his son, and then adopted his brother's son as his heir. In the year Gengshen, he remarried at the age of fifty-four, with his wife being thirty-nine years old, and she brought with her tens of thousands of coins. Later, he rose to the position of deputy minister of the personnel department and died at the age of eighty-seven.

蓋乙卯皆本亥子並生，曲直又助，自墓傳生，一則有壽，二則自微至顯。末亥為天門，木局為持臺，故主侍郎也。此課本主父子同類作六合，是納兄弟之子，妻財空墓乘虎，主先喪偶，卯祿加未，末傳天后長生，歸於祿地，後妻乃未卯祿加之，是後妻財物旺也。又曰：天后是妻，歸卯地也。未財為前妻，乘白虎，陰神卯木克之，故喪也。天后為後妻，為長生而臨日祿，故後妻財物旺也。

The reasoning is as follows: Both Yi and Mao are generated by the water of Hai and Zi. The three transmissions form a curve and straight wood pattern to support, moving from the storage to the growth, which indicates longevity and rising from obscurity to prominence. The final transmission, Hai, is the position of the heavenly gate, and the wood pattern also signifies control over government offices, so it is predicted that he will attain the rank of Deputy Minister. This textbook shows the father and son being of the same type and occupying Liu He, which symbolizes the adoption of a brother's son as a son-in-law. The wife and wealth line is empty and buried, and it is occupied by the White Tiger, indicating the loss of the spouse first. Mao is the禄神 of Yi wood and is placed on Wei. The final transmission, Heavenly Empress, is the growth god and returns to the禄 position, so the later wife should be indicated by the禄 on Wei, meaning the later wife will have abundant wealth. Another interpretation is: Heavenly Empress represents the wife, returning to the position of Mao. Wei represents the previous wife, occupied by the White Tiger, and its hidden wood at Mao will attack it, indicating the loss of the wife. Heavenly Empress represents the later wife, occupying the growth position and being adjacent to the禄 of the day stem, so the later wife will have abundant wealth.

十一月乙卯日丑將巳時甲申命人占訟。 中黃經

On the Yimao day of the eleventh month, with 'Chou' (Daji) as the Month General, the class is started on the 'Si' hour. The person asking the question was born in the Jiashen year and is inquiring about a legal case. This case is taken from the Zhonghuang Jing.

朱六 蛇丑寅卯辰陳 貴子 巳龍 虎后常貴 財 己未 虎 后亥 午空 未亥申子 兄 乙卯 六 陰戌酉申未虎 亥卯子乙 父 癸亥 后 玄常

The lesson pattern is exactly the same as the previous case: the general at Chou is added to the time of Si, and the Heaven and Earth plates are exactly the same as those derived from the previous case where the general at Mao was added to the time of Wei. The outer circle of the twelve branches with their respective heavenly generals: Chou is accompanied by Teng Snake, Yin by Vermilion Bird, Mao by Liu He, Chen by Gou Chen, Si by Azure Dragon, Wu by Tian Kong, Wei by White Tiger, Shen by Tai Chang, You by Black Tortoise, Xu by Tai Yin, Hai by Heavenly Empress, and Zi by Nobleman. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Yi has Zi, which is accompanied by Nobleman; Zi has Shen, which is accompanied by Tai Chang; the day branch Mao has Hai, which is accompanied by Heavenly Empress; and Hai has Wei, which is accompanied by White Tiger. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Ji Wei, representing the wife's wealth hexagram accompanied by White Tiger; the middle transmission is Yi Mao, representing the brother's hexagram accompanied by Liu He; the final transmission is Gui Hai, representing the parent's hexagram accompanied by Heavenly Empress. The sequence Wei, Mao, Hai still forms the Triple Harmony of wood. The term 'Shen Ming' mentioned later refers to the person seeking divination being born in the year Ji Shen, with their destiny in Shen; the hexagram seen at the position of Shen is Chen, which is accompanied by Gou Chen, exactly the layer that needs to be addressed in the interpretation.

斷曰：初傳用起支陰，未乘白虎，似乎虎墓為用，可畏。喜三傳會木局助日。又未乃十一月解神，虎雖乘之而臨亥，主爪牙無用，不足畏也。更申命上雖是辰作勾陳，乙干自能制之，此辰即日干本位。辰遁建者庚，乙從化於庚，有妻從夫之義，夫戀妻之仁成仁義之風，此合之至篤者，不相賊而相成，所以為善。況三合木局行傳，乙得其助，勾成受制，白虎失勢，自墓傳歸長生，豈不美哉？

The interpretation says: The first transmission originates from the hidden spirit of the day branch, and the position of Wei is occupied by the White Tiger. This seems like the White Tiger and the burial deity are in control, which appears very ominous. Fortunately, the three transmissions form a wooden structure to support the day stem. Moreover, Wei is the relief deity for the eleventh month, so although the White Tiger is on Wei, it is located at the亥 position, meaning its claws and teeth have nowhere to be deployed, so there is no need to be afraid. As for the personal destiny on Shen, although there is Chen with Gou Chen, the Yi wood can naturally restrain the Chen earth. Moreover, this Chen is the original position of the day stem Yi, which is its lodging palace. The heavenly stem hidden in Chen is Geng, and Yi and Geng combine and transform, indicating a wife following her husband. The husband also shows affection for the wife, creating a spirit of benevolence and righteousness. This is the most intimate and harmonious combination, where neither harms the other but supports each other, thus becoming a fortunate event. Furthermore, the triple harmony of the wooden structure flows through the three transmissions, the Yi wood receives support, Gou Chen is restrained, the White Tiger loses its power, and it returns from the burial place to the place of growth. Is this not a very auspicious lesson?

皇祐元年有李都尉公主，年三十三歲忽於五月初間染患不安，至下旬，病危。醫官擬議，不敢下藥。於當月二十三日奉旨遣楚衍至李宅占課，立等回奏。當日乙卯得亥時，月將小吉加亥。 一針見血

In the first year of Emperor Renzong's Huangyou reign, the princess of Li General's family was thirty-three years old. On the fifth month, she suddenly fell ill and by the end of the month her condition became critical. The imperial physicians deliberated repeatedly and dared not administer medicine. On the 23rd day of that month, by imperial decree, Chu Yan was sent to Li's house to cast a divination, to wait on the spot for the report. That day was the Yimao day and the Hai hour. Using "Xiaoji" (Wei) as the Month General, it was placed on the Hai hour to cast the divination. This case is recorded in "Yizhen Jianxue."

龍空虎常 丑寅卯辰 后合貴勾 財 己未 后 勾子 巳玄 未亥申子 兄 乙卯 虎 合亥 午陰 亥卯子乙 父 癸亥 合 戌酉申未 朱蛇貴後

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals riding the earthly branches: Chou rides the Azure Dragon, Yin rides the Sky Void, Mao rides the White Tiger, Chen rides the Tai Chang, Si rides the Black Tortoise, Wu rides the Tai Yin, Wei rides the Heavenly Empress, Shen rides the Nobleman, You rides the Teng Snake, Xu rides the Vermilion Bird, Hai rides the Liu He, and Zi rides the Gou Chen. Since it is the亥 hour, which belongs to night, and the day is 乙, the night nobleman is used, with the nobleman located on Shen. The heavenly generals are then arranged in sequence from there. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem 乙, shows Zi, which rides the Gou Chen; the second lesson, on Zi, shows Shen, which rides the Nobleman; the third lesson, on the day branch Mao, shows Hai, which rides the Liu He; the fourth lesson, on Hai, shows Wei, which rides the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions: the first transmission, Jiwei, is the wife's wealth hexagram riding the Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission, Yimao, is the brother's hexagram riding the White Tiger; the final transmission, Guihai, is the father's hexagram riding the Liu He. The three transmissions still form the triple harmony of wood, with the three hexagrams being Wei, Mao, and Hai. However, since this lesson uses the night nobleman, the heavenly generals riding the hexagrams are entirely different from the previous two cases.

衍具奏云：公主所患，因食冷物，被白獸動至，驚風透入經絡，日中則發搐搦，入夜剛稍定。此病肝膽之下，隱伏不見。當於今夜子時，有神醫入夢，覺即吐逆至晚脈息應至，自後即安，乞今醫官預備調和之藥。果於當晚三更四點，公主夢一紫衣和尚，手執楊柳帶水灑身，驚覺汗流而吐，便覺漸安。上知甚悅，遂遣中使至李宅，令供病回依左奏答。公主雲重午日申時以來與都尉飲酒，吃冷粽子，之間有本宅白獅貓跳上桌子，觸倒酒器，即時便不快。上一見回奏因依，便令宣衍至便殿，診詢昨日之課，何故應驗如此？勅令敷奏。

Chu Yanyan submitted a detailed report stating that the princess's illness was caused by eating cold food and being startled by a white animal, which allowed a wind path to enter her meridians, resulting in convulsions during the day and some relief at night. The illness was located below the liver and gallbladder, hidden and not immediately visible. At the hour of the rat (midnight), a divine physician would appear in her dream, and upon waking she would vomit, and by evening her pulse would return to normal, ensuring her safety; the court physicians were therefore instructed to prepare harmonizing medicine in advance. That night at three to four o'clock, the princess indeed dreamed of a purple-robed monk holding a willow branch dipped in water, which he used to sprinkle on her body. Upon waking, she sweated profusely and vomited, and then felt gradually better. The emperor was pleased with this outcome and sent an inner attendant to the Li family to ask them to report the entire incident truthfully. The princess said that on the Dragon Boat Festival, after the hour of the horse, she had drunk with a military officer and eaten a cold zongzi, during which a white lion cat jumped onto the table, knocked over the wine vessel, and she had felt unwell at that time. Upon reviewing the detailed report, the emperor summoned Chu Yanyan to the private hall and asked him why the previous divination had predicted this outcome so accurately, ordering him to explain in detail.

議曰：昨日乙卯得亥時，月將小吉加亥，就作發用，上得天后，中傳太沖加未，白虎。終傳登明加卯，六合。此課正元首之課，白虎凶神不來剋日，則占病無憂。發用未，是木墓，加於亥上，亥是陰極之位，重於冷。又未中有丁，乙以丁為食神，故言曾食冷物。中傳太沖加未，得白虎乘卯木來制初傳未土，故有白獸驚恐。法以丑未為經絡，巳亥為氣管，故驚風透入經絡。課變曲直，木乘則風。發用月建為太陽，所以日中搐搦。又木屬肝膽，未為木墓，一為隱藏，故病在肝膽之下，隱伏不見。五月天醫在申，今加子上，行年是子，今得傳送乘之。申是木絕之地，法謂：木絕則魂貴天，遊行年之陰，上得天罡，為夢神，所以感夢。申是今日貴人，有天醫乘之，故有神醫入夢。日上有勾陳入水本主吐逆。臣供是實，謹奏。

Chu Yanyi proposed that on the previous day, which was the Yimao day, at the亥 hour, the Xiaoji at Wei was taken as the month general and placed on亥, and Wei became the first transmission, with the upper rider being the Heavenly Empress. The middle transmission was Taichong at Mao placed on Wei, with the White Tiger as its rider. The final transmission was Dengming at Hai placed on Mao, with Liu He as its rider. This divination is exactly the "Original Head" pattern. The White Tiger, an Inauspicious Spirit, does not attack the day stem, so the illness is not serious. The first transmission, Wei, is the Storage of wood, placed on亥, which is the position of extreme yin energy, indicating severe cold. Within Wei there is also hidden Ding fire, and Yi wood takes Ding fire as its food god, which governs food, so it is concluded that she had eaten something cold. The middle transmission, Taichong at Mao, placed on Wei, has the White Tiger riding on Mao wood to restrain the first transmission's Wei earth, thus causing an incident involving a white animal. According to the method, using Chou and Wei as meridians, and Si and Hai as the air passages, it is said that the wind enters the meridians. The entire divination forms a curve and straight wood pattern, and strong wood energy indicates wind. The first transmission, Wei, is also the month builder and the position of the sun in May, so the illness occurs during the day. Wood corresponds to the liver and gallbladder, and Wei is the墓库 of wood, with墓 meaning concealment, so the illness is hidden beneath the liver and gallbladder, not easily detected. The Tianyi in May is at Shen, and now Shen is placed on Zi, which is the personal year of the princess, and also receives the transmission from Shen. Shen is the绝地 of wood, and in divination, when wood reaches its绝, its spirit returns to heaven. Looking at the personal year's hidden spirit, it is supported by the Tiangang at Chen, which is the dream spirit, so dreams can be experienced. Shen is also the nobleman of the day, with Tianyi riding on it, so the dream is of a divine physician. The day stem has Gou Chen falling into water, which naturally indicates vomiting. All the statements I have made are factual, and I respectfully submit them for your consideration.

七月乙卯日巳將午時占風來應候。 直指引三國志管輅傳

On the Yimao day of the seventh month, using 'Si' (Taiyi) as the Month General, the divination starts at the 'Wu' hour. The case concerns a sudden wind blowing and asks what event it should indicate. This case is found in "Liu Yin Zhi Zhi," which is a quotation from the "San Guo Zhi · Guan Lu Zhuan."

勾龍空虎 辰巳午未 蛇朱朱合 財 ◎丑 蛇 合卯 申常 丑寅寅卯 父 ◎子 貴 朱寅 酉玄 寅卯卯乙 父 癸亥 后 丑子亥戌 蛇貴后陰

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals riding the earthly branches: Chen rides Gou Chen, Si rides Qing Long, Wu rides Tian Kong, Wei rides Bai Hu, Shen rides Tai Chang, You rides Xuan Wu, Xu rides Tai Yin, Hai rides Tian Hou, Zi rides Gui Ren, Chou rides Teng Snake, Yin rides Zhu Qu, Mao rides Liu He. The time is wu (noon), which belongs to the day, and on the second day (Yi day), the day's nobleman is used, with the nobleman located on Zi. The heavenly generals are then arranged in sequence from there. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace in Chen) has Mao, which rides Liu He; the second lesson, Mao has Yin, which rides Zhu Qu; the third lesson, the day branch Mao has Yin, which rides Zhu Qu; the fourth lesson, Yin has Chou, which rides Teng Snake. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Chou, representing the wife's wealth, riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Zi, representing the parents' wealth, riding Gui Ren; the final transmission is Gui Hai, representing the parents' wealth, riding Tian Hou. Both Chou and Zi are marked with a '◎', indicating that on the day of Yi Mao, the Zi and Chou positions are empty in the Jiayin cycle. The three transmissions, Chou, Zi, and Hai, move backward in sequence, forming the image of 'retreating and consuming'.

輅在典農王宏直所，有飄風從申上來，占曰：日辰乙卯斗建申，申破寅，死喪之候也。時加午而風發，馬之候也。未在申為虎，虎為大人，父之候也。東方當有馬吏至，恐父哭子。明日膠東吏到，其子果亡。

Guan Lu was in the official office of Dian Nong Xiaowei Wang Hongzhi when a whirlwind came from the direction of Shen. He interpreted the situation saying: today's day branch is Yimao, the star ruler is in Shen, Shen conflicts with Yin, which is a sign of death and mourning; the wind arose at the hour of Wu, and Wu represents the horse, which is a sign related to horses; Wei falls on Shen and becomes the White Tiger, which signifies a superior person, a sign related to fathers. Taken together, there will be an official riding a horse coming from the east, and it is feared that the father will mourn his son. The next day, an official from Jiao Dong arrived, and indeed Wang Hongzhi's son had died.

按：此占，原屬風角，然有未在申為虎一言，則仍參之六壬矣。風從申來，故當觀申上之神將。

Cheng Shuxun notes: This divination method originally belongs to the "Fengjiao" technique, which involves predicting auspiciousness or misfortune by observing wind direction and wind sound. However, the phrase "if the wind is not in Shen, it is the tiger" still incorporates the concept of Heavenly Generals from the Six壬 system. Since the wind is coming from the direction of Shen, one should examine the deities and generals governing the position of Shen. The focus of the interpretation lies here.

戊申年十月乙卯日卯將辰時鄭子云乙亥生三十四歲占前程。 方本占案、口鑑

In the year of Wushen, in the tenth month, on the day of Yimao, the "Mao" (Taichong) is taken as the Month General, and the class is started on the "Chen" hour. The person seeking the divination is Zheng Ziyun, born in the year of Yihai, thirty-four years old this year, asking about his official career prospects. This case is found in the Fang Ben "Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

勾龍空虎 辰巳午未 蛇朱朱合 財 ◎丑 蛇 合卯 申常 丑寅寅卯 父 ◎子 貴 朱寅 酉玄 寅卯卯乙 父 癸亥 后 丑子亥戌 蛇貴后陰

The lesson pattern is the same as the previous case—when the general is placed on the hour of辰 with the general of卯, and on the hour of午 with the general of巳, the heavenly and earthly plates are exactly the same. Outer circle: 辰 is multiplied by Gou Chen, 巳 by Azure Dragon, 午 by Tian Kong, 未 by White Tiger, 申 by Tai Chang, 酉 by Black Tortoise, 戌 by Tai Yin, 亥 by Heavenly Empress, 子 by Nobleman, 丑 by Teng Snake, 寅 by Vermilion Bird, 卯 by Liu He. The four lessons, read from right to left: the day stem 乙 has 卯 on it, which is multiplied by Liu He; 卯 has 寅 on it, which is multiplied by Vermilion Bird; the day branch 卯 has 寅 on it, which is multiplied by Vermilion Bird; 寅 has 丑 on it, which is multiplied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 丑, which is the wife wealth hexagram multiplied by Teng Snake and is in the empty旬; the middle transmission is 子, which is the parents hexagram multiplied by Nobleman and is also in the empty旬; the final transmission is Guihai, which is the parents hexagram multiplied by Heavenly Empress. The禄 of 乙 wood is on 卯, and 卯 is both on the day stem and the day branch, which is the foundation for the following statements.

邵彥和曰：此課主來年再舉，亥年及第高甲，迤邐在朝，更不外任，直至八座位了，卻貶降終不得地，無正宅而居。鄭子云二十九歲發解，三十五又發解，三十七登第，初任臨安教授，歷太學秘書郎司業、工刑二部，皆京官，因與秦檜一言不合而罷。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson indicates that he will have to take the imperial examination again next year, and will achieve success in the year of Hai. He will rank high in the list. Afterwards, he will serve in the court continuously without being assigned to an outer post, and will eventually reach the position of the Eight Ministers, which is equivalent to the level of the Minister of Works. However, he will eventually be demoted and will never obtain an official residence. Later, Zheng Ziyun passed the provincial examination at the age of twenty-nine, was promoted again at thirty-five, and achieved the imperial examination success at thirty-seven. He first served as a professor in Lin'an Prefecture, then successively held positions such as the Secretary of the Imperial Academy, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Academy, and officials in the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Justice, all of which were central government posts. Later, he was dismissed due to a disagreement with Qin Hui over a single phrase.

蓋乙祿在卯，迤邐歸亥長生之地，自亥至卯，一帶生旺，地支相連，祿神作太陽，朱雀作儀神，中末若不空，則五府之課，今既迤邐入近天門，故在朝八座也。子為紫微宮，亥為遠穹宮，亦主八座，退入空亡，主晚年謫降矣。

The basis for the deduction is that the禄神 of 乙 wood is in 卯, and it proceeds backwards to 亥, which is the long life position. From 亥 to 卯, the entire area is full of life and prosperity, and the earthly branches are connected continuously. The禄神 is exactly where the sun god is located, and the Vermilion Bird serves as the ceremonial attendant. If the middle transmission and final transmission do not fall into Kongwang, this would be a noble pattern of the Five Officials. Now, as it proceeds backwards to a position near the heavenly gate, it indicates that he will hold an official position of eight seats in the court. 子 is the Purple Micro Palace, and 亥 is the distant celestial palace, both of which indicate positions of eight seats. Unfortunately, it has retreated into Kongwang, so it indicates that he will suffer a demotion in his later years.

己巳年辰月乙卯日酉將未時在三義閣棹面忽響裂占應何事。 郭氏占案

In the year Jisi, third month, on the day Yimao, using the hour You (from the term Congkui) as the Month General, the divination was started with the hour Wei. At that time, a person was in a hall called Sanyi, and suddenly a sound was heard on the table, which then cracked open. The person consulted about this strange omen and what it might signify. This case is recorded in Guo's "Divination Cases."

龍勾合朱 未申酉戌 龍虎勾空 鬼 庚申 勾 空午 亥蛇 未巳申午 財 壬戌 朱 虎巳 子貴 巳卯午乙 父 ◎子 貴 辰卯寅丑 常玄陰后

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals riding the twelve branches: Wei rides the Azure Dragon, Shen rides Gou Chen, You rides Liu He, Xu rides Vermilion Bird, Hai rides Teng Snake, Zi rides Nobleman, Chou rides Heavenly Empress, Yin rides Tai Yin, Mao rides Black Tortoise, Chen rides Tai Chang, Si rides White Tiger, Wu rides Tian Kong. The time of Wei hour belongs to the day, and on an ethereal day (Yi), the day's nobleman is used, with the nobleman located on Zi. The heavenly generals are then arranged in reverse order from there. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace in Chen) with Wu, which rides Tian Kong; the second lesson has Wu with Shen, which rides Gou Chen; the third lesson has the day branch Mao with Si, which rides White Tiger; the fourth lesson has Si with Wei, which rides Azure Dragon. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Geng Shen, representing the official ghost hexagram, riding Gou Chen; the second transmission is Ren Xu, representing the wife's wealth hexagram, riding Vermilion Bird; the third transmission is Zi, representing the parents' hexagram, riding Nobleman, with 「◎」 indicating that Zi falls in the empty position of the Jiayin decade.

王牧夫曰：初德末貴，不是凶咎。當主有官人過，恐有火徵，少頃，左衛街南失火，運司出署救火，已驗。蓋申為官為風憲與支作合，主門外見也。干支皆火神，干乘火鬼，故主火。次日，僧人斗打，亦以申為僧，末見子與支成無禮刑，三傳知三事，已應二事。亦當測之，中傳火墓，支干皆火，亦主火也，初傳劫殺，事主迅速。

Wang Mufu said: The first transmission shows the monthly virtue, and the final transmission shows the nobleman. This sound breaking is not a凶咎, but indicates that an official is passing by, and it is feared that there may also be a fire. A while later, a fire broke out on the south side of the Left Guard Street, and the transport office sent out officials to put out the fire, which was fulfilled. The reasoning is: Shen governs officials and the position of inspection, and Shen combines with the day branch, so the prediction was made outside the door. The day stem and day branch both belong to the fire god, and the day stem is also occupied by the fire ghost, so it indicates fire. The next day there was a fight between monks, which also took Shen as the monk; the final transmission Zi forms an improper punishment with the day branch Mao. The three transmissions can foresee three things, but now two have been fulfilled, the remaining one should also be predicted in the same way. The middle transmission Xu is the storage of fire, and the dry and branch both belong to fire, which also indicates fire; the first transmission Shen is a劫杀, indicating that the matter comes suddenly.

正月乙卯日亥將申時占捕捉。 直指

In the first lunar month on the Yimao day, using 'Hai' (Dengming) as the Month General, the calculation starts at the Shen hour. The divination is about whether the thief can be caught. This case is from the "Liu Ren Zhi Zhi."

勾合朱蛇 申酉戌亥 合空朱龍 鬼 辛酉 合 龍未 子貴 酉午戌未 父 ◎子 貴 空午 丑后 午卯未乙 兄 乙卯 玄 巳辰卯寅 虎常玄陰

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals associated with the twelve branches: Shen (Hour of the Monkey) rides Gou Chen, You (Hour of the Rooster) rides Liu He, Xu (Hour of the Dog) rides Vermilion Bird, Hai (Hour of the Pig) rides Teng Snake, Zi (Hour of the Rat) rides Nobleman, Chou (Hour of the Ox) rides Heavenly Empress, Yin (Hour of the Tiger) rides Tai Yin, Mao (Hour of the Rabbit) rides Black Tortoise, Chen (Hour of the Dragon) rides Tai Chang, Si (Hour of the Snake) rides White Tiger, Wu (Hour of the Horse) rides Tian Kong, and Wei (Hour of the Goat) rides Azure Dragon. At Shen hour, it still belongs to the daytime, and on an Yi day, the daytime nobleman is used. The nobleman is located on Zi, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace in Chen), shows Wu, which rides Azure Dragon; the second lesson, on Wu shows Xu, which rides Vermilion Bird; the third lesson, on the day branch Mao shows Wu, which rides Tian Kong; the fourth lesson, on Wu shows You, which rides Liu He. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Xin You, representing the official ghost爻, riding Liu He; the middle transmission is Zi, representing the parent爻, riding Nobleman, marked with 「◎」indicating an empty period; the final transmission is Yi Mao, representing the brother爻, riding Black Tortoise. Black Tortoise is the god of thieves, and its presence on the final transmission's Mao indicates the focus for determining the location of thieves in this lesson.

邵彥和曰：卯為玄武，上見午。賊自正東轉正南。卯六午九，此去五十四里。卯主樹木墳塋，稈上天空主藏窯穴中，中傳子克午，初傳酉克卯，必主擒獲。遇酉子日，即其期也。果驗。

Shao Yanhe said: The卯 (Mao) is occupied by the Black Tortoise, and the upper god of卯 is午 (Wu), so the thief is moving from Due East to Due South. The number of卯 is six, and the number of午 is nine. Six multiplied by nine equals fifty-four, so the distance is fifty-four li. The卯 governs trees and graves, and since there is also the Tian Kong above it, it indicates that he is hiding in a cave or earth pit. The middle transmission子 (Zi) water comes to overcome午 (Wu) fire, and the first transmission酉 (You) metal comes to overcome卯 (Mao) wood, so the thief will surely be captured. The time of the event will be on the day of酉 or子. Later, this prediction was indeed fulfilled.

四月丙辰申將丑時丙寅人占。 一字訣玉連環

In the fourth lunar month on the Bingchen day, with 'Shen' (Chuansong) as the Month General, the class is started on the Chou hour. The person asking the question was born in the Bingyin year. He did not state the specific inquiry, but asked the diviner to deduce his intention from the class. This case is from the "One Character Decree Yu Lianhuan."

合勾龍空 子丑寅卯 玄朱陰合 兄 戊午 玄 朱亥 辰虎 午亥未子 子 丑 勾 ◎ 蛇戌 巳常 亥辰子丙 財 庚申 后 ⊙ 酉申未午 貴后陰玄

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals associated with the twelve earthly branches: Zi (子) is associated with Liu He (六合), Chou (丑) with Gou Chen (勾陈), Yin (寅) with Qing Long (青龙), Mao (卯) with Tian Kong (天空), Chen (辰) with Bai Hu (白虎), Si (巳) with Tai Chang (太常), Wu (午) with Xuan Wu (玄武), Wei (未) with Tai Yin (太阴), Shen (申) with Tian Hou (天后), You (酉) with Gui Ren (贵人), Xu (戌) with Teng Snake (螣蛇), and Hai (亥) with Zhu Que (朱雀). Since the time is Chou (丑) hour, which is night, and on a Bing (丙) day, the night nobleman (贵人) is located on You (酉), the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order from there. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Bing (丙) (with its lodging palace in Si (巳)) with Zi (子) on it, which is associated with Liu He (六合); the second lesson has Wei (未) on Zi (子), which is associated with Tai Yin (太阴); the third lesson has Hai (亥) on the day branch Chen (辰), which is associated with Zhu Que (朱雀); the fourth lesson has Wu (午) on Hai (亥), which is associated with Xuan Wu (玄武). Within the four lessons, the instances where Chen (辰) overcomes Hai (亥) and Hai (亥) overcomes Wu (午) are both cases of lower overcoming upper. According to the rule, the one with the same yang nature as the day stem Bing (丙), which is Wu (午), is selected for the initiating transmission. Therefore, the text says "the hexagram is in the state of mutual assistance." The three transmissions: the first transmission is Wu (戊) Wu (午), a brother's element, associated with Xuan Wu (玄武); the middle transmission is Chou (丑), a son's element, associated with Gou Chen (勾陈), with "◎" indicating that on a Jia Yin (甲寅) decade, the Zi (子) and Chou (丑) are empty; the final transmission is Geng (庚) Shen (申), a wife's wealth element, associated with Tian Hou (天后), with the adjacent "⊙" being an additional mark from the original engraving.

徐次賓曰：來意主與鄰右無子婦女暗合事敗，不到官，至戊午日辰時，無事。

Xu Cibin said: His intention was to have an affair with a neighbor's woman who had no children, but the matter had already been exposed; however, it would not reach the authorities, and by the Wuwu day's辰 hour, it would be resolved.

何知鄰右？卦得比用。何知無子婦人暗合？蓋丑時為日干三合，傳送為日干六合，帶天后主厭翳，六合為私門，又用起元武，名泆女卦，豈不是陰暗私通，申為嗣部，上得天后子水為旬空，故知無嗣婦人也。何知事敗？緣日上神后水為鬼，初傳玄武、末傳天后水，共來剋日，焉得不敗。何知終不到官，日上鬼空，又時空亡也。何知戊午日辰時無事？緣值事門與中傳大吉上得勾陳二土克水為今日救神，戊午日戊和勾陳大吉三土俱旺，至辰時水氣絕墓，觀二字加辰故知辰時無咎也。

How do we know the person is a neighbor? Because this divination shows "Comparison of Use." How do we know it is about an unmarried woman committing adultery? At the time of the second hour (Chou), it forms a Triple Harmony with the day stem, and the transmission (Chuansong) at Shen forms a Liu He with the day stem. Shen also carries the Heavenly Empress, which governs concealment and covering up. Liu He is the god of private matters. The initiating transmission starts from Gou Chen, which is called "the卦 of the promiscuous woman," clearly indicating the image of secret adultery. Shen is the position governing descendants, and on top of it is the Heavenly Empress, whose associated water is exactly in the旬空 (void). Thus, we know it is an unmarried woman without children. How do we know the matter will be exposed? Because the water of the Heavenly Empress, which is the ghost of the day stem's fire, is attacked by both the initial transmission Gou Chen and the final transmission Heavenly Empress, which are both water. How could it not be exposed? How do we know it will not reach the authorities? Because the ghost of the day stem is in the void, and the time of the divination is also in the void. How do we know that on the day of Wuwu, there will be no trouble? Because the gate involved and the middle transmission Daji at Chou both have Gou Chen, and two earth elements come to overcome the water, which is the saving deity of the day. On the day of Wuwu, the earth Wu, Gou Chen, and Daji at Chou all become strong and prosperous. At the time of Chen, the water reaches its end and is buried, so when these two are added to Chen, we know there will be no harm at that time.

順治戊子八月丙辰日，餘住金陵時右方伯東省孫興功老師寫本日辰時，又寫酉時占兩人鄉試。 指南

In the fifth year of Shunzhi, on the Wuzi year, in the eighth lunar month, on the Bingchen day. At that time I, Chen Gongxian, was living in Jingling. Sun Xinggong, the Right Provincial Governor from Shandong, wrote to me two hours—the present day's Chen hour and You hour—asking me to predict the success or failure of two candidates taking the local examination. This case is recorded in the "Six壬 Guide."

虎常 空巳午未申玄 青青勾勾 比 丁巳 勾 青辰 酉陰 辰辰巳巳 財 庚申 玄 勾卯 戌后 辰辰巳丙 父 甲寅 六 六寅丑子亥貴 朱蛇

This is the lesson pattern diagram for a lesson at the辰 (Chen) hour. The month general, Chen, is placed on the Chen hour, and the twelve earthly branches are each placed in their respective positions on the heaven plate, making it a "Hidden Chant" lesson. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals riding the twelve earthly branches:巳 (Si) rides Tian Kong,午 (Wu) rides Bai Hu,未 (Wei) rides Tai Chang,申 (Shen) rides Xuan Wu,酉 (You) rides Tai Yin,戌 (Xu) rides Tian Hou,亥 (Hai) rides Gui Ren,子 (Zi) rides Teng Snake,丑 (Chou) rides Zhu Que,寅 (Yin) rides Liu He,卯 (Mao) rides Gou Chen, and辰 (Chen) rides Qing Long. The Chen hour belongs to the day time, and on a丙 (Bing) day, the day's nobleman is used for the day time, so the nobleman is placed on Hai. The heavenly generals are then arranged in sequence from there. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Bing (with its lodging palace at Si) shows Si; the second lesson, Si still shows Si; the third lesson, the day branch Chen shows Chen, with Chen riding Qing Long; the fourth lesson, Chen still shows Chen. The three transmissions: the first transmission, Ding Si, is a fellow stem爻, the middle transmission, Geng Shen, is a wife wealth爻 riding Xuan Wu, and the final transmission, Jiayin, is a parent爻 riding Liu He. The heavenly general at the Si position, on the outer circle, is marked as Tian Kong, but both the four lessons and the three transmissions mark it as Gou Chen. In the case of "A Case of Divination on a Ding Hai Day Concerning Childbirth" later in this book, the lesson pattern is exactly the same, and there the heavenly generals at the four lessons are correctly marked as "Qing Long, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Tian Kong," which proves that the mark "Gou Chen" here is an error, and the actual heavenly general at Si should be Tian Kong.

陳公獻曰：辰時者前，列酉時者次之。蓋緣天罡為領袖之神，從魁幕貴在後（天罡乘龍為前五，從魁乘陰為後二），故云。及排辰時課，三傳巳申寅，干乘德祿，支見月將青龍（八月將在辰，乘龍臨支），又祿馬入傳（巳祿寅馬），凡士子已試後得伏吟，必中。

Chen Gongxian said: The lesson at the hour of Chen comes first, and the lesson at the hour of You comes next. The reason is that Tiangang (Chen) is the leader who commands all the spirits, while Congkui (You) is the nobleman who is above the curtain. The position of Congkui is later. The note says: Tiangang rides the Azure Dragon, and is the fifth position before the nobleman; Congkui rides Tai Yin, and is the second position after the nobleman. Therefore, the order is determined in this way. Now looking at the lesson at the hour of Chen: the three transmissions are Si, Shen, and Yin. The day stem is accompanied by the day's virtue and day's wealth. The day branch meets the month general, the Azure Dragon (the month general in August is Chen, the Azure Dragon rides Chen and is present at the day branch). The wealth god and the post-horse are both in the three transmissions (Si is the wealth of Bing, Yin is the post-horse). If a scholar who has finished the examination takes the Hidden Chant lesson, he will certainly pass.

六勾青空 子丑寅卯 朱亥 辰虎 玄朱陰六 甲子 六 蛇戌 巳常 午亥未子 己未 陰 酉申未午 亥辰子丙 甲寅 青（似應是三傳午丑申） 貴后陰玄

This is the lesson diagram for a lesson at the You hour. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals governing the twelve branches: Zi is governed by Liu He, Chou by Gou Chen, Yin by Qing Long, Mao by Tian Kong, Chen by Bai Hu, Si by Tai Chang, Wu by Xuan Wu, Wei by Tai Yin, Shen by Tian Hou, You by Gu Ren, Xu by Teng Snake, and Hai by Zhu Que. The You hour belongs to the night, and on a Bing day, the night nobleman is used; since the nobleman is on You, the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson shows Zi on the day stem Bing, with Zi governed by Liu He; the second lesson shows Wei on Zi, with Wei governed by Tai Yin; the third lesson shows Hai on the day branch Chen, with Hai governed by Zhu Que; the fourth lesson shows Wu on Hai, with Wu governed by Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are written as Jia Zi (governed by Liu He), Ji Wei (governed by Tai Yin), and Jia Yin (governed by Qing Long). The initial transmission Zi is exactly the current year's heavenly stem and falls in the empty旬. The small note beside it, 'It should be the three transmissions Wu, Chou, Shen,' is a note from the original edition expressing doubt about the way the three transmissions were written.

酉時三傳子未寅也。初傳太歲空戰，墓貴又入墓庫（用夜貴酉，故亥為幕貴，臨辰為入庫），故次之。放榜時，辰時者陸可球中二十二名，酉時者常熟趙姓中副卷，此二者俱以時斷中也。

The three transmissions for this class at the hour of You are Zi, Wei, and Yin. The first transmission, Zi, is the current year's sovereign, but it falls in the empty period and is attacked; the nobleman is also in the storage position. The note explains: this class uses the night nobleman at You, so Hai becomes the nobleman, and Hai is on Chen, indicating it is stored. Therefore, this class is placed after the hour of Chen. When the results were announced, the person who had divined at the hour of Chen, Lu Keqiu, ranked twenty-second, while the person who had divined at the hour of You, a man of the Changshu surname, only ranked as a supplementary candidate. The difference in their success or failure was determined by the hour they had chosen.

甲戌年十月丙辰日寅將午時占開店。 牧夫占驗

In the year of Jiaxu, on the day of Bingchen in the tenth lunar month, the Month General is 'Yin' (Gongcao, Yin), placed on the 'Wu' hour to cast the divination for the business of opening a shop. This case is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification."

朱合勾龍 丑寅卯辰 玄蛇陰朱 鬼 ◎子 蛇 蛇子 巳空 申子酉丑 財 庚申 玄 貴亥 午虎 子辰丑丙 子 丙辰 龍 戌酉申未 后陰玄常

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals associated with the twelve earthly branches: Chou (丑) is associated with Vermilion Bird (朱雀), Yin (寅) with Liu He (六合), Mao (卯) with Gou Chen (勾陈), Chen (辰) with Azure Dragon (青龙), Si (巳) with Tian Kong (天空), Wu (午) with White Tiger (白虎), Wei (未) with Tai Chang (太常), Shen (申) with Black Tortoise (玄武), You (酉) with Tai Yin (太阴), Xu (戌) with Heavenly Empress (天后), Hai (亥) with Nobleman (贵人), and Zi (子) with Teng Snake (螣蛇). The time is noon, which is daytime, and on a Bing day, the daytime nobleman is used, with the nobleman located on Hai. The heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Bing (寄宫 in Si) with Chou, which is associated with Vermilion Bird; the second lesson has Chou with You, which is associated with Tai Yin; the third lesson has the day branch Chen with Zi, which is associated with Teng Snake; the fourth lesson has Zi with Shen, which is associated with Black Tortoise. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Zi, representing the official ghost爻, associated with Teng Snake, with 「◎」 indicating that on a Bing Chen day, the Zi position is empty in the Jiayin cycle; the middle transmission is Geng Shen, representing the wife's wealth爻, associated with Black Tortoise; the final transmission is Bing Chen, representing the son's fortune爻, associated with Azure Dragon. Shen, Zi, and Chen form a triple harmony water formation, which is referred to as the "water official ghost formation" mentioned later.

王牧夫曰：此開店之占，而得潤下官鬼之局，不甚旺相，雖有財，不見財。開了歇，歇了開，無利益也。問之，曰：三傳皆水有旋轉之象。此何店也？曰：豆腐店，故有象如此。三傳蛇傳龍，龍生蛇，故主開了歇，歇了開。到底是官鬼局，不成才也。

Wang Mufu said: This is a divination about opening a shop, but the result shows the official ghost water pattern of the lower branch, which is not prosperous and strong. Although there is a wealth hexagram, the real wealth is not visible; the shop opens and closes repeatedly, and cannot gain any real benefit. When asked how he came to this conclusion, he said: The three transmissions are all water, indicating a cycle and an unstable situation. When asked what kind of shop it is, he said: It is a tofu shop, so such an image appears. The three transmissions go from Teng Snake to Azure Dragon, and Azure Dragon then returns to generate Teng Snake, indicating that the shop opens and closes repeatedly. In the end, it is the official ghost forming a pattern, and it will never achieve any significant success.

甲戌年十月丙辰日寅將巳時占風水。 牧夫占驗

In the year of Jiaxu, on the day of Bingchen in the tenth lunar month, the month general is Gongcao (Yin), placed on the Si hour to cast the divination. The case concerns the fortune of a burial ground. This case is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification."

合勾龍空 寅卯辰巳 后朱貴合 鬼 癸亥 貴 朱丑 午虎 戌丑亥寅 財 庚申 玄 蛇子 未常 丑辰寅丙 兄 丁巳 空 亥戌酉申 貴后陰玄

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals associated with the twelve earthly branches:寅 is accompanied by Liu He, 卯 by Gou Chen, 辰 by Azure Dragon, 巳 by Tian Kong, 午 by White Tiger, 未 by Tai Chang, 申 by Black Tortoise, 酉 by Tai Yin, 戌 by Heavenly Empress, 亥 by Nobleman, 子 by Teng Snake, and 丑 by Vermilion Bird. The time of巳 is daytime, and on a丙 day, the daytime nobleman is used. The nobleman is located on亥, and the heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem丙 (with its lodging palace in巳), shows寅, which is accompanied by Liu He; the second lesson, on寅, shows亥, which is accompanied by Nobleman; the third lesson, on the day branch辰, shows丑, which is accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson, on丑, shows戌, which is accompanied by Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions: the first transmission,Guihai, is the official ghost hexagram, accompanied by Nobleman; the second transmission,Gengshen, is the wife's wealth hexagram, accompanied by Black Tortoise; the third transmission,丁巳, is the brother hexagram, accompanied by Tian Kong. On the day branch辰, there is丑, and on丑 there is戌, all of which are earth, which is referred to as 'pure earth' in the following text.

王牧夫曰：此地當有橋樑庵觀，但地形不周正耳，亦可用也。夫占風水，以支為地，干為人，干乘長生六合，支見純土，風水不礙，純土故可用。況三傳初貴末祿，夾財不見刑傷，其平穩之地可知也，但其間暗中要得財，始能成交耳。蓋丑乘朱雀，橋也；寅合亥，庵觀樓臺之象也；丑見戌相刑，主其地不周正也；暗中有人慾得財者，天空帶丁，寅亥閉口也。末傳為歸結，故言其象如此。

Wang Mufu said: There should be a bridge and a temple or hermitage on this piece of land, but the terrain is not sufficiently square and regular. However, it can still be used. In the general practice of divination, the day branch represents the land, and the day stem represents the person using it. Now, the day stem is riding the long life god and the six harmonies, and the day branch shows all earth, so there is no obstruction in the fengshui; the pure earth image indicates it is usable. Moreover, in the three transmissions, the first transmission rides the nobleman, the final transmission is the day's fortune, and in between there is a wealth yao without any punishment or injury, indicating that this is a peaceful place; however, some money must be secretly involved to make this transaction possible. To elaborate: the丑 (Chou) is riding the Vermilion Bird, which represents a bridge; the寅 (Yin) and亥 (Hai) are in harmony, which represents the image of a temple or hermitage and pavilions; the丑 (Chou) and戌 (Xu) are in conflict, indicating that the terrain is not regular; the reason for someone secretly demanding money is because the sky is accompanied by the Ding god, and the寅 (Yin) and亥 (Hai) form a closed mouth image. The final transmission is the conclusion of a lesson, so the situation is determined as such.

十月初一丙辰日卯將巳時占邊事。 一針見血

On the first day of the tenth lunar month, on the Bingchen day, using 'Mao' (Taichong) as the Month General, the calculation starts at the 'Si' hour. The divination concerns military affairs at the border. This case is from "One Needle Sees the Essence."

勾龍空虎 卯辰巳午 蛇合朱勾 子 ◎丑 朱 合寅 未常 子寅丑卯 鬼 癸亥 貴 朱丑 申玄 寅辰卯丙 財 辛酉 陰 子亥戌酉 蛇貴后陰

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals associated with the twelve earthly branches:卯 is associated with Gou Chen, 辰 with Qinglong, 巳 with Tiankong, 午 with Baihu, 未 with Taichang, 申 with Xuanwu, 酉 with Taiyin, 戌 with Tianhou, 亥 with Guiren, 子 with Tengshe, and 丑 with Zhuqiao. The time is巳, which belongs to the daytime, and on a丙 day, the daytime nobleman is used. The nobleman is located on亥, and the heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem丙 (with its lodging palace in巳) has卯, which is associated with Gou Chen; the second lesson, on卯 is丑, which is associated with Zhuqiao; the third lesson, on the day branch辰 is寅, which is associated with Liuhe; the fourth lesson, on寅 is子, which is associated with Tengshe. The three transmissions: the first transmission is丑, representing the grandson爻, associated with Zhuqiao, marked「◎」indicating an empty period; the middle transmission is Guihai, representing the official ghost爻, associated with Guiren; the final transmission is Xinyou, representing the wife's wealth爻, associated with Taiyin. The sequence of丑, 亥, 酉 moves in a counterclockwise direction, forming a lesson of 'retreating and consuming', and since all three transmissions are yin, the following text refers to it as 'extreme yin'.

祝泌奏曰：此課得退，名極陰，以此占邊，旄頭大煞在初傳，其占頌曰：丑卯求吉，吉凶便臨。則主邊疆平定之旨。今日再來游都，貴人在日後已隔三辰，虜已退，但上下游都皆入傳課，恐無厭再來，期在十二月。三傳一確定性無凶，宜不至大害，而不可忽也。

Zhu Bi submitted a report stating: This lesson is of the type "Tui Ru," named "Ji Yin." Using it to predict matters concerning the frontier, the Great Sha (Maotou) is located in the first transmission. The divination verse says, "At the time of Chou and Mao seeking good fortune, good or bad fortune will arrive," indicating that the frontier can be pacified. Today, the spirit of You Du has once again appeared. The Nobleman is three positions away from the Day Branch, showing that the Hu Lu have already retreated. However, both the upper You Du and lower You Du have entered the three transmissions and four lessons, suggesting they are greedy and may return again, with the time being in the twelfth month. Overall, the three transmissions do not show any ominous signs (the original text reads "the three transmissions have no definite凶," the term "definite" is nonsensical and likely a mistake), so it should not lead to major harm, but it should not be neglected.

丙子年十一月丙辰日寅將奪及時雨占生產。 郭氏占案

In the year Bingzi, on the eleventh month's Bingchen day, the divination was cast with 'Yin' (Gongcao) as the month general, concerning a matter of childbirth. The time of divination is recorded as 'dēng jí shí yǔ' (literally 'seizing timely rain'). In this book, whenever it refers to 'dēng suǒ shí' (seizing a certain time), it means the time that is taken as the starting point for the divination. However, in this case, the character for time is missing or corrupted, making it difficult to determine precisely. By analyzing the lesson pattern, it can be inferred that the time used was the third watch (Chen time). This case is taken from Guo's 'Divination Cases'.

勾龍空虎 卯辰巳午 蛇合朱勾 子 ◎丑 朱 合寅 未常 子寅丑卯 鬼 癸亥 貴 朱丑 申玄 寅辰卯丙 財 辛酉 陰 子亥戌酉 蛇貴后陰

The lesson pattern is exactly the same as the previous case (divination about border affairs). The outer circle:卯 is multiplied by Gou Chen, 辰 by Qinglong, 巳 by Tiankong, 午 by Baihu, 未 by Taichang, 申 by Xuanwu, 酉 by Taiyin, 戌 by Tianhou, 亥 by Guiren, 子 by Tengshe, 丑 by Zhuque, 寅 by Liuhe. The four lessons, read from right to left: the day stem Jiā has 卯, which is multiplied by Gou Chen; 卯 has 丑, which is multiplied by Zhuque; the day branch Chen has 寅, which is multiplied by Liuhe; 寅 has 子, which is multiplied by Tengshe. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 丑, a son/daughter yao multiplied by Zhuque and falling into the empty period; the middle transmission is Guihai, an official ghost yao multiplied by Guiren; the final transmission is Xinyou, a wife's wealth yao multiplied by Taiyin. The following analysis of this pregnancy's gender and due date focuses on the 卯 on the day stem, the 寅 on the day branch multiplied by Liuhe, and the first transmission 丑 as the abdomen yao falling into the empty period.

郭御青曰：餘為凌九弟占生產據常法，干上不比，三傳俱陰，似女。豈知太陽照宅，上乘六合，小兒之象。又干上卯，初傳丑夾月將於中，下臨本辰。丑為腹神，空，速產之象。若非本日必戊日。何也？天上丙寄申，下臨戊戌，丙火生戌土，乃真父子相見，果於本日丙辰戊戌時生男。

Guo Yuqing said: I divined for Ling's younger brother about childbirth. According to the usual method, the heavenly stem on the day stem does not harmonize with the day stem, and all three transmissions are yin branches, which seems to indicate a female child. But I did not expect the month general, the sun, to be directly shining on the house, and the寅 on the house to be accompanied by Liu He, which is the image of a child. Looking further, the day stem is卯, and the first transmission is丑, with the month general寅 in between, and below寅 is the day branch辰.丑 is the abdomen god, but it falls in the旬空, indicating imminent childbirth. If not born on this day, it must be on a Wu day. Why? On the heaven plate, the Bing fire is located in申, and below申 is Wu Xu. The Bing fire generates Wu earth, which is truly the meeting of father and son. Later, the child was indeed born on the day of Bing Chen at the hour of Wu Xu, and it was a boy.

某丁亥生占生產七月丙辰日午將午時。

A person born in the year of Dinghai comes to seek divination about childbirth, the time being the seventh month on the day of Bingchen. Using "Wu" (Shengguang) as the month general, it is placed on the "Wu" hour to cast the divination. Since the month general and the time of divination are in the same position, the resulting lesson is a Hidden Chant lesson.

空虎常玄 巳午未申 龍龍空空 兄 丁巳 空 龍辰 酉陰 辰辰巳巳 財 庚申 玄 勾卯 戌后 辰辰巳丙 父 甲寅 合 寅丑子亥 合朱蛇貴

The flat lesson diagram. The twelve earthly branches on the Heaven Plate are in their original positions, forming a 'Hidden Chant' lesson. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals associated with each earthly branch:巳 is accompanied by Tian Kong,午 by Bai Hu,未 by Tai Chang,申 by Xuan Wu,酉 by Tai Yin,戌 by Tian Hou,亥 by Gui Ren,子 by Teng Snake,丑 by Zhu Qu,寅 by Liu He,卯 by Gou Chen,辰 by Qing Long. The time is noon, which is daytime, and on a丙 day, the daytime nobleman is used, with the nobleman located on亥. The heavenly generals are arranged in a clockwise order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem丙 (lodging palace in巳) has巳, which is accompanied by Tian Kong; the second lesson, still has巳 on巳; the third lesson, the day branch辰 has辰, which is accompanied by Qing Long; the fourth lesson, still has辰 on辰. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Dingsi, representing a brother's yao, accompanied by Tian Kong; the middle transmission is庚申, representing a wife's wealth yao, accompanied by Xuan Wu; the final transmission is Jiayin, representing a parent's yao, accompanied by Liu He. This lesson pattern is exactly the same as the one from the previous lesson on the eighth day of the eighth month of the fifth year of Shunzhi, which was on a Bingchen day at the hour of辰. They can be compared with each other.

邵彥和曰：產必生男了，母無事。丙以巳為日德，又秋令以辰為天喜作青龍，各加干支，故也。中傳申為支之長生，末傳寅為干之長生，是厚德載物矣，故母子無事。

Shao Yanhe said: This child will certainly be a boy, and the mother will be safe and unharmed. Bing uses Si as its day virtue, and in autumn the Chen is considered Heavenly Joy, which is also riding on the Azure Dragon. These two positive influences are respectively placed over the day stem and day branch, hence this conclusion. The middle transmission Shen is the long life place of the day branch Chen, and the final transmission Yin is the long life place of the day stem Bing. This is a manifestation of great virtue bearing things, so both mother and child are unharmed.

己酉年九月丙辰日奪卯時伊伯一秀才壬申生三十八歲占家宅。 一針見血

In the year Jiyou, ninth month, on the day Bingchen, the divination was cast starting from the卯 hour. The person seeking the divination is the eldest scholar of the Yi family, born in the year Renshen, aged thirty-eight that year, asking about his family's house. This case is from the book "One Needle Sees the Essence."

龍勾合朱 午未申酉 龍空勾龍 鬼 癸亥 貴 空巳 戌蛇 午巳未午 兄 戊午 龍 虎辰 亥貴 巳辰午丙 兄 戊午 龍 卯寅丑子 常玄陰后

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals riding the earthly branches:午 rides the Azure Dragon, 未 rides Gou Chen, 申 rides Liu He, 酉 rides Vermilion Bird, 戌 rides Teng Snake, 亥 rides Nobleman, 子 rides Heavenly Empress, 丑 rides Tai Yin, 寅 rides Black Tortoise, 卯 rides Tai Chang, 辰 rides White Tiger, 巳 rides Tian Kong. The time is卯, which belongs to the day, and on a 丙 day, the day's nobleman is used, with the nobleman located on亥. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order from there. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem 丙 (with its lodging palace in 巳) has 午, which rides the Azure Dragon; the second lesson, 午 has 未, which rides Gou Chen; the third lesson, the day branch 辰 has 巳, which rides Tian Kong; the fourth lesson, 巳 has 午, which rides the Azure Dragon. The first and fourth lessons are repeated, so the four lessons form only three, making it a lesson of "别责". On a yang day, the day stem's combined deity (丙 combines with 辛, and 辛 is lodged in 戌) is on亥, which initiates the transmission. The middle and final transmissions both use the day stem's deity 午. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Guihai, which is the official ghost爻, riding the nobleman; the middle and final transmissions are both Wuwu, which are the brother爻, riding the Azure Dragon.

邵彥和曰：此課別責昴星，自亥至午，午至亥皆是老陰、少陰並不行陽道。喜得今年來年行年尚陽位，後年災生必有殃咎。將後老陰長壽，少陰可保，難為六十以下三十以上人。日上午上陽刃，午與未合又臨午上，眷屬亦難保。除是外者，可以居此。中年男女皆難保，除是更改，卻不見如此也。

Shao Yanhe said: This case is referred to as "Bie Ze" (also mentioning the name "Mao Star"). Counting from亥 to午 and then from午 back to亥, all the positions passed through are old yin and young yin, with no trace of yang. Fortunately, this year and next year his age position is still in the yang position, but by the following year, calamity will come together, and there will certainly be misfortune. In the future, the elderly yin people in the family can live long, and the young yin people can also be safe. The most difficult to protect are those between thirty and sixty years old. The午 on the day stem is a yang blade, and午 also combines with未, which is located on午, so the relatives will also be hard to preserve. Unless they are from another family, they can live in this house. Middle-aged men and women are also hard to preserve, unless they change their residence, they will not fall into this situation.

壬子年一秀才，弟兄三人，有祖母及母在堂，父五十一歲，已喪，遂驚懼而移居。丙辰年，伯一秀才之妻又死，丁巳年方盡行遷移，祖母方死。先生謂三十以上，六十以下難保，果如是也。課中只有亥為老陰，午為少陰，惟老少可存，若中年人皆不上，課盡為昴星，虎視所食，自移居後卻有外嫁姊妹來居此屋無事。

Later events proved that in the Renzi year, the three brothers who were scholars were all living with their grandparents, but their father had already passed away at fifty-one, causing the family to become frightened and move house. In the Bingchen year, the wife of the eldest scholar died; it was not until the Dingsi year that the whole family had moved completely, and at that time the grandmother also passed away. Master Shao said that those aged thirty to sixty were hard to protect, and indeed it turned out that way. In the divination, only the亥 (Hai) was old yin and午 (Wu) was young yin, so only the elderly and the young could survive; as for middle-aged people, there was no mention at all in the divination. The entire divination showed the appearance of the昴 (Mao) star, like a White Tiger fixing its gaze on a prey it intends to devour. Since they moved away, there were already married sisters who came to live in this house, and they remained safe and uneventful.

戊申年十月丙辰日卯將子時自占動靜。本命乙巳年十月十八是亥時生，六十四歲。 方本占案、口鑑

On the day of Bingchen in the tenth month of the year Wushen, using the 'Mao' (Taichong) as the Month General, the course was cast starting from the 'Zi' hour. This was a self-observation by Shao Yanhe regarding whether to move or stay. His birth date was on the eighteenth day of the tenth month of the year Yisi, at the You hour. He was sixty-four years old that year. This case is recorded in the Fang Ben's "Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

朱蛇 六申酉戌亥貴 陳未 子后 蛇陳貴六 財 庚申 六 龍午 丑陰 戌未亥申 官 癸亥 貴 空巳辰卯寅玄 未辰申丙 父 甲寅 玄 虎常

The flat layout of the lesson pattern. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals riding the earthly branches: Shen rides Liu He, You rides Vermilion Bird, Xu rides Teng Snake, Hai rides Nobleman, Zi rides Heavenly Empress, Chou rides Tai Yin, Yin rides Black Tortoise, Mao rides Tai Chang, Chen rides White Tiger, Si rides Tian Kong, Wu rides Azure Dragon, Wei rides Gou Chen. The Nobleman is on Hai, which is the daytime nobleman for a Jia day, and the heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order from there. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Ji (with its lodging palace in Si), shows Shen riding Liu He; the second lesson, on Shen shows Hai riding Nobleman; the third lesson, on the day branch Chen shows Wei riding Gou Chen; the fourth lesson, on Wei shows Xu riding Teng Snake. The three transmissions: the first transmission, Geng Shen, is the wife's wealth hexagram riding Liu He; the second transmission, Gui Hai, is the official ghost hexagram riding Nobleman; the third transmission, Jia Yin, is the parents' hexagram riding Black Tortoise. The positions Shen, Hai, Yin, and the day stem's lodging palace Si form a circle, each corresponding to the long birth of their respective elements (metal's long birth is in Si, water's long birth is in Shen, wood's long birth is in Hai, fire's long birth is in Yin). The following interpretation is based on this layer.

邵彥和曰：我自占動靜，今申生於巳，亥生於申，寅生於亥，巳生於寅，宅上又是勾陳入廟，至辛亥年十月方得身動。日往當往東北，近二百里。又轉西北晚處，終於東北之上，年六十九矣。果辛亥十月十七辛巳起行，過婺州，自鄉里行一百八十里，壬子年過嚴州，自鄉中從東北過西北，癸丑又到婺州，終於衙中。

Shao Yanhe said: I myself divined my own movements. Now, metal is in growth in Si, water is in growth in Shen, wood is in growth in Hai, and fire is in growth in Yin and Shen. Shen, Hai, Yin and Si, which is the day stem's lodging palace, are connected in mutual generation, forming a circle. The mansion also has Gou Chen in its prime, firmly holding on, so it was not until the year Xinhai in the tenth month that I could move. After moving, I should go to the Northeast, nearly two hundred li; then turn to the Northwest, and settle down in old age, finally dying in the Northeast. That came true: on the seventeenth day of the tenth month in the year Xinhai, starting from Xinsi, I set off, passing through Wu Zhou, traveling one hundred and eighty li from my hometown; in the year Renzi, I passed through Yanzhou, turning from the Northeast to the Northwest; in the year Guichou, I went back to Wu Zhou, and finally died in the official residence.

蓋丙以申為妻，巳與申合，又作六合，更未作勾陳，在本家所以戀家，卒難脫解。至辛亥年巳亥相沖，而寅申又沖，十月又是亥月，三個亥沖巳，又寅馬加亥，得沖而動，所以能行動於東北者，乃寅馬合亥，雖脫得沖則行也。癸丑死者，老人五行投生方也。一曰，未加辰宅，辰加丑上，辰為歲之墓也。直指引右鑑云：將為將為身，時為命。卯將子時乃卯六子九之數。

Explain the reason: Bing takes Shen as his wife's wealth, and Si and Shen are in harmony. Shen is also occupied by Liu He, and Wei is occupied by Gou Chen, guarding its own house. Therefore, he is attached to his home and finds it difficult to leave. In the Xinhai year, Si and Hai are in conflict, Yin and Shen are in conflict, and October is the month of Hai. Three Hais come to conflict with Si, and the post-horse on Yin is added to Hai, causing a disturbance and prompting him to leave. He first goes to the Northeast because Yin horse and Hai are in harmony; although he wants to leave, he moves when there is a conflict. The statement that he dies in Guichou year is due to the reason of the old person's five elements' birth direction. Another explanation: Wei is placed on the day branch Chen, which is the house position. Chen is also placed on Chou, and Chen is the storage of the sovereign. The "Six Rats Direct Point" cites the "Right Mirror" saying: the month general represents the body, and the time of the day represents the destiny. If Mao general is placed on Zi hour, then Mao is six and Zi is nine, combining to make sixty-nine, which exactly corresponds to his age.

愚按：邵公占動靜何故斷及六十九而終？老人五行投生方之句殊屬不祥，古鑑之言更無謂之極矣。辰為歲墓加丑亦似是而非。總之，是後人推測之語勉強附會也。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: Shao Yanhe's divination was about movement and stillness, so why did it lead to a prediction of dying at sixty-nine? The phrase "the five phases of the old person's rebirth" is very inauspicious. What is said in "The Ancient Mirror" is utterly without sense. As for "Chen is the resting place of the old age star and it is placed on Chou," this is also ambiguous and not quite correct. In summary, all these are words of later people's speculation, forced onto the text.

崇正辛未年四月丙辰日酉將午時萊陽遲公在京考選相會時偶占。 指南

In the year Xinwei (which is the year of Chongzheng, but referred to as Xinwei here to avoid taboo), fourth month, on the day Bingchen, the lesson was cast with "You" (Congkui) as the Month General, placed on the "Wu" hour. This lesson was cast by Chi Gong from Laoyang in Shandong while waiting for an examination in the capital, when he met with someone and cast it on the spot. This case is recorded in the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan".

朱蛇 六申酉戌亥貴 陳未 子后 蛇陳貴六 財 庚申 六 龍午 丑陰 戌未亥申 官 癸亥 貴 空巳辰卯寅玄 未辰申丙 父 甲寅 玄 虎常

The lesson pattern is exactly the same as the previous case—using the酉 (Metal Rooster) general with the午 (Fire Horse) hour, and the卯 (Wood Rabbit) general with the子 (Water Rat) hour, resulting in the same Heaven and Earth plates. Outer circle: 申 (Monkey) is accompanied by Liu He, 酉 (Rooster) by Vermilion Bird, 戌 (Dog) by Teng Snake, 亥 (Pig) by Nobleman, 子 (Rat) by Heavenly Empress, 丑 (Ox) by Tai Yin, 寅 (Tiger) by Black Tortoise, 卯 (Rabbit) by Tai Chang, 辰 (Dragon) by White Tiger, 巳 (Snake) by Tian Kong, 午 (Horse) by Azure Dragon, 未 (Sheep) by Gou Chen. The four lessons, read from right to left: the day stem 丙 (Bing) has 申 (Monkey) accompanied by Liu He; 申 (Monkey) has 亥 (Pig) accompanied by Nobleman; the day branch 辰 (Dragon) has 未 (Sheep) accompanied by Gou Chen; 未 (Sheep) has 戌 (Dog) accompanied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions: the first transmission is Gengshen (Gengshen), a wife's wealth hexagram accompanied by Liu He; the middle transmission is 癸亥 (Guihai), an official ghost hexagram accompanied by Nobleman; the final transmission is 甲寅 (Jiayin), a parent's hexagram accompanied by Black Tortoise. Wealth, official, and post-horse follow in sequence (申 is wealth, 亥 is official, 寅 is the post-horse for the day stem 丙), which is the basis for the following interpretation.

陳公獻曰：傳將財官驛馬（初傳申財，中傳亥官，末傳寅馬），城吏遞互相生，大吉。芝翁曰：曰：此公已攖重戮，付刑部獄，生全即出望外，矧敢非乎？曰：月德發傳，中傳貴絕，末見長生，此為絕處逢生，支上皇恩化戌，斗罡居命，指日出獄，難免謫戍，然後來仕途顯遠。思宗因旱祈雨，壬戌日赦文武大臣七人，此公在赦內。後知為張逢玄先生也。十二年後，果歷仕途顯要，今為少冢宰，尋轉大司空。

Chen Gongxian said: The three transmissions carry wealth, officialdom, and the post-horse. The first transmission is in the position of wealth, the middle transmission in the position of officialdom, and the final transmission in the position of the post-horse. The city god and the official god successively generate each other, which is a great auspicious omen. Zhi翁 said: This person has already committed a serious crime and is imprisoned in the Ministry of Punishment. To survive is already unexpected, how could one dare to hope for anything else? Chen Gongxian replied: The monthly virtue is in the first transmission, the middle transmission has the nobleman although in a terminal position, but the final transmission shows growth, which is called meeting life in the midst of death. There is the grace of the imperial favor in the day branch, entering the position of Xu, and the star of the pole is in the original destiny. He will soon be released from prison, although he may have to be exiled to the border, his future career will be prominent and far-reaching. Later, when the Son of Heaven (Chongzhen Emperor) prayed for rain due to a great drought, he pardoned seven officials on the day of Renxu, and this person was among those pardoned. After the fact, it was known that he was the Master Zhang Fengxuan. Twelve years later, he indeed held important posts, and now he has reached the position of deputy minister of the Ministry of Personnel (the lesser chief minister), and soon he will be transferred to the position of minister of the Ministry of Works (the great minister of works).

乾隆辛巳年七月丙辰日午將卯時江永蘭翁有鹽在場因連日風大恐有風潮托占之。 牧夫占驗

In the year Xinsi of the Qianlong era, on the day Bingchen of the seventh lunar month, the lesson was cast with "Wu" (Shengguang) as the Month General, placed on the "Mao" hour. Jiang Yong's Lan翁 had a pile of salt on the salt field, and due to continuous strong winds, he was worried that the wind might cause a tidal surge and wash away the salt. He asked someone to divinate this matter. This case is recorded in "Mu Fu Zhan Yan."

朱蛇 六申酉戌亥貴 陳未 子后 蛇陳貴六 財 庚申 六 龍午 丑陰 戌未亥申 官 癸亥 貴 空巳辰卯寅玄 未辰申丙 父 甲寅 玄 虎常

The lesson pattern is the same as in the previous two cases—midday hour with the general at卯, and the Heaven Plate still advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate. Outer circle: 申 rides the Liu He, 酉 rides the Vermilion Bird, 戌 rides the Teng Snake, 亥 rides the Nobleman, 子 rides the Heavenly Empress, 丑 rides the Tai Yin, 寅 rides the Black Tortoise, 卯 rides the Tai Chang, 辰 rides the White Tiger, 巳 rides the Tian Kong, 午 rides the Azure Dragon, 未 rides the Gou Chen. Four Lessons, from right to left: on the Day Stem 丙, 申 rides the Liu He; on 申, 亥 rides the Nobleman; on the Day Branch 辰, 未 rides the Gou Chen; on 未, 戌 rides the Teng Snake. Three Transmissions: first transmission is Gengshen, the wife's wealth hexagram riding the Liu He; middle transmission is Guihai, the official ghost hexagram riding the Nobleman; final transmission is Jiayin, the parents' hexagram riding the Black Tortoise. To determine the wind and tide, one should look at the Day Branch 辰, the upper god 未, and then 戌, which forms a pure earth line capable of controlling water. 亥 is the sea water, and it is combined with寅 wood above; also, 丑 and 戌 are in mutual conflict and both fall into the旬空.

王牧夫曰：海潮無礙，惟淮徐之地，恐有沖決。蓋支辰純土能制四維之水，三傳遞生箕星雖克支，支上未乃木墓，又土多不易剋制，故主漲潮無患也。亥為海水，上乘寅木作合，尚有和氣，亦不至是。淮徐之地恐有沖決者，傳生風伯，又是閉口，主風大傷人。丑戌相刑，又逢旬空，此處空虛，故風得搖盪。丑戌者，徐揚之分野也。次日，邵伯鎮倒口，果驗。

Wang Mufu said: The sea tide does not cause any trouble, but there might be a risk of breaches in the areas of Huai and Xu. The reason is that the day branch is Chen, which is all earth, and can control the four directions' water. Although the three transmissions successively generate and give rise to the wind star Ji, which is associated with wind, and the Ji star further attacks the day branch, the day branch's Wei is the burial place of wood, and there is a lot of earth qi, so it is not easily affected. Therefore, the rising tide does not pose a danger. The亥 is the sea, and it is supported by the寅 wood above, which forms a harmonious relationship, so it will not cause disaster. The fear of breaches in the areas of Huai and Xu is because the three transmissions generate the wind god, and it meets the closed mouth, which indicates a strong wind that can harm people. The丑 and戌 are in mutual conflict, and both fall into the empty period, so that area is in a state of emptiness, allowing the wind to move freely. The丑 and戌 correspond to the regions of Xu and Yangzhou. The next day, the mouth of Shao Bo town indeed broke, which verified the prediction.

淳祐七年八月初一丙辰日奉旨再占前月十二戊戌日事具奏，巳將子時。 一針見血

In the seventh year of the Chunyu era of Emperor Lizong of the Song dynasty, on the first day of the eighth lunar month, on the day of Bingchen, Zhu Bi followed the imperial decree to re-divine the matter divined on the twelfth day of the previous month, which was Wuxu, and to report it officially. He used 'Si' (Taiyi) as the month general, placing it on the 'Zi' hour to cast the divination. This case is recorded in "Yizhen Jianxue."

蛇朱合勾 戌亥子丑 龍貴空蛇 父 甲寅 龍 貴酉 寅龍 寅酉卯戌 子 己未 陰 后申 卯空 酉辰戌丙 鬼 ◎子 合 未午巳辰 陰玄常虎

The flattened lesson pattern diagram. The outer circle shows the heavenly generals riding the earthly branches:戌 rides Teng Snake,亥 rides Vermilion Bird,子 rides Liu He,丑 rides Gou Chen,寅 rides Azure Dragon,卯 rides Tian Kong,辰 rides White Tiger,巳 rides Tai Chang,午 rides Black Tortoise,未 rides Tai Yin,申 rides Heavenly Empress,酉 rides Nobleman. Since子 hour belongs to night, on a丙 day, the night nobleman is used, and the nobleman is located on酉, so the heavenly generals are arranged in sequence from there. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, day stem丙 (with its lodging palace in巳) has戌 riding Teng Snake; the second lesson, on戌 has卯 riding Tian Kong; the third lesson, on day branch辰 has酉 riding Nobleman; the fourth lesson, on酉 has寅 riding Azure Dragon. The three transmissions: the first transmission,Jiayin, is the parent爻 riding Azure Dragon; the middle transmission,Jiwei, is the child爻 riding Tai Yin; the final transmission,子, is the official ghost爻 riding Liu He, with「◎」indicating that子 is in the empty position of the Jiayin decade.子 is the fetal god of丙 day, and Liu He is associated with children, which serves as the basis for the subsequent interpretation of 'national foundation in embryo'.

祝泌奏曰：子為今日六丙之胎，六合主小兒為陽生之胎，此在行年之上，若不入課猶未為奇，今在末傳，此課之收藏也，主國本胚胎。況發用青龍主喜慶，尋常寅加酉亦有喜事，又值月建之位仰，惟陛下親自卜筮，其課得此是誠為宗社之福。

Zhu Bi presented a memorial stating: "The 'Zi' is the nurturing deity of today's Bing fire, and Liu He governs children, which is exactly the beginning of yang energy's birth; this position is also located on the year's position. If it does not enter the four lessons and three transmissions, it is still not considered an oddity; now it happens to be in the final transmission. The final transmission is where one lesson is collected and concluded, indicating that the fundamental essence of the state is currently being cultivated. Moreover, the initiating transmission is occupied by the Azure Dragon, which signifies joy and celebration; normally, the寅 (Yin) is placed on the酉 (You) and also indicates good news; this position is also exactly where the month builder is located. May the emperor personally consult the oracle; if such a divination is obtained, it is truly a blessing for the ancestral temples and the state."

五月丁巳日未將寅時某占病。　方本占案

On the Dingsi day in the fifth month, using the month general "Wei" of the fifth month, add it to the time of Yin to set up the Heaven Plate. A person comes to inquire about illness. Here, "Wei" refers to the month general Xiaoji Wei, indicating the palace where the sun is located in that month, while "Yin time" is the actual time for casting the divination. Together, they determine the position of the Heaven Plate. This case is recorded in "Fang Ben Zhan An."

朱六／蛇戌亥子丑陳／貴酉　寅龍　空蛇常六　兄 丁巳 常／後申　卯空　卯戌巳子　子 壬戌 蛇／陰未午巳辰虎　戌巳子丁　父 乙卯 空／玄常

The distribution of the Twelve Heavenly Generals on the Heaven Plate is: Teng Snake occupies Xu, Vermilion Bird occupies Hai, Liu He occupies Zi, Gou Chen occupies Chou, Azure Dragon occupies Yin, Tian Kong occupies Mao, White Tiger occupies Chen, Tai Chang occupies Si, Black Tortoise occupies Wu, Tai Yin occupies Wei, Heavenly Empress occupies Shen, and Nobleman occupies You. In the lesson format, the abbreviations are used as follows: "Zhu" refers to Vermilion Bird, "Liu" refers to Liu He, "She" refers to Teng Snake, "Chen" refers to Gou Chen, and "Gui" refers to Nobleman. In this lesson, they are located on the branches Hai, Zi, Xu, Chou, and You respectively. The general usage of other abbreviations is: "Chang" refers to Tai Chang, "Hou" refers to Heavenly Empress, "Xuan" refers to Black Tortoise, "Kong" refers to Tian Kong, "Yin" refers to Tai Yin, "Hu" refers to White Tiger, and "Long" refers to Azure Dragon. The four lessons are counted from right to left: the day stem Ding is in the lodging palace Wei, with Zi occupying Wei and Liu He on Zi, which is the first lesson; Si occupying Zi and Tai Chang on Si, which is the second lesson; the day branch Si has Xu occupying Si and Teng Snake on Xu, which is the third lesson; and Mao occupying Xu and Tian Kong on Mao, which is the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si with Tai Chang, and the ten-day cycle reveals Ding Si, which corresponds to the brother in the fire element; the middle transmission is Xu with Teng Snake, and the ten-day cycle reveals Ren Xu, which corresponds to the son; the final transmission is Mao with Tian Kong, and the ten-day cycle reveals Yi Mao, which corresponds to the father.

邵彥和曰：主病人狂言發喘而死，巳作常為用，主言語。丁日巳用皆火，中又蛇乘戌加巳，是火加旺地，故主發狂。火墓戌，陰氣盡也。凡人以內陰氣為主，陰日養陽，今已絕，則陽氣上攻，而不能生陰，陰絕陽弱，更主發喘，果狂言發喘而死。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination indicates that the patient will speak incoherently and die from shortness of breath. The first transmission is the巳 (Si) trigram riding on Tai Chang, which initiates the transmission. Tai Chang governs speech and sound, so the symptoms of the illness first manifest in the mouth and tongue. The day stem is Ding, which belongs to fire, and the initiating transmission is also Si, which belongs to fire. The middle transmission is Teng Snake riding on Xu and added to Si. Teng Snake is originally a fire deity, and Xu is the burial ground of fire. Now it is added to the position of Si, which is the peak of fire, equivalent to adding fire to fire, intensifying the fire energy and pushing it to its peak. Therefore, it indicates the patient will speak in a frenzied and confused manner. The burial ground of fire is Xu; when fire enters the burial ground, it signifies the complete withdrawal of yin energy. The human body relies on internal yin energy as its foundation, which gradually nurtures yang energy. Now that yin energy has been completely cut off, yang energy has nowhere to be restrained and can only surge upward, unable to return to generate yin energy. Since yin has been cut off and yang is weak, it further indicates the patient will have difficulty breathing. Later, the patient indeed spoke incoherently and died from shortness of breath.

崇正丁卯年正月丁巳日子將卯時京營參將塗松亭先生占彭南溟升遷。　指南

In the Dingmao year of the Chongzheng era (i.e., Chongzhen), during the first lunar month, on the Dingsi day, the class was cast by placing the Month General 'Zi' on the Mao hour. Since the middle solar term of Rainwater had not yet begun, the Zi General and Shenhou (Zi) were still used as per the period after the Great Cold. General Tu Songting of the Beijing military camp divined for Peng Nanming regarding his promotion. This case is recorded in the "Six Rats Guide."

勾青／六寅卯辰巳空　貴六常青　鬼 癸亥 貴／朱丑　午虎　亥寅丑辰　財 庚申 玄／蛇子　未常　寅巳辰丁　兄 丁巳 空／貴亥戌酉申玄／後陰

The Heavenly Generals on the Heaven Plate are: Teng Snake on Zi, Vermilion Bird on Chou, Liu He on Yin, Gou Chen on Mao, Azure Dragon on Chen, Tian Kong on Si, White Tiger on Wu, Tai Chang on Wei, Black Tortoise on Shen, Tai Yin on You, Heavenly Empress on Xu, and Nobleman on Hai. For a day stem of Dingsi, the Nobleman is in Hai during the day and in You at night. Since Mao hour belongs to the day, the day Nobleman is taken from Hai. The Nobleman is on the Earth Plate at Yin, which is a position of progression, and the other generals are arranged in sequence accordingly. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Dingsi is located at Wei, and at Wei there is Chen with Azure Dragon; at Chen there is Chou, which is marked as Tai Chang in the source text, conflicting with the Aligned General at Chou which is Vermilion Bird, suggesting a possible error in the text; at Si there is Yin with Liu He; at Yin there is Hai with Nobleman. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Hai with Nobleman, hidden stem Guihai, where Hai water overcomes Dingsi fire, representing official ghost for the day stem; the middle transmission is Shen with Black Tortoise, hidden stem Gengshen, representing wife wealth; the final transmission is Si with Tian Kong, hidden stem Dingsi, representing brother. In divination for promotion, the official star is most important, and in this case, the official ghost is at the initiating transmission, which is the key point.

陳公獻曰：太歲月建生日，目今必然遷擢，多是山環水繞之地。蓋支為任所，寅艮為山，與亥水相合，故應此也。蒿矢逢金即箭有簇，又貴德驛馬入傳，財官城吏全逢，催官迅速之象。但忌日之陰陽制官，須防陳王田姓人為祟。癸亥日隨授南京巡捕營都司，未幾田大司馬以添注參將罷之。

Chen Gongxian said: The sovereign and the month builder both come to generate and support the day stem, indicating that promotion is certain at present, and the new post is mostly in a place surrounded by mountains and water. Because the day branch represents the place of appointment, and the branch has yin, yin belongs to the eight trigrams as gen, which means mountain; yin also combines with the water of hai, so mountain and water meet, thus the place should be like this. The pattern of this divination belongs to "hao shi", originally an arrow without a tip, but now encountering the metal energy, it is like the arrow has a tip, and the power becomes effective; in addition, the nobleman, heavenly virtue, and the post-horse all enter the three transmissions, the wife's wealth, official stars, and the deities governing cities and officials are all gathered, which are signs of rapid promotion and strong official promotion. The thing to be cautious about is that the yin and yang spirits of the day stem reverse to control the official star, so one should be careful of people surnamed Chen, Wang, and Tian who may interfere. Later, on the guihai day, Peng Nanming was immediately appointed as the commander of the Nanjing patrol camp; not long after, Tian Dashima dismissed him under the name of "tian zhu canjiang".

建炎戊申年六月丁巳日未將酉時童保儀丁巳生五十二歲占宅。　口鑑　方本占案

In the year Wushen of the Jianyan era, which was the second year of the Southern Song Emperor Gaozong's Jianyan reign, on the Dingsi day of the sixth month, the divination was cast with the Month General 'Wei' placed on the You hour. Since the summer solstice had not yet passed and the middle solar term of Gushu had not arrived, the Wei General was still used as per the period after the summer solstice. The diviner, Tong Baoyi, was born in the Dingsi year and was fifty-two years old that year. He came to inquire about the auspiciousness of his own residence. This case is recorded in both "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan An."

虎常／空卯辰巳午玄／龍寅　未陳　陰空空常　子 空丑 陳／陳丑　申丑　丑卯卯巳　鬼 癸亥 朱／六子亥戌酉貴　卯巳巳丁　財 辛酉 貴／朱蛇

The Heaven Plate generals are: Tian Kong on Mao, Bai Hu on Chen, Tai Chang on Si, Xuan Wu on Wu, Nobleman on You, Teng Snake on Xu, Zhu Que on Hai, Liu He on Zi, Gou Chen on Chou, and Qing Long on Yin. The characters marked for Wei and Shen are incorrect. Following the order of Nobleman's progression, they should be Tai Yin on Wei and Heavenly Empress on Shen. The hour of You is night, and for a Ding day, the night nobleman is on You, so the Nobleman is on You. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Ding is in Wei, and Wei has Si with Tai Chang; Si has Mao with Tian Kong; the day branch Si also has Mao with Tian Kong; Mao has Chou, where the source text marks Tai Yin, but this conflicts with the Gou Chen on Chou in the three transmissions, so it is left as is. The three transmissions are: first transmission Chou with Gou Chen - Ding Si day in Jiayin shen, Zi and Chou branches are empty in the shen, so only "empty Chou" is written without the hidden stem; Chou earth is the son of Ding fire; middle transmission Hai with Zhu Que, hidden stem Gui Hai, which is official ghost; final transmission You with Nobleman, hidden stem Xin You, which is wife wealth.

邵彥和曰：此課六陰相繼，更無陽神，更六月建未，又是陰月，丁巳又是陰，命從此衰敗不振；兼婢不測，殞命於廁；丁巳二火，自旺方遞歸死絕之地，宅前有大樹枯朽，若不去之，閒事相擾；主有一子患腹氣，又不合將後閣為豬圈，豬盛克人；四年敗，六年敗盡也。

Shao Yanhe said: In this divination, there is a single yin spirit following one after another, with six positions connected in a row, and not a single yang spirit in between; it also coincides with the sixth month, when the Month Builder is in Wei. Wei month is inherently a yin month, and the day branch Dingsi also consists of Dingsi, both of which are yin. The yin energy has accumulated to such an extent that the family's fortune will henceforth decline and become weak. It also indicates that a servant girl will meet with an accident and die in the toilet. The two fire elements, Dingsi, each descend from their strongest position to the dead and exhausted place, indicating that there is a withered old tree in front of the house. If this tree is not cut down, miscellaneous disputes will keep coming. It also suggests that one son will suffer from a disease in the abdomen. It is even worse to convert the upper floor behind the house into a pigpen; the more vigorous the pigs are raised, the more they will harm the family members. According to this divination, the decline will begin in the fourth year and be completely ruined by the sixth year.

童保儀因地方寇發，遂得名目，自後成家興旺；及先生與占，卻雲四年敗，六年敗盡也，彼不深信。本年十月一婢上廁，不覺墜死廁中。宅前有二百年大楓樹，已枯朽大半，繫族人祖墳。閱此更妙，卯陰上得丑為墓，日治得朱，暮治得勾，且又發用，是以主閒事相擾。十二月外鄉一人來樹下自縊。其第二子常患疝氣，其家屋寬，兄弟分出，去後無人居住，遂以後閣養豬。第四年拆四邊屋賣，六年果敗盡。僅存五口，移出店屋居住。

Tong Baoyi early in his life gained a position through military merit due to local bandit activities, then bought property and established a family, which became prosperous. However, when Zhao Master cast this divination for him, he predicted that he would fail within four years and be completely ruined by the sixth year. Tong did not believe it very much. That same year in October, a servant girl slipped and fell into the toilet, drowning in it. In front of the house stood a large maple tree that was two hundred years old, which had long been half-decayed. The tree was right over the ancestral graves of the family. Seeing this, he felt the divination was very precise. The yin spirit of the卯 (Mao) was supported by丑 (Chou), and Chou is the storage place for wood. This person, when casting the divination in the daytime, rode the Vermilion Bird, and at night rode Gou Chen. The Vermilion Bird governs speech and documents, while Gou Chen governs disputes and legal matters. Yet it was also the initiating transmission, so it was predicted that there would be continuous disturbances from miscellaneous matters. By the twelfth month, someone from outside the village hanged himself under the tree. His second son had long suffered from hernia. His family's house was spacious, and after the brothers divided the property and moved out, the empty house was left unoccupied, so they used the back wing to raise pigs. In the fourth year, they dismantled the houses on all four sides and sold them. By the sixth year, they indeed fell into complete ruin, with only five people left in the family, who moved to live in a shop on the street.

大凡丑亥酉卯此四支，先生皆以極陰；丁巳日又傳歸陰方絕地，宅上卯，末傳酉，俱六數，故主六年敗盡。此斷家宅，故取宅上神，酉為歸計門，是以取此二處決之也。加於巳亥上，亦四年之數。甲寅旬乙卯為真木一作卯加巳為真木，故有大樹在門。天空主朽；丑為閣，亥加丑上，故養豬；酉加亥為今日死神，酉為婢，亥為廁，故主婢死於廁也。丑為墳墓，卯為門樹，亥是樓閣。

In general, the earthly branches Chou, Hai, You, and Mao are all considered extremely yin by Master Shao; on a Dingsi day, the three transmissions also follow the path of the yin's terminal position. If the house's position is Mao and the final transmission is You, counting from Mao to You is exactly six positions, so it is judged that the house will be ruined in six years. This divination concerns a house, so the spirit of the house is taken into account; You is also called "Guijimmen," which signifies conclusion and completion, so the decision is made based on the house's position and the final transmission. Adding these two positions separately to Si and Hai results in a calculation of four years. On a Dingsi day, it belongs to the Jiayin decade; within the decade, Yimao is true wood (some editions say that Mao added to Si is true wood), so there is a large tree in front of the gate; the spirit of Tian Kong signifies decay, so the tree is rotten. Chou represents a pavilion, and Hai added to Chou indicates that the rear pavilion is used for raising pigs. You added to Hai is the death deity of that day; You represents a servant girl, and Hai represents a toilet, so it indicates that a servant girl dies in the toilet. In summary, Chou represents a tomb, Mao represents a tree in front of the gate, and Hai represents a pavilion, each having a clear meaning.

二月初五丁巳日亥將子時占風燭。　一針見血

On the fifth day of the second lunar month, which is the Dingsi day, the divination is started by placing the Month General "Hai" on the Zi hour. Since the vernal equinox has not yet occurred, the Hai General is still used as Dengming following the Rain Water solar term. The divination concerns wind and fire calamities. This case is from "One Needle Sees the Essence."

龍勾合朱／辰巳午未　空龍勾合　父 乙卯 空／空卯　申蛇　卯辰巳午　父 甲寅 虎／虎寅　酉貴　辰巳午丁　子 ◎丑 常／丑子亥戌／常玄陰后

The Heaven Plate generals are: Azure Dragon rides the辰, Gou Chen rides the巳, Liu He rides the午, Vermilion Bird rides the未, Teng Snake rides the申, Nobleman rides the酉, Tian Kong rides the卯, White Tiger rides the寅, Tai Chang rides the丑, Black Tortoise rides the子, Tai Yin rides the亥, Heavenly Empress rides the戌. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem is Ding, which is located on未, and on未 there is午 riding Liu He; on午 there is巳 riding Gou Chen; the day branch is巳, which has辰 riding Azure Dragon; on辰 there is卯 riding Tian Kong. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is卯 riding Tian Kong, with the hidden stem Yi卯; the middle transmission is寅 riding White Tiger, with the hidden stem Jia寅; both transmissions belong to the fire element Ding, which is considered parents; the final transmission is丑 riding Tai Chang, on the day of Ding巳, which belongs to the Jia寅 decade, and since Zi and Chou are empty in this decade, a mark 「◎」 is placed on Chou to indicate it is empty; the earth element Chou is considered the son of the fire element Ding. The positions of卯,寅, and丑 move backward, forming the image of "retreating and consuming." The following text states that the new energy is not different from the old energy, which is exactly seen from here.

祝泌奏曰：三傳卯寅丑，以往之生氣加於來，主新至之氣不殊於舊日。此課之數，終於季春，不能知九夏之事。謂傳至三月建辰而退歸太歲之上，無四月以後之支也。天空之神發用歸墓，則主京都平靜。三傳無屬火，天官地將並無風燭之災，但是白虎臨城門，白虎主驚擾，今日干是丁火生於寅，而白虎乘之，亦漸有驚，而不至於蔓延，亦不傷動，只應在此月。所損不過寬一二家而已。

Zhu Bi submitted a report stating: The three transmissions are卯, 寅, and 丑, which follow the path of prosperity and decline, transferring the life qi that has already passed to the new incoming qi. Thus, the new incoming qi is the same as before. The numbers contained in this divination only extend up to the end of the third month of spring, and do not include the three months of summer. This means that the three transmissions retreat to the month builder Chen in the third month, and then return to the position of the sovereign. There are no earthly branches for the months after April in the divination. The initial transmission of the initiating transmission is the Tian Kong deity, which belongs to the tomb position, indicating that there will be no disturbances in the capital area. None of the three transmissions belong to fire, and neither the heavenly deities nor the earthly generals carry fire, indicating that there will be no wind or fire disasters. The only concern is the White Tiger occupying the position of the city gate. The White Tiger signifies disturbance, and today's day stem is Ding fire, which is born in寅. However, the White Tiger is exactly on寅, so there will be gradual disturbances, but they will not spread into a disaster, nor will they injure people. Moreover, this will only occur within this month. The losses will affect only one or two families.

建炎戊申年六月丁巳日未將未時童七秀才壬申生命九月十四日巳時生三十七歲占前程。　口鑑　方本占案

In the year Wushen, sixth month, on the day Dingsi, the course was cast with the Month General 'Wei' placed on the hour Wei. Since the Month General and the time of divination are in the same position, this is a course of 'Hidden Chant'. The person seeking divination is a young scholar named Tong Qixiu, born in the year Renshen, with a birth date of the fourteenth day of the ninth month at the hour Si. He is thirty-seven years old this year and is consulting about his future in officialdom. This case is recorded in both 'Koujian' and 'Fangben Zhan An'.

虎常／空巳午未申玄／龍辰　酉陰　空空常常　兄 丁巳 空／陳卯　戌后　巳巳未未　財 庚申 玄／六寅丑子亥貴　巳巳未丁　父 甲寅 六／朱蛇

The heavenly generals on the heaven plate are: Tian Kong on Si, Bai Hu on Wu, Tai Chang on Wei, Xuan Wu on Shen, Tai Yin on You, Tian Hou on Xu, Gui Ren on Hai, Teng Snake on Zi, Zhu Que on Chou, Liu He on Yin, Gou Chen on Mao, and Qing Long on Chen. The unmarked hour is on Wei, so the heaven plate and earth plate completely coincide, with each of the twelve branches returning to its original position, hence called "Hidden Chant." The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Ding is in Wei, and Wei still has Wei with Tai Chang; Wei again has Wei with Tai Chang; the day branch Si has Si with Tian Kong; Si again has Si with Tian Kong—so the four lessons form only two groups, exactly the appearance of a Hidden Chant lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si with Tian Kong, hidden stem Ding Si, representing brothers; the middle transmission is Shen with Xuan Wu, hidden stem Geng Shen, representing wife and wealth; the final transmission is Yin with Liu He, hidden stem Jiayin, representing parents. The Hidden Chant lesson itself remains still, relying entirely on punishment and clash to initiate the transmissions. Si clashes with Shen, and Shen clashes with Yin, thus the three transmissions are generated in sequence.

邵彥和曰：此課主來年發解，只是不及第，又妻為猿猴所迷，四年後移居妻家，因妻家子死，併為一家住。又合主科第，授推官將滿，喪妻，再授財賦，再至任七月而終於奴婢之手，不見子息，一邊動哀，一邊子息喜事至。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson indicates that the person will have a child at seven, and will pass the local examination next year, obtaining the qualification to take the provincial examination. However, he will not pass the metropolitan examination. It also indicates that his wife will be bewitched by a monkey. Four years later, he will move to live with his wife's family, because his wife's only son has died, and the two families will live together as one. Afterwards, he will still have success in the imperial examinations, and after being appointed as a county official, when his term is about to end, his wife will die. Then he will be appointed to an official position in charge of finance and revenue, but he will die within seven months of taking office, dying in the hands of a servant, without seeing his son by his side. While the family is mourning, the son's good news will arrive.

童果次年得解，至今赴省，其家近山，妻為猿猴所迷，終日歌咲不已，鄰人記得先生言治之而愈，四年遂移妻家居七年，妻父母止一子，亡，遂與童共居。戊辰科及第，授南安州司李，任滿妻葉氏亡，再授臨安樓務官，到任七月，二子歸秋試，童死。只有五六奴婢措置後事，及子息來扶喪，次子得第七名解矣。

Tong Qi indeed passed the examination in the second year and then went to the provincial capital to take the exam. His home was near the mountain, and his wife was bewitched by monkeys, singing and laughing all day without stopping. A neighbor remembered that Master Shao had said something about this, and followed his advice to treat her, and her illness was cured. Four years later, he moved to live with his wife's family for seven years. The wife's parents had only one son, who had died, so the in-laws lived together with the Tong family. In the Wuchen examination, Tong Qi passed and was appointed as the official of Nan'an County. When his term ended, his wife Ye Shi died. He was then appointed as the official of Lin'an's dock office, and when he took up his post, only seven months had passed. His two sons returned to their hometown to take the autumn examination. At that time, Tong Qi died, and only five or six servants were left to arrange his funeral. When his sons returned to escort his coffin and hold the mourning ceremony, the second son just happened to pass the local examination in seventh place, obtaining a recommendation for further examination.

蓋丁以末傳寅為學堂，末寅行年卯扶，故次年發解舉。又曰上常為職，初傳臨官天空，主聲譽也，充解。中傳妻宮，元武乘之，並光怪殺，申為猿，武為賊，主猿迷；歸妻家者，日止一丁，巳有兩丁，支上初傳也，皆生於寅。宅為妻，故主入妻家，丁生於寅，故同居，充解及第，皆末傳寅也。死不見子干，傳中無子爻也。

The principle of deduction is: the丁 fire takes the寅 in the final transmission as the "school," and the寅 in the final transmission is supported by the卯 in the current year's age branch. Therefore, he passed the examination the next year. Looking at the day stem, it is乘 by Tai Chang, which signifies official position and clothing and food; the initial transmission is巳, which is the official position of丁 fire, and it is乘 by Tian Kong, which signifies empty fame. Together, this indicates the qualification to be admitted. The middle transmission is申, which is the wife's house, with Black Tortoise on top, and also combined with the strange and strange killing. Since申 belongs to the monkey and Black Tortoise represents thieves and spirits, it indicates the wife being fascinated by monkeys. As for the reason of returning to the wife's house: the day stem is only丁, but there are two丁 in the巳 position - one on the day branch and one in the initial transmission - both丁 fires are born in寅. The house belongs to the wife, so it indicates moving into the wife's house;丁 is also born in寅, so both houses are combined. Passing the examination and being admitted also occur in the final transmission's寅. The reason for not seeing a son at the time of death is that there is no son's element among the three transmissions.

乾隆甲寅年四月初一丁巳日酉將申時占幕館。　說約

In the year Jiayin of the Qianlong era, on the first day of the fourth lunar month, which fell on the day Dingsi, the divination was cast using the Month General 'You' placed on the Shen hour. Since the middle solar term Xiaoman had not yet begun, the 'You' general was still used as the Month General following the start of Lixia. The question was about entering a private office, meaning whether one could serve as a counselor in someone's household and secure a place to reside. This case is from the text "Shuyue."

龍勾合朱／午未申酉　勾龍朱合　財 庚申 合／空巳　戌蛇　未午酉申　財 辛酉 朱／虎辰　亥貴　午巳申丁　子 壬戌 蛇／卯寅丑子／常玄陰后

The Heaven Plate generals are: Azure Dragon rides the horse (午), Gou Chen rides the goat (未), Liu He rides the monkey (申), Vermilion Bird rides the rooster (酉), Teng Snake rides the dog (戌), Nobleman rides the pig (亥), Heavenly Empress rides the rat (子), Tai Yin rides the ox (丑), Black Tortoise rides the tiger (寅), Tai Chang rides the rabbit (卯), White Tiger rides the dragon (辰), Tian Kong rides the snake (巳). The hour of Shen belongs to the day, and on a Ding day, the daytime nobleman is at Hai, so the nobleman is at Hai. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Ding is in the lodging palace of Wei, and on Wei there is Shen riding Liu He; on Shen there is You riding Vermilion Bird; on the day branch Si there is Wu riding Azure Dragon; on Wu there is Wei riding Gou Chen. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Shen riding Liu He, with the hidden stem Geng Shen; the middle transmission is You riding Vermilion Bird, with the hidden stem Xin You; Shen metal and You metal are both wife wealth for Ding fire; the final transmission is Xu riding Teng Snake, with the hidden stem Ren Xu, which represents descendants. Shen, You, and Xu proceed in order, indicating a progressive development, suggesting that matters will move forward step by step.

張江村曰：占此事又現他事者，又有為他人占，牽連及我者，此間或有之，真變幻之極，非明眼人不能見也。餘占幕館，甲寅四月初一丁巳日申時酉將，三傳申酉戌，申為道路神，主有行動；酉為月將作長生，乘朱雀，主途次有大力人詡薦。酉一亥貴，薦必允從，此本指也。又看申為妻，乘六合內戰，主妻患病。申遁庚，庚而為重金，主患腹疾；陰見太陰，不致傷生。後於七八月間妻果大病，始瘧後痢，幾幾不保。

Zhang Jiangcun said: The divination was originally about one matter, but the course of the divination revealed another matter; sometimes it was for someone else, yet it involved the person himself. Such situations often occur in the壬课 system, and the changes are so extreme that only those with sharp insight can perceive them. I divined for myself on the day of Dingsi, the fourth day of the fourth lunar month in the Jiayin year, at the hour of Shen, using You as the month general. The three transmissions were Shen, You, and Xu. Shen is the god of roads, indicating travel or movement; You is the month general of that month, and also the place of birth for Ding fire, with the Vermilion Bird above it. The Vermilion Bird governs documents and recommendations, so I concluded that someone of influence would recommend me on the way. You also connects with the nobleman at Hai, indicating that the recommendation would be accepted. This is referring to the original matter. If we look at it another way: Shen is also the wife's palace, with六合 and internal conflict, indicating the wife would fall ill; Shen's ten-day cycle shows庚, with庚 metal on top of申 metal, indicating a heavy metal situation, suggesting an illness in the abdomen; fortunately, the hidden god is Tai Yin, which governs softness and protection, so the illness would not endanger her life. Later, in the seventh and eighth lunar months, the wife indeed fell seriously ill, first with malaria, then turning into dysentery, almost leading to her death.

又妻病重時為占死生，七月二十七日，壬子酉時午將，三傳午卯子，午為妻乘天后外戰，幸午為太陽，病雖重無妨，此本指也，又看干為我，申作長生臨干，主有人作薦，巳作貴人臨申六合，餘亦有館矣。旋於八月初九日癸亥由沈湘葵薦熊臬臺來延，此皆占此而現出他事也。

Later, his wife became seriously ill, and he divined whether she would live or die. The divination was cast on the day of Renzi (July 27th) at the You hour, using the Wu animal as the starting point. The three transmissions were Wu, Mao, and Zi. Wu represents the wife's position, with the Heavenly Empress riding on top, and there was a conflict with an external deity. Fortunately, Wu is the Sun, and the yang energy was sufficient to protect, so although her illness was severe, there was no serious danger—this refers to the specific case being divined. Looking at it another way: the day stem represents myself. Shen is the long life of Ren water, and it is directly above the day stem, indicating that someone will recommend me. The nobleman is located at Si, which is in the position that combines with Shen, showing that I will also have a position. Soon after, on the day of Guihai (August 9th), indeed, Shen Xiangkui recommended me, and Xiong Niantai sent people to invite me. These are examples of the divination for this matter revealing other events within the same chart.

宣和辛丑年十二月丁巳日子將申時某丁丑生二十五歲占終身。　青錢秘訣

In the Xuanhe Xinchou year, which is the third year of Emperor Huizong of Song's Xuanhe era, on the Dingsi day of the twelfth month, the class was cast by placing the Month General 'Zi' on the Shen hour. The person consulting the divination was born in the Xinchou year and was twenty-five years old that year, asking about the fortune and misfortune of his whole life. This case is from the book "Qingqian Miaoji."

朱蛇貴後／酉戌亥子　陰朱常貴　財 辛酉 朱／合申　丑陰　丑酉卯亥　子 ◎丑 陰／勾未　寅玄　酉巳亥丁　兄 丁巳 空／午巳辰卯／龍空虎常

The Heaven Plate generals are: Vermilion Bird occupies You, Teng Snake occupies Xu, Nobleman occupies Hai, Heavenly Empress occupies Zi, Tai Yin occupies Chou, Black Tortoise occupies Yin, Tai Chang occupies Mao, White Tiger occupies Chen, Tian Kong occupies Si, Azure Dragon occupies Wu, Gou Chen occupies Wei, and Liu He occupies Shen. The hour of Shen belongs to the day, and on a Ding day, the daytime nobleman is at Hai, so the Nobleman is at Hai. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Ding is in Wei, and at Wei, Hai is occupied by the Nobleman; at Hai, Mao is occupied by Tai Chang; the day branch Si has You at it, occupied by Vermilion Bird; and at You, Chou is occupied by Tai Yin. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is You, occupied by Vermilion Bird, with the hidden stem Xinyou, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is Chou, occupied by Tai Yin, and on a Ding Si day, which belongs to the Jiayin cycle, Zi and Chou are in the empty position of the cycle, so a mark 「◎」 is placed to indicate it is empty, and Chou earth represents children; the final transmission is Si, occupied by Tian Kong, with the hidden stem Dingsi, representing brothers. You, Chou, and Si form the triple harmony of Si-You-Chou, which is a metal triad, but this metal triad falls on the empty position and the broken position, which explains why in the following text, it is concluded that the family's wealth and property will ultimately belong to others.

邵彥和曰：丁日貴人作鬼，切不可近貴人，當為所害。以丁火又絕在亥也。支為宅，見破碎，又作陰貴人乘朱雀丁巳二火皆以酉為財，財既破碎又是陰貴人，切忌與貴人交財。日後宅子及財物皆為人所有，當主為陰人所壞。中傳丑作太陰加酉上丑是空亡，中間家資必喪盡，有老陰人守寡，田地皆盡。末傳巳即宅神，臨丑下是空亡，田園屋宇安能存留也？三十歲其不免乎？後果一一不爽。

Shao Yanhe said: On a day with the stem Ding, the nobleman is stationed on亥. The water of亥 is the official ghost of the fire of Ding, so this person must never be close to the nobleman, for eventually he will be harmed by the nobleman. Moreover, the fire of Ding is at its decline in亥. The day branch represents the house, and the house is afflicted by the killing power of 'broken pieces', and also acts as a阴 nobleman riding the Vermilion Bird. Both the fire of Ding and the fire of巳 take the metal of酉 as their wife's wealth. Since the wealth position is accompanied by broken pieces and is under the authority of the阴 nobleman, it is most dangerous to have dealings with the nobleman regarding money. In the future, the property and assets will all belong to others, and the harm will come from women. The middle transmission,丑, is Tai Yin added to酉, and丑 is also at the empty position of the term. This clearly indicates that the family property will be completely lost, and there is an old widow in the family who is a widow, and all the fields will be lost. The final transmission,巳, is the house god, stationed below the empty position of丑. How can the fields and houses be preserved? It is feared that he will not live past thirty. Later, all these events came true, and none of the predictions missed.

人問其故，先生曰：餘與此人占時乃宣和三年十二月二十七日，十二月二十一日立春則作壬寅歲占也。占人二十五歲，行年在寅見午，午為日之祿神並干支旺相，故無恙。至二十八歲，其人為本處徐參議兜盡家財、田宅。是歲行年在巳，巳上酉乃破碎，雀乃文書，是必陰貴人文書兜羅卷盡也。三十歲其人身亡乃靖康元年丙午也。其母守寡，其屋零落，不久必賣，何也？丁干見亥是干支之絕氣，巳支見酉是干支之死神，故主此人不長。況三十歲行年在未，又見亥水，是身與年俱絕，所以死也。大凡占人不見死墓絕，未可言死，既見休囚死墓絕，行年又臨此地，鮮有能逃者矣。

Someone asked him why his predictions were so accurate. Master Shao replied: I cast the divination for this person on the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month in the third year of Xuanhe. Since the beginning of spring had already occurred on the 21st day of the twelfth lunar month of that year, I used the cycle of the year Renyin to make the prediction. The person was twenty-five years old, and his current year was in the branch of Yin. Yin had the branch of Wu, which was the禄神 of the day stem. Also, both the stem and branch were in a prosperous and strong position, so at that time he was safe and untroubled. However, in the year he turned twenty-eight, he was completely stripped of his property and land by Xu Canyi of the local area. That year his current year was in the branch of Si. Si had the branch of You, which carried the destructive power of the killer, and the Vermilion Bird governs documents, so it was clear that a secret nobleman used a piece of written evidence to take away all his property. At the age of thirty, he died, which was the first year of Jingkang, the year Bingwu. As for predicting that his mother would become a widow, his house would fall into disrepair, and he would have to sell it soon, how did I come to that conclusion? The day stem was Ding, which saw the branch of Hai. Hai was the绝气 of the stem and branch. The day branch was Si, which saw the branch of You. You was the death deity of the stem and branch, so it indicated that his lifespan was short. Moreover, at the age of thirty, his current year was in the branch of Wei. Wei had the branch of Hai water. Both his stem and current year fell into the绝 position, so he was destined to die. In general, when predicting the lifespan of a person, if the divination does not show death, tomb, or绝, one should not lightly predict death. Once these positions appear, and the current year is exactly on these positions, very few people can escape their fate.

戊申年二月丁巳日亥將未時黃秀才占庚午命行人。　口鑑　方本占案

In the year of Wushen, second month, on the day of Dingsi, the class of the month was set as Hai, placed on the hour of Wei. Huang Xiucai cast a divination for a person born in the year of Gengwu who was asking when a traveler away from home would return. This case is recorded in both "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an."

朱蛇貴後／酉戌亥子　陰朱常貴　財 辛酉 朱／合申　丑陰　丑酉卯亥　子 ◎丑 陰／勾未　寅玄　酉巳亥丁　兄 丁巳 空／午巳辰卯／龍空虎常

This case has the same structure as the previous one: the hour of Wei is added to the hour of Hai, and the hour of Shen is added to the hour of Zi, with the same number of positions moved in the Heaven Plate. Therefore, the Heaven Plate, Four Lessons, and Three Transmissions are identical. The generals are: Vermilion Bird on You, Teng Snake on Xu, Nobleman on Hai, Heavenly Empress on Zi, Tai Yin on Chou, Black Tortoise on Yin, Tai Chang on Mao, White Tiger on Chen, Tian Kong on Si, Azure Dragon on Wu, Gou Chen on Wei, and Liu He on Shen. The hour of Wei is still during the day, so the daytime nobleman for the day stem Ding is still Hai. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Ding is located on Wei, and Wei has Hai with the Nobleman; Hai has Mao with Tai Chang; the day branch Si is on You, and You has You with Vermilion Bird; You has Chou with Tai Yin. The Three Transmissions are: the first transmission is You with Vermilion Bird, hidden stem Xinyou, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is Chou with Tai Yin, which is empty for the current ten days and marked as '◎', representing son and daughter; the final transmission is Si with Tian Kong, hidden stem Dingsi, representing brother and sister. In divination about a person traveling, the emphasis is on the day stem and the person's birth year. In this case, the Nobleman, which is water, is added to the day stem, forming the foundation for the following discussion.

邵彥和曰：此課亥作貴人加丁，是絕神。亥又來克我，本主行人來，奈緣所幹事未遂，兼以宅上財作文書乘破碎，文書次第未備，尚有更改之意。行年在辰，辰上見申，亥水又生在申，絕神帶生，目下未歸，在三月子日至也。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, the nobleman is on the亥 position and is added to the day stem Ding. The亥 water is exactly the absolute god of the Ding fire; the亥 water also comes to overcome the day stem, which according to the usual rule indicates that a traveler is coming. Unfortunately, the matters he is handling outside have not yet been completed; in addition, the wealth爻 of the house is represented by documents and is riding on the broken killing, indicating that the document procedures are not yet complete, and there is a meaning of change in the middle. The traveler's year is on the辰, and on the辰 there is the申. The亥 water also has its growth in the申. The absolute god carries the life qi, so he cannot return at present and will not arrive home until the子 day of the third month.

黃占友人過浙幹事，行人是庚午命，午加寅，是行人腳下生氣，蹤跡不定，又過東北幹事也。亥為絕神臨日剋日，主必歸。行年上見申又來生，故不歸。又不合初傳自宅上發用出來，又歸今日支神，在東北上作末傳，宅神反出在彼，是二不歸。日上亥水，病於東北，巳乃水絕，支去彼絕，其人在彼，是三不歸也。後果於三月初九戊子至。

The divination was about a friend traveling to the Jiangnan region to handle affairs. The traveler was born in the year Gengwu. The hour of Wu was placed on the stem of Yin, and Yin is the place where Wu fire is born, meaning the traveler carries life qi with him, his movements are unpredictable, and he is heading northeast. The hour of Hai is the place of death, and it is located on the day stem, which also attacks the day stem. Therefore, the traveler is destined to return. However, the year stem shows Shen, which in turn generates Hai water, so the life qi has not yet been exhausted, and thus he has not returned yet. Moreover, the first transmission started from the house and returned to the day branch, which fell in the northeast as the final transmission. The house spirit has moved to the northeast, which is another reason for not returning. The water on the day stem is in the disease place in the northeast, and the day branch has gone to the place of death, so the person is detained there. This is the third reason for not returning. Later, the traveler indeed returned home on the ninth day of the third lunar month, which was the day Wuzi.

同是占行人，又是一樣論應期，乃是論三合在行年上下。／亥作貴，又作絕，加未即是加丁，是亥絕來克我。本主克干則行人來就我，奈緣所事未遂者，丁干為我，巳支為後，支亦為他，人則所干，為他人之事。巳臨丑位入陷，主事未成，兼以宅上加酉字，乘雀為文書。孟月酉為破碎，則文書不備。酉為干陰之卯所沖，尚有改意。行年在辰，辰上見申生亥水，絕神變生，現尚未歸，而申辰三合，只少子字，故此定辰月子日歸也。以申為太歲，主年內三合全逢即驗。

The method of calculating the time of an event in divination is the same regardless of the subject. It involves examining how the Triple Harmony aligns with the year of movement. The position of亥 is occupied by the Nobleman, but it is also the place where the fire of丁 reaches its decline. When亥 is placed on未, 未 is the Lodging Palace of丁, so placing亥 on未 is equivalent to placing it on the day stem丁. This decline god comes to attack me. Normally, if something attacks the day stem, it indicates that the person will return to me. However, the matter he is handling is not yet completed. Here, the day stem丁 represents me, and the day branch巳 represents the other party, or someone else. The matter in question is someone else's affair. The巳 is located on丑, which is a fallen position, indicating that the matter will not be completed. Additionally, the house is occupied by酉, which is associated with the Vermilion Bird, indicating a document or written matter. In the early part of the month,酉 carries the destructive force of fragmentation, showing that the documents are incomplete. Furthermore,酉 is attacked by卯, the hidden yin god of the day stem, indicating further changes. The year of movement is on辰, and on辰 there is申, which generates亥 water. The decline god has now turned into life energy, so the person will not return at present. Since申 and辰 form a half harmony, only one more element, 子, is needed to complete the Triple Harmony. Therefore, it is concluded that the person will return on the day of子 in the month of辰. Further, taking申 as the year ruler, it indicates that the event will occur when the Triple Harmony is fully aligned within a year.

甲戌年酉月戊午日奪巳時射覆。　牧夫占驗

On the day of Wuwu in the month of You of the year Jiaxu, the divination was started at the hour of Si (according to the source, it is called "taking the Si hour by force," meaning the diviner determines the hour on the spot). This case is about a game called "shooting the cover," where the object hidden under a cover is guessed. For the month of You, the Month General is Tiangang (Chen). The general Chen is placed over the hour Si, and the following lesson is arranged. This case is from "The Farmer's Divination Verification."

合勾龍空／辰巳午未　合勾朱合　鬼 乙卯 朱／朱卯　申虎　辰巳卯辰　鬼 甲寅 蛇／蛇寅　酉常　巳午辰戊　兄 ◎丑 貴／丑子亥戌／貴后陰玄

The Heaven Plate generals are: Liu He on Chen, Gou Chen on Si, Azure Dragon on Wu, Tian Kong on Wei, White Tiger on Shen, Tai Chang on You, Black Tortoise on Xu, Tai Yin on Hai, Heavenly Empress on Zi, Nobleman on Chou, Teng Snake on Yin, and Vermilion Bird on Mao. The time of Si belongs to the day, and on Wu day the daytime nobleman is on Chou, so the nobleman is on Chou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Wu is in the lodging palace on Si, with Chen on Si and Liu He; Chen on Si with Si and Gou Chen; the day branch Wu has Si on Wu and Gou Chen; and Si on Wu with Chen and Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Mao with Vermilion Bird and the hidden stem Yi Mao; the middle transmission is Yin with Teng Snake and the hidden stem Jiayin; the wood of Mao and Yin both overcome the earth of Wu, and are both official ghosts; the final transmission is Chou with Nobleman, and on Wu Wu day, which belongs to the Jiayin decade, the Zi Chou decade is empty, so it is marked as 「◎」, and the earth of Chou is a brother. In determining the covered object, the entire process is based on the shape of this continuous chain.

王牧夫曰：陽日視干上，天罡乃堅剛之物，六合又相合之形，又兼為手。再視發用卯乘朱雀，一氣連茹，乃長形金一體堅剛。兼傳見艮止，有斷止之義，出之乃解手刀也。

Wang Mufu said: On a yang day, when performing the covering divination, one should first look at the day stem. If the stem is connected to Chen, Chen is called Tiangang, symbolizing something hard and strong; above it is Liu He, which has the shape of something that can be opened or closed, and Liu He also represents the hand. Then looking at the first transmission, the卯 (Mao) is riding on the Vermilion Bird. Mao, Yin, and Chou are connected in sequence to form Ru, which is an image of a long and entirely hard metal object. In the three transmissions, there is again Yin, which belongs to the Gen trigram, representing stop, implying the ability to close and stop. When examined, it turned out to be a folding knife used for cutting ropes.

十月初九萬千日卯將卯時上宣諭卜泰州依咎事或守或攻。　一針見血

On the 9th day of the tenth lunar month, the divination was cast with the Month General 'Mao' placed on the Mao hour. Since the General and the hour are in the same position, it is a Hidden Chant lesson. The emperor issued an edict to consult on whether to defend or attack the matter concerning Taizhou. The original text refers to the day as 'Ten Thousand Days,' which is an error. According to the Day Stem 'Wu' and the Day Branch 'Wu' in the lesson, it should be Wuwu day. This case is from 'One Needle Sees the Essence.'

勾龍空虎／巳午未申　龍龍勾勾　父 丁巳 勾／合辰　酉常　午午巳巳　子 庚申 虎／朱卯　戌玄　午午巳戊　鬼 甲寅 蛇／寅丑子亥／蛇貴后陰

The Heaven Plate generals are: Gou Chen on Si, Azure Dragon on Wu, Tian Kong on Wei, White Tiger on Shen, Tai Chang on You, Black Tortoise on Xu, Tai Yin on Hai, Heavenly Empress on Zi, Nobleman on Chou, Teng Snake on Yin, Vermilion Bird on Mao, and Liu He on Chen. When Mao general is placed on Mao time, each of the twelve branches returns to its original position, so it is called "Hidden Chant." The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Wu is placed on Si, and Si still has Si with Gou Chen; Si again has Si with Gou Chen; the day branch Wu has Wu with Azure Dragon; Wu still has Wu with Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si with Gou Chen, hidden stem Dingsi, representing parents; the middle transmission is Shen with White Tiger, hidden stem Gengshen, representing children; the final transmission is Yin with Teng Snake, hidden stem Jiayin, representing officials and spirits. Si is in a three punishment relationship with Shen, and Shen is in a three punishment relationship with Yin. The Hidden Chant lesson itself does not move, relying entirely on this layer of three punishments to initiate action. The distinction between defense and attack in military operations also originates from here.

祝泌奏曰：課得伏吟，巳申寅靜中有動，守中有戰，圍中有攻之應也。勾陳頌曰：勾陳前四大將軍，兵災兩聞訟留連。此課勾陳為用，雖主戰而今日干為戊，勾陳乃是德神，與日干支不相剋制，是寇來向我，未至攻戰也。申為游都，來往在傳亦不能制日辰，其神乘白虎歸家，不來用事，當是寇兵已合而未臨城。況泰州城守見太陰厭翳之神，亦未易動兵。有自刑臨，恐人民驚動有傷，尚不至於大傷。蛇在末傳，恐未寧靜，只是未免憂疑。

Zhu Bi submitted a report saying: This divination result is a Hidden Chant. The three punishments of巳, 申, and 寅 are successively triggered. There is movement hidden within stillness, and battle hidden within defense. Although surrounded, there is an opportunity for attack. The "Gou Chen Ode" says: Counting forward four positions from Gou Chen, we reach the Grand General, which governs military calamities and continuous litigation. In this divination, Gou Chen is the initiating transmission. Although it suggests warfare, today's day stem is Wu. On a Wu day, Gou Chen is considered a virtuous deity, not conflicting with the day stem or day branch. This indicates that the enemy is advancing towards us but has not yet reached the point of actual combat. 申 is "You Du," governing the movement of troops and horses. Although it enters the three transmissions, it cannot control the day stem or day branch. This position also rides the White Tiger and returns to its own house, unwilling to take action. This suggests that although the enemy has gathered, they have not yet reached the city gates. Moreover, Taizhou's defensive side is governed by Tai Yin, which is a deity of concealment and cover. It is not easy to mobilize troops easily. The divination contains self-punishment in the position, indicating that the people may experience some alarm and minor injuries, but not serious harm. The final transmission is ridden by Teng Snake, suggesting a period of unease and uncertainty, but nothing more than worry and hesitation.

雍正十二年六月十六日在海寧之夫山公署可翁命占久雨何日晴，戊午日卯將卯時。　殘編

In the 12th year of the Yongzheng era, on the 16th day of the sixth month, at the official residence in Fushan, Hai Ning, Ke翁 ordered a divination to inquire about when the continuous rain would clear. This day was Wuwu day. The divination was cast with the Month General 'Mao' added to the Mao hour, resulting in the hour and the time being in the same position, forming a Hidden Chant lesson. This case is recorded in The Fragmentary Compilation.

勾龍空虎／巳午未申　龍龍勾勾　父 丁巳 勾／合辰　酉常　午午巳巳　子 庚申 虎／朱卯　戌玄　午午巳戊　鬼 甲寅 蛇／寅丑子亥／蛇貴后陰

The lesson is the same as the previous one: Gou Chen is on Si, Qing Long on Wu, Tian Kong on Wei, Bai Hu on Shen, Tai Chang on You, Xuan Wu on Xu, Tai Yin on Hai, Tian Hou on Zi, Gui Ren on Chou, Teng Snake on Yin, Zhu Que on Mao, and Liu He on Chen. Mao is the hour, and the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate coincide, indicating a Hidden Chant. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem Wu is on Si, with Si occupied by Gou Chen, making the first and second lessons the same; the Day Branch Wu is on Wu, with Wu occupied by Qing Long, making the third and fourth lessons the same. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si with Gou Chen, hidden stem Dingsi, representing parents; the second transmission is Shen with Bai Hu, hidden stem Gengshen, representing children; the third transmission is Yin with Teng Snake, hidden stem Jiayin, representing officials and ghosts. The rules for predicting weather are that the Day Stem governs the day and the Day Branch governs the night. In this lesson, the Day Stem is occupied by Gou Chen and the Day Branch by Qing Long, so all the subsequent interpretations focus on these two.

斷曰：自十二甲寅日落起，連日日晴夜雨者，干為日間，支為夜間。日干上勾，宜日晴，支上龍，宜夜雨，湛湛不休也。況青龍昇天，海水空地，自然久雨而又大也。問晴期在何日，查雨雖甲寅日落起，其實乙卯傾注大下，庶幾在十九辛酉日方可晴耳，果於十九日大晴。有質餘：何以斷十九日大晴之故？余曰：乙卯為雨之頭，干支皆木，至十九日辛酉干支皆金，兩相剋制，而雨不復猖狂，其勢一也。又卯酉者乃日月之門也，今太陽卯是也，久為雲雨遮蔽，得酉一沖，推蕩其云。月主水，水入酉戶也。日主火，火升卯門也。一輪紅日皎皎而出，安有不晴者哉？

The interpretation says: This rain started on the 12th, the day of Jiayin, and for several days, it was clear during the day and rainy at night. The reason is that the day stem governs the day and the day branch governs the night. The day stem is covered by Gou Chen, which belongs to earth, so the day is suitable for clear weather; the day branch is covered by Azure Dragon, which belongs to wood and governs rain, so the night is suitable for rain, and it keeps raining continuously. Moreover, Azure Dragon rises to the sky and the sea floods the land, so the rain naturally lasts long and is heavy. As for the days when it clears up: Although the rain started on the day of Jiayin, it only poured heavily on the day of Yimao. It would probably clear up on the 19th, the day of Xinyou. Later, it indeed turned clear on the 19th. Someone asked me directly: Why did you determine that the 19th would be clear? I said: Yimao is the beginning of this rain, and both the heavenly stem and earthly branch belong to wood. On the 19th, Xinyou, both the heavenly stem and earthly branch belong to metal, and metal controls wood, so the rain naturally cannot continue strongly. This is the first reason. Furthermore,卯 and酉 are the gates of the sun and moon's rising and setting. Now the sun is moving to the卯 position and has been blocked by clouds and rain; when it reaches酉, it will be opposed, and the clouds will be dispersed. The moon belongs to water, and water enters the酉 gate; the sun belongs to fire, and fire rises through the卯 gate. A bright red sun shines out, so how could it not be clear?

崇正辛未年四月戊午日酉將酉時山東吏垣宋大升先生相召占課云非己占，代占。　指南

In the year Xinwei of the Chongzheng era, on the Wuwu day of the fourth month, the class was started by placing the Month General 'You' on the You hour, with the hour and position aligned, resulting in a Hidden Chant lesson. Mr. Song Dasheng from the Shandong official department invited Mr. Chen Gongxian to cast the lesson, stating that this was not for himself but for someone else. This case is recorded in the book 'Six Yin Guide'.

蛇貴／朱巳午未申后　蛇蛇朱朱　父 丁巳 朱／六辰　酉陰　午午巳巳　子 庚申 後／勾卯　戌玄　午午巳戊　鬼 甲寅 龍／青寅丑子亥常／空虎

The Heaven Plate generals are: Vermilion Bird occupies Si, Teng Snake occupies Wu, Nobleman occupies Wei, Heavenly Empress occupies Shen, Tai Yin occupies You, Black Tortoise occupies Xu, Tai Chang occupies Hai, White Tiger occupies Zi, Tian Kong occupies Chou, Azure Dragon occupies Yin, Gou Chen occupies Mao, and Liu He occupies Chen. The hour of You belongs to night, and on a Wu day, the night's nobleman is at Wei, so the Nobleman is at Wei. The position where the Nobleman is located is a place of reverse movement, so the other generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Wu is located at Si, and Si has Si occupied by Vermilion Bird, making the first and second lessons the same; the day branch Wu is at Wu, and Wu has Wu occupied by Teng Snake, making the third and fourth lessons the same—this is the usual pattern of a hidden chant lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si occupied by Vermilion Bird, with the hidden stem Dingsi, representing parents; the middle transmission is Shen occupied by Heavenly Empress, with the hidden stem Gengshen, representing children; the final transmission is Yin occupied by Azure Dragon, with the hidden stem Jiayin, representing officials and ghosts.

陳公獻曰：在朝官占此提防臺諫而回還得好 旨歸里。蓋因傳將互克，伏吟丁馬，且太陽無光矣（月將酉臨酉地，是西墜之象也），豈能久居廊廟乎？然喜朱雀德祿生日（朱乘巳作日德日祿臨日），故得好旨歸里。後知為四明諱象坤錢相公所占。果因人言請告而去。

Chen Gongxian said: If a person in official position draws this divination, he must beware of impeachment by the censors. However, in the end he will receive a favorable imperial decree and return home. This is because the three transmissions and the heavenly general he rides upon mutually control each other, and within the hidden chant there is also the presence of Ding spirit and the post-horse, indicating a clear movement. Moreover, the sun has lost its brilliance (the month general is in You, which is located in the earth plate's You position, symbolizing the sun setting westward and descending). How can such a person remain in the court for long? Fortunately, the Vermilion Bird is riding upon the day's virtue and day's fortune, which are both located in Si, and Si is directly above the day stem, thus giving birth to the day stem. Therefore, he receives a favorable decree to return home. Later it was known that this divination was for Qian Xiangong from Siming, whose name was Xiangkun. Indeed, he later resigned from office due to someone's recommendation.

建炎戊申年十月初七戊午日卯將寅時汪司戶辛未生十二月二十一日午時三十八歲占官職。口鑑　方本占案

In the fifth year of the Jianyan era, on the seventh day of the tenth lunar month, the day was Wuwu. The month general 'Mao' was placed on the寅 hour to cast the divination. The person consulting was Wang Sihu, born in the year Xinwei, on the 21st day of the twelfth lunar month at noon. He was thirty-eight years old that year and consulted about his official position. This case is recorded in both the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an."

空虎／龍午未申酉常／陳巳　戌玄　虎空空龍　官 甲寅 蛇／六辰　亥陰　申未未午　父 戊午 龍／朱卯寅丑子后　未午午戊　父 戊午 龍／蛇貴

The Heaven Plate generals are: Azure Dragon on午, Tian Kong on未, White Tiger on申, Tai Chang on酉, Black Tortoise on戌, Tai Yin on亥, Heavenly Empress on子, Nobleman on丑, Teng Snake on寅, Vermilion Bird on卯, Liu He on辰, and Gou Chen on巳. The time of寅 is daytime, and on a Wu day, the daytime nobleman is on丑, so the Nobleman is on丑. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Wu is located on巳, with午 on巳, which is occupied by Azure Dragon;午 is on未, which is occupied by Tian Kong; the day branch is also午 on未, which is occupied by Tian Kong; and未 is on申, which is occupied by White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is寅 with Teng Snake, with the hidden stem Jiayin, where寅 wood overcomes Wu earth, representing official ghost; the middle and final transmissions are both午 with Azure Dragon, with the hidden stem Wwu, where午 fire generates Wu earth, representing parents. Since the official position is determined by the official ghost as the useful god, this lesson has the official ghost initiating the transmission and connected with two layers of午 fire, which is exactly the basis for the following interpretation.

邵彥和曰：司戶今無正位，必主上司責罰，而別有遷改，卯寅乃今日鬼，鬼生午火，午乃日陽刃殺，且是天鬼，在於中末傳，支上未與午合，亦憂宅眷人口有死者。後果病死三人，又為米倉事發，遂罷去也。

Shao Yanhe said: Wang Sihu currently holds no official position, and is certainly going to be punished by his superior, and also has a transfer or change of post. Mao and Yin are both today's official ghosts, and the ghost wood is generating Wu fire; Wu is the yang刃 killing force of the Wu day, and also the "Heavenly Ghost," which happens to fall on the middle transmission and final transmission. The You branch above the day branch combines with Wu, so there is still concern about the death of family members. Later, indeed three people died of illness, and also because the rice warehouse matter was exposed, he was dismissed from office.

蓋寅乃日鬼，生三個午，十月建亥，合寅來生宅，犯丁神以未中有丁，非旬丁也，丁主動，天空主空屋，宅亦主空，是月困患時氣遂死三人。十月間米因提學檢踏常平倉敗事露，遂致敗斥。

When examined in detail:寅 is the official ghost of today, continuously generating three午 fire elements; the month builder of the tenth month is亥, which combines with寅, together generating the dwelling position. This lesson also involves the丁 spirit—because丁 is hidden in未, which is the hidden丁 in the branch, not the丁 from the ten-day cycle—this丁 spirit actively causes disturbance and migration; Tian Kong indicates an empty house, and the dwelling position receiving Tian Kong also indicates an empty dwelling. Therefore, the family was afflicted by an epidemic during this month, resulting in the death of three family members. In the tenth month, due to the inspection of the grain storehouse by the official in charge of education, the grain issue was exposed, leading finally to his dismissal.

乾隆戊辰年十月戊午日巳將辰時占求財。　牧夫占驗

In the year Wuchen of the Qianlong era, on the Wuwu day of the tenth lunar month, the class of the month was 'Si', which was placed on the Chen hour to cast a divination for seeking wealth. This case is from "Mu Fu Zhan Yan."

空虎／龍午未申酉常／陳巳　戌玄　虎空空龍　官 甲寅 蛇／六辰　亥陰　申未未午　父 戊午 龍／朱卯寅丑子后　未午午戊　父 戊午 龍／蛇貴

The Moon General is placed on the巳 position and applied to the辰 hour, which is the same as the previous case where the卯 General is placed on the寅 hour. Both cases involve the Heaven Plate moving forward by one position, resulting in identical lesson formations: the Azure Dragon rides the午, the Heaven Void rides the未, the White Tiger rides the申, the Tai Chang rides the酉, the Black Tortoise rides the戌, the Tai Yin rides the亥, the Heavenly Empress rides the子, the Nobleman rides the丑, the Teng Snake rides the寅, the Vermilion Bird rides the卯, the Liu He rides the辰, and the Gou Chen rides the巳. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem is戊, which is placed on巳, and the午 rides on巳 with the Azure Dragon; the未 rides on午 with the Heaven Void; the Day Branch is午, which is placed on未 with the Heaven Void; the申 rides on未 with the White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is寅 with the Teng Snake, and the hidden stem is Jiayin, representing official ghosts; the middle and final transmissions are both午 with the Azure Dragon, and the hidden stem is Wuwu, representing parents. The focus of seeking wealth lies in the relationship between the Day Stem and the Day Branch, as the spirit of the Day Branch moves to the position of the Day Stem and generates it, which is the key point for the subsequent interpretation.

王牧夫曰：此數主卑就尊，二門求懇乃親戚之家，但不能如數，主得宴會酒食而還，果驗。／蓋干為尊，支為卑，支就干位而生干，乃上門求懇也。未為眷屬，故主親戚。傳不足，故不得如數。干支交合無克，故必允。午為宴會與支上未作合，故應之也。

Wang Mufu said: This divination indicates that the party of lower status will go to the party of higher status. Both places are seeking help from relatives. However, the amount requested is insufficient, and the outcome is that one receives a meal and returns. Later, it proved true. The reasoning is: the day stem represents the superior, and the day branch represents the inferior. The god of the day branch comes to the position of the day stem and gives birth to the day stem, which symbolizes the act of going to seek help. Since it is not the family of the main house, it is interpreted as a relative's household. The three transmissions lack sufficient energy, so the amount requested is not obtained. Since the stem and branch harmonize without conflict, the other party will certainly agree. Wu represents a banquet, and it also harmonizes with the upper Wei of the day branch, so the result is receiving a meal.

建炎戊申年二月初四戊午日亥將戌時占病。　口鑑

In the fifth year of the Jianyan era, on the fourth day of the second lunar month, which was a Wuwu day, the divination was cast using the Month General 'Hai' placed on the戌 hour. The question was about illness. Since the middle term of February, Chunsan, had not yet arrived, the calculation still used the Hai General after the rainwater season, known as Dengming. This case is from the book "Koujian."

貴後／蛇午未申酉陰／朱巳　戌玄　后貴貴蛇　鬼 甲寅 龍／六辰　亥常　申未未午　父 戊午 蛇／陳卯寅丑子虎　未午午戊　父 戊午 蛇／龍空

The Heaven Plate generals are: Teng Snake on Wu, Nobleman on Wei, Heavenly Empress on Shen, Tai Yin on You, Black Tortoise on Xu, Tai Chang on Hai, White Tiger on Zi, Tian Kong on Chou, Azure Dragon on Yin, Gou Chen on Mao, Liu He on Chen, and Zhu Que on Si. The hour of Xu belongs to night, and on a Wu day, the night's nobleman is on Wei, so the nobleman is on Wei, and the generals are arranged in reverse order. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Wu is located on Si, and Si has Wu with Teng Snake; Wu has Wei with Nobleman; the day branch Wu has Wei with Nobleman; Wei has Shen with Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Yin with Azure Dragon, hidden stem Jiayin, Yin wood overcomes Wu earth, representing official ghost; the middle transmission and final transmission are both Wu with Teng Snake, hidden stem Wwu, representing parents. In divination for illness, the day stem is the patient, the official ghost is the illness, and the one that controls the ghost is the medicine. In this lesson, the official ghost Yin wood generates Wu fire continuously, and Wu fire is the yang blade heavenly ghost of Wu day. Therefore, the source and progression of the illness are here.

邵彥和曰：天鬼午火，受寅鬼之生，犯了東嶽城隍香火神，因而疫氣入宅，遂合宅皆病。蓋春寅木正旺鬼，鬼極有氣，又干上與中末三個陽刃天鬼殺，故不止一人也，其家果病七人，後死三人，急告東嶽，禳之，餘人遂愈。蓋中末日上三個天鬼殺，所以喪三人也。青龍到此最不好，名為奪命神。／按：此句似用晝貴，其故何也？

Shao Yanhe said: The fire of Wu is called "Heavenly Ghost," and it is supported by the official ghost in Yin, thus offending the incense and fire gods of the Eastern Mountain Temple and the City God Temple, leading to epidemic air entering the house and causing the whole family to fall ill. In spring, the wood of Yin is prosperous and strong, and the official ghost is very powerful; the day stem, together with the middle transmission and the final transmission, forms three layers of yang blades of heavenly ghosts, so more than one person falls ill. Indeed, seven people in the family fell ill, and three died; they hurriedly went to the Eastern Mountain Temple to pray and perform rituals to remove the evil, and the others gradually recovered. The middle transmission, final transmission, and the day stem together form exactly three heavenly ghost killings, so exactly three people died. The Azure Dragon is in a very bad position here, known as "the god who takes away life." Cheng氏's commentary says: It seems that the daytime nobleman is used here, but it is unclear why. (According to the lesson, the nobleman is riding the hour of Wei, which is the night nobleman for the day of Wu, combining with the hour of Xu. Cheng's doubt may refer to something else.)

元祐二年正月初五日山陽吳員外年三十九歲與販油麻到東京未就其價，遂於僧仲褒求課。是日戊午得戌時以月將神后加戌。一針見血

In the fifth day of the first lunar month of the second year of Yuanyou, Wu, a wealthy man from Shanyang, was thirty-nine years old. He was transporting oil sesame to the capital city of Dongjing, Bianliang, but could not agree on the price. He then sought a divination from the monk Zhongbao. This day was Wuwu day, and the time chosen was the hour of Xu. The divination was started by placing Shenhou Zi on Xu and using the month general. Since the middle solar term of Rainwater had not yet arrived in the first lunar month, the general used was still Zi from after the solar term of Dahan. This case is recorded in the book "One Needle Sees the Essence."

貴后陰玄／未申酉戌　玄后陰貴　子 庚申 後／蛇午　亥常　戌申酉未　兄 壬戌 玄／朱巳　子虎　申午未戊　財 ◎子 虎／辰卯寅丑／合勾龍空

The Heaven Plate generals are: Nobleman on Wei, Heavenly Empress on Shen, Tai Yin on You, Black Tortoise on Xu, Tai Chang on Hai, White Tiger on Zi, Heaven Void on Chou, Azure Dragon on Yin, Gou Chen on Mao, Liu He on Chen, Vermilion Bird on Si, and Teng Snake on Wu. The戌 hour belongs to night, and on a Wu day, the night's important position is on Wei, so the Nobleman is on Wei. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Wu is placed on Si, with Wei on Si and the Nobleman; Wei has You with Tai Yin; the day branch Wu has Shen with Heavenly Empress; Shen has Xu with Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are: the first transmission Shen with Heavenly Empress and hidden stem Geng Shen, Wu earth generates metal, which is the son; the middle transmission Xu with Black Tortoise and hidden stem Ren Xu, which is the brother; the final transmission Zi with White Tiger. On a Wu Wu day, which belongs to the Jiayin stem, Zi and Chou are in the empty period, so it is marked with 「◎」 indicating it is empty. Zi water is the wife wealth for Wu earth. Although the wealth爻 is in the empty period, it is in the final transmission and acts as a saving god. The following conclusion about goods being delayed and beneficial comes from here.

仲褒曰：君有貨物慾求售乎？右是油麻，目下則價利漸退，至清明後宜有倍利，可候至時貨矣。吳云：貨是麻油在此多日，欲隨賣售之。褒曰：若信此課，留至其時必無所誤。吳遂一半去了，一半寄頓在京，而且歸家。其年二月五日，復到京師，其麻價未增。吳乃往褒問前課。褒云：更待數日必有厚利，但守之無疑矣。自清明後，京城絕無貨之，果得倍利。吳乃重謝仲褒。

Zhongbao said: You have goods to sell, don't you? The divination indicates sesame oil. The current price and profit are declining, and you should wait until after Qingming to sell, when you will get double the profit. Wu Yuanwai said: This batch of sesame oil has been transported here for several days, and I had intended to sell it at the current market price. Zhongbao said: If you trust this divination, wait until then, and you will not be delayed. Wu Yuanwai then sold half of it and stored the other half in the capital, then returned home. Later, on the fifth day of the second lunar month, he went back to the capital, but the price of sesame oil had not risen. Wu Yuanwai then asked Zhongbao about the previous divination. Zhongbao said: Wait a few more days, there will certainly be great profit. Just keep it and do not doubt. After Qingming, the market for this kind of goods in the capital disappeared, and indeed he made double the profit. Wu Yuanwai then greatly rewarded Zhongbao.

議曰：戊土克水為財，水生於申是初不見財神，只發財生之位，故主貨物也。油麻者，申之所主也。今加午上，法以午為市，正月申金囚死，雖貨物入市，緣市未動，故未有價。清明後土旺乃申金相氣，法以相氣為財也，雖被火剋制，卻得末傳子水為救，而免其損傷。行年上神是今日支神帶騰蛇來臨，兼所得之時與物同類，與今日干神相生，課值日辰，支干無損，目下不中，後有倍息也。應驗若此。

The commentary says: Wu earth controls water, so water is the wife and wealth of Wu day; water is born in Shen, so the first transmission does not show the wealth god itself, but only the one who generates wealth, hence the judgment is about goods. Oil and hemp are things governed by Shen metal. Now Shen is placed on Wu, and according to divination, Wu is the market; in the first month, Shen metal is in a state of imprisonment and death, so although goods have entered the market, the market is stagnant, so they cannot be sold at a price. After Qingming, earth is strong, and Shen metal turns into a state of mutual generation, and according to divination, mutual generation is wealth; although Shen metal is controlled by fire, it is saved by the final transmission's Zi water, thus avoiding damage. The god above the year is exactly the god of the day's branch, accompanied by Teng Snake; also, the chosen hour and the goods being sold belong to the same category, and they are mutually generated with the day's stem god; the divination also coincides with the day's branch, and both the stem and branch are undamaged. Therefore, it is currently unsuitable, but later there will be double interest. The later verification indeed proved this.

六月初一戊午日未將辰時占蝗。　一針見血

On the first day of the sixth lunar month, which is Wuwu day, the class of the month is 'Wei'. The calculation starts with 'Wei' placed on the hour of Chen. The divination is about locust plague. Since the summer solstice has not yet passed and the middle term of June, Dashu, has not arrived, the 'Wei' general is still used as in the period after the summer solstice. This case is from "One Needle Sees the Essence."

龍勾合朱／申酉戌亥　蛇勾朱龍　子 辛酉 勾／空未　子蛇　子酉亥申　財 ◎子 蛇／虎午　丑貴　酉午申戊　鬼 乙卯 陰／巳辰卯寅／常玄陰后

The Heaven Plate generals are: Azure Dragon on Shen, Gou Chen on You, Liu He on Xu, Vermilion Bird on Hai, Teng Snake on Zi, Nobleman on Chou, Heavenly Empress on Yin, Tai Yin on Mao, Black Tortoise on Chen, Tai Chang on Si, White Tiger on Wu, and Tian Kong on Wei. The hour of Chen belongs to the daytime, and on a Wu day, the daytime nobleman is on Chou, so the Nobleman is on Chou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Wu is located on Si, with Shen on Si, riding the Azure Dragon; Shen has Hai on it, riding the Vermilion Bird; the day branch Wu has You on it, riding Gou Chen; You has Zi on it, riding Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is You riding Gou Chen, with hidden stem Xinyou, Wu earth generates metal, which is the son; the middle transmission is Zi riding Teng Snake, on a Wu Wu day belonging to the Jiayin decade, Zi is empty in the decade, so it is marked as 「◎」, Zi water is the wife's wealth; the final transmission is Mao riding Tai Yin, with hidden stem Yimao, Mao wood overcomes Wu earth, which is the official ghost. The three positions You, Zi, and Mao successively overlap, which is what is referred to later as the "three intersecting lessons."

祝泌奏曰：謹按此課，三傳酉子卯為三交課。夫課象中主事之神，固以蛇為飛蝗，而初傳酉亦是飛蝗之象。何以言之？蝗乃敗辛之魂所亦，乃勾陳發用，所乘之酉金死於午，即勾陳所立辛位，而死於午者也。又酉為亦而死之物，是飛蝗之象也，今初傳次傳皆有飛蝗之證，則飛騰而眾多，將捕之而不可勝捕矣。然三交課多主伏匿凶丑，又中子末卯乘太陰為翳蔽之象，要課之終而論之，酉加於午，子加酉，卯加子皆居敗暴之地，而終之以翳蔽，則亦可滅不致猖熾也。

Zhu Bi submitted a memorial stating: Carefully examining this divination, the three transmissions are You, Zi, and Mao, successively adding up, which constitutes the 'Three Intersections Lesson'. In the lesson's imagery, the deity representing the main matter naturally takes Teng Snake as the locust, while the initial transmission's You also presents the image of locusts. Why is this so? Locusts are originally the corrupted qi of the metal of Xin. Now, Gou Chen is the initiating transmission, and the metal of You, which Gou Chen rides upon, is dead at Wu. This is exactly the position of Xin where Gou Chen is established, and it is dead at Wu. You is also a thing that can fly but ultimately leads to death, thus presenting the image of locusts. Now, both the initial and the second transmissions have evidence of locusts, indicating that locusts are flying in great numbers, making them impossible to capture completely. However, the Three Intersections Lesson often indicates hidden and concealed evils. The middle transmission Zi and the final transmission Mao are both riding on Tai Yin, which is the image of concealment and cover. One must conclude based on the final outcome of the lesson: You is placed on Wu, Zi on You, and Mao on Zi, all falling into positions of decline and exposure. Finally, it concludes with concealment, so the locust plague will eventually be controlled and will not become a great disaster.

甲戌年亥月戊午日寅將戌時友人於燈下射覆。　牧夫占驗

In the year Jiaxu, month Hai, on the day Wuwu, using the Month General 'Yin' placed on the Xu hour to cast a divination, friends were playing a game called 'Shexu' by guessing what was covered. This case is from 'Mu Fu Zhan Yan'.

朱合勾龍／酉戌亥子　虎合空朱　鬼 甲寅 虎／蛇申　丑空　寅戌丑酉　父 戊午 後／貴未　寅虎　戌午酉戊　兄 壬戌 合／午巳辰卯／後陰玄常

The Heaven Plate generals are: Vermilion Bird on You, Liu He on Xu, Gou Chen on Hai, Azure Dragon on Zi, Tian Kong on Chou, White Tiger on Yin, Tai Chang on Mao, Black Tortoise on Chen, Tai Yin on Si, Heavenly Empress on Wu, Nobleman on Wei, and Teng Snake on Shen. The hour of Xu belongs to night, and on a Wu day, the nobleman is in Wei, so the nobleman is on Wei. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Wu is located on Si, with You on Si, which is occupied by Vermilion Bird; You has Chou on it, which is occupied by Tian Kong; the day branch Wu has Xu on it, which is occupied by Liu He; and Xu has Yin on it, which is occupied by White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Yin, occupied by White Tiger, with the hidden stem Jiayin, representing official ghost; the middle transmission is Wu, occupied by Heavenly Empress, with the hidden stem Wwu, representing parents; the final transmission is Xu, occupied by Liu He, with the hidden stem Renxu, representing brothers. Yin, Wu, and Xu form a fire trinity, and since fire has the nature of rising upwards, the text refers to it as "Inflaming Ascending Lesson."

王牧夫曰：炎上之課，主外明而內虛。三傳帶後六，淫泆火旺，主氣當有芳香。干上酉乘朱與初傳寅合，參形為圖。午酉又當可食，其味辛苦，其色青黃。酉屬秋，成實於秋也。出之乃香櫞耳。

Wang Mufu said: This is a lesson of fire ascending, indicating something covered over, appearing bright on the outside but hollow inside. The three transmissions include Heavenly Empress and Liu He, both deities associated with licentiousness, and the fire is strong, indicating that the object should have a fragrance. The day stem is paired with You, which is governed by the Vermilion Bird, and also combines with the first transmission's Yin, forming a round and complete shape. The combination of Wu and You suggests something edible, with a pungent and bitter taste, and a color that is green with yellow. You belongs to the autumn season, indicating something matured and solidified in autumn. When taken out, it turned out to be a citron.

崇正辛未年四月己未日酉將辰時東省吏科宋太斗先生占功名。　指南

In the year Xinwei of the Chongzheng era, on the Jiwei day of the fourth month, the lesson was cast with the Month General 'You' placed on the Chen hour. Song Taodu, a scholar from the Shandong official department, consulted about his official career. This case is from the "Six Nian Guide."

蛇貴／朱戌亥子丑后　白貴虎貴　父 丁巳 虎／六酉　寅陰　巳子巳子　兄 壬戌 朱／勾申　卯玄　子未子己　鬼 乙卯 玄／龍未午巳辰常／空虎

The Heaven Plate generals are: Vermilion Bird on Xu, Teng Snake on Hai, Nobleman on Zi, Heavenly Empress on Chou, Tai Yin on Yin, Black Tortoise on Mao, Tai Chang on Chen, White Tiger on Si, Tian Kong on Wu, Azure Dragon on Wei, Gou Chen on Shen, and Liu He on You. The hour of Chen belongs to the day, and on a Ji day, the daytime nobleman is on Zi, so the Nobleman is on Zi. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem Ji is in the Lodging Palace on Wei, and on Wei there is Zi with the Nobleman; on Zi there is Si with the White Tiger; the Day Branch Wei also has Zi with the Nobleman; on Zi there is Si with the White Tiger — the 'White' marked in the four lessons refers to the White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si with the White Tiger, hidden stem Dingsi, Si fire generates Ji earth, representing parents; the middle transmission is Xu with the Vermilion Bird, hidden stem Renxu, representing brothers; the final transmission is Mao with the Black Tortoise, hidden stem Yimao, Mao wood overcomes Ji earth, representing official ghosts.

陳公獻曰：四月內定轉長垣，居官難以久任。蓋因月建虎馬發用，其力更見雄矣。又鑄印乘軒定應遷轉。但嫌貴臨空害，故難久任耳。果隨轉吏長垣，後因提武場事，降大行。

Chen Gongxian said: Within four months, he would certainly be transferred to Changyuan, but this official position would not last long. Because the month builder of that month was accompanied by the White Tiger and the Post-horse in the initiating transmission, its power was especially strong; the lesson pattern belonged to "Casting the Seal and Riding the State Coach," where casting the seal indicates appointment to office, and riding the state coach indicates promotion. Therefore, it was certain that there would be a transfer. However, the Nobleman was located in the旬空 and suffered from punishment and harm, so he would not stay in the position for long. Later, he indeed was transferred to Changyuan to take up an official post; afterwards, because of his involvement in the military examination, he was demoted to the position of Da Xing.

崇正辛巳年十月己未日癸酉時，東省莘縣孫興功父師仕揚刻文時占功名。　指南

In the year Xinsi of the Chongzheng era, on the Jiwei day of the tenth lunar month, at the Guiyou hour, Sun Xinggong from Shenyang County, Shandong, consulted about his official career while engraving manuscripts. This case is recorded in the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan".

蛇貴／朱戌亥子丑后　虎貴虎貴　父 丁巳 虎／六酉　寅陰　巳子巳子　兄 壬戌 朱／勾申　卯玄　子未子己　鬼 乙卯 陰／龍未午巳辰常／空虎

This case has the same divination chart as the previous one: the Vermilion Bird is on戌, the Teng Snake on亥, the Nobleman on子, the Heavenly Empress on丑, the Tai Yin on寅, the Black Tortoise on卯, the Tai Chang on辰, the White Tiger on巳, the Tian Kong on午, the Azure Dragon on未, the Gou Chen on申, and the Liu He on酉. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem is Ji, which is associated with未, and on未 there is子, which is occupied by the Nobleman; on子 there is巳, which is occupied by the White Tiger; the day branch is未, which has子, occupied by the Nobleman; on子 there is巳, occupied by the White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is巳, occupied by the White Tiger, with the hidden stem Ding巳, representing parents; the middle transmission is戌, occupied by the Vermilion Bird, with the hidden stem Ren戌, representing siblings; the final transmission is卯, with the hidden stem Yi卯, where卯 wood overcomes己 earth, representing official ghosts. The heavenly general at the final transmission is marked as Tai Yin here, differing from the previous case where it was the Black Tortoise; the divination is made at the time of Guiyou, so according to the rule, the night nobleman for Ji day should be申, but the chart still shows the day nobleman at子, as it appears in the source text and has not been altered.

陳公獻曰：仲冬月令必有起官之徵。曰：何以見之？干上貴人雖空，幸乘進氣，交仲冬子水司令，填實旬空矣。且喜虎馬丁神發用，作歲君生日，又四墓覆生，已廢復興之象。起官何疑？後果然。凡有官君子得此，定主遷官轉職，面君奏事。次年冬，推補兵部車駕司。

Chen Gongxian said: In the month of the eleventh lunar month, there must be signs of regaining official status. Someone asked: How do you know this? The answer was: Although the nobleman above the day stem falls into the旬空, it is fortunate that it is ascending; when it reaches the middle winter, the water of zi will be in command, filling the旬空. Moreover, it is pleasing that the white tiger, the post-horse, and the ding god all initiate transmission, acting as the heavenly stem to beget the day stem. In addition, the four graves repeatedly generate each other, which is exactly the appearance of something that has been abandoned and now rises again. How can there be any doubt about regaining official status? Later, it indeed happened. Anyone who has an official position and receives such a lesson will certainly be promoted and transferred, and be able to present matters to the emperor. In the following winter, he was indeed recommended and appointed to the position of the carriage department in the ministry of war.

崇正己巳年正月己未日午時閩中張少司空維樞索占來意。　指南／愚按：正月己未是正月初三日，何故仍用丑將？年月必定有一錯。

In the year Jisi of the Chongzheng era, on the third day of the first lunar month, on the day Jiwei at the hour of Wu, Zhang Weishu, the junior minister of Fujian, asked Chen Gongxian to cast a divination lesson, requesting him to first state his purpose for coming. This case is from the "Six Rats Guide." Cheng Shuxun's commentary says: In this year's first lunar month, the day Jiwei was indeed the third day of the first month. So why is the lesson still cast with the general of Chou? Among the year and the month, there must be an error in one of them.

後陰／貴子丑寅卯玄　六陰六陰　子 辛酉 六／蛇亥　辰常　酉寅酉寅　兄 丙辰 常／朱戌　巳虎　寅未寅己　財 癸亥 蛇／六酉申未午空／勾龍

The Heaven Plate generals are: Nobleman rides Zi, Heavenly Empress rides Chou, Tai Yin rides Yin, Black Tortoise rides Mao, Tai Chang rides Chen, White Tiger rides Si, Tian Kong rides Wu, Azure Dragon rides Wei, Gou Chen rides Shen, Liu He rides You, Vermilion Bird rides Xu, Teng Snake rides Hai. The time of Wu is daytime, and on Ji day, the daytime nobleman is at Zi, so the Nobleman is at Zi. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Ji is located at Wei, and at Wei there is Yin riding Tai Yin; at Yin there is You riding Liu He; the day branch Wei has Yin riding Tai Yin; at Yin there is You riding Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission You riding Liu He, hidden stem Xinyou, Ji earth generates metal, which is descendants; the middle transmission Chen riding Tai Chang, hidden stem Bingchen, which is brothers; the final transmission Hai riding Teng Snake, hidden stem Guihai, Ji earth controls water, which is wife and wealth.

陳公獻曰：正時勝光，值事天空，此為章奏占。曰：吉凶若何？余曰：四課克下，名為無祿，況貴乘旬空，龍神克下，主在上者不足，輕則降罰，重則削權。又財官祿馬俱入墓絕之鄉，急流勇退為佳，否則必有意外之虞。曰：上書旨意如何？余曰：朱雀乘天喜，陰神見天馬，還得好旨歸里，後唯冠帶閒住，回家未久仙遊矣。

Chen Gongxian said: The main hour is Wu, which is called "Shengguang." The ruling deity is also Tian Kong, indicating that the matter is about presenting a memorial to the superior. Zhang Gong asked: Is it auspicious or inauspicious? I said: All four lessons are ruled by superior deities that overcome inferior ones, which is called "no fortune." Moreover, the Nobleman is riding on the旬空, and the Azure Dragon deity also overcomes the inferior, indicating that the person in authority lacks strength. Lightly, he may be demoted or punished; severely, he may lose his power. Furthermore, the wife's wealth, official stars, fortune deity, and the post-horse all fall into the墓绝, so it is better to retire promptly. Otherwise, there will surely be unexpected troubles. He then asked: What will happen after submitting the memorial? I said: The Vermilion Bird is riding on Heavenly Joy, and the hidden deity shows the Heavenly Horse, so he may receive a good imperial decree and return home. Later, he only ended up wearing the Capping and living in retirement at home, and died not long after returning to his hometown.

崇正丁丑年六月己未日午將戌時浣中劉允平太史占會推浣撫成否，日後結局如何。指南

In the year Dingchou of the Chongzheng era, on the Jiwei day of the sixth lunar month, the class of the month was 'wu', which was placed on the戌 hour to cast the divination. Liu Yunping, a high-ranking official, asked whether the court would appoint a governor for the Huan area, and what the outcome would be. This case is recorded in the "Lunin Zhi Nan".

朱六／蛇丑寅卯辰勾　后六后六　鬼 乙卯 六／貴子　巳龍　亥卯亥卯　財 癸亥 後／後亥　午空　卯未卯己　比 己未 虎／陰戌酉申未虎／玄常

The Heaven Plate generals are: Teng Snake on Chou, Vermilion Bird on Yin, Liu He on Mao, Gou Chen on Chen, Azure Dragon on Si, Tian Kong on Wu, White Tiger on Wei, Tai Chang on Shen, Black Tortoise on You, Tai Yin on Xu, Heavenly Empress on Hai, and Nobleman on Zi. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Ji is associated with Wei, and Wei has Mao with Liu He; Mao has Hai with Heavenly Empress. The day branch Wei has Mao with Liu He; Mao has Hai with Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Mao with Liu He, hidden stem Yimao, with Mao wood overcoming Ji earth, representing official ghost; the middle transmission is Hai with Heavenly Empress, hidden stem Guihai, representing wife wealth; the final transmission is Wei with White Tiger, hidden stem Jiwei, which is the same as the day stem, representing companion. Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wood trinity, with official star concluding, which is the basis for the later statement "will surely succeed."

陳公獻曰：目今會推必遂，但結局不佳耳。蓋因用合干支，傳成官局，推升必矣。但干支死傷喪吊全逢，又貴履天羅，斗繫日本，且行年酉金沖破官局，未受大有不如意事，若出兵擊賊，必有被圍失利也。其後流賊犯界，統副將程龍、潘可大敵之，全軍覆沒。己卯歲撫軍丁艱而歸。

Chen Gongxian said: This current divination definitely indicates success, but the ending is not favorable. Because the initiating transmission is in harmony with the day stem and day branch, and the three transmissions form an official star pattern, promotion is certain. However, the death deity, injury deity, mourning-and-condolence spirit, and guest deity are all present, and the nobleman is standing on the heavenly net. The combat deity is tied to the day stem's original position; in addition, the year's酉 metal clashes with the wooden official pattern, so before taking office, there are many things that go against expectations. If an army were to attack bandits, it would certainly be surrounded and suffer defeat. Later, when the bandits invaded the territory, he led the deputy general Cheng Long and Pan Ke Da to resist, but the entire army was destroyed. In the year of Jimao, this military governor resigned and returned home due to the mourning of his parents.

崇正辛巳年十二月己未日丑將巳時為繡衣馬公惕中占陳留縣城。　郭氏占案

In the year Xinsi of the Chongzheng era, on the day Jiwei of the twelfth lunar month, using the Month General 'Chou' placed on the Si hour to cast the divination, I divined for Ma Tizhonggong, the Inspector of the Imperial Court, regarding the safety of Chenliu County. This case is from the "Guo氏 Divination Cases."

朱六／蛇丑寅卯辰勾　后六后六　鬼 乙卯 六／貴子　巳龍　亥卯亥卯　財 癸亥 後／後亥　午空　卯未卯己　比 己未 虎／陰戌酉申未虎／玄常

The Heavenly Stem 丑 is placed on the巳 hour, and this is the same as the previous case where the午 Stem is placed on the戌 hour, both being a Heavenly Plate movement of eight positions forward. Therefore, the divination chart is exactly the same: Teng Snake is on 丑, Vermilion Bird on 寅, Liu He on 卯, Gou Chen on 辰, Azure Dragon on 巳, Tian Kong on 午, White Tiger on 未, Tai Chang on 申, Black Tortoise on 酉, Tai Yin on 戌, Heavenly Empress on 亥, and Nobleman on 子. The巳 hour is during the day, and on a己 day, the daytime Nobleman is on 子, which matches the chart. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem 己 is associated with 未, and 未 has 卯 with Liu He; 卯 has 亥 with Heavenly Empress. The Day Branch 未 has 卯 with Liu He; 卯 has 亥 with Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 卯 with Liu He, hidden stem Yimao, where 卯 wood overcomes 己 earth, representing official ghost; the middle transmission is 亥 with Heavenly Empress, hidden stem Guihai, representing wife wealth; the final transmission is 未 with White Tiger, hidden stem Jiwei, representing companion. The combination of 亥, 卯, and 未 forms a wood trinity, with wood overcoming the self. The same divination chart, previously used to inquire about promotion, is now used to inquire about the safety of a city, and thus the fortune and misfortune are completely reversed.

郭御青曰：此課木局克身又支干皆逢死氣與許州課同（見壬辰日干上辰），卯為喪門又為死神，引中傳天后入墓，主妻財受驚，大凶之課。為馬公屢言之勿令渡河，公不聽，抵家即遇賊至，家口遂多喪失，較之王公肯聽餘言，吉凶天壤，始信，人生禍福，一定者也。

Guo Yuqing said: In this lesson, the three transmissions form a wooden structure that overcomes the self, and both the day stem and day branch encounter death qi, which is the same as the previous lesson on the Renchen day "dry above Chen" (see entry on Renchen day "dry above Chen"). The卯 is both the mourning-and-condolence spirit and the death deity, leading the middle transmission's heavenly empress into the grave, indicating that both wife and property will be disturbed, which is a major凶 lesson. For this reason, I repeatedly advised Ma Gong not to cross the river, but Ma Gong did not listen. When he returned home, he encountered bandits attacking, resulting in many casualties among his family. Compared to Wang Gong, who listened to my advice, the fortune of the two cases is as different as heaven and earth. At this point, I finally believed that the misfortunes and blessings of life are predetermined.

八月己未日辰將午時卦名八專，占來意。　一字訣玉連環

On the Jiwei day of the eighth month, using the Month General 'Chen' placed on the Wu hour to cast a divination, the name of the lesson is 'Ba Zhuang'. The question is about the purpose of the person's visit. This case is from 'Yi Zhe Ju Yulanhuan'.

合勾龍空／卯辰巳午　合龍合龍　兄 ◎丑 蛇／朱寅　未虎　卯巳卯巳　父 丁巳 龍／蛇丑　申常　巳未巳己　父 丁巳 龍／子亥戌酉／貴后陰玄

The Heaven Plate generals are: Liu He on Mao, Gou Chen on Chen, Azure Dragon on Si, Tian Kong on Wu, White Tiger on Wei, Tai Chang on Shen, Black Tortoise on You, Tai Yin on Xu, Heavenly Empress on Hai, Nobleman on Zi, Teng Snake on Chou, and Vermilion Bird on Yin. The time of Wu is daytime, and on Ji day, the daytime nobleman is on Zi, so the Nobleman is on Zi. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Ji is in Wei, and on Wei, Si is occupied by Azure Dragon; on Si, Mao is occupied by Liu He; the day branch Wei is also occupied by Si with Azure Dragon; on Si, Mao is occupied by Liu He — the day stem and day branch are in the same palace, so the four lessons form only two lessons, hence the lesson is called "Eight Specials." The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Chou with Teng Snake, and on Ji Wei day, which belongs to Jiayin cycle, the Zi Chou cycle is empty, so it is marked "◎." The earth Chou and the day stem Ji are of the same type, thus they are brothers; the middle and final transmissions are both Si with Azure Dragon, and the hidden stem is Ding Si. The fire Si generates the earth Ji, thus they are parents.

徐次賓曰：來意主與南面屬馬婦人來往事敗露，內有一姓孫人，嚇詐驚恐，壞錢十一貫文，至庚申日即無事也。午時為日干六合，卦名八專，主淫亂。午屬馬，為南方也。何知事敗露？緣日上見太乙，得青龍木將上日為鬼故也。發用大吉主姓孫，上乘騰蛇主驚恐。何知壞錢十一貫？緣日上青龍主財帛七數，太乙為四數，共十一數也。庚申日無事者，蓋青龍木鬼死絕於申，又為庚金所克，又申上得天空，故知庚申無事也。

Xu Cibin said: The person's intention is that he has been communicating with a woman who is from the south and belongs to the horse sign, and the matter has been exposed. There is a person surnamed Sun who has threatened and deceived him, causing him to be frightened and anxious, and he has spent eleven guan of money. It will be fine on the day of Gengshen. Why is this so? When the divination was made, the hour and the day stem formed a六合, and the name of the divination is "Ba Zuan." Ba Zuan usually indicates licentiousness. The hour is the horse sign, and the direction is the south, so it is said that the woman is from the south and belongs to the horse. How do we know the matter has been exposed? Because the day stem has the Taiyi at Si, and the Si position has the Azure Dragon, which is a wood general, and it is the official ghost. The initial transmission is the Chou position named "Daji," which indicates the surname Sun. The Chou position is occupied by the Teng Snake, which indicates fear and alarm, so there is a person surnamed Sun who has threatened and deceived. How do we know he spent eleven guan? Because the Azure Dragon on the day stem indicates wealth, and its number is seven. The number of Taiyi is four, and together they make eleven. As for why it will be fine on the day of Gengshen, it is because the Azure Dragon is wood and also the official ghost, and wood is dead in the position of Shen. The metal Geng in Shen will overcome the wood. Moreover, the position of Shen has Tian Kong, which indicates emptiness, so it is concluded that on the day of Gengshen, everything will be fine.

元祐六年六月初二日在楚州天慶觀道士費知祥，年四十二歲云夜夢不吉，卜之。己未日未將未時伏吟。　玉連環末卷　一針見血

In the second day of the sixth month of the sixth year of Yuanyou, a Daoist named Fei Zhixiang from the Tianqing Guan in Chu State, aged forty-two, had a dream that was considered inauspicious at night, and he asked someone to divinate. This day was Jiwei day. Using the Month General 'Wei' placed on the Wei hour to cast the divination, the hour and the time were in the same position, forming a Hidden Chant lesson. This case is recorded in the last volume of Yu Lianhuan and also in Yizhen Jianxue.

龍空虎常／巳午未申　虎虎虎虎　兄 己未 虎／勾辰　酉玄　未未未未　兄 ◎丑 蛇／合卯　戌陰　未未未己　兄 壬戌 陰／寅丑子亥／朱蛇貴後

The Heaven Plate generals are: Azure Dragon on Si, Tian Kong on Wu, White Tiger on Wei, Tai Chang on Shen, Black Tortoise on You, Tai Yin on Xu, Heavenly Empress on Hai, Nobleman on Zi, Teng Snake on Chou, Vermilion Bird on Yin, Liu He on Mao, and Gou Chen on Chen. When the hour is Wei, the twelve branches return to their original positions, forming a Hidden Chant. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Ji is located on Wei, and Wei is still occupied by White Tiger; Wei is again occupied by White Tiger; the day branch on Wei is also occupied by White Tiger; Wei is still occupied by White Tiger—thus all four lessons are occupied by White Tiger on Wei, so the lesson pattern shows "White Tiger, White Tiger, White Tiger, White Tiger" in a row. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wei occupied by White Tiger, with the hidden stem Jiwei, which is the same as the day stem, making it a brother; the middle transmission is Chou occupied by Teng Snake, since the day is Jiwei and belongs to the Ji Yin cycle, and the Zi Chou cycle is empty, so it is marked "◎", and Chou earth is also a brother; the final transmission is Xu occupied by Tai Yin, with the hidden stem Renxu, which is also a brother. Wei is punished by Chou, Chou is punished by Xu, and Xu is punished by Wei, forming the three punishments, and the danger is entirely here.

劉日新曰：事起吾師，不可飲醉，今夜若聞犬吠，不可看視，恐牆崩地陷。更忌井邊行，道士以為戲耳，不復記念。至晚大醉，忽聞犬吠，驚起見本房光怪如火，恐遺漏盜賊，披衣出逃，觀中人亦皆驚起，事止，獨不見費師，人憶餘言，向井中尋之，則費師已墜井中而死矣。論曰：三傳未丑戌三刑，月日辰皆是未並，而為刃又乘白虎，故凶。費公行年又在未，故應在費公自己。未為酒，為井，故云莫飲酒、莫井邊行。又未為六丁，為天目，為光怪，中丑乘蛇受虎刑，故發聲。末戌乘陰，受蛇刑戌為犬吠。三傳墓殺，課無生意，故主死也。

Liu Rixin said: This matter should be on the master himself. Today you must not get drunk; if you hear a dog barking tonight, you must not go out to look, for there may be danger of a wall collapsing or ground sinking. It is also forbidden to walk near the well. Fei Daoist took it as a joke and turned away, forgetting about it. That night he got very drunk and suddenly heard a dog barking. He was startled and looked around, seeing a fiery light in his room, fearing that there might be a fire or a thief. He put on his clothes and ran out. Everyone in the temple was startled. After the incident, they counted the people and found Fei Daoist missing. Remembering Liu Rixin's words, they went to the well and found Fei Daoist drowned in it. The commentary says: The three transmissions are Wu, Chou, and Xu, which form the three punishments. The month builder and the day branch both align with Wu. Wu is the Yangren of Ji day and is also accompanied by the White Tiger, indicating danger. Fei's age is also Wu, so the matter fell on him. Wu represents wine and the well, so he was warned not to drink or walk near the well. Wu is also the god of the sixth Ding, which governs the heavenly eye and strange lights. The middle transmission Chou is accompanied by the Teng Snake and is punished by the White Tiger, causing the sound of a dog barking. The final transmission Xu is accompanied by Tai Yin and is punished by the Teng Snake. Xu is the dog, hence the barking. All three transmissions are墓杀 (mù shā), and there is no life qi in the entire lesson, hence the death.

乾隆甲子年六月己未日未將未時占陰晴。　牧夫占驗

In the Jiazi year of the Qianlong era, on the Jiwei day of the sixth month, the lesson was cast by placing the Month General 'Wei' on the Wei hour. The hour and its position remain the same, resulting in a Hidden Chant lesson. The divination was about whether the weather would be clear or overcast. This case is from "The Farmer's Divination Verification."

龍空虎常／巳午未申　虎虎虎虎　兄 己未 虎／勾辰　酉玄　未未未未　兄 ◎丑 蛇／合卯　戌陰　未未未己　兄 壬戌 陰／寅丑子亥／朱蛇貴後

The lesson pattern is the same as the previous case: the Azure Dragon is riding on巳, the Sky Void on午, the White Tiger on未, the Tai Chang on申, the Black Tortoise on酉, the Tai Yin on戌, the Heavenly Empress on亥, the Nobleman on子, the Teng Snake on丑, the Vermilion Bird on寅, the Liu He on卯, and the Gou Chen on辰. The hour of未 is added to the hour of未, causing the heavens and earth disks to coincide, which is a Hidden Chant. The four lessons are all on未 with the White Tiger, forming only one image. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is未 with the White Tiger, with the hidden stem Jiwei; the middle transmission is丑 with the Teng Snake, and since丑 is empty in the current cycle, it is marked 「◎」; the final transmission is戌 with the Tai Yin, with the hidden stem Renxu. All three transmissions are of the same type as the stem Ji, forming brothers, and since未 is in conflict with丑,丑 is in conflict with戌, and戌 is in conflict with未, they still form the Three Punishments. To predict weather, use未 as the wind god, and determine rain and wind based on the conflicts and punishments in the three transmissions. The following interpretation is derived from this.

王牧夫曰：天雖晴明，午後主有大風，當拔木號空。風止有小雨，雨止天陰，不久即晴朗。蓋未為風伯，踞於干支主風盈宇宙。乘虎主有力而大，故曰拔木號空。中傳丑，末傳戌相刑，土氣不和，主有小雨。太陰在末，主天陰。三傳純土制水，故不久而晴朗也。午與未合，午后陰生，故驗於午後，一一皆應。凡渡江河咸池殺亦主大風，不可不知。

Wang Mufu said: Although the sky is clear today, there will be a strong wind in the afternoon, powerful enough to uproot trees and howl across the sky. After the wind stops, there will be light rain, and after the rain stops, the sky will turn cloudy, but it will soon clear up again. This is because the earthy branch 'Wei' is the god of the wind, now occupying the position of the day stem and day branch, indicating that the wind fills the heavens and the earth. 'Wei' also combines with the White Tiger, which signifies strength and ferocity, hence the wind will uproot trees and howl. The middle transmission 'Chou' and the final transmission 'Xu' mutually injure each other, causing disharmony in the earth's energy, thus resulting in light rain. The Tai Yin is located in the final transmission, and Tai Yin signifies darkness, hence after the rain the sky turns cloudy. The three transmissions are all earth, and earth controls water, so it will soon clear up again. 'Wu' and 'Wei' are in harmony, and the yang energy begins to rise in the afternoon, hence the prediction is accurate—later events all came true. Whenever crossing rivers or lakes and encountering the killing power of Xianchi, it also indicates strong winds, a point that should not be overlooked.

昔在淮陰六月間，偶至大字店程雨宸世兄處，示以占遇返吟一數問陰晴。余曰：今日未時，西南上雲起有雷聲，風大雨大，一時而至。乃海鹽宗兄仲箎所起之數，斷以明日餘不知也。宗兄雲來日始有風雨，雨宸兄雲存以為驗。今日不驗，則來日以驗。先生一咲而起。餘歸飯後，聞雷聲，雲果起西南，風大於雨，一時而霽。諸人歎服。仲篪兄亦服。問余何以應今日？余曰：此返吟課，其應甚速。

Some time ago in June, I was in Huaiyin and偶然 visited Cheng Yuchen, a younger brother from the Da Zi Store, where he showed me a divination lesson about whether it would be sunny or rainy, using a returning verse pattern. I said: It will be this afternoon, with clouds rising from the southwest, thunder, strong winds and heavy rain, and it will clear up quickly. This lesson was originally cast by my elder brother Zongchi from Haiyan, who predicted it would happen tomorrow. At that time, I didn't know this. Zongchi said the rain and wind would come tomorrow; Cheng Yuchen said, then let's wait and see if it comes true, since it won't happen today, it will naturally happen tomorrow. Zongchi smiled and left. After I had dinner, I heard thunder and saw clouds indeed rising from the southwest, with winds stronger than the rain, and it cleared up quickly. Everyone present was impressed, and Zongchi also admitted he was convinced, and asked me why I predicted it would happen today. I said: This is a returning verse pattern, which is active and the response is very quick.

崇正丁丑年八月己未日辰時經筵講官安慶阮允平太史雲先日吳門申相公以八年講官拜相吾今亦八年枚卜若何？　指南

On the day branch Jiwei of the year Dingchou in the eighth lunar month of the Chongzheng era, Chen Gongxian cast a horoscope for Ruan Yunping, a scholar-official from Anqing who served as a court lecturer. Ruan asked, "Recently, Shen Xianggong from Wumen was appointed as prime minister based on his eight years of experience as a court lecturer. Now I have also completed eight years as a court lecturer. Will I be selected in this great imperial examination for officials?" He then requested Chen Gongxian to cast the horoscope. This case is recorded in the "Six壬 Guide."

空虎常玄／午未申酉　玄 常 玄 常　兄 己未 虎／青巳　戌陰　酉 申 酉 申　子 庚申 常／勾辰　亥后　申 未 申 己　子 庚申 常／卯寅丑子／合朱蛇貴

The Heaven Plate generals are: Tian Kong (Sky Void) rides Wu (horse), Bai Hu (White Tiger) rides Wei (goat), Tai Chang (Imperial Music Official) rides Shen (monkey), Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise) rides You (rooster), Tai Yin (Dark Yin) rides Xu (dog), Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress) rides Hai (pig), Guiren (Nobleman) rides Zi (rat), Teng Snake rides Chou (ox), Zhu Que (Vermilion Bird) rides Yin (tiger), Liu He (Six Harmonies) rides Mao (hare), Gou Chen (Hook Star) rides Chen (dragon), and Qing Long (Azure Dragon) rides Si (snake). The hour of Chen (dragon) belongs to the daytime, and on a Ji (Ji) day, the daytime nobleman is at Zi (rat), so the nobleman is at Zi (rat). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem Ji is located at Wei (goat), and at Wei (goat) there is Shen (monkey) riding Tai Chang (Imperial Music Official); at Shen (monkey) there is You (rooster) riding Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise); the day branch Wei (goat) also has Shen (monkey) riding Tai Chang (Imperial Music Official); at Shen (monkey) there is You (rooster) riding Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wei (goat) riding Bai Hu (White Tiger), the hidden stem Ji Wei (Ji Wei) is the same as the day stem and thus is a fellow, and Wei (goat) is also the Yang Ren (Sheath Blade) of Ji day; the middle and final transmissions are both Shen (monkey) riding Tai Chang (Imperial Music Official), the hidden stem Geng Shen (Geng Shen), Ji earth generates metal, which is the son and grandson. Divination for entering the cabinet and becoming prime minister places great emphasis on the official star. In this lesson, there is no official ghost throughout, but instead the fellow and sheath blade are at the initiating transmission. The conclusion below states that he will ultimately not enter the cabinet, and the root of this lies here.

陳公獻曰：太史雖有公卿推薦，恐不能也。蓋因日比虎刃自他處發用，突有秦人，任風憲兵刑之職者，不由詞館入閣；且中末干支年命俱見羅網，是秦晉梁益之人在中阻隔。又夜貴居本命，太史必賦歸來矣。後果黜。秦中薛國觀先生、蜀中劉宗伯入閣。

Chen Gongxian said: Although Ruan Taishi had the support of high officials, he might still not be appointed to the cabinet. This is because the initial transmission is a companion of the day stem Ji earth, and it is also riding on the 'Yangren' of the 'White Tiger'. Moreover, it originates from another palace, symbolizing the sudden appearance of a person from Shaanxi, who holds the position of overseeing impeachment and military and criminal affairs, not through the proper path of the Hanlin Academy. In addition, the middle and final transmissions, together with the day stem, day branch, and his own birth year, all fall into the 'Luowang' position, indicating obstruction from people from Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hanzhong, and Sichuan. Furthermore, the night nobleman is directly above his birth destiny, and since the nobleman is facing away and unwilling to support him, Taishi can only recite the 'Return to the Country' essay and return home. Later, Ruan Taishi was indeed dismissed, and the ones appointed to the cabinet were Xue Guoguan from Guanzhong and Liu Zongbo from Sichuan.

乾隆庚申年五月己未日申將未時占雲起有雨否？　牧夫占驗／空虎常玄／午未申酉　玄常玄常　兄己未虎／青巳　戌陰　酉申酉申　子庚申常／勾辰　亥后　申未申己　子庚申常／卯寅丑子／合朱蛇貴

In the year Gengshen of the Qianlong era, on the fifth month, the sixth day of the Jiwei, a divination was cast using the month general Shen placed on the Wei position for the hour of Wei. The question was whether it would rain, as the clouds had already risen. This example is taken from "The Shepherd's Divination Verification." The Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate. The heavenly generals on the Heaven Plate are: "Tian Kong" (Heavenly Void) on Wu, "Bai Hu" (White Tiger) on Wei, "Tai Chang" (Grand Music) on Shen, "Xuan Wu" (Black Tortoise) on You, "Tai Yin" (Grand Yin) on Xu, "Tian Hou" (Heavenly Empress) on Hai, "Guiren" (Nobleman) on Zi, "Teng Snake" on Chou, "Zhu Que" (Vermilion Bird) on Yin, "Liu He" (Six Harmonies) on Mao, "Gou Chen" (Hook Star) on Chen, and "Qing Long" (Azure Dragon) on Si. The hour of Wei is daytime, and since it is a Ji day, the daytime nobleman is on Zi, so the nobleman is exactly on Zi. The four lessons: the Ji earth is lodged in Wei, with Shen on Wei, riding Tai Chang, which is the first lesson; Shen has You on it, riding Xuan Wu, which is the second lesson; the day branch Wei has Shen on it, riding Tai Chang, which is the third lesson; Shen has You on it, riding Xuan Wu, which is the fourth lesson. The stem and branch are both in the Wei position, so the four lessons form only two lessons, and the lesson pattern is called "Ba Zhuang" (Eight Specials). For the "Ba Zhuang" on an odd day, the initiating transmission is obtained by counting backwards three positions from the You in the fourth lesson, which is Wei. The middle and final transmissions both take the day stem's heavenly general Shen, so the three transmissions are: initial transmission Jiwei riding Bai Hu, middle transmission Gengshen riding Tai Chang, and final transmission Gengshen riding Tai Chang.

王牧夫曰：此課主今日午後風雨雷電俱大。蓋八專為體，不辨干支，而水母重重見於其上。未為風伯，又乘白虎劫煞。卯為雷，勾陳加之。巳為電，丁神附之。是以主四者俱大也。主本日者，本日之支發動，未中有丁，主迅疾倏發。是日午後果大風雨雷電至申時止，傳中申不足故耳。再視貴登天門，龍神昇天，丙丁逢空，亦主雨之象。

Wang Mufu said: This lesson indicates that wind, rain, thunder and lightning will all be very strong in the afternoon of today. Because the lesson pattern is "Eight Specials," the heavenly stem and earthly branch are in the same palace, and they are not distinct from each other. The source of water, the metal of Shen, is heavily overlaid on top. "Wei" is the dwelling place of the wind god, and it is also accompanied by the White Tiger and "Jiesha," so the wind is strong. "Mao" governs thunder, and Gou Chen is added upon it, so thunder is loud. "Si" governs lightning, and the "Ding spirit" of the ten-day cycle is attached there, so lightning flashes. Therefore, all four elements are strong. The judgment is made for the same day rather than postponed to later days, because the movement is exactly the day's earthly branch. "Wei" contains the "Ding spirit," which governs rapid movement, so it comes quickly and suddenly. Indeed, in the afternoon of that day, there was a great wind and heavy rain, thunder and lightning, until the hour of Shen did it stop, which is because the Shen energy in the three transmissions has already become insufficient. Also, the nobleman's accompanying spirit is located at the earth plate position of Hai, which is "the nobleman ascending the heavenly gate"; the Azure Dragon also rises together; the two spirits of Bing and Ding also meet Kongwang, all of which are signs indicating rain.

建炎己酉年九月己未日卯將寅時顧孔目甲子生四十六歲占終身。　方本占案／蛇貴／朱午未申酉後／六巳　戌陰　后貴后貴　兄己未蛇／陳辰　亥玄　酉申酉申　子庚申貴／龍卯寅丑子常　申未申己　子庚申貴／空虎

In the Jiayou year of the Southern Song dynasty, during the ninth month of the Jiyou year, on the Jiwei day, a divination was cast using the month general of卯 (Mao) placed on the寅 (Yin) hour. The person being divined, Gu Kongmu, was born in the Jiazi year and was forty-six years old, seeking to know the fortune and misfortune of his entire life. This case is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The寅 (Yin) hour belongs to the night, and for the Ji day, the night nobleman is located at申 (Shen), so the nobleman is at申 (Shen). The heavenly generals of the heaven plate are: the Vermilion Bird is at午 (Wu), the Teng Snake is at未 (Wei), the nobleman is at申 (Shen), the Heavenly Empress is at酉 (You), the Tai Yin is at戌 (Xu), the Black Tortoise is at亥 (Hai), the Tai Chang is at子 (Zi), the White Tiger is at丑 (Chou), the Tian Kong is at寅 (Yin), the Azure Dragon is at卯 (Mao), the Gou Chen is at辰 (Chen), and the Liu He is at巳 (Si). The four lessons: the Ji earth is lodged in the宫 of Wei, and at Wei, it is乘 by Shen and the nobleman, forming the first lesson; at Shen, it is乘 by You and the Heavenly Empress, forming the second lesson; the day branch at Wei is乘 by Shen and the nobleman, forming the third lesson; at Shen, it is乘 by You and the Heavenly Empress, forming the fourth lesson. The heavenly stem and earthly branch are in the same palace, so it remains an "Ba Zhuang" lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Jiwei乘 by Teng Snake, the middle transmission is Gengshen乘 by the nobleman, and the final transmission is Gengshen乘 by the nobleman. Wei is the Yangren of Ji earth, and Shen is the growth of Ji earth, with one凶 and one吉 appearing together, and the entire divination commentary arises from here.

邵彥和曰：己去就祿，便就上作初傳，若貴人相委財賦，須是仔細，不得走作財物，及非理飲酒，與親戚婦人交往，交主杖責，杖責了卻得垂顧帶去，終有名目相呼，此長生貴人垂顧之力也。顧緣初太守委提點財賦，後用官錢失檢，杖八十，月餘又與婦人在酒店飲酒，被仇人翁中達理論，太守勘無贓，杖一百，又二月鄭仕郎上任，顧甚得龐，遂成家計，得本州島參軍，後隨鄭去五年，大得意歸。

Shao Yanhe said: The official of the earth element Ji is in the position of Wu. But in this divination, the first transmission is taken from the palace of the day stem's lodgment at Wei, which is exactly the Yangren of Ji earth. If a nobleman entrusts you with the management of money, grain, and wealth, you must be especially careful: first, you must not lose or move the property, second, you must not drink without cause, third, you must not associate with the women of relatives' families. If you involve yourself in any of these three, you will be beaten with a stick. However, after being beaten, you will still receive the care and support of your superior, and eventually attain an official title that matches your status. This is the superior outcome of the growth phase, supported by the nobleman's favor and care. Gu Kongmu was initially assigned by the prefect to oversee financial matters. Later, he misused official funds and was beaten with eighty strokes. After more than a month, he drank with a woman in a tavern and was reported by his enemy Wang Zhongda. The prefect investigated and found no embezzlement, but still beat him with one hundred strokes. Two months later, Zheng Shilang took office, and Gu was greatly favored. Thus, he established his own property and was appointed as a military officer of the state. Later, he followed Zheng outside for five years and returned with great success.

蓋己祿在午，刃在未作蛇，主非橫得罪，未為眷屬酒漿，蛇主棒，故見之，且不合在初傳也。中末皆長生貴人，可以立身。鄭貪賄，顧與他經畫，因得意。蓋土生金，申又作貴，為日長生，中末皆是故以此終。

This is because the earth element Ji is prosperous in Wu, and the Yangren is in Wei, which is also occupied by Teng Snake, indicating a crime caused by an unexpected incident. Wei also signifies family members and alcohol, while Teng Snake represents sticks and rods, so these matters are all fulfilled one by one. Moreover, the Yangren is precisely in the position of the first transmission and initiating transmission. The middle and final transmissions are both on the Longsheng, supported by the Nobleman, so one can still maintain stability. Zheng obtained benefits through bribery, and Gu Kongmu planned and handled it for him, hence his success. Earth can generate metal, and Shen, being the Nobleman, is also the Longsheng of Ji day. Both the middle and final transmissions are on Shen, so the ultimate outcome of his life is determined by this.

乾隆甲戌年亥月己未日寅將丑時，辛未人六十四歲占失賊。　牧夫占驗／朱蛇貴後／午未申酉　后貴后貴　兄己未蛇／合巳　戌陰　酉申酉申　子庚申貴／勾辰　亥玄　申未申己　子庚申貴／卯寅丑子／青空虎常

In the year Jiaxu of the Qianlong era, during the亥 month, Jiwei day, a person born in the year Xinwei, aged sixty-four, came to consult about a theft. This case is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The time of丑 is night, and the night nobleman is at申. The heavenly generals on the heaven plate are: "Vermilion Bird" at午, "Teng Snake" at未, "Nobleman" at申, "Heavenly Empress" at酉, "Tai Yin" at戌, "Black Tortoise" at亥, "Tai Chang" at子, "White Tiger" at丑, "Heavenly Void" at寅, "Azure Dragon" at卯, "Gou Chen" at辰, and "Liu He" at巳. The four lessons are: the earth element Ji is lodged in未, and at未, it is申 with the nobleman, as the first lesson; at申, it is酉 with the heavenly empress, as the second lesson; the day branch at未 is申 with the nobleman, as the third lesson; and at申, it is酉 with the heavenly empress, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Jiwei with Teng Snake, the middle transmission is Gengshen with the nobleman, and the final transmission is Gengshen with the nobleman, which is still the "Eight Special" lesson where the heavenly stem and earthly branch are in the same palace. In divination for theft, the Black Tortoise represents the thief. In this lesson, the Black Tortoise is at亥, and the heaven plate's亥 is exactly at the earth plate's戌 position. This is the key point for inferring the thief's age, number, and the direction where the stolen goods are hidden.

王牧夫曰：八專之課，干支不別，一派寒金，自身又作螣蛇，事由自己疏懶致有此也。財失五百金，必非一人。以玄武論之，乘亥，陰見子，乃少年也。亥數四，當主四人。玄武臨戌，當在西北近水之地。子乘太常，勾陳制之；太陽之陰，又與相刑，告官必為捕役所獲。果於辛酉日因包課之布為認記，因是而獲。同夥者共四人。

Wang Mufu said: This is a "Ba Zuan" divination, where the heavenly stem and earthly branch are not distinguished from each other. The three transmissions are all cold and metallic, and the person who lost the money is riding on the Teng Snake, indicating that the loss was caused by his own negligence. The lost silver amounted to five hundred taels, and the person who took it was certainly not alone. Looking at the Xuanwu: Xuanwu is riding on亥, whose hidden spirit is子, which represents youth, indicating that the thief is a young person. The number of亥 is four, so there are four thieves. The亥 of Xuanwu falls on the earth plate's戌 position, so the stolen goods should be located in the northwest near water.子 is riding on Tai Chang, and Gou Chen is restraining it; the Sun's hidden spirit is in conflict with it, so if the authorities are reported, the thief will certainly be captured. Later, on the Xinyou day, the thief was captured because there was a recognizable mark on the cloth covering the goods, and the accomplices were exactly four in number.

建炎戊申年八月己未日巳將卯時何解元癸酉生三十六歲占子嗣。　口鑑　捷要　方本占案／陳六／龍未申酉戌朱／空午　亥蛇　蛇六蛇六　子辛酉六／虎巳　子貴　亥酉亥酉　子辛酉六／常辰卯寅丑后　酉未酉己　子辛酉六／玄陰

In the year Wushen of the Southern Song dynasty, during the eighth month and the day Jiwei, a divination was cast using the month general Si placed on the卯 hour. This case is found in the texts "Kou Jian," "Jie Yao," and "Fang Ben Zhan An." The Heaven Plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each position are: "Qinglong" (Azure Dragon) at Wei, "Gou Chen" (Hook Star) at Shen, "Liu He" (Six Harmonies) at You, "Zhu Que" (Vermilion Bird) at Xu, "Teng Snake" at Hai, "Nobleman" at Zi, "Heavenly Empress" at Chou, "Tai Yin" at Yin, "Xuan Wu" (Black Tortoise) at Mao, "Tai Chang" at Chen, "Bai Hu" (White Tiger) at Si, and "Tian Kong" (Heavenly Void) at Wu. The four lessons are: Ji Tu (Earth) is lodged in Wei, with You and the Six Harmonies, forming the first lesson; You has Hai and Teng Snake, forming the second lesson; the day branch Wei has You and the Six Harmonies, forming the third lesson; and You has Hai and Teng Snake, forming the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are all Xinyou with the Six Harmonies, and the only deity involved in the three transmissions is the Six Harmonies. The lesson pattern is called "Du Zu" (Single Foot). You belongs to the trigram Dui (Lake), which represents a young woman, and the Six Harmonies also relate to female marriage, which is the basis for the conclusion that "there will be five daughters."

邵彥和曰：課名獨足，若傳飛散，便不應也。何兄此占，當有五女，若要得子，除非過房。行年在丑，酉為六合，而沖卯之玄武，畢竟男胎不成也。本身有腸風痔病，乃好色得之，不利成名，成名則不過四十八矣。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination is called "Duzu" or "Single Foot." If the three transmissions scatter and do not converge, the divination will not come true; now that the three transmissions have merged into one, it will certainly come true. For this divination, the person will have five daughters in the future; if he wishes to have a son, he must adopt one. His age is in the Chou branch, which is in harmony with You, and You conflicts with the Mao branch where the Black Tortoise is located. Thus, a male child will not be formed. He himself also suffers from a condition of intestinal wind and hemorrhoids, which is caused by excessive indulgence in lust. In terms of official rank, he will not be successful. Even if he manages to achieve fame, his lifespan will not exceed forty-eight years.

蓋身宅三傳俱是酉，酉為兌，兌為少女，六合乘酉，亦是女，三傳日辰俱見酉，故主五女也。行年上見卯，為震，為長男，酉來合丑，而卯相沖，上見玄武盜耗，所以不成胎也。酉金為大腸，又酉為血，故為腸風臟毒也。酉為脫氣，又為色慾，六合為女，故主好色也。酉六未八，乃六八四十八也。

This is because both the person and the residence, along with the three transmissions, all contain the酉 (You) element. The酉 belongs to the Dui trigram in the eight trigrams, which represents a young girl. The Liu He (six combinations) also uses the酉, which is an image of a woman. Since the three transmissions, the day stem, and the day branch all contain the酉, it is determined that there will be five daughters. The year pillar shows the卯 (Mao), which belongs to the Zhen trigram, representing a young son. The酉 combines with the丑 (Chou) and conflicts with the卯. Additionally, the卯 is occupied by the Xuanwu (Black Tortoise), which signifies theft and wastefulness, so the male fetus cannot take form. The metal of酉 corresponds to the large intestine in the human body, and酉 also governs blood, so there is a condition of hemorrhoids and internal sores. The酉 is a spirit that disperses energy and also relates to sexual desire, while Liu He governs women, so it is determined that he has a strong desire for women. The number of酉 is six, and the number of 未 (Wei) is eight. Six multiplied by eight equals forty-eight, which is the reason for the lifespan.

張世南同日時得此課占訟。　口鑑　直指／陳六／龍未申酉戌朱／空午　亥蛇　蛇六蛇六　子辛酉六／虎巳　子貴　亥酉亥酉　子辛酉六／常辰卯寅丑后　酉未酉己　子辛酉六／玄陰

Zhang Shinan cast this divination lesson on the same day and hour to predict a lawsuit, an example found in "Kou Jian" and "Zhi Zhi." The lesson format is exactly the same as the previous example: the heavenly generals of the heavenly plate are "Qinglong" on Wei, "Gou Chen" on Shen, "Liu He" on You, "Zhu Que" on Xu, "Teng Snake" on Hai, "Nobleman" on Zi, "Heavenly Empress" on Chou, "Tai Yin" on Yin, "Xuan Wu" on Mao, "Tai Chang" on Chen, "Bai Hu" on Si, and "Tian Kong" on Wu. The four lessons remain the same: Ji Earth is in Wei with You on Wei, which is occupied by Liu He; You has Hai, which is occupied by Teng Snake; the day branch Wei has You, which is occupied by Liu He; You has Hai, which is occupied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions remain the same, with three instances of Xinyou occupied by Liu He, forming a "Du Zu" lesson. "Du Zu" means having only one foot, with no way to move in either direction. The interpretation for a lawsuit is derived from this characteristic.

邵彥和曰：兩邊行不得，只好從中自後行。若兩邊爭時不知寧息，公潛地用轎自走去地頭。定解，果如其說。直指引口鑑云：兩邊俱不得力，官當自行，干貴無益，後果縣宰潛往定驗矣。

Shao Yanhe said: If both sides are blocked and cannot proceed, one should personally go back through the middle. If both sides continue to quarrel without stopping, one should secretly hire a sedan chair and personally go to the place where the incident occurred, and the matter will naturally be resolved. Later, it indeed turned out as he had said. The "Zhi Zhi" cites the "Kou Jian" which says: When neither side can be relied upon, the official in charge should personally go to deal with the matter; seeking help from the nobleman is of no benefit. Later, the county magistrate indeed secretly went there and settled the matter, verifying this judgment.

二月己未日亥將酉時張克用商人占遠方買賣。　口鑑　捷要／陳六／龍未申酉戌朱／空午　亥蛇　蛇六蛇六　子辛酉六／虎巳　子貴　亥酉亥酉　子辛酉六／常辰卯寅丑后　酉未酉己　子辛酉六／玄陰

In the second month on the Jiwei day, using the month general亥 placed on the You hour to cast the divination, merchant Zhang Ke asked about business ventures in distant lands. This example is found in the "Kou Jian" and "Jie Yao." The resulting divination pattern is the same as the previous two examples: "Qinglong" is on Wei, "Gou Chen" is on Shen, "Liu He" is on You, "Zhu Que" is on Xu, "Teng Snake" is on Hai, "Nobleman" is on Zi, "Heavenly Empress" is on Chou, "Tai Yin" is on Yin, "Xuan Wu" is on Mao, "Tai Chang" is on Chen, "Bai Hu" is on Si, and "Tian Kong" is on Wu. The four lessons are Ji soil residing on Wei with You on Wei multiplied by Liu He, and You on You with Hai on You multiplied by Teng Snake; the day branch on Wei has You multiplied by Liu He, and You on You has Hai multiplied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions consist of three instances of Xinyou multiplied by Liu He, forming a "Du Zu" pattern. The merchant asked whether he should travel by water or by land, and the interpretation was drawn from the hexagram of You and the physical symbol of Liu He.

邵彥和曰：酉為兌，兌為澤，六合為船隻，利船行。獨足止一足，不利陸行，若船行獲加倍得利。

Shao Yanhe said: You belongs to the trigram Dui in the Eight Trigrams, Dui represents a great marsh and water, and Liu He also governs boats and ships, so it is suitable to travel by water. The "Duzu" divination indicates only one foot, making land travel difficult; if goods are transported by boat instead, double profit can be obtained.

杭州學橋水漲，太尉重起府門及造賃屋房廊請陳相干天民占問己未日戌將申時辛亥命。　一針見血　張本作邵彥和占／陳六／龍未申酉戌朱／空午　亥蛇　蛇六蛇六　子辛酉六／虎巳　子貴　亥酉亥酉　子辛酉六／常辰卯寅丑后　酉未酉己　子辛酉六／玄陰

A big flood occurred in the Xueqiao area of Hangzhou. The Grand Minister wanted to rebuild the official gate and construct rental houses and corridors, so he consulted Chen Guan Tianmin. The date was Jiwei, with the Month General Wu placed on Shen time. The Grand Minister's birth year was Xinhai. This example is from "Yizhen Jianxue," but Zhang Ben records it as Shao Yanhe's divination. The class structure is the same as in previous examples: "Qinglong" is in Wei, "Gouchen" in Shen, "Liuhe" in You, "Zhuque" in Xu, "Tengshe" in Hai, "Guiren" in Zi, "Tianhou" in Chou, "Taiyin" in Yin, "Xuanwu" in Mao, "Taichang" in Chen, "Baihu" in Si, and "Tiankong" in Wu. The four lessons are Ji soil residing in Wei, with You on Wei multiplied by Liuhe; Hai on You multiplied by Tengshe; and the day branch Wei has You multiplied by Liuhe, and Hai on You multiplied by Tengshe. The three transmissions are three times Xinyou multiplied by Liuhe, forming a "Duzu" class. For someone born in the year of Xin, You is their official position and prosperity, so three times You indicates three times official position and prosperity, which is the key to the subsequent judgment of first predicting wealth and honor, then decline.

陳天民曰：獨足課，即亥酉未，辛命得三個酉是三重天祿，三重帝旺，主富貴兩全，官至一品。依朝廷之威勢起造昌盛，尚有三十年大發，太尉大喜。天民退而告人曰：此獨足課，課既不足，傳又不行，終無百年久遠。將來太尉歿後，命既不存，祿旺何在？恐其子孫不肖犯法，此屋沒入官矣。果然。

Chen Tianmin said: This is a "Duzu" lesson. Following the sequence of Hai, You, and Wei, a person born in the Xin year receives three You, which means three times the heavenly禄 (favor) and three times the prosperity (Diwang). This indicates both wealth and honor, with the official position able to reach the first rank. Relying on the imperial authority to carry out construction projects, the situation will be prosperous, and there will be a period of great fortune for another thirty years. The Taewei was very pleased. However, after Tianmin left, he told others: Although this is a "Duzu" lesson, since the lesson pattern is named "Buzu" (insufficient), and the three transmissions are stagnant and unable to flow forward, it is ultimately not a lasting fortune for a hundred years. When the Taewei dies, his year of birth will no longer exist, and where will his禄 and prosperity be attached? I fear his descendants will be unworthy and commit crimes, leading to the confiscation of these properties by the government. Later, this indeed happened.

建炎己酉年九月己未日卯將丑時陸孔目己巳生四十一歲占官事。　方本占案／貴後／蛇未申酉戌陰／朱午　亥玄　玄后玄后　子辛酉後／六巳　子常　亥酉亥酉　子辛酉後／陳辰卯寅丑虎　酉未酉己　子辛酉後／龍空

In the year Jiyou of the Southern Song dynasty, during the ninth month and Jiwei day of the Jianyan era, a divination was cast using the month general placed on the卯 (Mao) at the hour of Chou (丑). The person consulted, Lu Kongmu, was born in the year Jisi and was forty-one years old. He was asking about legal matters concerning litigation. This case is taken from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The heavenly generals governing the heavenly plate are: "Teng Snake" on Wei, "Nobleman" on Shen, "Heavenly Empress" on You, "Tai Yin" on Wei, "Black Tortoise" on Hai, "Tai Chang" on Zi, "White Tiger" on Chou, "Heavenly Void" on Yin, "Azure Dragon" on Mao, "Gou Chen" on Chen, "Liu He" on Si, and "Vermilion Bird" on Wu. The four lessons are: the earthy branch of Ji (己) is lodged in Wei, with You on Wei and governed by the Heavenly Empress, forming the first lesson; the earthy branch of You has Hai on it and is governed by the Black Tortoise, forming the second lesson; the day branch of Wei has You on it and is governed by the Heavenly Empress, forming the third lesson; and the earthy branch of You has Hai on it and is governed by the Black Tortoise, forming the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are all Xinyou governed by the Heavenly Empress, and the lesson pattern remains "Duzu." For someone born in the year Jisi, You is considered the "Shansha" (fragmentation star), and the three transmissions are all filled with You, which is key to the following interpretation.

邵彥和曰：己巳生人，見酉為破碎。今日又是巳日，未即是己，支干又皆敗於酉，酉合巳，象配字，行年便作背後懸針殺，一因奸事，二防官錢，三防酒，必配本州島。蓋獨足不行也。配後當再配西北牢城方止耳。陸漫應之，月餘太守差沽酒，渠夾帶劉宅私酒，又與二夫娘何盼盼憑照，因太守轎出，見他在麵店，太守即搜尋他事蹟，互用官錢五十多貫，及招認奸事，配本州島牢城，後即在通判廳，累與他作鬧，再與何盼盼往來，通判大怒，稟過太守，斷配潤州。

Shao Yanhe said that people born in the year of Jisi would meet the metal of You and suffer from "Shuipu Sha". Today is also the day of Ji, and Wei is the lodging palace of Ji earth. The day stem and day branch are both in You and thus suffer defeat. You and Si are in mutual relationship, and the two characters together form the character "pei". Moreover, the person's year of birth carries the "Behind Needle Sha". Therefore, one should beware of three things: first, private relationships between men and women, second, government money and grain, and third, alcohol. If any of these three are violated, he will certainly be punished by being sent to a local prison. Because the "Du Zu" lesson does not go far, he can only be dealt with locally. After being punished, he will be sent again to the prison in the northwest, and only then will the matter be settled. Lu Kongmu did not take it seriously. A month and a half later, the magistrate sent him to buy official wine, but he secretly carried private wine from Liu's family. He also had private relations with He Panpan, the wife of Liu, and left evidence. Just as the magistrate was traveling in a palanquin, he saw him in a noodle shop and immediately investigated his activities. He discovered that he had misappropriated official money over fifty guan, and after confessing to the affair, he was sent to the local prison. Later, he worked in the office of the deputy magistrate, often quarreling with others, and still had contact with He Panpan. The deputy magistrate became very angry and reported to the magistrate, who sentenced him to be sent to Runzhou.

蓋獨足課，故在本州，來歲行年加日辰之上，與日辰並聚，凡並聚者，必飛散，既飛散，必再出外方。（若何解元占子嗣課行年不加故不飛散）。兼有二巳字，豈一番可了？（不合是己巳生），酉上見亥不離西北，亥乃江海，必潤州矣。況亥為點水，酉為門，酉上見丑土，似玉字，合之成潤字也。

Because it is a "single foot" chart, the first time it can only be matched within the same state. In the following year, the year stem and branch will be added to the day stem and day branch, meeting together with the day branch. Whatever meets together must eventually scatter, and once it scatters, it must go elsewhere. (Like the previous case where He Jieyuan predicted his son, the year stem was not added, so it did not scatter.) Since the person's fate includes two instances of Si, how could it be resolved in one place? (He was born in the year Jisi.) The branch You has the branch Hai, which is located in the northwest. Hai also represents rivers and seas, so it must be Runzhou. Moreover, Hai is three waters, You is the gate, and You also has Chou earth, forming the shape of the character "Yun," which together makes the character "Run."

己未日子將戌時某占婢走失。　方本占案／貴後／蛇未申酉戌陰／朱午　亥玄　玄后玄后　子辛酉後／六巳　子常　亥酉亥酉　子辛酉後／陳辰卯寅丑虎　酉未酉己　子辛酉後／龍空

On the Jiwei day, using the month general placed at the戌 position to cast a divination at the戌 hour, someone asked about a missing servant girl. This case is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The resulting divination pattern is the same as the previous example: "Teng Snake" is on the Wei, "Nobleman" is on the Shen, "Heavenly Empress" is on the You, "Tai Yin" is on the Xu, "Black Tortoise" is on the Hai, "Tai Chang" is on the Zi, "White Tiger" is on the Chou, "Heavenly Void" is on the Yin, "Azure Dragon" is on the Mao, "Gou Chen" is on the Chen, "Liu He" is on the Si, and "Vermilion Bird" is on the Wu. The four lessons are: the Ji earth is located on the Wei with the You occupied by the Heavenly Empress, the You has the Hai occupied by the Black Tortoise; the day branch Wei has the You occupied by the Heavenly Empress, and the You has the Hai occupied by the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are three times Xinyou with the Heavenly Empress, forming the "Du Zu" lesson. In the Six Rats system, the You is the god of servants and concubines. Now it is placed above the day stem and day branch, indicating the person has not left the house, which is the basis for the conclusion that she will return on her own.

邵彥和曰：酉為婢，加干支上，是不離身宅矣。兼之獨足課，一足焉能逃也，不須尋，當日自歸矣。果然。

Shao Yanhe said: You is the master of female servants. Now You is placed over the day stem and day branch, indicating that the person has not left their original place or residence. Furthermore, this is a 'single foot' divination, meaning only one foot is present, so where can she go far? There is no need to search for her; she will return by herself on the same day. Later, it indeed turned out to be true.

崇正辛未年四月己未日辰時東省兵長垣仇庸足先占功名。　指南／朱蛇／六酉戌亥子貴　玄蛇玄蛇　財癸亥蛇／勾申　丑后　卯亥卯亥　鬼乙卯玄／青未　寅陰　亥未亥己　兄己未龍／空午巳辰卯玄／虎常

In the year Xinwei of the Chongzhen era, on the day Jiwei in the fourth lunar month at the hour of Chen, Qiu Yongzhu, a military officer from Changleung in Shandong, consulted about his official career. This case is from the "Six壬 Guide." The heavenly generals corresponding to the various deities on the Heaven Plate are: "Liu He" (Six Harmonies) is in You, "Zhu Que" (Vermilion Bird) is in Xu, "Teng Snake" is in Hai, "Nobleman" is in Zi, "Heavenly Empress" is in Chou, "Tai Yin" is in Yin, "Xuan Wu" (Black Tortoise) is in Mao, "Tai Chang" is in Chen, "Bai Hu" (White Tiger) is in Si, "Tian Kong" (Heavenly Void) is in Wu, "Qing Long" (Azure Dragon) is in Wei, and "Gou Chen" (Hook Star) is in Shen. The four lessons are: Ji soil is lodged in Wei, with Hai on Wei and Teng Snake as its rider, forming the first lesson; Hai has Mao on it with Xuan Wu as its rider, forming the second lesson; the day branch Wei has Hai on it with Teng Snake as its rider, forming the third lesson; and Hai has Mao on it with Xuan Wu as its rider, forming the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Gui Hai with Teng Snake as its rider, the middle transmission is Yi Mao with Xuan Wu as its rider, and the final transmission is Ji Wei with Qing Long as its rider. The three characters Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wood trinity. Wood is the official star of Ji soil, so the main structure of this lesson lies in the formation of the official star and the transformation from Teng Snake to Qing Long.

陳公獻曰：此課占功名，將來遠大，非常格也。傳將木局，官星崢嶸，喜本命丁馬恩星以化之，為逢凶化吉也。且木逢初夏，正在榮旺之時，又蛇化為龍，將來事業日新，功名顯赫，不待言矣。後歷任通州，擢南大司農、大司馬，請告歸里。

Chen Gongxian said: This divination is about seeking fortune in official rank, with a promising future, not an ordinary pattern. The three transmissions form a wooden pattern, with the official star towering and upright. It is also favorable that the native's chart carries the "Ding deity" and "Post-horse" these benevolent stars to resolve difficulties, so that misfortune can be turned into good fortune. Moreover, wood is at its most flourishing in early summer, and the first transmission Teng Snake transforms into the final transmission Qinglong. In the future, his career will be renewed daily and his official rank will be prominent, which is self-evident. Later on, he indeed successively served as the governor of Tongzhou, was promoted to the Minister of Revenue in Nanjing and the Minister of War, and finally retired back to his hometown.

崇正甲申年四月初三庚申日酉將辰時如皋銓部李大生先生占燕京安危。　指南／朱蛇／六戌亥子丑貴　白貴白貴　財乙卯陰／勾酉　寅后　午丑午丑　父乙丑貴／青申　卯陰　丑申丑庚　父乙丑貴／空未午巳辰玄／虎常

In the year Jiashen of the Chongzhen era, on the third day of the fourth lunar month, on the day of Gengshen, using the month general You placed on the辰 (Dragon) hour to cast a divination, Li Dasheng, a civil servant from the Ministry of Personnel of the Gaohua lineage, inquired about the safety of Beijing. This example is from the "Six壬 Guide." The Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each Heavenly General are: "Liu He" (Six Harmonies) is at You, "Zhu Que" (Vermilion Bird) is at You, "Teng Snake" is at Zi, "Nobleman" is at Chou, "Heavenly Empress" is at Yin, "Tai Yin" is at Mao, "Xuan Wu" (Black Tortoise) is at Chen, "Tai Chang" is at Si, "Bai Hu" (White Tiger) is at Wu, "Tian Kong" (Heavenly Void) is at Wei, "Qing Long" (Azure Dragon) is at Shen, and "Gou Chen" (Hook Star) is at You. The four lessons are: Geng metal lodges in Shen, with Chou on Shen and riding the Nobleman, as the first lesson; Chou has Wu on it with Bai Hu, as the second lesson; the day branch Shen has Chou on it with the Nobleman, as the third lesson; and Chou has Wu on it with Bai Hu, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Yi Mao riding Tai Yin, the middle transmission is Yi Chou riding the Nobleman, and the final transmission is Yi Chou riding the Nobleman. The initial transmission's Mao falls on the Earth Plate's Wu, which is the position of "Zei Fu" (the thief's symbol); the Tian Kong riding Wu falls on the Earth Plate's Yin, which is the territory of Yan. The entire divination interpretation arises from these two points.

陳公獻曰：賊自西山出奇，用騾車木韞，先攻西南後攻東北，且有凶變之虞。蓋因賊符自戌發用，克中末干支貴人，而天空臨寅（愚按：寅為燕之分野），此地疏虞，賊必乘虛而入，兩陰神虎鬼克干支及歲君，左右獻城之象。後聞李賊明攻張掖，暗逾東直，城中鼎沸，開門出降，先帝自縊。愚按：虎鬼並顯亦殺克太歲，故主懷宗自縊。

Chen Gongxian said: The bandits will attack from the western mountains with a surprise attack, using mule carts and wooden siege weapons, first attacking the southwest and then the northeast, and there is a hidden danger of sudden change. This is because the "bandit symbol" originates from the Earth Plate position of Xu, initiating the transmission and injuring the middle transmission, final transmission, the day stem, and the day branch's nobleman. The sky is located at the position of Yin (Cheng Shuxun noted: Yin is the territory of Yan), indicating that the area is poorly defended, and the bandits will certainly take advantage of the weakness. The two Yin spirits have the White Tiger transforming into official ghosts, which injure the day stem, day branch, and the year's sovereign, indicating that the close ministers will surrender the city. Later it was heard that Li Zicheng openly attacked the Zhangyi Gate and secretly crossed over the Dongzhi Gate, causing great chaos within the city, with some people opening the gates to surrender, and the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide. Cheng Shuxun noted: The White Tiger and official ghosts both appear, and they injure the year's sovereign, so it indicates the Emperor Huaizong's suicide.

庚寅年五月初八庚申日申將丑時徐盟鹿占得此課問遠行攜有妻子同往，看吉凶若何？　指南／貴後／蛇子丑寅卯陰　六陰六陰　父壬戌六／朱亥　辰玄　戌卯戌卯　官丁巳常／六戌　巳常　卯申卯庚　子◎子蛇／勾酉申未午虎／青空

In the year of Gengyin, fifth lunar month, eighth day, Gengshen, using the month general Sheng placed on the Chou hour to cast a divination, Xu Menglu received this lesson, asking about the fortune of traveling far away with his wife and children. This example is from the "Six壬 Guide." The Heaven Plate advances seven positions in front of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each position are: "Teng Snake" on Zi, "Nobleman" on Chou, "Heavenly Empress" on Yin, "Tai Yin" on Mao, "Black Tortoise" on Chen, "Tai Chang" on Si, "White Tiger" on Wu, "Heavenly Void" on Wei, "Azure Dragon" on Shen, "Gou Chen" on You, "Liu He" on Xu, and "Vermilion Bird" on Hai. The four lessons are: Geng metal lodges in Shen, with Shen bearing Mao and Tai Yin, as the first lesson; Mao bearing Xu and Liu He, as the second lesson; the day branch Shen bearing Mao and Tai Yin, as the third lesson; and Mao bearing Xu and Liu He, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Ren Xu bearing Liu He, the middle transmission is Ding Si bearing Tai Chang, and the final transmission is Zi bearing Teng Snake, with Zi falling in the旬 empty position. The first transmission's Xu falls on the Earth Plate's Mao, and the final transmission's Zi falls on the Earth Plate's Si. Geng metal is naturally dead at Zi, and these two positions are key to determining misfortune in the following analysis.

陳公獻曰：男女遠行俱不得意，中途被劫，死於他鄉，有沉溺破舟之虞。蓋因男干女支行入空墓之地，中傳劫煞旬丁刑剋支干，末傳日死加巳，是陽生臨陽絕，合為死字。且壬戌加卯發用，是河井相加，卯受干克，主車船破壞，其禍必矣。近江西百餘里，男女五人被盜而死。

Chen Gongxian said: Both men and women on this long journey will not have smooth experiences. Along the way, they will be robbed, die in a foreign land, and also face the hidden danger of capsizing a boat and drowning. This is because the day stem representing the man and the day branch representing the woman have both entered the Kongwang and Muku areas. The middle transmission carries the Jiesha and the Ding deity of the ten-day cycle, which will刑克 the day stem and day branch. The final transmission is the Death Deity of the day stem, and it is placed on the Si position. Si is the growth of Yang Metal, while Zi is the end of Yang Metal. Growth is in the land of the end, which together forms the character for death. Additionally, Renxu is placed on the Mao position as the initiating transmission. Xu is Hekui, and Mao is the well of water. Together, they form the image of a river and well appearing together. The Mao position is also attacked by the day stem, indicating damage to vehicles and boats. This disaster has already been determined. Later, they reached a place over a hundred miles away from Li Jiang, and five people were killed by bandits.

乾隆己巳年五月庚申日未將子時，女命丁丑生五十三歲占流年。　牧夫占驗／青空虎常／子丑寅卯　合常合常　父壬戌合／勾亥　辰玄　戌卯戌卯　官丁巳陰／合戌　巳陰　卯申卯庚　子◎子青／酉申未午／朱蛇貴後

In the year Jisi (1739) of the Qianlong era, on the seventh day of the fifth lunar month, on the day Gengshen, a lesson was cast starting with the Month General at the Zi hour. A woman born in the year Dingchou, aged fifty-three, consulted about her annual fortune. This case is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The heavenly generals on the Heaven Plate are: "Azure Dragon" at Zi, "Tian Kong" at Chou, "White Tiger" at Yin, "Tai Chang" at Mao, "Black Tortoise" at Chen, "Tai Yin" at Si, "Heavenly Empress" at Wu, "Nobleman" at Wei, "Teng Snake" at Shen, "Vermilion Bird" at You, "Liu He" at Xu, and "Gou Chen" at Hai. The Four Lessons: Geng metal lodges in Shen, with Wu on Shen and riding Tai Chang, as the first lesson; Wu on Mao with Xu on Mao and riding Liu He, as the second lesson; the day branch Shen has Wu on it and rides Tai Chang, as the third lesson; and Wu on Mao with Xu on Mao and riding Liu He, as the fourth lesson. The Three Transmissions are: the first transmission is Renxu riding Liu He, the middle transmission is Dingsi riding Tai Yin, and the final transmission is Zi riding Azure Dragon, with Zi falling in the旬空. Xu is the grave of Geng metal's official ghost, and there is no official appearing in the three transmissions. The final transmission's son is also in the旬空 and broken, which is the basis for the subsequent judgment of widowhood and decline of family fortune.

王牧夫曰：婦人占，用起鬼墓，不見官星，乃寡婦也。家本富厚，有模範，因婦人用事，先業漸虧，今便改削愈見衰落不振也。其人云彼夫家夫亡後，尚有數萬金為此婦用，費將盡矣。問流年者，看將來若何耳。余曰：末見青龍子孫為月破，又為囚水，聊且度日而已。蓋戌巳子，亦鑄印也。子去刑卯，卯為日財，乃先成後敗之體，故鑄印以巳戌卯三字為有成也。今得戌巳子，安能有興象乎？故曰不振。干支同體而財無分別，是人用我，我用人，俱不論也。我之財，為他人之財，亦可也。外用內用，終日斧削，豈能不耗？庚與申，內外皆斧也。其象如此，能不衰乎？

Wang Mufu said: A woman came to seek divination. The initiating transmission started from the official ghost's storage, and the overall course did not show the presence of a proper official. This indicates that she is a widow. Her family was originally prosperous and well-mannered, but since she has been managing the household, the ancestral property has gradually declined. Now, with further reduction, it becomes even more evident that the family is in decline. She said: After her husband's death, her husband's family left several ten thousand taels of silver for her to use. Now it is almost spent. Today she is asking about the current year, just to see what the future holds. I said: The final transmission's azure dragon of descendants is on top of the month breaker, and it is water that is restrained, so it can only barely get by. The three transmissions,戌, 巳, and 子, are almost like the pattern of casting an official seal. However, 子 harms卯, and卯 is the wealth爻 of the day stem. This is a pattern of first success then failure. The casting an official seal pattern requires the presence of巳, 戌, and 卯 to be successful. Now we have 戌, 巳, and 子, which is not the pattern of prosperity. Therefore, it is said that the family is in decline. The day stem and day branch are in the same position, and the wealth爻 cannot distinguish between them. It is as if someone uses my wealth and I use someone else's, with no distinction. My wealth becomes someone else's wealth, which is acceptable. Inside and outside, the whole family is like axes cutting away constantly. How can it not be exhausted? Geng is an axe, and Shen is also an axe. Inside and outside are all axes. The pattern is like this, how can the family fortune not decline?

九月庚申日卯將未時占夢。　張本占案／貴后陰玄／丑寅卯辰　蛇玄蛇玄　子◎子蛇／蛇子　巳常　子辰子辰　兄庚申龍／朱亥　午虎　辰申辰庚　父丙辰玄／戌酉申未／合勾龍空

On the 17th day of the ninth month, using the month general placed on the hour of Wei, a divination was cast to inquire about dream omens, as recorded in the "Zhang Ben Zhan An." The heavenly generals on the heaven plate are: "Nobleman" on Chou, "Heavenly Empress" on Yin, "Tai Yin" on Mao, "Black Tortoise" on Chen, "Tai Chang" on Si, "White Tiger" on Wu, "Heavenly Void" on Wei, "Azure Dragon" on Shen, "Gou Chen" on You, "Liu He" on Xu, "Vermilion Bird" on Hai, and "Teng Snake" on Zi. The four lessons are: the first lesson is the metal of Geng, lodging in Shen, with Zi on Shen and riding the Black Tortoise; the second lesson is Zi on Chen, riding the Teng Snake; the third lesson is the day branch of Shen with Zi on Chen, riding the Black Tortoise; the fourth lesson is Zi on Chen, riding the Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi riding the Teng Snake, with Zi falling into the旬空; the second transmission is Geng Shen riding the Azure Dragon; the third transmission is Bing Chen riding the Black Tortoise. The combination of Shen, Zi, and Chen forms a water trinity, and the lesson pattern is called "Run Xia."

斷曰：此課潤下，值時冬旺，吉。蛇主奇怪驚恐，乘子為半夜之神發用，是夢感於三更時候。子在十月為天馬，為游神，為咸池，令人精神恍惚也。然太歲之位，即係萬盛之尊，申祿臨之，上乘青龍，雖有驚夢，不成凶。

The interpretation states that this lesson forms a water pattern through the three transmissions, making it a "moistening downward" lesson. It coincides with the season when water energy is at its peak, indicating good fortune. The Teng Snake signifies strange and frightening things; it is riding on the Zi (which represents the god of the midnight hour). Since it is initiating from here, it shows that the dream was formed during the third watch of the night. Zi in the tenth month is the Heavenly Horse, the wandering spirit, and Xianchi, causing a sense of confusion and dizziness. However, the position of the Tai Sui (the year's ruler) is the supreme and most powerful place. The禄神 (favorable deity) of Geng metal, Shen, is precisely there, and the Azure Dragon is above it. Therefore, although a startling dream was experienced, it will not result in misfortune.

愚按：此課似為祝氏元氏苗姑關氏為宋主占者，然他本未見姑關，疑焉。

Cheng Shuxun remarks: This case seems to be an example of divination for a Song dynasty monarch, recorded by the Zhu, Yuan, Miao Gu and Guan families, but the words "Gu Gan" are not found in other versions, thus raising doubts and requiring further investigation.

陸孔目癸亥生四十七歲，己酉年九月庚申日卯將巳時占訟。　口鑑／六陳／朱卯辰巳午龍／蛇寅　未空　六龍六龍　鬼戊午龍／貴丑　申虎　辰午辰午　父丙辰六／後子亥戌酉常　午申午庚　財甲寅蛇／陰玄

A man named Lu Kongmu was born in the year Guihai and is forty-seven years old. On the day of Jiayin in the year Jiyou, during the fourth hour (巳时), he cast a divination to inquire about a lawsuit, as recorded in the "Oral Insights." The heavenly generals on the heaven plate are: the Vermilion Bird is on卯, the Liu He on辰, the Gou Chen on巳, the Azure Dragon on午, the Tian Kong on未, the White Tiger on申, the Tai Chang on酉, the Black Tortoise on戌, the Tai Yin on亥, the Heavenly Empress on子, the Nobleman on丑, and the Teng Snake on寅. The four lessons are: the first lesson is the metal of Geng, which is in the palace of Shen, with the hour of午 and the Azure Dragon; the second lesson is the hour of午, with the hour of辰 and the Liu He; the third lesson is the day branch of Shen, with the hour of午 and the Azure Dragon; the fourth lesson is the hour of午, with the hour of辰 and the Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wu Wu with the Azure Dragon, the middle transmission is Bing Chen with the Liu He, and the final transmission is Jiayin with the Teng Snake. The hour of午 is the official ghost of Geng metal, and the hour of寅 is the wealth爻 of Geng metal. The three transmissions go in reverse, and the final transmission of寅 turns back to nourish午, which is the basis for the statement that "he brings his own misfortune."

邵彥和曰：此課訟有源頭，今乃再發，非驀地生起也。蓋顧祖課，主原有訟根耳。且金日得巳時，又午發用，為天網，此事已不及止，更與人多不足。始終被他害。末寅只管生午火，遂來克身，又是自取其災也。兼為事太過當，故至此。何以知之？行年自會起火局，所以招致。用火自去燒身，甲寅旬見寅，乃第一位公人害你。午為夥計，配一千八百里也。

Shao Yanhe said: This lawsuit originally had its origin, and now it is a case that has resurfaced, not something that suddenly appeared from nowhere. Because the lesson pattern is called "Gu Zu," the final transmission looks back at the first transmission, indicating that there was originally a root of litigation. Moreover, the day of metal meets the hour of si, and the initiating transmission starts from wu. Wu is "Heaven's Net," meaning the matter is already beyond control, and there will be disputes with many people, from beginning to end being harmed by others. The final transmission's yin constantly generates wu fire, which in turn comes back to injure itself, which is the disaster that one brings upon oneself. Furthermore, exceeding one's limits in action, so it has come to this point. How do we know this? His age will form a fire pattern, which is exactly how it happened. Using fire to burn oneself, and also in the Jiayin decade, yin appears again, meaning the person in charge, who is first in the order, will harm him. Wu represents accomplices, and according to the number of wu, he will be punished with a sentence of one thousand eight hundred miles.

陸初與徐都院不足，被害窘拾不服，遂至彼來有短事，再被窘拾，遂送至院，眾人又來首。初時陸氏不合強罵眾人，因被從僭。所謂會成火局，乃是他自湊起。又是天網，亦自取也。因彼之身與宅，先見克，則末寅乘勢而生火。若不自招，如何得見此事？事了配鄂州，一千八百里。因午又見午，二九一十八，是其數也。午加申，乃西南方，陽刃破碎加本命，真針也。其青龍加申為退鱗，所以笞背。行年見盛開，則為配軍也。

Lu Kongmu initially had a conflict with Xu Du yuan, and was treated unfairly by the other party, feeling resentful. Later, when the other party had some shortcomings, he was again treated unfairly and was sent to the Du Yuan. Everyone also came forward to report against him. At first, the Lu family should not have boasted and scolded everyone, thus ending up being controlled and punished by others. The so-called fire formation is exactly what he himself created; and encountering the heavenly net is also something he brought upon himself. Because his own body and his residence were first harmed, the final transmission of寅 (Yin) took advantage of this to ignite a fire. If it wasn't for his own actions, how could he have encountered such things? After the case was concluded, he was sentenced to be sent to Ezhou, a distance of one thousand eight hundred li. This is because the Wu (noon) is again seen on Wu, and two times nine equals eighteen, which is the number of the distance. Wu added to Shen indicates the southwest direction; the yang blade and the broken spirit evil are pressing on his destiny, which corresponds to the image of 'suspended needle'. The Azure Dragon added to Shen is called 'retreating scales', so he would also receive the punishment of being whipped on his back. The year of his age shows a strong and spreading fire, so it was decided that he would be exiled to military service.

乙卯年三月庚申日搖得酉將亥時戲占貓生子幾隻？　說約／勾合朱蛇／卯辰巳午　合蛇合蛇　鬼戊午蛇／龍寅　未貴　辰午辰午　父丙辰合／空丑　申后　午申午庚　財甲寅龍／子亥戌酉／虎常玄陰

In the year of Yimao, third month, day of Gengshen, a divination was cast with the month general酉 (You) placed on the hour of Hai. This example is from the book "Liu Ren Shuo Yue." The heavenly generals on the heaven plate are: Gou Chen (勾陈) on Mao, Liu He (六合) on Chen, Zhu Que (朱雀) on Si, Teng Snake (螣蛇) on Wu, Nobleman (贵人) on Wei, Heavenly Empress (天后) on Shen, Tai Chang (太常) on You, Xuan Wu (玄武) on Xu, Tai Yin (太阴) on Yin. The four lessons are: Geng metal lodges in Shen, with Wu on Shen and Teng Snake as its occupant, forming the first lesson; Wu has Chen on it with Liu He as its occupant, forming the second lesson; the day branch Shen has Wu on it with Teng Snake as its occupant, forming the third lesson; Wu has Chen on it with Liu He as its occupant, forming the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: first transmission Wuwu with Teng Snake, middle transmission Bingchen with Liu He, and final transmission Jiayin with Azure Dragon (青龙). Yin belongs to the tiger in the twelve animals and is also used in Liu Ren to represent a cat. Wu is the son of Yin, and Teng Snake is also a son god of Yin. The number is thus derived from here.

張江村曰：生三隻，但有災難，必不能必安。舉家笑餘妄言，次日老貓生小貓一隻，即欲食之，屢禁而不能止。老貓不復再生，直至次日又生小貓二隻，俱為老貓壓死。鄰里親戚聞以為異，問余何以知之，余曰：寅為貓，午為寅之子，午火數二，蛇亦為寅之子，故云三隻。午為用，中傳辰壓之，火逢壓則滅，況天罡凶神又並天目煞，何可當乎？一也。乘蛇即巳，乃寅刑之，二也。占產順傳為吉，逆傳為凶，三傳逆行，則倒行而逆施矣，三也。

Zhang Jiangcun said: There will be three kittens, but there will be disaster, and not all of them may survive. The whole family laughed at him for talking nonsense. The next day, the old cat gave birth to a kitten, and immediately wanted to eat it; even after several attempts to stop it, it could not be prevented. After that, the old cat did not give birth again, until one day later, when it gave birth to two kittens, which were both crushed by the old cat. The neighbors and relatives heard about this and found it strange, asking him how he knew. Zhang Jiangcun said: Yin is the cat, Wu is the son of Yin, and the number of Wu fire is two; Teng Snake is also a son god of Yin. Adding them together, it is said to be three. Wu is the initiating god, and the middle transmission Chen is on top of it, so the fire is suppressed and will go out. Moreover, Chen is the TiangangInauspicious Spirit, and it also carries the 'Tianmu Sha', which cannot withstand such pressure. This is the first layer. The Teng Snake riding on Wu is actually Si, which is being punished by Yin. This is the second layer. Divination for childbirth is considered auspicious when the three transmissions proceed in order, and inauspicious when they go in reverse. In this case, the three transmissions are going in reverse, forming an image of going against the natural order, which is the third layer.

甲戌年十月庚申日寅將卯時，占索逋。丁未命二十八歲。　牧夫占驗／合勾青空／辰巳午未　青空青空　兄辛酉常／朱卯　申虎　午未午未　父己未空／蛇寅　酉常　未申未庚　父己未空／丑子亥戌／貴后陰玄

In the year of Jiaxu, tenth month, day of Gengshen, a divination was cast using the month general Yín placed on the Mǎo hour to inquire about recovering a debt. The person asking the question was born in the year of Dingwei and is twenty-eight years old. This case is from the book "Mùfū Zhànyàn." The Heaven Plate is one position behind the Earth Plate. The deities governing each of the Heavenly Generals are: "Liu He" (Six Harmonies) is on Chén, "Gou Chen" is on Sì, "Qinglong" (Azure Dragon) is on Wǔ, "Tiankong" (Heavenly Void) is on Wei, "Baihu" (White Tiger) is on Shen, "Tai Chang" is on You, "Xuanwu" (Black Tortoise) is on Xu, "Tai Yin" is on Hai, "Tianhou" (Heavenly Empress) is on Zi, "Guiren" (Nobleman) is on Chou, "Tengshe" (Teng Snake) is on Yin, and "Zhuque" (Vermilion Bird) is on Mao. The Four Lessons: the Jiaxu metal is lodging in Shen, with Wei on Shen and riding Tiankong, as the first lesson; Wei on Shen has Wǔ on Wei and rides Qinglong, as the second lesson; the day branch Shen has Wei on Shen and rides Tiankong, as the third lesson; Wei on Shen has Wǔ on Wei and rides Qinglong, as the fourth lesson. The Three Transmissions are: the first transmission is Xinyou riding Tai Chang, the middle transmission is Jiwei riding Tiankong, and the final transmission is Jiwei riding Tiankong again. The hour of You is the "Luowang" (Net) deity for the day stem and day branch, and the person's birth year is also Wei. These two points are the key to the conclusion of "mutual entanglement."

王牧夫曰：這債索得好笑，我問他索，他問我索，我暗裡制他，他暗裡制我，各自懷主意，都是一樣。蓋發用之酉，干支之羅網也。我去網他，他亦網我，到後都無分別，必須訟而後明也。勾陳在午，坐於明堂。未是占人本命，未中帶丁克支，午又合未。勾陳刑支合支，甚是糊塗。貴人在丑，墓干亦墓支。此訟而可明者，以干支皆戴文書，似必各懷券紙俱有可憑耳。不然何索逋而得此課，一樣葫蘆之象也。事必中止無例賴耳。未命理直，貴坐寅上沖申為干之財也。

Wang Mufu said: This debt is really amusing to collect. I collect it from him, and he collects it from me; I secretly restrain him, and he secretly restrains me, each of us calculating our own plans, both sides being exactly the same. Because the initiating transmission is in You, which is the "net" god of the day stem and day branch: I use the net to cover him, and he uses the net to cover me, in the end unable to distinguish between us, needing to go to court to clarify. Gou Chen falls on Wu, which is the position of the bright hall. Wei is the native's own destiny, and within Wei there is Ding god which harms the day branch, while Wu also combines with Wei; Gou Chen both harms and combines with the day branch, making the matter particularly confusing. The nobleman falls on Chou, which is both the grave of the day stem and the grave of the day branch. The reason this lawsuit can still be clarified is because there are document gods on the day stem and day branch, indicating that both sides have their own contracts and can produce evidence. Otherwise, why would this divination lesson specifically be about collecting debts, which is exactly the image of drawing two different pictures from one gourd. The matter is likely to be put on hold midway, with neither side able to blame the other. The native's side of Wei has a reasonable argument, and the nobleman sits on Yin, which agitates Shen position, Yin being the wealth爻 of the day stem.

己酉年九月庚申日卯將寅時白生占生產夫丁卯生四十三歲，妾戊子生二十二歲。　口鑑方本占案／貴後／蛇午未申酉陰／朱巳　戌玄　玄陰玄陰　子癸亥常／六辰　亥常　戌酉戌酉　兄辛酉陰／勾卯寅丑子虎　酉申酉庚　兄辛酉陰／龍空

In the year Ji You, ninth lunar month, day Geng Shen, using the month general Mao placed on the寅 hour to cast the divination, a white tiger divination was made concerning childbirth. The husband was born in the year Ding Mao and is forty-three years old, while the wife was born in the year Wu Zi and is twenty-two years old. This case is recorded in the "Kou Jian" and "Fang Ben Zhan An". The heavenly generals on the heaven plate are: "Teng Snake" on Wu, "Nobleman" on Wei, "Heavenly Empress" on Shen, "Tai Yin" on You, "Xuan Wu" on Xu, "Tai Chang" on Hai, "Bai Hu" on Zi, "Tian Kong" on Chou, "Qing Long" on Yin, "Gou Chen" on Mao, "Liu He" on Chen, and "Zhu Que" on Si. The four lessons are: Geng metal lodges in Shen, with Wu on Shen and Tai Yin as its occupant, forming the first lesson; You has Xu on it with Xuan Wu as its occupant, forming the second lesson; the day branch Shen has Wu on it with Tai Yin as its occupant, forming the third lesson; and You has Xu on it with Xuan Wu as its occupant, forming the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Gui Hai with Tai Chang as its occupant, the middle transmission is Xin You with Tai Yin as its occupant, and the final transmission is Xin You with Tai Yin as its occupant. You is the yang刃 of Geng metal and also the broken-up evil star. Now the heavenly stem and earthly branch, along with the middle and final transmissions, all appear in You, which is the root of the following judgment that both mother and child are in danger.

邵彥和曰：干支不分，人宅不別，故不可曉。且庚為子，申為母，見酉為陰刃，乃面前陽刃也。太陰兼之尤甚。申母以酉為破碎，乃面前破碎也。夫行年兼之，是與妻子皆受破碎，女行年亥上見子乘虎，又洩氣，作大福方可保。夫干支中末，俱見陽刃破碎，又是自刑自害，必不利於子母也。白妾連生子皆不育，至壬戌生子，其子倒生，用刀破身方出，母幾不保。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, the day stem and day branch are inseparable, and the person and the dwelling are indistinct, so the matter appears obscure and difficult to understand. Geng metal represents the child, Shen represents the mother, and encountering You brings about a yin blade, which is a direct confrontation with a yang blade. On top of that, there is Tai Yin, making the danger even more severe. The mother, represented by Shen, has You as a broken-up evil, which is also a direct broken-up evil. The husband's year of birth also carries this character, indicating that both wife and child will suffer from broken-up evils. The woman's year of birth is in Hai, and Hai has Zi, with Zi bearing White Tiger, which is a leaking qi deity. Therefore, great meritorious deeds are necessary to ensure safety. The day stem, day branch, middle transmission, and final transmission all contain yang blades and broken-up evils, and also involve self-punishment and self-harm, which will certainly be detrimental to both mother and child. The wife of the White family has consecutively given birth to children who could not be raised, and in the year Renxu, she gave birth to a child who was born backwards, requiring a knife to open the birth canal. The mother almost lost her life as well.

公前後生子不育，皆此子作祟耳。今雖得兒，若不戒欲，必為他害。蓋干支見酉，皆陽刃破碎自刑，故先害身卻來害母耳。於是白生與妾分居，乃得免。

White's children, born one after another, all died young, all due to the influence of the Fetal Spirit. Now although he has a son, if he does not control his sexual activities, he will still be harmed by it. Because both the day stem and day branch show酉, which is the Yang刃,破碎, and self-punishment, so it first harms himself, then turns to harm the mother. Therefore, White separated from his concubine, and thus avoided the calamity.

庚申日酉將未時占行人。　玉連環末卷／空虎常玄／未申酉戌　后玄后玄　子◎子後／龍午　亥陰　子戌子戌　財甲寅蛇／勾巳　子后　戌申戌庚　父丙辰合／辰卯寅丑／合朱蛇貴

On the day of Geng Shen, the lesson is cast by placing the Month General You on the Wei hour. The question is about someone who is away from home. This example is from the last volume of "Yu Lianhuan." The Heaven Plate moves two places ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each of the Heavenly Generals are: "Tian Kong" (Sky Void) is on Wei, "Bai Hu" (White Tiger) is on Shen, "Tai Chang" (Great Constancy) is on You, "Xuan Wu" (Black Tortoise) is on Xu, "Tai Yin" (Great Yin) is on Hai, "Tian Hou" (Heavenly Empress) is on Zi, "Gui Ren" (Nobleman) is on Chou, "Teng She" (Teng Snake) is on Yin, "Chu Que" (Vermilion Bird) is on Mao, "Liu He" (Six Harmonies) is on Chen, "Gou Chen" (Gou Chen) is on Si, and "Qing Long" (Azure Dragon) is on Wu. The four lessons are: Geng Metal is lodged in the palace of Shen, with Xu on Shen and governed by Xuan Wu, as the first lesson; Xu has Zi on it and is governed by Tian Hou, as the second lesson; the day branch Shen has Xu on it and is governed by Xuan Wu, as the third lesson; Xu has Zi on it and is governed by Tian Hou, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi, governed by Tian Hou, and Zi is in the旬空 (decade void); the middle transmission is Jiayin, governed by Teng Snake; the final transmission is Bingchen, governed by Liu He. The first transmission's Zi falls on the Earth Plate's Xu, and Xu belongs to the northwest. The Post-horse (horse of the journey) for the trinity of Shen, Zi, and Chen is in Yin, and the final transmission's Chen is also the Tiangang (Chen) (Tian Gang), so the return date is calculated from these positions.

劉日新曰：主行人七日至。應西北來，戌上發用故也。已在道路，子為道路也。七日至者，驛馬在寅也。凡占行人信息，若發用並三傳在日干支後及將不順，皆主不動。占他動見天驛馬魁罡臨日辰或入傳將順，定主動也。取日期先取魁罡加驛馬來速。此課馬在寅，末傳得天罡加之，所以主寅日歸也。又云：貴人臨日，亦主歸也。

Liu Rixin said that the person will arrive home seven days after leaving. He came back from the northwest direction, because the initiating transmission god fell on the earth plate position Xu. The person is already on the way, because Zi represents roads. The reason for saying it will take seven days is that the post-horse of the water triad Shen-Zi-Chen is in寅. Whenever divining about a traveler's news, if the initiating transmission and the three transmissions all fall behind the day stem and day branch, or if the heavenly general's movement is not smooth, the person will not leave. If the heavenly horse, post-horse, heavenly魁, or heavenly gang are present on the day stem and day branch, or if the heavenly general moves smoothly through the three transmissions, the person will definitely leave. To determine the date, first take the heavenly魁 and heavenly gang added to the post-horse, which is the fastest. In this case, the post-horse is in寅, and the final transmission also has the heavenly gang on top of it, so it is judged that he will return home on寅 day. Another view is that if the nobleman is present on the day stem, it also indicates returning.

建炎己酉年八月辛酉日巳將寅時蔣六公乙巳生六十五歲自占身不安。　方本占案／虎常／空申酉戌亥玄／龍未　子陰　蛇陰朱后　財乙卯蛇／陳午　丑后　卯子辰丑　鬼戊午陳／六巳辰卯寅貴　子酉丑辛　兄辛酉虎／朱蛇

In the year Jiyou of the Southern Song dynasty, during the eighth month, on the day Xinyou, a lesson was cast starting with the month general Si placed on the寅 hour. JIANG Liu Gong, born in the year Yisi and aged sixty-five, cast a divination for his own physical discomfort. This case is recorded in the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The heavenly generals on the heaven plate are: "Tian Kong" on Shen, "Bai Hu" on You, "Tai Chang" on Xu, "Xuan Wu" on Hai, "Tai Yin" on Zi, "Heavenly Empress" on Chou, "Nobleman" on Yin, "Teng Snake" on Mao, "Zhu Que" on Chen, "Liu He" on Si, "Gou Chen" on Wu, and "Qing Long" on Wei. The four lessons are: the day branch You is associated with the palace Xu, with the heavenly general Heavenly Empress on Xu, forming the first lesson; the palace Xu is associated with the palace Chen, with the heavenly general Zhu Que on Chen, forming the second lesson; the day branch You is associated with the palace Zi, with the heavenly general Tai Yin on Zi, forming the third lesson; and the palace Zi is associated with the palace Mao, with the heavenly general Teng Snake on Mao, forming the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Yi Mao with Teng Snake, the middle transmission is Wu Wu with Gou Chen, and the final transmission is Xin You with Bai Hu. The hours Mao, Wu, and You are all among the four central hours. The lesson pattern belongs to "San Jiao," and the first transmission coincides with the empty hour of the ten-day cycle, which is key to the discussion of the illness in the following text.

邵彥和曰：吾丈年高，尚有此病，何也？凡三交中有空亡六合者，皆不正之合，其患有三：一主吾丈思前妻，二主戀一少婦不在眼前，多方煩燥，遂致下部流利不實；三主長子非橫因成病。今行年在末傳，帶祿居火上，為鬼所弄，不免貪食生冷酸鹹之物。若能如願，尚可活七八年，否則情死定死矣。蔣公欲取一意中人，諸子不肯，心遂躁怒，又大郎一奶子，又生煩躁，遂得下部病。只好酸鹹物吃。後先生勸彼乃郎，取此意中人與之，其病漸減。

Shao Yanhe said: You are so old and still suffering from this illness, what is the cause? Whenever the "Sanjiao" lesson includes Kongwang and Liuhe, it is considered an improper harmony, which leads to three kinds of ailments: first, you are still thinking about your former wife; second, you are fond of a young woman who is not by your side, feeling very restless and thus suffering from a weak lower part; third, your eldest son has encountered an unexpected misfortune, causing a heart illness. Now your age falls in the final transmission, with the禄神 sitting on fire, being controlled by the official ghost, inevitably leading to a craving for cold, sour, and salty foods. If your wishes are fulfilled, you may live for another seven or eight years; otherwise, being deeply in love may really lead to death. Master Jiang wanted to marry a woman he liked, but his sons did not agree, causing him to be restless and angry; additionally, the matter of a wet nurse for his eldest son added another layer of annoyance, leading to illness in the lower part and a preference for sour and salty foods. Later, Shao先生 advised his sons to marry the woman he liked, and the illness gradually improved.

蓋果至丙辰年死。蓋支上子丑合，而乘太陰，又是夜神，是淫亂合也，卻又空亡，乃虛想其合，而無實效。四課遙克為傳，事主在內。長子非橫，乃卯為長子，作蛇故主非橫。主事初傳空亡，便不行傳，喜得末上行年相接，所以用之，日上丑土得中午生，土遂生金，丑八，故八年也。

He later indeed lived until the Bingchen year and then died. This was because the day branch had Zi and Chou in conjunction, and above it was Tai Yin, which is a nocturnal deity and represents a licentious union. Moreover, it fell on Kongwang, so it was merely an empty thought of this relationship without actual result. The four lessons take the remoterestrain to determine the transmission, indicating that the matter originated within the household. The eldest son suffered an unexpected misfortune, because Mao represents the eldest son, and above it was Teng Snake, which indicates an unexpected calamity. The initial transmission, which is the main one, fell on Kongwang, and normally would not be able to proceed, but fortunately the final transmission connected with the year stem, so it could still be used. The day stem's Chou earth was also supported by the middle transmission's Wu fire, which generated metal, and since Chou's number is eight, it indicated that he would live for another eight years.

愚按：丑為墓庫，何得因此而活八年？此傳抄者之誤或疏解者之錯也。蓋此數辛金墓空可救。八月辛金旺，末傳酉金，年命上生酉金，重重相比，日干旺甚，故可不死。金數四，旺則倍之，故八年也。又按：思前妻者，干上天后為妻，乘丑，已入墓也。戀少婦者，支上子作太陰，且加行年上也。

Cheng Shuxun remarks: Chou is a place of storage and burial, how can it be used to determine a lifespan of eight years? This is probably due to an error in copying or in the interpretation. In fact, the key point of this divination lies in the fact that the buried metal (辛金) has its storage place empty, which actually brings relief. In August, the season when Xin metal is at its peak, the final transmission is also You metal. The year and life are further supporting You metal. The same type of divine force is present in abundance, making the day stem extremely strong, hence the person survives. The number of metal is four, and when its energy is strong, it doubles, hence the eight years. Also, it is said that he misses his former wife because the heavenly empress on the day stem represents the wife, and the heavenly empress is riding on Chou, which is the place of burial, indicating that the wife has already passed away. It is said that he is attached to a young woman because the zi on the day branch is Tai Yin, and it is also placed on the year of movement.

戊申年十一月辛酉日丑將申時乙巳命六十四歲占訟。　中黃經／勾龍空虎／戌亥子丑　蛇常朱玄　父己未蛇／合酉　寅常　未寅申卯　子◎子空／朱申　卯玄　寅酉卯辛　鬼丁巳後／未午巳辰／蛇貴后陰

In the year of Wu Shen, eleventh month, day of Xin You, the class was cast by placing the Month General Chou on the hour of Shen. A person of the year of Yi Si, aged sixty-four, asked about a lawsuit. This example is from the Zhonghuang Jing. The Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each of the Heavenly Generals are: Gou Chen at Xu, Qinglong at Hai, Tiankong at Zi, Baihu at Chou, Tai Chang at Yin, Xuanwu at Mao, Taiyin at Chen, Tianhou at Si, Guiren at Wu, Tengshe at Wei, Zhuque at Shen, and Liuhe at You. The Four Lessons: the metal of Xin is lodged in Xu, with Mao on Xu and Xuanwu as its rider, forming the first lesson; Mao has Shen on it with Zhuque as its rider, forming the second lesson; the Day Branch You has Yin on it with Tai Chang as its rider, forming the third lesson; Yin has Wei on it with Tengshe as its rider, forming the fourth lesson. The Three Transmissions are: the first transmission is Ji Wei with Tengshe as its rider, the middle transmission is Zi with Tiankong as its rider and Zi falling into the旬空, and the final transmission is Ding Si with Tianhou as its rider. The person asking the question is of the year of Yi Si, and the deity on his destiny is Xu, governed by Gou Chen. The final transmission's Si is also the official ghost of metal Xin. These two points are the key to determining imprisonment and release.

斷曰：初傳未中有丁，且作騰蛇。末傳又是巳鬼，此鬼得黨助為凶，所以必起官訟。未為眷屬、陰人，蛇為小口驚恐，此訟多因陰人小口不足而起。戌作勾陳壓命，必主囚擊。巳鬼坐空，不遭刑責。今年六月起訟，明年正月必了結。乃解神未臨寅上，故也。春木既旺，勾陳與戌之臨命上者，均受其制，戌墓開而巳命之火光輝矣，主官斷明晰而釋放也。

The first transmission has the earth element of "Wei" containing the deity "Ding," which is also riding on the Teng Snake. The final transmission is "Si," which is the official ghost of "Xin" metal. This ghost is further strengthened by its allies, making it more dangerous, so litigation is certain. "Wei" represents relatives and women, and Teng Snake signifies children's fear, indicating that this dispute is likely caused by discord between women and children. The "Xu" position is occupied by Gou Chen, which is pressing on the native's destiny, so arrest is certain. Fortunately, the ghost in "Si" is sitting in the Kongwang position, so actual punishment is avoided. Litigation started in June of this year will be resolved by next January, because the Relief Deity "Wei" is properly positioned at the "Yin" position. When spring wood energy becomes strong, Gou Chen and the "Xu" earth pressing on the native's destiny will be subdued by wood. Once the "Xu" storage is opened, the fire of the "Si" destiny will shine brightly, indicating a clear judgment by the authorities and the native's release.

辛亥年正月辛酉日亥將辰時占來意。　靈文論／空虎常玄／子丑寅卯　龍陰空后　子癸亥龍／龍亥　辰陰　亥辰子巳　鬼戊午貴／勾戌　巳后　辰酉巳辛　父◎丑虎／酉申未午／合朱蛇貴

In the year Xinhai, first lunar month, day Xinyou, the divination was cast using the month general亥 placed on the hour of Chen. This example is from the Lingwen Lun. The Heaven Plate moves ahead seven positions in relation to the Earth Plate. The deities governing each position are: "Tian Kong" (Heavenly Void) at Zi, "Bai Hu" (White Tiger) at Chou, "Tai Chang" (Great Constancy) at Yin, "Xuan Wu" (Black Tortoise) at Mao, "Tai Yin" (Great Yin) at Chen, "Tian Hou" (Heavenly Empress) at Si, "Gui Ren" (Nobleman) at Wu, "Teng Snake" at Wei, "Zhu Que" (Vermilion Bird) at Shen, "Liu He" (Six Harmonies) at You, "Gou Chen" (Hooked Heaven) at Xu, and "Qing Long" (Azure Dragon) at Hai. The four lessons are: the metal of Xin is lodged in Xu, with Xu having Si and governed by Tian Hou, as the first lesson; Si having Zi and governed by Tian Kong, as the second lesson; the day branch You having Chen and governed by Tai Yin, as the third lesson; and Chen having Hai and governed by Qing Long, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Gui Hai governed by Qing Long, the middle transmission is Wu Wu governed by Gui Ren, and the final transmission is Chou governed by Bai Hu, with Chou falling in the旬空 (decade void). The initial transmission's Hai falls on the Earth Plate's Chen position, which is the Tian Gang (Heavenly Pole). Qing Long treads on the Tian Gang and ascends, and the entire interpretation of rising and falling begins from here.

斷曰：此課占來意，十月有遷官之喜，至壬子年正月有大人見怒，謫降虛撓之憂。至亥年十月卻復有遷官之慶。蓋亥為用是十月建，又將得青龍，下臨天罡，為青龍之象，如龍之見天，臣之見君。故言十月有遷官喜慶。中傳貴人與末傳丑為六害，故言貴人見怒。午加亥為火臨絕地，式中午丑為六害，甲寅旬，丑落空亡，故云虛撓。亥為太歲，主人君之象，又十月亥為月建，將得青龍而與旺氣並，故云復有遷官之慶也。

The divination indicates that this reading reveals the person's intention, and it predicts that he will have good news of promotion in October. In the year Renzi, during the first lunar month, his superior will become angry, causing a false alarm of demotion. Then, in the year Hai, during the tenth lunar month, there will be another celebration of promotion. This is because the first transmission is亥, which is the month builder of October, and it is covered by the Azure Dragon above and faces Tiangang (Chen) below, forming the image of the Azure Dragon rising, like a dragon appearing in the sky and a minister seeing the king, thus indicating the joy of promotion in October. The middle transmission's nobleman and the final transmission's Chou form a six-harm relationship, indicating the nobleman's anger. The fire (Wu) is placed on亥, which is fire reaching its end; within the lesson, Wu and Chou also form a six-harm relationship, and in the Jiayin cycle, Chou is exactly in Kongwang, thus indicating only a false alarm.亥 also represents the year's ruler, symbolizing the king; the亥 of October is also the month builder, covered by the Azure Dragon above and combined with strong energy, thus indicating another celebration of promotion.

戊申年十月辛酉日卯將未時何上舍己巳生四十歲占前程。　口鑑　方本占案／陳六／龍丑寅卯辰朱／空子　巳蛇　龍蛇陳龍　官丁巳蛇／虎亥　午貴　丑巳寅午　父空丑龍／常戌酉申未后　己酉午辛　兄辛酉玄／玄陰

In the year of Wu Shen, tenth month, day of Xin You, the divination was cast with the month general placed on the hour of Wei. The question was about the future prospects of a person born in the year of Ji Si, aged forty. This case is mentioned in the "Kou Jian" and "Fang Ben Zhan An." The Heaven Plate is four positions behind the Earth Plate. The deities governing each position are: "Qing Long" (Azure Dragon) on Chou, "Gou Chen" (Hook Star) on Yin, "Liu He" (Six Harmonies) on Mao, "Zhu Que" (Vermilion Bird) on Chen, "Teng She" (Coiling Snake) on Si, "Gui Ren" (Nobleman) on Wu, "Tian Hou" (Heavenly Empress) on Wei, "Tai Yin" (Tai Yin) on Shen, "Xuan Wu" (Black Tortoise) on You, "Tai Chang" (Tai Chang) on Xu, "Bai Hu" (White Tiger) on Hai, and "Tian Kong" (Heavenly Void) on Zi. The four lessons are: Xin Metal is lodged in Xu, with Wu on Xu and riding the Nobleman, as the first lesson; Wu on Wu with Yin on Wu and riding Gou Chen, as the second lesson; the day branch You has Si on You and riding Teng She, as the third lesson; and Si has Chou on Si and riding Qing Long, as the fourth lesson. In the four lessons section, the first lesson is marked as Qing Long, which conflicts with the circular diagram's marking of Gui Ren. The subsequent interpretation states "official star also acts as the Nobleman," indicating that the circular diagram's Gui Ren should be taken as correct, and the four lessons section is an error. The fourth lesson is marked as "Ji," which should be an error for "Si." The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Dingsi riding Teng She, the second transmission is Chou riding Qing Long but Chou falls in the旬空 (decade void), and the third transmission is Xinyou riding Xuan Wu. The combination of Si, You, and Chou forms a metal trinity.

邵彥和曰：官星臨日，初傳應之，謂之催官符，官星又作貴人，辛藏於戌，主庚戌年及第，及第後便丁父母服，服滿赴任，見祿而終（酉加空亡故也）。止於五十四矣。兄弟相害，因分爭而大生不足，又不得子息力，其旬丁作蛇，不云怪者，辛以巳為德神。子不得力者，空亡也。辛見午為官，巳又助之，名催官符。

Shao Yanhe said: The official star is directly above the day stem, and the first transmission supports it, which is called "cui guanfu." The official star is also occupied by a nobleman. Xin metal is hidden in Xu, so it indicates that one will pass the imperial examination in the Gengxu year. After achieving success, he immediately suffers the loss of his parents, and after fulfilling the mourning period, he goes to take office. As soon as he reaches his official position, he dies (because You is placed in the kongwang position), and his lifespan ends at fifty-four. Brothers harm each other due to disputes over property, causing great discord. Children are also unreliable. The Ding spirit in the ten-day cycle is occupied by the Teng Snake, which usually indicates strange occurrences, but here it is not mentioned as strange, because Xin metal takes巳 as its virtue. The statement about children being unreliable is due to the son's爻 falling into kongwang. Xin metal sees Wu as official ghost, and巳 supports it, so it is called "cui guanfu."

果庚戌及第，壬子丁母憂，乙卯丁父憂，庚申赴利州推官，五十三歲卒。先是戊午年兄弟爭分四次，入官估札以死，子三人皆再娶生，巳為生方作旬丁，又作蛇，是丙丁也。

Later he indeed passed the examination in the Gengxu year, experienced the death of his mother in the Renzi year, the death of his father in the Yimao year, and took office as a magistrate in Lizu in the Gengshen year, dying at the age of fifty-three. Before that, in the Wuwu year, his brothers quarreled over dividing the family property four times, eventually settling the matter with the help of the authorities by appraising and signing a contract, and he died with resentment. All three of his sons were born after he took new wives. Si is the direction of growth, with the divine spirit of the middle ten days (ten stems) being Ding, and it is also occupied by Teng Snake, which exactly corresponds to the image of the fire deities Bing and Ding.

金日金局是兄弟爭也。三傳無子爻，故子不得力，五十三者，乃午九酉六，六九五十四之內也。

The day stem is Xin metal, and it forms a complete metal trinity, with all other elements being similar, so it indicates disputes among brothers over property. There are no descendants' yao in the three transmissions, so children are not expected. The age of fifty-three is mentioned because the number of Wu is nine and the number of You is six, and six multiplied by nine gives fifty-four, so fifty-three falls within this number.

十一月辛酉日丑將巳時占捕盜。　直指引中黃經／陳六／龍丑寅卯辰朱／空子　巳蛇　龍蛇陳龍　官丁巳蛇／虎亥　午貴　丑巳寅午　父空丑龍／常戌酉申未后　己酉午辛　兄辛酉玄／玄陰

On the day of Xin You in the 11th month, using the month general Chou added to the time of Si, a divination was made to inquire about capturing thieves. This example is cited in the "Liu He Jing" as referenced in the "Liu Huang Jing." The Heaven Plate is four positions behind the Earth Plate, resulting in the same lesson as the previous example: "Qinglong" is on Chou, "Gou Chen" on Yin, "Liu He" on Mao, "Zhu Que" on Chen, "Teng Snake" on Si, "Nobleman" on Wu, "Heavenly Empress" on Wei, "Tai Yin" on Shen, "Xuan Wu" on You, "Tai Chang" on Xu, "Bai Hu" on Hai. The four lessons are: Xin metal resides in Xu with Wu on Xu, riding the Nobleman; Wu has Yin on it, riding Gou Chen; the day branch You has Si on it, riding Teng Snake; and Si has Chou on it, riding Qinglong. The three transmissions are: initial transmission Dingsi riding Teng Snake, middle transmission Chou riding Qinglong and falling into the empty term, and final transmission Xinyou riding Xuan Wu. In divination about thieves, Xuan Wu represents the thief. The Xuan Wu is on You, which is directly on the Earth Plate Chou. From here, the thief's movements can be traced step by step.

斷曰：酉為玄武臨丑，其賊往東南方盜得他人財，向西行六里，便待往西南方還家。因正南上見貴人不敢行，欲從西北方還家，因巳火絕地，又不敢行，只往北行五里，藏匿財物，後卻於西北還家。藏匿五日，方敢再行。干上貴人克玄武，勾陳又克其藏處，即可擒獲矣。果驗。

The interpretation says: The Black Tortoise is on the酉 branch and is located on the Earth Plate's 丑 position. This thief stole someone else's property and went towards the Southeast direction. After succeeding in the theft, he walked six li westward, originally intending to return home by heading southwest. However, since there is a Nobleman sitting in the Due South direction, he dared not take that path and decided to go back via the Northwest. But because the Northwest is the terminal point of the巳 fire, he still dared not go there, so he walked five li north and hid the stolen goods. Later, he returned home via the Northwest. The stolen goods were hidden for five days before he dared to move again. Now, the Nobleman on the Day Stem is overcoming the Black Tortoise, and the Gou Chen is overcoming the place where the stolen goods were hidden, so the thief can be captured immediately. Later, this prediction was indeed fulfilled.

己酉年九月十六辛酉日卯將午時季官人己卯生三十一歲占過房子息。　口鑑　方本占案／六朱／陳寅卯辰巳蛇／龍丑　午貴　六貴朱后　鬼戊午貴／空子　未后　卯午辰未　財乙卯六／虎亥戌酉申陰　午酉未辛　子空子空／常玄

In the year Jiyou, on the sixteenth day of the ninth month, on the day Xinyou, using the month general卯 (Yao) placed on the hour of Wu, a divination was cast for a man named Jiguannren, born in the year Jimao, thirty-one years old, asking about adopting a son. This case is mentioned in the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an". The Heaven Plate is three positions behind the Earth Plate. The deities governing each of the heavenly generals are: Gou Chen (Hook Star) is in Yin, Liu He (Six Harmonies) is in Mao, Zhu Que (Vermilion Bird) is in Chen, Teng Snake is in Si, Nobleman is in Wu, Heavenly Empress is in Wei, Tai Yin (Great Yin) is in Shen, Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise) is in You, Tai Chang (Great Constancy) is in Xu, Bai Hu (White Tiger) is in Hai, Tian Kong (Heavenly Void) is in Zi, and Qing Long (Azure Dragon) is in Chou. The four lessons are: the day stem Xin metal lodges in Xu, with Wei on Xu and governed by Heavenly Empress, as the first lesson; Wei on Xu has Chen on it and is governed by Zhu Que, as the second lesson; the day branch You has Wu on it and is governed by Nobleman, as the third lesson; Wu on You has Mao on it and is governed by Liu He, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wu Wu governed by Nobleman, the middle transmission is Yi Mao governed by Liu He, and the final transmission is Zi governed by Tian Kong, with Zi falling in the旬空 (decade void). The day stem and day branch, Wu and Wei, are in conjunction, thus forming the "Heavenly Net". The final transmission's son's yao is void and governed by Tian Kong, which is the basis for concluding there will be no son.

邵彥和曰：此乃天網課，若繼子，便是一個冤家入門，自後生出無限事。支干上午與未合，合起天網，妻卯加鬼上，必無親子，末子爻加妻爻上作天空，天空本家戌，即今日之辛，是己與妻皆空，何能有子？子本空，卻陰上酉作玄武，主妾生子，又非己出。因私成也。季子見先生不允過子，遂買一妾，兩年不生，因有季子妹夫鄭元益，時常往來，妾遂與私而得孕，季頗知，但記先生言不較，至乙居年生兒，實甲子年有孕。因酉加子，故子年乘玄武是偷合。

Shao Yanhe said: This is a "Heavenly Net" divination. If one adopts a son, it is like bringing in a wrong person into the family, and there will be endless troubles afterwards. The Day Stem and Day Branch are in the position of Wu and Wei, which are in harmony, thus closing the Heavenly Net. The wife's trigram, which is Mao, is placed on top of the official ghost, indicating that there will be no biological son. The final transmission's offspring trigram is placed on top of the wife's trigram and is riding on Tian Kong. The original home of Tian Kong is Xu, which is exactly the lodging palace of the day's Jia Wood. This shows that both the husband and wife are empty, so how can a son be born? The offspring trigram is already empty, but its yin spirit, You, is occupied by the Black Tortoise, indicating that the child will be born from a concubine, and not from the husband, due to an affair. The official person saw the master's disapproval of adoption, so he bought a concubine, but she did not give birth within two years. Because his sister-in-law Zheng Yuanyi often visited, the concubine had an affair with him and became pregnant. The official was aware of this, but he remembered the master's words and did not interfere. The child was born in the year of Yichou, but in reality, the pregnancy began in the year of Jiazi. This is because You is placed on Zi, so it should be in the year of Zi. You is occupied by the Black Tortoise, which is the sign of a secret affair.

將來妾子亦是取債人也。家業必為所敗矣。季官人前私姑家一女，又私一婢，恐其有孕，豫以絕胎藥阻其經，兩女後皆不生子，季亦無子，此報應之不爽也。

This concubine's future son will also come to collect debts, and the family fortune will surely be ruined by him. Master Ji had once had an affair with a woman from his aunt's family and also with a servant girl. Fearing they might become pregnant, he used abortifacients to stop their periods. Both women later became infertile, and Master Ji himself never had a son by his own blood. This shows that the consequences are exact and without error.

己酉年辛酉日巳將申時蔣七婆事子病，其子辛未生三十九歲。　方本占案／六朱／陳寅卯辰巳蛇／龍丑　午貴　六貴朱后　鬼戊午貴／空子　未后　卯午辰未　財乙卯六／虎亥戌酉申陰　午酉未辛　子空子空／常玄

In the year Jiyou and day Xinwei, using the month general Si placed on the hour Shen to cast the divination, Jiang Qi Po asked about his son's illness. His son was born in the year Xinwei and is thirty-nine years old. This case is taken from the book Fang Ben Zhan An. The Heaven Plate is three places behind the Earth Plate, resulting in the same divination pattern as the previous example: Gou Chen is in Yin, Liu He in Mao, Zhu Que in Chen, Teng Snake in Si, Nobleman in Wu, Heavenly Empress in Wei, Tai Yin in Shen, Xuan Wu in You, Tai Chang in Xu, Bai Hu in Hai, Tian Kong in Zi, and Qing Long in Chou. The four lessons are: Xin metal resides in Xu with Wei on Xu乘 Heavenly Empress, Wei has Chen on it乘 Zhu Que, the day branch You has Wu on it乘 Nobleman, and Wu has Mao on it乘 Liu He. The three transmissions are: first transmission Wuwu乘 Nobleman, middle transmission Yimao乘 Liu He, and final transmission Zi乘 Tian Kong which falls into the empty term. The patient's birth stem is Wei, which is directly on the day stem and combines with Wu on the day branch, and this combination is the root of the illness.

邵彥和曰：病因情人或眷屬不足，致得此病，此情人乃官作使女之類，欲見不能，思戀極矣，故生心病。若要病好，須是釋思，更婦人臨別，贈有手跡，他嘗留身畔，須燒了與他另娶方可，否則日漸成癆矣。

Shao Yanhe said: This illness is caused by a beloved woman or family discord. The beloved woman has now been taken by the authorities as a servant, and he cannot see her, leading to extreme longing and thus a heart ailment. To recover from the illness, he must first let go of this thought. The woman gave him something she made herself before parting, which he has kept all along. He must burn it, and then take another wife, otherwise, over time, it will turn into consumption.

蔣七婆之子因喪妻，遂與鄰婦通姦，他丈夫得知，卻典僱與何判院，此人苦思成病，又婦人行時，繡一香囊與之，其子時常觀玩，睹物思人，其病更甚。七婆聞先生之言，遂與彼燒絕，又為彼娶一婦，病果自愈。

Jiang Qi Po's son became unfaithful to his wife after she died, and he had an affair with a neighbor's wife. When the wife's husband found out, he sent her to be a servant in the household of He Panyuan. The son was very sad and became ill. Moreover, when the woman left, she embroidered a sachet and gave it to him. He often took it out and played with it, missing her, and his illness became worse. After hearing the doctor's advice, Jiang Qi Po burned the sachet completely and arranged for her son to marry another woman. His illness then recovered on its own.

蓋未作後生日，支上午與未合，乃鬼合，便是不正之交，傳退與婦人相離也。三交交易之象，宅上貴人是合入宅去也。末傳是子，行年上丑，子又與丑合，更日辰上實合，末又見空亡合，即是思望懸切，欲合不合，傳退既值空亡，只得在此思想，所以成癆。午未合，子丑合，子午沖，丑未沖，合處相傷，反成不足。子丑又空，是去彼不得見矣。

This is because the unexalted Heavenly Empress is above the day stem, and the day branch's wu also combines with wei, and wu is the official ghost of xin metal, so it is called 'ghost combination,' which indicates improper interaction. The three transmissions are in reverse order, indicating separation from that woman. The entire lesson pattern is an image of three mutual combinations, with a nobleman sitting in the house, meaning that woman has been combined with someone else. The final transmission is zi, and his year pillar is chou, so zi combines with chou again. The day stem and day branch have already combined once, and the final transmission combines again with kongwang, showing deep longing and an inability to combine. Since the three transmissions are in reverse order and meet kongwang, he can only remain in place, daydreaming, thus developing a wasting illness. zi combines with chou, and wu combines with wei, but zi and wu are in opposition, and chou and wei are also in opposition, so where they should combine, they instead damage each other, leading to lack everywhere. zi and chou both fall into kongwang, indicating an attempt to find her but unable to meet her face to face.

八月辛酉日辰將未時占來意。　玉連環／六朱／陳寅卯辰巳蛇／龍丑　午貴　六貴朱后　鬼戊午貴／空子　未后　卯午辰未　財乙卯六／虎亥戌酉申陰　午酉未辛　子空子空／常玄

On the 18th day of the eighth month, using the month general 'Chen' placed on the hour of 'Wei', a divination was cast to determine the nature of the inquiry made by the person. This example is taken from the 'Juyilian'. The Heaven Plate is three places behind the Earth Plate. The deities governing each of the heavenly generals are: 'Gou Chen' at 'Yin', 'Liu He' at 'Mao', 'Zhu Que' at 'Chen', 'Teng Snake' at 'Si', 'Nobleman' at 'Wu', 'Heavenly Empress' at 'Wei', 'Tai Yin' at 'Shen', 'Xuan Wu' at 'You', 'Tai Chang' at 'Xu', 'Bai Hu' at 'Hai', 'Tian Kong' at 'Zi', and 'Qing Long' at 'Chou'. The four lessons are: 'Xin Metal' is lodged in 'Xu', with 'Wei' on 'Xu' and riding 'Heavenly Empress', forming the first lesson; 'Wei' is on 'Chen' and riding 'Zhu Que', forming the second lesson; the day branch 'You' is on 'Wu' and riding 'Nobleman', forming the third lesson; 'Wu' is on 'Mao' and riding 'Liu He', forming the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 'Wu Wu' riding 'Nobleman', the middle transmission is 'Yi Mao' riding 'Liu He', and the final transmission is 'Zi' riding 'Tian Kong', with 'Zi' falling into the旬空 (empty term). In the Six Rats system, 'Wu' is called 'Sheng Guang', 'Mao' is called 'Tai Chong', and 'Zi' is called 'Shen Hou'. All subsequent deductions are based on the symbolic meanings of these three deities.

徐次賓曰：來意主本人慾往運司理會舊房錢，其外動必速，其中一姓馬人作鬼賊，卻得姓陳人力，至丁亥日見事務定作歸計。

Xu Cibin said: The person coming is intending to go to the transfer office to settle an old matter regarding rent. He has been running errands outside and will certainly get there quickly. Among them, there is a man surnamed Ma who is causing trouble and obstructing things, but he will also receive assistance from a man surnamed Chen. By the Dinghai day, the matter will be settled, and he can plan to return home.

何知往運司理會舊房錢？蓋勝光發用，上見天乙，為三品衙門，中傳太沖主門戶，下臨午四正，為方象，配為房子，卯上得六合，俱為日下之財，故言房錢，既是三品衙門理會房錢，故言運司。

How do we know he is going to the transfer office to handle old rent? Because "Shengguang" (Wu) initiates the transmission, and above it sits Tianyi Nobleman, which signifies a third-grade government office. The middle transmission "Taichong" (Mao) governs the household, and below it is Wu, which is located at the four cardinal positions of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You. This represents a dignified image, and when combined, it forms the image of a house. Additionally, Mao is supported by Liuhe, which are all wealth indicators beneath the day stem. Therefore, it is referred to as rent. Since he is going to a third-grade government office to handle rent, it can only be the transfer office.

何知動速，時為日刑又發用，午為道路，又天乙在酉在門，為勵德，故知外動必速。

How do we know he will certainly move quickly abroad? The divine spirit at the time of divination is precisely the trampling spirit of the day stem, and it originates from here; Wu is associated with roads. The nobleman is located at the earth plate position You, which is the gate, indicating the image of "encouraging virtue." Taken together, we conclude that he will certainly move abroad quickly.

何知姓馬人作鬼賊，蓋初傳勝光為馬，為日鬼也。卻言得姓陳人力者，末傳神后水為曲阜，下臨卯為東字，相配為陳字，神后反克勝光日鬼，故言得姓陳人力。至丁亥是見歸計者，緣甲申旬午鬼落空，丁合壬與亥水克勝光也，不言戊子日者，緣戊為大殺也。

How do we know that a person named Ma is causing trouble? Because the first transmission's "Shengguang" is in the horse sign, which is also the official of the metal of Xin. As for getting help from someone named Chen, it is because the final transmission's "Shenhou" is water, which takes the image of the character "Fu" from Qufu, with the卯 sign below it, which represents "East," combining to form the character "Chen." The water of Shenhou overcomes the Shengguang, which is the day ghost, so it is said that someone named Chen will help. The mention of returning home on Dinghai day is because on the Jiashen ten-day period, the day ghost falls into Kongwang, and Ding combines with Ren, while the water of Hai can overcome Shengguang. The day of Wuzi is not mentioned because Wu is "Daka."

六月辛酉日午將申時壬戌命人占來意。　玉連環／合朱蛇貴／卯辰巳午　蛇后貴陰　官戊午貴／勾寅　未后　巳未午申　父丙辰朱／龍丑　申陰　未酉申辛　財甲寅勾／子亥戌酉／空虎常玄

On the day of Xin You in the sixth month, using the month general Wu placed on the hour of Shen to cast the divination, a person born in the year Ren Xu is asking about the matter. This example is from the book "Yu Lianhuan." The Heaven Plate is two places behind the Earth Plate. The deities governing each of the heavenly generals are: "Liu He" (Six Harmonies) is at Mao, "Zhu Que" (Vermilion Bird) is at Chen, "Teng Snake" is at Si, "Nobleman" is at Wu, "Heavenly Empress" is at Wei, "Tai Yin" is at Shen, "Xuan Wu" (Black Tortoise) is at You, "Tai Chang" is at Xu, "Bai Hu" (White Tiger) is at Hai, "Tian Kong" (Heavenly Void) is at Zi, "Qing Long" (Azure Dragon) is at Chou, and "Gou Chen" (Hook Star) is at Yin. The four lessons are: Xin Metal is lodged in Xu, with Shen on Xu and governed by Tai Yin, forming the first lesson; Shen has Wu on it and is governed by Nobleman, forming the second lesson; the day branch You has Wei on it and is governed by Heavenly Empress, forming the third lesson; Wei has Si on it and is governed by Teng Snake, forming the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wu Wu governed by Nobleman, the middle transmission is Bing Chen governed by Zhu Que, and the final transmission is Jiayin governed by Gou Chen. Wu is the official ghost of Xin Metal. Chen and Wu are also self-punishing deities. The three transmissions all injure the day stem throughout, which is the origin of the subsequent judgment of self-punishment.

徐次賓曰：來意因藏有夫之婦，今敗露到官，旬日案成，累罪斷徒五年，杖一百，丁丑日決之，發鄰州居住。

Xu Cibin said: The person's heart is troubled because he concealed a woman who had a husband. Now the matter has come to the authorities. The case will be decided within ten days, with multiple charges resulting in a sentence of five years of penal servitude and a hundred lashes. The execution will take place on Dingchou day, followed by deportation to a neighboring state for settlement.

蓋本命與日上見太陰，主蔽匿不正婦人。先鋒門發用見天乙為今日之鬼，故言事敗到官也。時為干馬主緊速，故旬案成。初傳天乙剋日干，中傳天罡上得朱雀火神，又為今日之鬼，末得勾陳又是凶神。此課傷日，始末俱凶，又辰午為兩重自刑。經云：三刑棄世，二刑流遞。今日斷徒五年是也。

This is because both the person's own stem and the day stem have Tai Yin. Tai Yin governs concealment and improper women. The initiating transmission is led by the god of the first transmission sitting on Tian Yi Guiren, which is exactly today's official ghost, so the matter is exposed and taken to the authorities. At the time of the divination, it is also the day stem's Yimai, indicating urgency and haste, so the case is decided within ten days. The first transmission's Tian Yi injures the day stem; the middle transmission's Tiangang is supported by Zhu Que fire deity, which is also today's official ghost; the final transmission gets Gou Chen, which is also an Inauspicious Spirit. This entire divination continuously harms the day stem, always being凶, and with Chen and Wu each forming one instance of self-punishment, making it two instances of self-punishment. The classic text says: three instances of punishment lead to death, two instances of punishment result in exile and transfer. Today's judgment of five years' imprisonment exactly corresponds to this statement.

何知丁丑日斷發鄰州居住？蓋丁馬為日下之鬼，丑又為日刑也。又時為日之鬼馬也。帶瘡行路艱難，住鄰州者，蓋為日上鬼見馬也。

How do we know it is a Dingchou day for a judgment and exile to a neighboring state? Because Ding and Yimashan are both official ghosts beneath the day stem, and Chou is the torturer of the day stem; the time of the divination coincides with the ghost horse of the day stem. He is traveling with a staff wound, making a long journey very difficult, so he can only be settled in a neighboring state. The judgment of his residence in a neighboring state is because the official ghost above the day stem also meets the post-horse.

丙戌年十二月辛酉日丑將丑時張大郎占官事。　方本占案／陳龍／六巳午未申空／朱辰　酉虎　虎虎常常　兄辛酉虎／蛇卯　戌常　酉酉戌戌　父壬戌常／貴寅丑子亥玄　酉酉戌辛　父己未龍／後陰

In the year of Bingxu, twelfth lunar month, day of Xinyou, the class of the month general is placed on the hour of Chou, and the divination is started. Zhang Dalang asked about legal matters, and this example is from "Fang Ben Zhan An." The month general is the same as the time of divination, and the heaven plate and earth plate completely coincide, forming a "Hidden Chant" lesson. The deities governing each of the heavenly generals are: "Liu He" on Si, "Gou Chen" on Wu, "Qing Long" on Wei, "Tian Kong" on Shen, "Bai Hu" on You, "Tai Chang" on Xu, "Xuan Wu" on Hai, "Tai Yin" on Zi, "Heavenly Empress" on Chou, "Nobleman" on Yin, "Teng Snake" on Mao, and "Zhu Que" on Chen. The four lessons: the metal of Xinyou is lodged in Xu, and Xu remains on Xu, riding Tai Chang, as the first lesson; Xu remains on Xu, riding Tai Chang, as the second lesson; the day branch You remains on You, riding Bai Hu, as the third lesson; You remains on You, riding Bai Hu, as the fourth lesson. In a Hidden Chant lesson on a yin day, the initiating transmission is based on the deity on the day branch. Therefore, the first transmission is Xinyou riding Bai Hu; You is the self-punishing deity, and there is no further punishment, so the day stem deity Xu is taken as the middle transmission, riding Tai Chang; Xu punishes Wei, so the final transmission is Jiwei riding Qing Long. The initiating transmission is self-punishing and riding Bai Hu, while the middle and final transmissions turn out to be Tai Chang and Qing Long, one evil and one good, which is the turning point of the entire lesson.

邵彥和曰：本主徒罪，因發用自刑，乘虎臨門戶也。喜得中戌作常，末天喜乘龍作解神，必有恩赦相救，先凶而後吉也。果然。

Shao Yanhe said: This case should be sentenced to imprisonment, because the initiating deity is self-punishing and is riding the White Tiger at the gate position. Fortunately, the middle transmission has the戌 position riding the Tai Chang, and the final transmission has the未 position with Heavenly Joy, riding the Azure Dragon to act as the relief deity. There must be an act of mercy coming down to save it, so it will first be凶 and then become吉. Later, it indeed turned out to be so.

順治乙酉年四月初九辛酉酉將申時，左藩良玉南侵，總漕田公百原奉命勤王（南京福王也），已進發矣，諸將士索占吉凶。　指南／後陰／貴午未申酉玄　虎常空虎　子癸亥虎／蛇巳　戌常　亥戌子亥　子甲子空／朱辰　亥虎　戌酉亥辛　父乙丑龍／六卯寅丑子空／勾青

In the fourth month of the second year of Shunzhi, on the ninth day of the month, which was the day of Xinyou, the divination was cast with the month general of You placed on the hour of Shen. At that time, Left Liangyu's army was advancing southward and approaching, and the governor of the granary, Field Marshal Tian Baiyuan, was ordered to raise troops to support the emperor. The troops had already set out, and the soldiers asked for a divination on the fortune of this mission. This case is recorded in the "Six Rats Guide." The Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each of the heavenly generals are: "Nobleman" is at Wu, "Heavenly Empress" is at Wei, "Tai Yin" is at Shen, "Black Tortoise" is at You, "Tai Chang" is at Xu, "White Tiger" is at Hai, "Heavenly Void" is at Zi, "Azure Dragon" is at Chou, "Gou Chen" is at Yin, "Liu He" is at Mao, "Vermilion Bird" is at Chen, and "Teng Snake" is at Si. The four lessons are: the first lesson is the metal of Xinyou, which is lodged in Xu, with Hai on Xu and the White Tiger as its rider; the second lesson is Hai with Zi on it and the Heavenly Void as its rider; the third lesson is You with Xu on it and Tai Chang as its rider; the fourth lesson is Xu with Hai on it and the White Tiger as its rider. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Guihai with the White Tiger as its rider, the middle transmission is Jiazi with the Heavenly Void as its rider, and the final transmission is Yichou with the Azure Dragon as its rider, forming a continuous sequence of Hai, Zi, and Chou. The day of Xinyou belongs to the Jiayin term, and Zi and Chou are the empty positions of this term, so the middle and final transmissions fall into the empty position.

陳公獻曰：此行不吉，主至半途而回。蓋白虎驛馬臨干，雖有虎假虎威之勢，賴戌土實能剋制，如彼猖狂妄動，定有阻塞。但我兵此行，中末俱空，豈能前進？況辛日南征為滅沒旺方，于軍不利，干神臨支恐有銳卒前擾後至。後至揚州，高兵出城搶舡，遂與閣部商議，抽兵而退。

Chen Gongxian said: This expedition is not auspicious, and the troops will have to retreat halfway. Because the White Tiger and the Post-horse are both present on the day stem, although the enemy may appear formidable, the earth of Xu is actually able to restrain it. If they become reckless and act rashly, they will certainly be blocked. However, our troops have both the middle transmission and the final transmission falling on Kongwang, so they will not be able to advance. Moreover, on a辛 day moving southward, they will directly confront the strong position of "Mie Mei", which is unfavorable for military operations. The spirit on the day stem also meets the day branch, so there is a fear that elite soldiers will harass them at the front and then pursue them afterwards. Later, when the troops reached Yangzhou, General Gao Jie's troops rushed out of the city to seize the boats, and Tian Gong then discussed with the cabinet ministers and decided to withdraw the troops.

池州城西沈尚書宅娘子與本郡趙府結姻沈女丑生人，趙氏未生人，求陳天民占成後夫婦如何？　一針見血／蛇朱合勾／午未申酉　虎空常虎　兄癸亥空／貴巳　戌龍　子亥丑子　兄◎子虎／後辰　亥空　亥戌子壬　鬼◎丑常／卯寅丑子／陰玄常虎

The daughter of a wealthy family in Chengzhou City, the Shen family, is to marry a young man from the Zhao family in the same region. The Shen daughter was born in the year of Chou, while the Zhao son was born in the year of Wei. Both families consulted Chen Tianmin to inquire about the future harmony of their married life. This case is recorded in the book "Yizhen Jianxue." The divination was cast on the day of Renxu, with the Heaven Plate advancing one position ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing the heavenly generals are: "Teng Snake" on Wu, "Vermilion Bird" on Wei, "Liu He" on Shen, "Gou Chen" on You, "Azure Dragon" on Xu, "Tian Kong" on Hai, "White Tiger" on Zi, "Tai Chang" on Chou, "Black Tortoise" on Yin, "Tai Yin" on Mao, "Heavenly Empress" on Chen, and "Nobleman" on Si. The four lessons are: the first lesson is Ren water, which resides in Hai and is governed by White Tiger; the second lesson is Zi, which resides on Chou and is governed by Tai Chang; the third lesson is the day branch Xu, which has Hai and is governed by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson is Hai, which has Zi and is governed by White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Guihai, governed by Tian Kong; the second transmission is Zi, governed by White Tiger; the third transmission is Chou, governed by Tai Chang. The sequence of Hai, Zi, and Chou follows in order, forming the lesson pattern called "Lian Ru." On the day of Renxu, which belongs to the Jiayin cycle, Zi and Chou fall into the empty position, so the middle and final transmissions are empty. The birth years of the bride and groom, Chou and Wei, are in mutual conflict, which is the key to the prediction that the marital relationship will not last.

陳天民曰：壬戌日占得亥子丑連茹課，但只上門亂首，何況夫婦本命丑未相刑，他日主不到頭，雖有德容性欠尊重，其後夫婦果不和，公姑不睦，其女忽生喘疾，抑鬱半年而終。

Chen Tianmin said: On a Renxu day, a divination using the hexagram of "Lian Ru" (connected reeds) with the branches Hai, Zi, and Chou was cast. This sequence only began in a disorderly manner from the upper gate, and could not lead to a good outcome. Moreover, the husband's and wife's birth branches, Chou and Wei, were in mutual conflict, so their relationship would certainly not last. Although the woman had good virtue and appearance, her nature lacked some seriousness. Later, the couple indeed became discordant, and they also had difficulties getting along with their in-laws. The woman suddenly developed a coughing illness, became depressed for half a year, and eventually died.

乾隆己卯年九月壬戌日卯將寅時，占事壞今欲託人能挽回否。癸丑命四十七歲。　牧夫占驗／蛇朱合勾／午未申酉　虎空常虎　兄癸亥空／貴巳　戌龍　子亥丑子　兄◎子虎／後辰　亥空　亥戌子壬　鬼◎丑常／卯寅丑子／陰玄常虎

In the year Jia Mao of the Qianlong era, on the ninth month, on the day Ren Xu, the divination was cast at the寅 hour, asking about a matter that had already gone wrong, and now wanting to entrust someone to mend the situation, to see if it could be salvaged. The diviner was born in the year Gui Chou, aged forty-seven. This case is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The Heaven Plate moves in the same direction as the Earth Plate, advancing one position, resulting in the same lesson as the previous example: "Teng Snake" is on the午, "Vermilion Bird" on the未, "Liu He" on the申, "Gou Chen" on the酉, "Azure Dragon" on the戌, "Tian Kong" on the亥, "White Tiger" on the子, "Tai Chang" on the丑, "Black Tortoise" on the寅, "Tai Yin" on the卯, "Heavenly Empress" on the辰, and "Nobleman" on the巳. The four lessons are: the壬 water is in the亥, with the子 riding on the White Tiger; the子 has the丑 riding on the Tai Chang; the day branch戌 has the亥 riding on the Tian Kong; the亥 has the子 riding on the White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Guihai riding on Tian Kong, the middle transmission is子 riding on the White Tiger, and the final transmission is丑 riding on Tai Chang, with both子 and丑 falling into the旬空. The diviner's birth year is exactly Gui Chou, and the final transmission's丑 is the official ghost of the壬 water. This is the key point for judging "a matter ruined by a close relative."

王牧夫曰：此事不能挽回，無跋望也。蓋亥乃壬身，投支受克，乃身為他人之財。傳歸子丑空位，又入夜鄉，前路黑暗，安能復見？而丑為太常，作鬼臨身，此乃親故中人來壞汝事也。其丑之陰神帶玄武，乃一疾病多須人慾壞其事耳。子亥乃干支羅網，豈能讓汝出頭乎？故曰無跋望也。果驗。

Wang Mufu said: This matter cannot be salvaged, there is no hope. Because亥 is the self of Ren water, now it is cast into the day branch and is restrained, equivalent to using one's own property as another's. The three transmissions end at Zi and Chou, which are the positions of Kongwang, and they enter the dark region, the path ahead is completely dark, how can one ever see the light again? Moreover, Chou is occupied by Tai Chang, which transforms into official ghosts pressing upon oneself, indicating that someone from among relatives and old friends is trying to ruin the matter. The yin spirit of Chou also carries Xuanwu, which represents a person who is weak and sickly, relying on others for everything, wanting to destroy this matter. Zi and亥 are precisely the "net" of the day stem and day branch, how could they allow you to rise? Therefore, there is no hope. Later, it indeed came true.

韓監倉修職癸酉生三十七歲占平生，己酉年六月十五壬戌日未將巳時。　口鑑　方本占案／六陳／朱未申酉戌龍／蛇午　亥空　玄虎陰常　兄空子虎／貴巳　子虎　寅子卯丑　子甲寅玄／後辰卯寅丑常　子戌丑壬　鬼丙辰蛇／陰玄

Han Jiancang, holding the official title of Xiuzi Lang, was born in the Guiyou year and is thirty-seven years old. He is divining about his fate and misfortune throughout his life. The time is Jiyou year, sixth lunar month, fifteenth day, Renxu day. The divination is started with the month general Wei added to the Si hour. This case is recorded in the "Kou Jian" and "Fang Ben Zhan An." The Heaven Plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each position are: "Zhu Que" (Vermilion Bird) at Wei, "Liu He" (Six Harmonies) at Shen, "Gou Chen" (Hook Star) at You, "Qing Long" (Azure Dragon) at Xu, "Tian Kong" (Heavenly Void) at Hai, "Bai Hu" (White Tiger) at Zi, "Tai Chang" (Celestial Music) at Chou, "Xuan Wu" (Black Tortoise) at Yin, "Tai Yin" (Celestial Yin) at Mao, "Tian Hou" (Heavenly Empress) at Chen, "Gui Ren" (Nobleman) at Si, and "Teng She" (Teng Snake) at Wu. The four lessons are: the water of Ren is lodged in Hai, with Chou on Hai and riding Tai Chang, as the first lesson; Chou has Mao on it and rides Tai Yin, as the second lesson; the day branch Wu has Zi on it and rides Bai Hu, as the third lesson; Zi has Yin on it and rides Xuan Wu, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi riding Bai Hu, with Zi falling into the void; the middle transmission is Jiayin riding Xuan Wu; the final transmission is Bingchen riding Teng She. Zi, Yin, and Chen advance in order, which is the image of "towards the three yangs" advancing smoothly. Unfortunately, the first two transmissions fall into the void.

邵彥和曰：此課雖曰向三陽，奈初中空亡，依舊不見陽光。四課間隔，事多阻滯，支內干外，支刑日上神，主孝服。太常破碎加干，亦主服。子為虎刃，雖是空亡不死人，亦主多是非。為何起棺而未葬，致亡者不安？傳進而子息落空，才生一子便死，非是過去空亡，庶不害現在子息也。現在子息臨宅，加於犬地而見虎，若見鼠咬衣服，小兒必有大災，宅內不合蓄水，若不開導，監倉自損，身亦難保矣。

Shao Yanhe said: This lesson, although it is said to be an image of "advancing toward the three yang," is unfortunate because both the first and middle transmissions fall into kongwang, and still the sunlight is not seen. The four lessons are isolated from each other, leading to many obstacles in doing things. The day branch is inside and the day stem is outside, and the day branch is also conflicting and overcoming the god on the day stem, indicating there will be mourning. Tai Chang brings the broken-up evil and is added to the day stem, also indicating mourning. Zi is the blade god of the White Tiger, although it falls into kongwang and does not lead to death, it still indicates disputes and disturbances. Why has the coffin already been dug up but the burial is delayed, causing the deceased to be restless? Although the three transmissions progress, the descendants' yao has fallen into kongwang, so a child is born but dies young; fortunately, the one who is gone is the previous one, so it does not harm the current children. The current children are present in the house, added to the xu branch, which belongs to the dog, and sees the White Tiger. If mice bite clothes are seen, the child will surely suffer a great calamity. The house should not accumulate stagnant water; if it is not drained, the granary itself will be damaged, and even personal property will be hard to protect.

此斷多失誤，始錄在此，俟得善本改正。

This statement contains many errors, so I will first record it as it is, and later make corrections when a better version becomes available.

己酉年八月壬戌日巳將卯時蔣秀才乙酉生二十五歲求占。　一針見血／六陳／朱未申酉戌龍／蛇午　亥空　玄虎陰常　兄空子虎／貴巳　子虎　寅子卯丑　子甲寅玄／後辰卯寅丑常　子戌丑壬　鬼丙辰蛇／陰玄

In the year Jiyou, eighth lunar month, day Renxu, using the month general Si placed on the卯 hour to cast the divination, Jiang Scholar, born in the year Yiyou, aged twenty-five, came to seek divination. This case is taken from the book "One Needle Sees the Essence." The Heaven Plate moves two places ahead of the Earth Plate, resulting in the same divination pattern as the previous example: "Zhu Que" is at Wei, "Liu He" at Shen, "Gou Chen" at You, "Qing Long" at Xu, "Tian Kong" at Hai, "Bai Hu" at Zi, "Tai Chang" at Chou, "Xuan Wu" at Yin, "Tai Yin" at Mao, "Tian Hou" at Chen, "Gui Ren" at Si, and "Teng Snake" at Wu. The four lessons are: the壬 water is in Hai, with Chou on Hai and Tai Chang; Chou has Mao with Tai Yin; the day branch戌 has Zi with Bai Hu; and Zi has Yin with Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi with Bai Hu falling into the empty space, the middle transmission is Jiayin with Xuan Wu, and the final transmission is Bingchen with Teng Snake. The day stem's Chou with Tai Chang indicates mourning clothes, Zi with Bai Hu indicates funeral matters, and the final transmission's Chen is the meeting place of wealth and officialdom. Thus, the three matters of lifespan, mourning clothes, and wealth and status are all determined from here.

邵彥和曰：汝問壽數抑問功名？蔣曰：何如？曰壽數卻有中壽，若問前程，重重凶服。初中傳空，末傳不空，到其時又是好日。蔣曰：何日得地？曰：更過二十四年方得地，是時勝如今日。吾丈平日衣食有餘（日祿加命之故），但服阻多，不利功名。後有十七年大富享福壽。年六十四五矣。蔣秀才讀書正當年富力強，先生言其服阻，多不利，況其人是過房，二重父母，初不知先生神口，哪曉得果是四十八年四重喪服。所養父母先喪了，卻喪所生父母，丁心喪服至四十八俱足，其時已廢學多年，不復望功名矣。

Shao Yanhe said: Are you asking about your lifespan or about your official career? JIang the young scholar said: What do you think? The master replied: If you are asking about your lifespan, there is still a middle level of longevity; but if you are asking about your future, it will be one layer of mourning after another. The first transmission and the middle transmission both fall into emptiness, but the final transmission is not empty, so at that time it will be a good time. JIang the young scholar asked: Which year will you achieve success? The master said: You will have to wait another twenty-four years before you can establish yourself, and at that time it will be better than now. The old man has always had enough food and clothing (this is because the day stem's luck is added to his birth destiny), but the mourning clothes have caused too many obstacles, which is not favorable for official career. In the future, there will be seventeen years of great wealth, enjoying full happiness and longevity, living until he is sixty-four or fifty-five years old. At that time, JIang the young scholar was in his prime for studying, but the master said that he was burdened by mourning clothes and all things were not favorable. Moreover, he was adopted, having two sets of parents. At first, he did not believe the master's divine words, but later he found out that indeed, in the year he was forty-eight, four layers of mourning clothes came true one after another: first, the foster parents died, then the biological parents died, and he had to observe heart mourning until he reached forty-eight, at which time he had already given up studying for many years and no longer expected to pursue official career.

支干子與丑合，皆是空亡，初傳又空亡，上見太常為服，白虎為喪，進間值空為服所阻，所以阻前程也，至末傳辰加寅為財為官鬼臨財（此二句令人不解，大約是寅為行年，克上辰土謂之行年見財），辰數五，寅數七，五七三十五，折半提十七年，此十七年，二男先已娶，二女又已嫁，進多用少，果然榮旺安然。享福至乾道五年二月十三日終六十五矣。

The day stem and day branch are both Zi and Chou, which form a harmonious relationship. Both are also in Kongwang. The first transmission also falls in Kongwang. Above, Tai Chang indicates mourning, and Bai Hu indicates death. Between the incoming and outgoing transmissions, encountering Kongwang suggests being obstructed by mourning clothes, hence the career is blocked. By the final transmission, Chen is placed on Yin. Chen is a wealth hexagram, and official ghosts are attached to wealth (these two sentences are confusing, probably meaning that Yin is his year stem, and the year stem overcomes Chen soil, which is called seeing wealth). The number of Chen is five, and the number of Yin is seven. Five multiplied by seven gives thirty-five, and half of that is seventeen years. In these seventeen years, two sons had already married, and two daughters had already married. Income was abundant while expenses were few, so the family prospered and life was stable. He enjoyed a comfortable life until he died on the thirteenth day of the second month in the fifth year of Qian Dao, at the age of sixty-five.

己酉年二月壬戌日亥將申時徐秀才丙子生三十四歲占秋試。　方本占案　口鑑　宋本邵案／陳龍／六申酉戌亥空／朱未　子虎　后常貴玄　鬼丙辰後／蛇午　丑常　辰丑巳寅　鬼己未朱／貴巳辰卯寅玄　丑戌寅壬　鬼壬戌龍／後陰

In the year Jiyou, second month, day Renxu, using the month general Hai placed on the Shen hour to cast the divination, Xu Scholar, born in the year Bingzi, aged thirty-four, asked about the autumn examination. This case is found in the "Fang Ben Zhan An", "Kou Jian", and the Song edition of "Shao An". The Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each heavenly general are: "Liu He" on Shen, "Gou Chen" on You, "Qing Long" on Xu, "Tian Kong" on Hai, "Bai Hu" on Zi, "Tai Chang" on Chou, "Xuan Wu" on Yin, "Tai Yin" on Mao, "Tian Hou" on Chen, "Gui Ren" on Si, "Teng She" on Wu, and "Zhu Que" on Wei. The four lessons are: the water of Ren is lodged in Hai, with Yi on Hai, riding Xuan Wu, as the first lesson; Yi on Yin, with Si on Yin, riding Gui Ren, as the second lesson; the day branch Xu has Chou on Xu, riding Tai Chang, as the third lesson; Chou on Chou, with Chen on Chou, riding Tian Hou, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Bing Chen riding Tian Hou, the middle transmission is Ji Wei riding Zhu Que, and the final transmission is Ren Xu riding Qing Long. The three heavy earths of Chen, Wei, and Xu are all the official ghosts of Ren water. The first lesson's Yin is placed directly on the earth plate's Hai, with Yin and Hai forming a "closed mouth", which is the key to determining illness.

邵彥和曰：此課不可問試，防今年有癱瘓之疾；兼破碎作太常乘鬼入宅，又主孝服，破碎空亡主外服，初墓加破碎上，雖空亦主婦人有血氣疾。甲寅旬寅加亥真閉口，三傳並宅四土塞之，氣血不行，榮衛不通，能早疏決，不致臃滯，可免癱瘓。徐於三月間因食菱成風，四肢不遂，狀如癱瘓，後雖無事，卻行履不得；六月喪妻母，九月又喪生母。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination is not suitable for asking about exams, but one should be cautious about getting paralyzed this year. Also, the broken piece is transformed into Tai Chang, riding on the official ghost to enter the house, which indicates mourning. The broken piece also meets Kongwang, indicating mourning for the maternal side. The first transmission's tomb god is added to the broken piece, although it falls into emptiness, it still indicates that the woman in the family has diseases related to blood and qi. On this day, it is in the Jiayin decade, with寅 placed on亥, which is the true "closed mouth." The three transmissions together with the house form four layers of earth blocking the way, preventing the flow of blood and qi, and the circulation of营 and 卫. If one can promptly unblock and open the passage, it will not lead to blockage, and paralysis can be avoided. Xu Scholar ate lotus roots in March and caught a cold, resulting in inability to move his limbs, appearing as if paralyzed. Although he later recovered without major problems, he could not walk. In June, his mother-in-law died, and in September, his biological mother also died.

蓋甲寅加癸亥真閉口，玄又乘之，又是一重閉口，寅主風，玄亦主風，寅與亥合，故主癱瘓。辰戌丑未重重臃塞，又兼閉口，便是血氣不調，所以主此疾，要好決坤申水，通艮寅，便可免此風疾，否則愈甚。徐當年因疾病未愈不得入試場。

This is because Jiayin is placed over Guihai, which is the true "closed mouth"; above it comes the Black Tortoise, which governs concealment and blockage, adding another layer of closure. Yin governs wind, and the Black Tortoise also governs wind. Yin also combines with Hai, so it is concluded that he will suffer from paralysis. The four earths, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, heavily block the flow, and with the closure, the qi and blood naturally become unbalanced, leading to this illness. To resolve it, one should drain water from the Southwest Kun Shen direction and open the path of the Northeast Gen Yin, thus avoiding this wind illness. Otherwise, it will get worse. The young man Xu was still ill that year and could not take the examination.

愚按：鬼臨三四所以多災，不得考試，中傳雖有朱雀，末傳雖有青龍，皆無益也。

Cheng Shuxun remarks: Officials and ghosts are present on the third and fourth lessons, hence there are many calamities and diseases, and one cannot even go to take the examination. Although the middle transmission has the Vermilion Bird, which governs articles, and the final transmission has the Azure Dragon, which governs academic ranks, in such a lesson pattern they are of no help.

乾隆甲寅年八月初八壬戌日巳將寅時占終身。　說約／陳龍／六申酉戌亥空／朱未　子虎　后常貴玄　鬼丙辰後／蛇午　丑常　辰丑巳寅　鬼己未朱／貴巳辰卯寅玄　丑戌寅壬　鬼壬戌龍／後陰

In the year Jiayin of the Qianlong era, on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, on the day Renxu, the class was cast using the month general巳 placed on the寅 hour. This example is from the Six壬 Sayings. The Heaven Plate moves three places ahead in the same direction as the Earth Plate, resulting in the same lesson as the previous example: "Liu He" is in Shen, "Gou Chen" is in You, "Qing Long" is in Xu, "Tian Kong" is in Hai, "Bai Hu" is in Zi, "Tai Chang" is in Chou, "Xuan Wu" is in Yin, "Tai Yin" is in Mao, "Heavenly Empress" is in Chen, "Nobleman" is in Si, "Teng Snake" is in Wu, and "Zhu Que" is in Wei. The four lessons are: the壬 water is in Hai with寅 riding Xuan Wu; the寅 has巳 riding Nobleman; the day branch戌 has丑 riding Tai Chang; and the丑 has辰 riding Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Bingchen riding Heavenly Empress, the middle transmission is Jiwei riding Zhu Que, and the final transmission is Renxu riding Qing Long. The寅 on the day stem represents an official office, and the hidden spirit of寅, which is巳, is riding Nobleman. Both official office and Nobleman appear in the same lesson, and the following interpretation focuses on these two elements.

張江村曰：六壬變幻不測。有為他人占，牽連及我者，此間或有之，不可不察也。余家人毛丹占終身得此課，余曰：干上寅為衙門，寅陰巳為月將乘貴人，大貴人也。遁丁與干五合，汝一生只能在衙門中得貴人微財，不能別作營生。此本指也。又曰：寅巳集於日上，事在月下。汝俟廝候，安能驟進衙門見大貴人？此必餘有館，汝隨進耳。餘今日本欲占課，今汝得此，可不必再占矣。果於次日得館，初十甲子日毛丹跟進，此為他人占及我也。

Zhang Jiangcun said: Liuren divination is changeable and unpredictable. Sometimes when one casts a divination for others, it may involve oneself, and such occurrences happen occasionally, and one must not neglect them. My servant Mao Dan cast a divination for his whole life and received this lesson. I said: The stem on the day is Yin, which represents the government office. The hidden stem Ding combines with the day stem Ren, indicating that he can only earn a small amount of money by following a nobleman within the government office, and cannot pursue other occupations — this is speaking about him personally. I also said: Yin and Si both gather on the day stem, so the matter will happen in this month. You are merely a servant waiting to be summoned, how could you suddenly enter the government office and meet a great nobleman? This must mean that I will obtain a position, and you will follow me in. Today I had intended to cast a divination for myself, but since you have already cast this one, I do not need to do it again. Indeed, the next day I obtained a position, and on the tenth day of the month, Jiazi, Mao Dan followed me in. This is an example of casting a divination for others and it involving oneself.

己酉年六月壬戌日未將丑時童得松丁巳生五十三歲占宅。　口鑑　方本占案／六朱／陳亥子丑寅蛇／龍戌　卯貴　龍后陳陰　財丁巳陰／空酉　辰后　戌辰亥巳　兄癸亥陳／虎申未午巳陰　辰戌巳壬　財丁巳陰／常玄

In the year Jiyou, sixth lunar month, day Renxu, using the month general Wei added on the Chou hour to cast the divination, the subject is Song, born in the year Dingsi, aged fifty-three, asking about his residence. This case is recorded in the "Kou Jian" and "Fang Ben Zhan An." The month general and the time of divination are directly opposite, and the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate mutually conflict in six positions, forming a "Fan Yin" lesson. The deities governing each position are: "Gou Chen" at Hai, "Liu He" at Zi, "Zhu Que" at Chou, "Teng Snake" at Yin, "Nobleman" at Mao, "Heavenly Empress" at Chen, "Tai Yin" at Si, "Xuan Wu" at Wu, "Tai Chang" at Wei, "Bai Hu" at Shen, "Tian Kong" at You, and "Qing Long" at Xu. The four lessons are: the water of Ren is lodged in Hai, with Si on Hai riding Tai Yin, as the first lesson; Si has Hai on it riding Gou Chen, as the second lesson; the day branch Xu has Chen on it riding Heavenly Empress, as the third lesson; and Chen has Xu on it riding Qing Long, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Dingsi riding Tai Yin, the middle transmission is Guihai riding Gou Chen, and the final transmission is Dingsi riding Tai Yin again. The movement between Si and Hai mutually conflict, and both the coming and going fall on the place of absolute decline. The virtue deity of Ren water is at Hai, and the fire of the subject's birth year Dingsi is seated below the water at Hai, which is the origin of the following statement "De lost, deity diminished."

邵彥和曰：此課德喪神消，人亡家破。何以言之？

Shao Yanhe said: The image of this lesson is the loss of the virtue god and the exhaustion of the life and destiny gods, indicating the death of the head of the household and the collapse of the family business. Why is it said like this?

蓋壬德在亥，亥為閉口，無德可言，是謂德喪（愚按：畢法賦云，德臨絕地為德喪）。愛函竊謂亥德臨絕地為德喪。身命臨亥，火被水克，是謂神消。生氣受克而死氣為主，是謂人亡。辰來破宅，又為干支之墓，是謂家破。一為宅水不通，二為灶廁不便。巳為灶，亥為廁，巳亥相加為不便。我去彼絕，彼來此絕，墓來剋日，此凶課也。童遂遷居，其屋空而禍解。

The virtuous god of the壬 water is in亥, but now亥 has become a closed mouth, so the virtue cannot be expressed, which is called "loss of virtue" (Cheng Shuxun notes: According to the "Bi Fa Fu," when the virtuous god falls into a dead position, it is called loss of virtue). Ai Han believes that it is the virtuous god being in a dead position that is called loss of virtue. His body and destiny,Dingsi, are located in亥, and fire is overcome by water, which is called "elimination of the spirit." When life qi is overcome and death qi takes control, it is called "death of the person." The arrival of辰 destroys the residence, and since it is the Storage of the day stem and day branch, it is called "family destruction." There are two specific problems: first, the water channel in the house is not smooth, and second, the positions of the stove and the toilet are inconvenient.巳 represents the stove, and亥 represents the toilet; when both are present, it results in the stove and toilet conflicting, making the layout inconvenient. When I go to that place, it is a dead position, and when that place comes to me, it is also a dead position. The Tomb Spirit returns to overcome the day stem, which is indeed a凶课. Tong De Song then moved to a new house, and once the house was empty, the troubles were resolved.

正月壬戌日子將巳時自占。　課經集／龍勾合朱／子丑寅卯　龍貴勾后　財戊午後／空亥　辰蛇　子巳丑午　鬼◎丑勾／虎戌　巳貴　巳戌午壬　父庚申玄／酉申未午／常玄陰后

In the first month on a day of Renxu, using the month general Zi placed on the Si hour to cast a divination, the person is casting the divination for themselves. This example is from the "Lessons Collection." The Heaven Plate advances seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each position are: "Azure Dragon" on Zi, "Gou Chen" on Chou, "Liu He" on Yin, "Vermilion Bird" on Mao, "Teng Snake" on Chen, "Nobleman" on Si, "Heavenly Empress" on Wu, "Tai Yin" on Wei, "Black Tortoise" on Shen, "Tai Chang" on You, "White Tiger" on Xu, and "Heavenly Void" on Hai. The four lessons are: the water stem Ren is lodged in Hai, with Wu on Hai, riding the Heavenly Empress, as the first lesson; Wu has Chou on it, riding Gou Chen, as the second lesson; the day branch Xu has Si on it, riding the Nobleman, as the third lesson; and Si has Zi on it, riding the Azure Dragon, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wuwu riding the Heavenly Empress, the middle transmission is Chou riding Gou Chen, with Chou falling into the旬空, and the final transmission is Gengshen riding the Black Tortoise. Wu is the wife and wealth of the water stem Ren, Chou is the official ghost, and Shen is the official seal. The three transmissions form a chain of wealth generating official, official generating official seal, and the official seal returning to support the day stem.

郭御青曰：初傳天后水與亥水夾克妻財，財生官，官生印，印轉生身。時人或以破財捐官斷，豈知壬以午為妻，乘死氣，火以戌為墓，帶白虎，加妻卯命上為墓門開格，後果因好飲水致病喪身，何其效驗如此？

Guo Yuqing said: The first transmission of the superior heavenly empress belongs to water, and together with the亥 water in the day stem's lodging palace, it surrounds the wife's wealth. The wealth then generates the official, the official generates the seal, and the seal returns to nourish the day stem itself. At that time, some people used the concept of sacrificing wealth to donate to officialdom to interpret this, but they did not realize that the壬 water takes午 as its wife, and the death qi is on午; fire takes戌 as its tomb and repository, and the white tiger is on戌, which is added to the wife's birth year of卯, exactly matching the pattern of "the tomb gate opens." Later, the wife indeed died from drinking excessive water and getting sick, and the divination was accurate to such a degree.

崇正癸酉年正月壬戌日巳將申時丹陽賀中憐先生居大寅臺時占升遷吉凶若何？／朱蛇／六寅卯辰巳貴　蛇陰貴玄　財丁巳貴／勾丑　午后　辰未巳申　子甲寅六／青子　未陰　未戌申壬　比癸亥空／空亥戌酉申玄／虎常

In the year Guiyou of the Chongzhen era, on the 1st month, 19th day of the lunar calendar, using the month general Si placed on the Shen hour to cast the divination, Dan Yang's He Zhonglian, who was serving as the chief of Dayin Pavilion, asked about the fortune of his promotion. The Heaven Plate is three places behind the Earth Plate. The deities governing each of the heavenly generals are: "Liu He" is in Yin, "Vermilion Bird" is in Mao, "Teng Snake" is in Chen, "Nobleman" is in Si, "Heavenly Empress" is in Wu, "Tai Yin" is in Wei, "Black Tortoise" is in Shen, "Tai Chang" is in You, "White Tiger" is in Xu, "Tian Kong" is in Hai, "Azure Dragon" is in Zi, and "Gou Chen" is in Chou. The four lessons are: the Ren water is lodged in Hai, with Shen on Hai and ridden by Xuanwu (Dark Warrior), forming the first lesson; the Shen has Si on it and ridden by Guiren (Nobleman), forming the second lesson; the day branch Xu has Wei on it and ridden by Taiyin (Great Yin), forming the third lesson; the Wei has Chen on it and ridden by Tengshe (Soaring Snake), forming the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Dingsi with ridden by Guiren (Nobleman), the middle transmission is Jiayin with ridden by Liuhe (Six Harmony), and the final transmission is Guihai with ridden by Tiankong (Empty Sky). The three transmissions' heavenly generals are mutually generating and supporting each other. However, the third lesson's Wei and the fourth lesson's Chen are both official ghosts of the Ren water. One is favorable and one is unfavorable, both appearing in the same lesson. Promotion and demotion are both determined here.

陳公獻曰：目今必然榮轉，日後因他人之事請告。蓋因傳將遞互相生，城吏二馬出現，定有公鄉推薦。但嫌鬼臨三四，必主他非退位。曰：應於何年？曰：丁丑年。蛇墓剋日，必自驚憂而退。月內昇天津巡撫，後以標官劫皇銷事發，請告歸里。

Chen Gongxian said: At present, there is certainly a promotion and transfer, but in the future, one will resign due to others' mistakes. Because the three transmissions have heavenly generals that mutually generate and assist each other, and the lesson also has city officials and two instances of the post-horse, there will certainly be recommendations from high officials and local gentry. However, the official ghost is located on the third and fourth lessons, so in the future, one will certainly step down due to others' disputes. He asked: In which year? The answer is Dingchou year. The Teng Snake rides on the Tomb Spirit, which harms the day stem, so it must be due to one's own fear and anxiety leading to resignation. In that month, he was promoted to the governor of Tianjin; later, due to the case of the subordinate officers embezzling grain and salary reimbursement, he had to resign and return home.

戊辰年十一月壬戌日寅將巳時倪子元占父何日到京？　指南／朱蛇／六寅卯辰巳貴　蛇陰貴玄　財丁巳貴／勾丑　午后　辰未巳申　子甲寅六／青子　未陰　未戌申壬　比癸亥空／空亥戌酉申玄／虎常

In the year of Wuchen, eleventh month, day of Renxu, using the month general Yín placed on the time of Si, a divination was cast. Ni Ziyuan asked about the day his father would arrive in the capital. This example is from the "Six Rats Guide." The Heaven Plate is also three places behind the Earth Plate, resulting in the same lesson as the previous example: "Liu He" is on Yín, "Vermilion Bird" is on Mao, "Teng Snake" is on Chen, "Nobleman" is on Si, "Heavenly Empress" is on Wu, "Tai Yin" is on Wei, "Black Tortoise" is on Shen, "Tai Chang" is on You, "White Tiger" is on Xu, "Tian Kong" is on Hai, "Azure Dragon" is on Zi, and "Gou Chen" is on Chou. The four lessons are: the壬 water is in Hai with the申 on Hai, riding the Black Tortoise; the申 has the巳 on it, riding the Nobleman; the day branch戌 has the未 on it, riding the Tai Yin; and the未 has the辰 on it, riding the Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Dingsi riding the Nobleman, the middle transmission is Jiayin riding Liu He, and the final transmission is Guihai riding Tian Kong. The申 on the day stem is riding the Black Tortoise and is also the Post-horse. The寅 in the middle transmission is at the border of Youyan, and the arrival date and dangers on the journey are both derived from these two positions.

陳公獻曰：行人已抵燕界，丙寅日方到，但途過馬賊劫奪。蓋二馬見於課傳，末足臨寅，乃幽燕之分，二陰夾陽，中傳見寅，故主寅日到。玄武驛馬臨干，遙克庚午命神，主大路有馬賊劫奪之應。果寅日到平子門外，雪中遇雪賊，劫銀四十兩。

Chen Gongxian said: A person who is going out has already reached the border of Yan region and will arrive in the city on the day of Bingyin. However, on the way he will meet horsemen bandits who rob him. This is because both the lesson and the transmission contain two instances of the Post-horse, and the last foot falls exactly on Yin. Yin is the territory of Youyan; two yin spirits are surrounding one yang spirit, and the middle transmission also meets Yin, so it is judged that he will arrive on the day of Yin. The Black Tortoise with the Post-horse is present on the day stem, and it remotely harms the native spirit of Gengwu, indicating a robbery by horse thieves on the main road. Later, he indeed arrived at the Pingze Gate on the day of Yin, encountering bandits in wind and snow, and was robbed of forty taels of silver.

建炎己酉年九月癸亥日卯將辰時吳四公丙午生六十四歲占進畜。　方本占案　口鑑／貴後／蛇辰巳午未陰／朱卯　申玄　常虎空龍　鬼壬戌虎／六寅　酉常　酉戌亥子　父辛酉常／陳丑子亥戌虎　戌亥子癸　父庚申玄／龍空

In the year Jiyou of the Southern Song dynasty, during the ninth month of the year, on the day Guihai, using the month general of卯 (Mao) placed on the辰 (Chen) time, Wu Siguang, born in the year Bingwu and aged sixty-four, asked about raising livestock. This case is recorded in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The Heaven Plate is one position behind the Earth Plate. The deities governing each position are: "Teng Snake" on Chen, "Nobleman" on Si, "Heavenly Empress" on Wu, "Tai Yin" on Wei, "Black Tortoise" on Shen, "Tai Chang" on You, "White Tiger" on Xu, "Heavenly Void" on Hai, "Azure Dragon" on Zi, "Gou Chen" on Chou, "Liu He" on Yin, and "Vermilion Bird" on Mao. The four lessons are: the癸 water is lodged in Chou, with Zi on Chou and riding the Azure Dragon, as the first lesson; Zi has Hai on it and rides the Heavenly Void, as the second lesson; the day branch Hai has Xu on it and rides the White Tiger, as the third lesson; Xu has You on it and rides the Tai Chang, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Renxu riding the White Tiger, the middle transmission is Xinyou riding the Tai Chang, and the final transmission is Gengshen riding the Black Tortoise, moving in reverse from Xu to You to Shen. Xu in the autumn season is the "Tian Mu Sha," and now it is placed directly on the day branch representing the residence, which serves as the basis for the following judgment on the corpse.

邵彥和曰：欲進六畜，而豬牛欄皆不得其所。戌加亥作白虎，大豬入欄反小，只如犬大，兼且多病死傷。牛臨寅地，自是畏鄉，豈能長久？要好移欄到長生西南之地，牛羊豬皆可養之。宅基皆不利畜，牛羊豬雞皆無位，至於犬反要咬豬，貓亦不能捕鼠。

Shao Yanhe said: If you want to raise six domestic animals, but the pigpen and cowshed are not placed in suitable positions. The戌 is placed on the亥 and is multiplied by the White Tiger, so large pigs bought into the pen will not grow big, only as big as dogs, and will be sickly and prone to injury. The cowshed is located in the寅, which is the direction that cows fear, so how can they be raised long-term? It is best to move the animal pens to the Southwest Growth position, then cows, sheep, and pigs can all be raised. This house itself is not favorable for raising animals: there is no suitable place for cows, sheep, pigs, or chickens; as for dogs, they will even bite pigs; and cats will not catch mice.

蓋緣天目在宅，宅中有伏尸，所以不榮。五年之內，伏尸必傷人矣。吳宅自造屋十三四年來，諸畜皆養不得，故占之。當先宅前一半是田，一半是山，其山有古冢骸骨，不知姓名，吳盡撤去造屋，是以不利。後至甲寅三月，宅中屢現火光，怪異並作。吳記先生斷課之語，遂遷別宅居住。大凡占宅，天目加支，多主伏尸。秋以戌為天目，戌數五，故主五年必現影響也。

This is because the "Heavenly Eye Evil Spirit" is pressing directly on the house, and there are unclaimed bones buried beneath the house, which is why the livestock are not thriving; within five years, this hidden corpse will certainly harm people. The Wu family has lived in this house for thirteen or fourteen years, and all their livestock have died, so they came to seek divination. Originally, half of the front of the house was farmland and half was mountain, and there was an old tomb on the mountain, whose bones were unknown. The Wu family dug it up and built the house on top of it, which caused misfortune. Later, in the third month of the Jiayin year, there were frequent fires in the house and strange events kept happening. Wu Si Gong remembered the words of the master who had interpreted the divination, and moved to another place. Generally, when divining about a house, if the Heavenly Eye Evil Spirit is added to the Day Branch, it often indicates that there are hidden corpses underground. In autumn, the Heavenly Eye is戌, and the number of戌 is five, so it is predicted that within five years, the prediction will definitely come true.

寅年七月癸亥日己將巳時辰命人占謁選。　直指／貴后陰玄／巳午未申　空空勾勾　鬼◎丑勾／蛇辰　酉常　亥亥丑丑　鬼壬戌虎／朱卯　戌虎　亥亥丑癸　鬼己未陰／寅丑子亥／合勾龍空

In the year of the Dragon, seventh lunar month, day of Guihai, the class was cast using the month general placed on the hour of Si. The original text refers to the month general as 'Ji general', which is likely a mistake for 'Si general'. A person born in the year of the Dragon asks about his appointment to the Ministry of Personnel. This example is from the "Six Yin Direct Point". The month general and the time of casting are in the same position, and the heaven plate and earth plate completely coincide, forming a 'hidden chant' lesson. The deities governing each of the twelve earthly branches are: 'Nobleman' in Si, 'Heavenly Empress' in Wu, 'Tai Yin' in Wei, 'Black Tortoise' in Shen, 'Tai Chang' in You, 'White Tiger' in Xu, 'Heavenly Void' in Hai, 'Azure Dragon' in Zi, 'Gou Chen' in Chou, 'Liu He' in Yin, 'Vermilion Bird' in Mao, and 'Teng Snake' in Chen. The four lessons: the癸 water is lodged in Chou, with Chou still on Chou, governed by Gou Chen, as the first lesson; Chou still on Chou, governed by Gou Chen, as the second lesson; the day branch Hai is still on Hai, governed by Heavenly Void, as the third lesson; Hai still on Hai, governed by Heavenly Void, as the fourth lesson. The Hai on the day branch is a self-punishing deity and cannot be used as the initiating transmission, so the deity on the day stem, Chou, is used as the initiating transmission. Chou is in a mutual relationship with Xu, which becomes the middle transmission, and Xu is in a mutual relationship with Wei, which becomes the final transmission. The three transmissions, Chou, Xu, and Wei, are all earth, making the lesson name 'crop cultivation'. Moreover, all are official stars of the癸 water.

邵彥和曰：稼穡乃守土之官也。干支上神格合拱祿，三傳皆官，中傳白虎為催官符至，且兩貴拱命，上乘喜神，行年又帶天馬與日祿，青龍相會，謂之蛟龍得雨，天馬騰空。子月必選。祿臨女分，當在北方，果驗。

Shao Yanhe said: "The lesson pattern 'Jia Se' corresponds to an official who governs the land and tends the people. The spirits on the day stem and day branch are in harmony, with the禄神 (favorable deity) supported in the middle. The three transmissions are all official stars. The middle transmission has the White Tiger, indicating the arrival of the official symbol. Furthermore, the noblemen of day and night enclose the native's destiny, with the auspicious deity above. The year of action carries the Heavenly Horse and the day's favorable deity, and meets the Azure Dragon. This is called the dragon receiving rain and the Heavenly Horse soaring. An official position will certainly be appointed in the month of Zi. The禄神 is located in the northern territory of the Girl Mansion, so the official's post will be in the north. Later, this indeed came true."

己酉年六月癸亥日未將巳時伊秀才戊辰生四十二歲占科試。　宋本邵案　口鑑／六陳／朱未申酉戌龍／蛇午　亥空　陰常貴陰　鬼空丑常／貴巳　子虎　卯丑巳卯　子乙卯陰／後辰卯寅丑常　丑亥卯癸　財丁巳貴／陰玄

In the year Jiyou, sixth lunar month, day Guihai, using the month general Wei added on the巳 hour to cast the divination, Yi the scholar was born in the year Wuchen, aged forty-two, asking about an examination for academic advancement. This case is found in the Song edition of the "Shao An" and the "Kou Jian." The Heaven Plate advances two positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each of the heavenly generals are: "Vermilion Bird" at Wei, "Liu He" at Shen, "Gou Chen" at You, "Azure Dragon" at Xu, "Tian Kong" at Hai, "White Tiger" at Zi, "Tai Chang" at Chou, "Black Tortoise" at Yin, "Tai Yin" at Mao, "Heavenly Empress" at Chen, "Nobleman" at Si, and "Teng Snake" at Wu. The four lessons are: the癸 water is lodged in Chou, with the卯 and Tai Yin, as the first lesson; the卯 has the巳 and Nobleman, as the second lesson; the day branch Hai has the丑 and Tai Chang, as the third lesson; and the丑 has the卯 and Tai Yin, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is丑 with Tai Chang, and丑 falls in the旬空; the middle transmission is Yi Mao with Tai Yin; the final transmission is Ding Si with Nobleman. The sequence of丑, Mao, and Si progresses smoothly, and the name of the lesson is "Chu Hu" (Going Out). Tai Yin belongs to the evening nobleman, and Nobleman belongs to the day nobleman. The sequence starts with the evening and moves to the day, indicating a transition from darkness to light.

邵彥和曰：課名出戶，占試則吉。太陰乘卯作幕貴，加日干，又日貴在末傳，先晦後明，準擬登科也。明年五甲無疑矣。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination is called "Going Out," and it is auspicious for an examination. Tai Yin is riding on Mao and acting as a minister and noble, resting upon the day stem; the final transmission is also the day noble. It starts hidden and then becomes clear, indicating success in the examination. There is no doubt that one will pass the examination and be ranked among the top five in the imperial examination.

蓋癸亥乃六甲極日，日去就支，主終身如斯而已。喜得舊蒙晦窒，斯道發輝而出。幕貴傳出又出而向日貴，日貴在夜貴之上，故先晦後明。且行年午上乘申，為干支長生，繫文星學堂，合起日貴，寅上辰為本年，晝夜貴人拱之，故必及第也。

Guihai is the last day in the sixty Jiazi cycles. The day stem connects to the day branch, indicating that one's life is destined to end on this day. Fortunately, the previous state of ignorance and blockage is now giving way to the flourishing of scholarly pursuits. The nobleman's influence spreads continuously, gradually approaching the day nobleman, and the day nobleman is above the night nobleman, thus indicating a transition from darkness to light. Moreover, the year's position at Wu is occupied by Shen, which is the place of growth for the day stem and day branch. It is also connected with the literary star and the academy, forming a harmonious combination with the day nobleman. The position at Yin is occupied by Chen, which is the annual sovereign's position. The nobleman of day and night are both supporting on both sides, so one is certain to pass the examination.

伊乃伊知縣之弟，屢試不中，今先生許其中，渠甚不信，及試果得第，次年中五甲矣。

This man, named Yi Xiucai, is the younger brother of Yi Zhi Xian. He has taken the examination many times but failed to pass. Now, Master Shao has predicted that he will pass, but he himself does not believe it. However, when he actually took the examination, he did pass. The next year he also passed the imperial examination as a top-five candidate for the jinshi degree.

四月癸亥申將巳時占來意。　指歸靈文論／合勾龍空／申酉戌亥　貴玄朱后　鬼丙辰後／朱未　子虎　巳寅未辰　鬼己未朱／蛇午　丑常　寅亥辰癸　鬼壬戌龍／巳辰卯寅／貴后陰玄

On the day of Guihai in the fourth lunar month, using the month general Shen placed on the巳 hour to cast a divination, to determine what the person inquiring is about, this example is found in the "Liu Ren Zhi Gui" and "Ling Wen Lun." The Heaven Plate moves three places ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each position are: "Liu He" on Shen, "Gou Chen" on You, "Qing Long" on Xu, "Tian Kong" on Hai, "Bai Hu" on Zi, "Tai Chang" on Chou, "Xuan Wu" on Yin, "Tai Yin" on Mao, "Tian Hou" on Chen, "Gui Ren" on Si, "Teng Snake" on Wu, and "Zhu Que" on Wei. The four lessons are: Gui water lodges in Chou, with Chou having Chen and riding on Tian Hou, as the first lesson; Chen having Wei and riding on Zhu Que, as the second lesson; the day branch Hai having Yin and riding on Xuan Wu, as the third lesson; and Yin having Si and riding on Gui Ren, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Bingchen riding on Tian Hou, the middle transmission is Jiwei riding on Zhu Que, and the final transmission is Renxu riding on Qing Long. The three heavy earths, Chen, Wei, and Xu, are all the official ghosts of Gui water. Chen is also known as Tiangang, a malevolent deity, and on top of it rides Tian Hou, the deity of private matters, from which the meaning is interpreted.

斷曰：來意事起陰人粗惡，暗中設謀眾人入官之狀，終不成憂。蓋辰為用、為日鬼，天后為陰人主陰翳事，天罡為凶惡神，故云粗惡陰人，暗中設謀相害。三傳皆是日鬼，小吉未被刑並朱雀，故云眾人入官之象。日為占者，甲寅旬中癸落空亡，三傳皆鬼，不見占者，將與誰爭？故云：終不成憂也。

The matter concerning the person comes from a rough and fierce woman who started it. Some people are secretly plotting together to file a joint complaint with the authorities, but it will not ultimately become a disaster. This is because the first transmission starts with the hour of Chen, which is also the official ghost of the day stem. The Heavenly Empress represents a woman and matters that are hidden and private. The hour of Chen is called Tiangang, a fierce deity, so it is said that a rough woman is secretly plotting harm. All three transmissions are official ghosts of the day stem. The hour of Wei is called Xiaoji, and now it is combined with the Vermilion Bird, which governs documents and words, so it is said to indicate the image of many people jointly reporting to the authorities. The day stem represents the person being divined. This day is in the Jiayin decade, and the lodgment palace of the癸 is at Chou, which is in the empty place. Although all three transmissions are official ghosts, the person being divined cannot be found. So these ghosts will have no one to fight against, hence it will not become a disaster.

順治乙酉年四月十一癸亥日酉將午時，淮安總漕部院田公百原占該城住鄉住？／合勾龍空／申酉戌亥　貴玄朱后　鬼丙辰後／朱未　子虎　巳寅未辰　鬼己未朱／蛇午　丑常　寅亥辰癸　鬼壬戌龍／巳辰卯寅／貴后陰玄

In the year of Yiyou of the Shunzhi era, on the eleventh day of the fourth lunar month, on a day of Guihai, the divination was cast with the Month General酉 placed on the Wu hour. Field Marshal Tian Baiyuan of the Grand Council for Transport and漕运 in Huai'an asked whether he should live in the city or move to the countryside. The Heaven Plate advances three places ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities presiding over the various positions are: "Liu He" at Shen, "Gou Chen" at You, "Qinglong" at Xu, "Tian Kong" at Hai, "Baihu" at Zi, "Tai Chang" at Chou, "Xuanwu" at Yin, "Tai Yin" at Mao, "Tianhou" at Chen, "Guiren" at Si, "Teng Snake" at Wu, and "Zhuque" at Wei. The Four Lessons are: the癸 water is lodged in Chou, with Chou receiving Chen and riding on Tianhou, as the first lesson; Chen receiving Wei and riding on Zhuque, as the second lesson; the day branch Hai receiving Yin and riding on Xuanwu, as the third lesson; and Yin receiving Si and riding on Guiren, as the fourth lesson. The Three Transmissions are: the first transmission is Bingchen riding on Tianhou, the middle transmission is Jiwei riding on Zhuque, and the final transmission is Renxu riding on Qinglong. The Tiangang is placed on Chen and added to the day stem to initiate the transmission, forming the image of "Zhang Guan". The three transmissions are all earth, and there is also Yin wood on the day branch to serve as a guardian. The decision between staying and leaving is determined by these factors.

陳公獻曰：此課正宜歸隱住鄉安穩，住城雖有眾賊飛攻，亦不足畏。因遊子斬關（魁罡加日辰發用為斬關課，此正辰加日發用也；而遊子必三傳皆土，見天驛二馬方的，蓋此時仍在辰月，天馬在戌也），發用陽將傳入陰位，理應歸隱之象。住城雖有賊攻，賴支上寅木以敵之（正所謂一人當關，萬夫莫開也。），不若就西北水鄉卜居安穩。及到邦關，船被兵據，入城，史閣部命守西城，城破一家投水未死。

Chen Gongxian said: This lesson is most suitable for retreating to the countryside and living in seclusion, thus attaining stability; although living in the city may bring many thieves and soldiers rushing in to attack, it is not something to be afraid of. Because the lesson pattern is "Wandering Son Cutting the Gate" (when Tiankui and Tian Gang are added to the day stem and day branch to initiate the transmission, it becomes the Cutting Gate lesson; here, Chen is added to the day stem to initiate the transmission; as for the Wandering Son, the three transmissions must all be earth, and also see both the Heavenly Horse and the Post-horse, which are the two horses, to be accurate. At this time, it is still the month of Chen, and the Heavenly Horse is at Xu). The initiating transmission is a yang general, and the three transmissions turn into the yin position, which according to the principles, is the image of retreating to seclusion. Although living in the city may bring thieves attacking, it is fortunate that there is寅wood on the day branch to resist (as the saying goes, one person guarding the pass, ten thousand men cannot pass). However, it is still not as stable as moving to the northwest water town. Later, he arrived at the pass, but his boat was seized by the rebels, so he had to enter the city. Shi Kefa ordered him to defend the western part of the city, but after the city fell, his family jumped into the water but did not die.

崇正辛未年四月癸亥日酉將午時商城熊兵長垣奮渭為戊寅命人代占。　指南／合勾龍空／申酉戌亥　貴玄朱后　鬼丙辰後／朱未　子虎　巳寅未辰　鬼己未朱／蛇午　丑常　寅亥辰癸　鬼壬戌龍／巳辰卯寅／貴后陰玄

In the year Xinwei of the Chongzhen era, on the day Guihai of the fourth lunar month, a divination was cast with the Month General You placed on the Wu hour. The military officer Xiong of Shangcheng and the official Fenwei of Changyuan divined on behalf of a person whose birth year was Wuyin. This example is taken from the "Six Nian Guide." The Heaven Plate moves three places ahead in the same direction as the Earth Plate, resulting in the same class of divination as the previous example: "Liu He" is in Shen, "Gou Chen" is in You, "Qing Long" is in Xu, "Tian Kong" is in Hai, "Bai Hu" is in Zi, "Tai Chang" is in Chou, "Xuan Wu" is in Yin, "Tai Yin" is in Mao, "Tian Hou" is in Chen, "Gui Ren" is in Si, "Teng Snake" is in Wu, and "Zhu Que" is in Wei. The four lessons are:癸 water is in Chou with Chou having Chen riding on Tian Hou; Chen has Wei riding on Zhu Que; the day branch Hai has Yin riding on Xuan Wu; and Yin has Si riding on Gui Ren. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Bingchen riding on Tian Hou, the middle transmission is Jiwei riding on Zhu Que, and the final transmission is Renxu riding on Qing Long, all of which are official ghosts of癸 water. The person being divined was born in Wuyin, and the day and night noblemen exactly enclose his birth year in the middle, indicating a situation of danger mixed with salvation.

陳公獻曰：課象雖凶，終不為畏。曰：較張逢玄課何如？予曰：張公課好，太歲剋日，君上不喜，須得木姓人求解，方可釋荷也。三傳純官鬼，又關墓覆日，豈不為凶？喜兩貴拱身，福德儀神臨支；又丁馬貴德居命，且是皇恩天詔，定轉凶為吉。其後刑長垣諱覺斯李先生上疏救之，減死謫戍，後知為雲間錢相公也。

Chen Gongxian said: Although the divination image is ominous, there is no need to be afraid. Someone asked: How does this compare with Zhang Fengxuan's divination? I said: Zhang's divination is better, but the sovereign's stem is harmed by the year stem, causing the ruler to be displeased. A person with a surname containing the radical for wood must step forward to plead and resolve the matter, so that the heavy burden can be lifted. This divination has three transmissions all being official ghosts, and there are also related evils and the tomb god pressing down on the day stem. How could it not be ominous? Fortunately, the day and night noblemen are supporting the subject, and the fortune virtue and the ritual god are present on the day branch. Moreover, the ding spirit, the post-horse, the nobleman, and the virtue god are all gathered on the native's stem, accompanied by the image of imperial grace and heavenly decree. It is certain that this ominous situation will turn into good fortune. Later, Mr. Li, who was called Juesi from Changyuan, submitted a memorial to rescue the case, reducing the death sentence to exile to the border. Only later did we learn that the one who exerted effort behind the scenes was Mr. Qian from Songjiang.

崇正丁丑年八月癸亥日真定劉夢巖邦弼占任所報丑時。　郭氏占案／合勾龍空／申酉戌亥　貴玄朱后　鬼丙辰後／朱未　子虎　巳寅未辰　鬼己未朱／蛇午　丑常　寅亥辰癸　鬼壬戌龍／巳辰卯寅／貴后陰玄

In the year Dingchou of the Chongzhen era, on the 16th day of the eighth lunar month, Liu Mengyan, a person from Zhending with the name Banging, asked about where he would be assigned to serve in an official position, and the time was the hour of Chou. This case is from the "Guo Shi Zhan An." The obtained divination pattern is the same as the previous two examples: "Liu He" is in Shen, "Gou Chen" is in You, "Qing Long" is in Xu, "Tian Kong" is in Hai, "Bai Hu" is in Zi, "Tai Chang" is in Chou, "Xuan Wu" is in Yin, "Tai Yin" is in Mao, "Tian Hou" is in Chen, "Gui Ren" is in Si, "Teng Sha" is in Wu, and "Zhu Que" is in Wei. The four lessons are: the癸 water is in Chou with the Chou branch having the Chen branch riding on "Tian Hou"; the Chen branch has the Wei branch riding on "Zhu Que"; the day branch Hai has the Yin branch riding on "Xuan Wu"; and the Yin branch has the Si branch riding on "Gui Ren." The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Bing Chen riding on "Tian Hou," the middle transmission is Ji Wei riding on "Zhu Que," and the final transmission is Ren Xu riding on "Qing Long." To determine the official post, one should look at the position of the day branch and the year branch. The following text proceeds by examining the heavenly year falling on You, the official star falling on Chou, and the Yin branch on the day branch riding on "Xuan Wu" to deduce the specific county name.

郭御青曰：據此課，天上行年臨酉，豈趙人選趙地乎？官星為用臨丑，北人難得吳越。驛馬不在傳，又臨燕，亦本地也。細詳干支上神，拱地盤子地，為山東。卯為草，必有草頭處也。查現缺，有莘縣、蓬萊二缺，必為蓬萊，以子為水鄉也。至十月乙亥日，果籤選蓬萊，信乎？食祿有方也。

Guo Yuqing said: Looking at this case, the heavenly stem of the year is positioned at You, so is it that people from Zhao would choose to serve in Zhao? The official star initiates the transmission and is positioned at Chou, making it difficult for northerners to be selected to the area of Wu and Yue. The post-horse does not enter the three transmissions and is positioned at Yan, which still indicates the native land. Carefully examining the spirits on the day stem and day branch, the earth plate's Zi position is in the center, and Zi corresponds to Shandong. Also, Mao governs plants and trees, indicating that the name of the place must include a grass radical. Checking the existing vacancies, only Xin County and Penghai are available. It must be Penghai, because Zi represents a water region. On the tenth month Yihai day, they indeed selected Penghai by lottery. This shows that the distribution of official salaries is determined by fixed directions.

愚嘗以支為任所，支上寅為山，玄武為草頭又為近水之處。寅加長生為道士，彼道家有蓬萊山在海中之說似與縣名符合焉。況木加長生則發生蓬勃，萊字亦有木字形也。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: I have always used the day branch to represent the place of office. In this divination, the day branch is寅, symbolizing a mountain. The Black Tortoise governs both the radical for grass and places near water; when寅 is placed in the position of growth, it symbolizes a Taoist priest. Taoism has the saying of Penglai Mountain in the sea, which coincides exactly with the county name. Moreover, wood in the position of growth signifies vigorous growth of grass and trees, and the character "莱" also contains the shape of the wood radical.

八月癸亥日辰將子時丑命人占赴試。　直指／空虎常玄／酉戌亥子　勾貴空朱　父辛酉空／龍申　丑陰　未卯酉巳　鬼◎丑陰／勾未　寅后　卯亥巳癸　財丁巳朱／午巳辰卯／合朱蛇貴

On the 10th day of the eighth month, using the month general Chen placed on the Zi hour to cast the divination, a person born in the year Chou asks about taking an examination. This example is from the "Six壬 Direct Pointing." The Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each position are: "Tian Kong" (Heavenly Void) is on You, "Bai Hu" (White Tiger) is on Xu, "Tai Chang" (Great Constancy) is on Hai, "Xuan Wu" (Black Tortoise) is on Zi, "Tai Yin" (Great Yin) is on Chou, "Heavenly Empress" is on Yin, "Nobleman" is on Mao, "Teng Snake" is on Chen, "Zhu Que" (Vermilion Bird) is on Si, "Liu He" (Six Harmonies) is on Wu, "Gou Chen" (Hook Star) is on Wei, and "Qing Long" (Azure Dragon) is on Shen. The four lessons are: Gui water is lodged in Chou, with Si on Chou and riding Zhu Que, as the first lesson; Si has You on it and rides Tian Kong, as the second lesson; the day branch Hai has Mao on it and rides Nobleman, as the third lesson; Mao has Wei on it and rides Gou Chen, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Xinyou riding Tian Kong, the middle transmission is Chou riding Tai Yin and Chou falls into the empty position of the ten thousand years, and the final transmission is Dingsi riding Zhu Que. Looking back from the final transmission, Si fire generates Chou earth, Chou earth generates Xinyou metal, and Xinyou metal generates Gui water day stem, forming a continuous generation back to the day stem. The night uses the night nobleman Mao, while the day uses the day nobleman Si, which becomes the curtain nobleman and is directly on the day stem. The day and night noblemen also enclose the Tiangang (Chen) in between.

邵彥和曰：三傳遞生生日，簾幕貴人臨干，更兼干支兩貴拱定行年上神，又係天罡，必中高魁。中末雖空，卻是本命，不以空論。

Shao Yanhe said: The three transmissions form a continuous sequence of mutual generation, ultimately benefiting the day stem. The nobleman is also directly above the day stem. Moreover, the day stem and day branch have noblemen in both day and night positions, which fix the god of the year. That god is exactly the Tiangang Chen. Therefore, it is certain to achieve a high rank. Although the middle transmission falls into kongwang, it is exactly the native's birth branch Chou, and the native's birth branch cannot be regarded as kongwang.

崇正癸酉年四月癸亥日酉將辰時宜興周首輔延儒因陳科長彈論，命醫者周誠生來占。　指南／空虎／龍戌亥子丑常　勾后空蛇　財戊午蛇／勾酉　寅玄　酉辰亥午　兄癸亥空／六申　卯陰　辰亥午癸　官丙辰後／朱未午巳辰後／蛇貴

In the year Guiyou of the Chongzhen era, on the fourth month and Guihai day, the class was cast with the Month General酉 placed on the Chen hour. Zhou Yanru, a chief minister from the county of Yixing, was accused by an official of the Ke Dao department named Chen, and he sent the physician Zhou Chengsheng to consult the divination. This case is recorded in the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan." The Heaven Plate advances five positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each Heavenly General are: "Azure Dragon" at Xu, "Tian Kong" at Hai, "White Tiger" at Zi, "Tai Chang" at Chou, "Black Tortoise" at Yin, "Tai Yin" at Mao, "Heavenly Empress" at Chen, "Nobleman" at Si, "Teng Snake" at Wu, "Vermilion Bird" at Wei, "Liu He" at Shen, and "Gou Chen" at You. The Four Lessons are: the癸 water is lodged in Chou, with Wu on Chou and乘 Teng Snake, as the first lesson; Wu has Hai on it and乘 Tian Kong, as the second lesson; the day branch Hai has Chen on it and乘 Heavenly Empress, as the third lesson; Chen has You on it and乘 Gou Chen, as the fourth lesson. The Three Transmissions are: the first transmission is Wu Wu with Teng Snake, the middle transmission is Gui Hai with Tian Kong, and the final transmission is Bing Chen with Heavenly Empress. The virtue deity of the癸 water is at Si, and the offending deity is at Hai. Now the water at Hai comes back to attack Si, and the virtue cannot resist the offense, which is the key to the entire interpretation of retreat.

陳公獻曰：朝官占此，必主去位。蓋因傳將遞克，德不勝刑（德在巳而刑在亥，亥克巳太耳。），主小人進用而君子退位。且貴祿財馬俱逢空陷（貴、財、馬俱在巳，臨子落空；祿子旬空，臨未非落空。），豈能善後乎。又夜貴臨行年（行年必在戌，卯臨之。），即不仕閒官也。六月後，年上日祿天馬沖動身命，是其行期矣。喜四墓覆生，仍有復起之象。果六月準辭，馳驛回里。

Chen Gongxian said: When an official in court comes across this divination, he must certainly lose his position. Because the three transmissions have the heavenly general successively mutually controlling, the virtue spirit cannot restrain the punishment spirit (virtue is in Si and punishment is in Hai, the water in Hai greatly controls the fire in Si). This indicates that petty people gain power and are promoted while the virtuous retreat. Moreover, the nobleman, the禄神, the wealth爻, and the post-horse all fall into empty and陷落 positions (the nobleman, wealth爻, and post-horse are all in Si, which is on the earth plate Zi and thus falls into empty; the禄神 Zi, although it is in the旬空, is on Wei, so it is not truly empty). How can there be a good ending? Furthermore, the night nobleman is directly on the year pillar (the year pillar must be in Xu, and the heavenly plate Mao is directly on it). Even if he does not lose his position, he can only be a闲散 official. After June, the day's禄神 on the year pillar and the heavenly horse will disturb his life and death, which marks the departure date. Fortunately, the four tombs turn around to generate and support, showing a sign of rising again. Later, he indeed received approval to resign and returned home by the post-horse.

己酉年九月癸亥日卯將酉時應秀才丙子生三十四歲占出行。　方本占案　口鑑／六朱／陳亥子丑寅蛇／龍戌　卯貴　陳陰朱常　財丁巳陰／空酉　辰后　亥巳丑未　兄癸亥陳／虎申未午巳陰　巳亥未癸　財丁巳陰／常玄

In the year Jiyou, ninth month, day Guihai, using the month general Mao placed on the You hour to cast the divination, the case concerns a man born in the year Bingzi, aged thirty-four, asking about traveling far away. This example is found in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The month general and the time of divination are directly opposite, and the heavens and earth disks mutually oppose each other in six positions, forming a "Fan Yin" lesson. The deities governing each position are: "Gou Chen" at Hai, "Liu He" at Zi, "Zhu Que" at Chou, "Teng Snake" at Yin, "Nobleman" at Mao, "Heavenly Empress" at Chen, "Tai Yin" at Si, "Xuan Wu" at Wu, "Tai Chang" at Wei, "Bai Hu" at Shen, "Tian Kong" at You, and "Qing Long" at Xu. The four lessons are: the癸 water is lodged in Chou, with Wei above it and riding Tai Chang, as the first lesson; Wei has Chou above it and riding Zhu Que, as the second lesson; the day branch Hai has Si above it and riding Tai Yin, as the third lesson; and Si has Hai above it and riding Gou Chen, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Ding Si riding Tai Yin, the middle transmission is Gui Hai riding Gou Chen, and the final transmission is Ding Si riding Tai Yin again. The movement of Si to Hai and back to Si, and Hai to Si and back to Hai, represents a back and forth motion, and the success or failure of the journey depends on this one-way and return movement.

邵彥和曰：此課出行，當主半路歸家。何也？蓋自支發出，少間復回，末又歸支，當主一骨肉有喪，遂遣人邀歸。應曰：何故？先生曰：初以巳發用，中傳復回，末傳又見巳，如何去得？應恐家中有事，先生曰：非也。應遂行，欲往袁州岳丈任中，次至撫州，卻有一親戚，乃伊親姐，在信州玉山縣，赴任病重，遂遣人趕應回，親姐死，應遂不得袁州。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination concerns travel, indicating that the person will have to return home halfway. Why is that? Because the initiating transmission starts from the day branch and leaves it shortly after, then returns again, and the final transmission also returns to the day branch, indicating that a close relative has died, so family members come to bring him back. Ying Xiaocai asked: What is the reason for this? The master said: The first transmission starts from Si, the middle transmission turns back, and the final transmission meets Si again, how can you go anywhere? Ying Xiaocai feared something bad would happen at home, but the master said: It is not at home. Ying Xiaocai then set off, intending to go to his father-in-law's post in Yuzhou. He reached Fuzhou, but a relative - his own sister - who was on her way to take up a post in Xunzhou Yushan County became seriously ill, so family members came to call him back. His sister eventually died, and Ying Xiaocai was unable to reach Yuzhou.

蓋宅上見巳，初末皆巳，巳乃癸之絕神，雖為絕神，卻是三層驛馬，又以旬丁，所以主動。但中即傳宅陰，所以半路歸也。日上未鬼作太常，主親戚眷屬之服。日主外故主外服，發用太陰，主陰人喪，所乘之巳為妻，是妻之祖也。巳火亥水去了又來，互換相沖，不得不動，既動彼此俱絕，所以止也。

This is because the residence is seen with the branch Si, and both the first and final transmissions are also Si. Si is the绝神 of癸 water, although it is a绝神, it is also threefold The Post-horse, plus the丁 spirit in the ten-day cycle, so it actively moves. However, the middle transmission immediately returns to the residence's阴神, so it only goes halfway and then turns back. The 未 on the day stem is an official ghost riding Tai Chang, indicating mourning for relatives and kin; since the day stem represents the outside, it refers to mourning for relatives outside the family. The initiating transmission's Tai Yin indicates the death of a woman, and the Tai Yin riding Si, which originally represents the wife, here refers to an elder in the wife's family. The fire of Si and the water of Hai go and come back, mutually conflicting, so they cannot remain still; once they start moving, both ends fall on绝 places, so they stop halfway.

己酉年六月十六癸亥日未將亥時伊知縣丙寅生四十四歲占前程及赴任。　宋本邵案　口鑑／蛇貴／朱丑寅卯辰後／六子　巳陰　貴常陰空　鬼己未常／陳亥　午玄　卯未巳酉　子乙卯貴／龍戌酉申未常　未亥酉癸　兄癸亥陳／空虎

In the year Jiwei, sixth lunar month, sixteenth day, Guihai, using the month general Wei added to the hour Hai, a lesson was cast. The county magistrate, born in the year Bingyin, aged forty-four, asked about his future and taking office. This case is found in the Song edition of the Shao An and the Kǒu Jiàn. The Heaven Plate is four places behind the Earth Plate. The deities governing each position are: 'Zhu Que' (Vermilion Bird) at Chou, 'Teng Snake' at Yin, 'Guiren' (Nobleman) at Mao, 'Tian Hou' (Heavenly Empress) at Chen, 'Tai Yin' at Si, 'Xuan Wu' (Black Tortoise) at Wu, 'Tai Chang' at Wei, 'Bai Hu' (White Tiger) at Shen, 'Tian Kong' (Heavenly Void) at You, 'Qing Long' (Azure Dragon) at Xu, 'Gou Chen' at Hai, and 'Liu He' (Six Harmonies) at Zi. The four lessons are: the癸 water is lodged in Chou, with酉 and乘 Tian Kong, as the first lesson; the酉 has巳 and乘 Tai Yin, as the second lesson; the day branch Hai has未 and乘 Tai Chang, as the third lesson; and the未 has卯 and乘 Guiren, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the initial transmission is Jiwei with Tai Chang, the middle transmission is Yimao with Guiren, and the final transmission is Guihai with Gou Chen. The positions Wei, Mao, and Hai form a wood trinity. Guihai is the last day of the sixty jiazi. The day stem and day branch are both in You, which is considered to be in decline. You govern lust, which is the foundation for the discussion of longevity later on.

邵彥和曰：公既貪女色，又貪男色，若能調攝，可以赴任。若不節慾，必入泉鄉。近日飲酒不得，漸欲嘔吐，伊曰：果然。先生曰：此乃醉飽之後，鬱氣積聚，五臟走作，故嘔逆也。子息加太陽，公子清貴過於公。伊曰：得子強我尤妙，但我壽若何？先生曰：壽盡於今年八月，因公避妻並母，在灶後與婢行淫，灶君申奏於天，遂折公壽矣。伊大驚泣曰：為之奈何？何以懺悔否？先生曰：須是露天謝罪，如此七夜方可少延也。伊遂每夜拜天謝過，不入寢室，八月初一夢神告知曰：汝知過修德，增壽一紀。伊後竟不仕，至庚申年八月十六日而歿。有三子，長早喪，次子戊辰科及第，少子甲戌科及第。

Shao Yanhe said: Since you are indulging in both female and male pleasures, if you can regulate and restrain yourself, you may still go to take office; but if you do not control your desires, you will certainly die an early death. Recently you have even been unable to drink alcohol, and gradually you have begun to vomit. Yi the county magistrate said: Indeed so. The gentleman said: This is due to the accumulated stagnation of qi after drinking and eating, causing the internal organs to become disordered, hence the vomiting. The son's line is placed above the sun, so your son will attain a high and noble status surpassing you. Yi the county magistrate said: It is better if my son surpasses me, but what about my lifespan? The gentleman said: Your lifespan will end this year in August. Because you avoided your wife and mother, and committed lustful acts behind the stove with a servant girl, the kitchen god reported this to heaven, thus reducing your yang life span. Yi the county magistrate was greatly alarmed and wept, asking: What can be done? Can I repent? The gentleman said: You must repent by kneeling in the open air and praying to heaven, and after seven nights, you may slightly extend your life. Yi the county magistrate then prayed to heaven every night, refraining from entering his bedroom. On the first night of August, he dreamed that a divine being told him: Since you have recognized your mistake and cultivated virtue, you are granted an additional lifespan of one jing. After that, Yi the county magistrate never took office again, and died on the sixteenth day of August in the year Gengshen. He had three sons, the eldest died young, the second passed the imperial examination in the Wu Chen examination, and the youngest passed in the Jia Xu examination.

蓋癸上見酉作天空，干支皆敗於酉，陰陽俱敗，故主女色男色。酉為色故也。癸見酉為酒，天空主吐逆，故漸不納酒。此課六陰俱備，且癸亥為六甲極日，癸亥俱敗於酉，死於卯，那更水日又得木局。陰中逢脫，自然暗消。內既空虛，外徒形體。巳為丁神而臨行年，又作太陰，巳為灶，太陰為陰私，酉為婢，是於灶間行淫，以致酉來敗損。況又是破碎，破碎者，色與酒病俱發也。水日木局，故主子位，太陽發傳，又子爻加太陽之上，故顯。

This is because the Gui is in the Lodging Palace of You, and You is occupied by Tian Kong. The Day Stem and Day Branch are both in You and are therefore defeated there. Yin and Yang both suffer defeat, so it is concluded that he is involved in both female and male lust. You is directly related to lust. Gui meeting You also indicates alcohol, and Tian Kong indicates vomiting and regurgitation, so he gradually loses the ability to drink. In this divination, six Yin spirits are complete.Guihai is also the last day of the sixty jiazi cycle. Both Gui and Hai are defeated in You and die in Mao. Moreover, the water day forms a wood trine, and within the Yin atmosphere, there is further leakage and loss, so the original energy naturally diminishes secretly, leaving the inside empty and the outside only a shell. Si comes with the Ding spirit from the ten-day cycle and is on the year's position, also occupied by Tai Yin. Si represents the kitchen, Tai Yin represents private matters, and You represents a servant girl. Together, they indicate indecent behavior in the kitchen, thus causing the defeat of You. Moreover, You is also the Posui Sha (Broken Star), and once Posui (Broken Star) is activated, both lust-related illness and alcohol-related illness occur. The water day forms a wood trine, indicating that the son will have a position; the wood trine also originates from the sun, and the son's line is placed above the sun, so the son will eventually achieve success.

巳為日德，故改過修德尚可延年也。

The hour of Si is the place of the virtue god on a Gui day. The ominous signs in the divination are determined by heaven's numbers, but virtue lies within human control. Therefore, if one recognizes mistakes and corrects them, and cultivates virtue, even if the lifespan has been completely exhausted, it can still be extended.

戊申年六月初十癸亥日未將本百徐八公甲寅生五十五歲占家宅。　方本占案　口鑑／蛇貴／朱卯辰巳午後／六寅　未陰　陰常常空　鬼己未陰／陳丑　申玄　未酉酉亥　財丁巳貴／龍子亥戌酉常　酉亥亥癸　子乙卯雀／空虎

In the year of Wushen, sixth month, tenth day of the lunar calendar, on the day of Guihai, using the method of starting the divination with the month general of Wei, the original text mentions 'Ben Bai', which has some errors and omissions. According to the layout of the divination board, the Heaven Plate is two positions behind the Earth Plate. Xu Baogong was born in the year of Jiayin, aged fifty-five, and he consulted about his family home. This case is recorded in the 'Fang Ben Zhan An' and 'Kou Jian'. The deities governing each of the heavenly generals are: 'Zhu Que' (Vermilion Bird) is at Mao, 'Teng Snake' is at Chen, 'Guiren' (Nobleman) is at Si, 'Heavenly Empress' is at Wu, 'Tai Yin' is at Wei, 'Xuan Wu' (Black Tortoise) is at Shen, 'Tai Chang' is at You, 'Bai Hu' (White Tiger) is at Xu, 'Tian Kong' (Heavenly Void) is at Hai, 'Qing Long' (Azure Dragon) is at Zi, 'Gou Chen' is at Chou, and 'Liu He' is at Yin. The four lessons are: the癸 water is lodged in Chou, with Hai on Chou and riding Tian Kong, as the first lesson; Hai has You on it and rides Tai Chang, as the second lesson; the day branch Hai has You on it and rides Tai Chang, as the third lesson; You has Wei on it and rides Tai Yin, as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Jiwei riding Tai Yin, the middle transmission is Dingsi riding Guiren, and the final transmission is Yimao riding Zhu Que. The sequence of Wei, Si, and Mao moves from the yin to the yang positions, making the name of the lesson 'Ying Yang'.

邵彥和曰：癸亥是六甲極日，陰長陽消，而此課又為六陰相繼，宅勢到此極矣。然物極必變，今宅中現在六分共居，而甲寅人多是從門側出入。本命寅，天上寅，卻作合，為私門。又在卯側，故主從門側出入。來年有陰人死，各自東西南北去，必升進，頗勝於前。時有陰貴人，乃守缺貴人，後時必做成家計也。其子又好，必晚年亨福，壽又高，得貴家陰人力，做成家業也。徐八公弟兄六分共居，果是窄狹，常從便路出入到店，多是後邊過。次年太孺人故，八公即出外去住。

Shao Yanhe said: Guihai is the last day of the sixty Jiazi cycles, when yin energy is long and yang energy is declining. This lesson also involves six consecutive yin spirits, indicating that the family's fortune has reached its lowest point. However, when extremes reach their peak, change is inevitable. Now, the family consists of six branches living together, and the one born in the year Jiayin mostly enters and exits through the side door. His destiny belongs to the branch of Yin, and the Yin Plate also aligns with Yin, which represents the side door. The side door is adjacent to the branch of Mao, so it indicates that he enters and exits from the side door. The following year, a female relative in the family will pass away, and the branches will scatter in all directions, east, west, south, and north. At that time, they will certainly rise higher, far surpassing their previous situation. The sitting yin nobleman is a nobleman waiting to be replenished, and in the future, he will certainly establish a family business. His son will also be fortunate in his old age, with a long life, and he will receive assistance from a noble family's female relative to achieve success. The Xu Ba Gong brothers, who lived together in six branches, indeed found their living space very narrow. Usually, when they went to the shops, they often took a shortcut and mostly went around from the back. The following year, the family's too孺人 passed away, and Xu Ba Gong moved out to live elsewhere.

蓋癸亥是極日，亥來加癸，又極。卻自北復轉至西，自西投東南，見卯，自半夜亥至黃昏酉，自酉至未，自未至巳接卯，謂之迎陽課。中末傳見貴人，用並太陰，故徐公續娶，得某先待制之妾，帶二千貫財物嫁來。蓋癸以巳為妻財，而太陰作貴人之側室，故有龐人嫁他。其子又乘夜貴臨日貴人財上（卯子息爻，乘夜貴加巳妻財之上，則上子為待制妾所生可知）。徐公委其管干，自此發跡，終身享福，八十四壽終。言六分者，酉為破碎入宅，而敗癸水，酉乃六數也。

Guihai is a day that has reached its end, and with Hai added to Gui, it is the end of the end. Yet it turns from the north to the west, then from the west to the southeast and meets Mao. From the midnight Hai to the evening You, from You to Wei, from Wei to Si and then connects to Mao, this is called the "Welcoming Yang" divination. The middle and final transmissions both show the nobleman, and the initiating transmission coincides with Tai Yin. Therefore, Xu Gong married a former attendant of a high official, who brought two thousand guan of wealth with her. Since Gui water takes Si as its wife's wealth, and Tai Yin is the concubine of the nobleman, there was a favored woman who married him. His son also took the night nobleman and was placed over the day nobleman and wife's wealth (Mao is the son's爻, and the night nobleman is placed on Si, the wife's wealth, indicating that the son was born from the attendant of the high official). Xu Gong entrusted his household affairs to this woman, and from then on he prospered, enjoying a long and prosperous life until he died at the age of eighty-four. The mention of six rooms living together is because the broken evil of You entered the house and damaged Gui water, and the number of You is six.

建炎己酉年九月癸亥日卯將亥時徐承務丁未生六十三歲占生地。　一針見血／空虎常玄／酉戌亥子　勾貴空朱　父辛酉空／龍申　丑陰　未卯酉巳　鬼◎丑陰／勾未　寅后　卯亥巳癸　財丁巳朱／午巳辰卯／合朱蛇貴

In the year Jiyou of the Southern Song dynasty, during the ninth month, on the day Guihai, using the month general卯 (Mao) placed on the亥 (Hai) hour to cast the divination, Xu Chengwu, born in the year Dingwei and aged sixty-three, consulted about a pre-selected burial site. This case is from the book "Yizhen Jianxue." The Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The deities governing each of the heavenly generals are: "Tiankong" (Heavenly Void) is on You (You), "Baihu" (White Tiger) is on Xu (Xu), "Taichang" (Grand Music) is on Hai (Hai), "Xuanwu" (Black Tortoise) is on Zi (Zi), "Taiyin" (Grand Yin) is on Chou (Chou), "Tianhou" (Heavenly Empress) is on Yin (Yin), "Guiren" (Nobleman) is on Mao (Mao), "Tengshe" (Teng Snake) is on Chen (Chen), "Zhuque" (Vermilion Bird) is on Si (Si), "Liuhe" (Six Harmonies) is on Wu (Wu), "Gouchen" (Gourd Field) is on Wei (Wei), and "Qinglong" (Azure Dragon) is on Shen (Shen). The four lessons are: the癸 (Gui) water is lodged in Chou (Chou), with Si (Si) on Chou (Chou) and riding Zhuque (Vermilion Bird), as the first lesson; Si (Si) has You (You) on it and rides Tiankong (Heavenly Void), as the second lesson; the day branch Hai (Hai) has Mao (Mao) on it and rides Guiren (Nobleman), as the third lesson; Mao (Mao) has Wei (Wei) on it and rides Gouchen (Gourd Field), as the fourth lesson. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Xin You riding Tiankong (Heavenly Void), the middle transmission is Chou (Chou) riding Taiyin (Grand Yin) and Chou (Chou) falling into the void, and the final transmission is Ding Si riding Zhuque (Vermilion Bird). The Si (Si), You (You), and Chou (Chou) form a metal trinity to nourish the day stem. Chou (Chou) is originally the deity of a tomb, but now it falls into the void and is accompanied by Tiankong (Heavenly Void), which exactly corresponds to the statement in the text about an empty grave and a phantom tomb.

邵彥和曰：前後左右皆有空墳，穴主山山側又是一陰人墳，若不去此墳，如何葬得？徐曰：此地若何？先生曰：甚好。以干支上皆貴人也。且金局又生日干。有何不利？但丑為墓田空亡，則是虛墓。兼有天空，亦是虛墳。必須去此，然後可以論生而葬，日後必出貴人。最好是水路合星辰，文筆雙峰，出人清秀也。徐問汪家買山，汪兄弟三分，只賣出二分，其長兄一分，故將空棺葬於內。其先前亦有三四個虛塚，皆葬不著。徐乃倍價向汪家長兄買之。

Shao Yanhe said: This piece of land has empty graves in front, behind, left and right. There is also a grave of a woman on the side of the main mountain. If these graves are not removed, how can we perform the burial? Xu Chengwu asked: How is this land really? The master said: It is very good. Because the day stem and day branch both have noblemen sitting on them, and the three transmissions form a metal circle which is beneficial to the day stem. What is not favorable? Only the丑 is originally the tomb field but falls into kongwang, so it is a hollow tomb. And it is also accompanied by tian kong, which is also a hollow grave. Therefore, we must first remove these graves before we can seek the life qi for burial. In the future, there will certainly be noblemen. The best is when the water path and the stars are in harmony. There are two peaks in front, which are like writing brushes, indicating that people will be refined and intelligent. Xu Chengwu bought the mountain from the Wang family. The Wang brothers divided the mountain into three shares, but only sold two shares. The eldest brother did not sell his share, so he buried an empty coffin there. Previously, there were also three or four hollow graves, which could not be properly buried. Xu Chengwu then paid double the price to buy the eldest brother's share from the Wang family.

庚戌年七月葬妻，壬子年徐宅三房媳婦兩房得二男。至五六歲聰明，日讀百餘字，二歲五經讀盡，十六歲入試場，十九歲發科舉，二十二歲兄又發舉，二十六歲及第，想此地應矣。

In the Gengxu year, in the seventh month, he buried his wife here. In the Renzi year, among the three branches of the Xu family, two branches each had a son. The two children became very intelligent by the time they were five or six years old, able to read over a hundred characters in a day, and completed all five classics within two years. At sixteen, they took the imperial examination, at nineteen they passed the jinshi examination, and at twenty-two, their brother also passed the jinshi examination. At twenty-six, they became imperial examinees. It seems that this land has indeed come true.

蓋巳加癸作朱雀，巳主雙，故有文筆雙峰高起，支上又見貴人，癸見卯不可謂之脫氣，乃子孫秀貴也。申酉為今日水母，故水來去皆合星辰，巳為雙，故出雙貴也。

This is because the巳 is added to the lodging palace of癸 and rides the Vermilion Bird, which governs literature;巳 also signifies a pair, so there are two high literary peaks in front of the desk. The nobleman is seated on the day branch;癸 water meets卯 here, and it is not considered as a leakage or escape of energy, which is an auspicious sign of refined and distinguished descendants.申 and 酉 are the mother waters of this day, so the incoming and outgoing waters are in harmony with the directions of the stars. Since巳 signifies a pair, it produces a pair of noblemen.