Ten, Meeting and Not Meeting: The Distinction of Poverty, Wealth, Nobility and Humility

格清失逢於祿馬，判為平作之人；局妙陷屈於貴人，斷是道途之士。此言人命遇與不遇之說也。或逢祿貴而無格，只作富人。無氣只尋常人。或入格真，而少祿馬相催，亦是平作道途之人。

The structure may be clear but missing the禄 and 马, so it can only be judged as a person engaged in ordinary livelihood; the situation may be excellent but confined under the nobleman, so it can only be considered as a person traveling on the road. This refers to the distinction between fate encountering favorable conditions and not encountering them. Some may meet禄 and nobleman but lack a proper structure, thus becoming merely wealthy; if they also lack energy, they are just ordinary people. Some may have a genuine structure but lack禄 and 马 to promote it, resulting in the same outcome of ordinary livelihood and traveling on the road.

三刑逢木墓，化為曲尺之星；三奇逢戊辰，亦作剪針之子。木庫未，帶辰戌丑未全，為曲尺之星，加貴人扶，必為大臣。三奇或遇戊辰，反為惡弱之兆。緣辰中有水，戊（戌）中有火，水火交馳，陶鎔變化。如有三奇到，為剪匠或雕木之人也。

Three Evils combined with the Wood Storage (墓库) transform into the Star of the Measuring Rod (曲尺之星); Three Marvels combined with Wuchen (戊辰) become people who use shears and needles. The Wood Storage is located in Wei (未), and if the pillar (柱) contains all four Storages (辰、戌、丑、未), then it becomes the Star of the Measuring Rod. If there is also a Nobleman (贵人) to assist, one is sure to attain a high official position. However, if Three Marvels meet Wuchen, it becomes a sign of misfortune and weakness: because the water is contained in Chen (辰) and the fire is contained in Xu (戌), water and fire interact strongly, like a furnace and a melting pot, changing constantly. In such a situation, even if Three Marvels are present, one can only be a carpenter or a woodcarver.

三奇勿遇，文章空負不成名；六合正逢，家貲實若藏珍寶。進修之士不遇三奇，雖有文章，功名不遂。乙丙丁，甲戊庚，六奇如遇，更得入格，功名可望。得天干地支合於日時，為六合，必主富足藏珍之命也。

If one does not encounter the Three Marvels, even with literary talent, it will be in vain and success will not be achieved. If one meets the Six Harmony, then the family will be wealthy, as if hiding treasures. Those who strive to improve their character and cultivate their careers will find it difficult to achieve fame without the Three Marvels. If the six extraordinary stars—Yi, Bing, Ding, Jia, Wu, and Geng—meet and are in the correct pattern, then there is hope for official rank. When the heavenly stems and earthly branches combine and fall in the day or hour pillars, it is called Six Harmony, indicating a destiny of wealth and hidden treasures.

吉命更逢刑煞，無成破敗之徒。入格者，反倒煞重，流浪之士，無成敗害之人。

A fortunate destiny, if again encountering the upper punishment and malevolent stars, will only result in failure in all endeavors and eventual ruin. A native whose destiny originally fits the pattern, but with excessive malevolent influences, will become a person wandering and homeless, achieving nothing and suffering many losses.

正格又值破空，斯濫窮途之哭。人命入格，反被空亡沖破，遇煞逢凶，為窮途哭人，無破則一生迍邅。

A pure and correct pattern meets destruction and Kongwang, leading to a situation of despair and weeping. When a person's life is already in a proper pattern, yet is broken by Kongwang, and meets bad influences and misfortune, they become someone who is in a desperate situation; even if there is no major destruction, their whole life remains difficult and full of hardships.

五行枯淡，而性情卑微；四柱秀榮，而為人慷慨。人命生不當時，無氣死絕，祿背馬｛回｝，貴人空（虛），謂五行枯淡，必為言不敢言，行不敢行，立不敢立，性情卑小。如四柱有氣，入格者，是星會生旺，而為人慷慨，秀榮俊偉。

If the Five Phases are dry and weak, the person's nature is timid and petty; if the Four Pillars are beautiful and prosperous, the person is generous and open-minded. If a person's destiny is not favorable, and the Five Phases lack vitality, falling into death or decline, with the official star separated, the horse returning, and the nobleman also empty, this is called the Five Phases being dry and thin. Such a person will certainly dare not speak when he should, dare not act when he should, and dare not establish himself in the right way, with a weak and timid nature. If the Four Pillars have vitality and conform to the pattern, with many stars gathering in a prosperous and vigorous place, the person will be open-minded, generous, and outstanding.

才滿三峽，文章居詞館之中。三峽，水急也。學問淵源，才捷如三峽水也。人逢天河大海潤下，更逢己亥最榮。蓋水臨官，謂之詞館之中也。

One's thoughts are abundant like the swift waters of the Three Gorges, and one's writings naturally find a place in the Ciguan. The Three Gorges describe turbulent water; when one's learning has a solid foundation and one's thoughts are quick and flowing, it is like the river waters of the Three Gorges. When a person's destiny meets the flowing water of the Heavenly River or the vast ocean, which are types of downward-flowing water, and also meets Jihai, it becomes especially prosperous. This is because亥 is the officialdom position of water, which is called being in the Ciguan.

學富三（場），文星在學堂之上。人能勤學篤志，必文章星在學堂。海中金，白鑞金，劍鋒金，遇丁巳時乃是。更加吉星，貴人祿馬，必主文章。

One who is well-educated and capable of handling the three examinations is said to have the literary star sitting in the Xuetang. If a person studies diligently and remains steadfast in his aspirations, it is certain that the literary star has fallen into the Xuetang. Those with the destiny of sea gold, white tin gold, and sword-edged gold will encounter the Dingsi hour; if further aided by auspicious stars and the Nobleman's fortune, they will certainly excel in literature.

命推祿馬，格判臺根。發運各得其時，審察洞乎消息。人命以財官印為本，官乃扶身，財為養命之源。或行運遇之，皆為發達。況印以資身，要消詳強弱，為福為禍。宜推本主之興衰，可以辨貧賤富貴矣。

When discussing fate, one must consider the influence of禄 and 马; determining the structure requires assessing the root and foundation. Each aspect has its corresponding time of manifestation, and one must thoroughly understand its growth and decline. A person's destiny depends fundamentally on 财, 官, and 印: 官 supports the main element, 财 is the source of sustenance, and encountering these in one's journey brings success. Moreover, 印 also nourishes the main element. One must carefully consider the strength of the main element to determine whether it brings fortune or misfortune. First, one should examine the rise and decline of the main element in the native chart, then one can clearly distinguish between poverty, low status, wealth, and high status.

為富為貴，乃上下以咸和。若滯若迍，本祿源之相戰。如春木，夏火，秋金，冬水，得四時之相旺，亦得上下咸和，可以圖富貴。如木生於秋，火生於冬，金生於夏，水而逢土，土又遭木，皆為受制之地，安可以求通達哉。

Those who can achieve wealth and honor are those whose relationships between superiors and inferiors are harmonious. Obstacles and difficulties arise when the禄 (favorable position) and 源 (source) are in conflict with each other. For example, in spring the wood thrives, in summer the fire thrives, in autumn the metal thrives, and in winter the water thrives. Each element receives the favorable energy of its season, and when the superior and inferior are harmonious, one can strive for wealth and honor. Conversely, if wood is born in autumn, fire in winter, metal in summer, or water meets earth to be restrained, and earth is in turn restrained by wood, they all fall into positions of being controlled, where how can they hope for smooth progress?

運籌帷幄，必然貴祿兼全；掌握藩垣，善是煞權同到。命有貴人祿馬相生，身旺無沖刑破者，主運籌於帳眼，決勝於千里。煞權者，偏官將星羊刃亡神劫煞之類，皆主威權之職。

Those who can plan and strategize from within the tent must have both the Nobleman and the Lu Spirit present. Those who can control a region excel when both the malevolent force and authority are in place. If a person's destiny includes the Nobleman and the禄马 (which refers to the horse and the禄, symbolizing wealth and status) in a mutually generating relationship, and if their vitality is strong without any conflicts or damages, they are destined to plan from within the tent and decide victories from a distance. The term "sahuan" refers to such forces as the偏官 (biased official), the General Star, the Yangren (shear blade), the Wangshen (wandering spirit), and the Jiesha (calamity spirit), all of which indicate positions of authority and power.

禪（撣）腕飛龍之輔，攘拳搏虎之能，風光顯赫於鄉閭，聲價主持於帝座。解使戎夷率服，能令草莽歸降。文章茂拔萃之才，談論吐珠璣之賦。富饒鄉郡，德潤方隅。可謂一人有慶，兆民賴之。是以聯珠附馬，石崇排金闥之筵。聯珠者，根枝不斷。附祿馬者，乃大富，如石崇。有奇異之寶。

He raised his sleeve to assist the flying dragon sovereign, raised his arm to fight the tiger and displayed his ability, shining brightly in his hometown and gaining high reputation in the court. He could make the barbarian tribes submit, and could make the bandits in the wild all surrender. His writings showed outstanding talent, and his speech could produce words as precious as pearls. He made his town and prefecture prosperous, and his virtue moistened the people in his area. Truly, one person's fortune benefits all the people. Therefore, the linked pearls are added with the auspicious signs of official rank and good fortune, just like Shi Chong of the Jin Dynasty who held grand banquets within the Golden Gate. The linked pearls refer to the root connected to the branches continuously; adding the auspicious signs of official rank and good fortune indicates great wealth, like Shi Chong, who had rare treasures at home.

互換逢方，武帝送窮船之日。互換，交遇天地之間，有財者大富。但心不足，必效武帝，為天子送窮船也。

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches exchange positions and meet at a certain direction, just like the day when Emperor Wu of Han sent away the poor ship. By "exchange," it means the interaction between Heaven and Earth; those with wealth in their destiny can become very rich. However, human hearts are hard to satisfy, so ultimately one should follow Emperor Wu's example, send away the poor ship on behalf of the emperor, and drive away poverty.

水人火局，當招六路之財。如水人，居寅午戌火局者，必招陸路之財。如作商旅，財上見才，必因傷而成。財逢空，必因高而敗財。餘仿此推之。

A person with a water destiny encountering a fire trinity should attract wealth from six directions. For example, if a person with a water destiny has the trinity of寅, 午, and 戌 (fire) in their birth chart, they will surely gain wealth from the land. If they engage in business or travel, encountering wealth again often requires some loss before success is achieved. If wealth meets Kongwang, it will lead to failure due to seeking high gains. The rest can be inferred similarly.

甲人巳午，必達鈞衡之任。甲見己，為大財合，更帶馬官星，其人必達仕途也。餘仿此。

A person born on a Jia day who encounters Si or Wu will certainly be capable of handling important responsibilities. When Jia meets Ji, it forms a major wealth connection. If this is accompanied by the Post-horse and official star, the person will certainly achieve success in their official career. The rest can be inferred in the same way.

陰陽未兆，一氣化生。著三才，遍歷於四時，播四象，化根於萬命。分別貴賤，使學者無不精明。撰述真機，令智士可以易見，用貽後代，慎勿輕傳，雖顯諸仁，宜藏諸用也。

Before the division of yin and yang, the vital energy had already generated all things. It established the three elements, traversed the four seasons; spread the four images, and became the fundamental source of all life. This book distinguishes between importance and inferiority, enabling scholars to fully understand and grasp it clearly; it records the true essence within, making it easy for wise people to comprehend. This is a legacy for future generations, and must not be easily passed on to others; although it is revealed through benevolence, it should be more carefully kept for practical use.