Wealth and life have vitality; facing misfortune and establishing fortune.

但看財命有氣，逢背祿而不貧；若也財絕命衰，縱建祿而不富。【如壬癸人生在三春或見寅午戌，而八字內外或有甲乙二字，即為背祿矣。壬癸以戊己為官印，被甲乙寅卯克奪去官印，即無官也。唯有水克火為財，春生火旺，故曰：財命有氣也。十干背祿，甲乙日生見丙丁，丙丁見戊己，戊己見庚辛，庚辛見壬癸，壬癸見甲乙，見之背祿無疑。假令生日為甲，歲月時上有丙丁若居巳午，皆背祿。以辛為官，辛是丙之妻，丁之正財，自然奪辛金。甲祿既背於丙丁，卻有戊己，甲可取戊己為妻財，而為了福矣。賦云：背祿而不貧也。更須精五行休旺，居支干方位並休旺矣。】

The essay states: As long as wealth and destiny are strong, even if one is in a position of reversed officialdom, poverty will not occur; but if wealth is exhausted and destiny is weak, even with an official position established, wealth will not be achieved. Xu Ziping explains: For example, a person born on a壬 or癸 day in spring, with the column containing寅,午,戌 fire trinity, and with甲 and乙 present in the column or outside, this is considered reversed officialdom.壬 and癸 take戊 and己 as official and seal, but now these are being taken by甲 and乙 and寅 and卯, so the official and seal are lost, as if they do not exist. What remains is only the water overcoming fire, which is the wealth star. In spring, fire is strong, so the wealth star is strong, hence it is said "wealth and destiny are strong." The method of reversed officialdom for the ten heavenly stems is: 甲 and乙 see丙 and丁, 丙 and丁 see戊 and己, 戊 and己 see庚 and辛, 庚 and辛 see壬 and癸, 壬 and癸 see甲 and乙. When this occurs, it is definitely reversed officialdom without doubt. For example, if someone is born on甲 day, and the year, month, and hour contain丙 and丁, and they are located in巳 and午, this is considered reversed officialdom. 甲 takes辛 as official, but辛 is the wife wealth of丙 and the official wealth of丁. Therefore,丙 and丁 naturally take away the gold of辛. The official and wealth of甲 have been taken by丙 and丁, so if the column contains戊 and己, 甲 can take戊 and己 as wife wealth, thus becoming prosperous. The essay's statement "reversed officialdom without poverty" refers to this meaning. In addition, one must carefully distinguish the prosperity, strength, weakness, and confinement of the five phases, and see where they are located in the heavenly stems and earthly branches, and whether they are in season.

【建祿不富，六甲人正月生，逢丙寅，是生月建祿也，甲祿在寅，故曰建祿而不富也。正月土病，甲以戊己為財，寅卯乃土病之地，雖建甲之正祿旺，而無祖也。生月為父母，故無祖財也。死妻，多數而孤。若歲時位內有亥卯未或有乙干，故三妻之上，主一世貧窮。作事多虛詐，為人大樣。或論官，則名目而已，權印極輕。謂無金，只見甲之本祿。而春生，則一生少病。若當生歲時得辛未、癸未、癸酉、辛亥、戌丑則佳。然金土本主休囚，賴於金土分野，為官印為財，如得此歲扶，小慶之命。大運遇巳酉丑位，則官印財帛，奮發而亦不崇顯也。謂金土絕死。賦云：根在苗先，實從花後。故也。】

Now speaking of "built禄 but not rich": For someone with Jia as the day stem, if born in the first lunar month and the month pillar meets Bingyin, this is considered built禄 because Jia's禄 is in Yin. Therefore, built禄 leads to not being rich. In the first month, the earth is weak, and Jia relies on Wu and Ji as wealth. Yin and Mao are the weak places of earth; although Jia's禄 is built and the body is strong, there is no ancestral fortune. The month pillar represents parents, so there is no ancestral wealth. The wife star is dead or buried, and the wife's palace keeps changing but eventually ends in loneliness. If the year or hour pillar contains the wood trinity of Hai, Mao, and Chen or reveals the Yi stem, it will cause the death of three wives, indicating a life of poverty. One's actions are often empty and deceitful, yet one maintains a high posture. Regarding official positions, it is only a name, with very little authority and power—because there is no metal in the pillar, only Jia's original禄. Fortunately, those born in spring have strong wood and thus fewer illnesses in life. If the year or hour pillar contains Xinhai, Guiwei, Guiyou, Xinwei, or Xu, Chou, it is considered good; however, metal and earth are naturally weak and confined, relying on the areas of metal and earth to serve as official positions and wealth. If such years provide support, it is considered a minor fortune. When the big year reaches Si, You, and Chou, although official positions, wealth, and resources can flourish temporarily, one will never achieve high status, because metal and earth are dead here. The essay says, "the root comes before the sprout, and the fruit comes after the flower," which is exactly the meaning here.

【若當生歲時位內無金土之貴，則遇金土而不發官印財帛也。謂歲時月內外元無金土之貴，則遇吉運而亦不發福。謂主本元無也。故云：福星臨而禍發，以表凶人。謂運臨貴地，而不發福以表。當生歲時所稟富貴極厚，而運臨劫財七煞之地，雖敗財敗官亦自有喜。謂所乘福氣之厚也。】

If the original birth year and hour do not contain the noble qualities of metal and earth, then encountering metal and earth in one's fortune will not bring about official positions, seals, wealth, or riches. In other words, if the original birth year and month, as well as the hour, do not inherently possess the noble qualities of metal and earth, then even encountering a favorable fortune will not bring about blessings, because the original birth chart simply lacks such elements. Therefore, the text later says, "When the fortune star arrives, misfortune arises, indicating a wicked person," referring precisely to those who encounter favorable fortune locations but cannot produce blessings. Conversely, if the original birth year and hour contain extremely deep and abundant wealth and nobility, even if one's fortune encounters劫财 (robbery star) or七杀 (seven killers), although there may be loss of wealth and official positions, there will still be joy and good fortune, because the original fortune is already rich and abundant.

【六乙人，二月生是也。若歲時位內有申，並巳酉丑，則官印稍得為用，至輕也。如歲時位內天元有庚，則尤佳。歲時若居辰戌巳上，則為乙之財亦妙矣。丑為貴地，財官兩美，若月時位內有亥卯未，或更別位天元上見甲乙或寅位，則一生財帛不聚，克三妻以上，亦無祖財，為性好剛，亦平生少病。謂木春生而身旺鬼絕也。三月，金方受胎，雖破命而長年也。乙卯以辛或酉為七煞，以春生金絕，運逢金為財庫。巳為背祿而有財，午未見財多而不成。成鑑曰：絕破皆空，五行支枯也。逢申運則財發，官得權，凡事遂意。若當生歲時元有申位，則依前申寅篇內究之。其五行活法，未見歲時分野之氣，亦未可一途而取軌也。】

Now looking at the day stem of Yi: a person born on the day of Yi in the second lunar month is in this situation. If there is a Shen in the year or hour position, it forms the metal trinity of Si, You, and Chou, and the official and minister (official and minister in the context of the Five Phases) can be usedwith difficulty, but the strength is very weak. If the heavenly stems in the year or hour position reveal Geng, that would be even better. If the year or hour position is on Chen, Xu, or Si, that is Yi's wealth, which is also good. Chou is considered a noble position, where both wealth and official are harmonious. However, if there is a wood trinity of Hai, Mao, and Wei in the month or hour position, or if the heavenly stems in other positions reveal Ji or Yi, or the earth branches reveal Yin, then the person will not be able to retain wealth, will have to marry three or more wives, and will not have ancestral wealth. The person's character is strong and ambitious, but they will have few illnesses in their lifetime—because wood is born in spring, the day stem is strong, and the official and ghost (official and ghost in the context of the Five Phases) are weak. Gold is only born in the third lunar month, so even though the original pattern is broken, the person can still live a long life. The column of Yi and Mao takes Xin or You as the seven killer (seven killer in the context of the Five Phases). Born in spring, gold is weak, and when the fortune moves into metal, it becomes a treasure house. When the fortune moves into Si, it is against the official and has wealth. When the fortune moves into Wu or Wei, there is a lot of wealth, but it cannot be achieved. The "Cheng Jian" says: when something is broken or cut off, it is empty, and the five elements' earth branches become dry. When the fortune moves into Shen, wealth can be developed and official power is obtained, and everything goes smoothly. If the original birth year or hour already has the position of Shen, then refer to the previous section about Shen and Yin. The ways of the five elements are countless and change constantly. Without clearly understanding the positions of the year and hour and their corresponding elements, one should not follow a single method blindly.

【六丙人，四月生是也。四月水絕，若歲時得癸亥、壬子、壬戌、癸卯、甲子，則官稍得，此亦鬼絕，而用鬼為官印也，然不清。亦可作有用之命，然一生坎坷。若歲時內無壬癸亥子，則是建丙火本家祿主之命。論六甲乙之命言之，亦無祖財。若臨午未，則妻死三數，一生無財祿，出軍班吏人，名目極卑。六丁人五月生是也。謂丁祿在午，丁以庚辛為財，五月金休敗，無祖財，或因主克妻。若歲時有亥子申辰水，則為官用，然名目不清，亦且入仕，向武臣止大使臣，文官京朝而已。若歲時居巳戌或干頭有戊己土則名目而已。權印祿輕，情性動作亦同甲乙，皆是建旺本祿五行，別無造化而不君子也。】

Now consider the day stem丙 (Bing): a person with丙 as their day stem born in the fourth month is in this situation. In the fourth month, water is exhausted. If the year or hour stem hasGuihai (Guihai), Renzi (Renzi), Renxu (Renxu), Guimao (Guimao), or Jiazi (Jiazi), the official star can still have some presence. This is a case where the official star, though exhausted, is used as a minister star, but it is not pure, and it can still be considered useful, though the person will have a difficult life. If the year or hour does not have壬 (Ren), 癸 (Gui), 亥 (Hai), or 子 (Zi), then it is simply a day stem with the fire of丙 building its own禄 (wealth). As discussed in the case of甲 (Jia) and 乙 (Yi), this also means there is no ancestral wealth. If the day branch is 午 (Wu) or 未 (Wei), then the person will lose three wives and have no wealth or official rank, mostly coming from a background of military or administrative officials, with very low status. Now consider the day stem丁 (Ding): a person with丁 as their day stem born in the fifth month is in this situation. The禄 (wealth) of丁 is in 午 (Wu), and丁 takes 庚 (Geng) and 辛 (Xin) as its wealth. In the fifth month, metal is in rest and decline, so there is no ancestral wealth, or the person's own strength is too strong and may harm the wife. If the year or hour has亥 (Hai), 子 (Zi), 申 (Shen), or 辰 (Chen) water, these can be taken as the official star, but the status is unclear. Such people can still enter officialdom, and if they follow the military path, they may reach the rank of a major official, but if they follow the civil path, they can only become a local official or a court official. If the year or hour has巳 (Si) or 戌 (Xu), or if the heavenly stem reveals 戊 (Wu) or 己 (Ji) earth, then it is only a name, with light authority and light wealth. The temperament and behavior of such people are the same as those of甲 and 乙, as they are all building a strong禄 (wealth) in their own element, with no other transformations, so they cannot be considered as the fate of a gentleman.

【六己人五月生是也。謂己祿在午，己以壬癸為財，五月以水囚無祖財也，克妻三數，子見而不立。運逢財而不聚，作事厚而有理，性好靜，可言語。若歲時內有甲有寅則為正官為福，亦妙。有亥卯未則為偏官，干頭有乙則為鬼而不克身，謂甲乙夏死身旺鬼絕也。以甲為官，亦嫌木死而官卑。如歲時辛亥、庚子、癸丑或申子辰，則財但得亦無大富也。六戊人四月生是也，謂戊祿在巳。戊以壬癸為財，四月水絕無財，克妻。見子多而不立，致有絕嗣。戊雖旺而鬼死，謂之偏易也。故賦云：眷屬憂其死絕。若歲時居申子辰水位，則子晚見而不絕也。止有一數，餘同上論。】

Now consider the day stem Ji. A person born on Ji day in the fifth month is in this situation. The Ji stem's strength is in the hour of Wu. Ji uses Ren and Gui as wealth. In the fifth month, water is in decline, so there is no ancestral wealth. The person will have three marriages, and the son will be difficult to establish. When encountering wealth in the fortune, it is hard to retain it. The person is loyal and orderly in work, has a quiet nature, and is good at speaking. If the year or hour contains Jia or Yin, then the official position is a blessing, which is good. If there is a wood triple combination of Hai, Mao, and Wei, it is considered a biased official. If the heavenly stem reveals Yi, although Yi is considered a ghost, it cannot harm the person, because Jia and Yi die in summer, and the day stem is strong while the official and ghost are in decline. Taking Jia as the official, it is also considered unfavorable because the wood is dead and the official position is low. If the year or hour is Xinhai, Gengzi, or Guichou, or the triple combination of Shen, Zi, and Chen, wealth may be obtained, but it will not lead to great wealth. Now consider the day stem Wu. A person born on Wu day in the fourth month is in this situation. The Wu stem's strength is in the hour of Si. Wu uses Ren and Gui as wealth. In the fourth month, water is in decline, so there is no wealth and the wife is harmed. Although many sons are seen, they are difficult to establish, and there is even a risk of no descendants. Wu is strong, but the official and ghost are in decline, which is called biased rather than proper, so the text says, "family members worry about the decline and extinction." If the year or hour is in the water position of Shen, Zi, and Chen, the son will be born later but not extinct, and only one will be obtained. Otherwise, it is the same as the previous discussion.

【六庚人七月生是也。謂庚祿在申，論官則建庚之干祿。金以木為財，七月木絕，若上旬生，則有祖財，謂有六月金餘氣，未為木庫，雖臨木絕之鄉以七月氣而尚有三五分庫財之福也。運至酉戌破盡也，酉戌乃庚之劫財。故賦云：小盈大虧，恐是劫財之地。加以戌刑未，祖財所以破盡也。若中旬末旬生，則無財也。或歲時居寅卯並亥未，則生財而亦不廣。若太歲臨於酉戌，又無財也。若歲時干有丙丁，居於東南方位，亦為官印。若歲時支並卻有壬癸，則無官也。若歲時居巳午更兩位干是戊己，則有官祿而不清不顯，以秋火無氣故也。陶朱云：若逢天元凶例遇鬼則父子不親。壬癸時，庚辛為母，以丙丁為妻，被水克去丙丁，所以庚辛背也。運行午火旺地亦發福，則只是暫得時而已，終不成大器也。】

Now looking at the day stem Geng: a person born on a Geng day in the seventh month is in this situation. The Geng stem's strength is in Shen, so when considering official positions, it is considered to have established its own stem strength. Metal takes Wood as wealth, but in the seventh month, Wood is at its end. If born in the first ten days of the seventh month, there is still ancestral wealth, because it still carries the residual energy of the previous month's Metal. Wei is the Wood storage place, so even though it is in the Wood's end, the energy of the beginning of the seventh month can still retain some of the stored wealth. However, when the fortune moves to You and Xu, all wealth is destroyed. You and Xu are exactly the places where Geng's wealth is robbed, so the text says "small gain, great loss, fearing the place of wealth robbery." Moreover, Xu harms Wei, thus the ancestral wealth is completely ruined. If born in the middle or last ten days of the seventh month, there is no wealth at all. Or if the year and hour are in Yin or Mao, or Hai or Wei, even though they can generate wealth, it is not abundant. If the heavenly stem of the year and hour is also You or Xu, there is still no wealth. If the heavenly stems of the year and hour are Bing or Ding, and they are in the Southeast direction, one can hold an official position. But if the earthly branches of the year and hour also have Ren or Gui, the official position is lost. If the year and hour are in Si or Wu, and the heavenly stems of these two are Wu or Ji, then there is official position but not clear or prominent, because fire in autumn has no strength. The "Tao Zhu" text says: if one encounters a case of heavenly stem being evil and meets the official ghost, there is no closeness between father and son. Taking the hour stem of Ren or Gui as an example, Geng and Xin are the mothers, and Bing and Ding are the wives. Water overcomes Bing and Ding, so Geng and Xin are separated from the official star. When the fortune moves to Wu, the fire's strong place, there can be a temporary fortune, but it is only a temporary advantage and cannot become great.

【六辛人八月生是也，建祿臨官，財印亦以六庚同論。若辛亥、辛卯、辛未，財則不缺，亦無大績。未為辛之財庫，卯為辛之財鄉，亥為辛之財長生，皆為支內支財也。以八月財絕命衰，縱建祿而不富也。此三辛，財且薄，其餘皆依庚論。如庚申、辛酉、辛丑，吉凶之論。如辛巳時有貴而有官印亦輕。六壬人十月生是也，壬以丙丁為財，十月火絕，以戊己上絕。賦云：己巳戊辰度乾宮而有厄。是也。常術以水土絕於四月，其水固絕土。非也，土絕在亥，故以十一月生人，運到亥為厄運也。其壬十月無土無火，乃財絕命衰也。壬亦以戊己為鬼，十月戊己絕，假令歲時位有戊己或戌丑未，可作官印用，亦不為鬼。賦云：若乃身旺鬼絕，雖破命而長年是也。六癸人十一月生是也，癸祿居子，論財，論官印，論鬼，亦依干祿仿言之。】

Now looking at the day of Xin: A person born on Xin day in the eighth month is in this situation. With the day stem being Xin, the person has both the establishment of fortune (建禄) and the officialdom (临官), and the wealth and official star are treated the same as on the day of Geng. If born on Xin Hai, Xin Mao, or Xin Wei, wealth is not lacking, but there is no great achievement. Wei is the wealth repository for Xin, Mao is the wealth land, and Hai is the growth of wealth for Xin, all belonging to hidden wealth in the earth branches. However, in the eighth month, wealth is at its end and the destiny is weak, so even though there is the establishment of fortune, wealth cannot be accumulated. On these three days of Xin, wealth is thin, and the rest are treated according to the day of Geng. For pillars such as Geng Shen, Xin You, and Xin Chou, the fortune and misfortune are also judged in the same way. If the time is Xin Si, although there is a noble atmosphere, the official star and the official star's helper are light. Now looking at the day of Ren: A person born on Ren day in the tenth month is in this situation. Ren takes丙 and丁 as wealth, but in the tenth month, fire is at its end. The official star戊 and己 are also at their end here. The text later says 「己巳戊辰度干宫而有厄」, referring exactly to this situation. Usually, diviners think that water and earth both reach their end in the fourth month, but actually, only water reaches its end in the fourth month; the end of earth is at Hai, so a person born in the eleventh month who reaches the year of Hai in their life journey will face misfortune. Since Ren has neither earth nor fire in the tenth month, it is both wealth at its end and destiny weak. Ren also takes戊 and己 as ghosts, and in the tenth month,戊 and己 are at their end. If there are戊 or己, or the branches戌,丑, or未 in the year or time position, they can be used as official star and official star's helper, and should not be considered as ghosts. The text later says 「若乃身旺鬼绝，虽破命而长年」, which means exactly this. Now looking at the day of Gui: A person born on Gui day in the eleventh month is in this situation. Gui's fortune is in Zi; when discussing wealth, official star, and ghosts, they are all compared according to the example of the day stem's fortune.

若乃身旺鬼絕，雖破命而長年；鬼旺身衰，逢建命而夭壽。【身旺者，甲人正月生，甲以金庚為鬼，即可為堂之用，不可作鬼。謂之庚鬼自然絕，而不能害其甲，雖破命而長年也。又經云：身衰者，如甲人秋生，秋金旺乃甲木絕，甲雖逢寅卯建祿之地，與庚金相逢，雖則重重之救必夭壽也。】

The text says: If the day master is strong and the official ghost is weak, even if the destiny is broken, one can enjoy a long life; if the official ghost is strong and the day master is weak, even if one has a prosperous destiny, it will result in a short life. Xu Ziping explains: When the day master is strong, for example, a person born on a Jia day in the first lunar month, Jia uses Geng metal as the official ghost. At this time, the official ghost can be considered as a useful element rather than a ghost, because in the first lunar month, the Geng ghost naturally resides in a dead position and cannot harm the Jia wood. Therefore, even if the destiny is broken, one can still live a long life. The classic also states: When the day master is weak, for example, a person born on a Jia day in autumn, autumn metal is strong and Jia wood is in a dead position. Even if Jia encounters寅 and卯, which are the places of prosperity, once it meets Geng metal, even with many rescues, it will ultimately result in a short life.

背祿逐馬，守窮途而悽惶；祿馬同鄉，不三臺而八座。【如六甲人生在三春九夏，天元更帶丙丁，則背祿也。逐馬者，甲逢乙或亥卯木克，逐馬也。甲以金為官印，春金絕，夏金囚，更歲月時中帶天元丙丁，則甲背祿。甲以己土為財為馬為妻，被乙並亥卯克逐去己土，則甲無財而無官，必克妻也。故云。餘皆仿此推之。】

The essay states: Those who have lost their luck and have their horse driven away can only be trapped in a desperate situation, feeling sorrowful and helpless; but if luck and horse are in the same place, they may not hold the position of San Tai, yet they are worthy of the honor of Ba Zuo. Xu Ziping explains: For example, if someone with Jia as their day stem is born in spring or summer, and the heavenly stem also carries Bing or Ding, this is called losing luck. The term 'driving away the horse' refers to Jia encountering Yi wood or meeting亥 or卯 wood, which will weaken the earth, thus driving away the horse. Jia takes metal as official seal; in spring, metal is weak, and in summer, metal is imprisoned. If in the year, month, or hour, the heavenly stem also carries Bing or Ding, Jia loses his luck. Jia also takes己 earth as wealth, horse, and wife. Now, if Yi wood and亥 or卯 wood weaken己 earth, Jia loses both wealth and official seal, and will certainly harm his wife. Therefore, the essay says so. Other cases can be analyzed in the same way.

【假令壬午生，下有丁己是三奇，祿馬同鄉，更要生時不在休敗，如得庚午時，則時中庚自坐祿，以庚制其甲，辛制其乙，使壬存己土即祿重也，無失而早發矣。若壬午日得壬寅月時，則背祿也。謂寅中有甲奪己土，即壬無官也。寅中卻有火生則依上論。如冬生則減半言之，秋生卻有祿，謂木絕不能奪土。秋土懷金，金生壬生癸，木絕火死，所以不能克土。若歲月時中有亥卯未，亦能破己土，卯亦破午。如歲月時中無爭奪沖刑墮壞，則貴可定兩府，更切精休旺言之為妙。賦云：祿馬同鄉，不三臺而八座是也。若有為害之位，更精為害之休旺，量力而言。】

For example, if someone is born on a Renwu day, the day branch 'wu' contains 'ding' and 'ji', which are the Three Marvels. Moreover, the day branch belongs to the same group as the heavenly stem, which is favorable. In addition, the birth time should not fall in a weak or declining position. If the time is Gengwu, the heavenly stem 'geng' sits on its own禄 (favorable position), and 'geng' can control 'jia', while 'xin' can control 'yi'. This allows the 'ji' earth official star of 'ren' to be protected, making the禄 (favorable position) strong and stable, thus enabling early success. However, if the day is Renwu and the month or time is Rennyin, it is considered a back禄 (reverse禄), because 'yin' contains 'jia' which will take away the 'ji' earth, leaving 'ren' without an official star. However, 'yin' also contains 'bing' fire, which can generate earth, so it should be considered according to the above. Those born in winter should be viewed with half the weight, while those born in autumn have a禄 (favorable position), because wood is exhausted and cannot move the earth. In autumn, the earth contains metal, which generates 'ren' and 'gui', and wood and fire are exhausted and dead, so they cannot overcome the earth. If there is a wood trinity (亥卯未) in the year, month, or time, it can also break the earth, and 'mao' can also break 'wu'. If there is no conflict, clash, or destruction in the year, month, or time, then the person can be considered of high status, and it is important to carefully distinguish between the prosperous and strong and the weak and confined. The passage says, 'Lù Mǎ Tóng Xiāng, Bù Sān Tái Ér Bā Zuò', which means this very idea. If there is a harmful position in the column, one must also carefully distinguish the strength of the harmful god, measure its power, and then make a judgment.

【成鑑云：更須四被無侵，多獲吉慶。雲無全士庶，為百全之命也。謂如太宰唐公命，丙午年，庚子月，壬午日，丙午時。何謂貴？謂壬午日，干起丙午上，丙字來克子上庚字，子上庚即被丙來克，則避丙卻於午位，壬字乃庚之子，再得丙午時，丙又不與壬位，又來子位，二丙在子，皆為丙口，兩丙皆歷貴地。賦云：歸道乃水府求元。皆是丙癸造化也。庚午居干又是三奇祿馬同鄉，此云飛天祿馬也。天元動作出入，惟十二支辰不動，為屬地也。】

The Chengjian says: It is also necessary that there be no infringement from any direction, in order to gain much auspicious fortune. The previous statement "wuquan shishu" refers precisely to this kind of perfect and complete destiny. For example, the destiny of the Grand Minister Tang Gong: born in the year Bingwu, in the month Gengzi, on the day Renwu, and at the hour Bingwu. Why is this considered noble? Because the day Renwu follows the day Bingwu, and the Bing (Jia) is able to overcome the month's branch Zi, which contains Geng. The Geng in Zi is overcome by Bing and thus retreats to Wu, and Ren is the son of Geng. Furthermore, the hour Bingwu comes again, and this Bing does not take the position of Ren, but returns to Zi, so both Bings are in Zi, both becoming the mouths of Bing. Both Bings are also in noble positions. The essay says "guidao nai shufu qiu xuan," which refers precisely to the transformation between Bing and Gui. Gengwu is in the heavenly stem, and also the three marvels, the noble horse, and the native land, which is called "fei tian lu ma." The heavenly stem is active and changes, while the twelve earthly branches remain still, because they belong to the earth.

官崇祿顯，定知夾祿之鄉。小盈大虧，恐是劫財之地。【謂夾祿，戊辰日戊午時，丁巳日丁未時，己未日己巳時，壬戌日壬子時，癸丑日癸亥時。凡見夾祿者，不可本祿上有歲月所占，佔了則官實也，實則不能容物也。官不崇顯也。其祿比盛物之器，空則容物，有祿占，非真夾祿也。假令宋景陽郎中命，庚午年，丁亥月，己未日，己巳時。兩己夾午中之祿也，卻不合庚午太歲，實了午位，又十月沖動，己巳夾祿不穩，即不至清顯也。如此之命，華而不實也。凡見夾祿不穩，徒有虛耳，不可作夾祿論之。假如王中命，甲寅日，甲子時，二甲夾丑，丑乃金庫之鄉，乃甲之貴地，公運行辛丑，除通判，丑運足而交庚子，被大運庚子克了子上甲字，乃夾祿不住，走了貴氣，一旦壞盡。所以福聚之地不可被傷，福聚之地不可無救，其餘夾祿夾貴仿此。】

The text says: Those who have high official positions and abundant official salaries mostly appear in the "夹禄" (enclosed禄) place; those who have a little surplus but great loss are likely to have fallen into the "劫财" (robbery wealth) place. Xu Ziping explained: "夹禄" refers to when the day and the hour bracket the middle禄. For example, if the day isWuchen and the hour isWuwu, or the day isDingsi and the hour isDingwei, or the day isJiwei and the hour isJisi, or the day isRenxu and the hour isRenzi, or the day isGuichou and the hour isGuihai, the day and the hour enclose the middle禄. Whenever there is "夹禄", the year and the month should not occupy the禄 that is enclosed. If they do, the禄 becomes "实" (filled), and once filled, it cannot hold anything else, so the official position will not be high and prominent. The禄 is like a container for holding things; it must be empty to hold something. If it is already filled by another禄, it is not a true "夹禄". For example, the destiny of Song Jingyang's official: born in the year of庚午, month of丁亥, day of己未, and hour of己巳, the two己s enclose the禄 in午. However, the year is庚午, which fills the午 position, and the month of亥 water also moves it, making the enclosed禄 unstable, so he could not achieve clear and noble status. Such a destiny is just showy but not substantial. Whenever the enclosed禄 is unstable, it is only a hollow name and cannot be considered as a true enclosed禄. Another example is Wang Zhong's destiny: born on the day ofJiayin and the hour ofJiazi, the two甲s enclose the丑. 丑 is the metal warehouse, which is the noble place for 甲. When he was in the year ofXinchou, he was appointed as Tongpan. After finishing the 丑 year, he entered the year ofGengzi, and the big yearGengzi destroyed the 甲 in the hour's子 branch, so the enclosed禄 could not be held, the noble status was lost, and everything collapsed quickly. Therefore, the place where good fortune gathers should not be harmed, and the place where good fortune gathers should also have a rescue. Other cases of enclosed禄 and enclosed nobility should be considered in the same way.

【戊見己，庚見辛，壬見癸，皆為劫財，與甲見乙同，前五陽見五陰為劫財，克妻。後五陰見五陽，敗財不克妻，防陰賊或小人相侵。乙以甲為親兄，以戊己為財，甲能奪己壞戊。丁以丙為兄，丁以庚辛為財，丙能奪辛為妻破庚。己見戊為兄，己以壬癸為財，戊能奪癸為妻破壬。辛以甲乙為財，庚奪乙為妻破甲。癸見壬為兄，癸以丙丁為財，壬奪丁為妻破丙。假如甲奪乙財是也。】

Further, regarding the concept of劫财: when Wu meets Ji, Geng meets Xin, and Ren meets Gui, they are all considered劫财, following the same pattern as when Jia meets Yi. The first five yang heavenly stems encountering their corresponding yin heavenly stems are considered劫财, which indicates a tendency to harm the wife. The latter five yin heavenly stems encountering their corresponding yang heavenly stems are considered败财, which does not harm the wife, but one should be cautious of cunning people or villains causing trouble. For example, Yi considers Jia as a close elder brother, Yi considers Wu and Ji as wealth, but Jia can take away Ji and damage Wu. Ding considers Bing as an elder brother, Ding considers Geng and Xin as wealth, but Bing can take away Xin, which is the wife star, and destroy Geng. Ji considers Wu as an elder brother, Ji considers Ren and Gui as wealth, but Wu can take away Gui, which is the wife star, and destroy Ren. Xin considers Jia and Yi as wealth, but Geng can take away Yi, which is the wife star, and destroy Jia. Gui considers Ren as an elder brother, Gui considers Bing and Ding as wealth, but Ren can take away Ding, which is the wife star, and destroy Bing. This is similar to Jia taking away the wealth of Yi.

生月帶祿，入仕居赫奕之尊；重犯奇儀，蘊藉抱出群之器。【世術用六甲人正月生者，此名建祿不富，此非生月帶官祿也。生月帶官祿者，如甲乙人秋生，丙丁人冬生，戊己人春生，庚辛人夏生，壬癸人生於四季月是也。且如甲乙木用金為官祿也，庚金旺，是生月官祿也。遇之者是官祿超遷，功名特達也。或問曰：此生月祿而有福者尋常有之，而賦意言之何重也？答曰：如賦云，略之為定一端，究之翻成萬緒是也。】

The essay states: Those born in a month that carries official rank will, upon entering officialdom, attain a prominent and noble position; if they also encounter the Three Marvels, their talents will be exceptional and profound. Xu Ziping comments: Common practitioners of divination mistakenly include those born on the day of Jia (甲) in the first lunar month under this category. In reality, that is called "established official rank without wealth," not being born in a month that carries official rank. True birth in a month with official rank occurs when those born on Jia or Yi days are born in autumn, those born on Bing or Ding days in winter, those born on Wu or Ji days in spring, those born on Geng or Xin days in summer, and those born on Ren or Gui days in the months of Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei. For example, Jia and Yi belong to wood, and metal is their official rank. In autumn, the metal of Geng is at its peak, thus those born in autumn have official rank in their birth month. Such people will achieve rapid promotion in official positions and outstanding achievements in their careers. Someone asks: People who are born in a month with official rank and attain fortune are common, so why does the essay emphasize this so greatly? The answer is: As the essay later states, "At first glance, it seems a single point, but upon deeper examination, it leads to countless complexities." At first, it appears as a single point, but upon further analysis, it gives rise to countless variations.

【如甲戌人八月生建酉，酉中建辛，辛為甲之旺官祿，若當生歲時居寅午戌火局，更別位有丙丁火，亦不能損甲之官祿，以八月火死故也。或當生歲時居亥卯未木局，更或別位有甲乙木，亦不能奪甲之財帛，以八月木絕故也。有火不能損官祿，有木不能劫財帛，是財官兩喜，為赫奕之尊，故其宜也。凡命中帶祿者，祿出祖上，又不如生月帶祿者，則父子之氣近，為祿相須也。更有生日支內，天元自旺，生時不居休敗者，復更行運在祿鄉，如此之命又何啻居赫奕之尊？是三臺八座之格就貴人之命，子又何疑焉？賦云：根在苗先，正此意也。】

For example, if someone is born on a Jiaxu day in the eighth lunar month, the month builder is You. In You, there is Xin metal, which is the strong official and fortune for Jia. Even if the year and hour form a fire trinity of寅, 午, 戌, and there are also Bing and Ding fire elsewhere, they cannot harm the official and fortune of Jia, because fire is dead in the eighth month. Similarly, even if the year and hour form a wood trinity of亥, 卯, 未, and there are also Jia and Yi wood elsewhere, they cannot take away Jia's wealth, because wood is extinct in the eighth month. Having fire that does not harm the official and fortune, and having wood that does not steal the wealth, this is called the harmony of wealth and official, which is worthy of "Hegyi Zhi Zun." This is the natural state. Any person with a fortune in their birth chart has that fortune from their ancestors, but it is still not as good as having a fortune in the month of birth. The month of birth is close in relation to the day's main element, and fortune and self are interdependent. If, in addition, the day's branch contains the heavenly stem that is strong, and the hour does not fall into decline, and the person's fortune travels to the place of fortune, then such a destiny is not only worthy of Hegyi Zhi Zun. It is a pattern of three platforms and eight seats, directly leading to a noble destiny. What is there to doubt? The passage says "the root comes before the sprout," which means exactly this.

【奇者，三奇官印也，遇之者有威儀之貴也。蘊藉者，三元內外歲月生時，藏蓄五行括囊造化，貴氣往還無諸刑戰，如此之命，出乎其顯為大器之貴命也。且如向公安撫命：戊寅年，甲子月，乙丑日，庚辰時。何以為貴？戊以乙為官印，乙丑自居官鄉，乙見戊為偏官戊居寅為祿位，又見庚辰時，乙丑見庚為官印，庚自居辰，辰中有乙為財帛，乙丑六合甲子月是乙見鼠貴，則知宗族貴家，是名乙戊向庚為三奇之貴也。不惟只此，而又金土之氣堅潤，十一月生五行藏蓄，唯忌自火，其時火死水旺，三任方面可應出群之器，餘可例求焉。此賦論貴命根基，此以後說運中會遇也，故下文云：】

The so-called "marvels" refer to the three marvels and official seal, and those who possess them naturally have the dignity and prestige of authority. The term "concealed grace" means that the three yuan, both internal and external, in conjunction with the year, month, and birth time, conceal the five phases and gather the transformations within, allowing noble energy to flow smoothly without various conflicts and struggles. When such a destiny is revealed, it is the destiny of a great and noble person. For example, the destiny of a former governor of Hubei Province: born in the year of Wuyin, in the month of Jiazi, on the day of Yichou, and at the hour of Gengchen. Why is this considered noble? Wuyin takes Yichou as its official seal, and Yichou sits on its official land. Yichou meets Wuyin as a biased official, and Wuyin sits on the position of its own fortune. It also receives Gengchen at the hour, and Yichou meets Geng as official seal, while Geng sits on Chen, which contains Yichou as wealth. Yichou and Jiazi month form the Six Harmony, which is the "Yichou meets the rat" pattern, indicating that he comes from a noble family. This is called the noble dignity of the three marvels, "Yichou facing Geng." Moreover, the destiny has both metal and earth elements that are strong and moist, and it is born in the eleventh month, allowing all five phases to be concealed. The only thing to be cautious about is fire; at that time, fire is dying and water is thriving, so he can hold three major positions, which matches the saying "a person of outstanding ability." The rest can be inferred in the same way. This passage concludes the discussion on the foundation of noble destiny. From here on, the following part will discuss the encounters during the course of one's life, so it continues:

陰男陽女，時觀出入之年；陰女陽男，更看元辰之歲。【假令陰命男三月下旬生，得節氣深，八歲運。乙酉年，庚辰月，乙丑日，辛巳時。乙木下取丑中金庫為官印，又三月氣深，時迎初夏，又得辛巳時，當生年乙酉，三合巳酉丑，丑位不背官印，三月氣深，木向衰病，金向長生。賦云：向背定其貧富是也。又曰：將來者進。三十八歲運行丁丑，則財官兩美。賦云：每見貴人食祿，無非祿馬之鄉是也。三十九歲交丙子運，是謂出入之年也。】

The text says: A male born in a yin year should pay attention to the "years of entry and exit," and a female born in a yin year and a male born in a yang year should pay more attention to the "year of Yuanchen." Xu Ziping explains: For example, a male born in a yin year, in the third lunar month, with deep seasonal influence, begins his destiny at the age of eight. His four pillars are Yiyou year, Gengchen month, Yichou day, and Xinsi hour. Under the Yi wood, the earth branch Yichou is taken as the official and seal, since the earth branch Yichou contains metal. In the third lunar month, the season is deep, and the time of birth is approaching early summer. With the Xinsi hour, it forms the Triple Harmony of Si, You, and Chou with the birth year Yiyou, so the position of Chou does not conflict with the official and seal. In the third lunar month, the wood gradually declines and becomes sick, while the metal gradually grows and reaches its growth. The text says "whether facing or facing away determines wealth or poverty," referring to this. It also says "those coming later advance," which is the same principle. At the age of thirty-eight, he enters the Dingchou destiny, which brings both wealth and official positions. The text says "every time one meets a nobleman and receives salary, it is not other than the land of official and horse," referring to this step. At the age of thirty-nine, he enters the Bingzi destiny, which is called the "year of entry and exit."

【且如乙用庚為官印，見丙乃庚之七煞，當生年月氣深，向丙不遠，又大運丙子，子與巳合，合起巳中丙，丙克妻，則乙損官。乙以庚為妻則災妻損財，更或值丙丁巳午年，則凶。此是出入之年為凶可知也。時觀者，是當生年中四時之時也。賦云：一旬之內於年中而問干，一歲之中於月中而問日是也。此年運交出入當時迎氣深，又辛巳時中有丙，初交丙子運則災損自應也。】

Let us see: Yi uses Geng as its official star, while Bing is actually the seven killing star of Geng. This fate occurs when the year and month are deep in their respective seasons, and the fire energy of Bing is already close at hand; the big destiny cycle is also Bingzi, and Zi combines with the hour branch Si, thus bringing out the Bing hidden within Si. Once Bing moves, it will overcome the wife star, causing damage to Yi's official star—since Yi uses Geng as its wife, the wife will suffer misfortune and property will be lost; if this is further combined with the years of Bing, Ding, or Si, Wu, the situation will be even worse. This is the reason why the 'year of entry and exit' is considered凶 (unfavorable). It is immediately clear. The term 'time observation' refers to the seasonal changes within the year of birth. The text says, 'within a ten-day period, one asks about the heavenly stem within the year; within a year, one asks about the day within the month,' which is exactly this meaning. For this fate, when the destiny cycle begins, it coincides with the arrival of the vital energy and the deep season. Originally, there was Bing hidden within Si at the time of theXinsi (Xinsi) hour, so as soon as the Bingzi destiny cycle begins, the misfortune and loss naturally occur.

【賦云：陰男陽女便是。陰女陽男也，前云出入之年，此論元辰之歲，其理無二也。前論乙丑日，陽命男運出丁丑欲入丙子，此亦是五行來出入抵犯凶方之義。前說三月深向丙丁之氣不遠，運入丙子則失官、財損、妻災，況在四月三五日生作三歲運，是當生元有害官印之辰。賦云：宣父畏其元辰是也。其或更值寅午戌年，己未太歲是名元辰之歲，則救療無功也。便當生歲時中有壬癸，小運在申子辰亦不濟事。四月水絕故也。大率所犯有傷不可救也。】

The text says that "yin male yang female" and "yin female yang male" are the same: previously it discussed "entering and exiting years," here it refers to "yuanchen years," and the principle is the same. Previously, the case of the day of Yichou was discussed; if instead the person was born in a yang year, and the fortune moves from Dingchou to Bingzi, it is again about the five phases entering and exiting and offending the凶方. Previously it was said that in the third month, the qi is deep, and the qi of Bing and Ding is not far away; when the fortune enters Bingzi, it causes loss of official position, loss of wealth, and disaster for the wife. Moreover, if born between the third to fifth days of the fourth month, starting the fortune at the age of three, then the original destiny already carries the position of Chen, which harms the official and seal. The text says "Confucius feared the yuanchen," referring exactly to this. If further encountering the years of Yin, Wu, and Xu or the yuanchen year of Jiwei, it is called "yuanchen year," and there is no way to remedy it. At this time, even if the birth year and hour contain Ren and Gui, and the small fortune is in Shen, Zi, and Chen, it is of no help, because in the fourth month water is in its dead state. In general, once the afflicted area is injured, it is difficult to remedy.

與生地之相逢，宜退身而避位。凶會吉會，伏呤反呤，陰錯陽差，天沖地擊。【生者生旺也，凡五行皆不宜生旺，陰陽書云：金剛火強，自刑本方。木落歸本，水流趨末，則為自刑之刑也。且以庚辛言之，則金也。旺於西方，故庚祿在申，辛祿在酉。如庚辛生人，運到申酉，則宜退身避位也。夫何故？庚辛用丙丁為官印，火至申酉則病死，則庚辛無官也。庚辛克甲乙為財帛，木到申酉則死絕，則庚辛無財也。官財俱衰，雖建祿而不富。故云：與生地之相逢，宜退身避位。鬼谷曰：金降自干，東而震，西南遇坤鄉而敗祿衰官。正此意也。賦意幽妙，宜深識之。此說運中，造為引問發明之辭。如上文云：出入之年，皆吉凶兩存而不辨，在學人曉而合之，上下貫穿而得其辭悟矣。】

The essay states: When one's destiny path meets their birth and prosperity place, one should retreat and give way; within this there are both凶 and吉, there are hidden and reversed pronunciations, there are yin errors and yang differences, and there are heaven's attack and earth's impact. Xu Ziping explains: here, the term "生" refers to the birth and prosperity place. The Five Phases should not be overly prosperous or strong. The Yin and Yang book says: when the metal is strong and the fire is powerful, they will self-injure in their own place; when the wood falls, it returns to its origin, and when the water flows, it goes to its end, all of which are forms of self-injury. For instance, the metal elements of Geng and Xin are strong in the west, so Geng's strength is in Shen and Xin's strength is in You. When people born on Geng or Xin days meet the destiny path of Shen or You, they should retreat and give way. Why? Because Geng and Xin take Bing and Ding as their official and seal, and when fire reaches Shen and You, it becomes sick and dies, so Geng and Xin have no official; Geng and Xin also overcome Bing and Ding as their wealth, and when wood reaches Shen and You, it dies and is cut off, so Geng and Xin have no wealth. Both official and wealth are weak, even if they have a strong destiny, they cannot become wealthy. Therefore, it is said, "When meeting the birth place, one should retreat and give way." Guiguzi says: metal descends from the Qian position, moves east to Zhen, and meets the Kun place in the southwest, where its strength, official, and fortune decline. This is exactly the meaning. The essay's intention is subtle and profound, and should be deeply understood. This passage discusses the destiny path, using a question-and-answer format to explain the meaning. As mentioned above, the "years of entering and exiting" contain both good and bad, but they are not clearly distinguished, and scholars must understand and connect the text themselves to grasp the true meaning from the words.

【伏呤者，大運與元命相對者是也。以眾術言，則不佳。以賦意言之，其間亦有凶會吉會存焉。錯者，錯雜也。差者，交差也。人命有陰陽錯雜，人運亦有陰陽交差，多為災損。如元命與運在東南而遇太歲西者，謂之天沖。元命與運在西北，而太歲在東南者，謂之地擊。大概與陰陽差錯不殊，然不能無別焉。西北沖東南者，主動改出入，是內沖外也。東南沖西北者，雖沖而不動，是外沖內也。遇此者主不寧，其間吉凶兩存，詳而言之。】

The so-called "fu yin" refers to a situation where the big destiny year (dàyùn) and the original birth chart (yuánmìng) are the same or opposite. According to the general views of diviners, this is not favorable; however, according to the meaning of the text, there are distinctions between凶会 (unfavorable conjunctions) and吉会 (favorable conjunctions). "Cuò" means mixed or confused, and "chā" means crossing or intersecting. Human destiny may have yin and yang mixed together, and human destiny years may also have yin and yang crossing each other, often leading to misfortune. For example, if both the original birth chart and the big destiny year are in the southeast, but the year's ruler (tàisuì) is in the west, this is called "tiānchōng" (heavenly confrontation); if both the original birth chart and the big destiny year are in the northwest, but the year's ruler is in the southeast, this is called "dìjī" (earthly attack). In general, this is similar to yin and yang difference, but it is also necessary to make distinctions: when the northwest confronts the southeast, it indicates change and movement, retreat and advancement, which is internal confrontation with the outside; when the southeast confronts the northwest, although there is confrontation, there is no movement, which is external confrontation with the inside. When encountering these situations, the person's mind is restless, and both good and bad outcomes may exist, so it is necessary to make detailed distinctions before making a judgment.

或逢四煞五鬼，六害七傷，地網天羅，三元九宮，福臻成慶，禍並危疑，扶兮速速，抑乃遲遲。【如元命犯辰戌丑未在四柱中，或大運又行到或辰戌丑未之上者，謂之四煞。五鬼如大運干為鬼制財克官印，此五行之鬼也，與太歲同。六害者，且如丑未生人，四柱中復有丑未，更運在辰戌丑未之上，卻遇太歲在子午卯酉者，謂之六害。遇之者主骨肉分離。七傷者，運中逢七煞是也。如甲乙日生人，用庚辛為官印，運在南方或逢寅午戌巳與未太歲，是也。四煞輕，五鬼重。六害輕，七傷重。運逢之輕，歲遇之重。地網天羅者，戌人不得見亥，亥人不得見戌，謂之正天羅。辰人不得見巳，巳人不得見辰，謂之真地網。遇之者災病連綿。不獨歲運忌逢之，四柱中亦不宜也。】

The text says: Sometimes one encounters the four evils, five ghosts, six harms, and seven injuries, and meets the heavenly net and earthly trap, three yuan and nine palaces; when good fortune gathers, it becomes joy, but when misfortune comes together, it causes suspicion and danger; those who receive support will see results quickly, while those who are suppressed will see results slowly. Xu Ziping explains: If the original birth chart contains the years of Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei, and the big destiny year also moves into Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei, this is called the four evils. The so-called five ghosts refer to the heavenly stem of the big destiny year becoming a ghost, which controls the wealth star and destroys the official and seal, this is the ghost of the five phases, and encountering it on the Tai Sui year is the same. The so-called six harms, for example, those born in the year of Chou or Wei, and their birth chart also contains Chou or Wei, and the big destiny year moves into Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei again, but the Tai Sui year is in Zi, Wu, Mao, or You, this is called six harms, and those who encounter it suffer from separation of family members. The so-called seven injuries refer to encountering the seven killers in the destiny year, for example, those born on Jia or Yi days take Geng and Xin as official and seal, and if the destiny year moves to the south, or encounters the Tai Sui year of Yin, Wu, Xu, Si, or Wei, they all fall into this category. The four evils are light, while the five ghosts are heavy; the six harms are light, while the seven injuries are heavy; encountering them in the big destiny year is lighter, but encountering them in the Tai Sui year is heavier. The so-called heavenly net and earthly trap: those born in the year of Xu should not meet the year of Hai, and those born in the year of Hai should not meet the year of Xu, this is called the correct heavenly net; those born in the year of Chen should not meet the year of Si, and those born in the year of Si should not meet the year of Chen, this is called the true earthly trap, and those who encounter them suffer from continuous misfortunes. Not only should one avoid encountering them in the age and destiny years, but they should also not appear in the original birth chart.

【三元者，日干為天元，支為地元，納音為人元，即三元九宮也。假令戊寅年，壬戌月，甲申日，己巳時，陽男命氣淺八歲運，甲以金為官印，九月生是生月帶祿也。二十六歲，小運辛丑，大運乙丑，二運並在官祿財庫之上。未可言凶，此名吉會，故曰：福臻則乃成慶也。】

The term "three yuan" refers to the day stem as the heavenly yuan, the earthly branch as the earthly yuan, and the nayin sound element as the human yuan, forming the three yuan and nine palaces. For example, in a birth chart with a Wuyin year, Renxu month, Jiashen day, and Jisi hour: it is a male birth in a yang year, with a shallow solar term, and the person starts their fortune at the age of eight. The day stem Jiashen takes metal as its official and seal, and is born in September, which is the month of its own strength. At the age of twenty-six, the small fortune Xinchou and the big fortune Yichou both fall on the official, official's seal, and wealth repository. It should not be considered as an ominous sign, this is called "good convergence," so when good fortune gathers, it becomes a joyful occasion.

【又如乙酉年，癸未月，庚戌日，甲申時，陰男命氣深，九歲運，逆行。以生日庚戌下取火庫為官印，又六月生，亦是生月帶祿也。三十九歲大運到庚辰，乙庚合，小運甲辰，並天地六合之上，未可言吉也。以當生六月氣深，運到庚辰，辰沖戌，辰乃水庫水克火，三合甲申水，長生兩辰沖戌，破官印則為凶會。又曰：禍並是乃危疑也。扶兮速速者，如前戊寅年，以甲申為主，運到乙丑者，或遇行年太歲三合，合上扶同相助，則為吉慶而速速也，扶助也。若太歲無刑或相沖相害，則是與氣運相抑，抑不順也，是乃發福遲遲也。大凡推運須看生年太歲與運生克，生克已定，則吉凶無不應驗矣。】

For example, in the case of a man born in the year Yiyou, in the month Guiwei, on the day Gengxu, and at the hour Jiashen: a male born in a yin year, with a deep solar term, starting his fortune at age nine, moving in reverse. Taking the day Gengxu, we use the earth branch Wu (戌) as the official and minister, since it is a fire repository. He was also born in June, which is the month of the birth of the earth branch Wu, so it is also a month with a strong presence of the earth branch. At the age of thirty-nine, his major destiny moves to Gengchen. The year stem Yi combines with the day stem Geng, forming a heavenly harmony. His minor destiny is Jiachen, which also falls on the heavenly and earthly six harmonies. However, this should not be considered a good sign. Because he was born in June, which has a strong qi, and when the destiny moves to Gengchen, the hour of Jiashen comes to conflict with Wu. Chen is a water repository, and water can overcome fire. Moreover, the combination of Shen, Chen, and Zi forms a triple harmony, and the water of Jiashen also has a growth. Two Chens together conflict with Wu, breaking the official and minister. This is called 'a凶会', meaning a meeting of misfortune, so calamities come together, leading to suspicion and danger. It is said '扶兮速速', meaning if the support comes quickly, then good fortune comes quickly. As in the case of the year Wuyin, where the day was Jiashen, when the destiny moved to Yichou, if the heavenly stem of the year also forms a triple harmony with it, then the support comes together, and good fortune comes quickly. '扶' means to support. If the heavenly stem of the year does not conflict but instead conflicts or harms, then it will be a mutual suppression between the heavenly stem and the destiny, leading to an unsmooth situation, and the good fortune will naturally come slowly. In general, when calculating destiny, one must observe the relationship between the heavenly stem of the birth year and the major destiny. Once the relationship of generation and overcoming is determined, the good or bad fortune will certainly manifest.

歷貴地而待時，遇比肩而爭競。至若人疲馬劣，猶托財旺之鄉。【生日臨官印之貴是歷貴權之地。且如，壬辰、癸巳日，用土為官印，用火為財帛。若生月不居九夏，不在四季，則是虛聲之命。雖歷貴地而猶待於四時，基本元有元無也。遇比肩而爭競者，如壬辰、癸巳人更生九夏、四季，得其官祿之時，大運又在火土分野，為吉會。或遇太歲是壬癸，或為沖刑，或為破害，是比肩而爭競也。如此者，防稱意中失意，主災禍也。如不是壬癸，歲是亥子亦同。如當生歲時中有戊己重者，為有救。】

The essay states: Although the person has already reached a place of prestige, they still need to wait for the right season; once there is a rival, there will be competition and struggle. As for those whose original energy is exhausted and whose wealth and horses are of poor quality, they can still rely on the place where wealth is strong. Xu Ziping explains: When the day of birth is in the position of official and seal (official star and seal star), it is considered to have reached a place of prestige and authority. For example, those born on Renchen or Guisi days, take earth as official and seal, and fire as wealth; if the month of birth is not in the height of summer or in the months of Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei, then it is a name without substance — although it has reached a place of prestige, it still needs to wait for the right season, and the fundamental issue is whether the original destiny actually possesses these qualities. The saying "meeting a rival leads to competition" refers to those born on Renchen or Guisi days who are born in summer or in the four seasonal months, which is the time when official and seal are in power. If their big luck is in the realm of fire and earth, it is a favorable situation. However, if they encounter the year ruler as Ren or Gui, or if there is conflict, punishment, destruction, or harm between them, this is considered competition from a rival. In such cases, one should be cautious of sudden misfortunes occurring amidst favorable circumstances, indicating potential calamity. Even if the year ruler is not Ren or Gui but Hai or Zi, the situation remains the same. If there is a repetition of Wu and Ji in the birth year and hour, then there is a way to save the situation.

【人疲者，人元疲乏也。馬劣者，所合之辰馬弱也。假令甲午生人，運行西方申酉戌者是也。午為人元屬火，到西方死絕之地，是人元疲乏也。甲以己為財，午內有己土，己土到西方亦自衰敗，是劣弱也。猶托財旺之鄉者，午雖疲乏，猶賴西方金旺，為財己雖劣弱，秋金懷壬癸，亦可與己破鬼生財也。】

The term "person's exhaustion" refers to the exhaustion of the person's original heavenly stem; "horse's weakness" refers to the decline of the horse star that is in harmony with the person's birth time. For example, a person born on a Jiawu day who enters a period of western movement involving Shen, You, and Xu will experience this situation: the person's original heavenly stem, which is Wu fire, is in a dead or declining state in the west, hence the person's exhaustion; the heavenly stem Jia uses Ji as its wealth, and the Ji earth is hidden within Wu fire. When Ji earth reaches the west, it naturally weakens, hence it is considered weak. As for "still relying on the prosperous land of wealth," it means that although the fire is exhausted, it still depends on the strong metal in the west—the wealth star Ji earth, though weak, contains Yin water within the autumn metal, which can together break away from ghosts and generate wealth.

或乃財旺祿衰，建馬何避沖掩？歲臨尚不為災，年登故宜獲福。【與前意同而理異也。如丙午人，運至西方，財雖旺而祿衰。下元建馬為助，言辛酉中有辛合丙也，則不畏沖掩也。掩者，伏滯也，如伏呤之類。沖者，沖擊也，如反呤之類。既是支元人元有財，財且旺而祿衰者，猶可扶持，縱歲運在掩伏沖擊者，亦無害事。此與中下興隆不殊。前說財運掩沖，此論歲臨運位，亦未可便言凶咎。太歲為造化之主，百煞之尊，來臨壓運，多凶少吉。若於三元內外，五行官印有用者，亦可以利見大人，而成吉會。若三元內外財帛有用者，亦可因貴人而發財帛也。且如生日是壬午，太歲是庚午，運是戊午，此年歲運之臨，亦為吉會也。次年交辛未，其氣不殊，官印財帛有用，則固宜獲福也。】

The text says: Sometimes wealth is strong but the official position is weak, having already established the horse star, why should one avoid conflict and concealment? Even when the sovereign year presses down, it does not necessarily cause disaster, and when the year and destiny progress, one naturally should gain blessings. Xu Ziping explains: This is similar in intention to the previous passage but differs in reasoning. For example, a person born on a Jia Wu day, when his destiny moves to the west, wealth is strong but the official position is weak; however, if the lower part establishes the horse star to assist - in Xin You, there is Xin, which can combine with Jia - then there is no fear of conflict or concealment. "Concealment" refers to being blocked or restrained, similar to a hidden attack; "conflict" refers to impact, similar to a reverse attack. Since there is wealth in both the branch and the person's original element, and wealth is strong while the official position is weak, it can still be supported. Even if the year and destiny fall into places of concealment or conflict, it will not cause harm, which is the same as the previous statement about "middle and lower parts flourishing." The previous passage discussed concealment and conflict in destiny movement, while this passage discusses the sovereign year pressing into the destiny position. It should not be immediately judged as a disaster. The sovereign year is the master of transformation and the supreme authority of all evils. When it presses into the destiny position, it is mostly unfavorable; but if the three elements and internal and external Five Phases have useful officials and seals, it can meet a great person and become favorable; if the three elements and internal and external wealth have use, it can gain wealth through a nobleman. For example, if one is born on a Ren Wu day, the sovereign year is Geng Wu, and the big destiny is Wu Wu, then the year and destiny being close is a favorable meeting. The next year, when it changes to Xin Wei, the situation is similar, with officials, seals, and wealth all being useful, naturally leading to blessings.

大吉生逢小吉，反壽長年；天剛運至天魁，寄生續壽。【丑為大吉，未為小吉。如癸未日生人行丑運，或丁丑日生人行未運，不得謂之反呤，皆謂之生氣。且癸水受氣於巳而成形於未，丁火受氣於亥而成形在丑。故曰：生逢如壬課發用，丁課在未，而癸在丑，亦此意也。丑未為陰陽之中會，天乙貴人所臨，主本與運逢之，則有長年之壽也。辰為天罡，如庚戌生人行辰運，或甲辰生人行戌運，不得謂之反呤也。且庚金受氣於寅，而成形於辰。甲木受氣於申而成形於戌，皆是生氣。鬼谷子曰：罡中有乙，鬼裡伏辛，是也。前云生逄，後曰寄生，義不殊也。】

The text says: The great auspicious deity meets the minor auspicious deity at birth, which instead brings longevity and a long life; the Heavenly Gang's movement reaching the Tiankui also allows for a continuation of life. Xu Ziping explains: The earthly branch Chou is called "Da Ji" (Great Auspicious), and Wei is called "Xiao Ji" (Minor Auspicious). For example, a person born on a Guiwei day encountering the Chou destiny or a person born on a Dingchou day encountering the Wei destiny, does not count as a reverse, but rather is called "Sheng Qi" (Life Qi). This is because the癸 water receives its qi in Si but takes form in Wei, and the丁 fire receives its qi in Hai but takes form in Chou, so it is called "Sheng Feng" (meeting at birth). Just as in the Six Rén system, the Ding lesson's initiating transmission occurs in Wei, and the Gui lesson's initiating transmission occurs in Chou, it is the same principle. Chou and Wei are the central points where yin and yang meet. When the Tianyi Nobleman is present, if the day's ruler meets it with the destiny, it indicates longevity. Chen is called "Tian Gang" (Heavenly Gang). For example, a person born on a Gengxu day encountering the Chen destiny or a person born on a Jiachen day encountering the Wu destiny, does not count as a reverse; instead, it is called "Sheng Qi" (Life Qi). Geng metal receives its qi in Yin but takes form in Chen, and Ji wood receives its qi in Shen but takes form in Wu, both being cases of Life Qi. Guiguzi says "the Heavenly Gang contains Yi, and the ghostly realm hides Xin," referring to this. Previously it was said "Sheng Feng" (meeting at birth), and later it was said "Ji Sheng" (continuation of life), meaning is the same.

從魁抵蒼龍之宿，財自天來；太沖臨昴胃之鄉，人元有害。【從魁酉也，蒼龍辰也。如酉日生人，運至辰者是也。酉中有辛金，辰中有乙木，金克木為財，故曰：財自天來。是用支內天元為財也。太沖者，卯也。昴胃者，酉也。胃土雉，昴日雞，有二宿在酉也。如卯日生人，運至酉者，是也。卯木也，酉金也，金克木而反相刑，支作人元，是也。故曰：有害。害者是七煞也，不獨沖刑剋制言之，亦是偏陰偏陽也。】

The text says: When "From Qiu" reaches the dwelling of "Cang Long," wealth comes from heaven; when "Tai Chong" reaches "Mao" and "Wei," the original person is harmed. Xu Ziping explains: "From Qiu" is You; "Cang Long" is Chen. For example, if someone born on a You day reaches a Chen position in their fortune, this is the case: You contains Xin metal, Chen contains Yi wood, and metal overcoming wood forms wealth, hence it is said "wealth comes from heaven" — this refers to taking the heavenly stems hidden within the earthly branches as wealth. "Tai Chong" is Mao; "Mao" and "Wei" are You, because among the twenty-eight mansions, "Wei" (the Earthly Cock) and "Mao" (the Heaven's Rooster) are both in the You position. For example, if someone born on a Mao day reaches a You position in their fortune, this is the case: Mao is wood, You is metal, and metal overcoming wood results in mutual harm, which is considered harmful. This harm refers to seven killing stars, not only including conflict, punishment, overcoming, and control, but also includes the concept of excessive yin and yang, and improper combination.

金祿窮於正首，庚重辛輕；木人困於金鄉，寅深卯淺。【金絕在寅，庚受氣在寅。假如庚日生寅時者，多貴。金以火為官，寅為火長生，是官長生也。又不克上，火在寅中，金生寅上。賦云：金祿窮於正首。成鑑云：受氣推尋，胎月須深。辛到卯位，二月節，是辛金之胎也。甲在申以金為官印，申乃金臨官，乙在酉乃帝王也。賦云：木人困於金鄉是也。】

The essay states: The metal's fortune is exhausted at the beginning of the first month, with庚 being strong and辛 weak; people with a wooden destiny are trapped in the land of metal, with a deep degree at寅 and a shallow one at卯. Xu Ziping comments: Metal is exhausted at寅, and庚 receives its qi at寅. For example, someone born on a庚 day who has寅 as their hour is likely to be prosperous and prominent: metal takes fire as its official, and寅 is the long birth of fire, so the official star is born here; moreover, fire is hidden in寅, and metal sits on寅, so fire does not directly harm the upper metal. The essay therefore says "the metal's fortune is exhausted at the beginning of the first month." The Chengjian says: The place where qi is received should be carefully examined, and the fetal month must be deeply considered. When辛 reaches卯, it is the beginning of the second month, which is exactly where辛 metal conceives.甲 takes metal as its official and seal, and when甲 reaches申,申 is the official position of metal; when乙 reaches酉,酉 is the prosperous position of metal. The essay's statement "wooden people are trapped in the land of metal" refers precisely to this.

妙在識其通變，拙說猶神；巫瞽昧於調絃，難希律呂。【凡人命中貴賤得失，妙處於四柱日時之中，要後人識其通變者言之，然其辭雖拙，而妙應如神。設若不遇明師，道聽途說，巧言偽詞，焉能中理？如無日者之調絃，又豈能明於律呂也？】

The essay says: The true essence lies in recognizing change and adaptability; although the words may be clumsy, they prove effective as if by divine power. Those who do not know how to tune the strings, cannot possibly understand the musical scales. Xu Ziping explains: The fortune and misfortune of a person's life depend on the interplay between the four pillars and the day and hour. Only those who can understand flexibility and adaptability can truly grasp this. Though the words may be simple and unrefined, their accuracy is remarkably profound. If one does not find a wise teacher and relies only on hearsay, using clever but false words to interpret, how can one truly understand the principles? Just as a musician who does not know how to tune the strings cannot possibly comprehend the musical scales.

庚辛臨於甲乙，君子可以求官；北人運行南方，貨易獲其厚利。【假令辛見甲，辛克甲，甲中生出丙火，丙與辛合，辛見官印。然不見火而見甲，甲乃丙之母，火之根也。須生日是辛日，歲月時內月木，以辛克甲，則甲中有火也。若年月時中，支干內有水，則辛無官也。壬寅或別位，將亥子辰水來，即木溼也，故木溼則無官。源濁伏呤是也。】

The essay states: When庚 and 辛 are above 甲 and 乙, gentlemen can obtain official positions through this; people from the north who move to the south can gain substantial profits in business. Xu Ziping explains: For example, when 辛 meets 甲, 辛 overcomes 甲, and from the 甲 wood, 丙 fire is generated. 丙 then combines with 辛, and 辛 thus obtains an official position. Here, fire is not directly seen, only 甲 is seen; 甲 is the mother of 丙, which is the root of fire, so fire is naturally contained within. This explanation requires that 辛 be the day of birth, and there be wood in the year, month, or hour. When 辛 overcomes 甲, fire can be hidden within 甲. However, if there is water in the heavenly stems and earthly branches of the year, month, or hour, 辛 will not have an official position. For example, if the pillar contains Renyin, or other positions that bring 亥, 子, or 辰 water, the wood will be soaked; once wood is wet, it cannot produce fire, and thus there is no official position. This is precisely what is called "source turbid and hidden cry."

【如見庚合，庚克木，乙木生丁火，丁乃庚之官印，若癸卯歲月時上有水，則乙木溼而克之，無煙也。只是金見木為財，有財而無官，金木皆不能成器。賦云：金木未能成器，聽哀樂以難名也。是火主禮，有禮則有君子，有君子則有官印也。無禮則小人也，無官則不貴也。賦云：源濁伏呤，惆悵於歇官之地。寅卯乃火生之地，是木而無火，故惆悵也。又與聞喜不喜，同矣。其餘五行仿此，亦用生日支干為主，此論庚辛日生人也。】

For example, if庚 (Geng) combines with乙 (Yi), Geng comes to control wood, and Yi wood produces Ding fire, which is exactly Geng's official seal. However, if it is like癸卯 (Guimao), with water present in the year, month, and hour, the Yi wood becomes wet, and the damp wood cannot produce fire, let alone smoke. Then there is only the aspect of metal meeting wood as wealth, but there is no official seal. Metal and wood cannot both be useful. The text later says, "Metal and wood cannot be shaped, listening to sorrow and joy is hard to name," referring precisely to this situation. Fire in the Five Phases represents propriety; with propriety there are gentlemen, and with gentlemen there is official seal. Without propriety there are petty people, and without official seal there is no prestige. The text also says, "The source is turbid and the sound is suppressed, feeling melancholy in the place of no official seal."寅 (Yin) and卯 (Mao) are the places of growth for fire, but now there is only wood and no fire, hence the melancholy. This is the same meaning as the previous statement "Hearing joy but not feeling joy." The rest of the Five Phases can be similarly inferred, all based on the birth stem and branch. The above discussion applies specifically to those born on庚 (Geng) and辛 (Xin) days.

聞朝歌而旋泣，為盛火之炎陽；克禍福之賒遙，則多因於水土。【自從魁抵蒼龍之宿，己下不獨運中災福，而又明相濟而為得失，在學人可深求之也。聞朝歌而旋泣者，言火星高明，而好炎上也。明萬物者，莫盛乎火，故云：為盛火之炎陽。鬼谷子曰：木火性本上。克禍福之賒遙。賒者，遠也。又遙者，遠之甚也。此言水土之性，沉伏而趨下也，故云：多因水土。鬼谷子曰：水土性本下。正此意也。】

The essay says: hearing joyful songs in the morning, yet crying shortly after, this is due to excessive fire which rises rapidly; when misfortune or fortune comes slowly and distantly, it is mostly because of water and earth. Xu Ziping explains: from the sentence "from 'From Qiu to the host of the celestial dragon'" onwards, it not only discusses misfortune and fortune in one's destiny, but also clarifies the gains and losses arising from the mutual generation among the Five Phases. Scholars should deeply contemplate this. The phrase "hearing morning songs and then crying" refers to the bright and swift nature of the fire star, which rises rapidly. Since nothing can illuminate all things more than fire, it is said "the blazing fire of the sun." Guiguzi says: the nature of wood and fire is upward. As for "overcoming misfortune and fortune that come distant and far," "赊" means distant, and "遥" means even more distant; this refers to the nature of water and earth being hidden and downward, thus their effects are delayed, hence "mostly due to water and earth." Guiguzi says: the nature of water and earth is downward. This is exactly the meaning.

金木未能成器，聽哀樂以難名；似木盛而花繁，狀密雲而不雨。【言金者則尚木，金得用而木乃成，是以剛柔相濟也。言木者能尚金，木成器而金得著，仁者必有勇也。若有金而無木，勇而無禮則亂。有木而無金，則庚辛虧而義寡。金者，西方之器也，主哀。木者，東方之物也，主樂。樂而不淫者，木遇金也。哀而不傷者，金得木也。凡此者，皆大人之命也。若明水火之歸中，用乎金木之間隔，由是哀樂不能動其心，乃方外難名之人也。人命有偏陰偏陽之命，似木盛而花繁者，偏陽之謂也。是五行逐末趨時，知進而不知退也。狀密雲而不雨者，偏陰之謂也。如此者，豈能有濟化之功哉？大率人命須要五行制克，陰陽兩停，財為應格之命，故下文云：】

The essay says: Gold and wood are still not yet shaped into objects, so sorrow and joy cannot be spoken of; it is like a tree that is flourishing but only has many flowers, or like thick clouds in the sky but no rain falls. Xu Ziping comments: When discussing gold, one must value wood, for gold can only show its use when wood is available; wood also needs gold to become useful, this is the mutual complement of hardness and softness. When discussing wood, one must also value gold, for when wood becomes an object, the function of gold becomes evident, just as a benevolent person must also be brave. If there is gold but no wood, it is bravery without propriety, which will lead to disorder; if there is wood but no gold, it is the deficiency of metal, and righteousness will be lacking. Gold is the instrument of the west, and in sound it represents sorrow; wood is the thing of the east, and in sound it represents joy. Joy without excess is when wood meets gold; sorrow without harm is when gold meets wood. All such cases are the fate of great men. If one can understand that water and fire return to harmony and use the separation between gold and wood properly, then sorrow and joy will not move his heart, and he will be a person beyond the worldly, hard to describe. Human fate is divided into those with excessive yin or excessive yang: those with flourishing trees but only flowers are excessive yang, with the five elements only pursuing superficial things and the momentary, knowing progress but not knowing retreat; those with thick clouds but no rain are excessive yin. Such fates cannot have the function of harmonizing and nurturing. In general, human fate must have the five elements in control and mutual restriction, and yin and yang in balance, only then can it be considered a proper fate. Therefore, the following text continues to say:

乘軒衣冕，金火何多？位劣班卑，陰陽不定。【前論水火，以相濟而成慶。次論金為木官鄉，是知水貴升，火貴降。火要濟柔為剛，金要損剛益柔，則互用而為慶。其間獨有金剛火強，不可不知也。故賦云：乘軒衣冕者，皆君子之器也。亦須要金火兩停者能之。金，至堅之物也，非盛火則不能變其質。火，至暴之物也，非銳金則無以顯諸用。金火兩存，則有鑄印之象，皆大人之事也。或火多而金少，或金多而火寡，皆為兇暴之命也。金旺於西方，火旺於南方，各恃其勢，則為自刑之刑。如此之命，雖日時有用，終歸於位劣班卑而已，非純和之氣也。是陰陽不能得定分故也。火陽也，金陰也，既陰陽兩偏，則貴賤高卑無所定著也。況有金而無火，有火而無金者，皆為兇徒之命。】

The essay says: Those who can ride in carriages and wear ceremonial caps have abundant gold and fire; those in low positions and low ranks are only because yin and yang are not properly balanced. Xu Ziping comments: Previously, the discussion was about water and fire, which complement each other to bring good fortune; then it discusses gold as the official place of wood, thus knowing that water is valuable when it rises and fire is valuable when it descends. Fire needs to temper softness into hardness, and gold needs to reduce hardness into softness; when they work together, they bring joy. Among these, the aspect of strong gold and strong fire must be known. Therefore, the essay says that those who ride in carriages and wear ceremonial caps are all noble instruments, but only those with balanced gold and fire can truly deserve it. Gold is the hardest substance, and without strong fire, its nature cannot be changed; fire is the most fierce, and without sharp gold, its function cannot be shown. When both gold and fire exist, there is an appearance of casting seals, which are the affairs of great people. If there is too much fire and not enough gold, or too much gold and not enough fire, these are all dangerous fates. Gold is strong in the west, fire is strong in the south, each relying on its own strength, leading to self-inflicted punishment; such a fate, even if the day and hour are useful, will ultimately be of low rank and not pure harmony, because yin and yang are not properly balanced. Fire belongs to yang, gold to yin; both yin and yang are biased, so there is no place for high or low status. Moreover, those with gold but no fire, or fire but no gold, are all fates of villains.

所以龍呤虎嘯，風雨助其休祥；火勢將興，故先煙而後焰。【易曰：雲從龍，風從虎。此自然之理也。亦是陰陽洽合，五行唱和之義。火勢將興，故先煙而後焰者，此亦明陰陽氣順，而有次序也，此與其為氣也不殊。】

The essay states: Therefore, when a dragon sings once and a tiger roars once, rain and wind come to assist in forming auspicious signs; when fire is about to rise, it always first produces smoke and then flame. Xu Ziping comments: The Zhou Changes, Qian Hexagram, Wenyan says "clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger," which is a natural principle, meaning the harmony of yin and yang and the mutual response of the Five Phases. As for "when fire is about to rise, it first produces smoke and then flame," this also explains the smooth flow of yin and yang energy with a natural sequence, which is no different from the previous statement "its nature is that what comes later advances, and what has achieved its purpose retreats."

每見凶中有吉，吉乃先凶；吉中有凶，凶為吉兆。【此復明氣順之理也，屈伸寒暑，莫不有道焉。且如前論從魁抵蒼龍之宿，言財自天來者，吉也。是酉中辛克辰中乙木為財也。辰乃水鄉，復能奪辛金之官，論財卻不缺，而失官也。故凶。太沖臨昴胃之鄉，人元有害者，凶也。卻木用金為官印，則不背官祿，凶中反吉也。賦意始於說運，次論五行。五行之後再論言之：每見凶中有吉，吉乃先凶；吉中有凶，凶為吉兆。又如火人行水運，則是七煞，凶也。或用水為官，吉也。水人行巳午運，南方獲利，為財，吉也。卻下有戊己，七煞，凶也。如此極多，要後人深造之，以根本取最重者言之為妙。】

The essay says: It is common to see that among misfortunes there are hidden blessings, and those blessings must first go through a period of misfortune; and among blessings there are hidden misfortunes, and those misfortunes are actually omens of blessings. Xu Ziping comments: This sentence again explains the principle of the smooth flow of qi — the stretching and contracting, the alternation of cold and heat, all follow their own principles. For example, the previous passage said, "From Qiu to the host of Changlong, wealth comes from heaven," which is a blessing, because the辛 (Xin) metal in酉 (You) overcomes the乙 (Yi) wood in辰 (Chen) to form wealth; but辰 (Chen) is a water region, which in turn can take away the official star of辛 (Xin) metal, so while wealth is not lacking, the official star is lost, thus turning into misfortune. Previously, it was said, "Tai Chong is at Maowei, the original person is harmed," which is a misfortune; but since wood takes metal as its official and seal, it does not contradict official status, thus turning misfortune into blessing. The essay first talks about the movement of destiny, then discusses the Five Phases, and only after discussing the Five Phases does it continue with the statement, "Often seeing misfortune containing blessings, and blessings first go through misfortune; blessings containing misfortune, and misfortune is actually a sign of blessing." For example, a person with a fire destiny who moves into a water destiny, water is the seven killer, which is a misfortune; but if water is taken as the official, it becomes a blessing. A person with a water destiny who moves into the巳 (Si) or午 (Wu) destiny, gains advantage in the south as wealth, which is a blessing; but if the branches under the destiny contain戊 (Wu) or己 (Ji) as seven killers, it becomes a misfortune. There are many such cases, and later generations should deeply understand them, and base their analysis on the original destiny, focusing on the most important aspect.

禍旬向末言福，可以迎推；才入衰鄉論災，宜其逆課。男迎女送，否泰交居；陰陽二氣，逆順折除。【如見在凶運十年終滿前，交吉運者，若當生年月氣深，或行年太歲扶助，向祿臨財者，更不須直待交吉運，只在此運便可發福之慶，是可迎祥而推之也。才入衰鄉，人命久歷福地，方交肯祿財絕之運，固難言其吉，然未可便言凶也，是論災宜逆課也。是知福深而禍淺也，更或行年太歲五行，三命別位有用而來朝，運與生日扶同者，宜其逆課也。更有當生節氣淺深之論，不可不知也。】

The text says: When the period of misfortune is about to end, one can predict the arrival of good fortune in advance; when entering a period of decline, the calculation should be done in reverse. For male destiny, the favorable aspect comes before; for female destiny, it comes after. The hexagrams of Fu (Prosperity) and Po (Obstruction) alternate. Yin and Yang energies are calculated according to their reverse and forward directions. Xu Ziping explains: For example, if the current period of misfortune is about to end in ten years, it will transition into a period of good fortune. If the birth year and month have deep seasonal influences, or if the current year's heavenly stem is supportive, and it is heading towards a fortunate position and approaching wealth, then one does not need to wait for the transition to a good period; good fortune can be realized in this period, which is called "inviting auspiciousness." As for "entering a period of decline," it refers to when the person has long been in a fortunate place and now enters a period of losing禄 (favorable position), losing wealth, and losing fortune. Although it is difficult to say it is good, it cannot be immediately considered as bad. Therefore, when discussing misfortune, one should calculate in reverse. This shows that the person has deep fortune and shallow misfortune. If there are also supportive elements from the Five Phases in the current year's heavenly stem, or other useful elements in the three life elements that support the main destiny, and they harmonize with the big destiny and the birth year, then even more so, one should calculate in reverse. In addition, there is also the consideration of the depth of the birth season, which is also important to know.

【故下文有云男迎女送者，陽男陰女，運順行也。然一運十年，更分前後五年之中，凡入吉運得節氣深，男迎者，前五年發福，是謂男迎也。女送者，後五年方吉也，故謂之女送。此與陰男陽女不殊。大運者，氣之所主也。謂如甲子日生人，九月下旬生，陽命男，四歲運，二十五歲交丑運，是甲祿庫之運，九月氣深，發福在五年也。否泰交居也，此論小運之氣也，寅為三陽，化起泰卦，故小運起丙寅。申為三陰，生處否卦，女小運起壬申，此陰陽否泰交居。各分逆順折除者，大運三日為一年，小運一年移一宮，積十三年並度一周天，此合閏餘之數也。】

Therefore, the following text mentions "men welcome and women send": in a yang year, a man's destiny combines with a woman's destiny in a yin year, and the great years progress in the order of the heavenly stems and earthly branches. Each step of the great year lasts ten years, which is further divided into the first five years and the last five years: whenever one enters a favorable great year and the solar term is deep, this is called "men welcome," meaning that blessings appear in the first five years; this is called "women send," meaning that blessings appear in the last five years. This is the same principle as previously explained with "yin man and yang woman." The great years are the main forces of the qi. For example, a person born on a Jiazi day in the ninth lunar month, a man born in a yang year, starts his great years at the age of four, and at the age of twenty-five enters the Chou great year, which is the禄库 (storehouse) of Jia. Since the ninth lunar month has a deep qi, the blessings appear within the first five years. As for "prosperity and adversity alternate," it refers to the small years' qi:寅 (Yin) is the three yang, which gives rise to the Tai卦 (Prosperity trigram), so the small years for a man start from Bingyin;申 (Shen) is the three yin, which gives rise to the Po卦 (Adversity trigram), so the small years for a woman start from Renshen. This is how yin and yang, prosperity and adversity, alternate. The division of inverse and direct calculations refers to the great years being calculated as three days equaling one year, while the small years move one palace per year, completing a full cycle of thirteen years, which exactly matches the number of leap years.

占其金木之內，顯於方所分野；標其南北之間，恐不利於往來。一旬之內，於年中而問干，一歲之中求月中而問日。向三避五，指方面以窮通；審吉量凶，述歲中之否泰。【又有占其金木之內，顯其方所分野。占音，占去聲，入著當生歲月日時，所占後運逢金木方所分野，則顯其發福也。且如木用金為官印，陽命男運，出未入申。陰命男運，出亥入戌，是向祿臨財，於金木分野之際也。又如金用木為財，陽男命運出丑入寅，陰男命，運出巳入辰，是向祿臨財，在木火方所之中也。更加之以太歲月令氣候扶同而言之，則尤妙。標對本，又有標準之義，則是命基本也。南者，顯明而往也。北者，歸向而來也。此言運氣出入動靜，或吉或凶不可輕言也。或遇交運之年，不可輕舉也。凡言命運動靜出處，當入神祥謹而言之，一失其源則無所利也。】

The text says: When divining, one should examine the internal nature of metal and wood, showing their respective directional regions; marking the north and south to determine the direction of movement, for this can be detrimental to coming and going. Within a ten-year cycle, one should inquire about the heavenly stem from the year of birth; within a single year, one should inquire about the day's ruler from the monthly command. Facing the three directions and avoiding the five ghosts, indicating the direction to determine fortune or misfortune; assessing good and weighing evil, stating whether the year is favorable or adverse. Xu Ziping comments: There is also the statement "divining the internal nature of metal and wood, showing their respective directional regions." The word "divining" here is pronounced in the falling tone, meaning to occupy or take hold of, referring to the positions occupied by the original birth year, month, day, and hour, and how these align with the directional regions of metal and wood encountered in later great years. For example, wood takes metal as official seal, and for a male born in a yang year, the great year moves from the hour of Wei to the hour of Shen; for a male born in a yin year, the great year moves from the hour of Hai to the hour of Xu, both being towards the禄 (favorable position) and near wealth, at the junction where metal and wood directional regions meet. Similarly, metal takes wood as wealth, and for a male born in a yang year, the great year moves from the hour of Chou to the hour of Yin; for a male born in a yin year, the great year moves from the hour of Si to the hour of Chen, also towards the禄 (favorable position) and near wealth, falling within the regions of wood and fire. If the sovereign year and the monthly command climate also support, it would be even better. "Marking" contrasts with "origin," and also implies standard, referring to the foundation of the destiny. "South" is moving toward the bright place, while "North" is returning to the original place. This means that the movement, stillness, coming and going of the destiny's energy, whether good or bad, should not be easily judged; especially in the year of transition, one must not act recklessly. Whenever discussing the movement and stillness of destiny, one should enter into a spiritual understanding and speak with caution and thoroughness. Once the source is lost, there is no benefit at all.

【自此以後，論歲中禍福，故下文云，一旬之內，於年中而問干者，是月中求日也。一歲之中，求月中而問日者，是年中求月也。向三背五者，是歲中求吉利方所也。凡坐作進退，向吉背凶，莫大於此矣。一旬十日也，年中者，生日也。凡在一月之中，一旬之內，將生日天元配合而言之，則知其日中休祥也。是立生日以為主也。】

From here on, the text discusses the fortune and misfortune within a year. Therefore, the next line says, "Within a ten-day period, the heavenly stem is sought within the year"—this refers to seeking the day within the month; "Within a year, the month is sought to determine the day"—this refers to seeking the month within the year. The phrase "facing three and avoiding five" means seeking auspicious directions within the year. All actions such as daily activities, movements, decisions, and choices to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune are nothing more important than this. A ten-day period is ten days, and "year" here refers to the birth day. Within a month and within a ten-day period, the heavenly stem of the birth day is used as the main reference for calculation, thereby determining the fortune or misfortune and auspiciousness or calamity of these days. This is the method of calculation based on the birth day.

【一歲之中者，取月令以生元配合而言之，則知其月中休咎也。且如人生得地，而須太歲為尊，是一歲之中求生月帶祿，或官印元有元無，是月中而問日也。此看命總法也。又以行年歲運言之。且如壬寅日生人，遇辛未歲，是謂宅墓，壬用己為官印，歲位未中有己，此年宜利見大人，壬用丁為財帛，未中有丁，此年因貴人獲財利。或問曰：財官在歲中，甚月日得之？答曰：自巳至戌，吉無不利，此亦是歲中問日，他準此。或動或靜者，即向行年天醫、福德、生氣三方為言，其餘五鬼不可往也。】

The concept of "within one year" refers to determining the fortune or misfortune of a particular month by matching the heavenly stem of the month with the original heavenly stem of the person's birth. This method allows one to know the auspicious or inauspicious nature of the month. For example, even if a person is born in a favorable position, the Tai Su (Great Year) is still the most important. This is about checking whether the birth month carries a禄 (favorable position) or official seal (官印) originally, which is the method of asking about the day based on the month. This is the general method of examining a person's destiny. When considering the flow of the year and the influence of the year, for instance, a person born on a Renyin day encountering a Xinwei year, Wei is considered the "ancestral tomb." Ren takes Ji as its official seal, and Ji is hidden within Wei, so this year is favorable for meeting a nobleman. Ren also takes Ding as its wealth, and Ding is hidden within Wei, so this year will bring wealth through the help of a nobleman. Someone may ask: since both wealth and official positions are present in this year, which month or day will bring them? The answer is: from the巳 month to the戌 month, it is auspicious and beneficial in all aspects—this is the method of asking about the day within the year. The rest follows the same principle. As for the concept of movement or stillness, one should move towards the three directions of Tianyi (Heavenly Doctor), Fortune Virtue, and Life Qi according to the flow of the year, while avoiding the other five ghostly directions.

壬癸乃秋生而冬旺，亥子同途；甲乙乃夏死而春榮，寅卯一類。【乍舉求勝，無非祿馬同鄉。始論壬癸亥子，次論甲乙寅卯，卑辱尊榮。故貴居強坐實，此言水數一，水生木，木生火，故受之於丙寅丁卯，以言其序也。】

The text says: Nengui water is born in autumn and thrives in winter, with Hai and Zi belonging to the same category; Jiayi wood dies in summer but flourishes in spring, with Yin and Mao belonging to the same category. Xu Ziping explains: by giving examples on the spot, he aims to clarify the point, which is essentially about "Lushima Tongxiang" (a term referring to auspicious combinations in divination). First discussing Nengui and Hai Zi, then Jiayi and Yin Mao, there is a distinction between lowly and exalted status; thus, it is important to be in a strong and solid position. This refers to water being one of the Five Phases, with water generating wood and wood generating fire, so the following text continues with Bingyin and Dingmao, following this order.

丙寅丁卯，秋天宜以保扶；己巳戊辰度乾宮而脫厄。【火者南方之氣也，萬物亨會之方，物盛且極，不可不戒。故云：秋天宜以保持也。金者，西方之氣也，乃藏萬物之辰，太上曰：萬物芸芸，各歸其根。是也。保持者，土也。能持載萬物，藉之以為生者也。四象不可無土，故下文云：己巳戊辰，度乾宮而脫厄也。】

The text says: The fire of Bingyin and Dingmao must have something to support and protect it by autumn; the earth of Jisi and Wuchen can remove calamity by passing through the Qian trigram. Xu Ziping explains: Fire is the energy of the south, the direction where all things meet and flourish; when things reach their peak, they must be cautious, hence the need for support by autumn. Metal is the energy of the west, the position where all things are stored away; the Tao Te Ching says "all things flourish and return to their roots," which is exactly this meaning. The thing that provides support is earth—earth can carry all things, and all things depend on it for growth. Among the four elements, earth cannot be missing, so the text says "Jisi and Wuchen, passing through the Qian trigram to escape calamity."