On Communication with Spirits: Section Eleven, The Realm of Direction and Limit

方是方兮局是局，要得方，莫混局。原注：寅、卯、辰，東方也，搭一亥或卯或未，則太過，豈不為混局哉！

"The term 'fang' refers to 'direction,' and 'ju' refers to 'formation,' which are different in nature. If we are to take the 'three convergence directions' of the earthly branches, we should not mix in the term 'triple harmony formation.' The original commentary explains that when the three branches Yin, Mao, and Chen converge, they form the Eastern Wood direction. If another branch such as Hai, Mao, or Wei is added (Hai-Mao-Wei being the branches of the triple harmony Wood formation), the Wood energy becomes excessive. This would not be a pure 'direction' but a mixture of 'formation,' would it not?"

任氏曰：十二支，寅、卯、辰東方，巳、午未南方，申酉、戌西方，亥、子、丑北方。凡三字全為成方，如寅、卯、辰全，其力量較勝於亥、卯、未木局。戊日遇寅月，見三字，俱以殺論；遇卯月，見三字，俱以官論，己日反是。遇辰月，視寅卯之勢，較量輕重，以發殺，其餘信此。

Ren Shi explained: The twelve Earthly Branches are divided into four directions—Yin, Mao, and Chen form the East Wood; Si, Wu, and Wei form the South Fire; Shen, You, and Xu form the West Metal; Hai, Zi, and Chou form the North Water. Whenever all three characters are present, it is called "Cheng Fang" (forming a square). For example, if Yin, Mao, and Chen are all present, their strength is stronger than the triple harmony of Hai, Mao, and Wei for Wood. Taking Wu Earth as the day master, if born in the Yin month with all three characters present, the甲 Wood in Yin will overcome Wu, and it is considered "Qi Sha" (seven killers). If born in the Mao month with all three characters present, the乙 Wood in Mao will overcome Wu, and it is considered "Zheng Guan" (positive official). If it is Ji Earth instead, the official and killer roles are reversed. If born in the Chen month, one must consider which of Yin and Mao has greater strength, and then determine whether it is an official or a killer, and the same reasoning applies to the other directions.

若只二字，則竟不取，所言方局莫混之量，愚意以為不然，且如木而見亥字，為生旺之神；見未字，為我克之財，又是木盤根之地，亦何不可？即用三合木局，冊有所損累耶？至於作用，則局之用多，而方之用狹，弗以論方而別生穿鑿也。

If only two characters are present and they do not form a complete set, then it is simply not necessary to follow the rules of forming a complete set. As for the statement in the classics that 'the formation and the structure should not be confused,' I personally believe this is not entirely accurate. For example, within the Wood formation, if the character Hai is encountered, Hai is the place of growth for Wood, and it is the god of birth and prosperity; if the character Wei is encountered, Wei is the wealth star that I overcome, and it is also the repository where Wood roots are firmly established. How can this be considered inappropriate? Even if we take it as a Triple Harmony Wood formation, how could there be any loss or damage? As for practical application, the Triple Harmony Formation is widely used, while the Triple Convergence Formation is less so. We must not create unnecessary interpretations just because we are discussing 'formations.'

甲寅、丁卯、戊辰、己未／戊辰、己巳、庚午、辛未、壬申、癸酉。此木方全，搭一未字為混，然無未字，則日主虛脫，且天干甲木透出作殺耑不作官，必要未字日主氣貫，身殺兩停，名利雙輝。鼎甲出身，仕至極品，可知方混局之無害也。

The four pillars are Jiayin, Dingmao, Wuchen, and Jiwei. The big years are Wuchen, Jisi, Gengwu, Xinwei, Renshen, and Guiyou. In this case, the earth branches include Yin, Mao, Chen, which form the eastern wood trine, and also include Wei. According to common saying, this is called "fang hun jiu" (mixed directions). However, without the Wei, the Wu earth day master would be floating and rootless. Moreover, the Tian Gan has Jia wood appearing, which should be considered as "qishash" (seven killing stars) rather than "zhengguan" (correct official), and thus needs Wei earth to connect the day master's energy, forming a balanced "shenshala" (body and killing stars) situation, leading to both fame and fortune. This person achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination (ding jia), and held the highest official position, showing that a mixed direction does not necessarily cause harm.

丙辰、庚寅、乙卯、丁亥／辛卯、壬辰、癸巳、甲午、乙未、丙申、丁酉。此支類東方，火明木秀，最喜丙火緊克庚金之濁，然春初木嫩，必得亥時生助。為人風流瀟灑，學問淵深。丁亥生木助火，采芹攀桂；巳運南宮報捷，名高翰苑；午運拱寅合卯，採樑棟於鄧林，是難哲匠，搜琳琅於瑤圃，爰藉宗工；至酉，乙木無根，金得地，沖破東方秀氣，犯事落職，若無亥水化之，豈能免大凶！

The four pillars are Bingchen, Gengyin, Yimao, and Dinghai, with the big years Xinmao, Renchen, Guisi, Jiawu, Yiwei, Bingshen, and Dingyou. The earth branches are classified as eastern wood, which is refined and bright with fire. Most fortunate is the year stem Bing fire closely controlling Geng metal, which removes a great deal of turbid energy. However, in early spring, the wood is still tender and needs the water of the亥 hour to nourish it. Therefore, the person is elegant and charming, with profound knowledge. The hour pillar Dinghai has亥 water nourishing the wood and Ding fire enhancing its brilliance, thus enabling him to pass the examination and enter the academy. When he reaches the Si year, he succeeds in the Ministry of Rites examination (Nan Gong), ranking as a scholar. In the Wu year, Wu and Yin form an arch, and Wu and Mao form a combination, like gathering beams and pillars from the Denglín forest or searching for jade in the Yaopu garden, entirely relying on the recognition and support of renowned officials. When he reaches the You year, the Yimao wood loses its root strength, and metal gains a favorable position, breaking the refined atmosphere of the east, leading to troubles and dismissal from office. If not for the亥 water in the chart neutralizing the metal energy, he would not have escaped a great misfortune.

局混方兮有純疵，行運喜南或喜北。原注：亥卯未木局，混一寅辰，則太強，行運南北，則有純疵，不能俱利。

In the "局," if the character "方" is mixed in, there is a distinction between purity and imperfection. Whether one prefers the Southern or Northern direction during a certain period must be considered separately. The original annotation explains: the trine of亥, 卯, and 未 forms a wooden "局." If another character such as 寅 or 辰 is mixed in, the wood strength becomes too strong. At this point, traveling through the Southern direction or the Northern direction has different degrees of purity and imperfection, and cannot be generally considered beneficial.

任氏曰：地支有三位相合而成局者，亥卯未木局，寅午戌火局，巳酉丑金局，申子辰水局，皆取徵旺墓，一氣始終也。柱中遇三支合勢，吉凶之力較大。亦有取二支者，然以旺支為主，或亥卯，或卯未，皆可取，亥未次之。

Ren Shi explained: When three branches combine to form a trinity, they create a trinity of wood, fire, metal, or water. These four trinities all take the positions of growth, prosperity, and storage. They form a continuous sequence with a beginning and an end. If a birth chart contains three branches that form such a trinity, the influence of fortune or misfortune is more significant. There are also cases where only two branches partially combine, but the dominant branch must be the one in its prosperous state. For example,亥 and卯 (growth paired with prosperity) or卯 and未 (prosperity paired with storage) can be considered. However,亥 and未 (missing the middle prosperous branch) are of lesser importance.

凡會忌沖，如亥卯未木局，雜一酉丑字於其中，而以與所沖之神緊貼，是為破局。雖沖字雜地其中，而不緊貼，或沖字處於其外而緊貼，則會局與損局瘐論。其二支會局者，以相貼為妙，逢沖即破，他字間之，亦遙隔無力，須天干領出可用。

Whenever a trine is formed, the most undesirable thing is opposition. For example, in the wood trine of Hai, Mao, and Wei, if a You or Chou character is mixed in between, and this character is closely adjacent to the one it opposes, it is called 'breaking the trine'. If the opposing character is in between but not closely adjacent, or if it is closely adjacent but located outside the trine, then both the formation and the destruction of the trine must be considered together, and a definite conclusion should not be drawn. As for cases where only two branches are partially in harmony, it is especially good if the two branches are closely adjacent: once there is opposition, the trine is broken, and if there is another character in between, the connection becomes weak. In such cases, it is necessary to rely on a heavenly stem that is of the same type to 'lead' it, before it can be considered effective.

至於“局混方兮有純疵”之說，與方“要得方莫混局”之理相似，究其理亦無所害。見寅字是謂同氣，見辰字是謂餘氣，又是東方溼土，能生助木神，又何損累耶？行運南北之分須看局中意向為是。如木局，日主是甲乙，四柱純木，不雜別字，運行南方，謂秀氣流行，則純；運行北方，謂之生助強神，無疪。或干支有火吐秀，運行南方，名利裕如；運行北方，凶災立見。木論如此，餘者可知。

As for the saying 「局混方兮有纯疵」, it is similar in meaning to the previous statement 「要得方莫混局」. Upon closer examination, there is actually no harm in it. In a wood element局, if the character 寅 appears, since 寅 is also wood, it is called 「同气」(same kind). If the character 辰 appears, since 辰 is the residual energy of wood and also the damp earth of the east, it can nourish and support the wood element, so what harm is there? Whether one should favor the south or the north in terms of fortune, depends on the intention of the original birth chart. For example, in a wood element局, if the day master is 甲 or 乙 wood and the four pillars are all wood without any other characters, then running the southern direction is called 「秀气流行」(the refined energy flows), which is considered pure. Running the northern direction is to strengthen the strong element, which is also without flaw. However, if there is fire in the hidden branches that can bring out the refined energy (forming the image of wood and fire shining together), then running the southern direction brings prosperity and wealth. But once the northern direction is entered, water comes to suppress the fire and damages the refined energy, and misfortune appears immediately. This is how the wood element局 is analyzed; the other element局s such as fire, metal, and water can be understood in a similar way.

甲寅、乙亥、乙卯、癸未／丙子、丁丑、戊寅、己卯、庚辰、辛巳、壬午、癸未。此木局全，混一寅字，然四柱無金，其勢從強，謂深得一方秀氣。少年科第，惟庚辰辛巳運，雖有癸水之化，仍不免刑喪起倒，仕路蹭蹬。至六旬外，運走壬午癸未，由縣令而遷司馬，履黃堂而升觀察，直如揚帆大海，誰能御之！由此觀之，從強之木局，東南北運皆利，惟忌西方金運克破耳。

The four pillars are Jia Yin, Yi Hai, Yi Mao, and Gui Wei, with the big years being Bing Zi, Ding Chou, Wu Yin, Ji Mao, Geng Chen, Xin Si, Ren Wu, and Gui Wei. In this case, the Hai-Mao-Wei triple harmony of wood is complete, and there is also an additional Yin; however, there is no metal in the four pillars, so the wood strength can only be "from strong." This is said to have deeply captured the refined essence of the east, leading to success in the imperial examinations at a young age. Only during the Geng Chen and Xin Si years, although there is Gui water to neutralize the metal energy, there are still unavoidable injuries, losses, and ups and downs, making the official career quite difficult. After the age of sixty, when the years turn to Ren Wu and Gui Wei, water, wood, and fire mutually generate, allowing the person to rise from county magistrate to prefectural assistant (Sima), then from prefect (Huangtang) to regional officer (Guancha), just like sailing on the sea, who can stop it! From this, we can see that a strong wood formation benefits from the east, south, and north years, but is particularly afraid of the west metal years that can overcome and break it.

甲寅、丁卯、乙未、丁亥／戊辰、己巳、庚午、辛未、壬申、癸酉。此亦木局全，混一寅字，取丁火食神秀氣，非前造從強論也。至巳運，丁火臨官，登科發甲；庚午辛未，南方金敗之地，不傷體用，仕途平坦；壬申，木火皆傷，破局，死於軍中。前則從強，南北皆利；此則木火，西北有害。由此兩造觀之，局混方之無害也。

The four pillars are Jiayin, Dingmao, Yiwei, and Dinghai, with the big years being Wuchen, Jisi, Gengwu, Xinwei, Renshen, and Guiyou. This case also has the complete wood trinity of Hai, Mao, and Wei, with an additional Yin. However, it uses the refined quality of Ding fire as the food god, so it cannot be treated like the previous case as a "from strength" pattern. When it reaches the Si year, the Ding fire is in Si and is in its official position, thus achieving success and passing the imperial examination. The Gengwu and Xinwei years, although belonging to metal, are located in the southern fire land, where metal is in decline, so they do not harm the essential elements, and the official career remains stable. When it reaches Renshen, the Ren water overcomes Ding fire, and the Shen metal overcomes wood, thus injuring both wood and fire and breaking the pattern, leading to death in military service. The previous case was a "from strength" pattern, where both southern and northern years were beneficial. This case uses wood and fire, so western and northern years are harmful. By comparing these two cases, we can see that the presence of an extra element within the pattern itself is not inherently harmful; the key lies in the selection of the essential elements and the influence of the big years.

若然方局一齊來，須是干頭無反覆。原注：木局木方全者，須要天干全順得序，行運不背乃好。

If both the triple convergence direction and the triple harmony formation appear in the destiny chart, the heavenly stems must be in harmony without contradiction. The original commentary explains that for a birth chart with both the wood formation and the wood direction fully present, the heavenly stems should follow a smooth and orderly sequence, with the fortune also not contradicting this momentum, which is considered good.

任氏曰：方局齊來者，承上文方混局局混方之謂也。如寅、卯辰兼未，亥卯未兼寅辰，巳、午未兼戌，寅午戌兼巳未，申、酉、戌、兼巳丑，巳酉丑兼申戌，亥、子、丑兼申辰，申子辰兼丑亥子類是也。干頭無反覆者，方局齊來，其氣旺盛，要天干順其氣勢為妙。

Ren Shi explained: The phrase "fang ju qi lai" refers to the situation where both the "fang" (square) and "ju" (trigram) appear together, as mentioned in the previous discussion of "fang hun ju" and "ju hun fang." For example, when the wood square of Yin-Mao-Chen includes the character Wei, or the wood trigram of Hai-Mao-Wei includes Yin and Chen; when the fire square of Si-Wu-Xu includes Xu, or the fire trigram of Yin-Wu-Xu includes Si and Wei; when the metal square of Shen-You-Xu includes Si and Chou, or the metal trigram of Si-You-Chou includes Shen and Xu; when the water square of Hai-Zi-Chou includes Shen and Chen, or the water trigram of Shen-Zi-Chen includes Chou and Hai, these are all cases of "fang ju qi lai." The phrase "gan tou wu fanfu" means that when "fang ju qi lai" occurs, the energy is extremely strong, and the heavenly stems should follow this strong energy to be effective.

若地支寅、卯、辰，日主是木，或再見亥之生，未之庫，如地支亥卯未，日主是木，或再逢寅之祿、辰之餘，旺之極矣，非金所能克也，須要天干有火，洩其精英，不見金水，則干頭無反覆，然後行土運，乃為全順得序而不悖矣。

If the earthly branches are Yin, Mao, and Chen, which form the wood quarter, and the day stem is also wood, and there are additional Hai (wood's growth) and Wei (wood's storage), or if the earthly branches form the wood triple combination of Hai, Mao, and Wei, and the day stem is wood, and there is also Yin (wood's strength) and Chen (wood's residual energy), then the wood becomes extremely strong and is no longer susceptible to metal control. At this point, there should be fire in the heavenly stems to release its vital energy, and there should be no interference from metal or water, which is called "no reversal in the heavenly stems." Then, if the person proceeds through the earth element (since fire generates earth and the energy flows naturally downward), this is referred to as "complete order and harmony" without contradiction.

如天干無火而仍生木，逢凶有解。苟有火而見水，或無火而見金，此謂干頭反覆，如得運程安頓，遇土則可止其逆水，遇火則可去其微金，亦不失為吉耳。如日干是土，別干得火，相生之誼，亦不反覆；見金以寡敵眾，見水生助強神則反覆矣。所以制之以盛，不若化之以德，則其流行全順矣。餘仿此。

If the heavenly stems lack fire but still support wood (a water and wood pattern), it is not ideal, but even in the face of misfortune, there may still be a way to resolve it. However, if there is fire but also water (water overcoming fire, harming the refined essence), or if there is no fire but instead gold (gold overcoming wood, angering the strong element), this is called "reversal in the heavenly stems." In such cases, if the fortune is arranged properly, encountering a earth element can stop the reverse water, and encountering fire can remove the weak gold, which is still considered auspicious. For example, if the day stem is earth and another heavenly stem has fire to support it, this is a harmonious relationship of fire nurturing earth and is not considered reversal. However, if gold appears, it becomes a case of a weak element opposing a strong one (earth generating gold, which in turn weakens the strong wood), and if water appears, it is supporting a very strong wood, which is considered reversal. Therefore, using force to suppress is not as effective as using virtue to guide and transform, allowing the flow of energy to be fully smooth. Other similar situations should be analyzed in the same way.

甲寅、丁卯、乙亥、癸未／戊辰、己巳、庚午、辛未、壬申、癸酉。此方局齊來，得月干丁火獨透，發洩菁英，何其妙也。惜乎時干癸水透露，通根亥支，緊傷丁火秀氣，謂干頭反覆，所以一衿尚不能博，貧乏無子。設使癸水換一火土，名利皆遂矣。

The four pillars are Jiayin, Dingmao, Yihai, and Guiwei. The big years are Wuchen, Jisi, Gengwu, Xinwei, Renshen, and Guiyou. In this case, the heavenly stems and earthly branches come together harmoniously. Fortunately, the moon's heavenly stem Ding fire is clearly visible, which can release the refined essence and elegance of the wood. This is truly wonderful. Unfortunately, the hour's heavenly stem Gui water is revealed, and it also has its root in the day's earthly branch Hai water. This closely attacks and damages the refined essence of Ding fire. This is exactly what is called "repeated reversal in the heavenly stems." Therefore, even a single title of a scholar (a minor official rank) cannot be obtained. The person will live a life of poverty and have no children. If the hour's heavenly stem Gui water were replaced by fire or earth, then both fame and fortune would be achieved.

丁卯、甲辰、甲寅、乙亥／癸卯、壬寅、辛丑、庚子、己亥、戊戌。此亦方局齊來，干頭無水，丁火秀氣流行，行運不甚反悖。中鄉榜，仕至州牧，子多財旺，賦性仁慈，品行端方，壽越八旬，夫婦齊眉。所謂木主仁，仁者壽，格名曲直仁壽者，信斯言也。由此兩造觀之，干頭反覆與全順得序者，天淵也。

The four pillars are Dingmao, Jiachen, Jiayin, and Yihai. The big years are Guimao, Renyin, Xinchou, Gengzi, Jihai, and Wuxu. This configuration also has all elements coming together, but there is no water in the heavenly stems to weaken the fire. The refined quality of the Ding fire flows smoothly. The fortune is not too contradictory. Therefore, he passed the local examination and became a candidate for the imperial examination, and held the position of prefect (state governor). He had many children, abundant wealth and official rank, a kind nature, and upright character, living to over eighty years old. His wife also lived to an old age. As the ancients said, "Wood represents benevolence, and the benevolent live long." This configuration is called the "Curved and Straight Benevolence and Longevity Pattern." This case fully proves that the saying is true. By comparing these two cases, the difference between "repeated heavenly stems" and "complete order and sequence" is as vast as heaven and earth.

成方干透一元神，生地庫地皆非福。原注：寅、卯、辰全者，日主甲乙木，則透元神，而又遇亥之生，未之庫，決不發福，惟純一火運略好。

When the earthly branches form a single element and the heavenly stems also reveal the "Origin God" of that element, then encountering the "Growth" or "Storage" positions will not bring good fortune. The original commentary explains: if the branches of寅, 卯, and 辰 are all present, and the day master is 甲 wood or 乙 wood, this indicates the emergence of the "Origin God"; at this point, if another 亥 (the "Growth" of wood) or 未 (the "Storage" of wood) appears, it is certain that good fortune cannot be achieved, and only a pure fire destiny will be somewhat better.

任氏曰：成方干透元神者，日主即方之氣也。如木方日主是木，火方日主是火，即為元神透出也。生地庫地皆非福者，身旺不宜再助也，然亦要看其氣勢，不可一例而推。成方透元神，旺可知矣，固不宜再行生地庫地，以幫方也。倘年月時干不雜財官，又有劫印，謂之從強，則生地庫地，亦能發福。如逢純一火運，真謂秀氣流行，名利皆遂。如年月時干，財官無氣，再行生地庫地之運，不但不能發福，而且刑耗多端。此屢試屢驗，故志之。

Ren Shi explained: The phrase "cheng fang gan tou yuan shen" means that the day stem itself is the essence of that particular element. For example, if the earth branch forms the wood element and the day stem is wood, or if it forms the fire element and the day stem is fire, this is called the origin god being revealed. The phrase "sheng di ku di jie fei fu" means that if the body is already strong, it is not suitable to further assist it; however, one must also consider the overall momentum and not judge in a general way. If the earth branch forms a complete element and the origin god is revealed, it is obvious that the element is strong. Originally, it is not suitable to go through the growth or storage places to further assist this element. However, if the heavenly stems of the year, month, and hour do not contain wealth or official stars, but instead have brothers, rivals, and supportive stars, this is called "cong qiang ge," meaning following the strong. In such a case, going through the growth or storage places can also bring blessings. If it meets a pure fire cycle (wood and fire are in harmony), it can truly be described as refined and prosperous, achieving both fame and fortune. Conversely, if the heavenly stems of the year, month, and hour contain wealth and official stars but these stars lack strength, and then one goes through the growth or storage places (which further strengthen the strong element), it will not only fail to bring blessings, but also result in continuous injuries, damages, and losses. This is something I have tested repeatedly and verified, so I specially recorded it.

戊寅、甲寅、甲辰、丁卯／乙卯、丙辰、丁巳、戊午、己未、庚申。此成方，干透元神，四柱不雜金水，時干丁火吐秀，純粹可觀。初中行運火土，中鄉榜，出宰名區；惜木多火熾，丁火不中以洩之，所以運至庚申，不能免禍。

The four pillars are Wuyin, Jiayin, Jiachen, and Dingmao. The big years are Yimao, Bingchen, Dingsi, Wuwu, Jiwei, and Gengshen. The earth branches form the eastern wood group, and the heavenly stems also reveal the origin god of wood. There is no mixture of metal or water in the four pillars. The time stem Ding fire is clearly visible, showing a refined and noble quality, making the pattern pure and commendable. In early and middle years, when the big years are fire and earth, he passed the local examination and became an official in a famous county. Unfortunately, there is too much wood, and the fire is blocked, so a small amount of Ding fire is not enough to release the strong wood. When the big year reaches Gengshen (metal touches the strong wood), disaster is inevitable.

癸卯、丙辰、甲辰、丙寅／乙卯、甲寅、癸丑、壬子、辛亥、庚戌。此造財旺提綱，丙食生助，當以財星為用，丙火為喜，癸水為忌。身旺用財，遺業十餘萬。初年水木運，一敗如灰；至辛亥運，火絕木生，水臨旺，凍餓而死。以此觀之，不論成方成局，必先察財官之勢。若財旺提綱，則以財為用；或官得財助，則以官為用；如財不通月支，官無旺財生，必須棄其寡而從其眾也。餘皆仿此。

The four pillars areGuimao, Bingchen, Jiachen, and Bingyin. The big years areYimao, Jiayin, Guichou, Renzi, Xinhai, and Gengxu. The month's stem is辰土, which is the wealth star and is strong in the month. There is alsoBing Fire, the food god, which supports the wealth star. Therefore, the wealth star should be the useful god, and Bing Fire the favorable god, while Gui Water is the hostile god. Since the body is strong and the wealth star is used, the person inherited a family fortune of over ten thousand. Unfortunately, in the early years, the person traveled through the water and wood years (which are the same as the self and compete for wealth, and water also controls fire), leading to the complete collapse of the family fortune. When the person reached the Xinhai year, fire is in the亥, which is a dead place for fire, wood is in the亥 and gets growth, and water is strong in the亥. The hostile god is in power, leading to the person eventually dying from cold and hunger. From this, we can see that whether the branches form a set or a pattern, we must first examine the strength of the wealth and official stars. If the wealth star is strong in the month, then the wealth star should be the useful god. Or if the official star is supported by the wealth star, then the official star should be the useful god. If the wealth star is not strong in the month and the official star is not supported by a strong wealth star, then we must give up the weaker one and follow the stronger one. Other cases should be analyzed in the same way.

成局干透一官星，左邊右邊空碌碌。原注：甲乙日遇亥卯未全者，庚辛乃木之官也，又見左辰右寅，則名利無成。甲乙日單遇庚辛，則亦無成。

When the earthly branches form a Triple Harmony Formation, but the heavenly stems alone reveal a single official star, the neighboring branches cannot provide support, and the person's life is filled with hard work but no real achievement. The original commentary explains: for days ruled by Jia or Yi, if they encounter the complete Triple Harmony Wood Formation of Hai, Mao, and Wei, then Geng and Xin metal are the official stars of wood. If further supported by branches on the left such as Chen and on the right such as Yin (which enhance the wood strength), there will be no success in fame and fortune. If Jia or Yi days are only accompanied by rootless Geng or Xin metal, they will also achieve nothing.

任氏曰：如地支會木局，日主元神透出，別干見辛之官、庚之殺，虛脫無氣，即餘干有土，土亦休囚，難以生金，須地支有一申酉丑字為美。若無申酉丑，反加之寅辰字，則木勢愈盛，金勢愈衰矣，故碌碌終身，名利無成也。若得歲運去其官星，亦可發達，必要柱中先見食傷，然後歲運去淨官煞之根，名利遂矣。本局如此，餘局仿此論之可也。

Ren Shi explained: For example, if the Earthly Branches form a Wood Bureau, and the day's ruler's original god (Jia and Yi Wood) appears in the Heavenly Stems, and there are also Xin Metal as the official and Geng Metal as the seven killers in other Heavenly Stems, these officials and killers are weak and rootless, lacking strength. Even if there are other Heavenly Stems with Earth that can generate Metal, Earth is weak and confined during the time when Wood is strong, so it cannot effectively generate Metal. In such a case, the chart must have a Shen, You, or Chou in the Earthly Branches (the禄, 旺, and 库 of Metal) to be considered good. If there is no Shen, You, or Chou, but instead there are寅 or 辰, the Wood force becomes even stronger and the Metal force becomes even weaker, leading to a lifetime of hardship and failure in fame and fortune. If the year or month can remove this weak official, it may still be possible to achieve success. However, it must first have food god or injurer (the gods that control the official) in the birth chart, and then the year or month must completely remove the root of the official and killer, in order to achieve success in fame and fortune. This applies to Wood Bureau in the same way, and other Bureaus can be analyzed similarly.

辛未、辛卯、乙未、丁亥／庚寅、己丑、戊子、丁亥、丙戌、乙酉。此乙木歸垣，亥卯未全，木勢旺盛，金氣虛脫，最喜時透丁火，制煞為用。故初運土金之鄉，奔馳未遇；至於亥運，生木制煞，軍前效力，得縣佐；丙戌運中幫丁克辛，升縣令。此所謂強眾而敵寡，勢在去其寡，非煞旺宜制而推也。至酉運，煞逢祿旺，沖破木局不祿。

The four pillars are Xinwei, Xinmao, Yiwei, and Dinghai. The birth month is Mao, where the wood is in its native place, and the triple harmony of Hai-Mao-Wei is complete, making the wood very strong. The two Xin metal elements, which are seven killers, are weak and ineffective. The most favorable is the Ding fire appearing on the heavenly stem, which is used to control the killer, making it the useful god. In early years, when the destiny runs through the earth and metal paths, there is much toil but little success. When the destiny reaches the Hai path, the water nourishes the wood and also restrains the metal killer, leading to service in the military and obtaining the position of county assistant. In the Bingxu path, the Bing fire supports the Ding fire and also overcomes the Xin metal, leading to promotion to county magistrate. This is what is called "strong majority and weak enemy" — it is necessary to remove the weaker side, not following the usual method of "when the killer is strong, it should be controlled." When the destiny reaches the You path, the seven killer meets its own strength and becomes strong, breaking the wood harmony, leading to death.

辛未、辛卯、乙未、戊寅／庚寅、己丑、戊子、丁亥、丙戌、乙酉。此乙木歸垣，雖無全會，然寅時比亥之力量勝數倍矣。以大象觀之，局中三土兩金，似乎財生煞旺，不知卯旺提綱，支中皆木之根旺，非金之在地也。初運土金之鄉，采芹食廩，家業豐裕；一交丁亥，制煞會局，刑妻克子，破耗異常，犯事革名，憂鬱而死。

The four pillars are Xinwei, Xinmao, Yiwei, and Wuyin. The big years are Gengyin, Jichou, Wuzi, Dinghai, Bingxu, and Yiyou. In this case, the ethereal wood (乙木) is also strong in the month of Mao (卯月), returning to its native place. Although it does not form a complete triad of wood (亥卯未), the strength of the wood in the hour of Yin (寅时) is several times stronger than in the previous case where the hour was Hai (亥时). Looking at the overall structure, the destiny has three earths and two metals, which seems to indicate wealth (财) generating the strong killing force (杀). However, in reality, the wood is strong in the month of Mao, and the branches are full of wood's roots. The metal does not have roots in the branches. Therefore, in the early years, when the person traveled through the years of earth and metal, he was able to pass the examination (入泮), become a廪生, and have a prosperous family. When he entered the Dinghai big year, the fire (丁火) restrained the seven killing forces (七杀), and the Hai (亥) formed a triad with Mao and Wei (卯未), making the wood even stronger. The metal's influence was completely eliminated. As a result, he suffered from marital problems and children's loss, experienced unusual losses, and was expelled from his official position due to an incident. He eventually died from sorrow and depression.

庚寅、己卯、乙亥、癸未／庚辰、辛巳、壬午、癸未、甲申、乙酉。此造正合本文成局，干透官星，左右皆空，四柱一無情致。用財則財會劫局，用官則官臨絕地，用神無所著落，為人少恆一之志，多遷變之心，以致家業破耗。讀書未就，而學醫；醫又不就，又學堪輿；自以為仲景再世，楊賴復生，而人終不信；又學巫，學易，學命，所學甚多，不能盡述。不但一無所就，而且財散人離，削髮為僧矣。

The four pillars are Geng Yin, Ji Mao, Yi Hai, Gui Wei, with the big years Geng Chen, Xin Si, Ren Wu, Gui Wei, Ji Shen, Yi You. This case perfectly matches the passage in this section: "When the heavenly stem reveals one official star, the left and right remain empty and unhelpful." The earth branches Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wood trinity, while the heavenly stem alone reveals Geng metal as the official star, with nothing on the left or right to support it. The four pillars have no meaningful connections. Trying to use the wealth star, which is Ji earth, but it sits on the wood trinity, which is a劫局 (a group of thieves), and thus is taken away. Trying to use the official star, which is Geng metal, but it is in the dead position (Yin is the dead position for metal). The useful god has nowhere to fall. Therefore, the person lacks a steady and focused mind, often changes direction, leading to the decline of family business. He failed in studying, then went to study medicine, then to study medicine again, then to study堪舆 (divination), thinking himself to be Zhang Zhongjing or Yang Yunsong or Lai Buyi again, but others did not believe him. He then went to study witchcraft, the Yi Jing, and fate, learning many things, too numerous to mention. In the end, he achieved nothing, lost his wealth and family, and finally became a monk.

財官印綬發偏正，兼論食傷八格定。原注：自形象氣局之外，而格為最。格之真者，月支之神，透於天干也。以散亂之天干，而尋其得所附於提綱，非格也。自八格之外，若曲直五格皆為格，而方已局氣象定之者，不可言格也。五格之外，飛天合祿雖為格，而可以破害刑沖論之者，亦不可言格了也。

Wealth, officialdom, and the seal are each divided into their proper and improper forms, and adding the food god and the injurious official, the eight proper patterns are thus established. The original commentary explains: apart from form and the atmosphere of the structure, the "pattern" is most important. A true pattern is when the heavenly stem hidden in the month's branch appears on the heavenly stem. If one merely forcibly connects scattered heavenly stems to the month's stem, it is not a pattern. Outside the eight patterns, the five special strong patterns, namely the straight and moist, the blazing upward, the farming and reaping, the following and changing, and the moistening downward, are also called patterns, but they are determined by the atmosphere of the triple conjunction and triple harmony formation, so they should not be called patterns. Outside the five patterns, patterns such as flying heavenly禄 and horse, and mutual help and禄, are also called patterns, but they rely on breaking, harming, punishment, and conflict to establish their meaning, and thus cannot be considered patterns.

任氏曰：八格者，命中之正理也。先觀月令所得何支，次看天干透出何神，再究司令以定真假，然後取用，以分清濁，此實依經順理。若月逢祿刃，無格可取，須審日主之喜忌，另尋別支透出天干者，藉以為用。

Ren Shi explained: The so-called "eight patterns" are the proper principles in destiny calculation. When analyzing a birth chart, one should first look at the month's stem and determine which branch it belongs to. Then check which heavenly stem is revealed in the heavens. Next, determine which heavenly stem is in charge at that time, and use this to judge the authenticity of the pattern. Finally, select the useful god and distinguish between clear and turbid elements. This is the proper method based on the classics. If the month's stem is a built-up fortune or a yangren (a sharp force), which are the inherent energies of the day's stem itself and thus do not form a pattern, one must then examine the day's stem's preferences and aversions, and look for another heavenly stem revealed in the earthly branches to serve as the useful god.

然格局有正有變，正者必兼五行之常禮也，曰官印，曰煞印，曰財煞，曰食神制殺，曰食神生財，曰傷官佩印，曰傷官生財；變者，必從五行之氣勢也，曰從財，曰從官殺，曰從食傷，曰從強，曰從弱，曰從勢，曰一行得氣，曰兩氣成形。

But the structure has both 'correct' and 'variant' forms. The correct pattern must conform to the standard rules of the Five Phases' mutual generation, which include official and seal supporting each other, killer and seal supporting each other, wealth nourishing weak killer, food god controlling killer, food god generating wealth, injurious official accompanying seal, and injurious official generating wealth. The variant pattern must follow the momentum of the Five Phases, which includes wealth following, official and killer following, food and injurious following, strong following, weak following, momentum following, one phase getting the vital energy (i.e., exclusive dominance), and two phases forming a shape (i.e., two deities forming an image).

其餘外格我端，余務考群書，俱不從五行正理，盡屬謬談；至於《蘭臺妙選》，所定一切奇格異局，納音諸法，尤屬不經，不待辯而知其荒唐也。自唐宋以來，作者甚多，皆虛邙之論；更有吉凶神煞，不知起自何人，作此險語，往往全無應驗。誠意伯《千金賦》云：“吉凶神煞之多端，何如生剋制化之一理。”一言以蔽之矣。

In addition, those numerous so-called "external patterns" I have thoroughly examined various books on destiny, and they all contradict the fundamental principles of the Five Phases, being entirely absurd. As for the various strange patterns and forms, as well as the Nayin methods, established in "Choice Selections from the Orchid Terrace," they are even more unfounded; one does not need to argue to know they are foolish. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, many people have written books, but they all speak of empty and false theories. There are also so-called auspicious and inauspicious deities and omens, but no one knows who first invented them, fabricating such terrifying statements, which often fail to come true. Liu Ji, the Honorable Master of Sincerity, said in his "Thousand Gold Assignment": even if the names of auspicious and inauspicious deities and omens are numerous, they cannot surpass the principle of generation, overcoming, controlling, and transformation. One sentence suffices to explain it all.

即如壬辰日為“王騎龍背”，壬寅日為“王騎虎背”，何不再取壬午、壬申、壬戌、壬子，謂騎猴馬犬鼠之背乎？又如六辛日逢子時，謂“六陰朝陽”，夫五陰皆陰，何獨辛金可朝陽，餘干不可朝陽乎？且子乃體陽用陰，子中癸水，六陰之至，何謂陽也？又如六乙日逢子時，謂“鼠貴格”，夫鼠者，耗也，何以為貴？且十干之貴，時支皆有之者，豈餘干不可貴乎？不待辯而知其謬也。其餘謬格甚多，支離無當，學者宜細詳正理五行之格，弗以謬書為惑也。

Take for example these names: the day of Renshen is called "Renshen riding on the dragon's back," and the day of Renyin is called "Renshen riding on the tiger's back." Why then are the days of Renwu, Renshen, Renxu, and Renzi not also named "riding on a horse, riding on a monkey, riding on a dog, and riding on a rat's back"? Again, for the six days of Xin, when they meet the hour of Zi, it is called "six yin facing the sun." All the yin heavenly stems are yin, so why can only Xin metal face the sun, while the other yin stems cannot? Moreover, the nature of Zi is yang in its essence and yin in its function, and the hidden heavenly stem within Zi is癸water, which is the extreme of yin. How then can it be said to be yang? Again, for the six days of Yi, when they meet the hour of Zi, it is called "the rat's nobleman pattern." The rat is an object of consumption, so why is it considered noble? Furthermore, each of the ten heavenly stems has its own nobleman, and everyone can meet the branch of the hour. So why can't the other heavenly stems also be noble? These points do not need to be debated to know they are wrong. There are many other absurd patterns, which are fragmented and have no basis. Scholars should carefully study the correct principles of the Five Phases and not be misled by these erroneous books.

庚辰、癸未、乙未、癸未／甲申、乙酉、丙戌、丁亥、戊子、己丑。此造支中三未通根，尚有餘氣，干透兩癸，正三伏生寒，貼身生扶，亦通根身庫。官星獨發而清，癸水潤土養金，生化不悖，財旺生官，中和純粹。科甲出身，仕至藩臬，官境安和。

The four pillars are Gengchen, Guiwei, Yiwei, and Guiwei, with the big destiny years Jiashen, Yiyou, Bingxu, Dinghai, Wuzi, and Jichou. The earth branches contain three Wei earths, which are the roots for the Yi wood, still leaving some residual energy. The heavenly stems have two Gui waters appearing, which correspond to the image of "coldness arising in the dog days of summer." The Gui water closely supports the day stem, and the Gui water also has its root in the Chen earth, which is a water reservoir. The Geng metal official star appears alone and is pure. The Gui water can moisten the dry earth and nourish the metal energy, and there is no contradiction in the generation and support. Wealth is strong and generates the official star, and the whole chart is in harmony and purity. Therefore, this person rose through the imperial examination system, reached the position of governor-general and inspector-general (the two provincial officials), and had a stable and peaceful career.

己丑、壬申、丁未、丙午／辛未、庚午、己巳、戊辰、丁卯、丙寅。此造以大勢觀之，官得清地彼，何彼則富貴，此則困窮？不知此造無印，官緊克，午未雖是餘氣祿旺，丑中蓄水，暗傷午未之火，壬水逢生，又克丙火；更嫌己土一透，不能制水，反能晦火；兼之中運逢土，又洩火氣，謂克洩交加。因之功名未遂，耗散資財，尚不免刑妻克子。細究皆己丑兩字之患，幸格局順正，氣象不偏，將來運至木水之地，雖然屈抑於前，終必奮亨於後。

The four pillars are Jichou, Renshen, Dingwei, and Bingwu. The big years are Xinwei, Gengwu, Jisi, Wuchen, Dingwei, and Bingyin. From a general perspective, the official star is also in a favorable position and clear. So why does the previous case achieve wealth and honor while this case suffers poverty and hardship? One must know that in this case, there is no official star to mediate, and the壬 water official star is closely attached and attacks the body. Although the午 and未 are the residual energy and strong positions of the Ding fire, the丑 contains hidden water, which secretly harms the午 and未 fire. The壬 water official star also gains growth in the申 month and is further able to attack the Bing fire. Especially objectionable is the transpiring Ji earth, which cannot control the壬 water but instead obscures the Ding fire. Adding to this, the middle years' big years also meet earth, further draining the fire energy. This is called "control and drain together." Therefore, official position is not achieved, wealth is wasted, and one is also likely to suffer from marital and children's troubles. Upon detailed examination, the entire situation is caused by the characters Ji and Chou. Fortunately, the pattern is correct and the atmosphere is not biased. In the future, when the big years reach the land of wood and water (i.e., the later years of Dingmao and Bingyin), although the first half of life is full of hardship, eventually one will achieve success and prosperity in the latter half of life.

癸未、乙卯、丙午、辛卯／甲寅、癸丑、壬子、辛亥、庚戌、己酉。此官清印正格，喜其未卯拱木，純粹之象，故為人品超群，才華卓越，文望若高山北斗，品行似良玉精金。異印星太重，官星洩氣，神有餘而精不足，以致功名蹭蹬，縱有凌去之志，難遂青錢之選，還喜格正局清，財星逢合，雖然大材小用，究竟名利兩全，仕路清高。施菁莪之雅化，振古木之人才也。

The four pillars are Guiwei, Yimao, Bingwu, and Xinhao. The big years are Jiayin, Guichou, Renzi, Xinhao, Gengxu, and Jiyou. This configuration is of the pattern where the official star is clear and the nurturing star is proper. It is fortunate that the Wei and Mao branches form a mutual support, creating a pure and harmonious atmosphere. Therefore, the person has an outstanding character and extraordinary talent, with literary fame like a high mountain and the North Star, admired by all, and moral integrity like fine jade and precious metal. Unfortunately, the nurturing star is too strong, which drains the official star's energy, resulting in "the spirit is abundant but the essence is lacking," leading to difficulties in achieving official success. Although he has lofty ambitions, he rarely succeeds. Fortunately, the pattern is upright and pure, and the wealth star meets in harmony without conflict, so although he is a great talent used in a minor position, he ultimately achieves both fame and fortune, enjoying a dignified and clear official career. In his position, he implemented refined educational policies, nurturing and supporting many talents.

辛卯、丙申、癸卯、壬戌／乙未、甲午、癸巳、壬辰、辛卯、庚寅。此印綬格，以申金為用，以丙火為病，以壬水溈藥，中和純粹，秋水通源。運至癸巳，金水逢生得助，科甲聯登；壬辰藥病相濟，由部屬出為郡守。蓋辛卯庚寅蓋頭，逢金不能生火環印，名利兩全也。

The four pillars are Xin Mao, Bing Shen, Gui Mao, and Ren Xu. The major destiny periods are Yi Wei, Jiawu, Guisi, Renchen, Xin Mao, and Gengyin. This case is of the印绶 (imperial seal) pattern, with the Geng metal in Shen as the useful god. The Bing fire is the disease god, as it harms the imperial seal by overcoming the metal. The Ren water is the medicine, as it overcomes the fire to save the imperial seal. The entire chart is in harmony and pure. In autumn, the water gets the metal to flow freely. When theGuisi (Gui Si) period comes, the metal gets its growth in Si and the water gets support, so he passes the local examination and the imperial examination consecutively. In theRenchen (Ren Chen) period, the medicine and the disease are balanced, and he is transferred from the central government to be a prefect (governor of a prefecture). In theXinmao (Xin Mao) andGengyin (Geng Yin) periods, although these are eastern wood places, the heavenly stems have metal on top, so the wood cannot generate fire to harm the imperial seal, and thus he still achieves both fame and fortune.

辛卯、丙申、癸卯、甲寅／乙未、甲午、癸巳、壬辰、辛卯、庚寅。此亦以申金為用，以丙火為病，與前只換一寅字，不但有病無藥，而且生助病神。彼則青錢萬選，名利兩全，此則機杼空拋，守株待兔。更嫌寅申遙沖，卯木助之，印綬反傷，木旺金缺，且月建乃六親之位，未免分荊破斧，資財耗散。壬運幫身去病，財源稍裕；辛卯庚寅，東方無根之金，功名未能進取，家業不過小康。然格正局真，印星秉令，所以襟懷曠達，八斗才誇，爭似元龍意氣，五花筆吐，渾如司馬文章。獨嫌月透秋陽，難免珠沉滄海，順受其正，莫非命也。由此數造觀之，格局不可執一論也，不拘財官印綬等格，與日主無干。旺則宜抑，衰則宜扶，印旺洩官宜財星，印衰逢財宜比劫，此不易之法。

The four pillars are Xinmao, Bingshen, Guimao, Jiayin, with the big years being Yiwei, Jiawu, Guisi, Renchen, Xinmao, and Gengyin. This configuration also uses Sheng metal as the essential element and Bing fire as the affliction. Compared to the previous case, which had Renxu as the hour pillar, only the character Yin has been changed. However, this case not only has the affliction but lacks the remedy, and the Yin wood actually supports the Bing fire, which is the affliction. The previous case was "a thousand coins selected from the sea," achieving both fame and fortune, while this case is like an empty loom and waiting for a rabbit to come by. It is even more worrying that Yin and Shen are in opposition, and the Mao wood further supports Yin, causing the印 (supporting element) to be damaged. The wood is strong, but the metal is weak. The month builder is also the position of the six relations, leading inevitably to separation from brothers and loss of wealth. During the Ren year, the day's main element is supported, and the affliction is removed, resulting in a slight increase in wealth. However, during the Xinmao and Gengyin years, the metal is weak and lacks root in the eastern wood, so there is no progress in official rank, and the family's fortune remains only modest. Nevertheless, the configuration is upright, and the印 is in its proper position, so the person has a broad mind, great talent, and a spirit not inferior to Chen Yuanlong. His writing is vivid and his articles are as excellent as those of Sima Xiangru. However, the month's dry branch reveals autumn sunlight (Bing fire), which harms the印, leading to the situation of a pearl sinking into the sea and talented people not being recognized. He can only accept his fate calmly, and this is just his destiny. From these cases, we can see that the configuration should not be judged from a single aspect. Whether it is the wealth, official rank, or印, if it is not related to the strength or weakness of the day's main element, it has no meaning. If the day's main element is strong, it should be restrained; if it is weak, it should be supported. If the印 is strong but the official element is drained, then the wealth element should be used (wealth controls the印 to protect the official). If the印 is weak and the wealth element harms the印, then the same element (jue) should be used (same element controls the wealth to protect the印). This is an unchanging principle.

影響遙繫既為虛，雜氣財官不可拘。原注：飛天合祿之類，固為影響遙繫而非格矣。如四季月生人，只當取土為格，不可言雜氣財官；戊己日生於四季月者，當看人元透出天干者取格，不可概以雜氣財官論之；至於建祿月動羊無能為刃，亦當看月令中人元透於天干者取格，若不合氣象形局，則又無格矣。只取用神，用神又無所取，只得看其大勢，以皮面上斷其窮通。不可執格論也。

"The concept of 'remote influence' (such as hidden conflict and hidden harmony, which are types of illusory methods) is inherently illusory, and 'miscellaneous qi wealth and official positions' should not be rigidly adhered to. The original commentary explains that things like flying heavenly禄 and horse, and combinations with禄, are essentially grasping shadows and loosely connected, and cannot be considered as a pattern. For example, those born in the months of辰, 戌, 丑, or 未, should only take earth to determine the pattern, and should not be considered as miscellaneous qi wealth and official positions. Those with 戊 or 己 days born in the four seasonal months should look at which of the hidden heavenly stems in the month's branch is revealed to the heavenly stem to determine the pattern, and should not be generally considered as miscellaneous qi wealth and official positions. As for those with the month's stem being 建禄, 月劫, or 羊刃, they should also determine the pattern by looking at which hidden heavenly stem in the month's branch is revealed to the heavenly stem. If it does not match any particular atmospheric structure or form, then there is no pattern to speak of, and one should simply take the useful god. If even the useful god cannot be determined, then one should look at the overall trend of the entire chart to judge the person's fortune and misfortune on the surface, and must not rigidly adhere to patterns."

任氏曰：影響遙繫者，即暗沖暗合之格也。俗書所謂飛天祿馬是也。如丙午日支全三午，癸酉日支三酉，逢三則沖，午去暗沖子水為官，酉去暗合辰土為官。尚有沖財合財，如壬子日支全三子，暗沖午火為財，乙卯日支一三卯，暗合戌土為財。又云，先要四柱不要財官，為真方可沖合。夫沖者，散也，合者，化也，何能為我用乎？四柱原有財官，不宜沖合，尚有喜與不喜，何況四柱無財官乎？

Ren Shì explains: The term "influence from a distance" refers to patterns of hidden conflict and hidden harmony, which are also known as "flying heavenly禄 and horse" in common texts. For example, if the day stem is Bingwu and there are three Wus in the earthly branches, or if the day stem is Guiyou and there are three Yous in the earthly branches, it is said that encountering three can cause a conflict. The Wu in the branches secretly conflicts with Zi water, and the癸 water in Zi is the official of Bing fire. The You in the branches secretly harmonizes with Chen earth, and Chen is the official of癸 water. There are also patterns of secretly conflicting with wealth and secretly harmonizing with wealth. For instance, if the day stem is Renzi and there are three Zis in the earthly branches, the Zis secretly conflict with Wu fire, which is wealth. If the day stem is Yimao and there are three Maos in the earthly branches, the Maos secretly harmonize with Xu earth, which is wealth. These texts also say that this pattern is only genuine if the original four pillars do not already contain wealth or officials, and only then can the conflict and harmony be considered valid. However, the original meaning of "conflict" is to scatter, and the original meaning of "harmony" is to combine and transform. How can these be used for my benefit? Even if the original four pillars already contain wealth or officials, it is not advisable to use conflict and harmony, and one must distinguish between favorable and unfavorable situations. How much more so if the original four pillars do not contain wealth or officials at all?

至於雜氣財官，亦是畫蛇添足。辰戌丑未，無非支藏三干，各為雜氣；寅申巳亥，亦有三干，何故不論？夫庫中餘氣，可以言格，生地之神，莫非反棄？又云雜氣財官吉沖，尤為穿鑿。若甲木生丑月，為雜氣財官，喜未沖之，未中丁火，緊傷丑中辛金之官，格乃破矣，餘支皆然，不若透出天干取格為是。

As for the notion of "miscellaneous qi officials and ministers" (杂气财官), it is an unnecessary addition. The branches Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei merely contain three heavenly stems each, hence called miscellaneous qi; yet Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai also contain three heavenly stems each, so why are they not considered miscellaneous qi? If the residual qi in the storage places (墓库) can be used to establish a pattern (格), then why should the heavenly stems hidden in the growth places (长生) be discarded? The books also say that "miscellaneous qi officials and ministers rejoice in being冲 (confronted or clashed)," which is even more forced. For example, if Jia wood is born in the month of Chou, it is considered miscellaneous qi official, and it is said to rejoice in being冲 by the future; but in reality, the Ding fire in Wei will severely harm the Sheng gold in Chou, thus breaking the pattern. The same logic applies to all other branches. It is better to establish the pattern based on the heavenly stems that are revealed (透出天干).

諸書所載，祿分四種，年為背祿，月為建祿，日為專祿，時為歸祿。又云建祿喜官，歸祿忌官，則又遺背祿專祿矣，又云日祿歸時沒官星，號為青去得路，誠如所論，則丙辛兩日生人，逢癸巳丁酉時者，世無讀書出仕者乎？無非日干旺地之比肩也，不可認作食祿為王家之格言，則四柱神，竟同親刻，既柱中之祿為美，何得運逢祿支反為祿堂而家破人亡乎？命徹底根源，則窮通壽夭，自不爽矣。

Different books on destiny mention that "Lù" (favorable position) is divided into four types: when it is in the year branch, it is called "Bèi Lù" (back禄); when it is in the month branch, it is called "Jiàn Lù" (established禄); when it is in the day branch, it is called "Zhuān Lù" (special禄); and when it is in the hour branch, it is called "Guī Lù" (return禄). It is also said that "Jiàn Lù" benefits from the presence of official stars, while "Guī Lù" is harmful when official stars are present. Then, how should "Bèi Lù" and "Zhuān Lù" be evaluated? The books also say, "If the day's禄 returns to the hour without official stars, it is called 'Qīng Yún Dé Lù' (ascending to the clouds and finding the path)." If this is truly the case, then people born on the day of Bing or Xin who encounter the hour of Guisi or Dingyou would not have any who become scholars or officials in the world? In reality, "Lù" is merely the same as the day stem being in a strong position, which is just a fellow element. It should not be considered as a basis for receiving the salary from the government. If we follow that view, the gods in the four pillars would be fixed like a wooden board. Since it is said that having "Lù" in the pillars is a good thing, why does encountering another "Lù" branch in the course of one's life, which is called "Lù Táng" (Lù hall), lead to family ruin and personal misfortune? We must thoroughly understand the fundamental principles of destiny, and then we can accurately predict prosperity, decline, longevity, and short life.

大凡格局真實而純粹者，百無一二，破壞而雜氣者，十有八九，無格可取者甚多，無用可尋者不少。格正用真，行運不悖，名利自如；格破用損，謂這有病，憂多樂少。倘行運得所，去其破損之物，扶其喜用之神，譬如人染沉痾，得良劑以生也，不貴亦富。無格可取，無用可尋，只可看其大勢，與日主之所向，運途能補其所喜，去其所忌，雖碌碌營生，可免飢寒之患。若行運又無可取，則不貧亦賤；若格正用真，五行反悖，一生有志難伸矣。

In general, true and pure patterns are rare, with only one or two found among a hundred; broken and mixed patterns are common, with eight or nine out of ten. There are many without any pattern, and even more without a useful god. If the pattern is correct, the useful god is accurate, and the fortune is not contradictory, then naturally one will achieve success in fame and wealth. If the pattern is broken and the useful god is damaged, this is called "having a disease," leading to more worries than joys throughout life. If the fortune is just right, removing the broken elements and supporting the preferred and needed useful god, it is like a person suffering from a serious illness who receives good medicine; even if not wealthy, they will be prosperous. As for those without any pattern or useful god, one must look at the overall trend and the direction of the day's ruler: if the fortune can supplement what is preferred and remove what is disliked, although they may live a mediocre life, they can avoid hunger and cold. If even the fortune is not helpful, then they will not be poor but remain lowly. Conversely, even if the pattern is correct and the useful god is true, but the five elements' energy is contrary, one's ambitions will remain unfulfilled all their life.

己巳、庚午、丙午、甲午／己巳、戊辰、丁卯、丙寅、乙丑、甲子。此造俗論，丙午日支全三年，四柱滴水全無，中年又無水運，必作飛天祿馬，名利雙輝，不知此造午中己土，巳中庚金，元神透出年月兩干，真火土傷官生財格。初交己巳戊辰，匯火生金，遺業頗豐；丁卯丙寅，土金喜用皆傷，連遭回祿三次，又克兩妻四子，家業破盡；至乙丑運，北方溼土，晦火生金，又合化有情，經營獲利，納妾生子，重振家園；甲子癸亥，北方水地潤土養金，發財數萬。若以飛天合祿論，大忌水運矣。

The four pillars are Ji Si, Geng Wu, Bing Wu, and Jia Wu. The big years are Ji Si, Wu Chen, Ding Mao, Bing Yin, Yi Chou, and Jia Zi. According to common methods, since there are three Wus in the earth branches and no water in the four pillars, and during middle age there is no water year, it is definitely considered as the "Flying Heaven's Wealth and Horse" pattern, and predicted to have both fame and fortune. However, the original gods hidden in Si and Wu are revealed in the heavenly stems of the year and month, which clearly indicates the true "Fire and Earth Official Generating Wealth" pattern. In the early years, when the big years were Ji Si and Wu Chen, they subdued fire and generated metal (which followed the trend of the official generating wealth), thus inheriting a substantial family fortune. When the big years were Ding Mao and Bing Yin, the two preferred elements of earth and metal were injured, resulting in three consecutive fires, and the death of two wives and four sons, leading to the complete loss of family property. When the big year was Yi Chou, Chou is northern damp earth, which subdued fire and generated metal, and combined with Si and Wu in a harmonious way, thus achieving business success, taking a concubine and having a son, and restoring the family. When the big years were Jia Zi and Gui Hai, which are northern water lands, they moistened earth and nourished metal, resulting in a fortune of tens of thousands. If we really followed the "Flying Heaven's Wealth and Horse" pattern, these water years would be considered major evils.

丁丑、癸卯、乙卯、己卯／壬寅、辛丑、庚子、己亥、戊戌、丁酉。乙卯日，生於卯月卯時，旺之極矣，最喜丁火獨發，洩其精英。惜癸水克丁，仍傷秀氣，時干己土臨絕，不能去其癸水，因之書香不繼，初中運逢水木之地刑喪破耗，家業漸消；戊戌丁運，大遂經營之願，發財鉅萬，若以飛天祿馬論之，則戊戌運大破矣。

The four pillars are Dingchou, Guimao, Yimao, and Jimao. The day stem is Yimao, born in the month of Mao and at the hour of Mao, so wood is extremely strong. The most favorable thing is that the heavenly stem of the year, Ding fire, is clearly visible, which can release the refined energy of wood. Unfortunately, the heavenly stem of the month, Gui water, closely restrains Ding fire, so the refined energy is still damaged. The heavenly stem of the hour, Ji earth, is in the Mao position, which is in the state of decline, so it is powerless to control Gui water. Therefore, the person is unable to continue with academic success and official rank. In early years and middle age, when the water and wood elements are in operation, there are continuous misfortunes, losses, and damages, leading to the gradual decline of family fortune. When reaching the Wuxu and Dingyou years (earth can control water, and fire can be supported), the person's business aspirations are greatly fulfilled, and great wealth is achieved. According to the theory of flying heavenly禄 and horse, the Wuxu year fills the earth branch, which should be a year of great destruction.

丁未、癸丑、甲辰、甲戌／壬子、辛亥、庚戌、己酉、戊申、丁未。此造支全四庫逢沖，俗作雜氣財官也，不知丑未逢沖，不特官星受傷，而且沖去庫根；日主坐下餘氣，亦是根盤，更嫌戌沖，微根巳氣，財多身弱；且旺土愈沖愈旺，則癸水必傷。初運壬子辛水旺之地，蔭疪有餘；一交庚戌，財煞並旺，椿萱並逝，刑妻克子；己酉戊申土蓋天干，使金不能生水，家業破盡，無子而亡。

The four pillars are Dingwei, Guichou, Jiachen, and Jiaxu, with the big years being Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, Jiyou, Wushen, and Dingwei. In this case, the earth branches contain the four earth depositories, chen, xu, chou, and wei, which are all present but also conflicting. According to common methods, this is considered as 'miscellaneous wealth and official positions'. However, the conflict between chou and wei not only injures the official star, xin metal, in chou, but also disperses the roots in the depositories. The day stem, jia wood, sits on chen earth, which is its residual strength, but the presence of xu further conflicts with chen, eliminating that slight root and resulting in an excess of wealth and a weak self. Moreover, the strong earth becomes even stronger through the conflict, inevitably harming the yin water official star. In early years, during the Renzi and Xinhai big years, which are strong water years, there was sufficient parental support. However, upon entering the Gengxu big year, wealth and killing stars become strong, leading to the death of both parents and conflicts with wife and children. During the Jiyou and Wushen big years, the earth covers the heavenly stem, preventing metal from generating water, resulting in the complete loss of family property, and ultimately dying without any children.

丁亥、癸丑、甲子、辛未／壬子、辛亥、庚戌、己酉、戊申、丁未。甲子日元，生於丑月，支類北方；天干辛癸，官印元神發露，克去丁火，丑未遙隔；又水勢乘權，不能沖丑，正得中和之象。所以土金水運，皆得生化之情，早游泮水，戰勝秋闈。只因格局清寒，仕路未居顯職，芹泮日長鳴孔鐸，杏壇春暖奏虞弦也。前則逢沖，官印兩傷，名利無成，此則不動，名成利遂。可知墓庫逢沖必發者，謬也。

The four pillars are Dinghai, Guichou, Jiazi, and Xinwei. The heavenly stem Jiazi is born in the month of Chou, and the earth branches Hai, Zi, and Chou belong to the northern water group. The heavenly stems reveal Xin metal as the official and Gui water as the minister, both the official and minister origin gods are clearly visible, and they overcome Ding fire, the injurious official. Chou and Wei are far apart and not closely connected, and with water in power, the Wei earth does not shake the Chou earth. This is a harmonious and balanced situation. Therefore, the earth, metal, and water years all bring about a nurturing and transforming effect. In early years, he entered the examination hall and passed the autumn examination. However, because the pattern is inclined towards cold and clear, his official career did not reach a high position, and he spent his life teaching in the academy, like shaking the wooden bell to teach and playing the Yu Shun zither on the apricot platform. In the previous case, the four storage branches were in conflict, the official and minister were both injured, and there was no achievement in fame and fortune. In this case, the situation is stable and unchanged, and instead, he achieved fame and fortune. This shows that the saying "when the storage and tomb branches are in conflict, it will surely bring success" is wrong.