The old servant of the Qin family, Wang Wen, his birth chart.

庚申 戊子 壬子 辛亥 二歲 己丑 十二 庚寅 廿二 辛卯 三二 壬辰 四二 癸巳 五二 甲午 六二 乙未

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Geng Shen, the month are Wu Zi, the day are Ren Zi, and the hour are Xin Hai. The day stem Ren water is born in the month of Zi. Starting from age two, the big destiny runs in sequence: Ji Chou, Geng Yin, Xin Mao, Ren Chen, Gui Si, Jia Wu, Yi Wei. The heavenly stem of the year Geng is yang, so for a male destiny, it is arranged in order from the month pillar Wu Zi to Ji Chou, Geng Yin, Xin Mao, and so on. In middle age, the destiny moves to the southern fire direction. In this case, the four branches of Shen, Zi, Zi, and Hai are all water, and the two metal stems Geng and Xin also generate water. There is only one earth stem Wu in the month pillar standing in the middle. This is an extreme example of "strong body without support." It is exactly the opposite of the previous case where the wealth was strong but the body was weak. In this case, the body is strong but there is no wealth to use.

此王某之命也。自幼迄今。胼手胝足。庸役於餘友秦贊臣家。未嘗娶妻。孓然一身。幸侍主忠誠。故為秦氏三代蒼頭健限奴。餘因好奇。曾視其命造。乃壬水生於仲科。三逢祿旺。所謂崑崙之水。可順而不可逆。月上戊土。煢煢孓立。既不足以制水。反又激水之怒，庚辛兩金。洩土生水。尤足為病，是真身旺無依，老健徒苦而已。

This is Wang's birth chart. From childhood to now, his hands and feet have developed calluses. He has been working in the household of his friend Qin Zanchen, and has never married, living alone. Fortunately, he has been loyal to his master, thus becoming a long-serving servant in the Qin family for three generations. "Cangtou" is an old term for a servant, and the original text mentions "Jianxian nu" which is likely a mistake. Out of curiosity, I once looked at his birth chart. The壬 water is born in the middle of winter, and the positions of申, 子, and 亥 are all strong and favorable for 壬 water, which is called "Kunlun water" in the divination texts—meaning the water is powerful and vast, and it can only be guided according to its nature, not blocked against it. There is a single 戊 earth in the month's dry branch, standing alone, which cannot control the water, but instead provokes its anger. The 庚 and 辛 golds further drain the earth to nourish the water, making the problem even worse. This is truly a case of strong destiny without support. Although he may live a healthy life, he will only be in constant toil without any real benefit.

四十七歲前。一派金水運。不轉溝壑。而得溫飽。已為繳天之幸。已運以還。運轉東南木火。應見起色，據云。三十年來。已積蓄二千餘金。且勤勞如故。其志可嘉。明年換入申運。申之助水。更形氾濫。保身以沒。意中事也。

Before the age of forty-seven, he had been under a metal and water cycle, which further increased the already overflowing water; he was able to avoid hardship and live comfortably, which was already a fortunate situation (the original text mistakenly writes "缴天" instead of "侥天"). After the巳 cycle, the cycle shifted to the southeast with wood and fire. Wood can absorb water, and fire can generate earth, so there should be some improvement. It is said that over the past thirty years, he has saved more than two thousand dollars, and he remains diligent as before; this determination is very commendable. Next year, the cycle will change to申, which is also metal and will further increase the water; the overflow will be even worse. However, being able to maintain his health and live a peaceful old age is within expectation. This case can be compared with the section "Personality" in the chapter "Body Strength" which states "When the body is strong but there is no suppression in the birth chart," the strong energy has nowhere to be expressed. If it falls on a nobleman, it is a sudden and violent force; if it falls on a humble person, it results in a lifetime of hardship.

丁亥 癸丑 庚子 丁亥 九歲 壬子 十九 辛亥 廿九 庚戌 三九 己酉 四九 戊申 五九 丁未

The year pillar is Dinghai, the month pillar is Guichou, the day pillar is Gengzi, and the hour pillar is Dinghai. The day stem Geng metal is born in the Chou month. Starting from age nine, the big luck pillars are in sequence Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, Jiyou, Wushen, and Dingwei. The heavenly stem of the year, Ding, is yin. For a male birth, the sequence is reversed, so from the month pillar Guichou, it goes back to Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, etc. This chart is almost the same as the example of Pan's坤 (earthly) destiny mentioned earlier (Renzi, Guichou, Gengzi, Dinghai). Both are cold metal sitting on water, with the Ding fire being overcome by the Gui water. This shows that even similar charts may differ in fortune and status depending on their luck and compatibility. One cannot simply conclude they are the same destiny just because they appear similar.

嘉善沈恆甫君。雅好命理。時相過從。當示我一丐者之命（排列如上）。夫寒金喜火。所嫌支全亥子丑。北方水旺。又月干癸克丁火。五行無木。未得生化之情。一片寒涼之局。宜其蓬飄萍泛。淪落天涯。歌板臨風。飯籃迎月。鵠形菜色。仰面求人矣。

Jia Shan's Shen Hengfu often visited me and was fond of divination. Once he showed me the fate of a beggar (the arrangement is shown above). Cold metal naturally prefers fire to warm it, but the earthly branches of Hai, Zi, and Chou form a continuous northern region, making water extremely strong. The monthly dry branch, Gui Water, also overcomes the two Ding Fires in the year and hour positions. The entire chart lacks wood, so fire loses its source of generation and cannot receive mutual generation, resulting in an overall cold and bleak situation. It is no wonder he is like a floating reed or a drifting water plant, wandering through the world. He sings with a lotus board in the wind, carries a meal basket under the moonlight, appears emaciated and pale, and begs for alms by looking up at people. The absence of wood in this chart is the most critical point: with wood, water generates wood, and wood generates fire, transforming the cold chart instantly. Without wood, water and fire are in opposition, only mutual control remains.

且運皆金水。繼不為東郭乞食 。亦必為溝壑餓莩。設此等命局。運行東南木火。未始非季子買臣。由困入亨之一流，富貴貧賤。固繫乎命。然運之芝枯盛衰，關鍵尤為重要。管子曰。壽之修短有數。命之顯晦有定。要皆運會豐塞維繫之。誠哉是言。我輩為人評命，對於運途之推敲。不可或忽也。

Moreover, the great destiny periods are all in metal and water. Even if one does not end up like Qi's Dongguo begging for food among the tombs, one will certainly become a starving corpse in a ditch. If such a fate could encounter the destiny periods of eastern-southern wood and fire, it might not be unlike Su Qin or Zhu Mai Chen, who turned from hardship to success (Su Qin, whose courtesy name was Jizi, was once destitute; Zhu Mai Chen carried firewood while reading, and later reached high office). Wealth and poverty, nobility and humility are indeed determined by fate, but the prosperity and decline of destiny periods are especially crucial. Guanzi said: the length of life is fixed, the brightness and obscurity of fate have a definite limit, and all of this is sustained by the richness or blockage of destiny periods. This statement is indeed accurate. When evaluating someone's fate, we must never neglect the examination of their destiny periods.

戊戌 庚申 己酉 壬申 九歲 辛酉 十九 壬戌 廿九 癸亥 三九 甲子 四九 乙丑 五九 丙寅

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Wu Xu, the month are Geng Shen, the day are Ji You, and the hour are Ren Shen. The day stem Ji Tu was born in the month of Shen. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny runs in the order of Xin You, Ren Xu, Gui Hai, Jia Zi, Yi Chou, Bing Yin. The heavenly stem of the year Wu is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month stem Geng Shen, it proceeds in order to Xin You, Ren Xu, Gui Hai, etc. In this case, the earthly branches Shen, You, and Xu are all present, indicating a complete presence of metal in the west. The heavenly stems also reveal Geng metal and Ren water, which completely drain the qi of the day stem Ji Tu. There is not even a single trace of fire in the chart. The classic texts on destiny discuss the fate of those who leave home, first looking at the presence of single and lonely energies, and secondly, the relationship between the body and the chart. This case clearly shows a situation where the body is weak and has no support.

此為一僧侶之命。孫福堂為餘言。是僧三歲父母雙亡。七歲為舅氏粥入某寺。藩髮昄依。按已酉日元。生於申月。支全西方。干透庚壬。金勢猛烈。洩氣太過。局中無火。只可用劫然戊土虛脫。用神無力。終以身弱傷重，無印為病，固生成寒微之命也。

This is the birth chart of a monk. Sun Futang told me that this monk lost both parents at the age of three, and at seven was sold by his maternal uncle into a certain temple (the original text "zhu ru" refers to "yu ru," meaning sold into). He shaved his head and became a Buddhist monk. According to the birth chart, the person was born on the Jiyou day stem in the Shen month. The earthly branches Shen, You, and Xu form the Western Metal trinity, and the heavenly stems also reveal the metal庚 and water壬. The metal force is very strong, and the qi of the day stem is excessively drained. There is no fire at all in the chart, so only the year stem Wu土, which is a helper, can support the day stem. However, Wu土 is also weak and ineffective. The useful god is weak. Basically, the body is weak and the official star (庚金), which drains the body, is too strong, and there is no minister star (印绶) to nourish the body and protect the ruler. This is the root of the problem. It is originally a humble and poor destiny due to the inherent weakness.

喜忌篇雲。日干旺甚無依。若不為僧即道。今乃知向弱無依。亦黃冠客。空桑子之一流耳。九歲以來，皆行金水運。清淨無為。孓然一向。鮮淑堪言。然以後甲子乙丑。水木之鄉。亦不過謝絕紅塵。砥礪清修。誦經禮佛。度其老納生溽而已。甲運若不圓寂。可至寅運以臻樂土。

The *Xi Ji Pian* says: Those whose day stem is extremely strong but lacks support will either become monks or hermits. Now I realize that those whose day stem is extremely weak and lacks support are also destined to be hermits (the "Yellow Crowned Guest") or monks ("Empty桑Son," using the story of Yi Yin being born in an empty桑 to refer to monks). He has been traveling through the metal and water paths since the age of nine, leading a life of purity and inaction, alone and without much good fortune. In the future, during the Jia Zi and Yi Chou years, which are water and wood paths, he will merely reject worldly affairs, cultivate himself in purity, chant scriptures and worship Buddha, spending his life as an old monk. If he does not pass away during the Jia path, he may reach the寅 path and enter a blissful land—the寅 contains Bing fire, which brings warmth to a cold situation, being the only time in his life he encounters fire.

戊辰 戊午 辛丑 戊戌 三歲 己未 十三 庚申 廿三 辛酉 三三 壬戌 四三 癸亥 五三 甲子

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Wu Chen, of the month Wu Wu, of the day Xin Chou, and of the hour Wu Xu. The day stem Xin Metal is born in the month of Wu Fire. The big years start at age three, in the order Ji Wei, Geng Shen, Xin You, Ren Xu, Gui Hai, and Jia Zi. The heavenly stem of the year Wu is yang, and for a male's fortune, it is arranged in order. Therefore, starting from the month stem Wu Wu, it proceeds in order to Ji Wei, Geng Shen, Xin You, and so on. This child was born and died within a month, so none of the big years listed were actually experienced. They are recorded here only to show the complete method of arrangement. In this case, there are three Wu Earths, and among the four Earthly Branches of Chen, Xu, Chou, and You, three are present. The earth is extremely heavy, while the Xin Metal is delicate and tender. There is no Wood in the Five Phases. The comment below is derived from the phrase "heavy earth burying metal."

此造產生甫經匝月。即遭夭折。初視之。殺印相生。不似殤孩。然重重厚土埋。藏脆嫩之金。五行無木。未得疏揚之利。一重午火，缺木之生。多土之晦。更夫能為力。滴天髓所謂氣濁神柘者是也。

This birth chart belongs to a child who died just one month after birth. At first glance, the pattern appears favorable, with the午 fire seven killer (seven deadly) generating the戊 earth official (nourishing) and the official nourishing the辛 metal day master, forming a "killer and official mutually generating" structure, which is not typically seen in cases of early death. However, the thick layers of earth suffocate the delicate辛 metal. The辛 metal, being yin metal, is like jewels, which are most vulnerable to being buried by excessive earth. Moreover, there is no wood in the five phases, so there is no wood to loosen the earth's oppressive energy. The only午 fire is not supported by wood above, and is drained by the earth below, leaving it powerless. This is exactly what the "Dripping Heaven's Pearl" (Drop Tian Mei) says: "the qi is turbid and the spirit is withered" (the original text says "shen zhe," which should be "shen ku"). When the qi is turbid and the spirit is withered, even if there is a pattern, it cannot sustain a life.

渠父於產後即囑余推算。並欲選一湯餅之期。余謂之曰。近則已未月。遠則己已年。土勢猛烈。蘭摧玉折。堪為憂慮。後果於六月病亡。誠哉。命有定數。不可強也，客歲又見一命。與此造同類。惟為甲午時。土有木疏。宜其聰穎堅強。然未來庚運之沖甲。殊屬不利。姑視其後。竊恐亦非壽徵耳。

The father of the child asked me to calculate after the birth and also wanted to choose a day for the baby's first birthday celebration (called "tangbing"). I told him that the near date would be the month of Jiwei, and the far date would be the year of Jisi. The earth element was very strong, and I feared that the child might suffer a sudden and tragic death, which was worrying. Later, the child indeed died in June. Indeed, fate is fixed, and it cannot be forced. Last year, I met another case with the same birth chart, except that the time pillar was Jiawu, which added an extra Jia wood. The earth element was thus able to be relieved by the wood, so the child was intelligent and strong. However, in the future, the Geng period will clash with the Jia wood, which is very unfavorable. Let's see what happens in the future. I privately fear that it is not a sign of a long life. Two similar birth charts differed by just one character, yet the outcomes were completely different. This is exactly what Wei emphasized, the importance of "coordination" and "harmony."

庚申 甲申 癸卯 庚申 十歲 乙酉 二十 丙戌 三十 丁亥 四十 戊子 五十 己丑 六十 庚寅

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Geng Shen, of the month Jia Shen, of the day Gui Mao, and of the hour Geng Shen. The day stem Gui water is born in the month of Shen. Starting from the age of ten, the big destiny runs in sequence: Yi You, Bing Xu, Ding Hai, Wu Zi, Ji Chou, Geng Yin. The heavenly stem of the year Geng is yang, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month stem Jia Shen, it proceeds in order to Yi You, Bing Xu, Ding Hai, and so on. This destiny has three Shens and two Gengs, making five instances of metal to nourish the Gui water. Only the heavenly stem of the month Jia wood and the earthly branch of the day Mao wood provide two points of wood energy. Excess metal makes the water turbid, and weak wood is injured, which is the basis for the conclusion of disability mentioned later. It is the same as the previous case of a stillborn child, both belonging to the category of "heavy nourishing energy but light body," resulting in one dying and the other being disabled, with different degrees but similar underlying causes.

前論印重身輕之命。生甫匝月。即遭夭殤。余曾於友人家得視一造。亦為印重身輕。但僅不良於行。體格尚健。茲已魁梧奇偉。有成人氣象矣。夫癸水生於孟秋。重金五見。實鑑所謂金多水濁。亦滿盤濁氣耳。甲卯雨水，既時失勢。豈能周旋於刀槍劍戟之中。

The previous discussion concerned a destiny with heavy印 (nourishing) and light日主 (solar master), which resulted in the person dying shortly after birth. I once saw another case with the same heavy印 and light日主, but the person was only slightly disabled and still had a strong physique, and now has grown into a tall and strong figure, showing a mature adult appearance. Let's examine this case:癸 water was born in the first month of autumn, July, with gold appearing in five places, which is exactly what the "宝鉴" (Treasure Mirror) says, "too much gold makes water turbid." The entire chart is filled with turbid energy. Normally,印 nourishes the日主, but when it is excessive, it becomes a disaster, and instead of clarifying the日主's clear energy, it makes it turbid. In this chart, there are two points of甲 wood and卯 wood, which are not in season and lack strength. How can they survive amidst the heavy gold, which is like swords and spears?

命局偏枯如是，益以兩歲辛酉年。沖去卯木長生。陰金陽金會合。其遭殘疾宜矣。設非跛足。殃禍之變。或有更甚者，刻走酉運以戊寅年最凶。丙運以下。雲開見日，錦繡前程。未可限量。

The destiny chart is extremely imbalanced. In the year of age two, the person was born in the year of Xinyou. The metal of You (酉) conflicts with the Day Branch of Mao (卯), thus destroying the growth position of the wood in Mao. The Yin metal (Xin and You) combines with the Yang metal (Geng and Shen) to form a powerful force, which crushes the wood. Wood represents the limbs and bones, so disability is inevitable. If not crippled, the misfortune might be even worse. Now the person is entering the You (酉) period, and the most dangerous year is Wuyin (戊寅), as the寅 and 申 conflict, causing the roots of the wood to move again. In the丙 period, fire warms the chart and controls the heavy metal, thus the clouds disperse and the sun appears, leading to a brilliant future. This case is listed together with another case of a stillborn child, indicating that the same illness may have different severity and different degrees of manifestation. Reading destiny requires the ability to judge the extent.

甲寅 丁卯 戊寅 甲寅 十一 戊辰 廿一 己巳 三一 庚午 四一 辛未 五一 壬申 六一 癸酉 七一 甲戌

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Jia Yin, the month is Ding Mao, the day is Wu Yin, and the hour is Jia Yin. The day's ruler is Wu Earth, born in the month of Mao. Starting from age eleven, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Wu Chen, Ji Si, Geng Wu, Xin Wei, Ren Shen, Gui You, and Jia Xu. The heavenly stem of the year, Jia, is yang. For a male destiny, the sequence is in the order of the heavenly stems. Therefore, starting from the month stem Ding Mao, it proceeds in order to Wu Chen, Ji Si, Geng Wu, etc. In this destiny, there are three Yins, one Mao, and two Jias, so the wood element occupies six positions. The Wu Earth day ruler is isolated and unsupported, with only the Ding Fire stem in the month as a single source of support. Wood overcoming earth is the seven killing stars, and the killing stars are extremely heavy while the body is very weak. The following passage uses this destiny to explain the difference between 'controlling the killing stars' and 'transforming the killing stars', which is the most brilliant part of the entire discussion.

汪君以此命垂詢。謂繫亡友孫群之造。何以生前走火運大利。金運大敗。申金運且作屈原汨羅以自盡。余曰。殺重身輕。設無丁印。何以自存。殺之太過。逢傷食制之不足。反激其怒。何如印綬生化之為美。此所以金運遠不及火運也。申運沖寅。一金為三木所敗。命遭不祿。亦所當然。

Wang Jun brought this birth chart to ask me, saying it is the chart of his deceased friend Sun Qun, and he asked why during his lifetime he benefited greatly when he was in the fire period, but suffered great defeat during the metal period, and finally committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River during the Shen metal period. I answered: This chart has a heavy seven killer and a weak day master. If there were not the Ding fire in the month's heavenly stem to serve as a seal, the day master would have no way to survive. When the seven killer is too strong, if the food and injury are used to control it but lack sufficient strength, it only provokes the anger of the seven killer, which cannot be compared to the stability of using the seal to transform the killer energy. That is why during the metal period (metal being food and injury, controlling the killer but with weak strength) he suffered much more than during the fire period (fire being the seal, transforming the killer and nurturing the self). The Shen period conflicts with the three Yin periods, and one metal has to face three woods, being outnumbered and defeated by the woods, thus leading to his death, which is natural.

夫殺重之命。正如盜匪侵主逢印。如遇仲連排難。足以斡旋兩方。各不傷和。若逢傷官食神。而無力量。乃如忽至老弱殘警。欲逮捕之。勢必警匪相戰。終於警為匪殺。反激匪怒。為事主者。則如棟折榱崩。其危不言可喻矣。故凡命中忌神太過只宜洩化不宜強制制之有力則益。制之不足則損，此亦餘經驗談也。

The author then gave a very vivid analogy: a命 with a strong killer (杀) is like a bandit breaking into a homeowner's house. At this moment, if the person meets a印绶, it is like inviting someone as capable as Lu Zhonglian, who is good at resolving disputes, to mediate between the two sides, so neither party is harmed. The印绶 is both generated by the killer and turns to nourish the self, benefiting both sides. However, if what appears is a伤官 or 食神 with insufficient strength, it is like suddenly having a few weak and injured police officers trying to arrest the bandits, inevitably leading to a fight. The police are then killed, further angering the bandits. The main house, which represents the person's own strength, is like the main beam breaking and the rafters collapsing, the danger is evident. Therefore, for a命 where theHostile God is too strong, it is only suitable to release or transform it, not to forcefully control it. Only when it can be controlled is it beneficial; if it cannot be controlled, it will cause harm. This is my own experience.

壬午 己酉 庚申 丙子 八歲 庚戌 十八 辛亥 廿八 壬子 三八 癸丑 四八 甲寅 五八 乙卯

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Renwu, of the month Jiyou, of the day Gengshen, and of the hour Bingzi. The day stem Geng metal is born in the month of You. Starting from the age of eight, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Gengxu, Xinhai, Renzi, Guichou, Jiayin, Yimao. The heavenly stem of the year, Ren, is yang. For a male destiny, the sequence is followed in order, so from the month column Jiyou, it proceeds in sequence to Gengxu, Xinhai, Renzi, etc. In this case, the Geng metal day stem is born in the month of You and sits on Shen, thus having both its strength and prosperity. The heavenly stem of the year, Ren water, is released and shows its brilliance. The Shen and Zi branches form a water trinity, thus forming a water group. The heavenly stem of the hour, Bing fire, is the seven killer, but it is isolated and has no root. Previous people advised him to use the seven killer for government service, but the author prefers to use the food and grain (food god) for commerce. The difference between the two views lies entirely in whether the Bing fire can withstand the water. The following text is a debate on this issue.

此潮州人鄭君命造也。曩時請人批命。咸謂酉月庚申日。喜火鍛鍊。應用丙殺。有勸其涉跡政界者。前歲囑余推評。余曰。庚金得祿旺於秋令。年干透壬。支會申子。水盛而居相位。丙火豈能敵相水而制旺金。五行缺木。丙更無力。殺弗能和，不如用壬水食神。以順金勢，並洩秀氣。

This is the birth chart of a man from Chaozhou named Zheng. Previously, when people cast his fortune, they said that with a day of Gengshen on the酉 month, he would benefit from fire to refine, and they suggested taking the time dry branch丙 fire as the useful element, and some even advised him to enter politics. Two years ago, he asked me to evaluate his fortune. I said: Geng metal is strong in the酉 month and gets its official position in the申 branch, so it is extremely strong. The heavenly stem of the year reveals Ren water, and the earth branches of申 and Zi form a water trinity, so water is abundant and occupies the "phase" position (the ruling element is strong, and the element generated by the ruling element is in the phase position; in autumn, metal generates water, so water receives the phase energy). How can a small amount of丙 fire compete with dominant water and control extremely strong metal? Moreover, the five elements lack wood, and the丙 fire has no source to generate it, making it even weaker. The seven killing element cannot be harmonized. It would be better to take the Ren water food god as the useful element, following the momentum of metal to release it, and bringing out the refined quality.

士而為商。庶乎近之。金水澄清。貨殖餘暇。致力名山事業。亦足以著述自豪。豈不快意。鄭君領首應之曰。幼攻舉子業。但終功名不售。年三十一。改營商務。則得心應手。尤以甲，運盈財最巨。並謂素上詞曲。原將畢生著作。付梓問世。

The food god governs the mouth and stomach, and also governs business operations. Therefore, when a scholar turns to commerce, it becomes more in line with his destiny. The metal and water are clear and the atmosphere is transparent, so during his spare time from business he devotes himself to writing, which is a lasting career. This is something to be proud of, isn't it? Zheng nodded and replied: I studied for the imperial examinations in my childhood, but I never succeeded in obtaining an official position. At the age of thirty-one, I switched to business and found it easy to handle, especially during the Jia period when I made the greatest profits. He also said that he has always loved poetry and songs, and he intended to publish all his writings for the world. The author's interpretation matches his actual experiences sentence by sentence, showing that whether the useful god is correctly or incorrectly selected directly determines the path a person takes in life.

洵哉。評命擇業。關鍵全繫乎用神之斟酌。設鄭君羨慕虛榮。而信用殺之一言。終身捲入宦海。恐一官半秩。且未得意。巨不惜乎。預卜寅乙兩運。食神見財。營商獲利。更有厚望焉。

Indeed, when assessing a person's destiny to choose a career, the key lies in the consideration of the useful god. If Master Zheng were envious of vanity and believed the phrase "using the killing god to enter politics," he might be involved in officialdom all his life, but perhaps he would not even be able to attain a position of power, which would be a pity (the original text says "ju bu xi hu," where "ju" should be "qi"). Looking ahead to the years of Yin and Yi, when the food god meets the wealth star (Yin and Yi are both wood, which are the wealth for the metal庚), the food god generates wealth, so engaging in business will certainly bring profit, and this is even more promising. Comparing this case with previous ones such as Rong Zongjing and Xian Guansheng, we can see that Wei's theory of career does not determine status based on the names of the ten gods, but rather asks whether this god can function effectively in this particular chart.

癸酉 庚申 壬子 辛亥 八歲 己未 十八 戊午 廿八 丁巳 三八 丙辰 四八 乙卯 五八 甲寅 六八 癸丑

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Guiyou, the month Gengshen, the day Renzi, and the hour Xinhai. The day stem Ren water is born in the month of Shen, which is the metal element. Starting from the age of eight, the big destiny cycle proceeds in the order Jiwei, Wuwu, Dingsi, Bingchen, Yimao, Jiayin, and Guichou. Since the heavenly stem of the year Gui is yin, for a male's destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, starting from the month Gengshen and going back to Jiwei, Wuwu, Dingsi, etc. In the early years, the person is in the southern direction of fire and earth, but in middle age, the person moves to the eastern direction of wood. Among the eight characters, there are only two elements: metal and water. The metal elements are Geng, Xin, Shen, and You, which belong to the western direction, and the water elements are Ren, Gui, Hai, and Zi, which belong to the northern direction. They are evenly balanced with no fire or earth mixed in, which is called "two elements forming a pattern" in the fortune books. The following discussion is based on this pattern.

此命為兩行成象。蓋庚辛申酉西方金。壬癸亥子北方水。金水各居其半。兩行相停。無火土混淆。益以壬祿在亥。庚祿在申。癸祿在子。辛祿在酉。又稱交祿。洵貴格也。王元鼎囑余推餘。余曰。當必仕宦中人。決非凡俗一流。其清純無疵。亦且權高位崇。廉潔有政聲。漢代循吏。不是過也。

This destiny belongs to the "two lines forming an image" pattern: Geng, Xin, Shen, and You belong to the Western Metal, while Ren, Gui, Hai, and Zi belong to the Northern Water. Metal and Water each occupy half, with equal weight, and there is no fire or earth to interfere. The destiny is pure, with only one kind of energy, thus forming its own pattern without following the usual principles of suppression and support. Moreover, Ren's seat is in Hai, Geng's seat is in Shen, Gui's seat is in Zi, and Xin's seat is in You. Each of the four heavenly stems has its seat in the earthly branches, which is called "intersecting seats" or "crossing seats." This is indeed a noble pattern. Wang Yuanding asked me to calculate, and I said: This must certainly belong to an official in government service, definitely not an ordinary person. The destiny is pure and flawless, and holds power and high position, as an official who is clean and has a good reputation. The Han dynasty historical records called such officials "upright officials" (xun li), and they would not be different from this.

餘因詢之王君。此命為何許人。王君笑而應之曰。先生言之誠是。惟其姓名。恕守秘密。政界翹楚之一耳。據聞四十歲前。栗碌鮮祥。辰運後。方見風雲際會。蓋早年一派火土運。火之克金。土之克水。大悖于格。自屬坎坷。

I therefore asked Wang Jun: What kind of person is this fate? Wang Jun smiled and replied: You are entirely correct, sir, but as for the name, I must keep it a secret. He is one of the outstanding figures in politics. It is said that before he was forty, he had little success and few good things happened to him; but after entering the Chen cycle, he began to meet great opportunities. This is because in his early years he had a continuous flow of fire and earth fortune. Fire was attacking metal, and earth was attacking water, which greatly contradicted the pattern of "two lines forming an image." A specialized pattern most dislikes something coming to break its purity, so he naturally faced difficulties during those years.

迨辰運之曾成水局。乙卯甲三運。木之洩秀。宜其平地聲雷。登龍門而名高望重。展驥足以氣吐眉揚。寅運沖申，雖有亥合。終屬不利。幸勿戀棧。早退林泉為最妙。

When the Chen cycle comes, Chen combines with Shen and Zi to form a water trinity (the original text says "Zeng Cheng" but should be "Hui Cheng"), restoring the pattern to its pure form; then during the Yi, Mao, and Jia cycles, wood comes to release the refined energy of water — the best situation for two lines forming a pattern is to follow their trend and release it, rather than against it and to suppress. Therefore, he suddenly rises to fame and reputation, like a swift thunderclap, leaping over the dragon gate, as a fine horse finally gets its legs free and feels proud and triumphant. When the Yin cycle comes, Yin conflicts with the month's branch Shen, although sometimes the hidden branch Hai combines with Yin, it is still unfavorable; at that time, it would be best not to cling to official positions and to retire early to the mountains and forests.

辛丑 乙未 己亥 壬申 七歲 丙申 十七 丁酉 廿七 戊戌 三七 己亥 四七 庚子 五七 辛丑

This is the birth chart of a woman renowned for her skill in painting. Her heavenly stem and earthly branch for the year are Xinchou, for the month Yiwei, for the day Jihai, and for the hour Renshen. The day stem Jihai is born in the month of Wei. Starting from age seven, her major years are in sequence Bingshen, Dingyou, Wuxu, Jihai, Gengzi, and Xinchou. The heavenly stem of the year Xinh is yin, and for a woman born in a yin year, the major years are arranged in order. Therefore, starting from the month stem Yiwei, they proceed in sequence to Bingshen, Dingyou, Wuxu, etc. In this chart, the earthly branches Chou and Wei are in conflict, and the heavenly stems Xinh and Yi are in opposition, seeming to be in contention. However, the heavenly stem of the hour Renshen is the wealth, and the Hai branch contains the heavenly stem Meth, which is the official. Wealth can generate official, which is crucial for a woman's marriage fortune.

此蘭英史之命也。女史以善畫名於時。已生未月。身主不弱。地支丑未相沖。天干辛乙交戰。七殺為食神追制。不如亥中甲木正官。寄生於母宮火為美。應以官為夫星。時透壬財。則財以生官。而官不畏傷食剋制。宜其英姿瘋爽。藝術絕倫。益且夫子面美。誠得天獨厚者也。

This is the birth chart of Lan Ying, a woman renowned for her painting skills. The day stem is Ji Earth, born in the month of Wei, where the original strength of the earth element is in command, and the day ruler is not weak. The earth branches have Chou and Wei in conflict, and the heavenly stems have Yi Wood and Xin Metal in struggle. Yi Wood is the seven killer of Ji Earth, while Xin Metal is the food god. The food god closely follows to control the killer, causing the killer to be injured, making it not suitable for use. It is better to take the hidden Meth Wood official in the hour branch Hai. Meth Wood is in Hai and has growth, and it is born from the mother palace (water nourishes wood, so water is called the mother palace of wood). The combination is more harmonious. For a woman's chart, the official star represents the husband. This chart should take Meth Wood official as the husband. The hour stem also reveals Ren Water as wealth, which nourishes the official, giving the official a source, so it is not afraid of food and injury stars to control. It is no wonder she is spirited and graceful, her art surpasses all, and both husband and son stars are harmonious. She truly has extraordinary fortune.

戊戍十年劫財運。始而夫病幾危。繼則自身遇盜。亦云險矣。此後己運平滯。亥運以下。一路金水。蔗境餘甘。頤養安逸。

The Wuxu decade is a period of劫财, where劫财 takes away wealth, and once wealth is harmed, the official star loses its source. At the beginning, the husband falls seriously ill and is almost beyond recovery, then the person themselves encounters theft and robbery, which is also dangerous. After that, during the Ji decade, the situation is plain and stagnant. From the Hai decade onwards, there is a continuous flow of metal and water. Hai is the long life position of the甲 wood official star, and metal and water can nourish wood and moisten earth, leading to a sweet ending in old age, allowing for a peaceful and comfortable retirement. This section can be compared with the previous chapter on "Wife and Wealth": there it explains that for a man's fortune, looking at his wife involves distinguishing between the wife star and the wife palace; here, for a woman's fortune, looking at her husband involves distinguishing between the husband star and the husband palace. The principle is the same, and one cannot judge solely based on a single character.

神峰通考載有一命。為辛丑乙未戊戍庚申。乃重土重金。而只有一木。正官受損太過。運至酉金。再克木。卒至自縊而亡。按此兩命。一以有財。而官不受害。所以福慧雙修。一以無財。而成偏枯之局。終自經於溝瀆。不綦慘乎。總之。女命首重夫子兩星。然求夫子兩宮之並美。更非財星不為功也。

The Shenfeng Comprehensive Examination records a destiny: Xinchou, Yiwei, Wuxu, Gengshen. In this case, the earth is heavy and the metal is also heavy, with only one wood, causing the official star to be excessively damaged. When it reaches the You year, the metal again harms the wood, eventually leading to suicide by hanging. Comparing these two destinies: one has a wealth star (Ren water) in the middle to mediate, so the official star is not harmed, resulting in both wisdom and fortune. The other lacks the wealth star, forming an imbalanced destiny, and finally dies in a ditch, which is very tragic. In summary, for a woman's destiny, the husband and son stars are most important. However, to achieve a perfect husband and son, one cannot succeed without the wealth star. The wealth star can generate the official star and protect it, serving as the key to a woman's destiny. These two destinies are presented side by side, which is the usual contrast method used by Wei's school: same year and month but slightly different configurations, leading to vastly different fortunes and misfortunes.

乙未 甲申 癸巳 丙辰 三歲 癸未 十三 壬午 廿三 辛巳 三三 庚辰 四三 己卯 五三 戊寅

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Yi Wei, of the month Ji Shen, of the day Gui Si, and of the hour Bing Chen. The day's main element, Gui water, is born in the month of Shen. The big destiny starts at age three, in the order Gui Wei, Ren Wu, Xin Si, Geng Chen, Ji Mao, Wu Yin. The heavenly stem of the year, Yi, is yin. For a male's destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month stem Ji Shen, it goes back to Gui Wei, Ren Wu, Xin Si, etc. This case and the one mentioned later of a friend's destiny differ only in the exchange of the year's earthly branch and the day's earthly branch (one is Yi Wei and Gui Si, the other is Yi Si and Gui Wei). The eight characters are exactly the same but in different positions, which perfectly illustrates the distinction of "same character in different positions." This is a rare comparison in the entire text.

漳州中央銀行總理陸維屏君。精研命理。當示余二造。八字相同。惟年支日支易位而已。一即陸君本人之命。（排列如上）一乃其友。廈門交通銀行某君之造。為乙巳甲申癸未丙辰。余曰。癸水生申月。母強子健。辰為水之餘氣。巳申又化水。身不為弱。甲乙丙並透。則木火金水相停。

Mr. Lu Weiping, the governor of the Central Bank of Zhangzhou, has deeply studied the art of divination. He once examined two birth charts for me: both had the same eight characters, but the positions of the year branch and the day branch were swapped. One was Mr. Lu's own birth chart (as listed above), and the other was the birth chart of his friend, a certain gentleman from the Xiamen Communications Bank, which was: Yi Si, Ji Shen, Gui Wei, Bing Chen. I said: The癸water is born in the month of Shen, which is the mother of water. Since the mother is strong, the son is healthy. The Chen is the residual energy of water, and the Si and Shen are in harmony, which can transform water. Therefore, the day's main element is not weak. The heavenly stems of Ji, Yi, and Bing are all revealed, and the four elements of wood, fire, metal, and water are in balance, none being excessive or lacking. Up to this point, the analysis of both charts is exactly the same. Differences appear only in the next level.

惟君造坐巳。巳內有庚金。日主較強，貴友坐未。未為燥土。並中藏木火。日主較弱。所以有異者。君喜逢木火。貴友喜遇金水。揆諸行運。都金水蓋頭。以論環境。或君不如貴友耳。陸君唯唯而退。

Your day branch is巳, which contains hidden庚 metal; metal can generate water, so your day stem is strong. Your friend's day branch is未, which is dry earth and contains hidden wood and fire; these elements drain and consume water, making his day stem weak. The difference lies in this one point: you have a strong body and prefer to meet wood and fire (which drain and consume your strength); your friend has a weak body and prefers to meet metal and water (which generate and support his strength). Now comparing their overall fortune, both have big years with heavenly stems of metal and water 'covering the head' (the heavenly stem of the big year is above the earthly branch). Therefore, in terms of environment, you may actually be worse off than your friend. Master Lu nodded repeatedly and left. This case is most instructive: with the same eight characters, merely changing the day branch leads to completely opposite favorable and unfavorable elements. This is exactly what 'a hair's difference leads to a thousand miles' means.

丙戌 丙申 乙巳 庚辰 三歲 乙未 十三 甲午 廿三 癸巳 三三 壬辰 四三 辛卯 五三 庚寅

This is a female birth chart. The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Bingxu, the month are Bingshen, the day are Yisi, and the hour are Gengchen. The day stem Yi wood is born in the month of Shen (metal). The big destiny starts at age three, with the sequence Yiwei, Jiawu, Guisi, Renchen, Xinmao, Gengyin. Since the heavenly stem of the year Bing is yang and for a female birth chart the order is reversed, the month Bingshen is reversed to Yiwei, Jiawu, Guisi, etc. In early years, the path is towards the southeast, with wood and fire. In this chart, the heavenly stem of the hour Gengjin is the official star (husband star) of Yi wood. It sits in the month of Shen and thus has a strong position. However, the two Bing fire stems in the year and month, along with the fire in the day branch Si, combine to strongly overcome Gengjin. The entire chart lacks water, which is the basis for the analysis of her two marriages.

此乃女命。乙生申月。時座庚金。夫星得祿。惜乎兩丙一巳。克庚太甚。且五行少水。無印幫身。亦屬偏枯之局。更以早年多東南運。故綠窗貧苦。落於寒微之門。初嬪木商，行屆已運。忽失所天。淒涼特甚。

This is a female destiny. The ethereal stem Yi Wood is born in the month of Shen, and the time pillar is occupied by Geng Metal. Geng Metal is strong in Shen, so the husband's star is originally powerful. Unfortunately, the two丙 fires in the year and month, along with the丙 fire in the day branch巳, strongly overcome Geng Metal. The丙 fire is the official star of Yi Wood, and the official star is most capable of harming the husband's star. Moreover, there is a deficiency in the Five Phases of Water, and there is no印 to support the body or to control the official star, which leads to an imbalanced destiny. Furthermore, in early years she traveled through the Southeast Wood and Fire paths, which made the fire even stronger and the official star even more harmed. Therefore, she was born into a humble background and experienced hardship in her youth. "Green window" refers to the dwelling place of a poor woman. She initially married a timber merchant, but when she reached the巳 path, the巳 fire combined with Shen and overcame Geng Metal, leading to her husband's sudden death. Her situation became exceptionally bleak.

三十五歲再醮某醫。醫本無藉藉名，得婦後。生涯激增。門庭若市。十餘年來。盈財鉅萬。家境日隆。查此子之行壬辰辛三運。水金幫夫。或亦與有功歟。婦聞術家言。卯寅運皆多不利。因就詢於餘。余曰。卯運幫身。且蓋頭為辛金。不足為慮。庚運助官。晚境最優。寅運沖申。官根動搖。非自身殲滅。即夫遭不祿。尤以六十一歲丙戍年。危如累卵矣。

At thirty-five, she remarried a doctor. This doctor had no notable reputation before marrying her, but after the marriage, his business suddenly flourished, his house was always full of visitors, and in the course of ten years, he accumulated great wealth, and his family's situation became increasingly prosperous. Checking her three periods of life, the壬 water restrained the丙, the辰 earth generated metal, and the辛 metal assisted the official star, all of which helped the husband's star. This is probably also beneficial—according to the命书, the wife can support the husband, and what is looked at is whether the husband's star is strong in the wife's chart. This woman heard from a fortune teller that the卯 and寅 periods were not very favorable, so she came to ask me. I said: the卯 period is the same zodiac as the husband, which helps the body, and the heavenly stem at the top of the period is 辛 metal, which can protect the official star, so it is not something to worry about. The庚 period directly supports the official star, and the later years will be the best. The寅 period conflicts with the monthly branch 申, causing the foundation of the official star to be shaken; it is not the woman who suffers, but the husband who may face misfortune; especially in theBingxu year at the age of sixty-one, the丙 fire will again restrain the庚 metal, and the situation will be as precarious as a stack of eggs.

甲辰 丁丑 辛未 戊戌 二歲 戊寅 十二 己卯 廿二 庚辰 三二 辛巳 四二 壬午 五二 癸未

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Jiachen, the month Dingchou, the day Xinwei, and the hour Wuxu. The day stem is Xin metal, born in the month of Chou. Starting from the age of two, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Wuyin, Jimao, Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu, and Guiwei. The heavenly stem of the year, Ji wood, is yang, and for a male destiny, it proceeds in the order of the month. Therefore, from Dingchou, it proceeds in order to Wuyin, Jimao, Gengchen, and so on. In this case, the earthly branches include four earth repositories: Chen, Chou, Wei, and Xu, all of which are earth. The heavenly stem of the hour also reveals Wutu, so the earth is abundant and the Xin metal is weak. The phrase "heavy earth burying metal" is immediately apparent. The heavenly stem of the year, Ji wood, could normally remove the earth, but it is instead drained by the heavenly stem of the month, Ding fire. This is the root of the problem. The subsequent selection of elements and the comparison with the case of a juren (a person who passed the imperial examination) are all based on this.

此為杜白先生之命。杜先生供職郵局。客歲從餘學命。一年來頗見猛進。近蒙討論其本命之喜忌。余曰。辛生冬尾春前。四支皆土。時座透戊。則更不免土重金埋。年頭甲木。足可制土。何奈丁火毗鄰。洩木生土。病根深矣。

This is the birth chart of Du Bai先生. Du先生 works in the post office, and last year he began studying astrology with me. In the past year, he has made rapid progress. Recently, he discussed with me the favorable and unfavorable elements in his own birth chart. I said:辛 gold is born in the twelfth month, which is the end of winter and the beginning of spring. All four earthly branches are earth, and the time pillar also reveals Wu earth. This inevitably leads to excessive earth burying the gold. 辛 gold is a soft and delicate metal, like a pearl or jade, which is most afraid of thick earth covering it. It is not like 庚 gold, which is hard and dull, and can be nourished by earth. The heavenly stem at the year pillar, 甲 wood, is originally sufficient to control the earth, but unfortunately, 丁 fire is closely adjacent, which dissipates the energy of 甲 wood and instead nourishes the earth. One dissipation and one nourishment, the root of the problem becomes deep. This is what the divination texts call "disease": there is originally a supportive element, but it is secretly destroyed by another element.

自喜水之克丁。木之疏土。而獨忌火土之助虐。逢金雖傷甲木。但能幫身。稍解母旺子虛之苦。不作劣論。一生以庚辛運足可溫飽。壬運合丁。如鴻毛遇風。飄然而舉。枯苗得雨。勃然而舉。巳午運生土堪憂。幸蓋頭為辛壬。天不困人。瑕瑜互見而已。

Therefore, he naturally prefers water to overcome the Ding fire and wood to loosen the earth's energy, while specifically avoiding fire and earth that would exacerbate his condition. When encountering metal, although metal overcomes Jia wood and injures the saving deity, it can support the day master and slightly alleviate the hardship of "mother's excess causing the child's deficiency" (earth being the mother, metal the child; excessive mother energy harms the child). Thus, it is not a bad fortune. Throughout his life, the years of Geng and Xin are sufficient for basic sustenance. The years of Ren combine with Ding fire, restraining the harmful deity that drains wood and generates earth, just like a feather encountering wind, rising effortlessly; or a withered crop meeting rain, suddenly reviving. The years of Si and Wu involve fire generating earth, which is cause for concern; fortunately, the heavenly stems covering these years are Xin and Ren, which can reduce the strength of the earth branches, so heaven does not completely cut off his path, though it is a mixture of good and bad.

三命通會載有一舉人命。為甲寅丁丑辛未戊戍。與君造僅差一字。緣甲坐寅位。財較得力。制土功深。所以有刺謬之別矣。然亦以丁火為病。故功名止於孝廉。不能再進官階也。

The *Complete Compendium of the Three Fates* records the fate of a candidate who had the birth chart of Jiayin, Dingchou, Xinwei, and Wuxu. His fate differed from that of Du's only by one character—the year branch Chen being changed to Yin. Because the Jia wood was sitting on the Yin position—Yin is the禄 (favorable position) for Jia wood, meaning the wood had its root—this greatly strengthened the wealth star (wood is the wealth for Xin metal). The wood was able to restrain the group of earths more effectively, so the results of the two charts were very different (the original text says "ci miao" which is "la miao," meaning contradictory). However, the other chart also had Ding fire as the illness, so his official rank only reached the level of a candidate (the old name for a juren is "xiaolian"). He could not advance further. In the same eight characters, changing one character made one person only able to live comfortably and the other pass the juren examination. Both were still restricted by the same illness star—this is the favorite contrast method used in this book.