The birth chart of Jin Jun of Zhenjiang is as follows:

己亥 乙亥 丙戌 壬辰 三歲 甲戌 十三 癸酉 廿三 壬申 三三 辛未 四三 庚午 五三 己巳 六三 戊辰

The year pillar is Jihai, the month pillar Yihai, the day pillar Bingxu, and the hour pillar Guichen. The day master is Bing fire, born in the Hai month. The big destiny starts at age three, with the sequence of big destiny pillars: Jiaxu, Guiyou, Renshen, Xinwei, Gengwu, Jisi, and Wuchen. The year pillar dry branch is Ji, which is yin, and for a male's destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Yihai, it goes back to Jiaxu, Guiyou, Renshen, etc., and in the middle part, it moves into the southern fire region. There are two Hais and one Ren, so water is strong and the Bing fire is weakened. The Chen and Xux pillars also conflict, shaking the root of the day master. The person himself studied divination for over ten years but could not determine the useful god. The author's choice is among Ji earth, Yi wood, and the hidden Jia wood in Hai, distinguishing very carefully.

此鎮江人金君之命。金君自言。研究子平之學，已十有餘年。對於本人八字這用神。終難取定。因聞餘名。特就詢焉。余曰。丙生初冬。支見兩亥。辰戍又沖。壬再透干。病於水多少弱。識者非用己土以制水。即用乙木以生火。

This is the birth chart of Jin Jun, a man from Zhenjiang. Jin Jun himself said that he has studied the art of Zi Ping for over ten years, yet he has never been able to determine the useful god for his own birth chart. Therefore, he specially came to ask me. I said: The丙 fire is born in early winter, and there are two亥 in the earthly branches. The辰 and 戌 are in conflict, causing the day's main element to lose its root. The壬 water appears in the hour's heavenly stem, so the problem is that there is too much water and the fire is weak (the original text says 'water is much and weak', but '少' should be '火'). Those who understand the art of divination either advocate using the heavenly stem of the year, 己 earth, to control the water, or suggest using the heavenly stem of the month, 乙 wood, to nourish the fire. Both of these views have some reasoning, but they are both not thoroughly examined. I will now proceed to refute them one by one, thereby revealing the true skill in selecting the useful god.

殊不知己為 溼之土。只可納水。焉能鎮水。況又毗鄰乙木之虎視眈眈。更難以立足矣。乙木雖能生火。惟因水重太過。本身力量太輕。不無乘桴桴海之歡。此所以亦難為泰山之靠者。

One does not realize that the Ji earth is moist earth, capable only of holding water, and unable to hold it back; moreover, it is adjacent to the Yi wood, which watches intently (wood controls earth), making it even more difficult to stand firm. Although Yi wood can generate fire, the water is too heavy and the Yi wood itself is too weak, leading to a lamentation of drifting on a raft upon the sea, like the saying from the Analects, indicating a lack of security. Therefore, it is also difficult to serve as a reliable support like Mount Tai. The first approach uses earth to control water, but the earth is moist; the second approach uses wood to generate fire, but the wood is floating. Both paths are unworkable.

則亥中甲木。既得長生而進氣。可洩水生木，中流砥柱。功自非淺。所謂用神。舍此莫屬矣。早年只甲運優裕。曇花一現。餘皆碌碌無奇。三十八歲之未運。四十八歲之午運。皆屬火土。不難破壁而飛。脫穎而出。

Then only the hidden Jia wood in Hai remains: Jia wood gains "growth" in Hai, which is the time when it begins to flourish. It can drain the overflowing water to nourish fire (the original text says "drain water to generate wood," but "wood" should be "fire"). Like a central pillar, its contribution is naturally significant. So-called "useful god" has no other choice but this. Although both Jia and Yi wood are wood, Yi wood is floating while Jia wood has a root, and the difference lies in whether it can gain the "growth" position. In early years, only the Jia wood period brings prosperity, but it is only a brief moment, and the rest are unremarkable. The Wei period at age thirty-eight and the Wu period at age forty-eight both belong to fire and earth, and at those times, it would not be difficult to break through and stand out.

至於水流太過。終患遠一。則風塵僕僕。南楚北燕。天涯飄走。迄無遐逸境遇。乃命局早已生成。無可挽救耳。

As for the case where water flows excessively and erratically, it ultimately becomes a hidden danger, so he spent his whole life traveling constantly, moving south to the Chu region and north to the Yan region, wandering far and wide without ever finding a peaceful situation. This was already determined by his destiny and could not be changed. Earlier, in the chapter on 'Career', it said, 'If the Five Phases require water, or if one's destiny includes the Post-horse, it is suitable for a mobile career.' This case, with excessive water and constant wandering, is exactly the same principle applied to human affairs.

乙巳 戊子 乙巳 戊寅 九歲 丁亥 十九 丙戌 廿九 乙酉 三九 甲申 四九 癸未 五九 壬午

The year pillar is Yi Si, the month pillar is Wu Zi, the day pillar is Yi Si, and the hour pillar is Wu Yin. The day stem Yi Wood is born in the month of Zi. Starting from age nine, the big destiny runs in the order of Ding Hai, Bing Xu, Yi You, Ji Shen, Gui Wei, Ren Wu. The year stem Yi is yin, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so from the month pillar Wu Zi, it goes back to Ding Hai, Bing Xu, Yi You, and so on. The month branch Zi Water nourishes Wood, the hour branch Yin is the Prosperity position for Yi Wood, and the year stem also has Yi Wood as a helper, so the supporting side is not weak. On the other hand, two Wu Earths control Water, and two Si Fires drain Wood, so the restraining side is also not light. Both sides are balanced, so the text says it is "neither strong nor weak." This is the only case in the entire book that specifically discusses a balanced and harmonious destiny.

論偏枯之命局易。推中和之命局騅。此為略識命理之人。所共知者也。今以鎮江人孫君之命為例。乙誕子月。水旺木健。時下得寅木帝旺。年上見乙木比肩則應以身強論。然兩戊克水。兩己洩木。抑挫之力。尤歷於所幫所助者。

Discussing命局 with bias and deficiency is easy, while analyzing balanced and harmonious命局 is difficult (the original text "骓" should be "难"). This is something that even those with a basic understanding of命理 know. Now let's take the case of Sun Jun from Zhenjiang. The ethereal wood (乙木) is born in the month of Zi (子), where water is strong, thus nourishing and strengthening the wood; the hour branch is also Yin (寅), which is the Prosperity (帝旺) position for ethereal wood; and there is another ethereal wood (乙木) as a helper in the year stem. Based on these points, it should be judged as a strong body. However, there are two戊土 in the heavenly stems that restrain the Zi water, and two巳火 in the earthly branches that drain the wood's energy (the original text "两己" should be "两巳"). The forces of restraint and drainage even exceed the forces of support. One side is strong, the other is restrained, and they are exactly balanced.

強之程度。僅堪任財弱之地步。亦非至險。只可稱其不強不弱。故既難論其喜忌。更難推歲運之休咎。然有一法焉。行幫身運。貴逢財官之年。行財官運。則喜幫身之年。若歲運皆屬生扶或抑挫，即趨於偏枯。而非中和八字所宜矣。

Thus, the strength of the day master is only sufficient to bear a thin fortune, but it is not dangerous, so it can only be described as neither strong nor weak. Since this is the case, it is difficult to determine what is favorable or unfavorable, and even more so to predict the fortune of the big years and the flow years. However, there is another method: when the big year and flow year support the day master, it is important to encounter a year (or flow year) that brings wealth and official positions (the big year and flow year support the day master, while the year and flow year consume the day master, balancing each other out); when the big year and flow year bring wealth and official positions, it is favorable to encounter a year that supports the day master. If the big year and flow year are both supportive or both inhibiting, and they all go in the same direction, the destiny pattern will tend toward imbalance, which is not suitable for a balanced八字. This is the most subtle point in this book regarding the analysis of years and flow years: for a balanced八字, we do not look at the quality of the flow year itself, but rather whether the flow year and the year can balance each other out.

是以孫君命造。丙運以甲乙流年。勝於丙丁。戍運則庚辛年不如壬癸。乙運愛洩化。酉運又喜幫扶。餘運可以類推。總之。此種命局。不在少數。合歲運而互相平衡。方為貴也。

Therefore, Sun Jun's birth chart: when in the Bing (Fire) decade (Fire drains Wood), encountering Jia or Yi (Wood) in the natal year is better than encountering Bing or Ding (Fire); when in the Xu (Earth) decade (Earth consumes the body), encountering Geng or Xin (Metal) is worse than encountering Ren or Gui (Water) (Water nourishes the body); when in the Yi (Wood) decade (Wood supports the body), it is preferable for the natal year to drain or transform the energy; when in the You (Metal) decade (Metal overcomes the body), it is preferable for the natal year to support the body. The rest can be inferred in the same way. In summary, this type of birth chart is quite common, and it is essential to consider both the big decade and the natal year together, so that they can balance each other, which is considered valuable.

壬午 丙午 丙戌 庚寅 八歲 丁未 十八 戊申 廿八 己酉 三八 庚戌 四八 辛亥 五八 壬子

The year pillar is Renwu, the month pillar is Bingwu, the day pillar is Bingxu, and the hour pillar is Gengyin. The day stem is Bing fire, born in the month of Wu, which is the fire month. Starting from the age of eight, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Dingwei, Wushen, Jiyou, Gengxu, Xinhai, and Renzi. The heavenly stem of the year, Ren, is yang. For a male destiny, the sequence is followed in order, so from the month pillar Bingwu, it proceeds to Dingwei, Wushen, Jiyou, and so on. In this case, the earth branches Yin, Wu, and Xu form the triple harmony of fire, and the two Wu branches are both the Yangren (sharpness) of Bing fire. The heavenly stems Geng metal is the wealth and Ren water is the killing. The fire is raging and the wealth and killing are nearby, creating an extremely fierce and fierce situation. The following interpretation and advice all stem from this.

某翁告我一悍匪之命。此匪徒眾逾千。犯案山積。然得逍遙法外。餘視其丙日而支全寅午戍。已秉一方之旺氣。兩見陽刃。干得財殺。宜其兇悍無比。

An old gentleman told me the destiny of a fierce bandit. This bandit had thousands of followers and committed countless crimes, yet managed to remain unpunished. I observed that his day stem was Bing fire, and his earthly branches included寅, 午, and 戌, forming a complete fire trine, indicating he had received the strong energy of the south. He also had two instances of the Yang Blade (Yangren), which is the prosperous branch for yang stems, with the Bing blade located at 午, which is extremely fierce and sharp in nature, making his temperament violent. His heavenly stem also had庚 gold as wealth and 壬 water as a killer. A strong blade indicates a fierce nature, while wealth and killer signs indicate competition and conflict. It is no wonder he was so fierce and brutal. This matches the description in the "Character Traits" chapter, under the section "When the body is strong and there is no suppression in the birth chart," which states "cruel and aggressive, bullying the weak," exactly describing the same type of person.

雖不流芳百世。亦能遺臭萬年。然倘能分行直道。擇善而從。未始非果敢傑出這才。為國效用。亦足膺干城之選。豈不懿哉。若仍為非作歹。橫行不法。恐天網恢張。難逃子運。蓋沖刃出鞘。斧斤當頭。意中事耳。

This kind of person may not be remembered for good deeds, but could be remembered for bad ones. However, if they choose to follow the right path and do good, they could become brave and outstanding talents, suitable for the country's service, and worthy of being selected as capable officials. That would be very good. But if they continue to do wrong and act unlawfully, they might be caught by the vast heavenly net, inevitably facing the "zi" destiny. "Zi" and "wu" are in opposition, and "zi" can trigger the "yangren" (a sharp weapon), leading to the arrival of swords and axes, which is expected. When "yangren" meets opposition, it is the most dangerous combination in destiny books. Here, the author makes a clear judgment and also leaves a warning to encourage people to change their ways.

戊辰 己未 己未 辛未 八歲 庚申 十八 辛酉 廿八 壬戌 三八 癸亥 四八 甲子 五八 乙丑

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Wuchen, of the month Jiwei, of the day Jiwei, and of the hour Xinyou. The day stem Ji is earth, born in the month of Wei, which is earth. Starting from the age of eight, the great destiny progresses in the order of Gengshen, Xinyou, Renxu, Guihai, Jiazi, Yichou. The heavenly stem of the year, Wu, is yang. For a male destiny, the progression is in the order of the month, so from Jiwei, it proceeds to Gengshen, Xinyou, Renxu, and so on, following the sequence of metal, water, and wood. Throughout his life, there is no fire or earth. In this entire set of eight characters, earth appears seven times (Wu, Chen, Ji, Wei, Ji, Wei, Wei), and only the heavenly stem of the hour, Xin, is metal. This is born in the month of Wei, which is strong in fire and earth, leading to an extreme imbalance. All the discussion centers around the five words "the destiny is biased but the fortune is supportive."

福建人林文波先生。在閩知餘已久。比者以事來申。造訪余處。囑評其本人之命外。又垂詢其猶子命造。余曰。八字土得其七。況值火土並旺之候。強。盛。旺。蓋達極點。若非時上辛金。秀氣焉得發越。然終有土重金埋。火多金熔之患而病偏枯太甚。

Fujian native Lin Wenbo once heard my name in the Minzhong area. Recently, he came to Shanghai for some business and visited me. In addition to asking me to assess his own destiny, he also inquired about his nephew's birth chart. I said: In these eight characters, there are seven instances of earth, and moreover, he was born during a time when fire and earth are both strong. Strength, prosperity, and vitality have all reached their peak. If it were not for this single Xin metal in the hour stem, where would the refined quality come from? (With too much earth, the metal is drained, which is exactly the method of "when there is excess, drain its child.") However, there is still the hidden danger of heavy earth burying the metal and excessive fire melting the metal. The illness lies in the extreme imbalance.

幸也。行運一路金水木。終身不逢火土。則豐裕顯達。發揚蹈歷。正如苗吐含葩。不旋踵而芬芳麗藻。矯強特立於社會中。固非凡庸一流。設無行運以濟之。直一殘廢飲恨之人耳。

Fortunately, his fortune progresses through the elements of metal, water, and wood, and he will never encounter fire or earth throughout his life. Metal supports and enhances the metal, water moistens the dry earth, and wood疏thickens the earth, all of which are appropriate. Thus, he can achieve prosperity and success, and realize his potential, just like a flower bud blooming into a flower, suddenly becoming fragrant and brilliant, standing out prominently in society, not an ordinary person. If there were no such fortune to support him, he would merely be a disabled person, lamenting his fate. When the destiny is lacking but the fortune is supportive, as mentioned in the previous case by Qian Jingyong, this case is even more extreme and clearly demonstrates the importance of fortune.

餘閱命我矣。近世孩童之造。輒以偏枯為病。而行運每能相濟。且都綿互數十年之久。故恆以一帆風順。有為相期許。子思作中庸。有曰。國家將興。必有禎祥。此亦禎祥之兆。誠如斯言。儻天不欲久困中國非耶。

I have seen many命 (destinies): recently, the命 of children I have observed often show a deficiency in one aspect, but their fortune often comes to their aid, and this usually lasts for several decades. Therefore, they can often be expected to have smooth sailing and great achievements. Zi Si wrote in the "Zhongyong" that "when a country is about to flourish, there will be auspicious signs." This might also be an auspicious sign. If this is indeed the case, then heaven probably does not intend to keep China in hardship for long. This passage is rare in the book for linking destiny with the state's fortune, showing the author's mindset at the time of writing.

甲子 丙子 丙子 戊子 五歲 十五 廿五 三五 四五 五五 六五

The heavenly stem of the year pillar is Jiazi, the month pillar is Bingzi, the day pillar is Bingzi, and the hour pillar is Wuzi. The day master is Bing fire, born in the month of Zi water. In the section for the big years, the original text is missing some characters: only the ages of five, fifteen, twenty-five, thirty-five, forty-five, fifty-five, and sixty-five are present, and all the dry and wet stems for each step are missing. The current record is kept as it is, without any additions. This birth chart has four Zi water branches, and the heavenly stems Jia, Bing, and Wu each appear once. This is a rare pattern of all branches being the same. The water in Zi contains癸 water, which is the official of Bing fire, and Jia wood is the biased scholar of Bing fire. Using the scholar to transform the official is a favorable configuration. Unfortunately, the child died from an epidemic in the year Gengwu in July, and none of the big years were reached.

庚午新正。吳君以此命垂詢。余曰。地支子水一氣。天干甲丙戊。寒暖相濟。用偏印以化官。佳造也。惟本年庚午。與四子相沖。午為丙刃。刃之為物。暴戾而不易馴伏。若再逢沖。為禍尤烈。恐如朝露之易稀。畫錦前程。或不可得。惜哉。

In the year of Gengwu, in the first lunar month, Wu Jun brought this birth chart to me for consultation. I said: The four Zi water branches are connected in a continuous sequence, and the heavenly stems include Jia, Bing, and Wu, which balance cold and warmth. Taking Jia wood as the biased official star, it transforms the official star's energy to nourish the self, making this birth chart a good one. However, this year is Gengwu, and the Wu branch conflicts with the four Zi branches; Wu is also the Yangren of Bing fire. Yangren is a fierce and uncontrollable element. If it meets a conflict, the harm will be especially severe. The four Zi waters conflict with one Wu fire, many waters rushing at one fire, uprooting the root of the Yangren. It is feared that the life is as fleeting as morning dew, easily disappearing, and the splendid prospects may not be achieved, which is a pity.

吳君佛然不悅。蓋所詢者。即其少君之命。且繫單傳也。後聞此孩固於庚午七月。染疫而死。病僅一日耳。夫刃之逢沖。若無解救。微論身強身弱。禍變接踵而至。如影隨形。如響斯應。此亦研究命學者。所不可知也。

Wu Jun heard this and became greatly displeased, for he had asked about the fate of his own son, and it was his only son. Later he heard that the child indeed died of an epidemic in the Gengwu year in the seventh lunar month, and was ill for only one day. When the Yangren is confronted by a clash, if there is no other character to save it, whether the person is strong or weak, misfortune will follow closely, like a shadow, and as certain as an echo. This is something that those who study divination must not be unaware of. This case is the same as the previous one about the fierce bandit, both illustrating the situation of Yangren being confronted by a clash: one case should result in being attacked by weapons, the other in an early death. Although the forms of misfortune are different, the underlying mechanism is the same.

辛巳 辛丑 庚申 辛巳 六歲 庚子 十六 己亥 廿六 戊戌 三六 丁酉 四六 丙申 五六 乙未

The heavenly stems are Xinsi, Xinchou, Gengshen, and Xinsi for the year, month, day, and hour pillars respectively. The day stem Geng metal is born in the month of Chou. Starting from age six, the big luck cycle is Gengzi, Jihai, Wuxu, Dingyou, Bingshen, and Yiwei in order. The heavenly stem Xin is yin, and for a male's fortune, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Xinchou, it goes back to Gengzi, Jihai, Wuxu, etc. In this case, there are three Xin stems and one Geng stem in the heavenly stems, all being metal. The earthly branches include Si, Chou, and Shen, which are the growth, repository, and禄 of metal respectively. There is no place where the foundation of metal is missing, which belongs to "Yixing de qi" (one school of energy). Born in late winter, metal is cold and not in its season, relying entirely on the丙 fire in Si to refine and warm it.

此李國傑先生之命造。干上庚庚辛酉方一氣。支下已為金之長生。丑為金之庫門。申為金這祿地。乃屬一行得氣。時在季冬。金寒而失令。則較遜色。故用已內同丙火。以煉其銳。以驅其寒，前行柄丁運。豈裕顯赫。

This is the birth chart of Mr. Li Guojie. In the heavenly stems, both Geng and Xin are present, indicating a single flow of metal from the west (the original text mistakenly writes "Geng Geng Xin You Fang," which should be "Geng Xin... western flow"). In the earthly branches, Si is the place where metal is born, Chou is the repository of metal, and Shen is the禄 (favorable position) of metal, so overall, the foundation of metal is strong, which is referred to as "Yixing de qi" — a pattern where one of the five elements dominates the entire chart and the energy flows smoothly. However, the month is the third winter month, December, when metal is cold and not in its season, so the strength is somewhat diminished. Therefore, the hidden丙 fire in Si is used to first refine the sharpness of metal and second to dispel its coldness. The previous丙 and丁 years (the original text mistakenly writes "bing ding yun" which should be "bing ding yun") exactly fit this purpose, which is why he achieved great success.

申運壬申年。因招商局岣案而入獄。良以歲運皆申。丙火用神監於病地。又受壬水之克。一時蠖屈。所不免耳。書云。丙臨申位逢陽水難獲延年。其不遭萎亡。萬屬萬幸矣。未來之乙木運。丙子下丑兩火年。東南並行。剝極必復。大器堪期於晚也。

In the Renshen year of the Sheng (申) decade, he was imprisoned due to the case involving the Merchants' Bureau. This was because both the big destiny period and the flowing year were in Sheng. The useful god,丙 fire, reached the "disease" position in the twelve growths (the disease position, where the energy has already declined; the original text says "monitoring" but should be "reaching"), and was further attacked by the壬 water. He was temporarily wronged, like the尺蠖 bending, which was unavoidable. The destiny books say, "When 丙 is at the Sheng position and meets yang water, it is hard to gain longevity." He was fortunate not to die. In the future, during the wood destiny period, combined with the Bingzi and Dingchou fire years (the original text says "Bingzi below Chou" but should be "Bingzi and Dingchou"), the east and south will be in harmony. Wood will generate fire, and fire will refine metal. After extreme decline comes recovery, and great achievements can be expected in later years.

己巳 丁丑 乙丑 乙酉 八歲 戊寅 十八 己卯 廿八 庚辰 三八 辛巳 四八 壬午 五八 癸未

This is a female destiny. The birth year pillar is Ji Si, the month pillar is Ding Chou, the day pillar is Yi Chou, and the hour pillar is Yi You. The day stem Yi Wood is born in the Chou month. The big years start from age eight, in sequence: Wu Yin, Ji Mao, Geng Chen, Xin Si, Ren Wu, Gui Wei. The year stem Ji is yin, and for a female destiny, the sequence is in order, so from the month pillar Ding Chou, it proceeds in order to Wu Yin, Ji Mao, Geng Chen, etc. In this destiny, the earth branches Si, You, and Chou form a complete triple harmony of metal, and metal is the official and killer for Yi Wood, the husband's star is in a group and thus prosperous. The heavenly stems Ding fire warms the wood, Ji earth nourishes the wood, and the two Yis support the body. Each of the four characters has its own use, none is useless, making this a very clean and well-configured female destiny.

此乃坤命。為海上某聞人之女公子。庚午孟春既望。舉歸湯餅。大江南北。各界名流均往道賀。極一時這盛。所收禮份。傳有十五萬元之鉅。固足豪矣。然亦有命焉。非可偶致也。

this is the birth chart of a woman, the daughter of a well-known person from shanghai. on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month in the year gengwu, a baby-naming banquet (known as "tangbing," or a baby's first birthday celebration) was held for her. famous people from all over the yangtze river basin attended to congratulate her, making it a grand event. it is said that the gifts received amounted to as much as 150,000 yuan, which was indeed very luxurious. however, there is also a destiny involved here, not something that could be obtained by chance. the author records this incident not out of envy for the grandeur, but to illustrate that even the auspicious atmosphere at birth, such as the family's status, is included in the harmony of the eight characters.

蓋寒木。逢丁而暖。得已而培。得乙而盛。干上一無廢物。支全已酉丑。則偏官會局。夫星更昌。從德之美滿。何待言哉。或病水淺印缺。殊不知丑月丑日。為虛溼之地。正喜壬癸未透。庶不飄浮為患。

Because the wood in the severe winter is warmed by the fire of Ding, nourished by the earth of Ji, and supported by the same kind of wood of Yi, none of the four heavenly stems are useless. The earthly branches of Si, You, and Chou form a metal trinity, which overcomes the wood of Yi. Since the yin and yang are the same, it is called "biased official" (seven killing stars). The husband star is in a trinity and thus flourishes; the perfection of following the husband's virtue needs no further explanation. Some criticize it for having shallow water and lacking the mother (water) support. But they do not realize that the month and day are both Chou, which is a moist and empty land, so the water energy is already sufficient. It is actually good that the water of Ren and Gui does not appear in the heavenly stem, so that there is no danger of excessive water causing the wood to float. This reasoning is consistent with the previous case of the Jiangsu gold master, who said that wet earth can only receive water but cannot control it. To assess whether there is too much or too little water, one should not merely count how many water characters appear in the heavenly stems.

故行運一路土金木炎。福祿綿互。肖明昌熾方興未艾。直至壬癸兩運。始見遜色耳。夫寒弱之木。不宜多水。祇喜木火，嘗見冬木孤寒之命。走水運而傾家蕩產。走木火運而倉滿庫勇者。不知凡幾。若泥於衰則喜幫。而以印為喜見者。失諸毫釐。差以千里矣。

Therefore, her fortune has been progressing through the earth, metal, wood, and fire elements, bringing long-lasting blessings and prosperity, with things still in their rising phase. It is only when she reaches the jin and gui periods that her fortune begins to decline. Generally speaking, weak wood does not benefit from too much water; it prefers wood and fire instead. I have seen many命 (destinies) of isolated and cold wood in winter, which led to financial ruin when they entered the water period, but became prosperous with full granaries and storehouses when they entered the wood and fire periods. I don't know how many such cases there are. If one rigidly adheres to the old saying that "when something is weak, it prefers support," thinking that the印绶 (water nourishing wood) is definitely a favorable element, then one would be off by a hair's breadth and make a mistake of a thousand miles. This is the most important point in this book regarding the discussion of seasonal conditions: although a weak body naturally prefers the印 (nourishing element), the coldest wood most urgently needs warmth, not another layer of water.

癸未 乙卯 乙亥 戊寅 十歲 甲寅 廿十 癸丑 三十 壬子 四十 辛亥 五十 庚戌 六十 己酉

The year pillar is Guiwei, the month pillar is Yimao, the day pillar is Yihai, and the hour pillar is Wuyin. The day stem is Yimao, and the person was born in the month of Mao. Starting from the age of ten, the ten great years are in order: Jiayin, Guichou, Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, Jiyou. The heavenly stem of the year is Gui, which is yin. For a male, the order is reversed, so starting from the month pillar Yimao, it goes back to Jiayin, Guichou, Renzi, etc. The earth branches include Hai, Mao, and Wei, forming the triple harmony of wood. The four pillars have no metal at all, which perfectly meets the conditions of the "Qu Zhi Ren Shou" pattern. The hour pillar is Wuyin, where Yin is the strong and flourishing place of wood, and also the place of birth for fire and earth. Therefore, the pattern becomes even more solid.

此命不識其姓氏。亦由平翁告我行。據云。乃上海工部局小工頭目。已積資成富。生活歽優。余曰乙誕仲春。支全亥卯未。為曲直仁壽格。所喜四柱絕金。格局無破。時落戊寅。寅為火土生地。木之祿旺，則流通秀氣堅固格局。更如錦上添花。是宜由漸入豐。空拳致富者也。

This person's birth chart does not indicate his surname, and it was told to me by an old gentleman named Ping. It is said that he was a small foreman in the Shanghai Municipal Council, and he had accumulated a certain amount of property, living a rather comfortable life. I said: the ethereal wood (Yi wood) is born in the middle of spring, February, with the earthly branches亥, 卯, 未 forming a complete wooden trinity, which is the "Curved and Straight Kindness and Longevity Pattern"; it is fortunate that there is no metal in the four pillars, so the pattern is not damaged. The most忌 of a specialized and strong pattern is for a single foreign element to break it. Previously, an old case broke the pattern because the year branch had the hidden metal辛 in the丑. One can compare these two cases. The time pillar falls onWuyin: 寅 is the long life place of fire and earth, and also the strong position of wood. It can circulate the refined essence of wood and strengthen the pattern, which is like adding flowers to a rich tapestry. Therefore, he was able to gradually accumulate wealth and become rich from nothing.

前行之運。都屬水鄉。頗見安順。現行庚金。不利於格。順中防逆。還增流年無金。滯而不凶。戍運為火庫。為燥土。豪富無疑已運有乙木之奪。蓋即美中不足，狗尾續貂矣。

Previously, the path followed was in the water region, where water generated wood and followed its trend, so it was quite smooth and harmonious. Now, the path is in the metal (Geng) phase, where metal controls wood, which is unfavorable for the structure, so even in favorable conditions, there is a risk of reversal; fortunately, there is no metal in the flow of the year to support it, so it is only obstructed but not dangerous. The Xu phase is a fire warehouse and also dry earth; fire releases wood and shows its brilliance, while earth is the wealth of wood, so great wealth is certain. As for the Ji phase, there is the Yi wood to compete and take away (Yi wood controls Ji earth, wealth is robbed), which is a slight deficiency, like adding a dog's tail to a peacock's tail.

平翁質余曰。命局既如是雋美。何以不和名公鉅卿。豈必好命。熙來攘往。寧及此群之優遊穩固。且駕手數午千工人之上，鶴立對外開放群。亦不失無冕帝持之樂也。西漢黃霸月雲。無官在職。一身爽輕。若此命造。雖少印綬之掌綰。詎不愈於會高堂。騎大馬之顯達耶。

Master Ping asked me: If the destiny is so excellent, why isn't he a prominent official or a great minister? (The original text has many errors and omissions, making it difficult to understand every sentence. I have recorded the original text and provided an explanation based on the general meaning.) The author replied: Why must a good destiny necessarily lead to becoming a prominent official or a great minister? The official world is full of hustle and bustle, how can it compare with the ease and stability of this person? Moreover, he manages thousands of workers, standing out among the crowd, which is also a kind of joy of an unofficial king. Huang Ba of the Western Han dynasty said, "Without an official post, one's body is light." For such a destiny, although lacking the official seal and the official ribbon, isn't it better than those who sit in high halls and ride big horses? This passage can be compared with the section on "Career" under the item "When there are many劫, it is suitable for a free profession," showing the author's open-minded view on poverty, wealth, nobility, and humility.

丁未 丁未 丁丑 丁未 七歲 丙午 十七 乙巳 廿七 甲辰 三七 癸卯 四七 壬寅 五七 辛丑

The heavenly stem of the year column is Ding, the heavenly stem of the month column is Ding, the heavenly stem of the day column is Ding, and the heavenly stem of the hour column is Ding; the four heavenly stems are all Ding fire, which is called "heavenly stem of one kind" in the book of destiny. The four earthly branches consist of three Wei and one Chou, all being earth, with fire and earth mutually generating. The day branch Chou conflicts with the three Wei branches, which is the only moving point in the entire chart. The success or failure discussed later depends on this conflict.

此造本人。亦諳子平之學。自謂必死於已運。及至庚午年。殆因環境槷。竟作屈原投海以自盡。幸為水警撈救。終不獲死。餘視其命運。天干丁火一氣。地支土星重疊。火土相生。正滴天髓所謂天全一氣地德載。亦命理約言所稱兩神成象。格局非下乘。胡為作消極之舉。類匹夫之。方作溝瀆之經乎。

This person himself understood the principles of Zi Ping, and he predicted that he would surely die in the Si (Snake) period. When the Gengwu (Metal Fire) year came, probably due to forced circumstances (the original text says "environmental pressure," with "槷" likely meaning "constriction" or "pressure"), he eventually followed Qu Yuan's example and committed suicide by drowning in water, but was fortunately rescued by the water police and did not die. Looking at his destiny: there are four Ding Fire in the heavenly stems, all the same, and the earthly branches have repeated earth elements. Fire and earth mutually generate, which is exactly what the "Di Tian Mei" (Drop of Heaven's Dew) says: "The heavens are fully unified, and the earth's virtue carries it." This is also what the "Ming Li Yue Yan" (Essentials of Destiny) refers to as "two deities forming an image" — the entire chart only contains fire and earth elements, which mutually generate to form a single image. The pattern is not low, so why take such a negative action, like a common man or woman hanging himself in a ditch?

丑未一沖。土金沖動。丁火之精英。更足以發越。萬為貴徵。已運為丁之帝旺。火炎太甚。自不為喜。庚午年因有庚金之故。所以死而復活。現行甲運，亦助火炎。侷促如故。辰支為溼土。清潤全局。應見起色。

The day branch Chou is in conflict with three Weis, thus stirring out the hidden Xin metal and Gui water within Chou—earth moves and metal appears, allowing the refined essence of Ding fire to flourish, which is actually a sign of high status. The巳 (Si) year is the Prosperity for Ding fire, so excessive fire is not desirable. Although the Gengwu year was unfavorable, there was still Geng metal emerging (metal is the wealth of Ding fire, and the hidden god within Chou gained strength), so it was a revival from death. Now in the甲 (Jia) year, Jia wood generates fire, further intensifying the fire, so the situation remains constrained. When reaching the辰 (Chen) year, Chen is moist earth, capable of purifying the whole situation, so some improvement should be seen—although both are earth, dry earth assists fire while moist earth drains fire, which is exactly the principle of 'damp and dry' as discussed in the chapter.

壬癸二運。水之克火。渠自以為美。余謂火土重而水輕。水萬不可以制火。反更激火之怒。招土之克。何善之堪言。寅卯運木之生火。亦屬庸常。總核終身行運。少土金這途。則即所謂有命而無運。此乃自然這理。鳥可強耶。 缺金才運以補這妙哉！

The壬 and癸 periods are water elements that come to control fire; he himself considers this a favorable period. However, I think that since there is a heavy presence of fire and earth, and the water is too weak, the water is utterly unable to control the fire, instead further provoking the fire's anger, and inviting more suppression from the earth elements. How can this be considered good? This is exactly the same as the principle mentioned earlier by Sun Qun in the case of 'insufficient control leads to damage'. The寅 and卯 periods are wood elements that nourish fire, which is ordinary. In summary, his entire life's fortune lacks the earth and metal elements, which is what is called 'having a destiny but no fortune', which is a natural occurrence, how can it be forced? The last sentence 'lack of metal and fortune to compensate is wonderful' is a short comment below the original text, with some textual errors. The general meaning is expressing regret that he lacks the metal period to compensate, and I have recorded it here with doubts.

戊子 丙辰 丙子 戊子 一歲 丁巳 十一 戊午 廿一 己未 三一 庚申 四一 辛酉 五一 壬戌

The heavenly stem of the year is Wuzi, the month is Bingchen, the day is Bingzi, and the hour is Wuzi. The day stem is Bing fire, born in the month of Chen (earth). Starting from the first year of the big cycle, the sequence of the big cycle is Dingsi, Wuwu, Jiwei, Gengshen, Xinyou, Renxu. The heavenly stem of the year, Wu, is yang, and for a male's destiny, it is arranged in the order of the cycle. Therefore, starting from the month stem Bingchen, it proceeds in order to Dingsi, Wuwu, Jiwei, etc. From the age of thirty-one onwards, the twenty years are in the western metal direction. In this case, both the heavenly stems of the year and the hour are Wu, which are the food god of Bing fire. The earth branches have three Zis and the month branch Chen, forming a water trinity. Water is the official and killer of Bing fire. The food god controls the water, and the water does not overflow, making the whole chart extremely balanced. This is the most praised case of "clear destiny and fate" in this book.

名人八字。餘閱歷多矣。然欲命。局行運。一路清澄者。殊不斷見。有之。惟劉先生鴻生之命也。蓋丙生辰月。干透戊土。為食神格。其露雙戊。則食神更必有務。不見陰土。則無傷官之混雜。月上丙火比肩幫峰。乃不悉洩氣太重。

I have encountered many famous people's birth charts, but it is rare to find a chart where the destiny and the course of life are clear and pure. If there is such a case, it is only the birth chart of Mr. Liu Hongsheng. The丙 fire is born in the辰 month, with the 天干 showing 戊土. 戊 is the son of 丙, and since they share the same yin and yang, it is considered a food god (食神), so the pattern is called the "food god pattern" (食神格). Moreover, there are two 戊s appearing, which greatly enhances the strength of the food god. The chart does not contain Ji Earth (the yin earth), so there is no official (伤官) to mix with the food god — the purity of the food god is the first advantage of this pattern. The 月干 丙 fire is also a fellow (比肩) that supports the 日主, so the 日主 will not suffer from excessive leakage of energy.

支下三子公辰。本有傷旞丙。然戊土制水。適成堤岸之功。而盡保母之職。可謂天成匹配。但命理約言云。有食不見財來。何悈類羹土飯。所幸三十一歲後。二十年西方金運。財氣通源。自宜雲程萬里。富貴兩全。

The Earthly Branches of three Zis and one Chen form a Water pattern (the original text says "San Zi Gong Chen," where "Gong" should be "Hui"), which originally harms Bing fire. However, two Wu earths control the water flow, acting like a dam to protect the main element, fulfilling the role of a guardian mother. This can be considered a naturally harmonious match. However, the "Yeyan" says that having a food god without the wealth star is like eating soup with a clay bowl. Fortunately, from the age of thirty-one onwards, there are twenty years of Western Metal destiny. Metal is the wealth of Bing fire; with the food god generating wealth and the wealth having a source, one naturally achieves great success and both wealth and status.

或謂壬運較遜。以壬丙一沖。不免平地風波。環生險象，然繼善篇有言。壬來克丙。須要戊字當頭，則局中原有兩戊。制壬有餘。烏足為慮。考此造命有缺憾。運能補之。運有危害。命能解之。此所謂一路清澄。畢世庥穌。飛黃騰達。其來有自。非偶然也。

Some people say that the Gui (癸) period is unfavorable, because Gui (癸) conflicts with Bing (丙), leading to unexpected troubles and dangerous situations. However, the "Ji Shan Chapter" states: "When Gui (癸) overcomes Bing (丙), there must be Wu (戊) at the forefront." In this case, there are already two Wus (戊) in the original birth chart, which are sufficient to control the Gui (癸), so there is no need to worry. Overall, this chart has some deficiencies, but the fortune can compensate for them; and if there are dangers in the fortune, the original birth chart can resolve them. This is what is called "a clear and smooth path." Being safe and prosperous throughout one's life, and achieving great success, all have their reasons and are not accidental. The interaction between destiny and fortune is the ultimate standard for evaluating the quality of a birth chart in this book. This case can serve as an example.

丙戌 庚子 丁未 丙午 九歲 辛丑 十九 壬寅 廿九 癸卯 三九 甲辰 四九 乙巳 五九 丙午

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Bingxu, of the month Gengzi, of the day Dingwei, and of the hour Bingwu. The day stem Ding is fire, born in the month of Zi, which is water. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny runs in sequence as Xinchou, Renyin, Guimao, Jiachen, Yisi, and Bingwu. The heavenly stem of the year, Bing, is yang. For a male destiny, the sequence follows the month column Gengzi, proceeding to Xinchou, Renyin, Guimao, and so on. The branch of the month, Zi water, is originally the seven killing of Ding fire. In winter, water is in command and the killing is strong. However, the earth elements Wu, Wei, and Xu can control water, resulting in excessive control of the killing. The following example presents another case with only a different year column, of the surname Chen. One lives and the other dies, making it the last pair of contrasting cases in the entire book.

論命者。論休咎而已。斷生決死。有驗有不驗。蓋生寄死歸。有夢必醒。為盜遮而生。不如不伯夷而死。生則未必為吉。死則未必為凶耳。

Those who discuss fate are concerned only with good fortune, misfortune, blessings, and calamities; as for determining life and death, some predictions are accurate and some are not. Because life is like staying temporarily in a place, and death is returning to one's origin; dreams always end with waking up. Living like Douzhi, who lived a life of vice, is not as good as dying with integrity like Boyi. (The original text may have some errors or additions.) This shows the author's attitude towards life and death: fate can predict the success or failure of matters, but it should not scare people with the length of their lives, nor should longevity be considered as a universal blessing.

上為吾友柯君之命。丁生子月。本必殺旺。乃午未戍中三土。制殺太過。引以為病。前行卯甲兩運。盈財數十萬談命者。綿謂木之克土。病神除去。不脛而走。洵非誣也。預料運入乙木。豐發當尤達之。匯知竟於今庚乙運乙年。病而不起。

The person's fate is described above. The person was born with a fire element (丁 fire) in the month of Zi, which should be the time when the seven deadly stars (seven killing stars) are strong. However, the earth elements hidden in the years Wu, Wei, and Xu (all containing Ji earth) come to control the water, which in turn over-controls the killing stars. This is called a sickness, because the killing stars are actually a type of official star; if they are controlled too much, the person has no support. In the past, the person went through the years of Mao and Jia, where wood elements came to control the earth, removing the sickness and thus gaining profits of hundreds of thousands. Those who talk about fate say this is because the wood controlled the earth and completely removed the sickness, which is indeed true. I originally thought that when the person entered the year of Yi wood, they would become even more successful than before. But I did not expect that the person would fall ill and die this year, in the year of Yi and Hai (Yihai).

然富貴雙全。兩子玉立。且皆有聲於時。強局不可謂不厚。否則以後已午火土之鄉。難免遭劫。若終於侷促之際。反不如今日考終之為得矣。則我友念庚之死也也。未始非幸而事耳。

But he lived a life of both wealth and honor, with two sons who were both handsome and had some reputation in their time; his fortune was certainly great. Otherwise, when he later reached the regions of Si and Wu (Fire and Earth), the Fire and Earth elements would further assist and strengthen the killing stars, inevitably leading to misfortune. If he died in hardship and distress, it would be better than dying peacefully in old age ("kao zhong" means dying naturally at the proper time). In this way, his death might not be a bad thing at all. This passage can be read together with the concluding comforting words in the case of Rong Zongjing's end: Wei's writings always leave a bit of comfort for the living.

嘗見有陳姓一命。為乙已戊子丁未丙午。丁生子月。根本極輕。畏水之克。然已午未戊。重土如林。亦制殺太過，術者皆斷其戍運必死。卻今仍健在。惟於丙運。煙灑嫖賭。消耗資產。不計其數。至戍運為父驅逐。流而為丐。是乃雖不死亡。貽丑自苦。有何生人趣耶。觀夫柯陳兩造。生死適成對峙之局。則命精微。可以想見矣。

I once saw a horoscope for a man surnamed Chen: Yisi, Wuzi, Dingwei, and Bingwu. He was born in the month of Zi with Ding fire as his heavenly stem, which is very weak, and he is afraid of water to weaken it. However, the presence of Si, Wu, and Wei, along with Wu earth, creates a heavy accumulation of earth, which is excessive in controlling the killing power. Diviners all predicted that he would die in the Xu year, yet he is still alive. However, during the Bing year, he smoked, drank, gambled, and engaged in immoral activities, losing a great deal of his wealth. In the Xu year, he was expelled from his family by his father and became a beggar. Thus, although he is alive, he suffers a miserable life, and living has no joy. Comparing the cases of Ke and Chen: their root problems are the same (both have excessive earth controlling the killing power), but their outcomes are one death and one survival, forming a contrasting situation. From this, one can imagine the subtle nature of fate.