The Natal Chart of King George V

乙丑 辛巳 甲辰 甲子 十歲 庚辰 廿十 己卯 三十 戊寅 四十 丁丑 五十 丙子 六十 乙亥

The year pillar is Yichou, the month pillar is Xinsi, the day pillar is Jiachen, and the hour pillar is Jiazi. The day stem Jia Wood is born in the month of Si. Starting from the age of ten, the big destiny runs in the order of Gengchen, Jimao, Wuyin, Dingchou, Bingzi, and Yihai. The year stem Yih is yin, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so from the month pillar Xinsi, it goes back to Gengchen, Jimao, Wuyin, etc. In this case, the earth branches Zi and Chen form a water trinity, and Si and Chou form a metal trinity. Metal is the official of Jia Wood, and water is the scholar of Jia Wood. Metal generates water, and water generates wood, forming a smooth official-scholar generation sequence. The month stem also reveals Xinh Gold official, making it an extremely valuable pattern. This is the only case of a foreigner's destiny in the entire book.

近閱西報。盛載英皇喬治第五之傅略。餘之其生庚譯為夏厝，演成命局（排列如上）對照其事歷。頗有不爽者。夫甲木日元。子辰水局。已丑金局。為官印相生。干透辛金正民。自是大貴之格。冠冕堂皇。統馭萬民。固所宜也。

Recently, I read articles in Western newspapers about King George V, which mistakenly referred to his biography as 'brief account' instead of 'biography'. I converted his birthdate into the summer calendar, arranged it into a birth chart as mentioned earlier, and compared it with his achievements, finding many correspondences. His heavenly stem is Jia Wood, with the earthly branches Zi and Chen forming a water trinity, and Si and Chou forming a metal trinity. Metal generates water, and water generates wood, which is 'mutual generation' of official and seal. The heavenly stem also reveals Xin Metal as the official, naturally indicating a high status. Being noble and ruling the people is indeed appropriate.

據傅十五歲至十八歲。環遊世界。念五歲管帶海軍魚雷艦。此時正交辰己財運。自應超拔出塵。竿頭日進。廿六歲患傷寒症甚劇。廿七歲乃兄逝世。卯運劫刃之故。四十六歲交丑運。財貴之途。已應發越。益以四十七歲辛亥年。又屬正官之鄉。果於是歲癸極，入承大統。足徵命之可信矣。

According to the records, at the age of fifteen to eighteen he traveled around the world, and at twenty-five he commanded a naval torpedo boat. At that time he was in the wealth and earth cycle of Chen and Ji, and since wealth generates official rank, he naturally rose to prominence and advanced step by step. At twenty-six he suffered from a severe cold, and at twenty-seven his elder brother died. This was due to the卯 cycle—卯 is the Yangren of Jia wood, and劫刃 indicate conflict and injury to brothers. At forty-six he entered the丑 cycle, which was a wealth position and also formed an official cycle with Si. It was a time of great success. Moreover, in the year of Xinhai at forty-seven, the metal of Xinhai is the native land of the official, and indeed he ascended the throne that year (the original text says "Guiji" but should be "Shengji"), succeeding to the throne. This proves the reliability of fate calculations.

現行甲運。身太重。官較輕。未許樂觀。餘本不欲批外人之命。惟於髫齡時。嘗讀西史。深悉歐美風化。亦頗信運會之說。緣以中國命學。推證英皇之造。蓋冀研究世界文學者。進而教之焉。

The current Jia period is marked by a strong presence of the same heavenly stem, which supports the day master but makes it too heavy, while the official star becomes less prominent. This is not a favorable situation. I originally did not intend to analyze the fate of foreigners; however, because I read Western history in my childhood and am well aware of the customs and education in Europe and America, I also believe in the concept of periods and trends. Therefore, I used Chinese astrology to examine the birth chart of the British monarch, hoping that those who study world knowledge will offer further guidance. The author is willing to extend the art of Zi Ping (a system of Chinese astrology) to foreign lands and openly acknowledges this as a request for knowledge rather than a display of skill. This attitude is rare among the astrological texts of the Republic era.

癸巳 甲寅 壬辰 庚子 七歲 癸丑 十七 壬子 廿七 辛亥 三七 庚戌 四七 己酉 五七 戊申

The year pillar is Guisi, the month pillar is Jiayin, the day pillar is Renchen, and the hour pillar is Gengzi. The day's main element, Ren water, is born in the寅 month. Starting from age seven, the big destiny runs in the order of Guichou, Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu, Jiyou, and Wushen. The heavenly stem of the year, Guishi, is yin. For a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so from the month pillar Jiayin, it goes back to Guichou, Renzi, Xinhai, and so on. This case is cited not because of its unique pattern, but because of the time of birth: Huang Jun was born on the evening of the seventh day of the first lunar month in the nineteenth year of Guangxu, at half past eleven o'clock. This falls in the first half of the子 hour. The question is whether it should be considered as the子 hour of the same day or the next day, leading to two completely different birth charts. The following is an analysis of this debate.

俗有所謂早子時夜子時之分雖者。乃以晚間十二時前。為本日之夜時。十二時後。為下日之早子時。此論曆法則或可。論命則萬萬不可。

In the common practice, there is a distinction between "early Zi hour" and "late Zi hour" (the phrase "之分虽者" is likely a later addition or error). The time before midnight is considered the "night Zi hour" of the current day, while the time after midnight is considered the "early Zi hour" of the next day. This method of division may be acceptable for calendrical purposes, but it is absolutely unacceptable for divination. The Zi hour spans the boundary between two days, with one hour belonging to each day, making it the most error-prone part when arranging the Eight Characters. Therefore, the author specifically clarifies this point.

考曆書之稱夜子時。蓋表明節氣之交。在於子時之初（即十二句鍾之前）也。故衹有夜子初幾刻幾分。從未言及夜子下面和刻幾分。子時既正。固無所謂夜矣。可見夜字者。僅包括子時之前段耳。後人訛以夜子時為本日之子時。早子時為下一日之子時。且又憑之論命。無怪有毫釐千里之差矣。

The term "night zǐ shí" in the almanac refers to the moment when the seasonal transition occurs at the beginning of the zǐ hour, that is, before midnight. The original text mentions "twelve points of the clock," where "point" should be understood as "moment." Therefore, the almanac only uses the expression "night zǐ initial several moments and fractions" and never says "night zǐ exactly several moments and fractions." Once it reaches zǐ zheng (midnight), the term "night" no longer applies, indicating that the character "night" only covers the first half of the zǐ hour, serving as a detailed time marker rather than dividing the zǐ hour into two days. Later scholars mistakenly regarded "night zǐ shí" as the zǐ hour of the current day and "morning zǐ shí" as the zǐ hour of the next day, using it for divination. It is no wonder there are significant differences due to small errors.

今以黃君之命。舉為例證。黃君生於光緒十九年正月初七日。晚間十一時半。八字排列如上。壬日從庫。時落庚子。年上見癸。生扶者眾。不以弱論況在初春。壬水餘威未失。乃喜木之洩秀。火之欣發。逢土剋制。亦不為畏。

Now take Huang Jun's fate as an example. Huang Jun was born on the evening of the seventh day of the first lunar month in the nineteenth year of Guangxu, at half past eleven. His four pillars are as shown above. The day stem is Ren water, sitting on Chen, which is a water reservoir (the original text says "from the reservoir" but should be "sitting on the reservoir"). The hour pillar is Gengzi, where Geng metal generates water and Zi is the旺 place for Ren water. The year stem also has Gui water, so there is a lot of support for the day stem, and it cannot be considered weak. Moreover, it is still early spring, and the remaining strength of Ren water has not yet disappeared. Therefore, this fate favors wood to release its elegance and fire to make it flourish; even if earth comes to control, it is not alarming—since the body is not weak, control and drainage are both good things.

故四十二歲前。一派金水運。浮沈宦海。栗碌無善。位不過科員。祿不過百金。去歲交入戍運。流年亦為戍。戍是燥土。有鎮水及溫煦之功。宜其蒐集各項科長。明歲起。即逢丙丁戊己流年。雲程更上。當敢預卜。未來臆斷。固不可盡信。已過之事。卻已誚驗 。

So up to the age of forty-two, he has been going through a period of metal and water, which, combined with his strong constitution, has become a burden instead, leading to ups and downs in his official career, with little achievement. His position has merely been that of a clerk, and his salary no more than a hundred yuan. Last year he entered the Wu (戌) cycle, and the stream year was also Jia Xu. Wu is a dry earth, which can suppress the water and also provide warmth, so it is no wonder he was promoted to the position of chief clerk (the original text has an error in the phrase "collecting various chief clerks"). Starting next year, he will consecutively encounter the stream years of Bing, Ding, Wu, and Ji, with fire and earth coming together, thus his future prospects will be even better. This is why I dare to predict it in advance. As for future events, which are mere guesses, they cannot be entirely trusted; however, the events that have already passed have already come true (the original text mistakenly writes "诮验" instead of "应验").

乃有人堅謂是年正月初七。為辛卯日。晚間十一時半。乃屬辛卯是之旍子時。八字應為癸已甲寅辛卯戊子。然命局財多峰弱，何以前行庚辛幫身運。一籌莫展。更何以去年甲戍。身弱逢財。忽得良遇。往事皆無可符者。豈可據以為信乎。

However, some people insist that the seventh day of the first lunar month that year was the Xin Mao day, and the night half past eleven belonged to the Xin Mao day's night Zi hour. Therefore, the eight characters should be arranged as Gui Si, Jia Yin, Xin Mao, and Wu Zi. But in this case, the destiny chart becomes one of excessive wealth and weak body (the original text says 'wealth abundant and peak weak', where 'peak' should be read as 'body', same below). Then why, during the previous years of the Geng and Xin cycles, which were supposed to support the body, did he fail to make progress? And why, last year when the Jia Xu cycle came, with the body already weak and encountering more wealth, did he suddenly get good fortune? None of the past events match up, so how can this be considered reliable? This is using verified facts to prove the error in the arrangement method, similar to the case of Xu Shiy ing's destiny chart, where facts were used to refute the from-killer pattern.

倘更質以誠如君言。則是日上千零時二十分，與晚間十一時半所生乾。皆為辛卯日戍子時，距離有十一個鐘點之差。而八字竟完全相同。寧有是理耶。不知彼將何以答我。

If one were to press further, one might ask: according to your statement, a person born at 12:20 a.m. on a certain day and another born at 11:30 p.m. on the same day (the original text mistakenly writes 'noon zero' instead of 'midnight zero') would both be considered to be born in the Zi hour of the Xinmao day. These two people are separated by eleven hours, yet their eight characters of destiny would be exactly the same. How could such a thing be possible? I wonder how he would answer me. The author's question is particularly sharp: if the claim that the night Zi hour is counted as a separate day is taken to its logical conclusion, it would inevitably lead to two people born within the same day, separated by eleven hours, having identical eight characters. This claim would thus collapse on its own.

（按此篇會發表於時代日報命學講座。旋接蘇州紫闌巷十三號朱傲骨先生來函，謂夜子時理應日用今日。時用明日。蓋基於星平大成所謂今日之夜。非明日之早也。並蒙將黃君八字。改為癸巳甲寅辛卯庚子。

This passage is the author's own note: This article was once published in the "Astrological Lectures" section of the "Times Daily" (the original text says "will be published" but should be "was published"). Later, I received a letter from Mr. Zhu Aogu, who lived at No. 13 Zilanzhang Lane in Suzhou, stating that for the night hour, the principle should be "the day column uses today's stem-branch, and the hour column uses tomorrow's stem-branch," based on the statement in "Xingping Dacheng" that "the night of today is not the morning of tomorrow." Mr. Zhu also rearranged Huang Jun's birth time as Guisi, Jiayin, Xinmao, and Gengzi (the day column uses Xinmao, and the hour column uses Gengzi). It is evident that for the same hour, there are three different methods of arrangement, each with its own source.

又如評論曰。庚為幫峰。甲庚交戰。財已劫去。是以不作財多身弱論。庚運劫財。財逢劫村，栗碌固宜。雲年歲運俱戍。戍為陽土。為與印。土生金。財逢印以遷官。擢升科長。又何疑乎。窮通寶鑑雲。春月之金。餘寒未盡。性柔得生乃妙。廑此照錄如上。以待高明揣究。

Mr. Zhu further commented: If arranged according to the Xinmao day, the heavenly stem of the hour, Geng metal, is the supporting force for the body (the original text says 'help the peak' but should be 'help the body'). The Jia wood and Geng metal contend with each other, and the wealth star has been robbed, so it cannot be considered as having too much wealth and a weak body. The Geng period is a period of劫财 (robbery of wealth), and wealth meets robbery and is taken away, so being unprofitable and without resources is appropriate. As for last year's year and period both being in Xu, Xu is yang earth and is the official of Xin metal. Earth generates metal and the body is supported. Wealth meets the official and thus can be promoted, so being promoted to the position of chief is not suspicious. The "Qiong Tong Bao Jian" says: In spring, metal still has residual cold, it is soft and needs to be generated and supported to be good. The author concluded: I carefully recorded the above, waiting for the discerning to study and ponder. A dispute without a final judgment, with two views coexisting, this attitude of doubt is precisely the commendable aspect of this book.

甲戌 丁卯 甲申 庚午 八歲 戊辰 十八 己巳 廿八 庚午 三八 辛未 四八 壬申 五八 癸酉

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Jia Xu, the month is Ding Mao, the day is Jia Shen, and the hour is Geng Wu. The day stem Jia Wood is born in the month of Mao, which is the month of Wood. Starting from the age of eight, the big destiny cycle proceeds in order as Wu Chen, Ji Si, Geng Wu, Xin Wei, Ren Shen, Gui You. The heavenly stem of the year Jia is yang, and for a male destiny, it proceeds in the order of the month column Ding Mao to Wu Chen, Ji Si, Geng Wu, and so on. In this case, the Jia Wood is extremely strong because it is in the month of Mao, which is the place of Yang Ren. The heavenly stem of the hour Geng Metal, which is the seven killer, is in the day branch Shen and thus has a strong root. The heavenly stem of the month Ding Fire, which is the official, is in the hour branch Wu and thus has a strong root. The body, the seven killer, and the official all have strong roots and power. Between Wu and Shen there is an invisible and hidden Wei Earth, which is the wealth. The author uses this case to explain what is meant by "full spirit," which is the only case in the entire book that discusses the concept from the perspective of weather and atmosphere.

或有詢余者曰。八字亦有所謂精神飽滿者乎。余曰有。或又請益曰。奚以知其然。余曰。此誠難言之矣。蓋祇可以意會。不可以言傅也。緣將上列一命剖之。此乃餘技人之子。甲生卯月。為至旺之鄉。時透庚金。提祿於申。斧鑿功深。樑棟成矣。月頭丁火。得祿於時，欣發木氣。

Someone asked me: Is there such a thing as "spiritually full" in the context of the Four Pillars of Destiny? I said yes. He then asked: How can we know that? I said: It is really hard to explain in words, it can only be understood intuitively, and cannot be fully conveyed through speech (the original text says "言傅" which should be "言传"). Let's analyze the example above. This is the destiny of a child from a relative of mine: Jia wood is born in the卯 month, which is the most flourishing place for wood; the庚 gold seven killer appears in the hour stem, and the庚 gold's strength is located in the day branch申, which is like a sharp axe cutting forcefully, thus the flourishing wood is shaped into a beam. The month stem丁 fire official is present, and its strength is located in the hour branch午, which can revitalize the wood energy. Flourishing wood, sharp axe, bright fire, all three are in their proper positions.

璀璨成章。身既旺。殺又強。傷更健。兼以午申爽未財。點綴得宜。豈非如人之神清氣爽。精神飽滿者乎。月刃用殺。殺有傷制。舒配既美。行運亦無阻畏。

Thus, the literary style is brilliant and well-structured. The day master is strong, the seven deadly enemies are also powerful, and the official star is even more vigorous; furthermore, between the午 and申 there is an unseen 未, which contains the earthy soil, the true wealth for the wood of 甲. This is perfectly balanced (the original text says 「午申爽未财」, where 「爽」 is likely a mistake for 「夹」, meaning the wealth is supported by the surrounding elements). This is just like a person who is clear-minded and full of energy.the so-called full of energy means that every element in the entire chart has strength and a proper place, with no empty or redundant characters. In this case, the month's branch 卯 is the Yangren (sheath) for 甲 wood, establishing the 「Month Sheath Pattern」 and using the seven deadly enemies to control the sheath. The seven deadly enemies are further restrained by the official star, preventing them from becoming excessive. The combination is beautiful, so the person's fortune in life is not something to fear.

蓋逢土為財。非身強所忌，逢火制殺益力。逢水則印以化殺。各盡其妙。誠無間言矣。是命雖格局平常。卻遠勝奇格異局之上。茫茫人海中，能有幾許耶。

Because encountering earth is considered wealth, a strong body does not fear wealth; encountering fire enhances the control of the killer more effectively; encountering water transforms into a nurturing influence, drawing the killer's energy to nourish the self. Any of the five elements coming into play can each contribute uniquely, and there is nothing to criticize. Although the pattern of this birth chart is ordinary, it surpasses those rare and peculiar formations. The peculiar ones rely on cleverness, while this one relies on each aspect being solid and practical. In the vast sea of people, how many such birth charts are there? This passage, when compared with the many examples of imbalanced formations throughout the book, exactly represents the ideal birth chart in Wei's mind.

乙卯 丙子 乙丑 丁亥 一歲 乙亥 十一 甲戌 廿一 癸酉 三一 壬申 四一 辛未 五一 庚午

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Yimao, the month Bingzi, the day Yichou, and the hour Dinghai. The day stem is Yimao, and the day master is Yimao wood born in the month of Zi (water). Starting from the first year of the big cycle, the big cycles are in order Yihai, Jiaxu, Guiyou, Renshen, Dinghai, Yimao, and so on. For a male, the heavenly stems are arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month Bingzi, the big cycles go back to Yihai, Jiaxu, Guiyou, Renshen, Dinghai, Yimao, etc. In this case, the heavenly stems Yimao, Bingzi, Dinghai are in sequence, and the earthly branches Hai, Zi, Chou are also in sequence. Both the heavenly stems and earthly branches form a continuous chain, which is called "lian zhu" in the fortune books. The fire of Bing and Ding and the earth of Chou are considered wealth, while the water of Hai and Zi and the wood of Mao support the day master. The balance between the two sides is equal, making this a typical and balanced destiny of a merchant.

此鄭君命也。君為海上紗業界聞人。得失動輒萬金。其經營商業。範圍廣大。駭人聽聞。夫天干丙丁與己。一派火土財鄉。地支亥子丑卯。盡是水木幫身。標本停勻。更妙各立門戶。固不愧商場健將。且乙丙丁。亥子丑。干支聯珠。矯勇善戰。角逐果敢。習性生成。非偶然也。

This is the birth chart of Zheng Jun. He was a prominent figure in the Shanghai silk industry, and his business transactions could amount to tens of thousands of taels at a time, with a vast range of commercial activities that were astonishing. The heavenly stems丙 and丁, along with the hidden己 earth in the earthly branch丑, form a prosperous fire and earth wealth environment (the original text simply refers to '丙丁 and 己', but 己 earth is actually hidden in 丑, not revealed in the heavenly stems, so it is recorded as such). The earthly branches亥, 子, 丑, and 卯 are all water and wood elements that support the body. The wealth and body are balanced on both sides, and more importantly, each occupies its own side and stands independently, without entanglement. This explains why he was a capable leader in the business world. Moreover, the heavenly stems乙, 丙, and丁 are connected, and the earthly branches亥, 子, and丑 are also connected, forming a chain-like pattern in both the heavenly and earthly stems. Therefore, he was strong and brave, bold in competition, and this nature was innate, not accidental.

前運壬申十載。積資三百萬。尤得力於申運。蓋原局缺金。申金會齊五行。源遠流長。生生不息故也。至癸亥甲子兩年。傾家蕩產。反欠人百餘萬。水木太過。所以致此。庚運為金。又屬大利。清償宿負。遊刃有餘。再盈數十萬金。

In the previous decade of the Renshen cycle, three million assets were accumulated, especially benefiting from the Shen cycle. Because the original chart was lacking in metal, when Shen metal appeared, the Five Phases were complete. Wood was controlled by metal, and water was generated by metal, leading to a long and continuous source of vitality. However, in the years of Guihai and Jiazi, the family lost everything and even owed over one million. This was because during those two years, water and wood were excessive, causing the supporting elements to become overwhelming and the wealth to be scattered. Therefore, such a situation occurred. The Geng cycle again brought metal, which was also highly beneficial. After repaying the old debts, there was still surplus, and additional profits of tens of thousands were made. This case clearly demonstrates the effect of "the original chart lacking something, which is supplemented by the cycle." It can be compared with the previous case of Liu Hongsheng.

去年甲戍。為劫財流年夏告室如懸磬。抑且高築債臺。今年乙亥。已無活動餘地。按乙亥之水木太重。本非所利。恐年內有咎無休。興味蕭然。明歲丙子志。純逢火土之年。直如冬盡春回。大地錦鄉。又是花木暢茂。一片蓬勃景象矣。

Last year, the Jiaxu year was a year of劫财, where劫财 took away the wealth, causing the family to be extremely poor, as if there was nothing left, like a room with nothing but a hanging gong. Moreover, debts piled up. This year, Yihai, there is no room for any activity—Yihai's water and wood are too strong, which is not favorable for him. It is likely that there will be misfortune without joy within a year, and everything will be bleak. Next year, Bingzi, which is a year of fire and earth, the wealth star will regain its strength, just like the end of winter and the coming of spring, the earth becomes splendid, and flowers and trees flourish, showing a prosperous scene again.

癸卯 辛酉 乙卯 辛巳 六歲 庚申 十六 己未 廿六 戊午 三六 丁巳 四六 丙辰 五六 乙卯

The year pillar is Guimao, the month pillar is Xinyou, the day pillar is Yimao, and the hour pillar is Xinsi. The day stem is Yimao, and the wood is born in the metal month of You. Starting from the age of six, the big destiny runs in the order of Gengshen, Jiwei, Wuwu, Dingsi, Bingchen, and Yimao. The heavenly stem of the year, Gui, is yin. For a male destiny, it is reversed, so starting from the month pillar Xinyou, it goes backward to Gengshen, Jiwei, Wuwu, etc. In middle age, the destiny moves toward the southern fire regions. In this case, two Xinhui seven killers are in command and heavily restrain Yimao wood, making the wood suffer extreme restraint. Fortunately, the yin water Gui in the year stem drains the metal and nourishes the wood. The killer is heavy and the body is light, and the control and transformation are incomplete. This destiny is ordinary, but what is valuable is that the author's interpretation later proved true, making it the most human and touching entry in the entire book.

此為某軍人之命。癸酉暮春。嘗訪余廬。自言混跡軍五。碌碌半生。邇來環境蕭然。假投捕自盡者。已經三次。終不識命運如何。究竟生機絕否。余曰。乙木死於秋。患辛金根深。受克太重。幸有癸水之洩金生木。危而有救。

This is the birth chart of a soldier. In the late spring of the Guiyou year, he visited my home, claiming that he had spent half his life in the military but had achieved nothing, and recently his situation had become bleak, with several attempts at suicide, already three times, and he still did not know his fate, whether his vitality had completely ended. I said: The Yi wood is in the autumn, which is the 'death' position, and it is most afraid of the Xin metal having a strong root (the month branch is You, the hour branch is Si, both are roots of metal), being overly restrained; fortunately, there is the Gui water in the year stem, which can both release the metal's strength and support the Yi wood, although it is dangerous, there is still a rescue - this is the usual method of 'using the seal when the killer is strong'.

椎丙丁不透干。七殺不獲其制。日主則不克如滴天髓所謂懷丁抱丙。跨鳳乘猴。而仍嫌柔弱。為美中不足也。君既才識壓眾，抱負不凡。若遽萌短見。無乃自棄乎。前運一派土金。助殺壞印。故豐才嗇遇。莫展經猷。

Unfortunately, the丙 and 丁 fire do not appear in the heavenly stems (the original text says '椎' which should be '惟'), so the seven killing stars are not restrained. The day master cannot achieve the situation described in the "Ditianmui" as 'embrace 丁 and hold 丙, ride a phoenix and ride a monkey'—if the 乙 wood embraces 丙 and 丁 fire, even if it sits on the metal grounds of 酉 (phoenix) and 申 (monkey), it would not fear being overcome. In this case, there is no fire, so it still appears weak, which is a regrettable deficiency. However, your intellect is outstanding and your aspirations are extraordinary. If you suddenly have short-sightedness, would that not be self-abandonment? In the past, the fortune has been continuously earth and metal. Earth generates metal, which helps the killing stars, while metal overcomes wood, which harms the癸 water as the official star. Therefore, although you have talent, your circumstances are difficult, and you cannot fully realize your ambitions.

然本年即交午火運。制殺功深。定見轉機。如南方有故舊。前住求授。正可水魚膠漆。相得益彰。此人唯唯而去。闊別三載。忽於上月舊翩然復臨。神采煥發。大菲昔比。據謂別後亡命羊城。由舅舅氏之介。投效某軍長麾下。嗣得軍長之賞識提撥。竿頭日進。茲且攖重權於南和粵。

However, this year has entered the Wu Fire cycle. Fire can control the killer element, with profound effects, and surely a turning point will be seen. If there are old connections in the south, it would be advisable to go there for help, which would be like a fish in water or glue and lacquer, mutually beneficial. The person agreed readily and left. After three years apart, he suddenly came back last month, looking radiant and greatly different from before. According to him, after parting, he fled to Guangzhou, was introduced by his maternal uncle to serve under a certain military commander, then gained the commander's recognition and promotion, advancing step by step, and now holds important power in the south. The author had previously advised him to seek help in the south, precisely because the south belongs to fire, and the cycle matches the place, thus doubling the effect—this is a rare example in this book of incorporating 'direction' into the selection of elements.

比者。道經春江。因感餘當年所斷之盡驗。指其求授南方。獲益尤非淺鮮。特來面謁。專伸謝悃。餘緣再視其命。此後丁已丙三運。更較昌盛勉以鵬程無限。善自為國效勞雲。

This time, passing through Shanghai (the old name for the Huangpu River is "Chunjiang"), he came to visit me in person, specially to express his gratitude. He recalled how my previous predictions had all come true, especially the advice to seek help from the south, which brought him great benefit. I then looked again at his destiny. In the following years of Ding, Si, and Bing, there will be more fire elements, which will be more effective in controlling the harmful influences, leading to even greater prosperity than now. I therefore encouraged him to have an unlimited future, and to work hard for his country.

癸巳 丙辰 壬申 癸卯 一歲 乙卯 十一 甲寅 廿一 癸丑 三一 壬子 四一 辛亥 五一 庚戌

The year pillar is Guisi, the month pillar Bingchen, the day pillar Renzi, and the hour pillar Guimao. The day stem Ren water is born in the month of Chen, which is the earth dog. Starting from the first year of the big destiny, the sequence is Yimao, Jiayin, Guichou, Renzi, Xinhai, Gengxu. The heavenly stem of the year, Gui, is yin. For a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Bingchen, it goes back to Yimao, Jiayin, Guichou, etc. In this case, the Ren water is sitting on Shen (the place of growth for water) and also meets Chen (a water reservoir), with two Gui waters assisting, making the body too strong. The useful god is the month stem Bing fire, which represents wealth. The禄 of Bing fire is in the year branch Si. The卯 wood can also generate Bing fire, so the wealth has a source. The arrangement of the useful god and its mother is key to determining the critical point where he meets his fate.

此為前中央研究院院長楊杏佛先生之命。考其辰月壬申日。並得生地庫地。夫又癸水雙透。身強有餘。應用丙火之幾。而已為祿。卯為丙母。財有淵源。胥賴乎經。一代文豪。且為文官。固其宜也。蓋命局租靜。病樂停勻。身分超拔。若合符節。

This is the birth chart of Mr. Yang Xingfo, former director of the Central Research Institute. Examining his birth on the day of Renshen (壬申) in the month of Chen (辰): the Shēn (申) is the place of growth for Rén water, and the Chén (辰) is the repository of water, so he has both the place of growth and the repository for water. The heavenly stem also has two Guǐ water, making his body strength excessive. Therefore, the heavenly stem of the month, Bing fire, should be taken as the useful god (the original text mentions "丙火之几" which has an error). The禄 (lucky position) of Bing fire is on the year branch Sì (巳), and the hour branch Mǎo (卯) wood is the mother of Bing fire. The wealth star has a source and is not isolated — the useful god has its root and a mother to nourish it, so its strength is reliable. He became a great literary figure and held a literary position, which was natural. This birth chart is clear and balanced, with the illness and the remedy in harmony, and his status is elevated, matching his actual experiences in life.

四十一歲交辛運。辛來合丙。流年復逢癸酉。酉更沖卯。一片汪洋。用神盡拔。故不免為人狙擊。亦猶博流沙終。良可婉惜。

At forty-one, he entered the Geng cycle, which combines with Bing, thus trapping the useful god Bing fire. In the current year, he also encounters Guiyou, where You again clashes with the hour branch Mao wood. Mao is the mother of Bing fire; when the mother is clashed, the fire has no support. The entire chart is filled with water, uprooting the root of the useful god. Therefore, he inevitably suffers from attacks and dies, as if sinking into flowing sand. It is truly a pity. The useful god is trapped and the mother of the useful god is clashed, two severe blows occurring simultaneously. This is the most typical pattern in this book for predicting sudden misfortunes.

以前壬運癸亥年。亦滿盤是水。乃得康莊平坦。誠使人百思而不解。然進而思之。已亥雖沖。究輕於卯酉之沖。則益信用神之祿。沖去猶可。用神之母。萬不可沖，是又增我一番經驗矣。

He thought again of the previous Guihai year during the Ren cycle, which was also full of water, yet he remained safe and sound, which was really puzzling. However, considering further: the Guihai year involved a conflict between Si and Hai, which affected the禄 of Bing fire; the Guiyou year involved a conflict between Mao and You, which affected the mother of Bing fire. The conflict between Si and Hai is actually less severe than that between Mao and You. This makes it even more certain that it is not so bad if the禄 of the useful god is destroyed, but it is extremely dangerous if the mother of the useful god is destroyed. This experience has added another layer to my understanding. The author distinguishes between life and death through two years with similar abundance of water, which is exactly the method of reading fate repeatedly demonstrated in the book: to observe which part is in motion.

辛丑 辛丑 丁酉 丙午 四歲 庚子 十四 己亥 廿四 戊戌 三四 丁酉 四四 丙申 五四 乙未

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Xin Chou, those of the month are also Xin Chou, those of the day are Ding You, and those of the hour are Bing Wu. The day's stem, Ding fire, is born in the Chou month. The big destiny cycle starts at the age of four, in the order of Geng Zi, Ji Hai, Wu Xu, Ding You, Bing Shen, and Yi Wei. The heavenly stem of the year, Xin, is yin, and for a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month's stem Chou, it goes back to Geng Zi, Ji Hai, Wu Xu, etc. This destiny has two Xin metals, one You, and two Chou. The metal and earth gather together to form wealth. The day's stem, Ding fire, only has the hour's stem Bing Wu as a helper. The earthly branch of the day, You, is both a wealth star and the "Wen Chang" nobleman for the Ding day stem. Therefore, the master of the art concludes that he will surely have a virtuous wife. However, the author argues from the perspective of "excessive wealth being a problem," which is the most thorough discussion on marriage in the entire book.

此為本埠張君之命。財重身輕。所妙時上一劫一比。雖嫌柔弱。還幸有根。幼時聞術者言。財多而強。且日支文昌貴人。定得賢美之妻。沾沾自喜。唯盼早賦燕詩。及至二十四歲。識同學某女士。由戀愛而成婚。女士品學兼優。初固伉儷甚篤。以為者之言驗矣。

This is the birth chart of a gentleman named Zhang from this city. His wealth is heavy while his body is weak, but it is fortunate that the hour pillar contains a劫财 (Jie Cai, a type of competitive wealth) named Bing and a比肩 (Bi Jian, a companion) named Wu with Ding fire hidden within. Although the day ruler is considered weak, it is fortunate that it has a root. When he was young, he heard from a fortune teller that with abundant wealth and a strong body, plus the day branch being the "Wen Chang" nobleman (a beneficial deity associated with intelligence and literary talent, and for a day ruler of Ding, Wen Chang is located in You), he would certainly marry a virtuous and beautiful wife. He became very pleased with himself and looked forward to getting married soon ("Yan Shi" refers to poems about newlyweds). At the age of twenty-four, he met a lady named Ms. Someone, and they fell in love and got married. The lady was both virtuous and learned, and at first their marital relationship was very harmonious. He thought the fortune teller's words had come true.

諜於庚午年。女忽弱於博弈。寢食俱廢。每晚輒至一百八十一號（海上唯一大賭窟。）作輪盤之賭。未滿一年。私蓄蕩然，無以自慰。乃由高樓跳下而墜死於非命。厥狀殊慘。客歲。張君又思欒膠繼續。惟慮復蹈覆轍。就決定餘

Unexpectedly, in the year Gengwu, the woman suddenly became addicted to gambling (the original text says 'weak in games of chance,' but 'weak' should be 'addicted'), neglecting sleep and food. Every night she went to number 181—the author's note: the only big gambling den in Shanghai—to gamble on the roulette wheel. Within less than a year, her savings were completely gone. Unable to cope, she jumped from a high building and died in a very painful manner. Last year, Mr. Zhang wanted to remarry (the allusion 'Luangjiao' refers to the practice of remarrying, the original text says 'Luanjiao'), but he was worried about repeating the same mistake, so he came to me for a decision. The previous statement that 'Wenchang Nobleman indicates obtaining a virtuous wife' was overturned by the facts. The following text explains why.

余曰。以財多為病財即妻星。烏足言內助賢美耶。惟戊戍土運。已成尾聲身運。即將蒞臨。此番續絃。當不致再如元配之結局。但欲介隨適意。亦斷定。

I said: This destiny is afflicted by excessive wealth, and wealth is the wife star. Since the wife star is the affliction, how can there be a virtuous and beautiful wife? The fortune teller only noticed that the day branch is in the position of Wen Chang and the wealth star is strong, but failed to see whether the wealth star is beneficial or harmful to the day master. Fortunately, the Wuxu earth cycle is coming to an end, and the supportive cycle is about to arrive. This time, the new wife will not end up in the same unfortunate situation as the first wife. However, to say that everything will go smoothly and as desired is difficult to confirm (the original text has some errors or omissions in this section).

規普通談命者。以為財乃妻星。日支乃妻宮。財旺者。或日坐財星者和力。殊不知財多為病之命。妻宮美於何者。論妻之優劣。固以財為標準九須先觀財之得用與否。若命中以財為喜神。財雖薄弱。亦主得妻之力。正不必斤斤於多寡之間。以論其美惡也。

In ordinary discussions about fate, people think that wealth represents the wife star and the day branch represents the wife's palace. If there is much wealth or if the day branch is occupied by the wealth star, it is believed to indicate the support of the wife. However, they do not realize that if there is too much wealth in the chart, it can be a problem, and how can the wife's palace be good in such a case? Although the quality of the wife is indeed judged by the wealth star, the first thing to consider is whether this wealth is useful in the chart. If wealth is a favorable element in the person's fate, even if it is weak, it still indicates the support of the wife. Therefore, one should not be overly concerned with the amount of wealth, using it to judge the wife's quality. This point is an extension of the previous section "Wife and Wealth" which states that the wife star and wife's palace cannot both be good. It is also the most practical statement in the entire book: the fortune or misfortune of all ten heavenly stems should first be determined as whether they are favorable or unfavorable.

丙申 癸巳 癸亥 甲寅 九歲 甲午 十九 乙未 廿九 丙申 三九 丁酉 四九 戊戌 五九 己亥

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Bing Shen, the month are Gui Si, the day are Gui Hai, and the hour are Jia Yin. The day's stem, Gui Water, is born in the month of Si. Starting from the age of nine, the big destiny runs in sequence as Jiawu, Yiwei, Bingshen, Dingyou, Wuxu, Jihai. The heavenly stem of the year, Bing, is yang. For a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month stem Gui Si, it proceeds in order to Jiawu, Yiwei, Bingshen, etc. This destiny has four earthly branches, which are Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai. These are the four "sheng" positions, which are naturally in pairs of opposition. However, the arrangement of these positions is appropriate, with Yin combining with Hai and Si combining with Shen. The opposition is transformed into combination. The whole chart appears chaotic but is actually calm, which is the key point for the following discussion.

此天津人李君之命。君恆角逐於跑馬場中。嘗得香檳頭。獎平日博弈。亦勝多於負。其營業所得這薪酬。僅敷支出 。跑馬所盈者。用獲豐積。或羨其賭運享通。以餘視這。不過命局安頓。財星得用而已。

This is the birth chart of a man named Li from Tianjin. He often participates in horse races and has once won the first prize, known as "Changbin Tou," which is the top prize in horse racing lottery. In his daily life, he also gambles, and usually wins more than he loses. The salary he earns from his job is only enough to cover his expenses, but the money he wins from horse racing has accumulated to a substantial amount. Some people admire his good luck in gambling, but in my opinion, it is simply because his birth chart is well structured and the wealth star is properly utilized. The term "getting proper use" means that the wealth star in his chart is exactly what the day master needs. There are elements that generate it and others that support it; it is not just an idle character placed there.

蓋癸日甲寅時。傷官得祿。丙年已月。偏財得祿。傷財相生而流通。美滿極矣。妙有亥月帝旺。癸水比肩。申金正印。協力扶身。乃致身主不弱。堪任其財。尤妙寅亥既相合。已申又相合。亂中見靜。若不流連於跑馬。而孜力實業。亦未始不要富似陶朱。財比猗頓。

The day stem is Gui water, paired with the Jiayin hour. The Jiayin wood is the official son of Gui water, and the寅 is the official position of Jiayin wood. Thus, the official son is in its official position. The Chong fire is in the year and the Si fire is in the month. Chong fire is the official wealth of Gui water, and Si is the official position of Chong fire (the original text refers to it as 'biased wealth', but we follow the original), so the wealth is also in its official position. The official son generates wealth, and the two are mutually generating, with the flow of energy smooth and unobstructed, making the configuration perfect. Even more remarkable is that the day branch Hai is the prosperity position of Gui water (the original text says 'Hai month' but we take it as 'Hai day'), the month stem Gui water is a same type, and the year branch Shen metal is the official mother. These elements together support the day stem, so the day stem is not weak and can bear this wealth. Especially remarkable is that the寅 and Hai branches combine, and the Si and Shen branches combine. Although these are originally conflicting branches, they create a state of calm amidst chaos. If he does not waste time on idle pursuits but instead focuses on practical enterprises, he might achieve wealth comparable to Tao Zhu Gong and riches equal to Yi Dun.

前運皆屬木火。宜其不勞多獲。後運丁酉。財印之鄉。亦能日進斗金。利源四溢。李君勉乎哉。按寅申已亥。本為四沖。因其地位處置適當。由沖而合。以餘經驗所得。此等四柱。不在少數。然再逢寅申已亥之一字。即為沖散全局。不以美論，聞李君在申運內。財雖無所盈虧。然家庭多故。殊苦精神之創痛焉。

In the past, the years he experienced were of wood and fire, with wood being the injurious official and fire being wealth, which is why he gained much without much effort. In the coming Dingyou year, which is the land of wealth and official, he will also gain daily, with abundant profits, so I hope Li Jun will strive hard. The author added his own notes: Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai are originally the four conflicting positions, but because of proper arrangement, they have turned from conflict into harmony. According to my experience, there are many such four pillars; but if the big years and the current years bring another Yin, Shen, Si, or Hai, the original harmony will be broken, and the whole chart will no longer be considered good. It is said that during the Shen year, Li Jun's wealth did not increase or decrease, but his family experienced many troubles, and he suffered a lot mentally—this is because another Shen came, breaking the harmony between Si and Shen.

甲辰 丙子 辛丑 壬辰 三歲 丁丑 十三 戊寅 廿三 己卯 三三 庚辰 四三 辛巳 五三 壬午

The year pillar is Jiachen, the month pillar is Bingzi, the day pillar is Xinchou, and the hour pillar is Renchen. The day stem is Xinhé, born in the month of Zi. Starting from age three, the big destiny runs in order: Dingchou, Wuyin, Jimao, Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu. The heavenly stem of the year, Jiā, is yang. For a male destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month pillar Bingzi, it proceeds in order to Dingchou, Wuyin, Jimao, etc. In this case, the day stem Xinhé combines with the month stem Bing, forming a combination of Xinhé and Bing. Since it is born in the middle of winter, when water is strong, the combination of Xinhé and Bing turns into water. The heavenly stem of the hour, Ren, which is the origin god of water, is also revealed and solid. The two damp earths, Chou and Chen, can only store water but cannot overcome it. The combination can turn into water, and the turned water is not broken. This is the only true transformed destiny pattern recognized in this book.

近世談命者。凡見日干與他干相合。動輒以化氣格論，不知假化則庸俗無奇。真化則談何容易。書云。化之真者。名公鉅卿。化之假者。異性孤兒。可見化之貴乎真也。

Recently, those who discuss fate often immediately apply the 'Chemical Transformation Pattern' whenever they see the day stem combining with the adjacent heavenly stem. But they do not realize that false transformations result in ordinary and unremarkable destinies, while true transformations are extremely rare. The fate books say, 'Those who truly transform become famous officials and great ministers; those who falsely transform become orphans of different families.' This shows that the key to the chemical transformation pattern lies in the word 'true.'the so-called true transformation must have the element formed by the combination exactly in season, and the original god must be revealed and solid in the chart, and there must be nothing to destroy it. If any of these three conditions is missing, it is merely a false transformation. The previous example of Du Yuesheng's birth chart, which was argued to be 'Yi and Geng transforming into metal,' was refuted by the author because the presence of the fire element in the hour branch destroyed the pattern.

上為宜陽縣政府張時甫先生命造。夫丙辛之事。時在嘉冬。可以化水。壬水元神透出。尤為純粹。丑辰皆溼土。不能克水。祇可蓄水。當不為病。是乃化格之真者。雖不必為名公鉅卿。要非池中物也。

The above is the birth chart of Mr. Zhang Shifu, the county magistrate of Yiyang County. The heavenly stem Bing combines with the heavenly stem Xin (the original text says "Jing Xin's matter," but "matter" should be "combination"). At this time, it is the middle of winter, a month when water is strong, so the combination can form water. The heavenly stem Ren water, which is the origin god, also appears in the time stem, and is especially pure. The earthy branches Chou and Chen are both moist earth, which can only store water but not overcome it, so they are not considered harmful. This is a true case of the transformed qi pattern. Although it may not lead to becoming a famous official or a great person, the person is certainly not someone who can be confined within a pond. The three steps in judging the transformed qi pattern—whether it can be transformed, whether the origin god is present, and whether there is any destruction—are all present in this case, making it a standard example to study.

早年運都屬土鄉。一肩行李。兩視清風。三十三後，庚運之生不。辰運辛運之化水。飛騰上進，詎可限量。已運土金並藏。瑕瑜互見。壬運助格。尤見燦爛。午運被子水沖拔。夕陽在冊。為時不久矣。張君遙聞餘名。通函囑評其造，餘以其化格清純。殊不多見。前程當必大有可觀。故特志之。以視將來。

In his early years, his fortune was in the earth territory, where earth obstructs water, so he had little belongings and lived in poverty. After the age of thirty-three, the Geng period brought water (the original text says '生不' should be '生水'), and the Chen and Xin periods also assisted in transforming water, thus enabling him to rise rapidly and have an unlimited future. In the Si period, earth and metal were both hidden, with mixed good and bad. The Ren period directly helped to form a clear destiny, especially brilliant. By the time he reached the Wu period, Wu was repelled by the Zi water in the month's branch, damaging the destiny structure, which was like the sun setting in the mountains, indicating a short time left. A gentleman named Zhang Junyuan heard my name and wrote to me asking for an evaluation of his destiny. I considered his destiny structure to be pure and clear, which is rare to see, so his future must be very promising. Therefore, I specially recorded this for future verification.