The husband's birth chart of a woman surnamed Wang.

壬寅 壬寅 辛未 己丑 六歲 癸卯 十六 甲辰 廿六 乙巳 三六 丙午 四六 丁未 五六 戊申 六六 己酉

The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the year are Renyin, the month are Renyin, the day are Xinwei, and the hour are Jichou. The day's heavenly stem is Xin metal, born in the寅 month. The big destiny cycle starts at age six, in order: Guimao, Jiachen, Yisi, Bingwu, Dingwei, Wushen, Jiyou. The heavenly stem of the year, Ren, is yang, and for a male's destiny, it is arranged in order, so from the month's Renyin, it proceeds to Guimao, Jiachen, Yisi, and so on. This chart has two Ren waters that drain the energy of Xin metal, and two寅 woods which are the wealth for Xin metal, so there is an excess of wealth and a weak body. The only saving factor is the heavenly stem of the hour, Ji earth, which can hold water and generate metal. Ji earth also has roots in the branches of Wei and Chou. This chart was presented by the wife asking about divorce, and the author's commentary and advice are recorded together.

離婚之風日盛。夫婦之道乖。壬申初春。有王姓婦者。囑。評其無君命造倨謂溺情聲色。流連博弈。外宿多日。輒不一歸婦備受精神痛苦。擬與仳離。答卷曰。辛金雙見壬寅。又值春木萌動。財多峰弱，幸時上已土。納水生金。又得丑未之根。救弱主而任財。

The trend of divorce is growing stronger day by day, causing discord in marital relationships. In early spring of the Renshen year, a woman surnamed Wang asked me to assess her husband's birth chart, saying that he was addicted to pleasures and gambling, often staying out overnight for several days without returning, causing her great mental suffering, and she intended to live apart from him. I replied: The day master is Xin metal, which appears twice with Renyin. The Ren water drains the strength of the day master, and Yin wood represents wealth. At this time, it is spring, when wood energy is rising, indicating "excessive wealth and weak self" (the original text mistakenly says "weak peak" but should be "weak self"). Fortunately, there is Ji soil in the time stem, which both receives the Ren water and supports the Xin metal. Moreover, the Ji soil has roots in Chou and Wei branches, thus being able to strengthen the weak day master and bear this wealth.

夫雖刵氣已動。節侯尚寒。土多均無暖氣。示中之丁。見奪於丑內之癸。寅中之丙。懾服於干頭之壬。八字尚欠精神。自然之理也。乙運乙已之沖。已土用神受損。宜其如無鞍之馬。無楫之舟。隨波逐流。從人徵逐而莫由自主，試頭號貴夫子是否念六負起。迷沉淫樂耶。婦曰。然。

However, although the spring energy has already begun to stir, the season is still cold, and although there is much earth in the chart, there is no warm energy: the hidden ding fire in wei is taken by the kui water in chou; the hidden bing fire in yin is subdued by the ren water in the heavenly stem. Therefore, this八字 ultimately lacks a bit of spirit, which is a natural occurrence (the original text has errors in 「刵气」and 「示中」, which should be 「spring energy」and 「wei」). During the yi period, the yi wood clashes and controls the ji soil, damaging the useful god ji soil. It is no wonder he is like a horse without a saddle or a boat without a paddle, drifting with the waves, following others in chasing pleasures and unable to be his own master. Therefore, I asked: did your husband start indulging in lust from the age of twenty-six? The woman answered: exactly. The year when the useful god is damaged is the year when his behavior becomes improper, which is the old method used by the author to verify the commentary.

余曰。是庸何傷。三十一歲歲尾。達足已運。火來欣發熾昌康泰。是應發揚蹈歷。丕振家聲。認定正途。悔司前非。則賢伉儷和好如初。齊眉偕老。奚必一時不克妨耐乎。婦乃暢然意滿。興辭而退後果應驗余斷。婦又詢余。伊夫之後運如何。余曰。三十六歲以下。丙午丁三運尤佳。後來居上。快哉快哉。

I said: What's the matter? By the end of the thirty-first year, he would have completed the Si (Snake) period. When the fire of Bing (丙) in Si comes into play, the destiny chart would become warm and flourish, and at that time he would naturally strive hard, restore the family's reputation, take the right path, and repent of his previous mistakes. Thus, the virtuous couple would reconcile and live happily together until old age. Why should we ruin everything just because of an inability to endure for a while (the original text says '不克妨耐' which should be '不克忍耐'). The woman was then satisfied and left. Later, it indeed proved my judgment correct. She then asked me about her husband's future destiny. I said: The periods of Bing (丙), Wu (午), and Ding (丁) before the age of thirty-six are especially good, and he would surpass others, achieving great success. This case shows that Wei's interpretation of destiny also serves as a moral guidance, not only predicting good or bad fortune but also caring about the family's well-being.

庚辰 己卯 壬寅 辛丑 八歲 庚辰 十八 辛巳 廿八 壬午 三八 癸未 四八 甲申 五八 乙酉 六八 丙戌

The natal pillar isGengchen for the year, Jimao for the month, Renyin for the day, and Xinchou for the hour. The day stem 壬 water is born in the卯 month. Starting from the age of eight, the big luck years are in order: Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu, Guiwei, Jiashen, Yiyou, Bingxu. The heavenly stem of the year, 庚, is yang. For a male, the sequence is in the order of the month pillar, so from Jimao it proceeds to Gengchen, Xinsi, Renwu, etc. The earth branches 寅, 卯, 辰 form the eastern wood trinity, resulting in excessive wood and restricted water. The heavenly stems 己, 庚, 辛, 壬 are in sequence, and the earth branches 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰 are also in sequence, forming a continuous chain of metal, water, and wood. The useful god is 庚 metal, which generates water and controls wood, serving as the key to the entire chart. This is also the reason for his death during the 甲 luck year.

此蔣邦彥先生命也。蔣君幼年窮困。劬學無遺。黌舍蜚聲。早登鄉榜。壬運入仁版。歷膺浙江財政廳長。溫州關監督命使命。甲了年後。隨張宗昌服官魯垣。執掌財權極點資數百肆。參賽宗昌人敗。同避日本。戊辰年甲子月。被宗昌遣人潛殺於寓邸。

This is the birth chart of Mr. Jiang Bangyan. Mr. Jiang was poor in his childhood, but he studied diligently and gained a good reputation in school. He passed the imperial examination as a juren (second-level scholar) at an early age. During the Ren (rain) period, he entered officialdom, holding positions such as the Director of the Zhejiang Finance Department and the Supervisor of the Wenzhou Customs. (The original text of this sentence has some errors.) After the Jiazi year, he served with Zhang Zongchang in Shandong, where he controlled financial affairs and accumulated millions of taels. (This sentence also contains errors in the original text.) Later, when Zhang Zongchang's forces were defeated, he fled to Japan together with him. In the year Wuchen, during the month of Jiazi, he was murdered by Zhang Zongchang's agents who infiltrated his residence. The following explanation will detail how his life's ups and downs are fully reflected in his八字 (eight characters of birth).

夫壬日春生，寅卯辰會起木局。木多水縮為患。自取庚金為用。賴基生水制木也。以言格局。乃傷官司用印耳。春金廢而無力。萬不可逢火。幸不見財星。印無傷害。天干已庚辛壬。地支丑寅兒子辰。金水木聯珠一氣。精神飽滿。皆為貴徵。顯赫一時。固所宜焉。

When the water of Ren is born in spring, the earthly branches of寅, 卯, and 辰 form a wood pattern, which results in excessive wood that absorbs the water, causing a problem. Therefore, it is necessary to take the heavenly stem of Geng metal as the useful god, relying on it to generate water and control wood. In terms of pattern, this is called "injury official using seal" — wood is the injury official of Ren water, and Geng metal is the seal of Ren water, using the seal to control the injury official. Spring is a time when metal is in a "waste" state and lacks strength, so it is absolutely not advisable to encounter fire (as fire would overcome metal and damage the useful god). Fortunately, the pattern does not contain the wealth star (fire), so the seal is not harmed. The heavenly stems of Ji, Geng, Xin, and Ren are connected, and the earthly branches of Chou,寅, 卯, and 辰 are connected. Metal, water, and wood are linked in a continuous flow, with full vitality, which are signs of high status and prominence, and it is indeed appropriate for them to be prominent.

壬運比肩幫峰。故為發軔之始，以後僅千運稍遜。癸未運壞惡。甲運敵庚。戊辰年本為七殺助印。乃懾於運君甲亡之可能。雖幸而越過。至甲子月。終於殺身慘斃。可見命有前定。不可挽也。

The壬 period is a period of equal strength, supporting the body, thus becoming the beginning of his rise and success. After that, only the午 period is slightly worse, as午 is the fire earth, which harms the庚 metal useful god. TheGuiwei period is not good. In the甲 period, the甲 wood is in conflict with the庚 metal, and the useful god is restrained. In theWuchen year, the戊 soil is originally the seven killing of the壬 water; the killing can generate the seal, which is normally good. However, due to the danger of the甲 wood restraining the庚 metal, although he managed to survive for half a year, he finally died in theJiazi month. This shows that fate is predetermined and cannot be changed. The period when the useful god is restrained and the month when it is harmed is the time of death, which is exactly the same principle as in the case of Yang Xingfou.

丁未 丙午 癸巳 戊午 三歲 乙巳 十三 甲辰 廿三 癸卯 三三 壬寅 四三 辛丑 五三 庚子

The year pillar is Dingwei, the month pillar is Bingwu, the day pillar is Guisi, and the hour pillar is Wuwu. The day stem Guishi is born in the month of Wu, which is a strong fire month. The big destiny starts at age three, in the order of Yisi, Jiachen, Guimao, Renyin, Xinchou, and Gengzi. The heavenly stem of the year, Ding, is yin. For a male destiny, it is arranged in reverse order, so starting from the month pillar Bingwu, it goes back to Yisi, Jiachen, Guimao, and so on. In this case, the day stem Guishi combines with the hour stem Wuu, and since it is born in the month of Wu, which is a strong fire month, there is a large amount of fire in the chart, including Bing, Ding, Si, Wu, and Wei. The combination of Wuu and Guishi turns into fire, and all the conditions are met. This is another true transformation case, following the case of Zhang Shifu, and it is the last case in the entire book.

黃玉麟先生。皮簧聞於時。藝名綠牡丹。亦擅書畫。瀟灑儒雅。誠為利梨圓雋品。前以功君之介。囑評其命。余曰。戊癸相合。既見丙丁。又得已午未。而當榴火舒紅。槐艿結綠之侯。乃純粹經火之格。宜其慧質天生。學無不精。豈平常優孟。可望其項背哉。

Master Huang Yulin was famous for his Pihuang opera, with the stage name "Green Peony." He was also skilled in calligraphy and painting, and his demeanor was elegant and refined, truly a gem in the world of opera. Some time ago, through the introduction of Gong Jun, he asked me to assess his destiny. I said: His heavenly stem Wu is in harmony with the earthly stem Gui. The chart also shows the presence of丙 and丁 fire, and the earthly branches巳, 午, and 未, which form a vast area of southern fire. This is exactly the time of the red pomegranate flowers and the green locust trees, representing a pure pattern of fire transformation. It is no wonder he was born with an intelligent nature, mastering anything he learned. Ordinary performers, how could they even reach his level?

一生行運。應卯寅辛三部。最為醇美。惜少土運。否則土之洩秀尤為出色當行。辰丑為溼土。中含癸水。有悖於格。瑕瑜互見而已。或詢余何方為宜。余曰。既化火成格。自莫妙於南國。黃君貪首者再。據謂曩歲鬻藝雲南。賣座最甚。座價漲至八元有廳。勢將媲美梅博士之歐遊。足可豪矣。然得地利之宜。亦與有功焉。

His entire life's fortune is most harmonious in the卯, 寅, and 辛 stages (wood generates fire and supports the pattern, while 辛 metal is refined by fire). Unfortunately, he lacks the earth element, which could release and transform the refined essence of fire, making it even more outstanding. As for 辰 and 丑, they are damp earths containing 癸 water, conflicting with the fire pattern, so they can only be considered as having both flaws and merits. When someone asked me where he would be most suitable, I said: since he has formed the fire pattern, the southern direction is naturally the best. Huang Jun nodded repeatedly (the original text says 「贪首」, which should be 「颔首」), saying that when he went to Yunnan to perform, his audience was the most numerous, ticket prices rose to eight yuan and some, and the atmosphere would surpass Dr. Mei Lanfang's trip to Europe, which would be very proud. It is evident that this success was also partly due to favorable geographical conditions. This case, considering 「destiny, fortune, and direction」 together, can be compared with the previous case of a soldier seeking help in the south.

戊辰 己未 丁巳 丙午　四歲 庚申 十四 辛酉 廿四 壬戌 三四 癸亥 四四 甲子 五四 乙丑

This is Lu Tang's four pillars of destiny. The left column, from top to bottom, represents the four pillars: the year pillar is Wu Chen, the month pillar is Ji Wei, the day pillar is Ding Si, and the hour pillar is Bing Wu. The heavenly stem of the day pillar, 'Ding', is called the 'day master', and it is the central figure in the entire analysis; the other seven characters are discussed in relation to its interactions of generation and overcoming. The right column represents the 'great years' or 'big destinies', which are the ten-year cycles of life. The numbers before them indicate the age at which each cycle begins: at four years old, the cycle begins with Geng Shen; at fourteen, with Xin You; at twenty-four, with Ren Xu; at thirty-four, with Gui Hai; at forty-four, with Jia Zi; and at fifty-four, with Yi Chou. These six cycles are calculated starting from the month pillar Ji Wei, and they are arranged in the order of the sixty jiazi cycles, which is called 'great years progressing forward'. The original table only goes up to Yi Chou at fifty-four years old; the next cycle would be Bing Yin at sixty-four years old. The 'Bing cycle' mentioned by Wei Qianli refers to the first five years of the Bing Yin cycle, and the 'Yin cycle' refers to the last five years. When reading the table, this layer should be supplemented.

人事滄桑。升沉無定。際茲景氣。富者貧。貧者困。世途尤險。比來海上經濟凋枯。地產衰落。市況蕭瑟。令人惴愉，尤以盧棠，鄔志豪。程霖生。三公慘遭失敗。更不勝今昔之概。余嘗得視渠等之命焉。盧命排列如上。炎上而戊已吐秀。精時果干。逢百庸凡僮輩。近走丙運。運屬助格，不應挫跌。殆以壬申癸酉年之克火。甲戍年之損傷戊土。乙廖年之克已沖己。運年不利。有所致歟。六十九歲後。行入寅運。歲運並美。或得東山再起。

Human life is full of changes, with ups and downs that are unpredictable. In the current bleak situation, those who were once rich may become poor, and those who were already poor may become even more desperate, making the world's path especially dangerous. Recently, Shanghai has experienced economic decline, property prices have dropped, and the market has become cold, causing people to feel anxious and uneasy. Among these, Lu Tang, Wu Zhihao, and Cheng Linseng have all suffered great failures, which has led people to feel a sharp contrast between past and present. I have examined the birth charts of these three individuals. Lu Tang's four pillars are as follows: the day stem is Ding fire, born in the month of Wei, with the branches of Si, Wu, and Wei forming a Southern Fire trinity, and the time stem also reveals Bing fire. This results in a full configuration of fire, which is known as the "Inflaming Ascending Pattern"—a situation where fire is extremely strong and dominant, so much so that it cannot be restrained, and water cannot be used to control it. The heavenly stems Wu and Ji, which are earth, are the food god and injurer of fire, and they release the excessive fire energy in a natural way, which in divination is called "exhaling refinement," symbolizing intelligence and talent that are clearly evident. (The original text "精时果干。逢百庸凡僮辈" has some errors, but the general meaning is that this configuration is pure and decisive, far beyond the ordinary and mediocre.) In recent years, he has been in the influence of the Bing fire, which is in harmony with the Inflaming Ascending Pattern, which should be a favorable period. However, he has encountered failure, probably because in the years of Renshen (1932) and Guiyou (1933), the water of Ren and Gui came to restrain the fire, in the year of Jiaxu (1934), the wood of Jia restrained the heavenly stem Wu earth, and in the year of Yihai (1935), the wood of Yi restrained the earth Ji, and the water of Hai clashed with the branch Si fire of the day. Although his big year is favorable, the continuous interference of the "flowing years" has caused problems. After the age of sixty-nine, he enters the influence of the寅 (Yin) wood, which generates fire, complementing the Inflaming Ascending Pattern, and both the big year and the flowing years turn favorable, so he may be able to rise again.

鄔命為甲申丙寅甲申壬申。建祿沖破，用丙火食神以制殺，固是長袖善舞之輩。且以出水梟神為病。刻在幸運。絆合丙火。歲逢乙亥。亥為壬祿，更如助紂為虐。遭際之一蹶不振宜矣。或謂未運殊佳。然壬運又險。縱能復興。亦不過野花一現而已。

Wu Zhihao's birth chart is Jiashen, Bingyin, Jiashen, Renshen. The day stem is Jia wood, born in the寅 month. The寅 is the "Lus" (Lus is the place where the day stem has authority and is in its proper position) for Jia wood, so it should form the "Jianlu Ge" (a pattern of prosperity). However, the three Shen metals in the chart clash with the寅, breaking the Lus, causing the foundation to be shaken. Fortunately, the month stem reveals Bing fire, which is the food god, capable of controlling the庚 metal seven killers in the Shen. Therefore, he is naturally a person who is skilled in social interaction and diplomacy. Unfortunately, the hour stem reveals Ren water, which is the biased scholar (also known as the枭神), which specializes in taking away the food of the food god. This becomes the root of his problems. At present, he is going through the Xin year, which forms a five harmony with the Bing fire in the sky stem, tying up the useful god Bing fire and preventing it from functioning. The current year also meets Yihai, where Hai is the Lus of Ren water, which is like giving strength to theOwl Spirit, truly aiding the villain, leading to inevitable setbacks. Some people say that his future Wei year will be good, but after the Wei year comes the Ren year, which is dangerous. Even if he experiences a temporary revival, it will be like a wild flower that appears briefly and does not last long.

程命為丙戍癸已乙亥癸未。初視這。身財兩停。細侒之。立夏以後。已戍未丙。中南火土進氣。水木無根。遠不敵火土。應以身弱論。行運都屬克身。故雖飽享蔭福。歷來劫耗可觀。及至戍益為不支。厥後戍已兩運。財理身輕。仍難樂觀。際茲年屆大衍。詩云，明哲保身，程君正可如孔子之知命。而永自韜養矣。

Cheng Linsheng's birth chart is Bingxu, Guisi, Yihai, and Guiwei. At first glance, the day master and the wealth star are evenly matched; upon closer examination, this is not the case. The Yimao day master is born after the beginning of summer, when fire and earth are in command. The chart contains Si, Xu, and Wei, along with the heavenly stem Bing fire in the year. The central earth and southern fire are all advancing in strength, while water and wood have no foundation. They are far inferior to the power of fire and earth, so it is considered that the day master is weak. The entire course of his life has been through paths that harm the day master. Therefore, although he has enjoyed the blessings of his ancestors, his losses and expenditures have been considerable. When he reaches the Xu path, he becomes even more unable to sustain himself. The subsequent Xu and Ji paths still have heavy wealth and a weak day master, so the outlook remains bleak. Now he is nearly fifty years old—ancients refer to fifty as "Da Yan" according to the "Great Treatise" in the "Zhou Changes." The "Shijing·Daying·Zhenmin" says, "Both wise and prudent, to preserve oneself." Mr. Cheng should follow Confucius' understanding of knowing one's destiny, and from now on, he should be cautious and self-restrained for the long term.

辛卯 庚寅 辛巳 戊子　七歲 己丑 十七 戊子 廿七 丁亥 三七 丙戌 四七 乙酉 五七 甲申

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) The male's birth chart is: the year pillar is Xin Mao, the month pillar is Geng Yin, the day pillar is Xin Si, and the hour pillar is Wu Zi. The day stem is Xin Metal. The big years start from the age of seven with Jichou, followed by Wuzi at seventeen, Dinghai at twenty-seven, Bingxu at thirty-seven, Yiyou at forty-seven, and Jiashen at fifty-seven. This sequence is arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Geng Yin upwards through the sixty jiazi, known as 'reverse big years', which is the opposite of the previous case of forward progression. The direction of progression, forward or backward, is determined by the yin or yang of the year stem and the gender of the person: if the person is male born in a yang year or female born in a yin year, the progression is forward; if the person is male born in a yin year or female born in a yang year, the progression is backward. In this case, the year stem is Xin, which is yin, and the person is male, so the progression is backward. Furthermore, each big year lasts for ten years. The first five years emphasize the heavenly stem, while the last five years emphasize the earthly branch. The 'Hai big year' mentioned later refers to the latter five years of the Dinghai big year (ages thirty-two to thirty-seven), and the 'Bing big year' refers to the first five years of the Bingxu big year (ages thirty-seven to forty-two).

此造前當軍官。地運走至亥字。流為綁匪。戊辰冬令。奉判徒刑十三年。現尚繫獄。囹圄生溽。殊形艱因。餘視其命。無甚破敗。殊覺百思不解。客窗無俚。重溫滴天髓。見有載天履地人為貴。順則吉佤凶由悖二語。始恍然大司。蓋此命年柱辛金克卯木。月柱庚金克寅木。時柱戊土克子水。日柱已火克辛金。干支覆載。悖逆刺謬。雖幫身眾多。而財食無能為力。所賴已火制金。身強用官。運至亥水。適沖已火。固宜墮落入格。甘為盜踏丙運戊辰年。土重如崩。縲線羈身。前程斷送。夫又何疑耶。

This person once served as an officer, but when his fortune reached the earthly branch "Hai," he suddenly became a bandit. In the winter of the Wu Chen year (1928), he was sentenced to thirteen years in prison and is still in jail, where life is extremely harsh. I looked at his birth chart and found no major signs of decline, and I was really puzzled. Later, while staying in a guesthouse and feeling bored, I reread the "Di Tian Mei" and saw the lines "Man is precious as he walks on earth and under heaven; when things go smoothly, they bring good fortune; when they go against, they bring misfortune." Only then did I suddenly understand. Originally, this birth chart had the heavenly stem of the year column Xin metal overcoming the earthly branch of Mao wood, the heavenly stem of the month column Geng metal overcoming the earthly branch of Yin wood, the heavenly stem of the hour column Wu earth overcoming the earthly branch of Zi water, and the heavenly stem of the day column Si fire overcoming the heavenly stem of Xin metal. Each column had the heavenly stem overpowering the earthly branch, and the earthly branch could not support the heavenly stem. The entire chart was contradictory and chaotic, with no place where things flowed or transformed. Although there were many metals and earths supporting the day stem, the day stem was not weak. However, the寅卯 wood, representing wealth, and the子 water, representing talent and eloquence, were all overcome and rendered powerless. The only thing the entire chart could rely on was the Si fire in the day branch, which restrained all the metals. This is called "strong body with official star as the useful god"—when the day stem is strong, the official star, which restrains it, is taken as the useful god. The useful god is the most critical and life-saving character in a birth chart. When his fortune reached the water branch Hai, it exactly clashed with the Si fire useful god, which is why he fell into evil ways and willingly became a bandit. In the Wu Chen year when he entered the丙 (Bing) fortune, the heavenly stem of the year was Wu, the earthly branch of the year was Chen, and the heavenly stem of the hour was also Wu. The accumulation of Wu earth made it so heavy that it almost collapsed everything (metals were buried by earth, and the Qi of Si fire was completely drained by earth). Thus, he was caught in a trap, and his future was destroyed. What else is there to doubt?

丁亥 壬子 壬午 庚子　八歲 癸丑 十八 甲寅 廿八 乙卯 三八 丙辰 四八 丁巳 五八 戊午

The female's birth chart is Kūn (Earth) type. The year pillar is Dinghai, the month pillar is Renzi, the day pillar is Renwu, and the hour pillar is Gengzi. The day stem is Ren water. The big luck starts at age eight with Guichou, followed by Jiayin at eighteen, Yimao at twenty-eight, Bingchen at thirty-eight, Dingsi at forty-eight, and Wuwu at fifty-eight. These big lucks are arranged in order from the month pillar Renzi downwards, which is called "big luck progressing forward" because the year stem Ding is yin, and yin female birth charts progress forward. From Jiayin onwards, the big lucks are all in the eastern wood and southern fire, which exactly compensates for the coldness of the northern water in the original chart. The following discussion of good and bad fortune is based on this.

客有述發橫財事者，流俗心理，娓娓動聽。餘因意及二命焉。一即上列女命。壬水得祿旺於亥了。亦且水歸冬旺。身主強健。丁午兩財。即衰弱夫根。又受沖受合。乃不烊富有之人。然行運多木火。東南之暖。足以濟命局西北之寒。故處境袷旭，夫子並棕。尤以丙寅年。木火根深。財旺碠於極點固於秋。獅得上海跑馬香檳頭獎。

A guest mentioned making sudden wealth, which matches common worldly sentiments and was described in an engaging way. This made me think of two birth charts. One is the female chart mentioned above: the day stem is Ren water, which gets its 'Lù' (favorable position) in the year branch Hai and its 'Wàng' (strength) in the month branch Zi. She was born in the month of Zi, when water is dominant and in charge, making the day stem very strong. The heavenly stem of the year, Ding fire, and the day branch, Wu fire, are the only two sources of wealth in the entire chart. In female charts, official stars (guan sha) represent the husband, and wealth can generate official stars, so these are called 'fu gen' (husband's roots). However, the Wu fire is attacked by two Zi waters, and the Ding fire is combined by the Ren water. Thus, it is both attacked and combined, making it not easy to become wealthy (the original text has an error in the phrase 'nǎi bù yáng fù yǒu zhī rén'). Fortunately, the fortune she has experienced is mostly wood and fire, and the warmth from the southeast can relieve the coldness from the northwest in the original chart, so her situation is actually smooth. Her husband and children all achieve honor and success. Especially in the year Bing Yin, the Yin wood generates Bing fire, and the wood and fire have deep roots, making the wealth star extremely strong. Thus, she won the first prize in the champagne lottery at the Shanghai racecourse in autumn.

現又有一命。為丁示癸卯癸亥乙卯。或媚其旺食生財。必富無疑餘獨謂癸水不任眾木。求富大難。抑或因富致禍。非金水歲運。弱主得助。方可積玉堆金。其人極信餘言。蓋渠於丑運丁卯年。曾中萬國儲蓄會頭獎。終以木火太旺。財多身弱，富非應得。既遭順祿。又臥病二載。所得不償所失。直至二十三負交庚運。始見順利。癸酉年又是金水幫峰。是以十謀九成。且於冬季。得中航空獎券之分條頭獎。今已小康雖仍依人作嫁。然時作公債投機。動獲巨利。精神愉快。遠勝於一般大資本家雲。

There is another birth chart, with the heavens stem and earthly branches of Dingwei, Guiyao, Guihai, and Yimao. Some people say that the person has a strong food god (shengcai) that generates wealth, and thus will certainly become very rich. However, I hold a different opinion. I believe that the癸water day master cannot bear the many woods in the chart. Wood is the food and injury (shengshang) generated by癸water, and food and injury generate fire as wealth. It seems that the path to wealth is open, but in reality, the day master is too weak to support this wealth, making it very difficult to achieve prosperity. Worse still, it may lead to misfortune caused by wealth. Only when the person reaches a year or decade of metal and water can the weak day master be supported, and then he can accumulate wealth. This person strongly believes my words. Originally, during his Chou decade, in the Dingmao year, he won the first prize in the World Savings Society lottery. However, due to excessive wood and fire, and the wealth being too much for his weak body, this fortune was not destined for him. He suffered a sudden misfortune (the original text mistakenly says 'suffered a smooth official rank'), and was ill for two years. The gains he made were not enough to compensate for the losses. It was not until he reached the Geng decade at the age of twenty-three that he began to have smooth progress. In the Guiyou year, which is a year of metal and water that supports the day master, he succeeded in nine out of ten things. In that winter, he also won a prize in the aviation lottery. Now he is considered小康 (a modestly comfortable level). Although he still works for others, he often engages in speculation on government bonds, making substantial profits at a time. His mental satisfaction far exceeds that of ordinary large capitalists.

庚戌 甲申 己酉 辛未　二歲 癸未 十二 壬午 廿二 辛巳 三二 庚辰 四二 己卯 五二 戊寅

The female's birth chart is Kūn (Earth) type. Her year pillar is Geng Xu, month pillar Jiashen, day pillar Jiayou, and hour pillar Xinwei. The day stem is Ji (Earth). The big years start from age two with Guiwei, followed by Renwu at age twelve, Xinsi at age twenty-two, Gengchen at age thirty-two, Jimao at age forty-two, and Wuyin at age fifty-two. These are arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Jiashen, which is known as "big years in reverse order." The year stem Geng is yang, so for a female with a yang year stem, the big years are arranged in reverse. To interpret this chart, first identify the month branch Shen (Metal). Ji (Earth) is born in the month of Shen, which is the season of autumn when Metal is in command. The Earth's strength is drained by Metal, which is the key to the statement that she "has all her beauty and grace but weak foundation."

石軍長戀有二姝。俗納其一。以充俾室。不識二人之命。孰為優美。就決於餘。余曰。庚戍之造。秋土薄弱。受重金洩。秀氣盡發，當有傾國傾城之姿。惟甲木官星死絕。乃非命發之格。或恐不安於室。或恐早賦孤鵠。良可畏也。

General Shi was in love with two women at the same time and intended to take one as a concubine, but he did not know which woman had a better destiny. He came to me for a decision. I said: This person born in Gengxu has a thin earthy element in the autumn, which is naturally weak, and is further drained by the heavy metal of Shen and You. All her vital energy is transformed into external beauty, so she must have a stunning appearance. However, the heavenly stem of the month, Jia wood, is her official star, which represents her husband. Jia wood is in the "绝" position in Shen and in the "胎" position in You, meaning the official star is dead and rootless. This is not a favorable pattern for becoming a consort. She may not be able to maintain her chastity or may become a widow at an early age. This is truly alarming.

另一女命。乃癸丑癸亥丙申已丑。雖傷官見官。幸初冬水旺。又有申金之財。洩土生水。官星有力矣。身主固弱，宜用亥中甲木偏伅。以之合傷幫峰。姿色雖不逮前命豔麗。然兩相評較。彼則艱寒卑薄。此乃愜心貴當。石軍長雖韙佟產。但終迷戀美色。卒娶庚戍秀豔之命。未閱半載。女果席捲遠揚。石軍長悔而無及。追從餘囑之言。再覓癸丑之造。兾聯舊歡，詎料若女已嬪某君。安作商人婦矣。

Another woman's chart is Gui Chou, Gui Hai, Bing Shen, and Ji Chou. The day stem is Bing fire, and the hour stem Ji earth is the official's son, which is a harmful element. The year and month stems are both Gui water, which are the official stars. This creates the taboo of "official meeting official's son." Fortunately, she was born in early winter, when water is strong. She also has the day branch Shen metal, which is the wealth star. The wealth star can drain the earth official's son and instead nourish the water official star, making the official star strong and not harmed. Since her day stem is weak, it is advisable to take the hidden Jia wood in the day branch Hai as the "biased scholar" star, which is a star that generates me. First, the biased scholar star can combine with the hour stem Ji earth official's son (Jia and Ji combine), and second, the wood can generate fire to support the day stem. This is a double benefit. Although her beauty is not as striking as the previous case, when compared, the previous case has a weak and thin structure, while this case is appropriate and suitable. General Shi thought my words were reasonable, but he could not resist the temptation of beauty, and eventually married the woman with Geng Xu, who had a beautiful appearance. Within half a year, that woman took away his property and ran away. General Shi regretted deeply, and recalled my advice, went to look for the woman with Gui Chou, hoping to resume the old relationship. However, he found that the woman had already married another man and was living a stable life as a merchant's wife.

壬寅 壬子 丁亥 癸卯　八歲 辛亥 十八 庚戌 廿八 己酉 三八 戊申 四八 丁未 五八 丙午

The female's birth chart is Kūn (Earth) type. The year pillar is Rényín, the month pillar is Rénzǐ, the day pillar is Dīnghài, and the hour pillar is Guímǎo. The day stem is Dīng fire. The major destiny starts with Xīnhài at age eight, followed by Gēngxū at eighteen, Jīyǒu at twenty-eight, Wǔshēn at thirty-eight, Dīngwèi at forty-eight, and Bīngwǔ at fifty-eight. This is arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Rénzǐ, indicating a "reverse major destiny" - the year stem Rén is yang, so female destiny is arranged in reverse for yang years. When reading this chart, focus on one point: the day stem is only Dīng fire, while the year and month stems Rén water, and the hour stem Guī water, along with the month branch Zǐ and day branch Hài, create a full presence of water. For female destiny, the official and killer (which control the day stem) are considered the husband star. In this case, water is the husband star, so the following discussion centers on the phrase "too many husband stars."

此乃舞女陳佩珍之命。正式遣逮嫁。傅已五次，刻聞徵逐舞場。氨無所歸。仍度其摟抱生涯。夫一丁被眾水圍，明暗夫星。薈萃重疊。滿盤爭妒之象。是宜蛾眉螓首。蛇物蠍心。招展一般狂蜂浪蝶。如螻蟻之附羶也。

This is the destiny of the dancing girl Chen Peizhen. She has been officially married five times, and now it is said she is still maneuvering around in the dance hall, ultimately having nowhere to rest, continuing her life of serving others through her beauty. Looking at her four pillars of destiny: a single Ding fire is isolated and surrounded by many waters. In the heavenly stems, there are clearly visible Ren and Gui water; in the earthly branches, there is hidden Ren water in the亥 and癸 water in the子. Both the visible and hidden husband stars gather together, creating a full chart filled with signs of competition and jealousy. It is no wonder she has an elegant appearance, with eyebrows like willow leaves and a beautiful face, yet her heart is as venomous as a snake. She attracts a group of wild bees and unruly butterflies around her, like ants drawn to a膻 smell.

現行酉運。生水有源。汪洋氾濫。恐仍意馬心猿。得隴望蜀。生張熟魏。送往迎來而已。三十八歲換入戊運。堤岸功成。方有樂觀。或不致浮沈花鏡。得能從一而終。猶足為門楣嬪婦。否則。四十三歲後。申運助起水浪。是又不堪收拾矣。按官殺並見之女命。得良善結果甚多。蓋其去留清楚。或制化得宜而已。若此命之五行少土。官殺不得其制。兩壬妒合一丁。癸水又來相爭。兼以亥中子中。互藏壬癸紛亂無以復加。不致夫星之二三其德星。蓋幾希焉。

She is now in the You (酉) cycle, where You metal generates water, adding a source to the entire body of water, making it even more vast and overflowing; she is likely to remain restless and fickle-minded, always wanting more, merely going from one person to another. At the age of thirty-eight, she will enter the Wu (戊) cycle, where Wu earth can build a dike to prevent water, and the situation may then become optimistic, possibly avoiding prolonged drifting and instability. If she remains faithful and committed, she might be considered a proper wife in a decent family. Otherwise, after the age of forty-three, when she enters the Shen (申) cycle, Shen metal will again assist the water, making the situation even worse. Additional note: female命s with both official and sevenkill (正官与七杀) present often have good outcomes, but the key lies in clear distinction between keeping and removing—either removing the official and keeping the sevenkill, or removing the sevenkill and keeping the official, or having food and injury (食伤) to control them, or having a minister (印绶) to transform them. If properly handled, there will be no problem. In this case, the Five Phases (五行) are missing earth, and the official and sevenkill have no controlling force. Two Ren water are competing to combine with one Ding fire (丁壬相合), while Gui water also comes in to interfere. Plus, the hidden Ren and Gui water in Hai and Zi further complicate the situation, making it extremely chaotic. The Book of Songs (《诗经·卫风·氓》) says, "Two or three virtues," and for such a命, expecting the husband's star (夫星) to be faithful and devoted is very unlikely.

壬午 丙午 甲午 庚午　五歲 丁未 十五 戊申 廿五 己酉 三五 庚戌 四五 辛亥 五五 壬子

The man's birth chart (乾造) is as follows: the year pillar is Renwu, the month pillar is Bingwu, the day pillar is Jiawu, and the hour pillar is Gengwu. The day stem is Jiawu, which is wood. All four earthly branches are Wu, and all the heavenly stems are yang. This is a rare pattern known in the annals of divination as "all earthly branches are the same" combined with "all heavenly stems are yang." Starting from the age of five, the big years are Dingwei, then Wushen at fifteen, Jiyou at twenty-five, Gengxu at thirty-five, Xinhai at forty-five, and Renzi at fifty-five, arranged in order from the month pillar Bingwu. This is referred to as "big years progressing in order," as the heavenly stem of the year pillar, Ren, is yang, and for a male with a yang heavenly stem, the big years are arranged in order. When examining the chart, note that Wu is the "death" place for Jiawu (wood) and the "prosperity" place for Binghuo (fire). With four Wus appearing, the wood is completely burned by fire, which is the root of the entire chart's problem.

或謂地支一氣。類多貴格。然亦不可盡信。如上列之造。為江西文學家梅君命也。純支純午。卻屬一世清貧。蓋火熾木楚。壬水制不住。庚金任不住。勢大造為我敵。勢小騅為我用。宜其相如壁立。季子囊空。送窮有文。點金乏術。惟八字純陽。勁節高標。孤芬自賞。固是書生本色。早年聞術家言。辛運合丙。絆住旺神。應見飛黃騰達。詎料行入辛運。丁卯年忽得瘋癱之症。貧而且病。良以辛運本不為劣。歲逢丁字。又克沖午。滴天髓所謂旺者沖衰衰者拔。衰者沖旺旺者發，為禍之烈。不可收拾矣，

Some people believe that birth charts with all the earthly branches in one element are mostly of noble quality, but one cannot fully trust this. Take the case of Mei Jun, a literary figure from Jiangxi, for example. His chart has all four branches as午 (Wu), yet he lived a life of poverty. The reason is that the fire is too intense and the wood is burned out. The heavenly stemRen Water (Ren Shui) in the year cannot control this strong fire, and the heavenly stemGeng Metal (Geng Jin) in the hour also fails to take on this responsibility. When the fire is strong, they cannot serve as my opponent; when the fire is weak, they cannot serve as my useful god. It is no wonder he ended up like Sima Xiangru, with nothing but the walls of his home, or Su Qin, with his bag as empty as a washing basin. He had the literary talent of Han Yu's "Sending Poverty" essay, but lacked the ability to turn stone into gold. Fortunately, his birth chart is entirely yang, giving him a strong character, a lofty style, and a self-appreciation of his own fragrance, which is the true nature of a scholar. In his early years, he heard from a fortune teller that the辛金 (Xin Jin) in his destiny would harmonize with the丙火 (Bing Huo) in the year and month, thus restraining the strong element, and he would achieve great success. But when he entered the辛运 (Xin year) and encountered the丁卯 (Ding Mao) year, he suddenly suffered from a paralytic illness, becoming both poor and sick. This is because the辛运 (Xin) itself is not bad, but the bad part lies in the flow year encountering丁 (Ding). The丁火 (Ding Huo) not only overcomes the辛金 (Xin Jin), but the卯木 (Mao Mu) also agitates the午火 (Wu Huo). As stated in the "Ditianmou" (Drop of Heaven's Dew), "When the strong element confronts the weak, the weak is uprooted; when the weak element confronts the strong, the strong is stimulated." The weakXin Metal (Xin Jin) confronting the extremely strong午火 (Wu Huo) actually stimulates the strong fire, causing great harm that is hard to control.

又友人胡君八字，為庚寅戊寅甲寅。地支純寅。但殺重制輕。殊為缺憾。供職堸政部。運至已火。化殺功深。由主事而升次長。迨及壬運。黨殺之故。一落壬丈。午運雖亦化殺。終以壬水盡頭。屢起無成。近年來愈趨窮困。竊恐其甲申運。更有屋漏又遭連夜雨之苦也。

There is also a friend named Hu whose birth chart is Gengyin, Wuyin, Jiayin—only three pillars are listed here, one pillar is missing. I dare not make up the missing one, so readers should know that his earth branches are all Yin. The day stem is Jiayin, which is the wood element, sitting on the full Yin branch. It seems strong, but the heavenly stem of the year is Geng metal, which is the seven killer. The element that controls the killer is too weak, which is a great deficiency. He works in the Ministry of Finance. When his fortune reaches the Si fire, the fire is the food and injury element, which can neutralize the seven killer's harmful effect. Because the effect of transforming the killer is strong, he was promoted from a chief clerk to a deputy minister. But when he reaches the Ren water fortune, the water nourishes the wood and helps the killer, and the seven killer joins forces with the water, so he fell greatly. Although the Wu fire fortune can also transform the killer, it was finally suppressed by the Ren water at the top, and he had no success even after several ups and downs. In recent years, he has become even more destitute. I privately worry that when he reaches the Jiashen fortune, the Shen metal will clash with the Yin, and it will be a killer's land. He will suffer even more hardship, like a leaking roof with continuous rain.

庚辰 己丑 癸丑 乙卯　六歲 庚寅 十六 辛卯 廿六 壬辰 三六 癸巳 四六 甲午 五六 乙未

Heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth chart for a male: the year pillar is Gengchen, the month pillar is Jichou, the day pillar is Guichou, and the hour pillar is Yimao. The day stem is Guishui. The big years start from age six with Gengyin, followed by Xinmao at age sixteen, Renchen at age twenty-six, Guisi at age thirty-six, Jiawu at age forty-six, and Yiwei at age fifty-six. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Jichou, indicating a "progressive big year" - the heavenly stem of the year is Geng, which is yang, so the big years are arranged in order for a yang year male. This chart should be considered in two aspects: first, the earthly branch of the month is Chou, and Guishui is born in the month of Chou, which is before the beginning of spring by fifteen days. According to the solar terms, the Chou branch is already ruled by Ji soil, which is the basis for determining the pattern. Second, the earthly branch of the hour is Mao, which falls in the "empty" position (the day Guichou belongs to the Chen month, and in this month the characters Yin and Mao are missing, so Yin and Mao are empty). The strength of the empty character is reduced, and Wei's comment that "it is slightly less impressive" is based on this.

紹興蔣清渠先生。別署越洲胖漢。服務軍警政學各界。公暇喜研命理。深有心得。早年遊歷大江南北。足跡所至。各同事感請其談命。頗多中肯。前蒙郵示命造多則。囑余評斷。緣將管窺所及。呈呈請粲政。上為毛希蒙先生庚造。毛先生久歷軍旅。勳奠聿著。上年代理定海縣公安局長，勤求民隱。政譽更隆。

Mr. Jiang Qingqu of Shaoxing, who goes by the courtesy name "Yuezhou Pangan," has served in the military, police, political, and academic fields. In his spare time, he has devoted himself to the study of divination, achieving considerable insight. In his early years, he traveled extensively throughout the Yangtze River region, and wherever he went, his colleagues would eagerly request his opinions on fate. His remarks were often accurate. Previously, he sent me many birth charts for evaluation, and I have written down my limited and partial views below, hoping for your guidance. The chart above is Mr. Mao Ximeng's "Geng zao," which in old times was called the "Geng tie" or "Geng zao" for a person's birth chart, as the year stem "Geng" was considered the first element in the four pillars. Mr. Mao has long been in the military, achieving remarkable merits; last year he served as acting chief of public security for Dinghai County, diligently observing the hardships of the common people, and his reputation as a politician became even more prominent.

夫癸丑日元。於立春前十五日。已值己土用事。土乃七殺。月支丑官本氣己土。藏干辛金偏印。殺印同根月令。是為有情。又殺印同透天干。是為有力。殺印相生。有情而兼有力。貴格也。有為水庫。扶助日元。內有官食同宮。則官受制而不混殺。殺格愈清。乙卯食神得祿。制殺尤力。惜卯落旬空。略為減爭。覘其足智多謀。佐治民事。統率軍旅。皆足以衛國定邦。非偶然也。行運最忌財鄉。已運有破財之忌。現行午運。官聲可振。而阿堵物仍難有緣。乙未運大佳。丙運財來壤印危如壘卵。

On aGuichou day, the day ruler is born fifteen days before the start of the solar term of Start of Spring, and by the time of the solar term, the earth branch丑 already hasJi Earth in charge. SinceJi Earth andGui Water are both yin, they are of the same nature and thus mutually controlling, which is called「seven killing」(seven killing refers to something that controls me and shares the same yin/yang nature; it is also called biased official). The original qi of the month branch丑 isJi Earth, which is the seven killing. In addition,丑 also containsXin Metal, which generatesGui Water and shares the same yin/yang nature, thus being called「biased scholar」. Since the seven killing and the scholar share the same root in the month's stem, it is called「having affection」. The year stemGeng Metal, which is the scholar, and the month stemJi Earth, which is the seven killing, both appear in the heavenly stem, which is called「having strength」. The seven killing generates the scholar, and the scholar generates the self, so the seven killing and the scholar mutually generate each other, and they are both having affection and strength, which is a noble pattern. The year branch辰 is a water reservoir, which can support the day ruler. In addition,辰 containsWu Earth, which is the official, andYi Wood, which is the food god, in the same branch. The food god is close by and controls the official, so the official does not mix with the seven killing, making the seven killing pattern even clearer. The hour stem and branchYimao haveYi Wood, the food god, in卯, which is in its strength, so the food god has strong power to control the seven killing. Unfortunately,卯 is in the旬空, so its strength is reduced slightly, making it less impressive. Therefore, this person is very intelligent and resourceful, capable of assisting in civil administration or leading the military, and can protect the country and ensure peace, which is not accidental. The most unfavorable period in his life is the wealth area, as wealth can damage the scholar. When he enters the巳 period, there is a risk of financial loss. Now he is in the午 period, which can greatly enhance his official reputation, but he still has no connection with wealth. TheYiwei period is very favorable. When he enters the丙 period, the wealth star will directly damage the scholar, making his situation as precarious as a stack of eggs on top of each other.

庚子 丙戌 乙亥 乙酉　四歲 丁亥 十四 戊子 廿四 己丑 三四 庚寅 四四 辛卯 五四 壬辰 六四 癸巳

Heavenly stem and earthly branch for the birth chart of a male: the year stem and branch are Geng Zi, the month stem and branch are Bing Xu, the day stem and branch are Yi Hai, and the hour stem and branch are Yi You. The day stem is Yi Wood. The big years start from age four with Ding Hai, followed by Wu Zi at age fourteen, Ji Chou at age twenty-four, Geng Yin at age thirty-four, Xin Mao at age forty-four, Ren Chen at age fifty-four, and Gui Si at age sixty-four. These are arranged in order from the month stem and branch Bing Xu, which is called "big years progressing forward." The year stem Geng is yang, so for a male with a yang stem, the big years are arranged in a forward direction. To understand this chart, one must refer to the "twelve growths": for a yin stem Yi Wood, the twelve palaces are reversed. In Zi, Yi Wood is in the state of illness; in Hai, it is in death; in You, it is in extinction; and in Xu, it is in the storage and root. In this chart, the year branch Zi, day branch Hai, and hour branch You correspond exactly to illness, death, and extinction, while the month branch Xu is the storage and root of Yi Wood. The following discussion by Wei mentions that the Wood is declining but not yet exhausted, and the basis for this is here.

此係某軍需長之命。滴天髓闡微有云。“弱者宜生。弱之極者。宜克而不宜生也。所謂虛則補其母。是以秋木凋落。宜金而不宜水也。”又曰“太衰宜克，衰極宜洩。”依此而論。本命乙木日干。生於立冬前十日。土王用事。身從死地。時歸絕處。年逢病鄉。所依以生存得。賴有戍支身庫，及時干比肩。雖曰衰弱。尚未臻極地。宜克而不宜世也明矣。

This is the destiny of a quartermaster. The "Ditianmou Chanyi" states that when the day's ruler is weak, it is suitable to generate and support it; however, when it is extremely weak, it is better to be restrained rather than supported. It is said, "When something is deficient, supplement its mother," which is why in autumn, when wood withers, it is better to see metal to cut it rather than water to nourish it. It also says that when something is very weak, it is suitable to be restrained, and when it is extremely weak, it is suitable to be released. Following this principle, the present destiny has the day's ruler as yi wood, born ten days before the beginning of winter, which is during the month of xu when earth is strong. The day's branch, hai, is the "death" position for yi wood; the hour's branch, you, is the "extinction" position; and the year's branch, zi, is the "illness" position. The only support it relies on is the month's branch, xu, which is its own storage, and the heavenly stem at the hour, which is a similar yi wood companion. Thus, although it is weak, it has not yet reached the extreme of exhaustion, so it is suitable to be restrained rather than supported, which is clear. (Note: The original text's "宜克而不宜世" should be "宜克而不宜生," with "世" being a mistake for "生.")

餘以財旺生官立論。或有取丙火傷官。意為庚亥。死於酉。胎於子。僅有戍庫可賴。庚金有兩乙遙合相助。勢非孤立。按其身掌榷務。繼任軍需。何莫非旺財生官之明徵耶。現行庚寅運。官坐絕地。宦海多風波。寅為羊刃。與亥作合。以刃化印。宜其顯達。名利兩振。卯運欠利。

I therefore advocate the theory of "wealth flourishing to generate official status": in the month of戌, earth is strong and serves as the wealth star for the ethereal wood yi. The strong wealth star generates the heavenly stem geng metal official star at the year's stem. This line of reasoning is most clear. Some people advocate taking the month's stem bing fire official as the useful element, but I think this is inappropriate. Bing fire is in the hour branch you as "death" and in the year branch zi as "fetus", and the entire chart only has the month branch xu as a fire warehouse to rely on, which is too weak (the original text here has the phrase "meaning geng hai" with an error). In contrast, the metal geng, with two ethereal wood yi at the day and hour positions, combines with it (yi and geng combine), getting support from two sides, and thus is not isolated. Looking at his entire career, he was in charge of specialized taxation, and later took over military supplies, which are all clear examples of wealth flourishing to generate official status. Now he is in the gengyin period, with the official star geng metal sitting on the branch yin, which is "absolute" (a term indicating weakness), so his official career is bound to face difficulties. However, yin is also the "yang ren" (a star that supports the strong body) for the ethereal wood yi. The ethereal wood yi's strong position is in mao, and its yang ren is in yin. The yin branch also combines with the day branch hai, transforming the yang ren energy into the official star, so he can still achieve success and gain both fame and fortune. The upcoming mao period, however, is less favorable.

己酉 己巳 癸酉 戊午　三歲 戊辰 十三 丁卯 廿三 丙寅 三三 乙丑 四三 甲子 五三 癸亥 六三 壬戌

The heavenly stem of the year is Ji You, the month is Ji Si, the day is Gui You, and the hour is Wu Wu. The day stem is Gui Water. The big destiny starts with Wu Chen at age three, followed by Ding Mao at thirteen, Bing Yin at twenty-three, Yi Chou at thirty-three, Jia Zi at forty-three, Gui Hai at fifty-three, and Ren Xu at sixty-three. These are arranged in reverse order from the month stem Ji Si, indicating a "reverse big destiny" - since the year stem Ji is yin, a yin year for a male destiny is arranged in reverse. When reading this chart, it is important to distinguish between the two types of earth: Ji Earth and Gui Water are both yin, and same sex mutual control is called "seven killing" (also known as biased official). Wu Earth is yang, and mutual control between different sexes is called "proper official." In this case, both the year and month stems are Ji Earth, which is seven killing, while the hour stem Wu Earth is proper official. The term "official and seven killing mixed" discussed later refers exactly to this situation.

上繫餘姚縣民生工廠朱聯泉廠長之造。祖業甚豐。賦性篤厚。殊為地土紳所推戴。廠內經費毫無。概由朱君捐助。夫癸酉日元。生於立夏之後。值火土當權。財官用事。月令官星透天干。理取官星為用。財印為輔不料兩位七殺。年月盤距。大有官煞混雜之嫌。書曰官煞混雜。制煞為福。今四柱不見食傷。制煞無物。妙有印綬化煞。則官乃純。立身玫界。名譽降崇。運途以寅運及乙丑運。俱順境。甲運稍差。子運亦利。癸運分官欠吉。

The above is the birth chart of Mr. Zhu Lianquan, the factory director of the Minsheng Factory in Yuyao County. His ancestors had substantial property, and he was naturally sincere and upright, highly respected by local gentry. The factory had no funds, and all expenses were entirely covered by Mr. Zhu himself. The day stem is Guiyou, and the person was born after the Beginning of Summer, when fire and earth were dominant, with wealth and official stars in charge. The hidden Wu earth official star in the month branch was revealed in the hour stem, so according to theory, the official star should be the "useful god," with the wealth star generating the official and the intellectual star protecting as assistants. However, the year and month stems both had two Ji earth seven killers, suggesting a strong possibility of "mixed official and killer stars"—the official and killer appearing together, one clear and one turbid, which is most undesirable if not distinguished. The divination books say that when official and killer stars are mixed, if the killer can be controlled, it can turn into fortune. Now, the four pillars do not have food or injury stars to control the killer; fortunately, the year branch and day branch are both You, which are metal, the intellectual star, capable of transforming the earth's killer energy into water to nourish the body. The killer is transformed, leaving the official star pure. Therefore, he has a good reputation in the political field. His favorable years include the寅 (Yin) andYichou (Yichou) years, while the甲 (Jia) year is slightly less favorable, and the子 (Zi) year is also beneficial. The癸 (Gui) year, however, is a same-branch star that competes for the official star, which is less auspicious.

乙卯 庚辰 丙子 壬辰　四歲 己卯 十四 戊寅 廿四 丁丑 三四 丙子 四四 乙亥 五四 甲戌 六四 癸酉

Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch of the birth year: Yimao, birth month: Gengchen, birth day: Bingzi, birth hour: Renchen, the day stem is Bing fire. The big destiny starts with Jimao at age four, followed by Wuyin at age fourteen, Dingchou at age twenty-four, Bingzi at age thirty-four, Yihai at age forty-four, Jiaxu at age fifty-four, and Guiyou at age sixty-four. These are arranged in reverse order from the birth month Gengchen, which is called "reversing big destiny." Since the heavenly stem of the birth year is Yimao, which is yin, the male destiny is arranged in reverse. The key point of this birth chart lies in the earthy branch of the birth month, Chen. Chen is a mixed earth branch containing the hidden heavenly stems Wu earth, Yi wood, and Gui water. The method of determining the character of the destiny based on mixed elements originates from this Chen branch.

舊命書人以壬辰戍丑未之月。謂之雜氣。以其藏支多。故謂之雜，唯命理約言一書。闢之最暢。今丙火生於辰月。時透七煞。普通命家當取時上一位貴格。其他六神。概置間廢。愚見所及。取命格當以月中藏神。透干會支為重，本命身健（多印生之。）印旺。（月時之印透天干。）財透。（乙助庚勢。）煞強。（壬旺於子。非混官也。）

In old命 books, those born in the months of辰, 戌, 丑, or 未 were all called "杂气" because these four branches contain the most heavenly stems. Hence, the term "杂" was used. Only in the book "Ming Li Yue Yan" by Chen Su'an of the Qing Dynasty did someone strongly refute this view. Now, for a person with a丙 fire day stem born in the辰 month, with the壬 water seven killer appearing in the hour stem, most命 masters would take the "one position of honor in the hour" pattern, that is, focusing solely on the seven killer in the hour stem, and ignoring the other six spirits. In my humble opinion, determining the pattern should focus on whether the heavenly stems hidden in the month are revealed in the heavenly stems, and whether they can form combinations with the earthly branches. (The following four sentences in parentheses are the author's own notes, explaining the strength of this particular case step by step.) The day stem is strong (because the卯 branch in the year, the辰 branch in the month, and the辰 branch in the hour contain the乙 wood official star, which supports it layer by layer); the official star is strong (the乙 wood in the month and hour branches is revealed in the year stem); the wealth star is revealed (the乙 wood in the year stem combines with the庚 gold in the month stem, which actually enhances the strength of the庚 gold wealth star); the seven killer is strong (the壬 water in the hour stem has its root in the子 branch of the day stem, making it strong, and there is no癸 water true official in the chart, so it is pure killer rather than a mixture of official and killer).

當取食用煞印。立業宜近財蓋食生財。財滋煞。煞生印。印生身。邊環滋生，非勝達而何，行運最利。食傷。身旺印綬亦宜。逢煞無傷。遇官非福。內助賢淑。財得食生也。令子克家。食神制煞也。 （據聞。此繫上海四明銀行儲蓄部張群八字。亦由蔣翁示我者。）

Therefore, one should take the Wu earth in Chen to represent the food god, combining with the seven killers and the official star as useful elements. When establishing one's career, it is advantageous to be close to the wealth path, because the food god generates wealth, wealth nourishes the seven killers, the seven killers generate the official star, and the official star again generates the self, forming a continuous cycle of mutual support and growth. Such a configuration is unlikely to fail to achieve success. The most favorable fortune is to walk the path of the food god and the injurious star; since the day's main element is strong, walking the official star path is also acceptable; encountering the seven killer path will not cause harm; conversely, encountering the proper official path is not beneficial, because the official star confuses the seven killer, making the pattern turbid. A virtuous wife is due to the wealth star (for a male's fortune, the wealth star represents the wife) being generated and supported by the food god; the son can shoulder the family business because the food god can control the seven killer (for a male's fortune, the official and killer stars represent the son). The last line in parentheses is the author's own note: it is said that this is the birth year of Zhang Qun, the savings department of Shanghai's Sihing Bank, also copied by my friend Jiang Qingqu.