Mr. Xie (manager of a pawnshop in Anhui province)

甲辰 甲戌 癸未 辛酉　九歲 乙亥 十九 丙子 廿九 丁丑 三九 戊寅 四九 己卯 五九 庚辰 六九 辛巳

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the male's birth chart: the year pillar is Jia Chen, the month pillar is Jia Xu, the day pillar is Gui Wei, and the hour pillar is Xin You. The day stem is Gui Water. The big years start from the age of nine with Yi Hai, followed by Bing Zi at nineteen, Ding Chou at twenty-nine, Wu Yin at thirty-nine, Ji Mao at forty-nine, Geng Chen at fifty-nine, and Xin Si at sixty-nine. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Jia Xu, indicating a "progressive big year" sequence. Note that the year branch Chen and the month branch Xu are in opposition, and the two Jia Wood stems are above Chen and Xu respectively. The analysis states that he has both official and imperial authority but is confined to the marketplace, and the three reasons for this are all related to this opposition and coverage.

上繫安徽某當經理謝君八字。癸水生於戍月。已近黃土當權。土克水為正官。年支辰土。又是正官。時上辛酉干支。皆金。金生水為印。則局中。有官有印。理當飛黃騰達。宦海航行。何今屈居市塵經理質物為事。寄人籬下。辛苦萬狀。厥故維何。

The above is the four pillars of heaven and earth of Mr. Xie, a manager of a pawnshop in Anhui. The癸 water is born in the ninth month, which is the戌 earth month, a time when the earth is in charge and the water's energy is exhausted. Earth can overcome water, and for癸 water, the yang earth戊 and the yin water癸 are opposite in yin and yang, making it the "official star" or "正官"—the official star is the star in the destiny that governs official position and status. The戊 earth is the main element in戌, so it is the official star. The year's branch is辰, which also contains the hidden戊 earth, which is also the official star. The hour pillar isXinyou, with both the heavenly stem and earthly branch belonging to metal. Metal generates water, which is the "nurturing star" or "印绶" that supports the day's stem. Thus, the chart contains both official and nurturing stars, with the official generating the nurturing and the nurturing generating the self, forming the proper pattern of official and nurturing stars, which is the correct pattern for achieving success in official career. Logically, he should rise to prominence and sail smoothly through the official world. So why is he now confined to the streets, engaged in the business of pawnshops and pledges, living in someone else's house, and enduring great hardship? What is the real reason behind this?

要知官星宜露。露則清高。今辰戍之官。藏而不露。一也。辰戍沖。官與官自起沖突。二也。官既不透。而與官作仇之傷官。加蓋兩官之上。三也。有是三者。宦海無緣。乃致朝奉頭銜。加於身上矣。本命傷官透露。英華外發。作事精明。涉足近東南為妙。住家離祖基相宜。行運以戊寅己卯大佳。

To have the official star (官星) clearly revealed in the heavenly stems is considered auspicious, as it signifies clarity, dignity, and refinement. In this case, the official stars are both hidden in the earthly branches at the positions of Chen and Xu, without being revealed in the heavenly stems, which is the first deficiency. Moreover, Chen and Xu are in opposition, causing the official stars to conflict with each other, which is the second deficiency. Furthermore, since the official stars are not revealed in the heavenly stems, and the wood official star (甲木伤官), which specifically harms the official star, is present at both Chen and Xu, this is the third deficiency. With these three obstacles, a career in officialdom is unlikely, and thus the title of "Chao Feng" (a former term for a money lender or shopkeeper) falls to him. However, since the official star is revealed in the birth chart, his talents are evident and he is capable and efficient in his affairs. His activities should be in the southeast direction, and his residence should be away from his ancestral homeland. The best fortune comes from the years of Wuyin and Jimao.

辛亥 辛丑 甲午 癸酉　七歲 壬寅 十七 癸卯 廿七 甲辰 三七 乙巳 四七 丙午 五七 丁未 六七 戊申

The female's birth chart is Kūn (Earth) type. The year pillar is Xīnhài, the month pillar is Xinchou, the day pillar is Jiawu, and the hour pillar is Guimao. The day stem is Jia wood. The big destiny starts with Rényín at age seven, followed by Guimao at seventeen, Jiachen at twenty-seven, Yisi at thirty-seven, Bingwu at forty-seven, Dingwei at fifty-seven, and Wushen at sixty-seven. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Xinchou, indicating a "forward progression" of big destiny. Since the year stem is Xīn (a yin stem), female destiny is arranged in forward order. For female destiny, the official star (husband star) is the one that controls the day stem. In this case, both the year and month stems are Xīn (yin) metal official stars, making the official star very strong. The day branch Wu contains Ding fire official star and the hour stem Guī water official star, which are both controlling and transforming, serving as the two main remedies in the entire chart. The following analysis will start from here.

此南京杜靄移先生次女公子。錫貞女之命也。杜公曆任蘇省南匯江陰江浦等縣知事多年。政績卓著。敝友蔣清渠先生。蒙杜公延請辦理司法。兼第一科行政。相處多年，彼此投契。近有某君為女士作伐。與某公子撮合。杜公深悉蔣君精於命理。請其推評而決焉。邇因蔣君與千里控討命理。昨蒙將女士並婿之庚造開示。謬陳芻蕘於次。

This is the fortune of Madam Xizhen, the second daughter of Mr. Du Aiyi of Nanjing. Mr. Du served as county magistrate for many years in Nanhui, Jiangyin, and Jiangpu counties in Jiangsu province, and his achievements in governance were outstanding. My friend Mr. Jiang Qingqu was hired by Mr. Du to handle judicial affairs and also to manage the first administrative department. We have been in close contact for many years and have become very close. Recently, someone has been matchmaking for Madam Xizhen (the term "faku" refers to matchmaking, derived from the poem "Fakuo" in the Book of Songs, which uses "fakuo" to symbolize the act of making a matchstick, hence the term "faku" for matchmaking), intending to pair her with a certain young gentleman. Mr. Du, knowing that Mr. Jiang is skilled in divination, asked him to calculate and assess their fortunes in order to decide whether to accept the match. Recently, Mr. Jiang and I discussed matters of divination, and yesterday he copied both the birth charts of Madam Xizhen and her future son-in-law for me. I will now state my humble opinions (ancients used the term "chuyao" as a modest expression, meaning the crude remarks of a person who cuts grass and gathers firewood).

本命財旺生官。而官星太旺。透印以解。乃得中和。午中傷官甚妙。是救病之藥也。運行木火相宜。金運大忌。合乾造而觀之。洵是天成佳偶。可見杜公擇婿之目力不差。蓋婿命為戊申甲子戊戍戊午。戊土生於子月。四柱火土重重。身強財旺而煞透。富貴之命也。年坐文昌。學藝定許軼眾。時逢羊刃。七煞遇之為奇。子午相沖，妙有中戍調解。當卜性極忠實。意志傲強。行運忌走火入土。水木最利。

This destiny has the month's branch, Chou, containing Ji earth, which is the wealth star. The wealth is strong and generates Xin gold, the official star. Unfortunately, the official star is too strong and suppresses the day's main element. Fortunately, the hour's stem reveals Gui water, the true scholar star, which can transform the official star's controlling power into a supportive force for the body, thus achieving balance in the entire chart. The day's branch, Wu, contains Ding fire, which is the injurer, directly controlling the Xin gold official star. This is especially effective, like the right medicine for the illness. The favorable fortune should be wood and fire (wood supports the body, fire controls the official star), and the most unfavorable is the metal fortune (metal strengthens the official star further). When combined with the wife's birth chart, it is clearly a perfect match, showing that Du Gong's eye for selecting a son-in-law is indeed excellent. The son-in-law's destiny is Wu soil, Jiazi, Wu soil, Wu soil, and Wu soil. Wu soil is born in the month of Zi, with fire and soil elements heavily present in the four pillars, indicating a strong body. The month's branch, Zi, contains癸 water, the wealth star, which is in command, and the month's stem also reveals Jia wood, the seven killer. This is a destiny of wealth and honor. The year's branch, Shen, is the "Wen Chang" (a good star indicating intelligence and literary talent) for Wu soil, indicating that he is outstanding in learning. The hour's branch, Wu, is the "Yang Ren" (a凶 star), but when there is a seven killer in the destiny, the killer and Yang Ren complement each other, forming a rare pattern. The day's branch, Xu, and the hour's branch, Wu, conflict with Zi. That is, the year's branch, Shen, and the day's branch, Xu, are in the middle to mediate. Shen and Zi form a half-water trine, and Xu and Wu form a half-fire trine, thus the conflict is eased. From this, it can be predicted that his character is extremely loyal and his will is strong. The unfavorable fortune should be fire and soil, and water and wood are most beneficial.

庚子 甲申 癸酉 癸丑　五歲 乙酉 十五 丙戌 廿五 丁亥 三五 戊子 四五 己丑 五五 庚寅 六五 辛卯

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for a male's birth chart: the year pillar is Geng Zi, the month pillar is Jia Shen, the day pillar is Gui You, and the hour pillar is Gui Chou. The day stem is Gui Water. The big years start with Yi You at age five, followed by Bing Xu at fifteen, Ding Hai at twenty-five, Wu Zi at thirty-five, Ji Chou at forty-five, Geng Yin at fifty-five, and Xin Mao at sixty-five. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Jia Shen, indicating a "forward progression" of the big years. Since the year stem Geng is yang, male birth charts with yang years are arranged in forward progression. This table should be read horizontally with the Earthly Branches: the year branch Zi and the month branch Shen form a half water trinity, the day branch You and the hour branch Chou form a half metal trinity, resulting in a full chart of metal and water. The only element to guide the flow is the month stem Jia Wood. The following discussion on "source and flow" and "mixed turbid metal and water" originates from this.

上列庚造。繫福州南臺王世昌先生。上年郵寄蔣清渠先生推評。今蒙開示。謬陳管見於後。癸水生於申月。金白水清。秀而無比。依滴天髓通隔而推。年上庚金。為發源之地。流通至時上丑土而止。最可喜者。月干甲木。能運動水氣。能生火以調和金氣。四柱地支。子申半會水局。酉丑半會金局。滿盤金水。若無甲木透出天干。則金水混濁不清耳。

This八字 belongs to Mr. Wang Shichang from NanTai in Fuzhou. It was sent to Mr. Jiang Qingqu last year for evaluation, and now I have the opportunity to share my opinion. The癸 water is born in the申 month, when autumn gold is in command and generates water. In命理, this is called "gold white and water clear" — a pattern describing the mutual generation of gold and water, with a clear and pure atmosphere, indicating a person who is intelligent and noble. This chart is exceptionally refined. According to the "Ditianmou" saying "where does the source begin, and where does it flow to," we can analyze the flow and blockage of the source: the year's heavenly stem, 庚 gold, is the starting point of this water flow. 庚 generates 癸 water, and the water flows continuously until it is stopped by the hour's earth branch, 丑 earth. Most pleasing is the month's heavenly stem, 甲 wood — when water is too abundant, it tends to stagnate; with 甲 wood present, this stagnant water can be moved. Wood can also generate fire, which helps to balance the excessive gold energy, achieving two benefits with one action. Now looking at the four pillars' earth branches: the year's earth branch, 子, and the month's earth branch, 申, form a half-water trinity, while the day's earth branch, 酉, and the hour's earth branch, 丑, form a half-metal trinity. The entire chart is filled with metal and water. If there were no 甲 wood appearing in the heavenly stems to guide the flow, this metal and water trinity would become turbid and dull, lacking vitality.

正印用傷。別無可取。覘君之門第清高。材藝鐵眾。可斷言也。坐下酉宮偏印。必偶能家之女。眾三槐流香。行運己丑十年。上下皆煞。一帆風順。平步青雲。名利崇隆。攸往咸宜也。庚寅運。亦許順境。壬辰運有礙。

Therefore, this birth chart is of the "official in the official position" pattern using the "hurt official" as the useful element. The heavenly stem of the month, Jia wood, is the official of the month's branch, Shen metal, which contains Geng metal, the official, and it is in command. Thus, the pattern is established based on the official. The useful element is the hurt official, which is the Jia wood of the heavenly stem, to release the brilliance. There is nothing else to take. From this, we can see that the person's family is refined and noble, and he is talented and skilled, which can be stated with certainty. The day's main stem sits on You metal, which is the side official, indicating that he will certainly marry a woman who is good at managing the household. The Wang surname has the story of "three槐" (three槐 trees) from the Song dynasty, when Wang You planted three槐 trees in his courtyard, and his descendants became prominent, so the Wang family adopted "three槐" as their family motto. This birth chart is indeed expected to have a flourishing family reputation. The period of ten years in Jichou brings the heavenly stem of Ji earth and the earthly branch of Chou, which contains Ji earth, so both the heaven and earth are seven killers. The killer can generate the official, and the official can generate the self, so everything goes smoothly, and he can rise easily to fame and fortune, achieving great success in all aspects. The period of Gengyin is also expected to be favorable. However, the period of Renchen will have obstacles.

庚午 己丑 己未 甲子　七歲 庚寅 十七 辛卯 廿七 壬辰 三七 癸巳 四七 甲午 五七 乙未 六七 丙申

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the male's birth chart: the year pillar is Gengwu, the month pillar is Jichou, the day pillar is Jiwei, and the hour pillar is Jiazi. The day stem is Ji earth. The big years start with Gengyin at age seven, followed by Xinmao at seventeen, Renchen at twenty-seven, Guisi at thirty-seven, Jiawu at forty-seven, Yiwei at fifty-seven, and Bingshen at sixty-seven, arranged in order from the month pillar Jichou. This is called "big years progressing forward" because the year stem Geng is yang, and male birth charts with yang years progress forward. The key to this chart is that the month branch Chou and the day branch Wei are in opposition. Chou contains Xin metal, and Wei contains Yi wood and Ding fire. When they oppose, the Xin metal food and energy (shishang) is released and becomes effective. The following statement "relying entirely on the power of food and energy" refers to this opposition.

上繫紹與益新玻璃廠主人劉炳輝先生之造。亦由蔣清渠君開示。囑余評斷。查已未日元。生於丑月。已值土旺用事。柱中土凡五見。所好乾丑未逢沖。沖出丑中辛金食神。而年庚傷官。為辛金之助。一生安居樂業。財丁兩旺者。全賴於食傷之力也。

The above is the birth chart of Mr. Liu Binghui, the owner of the Shaoxing Yixin Glass Factory, copied by Mr. Jiang Qingqu and entrusted to me for evaluation. The day stem is Jiwei, born in the month of Chou, when earth is strong and dominant. Among the four pillars, there are five instances of earth, which are heavy and obstructive. Fortunately, the conflict between Chou and Wei brings out the hidden Xin metal food god from Chou. Since Ji earth produces Xin metal and they are of the same yin and yang, it is called "food god." The heavenly stem at the year, Geng metal, differs in yin and yang from Ji earth, thus it is called "hurtful official," which supports the Xin metal. His whole life has been peaceful and prosperous, with both wealth and children flourishing, all due to the power of the food god and hurtful official releasing the earth and bringing out its refined qualities.

本命八字取用。年祿既不足以言格。合化又見姟合難成。不如季土疊疊。喜重金以吐秀。月辛年庚。取用為妙。而時上之財有源。不特中饋得力。家境漸豐。了孫繩繩。全在丑未一沖。庚辛之力也。行運壬辰癸已念年。財源逢庫。喜神遇長生。營業這發達。獲利之豐盈。無可比擬。生齒日繁。更意中事耳。甲運稍差。乙未運更順境。入丙運宜防衛。

This八字 determines the useful god as follows: although the year branch Wu is the禄 of Ji earth, it is too weak to establish a pattern. The hour stem Jia wood combines with the two Ji earths in the day and month, which could be considered as a combination and transformation, but since the two Ji earths compete for the one Jia wood, it becomes a "du he" situation, and the transformation cannot take place. Therefore, it is better to follow the actual situation of the layered earths in the four seasons, and to prefer heavy metal to drain the earth and bring out its brilliance. Thus, the useful gods are the Xin metal in the month branch Chou and the Geng metal in the year stem. This is the most appropriate choice. The hour branch Zi water, as a wealth star, has the food and injury stars as its source, so not only does it provide internal support and gradually enrich the family, but also the descendants continue endlessly. All of this depends on the冲 between Chou and Wei, and the strength of Geng and Xin. During the twenty years of theRenchen andGuisi, the辰 is a water reservoir, which is the place where the wealth source returns, and the巳 is the long life place of Geng metal. The auspicious gods receive their long life, so the business develops remarkably and the profits are abundant. The increase of people also becomes inevitable. The Jia year is slightly less favorable, while the Yi and Wei years are more favorable. When entering the Bing year, the Bing fire official star will restrain the food and injury stars, so one should be more cautious.

庚申 乙卯 丙戌 庚寅　三歲 庚辰 十三 辛巳 廿三 壬午 三三 癸未 四三 甲申 五三 乙酉 六三 丙戌 七三 丁亥

Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch of the birth chart for a male: the year pillar is Geng Shen, the day pillar is Bing Xu, and the hour pillar is Geng Yin. The day master is Bing fire. The original month pillar was recorded as Yi Mao, but in the second month of the Geng Shen year, the month builder is Jimao. The big luck cycle starts from Geng Chen and proceeds in order, which is exactly one step forward from Jimao. Later, Wei Qianli clearly states that "Ji earth is on the month pillar," indicating that the month pillar should be Jimao, and the original "Yi" character is a mistake for "Ji." The original text does not allow arbitrary changes, and when reading the table, one should be aware of this point. The big luck cycle starts at age three with Geng Chen, followed by Xinsi at age thirteen, Renwu at twenty-three, Guiwei at thirty-three, Jiashen at forty-three, Yiyou at fifty-three, Bingxu at sixty-three, and Dinghai at seventy-three, which is "forward progression of big luck." Since the heavenly stem of the year is Geng, which is yang, the big luck cycle for a male is arranged in forward order.

此係福建劉杏村先生長子含懷兄八字。丙乃純陽之火。其勢猛烈。能鍛庚金。遇強暴而施克伐也。坐於犬鄉。會虎合兔。火勢益厚。日主健甚。己土臨月干，以卑溼之土。能收元陽之氣。得以洩丙火之威。壬水藏年支。汪洋之水。能制暴烈之火。得以遏陽火之焰。庚金兩露。財臨旺地。

This is the four-character birth chart of Mr. Hanhuai, the eldest son of Mr. Liu Xingcun from Fujian. Bing is pure yang fire, strong and fierce, capable of refining Geng metal. It can only exert its power of overcoming effectively when encountering strong and fierce elements. The day's stem sits on Wu (戌), which is the dog's position, called "qianxiang" (dog's land). The hour's branch is Yin (寅), which is the tiger, and the month's branch is Mao (卯), which is the rabbit. Yin and Wu form a half-fire trine, and Mao and Wu combine to form fire, thus making the fire force even stronger. The day's stem is extremely strong. The month's stem is Ji earth, which is low and damp earth, capable of restraining the sun's energy, thus reducing the intensity of Bing fire. The year's branch Shen contains Yin water, which is vast and powerful, capable of controlling fierce fire, thus suppressing the flame of yang fire. Both the year and hour stems reveal Geng metal. Geng metal receives its fortune in the year's branch Shen, and the wealth star is at its peak.

本命取格。依正理以推。身旺印強。自然以食傷為用。洩其太過。茲卯戍相合。正印化劫。不若取傷官用財為得當也。夫火土日元。人極渾厚。資質靈敏。傷官透露。生出偏財。高傲之中。帶有歲分柔氣。將來讀書經商。兩均相宜。若立身於金融界。尤卜極重位高。發展地盤。西北最利。

To determine the destiny pattern, we follow the principles of reasoning: if the day's main element is strong and the nourishing star is also strong, naturally we should use the food god or injurious star as the key element, to release the excessive fire energy. Unfortunately, the month's branch, which is卯 (Mao), combines with the day's branch, which is戌 (Xu), to transform into fire. The卯 (Mao) wood, which is the original nourishing star for丙 (Bing) fire, once transformed into fire, no longer nourishes the self, but instead becomes a劫财 (robber wealth), a kind of wealth that harms the self. Thus, the nourishing star path is cut off. Therefore, it is better to use theJi Earth (Ji Tu) injurious star as the key element, and take theGeng Metal (Geng Jin) biased wealth from the year and hour branches as the destination. This way, the injurious star generates wealth, with one release and one collection, which is exactly suitable for the strong fire. People with fire and earth as their main elements are of very thick character and have sensitive talents. When the injurious star is revealed and generates biased wealth, they display a mixture of arrogance and gentleness. In the future, they are suitable for both studying and doing business. If they enter the financial field, they are especially likely to achieve high positions and great power. As for the areas where they develop, the northwest regions of metal and water are most beneficial.

行運以已火比肩祿堂。身強不喜生扶。刑耗在所不免。壬午運。壬為七煞。午為羊刃。馳譽社會。家道興隆。立德立言。有名有利。癸示運正印遇官。惜露傷官。美中一足。甲申運一帆風順。乙酉運。乙為正印。酉為正堸。於命於格。似無沖突。乃乙木絕於酉。丙火死於酉。印綬身主遭傷。刑耗有之。丙戍運尚可丁運則殆矣。

Discussing the ten-year periods: In the Xinsi period, the fire of Si is a fellow element and the禄 of Bing fire. The day's main strength is already strong, and it does not welcome another generation and support. Suffering from injuries, damage, and losses is inevitable. In the Renwu period, Ren is the seven killing stars and Wu is Yangren. The combination of killing stars and Yangren forms a rare pattern, indicating that he will gain fame in society, his family fortune will flourish, and he will achieve both moral virtue and fame and wealth. In the Guiwei period, the official star of Gui water meets the official star of the revealed Ji earth official, which is a case of official star meeting official star, which is not perfect. (The original text's 'kuishi' should be 'wei', and 'yizhu' should be 'buzhu'.) In the Jiashen period, everything goes smoothly. In the Yiyou period, Yi is the positive mother and You is the positive wealth. From the perspective of the destiny and pattern, it seems not conflicting; but Yi wood is at 'jue' in You and Bing fire is at 'si' in You, both the mother and the day's main element are injured, leading to injuries, damages, and losses. The Bingxu period is still acceptable, but the Ding period becomes dangerous.

辛亥 丙申 戊午 己未　三歲 乙未 十三 甲午 廿三 癸巳 三三 壬辰 四三 辛卯 五三 庚寅 六三 己丑

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the birth chart (male): the year pillar is Xinhai, the month pillar is Bingshen, the day pillar is Wuwu, and the hour pillar is Jiwei. The day stem is Wu earth. The big luck years start with Yiwei at age three, followed by Jiwu at age thirteen, Guisi at age twenty-three, Renchen at age thirty-three, Xinmao at age forty-three, Gengyin at age fifty-three, and Jiuchou at age sixty-three. These are arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Bingshen, indicating a "reversing big luck" pattern. Since the year stem is Xin (yin), a male's big luck is arranged in reverse. This chart should note that the year stem Xin and the month stem Bing are heaven stems that are in harmony, and this harmony restricts the Bing fire official star. The key point mentioned later, "the official is not the official, and the food god is not restricted," is based on this.

戊午日元。戊為陽土。喜潤得惡燥。今生於立秋之後。已金旺而土休。幸坐午宮旺地。又有羊刃幫身。日主高強。一生樂自無憂。格取申宮食神。兼取偏財為相。名曰食神生堸。所以洩身之秀。調劑火土之和。用食忌梟。丙火梟印蓋頭。則食愛制矣。詎知丙辛作合。而印非其印。傷官透露。主人性剛。月坐文昌。無怪金石書畫。不學而能之也。戊坐午日。羊刃逢印綬。理應殘疾帶身。行運以已火祿祿堂不利。壬辰辛卯庚。念五年。有財有名。大吉大昌。寅沖申。多麻煩耳。 （餘姚魯昌寧君八字）

On a day with the heavenly stem Wu and earthly branch Wu, Wu is a yang earth. It prefers moisture and dislikes dryness and heat. This birth occurs after the beginning of autumn, when metal is strong and earth becomes weak and confined. Fortunately, the day stem is located on Wu, which is a strong position for Wu earth. Wu is also called "Yang Ren" (shear), which can support the day stem. Therefore, the day stem remains strong, and the person's life is free from worries. The main pattern is based on the food god (shiyin) in the month's branch Shen, combined with the biased wealth (piancai) in Shen, called "food god generating wealth." This pattern is used to release the refined qualities of the day stem and balance the dryness and heat of fire and earth. Using the food god is most忌 (to be avoided) the "Xiao Shen" (biased intelligence), which takes away the food god. In this case, the month's heavenly stem is Bing fire, which is the biased intelligence covering the food god. Normally, the food god would be restrained. However, the year's heavenly stem Xin metal combines with Bing fire, restraining Bing fire, so the biased intelligence is no longer effective. The year's heavenly stem Xin metal is the "shangguan" (injury) of Wu earth, and the revelation of injury indicates a strong and decisive character. The month's branch Shen is also the "Wenchang" (literary star) of Wu earth, which explains why he is naturally skilled in calligraphy, painting, and other arts. Wu earth sits on Wu and meets the "Yang Ren" with the "yinshou" (nurturing), which normally would cause physical disability. The favorable years are those withGuisi (Gui Si), where Si fire is the禄堂 (lucky hall) of Wu earth. The禄堂 assists the already strong day stem, which is unfavorable. The yearsRenchen (Ren Chen), Xinmao (Xin Mao), and Gengyin (Geng Yin) are favorable, bringing wealth and fame. However, the寅 (Yin) year conflicts with Shen, causing more troubles. The final note in parentheses is the author's own comment: this is the birth chart of Lu Changning from Yuyao.

丙戌 乙未 丙戌 辛卯　六歲 丙申 十六 丁酉 廿六 戊戌 三六 己亥 四六 庚子 五六 辛丑 六六 壬寅

Heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth chart for a male: the year pillar is Bingxu, the month pillar is Yiwei, the day pillar is Bingxu, and the hour pillar is Xinmao. The day stem is Bing fire. The big destiny cycle starts with Bingshen at age six, followed by Dingyou at sixteen, Wuxu at twenty-six, Jihai at thirty-six, Gengzi at forty-six, Xinchou at fifty-six, and Rennyin at sixty-six. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Yiwei, indicating a "forward progression" of the big destiny cycle. Since the year stem Bing is yang, a yang year for a male's destiny is arranged in forward progression. This birth chart was formed in the month of Wei earth, which is the sixth month. The four pillars have extremely hot fire and earth, with no water at all. Therefore, the fortune after this depends entirely on whether the big destiny cycle can bring in water to "regulate the climate" — regulating the climate means adding warmth to a cold destiny or moisture to a dry one.

此紹興陳君泳之命也。傷用財。生於立秋前半月。正值土王用事。神峰所謂真傷官。運行戊戌已三部神逢運透清。時值光復。絲綢價格銳跌。陳君在杭開設乾裕水綢莊。經營十四年。獲利三十萬。人亥運。憾於亥卯未會成木局。事業凋疲。乃賦歸來。擁資二餘萬。足享林泉之福。將來交子運。尚可再起。蓋六月間火土。燥烈已極。柱中卜見滴水。故富而不貴。今逢子水滋潤。調侯為急。豈不勃然興者乎。

This is the destiny of Chen Yongzhi from Shaoxing. His fate is based on the "Wounding Official Using Wealth" pattern. The day master is Bing fire, born in the first half of the month before the beginning of autumn, in the month of Wei where earth is strong and dominant. Earth is the wounding official of Bing fire, which is exactly what Shenfeng's Comprehensive Examination refers to as "true wounding official" (the month's main element is the wounding official, hence it is true). The time stem is Xin metal, the wealth star, which is the ultimate destination. When he reached the paths of Wu, Xu, and Ji, the wounding official deity emerged clearly through the path, becoming even purer. At the same time, the Xinhai Restoration occurred, and the price of silk plummeted. Chen set up the Qianyu Yong Silk Shop in Hangzhou and operated it for fourteen years, making a profit of thirty thousand taels. When he entered the Hai path, unfortunately, the Hai branch combined with the time branch Mao and the month branch Wei to form a wood triple harmony—wood is the official of Bing fire, and the official competes with the wounding official, causing his business to decline. He then resigned from his business and returned to his hometown, taking with him a capital of two ten-thousand taels, which would be sufficient for him to enjoy the pleasures of mountains, rivers, springs, and rocks. In the future, when he reaches the Zi path, he may rise again: because the fire and earth in June are extremely dry and hot, and there is not even a single drop of water in his four pillars, so he is only rich but not noble. Now that the Zi water comes to moisten, it is exactly the urgent need for regulating the climate, how could there not be a sudden revival?

甲申 戊辰 丁未 丙午　三歲 己巳 十三 庚午 廿三 辛未 三三 壬申 四三 癸酉 五三 甲戌

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the birth chart of a male: the year pillar is Jia Shen, the month pillar is Wu Chen, the day pillar is Ding Wei, and the hour pillar is Bing Wu. The day master is Ding fire. The big years start with Jisi at age three, followed by Geng Wu at thirteen, Xin Wei at twenty-three, Renshen at thirty-three, Guiyou at forty-three, and Jia Xu at fifty-three, arranged in order from the month pillar Wu Chen. This is called "big years progressing forward" since the heavenly stem of the year Jia is yang, and male birth charts with yang years progress forward. This chart is similar to the previous one by Chen Yongzhi, both belonging to the "fire and earth official" pattern (the day master is fire, the month ruler is earth, and earth is generated by fire, but they have different yin and yang, hence called official). However, one succeeded while the other failed, making them a good contrast. The following discussion focuses on the difference in the strength of the official in the two charts.

此係陳泳之君胞兄。馥堂先生造。是亦火土傷官。與泳之君火土傷官。大相逕庭。蓋泳之自手經營綢業。獲資數十萬。馥堂亦自設綢肆。未及三年。因虧耗不支。停為家居。株守田園而已。運行壬申時。傷官見宮。一內作地。破財喪妻。備償困頓。細按之。丁干陰火。生土之力甚薄。而戊土不產真金。故無生財之道。壬運之不入黃泉。賴甲木之工。稍納水勢耳。

This is the birth chart of the elder brother of Chen Yongzhi, Mr. Fu Tang. It is also a case of fire and earth official, but it differs greatly from Mr. Chen Yongzhi's case. Mr. Chen personally ran a silk business and made profits of hundreds of thousands; Mr. Fu Tang also opened a silk shop, but within three years he could not sustain the losses and had to close the business, living a quiet life, only keeping a few acres of farmland. When he entered the Renshen cycle, the壬water was the official of the丁fire, and the戊earth official in the chart directly clashed with it, committing the major taboo of "official meeting official". As a result, he suffered a complete downfall, losing money and his wife, enduring great difficulties (the original text's "一內作地" is likely a mistake for "一败涂地"). Analyzing the underlying reasons: the丁is a yin fire, which naturally has weak power to generate earth; and the monthly pillarWuchenis a damp earth, which is difficult to produce true metal, so although the earth is an official, it cannot produce metal as wealth. There is no way to generate wealth. The reason why the壬cycle did not lead to death was entirely due to the help of the heavenly stem甲wood in the year pillar—water nourishes wood, and wood nourishes fire, with the甲wood in the middle slightly transforming the water's strength.

庚午 癸未 壬午 辛丑　四歲 甲申 十四 乙酉 廿四 丙戌 三四 丁亥 四四 戊子 五四 己丑

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for the birth chart (male): the year pillar is Gengwu, the month pillar is Guiwei, the day pillar is Renwu, and the hour pillar is Xinchou. The day stem is Ren water. The big years start at age four with Jiashen, followed by Yiyou at age fourteen, Bingxu at age twenty-four, Dinghai at age thirty-four, Wuzi at age forty-four, and Jichou at age fifty-four, arranged in order from the month pillar Guiwei. This is called "big years progressing forward" — the heavenly stem of the year is Geng, which is yang, so for a male with a yang heavenly stem, the big years are arranged in sequence. The key to this chart is the day pillar Renwu: the earth branch Wu contains Ding fire, which is the official wealth for Ren water, and it also contains Ji earth, which is the official position for Ren water. Wealth and official position are in the same pillar, and in the book of destiny, this is called "Lumu Tongxiang" (Lumu refers to official position, and Tongxiang means wealth and official position are in the same place). The following discussion will start from these four characters.

上繫蕭山金伯平先生之三公子。德潤孩造壬日坐稈。號曰祿馬同鄉。言其有財有官也。生於立秋前十日。已值已土用事。官臨量地。印綬透天干。正財伏兩午財民三奇俱全。洵上乘之命也。未月壬水。力本薄弱。今有癸水幫身。兩印生身。弱而不弱矣。宜於政界立身。位高權重。收入亦豐。但劫財透干。剝削極重。乙亥丙子二年。上學讀書最利。行運自酉字起。至亥字止。俱臻佳妙。戊運平平。子運羊刃逢沖。家口多麻煩。骨肉有刑傷。己丑十的亦佳。庚辛兩運。恐有不利。

The child's four pillars of destiny, or "child's creation," are as follows. The day stem is壬 water, sitting on the午 position, which is called "Lù Mǎ Tóng Xiāng" — an old term meaning that the official star is considered the "Lù" (a measure of power) and the wealth star is the "Mǎ" (a measure of fortune). The午 position contains丁 fire, which is the official star for壬 water, and己 earth, which is the wealth star for壬 water. Since both the official and wealth stars are hidden in the same position, it is called "Lù Mǎ Tóng Xiāng," meaning that both official and wealth are present. This means the child has both wealth and official positions. The child was born ten days before the beginning of the autumn season, so according to the solar terms, the earth element of未 is already in charge. The己 earth official star is strong and directly visible. The year stem is庚 metal and the hour stem is辛 metal, both of which are the birth stars for the child and are visible in the sky. The year branch and the day branch both contain丁 fire, the official star for壬 water. Therefore, the child has all three elements: wealth, official, and birth star, which are all present and well established. This is an excellent destiny. Normally,壬 water in the month of未 is weak, but now the month stem is癸 water, which supports the child, and there are two layers of metal birth stars,庚 and辛, which also support the child. Therefore, even though it seems weak, it is not actually weak. This destiny is suitable for success in the political field, with high position and great power, and also abundant income. However, the month stem has劫财, which is a competitive element, and it is strongly present, causing division and erosion. The years ofYihai andBingzi are most favorable for studying and learning. The fortune from the酉 position up to the亥 position is very good; the戊 position is average; the子 position is when the壬 waterYangren meets the午 position in the day branch, causing a conflict. WhenYangren meets a conflict, there will be many troubles at home and possible injuries to family members. The decade ofJichou is also good. The years of庚 and辛 may be unfavorable.

辛亥 庚寅 丁未 辛亥　一歲 己丑 十一 戊子 廿一 丁亥 三一 丙戌 四一 乙酉 五一 甲申 六一 癸未

Heavenly stem and earthly branch for the male's birth: the year pillar is Xinhai, the month pillar is Gengyin, the day pillar is Dingwei, and the hour pillar is Xinhai. The day stem is Ding fire. The first big year starts at Jichou, followed by Wuzi at age eleven, Dinghai at age twenty-one, Bingxu at age thirty-one, Yiyou at age forty-one, Jiashen at age fifty-one, and Guiwei at age sixty-one. These are arranged in reverse order starting from the month pillar Gengyin, which is called "reversing big years." Since the heavenly stem of the year is Xinhai, which is yin, the male's big years are arranged in reverse. This chart should pay attention to four earthly branches: the two Hais contain Jia wood, the Yin contains Jia wood, and the Wei contains Yi wood. Wood energy is present in all four branches, and they are all the yin stem, which supports and generates Ding fire. The following discussion about "too many yin stems" and "Hai and Yin forming a harmonious combination" starts from here.

丁火日元。生於立春後一日。嚴寒未解。火力未充。得木生之。自然氣焰勢足。複查年月日時。四支俱有甲乙之木。生火已嫌過多。而寅宮丙火。未中丁火。亦皆有輔主這功。財神高透天干。正官藏於兩亥。本命財官印三奇俱全。理應聲名腃達。平步青雲。何今屈蟄市廛。寄人籬下。持籌握算。鎮日勞勞。

The day master is丁 fire, born on the day after the Start of Spring. At this time, the severe cold has not yet dissipated and the fire is still insufficient, so it most urgently needs wood to generate and support it. With wood present, the fire's energy will naturally become strong. Now checking the four pillars of year, month, day, and hour: two亥 contain hidden 甲 wood, 寅 contains hidden 甲 wood, and 未 contains hidden 乙 wood. All four pillars have wood, so the generation of fire is already excessive. Moreover, 寅 contains hidden 丙 fire and 未 contains hidden 丁 fire, both of which support the day master. Therefore, the day master is not weak. The heavenly stems of the year and hour both clearly show 辛 metal, which is the wealth of 丁 fire, clearly visible in the heavenly stem. The hidden 壬 water in the two亥 is the official of 丁 fire, hidden and not revealed. Wood is the scholar, metal is the wealth, and water is the official. The birth chart has all three of these 'three marvels' present. By theory, this should bring great fame and rapid promotion. So why is the person now living in the marketplace, relying on others, constantly counting on a abacus, and working hard all day?

要知柱中寅亥作合。亥未椇地。官星暗損。宦海無緣。習賈經商。方堪溫飽。印遇幾傷。堂上之廕庇不久。正財明露間中之威力獨張。子息無多。有二位足滿慾望。日逢天德。遇險事可以化夷。亥為乙貴。遊異鄉到處歡迎。大運初交己丑戊子。俱未順利。骨肉刑傷。丁火幫身。亥運官貴。連丙戌十年。有名有利生子添丁。乙運欠佳。酉運尚順。壽阻未運底。 （天津陳德培先生命造）

To know the situation, the trine of寅 and亥 forms a harmonious relationship, and亥 also forms a harmonious combination with未 to form a wood trinity. When亥 water is transformed by wood, the hidden壬 water official star inside is secretly damaged, so there is no opportunity for official career, and one can only rely on learning to do business for a comfortable life. The wood official star is injured by辛 gold, so the blessings of parents and elders cannot last long. The official star is clearly revealed in the heavenly stem, indicating that the wife holds authority in the household. There are not many children, and having two is enough to be content. The day stem丁 fire is exactly the「Tian De Gu Ren」(Heavenly Virtue Nobleman) for the寅 month, which can transform danger into safety.亥 is also the「Tian Yi Gu Ren」(Heavenly Nobleman) for the丁 day, which is the highest auspicious deity. According to the rhyme in the fortune book,「Bing Ding Zhu Ji Wei」, so the nobleman for the丁 day is in亥 or酉. This indicates that he is welcomed everywhere when traveling in foreign lands. In the early years of the big destiny cycle, when the destiny reachesJichou andWuzi, it is not smooth, and there will be injuries to family members. In the丁 destiny cycle, the丁 fire supports the body, and in the亥 destiny cycle, the official star receives the nobleman's help. Combined with the ten years of丙戌, there will be fame and fortune, and children will be born. In the乙 destiny cycle, it is not good, but the酉 destiny cycle is still smooth. The lifespan ends at the end of the癸未 destiny cycle. The last part in brackets is the author's own note: This is the destiny of Mr. Chen Depai from Tianjin.

戊申 丁巳 己巳 辛未　八歲 戊午 十八 己未 廿八 庚申 三八 辛酉 四八 壬戌 五八 癸亥 六八 甲子

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches for male birth: Year pillar Wu Shen, Month pillar Ding Si, Day pillar Ji Si, Hour pillar Xin Wei, with the day stem Ji Earth as the main element. The big years start from age eight with Wu Wu, followed by Ji Wei at eighteen, Geng Shen at twenty-eight, Xin You at thirty-eight, Ren Xu at forty-eight, Gui Hai at fifty-eight, and Jia Zi at sixty-eight. These are arranged in sequence from the month pillar Ding Si, indicating a "forward progression" of big years. Since the year stem Wu is yang, male birth with yang year stems progresses forward. This chart can be divided into two parts: the first twenty years of Wu Wu and Ji Wei still belong to fire and earth, matching the original chart; after twenty-eight years, Geng Shen and Xin You lead to the metal element, which is a favorable place for releasing earth and producing clear elements, marking the turning point of his life.

己土日元。其性插溼。能生木亦能潤金。生於已月。赤帝司權。土隨母量。日主高強。依理而推。當取正印為格。一派火土。混濁不清，所幸傷官傷盡。用這為奇。性極高傲。作事聰明。祖業不豐。尚堪溫飽。將來自手發展。獲資基鉅。妻堅配。方免刑傷。子遲得。乃有收成。大運初行戊午己未。火土幫身。不見佳妙。庚申辛酉念年。喜神透清。添丁增口。財帛進門。壬癸財運。柱中劫多暗受其損。恐多麻煩。亥運沖已。不利。 （餘姚王吉哉先生之命造）

The day stem is Ji (己), which is a low and damp earth element. It can nourish wood and moisten metal. Born in the month of Si (巳), the fire element is dominant (anciently, the red emperor rules summer), and the earth element is strong along with its mother. The day stem thus becomes strong. According to the usual method, we should take the fire in Si as the main official (正印格). However, the whole chart is full of fire and earth, making it turbid and unclear. Fortunately, the year branch Shen (申) contains Geng (庚) metal and the hour stem Xin (辛) metal, which are the official's enemies (伤官食神) that drain the earth. These completely eliminate the official (甲 wood), and the book of fate calls this situation 'the official is completely drained' (伤官伤尽). This unusual situation is considered a rare and special pattern. Such a person has a very proud nature and is intelligent in handling affairs. The ancestors' property is not abundant, but they can still manage to live comfortably. In the future, they can achieve great wealth through their own efforts. For the wife's aspect, one must choose a suitable partner to avoid harm (the original text's '坚' in '妻坚配' may be a mistake). Children should be born later to ensure success. In the early years of theWuwu andJiwei big years, fire and earth support the day stem, but this is not good. In the years of Gengshen and Xinyou, the beneficial elements appear clearly, leading to more children, increased population, and wealth entering the house. When the壬癸 big years come, the wealth may be divided among siblings, leading to many troubles. The亥 big year will stir the day stem's Si fire, which is unfavorable. The last part in parentheses is the author's own note: this is the birth chart of Mr. Wang Jizai from Yuyao.

庚辰 丁亥 丙辰 丁酉　六歲 戊子 十六 己丑 廿六 庚寅 三六 辛卯 四六 壬辰 五六 癸巳 六六 甲午

Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch for the birth chart (male): the year pillar is Gengchen, the month pillar is Dinghai, the day pillar is Bingchen, and the hour pillar is Dingyou. The day stem is Bing fire. The big destiny starts with Wu Zi at age six, followed by Jichou at sixteen, Gengyin at twenty-six, Xinmao at thirty-six, Renchen at forty-six, Guisi at fifty-six, and Jiawu at sixty-six. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Dinghai, indicating a "forward progression" of big destiny. The key point is the hidden stem in the month branch Hai: Hai contains both Ren water, which is the seven killing star, and Ji wood, which is the biased scholar. The killing star and the scholar are in the same pillar. The killing star can generate the scholar, and the scholar can protect the self, making this the most critical part of the entire chart.

上為寧波第一特區行政志員。 先生這八字。丙火生於亥月。冬日可愛。丙丁幫身。亥中殺印同宮。庚財通根於酉。滋殺有源。辰中食神制殺。舒配得宜。以故蚤歲軒昂。政聲聿著。入壬辰運。殺食兩顯。出任專員。辦理新嵊奉三縣剿匪事宜。旌旗所至。小丑披靡。甲運本有奪食之嫌。柱露庚金。仍奮發有為。午運羊刃。靜養太和為妙。

The above is the four-character birth chart of a certain gentleman who served as an administrative commissioner in Ningbo's first special district—the original text here is missing, and the name has been omitted, so it is recorded as is. The day stem is Bing fire, born in the亥 month, which is the season of winter when warmth is especially welcome. The day master, Bing fire, is supported by two Ding fire stems. In the亥 branch, the seven killing (Ren water) and the biased scholar (Jia wood) share the same palace. The killing nourishes the scholar, and the scholar nourishes the day master, turning misfortune into fortune. The year stem, Geng metal, which represents wealth, is rooted in the hour branch You, so the wealth nourishes the seven killing, which has a source and is not empty. The day branch and the year branch both contain the hidden Wu earth food god in the辰, which can control the seven killing. The combination of one nourishing and one controlling is well balanced. Therefore, he was dignified and impressive from an early age, with outstanding achievements in his governance. Entering the Renchen period, both the seven killing (Ren water) and the food god in the辰 are active, so he was appointed commissioner to handle the suppression of bandits in three counties: Xinchang, Shengxian, and Fenghua. Where his banners reached, petty criminals fled in fear. The甲 period is usually suspected of the biased scholar (Jia wood) competing with the food god (Wu earth), but since the four pillars reveal Geng metal, which can control Jia wood, he still remained vigorous and active. The午 period is the Yangren (sheath) of Bing fire, so it is advisable to maintain calmness and harmony.

乙巳 乙酉 丙辰 丙申　九歲 丙戌 十九 丁亥 廿九 戊子 三九 己丑 四九 庚寅 五九 辛卯 六九 壬辰 七九 癸巳

The female's birth chart is K'un (Earth) type. The year pillar is Yi Si, the month pillar is Yi You, the day pillar is Bing Chen, and the hour pillar is Bing Shen. The day stem is Bing fire. The big destiny starts with Bing Xu at age nine, followed by Ding Hai at nineteen, Wu Zi at twenty-nine, Ji Chou at thirty-nine, Geng Yin at forty-nine, Xin Mao at fifty-nine, Ren Chen at sixty-nine, and Gui Si at seventy-nine. These are arranged in order from the month pillar Yi You, indicating a "forward progression" of big destiny. The year stem Yi is yin, and for a female with a yin year stem, the big destiny is arranged in forward order. The heavenly stems only include Yi and Bing, but the earthly branches all form metal: the year branch Si and the month branch You form a partial metal trinity, and the day branch Chen combines with the month branch You to form metal. Therefore, the text says this chart "combines to form wealth," and the wealth is the main element in the entire chart.

四柱天干。兩乙兩丙。木火相生。人必曰兩干不雜格。其實不然。女命所注重者財官。柱中有財有官。不沖不破。便為佳造。今丙火生於酉月。正財當令。與年支之已。半會金局。與日支之辰。合而化金。會合俱為財。本命財乃極旺。可覘其極有才能。作事幹練。交際手段亦高。柱中東合會。面面留情。幸有兩印透干。操守貞潔。幫夫助家。鄰里稱賢。行運戊子己丑念年。助夫興業。家有餘歡。庚運亦佳。寅運沖申。未見佳妙。辛卯運亦順境。人壬辰運。遇壬戍年。最要防衛。 （餘姚徐德聖先生夫人八字。）

In the four pillars, the heavenly stems are only yi and bing, with two yis and two bings. Wood and fire mutually generate, and people would certainly say this is a "two heavenly stems not mixed" noble pattern.the so-called two heavenly stems not mixed means that only two characters are used in the four pillars, cycling repeatedly, which ancient people regarded as a pure and clear pattern. In reality, this is not the case. For a woman's fortune, what is important is not these patterns, but wealth and official positions: wealth can generate official positions, and official positions are the husband's star. If the column contains both wealth and official positions without being disturbed or broken, it is considered a good fortune. In this case, the bing fire is born in the metal酉 month, and the xin metal in酉 is the proper wealth for bing fire, and the proper wealth is in command. The酉 also semi-forms a metal group with the year branch巳, and combines with the day branch辰 to transform into metal, which is also wealth. Thus, the wealth in this birth is extremely strong. From this, we can see that she has great ability, is efficient in handling affairs, and has high social skills. However, the column contains too many combinations and unions, leading to being overly flexible. Fortunately, the two yi wood official stars are revealed in the heavenly stems, and the official star represents integrity and self-restraint, so she maintains chastity, helps her husband to build a family, and is praised by neighbors. The period from wu zi to ji chou for twenty years helps her husband's business, and the family is wealthy. The geng period is also good. The yin period may cause disturbances as it triggers the hidden shen metal in the earthly branches, which is not ideal. The xin mao period is also favorable. When entering the ren chen period, if it coincides with the ren xu year, one must be especially cautious. The last part in parentheses is the author's own note: this is the birth chart of Madame Xu Desheng from Yuyao.

己酉 己巳 丁丑 甲辰　四歲 戊辰 十四 丁卯 廿四 丙寅 三四 乙丑 四四 甲子 五四 癸亥 六四 壬戌

Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch of the birth year: Ji You, birth month: Ji Si, birth day: Ding Chou, birth hour: Jia Chen. The day stem is Ding Fire. The big destiny cycle starts at age four with Wu Chen, followed by Ding Mao at age fourteen, Bing Yin at age twenty-four, Yi Chou at age thirty-four, Jia Zi at age forty-four, Gui Hai at age fifty-four, and Ren Xu at age sixty-four. These are arranged in reverse order from the birth month Ji Si, indicating a "reverse big destiny cycle." Since the heavenly stem of the birth year Ji is yin, male destiny cycles are arranged in reverse. This chart should be considered together with the three branches: Si, You, and Chou, which are all present, forming a complete Triple Harmony of metal, thus transforming the fire of the month's劫财 into wealth. This serves as the basis for the later discussion of "transforming劫财 into wealth."

上繫福州省郵務局秘書鄭炳年先生之郎君。希文兄庚造。現在上海東湖法律學院肄業。品貌秀麗。學問淵博。核其命理。確相符合，非偶然也。丁火生於已月。年酉長生。日丑墓庫。時干正印。日元健朗。或取食神生財。或以月刃當煞。言雖有理。皆非正論。

The following is the four-character birth chart of Mr. Xiwén, the son of Mr. Zheng Bingnian, the secretary of the Fuzhou Provincial Post Office. He is currently studying at the Law School of the East Wu University in Shanghai (the term "East Lake" is likely a mistake for "East Wu," referring to the East Wu University Law School). He has a refined appearance and profound knowledge. Upon checking his destiny, it indeed matches, not by chance. The day stem is Ding fire, born in the month of Si. The year branch is You, which is the "longevity" place for Ding fire (for yin fire, the twelve palace sequence is reversed, so longevity is in You). The day branch is Chou, which is the "storage" place for Ding fire. The hour stem is Jia wood, which is the proper official (zhen) for Ding fire. Therefore, the day stem is strong and vigorous. Some people suggest taking the food god to generate wealth, while others suggest using the month branch Si as Yangren and matching it with seven killers. Although these two views have some reasoning, they are not the correct approach.

當以月劫用財。或疑既用劫。又用財。豈非自相矛盾。世有令盜踏之人。而掌銀庫者乎。詎知月劫用財。須帶傷食。蓋月令為劫，而以財作用。二者相剋。必須食傷化之。始可轉劫生財。今柱中食神兩透。甲己作合。正印意向食神。生財綽有裕餘。本命不但轉動生財。且可化劫為財。曷云乎。四柱地支。已酉丑相會。即以劫財之火。化為金局之財。而時支之辰。生年支之酉。亦有助於金局。兩位食神，俱有生財能力。安得不大富貴亦壽考耶。

The principle should be based on "using the month's劫财 to benefit wealth." The month's stem is my劫财, yet we take the wealth star as the useful god. Some people doubt: if we use劫财, and also use the wealth star, isn't that contradictory? After all,劫财 is the god that steals wealth; how could we invite a great thief like Daozhi to manage the treasury (the original text mistakenly writes "daotu" instead of "daozhi," Daozhi being a legendary great thief from the Warring States period)? But in fact, when using the month's劫财 to benefit wealth, we must have the food god and the injurious star to assist. The month's stem is劫财, yet we take the wealth star as the useful god. These two are originally in mutual control, so we must have the food god and injurious star in the middle to transform it. First, the劫财 generates the food god and injurious star, then the food god and injurious star generate wealth, thus transforming the stealing power into generating power. Now, both the year and month stems are clearly visible as己土 food god, and the time stem 甲木正印 also combines with己土. The intention of the正印 is entirely focused on the food god, which is sufficient to generate wealth. This destiny not only can transform劫财 into wealth, but also can convert劫财 into wealth. How do we know this? The three branches of the four pillars,巳, 酉, and 丑, form a metal formation, which completely transforms the fire of the month's劫财 into the wealth of the metal formation. The time branch 辰土 also generates the year branch 酉金, further strengthening this metal formation. Both food gods have the ability to generate wealth. How could such a destiny not be rich, powerful, and long-lived?

夫食神健朗一生衣祿無虧。年坐文昌學藝定占軼眾。豐範清秀。姿質靈敏。印透時干。又見其宅心正大。無黨無偏。他時為國宣勞。自不浮沉隨俗。今日研究法律。正以栽植基礎。查其一生行運。除丑運火庫。稍有蹉跌外。餘皆迪吉。美不勝言。滴天髓所謂一清到底有精神。管取生平富貴真。堪為斯造詠。

The food god is strong and vigorous, indicating that throughout his life he will not lack clothing, food, salary or benefits. The year branch is酉, which is the "Wenchang" star for the丁 fire — Wenchang, derived from the day stem, is a good god that signifies intelligence and literary talent, and is favorable for studying and taking exams — so his knowledge and skills must certainly be outstanding. He has a refined appearance and a sharp mind. The positive official is revealed in the hour stem, and the official star signifies uprightness and integrity, showing that his heart is just and upright, not biased or partisan. In the future, when he serves the country, he will naturally not follow the crowd. Studying law today is precisely laying a solid foundation for the future. Examining his entire life's fortune, except for the乙丑 period where the丑 is the墓库 of fire and the day stem enters the墓, causing some setbacks, the rest are all auspicious and smooth, good beyond description. The "Drop of Heavenly Dew" says, "If the useful god is pure from beginning to end, it will surely bring true wealth and honor throughout life." This refers to a birth chart where the useful god is pure from beginning to end and the energy flow is continuous, which will bring true wealth and honor throughout life. This verse can be used to describe this birth chart.

辛亥 庚子 庚辰 丙戌　十一 己亥 廿一 戊戌 三一 丁酉 四一 丙申 五一 乙未 六一 甲午 七一 癸巳

Heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth chart for a male: the year pillar is Xinhai, the month pillar is Gengzi, the day pillar is Gengchen, and the hour pillar is Bingxu. The day stem is Geng metal. The big years start from the age of eleven with Jihai, followed by Wuxu at twenty-one, Dingyou at thirty-one, Bingshen at forty-one, Yiwu at fifty-one, Jiawu at sixty-one, and Guisi at seventy-one. These are arranged in reverse order from the month pillar Gengzi, which is called "reversing big years." The year stem Xinhai is yin, so for a male with a yin year stem, the big years are arranged in reverse. The original chart starts the big years from the age of eleven, and the period before the age of eleven is not included in the big years. This period is calculated separately using "small years" according to the old method. In this case, the year branch Hai and the month branch Zi form the northern water direction, and the month branch Zi also partially combines with the day branch Chen to form a water pattern. The water is strong and concentrated, mainly draining the brilliance of the Geng metal.

上繫炳年先生第三郎君希傑先生庚造。求學北平大學。推評四柱。庚金生於仲冬之月。坐下辰土。月干庚金。年干辛金。皆足為日元之助。身主健朗。可覘其德性堅定。作事精明。傷官坐月令。英華外發。聰明伶俐。年支遇文昌。學術高明。堪以預卜。身強宜洩。月支子水。正所以洩身之秀。而亥子會成水方。子辰半會水局。雖曰方局不宜相混。要皆擁護傷官。意向一致。則以傷官取格。自無疑義。時值冬令。水旺金強。嫌其過寒。所幸時上丙火透天。不惟冬日之可愛。調侯亦關緊要。故兼取七煞為相。名曰傷官帶煞。行運丁酉丙申乙未甲午均佳。

The above is the four pillars of Mr. Xijie, the third son of Mr. Zheng Bingnian, who is currently studying at Peking University. Evaluating his birth chart: the day stem is Geng metal, born in the middle of winter, in the Zi month. The day master sits on Chen soil, which can generate metal. The monthly dry stem is Geng metal, which is a same-king, and the annual dry stem is Xin metal, which is a thief, both of which can support the day master, so the day master is strong and healthy. This indicates that he has a firm character and is capable and efficient. The Zi water in the hour branch is the official of Geng metal, and since the official is located in the month, it shows that his talents are evident and he is intelligent and sharp. The annual branch Hai is the "Wen Chang" star of Geng metal, indicating academic excellence and the ability to foresee. Since the day master is strong, it is beneficial to release its strength, and the monthly branch Zi water is exactly where the day master's strength is released. Meanwhile, Hai and Zi form the Northern Water "triple convergence" (three conjunctions), and Zi and Chen form a partial Water "circle" (three harmony). Although it is generally not advisable to have both the triple convergence and the triple harmony in the same chart, in this case, both are supporting the same official, and their intentions are consistent, so taking the official as the main pattern is clear and definite. However, during winter, water is strong and metal is powerful, making the climate too cold. Fortunately, the hourly dry stem is Bing fire, which appears on the heavenly stem. Not only is it like a warm sun in winter, but it also fulfills the "tune and regulate" function, which is crucial for balancing an overly cold or dry chart by adding warmth or moisture. Therefore, Bing fire is also taken as the auxiliary seven killer, forming the pattern of "official with a killer." The fortunate years of Ding You, Bing Shen, Yi Wei, and Jia Wu, which are all fire, earth, and wood, can warm the chart and are all favorable years.

丁亥 壬寅 戊申 壬子　三歲 辛丑 十三 庚子 廿三 己亥 三三 戊戌 四三 丁酉 五三 丙申 六三 乙未

Heavenly stem and earthly branch of the birth chart for a male: the year pillar is Dinghai, the month pillar is RENYIN, the day pillar is WUXU, and the hour pillar is RENZI. The day stem is Wu earth. The big destiny starts with Xinchou at age three, followed by Gengzi at thirteen, Jihai at twenty-three, Wuxu at thirty-three, Dingyou at forty-three, Bingshen at fifty-three, and Yiwei at sixty-three. These are arranged in reverse order from the month pillar RENYIN, indicating a "reverse big destiny" - since the year stem Ding is yin, yin years for male destiny are arranged in reverse. This chart requires counting the number of waters: the year branch Hai, the month stem Ren, the hour stem Ren, the hour branch Zi, plus the day branch Shen and Zi forming a half-water trinity, resulting in five instances of water in the entire chart. However, only the year stem Ding fire and the hidden JING fire in the month pillar YIN provide warmth, creating a significant contrast between cold and warm energies. The selection of destiny years is entirely determined by this contrast.

上繫紹興蔣清渠先生庚造。別署越州胖漢。曾畢業中校。清季在本省各府辦理刑名。暨新政事件光。復後人法校聽講旋。辦紹興成章女中校。歷任蘇省各縣司法科主任。及第一科科長。十六年後。在浙江省防軍任書紀官。升首都警察廳佐治警政。近復辦理建設新政。前承開示庚造。囑予評斷。

The above is the birth chart of Xiang Qingqu of Shaoxing, who goes by the courtesy name "Yu Zhou Pangan." He graduated from a middle school. In the late Qing dynasty, he was engaged in handling "Xingming" affairs (a position in the old government offices responsible for judicial documents) and new policies in various prefectures of his province. After the Xinhai Restoration, he entered a law and politics school to study, and soon founded the Chengzhang Girls' Middle School in Shaoxing. Later, he successively held positions as the head of the judicial department and the first department chief in various counties of Jiangsu Province. After 1927 (the 16th year of the Republic of China), he served as a clerk in the Zhejiang military forces, and later rose to the position of assistant director of the Capital Police Department in Nanjing, responsible for police affairs. Recently, he has been involved in new policies related to construction. His career combines both civil and military aspects, transitioning from the Qing dynasty to the Republic, which can be well correlated with the discussion of the following birth chart. Previously, he copied his birth chart for me and asked me to evaluate it. (The original text has many errors in punctuation, such as "Ji Xin Hai Guang Fu Hou Ren Fa Xue Ting Ting Xuan Ban Shao Xing Cheng Zhang Nu Zhong Xue Jiao," which should be read as "Ji Xin Hai Guang Fu Hou Ren Fa Xue Ting Ting Xuan Ban Shao Xing Cheng Zhang Nu Zhong Xue Jiao.")

戊屬土。為萬物之線。此常論也。其實僅憑單獨之土質。雖一草一木。亦不能滋長發榮。必須水以潤之。火以暄之。始可生生不己。今月支之寅。中藏丙火。月干之壬。明明屬水。水火兩全。萬物資生。門第清高。人才軼眾。於此可卜惟細按之。年支逢亥水。時干透壬水。日時二支。又聯合水局。水計有五。僅恃年干丁火。及月支之寅。所藏丙火。斷不能勝多數之水。雖曰水火兩全。究未坎離調變。必須運入火土。助日元用神之不逮耳。查己運尚佳。亥運不利。戊戍丁酉丙申卅年。名業崇隆。生子餘金。公私暢適。攸往咸宜。六十七歲癸已年多麻煩。慎防為要。

The earth element Wu belongs to the earth, being the fundamental element that nurtures all things. This is a commonly spoken idea (the original text's character "line" should be "mother"). In reality, even a single piece of soil cannot grow a single blade of grass or tree; it must be moistened by water and warmed by fire to sustain life continuously. This is the most important aspect in the study of the earth element in destiny: earth without water becomes dry, and without fire becomes cold. Both water and fire are essential. In this case, the month's branch Yin contains hidden Bing fire, and the month's heavenly stem Ren is clearly water. Thus, both water and fire are present, enabling the growth of all things, so the person is of high moral standing and possesses outstanding talent. From this, one can predict the future. However, upon closer examination: the year's branch Hai contains water, the hour's stem reveals clear water, and the day's branch Shen and the hour's branch Zi form a water trinity. Including the hidden Ren water in Shen, there are five sources of water. The warmth available is only the single Ding fire in the year's stem and the hidden Bing fire in the month's branch Yin, which are clearly insufficient compared to the abundance of water. Therefore, although both water and fire are present, the state of water and fire being in harmony and yin and yang balanced has not yet been achieved. It is necessary to enter a period of fire and earth to supplement the deficiency of the main element and the useful god. Checking the years, the Ji year is still favorable, while the Hai year is unfavorable. In the thirty years of Wu Xu, Ding You, and Bing Shen, there will be great fame and success, increase in children and wealth, and smoothness in both public and private affairs, with nothing inappropriate. However, in the year Guisi at the age of sixty-seven, there will be more troubles, and one must be cautious and careful.