Thirteen, Discussing the Useful God: Success through Success, Failure through Failure

八字之中，變化不一，遂分成敗；而成敗之中，又變化不測，遂有因成得敗，因敗得成之奇。是故化傷為財，格之成也，然辛生亥月，透丁為用，卯未會財，乃以黨煞，因成得敗矣。印用七煞，格之成也，然癸生申月，秋金重重，略帶財以損太過，逢煞則煞印忌財，因成得敗也。如此之類，不可勝數，皆因成得敗之例也。

In the eight characters, there are various changes, so the concept of formed patterns and ruined patterns emerged. Within the success and failure, there are unpredictable changes, leading to unusual situations such as 'achieving success leading to failure' and 'achieving failure leading to success'. For example, when the official star is transformed into wealth, it is usually considered a formed pattern. However, if the day stem is Xin metal born in the亥 month, the壬 water in亥 is the official star, and the丁 fire in the heavenly stem is the seven harmful stars used as the main element. The earth branch has卯 wood, which forms a wood triple and transforms the official star into wealth. However, this wealth actually supports the seven harmful stars to attack the self, turning success into failure. Another example is when the official star pattern uses the seven harmful stars to generate the official star, which is usually considered a formed pattern. However, if the day stem is癸 water born in the申 month, autumn gold is abundant, making the official star too strong. A slight presence of wealth to reduce its excess is beneficial. But if seven harmful stars appear again, the pattern of seven harmful stars generating the official star is most忌 to see wealth. Wealth and seven harmful stars conflict with each other, turning success into failure. There are countless such examples, all falling under the category of achieving success leading to failure.

官印逢傷，格之敗也，然辛生戊戌月，年丙時壬，壬不能越戊克丙，而反能洩身為秀，是因敗得成矣。煞刃逢食，格之敗也，然庚生酉月，年丙月丁，時上逢壬，則食神合官留煞，而官煞不雜，煞刃局清，是因敗得成矣。如此之類，亦不可勝數，皆因敗得成之例也。其間奇奇怪怪，變幼無窮，惟以理權衡之，隨在觀理，因時運化，由他奇奇怪怪，自有一種至當不易不論。觀命者毋眩而無主、執而不化也。

The official and minister pattern meets the wounded official, which is originally a bad pattern; however, for a day stem of Xin metal born in the戌 month, the heavenly stem of丙 fire in the year is the official, and the heavenly stem of壬 water in the hour is the wounded official. Between them is the戌 earth which contains戊 soil. The壬 water cannot cross over the戊 soil to attack the丙 fire, instead it can release the refined quality of the Xin metal. Originally a bad pattern, it turns into a good one. The original text says '辛生戊戌月', but '戊' is an added character and should be '辛生戌月'. The sharp weapon and blade pattern meets the food god, which is originally a bad pattern; however, for a day stem of Geng metal born in the酉 month and sitting on the Yangren, the heavenly stem of丙 fire in the year is the seven evils, and the heavenly stem of丁 fire in the month is the official. The official and seven evils are mixed, but when the hour stem of壬 water, the food god, appears, the壬 water combines with the丁 fire, thus removing the official and leaving the seven evils, so the official and seven evils are no longer mixed. The sharp weapon and blade pattern becomes pure. This kind of example is countless, all belonging to the category of achieving success through failure. Among these cases, there are strange and varied situations, infinite changes, which can only be judged by reason, observing the principles everywhere and adapting to the time. No matter how strange and peculiar, there is always a most appropriate and unchangeable method of judgment. Those who read fate should not be confused by superficial appearances and lack firmness, nor should they rigidly adhere to dogma without flexibility. In the original text, the phrase '变幼无穷' has '幼' as a mistake for '幻', and '至当不易不论' has '不论' as a mistake for '之论'.

論命惟以月令用神為主，然亦須配氣候而互參之。譬如英雄豪傑，生得其時，自然事半功倍；遭時不順，雖有奇才，成功不易。是以印綬遇官，此謂官印雙全，無人不貴。而冬木逢水，雖透官星，亦難必貴，蓋金寒而水益凍，凍水不能生木，其理然也。身印兩旺，透食則貴，凡印格皆然。而用之冬木，尤為秀氣，以冬木逢火，不惟可以洩身，而即可以調候也。

Discussing a person's destiny should primarily focus on the monthly stem and its useful god, but it is also necessary to consider the climate conditions of coldness, warmth, dryness, and dampness. Just like heroes and outstanding individuals, if they are born at the right time, they will achieve great success with less effort; if their timing is unfavorable, even with extraordinary talent, they may find it difficult to succeed. Therefore, in the case of the印绶 pattern encountering an official star, it is called official and印 both present, which theoretically should not fail to be prestigious; however, for a day master of wood born in winter, the印 is water, even if the official star of metal appears to generate the water, it may not necessarily lead to prestige—because the metal itself is already cold, which makes the water even colder, and frozen water cannot nourish wood. This is the reason. Another example is when the body and印 are both strong and the food god is revealed to release the brilliance, which is considered prestigious and applies to all印 patterns; but for a day master of wood in winter, this is especially refined, because winter wood encountering fire not only releases the body to create brilliance but also warms the situation and adjusts the climate, achieving two benefits with one action.

傷官見官，為禍百端，而金水見之，反為秀氣。非官之不畏夫傷，而調候為急，權而用之也。傷官帶煞，隨時可用，而用之冬金，其秀百倍。傷官佩印，隨時可用，而用之夏木，其秀百倍，火濟水，水濟火也。傷官用財，本為貴格，而用之冬水，即使小富，亦多不貴，凍水不能生木也。傷官用財，即為秀氣，而用之夏木，貴而不甚秀，燥土不甚靈秀也。春木逢火，則為木為通明，而夏木不作此論；秋金遇水，則為金水相涵，而冬金不作此論。氣有衰旺，取用不同也。

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) When a person with a Wounding Official (Wang Guan) aspect encounters an Official, it usually brings various troubles. However, in the case of a Metal and Water Wounding Official encountering an Official, it instead becomes refined and elegant. This is not to say that the Official star is not afraid of the Wounding Official, but rather because in winter, the Metal and Water are cold and the need to warm the situation is more urgent. Therefore, it is necessary to temporarily use the fire energy of the Official star. A Wounding Official combined with a Seven Kill (Qi Sha) can be used in any season, but when applied to a day stem of Metal in winter, the elegance is doubled. A Wounding Official combined with an Official Seal (Yin) can be used in any season, but when applied to a day stem of Wood in summer, the elegance is doubled—because in summer, the Wood is fiery and the Water Seal comes to moisten it, which is a mutual assistance between fire and water. Using Wealth (Cai) with a Wounding Official is generally a noble configuration, but when applied to a day stem of Water in winter, even if it brings some wealth, it is unlikely to be noble, because frozen water cannot grow wood. Using Wealth with a Wounding Official is usually refined, but when applied to a day stem of Wood in summer, it may be noble but not very refined, because the summer soil is dry and not responsive. In spring, Wood meeting Fire is called "Wood and Fire are clear and bright," but in summer, Wood meeting Fire cannot be viewed this way. In autumn, Metal meeting Water is called "Metal and Water are mutually nourishing," but in winter, Metal meeting Water cannot be viewed this way. The energy has periods of decline and strength, and since the seasons differ, the way of selection and use also varies. The original text says "then the Wood is clear and bright," but the next "为" is a mistake for "火" and should be "then the Wood and Fire are clear and bright."

春木逢火，木火通明，不利見官；而秋金遇水，金水相涵，見官無礙。假如庚生申月，而支中或子或辰，會成水局，天干透丁，以為官星，只要壬癸不透露干頭，便為貴格，與食神傷官喜見官之說同論，亦調候之道也。食神雖逢正印，亦謂奪食，而夏木火盛，輕用之亦秀而貴，與木火傷官喜見水同論，亦調候之謂也。此類甚多，不能悉述，在學者引伸觸類，神而明之而已。

The same principle of泄秀 applies, but the results differ based on the season. In spring, when wood meets fire, it forms a clear and bright combination of wood and fire, but it is not suitable to see the official star (官星) again, which would harm the self. In autumn, when metal meets water, it forms a harmonious combination of metal and water, and the presence of the official star is actually acceptable. For example, if the day stem is 庚 (Geng) and the month is 申 (Shen), and there is either 子 (Zi) or 辰 (Chen) in the earthly branches, forming a water trinity, and the heavenly stem has 丁 (Ding) fire as the official star, as long as 壬 (Ren) or 癸 (Gui) water does not appear in the heavenly stem to directly harm 丁 (Ding), it becomes a noble pattern. This is the same principle as "food god and injurious star rejoice in official star," which is also due to the need for adjusting the climate. Another example is when the food god pattern meets the proper teacher (正印), which usually leads to the teacher taking the food, but for a wood day stem in summer, the fire is too strong, and a little water from the teacher can moisten and purify it, making it clear and noble. This is the same as "wood and fire injurious star rejoice in water," also due to the need for adjusting the climate. There are many such cases, which cannot all be listed. Scholars just need to understand the principles and grasp the meaning through similar examples.

月令既得用神，則別位亦必有相，若君之有相，輔者是也。如官逢財生，則官為用，財為相；財旺生官，則財為用，官為相；煞逢食制，則煞為用，食為相。然此乃一定之法，非通變之妙。要而言之，凡全局之格，賴此一字而成者，均謂之相也。傷用神甚於傷身，傷相甚於傷用。

Once the useful god is established in the month pillar, there must be a "helping god" in the other pillars of the four pillars. Just like a monarch has a prime minister to assist the useful god in forming the pattern. For example, if the official star is supported by wealth, the official star is the useful god and wealth is the helping god; if wealth is strong and supports the official star, wealth is the useful god and the official star is the helping god; if the seven harmful star is controlled by the food god, the seven harmful star is the useful god and the food god is the helping god. However, this is just a general rule and not the flexible and subtle application. In summary: any pattern of the entire chart depends on a particular character to be established, and that character is called the helping god. Damaging the useful god is more serious than damaging the day master itself, and damaging the helping god is even more serious than damaging the useful god—because even if the useful god is damaged, there might still be a way to save it, but if the helping god is destroyed, the entire pattern will collapse.

如甲用酉官，透丁逢壬，則合傷存官以成格者，全賴壬之相；戊用子財，透甲並己，則合煞存財以成格者，全賴己之相；乙用酉煞，年丁月癸，時上逢戊，則合去癸印以使丁得制煞者，全賴戊之相。癸生亥月，透丙為財，財逢月劫，而卯未來會，則化水為木而轉劫以生財者，全賴於卯未之相。庚生申月，透癸洩氣，不通月令而金氣不甚靈，子辰會局，則化金為水而成金水相涵者，全賴於子辰之相。如此之類，皆相神之緊要也。

For example, on a Jia day master, using the辛 gold in You (the酉 branch) as the official (正官), the丁 fire伤官 appears in the heavenly stem, but fortunately the壬 water combines with the丁 fire, thus preserving the official and forming a pattern. This entirely depends on the壬, which is the auxiliary deity (相神). On a Wu day master, using the癸 water in Zi (子 branch) as the true wealth (正财), the 甲 wood seven calamity (七煞) appears in the heavenly stem, but the己 soil combines with the 甲 wood, thus preserving the wealth and forming a pattern. This entirely depends on the己, which is the auxiliary deity. On a Yi day master, using the辛 gold in You (酉 branch) as the seven calamity (七煞), the 丁 fire food god (食神) in the heavenly stem could normally control the calamity, but the癸 water biased scholar (偏印) in the month stem would attack the 丁 fire. Fortunately, the戊 soil in the hour stem combines with the癸 water, allowing the 丁 fire to be free to control the calamity. This entirely depends on the戊, which is the auxiliary deity. On a Gui day master born in the Hai month, the 丙 fire appears in the heavenly stem as wealth, but the Hai is the month of劫财 (劫财) for Gui, which would steal the wealth. However, the卯 branch has not yet joined the亥 branch to form a wood局, thus transforming the water into wood and turning the劫财 into a source of wealth. This entirely depends on the卯 and未, which are the auxiliary deities. On a Geng day master born in the Shen month, the癸 water appears in the heavenly stem as a manifestation of metal, but since the癸 water does not connect with the main energy of the month, the metal's refined and elegant quality cannot be fully expressed. However, the子 and辰 branches join to form a water局, transforming the metal into water and creating a harmonious relationship between metal and water. This entirely depends on the子 and辰, which are the auxiliary deities. Such examples clearly show how crucial the auxiliary deity is.

相神無破，貴格已成；相神相傷，立敗其格。如甲用酉官，透丁逢癸印，制傷以護官矣，而又逢戊，癸合戊而不制丁，癸水之相傷矣；丁用酉財，透癸逢己，食制煞以生財矣，而又透甲，己合甲而不制癸，己土之相傷矣。是皆有情而化無情，有用而成無用之格也。凡八字排定，必有一種議論，一種作用，一種棄取，隨地換形，難以虛擬，學命者其可忽諸？

When the divine spirits are not harmed, the noble pattern is established; once the divine spirits are injured, the pattern immediately collapses. For example, if the day stem is Jia and the official (officer) is used from You, and the fire official (Ding fire) appears to harm the official, fortunately there is Gui water, the pure minister, to control the harm and protect the official; but if another Wu earth appears in the chart, Gui water combines with Wu earth, and Gui water can no longer control Ding fire — this is the injury of the minister Gui water. Another example is when the day stem is Ding and the wealth is taken from the metal in You, and the seven calamity (Kui water) appears, but fortunately there is Ji earth, the food god, to control the calamity and generate wealth; but if another Ji wood appears, Ji earth combines with Ji wood, and Ji earth can no longer control Kui water — this is the injury of the minister Ji earth. These two cases are both originally harmonious but become discordant, originally useful but become useless. In summary, once the four pillars are fixed, there must be a corresponding discussion, a specific function, and a particular selection and rejection, which vary according to their positions. It is impossible to determine them arbitrarily; how can those who study fate ignore the minister spirits?

四墓者，沖氣也，何以謂之雜氣？以其所藏者多，用神不一，故謂之雜氣也。如辰本藏戊，而又為水庫，為乙餘氣，三者俱有，於何取用？然而甚易也，透干會取其清者用之，雜而不雜也。何謂透干？如甲生辰月，透戊則用偏財，透癸則用正印，透乙則用月劫是也。何謂會支？如甲生辰月，逢申與子會局，則用水印是也。一透則一用，兼透則兼用，透而又會，則透與會並用。

The four earthly branches, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, are places where the energies of the four seasons meet and harmonize. Why are they called "miscellaneous qi"? Because they contain more than one heavenly stem, and therefore there are multiple possible useful gods to choose from, hence the term "miscellaneous qi." For example, Chen contains the original qi of Wu earth, is also the burial place of water with the stem Gui, and is the residual qi of wood with the stem Yi. All three are present, so which one should be used as the useful god? In fact, it is simple: look at which heavenly stem is revealed in the heavens, and which branch combination is formed in the earth, and choose the clearest and most definite one. Although there are multiple possibilities, they are not confused. What does "revealing in the heavens" mean? For example, if the day stem is Ji and the month is Chen, and the heavenly stem reveals Wu, then Wu is used as the biased wealth. If the heavenly stem reveals Gui, then Gui is used as the official mandate. If the heavenly stem reveals Yi, then Yi is used as the month's劫 (wealth sharing). Yi is considered a wealth sharing for Ji. What does "forming a branch combination" mean? For example, if the day stem is Ji and the month is Chen, and the earth branches also include Shen and Zi, then Shen, Zi, and Chen form a water trinity, and water is used as the official mandate.

其合而有情者吉，其合而無情者則不吉。何謂有情？順而相成者是也。如甲生辰月，透癸為印，而又會子會申以成局，印綬之格，清而不雜，是透干與會支，合而有情也。又如丙生辰月，透癸為官，而又逢己以為印，官與印相生，而印又能去辰中暗土以清官，是兩干並透，合而情也。又如甲生丑月，辛透為官，或巳酉會成金局，而又透己財以生官，是兩干並透，與會支合而有情也。

When one element is revealed, use that one. If two elements are revealed, use both. If there is a revealed heavenly stem and a combined earthly branch, use both the revealed stem and the combined branch together. If these elements are combined and they support each other, it is auspicious. If they act independently and contradict each other, it is inauspicious. What is meant by 'having affection'? When they support each other in the same direction, it is called having affection. For example, if the day stem is Jia and it is born in the Chen month, and the heavenly stem reveals Gui water as the official, and the earthly branches form a water trinity with Zi and Shen, the official is pure and not mixed, which is a harmonious combination of the revealed stem and the combined branch. Another example is when the day stem is Bing and it is born in the Chen month, and the heavenly stem reveals Gui water as the official, and there is also a wood that can act as an official's official, which both supports the body and removes the hidden Wu earth in Chen to clarify the official. The official and the official's official support each other, which is a harmonious combination of two revealed stems. The original text says 'and also meets Ji as the official', but Ji is actually a harmful official for Bing, not an official. The annotated version of 'Zi Ping Zhen Quan' says 'meets Yi as the official', which should be Yi. The sentence ends with 'combined and affection', missing the character 'you' after 'combined'. Another example is when the day stem is Jia and it is born in the Chou month, and the heavenly stem reveals Xin gold as the official, or the earthly branches form a metal trinity with Si, You, and Chou, and the heavenly stem also reveals Ji earth as wealth to support the official. This is a combination of two revealed stems and a combined branch, which is a harmonious combination.

何謂無情？逆而相背者是也。如壬生未月，透己為官，而地支會亥卯以成傷官之局，是透官與會支，合而無情者也。又如甲生辰月，透戊為財，又或透壬癸以為印，透癸則戊癸作合，財印兩失，透壬則財印兩傷，又以貪財壞印，是兩干並透，合而無情也。又如甲生戌月，透辛為官，而又透丁以傷官，月支又會寅會午以成傷官之局，是兩干並透，與會支合而無情也。

What does "incongruity" mean? It refers to situations where two elements are completely opposite and counteract each other. For example, if the day stem is Ren (water) and the month is Wei (earth), the earth branch Wei contains Ji (earth) which is the official star, but the earth branch also forms a wood trinity with Hai and Mao, and wood is the official's official star, which is supposed to control the official. This is an example of incongruity between the dry stem and the hidden branches. Another example is when the day stem is Jia (wood) and the month is Chen (earth), the dry stem reveals Wu (earth) as the biased wealth, and also reveals Ren or Gui (water) as the official. If Gui is revealed, Wu and Gui form a harmonious relationship, and both wealth and official lose their effectiveness. If Ren is revealed, the wealth star controls the official, and the official hinders the wealth, leading to mutual harm, which is called "greed for wealth and destruction of official." This is an example of incongruity when two dry stems are revealed. Another example is when the day stem is Jia (wood) and the month is Xu (earth), the earth branch Xu contains Xin (metal) which is the official, and also reveals Ding (fire) as the official's official star, which controls the official. The month branch Xu also forms a fire trinity with Yin and Wu, making the official's official star even stronger. This is an example of incongruity when two dry stems are revealed and the branches form a trinity.

又有有情而卒成無情者，何也？如甲生辰月，逢壬為印，而又逢丙，印綬本喜洩身為秀，似成格矣，而火能生土，似又助辰中之戊，印格不清，是必壬干透而支又會申會子，則透丙亦無所礙。又有甲生辰月，透壬為印，雖不露丙而支逢戌位，戌與辰沖，二者為月沖而土動，干頭之壬難通月令，印格不成，是皆有情而卒無情，富而不貴者也。

There is another situation where something that was originally beneficial becomes ultimately unhelpful. For example, if the day stem is Jia and the month is Chen, and there is Ren water as the official (mother) and also Bing fire as the food and destruction (son), the official pattern originally prefers the food and destruction to release the body and form a refined outcome, which seems to form a complete pattern. However, Bing fire can generate earth, which helps the Wu earth wealth in Chen, thus making the official pattern unclear. In such a case, the Ren water must appear on the heavenly stem, and the earthly branches must form a water trinity with Shen and Zi to solidify the official, so that the Bing fire can be tolerated. Another example is when the day stem is Jia and the month is Chen, and Ren water appears on the heavenly stem as the official, even without Bing fire, but if the earthly branches contain Xu, the Chen and Xu clash, which affects the month's strength. The earth becomes agitated, and the Ren water on the heavenly stem loses its root in the month, making the official pattern incomplete. These are cases where something that was originally beneficial becomes ultimately unhelpful, often leading to wealth without high status.

又有無情而終有情者，何也？如癸生辰月，透戊為官，又有會申會子以成水局，透干與會支相剋矣。然所克者乃是劫財，譬如月劫用官，何傷之有？又如丙生辰月，透戊為食，而又透壬為煞，是兩干並透，而相剋也。然所克者乃是偏官，譬如食神帶煞，煞逢食制，二者皆是美格，其局愈貴。是皆無情而終為有情也。如此之類，不可勝數，即此為例，旁悟而已。

There is another situation that appears to be无情 (seemingly无情) but ultimately turns out to be有情 (favorable). For example, when the day stem is癸 (Gui) and the month is辰 (Chen), the戊 (Wu) earth appears in the heavens as the official (正官), while the branches form a water trinity with申 (Shen) and子 (Zi). The official in the heavens and the water in the branches mutually control each other, seeming无情. However, upon closer examination, what is actually being controlled by the official is the劫财 (enemies) within the water trinity. This is similar to the pattern of the month's劫 (劫财) being controlled by the official, which is actually beneficial. Another example is when the day stem is丙 (Bing) and the month is辰 (Chen), with戊 (Wu) earth appearing as the food god (食神) and壬 (Ren) water appearing as the seven evils (七煞). The two heavenly stems mutually control each other, seeming无情. However, what is actually being controlled by the food god is the seven evils, which is similar to the pattern of the food god controlling the seven evils, both of which are favorable patterns. When combined, the overall pattern becomes even more valuable. There are countless such situations, and these examples are given to help understand the underlying principles.

辰戌丑未，最喜刑沖，財官入庫不沖不發——此說雖俗書盛稱之，然子平先生造命，無是說也。夫雜氣透干會支，豈不甚美？又何勞刑沖乎？假如甲生辰月，戊土透豈非偏財？申子會豈非印綬？若戊土不透，即辰戌相沖，財格猶不甚清也。至於透壬為印，辰戌相沖，將以累印，謂之沖開印庫可乎？況四庫之中，雖五行俱有，而終以土為主。土沖則靈，金木水火，豈取勝以四庫之沖而動乎？

"The branches of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei especially favor punishment and clash, and wealth and official positions entering the repository will not manifest unless they are clashed." This statement, although widely promoted by popular horoscope books, was never included in the principles established by the master of Zi Ping. When the branches of miscellaneous elements are revealed on the heavenly stem or form a trine with other branches, isn't the pattern already beautiful? Why bother with punishment and clash? For example, if the day stem is Jia and the month is Chen, and the heavenly stem Wu is revealed, isn't that the pattern of biased wealth? If the earthly branches Shen and Zi form a water trine, isn't that the pattern of the mother? Conversely, if Wu is not revealed, even if Chen and Xu clash and the repository is opened, the wealth pattern remains unclear. As for the case where Ren is revealed as the mother, if Chen and Xu clash, the earth moves and actually harms the mother, can this still be called "opening the mother's repository"? Moreover, although the four repositories contain all five elements, they are ultimately dominated by earth. Only when earth is moved does it become active; can the hidden elements of metal, wood, water, and fire also become active simply through the clash of the four repositories?

故財官屬土，沖則庫啟，如甲用戊財而辰戌沖，壬用己官而丑未沖之類是也。然終以戊己干頭為清用，干既透，即不沖而亦得也。至於財官為水，沖則反累，如己生辰月，壬透為財，戌沖則劫動，何益之有？丁生辰月，透壬為官，戌沖則傷官，豈能無害？其可謂之逢沖而壬水之財庫官庫開乎？今人不知此理，甚有以出庫為投庫。

Therefore, only when the wealth or official star itself is earth can the clash truly open the warehouse. For example, if the day stem is Jia and the wealth is Wu earth, and the Chen and Xu clash, or if the day stem is Ren and the official is Ji earth, and the Chou and Wei clash, these belong to this category. However, in the end, it is still clearest to take the Wu and Ji earth directly appearing in the heavenly stem. If the heavenly stem is already visible, there is no need for a clash to use it. As for cases where the wealth or official is water, a clash is actually detrimental: for instance, if the day stem is Ji and the month is Chen, and the heavenly stem reveals Ren water as wealth, using Xu to clash with Chen would instead stir up the Wu earth劫财 (envious wealth) within Chen, which is harmful to the wealth. Similarly, if the day stem is Ding and the month is Chen, and the heavenly stem reveals Ren water as official, using Xu to clash with Chen would stir up the Wu earth伤官 (harmful official) within Xu, how can this be without harm? Can this still be called 'a clash opens the wealth or official warehouse'? Nowadays people do not understand this principle, and even confuse the concepts of 'opening the warehouse' and 'depositing into the warehouse'.

如丁生辰月，壬官透干，不以為庫內之壬，干頭透出，而反為干頭之壬，逢辰入庫，求戌以沖土，不顧其官之傷。更有可笑者，月令本非四墓，別有用神，年月日時中一帶四墓，便求刑沖；日臨四庫不以為身坐庫根，而以為身主入庫，求沖以解。種種謬論，令人掩耳。

For example, if a day stem of Ding is born in the month of Chen, the official water (壬水) has already emerged from the storage (库) to the heavenly stem. Instead of recognizing that the壬water in the storage has emerged as the useful god (用神), they say that the壬water in the heavenly stem meets the Chen and thus 'enters the storage' again. Therefore, they insist on finding a Xu to clash with Chen and open the storage, completely ignoring that this clash actually harms the official star. Even more ridiculous is the case where a birth chart's month is not among the four storages (辰戌丑未), and there is a genuine useful god. Yet, just because there is a storage present in the year, month, day, or hour, they insist on seeking a clash to open it. If the day branch is sitting on one of the four storages, which is actually the day stem's own root in the storage, they mistakenly call it 'the body stem entering the storage' and insist on finding a clash to resolve it. Such fallacies are simply unbearable to listen to.

然亦有逢沖而發者，何也？如官最忌沖，而癸生辰月，透戊為官，與戌相沖，不見破格，四庫喜沖，不為不足。卻不知子午卯酉之類，二者相仇，乃沖剋之沖，而四墓土自為沖，乃沖動之沖，非沖剋之沖也。然既以土為官，何害於事乎？

But indeed there are cases where encountering a clash leads to prosperity. What is the reason for this? The official star is most disliked when it is clashed. However, for a day stem of癸 born in the辰 month with theWu Earth appearing as the official star, when the辰 and戌 clash, the pattern is not broken. Therefore, some people say, "The four repositories naturally welcome clashes; this statement is true." They do not realize that clashes such as those between子 and午, 卯 and酉 are between two opposing forces that fight against each other, which is called "clash and control." However, the four repositories are all earth, so when earth clashes with earth, it merely shakes the earth, which is called "movement through clash," not "clash and control." Since the official star used in this pattern is itself earth, shaking the earth slightly does not harm it at all.

財官印食，四吉神也，然用之不當，亦能破格。如食神帶煞，透財為害，財能破格也；春木火旺，見官則忌，官能破格也；煞逢食制，透印無功，印能破格也；財旺生官，露食則雜，食能破格也。是故官用食破，印用財破。譬之用藥，參苓芪術，本屬良材，用之失宜，亦能害人。官忌食傷，財畏比劫，印懼財破，食畏印奪，參合錯綜，各極其妙。弱者以生扶為喜，強者因生扶而反害；衰者以裁抑為忌，太旺者反以裁抑而得益。吉凶喜忌，全在是否合於需要，不因名稱而有分別也。

The four auspicious deities, wealth, official, seal, and food, can ruin a pattern if used improperly. For example, in a pattern based on the food deity, the seven evils are normally restrained by the food deity. However, if wealth appears, it will both generate the evils and drain the food deity, thus ruining the pattern—this is how wealth can ruin a pattern. In spring, when the wood day ruler has strong fire energy, it forms a clear wood and fire pattern. It is most undesirable to see the official star, metal, which will weaken the body—this is how the official star can ruin a pattern. In a pattern based on the seven evils, the food deity is normally used to restrain the evils. However, if the seal star appears, it will take away the food deity and protect the evils, thus eliminating the restraining effect of the evils—this is how the seal star can ruin a pattern. In a pattern where wealth generates the official star, if the food deity appears to restrain the official star, the pattern becomes mixed—this is how the food deity can ruin a pattern. Therefore, an official star pattern can be ruined by the food deity, and a seal star pattern can be ruined by wealth. This is similar to using medicine: ginseng, poria, astragalus, and white atractylis are all good herbs, but if they are used inappropriately, they can still harm people. The official star fears food and injury, wealth fears similar stars, the seal star fears wealth, and the food deity fears the seal star. These elements interact in various ways, each with its own subtlety. When the day ruler is weak, it prefers generation and support; but when the day ruler is strong, generation and support can be harmful. Those with weak energy should avoid suppression, while those with strong energy may benefit from suppression. Whether something is auspicious or inauspicious depends entirely on whether it meets the current needs, not on whether the name of the deity sounds good or bad.

煞傷梟刃，四凶神也，然施之得宜，亦能成格。如印綬根輕，透煞為助，煞能成格也。財逢比劫，傷官可解，傷能成格也。食神帶煞，靈梟得用，梟能成格也。財逢七煞，刃可解厄，刃能成格也。是故財不忌傷，官不忌梟，煞不忌刃，如治國長搶大戟，本非美具，而施之得宜，可以戡亂。

Seven evils, injurious official, hawk spirit, and Yangren are four malevolent spirits, but if used appropriately, they can also form a harmonious pattern. For example, if the official is weak, and the seven evils appear to generate the official, the official then has support—this is how the seven evils can form a harmonious pattern. When the wealth pattern meets a rival, the injurious official can transform the rival's energy into wealth, thus resolving the conflict—this is how the injurious official can form a harmonious pattern. In a food god pattern with seven evils, one should normally use the food god to control the seven evils. However, if the food god is too strong, it may over-control, and using the hawk spirit to slightly restrain it becomes more suitable—this is how the hawk spirit can form a harmonious pattern. In a wealth pattern, if the seven evils join the wealth to cause trouble, the Yangren can help the body to oppose the seven evils and also harmonize with them, thus resolving the crisis—this is how the Yangren can form a harmonious pattern. Therefore, the wealth pattern does not necessarily fear the injurious official, the official pattern does not necessarily fear the hawk spirit, and the seven evils pattern does not necessarily fear the Yangren. This is similar to governing a country: long spears and halberds are not inherently auspicious weapons, but if used at the right time and place, they can be used to quell chaos. The original text says 'like governing a country with long spears and big halberds,' where '抢' is a mistake for '枪,' and should be 'long spears and big halberds.'

月令用神，配以四柱，固有每字之生克以分吉凶，然有同此生克，而先後之間，遂分吉凶者，尤談命之奧也。如正官同是財傷並透，而先後有殊。假如甲用酉官，丁先戊後，後則以財為解傷，即不能貴，後運必有結局。若戊先而丁後時，則為官遇財生，而後因傷破，即使上運稍順，終無結局，子嗣亦難矣。印格同是貪格壞印，而先後有殊。如甲用子印，己先癸後，即使不富，稍順晚境；若癸先而己在時，晚景亦悴矣。

The use of the heavenly stem and earthly branch in conjunction with the four pillars determines fortune based on the relationships of generation and overcoming among the characters; however, there is another situation: when the relationships of generation and overcoming are exactly the same, but the order of arrangement differs, the fortune can be very different—this is the most subtle aspect of divination. For example, in the case of the same official position pattern, if both the wealth and the injurious official are revealed, the difference in their order leads to different outcomes. Suppose the day stem is Jia and the official is the hidden Xin metal in You, and the injurious official Ding fire comes before the wealth Wu earth, the later wealth can transform the injurious official's energy to assist the official, so even if one does not achieve great fortune, the later years will have some stability. Conversely, if the wealth Wu earth comes first and the injurious official Ding fire is in the hour position, then the official is first supported by the wealth and then destroyed by the injurious official. Even if the earlier years are somewhat smooth, in the end there will be no conclusion, and there will be difficulties in having children. The same applies to the pattern of the official and the wealth: if the wealth comes first and the official comes later, even if one is not rich, the later years will still be smooth; but if the official comes first and the wealth comes later, the later years will be difficult. The original text says "the pattern of the official is the same as the pattern of the greedy wealth destroying the official," where "pattern" is a mistake for "wealth," and it should be read as "the greedy wealth destroying the official."

食神同是財梟並透，而先後有殊。如壬用甲食，庚先丙後，晚運必亨，格亦富而望貴。若丙先而庚在時，晚運必淡，富貴兩空矣。七煞同是財食並透，而先後大殊。如己生卯月，癸先辛後，則為財以助用，而後煞用食制，不失大貴。若辛先而癸在時，則煞逢食制，而財轉食黨煞，非特不貴，後運蕭索，兼難永壽矣。他如此類，可以例推。

The food god pattern is also when both the wealth and theOwl Spirit are revealed, but the order differs and there are distinctions. For example, if the day master is壬 and uses甲 wood as the food god, with庚 metalOwl Spirit appearing first and丙 fire wealth appearing later, theOwl Spirit first takes away the food god, but the wealth comes later to rescue it, leading to a prosperous later period and a potential for both wealth and high status. However, if the wealth appears first and theOwl Spirit is on the hour, the later period will be dull, and both wealth and high status will be missed. The seven evils pattern is also when both the wealth and the food god are revealed, but the difference in order is even greater. For example, if the day master is己 and is born in the卯 month, with乙 wood as the seven evils in the卯, and癸 water wealth appearing first, followed by辛 metal food god, the wealth first supports the use, and the food god later controls the evils, leading to great status. However, if the food god appears first and the wealth is on the hour, then the evils are first controlled by the food god, but the later wealth turns to support the evils, resulting in no high status, a bleak later period, and even a shortened lifespan. Other similar situations can be inferred in the same way.

然猶吉凶易者也，至丙生甲寅月，年癸時戊，官能生印，而不怕戊合；戊能洩身為秀，而不得越甲以合癸，大貴之格也。假使年月戊癸而時甲，或年甲而月癸時戊，則戊無所隔而合全癸，格大破矣。丙生辛酉，年癸時己，傷因財間，傷之無力，間有小貴。假如癸己產並而中無辛隔，格盡破矣。辛生申月，年壬月戊，時上丙官，不愁隔戊之壬，格亦許貴。假使年丙月壬而時戊，或年戊月丙而時壬，則壬能克丙，無望其貴矣。如此之類，不可勝數，其中吉凶似難猝喻。然細思其故，理甚顯然，特難為淺者道耳。

The fortune calculations for these cases are relatively easy to determine. Now let's look at more detailed examples: if the day stem is Bing (丙) and it is born in the寅 (寅) month with the month stem being Jia (甲), and the year stem is Gui (癸) water, which is the official position, and the hour stem is Wu (戊) earth, which is the food god. The Gui official can generate the Jia seal, but since there is the Jia in between, the Wu earth cannot combine with the Gui. The Wu earth can drain the refined energy of the Bing fire, but it cannot surpass the Jia to combine with the Gui—this is a great fortune. If instead the year stem is Wu, the month stem is Gui, and the hour stem is Jia, or the year stem is Jia, the month stem is Gui, and the hour stem is Wu, then there is nothing between the Wu and the Gui, and the Wu will completely combine with the Gui, breaking the structure entirely. Another example: if the day stem is Bing and it is born in the酉 (酉) month with the month stem being Xin (辛), and the year stem is Gui (癸) water, which is the official position, and the hour stem is Ji (己) earth, which is the injurious official. The Ji injurious official is supposed to overcome the Gui official, but it is blocked by the Xin wealth, so the injurious official's power cannot be fully exerted, resulting in some minor fortune. If the Gui and Ji are directly adjacent without the Xin in between, the structure is completely broken—originally it was written as 'if Gui and Ji are adjacent and there is no Xin in between,' where '产' is an added character and should be read as 'Gui and Ji are adjacent and there is no Xin in between.' Another example: if the day stem is Xin and it is born in the申 (申) month, the year stem is Ren (壬) water, which is the injurious official, the month stem is Wu (戊) earth, which is the seal, and the hour stem is Bing (丙) fire, which is the official position. The Ren injurious official is supposed to overcome the Bing official, but it is blocked by the Wu, so the power of the injurious official cannot be fully exerted, possibly leading to a high fortune. If instead the year stem is Bing, the month stem is Ren, and the hour stem is Wu, or the year stem is Wu, the month stem is Bing, and the hour stem is Ren, then the Ren can directly overcome the Bing, and the fortune is no longer possible. There are countless such situations, and the fortune outcomes may seem difficult to understand at first glance. However, upon careful consideration, the reasons are clear, though it is hard to explain them to those with shallow understanding.

八字格局，專以月令配四柱，至於星辰好歹，既不能為生克之用，又何以操成敗之權？況於局有礙，即財官美物，尚不能濟，何論吉星？於局有用，即七煞傷官，何謂凶神乎？是以格局既成，即使滿盤孤辰入煞，何損其貴？格局既破，即使満盤天德貴人，何以為功？今人不知輕重，見是吉星，遂致拋卻用神，不管四柱，妄論貴賤，謬談禍福，甚可笑也。況書中所云祿貴，往往指正官而言，不是祿堂人貴人。

The structure of a person's八字 depends solely on the compatibility between the month's stem and the four pillars. As for various deities, stars, and auspicious signs, since they cannot participate in the generation and overcoming of the Five Phases, how can they determine the success or failure of the structure? Moreover, if these signs interfere with the structure, even wealth and official positions, which are considered good, cannot save the structure. So what is the point of talking about auspicious stars? On the other hand, if these signs are useful to the structure, even seven calamities and injurious officials become beneficial. So why are they calledInauspicious Spirit? Once the structure is established, even if the chart is full of Guchen and harmful stars, it cannot damage its nobility. Once the structure is broken, even if the chart is full of Heavenly Virtue and Nobleman stars, they can do nothing. Nowadays, people fail to distinguish between importance and triviality. They see an auspicious star and ignore the Useful God and the four pillars, making hasty judgments about wealth and poverty, and talking nonsense about misfortune and fortune, which is truly laughable. Moreover, the ancient texts refer to "Lü" and "Guì" as referring to the official position, not the false stars like the禄堂 or Tianyi Nobleman. The original text says "not the禄堂 and people's Nobleman," and "people's Nobleman" should be "Tianyi Nobleman."

如正財得傷貴為奇，傷貴也，傷官乃生財之具，正財得之，所以為奇，若指貴人，則傷貴為何物乎？又若因得祿而避位，得祿者，得官也，運得官鄉，宜乎進爵，然如財用傷官食神，運透官則格條，正官運又遇官則重，凡此之類，只可避位也。若作祿堂，不獨無是理，抑且得祿避位，文法上下相顧。古人作書，何至不通若是！

For example, the book says, "The proper wealth is harmed by the nobleman, which is considered extraordinary." Here, the term "nobleman" refers to the official; the official is originally a tool that generates wealth, and when the proper wealth pattern receives it, it is considered extraordinary. If we interpret "nobleman" as Tianyi Nobleman, then what does "harming the nobleman" refer to? Another example is the statement, "Because of obtaining the official position, one avoids the position." Here, "official position" also refers to the official; when one's fate is in the official pattern, one should normally rise in rank. However, if the pattern is based on the official and the official is used with the official and food god, then encountering the official in the destiny will disrupt the pattern. The original text says "pattern rule," which is likely a mistake for "pattern broken," but we retain the original without alteration. Originally, it was the proper official pattern, and encountering the official again in the destiny would make the official too heavy. In such cases, one must step back and yield. If we interpret "official position" as the禄堂, it does not make sense, and moreover, the phrases "obtaining the official position" and "avoiding the position" are originally connected in meaning. How could ancient authors write in such a confusing way!

又若女命，有云“貴眾則舞裙歌扇”。貴眾者，官眾也，女以官為夫，正夫豈可疊出乎？一女眾夫，舞裙歌扇，理固然也。若作貴人，乃是天星，並非夫主，何礙於眾，而必為娼妓乎？然星辰命書，亦有談及，不善看書者執之也。

For example, female destiny books say, "When there are many noblemen, she dances and sings with fans and umbrellas," meaning that a woman with too many officials in her chart is likely to fall into the ranks of dancers and singers. Here, "many noblemen" refers to having too many officials; a woman's proper husband is her official, so how can there be multiple official husbands? A woman facing many husbands would end up in the situation of dancing and singing, which is logical. If "nobleman" is interpreted as Tianyi Nobleman, then it is just a phantom star, not an actual husband. Having more of them would not be a problem, so why would one conclude she becomes a prostitute? Of course, there are indeed destiny books that discuss stars, but those who are not good at reading stick to them rigidly.

如“貴人頭上帶財官，門充馳馬”，蓋財官如人美貌，貴人如人衣服，貌之美者，衣服美則現。其實財官成格，即非貴人頭上，怕不門充馳馬！又局清貴，又帶二德，必受榮封。若專主二德，則何不竟云帶二德受兩國之封，而秘先曰無煞乎？若云命逢險格，柱有二德，逢凶有救，右免於危，則亦有之，然終無關於格局之貴賤也。

For example, the phrase "The nobleman's head carries wealth and official rank, the gate is filled with carriages and horses" compares wealth and official rank to a person's appearance, and the nobleman to one's clothing. If one's appearance is already beautiful, then adding good clothing would make it even more evident. In reality, as long as wealth and official rank form a proper pattern, even if they do not fall on the nobleman's head, can they not have carriages and horses arriving at the gate? Another example is that if a person's destiny is clear and noble, and also carries the heavenly and lunar virtues, they will certainly receive imperial rewards. If it is truly only the two virtues that bring about such rewards, why not simply say "carrying the two virtues leads to rewards from two countries"? Why must the phrase "without evil" come first? The original text says "While secretly it says without evil," where "secretly" is a mistake for "certainly." As for the case where a person's destiny meets a dangerous pattern and the two virtues are present in the pillar, during times of misfortune they may be saved from danger, which does happen— the original text says "Right, being saved from danger," where "right" is a mistake for "also." However, this is ultimately unrelated to the inherent nobility or commonness of the pattern itself.

八字用神既專主月令，何以又有外格乎？外格者，蓋因月令無用，權而用之，故曰外格也。如春木冬水、土生四季之類，日與月同，難以作用，類象、屬象、沖財、會祿、刑合、遙迎、井欄、朝陽諸格，皆可用也。若月令自有用神，豈可另尋外格？又或春木冬水，干頭己有財官七煞，而棄之以就外格，亦太謬矣。是故干頭有財，何用沖財？干頭有官，何用合祿？書云“提綱有用提綱重”，又曰“有官莫尋格局”，不易之論也。然所謂月令無用者，原是月令本無用神，而今人不知，往往以財被劫官被傷之類。用神已破，皆以為月令無取，而棄之以就外格，則謬之又謬矣。

In the system of four pillars of destiny, the determination of the useful god is primarily based on the month pillar. However, there is also the concept of 'external patterns' or 'external structures'. This is because when the month pillar does not contain the useful god, one has to adopt alternative methods to establish a pattern, hence called 'external patterns'. For example, if the day stem is wood and it is born in spring, or the day stem is water and it is born in winter, or the day stem is earth and it is born in the months of辰, 戌, 丑, or 未, the day stem and the month pillar share the same essence. In such cases, the day stem cannot be used as the useful god itself. Therefore, patterns such as similar qualities, belonging to the same category, conflicting for wealth, meeting for official positions, mutual restraint, distant meeting, well-lantern, and sunrise patterns become applicable. If the month pillar itself already contains the useful god, how can one ignore it and seek an external pattern? Even more absurd is when, although it is spring wood or winter water, there are already wealth, official positions, or seven evils in the heavenly stems, yet one insists on abandoning these and seeking external patterns. Therefore, if there is already wealth in the heavenly stems, why go for 'conflicting for wealth'? If there is already an official position in the heavenly stems, why go for 'meeting for official position'? The classics say 'the main pillar has a useful god, the main pillar is emphasized', and also say 'if there is an official position, do not seek patterns', which are fixed conclusions that cannot be changed. However, one must distinguish: the term 'the month pillar has no useful god' refers to the original absence of the useful god in the month pillar. Nowadays, people often misunderstand. When they encounter situations where wealth is robbed or official positions are harmed, they mistakenly consider the month pillar as having no useful god and thus abandon the month pillar to seek external patterns, which is a further mistake.

人有六親，配之八字，亦存於命。其由宮分配之者，則年月日時，自上而下，祖父妻子，亦自上而下。以地相配，適得其宜，不易之位也。其由用神配之者，則正印也母，身所自出，取其生我也。若偏財受我剋制，何反為父？偏財者，母之正夫也，正印為母，則偏才為父矣。正財為妻，受我剋制，夫為妻綱，妻則從夫。若官煞則剋制乎我，何以反為子女也？官煞者，財所生也，財為妻妾，則官煞為子女矣。至於比肩為兄弟，又理之顯然者。其間有無得力，或吉或凶，則以四柱所存或年月或日時財官傷刃，繫是何物，然後以六親配之用神。局中作何喜忌，參而配之，可以瞭然矣。

A person has six relations. These six relations are matched with the eight characters, and each has its proper place. One method is to match them according to the 'positions': the year, month, day, and hour are arranged from top to bottom, and the ancestors, parents, spouse, and children are also arranged from top to bottom accordingly. By matching positions with generations, it is perfectly appropriate, and this is fixed and unchangeable. Another method is to match them according to the ten heavenly stems. The positive mother is the mother, because I am born from the mother, and this is based on the meaning of something that nourishes me. The original text says 'then the positive mother is the mother,' where 'also' is a mistake for 'is.' The positive mother is the mother. Some may ask, the biased wealth is something I control, so why is it considered the father? It is necessary to know that the biased wealth is the husband of the mother. Since the positive mother is the mother, the biased wealth, which is paired with the positive mother, is naturally the father. The positive wealth is the wife, which I control, because the husband is the head of the wife, and the wife must follow the husband. Some may also ask, the official and the evil official are those that control me, so why are they considered the children? It is necessary to know that the official and the evil official are produced by the wealth. Since the wealth is the wife, the official and the evil official, which are produced by the wealth, are naturally the children. As for the same stem, it is the brother, and the reasoning is clear. Whether these six relations are effective or not, and whether they are auspicious or not, depends on looking at the four pillars to see whether the characters present are wealth, official, injury, or blade. Then, by comparing the six relations with the useful god, we can determine whether this character is favorable or not in the entire chart. By combining these, the situation becomes clear at a glance.

大凡命中吉凶，於人愈近，其驗益靈。富貴貧賤，本身之事，無論矣，至於六親，妻以配身，子為後嗣，亦是切身之事。故看命者，妻財子提綱得力，或年干有用，皆主父母身所自出，亦自有驗。所以提綱得力，或年干有用，皆主父母雙全得力。至於祖宗兄弟，不甚驗矣。

In general, the fortune and misfortune in a person's destiny are more accurate when they are closely related to the individual. Wealth, poverty, nobility, and lowliness are matters concerning the person themselves, so there is no need to elaborate further. As for the Six Relations, the wife is matched with the person, and the son is the person's descendant, all of which are matters directly related to the individual. Therefore, when examining a person's destiny, looking at wife, wealth, son, and fortune, if the monthly stem is strong or the heavenly stem of the year is useful, it indicates that the parents are supportive. This is naturally accurate. It is precisely because the monthly stem is strong or the heavenly stem of the year is useful that the parents are both present and supportive. However, when considering ancestors above or brothers on the side, the accuracy diminishes— the farther the relationship, the more faint the information recorded in the destiny.

以妻論之，坐下財官，妻當賢貴；然亦有坐財官而妻不利，逢傷刃而妻反吉者，何也？此蓋月令用神，配成喜忌。如妻宮坐財，吉也，而印格逢之，反為不美。妻坐官，吉也，而傷官逢之，豈能順意？妻坐傷官，凶也，而財格逢之，可以生堸，煞格逢之，可以制煞，反主妻能內助。妻坐陽刃，凶也，而或財官煞傷等格，四柱已成格局，而日主無氣，全憑日刃幫身，則妻必能相關。其理不可執一。

First, we discuss the wife. The day branch is called the "wife's palace." If the day branch is occupied by wealth or official position, the wife should be virtuous and esteemed. However, there are cases where the wife is actually unfavorable even though the day branch is occupied by wealth or official position, or where the wife is actually favorable even though the day branch is occupied by injurious official or yang blade. Why is this so? It depends on whether the heavenly stem used in the month is a favorable or unfavorable element. For example, if the wife's palace is occupied by wealth, this is generally favorable, but if the native's destiny is based on the seal (print) pattern, then wealth will harm the seal, making it unfavorable. If the wife's palace is occupied by official position, this is generally favorable, but if the native's destiny is based on injurious official pattern, then injurious official meeting official position will not be harmonious. If the wife's palace is occupied by injurious official, this is generally unfavorable, but if the native's destiny is based on wealth pattern, then injurious official can generate wealth; if the native's destiny is based on evil spirit pattern, then injurious official can control the evil spirit, and the wife can actually help from within. The original text says "can generate 堸," where "堸" is a mistake for "财" (wealth). The wife's palace occupied by yang blade is generally unfavorable, but if the native's destiny is based on wealth, official position, evil spirit, or injurious official pattern, and the four pillars have already formed a pattern while the day stem has no strength, relying entirely on the yang blade in the day branch to support the body, then the wife will certainly be closely related to the native. Clearly, the principles here cannot be rigidly applied to one aspect only.

既看妻宮，又看妻星。妻星者，干頭之財也。妻透而成局，若官格透財、印多逢財、食傷透財為用之類，即坐下無用，亦主內助。妻透而破格，若印輕財露、食神傷官、透煞逢財之類，即坐下有用，亦防刑剋。又有妻透成格，或妻宮有用而坐下刑沖，未免得美妻而難偕老。又若妻星兩透，偏正雜出，何一夫而多妻？亦防刑剋之道也。至於子息，其看宮分與星所透喜忌，理與論妻略同。

After examining the wife's palace, one should also look at the "wife star." The wife star refers to the wealth element in the heavenly stems. If the wife star appears and supports the formation of the pattern, for example, in a pattern of official star with the wealth element appearing to nourish the official star, or in a pattern with many ministers with the wealth element appearing to restrain the ministers, or in a pattern of food and injury with the wealth element appearing as a useful element, even if the wife's palace itself is not useful, it indicates that the wife can provide internal support. However, if the wife star appears and disrupts the pattern, for example, in a light minister pattern with the wealth element appearing and destroying the minister, or in a pattern of food and injury with the evil star appearing and the wealth element reinforcing the evil star, even if the wife's palace is useful, one should be cautious of punishments and clashes. There is another case: if the wife star appears and forms a pattern, or if the wife's palace is useful, but the day's branch is subjected to punishments and clashes, then it is inevitable to marry a beautiful wife but not live happily together until old age. For example, if two wife stars appear and both the legitimate and the biased wealth elements are present, how can one husband have so many wives? This is also a case to be cautious of punishments and clashes.

但看子息，長生沐浴之歌，亦當熟讀，如“長生四子中旬半，沐浴一雙保吉祥，冠帶臨官三子位，旺中五子自成行，衰中二子病中一，死中至老沒兒郞，除非養取他之子，入墓之時命夭亡，受氣為絕一個子，胎中頭產養姑娘，養中三子只留一，男子宮中子細詳”是也。然長生論法，用陽而不用陰。如甲乙日只用庚金長生，巳酉丑順數之局，而不用辛金逆數之子申辰。雖書有官為女煞為男之說，然終不可以甲用庚男而用陽局，乙用辛男而陰局。蓋木為日主，不問甲乙，總以庚為男辛為女，其理為然，拘於官煞，其能驗乎？

As for determining the number of children, in addition to examining the position of the time pillar and the favor or disfavor of the son star, one should also be familiar with the Long Life and Bathing Song. The rhyme says: the Long Life position indicates four sons, but half are lost by middle age; the Bathing position indicates two sons, who can be safely raised; the Capping and Officialdom positions indicate three sons; the Prosperity position indicates five sons who will grow up together; the Decline position indicates two sons; the Sickness position indicates one son; the Death position means no sons until old age, unless adopting a son from elsewhere; the Burial position means the son dies young; the Absolute Position means the son is born with a spirit but only one child; the Fetus position indicates the first child is a daughter; the Nurturing position indicates three sons but only one can be kept. For male destiny, the children's palace should be carefully calculated according to this. However, when calculating Long Life, only the Yang stems are used, not the Yin stems: for example, for a day master of Jia or Yi wood, the Long Life of Geng metal is used, starting from Si and moving in order through Si, You, Chou, while not using the reverse sequence of Xin metal's Long Life, which starts from Zi and goes through Shen, Chen. Although some books say that officials represent daughters and evils represent sons, it is ultimately unreasonable to use the Yang method for Jia because Geng is considered a son, or the Yin method for Yi because Xin is considered a son. As long as the day master is wood, whether it is Jia or Yi, Geng is considered a son and Xin is considered a daughter, which is logical. If one insists on using the names of officials and evils, can it really be accurate?

所以八字到手，要看子息，先看時支。如甲乙生日，其時果係庚金何宮？或生旺，或死絕，其多寡己有定數，然後以時干子星配之。如財格而時干透食，官格而時干透財之類，皆謂時干有用，即使時逢死絕，亦主子貴，但不甚繁耳。若又逢生旺，則麟兒繞膝，豈可量乎？若時干不好，子透破局，即逢生旺，難為子息。若又死絕，無所望矣。此論妻子之大略也。

So once the four pillars are known, to determine the number of children, one should first look at the hour branch. For example, if the day stem is Jia or Yi (wood), one should check where the hour branch falls in the twelve long life positions of the庚 metal. Is it in a position of birth or strength, or in death or extinction? This gives a general number for children. Then one should match the child star on the hour stem. For instance, if the native is in a wealth pattern and the hour stem reveals a food god that generates wealth, or if the native is in an official pattern and the hour stem reveals wealth that generates the official, this is considered 'useful hour stem'; in such cases, even if the hour branch falls in death or extinction, the children will be prosperous but in smaller numbers. If the hour branch also falls in a position of birth or strength, then there will be many children. Conversely, if the character on the hour stem is not good, and the child star appears, it may ruin the pattern. Even if the hour branch is in a position of birth or strength, there will be little hope for children. If the hour branch also falls in death or extinction, there is even less to expect. This is the general method for determining the spouse and children.

論運與看命無二法也。看命以四柱干支，配月令之喜忌，而取運則又以運之干，配八字之喜忌。故運中每運行一字，即必以此一字，配命中干支而統觀之，為喜為忌，吉凶判然矣。何為喜？命中所喜之神，我得而助之者是也。如官用印以制傷，而運助印；財生官而身輕，而運助身；印帶財以為忌，而運劫財；食帶煞以成格，身輕而運逢印，煞重而運助食；傷官佩印，而運行官煞；陽刃用官，而運助財鄉；月劫用財，而運行傷食。如此之類，皆美運也。

Discussing the great years (dà yùn) and examining the original destiny (běn mìng) is not two separate methods. Examining the original destiny involves matching the four pillars (sì zhù) heavenly stems and earthly branches with the monthly command (yuè lìng) to determine what is favorable or unfavorable. Assessing the great years involves matching the heavenly stems and earthly branches of the great years with the favorable and unfavorable elements of the original destiny. Therefore, whenever a great year arrives, that character must be integrated into the entire destiny chart to determine whether it is favorable or unfavorable; the fortune's good or bad will then become clear. What constitutes a favorable year? The element that the destiny favors is supported by the great year, which is considered favorable. For example, in a pattern where the official (zhèng guān) is used with the seal (yìn) to control the official's child (shāng guān), if the great year supports the seal; in a pattern where wealth (cái) generates the official and the day's ruler is weak, if the great year supports the day's ruler; in a pattern where the seal is accompanied by wealth, which is considered unfavorable, if the great year brings a劫财 (jié cái) to remove the wealth; in a pattern where the food god (shí shén) is accompanied by the seven evil stars (qī shā) and forms a pattern, if the day's ruler is weak, the great year brings the seal to support the day's ruler, if the evil stars are strong, the great year supports the food god to control the evil stars; in a pattern where the official is supported by the seal, if the great year brings the official or evil stars to support the seal; in a pattern where the day's ruler is in a劫 (jié) situation and wealth is used, if the great year brings the food god or official to transform the劫 and generate wealth. All these are considered favorable years.

何謂忌？命中所忌，我逆而施之者是也。如正官無印，而運行傷；財不透食，而運行煞；印綬用官，而運合官；食神帶煞，而運行財；七煞食制，而運逢梟；傷官佩印，而運行財；陽刃用煞，而運逢食；建祿用官，而運逢傷。如此之類，皆敗運也。其有似喜而實忌者，何也？如官逢印運，而本命有合，印逢官運，而本命用煞之類是也。有似忌而實喜者，何也？如官逢傷運，而命透印，財行煞運，而命透食之類是也。

What constitutes a忌 (taboo or inauspicious influence)? It refers to the situation where the fate of a person's destiny is already adverse to a certain element, and the fortune (or the ten-thousand-year cycle) happens to promote it further. For example, in a pattern of 正官 (proper official), if there is no 印 (favorable influence) to protect the official, but the fortune instead goes to 伤官 (harmful official), this is a忌. In a pattern of 财 (wealth), if there is no 食神 (food god) to mediate, but the fortune instead goes to 七煞 (seven calamity), this is also a忌. In an 印绶 (favorable influence) pattern that uses 官星 (official star), if the fortune instead brings a star that combines with the official, this is a忌. In a 食神 (food god) pattern that relies on 七煞 (seven calamity) to be controlled by the food god, if the fortune instead goes to 财 (wealth) to support the calamity, this is a忌. In a 七煞 (seven calamity) pattern that relies on 食神 (food god) to control the calamity, if the fortune instead meets 鸢神 (scavenger star) to take away the food, this is a忌. In a 伤官 (harmful official) pattern that relies on 印 (favorable influence), if the fortune instead goes to 财 (wealth) to damage the favorable influence, this is a忌. In a The Yang Blade (Yang blade) pattern that uses 七煞 (seven calamity) to control the blade, if the fortune instead goes to 食神 (food god) to control the calamity, this is a忌. In a 建禄 (established fortune) pattern that uses 官 (official), if the fortune instead meets 伤官 (harmful official) to harm the official, this is a忌. All these are considered bad fortune. There are also cases that seem to be favorable but are actually taboos. For example, in a 正官 (proper official) pattern, if the fortune goes to 印 (favorable influence), it should be good, but if the original chart has the 印 (favorable influence) already combined with other elements, it becomes a忌. In an 印 (favorable influence) pattern, if the fortune goes to 官 (official), it should be good, but if the original chart uses 灾 (calamity) instead of 官 (official), it becomes a忌. There are also cases that seem to be taboos but are actually favorable. For example, in a 正官 (proper official) pattern, if the fortune goes to 伤官 (harmful official), it should be bad, but if the original chart has 印 (favorable influence) to control the harmful official, it becomes favorable. In a 财 (wealth) pattern, if the fortune goes to 七煞 (seven calamity), it should be bad, but if the original chart has 食神 (food god) to control the calamity, it becomes favorable.

又有行干而不行支者，何也？如丙生子月亥年，逢丙丁則幫身，逢巳午則相沖是也。又有行支而不行干者，何也？如甲生酉月，辛金透而官猶弱，逢申酉則官植根，逢庚辛則混煞重官之類是也。又有干同一類而不兩行者，何也？如丁生亥月，而年透壬官，逢丙則幫身，逢丁則合官之類是也。又有支同一類而不兩行者，何也？如戊生卯月，丑年，逢申則自坐長生，逢酉則會丑以傷官之類是也。

There is also a situation where the Heavenly Stems are beneficial but the Earthly Branches are not. For example, if the day stem is Bing and the month is Zi, the body is weak and needs support. If the fortune moves through the Heavenly Stems Jia and Yi, they can support the body. However, if the fortune moves through Si and Wu, although Si and Wu are the禄 and 刃 of Bing, they conflict with the Zi and Hai in the original chart, which is actually harmful. There are also cases where the Earthly Branches are beneficial but the Heavenly Stems are not. For example, if the day stem is Jia and the month is You, although the official star is revealed by Xin, it is still considered weak. If the fortune moves through Shen and You, the official star has a root. However, if the fortune moves through Geng and Xin, Geng is a seven deadly star which mixes with the official star, and adding another Xin makes the official star too strong. There are also two Heavenly Stems that belong to the same category but cannot be treated the same way. For example, if the day stem is Ding and the month is Hai, and the year stem is Ren as the official star, moving through Bing fire can support the body, but moving through Ding fire would combine with Ren, thus removing the official star. Similarly, there are two Earthly Branches that belong to the same category but cannot be treated the same way. For example, if the day stem is Wu and the month is Mao, and the year branch is Chou, moving through Shen, Wu is in its Growth position in Shen. However, moving through You, You combines with Chou to form a metal group, which harms the official star.

又有同是相沖而分緩急者，何也？沖年月則急，沖日時則緩也。又有同是相沖而分輕重者，何也？運本美而逢沖則輕，運既忌面又沖則重也。又有逢沖而不沖，何也？如甲用酉官，行卯則沖，而本命巳酉相會，則沖無力；年支亥未，則卯逢年會而不沖月官之類是也。又有一沖而得兩沖者，何也？如乙用申官，兩申並而不沖一寅，運又逢寅，則運與本命，合成二寅，以沖二申之類是也。

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) When there is a clash, it also depends on urgency: clashes affecting the year or month pillars manifest quickly, while clashes affecting the day or hour pillars manifest slowly, because the year and month pillars govern the first half of life and are related to the overall structure, whereas the day and hour pillars relate to the latter half. When there is a clash, it also depends on severity: if it is a good fortune with a slight clash, the harm is minor; if it is an already unfavorable fortune with an added clash, the harm is severe—originally it was written as 'if the fortune is already unfavorable and there is a clash, the harm is severe,' where '面' is a mistake for '而'. There is also a case where a clash does not occur: for example, if the day stem is Jia and the official star is the Yin metal in You, then the movement to Mao should clash with You, but if the original chart has Si and You forming a metal formation, the clash from Mao is ineffective; or if the year pillar has Hai and Wei, the movement to Mao is first used to form a wood formation with the year pillar, thus not being able to clash with the official star in the month pillar. There is also a case where one clash becomes two clashes: for example, if the day stem is Yi and the official star is the Geng metal in Shen, and there are two Shens in the original chart, one Yin does not clash with two Shens; but if the movement brings another Yin, the Yin in the movement combines with the Yin in the original chart to form two Yins, which then clash with two Shens, making the clash effective.

命之格局，成於八字，然配之以運，亦有成格變格之要權。其成格變格，較之喜忌禍福尤重。何為成格？本命用神，成而未全，從而就之者是也。如丁生辰月，透壬為宮，而運逢申子以會之；乙生辰月，或申或子會印成局，而運逢壬癸以透之。如此之類，皆成格也。

The structure of a person's destiny is determined by their birth chart, but when combined with the big years, there are significant variables called "established patterns" and "changed patterns." These established and changed patterns are more important than general favorable or unfavorable influences. What does it mean for a big year to establish a pattern? The useful god of the original birth chart is already partially formed but not complete, and the big year completes and perfects it. For example, if a person is born on a day with the day stem Ding and is born in the month of Chen, and there is a visible Ren water, which is the official star, but Ren in Chen is only the storage of water. If the big year meets Shen or Zi, which can form a water trinity with Chen, the official star becomes solid. The original text says "transmits Ren as the palace," but "palace" is a mistake for "official." Another example is if a person is born on a day with the day stem Yi and is born in the month of Chen, and the hidden branches have either Shen or Zi, which form a water trinity with Chen as the printing star, but there is no water in the heavenly stems. If the big year brings out Ren or Gui, the printing pattern becomes complete. These cases are called established patterns.

何為變格？如丁生辰月，透壬為官，而運逢戌，透出辰中傷官；壬生戌月，丁己並透，而支又會寅會午，作財旺生官矣，而運逢戊土，透出戌中七煞；壬生亥月，透己為用，作建祿用官矣，而運逢卯未，會亥成本，又化建祿為傷。如此之類，皆變格也。然亦有逢成格而不喜者，何也？如壬生午月，運透己官，而本命有甲乙之類是也。又有逢變格而不忌者，何也？如丁生辰月，透壬用官，逢戊而命有甲；壬生亥月，透己用官，運逢卯未，而命有庚辛之類是也。成格變格，關係甚大，取運者其細詳之。

What is meant by "change of pattern" (变格)? For example, if a person with a Jia day stem is born in the Chen month and has Ren water appearing in the sky, this is considered the official position (正官). However, if in the later years (运) the Xu is encountered, which conflicts with Chen, the hidden Wu earth official is harmed, thus the official is attacked. Another example is a person with a Ren day stem born in the Xu month, with Ding fire wealth and Ji earth official both appearing in the sky. If the ground forms a fire pattern by gathering Yin and Wu, this is a good pattern where wealth supports the official. However, if in the later years the Wu earth appears, it brings out the hidden seven evils (七煞) from Xu, mixing the official and the evils. Another example is a person with a Ren day stem born in the Hai month, with Ji earth appearing as the official, which is a good pattern where the official is used. However, if in the later years the Mao or Wei appears, forming a wood pattern with Hai, the official is transformed into a harmful official (伤官) that attacks the official. These are all examples of change of pattern. However, there are also cases where the later years form a pattern but it is not favorable. For example, a person with a Ren day stem born in the Wu month, with Ji earth official appearing in the sky, seemingly forming a pattern, but the original birth chart has Jia and Yi wood that would attack the Ji earth official, making the official unstable. There are also cases where the later years change the pattern but it is not harmful. For example, a person with a Jia day stem born in the Chen month, with Ren water appearing as the official, but if Wu earth appears in the later years, which would normally harm the official, but the original birth chart has Jia wood that can control Wu. Another example is a person with a Ren day stem born in the Hai month, with Ji earth appearing as the official, but if Mao and Wei appear in the later years forming a wood pattern, which would normally change the pattern to harm the official, but the original birth chart has Geng and Xin metal that can control the wood. Clearly, the relationship between forming a pattern and changing a pattern is very important, and those who determine the later years must carefully distinguish between them.

命中喜忌，雖支干俱有，而干主天，動而有為，支主地，靜以待用，且干主一而支藏多，為福為禍，安不得殊？譬如甲用酉官，逢庚辛則官煞雜，而申酉不作此例。申亦辛之旺地，辛坐申酉，如府官又掌道印也。逢二辛則官犯重，而二酉不作此例。辛坐二酉，如一府而攝二郡也，透丁則傷官，而逢午不作此例。丁動而午靜，且丁巳並藏，安知其為財也？然亦有支而能作禍福者，何也？如甲用酉官，逢午酉未能傷，而又遇寅遇戌，不隔二位，二者合而火動，亦能傷矣。即此反觀，如甲生甲月，午不制煞，會寅會戌，二者清局而火動，亦能矣。然必會有動，是正與干有別也。即此一端，餘者可知。

The beneficial and harmful deities in one's destiny appear in both the heavenly stems and earthly branches. However, the heavenly stems belong to the sky, which is active and dynamic, while the earthly branches belong to the earth, which is passive and waits to be used. Moreover, each heavenly stem represents only one thing, while each earthly branch contains several elements. Therefore, if the same thing appears in the heavenly stem and in the earthly branch, how can their effects as fortune or misfortune be the same? For example, if the day stem is Jia and the official star is the metal of You (the hidden Xin metal in You), then if the heavenly stem also meets Geng or Xin, it becomes a mixture of official and harmful stars. However, if the earthly branch meets Shen or You, we cannot apply the same rule — Shen is also a place where Xin metal is born, and having Xin sitting on both Shen and You is like a prefect who also holds the seal of a prefecture, which actually strengthens the official star. If the heavenly stem meets another Xin, the official star becomes excessive. However, if the earthly branch has two You, we cannot apply the same rule — having Xin sitting on two You is like a prefect who governs two prefectures, still only one official. If the heavenly stem reveals Ding, it is the official's injury star that harms the official. However, if the earthly branch meets Wu, we cannot apply the same rule — Ding is active, while Wu is passive, and moreover, the hidden Ding fire and Ji earth are both present in Wu. How can we know whether it is the injury star or the wealth? (The original text says 'Dingsi and hidden,' but 'si' is a mistake for 'ji,' and it should be 'Ding and Ji hidden.') However, the earthly branches can also cause fortune or misfortune. What are the situations? For example, if the day stem is Jia and the official star is You, a single Wu in the earthly branch does not harm the official. But if it also meets Yin or Xu and they are not separated by two branches, Yin-Wu-Xu form a fire trinity, and when fire becomes active, it can still harm the official. Conversely, if the day stem is Jia and the month is Shen with Geng as the harmful star, a single Wu in the earthly branch cannot control the harmful star. However, if it forms a fire trinity with Yin and Xu, the fire becomes active and can control the harmful star — (the original text says 'if Jia is born in the month of Jia,' but according to the meaning, it should be the month of Shen; the last sentence 'also can' is missing a character, and the 'Zi Ping Zhen Quan Ping Zhu' edition says 'also can harm.') In summary, the earthly branches must form a trinity to become active, which is exactly the difference between them and the heavenly stems. From this point, other principles can be understood.