On the Favorable and Unfavorable Aspects of Fire in the Four Seasons

《窮通寶鑑》云：生於春月，母旺子相，勢力並行。喜木生扶，不宜過旺，旺則火炎。欲水既濟，不愁興盛，盛則霑恩。土多則蹇塞埋光，火盛則傷多爆燥。金見多可以施功，縱重疊妻財猶遂。夏月之火，勢力行權。逢水制，則免自焚之咎。見木助，必招夭折之患。遇金必作良工，得土遂成稼穡。金土雖為美麗，無水則金燥土焦。再加火助，太過傾危。

Now discussing fire. Fire born in spring month has its mother (wood) strong and its son (fire) in the phase of growth, with both mother and son forces active: it prefers wood to generate and support it, but wood should not be too strong, for excessive wood would cause fire to become too intense without control. It hopes for water to harmonize (water and fire in harmony), and does not worry about excessive water, for abundant water is actually beneficial. Too much earth would block the fire's energy and bury its brightness; if fire becomes too strong, it would cause excessive burning and dryness. Excess metal can actually be useful as it allows fire to refine and shape metal, even if metal is abundant, it still brings good fortune in wife and wealth. Fire born in summer month is at its peak of power: encountering water to control it prevents self-destruction; encountering wood to assist it leads to premature death. Meeting metal allows fire to become a skilled craftsman (fire refines metal into tools), and meeting earth allows fire to benefit agriculture (fire generates earth). However, although metal and earth are beneficial, without water, metal would become dry and earth would crack; adding fire to assist further would lead to excess and danger.

秋月之火，性息體休。得木生，則有復明之慶。遇水克，難逃隕滅之災。土重而掩息其光，金多而損傷其勢。火見火以光輝，縱疊見而轉利。冬月之火，體絕形亡。喜木生而有救，遇水克以為殃，欲土制為榮，愛火比為利。見金而難任為財，無金而不遭妻害。天地雖傾，水火難滅。

Now discussing fire in the autumn and winter seasons. Fire born in autumn has its nature exhausted and its form resting; if wood comes to nourish it, there will be joy in its rekindling; if water comes to overcome it, it will suffer the disaster of extinction. Heavy earth will cover its light, and abundant metal will damage its strength. At this time, fire meeting fire becomes a brilliant light, and even if it appears repeatedly, it turns into a favorable situation. Fire born in winter has its form completely extinguished and its essence destroyed; it benefits from wood to nourish it and suffers from water to overcome it. It hopes for earth to control water and thus becomes prosperous, and it prefers fire as a companion to assist it. At this time, if metal appears, the day's main element (the sun) is weak and cannot bear the wealth (metal), thus becoming a burden; without metal, it will not suffer from the harm of wife and wealth. The last sentence, "Although heaven and earth may tilt, fire and water cannot be extinguished," means that although fire is at its weakest, as long as there is a trace of wood and fire, it will not completely vanish. The principles for using fire in the four seasons can be summarized as: spring fire benefits from water and wood, summer fire must be controlled by water, autumn fire needs wood to nourish it, and winter fire requires fire to assist wood and dislikes water.

《窮通寶鑑》云：生於春月，其勢虛弱。喜火生扶，惡木太過。忌水氾濫，欲喜比助。得金而制木為祥，金若多仍盜土氣，夏月之土，其勢燥烈。得盛水滋潤成功，忌旺火煅煉焦赤。木助火炎，生克無良。金生水泛，妻財有益。見比肩蹇滯不通，如太過又喜木襲。

Now discussing earth. Earth born in spring is weak (wood is strong and overpowers earth): it favors fire to generate and support it, and dislikes excessive wood; it fears water overflowing to冲荡 it, and hopes for similar earth to help. If metal comes to control wood, it is a good omen, but if metal is too much, it will still steal the earth's strength. Earth born in summer is dry and fierce: it needs abundant water to moisten it for success, and fears strong fire to roast it dry and cracked. Wood assisting fire makes fire even more intense, which is bad both for generation and for overcoming; metal generating water makes water moist, which benefits wife and wealth. At this time, seeing similar earth (same type of earth) leads to stagnation; if earth is indeed too much, it favors wood to loosen and overcome it. Note that both spring and summer earth favor water, but spring earth's favoring of water is for adjustment beyond the wood overcoming, while summer earth's favoring of water is an urgent need for regulation, and the urgency is very different.

秋月之土，子旺母衰。金多而耗盜其氣，木盛而制伏純良。火重重而不厭，水泛泛而非祥。得比肩則能助力，至霜降不比無妨。冬月之土，外寒內溫。水旺財豐，金多子秀。火盛有榮，木多無咎。再加土助猶佳，惟喜身強足壽。

Now regarding the earth in autumn and winter. Earth born in autumn, when the metal is strong and the earth is weak: too much metal will consume and steal the earth's energy, while strong wood is actually beneficial as it can control and loosen the earth, which is good. Although heavy fire is not disliked, as fire can generate earth, but excessive water is not auspicious. Having similar earth elements can help, but after the frost begins, earth is naturally strong, so even without similar elements it is acceptable. Earth born in winter, with external cold and internal warmth: strong water indicates wealth (as earth controls water, which is considered wealth), abundant metal indicates good sons (as earth generates metal, which is considered sons), strong fire brings honor (as fire warms the earth), and excessive wood does not cause harm. Adding more earth is also beneficial. In summary, only strong earth is desired, as strong earth ensures a long life. The principles for using earth in the four seasons are: spring and summer earth should avoid being weak and dry, autumn earth should avoid being drained, and winter earth should avoid being too cold. Fire and similar elements are almost universally helpful in all seasons.

《窮通寶鑑》云：生於春月，餘寒未盡，貴乎火氣為榮，性柔體弱，欲得厚土輔助。水盛增寒，難施鋒銳之勢。木旺損力，反招銼鈍之危。金來比助扶持最喜，比而無火，失類非良。夏月之金，性尚在柔，形未執方，尤嫌死絕。火多而卻為不厭，水盛而滋體呈祥，見木而助鬼傷身，遇金而扶持精壯。土薄而最為有用，土厚而埋沒無光。

Now discussing metal. Metal born in spring still has residual cold; it is valuable to have fire to enhance its brilliance; it is soft and weak, and it hopes to have thick earth to support it. Excess water will only increase coldness, and the sharp edge of metal cannot be fully expressed; strong wood will consume metal's strength, leading to danger of being blunt and defeated. It most prefers similar metal to support and assist it; but if there is only similar metal without fire, even though there is much of the same kind, it is not good. Metal born in summer is still soft and its form is not yet determined, especially disliking the dead and绝 places (metal dies at午 and is绝 at寅). Too much fire is not disliked (fire can refine metal into tools, but water is needed to balance it), abundant water can nourish metal and is auspicious; encountering wood helps fire, which becomes a harmful force to injure the body, meeting metal gives similar support and makes it strong and vigorous. Thin earth is most useful (thin earth can produce metal without burying it), but thick earth buries metal and makes it dull. Here, the term "助鬼" refers to the god that overcomes me. In summer, fire is the god that overcomes metal; wood generating fire is assisting the harmful force.

秋月之金，當權得令。火來煅煉，遂成鐘鼎之材。土多培養，反為頑濁之氣。見水則精神越秀，逢木則琢削施威。金助愈剛，剛過必缺。氣重愈旺，旺極則害。冬月之金，形寒性冷。木多則難旋琢削之功，水盛而未免沉潛之患。土能制水，金體不寒，火來取土，子母成功。喜比肩聚氣相扶，欲官印溫養為利。

Now discussing the metal of autumn and winter. Metal born in autumn is in its prime and strong: with fire to refine it, it becomes a valuable bell or tripod; with excessive earth to cultivate it, it turns into dull and turbid energy. When it meets water, its spirit becomes more refined and bright (metal and water nourish each other); when it meets wood, it can display its power of cutting and shaping. More metal will only make it harder, and excessive hardness leads to damage; the stronger the energy, the more vigorous it becomes, but when it reaches its peak, it turns into a disaster. Metal born in winter is cold in form and nature: too much wood prevents it from displaying its carving power, and too much water may cause it to be submerged and hidden. Earth can control water, so the metal will not be cold; fire can generate earth, and both son (metal) and mother (earth) can be successful. At this time, it is favorable to have similar elements to gather energy and support each other, and to have official stars and seal tokens to warm and nourish it. The principles for using metal in the four seasons are: spring metal needs fire and earth, summer metal needs water and earth, autumn metal needs fire and water, and winter metal needs fire and earth — all are centered around the concepts of 'warmth' and 'refinement'.

《窮通寶鑑》云：生於春月，性濫滔淫。再逢水助，必有崩堤之勢。若加土盛，則無泛漲之憂。喜金生扶，不宜金盛，慾火既濟，不要火多。見木而可以施功，無土而仍愁散漫。夏月之水，執性歸源，時當涸際，欲得比肩。喜金生而助體，忌火旺而太炎。木盛則耗盜其氣，土旺則剋制其流。

Water is discussed last. Water born in spring is overflowing and unrestrained. If more water comes to assist it, there will be a risk of breaking the embankments. If there is strong earth, there will be no worry of flooding. It is favorable to have metal to generate and support it, but metal should not be too strong (too much metal makes water turbid). It is also good to have fire to assist, but fire should not be excessive. Seeing wood is beneficial because water generates wood and the energy can be guided. However, if there is no earth to control it, there is still worry of dispersion and lack of direction. Water born in summer is stubborn and desires to return to its source, especially during dry periods. It is favorable to have similar elements to gather together. Metal is good to generate and support it, but excessive fire is harmful as it becomes too hot. Strong wood consumes its energy (water generates wood), and strong earth restrains its flow. The key for summer water is "source" — it must have metal as the source and similar elements to assist. Otherwise, it will dry up completely when encountering fire or earth.

秋月之水，母旺水相，裡瑩表光。得金助則能清澄，逢土旺則嫌混濁。火多而財盛，太過不宜。木重而妻榮，中和為利。重重見水，增其氾濫之憂，疊疊逢土，始得清平之意。冬月之水，司令專權。遇火則增暖除寒，見土則形藏歸化。金多反曰無義，木盛是謂有情。土太過剋制水死，水泛漲喜土為堤。

Now let's discuss water in the autumn and winter seasons. Water born in autumn has a strong mother (metal) and is in its phase, appearing crystal clear inside and smooth on the surface. With the help of metal, it can become clear; however, when earth is strong, it tends to become turbid. Too much fire is good as fire is overcome by water (water controls fire, which is considered wealth), but too much is not suitable. Heavy wood brings honor to the wife, but still, moderation is best. If water is repeated, it only increases the danger of flooding; if earth is layered, it brings peace. Water born in winter is in its season and has authority. When it meets fire, it warms and removes cold; when it meets earth, it takes form and is contained, each returning to its proper place. Too much metal is called "no meaning" (both metal and water are cold, mother and son are both cold, only increasing coldness), while too much wood is called "with feeling" (water nourishes wood, and the energy flows smoothly). If earth is too strong, it will suppress water and cause it to die; if water is too strong, it is good to have earth to act as a dam. The principles for using water in the four seasons are: spring water needs earth to control it, summer water needs metal to generate and assist it, autumn water needs metal but dislikes earth causing turbidity, and winter water needs fire to warm it and wood to release its energy. This concludes the section on the favorable and unfavorable elements of the Five Phases in the four seasons from the "Qiong Tong Bao Jian." This is a quick reference table for the use of elements according to the seasons.

按：《滴天髓》之論十干宜忌，可謂義理精深矣，沈孝瞻之論干支異同，可謂發前人之未發矣。徐大升論五行生剋，《窮通寶鑑》之論五行四時宜忌，俱可謂簡括詳明矣。然初學讀此，猶難解悟，茲特提綱攜領言之，俾研究命理者，知宜忌所在，即可定用神之去取也。凡日主屬木者，須辯其木勢盛衰。木重水多則為盛，宜金斫木，金少者逢土亦佳。木微金剛則為衰，宜火制金，火少逢木亦妙。至於水盛則木漂，取土為上，火次之。土重則木折，取木為上，水次之。火多則木焚，取水為上，金次之。

Yuan Shushan remarked: The "Di Tian Mei" discusses the suitability and prohibitions of the ten heavenly stems with profound reasoning. Shen Xiaozhan's discussion on the differences between heavenly stems and earthly branches can be said to have opened new avenues not previously explored. Xu Dasheng's analysis of the generation and overcoming of the Five Phases, and the "Qiong Tong Bao Jian" discussing the suitability and prohibitions of the Five Phases according to the four seasons, are all concise and comprehensive. However, for beginners, reading these works is still difficult to fully grasp. Therefore, the following explanation will summarize and present the key points clearly, so that those studying divination can immediately understand the suitability and prohibitions, and thus determine the selection of the useful god. First, for a day master belonging to the wood element: one must first determine the strength and weakness of the wood. If the wood is heavy and water is abundant, it is considered strong, and gold should be used to cut the wood; if gold is scarce, encountering earth (earth can generate gold) is also good. If the wood is weak and gold is strong, it is considered weak, and fire should be used to overcome gold; if fire is scarce, encountering wood (wood can generate fire) is also effective. As for excessive water causing the wood to float, earth is the best choice (earth can control water), followed by fire; excessive earth causing the wood to break, wood is the best choice (twin elements support the body and relieve the earth), followed by water; excessive fire causing the wood to burn, water is the best choice (water can control fire), followed by gold. This is the practical approach of first determining the strength and weakness, then selecting the useful god.

凡日主屬火者，須辯其火力有餘不足，火炎木多，則為有餘，宜水濟之，水衰者，逢金亦妙。火弱水旺，則為不足，宜土制水，土衰者逢火亦妙。至於木多則火熾，取水為上，金次之。金多則火熄，取火為上，木次之。土多則火晦，取木為上，水次之。凡日主屬土者，須辯其土質厚薄，土重水少則為厚，宜木疏土。木弱者，逢水亦佳。土輕木盛則為薄，宜金制木，金弱者，逢土亦妙。至於火多則土焦，取水為上，金次之。水多則土流，取土為上，火次之。金多則土弱，取火為上，木次之。

For a day stem belonging to fire: first determine whether the fire is excessive or insufficient. If fire is strong and there is a lot of wood, it is considered excessive, and water is suitable to balance it; if water is weak, encountering metal (which can generate water) is also good. If fire is weak and water is strong, it is considered insufficient, and earth is suitable to control water; if earth is weak, encountering fire (which can generate earth) is also good. Regarding wood being excessive, it makes fire stronger, so water is best, and metal is secondary; if metal is excessive, it extinguishes fire (as metal disperses fire's strength in overcoming it), so fire is best (twin fire supports the self), and wood is secondary; if earth is excessive, it dims fire (as fire generates earth and loses its strength), so wood is best (wood can control earth and generate fire), and water is secondary. For a day stem belonging to earth: first determine whether the earth is thick or thin. If earth is heavy and water is scarce, it is considered thick, and wood is suitable to loosen earth; if wood is weak, encountering water (which can generate wood) is also good. If earth is light and wood is abundant, it is considered thin, and metal is suitable to control wood; if metal is weak, encountering earth (which can generate metal) is also good. Regarding fire being excessive, it scorches earth, so water is best, and metal is secondary; if water is excessive, it erodes earth, so earth is best (twin earth supports the self), and fire is secondary; if metal is excessive, it weakens earth, so fire is best (fire can control metal and generate earth), and wood is secondary.

凡日主屬金者，須辯其金質老嫩。金多土厚則為老，宜火鍊金，火衰者逢木亦妙。木重金輕則為嫩，宜土生金，土衰者逢金亦佳。至於土多則金埋，取木為上，水次之。水多則金沉，取土為上，火次之。火烈則金傷，取水為上，金次之。凡日主屬水者，須辯其水勢大小。水多金重則為大，宜土御水，土弱者逢火亦妙。水少土多則為小，宜木克土，木弱者逢水亦佳。至於金多則水濁，取火為上，木次之。火炎則水灼，取水為上，金次之，木多則水縮，取金為上，土次之。

For a day master belonging to the metal element: first determine whether the metal is old or young. If there is a lot of metal and thick earth, it is considered old, and fire is suitable to refine the metal; if the fire is weak, encountering wood (wood can generate fire) is also good. If there is heavy wood and light metal, it is considered young, and earth is suitable to generate metal; if the earth is weak, encountering metal (same element to support the day master) is also good. If there is too much earth, the metal is buried, so wood is the best choice (wood can control earth), and water is the next. If there is too much water, the metal is submerged, so earth is the best choice (earth can control water), and fire is the next. If there is strong fire, it harms the metal, so water is the best choice (water can control fire), and metal is the next. For a day master belonging to the water element: first determine whether the water flow is strong or weak. If there is a lot of water and heavy metal, it is considered strong, and earth is suitable to control the water; if the earth is weak, encountering fire (fire can generate earth) is also good. If there is little water and heavy earth, it is considered weak, and wood is suitable to control the earth; if the wood is weak, encountering water (same element to support the day master) is also good. If there is too much metal, the water becomes turbid, so fire is the best choice (fire can control metal), and wood is the next. If there is strong fire, the water becomes scorched, so water is the best choice (same element to support the day master), and metal is the next. If there is too much wood, the water becomes restricted, so metal is the best choice (metal can control wood and generate water), and earth is the next. For each of the five elements as the day master, the general rule is: first determine whether the element is excessive or insufficient. If it is excessive, take the element that controls and drains it. If it is insufficient, take the element that generates and supports it. If the chosen element is weak, then take the element that generates it as the secondary choice.

萬育吾曰：二氣者，陰陽也；五行者，金、木、水、火、土也，時者，春、夏、秋、冬也；地者，冀、青、兗、徐、揚、荊、梁、雍、豫也。蓋天有陰陽，行於四時；地有五行，具於九州，正朱子所謂五行質具於地、氣行於天，故天有春夏秋冬，地有金木水火，皆以時地相為用也。今之談命者，但知論陰陽五行而不知兼論方隅與晝夜陰晴，所以有年日月時同而貴賤壽夭迥異，便謂五行無據，啟世人不信命之疑，亦誣點。

This passage discusses why people with the same八字 may have vastly different destinies of wealth and poverty. Wan Minying attributes the difference to the place of birth and whether it is day or night, and whether the weather is clear or cloudy. He first lists four variables: the so-called "two energies" refer to yin and yang; the so-called "five phases" refer to metal, wood, water, fire, and earth; the so-called "time" refers to spring, summer, autumn, and winter; and the so-called "place" refers to the nine states divided by the Xia Yu: Ji, Qing, Yan, Xu, Yang, Jing, Liang, Yong, and Yu. Heaven has yin and yang, which operate through the four seasons; the earth has the five phases, which are distributed among the nine states. This is exactly what Zhu Xi said: "the five phases are embodied in the earth, and the energies move in the sky." Therefore, the sky has spring, summer, autumn, and winter, while the earth has metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The two must rely on time and place to interact with each other. Now, those who discuss fate only consider yin and yang and the five phases, but do not take into account direction and whether it is day or night, and whether the weather is clear or cloudy. Therefore, when they encounter cases where the year, month, day, and hour are all the same, yet the person's wealth, poverty, longevity, and short life are completely different, they say that the five phases have no basis, which causes people to doubt the reliability of fate. This is a misunderstanding and an injustice to the study of fate.

嗟夫，人生天地，莫逃五行；九州分疆，風氣異宜，陰晴寒暖，理難一律。人稟天地靈氣以生一時，得氣各自不同，所以貴賤壽夭難以八字拘也。且以甲乙寅卯屬木，生於兗、青為得地，春令為得時。丙丁巳午屬火，生於徐、揚為得地，夏令為得時。戊己辰戌丑未屬土，生於豫州為得地，四季月為得時。庚辛申酉屬金，生於荊梁為得地，秋冬為得時。壬癸亥子屬水，生於冀、雍為得地，冬令為得時。況晝夜陰晴之間有寒有暖，陰陽造化之內有喜有忌，生剋制化，抑揚輕重，妙在識其通變，不可執一論也。

Wan Minying remarked: Human beings live between heaven and earth, and no one can escape the Five Phases. However, the nine provinces have different territories, and the climate and soil vary, so the principles of yin and yang, clear and rainy days, cold and warm, cannot all be the same. People receive the vital energy of heaven and earth at a particular time, and the energy they receive varies from person to person, so wealth and poverty, longevity and short life cannot be determined solely by the eight characters. He then provided a table of the Five Phases' "getting the right place": Jia and Yi belong to wood, and those born in Yanshou and Qingzhou (present-day Shandong area) are considered to have the right place, and those born in spring are considered to have the right time. Bing and Ding belong to fire, and those born in Xuzhou and Yangzhou (present-day Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang area) are considered to have the right place, and those born in summer are considered to have the right time. Wu and Ji belong to earth, and those born in Yuzhou (present-day Henan) are considered to have the right place, and those born in the fourth months are considered to have the right time. Geng and Xin belong to metal, and those born in Jingzhou and Liangzhou (present-day Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou area) are considered to have the right place, and those born in autumn are considered to have the right time. Ren and Gui belong to water, and those born in Jizhou and Yongzhou (present-day Hebei, Shaanxi area) are considered to have the right place, and those born in winter are considered to have the right time. Moreover, between day and night, clear and rainy days, there are cold and warm, and within the transformations of yin and yang, there are favorable and unfavorable factors. The principles of generating, controlling, overcoming, transforming, restraining, and balancing, the subtleties lie in understanding change and variation, and one should not stick to a fixed view.

按：凡八字用神所取在木者，生春令，產兗青諸域（此就禹域而言，餘仿此。）必發，晴雨晝夜相同。若生秋令，產荊梁諸域不發，天雨夜深猶可，天晴傍午更遜。用神所取在火者，生夏令，產徐揚諸域必發，天晴傍午大發，天雨夜深稍滅。若生冬令，產冀雍諸域不發，天晴傍午尚可，天雨夜深更遜。

Yuan Shushan says, the above should be made into specific rules for reference. For those whose destiny relies on wood as their useful god: if born in spring and in the area of Yanqing (which refers to the old territories of the Xia Yu's Nine States, same below), they will certainly achieve success, regardless of whether it is sunny, rainy, or night; if born in autumn and in the area of Jingliang, they will not achieve success, but those born during rain or deep night are somewhat better (rain and night belong to water, which nourishes wood), while those born on a sunny day near noon are even worse (sunny noon belongs to fire, which drains wood's energy and helps metal). For those whose destiny relies on fire as their useful god: if born in summer and in the area of Xuyang, they will certainly achieve success, with those born on a sunny day near noon achieving great success, and those born during rain or deep night slightly less so; if born in winter and in the area of Jiyong, they will not achieve success, but those born on a sunny day near noon are somewhat better, while those born during rain or deep night are even worse. The method here is consistent: if the geographical advantage and the heavenly timing support the useful god, success follows; if they damage the useful god, success does not follow. The distinction between day and night, and between sunny and rainy conditions, serves as the final layer of adjustment.

用神所取在土者，生四季，產豫州諸域必發，天晴傍午大發，天雨夜深稍滅。若生春令，產兗青諸域不發，天青傍午尚可，天雨夜深更遜。用神所取在金者，生秋令，產荊梁諸域必發。天雨夜深猶可，天晴傍午稍滅。若生夏令，產徐揚諸域不發，天晴傍午尚可，天域夜深更遜。用神所取在水者，生冬令，產冀雍諸域必發，天雨夜深大發，天晴傍午稍滅。若生夏令及四季，而又生徐揚豫諸域，天雨夜深尚可，天晴傍午更遜。

The Useful God is taken as earth: those born in the fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh months, and in the Yu State region, will certainly achieve success. If born on a clear day near noon, they will achieve great success; if born on a rainy night, their success will be slightly less. If born in spring and in the Yan and Qing regions, they will not achieve success. If born on a clear day near noon, they can still achieve some success (the original text says 'tian qing' instead of 'tian ying'), but if born on a rainy night, their success will be even worse. The Useful God is taken as metal: those born in autumn and in the Jing and Liang regions will certainly achieve success. If born on a rainy night, they will achieve good success; if born on a clear day near noon, their success will be slightly less. If born in summer and in the Xu and Yang regions, they will not achieve success. If born on a clear day near noon, they can still achieve some success, but if born on a rainy night, their success will be even worse. The Useful God is taken as water: those born in winter and in the Ji and Yong regions will certainly achieve success. If born on a rainy night, they will achieve great success; if born on a clear day near noon, their success will be slightly less. If born in summer or in the fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh months, and in the Xu, Yang, and Yu regions, then if born on a rainy night, they can still achieve some success, but if born on a clear day near noon, their success will be even worse. By combining these five points, readers can create a four-layer comparison table of 'Useful God - season - region - day and night weather' for reference.

蓋八字用神，全賴天時、地利交互資助。兩得者大發，得天時而不地利者次，得地利而不得天時者又次。若天時地利皆不得，則用神無所依附，獨木不能成林，孤軍不能獨勝，必諸貧夭。然先哲有言，勤儉以救貧，攝生以治夭，此又人力所當自盡力，足以培補後天者也。

Yuan Shushan concluded that the useful god in the four pillars of destiny relies entirely on the mutual assistance of heavenly timing and earthly advantage. If both heavenly timing and earthly advantage are greatly obtained, it is the best case; if one obtains heavenly timing but not earthly advantage, it is a secondary case; if one obtains earthly advantage but not heavenly timing, it is a third-rate case; if neither heavenly timing nor earthly advantage is obtained, then the useful god has no support, just like a single tree cannot form a forest or a lone army cannot win a battle, which will surely result in poverty, low status, and an early death. However, previous sages said: diligence and frugality can save from poverty, and proper health care can cure early death. This is again something that human effort should strive to fulfill, sufficient to make up for the later heaven beyond the earlier heaven. These last two sentences are extremely important, representing Yuan Shushan's consistent position throughout his entire work—destiny only discusses the limits of the earlier heaven, but human affairs still have things that can be done, and one must never give up one's own efforts just because of fate.

《子平撮要》云：比肩要逢官煞制，《玄機賦》云：日干無氣遇劫為強。

From here on, Yuan Shushan explains the suitability and inappropriateness of the ten heavenly stems one by one, categorizing them into five types: ratio, food, wealth, official, and seal. Each section begins with more than two lines of ancient aphorisms, followed by his own commentary that thoroughly explains the underlying principles. This section discusses "Jiapan" (also including "Jiecai" and "Bai Cai" which are treated together). He first quotes two contradictory statements: "Jiapan needs to meet official star and seven evils to be restrained" from "Ziping Cuoyao," meaning Jiapan requires official stars and seven evils to restrain it; and "When the day stem lacks strength, encountering Jiapan becomes strong" from "Xuanji Fu," meaning when the day stem lacks strength, encountering Jiapan instead becomes powerful. These two statements seem contradictory, but they each have their own conditions. The following commentary aims to clarify these two conditions. This is also a common practice in our school: all ancient aphorisms have their conditions for validity. Without clear conditions, each line can be used or discarded.

按：比肩何以要官煞制，蓋日主太強，八字中比肩、劫財、敗財曾見疊出，而傷官、食神鮮見，必須官煞以制之，始可循正軌。猶人之兄弟眾多，必須長官以約束之，嚴師以教導之，乃成優美人材。故《子平撮要》云：比肩要逢官煞制，日干無氣何以遇劫為強，蓋日主太弱，八字中並無正印，而官、煞、財、傷甚重，不得己而籍劫財、敗財之贊助。猶人之身體廢馳，不能自治，必須兄弟輩襄理一切，乃可轉弱為強。故《玄機賦》云：日干無氣，遇劫為強。

Yuan Shushan explains: Why does the same ratio of the same element require official stars or seven evils to restrain? This is in reference to a situation where the day stem is too strong. In the four pillars, the same ratio and the loss of wealth appear repeatedly, while the official stars and the evil stars are rare, with nowhere for the energy to be released. Therefore, it is necessary to use official stars or seven evils to restrain the energy, so that the situation can be brought back to order. It is like a person with many brothers who must be restrained by an official or taught by a strict teacher in order to become an outstanding person. Therefore, the book "Zi Ping Cuo Yao" says, "The same ratio needs to meet official stars or seven evils to be restrained." Conversely, when the day stem is weak, why does encountering the same ratio and the loss of wealth turn it stronger? This is in reference to a situation where the day stem is too weak. In the four pillars, there is no proper birth star to support the day stem, while the official stars, seven evils, wealth, and evil stars are all strong. The day stem is isolated and unable to support itself, and thus has to rely on the same ratio and the loss of wealth to help. It is like a person whose body is weak and unable to take care of himself, who must rely on his brothers to manage everything, thus turning weakness into strength. Therefore, the book "Xuan Ji Fu" says, "When the day stem is weak, encountering the same ratio makes it strong." Clearly, the same ratio and the same loss of wealth can be harmful when the day stem is strong, but beneficial when the day stem is weak. The key to judgment lies only in the strength or weakness of the day stem.

《子平撮要》云：用之食神不可奪，《古歌》云：食神最喜劫財鄉。按：用之食神，何以不可奪？蓋日主太強，八字中比劫林立，而財官卒鮮，正賴食神，盜洩其精華，使之盡其所長，若見印綬以奪之，嗚呼可。猶人之年方少壯，正可抒發抱負，進取利名。若以微祿羈靡之，虛榮束縛之，豈非貽誤人耶？故《子平撮要》云：用之食神不可奪。

This section discusses the food god (食神). It begins with two quotes: "When the food god is used as the useful god, it must not be taken away" from "Ziping Cuo Yao" — meaning that when the food god is used as the useful god, it should not be taken away by the official star (印绶); "The food god most prefers the劫财 (robbery wealth) destiny" from "Guge" — meaning the food god is most favorable when encountering the劫财 destiny. Yuan Shushan explains: why is the food god not to be taken away when it is used as the useful god? This is said when the day master is too strong — in the four pillars, the same zodiac signs and the robbery wealth stars are numerous, while the wealth star and official star are very scarce. At this time, the food god is relied upon to steal and release the essence of the day master, allowing it to fully express its potential. If at this time the official star comes to take away the food god (the official star taking away the food god is called "reverse food" or "the hawk god taking away the food"), it would be bad. It is like a person in his youth and strength, who should express his ambitions and strive for success, yet being bound by a small salary and restricted by empty fame. Is that not a waste of his potential? Therefore, "Ziping Cuo Yao" says "When the food god is used as the useful god, it must not be taken away."

食神又何以最喜劫財？蓋日主太弱，八字中食神重重，而又有財無印，用財星而日主力量難勝，用食神而元氣更傷，不得已籍劫財、敗財之贊助。猶人之精神不足，時務太繁，必須得同心者輔佐之，乃可化難為易。故《古歌》云：食神最喜劫財鄉。

Why does the food god (食神) most favor the劫财 (robbery star)? This is discussed in the context of a weak day master (日主). In a birth chart, if there are many food gods and only wealth stars (财星) without the印绶 (mold star), one cannot use the wealth star because the day master is too weak to bear the burden (too much wealth for a weak body). Using the food god is also not advisable, as it would further drain the vitality. In such a case, one has to rely on the劫财 and败财 (loss stars) to assist. It is like a person with insufficient energy facing too many tasks; he must rely on others to help, making difficult things easy. Therefore, the ancient song says, "The food god most favors the劫财's native land." By reading this section together with the previous one, we can see Yuan Shushan's fixed method of discussing favorable and unfavorable factors: for the same heavenly stem, first discuss how to use it when the day master is too strong, then how to use it when the day master is too weak. By comparing the two, the scope of application of the ancient oral formulas becomes clear.

《古歌》云：傷官傷盡最為奇。又云：傷官見官禍百端。《子平撮要》云：傷官猶喜見財星。《玄機賦》云：傷官用印宜去財。《古歌》云：傷官不怕比劫逢。

This section discusses the concept of "Shangguan" (a type of heavenly stem in divination). It quotes five ancient sayings in succession, which seem to contradict each other at first glance. The "Ancient Song" says, "Shangguan must be fully expressed to be extraordinary" — meaning that Shangguan should be fully manifested to be remarkable. Another line from the same source says, "Shangguan meeting official stars brings hundred misfortunes" — implying that when Shangguan meets the official star, it brings many troubles. The "Ziping Cuyao" states, "Shangguan prefers to see the wealth star" — suggesting that Shangguan is favorable when the wealth star is present. The "Xuanji Fu" says, "When Shangguan uses the seal star, it is better to remove the wealth star" — indicating that when the seal star is used to control Shangguan, the wealth star should be eliminated. Another line from the "Ancient Song" says, "Shangguan does not fear meeting the same heavenly stem or the劫 star" — meaning that Shangguan is not afraid of encountering the same heavenly stem or the劫 star. These five lines together may confuse beginners. Yuan Shushan then explains the underlying premises for each statement. This section is the most logically structured part of the entire school, and readers are advised to study it carefully.

按：傷官何以傷盡為奇？蓋日主太強，八字比劫重逢，而財星太少，正賴傷官生財，以盡其妙。猶人之年少家貧，必須振刷精神，擴張事業，故《古歌》云：傷官傷盡最為奇。傷官又何以見官為禍？蓋日主太強，八字中比劫重逢，而傷官當道，若見正官，則傷官必奮起而箋害之。猶人之背理涉訟，恃強汙官，有不遭譴責者乎？故又云：傷官見官禍百端。

Yuan Shushan says: Why must the official be completely destroyed to be considered extraordinary? This is said when the day master is too strong - in the four pillars, there are many identical elements and very few wealth elements. The official is needed to generate wealth, so the official must be completely destroyed to fully utilize its function. It is like a poor person in his youth who must strive hard and expand his business to find a way out. Therefore, the ancient song says, "The most extraordinary is when the official is completely destroyed." Why does the presence of an official bring disaster when the official is present? It is also due to the day master being too strong - in the four pillars, there are many identical elements and the official is dominant. At this time, if the official appears, the official will certainly rise up to harm it. Just like a person who goes against reason to sue, relying on his strength to insult the authorities, how can he avoid being criticized? Therefore, it is also said, "When the official appears, disaster comes from all directions." Both sentences are based on the strong day master. One explains the use of the official, the other explains the disaster caused by the official, and they are not contradictory.

傷官又何以喜見財？蓋日主太強，八字中比劫重逢，而傷官、正官又同處戰爭地位，則必用財化解。猶人之忤官獲罪，施以罰金，則消患無形矣。故《子平撮要》云：傷官猶喜見財星。傷官用印何以宜去財？蓋日主太弱，八字中傷官疊出，正賴印綬生扶，始免傷官盜瀉之害。若見財星，則印綬破傷。猶人之體弱事繁，正值節勞靜養，服藥調攝之時，豈堪再冒險而謀利乎？

The reason why a wounded official (shāng guān) prefers to see wealth (cái xīng) is still because the day master is too strong. In a birth chart with many similar elements (bǐ jié), and the wounded official and the official (zhèng guān) are in a state of conflict, it is necessary to use the wealth star to resolve the situation: the wounded official generates wealth, and wealth generates the official, both sides benefit. It is like a person who has offended an official and is in trouble; by paying a fine, the trouble is resolved. Therefore, the book "Zi Ping Cuo Yao" says, "A wounded official prefers to see the wealth star." As for the statement "A wounded official using a seal (yìn) is suitable when wealth is removed," this refers to the other side where the day master is too weak. In such a case, the birth chart has many wounded officials, and the day master relies on the seal to generate and support it, to prevent the harm of the wounded official stealing its energy. If wealth appears at this time, wealth will overcome the seal, and the seal is destroyed, leaving the day master without support. It is like a weak person with many tasks; at a time when he should save energy and take medicine, how can he bear the risk of seeking profit? Therefore, in a pattern where the seal controls the wounded official, the wealth star must be removed.

蓋日主太弱，八字中傷官重逢，用傷官而元氣不經盜洩，用財煞，而身體不生摧殘，惟有取比肩、劫財、敗財為用，始免此患。猶人之精神萎靡，不能治事，必賴同氣者協助。故《古歌》云：傷官不怕比劫逢。

The last sentence "The official is not afraid of the rival and the thief" refers to a weak day master. In a birth chart with many officials, if the official is used as the key element, the original energy would be drained by the official; if the wealth star or seven evil stars are used instead, the body would not be able to withstand the damage. Only by taking the same zodiac or the thief of wealth to support the day master can these two dangers be avoided. It is like a person who is spiritless and unable to do things, who must rely on people of the same kind to help. Therefore, the ancient song says "The official is not afraid of the rival and the thief." The five sentences of the mnemonic are now fully explained: the first three sentences talk about a strong day master, and the last two talk about a weak day master. When the day master is strong, the official is used as the key element, and wealth is preferred while officials are disliked. When the day master is weak, the official is considered a problem, and the seal and same zodiac are preferred while wealth and evil stars are disliked. Yuan Shushan's method of "using the strength of the day master as the main principle and the suitability and inappropriateness of the key element as the details" is the most valuable method in this book.

《子平撮要》云：用之財星不可劫。《古歌》云：身強財旺皆為福，若帶官星更妙哉。又云：日主無根財太重，全憑印綬護身軀。《玄機賦》云：財旺者遇比何妨。子平云：日主無根，棄命從財。

This section discusses the wealth star, citing five ancient rules, which seem to contradict each other at first glance. The "Ziping Cuyao" states, "When the wealth star is used as the useful god, it must not be robbed by the rival stars." The "Ancient Song" says, "When the day master is strong and the wealth is abundant, it brings good fortune; if it is accompanied by the official star, it is even better." It also says, "If the day master has no root and the wealth is too strong, it must rely on the seal star to protect the body." The "Xuanji Fu" states, "When the wealth is strong, encountering the same kind of star is not a problem." The method of Ziping also says, "If the day master has no root, it is better to abandon the self and follow the wealth." Sometimes it says the wealth must not be robbed, and sometimes it says encountering the same kind is not a problem. Readers must refer to the following explanation to understand the different premises behind each statement.

按：財星何以不可奪？蓋日主太強，八字財星不多，官煞罕見，正賴財星為用，若見比劫，則財星破矣。猶人之家貧人眾，全賴此少數儲金，為生活之資本，豈堪再經盜瀉。故《子平撮要》云：用之為財不可劫。財旺身強，又何以帶官星妙？蓋日主太強，八字中比劫雖多，而財星頗旺，身強用財，固是美事，再帶官星，以去比劫，妙不可言。猶人之身強家富，固以愉快，若再納粟奏名，顯榮鄉里，其樂又何如耶。故《古歌》云：身強財旺皆為福，若帶官星更妙哉。

Yuan Shushan says: Why is the wealth star not allowed to be robbed? That is when the day master is too strong and the wealth star is scarce - in the four pillars, the wealth star is originally not abundant, and the official stars are rarely seen, so we rely on this small amount of wealth star as the useful god; if there are siblings or劫财 to divide and take away, the wealth star will be destroyed. It is like a poor family with many people, relying on a little savings as the capital for living, how can it bear to be stolen again. Therefore, the book "Ziping Cuo Yao" says "the useful wealth star must not be robbed." When the wealth is strong and the day master is strong, why is it good to have the official star? That is also when the day master is too strong - in the four pillars, there are many siblings and劫财, but the wealth star is strong, having a strong body and using wealth is a good thing; if there is also an official star to control the siblings and劫财, protecting the wealth star, it is wonderful beyond measure. It is like a person with a strong body and a wealthy family, already happy, if he also gets an official title and becomes famous in his hometown, how much more joyful would that be. Therefore, the ancient song says "when the body is strong and the wealth is abundant, it is a blessing; if there is also an official star, it is even better."

財太重，又何以全憑印綬？蓋日主太弱，八字中財星疊見，比劫不逢，必須印綬護持之，乃免財多身弱之患。猶人之資財富足，而無自治能力，必賴椿萱庇廕，始無失散之虞。故《古歌》云：日主無根財太旺，全憑印綬護身軀。財旺又何以遇比劫無妨？蓋日主太弱，八字中財星疊見，印綬無權，必須比劫盜助之，乃得眾擎易舉之效。猶人之財產豐盈，不遑兼顧，須選會計為之管理也。故《玄機賦》云：財旺者遇比何妨。

When the wealth element is too strong, it is still necessary to rely on the official star because the day stem is too weak. In a birth chart, if the wealth element appears repeatedly and there are no siblings or close relatives to support the day stem, the official star must be present to protect the day stem, thus avoiding the problem of "wealth abundance but weak self." Just like a person who has abundant wealth but lacks the ability to manage it, he must rely on his parents' protection to prevent the family fortune from being ruined. Therefore, the ancient song says, "When the day stem has no root and wealth is too strong, it entirely depends on the official star to protect the body." When wealth is strong, why is it not harmful to encounter siblings? It is also because the day stem is too weak. In a birth chart, if the wealth element appears repeatedly but the official star is not strong, there is no official star to use, so it is necessary to rely on siblings to help, thus achieving the effect of collective effort. Just like a person with abundant wealth but unable to manage it, he must hire an accountant to manage it. Therefore, the "Xuanji Fu" says, "When wealth is strong, encountering siblings is not harmful." It is clear that "wealth should not be robbed" and "encountering siblings is not harmful" refer to one situation where the self is strong and another where the self is weak, and they do not conflict with each other.

日主無根，又何以棄命從財？蓋日主太弱，八字中財疊見，欲籍印綬護持，而印綬闕如。欲籍比劫資助，而比劫亦闕如，無已，惟有棄命從財，反取財為用神。猶人之家貧親逝，既無昆仲，又無奧授，只有舍丈夫之特性，作贅婿之新郎，庶可免淒涼之苦，而得家室之歡。故子平云：日主無根，棄命從財。

The last sentence, "The day master has no root, and thus abandons the destiny to follow wealth," refers to a situation where the day master is extremely weak. In the four pillars, the wealth star appears repeatedly, but there is no support from the intelligence star to protect it, nor any help from the same kind of heavenly stem to strengthen it. In such a helpless situation, one can only give up the self and submit to the wealth force, taking the wealth star as the useful god. This is called the "wealth following" pattern. Yuan Shushan still uses human affairs as an analogy: it is like a person whose family is poor and whose parents have died, with no brothers or other support, so he has to abandon the nature of a man who should be self-reliant and become a son-in-law, thus avoiding hardship and gaining the happiness of a family. Therefore, the method of Zi Ping says, "The day master has no root, and thus abandons the destiny to follow wealth." The key is that this "no root" must be complete—there must be no trace of the same kind of heavenly stem or the intelligence star in the four pillars. If there is even a little root, then the pattern cannot be considered as following wealth, but rather becomes a broken pattern called "too much wealth and weak day master." This is the dividing line between the "following" pattern and the non-"following" pattern.

《子平撮要》云：用之正官不可傷。又云：官輕見財為福利。《繼善篇》云：有官有印，無破作廟廊之材。《玄機賦》云：重犯官星，只宜制伏。

This section discusses the proper official (zhang guan), citing four lines of mnemonic verse: The "Zi Ping Cuo Yao" states "The useful god's proper official should not be harmed" — when the proper official is used as the useful god, it should not be harmed by the harmful official; it also says "A light official star with the wealth star is beneficial" — when the official star is weak, encountering the wealth star brings good fortune; the "Ji Shan Pian" says "With both official and seal stars, without damage, one becomes a material for the hall and court" — when both official and seal stars are present without being damaged, one can become a pillar of the state ("temple hall" refers to the court hall); the "Xuan Ji Fu" says "When the official star is repeated, it is only suitable to control it" — when the official star appears multiple times, it is better to control it. The first three lines all treat the official star as something good to protect, while the last line suggests controlling it, which seems contradictory. Typically, the first two lines are based on a strong body, while the last two are based on a weak body. Yuan Shushan then explains each line in detail below.

按：用之官星，何以不可傷？蓋日主太強，八字中比劫甚重，財星不多，正賴官星以制比劫，使之不敢奪財，若見傷官以傷之，則官星失其效力，而比劫猖狂矣。猶人家道饒餘，全憑法律保護，若世亂官箋，則盜賊橫行，身家不保，其害可勝言哉。故《子平撮要》云：用之正官不可傷。

Yuan Shushan says: When the official star is used as the useful god, why can't it be harmed? That is said when the day master is too strong -- in the four pillars, the ratio and劫 are very heavy while the wealth star is not much, and the official star is needed to control the ratio and劫 so they dare not take away the wealth; if the harmful official star comes to harm and control the official star, the official star loses its effectiveness, and the ratio and劫 become rampant. It is like a wealthy family that relies on the law to protect itself; if the world becomes chaotic and the government becomes ineffective (the original text says "official笺" which should be "official残" or "official弛" type of characters), thieves run rampant, and one's property and safety can no longer be protected, the harm is incalculable. Therefore, "Zi Ping Cuo Yao" says "the official star used as the useful god must not be harmed." Here one must understand the cause and effect: the official star is not directly protecting the day master, but protecting the wealth star and controlling the ratio and劫, so when the official star is harmed, the one who suffers is the wealth star.

官星輕又何以見財為福？蓋日主太強，八字中比劫重，官星輕，但憑無力之官星，不能制有氣之比劫，必須籍財生官，而官星始有效力。猶人之因爭而訟，既具充足理由，又占富裕地位，則長官必格外垂青，而速行判直也。故《子平撮要》云：官輕見財為福利。

When the official star is weak, why is it considered a blessing to see wealth? Similarly, when the day master is too strong, in the four pillars the same zhi and jie are heavy while the official star is weak. A single weak official star is unable to control the active same zhi and jie. Therefore, it is necessary to use the wealth star to generate the official star, so that the official star can have effect. (The generation of official star by wealth star is the normal principle of the ten heavenly stems' mutual generation and restriction.) Yuan Shushan still uses human affairs as an analogy: for example, if a person is involved in a dispute and has sufficient reasons and is in a wealthy position, the superior will naturally pay more attention and quickly give a fair judgment. Therefore, the book "Ziping Cuyao" says, "A weak official star with the presence of wealth is a blessing." When this point is viewed together with the previous one, it forms the two main requirements for the pattern of using the official star when the day master is strong: the official star should not be harmed, and when the official star is weak, wealth should be used to generate the official star.

有官又何以要有印？蓋日主太弱，八字中官星頗旺，比劫甚少，必須印綬生扶，而官星始我為福。猶人之既得功名，又受權印，即可建功立業，利國福民。否則不過一閒曹，豈能更圖遠大哉。故《繼善篇》云：有官有印，無破作廟廊之材。重犯官星，又何以只宜制伏？蓋日主太弱，八字中官星疊見，印綬不逢，有可無生，不得已籍傷官以傷之，庶不致摧殘淨盡。猶人之勢孤涉訟，屢遭撲責，必得強有力者，為之據理抗爭，乃可轉危為安。故《玄機賦》云：重犯官星，只宜制伏。

Why do we need an official position and also a seal? This relates to the aspect where the day's main element is too weak — in the four pillars, the official star is very strong but the similar or competitive elements are few, and the day's main element cannot bear the pressure, so it is necessary to have the seal to generate and support it (the seal can transform the official star and generate the day's main element). Only then can the official star become a blessing for me. For example, if a person has both official position and authority, he can achieve great accomplishments and benefit the country and the people; otherwise, he is just an idle official, how can he talk about great achievements? Therefore, the "Ji Shan Chapter" says, "Having both official and seal, without destruction, one becomes a great talent for the hall and corridor." As for why, when the official star appears repeatedly, it is only suitable to control and subdue it? It is also because the day's main element is too weak — in the four pillars, the official star appears repeatedly, and there is no seal to transform it, so although the official star is numerous, it cannot be transformed into the day's main element (the original text says "there is no one to generate" but it should be "there is official star without generation"), so we have no choice but to use the injurious star to injure and subdue it, so as not to completely destroy the day's main element. Just like a person who is isolated and involved in litigation, repeatedly punished, must have a strong person to argue on his behalf, so as to turn danger into safety. Therefore, the "Xuan Ji Fu" says, "When the official star appears repeatedly, it is only suitable to control and subdue it."

《繼善篇》云：身強煞淺，假煞為權。經云：煞輕者喜財生之。《玄機賦》云：煞重身輕，制鄉有益。又云：身弱有印，煞旺無妨。子平云：日主無根，棄命從煞。

This section discusses the seven harmful stars (seven煞). It cites five lines of mnemonic verse: The "Ji Shan Pan" says, "When the self is strong and the seven harmful star is weak, use the seven harmful star as authority" — when the self is strong and the seven harmful star is weak, one can use the seven harmful star as a means of power; an ancient text says, "When the seven harmful star is weak, it is favorable to have the wealth star to generate it" — when the seven harmful star is weak, it is good to have the wealth star to nourish it; the "Xuan Ji Fu" says, "When the seven harmful star is strong and the self is weak, going to a place that controls the seven harmful star is beneficial" — when the seven harmful star is strong and the self is weak, traveling to a place that controls the seven harmful star is helpful; it also says, "When the self is weak but there is the seal star, the strong seven harmful star is not a problem" — if the self is weak but there is the seal star, even a strong seven harmful star is not harmful; the method of Zi Ping says, "When the day master has no root, abandon the destiny and follow the seven harmful star" — when the day master has no root, one should completely submit to the seven harmful star. The seven harmful star is the most凶 of the ten heavenly stems, but among these five lines, two use it, three control or transform it, and the difference lies in the strength of the day master.

按：身強煞淺，何以假煞為權？蓋日主太強，八字中比劫多，財星少，官星晦，正賴七煞補官星之不逮，以制比劫，使之不敢覬覦財星。猶人之財產豐富，既少長官法律之保護，必須聯合鄉黨之強有力者，為之屏障，此即古人自治之義。故《繼善篇》云：身強煞淺，假煞為權。

Yuan Shushan said: Why does a strong day stem with a weak malevolent force need to borrow the seven malevolent forces as authority? This is talking about a situation where the day stem is too strong - in the four pillars, there are many same elements and few wealth elements, while the official star is obscured and weak. In such a case, the seven malevolent forces are needed to make up for the deficiency of the official star, to control the same elements and prevent them from coveting the wealth elements. It is like a person with abundant property who lacks the protection of the government and laws, and thus must rely on strong people in the local community to serve as a barrier. This is exactly the meaning of the ancient concept of self-governance by the local community. Therefore, the "Ji Shan Chapter" says, "When the body is strong and the malevolent force is weak, one must use the malevolent force as authority." Please note that the role of the seven malevolent forces here is the same as that of the official star in the previous section - both are used to control the same elements and protect the wealth elements. The difference lies only in that the official star represents the government and its laws, while the seven malevolent forces represent the strong local figures, one being proper and the other being biased.

煞輕何以喜財生者？蓋日主太強，八字中比劫重，七煞輕，若籍七煞以制比劫，而七煞畏難思退，必須財星生之，乃有效力。猶人之僻居鄉里，因事相爭，每籍鄉里之強有力者，為之排難解紛。然若無隆情酬報，彼亦豈能為我直耶。故經云：煞輕者喜財生之。煞重身輕，又何以制鄉有義？蓋日主太弱，八字中七煞多，比劫少，既無比劫奪財，何須七煞箋身，必賴食神傷官以制之，乃可自存。猶人之家資頗富，並無親族貧乏者與之為難，彼亦何苦受權豪之剝削，是必施其智謀以抵抗之，始可安樂。故《玄機賦》云：煞重身輕，制鄉有益。

Seven evils (seven煞) are light, so they like to have wealth to generate them. The reason is still that the day master is too strong. In the four pillars, the same kind of elements (like the day master) are heavy, while the seven evils are light. The person wants to use the seven evils to control the same kind of elements, but the seven evils themselves are weak and timid, so they need wealth to generate them in order to be effective. It is like a person living in a remote village, who has a dispute with others. He often needs a strong local person to mediate. However, if there is no generous reward, how can others be willing to help? (The "rewarding affection" refers to offering rich gifts, which is the meaning of wealth generating the seven evils.) Therefore, the ancient texts say, "When the seven evils are light, they like to be generated by wealth." As for when the seven evils are heavy and the day master is weak, why is it beneficial to go through a path that controls the seven evils? That is because the day master is too weak. In the four pillars, the seven evils are numerous, while the same kind of elements are few. Since there are no same kind of elements to take away the wealth, there is no need for the seven evils to harm the day master. At this time, the person must rely on the food god and the injurious star to control the seven evils, so that the day master can survive. It is like a person who has a considerable fortune and no poor relatives to trouble him. Why would he suffer from the exploitation of powerful people? Naturally, he needs to use his wisdom to resist, in order to enjoy peace and comfort. Therefore, the "Xuanji Fu" says, "When the seven evils are heavy and the day master is weak, controlling the seven evils is beneficial."

身弱有印，又何以煞旺無妨？蓋日主太弱，八字中七煞雖旺，得印綬生身，仍無他害。猶人之知識淺薄，家資富裕，小人逼處，似屬危險。然得椿萱庇廕，仍可暇豫無傷。故《玄機賦》云：身弱有印，煞旺無妨。日主無根又何以棄命從煞？蓋日主太弱，八字中七煞林立，既無印綬護身，比劫相勢，又無傷食制煞，獨立無援，不得已棄命從煞，反取七煞為用神。猶人之孤身遠行，途遇盜賊，惟有俯首貼耳，聽其搜索，乃可保生命而步康莊，若稍示違抗，能無殺身之禍耶。故子平云：日主無根，棄命從煞。

When the day master is weak but has a wealth god, why is it not harmful even if the seven evils are strong? Because although the day master is weak, if the seven evils are strong in the four pillars, as long as there is a wealth god to transform the evils into life qi (the evils generate the wealth god, and the wealth god generates the day master, turning harmful qi into life qi), there will be no other harm. It is like a person with shallow knowledge but rich resources, surrounded by small people who are threatening, which seems dangerous; however, with the protection of parents, he can still remain safe and unharmed. Therefore, the "Xuan Ji Fu" says, "When the day master is weak but has a wealth god, strong evils are not harmful." As for "the day master has no root, and abandons the self to follow the evils," this refers to a situation where the day master is extremely weak—there are many seven evils in the four pillars, no wealth god to protect, no similar elements to support, and no food god or official star to control the evils. Being isolated and helpless, one is forced to abandon the self and follow the evils, taking the seven evils as the useful god. This is called the "following evils pattern." It is like a person traveling alone who meets bandits on the way; he can only bow his head and submit, allowing them to search, in order to preserve his life and proceed on the right path. If he shows any resistance, he might not escape death. Therefore, the method of Zi Ping says, "When the day master has no root, he abandons the self to follow the evils." The conditions for the patterns of following wealth and following evils are the same—only when there is no root can one speak of following.

《玄機賦》云：印多者形財而發。《子平撮要》云：用之印綬不可破

This section discusses the concept of印绶, citing only two sentences: The "Xuanji Fu" states "Those with many印s should go through wealth to achieve success" — meaning that people with many印s will achieve success when they encounter wealth (the original text mistakenly says "form wealth" instead of "go through wealth"). The "Ziping Cuyao" says "The印s used as the useful god should not be destroyed" — when印s are used as the useful god, they should not be destroyed by the wealth star. One sentence suggests using wealth to break印s, while the other emphasizes protecting印s and not allowing wealth to destroy them, forming a direct contrast. According to the general practice of this school, the first sentence is about a day master that is too strong, and the second is about a day master that is too weak. Yuan Shushan's commentary below clearly distinguishes these two cases and concludes with a summary of the entire school's approach at the end.

按：印多何以行財運而發？蓋日主太強，八字中印綬多，比劫眾，必賴財星破印，始免滿損之虞。猶人之年富力強，衣食豐足，必須發奮經營，多方勞動，而身體始可康寧。若但飽食終日，無所事事，則疾病相侵矣。故《玄機賦》云：印多者喜行財地。用之印綬，又何以不可破？蓋日主太弱，八字中官煞重，比劫輕，正賴印綬生扶，始免摧殘之害。猶人之家富身衰，只宜息肩養性，不可爭利好名。若不知此而妄為，未有不因勞致疾者。故《子平撮要》云：用之印綬不可破。

Yuan Shushan says: Why does one achieve wealth when there are many印绶 in the birth chart? That is when the day master is too strong. In the birth chart, if there are many印绶 and many比劫, the day master is already very strong. Therefore, it is necessary to use财星 to break the印绶, to avoid the danger of "excess leads to loss". It is like a person who is young and strong, with abundant food and clothing. He must work hard and labor in many ways to maintain his health. If he just eats a lot and does nothing, illness will come. Therefore, the "Xuan Ji Fu" says, "Those with many印绶 should favor a wealth environment." But why is it not good to break印绶 when印绶 is the useful god? That is when the day master is too weak. In the birth chart, if there are many官煞 and few比劫, the day master relies on印绶 to generate and support itself, to avoid being harmed by官煞. If财星 comes to break印绶, the day master will lose its support. It is like a person who is wealthy but weak in health. He should only remove heavy burdens and rest, not pursue fame and fortune. If he does not understand this and acts recklessly, he will surely suffer from illness due to overwork. Therefore, the "Zi Ping Cuo Yao" says, "When印绶 is the useful god, it should not be broken."

以上所釋，皆以日主強弱為綱，用神宜忌為目，凡先賢定名取用之義，皆以淺說申明之，非敢謂為盡是，要以不出先賢人情物理，寓勸於懲之意。至於次序先後，與古人略異者，蓋古人以吉凶名詞分先後，茲以十干生克次序分先後，故一曰比劫，二曰食傷，三曰財星，四曰官煞，五曰印綬。猶人之先有身體，後有學術，再後有財產，有財產而後籍長官保護，權印設施，乃可治安。此理勢之自然，斷非人力私智之所能造作也。沈孝瞻曰：財與印不分偏正，同為一格論，故此篇偏財、偏印不另贅述。

This is a summary of the "Suitable and Inappropriate" section. Yuan Shushan said: The above explanations are all based on the strength and weakness of the day's stem as the main framework, and the suitability and inappropriateness of the useful god as the details. All the meanings established by previous scholars in naming and selecting the useful god are explained in simple language, without claiming to be entirely correct, but only seeking not to exceed the human nature and physical principles of the predecessors, as well as the intention of admonishing through punishment. As for the order of arrangement in this section, it is slightly different from that of the ancients: the ancients divided them according to the order of auspicious and inauspicious deities, placing wealth, official positions, seals, and food and drink first, and evils, injuries, scavengers, and blades later. Here, however, they are arranged according to the order of the ten heavenly stems' generation and overcoming. Therefore, the first is the same zhi, the second is food and drink, the third is wealth, the fourth is official positions and evils, and the fifth is the seal. This order is like a person first having a body, then having knowledge and skills, then having property, and only after having property does one need the protection of superiors and the assistance of authority to achieve stability. This is the natural order of things, and certainly not something that a person can fabricate with private wisdom. Finally, Shen Xiaozhan's words are cited to explain a certain convention: wealth and the seal are not distinguished between biased and balanced, and are treated in the same category, so this section does not repeat the discussion on biased wealth and biased seals.

何以為之病？原八字中原有所害之神也。何以為之藥？如八字有所害之字，而得一字而去之之謂也。如朱子所謂各因其病而藥之也。故書云：有病方為貴，無傷不是奇，格中如去病，財祿兩相隨。命書萬卷此四句為之括要。

From here we enter the section on "Useful God" or "Yongshen." The first chapter discusses "Disease and Medicine," which is the hallmark theory of Zhang Shenfeng's "Shenfeng's Comprehensive Examination" from the Ming Dynasty. What is "Disease"? It refers to the harmful deity already present in the four pillars. What is "Medicine"? It refers to a character in the four pillars that both causes harm and can be removed by another character; this latter character is the medicine. As Zhu Xi said, "Administer medicine according to the disease." Therefore, the fortune books say: "Only when there is a disease is it valuable; without harm, it is not extraordinary. If the disease can be removed within the pattern, wealth and official rank will follow." Among countless fortune books, these four lines summarize the essential principles. The key point of this section is that the "Useful God" is not merely a general "favorable deity," but specifically the medicine used to treat the disease in the four pillars.

蓋人之造化雖貴中和，若一一於中和則安得探其消息，而論其休咎也？若今之至富至貴之人，必先勞其筋骨，餓其體，空乏其身，然後動心忍性，增益其所不能，人命之妙其猶此乎。愚嘗先來喑病藥之說，屢以中和以究人之造化，十無一二有驗，又以財官為論，亦具無歸趣。後始得悟病藥之旨，再以財官中和參看，則嘗失八九，而得其造化所以然之妙矣！

Zhang Shenfeng continued to explain the origin of this theory. Although the transformation of human destiny is indeed valuable in being balanced and harmonious, if everything is exactly balanced and harmonious, where would we find clues to investigate and judge auspicious or inauspicious signs? Looking at those who are extremely wealthy and powerful today, they must first labor their muscles and bones, suffer hunger and physical hardship, and face poverty and adversity, only then can their hearts be stirred, their character become resilient, and their originally lacking abilities be enhanced (this is the meaning of the passage from Mencius, Gaozi Xia). The subtlety of human destiny is probably similar. He described his own insights: I used not to understand the principle of remedies and diseases, and often used the concept of balance and harmony to investigate human destiny, but out of ten times, not even once or twice were accurate. I also tried to analyze using the patterns of wealth and official positions, but found no clear direction. Later, I finally understood the principle of remedies and diseases, and then compared it with the patterns of wealth and official positions and the concept of balance and harmony, and found that most of the time it was accurate (the original text "cháng shī bājiǔ" should be interpreted as "cháng dé bājiǔ"), thus grasping the subtle essence of destiny. This self-reflection of the master clearly shows that the theory of remedies and diseases arises from numerous failed practical observations.

何以言之，假如人八字中四柱純土，水日干，則為煞重身輕；如金日干，土厚埋金；火日干，則晦火無光；水日干，則為財多身弱；土日干，則為比肩太重。是則土為諸格之病，具喜木為醫藥，以去其病也，如用財見比肩為病，喜官煞為藥也；如用食神傷官，以印為病，喜財為藥也；或本身病重而藥少，或本身病輕而藥重，又宜行運以取其中和也。

Zhang Shenfeng gives examples of how to identify the sickness and how to prescribe remedies. Suppose someone's four pillars of destiny are entirely made up of earth. If the day stem is water, it becomes a heavy affliction with a weak body; if the day stem is metal, it becomes thick earth burying metal; if the day stem is fire, it becomes obscured fire with no light; if the day stem is wood, it becomes excessive wealth with a weak body (the original text repeats 'water day stem', but according to the meaning, it should be 'wood day stem'); if the day stem is earth, it becomes excessive same-king. In this way, earth becomes the common sickness in all these patterns, and they all prefer to use wood as the remedy to remove this sickness. The rest can be similarly inferred: if wealth star is used as the beneficial element but is opposed by same-king, same-king becomes the sickness, and official star or affliction star is preferred as the remedy (official or affliction star controls same-king); if food god or injurer is used as the beneficial element but is opposed by scholar-official, scholar-official becomes the sickness, and wealth star is preferred as the remedy (wealth can break scholar-official). Sometimes the sickness is heavy but the remedy is scarce, sometimes the sickness is light but the remedy is excessive. In such cases, one needs to rely on the fortune of the big years to adjust, seeking balance. It is clear that 'sickness' is the element that harms the beneficial element, 'remedy' is the element that removes the sickness, and the big year is the hand that adjusts the amount of the remedy.

若病重而得藥大富大貴之人也，病輕而得藥略富略貴之人也，無病而無藥不富不貴之人也。究人之命，將何以探其玄妙？如八字中先看了日干，次看了月令，且如月令中支中所屬是火，先看月令中次一火字起，又看年上或有火，又看月時上或有火，且雖指點次火，做一處看，或為病，或非病，又或地支雖又藏有別物，且不必看，若再看別物，則泥雜不明。故曰從重者論，此理是看命下手處。

Zhang Shenfeng then explains the distinction between high and low and the order of operations. Those who are seriously ill but just happen to get the right medicine are great wealthy and noble people; those who are slightly ill but get the medicine are somewhat wealthy and noble; and those who are neither ill nor have the medicine, living a plain and ordinary life, are neither wealthy nor noble. So, when investigating a person's destiny, where should one start to explore its subtleties? Once the four pillars are obtained, one should first look at the day stem, then the month stem. For example, if the month stem's branch belongs to fire, one should first examine the fire in the month stem, then check the year pillar for fire, then the month stem and the hour pillar for fire, pointing out all these fire elements and examining them together to determine whether they are a disease or not. As for the hidden elements in the earth branches, they can be temporarily ignored; if one looks at them all at once, it will become confused and complicated. Therefore, it is said, "Focus on the heavier one"—only pay attention to the most significant aspect. This is where one should start when examining a destiny. This passage is extremely practical: it teaches people to first grasp the main contradiction and not to be confused by all the branches and hidden elements at the beginning.

若以火論，又再看水，看金，看土，則不知命理之要也。若財官印綬有病，即要醫其財官印綬也。如身主有病，就要醫身主也，如八字純然不旺不弱，原財官印綬具無損傷，日干氣又得中和，並無起發可觀，此是平擦常人也。然病藥之說，此是第一家緊要，售斯術者不可不精察也。

Zhang Shenfeng emphasized that if one has already determined that fire is the main element, yet looks at water, metal, and earth as well, considering everything, then one does not understand the essentials of divination. If the problem lies in wealth, official position, or the official seal, one should treat those elements; if the problem lies in the day stem itself, one should treat the day stem itself. If the八字 is average, neither strong nor weak, and the wealth, official position, and official seal are not damaged at all, and the energy of the day stem is exactly balanced, then there is nothing remarkable to see, and this is just an ordinary person. However, the concept of disease and medicine is the most important method in divination. Those who rely on this skill for a living must carefully examine it. The ending of this passage states clearly that "without disease and without medicine, one is an ordinary person," which is the greatest difference between the disease and medicine theory and the school that emphasizes "harmony."

按：病藥之說，乃張神峰所創造，然實從子平所云，有病方為貴，無傷不是奇，太過宜剝削，不及宜生扶，之數語推演而得，誠論用神之入手法也。

Yuan Shushan remarked: The concept of "disease and medicine" was first proposed by Zhang Shenfeng, but in reality it was derived from the old Zi Ping theory's saying "only when there is a disease is it valuable, without injury it is not extraordinary; if excessive, it should be restrained; if insufficient, it should be supported." This indeed refers to the method of using the "useful god." This remark explains the origin and status of the "disease and medicine" theory: it is not a separate school of thought, but rather a more specific elaboration of the original Zi Ping idea that "if excessive, it should be restrained; if insufficient, it should be supported." First, identify the character that harms the pattern (the disease), then find the character that can remove it (the medicine), and the useful god is found in the medicine. Yuan Shushan ranked it as the first article under the section of "useful god" because it is most accessible for beginners.