Distinguish the four major water outlets

夫四大水口有至理存焉，楊公書中未嘗發露，惟希夷先生闢闔水法，倡明八卦之理，而四大水口之義寓於其中。此乃黃石公《三字青囊》所固有，楊公特秘而不宣，即希夷引而不發也。

Among the four great water mouths, there is a very subtle principle, which Yang Yunsong did not explicitly mention in his writings. Only Chen Xiyi discussed the "Opening and Closing Water Method," clarifying the principles of the Eight Trigrams. The meaning of the four great water mouths is contained within this. This was originally present in Huangshi Gong's "Three-Character QianNang," but Yang Yunsong deliberately kept it secret, and Chen Xiyi only hinted at it without fully revealing it.

今人不知天元八卦之妙用，妄以凡庸淺見測之，遂以為辰戌丑未為五行墓庫之方，輒以三合雙山附會曰：乙丙交而趨戌、辛壬會而聚辰、斗牛納丁庚之氣、金羊收甲癸之靈。鳴呼，謬矣。

Modern people do not understand the subtle applications of the Heavenly Stem and the Eight Trigrams. They use shallow and vulgar knowledge to speculate, and thus mistakenly believe that the directions of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are the locations of the Five Phases' Storage. They often resort to Triple Harmony and dual mountains to interpret, saying "Yi and Bing converge towards Xu, Xin and Ren gather towards Chen, the constellation Dou and Niu absorb the energy of Ding and Geng, and the constellation Jin Yang collects the power of Jia and Gui" (Dou and Niu refer to Chou, Jin Yang refers to Wei). Alas, this is entirely wrong!

以三合五行起長生墓庫之非，即龍上五行左旋為陽，右旋為陰而同歸一庫，穿鑿不通之論，前篇皆已辨之。獨此四大水口原屬卦氣之妙用，《青囊》之正訣，而亦為此輩牽合舛錯而亂真，余每開卷至此，不勝握腕，故又特舉而言之。

The absurdity of using the Triple Harmony and the Five Phases to determine the Growth and Storage, as well as the false reasoning of dividing the Dragon into the Five Phases, counting clockwise as Yang and counter-clockwise as Yin, and finally converging at the same Storage, has already been clarified in previous discussions. The four main water channels originally belong to the subtle application of hexagram qi and the correct method of the Qingnang Classic, but now they are wrongly combined and confused, with falsehoods passing for truth. Every time I read this part of the book, I can't help but feel regret and sigh, so I specially bring it up again to explain it.

夫圖南先生八大局皆從《洛書》八卦中來，一卦有一卦之水口。舉四隅之卦而言，則有四；若舉四正之卦而言，其實有八。然括其要旨，即一水口而諸卦之理已具。學者苟明乎此，山河大地，佈滿黃金矣。特以天心所秘，非人勿傳，故不敢筆之於書，聊因俗本，微露一端，任有夙慧者私心自悟。

Chen Tuan, whose courtesy name was Tunan, established the eight major sectors based on the Eight Trigrams of the Luo Book. Each trigram has its own water mouth. If we consider only the four corner trigrams,乾, 坤, 艮, and 巽, there are only four. But when we include the four central trigrams, 坎, 离, 震, and 兑, there are actually eight in total. However, the essential principle is that if one understands a single water mouth, the principles of all the trigrams are fully encompassed. If scholars can comprehend this, they will see gold everywhere in the mountains, rivers, and lands. Yet, since this is a secret of heaven's heart and can only be passed down to the right person, it is not written clearly in books. Therefore, this text only slightly reveals the idea, allowing those with innate wisdom to understand it intuitively.

若以為陽艮龍丙火，交於乙，墓於戌；陰亥龍乙木，交於丙，亦墓於戌，以為天根明窟，雌雄交媾，玄竅相通，種種痴人說夢，總因誤認諸家五行，不知卦氣之理，以訛傳訛，盲修瞎煉。

As for saying that the yang Gen dragon belongs to Bing fire, meeting at Yi and dying in Xu; the yin Hai dragon belongs to Yi wood, meeting at Bing and dying in Xu, this is called 'tian gen ming ku' (i.e., 'tian gen yue ku'), 'ci xiong jiao gou', 'xuan qiao xiang tong'—all of these are mere dreams of fools. In the end, it is due to wrongly recognizing the directions and the five phases of each school, not understanding the principle of hexagram qi, spreading errors, and blindly practicing and refining.

吾遍觀古來帝王陵寢，以及公卿名墓，何曾有合此四語者。若用此四語擇得合格之地，總與地理真機無涉，其為敗絕，亦猶是也。所謂勞而無功，聞餘言者，不識能惕然有動於中否。

I have examined the tombs of ancient emperors and the graves of high officials and distinguished families, and never have I found a single one that meets these four lines of verse. Even if one were to select a site according to these four lines and call it "qualified," it would have nothing to do with the true principles of geomancy. It would still result in the family's decline and extinction. This is truly a case of laboring in vain. Those who hear my words, I wonder if they will be startled in their hearts and moved by them.

天地之道，不過一陰陽交媾而已。天地有一大交媾，萬物各有一交媾，變變化化，施之無窮，論其微妙，莫可端倪而實有其端倪。故曰玄牝之門，是為天地根。地理之道，若確見雌雄交媾之處，則千卷《青囊》皆可付之祖龍。斯理甚秘，而實在眼前，若一指明，觸目可睹。然斷不在五行生旺墓上討消息也。

The way of Heaven and Earth, in the end, is nothing but a "yin and yang union." Heaven and Earth have a great union, and all things also have their own unions, constantly changing and acting without end. When speaking of its subtle aspects, it seems as if we cannot grasp its beginning or end, yet in reality there is indeed a beginning to be found. Therefore, the "Book of Dao" says, "The gate of the dark and the female is called the root of Heaven and Earth." If geomancy truly can accurately identify the place of the union between yin and yang, then thousands of volumes of the "Qingang" can be burned (the phrase "pay to the ancestor dragon" refers to the historical event of Emperor Qin Shi Huang burning books). This principle is extremely secret, yet it is actually right before our eyes. Once clearly pointed out, it is everywhere to be seen. However, it is certainly not found in the aspects of the Five Phases' generation, prosperity, and burial.

《玉尺》乃曰：有乙辛丁癸之婦，配甲庚丙壬之夫。又曰：陰遇陽而非其類，號曰陽差；陽見陰而非其偶，名曰陰錯。乃取必於乙丙之墓戌；辛壬之墓辰；丁庚之墓丑；癸甲之墓未，此真三家村學究之見也。

The Jade Measure Classic says: "There are these four yin stems, namely Yi, Xin, Ding, and Gui, which act as wives, and they pair with these four yang stems, namely Jia, Geng, Bing, and Ren, which act as husbands." It also says: "When yin meets yang but is not of the same kind, it is called 'yang difference'; when yang meets yin but is not its proper match, it is called 'yin error.'" Therefore, one must necessarily take Yi and Bing, which share the same burial ground at Xu, Xin and Ren, which share the same burial ground at Chen, Ding and Geng, which share the same burial ground at Chou, and Gui and Jia, which share the same burial ground at Wei. This is truly the understanding of a village schoolmaster.

夫陰陽交媾自然而然，不由勉強，亦活潑地不拘一方，豈可以方位板格死煞排算乎。即以天地之交媾者言，天氣一降，地氣一升，而雨澤斯沛矣，子能預定天地之交於何方，合於何日乎？更以男女之交媾者言，陽精外施，陰血內抱而胎元斯孕矣，子能預擬胎孕之何法而成，何時而結乎。

In fact, the union of yin and yang is a natural occurrence, something that cannot be forced in the slightest. Moreover, it is lively and spontaneous, not fixed to any particular side. How can one rigidly and mechanically calculate the twenty-four directions? Take the union of heaven and earth as an example: when the heavenly energy descends and the earthly energy ascends, the two energies meet, and rain falls abundantly. Can you prearrange in which direction heaven and earth meet or on which day they unite? Take the union of man and woman as another example: when the yang essence is given externally and the yin blood is embraced internally, the fetal origin is formed. Can you prearrange the method to be used for this pregnancy or the specific time when it should be formed? Clearly, the moment of union depends entirely on natural response, not on the fixed arrangement of directions.

知天地男女之不可以矯楺造作，則知地理之所謂天根月窟，亦猶是矣。此唯楊公《都天寶照》言之鑿鑿，不啻金針暗度，而因辨《玉尺》之謬而偶洩於此，具神識者，精思而冥悟之，或有鬼神之告也。

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are not artificially fabricated, but naturally formed, just as the concept of "heavenly root and lunar cave" in geomancy follows the same principle. This idea is clearly explained in Yang Yunsong's "Dutian Baozhao Jing," which is like secretly passing on a precious needle to others. I mention this here only because I am trying to correct the errors in the "Yuzhe Jing." Those with keen insight, if they calmly reflect and deeply contemplate, may be guided by supernatural forces.

今之地理家，分龍穴砂水為四事。或雲龍雖好、穴不好；或雲龍穴雖好，砂水不好。何異痴人說夢。古之真知地理者，只有尋龍定穴之法，無尋砂尋水之法。正以雖有四者之名，而其實一而已矣。穴者，龍之所結；水者，龍之所源；砂者，龍之所衛；故有是龍則有是穴，有是穴則有是砂水。未有龍穴不真而砂水合格者也。亦未有龍真穴的，而砂水不稱者也。

Modern geomancers divide dragon, site, sand, and water into four separate matters, often saying things like "the dragon is good, but the site is not" or "the dragon and site are good, but the sand and water are not." This is no different from a madman talking in his sleep. In ancient times, those who truly understood geomancy only had the methods of seeking the dragon and determining the site; there were no separate methods for seeking sand and water. Because although there are these four names, they are actually all about one thing: the site is where the dragon's energy converges; water is the source from which the dragon's energy comes; and sand is the protection of the dragon's body. Therefore, there is such a dragon, there is such a site; there is such a site, there is such sand and water. There has never been a case where the dragon and site are not genuine, yet the sand and water happen to be suitable, nor has there ever been a case where the dragon and site are genuine, yet the sand and water happen to be unsuitable.

《玉尺》反曰：龍穴之善惡從水，猶女人之貴賤從夫。穴雖凶而水吉，尚集吉祥。是以本為末，以末為本，顛倒甚矣。且其所謂吉凶者，只取四生三合，雙山五行，論去來之吉凶，而以來從生旺、去從墓絕者為吉，反此者為凶。既屬可笑。又以砂水在淨陰方位者為吉，在淨陽方位者為凶，尤為拘泥。

The Zhi Chi Jing actually says: "The quality of a dragon site depends on water, just as a woman's status depends on her husband; even if the site is凶, as long as the water is good, it can still gather auspiciousness." This reverses the fundamental and the secondary, and turns things upside down. Moreover, what it discusses regarding auspiciousness and inauspiciousness is limited to the "four sources," "triple harmony," and dual mountain five phases, focusing solely on the coming and going of water: coming water from the birth and prosperity directions and going water to the burial and decline directions is considered auspicious, while the opposite is considered inauspicious, which is already laughable. It further considers water falling in the "pure yin" direction as auspicious and water falling in the "pure yang" direction as inauspicious, making it even more rigid.

夫，水之吉凶只辨天元衰旺之氣，砂者，借賓伴主，只要朝拱環抱，其形尖圓平正秀麗端莊，皆為吉曜。若斜飛反去，破碎丑拙則為凶殺。或題之曰文筆、曰誥軸、曰御屏、曰玉幾、曰龍樓、曰鳳閣、曰仙橋、曰旗幟、曰堆甲屯兵、曰煙花粉黛，諸般名色皆以象取之，以類應之，而不可拘執。

The fortune of water is determined solely by the decline or strength of the heavenly stem trigram; as for the sand, it is merely a secondary element accompanying the main one. As long as it faces the main point, surrounds it, and shows affection, with shapes sharp, round, flat, upright, elegant and dignified, they are all considered auspicious stars. If they fly obliquely away, or are broken, ugly, coarse and clumsy, they are consideredInauspicious Sha. People give them various names, such as "Wenbi" (pen), "Gaozhu" (imperial scroll), "Yuping" (imperial screen), "Yujiji" (jade table), "Longlou" (dragon pavilion), "Fengge" (phoenix hall), "Xianqiao" (immortal bridge), "Zhiqi" (banner), or "Duijia屯bing" (pile of Jia troops), "Yuhuafen Dai" (flower powder and beauty), etc. All these names are merely metaphors based on their shapes and categories, and should not be rigidly adhered to.

亦須所穴者果是真龍胎息，精靈翕聚，而後一望臚列皆其珍膳兩假。如一山數家，同見貢砂，而一冢獨發，其餘皆否，非貴之與賤在龍穴而關於砂乎。況四神八國並起星峰，皆堪獻秀，何必淨陰之位則吉、淨陽之位則凶。龍穴無貴陰賤陽之分，砂水又豈有貴陰賤陽之分耶。

The chosen site must indeed be the true dragon's vital breath, where the spirit gathers together. Only then can the surrounding hills, when viewed from there, all appear as delicacies on the dragon's banquet table (the original text says '珍膳两假', which may have some errors). For example, several families living on the same mountain can all see the same noble hill, yet only one tomb brings prosperity, while the others do not. This shows that the distinction between noble and humble lies in the dragon's site, not in the hills. Moreover, if the four directions and eight trigrams all rise as star peaks, they can all display their beauty. Why must the pure yin position be auspicious and the pure yang position be inauspicious? Since the dragon's site has no distinction between noble yin and humble yang, how can the hills and water have such distinctions?

其云文筆在坤申為詞訟、旌旗見子午為劫賊；高峰出南離，恐驚回祿、印星當日馬，必遭瞽疾；幹戌為鼓盆之煞、坤流為寡宿之星；寅甲水、瘋疾纏身、乙辰水，投河自縊；又云：未離胎而夭折，多因沖破胎神、才出世而身亡，蓋為擊傷生氣。四敗傷生，雖有子而母明父暗、望神投浴，居官而淫亂可羞。諸如此類，不可枚舉，立辭愈巧其理愈虛。一謬百謬，難以悉辨。

It also says: "Wenbi sand appearing in the Kun Shen direction indicates lawsuits; Jingshi sand seen in the Zi Wu direction suggests theft and banditry; a high peak rising in the Nan Li direction may cause a fire disaster; the official star positioned at the Yimai location inevitably leads to eye disease; the Qian Xu direction signifies the 'gupen sha' (death of a wife); water coming from the Kun direction indicates a lonely and destitute star; water coming from the Yin direction may lead to madness, while water from the Yi Chen direction may result in suicide by drowning. It also says: if a child dies before birth, it is often due to breaking the fetal deity; if a child dies at birth, it is due to injuring the life qi; 'four failures' water harms the life qi, even if there are sons, the mother is clear and the father is hidden; 'wangs神 tou yu' (bathing water, a type of桃花 water) may lead to disgraceful immorality even if one holds an official position. There are countless such statements, with more elaborate wording, yet the reasoning becomes more hollow. A single mistake leads to many others, and it is truly impossible to distinguish all of them."

總其大旨曰：廢五行衰旺之說，破陰陽貴賤之名，可以論龍穴，即可以論砂水矣。我於是書，取其四語，曰：本主興隆，殺曜變為文曜；龍身微賤，牙刀化作屠刀。此則沙中之金，石中之玉也。釆葑採菲，無以下體。故特舉而存之。

In summary, my main point is just one sentence: discard the system of the Five Phases' decline and prosperity, and break away from the notions of yin and yang's superiority and inferiority; if we can judge a dragon ridge and a spirit site in this way, we can also judge the surrounding terrain and water in the same manner. In this book, I only take these four sentences: "The main ridge brings prosperity, and the killing stars turn into literary stars; the dragon body is of low status, and the dagger becomes a butcher's knife." These four sentences are truly gold in the sand and jade in the stone. The Book of Songs, in the section of Bei Wind, Gu Feng, says, "Gather wild leeks and wild radishes, do not discard them because of their roots." Those who gather wild leeks and wild radishes do not discard the stems and leaves just because the roots are not good, so I specially bring them out to preserve them.

水法中有「祿上御街」、「馬上御街」，其說鄙俚不經，而最能使俗人豔慕。又有八煞、黃泉二種禁忌，使人望而畏之若探湯焉。我以為其說皆妄也。

In the water divination texts there are terms such as "Lushang Yujie" and "Mashang Yujie," which are crude and unrefined, yet they most easily arouse the envy of common people. There are also two other taboos called "Bashash" and "Huangquan," which make people fear them upon sight, like reaching out to touch boiling water. I think all these statements are mere nonsense.

夫，祿馬貴人，起例見於六壬，在易課中已屬借用，與地理祿命皆無干涉。世人學術無本，一見干支便加祿馬，推命家用之，地理家亦用之，東挪西借，以張之子孫繼李之宗祖，血脈不通，鬼神不享。此在楊曾以前，從不見於經傳，後之俗子妄加添設，不辨自明。

The deities of official rank, horse, and nobleman are originally from the system of Six壬 (Liuren), and their use in the Yi Jing lessons is considered borrowed. They have nothing to do with geography or the system of official rank and destiny. People without solid knowledge see the heavenly stems and earthly branches and arbitrarily add official rank, horse, and nobleman. Diviners use them, and geomancers also use them, borrowing from different sources, like using the descendants of one family to inherit the ancestors of another. The bloodline is not connected, and the spirits will not accept them. These terms were never found in the classical texts before Yang Yunsong and Zeng Wenda. They were all falsely added by common people in later generations. There is no need to argue, and it is naturally clear.

夫，地理之正傳，只以星體為巒頭，卦爻為理氣，舍此二者，一切說玄說妙，且無所用之，況其鄙俗之甚者耶。其所稱馬貴者，亦有之矣，曰貴人、曰天馬，此皆取星峰以為名，不在方位也。水之御街亦以形言，不在方位。至於八煞、黃泉，尤無根據，全屬捏造。更與借用不同。

The true essence of geomancy is to discuss physical features using celestial bodies and to explain principles using trigrams and their lines. Without these two aspects, all talk of mystery and subtlety becomes useless, let alone such crude things. What it refers to as "horse" and "nobleman" actually exist: one is called "nobleman" and the other "heavenly horse," but these are names taken from the shapes of mountain peaks, not from directions. The so-called "imperial street" in water is also based on form, not direction. As for the eight evils and the Yellow Spring, they have no basis at all and are entirely fabricated, not even worthy of being called borrowed.

夫，天地一元之氣，周流六虛。八卦方位，先天後天互為根源，環相交合，相濟為用。得其氣運則皆生，違其氣運則皆死，但當推求卦氣之興衰而為趨避者，從無此卦忌見彼卦，此爻忌見彼爻之理。

The vital energy of the universe flows throughout the four directions and up and down. The positions of the Eight Trigrams are rooted in both the original and the transformed arrangements, interconnecting and supporting each other to form their functions. If they align with the prevailing energy of the time, they can all generate life; if they contradict the prevailing energy of the time, they all lead to death. Therefore, one should only investigate the rise and decline of the trigram energies, and use this to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune. There is never any reason to consider one trigram as harmful when another appears, or one line as harmful when another appears.

若失氣運，則巽見辛、艮見丙、兌見丁、坤見乙、坎見癸、離見壬、震見庚、幹見甲，本宮納甲正配尚足以興妖發禍。若得氣運，雖坎龍，坤兔、震猴、巽雞、幹馬、兌蛇、艮虎、離豬，而卦氣無傷，諸祥自致。我謂推求理氣者，須知有氣運隨時之真煞，實無卦爻配合之煞。今真煞之刻期刻應，剝膚切骨者不知避，而拘拘忌八曜之假煞，亦可悲矣。

If the auspicious energy is lost, then the proper matches according to the stem assignments within each trigram, such as Xun meeting Xin, Gen meeting Bing, Dui meeting Ding, Kun meeting Yi, Kan meeting Gui, Li meeting Ren, Zhen meeting Geng, and Qian meeting Jia, are still sufficient to cause calamities. But if the auspicious energy is present, even encountering the so-called "Eight Malevolent Stars" — "Kan Dragon, Kun Rabbit, Zhen Monkey, Xun Rooster, Qian Horse, Dui Snake, Gen Tiger, Li Pig" — will not cause harm as long as the卦气 (divinatory energy) remains unharmed, and all auspicious signs will naturally arrive. I believe those who study the principles of divination should understand that there are only true malevolent forces that change with the flow of energy, and not fixed malevolent forces determined by the trigrams and lines. Now, those who are overly concerned about the so-called Eight Malevolent Stars, which are false malevolent forces, while ignoring the real malevolent forces that change with the time, are truly pitiful.

黃泉即四大水口，而強增名色者也。故又曰四個黃泉能殺人，辰戌丑未為破軍；四個黃泉能救人，辰戌丑未巨門。故又文飾其名為「救貧黃泉」。夫，既重九星大玄空水法，則不當又論黃泉矣。何其自相矛盾一至於此。或亦高人心知其誣，而患無以解世人之惑，故別立名色，巧為寬譬耶，未可知也。其實則單論三吉水可矣，不必論黃泉也。

The so-called "Yellow Spring" is simply the four water outlets, but they have given it a name. Therefore, they also say "four Yellow Springs can kill people, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are the Breaker Star," and also say "four Yellow Springs can save people, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are the Great Gate Star." Thus, they have created another term called "Rescue Poor Yellow Spring." If one values the Nine Stars Great Xuan Kong Water Method, one should not discuss Yellow Spring separately. How could there be such contradictions? Perhaps there are wise people who know this is absurd, but are unable to dispel the confusion of others, so they have created another term to provide a convenient explanation. This might be possible. In reality, discussing the three auspicious waters is sufficient, and there is no need to discuss Yellow Spring.

且黃泉忌，於彼所言淨陰淨陽、三合生旺墓水法皆不相合。若論陰陽，則乙忌巽是矣，而丙則同為純陰；庚丁忌坤、申癸忌艮、辛忌幹是矣，丙壬則同為純陽，何以亦忌此？於淨陰淨陽，自相矛盾也。

Moreover, the taboo of Yellow Spring is inconsistent with their own theory of pure yin and pure yang, and the Triple Harmony method of generating, thriving, and resting water. If we follow the principle of pure yin and pure yang, it makes sense that Yi (Yi) is忌 (taboo) with Xun (Wind), since both are yin. However, Bing (Bing) and Yi (Yi) are both pure yin, and Geng (Geng), Ding (Ding) are taboo with Kun (Earth), Shen (Monkey), and Gui (Gui) are taboo with Gen (Mountain), and Xin (Xin) is taboo with Qian (Heaven), which also makes sense. But why are Bing (Bing) and Ren (Ren), which are both pure yang, also taboo? This creates a contradiction within the theory of pure yin and pure yang.

若論三合五行，則乙水向見巽、丁木向見坤、辛火向見幹、癸金向見艮，同為墓絕方，忌之是矣，丙火向見巽，庚金向見坤、壬水向見幹、甲木向見艮，皆臨官方也，何以亦忌此。於三合雙山，自相矛盾也。我即彼之謬者，而證其謬中之謬，雖有蘇張之舌，亦無亂以復我矣。

If we consider the Triple Harmony and Five Phases: Yi belongs to water, and its direction is Xun; Ding belongs to wood, and its direction is Kun; Xin belongs to fire, and its direction is Qian; Gui belongs to metal, and its direction is Gen. These all fall in the墓绝 (burial and decline) direction, and it is acceptable to avoid them. However, Bing belongs to fire, and its direction is Xun; Geng belongs to metal, and its direction is Kun; Ren belongs to water, and its direction is Qian; Jia belongs to wood, and its direction is Gen. These all fall in the Officialdom (officialdom) direction. Why are they also to be avoided? This creates a contradiction within the Triple Harmony and dual mountains. I will use his own erroneous statements to expose the further error within his error. Even if he has the eloquence of Su Qin and Zhang Yi, he will be unable to respond and cause further confusion.

《玉尺》遂飾其說曰：八煞黃泉雖為惡曜，若在生方，例難同斷，此真掩耳盜鈴之術。既云惡曜矣，又焉得雲生方；既云生方矣，又焉得稱惡曜。孰知惡固不真，而生方亦皆假也。又或者為之辭曰：黃泉忌水去而不忌來。或又曰：忌水來而不忌去。總屬支離，茫無一實。

The Yu Che Jing then tried to justify itself by saying, "Although the Eight Evil Directions and the Yellow Spring are considered evil stars, if they fall in the beneficial direction, they cannot be treated as a single case." This is truly a method of covering up one's mistakes, like plugging one's ears while stealing a bell. It first says they are evil stars, yet claims they can be in the beneficial direction; it says they are in the beneficial direction, yet calls them evil stars. In reality, the term 'evil' is not genuine, and the 'beneficial direction' is also false. Others have tried to defend it by saying the Yellow Spring only fears water going away, not water coming in; others say it only fears water coming in, not water going away. All these arguments are fragmented and fail to address the real issue.

我謂運氣乘旺，雖黃泉亦見其福；運氣當衰，雖非黃泉而立見其禍。苟知其要，不辨自明。而我之偲偲然論之不置者，以世人迷惑已久，如墮深坑，無力自脫，多方曉譬，庶以雲救也。嗚呼，當世亦有見餘心者耶。

I believe that when the vital energy and fortune are flourishing, even the Yellow Spring direction will still bring blessings; when they are declining, even if it is not the Yellow Spring direction, misfortune will immediately occur. If one understands this principle, there is no need for further discussion, and it will be naturally clear. I keep repeating this earnestly because people have been confused for a long time, as if fallen into a deep pit, unable to climb out on their own. Therefore, I have to use many analogies and explanations to guide them, hoping to save at least a few. Alas! In this world, are there still people who can see through my sincere concern?

夫葬者所以安親魄也，親魄安則眾子皆安，親魄不安則眾子皆不安。今之世家巨族，往往累年不葬，甚之遲之久久終無葬期，一則誤於以擇地為難，再則誤於以分房之說。一子之家猶可，子孫愈多，爭執愈甚，遂有挾私見以堤防，用權謀以自使者矣。

Burial is meant to settle the spirits of the deceased. When the spirit is at rest, all the descendants are at peace; when the spirit is unsettled, all the descendants are unsettled. Nowadays, many aristocratic families often delay burial for many years, sometimes dragging it on indefinitely, never finding a time to bury. This is due to two reasons: first, they are hindered by the notion that "selecting a suitable site is too difficult," and second, they are hindered by the idea of "division of property." For families with only one son, this is not so bad, but when there are more descendants, disputes become more intense. Thus, some people, driven by self-interest, constantly suspect others, engage in scheming, and act only for their own convenience.

有時得一吉地，惑於旁人之言，以為不利於己而阻之者，阻之不已，竟葬凶地，同歸於盡，亦可衰哉。原其故，皆地理書公位之說為之禍根。使人減倫理、喪良心，無所不極其至也。

Sometimes one may clearly obtain a favorable plot of land, yet listen to the words of others, believing it is detrimental to their own branch of the family, and thus interfere and obstruct. If the obstruction continues, they may eventually be buried in an inauspicious site, leading the whole family to perish together, which is truly pitiful. Investigating the cause, it is all due to the concept of "public position" (branch division) in geomancy texts, which has become the root of disaster, causing people to undermine ethics and lose their conscience, resorting to any means possible.

豈知葬地如樹木，根莖得氣則眾枝皆榮，根莖先撥則眾枝皆萎。亦有一枝榮一枝枯者，外物傷殘之耳。葬親者但論其地之凶吉，斷不可執房分之私見。吾觀歷來名臣宗室，往往共一祖地，各房均發者甚多。亦有獨發一房或獨絕一房者，此有天焉，不可以人之智巧爭也。

How could one know that choosing a burial site is like planting a tree: if the roots and trunk receive vital energy, all the branches will flourish; if the roots and trunk are first damaged, all the branches will wither. Occasionally, there may be a case where one branch thrives while another withers, but that is due to external damage. When burying a relative, one should only consider the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of this piece of land, and must not hold private notions of benefiting a particular branch of the family. I have observed that many renowned officials and noble families often share the same ancestral burial ground, and many branches of the family have prospered. There are also cases where only one branch thrives or one branch declines, but this is determined by heaven's will, not something that can be achieved by human cleverness or competition.

或問曰：然則公位之說全謬歟？又何以有獨發獨絕者耶？曰：是固有之，而非世人之所知也。其說在易曰，震為長男、坎為中男、艮為少男；巽為長女、離為中女、兌為少女。孟仲季之分房由此而起也。然其中有通變之機，非屬此卦即應此子、應此女之謂也。

Someone asked: So is the concept of "public position" entirely wrong? And why do single occurrences and single absences happen? I said: Such situations do indeed exist, but they are not as people commonly understand them. Their origin is found in the "Commentary on the Hexagrams" of the Zhou Yi: Zhen represents the eldest son, Kan represents the middle son, and Gen represents the youngest son; Xun represents the eldest daughter, Li represents the middle daughter, and Dui represents the youngest daughter. The classification of sons and daughters as elder, middle, and youngest comes from this. However, there is also a principle of flexibility and change involved, and it is not necessarily that a particular hexagram should apply to a specific son or daughter.

《玉尺》乃云：胎、養、生、沐屬長子；冠、臨、旺、衰屬仲子；病、死、墓、絕屬季子。即就彼之言以析之，生則諸子皆生矣，旺則諸子皆旺矣，死絕則諸子皆死絕矣，何以以此屬長、以此屬仲、以此屬季？

The Zhi Chi Jing says: the positions of fetal stage, nurturing, growth, and bathing belong to the eldest son; the positions of capping, officialdom, prosperity, and decline belong to the second son; and the positions of illness, death, tomb, and extinction belong to the youngest son. Taking its own words to analyze: if it is about birth, then all the sons are born; if it is about prosperity, then all the sons are prosperous; if it is about death and extinction, then all the sons are dead and extinct. On what basis is one section assigned to the eldest son, another to the second son, and another to the youngest son?

曰：亦以其漸耳。析之曰：以為始於胎養，繼而之旺，既而死絕，似矣，若有四子以往，則又當如何耶，其轉而歸生旺耶、抑另設名以應之耶？此不足據之甚者也。世人慎勿惑於其說也。

He will answer: It is merely taking the meaning of gradual progression. Then further analysis: speaking of beginning from the fetal stage, then to prosperity, then to death and decline, it seems to make sense; but if there are four sons or more, how should they be arranged? Should they turn back to the beginning and prosperity, or should another name be used for them? This is the most unreliable part. People should not be misled by such statements.

餘作《玉尺辨偽》既成，或問曰：子於是書訛謬，辨之則既詳矣，子謂吉凶之理在乎地，而非方位之所得而限也，然則八干、四維、十二支，寧無有吉凶之當論乎？曰：何為其然也！我正謂八干、四維、十二支皆分屬於卦氣，夫，卦氣吉凶之有辨，蓋灼灼矣，特非淨陰淨陽、雙山三合生旺墓之謂也。

After I finished writing this book, "Zhu Ci Bian Wei," someone asked: You have already explained the errors in this book very thoroughly. You said that the principles of fortune and misfortune lie in the earth itself, not limited by direction. Then, are the eight heavenly stems, the four directions (Qian, Kun, Gen, Xun), and the twelve earthly branches not subject to discussion regarding auspiciousness and inauspiciousness? I replied: How could it be like that! I am precisely saying that the eight heavenly stems, the four directions, and the twelve earthly branches all belong to the trigrams' energies; and the auspiciousness and inauspiciousness of these trigrams' energies are clearly distinguishable. It is just that they are not based on the system of pure yin and yang, double mountains, and the triple harmony of birth, prosperity, and burial.

乃若《青囊》正理，方位之辨實有之，其秘者不敢宣洩，姑就《玉尺》之文以概舉之。《玉尺》所畏者曰乙辰、曰寅甲，而以《青囊》言之，乙之與辰、寅之與甲，相去何啻千萬里也。有時此凶而彼吉，有時此吉而彼凶者矣。所最羨者，曰巽巳丙，而以《青囊》言之，巽巳之與丙，相去亦不啻千萬里也。有時此吉而彼凶，有時此凶而彼吉者矣。

As for the correct principles of the Qingnang Jing, there are indeed distinctions regarding directions; however, the most secret parts I dare not reveal, so I will just give a general idea based on the original text of the Yucheng Jing. The Yucheng Jing regards Yi and Chen, and Yin and Jia as ominous directions, treating them as a single category of bad directions; but according to the Qingnang school, Yi and Chen, Yin and Jia are separated by thousands of miles; sometimes one is ominous while the other is auspicious, and sometimes one is auspicious while the other is ominous. It most favors Xun, Si, and Bing, treating them as a single category of good directions; but according to the Qingnang school, Xun and Si, and Bing are also separated by thousands of miles; sometimes one is auspicious while the other is ominous, and sometimes one is ominous while the other is auspicious.

所最欲分別而不使之混者，曰丙午丁、曰乾亥、曰甲卯乙、曰辰巽、曰丑艮寅。而以《青囊》言之，午之與丙丁、亥之與幹、卯之與甲乙、巽之與辰、丑寅之與艮，所爭不過尺寸之間而已，有時而吉則必與之俱吉、有時而凶則必與之俱凶矣。

In reverse, it is most eager to separate them, fearing they might be confused, namely the group of Bingwu, the group of Dui and Hai, the group of Jia and Mao and Yi, the group of Chen and Xun, and the group of Chou and Yin and Gen; but according to the "Qingang" treatise, the contention between Wu and Bing, Ding, between Hai and Qian, between Mao and Jia, Yi, between Xun and Chen, and between Chou, Yin and Gen, is merely the difference in measurements on the compass: when it is appropriate for good fortune, they will certainly all be good; when it is appropriate for misfortune, they will certainly all be bad. There is no need to make such fine distinctions.

今乃於其當辨而不可不辨者，如黃精之與勾吻、附子之與烏頭，一誤用之而足以入口傷生者反置之不辨；於其易辨而可以不辨者，如白梁與黑秬，異色而皆可以養人，堇之與鴆，異類而皆可以殺人者，屑屑然悉舉而辨之，彼自以為智，而乃天下之大愚也。

Now he focuses on those things that should be distinguished but cannot help but be distinguished, like the yellow ginseng and the deadly poison vine, or the aconite and the aconite root, which look similar and can be deadly if mistakenly ingested, yet he sets them aside without distinguishing them. Instead, he meticulously distinguishes those that are easy to tell apart and actually do not need distinguishing, such as white millet and black millet, which have different colors but both nourish people, or the toxic wild ginger and the poison bird, which are different kinds but both can kill. He thinks himself clever, but in reality, he is the greatest fool in the world.

且生旺死絕之說，《青囊》未嘗不重之，故《葬書》曰：葬者，乘生氣也。卦氣之所謂生，非三合五行之所謂旺；卦氣之所謂死絕，非三合五行之所謂死絕。且地氣之大，生旺不知趨，而區區誤認一干一支之假生旺而求迎之；地氣之大，死絕不知避，而區區誤認一干一支之假死絕而思避之，悲夫，所謂雀以一葉障目，而謂彈者不我見也。以此為已，適以害己；以此為人，適以害人而已。

The concept of "life qi" and "prosperity and decline" is certainly valued in The Qingnang Jing, so Guo Pu's Zangshu begins by saying, "Burial is about riding the life qi." However, the "life" in the context of hexagram qi is not the same as the "prosperity" in the Triple Harmony and Five Phases theory; the "death and decline" in hexagram qi is also not the same as the "death and decline" in the Triple Harmony and Five Phases theory. He does not know how to follow the overall prosperity and vitality of the earth qi, yet he is overly concerned with mistakenly identifying a particular heavenly stem or earthly branch's false prosperity and vitality to welcome it. He does not know how to avoid the overall death and decline of the earth qi, yet he is overly concerned with mistakenly identifying a particular heavenly stem or earthly branch's false death and decline to escape it. It is truly pitiful! This is like a bird that covers its eyes with a single leaf, thinking that the person with the slingshot cannot see it. Using this method on oneself is exactly how one harms oneself; using it on others is exactly how one harms others.

故乎《玉尺》之於地理，猶鄭聲之於雅樂、楊墨之於仁義，一是一非，勢不兩立，實有關乎世道之盛衰，天地之氣數。竊聞嘉靖以前，其書尚未大顯，至萬曆時，有徐之鏌者為之增釋圖局而梓行之，於是江湖行術之徒，莫不手握一編以求食於世，至今日而惑於其說者，且遍天下也。

Therefore, the "Jade Measure Classic" in the field of geography is like the靡靡之音 of the State of Zheng to the elegant music, or the teachings of Yang Zhu and Mo Di to the virtues of benevolence and righteousness; it is one or the other, mutually exclusive, and indeed relates to the prosperity or decline of the world and the fortune of heaven and earth. I have heard in private that before the Jiajing era, this book was not widely circulated, but by the Wanli era, a man named Xu Zimou added annotations and illustrations, and published it, so that all those who practiced divination in the world carried a copy, relying on it to make a living. By now, those who have been deceived by it are spread throughout the land.

悖陰陽之正，幹天地之和，與俶擾五行，怠棄三正者同其患，有聖人者出，而誅非聖之書，於陰陽一家，必以此書為之首。嗚呼，此書不破，世運何由而息水火，生民何由而儕仁壽哉。我拭目望之矣。

It violates the principles of yin and yang, transgresses the harmony of heaven and earth, and is of the same kind of calamity as the "disturbing the Five Phases and neglecting the three fundamentals" condemned in the "Book of Documents · Gan Shi." When a sage appears in the future, he will destroy those books that contradict the sacred teachings. Within the school of yin-yang and numerology, this book must certainly be ranked first. Alas! Without destroying this book, how can the world's affairs escape the depths of suffering and turmoil, and how can the common people all enter the realm of benevolence and longevity? I will keep my eyes open for that day.