Skill and clumsiness, a song worth ten thousand gold pieces.

巧拙萬金歌論怪穴亦頗明確，增坿註釋，並怪穴名地圖具後，以廣未備。龍有好惡首須知，穴有巧拙難整齊。好母偏生奇怪女，名郎不擇俊嬌妻。高人論德不論色，閥閱止問是誰兒。天機好處從來秘，莫教粗眼識眞機。踏來眞龍難尋穴，把作茅叢容易撇。欹斜缺折不須論，但於局面低中尋。自是蒹葭成野穗，本來芍藥結苞深。梧桐葉上偏生子，楊柳枝頭出正心。注：總論美地不限常，惟當看所出之祖何如耳。

The "Skill and Ignorance Ten Thousand Gold Song" clearly discusses strange sites. Now, additional explanations are added, and the diagrams of famous strange sites from previous dynasties are attached to supplement what was not fully explained before. The song says: Dragons have good and bad ones; first, they must be clearly distinguished. Sites have skillful and clumsy ones; it is hard to have a uniform standard. A virtuous mother may give birth to a daughter with an unusual appearance, and a renowned gentleman does not necessarily choose a beautiful and charming wife. The wise only consider virtue, not appearance; they look at the family background and ask who the person is. The most subtle aspect of heaven's mechanism has always been a secret; do not let shallow eyes reveal the true secret. Even if you walk through the true dragon, it is hard to find the site, often being mistaken for a thicket and easily abandoned. Slanting, broken, or broken parts do not need to be considered; only look for the whole situation at the lowest place. Originally, reed grass can bear wild grains, and the buds of peony are naturally hidden deep; the phoenix tree bears its fruit on its leaves, while willow trees grow their straight hearts from the branches. Explanation: This passage generally discusses that beautiful sites are not restricted by conventional standards; they should only be considered based on the ancestral mountains from which they come.

杞子叉芽難見寔，要從變處識精全。注：杞梓枝龍格如初生枝，餘斗角屈折，勢如人字依折，又有斂骨排行，本是偏氣。然得五七節首尾如此，即是龍氣不雜亂，亦為合格。必須審其變處，可結均勻之穴，故曰“要從變處識精全”。若一向偏而不變均勻，則不足取。但人字亦皆於一字中心出斜脈，雖節節斜行，亦不妨為中出之龍，故此龍多生奇穴，亦頗難測識。

The song says: The branches and buds of the wolfberry tree cross and branch out, making it rare to see actual fruits; one must recognize the pure and complete parts from where it changes. Commentary: The "Qizi branch" type of dragon pattern resembles a newly sprouted branch, with the rest of the parts twisting and turning, forming a shape like the character "人" (person), sloping down in a single stroke and a dot. It also has joints that are gathered and arranged in order, which is considered a biased pattern. However, if the first five or seven joints are all like this, it indicates that the dragon energy is not mixed, and it is considered acceptable. One must examine the place where it changes, as that is where a uniform pit can form, hence the saying "one must recognize the pure and complete parts from where it changes." If it is always biased without becoming uniform, it is not worth taking. However, the "person" shape naturally originates from the center of the character "一" (one), with diagonal veins extending from it. Although each joint slopes, it does not prevent it from being considered as a central emerging dragon; therefore, this type of dragon often produces extraordinary pits and is quite difficult to recognize.

蘆花嫋水東西點，未必條條著地尋。注：蘆花嫋龍格，多在平地水際。花點東西不定，不可執一而以正條尋穴。怪穴多在邊旁，或曰蘆花嫋龍格雖居平地，或又變起星辰，在山上結穴，故曰“未必條條著地尋”也，亦通。

The song says: Reed flowers sway gently on the water surface, here a bit there a bit, not necessarily every one has to be searched along the ground. Commentary: The pattern of "swaying reed flowers" mostly appears on flat land by the water. The flower points are not fixed east or west, so one cannot rigidly follow a single main branch to search for the tomb. Strange graves are often found beside the main line. Some people also say: Although the pattern of "swaying reed flowers" is on flat land, sometimes it changes into towering star peaks on the mountain, forming a tomb there, so it is said "not necessarily searching along the ground for each one" — this explanation also makes sense.

一點露花垂草尾，十分香味在花心。注：此論大窮盡處，縱有結作，不過露華垂於草尾而已，力量幾何？眞龍大地，分牙布爪，吐霧興云，結穴外必有餘氣之山迴環拱衛，穴在中腰，故曰“十分香味在花心”。

The song says: The flower on the tip of the grass is no more than a single dewdrop, but the true fragrance is actually in the heart of the flower. Commentary: This refers to the end of the dragon's body, even though there may be some formations, they are no more than the single dewdrop on the tip of the grass. They can hardly have much power. A true dragon must have its teeth and claws spread out, exhale mist and summon clouds, with residual energy mountains circling around beyond the main hill, and the grave site is located in the middle of the dragon's body. Therefore, it is said, "the true fragrance is in the heart of the flower."

岸上樓臺沉水影，山中木植墮田陰。龍頭必向雲中出，蛇影難從山上擒。注：四者皆譬形穴在此，取應在彼，若於應處求穴則誤矣。此義仙人不傳授，高明通曉在胸襟。注：仙翁非吝於傳授，蓋非口舌所能言，筆畫所能寫，妙在心悟耳。

The song says: The pavilions on the shore cast their shadows into the water, and the trees in the mountains cast their shadows onto the fields; the dragon's head must surely emerge from the clouds, yet the shadow of the snake is hard to catch from the mountain. Commentary: These four metaphors all illustrate that the form of the site is on one side, but the response is on the other; if one goes to the side where the response is to seek the site, it would be wrong. The song also says: This principle has never been clearly explained by immortals, but the wise understand it from within. Commentary: The immortals are not reluctant to pass it on, but actually this principle cannot be fully expressed through words or written down, its subtlety lies entirely in one's own heart to grasp.

固知龍祖傳來好，更有前砂識幸深。注：來龍好必結好地，固其理也。前砂尤能證穴之所在。楊公云：“眞龍藏幸穴難尋，惟有朝山識幸心。”西岸月升東岸白，上方雲起下方陰。注：此承上文“前砂識幸”之意，蓋取應之砂妙耳。如東邊有秀異之朝砂，西邊必有眞龍之結作。

The song says: Although we know the dragon is good from the ancestral mountain, we must rely on the ridges in front of the site to recognize how deep it is hidden. Commentary: A good dragon will certainly form a good site, which is natural; however, the ridges in front of the site can especially confirm the position of the site. Yang Yunsong said: A true dragon is hidden and fortunate, and the site is difficult to find; only by recognizing the facing mountains can we understand the hidden fortune of the dragon. The song also says: When the moon rises on the western bank, the eastern bank becomes white first; when the clouds rise above, the area below quickly turns dark. Commentary: This continues the previous idea of "recognizing fortune through the front ridges." The skill lies in taking the responding ridges. For example, if there is an outstanding facing ridge on the east, there must be a true dragon forming on the west.

若還只問好頭面，假穴常常眞乳見。注：若不審龍，徒泥穴之頭面，則假穴多有好乳。開枝依舊有遮攔，過形只是無針線。注：此乘上假穴多有乳中垂，左右亦有龍虎遮攔，只是後龍不眞，全無度峽，來脈不明。蓋相山之法在審龍，而審龍之術在觀峽。未有眞龍而不度美峽，未有峽美而不結吉地。峽之美者，如梭帶絲，如針引線，如藕斷絲連，兩旁遮護稠密，不令風吹水刦。峽之凶者，則毋此格，徒有遮攔，非眞脈矣。

The song says: If one only focuses on the appearance of the mound's head and face, then fake mounds often also have good breasts. Explanation: If one does not examine the coming dragon, but only fixates on the head and face of the mound, one should know that fake mounds often also have good breasts. The song also says: The branches and feet are also properly covered, but their over-vein lacks the connection like a needle and thread. Explanation: This continues from the previous statement, saying that fake mounds often have a breast hanging down from the middle, with dragons and tigers on both sides to cover it, but the coming dragon behind is not genuine, with no over-vein, and the coming vein is not clear. The method of mountain examination lies in examining the dragon, and the way to examine the dragon lies in observing the over-vein: there is no real dragon without a beautiful over-vein, and no beautiful over-vein that can form a good land. A good over-vein is like a shuttle with thread, like a needle guiding thread, like a lotus stalk cut but still connected by threads, with dense protection on both sides, preventing wind and water damage. A bad over-vein lacks these patterns, only having a little cover, but in reality, it is not a true vein.

談水談山世俗多，用拙不能爭奈何？注：談地理者不可勝計，能用拙穴者幾人？蓋識之者少也。誤葬每因求正面，不扦渾是棄偏頗。注：假穴端正，起頂垂乳，易以惑人。眞龍棲閃，千變萬化，詭異偏斜，難以測識。故世之大地，往往有在路旁而人不著目者，多以偏斜棄之耳。

The song says: There are many people who talk about mountains and water, but when it comes to using a simple grave site, they have no idea. Commentary: There are countless people who talk about geography, but how many can actually use a simple grave site? In the end, it's because few people know how to recognize it. The song also says: Mistaken burials often happen because people only pursue the upright and straight, and they refuse to use the method of inserting the pole because they dislike its slanting. Commentary: A false grave site is upright and straight, with a flat top and hanging breast, which easily deceives people; the true dragon is hidden and evasive, changing endlessly, strange and slanting, difficult to recognize. Therefore, the great land is often by the roadside, but no one pays attention, mostly because they dislike its slanting and abandon it.

豈識眞玄奇妙處，仙人多是下偏坡。注：仙人墳墓，詭異丑拙難識者，每多偏側。非故好此怪異，廖氏云“隱顯雖有不同，力量本無二致”是也。好婦不須全俊美，福人何用太嘍囉。注：丑婦生貴子，福人無機關，喻大地多丑拙之穴。

The song says: Who can truly understand the profound and mysterious aspects? Most immortals are buried in secluded places. Commentary: The tombs left by ancient immortals, those strange and awkward ones that are hard to recognize, are often located in secluded spots. This is not because they deliberately prefer the strange. Liao Jinjing said, "Although hidden and revealed have different forms, their power is essentially the same," which is exactly this meaning. The song also says: A virtuous woman does not need to be beautiful in every way, and a person of good fortune does not need to be overly clever and meticulous. Commentary: A plain woman may give birth to a noble son, and a person of good fortune may not be overly concerned with details—this is a metaphor for the fact that the earth mostly forms its precious sites in awkward and unattractive places.

大凡好地作丑穴，不與世人容易說。若教大地穴分明，是使天機容易洩。注：龍眞穴丑，造化之微機也。試說楊州有一地，地名霜山金沙尾。十里來龍的的眞，到處作穴笑殺人。三家葬後盡改去，一家買得復不取。一家轉買仍不用，再賣與人身姓董。買成幾年不敢葬，無人定穴不知向。一朝遇著柏葉仙，大喜此地意灑然。董家插後出俊子，連登上第躋膴仕。稅錢也及千貫錠，庫業十州難計量。

The song says: Generally, good land forms an ugly grave, and it is unwilling to easily reveal it to the world; if all the graves were clearly visible, that would be equivalent to leaking the heavenly secrets. The commentary explains: When the dragon is true but the grave is ugly, it is exactly the subtle mechanism of the workings of nature. The song continues: Let me tell about a place in Yangzhou called Shuangshan Jinyashai. A dragon of ten li is indeed genuine, but it forms graves everywhere, amusing people. After three families buried there, they all moved away. One family bought it but did not use it, another sold it again but still did not use it, and then it was sold to a man named Dong. The Dong family bought it for several years but dared not bury there, because no one could determine the grave, and they did not know which direction to face. One day they met a sage named Baoye Xian, who was very pleased upon seeing them. His heart suddenly became clear. After the Dong family selected the grave, they had outstanding descendants who consecutively passed the imperial examinations and held important official positions, paying taxes amounting to thousands of wusheng, with properties spread across ten states, countless in number.

又有徐州一穴地，朝秀堂寬龍虎衛，人爭插葬有五墳，發跡政功總不聞。但言扦後多敗絕，內有一家先發瘟。又有蔡州盧家塘，穿心龍出面向陽。虎長龍短乳穴側，賣過七主無喜色。黃家老翁有陰德，遇著曾仙為指畫。葬後一子入臺諫，一人執政廕生枝。至今仕宦尚不絕，代代稅賦無休息。一族百家共此祖，個個富足少貧窶。若還不是遇神仙，分付時師定不然。要求大地先種德，自有高人為爾扦。注：三段證以龍眞穴丑，不害其為貴地。假穴明堂寬大，朝對秀麗，龍虎抱衛，而坐下無龍，葬者敗絕，顧何益哉！末言積德自遇明師，又崇本之至論也。

The song also says: There is another place in Xu Prefecture where the facing mountain is beautiful and the bright hall is wide. The white tiger and azure dragon guard it, and people compete to be buried there. There are five tombs in total, but there has been no case of success or achievement. After the burial, most families declined, and one family even suffered from an epidemic. There is also Lujiatang in Cai Prefecture, where the dragon runs straight and faces the sun. The white tiger is long and the azure dragon is short, and the nursing grave is biased to one side. It has been sold to seven different owners, none of whom were satisfied. However, an old man from the Huang family accumulated yin virtue and met a former sage named Zeng who guided and determined the burial site. After the burial, one son entered the advisory court, another became a senior official, and the benefits spread widely. To this day, there are still officials in the family, and they have been paying taxes continuously without interruption. The entire clan, consisting of over a hundred people, shares this ancestral tomb, and everyone is wealthy, with few poor people. If it had not been for the guidance of a divine master, and if a common geomancer had been entrusted with the task, it would not have turned out this way. The earth requires first the cultivation of virtue, and naturally, a great master will come to determine the burial site. The commentary: These three passages are used to prove that even if the tomb is not beautiful but the dragon is true, it can still be a noble site. Conversely, even if a false tomb has a wide bright hall and a beautiful facing mountain, and is guarded by white tiger and azure dragon, if there is no true dragon beneath the sitting mountain, the family will decline after burial, so what is the use? At the end, it says that accumulating virtue naturally brings a master, which is a profound truth that emphasizes the importance of cultivating virtue.

南安傅氏祖地—金盤獻花形。來龍甚遠，地結平岡，周環皆石，盤也。盤中小石旋轉，穴安中央，以小石為坐為朝為龍虎，乃石巧穴。南安傅氏名墓，在泉州府西北七里，仙師黃妙應下，人丁科第，自宋至今，四五百年旺盛。傅公夏器登嘉靖庚戌進士，富貴未艾。按：傅氏美地尤多，此仙蹟也。

The first diagram shows the ancestral land of the Fu family in Nan'an, known as "Golden Plate Offering Flowers." The original diagram is lost, only the title and description remain. The terrain has a long and distant approach, and the site is located on a gently sloping hill. All around are stones, resembling a plate. Small stones within the plate are arranged in a rotating pattern, and the tomb is situated exactly at the center. These small stones are considered as the sitting mountain, the facing table, and the left and right dragon and tiger, making it a "stone skillful site." This is a famous tomb of the Fu family. It is located seven miles northwest of Quanzhou Prefecture, determined by the master geomancer Huang Miaoying. The family has thrived in terms of population and academic success from the Song Dynasty to the present day, over four or five hundred years. Fu Xiashi passed the imperial examination in the Gengxu year of the Jiajing era, and his prosperity has not yet reached its peak. The author notes: The Fu family owns many beautiful sites, and this one is a relic left by ancient immortals.

永康王都諫祖地圖——泥水怪穴。右地在永康縣東北五十里。其來龍甚遠，不及詳述。將入首，大帳，帳下疊出木星三四座聳立，仍走弄數里，一齊落下平坡，勢如層波疊浪，級級湧來。諸脈合氣，數大枝合為一脈。二水交會處，忽起小小石山遠抱，以作龍虎及近案為證。而穴結泥水田中，培土成墳。登穴觀之，四面遠山簇簇，星峰拱照。二水交於穴前，迴環屈曲。且石曜自泥田中露出，尤奇。

The second diagram describes the ancestral site of Wang Du Jian, the Duke of Yongkang. It is classified as a "muddy water monster site." The original diagram is lost, but the title and explanation remain. This location is fifty li northeast of Yongkang County. The dragon line is very long, and it is not possible to describe it in detail. As it approaches the final part, a large account appears, with several wooden stars standing upright beneath it. Then it proceeds and winds for several li, finally settling on a flat slope. The momentum resembles waves layer upon layer, rising step by step. Many branches converge into one, and several major branches merge into a single line. At the point where two streams meet, a small stone hill suddenly rises, far away, serving as evidence of the dragon and tiger as well as the nearby case. The site is formed in a muddy water field, with the grave built up by piling soil. From the site, looking around, distant mountains encircle it, with star peaks surrounding it. Two streams meet in front of the site, winding and turning. Moreover, there are "stone stars" emerging from the muddy field, which is especially remarkable.

乃范氏所扦。課云：“六十年來出雙貴，誰知妙穴在泥田。”果出兄弟雙科。范氏乃豐城範麻子。永康諺云：“若要死，去請範麻子；若要敗，去請劉永太。”蓋此二師同時，皆慣點奇穴之人也。亦有不利初年者，故時謗如此。按：王氏祖墳，景泰癸酉年葬，至正德癸酉而兩房各生子，一名楷，一名桂。嘉靖乙卯科鄉舉。楷號竹峰，丙辰進士，官都諫。果六十年出雙貴，今人財大旺。

This site was selected by the Fan family. The remarks left by Fan say: After sixty years, a pair of noblemen will emerge, but who could have predicted that such a wonderful site would be in a muddy field? Later, indeed, two brothers took the imperial examination in the same year. This Fan is known as Fan Maizi from Fengcheng. There is a common saying in Yongkang: If you want to die, go and consult Fan Maizi; if you want to fail, go and consult Liu Yongtai. These two geomancers were from the same era and both were skilled in selecting extraordinary sites. The sites they selected sometimes did not bring good fortune in the first few years, so there was such mockery at that time. The author notes: The Wang family's ancestral tomb was buried in theGuiyou year of Jingte. By theGuiyou year of Zhengde, each of the two branches had a son, one named Wang Kai and the other Wang Gui, who both passed the local examination in theYimao year of Jiajing. Wang Kai, known as Zhufeng, became an imperial examiner in theBingchen year and held the position of Dujian. Indeed, after sixty years, a pair of noblemen emerged. Now the family is prosperous in terms of descendants and wealth.

右地在永康，其龍甚遠，枝節繁衍，過峽重疊。將作穴，疊三峰，抽一偏枝，閃出數節，結穴低平，而開鉗於前。又吐出一脈，穿田前去三十里，作有陽宅數處。此即騎龍穴也。且其正出之山，即逆繞於旁，以為纏護，前去不遠而止，亦無大結。按：此乃明師劉永太所下。施氏子名孟達，與劉仙交厚，一日拜劉仙求吉地安父母。劉問曰：“汝要人丁千口乎？汝要官貴極品乎？”施曰：“只願人丁大旺足矣。”劉乃指此騎龍之穴。葬後果生十子，子又各生十餘，諸孫共百單三人。鄉間皆稱十子百孫。至今人丁千口之繁，為永康臣室旺丁口不出貴。

This site is also in Yongkang. Its dragon is far away, with many branches and twists, passing through many ridges. As it approaches the site, three peaks are formed, and a branch is drawn out, with several sections appearing suddenly. The site is low and flat, with a "claw" opening in front. It also emits another vein, passing through fields and continuing forward for thirty li, along the way forming several阳宅. This is called the Riding Dragon site. Moreover, the mountain coming out from the center actually turns back to the side to serve as a protective ridge, stopping not far ahead without forming a major site. The author notes: this site was pointed out by the famous master Liu Yongtai. The son of the Shi family, named Mengda, had a close relationship with Liu Xian. One day, he asked Liu Xian for a good site to bury his parents. Liu Xian asked him: do you want a large number of descendants or the highest official rank? Shi Mengda said: I am satisfied with a large number of descendants. Liu Xian then pointed out this Riding Dragon site. After the burial, ten sons were born, each with dozens of sons, making a total of one hundred and three grandsons. The local people called them "Ten Sons and a Hundred Grandsons." To this day, the family has grown to thousands of people, becoming a major family in Yongkang, but although the population is large, there are no people of high status.

左地在泉州府晉江縣西南二十里，土名烏石山。其龍發自紫帽峰，辭樓下殿，奔騰踴躍，頓伏三十餘里。將至作穴，大斷過脈，忽起大帳撐天，橫闊十餘里。自帳內頓起沖天木星，一連三座，大小相等，疏密停勻，結天然之穴。其大帳兩角掬抱過穴。穴前兩山交互，圈內自成一家。高數丈餘，人行大路在下，莫知上有此奇。

This place is located twenty miles southwest of Jinjiang County in Quanzhou Prefecture, known as Wushan Mountain. Its dragon ridge originates from the Zimao Peak, then descends from the palace, rushing and leaping along the way for more than thirty miles. As it approaches the site of the dwelling, the ridge suddenly breaks and forms a large, towering structure that spans several miles in width. From within this structure, three towering wooden stars rise straight up, equal in size and evenly spaced, forming a natural dwelling site. The two corners of the structure embrace the front of the dwelling, while two mountains in front intersect and overlap, enclosing a self-contained world within their circle. This site is several feet above the ground, and people walking along the main road below do not know that there is such a remarkable place above.

及登山入內，則逈然開暢，一龍中出，木星聳秀，誠如閨中之女。本身二水合襟繞抱，內堂交會，外洋寬平，前峰端聳如頓笏，當面海水九曲來朝，左右諸峰羅列，四神八將應位，三奇六秀咸集，眞美地也。葬後六十年，出榜眼儀庭公鳳翔。

When they reached the top of the mountain and entered, the view suddenly opened up and felt spacious and pleasant: a dragon emerged from the center, with the planet Jupiter standing tall and elegant, truly resembling a refined lady in seclusion. Two streams of water met and embraced in front of the site, with the inner bright hall converging, and the outer area flat and wide. The front peak stood upright, like a jade board. The sea in front meandered and flowed towards the site. The surrounding peaks were arranged in order, with the "Four Spirits" and "Eight Generals" each in their proper positions, and the "Three Marvels" and "Six Beauties" all gathered together, indeed a fine place. After burial, sixty years later, a top-ranking scholar named Huang Fengxiang, styled Yiting, emerged.

傳奇：榜眼公曾祖太學上舍，晚年得子。子方半歲，上舍夫婦繼亡。歸窆皆宗族與諸戚營之。及子長而諸前輩亦謝世矣。求其父母墳墓，毋有識者。至晚年將沒，囑其子竹亭公曰：“吾生未得履父母墓，今死不瞑目。汝勿葬我，須徧覓汝祖墓。倘天憐我，得附葬於側，泉下瞑目矣！”

Here is a legend. Huang Fengxiang, who became second place in the imperial examination, had a grandfather who was a scholar in the Taixue (Imperial Academy) and was a candidate for the upper class. He did not have a son until late in life. When the son was only half a year old, both the grandfather and grandmother died, and the burial of their remains was entirely arranged by the family and relatives. When the son grew up, all the elders who had handled the burial were already dead. He tried to find his parents' graves but found no one who could recognize them. When he was old and dying, he told his son, Master Zhuuting, "I have never set foot on my parents' graves in my lifetime. Now, I cannot close my eyes in death. You should not bury me first. You must search everywhere for your grandfather's grave. If heaven is merciful to me, and allows me to be buried beside him, then I can finally rest in peace beneath the earth."

竹亭公乃百計訪求，因究心地理四十餘年。嘉靖庚申，忽有李、方二姓，皆以尋風水至烏石山中，見其奇秀，知為美地，構訟於官。時郡守拘山鄰審之，即雲此山非李亦非方，山乃黃氏祖墳，今五六十年，不見有人祭墓，經管者但相沿謂黃氏業，亦不識為何黃氏也。

Master Zhutingshuo made every effort to seek out the matter, and therefore devoted more than forty years to studying geography. In the Gengshen year of the Jiajing era, suddenly two families, the Li and Fang clans, came to the mountain called Wushan in search of good fengshui. They saw that the land was remarkably beautiful and outstanding, and realized it was a fine place. They then began to quarrel over the land. At that time, the magistrate summoned the neighbors living near the mountain to inquire. The neighbors said that the mountain did not belong to either the Li or the Fang families. Instead, it was the ancestral tomb of the Huang family. However, for the past fifty or sixty years, no one had come to pay respects or maintain the tomb. The person in charge had only followed the old tradition and called it the property of the Huang family. But as for which branch of the Huang family it belonged to, no one could recognize.

郡守思欲息三氏之訟，乃密令人覓有秀才姓黃者。適儀廷公從庠中來，役者請之，入見郡守，郡守即批付前山。竹亭公遂往山視之，喜曰：“此非天與我乎！”見故墓崩頹，心動。方卜日修墓，開土尺許，即見碑石宛然，歷敘世代，乃其祖上舍公墓也。逐以父附葬。次年辛酉，儀翁發魁，戊辰及第，見任翰林侍講。人皆以世德孝感所致雲。

The magistrate wanted to settle the dispute among three families, so he secretly sent someone to find a scholar named Huang. Happening to meet Huang Fengxiang coming out of the county school, the officer took him to see the magistrate. The magistrate immediately decided to give the mountain to him. Master Zhu Ting then went up to the mountain to inspect it, and happily said, "Isn't this a gift from heaven?" He saw that the old tomb had collapsed, and he felt a sudden thought. He intended to choose a day to repair the tomb. When he dug about a foot into the soil, he found the stone tablet intact, which recorded the family history, and it turned out to be the tomb of his grandfather, Master Shangshe. He then buried his father beside it. The next year, in the year Xinyou, Huang Fengxiang passed the provincial examination and became the top scorer. In the year Wuchen, he passed the imperial examination and is now serving as a Hanlin Academician and Lecturer. People say this is due to the family's accumulated virtue and the power of filial piety moving heaven and earth.

右上地葬待郎之父，葬時侍郎在襁褓中。及長，登嘉靖庚戌進士，累官都憲、兵部侍郎，巡撫廣東。公號華徯，名應聘，福祉方亨。左地在績溪西八都。其龍發自黃山南龍正脈，分枝疊嶂，千峰磊落，萬嶺巍峨，屯軍驅馬，旗鼓旌節重疊，高在雲端。將近穴，大帳撐天，勢如雲擁。帳中星峰雄昂，自天而下，連疊串珠數節，結騎龍穴。穴前起一圓峰，峰外直拽，如鶴嘴插入水中。左右兩山，自少祖發出，拱抱向前，亦垂鶴嘴入水。水中一長石如舟，呼為三鶴爭鰍形。

The plot of land shown above was used for the burial of the father of a minister who was still in a swaddling cloth when he was buried. Later, when he grew up, he passed the imperial examination in the Gengxu year of the Jiajing era, and held various official positions including the Grand Censor, the Deputy Minister of War, and the governor of Guangdong. This person is the gentleman named Yingpin, who took the courtesy name Huaxie, and his fortune was indeed prosperous. The plot of land shown below is located in the eighth village of western Jixi county. Its dragon ridge originates from the main line of the southern dragon of Mount Huangshan, with branches and layered mountains, thousands of peaks standing proudly, ten thousand hills towering majestically, resembling an army in encampment and horses galloping forward. The flags, drums, banners and standards are densely arranged and reach high into the clouds. As it approaches the burial site, a vast canopy spreads out, with an atmosphere like clouds gathering. Within the canopy, the star peaks are strong and lofty, descending from the sky, connected by several small hills like a string of pearls, forming a burial site resembling a dragon riding. In front of the burial site, there is a round peak, which extends straight out, like a heron's beak piercing the water. On both sides, two mountains arise from the minor ancestral mountain, embracing forward, each with a heron's beak extending into the water. In the water, there is a long stone resembling a boat, hence the form is called "Three Herons Struggling for a Minnow."

外山羅列兩旁。左山麄惡峻憎，右山木火秀麗。舊謂左武右文。登穴觀之，面前渺渺無際。但龍神殺氣未除，星辰反悖，文武亂班，流神駁雜，此所以非享大位，而為偏方偽主耳。故霸先也不過如此而已。

The surrounding mountains are arranged on both sides: the mountain on the left is coarse, fierce, and repulsive, steep and unpleasant, while the mountain on the right has the forms of both wood and fire, appearing elegant and graceful. In the past, this was called "left military, right literary." When looking from the site of the hill, the view ahead is vast and boundless. However, the killing energy of the dragon body has not yet faded, the star peaks are reversed and contrary, the literary and military ranks are confused, and the water flow is mixed and impure. This is precisely why it cannot enjoy the legitimate position and can only be a usurper ruling a local area. Therefore, Chen Baxian is no better than this.

左地在華容，土名東山。其龍遠勢雄，星峰聳秀。到頭大飛蛾開肩展翅。中抽一脈，水木垂頭，擺轉作穴。穴扦曲動處，坐倚一邊，似偏寔正，乃曲乳穴也。登穴觀之，內水交結，而左右二砂紐會，內外明堂融聚，眞氣沖和，《經》云：“凡是乳穴曲即非，曲是包裹非正穴。”若執以定穴，即棄此大地。殊不知正脈中出，而水木曲動，正是生氣所鍾。且兩肩包裹皆長，而此中乳獨短，兩臂粗而中乳細嫩為奇，又不可執經文而定穴也。乃司馬頭陀所下，出兵部尚書東山先生劉忠宣公大夏，為國朝名臣，至今衣冠不替。

This site is located in Huarong County, with the name Dongshan. Its dragon comes from afar, with a strong and majestic momentum, and the star peaks are tall and beautiful. At the end, it resembles a large silkworm spreading its shoulders and wings. In the middle, a line of energy branches out, taking the form of both water and wood stars, hanging down and turning back to form the burial site. The burial site is located at the bend, with the seat slightly leaning to one side, appearing to be biased but actually correct, which is called the "curved breast site." When viewed from the burial site, the internal water converges, and the two ridges on both sides intertwine, with both inner and outer bright halls merging and gathering, and the true qi harmonizing. The "Burial Classic" says: "All breast sites, if they bend, are not correct sites; the bending ones are the surrounding ridges." If one strictly follows this statement to determine the burial site, this large piece of land would be lost. In fact, the main energy line comes out from the center, and the form of water and wood bending and turning is exactly where the life qi gathers. Moreover, the two shoulders are long, while the central breast is short, and the two arms are thick while the central breast is fine and tender, which is a rare and special situation. Therefore, one cannot rigidly follow the classic texts to determine the burial site. This site was pointed out by Sima Touduo. It produced the Minister of War, Dongshan Scholar, Liu Zhongxuan Gong Liu Daxia, a famous official of this dynasty, and the official family has not declined to this day.

右地在臺州府治南七里，土名旗山。其脈發自望海峰，頓跌雄猛，起伏精俊，勢如天馬奔騰，又如群羊出棧。將至結穴，過峽翻身，出脈隱隱，乃急中之緩。穴前似峻而不峻，左右二水交結，諸峰拱照。乃西兌行龍，朝北作向巳山亥向。對面觀之，儼如展旗。穴後一山樂托，前應雙塔，幘山挺然奇秀，乃侯氏始祖。自宋至今，人丁蕃盛，科第不替。出侯丕，翰林檢討；曰臣，登進士，左佈政；曰潤，進士，通政司參議；曰濟、曰汾、曰沖、曰簡、曰聘、曰向，皆鄉薦；曰緘，進士，左佈政；曰溪，進士，知府。

This site is located seven miles south of the Taizhou prefectural government office, named Qishan. Its ridge originates from Wanghaifeng, suddenly dropping with great force, rising and falling vigorously and impressively, its momentum resembling a Heavenly Horse galloping or a flock of sheep bursting out of a pen. As it approaches the point of convergence, the ridge turns and reverses, with the emerging ridge subtly visible, indicating a sudden shift to a gentle trend. The site appears steep at first glance but is actually not steep, with two streams on either side converging, and many peaks surrounding and supporting it. This is a dragon coming from the western Dui position, facing north, with the orientation set as Si mountain Hai direction. From the opposite side, it appears like an unfolded banner. Behind the site, there is a mountain forming the shape of "Le tuo," and in front, there are two towers corresponding to it, with Zese Mountain standing upright and remarkably beautiful. This is the ancestral tomb of the Hou family. From the Song Dynasty to the present, the family has been prosperous in population and has continuously produced scholars: Hou Pi, a Hanlin Jiantu (scholar-official); Hou Chen, a jinshi (imperial scholar), and Left Buzhengshi (provincial governor); Hou Run, a jinshi, and Tongzhengsi Canyi (a high-ranking official); Hou Ji, Hou Fen, Hou Chong, Hou Jian, Hou Pin, and Hou Xiang all passed the local examination; Hou Jian, a jinshi, and Left Buzhengshi; Hou Xi, a jinshi, and Zhi Fu (prefect).

右地在臨海縣東北二十五里，土名柘坑。其龍乃府龍，分出左枝，在三十里落脈。迢遞奔走，起大峰巒。復過峽，再起大帳疊疊。至結穴，橫脈斜穿，而左臂凹缺。缺而復起，轉作下臂，包成左單提穴。而前面諸峰，如卓筆侵雲。下有方平如一字，以為證應。水口一山突起，成捍門之格。登穴觀之，左邊雖凹，又得外山高障，明堂四水來會，而中有一阜如印，出父子進士，兄弟御史，一僉憲，一州守名汝愚，人丁科甲冠邑。

This site is located twenty-five miles northeast of Linhai County, known as Zhe Kong. Its dragon is a branch of the main dragon of the county town, which traveled thirty miles to form the ridge, moving far away and rising to form great mountain peaks; then it passed through a valley and again formed a heavy mountain range. When it came to the point of convergence, a ridge coming from the side crossed obliquely, and the left arm had a depression; after the depression, it rose again, turning back to form the lower arm, creating a "left single lift" site. In front, a group of peaks stood upright like writing brushes reaching into the clouds, and below there was a flat square mountain shaped like the character "一" as a supporting evidence. At the water mouth, a mountain suddenly rose, forming the "gatekeeper" pattern. Looking at the site, although the left side was concave, it was protected by high outer mountains; the waters from all four sides of the bright hall converged, and in the center there was a small hill shaped like a square seal. This place produced a father and son who both became imperial scholars, two brothers who became censors, a vice-censor, and a county magistrate named Ru Yu. The population and academic achievements of this place ranked first in the entire county.

左地在臨海治東三十里，地名北山下。其龍來脈甚遠，逆水奔行四十里。比入局，大斷過峽。峽之左右有墩阜夾護，術家謂之金彈子，貴證也。過峽後頓起高峰，聳秀沖霄。石骨奇異，正脈從石頂中垂落鵝頸百餘丈，復起星峰，頓跌數節，直串向西，閃落亥脈，從凹頂脫煞結穴。

This place is located thirty miles east of the Linhai County administration, under the name Beishan. Its ridge comes from a long distance, flowing along the water for forty miles. As it approaches the main area, it suddenly breaks into a narrow pass, with hills on both sides protecting it, which geomancers call "golden bullet." This is a sign of high status. After the pass, a high peak suddenly rises, sharp and tall, with peculiar stone structure. The main ridge drops vertically from the top of the peak, resembling a goose neck, stretching over more than a hundred zhang. Then it rises again into star-like peaks, drops several steps, and continues westward, suddenly descending into the亥 direction, forming a hilltop that releases the evil qi and forms a mound.

龍氣大旺，入首隱伏，橫鋪平坦，而無落頭之乳。兩畔彎抱重重，而皆長出不止，穴情隱拙，又是順水作向，不入俗眼。亥龍插壬山丙向，俗呼蝙蝠形。後山帳樂，前朝特異，羅城秀列，局勢盤旋，龍眞穴隱，如頑石中之美玉，未易詧識。但葬時狀元已數歲，此催官地耳。秦公鳴雷戊寅生，嘉靖甲辰狀元及第，官至禮部尚書。二子懋約、懋勲皆發科，富貴未艾。

The dragon energy here is extremely strong, but at the beginning of the site, it becomes hidden and spreads out horizontally in a flat manner, without any prominent hill or peak; both sides bend around and enclose repeatedly, but they stretch out very long without closing in. The site is subtle and simple, and since it is aligned with the flowing water, it does not meet the eyes of ordinary people. The dragon comes from the亥 direction, facing in the direction of壬 mountain and丙, commonly known as the "bat shape." The background mountains have a screen and a music hill, and the facing mountains in front are particularly strange, with the "Luo Cheng" being graceful and arranged, forming a situation that twists and turns. The dragon is true but the site is hidden, like a beautiful jade wrapped in a rough stone, not easy to see. However, when the burial took place, the状元 was already several years old, indicating that this is a land that accelerates official success. Qin Minglei was born in the year ofWuyin, became a top scholar in the Jiajing Jiachen examination, and held the position of Minister of Rites; his two sons, Qin MaoYue and Qin MaoXun, also passed the imperial exams, and their family's wealth and status were still rising.

右地在華容縣東，土名石筍玉。其龍甚遠，穿田渡水，忽起星巒。自小兒山湧大帳，奔行數里，換骨頓異。石嶺巍峨，挺然天表，勢壓群峰。峰生石筍，卓立十餘丈，逈然清俊。百里望之，莫不駭目。但穴結太迫，以木火之星，而作金水之穴，前吐餘曜雖竒，主星兩臂，分劫尚多。俗眼必為發祖之處，反以兩臂餘支求正穴也。《葬書》云：“群壟眾支，當擇其特。眾山低，此獨高；眾山小，此獨大；眾山土，此獨石。”且前應文筆插天，星峰矗矗，融結不凡。出狀元黎公淳，官至禮部尚書。子官方伯。但刦重，火性燥而易滅，故貴止二代，人少產不豐耳。

This site is located east of Huarong County, with the name Stone Scepter Jade. Its dragon is far away, passing through fields and crossing rivers, suddenly rising into star-like mountain ranges; it emerges from the Small Child Mountain, forming a grand formation, running for several miles, transforming and changing its form, appearing completely different. The stone ridge is majestic and stands proudly in the sky, dominating the surrounding peaks; peaks on top sprout stone spears, standing over ten zhang high, exceptionally strange and outstanding, visible from a hundred miles away, causing everyone to be amazed. However, the site is too confined: using the stars of wood and fire to form a site of metal and water, although the residual stars in front of the site are peculiar, there are still many places where the main star's two arms divide and steal energy. Common people would certainly take this as the origin of the ancestor, and instead look for the correct site in the two arms' residual branches. The Book of Burial says: among a group of mountain ridges with many branches, one should choose the outstanding one — when all the mountains are low, only it is high; when all the mountains are small, only it is big; when all the mountains are earth, only it is stone. Moreover, the front corresponds to a pen-like star peak, standing tall, and the consolidation is indeed extraordinary. This place produced the状元 Li Chun, who held the position of Minister of Rites, and his son reached the position of Governor of the Province. However, the劫 sand is too heavy, the fire nature is dry and fierce, easily extinguished, so the noble status only lasts for two generations, with few descendants and not abundant property.

左地在泉州府西北四十里，土名八尺嶺。其龍自葵山發脈，迢遞奔行七八十里。比入局，跌斷過峽，頓起沖天火星，侵雲削峻。兩肩大展，復遶抱向前。中垂隱隱之脈。忽于山半開平，連疊數級平面土星，乃於土氣之下融結微窩之穴，界合分曉，左右彎回，內堂平聚。雖是順水作局，而收拾齊整。大溪至此橫遶過右前。御屏聳立尊嚴，端然朝拱。但主星卓峻沖霄，雖明堂中仰望後頂，高入天際，不見垂落之脈，似乎玄武拒尸。且火星剛燥，亦不融結。不知連疊平坡，則是生土。火以生土，急中有緩，矧兩肩垂落，重重遶抱有情，風氣藏聚，龍旺穴尊，朝端從美，眞吉地也。葬後出經歷公晟、教諭公綬俱贈刑部尚書。其孫光升登進土，官至大司寇；曾孫喬棟，官太守，富貴未艾。

This site is located forty miles northwest of Quanzhou Prefecture, named Bajilin Hill. Its dragon ridge originates from Kui Mountain, stretching for about seventy to eighty miles; as it approaches the site, it suddenly breaks and changes course, then rises abruptly with a towering fire star, towering high into the clouds, steep and sharp like a knife. Its two shoulders spread widely and encircle the front, with a hidden line of energy in the middle. Suddenly, on the middle of the mountain, a flat area appears, followed by several levels of flat landforms, and a shallow pit is formed beneath the soil, clearly defined by the surrounding water, with the left and right sides bending and embracing. The inner bright hall is flat and gathers energy. Although it is set according to the flowing water, it is neatly arranged. A big stream flows here and winds around the right front, with the "Imperial Screen" towering high and dignified, facing the site directly. However, the main star stands tall and steep, directly reaching the sky, so that even when standing in the bright hall and looking up at the top, it seems to have entered the sky, and the falling line of energy is not visible, as if the "Black Tortoise rejects the corpse." Moreover, the fire star is fierce and dry, and according to theory, it should not form a site. But the continuous flat slopes are actually fertile soil; fire generates earth, which is urgent yet slow. Moreover, the two shoulders hanging down, with multiple layers of embracing, the wind and energy are gathered, the dragon is strong, the site is noble, the facing mountains are straight and proper, and the accompanying mountains are beautiful. It is indeed a good site. After burial, the site produced Huang Sheng, the official of experience, and Huang Shou, the official of teaching, both of whom were posthumously honored as Minister of Justice. Their grandson Huang Guangsheng passed the imperial examination as a jinshi and became Minister of Justice. His great-grandson Huang Qiaodong held the position of prefect, and the family's wealth was still not exhausted.

右地在泉州府西北八十里。其龍發自安溪，迢迢奔行八十里，頓起極高大之山，盤旋數百里，結天巧之局。眾山從擁，高起撐天大帳。帳中一脈，委蛇頓跌，生曜生官。兩邊帳角眾山，一齊左回右抱。至入首，結仰天金水星。中生一窩，四圍石骨，而左右遠抱之山交互過前，成一字文星，以收盡內氣。此外俯視下界，萬山矗矗，穴中皆不見。但數十里外海水汪洋，遠接天際，縹緲極目，取日出扶桑一點紅，特奇之應，俗呼番天馬蹄形，以穴狀名也。出太保宣靖魯國公亮、端明殿學士孝寬、戶部尚書孝廣，及狀元從龍諸貴。

This place is located eighty miles northwest of Quanzhou Prefecture. Its dragon ridge originates from Anxi, flows for eighty miles, and suddenly rises to form a very high and large mountain, winding for hundreds of miles to form a heavenly skillful layout. The surrounding mountains gather around, rising high to form a great tent that supports the sky. Within the tent, a single ridge twists and turns, then drops suddenly, producing the "Star of Radiance" and the "Star of Official Rank." The surrounding mountains on both sides of the tent's corners turn left and right to embrace it. At the entrance, it forms a golden water star body facing upward, with a hollow in the center, surrounded by stone ridges. The mountains that come from both sides, far away, cross over in front of the site, forming the "Single Character Literary Star," gathering all the internal energies. In addition, looking down from above, countless mountains stand upright, but they are all invisible from the site. Only a vast sea appears dozens of miles away, stretching endlessly to the horizon, misty and boundless, taking the image of the red dot at the sunrise in the country of Fusang. This is a particularly unique response. It is commonly known as the "Heavenly Horse Hoof Shape," a name derived from the shape of the site. This place has produced officials such as Tai Bao Xuan Jing Lu Guo Gong Ceng Gongliang, Dunming Pavilion Scholar Ceng Xiaokuan, Minister of Revenue Ceng Xiaoguang, and the状元 Ceng Conglong, among other noblemen.

左地在績溪縣東十里橋。其龍來歷甚遠，不詳述。將至作穴，起水星大帳。帳中落脈，頓起沖天木星數座，仍跌斷過脈，逶迤精巧，連珠數節。復頓起天然木星，四面皆圓，而全身石骨。穴結山巔。其後大帳兩角皆環抱過前，以為龍虎交結。而隨身二水界送至穴前交合，洩下大溪，約高數丈。其大溪自右而來，橫過於前。隔溪秀應重重，下手石橋鎖斷地戶，形勢精俊，風氣藏聚。俗呼照天蠟燭形，光明穴。葬後未久，張氏之福祉方亨。

This site is located ten miles east of Jixi County, at a bridge. Its dragon ridge comes from a long distance, and the details are not elaborated. As it approaches the site of the grave, a large form resembling a water star appears; within this form, the ridge suddenly rises sharply into several towering wooden stars, then breaks off and continues in a winding, delicate manner, forming several sections like a string of pearls. Then it rises again into a natural wooden star, round on all sides, with a stone core throughout. The grave site is formed on the top of this hill. The two corners of the large form behind the grave site embrace forward to the front, acting as dragon and tiger meeting. Two streams coming along with the ridge reach the grave site and meet, then flow down to a large stream, with a drop of several feet. This large stream comes from the right, crossing in front of the grave site; across the stream, there are many beautiful peaks layered one after another. In the direction of the lower hand, there is a stone bridge that cuts off the entrance. The overall situation is vigorous and upright, with a gathering of qi. It is commonly called the "Lantern Light" form, and the grave site is named "Bright Light." After burial, the fortune of the Zhang family began to flourish shortly afterwards.

傳奇：張九朝奉一日往鄉莊，至城外二里許，於路邊登廁，見廁屋內青布包裝束甚密，自度必商人遺物。開看，內有衣一件，簿一扇，銀二十錠，又碎銀一包。遂不往莊，候至日宴，毋有尋者。乃書字於廁曰：張九今日辰刻在此獲青包。失主見此可往東莊來認。次日，其人尋至，見字，至莊所拜告，願分一半。張寔對，悉還之，分毫不取。其人拜天祝君長壽富貴。

Here is a legend. One day, Zhang Jiuzhao was on his way to a country estate. He walked about two miles outside the city and stopped by the roadside to urinate. He saw a tightly wrapped bundle of blue cloth in the outhouse. He thought it must have been left behind by a merchant. He opened it and found a piece of clothing, a ledger, twenty ingots of silver, and a bundle of loose silver. He decided not to go to the estate, and waited until evening, but no one came to claim it. So he wrote on the wall of the outhouse: "Zhang Jiuzhao found a blue cloth bundle here at noon today. If the owner sees this, he may come to the eastern estate to claim it." The next day, the owner came looking for it. Seeing the message, he went to the estate to thank Zhang Jiuzhao and offered to give him half of the belongings. Zhang Jiuzhao truthfully replied and returned all the items without taking anything. The owner then knelt down and prayed to heaven, wishing Zhang Jiuzhao a long and prosperous life.

張旬日忽夢其祖與之曰：“汝有陰功，天與吉地，可往十里橋邊，必有所遇。”覺而天曉。即日至十里橋坐候。至日西，有二人押一人至，其人到橋邊，抵死不去。指曰：“此內我有山一片，願典還谷債。”其二人不受山，定要谷。張即扣之曰：“穀價幾何？”曰：“二十石。”張與銀而受其山。歸，語於妻曰：“我夜夢獲吉地，果應。”

After a few days, Zhang Jiuzhou suddenly dreamed that his grandfather told him: You have done some good deeds in secret, and heaven is going to give you a good piece of land. You should go to the bridge ten miles away and surely meet someone. When he woke up, it was already daylight, and he went to the bridge that day to wait. By the time the sun was westward, two men led a person towards the bridge. That person refused to go any further and pointed out, saying: There is a piece of mountain here that I want to use to repay the grain I owe. The two men refused the mountain and insisted on the grain. Zhang Jiuzhou stepped forward to ask: How much is this grain worth? They answered: Twenty shi. Zhang Jiuzhou paid the silver and took the mountain. When he returned home, he told his wife: I dreamed of getting good land last night, and it has indeed come true.

次日觀山，全身皆石，毋下穴處。乃徧請明師點穴，十餘年，經師百數，莫有能下穴者。又自訟曰：“昔夢以為陰德之賜，今無穴可扦，是吾德薄。”仍舍棺木，修造橋路。又三年，其妻夢神人語曰：“照天蠟燭穴居巔。”後句似言富貴，不能記。張喜曰：“山頂必有土。”即往察之，果然。乃葬父於高頂。今五十餘年，有三貢舉，鄉稱陰德地也。

The next day he went up the mountain to inspect, but found the whole area covered with stone, with no place to dig a grave. He then invited many experienced masters to select a site, spending over ten years, with hundreds of geomancers having examined the land, yet none could find a suitable site. He then reflected on himself, saying: "Previously, that dream was regarded by me as a reward of Yin Virtue, but now there is no place to dig a grave. That must be because my virtue is still shallow." He then continued to give away coffins, repair bridges, and build roads. After three more years, his wife dreamed that a heavenly candle was shining, and the grave was at the mountain peak. The latter part of the sentence seemed to refer to wealth and honor, but she could not remember clearly. Zhang Jiuxiong was delighted and said, "There must be soil at the mountain peak." He immediately went to inspect and indeed found soil there. He then buried his father at the high peak. To this day, more than fifty years later, three candidates for the imperial examination have emerged from the family, and the local people all say it is the result of accumulated Yin Virtue.

按：此龍穴，後必有顯者。其穴居山巔，元辰洩下數丈，本不利初年。五十年尚未行至木星聳秀之處，蓋發愈遲而福愈大，天理地理昭昭然，惟待其時耳。上諸怪穴，乃怪之最怪者，皆古仙蹟，明驗足徵，非誣也。但君子語常而不取怪。況此怪之最怪，何可為訓？然此寔乃天地藏機以福善人，非尋常之可測耳。矧穴怪而龍必不怪，造化既明洩於龍矣，豈復又示以穴乎？知者審龍自可得穴。

The author remarks: This dragon and this site will surely produce a person of distinction in the future. Its site is on the mountain top, and the "original spirit water" flows down several zhang, which originally is not favorable for the first few years. After fifty years have passed, the qi has not yet reached those places where the wooden stars are prominent. Generally speaking, the later the success comes, the greater the fortune. Heaven's principle and geographical principles are clear and evident, waiting only for the right time. All these strange sites are the strangest of all, all remnants left by ancient immortals, which can be verified and serve as evidence, not fictional. However, gentlemen follow the constant principles and do not take the strange as a standard. Moreover, these are strange among the strange, how could they be used as a standard? Yet they are indeed hidden mechanisms set by heaven and earth to bless the virtuous, something not measurable by ordinary minds. Moreover, although the site is strange, the dragon is certainly not strange. If the transformation has already clearly shown itself in the dragon, why would it need to show itself again in the site? Those who understand will simply confirm the dragon, and naturally find the site.

但極大之地，其怪尤甚。諺有云：“地有十分大，穴有萬分怪。”是以古仙哲師點怪穴者，未嘗不細用心機，參詳思索。或一月而得之，或一年而得之，或數年而後明，或十年而後定，不敢輕易以為是，必深知其情性，洞究其玄微，劃然神悟，透徹眞機，果有定見，造化在乎手矣，豈不難哉！

Only larger pieces of land have more strange characteristics. There is a proverb that says: "When the land is ten parts large, the site is a thousand parts strange." Therefore, ancient sages who selected strange sites would carefully use their minds and repeatedly ponder and consider: some took a month to determine, some a year, some several years to understand, and some ten years to decide, never lightly deciding on one. They had to deeply understand the nature of this land, thoroughly investigate its subtle aspects, suddenly gain a divine insight, see through the true principle, and indeed have a firm opinion, only then could they grasp the transformation and fortune. Is this not a difficult matter?

古語云：“一年學得尋龍，十年學不得點穴。”又云：“望勢尋龍易，登山點穴難。若還差一指，如隔萬重山。”大抵乘生氣全在點穴，而點穴須在正心誠意，從容精詳，反覆玩索。此係險事，豈可同明顯之穴而易視之？切不可妄逞聰明，魯莽苟且。

An old saying goes: it takes a year to learn how to seek a dragon, but ten years to learn how to point out asite. It is also said that it is easy to seek a dragon by looking at the mountain shape, but difficult to point out asite when climbing the mountain; if there is an error of even a finger's width, it is as if there is a thousand mountains between. In general, capturing the life qi depends entirely on the accuracy of thesite, and pointing out thesite requires a sincere and calm mind, careful and thorough consideration, and repeated contemplation. This is a matter with great risk, how can it be treated lightly like those obvious and easy-to-identifysite? One must never recklessly show off cleverness or act carelessly and hastily.

仙輩如廖公看大汾潭地沐國公祖地也，盤桓月餘。賴公扦黃氏蛇形，三移其壙。董德彰扦倪御史祖地，三遷其穴。劉誠意點金華鄭氏鞭山地，往來二十年始得其妙。因自嘆曰：“我愛鞭山二十年，鞭山對我默無言。今朝始悟鞭山趣，貴穴從來不易扦。”此見哲人慎重不苟如此。

The esteemed master Liao Jinjing once stayed at a site called Da Fen Tan for over a month, which was the ancestral land of Mu Guogong. Lai Buyi adjusted the position of the grave for the Huang family's snake-shaped land three times. Dong Dezhang adjusted the grave position for Ni Yushi's ancestral land three times as well. Liu Bowen selected the鞭山 land for the Zheng family in Jinhua, spending twenty years before finally understanding its subtlety. He then remarked, "I have loved this鞭山 land for twenty years, yet the鞭山 has remained silent towards me. Only today have I realized the charm of the鞭山. Truly, a precious grave site is not easy to select." This demonstrates how cautious and meticulous the great sages of old were.

世有自作聰明，強不知以為知，或以自誤，或以悞人，吾不知其設心何如也。吾又怪夫世有不思安親，人子一生極重大事，而輒信匪人，以斷法小術，妄書禍福。一或偶中，遂以為神，而不詧其誠偽，一切委之，不免致後悔者多矣。

There are people in the world who think they are clever, forcing themselves to speak about things they do not understand. Some harm themselves, others harm others. I do not know what kind of intentions they have. I also wonder about some people who do not carefully consider the matter of burying their relatives, which is the most important thing in a son's life, yet they easily believe unscrupulous people, and blindly write about fortune and misfortune based on a few trivial methods. Once in a while, if they happen to be correct, they regard them as having supernatural powers, without examining the truth behind it, and then entrust everything to them. In the end, they end up regretting greatly.

德興山人徐善繼述同著 門人樂平戴道鳴南昌徐元良參錄。此以下五卷専論砂法。夫砂者，合前朝、後樂、左右龍虎、羅城、侍衛、水口諸山，與夫官、鬼、禽、曜，皆謂之砂也。古人以砂撥山形而相授受，故謂之砂。廖金精云：“先賢教人元有法，只從砂上撥。因此號作撥砂圖，次第以砂悟。”謝雙湖氏乃謂“高大者為山，低小者為砂”，則失其旨矣。

De Xing Mountain person Xu Shanji and Xu Shanshu, brothers, jointly authored this work, with their disciple Le Ping Dai Daoming and Nanchang Xu Yuanliang participating in revising and recording it. From this volume onwards, the following five volumes specifically discuss the method of sand.the so-called "sand" refers to the mountains in front called the facing mountains, the mountains behind called the leisure mountains, the mountains on the left and right called the dragon and tiger mountains, the surrounding mountains called the Luo city, the mountains that accompany and guard, and the mountains at the water mouth, together with the "official star," "ghost star," "bird star," and "radiant star," all of which are collectively referred to as sand. Ancients used sand to shape mountain forms and pass them on to each other, hence the term "sand." Liao Jinjing said: the ancients taught people that there is an inherent method, only showing it by shaping it on a sand tray, hence it is called "sand diagram," allowing people to understand it step by step from the sand. However, Xie Shuanghu said that tall ones are called mountains and small ones are called sand, which has misunderstood the original meaning.

大凡眞龍融結處，自然諸山拱衛，獻奇列秀，《葬書》所謂“若懷萬寶而宴息，若具萬贍而潔齊”；子微所謂“萬卒影從成禁衛，千官擁護是朝廷”。而前後左右遠近之砂，自然擁從照應。楊公所謂“但登正穴試一觀，呼吸四維無不至”。此皆善形容砂之情狀者也。

In general, where a true dragon converges and forms a site, naturally there will be many mountains surrounding it, displaying extraordinary postures and arranging beautiful scenery. Guo Pu's "Book of Burial" says, "Like embracing myriad treasures and resting in peace, like preparing all things and maintaining purity and solemnity." Zhang Zimou says, "Ten thousand soldiers follow like shadows, forming a guard, and thousands of officials surround like a court." These all describe this scene. The sands in front, behind, left, and right, whether near or far, will naturally accompany and support the site. Yang Yunsong says, "Just climb to the main site and look around; the qi from all four directions and eight sides flows together, nothing is missing." These are all excellent descriptions of the characteristics of the sands.

但諸家砂法，略無統紀。君子觀之，厭其鄙俚。且因山美惡定地吉凶，又當以龍穴為凖，砂則不過取其朝應護從之用耳。卜氏云：“德不孤，必有鄰，看他侍衛，以證龍穴之眞偽。”是又不可盡棄者，輯諸砂法。

But the methods of examining the surrounding terrain described by different schools are all disorderly and lack a systematic approach, which makes them seem crude and vulgar to a gentleman. Moreover, judging the fortune of a site based solely on the beauty or ugliness of the mountains is still supposed to rely on the dragon and the site, with the surrounding terrain merely serving to support, respond to, and protect the main point. However, the Book of Divination says: a person of virtue will not be alone; he must have neighbors. By examining the surrounding terrain that serves as attendants, one can verify the authenticity of the dragon and the site. This shows that the methods of examining surrounding terrain cannot be entirely discarded. Therefore, here I have compiled the various methods of examining surrounding terrain from different schools.