On Renwu day, Wang Si Gong divined the family dwelling.

建炎己酉年閏八月壬午日，辰將申時，汪四公癸丑生，五十七歲，占家宅。（口鑑、方本占案）

In the third year of the Jianyan era under the Southern Song Emperor Gaozong, during the leap August of the Jiyou year, on a Renwu day, with the hour of Shen and the month general being Chen, four elders from the Wang family came to inquire about the fortune of their home. This person was born in the Guichou year and was fifty-seven years old at the time of the divination. This case is recorded in the "Koujian," and the same case is also included in the "Zhan'an."

勾合朱蛇 丑寅卯辰 虎合朱陰 官 甲戌 虎 青子 巳貴 戌寅卯未 財 壬午 后 空亥 午后 寅午未壬 子 戊寅 合 戌酉申未 虎常玄陰

This passage describes the layout of a Six Rén divination chart, which is flattened and copied, divided into three sections: left, center, and right. On the left, there is a circle of the twelve Earthly Branches, each associated with a Heavenly General: Chǒu (Ox) has Gòu Chén (Hook Star), Yín (Tiger) has Liú Hē (Six Harmonies), Mǎo (Rabbit) has Fēi Què (Vermilion Bird), Chén (Dragon) has Téng Shé (Teng Snake), Sì (Snake) has Guì Rén (Nobleman), Wǔ (Horse) has Tiān Hòu (Heavenly Empress), Wéi (Goat) has Tàiyīn (Great Yin), Shēn (Monkey) has Xuán Wǔ (Black Tortoise), Yǒu (Rooster) has Tàicháng (Great Constancy), Xū (Dog) has Bái Hǔ (White Tiger), Hài (Pig) has Tiānkōng (Heavenly Void), and Zǐ (Rat) has Qīnglóng (Azure Dragon). The Heavenly Generals start from Guì Rén on Sì and are arranged in reverse order. In the center, there are four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Rén (Water) lodging in Hài, with Hài having Wéi and riding Tàiyīn; the second lesson has Wéi with Mǎo and riding Fēi Què; the third lesson has Wǔ with Yín and riding Liú Hē; the fourth lesson has Yín with Xū and riding Bái Hǔ. On the right, there are three transmissions: the first transmission is Xū, with the hidden stem Jia, and the six relations as "official ghost" riding Bái Hǔ; the middle transmission is Wǔ, with the hidden stem Rén, and the six relations as "spouse wealth" riding Tiān Hòu; the final transmission is Yín, with the hidden stem Wù, and the six relations as "son grandson" riding Liú Hē.

邵彥和曰：水日火局，人皆曰財，不知反生日上未土，土反克水，是財化為鬼矣。然皆是眷屬未了，或男未娶，或女未嫁，使用太過。宅上子息不齊，堂屋棟樑，若不是蛇居木，即雷驚木，屢出作怪；否則是廟宇中木，主雷擊驚人，更十年，因訟而死。

In the Song Dynasty, the renowned master of Liu Xin divination, Shao Yanhe, interpreted a case as follows: The day stem is Ren, which belongs to water. The three transmissions consist of Yin, Wu, and Xu, forming a fire trinity. Normally, people see fire as the wealth of water and say this is a fortune-making chart. But they do not realize that this fire trinity does not remain in its original place, but turns back to generate the earth deity Wu Tu on the day stem. The Wu Tu then turns back to restrain the Ren water, thus transforming wealth into a "ghost official" that harms the person. Therefore, this family must have unresolved matters concerning their relatives—either the son has not yet married or the daughter has not yet married, leading to excessive expenses. The family has an uneven number of descendants; the main beams used in the hall come from an improper source, either wood that was once occupied by Teng Snake or wood that was struck by lightning, which will often cause disturbances. Alternatively, it may be old wood taken from a temple, indicating a sudden lightning strike. Within ten years, this person will die due to a lawsuit.

汪公家計，悉為扳高親費盡，甲寅年屋被雷震，戊午年因訟得病而死。蓋八月雷殺在戌（愚按：雷殺正月起卯，順十二辰），戌加寅，更見虎，自是雷驚；寅加午在高處也。故當是棟樑，自己酉至戊午恰是十年，甲木死於午，故此年死。愚按：甲木死於午，似指寅加午而言，然非日干之死地，何故以之斷死？愚窺邵公之意，蓋因戌為虎鬼，戌五數，兩戌則十年矣。況歲干得戊，與戌同類，戌為牢獄，財又生鬼，故斷其十年因訟而死。其甲木死於午句，殆及門之疏錯耶。

Later, the property of the Wang family was completely spent on marrying into high-ranking families. In the year Jiayin, the house was struck by lightning and damaged; in the year Wuwu, he indeed died from illness caused by a lawsuit. Shao Yanhe could make such a prediction because the "Thunder Killing" (Lei Sha) in August fell on the position of Xu. (Cheng Shuxun notes: The Thunder Killing deity starts from the second month at Mao and proceeds in order through the twelve earthly branches.) The Heaven Plate Xu was placed over the Earth Plate Yin wood, and the White Tiger was riding on it, naturally indicating an incident involving thunder shocking wooden materials. Meanwhile, Yin was placed over Wu, and Wu represents the high and bright south, so it was concluded that the incident would occur on the beams in the upper part of the hall. Counting from the year Jiyou when the course was set to the year Wuwu, it exactly amounted to ten years. As for "Jia wood dies in Wu," it was therefore predicted that he would die in this year. Cheng Shuxun further notes: The phrase "Jia wood dies in Wu" seems to refer to Yin wood being placed over Wu. However, Wu is not the death position of the day stem Ren water in this course. So why was Wu used to predict the time of death? I speculate that Shao Yanhe's original intention was probably because Xu, which was ridden by the White Tiger (representing official ghosts), had the number five, and two Xus together made up ten years. Moreover, the heavenly stem of this year was Wu, which belongs to the earth element along with Xu. Xu also represents prison, and the wealth star was assisting the official ghost. Therefore, he died from a lawsuit ten years later. The phrase "Jia wood dies in Wu" might have been a mistake made by his disciples when transmitting the teachings.

己酉年三月壬午日，戌將丑時，孟承務占子病，己亥生，十一歲。（宋本邵案、方本占案、口鑑、一針見血）諸本皆遺去年命，今從《一針見血》書中補入。

In the year Jiyou, third month, on the day Renwu, using the hour Chou as the starting point with Xu as the Month General, Meng Chengwu divined for his son's illness. The child was born in the year Jihai and was eleven years old at the time of the divination. This case is recorded in the Song edition of "Shao Case," the Fang edition of "Zhan Case," "Kou Jian," and "Yizhen Jianxue." All these versions omit the item "year destiny." Now, it is supplemented according to the book "Yizhen Jianxue."

蛇貴后陰 寅卯辰巳 合貴陰虎 財 辛巳 陰 ⊙ 朱丑 午玄 子卯巳申 子 戊寅 蛇 合子 未常 卯午申壬 兄 乙亥 勾 亥戌酉申 勾青空虎

The divination chart is laid out flat. The twelve Earthly Branches are occupied by the Heavenly Generals, arranged in reverse order starting from the Nobleman on the卯 (Mao) branch: the Teng Snake on寅 (Yin), the Nobleman on卯 (Mao), the Heavenly Empress on辰 (Chen), the Tai Yin on巳 (Si), the Black Tortoise on午 (Wu), the Tai Chang on未 (Wei), the White Tiger on申 (Shen), the Tian Kong on酉 (You), the Azure Dragon on戌 (Xu), the Gou Chen on亥 (Hai), the Liu He on子 (Zi), and the Vermilion Bird on丑 (Chou). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren is in the亥 (Hai) palace, with the申 (Shen) branch, occupied by the White Tiger; the second lesson, the申 (Shen) branch has the巳 (Si) branch, occupied by the Tai Yin; the third lesson, the day branch午 (Wu) has the卯 (Mao) branch, occupied by the Nobleman; the fourth lesson, the卯 (Mao) branch has the子 (Zi) branch, occupied by the Liu He. The three transmissions: the first transmission is巳 (Si), with the hidden stem Xin, belonging to 'wife wealth', occupied by the Tai Yin, with a mark '⊙' added beside it in the text, though the format is not explained in the book, it is recorded here without interpretation; the middle transmission is寅 (Yin), with the hidden stem Wu, belonging to 'son', occupied by the Teng Snake; the final transmission is亥 (Hai), with the hidden stem Yi, belonging to 'brother', occupied by the Gou Chen.

邵彥和曰：此課主病，上熱下冷，上膈雖熱而不渴，中間風氣相擊，下部不通，因食冷咸物損肺，遂下痞上滿，今宜補肺通腸。蓋曾寄出家，未曾還願之故。今若寄出家，可以免災，終是柔弱，二十一歲後，狀如老人，皮膚消瘦，若癆病狀；二十八歲，不能過也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the case saying: the main condition presented is fever in the upper body and coldness in the lower body; although there is a heat manifestation above the diaphragm, the patient is not thirsty. There is wind pathogen colliding and hitting in the middle jiao, and obstruction in the lower part. The cause of the disease is that the patient ate cold, salty, and foul-smelling foods, injuring the lungs. As a result, there is痞结 below and fullness above. At present, the treatment should be to tonify the lungs and unblock the intestines. This child had once made a vow to be named and registered in a monastery, but has never fulfilled the vow, thus bringing about this illness. If he is truly registered and named in a monastery now, it can prevent the current disaster. However, his constitution is ultimately weak, and after the age of twenty-one, his appearance will look like an old man, with dry and thin skin, resembling a consumptive patient. By the age of twenty-eight, he will not be able to pass through this stage.

其子病症，果是上熱下冷，因食冷鯗魚湯與麻參，遂得此病。昔日舍在淨安寺，繼又贖歸，遂不安，常若癆怯狀；寄在外祖家養育，瘦弱益甚，不曾娶妻，至紹興十六年丙寅四月三日，病故，果二十八歲也。

This child's illness was indeed characterized by heat in the upper body and cold in the lower body, caused by consuming cold pickled fish soup and a type of herb called maican. He contracted this illness. In his early years, he was given away for adoption to Jing'an Temple, but later his family redeemed him and brought him back, after which his body has never been at ease, often showing signs of weakness, deficiency, and exhaustion. Later, he was placed with his maternal grandfather for care, and he became even more emaciated, never marrying in his lifetime. He died on the third day of the fourth lunar month in the year Bingyin of the 16th year of Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty, and upon calculation, he was indeed twenty-eight years old.

夫日上長生是空亡，申為寺院，虛生是寄舍也。壬受申之虛生，卻去生寅木，木生巳火，克申金，申金受克，走來壬上避之，非本意來生也，故終身瘦弱。申數七，亥數四，四七二十八也。初巳火主上熱，末亥水主下冷，初傳巳火上下皆金，故雖上膈在熱而不渴，中間寅木，主風氣相擊，末傳水作勾陳，故下部不通。又巳火傷申金，肺喘必矣。

Explain the reasoning: The heavenly stem on the day is壬 water, and the god governing the day stem is申 metal. 申 is the place of growth for壬 water, but 申 is located in Kongwang, making the growth a false growth. In terms of symbolic meaning, 申 represents a temple, and false growth symbolizes the act of taking a false name and becoming a monk. 壬 water receives this false growth from 申 metal, but then turns to generate寅 wood, which in turn generates巳 fire, and巳 fire comes back to overcome 申 metal. 申 metal is overcome, so it has to escape to the day stem 壬 water to avoid being overcome, but it is not its true intention to generate 壬 water. Therefore, this person's whole life is weak and thin. Now look at the numbers: 申 is seven, 亥 is four, four multiplied by seven gives twenty-eight, which matches his lifespan. Regarding the location of the illness, the first transmission巳 fire indicates fever in the upper body, and the final transmission亥 water indicates cold in the lower body. The first transmission巳 fire is surrounded by metal on both sides, so although there is heat in the upper abdomen, there is no thirst. The middle transmission寅 wood belongs to wind, indicating wind affecting the middle part of the body and colliding. The final transmission亥 water is combined with Gou Chen, which indicates blockage, so the lower part is not unblocked. Moreover,巳 fire overcomes 申 metal, and 申 metal belongs to the lungs, so the lungs are injured by fire, leading inevitably to shortness of breath and coughing.

十一月壬午日，丑將卯時，遂安宮人占失馬。（方本占案）

On the Renwu day of the eleventh month, with Chou as the Month General and the卯 hour as the starting point, a palace servant from Suian County divined about a lost horse. This case is recorded in the Fang Ben "Divination Cases."

朱蛇貴后 卯辰巳午 合蛇陰常 子 戊寅 合 合寅 未陰 寅辰未酉 兄 丙子 青 勾丑 申玄 辰午酉壬 官 甲戌 虎 子亥戌酉 青空虎常

The divination chart is laid out flat. The twelve Earthly Branches are occupied by Heavenly Generals, starting from the Nobleman on巳 and arranged in reverse order: Vermilion Bird is on卯, Teng Snake is on辰, Nobleman is on巳, Heavenly Empress is on午, Tai Yin is on未, Black Tortoise is on申, Tai Chang is on酉, White Tiger is on戌, Tian Kong is on亥, Azure Dragon is on子, Gou Chen is on丑, Liu He is on寅. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the Day Stem 壬 is in the Lodging Palace 亥, with 酉 on亥, riding Tai Chang; the second lesson, 未 is on酉, riding Tai Yin; the third lesson, the Day Branch 午 has 辰 on it, riding Teng Snake; the fourth lesson, 辰 has 寅 on it, riding Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 寅, with the hidden stem 戊, belonging to 'son' and riding Liu He; the middle transmission is 子, with the hidden stem 丙, belonging to 'brother' and riding Azure Dragon; the final transmission is 戌, with the hidden stem 甲, belonging to 'official ghost' and riding White Tiger. The upper deities of the four lessons are 寅, 辰, 未, 酉, and the three transmissions are 寅, 子, 戌. The horse, 午, only appears in the lower deity position of the Day Branch and does not enter the transmission sequence.

邵彥和曰：午為馬，不入課傳，此馬不見矣。午加申道路之上，正行也，被人騎去矣。果然不見。吳稼云曰：寅為天馬，傳入青龍萬里之翼，故被人騎去也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the case: In the Six Rats system, Wu represents a horse. In this lesson, neither the four lessons nor the three transmissions contain Wu, indicating that the horse cannot be recovered. The Wu on the Heaven Plate is placed on Shen on the Earth Plate, and Shen governs roads, which symbolizes a horse traveling on the road, already ridden away. Later, it was indeed impossible to recover the horse. Wu Jiayun added: Yin is the Heavenly Horse, and in this lesson, Yin enters the three transmissions and is accompanied by the Azure Dragon. The Azure Dragon has the ability to run thousands of miles, and both the horse and the dragon are in motion, so it was concluded that the horse was taken away by someone.

同月丑時，或占失船。愚按：斷語中有「初八日內見」之句，壬午當是月朔也。（方本占案）

In the same month's Chou hour, another person came to inquire about a lost ship. Editor Cheng Shuxun notes: The statement "visible within eight days" in the interpretation indicates that this Renwu day must be the first day of the month. This case is recorded in the Fang edition of "Zhan An."

朱蛇貴后 卯辰巳午 合蛇陰常 子 戊寅 合 合寅 未陰 寅辰未酉 兄 丙子 青 勾丑 申玄 辰午酉壬 官 甲戌 虎 子亥戌酉 青空虎常

This lesson is identical to the previous one concerning a lost horse. After flattening the chart, it remains: the earthly branches are occupied by the heavenly generals, with the nobleman accompanying the巳, moving in reverse. The卯 is occupied by the Vermilion Bird, the辰 by the Teng Snake, the巳 by the nobleman, the午 by the Heavenly Empress, the未 by the Tai Yin, the申 by the Black Tortoise, the酉 by the Tai Chang, the戌 by the White Tiger, the亥 by the Tian Kong, the子 by the Azure Dragon, the丑 by the Gou Chen, and the寅 by the Liu He. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem is壬, lodging in the亥, with the酉 occupying the亥 and riding the Tai Chang; the酉 occupies the未 and rides the Tai Yin; the day branch is午, with the辰 occupying the午 and riding the Teng Snake; the辰 occupies the寅 and rides the Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is寅, with the hidden stem戊, belonging to 'son' and riding the Liu He; the middle transmission is子, with the hidden stem丙, belonging to 'brother' and riding the Azure Dragon; the final transmission is戌, with the hidden stem甲, belonging to 'official ghost' and riding the White Tiger.

邵彥和曰：此船往東南方尋之，初八日內即見，船在旱地上，所以不進耳。蓋六合為船，來寅發用，而加於辰上，船在旱地之象。辰為東南方也，寅木三數，辰土五數，故初八日內果然。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: this boat should go in the southeast direction and will be found within eight days; the boat is stranded on dry land, so it has not moved. The reasoning is as follows: Liu He represents boats and vessels. In this case, the initial transmission is寅 (Yin) riding on Liu He, which indicates the boat. Yin is also placed over Chen (earth), which symbolizes the boat being stranded on dry land. The position of Chen is in the southeast direction, thus indicating the need to search in the southeast. Looking at the numbers: Yin belongs to wood, whose number is three; Chen belongs to earth, whose number is five. Three plus five equals eight, so it is predicted that the news will be received within eight days, and this prediction later proved true.

己酉年正月壬午日，子將子時，邵三公壬申生，三十八歲，占終身。（宋本邵案、口鑑）

In the Jiyou year, first lunar month, on the Renwu day, with the Zi hour as the month general and starting the divination at the Zi hour, Zhao San Gong divined the person's destiny. This person was born in the Renshen year and was thirty-eight years old at the time of the divination. This case is recorded in the Song edition of "Zhao Case" and "Kou Jian."

朱合勾青 巳午未申 合合常常 兄 乙亥 常 蛇辰 酉空 午午亥亥 財 壬午 合 貴卯 戌虎 午午亥壬 兄 丙子 玄 寅丑子亥 后陰玄常

The month general and the hour share the same earthly branch, Zi. The heaven plate and earth plate overlap and remain stationary, forming a "Hidden Chant" lesson. The lesson disk is laid out as follows. The heavenly generals riding on the twelve earthly branches are arranged in reverse order starting from "Nobleman" at Mao: Zi is occupied by Vermilion Bird, Chou by Lake, Yin by Gou Chen, Mao by Azure Dragon, Chen by Tian Kong, Si by White Tiger, Wu by Tai Chang, Wei by Tai Yin, Shen by Heavenly Empress, You by Nobleman, Xu by Teng Snake, and Hai by Black Tortoise. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren is lodged in Hai, with Hai still appearing on Hai, riding Tai Chang; the second lesson, Hai again appears on Hai, riding Tai Chang; the third lesson, the day branch Wu still appears on Wu, riding Lake; the fourth lesson, Wu again appears on Wu, riding Lake. Hai and Hai, Wu and Wu are the same branches appearing again, forming the image of "Self-Punishment." The three transmissions: the first transmission is Hai, with the hidden stem Yi, belonging to "Brother," riding Tai Chang; the middle transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Ren, belonging to "Wife and Wealth," riding Lake; the final transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Ji, belonging to "Brother," riding Black Tortoise.

邵彥和曰：此課本身有自然祿，又有持服人相助，一生守己，衣食自如，但雖為六親，並妻妾子女。干支上本身自刑。自身若得殘疾壓之，方吉。宅上主添造，造後卻進人口。蓋乘六合故也。後被子孫出來使錢。初因豬上發，後因豬上敗。妻能起家，生子又多，午乃妻財，故起家，兼作六合故多子。愚按起家生多子者，午臨旺地也。但刑傷太多，恐九年之上，患癆病，連克子孫矣。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: The person seeking the divination naturally possesses a good fortune, and also receives support from someone who is mourning and wearing mourning clothes. Throughout his life, he remains upright and content, with no worries about food and clothing. However, this fortune, although falling on the Six Relations, also affects his wife, concubines, and children. Both the Day Stem and Day Branch are the same as the person's own branch, forming 'Self-Punishment'. The person himself must have some disability to suppress this punishment, which would be auspicious. The householder will have the construction of a new house, and after it is completed, more household members will be added, because the Branch is riding on Liu He, which signifies increase. In the future, the descendants will spend this wealth. He initially became rich through pigs, but later also lost his fortune due to pigs. His wife can establish a family and have many children, because Wu is the wife's wealth, so he can start a family through his wife; Wu also rides on Liu He, which signifies reproduction, so he has many children. Cheng Shuxun, the editor, remarked: The ability to start a family and have many children is because Wu fire is in his strong position. However, the punishment in this divination is too severe, so it is feared that after nine years, he may suffer from a wasting illness, and it will also cause harm to his descendants.

邵三公十七歲喪父，自起家，一生守己，養豬成家，妻有才幹，生男女十二人，存三男二女。本身有偏僻疾，因娶婦造屋。壬子年娶次媳，乃宦家女，費月數倍。又因豬瘟死，食其肉，舉家病，妻成癆，至癸亥年僅存一女而己。蓋日上自刑，乃人刑人也。宅上自刑，宅不居人也。末傳子作元武，子者子息也，元武為費用之神，元武便是本身之亥，我去刑他，元武便走在子息上，故主子息使錢也。己巳年家退盡。

Later it proved true: Shao San Gong lost his father at seventeen, started from scratch, lived a quiet and law-abiding life, and built up his fortune by raising pigs. His wife was very capable, giving birth to twelve children, both boys and girls, but only three sons and two daughters survived. He himself had a chronic illness, such as paralysis on one side. He built a new house to marry off his son, and in the Renzi year he married his second daughter-in-law, the daughter of an official family, which cost several times more than before. Later, the pigs in the family caught a disease and died, and the whole family ate the diseased pork, causing everyone to fall ill. His wife developed a wasting illness, and by the Guihai year, only one daughter was left. The reason these events came to pass is that the day stem's heavenly stem was self-inflicting, indicating mutual harm among family members, leading to internal family damage. The day branch's dwelling was also self-inflicting, indicating harm to the dwelling, leading to the inability to retain people. The final transmission's son was multiplied by the Black Tortoise, and the son in the Six Relations represents offspring; the Black Tortoise is a deity associated with expenditure. Shao Yanhe also pointed out that this Black Tortoise is equivalent to the亥 water of the diviner's own position. My side exerting influence on it caused the Black Tortoise to shift to the offspring position, thus indicating that the offspring would spend money. By the Jisi year, the family fortune was completely exhausted.

己酉年十月壬午日，寅將寅時，龔縣尉辛巳生二十九歲，占前程。（方本占案、口鑑）

In the year Jiyou, during the tenth month, on the day Renwu, using the hour Zhen as the month general and starting the calculation at the hour Zhen, Gongs County Magistrate asked about his official career prospects. He was born in the year Xinsi and was twenty-nine years old at the time of the divination. This case is recorded in the Fang Ben "Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

朱合勾青 巳午未申 合合常常 兄 乙亥 常 蛇辰 酉空 午午亥亥 財 壬午 合 貴卯 戌虎 午午亥壬 兄 丙子 玄 寅丑子亥 后陰玄常

The month general and the hour share the same stem, which is Yin. The heaven plate remains fixed over the earth plate, forming a 'Hidden Chant' divination. The structure of the divination is the same as the one in the previous example by Zhao San Gong. When the plate is laid out flat, the twelve earthly branches are occupied by the heavenly generals, starting with the 'Nobleman' at Mao and proceeding in reverse order: Zi is occupied by the Vermilion Bird, Chou by Liu He, Yin by Gou Chen, Mao by the Azure Dragon, Chen by Tian Kong, Si by the White Tiger, Wu by Tai Chang, Wei by Tai Yin, Shen by the Heavenly Empress, You by the Nobleman, Xu by Teng Snake, and Hai by the Azure Dragon. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ren is lodged in Hai, and Hai is still occupied by Hai, with Tai Chang as its occupant; the second lesson, Hai is again occupied by Hai, with Tai Chang as its occupant; the third lesson, the day branch Wu is still occupied by Wu, with Liu He as its occupant; the fourth lesson, Wu is again occupied by Wu, with Liu He as its occupant. Both the heavenly and earthly stems are the same as their respective branches, forming the image of 'Self-Punishment'. The three transmissions are as follows: the first transmission is Hai, with the hidden stem Yi, belonging to 'Brother', occupied by Tai Chang; the middle transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Ren, belonging to 'Wife's Wealth', occupied by Liu He; the final transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Bing, belonging to 'Brother', occupied by the Black Tortoise.

邵彥和曰：此課本身，現在戴祿，又作太常，必有兼職之事，俸祿亦增。若論升轉則未。蓋支干自刑，日後因得寵，遂做不廉之事，又因納一美妾，貪色尋醫而治，欲解任不能，幸遇一外路監司經過，為公懇告，遂得解任。但伏吟時下未發，只等替時自見耳。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: The person consulted is currently wearing the luck of official rank, with the Tai Chang occupying the position above it. Tai Chang signifies authority and responsibility, so there will certainly be matters of taking on additional duties, and the salary will also increase. However, if asking about promotion or transfer, it is not yet possible. Because both the day stem and day branch are self-punishing, he will later be favored by his superior and thus engage in corrupt practices. He also took in a beautiful concubine, becoming addicted to women and eventually falling ill, requiring medical treatment. He wishes to resign but cannot escape his position. Fortunately, an official from another region happened to pass by and sincerely pleaded on his behalf, allowing him to be relieved of his post. However, this divination is a hidden chant, with the energy suppressed and not yet released. It will only reveal itself when his term of office is completed and someone else takes over.

蓋干支自刑，主自滿，月建前一辰，子上是元武，為天醫（愚按：月建前二辰為天醫，今以前一辰為天醫何也），沖起行年上午之六合，晝貴又乘天后，為干之偏財，乃妾也。元武六合皆不正之神，故貪色而淫泆過度，致得病而求醫。子午為官員往來之所，道路神也。月建前神是外監司，必外除方解。

Explain the reasoning: When both the day stem and day branch are self-incriminating, self-incrimination indicates self-satisfaction and arrogance. The month builder in the tenth month is at Hai. Counting one zhen ahead from the month builder, we reach Zi. On Zi, the Black Tortoise is present, which is taken as "Tianyi" (Heavenly Physician). (Editor Cheng Shuxun notes: According to the usual practice, Tianyi should be two zhen ahead, so why is it taken as one zhen here? It is questionable.) Zi then triggers theLiu He (Liu He) at the hour position of the morning. In the day lesson, the nobleman is taken as the daytime nobleman, and it also takes the image of the Heavenly Empress. The Heavenly Empress andLiu He both relate to women. The fire at Wu is the "biased wealth" of the day stem Ren water. In terms of human affairs, biased wealth represents a concubine. The Black Tortoise andLiu He are both unorthodox deities, so they indicate a tendency to indulge in women, leading to excessive indulgence and illness requiring medical attention. Zi and Wu are places where officials travel, both belonging to the deities of roads. The deity preceding the month builder represents the external supervisor, so it is concluded that one must wait for an assignment to an external post before the current difficulties can be resolved.

龔尉因主簿壞去，遂權署其印，得太守寵，遂傍若無人，又納一妾，頗多淫樂，其後龔尉滿替。因前看騐事受賄，被人論告，欲去不能。州縣又不與批結，遂求湖北運司胡某。胡向與龔父交好，又與天守是往日同寅官。因經過見太守。為龔力肯，遂準放行，乃得歸也。

Later, the prediction proved true: the chief clerk was dismissed for misconduct, and Gongs County Magistrate took over the chief clerk's seal and duties, gaining the favor of the prefect. He became arrogant and behaved as if no one else existed. He also took a concubine and indulged himself in pleasures. When Gongs' term ended and someone was to take over, he was accused of accepting bribes in the course of examining cases. He tried to flee but could not; the county office would not issue a clearance document. He had no choice but to seek help from Hu, a official in the Hubei Transport Commission. Hu had once been friendly with Gongs' father and was also a former colleague of the prefect. On his way to attend official business, Hu visited the prefect, strongly pleaded Gongs' case, and the prefect finally allowed him to leave. Gongs was thus able to escape and return home.

四月癸未日，申將午時，占來意。（指歸靈文論）

On the Guiwei day of the fourth month, using the monkey (申) as the Month General and starting the divination at the hour of the horse (午), the case is about predicting the matter inquired by the person. This case is from the "Zhi Gui" and "Ling Wen Lun".

朱合勾龍 未申酉戌 空勾貴陰 財 辛巳 貴 蛇午 亥空 亥酉巳卯 官 癸未 朱 貴巳 子虎 酉未卯癸 父 酉 勾 ◎ 辰卯寅丑 后陰玄常

The divination board is laid out flat. The twelve earthly branches are occupied by the heavenly generals, starting from the nobleman at巳 and proceeding in order: Vermilion Bird is on 未, Liu He is on 申, Gou Chen is on 酉, Azure Dragon is on 戌, Tian Kong is on 亥, White Tiger is on 子, Tai Chang is on 丑, Black Tortoise is on 寅, Tai Yin is on 卯, Heavenly Empress is on 辰, Nobleman is on 巳, Teng Snake is on 午. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem 癸 is in the lodging palace 丑, with 丑 having 卯, occupied by Tai Yin; the second lesson, 卯 has巳, occupied by Nobleman; the third lesson, the day branch 未 has 酉, occupied by Gou Chen; the fourth lesson, 酉 has 亥, occupied by Tian Kong. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 巳, with the hidden stem 辛, belonging to 'wife and wealth', occupied by Nobleman; the second transmission is 未, with the hidden stem 癸, belonging to 'officials and ghosts', occupied by Vermilion Bird; the third transmission is 酉, belonging to 'parents', occupied by Gou Chen. The symbol '◎' indicates an empty transmission. On the day Guiwei, which belongs to the cycle Jiaxu, the branches 申 and 酉 are in the empty position. Since 酉 is empty, there is no hidden stem to pair with, so the hidden stem column is left blank.

斷曰：來意事起官員出行，道路必遠，行至中途，逢改差。權監酒稅文字，又主本家二婦人，蒙蔽不睦。婢落井內死。因此不滿任而回。

The interpretation states: The matter inquired about by the person originates from an official's travel, and the journey will certainly be very long. Halfway through the trip, he will encounter a change in assignment and be transferred to take charge of administrative duties related to the collection of wine and taxes. It also indicates that there are two women in his household who are deceiving each other and not in harmony; a servant girl will fall into a well and drown. Due to these reasons, he will not complete his current term in office and will have to return.

何以見之，蓋天乙為官員，乘巳加卯，主門戶，又傳陰出陰，主出行赴外任。卦名遙克，主道路。中傳未乘朱雀，主改差，下臨巳月建上，主權。末為酒，朱雀主文字，故云，權監酒稅文字。日上卯作太陰，主婦人。末傳酉亦為婦人，故云二婦人，太陰為妾，又為蒙蔽。酉為婢，作勾陳，主口舌爭訟。酉臨未，未有井宿。甲戌旬，酉為空亡，四月酉為死氣，故云落井而死。初傳克末傳又空，故不滿任而回也。

Why is it interpreted this way? The heavenly stem of Tianyi Guiren represents an official, and it is located on the branch Si, which is also overlaid on the branch Mao. Mao represents the gate and house, indicating an official leaving home. The three transmissions move from a yin branch to another yin branch, indicating going out to take office. The lesson pattern is named "Remote克制" (remote克制), which signifies long-distance travel. The middle transmission is on the branch Wei, which is occupied by Zhuque, representing documents and orders, so it is interpreted as a change in assignment. Wei is also located on the branch Si, which is the month builder for the fourth month, indicating temporary authority. The final transmission is on the branch You, which in symbolic terms represents wine. Zhuque represents documents, and together they indicate the position of supervising wine tax documents. The day stem is on the branch Mao, which is occupied by Taiyin, representing a woman. The final transmission You also represents a woman, so it is said there are two women in the family. Taiyin represents a concubine and also concealment, so it is interpreted that the two women are causing confusion and discord. You also represents a servant, which is occupied by Gouchen, representing disputes and arguments. You is located on the branch Wei, which corresponds to the mansion of Jingxu. The day is Guiwei, which is in the Jiaxu unit, and You is in the empty position. In the fourth month, the metal of You is in the death position, so it is concluded that the servant fell into a well and died. The initial transmission Si fire overcomes the final transmission You metal, and the final transmission is in the empty position, so it is concluded that he will not complete this term of office and will return.

戊申年七月初一癸未日，午將卯時，劉判官己未生五十歲，占前程。（捷要、口鑑）

In the year Wushen, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the day was Guiwei. Using the hour of Wu as the month general and starting the divination at the hour of Mao, Liu Judge divined for a question about official career prospects. The person was born in the year Jiwei and was fifty years old at the time of divination. This case is recorded in both the "Jieyao" and "Koujian."

合勾青空 申酉戌亥 常青朱后 官 庚辰 后 朱未 子虎 丑戌未辰 官 癸未 朱 蛇午 丑常 戌未辰癸 官 甲戌 青 巳辰卯寅 貴后陰玄

The divination chart is laid out flat. The twelve Earthly Branches are occupied by the Heavenly Generals, starting from "Nobleman" on巳 and proceeding in a clockwise direction: 申 has Liu He, 酉 has Gou Chen, 戌 has Qing Long, 亥 has Tian Kong, 子 has Bai Hu, 丑 has Tai Chang, 寅 has Xuan Wu, 卯 has Tai Yin, 辰 has Tian Hou, 巳 has Nobleman, 午 has Teng Snake, 未 has Zhu Que. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the Day Stem 癸 is in the Lodging Palace 丑, with 丑 having 辰, occupied by Tian Hou; the second lesson, 辰 has 未, occupied by Zhu Que; the third lesson, the Day Branch 未 has 戌, occupied by Qing Long; the fourth lesson, 戌 has 丑, occupied by Tai Chang. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 辰, with the hidden stem 庚, belonging to "Official Ghost," occupied by Tian Hou; the middle transmission is 未, with the hidden stem 癸, belonging to "Official Ghost," occupied by Zhu Que; the final transmission is 戌, with the hidden stem 甲, belonging to "Official Ghost," occupied by Qing Long. The three transmissions are all earth, and earth controls water day, so the three transmissions are all "Official Ghost."

邵彥和曰：日上見墓神，天后又是滯神，今方自墓中脫去。中傳未是旬末，末傳歸家，卻見旬首，旬首加旬尾，做官方做起，卻又早歸家，如何得改官遷轉？不如治生，何以見之？本命在中傳，甲戌旬末是癸未，未土癸水，為三傳全鬼，卻變成財，若要求官仍復為鬼，所以治生，必然興發，為甚佳也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: The day stem's heavenly stem is Chen, which is the storage of water. On top of Chen is the Heavenly Empress, which is a god of stagnation. Now this energy has just emerged from the storage. The middle transmission is Wei, which is the last position of the Jiaxu decade. The final transmission is Xu, which returns to its original position, and this is exactly the beginning of the decade. The beginning of the decade is pressing down on the end of the decade, meaning that the official position has just begun, but the person has already returned home early. How can there be promotion or change in official position? It is better to return to manage one's livelihood. Why is it interpreted this way? His true destiny falls on Wei, which is on the middle transmission. The last position of the Jiaxu decade is Guiwei. Wei belongs to earth, and Gui belongs to water. The three transmissions, Chen, Wei, and Xu, are all gods that control the person, which are officials. However, for someone engaged in business, these officials transform into wealth. If one is focused on seeking official positions, they will still show the fierce nature of ghosts. Therefore, it is advised to change one's profession and manage one's livelihood, which will certainly bring prosperity. This is the best path.

劉判官三十八上及第，到五十歲，方受第一任，緣是庶出，丁了三服，服闋，方做判官。任滿，不得改官，任中文字又多不足，遂思先生之言，歸家治生，開雜賣鋪，販賤鬻貴，資財日旺，初開店時，止有三千餘貫，後十二年，共發主三十五萬貫，造屋買田，如法做起，信知先生之言不妄也。

Later it turned out to be true: Liu Panguan passed the imperial examination at the age of thirty-eight, but did not receive his first actual official post until he was fifty. Since he was a庶出 son, he had to serve three periods of mourning, and only after completing the mourning period did he become a judge. After his term ended, he was not allowed to change his post or promote, and the official documents he handled during his term had many that did not meet the standards. It was then that he recalled the words of Master Shao Yanhe. He returned home and started a business, opening a general store, buying low and selling high, and his wealth grew day by day. When he first opened the shop, he had only about three thousand guan of capital. In the following twelve years, he earned a total of thirty-five thousand guan. He built houses and purchased farmland, doing everything properly. Thus we can see that the Master's prediction was not empty talk.

同年月日時，劉一翁代丙辰生人，五十三歲，占身位，同此數。

In the same year, same month, same day, and same hour, Liu Yiweng cast a divination for a person born in the Bingchen year who was fifty-three years old, and the resulting chart was exactly the same as the previous one.

合勾青空 申酉戌亥 常青朱后 官 庚辰 后 朱未 子虎 丑戌未辰 官 癸未 朱 蛇午 丑常 戌未辰癸 官 甲戌 青 巳辰卯寅 貴后陰玄

The divination chart is exactly the same as the previous one by Liu Judge: the twelve earthly branches are occupied by the heavenly generals starting from "Nobleman" on巳 and proceeding in order - on申 is Liu He, on酉 is Gou Chen, on戌 is Azure Dragon, on亥 is Tian Kong, on子 is White Tiger, on丑 is Tai Chang, on寅 is Black Tortoise, on卯 is Tai Yin, on辰 is Heavenly Empress, on巳 is Nobleman, on午 is Teng Snake, on未 is Vermilion Bird. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem is癸, which is lodged in丑, with辰 on丑 and occupied by Heavenly Empress; on辰 is未, occupied by Vermilion Bird; the day branch is未, with戌 on未 and occupied by Azure Dragon; on戌 is丑, occupied by Tai Chang. The three transmissions: the first transmission is辰, with the hidden stem庚, belonging to "official ghost" and occupied by Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is未, with the hidden stem癸, belonging to "official ghost" and occupied by Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is戌, with the hidden stem甲, belonging to "official ghost" and occupied by Azure Dragon. The only difference is the birth year of the inquirer - previously the person was born inJiwei, with未 in the middle transmission; this time the person was born inBingchen, with辰 in the first transmission.

邵彥和曰：此人不長久，目下如雲霧中行耳。明年五十四歲，行年在未，見戌加之為閉口，戌為九月，其人九月間，患積塊疼痛，氣塞脹蠱而終。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: This person will not live long. His current situation is like walking through clouds and mist, with the path ahead completely unclear. By next year, when he is fifty-four years old, his age will fall on Wei. Wei is further overlaid by Xu, forming the "closed mouth" pattern, indicating blocked energy flow. Xu also represents September. Therefore, it is concluded that this person will develop a painful mass in the abdomen during September, with blocked energy and swollen abdomen, leading to death like a蛊.

或問：此人與劉判官，同月將日時，同得此課，何故前言治生，此言就死？邵彥和曰：前是己未生，中傳得本命，自墓引生來，末傳見旬首，周而復始，三傳全鬼，卻化為財，所以治生發旺也。此是丙辰生，他的本命自來墓身，既來添墓，如何去得？

Someone asked: This person and Liu Panguan used the same month general, same day and hour, and the divination chart they produced was exactly the same. Why did the previous one predict that Liu Panguan would change his profession to business and become wealthy, while this person is predicted to die? Shao Yanhe answered: The previous one was born in the year Jiwei, his birth year's branch Wei was not in the middle transmission, but was drawn out from the storage, and the final transmission met the beginning of the ten-day cycle Xu, which marks the start of a new cycle. Although all three transmissions were official ghosts, for a person engaged in business, they transformed into wealth, so it was predicted that he would prosper in his business. This person, however, was born in the year Bingchen, his birth year's branch Chen is itself the storage of water. Now he has deliberately added it to himself, adding another storage on top of the storage. How can he escape the consequences?

邵彥和先生嘗謂門人曰，古次客之法，因數人同時來占，乃用前五後三，換將不換時之例，試之每不驗。蓋燭照禍福，全賴太陽之光明，故以正將正時為最，其次則換時不換將耳。今餘以各人年命為主，課雖同而理則異。區別懸殊，十不失一。愚按邵公此論誠為正理。故從張繼唐先生本內，而摘錄之，於此。至於出自何書，則未之也。近見張星源所注河棹，以一時而演五十七課，以為出於中黃經，為次客之秘法。支離穿？誠堪捧腹，況中黃經內，並無此條。殆張星源之杜撰，欲未可知也。

Master Shao Yanhe once told his disciples that the traditional method for handling "secondary guests" (when several people come for divination at the same hour) was to push forward five chens and step back three chens when several people arrived at the same time, changing only the month general but not the hour. I have tried this method many times, but it often fails. Because divination can reveal fortune and misfortune, it relies entirely on the light of the sun—the month general is where the sun is. Therefore, using the correct month general and hour of the original time is the best. If we take a step back, we can only change the hour but not the month general. Now I have changed the method to use each person's year and destiny as the main factor. Although the divination pattern is the same, the reasoning for each person is different, and the distinctions are very significant. This method is accurate ten times out of ten. Editor Cheng Shuxun remarked: Master Shao's remarks are indeed correct, so he has quoted this from Master Zhang Jitang's manuscript. As for the original source, it is unknown. Recently, I have seen Zhang Xingyuan's commentary on the "He Zhao," which claims to perform fifty-seven lessons in one hour, saying it comes from the "Zhonghuang Jing." This claim is very fragmented and baseless, and it is really amusing. Moreover, the "Zhonghuang Jing" does not contain this passage at all, and it is likely that Zhang Xingyuan fabricated it himself.

慶曆八年戊子，楚衍因到雍邱，知縣張邴邀衍至廳。正月十四日，占今年豐歉。是日癸未，得申時。（一針見血）

In the eighth year of Qingli during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, when the stem-branch cycle was Wuzi, the astronomer and calendar expert Chu Yan came to Yuqiu County for some affairs. County Magistrate Zhang Bing invited him to meet in the county hall. On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, a divination was performed to predict the annual harvest. This day was Guiwei, and the divination was started at the hour of Shen. This case is recorded in "Yizhen Jianxue."

勾龍空虎 酉戌亥子 陰空勾貴 父 酉 勾 ◎ 合申 丑常 卯亥酉巳 官 丁丑 常 ⊙ 朱未 寅玄 亥未巳癸 財 辛巳 貴 午巳辰卯 蛇貴后陰

The divination chart is laid out flat. The twelve Earthly Branches are each occupied by a Heavenly General, starting from "Nobleman" at巳 and proceeding in order: 酉 has Gou Chen, 戌 has Qing Long, 亥 has Tian Kong, 子 has Bai Hu, 丑 has Tai Chang, 寅 has Xuan Wu, 卯 has Tai Yin, 辰 has Tian Hou, 巳 has Nobleman, 午 has Teng Snake, 未 has Zhu Que, 申 has Liu He. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson, the Day Stem Gui is in the palace of 丑, with 巳 on 丑, occupied by Nobleman; the second lesson, 酉 is on 巳, occupied by Gou Chen; the third lesson, the Day Branch 未 has 亥, occupied by Tian Kong; the fourth lesson, 亥 has 卯, occupied by Tai Yin. The three transmissions: the first transmission is 酉, belonging to "parents," occupied by Gou Chen, with "◎" indicating an empty position in the ten-day cycle, as on the Gui Wei day, which belongs to the Jia Xu ten-day cycle, with 申 and 酉 being empty, so there is no hidden stem; the middle transmission is 丑, with hidden stem Ding, belonging to "official ghost," occupied by Tai Chang, with an additional "⊙" mark, the original text did not explain this notation, so it is recorded as is; the final transmission is 巳, with hidden stem Xin, belonging to "spouse wealth," occupied by Nobleman.

楚衍曰：今日申初二刻，立春，卻得申時，以月將神后加申。三下賊上俱比，以涉害從魁加巳為用，將得勾陳，中傳大吉加酉，太常。終傳太乙加丑，貴人。太歲上得天罡，乘天后。此年宜麥宜麻之稔。其餘？米不豐。西南半熟，東北全荒。米？湧貴金銀銅錢，物賤，人民饑荒。仍有疾疫，及盜賊驚恐，其年一一應驗。

Chu Yanyan said: Today, at the second hour of the month of Shen, the beginning of spring begins. The course starts with the time of Shen, so the month general of the first month, "Shenhou" (Zi), is placed on the position of Shen to set up the chart. This course has three instances where the lower deity conquers the upper deity, and all of them are in harmony with the day stem (same yin and yang). According to the rule, "Shihai" is used to determine the use, obtaining "Congkui" (You) placed on the position of Si as the first transmission, riding on Gou Chen. The middle transmission is "Daji" (Chou) placed on the position of You, riding on Tai Chang. The final transmission is "Taiyi" (Si) placed on the position of Chou, riding on the Nobleman. The position of the heavenly stem Zi has "Tiangang" (Chen), which rides on Heavenly Empress. Based on this, it is judged that this year is suitable for planting wheat and hemp, and wheat and hemp can be expected to have a good harvest; the rest of the grains are not abundant. The southwest is partially mature, while the northeast is completely barren. The price of rice is rising sharply, while silver, gold, and copper money become cheap, causing the people to suffer from famine. There will also be an outbreak of epidemic diseases and disturbances by thieves. All these events indeed occurred in the year.

議曰，太歲上神，與初傳從魁為合，是金土相生，所以宜麻麥金銀銅錢物賤，太歲臨空，又天罡加臨歲上，故主人民饑荒、盜賊、疾疫。西南方有亥子水神加之，與立春日干無傷，為吉將，得天空白虎凶神，故得半熟。東北方位，有巳午未火神加之，與立春日干克戰為凶，又將得蛇雀凶神，故主全荒也。

The commentary states: The deity at the position of the year's master is Chen, which combines with the first transmission 'Congkui' in You. Chen earth generates You metal, so it indicates favorable conditions for hemp and wheat, while the prices of silver, gold, and copper money are low. The deity at the position of the year's master is added to the earth plate at Shen. Shen is located in the position of the ten-thousand emptiness, and Tiangang Chen is pressing on the position of the year's master, so it indicates that the people suffer from famine, bandits run rampant, and epidemics spread. In the southwest, the water deities Zi and Hai are added, which share the same energy as the day stem Gui water on the day of Start of Spring and do not harm or control each other, which is a favorable general; however, they also meet theInauspicious Spirit Tian Kong and Baihu, so the outcome is only half good. In the northeast, the fire deities Si, Wu, and Wei are added, which fight against the day stem Gui water on the day of Start of Spring, indicating a凶 situation. The generals accompanying it are Teng Snake and Zhu Que, two凶 generals, so it is concluded that the entire northeast region suffers from famine.