In the year Wushen of the Jianyan era, on the second month, on the day Jiazi, He Qi Shoucai divined the current year from the Oral Mirror.

建炎戊申年二月甲子日亥將午時，何七秀才壬申生三十七歲占流年。《口鑑》。方本作占家宅。

In the fifth year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, on the second month, Jiazi day, the divination was cast with the hour of Hai as the starting point and the time of Wu. The case involves He Qiuxiu, born in the year Renshen, aged thirty-seven, who consulted about the fortune of this year. This example is found in the "Koujian"; the "Fang Ben Zhan An" records it as a consultation about the family dwelling.

合朱蛇貴 　戌亥子丑　合常蛇空　父 甲子 蛇 勾酉　寅后　戌巳子未　子 己巳 常 青申　卯陰　巳子未甲　財 　戌 合 ◎ 　未午巳辰 　空虎常玄

The divination board shows that at the time of the hour of You (亥), the Heavenly General is added to the position of Wu (午). The Heaven Plate moves five positions ahead of the Earth Plate: Xu (戌) is added to the Earth Plate position Si (巳), Hai (亥) to Wu (午), Zi (子) to Wei (未), Chou (丑) to Shen (申), Yin (寅) to You (酉), Mao (卯) to Xu (戌), Chen (辰) to Hai (亥), Si (巳) to Zi (子), Wu (午) to Chou (丑), Wei (未) to Yin (寅), Shen (申) to Mao (卯), You (酉) to Chen (辰). The Twelve Heavenly Generals start from the Nobleman at position Chou (丑) and move in reverse since Chou is at the Earth Plate position Shen (申), which is yin. Teng Snake is at Zi (子), Vermilion Bird at Hai (亥), Liu He at Xu (戌), Gou Chen at You (酉), Azure Dragon at Shen (申), Tian Kong at Wei (未), White Tiger at Wu (午), Tai Chang at Si (巳), Black Tortoise at Chen (辰), Tai Yin at Mao (卯), and Heavenly Empress at Yin (寅). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem Jia (甲) lodging in position Yin (寅), with position Wei (未) on top, riding Tian Kong; the second lesson has position Zi (子) on top of Wei (未), riding Teng Snake; the third lesson has position Si (巳) on top of Zi (子), riding Tai Chang; the fourth lesson has position Xu (戌) on top of Si (巳), riding Liu He. The three transmissions on the right side are: the first transmission is Zi (子), representing the parent's yao, hidden stem Jia (甲), riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Si (巳), representing the child's yao, hidden stem Ji (己), riding Tai Chang; the final transmission is Xu (戌), representing the wealth yao, riding Liu He, with Xu (戌) being in the empty position of the ten-day cycle, marked as 「◎」. The position Wei (未) on the Day Stem is the burial place of Jia (甲) wood, and the following discussion about 'buried stem' and 'heavenly prison' begins from here.

邵彥曰：歲內眷屬人來，必成大獄。天罡加日本，名天獄故也。鄭體功先生曰：占流年以行年為主，行年上未來墓干，故主一年之事皆不橫亨通。其事為何？體用：體是天獄課，用是子與未六害，故以官訟等事斷之。訟起六月者，未為六月建也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted the divination: Within this year, relatives will come to the door, and it will certainly lead to a big legal dispute, because the Tiangang (Chen) is placed on the Day Branch's position, and the lesson is called "Heavenly Prison." Master Zheng Tigong said: When divining the current year, the person's age stem is the main factor. This person's age stem is "Wei," which is exactly the storage place of the Day Stem Jia. The "Wei" comes to store the Day Stem, so it indicates that all matters will be unsmooth during this year. As for what kind of matter, it should be combined with the lesson pattern and the initiating transmission: the lesson pattern is "Heavenly Prison," and the initiating transmission is "Zi." "Zi" and "Wei" form a six-harm relationship, so it is judged to be related to legal disputes. The legal dispute starts in June, because "Wei" is exactly the month builder of June.

愚按：《指掌賦》云：太常乘破碎為孝服，加天獄螣蛇生災致訟，法本於此。破碎作太常入宅，主有喪服人歸來分撓，被他爭屋。以行年與身作一處，蓋未交生，行年尚在丑，丑加申命，故曰行年與身作一處。只是今年事。末後須添一口，又見分灶也。蓋未加甲乃墓神，未為眷屬，天空為平地起堆之象。初傳子為父母，未為眷屬而作六害害人也，螣蛇擾人也。傳歸入宅，卻是兩重破碎，巳為廚灶，必主分灶不寧也。

Cheng Shuxun notes: The "Zhi Zhang Fu" states, "Tai Chang riding on the broken pieces god indicates mourning attire, and if combined with Tian Yu and Teng Snake, disaster and litigation will arise." Zheng's method of interpretation is based on this. The broken pieces god riding on Tai Chang and entering the dwelling position indicates that someone wearing mourning attire will return and cause disturbance, and there will be a dispute over the house. The phrase "the year of birth and the original birth year are in the same place" is because this person's birthday has not yet arrived, and their year of birth is still on Chou, while Chou is placed exactly on the position of the original birth year Shen. Therefore, the year of birth and the original birth year are in the same place, which limits the matter to within this year. In the end, the family will add another person, and the image of dividing the stove and cooking separately appears: Wei is placed on Ji, which is the tomb god, and Wei in the category god position indicates family members. Tian Kong indicates a mound rising from flat ground. The first transmission Zi is the parent's yao, and Wei, representing family members, forms a six harm with Zi, indicating harm. Teng Snake indicates disturbance. The third transmission finally returns to the dwelling position, which is again two layers of broken pieces. Si is in the category god position, indicating the kitchen stove, so there will certainly be division of the stove and unrest in the household.

何秀才兄弟五人，最小者與姊為子，父母在日家產已作四股均分，當年四月其姑丈死，姑已先亡，家務又已久退，故小弟於六月歸家，諸兄皆不容，遂興訟，州縣斷理撥財產與之，著依舊歸姑家過活，小弟仍不服，直上控至大理寺，始有歸條。自戊申六月興訟，至壬子年十二月方止。

The matter was as follows: He Xiucai had five brothers. The youngest was adopted by his aunt as her son. While his parents were still alive, the family property had already been divided into four shares. In this year's fourth month, his aunt's husband died. His aunt had already passed away earlier, and the property of his aunt's family had long since declined. Therefore, in June of that year, the youngest brother returned to his original family. However, his elder brothers refused to take him in, leading to a lawsuit. The county magistrate ruled to allocate a portion of the property to him and ordered him to continue living with his aunt's family. The youngest brother was不服, and kept appealing all the way to the Supreme Court, only then did a final decision come about. The lawsuit started in June of the Wushen year and continued until December of the Renzi year when it was finally settled.

甲以巳為子息，末傳戌刑未，故動而有爭。所謂不沖不發，不刑不動也。戌乘六合，卯與戌合，主進人口，是此子歸來之兆。當年六月興訟，未加甲，蛇撓之。初子與未相害，故興訟。壬子年十一月又見子水克火，制破碎，故寧貼。

The day stem Jia takes巳 as its子孙, and the final transmission is戌, which also harms未. Therefore, once the matter is set in motion, disputes arise — this is the principle of "without a clash, there is no success; without a刑, there is no movement." The戌 is covered by Liu He, and卯 and戌 are in a harmonious relationship, indicating the addition of household members, which is a sign that the brother who was adopted out has returned. In June of that year, litigation arose because未 was not added to Jia, and Teng Snake caused disturbances; the first transmission子 formed a six harm relationship with未, leading to the lawsuit. By the eleventh month of the Renzi year, it coincided with子 water overcoming fire and controlling the破碎 god, thus the matter settled down.

愚按：此小注惟方本有之，蓋後人所增也。愚按：邵諸課皆以六合為合，此注是也；《直指》以戌刑未字火為填小口，大謬。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: The above note is only found in the Fang Ben Zhan An, and it should have been added by later people. Another remark: Shao Yanhe used 'Liu He' as the harmonious deity in all his lessons, and this note exactly follows his method; however, the Liunin Zhizhi mistakenly explained the section on戌 being in conflict with未 as 'filling the small mouth', which is a great error.

建炎戊申年二月甲子日亥將巳時。徐學士戊辰生四十一歲，占前程。《方本占案》《口鑑》。

In the fifth year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, on the day of Jiazi in the second lunar month, the divination was cast with the hour of Hai as the starting point for the time of Si. Xu, a learned man born in the year of Wuchen, aged forty-one, consulted about his official career prospects. This case is recorded in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian."

朱蛇貴后 　亥子丑寅　蛇虎後青　兄 丙寅 后 合戌　卯陰　子午寅申　官 壬申 青 勾酉　辰玄　午子申甲　兄 丙寅 后 　申未午巳 　青空虎常

The divination plate. The month general is亥, added to the巳 hour. The month general and the time of divination are directly opposite. The heaven plate advances six positions ahead of the earth plate. The twelve branches are paired in opposition, which is called 'returning echo' (返吟) lesson. The heaven plate亥 is added to the earth plate巳, 子 is added to 午, 丑 to 未, 寅 to 申, 卯 to 酉, 辰 to 戌, 巳 to 亥, 午 to 子, 未 to 丑, 申 to 寅, 酉 to 卯, 戌 to 辰. The heavenly general starts from the nobleman on 丑. 丑 is on the earth plate 未, which is yin, so it moves in reverse: Teng Snake is on 子, Vermilion Bird on 亥, Liu He on 戌, Gou Chen on 酉, Azure Dragon on 申, Tian Kong on 未, White Tiger on 午, Tai Chang on 巳, Black Tortoise on 辰, Tai Yin on 卯, Heavenly Empress on 寅. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem 甲, which is in the 寅 palace, with 申 on 寅, riding the Azure Dragon; the second lesson is 申 with 寅 on it, riding the Heavenly Empress; the third lesson is the day branch 子 with 午 on it, riding the White Tiger; the fourth lesson is 午 with 子 on it, riding the Teng Snake. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is 寅, which is the brother's yao, with the hidden stem 丙, riding the Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is 申, which is the official ghost, with the hidden stem 壬, riding the Azure Dragon; the final transmission is again 寅, which is still the brother's yao, with the hidden stem 丙, riding the Heavenly Empress. 寅 is the禄神 and 德神 of 甲, appearing twice in the three transmissions, so the following text repeatedly takes merit from the 德禄 to achieve fame and status.

愚按：寅為德祿，馬作天后為恩澤，寅與戌為三合，故戌年及第，寅既有兩重又生支上午火子孫，故子亦霑恩，但返吟事不悠久，雖有德祿諸吉及第後而即亡也，祿臨絕地，豈能食祿乎。程聖一日此課全在德祿馬上看出功名。鄭體功先生曰兩重祿馬日德官星，當有兩重功名，一重繫占人不待言矣，仍一重看支上是何六親，今支上午為子息故父子同及第。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: Yin is both the virtue god and the禄 god of the day stem Jia, and the post-horse is also riding on the Heavenly Empress, who is the god of grace and favor. Yin forms a triple harmony with Xu, so the prediction is that the person will pass the examination in the year of Xu. Yin appears twice in the three transmissions and can generate the fire child on the day branch Wu, so the child also receives the grace. However, the reverse transmission lesson indicates that things cannot last long. Although there are various auspicious signs such as virtue and禄, the person passes the examination and then dies immediately - the禄 god is on the绝 position, how can one enjoy the禄 position for a long time? Cheng Shengyi said: this lesson fully reveals the official rank from virtue,禄 and the post-horse. Zheng Tigong said: there are two禄 and post-horse, the day virtue and official star are all present, so there will be two official ranks. One belongs to the person asking the question, which does not need further explanation. The other needs to look at which of the six relations is on the day branch. Now the day branch Wu is the child, so it is the father and son who pass the examination together.

邵彥和曰：本主身庚戌年及第，唱名當在第三甲。令郎當亦霑恩。至庚戌年，徐果中，在第三甲，其子習春秋，中在第五甲。徐銓試不中，六月授潭州司戶，七月病死。甲寅年其子亦死。蓋因日上見申，讀書人見之為無後，又是太歲來克干，當年即應不寧。何直至庚戌年中後方死耶？蓋因行年上子水生甲木，宅上午火制申金，且是催官使者，須見官而後死。及至庚戌年，行年在申，甲木臨申金而絕，故死。

Shao Yanhe interpreted that the master would pass the imperial examination in the Gengxu year and be ranked third in the third class; his son would also be favored. In the Gengxu year, Xu Xueshi indeed passed the examination and was ranked third; his son, who studied the Spring and Autumn Annals, was ranked fifth. Later, Xu Xueshi failed the official selection examination and was appointed as the official of Tanzhou in June, and died in July. In the Jiayin year, his son also died. This is because the day stem saw the sign of Shen; in the fortune chart of a scholar, the presence of Shen indicates no descendants, and since Shen is the year's master that overcomes the day stem, there should be disturbances that year. So why did it happen only after passing the examination in the Gengxu year? Because the year's sign, Zi water, can nourish Jia wood, and the house's sign, Wu fire, can overcome Shen metal. Moreover, Shen is the messenger of officialdom, so one must first obtain an official position before death. When the Gengxu year came, the year's sign reached Shen, and Jia wood at Shen entered the state of decline, so he died.

初末寅作天后，兩重兩露恩神，在官星之上，甲與寅皆承其恩澤。甲尊也，父也；寅卑也，子也。故俱霑恩。庚戌年身死，甲寅年子死，乃刑沖之故。又行年神克第三課，死神乘白虎入宅，為水所克，又甲木以午為子息，故子必受殃也。

The first transmission and the final transmission both have the寅 (Yin) occupied by the Heavenly Empress, indicating two instances of the benevolent deity appearing. This deity is above the official star, so both Jia and Yin receive its grace. Jia represents honor and father, while Yin represents humility and son, so both father and son are blessed. In the year of Gengxu, the person dies, and in the year of Jiayin, the son dies, due to punishment and clash. Furthermore, the year's deity overcomes the third lesson, the Death Deity occupies the White Tiger and enters the dwelling position, and is overcome by water. Since Jia wood takes the午 (Wu) as its son, the son is certainly affected.

愚按：此課邵公先未斷出，事後乃推測言之。

Cheng Shuxun notes: In this case, Shao Yanhe did not originally predict all the outcomes beforehand; instead, he made the deductions and comments after the fact.

己酉年九月甲子日卯將申時，樊郎中占項秀才病，項丁丑生三十三歲。《口鑑》《方本占案》。

In the year Jiyou, ninth month, on the day Jiazi, the divination was started by placing the hour of Mao over the hour of Shen. Fan Langzhong cast the divination for Xiang Xiucai's illness. Xiang was born in the year Dingchou and was thirty-three years old. This example is found in the "Koujian" and "Fangben Zhan'an."

愚按：寅中有甲，未中有己，甲己相合是以相通，況陰神見酉為色慾也。

Cheng Shuxun notes: The branch Yin contains hidden Jia wood, and the branch Wei contains hidden Ji earth. Jia and Ji are compatible, so they communicate secretly with each other. Moreover, the hidden Yin spirit shows You, and You in the category of spirits is associated with desire.

蛇貴后陰 　子丑寅卯　后空玄勾　兄 丙寅 后 朱亥　辰玄　寅未辰酉　官 癸酉 勾 合戌　巳常　未子酉甲　財 戊辰 玄 　酉申未午 　勾青空虎

The divination plate. In the ninth month, with the hour stem of卯 (Mao) and the hour branch of申 (Shen), the Heaven Plate advances seven positions ahead of the Earth Plate: Zi (子) is added to the Earth Plate's巳 (Si), Chou (丑) to午 (Wu), Yin (寅) to未 (Wei), Mao (卯) to申 (Shen), Chen (辰) to酉 (You), Si (巳) to戌 (Xu), Wu (午) to亥 (Hai), Wei (未) to子 (Zi), Shen (申) to丑 (Chou), You (酉) to寅 (Yin), Xu (戌) to卯 (Mao), Hai (亥) to辰 (Chen). The Heavenly General starts from the Nobleman at丑 (Chou), and since it is yin, it moves in reverse: Teng Snake is on子 (Zi), Vermilion Bird on亥 (Hai), Liu He on戌 (Xu), Gou Chen on酉 (You), Azure Dragon on申 (Shen), Tian Kong on未 (Wei), Bai Hu on午 (Wu), Tai Chang on巳 (Si), Tai Yin on辰 (Chen), Tian Hou on寅 (Yin). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia (甲) lodging in寅 (Yin), with酉 (You) on寅 (Yin), riding Gou Chen; the second lesson has辰 (Chen) on酉 (You), riding Xuan Wu; the third lesson has the day branch Zi (子) with未 (Wei) on Zi, riding Tian Kong; the fourth lesson has寅 (Yin) on未 (Wei), riding Tian Hou. On the right side, the three transmissions are: the first transmission is寅 (Yin), representing a brother's yao, with the hidden stem Bing (丙), riding Tian Hou; the middle transmission is酉 (You), representing the official ghost of the day stem, with the hidden stem Gui (癸), riding Gou Chen; the final transmission is辰 (Chen), representing wealth yao, with the hidden stem Wu (戊), riding Xuan Wu.

邵彥和曰：此病因往妻家有私情，暗中相約，又失去情人所贈之物，遂思慮而得病，久而不治，必成癆怯。丑事固難言然必說明而病乃安矣。當時樊亦庸醫，因聞此斷，假託診脈為名，言其病症，人皆驚異以為神醫。蓋項先與舅嫂通，被妻舅知覺，項遂歸。舅嫂以手帕贈之，後為妻？去，項不敢問，思之成病，肌膚消瘦。妻聞樊言，以帕還之且深戒利害，兼服藥而愈。

Shao Yanhe diagnosed the case saying: this illness was caused by going to his wife's family and having an affair with someone, secretly making an appointment, later losing the item given by the lover, and worrying himself sick; if left untreated for long, it would certainly turn into consumption and weakness. The shameful matter was hard to mention, but the illness could not be cured unless it was revealed. At that time, Fan Langzhong was originally an ordinary physician, but after hearing this diagnosis, he pretended to examine the pulse and told the patient's condition, and everyone was amazed, thinking him a divine doctor. In fact, Xiang Xiusheng had previously had an affair with his wife's sister-in-law, and was discovered by his wife's brother, so he returned home; his mother-in-law had given him a handkerchief, which was later taken by his wife (the question mark in "为妻？去" is a missing character in the original text). Xiang was too afraid to ask, and the more he thought about it, the sicker he became, and he became thin. When his wife heard what Fan Langzhong said, she returned the handkerchief to him and seriously warned him of the consequences, and then gave him some medicine, and his illness was cured.

蓋此課日干投入四課發用，傳復歸於日之二課，主循環不斷，支為宅，支上未為妻，四課者，宅內也，是妻家矣。今寅投入四課，加妻財上作天后，是與妻家婦人通矣。日上酉為色作勾陳，為思慮，今為日鬼，陰神又見辰，辰為脾，為肌膚，加酉敗氣上是思慮已傷脾，肌膚消瘦。辰作元武兼主走洩，酉為閉口，丑事難言。行年在戌，戌上巳，作太常，常主絲棉，是手帕也。己與酉三合，故主情人之物也。太常加空，故遺失。明說而安者，行年上巳火能制酉金之鬼也。

This reasoning is as follows: the spirit of the day stem enters the four lessons and initiates the transmission, and the three transmissions return to the second lesson of the day stem, thus indicating a continuous cycle. The day branch represents the house, and the earthly branch 'wei' on it signifies the wife. The fourth lesson belongs to matters within the house, which is precisely the wife's family. Now, the 'yin' enters the fourth lesson, added to the wife's wealth and riding the Heavenly Empress, indicating an affair with the wife's woman. The 'you' on the day stem represents desire, riding Gou Chen which signifies worry and thought, and now it is the ghost of the day stem. The hidden spirit meets 'chen', which in the human body represents the spleen and the skin. Added to 'you' which is a declining energy, it indicates that worry has harmed the spleen and skin, leading to thinness. 'Chen' riding the Black Tortoise also signifies leakage; 'you' is associated with closing the mouth, so this disgrace cannot be spoken of. The year of the person is on 'xu', which is 'si' on it, riding Tai Chang, which signifies silk and fabric, exactly a handkerchief. 'Si' and 'you' form a triple harmony, so it is determined to be an item belonging to the lover. Tai Chang is added to Kongwang, so something is lost. Revealing the illness brings relief, because the fire of 'si' on the year can control the metal ghost 'you'.

乾隆乙卯年子月甲子日丑將巳時，某占辛亥女病，二十九歲。《牧夫占驗》

In the year of Yimao of the Qianlong era, in the month of Zi (eleventh month), on the day of Jiazi, with the hour of Si, the divination was cast using Chou as the general. A person cast a divination for a woman born in the year of Xinhai, aged twenty-nine, who was ill. This example is taken from Wang Mufu's "Mufu Zhanyan."

貴后陰玄 　丑寅卯辰　玄龍虎合　財 　戌 合 ◎ 蛇子　巳常　辰申午戌　子 庚午 虎 ⊙ 朱亥　午虎　申子戌甲　兄 丙寅 后 　戌酉申未 　合勾龍空

The lesson board. With the general at Chou (丑) added to the hour of Si (巳), the Heaven Plate advances eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate: Chou is added to the Earth Plate's Si, Yin to Wu, Mao to Wei, Chen to Shen, Si to You, Wu to Xu, Wei to Hai, Shen to Zi, You to Chou, Xu to Yin, Hai to Mao, and Zi to Chen. The Heavenly General starts from the Nobleman at Chou, moving in reverse because Chou is on the Earth Plate's Si position, which is yin: Teng Snake is on Zi, Vermilion Bird on Hai, Liu He on Xu, Gou Chen on You, Azure Dragon on Shen, Tian Kong on Wei, White Tiger on Wu, Tai Chang on Si, Black Tortoise on Chen, Tai Yin on Mao, and Heavenly Empress on Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem Jia (甲) residing in Yin (寅), with Wu (戌) on Yin, riding Liu He; the second lesson has Wu on Xu, with Wu (午) on Xu, riding White Tiger; the third lesson has the Day Branch Zi (子) with Shen (申) on Zi, riding Azure Dragon; the fourth lesson has Shen with Chen (辰) on Shen, riding Black Tortoise. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is Wu (戌), a wealth yao, riding Liu He, marked with '◎' for empty; the middle transmission is Wu (午), a son yao, hidden stem Geng (庚), riding White Tiger; the final transmission is Yin (寅), a brother yao, hidden stem Bing (丙), riding Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions, Yin (寅), Wu (午), and Xu (戌), form a fire trinity, which is the 'Inflaming Upward' trinity mentioned later.

王牧夫曰：占病得寅午戌炎上之局。天后在下，上生午火，戌墓蓋之，火不能出，炎上為狂蕩，病由高興太過所致，無礙久而自痊，此數細看，支上申作青龍為夫星，而天后即乘寅，本命上未作天空。申陰神又作華蓋，此與僧人有私，狂蕩太過，有所傷而致病耳。不然何故局得炎上，支得申子相生，子乃婦人，行年上與申會合，種種可疑。後有人道其事，始知數不妄發耳。

Wang Mufu interpreted the divination: The illness is indicated by the triple harmony of Yin, Wu, and Xu forming a fire trigram, which represents the "ascending fire" pattern. The Heavenly Empress is in the lower position, generating the Wu fire, while the Xu is above covering the fire, preventing it from escaping. The "ascending fire" signifies unrestrained and wild behavior, indicating that the illness resulted from excessive indulgence. There is no great concern, as time will bring recovery. Upon closer examination, there are further implications: the Sheng (Monkey) in the day branch is riding the Azure Dragon, which is the star representing the husband, while the Heavenly Empress is riding the Yin. The native's birth year is associated with Hai (Water), which meets the Wei (Earth) in the chart. The Wei is riding the Tian Kong (Heavenly Void). The Yin's yin spirit coincides with the Huagai (Star of the Celestial Cover), a star associated with monks and Taoists. Taken together, this suggests an affair with a monk, excessive indulgence, and thus the illness. Otherwise, why would the trigram be "ascending fire" and the day branch have the Sheng and Zi (Water) in mutual generation? Zi is associated with women, and the age also harmonizes with Sheng. Many details are suspicious. Later, when the truth was revealed, it became clear that the divination was not random.

愚按：此課正是蕪淫，所以有姦淫之事也。

Cheng Shuxun remarks: The imagery of this lesson precisely belongs to the category of "wu yin," hence there is the matter of lewdness and immorality.

十一月甲子日丑將巳時占行人。雪心《行人類證》

On the 11th month, Jiazi day, take Chou as the general and start the divination with the time of Si. This example is taken from Xue Xin's "Xingren Lü Zheng" (Cases of People Going Out).

貴后陰玄 　丑寅卯辰　玄龍虎合　財 　戌 合 ◎ 蛇子　巳常　辰申午戌　子 庚午 虎 ⊙ 朱亥　午虎　申子戌甲　兄 丙寅 后 　戌酉申未 　合勾龍空

The divination board is the same as the previous example: the general is placed on the巳 position with the time of the day being巳. The Heaven Plate moves ahead eight positions relative to the Earth Plate: the丑 general is placed on the巳 position, the寅 is placed on the午, the卯 on the未, the辰 on the申, the巳 on the酉, the午 on the戌, the未 on the亥, the申 on the子, the酉 on the丑, the戌 on the寅, and the亥 on the卯, with the子 on the辰. The Heavenly General moves from the Nobleman, starting on the丑 position (which is on the巳 position of the Earth Plate) and moves in reverse: the Teng Snake is on the子, the Vermilion Bird on the亥, the Liu He on the戌, the Gou Chen on the酉, the Azure Dragon on the申, the Tian Kong on the未, the White Tiger on the午, the Tai Chang on the巳, the Black Tortoise on the辰, and the Tai Yin on the卯, with the Heavenly Empress on the寅. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem is Jia (located in the寅 position) with the戌 on top, multiplied by the Liu He; the戌 has the午, multiplied by the White Tiger; the day branch is子 with the申 on top, multiplied by the Azure Dragon; the申 has the辰, multiplied by the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions: the first transmission is戌, representing a wealth yao, multiplied by the Liu He, and is in the旬空; the middle transmission is午, representing the son, hidden as Geng, multiplied by the White Tiger; the final transmission is寅, representing the brother, hidden as Bing, multiplied by the Heavenly Empress. When divining about a person's whereabouts, the focus is on the position of the first transmission and the Post-horse. On a Jiazi day, the Post-horse is located in the寅 position, and the first transmission戌 is exactly placed on the寅 position.

雪心曰：三傳日同初。辰得申加子，占行人，是要來方動。蓋初傳戌加驛馬上也，十二月節至。

Snow Heart Divination: The three transmissions start together with the day stem in the first transmission. The day branch has the hour of Shen added on top of Zi, indicating a sign that the traveler is about to return. Since the first transmission Wu is directly placed on top of the post-horse寅, it is predicted that the traveler will return around the solar term of the twelfth month.

杭州芝寺住持印宗師一日害背病疽甚重，臭至見骨，往求苗叔芳卜醫生，甲子日三傳午卯子。《一針見血》

The abbot of the Zhisi Temple in Hangzhou, Yin Zongshi, once developed a severe back abscess, so foul-smelling that it had exposed the bone. He went to consult Miao Shufang for a divination to determine which doctor to seek. The divination was cast on a Jiazi day, with the three transmissions being Wu, Mao, and Zi. This case is taken from "One Needle Sees the Blood."

蛇朱合勾 　寅卯辰巳　龍常虎陰　子 庚午 龍 貴丑　午龍　午酉申亥　兄 丁卯 朱 后子　未空　酉子亥甲　父 甲子 后 　亥戌酉申 　陰玄常虎

The divination plate. This lesson does not record the month general and the time of divination in the original text. From the plate, the heaven plate advances nine positions ahead of the earth plate:寅 is added to the earth position巳, 卯 to 午, 辰 to 未, 巳 to 申, 午 to 酉, 未 to 戌, 申 to 亥, 酉 to 子, 戌 to 丑, 亥 to 寅, 子 to 卯, and 丑 to 辰. The heavenly general starts from the nobleman on 丑, with 丑 located on the earth position 辰, which is yang, so it proceeds in order: Teng Snake on 寅, Vermilion Bird on 卯, Liu He on 辰, Gou Chen on 巳, Azure Dragon on 午, Tian Kong on 未, White Tiger on 申, Tai Chang on 酉, Black Tortoise on 戌, Tai Yin on 亥, and Heavenly Empress on 子. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia lodging in 寅, with 寅 showing 亥, riding Tai Yin; the second lesson has 亥 showing 申, riding White Tiger; the third lesson has the day branch 子 showing 酉, riding Tai Chang; the fourth lesson has 酉 showing 午, riding Azure Dragon. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is 午, representing the son, with hidden stem Geng, riding Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is 卯, representing the brother, with hidden stem Ding, riding Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is 子, representing the parent, with hidden stem Jia, riding Heavenly Empress—this is exactly the three transmissions mentioned as 午, 卯, and 子 in the text.

苗叔芳曰：無妨，可救，宜向南方求醫。初傳青龍勝光須用火。針一開即愈，後果得南方醫者，用針一開之後卻不潰膿，乃子卯相刑之故。再加一針，膿方出盡。用涼藥敷貼，旬日全愈。此是天醫之驗，加於三傳，病必可治。愚按：此課不載月將正時，若處午，為天醫制鬼而吉，則七月占或十一月占也。

Miao Shufang said: There is no need to worry, the patient can be saved. One should go to the south to see a doctor. The first transmission is riding on the Azure Dragon with Shengguang (Wu) of the午 fire, so fire treatment is needed. By needling the wound, the illness can be cured. Later, a doctor from the south was indeed invited, and the wound was opened by needling, but no pus came out, which was due to the conflict between Zi and Mao. Another needle was given, and the pus was fully drained. Then a cooling medicine was applied, and the patient recovered in about ten days. This is an example of the Tianyi (Heavenly Doctor) coming true - when Tianyi falls on the third transmission, the illness is definitely curable. Cheng Shuxun noted: This case does not record the month general and the actual time of divination. If Tianyi is exactly on the午 position, it can control the disease spirit and be auspicious, then it must have been divined in July or November.

若三月占則不用晝貴矣，天醫有兩種，一是正月起子順行四仲，一是正月起辰順行十二支。

If the divination is done in March, the daytime nobleman should not be used. The method of calculating Tianyi has two approaches: one is to start from the first month at Zi, moving in sequence only on the four central positions of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You; the other is to start from the first month at Chen, moving in order through the twelve branches.

七月乙丑日午將卯申時某占生產。《方本占案》

On the 17th day of the seventh month, using the horse as the hour stem to cast the divination, the record in a certain manuscript states "the hour of卯 and申", but according to the divination board, it should be the hour of申. A person cast this divination to inquire about a woman giving birth. This example is found in the "Fang Ben Zhan An".

合勾青空 　卯辰巳午　玄后貴朱　父 　亥 后 ◎ 朱寅　未虎　酉亥子寅　官 癸酉 玄 ⊙ 蛇丑　申常　亥丑寅乙　財 辛未 虎 　子亥戌酉 　貴后陰玄

The divination board. At the time of the monkey (申), the heavenly plate is two positions behind the earthly plate: the卯 (Mao) is placed on the巳 (Si) of the earthly plate, the辰 (Chen) on the午 (Wu), the巳 (Si) on the未 (Wei), the午 (Wu) on the申 (Shen), the未 (Wei) on the酉 (You), the申 (Shen) on the戌 (Xu), the酉 (You) on the亥 (Hai), the戌 (Xu) on the子 (Zi), the亥 (Hai) on the丑 (Chou), the子 (Zi) on the寅 (Yin), the丑 (Chou) on the卯 (Mao), and the寅 (Yin) on the辰 (Chen). The heavenly general starts from the nobleman, moving with the子 (Zi) position: the子 (Zi) is placed on the寅 (Yin) of the earthly plate, which is yang, so it moves in a clockwise direction: the Teng Snake is on the丑 (Chou), the Vermilion Bird on the寅 (Yin), the Liu He on the卯 (Mao), the Gou Chen on the辰 (Chen), the Azure Dragon on the巳 (Si), the Tian Kong on the午 (Wu), the White Tiger on the未 (Wei), the Tai Chang on the申 (Shen), the Black Tortoise on the酉 (You), the Tai Yin on the戌 (Xu), and the Heavenly Empress on the亥 (Hai). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem 乙 (Yi) is located in the辰 (Chen), the first lesson is on the辰 (Chen) with the寅 (Yin), which is accompanied by the Vermilion Bird; the second lesson is on the寅 (Yin) with the子 (Zi), accompanied by the nobleman; the third lesson is on the day branch 丑 (Chou) with the亥 (Hai), accompanied by the Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson is on the亥 (Hai) with the酉 (You), accompanied by the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is亥 (Hai), which is the parent爻 (yao) for 乙 (Yi), accompanied by the Heavenly Empress, marked with 「◎」 for the empty period; the middle transmission is酉 (You), which is the official ghost of the day stem, with the hidden stem癸 (Gui), accompanied by the Black Tortoise; the final transmission is未 (Wei), which is the wealth爻 (yao), with the hidden stem辛 (Xin), accompanied by the White Tiger — the未 (Wei) is also the burial place of 乙 (Yi) wood.

邵彥和曰：此課主母死子存。書云：支是母兮干是兒，今天后被支所克，發傳，中末又歸凶將，白虎乘墓入酉之內門，內門者，產門也，故主母死。愚按：白虎在末傳克天后，亦主母凶。子存者，乙干是兒，乘寅為少陽，朱雀火又臨其上，乙日木旺火相，日干得旺相氣，故主兒存也。

Shao Yanhe interpreted this divination: this reading indicates the mother's death and the infant's survival. The text states, "the day branch represents the mother and the day stem represents the child." Today, the Heavenly Empress (representing a woman) is being overcome by the day branch, and the initiating transmission originates from here. The middle transmission and final transmission fall under theInauspicious General (malevolent generals) of Xuanwu and Baihu. Baihu is riding on theTomb Spirit (grave deity) of ethyl wood, which is the earth dog (未), and enters the酉 (you) gate, which is the inner gate. The inner gate is the birth gate, so it indicates the death of the mother. Cheng Shuxun commented: Baihu in the final transmission overcomes the Heavenly Empress, which also indicates danger for the mother. The infant is said to survive because the day stem is yi, which represents the child, and it is riding on寅 (yin), which belongs to the young yang energy. The bird (朱雀) fire is also above it. Although ethyl wood is declining in July, fire receives the assistance of its own element, and the day stem ultimately retains the prosperous and strong energy, so it indicates the infant's survival.

乾隆辛巳年七月乙丑日巳將未時某占索捕。《牧夫占驗》

In the year Xinsi of the Qianlong era, on the 10th day of the 7th lunar month, a divination was cast at the time when the hour of Si was about to join the hour of Wei. The person consulted about recovering a debt and pursuing the debtor. This example is taken from "Pastoral Divination Verification."

合勾青空 　卯辰巳午　玄后貴朱　父 　亥 后 ◎ 朱寅　未虎　酉亥子寅　官 癸酉 玄 ⊙ 蛇丑　申常　亥丑寅乙　財 辛未 虎 　子亥戌酉 　貴后陰玄

At the time of the snake hour added to the goat hour, the Heaven Plate is again two positions behind the Earth Plate, so the lesson chart is the same as the previous example:卯 adds to巳, 辰 adds to午, 巳 adds to未, 午 adds to申, 未 adds to酉, 申 adds to戌, 酉 adds to亥, 戌 adds to子, 亥 adds to丑, 子 adds to寅, 丑 adds to卯, 寅 adds to辰. The Heavenly General proceeds from the Nobleman, riding the子 (positioned on the Earth Plate's寅 position): Teng Snake rides丑, Vermilion Bird rides寅, Liu He rides卯, Gou Chen rides辰, Azure Dragon rides巳, Tian Kong rides午, White Tiger rides未, Tai Chang rides申, Black Tortoise rides酉, Tai Yin rides戌, Heavenly Empress rides亥. The four lessons proceed from right to left: 乙 (lodging in the辰 position) appears on寅, riding the Vermilion Bird; 寅 appears on子, riding the Nobleman; the day branch丑 appears on亥, riding the Heavenly Empress; 亥 appears on酉, riding the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions: the first transmission is亥, representing parents, riding the Heavenly Empress, and is empty; the middle transmission is酉, representing official ghosts, hidden癸, riding the Black Tortoise; the final transmission is未, representing wealth, hidden辛, riding the White Tiger, and 未 is also the resting place of乙 wood. In divination about debts, the water on the day branch's亥 nourishes the day stem, indicating the other party has the intention to repay; while the ghost酉 riding the Black Tortoise is pressing on the亥, indicating a critical point of losing wealth and squandering money.

王牧夫曰：此債非其人有心不還，實因好睹好飲，日就衰敗，將來居屋都要賣，賣屋始能得其財，然亦不能全其數矣。問之果然，蓋支上亥水生干是有心要還也，奈陰神酉加亥上，酉乃乙日之鬼，乘元武，酉加亥為酒，元武為嬉戲之神，走？之殺，未乘白虎為賭博呼？而散財也。三傳自生傳鬼，自鬼傳墓，安得不敗壞乎。賣屋者，支為宅，末傳未乘虎沖之也，屋賣而末傳見財，為干之財庫，故尚有也。不全者，白虎臨於其上耳。

Wang Mufu explained: This debt is not due to the debtor intentionally refusing to repay, but rather because he is fond of gambling and drinking, causing his family's fortune to decline day by day; in the future, he will have to sell his house in order to repay the debt, and even then, the amount will still be insufficient. Upon inquiry, it proved to be true. The reasoning is: the water of the day branch,亥, is able to nourish the day stem, indicating that the debtor is indeed willing to repay. However, the hidden spirit酉 is added to亥, and酉 is the ghost of the day stem乙, and it is also associated with the Black Tortoise.酉 added to亥 indicates drinking, and the Black Tortoise is a god of amusement and loss, also representing a destructive force. The final transmission is at未, which is associated with the White Tiger, indicating gambling and losing money. The three transmissions proceed from growth to official ghost, then from official ghost to storage, so how could he not decline? The reason for selling the house is that the day branch represents the house, and the final transmission at未, associated with the White Tiger, is conflicting with it. Although the house is sold, the final transmission also shows the presence of wealth, as未 is the wealth storage of the day stem, so some money will eventually remain. The reason for the insufficiency is that the White Tiger is directly pressing upon this wealth storage.

六月乙丑日午將未時占來意。《一字玉連環》

On the 2nd day of the 6th month, using the hour of午 as the starting point for the time of未, the divination was cast to determine the intention of the person coming. This example is taken from the "One Character Jade Linked Ring."

勾龍空虎 　辰巳午未　后貴朱合　父 甲子 貴 合卯　申常　亥子寅卯　父 　亥 后 ◎ 朱寅　酉玄　子丑卯乙　財 　戌 陰 ◎⊙ 　丑子亥戌 　蛇貴后陰

The lesson board. The hour of Wei is added to the general of Wu, and the Heaven Plate is one step behind the Earth Plate: Chen is added to the Earth Plate Si, Si to Wu, Wu to Wei, Wei to Shen, Shen to You, You to Xu, Xu to Hai, Hai to Zi, Zi to Chou, Chou to Yin, Yin to Mao, Mao to Chen. The Heavenly General moves from the Nobleman, starting with Zi: Zi is on the Earth Plate Chou position, which is yang, so it proceeds in order: Teng Snake is on Chou, Vermilion Bird on Yin, Liu He on Mao, Gou Chen on Chen, Azure Dragon on Si, Tian Kong on Wu, White Tiger on Wei, Tai Chang on Shen, Black Tortoise on You, Tai Yin on Xu, Heavenly Empress on Hai. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Day Stem Yi is lodged in Chen, the first lesson has Mao on Chen, riding Liu He; the second lesson has Yin on Mao, riding Vermilion Bird; the third lesson has Zi on Chou, riding Nobleman; the fourth lesson has Hai on Zi, riding Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions on the right: the first transmission is Zi, representing the parent's yao, hidden stem Ji, riding Nobleman; the middle transmission is Hai, also representing the parent's yao, riding Heavenly Empress, and is in the empty period; the final transmission is Xu, representing the wealth yao, riding Tai Yin, also in the empty period. 'Tian Gui' is Xu, and 'Shenhou' is Zi. These two names of the Six Rats divination gods are used in the following interpretation.

徐次賓曰：來意事干西北方承繼姓王人財產也。相托一屬鼠有官人。九月內定見成就，又目下西南方虛望外財，道路有所畏隔，不敢往也。蓋末傳天魁為日干之財，天魁臨亥主王宇，發用神后為日干三合，上見天乙為貴人，又子屬鼠，故知承繼姓王人財產而得屬貴人力也。九月成就者，歸計戌為九月建也。又言西南虛望外財者，末時為日干之財，陰神見天空主虛詐，又值事門上見白虎主道路，白虎金也，為日之鬼，故知畏而不敢往也。

Xu Cibin explained: The person's matter is about inheriting property from a man surnamed Wang in the northwest. This matter is entrusted to a person who is a rat sign and holds an official position, and it will definitely be completed within the ninth month. Additionally, he is currently hoping for some external fortune from the southwest, but he feels some fear and hesitation due to obstacles on the way. The reasoning is as follows: The final transmission's 'Tian Kuai' (戌) is the wealth hexagram of the day stem, and Tian Kuai is located on亥, whose shape is related to the character 'Wang', so it indicates the surname Wang. The initiating transmission's 'Shenhou' (子) forms a triple harmony with the day stem, and above it there is the Tian Yi Nobleman, and since 子 is the rat sign, it is concluded that the person is inheriting property from someone surnamed Wang, and it requires the assistance of a nobleman who is a rat. The reason for the completion in the ninth month is that the gate of returning is戌, which is the month builder of the ninth month. The reason for the hope of external fortune in the southwest is that the last deity is the wealth hexagram of the day stem, but its hidden deity is Tian Kong, which signifies deception. Moreover, the gate of the matter shows Bai Hu, which governs roads, and Bai Hu is metal, which is the ghost of the day stem Yi, so it is known that the person feels fear and hesitates to go forward.

乾隆戊辰年閏七月乙丑日巳將巳時占風水。《牧夫占驗》

In the year Wuchen of the Qianlong era, on the leap seventh month, Yichou day, the divination was cast with the巳 general added to the巳 hour. Since the month general and the time of divination are the same, it is a 'Hidden Chant' lesson. The subject of the divination is about the fengshui of a burial site. This example is taken from "The Farmer's Divination Verification."

龍空虎常 　巳午未申　蛇蛇勾勾　財 戊辰 勾 勾辰　酉玄　丑丑辰辰　財 乙丑 蛇 合卯　戌陰　丑丑辰乙　財 　戌 陰 ◎⊙ 　寅丑子亥 　朱蛇貴後

The divination plate shows that the hour stem is added to the hour of巳, and the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate completely coincide, with each of the twelve branches returning to their original positions, forming a 'Hidden Chant' (伏吟) lesson. The Heavenly General moves from the Nobleman, starting with the Zi position on the Earth Plate, which is yang, so it proceeds in order: Teng Snake occupies Chou, Vermilion Bird occupies Yin, Liu He occupies Mao, Gou Chen occupies Chen, Azure Dragon occupies Si, Tian Kong occupies Wu, White Tiger occupies Wei, Tai Chang occupies Shen, Black Tortoise occupies You, Tai Yin occupies Xu, and Heavenly Empress occupies Hai. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the day stem 乙 is lodged in the Chen position, the first lesson has Chen on Chen, occupied by Gou Chen; the second lesson also has Chen on Chen, occupied by Gou Chen; the third lesson has the day branch Chou on Chou, occupied by Teng Snake; the fourth lesson also has Chou on Chou, occupied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is Chen, representing a wealth yao, with the hidden stem Wu, occupied by Gou Chen; the middle transmission is Chou, representing a wealth yao, with the hidden stem Yi, occupied by Teng Snake; the final transmission is Xu, representing a wealth yao, occupied by Tai Yin, which is in the旬空. In divination for风水, Gou Chen represents mountains, Teng Snake represents the undulations of the land, and Tai Yin in the final transmission conflicts with the day stem and forms a刑 with the day branch, these are the key points for the subsequent interpretation.

王牧夫曰：庸實七兄為以寧侄子容溪隱汰看風水，已定向封固命，餘占是何向。以占數字精粗，餘以前人看來龍山向法，用干支上神合者斷之曰，祖龍從西南坤上來，落脈在巽上，立乙山辛向加卯酉。以寧侄拆封閱之，果符所？。七兄曰龍脈山向如見，此地可扦葬否。余曰勾陳居辰，為山。山高峻穴卻在中平處，以蛇居中傳丑為平土故也。此課雖伏吟靜象卻不可葬。以太陰在末沖干刑支戌中又懷暗鬼耳。穴乘丁，雖有情活潑，惟此處亦曾葬，有人來不然丑乃鬼墓壘壘，在支上何故。以寧侄曰此地名程家墳，一一果符所占，遂共歎服。

Wang Mufu recorded: Yongshi's seventh brother had his nephew Yining look for a good site for a tomb at Zirongxi. They had already determined the direction and sealed it, asking me to cast a divination to determine the direction, to test the accuracy of the divination. Following the methods of previous generations, I observed the coming dragon and determined the mountain direction. I used the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the day to determine the direction, saying: The ancestral dragon comes from the southwest, the Kun direction, and falls on the Xun direction. The direction chosen is the mountain facing the Xin direction, combining the卯 and酉 directions. Yining opened the sealed strip and found it exactly matched my prediction (the character at "所" is missing in the original text). The seventh brother asked: Since you seem to have seen the dragon and mountain direction with your own eyes, can this site be used for burial? I replied: Gouchen is in the Chen direction, which is the mountain. Although the mountain is high and steep, the tomb is located in a flat area on the mountain. This is because Teng Snake is in the middle transmission at the Chou direction, which is flat earth. Although this divination is a quiet image of Fu Yin, it is not suitable for burial, because Tai Yin is in the final transmission, conflicting with the day stem and conflicting with the day branch. The戌 direction also contains hidden ghosts. The tomb is occupied by the Ding god, which although affectionate and lively, there had been burials here before. Otherwise, the Chou direction is the ghost's tomb, and the graves are piled up on the day branch, so what is the reason? Yining said: This place is called Cheng family's tomb. The prediction matches exactly, and everyone was convinced.