On the Jichou day, in the fifth year of Qianlong's reign (Wuwu year), he divined about the first day's four-book question in the examination hall.

乾隆戊午年八月初九己丑日巳將午時闈中頭場四書目。（殘編）

In the year Wuwu of the Qianlong era, on the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, on the day Jichou, the class was cast using the month general Si added to the hour Wu. The divination was for the first question of the local examination on the Four Books. This example comes from a collection called "The Fragmentary Compilation." The Si general added to Wu hour and the previous lesson's亥 general added to Zi hour both have the Heaven Plate retreating one position relative to the Earth Plate, so both lessons share the same plate. The previous lesson asked about the success or failure of official rank, while this lesson used the same plate to predict the wording of the examination question.

勾龍空虎 辰巳午未 后貴龍空 財戊子貴 合卯 申常 亥子巳午 財丁亥后 朱寅 酉玄 子丑午己 兄丙戌陰 丑子亥戌 蛇貴后陰

The lesson plate is the same as the previous example: the Heaven Plate has Zi riding the Nobleman, Chou riding the Teng Snake, Yin riding the Vermilion Bird, Mao riding Liu He, Chen riding Gou Chen, Si riding the Azure Dragon, Wu riding Tian Kong, Wei riding the White Tiger, Shen riding Tai Chang, You riding the Black Tortoise, Xu riding Tai Yin, and Hai riding the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, are Wu added to Ji (Ji is located in Wei), Si added to Wu, Zi added to Chou, and Hai added to Zi. The Heavenly Generals in order are Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, Nobleman, and Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission has Zi riding the Nobleman, the middle transmission has Hai riding the Heavenly Empress, and the final transmission has Xu riding Tai Yin, with the entire transmission being a retreat and consumption. In the year of Wuwu, the sovereign is located in Wu, and Zi is the year's breaking, so the following discussion begins with the concept of "breaking initiated by the year."

斷曰：此課余初斷歲破發用，應出臣子盡忠之命意。及頭牌出，方悟子為道路神，又為支之先，又陰神見丁馬，皆是行神，是先行其言句也。又亥為四數，故只四字。第二題，看中傳，天后冠帶，臨於陰寢，神位有元酒太羹，非享親達孝之命意乎？六字者，戌上見酉，六數也。

The interpretation says: At first, I interpreted this reading as involving the year's breaking and the initiating transmission, and I should have taken a topic expressing the meaning of a subject showing loyalty to his sovereign. But when the first title was displayed, I suddenly realized: Zi is the god of roads, and it is located before the day branch, and its hidden spirit also meets the horse of Ding - these are all images of 'movement'. Therefore, it actually refers to the phrase 'to act before speaking'. Also, because the number of Hai is four, the title has only four characters. For the second title, looking at the middle transmission: the Heavenly Empress is at the position of capping, and is located above the dark and quiet chamber. Before her divine position are arranged black wine and the thick soup, which is not exactly the meaning of worshipping one's parents and achieving filial piety? It is said to be six characters, because on Xu there is You, and the number of You is exactly six.

七月己丑日巳將辰時占來意。（一字訣玉連環）

On the 16th day of the seventh month, using the month general Jichou, the course is started by placing it on the hour of Chen. The divination is about the purpose of the visitor. This example is from "The One-Character诀 Yulianhuan."

虎常 空午未申酉玄 合朱玄常 官庚寅朱 龍巳 戌陰 卯寅酉申 官辛卯合 勾辰 亥后 寅丑申己 兄壬辰勾 合卯寅丑子貴 朱蛇

This chart is calculated with the month of巳 (Snake) as the general, placed on the辰 (Dragon) hour. The Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate. The辰 hour belongs to the day, so on a己 (Ji) day, the daytime nobleman is at the子 (Rat) position. The nobleman is located at the亥 (Pig) position on the Earth Plate and moves in a clockwise direction, so the Heavenly Generals on each branch are: 子 (Rat) is occupied by the nobleman, 丑 (Ox) by the Teng Snake, 寅 (Tiger) by the Vermilion Bird, 卯 (Rabbit) by the Liu He, 辰 (Dragon) by the Gou Chen, 巳 (Snake) by the Azure Dragon, 午 (Horse) by the Tian Kong, 未 (Goat) by the White Tiger, 申 (Monkey) by the Tai Chang, 酉 (Rooster) by the Black Tortoise, 戌 (Dog) by the Tai Yin, and 亥 (Pig) by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem 己 (Ji) lodging in the position 未 (Goat), with 申 (Monkey) on 未 (Goat), which is occupied by the Tai Chang; the second lesson is 申 (Monkey) with 酉 (Rooster) on it, which is occupied by the Black Tortoise; the third lesson is the day branch 丑 (Ox) with 寅 (Tiger) on it, which is occupied by the Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson is 寅 (Tiger) with 卯 (Rabbit) on it, which is occupied by the Liu He. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 寅 (Tiger), with the hidden stem Gengyin (Gengyin), occupied by the Vermilion Bird, 寅 wood overcomes 己 earth, which is an official ghost; the middle transmission is 卯 (Rabbit), with the hidden stem Xinmao (Xinmao), occupied by the Liu He, also an official ghost; the final transmission is 辰 (Dragon), with the hidden stem Renchen (Renchen), occupied by the Gou Chen, which is a brother. 寅, 卯, 辰 in sequence, form the pattern of advancing food.

徐次賓曰：來意主正月間與一姓杜人爭田土事。又有一姓藺人與姓杜人挾勢相助，卻得一姓張貴人力。只於七月間務了畢。蓋時為日墓，又直事門見勾陳，故言爭田土事。發用寅木與丑土為杜字，又寅木為日干之鬼，上得朱雀，主口舌文字。又寅為正月，故知正月與杜姓人相爭也。

Xu Cibin said: The matter involved is a dispute over land in the first lunar month with a man surnamed Du. Another man surnamed Lin, who is powerful, is supporting Du, while he himself received the help of a nobleman surnamed Zhang. The matter will be settled in the seventh lunar month. The reasoning is as follows: the time of the divination was in the morning hour of Chen, which is the tomb of the day stem. The gate of the matter also shows Gou Chen, which governs land disputes, so it is concluded to be a land dispute. The initiating transmission is in the hour of Yin, which belongs to wood, and the day branch is Chou, which belongs to earth. Wood and earth together form the character 'Du'; Yin wood is also the official ghost of the己 earth day stem, with the superior power of Vermilion Bird, which governs speech and documents. Yin in the month builder represents the first lunar month, so it is known that the dispute occurred in the first lunar month with a man surnamed Du.

又言藺姓人相助者，中傳卯為門，六合為草頭，臨寅住為隹字。卯寅為等輩，故相助也。日上得傳送為今日貴人，上得太常吉將，其寅卯二木相併剋日，日上傳送金，正旺於七月反制二木。傳送為弓長合之為張字，故言一姓張貴人力。傳送為七月建，故七月事務了畢也。

There is a surname Lin helping him, as follows: the Middle Transmission (中传) is at the branch Mao, which represents the gate and entrance. Above it is Liu He (六合), which takes the image of the grass radical. Then it connects with the branch Yin, which carries the character 'zhuí' (隹). Combining the grass radical, the gate, and 'zhuí' forms the character 'Lin'. Since Mao and Yin are branches of the same generation, it is concluded that a companion is assisting. Now looking at the Day Stem, it is supported by Chuansong (传送) at the branch Shen. Shen is the residence of the nobleman, and above it is Tai Chang, a favorable general. In the divination, two wooden branches, Yin and Mao, combine to attack the Day Stem. However, the Chuansong at Shen is metal, and in July, the metal energy is strong, so it can overcome the two wooden branches. The character Shen, when split, is 'gong' and 'chang', forming the character 'Zhang', indicating the assistance of a nobleman named Zhang. Shen is also the Month Builder for July, so it is concluded that the matter will be resolved in July.

丁丑年二月己丑日亥將戌時常熟蔣畹仙孝廉名棻占會試。（郭氏占案）

In the year Dingchou, second month, Jichou day, the lesson is cast with the month general Hai added to Xu time. The person consulting is Jiang Wanxian, a candidate from Changshu, whose name is Fen, asking about the imperial examination. This example comes from the "Guo氏 Zhan An." The month general Hai added to Xu is the same as the previous lesson, which was cast in the seventh month with the month general Si added to Chen. The Heaven Plate is again one step ahead of the Earth Plate, and both lessons share the same plate. In the previous lesson, the character "Yin" and "Mao" were split to determine the surname, while in this lesson, the curtain and the post-horse are used to determine the examination result. This shows that even with the same plate, the methods used are entirely different.

虎常 空午未申酉玄 合朱玄常 官庚寅朱 龍巳 戌陰 卯寅酉申 官辛卯合 勾辰 亥后 寅丑申己 兄壬辰勾 合卯寅丑子貴 朱蛇

The divination board is the same as the previous example: the Heaven Plate has Zi (子) with the Nobleman, Chou (丑) with Teng Snake, Yin (寅) with Vermilion Bird, Mao (卯) with Liu He, Chen (辰) with Gou Chen, Si (巳) with Azure Dragon, Wu (午) with Tian Kong, Wei (未) with White Tiger, Shen (申) with Tai Chang, You (酉) with Black Tortoise, Xu (戌) with Tai Yin, and Hai (亥) with Heavenly Empress. The four lessons, arranged from right to left, are Shen (申) added to Ji (己) (Ji is located in Wei), You (酉) added to Shen (申), Yin (寅) added to Chou (丑), and Mao (卯) added to Yin (寅). The Heavenly Generals in order are Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, and Liu He. The three transmissions begin with Yin (寅) with Vermilion Bird as official ghost, the middle transmission is Mao (卯) with Liu He also as official ghost, and the final transmission is Chen (辰) with Gou Chen as brother. Yin, Mao, and Chen follow in sequence forming an advancing relationship. The day stem is Shen (申), which corresponds to Ji (己) day, and is located at the position of the Nobleman's residence, as well as the position of growth and learning. Jiang Wanxian's birth year is Xu (戌), which is occupied by Tai Yin. The year horse, age horse, and day horse all gather at Xu (戌). These points are the basis for the conclusion that he will certainly succeed.

郭御青曰：簾幕覆日作長生學堂為本房首薦，年馬、歲馬、日馬加於戌命之上而與初傳朱雀生合且得進連茹課，必中之兆，但馬少於公亮，名次不高（張公亮課，見丁亥日干上辰。六壬指南亦有占畹仙一課，見己巳日干上寅）。

Guo Yuqing said: The nobleman is covered over the day stem, and sits on the position of growth and learning, which is the image of the examiner of this house recommending him first. The year horse, the age horse, and the day horse all fall on his birth year, and they harmonize and generate with the first transmission's vermilion bird. The lesson pattern also receives the continuous connection, which is a sure sign of success. However, his post horse is less than that of Zhang Gongliang, so his rank will not be high (Zhang Gongliang's case is seen in the entry "Chen" above the day stem on Dinghai day; there is also a case in the "Six Yin Guide" about Jiang Wanxian, seen in the entry "Yin" above the day stem on Jisi day).

蔣君中後贈詩云：漢帝濘沱失道時，白衣老父指點之。嗣有通元隱中條，長生術得神仙師。繇來傳下傳多奇壬，讖緯星座能旁窺，景純少授青囊秘，五行翻駁參同契。介休獨上元禮船，戶屨時盈占一第。後先得失鏡於胸，餘亦從君考軒輊。君雲馬少幾被落，覆身猶喜存簾幕。撤聞發策券前知，鍛羽彈冠不一錯。君才繡虎兼雕龍，胡為九擯甘泡蠖。洩天應犯天公惱，困君之身識君老。吾聞場中鬼有權，目迷五色烘頭腦。八股不靈六壬靈，主司何如測數好。

After passing the examination, Jiang Wanxian wrote a poem to send to Guo Yuqing. The poem roughly said: In ancient times, Emperor Han Guangwu lost his way by the Hu沱 River, and a white-clothed old man guided him to the ferry. Later, there was a master named Tongxuan who lived in Zhongtiaoshan Mountain, who learned the art of long life from a divine teacher. This lineage of Six壬 divination has always been remarkably accurate, even able to understand omens and celestial phenomena. When Guo Pu was young, he received the Qingnang secret teachings, and repeatedly used the principles of the Five Phases to study the "Cantongqi." In the past, Guo Linzong of Jietou was the only one who could share a boat with Li Yuanli, and the shoes of visitors often piled up at his door. Now you are the same, one divination and you pass the examination. Who comes first or last, who gains or loses, all appear clearly in your mind, and I follow you to compare the importance and value. You said I have too fewThe Post-horse, almost failing the examination; fortunately, there is still the protection of the curtain and nobleman. As soon as the examination questions were announced, you had already known the outcome. Who will fail, who will be promoted, there has never been a mistake. But you yourself have the talent of carving dragons and tigers, why are you repeatedly rejected, willing to be like a water bubble or a bent inchworm? I think it must be because you have revealed heavenly secrets, angering the heavens, so they have trapped your body, keeping you confined in the examination hall. I have heard that even ghosts and gods have power in the examination hall, the examiners' eyes are confused with five colors, their minds are dizzy. The eight-part essay is not effective, but the Six壬 is effective. Why bother to guess the examiners' minds, why not calculate fate instead?

甲申五月己丑日庚午時，占日暈。（指南）

On the day of Jiashen year, fifth month, Jichou day, and Gengwu hour, the question was asked about the phenomenon of a solar halo and what it signifies. This example is from the "Six Yin Guide."

勾六 青未申酉戌朱 白玄蛇六 鬼辛卯玄 空午 亥蛇 巳卯亥酉 父癸巳白 虎巳 子貴 卯丑酉己 兄乙未龍 常辰卯寅丑后 玄陰

This chart uses the month of Shen as the month general, placed on the fifth hour. The heaven plate advances two positions ahead of the earth plate. The fifth hour belongs to the day, so for a day stem of Ji, the daytime nobleman is at Zi. The nobleman is on the earth plate at position Xu and moves in reverse. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the heaven plate are: Zi rides the nobleman, Chou rides the heavenly empress, Yin rides Tai Yin, Mao rides the black tortoise, Chen rides Tai Chang, Si rides the white tiger (written as "bai" in the chart), Wu rides the heavenly void, Wei rides the azure dragon (written as "qing" in the chart), Shen rides Gou Chen, You rides Liu He, Xu rides the vermilion bird, and Hai rides the teng snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ji, which is in the lodging palace Wei, and Wei has You, which rides Liu He; the second lesson is You with Hai, which rides the teng snake; the third lesson is the day branch Chou with Mao, which rides the black tortoise; the fourth lesson is Mao with Si, which rides the white tiger. The three transmissions are the first transmission Mao, with the hidden stem Xin Mao, riding the black tortoise, Mao wood overcomes Ji earth, representing official ghost; the middle transmission Si, with the hidden stem Gui Si, riding the white tiger, representing parents; the final transmission Wei, riding the azure dragon, representing siblings (Wei is supposed to be empty in the Ji Shen decade, but the original text marks the hidden stem as Yi Wei, which does not conform to the sequence of hidden stems, so it should be considered as empty). Mao, Si, and Wei each advance one position in sequence, making it a forward transmission.

陳公獻曰：偶見有大暈圍繞，眾皆曰此祥瑞之氣，應於福濟，予袖傳得此課，乃謂眾人曰：發用玄武賊符，克干克支，蓋干為天位而乘敗氣，支為社稷而見死神，且歲君臨滅沒之方，貴人又不得地，中州吳越必失封疆，君國敗亡之象。後福藩登位一載而失國，此其應也。

Chen Gongxian said: One day, I happened to see a large halo surrounding the sun, and everyone said it was a sign of auspicious energy, indicating the virtuous governance of Fu Wang. I calculated this divination in my sleeve and told everyone: The initiating transmission is the卯 (Mao) trigram, which is accompanied by the Black Tortoise and carries the symbol of a thief. It both overcomes the day stem and the day branch; the day stem represents the heavenly position but is accompanied by a declining and exhausted energy, while the day branch represents the state but encounters the Death Deity. The year stem is located in the direction of decline and disappearance, and the Nobleman is not in a favorable position. This is the image of the Central Plains and Wu-Yue losing their territories, and the king and country suffering defeat and collapse. Later, when Fu Wang ascended the throne, he lost the country within a year, which was exactly the fulfillment of this divination.

愚按：玄武賊符加丑，丑為吳越之分野。然日暈等物，斷不天下皆見，今既見於江南，則吉凶禍福只應於江南矣。即使玄武賊符臨於他處，亦不應於他處。

I remarked: The thief symbol associated with the Black Tortoise is placed on Chou. Chou, in terms of the regions, belongs to the area of Wu-Yue. However, phenomena such as a solar halo do not appear visible everywhere; since this was observed in the Jiangnan region, the fortune or misfortune should only affect Jiangnan. Even if the thief symbol of the Black Tortoise is located in another direction, it should not correspond to another place.

按：福王以甲申年五月初一由淮安迎入南京十五日即位，乙酉年五月二十五日被俘。

Again, it is noted that Fu Wang was brought from Huai'an to Nanjing on the first day of the fifth lunar month in the Jiashen year, and he was crowned emperor on the fifteenth day of the same month. He was captured on the twenty-fifth day of the fifth lunar month in the Yiyou year—this spanned exactly one year, matching precisely Chen Gongxian's prediction of 'reigning for one year and losing the state'.

丁丑年二月己丑日亥將申時丹陽張孝廉錦鱗午命占會試。（郭氏占案）

In the year Dingchou, second lunar month, on the day Jichou, the month general is亥, placed on the hour Shen to cast the divination. The person consulting is Zhang Jinlin, a candidate from Danyang, whose birth year belongs to the horse. He is asking about the imperial examination. This example is from the "Guo氏 Zhan An."

勾合朱蛇 申酉戌亥 龍常后朱 父◎午空 龍未 子貴 未辰丑戌 兄丙戌朱 空午 丑后 辰丑戌己 兄壬辰常 巳辰卯寅 虎常玄陰

This chart begins with the month general at Hai, placed on the Shen hour. The Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate. Shen hour belongs to the day, so for a day with the stem Ji, the daytime nobleman is at Zi. The nobleman is on the Earth Plate at You and moves backward. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: Zi rides the nobleman, Chou rides the Heavenly Empress, Yin rides Tai Yin, Mao rides the Black Tortoise, Chen rides Tai Chang, Si rides the White Tiger, Wu rides Tian Kong, Wei rides the Azure Dragon, Shen rides Gou Chen, You rides Liu He, Xu rides the Vermilion Bird, and Hai rides the Teng Snake. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Ji lodging in Wei, with Wei having Xu, which rides the Vermilion Bird; the second lesson has Xu lodging in Chou, which rides the Heavenly Empress; the third lesson has the day branch Chou lodging in Chen, which rides Tai Chang; the fourth lesson has Chen lodging in Wei, which rides the Azure Dragon. All four lessons are earth deities that are like and harmonious with no mutual control, so the method of昴star is used: take the Earth Plate position Wu under the Heaven Plate position You as the first transmission, the middle transmission is the heavenly general on the day stem Xu, and the final transmission is the heavenly general on the day branch Chen. Therefore, the first transmission is Wu riding Tian Kong, Wu in the Jiashen sequence is exactly the旬空, marked with 「◎」on the chart, Wu fire generates Ji earth as parents; the middle transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Bing Xu, riding the Vermilion Bird, as brothers; the final transmission is Chen, with the hidden stem Ren Chen, riding Tai Chang, also as brothers.

郭御青曰：課得昴星，其名不佳。初傳空而乘空，雖本命可填實，奈中傳落空，為折腰，大體不美。況無簾幕、驛馬？朱雀乘戌，戌為火墓，未敢許也，果不中。

Guo Yuqing said: The divination result is the昴 star lesson, which is inherently not favorable. The first transmission is the hour of Wu, which falls into the旬空 and is also riding on the Tian Kong, which is an empty god - empty on top of empty; although his true birth hour belongs to Wu and can fill this empty position, the middle transmission is the hour of Xu, which is located on the旬空 of Wei, forming a broken waist image in the middle, which is generally not good. Moreover, the entire lesson has neither a curtain and screen nobleman nor a post-horse. The Vermilion Bird is riding on Xu, which is theStorage of fire, and the god of literature is buried in theStorage - therefore I dare not predict he will pass the examination. Later, he indeed did not pass.

愚按：魁罡利於占功名，其所以不中者，以土氣太多，克去行年上貴人也。

I remarked: The two deities, Qiu and Gang, are originally favorable for divining official rank. However, this divination is not accurate because the lesson has too much earth energy, which overcomes the nobleman on the year of birth. The assisting deity is suppressed, so the official rank cannot be achieved.

十一月己丑日寅將戌時某婦占失金耳環。（捷要）

On the 15th day of the 11th lunar month, using the寅 month general placed on the戌 hour to cast the divination. A woman lost a gold earring and came to inquire. This example is from the book《Jieyao》.

蛇朱合勾 酉戌亥子 蛇玄虎合 子乙酉蛇 貴申 丑龍 酉巳卯亥 兄己丑龍 后未 寅空 巳丑亥己 父癸巳玄 午巳辰卯 陰玄常虎

This chart is cast with the Month General at寅 (Yin) added on the戌 (Xu) hour. The Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The戌 (Xu) hour belongs to the night, so the night nobleman for the己 (Ji) day is申 (Shen). The nobleman is located on the Earth Plate at the辰 (Chen) position and proceeds in the clockwise direction. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals riding on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: 申 (Shen) rides the Nobleman, 酉 (You) rides Teng Snake, 戌 (Xu) rides Vermilion Bird, 亥 (Hai) rides Liu He, 子 (Zi) rides Gou Chen, 丑 (Chou) rides Azure Dragon, 寅 (Yin) rides Tian Kong, 卯 (Mao) rides Bai Hu, 辰 (Chen) rides Tai Chang, 巳 (Si) rides Xuan Wu, 午 (Wu) rides Tai Yin, 未 (Wei) rides Tian Hou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the Day Stem 己 (Ji) residing in the lodging palace 未 (Wei), and on 未 (Wei) comes 亥 (Hai), which rides Liu He; the second lesson is on 亥 (Hai) comes 卯 (Mao), which rides Bai Hu; the third lesson is on the Day Branch 丑 (Chou) comes 巳 (Si), which rides Xuan Wu; the fourth lesson is on 巳 (Si) comes 酉 (You), which rides Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 酉 (You), with the hidden stem Yi You, riding Teng Snake, where 酉 (You) metal is the son of 己 (Ji) earth; the middle transmission is 丑 (Chou), with the hidden stem Ji Chou, riding Azure Dragon, representing the brother; the final transmission is 巳 (Si), with the hidden stem Gui Si, riding Xuan Wu, where 巳 (Si) fire generates 己 (Ji) earth, representing the parent. The 酉 (You), 丑 (Chou), and 巳 (Si) form the metal triad of 巳 (Si) 酉 (You) 丑 (Chou).

邵彥和曰：金環以酉為類神，初傳即加巳上，乃長生之地，不落空亡，又是三合金局，此物乃自己遺失，現在必得。巳為爐灶，酉加之，得蛇亦巳火，當失爐灶灰中。火至冬而死，故云灰中。尋之果於爐下灰中尋見。

Shao Yanhe said: A gold earring belongs to the metal element, with You metal as its class god. The first transmission's You is placed directly on Si position. Si is the place where metal is born, and You does not fall into Kongwang. The three transmissions combine to form the metal triad of Si-You-Chou, indicating that the metal energy is intact. This suggests the earring was lost by itself, not taken by someone else, and it can certainly be found again. Si represents a stove in symbolic terms, with You placed on Si. The You is also associated with Teng Snake, which belongs to fire and is native to Si. This creates two layers of fire imagery. Therefore, it is concluded that the earring was lost in the stove's ashes. Fire dies in winter, leaving only ashes, so it is said to be in the ashes. Following this clue, the earring was indeed found beneath the stove in the ashes.

建炎己酉年十月十五庚寅日寅將酉時，邵伯達占宅基。（方本占案、口鑑）

In the Jiyou year of the Jianyan era of Emperor Song Gaozong, on the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month, at the Gengyin hour, the Month General was placed on the You hour to cast the divination. Shao Bodada divined about the matter of purchasing a plot of land. This example is recorded in both the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and the "Kou Jian."

陳龍 六戌亥子丑空 朱酉 寅虎 龍貴后空 子戊子龍 蛇申 卯常 子未午丑 官癸巳陰 貴未午巳辰玄 未寅丑庚 父丙戌六 后陰

This chart is based on the month of寅 with the month general placed on the酉 hour. The heaven plate advances five positions ahead of the earth plate. The酉 hour belongs to night, so the night nobleman for庚 day is未. The nobleman is located on the earth plate's寅 position and moves in a clockwise direction. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the heaven plate are: 未乘贵人, 申乘螣蛇, 酉乘朱雀, 戌乘六合, 亥乘勾陈 (written as '陈' in the chart), 子乘青龙, 丑乘天空, 寅乘白虎, 卯乘太常, 辰乘玄武, 巳乘太阴, 午乘天后. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem庚, which is in the lodging palace of申, with丑 on申, and丑乘天空; the second lesson is午 on丑, with午乘天后; the third lesson is the day branch寅, with未 on寅, and未乘贵人; the fourth lesson is子 on未, with子乘青龙. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is子, with the hidden stem戊子,乘青龙, 子 water is the son of庚 metal; the middle transmission is巳, with the hidden stem癸巳,乘太阴, 巳 fire conquers庚 metal, representing official ghost; the final transmission is戌, with the hidden stem丙戌,乘六合, 戌 earth generates庚 metal, representing parents. The day is庚寅, which belongs to the甲申 decade, with午 and未 branches exactly in the empty position of the decade. Therefore, the未 on the day branch and the未 in the first transmission are both empty positions, which is the key to the statement 'the foundation is not yet determined' in the following analysis.

邵彥和曰：大凡占求宅基，以日為人，辰為宅，須看支辰，合支上空亡，是宅不可得而圖也。本身近基且近宅，何以得移？初傳脫氣，雖得青龍，又在空地，亦是暫住，尚未有定論也。中傳巳，巳為店業，太陰為婦人。巳加子作太陰，庚生於巳，是買得老婦人店業，便是宅基，其婦人幹辦，是本人親族，事皆由他。伯達以兄弟眾多，伯叔共住，欲謀遷外居，累求未許，其婦人店屋，是伊房叔母，因無生計與彼當門戶，卻要設計買得店屋，遂與彼私增價買之，至丁巳年方才造此宅也。

Shao Yanhe said: When divining for the purchase of a plot of land, the day stem represents the person and the day branch represents the house. The focus should be on the day branch. In this case, the day branch is on the position of Wei, which is falling into Kongwang, indicating that this plot of land cannot be obtained at present. He is both close to this plot of land and to his current residence, so why would he be able to move? The first transmission is Zi, which is the spirit of the release of Geng metal. Although it is riding on the Azure Dragon, the position it is on, Wei, is also empty, so it can only be a temporary residence, and the situation is not yet settled. The middle transmission is Si, whose symbolic meaning is a shop, and Tai Yin's symbolic meaning is a woman. Si is placed on Zi and rides on Tai Yin, while Geng metal is born in Si. Taken together, this indicates buying a shop from an old woman, and that shop will become the future residence. The woman is the one who handles the matter, and she is also a relative of his family, and she is in charge of everything. Shao Bo Da, because he has many brothers, and his uncles and cousins live together, wanted to move out, but several times he sought permission and was not allowed. The shop owned by the woman was actually the property of his uncle's wife. The uncle's wife, due to lack of means of subsistence, had joined his family as partners. He then tried to buy the shop, eventually secretly increasing the price and purchasing it, and finally built his house there in the year Dingsi.

愚按：夫宅要看支，支上空，是未有宅基也。卻見中傳長生，便就長生上言，況求新宅，看何方生旺即是。巳為店，加子為北方，太陰為婦人，未戌屬土，生今日之庚，乃是尊長作干人。戌又為僕，乃干僕也。六合則成就也。

I remarked: In general, when examining a dwelling, one should look at the day branch. If the day branch is empty, it indicates that there is no foundation for the house yet. However, in this divination, the middle transmission shows the snake (si) which is the place of growth for the metal of geng. Therefore, we should consider from the perspective of growth: to seek a new dwelling, one should go to the direction where the energy is thriving. The snake (si) symbolizes a shop, and when it is placed on the rat (zi), which resides in the north, it indicates that the shop is located to the north. The Tai Yin symbolizes a woman, so this is a shop owned by a woman. The earth branches wei and xu both belong to earth and can generate the metal of today's geng. This indicates that an elder is involved in handling the matter. Xu can also symbolize a servant, meaning someone who runs errands for him. The final transmission, xu, is also accompanied by Liu He, which signifies harmony and success. Therefore, this matter is finally completed.

崇正丁丑年二月庚寅日金壇虞君諱敬占會試。（郭氏占案）

In the year Dingchou of the Chongzhen era (the original text says 'Chongzheng'), in the second lunar month, on the day Gengyin, Yu Jun Jing from Juntan cast a divination for the imperial examination. According to the following text, the divination was cast on the twentieth day of the second lunar month at noon. This case is from the "Guo's Divination Cases."

合朱蛇貴 戌亥子丑 蛇空虎貴 子戊子蛇 勾酉 寅后 子未午丑 鬼癸巳常 龍申 卯陰 未寅丑庚 父丙戌合 未午巳辰 空虎常玄

This chart shows the Heaven Plate advancing five positions ahead of the Earth Plate. At noon, which is daytime, the daytime nobleman for a day with the stem Geng is Chou. The nobleman is located on the Earth Plate's position Shen and moves in reverse. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals for each branch on the Heaven Plate are: Chou乘贵人, Yin乘天后, Mao乘太阴, Chen乘玄武, Si乘太常, Wu乘白虎, Wei乘天空, Shen乘青龙, You乘勾陈, Xu乘六合, Hai乘朱雀, Zi乘螣蛇. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Geng lodging in the palace Shen, with Shen having Chou, which is乘贵人; the second lesson is Chou having Wu, which is乘白虎; the third lesson is the day branch Yin having Wei, which is乘天空; the fourth lesson is Wei having Zi, which is乘螣蛇. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi, with the hidden stem Wuzi,乘螣蛇, representing a son; the middle transmission is Si, with the hidden stem Guisi,乘太常, where Si fire overcomes Geng metal, representing an official ghost; the final transmission is Xu, with the hidden stem Bingxu,乘六合, representing a parent. This lesson's four lessons and three transmissions are exactly the same as the previous example by Zhao Bodada, who predicted the foundation of a house, except that the previous one started at酉时 using the night nobleman Wei, while this one starts at午时 using the daytime nobleman Chou, resulting in completely different Heavenly Generals in this chart.

郭御青曰：二月二十日午時，為虞君占得此劉，干支俱被墓覆，宅上乘幕貴，空亡無力，傳課又無馬，何敢許也？果不中。

Guo Yuqing said: On the 20th day of the second month at noon, Yu Jun received this divination lesson (the original text's "Liu" is likely a mistake for "ke"). The day stem and day branch were both covered by the tomb god; the position of the house, although the Wei was exactly the god where the nobleman of the day stem of Geng was located, was nevertheless in the empty period, thus empty and powerless; also, there was no post-horse in the lesson and the transmissions. How could I dare to promise him success in the imperial examination? Later, he indeed did not pass.

丁丑年二月庚寅日亥將巳時宗尤弢占三日餘先生會試，夜占。（郭氏占案）

On the day of Gengyin in the second lunar month of the year Dingchou, the lesson was cast with the month general at Hai added to the time of Si. Zong You Tao cast this lesson for Master Yu for three examination sessions, and it was cast at night. This example is taken from the "Guo氏 Zhan An."

勾龍空虎 亥子丑寅 虎蛇蛇虎 財庚寅虎 合戌 卯常 寅申申寅 兄甲申蛇 朱酉 辰玄 申寅寅庚 財庚寅虎 申未午巳 蛇貴后陰

This chart is cast with the month general at Hai, placed on the time of Si. The month general and the hour form a direct opposition. The Heaven Plate advances six positions relative to the Earth Plate, forming a "returning echo" pattern. Since this is a night divination, the night nobleman is at Wei for the day stem Geng. The nobleman is located at the Earth Plate position Chou and moves in a clockwise direction. Therefore, the heavenly generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: Wei with the nobleman, Shen with the Teng Snake, You with the Vermilion Bird, Xu with Liu He, Hai with Gou Chen, Zi with Qing Long, Chou with Tian Kong, Yin with Bai Hu, Mao with Tai Chang, Chen with Xuan Wu, Si with Tai Yin, and Wu with Tian Hou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Geng, lodging in the palace Yin, with Yin having Bing, which is occupied by Bai Hu; the second lesson is Yin having Shen, with Shen occupied by Teng Snake; the third lesson is the day branch Yin having Shen, with Shen occupied by Teng Snake; the fourth lesson is Shen having Yin, with Yin occupied by Bai Hu. Yin and Shen repeatedly oppose each other, so the three transmissions are: initial transmission Yin, middle transmission Shen, and final transmission Yin again. The initial and final transmissions both have Yin, which is concealed by Geng Yin, occupied by Bai Hu. Yin wood is the wife and wealth for Geng metal. The middle transmission Shen is concealed by Jiashen, occupied by Teng Snake, representing brothers.

郭御青曰：發用與干上俱命馬，奪胩得支馬、天馬，行年乘太歲，天空為奏書之神，有六七分可望。後中副榜，亦天將蛇虎，無簾幕之過。

Guo Yuqing said: The first transmission and the heavenly stem of the day both indicate theThe Post-horse of the native's destiny, and they also seize theThe Post-horse of the day branch and the Heavenly Horse; the year stem is riding on the sovereign, and Tian Kong acts as the messenger god here - there is about six or seven chances. Later he passed the supplementary list but with poor results, also because the heavenly generals were only Teng Snake and White Tiger, these are凶 generals, and there was no帘幕 nobleman.

吳稼云曰：簾幕現臨行年，而曰無，可乎？愚按：此課雖是夜占，然即得巳時仍用五貴為是。

Wu Jiayun said: The Nobleman of the Night Curtain is clearly present in the year's position, yet it is said not to be, is this explanation consistent? I replied: Although this lesson was cast at night, since the time taken is the hour of巳, it should still use the daytime Nobleman. (The original text 'five nobles' is likely a mistake for 'daytime nobleman'.) If we change to the daytime Nobleman of丑, all the heavenly generals would need to be rearranged, and the disagreement between Wu and Guo lies exactly here.

未年五月庚寅日占訟。（中黃經）

The year of Wei, meaning the year when the Supreme Sovereign is in Wei, a day of Gengyin in the fifth month is used for divination regarding legal matters. Here, 'Wei' refers to one of the twelve earthly branches, indicating the year, not meaning 'not yet'. According to the accompanying divination chart, the month general of Wei is placed on the hour of Hai. This example is taken from the Zhonghuang Jing.

空虎常玄 丑寅卯辰 后合龍玄 父丙戌合 龍子 巳陰 午戌子辰 鬼◎午后 勾亥 午后 戌寅辰庚 財庚寅虎 戌酉申未 合朱蛇貴

The Heaven Plate is eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate. Using the night nobleman on the day of Geng, the nobleman is located on the亥 position of the Earth Plate and moves in the clockwise direction. Therefore, the Heavenly Generals on each branch of the Heaven Plate are: 未 is occupied by the nobleman, 申 by the Teng Snake, 酉 by the Vermilion Bird, 戌 by the Liu He, 亥 by the Gou Chen, 子 by the Azure Dragon, 丑 by the Tian Kong, 寅 by the White Tiger, 卯 by the Tai Chang, 辰 by the Black Tortoise, 巳 by the Tai Yin, and 午 by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Geng lodging in the 申, with 申 having 辰, which is occupied by the Black Tortoise; the second lesson is 辰 having 子, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon; the third lesson is the day branch 寅 having 戌, which is occupied by the Liu He; the fourth lesson is 戌 having 午, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is 戌, with the hidden stem Bingxu, occupied by the Liu He, where 戌 earth generates Geng metal, representing parents; the middle transmission is 午, occupied by the Heavenly Empress, with 午 in the Jiashen decade being a void position, marked with 「◎」 on the plate, where 午 fire overcomes Geng metal, representing official ghosts; the final transmission is 寅, with the hidden stem Gengyin, occupied by the White Tiger, representing wife's wealth. The positions 戌, 午, and 寅 form the fire triad of Yin-Wu-Xu.

斷曰：戌作初傳，遁得丙火，剋日最凶。上乘六合是因和合上起口舌。卻喜為五月，解神中傳午天后，末傳寅乘白虎主同類陰謀。已定死罪，幸三傳雖是火局，合來剋日，卻是遞生日干。又貴人未土生干，太歲未土亦生干，初傳戌土又生干，主減凶刑作配也。

The judgment states: Wu is the first transmission, and the ten-day cycle reveals the transmission as Bing fire. Fire comes to overcome Geng metal, which is extremely dangerous. Wu is accompanied by Liu He, which signifies harmony and union, indicating that this dispute arises from harmonious interactions. Fortunately, it is the fifth lunar month, and Relief Deity is present to resolve the issue. The middle transmission, Wu, is accompanied by Heavenly Empress, and the final transmission, Yin, is accompanied by White Tiger, which signifies secret schemes by peers. The person was originally sentenced to death. However, although the three transmissions form a fire pattern, which together overcome the day stem, when viewed separately, they are in a sequence of mutual generation, ultimately supporting the day stem. Moreover, the nobleman Wei earth is born by the day stem, the sovereign year Wei earth also generates the day stem, and the first transmission Wu earth again generates the day stem. Three layers of earth protect the day stem, so it is concluded that the death sentence can be reduced, and the person will be sentenced to exile.

戊申年八月庚寅日辰將未時，張九翁戊午生五十一歲，占宅。（口鑑、捷要）

In the year of Wu Shen, eighth lunar month, day of Geng Yin, the class of Chen is placed on the hour of Wei to cast the divination. The person consulting is Zhang Jiuweng, born in the year of Wu Wu, aged fifty-one, asking about his family home. This example is recorded in both the "Koujian" and "Jieyao."

朱六 蛇寅卯辰巳陳 貴丑 午龍 虎陰蛇陳 鬼癸巳陳 后子 未空 申亥寅巳 財庚寅蛇 陰亥戌酉申虎 亥寅巳庚 子丁亥陰 玄常

This chart is cast with the month general at Chen (Dragon) added to the hour of Wei (Earth Ox). The Heaven Plate is three positions behind the Earth Plate. The hour of Wei belongs to the day, so the day's nobleman is at Chou (Ox) for a day of Geng (Metal). The nobleman is located at the Earth Plate position Chen and moves in a clockwise direction, so the Heavenly Generals on each branch are: Chou (Ox) is accompanied by the nobleman, Yin (Tiger) by the Teng Snake, Mao (Rabbit) by the Vermilion Bird, Chen (Dragon) by Liu He, Si (Snake) by Gou Chen, Wu (Horse) by the Azure Dragon, Wei (Goat) by Tian Kong, Shen (Monkey) by the White Tiger, You (Rooster) by Tai Chang, Xu (Dog) by the Black Tortoise, Hai (Pig) by Tai Yin, and Zi (Rat) by the Heavenly Empress. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Geng, which is in the lodging palace Shen, with Shen having Si (Snake), which is accompanied by Gou Chen; the second lesson is Si (Snake) having Yin (Tiger), which is accompanied by the Teng Snake; the third lesson is the day branch Yin (Tiger) having Hai (Pig), which is accompanied by Tai Yin; the fourth lesson is Hai (Pig) having Shen (Monkey), which is accompanied by the White Tiger. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si (Snake), with the hidden stem Guisi, accompanied by Gou Chen, where Si fire overcomes Geng metal, representing an official ghost; the middle transmission is Yin (Tiger), with the hidden stem Gengyin, accompanied by the Teng Snake, representing a wife's wealth; the final transmission is Hai (Pig), with the hidden stem Dinghai, accompanied by Tai Yin, representing a son. Si, Yin, and Hai each retreat three positions, forming a retreat transmission. Geng metal's long life is at Si, and the day branch Yin's long life is at Hai, so both the stem and branch receive the birth from the superior god; however, Geng is released by Hai, and Yin is released by Si, and they mutually steal and drain each other. This birth and release is the key to the following interpretation.

邵彥和曰：干支皆受上神來生，利宅不利人。干上發用歸傳支，末傳亥脫今日之干而生今日之支，因充役費用，又與姓陳吏人不和，尊長末後為兒娶婦，所費盡壞家計；十一年間陰人守寡，是時家產四分矣。張九翁果先好，後因充役，大有所費；又為妻叔與陳姓吏人作鬼，因來動店內物，卻乃爭訟；後二年又與子娶婦，倍陪女家；後五年因弟有事，遂作四分分也。

Shao Yanhe said: When both the day stem and day branch are supported by the superior god, it is beneficial for the house but not for the person. The巳 on the day stem initiates the first transmission, and proceeds through the transmissions to the day branch. The final transmission is亥, which steals the energy of the day stem but generates the day branch. Therefore, it is predicted that he will spend heavily due to being assigned official duties, and will have conflicts with an official named Chen. The family elders will eventually have to marry off their son, which will drain the family's resources. Within eleven years, there will be a woman in the family who becomes a widow, and at that time the family property will be divided into four parts. Later, Zhang Jiuweng indeed experienced first good fortune followed by misfortune: first, he spent heavily due to being assigned official duties; then, his wife's uncle and the official named Chen conspired to move goods from his store, leading to a lawsuit; two years later, he married off his son and had to pay double the dowry to the bride's family; five years later, due to his brother's troubles, the family property was divided into four parts.

愚按：蓋庚生於巳，寅生於亥，庚脫於亥，寅脫於巳，干支俱受生而互受脫，是先興旺而後衰敗也。亥數四、寅數七，乃十一年也。亥脫今日干，則耗洩我矣，故主費財。亥為支之長生，生宅脫我，豈不是為宅舊役累而費用乎？宅上亥乃脫神，從宅發出，為末傳，又來脫我，亥為婦人，故曰為子娶婦費壞也。上加太陰，為老陰人，故又主陰人守寡，中傳寅為吏人，上為蛇撓，又為今日絕神，且寅又為今日財神，陰人得亥為脫氣，故主因妻與吏人爭訟也。

I remarked: Geng metal is born in Si, and the day branch Yin is born in Hai. In reverse, Geng metal is drained by Hai water, and Yin wood is drained by Si fire. Both the stem and the branch are born but also drain each other, forming a pattern of initial prosperity followed by decline. The number of Hai is four, and the number of Yin is seven, adding up to eleven years. Hai draining the day stem is a consumption, thus indicating expenditure of wealth. Hai is also the long-life god of the day branch, which generates the dwelling but drains me. How can this not be due to old servants of the house causing expenditure? The position of Hai is originally a draining force, originating from the dwelling and forming the final transmission, then returning to drain me. The image of Hai is a woman, so it is said that the family wealth is spent on the son's marriage. Hai is overlaid by Tai Yin, which represents an older woman, thus indicating the presence of a widow in the house. The middle transmission Yin is the image of an official, and it is overlaid by Teng Snake, causing disturbance. Yin is also the day's dead god and the day's wealth god. The woman uses Hai as her draining force, so it is concluded that there is a lawsuit between the wife's family and the official.