On Jihai day, divination about the security of Anfeng from bandits (direct and precise).

十一月己亥日寅將申時卜安豐賊寇。一針見血。　蛇貴后陰　亥子丑寅　蛇虎龍后　父 ◎巳 虎　朱戌　卯玄　亥巳未丑　財 己亥 蛇　合酉　辰常　巳亥丑己　父 ◎巳 虎　申未午巳　勾龍空虎

On the Jihai day of the eleventh month, using the寅 general added to the申 hour to cast a divination, the matter concerns bandits in the Anfeng area. This example is taken from "One Needle Sees Blood." The branches on the Heaven Plate are six positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate, and the Heaven and Earth Plates are in constant opposition everywhere, forming a "reverse echo" chart. The申 hour belongs to the day, and on a Jihai day, the nobleman is in the子 position during the day. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate's子 and on the Earth Plate's午, with午 belonging to the yin side. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse: the nobleman is on子 and on午, the Teng Snake is on亥 and on巳, the Vermilion Bird is on戌 and on辰, the Liu He is on酉 and on卯, the Gou Chen is on申 and on寅, the Azure Dragon is on未 and on丑, the Tian Kong is on午 and on子, the Bai Hu is on巳 and on亥, the Tai Chang is on辰 and on戌, the Xuan Wu is on卯 and on酉, the Tai Yin is on寅 and on申, and the Heavenly Empress is on丑 and on未. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Jihai day's earth is lodged in the未, with丑 on the未, forming the first lesson;丑 has未 on it, forming the second lesson; the day branch亥 has巳 on it, forming the third lesson; and the巳 has亥 on it, forming the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively occupied by the Heavenly Empress, Azure Dragon, Bai Hu, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are巳,亥, and巳: the first and last transmissions are both巳 fire, riding the Bai Hu, falling in the empty position (on the Jiawu decade, the empty positions are辰 and巳), generating the Jihai earth as "parents"; the middle transmission is亥 water, riding the Teng Snake, with the hidden heavenly stem being己, which is overcome by the Jihai earth as "wife and wealth."

祝泌奏曰：死氣十二月在巳，臨日支發用，將見白虎，殺氣頗重，虜賊未退，月破臨城，乘生旺之鄉，不至大害，亦在危疑之間，不至大害者，騰蛇能制白虎也。亦主危疑者，游都加人民也。臣以術測之，安豐必先敗而後勝。安豐受害之民必有損傷，然終可全保。

Zhu Bi submitted a report stating: "The凶煞 'Death Qi' falls on the twelfth month in the position of Si. Now, the Si is placed directly on the day branch Hai, which represents Anfeng City, and is taken as the initiating transmission. The heavenly general accompanying it is the White Tiger, which carries a very strong killing energy, and the enemy will not retreat for the time being. The 'Month Breaker' spirit is placed on the city, but fortunately, the Si fire is in a flourishing and vigorous position, so it does not lead to great harm, yet remains in a state of uncertainty and danger. The reason for saying it does not lead to great harm is that the middle transmission on Hai is accompanied by the Teng Snake, which belongs to fire, and fire can overcome metal, thus restraining the White Tiger. The reason for saying it still indicates uncertainty and danger is that the 'You Du'凶煞, which is associated with military enemies, is placed on the position representing the people. By using divination techniques, I predict that Anfeng City will first suffer defeat and then eventually prevail; the people of Anfeng will inevitably suffer some damage, but ultimately will be preserved."

順治己酉年正月己亥日子將巳時參將盧承山占病吉凶。指南。　后陰　貴子丑寅卯玄　后空六陰　父 甲午 空　蛇亥　辰常　丑午酉寅　兄 辛丑 后　朱戌　巳虎　午亥寅己　子 丙申 勾　六酉申未午空　勾青

In the sixth year of Shunzhi, the first month, on the Jihai day, a divination was made using the Zi general added to the Si hour. General Lu Chengshan consulted about the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of a sickness. This example is taken from the "Six Yin Guide." The branches on the Heaven Plate are seven positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Si hour belongs to the day time, and on a Ji day, the nobleman is in Zi during the day. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate Zi and on the Earth Plate Si. Si belongs to the yin side. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Zi and on Si, the Teng Snake is on Hai and on Chen, the Vermilion Bird is on Xu and on Mao, the Liu He is on You and on Yin, the Gou Chen is on Shen and on Chou, the Azure Dragon is on Wei and on Wei, the Tian Kong is on Wu and on Hai, the Bai Hu is on Si and on Xu, the Tai Chang is on Chen and on You, the Xuan Wu is on Mao and on Shen, the Tai Yin is on Yin and on Wei, and the Heavenly Empress is on Chou and on Wu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Jihai day's Jihai is lodged in Wei, and Wei has寅, which is the first lesson;寅 has酉, which is the second lesson; the day branch Hai has午, which is the third lesson; and午 has丑, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively occupied by Tai Yin, Liu He, Tian Kong, and Heavenly Empress. The third lesson, Hai water, is attacking the fifth lesson, Wu fire, which is a case of lower attacking upper. Therefore, the Wu fire is taken as the initiating transmission. The first transmission is Wu fire, riding on Tian Kong, with the hidden dry branch Ji, which generates Ji soil as "parents"; the second transmission is丑 soil, riding on Heavenly Empress, with the hidden dry branch Xin, which is similar to Ji as "brothers"; the third transmission is申 metal, riding on Gou Chen, with the hidden dry branch Bing, which is generated by Ji soil as "sons."

陳公獻曰：脾土受症，目今無慮。蓋木為官鬼，則脾經受症矣。以平清肺心為上，切勿健脾理肺，七月恐有不測。蓋祿臨絕地，馬入墓鄉，且子巳相加為陽（生）臨陽絕，又卯臨申位是木被金離，病人非宜，且年帶二死剋日，故斷其七月必死。已而果然。

Chen Gongxian said: This is a case of the spleen earth being afflicted, but there is no need to worry at present. Wood is the official ghost that overcomes earth, so when wood comes to overcome, the spleen meridian naturally becomes ill. In terms of treatment, it is best to calm the liver and clear the lungs, and regulate the heart qi, rather than simply strengthen the spleen and regulate the lungs. By July, there may be unexpected misfortune. This is because the day stem is Ji, and the Ji day's禄神 is Wu. However, Wu is placed on Hai, and fire is extinguished at Hai, meaning the禄神 is in a state of extinction. The day branch is Hai, which belongs to the wood triad of Hai-Mao-Wei. The驿马 of the wood triad is Si, and Si is placed on Xu, which is the fire tomb. This is like a horse entering its tomb. Moreover, the heaven plate Zi water is placed on the earth plate Si, and Zi is the life qi of yang water, while Si is the absolute end of water, forming 'yang life meets yang extinction'. In addition, the heaven plate卯 is placed on the earth plate Shen, and卯 wood is overcome by Shen metal, leading to its disintegration. This is not suitable for the patient. Moreover, the year pillar carries two death deities that overcome the day stem. Therefore, it is predicted that he will surely die in July. Later, this prediction was indeed fulfilled.

己亥日占賣馬。郭氏占案。　后陰　貴子丑寅卯玄　后空六陰　父 甲午 空　蛇亥　辰常　丑午酉寅　兄 辛丑 后　朱戌　巳虎　午亥寅己　子 丙申 勾　六酉申未午空　勾青

On the day of Jihai, a divination was made regarding the sale of a horse. This case is taken from Guo Yüqing's divination records. The divination board is identical to the previous example: the heavenly branches are seven positions ahead of the earthly branches. The nobleman is riding the zodiac animal of zi and is located at si, which belongs to the yin side. The heavenly general is arranged in reverse order. The nobleman rides zi and is located at si, the teng snake rides hai and is located at chen, the vermilion bird rides xu and is located at ma, the liu he rides you and is located at yin, the gou chen rides shen and is located at chou, the azure dragon rides wei and is located at wei, the tian kong rides wu and is located at hai, the bai hu rides si and is located at xu, the tai chang rides chen and is located at you, the xuan wu rides ma and is located at shen, the tai yin rides yin and is located at wei, and the heavenly empress rides chou and is located at wu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: ji is associated with wei, and wei has yin, which is the first lesson; yin has you, which is the second lesson; the day branch hai has wu, which is the third lesson; and wu has chou, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods are successively riding tai yin, liu he, tian kong, and heavenly empress. The three transmissions are wu, chou, and shen: the first transmission is wu fire riding tian kong, with the hidden heavenly stem jia, representing 'parents', and wu is also the禄神 (lucky god) of the day ji; the middle transmission is chou earth riding heavenly empress, with the hidden heavenly stem xin, representing 'brother'; the final transmission is shen metal riding gou chen, with the hidden heavenly stem bing, representing 'child'. Wu is the main symbol for horses in the twelve branches, and it is the class god in this divination. It is initiated from the day branch hai, which is the dwelling position.

郭御青曰：餘親有馬二匹，一大一小，問皆出否？課果傳類神午字，時旁有人斷為皆不得賣。以午為日祿也。又一人斷為賣出大馬，以大馬捷足先出也。余斷日馬，馬為日祿，惟賣出乃得價為祿，賣出小馬，以午自刑，大刑出小，小刑不能出大也。馬即從宅上發用，明乎一馬在宅，一馬出外，且馬有戀主之意，凡賣皆不願出。今一馬出　，必大刑小出也。果賣小馬。

Guo Yuqing said: My relative has two horses, one big and one small, and asked whether both could be sold. In the divination, the god of the horse, represented by the character 'wu', was indeed transmitted. At that time, someone nearby said both horses could not be sold, reasoning that 'wu' is the禄神 (favorable deity) of the day 'ji', and禄神 (favorable deity) should not go out. Another person said the big horse could be sold, reasoning that the big horse is faster and would go out first. I said: 'Wu' horse is the禄神 (favorable deity) of the day 'ji', and only by selling it and getting money can one obtain禄 (favorable fortune); the small horse could be sold - because 'wu' and 'wu' self-punish each other, the big one punishes the small one, but the small one cannot punish the big one. The horse was transmitted from the house爻 (day branch 'hai'), indicating one horse at home and one outside. Moreover, horses have a fondness for their master, and when they are to be sold, they do not wish to leave. Now only one horse has gone out, which must be the big one punishing the small one, and the small horse going out. The result was indeed that the small horse was sold.

崇正壬午年十月己亥日卯將未時山東明經王米山索占。指南。　朱六　蛇丑寅卯辰勾　六虎后六　兄 未 虎　貴子　巳龍　卯未亥卯　鬼 卯 六　后亥　午空　未亥卯己　財 亥 后　陰戌酉申未虎　玄常

In the year Renwu of Chongzheng, on the Jihai day of the tenth lunar month, a man named Wang Mishan from Shandong, a candidate for the imperial examination (gongsheng), came to seek divination. This example is taken from the "Lunin Zhinan." The branches on the Heaven Plate are eight positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The time of the divination is the hour of Wei, which is daytime. On an Ji day, the nobleman (guiren) is located at Zi. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Zi and on the Earth Plate at Chen, which belongs to the Yang direction. The heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman is on Zi at Chen, the Teng Snake is on Chou at Si, the Vermilion Bird is on Yin at Wu, the Liu He is on Mao at Wei, the Gou Chen is on Chen at Shen, the Azure Dragon is on Si at You, the Tian Kong is on Wu at Xu, the Baihu is on Wei at Hai, the Tai Chang is on Shen at Zi, the Xuanwu is on You at Chou, the Tai Yin is on Xu at Yin, and the Tianhou is on Hai at Mao. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Jihai day branch is located in Wei, so the first lesson is at Wei with Mao; the second lesson is at Mao with Hai; the third lesson is at Hai with Wei; the fourth lesson is at Wei with Mao. The upper deities are successively occupied by Liu He, Tianhou, Baihu, and Liu He. The three transmissions are Wei, Mao, and Hai, forming the inverted Wood triad of Hai-Mao-Wei. The first transmission is Wei soil with Baihu, which is of the same type as Ji soil, thus indicating 'brother'; the middle transmission is Mao wood with Liu He, which overcomes Ji soil, thus indicating 'official ghost'; the final transmission is Hai water with Tianhou, which is overcome by Ji soil, thus indicating 'wife's wealth'.

陳公獻曰：王米山攜子某，來謁陳東明求官，過小齋訪道。余曰：先生少間，須臾有三客至，內必楊姓者。果如言。余曰：干神歸支，傳將逆行，郎君宜回東省取功名。且貴地不日兵動，且有攻城破邑之事，眷屬宜遷他處避之。曰：祝老母九十壽，方可遷也。曰：尊堂壽止八十有九，因乙發用與地盤己字合斷為八九之數也。此皆日後事，目今須防失脫也。

Chen Gongxian said: Wang Mishan came with his son to pay homage to Chen Dongming in pursuit of an official post, and on the way visited my small study to seek guidance. I said: Please wait a moment, there will soon be three guests arriving, among whom there must be one named Yang. Later it indeed turned out as I had said. I then said: The heavenly stem of the day is connected to the earthly branch, the three transmissions and the heavenly general are all moving in reverse, so your son should return to Shandong to attain official rank; also, there will be military movements in your area soon, and there will be attacks on cities and towns, so your family should move to another place to take shelter. Wang Mishan said: We need to wait until we have held a ninetyth birthday celebration for my mother before we can move. I said: Your mother's lifespan is only up to eighty-nine - the first transmission has not yet been used, and during the ten-day cycle, the hidden heavenly stem is yi, which matches the earth plate's ji. The number of yi is eight, and the number of ji is nine, combining to form the number eighty-nine. These are matters for the future; for now, you should first be on guard against theft and loss.

米山接住灣子街舊同寅陳宅書房，果被盜。復來，余曰：玄武脫氣居丑命，所盜者郎君物耳。曰：然。還防賊復來。果三日又來，將物盡盜去，曰：何以明其然也？余曰：課傳回環，故知其改之復來。米山問曰：山東兵動者何？蓋因三傳純官鬼，又魯都虎鬼克支，賊符將星克干，是以知貴省中外兵動，攻城破邑也。果冬月一一如占。米山遷居淮安新安鎮，其母未度九十而終。

Wang Mishan was staying in the study of his former colleague Chen's family on Wanzijie Street, and indeed he was robbed. When he came back to me, I said: The Black Tortoise is riding on You, which is the son of the branch that drains my energy, and it is precisely on the native's birth branch Chou, so the stolen items are those of his son. He said: That's exactly right. I then said: You should also be cautious of the thief coming again. Indeed, three days later the thief came again and stole everything. He asked: On what basis did you see this would happen? I said: Because in this lesson the four lessons and three transmissions are connected head to tail, forming a cycle, so I knew the thief would return. Wang Mishan then asked: How did you see that there would be military movement in Shandong? That is because the three transmissions Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wood trinity, all of which are officials that overcome the person; the 'robber's sign' and 'general star' come together with the White Tiger and official ghosts to overcome the day branch. Therefore, I knew that both inside and outside the province of Shandong would have military movements, and there would be attacks on cities and towns. By the time of the twelfth lunar month, everything came true as predicted. Later, Wang Mishan moved to Xinhuan Town in Huai'an, and his mother died before reaching ninety years old.

庚戌年七月己亥日午將未時韓省干占子病丙午生五歲。方本占案　口鑑。　龍空　陳辰巳午未虎　六卯　申常　玄陰龍空　兄 戊戌 陰　朱寅　酉玄　酉戌巳午　子 丁酉 玄　蛇丑子亥戌陰　戌亥午己　子 丙申 常　貴後

In the year of Geng Xu, seventh lunar month, on the day of Ji Hai, using the general of Wu and starting the divination at the hour of Wei, Han Xinggan divined about his son's illness. His son was born in the year of Bing Wu and is five years old. This case is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Kou Jian." The branches on the Heaven Plate are each one step behind those on the Earth Plate. The hour of Wei belongs to the day time, and on the day of Ji, the nobleman is located at Zi. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Zi and on the Earth Plate at Chou. Chou belongs to the Yang side, and the heavenly generals are arranged in order: the nobleman is on Zi and on Chou, the Teng Snake is on Chou and on Yin, the Vermilion Bird is on Yin and on Mao, the Liu He is on Mao and on Chen, the Gou Chen is on Chen and on Si, the Azure Dragon is on Si and on Wu, the Tian Kong is on Wu and on Wei, the Bai Hu is on Wei and on Shen, the Tai Chang is on Shen and on You, the Xuan Wu is on You and on Xu, the Tai Yin is on Xu and on Hai, and the Heavenly Empress is on Hai and on Zi. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the earth element Ji is lodged in Wei, and Wei has Wu, which is the first lesson; Wu has Si, which is the second lesson; the day branch Hai has Xu, which is the third lesson; and Xu has You, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are successively occupied by Tian Kong, Qing Long, Tai Yin, and Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are Xu, You, and Shen, each step backward: the first transmission is Xu earth with Tai Yin, hidden heavenly stem Wu, which is of the same type as Ji, thus being "brother"; the middle transmission is You metal with Xuan Wu, hidden heavenly stem Ding, which is generated by Ji earth, thus being "son"; the final transmission is Shen metal with Tai Chang, hidden heavenly stem Bing, which is also "son." Hai is the Heaven Gate, and Xu is Hekui. Xu is placed on Hai, forming the image of "Hekui crossing the Heaven Gate."

陳公獻曰：此病至危，宅中謝神請醫，費盡千萬錢，而不知病在目前。今主至困而又發吊，手足拳束，口眼歪邪，還是風症否？曰：然。若作風病，其病必死。其病因親王價領出，與冷粽子吃，及歸又吃冷淘面，二物積中，遂發熱，積緊腸塞，致令手足拳束耳。可依此治即安也。韓丈之子，因七月十五僕家裹粽燒紙，遂與食之，歸又吃令淘面，晚遂得病，困重求重請醫，費千萬錢不效，聞先生言，醫遂以陳皮、青皮、烏藥湯治之，便覺身輕，下黑糞三五塊而全愈。

Chen Gongxian said: The illness has already become extremely dangerous. The family has been worshiping gods and consulting doctors, spending thousands of coins, yet they do not realize the root of the illness is right before their eyes. Now the child is in a state of extreme distress, with convulsions, curled and twisted hands and feet, and crooked mouth and eyes. Are you treating this as a wind illness? Answer: Yes. I said: If you treat this as a wind illness, the child will surely die. This illness is caused by the child being taken out by a servant from a relative's house, given a cold zongzi, and then eating cold cold-tossed noodles, which both accumulated in the abdomen. This led to fever, stagnation, and blockage in the intestines, causing the hands and feet to become twisted. If you treat it in this way, the child will recover immediately. Han's son was given zongzi by the servant family on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, and also burned paper money, then gave it to the child to eat. When he returned, he ate cold cold-tossed noodles, and that night he fell ill, with a severe condition. He consulted many doctors, spending thousands of coins without any effect. After listening to Mr. Chen's advice, the doctor used a decoction of tangerine peel, green tangerine peel, and wu yao, and the child immediately felt relief, passed three or five pieces of black stool, and recovered completely.

蓋己日見戌為同宗，日上見午，火中之物也。巳乃未形似米，以來配宗字，象粽子，加亥水故曰冷粽。太陰老婦，乃僕人之母與之也。酉麥申面，故曰面，玄武主過水，是以為冷淘也。

The principle of taking images is: on a Ji day, the presence of Xu indicates that both Ji and Xu are earth, representing the same lineage, so the character "Zong" is used. The day stem is combined with the upper god, which is Wu, belonging to fire, indicating something cooked in fire. The "Wei" of Ji's lodging palace resembles the character "Mi" (rice), which pairs with "Zong" to form the character "Zongzi" (rice dumpling), hence the image is a rice dumpling. Xu is placed above Hai water, so it is called a cold rice dumpling. Xu is covered by Tai Yin, which represents an old woman, indicating that it is given by the mother of the servant. You represents wheat and Shen represents flour, so it is called a flour food. Xuanwu governs crossing water, so it is determined to be cold noodles passed through cold water.

吳稼云曰：魁渡天門知其為積案，中卻不肯說破，此古人秘密藏也。

Wu Jiayun said: From the single image of 'Kui degree Tianmen' in the 'Xu Jia Hai' combination, one can already know that this is a case of accumulated food; however, Chen Gongxian did not explicitly mention this point in his interpretation, which precisely reflects the secrecy of the ancients.

癸未年正月己亥日亥將未時事來意。指南。　朱蛇　六酉戌亥子貴　龍玄玄蛇　比 乙未 青　勾申　丑后　未卯卯亥　財 己亥 蛇　龍未　寅陰　卯亥亥己　鬼 癸卯 玄　空午巳辰卯玄　虎常

On the Jihai day of the Guiwei year in the first lunar month, the divination was cast using the Guiwei hour as the starting point, to determine the intention of the person coming (the original text says 'the intention of the matter', but 'matter' is likely a mistake for 'divination'). This example is taken from the "Six Nian Guide". The branches on the Heaven Plate are four positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Guiwei hour belongs to the daytime, and on a Jihai day, the nobleman (day's nobleman) is in the Zi position. The nobleman is in the Zi position on the Heaven Plate and in the Shen position on the Earth Plate, which belongs to the yin side. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is in Zi on the Heaven Plate and in Shen on the Earth Plate; the Teng Snake is in Hai on the Heaven Plate and in Wei on the Earth Plate; the Vermilion Bird is in Xu on the Heaven Plate and in Wu on the Earth Plate; the Liu He is in You on the Heaven Plate and in Si on the Earth Plate; the Gou Chen is in Shen on the Heaven Plate and in Chen on the Earth Plate; the Azure Dragon is in Wei on the Heaven Plate and in Mao on the Earth Plate; the Tian Kong is in Wu on the Heaven Plate and in Yin on the Earth Plate; the Bai Hu is in Si on the Heaven Plate and in Chou on the Earth Plate; the Tai Chang is in Chen on the Heaven Plate and in Zi on the Earth Plate; the Xuan Wu is in Mao on the Heaven Plate and in Hai on the Earth Plate; the Tai Yin is in Yin on the Heaven Plate and in Xu on the Earth Plate; the Heavenly Empress is in Chou on the Heaven Plate and in You on the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the Jihai day's branch is in Hai, which is assigned to the Wei position, so the first lesson is in Wei; the Wei position has Mao, so the second lesson is in Mao; the day's branch Hai has Mao, so the third lesson is in Mao; the Mao position has Wei, so the fourth lesson is in Wei. The upper gods in order are Teng Snake, Xuan Wu, Xuan Wu, and Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are Wei, Hai, and Mao, which together form the wood triad of Hai-Mao-Wei. The first transmission is Wei earth, which is occupied by the Azure Dragon and has the hidden stem Yi, which is the same as the Jihai day's stem Ji, making it 'like a companion'; the second transmission is Hai water, which is occupied by the Teng Snake and has the hidden stem Ji, which is overcome by the Ji earth, making it 'wife and wealth'; the third transmission is Mao wood, which is occupied by the Xuan Wu and has the hidden stem Gui, which overcomes the Ji earth, making it 'official ghost'. Since the wood triad forms the official triad, it indicates matters related to official positions and fame.

陳公獻曰：予在金陵卞聖瑞書房，偶有兩客進坐索占。余曰：龍神發用，傳課結成官局，來意必占今年功名事。六月即有欽召之應。蓋春得進旺之木，遇夏則枝葉茂密，將來事業遠大。早：六月之說何也？緣歲建皇恩發用，中傳天詔，是以六月定有佳音。後知來占者即趙忻城昆弟也。果於是月奉詔進京授京營提督，甲申又升京營戎政。

Chen Gongxian said: I was in the study of Bian Shengrui in Jinling when two guests came in and sat down to seek divination. I said: The Azure Dragon is riding the first transmission and initiating the transmission, and the four lessons and three transmissions form an official structure, so the intention must be to divinate this year's official status. There will be a response in June with an imperial summons. Because spring is the time when the wood energy is flourishing, by summer the branches and leaves will naturally be lush, and the future career will be great. The guests asked: Where does the saying of June come from? I said: The initial transmission of Wei is both the annual establishment of Guiwei year and carries the evil spirit of 'Imperial Grace' initiating the transmission, and the middle transmission of Hai is 'Heavenly Imperial Edict', so there must be good news in June. Later I found out that the people who came for divination were brothers from the Xin Cheng Marquis Zhao's family. Indeed, they were summoned to the capital in this month and appointed as commander of the capital military camps; in Jiashen year they were promoted to the military affairs of the capital military camps.

此以神煞斷，可見靈機通變，在乎一心。

This case entirely depends on the divine influences of the annual stem, imperial grace, and heavenly edicts to make a judgment, showing the wonderful adaptability of Liunin divination. Ultimately, its subtlety lies in the diviner's understanding and application, which cannot be obtained by rigidly following fixed methods.

建炎己酉年十月二十五庚子日寅將未時曹作秀才癸酉生三十七歲占進屋。方本占案　直指。　貴后　蛇子丑寅卯陰　朱亥　辰玄　后空六陰　父 戊戌 六　六戌　巳常　寅未戌卯　官 空巳 常　陳酉申未午虎　未子卯庚　子 庚子 蛇　龍空

In the year Guiyou of the Jianyan era, on the 25th day of the tenth lunar month, at the time of Wei, using the general of Yin to cast the divination, Cao Zuo, born in the year Guiyou, aged thirty-seven, consulted about moving into a new house. This case is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Zhi Zhi." The branches on the Heaven Plate are seven positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The time of Wei belongs to the day, and on a day of Geng, the nobleman is in Chou. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Chou and on the Earth Plate at Wu, which belongs to the yin direction. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Chou and Wu, the Teng Snake is on Zi and Si, the Vermilion Bird is on Hai and Chen, the Liu He is on Xu and Mao, the Gou Chen is on You and Yin, the Azure Dragon is on Shen and Chou, the Tian Kong is on Wei and Zi, the Bai Hu is on Wu and Hai, the Tai Chang is on Si and Xu, the Xuan Wu is on Chen and Shen, the Tai Yin is on Mao and Shen, and the Heavenly Empress is on Yin and Wei. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the metal of Geng is in the lodging palace of Shen, with the lesson on Shen being the first; the lesson on Mao is on Xu, which is the second; the lesson on Zi is on Wei, which is the third; and the lesson on Wei is on Yin, which is the fourth. The upper spirits are successively governed by Tai Yin, Liu He, Tian Kong, and Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are Xu, Si, and Zi: the first transmission is the earth of Xu governed by Liu He, with the hidden dry branch Wu, which generates the metal of Geng as the "parents"; the middle transmission is the fire of Si governed by Tai Chang, which is in the empty position (on the day of Geng Zi, which belongs to the Jiawu decade, the empty position is in Chen and Si), which overcomes the metal of Geng as the "official ghost"; the final transmission is the water of Zi governed by Teng Snake, with the hidden dry branch Geng, which is generated by the metal of Geng as the "son and daughter."

邵彥和曰：斫輪課，須仔細，後必爭競。支受干制之課，犯者畜產不生，宅上天空作害，主有幼小；干上互換羅網，必有小擾大之事。太陰宅母不明，兼行年湊成羅網，定是不足。末蛇乘子絕了又生，生了又絕，切不可居。庚以酉為天羅，卯為地網。

Shao Yanhe said: This is the "Zhuo Lun" divination lesson, which requires careful consideration, for there will surely be disputes in the future. In this lesson, the day branch is controlled by the upper deity, and those who commit this lesson will have few animals and offspring; the day branch, which is the zi (water) trigram, is afflicted by the Tian Kong, indicating that the young members of the family will be burdened. The day stem and its upper and lower trigrams form a net, which certainly leads to disturbances where the small disturb the great. The upper deity on the day stem is the卯 (rabbit) trigram, which is occupied by the Tai Yin, the deity representing the female head of the household, indicating darkness and confusion. Moreover, the thirty-seventh year of the person's life is in the寅 (tiger) trigram, which is supported by the酉 (rooster) trigram, which is the heavenly net for the metal element. The酉 trigram is the heavenly net for the metal, and the卯 trigram is the earthly net. The final transmission is the Teng Snake occupying the zi (water) trigram, which is the death place for the metal element. However, the zi water is in its prime, so it is first extinguished and then revived, and then extinguished again, leading to constant change. This house must not be occupied. The metal element uses the酉 (rooster) trigram as its heavenly net and the卯 (rabbit) trigram as its earthly net.

十月庚子日卯將未時甲子命婦人占來意。一字訣玉連環。　貴后陰玄　丑寅卯辰　玄龍蛇玄　子 庚子 蛇 ⊙　蛇子　巳常　辰申子辰　兄 丙申 龍　朱亥　午虎　申子辰庚　父 辰 玄 ◎　戌酉申未　合勾龍空

On the tenth month's Geng Zi day, using the卯 general added to the Wei hour to cast the divination, a woman whose birth sign is Jia Zi is asking about the intention. This example is taken from the "One Character诀" and "Jade Linked Ring." The branches on the Heaven Plate are eight positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Wei hour belongs to the day time, and on a Geng day, the nobleman is in the Chou position. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate Chou and falls on the Earth Plate Si, which is a yin position. The heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order: the nobleman is on Chou and falls on Si, the Teng Snake is on Zi and falls on Chen, the Vermilion Bird is on Hai and falls on Mao, the Liu He is on Xu and falls on Yin, the Gou Chen is on You and falls on Chou, the Azure Dragon is on Shen and falls on Zi, the Tian Kong is on Wei and falls on Hai, the Bai Hu is on Wu and falls on Xu, the Tai Chang is on Si and falls on You, the Shen Hou is on Chen and falls on Shen, and the Tai Yin is on Mao and falls on Wei. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng metal lodges in Shen, with Shen having Chen, which is the first lesson; Chen has Zi, which is the second lesson; the day branch Zi has Shen, which is the third lesson; Shen has Chen, which is the fourth lesson. The upper gods in sequence are the Black Tortoise, Teng Snake, Azure Dragon, and Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are Zi, Shen, and Chen, forming the water trinity of Shen, Zi, and Chen, which is a "Runxia" lesson. The first transmission is Zi water with Teng Snake, hidden dry Jia, which is born from Geng metal, thus being "son and daughter." Zi is also called "Shenhou." The middle transmission is Shen metal with Azure Dragon, hidden dry Bing, which is of the same type as Geng metal, thus being "brother and sister." Shen is also called "Chuansong." The final transmission is Chen earth with Black Tortoise, falling in the empty position (on Geng Zi day, which belongs to the Jia Wu decade, the empty position is in Chen and Si), which generates Geng metal, thus being "parents."

徐次賓曰：來意因三月胎氣不安，而有驚恐，至十一月喜見生子，子母俱慶。蓋發用起神后，為今日之子孫，上見螣蛇，為日下之鬼。下臨辰墓而為三月，故胎氣不安而有驚恐之象。至十一月見喜生男者，中傳送為嗣，卻上得青龍吉慶，下臨子，故應在十一月。又天罡所繫與日比陽，三傳日辰俱陽，故生男也。子母俱慶者，三傳與日辰為三合，雖有螣蛇剋日，卦得潤下屬水，又日上有玄武水，其四水乘旺相氣而為救神，其蛇不能害也。

Xu Cibin said: Her intention is that in the third month she experienced restlessness in her pregnancy and fear in her heart; by the eleventh month she would have a happy event, giving birth to a son, with both mother and child safe and sound. The initial transmission of the initiating transmission is Zi, which is named Shenhou, exactly the son born from Geng metal; Zi is ridden by Teng Snake, which belongs to fire, being the ghost that controls the day stem; Zi also lies below the earth plate Chen, which is the burial place of water, and Chen corresponds to the third month, so the restlessness in the third month and the fear are indicated. The prediction of a happy event in the eleventh month giving birth to a son is because the middle transmission is Shen, named Chuansong, which can inherit the lineage, and Shen is also accompanied by Qinglong, a favorable deity, and below it lies Zi, which corresponds to the eleventh month, so the time is set for the eleventh month. Moreover, the Tiangang associated with Chen is the same as the Geng day, both being yang; the three transmissions Zi, Shen, and Chen, along with the day stem and day branch, are all yang, so the child is a son. The reason mother and child both rejoice is that the three transmissions and the day branch form the triple harmony of Shen, Zi, and Chen, forming a water trinity; although Teng Snake controls the day stem, the entire chart shows a downward moistening aspect, belonging to water, and the earth plate Chen on the day stem is accompanied by Xuanwu, which belongs to water, so four layers of water are all in a prosperous and strong state, becoming saving deities, and thus Teng Snake's fire cannot harm.

天聖二年歲在甲子四月庚子日申將子時丁卯年生命五十八歲來占丙申命二十九歲行人。一針見血　玉連環末卷。　空虎常玄　丑寅卯辰　玄蛇龍玄　子 庚子 龍　龍子　巳陰　辰申子辰　兄 丙申 蛇　勾亥　午后　申子辰庚　父 ◎辰 玄　戌酉申未　合朱蛇貴

In the second year of Tian Sheng, when the stem was Jia Zi, on the day of Geng Zi in the fourth month, the divination was started with the general of Shen added to the Zi hour. The person consulted is born in the year Ding Mao and is fifty-eight years old, asking about his birth year of Bing Shen and a thirty-year-old person going out. This example is taken from the last volume of "Yi Zhen Jian Xue" and "Yu Lian Huan." The branches on the Heaven Plate are eight positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The Zi hour belongs to the night, and the nobleman of Geng night is in Wei. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Wei and on the Earth Plate at Hai, which belongs to the Yang direction. The Heavenly General is arranged in order: the nobleman is on Wei and on Hai, the Teng Snake is on Shen and on Zi, the Vermilion Bird is on You and on Chou, the Liu He is on Xu and on Yin, the Gou Chen is on Hai and on Mao, the Azure Dragon is on Zi and on Chen, the Tian Kong is on Chou and on Si, the White Tiger is on Yin and on Wu, the Tai Chang is on Mao and on Wei, the Black Tortoise is on Chen and on Shen, the Tai Yin is on Si and on You, and the Heavenly Empress is on Wu and on Xu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is located on Shen, and Shen has Chi, which is the first lesson; Chi has Zi, which is the second lesson; the day branch Zi has Shen, which is the third lesson; Shen has Chi again, which is the fourth lesson. The upper spirits are in order: the Black Tortoise, the Azure Dragon, the Teng Snake, and the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions of Zi, Shen, and Chen still form a water pattern, which is "run down." The first transmission is Zi water with the Azure Dragon, hidden stem Geng, which is "son and daughter"; the middle transmission is Shen metal with the Teng Snake, hidden stem Bing, which is "brother and sister"; the final transmission is Chen earth with the Black Tortoise, which falls into the empty term, which is "parents."

苗公達曰：子去萬里，音信不通。資財大獲，出門迎歸。其人云：某有一子，於天喜元年正月間，因言語不足，將些財物往歧路與販一去八年，不知音信，何能望見之？苗曰：當於乙巳日早晨可出北門外候之。有行李籠其數擔，後有二人騎馬，爾子衣白騎青馬隨一婦人衣紫騎赤馬，得意而歸。本人云：八年音信不通，安能便歸？時有同來人云苗公之術如神可至。是日往伺之，果於是日出城外三里見籠具十餘擔遠來。先一人著白衣乘青馬，一見之便下馬泣拜，乃是其子自陝西得利而歸。

Miao Gongda said: Your son has gone a thousand miles away, and there has been no news from him. Now he has made great gains, so you should go out to meet him. The man replied: I have a son who, in the first month of the first year of Tianxi, had a disagreement over words and took some money to trade in another region. He has been away for eight years and there has been no word from him. How can we expect to see him again? Miao Gongda said: You should go out to wait at the northern gate in the early morning of the Yisi day. There will be several bundles of luggage, followed by two men on horseback. Your son will be wearing white clothes and riding a green horse, accompanied by a woman in purple clothes riding a red horse, returning happily. The man said: There has been no news for eight years, how can we expect him to return just like that? At that time, those who came with him said that Miao Gong's divination was like a god, and it would surely come true. On that day, he really went to wait, and indeed saw more than ten bundles of luggage coming from afar, three miles outside the city. The man in front was wearing white clothes and riding a green horse. When he saw his father, he got off his horse, cried and bowed down — it was indeed his son, returning from Shaanxi with profits.

議曰：課屬斬關，發用神后，是今日庚金之子孫，加辰為空亡，以下賊上，為用將得青龍飛騰萬里，又傳入玄武乘空亡，主失信，故云：子云萬里，音信不知。行人年上乘寅木，是今日之財，加在旺方故云資財大獲。課值日辰相加其見必速而近。又庚德自處加子上申本數七，當囚死，法以折半求之。本人五十八歲，行年在亥，臨卯，卯為門將，勾陳家在戊辰，辰為門外之路，發用水旺於北方，坆雲出北門三里之外候之。

The divination indicates that this lesson belongs to the category of "cutting the gate." The initiating transmission is the "Shenhou" (Zi), which is the son of Geng metal, representing the son. The Zi is placed on the Earth Plate at Chen, which is in the Kongwang (void) position. Therefore, it is taken as the first transmission by the principle of below stealing from above. The heavenly general of the first transmission is the Azure Dragon, which is capable of traveling thousands of miles. The third transmission then arrives at the final transmission on Chen, with the Black Tortoise, which, when riding the void, indicates a lack of trust. Therefore, the son is far away, beyond ten thousand miles, and there is no news or communication. The person going out is twenty-nine years old, with the year stem on Wu. Wu is occupied by Yin wood, which is the wife wealth of Geng metal, and it is in a prosperous and strong position, indicating great gain in wealth. The day stem and day branch deities add and match each other, indicating that their meeting will be both quick and close. Furthermore, Geng metal is lodged in Shen, which has the number seven. At this time, it is in a state of imprisonment and death, so according to the method, we take half of this number, resulting in three. The person seeking divination is fifty-eight years old, with the year stem on Hai. Hai is on the Earth Plate at Mao, which is called "Taichong," a general in charge of the gate. The original home of Gou Chen is at Chen, which is the road outside the gate. The initiating transmission of water is strong in the north, so it is said that one should wait three miles outside the northern gate.

行年有天驛二馬，乘寅，寅木青色，將得白虎金白色，故主白衣乘青馬。天上行年午加戌作天后，戌是火墓，天后水乘午火，水黑火赤相合而成紫色。天后婦人，故言婦人紫衣乘赤馬。課變潤下水之象，見巳為絕，絕為至之兆。又行年臨戌以午為至期，午上見寅，寅中有甲申與巳合。四月建巳又庚與乙合，數取四月乙巳日歸。

A person going out has both the Heavenly Horse and the Post-horse stars on his birth year. He is riding a寅, which belongs to wood and has the color green. The Heavenly General on the寅 is the White Tiger, which belongs to metal and has the color white. Therefore, he is predicted to ride a green horse in white clothes. The Heaven Plate's birth year午 is placed on the Earth Plate's戌. The rider is the Heavenly Empress. The戌 is the storage place for fire, the Heavenly Empress belongs to water and rides on the fire of午. Water is black and fire is red, black and red combine to form purple. The Heavenly Empress also governs women, so it is said that a woman is riding a red horse in purple clothes. The entire divination forms a water pattern of Shen-Zi-Chen. Water meets巳 as its terminal point, which indicates the end and arrival. The birth year is on戌, so the arrival is determined by午. The午 has寅, which contains Jia. The申 combines with巳; the fourth month's Month Builder is巳, and Geng combines with Yi. Therefore, the return is fixed on the day of Yi-Si in the fourth month.

崇正癸酉年七月庚子日午將戌時雲間董兌之占乃祖元宰太史辭大宗伯允否？指南。　空虎常玄　丑寅卯辰　龍子　巳陰　玄蛇龍玄　子 庚子 龍　勾亥　午后　辰申申子　兄 丙申 蛇　戌酉申未　申子辰庚　印 甲辰 玄　六朱蛇貴

In the year Guiyou of the Chongzheng era, during the seventh lunar month, on the day Gengzi, a divination was cast using the hour of Xu (戌) with the general of the southern direction (午将). The person asking the question was Dong Dui from Yunjian (Songjiang Huating), inquiring whether his grandfather, a former grand minister and historian, would be granted permission to resign from his position as Minister of Rites. This case is taken from the "Six Rens Guide." The branches on the Heaven Plate are eight positions ahead of those on the Earth Plate. The hour of Xu is night time, so the nobleman (贵人) of the day Gengzi is at Wei. The nobleman is on the Heaven Plate at Wei but on the Earth Plate at Hai, which belongs to the Yang direction. The heavenly general is arranged in order: the nobleman is at Wei on the Heaven Plate and at Hai on the Earth Plate; the Teng Snake is at Shen on the Heaven Plate and at Zi on the Earth Plate; the Vermilion Bird is at You on the Heaven Plate and at Chou on the Earth Plate; the Liu He is at Xu on the Heaven Plate and at Yin on the Earth Plate; the Gou Chen is at Hai on the Heaven Plate and at Mao on the Earth Plate; the Azure Dragon is at Zi on the Heaven Plate and at Chen on the Earth Plate; the Tian Kong is at Chou on the Heaven Plate and at Si on the Earth Plate; the White Tiger is at Yin on the Heaven Plate and at Wu on the Earth Plate; the Tai Chang is at Mao on the Heaven Plate and at Wei on the Earth Plate; the Black Tortoise is at Chen on the Heaven Plate and at Shen on the Earth Plate; the Tai Yin is at Si on the Heaven Plate and at You on the Earth Plate; and the Heavenly Empress is at Wu on the Heaven Plate and at Xu on the Earth Plate. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is located at Shen, with Chen on Shen, which is the first lesson; Chen has Zi on it, which is the second lesson; the day branch Zi has Shen on it, which is the third lesson; Shen has Chen on it, which is the fourth lesson. The spirits above the four lessons are in sequence: Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, Teng Snake, Black Tortoise. The original text records the spirits above the four lessons as "Chen Shen Shen Zi," which does not match the Heaven and Earth plates of this divination. According to the plates, it should be "Chen Shen Zi Chen," which is likely a transmission error. The three transmissions, Zi, Shen, and Chen, still form a water pattern of nourishment and flow: the first transmission, Zi water, is accompanied by the Azure Dragon, representing "son and grandson"; the middle transmission, Shen metal, is accompanied by the Teng Snake, representing "brother"; the final transmission, Chen earth, is accompanied by the Black Tortoise, representing "imperial seal," which is also "parents." Chen is exactly in the empty position of the ten-day cycle, and the phrase "imperial seal meets empty" mentioned later refers to this.

陳公獻曰：此課不能升遷，請告亦不能退位，卻有加銜恩蔭之兆，何用辭為？蓋因三傳全脫，遞生空亡，雖有公卿推薦，不受已頭虛譽，且日祿歸支，印綬逢空，故不得掌篆正官；惟喜皇詔德祿居中乘旺，必有加銜恩蔭之徵。又課傳回環，進旺之氣，豈退位之象，明年春末龍祿傳墓，則當請告。次年春，晉宮銜，馳驛歸里。

Chen Gongxian said: This case does not indicate promotion in official rank, nor does it show that a memorial of resignation will be rejected. Instead, it shows signs of being granted an honorary title and benefiting descendants. Why resign then? Because the three transmissions all drain my strength, with each one generating the next, eventually leading to the empty void of Chen. Even if there are recommendations from high officials, this side can only result in an empty reputation. Moreover, the庚 metal's禄 is in Shen, but Shen is added to the day branch, which is day禄 returning to the branch. The印 of Chen is also in the empty void, so one cannot actually hold the real position of the official. Fortunately, the "Imperial Decree" and the virtue禄 are in the middle transmission and are riding on strong energy, so there will certainly be a realization of the honorary title and the benefits to descendants. Now looking at the four lessons and three transmissions, the beginning and end form a circular flow of strong energy, which is not a sign of resignation. It should be until the end of spring next year, when the Azure Dragon and the禄神 enter the tomb, then one should submit a memorial of resignation. Later, in the spring of the second year, he indeed received an honorary title and returned home riding the post-horse.

順治乙酉七月庚子日甲申時，揚州兵鹽道諱漢式劉公祖占，占來意。指南

In the second year of the Shunzhi era (1645), during the seventh month, on the day of Gengzi and the hour of Jiashen, Liu Hanshi, the military and salt commissioner, came to consult a divination. "Military and salt commissioner" refers to a local official responsible for both military affairs and salt administration. "Hanshi" is his name, with "huì" indicating that his name should not be spoken directly. "Gongzu" is a respectful term used by common people in the Ming and Qing dynasties to address local officials of the rank of prefect or higher. The subject of the divination was "come intention," which is a specific method in the Six壬 (Liuren) system: the person seeking divination does not state their question, and the diviner first deduces what they are thinking about based on the lesson pattern and heavenly general. If the diviner correctly guesses the question, they then proceed to predict the fortune. This example is taken from the "Six壬 Guide."

六勾 朱卯辰巳午龍 白玄六龍 鬼 甲午 龍 蛇寅 未空 申戌辰午 父 甲辰 六 貴丑 申虎 戌子午庚 財 壬寅 蛇 后子亥戌酉常 陰玄

This is a compressed layout of the divination chart, actually divided into three sections. The left section is the Heaven and Earth Plates: the Earth Plate's twelve branches remain fixed, while the Heaven Plate is arranged according to the month general and the time of day. In this case, the month general is Wu (Shengguang) added to the hour of Shen, so each branch of the Heaven Plate falls two positions later on the Earth Plate—Heaven Plate Mao falls on Earth Plate Si, Chen on Wu, Si on Wei, Wu on Shen, Wei on You, Shen on Xu, You on Hai, Xu on Zi, Hai on Chou, Zi on Yin, Chou on Mao, and Yin on Chen. The twelve Heavenly Generals follow the Heaven Plate branches: Zhu Que (Vermilion Bird) rides Mao, Liu He (Six Harmonies) rides Chen, Gou Chen (Hook Heaven) rides Si, Qing Long (Azure Dragon) rides Wu, Tian Kong (Heavenly Void) rides Wei, Bai Hu (White Tiger) rides Shen, Tai Chang (Great Constancy) rides You, Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise) rides Xu, Tai Yin (Great Yin) rides Hai, Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress) rides Zi, Guiren (Nobleman) rides Chou, and Teng Snake rides Yin. Since the day is Geng and the hour is Shen, it is a daytime divination, so Tianyi Guiren (Heavenly Ethical Nobleman) should be on Chou. Chou is currently on Earth Plate Mao, so the twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in order. The middle section is the Four Lessons, counted from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Geng (with its lodging palace in Shen) encountering Wu, the second lesson Wu encounters Chen, the third lesson the day branch Zi encounters Xu, and the fourth lesson Xu encounters Shen. The Heavenly Generals riding the deities on the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Qing Long (on Wu), Liu He (on Chen), Xuan Wu (on Xu), and Bai Hu (on Shen). The right section is the Three Transmissions: the first transmission is Wu, with the hidden stem Jiachen, riding Qing Long, Wu fire overcomes Geng metal, which is the official ghost for the day stem; the middle transmission is Chen, marked as Jiachen on the lesson, riding Liu He, which is the parent; the final transmission is Yin, with the hidden stem Ren, riding Teng Snake, which is the wife's wealth.

陳公獻曰：勝光同天馬，來意問行人，過月望赤龍，眷屬到門庭。曰：然。蓋因中末空亡，是以月內不來，過月驛馬臨辰，故應丙辰日。

Chen Gongxian, a renowned master of the Six壬 system from the late Ming dynasty and author of the Six壬 Guide, interpreted that the first transmission being Wu indicates the "Shengguang" among the twelve spirits, and it also coincides with the Heavenly Horse of July, indicating the case is about a person who has gone out and not returned; this month the person will not arrive, but after this month, when the fire element Wu is accompanied by the Azure Dragon (as fire is red, it is called the "Red Dragon"), the family will arrive. Liu Gongzu answered: Exactly so. The person will not arrive this month because both the middle and final transmissions meet the "Kongwang" (void). On the Gengzi day, which belongs to the Jiawu decade, the void of this decade is in Chen and Si. The middle transmission falls on Chen, which is the void; the final transmission is on Yin, which according to the hidden stem of this decade is Ren, which does not fall on the void. The original text mentions "middle and final transmissions are void" referring to the middle transmission falling on the void. When something is void, people do not arrive and things do not succeed. After this month, the Post-horse (which is on寅 on days of Shen, Zi, and Chen) reaches the position of Chen on the Earth Plate, so the fulfillment will be on the Bingchen day.

此課占功名能復舊缺否？余曰：顧祖中末空，有初必無終。龍化為蛇例，請告始得榮。蓋因初龍末蛇，止於兵憲，龍神克下，上官不足，復任月餘，被劾逮問。詳此課，占官之事分為二段：月將龍神作官星發用，官職必遷之象，以月將為當時之主宰也。此官不為長久，以課得顧祖且中末空亡也。此過程之法甚是精妙，宜詳思之。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Chen Gongxian answered that this divination is called "Gu Zu" (Looking Back to Ancestors). The middle and final transmissions also meet Kongwang (Void). The ancient verse says, "Gu Zu middle and final empty, beginning present but end absent," meaning that although there is a beginning, there will be no end. The first transmission is occupied by Qinglong (Azure Dragon), and the final transmission by Tengshe (Teng Snake), which is exactly the pattern of "Long Transforming into Snake." Another ancient verse says, "Only by self-reporting illness can one retain dignity," meaning that one must resign voluntarily to maintain honor. Because the first transmission is Qinglong and the final is Tengshe, the head is large and the tail small, indicating that the official position will only reach the level of "Bingxian" (a term for a military supervisor). The fire of Qinglong, which is the branch of Wu, also overcomes the metal of the Earth Plate, Shen, below it, indicating that the superior power is not strong enough to support, so after serving for more than a month, he was impeached and investigated. Looking closely at this divination, when predicting official positions, it should be divided into two parts: the Moon General, which is Qinglong, serves as the official star and initiates the transmission, indicating a certain promotion, because the Moon General was the dominant force at that time. However, the position cannot be held for long, because the divination is "Gu Zu," and the middle and final transmissions meet Kongwang. This method of segmented interpretation is extremely refined and worth careful consideration.

順治甲申五月庚子日辛巳時，高兵自黃河北來，圍困揚城近半月，江都令諱日成李父師占城池安危，五月十三庚子日申將巳時。指南

In the first year of the Qing Shunzhi era (Jiashen, 1644), in the fifth month, on the day Gengzi and the hour Xinsi, General Gao Jie's army advanced from north of the Yellow River southward, surrounding the city of Yangzhou for nearly two weeks. Li Richen, the county magistrate of Jiangdu, divined the safety of the city. "Father Teacher" was the respectful term used by the people and scholars for a county magistrate, and "huì" indicates that his name was not directly mentioned. The time of the divination was on the thirteenth day of the fifth month, Gengzi, with the Shenshen (Shen) general (Chuansong) added to the Xinsi hour. This example is taken from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan."

勾六 青申酉戌亥朱 白陰后朱 鬼 甲午 白 空未 子蛇 午卯寅亥 兄 丁酉 勾 虎午 丑貴 卯子亥庚 子 庚子 蛇 常巳辰卯寅后 玄陰

The left section shows the heaven and earth plates: the transmission is at the time of巳 (snake), with the heavenly plate branches all falling three positions ahead on the earth plate—Heavenly plate申 (monkey) adds to earth plate巳 (snake), 酉 (rooster) adds to午 (horse), 戌 (dog) adds to未 (sheep), 亥 (pig) adds to申 (monkey), 子 (rat) adds to酉 (rooster), 丑 (ox) adds to戌 (dog), 寅 (tiger) adds to亥 (pig), 卯 (rabbit) adds to子 (rat), 辰 (dragon) adds to丑 (ox), 巳 (snake) adds to寅 (tiger), 午 (horse) adds to卯 (rabbit), 未 (sheep) adds to辰 (dragon). The twelve heavenly generals are arranged according to the heavenly plate branches: Azure Dragon rides申 (monkey), Gou Chen rides酉 (rooster), Liu He rides戌 (dog), Vermilion Bird rides亥 (pig), Teng Snake rides子 (rat), Nobleman rides丑 (ox), Heavenly Empress rides寅 (tiger), Tai Yin rides卯 (rabbit), Black Tortoise rides辰 (dragon), Tai Chang rides巳 (snake), White Tiger rides午 (horse), Tian Kong rides未 (sheep). On the day of庚 (metal) at the time of巳 (snake), it is a daytime divination. The nobleman, Tian Yi, is at丑 (ox), which is now on the earth plate at戌 (dog). The nobleman is in the yin position, so the twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The middle section's four lessons are counted from right to left: the first lesson is on the day stem庚 (metal) (with its lodging palace at申 (monkey)) and sees亥 (pig), the second lesson on亥 (pig) sees寅 (tiger), the third lesson on the day branch子 (rat) sees卯 (rabbit), the fourth lesson on卯 (rabbit) sees午 (horse). The heavenly generals riding the deities above the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Vermilion Bird (亥 (pig)), Heavenly Empress (寅 (tiger)), Tai Yin (卯 (rabbit)), and White Tiger (午 (horse)). The right section's three transmissions: the first transmission is午 (horse), with the hidden stem甲 (jia) riding White Tiger, which is a fire element that overcomes metal, thus being the official ghost for the day stem; the middle transmission is酉 (rooster), with the hidden stem丁 (ding) riding Gou Chen, which is the same element as metal, thus being the brother; the final transmission is子 (rat), with the hidden stem庚 (geng) riding Teng Snake, which is metal generating water, thus being the son.

陳公獻曰：凶必無虞，不日圍困可解。蓋因干支休囚，旺氣在內故也。格合羅網，初傳魯都虎鬼月建，彼兵雖凶，然末傳遊者將星，又係蛇沖剋初傳，此為以凶制凶，不過虎頭蛇尾，故不日圍解。

Chen Gongxian explained: It may seem dangerous, but there is actually no need to worry; the siege can be resolved within a few days. This is because the day stem and day branch are both in weak and confined positions, while the strong energy is actually contained internally. The defending side has not been overwhelmed by external forces. This divination pattern matches the "Net" (Tian Luo Di Wang) pattern. The first transmission, which is the hour of Wu, is a special divine spirit used in six rhymes divination for bandits called "Lu Du," and it is also accompanied by the White Tiger, and is the official ghost of the day stem. It is also the month builder of May, so the invading army is indeed fierce. However, the final transmission, which is the hour of Zi, is a divine spirit of the "You Du" type, and is the general of the Shen-Zi-Chen triple harmony formation. It is also accompanied by the Teng Snake. The water of Zi not only conflicts with but also overcomes the fire of the first transmission, Wu. This is called controlling evil with evil. The situation is like a tiger's head and a snake's tail, so the siege will be resolved within a few days.

《明史》：京師陷，（高）傑南走，福王封傑興平伯，列於四鎮，領揚州，駐城外。傑固欲入城，揚州民畏傑不納。傑攻城急，日掠廂村婦女，民益惡之。知府馬鳴騄、推官湯來賀堅守月餘。傑知不可攻，意稍怠。閣部史可法議以瓜州予傑，乃止。九月命傑移駐徐州，以左中允衛胤文兼兵科給事中監其軍西討。羅網課最宜捕盜尋失，兵戰亦是吉象。

The Ming History records that after Beijing fell, Gao Jie fled south. The Fu Wang (Hongguang Emperor) granted him the title of Xingping Marquis and placed him among the four generals of the Jiangbei region. He was given jurisdiction over Yangzhou and stationed outside the city. Gao Jie insisted on entering the city, but the people of Yangzhou feared him and refused to let him in. Gao Jie attacked the city day after day, looting women from the city and surrounding villages, and the people became even more resentful. The prefect Ma Minglu and the official Tang Laihe held out for over a month. When Gao Jie realized he could not take the city, his attacks eased. The chief military advisor and grand secretary Shi Kefa mediated, and they agreed to give Gao Jie jurisdiction over Guazhou, which ended the siege. In September, the court ordered Gao Jie to move his troops to Xuzhou and appointed Wei Yinfeng, the left Zhongyuan, as a military official to supervise his western campaign. This shows that the "Luowang Ke" is most suitable for capturing bandits and recovering lost items, and it is also a favorable omen for military campaigns.

建炎戊申年三月辛丑日戊將巳時汪淑儀壬戌生四十七歲占訟。方本占案 口鑑

In the second year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song dynasty, Wushen (1128), on the third month, Xinchou day, the "Wu general" (originally written as "Xu general," i.e., Hekui, the general of the second month) was placed on the巳 hour. The diviner, Wang Shuyi, was born in the year Renxu and was forty-seven years old at the time, coming to consult about a legal case. This example is found in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Lun Yin Kou Jian." According to the arrangement of the lesson pattern, the Heaven Plate Xu was placed on the Earth Plate巳, proving that the original text's "Wu" was a mistake for "Xu."

龍空 陳戌亥子丑虎 六酉 寅常 龍貴朱玄 財 癸卯 玄 朱申 卯玄 亥午申卯 兄 丙申 朱 蛇未午巳辰陰 午丑卯辛 父 辛丑 虎 貴後

Left block of the Heaven and Earth plates: the general戌 is added to the time巳. The branches of the Heaven plate are all placed five positions ahead on the Earth plate—Heaven plate戌 is added to Earth plate巳, Heaven plate亥 is added to Earth plate午, Heaven plate子 is added to Earth plate未, Heaven plate丑 is added to Earth plate申, Heaven plate寅 is added to Earth plate酉, Heaven plate卯 is added to Earth plate戌, Heaven plate辰 is added to Earth plate亥, Heaven plate巳 is added to Earth plate子, Heaven plate午 is added to Earth plate丑, Heaven plate未 is added to Earth plate寅, Heaven plate申 is added to Earth plate卯, Heaven plate酉 is added to Earth plate辰. The twelve Heavenly Generals follow the order of the Heaven plate branches: Gou Chen is on戌, Qing Long is on亥, Tian Kong is on子, Bai Hu is on丑, Tai Chang is on寅, Xuan Wu is on卯, Tai Yin is on辰, Tian Hou is on巳, Gui Ren is on午, Teng Snake is on未, Zhu Que is on申, Liu He is on酉, and the twelve generals proceed in order. Middle block of the four lessons, counted from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem辛 (with its lodging palace in戌) on卯, the second lesson has卯 on申, the third lesson has the day branch丑 on午, and the fourth lesson has午 on亥. The generals accompanying the heavenly spirits on the four lessons, starting from the first lesson, are Xuan Wu (on卯), Zhu Que (on申), Gui Ren (on午), and Qing Long (on亥). Right block of the three transmissions: the first transmission is卯, with the hidden stem癸, riding Xuan Wu, where辛 metal overcomes卯 wood, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is申, with the hidden stem丙, riding Zhu Que, which is the same as辛, representing brothers; the final transmission is丑, with the hidden stem辛, riding Bai Hu, where earth generates辛 metal, representing parents.

邵彥和曰：干上旬尾，支上旬首，為一旬周遍格。又名周而復始格。來了又去，去了又來。日上我也，支上彼也，我見卯旬尾，是事了畢。彼見午旬首，其事又起。末傳丑與支上午六害，卯財又乘玄武，到了翻論，才輸財，又被人誆賺。辛墓於丑，丑墓於申，主在外州入獄而羈絆也。他是午火，反生他州獄神，我是卯木，能克獄神。翻至二次，卻能勝也。

Shao Yanhe, a renowned expert of the Six壬 system from the Northern Song Dynasty, explained that the heavenly stem on the day is卯, which is at the end of the current ten-day cycle; the earthly branch on the day is午, which is at the beginning of the cycle. On the day of Xinchou, it belongs to the Jiawu cycle, with Jiawu at the beginning and Guimao at the end. Therefore, this divination is called "One Cycle Fully Covered" or "Cyclic Reappearance," indicating that matters come and go repeatedly without end. The day stem represents oneself, and the day branch represents the other party: I see卯, which is at the end of the cycle, meaning the matter has already been resolved; the other party sees午, which is at the beginning of the cycle, meaning the case is restarted. The final transmission is丑, which forms a six-harm relationship with午 on the day branch, and the initial transmission is卯 wealth, which is occupied by the Black Tortoise. Therefore, when the case is reopened for review, it first breaks the wealth, then is deceived. The buried metal of Xinhua is in丑, and丑 is also buried in申, indicating that the parties involved will be imprisoned in another state and be detained. On the other side, it is午 fire, which generates丑 earth, the god of imprisonment; on my side, it is卯 wood, which can overcome丑 earth, the god of imprisonment. Therefore, when the case is reviewed again, it will ultimately result in a victory.

汪與張氏爭山起訟，汪氏初入狀果勝，張氏翻論至州，汪又上司入狀，送隨州。張又上司翻，告送嚴州司理獄，又入州縣獄，方得了絕。

Later, the case came to fruition: the Wang family and the Zhang family disputed over mountain land and ended up in court. The Wang family first filed a lawsuit and indeed won. The Zhang family不服, appealed the case to the county level, and the Wang family again filed a lawsuit with the higher authority, and the case was sent to Suzhou. The Zhang family once more appealed, and the case was taken to the judicial office in Yanzhou for trial in prison. Wang Shuyi again went through the prisons of the state and county, and only then did the case finally conclude.

蓋午作貴人，作日鬼臨支，卻是六害，故彼自然失理也。汪氏被人啜了銀一百兩，乃卯作元武臨干也。卯乃閉口，說不得，又不敢問。凡人不識課名，此為一旬周遍格，若辛未日卯加未，午加辛亦然。謀諸事作吉成凶，作凶成吉，惟訟要散，不要關鎖也。

Therefore, this situation arises because the horse (午) is occupied by the celestial virtue nobleman, and the horse fire is the official ghost of the day stem辛 gold. It is located above the day branch, yet it forms a six harm relationship with the final transmission丑. Thus, although the other party appears formidable, they ultimately lack justification. The Wang family lost one hundred taels of silver because the卯 wealth is occupied by the black tortoise, which governs secret appropriation.卯 is also the "closed mouth" deity, so they suffered a loss but could not express it, and dared not inquire further. Most people cannot recognize the name of this pattern, which is called "a full cycle of ten days." On the day ofXinwei,卯 is added to未 and午 is added to辛, which is the same pattern. When using this pattern to predict matters, what was originally favorable may turn unfavorable, and what was originally unfavorable may turn favorable; however, when predicting legal cases, what is desired is the resolution of disputes, and the most undesirable is the continued entanglement.

二十月辛丑日子將未時某占因人打死欠米錢人解官。方本占案

"The twenty months" is a miswriting in the original text and should refer to something like a certain year and month on the twentieth day. On the Xinchou day, the Zi (Zi) general (Shenhou) was placed on the Wei hour. A person came to consult because he had killed someone who owed him rice money and would be sent to the authorities for investigation; he asked about the fortune. This case is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." According to the calculation of the Heaven and Earth plates, Zi added to Wei and the previous lesson's Wu added to Si are both in the same pattern, so the lesson is exactly the same as the previous one.

龍空 陳戌亥子丑虎 六酉 寅常 龍貴朱玄 財 癸卯 玄 朱申 卯玄 亥午申卯 兄 丙申 朱 蛇未午巳辰陰 午丑卯辛 父 辛丑 虎 貴後

The current divination pattern is the same as the previous one: each branch on the Heaven Plate is placed five positions ahead on the Earth Plate. The Heaven Plate's戌 is placed on the Earth Plate's巳,亥 on午, 子 on未, 丑 on申, 寅 on酉, 卯 on戌, 辰 on亥, 巳 on子, 午 on丑, 未 on寅, 申 on卯, 酉 on辰. The Twelve Heavenly Generals proceed in order: Gou Chen rides戌, Qing Long rides亥, Tian Kong rides子, Bai Hu rides丑, Tai Chang rides寅, Xuan Wu rides卯, Tai Yin rides辰, Tian Hou rides巳, Gui Ren rides午, Teng Snake rides未, Zhu Que rides申, and Liu He rides酉. The Four Lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem 辛 (lodging in戌) with 卯, the second lesson has 卯 with 申, the third lesson has the Day Branch 丑 with 午, and the fourth lesson has 午 with 亥. The generals riding the upper gods are in order Xuan Wu, Zhu Que, Gui Ren, and Qing Long. The Three Transmissions: the first transmission is 卯, with the hidden stem 癸, riding Xuan Wu, representing wife and wealth; the middle transmission is 申, with the hidden stem 丙, riding Zhu Que, representing brothers; the final transmission is 丑, with the hidden stem 辛, riding Bai Hu, representing parents.

邵彥和曰：天乙作鬼加丑支而六害，玄武乘卯加辛干而發用卻被中傳申作朱雀來克（稼云曰：朱雀克干上神猶之克干也）。末傳又是白虎乘墓，恐其人入獄而鮮紅。果二月死於獄中。

Shao Yanhe interpreted that the Heavenly Stem of the nobleman, which is Wu, is the official ghost of the day stem Xin metal. It is placed on the day branch Chou. Wu and Chou form the sixth harmful relationship. The Vermilion Bird is riding on Mao and is placed on the day stem Xin, serving as the first transmission. However, the Middle Transmission Shen with the Vermilion Bird comes to attack it. The final transmission Chou is again occupied by the White Tiger riding on the tomb god. It is feared that this person will be imprisoned and suffer injury. Later, he indeed died in prison in the second month.