On the Wushen day, divination for weather (December, Fang Ben's divination case)

十二月戊申日子將申時某占晴雨。方本占案　六朱　陳酉戌亥子蛇　龍申　丑貴　玄蛇貴陳　兄 甲辰 玄　空未　寅后　辰子丑酉　子 戊申 龍　虎午巳辰卯陰　子申酉戊　財 壬子 蛇　常玄

On the 15th day of the 12th lunar month, with the month general placed at Zi on the Shen hour, a divination was made to predict weather conditions. This passage is from "Fang Ben Zhan An." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with "Liu He, Zhu Que" (Six Harmony, Vermilion Bird); then "Chen (Gou Chen), You, Xu, Hai, Zi, Shen (Teng Snake)"; on the left side "Long (Qing Long) Shen" faces the right side "Chou, Gui (Nobleman)"; "Kong (Tian Kong) Wei" faces "Yin, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; the lower row is "Hu (Bai Hu) Wu, Si, Chen, Mao, Yin (Tai Yin)", ending with "Chang, Xuan" (Tai Chang, Xuan Wu). The four lessons are arranged from right to left as "Zi Shen You Wu", and the upper gods are "Chen Zi Chou You", each accompanied by "Xuan, Shen, Gui, Chen", meaning the first lesson is You added to Wu, the second is Chou added to You, the third is Zi added to Shen (Zi appears on the day branch Shen), and the fourth is Chen added to Zi. The three transmissions are Chen, Shen, and Zi, forming the reverse arrangement of the water trinity (Shen, Zi, Chen): the first transmission Chen is the brother's yao, hidden dry Jia, riding Xuan Wu; the middle transmission Shen is the son's yao, hidden dry Wu, riding Qing Long; the final transmission Zi is the wife's wealth yao, hidden dry Ren, riding Teng Snake.

邵彥和曰：潤下課，元臨子作用，中傳龍又乘申，末又是夜青龍。若春占主水漲，今冬占必有大雪。果辛亥日雨，丙辰日大雪，戊午日晴而起風。

Shao Yanhe said: This is the "runxia ke," with the Black Tortoise occupying the water position and initiating the transmission. The middle transmission is the Azure Dragon riding on Shen, and the final transmission falls on the position of the Azure Dragon in a night divination. The entire divination is full of water energy. If this divination was made in spring, it would indicate a great flood of the river; but now it is winter, so there must be a heavy snowfall. Later, on the Xinhai day, it rained, on the Bingchen day, it snowed heavily, and on the Wuwu day, it cleared up and then started to blow wind.

乙酉年六月戊申日未將卯時劉將仕庚午生四十歲占宅。宋本邵案　口鑑　六朱　陳酉戌亥子蛇　龍申　丑貴　玄蛇貴陳　兄 甲辰 玄　空未　寅后　辰子丑酉　子 戊申 龍　虎午巳辰卯陰　子申酉戊　財 壬子 蛇　常玄

In the year of Yi You, sixth lunar month, on the day of Wu Shen, the divination was started with the month general Wei placed on the卯 hour. The month general was born in the year of Geng Wu, at the age of forty, and the question was about his residence. This passage is from the Song edition of the Shao An, and also appears in the Kou Jian. The divination method used here is the same as the previous one concerning weather. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with 「six, Zhu」 (Liu He, Vermilion Bird); the next sequence is 「Chen (Gou Chen), You, Xu, Hai, Zi, Snake (Teng Snake)」; on the left side 「Long (Qing Long) Shen」 faces the right side 「Chou, Gu (Nobleman)」, 「Kong (Tian Kong) Wei」 faces 「Yin, Hou (Heavenly Empress)」; the lower row is 「Hu (Bai Hu) Wu, Si, Chen, Mao, Yin (Tai Yin)」, ending with 「Chang, Xuan」 (Tai Chang, Xuan Wu). The four lessons have spirits arranged from right to left as 「Zi Shen You Wu」, and the upper spirits are 「Chen Zi Chou You」, each riding 「Xuan, Snake, Gu, Chen」. The three transmissions are Chen, Shen, Zi: the first transmission Chen represents the brother's爻, hidden dry branch Jia, riding Xuan Wu; the middle transmission Shen represents the son's爻, hidden dry branch Wu, riding Qing Long; the final transmission Zi represents the wife's wealth爻, hidden dry branch Ren, riding Teng Snake.

邵彥和曰：即戀一舊妾，又討一新妾，精氣衰耗，漸不支持。三傳皆財為家賊所偷，宅上子作騰蛇，主子外橫，乃宅中水不合被長生耗去，故多招是非，常不安妥。今年太歲值水敗尚可，明年不利；本身有臟毒，終為所苦，溝渠為土淤塞，子作溝渠，上加辰作武，故主土注淤塞，坤申方有澗水來克，子必不肖，而婢為宅主也。劉將仕果有新舊二龐，蓋因酉作勾陳加行年又在日上，是有兩婢也。破碎來勾，主舊事擾攘。戊日局局，財氣太盛，自庫傳出，又傳出去。只因庫中有鬼賊，辰比劫財，又元盜神故也。所以偷去。子作蛇加申，主子息非理廢用。至丁巳年退至八分，庚申年退盡。巳上見酉為破碎，故丁巳退八分。申上見子作蛇撓之，故退盡。辛酉年四月臟毒死矣。蓋酉為臟毒，臨巳為四月，又遇酉年，破碎重見故也。

Shao Yanhe said: This master is deeply attached to an old concubine, and has recently taken in a new one. His vital energy is gradually being depleted, and he is becoming increasingly unable to support himself. All three transmissions are wealth lines, indicating that the family's wealth is being stolen by an internal thief. The house's position is occupied by the Zi trigram, which is riding on the Teng Snake, indicating that the son is acting recklessly outside the home. This is because the water energy in the house should not be consumed by the growth god, leading to many disputes within the household and constant instability. This year's heavenly stem is in the declining position of water, so it is still manageable; but next year will be unfavorable. The master himself suffers from a disease like hemorrhoids, and he will eventually suffer greatly from it. The ditches will be blocked by mud: Zi represents ditches, and with the addition of Chen and the presence of the Black Tortoise, it indicates that mud will fill them up. The southwest direction, which is the Kun trigram and the Shen position, has mountain streams coming to clash, so the son will certainly be unvirtuous, and the servant girl will be the one managing the household. Liu Jiangshi indeed has both an old and a new favorite concubine, because the You trigram riding on Gou Chen is both on the year and the day stem, indicating two servant concubines. The破碎 god comes together with Gou Chen, indicating that old matters will continue to cause disturbances. On the Wu day, this wealth situation is obtained, with excessive wealth, coming from the warehouse and spreading out. However, the warehouse is hiding a ghost thief - Chen is a companion and a thief, and the Black Tortoise is the thief god - so all the wealth has been stolen. The Zi trigram riding on the Teng Snake is on the Shen position, indicating that the son is recklessly wasting family property. By the Dingsi year, the family's property will decrease by eight parts, and by the Gengshen year, it will be completely lost. The presence of You on Si indicates破碎, so by the Dingsi year, the property will decrease by eight parts; the presence of Zi on Shen with the Teng Snake disturbing it indicates that by the Gengshen year, the property will be completely lost. In the fourth month of the Xinyou year, he will die from this disease of the internal organs: You represents internal diseases, which is on the Si position corresponding to the fourth month, and also meets the You year, with the破碎 god appearing again.

崇正辛未年正月戊申日亥將未時劉一純占病。指南　六朱　陳酉戌亥子蛇　龍申　丑貴　玄蛇貴陳　兄 甲辰 玄　空未　寅后　辰子丑酉　子 戊申 龍　虎午巳辰卯陰　子申酉戊　財 壬子 蛇　常玄

In the year Xinwei of the Chongzheng era, on the first day of the first lunar month, on the day of Wushen, the method of casting the divination chart was initiated by placing the Month General at Hai on the hour of Wei. Liu Yichun consulted the divination regarding illness. This passage is taken from the "Six壬 Guide." The divination chart used here is the same as in the previous two examples. The Heaven and Earth plates are arranged in a circle, starting with "Liushen, Zhuque" (Liu He, Vermilion Bird); the next is "Gou Chen You, Xu, Hai, Zi, Teng Snake." On the left side, "Qinglong Shen" (Azure Dragon Shen) faces the right side "Chou, Guiren" (Nobleman); "Tiankong Wei" (Sky Void Wei) faces "Yin, Tianhou" (Heavenly Empress). Below, "Baihu Wu, Si, Chen, Mao, Taiyin" (White Tiger Wu, Si, Chen, Mao, Tai Yin), ending with "Taichang, Xuanwu" (Tai Chang, Black Tortoise). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Zi Shen You Wu," and the upper spirits are "Chen Zi Chou You," each riding "Xuan, Teng Snake, Guiren, Gou Chen." The three transmissions are Chen, Shen, Zi: the first transmission, Chen, represents the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Jia, riding Xuanwu; the middle transmission, Shen, represents the son's yao, hidden dry branch Wu, riding Qinglong; the final transmission, Zi, represents the wife's wealth yao, hidden dry branch Ren, riding Teng Snake.

陳公獻曰：病起少陰，目今無慮，但綿纏難脫體。微獨病也，且防賊至。病起少陰者何？從魁臨干為日之敗氣，是因少陰而敗身也。病難脫體者何？傳將合成敗局，生起日之官鬼也。占病而言賊至者何？玄武發用傳歸支上，主賊人入我內室也。醫當如何？木為官鬼，火作白虎，心脾二經受症，當覓東方之醫，理肝清心，切勿健脾補肺。何時當愈？甲戌流年方且不保，遑問愈乎？緣戊日玄墓發用，是為收魂殺。又純財生卯木，死氣剋日，故是年冬可慮乎？果後三月一賊入室，劉復來言及。餘乃以原數斷云：賊北方道路往來，陳姓年少人也。作賊無伴一人耳，然必告官方獲，玄辰乘相氣，主年少，在子為道路，辰與陳姓同音，玄陰生水，水合一數也。官鬼遙克玄武，公命上神又制盜神，必告官然後捕捉也。何日可獲？告官三日即獲。果陳忠也。

Chen Gongxian said: This illness starts from the girl, but there is no need to worry now, only it is persistent and hard to get rid of; moreover, it is not only illness, but also one must be cautious of thieves. Why is the illness starting from the girl? Fromkui (You) is on the day stem, which is exactly the day stem's dying qi, so it is because of the girl that the body is ruined. Why is it hard to get rid of? The three transmissions and all the spirits form a bad situation, and instead they generate the day stem's official ghost. Why does the divination say there will be thieves? Because the white tiger is the initiating transmission and the three transmissions return to the day branch, indicating that thieves will enter my inner room. How to treat it? Wood is the official ghost, fire is the white tiger, which is the illness of the heart and spleen meridians. One should invite a doctor from the east, using methods to relieve liver qi and clear the heart, and must not strengthen the spleen and lungs. When will it get better? By the year Jiaxu, even life is hard to preserve, so what about recovery? Because on the day of Wu, the white tiger's riding spirit is the tomb spirit initiating the transmission, which is called "capturing the soul killer"; also, a pure wealth is used to generate the卯 wood, and death qi attacks the day stem, so that winter of that year is very worrying. Later, indeed, three months later there was a thief entering the room, and Liu Yichun also mentioned it again. I then used the original class of the divination to say: This thief comes from the north road, a young man surnamed Chen, acting alone without any accomplices; however, one must report to the authorities to catch him. Why? Because the white tiger's riding spirit, the辰, carries the phase qi, so it indicates youth; the辰 is in the position of the子, indicating the road; "Chen" and "Chen" have the same sound; the white tiger is yin and generates water, and the number of water's completion is one, so it is one person. The official ghost remotely attacks the white tiger, and the person's own spirit controls the thief spirit, so one must report to the authorities to catch him. On which day can he be caught? Three days after reporting to the authorities, he can be caught. Later, the one caught was indeed Chen Zhong.

崇正戊辰十二月戊申庚申時，予在燕京會高仁齋、夏客還、張環玉邀，蜀中禮部李載溪先生座索占。指南　朱蛇　六戌亥子丑貴　白貴陰六　官 乙卯 陰　勾酉　寅后　午丑卯戌　子 戊申 龍　龍申　卯陰　丑申戌戊　兄 癸丑 貴　空未午巳辰玄　虎常

In the year of Wuchen (戊辰) of the Chongzheng era, on the 12th lunar month, the 5th day of the month, at the hour of Gengshen, I met Gao Renzai and Xia KeHuan in Yanjing. I was invited by Zhang Huanyu and participated in a divination session hosted by Mr. Li Zailixi of the Li Department in Shu. This passage is taken from the "Liu Ren Zhi Nan." The course disk is arranged as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates form a circle: starting with "Zhu, She" (Zhu Que, Teng She); then "Liuxu (Liu He), Hai, Zi, Chou, Gui (Nobleman)"; on the left, "Gou Chen You" faces "Yin, Hou (Heavenly Empress)" on the right, and "Qinglong Shen" faces "Mao, Yin (Tai Yin)"; below, "Tiankong Wei, Wu, Si, Chen, Xuanwu" and ending with "Hu, Chang" (Baihu, Tai Chang). The four lessons, from right to left, are "Chou Shen Xu Wu," and the upper gods are "Wu Chou Mao Xu," each accompanied by "Bai, Gui, Yin, Liu," meaning the first lesson is Xu with Wu, the second is Mao with Xu, the third is Chou with Shen (with Chou on the day branch Shen), and the fourth is Wu with Chou. The three transmissions are Mao, Shen, and Chou: the first transmission, Mao, is the official star, with the hidden dry branch Yi, riding Tai Yin; the middle transmission, Shen, is the son and grandson yao, with the hidden dry branch Wu, riding Qinglong; the final transmission, Chou, is the brother yao, with the hidden dry branch Gui, riding Nobleman.

高仁齋曰：卯與戌合，為大六合，六合加戌為小六合，喜末傳月將貴人，定然片言入相。予反其意曰：太陰臨卯，空即不能成名，此乃舊事又舉行者，二月還宜慎重。曰：何以知其舊事？曰：舊太歲發用，且四墓覆生，主已廢復行，沉而又舉也。嫌初中龍官空戰，朱雀陰見玄墓（亥乘朱陰神見辰也），若上疏，旨意不佳。果後以改授上疏見駁，幾至察處。

Gao Renzhai said:卯 and 戌 are in conjunction, which is called "Great Liu He"; when the Liu He general is added on top of 戌, it is called "Small Liu He"; it is even more favorable if the final transmission is riding on the month general and the nobleman. This gentleman is surely destined to be promoted to the cabinet with a single word. I, however, say the opposite: Tai Yin is present on 卯, and 卯 is empty, so he cannot achieve fame; this matter is a revival of an old affair, and one should still be cautious in February. Someone asked: How do we know it is an old matter? I said: The previous year's Tai Su 发用, combined with the repeated mutual generation of the four graves, indicates that something originally abandoned is now being revived, and what was sunk is now raised up. What is worrying is that the first and middle transmissions have the Azure Dragon and the official star falling empty and fighting; the Yin spirit of the Vermilion Bird also meets the Black Tortoise's grave (the Vermilion Bird is on 亥, and its Yin spirit is on 辰). If a memorial is submitted, the imperial decree will certainly be unfavorable. Later, indeed, because of a change in appointment, he submitted a memorial, but it was rejected, and he almost faced investigation.

己酉年六月戊申日未將寅時劉乾運丙寅生四十四歲占前程。方本占案　口鑑　宋本邵案　陳龍　六戌亥子丑空　朱酉　寅虎　后空常六　鬼 空卯 常　蛇申　卯常　午丑卯戌　子 戊申 蛇　貴未午巳辰玄　丑申戌戊　兄 癸丑 空　后陰

In the year Ji You, sixth lunar month, day Wu Shen, using the month general Wei placed on the寅 hour to cast the divination. Liu Qianyun was born in the year Bing Yin, aged forty-four, and consulted about his future. This case is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An", also found in the "Kou Jian" and the Song edition of the "Shao An". The course of the divination is as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates are arranged in a circle, starting with "Chen, Long" (Gou Chen, Qing Long); the next row is "Liu (Liu He) Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Kong (Tian Kong)"; on the left side "Zhu (Zhu Que) You" faces the right side "Yin, Hu (Bai Hu)"; "She (Teng She) Shen" faces "Mao, Chang (Tai Chang)"; the lower row is "Gui (Gui Ren) Wei, Wu, Si, Chen, Xuan (Xuan Wu)", ending with "Hou, Yin" (Tian Hou, Tai Yin). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Chou Shen Xu Wu", and the upper spirits are "Wu Chou Mao Xu", each riding on "Hou, Kong, Chang, Liu", meaning the first lesson is Xu added to Wu, the second lesson is Mao added to Xu, the third lesson is Chou added to Shen, and the fourth lesson is Wu added to Chou. The three transmissions are Mao, Shen, and Chou: the first transmission is Mao, which is the official ghost爻, riding on Tai Chang, and the source text marks "Kong" before Mao, indicating that Mao is in the旬空; the middle transmission is Shen, which is the son爻, hidden dry branch Wu, riding on Teng She; the final transmission is Chou, which is the brother爻, hidden dry branch Ji, riding on Tian Kong. The four lessons and three transmissions are the same as in the previous case of Li Zaixi's divination, except for the different heavenly general.

邵彥和曰：此課無造化，戊以卯為官星，甲辰旬空亡也。戊以申為長生學堂，入在空亡，只有末傳是丑，丑又來刑日上戌，且作天空，晝貴人空耗，是貴而無位也。晚年孤獨，只與奴婢過殘生，俱不見妻子續。後果然。

Shao Yanhe said: This case has no auspicious signs. On a Wu day, the卯 is the official star, but the卯 falls into Kongwang in the Jiachen decade. Wu also takes the申 as its growth and school, which also falls into Kongwang. Only the final transmission, the Chou, remains, but the Chou comes to injure the戌 on the day stem. Moreover, it is riding on Tian Kong, and the nobleman of the day is consumed by Kongwang. This is a case where there is noble energy but no actual position. The person will be lonely in his old age, living out his remaining years with servants only, and will not see his wife and children continuing the family line. Later events proved this to be true.

乾隆己巳年三月己酉日戌將奪及時雨辛巳人四十九歲占謀生。牧夫占驗　蛇貴后陰　亥子丑寅　合玄龍后　鬼 ◎卯 玄　朱戌　卯玄　酉卯未丑　子 己酉 合　合酉　辰常　卯酉丑己　鬼 ◎卯 玄　申未午巳　勾龍空虎

In the year Jisi of the Qianlong era, on the 15th day of the third lunar month, the divination was cast with the month general Wu. The original text mentions 'Wu general seizes timely rain,' but the four characters 'seizes timely rain' are likely a misreading from the transmission of the text and cannot be accurately identified as a specific hour. The person asking the question was born in the year Xinsi and was forty-nine years old. He was inquiring about his means of livelihood. This entry is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The course of the divination is presented as follows. The celestial and terrestrial plates are arranged in a circle: the top row is 'Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin,' with the following deities above them: 'Teng Snake, Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin'; the left side is 'Zhu (Zhu Qiao), Wu' and 'He (Liu He), You'; the right side is 'Mao, Xuan (Xuan Wu)' and 'Chen, Chang (Tai Chang)'; the bottom row is 'Shen, Wei, Wu, Si,' with the following deities below them: 'Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu.' The four lessons have the deities from right to left as 'Mao, You, Chou, Ji,' and the upper deities are 'You, Mao, Wei, Chou,' each accompanied by 'He, Xuan, Long, Hou,' meaning the first lesson has Chou added to Ji, the second lesson has Wei added to Chou, the third lesson has Mao added to You (with Mao on the day branch You), and the fourth lesson has You added to Mao. The three transmissions are Mao, You, and Mao: the first transmission, Mao, is the official ghost爻, accompanied by Xuan Wu, with a mark '◎' indicating it is empty; the middle transmission, You, is the son and grandson爻, hidden dry Ji, accompanied by Liu He; the final transmission is again the empty Mao, accompanied by Xuan Wu.

王牧夫曰：夫婦商量，欲為門戶計乎？其人曰：何以知之？余曰：此課龍后相交，故知為夫婦商量也。卯酉相沖，故知為門戶計也。曰：將來如何？余曰：看來此課大不美。不惟門戶不振，猶懼申酉之年，有死亡之憂。蓋酉為敗金，卯為死木，死敗相乘豈能越申酉年乎？且玄合為不正，占亦丑矣。

Wang Mufu said: This is a couple discussing matters concerning their family and livelihood, isn't it? The other person asked: How do you know that? I said: In this reading, the Azure Dragon and Heavenly Empress are both present, the Dragon representing the husband and the Empress the wife, so I know it is a couple discussing together. The卯 and酉 are directly opposing each other, and卯 and酉 are the deities of the family, so I know they are discussing family matters. The other person asked again: What about the future? I said: This reading is very bad. Not only will the family not prosper, but there is also fear of death in the years of申 and酉. Because酉 is the metal of decline, and卯 is the wood of death, death qi and decline qi are interacting and overwhelming, how can they endure the years of申 and酉? Moreover, the Black Tortoise and Liu He are in conjunction, indicating improper conduct, and the matter itself is not honorable.

崇正丙子三月己酉丁卯時，粵東少伯陳秋桃太史，為宗藩建言被逮刑部，占出獄。指南　后陰　貴子丑寅卯玄　蛇常六陰　財 辛亥 蛇　蛇亥　辰常　亥辰酉寅　印 丙午 空　朱戌　巳虎　辰酉寅己　兄 癸丑 后　六酉申未午空　勾龍

In the year Bingzi of the Chongzheng era, in the third month on the day Jiyou and at the hour Dingmao, Chen Qiutao, a high-ranking official from Guangdong, was arrested by the Ministry of Justice for speaking on behalf of a royal family's藩king. He consulted a divination to determine when he would be released. This entry is from the "Six壬Guide." The lesson disk is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with "Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin"; then "Nobleman, Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Black Tortoise"; on the left "Teng Snake, Hai" facing the right "Chen, Tai Chang"; "Vermilion Bird, Xu" facing "Si, White Tiger"; the lower row is "Liu He, You, Shen, Wei, Wu, Tian Kong"; ending with "Gou Chen, Azure Dragon." The four lessons' spirits are arranged from right to left as "Chen You Yin Ji," and the upper spirits are "Hai Chen You Yin," each accompanied by "Teng Snake, Tai Chang, Liu He, Tai Yin," meaning the first lesson is Yin added to Ji, the second is You added to Yin, the third is Chen added to You (with Chen on the day branch You), and the fourth is Hai added to Chen. The three transmissions are Hai, Wu, Chou: the first transmission Hai is the wife's wealth, with the hidden stem Xin and accompanied by Teng Snake; the middle transmission Wu is the official's seal, with the hidden stem Bing and accompanied by Tian Kong; the final transmission Chou is the brother's wealth, with the hidden stem Gui and accompanied by Heavenly Empress.

陳公獻曰：目今不能脫難，交四月甲戌日巳時方出獄。同難諸縉紳皆曰：指日即出，余曰：不然，發用驛馬坐墓（驛馬亥坐辰上也），且赤鳥犯歲君（朱雀戌克太歲子也），如上疏旨意必駁。眾不然其說，三月馮大司寇上疏，旨意駁下，四月上疏，依擬脫離。因四月建沖初傳墓中驛馬，方有出獄之應也。可見脫難之事，馬星十分重要，以其亦逃脫之意也。凡坐墓則不能動也，合亦然；受沖為動機。

Chen Gongxian said: We are still unable to escape trouble, and we can only be released on the day of Jiaxu in the fourth lunar month at the hour of Si. Several officials who were imprisoned with me all said that we would be released soon. I said: Not so. The initiating transmission of the Post-horse is sitting on the墓 (mound), with the Vermilion Bird offending the sovereign (the Vermilion Bird is riding on Wu, which is attacking the sovereign Zi). If we submit a memorial, the imperial decree will certainly be rejected. The others did not agree. In the third lunar month, the Grand Minister Feng submitted a memorial, but the decree was rejected. In the fourth lunar month, when another memorial was submitted, we were finally released. This was because the month builder of the fourth lunar month clashed with the initial transmission's墓, thus releasing the Post-horse and making the release possible. This shows that in matters of escaping trouble, the Post-horse is very important, as the Post-horse itself contains the meaning of escape. Whenever the Post-horse is sitting on the墓, it cannot move, and if it is blocked, it also cannot move; only when it is clashed with, does it become the opportunity for action.

乾隆乙卯年正月己酉日子將丑時戌人占病。　勾龍空虎　辰巳午未　虎常龍空　兄 庚戌 陰　合卯　申常　未申巳午　父 丙午 空　朱寅　酉玄　申酉午己　子 戊申 常　丑子亥戌　蛇貴后陰

In the year of Yimao of the Qianlong era, on the day of Jiyou of the first lunar month, a divination was cast using the month general placed on the Chou hour, with the person's destiny belonging to the Xu. The course of the divination is as follows. The circle of the celestial and earthly plates is arranged as: the top row is 'Chen Si Wu Wei', with 'Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu' above them (Gou Chen, Qing Long, Tian Kong, Bai Hu). On the left side are 'He (Liu He) Mao' and 'Zhu (Zhu Que) Yin'; on the right side are 'Shen, Chang (Tai Chang)' and 'You, Xuan (Xuan Wu)'. The bottom row is 'Chou Zi Hai Xu', with 'She, Gui, Hou, Yin' below them (She, Gui, Hou, Yin). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as 'Shen You Wu Ji', and the upper spirits are 'Wei Shen Si Wu', each riding 'Hǔ, Chang, Long, Kong' respectively, meaning the first lesson has Wu added to Ji, the second lesson has Si added to Wu, the third lesson has Shen added to You (with Shen on the day branch You), and the fourth lesson has Wei added to Shen. The three transmissions are Xu, Wu, and Shen: the first transmission is Xu, representing the brother's yao, with the hidden stem Geng riding Tai Yin; the second transmission is Wu, representing the parents' yao, with the hidden stem Bing riding Tian Kong; the third transmission is Shen, representing the children's yao, with the hidden stem Wu riding Tai Chang.

張江村曰：冬蛇掩目，占病不起。然午加干，雖係死氣，卻作日祿生干；酉加命，雖值四廢，卻作干之長生，因此時少延，至三月辰日卯時必死。以辰上見卯，卯沖酉、破午也。後果然。

Zhang Jiangcun said: This is the "Winter Snake Covering the Eyes" lesson pattern, which indicates that the person will not recover from the illness. However, the Wu element is placed on top of the day stem, although it belongs to death qi, it is actually the禄神 of Ji day that is born by the day stem; the You element is placed on the person's birth day, although it is in the Four Wastes, it is also the long life of the day stem. Therefore, the illness can still be prolonged for a while. On the second month's Chen day at Mao time, the person will surely die. Because the Mao appears on Chen, the Mao will remove the You and destroy the Wu, thus cutting off the last bit of vitality. Later, it indeed happened as predicted.

大凡占病，色色皆凶。尚有一點生意者，視此一點生意。有力者，可救無力者。視此一點生意盡於何時，以決死期，此課可為隅及。

In general, when divining about illness, if the chart shows all ominous signs, yet there is still a bit of vitality left, one should focus on this remaining vitality. If this vitality is strong, the person can still be saved; if it is weak, then one should determine when this vitality will be exhausted, thus deciding the time of death. This lesson can serve as an example to be applied in similar situations.

三月己酉日酉將未時某占失婢。方本占案　陳六　龍未申酉戌朱　空午　亥蛇　后蛇蛇六　兄 癸丑 后　虎巳　子貴　丑亥亥酉　鬼 空卯 玄　常辰卯寅丑后　亥酉酉己　父 乙巳 虎　玄陰

On the 15th day of the third month, on a day with the day branch Jiyou, the divination was started by placing the month general You on the Wei hour. Someone came to inquire about a missing servant girl. This entry is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: starting with "Chen, Liu" (Gou Chen, Liu He); then "Long (Qinglong) Wei, Shen, You, Xu"; on the left side "Kong (Tian Kong) Wu" facing the right side "Hai, She (Teng Snake)"; "Hu (Baihu) Si" facing "Zi, Gui (Nobleman)"; below "Chang (Tai Chang) Chen, Mao, Yin, Chou, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; ending with "Xuan, Yin" (Xuanwu, Tai Yin). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Hai You You Ji," and the upper spirits are "Chou Hai Hai You," each accompanied by "Hou, She, She, Liu," meaning the first lesson is You added to Ji, the second is Hai added to You, the third is Hai added to You (with Hai on the day branch You), and the fourth is Chou added to Hai. The three transmissions are Chou, Mao, and Si: the first transmission Chou is the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Gui, accompanied by Heavenly Empress; the second transmission Mao is the official ghost's yao, accompanied by Xuanwu, with the label "Kong" indicating Mao is in the旬空; the third transmission Si is the parent's yao, hidden dry branch Yi, accompanied by Baihu.

邵彥和曰：此婢不失，但往來處尋之，六里內必見也。日辰三傳俱在陰位，陰主伏匿，巳作虎臨門戶上，其人入門去便止也。蓋己日為尊，酉辰為婢，今加日上，是婢來就尊，日辰相加，所以不走。酉六故不出六里必見。果往東方六里內尋見，乃失路不能歸也。

Shao Yanhe said: This servant girl cannot have been lost; she can be found within six li of her usual place. The day stem, day branch, and the three transmissions all fall in the yin position, and yin signifies concealment. The巳 is riding the White Tiger and is on the door god, so when she enters the door, she stops and does not move further. Since Ji is the day stem representing the master and his elders, You as the day branch represents the servant girl. Now You is placed above the day stem, meaning the servant girl herself is returning close to the master. The day and Chen are mutually added, so she does not go far. You's number is six, so it is said she must be found within six li. Later, she was indeed found within six li to the east, because she had gotten lost and could not return.

己巳年五月己酉日申將午時占行人。牧夫占驗　陳六　龍未申酉戌朱　空午　亥蛇　后蛇蛇六　兄 癸丑 后　虎巳　子貴　丑亥亥酉　鬼 空卯 玄　常辰卯寅丑后　亥酉酉己　父 乙巳 虎　玄陰

In the year of Jisi, fifth month, day of Jiyou, the divination was cast using the month general Shen placed on the hour of Wu. The question was about a person who is away from home. This entry is from the "Pastoral Divination Verification." The used lesson is the same as the previous one for a lost servant. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the beginning is "Chen, Liu" (Gou Chen, Liu He); the next row is "Long (Qinglong) Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Zhu (Zhuque)"; on the left side "Kong (Tiankong) Wu" faces the right side "Hai, She (Tengshe)"; "Hu (Baihu) Si" faces "Zi, Gui (Guiren)"; the lower row is "Chang (Tai Chang) Chen, Mao, Yin, Chou, Hou (Tianhou)"; ending with "Xuan, Yin" (Xuanyu, Taiyin). The spirits below the four lessons are arranged from right to left as "Hai You You Ji," while the upper spirits are "Chou Hai Hai You." Each is accompanied by "Hou, She, She, Liu." The three transmissions are Chou, Mao, and Si: the first transmission Chou is the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Gui, accompanied by Tianhou; the middle transmission Mao is the official ghost yao, accompanied by Xuanyu and falling into the旬空; the final transmission Si is the parent's yao, hidden dry branch Yi, accompanied by Baihu.

王牧夫曰：行人已出戶外，到期不遠。丙辰日驗，其人果於丙辰日到。此在外望宅中行人之占，故以支加干為宅就人。酉乘六合，門戶動，課名出戶。馬帶蛇逢沖，俱是來象。動爻丑土，乘後作合，中見官鬼，末見白虎，皆遠到也。故即以馬為應期。馬亥臨支又與末沖，歸著當在馬，馬帶辛，丙與辛合，遁丙在辰，故斷丙辰日也。

Wang Mufu said: The person who has left home has already set out, and the day he will return home is not far. It should be on Bingchen day. The person indeed arrived on Bingchen day. This is a divination method for someone who is away from home hoping for the return of family members. Therefore, the day stem is added to the day branch, treating the home as the person. You (the branch) is multiplied by Liu He, indicating the door is activated. The name of the divination is "Out the Door." The post-horse carries the Teng Snake and meets a conflict, both indicating arrival. The activated line is the earth ox, riding the Heavenly Empress and combining with it, the middle transmission sees the official ghost, and the final transmission sees the White Tiger, all indicating arrival from a distance. Therefore, the post-horse is taken as the day of verification. The post-horse亥 is on the day branch, and also conflicts with the final transmission, so the conclusion should fall on the post-horse. The heavenly stem in亥 is Xin, and Bing combines with Xin, while the hidden stem that matches Bing is Chen, so the prediction is on Bingchen day.

建炎己酉年九月己酉日卯將丑時姜子昭庚午生四十歲占向後如何。方本占案　貴后　蛇未申酉戌陰　朱午　亥玄　虎玄玄后　兄 癸丑 虎　六巳　子常　丑亥亥酉　鬼 空卯 龍　陳辰卯寅丑虎　亥酉酉己　父 乙巳 六　龍空

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, on the ninth month Jiyou day, a divination was cast starting with the month general卯 (Mao) placed on the Chou (Chou) hour. Jiang Zizhao was born in the Gengwu year, is forty years old, and is asking about his future fortune and misfortune. This entry is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The course of the divination is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: starting with "Gu (Nobleman), Hou (Heavenly Empress)" (Gu and Hou); then "Snake (Teng Snake) at Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Yin (Tai Yin)"; on the left "Zhu (Zhu Qiao) at Wu" facing the right "Hai, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; "Liu (Liu He) at Si" facing "Zi, Chang (Tai Chang)"; below "Chen (Gou Chen) at Chen, Mao, Yin, Chou, Hu (Bai Hu)"; ending with "Long (Qing Long), Kong (Tian Kong)" (Qing Long and Tian Kong). The four lessons have the spirits arranged from right to left as "Hai You You Ji," and the upper spirits are "Chou Hai Hai You," each riding "Hu, Xuan, Xuan, Hou," meaning the first lesson You added to Ji, the second Hai added to You, the third Hai added to You, and the fourth Chou added to Hai. The three transmissions are Chou, Mao, Si: the first transmission Chou is the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Ji, riding Bai Hu; the middle transmission Mao is the official ghost's yao, riding Qing Long, with the source text marking "Kong" indicating it falls in the empty period; the final transmission Si is the parent's yao, hidden dry branch Yi, riding Liu He.

邵彥和曰：支來加干敗，又作天后，一主不能讀書，二不得妻子力，三宅氣衰敗，走失財物，四墳中滿棺是水，又有泥並白蟻。吾丈又貪色，夫妻一味嬌態，不管家務，今六陰皆備，不即日為泉下人矣。若改干亥山向，決宅水東流，戒酒色，猶可延，否則死無日矣。姜好酒色，後月餘吐紅，遂成反胃，小腸刺痛，大腸結，十月死矣。

Shao Yanhe said: When the day branch is placed upon the day stem and falls into a weak position, and also rides upon the Heavenly Empress, one can determine four things: first, the person will be unable to study; second, they will not receive help from their wife and children; third, the house will be in decline, with loss of property; fourth, the ancestral graves will be filled with water, mixed with mud and white ants. You have a strong desire for women and sex, and your wife and you spend all day indulging in intimacy and neglecting household affairs. Now all the signs of six yin are complete, and death is imminent. If you change the house to face the direction of Ganshanshang and direct the water in front of the house to flow east, and also give up drinking and indulgence, you may prolong your life for a while; otherwise, death is certain. Jiang Zizhao was always fond of wine and women. After more than a month, he began to cough up blood, then developed vomiting, with pain in the small intestine and constipation in the large intestine, and died in October.

大凡六陰，自是不利，自夜傳出日尚可，日傳入夜，其陰愈甚。今干生支酉，酉金生亥水，更行年上未，六陰俱全，本命又見脫盜，且迄邐傳出寅卯，自敗傳死，自死傳絕，行年又加絕上，即是巳祿本身與行年，相繼投絕，安得不喪？日上酉為血，天后厭穢，自內傳出，是吐血也。武亥加血上，亥本宮被丑克，故反胃。丑作虎，故小腸痛，大腸結也。巳作六合，絕處入廟鎖定，兼六陰相繼，所以不通，傳絕而死。

In general, the image of six yin is inherently inauspicious: if it moves from night to day, it is still somewhat acceptable; but if it moves from day to night, the yin energy becomes even stronger. Now the day stem is born by the day branch酉, and酉 metal generates亥 water, and the year of birth falls on未. Thus, all six yin spirits are complete. The native's destiny also shows the loss of energy and stealing of energy, which continues through寅 and卯, moving from a place of decline to a place of death, then to a place of extinction. The year of birth is also added to the place of extinction. Therefore, the禄神巳, along with itself and the year of birth, continuously enters the place of extinction, how can it not die? The酉 on the day stem governs blood, and the Heavenly Empress also governs foul and turbid energy, which arises from within, indicating the symptom of vomiting blood. The亥, which is governed by the Black Tortoise, is placed on the酉, which governs blood. The亥's native palace is attacked by丑, thus causing regurgitation. The丑 is governed by the White Tiger, thus causing pain in the small intestine and blockage in the large intestine. The巳 is governed by Liu He, and in the place of extinction, it enters its temple and is locked up. Combined with the continuous presence of six yin, the vital energy is blocked, and it spreads to the place of extinction, leading to death.

己卯年六月己酉日未將奪及時雨杭州張澹寧相會占病。指南　六朱　勾申酉戌亥蛇　玄貴辰朱　鬼 乙卯 玄　龍未　子貴　卯子丑戌　父 丙午 空　空午　丑后　子酉戌己　子 己酉 六　虎巳辰卯寅陰　常玄

In the year of Ji Mao, sixth lunar month, day of Ji You, using the month general Wei to cast the divination chart (the source text also reads 'Wei general seizes timely rain'; the four characters 'seizes timely rain' are likely a transmission error from copying, and cannot be accurately determined), I cast a divination for Zhang Daning's illness while meeting him in Hangzhou. This entry is from the Six壬 Guide. The chart is compressed into one line as follows. The heaven and earth plate forms a circle, starting with 'six, Zhu' (Liu He, Vermilion Bird); the next row is 'Gou (Gou Chen) Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Snake (Teng Snake)'; on the left side 'Long (Azure Dragon) Wei' faces the right side 'Zi, Gui (Nobleman)'; 'Kong (Sky Void) Wu' faces 'Chou, Hou (Heavenly Empress)'; the lower row is 'Hu (White Tiger) Si, Chen, Mao, Yin (Tai Yin)', ending with 'Chang, Xuan' (Tai Chang, Black Tortoise). The four lessons' spirits are arranged from right to left as 'Zi You Xu Ji', and the upper spirits are 'Mao Zi Chou Xu', meaning the first lesson has Xu added to Ji, the second lesson has Chou added to Xu, the third lesson has Zi added to You (Zi is on the day branch You), and the fourth lesson has Mao added to Zi. The source text describes the heavenly general as 'Xuan Gui Chen Zhu', where the third character 'Chen' is not the name of the heavenly general, but is likely a transmission error, so it is preserved as it is. The three transmissions are Mao, Wu, You: the first transmission, Mao, is the official ghost hexagram, with the hidden stem Yi, riding on Xuan Wu; the middle transmission, Wu, is the parents hexagram, with the hidden stem Bing, riding on Tian Kong; the final transmission, You, is the son hexagram, with the hidden stem Ji, riding on Liu He.

陳公獻曰：當年病無妨，何須再三詳，黑馬自夷來，跨上往酉方，早覓玄空徑，教爾接命長，宅上見胎喜，一陰並兩陽。蓋太歲發用作日破，勾空目今無妨，但嫌醫神發用剋日，主醫人用藥不當，但木火為虎鬼，脾肺受病，未能脫體，須東南錢劉之醫，平肝清心，其病漸愈。曰：何以言？玄門卯乃死，我門酉為生，我乘玄空，長生在傳，宜避初鬼就末生，須向玄空之門求接命延年之術。否則，壬午春必有他慮矣。曰：有胎者何？余曰：支上見胎神。曰：三兒婦俱懷妊矣。余曰：試言何命。曰：丁未、壬子、甲寅，餘以行年推之，丁未生女，餘二皆男。後果然，澹寧壬午春死。

Chen Gongxian first answered with a verse: This illness of that year is not serious, why worry so much? A black horse comes from afar, rides it westward. Go early to seek the path of the玄门 and空门, so that you can continue your life. The joy of theFetal Spirit is seen in the dwelling position, which is one yin with two yangs. Then he explained: The Tai Su is initiating the transmission and forming the day break, Gou Chen is also present at the empty position, so there is no problem now. However, the medical god initiating the transmission is attacking the day stem, indicating that the doctor's treatment is improper. Wood and fire become the White Tiger and official ghost, which means the spleen and lung meridians are affected, and one cannot get out of it for a while. One must consult doctors from the Qian and Liu families in the southeast, using methods to calm the liver and clear the heart, and the illness will gradually improve. Someone asked: How does this mean? Answer: The卯 position of the玄门 is the dead position, while the酉 position of the door is the birth position. I am riding on the玄门 and空门, with the long life in the three transmissions. Therefore, it is suitable to avoid the official ghost in the first transmission and choose the long life in the final transmission, and one must seek the art of prolonging life at the玄门 and空门. Otherwise, there will be a big change in the spring of the Renwu year. Another question: How do you know there is a胎? I said: TheFetal Spirit is seen on the day branch. Zhang Daning said: All three daughters-in-law are pregnant. I said: Let me explain their birth years. Answer: Dingwei, Renzi, Jiayin. I calculated according to the year: Dingwei gives birth to a daughter, the other two give birth to sons. Later it turned out to be true. Zhang Daning died in the spring of the Renwu year.

己酉年九月己酉日卯將子時姜子安壬申生二十八歲占前程。方本占案　壬申生二十八歲占課當是己亥年，占此己酉年占又當是壬午年生也或是壬申年三十八歲　后陰　貴申酉戌亥玄　蛇未　子常　龍常虎陰　官 空卯 龍　朱午　丑虎　卯子丑戌　父 丙午 朱　六巳辰卯寅空　子酉戌己　子 己酉 后　陳龍

In the year of Jiyou, ninth lunar month, on the day of Jiyou, the class was cast with the month general placed on the卯 (Mao) and applied to the Zi (Zi) hour. Jiang Zi'an was born in the year of Renshen, at the age of twenty-eight, and he consulted about his future. This entry is from the "Fang Ben Zhan An." The original text includes a note: if someone was born in the year of Renshen and consulted at the age of twenty-eight, then the year in question should be Jihai; however, since it is stated here that the consultation took place in the year of Jiyou, the person must either have been born in the year of Renwu or have been born in the year of Renshen but already thirty-eight years old. This creates a contradiction between the year and the stem and branch, and the compiler has noted this discrepancy for further investigation. The course of the divination is as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle, starting with "Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin"; then "Nobleman, Shen, You, Xu, Hai, Black Tortoise"; on the left side, "Teng Snake, Wei" faces the right side "Zi, Tai Chang"; "Vermilion Bird, Wu" faces "Chou, White Tiger"; the lower row is "Liu He, Si, Chen, Mao, Yin, Tian Kong"; ending with "Gou Chen, Azure Dragon." The four lessons have spirits arranged from right to left as "Zi, You, Xu, Ji," and the upper spirits are "Mao, Zi, Chou, Xu," each accompanied by "Azure Dragon, Tai Chang, White Tiger, Tai Yin," meaning the first lesson is Xu with Ji, the second is Chou with Xu, the third is Zi with You, and the fourth is Mao with Zi. The three transmissions are Mao, Wu, You: the first transmission, Mao, represents the official star, accompanied by Azure Dragon, and the text marks it as "Tian Kong" indicating it falls in the empty period; the middle transmission, Wu, represents the parents'爻, with the hidden stem Bing, accompanied by Vermilion Bird; the final transmission, You, represents the children's爻, with the hidden stem Ji, accompanied by Heavenly Empress.

邵彥和曰：吾丈闇昧，亦不永遠。惟令郎好，與老陰人可享此。今則福謝災生，身宮不明，何望顯達？須管一有福之子，喪則君不祿矣。況初中空亡，惟末撞在日之後，作敗神，主酒色傷身夭壽，三年半期，恐難過也。姜子安好奇異，聞言哂而不信。至壬子年一子果死，其子溫厚。姜氏悲愴，日夜追思，相繼而亡。果三年半也。

Shao Yanhe said: Your fortune is dark and your lifespan is not long. However, your son is good; in the future he will share this fortune with an older woman. Now the good fortune is fading and misfortune is growing, the destiny palace is unclear, so what can you expect for success? You are in charge of a son who has good fortune, but once that son is gone, you will also pass away. Moreover, the first and middle transmissions both fall into Kongwang, while only the final transmission meets the day stem's rear position, which is considered a bad omen, indicating that the son will die from excessive indulgence in wine and women. The period of three and a half years is probably not to be survived. Jiang Zi'an has always been curious and likes to do things differently; he just laughed and did not believe it. But in the year Renzi, indeed a son died. The child was kind and gentle, and the Jiang family was very sad, thinking of him day and night. The father then also died, and the time between was exactly three and a half years.

蓋己酉日見支前之太陰，是闇昧也。宅上子作常，己以子為財，財來此敗，太常己未土，亦隨此敗。初上見卯，土死於卯，卯又空亡，是空亡死也。初中即空，只在末酉，又在日後。日干之後也。己日在未，申為前，而午為後，酉加午，故曰在日後也。夫太常到酉上敗，是進敗也。酉在日後，是退敗也。太陰即酉，又來日上敗我，進亦敗，退亦敗，現在亦敗，豈得不死？壬子年子上卯宅自子引入本宮，己土至彼敗且死，人寧不亡歟？

Shao Yanhe explained his reasoning for determining a certain death. On Jiyou day, the "Tai Yin" was located before the day branch. Tai Yin is associated with darkness and concealment, so it indicates the person is "obscure and unclear." The dwelling爻 is on Zi, with "Tai Chang" riding upon it. Ji earth uses Zi water as wealth, but the wealth爻 is in a failed position. Tai Chang belongs to Jiwei earth in the Five Phases, and it also fails along with the wealth. The first transmission shows卯, and according to the sequence of earth's growth in Shen, bathing (which is "failure") in You, and death in Mao, Mao is the earth's death position. Moreover, Mao also meets Kongwang, so it is called "Kongwang death." Both the first and middle transmissions fall into Kongwang, leaving only the final transmission on You. However, You is located after the day stem, meaning "after the day." This refers to Ji day's禄 being in Wei, with Shen as the previous and Wu as the following. In this case, You is placed on Wu, so it is said to be after the day. Tai Chang moving to You is "failure," which is failure when moving forward; You being after the day is also failure when moving backward; and Tai Yin itself is You, which again attacks and causes failure to the day stem. Failure when moving forward, failure when moving backward, and failure at the present moment, all three sides are failures, how can one not die? By the Renzi year, the卯 on Zi is introduced into its own palace, and Ji earth arrives there and is both failed and dead, how can the person not perish? This reasoning combines "failure" (bathing place) and "death" (the death position in the twelve long lives), and adds Kongwang and Tai Yin's dark and obscure images, layer by layer locking in the fate, which is a typical example of Shao Yanhe's method of divination.

建炎己酉年七月庚戌日巳將丑時伍七二秀才辛未生三十九歲占家宅。一針見血　朱合勾龍　酉戌亥子　后虎玄龍　父 甲辰 玄　蛇申　丑空　午寅辰子　兄 戊申 蛇　貴未　寅虎　寅戌子庚　子 壬子 龍　午巳辰卯　后陰玄常

In the year Jiyou of the Jianyan era, on the seventh month, day Gengxu, using the month general Si placed on the Chou hour to cast the divination. Wu Qi'er, a scholar, was born in the year Xinwei, aged thirty-nine, and consulted about his family home. This passage is from "Yizhen Jianxue." The course is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the top row is "You, Xu, Hai, Zi," with "Zhu, He, Gou, Long" (Zhuque, Liuhe, Gouchen, Qinglong) above them (Zhuque, Liuhe, Gouchen, Qinglong). On the left side: "She (Tengsnake) Shen" and "Gui (Nobleman) Wei"; on the right side: "Chou, Kong (Tiankong)" and "Yin, Hu (Baihu)". The bottom row is "Wu, Si, Chen, Mao," with "Hou, Yin, Xuan, Chang" (Tianhou, Taiyin, Xuanwu, Taichang) below them (Tianhou, Taiyin, Xuanwu, Taichang). The four lessons have the heavenly spirits arranged from right to left as "Yin, Xu, Zi, Geng," and the upper spirits are "Wu, Yin, Chen, Zi," each accompanied by "Hou, Hu, Xuan, Long," meaning the first lesson is Zi with Geng, the second is Chen with Zi, the third is Yin with Xu (the day branch is Xu, with Yin on it), and the fourth is Wu with Yin. The three transmissions are Chen, Shen, and Zi, forming the water trinity of Shen, Zi, and Chen: the first transmission Chen is the parent's yao, hidden dry branch Jia, riding Xuanwu; the middle transmission Shen is the brother's yao, hidden dry branch Wu, riding Tengsnake; the final transmission Zi is the son's yao, hidden dry branch Ren, riding Qinglong.

邵彥和曰：此課第二課發用，末傳又歸日上，水自墓中發出，中傳同類去受生，而為騰蛇所克，後歸本宮，又被子蝕，得一而失十。龍武蛇，皆水獸，盡取辨於我，宅上又得三傳之驛馬，家勢更進，子孫好勝而敗。宅中馬作虎，家中必喧吵之人，定主分離。壬子年因喜事而破產。甲寅年因爭競而分開。丙辰受制於人，庚申自身傷喪矣。庚日得水局，又傳歸日上，自他更蝕來，最是怕人，兼龍蛇武，愈緊來蝕庚，便無事之人。亦為病者，若占病人，無疑是亡。今占宅，是財退之兆也，子女皆因緣而敗也。

Shao Yanhe said: This divination takes the second transmission as the initiating transmission, and the final transmission returns to the day stem. Water arises from the storage, the middle transmission is a like stem of the day stem, Shen, which is born into, but is attacked by the Teng Snake; when the final transmission returns to its original palace, it is consumed by the Zi water - gaining one part but losing ten. The Qinglong, Xuanwu, and Teng Snake are all water animals, all demanding from me at once; the residence also receives theThe Post-horse from the three transmissions, making the family seem to advance, but in reality, the children are ambitious and eventually fail. TheThe Post-horse in the residence is also riding on the Baihu, meaning there must be someone in the family who is quarrelsome, and it certainly indicates a division and dispersal of the family. In the Renzi year, there will be a collapse due to joy; in the Jiayin year, a division due to disputes; in the Bingchen year, being controlled by others; in the Gengshen year, self-injury. On a Geng day, having a water pattern, and the transmission returning to the day stem, it consumes me layer by layer from elsewhere, which is most alarming; adding to this, the Qinglong, Teng Snake, and Xuanwu all bite the Geng metal closely. Even those who have no illness will become sick. If this is a divination about illness, it is certain death; now that it is about the residence, it indicates the loss of property, and the children all fail the family due to their own marriages.

伍七二秀才自他尊丈及令嗣，好賓客筵宴，凡事好勝家勢盡退。宅中弟兄不齊，又不和睦，值白虎作驛馬在宅也。壬子年，女嫁有官便家，皆出產為之。冬又為兒子納婦，亦出產為之。甲寅諸子喧爭，遂至私給，少汪定錢文千貫，為他追擾，自此困窘，不無數年。庚申年十一月喪矣，果如先生之言也。

In the household of Wu Qi'er's son, from his father to his son, they all enjoyed entertaining guests and hosting grand banquets, and were always eager to outdo each other. As a result, their family fortune was completely ruined. Among the brothers in the household, the number was uneven, and they were not harmonious with each other, which corresponded to the White Tiger riding the Post-horse falling on the main house position. In the Renzi year, his daughter married into a family with official status, and the dowry had to be arranged by selling family property. That same winter, he also arranged a marriage for his son, again using the sale of property. In the Jiayin year, the sons quarreled over the inheritance, eventually dividing the property privately, and also owed a fixed amount of money to the Wang family, one thousand taels, which led to being pursued and harassed, and they fell into hardship, all within a few years. By the Gengshen year, in November, he himself passed away, which indeed fulfilled the master's prediction.

己酉年二月庚戌日亥將辰時楊秀才辛未生三十九歲占前程。宋本邵案　口鑑　貴后　蛇子丑寅卯陰　朱亥　辰玄　蛇常六陰　父 庚戌 六　六戌　巳常　子巳戌卯　鬼 乙巳 常　陳酉申未午虎　巳戌卯庚　子 壬子 蛇　龍空

In the year Jiyou, second lunar month, day Gengxu, the divination was cast using the month general Hai placed on the Chen hour. Yang Cui, born in the year Xinwei, aged thirty-nine, asked about his future. This passage is from the Song edition of "Shao'an" and also appears in "Koujian." The course is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: starting with "Guì, Hou" (Nobleman, Heavenly Empress); next are "Shé (Teng Snake), Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Yin (Tai Yin)"; on the left "Zhu (Zhu Qiao) Hai" faces the right "Chen, Xuan (Xuan Wu)"; "Liu (Liu He) Xu" faces "Si, Chang (Tai Chang)"; below are "Chen (Gou Chen) You, Shen, Wei, Wu, Hu (Bai Hu)"; ending with "Long, Kong" (Qing Long, Tian Kong). The four lessons have spirits arranged from right to left as "Si Xu Mao Geng," and the upper spirits are "Zi Si Xu Mao," each accompanied by "Shé, Chang, Liu, Yin," meaning the first lesson is Mao with Geng, the second is Xu with Mao, the third is Si with Xu (Si on the day branch Xu), and the fourth is Zi with Si. The three transmissions are Xu, Si, Zi: the first transmission Xu represents the parent's yao, hidden dry branch Geng, accompanied by Liu He; the middle transmission Si represents the official ghost yao, hidden dry branch Yi, accompanied by Tai Chang; the final transmission Zi represents the son's yao, hidden dry branch Ren, accompanied by Teng Snake.

邵彥和曰：到老奔波，只是士人書會而已。庚上見卯空，已是朽木，不堪琢雕。徒有斫輪虛名，戌為模範，亦落空地，雖是巳之爐火，卻無模範鑄，末傳盜氣，主子孫不讀書，宜改業臨於店業之上，四年後得店屋為宅，家計雖不寬，亦不飢寒，子孫以水磨水碓為生計頗好。蓋斫輪不成，正可作水碓之論，磨舂之範而已。雖不富貴，卻有壽。金長生在巳，巳四，二巳得八，巳上見子得九，八九七十二也。楊讀書淹博，累試不中，後徐侍郎知州，令權教授，人稱楊教授，果是虛名。四十二分得店屋居住，其子作水碓生理，果如先生之言。

Shao Yanhe said: This person will be constantly moving all his life, ultimately only playing the role of a scholar gathering and discussing learning. The day stem Geng is seen with the branch Mao, but Mao falls into Kongwang, which is like a piece of rotten wood that cannot be carved into shape; he has only the empty reputation of a master craftsman. The branch Xu, which is originally the model for casting, also falls into Kongwang; although there is the branch Si, which represents the furnace fire, there is no mold to cast. The final transmission is the air of theft and leakage, indicating that the descendants will not study, and they should change their profession to run a shop. After four years, they will get a house to live in, the family's livelihood will not be very prosperous, but they will not suffer from hunger or cold. The descendants will make a living by using water mills and water wheels, which is not bad. Since he cannot become a master craftsman, it is just right to use him as a water wheel. It is merely a mold for grinding rice and pounding grain. Although he will not be rich, he will live a long life. The metal's growth is in Si, and the number of Si is four. Two Sis make eight. Si is seen with Zi, and the number of Zi is nine. Multiplying eight by nine gives seventy-two, which is his lifespan. Yang the Literati is knowledgeable and has read extensively, but he failed the exams repeatedly. Later, Xu the Vice Minister became the prefect and temporarily appointed him as a professor, and he was called "Yang the Professor," which is indeed just an empty title. At the age of forty-two, he was given a house to live in, and his son started a business making water wheels, all of which matched the master's words.

己酉年八月庚戌日巳將酉時王知縣丙子生三十四歲占前程。一針見血　空虎常玄　丑寅卯辰　虎后龍玄　子 壬子 龍　龍子　巳陰　寅午子辰　兄 戊申 蛇　勾亥　午后　午戌辰庚　父 甲辰 玄　戌酉申未　合朱蛇貴

In the year Jiyou, eighth lunar month, day Gengxu, using the month general Si placed on the You hour to cast the divination. County Magistrate Wang was born in the year Bingzi, aged thirty-four, and he consulted about his future. This passage is from "Yizhen Jianxue." The course is arranged as follows. The celestial and earthly plates form a circle: the upper row is "Chou Yin Mao Chen," with "Kong, Hu, Chang, Xuan" (Sky Void, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise) above them; the left side is "Long (Azure Dragon) Zi" and "Gou (Gou Chen) Hai"; the right side is "Si, Yin (Tai Yin)" and "Wu, Hou (Heavenly Empress)"; the lower row is "Xu You Shen Wei," with "He, Zhu, She, Gui" (Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake, Nobleman) below them. The four lessons have the heavenly spirits arranged from right to left as "Wu Xu Chen Geng," and the upper spirits are "Yin Wu Zi Chen," each accompanied by "Hu, Hou, Long, Xuan" (White Tiger, Heavenly Empress, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise), meaning the first lesson is Chen added to Geng, the second lesson is Zi added to Chen, the third lesson is Wu added to Xu (with Wu on the day branch Xu), and the fourth lesson is Yin added to Wu. The three transmissions are Zi, Shen, and Chen: the first transmission Zi is the son's yao, concealed dry branch Ren, accompanied by Azure Dragon; the middle transmission Shen is the brother's yao, concealed dry branch Wu, accompanied by Teng Snake; the final transmission Chen is the father's yao, concealed dry branch Ji, accompanied by Black Tortoise.

邵彥和曰：尚是七月節，天馬帶將星入宅，中傳我去被脫，初傳脫神受制，末傳土來生金，此名潤下，其實先脫後生也。天馬入宅，來年會起寅午戌，望見今冬十二月，即赴任也。本是九月動，被婦人病阻，故少遲也。初上任，彼處財賦雖缺，本制治有法，後為失財所苦，甚是不明，即終任必竟為此困也。

Shao Yanhe said: At present, it is still within the July solar term. The Heavenly Horse brings the general star into the dwelling position; the middle transmission indicates that I leave and someone else escapes, while the first transmission has the escaping god restrained. The final transmission has earth coming to generate metal. This divination is called "Runxia" (moistening and descending). The actual trend is first being stripped away, then receiving generation. The Heavenly Horse entering the dwelling position suggests that next year the triple harmony of Yin-Wu-Xu will form a fire trinity, and it seems that I will take office in December this winter. Originally, I was supposed to depart in September, but it was delayed due to my wife's illness at home. When I first took office, although the local finances were in deficit, he governed with order and discipline. Later, however, he suffered from the loss of money, and the situation was unclear. Until the end of his term, he would ultimately be troubled by this matter.

王知縣待次年庚戌，不見從人來催，八月初五日，忽交待文書至，催赴任，十二月十九日，交割。二十二日立春，本年九月起程，緣尊堂太宜人病極，遂未成行。十一月全安，遂行。初上任，為官缺乏錢，措置亦不費力，只是一年零三月餘，倉庫中失銀七片，庫門封鑽如舊，業勘了無限人。外人傳言曰：是知縣與庫子合盜，遂將官誥勅書，往州府納，州府不受，諸人勘無去著而止。自此不如意，卻喜終任，全璧而歸。此課先脫後生，文到生日。只不合玄武偷庫中物，本喜土來生金，所以不成事也。若子加庚作玄武在末，則歷底費力矣。

The county magistrate Wang waited until the next year Gengxu, but did not see anyone come to urge him to take office. On the fifth day of the eighth lunar month, a document arrived suddenly, urging him to take office. On the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, he completed the transfer of duties, and on the twenty-second day, the beginning of spring arrived. Originally, he was supposed to leave in the ninth lunar month, but he did not go because his mother, who was very respected, was seriously ill. In the eleventh lunar month, his mother recovered, and then he set off. When he first took office, the county office was short of money, but he managed it without difficulty. However, during one year and three months in office, seven silver ingots were stolen from the treasury, yet the seal on the treasury door and the mark were exactly the same as before. Many people were interrogated, but nothing was found. Rumors said that the county magistrate and the person in charge of the treasury had conspired to steal the silver. He then sent the official documents and imperial edicts to the prefecture for return, but the prefecture refused to accept them. After thorough investigation, nothing was found, and the matter was abandoned. Since then, everything went against him, but fortunately, he completed his term and returned home with his position intact. This case is one of first losing and then gaining, with the documents arriving exactly on his birthday. It was only inappropriate that the Black Tortoise (a symbol of the south) stole from the treasury. Originally, he should have been happy because earth supports metal, but the matter did not end well. If the child (a trigram) were placed on top of Geng and the Black Tortoise were in the final transmission, it would have been even more difficult from beginning to end.

俞大師在祥符寺，一人於庚戌日酉將戌時占憂疑。（直指引三車一覽）

Master Yu was at Xiangfu Temple when a person came on the day of Gengxu, with the Month General being You and the exact hour being Xu, to inquire about a matter of worry and uncertainty. "Divination of Worry and Doubt" is a common topic in Liu Xin, asking whether a matter troubling the heart can be resolved or if hidden troubles might arise. When interpreting such cases, the emphasis is placed on the heavenly generals Teng Snake, Black Tortoise, and Tian Kong, because Teng Snake signifies fear and false alarms, Black Tortoise indicates hidden matters, and Tian Kong represents falsehood and unreliability. The truth and depth of matters of worry and doubt are precisely examined through these. The case ends with the note "Straightforward Guide Three Vehicles One View," meaning this entry is not directly taken from "Three Vehicles One View" by Cheng Shuxun, but rather quoted from the Qing Dynasty text "Liu Xin Straightforward Guide," which first cited "Three Vehicles One View," and this book then quoted from "Liu Xin Straightforward Guide," with an intermediate layer in between.

合朱蛇貴｜辰巳午未 后陰蛇貴 鬼 丙午 蛇｜勾卯 申后 申酉午未 鬼 乙巳 朱｜龍寅 酉陰 酉戌未庚 父 甲辰 合｜丑子亥戌｜空虎常玄

This is the flat text version of the divination board. The two groups of characters represent the twelve palaces, each with its earthly branch and the heavenly general it is riding: Chen riding Liu He, Si riding Vermilion Bird, Wu riding Teng Snake, Wei riding Nobleman, Shen riding Heavenly Empress, You riding Tai Yin, Xu riding Black Tortoise, Hai riding Tai Chang, Zi riding White Tiger, Chou riding Tian Kong, Yin riding Azure Dragon, and Mao riding Gou Chen. The Nobleman is located in Wei, and the twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order starting from Wei. The middle eight characters are the four lessons. The line below is the lower deity, and the line above is the upper deity, read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Geng (with its lodging palace in Shen) appearing on Wei, the second lesson has Wei appearing on Wu, the third lesson has the day branch Xu appearing on You, and the fourth lesson has You appearing on Shen. The heavenly generals riding the upper deities of the four lessons are Nobleman, Teng Snake, Tai Yin, and Heavenly Empress respectively. The vertical column on the right is the three transmissions, read from top to bottom as initial transmission, middle transmission, and final transmission: initial transmission is Wu, with the ten thousand hidden cycle indicating Bing Wu, Wu fire controls Geng metal as official ghost, riding Teng Snake; middle transmission is Si, with the ten thousand hidden cycle indicating Yi Si, also official ghost, riding Vermilion Bird; final transmission is Chen, with the ten thousand hidden cycle indicating Jiachen, Chen earth generates Geng metal as parents, riding Liu He. There is no mutual control among the four lessons, so the use of the day stem's external Wu fire to remotely control Geng metal is employed as the initiating transmission. Wu and Si, two layers of fire deities, successively control the body, each accompanied by Teng Snake's fear and Vermilion Bird's speech, which is the root of the entire lesson's ominous nature, and it exactly matches the established method of using Teng Snake and Vermilion Bird to interpret fear and speech when divining matters of doubt and uncertainty.

俞曰：庚日陽刃在酉，酉為金，戌為足，恐刃斧傷足。其人因秀才讀書有名聲，實為積盜，後事敗，太歲刖其足。此課午巳二火克干，又作騰蛇朱雀，疊疊火神，固已凶矣，而日上貴人又遁丁火，安得不凶？但貴人生日，想不必五六月間，為太守誘去，以致露敗，而後刖其足耳。惜三車一覽，餘未之見。而直指所引各書，僅寥寥數語，無從印證，為可惜也。

Master Yu said: On a day with the stem Geng, the Yang Rende is at You. You belongs to metal, which represents tools like axes and saws; Xu corresponds to the feet on the human body, so there is concern that this person would be injured on the feet by metal weapons. This person claims the title of a scholar and studies in the village, enjoying a good reputation among the locals, but in reality he is a habitual thief. Later, when the matter was exposed, it happened in the year's Tai Su, and the authorities amputated his feet. In terms of the divination chart, two layers of fire deities, Wu fire and Si fire, both come to overcome the day stem Geng metal, and each is riding on Teng Snake and Vermilion Bird respectively. The fire deities are layered upon each other, which is already very ominous. Moreover, the upper deity of the day stem, Wei, comes out in the ten-day cycle as Ding fire, adding another layer of fire secretly. How could it not be ominous? However, the upper deity of Wei is riding on a Nobleman, and Wei soil can generate Geng metal, offering a little protection. Therefore, it is inferred that the incident did not occur in the months of May and June when fire and soil are in command, but rather the county magistrate devised a way to lure him out, leading to the exposure of his actions, and later he was subjected to the punishment of amputation. It is a pity that I have never seen the book "San Che Yi Lian"; the various divination books cited in "Liu Ren Zhi Zhi" are only a few sentences, and there is no original text to verify them, which is truly regrettable.

又一人占出入，酉加卯為行年，曰：陽刃得子，懼有所傷，不出一月，其人果斷其手，蓋酉為刃，卯為手也。

There was another person who came to consult about travel and retreat. In the divination, the Heaven Plate's You (酉) was placed on the Earth Plate's Mao (卯), and Mao coincided with the position corresponding to his birth year. Master Yu interpreted that the Yang Rende (阳刃) was in power and dominant (the original text mentions 'get a son' which does not quite fit the reasoning, but it is recorded as is). He warned that there might be injury to his body, and it would happen within a month. Indeed, within a month, this person broke his arm. The reasoning is as follows: You (酉) is the Yang Rende for Geng day, indicating injury from a blade; Mao corresponds to the hand on the human body. When You metal is placed over Mao wood, it forms the image of a sharp blade cutting the hand.