Gengxu day, Hidden Chant divination for predicting locusts from elsewhere (direct and precise)

丑年庚戌日伏吟課占外處飛蝗。（一針見血）

On the Gengxu day of the Chou year, a Hidden Chant divination was obtained to inquire about a locust plague in another region. The case is cited from "One Needle Sees the Blood."the so-called "Hidden Chant" refers to a divination pattern where the Month General coincides with the correct hour, the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate completely overlap, and each of the twelve branches returns to its original position. This pattern symbolizes stagnation and the recurrence of old matters. "External locusts" refer to reports of locust plagues from other prefectures and counties. This is an example from the Song dynasty of Zhu Bi using the Six壬 system to answer the imperial court.

勾龍空虎｜巳午未申 玄玄虎虎 兄 戊申 虎｜合辰 酉常 戌戌申申 財 ◎寅 蛇｜朱卯 戌玄 戌戌申庚 鬼 乙巳 勾｜寅丑子亥｜蛇貴后陰

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: Si rides Gou Chen, Wu rides Qing Long, Wei rides Tian Kong, Shen rides Bai Hu, Chen rides Liu He, You rides Tai Chang, Mao rides Zhu Qu, Xu rides Xuan Wu, Yin rides Teng Snake, Chou rides Gu Ren, Zi rides Tian Hou, Hai rides Tai Yin; Gu Ren is in Chou, and all the generals start from Chou and proceed in order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Geng, which is lodged in Shen, so Shen remains Shen; Shen is again Shen; the day branch is Xu, so Xu remains Xu; Xu is still Xu—upper and lower positions are the same, forming the image of a hidden chant. The heavenly generals riding the heavenly spirits in the four lessons are in order Bai Hu, Bai Hu, Xuan Wu, Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are from top to bottom: Shen, Yin, Si. The first transmission is Shen, which is the hidden day stem Wushen, and since it is of the same type as Geng metal, it is a brother, riding Bai Hu; the middle transmission is Yin, which is the wife and wealth of Geng metal, marked with 「◎」 indicating it is in the empty period, riding Teng Snake; the final transmission is Si, which is the hidden day stem Yisi, and since fire overcomes metal, it is an official ghost, riding Gou Chen. In a hidden chant lesson, there is no overcoming between upper and lower, so the day stem's lodged palace Shen is used as the initiating transmission, and then from Shen, it is punished by刑 to Yin, and from Yin to Si, forming the transmission through punishment. Zhu Bi's discussion on locusts is precisely about the Teng Snake on Yin—the Yin is the long life place of fire, and Teng Snake being in its proper place means the locust plague does not cease.

祝泌奏曰：謹按騰蛇與天空，主飛蝗之象。今此課次傳見之，乃騰蛇長生之地。凡騰蛇有氣，則為災蝗，而不能全消其害。方此久雨，自不容此物滋蔓。但在課傳，在生地未可撲絕，遺蝗再發，所乘白虎為德神，屬金，金主秋成，申主秔麥，二谷成熟，不如去歲之大歉。況貴人順行，臨於太歲，雖有遺蝗，不全然為災。

Zhu Bi submitted a memorial stating: According to the old methods of Liu Ren divination, the two heavenly generals Teng Snake and Tian Kong both indicate the image of locusts. Now, in this divination lesson, the middle transmission is on寅, which is occupied by Teng Snake. And寅 is the place of growth for the fire of Teng Snake. Whenever Teng Snake has strength and is in the right condition, it should indicate locust plague, and the locust disaster cannot be completely eliminated. At present, there have been continuous rainy days, with abundant dampness and restrained yang fire, which theoretically should not allow such creatures to proliferate. However, according to the transmissions of the lesson, since Teng Snake is in the place of growth, it cannot be completely extinguished, and the remaining locust larvae will still reproduce again. Fortunately, the first transmission on申 is occupied by Bai Hu, which is a benevolent deity here. Bai Hu belongs to metal, and metal signifies autumn harvest. In terms of physical objects,申 corresponds to glutinous rice and wheat, both of which can mature, so the harvest will not be as bad as last year's great famine. Moreover, the nobleman is moving in the direction of the sovereign, indicating smooth governance and harmony between superiors and inferiors. Even if there are remaining locusts, they will not cause widespread disaster.

順治六年六月庚戌日午將午時，陳惟一占揚州陳道臺病。（指南）

In the sixth month of the sixth year of the Shunzhi era, on the Gengxu day, the month general was Wu and the hour of the day was also Wu. Chen Weiyi divined the illness for Chen Daotai of Yangzhou. The case is taken from "The Six Yin Guide," a specialized book of divination compiled by Chen Gongxian in the late Ming dynasty. The month general and the hour of the day were both Wu, causing the heaven plate and earth plate to coincide, resulting in another instance of hidden chant, the same lesson as the previous example. "Daotai" was a common term in the Ming and Qing dynasties for officials responsible for administrative and military affairs in a certain region.

勾龍空虎｜巳午未申 玄玄虎虎 兄 戊申 虎｜合辰 酉常 戌戌申申 財 ◎寅 蛇｜朱卯 戌玄 戌戌申庚 鬼 乙巳 勾｜寅丑子亥｜蛇貴后陰

The distribution of Heavenly Generals in the twelve palaces is: Jia (巳) on Gou Chen, Wu (午) on Qing Long, Wei (未) on Tian Kong, Shen (申) on Bai Hu, Chen (辰) on Liu He, You (酉) on Tai Chang, Mao (卯) on Zhu Que, Xu (戌) on Xuan Wu, Yin (寅) on Teng Snake, Chou (丑) on Gu Ren, Zi (子) on Tian Hou, Hai (亥) on Tai Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the lodgment palace of Geng is on Shen, with Shen on Shen; Shen on Shen; the day branch on Xu has Xu; Xu on Xu — the heaven and earth plates are in the same position, which is a hidden chant. The three transmissions are: first transmission Shen (brother, riding Bai Hu), middle transmission Yin (wife's wealth, accompanied by the empty mark, riding Teng Snake), final transmission Jia (official ghost, riding Gou Chen). In divination concerning illness, the most important is to observe the禄 and 马 and the dead and exhausted places: Shen is both the禄 and the post-horse of Geng day, which should be kept, but now it enters the transmission; the middle transmission Yin is exactly the exhausted place of Geng metal, yet it falls into emptiness; the final transmission Jia fire rides Gou Chen and directly attacks the body. The禄 and 马 are unstable and enter emptiness and exhaustion, and the ghost fire is enclosed at the end, which is the entire basis for Chen Gongxian's conclusion of an untreatable condition.

陳公獻曰：此課不利占病，丁巳日必死。蓋因祿馬（申為驛馬日祿）發用入傳，中空絕之鄉（庚絕於寅），病人見驛馬，乃神氣出遊象。課傳玄胎，主別處投胎之象。虎鬼臨處為畏期。傳既無天醫而末傳巳火剋日，故以日決之。

Chen Gongxian said: This divination is most unfavorable for predicting illness, and death is certain on the day of Dingsi. The reason is that the禄神 andThe Post-horse (Shen, which is both the禄 and驿马 of Geng day) are both initiating the transmission. However, the middle transmission is寅, which is both empty in the ten-day cycle and a place of decline for Geng metal (Geng metal is in decline at寅). In the divination, theThe Post-horse is active, indicating the spirit and soul are wandering outside the body and unwilling to stay in the body. The transmission also shows the pattern of "Xuaitai," which signifies the soul and spirit are going to be reborn elsewhere. The White Tiger and official ghost are present at the place of the ominous sign, indicating the dangerous day. Since there is no Tianyi or other saving deity in the three transmissions, and the final transmission,巳 fire, directly harms the day stem Geng metal, the day of巳 is used to determine the date, and the prediction is set for the day of Dingsi.

乾隆己亥年六月庚戌日未將未時，久雨占何日晴朗。（牧夫占驗）

In the Jihai year of the Qianlong era, sixth month, on the Gengxu day, the month general was Wei, and the proper hour was also Wei, because the rain had not stopped for a long time. The question was asked about which day the weather would clear. The case is taken from "Mu Fu Zhan Yan," a collection of divination records by the Qing scholar Wang Mu Fu. The month general and the proper hour both being Wei caused the heavenly and earthly plates to coincide, forming a lesson of hidden chant. Here, the two "Wei" are both one of the twelve earthly branches. The first refers to the Wei general used for the sixth month, and the second refers to the Wei hour, and neither should be read as a negative word.

勾龍空虎｜巳午未申 玄玄虎虎 兄 戊申 虎｜合辰 酉常 戌戌申申 財 ◎寅 蛇｜朱卯 戌玄 戌戌申庚 鬼 乙巳 勾｜寅丑子亥｜蛇貴后陰

The twelve palaces' heavenly generals:巳 is occupied by Gou Chen,午 by Azure Dragon,未 by Tian Kong,申 by White Tiger,辰 by Liu He,酉 by Tai Chang,卯 by Vermilion Bird,戌 by Black Tortoise,寅 by Teng Snake,丑 by Nobleman,子 by Heavenly Empress,亥 by Tai Yin. The four lessons start from the right:庚 lodges in palace申, with申 on 申; 申 on 申; day branch戌 has戌 on戌;戌 on戌, the upper and lower are the same, which is clearly a hidden chant. The three transmissions are: first transmission申 (brother, occupied by White Tiger), middle transmission寅 (wife's wealth, empty in the ten days, occupied by Teng Snake), final transmission巳 (official ghost, occupied by Gou Chen). The transmission is formed by申 being harmed by寅, and寅 being harmed by巳 in succession. To predict rain or clear weather, one should look at the growth and decline of water and fire, and the movement or stillness of the wind gate: first transmission申 metal is the growth place of water, and White Tiger, which governs wind, is on it; middle transmission寅 and final transmission巳 are both wind gates in the Six Rats system. Teng Snake on寅 and Gou Chen on巳 both indicate entanglement and complications. The metal and water path are strong while fire is restrained, so Wang Mufu concluded that the rain would not stop soon.

王牧夫曰：是年自五月二十日雨起，終日聞簷溜聲，悶甚，占之。余謂日干刑長生，一時難晴，至七月始能晴。豈知至九月初一，始晴不雨。是歲卑下之工，皆為水淹。三伏熱氣，為雨淋盡，竟不知有暑月也。三月間，九頭鳥盤旋鳴號不去。此鳥屬陰，故能預知天時也。余斷即不驗，則復細視之。三傳申為水母，乘虎，水乘旺氣。寅巳為風，乘勾陳纏綿而久。秋金旺，故不晴。至九月晴者巳火受戌墓也。

Wang Mufu said: This year, starting from the twentieth day of the fifth lunar month, it rained continuously, and all day long the sound of water dripping from the eaves could be heard, making people feel suffocated. I cast this divination lesson at that time. I said that the day stem, which was in the lodging palace, had its申 (Shen) being harmed by the three transmissions, and since申 was the place of growth for water, the rain would not stop for a while, and it would only clear up in July. But it turned out that it was delayed until the first day of the ninth lunar month before the rain finally stopped and the sky cleared. During this year, all the low-lying areas' structures and buildings were flooded; the heat of the dog days of summer was completely washed away by the rain, making it seem as if there had been no summer at all. As early as March, there were nine-headed birds circling and calling in the sky, not leaving for a long time; since these birds are of a yin nature, they could sense changes in the weather in advance. Since my prediction did not come true, I carefully reviewed the divination again: the first transmission, which was申 metal, was the mother of water, and it was also accompanied by the White Tiger, indicating that water was strong; the middle transmission,寅, and the final transmission,巳, both belonged to the wind gate, and they were also accompanied by Gou Chen, indicating prolonged entanglement; in addition, in autumn the metal energy was dominant, and the strong metal generated water, so the rain did not stop for a long time. As for why it finally cleared up in the ninth lunar month, it was because the final transmission,巳 fire, fell into the戌 tomb, and the fire energy was collected and stored, so the rain stopped.

愚按：巳火受戌墓，牽強之極。況九月壬申朔，尚未交寒露，豈戌建乎？

Cheng Shuxun remarked: Using "the fire of Si enters the墓 of Xu" to explain the clearing skies in September is extremely forced. Moreover, on the first day of September of that year was Renshen day, and at that time the Cold Dew solar term had not yet arrived, so the month builder had not yet reached Xu, how could one even talk about the Xu墓 collecting fire?

庚辰年九月庚戌日辰將辰時占六甲，丁酉命四十四歲。（牧夫占驗）

In the year Gengchen, during the ninth month, on the day Gengxu, with the month general being Chen and the hour of the day also Chen, a woman born in the year Dingyou, who is forty-four years old this year, was consulted about "Liujia," which refers to pregnancy and childbirth. This case is taken from "Mufu Zhanyan." Since the month general and the hour of the day are the same, it remains a hidden chant lesson where the heavenly and earthly plates coincide. The term "Dingyou birth year" refers to the dry branch of the year the person was born. In Six Rats divination, determining personal fortune and misfortune requires consideration of both the person's birth year and their current age.

勾龍空虎｜巳午未申 玄玄虎虎 兄 戊申 虎｜合辰 酉常 戌戌申申 財 ◎寅 蛇｜朱卯 戌玄 戌戌申庚 鬼 乙巳 勾｜寅丑子亥｜蛇貴后陰

The heavenly generals are arranged as follows:巳 (Si) with Gou Chen,午 (Wu) with Qing Long,未 (Wei) with Tian Kong,申 (Shen) with Bai Hu,辰 (Chen) with Liu He,酉 (You) with Tai Chang,卯 (Mao) with Zhu Que,戌 (Xu) with Xuan Wu,寅 (Yin) with Teng Snake,丑 (Chou) with Guiren,子 (Zi) with Tian Hou,亥 (Hai) with Tai Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is stationed on Shen, with Shen on Shen; Shen on Shen; the day branch on Xu with Xu; Xu on Xu. The four lessons repeat in pairs, indicating a hidden chant. The three transmissions are Shen (brother, riding Bai Hu), Yin (wife's wealth, in the empty period, riding Teng Snake), and Si (official ghost, riding Gou Chen). The transmissions are formed through mutual punishment: Shen punishing Yin and Yin punishing Si. When divining about pregnancy and childbirth, special attention is given to the wife's wealth and the son's fortune. In this case, the middle transmission Yin wood is the wife's wealth for Geng day, but it is both in the empty period and punished by Shen metal, so the wife's wealth is completely destroyed. Chen and Xu form the heavenly net and earth trap, while the year, month, day, and hour, along with the month general, are all trapped between Chen and Xu. The questioner is a woman whose birth day is Dingyou, and You is also the heavenly net for Geng day. There are many ominous signs overlapping, which is the basis for Wang Mufu's conclusion that both mother and child are in danger.

王牧夫曰：此課甚奇，乃是雙胎，然母子俱不能保。何也？年月日時，月將俱是羅網魁罡，何由得出此難？況三傳刑盡妻財，夫占更為不吉。何以知是雙胎？月建重疊，故也。女命丁酉，酉是庚日之網，重重凶徵，故於次年二月。先生一女，腹仍未消，子母俱不能保也。

Wang Mufu said: This divination is very peculiar, it is evident that there are twins, yet neither the mother nor the children can be saved. Why is that? The Tai Su, the Month Builder, the Day Branch, the correct hour, and the Month General all fall into the Chen Xu network and the Qiu Gang location, being caught in such a tight net, how can they escape this difficult situation? Moreover, the three transmissions involve Shen刑Yin and Yin刑Si, which completely injure the wife's wealth represented by Yin wood; since this divination is cast by the husband on behalf of his wife, the injury to the wife's wealth is even more inauspicious. How do we know it is twins? Because the Month Builder and the correct hour are both Chen, overlapping to form a double, thus indicating two. The woman's birth date is Ding You, and You is exactly the heavenly net of the day of Geng, a凶sign piled upon another. Therefore, by the second year's second month, a female infant is born first, but the belly still does not shrink, and ultimately neither the mother nor the children are saved.

甲戌年亥月庚戌日卯將寅時占家宅。（牧夫占驗）

In the year of Jiaxu, the tenth month (Hai month), on the day of Gengxu, the month general is You and the correct time is Yin. The divination is about the safety of the family residence. According to the "Pastureman's Divination Verification," the month general You is placed above the Yin hour. The heaven plate advances one position ahead of the earth plate, differing from the previous lessons which involved hidden chant. In Six Rats divination for family residences, the day stem represents the person residing, and the day branch represents the house. One examines the strength and decline of both the person and the house, as well as their generating and overcoming relationships.

蛇貴后陰｜午未申酉 虎常玄陰 子 辛亥 常｜朱巳 戌玄 子亥戌酉 子 壬子 虎｜合辰 亥常 亥戌酉庚 父 癸丑 空｜卯寅丑子｜勾龍空虎

The earthly branches of the twelve palaces and the heavenly generals they ride are:午 (Wu) rides Teng Snake, 未 (Wei) rides Nobleman, 申 (Shen) rides Heavenly Empress, 酉 (You) rides Tai Yin, 戌 (Xu) rides Black Tortoise, 亥 (Hai) rides Tai Chang, 子 (Zi) rides White Tiger, 丑 (Chou) rides Tian Kong, 寅 (Yin) rides Azure Dragon, 卯 (Mao) rides Gou Chen, 辰 (Chen) rides Liu He, and 巳 (Si) rides Vermilion Bird. Nobleman is located on 未 (Wei), and all the generals start from 未 (Wei) and move in reverse. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is 庚 (Geng), which is in the lodging palace of 申 (Shen), and on 申 (Shen) there is 酉 (You); on 酉 (You) there is 戌 (Xu); the day branch is 戌 (Xu), and on 戌 (Xu) there is 亥 (Hai); on 亥 (Hai) there is 子 (Zi). The heavenly generals riding the heavenly spirits in the four lessons are in sequence Tai Yin, Black Tortoise, Tai Chang, and White Tiger. The three transmissions are from top to bottom: Hai, Zi, and Chou. The first transmission is Hai, which is the hidden day of Xinhai, representing the son of Geng metal, riding Tai Chang; the middle transmission is Zi, which is the hidden day of Renzi, also representing the son, riding White Tiger; the final transmission is Chou, which is the hidden day of Guichou, representing Chou earth nurturing Geng metal as the parent, riding Tian Kong. Among the four lessons, only the third lesson "Hai above sees Xu" is a case where the lower spirit Xu earth inversely controls the upper spirit Hai water, which is called "lower attacking upper." Therefore, Hai is taken as the initiating transmission, forming a review lesson, and the three transmissions Hai, Zi, and Chou follow in sequence. The heavenly spirits on the day stem and day branch are both located in the area of You and Xu, which is a net-like area. The final transmission Chou is also the common tomb and storage of Geng metal and the house, which is exactly the focus of Wang Mufu's judgment on the stagnation of this house.

王牧夫曰：干支皆乘羅網，人宅俱晦。傳見脫氣，不見晝神，全無發旺之氣，越居越寂寞也。況末歸丑土墓人刑宅乎，宜速遷移為要。此課金寒水冷，日就蕭條，不至凶咎，以子孫能制鬼耳。

Wang Mufu said: The heavenly stem and earthly branch of the day both fall within the heaven net and earth trap of Chen and Xu, making both the person and the dwelling obscure and unclear. The two transmissions in the three transmissions,亥 and Zi, are the sons and daughters of Geng metal, which are draining my energy. The divination also lacks the bright and noble generals such as the day's noble, resulting in no signs of growth or prosperity. The longer one stays, the more desolate it becomes. Moreover, the final transmission, Chou earth, is the storage of Geng metal, and Chou also harms Xu. This is exactly the image of people harming the dwelling. Therefore, one should urgently move to a new residence. However, this divination shows cold metal and cold water, indicating the family's fortune is gradually declining, but it does not yet bring about misfortune or calamity. The reason is that the sons and daughters of the three transmissions,亥 and Zi, can control the official ghosts, thus restraining theInauspicious Spirit.

己酉年二月初一庚戌日亥將酉時，汪解元丁卯生四十三歲，占宅墓。（宋本邵案、口鑑）

In the year Jiyou, on the first day of the second lunar month, on the day Gengxu, the month general was Hai and the correct time was You. Wang Jiuyuan, who was born in the year Dingmao and was forty-three years old at that time, consulted about the auspiciousness of his family's residence and burial ground. The case is found in the Song edition of "Shao Yanhe's Divination Cases" and "Liu Ren Kou Jian." "Jiuyuan" refers to the first place winner in the local examination. The month general Hai was placed above the You time, with the heaven plate advancing two positions ahead of the earth plate. Divination of residences and tombs in the Six壬 system is particularly concerned with the form and structure. It is necessary to use the day stem to represent a person and the day branch to represent the residence, and then combine them with the objects represented by the heavenly general to examine the shape and layout of the mountain behind the house and the water path in front.

虎常｜空未申酉戌玄｜龍午 亥陰 蛇后后玄 子 壬子 後｜陳巳 子后 寅子子戌 財 空寅 蛇｜六辰卯寅丑貴 子戌戌庚 父 甲辰 六｜朱蛇

The twelve palaces of the lesson board have their earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: Wei (Earth Dog) rides Tian Kong (Heavenly Void), Shen (Dragon) rides Bai Hu (White Tiger), You (Rooster) rides Tai Chang (Grand Music), Xu (Dog) rides Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise), Hai (Pig) rides Tai Yin (Grand Yin), Zi (Rat) rides Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress), Chou (Ox) rides Gui Ren (Nobleman), Yin (Tiger) rides Teng Snake, Mao (Rabbit) rides Zhu Qu (Vermilion Bird), Chen (Dragon) rides Liu He (Six Harmonies), Si (Snake) rides Gou Chen (Hook Star), Wu (Horse) rides Qing Long (Azure Dragon); Gui Ren (Nobleman) is located in Chou (Ox), and the heavenly generals proceed in order from Chou. The middle eight characters are the four lessons, read from right to left: the day stem is Geng (Metal), which is lodged in Shen (Dragon), and Shen (Dragon) has Xu (Dog); Xu (Dog) has Zi (Rat); the day branch is Xu (Dog), which has Zi (Rat); Zi (Rat) has Yin (Tiger). The heavenly generals riding the heavenly spirits of the four lessons are in order Xuan Wu (Black Tortoise), Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress), Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress), Teng Snake. The three transmissions on the right side, from top to bottom: the first transmission is Zi (Rat), with the ten-thousand-year movement Ren Zi, which is the son of Geng Metal, riding Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress); the middle transmission is Yin (Tiger), marked 'Kong Yin' indicating it falls in the empty period, which is the wife and wealth of Geng Metal, riding Teng Snake; the final transmission is Chen (Dragon), with the ten-thousand-year movement Jiachen, Chen Earth generates Geng Metal as parents, riding Liu He (Six Harmonies). Among the four lessons, only 'Zi (Rat) has Xu (Dog)' shows the lower heavenly spirit Xu Earth counteracting the upper heavenly spirit Zi Water, which is 'lower attacking upper,' so the lesson takes Zi as the initiating transmission, and from Zi gets Yin, and from Yin gets Chen. Xu is a mountain ridge behind the house, Zi is water riding Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress) in front of the house, Yin Wood breaks through and the water flows directly above it—Shao Yanhe's judgment of the house being pressed by the mountain behind and the water in front comes entirely from these characters.

邵彥和曰：宅後逼山，宅前逼水，水雖東流過宅，反直去。若為宅基，主女多男少，子為吏人，孫為軍卒僕從，財退人散。蓋四陽雖臨東南，無關格拘檢，日後主水壞宅。因身役而盡敗也。此宅基乃庚兌山行龍，坎山為主，蓋緣逼迫，遂欲鑿山為之。果是後逼山，前近水，次年建造，不過十年，連產四女。男作縣吏，自後諸孫為屠兒，又為僕從，又有投軍者。此宅因為公人押網，折破敗壞。後卒為水沖基也。

Shao Yanhe said: This piece of land has a mountain pressing against the back of the house and water pressing against the front. Although the water flows across the east side of the house, it is a straight flowing water that does not turn back. If used as a site for a residence, it will lead to a family with more daughters than sons, and the sons can only become local officials, while the grandchildren will become soldiers and servants. Wealth will decline and family members will scatter. Because the four yang energies are present in the southeast direction, but there is no confinement or containment, in the future water will destroy the house, and the whole family will be ruined due to official duties and corvée labor. This site comes from the direction of Geng and Dui, with the mountain in the Kan direction as the main mountain. However, because of the narrow terrain, the owner wanted to dig into the mountain to build. Later, it was confirmed that the house is backed by a mountain and fronted by water; the construction began the next year, but within ten years, four daughters were born. The son became a local official, and later the grandchildren became butchers, servants, or soldiers. The family was ruined by being forced to serve the government, and eventually the site was destroyed by water.

蓋為宅來加申，戌為山崗，是後逼山也。宅上子作天后，是前逼水也。水橫過，寅為直去，東南兩處風路，為騰蛇所撓，故主吏人。又主失陷財物，兼木敗壞在子故也。末傳辰為軍卒僕從，六合加之故也。

Explain the reasoning: The day branch is戌, which represents a house. Now,戌 is placed on the day stem's lodging palace of申 (first lesson shows戌 on申). In terms of physical objects,戌 represents a hill, meaning the hill is right behind the house. On the day branch戌, there is子 water, which is also riding on the Heavenly Empress, and the Heavenly Empress governs water, meaning water is right in front of the house. Since the water flows across, the middle transmission寅 wood also indicates straight flow without turning, so the water flows straight away without returning. The southeast direction has寅 and巳, which are the paths of wind, but they are disturbed by Teng Snake. Teng Snake governs documents, twists and turns, and instability, so the descendants can only be officials of the lower ranks. It also indicates loss of wealth, because the wife's wealth寅 wood is destroyed by子 water (wood is bathed in子), causing the wealth element to be self-destructed. The final transmission辰 rides on Liu He, and辰 represents soldiers and attendants, while Liu He indicates gathering in groups, so it is concluded that among the descendants, there will be soldiers and attendants.

辛巳年五月庚戌日申將午時占胎產。男己卯生六十三歲，女丙戌生五十六歲。（牧夫占驗）

On the day of Geng Xu in the fifth lunar month of the year Xin Si, the month general is Shen and the correct time is Wu. The divination is about pregnancy and childbirth. The man was born in the year Ji Mao and is sixty-three years old, while the woman was born in the year Bing Xu and is fifty-six years old. This case is taken from "The Divination of the Herdsman." The month general Shen is placed on the Wu time, and the heaven plate still advances two positions ahead of the earth plate, the same as the previous lesson's heaven and earth plates. Both are of advanced age, and this is the key point in the following interpretation.

虎常｜空未申酉戌玄｜龍午 亥陰 蛇后后玄 子 壬子 後｜陳巳 子后 寅子子戌 財 空寅 蛇｜六辰卯寅丑貴 子戌戌庚 父 甲辰 六｜朱蛇

The distribution of Heavenly Generals in the twelve palaces is: Wei (戌) rides Tian Kong, Shen (申) rides Bai Hu, You (酉) rides Tai Chang, Xu (戌) rides Xuan Wu, Hai (亥) rides Tai Yin, Zi (子) rides Tian Hou, Chou (丑) rides Gui Ren, Yin (寅) rides Teng Snake, Mao (卯) rides Zhu Que, Chen (辰) rides Liu He, Si (巳) rides Gou Chen, Wu (午) rides Qing Long. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng is lodged in Shen (申), with Wu (戌) on Shen; Zi (子) on Wu; Zi (子) on the day branch Wu; Yin (寅) on Zi; the spirits on the four lessons ride Xuan Wu, Tian Hou, Tian Hou, and Teng Snake respectively. The three transmissions are: initial transmission Yin (寅), which is the son and rides Tian Hou; middle transmission Chen (辰), which is the wife's wealth, falls into the empty period and rides Teng Snake; final transmission Wu (午), which is the parents and rides Liu He. The key to divining pregnancy and childbirth lies in the fetal spirit and the blood spirit: Zi water is the fetal spirit of the day branch Wu, and also the spirit transformed at the correct time of the lesson, but it is broken when it is initiated. The middle transmission Yin rides Teng Snake and also falls into the empty period; the final transmission Chen rides Liu He, which is the spirit of offspring, but is also broken by the day branch. Tian Hou governs blood, Yin wood governs the liver, and the liver is the organ that stores blood, yet it rides Teng Snake, indicating insufficient blood. All three transmissions are broken and fall into the empty period, so Wang Mu Fu concluded it as 'seeming like a fetus but not a true fetus'.

王牧夫曰：占胎當以支位之胎神為類用。六十三歲人，血氣已衰，不當以干之胎神論也。今正時即支之胎神，發用天后沖破。中見蛇，又逢空。末見六合子息之神，又為日破，此似胎而非胎也。午於五月為月厭殺，天后為血，寅木為肝，肝乃藏血之臟，帶蛇，主不足，此主氣旺血不足，似胎而非胎，不能產也。後竟不產面腹自消。又初傳子沖時，中傳寅沖申，末傳辰沖支，其氣散矣。

Wang Mufu said: When divining about pregnancy, one should use the fetal god corresponding to the day branch as the class god. Since the man is already sixty-three years old, his blood and qi are exhausted, and it is not appropriate to use the fetal god corresponding to the day stem. Now, the hour of Wu corresponds to the fetal god of Zi water, which is the day branch's fetal god. But this Zi water is immediately broken when it is initiated. The middle transmission is on Yin, which is occupied by Teng Snake and falls into the empty旬. The final transmission is on Chen, which is occupied by Liu He, the original god of offspring, but it is also broken by the day branch. This indicates the presence of a fetal image but not a real pregnancy. Wu in the fifth month is the killer of the month's aversion, and the Heavenly Empress governs blood in the body. Yin wood governs the liver, which is the organ that stores blood. Now, Yin wood is accompanied by Teng Snake, indicating a deficiency in the blood aspect. Taken together, this shows an excess of qi but a deficiency of blood. It appears as if there is a pregnancy, but in reality, there is none, so there is no need to consider childbirth. Later, it was indeed confirmed that there was no childbirth, and the abdomen naturally disappeared. Moreover, the first transmission Zi conflicts with the hour Wu, the middle transmission Yin conflicts with the day stem's lodging palace Shen, and the final transmission Chen conflicts with the day branch's Wu. The three transmissions are all conflicting and dispersing, indicating that the fetal qi has already completely dispersed. (In the original text, the word 「面」 in 「后竟不产面腹自消」 should be read as 「而」.)

己巳年三月庚戌日戌將申時占友人病。（牧夫占驗）

In the year Jisi, third month, on the day Gengxu, the month general is Xu and the correct time is Shen. I cast a divination for a friend's illness. The case is taken from "The Farmer's Divination Verification." The month general Xu is placed above the Shen hour, and the heaven plate still advances two places ahead of the earth plate, the same as the previous two lessons. For divination on illness, one must distinguish the location and nature of the illness: Six Rats divination determines the location of the illness based on the god governing the day branch, determines the cause of the illness based on the nature of the heavenly general, and determines whether the illness can be cured based on the generation and overcoming relationships among the three transmissions.

虎常｜空未申酉戌玄｜龍午 亥陰 蛇后后玄 子 壬子 後｜陳巳 子后 寅子子戌 財 空寅 蛇｜六辰卯寅丑貴 子戌戌庚 父 甲辰 六｜朱蛇

The Heavenly Generals of the twelve palaces are: Wei (戌) on Tian Kong (天空), Shen (申) on Bai Hu (白虎), You (酉) on Tai Chang (太常), Xu (戌) on Xuan Wu (玄武), Hai (亥) on Tai Yin (太阴), Zi (子) on Tian Hou (天后), Chou (丑) on Gui Ren (贵人), Yin (寅) on Teng Sha (螣蛇), Mao (卯) on Zhu Que (朱雀), Chen (辰) on Liu He (六合), Si (巳) on Gou Chen (勾陈), Wu (午) on Qing Long (青龙). The four lessons are arranged from right to left: Geng (庚) is in Xu (申), with Xu (戌) on top; Xu (戌) has Zi (子) on top; the day branch Xu (戌) has Zi (子) on top; Zi (子) has Yin (寅) on top; the ascending deities are successively Xuan Wu (玄武), Tian Hou (天后), Tian Hou (天后), and Teng Sha (螣蛇). The three transmissions are: initial Yin (子) (son/daughter, riding Tian Hou), middle Yin (寅) (spouse's wealth, empty in the ten days, riding Teng Sha), and final Chen (辰) (parents, riding Liu He). Regarding the illness: the day branch Xu (戌) is placed on the day stem's lodging palace Shen (申), which is "branch added to stem." Xu (戌) corresponds to the foot on the human body, so the illness is in the lower limbs; Xu (戌) is ridden by Xuan Wu (玄武), which signifies obscurity and impropriety, so the illness arises from improper matters; the initiating transmission's Yin (子) water is ridden by Tian Hou (天后), which governs blood, indicating that the wound will eventually rupture and discharge blood; the middle transmission's Yin (寅) is ridden by Teng Sha (螣蛇), which signifies twisted shapes and a protruding wound head; the final transmission's Chen (辰) is ridden by Liu He (六合), which signifies gathering and closing, so the wound will eventually close.

王牧夫曰：此毒瘡生於下部，由不正而起。將來必出頭，血膿行遇，方得全好。其瘡當在左足腿義，與腎相關處。喜是順症可治，不致喪命。所病之處，果然絲毫不差，一一如所占。蓋支加干，戌為足，玄武為不正，用見天后，故必要出頭，見膿血也。庚乃戌之左，子臨戌上，故斷以鬱鬱蔥蔥足腿義，近腎也。子為血汙，寅乘蛇，知其必出頭耳。末辰帶六合尚得收口，寅數七至有七十餘日痛楚也。後果然。

Wang Mufu said: This is a poisonous boil on the lower part of the body, caused by improper actions. In the future, there will certainly be a pus head, and only after the pus and blood are completely drained will it heal. The location of the boil should be at the left leg crease, near the kidney area. Fortunately, this is a favorable condition and can be treated, without endangering life. Later, when checking the actual location, it was exactly as predicted, every detail matching the divination. The reasoning is: the day branch Wu is placed upon the day stem, and Wu corresponds to the foot on the human body; Wu is occupied by the Black Tortoise, which signifies improper matters; the initiating transmission is the water of Zi, which is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, which signifies blood, so it is determined that the boil will definitely come to a head and there will be pus and blood. The lodgment palace of Geng metal is Shen, which is one position to the left of Wu, and Zi water is located on Wu, so it is determined to be on the left leg crease, close to the kidney area. Zi represents dirty blood, and寅 is occupied by Teng Snake, which signifies swelling and protrusion, so it is known that the boil will definitely come to a head. The final transmission Chen carries Liu He, which signifies closure, so the wound will eventually heal. In the Six Rats system,寅 is numbered seven, so it is deduced that the pain will last more than seventy days. Later, it indeed turned out to be so.

七月辛亥日巳將寅時卜伐齊。（吳越春秋）

On the Xinhai day of the seventh month, the month general was Si, and the correct time was Yin. A divination was made concerning an expedition to attack Qi. The case is cited from the "Wuyue Chunqiu," which recounts the old story of King Fuchai of Wu disregarding Wu Zixu's advice and insisting on attacking Qi. The month general Si was placed over Yin time, with the heaven plate advancing three positions ahead of the earth plate. This is the earliest recorded example in "A Collected Selection of Ren Divinations," and it has always been regarded as a classic by the Six Rens.

朱合勾龍｜申酉戌亥 后常陰虎 鬼 乙巳 後｜蛇未 子空 巳寅辰丑 兄 戊申 朱｜貴午 丑虎 寅亥丑辛 子 辛亥 龍｜巳辰卯寅｜後陰玄常

The twelve heavenly generals are stationed on the earth branches as follows: on Shen there is the Vermilion Bird, on You the Liu He, on Xu the Gou Chen, on Hai the Azure Dragon, on Wei the Teng Snake, on Wu the Nobleman, on Zi the Tian Kong, on Chou the White Tiger, on Si the Heavenly Empress, on Chen the Tai Yin, on Mao the Black Tortoise, and on Yin the Tai Chang. The Nobleman is located on Wu, and the twelve heavenly generals proceed in order from Wu. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Xin, which is lodged in Xu, and on Xu there is Chou; on Chou there is Chen; the day branch is Hai, and on Hai there is Yin; on Yin there is Si. The heavenly generals riding on the four lessons are in order the White Tiger, Tai Yin, Tai Chang, and Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Si, with the ten thousand changes of Yisi, where Si fire controls Xin metal as an official ghost, riding the Heavenly Empress; the middle transmission is Shen, with the ten thousand changes of Wushen, which is of the same type as Xin metal as a brother, riding the Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is Hai, with the ten thousand changes of Xinhai, which is the son of Xin metal, riding the Azure Dragon. There is no mutual control among the four lessons, only Si fire remotely controls the day stem Xin metal from outside, so the transmission starts with Si. The following statement by Wu Zis Xu that "Daji" refers to the alternative name of Chou in the Six壬 system, and "Gongcao" refers to the alternative name of Yin: Chou rides the White Tiger and is located on the lodging palace of the day stem Xin on Xu, and Yin rides the Tai Chang and is located on the day branch Hai, which is consistent with this chart.

吳王從勾踐之師伐齊，子胥聞之，諫曰：竊觀金匱第八，其可傷也。吳王曰：何謂也。子胥曰：今年七月辛亥平旦，大王以首事。辛，歲位也，亥，陰前之辰也，合壬子歲，前合也。利以行武，武決勝矣。然德在合，斗擊丑。丑，辛之本也，大吉為白虎而臨辛，功曹為太常而臨亥。大吉得辛為九丑，又與白虎並重，有人若以此首事，前雖小勝後必大敗。天地行殃，禍不久矣。吳王不聽，次年復伐齊，勾踐使范蠡伐庸，率師以絕吳路，遂入。

King Wu wanted to lead the army sent by King Goujian of Yue to attack Qi. Wu Zixu heard about this and advised him, saying: "I privately calculated according to the eighth chapter of the Golden Chest, and this matter is truly regrettable." King Wu asked, "How so?" Wu Zixu replied: "On the morning of the Xinhai day in July, the King will start the campaign at this time. Xinhai is the position of the year, and Hai is the position before the Yin energy, matching the year of Renzi. This is a favorable conjunction in front, which is originally beneficial for military action and can lead to victory. However, the De God is located in the Liu He position, and the handle of the Big Dipper is pointing at Chou. Chou is the original tomb of Xinhai metal. Now, the Daji Chou is riding on the White Tiger and is located in the lodging palace of Xinhai. The Gongcao Yin is riding on the Tai Chang and is located in the day branch Hai. The Daji Chou meeting Xinhai forms the 'Nine Disgrace' ominous pattern, and it overlaps with the White Tiger. Whoever starts an action on such a day will have small victories at first, but will certainly suffer a great defeat later. Heaven and Earth are both bringing down calamities, and disaster will not be far away." King Wu did not listen to the advice. The next year, he again attacked Qi. Goujian sent Fan Li to attack the state of Yong, while personally leading a large army to cut off Wu's retreat route, and then attacked within Wu's territory.

四月辛亥日申將巳時僧占舉請長老望州中文字到否。（方本占案）

On the Xinhai day of the fourth month, the month general was Shen, and the correct time was Si. A monk asked about whether the expected official document from the prefecture could arrive, concerning the recommendation of an abbot for the monastery. The case is taken from the "Fang Ben Zhan An," which is the transmission of Shao Yanhe's divination cases. The month general Shen was placed over the Si hour. The heaven plate advanced three positions ahead of the earth plate, matching the previous lesson's heaven and earth plates. "Waiting for the prefecture's written orders" refers to waiting for the official document from the prefecture.

朱合勾龍｜申酉戌亥 后常陰虎 鬼 乙巳 後｜蛇未 子空 巳寅辰丑 兄 戊申 朱｜貴午 丑虎 寅亥丑辛 子 辛亥 龍｜巳辰卯寅｜後陰玄常

The twelve palaces are occupied by the following heavenly generals: Shen (Hour of the Monkey) rides the Vermilion Bird, You (Hour of the Rooster) rides Liu He, Xu (Hour of the Dog) rides Gou Chen, Hai (Hour of the Pig) rides Qing Long, Wei (Hour of the Goat) rides Teng Snake, Wu (Hour of the Horse) rides the Nobleman, Zi (Hour of the Rat) rides Tian Kong, Chou (Hour of the Ox) rides Bai Hu, Si (Hour of the Snake) rides Tian Hou, Chen (Hour of the Dragon) rides Tai Yin, Mao (Hour of the Rabbit) rides Xuan Wu, and Yin (Hour of the Tiger) rides Tai Chang. The four lessons, from right to left: Xin is in Xu, with Chou on Xu; Chou has Chen on it; the day branch Hai has Yin on it; Yin has Si on it. The heavenly generals riding the upper gods in order are Bai Hu, Tai Yin, Tai Chang, and Tian Hou. The three transmissions are: initial transmission Si (Official Ghost, riding Tian Hou), middle transmission Shen (Brother, riding Vermilion Bird), and final transmission Hai (Son, riding Qing Long). For divination regarding whether a document will arrive, the emphasis is on the Post-horse and the Month Builder. Si is the Post-horse of Hai day and also the Month Builder of the fourth month. The Month Builder signifies documents issued by the state. Si is also riding Tian Hou, who is a god of grace, and it is also the correct time of the lesson, so the document arrived at that time. As for the calamity to the elder, look at Bai Hu on Chou. Chou is the storage of Xin metal, and Bai Hu riding the storage and adding upon the day stem's lodging palace Xu indicates a harmful effect to the body.

邵彥和曰：定得文字，目下便至。蓋初傳日馬乘後，為恩澤神。又月建主州府文字。巳時為用，故不出時見之也。只是長老得了，自卻有災，宜保重。乃虎乘墓加身也。果當日文字至，長老交割了，卻謝州府，中路門轅拱柱顛下，手廢而成疾矣。

Shao Yanhe said: One will certainly be able to obtain this paper document, and it will be delivered right now. Because the first transmission is in the hour of Si, which is the Post-horse of the day of Hai, and it is riding upon the Heavenly Empress, a deity of grace. The hour of Si is also the Month Builder of the fourth month, and the Month Builder oversees official documents issued by the state and prefecture. Moreover, the hour of Si is exactly the time when the divination was cast, so one will see it before this hour. However, although the elder has received an appointment, he himself has misfortune, and should take care. This is because the White Tiger is riding upon theStorage of Xin metal, which is the storage of Chou, and it is added upon the day stem. Later, indeed, the official document arrived that day. The elder completed the transfer and went to the state and prefecture to express his thanks, but on the way, he fell from the arch of the gate, broke his hand, and thus developed a chronic illness.

順治甲申十月辛亥日丁亥時，公明長兄占黃虎山功名。（指南）

In the year Jiashen of the Shunzhi era (the 17th year of the Ming Chongzhen reign), on the Xinhai day of the tenth lunar month, at the Dinghai hour, Gongming Changxiong divined for Huang Hushan about his official career. The case is recorded in "The Six壬 Guide." "Huang Hushan" refers to Huang Degong, a Ming general, with Hushan being his courtesy name; at this time, the Ming dynasty was about to fall and the Qing dynasty was rising. The prediction given below concerns his fate as the commander of the Four Garrisons in the Jiangbei region during the Southern Ming Hongguang regime, and his eventual defeat and suicide the following year. The original text only records the hour and not the month general; from the four lessons, it can be calculated that the Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate.

勾六｜青酉戌亥子朱 虎后常貴 父 丁未 虎｜空申 丑蛇 未卯午寅 子 辛亥 六｜虎未 寅貴 卯亥寅辛 財 乙卯 後｜常午巳辰卯後｜玄陰

The twelve palaces of the divination chart are marked with earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them: on You is the Azure Dragon, on Xu is Gou Chen, on Hai is Liu He, on Zi is Vermilion Bird, on Shen is Tian Kong, on Chou is Teng Snake, on Wei is Bai Hu, on Yin is Nobleman, on Wu is Tai Chang, on Si is Black Tortoise, on Chen is Tai Yin, and on Mao is Heavenly Empress. The Nobleman is in Yin, and all the generals start from Yin and move counterclockwise. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Xin, which is lodged in Xu, and on Xu is寅; on寅 is午; the day branch is Hai, and on Hai is卯; on卯 is未. The celestial generals riding the four lessons are in order Nobleman, Tai Chang, Heavenly Empress, and Bai Hu. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is未, with the hidden stem of Dingwei, where未 earth generates Xin metal, representing parents, riding Bai Hu; the middle transmission is亥, with the hidden stem of Xinhai, which is the son of Xin metal, riding Liu He; the final transmission is卯, which is the wife wealth of Xin metal, riding Heavenly Empress (the original text writes the hidden stem as 'Yimao', but the following interpretation clearly states 'the branch卯 is empty', indicating that in this divination the卯 is actually empty, suggesting an error in the hidden stem). In the four lessons, the fourth lesson has卯 with未, where the upper god未 earth reversely controls the lower god卯 wood, which is an instance of upper controlling lower. Therefore, the transmission starts with未, forming the initial lesson. The three characters未,亥,卯 form a wood pattern, which is exactly the wood pattern mentioned in the interpretation as 'destroying the wood pattern'.

陳公獻曰：據此課，藩臺不得善後矣。蓋課中干乘絕氣，支見死神，兩貴空亡，祿神受制，功名安得久長。且官得空矣，誰與居位？營壘空矣，（支上卯空）誰與禦侮？財星空矣，誰與生官？況太陽西墜，桑榆之返照無多。冬木逢空，腐朽之折傷必應；歲在大梁，餘言必驗。何故也？明歲行年酉為自刑，破壞木局，次年五月御敵自刎。

Chen Gongxian said: According to this divination, the governor general will not have a good ending. Because the day stem is in the lodging palace of absolute depletion, and the day branch meets the death deity. Both noblemen are in the empty旬, the禄 deity is restrained, how can his official rank be maintained for long? Moreover, since the official star is in the empty旬, who will occupy this position? The military camp is also empty (the卯 in the day branch is in the empty旬), who will resist foreign aggression? The wealth star is also empty, who will nourish the official star? Moreover, the sun has already set, and there is little remaining light in his later years. In winter, the wood meets the empty旬, and the collapse and breaking of the wood will surely come to pass. When the year god reaches the next position of the big beam (酉), my words will surely come true. Why? Because next year his personal year will reach酉, which is self-punishment, and it also breaks the wood trinity of 未,亥, and卯. In the second month of the following year, he will commit suicide while defending against enemies.

乙酉五月初十福王出奔，授黃得功。劉良佐追至，伏弩射中得功喉得功，嘆曰：我無能為矣。歸營拔劍自刎。

In the year of Yiyou, on the tenth day of the fifth lunar month, the Hongguang Emperor, Duke Fu Wang, fled and entrusted his military command to Huang Degong. Liu Liangzuo, who had surrendered to the Qing, led his troops to pursue and ambushed Huang Degong, shooting an arrow that struck his throat. Huang Degong sighed deeply, saying, "I can no longer do anything." He returned to his camp and committed suicide by drawing his sword. (In the original text, the phrase "shooting Huang Degong's throat, Huang Degong" repeats "Huang Degong," which is likely an error in the printed edition.)

辛亥日　將　時占婚姻。壬歸。（愚按：此課不載月將、正時，未知壬歸所引何書。）

On the Xinhai day, for a certain month general and a certain hour, the divination concerns marriage. The case is taken from "The Return to Ren." The original text leaves blank spaces between "day" and "month general," and between "month general" and "hour," with both the month general and the correct hour missing. Here we reproduce the original text as it is, without filling in the missing parts. Cheng Shuxun's own note says: this lesson does not record the month general and the correct hour, and it is also unknown from which book the "Return to Ren" is quoted. According to the four lessons, the Heaven Plate in this chart advances eight positions ahead of the Earth Plate.

龍勾合朱｜丑寅卯辰 合後勾貴 父 丁未 後｜空子 巳蛇 卯未寅午 財 ◎卯 合｜虎亥 午貴 未亥午辛 子 辛亥 虎｜戌酉申未｜常玄陰后

The twelve earthly branches of the lesson disk and the heavenly generals they carry: Chou (Ox) is carried by Qinglong (Azure Dragon), Yin (Tiger) by Gou Chen (Hook Star), Mao (Rabbit) by Liu He (Six Harmonies), Chen (Dragon) by Zhuque (Vermilion Bird), Zi (Rat) by Tiankong (Heavenly Void), Si (Snake) by Tengshe (Coiling Snake), Hai (Pig) by Baihu (White Tiger), Wu (Horse) by Guiren (Nobleman), Xu (Dog) by Taichang (Imperial Constellation), You (Rooster) by Xuanwu (Black Tortoise), Shen (Monkey) by Taiyin (Tai Yin), and Wei (Sheep) by Tianhou (Heavenly Empress). Guiren (Nobleman) is located on Wu (Horse), and the twelve heavenly generals start from Wu (Horse) and move in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Xin (Metal), which is assigned to Xu (Dog), and Xu (Dog) carries Wu (Horse); Wu (Horse) carries Yin (Tiger); the day branch is Hai (Pig), which carries Wei (Sheep); Wei (Sheep) carries Mao (Rabbit). The heavenly generals carried by the deities in the four lessons are in order: Guiren (Nobleman), Gou Chen (Hook Star), Tianhou (Heavenly Empress), and Liu He (Six Harmonies). The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Wei (Sheep), with the hidden transmission of Dingwei (Ding Wood), where Wei (Sheep) earth generates Xin (Metal) as parents, carried by Tianhou (Heavenly Empress); the middle transmission is Mao (Rabbit), marked with 「◎」 indicating it falls in the empty period, representing the wife and wealth of Xin (Metal), carried by Liu He (Six Harmonies); the final transmission is Hai (Pig), with the hidden transmission of Xinhai (Xin Water), representing the son and grandson of Xin (Metal), carried by Baihu (White Tiger). The three characters Wei (Sheep), Mao (Rabbit), and Hai (Pig) form a wood trinity, and Tianhou (Heavenly Empress) initiates the transmission from Wei (Sheep), which is the basis for the statement 「three yin are self-reliant and strongly dominant in the maternal family」. Here, 「Wei」 refers to the earthly branch, which is both the deity of the first transmission and numerically corresponds to eight, as mentioned later as 「Wei number eight」.

斷曰：姻事必成，但嫌不旺夫家，偏旺母家，八年之後，妻必改嫁，非吉象也。

The interpretation says: This marriage will certainly succeed, but it is somewhat unfavorable for the husband's family, instead benefiting the wife's family. After eight years, the wife will certainly remarry, which is not a favorable omen.

蓋干支之上，午未作合，故主必成。凡天后發用，而三傳自合成局者，謂三陰自旺，得天后臨支，支繫母家，故主偏旺母家。後之所乘，明生暗鬼，而三傳木局，又生起干上之鬼以克干，故不旺夫家。未數八，八年之後，丁動而中空橋斷，卯即辛之妻星，其象若此，尚可成乎？婚姻之占，關係甚大，其可忽乎？

The reasoning is as follows: the heavenly stem on the day is Xin, and the earthly branch on the day is Wei. The stem Wei is compatible with the branch Wei, so the marriage is certain to succeed. Whenever the Heavenly Empress is the initiating transmission, and the three transmissions naturally form a complete set, it is called "three yin self-boosting." In this case, the Heavenly Empress is directly on the day branch Wei, which represents the bride's family, so it indicates the bride's family is strong. The earthly branch Wei, which the Heavenly Empress rides upon, appears to be the parents of the day stem Xin metal, but in reality, it contains ghostly energy. Moreover, the three transmissions, Wei, Hai, and Mao, form a wood trinity, which generates the fire official ghost on the day stem's heavenly stem, the stem Wei, to attack the Xin metal. Therefore, the groom's family is not strong. In the Six Rats system, the earthly branch Wei is counted as eight, meaning that after eight years, the hidden Ding fire in Wei will be activated, but the middle transmission Mao falls into the empty position, like a bridge broken in the middle, with both ends disconnected. The Mao branch is the wife star of Xin metal, which is both empty and broken. The divination shows such a pattern, so can this marriage be long-lasting? Divination regarding marriage concerns a person's entire life, so how can it be taken lightly?