On Xinhai day, Wang Yangwu of Jingling requested a divination (指南).

乙丑年十月辛亥日午時，金陵王養吾索占。（指南）

On the Xinhai day of the tenth month in the Yichou year, at the hour of Wu, Wang Yangwu from Nanjing came to seek divination. The case is taken from the "Six Rats Guide." The original text only records the main hour but does not mention the Month General. By calculating the Four Lessons, it is found that the Heaven Plate advances nine positions ahead of the Earth Plate. The person seeking divination did not specify what he was asking about. Chen Gongxian first deduced from the lesson patterns that he was inquiring about his wife's illness. This is also a method of the Six Rats called "divining the present from the other," which is a way of verification.

六朱｜勾寅卯辰巳蛇 蛇陰朱后 鬼 乙巳 蛇｜龍丑 午貴 巳申辰未 財 甲寅 勾｜空子 未后 申亥未辛 子 辛亥 白｜虎亥戌酉申陰｜常玄

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk are marked by the Earthly Branches and the Heavenly Generals riding them: Yin on Gou Chen, Mao on Liu He, Chen on Vermilion Bird, Si on Teng Snake, Chou on Azure Dragon, Wu on Nobleman, Zi on Tian Kong, Wei on Heavenly Empress, Hai on White Tiger, Xu on Tai Chang, You on Black Tortoise, and Shen on Tai Yin. The Nobleman is located on Wu, and the generals proceed in reverse order from Wu. The four lessons are read from right to left: the Day Stem is Xin, which is lodged in Xu, and Xu has Wei; Wei has Chen; the Day Branch is Hai, which has Shen; Shen has Si. The Heavenly Generals riding the four lessons in order are Teng Snake, Tai Yin, Vermilion Bird, and Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Si, with the hidden stem Yisi, where Si fire overcomes Xin metal as an official ghost, riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Yin, which is the wife wealth of Xin metal, riding Gou Chen (the hidden stem under the third transmission is written as Jiayin, but the interpretation clearly states that the wealth爻 is empty, indicating that this lesson actually takes Yin as the empty stem); the final transmission is Hai, with the hidden stem Xinhai, which is the son of Xin metal, riding White Tiger—'White' is the abbreviation for White Tiger. Among the four lessons, the fourth lesson 'Shen has Si' shows Si fire overcoming Shen metal, which is an upper overcoming lower, so Si initiates the lesson as the first transmission. Si fire is a ghost and rides Teng Snake, which signifies fear and blockage, thus causing a narrow chest; the son Hai water, although able to overcome the ghost, is located in the final transmission, so its effect is only temporary.

陳公獻曰：公為陰人占病。主胸膈不寬，飲食少進。曰：果婦病，若何？傳得病玄胎，又四課德鬼發用，巳作閉口，食神乘空，依知病在胸膈，不能飲食。且祿臨絕地，何以養生？目今子支制鬼無妨，恐來年初夏太歲生鬼可慮；況夫占妻豈宜財空，主半路斷絃續娶也。辛日亦不宜占病，因辛作亡神故也。

Chen Gongxian said: You are divining for a female relative in the family. The main issue is discomfort in the chest area and loss of appetite. The person replied: Indeed, it is an internal illness. What will be the outcome? Chen Gongxian said: The three transmissions show the image of 'disease, dark, and embryo'. In the four lessons, the巳 fire is both a virtue and a ghost, and it is the initiating transmission. In six rhymes,巳 represents closed mouth and obstruction. The food god and descendants are in the empty旬, indicating the illness is in the chest area and the person cannot eat. Moreover, the day stem's禄神 is in the绝 position, so what can sustain life? At present, the day branch's descendants can control the official ghost, so it is temporarily okay. But beware, by next spring and summer, the year's master will come and support the official ghost, which is worrying. Moreover, when a husband divines for his wife, the most忌 is the wealth爻 falling into the empty, which indicates the wife will die midway and the husband will remarry later. Also, the day is 辛, which is not suitable for divining illness, because 辛 is in the position ofWangshen in the divine and ominous terms.

建炎己酉年九月辛亥日卯將巳時，趙主簿丙子生三十四歲，占赴任及前程。（方本占案）

In the ninth month of the Jiyou year of the Southern Song dynasty's Jianyan era, on the Xinhai day, the month general was You and the correct time was Si. Zhao ZhuBu, born in the Bingzi year and thirty-four years old at that time, asked whether he could take office and about his future prospects. This case is recorded in the "Fangben Zhan'an". The month general You was placed above the Si time, with the heaven plate lagging two positions behind the earth plate. "ZhuBu" was an official in the prefecture or county responsible for managing documents and records; the "Yue庙" mentioned later refers to the position of palace observatory and temple official, a nominal appointment given to officials in idleness during the Song dynasty, with salary but no actual duties.

朱蛇｜六卯辰巳午貴｜陳寅 未后 后玄貴陰 鬼 丙午 貴｜龍丑 申陰 未酉午申 父 甲辰 朱｜空子亥戌酉玄 酉亥申辛 財 空寅 陳｜虎常

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them:卯 is occupied by Liu He, 辰 by Vermilion Bird, 巳 by Teng Snake, 午 by Nobleman, 寅 by Gou Chen, 未 by Heavenly Empress, 丑 by Azure Dragon, 申 by Tai Yin, 子 by Tian Kong, 亥 by White Tiger, 戌 by Tai Chang, and 酉 by Black Tortoise. The Nobleman is located on 午, and all the generals start from 午 and move in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is 辛, which is lodged in 戌, so 戌 has 申; 申 has 午; the day branch is 亥, which has 酉; 酉 has 未. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in order are Tai Yin, Nobleman, Black Tortoise, and Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is 午, with the ten-thousand-year movement of Bing Wu, where 午 fire overcomes 辛 metal, representing official ghost, riding Nobleman; the middle transmission is 辰, with the ten-thousand-year movement of Jiachen, where 辰 earth generates 辛 metal, representing parents, riding Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is 寅, marked as "empty 寅" indicating it falls in the empty period, representing wife wealth of 辛 metal, riding Gou Chen. The second lesson "申 has 午" is where the upper god 午 fire overcomes the lower god 申 metal, which is an upper overcoming lower, taking 午 as the initiating transmission to form the original head lesson. The first transmission is 午, riding the daytime Nobleman, while the final transmission shifts to the night Nobleman's domain. Between day and night, this is the key point Shao Yanhe used to judge "self-governance ends in failure to govern."

邵彥和曰：主簿美差不能赴，自是岳廟，兩次二任岳廟，後雖授美差，不得赴而丁憂，服滿更授差遣，下稍喪妻，以妾為主，貪酒中風而死。庚戌年當赴任，因新任運使是姑丈，遂迴避就岳廟，二任既滿，受烏江丞，丁父母憂，服滿授壽昌令，諸賓作賀，醉後不幸中風而死。

Shao Yanhe said: The position of chief clerk was a good post, but he could not take it up, and had to be appointed as a nominal official at the Yue Temple instead; moreover, he would have to serve two consecutive terms as a temple official. Later, although he was given a good post, he could not take office because he had to observe mourning for his parents; after the mourning period was over, he was assigned another post, but in his later years he lost his wife, and his concubine took charge of household affairs, and he finally died from drinking too much and suffering a stroke. Indeed, in the year Gengxu he was supposed to take office, but since the newly appointed transport commissioner was his maternal uncle, by regulation he had to avoid the post, so he was appointed to the idle post at the Yue Temple instead; after completing two terms, he was assigned the post of county magistrate of Wujiang County, but again encountered the mourning period for his parents; after the mourning period ended, he was assigned the post of county magistrate of Shouchang County, and guests came to congratulate him, but he drank too much and died of a stroke.

蓋初傳日貴，傳歸夜貴，自治事終反不治事。日上申作太陰，申為神佛，太陰管陰私，寅為廟，艮為山嶽，自日歸夜，自然監廟，又是顧祖，何能赴任？自宅上一帶引去，直至東南而止潭州岳廟，正在東南上也。一味投絕，又自日傳夜，所以如此。

The reasoning is as follows: the first transmission is on the horse (午), which is the daytime official, but by the time it reaches the final transmission, it has moved to the position governed by the night official. From day to night, the one who was originally in charge is no longer in charge. The god on the day stem is the monkey (申), which represents deities and monks, and the monkey is also associated with the Tai Yin, which governs private and hidden matters. The final transmission is on the tiger (寅), which represents temples, and the tiger's direction, the mountain (艮), also represents mountains. The transition from the daytime official to the night official naturally leads to a position of guarding temples, which is a minor duty. Moreover, the three transmissions move inward from the outside, indicating a return to the ancestral home, so he cannot take office. The energy of the day branch leads from the house to the southeast and stops there — the temple he later supervised was exactly in the southeast direction. The three transmissions all lead to a dead end, and the transition from day to night results in this outcome.

十二月辛亥日子時丑將占失雞。（方本占案、張本占案）

On the Xinhai day of the twelfth month, at the Zi hour with Chou as the general, the question was asked about a lost chicken. The case is found in two transmitted versions, the Fang Ben Zhan An and the Zhang Ben Zhan An. According to the four lessons, in this chart the Heaven Plate is one position behind the Earth Plate. If taken literally as 'Chou general added to Zi hour,' the Heaven Plate should move forward one position, which would not match the four lessons. Therefore, the original text may have a reversed order of the hour and general. Here, we only follow the actual relationship shown in the lesson plate, without altering the original text.

六陳｜朱辰巳午未龍｜蛇卯 申空 虎常空虎 父 庚戌 常｜貴寅 酉虎 酉戌申酉 兄 己酉 虎｜後丑子亥戌常 戌亥酉辛 兄 戊申 空｜陰玄

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them: Chen with Vermilion Bird, Si with Liu He, Wu with Gou Chen, Wei with Azure Dragon, Mao with Teng Snake, Shen with Tian Kong, Yin with Nobleman, You with White Tiger, Chou with Heavenly Empress, Zi with Tai Yin, Hai with Black Tortoise, and Xu with Tai Chang; the Nobleman is in Yin, and all the generals proceed in order from Yin. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Xin, which is lodged in Xu, so Xu has You; You has Shen; the day branch is Hai, which has Xu; Xu has You. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in order are White Tiger, Tian Kong, Tai Chang, and White Tiger. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Xu, with the ten thousand years movement of Geng Xu, Xu earth generates Xin metal as parents, riding Tai Chang; the middle transmission is You, with the ten thousand years movement of Ji You, which is of the same type as Xin metal as brothers, riding White Tiger; the final transmission is Shen, with the ten thousand years movement of Wu Shen, which is also brothers, riding Tian Kong. The third lesson "Hai has Xu" is where the upper god Xu earth overcomes the lower god Hai water, which is an upper overcoming lower, so Xu is taken as the initiating transmission to form the original lesson. The three transmissions, Xu, You, and Shen, each follow the previous one in a backward sequence. In divination for lost objects, emphasis is placed on the class gods: You is the class god of the chicken, and now You is riding White Tiger, which governs killing; Shen is the native house of White Tiger and is placed above You; the final transmission Shen is riding Tian Kong, which governs empty vessels. This entire sequence is the complete evidence that Shao Yanhe used to conclude that the chicken has been slaughtered and is temporarily held under a broken pot.

邵彥和曰：雞尋不見矣。被犬沖入鄰家，一奴便捉去，殺而食之矣。蓋戌為用，奴偷也。鄰近人家者，酉為刃作虎，申亦是虎加酉，酉與戌鄰故也。酉為雞，雖類神入傳，加日主自歸，奈何加戌，陽刃殺上作虎，如何得活。蓋申為白虎之本家，臨於酉上亦為宰割，乘天空，為瓦器，此時覆在瓦盆之下，尚未烹飪耳。

Shao Yanhe said: This chicken cannot be recovered. It was chased by a dog and ran into a neighboring house, where a servant caught it and killed it for food. The reasoning is: the first transmission is戌, which in terms of objects represents a servant, indicating that the servant stole it. The judgment is made on the neighboring house because酉 is the yang刃 of a辛 day and is riding the White Tiger, while申 is the native branch of the White Tiger and is pressing on酉. Since酉 and戌 are adjacent, this indicates the neighboring house.酉 is the class god of the chicken. Although the class god is in the three transmissions and is placed above the day stem as if it would return on its own, it is pressed by戌, and the killing power of the yang刃 is carrying the White Tiger, so how can it survive? Moreover,申 is the native branch of the White Tiger and is on酉, which is an image of being cut off;申 also rides the Tian Kong, which governs earthenware and pots. Therefore, the chicken is still under a pot and has not yet been cooked.

六月辛亥日午將酉時射覆。（苗公達斷經）

On the Xinhai day of the sixth month, the month general is Wu and the correct time is You. A divination is made for the game of "Shè Fù" (covering objects). This is recorded in "Miao Gongda's Divination Classic." "Shè Fù" refers to covering an object under a vessel and allowing the diviner to identify the hidden object based on the divination signs, which is a type of Six Rén divination. The month general Wu is placed over the You hour. The heaven plate advances smoothly nine positions ahead of the earth plate, matching the heaven and earth plates of Wang Yangwu's previous case.

勾合朱蛇｜寅卯辰巳 蛇陰朱后 鬼 乙巳 蛇｜龍丑 午貴 巳申辰未 財 ◎寅 勾｜空子 未后 申亥未辛 子 辛亥 虎｜亥戌酉申｜虎常玄陰

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the heavenly generals riding them: Yin on Gou Chen, Mao on Liu He, Chen on Vermilion Bird, Si on Teng Snake, Chou on Azure Dragon, Wu on Nobleman, Zi on Tian Kong, Wei on Heavenly Empress, Hai on White Tiger, Xu on Tai Chang, You on Black Tortoise, Shen on Tai Yin; Nobleman is located on Wu, and the generals start from Wu and move counterclockwise. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Xin, which is lodged in Xu, and Xu has Wei; Wei has Chen; the day branch is Hai, which has Shen; Shen has Si. The heavenly generals riding the four lessons in order are Teng Snake, Tai Yin, Vermilion Bird, Heavenly Empress. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Si, with the ten-thousand-year movement Yisi, which is an official ghost, riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Yin, marked with 「◎」indicating it is in the empty ten-thousand-year, which is wife's wealth, riding Gou Chen; the final transmission is Hai, with the ten-thousand-year movement Xinhai, which is son's offspring, riding White Tiger. To determine the covered object, focus on the initiating transmission: Si is riding Teng Snake, which represents creatures like snakes and flying things; Si also corresponds to the month's aversion and life qi of June, indicating living things; Si's nayin belongs to water, and water's number is one, so it is concluded to be a small flying insect. This is the 'water number one' that the master and apprentice debated in the following dialogue.

苗公達之師斷曰：必有一個小飛蟲活物，須至壬癸日，被小兒將銅鐵物或刀杖物作害而死。蓋發用是癸巳納音屬水，水主一數，又帶死數，故主小物之象。發用見月厭生氣，更有蛇加巳，故主飛蟲活物。公達問曰：陰神是寅，何為水數一？師曰：此法數與諸經不同，勿輕傳於世也。此法更知數目多少，無不驗也。公達曰：弟子堅心二十餘年，未嘗聞此數，求師父教之。師曰：此法授於汝，切宜秘之。只如此，謂射物在發用，是太乙。以五子元遁之。即見納音甚數也，故遁得癸巳，水數一也。甲乙日用干遁，庚午之數八五也。其間更看四時休旺，加減乘除相因，請秘言之。

Master Miao Gongda's teacher interpreted the divination saying: There must be a small flying insect or similar creature inside, and it will be killed by a child using a metal or iron object or a knife or stick on a壬 day or癸 day. The reason is that the initiating transmission (发用) of the five elements and the five sons' hidden transmission (五子元遁) leads toGuisi, and theNayin sound element ofGuisi belongs to water. Water in numerical terms represents one, and it also carries the number of death qi (死气), so it shows the image of a small creature. The initiating transmission also coincides with the month's aversion (月厌) and the life qi (生气) of June, and the Teng Snake (螣蛇) is exactly on巳, so it is concluded to be a flying living insect. Miao Gongda asked: The hidden spirit (阴神) of巳 is寅, so why is water's number one chosen instead? His teacher replied: This method of calculation differs from the methods of various schools, and it cannot be easily passed on to outsiders. Using this method, one can also predict the number of the hidden object, and there is no case that fails. Miao Gongda said: I have devoted myself to studying for more than twenty years, but I have never heard of this method of calculation. Please teach me, Master. The teacher said: I will pass this method to you, but you must keep it secret. The key point is: When guessing what is hidden in a covered object, look at the initiating transmission (发用), for the initiating transmission is where Taiyi (太乙) is located. Then use the 'five sons' hidden transmission (五子元遁)' to find it out, and you will see what theNayin sound element belongs to and how many there are. In this case, the hidden transmission leads toGuisi, and theNayin sound element ofGuisi belongs to water, so the number of water is one. If it is on a甲 day or乙 day, then start from the day stem (日干) for the hidden transmission, and it leads toGengwu, whose number is eight and five. In between, one must also refer to the prosperity and strength (旺相) and weakness and confinement (休囚) of the four seasons, and perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, with each affecting the others. Please keep these secrets strictly confidential.

余謂壬癸日，被小兒將銅鐵物或刀杖作害死者，為壬癸所克，騰蛇勝光月厭生氣。小兒者，末傳亥加寅。白虎銅鐵刀杖者，為支上見申，又辛日占言也。作害者，巳申相傷。死者，末傳白虎帶死氣。後果應其課也。

Cheng Shuxun said: The divination on the day of Ren or Gui indicates that a child was killed by a child using copper or iron weapons or a knife and stick, because the initiating transmission of Guisi belongs to the position of fire and earth, which is overcome by the water of Ren and Gui. The Teng Snake is riding on Shengguang (Wu), and also meets the month aversion and life qi, which clearly indicates insects. The term 'child' is derived from the final transmission of Hai placed on Yin, where Yin and Hai combine, and Hai is the god of the young. The term 'copper and iron knife and stick' is because Baihu governs metal weapons, and there is also the metal of Shen on the day branch, and this divination itself is on the day of Xin metal. The term 'harm' is because Si and Shen mutually harm each other. The term 'death' is because the final transmission of Hai is occupied by Baihu and carries death qi. Later, it indeed verified this divination.

建炎戊申年十月初一壬子日卯將丑時，邵木匠乙丑年六月六日未時生四十四歲，占終身。（方本占案、口鑑）

In the year Wushen of the Southern Song dynasty, on the first day of the tenth lunar month, on the Renzi day, the month general was You and the correct time was Chou. A man named Shao, a carpenter, was born on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month in the year Yichou, at the hour Wei, and was forty-four years old at the time of the divination. He asked about his entire life's fate. The case is recorded in "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Liu Ren Kou Jian." His birth hour "Wei" is one of the twelve hours, corresponding to 1 to 3 pm. The month general You was placed on top of the Chou hour. The heaven plate advanced two positions ahead of the earth plate. "Zhan Zhen Shen" refers to asking about one's entire life regarding wealth, poverty, longevity, death, and children. In Liu Ren divination, the three transmissions are most important, focusing on their generation and overcoming, as well as the positions of growth, burial, and decline.

龍空｜陳未申酉戌虎｜六午 亥常 蛇后貴陰 鬼 甲辰 蛇｜朱巳 子玄 辰寅卯丑 財 丙午 六｜蛇辰卯寅丑陰 寅子丑壬 父 戊申 龍｜貴後

The twelve palaces of the lesson board have their earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: Wei with Gou Chen, Shen with Qing Long, You with Tian Kong, Xu with Bai Hu, Wu with Liu He, Hai with Tai Chang, Si with Zhu Que, Zi with Xuan Wu, Chen with Teng Snake, Mao with Gu Ren, Yin with Tian Hou, and Chou with Tai Yin; Gu Ren is located in Mao, and all the generals start from Mao and move in reverse. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem Ren is lodged in Hai, and Hai has Chou; Chou has Mao; the day branch Zi has Yin; Yin has Chen. The heavenly generals riding the four lessons in order are Tai Yin, Gu Ren, Tian Hou, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Chen, with the ten thousand changing Jiachen, where Chen earth overcomes Ren water as official ghost, riding Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Wu, with the ten thousand changing Bingwu, which is the wife wealth of Ren water, riding Liu He; the final transmission is Shen, with the ten thousand changing Wushen, where Shen metal generates Ren water as parents, riding Qing Long. Among the four lessons, only the fourth lesson "Yin has Chen" is a lower god Yin wood overcoming the upper god Chen earth, which is called "lower thief upper," so the transmission starts with Chen and proceeds to the second position to get Wu, then Wu proceeds to the second position to get Shen. Chen, Wu, and Shen advance by two positions each, and they are called "ascending three heavens" in the Six Rens, which represents the image of ascending from a low place to a high place step by step; the final transmission Shen is the long life of Ren water, and the middle transmission Wu is wealth, so it is concluded that he has wealth and longevity.

邵彥和曰：登三天本是至高至危之象，今細微中出入人，卻能顯煥又富貴也。蓋身宅皆居西北極地，迤邐出東南來，將來必做富人。中傳見財，末長生，有財有壽，長生入財位，子先死，孫送終矣。長生能害子孫故也。邵仁占課時，四十四歲正窘，與人工作，後七年與城山寺造殿，從此興旺。六十左右，家典錢，連喪三子。丙寅又喪一子，辛未癸酉又喪二子，是時七十九，充保正。甲午年九十七歲卒，七孫送葬。

Shao Yanhe said: The pattern of "ascending to the three heavens" originally indicates a very high position, which also implies extreme danger. However, this person was born into a humble background, surviving by making small efforts and adjustments, yet eventually achieved success and became wealthy. This is because his day stem and day branch are located in the extreme yin area of the northwest, and the qi of the lesson gradually flows towards the prosperous direction of the southeast. In the future, he will certainly become rich. The middle transmission indicates wife and wealth, and the final transmission indicates growth, meaning he has both wealth and longevity. However, the growth is located in the wealth position, so his son will die before him, and ultimately his grandson will be the one to mourn him, because the growth supports himself on one side and harms his descendants on the other. When Shao Ren cast this lesson, he was forty-four years old, in a state of hardship, working for others. Seven years later, he built a large hall for Chengshan Temple, and from then on, his family prospered. Around the age of sixty, his family was already able to lend money and collect debts, but he lost three sons in succession. In the year Bingyin, another son died, and in the years Xinwei and Guiyou, two more sons died. At the age of seventy-nine, he served as the head of the village. He died at the age of ninety-seven in the year Jiawu, and was buried by seven grandsons.

蓋壬子皆西北方，至幽至陰之地，轉出東南旺方，宅上有寅，寅為子息空初亡，辰為鬼，又臨寅地，中午為財，末申為長生，故有財有壽。宅上有寅為子息，奈作空亡，初罡為鬼又臨子息之地，故難為子息也。邵公蓋取中午為孫。愚按：李衛公十韻內有云，問子須看脫氣星，財宿逢之曰見孫。邵公以午財為孫，可知矣。午財乘六合相生，故孫吉也。

Explain the reasoning: Ren and Zi both belong to the Northwest, which is the most dark and cold place, yet the qi of the divination moves all the way to the Southeast, which is the flourishing direction. The day branch and the house position show Yin, which is the god of offspring. However, it falls into the empty period, so the first few sons died young. The first transmission is Chen, which is the official ghost, and it is directly located on Yin, the position of offspring. The middle transmission is Wu, which is the wife's wealth, and the final transmission is Shen, which is the growth. Therefore, it is judged that he has wealth and longevity. The Yin on the house position is originally the god of offspring, but it falls into the empty period. The first transmission, Tiangang Chen, is the official ghost, which also presses on the position of offspring, so the offspring are difficult to have. Zhao Gong probably regarded the middle transmission Wu wealth as the grandson. Cheng Shuxun says: In Li Weigong's "Ten Rhymes," there is a line "To ask about sons, look at the star of departing qi; if the wealth mansion meets it, it means seeing the grandson." This shows that Zhao Gong regarded Wu wealth as the grandson, which has a source. The Wu wealth is covered by Liu He, which is in mutual generation with wealth, so the grandson is auspicious.

丁未年十月初三壬子日子時，奉御筆占向去京邑風燭休祥。（一針見血）

On the Renzi day of the tenth lunar month in the Dingwei year, at the hour of Zi, following the imperial decree, a divination was performed to inquire whether the capital city would face misfortune or blessing in terms of wind disasters and fires. The text is taken from "Yizhen Jianxue," which is a statement by Zhu Bi of the Song dynasty. The "Dingwei" in the era name refers to the stem-branch system of dating years, where "Wei" is the earthly branch and should not be interpreted otherwise. "Fengzhu" refers to wind disasters and fire hazards, while "xiuxiang" means auspicious or inauspicious events. The original text only records the main hour, and from the four lessons, it is calculated that the Heaven Plate advances three positions ahead of the Earth Plate.

龍空虎常｜申酉戌亥 合貴朱后 財 丙午 合｜勾未 子玄 午卯巳寅 父 己酉 空｜合午 丑陰 卯子寅壬 兄 壬子 玄｜巳辰卯寅｜朱蛇貴後

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them: Qinglong on Shen, Tiankong on You, Baihu on Xu, Taichang on Hai, Gouchen on Wei, Xuanwu on Zi, Liuhex on Wu, Taiyin on Chou, Zhuque on Si, Tengsnake on Chen, Guiren on Mao, and Tianhou on Yin. Guiren is located on Mao, and the generals proceed from Mao in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem Ren is in the palace of Hai, with Yin on Hai; Yin has Si on it; the day branch Zi has Mao on it; Mao has Wu on it. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in order are Tianhou, Zhuque, Guiren, and Liuhex. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Wu, with the ten thousand changes of Bingwu, which is the wife and wealth of Ren water, riding Liuhex; the middle transmission is You, with the ten thousand changes of Jiyou, which is the parents of Ren water, riding Tiankong; the final transmission is Zi, with the ten thousand changes of Renzi, which is the same type as Ren water, representing brothers, riding Xuanwu. There is no mutual control among the upper and lower lessons, except that the day stem Ren water controls Wu fire, which is called "day controls the god." Therefore, Wu is taken as the initiating transmission. Wu is fire that is in a state of imprisonment and death, and it is placed on Mao. In terms of physical objects, Mao represents city gates. The final transmission Zi water, riding Xuanwu, closes the lesson, with water suppressing fire, so Zhubai concludes that there is a small fire in the city, but it will start and disappear quickly. Zi and Mao are in mutual conflict, and Guiren is stationed on Mao, so within the palace, there is actually peace and tranquility.

祝泌奏曰：午加卯為用，六合乘之。囚死之火，來加城門而今日之水及傳終於子之水。玄武水人乘其上，縱城內有小小驚恐，隨見撲滅，不至動眾。若宮闈之間，更有天乙貴人，則子卯為刑，自主安寧。只有感冒風寒之疾，在後宮之屬耳。

Zhu Bi submitted a report stating: This divination lesson uses the Wu branch added to the Mao branch as the initiating transmission, with Liu He (Six Harmonies) riding upon it. The Wu branch is a fire that is in a state of imprisonment and weakness, coming to govern the Mao position, which represents the city gate. The day branch of today is water, and the three transmissions ultimately end at the Zi water. The Xuanwu, which is a heavenly general belonging to water, is now riding upon this Zi water. Therefore, although there may be some minor fire alarms within the city, they will arise and disappear quickly without causing alarm to the people. As for within the palace, the Mao position has the Tianyi Guiren (Heavenly Nobleman) guarding it. Although Zi and Mao are in a conflicting relationship, this actually indicates natural peace; there will only be minor illnesses such as colds and fevers, and these will occur among the palace concubines and attendants.

淳祐丁未年九月壬子日卯將戌時，奉御筆再占丙子女命懷孕或是或非、或男或女，具奏。（一針見血。先是七月戊戌日占遏，見戊戌日干上戌。）

In the ninth month of the Dingwei year of the Southern Song Dynasty's Chunyu era, on the Renzi day, the month general was You and the correct hour was Xu. Again, by the emperor's imperial decree, a divination was performed to inquire whether a palace woman born in the Bingzi year was pregnant, and if so, whether the child was male or female. The case is recorded in "Yizhen Jianxue." The original annotation states: previously, on the Wuxu day of the seventh month, a divination was conducted. In that case, the day stem's heavenly spirit was Xu. The month general You was placed upon Xu hour, and the heaven plate advanced five positions ahead of the earth plate.

龍勾合朱｜戌亥子丑 龍陰空后 財 乙巳 陰｜空酉 寅蛇 戌巳酉辰 鬼 庚戌 龍｜虎申 卯貴 巳子辰壬 子 ◎卯 貴｜未午巳辰｜常玄陰后

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them: Wu on Qinglong, Hai on Gou Chen, Zi on Liu He, Chou on Zhu Que, You on Tian Kong, Yin on Teng Snake, Shen on Bai Hu, Mao on Guiren, Wei on Tai Chang, Wu on Xuanwu, Si on Tai Yin, Chen on Tianhou; Guiren is located on Mao, and all the generals start from Mao and move in reverse. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem Ren is lodged in Hai, with Hai having Chen; Chen has You; the day branch Zi has Si; Si has Xu. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in order are Tianhou, Tiankong, Taiyin, Qinglong. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Si, with the ten-thousand-year cycle starting at Yisi, which is the wife wealth of Ren water, riding Taiyin; the middle transmission is Xu, with the ten-thousand-year cycle starting at Gengxu, which is Xu earth overcoming Ren water as official ghost, riding Qinglong; the final transmission is Mao, marked with 「◎」 indicating it is in the empty position of the ten-thousand-year cycle, which is the son of Ren water, riding Guiren. The third lesson 「Zi has Si」 is the lower god Zi water overcoming the upper god Si fire, which is the case of lower attacking upper, taking Si as the initiating transmission to form a review lesson; Si advances five positions to reach Xu, and Xu advances five positions to reach Mao. The hidden Wu and Kui in Si and Zi, the hidden Xin and Bing in Xu and Si, and Mao and Xu themselves being theLiu He, the three transmissions are all connected by combinations, which is the origin of the term 「Zhu Yin Cheng Xuan」 as described by Zhu Bi.

祝泌奏曰：此課三傳巳戌卯，皆有合，巳加子，巳中有戊，子中有癸，戊與癸合。中傳戌加巳，戌中有辛，巳中有丙，丙與辛合。末傳卯加戌，卯與戌合。臣故曰：三傳皆有合，此課名鑄印乘軒，真吉課也。但三傳陰將神稍多，中傳戌與陰，恰見為諸臣之主照。自是陽胎未可必。

Zhu Bi submitted a report stating: The three transmissions of this divination are Si, Xu, and Mao, and each character has a harmonious match. The first transmission Si is placed on Zi, with Si containing Wu earth and Zi containing Gui water, Wu and Gui harmonize with each other; the middle transmission Xu is placed on Si, with Xu containing Xin metal and Si containing Bing fire, Bing and Xin harmonize with each other; the final transmission Mao is placed on Xu, and Mao and Xu are naturally in Liu He. Therefore, I say that all three transmissions carry harmonious matches, and this divination is called "Zhu Yin Cheng Xuan," which is indeed a favorable omen. However, the yin generals riding on the three transmissions are relatively numerous, and the middle transmission Xu is connected with Tai Yin, which exactly presents the image of ministers surrounding and supporting the sovereign. In this way, whether it is a male or female fetus cannot yet be determined.

己酉年六月壬子日未將子時，蓋判院辛未生三十九歲，占前程。（方本占案、口鑑）

In the year Jiyou, sixth month, on the day Renzi, the month general was Wei and the correct time was Zi. The person, born in the year Xinwei and aged thirty-nine at that time, was asking about his future. The case is cited from "Fangben Zhan'an" and "Liu Ren Kou Jian." "Panguan" is a shortened term for officials who handled cases in institutions such as the Review Office and the Examination Office during the Song Dynasty. Here, "Wei jiang" refers to the month general Wei used in the sixth month, and "Xinwei sheng" means he was born in the year Xinwei. Both "Wei" are earthly branches. The month general Wei is placed on top of the Zi hour. The heavenly plate advances seven positions ahead of the earthly plate.

朱蛇｜六子丑寅卯貴｜陳亥 辰后 蛇常朱玄 財 丙午 玄｜龍戌 巳陰 寅未丑午 鬼 癸丑 朱｜空酉申未午玄 未子午壬 父 戊申 虎｜虎常

The twelve palaces of the divination chart are marked with the Earthly Branches and the Heavenly Generals riding them: Zi (rat) is occupied by Liu He (Six Harmonies), Chou (ox) by Vermilion Bird, Yin (tiger) by Teng Snake, Mao (rabbit) by Nobleman, Hai (pig) by Gou Chen, Chen (dragon) by Heavenly Empress, Xu (dog) by Azure Dragon, Si (snake) by Tai Yin, You (rooster) by Tian Kong, Shen (monkey) by White Tiger, Wei (sheep) by Tai Chang, and Wu (horse) by Black Tortoise. The Nobleman is located on Mao, and the generals proceed from Mao in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the Day Stem is Ren (water), which is assigned to Hai (pig), and Hai has Wu (horse); Wu has Chou (ox); the Day Branch is Zi (rat), which has Wei (sheep); Wei has Yin (tiger). The Heavenly Generals riding the four lessons are in sequence: Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, Tai Chang, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is Wu (horse), which is Bingwu (Jia and Yi) in the ten heavenly stems, representing the wife and wealth of Ren (water), riding Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is Chou (ox), which is Guichou (Ji and Geng) in the ten heavenly stems, representing the official and ghost of Ren (water), riding Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is Shen (monkey), which is Wushen (Wu and Xin) in the ten heavenly stems, representing the parents of Ren (water), riding White Tiger. The first lesson "Hai has Wu" is the lower god Hai (water), which is the Day Stem's palace, and it reversely attacks the upper god Wu (fire), which is a case of lower attacking upper, known as the repeated review lesson. Wu moves seven positions to reach Chou, and Chou moves seven positions to reach Shen. The upper god of the Day Stem and the first transmission are both Wu, riding Black Tortoise; the middle transmission Chou, riding Vermilion Bird, is in conflict with Wu; the final transmission Shen, riding White Tiger, enters the tomb of Chou. All these indicate signs of damage and loss.

邵彥和曰：此課動涉中皆有利害，又名四絕，偃蹇不通，身與初傳玄武入廟，中雀又害，末申作虎入墓，宅未作常六害，又兼四絕體，前程如此，主妻不足妻死，又主親戚入宅亦死。只因損掘艮方父母墳，所以前程不通也。蓋與妻果不和，辛亥妻死卻令姨母來家住，又死。因開墳，果如先生言。壬以申為父母，申墓於丑，是父母墳也。白虎主損壞，以致家敗身不榮也，至癸丑年亡。

Shao Yanhe said: In this lesson, between movement and involvement, there are everywhere advantages and disadvantages, also known as "Four Extremes." The path ahead is obstructed and unsmooth. The day stem's heavenly stem and the first transmission are both at Wu, with the Black Tortoise in its prime. The middle transmission, with the Vermilion Bird on Chou, also harms Wu. The final transmission, with the White Tiger on Shen, falls into the tomb of Chou. As for the day branch, the house's Wei is accompanied by Tai Chang and forms a six harm with Wu. Combined with the lesson pattern of the Four Extremes, the future is like this, indicating loss and even death of the wife, and also that relatives living in the house would die. All of this is because the parents' graves in the Northeast Gen direction were disturbed and dug up, so the path ahead became blocked. Later, it indeed turned out that there was discord with the wife. In the Xinhai year, the wife died, and then the aunt came to live in the house, who also died. When the parents' graves were dug up, it was indeed as the master said. On a Ren day, Shen metal is the parents, and the tomb of Shen is at Chou. Therefore, the connection between Shen and Chou corresponds to the parents' graves. The White Tiger also indicates damage, leading to family decline and failure to achieve honor. In the Guichou year, he died.

乾隆甲戌年十月壬子日卯將申時，未命人占流年。（牧夫占驗）

In the year Jiaxu of the Qianlong era, in the tenth lunar month, on the day Renzi, the month general was You and the correct time was Shen. A person whose birth year is Wei (earth dog) asked about the fortune of the current year. The case is taken from "Mu Fu Zhan Yan." "Wei fate" is a term in the Six Rats divination, referring to the person's birth year's earthly branch being Wei, and has nothing to do with "not yet." The month general You was placed on top of the Shen time, and the heaven plate advanced seven positions ahead of the earth plate, matching the same heaven and earth plates as the previous lesson from Gai Juan Yuan.

朱蛇｜六子丑寅卯貴｜陳亥 辰后 蛇常朱玄 財 丙午 玄｜龍戌 巳陰 寅未丑午 鬼 癸丑 朱｜空酉申未午玄 未子午壬 父 戊申 虎｜虎常

The distribution of Heavenly Generals in the twelve palaces is: Zi palace is occupied by Liu He, Chou by Vermilion Bird, Yin by Teng Snake, Mao by Nobleman, Hai by Gou Chen, Chen by Heavenly Empress, Xu by Azure Dragon, Si by Tai Yin, You by Tian Kong, Shen by White Tiger, Wei by Tai Chang, and Wu by Black Tortoise. The four lessons, from right to left, are: Ren resides on Hai, with Wu on Hai; Wu on Wu; Day Branch Zi has Wei on it; Wei has Yin on it. The deities riding the heavenly generals in order are Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, Tai Chang, and Teng Snake. The three transmissions are: first transmission Wu (wealth, riding Black Tortoise), middle transmission Chou (official ghost, riding Vermilion Bird), and final transmission Shen (parents, riding White Tiger). Considering the current year: the deity on the Day Stem Wu combines with the deity on the Day Branch Wei, appearing harmonious. However, the first transmission Wu wealth is sandwiched between two conflicting deities and carries Teng Snake, indicating hidden private matters. There is also a harmful relationship between the wealth Wu and the official ghost Chou. The long life Shen metal is injured by White Tiger. The inquirer's birth palace is Wei, which is directly on the Day Branch and conflicts with Wu. The year palace is Zi, which conflicts with Wu on the Day Stem. The birth, year, day, and branch palaces all conflict with each other, which is the entire basis for Wang Mufu's judgment that there is discord within his family.

王牧夫曰：此課干支上神，維作合。然大象頗有事故，心甚不寧，恐有私情口舌也。初傳午為財，被夾克，玄武逼迫，論財有失而無得，況財與鬼穿害乎？長生又作虎，本源受傷，年境何能得佳？以支辰論，子沖干上午，午為心，受支沖剋，而本命又立支上穿害。自又午未作合，干為妻，主妻宮口舌不安，牽連父母亦不安也。且子見於行年，而未又是本命，玄武為用，畢竟由己不正，惹起事端，以致如此。後知其私乳婦，為妻撞遇，歸母家，同岳母來作吵。彼時，余謂彼當出門，以避口舌，為吉。後因出門始免。行動免者，以馬在寅能制丑上朱雀也。

Wang Mufu said: In this divination, the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the day are only in mutual harmony, but the overall situation of the divination indicates many troubles. The person's mind is very restless, and he is afraid of getting into disputes over private matters. The first transmission is the horse (午), which is the wealth hexagram, but it is surrounded and controlled by the previous and following hexagrams, and is also forced by the Black Tortoise. When discussing wealth, there is only loss and no gain. Moreover, the wealth hexagram and the official hexagram are connected by a harmful relationship. The long life of the day's heavenly stem, which is the metal of the seventh position, is occupied by the White Tiger, indicating damage to the source. How could the situation of this year be good? Looking at the day's earthly branch, the water (子) is conflicting with the heavenly stem of the day's hexagram (午), and the horse (午) in the human body represents the heart, which is being conflicted and controlled by the day's earthly branch. The person's true birth year (未) is directly on top of the day's earthly branch, and conflicts with the horse (午). Moreover, the horse (午) and the true birth year (未) are in mutual harmony. The day's heavenly stem represents the wife, so this indicates disputes in the wife's area, and also involves the parents not being at peace. Furthermore, the water (子) is exactly the person's current age, and the true birth year (未) is also the person's true birth year. The initiating transmission is occupied by the Black Tortoise, which represents obscurity and wrongness. In the end, it was found out that he had an affair with a wet nurse, which was discovered by his wife. The wife returned to her parents' house and even went together with her mother-in-law to quarrel. At that time, I advised him to go out to avoid the dispute, and later he was able to avoid it by going out. Therefore, being able to avoid the trouble was because theThe Post-horse (post-horse) is in the tiger (寅), and the wood of the tiger can control the ox (丑) occupied by the Vermilion Bird. The Vermilion Bird is the main cause of disputes.

甲寅年七月壬子日午將酉時占妻病。（說約）

In the year Jiayin, seventh month, on the day Renzi, the month general is Wu, and the correct time is You. The divination is about the illness of the wife. This case is taken from "Six Rats Explanation." The month general Wu is placed above the You hour, and the heaven plate advances smoothly ahead of the earth plate by nine positions. This case is special because Zhang Jiangcun first used this lesson to consult about securing a position, and from that lesson he first saw that his wife was ill. Later, in the seventh month, when his wife's illness worsened, he started another lesson to inquire about life and death, so the following text discusses both lessons together.

蛇貴后陰｜寅卯辰巳 玄空陰虎 財 丙午 玄｜朱丑 午玄 午酉巳申 子 ◎卯 貴｜合子 未常 酉子申壬 兄 壬子 合｜亥戌酉申｜勾龍空虎

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk are marked with earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: on寅 is Teng Snake, on卯 is Nobleman, on辰 is Heavenly Empress, on巳 is Tai Yin, on丑 is Vermilion Bird, on午 is Black Tortoise, on子 is Liu He, on未 is Tai Chang, on亥 is Gou Chen, on戌 is Azure Dragon, on酉 is Tian Kong, and on申 is White Tiger. The Nobleman is located on卯, and the generals proceed from卯 in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is壬, which is lodged in亥, so on亥 there is申; on申 there is巳; the day branch is子, so on子 there is酉; on酉 there is午. The heavenly generals riding the heavenly spirits in the four lessons are in sequence: White Tiger, Tai Yin, Tian Kong, and Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is午, which isBingwu by the ten-day cycle, representing the wife wealth of壬 water, riding Black Tortoise; the middle transmission is卯, marked with「◎」indicating it is in the empty heaven, representing the son of壬 water, riding Nobleman; the final transmission is子, which isRenzi by the ten-day cycle, being of the same type as壬 water, representing brothers, riding Liu He. The second lesson「on申 there is巳」and the fourth lesson「on酉 there is午」both show upper overcoming lower. Since both overcoming situations are present, the one with the same yin or yang as the day stem, which is午, is chosen as the initiating transmission, forming a mutual use lesson. In divining about a wife's illness, the wife is represented by the wealth爻. Since午 is the initiating transmission and represents the wife's position, it is appropriate. Also,申 metal is located on the palace where the day stem is lodged, and申 is the long life of壬 water, so it is indicated that someone is recommending the wife. The following statement refers to the heavenly general on午 as Heavenly Empress, which does not match the heavenly general marked as Black Tortoise in the current disk. This is likely due to differences in transmission versions, and it is recorded as is without alteration.

張江村曰：占此現彼，往往有之。餘甲寅四月初一丁巳日酉將申時，因占幕館。而知妻有病（見丁巳日干上申）。及於七月間妻患病甚重，為占死生得此課，午為妻，發用乘天后外戰，幸午為太陽，病雖重無妨。又看干為我，申作長生臨干，主有人作薦，巳作貴人臨申六合，餘亦有館矣。

Zhang Jiangcun said: Divination for one matter often reveals another matter, and such situations are common. On the fourth day of the fourth month in the Jiayin year, on the Dingsi day, when the Month General was You and the correct time was Shen, I cast a divination for the purpose of seeking a position as a clerk in a government office. However, from the divination, I observed that my wife was ill (the spirit Shen was on the day stem Dingsi). Later, in the seventh month, my wife became seriously ill, and I cast another divination for her life and death, and it turned out to be the same lesson. The position of the wife was represented by Wu, which is the position of wife's wealth; the initiating transmission spirit was riding on the Heavenly Empress and was in conflict with the outer spirit. Fortunately, Wu was the position of the sun, so although her illness was serious, there would be no major harm. Looking at the day stem, which represents myself, Shen was the long life of Ren water and was on top of the day stem, indicating that someone would recommend me. The nobleman was on Si and was on top of Shen, and also combined with Shen, showing that my position as a clerk would also be secured.

壬子日申將亥時，或占求酒。（方本占案）

On a Renzi day, the month general is Shen and the correct time is Hai. Someone asked if they could get some wine. According to the case in "Fangben Zhan An," the month general Shen is placed over the Hai time. The heaven plate advances nine positions ahead of the earth plate, and the arrangement of the heaven and earth plates is the same as the previous case where a person asked about a sick wife. This is a typical example in the Six Rats system where the sky void indicates deception or something that does not exist. The thing being sought does not exist, and the divination shows signs of emptiness and failure everywhere.

貴後｜蛇寅卯辰巳陰｜朱丑 午玄 玄空陰虎 財 戊午 玄｜六子 未常 午酉巳申 子 空卯 貴｜陳亥戌酉申虎 酉子申壬 兄 壬子 六｜龍空

The twelve palaces of the divination chart are marked with earthly branches and the heavenly generals they ride: on寅 is Teng Snake, on卯 is Nobleman, on辰 is Heavenly Empress, on巳 is Tai Yin, on丑 is Vermilion Bird, on午 is Black Tortoise, on子 is Liu He, on未 is Tai Chang, on亥 is Gou Chen, on戌 is Azure Dragon, on酉 is Tian Kong, and on申 is White Tiger. The Nobleman is located on卯, and the heavenly generals proceed in reverse from卯. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is壬, which is assigned to the palace of亥, and on亥 is申; on申 is巳; the day branch is子, and on子 is酉; on酉 is午. The heavenly generals riding the four lessons in order are White Tiger, Tai Yin, Tian Kong, and Black Tortoise. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is午, which is the wife and wealth of壬 water, riding Black Tortoise (the hidden stem beneath the third transmission is written as戊午; on the day of壬子, which belongs to the Jiachen cycle,午 should be concealed as丙, but this transmission is different, so it is kept as it was). The middle transmission is卯, marked as "empty卯" indicating it falls in the empty period, which is the son and grandson of壬 water, riding Nobleman. The final transmission is子, which is concealed asRenzi in the cycle, and since it is the same type as壬 water, it is the brother, riding Liu He. The key to determining the presence of wine lies in the third lesson: the day branch子 represents the vessel for wine, and the酉 above it is the class god of wine. However, the酉 is riding Tian Kong, which signifies falsehood and unreality. Since the class god of wine is on a false and unreal general, and the middle transmission also falls into the empty period, it is concluded that there is no wine to be found.

邵彥和曰：酉加子作天空，支為酒，其酒必敗，器必破，必無酒也。酉為酒加子，酉破子，乃破器也。子水敗於酉，酉金死於子，乘空為虛詐，又傳入空亡，是以無酒。

Shao Yanhe said: You is placed over Zi and is riding on Tian Kong. The day branch is originally the master of wine, so it is evident that the wine must have already spoiled, and the vessel containing the wine must also be broken, in reality there is no wine at all. You is the god representing wine, now placed over Zi, and You and Zi are mutually destructive, thus indicating the image of a broken vessel. Moreover, Zi water is in the position of bathing and decline, which is exactly where You is, and You metal's death position is also at Zi. The two are mutually destructive and dying. The Tian Kong riding over You is specifically associated with falsehood and unreality, and the three transmissions also fall into the empty position of the ten days. All these factors together lead to the conclusion that there is no wine.

戊申年十月壬子日卯將卯時，王德卿辛酉生四十八歲，占宅。（方本占案、口鑑）

On the Renzi day of the Wushen year in the tenth month, the month general was You and the hour of the day was also You. Wang Deqing, born in the Xinyou year and aged forty-eight at the time, divined about his family residence. The case is cited from "Fang Ben Zhan An" and "Liu Ren Kou Jian." The month general and the hour of the day were both You, with the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate completely overlapping, forming a Hidden Chant lesson. Hidden Chant indicates that matters remain stationary and do not change. When divining about a residence, it signifies that the house will not be moved and the previous situation will continue.

後陰｜貴巳午未申玄｜蛇辰 酉常 龍龍空空 兄 辛亥 空｜朱卯 戌虎 子子亥亥 兄 壬子 龍｜六寅丑子亥空 子子亥壬 子 空卯 朱｜陳龍

The twelve palaces of the lesson disk have their earthly branches and the celestial generals riding them:巳 is occupied by the Nobleman,午 by the Heavenly Empress,未 by Tai Yin,申 by the Black Tortoise,辰 by the Teng Snake,酉 by Tai Chang,卯 by the Vermilion Bird,戌 by the White Tiger,寅 by Liu He,丑 by Gou Chen,子 by the Azure Dragon, and亥 by Tian Kong. The Nobleman is located on巳, and all the generals start from巳 and move in reverse order. The four lessons are read from right to left: the day stem is Ren, which is lodged in亥, so亥 remains亥;亥 is again亥; the day branch is子, which is子;子 remains子—both upper and lower positions are the same, which is a Hidden Chant. The celestial generals riding the four lessons in order are Tian Kong, Tian Kong, Azure Dragon, and Azure Dragon. The three transmissions are arranged from top to bottom: the first transmission is亥, which is the hidden transmission ofXinhai, and since it is of the same type as the water stem Ren, it is a brother, riding Tian Kong; the middle transmission is子, which is the hidden transmission ofRenzi, also a brother, riding Azure Dragon; the final transmission is卯, marked as 'empty卯' indicating it is in the empty period, which is the son of the water stem Ren, riding Vermilion Bird. In a Hidden Chant there is no conflict, and on a yang day, the transmission starts with the celestial general on the day stem. Therefore, the first transmission is亥; since亥 is self-punishment, it is changed to the celestial general on the day branch, which is子, as the middle transmission; since子 conflicts with卯, the final transmission is卯. In October, the water of亥 and子 is at its peak, and the day branch is at its peak, so it is predicted that wealth will flourish; the final transmission卯 rides Vermilion Bird and conflicts with the day branch, and Vermilion Bird governs speech and documents, so it is predicted that the household will be unsettled and there will be disturbances from officials.

邵彥和曰：此課財祿極穩，但自有膀胱氣及陰腫水氣之擾。宅上帝旺，財物興隆。今年進子又添孫，中傳及支子也。子邊作亥，乃孫字也。末傳卯乘朱雀，主門戶不寧，戶役事擾。堂上不合安符，主家中無一時安靜（蓋卯雀脫壬子而刑子支，故其斷如此，若不刑支，不可如是斷也），家資得地，池塘之利，必然大發。尚有二十六年壽，主水腫而亡。王乃士人，善治家，只是受膀胱病累，本年三月生子，十二月又添孫，常為戶役聒吵。堂上掛一天師，自此夢寐不安，怪異影響，遂去之，果無事。其家池塘最盛，一年有數萬魚利，越十六年果死。

Shao Yanhe said: In this case, wealth and official rank are very stable. However, the person himself will suffer from diseases of the bladder and lower body swelling or water retention. The day branch is in the Prosperity position, so wealth will certainly flourish. This year he has added both a son and a grandson. The middle transmission's son and the day branch's son both indicate offspring. The son is connected to the亥, which together means "grandson." The final transmission's卯 is occupied by the Vermilion Bird, indicating that the family will not be at peace and will be disturbed by officials and taxes. It is not appropriate to hang talismans in the hall, as doing so will bring no peace to the family. This is because the Vermilion Bird on the卯 releases the energy of the壬子 and harms the day branch's子, so the conclusion is made this way. If it does not harm the day branch, then this conclusion would not be made. The place where property is located is favorable, and the income from the pond will certainly be very good. He has twenty-six more years of life, and will eventually die from water retention. Wang Deqing is a scholar who is good at managing his household, but is often troubled by bladder diseases. This year, he had a son in March and a grandson in December. He is often disturbed by official duties and taxes. He once hung a talisman of the Celestial Master in the hall, and since then, he has had trouble sleeping at night and strange noises. After removing the talisman, everything became peaceful. His family's pond has the best income, earning several thousand coins from fish annually. After sixteen years, he indeed passed away.

蓋壬子日十月亥子水旺，又壬祿居亥，而旺於子，亥四數，課中四個亥，四四一十六年也。此非先生意，乃及門諸子增入之辭也。何則？課傳止二亥，亥為旺氣，當倍進，即曰伏吟，斷少則二亥八年，又不可云十六年矣。且亥乃日祿，何反之決死？是此說之謬可知矣。按邵公之意，或用越十六年而行年在辰，辰為壬日之墓，流年太歲在亥，太歲乘空臨身，所謂當頭立也。太歲即臨身而行年又入墓地，故主十六年而亡耳。邵公之意，毋乃在此乎？

Some people explain that on a Renzi day in the tenth month, the water of Hai and Zi is at its peak; Ren's strength is in Hai, and it is also strong in Zi; Hai is counted as four in the six壬 system, and the lesson contains four Hais, so four multiplied by four equals sixteen years. Cheng Shuxun comments: this is not the original meaning of Shao先生, but rather something added by his disciples later. Why? In the lesson and transmission, there are actually only two Hais; since Hai is a strong position, it should be doubled, and moreover, this is a Fu Yin lesson, so the prediction of a short lifespan would only be two Hais combining to eight years, how could it be sixteen? Moreover, Hai is the禄 of Ren day, how can it be used to determine the time of death? It is clear that this explanation is wrong. In my opinion, Shao's original intention might have been that sixteen years later, his age would reach Chen, which is theStorage of Ren day; and that year's heavenly stem is Hai, the heavenly stem is riding on the empty position of the ten-day cycle and falls on his own birth stem, which is what the diviners call 'standing directly in front'. Since the heavenly stem is on the body and the age falls into the墓, that is why it was predicted that he would die at sixteen. Shao's meaning, I suppose, was probably like this.