On the Jiaxu day, a certain scholar in the third month divined about his prospects in the provincial examination.

三月甲戌日酉將卯時某秀才占省試回家望得失之信。方本占案

In the third month on the Jiaxu day, using 'You' as the Month General and the time of divination being at Mao, a scholar who had returned home after taking the provincial examination divined about the outcome of the examination results. This example is taken from "Fang Ben Zhan An."

朱蛇貴后 　亥子丑寅　合玄后青　兄 戊寅 后 ⊙ 合戌　卯陰　戌辰寅申　官 　申 青 ◎ 勾酉　辰玄　辰戌申甲　兄 戊寅 后 ⊙ 　申未午巳 　青空虎常

The lesson plate is laid out in a straight line as above. With the hour of You and the general of You added, the Heaven Plate is exactly six positions apart from the Earth Plate, forming a 'returning sound' lesson. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen are respectively亥, 子, 丑, and 寅, which are occupied by the Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, Heavenly Emperor Nobleman, and Heavenly Empress. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate positions over Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai are respectively申, 未, 午, and巳, which are occupied by the Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, and Tai Chang. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate position over Chen is 戌, occupied by Liu He; over Mao is 酉, occupied by Gou Chen; over You is 卯, occupied by Tai Yin; and over Xu is 辰, occupied by Xuan Wu. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, with the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace at Yin), shows 申, occupied by the Azure Dragon; the second lesson, with 申, shows 寅, occupied by the Heavenly Empress; the third lesson, with the day branch Xu, shows 辰, occupied by Xuan Wu; and the fourth lesson, with 辰, shows 戌, occupied by Liu He. The second lesson, with 申 metal, overcomes the upper god 寅 wood, which is 'lower attacking upper', so according to the lesson of repeated review, 寅 is taken as the first transmission. Repeating the process, the three transmissions are 寅, 申, 寅: the first and last transmissions are both the brotherWuyin, occupied by the Heavenly Empress, and the middle transmission is the official ghost 申, occupied by the Azure Dragon, with 申 being the empty position of the current ten.

邵彥和曰：占求官、望文字，榜即至矣，恐在四十九名中式耳。果當日報至，中四十九名。蓋課傳俱馬，又乘青龍，作官星，祿又得後，故主得官。天罡加支，望事立至，用事嚴緊，故速來。吳稼云曰：三傳俱空，何以竟置之不問。愚按：三月辰建，辰土生申，又三課四課俱能生申，故雖空而亦中也，然三傳空亡，恐居官不久耳。

Shao Yanhe said: When divining for seeking an official position or waiting for an official announcement, the announcement is about to arrive, but there is a fear that the rank will be forty-ninth. In the end, the official announcement was delivered that day, and indeed he ranked forty-ninth. This is because both the four lessons and the three transmissions include the post-horse 'Shen', which is also accompanied by the azure dragon and represents an official star, and the day's禄 is supported by the heavenly empress. Therefore, it indicates the ability to obtain an official position. The tiangang (Chen) is added to the day's branch, indicating that the desired thing will arrive immediately; the spirits involved are closely and tightly arranged, so it comes quickly. Wu Jiayun said: All three transmissions fall into kongwang, why then is it not questioned? Cheng Shuxun explained: The month builder in March is Chen, which is earth and can generate Shen metal. The third and fourth lessons can also generate Shen, so even though Shen falls into kongwang, it still results in success. However, since all three transmissions fall into kongwang, there is a fear that the official position may not last long.

二月甲戌日亥將卯時占失人。直指

On the Jiaxu day of the second month, using 'Hai' as the Month General, the time of divination is at Mao. The question is about a missing person. This example is taken from "Liu Ren Zhi Zhi."

貴后陰玄 　丑寅卯辰　后虎虎合　財 甲戌 合 蛇子　巳常　寅午午戌　子 壬午 虎 朱亥　午虎　午戌戌甲　兄 戊寅 后 　戌酉申未 　合勾龍空

The lesson plate is laid out in rows as above. At the time of the hour of Hai with the general at Mao, the Heaven Plate is four positions behind the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate positions Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate positions are in sequence: Chou, Yin, Mao, and Chen, with the following spirits: Tianyi Nobleman, Heavenly Empress, Tai Yin, and Xuanwu. On the Earth Plate positions Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate positions are in sequence: Xu, You, Shen, and Wei, with the following spirits: Liu He, Gou Chen, Qinglong, and Tiankong. On the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate position is Zi, with the spirit Teng Snake. On the Earth Plate position Mao, the Heaven Plate position is Hai, with the spirit Zhuqiao. On the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate position is Si, with the spirit Tai Chang. On the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate position is Wu, with the spirit Baihu. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Jia Wood (with its lodging palace at Yin) encountering Wu, with the spirit Liu He; the second lesson has Wu encountering Wu, with the spirit Baihu; the third lesson has the day branch Xu encountering Wu, with the spirit Baihu; the fourth lesson has Wu encountering Yin, with the spirit Tianhou. The day stem Jia Wood overcomes the upper god Wu Earth, which is a case of lower attacking upper, so Wu is taken as the first transmission. In sequence, the three transmissions are Wu, Wu, and Yin: the first transmission is the wife wealth Jia Xu with Liu He, the middle transmission is the son grandson Ren Wu with Baihu, and the final transmission is the brother Wu Yin with Tianhou.

邵曰：支戌刑未，未臨於亥，當於西北亥言尋獲。未八亥四，四八三十二里。亥為水，亦為樓臺，未為酒食，藏於近水酒館中。案驗。愚按：此斷不用課傳，與邵公之斷法不類，然載於直指，姑錄之以備致。

Shao Gong said: The day branch "Xu" is in conflict with "Wei", and "Wei" is also located on "Hai". Therefore, one should look for the location in the northwest area of "Hai". The number of "Wei" is eight, and the number of "Hai" is four. Multiplying four by eight gives thirty-two, which is thirty-two li. "Hai" belongs to water and also represents a building; "Wei" signifies wine and food. Therefore, a person is hidden in a tavern near water. This case was later verified to be true. Cheng Shuxun remarked: This statement does not use the lesson pattern and the three transmissions, which is unlike Shao Gong's usual method of analysis. However, since it is recorded in "Liu Ren Zhi Zhi", it is still included here for reference.

戊戌年八月甲戌日辰將未時占來意。一字玉連環

In the year of Wuxu, eighth lunar month, on the day of Jiaxu, using "Chen" as the month general, the time of divination is in Wei. The question is about the intention of the person who came. This example is taken from "Yi Zì Yù Lián Huán."

龍勾合朱 　寅卯辰巳　合貴后常　官 　申 后 ◎ 空丑　午蛇　辰未申亥　子 辛巳 朱 ⊙ 虎子　未貴　未戌亥甲　兄 戊寅 龍 　亥戌酉申 　常玄陰后

The divination board is laid out in rows as above. The hour stem is placed on the hour of Wei, with the Heaven Plate three positions behind the Earth Plate. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate is sequentially placed as 'Yin', 'Mao', 'Chen', 'Si' over the positions Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, and these are associated with the divination terms Qinglong, Gou Chen, Liu He, and Zhu Que respectively. On the Earth Plate, the Heaven Plate is sequentially placed as 'Hai', 'Xu', 'You', 'Shen' over the positions Yin, Chou, Zi, Hai, and these are associated with the divination terms Tai Chang, Xuan Wu, Tai Yin, and Tian Hou respectively. On the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate is 'Chou', associated with Tian Kong; on the Earth Plate position Mao, the Heaven Plate is 'Zi', associated with Bai Hu; on the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate is 'Wu', associated with Teng Snake; on the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate is 'Wei', associated with Tian Yi GuRen. The middle three rows are the four lessons, arranged from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Jia (with its lodging palace at Yin), shows 'Hai', associated with Tai Chang; the second lesson, on Hai, shows 'Shen', associated with Tian Hou; the third lesson, on the day branch Xu, shows 'Wei', associated with Tian Yi GuRen; the fourth lesson, on Wei, shows 'Chen', associated with Liu He. On the right side are the three transmissions: the first transmission is 'Shen', with the six relations as official ghost, falling in the empty旬, associated with Tian Hou; the middle transmission is 'Si', with the six relations as son and grandson, hidden stem Xinsi, associated with Zhu Que; the final transmission is 'Yin', with the six relations as brother, hidden stem Wuyin, associated with Qinglong.

徐次賓曰：來意主七月中勸和公事到官，以所得財盡數搜檢，法擬斷徒罪。申上，至來年正月文字來，只得杖罪，以寄居作日月相折，無事而出。

Xu Cibin said: The person who came was involved in a case that was originally intended to be privately resolved but ended up being reported to the authorities. All the money he had received was confiscated, and he was sentenced to penal servitude according to the law. After the case was reported to the higher authorities, the official decree came down in the next lunar January, and he was only sentenced to cane punishment. His days of being detained and lodged were also counted towards his sentence, and in the end, he was released without further punishment.

何以知七月公事勸和到官，蓋法用傳送，為七月建，以正時為日干財，上得六合，又為日貴，又主勸和公事到官。以所取財數檢法定徒罪，而申上者何也，蓋時為日干之財，並日貴，又發用申為日鬼，上帶白虎，又為日刑；中傳太乙上得勾陳，與日為刑害；末傳得螣蛇。此課始末俱凶，主重刑，而只言擬定徒罪者，蓋值事門得天空，又發用空亡，中傳臨空亡故也。而不言解散而言擬定申上者，蓋時猶未解也，緣白虎乘秋正旺而又為刑害，故言擬定徒罪也。

How do we know that the public matter was intended to be settled privately but ended up going to court? Because the method of divination uses "Chuansong" (Shen), which is another name for "Shen," and "Shen" is exactly the month builder of July. The time of divination is the day stem's wealth爻, and on top of that it is accompanied by "Liu He," and it is also the day's noble deity. Therefore, the public matter that originally intended to be settled privately ultimately went to court. As for the need to search for property, determine a sentence of imprisonment according to law, and report to higher authorities, how is this discerned? The time of divination is both the day stem's wealth爻 and accompanied by the day's noble deity. The initiating transmission "Shen" is the day stem's official ghost, carrying the White Tiger, and also the day stem's punishment deity. The middle transmission "Taiyi" (another name for "Si") is accompanied by "Gou Chen," forming a punishment and harm relationship with the day stem. The final transmission also receives "Teng Snake." This entire divination is consistently ominous, indicating a heavy punishment. The reason only a sentence of imprisonment is mentioned is because the gate of the matter has "Tian Kong," and the initiating transmission also falls into "Kongwang," and the middle transmission also arrives at "Kongwang." As for why it is not mentioned as being settled on the spot but rather as needing to be sentenced and reported to higher authorities, it is because at that time the case had not yet been resolved. The White Tiger is in the autumn season, which is its prosperous and strong phase, and it forms a punishment and harm relationship, so a sentence of imprisonment is proposed.

何知至正月文字來，只得杖罪，以寄居作日月相折無爭事而出者。蓋七月白虎鬼旺，至十二月支干並無制白虎者，至來年己亥歲正月建丙寅能制虎，且白虎傳送金至寅而絕，又為旺火所制，又太乙螣蛇二火至此俱旺，共為救神，又初中申巳俱空亡，故知正月無事得出也。

How do we know that by the time the official document comes down in the first lunar month, the sentence is only a cane punishment, and that the days and months of detention can be used to offset the sentence, allowing release without incident? Because in July the White Tiger official ghost is at its peak, continuing until December, when the day stem and day branch are unable to restrain the White Tiger's power. But by the following year's first lunar month of Jihai, the month builder is Bingyin, and the wood of Yin can restrain the White Tiger. Moreover, the White Tiger rides on the 'Chuansong' (Shen), which is metal, and metal is at its end at the position of Yin, being further restrained by the dominant fire. The 'Taiyi' (Si) and Teng Snake, both fire elements, are also at their peak here, acting as saving deities. In addition, the first transmission 'Shen' and the middle transmission 'Si' both fall into Kongwang. Therefore, it is determined that one can be released safely in the first lunar month.

癸酉年正月甲戌日亥將寅時辛卯命人四十三歲占流年。牧夫占驗

In the year Guiyou, first lunar month, on the day Jiaxu, using 'Hai' as the month general and the time of divination at Yin, a person born in the year Xinmao, aged forty-three, asks about the annual destiny for the coming year. This example is taken from "The Astronomer's Divination Verification."

龍勾合朱 　寅卯辰巳　合貴后常　官 　申 后 ◎ 空丑　午蛇　辰未申亥　子 辛巳 朱 ⊙ 虎子　未貴　未戌亥甲　兄 戊寅 龍 　亥戌酉申 　常玄陰后

The course plate is laid out in a row as above, identical to the previous example: the Heaven Plate is three positions behind the Earth Plate, with the Heaven Plate on the Earth Plate's Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen positions being "Yin", "Mao", "Chen", and "Si", respectively, accompanied by the Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He, and Vermilion Bird; the Heaven Plate on the Earth Plate's Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai positions is "Hai", "Xu", "You", and "Shen", respectively, accompanied by Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, and Heavenly Empress. On the Earth Plate's Chen position, "Chou" is accompanied by Tian Kong; on the Earth Plate's Mao position, "Zi" is accompanied by Bai Hu; on the Earth Plate's You position, "Wu" is accompanied by Teng Snake; on the Earth Plate's Xu position, "Wei" is accompanied by Tian Yi Guiren. The four lessons, read from right to left, are: on the Day Stem Jia (with its lodging palace at Yin), "Hai" is accompanied by Tai Chang; on "Hai", "Shen" is accompanied by Heavenly Empress; on the Day Branch Xu, "Wei" is accompanied by Tian Yi Guiren; on "Wei", "Chen" is accompanied by Liu He. The three transmissions are: official ghost "Shen" falling into empty position accompanied by Heavenly Empress, son "Si" (Xin Si) accompanied by Vermilion Bird, and brother "Yin" (Wu Yin) accompanied by Azure Dragon.

王牧夫曰：此數宜出外不利家居，宅多蔽塞，不利妻妾，多主喪亡也。蓋干人支宅，干動支靜，干男支女，干外支內，此兩儀之定體也。今年乘旺而衰否，是人吉宅凶，利動不利靜，宜男不宜女，宜外不宜內，故曰宜出外不利家居也。且馬乘天后相生，動之順者也；干見太陽長生，末見青龍德祿，由動得吉者如此。

Wang Mufu said: This fate is suitable for going out and not for staying at home; the residence has many blocked and unsmooth areas, which is unfavorable for the wife and concubines, and often leads to loss or death. Because the day stem represents the person, and the day branch represents the residence, the day stem is active while the day branch is static. The day stem belongs to male, and the day branch belongs to female. The day stem governs the outside, and the day branch governs the inside. This is the general principle that the two principles have their respective positions. Now the year stem is riding on a prosperous atmosphere, while the residence position is weak and blocked, indicating that the person is auspicious but the residence is inauspicious. It is favorable for movement but not for staying, favorable for males but not for females, favorable for the outside but not for the inside. Therefore, it is suitable to go out and not suitable for staying at home. Moreover, theThe Post-horse is riding on theHeavenly Empress and they mutually generate, indicating a movement that is smooth and favorable; the sun is on the day stem and falls in the long life position, and the final transmission also sees the qinglong accompanied by virtue spirits and禄 spirits—gaining auspiciousness through movement, which is the reason for this.

宅逢純土，未貴墓干，又朱戌為閉口，妻位當之，卑幼之位當之，豈不兆喪亡者乎。況年命俱逢刑，久戀於家必受其害。後出外果清吉，家中妻死子亡，口舌頻頻，妾自縊，家破人宅分離，其驗如此。愚按：未貴墓干，未戌為閉口，何致如此之凶，蓋干支全逢喪吊，而三四課純土克盡干上亥水長生也。

The entire position of the dwelling is filled with earth. The 'Wei' branch is riding on the nobleman and 'Wei' is precisely the storage place for the wood of Jia. The Vermilion Bird also matches with 'Xu' to form the image of 'closed mouth'. These signs fall precisely on the position of the wife and on the position of the children and younger generations. Is this not a premonition of loss? Moreover, both the year of action and the native's birth year meet with mutual harm. If one remains attached to the home, it will surely bring harm. Later, when he went out, he indeed remained safe and peaceful, but at home his wife died, his son died, there was constant disputes and conflicts, the concubine committed suicide by hanging, the family broke up and scattered, and the person and the dwelling became separated, fulfilling the prediction to this extent. Cheng Shuxun comments: How could the 'Wei' branch riding the nobleman and being the storage place for Jia wood, and 'Wei' and 'Xu' forming the 'closed mouth' image, lead to such a severe misfortune? It is because the day stem and day branch both have the mourning-and-condolence spirit and the guest spirit. Moreover, the third and fourth lessons are entirely earth, completely cutting off the 'Hai' water on the day stem, which is the source of growth.

戊寅年七月乙亥日午將戌時占望行人。郭本占案

In the year of Wuyin, seventh lunar month, on the day of Yihai, using 'Wu' as the month general and the time of divination being Xu, the question is asked about when a person away from home will return. This example is taken from the Guoben Zhan'an.

龍空虎常 　丑寅卯辰　虎后貴勾　財 癸未 后 勾子　　巳玄　卯未申子　兄 己卯 虎 合亥　　午陰　未亥子乙　父 乙亥 合 　戌酉申未 　朱蛇貴後

The lesson plate is laid out in rows as above. The beginning "Dragon, Sky, Tiger, Constant" are not stem and branch combinations, but rather the four Heavenly Generals: Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, and Tai Chang, arranged consecutively. These correspond to the next row's Chou, Yin, Mao, and Chen. When the general at Wu is added with the hour of Xu, the Heaven Plate is four positions behind the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate's Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate has Chou, Yin, Mao, and Chen, respectively, each accompanied by Azure Dragon, Tian Kong, White Tiger, and Tai Chang. On the Earth Plate's Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, the Heaven Plate has Xu, You, Shen, and Wei, respectively, each accompanied by Zhu Que, Teng Snake, Tian Yi Gu Ren, and Tian Hou. On the Earth Plate's Chen, it is "Zi" accompanied by Gou Chen; on the Earth Plate's Mao, it is "Hai" accompanied by Liu He; on the Earth Plate's You, it is "Si" accompanied by Xuan Wu; on the Earth Plate's Xu, it is "Wu" accompanied by Tai Yin. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace at Chen), sees "Zi" accompanied by Gou Chen; the second lesson, on Zi, sees "Shen" accompanied by Tian Yi Gu Ren; the third lesson, on the day branch Hai, sees "Wei" accompanied by Tian Hou; the fourth lesson, on Wei, sees "Mao" accompanied by Bai Hu. The third lesson's Wei earth overcomes the Hai water of the day branch, and the fourth lesson's Mao wood overcomes the Wei earth, resulting in two instances of upper overcoming lower, with both yin and yang matching the day stem. Since the decision cannot be made by comparison, the one with the deeper involvement is chosen, and "Wei" is selected as the initiating transmission. On the right side, the three transmissions are: the first transmission "Wei" is the wife's wealth, with the hidden stem Gui Wei, accompanied by Tian Hou; the middle transmission "Mao" is the brother, with the hidden stem Ji Mao, accompanied by Bai Hu; the final transmission "Hai" is the parent, with the hidden stem Yi Hai, accompanied by Liu He. Hai, Mao, and Wei form a wooden trinity.

郭御青曰：占行人，驛馬類神不入傳課極難琢磨，墓從宅上發用宅上發用，當於此日起身，奴僕青天空乘寅臨午，又千里看太歲所臨，當於壬午日至或者癸未日，乃發用墓神上乘太沖白虎，只此二日可望。果於壬午日離府四十里為雨阻，癸未日至，為雨阻者，涉害故也，果是乙亥日動身。

Guo Yuqing said: When divining the return date of someone away from home, if the Post-horse deity is not among the three transmissions, the divination is extremely difficult to interpret. Fortunately, theTomb Spirit of the ethereal wood 乙 is 「未」, which is initiated from the day branch亥, that is, the 「residence」 position (the four characters 「宅上发用」 are repeated in the original text). From this, it can be concluded that the person is indeed departing on the day of the divination. The deity of the servant is Tian Kong, which is riding on 「寅」 and is located on the earth plate at position 午 (the character 「青」 in 「奴仆青天空」 is suspected to be an addition). When asking about a long journey, one must also look at where the year's master deity falls. In the year of Wuyin, the master deity is at position 寅, which is also located at 午. Therefore, it is predicted that he will arrive on Renwu day, or possibly be delayed until Guiwei day: because the initiatedTomb Spirit 「未」 is occupied by Taichong (Mao) and White Tiger on the earth plate, only these two days are expected. The result was that the person reached forty li away from the city on Renwu day and was blocked by heavy rain, arriving only on Guiwei day. The reason for the delay was that this divination used the method of involving harm, which inherently implies obstruction and delay; and indeed, the day he departed was the day of the divination, which was Yihai.

十一月乙亥日丑將巳時壬子命人占訟。中黃經

In the eleventh month on the Yihai day, with Chou as the Month General and the time of divination at Si, a person born in the Renzi year asks about a legal case. This example is taken from the Zhonghuang Jing.

蛇朱合勾 　丑寅卯辰　合虎常貴　財 癸未 虎 貴子　　巳龍　卯未申子　兄 己卯 合 后亥　　午空　未亥子乙　父 乙亥 后 　戌酉申未 　陰玄常

The lesson plate is laid out in a row as above. The general at Chou is added to the time of Si. The Heaven Plate is again four places behind the Earth Plate, so the twelve branches falling into the palaces are exactly the same as in the previous lesson, only with a different set of Heavenly Generals: on the Earth Plate at Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, the Heaven Plate has Xi, Yin, Mao, and Chen, respectively, each occupied by Teng Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, and Gou Chen; on the Earth Plate at Chen, the palace of Zi is occupied by Tian Yi Nobleman; on the Earth Plate at Mao, the palace of Hai is occupied by Heavenly Empress; on the Earth Plate at You, the palace of Si is occupied by Azure Dragon; on the Earth Plate at Xu, the palace of Wu is occupied by Tian Kong; on the Earth Plate at Yin, Chou, Chen, and Hai, the Heaven Plate has Xu, You, Shen, and Wei, respectively. The last row only prints three generals: Xu is occupied by Tai Yin, You by Xuan Wu, and Shen by Tai Chang. The missing general under Wei, following the order of Heavenly Generals in sequence and the annotations in the right column of the three transmissions, should be Bai Hu, but the original text is missing one character here. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace at Chen) occupied by Zi with Nobleman; the second lesson has Zi occupied by Shen with Tai Chang; the third lesson has the day branch Hai occupied by Wei with Bai Hu; the fourth lesson has Wei occupied by Mao with Liu He. The right column of the three transmissions: the first transmission is Wei, representing wife wealth, with hidden stem Gui Wei, occupied by Bai Hu; the middle transmission is Mao, representing brothers, with hidden stem Ji Mao, occupied by Liu He; the final transmission is Hai, representing parents, with hidden stem Yi Hai, occupied by Heavenly Empress. The day Yi Hai falls in the Jia Xu decade, with the void in the positions of Shen and You.

斷曰：未乘白虎，本宜有凶，幸遁得癸水生干，自是救解，且貴人遁得丙子，來日上生日，更為救神，末傳又喜亥為長生，是以來往有喜，縱白虎初傳白虎落壬亦免責矣。

The interpretation says: The first transmission is "Wei" riding on the White Tiger, which should indicate danger; fortunately, in this旬, the hidden stem is Gui, and Gui water can nourish the day stem Yi wood, thus there is a resolution amidst the danger. Moreover, the celestial nobleman is riding on "Zi", and the hidden stem of Zi is Bingzi, which is directly above the day stem and nourishes it, adding another protective deity. The final transmission "Hai" is the place of growth for Yi wood, which is particularly favorable. Therefore, although the case may involve many twists and turns, it ultimately turns into a happy outcome. Even though the White Tiger is present, since it is on a water hidden stem, the punishment can be avoided. (The term "White Tiger" is repeated, and the "Ren" in "falling on Ren" is likely a mistake for "Gui".)

愚按中黃經用遁干自成一家之言，？後銀河棹宗之，張星源金竹江咸用之重之注之。朱氏恆則謂斷來情當用遁干變化參論。若斷休咎不必用變求奇，此誠碓論，即如是課貴作恩星，初墓末生即無責罰不必盡因癸丙兩干也。

Cheng Shuxun remarked: The "Zhonghuang Jing" uses the concealed heavenly stems within the ten-day cycle to determine the divination, forming its own school of thought; later, the "Yinhe Zhao" followed this approach, and Zhang Xingyuan and Jin Zhujiang also adopted and valued it, making annotations on it (the question mark in the sentence is a missing character in the original text, which could not be identified). Zhu Heng argued: In determining the intention of the person coming, one may refer to the changes of the concealed heavenly stems, but when judging fortune and misfortune, one does not need to rely on the changes of the concealed heavenly stems to seek novelty. This is indeed a reasonable opinion. Taking this case as an example, the heavenly stem of Tianyi Guiren is the benevolent star, the first transmission is the tomb god and the final transmission is the growth, which originally does not lead to punishment, so there is no need to attribute all the merit to the two concealed heavenly stems, Jiu and Bing.

乙亥日將時占生產。一針見血

On the Yihai day, the Month General and the time of divination are in the same trigram. The question is about childbirth. This example is taken from "One Needle Sees the Essence."

龍空虎常 　巳午未申　后后勾勾　財 庚辰 勾 勾辰　　酉玄　亥亥辰辰　父 乙亥 后 合卯　　戌陰　亥亥辰乙　子 辛巳 龍 　寅丑子亥 　朱蛇貴後

The divination chart is laid out in rows as shown above. This is a Hidden Chant lesson: the Month General and the time of divination are in the same position. The Heaven Plate's twelve branches remain unchanged, placed directly over the corresponding Earth Plate palaces. On the Earth Plate, the palaces of巳, 午, 未, and 申 still have the same branches, namely巳, 午, 未, and 申, respectively, with the following deities: 青龙, 天空, 白虎, and 太常. The palaces of寅, 丑, 子, and 亥 still have the same branches, namely寅, 丑, 子, and 亥, respectively, with the following deities: 朱雀, 螣蛇, 天乙贵人, and 天后. The palace of 辰 has 辰 with 勾陈; the palace of 卯 has 卯 with 六合; the palace of 酉 has 酉 with 玄武; the palace of 戌 has 戌 with 太阴. The middle three rows are the Four Lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson has the Day Stem 乙 (with its lodging palace in 辰) with 辰 and 勾陈; the second lesson again has 辰 with 勾陈; the third lesson has the Day Branch 亥 with 亥 and 天后; the fourth lesson again has 亥 with 天后. In a Hidden Chant lesson, the Four Lessons have no mutual conflicts, so the initiating transmission is taken by the deity on the Day Stem according to the method of "self-assignment." The right-hand three transmissions: the initial transmission is 辰, representing wife and wealth, with the hidden stem Gengchen and Gou Chen; since 辰 is self-punishing, the middle transmission is taken from the Day Branch, which is 亥, representing parents, with the hidden stem Yihai and Heavenly Empress; since 亥 is also self-punishing, the final transmission is taken from its opposing deity, which is 巳, representing children, with the hidden stem Xinsi and Azure Dragon.

斷曰：占產凶，生不下。子母俱死，蓋伏吟課陰陽各伏，其家萬物未萌，滯而不通，故生不下，且日辰相刑，刑又發用乘勾陳土，其凶可見，即龍后不能救助也。

The interpretation states: This pregnancy is dangerous, the child cannot be born, and neither the mother nor the child can be saved. This is because the Hidden Chant chart has the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate completely overlapping, with yin and yang energies each hidden and inactive. The whole family is like all things have not yet begun to sprout, with everything stagnant and unsmooth, so the fetus cannot be delivered. Moreover, the Day Stem is in the palace of Chen and sees Chen, while the Day Branch is in the palace of Hai and sees Hai. Both the Day Stem and Chen form self-punishment, and the self-punishing spirit is exactly the initiating transmission. It is also accompanied by Gou Chen, which belongs to the earth element. Gou Chen signifies firm entanglement, and earth can block water paths. The ominous signs are clear. Even though the three transmissions include the Azure Dragon and Heavenly Empress, two auspicious generals, they cannot save the situation.

四月乙亥日申將未時占來意。一字玉連環

In the fourth month on the Yihai day, with 'Shen' as the Month General and the time of divination at Wei, the question is about the purpose of the person's visit. This example is taken from the "One Character Jade Linked Ring."

空虎常玄 　午未申酉　蛇貴空龍　財 丁丑 蛇 龍巳　　戌陰　丑子午巳　兄 戊寅 朱 勾辰　　亥后　子亥巳乙　兄 己卯 合 　卯寅丑子 　合朱蛇貴

The lesson plate is laid out in a row as shown above. The general Shēn is placed on the hour of Wèi. The Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions Sì, Wǔ, Wèi, and Shēn, the Heaven Plate positions Wǔ, Wèi, Shēn, and Yǒu are placed respectively, each accompanied by Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, and Xuan Wu. On the Earth Plate positions Yín, Chǒu, Zǐ, and Hài, the Heaven Plate positions Mǎo, Yín, Chǒu, and Zǐ are placed respectively, each accompanied by Liu He, Zhu Què, Téng Shé, and Tian Yi Guiren. On the Earth Plate position Chen, the Heaven Plate position Sì is placed with Qing Long; on the Earth Plate position Mǎo, the Heaven Plate position Chen is placed with Gou Chen; on the Earth Plate position You, the Heaven Plate position Xu is placed with Tai Yin; on the Earth Plate position Xu, the Heaven Plate position Hai is placed with Tian Hou. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson, on the day stem Yi (with its lodging palace at Chen), shows Sì with Qing Long; the second lesson, on Sì, shows Wǔ with Tian Kong; the third lesson, on the day branch Hai, shows Zǐ with Guiren; the fourth lesson, on Zǐ, shows Chǒu with Téng Shé. The entire plate has only one instance of an upper element overcoming a lower one, which is Chǒu (Earth) overcoming Zǐ (Water). According to the principle of the first lesson, Chǒu is used as the initiating transmission. On the right side, the three transmissions are: the first transmission Chǒu, representing wife wealth, with the hidden stem Dingchou, accompanied by Téng Shé; the second transmission Yín, representing brothers, with the hidden stem Wuyin, accompanied by Zhu Què; the third transmission Mǎo, representing brothers, with the hidden stem Jimao, accompanied by Liu He. Chǒu, Yín, and Mǎo progress in order, forming a lesson of "Jin Ru."

徐次賓曰：來意主人外出取索舊財兩重，繫丑年交易，其錢三百二十貫，至六月得錢五十六貫，至十二月再索，此錢主口舌相爭，卻賴姓董人和勸，而得也。

Xu Cibin said: The person coming to visit intends to go out to collect two old debts, which were owed in the year of Chou. The total amount is three hundred and twenty guan. In June, he will recover fifty-six guan first, and then in December he will go to collect the remaining amount. At that time, there will be an argument over the money. Later, with the help of a man named Dong, he will manage to get the money back.

何以知索舊財，緣時為日干財，值事門見白虎，主道路。又發用大吉，亦為日財，大吉土無氣，故言出入取索舊財兩重。繫丑年交易者，發端門是丑也。三百二十貫者，蓋大吉財八數，螣蛇四數，相乘得三百二十貫也。六月中得財五十六貫，何也，蓋時為日干財，小吉八數，白虎七數，相乘得五十六也。緣白虎無氣，又未為六月建，故於六月中先得五十六貫也。

To know that it is about collecting old debts, note that at the time of divination, the branch "Wei" is the wealth hexagram of the day stem Yi wood, which is being overcome. The "value gate" — that is, the branch of the time on the Heaven Plate, which is occupied by the Heavenly General — shows the White Tiger, which signifies travel and movement. The initiating transmission "Daji" (the alias of Chou) is also the wealth of the day stem. Chou earth has no strength in the fourth month, making it an old and declining wealth, hence the interpretation that one is going out to collect two old debts. It is said that the debt comes from a Chou year transaction, because the "initial transmission" — that is, the first transmission — is exactly Chou. The amount of three hundred and twenty units is calculated because the number of Daji (Chou) as a wealth is eight, and the number of Teng Snake is four, and eight multiplied by four gives thirty-two, which is rounded up to three hundred and twenty units. Why can fifty-six units be obtained in the sixth month? Because the time branch is the wealth of the day stem, and the number of Xiaoji (the alias of Wei) is eight, while the number of White Tiger is seven. Eight multiplied by seven gives fifty-six. The White Tiger is without strength here, and the earthly branch "Wei" is exactly the month builder of the sixth month, so the fifty-six units are first obtained in the sixth month.

至十二月再索有口舌相爭，得姓董人勸和，盡得之，何也。蓋發用大吉為財，為十二月建。中傳功曹為子輩，上得朱雀，主口舌爭競；末傳卯主千里，六合為草頭，配成董字；又六合為和合之象也。

Why does it say that asking for money in the twelfth month will lead to arguments, and only after a person named Dong intervenes can all the money be recovered? Because the initiating transmission is "Daji" (Chou), which is both the wealth hexagram and Chou, which is exactly the month builder of the twelfth month. The middle transmission "Gongcao" (the alternate name of Yin) represents the younger generation, and its upper transmission is the Vermilion Bird, which governs disputes and arguments. The final transmission "Mao" signifies a distance, and the words "thousand miles" combine to form "chong." TheLiu He (Liu He) has a grass radical, and grass combined with chong forms the character "Dong." Moreover,Liu He itself symbolizes harmony and mediation, so it is concluded that a person named Dong will intervene to resolve the dispute.

戊寅年七月乙亥日巳將辰時有所為而占。郭氏占案

In the year of Wuyin, seventh lunar month, on the day of Yihai, with the month general being Si and the time of divination being Chen, a person with an important matter to handle cast this divination. This example is taken from the "Guo's Divination Cases."

空虎常玄 　午未申酉　蛇貴空龍　財 丁丑 蛇 龍巳　　戌陰　丑子午巳　兄 戊寅 朱 勾辰　　亥后　子亥巳乙　兄 己卯 合 　卯寅丑子 　合朱蛇貴

The lesson disk is laid out in a row as above. The time of the fourth hour is added to the '巳' position. The Heaven Plate advances one position ahead of the Earth Plate, so the entire disk is exactly the same as the previous lesson: on the Earth Plate positions of '巳', '午', '未', and '申', the Heaven Plate positions are '午', '未', '申', and '酉', with the accompanying divinatory signs of Tian Kong, Bai Hu, Tai Chang, and Xuan Wu respectively; on the Earth Plate positions of '寅', '丑', '子', and '亥', the Heaven Plate positions are '卯', '寅', '丑', and '子', with the accompanying divinatory signs of Liu He, Zhu Que, Teng Snake, and Tian Yi Gu Ren respectively; on the Earth Plate position of '辰', it is '巳' accompanied by Qing Long; on the Earth Plate position of '卯', it is '辰' accompanied by Gou Chen; on the Earth Plate position of '酉', it is '戌' accompanied by Tai Yin; on the Earth Plate position of '戌', it is '亥' accompanied by Tian Hou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: on the Day Stem '乙' (with its lodging palace at '辰'), '巳' is accompanied by Qing Long; on '巳', '午' is accompanied by Tian Kong; on the Day Branch '亥', '子' is accompanied by Gu Ren; on '子', '丑' is accompanied by Teng Snake. The three transmissions remain as wife wealth '丑' (Dingchou) accompanied by Teng Snake, brother '寅' (Wuyin) accompanied by Zhu Que, and brother '卯' (Jimao) accompanied by Liu He, with the sequence of '丑', '寅', '卯' connected and advancing. Before the heavenly generals 'Kong Hu Chang Xuan', the original text does not leave a blank space as in other instances.

郭御青曰：進茹主事尚不了，末傳歸祿作六合，將吉丑乘螣蛇，因舊年事驚疑進，而寅卯比日更奇者，夾定虛一所欠者財，然行年在辰為補欠，奇妙奇妙。

Guo Yuqing said: The three transmissions of Chou, Yin, and Mao indicate a situation of advancing and consuming, suggesting that the matter being inquired about cannot be concluded at present. The final transmission 'Mao' is the禄神 of Yi wood, indicating 'returning to禄', and it also rides on Liu He, suggesting that eventually there will be success. The first transmission 'Daji' (Chou) rides on Teng Snake (the original text says 'Jiang Ji', which should be 'Daji' by mistake). Chou is the year branch of the year before Wuyin, and Teng Snake indicates fear and suspicion, showing that this matter is driven by doubts about an old affair. What is even more remarkable is that the middle and final transmissions Yin and Mao are both of the same type as Yi day, indicating siblings assisting the self; and the sequence of Chou, Yin, and Mao stops at Mao, with the next position 'Chen' left empty and unattainable. The missing position 'Chen' is precisely the wealth of Yi wood, which is exactly the money that is lacking. Coincidentally, the person's current year falls on 'Chen', thus filling this gap, which is truly remarkable.

戊戌年六月乙亥日未將巳時汀州府戴公諱儀占風聞朝廷有文字的否。方本占案 一針見血

In the year of Wuxu, sixth lunar month, on the day of Yihai, with the Month General being Wei and the time of divination at Si, Dai Gong, named Yi, from Tingzhou Prefecture, asked whether the rumors circulating outside that the court would issue an official document were true or false. This case is recorded in the "Fang Ben Zhan An" and also appears in "Yi Zhen Jian Xue."

青勾合朱 　未申酉戌　玄后勾空　官 　申 勾 ◎ 空午　　亥蛇　卯丑申午　財 甲戌 朱 ⊙ 虎巳　　子貴　丑亥午乙　父 丙子 貴 　辰卯寅丑 　常玄陰后

The course plate is laid out in rows as above. The general at the end of the hour is added to the fourth hour, and the heaven plate advances two positions ahead of the earth plate. On the earth plate, the positions of the snake, horse, goat, and monkey are covered by the heaven plate's positions of the goat, monkey, rooster, and dog, respectively, which are associated with the Azure Dragon, Gou Chen, Liu He, and Vermilion Bird. On the earth plate, the positions of the tiger, ox, rat, and pig are covered by the heaven plate's positions of the dragon, rabbit, tiger, and ox, respectively, which are associated with the Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, and Heavenly Empress. The earth position of the dragon is covered by the heaven position of the horse, which is associated with the Sky Void; the earth position of the rabbit is covered by the heaven position of the snake, which is associated with the White Tiger; the earth position of the rooster is covered by the heaven position of the dog, which is associated with the Teng Snake; and the earth position of the dog is covered by the heaven position of the rat, which is associated with the Heavenly Nobleman. The time of divination is the snake hour, which belongs to the day, and on an ethereal day, the nobleman of the day is at the rat position. The nobleman is located at the earth position of the dog, so the twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson is on the day stem of Yi (with its lodging palace at the dragon position) and sees the horse position, which is associated with the sky void; the second lesson is on the horse position and sees the monkey position, which is associated with the Gou Chen; the third lesson is on the day branch of Hai and sees the ox position, which is associated with the Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson is on the ox position and sees the rabbit position, which is associated with the Black Tortoise. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission is the monkey, which is the official ghost, associated with the Gou Chen, with a note of "◎"—since the day is Yi Hai, which belongs to the Jia Xu decade, the empty position is at the monkey and rooster, so the monkey position does not list the hidden stem but marks the empty position; the middle transmission is the dog, which is the wife's wealth, with the hidden stem Jia Xu, associated with the Vermilion Bird; the final transmission is the rat, which is the parents, with the hidden stem Bing Zi, associated with the Heavenly Nobleman. There is also another mark "⊙" beside the middle transmission, but the original text does not explain its meaning, so we do not make any assumptions here.

邵彥和曰：七月內必有朝廷文章來，被蒿惱不意而動。蓋初傳見勾陳乘歲馬作鬼，中傳雀乘太歲，末傳貴人，月建前一辰為用，故應七月，申為傳送，又為道路，帶鬼剋日，故來速也。果於七月癸巳日文字來，充替河州。

Shao Yanhe said that within the seventh month there would certainly be official documents from the court, which would disturb him and cause him to have to leave unexpectedly. This is because the first transmission is 'Shen' riding Gou Chen, which signifies entanglement and disturbance, and Shen is the post-horse of the year Wuxu. Shen metal also overcomes Yi wood, which represents official ghosts. The middle transmission rides the Vermilion Bird, which is naturally associated with documents, and the 'Xu' it rides is exactly the current year's sovereign. The final transmission rides the nobleman, indicating that the matter originates from the court. The initiating transmission is the previous stem of the June month builder 'Wei', so it should be in the seventh month. Shen is also called 'Chuansong', which signifies travel and movement, and it brings the official ghosts to overcome the day stem. As a result, the official documents arrived on theGuisi day of the seventh month, and he was ordered to take over the position in Hezhou.

宣和癸卯年三月乙亥日戌將午時林子成丙辰生四十八歲占平生養息。口鑑 捷要 青錢秘訣

In the year Guimao of the Xuanhe era, on the day Yihai of the third lunar month, using 'Xu' as the Month General and the time of day being Wu, Lin Zicheng, born in the year Bingchen and aged forty-eight at the time, consulted about what kind of livelihood he should rely on to support his family throughout his life. This example is taken from the "Koujian," and is also recorded in the "Jieyao" and "Qingqian Mijie."

合朱蛇貴 　酉戌亥子　青玄貴勾　財 癸未 青 勾申　　丑后　未卯子申　父 乙亥 蛇 青未　　寅陰　卯亥申乙　兄 己卯 玄 　午巳辰卯 　空虎常玄

The course is laid out in a straight line as above. The general戌 is placed on the hour of午. The Heaven Plate advances four positions ahead of the Earth Plate: on the Earth Plate positions巳, 午, 未, and 申, the Heaven Plate positions are 酉, 戌, 亥, and 子, respectively, which are occupied by Liu He, Vermilion Bird, Teng Snake, and Tianyi Nobleman. On the Earth Plate positions 寅, 丑, 子, and 亥, the Heaven Plate positions are 午, 巳, 辰, and 卯, respectively, which are occupied by Tian Kong, White Tiger, Tai Chang, and Black Tortoise. On the Earth Plate position 辰, the position 申 is occupied by Gou Chen; on the Earth Plate position 卯, the position 未 is occupied by Qinglong; on the Earth Plate position 酉, the position 丑 is occupied by Tianhou; on the Earth Plate position 戌, the position 寅 is occupied by Taiyin. The time of 午 belongs to the day, and on the day of 乙, the nobleman of the day is in 子. Therefore, the twelve heavenly generals are arranged in reverse order. The middle three rows are the four lessons, read from right to left: the first lesson is on the day stem 乙 (with its lodging palace in 辰) where 申 is present, occupied by Gou Chen; the second lesson is on 申 where 子 is present, occupied by nobleman; the third lesson is on the day branch 亥 where 卯 is present, occupied by Black Tortoise; the fourth lesson is on 卯 where 未 is present, occupied by Qinglong. The wood of 卯 is overcome by the earth of 未, which is a case of lower overcoming upper, so according to the method of reviewing again, the transmission starts with 未. The three transmissions on the right side: the first transmission 未 is wife wealth, with hidden stem Guiwei, occupied by Qinglong; the middle transmission 亥 is parents, with hidden stem Yihai, occupied by Teng Snake; the final transmission 卯 is brother, with hidden stem Jimao, occupied by Black Tortoise. The trinity of亥, 卯, and 未 forms a curve and straight wood formation. The day of Yihai belongs to the旬 of Jiaxu, with the empty position in 申 and 酉, and the position 申 on the first lesson's stem is exactly in the empty position.

邵彥和曰：凡占課見傳送空亡剋日，不可者四：一者養鵝不得，二者不得為醫，三者不得買碓，四者不宜為道士。

Shao Yanhe said: Whenever the "Chuansong" (another name for Shen) falls into Kongwang and then attacks the Day Stem, there are four kinds of occupations that should not be pursued: first, one cannot raise geese successfully; second, one cannot practice medicine; third, one cannot buy a water mill; and fourth, it is not suitable to become a Taoist. These four things all relate to the imagery of metal associated with Shen. The original text did not explain the origin of each image individually.

林曰：我自二十七歲亡父，二十九歲買得一水碓及磨坊，日與人爭訟，今十七年矣，累得累失，是我命不招乎？先生曰：汝命不得碓磨力，莫妄用心。支上幸有卯在長生上，一為驢騾，二為竹木，三為術士沙門，三者皆汝前程，必遂所得也。林遂棄碓磨養孳畜，多種竹木，有牝驢二頭，七年生五驢，竹木又盛茂。先生過其門，林再三拜謝。

Lin Zicheng said: I lost my father when I was twenty-seven, and at twenty-nine I bought a water mill and a mill, and I have been fighting lawsuits over them every day. Up to now, it has been seventeen years, and I have often gained and often lost. Is it that my destiny cannot bring me this kind of property? The master said: Your destiny does not benefit from the water mill and the mill, so you should stop wasting your efforts. Fortunately, there is a '卯' (Mao) in the day branch, which is in the position of growth. The symbolic meanings of '卯' are three: first, donkeys and mules; second, bamboo and wood; third, magicians and monks. These three are the path to your future. If you pursue them, you will surely succeed. Lin Zicheng then gave up the water mill and the mill, started raising livestock, and planted a lot of bamboo and wood. His family had two female donkeys, and within seven years, they gave birth to five young donkeys. The bamboo and wood also grew very vigorously. Later, when the master passed by his house, Lin Zicheng bowed repeatedly to express his thanks.

邵公占驗多係門弟所編，故稱先生。先生又謂之曰：卯可舟車，何不興販？林又從之，數年大發，鄉人叩問曰：曏者指彼數事，全皆大遂，可見吾丈神術有準。先生曰：大不然，是此人造化所該耳。蓋乙日木局，全旺在卯，卯生於亥，故卯全有氣也。元武入廟，又就本家生旺，此所以大全美也。且曲直木局，生於亥，旺於卯，末傳逢祿逢旺，諸事遂意，盡在末也。

Shao Gong's divination records were mostly compiled by his disciples, so the book refers to him as "the Master." The Master once told Lin Zicheng: "The '卯' (Mao) can also represent boats and vehicles, why don't you go into the business of transportation?" Lin Zicheng followed this advice, and within a few years he became very wealthy. The villagers came to ask: "Earlier, the Master pointed out several things for him, and each one went smoothly, which shows your great skill indeed." The Master said: "It's not like that at all. This is just the natural fortune that was destined for this person." Originally, the three transmissions of the day of Yi formed a wood trinity, with the wood energy fully flourishing in Mao. Mao also has its growth in Hai, so Mao is most vigorous. The final transmission is occupied by Xuanwu, which belongs to water. Xuanwu is in its prime, and the added "Hai" is the native land of water and the growth of wood. Water and wood are both in their flourishing places, which is the reason for the perfect situation. Moreover, the curve and straight wood trinity has its growth in Hai and its prosperity in Mao. The final transmission meets both the day's禄 (favorable position) and its prosperity, so everything goes smoothly, and all the good fortune falls on the final transmission.

初限未八卯六，相乘得四十八，折半得二十四。又加卯木三數，共二十七年，正在父母庇廕之下享福，十六娶妻財又大盛，至二十六歲限足，二十七歲交中限，父母便死，何以知其父先死，因中傳亥加未上，亥屬干，干為父，亥又為乙木之父，下被未克，上見螣蛇凶將，所以先喪父也。

The calculation for the first period is as follows: the number for "Wei" is eight, and the number for "Mao" is six. Multiplying eight and six gives forty-eight, which divided by two equals twenty-four. Then adding the number three for "Mao Wood," the total is twenty-seven years. These twenty-seven years are the time when one enjoys happiness under the protection of one's parents. At sixteen, one marries, and one's wealth becomes very prosperous. At twenty-six, the first period ends, and at twenty-seven, one enters the middle period. At this time, the parents pass away. How do we know the father dies first? Because the Middle Transmission "Hai" is added to "Wei": "Hai" belongs to the Qian Palace in terms of direction. The Zhou Changes (I Ching) associate Qian with the father. "Hai" water is also the parent's element for "Yi" Wood. It is below and is overcome by "Wei" earth, and above it is theInauspicious General Teng Snake, so the father dies first.

二十九歲買水碓磨坊，爭訟十七年猶不已者，是申加辰，申七辰五，五七三十五，空亡減半，得十七年。申空加日上，是平生所不利，故因碓磨而費十七年之財。若申不是鬼，猶不至於訟。

At twenty-nine he bought a water mill, but due to a legal dispute that lasted seventeen years, it remained unresolved. This is because the 'Shen' (metal) is added to the 'Chen' (earth): the number of 'Shen' is seven, and the number of 'Chen' is five, making thirty-five. Since 'Shen' falls in Kongwang, its number is halved, resulting in seventeen years. 'Shen' falling in Kongwang and being added to the Day Stem's Lodging Palace 'Chen' is the most unfavorable aspect of his life, causing him to waste seventeen years of money on the mill. If 'Shen' were not the official ghost of the Day Stem, it would not have led to such legal troubles.

予相見時，林年已四十八歲，遂令息爭改業，而向驢騾船隻竹木營生，今己酉年已五十四歲，現在末限，末傳卯加亥，卯六亥四，相乘得二十四，折半為一十二，加亥地盤四數，共十六數，五十六歲交末限，尚有十六年財利。此限亥與元武水，併力生卯祿旺，是以諸事如意。

When I met Lin Zicheng, he was already forty-eight years old, so I advised him to abandon litigation and switch to business, specifically dealing in donkeys and mules, boats, and bamboo and wood. This year, which is the Jiyou year, he is fifty-four years old and is now in the final phase of his life. In the final transmission, "Mao" is placed on "Hai": the number of Mao is six, and the number of Hai is four. Multiplying them gives twenty-four, which divided by two equals twelve. Adding the number four of the Earth Plate Hai, the total is sixteen. The final phase begins at fifty-six years old, and there will be sixteen more years of wealth and profit. In this phase, the water of the Earth Plate Hai and the water of Xuanwu from the final transmission combine to nourish the wood of Mao. Since Mao is the禄神 (lucky post) and the Prosperity position for Bing Wood, everything will go smoothly.

三傳三限也，大凡日上所見者生我即利，脫我即為彼所苦。我克者為財，克我者，文武職人則為官，常人則為鬼。同類加干則是兄弟，助我也。

The Three Transmissions refer to the three major periods in a person's life. Generally, the spirits seen above the day stem either benefit or harm the person. Those that generate me are beneficial, while those that drain or consume me are harmful. What I overcome is considered wealth; those that overcome me are considered official stars if the person holds a position of authority, but are considered ghosts or spirits if the person is an ordinary civilian. Those of the same type that appear above the day stem are considered siblings, coming to support me.

或又問曰：中限父亡之後，累累官司何也。先生曰：是蛇相擾，又申亥六害，害者害我也。或又問曰：初傳未亦可以養羊賣酒，中傳亥亦可以養豬，何獨取卯乎。先生曰：曲直全在卯，乙祿到卯，長生於亥，故取其全盛之地營之。且未加卯，亥加未，皆受下克，故受生為利，受克為害也。愚按此課及丁巳日干上亥課斷語最為詳細，宜熟玩之。

Another person asked: After my father's death in the middle period, there have been continuous legal disputes. What is the reason for this? The master said: It is because the middle transmission is occupied by Teng Snake causing disturbance, and also because the combination of Shen and Hai results in the six harms.所谓 harm means that it is coming to harm me. Another person asked: The initial transmission 'Wei' can also be used for raising sheep and selling wine, and the middle transmission 'Hai' can also be used for raising pigs. Why is it that we only choose 'Mao'? The master said: The essence of the curve and straight wood structure is fully concentrated in 'Mao'. The benefit of the wood stem Yi reaches 'Mao', and the birth of wood is in 'Hai'. Therefore, we should choose the most prosperous place for business. Moreover, the heaven plate 'Wei' is placed on the earth plate 'Mao', and the heaven plate 'Hai' is placed on the earth plate 'Wei', both are overcome by the earth plate's spirits. Those that are born are beneficial, while those that are overcome become harmful. Cheng Shuxun remarked: This lesson, along with the one on Dingsi day where Hai appears on the day stem, has the most detailed interpretation and should be thoroughly considered.