On the Days of Life and Death

169）葉八即行醫求占生意，戊申年十二月辛卯日丑將巳時。（午未空亡，寅卯落空），比用，曲直，佚女，寡宿，知一。 陳六 龍丑寅卯辰朱 空子 巳蛇 后 虎 陳 貴 父 空未 后 初（空亡） 虎亥 午貴 未 亥 寅 午 財 辛卯 六 中（落空） 常戌酉申未后 亥 卯 午 辛 子 丁亥 虎 末（丁神） 玄陰

Example 169: Ye Ba, who is a physician, came to consult about business. The time was in the year of Wu Shen, the twelfth month, day of Xin Mao. The lesson was cast with the month general Chou added to the time of Si. The day of Xin Mao belongs to the Jiashen decade, with the empty space falling on Wu and Wei. The branches of Yin and Mao on the Heaven Plate are exactly on the empty space positions. The lesson has five names: "Comparison and Use", "Curved and Straight" (the three transmissions of Wei, Mao, and Hai form a wood trinity), "Missing Woman", "Guasu", and "Knowing One". The Heaven Plate was set with the general Chou added to the time of Si. The nobleman is on Wu, with Teng Snake on Si, Vermilion Bird on Chen, Liu He on Mao, Gou Chen on Yin, Azure Dragon on Chou, Tian Kong on Zi, White Tiger on Hai, Tai Chang on Xu, Tai Yin on Shen, Tian Hou on Wei. The four lessons from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Xin, located in the Xu palace, with Wu above it, riding the nobleman; the second lesson is Wu with Yin above it, riding Gou Chen; the third lesson is the day branch Mao with Hai above it, riding White Tiger; the fourth lesson is Hai with Wei above it, riding Tian Hou. The three transmissions are Wei, Mao, and Hai: the first transmission Wei meets the empty space, representing the parents' yao, riding Tian Hou; the middle transmission Xin Mao is the wife and wealth yao, riding Liu He, falling into the empty space; the final transmission Ding Hai is the son and grandson yao, riding White Tiger, and is also the "Ding spirit".

邵先生曰：金日得木，滿盤皆財，不合午來化許多敗氣，木又死於午，作貴人偏不利醫貴人，卻有天醫在中傳，地醫在末傳，能制午火，貴人管事，是臨危之病，方來相請。有一婦人害反胃者，醫肝不醫胃；有一小兒中風氣者，通水臟不得治風，依此行人，可以取效也。汝屋上不合著一獸頭東立，人家亦有一獸頭相觸百達人，故財不入耳。葉八郎醫道不甚興，治小兒有效，才治大家便不效，其先人因對面有破山頭，遂以獸頭屋上鎮之，西北之家亦然。在葉氏屋前對沖。

Shao said: On a day with the辛 metal day stem, if the whole chart is full of wood, then everywhere is wealth; but unfortunately the午 fire comes and produces a lot of败气, and the wood dies in the午. The午 is occupied by the nobleman, so it is particularly unfavorable to treat the nobleman. However, the middle transmission has the tianyi and the final transmission has the diyi, both of which can control the午 fire. The nobleman is in authority and manages affairs, so it can be seen that one will only come to call on you when the illness is critical. In the future, if a woman suffers from vomiting, you should treat the liver rather than the stomach; if a child catches a wind stroke, you should promote the water organs rather than treat the wind. If you treat in this way, you will see results. Also, you should not have a beast's head facing east on your roof, as the neighbor's house also has one facing directly, and the two collide and offend passersby, so wealth cannot come in. Ye Bailang's medical skills were not very prosperous, and he was effective in treating children, but he was ineffective when treating large families. Originally, his ancestors, because there was a broken mountain in front, installed a beast's head on the roof to suppress it; the family in the northwest did the same, facing directly towards Ye's house in front.

先生析曰；蓋以白虎立亥在卯之上，是本家屋上之獸頭也。亥本宮上見未，有夜之白虎，是西北鄰家之獸頭也。葉因先生之言，而去之，次年正月初七日，楊七小娘子患翻胃，前請數十醫，經年不效，是日請葉治之，葉思先生之言，遂調治肝經即效，得錢二十餘緡。至三月十八日，徐參議之孫六歲，中風四五日瞑目不動，來請。葉又思先生之言，遂以瀉藥利其水臟，六七日能行，脫然無虞。又獲錢三百餘緡 ，自此醫道大行，遂緣天后在未來加亥，卯來克未，未遂克亥，故主反胃，先因卯克之，卯屬肝經，所以當治肝也。

Master Shao explained that the White Tiger is positioned on the亥 (Hai) branch, and the亥 (Hai) branch is also over the卯 (Mao) branch. The White Tiger represents the image of an animal's head, which refers to the one on his own house. On the亥 (Hai) branch, the original position of the branch is overlapped by the未 (Wei) branch, and on the未 (Wei) branch, there is another White Tiger of the night general. Since the亥 (Hai) branch belongs to the Northwest direction, that refers to the animal head of the neighbor to the Northwest. Hearing Master Shao's explanation, Ye Ba removed the animal head on his own house. On the seventh day of the first lunar month the next year, Yang Qiuxiaomang's wife suffered from vomiting, and she had consulted dozens of doctors for over a year without any improvement. That day she invited Ye Ba to treat her. Ye Ba recalled Master Shao's words and treated the liver meridian, and it immediately improved, earning him over twenty guan. On the eighteenth day of the third lunar month, Xu Canyi's six-year-old grandson had a stroke, and for four or five days he remained closed-eyed and motionless. They invited Ye Ba to treat him. Again, Ye Ba recalled Master Shao's words and used purgative medicine to clear the water organs, and within six or seven days the child could walk and was completely well, earning him over three hundred guan. From then on, his medical practice became very popular. The main cause of vomiting is because the Heavenly Empress is on the未 (Wei) branch and affects the亥 (Hai) branch, with the卯 (Mao) branch attacking the未 (Wei) branch, which in turn attacks the亥 (Hai) branch. Initially, the卯 (Mao) branch attacks it, and since the卯 (Mao) branch belongs to the liver meridian, treatment should focus on the liver.

亥為幼子，亥水生木不成局，則生風。叵導水使行，則風自息矣。未為亥胃覆生在下，故翻胃。一作覆在卯下，故主反胃。愛圅按：未加亥並非受生，則覆在卯下為是。三傳木局，木克土，故治肝木而不治胃土。辛日亥為幼子，加卯六數，是六歲。亥水生木，木主風，故理水臟而不治風木也。白虎在亥，通之為佳，故宜瀉也。

The亥 represents a young child;亥 water nourishes wood but does not form a complete pattern, thus generating wind. As long as the water is guided and flows smoothly, the wind will naturally subside. The未 is the stomach of亥, inverted and located below, hence causing regurgitation; another version states it is inverted below卯, hence indicating reverse regurgitation. Ai Du notes: the未 placed on亥 is not a case of being nourished, so it should be stated as inverted below卯. The three transmissions form a wood pattern, and wood can overcome earth, so the treatment should focus on the liver wood rather than the stomach earth. On a辛 day,亥 is considered the young child, placed on卯, which has the number six, corresponding to six years old.亥 water nourishes wood, and wood is associated with wind, so the treatment should focus on regulating the water organ rather than treating the wind wood. The White Tiger is located on亥, so it is advisable to open it up, hence the use of a draining method.

年月日時俱以前二辰為天醫，對沖為地醫。日地醫從子起順行十二辰。 午剋日，故寅卯為日財，午耗之，亥乘虎自刑又傷午貴。未乘天后為婦人，未又為胃，卯克之，制倒木局，故翻胃。卯為肝，治肝不克胃，六合為小兒。

An additional method: for the year, month, day, and hour, the two preceding branches are considered as Tianyi. The branch that is in opposition to Tianyi is called Diyi. The Diyi on the day stem starts from Zi and counts through the twelve branches in order. Wu is able to overcome the day stem, while Yin and Mao are the wealth of the day stem, which is consumed by Wu. Hai is occupied by the White Tiger and causes self-punishment, further injuring the nobleman on Wu. Wei is occupied by the Heavenly Empress, representing a woman, and also signifies the stomach. Being overcome by Mao, it suppresses the wood element, leading to the condition of reversed stomach function. Mao represents the liver, so treating the liver prevents injury to the stomach. Liu He represents children.

170）樊郎中往治項秀才病，來占。項丁丑生三十三歲，己酉年九月甲子日卯將申時。（戌亥空亡。巳午落空），知一，長幼，度厄。 貴后 蛇子丑寅卯陰 朱亥 辰玄 后 空 玄 陳 兄 丙寅 后 初 六戌 巳常 寅 未 辰 酉 鬼 癸酉 陳 中 陳酉申未午虎 未 子 酉 甲 財 戊辰 玄 末 龍空

Example 170: Fan Langzhong is going to treat Xiang Xiusheng, so he first sets up the divination. Xiang Xiusheng was born in the year Dingchou and is thirty-three years old. The time is on the day of Jiazi in the ninth month of the year Guiyou. Using the month of卯 as the general, it is placed on the hour of Shen. The day of Jiazi belongs to the Jiazi cycle, with the empty position falling on Xu and Hai. The branches of the heaven plate,巳 and午, are directly on the empty positions. The name of the lesson has three: "Know One", "Elder and Younger", "Overcome Misfortune". The heaven plate is set with卯 as the general added to the hour of Shen. The nobleman is on Chou, below it is Teng Snake on Zi, Vermilion Bird on Hai, Liu He on Xu, Gou Chen on You, Azure Dragon on Shen, Tian Kong on Wei, Bai Hu on Wu, Tai Chang on Si, Tai Yin on Chen, Tian Hou on Mao. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Jia, which is in the palace of Yin, with You above it, riding on Gou Chen; the second lesson is You with Chen above it, riding on Xuan Wu; the third lesson is the day branch Zi with Wei above it, riding on Tian Kong; the fourth lesson is Wei with Yin above it, riding on Tian Hou. The three transmissions are Yin, You, and Chen: the first transmission is Bingyin, which is the brother's yao, riding on Tian Hou; the middle transmission is Guiyou, which is the official ghost yao, riding on Gou Chen; the final transmission is Wuchen, which is the wife's wealth yao, riding on Xuan Wu.

邵先生曰：此病人往妻家有私情，因暗中相約，又失去情人所贈之物，遂思慮而得病，久而不治，必成癆怯。日上見酉作勾陳，思慮已傷肌膚，酉為閉口，此事難言也。當時樊亦庸醫，因先生之斷，假託診脈為名，言其病症，人皆驚異以為神醫。

Shao said: This patient had an affair with a woman from his wife's family, and the two secretly agreed. Later, he lost an item given by his lover, and thus became ill from overthinking. If left untreated for a long time, he will certainly develop a wasting illness. The day stem is seen with You and is occupied by Gou Chen, indicating that his thinking has already harmed his skin. You also signifies closing the mouth, meaning he cannot speak about this matter. Fan, the doctor, was originally an ordinary physician, but by quoting Shao's words, he pretended to diagnose by pulse and described the patient's symptoms one by one, and everyone was amazed, treating him as a divine doctor.

蓋項因妻母死，往妻家與舅嫂通，被妻舅知覺，遂歸。舅嫂以手帕贈之，項歸而失去，被妻拾得收藏，項不敢問，思之成病，肌膚消瘦，項既不言，妻亦不解；及聞樊郎中之言，妻乃出帕還之；樊深戒利害，服藥而愈。

At first, Xiang Xiucai went to his wife's family to attend the funeral of his mother-in-law, and had an affair with his wife's mother-in-law. When his wife's brother discovered this, Xiang returned home. His wife's mother-in-law gave him a handkerchief. After he returned home, he lost the handkerchief, which was picked up by his wife and kept by her. Xiang did not dare to ask about it, and after much thinking, he became ill, losing weight. Since he would not speak out, his wife also did not mention it. Only after listening to Fan Langzhong's words did his wife take out the handkerchief and return it to him. Fan then seriously warned him about the consequences, and after taking the medicine, Xiang recovered.

先生析曰；蓋此課日投入四課發用，復傳歸日，循環不斷，支為宅，支上未為妻，四課者，宅內也，是妻家矣。今寅投入四課，加妻爻上作天后，是與妻家婦人通矣。日上酉作勾陳，酉為色，勾為思慮，今得日鬼，思慮已傷肌膚，安得不病？然甲子旬酉為閉口，此事難言。辰為皮，為肌膚，加酉敗氣上，乘元武為走洩，故主消瘦。行年在戌，戌上巳，作太常，常主絲棉，是手帕也。己酉與三合，故主情人之物也。愛圅曰：太常加空，故遺失。明說而安者，行年上巳火能制酉金也。

Shao Master explained that in this case, the day stem enters the four lessons and initiates the transmission, then returns to the day stem, forming a continuous cycle. The day branch represents the house, and the you on the day branch represents the wife. The four lessons represent matters within the house, indicating the wife's family. Now, the yin enters the four lessons and is placed on top of the wife's爻, riding on the Heavenly Empress, indicating an affair with a woman from the wife's family. The you on the day stem rides on Gou Chen: you represents female beauty, and Gou Chen represents contemplation; now it is also the day stem's ghost, indicating contemplation has already harmed the skin, how could illness not occur? In the Jiazi decade, you is the closed mouth god, so the matter cannot be spoken of. Chen represents skin and muscles, placed on top of you, which is a declining energy, and riding on Xuanwu, which indicates leakage, so it indicates thinness. The year of the person is in xu, and xu has si, si rides on Tai Chang, Tai Chang represents silk and textiles, which is exactly that handkerchief; si and ji you form a triple harmony, so it is an item of the lover. Love notes: Tai Chang is placed on Kongwang, so the item will be lost; once the matter is revealed, the illness will be cured, because the si fire on the year of the person can overcome the you metal.

171）某占病戊申年二月初四戊午日亥將戌時。（子丑空亡，丑寅落空），別責，不備，六儀。天鬼；正月在酉，二月在午，三月在卯，巳月在子，五月在酉，依此反覆。 貴后 蛇午未申酉陰 朱巳 戌玄 后 貴 貴 蛇 鬼 甲寅 龍 初（暗鬼）（落空） 六辰 亥常 申 未 未 午 父 戊午 蛇 中 陳卯寅丑子虎 未 午 午 戊 父 戊午 蛇 末 龍空

Example 171: A person comes to consult about illness. The time is on the second day of the second month in the year of Wu Shen, on the day of Wu Wu. The lesson is cast with the month general of Hai added to the hour of Xu. The day of Wu Wu belongs to the Jiayin decade, with the empty positions falling on Zi and Chou. The branches of Tianpan, Chou and Yin, are directly on the empty positions. The lesson has three names: "Bie Ze", "Bu Bei", and "Li Yi". The method of pushing the heavenly ghost is as follows: in the first month, it is in You; in the second month, in Wu; in the third month, in Mao; in the fourth month, in Zi; in the fifth month, it returns to You, and so on in a cycle (the original text says "Si month" here, but it is recorded as such). The Tianpan is set with Hai as the general added to the hour of Xu. The nobleman is on Wei, with Teng Snake on Wu, Zhu Que on Si, Liu He on Chen, Gou Chen on Mao, Qing Long on Yin, Tian Kong on Chou, Bai Hu on Zi, Tai Chang on Hai, Xuan Wu on Xu, Tai Yin on You, and Tian Hou on Shen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Wu, which is in the Si palace, with Wu on top, riding Teng Snake; the second lesson is Wu with Wei on top, riding the nobleman; the third lesson is the day branch Wu with Wei on top, also riding the nobleman; the fourth lesson is Wei with Shen on top, riding Tian Hou. The three transmissions are Yin, Wu, and Wu: the first transmission is Jiayin, which is the official ghost爻, riding Qing Long, secretly accompanied by the ghost and falling in an empty position; the middle transmission is Wuwu, which is the parent爻, riding Teng Snake; the final transmission is still Wuwu, the parent爻, riding Teng Snake.

邵先生曰：天鬼午，受病鬼之生，犯了東嶽城隍香火神，乃疫氣入宅，主合宅病。蓋寅正春旺之鬼，鬼有氣不止一人，其家七口，病死三人，急告東嶽，餘人遂得免。蓋中末日上三個羊刃殺，所以喪三人。龍到巳午皆名命神，最不利。愛圅按：此句似用晝貴，其故何也？

Shao Master said: The heavenly ghost falls on Wu, and is further assisted by the spirit of the disease ghost, thus conflicting with the incense gods of the Eastern Mountain and the city god, allowing epidemic air to enter the house, which will cause the whole family to fall ill. Yin, being the ghost that is most active in spring, when it has power, will not only harm one person. In this case, seven people in the family fell ill, and three died. Later, they hurried to pray at the temple of the Eastern Mountain, and the rest were saved. The middle transmission, the final transmission, and the day stem together form three Yangren evils, hence three people were lost. The Azure Dragon reaches Si and Wu, both called "life spirits," which is very unfavorable. (Note: This sentence seems to be using the method of Day's Noble, but it is unclear why.)

172）尹邦達庚申生五十歲占妻病，妻同庚。己酉年丁亥日辰將亥時。（午未空亡，亥子落空），重審，鑄印，斬關。 朱六 蛇戌亥子丑陳 貴酉 寅龍 貴 虎 常 六 兄 癸巳 常 初（暗鬼） 后申 卯空 酉 辰 巳 子 子 丙戌 蛇 中 陰未午巳辰虎 辰 亥 子 丁 父 辛卯 空 末 玄常

Example 172: Yin Bangda was born in the year Geng Shen, and is fifty years old. He consulted about his wife's illness, and his wife was born in the same year. The time was in the year Ji You, day Ding Hai. The divination was started with the month of Chen as the general added to the hour Hai. The day Ding Hai belongs to the Jiashen cycle, with the empty positions falling on Wu and Wei. The Heaven Plate's branches Hai and Zi are directly on the empty positions. The lesson has three names: "Re-examination", "Casting the Seal", and "Cutting the Gate". The Heaven Plate was arranged with the general Chen added to the hour Hai. The nobleman is on You, with Teng Snake on Xu, Vermilion Bird on Hai, Liu He on Zi, Gou Chen on Chou, Azure Dragon on Yin, Tian Kong on Mao, Bai Hu on Chen, Tai Chang on Si, Tai Yin on Wu, Tian Hou on Wei. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ding, which is in the Wei palace, with Zi above it, riding Liu He; the second lesson is Zi with Si above it, riding Tai Chang; the third lesson is the day branch Hai with Chen above it, riding Bai Hu; the fourth lesson is Chen with You above it, riding the nobleman. The three transmissions are Si, Xu, and Mao: the first transmission is Gui Si, representing the brother's yao, riding Tai Chang, secretly accompanied by the ghost; the second transmission is Bing Xu, representing the son's yao, riding Teng Snake; the third transmission is Xin Mao, representing the father's yao, riding Tian Kong.

邵先生曰：丁日會起水局，日上子作六合，主孕，恐是鬼胎。眾笑曰：五十何能有胎？先生曰：受氣於秋，何以決？婦在子兮夫立申，今正秋占，及時之課，故主懷孕。只不合丁日會水局，故主鬼胎。空中必有影響，來年二月必見鬼形。尹妻數日後漸安，腹漸大，果是孕。次年二月三日生，乃鬼胎也。生了時時或瓦落，或物響，更不令安居。

Master Zhao said: A lesson on a Ding day will form a water pattern, and the day stem's Zi is accompanied by Liu He, indicating pregnancy, but it is feared to be a ghost fetus. Everyone laughed and said: How can a person of fifty still be pregnant? Master Zhao replied: The qi was received in autumn, so why should we doubt this conclusion? The mnemonic says, "the wife is at Zi, and the husband is at Shen," and now the lesson is being cast in autumn, which is timely, so it indicates pregnancy. However, since the Ding day forms a water pattern, it indicates a ghost fetus. There will certainly be some disturbances in the air, and on the third day of the second month next year, a ghostly form will definitely appear. The wife of the Yin family gradually recovered after a few days, and her belly grew larger day by day, indeed she was pregnant. The next year on the third day of the second month, a ghost fetus was born. After the birth, there were occasional incidents such as roof tiles falling or objects making noises, disturbing people and making them unable to live in peace.

先生析曰；蓋丁日火生於寅，胎在子，子又為子息，更作六合臨日，正應《心鏡》之論，然會起水局為鬼，故曰鬼胎。末見卯與子刑，故次年二月見鬼形也。若他人占行年，不併不見鬼，不可云鬼胎，若不會起申子辰，卻是官星，必生貴子，非鬼胎也。

Master Zhao explained that Ding belongs to fire, and fire is born in寅 and has its embryo in子; 子 is also the son爻 and is accompanied by Liu He, which is on the day stem. This exactly matches the statement in the Heart Mirror. However, this divination forms a water trinity and transforms into a ghost, so it is called a ghost fetus. The final transmission,卯, is in conflict with子, so a ghost form will be seen in the second month of the following year. If someone else were to divinate this, since their age does not align with it and they do not see a ghost, it would not be called a ghost fetus. If it does not form the water trinity of Shen-Zi-Chen, then子 would be the official star, and it would certainly result in a noble son, not a ghost fetus.

173）葉解元丁丑生三十四歲占病，庚戌年六月壬辰日午將巳時。（午未空亡，）元首，進茹。 朱六 蛇午未申酉陳 貴巳 戌龍 蛇 貴 常 虎 鬼 己丑 常 初 后辰 亥空 午 巳 丑 子 子 庚寅 玄 中 陰卯寅丑子虎 巳 辰 子 壬 子 辛卯 陰 末 玄常

Example 173: Ye Jieyuan was born in the year Dingchou, and is thirty-four years old. He consulted about illness. The time was in the year Gengxu, sixth month, Renchen day. The divination was started with the hour of Wu as the month general. The day Renchen belongs to the Jiashen decade. The empty positions fall on Wu and Wei (the empty position section is left blank in the original text). The name of the lesson is two: "Original Head" and "Progressing Vegetables" (the three transmissions are in the order of Chou, Yin, and Mao). The Heaven Plate is arranged with Wu as the month general and Wu hour. The nobleman is on Wu, with Teng Snake on Wu, Vermilion Bird on Wei, Liu He on Shen, Gou Chen on You, Qinglong on Xu, Tian Kong on Hai, Baihu on Zi, Tai Chang on Chou, Xuanwu on Yin, and Tianhou on Chen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ren, located in theHai Palace, with Zi on top, riding Baihu; the second lesson is Zi with Chou on top, riding Tai Chang; the third lesson is the day branch Chen with Si on top, riding the nobleman; the fourth lesson is Si with Wu on top, riding Teng Snake. The three transmissions are Chou, Yin, and Mao: the first transmission is Jiachou as the official ghost爻, riding Tai Chang; the second transmission is Gengyin as the son爻, riding Xuanwu; the third transmission is Xinhao as the son爻, riding Tai Yin.

邵先生曰：此課本身雖堅固，不合傳進迤邐脫氣，子與丑合作常，因與人相會飲酒食，而喜樂太過，遂惑風邪。今已七八分了，以行年退一步而就祿，壬水又旺，玄又同途，水既太盛，雖生木不為害，但只補元氣，其風自退。宅上見絕神，三傳丑寅卯，若非行年退卻一步，定見進脫，不可療矣。

Shao Master said: Although the subject himself is strong, the three transmissions have been continuously advancing and gradually draining the energy. The combination of Zi and Chou with Tai Chang is due to excessive gathering and drinking, leading to the invasion of wind pathogen. Now he has recovered about seven or eight parts: his age has retreated one step, thus aligning with his official position, and the Ren water is currently strong. The Black Tortoise is also in the same direction as water. Since water is too strong, even though it generates wood, it does not cause harm. As long as the original energy is replenished, the wind pathogen will naturally subside. The house position shows the绝神, and the three transmissions are continuously advancing from Chou to Yin to Mao. If his age had not retreated by one step, it would have definitely led to an advancing and draining situation, which would be incurable.

先生析曰；大凡壬日行丑寅卯，迄邐進脫，支上又見絕神，必不可治，不問老少皆以死論。惟此課行年在後一位，引退就祿。雖然進其實就退，只不合初傳本命來與子合，太常為燕樂神，過餘遂使風邪入內，以致生病。然喜時令在秋，壬癸水秋生，得亥子相併旺相，必不至死。主今冬得子。若是來年正月節生必貴子。內有暗貴人故也。目下主服，初丑破碎作常是以主之。

Shao Master explained that generally, when the three transmissions on a day of Ren are in the order of Chou, Yin, and Mao, they proceed smoothly and gradually dissipate, and if the day branch also shows the spirit of absolute depletion, the case is definitely hopeless, regardless of age, and should be treated as a death. However, in this particular case, the year pillar falls on the next branch, which indicates a retreat of the body back to its own fortune; it appears as progress, but in reality it is a retreat. However, the initial transmission's original destiny comes to combine with the son, which is not appropriate. Tai Chang is the deity of feasting and joy, and excessive joy allows wind evil to enter the body, leading to illness. Fortunately, the season is autumn, and the water of Ren and Gui gains the growth energy in autumn, and with the presence of Hai and Zi, they are prosperous and strong. Therefore, death is not inevitable, and it indicates that a son will be born this winter. If the person was born in the first lunar month of next year, it will certainly be a noble son, because the lesson contains an implied nobleman. At present, it indicates mourning for a parent, which is due to the initial transmission's Chou branch carrying the broken state and being governed by Tai Chang.

174）韓省干戊寅生三十三歲占子病，子五歲，丙午生，庚戌年七月己亥日午將未時。（辰巳空亡，卯辰落空），元首，退茹，斬關，勵德。 龍空 陳辰巳午未虎 六卯 申常 玄 陰 龍 空 兄 戊戌 陰 初 朱寅 酉玄 酉 戌 巳 午 子 丁酉 玄 中（丁神） 蛇丑子亥戌陰 戌 亥 午 己 子 丙申 常 末 貴後

Example 174: Han Xinggan was born in the year of Wuyin, at the age of thirty-three, and consulted about his son's illness. His son was five years old, born in the year of Bingwu. The time was in the year of Gengxu, seventh month, day of Jihai. The divination was started with the month general of Wu added to the hour of Wei. The day Jihai belongs to the Jiawu decade, with the empty position falling on Chen and Si. The branches of Mao and Chen on the Heaven Plate are exactly on the empty position. The name of the lesson has four parts: "Original Head", "Retreating Vegetables" (three transmissions in reverse order: Xu, You, Shen), "Cutting the Gate", and "Encouraging Virtue". The Heaven Plate was set with the general of Wu added to the hour of Wei. The nobleman rode the Zi, with Teng Snake on Chou, Vermilion Bird on Yin, Liu He on Mao, Gou Chen on Chen, Azure Dragon on Si, Tian Kong on Wu, Bai Hu on Wei, Tai Chang on Shen, Xuan Wu on You, Tai Yin on Xu, and Tian Hou on Hai. The four lessons from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Ji is placed in the Wei palace, with Wu above it, riding Tian Kong; the second lesson, Wu has Si above it, riding Azure Dragon; the third lesson, the day branch Hai has Xu above it, riding Tai Yin; the fourth lesson, Xu has You above it, riding Xuan Wu. The three transmissions are Xu, You, Shen: the first transmission, Wu Xu is the brother's yao, riding Tai Yin; the middle transmission, Ding You is the son's yao, riding Xuan Wu, and is also the "Ding God"; the final transmission, Bing Shen is also the son's yao, riding Tai Chang.

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

Master Zhao said: The illness has already become very dangerous. The family has been worshiping deities and consulting doctors, spending thousands of coins, yet they do not realize the root of the illness is right before their eyes. Now the child is so exhausted that he convulses, his hands and feet curl up, and his mouth and eyes are twisted - is this being treated as a wind illness? Answer: Yes. If treated as a wind illness, the child will surely die. His illness is due to being led out by a servant, given a cold zongzi to eat, and then eating cold cold noodles, which both accumulated in his abdomen, causing fever; the accumulation and blockage led to intestinal blockage, resulting in the curling of his hands and feet. Treating it in this way will result in recovery. Han's son, on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, was taken by the servant's family to wrap zongzi and burn paper, and they gave him a zongzi to eat. When he returned, he ate cold noodles, and that night he fell ill. The condition was severe, and despite repeated consultations with doctors and spending a great deal of money, there was no improvement. After listening to Master Zhao's advice, the doctor used the herbs Chenpi, Qingpi, and Wuyao to make a decoction, and the child immediately felt lighter, passed three or four pieces of black stool, and recovered completely.

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

The principle here is that on a Ji day, seeing Xu indicates the image of the same clan; seeing Wu on the day stem indicates something emerging from fire. Si has not yet formed but resembles a grain of rice; when combined with the character 'zong' (clan), it forms the image of a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling). It is also placed above Hai water, so it is called a cold zongzi. Tai Yin represents an elderly woman, indicating that it is the mother of the servant giving it to him. You governs wheat and Shen governs flour, so it is called flour; Xuan Wu governs crossing water, so it is called cold water noodles crossing the water.

175）蔣六公乙巳生六十五歲占自身不安，己酉年辛酉日巳將寅時。（子丑空亡，卯辰落空），遙克，彈射，勵德，三交，寡宿。 虎常 空申酉戌亥玄 龍未 子陰 蛇 陰 朱 后 財 乙卯 蛇 初（落空） 陳午 丑后 卯 子 辰 丑 鬼 戊午 陳 中 六巳辰卯寅貴 子 酉 丑 辛 兄 辛酉 虎 末 朱蛇

Example 175: Jiang Liugong was born in the year Yisi, and is now 65 years old. He consulted the divination concerning his own unease. The time was in the year Jiyou, on the day Xinyou. The month was Si, and the divination was cast with the Si general added to the寅 hour. The day Xinyou belongs to theJiayin cycle, with the empty position falling on Zi and Chou. The branches of the heaven plate,卯 and辰, are directly on the empty positions. The name of the lesson has five aspects: "Remote克制", "Projectile", "Encouragement of Virtue", "Three Intersections", and "Solitary Host". The heaven plate was set with the Si general added to the寅 hour. The nobleman is on寅, with the Teng Snake on卯, the Vermilion Bird on辰, the Liu He on巳, the Gou Chen on午, the Azure Dragon on未, the Tian Kong on申, the White Tiger on酉, the Tai Chang on戌, the Black Tortoise on亥, and the Heavenly Empress on子. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Xin, which is in the戌 position, with丑 above it, riding the Heavenly Empress; the second lesson is on丑, with辰 above it, riding the Vermilion Bird; the third lesson is on the day branch酉, with子 above it, riding the Heavenly Empress; the fourth lesson is on子, with卯 above it, riding the Teng Snake. The three transmissions are卯,午,酉: the first transmission isYimao, which is the wife and wealth爻, riding the Teng Snake, falling on an empty position; the middle transmission isWuwu, which is the official and ghost爻, riding the Gou Chen; the final transmission isXinyou, which is the brother爻, riding the White Tiger.

邵先生曰：吾丈年高，尚有此病，何也？凡三交中有空亡六合者，皆不正之合，其患有三：一主吾丈思前妻，二主戀一少婦不在眼前，多方煩燥，遂致下部流利不實；三主長子非橫因成病。今行年在末傳，帶祿居火上，為鬼所弄，不免貪食生冷酸鹹之物。若能如願，尚可活七八年，否則情死定死矣。蔣公欲取一意中人，諸子不肯，心遂躁怒，又大郎一奶子，又生煩躁，遂得下部病。只好酸鹹物吃。後先生勸彼乃郎，取此意中人與之，其病漸減。

Master Zhao said: You are so old and still suffering from such an illness, what is the cause? Any "Sanjiao" divination with Kongwang and Liu He included indicates an improper union, and its three misfortunes are: first, you miss your deceased wife; second, you are fond of a young wife who is not with you, thus feeling very restless and consequently suffering from lower body discharge; third, your eldest son will have an unexpected misfortune, which leads to illness. Now your current year is in the Final Transmission, with the禄神 (favorable deity) located on fire, being manipulated by ghosts, inevitably leading to a craving for cold, sour, salty, and spicy foods. If your wishes are fulfilled, you may live for another seven or eight years; otherwise, if it is due to emotional issues, you will surely die. Master Jiang wanted to marry a woman he liked, but his sons refused, causing him to be restless and angry; additionally, a wet nurse of his eldest son also upset him, leading to an illness in the lower body, and he only craved sour and salty foods. Later, Master Zhao advised his son to marry the woman he liked, and his illness gradually improved.

先生析曰；蓋果至丙辰年死。蓋支上子丑合，而乘太陰，又是夜神，是淫亂合也，卻又空亡，乃虛想其合，而無實效。四課遙克為傳，事主在內。長子非橫，乃卯為長子，作蛇故主非橫。主事初傳空亡，便不行傳，喜得末上行年相接，所以用之，日上丑土得中午生，土遂生金，丑八，故八年也。

Shao Master explained that he indeed died in the Bingchen year. The day branch has Zi and Chou combining, and both are under Tai Yin, and they are night gods, indicating a licentious union. Moreover, they also meet Kongwang, so it is only an empty thought about this relationship without actual result. The Four Lessons use distant overcoming to generate the transmission, indicating the matter originates internally. The eldest son is subject to sudden misfortune because Mao represents the eldest son, and Mao is under Teng Snake, indicating unexpected calamity. The initial transmission, which is the main factor, meets Kongwang, so it cannot proceed normally. Fortunately, the final transmission has the person's age to take over, so it can still be used. The earthy branch of the day stem, Chou, is supported by the middle transmission's Wu fire, and the earth then supports metal; since Chou's number is eight, it is judged to be eight years.

176）蔣七婆戊申生六十二歲占子病，子辛未生三十九歲，己酉年辛酉日巳將申時。 六朱 陳寅卯辰巳蛇 龍丑 午貴 六 貴 朱 后 鬼 戊午 貴 初 空子 未后 卯 午 辰 未 財 乙卯 六 中 虎亥戌酉申陰 午 酉 未 辛 子 空子 空 末（空亡） 常玄

Example 176: A woman named Jiang Qi born in the year Wu Shen, aged 62, consulted about her son's illness. Her son was born in the year Xin Wei, aged 39. The time was in the year Xin You, day Xin You. The divination was cast using the month of Si as the general, placed on the hour of Shen. The day Xin You belongs to the Ji Yin decade, with the empty space falling on Zi and Chou. The branches of the Heaven Plate, You and Xu, are directly on the empty space positions. The structure of the lesson is exactly the same as the 128th example, where Ji Guan person consulted about his house and children. The Heaven Plate was set with Si as the general on the hour of Shen. The nobleman rode the horse of Wu, below it was Teng Snake riding Si, Zhu Que riding Chen, Liu He riding Mao, Gou Chen riding Yin, Qing Long riding Chou, Tian Kong riding Zi, Bai Hu riding Hai, Tai Chang riding Xu, Xuan Wu riding You, Tai Yin riding Shen, and Tian Hou riding Wei. The four lessons, from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Xin, which is in the Xu palace, with Wei above it, riding Tian Hou; the second lesson is Wei with Chen above it, riding Zhu Que; the third lesson is the day branch You with Wu above it, riding the nobleman; the fourth lesson is Wu with Mao above it, riding Liu He. The three transmissions are Wu, Mao, and Zi: the first transmission Wu Wu is the official ghost, riding the nobleman; the middle transmission Yi Mao is the wife's wealth, riding Liu He; the final transmission Zi is in the empty space of the decade, representing the son's wealth, riding Tian Kong.

邵先生曰：病因情人或眷屬不足，致得此病，此情人乃官作使女之類，欲見不能，思戀極矣，故生心病。若要病好，須是釋思，更婦人臨別，贈有手跡，他嘗留身畔，須燒了與他另娶方可，否則日漸成癆矣。

Master Zhao said: His illness began from an unhappy matter involving a lover or relative. This lover was sent by the authorities to serve as a maid, and he wanted to see her but couldn't, leading to intense longing and thus a mental illness. To recover, he must let go of this thought. Additionally, the woman gave him something she made herself before parting, which he has kept all along; it must be burned. He should also be given another wife, and only then will he recover; otherwise, his illness will gradually turn into a wasting disease.

蔣七婆之子因喪妻，遂與鄰婦通姦，他丈夫得知，卻典僱與何判院，此人苦思成病，又婦人行時，繡一香囊與之，其子時常觀玩，睹物思人，其病更甚。七婆聞先生之言，遂與彼燒絕，又為彼娶一婦，病果自愈。

Jiang Qi Po's son had an affair with a neighbor's wife after his wife died. When the wife's husband found out, he sold her to He Panyuan. The man became very ill from thinking about her constantly. Before leaving, the woman embroidered a sachet for him, which he often took out and played with, making his illness worse. After hearing Shao Master's advice, Jiang Qi Po burned the sachet and married her son to another woman, and the illness naturally disappeared.

先生析曰；蓋未作後生日，支上午與未合，乃鬼合，便是不正之交，傳退與婦人相離也。三交交易之象，宅上貴人是合入宅去也。末傳是子，行年上丑，子又與丑合，更日辰上實合，末又見空亡合，即是思望懸切，欲合不合，傳退既值空亡，只得在此思想，所以成癆。午未合，子丑合，子午沖，丑未沖，合處相傷，反成不足。子丑又空，是去彼不得見矣。

Shao Master explained that the branch of Wei comes with the Heavenly Empress and is born into the day stem, and the day branch of Wu combines with Wei. Wu is a ghost, so this is called ghost combination, which represents improper association. The three transmissions are in reverse order, indicating separation from that woman. "Three transactions" originally signify exchange and change, but since there is a nobleman in the dwelling position, it means she is being combined with someone else's household. The final transmission is Zi, and the year branch is Chou. Zi combines with Chou, and there is also a real combination between the day stem and day branch. However, the final transmission is an empty combination, which represents longing and unfulfilled desire. Since the three transmissions are in reverse order and also meet an empty situation, he can only be trapped in empty thoughts, thus developing a wasting illness. Zi combines with Chou and Wu combines with Wei, but Zi and Wu are in opposition, and Chou and Wei are also in opposition. The places where they combine actually harm each other, resulting in regret. Zi and Chou both fall into emptiness, meaning even if he goes there, he will not see her.

178）某占病，二月庚辰日亥將辰時。（申酉空亡，卯辰落空），渉害，絕嗣，驀越。 貴后 蛇子丑寅卯陰 朱亥 辰玄 虎 朱 六 陰 鬼 壬午 虎 初 六戌 巳常 午 亥 戌 卯 父 丁丑 貴 中（丁神）（暗鬼） 陳酉申未午虎 亥 辰 卯 庚 兄 空申 龍 末（空亡） 龍空

Example 178: A person came to consult about illness. The time was on the second month, on the day of Geng Chen. The lesson was cast with the month general of Hai added to the time of Chen. The day of Geng Chen belongs to the Jia Xu decade, with the empty position falling on Shen and You. The branches of Mao and Chen on the Heaven Plate are exactly on the empty position. The lesson has three names: "Involvement of Harm," "Loss of Offspring," and "Sudden Leap." The Heaven Plate is set with Hai as the general added to the time of Chen. The Nobleman is on Chou, below it is Teng Snake on Zi, Vermilion Bird on Hai, Liu He on Xu, Gou Chen on You, Azure Dragon on Shen, Tian Kong on Wei, White Tiger on Wu, Tai Chang on Si, Black Tortoise on Chen, Tai Yin on Mao, and Heavenly Empress on Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Geng, which is in the Shen palace, with Mao above it, riding Tai Yin; the second lesson is Mao with Xu above it, riding Liu He; the third lesson is the day branch Chen with Hai above it, riding Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson is Hai with Wu above it, riding White Tiger. The three transmissions are Wu, Chou, and Shen: the first transmission is Ren Wu, which is the official ghost爻, riding White Tiger; the second transmission is Ding Chou, which is the parent爻, riding Nobleman, and is also the "Ding God" with an invisible ghost; the third transmission is Shen, which falls on the empty position of the decade, being the brother爻, riding Azure Dragon.

邵先生曰：四課俱下賊，絕陰之象。白虎乘午作鬼，男病主三日內死也。何則？無陽氣也。不合灸，又不宜服藥，此是血病。蓋午主心，心主血也。宅中有陰人，死得不明，作鬼為禍。要陰鬼退，須門前社廟作福，午是陰人，乘虎作鬼故也。又午是天之真火剋日，主灸神，乘虎故不宜灸。又是天醫，故不宜服藥。涉害深為用，主久病。若是陰人則死尚可緩。且火加水，主寒熱往來剋日，主癆血。

Master Zhao said: All four lessons are lower elements attacking the upper ones, indicating a disruption of yin energy. The White Tiger is riding on Wu and transforming into a ghost. If the patient is a man, he will die within three days - why? Because there is no yang energy. This illness should not be treated with moxibustion or medicine, for it is a disease of the blood: Wu in the human body represents the heart, and the heart governs blood. There is a woman in the house who died in a mysterious way, transforming into a ghost that haunts; to drive away this ghost, one should perform a ritual at the gate's shrine to seek blessings - because Wu represents a woman, and the White Tiger riding on Wu transforms into a ghost. Moreover, Wu is the true fire in heaven that attacks the day stem, governing the deity of moxibustion. Now it is riding the White Tiger, so moxibustion is not suitable. It is also the Tianyi deity, so taking medicine is also not suitable. Taking the most harmful deity as the initiating transmission indicates a long-term illness. If the patient is a woman, the time of death can be postponed. Moreover, fire on water indicates alternating chills and fever, and it attacks the day, indicating consumption and blood loss.

179）某占病，丁巳日未將寅時。（子丑空亡，巳午落空），重審，鑄印，斬關。 朱六 蛇戌亥子丑陳 貴酉 寅龍 空 蛇 常 六 兄 丁巳 常 初（落空）（丁神） 后申 卯空 卯 戌 巳 子 子 壬戌 蛇 中（暗鬼） 陰未午巳辰虎 戌 巳 子 丁 父 乙卯 空 末 玄常

Example 179: A person comes to consult about illness. The time is on the day of Dingsi, with the month general Wu added to the time of Yin hour to cast the divination. The day Dingsi belongs to the Jiayin decade, with the empty positions falling on Zi and Chou. The branches of the Heaven Plate, Si and Wu, are exactly on the empty positions. The name of the lesson has three: "Re-examination," "Casting Seal," and "Cutting the Gate." The Heaven Plate is set with Wu as the month general added to Yin hour. The nobleman is riding酉, below it is Teng Snake riding Xu, Vermilion Bird riding Hai, Liu He riding Zi, Gou Chen riding Chou, Azure Dragon riding Yin, Tian Kong riding Mao, White Tiger riding Chen, Tai Chang riding Si, Tai Yin riding Wu, Tian Hou riding Shen. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ding, which is in the Wei palace, with Zi above it, riding Liu He; the second lesson is Zi, with Si above it, riding Tai Chang; the third lesson is the day branch Si, with Xu above it, riding Teng Snake; the fourth lesson is Xu, with Mao above it, riding Tian Kong. The three transmissions are Si, Xu, and Mao: the first transmission is Dingsi, which is the brother's yao, riding Tai Chang, falling on an empty position and being the "Ding god"; the second transmission is Renxu, which is the son's yao, riding Teng Snake, secretly accompanied by a ghost; the third transmission is Yimao, which is the parent's yao, riding Tian Kong.

邵先生曰：主病人狂言發喘而死，巳作常為用，主言語。丁日巳用皆火，中又蛇乘戌加巳，是火加旺地，故主發狂。火墓戌，陰氣盡也。凡人以內陰氣為主，陰日養陽，今已絕，則陽氣上攻，而不能生陰，陰絕陽弱，更主發喘，果狂言發喘而死。

Shao Master said: The patient will speak nonsense and die from shortness of breath. The巳 is initiating transmission with Tai Chang, and Tai Chang governs speech. The day is Ding, which shares the same element as巳, both being fire. The middle transmission is Teng Snake riding on戌, which is placed on top of巳. This indicates fire reaching its peak, thus causing madness.戌 is the tomb of fire, and when something reaches its tomb, it signifies the complete depletion of yin energy. The human body relies on internal yin energy as its foundation, which daily nurtures yang energy. Now that yin energy has completely ceased, yang energy rises upward and cannot generate new yin. With yin energy depleted and yang energy weak, shortness of breath inevitably follows. Later, the patient indeed spoke nonsense and died from shortness of breath.

180）某占病十二月丙午日子將亥時。（寅卯空亡，卯辰落空），彈射，進茹，不備。 朱蛇 六午未申酉貴 陳巳 戌后 蛇 朱 朱 六 財 戊申 蛇 初 龍辰 亥陰 申 未 未 午 財 己酉 貴 中 空卯寅丑子玄 未 午 午 丙 子 庚戌 后 末 虎常

Example 180: A person comes to seek divination about illness. The time is on the 12th month, Bingwu day. The lesson is cast using the Zi month general placed on the Hai hour. Bingwu day belongs to the Jiachen decade, with the empty position falling on Yin and Mao. The Heaven Plate's Yin and Chen branches are directly on the empty position. The lesson has three names: "Striking", "Advancing", and "Incomplete". The three transmissions are Shen, You, and Xu in sequence. The Heaven Plate is set with the Zi general placed on the Hai hour. The Nobleman rides You, the Teng Snake rides Shen, the Vermilion Bird rides Wei, the Liu He rides Wu, the Gou Chen rides Si, the Azure Dragon rides Chen, the Tian Kong rides Mao, the Bai Hu rides Yin, the Tai Chang rides Chou, the Xuan Wu rides Zi, the Tai Yin rides Hai, and the Heavenly Empress rides Xu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Bing, located in the Si palace, with Wu above it, riding Liu He; the second lesson is Wu with Wei above it, riding the Vermilion Bird; the third lesson is the day branch Wu with Wei above it, also riding the Vermilion Bird; the fourth lesson is Wei with Shen above it, riding the Teng Snake. The three transmissions are Shen, You, and Xu: the first transmission is Wu Shen, which is the wife's wealth yao, riding the Teng Snake; the middle transmission is Ji You, which is also the wife's wealth yao, riding the Nobleman; the final transmission is Geng Xu, which is the son's yao, riding the Heavenly Empress.

邵先生曰：定是咳嗽狂言，見鬼見神之狀。蓋三傳金，主肺主嗽，而午火又加丙，午火盛發，心神散亂，故主發躁狂言。鬼神之狀者，申加未，未臨宅，未主鬼神之狀。其人死者，傳歸死墓也。未中有鬼宿。

Shao said: This must certainly be coughing, talking nonsense, and seeing ghosts and spirits. The three transmissions all belong to metal, and metal governs the lungs and causes coughing; and the wu fire is added to bing, so the wu fire becomes strong and erupts, causing the mind to scatter, hence leading to restlessness and talking nonsense. The so-called seeing ghosts and spirits is because shen is added to wei, and wei is located at the dwelling position, and wei is the symbol of ghosts and spirits. This person will ultimately die, because the three transmissions return to the dead and墓 positions - the wei palace contains the ghost mansion.

181）某占兒病，己丑日丑將辰時。（午未空亡，卯辰落空），昂星，掩目，天煩。 虎常 空寅卯辰巳玄 龍丑 午陰 后 朱 龍 常 財 戊子 陳 初 陳子 未后 未 戌 丑 辰 兄 壬辰 常 中（落空） 六亥戌酉申貴 戌 丑 辰 己 兄 丙戌 朱 末 朱蛇

Example 181: A person came to consult about a child's illness. The time was on the day of Ji Chou, with the month general Chou added to the time of Chen. The day Ji Chou belongs to the Jiashen decade, with the empty position falling on Wu and Wei. The branches of the Heaven Plate, Wu and Chen, are exactly on the empty positions. The name of the lesson has three: "Mao Star", "Covering the Eyes", "Heavenly Distress". The Heaven Plate is set with the month general Chou added to the time of Chen. The nobleman is riding Shen, below which Teng Snake rides You, Zhu Que rides Xiu, Liu He rides Hai, Gou Chen rides Zi, Qing Long rides Chou, Tian Kong rides Yin, Bai Hu rides Mao, Tai Chang rides Chen, Xuan Wu rides Si, Tai Yin rides Wu, and Tian Hou rides Wei. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ji, which is in the Wei palace, with Chen above it, riding Tai Chang; the second lesson is Chen with Chou above it, riding Qing Long; the third lesson is the day branch Chou with Xu above it, riding Zhu Que; the fourth lesson is Xu with Wei above it, riding Tian Hou. The three transmissions are Zi, Chen, and Xu: the first transmission is Wu Zi, which is the wife's wealth, riding Gou Chen; the second transmission is Ren Chen, which is the brother's element, riding Tai Chang, falling into the empty position; the third transmission is Bing Xu, which is also the brother's element, riding Zhu Que.

邵先生曰：昴星課，純陽之象，陰掩其陽，是無陽氣也。辰作常覆日，陰上丑破，末戌加丑，陰氣將盡於戌，陽氣將盡於辰，陰陽氣絕，絕者促也，病人當氣促而短。陽氣將盡，外應虛熱煩躁，又主熱渴。其人果先熱渴，而後喘死。

Shao Master said: "The textbook on the star 'Mao' represents a pure yang image. Now, yin has covered yang, meaning there is no yang energy. The hour of Chen is riding on Tai Chang and repeatedly rests upon the day stem. The place of the yin spirit, Chou, is broken; the final transmission, Xu, is placed upon Chou. Yin energy will be exhausted at Xu, and yang energy will be exhausted at Chen. Both yin and yang energies will be cut off. 'Cut off' means urgency, so the patient should have rapid and shallow breathing. When yang energy is exhausted, there should be external symptoms of false heat and restlessness, and also signs of fever and thirst. This child indeed first had fever and thirst, and later could not breathe and died.

182）吳四公六十四歲占進畜，己酉年九月癸亥日卯將辰時。（子丑空亡，亥子落空），元首，退茹，斬關。 貴后 蛇辰巳午未陰 朱卯 申玄 常 虎 空 龍 鬼 壬戌 虎 初 六寅 酉常 酉 戌 亥 子 父 辛酉 常 中 陳丑子亥戌虎 戌 亥 子 癸 父 庚申 玄 末 龍空

Example 182: Wu Si Gong, aged sixty-four, consulted about acquiring livestock. The time was Jiyou year, September, Guihai day. The class was cast with the卯 month general added to the辰 hour. Guihai day belongs to the Jiayin decade, with the empty positions falling on Zi and Chou. The Heaven Plate's Zi and Hai branches are directly on the Kongwang positions. The lesson has three names: "Original Head", "Retreating Vegetables" (three transmissions in reverse order: Xu, You, Shen), and "Cutting the Gate". The Heaven Plate was set with the卯 general added to the辰 hour. The Nobleman rode巳, below it Teng Snake rode辰, Vermilion Bird rode卯, Liu He rode寅, Gou Chen rode丑, Azure Dragon rode子, Tian Kong rode亥, Bai Hu rode戌, Tai Chang rode酉, Tai Yin rode申, Tian Hou rode未. The four lessons from right to left: the first lesson, the day stem Gui is in the Chou palace, with Zi above it, riding Azure Dragon; the second lesson, Zi has Hai above it, riding Tian Kong; the third lesson, the day branch Hai has Xu above it, riding Bai Hu; the fourth lesson, Xu has You above it, riding Tai Chang. The three transmissions are Xu, You, Shen: the first transmission, Ren Xu is the official ghost yao, riding Bai Hu; the middle transmission, Xin You is the parent yao, riding Tai Chang; the final transmission, Geng Shen is also the parent yao, riding Xuan Wu.

邵先生曰：欲進六畜，而豬牛欄皆不得其所。戌加亥作白虎，大豬入欄反小，只如犬大，兼且多病死傷。牛臨寅地，自是畏鄉，豈能長久？要好移欄到長生西南之地，牛羊豬皆可養之。宅基皆不利畜，牛羊豬雞皆無位，至於犬反要咬豬，貓亦不能捕鼠。

Master Zhao said: You want to raise domestic animals, but the pigpen and cowshed are not placed in suitable positions. The戌 is placed on the亥 and is multiplied by the White Tiger, so large pigs in the pen do not grow big, only as big as dogs, and they are often sick or injured. The ox is located in the寅, which is the direction it fears, how can it be raised long? If you want to do it well, you should move the pens to the Southwest direction of Growth, then the ox, sheep, and pigs will all be raised successfully. This house itself is not favorable for raising animals: the ox, sheep, pigs, and chickens have no suitable places to stay; as for the dog, it will even bite the pigs; and the cat cannot catch the mice.

蓋緣天目在宅，宅中有伏尸，所以不榮。五年之內，伏尸必傷人矣。吳宅自造屋十三四年來，諸畜皆養不得，故占之。當先宅前一半是田，一半是山，其山有古冢骸骨，不知姓名，吳盡撤去造屋，是以不利。後至甲寅三月，宅中屢現火光，怪異並作。吳記先生斷課之語，遂遷別宅居住。大凡占宅，天目加支，多主伏尸。秋以戌為天目，戌數五，故主五年必現影響也。

This is because the heavenly stem is located on the house position, and there is a hidden corpse within the house, causing the livestock to be weak; within five years, this hidden corpse will definitely harm people. The Wu family has lived in this house since they built it, and for thirteen or fourteen years, they have been unable to raise any livestock, so they came to consult. Originally, half of the front of the house was farmland and half was mountain, and there was an ancient tomb on the mountain, whose remains were unknown; the Wu family levelled the mountain to build the house, which caused misfortune. Later, in the third month of the Jiayin year, frequent fires appeared in the house, and various strange phenomena occurred. Wu Sigu remembered the words of Shao Master's divination, and moved to another place. Generally, when the heavenly stem is placed on the day branch in house divination, it often indicates the presence of a hidden corpse. In autumn, the heavenly stem is戌, and the number of戌 is five, so it indicates that there will definitely be some movement within five years.

183）王寺丞占出兵往饒州取馬何故未回，丁亥日戌將卯時。（午未空亡，辰巳落空），重審，四絕。 朱六 蛇子丑寅卯陳 貴亥 辰龍 朱 虎 陰 六 兄 空午 虎 初（空亡） 后戌 巳空 丑 午 酉 寅 子 己丑 朱 中 陰酉申未午虎 午 亥 寅 丁 財 甲申 玄 末 玄常

Example 183: Wang the Imperial Censor divined why the troops sent to Raozhou to obtain horses had not yet returned. The day was Dinghai, with the month general Wu added to the卯 hour to cast the divination. Dinghai day belongs to the Jiashen decade, with the empty hour falling on Wu and Wei (the original text also notes 'Chen and Si fall empty', but according to this divination, the Heaven Plate branches Chou and Yin are actually on the empty hour, so there may be an error in the original text, and it is recorded as is). The lesson has two names: 'Rechecking' and 'Four Isolation'. The Heaven Plate is set with Wu as the general added to the卯 hour. The Nobleman rides亥, below it Teng Snake rides子, Vermilion Bird rides丑, Liu He rides寅, Gou Chen rides卯, Azure Dragon rides辰, Tian Kong rides巳, White Tiger rides午, Tai Chang rides未, Tai Yin rides申, and Heavenly Empress rides戌. The four lessons, from right to left: the first lesson is the Day Stem Ding, which is in the Wei palace, with寅 above it, riding Liu He; the second lesson is寅 with酉 above it, riding Tai Yin; the third lesson is the Day Branch Hai with午 above it, riding White Tiger; the fourth lesson is午 with丑 above it, riding Vermilion Bird. The three transmissions are午,丑,申: the first transmission is午, which falls on the empty hour, representing the brother's yao, riding White Tiger; the middle transmission is己丑, representing the son's yao, riding Vermilion Bird; the final transmission isJiashen, representing the wife's wealth yao, riding Azure Dragon.

邵先生曰：其馬必被虎傷死矣。五日後兵士報曰：放馬山上吃草，被虎所食。蓋午為馬，乘虎加亥為用，自刑加自刑，上午被亥克，故然。

Shao Master said: That horse must have been killed by a tiger. Five days later, the soldiers reported that the horse was left on the mountain to graze and was eaten by a tiger. This is because in the six domestic animals, the horse is ruled by Wu. Wu combined with the White Tiger and acted upon Hai, initiating the transmission. Wu self-punished and also acted upon Hai, which is the self-punishing branch. The Wu above was also overcome by the water of Hai, hence the verification.

184）遂安官人占失馬，十一月壬午日丑將卯時。（申酉空亡。午未落空），元首，間傳。 蛇貴 朱卯辰巳午后 六寅 未陰 六 蛇 陰 常 子 戊寅 六 初（暗鬼） 陳丑 申玄 寅 辰 未 酉 兄 丙子 龍 中 龍子亥戌酉常 辰 午 酉 壬 官 甲戌 虎 末 空虎

Example 184: Su An's person came to divinate the lost horse. The time was on the 11th month, Renwu day. The lesson was cast with Chou as the month general added to Mao time. Renwu day belongs to the Jiaxu decade, with the empty position falling on Shen and You. The Heaven Plate's Wu and Wei branches are exactly on the empty position. The lesson has two names: "Original Head" and "Intermediate Transmission" (three transmissions: Yin, Zi, Xu, in reverse order). The Heaven Plate was set with Chou as the general added to Mao time. The nobleman rides Si, below it Teng Snake rides Chen, Vermilion Bird rides Mao, Liu He rides Yin, Gou Chen rides Chou, Azure Dragon rides Zi, Tian Kong rides Hai, Bai Hu rides Xu, Tai Chang rides You, Tai Yin rides Wei, Tian Hou rides Wu. The four lessons from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ren, located in Hai, with You above it, riding Tai Chang; the second lesson is You with Wei above it, riding Tai Yin; the third lesson is the day branch Wu with Chen above it, riding Teng Snake; the fourth lesson is Chen with Yin above it, riding Liu He. The three transmissions: Yin, Zi, Xu. The first transmission Wu Yin is the son's爻, riding Liu He, secretly accompanied by ghost; the middle transmission Bing Zi is the brother's爻, riding Azure Dragon; the final transmission Jia Xu is the official star, riding Bai Hu.

邵先生曰：此馬不見矣。午為馬加申道路之上，正行也。被人騎去矣。果然。

Master Zhao said: This horse cannot be recovered. The hour of Wu is associated with horses among the six domestic animals. Now it is added to the hour of Shen, which represents the path, and it is currently in motion. It has already been ridden away by someone. Later, it indeed turned out to be true.

185）某占失馬丁丑日亥將申時。（申酉空亡，亥子落空），昂星，掩目，虎視。 朱蛇 六申酉戌亥貴 陳未 子后 陳 虎 陰 蛇 兄 壬午 龍 初（暗鬼） 龍午 丑陰 未 辰 丑 戌 子 甲戌 蛇 中 空巳辰卯寅玄 辰 丑 戌 丁 子 庚辰 虎 末 虎常

Case 185: A person comes to consult about a lost horse. The time is on Dingchou day, with the month general亥 added to the time of Shen. Dingchou day belongs to the Jiaxu decade, with the empty position falling on Shen and You. The branches of Heaven Plate,亥 and Zi, are exactly on the empty position. The name of the lesson has three: "昴星", "掩目", and "虎视". The Heaven Plate is set with亥 as the general added to the time of Shen. The nobleman is riding亥, below which Teng Snake rides Xu, Zhu Que rides You, Liu He rides Shen, Gou Chen rides Wei, Qing Long rides Wu, Tian Kong rides Si, Bai Hu rides Chen, Tai Chang rides Mao, Tai Yin rides Chou, Tian Hou rides Zi. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ding, which is in the Wei palace, with Xu above it, riding Teng Snake; the second lesson is Xu with Chou above it, riding Tai Yin; the third lesson is the day branch Chou with Chen above it, riding Bai Hu; the fourth lesson is Chen with Wei above it, riding Gou Chen. The three transmissions are Wu, Xu, and Chen: the first transmission is Renwu, which is the brother's yao, riding Qing Long, secretly accompanied by a ghost; the middle transmission is Jiaxu, which is the son's yao, riding Teng Snake; the final transmission is Gengchen, which is also the son's yao, riding Bai Hu.

邵先生曰：馬在東方寺院圍牆內不能出，須從一破門入去，尋見在己卯日也。果於二十五日，於東方寺院從輪藏前破門入牆內尋見。蓋馬屬午，作龍為用，類神在傳也。破門者，午破卯，卯為門也。牆垣者，四土周圍也。

Shao said: A horse was trapped inside the wall of a temple in the east and could not get out, needing to enter through a broken gate. The day it was found was the Jimao day. Later, indeed on the twenty-fifth day, the horse was found entering through the broken gate in front of the wheel藏 in the eastern temple. This was because the horse belonged to the horse sign, which is associated with the午. The午 took the initiative by multiplying with theAzure Dragon, thus the divine category fell into the three transmissions. The term broken gate refers to the午 breaking the卯, while the卯 governs the gate. The term wall refers to the four sides being surrounded by the earth branches.

186）某占失羊，戊子日酉將寅時。（午未空亡，丑寅落空），重審，循環，贅婿，不備。 貴后 蛇子丑寅卯陰 朱亥 辰玄 后 空 空 蛇 財 戊子 蛇 初 六戌 巳常 寅 未 未 子 兄 空未 空 中 陳酉申未午虎 未 子 子 戊 鬼 庚寅 后 末 龍空

Example 186: A person came to consult about a lost sheep. The time was on the Wuzi day, with the You month general added to the Yin hour to cast the divination. The Wuzi day belongs to the Jiashen decade, with the empty space falling on Wu and Wei. The branches of the Heaven Plate, You and Yin, are exactly on the empty space positions. The name of the lesson has four: "Chong Shen" (Re-examination), "Xun Huan" (Cycle), "Zhu Xi" (Stepson), and "Bu Bei" (Incomplete). The Heaven Plate is set with the You general added to the Yin hour. The Nobleman is on the Chou branch, with Teng Snake on Zi, Vermilion Bird on Hai, Liu He on Xu, Gou Chen on You, Azure Dragon on Shen, Tian Kong on Wei, Bai Hu on Wu, Tai Chang on Si, Tai Yin on Chen, Xuan Wu on Mao, and Tian Hou on Yin. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the Day Stem Wu, located in the Si palace, with Zi on top, riding Teng Snake; the second lesson is Zi with Wei on top, riding Tian Kong; the third lesson is the Day Branch Zi with Wei on top, also riding Tian Kong; the fourth lesson is Wei with Yin on top, riding Tian Hou. The three transmissions are Zi, Wei, and Yin: the first transmission is Wu Zi, which is the wife's wealth, riding Teng Snake; the second transmission is Wei, which is the brother, riding Tian Kong, and it falls in the empty space of the decade; the third transmission is Geng Yin, which is the official ghost, riding Tian Hou.

邵先生曰：子作蛇臨日為用，主非橫事。中末加子作天空，未羊也，加子為六害，羊非水物，不宜臨子，況上又作天空是戊戌土，戌刑未，戌為犬，犬傷羊，子水也。此羊被犬趕入水中，為人宰了，以甕器盛之，藏在廁中，天空無氣為器物，又為汙穢。寅加未，虎又啖食之獸，所以傷羊。不出今日須敗，果當日捉獲。

Shao said: The branch Zi is riding on Teng Snake and is on the day stem, initiating the transmission, indicating unexpected matters. The middle transmission's Wei is added to Zi and is riding on Tian Kong. Wei among the six domestic animals is sheep, added to Zi becomes the sixth harm. Sheep are not water animals, so they are not suitable to be on Zi. Moreover, Tian Kong's original branch is Wuxu earth, and Xu is in conflict with Wei. Xu in the twelve branches is dog, which harms sheep. Zi is water. Therefore, the sheep is driven into water by the dog and is slaughtered, put into a jar, and hidden in the toilet. Tian Kong without energy takes the image of vessels and indicates filth. Yin is added to Wei, Yin in the twelve branches is tiger, which is a fierce beast that eats sheep, so it indicates harm to sheep. This matter will be exposed today. Indeed, the person was caught that day.

187)某占失羊，丁未日未將未時。（寅卯空亡，寅卯落空），伏吟，稼穡。 虎常 空巳午未申玄 龍辰 酉陰 常 常 常 常 子 丁未 常 初（丁神） 勾卯 戌后 未 未 未 未 子 癸丑 朱 中（暗鬼） 六寅丑子亥貴 未 未 未 丁 子 庚戌 后 末 朱蛇

Example 187: A person comes to divinate the loss of a sheep. The time is on Dingwei day, using the month general of Wei added to Wei hour to cast the divination. Since the month general and the hour are the same, the heaven plate and earth plate completely overlap, so it is called 'Hidden Chant'. Dingwei day belongs to the Jiachen decade, with the empty palace falling on Yin and Mao. Under the Hidden Chant, the heaven and earth plates overlap, and Yin and Mao also fall exactly on the empty palace. The two names of the divination are 'Hidden Chant' and 'Cultivation of Crops' (the three transmissions, Wei, Chou, and Xu, are all earth). In the chart, the nobleman is riding亥, below which Teng Snake rides Zi, Zhu Que rides Chou, Liu He rides Yin, Gou Chen rides Mao, Qing Long rides Chen, Tian Kong rides Si, Bai Hu rides Wu, Tai Chang rides Wei, Xuan Wu rides Shen, Tai Yin rides You, and Tian Hou rides Xu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: all four lessons have Wei with Wei and ride Tai Chang. The three transmissions, Wei, Chou, and Xu: the first transmission, Dingwei, is the son's yao riding Tai Chang, and is also the 'Ding God'; the middle transmission, Gui Chou, is also the son's yao riding Zhu Que, secretly accompanied by a ghost; the final transmission, Geng Xu, is still the son's yao riding Tian Hou.

邵先生曰：伏吟課，其羊定在西南兄弟姐妹親眷家尋之，今日申時可見。果申時在西南方妻姐家尋見。蓋未為羊，上作太陽月將，丁未日又未發用，故在西南。親眷者，未為眷屬者也。伏吟在本位不旺，未乃月將，五月當相氣，故不失。

Master Zhao said: This is a Hidden Chant divination. The sheep must be in the Southwest with relatives or siblings. It can indeed be found by the afternoon hour of Shen. Indeed, at the afternoon hour of Shen, the sheep was found in the Southwest at the wife's aunt's house. This is because the Earthly Branch 'Wei' is the master of sheep among the six domestic animals. 'Wei' is also the Month General, and on the day of Dingwei, 'Wei' is the Initiating Transmission. 'Wei' is located in the Southwest direction, so the sheep is in the Southwest. It is said to be in a relative's house because 'Wei' itself represents relatives. In a Hidden Chant divination, all deities are in their original positions and not in their旺 position, but 'Wei' is the Month General, and in the fifth month it is in its phase position, so the sheep cannot be lost.

188)某占失羊，己卯日亥將未時。（申酉空亡，子丑落空），渉害，比用，曲直，亂首，不備。 朱蛇 六酉戌亥子貴 陳申 丑后 蛇 龍 玄 蛇 兄 癸未 龍 初 龍未 寅陰 亥 未 卯 亥 財 乙亥 蛇 中（暗鬼） 空午巳辰卯玄 未 卯 亥 己 鬼 己卯 玄 末 虎常

Example 188: A person came to consult about a lost sheep. The time was on the day of Ji Mao, with the month general Hai added to the hour of Wei. The day Ji Mao belongs to the Xu旬, with the empty position falling on Shen and You. The branches Zi and Chou on the Heaven Plate are exactly on the empty positions. The lesson has five names: "Involvement of Harm," "Comparison and Use," "Curved and Straight" (the three transmissions Wei, Hai, and Mao form a Wood formation), "Disorder at the Beginning," and "Incomplete." The Heaven Plate is arranged with the month general Hai added to the hour of Wei. The nobleman is riding Zi, below which Teng Snake rides Hai, Zhu Que rides Xu, Liu He rides You, Gou Chen rides Shen, Qing Long rides Wei, Tian Kong rides Wu, Bai Hu rides Si, Tai Chang rides Chen, Xuan Wu rides Mao, Tai Yin rides Yin, and Tian Hou rides Chou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ji, which is in the Wei palace, with Hai above it, riding Teng Snake; the second lesson is Hai, with Mao above it, riding Xuan Wu; the third lesson is the day branch Mao, with Wei above it, riding Qing Long; the fourth lesson is Wei, with Hai above it, riding Teng Snake. The three transmissions are Wei, Hai, and Mao: the first transmission is Gui Wei, representing the brother's yao, riding Qing Long; the second transmission is Yi Hai, representing the wife's wealth yao, riding Teng Snake, with a hidden ghost; the third transmission is Ji Mao, representing the official ghost yao, riding Xuan Wu.

邵先生曰：春占曲直課，未加卯作龍為用，其羊不失。乃走入他人羊群中，信東方尋之必見。果於東方園內羊群中尋見。 先生析曰；蓋初傳是類神，作龍入傳，加日辰，故不失。

Master Zhao said: If a divination is cast in spring and the hexagram is "Bend and Straight," and if it is not placed on the卯 (Mao) but instead initiates with the Azure Dragon, then the sheep will not be lost, but has run into another flock. One should only look to the east, and it will certainly be found. Later, indeed, the sheep was found in a flock in an eastern garden. Master Zhao explained that the first transmission is the deity associated with sheep, and it enters the three transmissions while riding the Azure Dragon, and also rests upon the day stem and day branch, so the sheep will not be lost.

189）某占失狗，甲辰日戌將寅時。（寅卯空亡，戌亥落空），渉害，炎上，狡童，斬關。 虎常 空丑寅卯辰玄 龍子 巳陰 蛇 龍 后 六 財 庚戌 六 初（落空）（暗鬼） 陳亥 午后 申 子 午 戌 子 丙午 后 中 六戌酉申未貴 子 辰 戌 甲 兄 空寅 虎 末（空亡） 朱蛇

Example 189: A person came to consult about a lost dog. The time was on the day of Jiachen, with the month general Wu added to the time of Yin. The day Jiachen belongs to the Jiachen decade, with the empty position falling on Yin and Mao. The branches Wu and Hai on the Heaven Plate are exactly on the empty positions. The lesson has four names: "Involvement of Harm," "Inflammation," (the three transmissions Wu, Wu, Yin form a fire trinity), "Cunning Boy," and "Cutting the Gate." The Heaven Plate is set with Wu as the general added to the time of Yin. The nobleman is on Wei, with Teng Snake on Shen, Vermilion Bird on You, Liu He on Wu, Gou Chen on Hai, Azure Dragon on Zi, Tian Kong on Chou, Bai Hu on Yin, Tai Chang on Mao, Xuan Wu on Chen, Tai Yin on Si, and Tian Hou on Wu. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Ji, located in the Yin palace, with Wu on top, riding Liu He; the second lesson is Wu with Wu on top, riding Tian Hou; the third lesson is the day branch Chen with Zi on top, riding Azure Dragon; the fourth lesson is Zi with Shen on top, riding Teng Snake. The three transmissions are Wu, Wu, Yin: the first transmission is Geng Wu, the wife and wealth爻, riding Liu He, falling on the empty position and secretly accompanied by a ghost; the second transmission is Bing Wu, the son and grandson爻, riding Tian Hou; the third transmission is Yin, falling on the empty position, as the brother and sibling爻, riding Bai Hu.

邵先生曰：白狗尋不見矣。蓋戌為類神，加日雖主自歸，奈何戌與寅雖作三合，又作六合，而寅反作虎在未傳克戌，故尋不得，定被殺了。後知被木排上人殺了。寅作虎克戌，寅木也。遂應木排上人，奇妙至此。蓋卯為排，夾克戌土故也。

Shao Master said: This white dog cannot be recovered. Xu is the class god of the dog, and when added to the day stem, it naturally indicates the dog returning itself. However, although Xu and Yin form a triple harmony and also take the Liu He, Yin is in the final transmission and rides the White Tiger, thus reversing to attack Xu. Therefore, the dog cannot be found, and it must have been killed. Later it was found out that the dog was killed by people working on wooden rafts. Yin rides the White Tiger to attack Xu, and Yin belongs to wood, so the incident should be related to people on wooden rafts. The deduction is precise to this extent. Here, Mao is taken as representing wooden rafts, and together with Yin, they jointly attack Xu earth for this reason.

190）某占失雞，辛亥日子將丑時。（寅卯空亡，丑寅落空），元首，退茹，不備，斬關。 六陳 朱辰巳午未龍 蛇卯 申空 虎 常 空 虎 父 庚戌 常 初 貴寅 酉虎 酉 戌 申 酉 兄 己酉 虎 中 后丑子亥戌常 戌 亥 酉 辛 兄 戊申 空 末 陰玄

Example 190: A person came to consult about a lost chicken. The time was on the day of Xinhai, with the month general placed on the hour of Chou. The day Xinhai belongs to the Jiachen decade, with the empty position falling on Yin and Mao. The Heaven Plate's Chou and Yin branches are exactly on the empty position. The lesson has four names: "Original Head", "Retreating Vegetables" (three transmissions in reverse order: Xu, You, Shen), "Incomplete", and "Cutting the Gate". The Heaven Plate is set with the month general placed on the hour of Chou. The nobleman is on Yin, with Teng Snake on Mao, Vermilion Bird on Chen, Liu He on Si, Gou Chen on Wu, Azure Dragon on Wei, Tian Kong on Shen, Bai Hu on You, Tai Chang on Xu, Xuan Wu on Hai, Tai Yin on Zi, and Tian Hou on Chou. The four lessons are arranged from right to left: the first lesson is the day stem Xin, located in Xu, with You above it, riding Bai Hu; the second lesson is You, with Shen above it, riding Tian Kong; the third lesson is the day branch Hai, with Xu above it, riding Tai Chang; the fourth lesson is Xu, with You above it, riding Bai Hu. The three transmissions are Xu, You, Shen: the first transmission is Geng Xu, representing the parent's yao, riding Tai Chang; the middle transmission is Ji You, representing the brother's yao, riding Bai Hu; the final transmission is Wu Shen, also representing the brother's yao, riding Tian Kong.

邵先生曰：雞尋不見矣。被犬沖入鄰家，一奴便捉去，殺而食之矣。 先生析曰；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。

Master Shao said: This chicken cannot be recovered. It was chased by a dog into a neighboring house, where a servant caught it and killed it for food. Master Shao explained: The first transmission starts with戌, which represents a servant stealing it. The reason it is a neighboring house is because酉 is the Yangren and is riding the White Tiger, while申 also has the White Tiger on top of酉. Since酉 and戌 are adjacent, and酉 among the six domestic animals represents a chicken, although the class god enters the three transmissions and is on the day stem which usually indicates returning, it is unable to return because it is on戌, the Yangren, which is further afflicted by the White Tiger. How can it survive?