At the beginning of the volume, there is a note on the publication.

同治元年重鐫銀河棹。大文堂業兌。

This is the front plate of the book. It was re-blocked and printed in the first year of the Tongzhi era (1862), and the block is inscribed with the title "Galaxy Boat" — this is an alternative title for the book, meaning "to cross the Milky Way with a single oar," implying that the vastness of the Six Rén school of divination is like the Milky Way, and this book is the oar to cross it. "Da Wen Tang Ye Dui" records the name of the publisher: the block was transferred and sold by Da Wen Tang, meaning the copyright belongs to Da Wen Tang.

壬遁秘旨，傳自武侯所著，迄今二千餘年；精其學者，每秘不輕示，而奇門、六壬、太乙三式每多錯謬，鮮有真訣秘授。姚少師得此書，藏之內府，正統中土木之變，蓉城孫南華先生於燕營屠曾門室中得之，未有師傳也。後從史道鄰共窗安慶，始遇異人指授，遂精其學。萬分珍重，什襲以藏。

"The 'Ninety' (Rén Dùn) refers to the method of 'Dùn Gān' (evading stems) within the Six Rén system. Its secret principles are said to have originated from the writings of Zhuge Liang, and it has been passed down for more than two thousand years. Those who truly mastered this discipline often regarded it as a closely guarded secret, unwilling to easily share it with others. Therefore, the three major divination methods known as the 'Three Systems' (Qí Mén, Liù Rén, and Tàiyǐ) have, through generations of copying and transmission, accumulated numerous errors, and very few people have actually received the oral transmission and secret instructions. In the early Ming dynasty, the statesman Yao Shaoshi (Yao Guangxiao, who held the position of Prince's Assistant) once obtained this book and kept it in the imperial palace's inner library. During the 'Tumu Incident' in the 14th year of Zhengtong era of Emperor Yingzong, when Emperor Yingzong was captured by the Wala and the capital was in chaos, the person from Rongcheng, Sun Nanhua, found this book in the room of Tu Zeng in the Yanjing military camp, but at that time no one could explain it to him. Later, he studied with Shi Daolín (Shi Kefa, whose courtesy name was Xianzhi and whose style name was Daolín) in Anqing, and only then encountered a master who personally instructed him, thus mastering this discipline. He regarded this book highly and carefully wrapped it up for safekeeping."

每與人談，少露一斑，奇中如神。餘懇求再四，僅以經文授，且曰：「非吝也，實愛道也。君歸讀之。」餘拜而受之，恨不得其解，因靜坐一室，探其源於《河圖》《洛書》，稍得其說。

Master Sun usually talked with people only revealing a little bit at a time, yet his predictions were always remarkably accurate. I begged him repeatedly to teach me, but he only gave me the "Classic Text" — that is, the sixteen summary lines at the beginning of this book — and said, "I am not stingy, but I truly cherish this discipline. Take it back and study it yourself." I bowed respectfully and thanked him, receiving the Classic Text, but was disappointed that I could not understand its meaning. I then sat alone in a room, tracing its origins from the numerical principles of the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing, and finally began to grasp a little of its meaning.

復趨蓉城就正，先生笑且怒，笑則喜子之買舟相訪也，怒則怒子之洩其機也。謂予曰：「君能苦心原理，可以指示矣。慎勿輕以示人，致於天律。」叮嚀教戒而別。餘欲遵其戒，慮世失其傳，因手錄成帙，使後之君子遇茲編者知可珍重也，並述其傳之始末，以為之序。

I once hurried to Chengdu to consult Master Sun. When he heard my reasoning, he laughed and was also annoyed. He laughed because he was happy that I had taken the trouble to come all the way by boat to visit him; he was annoyed because I had revealed the key points. He told me, "Since you are willing to put in the effort to explore the principles behind it, I can now guide you. But you must never easily show it to others, or you will break the heavenly laws." After he repeatedly warned and advised me, we parted. I originally intended to follow his warning and keep it secret, but I was also worried that this discipline might be lost to the world. Therefore, I copied it by hand and compiled it into this book, so that future gentlemen who encounter this book will know its value and treasure it. At the same time, I have recorded the origin and transmission of this discipline as the preface to this book.

崇禎癸未年仙槎張松源題於雲門山屋。

In theGuiwei year of the Chongzhen era, which corresponds to the year 1643 AD, Zhang Songyuan, who signed his name as Xiancha, wrote this inscription in a study house on Yunmen Mountain. This preface was composed in the year before the fall of the Ming dynasty, indicating that the book was written during the late Ming period.

子辛寅丙戊，卯癸巳生庚；午中單乙木，壬水是生申；酉中丁己是，甲木亥宮輪。沐浴等十一位俱由長生數去，剛干順數，柔干逆數。

This is the mnemonic for the "long life" (长生) positions of the ten heavenly stems. Breaking it down sentence by sentence: the metal stem Xin is born in the Zi palace; the fire stem Bing and the earth stem Wu are both born in the Yin palace; the water stem Gui is born in the Mao palace; the metal stem Geng is born in the Si palace; the Wu palace has only the wood stem Yi as its long life, hence it is called "single Yi wood"; the water stem Ren is born in the Shen palace; the You palace is the long life for both the fire stem Ding and the earth stem Ji; and the wood stem Jia is born in the Hai palace. "Long life" is the first position of the twelve long lives (also called the twelve palaces of long life), representing the initial emergence of energy. Once the long life is determined, the remaining eleven positions—bathing, capping, officialdom, prosperity, decline, illness, death, tomb, extinction, fetus, and nourishment—are counted sequentially from the long life palace. The five "strong stems" (yang stems)—Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren—move forward through the twelve palaces, while the five "weak stems" (yin stems)—Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui—move backward. When casting a divination, first determine the long life on the palm, then count the remaining positions one by one to determine whether a particular stem and branch has energy or not.

巳 楚地 螣蛇 太乙 鶉尾 翼軫 午 三河 朱雀 勝光 柳星張 鶉火 未 雍州 太常 小吉 井鬼 鶉首 申 晉地 白虎 傳送 觜參 實沈

This is the "Zhang Tu" used for palm divination, which pairs the twelve Earthly Branches with their respective regions (fenni), the Twelve Heavenly Generals, the Month General's alternate names, the Twenty-Eight Mansions, and the twelve Star Divisions. When casting a divination, this information is recorded on the left hand's twelve sections. By looking at a particular section, one can immediately know its direction, region, Heavenly General, and Star Division. The four lines are as follows: The Si section belongs to the region of Chu, its Heavenly General is "Teng Snake," its Month General's alternate name is "Taiyi," it governs the mansions of Yi and Zhen, and its Star Division is "Chun Wei." The Wu section belongs to the regions of the three rivers (He Dong, He Nei, He Nan), its Heavenly General is "Zhu Que," its Month General's alternate name is "Sheng Guang," it governs the mansions of Liu, Xing, and Zhang, and its Star Division is "Chun Huo." The Wei section belongs to the region of Yongzhou, its Heavenly General is "Tai Chang," its Month General's alternate name is "Xiao Ji," it governs the mansions of Jing and Gui, and its Star Division is "Chun Shou." The Shen section belongs to the region of Jin, its Heavenly General is "Bai Hu," its Month General's alternate name is "Chuansong," it governs the mansions of Zi and Shen, and its Star Division is "Shi Shen."

辰 兗州 勾陳 天罡 角亢 壽星 丁 丙 己 庚 戊 辛 乙 戊 甲 己 壬 癸

The previous line still refers to the division chart: the Chén palace, which corresponds to the Yǎnzhōu region, with the Heavenly General being "Gou Chen," and the Month General, also known as "Tiangang," governing the constellations Jiao and Kàng, with the star position called "Shòuxīng." The following four lines present another small diagram engraved within the main chart—the "Ten Heavenly Stems Lodging Palace Diagram." It marks the earthly branches palaces where each of the ten heavenly stems reside on the four sides of a square frame. When starting a lesson in the Six Rén system, the heavenly stems do not have their own palace positions and must borrow the earthly branch palaces to reside. The rule is: Jia resides in the Yín palace, Yi in the Chǒu palace, Bing and Wu both reside in the Sì palace, Ding and Ji both reside in the Wèi palace, Geng in the Shēn palace, Xin in the Xū palace, Ren in the Hài palace, and Gui in the Chǒu palace. The original diagram in the base text is a carved square diagram; when converted into horizontal text, the relationship between the characters and the palaces has become disordered. Here, the original character order from the base text is followed without changes according to the commonly used version. When reading the diagram, one should refer to the above lodging palace mnemonic.

酉 冀州 太陰 從魁 胃昴畢 大梁 卯 豫州 六合 太沖 氐房心 大火 戌 徐州 天空 河魁 奎婁 降婁

Continuation of the division map. The Western (酉) palace corresponds to the Jiuzhou region, with the Heavenly General being 'Tai Yin' and the Month General known as 'Congkui', governing the three stars of Wei, Mao, and Bi, with the star sequence called 'Daliang'. The Eastern (卯) palace corresponds to the Yuzhou region, with the Heavenly General being 'Liu He' and the Month General known as 'Taichong', governing the three stars of Di, Fang, and Xin, with the star sequence called 'Dafire'. The Xu (戌) palace corresponds to the Xuzhou region, with the Heavenly General being 'Tian Kong' and the Month General known as 'Hekui', governing the two stars of Kui and Lou, with the star sequence called 'Jianglou'. The order here follows the arrangement of the block print layout, with the palaces listed on the left and right sides. Therefore, the order of You, Mao, and Xu does not follow the sequence of the Earthly Branches; when reading, recognize each palace accordingly.

寅 燕地 青龍 功曹 尾箕 析木 丑 揚州 貴人 大吉 斗牛 星紀 子 青州 天后 登明 女虛危 元枵 亥 豳地 玄武 登明 室壁 諏訾

The last four lines of the map of the division of the sky are as follows. TheYin Palace corresponds to the region of Yan, with the Heavenly General being 'Qinglong' and the Month General having the alternate name 'Gongcao', governing the two constellations of Wei and Ji, with the star division called 'Ximu'. TheChou Palace corresponds to the region of Yangzhou, with the Heavenly General being 'Guiren' and the Month General having the alternate name 'Daji', governing the two constellations of Dou and Niu, with the star division called 'Xingji'. TheZi Palace corresponds to the region of Qingzhou, with the Heavenly General being 'Tianhou', governing the three constellations of Nu, Xu, and Wei, with the star division called 'Yuanxiao' (originally 'Xuanxiao', changed to 'Yuanxiao' to avoid the taboo of the Qing emperor's name 'Xuan'). TheHai Palace corresponds to the region of Bin, with the Heavenly General being 'Xuanwu' and the Month General having the alternate name 'Dengming', governing the two constellations of Shi and Bi, with the star division called 'Zuozhi'. Note: the original text also records 'Dengming' under theZi Palace, which is a duplication with theHai Palace, likely an error in carving. The general rule for the Twelve Month Generals is that theZi Palace is named 'Shenhou' and theHai Palace is named 'Dengming'. Here, we follow the original text without alteration, but readers should use 'Shenhou' as the correct name.

訣傳壬式遁干奇，天地人盤上下推。四課三傳皆硬局，干神將位更差池。錯認日躔為月將，謬將天乙亂神祗。箇中綱領皆非法，局外行藏必要知。

These sixteen lines are the general summary of the entire book. First, let us look at the first eight lines. The first line says: the essential key of this branch of secret formulas lies in "dun gan" — that is, placing the heavenly stems on the earthly branches according to the five sons' original hidden stem method, which is the unique key not found in other schools. The second line says: "dun gan" must be calculated between the three layers of the heaven plate, earth plate, and human plate, moving up and down between them, not just looking at one layer. The third line says: the four lessons and three transmissions are fixed patterns set by the Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven, with fixed formats that cannot be changed by people. The fourth line criticizes: the world has established another system for the positions of the heavenly stems, deities, and generals (such as the "Jin Kou Jue" which changes six positions into four), which is very far from the correct method of Six Rén. The fifth line points out the first major mistake of modern people: taking the degree of the sun's position as the month general. The sixth line points out the second major mistake: the method of calculating the nobleman (tian yi guì rén) is wrong, leading to the complete disorder of the positions of the twelve heavenly generals. The seventh line says: the methods regarded as the main principles by the world are actually not true methods. The eighth line says: the true key lies outside the patterns of the lesson, that is, the selection, rejection, advancement, and retreat of "dun gan," which is something that must be known.

取旺因時名發用，披神帶煞可遷移。真飛假伏潛消息，年月日明運動機。德合刑沖雖一理，吉凶應驗不同期。圓融活潑真玄妙，剖盡人間萬事疑。

The ninth sentence says: The method of using a character depends on taking the one that is most active according to the season, and this is called true "initiating transmission," not merely sticking to the first transmission. The tenth sentence says: A character that is both adorned by the noble god and accompanied by divine omens allows for the shifting and changing of fortune and misfortune. The eleventh sentence says: Whether an affair proceeds or remains is concealed within the messages of "true flight, false flight, true concealment, false concealment." The twelfth sentence says: The year, month, day, and hour are precisely the key points where the momentum of an affair begins. The thirteenth sentence says: The relationships of virtue, conjunction, punishment, and opposition, although their principles are consistent. The fourteenth sentence says: Yet the time when they bring about good or ill varies. The fifteenth sentence says: Only when these are thoroughly understood and skillfully applied can the true subtlety be attained. The sixteenth sentence says: Thus, one can discern the difficulties of all human affairs.

此張仙槎所受經文十六句也，寥寥數言括盡壬遁之妙旨。編後皆仙槎逐句演解之論也。有銀河之一棹，而壬學如天漢之長，昭矣。

These are the sixteen lines of scripture that Zhang Xiancha received from Master Sun Nanhua. Though the number of characters is small, they fully summarize the profound principles of the Six壬 (Lun) hidden stems. The following sixteen lines are all Zhang Xiancha's own explanations and interpretations of each line. The study of Six壬 is vast and boundless, like the Milky Way in the sky. With this single oar, one can cross over. This is why the book is titled "Galaxy Oar" — the reason is clear now, as it has been explained thoroughly.

下四句亦經文。

The author adds a note here to remind the reader that the following section in four-character verse (from "Tian Di Ben Jing" to "Yin Yu Liang Yan") also belongs to the original text received, not the author's own words; what comes next is his explanation. The entire book follows this format: first the four-character classic text is listed, then followed by the explanation.

天地本靜，因人而動。人物亦靜，因心而動。心動機現，誠感神應。拈時演式，照灼兆朕。地支靜載，天干遁遊。得支尋干，干動支變。循環六十，天三地三，六支相乘，因時取旺，觸類旁通，觀象求形，理法圓融，披神帶煞，局外推窮，干支有六，用焉舍焉。《金匱》要訣，隱於兩言。

This is the first section of the transmitted text, written in four-character phrases, explaining the general principle of the hidden stems. Heaven and Earth are originally still and unmoving, but they become active due to human actions. Humans and all things are originally still, but they become active when the mind moves. When the mind moves, the signs of events become apparent. The diviner, with sincerity, can feel the response from the divine. Thus, by taking the current moment and arranging it into a lesson pattern, the signs of the matter become clear. The twelve earthly branches quietly bear the weight, like the earth that remains still; the ten heavenly stems move and travel over them, like the celestial bodies that rotate. First, determine the position of the earthly branch, then find the hidden heavenly stem upon it. When the heavenly stem moves, the matter governed by the earthly branch changes accordingly. The heavenly stems and earthly branches cycle and combine to form the sixty Jiazi. "Heavenly three, earthly three" means that the Heaven Plate, Earth Plate, and Human Plate each hide one stem, and the three layers combined make six layers. The six layers of stems and branches interact and combine, and then the one that is currently dominant according to the season is selected. From this, one can infer widely and observe the hexagram to understand the nature of the matter, and the method and principle become perfectly integrated. It is said "to wear the heavenly general and carry the divine and malevolent influences," meaning that a single character is both adorned with the heavenly general and accompanied by divine and malevolent forces. These must be studied beyond the structure of the lesson pattern. The "Golden Chest Classic" says "the heavenly stems and earthly branches have six, some are used and some are abandoned"—the key to choosing which to take and which to abandon is entirely contained in these two sentences.

此探六壬之源最重遁干。蓋干曰天干，屬陽而動；支曰地支，屬陰而靜。有靜必有動，猶有陰必有陽也。故天地本穆然靜也，自人有所為，則天心亦動矣。人物無為，自靜也；自事有感觸，則人心遂動矣，靜動禍福，隨之而應。故元女以前民用令占者，誠心拈時演式，以察吉凶之朕兆，便知所趨避。

This passage is an explanation from the Xiancha, exploring the origin of the Six Rats system, and points out that the entire text places the greatest emphasis on the hidden stems. The heavenly stems are called "heaven," belonging to yang and being active; the earthly branches are called "earth," belonging to yin and being still. There must be movement when there is stillness, just as there must be yang when there is yin. Therefore, heaven and earth were originally solemn and quiet. Since humans began to act, the heavenly mind has also begun to move. When humans and all things are inactive, they are naturally still; but once something happens to provoke them, the human heart begins to move. Between this stillness and movement, calamity and blessing follow accordingly. Therefore, the Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven created this method to be used in advance by the people. Diviners are to take the time with sincerity and respect, arrange the lessons, and thereby observe the signs of impending good or bad fortune, so as to know what to pursue and what to avoid.

地支靜而演式，如地之載天；干象天而周遊，如天之旋轉，非動無以觀其變也。天地人三層遁干，始成天地六支，亦可察其衰旺，旁通觸類，以知吉凶悔吝之形象。蓋圓通之妙，全在遁干之披神帶煞，乃局外行藏，世人所不知也。《金匱經》曰：「干支有六，用之舍之。」遁干之秘，已隱於兩言中矣。

The earthly branches remain fixed as the base plate, just as the earth supports the heavens; the heavenly stems, by contrast, take on the image of the heavens and flow around, like the rotation of celestial bodies — without movement, there would be no change to observe. The three layers — heaven plate, earth plate, and human plate — each conceal one heavenly stem, combining with the original earthly branches to form six layers of heavenly stem and earthly branch. In this way, one can observe the strength and decline of each element, and thereby infer various forms of fortune, misfortune, regret, and difficulty. The subtle adaptability of Six壬 lies entirely in the noble spirits and divine omens associated with the concealed heavenly stems; this layer belongs to the structure beyond the lesson pattern, indicating advancement, retreat, departure, and staying, which is unknown to ordinary people. The Golden Chest Classic says: "There are six heavenly stems and earthly branches; some are used, some are abandoned." The secret of concealed heavenly stems is already contained in these two sentences.

太乙遁一於六，示前知也；奇門遁其甲，示逃藏也；六壬遁干於支，象人事之變遷也。故遁干非支不顯，遁支無干不靈。壬遁無干，則無六層，何名六壬哉？故經文自揭之曰：「遁干奇。」

The three systems each have their own "dun" (concealment). Taiyi conceals the number "one" (Taiyi star) within the six palaces, representing the meaning of prior knowledge; Qimen conceals the heavenly stem "Jia" beneath the six instruments, representing the meaning of concealment and hiding; while Liuren conceals the heavenly stems above the earthly branches, symbolizing the migration and change of worldly affairs. Therefore, the heavenly stems revealed through concealment cannot manifest without the earthly branches, and the arranged earthly branches cannot be effective without the heavenly stems. If Liuren's concealment method does not use heavenly stems, it would not form the six layers, and then how could it be called "Liuren"? It is precisely for this reason that the classic text explicitly mentions the term "dun gan qi" (concealed heavenly stems) at the beginning, revealing this layer.

十干十二支配成六十，以配年月日時，以範圍天地萬物，未有單用干而無支者。元女借文以演式，本以日辰干支為主，而四課三傳雖以支演，而干之字暗藏其中，支特以架出取干為用，故天地人三盤字字是支而實，字字是干遁其上。蓋隱而不見，以見其秘，懼洩造化之機也。

The ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches combine to form the sixty Jiazi cycles, used to match years, months, days, and hours, thus encompassing all things in heaven and earth; there is no principle of using heavenly stems alone without earthly branches. The Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven uses characters to demonstrate the method of divination, originally based on the heavenly stem and earthly branch of the day. Although the four lessons and three transmissions appear to only use earthly branches, the heavenly stems are actually hidden within them—earthly branches serve merely as a framework to bring out the heavenly stems. Therefore, the three plates—Heaven Plate, Earth Plate, and Human Plate—seem to consist entirely of earthly branches, but in reality, each character has a hidden heavenly stem above it. The reason for keeping this concealed is to preserve the secret, fearing that the secret of creation would be easily revealed.

經曰「干支有六」者，年、月、日、時、年、命六處，皆有遁干，故天地人三盤自有三層遁干，配成六層。凡一字中有三層遁干，而六處尤重。六處之遁干內有旺者則取為用。用生日干者吉，剋日干者凶。

The text says "there are six places for the heavenly stems and earthly branches." These six places refer to the year stem, the month builder, the day stem, the day branch, the hour stem, and the personal birth stem. Each of these six places has a hidden heavenly stem. In addition, each of the three disks—Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—has its own hidden heavenly stem, making a total of six layers. Any character can have three hidden heavenly stems, but the six mentioned above are especially important. Among these six hidden heavenly stems, if the one that is currently dominant is encountered, it is taken as the "used" stem. If the used stem benefits the day stem (which represents the person seeking divination), it is considered auspicious; if it harms the day stem, it is considered inauspicious.

「舍之處之」，干又不宜克賊用干，宜生比用干，則吉而實矣。故曰「用之舍之」也。

The phrase "shě zhī chù zhī" means that in addition to examining the relationship between the useful stem (用干) and the day stem (日干), one should also consider how the other heavenly stems relate to the useful stem. The stems in other positions should not harm or attack the useful stem; instead, they should either nourish it or be of the same type to support it. In this way, the "useful" element becomes both auspicious and grounded. The classic text discusses "yòng zhī shě zhī," referring precisely to this principle of selection and consideration.

又遁干有六，而實有九：一日上、二日陰、三辰上、四辰陰、五初傳、六中傳、七末傳、八命上、九年上；蓋六、九，陰陽相倚之數也。事神、類神、陽神、陰神、用神，五神之干即在其中矣。乃地盤支中又有伏藏之干，寄干及人元，二六潛神也。是名伏干。

The concept of "Dun Gan" (Hidden Stems) is nominally said to consist of six places, but when counted actually there are nine. The first is the stem on the day, the second is the yin stem of the day, the third is the stem on the hour (the stem on the day branch), the fourth is the yin stem of the hour, the fifth is the first transmission, the sixth is the middle transmission, the seventh is the final transmission, the eighth is the stem on the native's destiny, and the ninth is the stem on the year of birth. The numbers six and nine represent the numbers of yin and yang that depend on each other. When making a divination, the five types of deities used, namely "Shi Shen" (the main deity related to the matter), "Lei Shen" (deities of similar categories), "Yang Shen" (yang deities), "Yin Shen" (yin deities), and "Yong Shen" (useful deity), all have their heavenly stems included within these nine places. In addition, among the earthly branches of the earth plate, there are also hidden heavenly stems that are not yet revealed, namely the heavenly stems that are "Ji Gong" (lodging palace) of the ten stems, and the heavenly stems hidden within the earthly branches, which are called "Er Liu Qian Shen" (the two and six hidden deities) to be discussed later. This category is called "Fu Gan" (hidden stems).

行年以男起丙寅，女起壬申，逐旬首推。

As for the method of calculating the "running year" (行年): for male individuals, the count begins with Bingyin, and for female individuals, it begins with Renshen. Then, following the sequence of the sixty jiazi (干支) in order, the count proceeds by ten-year periods (旬). The jiazi that corresponds to the individual's current age is the running year for that year. The heavenly stem hidden in the running year corresponds to one of the nine positions mentioned earlier, and the fortune of the year is determined by this.

子中癸水八分真，壬三辛二是初生；丑內己土癸三是，辛金二半一同陳；寅宮甲木七分是，丙戊三分火土均；卯中乙木七分是，癸水初生甲三分；辰中戊土分分在，癸乙各居二半尋；巳中四分屬丙火，庚初三分戊三停。

"The term 'Er Liu Qian Shen' refers to the heavenly stems hidden within the twelve earthly branches, also known as 'Ren Yuan' (human origin). 'Er Liu' signifies the number twelve, and 'Qian' means they are concealed beneath the earthly branches and not visible. The mnemonic also assigns a 'score' to each hidden stem, used to measure its strength, with more scores indicating greater power. The first six branches are as follows: the Zi branch is dominated by Gui water, accounting for eight parts, with additional Ren water accounting for three parts and Xin metal two parts, with Xin here considered as the initial stage of growth. The Chou branch is dominated by Ji earth, with additional Gui water three parts and Xin metal two and a half parts, all present together. The Yin branch is dominated by Jia wood, accounting for seven parts, with additional Bing fire and Wu earth each three parts, with fire and earth equally shared. The Mao branch is dominated by Yi wood, accounting for seven parts, with Gui water here considered as the initial stage of growth, and additional Jia wood three parts. The Chen branch has Wu earth present throughout (with the strongest presence), with additional Gui water and Yi wood each two and a half parts. The Si branch is dominated by Bing fire, accounting for four parts, with Geng metal here considered as the initial stage of growth, and additional Wu earth three parts, with Bing, Wu, and Geng standing together."

午宮丁火領先分是，己土二半乙三明；未中己土五分確，乙丁二半各均勻；申中庚七辛金二，壬水初生只二分；酉宮辛七庚三準，乙己各二最分明；戌伏戊土五分實，辛丁二半各相臨；亥中壬七癸三定，更有甲木繫初生。

The next six branches are: theWu Palace has Ding fire at the top, along with Ji earth two and a half parts and Yi wood three parts. TheWei Palace has Ji earth exactly five parts, Yi wood and Ding fire each two and a half parts, distributed evenly. TheShen Palace has Geng metal seven parts, Xin metal two parts, and Ren water, which is newly born here, only two parts. TheYou Palace has Xin metal seven parts, Geng metal three parts, along with Yi wood and Ji earth each two parts, with the boundaries most clearly divided. TheXu Palace has hidden Wu earth, actually five parts, with Xin metal and Ding fire each two and a half parts, both present below. TheHai Palace has Ren water seven parts, Gui water three parts, and also has Ji wood here as the initial qi of birth. These hidden heavenly stems and their respective portions are the basis for determining the strength of each palace on the earth plate, whether it can generate and support or restrain the heavenly stem on the heaven plate.

地中伏干與天上遁干有制、化、德、合、比、旺，如三命之取人元法同，所以佐天盤之不足而圓融通變也。

The hidden heavenly stems in the earthly branches relate to the heavenly stems emerging on the Heaven Plate through several interactions including control, combination, virtue, union, assistance, and strength. The method of using them is the same as the method of taking the "person's original" (the governing heavenly stem of the earthly branch) in the Zi Ping San Ming technique. This is used to complement the limitations of the Heaven Plate, allowing for a more comprehensive and flexible divination, rather than being rigid.

月將加時覓遁干，法輪五子繞天盤。神臨方上仍加遁，旬首地盤次第看。用神消息箇中求，三遁取象一處收。旺相生合刑沖究，假伏真飛決去留。

This is the first eight lines of the total诀 of the遁干. The first step is to add the month general to the time of the divination and turn it into the heaven plate, then find the遁干 on the heaven plate. The method used is called "five sons yuan遁" (Jia and Ji start with Jiazi, Yi and Geng start with Bingzi, Bing and Xin start with Wuzi, Ding and Ren start with Gengzi, Wu and Gui start with Renzi). According to this method, the遁干 is traced around the heaven plate. On the position where the twelve heavenly generals are located, another layer of遁干 should also be added. The遁干 on the earth plate starts from the beginning of the current ten-day period, which is the Jia followed by a certain heavenly stem, and is arranged in order. The information about the "useful god" is obtained from these遁干. The images derived from the heaven, earth, and human遁 should ultimately be viewed together. After determining the useful god, one must further investigate whether it is in its旺 or 相 phase, whether it is in a 生 or 合 relationship with other positions, and whether there are 刑 or 冲. Whether the matter being divined is moving or staying is decided by the patterns of "false concealment" and "true flying."

神將加干三匝周，真空飛去假為謀。或逢伏地潛端倪，五旺之中好返求。遁干所主號為真，飛合天官遁建巡。旬首伏干詳次第，假從盤外課中論。

The Heavenly General and the Heavenly Generals are added upon the hidden stem. Heaven, Earth, and Humanity form three layers that complete a full cycle, called "three circles." If a true旬空 occurs, the character flies away; if it is only a false emptiness, there is still potential for action. Sometimes the hidden stem is concealed beneath the Earth Plate, only revealing a slight hint, in which case one should look back to the "Five Prosperous" (Heavenly Prosperity, Earthly Prosperity, Daily Prosperity, Hourly Prosperity, and Transformation Prosperity) to find its root. Only what the hidden stem itself represents is called "true." Its relations with the Twelve Heavenly Generals and the Taiyuan and Month Builder are considered part of the "flying" aspect. The hidden stems that appear in sequence on the Earth Plate should be examined in order; while the "false" aspect should be discussed outside the lesson pattern, within the entire lesson transmission.

中黃五變通幽處，時上傳時天地人。干遁不拘前後見，課中移換不同雲。既得來情察遁干，所占輕重要詳參。遁干臨處知去向，所乘神煞吉凶看。克者為無從旺斷，五行之內細推原。便將神將藏凶吉，始察來人見的端。

The method of "Five Transformations" transmitted by the Zhonghuang Jing is most effective in reaching the subtle and hidden aspects. It takes the correct time as its foundation, then derives the time from it, forming three layers: heaven, earth, and humanity. With this method, the Heavenly General (tian jiang) can be taken regardless of whether it appears in the previous or next position. A divination lesson can be moved and transformed within it, leading to different interpretations, allowing for the divination of five people and five matters at once. Once the matter being divined is identified through the lesson's imagery, one should examine the Heavenly General, carefully considering the importance and nature of the matter. If the Heavenly General is located in a particular palace, it indicates the direction of the matter. The noble deity and divine omens it carries determine fortune or misfortune. If the Heavenly General is being overcome and seems ineffective, then one should instead focus on the "prosperous" aspect, carefully investigating the origin within the five phases' relationships of generation and overcoming. Then, combining the auspicious and inauspicious elements hidden by the Heavenly General, one can discern the exact details of the matter being asked about.

貴人加臨亦遁建，中有披神帶煞妙。將帶神兮神帶將，於中玄妙誰能曉？遁干一字神殺貫，一實二虛披帶始。遙臨同行人不知，龍披寅甲亥壬子，

The palace where Tian Yi Guiren is located also needs to be concealed with heavenly stems and referred to the month builder and the year's heavenly stem. This method has the skill of "wearing a god and carrying a demon." The term "general with god" refers to the heavenly general carrying the nobleman, while "god with general" means the nobleman carries the heavenly general. The subtlety here is understood by few. A single concealed heavenly stem can connect the nobleman and the divine omens together: the character itself is "real," while the god it wears and the demon it carries are "virtual." The distinction begins with the words "wearing" and "carrying." Some characters, although seemingly distant and moving in the same direction, are not recognized by ordinary people. For example, Qinglong belongs to wood and is located in the寅 palace, which contains Jia. The亥 palace is the long life of Jia wood and also the position of Ren water. Therefore, when Qinglong appears, it is equivalent to virtually wearing the characters of寅, Jia, 亥, Ren, and Zi.

春占木旺名天旺，寅卯日占木遊干，地旺遁干立處比，十干五合為人旺，類旺日比時旺祿。此名五旺課中求。右十首皆經中歌之要訣，註解見後。

The last few lines discuss 'five strengths'. In spring divination, wood receives the vital energy of the season, called 'heavenly strength', which means the energy is strong. On days of寅 or卯, wood shares the same energy as the day stem, and the hidden stem moves in the direction of the day stem, receiving support from the day branch. The palace where the hidden stem stands has its earthly branch harmonious with it, called 'earthly strength'. The ten heavenly stems combine in pairs (Jia and Ji, Yi and Geng, Bing and Xin, Ding and Ren, Wu and Gui) to form a relationship, called 'human strength'. 'Class strength' refers to similar elements compared with each other. When the time of divination coincides with the stem's禄 position (such as when Jia day is at寅 time), it is called 'time strength'. These five kinds of strength should all be sought within the divination lesson. The above ten verses are all essential points from the classic texts, and detailed explanations for each are provided in the following chapters.

天盤月將，斗建之合，遁以五鼠，仰觀於天；地盤宮位，神將所臨，遁以五虎，即旬遁，俯察於地。天盤貴人，事機所主，時起遁干，參觀天地。開三撥五，數往知來。

This is the four-character main text of the second sentence, "Heaven, Earth, and Human Plates are arranged above and below," which explains the methods of hiding the heavenly stems in each of the three plates. On the Heaven Plate, the Month General is arranged; the Month General is the deity of theLiu He corresponding to the month indicated by the handle of the Big Dipper. The hidden heavenly stems on the Heaven Plate use the "Five Rats Method" (starting from the Zi hour, with Jiazi on Jia and Ji days, Bingzi on Yi and Geng days, Wuzi on Bing and Xin days, Gengzi on Ding and Ren days, and Renzi on Wu and Gui days). This layer represents looking up to the heavens. The Earth Plate is fixed with the twelve palace positions, with the Heavenly General and Nobleman residing upon it; the hidden heavenly stems on the Earth Plate use the "Five Tigers Method," which is the "Decade Hiding" method based on the initial heavenly stem of the current decade. This layer represents looking down to the earth. The Human Plate is primarily based on the Nobleman from the Heaven Plate, as the Nobleman is the master of the situation; the hidden heavenly stems are calculated from the time of the divination, leading to the palace where the Nobleman is located. This layer is used to combine with the Heaven and Earth Plates. The phrase "open three and move five" means to open the hidden heavenly stems of the three plates and determine the strength and decline of the Five Phases. Only by doing this can one talk about predicting the future from the past.

此探夫六壬有天地人三盤之遁干，仰觀俯察，中審人事，以參觀乎天地之吉凶，非開三遁，撥五行之衰旺，何以數往知來乎？

This passage is an explanation from Xiancha: Six壬 has three layers of hidden stems, heaven, earth, and human. The upper layer observes celestial phenomena, the lower layer examines geographical features, and the middle layer investigates human affairs. They are used to combine and observe the auspicious and inauspicious signs between heaven and earth. If these three layers of hidden stems are not listed and the prosperity and decline of the Five Phases are not clarified, how can one infer the future from the past?

天遁以本日之干為主，起五鼠遁。假如乙庚日乃乙庚丙作初遁起。若以亥時占，即逆尋甲戌旬起數，至亥上即是乙亥，數至辰上即是庚辰，未時以前用甲戌旬遁干也。

Heavenly flight divination uses the day stem to determine the starting point, employing the "Five Rats Flight" method. For example, if the day is either Yi or Geng, the mnemonic is "Yi and Geng start with Bing," meaning the flight begins at Bingzi time. If the divination is done at Hai time, first determine which decade this hour belongs to by counting backward. It is found to be the Jiaxu decade. Then start from Jiaxu: the Xu hour is Jiaxu, the Hai hour is Yihai, and continue counting until the Chen hour, which is Gengchen. All divinations done before Wei time use the Jiaxu decade's flight sequence.

自申時以後，俱用甲申旬遁干。申上遁見甲，酉上便得乙。若寅時占即得庚寅，餘仿此。不明此即犯旬空，誤矣。

Starting from the hour of Shen, the hidden heavenly stem for the Jiashen decade begins: the stem hidden on Shen is Jiashen, on You it is Yiyou, and so on in sequence; if the divination is done at the hour of Yin, the stem hidden on Yin is Gengyin. The same method applies to all other days and hours. This step must be clearly understood, because different decades result in different hidden stems; if the boundary between decades is not clear, one may mistakenly treat a non-empty character as empty or an empty character as real, leading to incorrect conclusions.

在申時以前，拈得寅時，為戊寅；在申時以後拈得寅時，為庚寅。以本旬之甲不同也。申時以後拈得亥，為丁亥。

Take the example of the寅 hour: on a Yi-Geng day, if the divination is done before the申 hour, the寅 hour遁干 isWuyin (belonging to the Jiaxu sheng, which includes Jiaxu, Yihai, Bingzi, Dingchou, and Wuyin); if the divination is done after the申 hour, the寅 hour遁干 is Gengyin (belonging to the Jiashen sheng, which includes Jiashen, Yiyou, Bingxu, Dinghai, Wuzi, Jichou, and Gengyin). The same character寅, when遁干, results in either戊 or Geng, depending on the different initial Jia of the respective sheng. Similarly, after the申 hour, encountering亥 results inDinghai instead ofYihai.

辛 壬 癸 甲 巳 午 未 申 庚辰本 本酉乙 日 日 己卯干 干戌丙 寅 丑 子 亥 戊 丁 丙 丁

This is the diagram for the Heaven Escape (tian dun). Originally a block-printed square diagram, it has four sides each with three sections. In the center, it is written vertically "today's stem" (ben ri gan), indicating that this layer is based on the stem of the current day. The sections on the four sides are read as follows: the top row, from left to right, consists of four sections: Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, with the corresponding stems hidden as Xin, Ren, Gui, Jia, resulting in Xin Si, Ren Wu, Gui Wei, Jia Shen. The left side, from top to bottom, consists of two sections: Chen and Mao, with the hidden stems as Geng Chen and Ji Mao. The right side, from top to bottom, consists of two sections: You and Xu, with the hidden stems as Yi You and Bing Xu. The bottom row, from left to right, consists of four sections: Yin, Chou, Zi, Hai, with the corresponding hidden stems as Wu Yin, Ding Chou, Bing Zi, Ding Hai. Since this diagram is based on the day of Yi and Geng, the mnemonic "Yi and Geng start with Bing" indicates that the sequence begins with Bing Zi. Following this, the sequence proceeds clockwise through the twelve sections, resulting in the numbers as described.

天遁乃在天盤上，卻以日干為主運。從子逆數去尋甲，數到本日是天遁。此圖繫乙庚日亥將，故用乙庚丙作初。餘仿此。

Heavenly Concealment is a layer placed on the Heaven Plate, but it is governed by the Day Stem. The specific method is to start from the Zi position and count backward to find the beginning of the current ten-day period, which is the Jia of a certain month. Counting to the position corresponding to the current day gives the Heavenly Concealment stem. This diagram uses the example of a Bingzi day with the Hai general. According to the mnemonic "Yi Geng uses Bing as the start," the concealment begins from Bingzi. All other days are handled in the same way.

地遁以旬首為例，起旬首，如庚午日即是甲子旬首。若用未時占，即是辛未時也。酉時占，即是癸酉時也。戌時即出旬，用甲戌旬，為空亡時矣。亥同戌例。

The method of calculating the earthly遁 (earthly遁) starts with the first day of the current ten-day period (旬). From that first day of the ten-day period, which is a Jia stem, you proceed in order. For example, if the day is Gengwu, it belongs to the Jiazi ten-day period, and the first day of this period is Jiazi. If you are divining at the hour of Wei, you count from Jiazi in sequence until you reach Wei, and the stem at Wei is Xinwei, which is the earthly遁 for the Wei hour. If you are divining at You hour, you count to You and get Guiyou. If you reach Xu hour, you have already passed the end of the Jiazi ten-day period, which ends at Guiyou. Therefore, you should switch to the Jiaxu ten-day period for the Xu hour. The Xu and Hai hours are considered "empty" (空亡) within the Jiazi ten-day period. The calculation for Hai hour is the same as for Xu hour.

己 庚 辛 壬 巳 午 辛 申 辰戊 酉癸 卯丁 戌甲 寅 丑 子 亥 丙 乙 甲 乙

This is the diagram for the Earth遁 (earth concealment). The top row, from left to right, consists of the four palaces: Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen, with the concealed dates being Ji Si, Geng Wu, Xin Wei, and Ren Shen. The left column, from top to bottom, consists of the two palaces: Chen and Mao, with the concealed dates being Wu Chen and Ding Mao. The right column, from top to bottom, consists of the two palaces: You and Xu, with the concealed dates being Gui You and Jia Xu. The bottom row, from left to right, consists of the four palaces: Yin, Chou, Zi, and Hai, with the concealed dates being Bing Yin, Yi Chou, Jia Zi, and Yi Hai. This diagram is based on the day Geng Wu and the beginning of the Jia Zi decade, so it starts from Jia Zi and proceeds in order to complete the cycle. Note: In the original text, the second row at the top was supposed to be written as "Si Wu Wei Shen," but the character "Wei" was mistakenly carved as "Xin." Here, we follow the original text and record it as is, without correction. Readers should understand the sequence according to the palace order.

地遁卻從旬遁尋，數至正時好住停。旬頭甲子時是未，便是辛未見分明。此圖庚午日未時甲子旬首。餘仿此。

These four lines are the formula for earth concealment: to find the earth concealment, one must look for the hidden stem in the current ten-day period. Starting from the beginning of the ten-day period, count sequentially until reaching the exact hour being divined. The stem on which you stop is the earth concealment stem. Taking the ten-day period starting with Jiazi as an example, if the exact hour is Weishi, counting through the sequence will lead to Xinwei, which is clear and straightforward. This diagram illustrates the case of Weishi on Gengwu day within the Jiazi ten-day period. All other cases follow the same principle.