Round and flexible, the true essence is profound and subtle; thoroughly examining all human doubts and uncertainties.

仰觀於天，俯察於地，陰顯共象，陰現其情，旺相休囚，四時迭運，乘時者強，失時者難，得地者茂，陷險者亡，干傷我畏，支傷人懼，數目之端，先天是責，新舊之故，孟仲季求，明無暗有，遁干是求，

This is the four-character main text of the final two lines of the classic. The first part explains the general principle of taking images. Above, observe the Heaven Plate; below, examine the Earth Plate. Yang reveals the form of things, while Yin reveals the true nature of things. Prosperity, flourishing, rest, and captivity change with the four seasons: riding the strength of the season brings success, losing the season brings difficulty; those in favorable positions flourish, while those in dangerous positions decline. If heavenly stems are injured, it indicates fear on our side; if earthly branches are injured, it indicates fear on the other side. To calculate the number of elements, refer to theEarlier Heaven numbers from the Yellow River Chart; to distinguish between new and old matters, look to the four beginning months, four middle months, and the final month. What is visible in the open is not seen, but what is hidden in the dark exists; in such cases, seek the hidden heavenly stems.

苟得其同，雖遠必合，苟失其同，雖近不親，生我不喜，克我不凶，氣化圓通，妙理斯出，占類既陳，類情非一，陽神陰神，兼求失執，數則物類，偏求則蕩，觀陽觀陰，主賓情洩，遁干加臨，吉凶盡變，萬事決疑，真偽自判。

The latter part discusses the principle of circular and flexible transformation. If the same type is obtained, even if they are far apart, they will inevitably harmonize; if the same type is lost, even if they are close, they will not be close. Those that nourish me may not necessarily be good, and those that overcome me may not necessarily be harmful. Everything depends on how the vital energies and transformations are smoothly and flexibly interrelated. The profound principle arises from here. Since the categories to be divined have already been listed, the situations within the same category are not singular, so both the yang spirit and the yin spirit must be considered together and not focused on one side alone. The numbers should be viewed in relation to the categories of things; focusing solely on one aspect will lead to wandering without a destination. Only by seeing both the yang and yin spirits can the actual situations of the subject and object be revealed. Finally, adding the influence of the concealed heavenly stem will cause the fortune and misfortune to change completely. All kinds of doubts can be resolved, and the true and false will naturally become clear.

此贊遁干剖人間萬事之疑惑，而趨避其得失確有把捉，其氾濫無據之說俱可廢也。《金繩書》云：「六壬之法，不可偏執其象，亦不可偏執其義。」取其象而不察其義，則失之拘而執；取其義而不得其象，又失之遁而蕩。占文書象類取朱雀矣，止以朱雀察之，不失之拘乎？課傳六處遍推而無所主，不失之蕩乎？必也合陰神陽神之兩相摩蕩，遁干與日干生比克洩，庶幾得之。

This passage praises the ability of the遁干 to unravel all doubts in the human world, and indeed, seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune has a clear basis to rely on. All baseless claims can be discarded. The "Golden Rope Book" says: "The method of Six壬 should not be fixated on the images, nor should it be fixated on the meanings." Taking only the images without considering the meanings leads to being overly rigid and narrow-minded; taking only the meanings without grasping the images leads to being vague and aimless. For example, when divining about documents, taking the image of Zhu Que is natural; but if one fixates solely on Zhu Que, isn't that being too rigid? Conversely, if one thoroughly examines the four lessons, three transmissions, and six positions but cannot determine the main point, isn't that being too vague? One must combine the interaction of yin and yang spirits, and also refer to the relationships of generation, comparison, overcoming, and depletion between the遁干 and the day stem, only then can one approximately grasp the truth.

苟非其類之比克，雖近有其象，而不應苟得；其類之比，雖遠必驗也。特衰旺分遲速耳，且如甲日秋占求財，龍居子午敗死之鄉，甲木敗子而死午。而見於用傳，雖近而不成也。失其天時，又失其地利也。或又遁干與日相剋刑害，則畏而不成也。所以必仰觀俯察於陰陽，而取其一也。

If the relationship between elements is neither harmonious nor mutually controlling, then even though the image is close at hand, it will not come to fruition; on the contrary, if there is harmony among the same elements, even if they are far apart, they will surely come to fruition, but the timing will vary according to their strength and decline. For example, if the day stem is Jia Wood and the season is autumn, seeking wealth, and the Azure Dragon is located in the Zi or Wu position—Jia Wood in Zi is a place of bathing and decline, and in Wu it is a place of death—although the Azure Dragon appears in the useful god and the three transmissions, seeming close, wealth will not be obtained. This is because both the heaven's timing (wood is restrained in autumn) and the earth's advantage (sitting in a place of decline and death) are lost. Or if the hidden stem and the day stem are mutually controlling, mutually injuring, or mutually harming, it will be even more fearful and things will not be accomplished. Therefore, one must look up to the Heaven Plate and examine the Earth Plate, selecting the truly useful one from both yin and yang aspects.

又如兵陣責勾陳為類神，勾剋日及日上陽神皆凶也。日克勾及日上陽神克勾，則勝而吉矣。而勾之陰神遁干卻剋日，雖勝而後必有悔，將受其殃。推廣其例，以凶類論之，陰神上得朱雀，則必有讒間爭功之禍，得天空則主詐敗佯輸，得玄武主在奇兵暗伏。更求其將，若帶刑害則愈凶，帶德合則解凶，惟年命上太歲上遁干能救制。若太歲年命上遁干，又助生陰神之鬼，又臨生旺之地，則凶不可逃矣。以鬼干所旺之月為應期。凶類現於四課則主現在，若見於初傳則尤速，中末稍遲，故鬼為凶類而不可執也。

Taking a military formation as an example: When divining about a battle formation, Gou Chen represents the class of spirits. If Gou Chen overcomes the day stem or overcomes the yang spirit on the day, it is ominous; conversely, if the day stem overcomes Gou Chen or the yang spirit on the day overcomes Gou Chen, then it indicates victory and is auspicious. However, if the hidden stem of the yin spirit of Gou Chen comes to overcome the day stem, then although there may be a victory, there will inevitably be regret afterwards, and the commander will suffer misfortune. Extending this example to the category of misfortune: if the yin spirit is accompanied by Zhu Que, there will be slander and betrayal, and disputes over merit and reward; if it is accompanied by Tian Kong, it indicates a pretended defeat; if it is accompanied by Xuan Wu, there will be hidden troops lying in ambush. Further examining the heavenly general it is riding: if it carries punishment or harm, it is even more ominous; if it carries the dry branch virtue and Liu He, it can resolve the ominous situation. The only ones that can rescue and subdue the spirit are the hidden stems of the person's age, birth year, and the current year. If the hidden stems of the person's age, birth year, and the current year instead support and nourish the official ghost spirit of the yin spirit, and the official ghost is located in a flourishing and vigorous position, then misfortune is unavoidable, and the time of occurrence is taken as the month when the dry stem of the official ghost is at its peak. If misfortune appears in the four lessons, it relates to immediate events; if it appears in the first transmission, it happens more quickly; if it appears in the middle or final transmission, it happens later. Thus, although the official ghost belongs to the category of misfortune, it should not be regarded rigidly.

如占官祿須圓融看矣，反喜官鬼在課傳，而並吉將吉神，乘旺相地，得旺相時，與日上年命上神相生，只與日干為克，尤妙遁干亦要透，干支傳來剋日干，類神之陰又不可有子孫之遁干來克用干，必得官矣。

For example, when divining about official positions and salaries, one must look at it more comprehensively: at this time, it is preferable for the official ghost to appear in the four lessons and three transmissions, and it should be accompanied by auspicious generals and deities, located in a prosperous and strong position, occurring in a prosperous and strong time, and generating with the day stem's deity and the deity of the year's birth. It should only be in a position to overcome the day stem—this is a good pattern. Especially remarkable is that the hidden stem should also reveal the official ghost, transmitted through the dry and branch to overcome the day stem. At the same time, there should not be a hidden stem of the offspring deity in the Yin deity that could overcome the official deity (as the offspring overcoming the official would remove the official position). If these conditions are met, one will surely attain an official position.

又有圓融之法，假如人來占不求文書而朱雀見課傳，居有氣之地，而旺相，與日干年命上德合生比，遁干又與日生比旺，則更看其陰神而知其何事。如陰神上見青龍，是用文書而有錢財之喜。然亦必六處見財為實。欲知何人之財，則看日支上神，如乘太常主尊長父母之財，白虎主兇惡人及死傷疾病人之財，旺並官祿則為武職或威權人之財。

There is another method called the Round and Flexible Method. Suppose the person is not seeking matters related to documents, but the Vermilion Bird appears in the Four Lessons and Three Transmissions, located in a place with vitality and strength, and it forms a harmonious relationship with the Day Stem, the Year of Birth, and the native's stem, creating a mutual generation and harmony between the Heavenly Stem and theLiu He, and the hidden Heavenly Stem also harmonizes with the Day Stem and is in its旺 phase. In such a case, one should further examine its Yin Spirit to determine the specific matter. For example, if the Yin Spirit shows the Azure Dragon, it indicates gaining happiness from financial gains through documents. However, it is also necessary to see the presence of the Wealth Trigram in all six positions for the wealth to be realized. To know the source of this wealth, one should look at the God on the Day Branch: if it is乘 Tai Chang, it indicates wealth from elders or parents; if it is乘 White Tiger, it indicates wealth from wicked people or those with injuries or illnesses; if Tai Chang is strong and combined with official positions, it indicates wealth from military officials or those in power.

再圓通看之，若青龍遁干剋日干則我畏而不敢取，如日克支干遁干又克支則懼疑我而不肯與。更圓通之，欲知所為何事，則看青龍之陰神，若得勾陳，懼有爭奪；得天后，懼有婦人阻撓；得太常懼尊長；得太陰懼親戚也。

Looking at it more comprehensively: if the hidden stem of the Azure Dragon comes to overcome the day stem, it indicates that I am afraid and dare not take this fortune; if the day stem overcomes the day branch's stem, and the hidden stem also overcomes the day branch, then the other party is doubtful of me and unwilling to give. Looking even more comprehensively: to know what exactly is being dealt with, one should examine the hidden spirit of the Azure Dragon. If the hidden spirit is associated with Gou Chen, there may be someone competing for it; if it is associated with the Heavenly Empress, there may be a woman interfering; if it is associated with Tai Chang, there may be interference from a superior; if it is associated with Tai Yin, there may be problems from the family side.

又圓通之，雖生我者，亦反為凶。如甲子日，日上得午，傳見子，午上見白虎來遙剋日干，遁建干亦金，天地皆屬旺相氣，雖子水能生甲木為甲父母，乃為實必實，以將雖吉而神與遁干皆凶，且居有氣之時地也。更圓通之，如占求財，忌見父母何也？父克子則子孫傷，無以制鬼而生財，何況子孫見於日上乎？此求財所以忌見父母，雖生無益也。即遁干見父母，亦不吉，而為吝也。

Further refining the interpretation: even when something is born from me, it can sometimes become harmful. For example, on a Jiazi day, if the day stem has Wu, and the three transmissions include Zi, with White Tiger remotely attacking the day stem, and the Taiyuan and month builder's hidden stem belong to metal, with both the heaven and earth disks in a prosperous and strong state—although Zi water can nourish Jia wood, making it the parents of Jia, the heavenly general is auspicious but the noble god and hidden stem are inauspicious, and they are located in a time and place with strong energy. This 'nourishing' becomes unreliable. Further refining: why is it inauspicious to see the parents' yao when seeking wealth? Because the parents restrain the sons, and if the sons are harmed, there is nothing to restrain the official ghosts and to generate wealth. Moreover, if the sons' yao is exactly on the day stem, this is even worse. This is why seeking wealth is inauspicious when seeing the parents' yao—it may nourish me, but it is of no benefit in seeking wealth. Even if the hidden stem shows the parents, it is not auspicious, only indicating reluctance and difficulty in obtaining.

更圓通歲上言之，假如凶將乘凶類神，遁干乘太歲上，遙剋日辰及日上神，或太歲支上又來克，或太歲生遁干來克，並死氣刑沖，其凶於人必矣。歲上得勾陳主爭鬥獄論，更看太歲之陰神又得白虎，遁干又來剋日，帶刑刃，主大辟。若陰神得吉將吉神來生比日干、日上神，上下旺相能解，其凶則輕減速，不致死。見墓神必主囚禁入獄，見救神主有救。皆圓通之妙法也。

From the perspective of the sovereign year, if a malevolent general is riding on a malevolent class deity, and its hidden stem is also riding on the sovereign year, remotely overcoming the day branch and the deity on the day stem; or if the sovereign year's earthly branch also overcomes, or the sovereign year generates and supports the hidden stem and then overcomes me, while at the same time being accompanied by death qi and punishment and clash, then the person is inevitably subjected to misfortune. If the sovereign year is occupied by Gou Chen, it indicates disputes and legal troubles; further examining the hidden deity of the sovereign year, if it also receives White Tiger, the hidden stem further overcomes the day stem, and is accompanied by punishment and Yangren, then it indicates a death sentence. Conversely, if the hidden deity receives a benevolent general and benevolent deity to generate the day stem, to match the day stem, or to generate the deity on the day branch, and both upper and lower are prosperous and strong, able to resolve the situation, then the misfortune is reduced and the person will not necessarily die. If the lesson contains the tomb deity, it certainly indicates imprisonment; if it contains the saving deity, it indicates there is a rescue. These are the subtle methods of comprehensive interpretation.

責陰神，假如二月戊戌日戌將寅時占求財，甲午旬癸辛戊甲，是神之遁干，蒿矢課，陽時用陰貴。

Here is an example focusing specifically on theYin Spirit (shadow god). In the second month, on a Wuxu day, using the Xu general, a Yin hour was chosen to divinate about seeking wealth. The day belongs to the Jiawu decade. The heavenly stems hidden by the four noble spirits in the lesson are in sequence:癸, 辛, 戊, 甲. This lesson is formed by the day stem remotely overcoming, and its lesson pattern is called "Hao Shi Lesson" (the three transmissions originate from the remote overcoming, like an arrow on the string with weak force, indicating matters are empty and not substantial). The time of divination was the Yin hour. According to the previous method of dividing time and using noble spirits, it belongs to the Yang time, and Yang time should use the Yin noble spirit. First, the lesson chart is listed, followed by a step-by-step explanation.

鬼 甲 寅 后 才財 財 壬 午 合 官未 比 戊 戌 虎 子父

These three lines represent the three transmissions, arranged from top to bottom as the first transmission, middle transmission, and final transmission. Each line is read as follows: six relations, hidden stem, original branch, and the heavenly general it rides. The last column notes the six relations again. The first transmission is寅, with the hidden stem being甲. Since甲 wood overcomes戊 earth, it is marked as 'ghost' (official ghost), riding the heavenly empress. The middle transmission is午, with the hidden stem being壬. Since戊 earth overcomes壬 water, it is marked as 'wealth' (wife wealth), riding the six harmonies. The final transmission is戌, with the hidden stem being戊. Since it is the same as the day stem, it is marked as 'companion' (companion), riding the white tiger. Thus, this lesson's three transmissions form the fire trinity of寅, 午, 戌, and the initiating transmission is the official ghost. At the end, the terms 'wealth', 'official ghost', and 'son and father' are notes added separately by the original text to indicate the six relations (wealth is equivalent to wealth, official ghost is equivalent to official ghost, son is equivalent to son, and father is equivalent to father). These were transcribed horizontally and no longer clearly correspond to each column, so they are recorded in their original order without interpretation or correction.

後 虎 勾 貴 甲 戊 辛 癸 慈 身遊 子 財 寅 午 酉 丑 午 戌 丑 戊

The Five Phases are the Four Lessons, read from right to left in the ancient style, with the first lesson on the far right. The Five Phases are arranged from top to bottom as: the riding general, the hidden stem, the Six Relations, the upper deity, and the lower deity. According to this, the first lesson has the lower deity as the day stem Wu (Wu resides in the Si palace), the upper deity as Chou, riding the Nobleman, the hidden stem as Gui, Wu earth controls Gui water, thus it is 'Wealth'. The second lesson has the lower deity as Chou, the upper deity as You, riding Gou Chen, the hidden stem as Xin, Wu earth generates Xin metal, thus it is 'Son' (child). The third lesson has the lower deity as the day branch Xu, the upper deity as Wu, riding the White Tiger, the hidden stem as Wu, which is the same as the day stem, thus it is marked 'Body Moving' (i.e., moving body, the day stem moves). The fourth lesson has the lower deity as Wu, the upper deity as Yin, riding Heavenly Empress, the hidden stem as Jia. The upper deities of the four lessons are in order Chou, You, Wu, Yin, and the lower deities are in order Wu, Chou, Xu, Wu. The method is: place Xu general on the Yin hour and turn out the Heaven Plate, the day stem Wu resides in the Si palace, Si gets Chou, which is the first lesson; then take Chou as the lower deity, Chou gets You, which is the second lesson; place Xu on Wu, which is the third lesson; then take Wu as the lower deity, Wu gets Yin, which is the fourth lesson.

癸 甲 乙 丙 貴 后 陰 元 丑 寅 卯 辰 乙巳 甲午 乙未 丙申

From here begins the diagram of the Heaven and Earth Plates. First look at the top row, which consists of four sections, corresponding to the four palaces of the Earth Plate: Si, Wu, Wei, and Shen. The four lines, from top to bottom, are: the heavenly stem hidden by the Heaven Plate character, the heavenly general multiplied by the Heaven Plate character, the Heaven Plate character itself, and the stem and branch of the Earth Plate's palace. Read each section in order: On the Earth Plate Si palace, the Heaven Plate adds Chou, Chou hides Gui (Gui Chou), multiplies by the Nobleman; on the Earth Plate Wu palace, the Heaven Plate adds Yin, Yin hides Jia (Jia Yin), multiplies by the Heavenly Empress; on the Earth Plate Wei palace, the Heaven Plate adds Mao, Mao hides Yi (Yi Mao), multiplies by Tai Yin; on the Earth Plate Shen palace, the Heaven Plate adds Chen, Chen hides Bing (Bing Chen), multiplies by the Black Tortoise. The Heaven Plate is arranged this way because of the Wu general added to the Yin hour—placing the month general Wu on the Earth Plate Yin, and then arranging the other characters in sequence, resulting in Chou on Si, Yin on Wu, Mao on Wei, and Chen on Shen. The Nobleman is on the Heaven Plate Chou and is over the Earth Plate Si palace. Si is the "earth gate," following the previous rule "after the Nobleman is on the earth gate, all others proceed in reverse," the twelve heavenly generals start from Chou and proceed in reverse order, so the following are Yin Hou, Mao Yin, Chen Xuan.

壬蛇子 巳常丁 辰甲 酉丁 癸朱亥 午虎戊 卯癸 戌戊

These four lines represent the left and right sides of the square diagram. On the left, from top to bottom, they are the Earthly Branches of the Earth Plate: Chen and Mao. On the right, from top to bottom, they are the Earthly Branches of the Earth Plate: You and Xu. On the left: the Earthly Branch Chen is overlaid with the Heaven Plate Zi, which is concealed as Ren (Renzi), riding on the Teng Snake; the Chen branch itself is marked as Jiachen. The Earthly Branch Mao is overlaid with the Heaven Plate Hai, which is concealed as Gui (Guihai), riding on the Vermilion Bird; the Mao branch itself is Gui Mao. On the right: the Earthly Branch You is overlaid with the Heaven Plate Si, which is concealed as Ding (Dingsi), riding on the Tai Chang; the You branch itself is Dingyou. The Earthly Branch Xu is overlaid with the Heaven Plate Wu, which is concealed as Wu (Wuwu), riding on the White Tiger; the Xu branch itself is Wuxu, which is the day branch of the current day. Here we should note: the current day belongs to the Jiawu decade. In the Jiawu decade, the branches Chen and Si have no Heavenly Stems to pair with, which is the empty place of this decade. Therefore, the diagram uses Jiachen and Yisi to mark the Chen and Si branches, which are actually empty places.

戌 酉 申 未 壬寅 丑辛 子庚 亥己 壬 辛 庚 巳 六 勾 龍 空

These four lines are the bottom row of the square diagram, corresponding to the Earth Plate's寅, 丑, 子, and 亥 palaces. The first line is the Heaven Plate's characters: on the Earth Plate's寅 palace add 戌, on 丑 add 酉, on 子 add 申, and on 亥 add 未. The second line is the heavenly stems and earthly branches of the current ten-day cycle for each Earth Palace:寅 is 壬寅, 丑 is 辛丑, 子 is 庚子, and 亥 is 己亥. The third line is the heavenly stems hidden by the Heaven Plate's characters: 戌 hides 壬, 酉 hides 辛, 申 hides 庚, and 未 hides 己 (the original text mistakenly wrote 己 as 巳, which is similar in appearance, but it is recorded as 己 here). The fourth line is the Heavenly Generals associated with the Heaven Plate's characters: 戌 is accompanied by Liu He, 酉 by Gou Chen, 申 by Azure Dragon, and 未 by Tian Kong. When combining all four sides and counting around in a circle, starting from the palace of the Nobleman at 丑 and moving in reverse order, it becomes 丑 Nobleman, 子 Snake, 亥 Sparrow, 戌 Union, 酉 Gou Chen, 申 Azure Dragon, 未 Tian Kong, 午 Tiger, 巳 Common, 辰 Black Tortoise, 卯 Yin, and 寅 Later, the Twelve Heavenly Generals connect end to end, matching each section of the diagram exactly.

占求財以龍為類神象，不入課則不准究。如此課，龍並不入課，又何以為類乎？且遁干又不與日干比，胡為取之得，毋相矛盾？大約不入課，其財多不利，雖取必有不妥。法曰：「求財責青龍。」今天上申乘龍為傷鱗，雖日上陽神貴人遁癸為財，而神將兄爻比劫，初傳甲寅旺鬼發用，傳火遞剋日金局，青龍陰神申上見辰乘元武，遁丙來克青龍之遁干庚金，庚乃戊之子孫，子孫受傷，龍之上下六層不比生日，末傳遊身戊干乘白虎，求財亦凶，反有盜破官司。

Now let us interpret this divination. When seeking wealth, the Azure Dragon is the class god used as a symbolic reference. If the class god does not appear in the four lessons or three transmissions, it cannot be used as a basis for interpretation. In this case, the Azure Dragon does not appear in the lessons or transmissions, so on what basis can it be considered the class god? Moreover, its hidden stem does not harmonize with the day stem, making its use contradictory. Generally speaking, if the class god does not appear in the lesson, the sought wealth is likely to be unfavorable, and even if one tries to use it, it will be inappropriate. The rule states, "Seeking wealth depends on the Azure Dragon." In this case, the Azure Dragon is located on the Heaven Plate at the position of Shen (申), which is metal and thus harms wood. Since the Azure Dragon belongs to wood, it is harmed by metal, which is called "injuring the scales." Although the yang spirit on the day is riding the Nobleman and the hidden stem is癸 (Kui), functioning as a wealth element, the noble god here is the Heavenly General representing brothers and wealth loss. The first transmission, Jiayin (甲寅), is a strong official ghost initiating the transmission. The three transmissions form the fire triad of Yin-Wu-Xu, and fire then gradually harms the metal group. Looking further at the Azure Dragon's hidden stem, it is located on Shen and rides the Black Tortoise, with the hidden stem being Bing (丙). Bing fire harms the hidden stem of the Azure Dragon, which is Geng (庚) metal. Geng is the son of Wu (戊) earth. If the son is harmed, it cannot generate wealth. The Azure Dragon's upper and lower layers do not harmonize with the day stem nor generate it. The final transmission is the wandering stem Wu riding the White Tiger. Therefore, this lesson indicates not only a bad outcome for seeking wealth, but also the possibility of theft, financial loss, and legal troubles.

陰神元武，末傳白虎也。出門求財尤忌。馬乘陰元武，又遙見蒿矢也。惟利求盜賊、婦女及罪人、獄訟、死喪之財，其財凶惡，以財之神將皆凶也。然亦安可求哉？支上陽神所乘神為將財與我之人，今白虎之疾病、死喪、訟獄，陰神上見天后乘甲寅鬼，為財克干。又日上陽神乘貴遁癸，財陰神上見勾陳，亦主訟獄，斷為訟獄說情之事。果驗。又斷得財後有殃，亦驗。事關婦女，亦驗。

Therefore, the verification of theft and legal matters depends on two factors: one is the hidden spirit riding the Black Tortoise (which governs thieves), and the other is the final transmission riding the White Tiger (which governs punishment, litigation, and death). This type of lesson is especially inauspicious for going out to seek wealth. Because the post-horse is riding the hidden spirit Black Tortoise, and the lesson pattern is a distant overcoming forming the蒿矢 lesson. This kind of wealth is only suitable for seeking from thieves, women, criminals, litigation, and death matters. The wealth itself is ominous, because the noble spirits and heavenly generals accompanying the wealth are allInauspicious Spirit. Although it is like this, where can such wealth be sought? Now looking at the yang spirit on the day branch, the noble spirit it rides represents the person who gives me the wealth: now it is the White Tiger, which governs illness, death, and litigation; its hidden spirit shows the Heavenly Empress riding Jiayin official ghost, which means the wealth is overcoming the day stem. And the yang spirit on the day rides the noble spirit, with the hidden dry branch being癸, this wealth's hidden spirit shows Gou Chen, which also governs litigation. Combining these interpretations, this matter is about helping someone plead a case. Later it indeed came true. Also, it was predicted that after gaining wealth, there would be calamity, which also came true. It was also predicted that the matter involves women, which also came true.

財所乘神看是何等財。如貴人是占官府之財，騰蛇是爐冶、小人之財，朱雀是文書、口舌之財，六合是交易、買賣之財，勾陳是鬥訟之財，空亡是欺詐、虛妄之財，太陰是婦女、陰私、闇昧之財，白虎是死喪、疾病、訟獄、兵丁之財，太常是尊長、衣帛、飲食之財，元武是盜賊、小人之財，青龍是文書、喜慶之財。

The type of wealth is determined by which noble deity the wealth爻 is riding upon. If it rides upon the Nobleman, it is wealth from government offices; if it rides upon the Teng Snake, it is wealth from metalworking and dealings with petty people; if it rides upon the Vermilion Bird, it is wealth obtained through documents or disputes; if it rides upon the Liu He, it is wealth from trade and commerce; if it rides upon the Gou Chen, it is wealth from conflicts and lawsuits; if it rides upon the Tian Kong, it is wealth from deceit and falsehood; if it rides upon the Tai Yin, it is wealth related to women, private matters, and hidden affairs; if it rides upon the White Tiger, it is wealth connected to death, illness, lawsuits, and military affairs; if it rides upon the Tai Chang, it is wealth given by superiors or from clothing, food, and similar items; if it rides upon the Black Tortoise, it is wealth from thieves and petty people; if it rides upon the Azure Dragon, it is wealth from documents and joyful events.

假如占財求所得之數，以先天數斷。法曰：「甲己子午九，乙庚丑未八，丙辛寅申七，丁壬卯酉六，戊癸辰戌五，巳亥是四數。」俱以財爻上下相因乘除，衰旺斷之。旺則相因而倍進，財相則止就上下本數總計，財休則但言盤上之本數而不因，財死囚減其盤上乘數之半。如法活潑推之，方有準。

If you are divining about wealth and need to determine the amount, use the Earlier Heaven numbers. The mnemonic is: Jia and Ji with Zi and Wu are nine, Yi and Geng with Chou and Wei are eight, Bing and Xin with Yin and Shen are seven, Ding and Ren with Mao and You are six, Wu and Gui with Chen and Xu are five, and Si and Hai are four. When calculating, multiply or divide the numbers of the wealth爻's upper and lower characters, then adjust according to their strength and weakness: if the wealth爻 is in its旺 phase, double the product of the two numbers; if it is in its相 phase, simply add the two numbers together; if it is in its休 phase, just state the original number on the disk without multiplying; if it is in its死囚 phase, subtract half of the multiplied result. By flexibly applying this method, the divination will be accurate.

然究當以天盤干支之數，如上法之相因乘除加減，不用地盤干支斷占，尤準。如甲子相則九九八十一數，此本數也。旺倍則一百八十二，休則九十，死囚則四十五也。又大數旺取干，其零數取支。如甲子春占為九十四兩九錢，或九百九十兩。如衰則九兩九錢，死則九錢九分，酌量加減如前法。又錠件取財爻五行斷，水一六，火二七，金四九，木三八，土五十，生數為錠，成數為件。如水則一錠六件，或十二件，亦以旺衰死囚加減，合圓融之妙也。

However, in the end, one should take the numbers of the heavenly stems and earthly branches on the Heaven Plate, multiply and divide them according to the method mentioned above, adding and subtracting as needed; instead of using the Earth Plate's heavenly stems and earthly branches for judgment, which is more accurate. For example, Jiazi: Jia is nine, Zi is nine. If they are in the phase of mutual assistance, nine multiplied by nine gives eighty-one, which is the base number; when they are in the旺 phase, it doubles (the original text says one hundred eighty-two, but according to the base number, it should be one hundred sixty-two); in the phase of rest, it is ninety; in the phase of death and imprisonment, it is forty-five. In addition, the large number is taken from the heavenly stem, and the small number from the earthly branch: for example, if Jiazi is used for divination in spring, it can be interpreted as ninety-four taels and nine cash, or nine hundred ninety taels; if it is in decline, it is nine taels and nine cash; if it is in death, it is nine cash and nine fen—adjusting according to the previous method by adding or subtracting. As for whether it is in the form of a lump or individual items, it is determined by the Five Phases of the wealth hexagram: water corresponds to one and six, fire to two and seven, metal to four and nine, wood to three and eight, and earth to five and ten; among these, the generating numbers indicate a lump, and the completing numbers indicate individual items. For example, if it belongs to water, it is one lump and six items, or combined into twelve items; similarly, adjust according to the phases of旺, 衰, 死, and 囚 by adding or subtracting. This is the subtle and flexible method.

數目財爻干支測，旺多囚少半中窺，年為萬數月為千，日百辰十時零算，銀錢一數為一個，四足八數為一獸，飛禽五數為一隻，算人十數為一人，旺相相乘加倍說，休為本數囚空半，死依本數還減半，孤神十分減其三，刑沖破害十減七，干支定數本先天。

This song explains how to calculate numbers based on the wealth hexagram's stem and branch. The number of wealth is determined by the stem and branch of the wealth hexagram: if it is prosperous and strong, the number is large; if it is in captivity, the number is small; if it is half prosperous and half declining, take the middle number. The method of determining the position of the number is as follows: the number from the year stem is the ten-thousands place, the number from the month builder is the thousands place, the number from the day stem is the hundreds place, the number from the day branch is the tens place, and the number from the hour is the remainder. The conversion units are: for silver money, one number equals one unit; for four-legged animals, eight numbers equal one animal; for birds, five numbers equal one bird; for people, ten numbers equal one person. The rules for addition and subtraction are: if it is prosperous and strong, multiply the two numbers and then double the result; if it is in rest, take the original number; if it is in captivity or falling empty, reduce the number by half; if it is in death qi, take the original number and then reduce it by half; if it is accompanied by isolated stars or lonely spirits such as Guchen and Guasu, subtract three parts from ten; if it is accompanied by crime, opposition, destruction, or harm, subtract seven parts from ten. As for how each stem and branch corresponds to a certain number, this originates from the Yellow River Chart's earlier heaven numbers (i.e., the previous "Jia and Ji correspond to Zi and Wu nine" system).

凡有類神入課傳為有象，有象則有數目情形，不入課傳則無象，無象則不准究。又與日干比者為得其同類，取為主事之神，雖不臨日上亦必取占；不與日比為失其類，即入課傳不取為主事。故經曰：「苟得其同，雖遠必合。苟失其同，雖近不親」也。其圓融如是。

All divine entities that enter the Four Lessons and Three Transmissions are considered to have an image or form ("有象"); only those with an image can be discussed in terms of numbers and situations. Those not entering the Four Lessons or Three Transmissions are considered to lack an image ("无象"), and without an image, they cannot be used for divination. Additionally, those that are of the same type and harmonious with the Day Stem are considered to have the same kind, and can be taken as the main deity for the matter; even if such deities are not on the Day Stem, they must still be taken for divination. Those that are not of the same type and harmonious with the Day Stem are considered to have lost their kind; even if they enter the Four Lessons or Three Transmissions, they are not taken as the main deity for the matter. Therefore, the classic says: "If one has the same kind, even if far apart, they will certainly harmonize; if one has lost the same kind, even if close, they will not be close." Its flexibility lies precisely here.

凡身強身弱，以財旺之日月為得財之日月。若財強身弱，以身旺之日月為得財之日月，不可粗看，細辨方準。凡財神無傷而得氣，且見於三傳中者，其遲速以傳之次第為早晚。在初傳必速，更旺尤速。相則早晚，死休囚同。中末次之。若傳歸入日干上，或入宅於門，必主速斷。故曰：「遲中有速，速中有遲也。」

When determining the time to gain wealth, one must consider the strength of the self and the wealth element. If the self is strong enough, then the time to gain wealth is when the wealth element is strong. However, if the wealth element is strong but the self is weak, then the time to gain wealth is when the self is strong. This point should not be viewed superficially; it must be carefully analyzed. If the wealth element is not damaged, is in a favorable position, and appears in the three transmissions, then the speed of gaining wealth depends on its position within the three transmissions: if it is in the first transmission, it will be quick, and even faster if it is also strong. If it is in the phase of the ruler, it may be either early or late. If it is in the state of death, rest, or captivity, it will be slow. If it is in the middle or final transmission, it will be slightly slower. If the three transmissions ultimately return to the day stem or to the position of the house or the gate, then it is definitely a quick gain. Therefore, it is said: "Slowness may contain speed, and speed may contain slowness."

凡類神不入傳在閒處者，則看發用。法以年月日時旬後分應也。《觀月經》云：「起歲年華問，逢蟾月內求。」蓋年月日時發用則應即在此也。又龍上所遁之干為年月日時克者為真財。經云：「明無財爻，暗建為真。」是也。三傳遞克為克財，名江網魚。干支俱取遞克。凡財爻及青龍所乘是孟，為新財；仲為半新，季為舊財也。又臨隔年太歲為舊財舊事，隔年之欠也。蓋孟為四時之首，故主新；季為歸墓而舊矣。

If the divine class does not appear in the three transmissions but falls in an idle position, then we should look at the initiating transmission. According to the "Observing the Monthly Cycle," it says: "Starting from the heavenly stem of the current year, it refers to events within a year; encountering the month general (the moon), it refers to events within a month." This means that the initiating transmission falling on the current year's stem, the month builder, the day branch, or the exact hour determines the timing. Additionally, if the heavenly stem hidden by the azure dragon is controlled by the current year's stem, the month builder, the day branch, or the exact hour, that is considered true wealth. The classic says: "When wealth is not clearly present, the hidden one is the true wealth." When the three transmissions successively control each other, it is called "controlling wealth," also known as "river net fishing," meaning that nets are set layer by layer to catch fish. Both the heavenly and earthly stems should be considered for successive control. Furthermore, if the wealth爻 is associated with the azure dragon's stem and falls on the four young stems (寅, 申, 巳, 亥), it indicates new wealth; if on the four middle stems (子, 午, 卯, 酉), it indicates half-new wealth; if on the four old stems (辰, 戌, 丑, 未), it indicates old wealth. If it falls on the heavenly stem of the previous year, it refers to old wealth and old matters, which are debts from previous years. The reasoning is: the young stem is the beginning of the four seasons, so it indicates new wealth; the old stem is the one that enters the storage, so it indicates old wealth.

凡類之將神即和，與日相比，見六處而又下臨長生帝旺之地，方有其象。而可求否則為之無象。如求財既無象，求之何益？凡吉神內外戰者，即地有氣，生旺亦不吉。蓋生旺之氣神自受之，與將無干也。以得氣之神內戰其將，將之氣愈弱，變吉為凶。以將者神之身也，故以和為吉。凡吉盤空，吉將吉神亦空，吉既落空，有財尚防損失，況可求乎？若神生其將，出旬猶可望也。以上數條以求財為例，餘可類推。

In order to have a "form" (象), the heavenly generals (天将) and the noble spirits (贵神) that the deity rides upon must be harmonious with each other, and also harmonious with the day stem (日干). They should appear among the six positions, and the position below them should be one of growth (长生) or prosperity (帝旺). Only then can it be considered as having a form, and one can proceed with the divination. Otherwise, it is considered as having no form. If there is no form, then seeking wealth is useless. There is another situation: if the auspicious spirits and the heavenly generals they ride upon are in conflict, even if the earth plate (地盘) has vitality and is in a position of growth and prosperity, it is still not auspicious. Because that vitality and prosperity belong to the noble spirit itself, not to the heavenly general. In fact, the noble spirit, which has the vitality, is attacking the heavenly general it rides upon, thus making the heavenly general's vitality even weaker. Therefore, what was originally auspicious becomes inauspicious. The heavenly general is like the body of the noble spirit, so harmony between the two is considered auspicious. Moreover, if the auspicious position is empty, then the auspicious heavenly general and noble spirit also become empty. If auspiciousness is already empty, even if there is wealth, one should be cautious of losses. How much more so if one goes seeking it? However, if the noble spirit can generate the heavenly general it rides upon, then there is still hope after the current ten-day period (本旬). The above points are given as an example for seeking wealth; other matters can be inferred in the same way.

地盤十二氣神，四吉八凶，宜分玩其情。如長生有生生不息之義。若將本求財，生息大利；沐浴主渙散消除，故為敗氣無利且主散失；冠帶冠冕崢蠑，則財可求；臨官則顯榮利達，宜利求官府公貴之財；帝旺則得時乘勢，宜求須速，不可遲誤；衰則消耗無幾；病則困頓力弱，不能求；死則有去無來，那有生息？墓則歸庫，遇刑沖開庫，則秘藏之財猶可圖；絕則生理已絕，若結絕之財亦可圖；胎養則尚未現，只可求微細之財，不可奢望。

The Earth Plate contains twelve spiritual forces, known as the twelve lengths of life. Among them, four are auspicious and eight are inauspicious; one should discern their respective characteristics. The length of life signifies continuous generation and renewal; if one uses capital to seek profit, it is highly beneficial. Bathing indicates dispersion and elimination, which is a decline in energy; not only is there no profit, but also there is a risk of losing wealth. Capping and wearing a crown represents a grand and dignified appearance, and wealth can be sought. Officialdom signifies prominence and success, making it suitable for seeking wealth from government or powerful figures. Prosperity indicates being in the right time and position; one should act quickly and not delay. Decline means that much has already been consumed, leaving little remaining. Sickness implies hardship and weakness, making it difficult to obtain wealth. Death signifies departure without return, so there is no profit to be gained. Burial indicates returning to the storehouse; if there is a clash or conflict that opens the storehouse, hidden wealth may still be pursued. Extinction means that vitality has ceased, but if it is about settling old debts, some profit may still be obtained. Fetus and nurturing indicate that something is not yet formed, so only minor wealth can be sought, and one should not expect much.

凡遁干遊行之日干為遊身。蓋日干為身，其遁干則游行之身也。日干固要旺相，而遊行之干乃我行動求謀之身，亦要旺，上下旺相，遊身得氣，無往不利矣。否則不宜轉動，此圓通之妙訣也。

Whenever a heavenly stem that matches the day stem appears in the hidden stems, it is called "you shen." The day stem represents the self, while the hidden stem that matches it is the manifestation of the self moving outward. Although the day stem should be prosperous and strong, this moving stem, being the body used for action and affairs, also needs to be strong. If both the upper and lower stems are prosperous and strong, and the moving stem is in harmony, then everything will go smoothly; otherwise, it is not suitable to take action. This is a key principle in the method of circular interpretation.

凡日之陰神，乃我心懷所欲也，又與我為心腹之人也。與日上陽神要相比合，則我之慾可求，我之心腹人可托。欲知何人為我心腹，則看天官之神，如太陰為親戚，太常為尊長、武弁，若合者為親，同氣者為兄弟門族。又看所乘衰旺，而知其人之貧富、老幼、賢愚。以將知其六親，以神知其形貌衣著，無不可知矣。

The Yin spirit of the day stem represents what I desire in my heart, as well as the person closest to me. It must harmonize with the Yang spirit above the day stem, so that my desires can be fulfilled and the person closest to me can be trusted. To know who the person closest to me is, look at the heavenly official it is riding: Tai Yin represents relatives, Tai Chang represents elders or military officers; those that harmonize with me are close friends, and those of the same nature are brothers or relatives. Then examine its strength and decline to determine the person's wealth, age, wisdom or foolishness. Use the Heavenly General to determine which of the Six Relations he belongs to, and use the noble spirit to judge his appearance and clothing. Nothing is beyond understanding.

日支為與我相涉交際之人也。支上陰神乃其人之心腹及其人所託之心腹之人，亦如日之陰陽例推，則彼與我皆知矣。知彼知己，百發百中，更求其遁干，而吉凶乃真。凡欲知人之心懷喜懼，責其支之陰神上所乘之天官。若陰神生旺陽神者，其心必喜，勇於從事。若帶刑沖破害，則其人必怒，事相牴牾。欲知喜怒為何心，即視陰神上所乘之天官，如朱雀克害則因讒謗之類，可例推之。

The Day Branch represents the person with whom I have dealings or interactions. The Yin spirit on the Day Branch is the person's close aide or someone entrusted with important matters by him; the method of analysis for the Yin and Yang on the Day Branch is exactly the same as that on the Day Stem. In this way, both the other party and I are clearly understood. Knowing both the enemy and oneself ensures victory in all battles. Further, by determining the hidden stem, the true nature of fortune and misfortune can be established. To know whether the other person is happy or fearful, examine the heavenly officials riding on the Yin spirit of the Day Branch: if the Yin spirit generates and supports the Yang spirit, the person is certainly pleased and willing to act; if it involves punishment, conflict, destruction, or harm, the person is certainly angry, and the matter will clash. To understand the reasons for the person's joy or anger, look at the heavenly officials riding on the Yin spirit of the Day Branch. For example, if the Yin spirit arrives riding the Vermilion Bird and harms the other party, it is due to slander or defamation. Other cases can be similarly inferred.

凡干支為上神所克，或干支上神為陰神所克，皆為有傷。干支上克乃兩邊皆有自不得志之事也。干支陰神克干支陽神，乃兩邊俱為人阻逆牽連為難，雖欲來生而不能，為克而不得，故傷干則我有所畏而不能，傷支人有所忌而不敢。其所以不能不敢之故，則看其陰上之天官而決斷，未有不洞曉如見者。凡我取人與之機，全決於此，在學者圓融通變以測之耳。照心之鏡，取占之機，可以先覺矣。

Whenever the day stem or day branch is attacked by the heavenly god above it, or when the yang god above the day stem or day branch is further attacked by a yin god, it is considered "injured." If the stem and branch are attacked by the heavenly god above, it indicates that both sides face difficulties and lack success. If the yin god attacks the yang god of the stem and branch, it means both sides are obstructed and hindered, suffering from being controlled. Originally intending to help, they cannot; originally intending to restrain, they cannot. Therefore, if the day stem is injured, it indicates that I am afraid and thus cannot act; if the day branch is injured, it indicates that the other party is cautious and thus dares not act. As for why things cannot be done or why the other party dares not act, it is determined by the heavenly officials on the yin god. There is nothing that cannot be clearly understood. Whether I should seek from others or give to others is entirely decided here. Scholars only need to flexibly and skillfully infer. The Six Rats divination method, as a mirror reflecting the human heart, is the key to divination, allowing people to foresee and understand before events occur.

凡人來占，不明說心事凡求斷，諸書皆以發用初傳之天官為測，然七百二十課占萬物萬事，何由知其斷主一事也？法當兼取外占，外占者，當其占問之時，以所見所聞之機參斷之，確有準驗。如觀梅法。

Whenever a person does not wish to clearly state their affairs but only asks for a divination, all schools of壬book rely on the heavenly official governing the initial transmission and the initiating transmission to make predictions. However, with seven hundred and twenty lessons covering all things, relying solely on this, how can one know which particular matter is being referred to? The method is to also take into account the "external signs."the so-called external signs refer to the signs one sees or hears at the moment of the divination, which are combined with the main divination for judgment, and this is indeed very accurate. This is similar to the method of taking symbolic images from plum blossoms in Shao Yong's "Plum Blossom Numerology."

假如占課時見有貴人來，斷他是謁貴；聞讀書聲，見人翻書寫字，斷他是上書應試；見人吉笑，斷其慶賀；聞人呼喚，斷其賞賜；見人坐立，斷其行止；聞人愁嘆哭泣，斷其憂苦；聞人爭鬥，斷其口舌是非；見人密語，斷其陰私；見婦人女子，知其占陰人；見人攜抱，知其占子孫胎孕。皆要隨機活潑參斷，其應如響，亦圓通之一法也。總以遁干為主，稍參外占為穩。

For example, if during the casting of the divination there is a visible presence of a nobleman, it is interpreted that he is going to visit a noble person; if one hears the sound of reading or sees someone turning pages or writing, it is interpreted that he is going to submit a document or take an examination; if one sees someone smiling and laughing, it is interpreted that there will be a celebration; if one hears someone calling out, it is interpreted that there will be a reward; if one sees someone sitting or standing, it is interpreted that he is asking about movement or stillness; if one hears someone sighing or crying, it is interpreted that he is facing sorrow; if one hears someone arguing, it is interpreted that there will be disputes; if one sees someone whispering in a low voice, it is interpreted that there is something private or secret; if one sees a woman or a girl, it is interpreted that the matter concerns a woman; if one sees someone holding a child, it is interpreted that the matter concerns descendants or pregnancy. All these should be judged flexibly and combined according to the situation, and the results will be as accurate as an echo. This is also a method of comprehensive and flexible divination. However, in general, one should mainly rely on the hidden stem (遁干) and only slightly refer to external signs for a more secure interpretation.

凡一人來占數事，數人共得一課，則課同、類同、旺相同、遁干同、發用同，何以知其心事？何以察其吉凶？諸書有稱換將之法。陽將後三前五，陰將後五前一，其理舛錯，其時隔越，其法背亂，斷法往往不驗，惟《中黃經》曰：「中黃五變五般推，時上傳時三遁時，課中移換無差錯，好把當時建一巡。」其法最妙，以遁干變換一課，可占五時，一時可占五人，總用遁干，不離正訣，而確有五變也。

If a person asks about several matters at once, or if many people share the same divination lesson, then the lesson pattern, the associated deity, the state of prosperity and strength, the hidden stem, and the initiating transmission are all the same. How then can we distinguish each person's concerns? How can we discern their fortune and misfortune? Some books suggest a method called "changing the general," where a yang general moves back three positions or forward five, and a yin general moves back five positions or forward one. This method is inherently flawed, the timing is too distant, and the practice contradicts itself, leading to often inaccurate results. Only the "Zhonghuang Jing" states: "Through five transformations of the central yellow, one lesson can produce five different outcomes; by transmitting the time again above the correct time, it is paired with the three hidden times; within the lesson, such transformations are without error, as long as the current position is traversed in order." This method is most effective: by transforming the hidden stem within a lesson, one lesson can cover five hours, and one hour can cover five people. The entire process uses only the hidden stem, remains consistent with the original method, and can indeed generate five different situations.

假如癸丑日丙辰時丑將，五人來占，或占五事，皆以一時一課占斷，而總不雷同，今癸丑日丑將加辰時上，即為第一人第一事，占用五子元遁戊癸起壬子，遁至辰時上是丙辰時，即於癸丑日上斷第一人。第二人第二事即從時上丙字用丙辛從戊起，戊子旬丙有癸巳，即於癸巳上斷之。第三人第三事從癸巳旬有壬辰，即以丁壬庚子居，庚子旬有癸卯，即於癸卯上斷之。

For example: On a day with the stem-branch combination of Gui Chou, at the time of Bing Chen, using Chou as the general, if five people come to consult at the same time or one person wants to consult five matters, all use the same hour and the same divination chart. The interpretations for each are different. The method is: On the day of Gui Chou, place Chou as the general on the hour of Chen, and arrange the Heaven Plate accordingly, which is for the first person or the first matter. Start the遁 (dun) method with the Five Sons Original Dun. On the day of Gui, according to the rule 'Wu Gui starts at Ren Zi', move from Ren Zi to the hour of Chen and arrive at Bing Chen, so the first person is interpreted based on the day stem-branch Gui Chou. For the second person or the second matter, start from the 'Bing' character on the hour: according to the rule 'Bing Xin starts at Wu Zi', move from Wu Zi downwards, in the Wu Zi cycle, find the one that matches Bing, count to Gui Si, and interpret based on Gui Si. For the third person or the third matter, take Ren Chen from the Gui Si cycle, then according to 'Ding Ren starts at Geng Zi', move from Geng Zi downwards to arrive at Gui Mao, and interpret based on Gui Mao.

第四人第四事癸卯下遁甲辰，即以甲己還生甲，遁至丙上是癸酉，即以癸酉課上斷之。第五人第五事癸酉下甲戌旬遁至辰上是庚辰，即以乙庚丙作初，遁至未上是癸未，即以癸未課上斷之。五課皆若有第六人第六事即當換時，再演五課，則日辰上時之神將遁干俱不雷同，其生克衰旺按干皆不雷同，日上之陰神遁干年命上之遁干亦不雷同，

The fourth person and the fourth matter, underGuimao, the hidden stem reachesJiachen. Following the rule 'Jia and Ji add Jia again,' it proceeds through the sequence to reach the Bing position, obtainingGuiyou, and the judgment is made on theGuiyou lesson. The fifth person and the fifth matter, underGuiyou, belongs to theJiaxu decade. The hidden stem reaches the Chen position, obtainingGengchen. Following the rule 'Yi and Geng start with Bing,' it proceeds to the Wei position, obtainingGuiwei, and the judgment is made on theGuiwei lesson. The five lessons are now completed. If there is a sixth person and a sixth matter, a new hour should be chosen, and the five lessons should be repeated again. In this way, the noble spirit, Heavenly General, and hidden stems above the day branch and the hour branch will all be different. Their relationships of generation, overcoming, decline, and strength will also vary according to the stems. The hidden stem above the day and the hidden stem of the person's birth year will also differ.

而變換活潑，豈若時術之拘執硬局，次客次籌，稱神換將，舛錯隔越者可比？蓋不得其傳，穿鑿無據，以救其說之窮，今以時上遁干變換一時五課，自然而然，無所勉強，斷之無不驗矣。

This method of transformation is lively and natural, far surpassing the rigid and forced practices of modern diviners who stick to fixed patterns, arrange the order according to the sequence of clients, use tokens to rotate, and rely on the erroneous method of "changing generals" which creates confusion and disruption. They merely lack the true transmission and are forced to resort to artificial interpretations to cover up their own inconsistencies. Now, using the method of shifting the heavenly stems according to time, five lessons can be performed within each hour naturally and effortlessly, without any strain. There is no case where the divination does not prove accurate.

癸丑日丑將丙辰時。陽時用陰貴，課名斬關、不備、遊子。

This lesson's conditions are: on Guichou day, using the Chou branch as the general, at Bingchen time. The Chen hour, according to the previous method of dividing hours, belongs to the yang hour, and the yang hour uses the yin noble. The lesson pattern has three names: "Zhang Guan" (three transmissions retreat in sequence, like breaking through a gate, indicating long journeys or fleeing), "Bu Bei" (the day stem and day branch share the same palace, and the four lessons are insufficient for four positions, indicating matters with defects), and "You Zi" (the person is away from home, drifting, indicating the possibility of long journeys). Below is the lesson chart.

壬 戌 龍 己 未 常 丙 辰 後

These three lines represent the three transmissions, arranged from top to bottom as the first transmission, middle transmission, and final transmission. Each line is read as the hidden stem, the base branch, and the celestial general it rides. The first transmission is戌, with the hidden stem壬 (Renwu), riding the Azure Dragon; the middle transmission is未, with the hidden stem己 (Jiwei), riding Tai Chang; the final transmission is辰, with the hidden stem丙 (Bingchen), riding the Heavenly Empress. The origin of the hidden stems comes from the five-element cycle of the five sons' retreat, starting with the癸 day'sRenzi. Following the sequence fromRenzi in order, the stem on戌 isRenxu, on未 isJiwei, and on辰 isBingchen. The three transmissions,戌, 未, and 辰, each retreat three positions, indicating the image of "retreating retreat." Therefore, the name of the divination is "Cutting the Gate" and "Wandering Child."

常 龍 常 龍 己 壬 己 壬 鬼 鬼 未 戌 未 戌 戌 丑 戌 癸

The Five Phases are the Four Lessons, read from right to left, with the rightmost column being the first lesson. The Five Phases are arranged from top to bottom as: the Heavenly General it rides, the hidden Heavenly Stem, the Six Relations, the upper deity, and the lower deity. Restoring them, the first lesson has the lower deity as the day stem癸 (癸 resides in the Chou palace), the upper deity is Xu, riding the Azure Dragon, and the hidden stem is Ren; the second lesson has the lower deity as Xu, the upper deity as Wei, riding Tai Chang, and the hidden stem as Ji; the third lesson has the lower deity as the day branch Chou, the upper deity as Xu, riding the Azure Dragon, and the hidden stem as Ren; the fourth lesson has the lower deity as Xu, the upper deity as Wei, riding Tai Chang, and the hidden stem as Ji. Since癸 on the day resides in the Chou palace, which coincides with the day branch Chou, the first lesson and the third lesson are the same, and the second lesson and the fourth lesson are the same. Thus, there are only two lessons left, which is why the lesson is called 「不备」. Xu and Wei are both earth, and earth controls癸 water, so the Six Relations line marks two 「ghost」 characters—two layers of official ghosts affecting the person.

甲 乙 丙 丁 蛇 貴 后 陰 寅 卯 辰 巳

From here begins the diagram of the celestial and terrestrial plates. First look at the top row, which corresponds to the four palaces of the earth plate:寅, 卯, 辰, and 巳. Three rows are arranged from top to bottom: the heavenly stems that hide in each palace, the heavenly generals arranged, and the positions of the earth plate palaces. On aGuichou day, it belongs to the Jiayin decade, so the palace of寅 is Jiayin, 卯 is Yimao, 辰 is Bingchen, and 巳 is Dingsi. The hidden heavenly stems are in sequence Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding. The heavenly generals are: the palace of寅 has Teng Snake, 卯 has Nobleman, 辰 has Heavenly Empress, and 巳 has Tai Yin. The Nobleman is located in the palace of 卯 because according to the tradition of this book, the earth plate's Yin Nobleman is determined by the earth plate Yin Nobleman song, which states that the palace of 卯 is paired with癸, so the earth plate Yin Nobleman on a癸 day is in the palace of 卯. Since the Nobleman is in 卯, the twelve heavenly generals are arranged starting from 卯 and proceeding in reverse order.

占三 占二 癸朱丑 午玄戊 占一 壬六子 未常己 占五 占四

These lines represent the left and right sides of the square diagram, with the marks indicating five instances of divination in the middle. On the left, from top to bottom, it is the Earth Plate Chou Palace and Zi Palace: Chou Palace hides Gui (Gui Chou), with Vermilion Bird; Zi Palace hides Ren (Ren Zi), with Liu He. On the right, from top to bottom, it is the Earth Plate Wu Palace and Wei Palace: Wu Palace hides Wu (Wu Wu), with Black Tortoise; Wei Palace hides Ji (Ji Wei), with Tai Chang. "Divination One" to "Divination Five" indicate the respective positions of the five changing lessons in each palace—the first divination falls in Chou, the second in Si, the third in Mao, the fourth in You, and the fifth in Wei, matching the five divination entries mentioned later. The original text here is a carved block diagram, and after transcribing it horizontally, the correspondence between the marks and the palaces is no longer clear. Therefore, the text is recorded here in the original order.

亥 戌 酉 申 勾 龍 空 虎 癸 壬 辛 庚

These three lines represent the bottom row of the square diagram, corresponding to the four palaces of the Earth Plate: Hai, Xu, You, and Shen. The first line indicates the palace positions. The second line lists the heavenly generals arranged in these palaces: Hai palace has Gou Chen, Xu palace has Qing Long, You palace has Tian Kong, and Shen palace has Bai Hu. The third line shows the hidden heavenly stems for each palace: Hai corresponds to Gui Hai, Xu to Ren Xu, You to Xin You, and Shen to Geng Shen, with the hidden stems in sequence being Gui, Ren, Xin, and Geng. When counting the heavenly generals of the twelve palaces in sequence, starting from the nobleman in the Mao palace and moving backward, it is: Mao nobleman, Chen snake, Chou bird, Zi union, Hai Gou Chen, Xu Qing Long, You Tian Kong, Shen Bai Hu, Wei constant, Wu mysterious, Si shadow, and Chen master, which matches exactly with each section in the diagram.

第五占 第四占 第三占 第二占 第一占 癸癸 癸癸 癸癸 癸癸 癸癸 入未 入酉 卯八 入巳 入丑 戌 子 午 申 辰 官 絕 刑 鬼五 祿四 財三 合二 墓一

This is a summary of five transformed lessons, read from right to left. Each column, from top to bottom, includes: the number of the case, the transformed癸 (with the term "癸癸" indicating the previous character as the day stem癸 and the next character as the transformed癸), the branch where癸 falls, the earthly branch under which it falls, the accompanying divine omens, and the interpretation along with a number. Each entry is reconstructed as follows: the first case,癸 falls into丑, under辰, accompanied by刑, interpreted as "mound"; the second case,癸 falls into巳, under申, interpreted as "union"; the third case,癸 falls into卯, under午, accompanied by绝, interpreted as "wealth"; the fourth case,癸 falls into酉, under子, interpreted as "favor"; the fifth case,癸 falls into未, under戌, accompanied by官, interpreted as "ghost". Each of the five cases yields a distinct image: mound, union, wealth, favor, and ghost, which are entirely different from each other, precisely demonstrating the practical effect of "five transformations."

如第一占癸丑丙辰時，則遊身癸干乘朱入辰墓，辛丑為太陰，月將為解。然癸上陰神戌土乘青龍，陰神又見己未乘常，為癸水之墓，來去俱凶，惟利逃亡而已。課名又是斬關遊子，年命在甲寅，下臨丁巳，若求功名，子武財則利也。

First divination:Guichou paired with the hour ofBingchen. The dry branch癸 is riding onVermilion Bird and falls into the辰 palace. Since辰 is theStorage of water, it is said to be 'entering the墓 of辰'. Fortunately,Xinchou is Tai Yin and also the month general of this lesson, which can provide relief. However, the hidden spirit above癸 is戌 earth riding onAzure Dragon, and the one above that isJiwei riding onTai Chang. Both戌 and未 are earth, which overcomes water, and they are exactly the墓 of癸 water. Therefore, whether coming or going, it is凶, and the only favorable thing is to escape. The lesson is also called斩关 and游子, which naturally indicates traveling far. The person's birth year and destiny isJiayin, withDingsi below. If seeking fame and success, then the paths of子孙,Black Tortoise, and财爻 are actually favorable.

第二占癸巳遊身帶巳財乘太陰遁丁，財下臨庚申刑合，利行動，求財得陰私之助也。

The second divination is Guisi. The stem癸 carries the branch巳, and巳 fire is the wealth for癸 water. It is riding on Tai Yin, and the hidden stem is Ding. This wealth爻 is underGengshen. Since巳 and申 both conflict and combine, the conflict includes combination, indicating active movement with success. Therefore, this divination is favorable for action, and when seeking wealth, one can receive help from the private or secret path (Tai Yin governs women and obscure matters).

第三占癸卯，遊身乘貴遁乙，下臨戊午絕財空，利求子孫功名及結絕財帛事。

The third divination is Guimao. The moving spirit is riding on the Nobleman, and the hidden stem is Yi. The卯 wood is generated by癸 water, belonging to the descendants; it is below戊 wu and午, which is the place where wood dies and declines, and the wealth爻 is in the empty position. Therefore, this divination is favorable for matters concerning descendants and official rank, and also for settling old, broken financial accounts; it is not suitable for expecting new wealth.

第四占癸酉，遊身乘天空遁辛，下臨子孫，防欺詐失財，利占子孫事。

The fourth divination is Guiyou. The moving spirit rides on Tian Kong, and the hidden stem is Xin. The metal of You generates the water of Gui, which is the position of the mother, but it is below the position of the son. Tian Kong signifies deceit and falsehood, so this divination warns against being deceived and losing money. However, if it is about matters concerning the son, it is favorable.

第五占癸未乘常，下臨庚戌官鬼，尊卑不和，陰小不利，凡占俱凶。

The fifth divination is Guiwei. The moving spirit rides on Tai Chang, with Gengxu below it. The戌 earth overcomes the癸 water, indicating official ghost. Tai Chang represents a superior elder, and official ghost being prominent indicates disharmony between elders and younger generations; it is unfavorable for women and young people. This divination, regardless of the question, is ominous.

如此活潑斷之，其應如神。彥和邵先生以年命上分斷固是，但年命亦同者，不如用遁干五變之尤為活潑也。

In this way, the distinctions are lively and precise, and their verification is as if by a divine being. Master Shao Yanhe advocated distinguishing based on each person's age and birth stem, which is indeed correct; however, when several people share the same age and birth stem, it is not as flexible as using the method of the changing hidden stems.

《中黃經》又有七體五變之法，訣曰：「遁干奧妙，一體數名，干支遁變，各有專名，世人淺學，法稱宗門，不探其奧，反失其直。甲子日時，演例以明。」第就干支所在以別課名，取甲子一日七時用七體以盡其變，即時上傳時之訣也。

The Zhonghuang Jing presents another system called "Seven Bodies and Five Transformations." The mnemonic says: "The hidden stems are full of subtleties; the same lesson pattern can have several names. Once the stem and branch undergo transformation, each has its own specific name. People who study superficially only classify them according to their sects, without exploring the profound meaning, thus losing the correct interpretation. Now I will use the different hours of the Jiazi day to demonstrate through examples." Its method is simply to distinguish the lesson names based on the position where the stem and branch fall. Taking the seven hours of the Jiazi day, it uses seven types of lesson patterns to exhaust all transformations—this is exactly what was previously mentioned in the mnemonic "transmitting the time to the time."