The first lesson of the sovereign · because the wife is ill, a divination is sought (Yichou year, tenth month · Xinhai day)

乙丑十月立冬卯將，辛亥甲午時，甲辰旬，因妻病索占，元首、玄胎。 六朱 勾 寅卯辰巳 蛇 蛇陰朱后 鬼 乙巳 蛇 龍 丑 午 貴 巳申辰未 財 甲寅 勾 空 子 未 后 申亥未辛 子 辛亥 白 虎 亥戌酉申 陰 常玄

In the year of Yichou, after the beginning of winter in the tenth month, the month general is "Tai Chong" (卯). The divination is made on the day of Xinhai and the hour of Jiawu, belonging to the Jiachen decade (the empty branch is in Yin and Mao). The person seeking the divination does so because his wife is ill. The lesson pattern is "Yuan Shou" and "Xuan Tai". The month general, which is Mao, is placed on the hour of Wu. The four lessons are: the day's branch is Hai, with the element Si riding on it, forming the fourth lesson (Si riding "Teng Snake", representing the son). The third lesson is on Hai, with the element Shen riding on it (Shen riding "Tai Yin", representing the wife's wealth). The second lesson is on Chen, with the element Yin riding on it (Yin riding "Zhu Que", representing the wife's wealth). The first lesson is on Xu, with the element Wei riding on it (Wei riding "Tian Hou", representing the wife's wealth). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Si (the hidden stem is Yisi, riding "Teng Snake", representing the official ghost on the day of Xin), the middle transmission is Yin (riding "Gou Chen", representing the wife's wealth, which is in the empty branch), and the final transmission is Hai (the hidden stem is Xinhai, riding "Bai Hu", representing the son).

斷曰：公為陰人占病。主胸膈不寬，飲食少進。曰：果婦病，其症若何？曰：官鬼發用，巳作閉口，食神落陷，依知病在胸膈，不能飲食。且辛祿在酉而臨於子位為死地，何以養生？今子爻制鬼無妨亥水子爻克巳鬼，恐來年丙寅歲初夏，太歲生鬼，可慮。況占妻不可見財爻落空甲辰旬中空寅卯，主半路斷絃。且辛日亦不宜占病，因辛作亡神故也。

Wu Shiqing said: You are divining for a woman's illness. The symptoms are chest tightness and loss of appetite. The person asked: Indeed, my wife is ill, what is the condition? Wu replied: The official ghost is initiating the transmission, and the fourth position, which is巳, also indicates closed mouth. The food god is in a trapped position, so I know the illness is in the chest and diaphragm area, and the person cannot eat. Moreover, the禄 of Xin is in You, but now You is at the Zi position and forms a dead position, by what can one sustain life? At present, the grandson element can control the official ghost, and the亥 water can overcome the巳 fire ghost, so it is temporarily okay; but beware of next year Bingyin, when the sovereign will generate the ghost, which is worrying. Moreover, divining for a wife's illness is most忌 to have the wealth element empty. This week Jiachen is empty of寅 and卯, and the wealth element is exactly in between, indicating a middle way loss of spouse. Also, Xin day is not suitable for divining illness, because Xin is exactly the Wangshen.

辛未正月雨水亥將，戊申己未時，甲辰旬，占病，元首、潤下。 六朱 勾 酉戌亥子 蛇 玄蛇貴勾 兄 甲辰 玄 龍 申 丑 貴 辰子丑酉 子 戊申 龍 空 未 寅 后 子申酉戊 財 壬子 蛇 虎 午巳辰卯 陰 常玄

In the year of Xinwei, during the first lunar month after the rainwater season, the month general is "Dengming" (亥). The divination is made on the day of Wu Shen and the hour of Ji Wei, which falls in the Jiachen cycle (the empty branch is in Yin and Mao). The question is about illness. The lesson pattern is "Yuan Shou" and "Run Xia" — the three transmissions form a water trinity (申, 子, 辰), hence called Run Xia. The month general 亥 is placed on the hour branch 未. The four lessons are: Wu is placed in the Si branch, with You on top, forming the first lesson (You is "Gou Chen"); You has Chou on top, forming the second lesson (Chou is "Nobleman"); the day branch Shen has Zi on top, forming the third lesson (Zi is "Teng Snake"); and Zi has Chen on top, forming the fourth lesson (Chen is "Black Tortoise"). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Chen (hidden stem Jiachen, with "Black Tortoise", representing brothers on the day of Wu); the middle transmission is Shen (hidden stem Wu Shen, with "Azure Dragon", representing children); the final transmission is Zi (hidden stem Renzi, with "Teng Snake", representing wife and wealth).

斷曰：病起少陰目今無慮，但纏綿難脫體耳。不惟病也，且防賊至。病起少陰者何？蓋酉之從魁臨干為日之敗氣，此因少陰火克酉之肺金也。病難脫體者何？蓋傳送合成敗局，生起日之官鬼也。占病而言賊至者何？玄武發用傳送歸支上初傳辰為玄武，主賊入內室也。

Wu Shiqing interpreted: This illness originates from the Shaoyin meridian, and at present it is not urgent, but it is persistent and difficult to cure at its root; moreover, it is not only about illness, but also indicates that thieves will come to the door. Why is the illness said to originate from Shaoyin? Because "Congkui" You is located above the day stem, which is exactly the declining energy of Wu day, and the fire of Shaoyin comes to overcome You, which is the metal of the lung. Why is it said to be difficult to recover? Because the first transmission combines into a losing situation, and instead generates the official ghost of the day stem. Divining illness yet mentioning thieves, what is the reason? Because "Xuanwu" rides the first transmission Chen and initiates, and the transmission god returns to the day branch, which is the image of thieves entering the inner chamber directly.

醫當如何？曰：木為官鬼，火作白虎，肺脾二經受症，不可請東方之醫，理肝清心，切勿健脾補肺。何時當愈？甲戌流年方且不保，遑問愈乎？緣戊日玄墓發用初傳玄辰為日墓，是為收魂殺。又財生卯木子水為財為戊之死氣而剋日，至年冬宜慮？

Asking again about the method of medication. Answer: Wood is the official ghost of the Wu day, and fire transforms into the White Tiger, so both the lung and spleen meridians are affected; one should not consult a doctor from the east. The treatment should focus on smoothing the liver and clearing the heart, and one must not solely strengthen the spleen and lungs. Another question: When can it be cured? Answer: By the Jiaxu year, life itself is in danger, so what need is there to ask about recovery? Because the tomb god of Wu day, Chen, is occupied by the Black Tortoise and initiates the transmission, which is called "capturing the soul killer"; furthermore, the wealth爻, the water of Zi, nourishes the wood of Mao, and the water of Zi is actually the death qi of Wu earth, which comes back to harm the day. In that year's winter, one must be especially cautious.

果後三月一賊入室，復斷云：賊由北方，以其臨子宮也。其賊姓陳年少人也。作賊無伴。然必告官必獲。曰年少者，以地盤辰乘申金為相氣也。曰北方而來，以其玄辰加北方子位也。曰陳姓者，以辰與陳同音也。官鬼遙克玄武，命戌年戌，上加寅為上神可制玄辰之賊，必告官而後捕捉也。何日可獲？曰：告官三日即獲。果獲一賊，其名陳忠。

Three months later, indeed, thieves broke into the inner chamber. Wu Shiqing cast another divination to determine the matter: the thief came from the north, because the god riding on the Black Tortoise was located at the position of the rat (Zi), which is in the north. The thief was surnamed Chen, a young man who committed the crime alone, but as long as the authorities were informed, he would surely be caught. It was said he was young because the position of the earth plate (Chen) was riding on the metal of the monkey (Shen), which is in the phase of mutual generation. It was said he came from the north because the Black Tortoise's riding god, the rat (Zi), was placed at the northern position of the rat (Zi). It was said his surname was Chen because the character for 'Chen' and 'Zi' sound the same. The official ghost was located two positions away and remotely restrained the Black Tortoise. The thief's birth year was the dog (Xu), and the dog (Xu) position had the tiger (Yin) as the upper god, which could control the thief's earth (Chen) riding on the Black Tortoise. Therefore, he could only be caught after reporting to the authorities. When would he be caught? The answer was three days after reporting. Later, indeed, a thief named Chen Zhong was caught.

己丑六月小暑未將，乙未日丁亥時，甲午旬，因半夜人驚占之若何，元首、曲直。 空虎 青 丑寅卯辰 常 六白貴勾 鬼 癸卯 白 勾 子 巳 玄 亥卯申子 父 己亥 六 六 亥 午 陰 卯未子巳 財 乙未 后 朱 戌酉申未 后 蛇貴

In the year of Jichou, sixth lunar month, after the beginning of Xiaoshu, the month general is "Xiao Ji" (Small Auspice) on the branch Wei. The divination is made on the day Yiwei and the time Dinghai. It belongs to the Jiawu decennial period (the empty branches are Chen and Si). The cause is that people were startled in the middle of the night, and the question is about the reason. The lesson pattern is "Yuan Shou" (First Sovereign) and "Qu Zhi" (Curved Straight). The three transmissions form a wood trinity with亥, Mao, and Wei, hence called "Qu Zhi." The month general Wei is added to the time branch Hai. The four lessons are: Yi is placed in the Chen palace, with Zi on top of Chen, as the first lesson (Zi is riding on Gou Chen, the original text mistakenly says "Si" instead of "Yi"); Zi has Shen on top, as the second lesson (Shen is riding on the Nobleman); the day branch Wei has Mao on top, as the third lesson (Mao is riding on the White Tiger); and Mao has Hai on top, as the fourth lesson (Hai is riding on Liu He). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Mao (hidden stem Guimao, riding on the White Tiger, representing official ghost for the day Yi); the middle transmission is Hai (hidden stem Jihai, riding on Liu He, representing parents); and the final transmission is Wei (hidden stem Yiwei, riding on Heavenly Empress, representing wife and wealth).

斷曰：主有賊船東來，無亦攻城破邑之虞。蓋因游都賊符臨干支子為游都臨干，白虎發用，故主東有賊船至，以白虎是東方卯支也。初中二傳休囚，末傳太陽月建，故主城邑無虞。至己亥日報賊自東方來，官兵出而賊自退。 游都：甲 乙 丙 丁 戊 己 庚 辛 壬 癸 丑 子 寅 巳 申 丑 子 寅 巳 申

Wu Shiqing interpreted: There will be a band of pirates coming from the east, but there is no danger of attacking the city or destroying the territory. Why? On the day of Yi, the "You Du" is in Zi. Now Zi is carrying the symbol of the thief and is resting on the day stem. It is also the "White Tiger" initiating the transmission, so it is predicted that there will be pirates coming from the east - because the "White Tiger" is associated with the branch of Mao, which is the eastern direction. However, the first and middle transmissions are in a weak and confined state, while the final transmission is where the Sun and the Month Builder are located, so the city and territory are safe. On the day of Jihai, it was indeed reported that the pirates came from the east, and when the army went out, the pirates retreated on their own. The "You Du" is still determined according to the day stem: on the day of Jia, it is Chou; on the day of Yi, it is Zi; on the day of Bing, it is Yin; on the day of Ding, it is Mao; on the day of Wu, it is Chen; on the day of Ji, it is Chou; on the day of Geng, it is Zi; on the day of Xin, it is Yin; on the day of Ren, it is Mao; on the day of Gui, it is Chen.

比用者，因上克下，有多下賊上，不成重審，又不成元首，賊克紛紛，難以取用，則尋比用之法。如甲丙戊庚壬，以陽日而用一子、寅、辰、午、申、戌之陽支神陽與陽比，雖有二三四陰勿論也。如甲戌日戌屬陽土而上神有辰受直賊，以辰為比用。如乙丁己辛癸為陰日，而用一丑卯巳未酉之陰支神，陰與陰經，雖有二三四陽勿論也。如乙丑日屬陰土而上神有未，受直賊，以未土為比用。餘可類推。比用者，即克賊重重則尋比用之法。陽日用干比，陰日用支比。

The method of "comparison usage" is used in this way: when the lesson contains both the upper god overcoming the lower god and several lower gods overcoming the upper god, it does not form a situation of repeated review or original leader, and there are many instances of overcoming, making it impossible to choose a useful one. In such cases, the method of "comparison usage" is applied.the so-called comparison usage means selecting a branch that shares the same yin and yang nature as the day stem. For example, if the day stem is a yang stem, such as Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, or Ren, then only one of the yang branches, such as Zi, Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, or Xu, is selected. A yang stem compared with a yang branch, even if two or three yin branches are overcome, it is disregarded. For instance, on a Jia Xu day, Xu is a yang earth branch. Its upper god is Chen, which is directly overcome by Xu, so Chen is taken as the comparison usage. Similarly, if the day stem is a yin stem, such as Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, or Gui, then only one of the yin branches, such as Chou, Mao, Si, Wei, or You, is selected. A yin stem compared with a yin branch, even if two or three yang branches are overcome, it is disregarded. For example, on a Yi Chou day, which is a yin earth day, its upper god is Wei, which is not directly overcome, so Wei is taken as the comparison usage. The rest are handled in a similar manner. In summary, when there are many instances of overcoming, one should seek the comparison usage. On a yang day, select a yang branch that matches the day stem. On a yin day, select a yin branch that matches the day stem.

庚寅五月芒種申將，甲戌日辛未時，甲戌旬，因亢旱問何日有雨，口報未時，比用、連茹。 空虎 青 午未申酉 常 后陰 六朱 財 庚辰 六 勾 巳 戌 玄 子亥 辰卯 子 辛巳 勾 六 辰 亥 陰 亥戌 卯甲 子 壬午 龍 朱 卯寅丑子 后 蛇貴

In the year of Gengyin, in the fifth lunar month after the Grain in Ear, the month general was determined as Shen using the method of transmission. The divination was made on the day of Jiaxu and the time of Xinwei. This falls within the Jiaxu decade, where the empty branch is in Shen and You. At that time, there had been a long drought with no rain, and a person reported that rain was expected at the hour of Wei. He asked when rain would come. The lesson pattern was "Comparison and Use" and "Connected Vegetables" — the three transmissions were Chen, Si, and Wu, connected in sequence, hence called "Connected Vegetables." The month general Shen was placed on the hour of Wei. The four lessons were: Jia was placed in the Bing branch, with Mao on top of Bing, forming the first lesson (Mao was ridden by the Vermilion Bird); Mao had Chen on top, forming the second lesson (Chen was ridden by Liu He); the day branch Wu had Hai on top, forming the third lesson (Hai was ridden by Tai Yin); and Hai had Zi on top, forming the fourth lesson (Zi was ridden by Heavenly Empress). The three transmissions were: the first transmission was Chen (hidden stem Gengchen, ridden by Liu He, representing wife wealth on the day of Jia); the second transmission was Si (hidden stem Xinsi, ridden by Gou Chen, representing children); the third transmission was Wu (hidden stem Renwu, ridden by Qinglong, also representing children).

斷曰：明日亥日必雨，以其神后加亥子為神后臨地盤亥宮也。過六日後連雨，以其辛巳日居中傳，壬午日之午臨巳位，巳宮有一點丙火晴，與辛金作合化而為水。又辛壬上見天盤亥子，壬癸加臨巳午也，天罡加卯日居貴前，雖三傳火土亦主大雨。青龍居午加臨巳位為飛天，貴人在丑臨子宮皆行雨之象，果六日後連雨。

Wu Shiqing interpreted: It is certain that it will rain tomorrow on the亥 day — because the 'Shenhou' (Divine Queen) is placed on the Earth Plate at the亥 palace. In six days' time, there will be continuous rain — because on the Xinsi day, the middle transmission is exactly at that time, and on the Renwu day, the午 is located at the巳 position. The巳 palace originally has a bit of Bing fire, which suggests clearing skies, but Bing and Xin combine to form water, turning the clearing skies into rain. Moreover, the two heavenly stems Xin and Ren have the Heaven Plate's亥 and Zi on top of them, which is like water (Nengui) added to fire (Siwu). The 'Heavenly Gang' (Tian Gang) is placed at the卯 position, and is before the nobleman, so even though the three transmissions are all fire and earth, it indicates heavy rain. Also, the 'Azure Dragon' is riding the午 and placed at the巳 position, which is called 'Flying Sky'; the nobleman is riding the丑 and is located at the Zi palace — these are all signs of rain. Later, indeed, there was continuous heavy rain for six days.

知一者，四課中賊有有二三，則尋知一之法也。其法：如陽日不論上下之支，四課內單用一直受克之陽支為用，陰日單用一直受賊之陰支為用。若中末亦如天地盤加乘之相因。若課中有二陽受克，抑二陰受克，又當用涉害之法以取用也。或有一陽支一陰支受克，抑有一陰支一陽支受賊，皆從知一之法也。陽日取陽支陰日取陰支，若上下有二陽支受克，或有二陰支受克，則從二支又分別其屬卦內中爻是陰是陽，如子寅二爻皆屬陽，但子屬坎卦，中爻屬陽，寅屬艮卦而艮卦中爻屬陰，則取子。

"Knowing One" is also a method used when there are multiple instances of mutual defeat and overcoming: if there are two or three instances of overcoming in the four lessons, one should seek the "Knowing One." The method is: on a yang day, there is no need to distinguish between upper and lower gods; simply select the single yang branch that is directly overcome within the four lessons as the initiating transmission. On a yin day, select the single yin branch that is directly defeated within the four lessons as the initiating transmission. The middle and final transmissions are still obtained according to the conventional method of adding and multiplying based on the heaven and earth plates. If there are exactly two yang branches being overcome, or two yin branches being overcome, then the method of involving harm should be used instead. If one yang and one yin branch each are overcome, then the "Knowing One" method is still applied. The general principle is to take a yang branch on a yang day and a yin branch on a yin day. If there are two yang branches both being overcome, or two yin branches both being overcome, then one should look further to determine which branch to take by examining the middle line of the hexagram to which each branch belongs: for example, if the branches Zi and Yin are both yang, Zi belongs to the Kan hexagram, whose middle line is yang, and Yin belongs to the Gen hexagram, whose middle line is yin, then Zi should be chosen.

壬午五月芒種申將，丙戌日己丑時，甲申旬，占考試，不備、知一、度厄。 朱六 蛇 子丑寅卯 勾 蛇空 常蛇 鬼 戊子 蛇 貴 亥 辰 龍 子巳 未子 兄 乙未 常 后 戌 巳 空 巳戌 子丙 父 庚寅 六 陰 酉申未午 虎 玄常

In the year Renwu, during the fifth month after the Grain in Ear, the month general is determined by 'transmission' as Shen. The divination is made on the day Bingxu and the hour Jichou, belonging to the Jiashen decade (the empty hours are Wu and Wei). The question is about an examination. The lesson pattern is 'incomplete', 'know one', and 'overcome hardship'. The month general Shen is placed on the hour Jichou. The four lessons are: Bing is placed in the Si palace, with Zi on top of Si, forming the first lesson (Zi is riding on Teng Snake); Zi has Wei on top, forming the second lesson (Wei is riding on Tai Chang); the day branch Wu has Si on top, forming the third lesson (Si is riding on Tian Kong); and Si again has Zi on top, forming the fourth lesson, which is the same as the first lesson. Therefore, only three lessons are formed, making it 'incomplete'. The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi (hidden stem Wu Zi, riding on Teng Snake, representing official ghost for the day Bing); the middle transmission is Wei (hidden stem Yi Wei, riding on Tai Chang, representing brother, falling into the empty hour); the final transmission is Yin (hidden stem Geng Yin, riding on Liu He, representing parents).

斷曰；院試必取，科舉省試未能遂志。問曰：史撫臺已升鳳督去否？余曰：必不能去。蓋因申為驛馬，雖不是本墓而亦是入丑為金之墓，干神歸支即是丙干居巳而巳臨戌位是也，二者俱屬靜象。

Wu Shiqing said: The candidate will certainly pass the county examination, but whether he will succeed in the provincial and metropolitan examinations is uncertain. The person asked further: Has the governor Shi already been promoted to the governor-general of Fengyang and left? Wu replied: He certainly cannot go. Why? The horse of the post is in the position of Shen, which is not his own tomb. However, it is now placed on Chou, which is the tomb of metal. When the horse enters the tomb, it cannot move. Moreover, the day stem's spirit is returning to the day branch. The stem Bing is located in Si, and Si is on the position of Xu, which is also an indication of subjugation. Both signs indicate stillness and immobility, so the conclusion is that he cannot go.

又問女病，曰：胎鬼發用，即子為丙戌日之胎。血忌加支，即五月德卯為血忌，因戌臨卯位是也。又四課首尾同為一課，僅得三課，名曰不備，病主脈息虛弱，心胸不利，以致失血，必因胎產所致，冬月不保。

A person came again to ask about the illness of a female relative. Wu Shi answered: The fetal spirit and the official ghost both initiated the transmission together. The fetal spirit of the day, which is the day of Bingxu, is in the hour of Zi. The "Blood Taboo" is also added to the day branch. The Blood Taboo of the fifth month is in the hour of Mao, and the hour of Xu is exactly in the position of Mao. In addition, the four lessons have the same beginning and end, only forming three lessons, which is called "incomplete." Therefore, the illness shows weak pulse and breath, discomfort in the chest, leading to blood loss. The root of the illness must be from childbirth. By winter, there is a fear that it may not be preserved.

又問：宿遷今歲安堵否？余曰：賊符加干支，冬月必有兵警，然日干日支之上神陰陽自攻，中傳未土刑初傳子水，來兵必怯敗而退。巳為丙午之神而生戌支丙居巳位，此巳為丙之神，居守保固，無破城之虞。四事皆驗。 賊符

A person asked again: Can the area around Suzhou be safe this year? Wu replied: The thief's symbol is placed over the day stem and day branch, and in the month of December there will certainly be military disturbances; however, the heavenly stems of the day stem and day branch are yin and yang that attack each other. The middle transmission's earth element also harms the first transmission's water element, so the invading army will certainly be timid and retreat. The hour of巳 is the god of the fire element, which is temporarily residing there, and it goes to nourish the day branch's earth element. Since the fire element is located at the position of巳, this巳 is the original god of the fire element, indicating strong defense and no fear of the city being captured. This divination covers four matters, and all of them were later verified.

戊子年三月清明戌將，丙子日壬辰時，甲戌旬，占升遷，知一、反吟。 后陰 貴 亥子丑寅 玄 后龍 空貴 比 壬午 龍 蛇 戌 卯 常 子午 巳亥 鬼 丙子 后 朱 酉 辰 虎 午子 亥丙 比 壬午 龍 六 申未午巳 空 勾青

In the year of Wu Zi, third month after Qingming, the month general is "He River Chief" (Xu). The divination is made on the day of Bing Zi and the hour of Ren Chen, which belongs to the Jia Xu decade (the empty branch is in Shen and You). The question is about promotion. The lesson pattern is "Zhi Yi" and "Reverse Chant." The month general Xu is placed on the hour. The heaven plate and earth plate each conflict with each other, thus forming a reverse chant. The four lessons are: Bing is placed in the Si palace, with亥 on top, forming the first lesson (亥 is occupied by "Nobleman");亥 has巳 on top, forming the second lesson (巳 is occupied by "Tian Kong"); the day branch Zi has午 on top, forming the third lesson (午 is occupied by "Azure Dragon"); and午 has子 on top, forming the fourth lesson (子 is occupied by "Heavenly Empress"). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is午 (the hidden stem is Ren Wu, occupied by "Azure Dragon," which is a companion for the day of Bing); the middle transmission is子 (the hidden stem is Bing Zi, occupied by "Heavenly Empress," which is a ghost official); the final transmission is again午 (occupied by "Azure Dragon").

斷：在仕者占得此課，不惟官難滿任，且有意外之憂。何言之？龍神乘旺氣發用，理應升遷，但惡太歲作鬼，沖剋龍神，恐有災患。且丙日申酉為財落空，巳為祿而臨亥宮為絕地，寅為馬而加申位為旬空，意外之虞必應。六月升遷，自謂不驗，未幾疽發於背死之。然後信其災之難逃也。

Wu Shiqing interpreted the divination: A currently serving official who draws this hexagram will not complete his term in office and will also face unexpected misfortunes. Why? The Azure Dragon is in a strong position and initiates the transmission, which according to principle should indicate promotion; however, the Tai Sui (Great Year) in the form of official ghost returns to clash and control the Dragon deity, so it is feared that calamity will occur. Furthermore, for a day of Bing, the wealth is in the positions of Shen and You, but these are in the empty period; Si, which is the禄神 (favorable position) for Bing, is located in the position of Hai, which is a terminal position; Yin, which is the post-horse, is also placed in the position of Shen and is in the empty period as well—unexpected worries will certainly come to pass. Later, in June he was indeed promoted, and he thought the divination was inaccurate. But soon after, he developed a carbuncle on his back and died, at which point he finally believed that this calamity could not be avoided.

此課返吟，以知一取用。若中末仍照返吟取之，三傳初末相同而中傳繫初末相沖之支也。

This lesson is a reverse transmission, but the initiating transmission is still taken using the method of knowing one. As for the middle transmission and final transmission, they follow the usual practice of reverse transmission. Therefore, the first and final transmissions of the three transmissions are the same branch, while the middle transmission is the branch that conflicts with the first and final ones.

甲申十月立冬卯將，辛亥日丁亥時，占功名，其人現居鎮官，知一、曲直。 勾六 青 酉戌亥子 朱 虎后 常貴 父 丁未 虎 空 申 丑 蛇 未卯 午寅 子 辛亥 六 虎 未 寅 貴 卯亥 寅辛 財 乙卯 后 常 午巳辰卯 后 玄陰

In the year Jiashen, during the tenth month after the beginning of winter, the month general is "Tai Chong" (卯). The divination is made on the day Xinhai at the hour Dinghai, which falls in the Jiachen decade (the empty branch is in Yin and Mao). The divination concerns official rank. The person currently holds a position in a regional military governor's office. The lesson pattern is "Zhi Yi" and "Qu Zhi." The three transmissions form a wood trinity with亥, Mao, and Wei, hence the name "Qu Zhi." The month general, Mao, is placed on the hour of Hai. The four lessons are: the day's stem, Xin, is located in the Xu branch, with the branch of Xu carrying the stem of Yin, forming the first lesson (Yin carries the nobleman). The branch of Yin carries the stem of Wu, forming the second lesson (Wu carries the Tai Chang). The day's branch, Hai, carries the stem of Mao, forming the third lesson (Mao carries the Heavenly Empress). The branch of Mao carries the stem of Wei, forming the fourth lesson (Wei carries the White Tiger). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wei (the hidden stem is Dingwei, carrying the White Tiger, representing parents on the day of Xin), the middle transmission is Hai (the hidden stem is Xinhai, carrying the Liu He, representing children), and the final transmission is Mao (the hidden stem is Yimao, carrying the Heavenly Empress, representing wife and wealth, which is in the empty branch).

斷曰：雖登藩鎮，不得吉後也。蓋課中日干加寅為絕氣辛絕在寅，日支見寅為死神此日支是亥日之支，乃見辛干上之加寅，兩貴空亡辛日午為陽貴，寅為陰貴，空陷，祿神受制辛祿在酉而臨巳宮，是受巳火所制也，功名安得久長。且官得空矣，誰與居位辛日午為官星而臨寅位是空？財星空矣，誰與生官辛以寅卯為財，甲辰旬而空寅？營壘空矣，誰與禦侮？況太陽西墜卯為太陽而臨西北贏餘地，返照無多。冬木逢空寅卯為空，腐朽折傷。明歲乙酉，酉為自刑，破壞木局矣，果次年五月御敵自刎。

Wu Shiqing interpreted that this person, although having reached a high position in a regional administration, would not have a good ending. Why? In the chart, the day stem is covered by the trigram Yin, which is the place of absolute decline for the metal of Xin. The day branch, which is Hai, also shows Yin as its death deity. Both the nobleman and the beneficial stars are empty - the yang nobleman for Xin is at Wu, and the yin nobleman is at Yin, but both are now empty. The禄神 (lucky star) is also restrained - the lucky star for Xin is You, which is in Si and is being overcome by the fire of Si. How can fame and status last? Also, the official star is empty - the official star for Xin is Wu, but Wu is located at Yin, which is the empty position of the ten-day cycle. The wealth star is also empty - the wealth star for Xin is Yin and Mao, but Yin and Mao are both empty in this cycle. Even the position of the military camp is empty, who will defend against foreign enemies? Moreover, the sun has already set - Mao is the sun and is located in the northwest, a place of deficiency, so its illumination is weak. In winter, the wood is also empty, so it can only be rotten and broken. Next year is Yiyou, which is self-inflicting, and this will destroy the wooden structure. Later, in the fifth month of the following year, he could not resist the enemy's attack and committed suicide by cutting his own throat.

死神 支：子 丑 寅 卯 辰 巳 午 未 申 酉 戌 亥 卯 辰 巳 午 未 申 酉 戌 亥 子 丑 寅

The Death Deity, as mentioned above, is determined by the Day Branch, and it is always the fourth position in the sequence of the branch: for the Zi branch, the Death Deity is in Mao; for Chou, it is in Chen; for Yin, it is in Si; for Mao, it is in Wu; for Chen, it is in Wei; for Si, it is in Shen; for Wu, it is in You; for Wei, it is in Xu; for Shen, it is in Hai; for You, it is in Zi; for Xu, it is in Chou; and for Hai, it is in Yin. In this case, the Day Branch is Hai, so the Death Deity falls on Yin. Yin is placed above the Day Stem, so it is concluded that he will ultimately be unable to retain his official rank and life.

戊寅三月清明戌將，丙寅日辛卯時，甲子旬，索占，知一、涉害、周遍。 朱六 蛇 子丑寅卯 勾 青陰 常蛇 子 甲子 蛇 貴 亥 辰 青 辰酉 未子 父 辛未 常 后 戌 巳 空 酉寅 子丙 財 丙寅 六 陰 酉申未午 虎 玄常

In the year of Wuyin, third month, after the Qingming festival, the month general is "Hehuo" (River Chief)戌. The day is Bingyin and the time is Xinmao. The divination is cast in the Jiazi cycle (the empty positions are in Xu and Hai). The person only asks for one lesson without specifying the question. The lesson pattern is "Zhiyi", "Shehai", and "Zhou bian". The month general戌 is placed on the time branch卯. The four lessons are: Bing is placed in the Si branch, with Zi on top, forming the first lesson (Zi is accompanied by Teng Snake); Zi has Wei on top, forming the second lesson (Wei is accompanied by Tai Chang); the day branch寅 has You on top, forming the third lesson (You is accompanied by Tai Yin); You has Chen on top, forming the fourth lesson (Chen is accompanied by Qinglong). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Zi (hidden stem Jiazi, accompanied by Teng Snake, representing the son in the day of Bing); the middle transmission is Wei (hidden stem Xinwei, accompanied by Tai Chang, representing the parents); the final transmission is Yin (hidden stem Bingyin, accompanied by Liuhe, representing the wife and wealth).

斷曰：在朝官占得此課，主有臺省參劾。蓋因亥為丙之官，為丙之貴而臨辰位為天羅之地。日祿在巳，而巳臨戌位為坐空。寅為支，日馬在申而申臨丑位為墓，且丙身居巳而巳臨戌位，是巳為丙身而入墓也。又丙宅干上神為宅是子而又載未墓之支，是子為丙宅而坐墓也，必自甘受人欺，終難解脫。又傳送逆行，仕途得此，理應請告而退。後知為田冢宰而占，伊子仍被逮下獄。

Wu Shiqing interpreted the divination: A person in official position who draws this chart is mainly subject to impeachment by the censors and ministries. Why? The亥 position is both the official star and the nobleman for the丙, and now it is located in the "Heavenly Net" position of辰. The day stem's禄 is in巳, but巳 is located in戌 position and is empty. The驿马 of寅, which is the day branch, is in申, and申 is added on丑, which is a storage position. The丙 is located in巳, and巳 is in戌 position, which is the墓. Looking further at the丙's residence - the day stem's upper god is the residence, and now the residence god is子, and子 is carrying the墓 branch of未, which is like the residence sitting on a墓. All these signs indicate that this person is willing to be bullied and will not be able to escape. Moreover, the transmission is reversed, so for an official, getting this chart indicates he should retire. Later it was found out that this was a chart for the field magistrate, and his son was still arrested and imprisoned.

此課以知一取用。

The deity of the initiating transmission for this lesson is determined according to the method of "knowing one."

庚寅十月立冬卯將，癸卯庚申時，甲午旬，占失馬向何方找尋、何日可得，知一、削輪。 勾六 龍 子丑寅卯 朱 貴虎 朱玄 子 癸卯 朱 空 亥 辰 蛇 巳戌 卯申 官 戊戌 白 虎 戌 巳 貴 戌卯 申癸 財 乙巳 貴 常 酉申未午 后 玄陰

In the year Gengyin, after the start of the winter solstice in the tenth month, the month general is "Tai Chong" (卯). The divination is made on the day Guimao with the time Gengshen. This falls in the Jiawu decade (the empty hours are in Chen and Si). The question is about the direction to look for a lost horse and when it can be found. The lesson pattern is "Zhi Yi" and "Xiao Lun". The month general, which is卯, is added to the time of Gengshen. The four lessons are: the day stem,癸, is placed in the Chou branch, with the Sheng (申) on top, forming the first lesson (Sheng is occupied by the Black Tortoise); the Sheng is placed on the卯, forming the second lesson (卯 is occupied by the Vermilion Bird); the day branch,卯, has the Xu on top, forming the third lesson (Xu is occupied by the White Tiger); the Xu has the Si on top, forming the fourth lesson (Si is occupied by the Nobleman). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is卯 (the hidden stem is癸卯, occupied by the Vermilion Bird, representing the son or grandson on the day of癸); the middle transmission is Xu (the hidden stem is Wuxu, occupied by the White Tiger, representing the official star); the final transmission is Si (the hidden stem is Yisi, occupied by the Nobleman, representing the wife or wealth, which is in the empty hour).

斷：此馬墨青色，在西北山崗，三日必獲。曰：何以見之？蓋因末傳之巳為卯支日之馬，而坐旬中之空，必俟出旬乙巳日填實，方能得馬也。何以知其色之青墨？因馬陰神見子居青龍，故知之陰神子水即天盤之子也。何以知其在西北山崗也？因巳馬加戌位而戌在西北方也。果三日內在劉家集尋得。

Wu Shiqing said: This horse is black and dark blue in color, and now it is on a hill in the northwest. It will certainly be found back within three days. Someone asked: On what basis do you say this? The answer was: The final transmission's巳 (Si) is the post-horse of the卯 (Mao) day. However, it is sitting in the empty void of this current ten-day period. It will have to wait until this ten-day period is over and reaches the Yisi day (乙巳) to fill in and then the horse will be found. Why do we know the horse is black and dark blue? Because the阴神 (shadow spirit) of the post-horse meets the子 (Zi) water, and the子 (Zi) is riding on the 'Azure Dragon'. The water is black and the dragon is blue, so it is judged as black and dark blue. The子 (Zi) water referred to here is the Zi on the Heaven Plate. Why do we know it is on a hill in the northwest? Because the post-horse巳 (Si) is added on the戌 (Xu) position, and the戌 (Xu) is exactly in the northwest. Later, indeed, the horse was found within three days in Liu Jiaji.

甲申三月穀雨酉將，丙午日甲午時，甲辰旬，因被賊圍困占城池安危，知一、玄胎。 朱蛇 六 申酉戌亥 貴 后朱貴六 財 戊申 六 勾 未 子 后 子酉亥申 官 辛亥 貴 青 午 丑 陰 酉午申丙 父 甲寅 玄 空 巳辰卯寅 玄 虎常

In the year Jiashen, third month, after the Grain Rain festival, the month general was "Congkui" (from the酉 branch). The divination was made on the day Bingwu and time Jiawu. The divination belongs to the Jiachen decade (the empty branch is in Yin and Mao). At that time, the city was surrounded by enemy troops, and the question was about the safety of the city. The lesson pattern was "Zhiyi" and "Xuanyai". The month general酉 was placed on the time branch午. The four lessons were: the day's stem丙 was placed in the巳 branch, with the申 branch riding on it, forming the first lesson (申 riding on "Liuhe"). The申 branch had the亥 branch riding on it, forming the second lesson (亥 riding on "Guiren"). The day branch午 had the酉 branch riding on it, forming the third lesson (酉 riding on "Zhuqiao"). The酉 branch had the子 branch riding on it, forming the fourth lesson (子 riding on "Tianhou"). The three transmissions were: the first transmission was申 (hidden stem Wushen, riding on "Liuhe", representing wife wealth on the day Bing); the second transmission was亥 (hidden stem Xinhai, riding on "Guiren", representing official star); the third transmission was寅 (hidden stem Jiayin, riding on "Xuanwu", representing parents, which fell into the empty branch of the decade).

斷曰：不惟真定內變城破，即燕京亦有他虞。蓋因初傳財爻臨巳位而為內戰巳火克申金，末傳寅支坐空又被初傳申金沖剋，且又被干支上之陰神所傷干上申金，支上酉金，日支午火又克支上之酉臨神，主人民心散，兵馬為錢糧內變，左右獻城弒主之象。且末傳寅為幽燕之地，被初傳申馬沖剋，燕京安能無虞？即此日京城亦被賊所破，月餘聞報，後果如驗。

Wu Shiqing interpreted the divination: Not only will Zhending be captured due to internal strife, but Yanjing will also suffer a great disaster. Why? The first transmission's wealth爻 is the metal element Shen, which is located at the position of Si. The fire element Si overpowers the metal element Shen, indicating internal conflict within the same group. The final transmission's寅 is already empty, and it is further attacked by the first transmission's Shen. Moreover, it is also harmed by the yin spirits on the day stem and day branch. The day stem has the metal element Shen, and the day branch has the metal element You. The fire element of the day branch's Wu also overpowers the metal element You on the branch. All these signs indicate the people's hearts are scattered, and the army will cause internal disturbances over money and grain, showing the image of close ministers surrendering the city and killing the ruler. Furthermore, the final transmission's寅 represents the area of Youyan, which is attacked by the first transmission's post-horse Shen. How can Yanjing remain unharmed? In fact, on the day of the divination, the capital had already been captured by rebels, and the news was not received for more than a month. Later, everything turned out to be exactly as predicted.

辛巳年正月立春子將，乙酉日癸未時，甲申旬，見寒雪極甚，人多凍餒，有感而占，知一、不備、亂首。 蛇貴 朱 戌亥子丑 后 青陰陰六 財 乙未 龍 六 酉 寅 陰 未寅寅酉 印 戊子 貴 勾 申 卯 玄 寅酉酉乙 子 癸巳 虎 龍 未午巳辰 常 空虎

In the year of Xinsi, during the first lunar month after the beginning of spring, the month general was "Shenhou" (God of the After). The divination was made on the day of Yiyou and the hour of Guiwei. It belonged to the Jiashen decade, with the empty hour in Wu and Wei. At that time, there was a heavy snowstorm, and many people were suffering from cold and hunger, which inspired the author to cast this divination. The lesson pattern was "Zhi Yi", "Bu Bei", and "Luan Shou". The month general "Zi" was placed on the hour of Wei. The four lessons were: Yi was placed in the Chén palace, with You on Chén, forming the first lesson (You was multiplied by "Liu He"); You had寅 on it, forming the second lesson (寅 was multiplied by "Tai Yin"); the day branch You still had寅 on it, making the third lesson the same as the second, so only three lessons were formed, hence called "Bu Bei"; and寅 had Wei on it, forming the fourth lesson (Wei was multiplied by "Qinglong"). The three transmissions were: the first transmission was Wei (hidden stem Yiwei, multiplied by "Qinglong", representing wife wealth, falling into the empty hour), the second transmission was Zi (hidden stem Wuzi, multiplied by "Nobleman", representing official seal), and the third transmission was Si (hidden stem Guisi, multiplied by "White Tiger", representing son).

斷曰：據此課象，今歲天氣亢旱，風大雨少，田禾欠熟，且有疫癘死亡之患。蓋因初傳未為風伯，中傳子為神后之將，而子加未位是風伯會神后，但未宮是旬空而子加臨亦是落陷，末傳巳為白虎克日支，而正月酉為天鬼剋日干。又因未為田園，子為稻穀亦空，俱落空陷，故知田禾欠熟，又酉為鬼支克干，此為上門亂首，種種凶象，而況寅為劫煞入加臨日支，三傳遞克，全無和氣，凶荒之征也。後果如占。

Master Wu Shiqing explained: According to this divination chart, this year the weather is extremely dry, with strong winds and little rain, leading to poor harvests and the outbreak of plague and deaths. Why? The first transmission is 'Wei' which represents the Wind God, and the middle transmission is 'Zi' which is the general of 'Shenhou'. 'Zi' is placed on 'Wei', indicating the Wind God meeting with 'Shenhou'. However, 'Wei' falls in the旬空 (empty period), so 'Zi' also falls into the empty and陷 (trapped) position. The final transmission is 'Si' which is occupied by 'Baihu' (White Tiger) and it attacks the day branch. In the first month, the heavenly ghost is in 'You', which also attacks the day stem. Moreover, 'Wei' represents farmland and 'Zi' represents rice, both falling into empty and陷 positions, so the harvest is poor. 'You' as a ghost branch attacks the day stem, which is called 'Shangmen Luanshou' (upper gate disordering the head). In addition to these ominous signs, 'Jiesha' (calamity) in 'Yin' is added to the day branch, and the three transmissions are successively attacking each other, with no harmony at all, indicating a year of famine and disaster. Later, it indeed came true.

劫煞： 日支：子 丑 寅 卯 辰 巳 午 未 申 酉 戌 亥 巳 寅 亥 申 巳 寅 亥 申 巳 寅 亥 申 天鬼：正五九月酉，二六十月午，三七十一月卯，四八十二月子。

The method of selecting twoInauspicious Sha for this lesson is as follows: Jiesha is determined by the day branch. For example, if the day branch is Zi (rat), Jiesha is in Si (snake); if it is Chou (ox), Jiesha is in Yin (tiger); if it is Yin (tiger), Jiesha is in Hai (pig), and so on. Tian Gui is determined by the month. In the first, fifth, and ninth months, Tian Gui is in You (rooster); in the second, sixth, and tenth months, it is in Wu (horse); in the third, seventh, and eleventh months, it is in Mao (rabbit); and in the fourth, eighth, and twelfth months, it is in Zi (rat). This lesson is cast in the first month, so Tian Gui is in You (rooster), which is exactly on the day stem.

涉害者，因上克下有二三四，或下賊上有二三四，是賊克紛紛，不成重審、元首、經用，則尋涉害之法。其取用，先以寅申巳亥有直賊上神受賊之上神為用，其中末二傳亦照天地盤之相因。如寅申巳亥無賊上神，則尋下之寅申巳亥被上神直克之，或寅或申或巳或亥克干，或子午卯酉克干，亦尋取論。倘課內上無寅申巳亥直賊上，又無受克則以子午卯酉有直賊上神，以上神受賊之支神為用。

The method of "Involving Harm" is determined as follows: if there are two or more instances where the upper god harms the lower god, or two or more instances where the lower god steals from the upper god, and the harms and thefts are confused, then it is not a case of "Re-examination" or "Original Head," nor is it a case of "Comparison." In such cases, the method of "Involving Harm" is used. The order of selection is: first check among the four "Clave" branches (寅, 申, 巳, 亥) whether any directly steal from the upper god; take the upper god that is stolen from as the initiating transmission. The middle transmission and final transmission are still determined according to the conventional method of adding and multiplying on the Heaven Plate and Earth Plate. If there is no stealing from the upper god among the four Clave branches, then look for the branch among the four Clave branches that is directly harmed by the upper god on the Earth Plate; or if the four Clave branches harm the day stem, or the four "Middle" branches (子, 午, 卯, 酉) harm the day stem, these are also considered in the search. If the lesson contains neither the four Clave branches directly stealing from the upper god nor the four Clave branches being harmed, then change to the four Middle branches (子, 午, 卯, 酉) and select the one that directly steals from the upper god, taking the upper god that is stolen from as the initiating transmission.

其法：上寅申巳亥受賊不取，用下寅申巳亥受克不取用，子午卯酉類推。首以寅申巳亥直賊上以受賊之上神為用。若寅申巳亥無賊上，則尋下之寅申巳亥有被上神直克以為克之上神者為用。倘課內下無寅申巳亥直賊上，又下無寅申巳亥受上克，則以子午卯酉直賊上神為用，以上神受賊之支為用。若子午卯酉無賊上神，則尋子午卯酉有被上神直克以來克之上神為用。此涉害取用，仍要論陰陽相配。如甲陽日則尋寅申巳亥四支所賊上神之陽支。若無陽支則尋下寅申巳亥被上神之陽支所克賊為用。又無受上神之陽支所克賊，則尋子午卯酉賊上神之陽支為用。如無陽支受下子午卯酉所賊，則尋子午卯酉被上之陽支所克為用。若無子有陽相配之支，轉尋寅申巳亥所載上神之克神為用。雖非陰陽相配，亦要細查一番，合知一則用知一之法，要論陰陽。若涉害有似不用論陰陽也。取用陰日類推。

Now explain the method of selection in more detail: The upper layer's寅 (Yin), 申 (Shen), 巳 (Si), and 亥 (Hai) are not taken if they are being stolen from. The lower layer's寅 (Yin), 申 (Shen), 巳 (Si), and 亥 (Hai) are also not taken if they are being overcome. The same logic applies to 子 (Zi), 午 (Wu), 卯 (Mao), and 酉 (You) in sequence. First, identify the寅 (Yin), 申 (Shen), 巳 (Si), and 亥 (Hai) that directly steal from the upper god, and take the upper god that is being stolen from as the initiating transmission. If none of the four young branches steal from the upper god, then in the second step, look for the寅 (Yin), 申 (Shen), 巳 (Si), and 亥 (Hai) in the earth plate that are directly overcome by the upper god, and take the upper god that is doing the overcoming as the initiating transmission. If neither the lower layer's four young branches directly steal from the upper god nor are overcome by the upper god, then in the third step, take the branch among 子 (Zi), 午 (Wu), 卯 (Mao), and 酉 (You) that directly steals from the upper god, and use the one that is being stolen from as the initiating transmission. If the four middle branches also do not steal from the upper god, then look for the branch among the four middle branches that is directly overcome by the upper god, and take the upper god that is doing the overcoming as the initiating transmission. When selecting the initiating transmission through involvement of harm, it is also necessary to consider the pairing of yin and yang. For example, if the day is yang (like Jia), look for a yang branch among the branches that steal from the upper god in the寅 (Yin), 申 (Shen), 巳 (Si), and 亥 (Hai). If there is no yang branch, look for a yang branch among the branches that are overcome by the upper god's yang branches in the earth plate's寅 (Yin), 申 (Shen), 巳 (Si), and 亥 (Hai). If there is still no yang branch, look for a yang branch among the branches that steal from the upper god in the子 (Zi), 午 (Wu), 卯 (Mao), and 酉 (You). If there is still no yang branch, look for the one that is overcome by the upper god's yang branches among the子 (Zi), 午 (Wu), 卯 (Mao), and 酉 (You). If it is still impossible to find a yang branch, then turn to take the god that overcomes the upper god among the寅 (Yin), 申 (Shen), 巳 (Si), and 亥 (Hai) as the initiating transmission. Although this approach does not conform to the pairing of yin and yang, it is still necessary to examine carefully: if it conforms to the principle of knowing one, use the method of knowing one, and still consider yin and yang. As for the involvement of harm itself, it seems that it does not need to conform to yin and yang. The method for yin days follows the same logic.

庚寅五月立夏未將，乙酉日戊寅時，甲申旬，占陰宅吉凶，亂首、涉害、不備。 蛇貴 朱 戌亥子丑 后 龍陰 陰六 財 乙未 龍 六 酉 寅 陰 未寅 寅酉 父 戊子 貴 勾 申 卯 玄 寅酉 酉乙 子 癸巳 虎 青 未午巳辰 常 空虎

In the year of Gengyin, in the fifth month, the month general was "Xiao Ji" on the branch Wei (the recorded solar terms and month general have slight discrepancies). The divination was made on the day Yiyou and the time Wuyin, belonging to the Jiashen decade (the empty branches of the decade are Wu and Wei). The divination concerned the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of a burial site's风水. The lesson pattern was "Luan Shou", "She Hai", and "Bu Bei". The month general Wei was placed on the branch Yin at the time of divination. The four lessons were: Yi was placed in the Chén palace, with You on Chén, forming the first lesson (You was riding "Liu He"); You had Yin on it, forming the second lesson (Yin was riding "Tai Yin"); the day branch You still had Yin on it, making the third lesson the same as the second, so only three lessons were formed, hence the name "Bu Bei"; Yin had Wei on it, forming the fourth lesson (Wei was riding "Qing Long"). The three transmissions were: the first transmission was Wei (hidden stem Yiwei, riding "Qing Long", representing wife wealth, properly falling on the empty branch of the decade); the second transmission was Zi (hidden stem Wuzi, riding "Nobleman", representing parents); the third transmission was Si (hidden stem Guisi, riding "White Tiger", representing children).

斷曰；此風水在西山，無真龍正穴。然不備之中亦有好處。何以論之？玄武為風水，居卯臨戌位是西北山崗也。未為來龍，以五月居夏令。以未為來龍，但甲申旬午未坐空即以無真龍。螣蛇為穴，但居亥臨午落空即以無正穴，喜乘旬丁長生，主穴活潑有情。然美中不全，亦可取：喜貴人左旋，為逆水之局。四課下寅之對沖為對案是申，理合艮山坤向，兼丑未也。勾陳主明堂而勾陳居申位為內明堂，而對案山有朱雀河魁建丙臨巳，主出文明富貴，利於中房也。但嫌子爻空戰巳火為子孫爻而被中傳子水所克，定艱子息。酉為乙日之胎神，陰見寅木生巳火子爻，辰年十一月酉日主婢妾連生兩兒。因巳為雙義故也。辰年者，因酉胎加辰也。十一月者何？因子爻巳火加子也。酉日者何？因陰見寅木加酉也。

Wu Shiqing explained: This site has a good feng shui located in the western mountain, though it lacks a true dragon and main tomb, but it has its own advantages in the state of 'incomplete'. How so? 'Xuanwu' governs feng shui, it rides on卯 and arrives at戌 position,戌 is located in the northwest, so it is said to be a hill in the northwest. In the summer month of May, the coming dragon is 未, but in this ten-day period, the Jiashen day is empty at午 and 未, so the coming dragon falls into an empty position, thus it is said there is no true dragon. 'Teng Snake' determines the tomb, but it rides on亥 and arrives at午 and falls into an empty position, thus it is said there is no main tomb; fortunately, it rides on the ten-day period of Ding and has the growth, so the tomb is still lively and harmonious. Though it is not perfect, it still has its merits: it is favorable that the nobleman rotates to the left, forming an inverse water pattern. The fourth lesson has the god of寅, the opposite of寅 is申, which is the opposite mountain, which is in line with the艮 mountain and坤 direction and also includes丑 and未. 'Gou Chen' governs the bright hall, Gou Chen is at申 position, which is the inner bright hall; the opposite mountain has 'Zhu Que' and 'He Kuai', the month builder of Bing fire is at巳, which indicates people who will achieve cultural and wealthy status, especially benefiting the middle branch. Unfortunately, the descendants' element is affected by emptiness and conflict -巳 fire is the descendants' element, but it is attacked by the middle transmission of Zi water, so the descendants will certainly have difficulties. You is the fetal god of the second day, the Yin spirit of寅 wood comes to generate巳 fire, the descendants' element, so it is predicted that on the酉 day of the辰 year, the servant woman will give birth to two sons successively, because巳 has the meaning of a pair. Why is it the辰 year? Because the fetal god酉 is placed on the辰. Why is it the eleventh month? Because the descendants' element巳 fire is placed on the子. Why is it the酉 day? Because the Yin spirit寅 wood is placed on the酉.

但玄武臨辛戌之位為小路，主墳邊有小路克比，與兄弟宮有礙。龍神空陷，長房人財不旺。天后太陰為水口，主出水密。螣蛇作羅城落陷，主包抱不密。初中兩傳財貴空陷，一二代虛利虛名。末傳子爻巳火為日支之長生學堂，陰神河魁乃文明之宿，三代中房長房子孫必出青衿科甲之貴。文兼武權之職，存此一案，以俟後學依而斷之。 此課以寅所載之未為用。

Looking further down: "Black Tortoise" is positioned at the辛戌 position, which represents a small path, indicating a small path running through the graveyard, which harms the siblings and is unfavorable for the brother's branch. The dragon god falls into an empty and depressed position, leading to the lack of prosperity in the first family's descendants and wealth. "Heavenly Empress" and "Tai Yin" are the two generals governing the water outlet, which is tightly sealed. "Teng Snake" forms a surrounding wall but falls into a depressed position, indicating that the outer perimeter is not secure. The first and middle transmissions' wealth lines and noblemen are empty and depressed, meaning the first couple of generations will only have empty fame and profit. The final transmission's offspring line is巳 fire, which is exactly the position of growth and the academy for the day branch酉 gold. Its hidden spirit is "River Chief," a star of civilization, so from the third generation onwards, the middle family and the first family's descendants will surely produce scholars and high officials, and they will be both literary and martial, holding actual power. This case is specially recorded here for future students to refer to and deduce. The method of selecting this case is to take the 未 carried by寅 as the initiating transmission.

癸酉七月立秋午將，辛卯日庚寅時，甲申旬，占科場事，報寅時。 勾龍 六 酉戌亥子 空 涉 龍蛇 貴常 父 乙未 蛇 朱 申 丑 白 害 亥未 午寅 子 丁亥 龍 蛇 未 寅 常 曲 未卯 寅辛 財 辛卯 玄 貴 午巳辰卯 玄 直 后 陰

In the year Guiyou, after the beginning of autumn in the seventh lunar month, the month general is "Shengguang" (Victory Light) on the horse (Wu) branch. The divination is made on the day Xinmao (Xin-Mao) and the time Gengyin (Geng-Yin), which falls under the Jiashen (Jia-Shen) ten-day period (the empty branches are Wu and Wei). The question concerns academic examinations. The person reports the time as Yin hour. The lesson pattern is "Shehai" (Involvement of Harm) and "Quzhi" (Curved Straight). The three transmissions form a wood trinity with the branches Hai, Mao, and Wei. The month general Wu is placed on the hour branch Yin. The four lessons are: Xin is placed in the Xu branch, with Xu carrying Yin, forming the first lesson (Yin carries Tai Chang); Yin carries Wu, forming the second lesson (Wu carries the Nobleman); the day branch Mao carries Wei, forming the third lesson (Wei carries Teng Snake); and Wei carries Hai, forming the fourth lesson (Hai carries Qinglong). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is Wei (hidden dry branch Yiwei, carrying Teng Snake, representing parents, which is exactly the empty branch), the second transmission is Hai (hidden dry branch Dinghai, carrying Qinglong, representing children), and the third transmission is Mao (hidden dry branch Xinmao, carrying Xuanwu, representing wife and wealth).

斷曰；公今中矣。曰：何以報一時即知其中。蓋因先鋒為幕貴，且臨日干上。月將午火為官貴又加寅命，是以必中無疑。然發用未作旬空，必俟未年太歲填實，方中甲榜。 此課以所載之未為用，七月立秋午為月將。

Master Wu Shiqing explained: You will pass this examination. Someone asked: You only mentioned one hour, how can you be sure I will pass? He answered: The leading god is exactly the official of wealth, and it is located above the day stem; the current month general, which is the fire of wu, is also the official of wealth, and it is added to your birth time of yin. Therefore, it is certain that you will pass. However, the initiating transmission of wu falls in the empty period of the ten days, so you must wait until the year of wu, the great age, fills this empty period, then you can pass the imperial examination. In this divination, the initiating transmission is taken as wu; after the beginning of autumn in July, the current month general is wu.

丁丑二月春分戌將，癸未日戊午時，甲戌旬，口報午時，占會試中否，涉害、從革。 青空 勾酉戌亥子 虎 陰空 勾青 印 乙酉 勾 六申 丑 常 卯亥 酉巳 官 丁丑 常 朱未貴后 寅 玄 亥未 巳癸 財 辛巳 貴 蛇午巳辰卯 陰

In the year of Dingchou, during the second lunar month after the spring equinox, the month general is "River Chief" (Xu). The divination is made on the day of Guiwei and the time of Wuwu. This belongs to the Jiaxu decade, with the empty hour in Shen and You. The person reports the time as Wushiyi, asking whether he will pass the imperial examination. The lesson pattern is "Involvement of Harm" and "Metallurgical Transformation." The three transmissions form a metal circle with the combination of Si, You, and Chou. The month general Xu is placed on the time of Wu. The four lessons are: Gui is placed in Chou, with Si on Chou, forming the first lesson (Si is accompanied by the Nobleman); Si has You on it, forming the second lesson (You is accompanied by Gou Chen); the day branch Wei has Hai on it, forming the third lesson (Hai is accompanied by Tian Kong); and Hai has Mao on it, forming the fourth lesson (Mao is accompanied by Tai Yin). The three transmissions are: the first transmission is You (the hidden stem is Yiyou, accompanied by Gou Chen, which is the official seal for the day of Gui, and it falls in the empty hour); the second transmission is Chou (the hidden stem is Dingchou, accompanied by Tai Chang, which is the official star); the third transmission is Si (the hidden stem is Xinsi, accompanied by the Nobleman, which is the wife's wealth).

斷曰：貴德財馬臨身，且居太歲之丑位，必應今年甲榜。況年上月將青龍主片言入相，又甲戌旬首河魁為官，乃文明之宿，二者會於行年，定是今年甲榜。後果然。

Wu Shiqing interpreted: Nobleman, daily virtue, wealth hexagram, and the Post-horse all fall upon this person, and they are located in the position of the Tai Suu (Year's Master) Chou. It is certain that this person will pass the imperial examination this year. Moreover, the current year's hexagram is governed by the Month General riding the Azure Dragon. The old saying states, "The Month General riding the Azure Dragon, a single word leads to becoming a minister." The beginning of this ten-day period is Jia Xu, where Xu is the River Chief and acts as an official star, and it is also a star associated with civilization. These two converge on the person's hexagram, thus confirming that this person will be admitted to the imperial examination this year. Later events proved this to be true.

此課以巳所載之酉為用。癸日陰貴在巳，德在巳，癸水克巳火為財。亥卯未日馬在巳。臨身者，以日干為身。居太歲之位，即巳加丑位而丑為本年之太歲也。

This lesson's "Fayong" (Initiating Transmission) takes the酉 (You) mentioned above in the巳 (Si) position. Why is it said that the noble virtue, moral strength, wealth, and post-horse (驿马) all gather in the巳? Because the Yin noble virtue (阴贵) of the癸 (Gui) day is in the巳, and the day's moral strength (日德) is also in the巳; the癸 water overcomes the巳 fire, and the巳 is also the wealth (财); the post-horse of the亥 (Hai),卯 (Mao), and未 (Wei) days is also in the巳.the so-called "临身" (to be present at the body) refers to taking the day stem as the body, and the巳 is precisely the divine entity (神) that the癸 relies upon.the so-called "居太岁之位" (to be in the position of the year's master) means that the巳 is placed on the丑 (Chou) position, and the丑 is precisely the year's master (太岁) of theDingchou year.