Interpreting the Vitality of the Destiny Palace through Color and Qi

夫指者，欲纖稼如鵝，有皮相連者，性淳和人也；指頭方懟者，見事遲人也；姘美者，屬援人信之；惡者，人不遵承也。毛髮光澤，唇口如朱者，才能學藝人也 —— 心出為舌，又主血，血窮為毛髮，榮於耳。藏神經曰：野狐鬢，難期信；披瀝瀝，多狐疑，唇急齒露，難與為友；唇寬端正，出言有章；唇口不佳，出言不信；口邊無媚，好揚人惡；口啄如鳥，不可與居；噁心入者，口急緩加鳥；言語皆撮聚者，此人多口舌：緩急不同，少信人也。

Fingers should be slender and neat, like goose feathers, with thin skin connecting them; such people are sincere and gentle in nature. Thick and blunt fingers indicate slow reactions. Beautiful fingers suggest being helped by others and trusted by people; ugly fingers mean others won't follow them. Lustrous hair and red lips like cinnabar indicate a person with talent who can learn skills. The spirit of the heart is expressed through the tongue and is also related to blood. The ends of blood vessels are hair, and its brilliance is seen on the ears. The heart holds the spirit. The classic says: if the hair is fluffy like a wild fox, the person is unreliable; if the hair is loose and flowing, the person is suspicious and changeable. Tight lips with protruding teeth make it hard to make friends; wide and straight lips indicate clear speech; bad lip shape suggests untrustworthy speech. If there is no softness around the mouth, the person likes to expose others' faults; if the mouth is like a bird's beak, it is not advisable to be with such a person; those with evil intentions have a mouth that is quick and beak-like. If the mouth is always gathered when speaking, such a person is talkative; if the speech is fast and slow inconsistently, the person is untrustworthy.

鼻孔小縮，準頭低曲者，慳吝人也 —— 肺出為鼻孔，又主皮，又為氣息，藏於魄；好鼻者，有聲譽；鼻柱薄而梁陷者，多病厄人也；鼻無媚態，蠢人；蜣蜣鼻，少意智人也。耳孔小，齒辦細者，邪陷奸佞人也 —— 賢出為骨又為髓；髓窮為耳孔，骨窮為齒，藏於志，經曰：耳孔深廣者，心虛而識元；耳孔丑小者，無智而不信神理；耳邊無媚，鄙拙人也；耳孔小而節骨曲戾者，無意智人也；鼠耳殺之不死，又云鼠耳之人，多作偷盜也。

A person with small and retracted nostrils, and a low, curved nose tip, is stingy. The lungs emit qi through the nostrils, govern the skin and respiration, and contain the spirit (魄). A well-shaped nose brings reputation; a thin nasal column and collapsed bridge of the nose indicate frequent illness and misfortune; a nose lacking in softness indicates a dull person; a nose shaped like a dung beetle, short and flat, indicates lack of wisdom. A person with small ear holes and fine teeth is deceitful and cunning. The kidneys emit qi through the bones, and transform into marrow; the ends of the marrow connect to the ear holes, and the ends of the bones are the teeth. The kidneys contain the will (志). The classic on physiognomy says: deep and wide ear holes indicate a person with a quiet mind and insight into the fundamental nature of things; small and ugly ear holes indicate lack of wisdom and disbelief in divine principles. A person lacking in softness around the ears is crude and clumsy; small ear holes and twisted ear bones indicate lack of mental capacity. A person with rat ears cannot be killed, and it is also said that such people often engage in theft.

耳輪厚，鼻準圓實，孔頭端淨，額頤深廣厚大者，忠信謹厚人也 —— 脾出為肉，肉窮為孔，又主耳輪、準鼻樑項頤等；藏於意，經曰：夫頸高大者，性自在而好凌人，頭卑弊者，性隨和而細碎；故曰，鹿頭側長，志氣雄長；鬼頭蔑頡，意志下劣，獺頭橫闊，心意豁達；夫頭細而曲者，不自樹立人也；若色斑駁或不潔淨者，性隨直而不堅固。

The earlobe is thick, the nose is round and solid, the nostrils and mouth are straight and clean, and the forehead and chin are deep, broad, and thick. These are signs of a person who is loyal, trustworthy, and sincere. The essence of the spleen is manifested externally as muscles, and the ends of the muscles are the orifices. The spleen also governs the earlobe, nose, bridge of the nose, neck, and chin. The spleen stores the mind. The classic on physiognomy says: a high neck indicates a person who is self-assured and likes to dominate others; a low and flat head indicates a person who is amiable but petty. Therefore, a head shape like a deer's head, which is long and sloping, indicates a strong will; a head shape like a ghost's head, which is crooked and cramped, indicates a weak will; a head shape like a otter's head, which is wide and horizontal, indicates an open-minded person. A small and curved head indicates a person who cannot be independent. If the skin on the head is mottled or unclean, the person may be amiable and straightforward but lacks determination.

夫手纖長者，好施舍；短厚者，好取舍則貪惜；故曰；手如雞腳意志編促；手如豬蹄，意志昏迷；手如猴掌，勤動伎倆。夫背厚闊者，剛決人也；薄者，怯弱人也。夫腹端研者，才華人也；故曰：牛腹婪貪，財物自淹；蝦螟腹者，蝦螟腹者，懶人也。夫腹端美者，則樂而能任人也；晰蠍腰者。緩人也。

Those with slender and long fingers are generous and willing to give; those with short and thick hands are only concerned with taking and not giving, being greedy and stingy. Therefore, those whose hands resemble chicken claws have narrow and confined ambitions; those whose hands resemble pig's feet have dull and confused minds; those whose hands resemble monkey palms are active and skilled in using tactics. Those with thick and broad backs are strong-willed and decisive; those with thin and narrow backs are timid. Those with a straight and smooth abdomen are talented individuals. Therefore, those whose bellies resemble a cow's belly are greedy and will accumulate wealth; those whose bellies are swollen like a toad's are lazy. Those with a straight and beautiful abdomen are cheerful in nature and capable of employing others; those whose waists are soft and slender like lizards or scorpions are slow in action.

夫聲渾厚廣者，可倚任安穩人也；夫蛇行者貪毒人也，不可與之共事；鳥行蹌蹌，性行不良，似烏鵲形也；鷹行雄烈，豺狼行者，性粗覓利人也；牛行性直，馬行猛烈人也；此性存乎客目者也。夫命之與相，憂聲之響也，聲動於機，響窮乎應。必然理矣。雖云以言信行，失之宰予；以貌度性，失之子羽；然傳稱無憂而威，憂心反之；無慶而歡，樂必還之，此心有先動，而神有先知，則色有先見，故扁鵲見恆公而知其將死，申叔見巫臣而知其竊妻；或躍馬膳珍，或飛而食肉，或皂隸而晚侯，或初刑而末王，銅巖無以飽生，玉饌終乎餓死；則彼度表，捫骨指色，摘理不可誣也，故做列云爾。

A person whose voice is deep and broad is trustworthy and has a steady disposition. Someone who walks like a snake is greedy and treacherous, and should not be associated with. Someone who walks like a bird is morally corrupt, resembling crows and magpies. Someone who walks like an eagle is strong and fierce. Someone who walks like a jackal is wild and solely after profit. Someone who walks like an ox is upright, and someone who walks like a horse is fierce. These dispositions are evident to those who observe. The relationship between destiny and appearance is like that between sound and echo: once a sound is produced, the echo inevitably follows. This is an inevitable truth. Although Confucius learned not to judge virtue solely by words from Zi Yu, and not to judge character solely by appearance from Dan Tai Mie Ming, historical records say that someone without worries may appear serious, but in fact is worried; someone without joy may appear happy, but joy will eventually come. This is because the heart moves first, the spirit knows first, and thus the appearance changes first. Therefore, Bianque knew King Huan of Qi was going to die, and Shen Shu Shi knew Wu Chen would take another man's wife. Some ride high horses and eat delicacies, some rise high and eat meat, some were once servants but later become marquises, some were first punished but later became kings. Some guard copper mountains but still go hungry, some face jade delicacies but still die of hunger. This shows that judging by appearance, examining bones and colors, and analyzing matters cannot be discredited. Therefore, these points are listed here.

察相篇一令，唐趙蓫撰，字太賓。梓州人，著儒門《長短經》九卷，談王伯經償之要，其第六篇則察相篇也；每條下悉狃自注，篇中義理精密，動本古經，與後世太陽清神鑑迥別，蓋非術士之言也；讀書知人，本儒家要道，況此篇言，皆有據可易視與。

The above one-volume work, "Chaxiang Bian," was written by Zhao Rui of the Tang dynasty. Zhao Rui, whose courtesy name was Taibin, was from Zizhou. He authored the "Rumen Changdian Jing" (The Classic of Length and Shortness) in nine volumes, which discusses the essentials of achieving imperial and hegemonic success. The sixth chapter of this work is "Chaxiang Bian." Each section includes his own commentary; the entire text is precise in meaning and its arguments are based on ancient classics, differing greatly from later popular works such as "Taiqing Shenjian" (The Supreme Clarity Divine Mirror). This shows that it is not the words of wandering fortune-tellers. To read and recognize people is originally a key aspect of Confucianism, and since the content of this chapter is based on solid grounds, how can it be lightly dismissed?

兒初生，叫聲連延相屬者壽；聲絕而復揚急者壽；啼聲散著不成人，啼聲沈深者不成人，臍中無血者好。臍小者不壽，通身軟弱如無骨者不壽；解曰：長大者壽，自開眼者不成人；目視不正，數動者大，非佳；汗血者，多厄不壽；汗不流不成人；小便凝如脂膏不成人；頭四破不成人；常搖手足者，不成人；早坐、早行、早齒、早話，皆惡性，非佳人；頭毛不周匝，老不成人；髮稀少者，不聽人；額上有旋毛者，早貴，防父母；

When a baby is born, if its cries are continuous and one after another, it indicates a long life. If the cries stop and then suddenly rise again, it also indicates a long life. If the cries are scattered and not in tune, the child will not grow up. If the cries are low and heavy, the child will not grow up. If there is no blood coming out from the navel, it is good. If the navel is small, it indicates a short life. If the child is weak and soft, as if without bones, it indicates a short life. It is explained that if the child grows tall, it will live long. If the child is born with its eyes open, it will not grow up. If the eyes are not straight and the eyeballs frequently move, the child will not be good even when grown up. If the sweat is bloody, there will be many misfortunes and a short life. If the child does not sweat at all, it will not grow up. If the urine is thick and like fat, the child will not grow up. If the skull is cracked in many places and does not close, the child will not grow up. If the child constantly shakes its hands and legs, it will not grow up. If the child learns to sit too early, to walk too early, to have teeth too early, or to speak too early, these are all bad signs and not good children. If the hair grows unevenly and cannot cover the head completely, the child will not achieve much in old age. If the hair is sparse, the child will not listen to teachings. If there is a spiral hair on the forehead, the child will be prosperous early in life, but should be cautious of harm to the parents.

兒生枕骨不成者，能言語而死；尻骨不成者，能倨而死；掌骨不成者，能匍匐而死；身不收者死；魚口者死；股間無生肉者死；頤下破者死；陰不起者死；陰囊下白者死；赤者死；卵縫通達，黑者壽；兒小時識悟通敏過人者，多天；小兒骨法，成就威儀，迥轉運舒稍緩，粗神鵰琢者壽，小兒預知人意，迴旋敏捷者夭。

A newborn whose occipital bone is not fully formed will die shortly after speaking; one whose sacrum is not fully formed will die shortly after sitting up; one whose palm bones are not fully formed will die shortly after crawling. If the body is too soft and lacks firmness, it will die. If the mouth is open but cannot close properly, like a fish's mouth, it will die. If there is no muscle development between the thighs, it will die. If there is damage below the chin, it will die. If a male infant's penis cannot erect, it will die. If the scrotum is pale below, it will die; if it is red, it will also die. If the scrotum's seam is fully connected and dark in color, the child will live long. If a child has an unusually sharp and quick understanding beyond ordinary people, it is likely to die young. For a child, the bones should be properly formed, the movements should be dignified, the movements should be somewhat graceful and unhurried, and the spirit should be simple and refined, then it will live long. If a child can guess the thoughts of adults and is overly clever in responding, it will die young.