Explanation of the Greedy Combination and Its Restriction

貪合受制者，庚貪乙合，受制於丙丁也。凡金木氣旺時，元首臨其位，則乙庚合於二氣交會之宮，而為丙丁所制，故三奇用而六甲尊，此可以觀聖人乘時之妙矣。局法冬至以後，木氣旺，後天三為木位，故陽局甲子起三宮，則乙庚合於西南，而丁即窺於南，丙即伺於北。夏至以後，金氣旺，後天七為金位，故陰局甲子起七宮，則乙庚合於東北，而丁即窺於北，丙即伺於南。故曰：庚貪乙合，而受制於丙丁也。

The concept of "greed and union being restrained" refers to the fact that the metal element, represented by Geng, is attracted to and combines with the wood element, represented by Yi, but is then controlled by Bing and Ding. When the energies of metal and wood are strong, if the first day of the ten-day cycle (the beginning of the cycle) is positioned in that area, Yi and Geng will combine in the palace where metal and wood energies meet, while Bing and Ding, the two fire elements, control them. Thus, the Three Marvels function and the Six Jia are honored. From this, we can see the cleverness of the ancient sages in adapting to the appropriate time. In terms of the layout: after the winter solstice, when the wood energy is strong, the later heaven trigram Zhen (Thunder) is in the third palace, which is the position of wood. Therefore, the Yang Dun (Yang movement) starts with Jiazi (the first day of the cycle) in the third palace, causing Yi and Geng to combine in the southwest, while Ding is lurking to the south and Bing is guarding to the north. After the summer solstice, when the metal energy is strong, the later heaven trigram Dui (Lake) is in the seventh palace, which is the position of metal. Therefore, the Yin Dun (Yin movement) starts with Jiazi in the seventh palace, causing Yi and Geng to combine in the northeast, while Ding is lurking to the north and Bing is guarding to the south. Therefore, it is said that Geng, which is greedy and combines with Yi, ends up being controlled by Bing and Ding.

陶氏定圖，五還中宮，故陽三陰七，無乙庚之合。且謂古法，禽芮同宮，五二莫辨，是獨指陽遁說矣。若兼陰陽總說，何以不言禽任同宮，五八亦莫辨乎。近見作十八圖活局者，亦以五專寄坤。注曰：水土生於申，申寄坤，故土亦寄坤，則又星家之誤矣。

Tao's diagram puts the central five back into the Central Palace, so there is no case of Yi and Geng combining in his Yang San Ju and Yin Qi Ju. He also criticized the old method for placing Tian Rui and Tian Rui in the same palace, making it unclear whether the fifth palace and the second palace are separate — this is only referring to Yang Dun. If we consider both Yang Dun and Yin Dun together, why didn't he also criticize Tian Rui and Tian Ren being in the same palace, and the confusion between the fifth palace and the eighth palace? Recently, I have also seen people making active diagrams of eighteen figures, all placing the central five in the Kun Palace, with annotations saying 'water and earth are born in Shen, Shen belongs to Kun, so earth is also placed in Kun.' This is again an incorrect statement from star and destiny practitioners.

天將者，貴人、螣蛇、朱雀、六合、勾陳、青龍、天空、白虎、太常、元武、太陰、天后也。此十二神應乎天干，故曰天將，即日將也。求將之訣：始子申、終未丑，避魁罡，不沖首，干取合，用惟九，陰陽分、順逆數。又訣：干宮甲子申，支分干不分，此是納甲法；支始干、干終坤，日干尋納合，支上貴人生。

"The Heavenly General" refers to the twelve deities: Nobleman, Snake, Vermilion Bird, Liu He, Gou Chen, Azure Dragon, Sky, White Tiger, Tai Chang, Black Tortoise, Tai Yin, and Heavenly Empress. These twelve deities correspond with the ten Heavenly Stems, so they are called Heavenly Generals, which is also referred to as "day general" in the Six Rats system. The method to determine the Heavenly General is: start with Zi (Yang Nobleman) or Shen (Yin Nobleman), and end with Wei and Chou; avoid the branches of Qiu and Gang, and also exclude the branch that is in opposition to the starting branch; take the Heavenly Stem's combined deity, and in practice only nine branches are usable; Yang and Yin Nobleman each have their own set, and they are counted in opposite directions. Another method says: The Qian trigram both includes the Heavenly Stem and Zi (Yang) and Shen (Yin), while the Earthly Branches are divided into Yin and Yang but the Heavenly Stems are not; this is the method of "Najia." The Earthly Branches start from the Qian trigram and the Heavenly Stems end at the Kun trigram. Use the day stem to find its combined deity, and the branch that the combined deity is assigned to is where the Nobleman begins.

其法以干、坤、艮、兌，坎、離、震、巽環列。以十干甲起於干，一卦一干，納至辛，止於巽。又納壬於干，癸於坤，則乾坤各納二干，故曰：乾納甲壬、坤納乙癸，艮納丙、兌納丁、坎納戊、離納己、震納庚、巽納辛也。陽局求貴人入宮，先用納甲，如序順列，次以十二支除去沖首及魁罡三支。陽貴支以子為首，午沖子，罡在辰、魁在戌，去午辰戌三支不用，餘九支。以子納於干之甲下，一卦一支，順納至亥，仍納於干之壬下，則干納壬亥甲子，坤納乙癸丑，艮納丙寅，兌納丁卯，坎納戊己，離納己未，震納庚申，巽納辛酉，為陽貴入宮之定卦。

The specific method is: arrange the eight trigrams, Qian, Kun, Gen, Dui, Kan, Li, Zhen, and Xun, in this order to form a circle. The ten heavenly stems start with Jia and are placed in the Qian trigram, with each trigram assigned one stem, continuing until Xin, which is placed in the Xun trigram. Then, Ren is placed back in the Qian trigram and Gui is placed in the Kun trigram, so the Qian and Kun trigrams each receive two stems. Therefore, Qian includes Jia and Ren, Kun includes Yi and Gui, Gen includes Bing, Dui includes Ding, Kan includes Wu, Li includes Ji, Zhen includes Geng, and Xun includes Xin. In the Yang Dun arrangement, to find the nobleman entering the palace, first arrange the stems according to the above Najia order. Then remove from the twelve earthly branches the branch that conflicts with the starting branch, as well as the Heavenly Gang and River Chief branches. In the Yang nobleman arrangement, the order starts with Zi. Wu conflicts with Zi, so Wu is removed. The Heavenly Gang is in Chen and the River Chief is in Xu, so these three branches, Wu, Chen, and Xu, are excluded, leaving nine branches. Place Zi under the Jia stem in the Qian trigram, assigning each trigram one branch and proceeding in order until Hai, which returns to the Xin stem in the Qian trigram. Thus, the Qian trigram has Ren and Hai, the Kun trigram has Yi and Gui and Chou, the Gen trigram has Bing and Yin, the Dui trigram has Ding and Mao, the Kan trigram has Wu and Si, the Li trigram has Ji and Wei, the Zhen trigram has Geng and Shen, and the Xun trigram has Xin and You. This is the fixed trigram position table for the Yang nobleman entering the palace. When looking up the nobleman, refer to this table to determine the palace, without needing to rearrange on the spot.

凡陽局用貴，以日干尋納甲合神，本日貴人，即起於合神所納之支。如甲戊庚三日，求貴人所起：甲與己合，己為甲之合神；戊與癸合，癸為戊之合神；庚與乙合，乙為庚之合神，即尋己癸乙三干，納在何卦。離納己、己納未，則甲日貴人起於未；坤納乙癸，乙癸同納丑，則戊庚貴人起於丑是也。冬至以後，皆用此局。

In a Yang Dun chart, if one needs to determine the position of the Nobleman, one should find the Day Stem's partner in the Najia system. The Nobleman then arises on the earthly branch that corresponds to that partner. For example, on a Jia day, Wu day, or Geng day, to find where the Nobleman arises: Jia partners with Ji, so Ji is Jia's partner; Wu partners with Gui, so Gui is Wu's partner; Geng partners with Yi, so Yi is Geng's partner. Then check which trigram each of these stems are assigned to: Ji is assigned to the Li trigram, which corresponds to the earthly branch Wei, so the Nobleman on a Jia day arises at Wei; Yi and Gui are assigned to the Kun trigram, which corresponds to the earthly branch Chou, so the Nobleman on a Wu day or Geng day arises at Chou. From the Winter Solstice to the Summer Solstice, this method for determining the Nobleman is used consistently.

陰局求貴人入宮，先用納甲，如序逆列，次以十二支，除去沖首及魁罡三支不用。陰貴支以申為首，寅沖申，魁罡在戊辰，去寅戌辰三支不用，餘九支。以申納於干之甲下，一卦一支，逆納至酉，仍納於干之壬下，則干納壬酉甲申，坤納乙癸未，艮納丙午，兌納丁己，坎納戊卯，離納己丑，震納庚子，巽納辛亥，為陰貴入宮之定卦。凡陰貴用局，以日干尋納甲合神，本日貴人即起於合神所納之支。如甲戊庚三日，求貴人所起：甲合神己納於離，丑納於己，則甲日貴人起於丑；戊合神癸，庚合神乙，乙癸納於坤，未納於乙癸，則戊庚二日，貴人起於未是也。夏至以後皆用此局。

In the Yin Dun chart, the nobleman enters the palace. The method is similar to Najia stem assignment, but the order is reversed. Then, the twelve earthly branches are removed, excluding the branch that conflicts with the starting branch and the two branches of River Chief and Heavenly Gang. The Yin nobleman starts with the branch of Shen. Yin and Shen conflict, and River Chief and Heavenly Gang are in Xu and Chen, so the branches of Yin, Xu, and Chen are excluded, leaving nine branches. The branch of Shen is placed under the Qian trigram with the stem Jia. Each trigram is paired with one branch, and the order is reversed, proceeding to You and then back to the Qian trigram with the stem Ren. Thus, the fixed positions of the Yin nobleman in the trigrams are: Qian trigram with Ren You and Jia Shen, Kun trigram with Yi Gui Wei, Gen trigram with Bing Wu, Dui trigram with Ding Si, Kan trigram with Wu Mao, Li trigram with Ji Chou, Zhen trigram with Geng Zi, and Xun trigram with Xin Hai. This is the fixed position table for the Yin nobleman entering the palace. When using the nobleman in the Yin Dun chart, the day stem is used to find the compatible stem in Najia. The nobleman starts at the branch where the compatible stem is assigned. For example, on the day of Jia, Wu, or Geng, the nobleman starts at the branch corresponding to the compatible stem. Jia's compatible stem is Ji, which is assigned to the Li trigram, and the branch under Li is Chou, so the nobleman starts at Chou on the day of Jia. Wu's compatible stem is Gui, and Geng's compatible stem is Yi. Both Gui and Yi are assigned to the Kun trigram, and the branch under Kun is Wei, so the nobleman starts at Wei on the days of Wu and Geng. From the summer solstice to the winter solstice, this method is used for the Yin nobleman. It can be seen that the order of the Yin nobleman and the Yang nobleman are exactly reversed. By comparing the two tables, it is easier to remember without confusion.

或曰：八卦納十干，奈何獨稱納甲？蓋乾納甲壬二干，陰陽貴人支首，皆納於干之甲下，恐悞納於壬，故稱納甲以儆之也。曰：陽貴支以子為首是矣，陰貴支以申為首，何義也？蓋先天坤在子，後天坤在申，故用子申為首也。何以從坤而不從干也？先陰後陽之理也。陰極則陽生，陽生而萬物生，故從坤則機生；陽極則陰生，陰生而萬物息，故從干則機息矣。不觀兒在母腹乎？母呼亦呼，母吸亦吸，寂然不動者，息機於陰也；及其生也，口力的一聲，則機生於陽矣。故曰：天地再造，必先有陰、而後有陽也。

Someone asked: The eight trigrams incorporate ten heavenly stems, so why is it specifically called "Najia"? The answer is: The Qian trigram includes both Jia and Ren stems, and the first branches of the Yang Gu and Yin Gu must be placed under the Jia stem of the Qian trigram, to prevent them from being mistakenly placed under the Ren stem. Therefore, the term "Najia" is specially used to remind people. Another question: Why is the first branch of the Yang Gu the Zi branch, but the first branch of the Yin Gu is the Shen branch? The answer is: In the Earlier Heaven arrangement, the Kun trigram is in the Zi position, while in the Later Heaven arrangement, the Kun trigram is in the Shen position. Therefore, the Zi and Shen branches are used as the starting points. Another question: Why do we follow the Kun trigram rather than the Qian trigram? This is based on the principle of first Yin then Yang. When Yin reaches its extreme, Yang is generated, and when Yang generates all things, life begins. Therefore, starting from the Kun trigram initiates the movement of life. When Yang reaches its extreme, Yin is generated, and when Yin generates all things, life ceases. Therefore, starting from the Qian trigram signifies the cessation of life. Consider the situation of a fetus in the mother's womb: when the mother inhales, the fetus also inhales, and when the mother exhales, the fetus also exhales, remaining still and motionless. This is the cessation of life in Yin. But when the baby is born and cries out with a loud "wa," life is then initiated by Yang. Therefore, the re-creation of heaven and earth must first have Yin and then Yang.

陽貴立成歌曰：甲羊戊庚牛，己鼠乙尋猴，丙雞丁豬位，壬兔癸蛇游，辛從虎上起，陽貴順相求。陰貴立成歌曰：甲牛戊庚羊，乙鼠己尋猴，丙豬丁雞位，壬蛇癸兔遊，辛從馬上起，陰貴逆推求。

Here are two ready-made rhymes for easy memorization, listing the results directly in a table using the animal signs to represent the Earthly Branches. The first one explains the Yang Nobleman: on Jia day, the Nobleman is in Wei; on Wu day and Geng day, the Nobleman is in Chou; on Ji day, the Nobleman is in Zi; on Yi day, the Nobleman is in Shen; on Bing day, the Nobleman is in You; on Ding day, the Nobleman is in Hai; on Ren day, the Nobleman is in Mao; on Gui day, the Nobleman is in Si; on Xin day, the Nobleman is in Yin. After determining the Nobleman, the twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in a clockwise direction. The second one explains the Yin Nobleman: on Jia day, the Nobleman is in Chou; on Wu day and Geng day, the Nobleman is in Wei; on Yi day, the Nobleman is in Zi; on Ji day, the Nobleman is in Shen; on Bing day, the Nobleman is in Hai; on Ding day, the Nobleman is in You; on Ren day, the Nobleman is in Si; on Gui day, the Nobleman is in Mao; on Xin day, the Nobleman is in Wu. After determining the Nobleman, the twelve Heavenly Generals are arranged in a counterclockwise direction. From Winter Solstice to Summer Solstice, use the first rhyme; from Summer Solstice to Winter Solstice, use the second rhyme.

地將者：神后、大吉、功曹、太沖、天罡、太乙、勝光、小吉、傳送、從魁、天魁、登明也。此十二神應乎地支，故曰地將，即月將也。求將之訣：神后子起、登明亥止，以亥逆纏，娵訾、雨水，月月氣足，一將一出，將加正時，吉凶可卜。

"The 'Ground Generals' refer to the twelve deities: Shenhou, Dají, Gongcao, Taichong, Tian Gang, Taiyi, Shengguang, Xiaojí, ChuanSong, Congkui, Tiankui, and Dengming. They correspond with the twelve Earthly Branches, so they are called 'Ground Generals,' which in the Six Rén system are referred to as 'Month Generals.' The mnemonic for determining the Month General is: Shenhou starts with Zi, Dengming ends with Hai; the Month General moves in reverse with the Sun's passage through the palaces. For example, when the Sun enters the Juzi palace at the Rain Water solar term, Dengming and Hai General are used. Each month's energy is sufficient for a change of general, and one general is used each month. When using it, add the current month's Month General to the current exact hour, turn out the Heaven Plate, and then the fortune can be judged."

直辰者，建、除、滿、平、定、執、破、危、成、收、開、閉也。以其逐月隨斗所建，分直月內日辰，故曰直辰。如正月立春後，斗柄建寅，即用寅為月建，本月內凡寅日，即以建加之，則建寅加卯，滿辰、平巳、定午、執未、破申、危酉、成戌、收亥、開子、閉丑，各直其日之辰矣，餘月類推。

"The term 'straight day branch' refers to the twelve names of daily rulers: Jian, Chu, Man, Ping, Ding, Zhi, Po, Wei, Cheng, Shou, Kai, and Bi. These names follow the month builder, which is determined by the direction the handle of the Big Dipper points to, and each takes turns governing the day branches within the month. For example, after the beginning of spring in the first lunar month, the handle of the Big Dipper points to Yin, so Yin is the month builder. On any day with Yin as its day branch within that month, 'Jian' is assigned to Yin. Then 'Chu' is assigned to Mao, 'Man' to Chen, 'Ping' to Si, 'Ding' to Wu, 'Zhi' to Wei, 'Po' to Shen, 'Wei' to You, 'Cheng' to Xu, 'Shou' to Hai, 'Kai' to Zi, and 'Bi' to Chou. Each of these twelve names governs one day's earth branch. The other months follow the same pattern: wherever the month builder is, 'Jian' starts from that branch and proceeds in order through the earth branches."

三門者，太沖、小吉、從魁也。四戶者，除、危、定、開也。凡急難時，不及擇奇門，以月將、月建加正時，視三將四建之下，為天門、地戶，乘其方去，百惡不能害。

The "Three Heavenly Gates" refer to the three generals of the month: Tai Chong (Mao), Xiao Ji (Wei), and Cong Kuai (You). The "Four Earthly Doors" refer to the four names of the construction and removal: Chu, Wei, Ding, and Kai. When encountering an urgent danger and there is no time to carefully select favorable patterns in the odd and auspicious configurations, one should add the current month's general to the current correct hour to generate the Heaven Plate, and add the month builder to the correct hour to generate the construction and removal. Then observe where Tai Chong, Xiao Ji, and Cong Kuai fall; those directions are the "Heavenly Gates." Observe where Chu, Wei, Ding, and Kai fall; those directions are the "Earthly Doors." Traveling in these directions will protect you from all harmful influences.

天馬者，房日兔也。房為天駟，故曰天馬。兔隸卯，卯為太沖，每月太沖下天馬方。又曰太沖天馬，凡急難時，不及擇奇門，以月將加月建，視太沖所臨之下，乘其方去，凶惡不能侵，劍戟不足畏。

The "Heavenly Horse" refers to the Room Mansion among the Twenty-Eight Mansions, which belongs to the day and the rabbit, known as "Room Day Rabbit." The Room Mansion is also called "Heavenly Chariot" (the four horses drawing the heavenly chariot), hence the name Heavenly Horse. The rabbit corresponds to the Earthly Branch Mao, and the position of Mao has the Month General called Tai Chong. Therefore, the position where Tai Chong falls each month is considered the Heavenly Horse direction, hence it is also called "Tai Chong Heavenly Horse." When encountering urgent danger and there is no time to select favorable patterns in the Odd Gate system, one should place the current month's Month General on top of the Month Builder on the Rotating Plate and observe where Tai Chong falls. Then, move in that direction; thus, evil forces cannot harm you, and weapons such as swords and spears will not be feared.

私門者，太陰、六合、太常所臨之方也。以月將加正時，用日干尋納甲合神所納之支，即以貴人泊其支，依陰陽順逆，布定十二貴神。然後視三神所臨之下，即地私門方。以地盤定其方，故曰地私門。私門之方，更得奇門湊合，百事乘之大吉。

"The 'Earth Private Gate' refers to the directions where the three heavenly generals, Taiyin, Liuhe, and Taichang, are located. The method is: first, add the current month's month general to the current hour, then use the day stem to find its corresponding combined deity in the Najia system, and determine which branch that combined deity corresponds to. Place the nobleman in that branch. Then, following the rule of moving clockwise for yang noblemen and counterclockwise for yin noblemen, arrange the twelve noble deities in order. After arranging them, check which directions the three heavenly generals, Taiyin, Liuhe, and Taichang are located. These directions are the 'Earth Private Gate.' Since it is determined based on the Earth Plate, it is called the 'Earth' Private Gate. If the Private Gate direction also coincides with the three good gates, it is very auspicious for undertaking any task."

右三門、四戶，天馬、私門，皆急則從神之法也。三氏諸書，以地戶用時建法，月建四孟，則四仲時為地戶；月建四仲，則四季時為地戶；月建四季，則四孟時為地戶，是用地戶時，而非用地戶方矣。又以天馬用月建臨法，正月子起辰，二月子起巳順行，視每月月建下為天馬方，是月建天馬，而非太沖、天馬矣。

The above-mentioned concepts of the three heavenly gates, four earthly doors, Heavenly Horse, and private door all belong to the category of "urgent methods following the divine." However, the books by Li, Lin, and Tao have modified the method of determining the earthly doors using the concept of the month builder: if the month builder falls on the four beginning months (寅, 申, 巳, 亥), then the four middle hours (子, 午, 卯, 酉) are considered the earthly doors; if the month builder falls on the four middle months, then the four seasonal hours (辰, 戌, 丑, 未) are considered the earthly doors; if the month builder falls on the four seasonal months, then the four beginning hours are considered the earthly doors. In this way, they use the "hour" of the earthly door rather than its "direction." They also changed the method of determining the Heavenly Horse to use the month builder's influence: in the first month, it starts from 子 and moves to 辰; in the second month, it starts from 子 and moves to 巳, and so on, following the month builder to determine the Heavenly Horse direction. Thus, their Heavenly Horse follows the month builder rather than the original Tai Chong Heavenly Horse.

又謂三天將，宜為天三門，三地將，宜為地三門。且云：小吉為門，其義莫解，曷若去小吉，以成參天兩地更妙。嘗考小吉，未將也；太沖，卯將也；從魁，酉將也。未為二氣交會之門，卯酉為日月出入之門，故以三神為天門也。太陰、太常、六合，司秘密之神也。太常象於未、六合象於卯、太陰象於酉，故以三神為私門也。

They also said: three Heavenly Generals should be considered as the Three Heavenly Doors, and three Earthly Generals should be considered as the Three Earthly Doors; and they said the principle of Xiao Ji serving as a door was not convincing, so it was better to remove Xiao Ji and leave only two, making up the number of "Three Heavens and Two Earths." I have examined this: Xiao Ji is actually Wei General, Tai Chong is Mao General, and Cong Kuai is You General. Wei is the gate where yin and yang energies meet, and Mao and You are the gates where the sun and moon rise and set, so these three deities are considered the Heavenly Doors. Tai Yin, Tai Chang, and Liu He are deities in charge of secret matters: Tai Chang corresponds to Wei, Liu He corresponds to Mao, and Tai Yin corresponds to You, so these three deities are considered the Private Doors. Thus, the Three Heavenly Doors and the Three Earthly Private Doors correspond to the three branches Wei, Mao, and You, and their origin is clear and definite. Xiao Ji must not be removed.

亭亭者，天之貴神也；白奸者，天之奸神也。求神之法，以月將加正時，視神后所臨之下，為亭亭方；功曹、勝光、天魁臨孟辰為白奸方。二神常合於巳亥，格於寅申。將兵者合時宜戰，格時宜守，餘時皆背亭亭、擊白奸大勝。

"Tingting" is a heavenly noble deity, and "Baijian" is a heavenly wicked deity. To seek the method: take the month general of the current month and add it to the current correct hour to generate the heaven plate. Observe where the deity after (Zi general) falls, that direction is the Tingting direction; then look where Gongcao (Yin), Shengguang (Wu), and Tiankui (Xu) fall on the four young positions of Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai. That direction is the Baijian direction. These two deities often combine at the positions of Si and Hai, and clash at the positions of Yin and Shen. When soldiers encounter a combined time, it is suitable to go out to fight; when they encounter a clashing time, it is suitable to hold firm. At other times, one should rely on the Tingting direction and attack the Baijian direction, thus achieving a great victory.

三氏諸書，以寅午戌上見孟神為白奸，白奸與亭亭對為格，合為囚，囚格之時，不利有為。然考經中謂背亭亭擊白奸，百戰百勝，蓋坐子擊午，以水制火，故百戰百勝也。所稱白奸者，為北方三白之奸神也。坎宮一白與離宮九紫相對，何奸之有？惟是干宮六白藏有戌，艮宮八白藏有寅，寅戌與離宮午三合結成火局，而藏於坎子之左右，是以寅戌為白奸也。

Li, Lin, and Tao's books say: When the position of Yin, Wu, and Xu are seen, and the god in the first position is present, it is called White Evil. White Evil facing the Pavilion Pavilion directly is called 'Ge', and when they are in the same position it is called 'Qiu'. When encountering Qiu or Ge, it is unfavorable to take action. However, examining the classic texts, it says that relying on the Pavilion Pavilion and attacking the White Evil leads to victory in every battle. This is because sitting at the Zi position to attack the Wu position, using water to control fire, thus achieving victory in every battle. The term 'White Evil' refers to the evil spirits in the three white palaces of the north. The Kan palace's one white and the Li palace's nine purple are directly opposite, and in themselves, they are not evil. However, the Qian palace's six white contains Xu, and the Gen palace's eight white contains Yin. Yin, Xu, and the Wu in the Li palace form a fire trinity, yet they are hidden on both sides of the Zi position in the Kan palace. Therefore, Yin and Xu are called White Evil.

凡子加巳，則寅加未、戌加卯、午加亥，亥為寅之合神，未為午之合神，卯為戌之合神，寅卯交相合，卯戌交相合，三神貪合，不能為奸，故宜守。子加亥，則寅加丑，亭奸暨加其合神，亦謂之合。子加寅，則戌加子，奸來制亭，亭反生奸，亦謂之格，此午奸之格合也。寅戌加巳亥，則亭奸互相合；寅戌加寅申，則亭奸互相格，此寅戌二奸之格合也。若以寅午戌上見孟神為白奸，不惟非白奸之義，且亦無格合之時矣！故詳古以明之。三氏又有日月亭亭法：正卯二神順行為月亭亭，火局亥，木局寅，水局巳，金局丑為日亭亭。諸書亦間有之，姑存之以備博洽之考。

For example: if Zi is placed on Si, then Yin is placed on Wei, Xu on Mao, and Wu on Hai. Hai is the harmonious partner of Yin, Wei is the harmonious partner of Wu, and Mao is the harmonious partner of Xu. Yin and Mao are also mutually connected, as are Mao and Xu. The three harmonious partners are all eager to harmonize and neglect their illicit activities, so at this time it is appropriate to remain firm. If Zi is placed on Hai, then Yin is placed on Chou, and all the illicit partners are each placed on their respective harmonious partners. This is called 'harmony'. If Zi is placed on Yin, then Xu is placed on Zi, which is when the illicit partners reverse to control the harmonious partners, and the harmonious partners in turn generate the illicit partners. This is called 'blocking'. The above describes the 'harmony' and 'blocking' of the Wu position as the illicit partner. As for Yin and Xu being placed on Si and Hai, this is when the harmonious and illicit partners mutually harmonize; when Yin and Xu are placed on Yin and Shen, this is when the harmonious and illicit partners mutually block each other. This describes the 'harmony' and 'blocking' of Yin and Xu. If we follow the three schools' method of treating Yin, Wu, and Xu as the young god as white illicit partners, this not only contradicts the original meaning of white illicit partners, but also makes it impossible to arrange the times for 'harmony' and 'blocking'. Therefore, we have detailed the ancient method to clarify this. The three schools also have another method called 'the method of the sun and moon and harmonious partners'. In the first month, starting from Mao, the two gods are arranged in a clockwise direction as the moon's harmonious partners. For the fire pattern, take Hai; for the wood pattern, take Yin; for the water pattern, take Si; and for the metal pattern, take Chou as the sun's harmonious partners. Occasionally, this method is also mentioned in various books, so it is preserved here for scholars to examine and verify.

氣應者，符使之行，旺相休囚，與氣相應也。九星蓬水、英火、沖輔木、任芮禽土、柱心金，皆以我生之月為旺，我同之月為相，我克之月為休，克我之月為囚，生我之月為廢。如水星旺於寅卯月、相於亥子月、休於四五月、囚於辰戌丑未月、廢於申酉月是也，餘以類推，此星符之氣應也。八門氣應法，以旺、絕、胎、沒、死、囚、休、廢環列，逐節以本門加於旺地審之。如冬至三氣，以休門加旺，則生門絕，傷門胎，杜門沒，景門死，死門囚，驚門休，開門廢是也，餘以類推，此門使之氣應。

"The concept of 'qi ying' refers to the distinction of the operation of the straight symbol and the straight messenger as being in states of prosperity, decline, rest, and captivity, which must correspond with the current dominant qi. The five elements of the nine stars are: Tianpeng belongs to water, Tianying belongs to fire, Tianchong and Tianfu belong to wood, Tianren, Tianrui, and Tianqin belong to earth, Tianzhu and Tianxin belong to metal. The method of judgment is: the month that I generate is called 'prosperity', the month of the same element as me is called 'decline', the month that I overcome is called 'rest', the month that overcomes me is called 'captivity', and the month that generates me is called 'waste'. For example, the water star Tianpeng is prosperous in the months of寅 and卯 (water generates wood), in the months of亥 and子 (same element as water) it is in decline, in the months of巳 and午 (water overcomes fire) it is in rest, in the months of辰, 戌, 丑, and 未 (earth overcomes water) it is in captivity, and in the months of申 and酉 (metal generates water) it is in waste. The other stars follow the same pattern, which is the qi ying between stars and symbols. The method of qi ying for the eight gates is to arrange the eight characters of prosperity, death, infancy, disappearance, death, captivity, rest, and waste in a circle, and place the gate of the current section on the 'prosperity' position to observe. For example, the three qi of the winter solstice, with Xiumen as prosperity, then Shengmen is death, Shangmen is infancy, Dumen is disappearance, Jingmen is death, Shimen is captivity, and Kemen is rest. The other sections follow the same pattern, which is the qi ying between gates and messengers."

三代氣應之法。假令甲己之日，日中庚午時，冬至己巳以前，尚在大雪氣內，仍作大雪上局；庚午以後，方用冬至上局，厥氣乃應，謂之氣應，不知此即拆局補局之法也。又謂冬至以後，得一百八十二日六十二分半，歷子午東部，陽氣相應，宜用陽遁；夏至以後，得一百八十二日六十二分半，歷子午西部，陰氣相應，宜用陰遁。二遁各有二使，冬至氣應，陽使起一宮，陰使起九宮；夏至氣應，陰使起九宮，陽使起一宮，故曰天乙直使，氣宮異所也。冬至起應陽，陽使順行，陰使逆行；夏至起應陰，陰使順行，陽使逆行。所以冬至上元甲子起一宮順行，夏至上元甲子起九宮逆行，至戊辰會合於五宮，二氣交應，利害難分，故曰避五也。

They also discuss the method of aligning with the qi of the seasons as explained by the three schools. They give an example: if on a Jia day or Ji day, the Gengwu hour of noon coincides with the winter solstice, then before the Gengwu hour, the Jisi hour is still within the qi of Daxue, and the layout is still arranged according to the beginning of Daxue; only after the Gengwu hour does it change to the beginning of the winter solstice, thus the qi is aligned, which is called "qi ying." They do not realize that this is actually the method of splitting and supplementing the layout that was previously criticized. They also say: after the winter solstice, there are one hundred eighty-two days and sixty-two and a half parts, during which the sun travels eastward across half the sky along the meridian, corresponding to yang qi, so it is suitable to use Yang Dun; after the summer solstice, the same period of time, the sun travels westward across half the sky along the meridian, corresponding to yin qi, so it is suitable to use Yin Dun. Each of the two Dun methods has two agents: at the time of qi ying of the winter solstice, the Yang agent starts from the first palace, and the Yin agent starts from the ninth palace; at the time of qi ying of the summer solstice, the Yin agent starts from the ninth palace, and the Yang agent starts from the first palace. Therefore, the heavenly stem straight agent starts from two different palaces. At the winter solstice, the Yang agent proceeds in the order of the palaces, while the Yin agent proceeds in reverse; at the summer solstice, the Yin agent proceeds in the order of the palaces, while the Yang agent proceeds in reverse. Thus, the beginning of the winter solstice starts from the first palace and proceeds in order, while the beginning of the summer solstice starts from the ninth palace and proceeds in reverse. They meet at the fifth palace at the time of Wu Chen, where the two qi meet and correspond. The advantages and disadvantages are hard to distinguish, so there is a saying of "avoiding the fifth palace."

按所謂避五者，避日建第五辰死氣也。天乙直使起宮異所者，謂符使同起於甲遁之宮，各異於加臨之所也。不言直符而言天乙者，天乙隨六甲加時，言天乙即言直符也。陽使陰使者，休生傷杜在東部，謂之陽使；景死驚開在西部，謂之陰使。冬至休門起於一，則景門臨於九；夏至景門起於九，則休門臨於一，蓋一定之序，非陰陽各有二使也。夫氣應者，謂氣氣皆應也。若專言二至氣應，是餘氣可不必應，則又與前假令相戾矣！二氏之說多類此，故揭此以槩其餘也。

According to this, the so-called "avoiding the five" actually refers to avoiding the death qi which is the fifth celestial stem counted forward from the day's stem, and has nothing to do with the central five palace. The statement that "the heavenly virtue direct commander and direct messenger start from different palaces" means that the direct commander and direct messenger both originate from the palace where the yang遁 begins with the jia stem, but they are added upon different falling points. Here the term "heavenly virtue" is used instead of "direct commander" because the heavenly virtue follows the six jia stems and is applied to the stem of the day, so talking about heavenly virtue is equivalent to talking about the direct commander. As for the so-called yang messenger and yin messenger: the four gates of xiu, sheng, shang, and du are located on the eastern side and are called yang messengers; the four gates of jing, si, jing, and kai are located on the western side and are called yin messengers. On the winter solstice, the xiu gate starts at the first palace, so the jing gate naturally falls on the ninth palace; on the summer solstice, the jing gate starts at the ninth palace, so the xiu gate naturally falls on the first palace. This is a fixed sequence, and it is not that the yang遁 and yin遁 each have their own two messengers. As for the term "qi ying," its original meaning is that each qi should correspond. If only the winter solstice and summer solstice have qi ying, then would the other qis not correspond? That would contradict the examples they previously gave. The views of Li, Lin, and Tao are mostly of this kind, so this point is cited to summarize the rest.

丙為勃，凡丙加庚為勃飛，亦名伏干；庚加丙為勃伏，亦名飛干。干者，庚為歲月日時干也。凡勃飛凶應在內，故曰伏干；勃伏凶應在外，故曰飛干。 庚為格，凡庚加甲為格飛，亦名伏干；甲加庚為格伏，亦名飛干。干之義與勃同。

Bing is called "Bo". Whenever the Heaven Plate Bing is placed on the Earth Plate Geng, it is called "Bo Fei", also known as "Fu Gan"; when the Heaven Plate Geng is placed on the Earth Plate Bing, it is called "Bo Fu", also known as "Fei Gan". Here, the term "Gan" refers to Geng being located on the year stem, month stem, day stem, or hour stem. The calamity of Bo Fei occurs internally, hence it is called Fu Gan; the calamity of Bo Fu manifests externally, hence it is called Fei Gan. Geng is called "Ge". Whenever the Heaven Plate Geng is placed on the Earth Plate Jia, it is called "Ge Fei", also known as "Fu Gan"; when the Heaven Plate Jia is placed on the Earth Plate Geng, it is called "Ge Fu", also known as "Fei Gan". Here, the meaning of "Gan" is the same as in the case of Bo and Ge.

諸書渾言勃格，與歲月日時干互相加臨為飛伏，非也。嘗考經注，勃者亂逆也，格者閉塞也。 飛者見於上也，伏者隱於下也。甲為十干之長，庚來相制，甲不能用，如政令之閉塞也，故以庚為甲之格。甲畏於庚，以乙合庚，庚貪合而受制於丙，如制伏亂逆也，故以丙為庚之勃。若渾言歲月日時干，是以反首跌穴，亦為勃伏勃飛矣！故揭經義以明之。

Different schools of thought generally speak vaguely about "Bó" and "Gé", treating the Heavenly Stems of the year, month, day, and hour as if they are all mutually influencing each other, and calling them all "Fei" and "Fu", which is incorrect. I have examined the annotations of the classics: "Bó" means rebellion and disorder, while "Gé" means obstruction and blockage. "Fei" means appearing on top, while "Fu" means being hidden below. Jia is the first of the ten Heavenly Stems, and Geng overcomes it. When Jia is overcome by Geng, it cannot act freely, just as orders are blocked, so Geng is called Jia's "Gé". Jia fears Geng, so it uses Yi to harmonize with Geng. Geng, being attracted by the harmony, is controlled by Bing, just as rebellion is suppressed, so Bing is called Geng's "Bó". If we do not distinguish clearly and apply the concept of "Bó" and "Fu" to all Heavenly Stems of the year, month, day, and hour indiscriminately, then auspicious combinations like "Qinglong Fan Shou" and "Fei Niao Die Xue" would also be mistakenly considered as "Bó Fu" and "Bó Fei". Therefore, I specifically clarify the original meaning of the classics to explain this clearly.

庚加癸為刑，丙加己為刑，盜氣同也。庚丁相加為破，丙壬相加為破，沖制異也。凡值此時，不利有為。諸書以庚加癸為大格，加壬為小格，加己為刑格，加三奇為奇格。嘗考經中以庚丙為格勃者，以庚為甲之殺，丙為庚之殺。後制前為格，前制後為勃，所謂同干異支者也。同干異支者，以同旬干支合論也。如甲子旬，庚為甲之殺，丙為庚之殺，其干之為殺則同，而庚所加者午，午與子對沖，故曰勃。相剋又相謀，則隔塞甚矣，故注為閉塞也；相合又相制，則勃逆甚矣，故注為亂逆也。

When Geng is added to Gui, it is called "刑" (punishment), and when Bing is added to Ji, it is also called "刑," because both situations involve the same kind of relationship where the energy is stolen and drained, hence the similar outcome. When Geng is combined with Ding, it is called "破" (destruction), and when Bing is combined with Ren, it is also called "破," but one is based on opposition and the other on control, so their situations differ. Whenever these times occur, it is not advisable to take any action. Different texts refer to Geng added to Gui as "大格" (great obstruction), Geng added to Ren as "小格" (minor obstruction), Geng added to Ji as "刑格" (punishment obstruction), and Geng added to the Three Marvels as "奇格" (marvel obstruction). I have examined the original texts and determined that Geng and Bing are called "格" and "勃" respectively, because Geng is the killer of Jia (metal overcoming wood), and Bing is the killer of Geng (fire overcoming metal). When the later element overcomes the earlier one, it is called "格," and when the earlier one overcomes the later one, it is called "勃." This is what is meant by "the heavenly stems are the same but the earthly branches differ." When referring to "the heavenly stems are the same but the earthly branches differ," it means that the heavenly stems and earthly branches of the same ten-day period should be considered together. For example, in the ten-day period starting with Jiazi, Geng is the killer of Jia, and Bing is the killer of Geng. In terms of the heavenly stems being killers, they are the same; however, the earthly branch of Geng is Wu, which is directly opposite to Zi, so it is called "勃." Since they both control and oppose each other, the obstruction is severe, hence it is noted as "closed and blocked." When they are both in harmony and control, the contradiction is severe, hence it is noted as "chaos and rebellion."

干以盜氣為刑，支以前四位為刑。庚加癸為第四干，丙加巳為第四干，干同則支同，故曰同刑也。陽干以後四支為破，陰干以前四支為破。庚加丁為後四，丁加庚為前四，是庚之干支自相同；干逢克則破，支逢沖則破，壬丙相加為克，子午寅申辰戌相加為沖，是丙之干支自相同，故曰異破也。

The Heavenly Stems are considered to be "刑" when they are stolen or drained by another stem. The Earthly Branches are considered to be "刑" when they reach the fourth position counted forward. Counting from Geng to Gui, the fourth stem is exactly Gui; counting from Bing to Ji (the original text says Si), the fourth stem is also Ji. Both the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches have the same position and the same paired branch, so they are called "同刑." For Yang stems, "破" is determined by counting four positions backward; for Yin stems, "破" is determined by counting four positions forward. Geng combined with Ding is four positions backward, and Ding combined with Geng is four positions forward, showing that the calculation method for Geng and its branch is consistent. When a Heavenly Stem is overcome, it is considered "破," and when an Earthly Branch is in opposition, it is also considered "破." Ren combined with Bing is an overcoming relationship, while Zi and Wu, Yin and Shen, Chen and Xu are opposing relationships, showing that the calculation method for Bing and its branch is also consistent. However, Geng determines "破" based on position, while Bing determines "破" based on overcoming and opposition, so their methods are different, and thus they are called "异破."

若以庚加壬癸為大小格，加己為刑格，則其於義不通矣！奇格者，謂奇有三格也：庚丙相加為賊格，庚丁相加為破格，庚乙相加為合格。所云格者，乃格局之格，非格對之格也。後人緣有庚為格之義，遂不考經，而以庚加三奇為奇格，誤矣！或曰：支何以前四位為刑也？蓋以盜氣為刑也。曰：戊己非巳午之盜氣，四季非四生之盜氣，何以皆謂之刑也？蓋戊己藏於巳午，四季墓於四生，各從其類盜氣也。曰：三刑之位何居也？孟為生刑，仲為旺刑，季為墓刑，故曰三刑也。墓刑亦名自刑，以其同類，反從四生自相盜氣也。別有三刑，見六壬式中。

If following the explanations of various schools, they call the combination of Geng with Ren a great pattern, and Geng with Gui a small pattern, and the combination of Geng with Wu a punishment pattern. But from the perspective of meaning, these explanations do not make sense. As for the term "qige" (奇格), it refers to the three marvels each having their own pattern: the combination of Geng with Bing is called "zegé" (贼格), the combination of Geng with Ding is called "poge" (破格), and the combination of Geng with Yi is called "hge" (合格). Here, the term "ge" refers to a pattern or structure, not the meaning of opposition or conflict. Later scholars, because of the saying "Geng forms the pattern," stopped examining the original texts and instead generally referred to the combination of Geng with the three marvels as "qige," which is incorrect. Someone asked: why does the earth branch take the fourth position ahead as the punishment? The answer is: it is also based on the idea of stealing and draining the original energy. Another question: why are Wu and Ji not stealing the energy of Si and Wu, and why are the four seasonal branches (Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei) not stealing the energy of the four life branches (Yin, Mao, Si, Hai)? The answer is: Wu and Ji are originally hidden within Si and Wu, and the four seasonal branches are the burial places of the four life branches. Each steals energy from the others according to their kind. Another question: where are the three punishments located? The answer is: the four young branches (Yin, Shen, Si, Hai) are called "shengxíng" (生刑), the four middle branches (Zi, Wu, Mao, You) are called "wangxíng" (旺刑), and the four old branches (Chen, Xu, Chou, Wei) are called "muxíng" (墓刑), collectively known as the three punishments. "Muxíng" is also called "zixíng" (自刑), because they are of the same kind and thus steal energy from each other in reverse, taking it from the four life branches. There is also another system of the three punishments mentioned in the Six Rats (Liuxin) system.

丁甲相加，為陰陽化氣；丁乙相加，為龍鳳呈祥。凡值此二格，利為百事。甲乙相加，為二龍戰野；庚辛相加，為二虎爭雄；甲戊相加，為青龍困頓；庚壬相加，為白虎迍邅。凡值此四格，百事不利。 化氣呈祥二格，一切謀為俱吉，不必合奇門亦吉，故曰二吉。龍戰困頓下諸格，若得太陰合奇門蓋之，避其方，乘奇門而出猶可謀為。

When Jia and Ding combine, it is called "Yin and Yang Transformation"; when Ding and Yi combine, it is called "Dragon and Phoenix Presenting Auspiciousness." Whenever these two combinations occur, any action will be favorable. When Jia and Yi combine, it is called "Two Dragons Fighting in the Wild"; when Geng and Xin combine, it is called "Two Tigers Competing for Dominance"; when Jia and Wu combine, it is called "Azure Dragon in Distress"; when Geng and Ren combine, it is called "White Tiger in Obstruction." Whenever these four combinations occur, all affairs will be unfavorable. The combinations of Transformation and Auspiciousness are both favorable, and even without the presence of the Three Marvels and auspicious gates, they remain favorable, hence they are called "Two Auspicious Combinations." As for the combinations of Two Dragons Fighting in the Wild, Azure Dragon in Distress, and others which are consideredInauspicious Pattern (unfavorable combinations), if they can be paired with Tai Yin and the Three Marvels and auspicious gates to offset them, and if the direction of the unfavorable combination is avoided, and travel is instead conducted in the direction with the presence of the Marvels, then some success can still be achieved.

甲為天輔青龍，乙為天德蓬星，丙為明堂天威，丁為太陰玉女，戊為天武天門，己為地戶六合，庚為天獄天伐，辛為天庭天尉，壬為天牢天廩，癸為天藏華蓋。

Each of the ten Heavenly Stems has its own gate and deity: Jia is called "Tian Fu" and also known as the Azure Dragon; Yi is called "Tian De" and also known as Peng Star; Bing is called "Ming Tang" and also known as Tian Wei; Ding is called "Tai Yin" and also known as Yu Nu; Wu is called "Tian Wu" and also known as Tian Men; Ji is called "Di Hu" and also known as Liu He; Geng is called "Tian Yu" and also known as Tian Fa; Xin is called "Tian Ting" and also known as Tian Wei; Ren is called "Tian Luo" and also known as Tian Lin; Gui is called "Tian Cang" and also known as Hua Gai. When arranging the layout and determining directions, one looks at which palace a particular stem falls into, thus knowing what use the corresponding direction is suitable for. For example, Wu being Tian Men is suitable for military deployment, Ji being Di Hu is suitable for concealment, Geng being Tian Yu is suitable for execution, and Gui being Tian Cang is suitable for hiding. The methods for setting up camps and launching campaigns are all based on this principle.

凡將兵宜出天門戊，入地戶己，過太陰丁，居青龍甲，駐兵擊其沖，百戰百勝。如陽一局甲己之日甲子時出軍，戊在一宮、己在二宮、丁在七宮，即領兵從正北出天門，從西南入地戶，由正西過太陰，還於正北甲子上居青龍，擊其沖大勝。

When leading an army into battle, they should depart from the direction of 戊 (Wu) which is called the "Heavenly Gate," enter through the direction of 己 (Ji) called the "Earthly Gate," pass through the direction of 丁 (Ding) called the "Too Yin," and finally take up position at the direction of 甲 (Jia) called the "Azure Dragon." Once the army is stationed, they should attack the direction directly opposite to the Azure Dragon direction, ensuring victory in every battle. For example, in the case of Yang Dun (Yang遁) with the first arrangement, if the army departs on a Jia day or Ji day at the Jiazi hour, then Wu is in the first palace, Ji in the second, and Ding in the seventh. The army should depart from the north (first palace) through the Heavenly Gate, enter through the southwest (second palace) through the Earthly Gate, pass through the west (seventh palace) through Too Yin, and return to the north where Jiazi is located to occupy the Azure Dragon position. Then they should attack the direction directly opposite the Azure Dragon, which is due south, and assuredly achieve great victory.

運籌之法，以楓木為六籌，長一尺二寸，盛以絹囊，於月蝕夜向月祭之。凡急難時，畫地一周，以六為數，分為二十四方，從正北子地起左旋，一方記一字，分四維八干二十支，即子癸丑艮寅甲昴乙辰巽巳丙午丁未坤申庚酉辛戌乾亥壬二十四字，環列為記也。記訖，又以十二支玉女，從庚上起子，順佈於八干四維。布訖，然後左手持六籌，立於本日方上，叩齒三通，以右手取其籌，如訣順序，運於支辰之方，每運一籌，大呼某神降臨局所。運籌畢，視兩支夾干之方，先成者為天門，後成者為地戶，就從天門方出，又從地戶方入，由本日玉女方出，鬼神呵護，凶惡不侵。

The method of "yunchou" involves using six pieces of maple wood as divination sticks, each one foot two inches long, placed in a silk bag. They are used during a lunar eclipse, when one prays to the moon. In times of urgent danger, one draws a circle on the ground and uses six as a base (six steps, sixty steps, etc.), dividing the circumference into twenty-four directions. Starting from the position of Zi (子) in the north, one moves counterclockwise, writing one character per direction, in the order of four directions, eight heavenly stems, and twelve earthly branches: Zi, Gui, Chou, Gen, Yin, Jia, Mao, Yi, Chen, Xun, Si, Bing, Wu, Ding, Wei, Kun, Shen, Geng, You, Xin, Xu, Qian, Hai, Ren. These are arranged in a circle as markers. After completing the markings, the twelve earthly branches are assigned to the corresponding female deities starting from the position of Geng, and they are arranged in order on the eight heavenly stems and four directions. Once this is done, one holds the six sticks in the left hand, standing at the position corresponding to the current day. Then, one knocks the teeth three times, and with the right hand, takes up the sticks in the order of the incantation, moving them to the corresponding earthly branch positions. Each time a stick is moved, one loudly calls upon the deity to appear in the circle. After moving all six sticks, one observes the heavenly stem position between the two earthly branches: the one that forms first is called "Tianmen" (Heaven's Gate), and the one that forms later is called "Dihù" (Earth's Gate). One then exits from the Tianmen direction, enters from the Dihù direction, and finally leaves from the position of the female deity corresponding to the current day. This ensures protection from ghosts and evil forces.

運籌訣：鼠行狗竇、牛收兔阡、虎蹲蛇窟、兔入牛欄、龍吟馬續、蛇蟠猴跧、馬泉龍浴、羊食雞湌、猴牛□豬屋、雞立羊藩、狗窺鼠出、豬伺虎眠，每日一句，周而復始。運籌呼神，一青龍、二朱雀、三勾陳、四螣蛇、五白虎、六玄武，每呼某神君降臨局所，順序呼運，周而復始。

The formula for moving the divination sticks is: "The rat walks through the dog's hole, the ox gathers the rabbit's path, the tiger crouches in the snake's den, the rabbit enters the ox's enclosure, the dragon roars and the horse continues, the snake coils and the monkey crouches, the horse's spring is the dragon's bath, the sheep eats the chicken's food, the monkey and ox [missing text] the pig's house, the chicken stands at the sheep's gate, the dog watches the mouse emerge, the pig waits for the tiger to sleep." (The ninth sentence has a missing character in the original text, only a question mark remains, so it is not assumed.) These twelve lines are used in rotation by day, one line per day, and then the cycle repeats. The first character of each line indicates the position where the stick is placed, and the second character indicates the position to which the stick is moved. For example, "The rat walks through the dog's hole" means standing at the Zi position and moving the stick to the Xu position. When moving the sticks, the corresponding deities are called in order: first the Azure Dragon, then the Vermilion Bird, then Gou Chen, then Teng Snake, then the White Tiger, then the Black Tortoise. Each time a stick is moved, one deity is called, and this sequence is repeated continuously.

凡地戶不成，拾第一籌續呼而運之。即成，其孤籌對天門者，即天門開方；對地戶者，即地戶閉方。

If the six roots of divination sticks are completed but the earth gate has not yet formed, pick up the first stick and call upon the spirits again to perform the divination. Then the earth gate will be formed. At this moment, the single sticks that are facing the heavenly gate indicate the direction of the "heavenly gate opening direction"; those facing the earth gate indicate the direction of the "earth gate closing direction."

凡軍行野宿，及避難止息，皆用閉戊之法，攝伏群凶，無有恐怖。其法用刀從艮上起，畫地一周，以六為率，畫畢，於旬中戊上取土，以倍六為率。如畫地六步，取土一石二斗，六十步、十二石之類。以土分為六股，堆於六戊之上，從本旬戊上起，依訣均之，互相接續，佈滿周匝。然後刀埋於取土之方，回身入中央祝之，遂宿於中。

Whenever an army camps overnight in the wild or takes shelter, they use the method of "closing Wu" to subdue all evil forces and prevent fear among the people. The method involves starting with a knife at the Gen position and drawing a circle on the ground, with the size being six units (six steps, sixty steps, etc.). After completing the circle, take soil from the direction where the sixth Wu of the current ten-day period is located. The amount of soil taken should be twice the circumference of the circle. For example, if the circle is six steps in circumference, take one stone and two dou of soil; if it is sixty steps, take twelve stones. Divide the soil into six portions and pile them at each of the six Wu positions. Starting from the location of the Wu in the current ten-day period, follow the following oral formula to evenly distribute the soil portions, connecting them continuously until the entire circumference is covered. Then bury the knife at the place where the soil was taken, turn around, and enter the center of the circle to perform a prayer, then sleep in the center of the circle.

閉戊訣：鼠穴土塞、均接虎穴，虎穴土盈、均接龍門，龍門土坰，均接馬嶺，馬嶺土寬，均接猴山，猴山土靈、均接狗城，狗城土足、均接鼠窟。

The formula for closing the Wu (戊) is: "The rat's hole is filled with soil, evenly connected to the tiger's hole; the tiger's hole is full of soil, evenly connected to the dragon gate; the dragon gate has wide soil, evenly connected to the horse ridge; the horse ridge has broad soil, evenly connected to the monkey mountain; the monkey mountain has spiritual soil, evenly connected to the dog city; the dog city has sufficient soil, evenly connected to the rat's hole." These six sentences refer to the rat, tiger, dragon, horse, monkey, and dog, which correspond to the six yang branches: Zi (子), Yin (寅), Chen (辰), Wu (午), Shen (申), and Xu (戌)—the six possible positions where Wu might fall. Reciting each sentence evenly transfers the soil from the previous branch to the next. After reciting all six sentences, the six piles of soil are connected end to end, forming a continuous earth barrier.

假令甲子旬野宿閉戊，用六步為率，以刀從艮方起，畫地一周，分為十二支方。本旬戊在辰，即於辰方取土一石二斗，分作六股，堆於辰午申戌子寅六方畢，持刀於辰上念：龍門土坰，均接馬嶺，即將辰上土，用刀運連午上。又念：馬嶺土寬，均接猴山，即將午上土，運連申上。又念：猴山土靈、均接狗城，即將申上土，運連戌上。又念：狗城土足、均接鼠窟，即又將戌上土，運連子上。又念：鼠窟土塞、均接虎穴，又將子上土，運連寅上。又念：虎穴土盈、均接龍門，即又將寅上土，運連辰上，周遭成一壁壘矣。

For example, during the Jiazi sheng (ten-day period starting with Jiazi), if one is staying overnight in the wilderness and performs the method of Wu (earth), measure six steps, and use a knife to draw a circle starting from the Gen position on the ground, dividing the circumference into twelve directions of the earthly branches. In the Jiazi sheng, Wu falls on Chen. Take one stone and two dou of soil from the Chen direction, divide it into six portions, and place them on the six directions of Chen, Wu, Shen, Xu, Zi, and Yin. After placing them, stand at Chen with the knife and recite "Lungmen soil field, evenly connect Maling," then use the knife to evenly transfer the soil from Chen to Wu. Next recite "Maling soil wide, evenly connect Houshan," transferring the soil from Wu to Shen. Then recite "Houshan soil spiritual, evenly connect Goucheng," transferring the soil from Shen to Xu. Next recite "Goucheng soil sufficient, evenly connect Shuku," transferring the soil from Xu to Zi. Then recite "Shuku soil blocked, evenly connect Huxue," transferring the soil from Zi to Yin. Finally recite "Huxue soil full, evenly connect Lungmen," transferring the soil from Yin back to Chen. This completes the circle, forming a barrier of soil. One should note that the starting point of the six-line incantation is not fixed; depending on where Wu falls in the current sheng, start reciting from the corresponding line associated with that branch, and after reciting all six lines, return to the starting point. If using a different sheng, simply change the starting point, but keep the order of the six lines unchanged.

即將刀埋辰方土坑中，入中央面坑祝曰：泰山之陽，恆山之陰，盜賊不起，虎狼伏行，城廓不完，閉以金關，千凶萬惡，莫之敢干。祝畢，即於中宿，百神呵護。餘旬仿此。

Then he buried the knife in the Chen direction where soil had been left from taking earth, walked to the center, and faced the pit, reciting: "On the southern slope of Mount Tai, on the northern slope of Mount Heng, bandits will not arise, tigers and wolves will lie hidden; the city walls are incomplete, sealed with golden gates; myriad evils and calamities dare not approach." After the incantation, he slept in the center, and naturally, a hundred spirits would guard him. The rest of the weeks are handled in the same way, only changing the Earthly Branch corresponding to Wu to that of the current week.

所祝假令子日運籌，本日玉女在庚方，即從庚上起，畫地一周，在庭六步，在野六十步，或六百步，或三百六十步，俱以六為率，分周為二十四方，各記四維八干十二支訖。乃以左手持六籌，立於子地，叩齒三通，以右手取一籌，念鼠行狗竇，即走戌方，將籌運於戌地，大呼青龍神君，降臨局所。轉身行至丑上，又取一籌，念牛收兔阡，即走入卯方，將籌運於卯地，大呼朱雀神君，降臨局所。轉身行至寅上，又取一籌，念虎蹲蛇穴，即走入巳方，將籌運於巳地，大呼勾陳神君，降臨局所。轉身行至卯上，又取一籌，念兔入牛欄，即走入丑方，將籌運於丑地，大呼螣蛇神君，降臨局所。轉身行至辰上，又取一籌，念龍吟馬續，即走入午方，將籌運於午上，大呼白虎神君，降臨局所。則午與巳兩籌之中，先成天門於丙矣。

Another example of using the method of laying out the array: suppose the day is a day of the rat (子). If the Jade Female (玉女) is located in the direction of Geng (庚), then start from the Geng position and draw a circle on the ground. In the courtyard, draw six steps; in the open field, draw sixty steps, or six hundred steps, or three hundred and sixty steps, all based on the number six. Divide the circumference of the circle into twenty-four directions and mark them in order with the four cardinal directions, the eight heavenly stems, and the twelve earthly branches. Then take six sticks in your left hand and stand at the position of Zi (子). Tap your teeth three times. Take one stick in your right hand, recite "the rat moves through the dog's hole" (鼠行狗窦), and walk to the Xu (戌) direction, placing the stick at the Xu position, and loudly proclaim "the Azure Dragon God King has arrived at the array." Turn around and walk to the Chou (丑) position, take another stick, recite "the ox collects the rabbit's path" (牛收兔阡), and walk to the Mao (卯) direction, placing the stick at the Mao position, and loudly proclaim "the Vermilion Bird God King has arrived at the array." Turn around and walk to the Yin (寅) position, take another stick, recite "the tiger crouches in the snake's tomb" (虎蹲蛇穴), and walk to the Si (巳) direction, placing the stick at the Si position, and loudly proclaim "the Gou Chen God King has arrived at the array." Turn around and walk to the Mao (卯) position, take another stick, recite "the rabbit enters the ox's pen" (兔入牛栏), and walk to the Chou (丑) direction, placing the stick at the Chou position, and loudly proclaim "the Tan Sha God King has arrived at the array." Turn around and walk to the Chen (辰) position, take another stick, recite "the dragon roars and the horse continues" (龙吟马续), and walk to the Wu (午) direction, placing the stick at the Wu position, and loudly proclaim "the White Tiger God King has arrived at the array." At this point, between the sticks placed at Wu and Si, the heavenly stem of Bing (丙) is located, and the heaven gate (天门) is thus formed in the direction of Bing. The phrase "two branches enclosing a stem" refers to the situation where two adjacent earthly branches each have a stick placed upon them, and the heavenly stem in the middle is thus enclosed. The one formed first is considered the heaven gate, and the one formed later is considered the earth gate.

轉身行至巳上，又取一籌，念蛇蟠猴跧，即走入申方，將籌運於申地，大呼元武神君，降臨局所，地戶不成。又轉身行至戌上，拾第一籌，趨至午上，念馬泉龍浴，即走入辰方，將籌運於辰地，大呼靜龍神君，降臨局所。則辰與卯兩籌之中，後成地戶於乙矣。即從丙方出天門，於局外左繞，又從乙方入地戶，由庚方乘玉女而去，則萬神擁護，諸惡潛藏。此局二孤在丑申二方，丑對天門為天門開方，申對地戶為地戶閉方，餘類推。

He turned around and walked to the Si position, then took another stick, recited "Snake coiled, Monkey crouched," and walked into the Shen direction, placing the stick at the Shen position, and loudly called out "Xuanwu God King descends into the site." At this time, the earth gate had not yet formed. Then he turned around again and walked to the Xu position, picked up the first stick he had placed, rushed to the Wu position, recited "Horse spring, Dragon bath," walked into the Chen direction, placed the stick at the Chen position, and loudly called out "Jinglong God King descends into the site." In this way, between the sticks at Chen and Mao, the Yi stem was sandwiched, and the earth gate was formed at the Yi position. Then he exited from the Bing position through the Heaven Gate, circled outside to the left, then entered the earth gate from the Yi position, and finally left through the Geng position riding on Yu Nu, thus receiving the support of myriad gods and all evils being hidden. In this layout, the two single sticks were at the Chou and Shen positions: Chou directly faces the Heaven Gate, so the Chou position is "Heaven Gate opening position"; Shen directly faces the earth gate, so the Shen position is "earth gate closing position." The rest of the positions can be similarly inferred.

皆同

The method of closing Wu during a halt is the same as the "wild camping closing Wu" mentioned in the previous section "Explanation of Military Operations and Strategy," so this section only notes the words "all the same" without repeating the explanation.

凡安營立寨，以六為法，每一人占地六尺，量人多少積之，俱要合六，如六十步、六百步之類。周圍設壘，布成四維八干十二支局。以旬中六甲加支，一旬一易。大將居青龍，旗鼓居蓬星，士卒居明堂，伏兵居太陰，奇兵居天門，裨將居地戶，斬斷居天獄，治事居天庭，蒭糧居天廩，兵器居天藏。

When setting up a camp, all positions are calculated according to the number six: each person is allocated six feet of space, and the total area must be a multiple of six, such as sixty paces or six hundred paces. The camp is surrounded by fortifications and arranged in a layout based on the four directions, eight trigrams, and twelve earthly branches. The six heavenly stems of the current ten-day period are added to the earthly branches, and this is changed every ten days. The positions within the camp are assigned as follows: the commander is stationed at the Azure Dragon position (Jia), the flag and drum are placed at the蓬星 position (Yi), soldiers are stationed at the Bright Hall position (Bing), hidden troops are concealed at the Taiyin position (Ding), surprise troops are stationed at the Heaven Gate position (Wu), the deputy commander is stationed at the Earth Gate position (Ji), execution is carried out at the Heaven Prison position (Geng), official affairs are handled at the Heaven Court position (Xin), fodder and supplies are stored at the Heaven Granary position (Ren), and weapons are stored at the Heaven Repository position (Gui).