The Key to Qimen Methods: Detailed Items

奇門法竅卷一：例言、煙波釣叟賦註釋（長白棠蔭山房孟樨氏增注）。

The Key to Qimen Methods contains a detailed table of contents. The first volume includes two chapters. The first chapter is titled "Example Statement," in which the author explains the reasons for compiling the book and outlines the structure of the entire work. It systematically explains why key methods such as connecting with the heavens, disassembling and reconstructing the layout, flying palaces and arranging palaces, the sequence of the eight gods' hexagrams, and the operation of the direct commander and auxiliary palaces must be redefined. The second chapter is titled "Commentary on the Smoke and Waves Fishing Old Man's Ode," which divides the first and most renowned text of Qimen Dun Jia, the "Ode to the Smoke and Waves Fishing Old Man," into rhymed lines. The commentary is provided by Meng Xi, the master of Tang Yin Mountain House, a writer from the area around Changbai Mountain (now part of Jilin Province). The commentary traces the origin from the Yellow Emperor's battle with Chiyou, through the layout of yin and yang dual遁 (dun), the operation of the direct commander and auxiliary commander, the structure of the three marvels and six instruments, and the waxing and waning of the eight gates and nine stars, serving as the general outline of the entire book.

奇門法竅卷二：奇門六甲三元定例、論遁甲源流、論遁甲出自圖書、論飛宮、論陰陽局法、論寄宮、論直符用法、論直使、論八神、論奇門定向、論中宮、論超接置閏、論拆局補局、論中宮用門、論十干加伏、論地下奇儀、論中五、論直符直使、論年奇法、論月奇法、論日奇法、論時奇法、論六甲出征遠行、論威德之時、論三甲合、論三奇游六儀、論玉女守門、論遊三避五、論天網時、論伏吟反吟。

Volume two is the section of the entire text discussing "methods." The first thirty chapters are arranged in order from the fundamental to the final. It begins with "The Fixed Examples of the Three Yuan of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms," which lists the different configurations for each of the upper, middle, and lower trigrams of the twenty-four solar terms. "On the Origin of Dun Jia" and "On the Origin of Dun Jia from the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing" trace the origins of the Qimen from the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing. "On the Flying Palace" and "On the Method of Yin and Yang Configurations" explain the two layout methods of the flying plate and the rotating plate, and the difference between Yang Dun moving in the order of the sequence and Yin Dun moving in reverse. Four chapters, "On the Lodging Palace," "On the Central Palace," "On the Middle Five," and "On the Use of the Central Palace Door," specifically discuss the handling of the Middle Five Palace, which has no door or trigram and must be assigned to the Kun or Gen Palace. "On the Use of the Chief Symbol," "On the Duty Gate," and "On the Chief Symbol and Duty Gate" explain the rules of the operation plate, where the Chief Symbol moves with the heavenly stem and the Duty Gate moves with the sequence of the palace. "On the Eight Gods" discusses the arrangement of the Chief Symbol, the Qilin Snake, the Taiyin, the Liuhe, the White Tiger, the Black Tortoise, the Jiudi, and the Jiu Tian. "On the Orientation of Qimen" explains that when using the method, the correct true direction must be aligned. "On the Interpolation Method for Solar Terms" and "On the Disassembly and Reconstruction of Configurations" are the most important methods for correcting solar terms in this book. Following this, "On the Addition of the Heavenly Stems to the Hidden Symbol" and "On the Ground Hidden Symbols" discuss the views on the addition of heavenly stems and earthly stems between the heaven plate and the earth plate. The chapters from "On the Method of the Year's Marvel" to "On the Method of the Hour's Marvel" explain the calculation methods for taking the marvel at the year, month, day, and hour levels respectively. The remaining chapters, "On the Deployment of the Six Jia in Campaigns and Long Journeys," "On the Time of Authority and Virtue," "On the Combination of the Three Jia," "On the Three Marvels Moving Among the Six Instruments," "On the Female Jade Guarding the Gate," "On the Movement of Three and Avoidance of Five," "On the Time of the Heavenly Net," and "On the Hidden Chant and Reverse Chant," each discuss the usage and taboos of individual configurations.

論陰陽刑德開闔、論五陽時、論五陰時、論三勝宮、論五不擊、論地氣將順逆支所屬、論庚丙格、論龍鳥格、論星儀動靜、論奇墓、論孤虛、論五不遇時、論天輔時、論六儀擊刑、論空亡、論三盤入墓、論日干時支、論應期、論暗干、論年白法、論月白法、論日白法、論時白法、論納音、論十二宮分野、論總發天機、論五行生剋制化、干支星門問答、八詐八屬、論干支合變。

Volume two's latter half of thirty sections shifts to discuss patterns and verification methods. "On the Opening and Closing of Yin and Yang Criminal and Virtuous Energies" explains the movement and retreat of the energies of criminal and virtuous forces. "On the Five Yang Hours" and "On the Five Yin Hours" divide the hours of Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, and Wu from Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui into two groups, determining whether to take the heavenly odd or earthly odd. "On the Favorable Directions" and "On the Five Forbidden Directions" discuss favorable directions for attack and directions to avoid. "On the Direction of Earth Qi and Its顺逆" explains the method of following the movement of the month builder. "On the Geng Bing Pattern" and "On the Dragon and Bird Pattern" are two most important patterns: Geng represents the pattern, Bing represents the emergence, while Qinglong Fanshou and Fei Niao Die Xue are considered the most auspicious. "On the Movement of Stars and Instruments," "On the Odd and Tomb," "On the Lone and Vacant," "On the Five Unfavorable Hours," "On the Wenqu Star Hour," "On the Six Instruments Attacking the Criminal," "On the Empty and Void," and "On the Three Discs Entering the Tomb" each explain the conditions for the formation of various auspicious and inauspicious patterns. "On the Day Stem and Hour Branch," "On the Verification Time," and "On the Hidden Stem" discuss when events will occur and how to supplement the interpretation through the hidden stem. "On the Year White Method" to "On the Hour White Method" are four sections explaining the method of flying white in the nine palaces for years, months, days, and hours. "On the Nayin Sound Element" discusses the five phases of the nayin sound element in the sixty jiazi. "On the Twelve Palaces and Their Regions" assigns the twelve earthly branches to regions and states. "On the Overall Revelation of Heaven's Mechanism" and "On the Five Phases' Generation, Restriction, and Transformation" are general discussions. "Questions and Answers on the Stem and Branch Star Gate" uses a question-and-answer format to resolve doubts. "On the Eight Deceptions and Eight Affiliations" discusses patterns such as the three deceptions and five false appearances, which are types of hidden patterns. "On the Transformation of Stem and Branch" concludes the discussion, explaining the use of the combination and transformation of stems and branches.

奇門法竅卷三：八門九星吉凶克應、八門臨時斷絕、八門路應、三奇靜應、三奇臨宮吉凶格、三奇路應、三奇會門克應、三奇會使克應、十干克應、十干加時斷、十干吉凶斷、八卦克應、地支克應、八神吉凶主斷、六儀所主克應、吉格變體備考、凶格變體備考。

Volume three focuses exclusively on "response signs," which refers to the kinds of omens that appear in the world and the corresponding outcomes in human affairs after a particular combination is obtained. It consists of seventeen chapters. "Eight Gates and Nine Stars: Good and Bad Response Signs" lists the good and bad outcomes for each of the eight gates when they are stationed in the nine palaces. "Eight Gates and Interruption at the Time" explains where matters are cut off when a particular gate is in charge. "Eight Gates and Road Response" and "Three Marvels and Road Response" describe the kinds of people and scenes encountered on the way when leaving, used to verify the situation. "Three Marvels and Quiet Response" discusses omens seen in quiet places. "Three Marvels in the Palace: Good and Bad Patterns" lists the names associated with the three marvels (Yi, Bing, Ding) when they are stationed in the nine palaces. "Three Marvels and Good Gates Response" and "Three Marvels and Direct Command Response" explain the verification when the three marvels meet with good gates or the direct command. The three chapters "Ten Heavenly Stems Response," "Ten Heavenly Stems and Time Interruption," and "Ten Heavenly Stems Good and Bad Outcomes" are the most substantial in the entire volume, detailing the good and bad outcomes for each of the 100 combinations formed by the ten heavenly stems on the heaven plate and the ten earthly branches on the earth plate. Following this, "Eight Trigrams Response," "Earthly Branches Response," "Eight Gods Good and Bad Outcomes," and "Six Instruments Response" complement the previous sections from the perspectives of trigrams, branches, eight gods, and six instruments. Finally, "Good Patterns and Their Variations" and "Bad Patterns and Their Variations" collect various variations of good and bad patterns for reference during divination.

奇門法竅卷四：奇門起例捷要訣、論應候先後、論天地盤應事、論天地盤主客、論宮門奇儀生克吉凶、論日時主客、論天地盤生克、論吉凶神生克、論五不遇不以吉論、論奇儀空亡、論九星旺相、論奇墓、論星門時干衰旺、論沖合動靜、論應遠近斷法、論旬空法、論沖合斷法、論奇儀迫制、論八門迫制、論門宮生克、論星生旺吉凶、論天地盤動靜占法、論克應、論三盤占法、論卦氣體用、論動靜占法、論節候成敗占驗、論三奇衰旺、論三墓、論生死二門、論同宮兩支、論選擇神煞吉凶、論天上三奇之妙、論三奇為萬神之王、論遁甲吉凶禍福之機。

Volume four begins with thirty-five chapters that outline general principles of divination. "Quick Rules for Starting a Calculation" condenses the steps of setting up a chart into a mnemonic verse. "On the Timing of Responses" and "On the Distance of Responses" discuss when an event should occur and how far it should be. "On the Response of Heaven and Earth Plates," "On the Heaven and Earth Plates as Host and Guest," "On the Daily and Hourly Host and Guest," and "On the Mutual Generation and Control of Heaven and Earth Plates" explain how the Heaven Plate represents the guest and the Earth Plate the host, and how their mutual generation and control determine the outcome. "On the Mutual Generation and Control of Doors, Palaces, and Marvels," "On the Mutual Generation and Control of Doors and Palaces," "On the Compulsion of the Eight Doors," and "On the Compulsion of Marvels and Symbols" describe the four situations where doors and palaces mutually generate, control, or suppress each other. "On the Mutual Generation and Control of Auspicious and Malevolent Gods" discusses the generation and control among the Eight Gods. "On the Five Unfavorable Conditions" emphasizes that even with a favorable Gate and Marvel, the Five Unfavorable Conditions should not be considered auspicious. "On the Empty Marvels" and "On the Ten-Day Empty Period" discuss the concept of the Ten-Day Empty Period. "On the Prosperity and Strength of the Nine Stars," "On the Prosperity and Decline of the Gate and the Heavenly Stem of the Hour," "On the Auspiciousness and Misfortune of the Stars," and "On the Prosperity and Decline of the Three Marvels" explain the prosperity and decline of the stars, gates, heavenly stems, and marvels throughout the four seasons. "On the Burial of Marvels" and "On the Three Burials" discuss the concept of being buried. "On the Movement and Stillness of Opposition and Union," "On the Method of Judging by Opposition and Union," "On the Method of Judging by Movement and Stillness," and "On the Method of Judging by the Movement and Stillness of Heaven and Earth Plates" explain how opposition indicates movement and union indicates stillness. "On the Method of Judging by the Three Plates" and "On the Use of the Three Elements of the Trigrams" combine the Heaven, Earth, and Human plates with the trigrams' elements for interpretation. "On the Success and Failure Verified by the Twenty-Four Solar Terms" uses solar terms to verify success and failure. "On the Doors of Life and Death," "On Two Branches in the Same Palace," and "On the Auspiciousness and Misfortune of Selection Gods" serve as supplements for choosing favorable days and hours. The last three chapters, "On the Wonders of the Three Marvels in Heaven," "On the Three Marvels as the King of All Gods," and "On the Mechanism of Auspiciousness and Misfortune of Dun Jia," emphasize the importance of the Three Marvels and conclude the entire volume.

占雨、占晴、占雪、占雷、占禾稼、占種植、占蠶、占蝗蝻、占歲中豐歉、占童試、占科試、占殿試、占武試、占徵召、占升遷、占朝覲、占上官、占考績、占所任地方吉凶、占投武、占干謁、占壽、占人生貴賤、占人年命吉凶、占婚姻、占招贅、占納寵、占娶女容貌性格何如、占婚後有益、占婚後子息旺否、占買奴婢吉否、占生產男女、占生產日期、占產子長命否。

From here, volume four begins with entries on classified divination, starting with the Earlier Heaven (先天) section on agriculture, followed by official examinations, and then human life and marriage and childbearing. The weather group consists of nine entries: divination for rain, clear weather, snow, and thunder are meteorological predictions; divination for crops, planting, sericulture, and locusts are related to agriculture, sericulture, and pests. Divination for the abundance or scarcity of the year is a general judgment on the harvest. The official examination group has twelve entries: divination for the local school examination is for admission to the county or prefectural school, divination for the provincial and metropolitan examinations is for the imperial examination, divination for the palace examination is for the ranking in the court examination, and divination for the military examination is for the military examination. Divination for recruitment is for being summoned by the court, divination for promotion, court audience, taking up a post, and performance appraisal are for the movement, court appearance, taking office, and performance evaluation of officials. Divination for the fortune of the place assigned is for judging the goodness or badness of the position assigned. Divination for joining the military is for enlisting in the army, and divination for seeking an audience is for visiting important officials. The human life group has four entries: divination for longevity asks about lifespan, divination for the status of a person asks about their overall fortune in life, and divination for the fortune of a person's year is based on their birth year's heavenly stem and earthly branch combined with the chart. The marriage and childbearing group has nine entries: divination for marriage asks about its success or failure, divination for taking in a husband-in-law and divination for taking in a concubine are for entering into a marriage by taking in a husband-in-law or a concubine. Divination for the appearance and character of the bride asks about the woman's features. Divination for the benefits after marriage and divination for the prosperity of offspring after marriage ask about the support and offspring after marriage. Divination for the fortune of buying a servant or maid asks about the suitability of the purchase. Divination for the gender of the child, the date of childbirth, and whether the child will live a long life asks about the pregnancy and childbirth.

占病、占延醫、占病痊癒、占詞訟、占興訟、占詞狀、占爭競、占利息、占公私兩事、占訟獄、占帶干證如何、占囑託、占被責否、占結案、占罪輕重、占囚禁、占捕獲罪人否、占起解罪人、占捕盜賊、占捕亡、占攻賊、占間諜、占行詐、占攻城、占守城、占盜賊、占賊臨境否、占勝敗。

Next comes the categories of disease, lawsuits, and military bandits. Under disease there are three items: divining the cause of illness, divining the need for a physician and which school of medicine to consult, and divining the time of recovery. Under lawsuits there are fourteen items, covering all stages from initiating a lawsuit to its conclusion: divining lawsuits in general, divining whether to initiate a lawsuit, divining the validity of a complaint, divining disputes, divining interest, divining cases involving both private and public matters, divining prison troubles, divining the involvement of witnesses, divining the effectiveness of intermediaries, divining whether one will be punished, divining the conclusion of a case, divining the severity of a crime, and divining the outcome of imprisonment. Under the category of capture and military operations there are eleven items: divining whether a criminal will be captured, divining the transfer of a prisoner, divining the capture of bandits, divining the capture of fugitives, divining the attack on bandits, divining spies, divining deception, which involve attacking enemies, using spies, and setting traps; divining the attack on a city and the defense of a city, which distinguish between attack and defense; divining bandits and whether bandits are approaching, which inquire about the movement of bandits; and divining victory or defeat, which is a general divination.

占行期、占行人、占遠信、占在外慮家中安否、占回鄉、占在外人安否、占未出門先定歸期、占出行經商地方吉否、占登舟船主善惡、占道途吉凶、占謀害、占行路遇人同往善惡、占出行水陸吉凶、占人在外不知何方、占久出存亡、占久出外信虛實、占求財、占貿易、占合夥、占索債、占放債、占稱貸、占得財、占脫貨、占買房屋、占交易開張益否、占謁貴求財有益否、占合夥求財。

Further down are two major categories: travel and movement, and seeking wealth. The sixteen items under travel and movement include: divining the auspicious day to start a journey, divining the return time for a traveler, divining distant news, divining the safety of someone away from home who is worried about their family, divining the return journey, divining the safety of a traveler, divining the return date before departure, divining whether the destination is auspicious for business travel, divining the character of the boatman, divining the safety of the journey, divining if there is any harm intended, divining the character of people encountered on the way, divining whether traveling by water or land is more auspicious, divining the whereabouts of someone missing, divining the survival or death of someone who has been away for a long time, and divining the truth or falsehood of news about someone who has been away for a long time. The twelve items under seeking wealth include: divining overall fortune, divining trade, divining partnerships, divining wealth through partnerships, divining debt collection, divining lending money, divining loans, divining whether wealth can be obtained, divining whether goods can be sold, divining the purchase of property and the auspiciousness of opening a business, and divining whether seeking wealth through influential people is beneficial.

占訪人、占約期至與不至、占遠人來何事、佔有人來訪宜見否、占我訪人見否、占請客來否、占失物、占人走失、占走失六畜、占何人為盜、占捕賊、占失財、占家宅興旺、占分居、占遷移、占謀館有無、占官幕、占求薦、占差遣、占退役、占應役、占投主、占卸事能否、占領文遲速、占官事緩急、占給假、占避難逃避方向、占避難可否。

This passage first lists six categories concerning visits and meetings: predicting whether one can meet someone when visiting, predicting whether the person agreed to meet will come, predicting the purpose of a distant visitor, predicting whether one should receive a visitor, predicting whether one can visit someone or whether guests can be invited. Next are six categories concerning lost items and thieves: predicting where an item was lost, predicting the whereabouts of a missing person or livestock, predicting who the thief is, predicting whether the thief can be captured, predicting the loss of property. Then there are three categories concerning the household: predicting the prosperity of the family, predicting whether to live apart, predicting moving house. The last group consists of eleven categories concerning the promotion and demotion of clerks and messengers: predicting whether one can find a position, predicting whether one can serve as an official clerk, predicting seeking recommendations, predicting appointments, retirements, and service for messengers, predicting joining a master, predicting whether one can resign and settle accounts, predicting the speed of official documents, predicting the urgency of official matters, predicting taking leave, predicting the direction to avoid danger and whether one can escape from danger.

占雀噪、占鴉鳴、占夢、占怪異、占禱祀、占求仙、占燒丹、占設教、占受教否、占立窯、占得吉地否、占墳墓、占開挖水道、占河水消長、占博弈、占舟得順風、占漁獵、占田獵、占牛馬懷駒牝牡、占奏事准駁、占派差務否、占文武官補否、占在任動靜、占捐勸踴躍否、占剿匪遲速、占解餉平安、占監獄平安、佔有無賊窩、占交友、占服藥效否、占廢員起用、占出兵吉凶、占保劾、占謁陵、占稅務衰旺、占井泉旺否、占是否有妊、占耳鳴、占果木結實、占酒口味、占薦友請否、占出差平安、占掣籤遠近、占簡放。

This passage is about miscellaneous divination. First, there are four signs: divination of crows' noise and crows' calls are based on listening to bird sounds to predict omens, divination of dreams to interpret dreams, and divination of strange phenomena to judge unusual events. Next, there are five categories concerning prayers and cultivation: divination of prayers and offerings to ask about祈求 and禳灾, divination of seeking immortality and divination of alchemy to inquire about cultivation and the practice of making elixirs, divination of establishing a religion and divination of whether one accepts teachings to ask about founding a sect, teaching disciples, and taking apprentices. Then there are six categories concerning earth, wood, water, and geography: divination of building kilns to inquire about kiln construction, divination of whether a site is auspicious and divination of tombs to ask about ancestral graves, divination of digging water channels and divination of river levels to inquire about water projects and water conditions, and divination of gambling to predict the outcome of bets. There are four categories concerning fishing, hunting, and livestock: divination of favorable winds for sailing, divination of fishing and hunting to predict success in catching fish and hunting, and divination of cattle and horses giving birth to inquire about the pregnancy and gender of livestock. Finally, there is a large group concerning Qing dynasty official affairs: divination of whether a memorial will be approved or rejected, divination of whether officials will be assigned duties, whether civil and military officials will be promoted, and whether officials on duty are active or not, to inquire about the appointment of officials, promotions, and the activities of officials in their posts. Divination of whether donations and contributions are enthusiastic, to inquire about the willingness to donate and contribute. Divination of the speed of suppressing bandits, the safety of transporting funds, the safety of prisons, and whether there are bandit dens, to inquire about the suppression of bandits, the transportation of funds, prison conditions, and bandit activities. Divination of friendships, the effectiveness of medicine, the reappointment of dismissed officials, the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of military campaigns, the appointment or impeachment of officials, visiting the imperial mausoleum, the prosperity or decline of taxation, the prosperity of wells and springs, whether there is pregnancy, tinnitus, the fruiting of fruit trees, the taste of wine, whether to recommend a friend or not, the safety of official travel, the distance of the lottery draw, and the appointment to an official post, covering a wide range of daily affairs in the offices of officials and their assistants, almost encompassing all routine matters of officials.

占天時、占升遷、占求財、占婚姻、占產育、占疾病、占官訟、占行人、占盜賊、占田禾、占終身、占家宅、占地理、占謁見、占奴婢、占博弈。

Volume Four's last sixteen entries are actual case studies, differing from the preceding regulations: the earlier sections discuss general principles, while these sixteen each present a real historical situation. For each case, the year, month, day, and hour are listed, along with the structure number, chief symbol, duty gate, and the gates, stars, deities, and instruments used. Then, each is analyzed step by step, and the verified outcome is recorded. The matters predicted in order are weather, promotion, seeking wealth, marriage, childbirth, illness, legal disputes, the whereabouts of a person, theft, crops, life span, family residence, geography, visiting officials, servants, and gambling. These exactly cover one example from each of the major categories mentioned earlier, serving as a model for readers to review and retrace the process.

奇門法竅卷五：陰陽兩遁奇儀符使行宮圖說、陰陽兩遁八神行宮圖說、陰陽兩遁排宮間宮直使圖說、陰陽九遁八神臨宮法、陽遁八神臨卦位宮分次序圖、陰遁八神臨卦位宮分次序圖。

Volume 56 consists entirely of diagrams explaining the layout of the disk, and is the key chapter in this book for correcting errors found in printed editions. "Diagram Explanation of the Movement and Rotation of the Three Marvels and Six Instruments along with the Chief Symbol and Duty Gate in the Nine Palaces" explains how the Three Marvels and Six Instruments, along with the Chief Symbol and Duty Gate, move and rotate within the nine palaces. "Diagram Explanation of the Movement of the Eight Gods According to the Chief Symbol in the Nine Palaces" describes the sequence of palaces that the Eight Gods follow according to the Chief Symbol. "Diagram Explanation of the Method of Interlocking Palaces for the Duty Gate in the Arrangement of the Sixty Hours" introduces the method of "interlocking palaces," which uses the upper and lower disks that can be pasted together and complement each other, allowing each of the eight gates to be assigned their respective Duty Gate for the sixty hours. "Method of the Eight Gods in the Nine Palaces for the Nine Divinations of Yin and Yang" summarizes the general rules for the placement of the Eight Gods in the nine palaces across the nine divisions of Yin and Yang. The final two chapters, "Diagram of the Sequence of the Eight Gods in the Palaces According to the Positions of the Trigrams for Yang Dun" and "Diagram of the Sequence of the Eight Gods in the Palaces According to the Positions of the Trigrams for Yin Dun," arrange and draw the Eight Gods for Yang Dun and Yin Dun respectively according to the order of the trigram positions, for easy comparison and reference.

奇門法竅卷六：遁甲論、奇門保應章、八門執事、九星值事、直符十神執事、吉格註釋、天遁、地遁、人遁、神遁、鬼遁、風遁、雲遁、龍遁、虎遁、真詐、重詐、休詐、天假、地假、物假、鬼假、人假、青龍返首、飛鳥跌穴、三奇得使、玉女守門、天輔、三奇升殿、奇游祿位、權怡、相佐、奇儀相合、交泰、天運昌氣、門宮和義。

Volume six is the structural dictionary of the entire book, beginning with a general overview and then dividing into categories. "Dun Jia Theory" is a comprehensive discussion, explaining the origin and development of Dun Jia principles. "Chapter on the Response of the Three Marvels" discusses the response of divine protection when following the principles of action. "Eight Gates Handling Affairs," "Nine Stars Handling Affairs," and "Direct Symbol and Ten Spirits Handling Affairs" respectively list the affairs each of the eight gates, nine stars, and eight spirits are responsible for, serving as the basis for judging the nature of these divine elements. Following this, the section on "Explanations of Auspicious Patterns" provides detailed explanations of the composition and meanings of each auspicious pattern: Tian Dun, Di Dun, and Ren Dun are the three types of concealment, while Shen Dun, Gui Dun, Feng Dun, Yun Dun, Long Dun, and Hu Dun, combined with the first three, make up the nine types of concealment, all being patterns for secret actions. Zhen Zha, Chong Zha, and Xiu Zha are the three types of deception, while Tian Jia, Di Jia, Wu Jia, Gui Jia, and Ren Jia are the five types of borrowing strength, which are patterns for using power. Qinglong Fanshou and Fei Niao Die Xue are the two major auspicious patterns of mutual addition between Jia and Bing. Sanqi De Shi, Yu Nu Shou Men, Tian Fu, Sanqi Sheng Dian, and Qi You Lu Wei are patterns where the Three Marvels are in favorable positions. Quan Yi, Xiang Zuo, Qi Yi Xiang He, Jiao Tai, Tian Yun Chang Qi, and Men Gong He Yi are patterns where the gates, stars, and symbols are in harmonious coordination, representing smooth and auspicious conditions.

凶格註釋、青龍逃走、白虎猖狂、螣蛇妖蹻、朱雀投江、白入熒、熒入白、飛宮格、伏宮格、伏干格、飛干格、大格、小格、年月日時格、刑格、勃格、天網、伏吟、返吟、六儀擊刑、五不遇、時干墓、奇墓、星門入墓、門宮迫制、天三門、地四戶、地私門、天馬方、天罡方、天氣將、地氣將、太陽過宮、亭亭白奸方。

The next section is "Notes on Unfavorable Patterns," which is also arranged in separate entries. "Qinglong Fleeing" is when Yi is added to Xin, "Baihu Rampant" is when Xin is added to Yi, "Tengshe Wicked" is when Gui is added to Ding, and "Zhuque Falling into the River" is when Ding is added to Gui. These four patterns are collectively known as the Four Unfavorable Spirits. "White Entering Fluorescence" is when Geng is added to Bing, and "Fluorescence Entering White" is when Bing is added to Geng; one indicates a thief coming and the other a thief going. The patterns of Flying Palace, Hidden Palace, Hidden Stem, Flying Stem, Great Pattern, Small Pattern, Year-Month-Day-Hour Pattern, Crime Pattern, and勃Pattern are all formed by the interaction of the six Geng with the Chief Symbol, the Day Stem, the stems of year, month, day, and hour, and the addition of Ji, Gui, and Ren. These patterns are called "Patterns" because they block and prevent communication; they are unfavorable for military operations and matters of strategy. "Heavenly Net" occurs when the hour stem falls on the six Gui. "Hidden Chant" is when the star gate remains stationary in its original palace. "Reverse Chant" is when the star gate moves to the palace opposite to its original position. "Six Instruments Attacked by Crime" is when the six Jia fall into a palace that is mutually harmful. "Five Unfavorable Meetings" occur when the hour stem overcomes the day stem, or when the hour stem is in its tomb, or when the odd stem is in its tomb, or when the star gate enters its tomb, indicating that the stem, odd, and star gate are powerless. "Gate Palace Oppression" is when the gate and palace mutually overcome each other. The last eight entries do not belong to the category of favorable or unfavorable patterns but are related to directional deities: the Three Heavenly Doors, the Four Earthly Gates, and the Private Earth Door are three groups of favorable directions for entry and exit. The Heavenly Horse direction is favorable for movement. The Heavenly Gang direction should be avoided. The Heavenly and Earthly Generals follow the direction of the Month Builder, moving in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The Sun's movement across the palace is determined by the solar term. The direction of "Tingting Baijian" is used for military movement and avoidance.

冬至陽遁一局甲子時奇圖式、冬至陽遁一局乙丑時奇圖式、夏至陰遁九局甲子時奇圖式、夏至陰遁九局乙丑時奇圖式、冬至後陽遁八門九星圖式、夏至後陰遁八門九星圖式、地四戶圖、天三門圖、天罡方圖、天馬方圖、地私門圖、三奇臨宮吉凶圖、八門宮迫圖、六儀擊刑圖、星門返吟伏吟圖、九星利主客圖、奇儀星門入墓圖、干支順行長生圖、陰干逆行長生圖、五行旺相圖、婷婷白奸方位圖。

The last volume contains twenty-one diagrams. The first four diagrams use the Jiazi and Yichou hours of the winter solstice for Yang Dun one layout and the summer solstice for Yin Dun nine layouts as models, showing the arrangement of the odd instruments and symbols for a complete hour disk, allowing scholars to deduce the rest of the layouts. The diagrams "Diagram of the Eight Gates and Nine Stars after Winter Solstice" and "Diagram of the Eight Gates and Nine Stars after Summer Solstice" specifically list the order of the eight gates and nine stars in their forward and reverse sequences. Following these are five diagrams: "Diagram of the Four Earthly Doors," "Diagram of the Three Heavenly Gates," "Diagram of the Heavenly Gang Direction," "Diagram of the Heavenly Horse Direction," and "Diagram of the Private Doors of the Earth," which are checklists for the directions of the spirit deities. "Diagram of the Favorable and Unfavorable Outcomes of the Three Marvels in the Palace" lists the favorable and unfavorable names for the positions of Bing, Ding, and Wu in the nine palaces. "Diagram of the Opposition of the Eight Gates in the Palace" lists combinations where the gates and palaces are in opposition. "Diagram of the Six Instruments Being Penalized" lists the positions where the six Jia are penalized in the palaces. "Diagram of the Correspondence of Stars and Gates in Return Chant and Hidden Chant" lists the corresponding relationships of star-gate return chants and hidden chants. "Diagram of the Favorable and Unfavorable Positions of the Nine Stars for Host and Guest" determines which stars are favorable for the host and which are favorable for the guest. "Diagram of the Buried Positions of the Odd Instruments and Stars" lists the palace positions where the dry and wet branches are buried. "Diagram of the Longevity of the Yang Branches in Forward Sequence" and "Diagram of the Longevity of the Yin Branches in Reverse Sequence" show the twelve palaces of longevity for the yang branches in forward sequence and the yin branches in reverse sequence. "Diagram of the Prosperity and Decline of the Five Phases" lists the prosperity, strength, weakness, confinement, and death of the five phases in the four seasons. The last diagram, "Diagram of the Position of Tingting Baijian," corresponds to the previously mentioned "Tingting Baijian Direction" in the text.

奇門法竅卷七：時奇起例口訣、遁甲三元歌、一卦統三圖、陽遁順行節序歌、陰遁逆行節序歌、六甲旬五不遇時、陽遁一局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陽遁七局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陽遁四局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陽遁二局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陽遁八局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陽遁五局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陽遁三局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陽遁九局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陽遁六局三元四氣六十時吉凶格。

Volume seven's first six sections are the rules and charts for setting up the array: "The Rule of Starting the Hourly Odd Numbers" compiles the order of establishing the array, arranging the instruments, positioning the doors, and moving the spirits into rhyming verse; "The Song of the Three Yuan of Dun Jia" records which array is used for each of the upper, middle, and lower yuan of the twenty-four solar terms; "The Unified Diagram of One Trigram" shows the assignment of one trigram to three solar terms; "The Song of the Order of Solar Terms for Yang Dun" and "The Song of the Order of Solar Terms for Yin Dun" separately record the sequence of solar terms after the winter solstice moving forward and after the summer solstice moving backward; "The Five Unfavorable Hours of Each Decade of the Six Jia" lists the five unfavorable hours in each decade of the sixty jiazi. The following nine sections are the overall tables of the nine arrays for Yang Dun, arranged in the order of one, seven, four, two, eight, five, three, nine, and six—this is exactly the order in which the nine arrays of Yang Dun appear in the upper, middle, and lower yuan of the twenty-four solar terms. Each array lists the four solar terms under its jurisdiction, along with the upper, middle, and lower yuan, and the sixty hours, showing the palace where each hour falls and the resulting auspicious or inauspicious patterns, serving as a reference tool for determining patterns through consultation of the table.

奇門法竅卷八：陰遁九局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陰遁三局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陰遁六局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陰遁八局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陰遁二局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陰遁五局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陰遁七局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陰遁一局三元四氣六十時吉凶格、陰遁四局三元四氣六十時吉凶格。

Volume eight follows the same format as volume seven, but it is changed to Yin Dun. The nine Yin Dun formations are listed in order according to the sequence of nine, three, six, eight, two, five, seven, one, and four. This sequence represents the order in which the Yin Dun formations appear in the three elements of the solar terms after the summer solstice. Each formation still takes the three elements of the four solar terms under its jurisdiction as its framework, and lists the sixty hours one by one: first, the Heaven Plate palace where the hour falls, then the auspicious and inauspicious formations formed, such as Chong Zha, Xiu Zha, Tian Dun, Men He, Ji He, Sheng Dian, Xiang Zuo, as well as Fu Yin, Fan Yin, Ji Xing, Tian Wang, Ji Mu, Tou Jiang, and Chang Kang. Combined, volumes seven and eight cover eighteen formations, encompassing all one thousand and eight hundred hour formations. When used, one only needs to refer to the table.

奇門為天時節氣之正宗，非他數可比，故辨方書採用之。若果明於超接置閏之法，推驗吉凶，自有準的。每見坊本煙波釣叟歌訣，其間如寄四維拆補置閏各法均略而不詳。今按奇門真授一書，逐條更正，似得節氣時令之正，以備參考。

The art of Qimen Dunjia is the most accurate among all schools of divination in aligning with heavenly phenomena, seasonal changes, and solar terms. Other divination methods cannot match it, which is why the official compilation of selection of auspicious days, the "Qingding Xieji Bianfangshu," included it. As long as one truly understands the methods of "Chao Shen," "Jie Qi," and "Zhi Run" for correcting solar terms, using it to predict fortune and misfortune will naturally be accurate. However, I often see that the annotations of the "Yanbo Diao Sou Ge" in printed editions commonly skip over important techniques such as the middle five palace borrowing from the four directions, breaking and repairing the layout, and the method of intercalation, explaining them in a vague and unclear manner. Now, based on the book "Qimen Zhenshou," I will correct these points step by step, confident that my explanations align with the true nature of solar terms and seasonal changes, and I present them here for everyone's reference.

奇門為選擇之津樑，趨避吉凶，攸關禍福，故演定陰陽九遁之格局以明其吉凶之測驗。奇門克應為吉凶之準的，今按諸家奇書備錄以憑考驗。奇門占驗類神皆本生克而定之故，不可執一而論而取用之，吉凶全在神而明之存乎其人耳。

Qi Men is the gateway for selecting auspicious days and times. Advancing or retreating relates to fortune and misfortune, so I have thoroughly analyzed and listed all the various patterns of the nine layouts combining yin and yang. This helps people clearly understand where good or bad fortune lies. "Keying" serves as the standard for verifying fortune and misfortune—what kind of signs and outcomes should appear in the same layout depends on keying for comparison. Therefore, I have collected all the keying passages from various Qi Men books to refer to when dealing with actual cases. As for the "Lishi" (representative stars, gates, and symbols) used in divination, they are all determined based on the generation and overcoming relationships of the Five Phases. One cannot rigidly apply a single statement; whether the judgment is accurate ultimately depends on the person's clear understanding and ability to adapt on the spot. This skill cannot be learned through mere study.

奇門十八局為子房所定，其間飛布之法，未能詳述，故坊本將飛宮之圖誤作活盤推用，以致星門紊亂。今按陰陽順逆之法，演定飛宮排宮九局圖式，以明其輪轉推布之訣，並吉凶格局之驗，惟僅刻冬夏兩遁二至中五寄坤寄艮圖格，而四維之立秋寄坤、立夏寄巽、立冬寄乾、立春寄艮之吉凶格局，立有兩至圖、寄宮圖法，足可類推，故不繁刊。

Yin and yang each have nine sections making a total of eighteen layouts, which were established by Zhang Liang (style name Zifang) during the Han dynasty. However, he did not elaborate on how the odd instruments are arranged. Therefore, printed editions mistakenly used the 'Flying Palace' diagram as the 'Rotating Plate' for calculation, resulting in confusion among the nine stars and eight gates. Now I have followed the principle of Yang Dun moving in the order of the sequence and Yin Dun moving in the reverse order, to derive both the Flying Palace and the Arranged Palace diagrams of the nine layouts. This makes it clear how the rotation and arrangement work, and also lists various auspicious and inauspicious configurations. However, the book only includes diagrams for the winter solstice Yang Dun and summer solstice Yin Dun, with the central palace either lodging in the Kun palace or the Gen palace. As for the four cardinal festivals—mid-autumn with the central palace lodging in the Kun palace, mid-spring lodging in the Xun palace, mid-winter lodging in the Qian palace, and mid-spring lodging in the Gen palace—the auspicious and inauspicious configurations formed are already covered by the diagrams of the two solstices and the method of lodging palaces. Therefore, they can be inferred by analogy, so they are not printed separately to avoid redundancy.

奇門八神端行卦序於排宮之法不甚符合，故立陰陽八神卦位順逆宮次圖說以備取用，庶不失陰陽兩遁經所云：“直符前三六合位，後一九天二九地”之法也，其餘各宮均挨卦次推定列後。奇門直使飛排兩宮用法不同，今於排宮圖內立有間宮之法，上下兩盤剪活輔補用之，庶六十時八門皆可值其使矣，格局吉凶畢現，誠為直使行宮之秘。

The eight deities, if arranged in a straight sequence according to the trigrams' positions, would not match the method of "pai gong" for setting up the board. Therefore, I have established a separate diagram explaining how the eight deities, following the order of trigrams in both ascending and descending directions, are determined according to the yin and yang dual retreats. This diagram is provided for use, ensuring it does not contradict the verse from the Yin and Yang Dual Retreat Classic: the Chief Symbol moves forward three positions to reach Liu He, and backward one position to reach Jiu Tian, and backward two positions to reach Jiudi. The positions of the other deities are determined according to the trigram sequence and are listed after the diagram. Additionally, the use of the Duty Gate differs between the "fei gong" and "pai gong" methods. In my "pai gong" diagram, I have introduced the method of "jian gong": making the upper and lower layers of the board separable and adjustable, so that they can complement each other. This allows all eighty doors to be assigned their respective Duty Gates for the sixty hours, fully revealing the auspiciousness and inauspiciousness of the layout. This is indeed the secret of the Duty Gate's palace arrangement.

奇門作用貴乎時方，必須較準真正方位方為合局，如吉格在正東震方，則應直向正東，若稍偏則非真正方位，毫釐之差，攸關禍福，不可不慎。三詐為之隱宮，兵家用之，埋伏此方，無人知者，必須得奇門乃驗。

Using the Qimen divination system for affairs, it is essential that both the time and the direction are correct. The direction must be precisely aligned with the true position to form a proper configuration. For example, if a favorable pattern falls in the Due East Zhen palace, one should face directly towards Due East while moving. Even a slight deviation means that the true direction is not aligned. A small error leads to significant consequences, so caution is necessary. The three types of fraud, "True Fraud," "Repeated Fraud," and "Rest Fraud," are hidden positions that are especially useful for those commanding troops. By positioning troops in these hidden positions, enemies cannot detect them. However, these positions must also be accompanied by the Three Marvels and favorable gates to be truly effective.

九遁凡用事謀為，惟最忌奇墓刑迫。五假，假其氣以用事，若悖其氣而用之則凶，尤忌迫墓。龍鳥為上吉之格，凡百謀為無不吉利，其餘格局，有端宜之格，有宜此而不宜彼之格，宜詳慎用之，不可牽強。五不遇選擇日時以此煞為最凶，縱有奇門，不能解救。

Heavenly遁, Earthly遁, and Human遁 among the nine遁 are used for planning affairs. The most to be avoided are three marvels entering the tomb, six instruments hitting the punishment, and door and palace pressing each other. If any of these occur, the divination will not be effective. The five false conditions, namely Heaven's false, Earth's false, things' false, ghosts' false, and people's false, are used to borrow the energy of a certain path to accomplish a certain type of affair. If the affair is contrary to that energy, it will bring misfortune. Especially avoid door and palace pressing each other and entering the tomb. The two patterns of Azure Dragon returning its head and flying bird falling into a hole are the best auspicious patterns of the Dragon and Bird. No matter what affair is planned, there will be no obstacles. As for the other patterns, they vary: some are perfectly suitable for all affairs, while others are suitable only for certain types of affairs and not for others. One must understand clearly and use them appropriately, without forcing their application. As for the "five unpropitious times," they are the most凶ous in selecting a day and time. Even if three marvels and auspicious doors are simultaneously obtained, they cannot be saved.

龍鳥格逢庚直符則應以凶論，然遇凶門則然，若遇休生開三吉門又逢旺相，仍以吉論，不必盡拘升殿遊祿奇合論格，惟奇家最宜之格，須遇吉門用之尤驗。奇墓最宜詳慎，如得使吉格，奇既入墓，即不得力，須察三奇旺相之宮，酌而用之。

The patterns of Qinglong Fanshou and Fei Niao DieXue, if they encounter the sixth Geng or Geng as the chief symbol, should normally be considered ominous. However, this depends on which gate they are paired with. If paired with凶门 such as Si, Shang, Jing, Du, or Jing, they should be considered ominous. But if paired with the three auspicious gates, Xiu, Sheng, and Kai, and the star and gate are in their prosperous and strong phase, they should still be considered auspicious. It is not necessary to strictly adhere to patterns such as 'Sanqi Shengdian', 'Qi You Luwei', or 'Qi Yi Xianghe' in order to qualify as a pattern. The most important patterns in Qi Men should be used in conjunction with auspicious gates, and their effects will be more distinct. The pattern of Sanqi Ru Mu requires particular attention: even if the three marvels are in a favorable pattern, once the star of the marvel enters the storage, its power is weakened. At this time, one should check which palace the three marvels are in their prosperous and strong phase, and adjust to use that palace accordingly.

丙加年月日時、庚加年月日並庚為直符之時，均為格，然不可蓋以凶論，如遇休開生三吉門仍可酌用。迫制、義和、門生宮、宮生門遇吉門則吉；宮克門、門克宮雖遇吉門則吉事不吉，遇凶門則災殃尤甚。天三門、地四戶、地私門、天罡方、天馬方各法皆以月將起用，利為百事，更合吉門吉星尤為響應，今立圖法於後。

When the Six Bing stems are placed on the year stem, month stem, day stem, or hour stem, it is called "Bo." When the Six Geng stems are placed on the year, month, or day stems, or when the Six Geng stem itself is the Chief Symbol, it is called "Ge." These situations are considered as breaking the pattern. However, one cannot always conclude it is a bad omen; if the person also encounters the three auspicious gates, Xiu, Kai, and Sheng, it can still be considered with some flexibility. Regarding the four relationships between the gate and the palace: when the palace overcomes the gate, it is called "Po"; when the gate overcomes the palace, it is also called "Po." When the gate and palace are harmonious, it is called "Yi." When the palace generates the gate, it is called "He." If any of these situations—Yi, He, gate generating palace, or palace generating gate—occur along with an auspicious gate, it is considered auspicious. Conversely, if the palace overcomes the gate or the gate overcomes the palace, even if an auspicious gate is present, good things cannot be fully realized. If a凶门 (凶门) is also present, the misfortune becomes even more severe. In addition, the systems of Tian San Men (Heavenly Three Gates), Di Si Hu (Earthly Four Doors), Di Si Men (Earthly Private Gate), Tian Gang Fang (Heavenly Gang Direction), and Tian Ma Fang (Heavenly Horse Direction) all require the use of the Month General (月将) added to the chosen hour to calculate. When these result in all matters being favorable, and combined with auspicious gates and stars, the effect is especially effective. The diagrams and calculation methods are listed later.

軒轅黃帝戰蚩尤，涿鹿經年苦未休，偶夢天神授符訣，登壇致祭虔精修，龍龜出自河洛水，綵鳳銜書碧雲裡。昔軒轅戰蚩尤於涿鹿，不勝，遂禱於神，夢九天玄女授以符訣，即河圖洛書之訣。綵鳳銜書即太乙、六壬、遁甲之書也。

The Yellow Emperor, Xuanyuan, fought against Chiyou at ZhuLu for a whole year without being able to determine a winner, and was at a loss for a good strategy. One night he had a dream in which a heavenly deity taught him secret symbols and formulas. Upon waking, he built an altar, performed rituals, and devoted himself to purification and cultivation. Then, divine dragons and turtles emerged from the Yellow River and Luo River bearing the charts, while colorful phoenixes flew down from the depths of green clouds carrying the writings. The annotation explains the background: back then, Xuanyuan was unable to defeat Chiyou at ZhuLu, so he prayed to the deities. In his dream, the Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven taught him the symbols and formulas. These symbols and formulas were the methods of deriving the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing. The reference to the colorful phoenix carrying the writings refers specifically to the three systems of divination known as Taiyi, Liunin, and Dun Jia.

因命風后演成文，遁甲奇門從此始。帝命風后演成三式之文，而行兵有陣，出入有門，進退有法，以擒蚩尤。遁者，隱也，甲者，儀也，謂六甲六儀為直符貴神也。六甲隱於六戊，以六戊有神明之德，隱顯之機，故以遁甲為名，其甲戌隱於六己、甲申隱於六庚、甲午隱於六辛、甲辰隱於六壬、甲寅隱於六癸，此所謂遁甲也。奇者，乙、丙、丁三奇也。門者，休、死、傷、杜、開、驚、生、景也。遁甲奇門之名由此而起。

The Yellow Emperor then ordered his minister Feng Hou to compile the obtained symbols and formulas into a well-organized text, thus beginning the study of Dun Jia. What Feng Hou compiled was the text of the Three Systems: with it, military formations could be established, entry and exit had their gates, and advance and retreat had their rules, finally capturing Chiyou. "Dun" means concealment, and "Jia" refers to the Six Instruments. The Six Jia and Six Instruments are one and the same, with Jia being the "Straight Symbol" and the esteemed deity. Among the ten heavenly stems, Jia is the most exalted. The exalted does not show itself, so the Jia in the Jiazi cycle is concealed beneath the Six Wu. The Six Wu possess the virtues of divine beings and can both conceal and reveal, hence this art is called "Dun Jia." The same applies to the other five cycles: the Jia in the Jiaxu cycle is concealed beneath the Six Ji, the Jia in the Jiashen cycle beneath the Six Geng, the Jia in the Jiawu cycle beneath the Six Xin, the Jia in the Jiachen cycle beneath the Six Ren, and the Jia in the Jiayin cycle beneath the Six Gui. This is called "Dun Jia." "Qi" refers to the three marvels, which are Yi, Bing, and Ding; "Men" refers to the eight gates: Xiu, Si, Shang, Du, Kai, Jing, Sheng, and Jing. The name "Dun Jia Qi Men" thus originated.

一千八十當時制，太公刪定七十二，逮及漢代張子房，一十八局為精藝。法以一年三百六十日配作廿四節，一節分三元，一元有五日，一節分為十五日，共得一百八十時。二十四節計四千三百二十時，即有四千三百二十局也。風后約制陽遁五百四十局，陰遁五百四十局，合一千八十局。至太公以七十二候，一候制一局，五日一易，則刪定七十二局。漢張子房則又分陽遁九局，陰遁九局，共成十八局，以為萬古不易之定式。

The original system established by Feng Hou consisted of 1,080 layouts. During the Zhou dynasty, Jiang Taigong revised it to 72 layouts. Later, in the Han dynasty, Zhang Liang (also known as Zi Fang) further simplified it to 18 layouts, establishing the definitive system. The original calculation was based on the 360 days of a year paired with the 24 solar terms. Each solar term was divided into three parts: upper, middle, and lower, each part lasting five days, making 15 days per solar term. Thus, the total was 180 hours. With 24 solar terms, there were 4,320 hours. If each hour corresponded to one layout, there would be 4,320 layouts. Feng Hou imposed restrictions, setting 540 layouts for Yang Dun and 540 for Yin Dun, totaling 1,080 layouts. Jiang Taigong then based it on the 72 seasonal divisions of a year, establishing one layout for each division, changing every five days, resulting in 72 layouts. In the Han dynasty, Zhang Liang further simplified it, dividing it into nine layouts for Yang Dun and nine for Yin Dun, totaling 18 layouts, which became the fixed system for all time.

先從掌上排九宮，縱橫十五在其中。九宮者，一坎、二坤、三震、四巽、五中、六乾、七兌、八艮、九離。排於掌上，任其縱橫飛布也。十五者，縱橫配合圖書，無不成十五之數，如太陽之一九十也，少陽之三七十也，太陰之六四十也，少陰之二八十也，以中五乘之，皆成十五，此圖之縱橫也；北一南九十也，東三西七十也，西北之六東南之四十也，西南之二東北之八十也，以中五乘之，亦皆十五，此書之縱橫也，故曰縱橫十五在其中，此天地之數目，有配合之妙用，所以行兵佈陣豈能外此縱橫之法哉。

To study the art of Qimen, one must first arrange the nine palaces on the palm, with the sum of each row and column being fifteen. The nine palaces are: Palace 1 is Kan (Water), Palace 2 is Kun (Earth), Palace 3 is Zhen (Thunder), Palace 4 is Xun (Wind), Palace 5 is the Center, Palace 6 is Qian (Heaven), Palace 7 is Dui (Lake), Palace 8 is Gen (Mountain), and Palace 9 is Li (Fire). Arranging them on the palm allows for flexible movement and rotation. The number fifteen refers to the combination of the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing, where the horizontal and vertical lines all add up to fifteen. In the Yellow River Chart, one and nine form ten, representing the Sun; three and seven form ten, representing the Young Sun; six and four form ten, representing the Great Yin; two and eight form ten, representing the Young Yin; and adding the central five, every place totals fifteen. The Luo Writing is the same: the north one and south nine add up to ten, the east three and west seven add up to ten, the northwest six and southeast four add up to ten, the southwest two and northeast eight add up to ten, and adding the central five, it still totals fifteen. Therefore, it is said, "the horizontal and vertical lines all contain fifteen." This is the natural number of heaven and earth, containing the subtle principle of mutual coordination. How could military deployment escape this method of horizontal and vertical arrangement?

次將八卦輪八節，一氣統三為正宗。乾坤定位，山澤通氣，雷風相薄，水火不相射，此八卦循序之理。是以八節輔配八卦：冬至主坎，立春主艮，春分主震，立夏主巽，夏至主離，立秋主坤，秋分主兌，立冬主乾。所以八方風動，納天地之氣，化為出入抵向之門戶也。

First, the eight trigrams should be assigned to the eight major solar terms. One trigram governs three solar terms, which is the proper method. The "Say on the Trigrams" explains that the trigrams Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) are positioned above and below, respectively, while Gen (Mountain) and Dui (Lake) correspond to mountains and marshes, with their energies connected. Zhen (Thunder) and Xun (Wind) interact with each other, and Kan (Water) and Li (Fire) do not interfere with each other. This describes the order of the trigrams. Therefore, each of the eight solar terms is paired with a trigram: Winter Solstice belongs to Kan (Water), Start of Spring belongs to Gen (Mountain), Spring Equinox belongs to Zhen (Thunder), Start of Summer belongs to Xun (Wind), Summer Solstice belongs to Li (Fire), Start of Autumn belongs to Kun (Earth), Autumn Equinox belongs to Dui (Lake), and Winter Solstice belongs to Qian (Heaven). The winds from the eight directions move in sequence, gathering the energies of heaven and earth, thus forming the gateways for human activities, movements, and actions.

一氣者，卦氣也。統三者，一氣領三候也，如冬至、小寒、大寒統坎，立春、雨水、驚蟄統艮，春分、清明、穀雨統震，立夏、小滿、芒種統巽，夏至、小暑、大暑統離，立秋、處暑、白露統坤，秋分、寒露、霜降統兌，立冬、小雪、大雪統乾。以八宮分佈二十四氣，此為遁甲奇門之正宗，每卦統三節，每節統三候也。

The term "one qi" refers to the hexagram qi, and "unifying three" means that one hexagram qi governs three solar terms. Specifically: the three solar terms of winter solstice, minor cold, and major cold belong to the Kan palace; the three solar terms of the beginning of spring, rainwater, and惊蛰 belong to the Gen palace; the three solar terms of spring equinox, clear and bright, and grain rain belong to the Zhen palace; the three solar terms of the beginning of summer, minor heat, and wheat harvest belong to the Xun palace; the three solar terms of summer solstice, minor summer heat, and major summer heat belong to the Li palace; the three solar terms of the beginning of autumn, heat cessation, and white dew belong to the Kun palace; the three solar terms of autumn equinox, cold dew, and frost descent belong to the Dui palace; and the three solar terms of the beginning of winter, light snow, and major snow belong to the Qian palace. Using the eight palaces to clearly assign the twenty-four solar terms is the orthodox method of Dun Jia. Each hexagram governs three solar terms, and each solar term further governs the three phases of the season: the upper, middle, and lower.

三候者，上、中、下三元為三候也。如冬至一七四、小寒二八五、大寒三九六、立春八五二、雨水九六三、驚蟄一七四、春分三九六、清明四一七、穀雨五二八、立夏四一七、小滿五二八、芒種六三九，此為陽遁上中下三元三候起局之法也。

Here the term three periods refers to the upper, middle, and lower periods. After the winter solstice, it belongs to the Yang Dun. The structure numbers for each of the three periods in the twelve solar terms are as follows: from winter solstice, the upper period starts with one structure, the middle period with seven structures, and the lower period with four structures; from the beginning of the Lesser Cold, the numbers are two, eight, and five; from the Greater Cold, three, nine, and six; from the Beginning of Spring, eight, five, and two; from the Rain Water, nine, six, and three; from the Awakening of Insects, one, seven, and four; from the Vernal Equinox, three, nine, and six; from the Clear and Bright, four, one, and seven; from the Grain Rain, five, two, and eight; from the Beginning of Summer, four, one, and seven; from the Grain Full, five, two, and eight; from the Grain in Ear, six, three, and nine. This is the fixed method for determining the structure numbers of the Yang Dun for the twelve solar terms, divided into the upper, middle, and lower periods. When using the structure numbers, first check the solar term, then determine which period it is, and take the corresponding number from this table.

如夏至九三六、小暑八二五、大暑七一四、立秋二五八、處暑一四七、白露九三六、秋分七一四、寒露六九三、霜降五八二、立冬六九三、小雪五八二、大雪四七一，此陰遁上中下三元三候起局之法也。

After the Summer Solstice, the method of starting the structure numbers belongs to Yin Dun. The numbers for the three periods of each solar term are as follows: for the first period of Summer Solstice, it is nine, three, and six; for Minor Heat, eight, two, and five; for Major Heat, seven, one, and four; for the Beginning of Autumn, two, five, and eight; for the Limit of Heat, one, four, and seven; for White Dew, nine, three, and six; for the Autumn Equinox, seven, one, and four; for Cold Dew, six, nine, and three; for Frost Descent, five, eight, and two; for the Beginning of Winter, six, nine, and three; for Minor Snow, five, eight, and two; for Major Snow, four, seven, and one. This is the fixed method for starting the structure numbers for the twelve solar terms of Yin Dun, divided into the upper, middle, and lower periods. When combined with the table for Yang Dun, the structure numbers for all seventy-two periods of the twenty-four solar terms are complete.

陰陽二遁分順逆，一氣三元人莫測。冬至為一陽之始生，陽氣上升，故陽遁順行，迎生氣也，六甲從坎至離止，以一二三四五六七八九順而進之。夏至為一陰之始生，陰氣下降，故陰遁逆行，迎殺氣也，六甲從離至坎止，以九八七六五四三二一逆而退之。

Yin Dun and Yang Dun each have their own order of progression and retrogression. Within one solar term, there are three elements, and the changes are subtle and intricate, often beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. On the winter solstice, which marks the beginning of Yang energy, Yang energy rises from below, so Yang Dun proceeds in the forward direction to welcome the emerging energy: the six Jia start from the first palace of Kan and proceed in order to the ninth palace of Li, advancing step by step from one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine. On the summer solstice, which marks the beginning of Yin energy, Yin energy descends from above, so Yin Dun moves in the reverse direction to welcome the descending energy: the six Jia start from the ninth palace of Li and proceed in order to the first palace of Kan, retreating step by step from nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one. This forward and backward movement is the key to the entire arrangement.

以歲氣計之，四時代謝，寒暑迭更，三百六十日而一周天，以二至分二遁，體天地陰陽之氣，而為人事之用。若以一卦氣論之，一氣十五日，五日為一元，十五日為三元，一元十六時，三元共一百八十時，然一氣之內，按三元之妙用，節氣輪轉，渾然無跡，而其間盈縮刻數分秒之不齊，全在神氣超接之法以補之。

From the perspective of the climate of a year, the four seasons change, cold and heat alternate, and the thirty-six days complete a full cycle. Using the winter solstice and summer solstice as dividing points, the year is split into yin and yang phases, drawing upon the yin and yang energies of heaven and earth, and applying them to human affairs. If we consider a single hexagram's qi (energy) alone: each solar term lasts fifteen days, and each day is divided into five parts, making fifteen days equivalent to three parts. Each part consists of sixty hours, so three parts total one hundred and eighty hours. However, within a single solar term, the three parts rotate, and the transition between solar terms is seamless and indistinct. The number of days and hours always have some surplus or deficit, and the seconds and minutes are uneven, not perfectly aligned. This discrepancy is entirely corrected through the methods of "superimposing the divine" and "receiving the qi." (The original text mistakenly states "one part sixteen hours" but should be "one part sixty hours," as indicated by the subsequent mention of three parts totaling one hundred and eighty hours.)

五日都來換一元，接氣超神為準的。五日為一元，以甲己為符頭，四仲：子、午、卯、酉為上元，四孟：寅、申、巳、亥為中元，四季：辰、戌、丑、未為下元。都來兩字必須周六十時耳，其三元之中有節氣之遲速，未可據以五日而換一元，故有超接之法為準的。

Each cycle of five days is called a "yuan," and the key to calibration lies in "receiving the qi" and "transcending the divine." A yuan consists of five days, with the day of Jia or Ji serving as the "fu tou" (the first day of the cycle). If the earthly branch of the fu tou is Zi, Wu, Mao, or You, it is considered the upper yuan; if it is Yin, Shen, Si, or Hai, it is the middle yuan; and if it is Chen, Xu, Chou, or Wei, it is the lower yuan. The phrase "du lai" in the song means that the five days must fully span sixty hours to complete one yuan. However, the arrival of the solar terms varies in timing within the three yuan periods, so they cannot be strictly divided every five days. Therefore, the method of "transcending the divine to receive the qi" is used as a standard for calibration.

今時符先節到，則用超，節後符到則用接。視超接之法，節令尚可得其真，氣一經置閏，重用元局法可閏，而節令斷難準矣，故以二至超接為陰陽生育之根蒂，恰要在此處體會分析明白，以超接二字為主宰故曰：“準的”，猶大匠之準繩，射者之中的也。

The current method is: if the symbol head arrives before the solar term, it is called "chao" (exceeding the deity); if the solar term has already passed and the symbol head arrives later, it is called "jie" (joining the qi). As long as we follow the method of chao and jie for correction, the seasonal periods can still be accurately determined. However, once the method of intercalation is used, repeating the same cycle of a single era to make up for the difference, the seasonal periods will definitely become inaccurate. Therefore, we must use the chao and jie of the winter solstice and summer solstice as the fundamental of the generation of yin and yang. We must clearly understand and distinguish this point, with everything centered on the concepts of chao and jie. The song says "accurate" — just like the carpenter's plumb line and the archer's target, there can be no deviation by even a single fraction.

認取九宮分九星。八門又逐九宮行。認取者，詳審之謂也。九宮者，一坎、二坤、三震、四巽、五中、六乾、七兌、八艮、九離也。分者，佈列也。九星者，蓬、芮、沖、輔、禽、心、柱、任、英也，以蓬分位於坎，芮分於坤，沖分於震，輔分於巽，禽分於中，心分於乾，柱分於兌，任分於艮，英分於離也。八門者，休、死、傷、杜、開、驚、生、景也。逐者，相隨而行也，謂休蓬同行，死芮同行，傷沖同行，杜輔同行，開心同行，驚柱同行，生任同行，景英同行。可見自有次第之用法，而吉凶大局定矣。

You must carefully identify which star corresponds to each of the nine palaces, and the eight gates move together with the nine palaces. "Recognizing" means careful examination and discernment. The nine palaces are: one is Kan (Water), two is坤 (Earth), three is Zhen (Thunder), four is Xun (Wind), five is the center, six is Qian (Heaven), seven is Dui (Lake), eight is Gen (Mountain), and nine is Li (Fire). "Distribution" refers to the assignment and arrangement. The nine stars are Tianpeng, Tianrui, Tianchong, Tianfu, Tianqin, Tianxin, Tianzhu, Tianren, and Tianying: Tianpeng is located in Kan one, Tianrui in坤 two, Tianchong in Zhen three, Tianfu in Xun four, Tianqin in the center five, Tianxin in Qian six, Tianzhu in Dui seven, Tianren in Gen eight, and Tianying in Li nine. The eight gates are Xiu, Si, Shang, Du, Kai, Jing, Sheng, and Jing. "Following" means moving together: Xiu Gate follows Tianpeng, Si Gate follows Tianrui, Shang Gate follows Tianchong, Du Gate follows Tianfu, Kai Gate follows Tianxin, Jing Gate follows Tianzhu, Sheng Gate follows Tianren, and Jing Gate follows Tianying. The pairing of stars and gates follows a fixed order, and thus the overall fortune of the chart is determined.

九星常為值符用，八門直使自分明。直符者，六儀也，其所用時之旬甲謂之直符，如某甲在某宮，則某星隨直符而轉運，故為直符用也。直使者，其所用時之旬甲之門謂之直使，如某甲在某宮，某門即為直使也。

The nine stars are usually used as the Chief Symbol, while the eight gates each serve as the Direct Command. These two are clearly distinguished. The Chief Symbol is based on the Six Instruments; the stem of the hour determines which decade it belongs to, and the stem 'Jia' at the beginning of that decade is the Chief Symbol. When the 'Jia' at the beginning of the decade falls into a particular palace, the star native to that palace follows the Chief Symbol and moves together. Therefore, the nine stars are used in conjunction with the Chief Symbol. The Direct Command refers to the gate corresponding to the palace where the 'Jia' at the beginning of the decade is located. If 'Jia' falls into a certain palace, the gate native to that palace becomes the Direct Command. In short, the Chief Symbol is determined by the star, and the Direct Command is determined by the gate, both based on the palace where the 'Jia' at the beginning of the decade is located.

符上之門為值使，十時一易堪憑據。直符之上其門為直使，隨直符而十時一易，有所憑依，無雜亂之紛更也。

The door corresponding to the palace where the Chief Symbol is located is called the Direct Command. It changes every ten hours and can be used as a reference. The reason it changes every ten hours is that the sixty Jiazi are divided into six ten-hour periods, each period containing ten hours. When the beginning of a period changes, the palace where the Chief Symbol resides also changes, and so does the Direct Command. With this rule in place, the arrangement of the chart can be orderly and consistent without confusion or frequent changes.

直符到處加時干，直使順逆隨宮行。此遁甲奇門之用法，最要認得真切。直符者，繫用時之旬甲，乃六儀也，直符所到之處加於所用時干之宮。直使者，八門也，蓋門逐符行。假如一局甲子旬，直符在坎一宮，則直使應在休門，占時得甲子時，則甲子直符加甲干應到一宮，直使即在一宮；如乙丑時，直符加乙應到九宮，則直使應在二宮；丙寅時，直符加丙應到八宮，直使應在三宮。是直使分順逆隨宮而行，直符隨時干而行。

The value symbol should be placed in the palace corresponding to the heavenly stem of the hour being divined. The straight door follows the sequence of the palaces in order, moving step by step. This is the most important and essential rule in the application of the Qimen system. The value symbol is the initial Jia of the ten-day period that includes the hour being divined, and it is the actual entity of the six instruments. It is moved to the palace where the heavenly stem of the hour falls. The straight door is one of the eight gates, and it follows the value symbol. For example, in a Yang Dun layout, in the Jiazi period, the initial Wu is located in the Kan one palace, so the value symbol is in the Kan one palace, and the straight door is the Xiu Men in the Kan palace. If the hour is Jiazi, the heavenly stem of the hour is Jia (hidden in Wu), so the value symbol is placed in the first palace, and the straight door is also in the first palace. If the hour is Yichou, the heavenly stem of the hour is Yi, located in the Li nine palace, so the value symbol is placed in the ninth palace, and the straight door moves from the first palace to the second palace in the order of the palaces. If the hour is Bingyin, the heavenly stem of the hour is Bing, located in the Gen eight palace, so the value symbol is placed in the eighth palace, and the straight door moves three steps in the order of the palaces to the third palace of Zhen. It is clear that the straight door moves step by step in the order of the palaces, while the value symbol moves according to the heavenly stem. One counts the palaces, the other identifies the heavenly stem; their methods are different.

六甲原號六儀名。六甲者，甲子、甲戌、甲申、甲午、甲辰、甲寅也。其甲子隱戊，甲戌隱己，甲申隱庚，甲午隱辛，甲辰隱壬，甲寅隱癸。受甲為儀，謂之六儀也。

The original name of the Six Jia was called the Six Instruments. The Six Jia refer to the first day of each of the six ten-day periods in the sixty Jiazi cycles: Jiazi, Jiaxu, Jiashen, Jiawu, Jiachen, and Jiayin. Each of these days is hidden under a different Heavenly Stem: Jiazi period is hidden under Wu, Jiaxu period under Ji, Jiashen under Geng, Jiawu under Xin, Jiachen under Ren, and Jiayin under Gui. These six stems take on the responsibility of the Jia and act on its behalf, hence they are called the Six Instruments. When arranging the chart, only Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui appear on the board, not Jia, which is hidden behind them.

三奇即是乙丙丁。經云：“乙居卯位，帝出乎震，丙丁俱抱火德，有離明之象，此三光，所以麗奇於乙丙丁也。”故以乙陰木為日奇，丙陽火為月奇，丁陰火為老人星，其光芒現於丁位，故為星奇。

The Three Marvels refer to the three heavenly stems: Yi, Bing, and Ding. The classic texts state: Yi resides in the position of Mao, which corresponds to the direction mentioned in the Book of Changes, "The Emperor emerges from Zhen," representing the beginning of growth. Bing and Ding both possess the virtue of fire, embodying the image of the Li trigram, which symbolizes brightness. The essence of the three luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—is attached to these three stems. Therefore, Yi, being a yin wood stem, is called "Day Marvel"; Bing, being a yang fire stem, is called "Moon Marvel"; and Ding, being a yin fire stem, corresponds to the star Nantai, whose light appears at the Ding position, hence called "Star Marvel." The value of the Three Marvels lies in their being the essence of the three luminaries.

陽遁順儀奇逆布，陰遁逆儀奇順行。陽遁佈局之法，如冬至屬坎，用一局，即在一宮起甲子戊，順飛九宮，甲戌己在坤二，甲申庚在震三，甲午辛在巽四，甲辰壬在中五，甲寅癸在乾六，是儀順布也。三奇者，則丁奇在兌七，丙奇在艮八，乙奇在離九宮也。以戊己庚辛壬癸丁丙乙為次序，順布一二三四五六七八九之宮，則布陽遁九局順儀逆奇之捷法也，餘局仿此。

In Yang Dun, the Six Instruments are arranged in order and the Three Marvels are arranged in reverse. In Yin Dun, the Six Instruments are arranged in reverse and the Three Marvels are arranged in order. Let's first explain the layout for Yang Dun: for example, on the winter solstice, which belongs to the Kan palace, using Yang Dun one layout, we start with Jiazi Wu in the Kan one palace and proceed to fly to the nine palaces—Jiaxu Ji falls in the Kun two palace, Jiashen Geng falls in the Zhen three palace, Jiawu Xin falls in the Xun four palace, Jiachen Ren falls in the center five palace, Jiayin Gui falls in the Qian six palace. This is the orderly arrangement of the Six Instruments. Then we arrange the Three Marvels: Ding Qi falls in Dui seven, Bing Qi falls in Gen eight, Yi Qi falls in Li nine. Together, they form a mnemonic: following the order of Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui, Ding, Bing, Yi, and filling each palace in order from one to nine, this is the shortcut for Yang Dun nine layouts, "orderly arrangement of the Six Instruments and reverse arrangement of the Three Marvels." The Three Marvels are called reverse arrangement because the original order of Yi, Bing, Ding is reversed to become Ding, Bing, Yi. For the remaining eight layouts, simply change the starting palace number, and the method remains the same.

陰遁佈局之法，如夏至屬離，用九局，即在九宮起甲子戊，逆布九宮，甲戌己在艮八，甲申庚在兌七，甲午辛在乾六，甲辰壬在中五，甲寅癸在巽四，是儀逆行也。順布三奇者，則乙奇在坎一，丙奇在坤二，丁奇在震三宮也。以戊己庚辛壬癸丁丙乙為次序，逆布九八七六五四三二一之宮，則布陰遁九宮逆儀順奇之捷法也，餘局仿此。

Now regarding the layout of Yin Dun: For example, if the summer solstice belongs to the Li palace and we use the ninth Yin Dun layout, we start from the Jiazi Wu in the ninth Li palace and arrange the nine palaces in reverse order. Jiaxu Ji falls in the Ben palace eight, Jiashen Geng falls in the Dui palace seven, Jiawu Xin falls in the Qian palace six, Jiachen Ren falls in the central palace five, Jiayin Gui falls in the Xun palace four. This is called the reverse arrangement of the Six Instruments. The Three Marvels, however, are arranged in the normal order: Yi Qi falls in the Kan palace one, Bing Qi falls in the Kun palace two, Ding Qi falls in the Zhen palace three. The mnemonic is still Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui, Ding, Bing, Yi, but the order of the palaces is reversed, going from nine to eight to seven to six to five to four to three to two to one. This is the shortcut of "reverse instruments and follow the marvels" in Yin Dun. When the arrangement is completed, Yi, Bing, and Ding Qi return to their original order, hence it is called following the marvels. The remaining eight layouts are handled in the same way.

吉門仍要合三奇，取用須云百事宜，更合從旁加檢點，臨宮不可有微疵。門為執事之始，最要關鍵，門一得吉，所趨正矣。仍須合乙丙丁三奇之靈，大概利於謀為，猶未可據，謂之全吉，更加檢點宮分之有無微疵。

When a favorable gate is obtained, it is still necessary to combine it with the Three Marvels, only then can it be said that everything will be suitable; furthermore, one must carefully examine the surrounding areas again, ensuring there are no faults in the palace it falls upon. The eight gates are the starting point for doing things, and they are most crucial. Once the gate is favorable, the direction becomes correct. However, only a favorable gate is not enough; it must also be combined with the spiritual energy of the three marvels, Yi, Bing, and Ding, in order to be generally favorable for planning matters. Even so, one cannot definitively say it is entirely auspicious; one must also check whether the palace it falls upon has any minor flaws. If the gate is favorable, the marvels are favorable, but the palace is not, the overall situation still fails to be complete.

如乙奇臨震宮，謂之日出扶桑，融合之氣，為吉；兌乃木之絕地，乙奇克則受制。如丙奇臨離九宮謂之月照瑞門，身居帝旺為純吉；而臨乾則丙火之墓地，光明暗昧，不吉。如丁奇臨兌，貴人升殿，為吉；而臨於坎則謂之朱雀投江，威德收藏，則不吉也。故謂之臨宮不可有微疵也。

Take a few examples to see the importance of the palace where the odd numbers fall. If the Yi Qi falls in the third palace of Zhen, it is called "the sun rising from Fusu," where wood gets its original energy and yin and yang harmonize, which is auspicious. However, if Yi Qi falls in the seventh palace of Dui, which belongs to metal, it is the place where wood is at its weakest, and Yi wood is restrained by metal, which is inauspicious. If Bing Qi falls in the ninth palace of Li, it is called "the moon illuminating the auspicious gate," where fire is in its native palace and at its peak of prosperity, which is purely auspicious. However, if Bing Qi falls in the sixth palace of Qian, which belongs to metal, and the戌 (Xu) is the resting place of fire, then Bing fire is buried, and its brightness turns into darkness, which is inauspicious. If Ding Qi falls in the seventh palace of Dui, it is called "the nobleman ascending the hall," which is auspicious. However, if Ding Qi falls in the first palace of Kan, where water and fire conflict, it is called "the Vermilion Bird falling into the river," and the power and virtue are restrained and not expressed, which is also inauspicious. Therefore, there should be no small faults in the palace where the odd numbers fall.

三奇得使誠堪使，六甲遇之非小補，乙逢犬馬丙鼠猴，六丁玉女臨龍虎。此法三奇即是乙丙丁矣，然未可執得奇便為堪使。所云得使者，是得直使也。三奇得開休生之直使，所謂得奇得門方，可謂誠堪使也。

The Three Marvels can only be truly useful if they are "accompanied by the commander" (得使); when they meet the Six Jia, the benefits they bring are considerable. The mnemonic says that the Yi Marvel meets the dog (Xu) and the horse (Wu), the Bing Marvel meets the rat (Zi) and the monkey (Shen), and the Ding Marvel meets the dragon (Chen) and the tiger (Yin). These are the specific combinations for the Three Marvels being accompanied by the commander. The Three Marvels mentioned here are still Yi, Bing, and Ding, but one cannot simply consider them useful just because they appear.the so-called "得使" refers to the Marvel being accompanied by the direct commander (直使): when the Three Marvels are above and are exactly accompanied by the three auspicious gates, 开 (Opening), 休 (Resting), and 生 (Life), then both the Marvel and the gate are obtained, as well as the direction, and only then can it be called "truly usable" (诚堪使).

六甲遇之非小補者，更合地盤上之六甲，相為表裡，三奇三門得儀神佐之，豈小補哉？乙奇加甲戌、甲午，丙奇加甲子、甲申，丁奇加甲辰、甲寅，是為犬馬鼠猴龍虎之謂也，然以本旬三奇六甲為的也。

As for the saying "the Six Instruments combined with the Three Marvels bring significant benefits," it refers to the Three Marvels on the Heaven Plate being placed over the Six Instruments on the Earth Plate, with the outer and inner parts corresponding to each other: the Three Marvels, the Three Auspicious Doors, and the Six Instruments along with the noble spirits beneath them all support each other, yielding benefits far more than just a little. The specific method is: the Yi Marvel is placed over Jia Xu and Jia Wu, the Bing Marvel over Jia Zi and Jia Shen, and the Ding Marvel over Jia Chen and Jia Yin. Xu represents the dog, Wu the horse, Zi the rat, Shen the monkey, Chen the dragon, and Yin the tiger; the terms dog, horse, rat, monkey, dragon, and tiger in the mnemonic refer to these six starting days of the ten heavenly stems. However, it must be noted that the combination should be based on the Three Marvels and Six Instruments of the current ten-day period of the time being divined, not just any Jia stem.

又有三奇游六儀，號為玉女守門時，若作陰私合和事，請君但向此中推。此法以地盤丁奇所到之宮為主，遁得本旬直使之門加臨，即為玉女守門。其法以甲子旬庚午時、甲戌旬己卯時、甲申旬戊子時、甲午旬丁酉時、甲辰旬丙午時、甲寅旬乙卯時。宜舉陰私合和之事，須遇三吉門為宮也。

There is another pattern called "Three Marvels Moving through the Six Instruments," also known as "Yünu Guarding the Gate." When one needs to handle secret matters or mediate disputes, this pattern is used. The method involves taking the palace where the丁奇 (Ding Marvel) falls on the Earth Plate as the main reference. If the direct commander of the current ten-day period happens to be placed on this palace, it forms "Yünu Guarding the Gate." The oral formula for determining the appropriate time according to each ten-day period is: for the Jiazi ten-day period, use the Gengwu hour; for the Jiaxu ten-day period, use the Jimao hour; for the Jiashen ten-day period, use the Wuzi hour; for the Jiawu ten-day period, use the Dingyou hour; for the Jiachen ten-day period, use the Bingwu hour; for the Jiayin ten-day period, use the Yimao hour. These hours are suitable for handling private matters or mediating and reconciling disputes. However, it is also necessary that the palace in question has one of the three favorable gates: Rest, Life, or Opening, for the pattern to be complete.

天三門兮地四戶，問君此法歸何處，天沖小吉與從魁，此是天門私出路，地戶除危定與開，舉事皆從此方去。考古法以乾為天門；此以太沖卯、小吉未、從魁酉為天三門也，又曰天私門。止利於逃行隱跡，乃隱遁之門戶也。其法以月將加所用之正時，順尋太沖、小吉、從魁所臨之方，即是天三門，如正月雨水後日纏娵訾之次，月將是亥，用卯時，以亥加卯，則太沖在未，從魁在丑，小吉在亥，其未丑亥上乃天三門也，於仿此推。

The Heaven's Three Gates and the Earth's Four Doors are methods used in divination. The Heaven's Three Gates are determined by the positions of the three generals: Tai Chong, Xiao Ji, and Cong Kuai, which are located in the directions they occupy. These are the private paths of the Heaven's Gate. The Earth's Four Doors are derived from the twelve divinatory deities in the system of Jian Chu, specifically the positions of Chu, Wei, Ding, and Kai. All actions are conducted through these four directions. According to ancient methods, the Heaven's Gate was originally associated with the Qian trigram, but here it is instead determined by the three generals Tai Chong (卯), Xiao Ji (未), and Cong Kuai (酉) among the twelve lunar generals, also known as the Heaven's Private Gate, which is used specifically for hiding and escaping. The method involves placing the current month's general on the chosen hour and then proceeding to count, determining where the generals Tai Chong, Xiao Ji, and Cong Kuai fall. These three directions are the Heaven's Three Gates. For example, in the first lunar month after the Rain Water solar term, the sun is in the Ju Zi position, and the month general is Hai. If using the卯 hour, place Hai on卯 and proceed to distribute the generals. Tai Chong falls on未, Cong Kuai on丑, and Xiao Ji on亥. Therefore, the directions of未,丑, and亥 are the Heaven's Three Gates. The same method applies to other months.

考卦例，巽為地；此以除、危、定、開為地戶也。其四者，五行屬土，故所加臨處，利於屯營、築城，有城高池深之保障也。既云地戶，地戶法以地氣將加所用之時，即以建加建，是月分之除、危、定、開日以建加本時，是日分之除、危、定、開時也。如正月建寅，即從寅上起建，順數，則卯上是除，午上是定，酉上是危，子上是開，其卯、午、子、酉是地四戶也。如以建加所用之子時，則丑、未、辰、戌得除、危、定、開，是地四戶也。

According to the principles of divination, the Xun trigram is usually considered the earth gate. Here, however, the four positions of the earth gates are taken from the twelve divine spirits of the Jian Chu system, specifically the spirits "Chu," "Wei," "Ding," and "Kai." These four spirits all belong to the earth element in the Five Phases, so the directions they occupy are suitable for setting up camps, military encampments, and building cities, symbolizing strong fortifications and secure defenses. Since they are called the earth gates, the method used is to apply the "earth qi general" to the chosen hour. This means placing "Jian" on the branch of the month builder and counting forward through the twelve divine spirits. The days when "Chu," "Wei," "Ding," and "Kai" are reached are the days of the four earth gates for that month. Then, placing "Jian" on the chosen hour and counting forward through the twelve divine spirits, the hours when "Chu," "Wei," "Ding," and "Kai" are reached are the hours of the four earth gates for that day. For example, in the first lunar month, the month builder is Yin. Starting from Yin, count forward through the twelve divine spirits: "Mao" gets "Chu," "Wu" gets "Ding," "You" gets "Wei," and "Zi" gets "Kai." Therefore, the directions of Mao, Wu, You, and Zi are the four earth gates. If instead, "Jian" is placed on the Zi hour and counted forward, then "Chou," "Wei," "Chen," and "Xu" receive "Chu," "Wei," "Ding," and "Kai" respectively, making these four directions the earth gates.

六合太陰太常君，三神原是地私門，更得奇門相照應，用門舉事總欣欣。地私門者，隱藏、潛伏之謂也。六合卯為本家，太陰酉為本家，太腸未為本家。卯酉乃日月出入之門戶，所以出門舉事迪吉，更合三奇吉門斯為全美。

The directions where the three noble deities, Liu He, Tai Yin, and Tai Chang, reside are naturally called "Di Si Men," meaning hidden gates. If there are also the Three Marvels, which are favorable doors, corresponding with them, then going out from this direction to handle affairs will be smooth and favorable. "Di Si Men" refers to concealed entrances. Each of these three deities has its own native direction: Liu He's native direction is Mao, Tai Yin's is You, and Tai Chang's is Wei (the original text mistakenly writes "Tai Chang" as "Tai Chang"). Mao is the gate of sunrise, You is the door of sunset, which are the key points where the sun and moon rise and set. Therefore, going out from these directions is auspicious. When combined with the Three Marvels, which are Yi, Bing, and Ding, and the favorable doors of Xiu, Sheng, Kai, it becomes completely favorable.

但取貴神之法，與六壬稍異，其法以月將加正時，分旦暮尋其方向，旦暮貴人各有分屬，以八干四維分配十二支，以分上下，如用乙巽丙丁坤庚時，繫上六字，而辰巳午未申酉屬焉，是用旦貴也；如用辛乾壬癸艮甲時，繫下六字，而戌亥子丑寅卯屬焉，是用暮貴也。再視貴神臨於何宮，以分順逆。

The method of determining the nobleman in the Qi Men system differs slightly from that in the Liu Xin system. It involves placing the Month General on the exact hour of the event, then determining the direction by dividing into day nobleman and night nobleman. The day nobleman (morning nobleman) and night nobleman (evening nobleman) each have their own assignments. This is done by matching the eight heavenly stems with the four trigrams (Qian, Kun, Gen, Xun) to form twelve characters, which are divided into upper and lower groups. If the hour uses the positions of Yi, Xun, Bing, Ding, Kun, and Geng, these belong to the upper six characters, and the corresponding branches are Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, and You, using the morning nobleman. If the hour uses the positions of Xin, Qian, Ren, Gui, Gen, and Jia, these belong to the lower six characters, and the corresponding branches are Xu, Hai, Zi, Chou, Yin, and Mao, using the evening nobleman. After determining which nobleman to use, one then checks which palace the nobleman falls into, and determines whether to proceed in the forward or reverse direction accordingly.

若亥子丑寅卯辰六宮，為陽順起貴神，求三神陰常六，即是地私門也；若在巳午未申酉戌六宮，為陰逆起貴神，求三神陰常六，即是地私門也。

If the noble spirit falls in the six palaces of亥, 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, which are yang, then the twelve noble spirits are arranged in order. If it falls in the six palaces of巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, which are yin, then the twelve noble spirits are arranged in reverse order. Regardless of whether it is arranged in order or reverse, after the arrangement is fixed, only look for the three spirits: 太阴, 太常, and Liu He. The directions where these three spirits are located are called the door of the earth's private affairs. The mnemonic refers to them briefly as "yin, chang, liu," so remembering these three characters is sufficient.

假如正月雨水後，太陽纏娵訾之次，亥為月將，以甲戊庚日用卯時，卯屬下六字，用暮貴，即以亥加卯時，以暮貴在未，未臨亥宮，亥為陽支，起貴神順行，則太常在未，六合在寅，太陰在酉，而未寅酉之方，乃地私門也。

For example: After the rainwater season in the first lunar month, the sun is in the娵訾 sector, and the month general is亥. If on the Jia day, Wu day, or Geng day, the卯 hour is used, the卯 belongs to the lower six characters, so the night nobleman should be used. Then the亥 general is placed on the卯 hour and the rotating plate is used. The original position of the night nobleman for Jia, Wu, and Geng days is in the Wei position, but at this time the Wei position falls into the亥 palace. Since亥 is a yang branch, the noble god is arranged in a forward direction. Thus, the Tai Chang falls in the Wei position, the Liu He falls in the Yin position, and the Tai Yin falls in the You position. Therefore, the Wei, Yin, and You positions are the three private doors of this hour.

又如甲戊庚日，用午時，午屬上六字，用旦貴，以亥將加午時順行，旦貴在丑，丑臨申宮，申為陰支，起貴神逆行，則太陰在戌，太常在子，六合在巳，是戌子巳三方乃地私門也。天三門、地四戶、地私門三者，法異而用同，乃遁甲最要之神，若得全和奇門，則所向無阻矣。

Let's take another example: On the same day of Jia, Wu, and Geng, if we use the hour of Wu, which belongs to the Six at the Top, we should use the daytime nobleman. By placing the亥 general on the Wu hour and arranging it in a clockwise manner, the daytime nobleman's position for Jia, Wu, and Geng days is at Chou, but Chou now falls into the Shen palace. Shen is a yin branch, so the nobleman is arranged in reverse order. In this arrangement, Taiyin falls into Xu, Taichang into Zi, and Liuhe into Si. Therefore, the three palaces Xu, Zi, and Si are the private doors of this hour. The three systems of Tian Sanmen, Di Sihù, and Di Sipmen differ in their methods but serve the same purpose; they are the most important deities in Dun Jia. If all three are present and harmonize with the odd door, there will be no obstacles in any direction.

太沖天馬最為貴，卒然有難宜逃避，但當乘取天馬行，劍戟如山不足畏。考神煞有天馬，即天馬方也。蓋太沖以卯為本神，即房宿也，故為天馬其所加臨處不空不陷不囚不墓，利於駿奔萬里。法以月將加所用之正時，視太沖所臨之方，即天馬方也，更合門奇，縱劍戟如林，有何畏焉？

In the twelve month generals, Tai Chong is also called the Heavenly Horse, and it is the most valuable; if a sudden disaster occurs, one should escape by moving in the direction of the Heavenly Horse. Even if there are swords and spears like mountains ahead, there is nothing to fear. The divination texts already include an entry for "Heavenly Horse," referring to the direction of the Heavenly Horse. Tai Chong is based on the direction of卯 (Mao), which corresponds to the Room Mansion in the twenty-eight mansions. The Room Mansion is called the Heavenly Four-Horse, hence the name Heavenly Horse. The direction where Tai Chong falls is favorable for long-distance travel, provided it does not fall into emptiness, does not fall into a trap, does not fall into captivity, or does not fall into a tomb. The method remains to place the month general on the exact hour used, and observe where Tai Chong falls; that direction is the Heavenly Horse direction. If this is further combined with the Three Marvels, even if enemies have countless swords and spears, there is nothing to fear.

三為生氣五為死，盛在三兮衰在五，能知趨三避五時，便自嵬然常獨處。郭氏元經曰：“五凶三吉就門推，吉有吉兮不用疑。”抑見三吉五凶以門論也。五凶者，乃杜驚傷死景也，又以五為宮分者，止言避五而未及之三，則陰陽駁集之處，豈可不避之乎，故避五以方言之為確論也。

"Three" represents life qi, "Five" represents death qi; the qi is strong at three and weak at five. If one understands to move towards three and avoid five, one can naturally stand out and avoid misfortune. Guo Pu's "Yuan Jing" says: the five evils and three blessings are all determined by the gates. The good is naturally good, and there is no need for doubt. This shows that the three blessings and five evils are discussed in relation to the eight gates: the three blessings are rest, life, and opening, while the five evils are closure, alarm, injury, death, and hidden. However, there is also an interpretation that "Five" refers to the central five palace: the central five palace has no trigram or gate, and the yin and yang qi are mixed and chaotic. It only says to avoid it, but there is no corresponding "Three" to move towards. Therefore, interpreting avoiding five as avoiding the central five direction is the correct understanding.

就中伏吟為最凶，天蓬加著地天蓬，天蓬若列天英上，須知即是返吟宮，八門反覆皆如此，死在生兮生在死，假令吉宿得奇門，萬事皆凶不可使。天上地下星伏而不易位，在於本宮，故曰伏吟。天上地下九星動而易位，加於對沖之宮，故曰返吟。死門加於生門曰返吟，死門加於死門曰伏吟。假令吉宿得奇門，值返吟、伏吟之時，亦不堪用事也。

Among all theInauspicious Pattern, theHidden Chant is the most dangerous. When theHeaven Plate's天蓬 is directly over the地盘'sAlso known as the Greedy Wolf Star, it is calledHidden Chant; if theHeaven Plate's天蓬 is over the地盘'sAlso known as Right Assistant Star (the ninth star of the坎宫 opposing the first star of the离宫, directly opposite), it is called返吟. The reversal of the eight gates is similar: if theDeath Door falls onto theThe Life Gate position or theThe Life Gate falls onto theDeath Door position, they are both considered of this type. At such times, even if a favorable star is combined with the奇门, everything will be disastrous and should not be used. Therefore, when the stars on theHeaven Plate andEarth Plate remain in their original positions without moving, it is calledHidden Chant; when the nine stars on theHeaven Plate andEarth Plate move to opposite positions, it is called返吟. Taking the gates as an example, if theDeath Door is on theThe Life Gate, it is返吟; if theDeath Door is on theDeath Door, it isHidden Chant.Hidden Chant indicates stagnation and no progress, while返吟 indicates confusion and disorder. Both situations are unfavorable for taking action.