Preface

遁甲為兵而設，為陰象，為詭道，故取諸遁，謂其遁於六儀之下而不見其形也。甲為至尊之神，宜藏而不宜露，宜和而不宜乖，宜生扶而不宜剋制。所喜者惟土，所憎者惟金也。惟其喜土也，故奇門始起之宮例，以六戊隨之，甲逆而戊亦逆，甲順而戊亦順，如形之與影，兩相時隨不相離。

The study of Qimen Dunjia was originally created for military purposes. It takes its imagery from the yin, following the path of 'strategic deception,' hence the name 'Dunjia'—meaning that 'Jia' hides beneath the 'Six Instruments' (Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui), making it invisible. 'Jia' is the most esteemed among the ten heavenly stems, symbolizing the sovereign. Therefore, it is suitable for concealment rather than exposure, for harmony with neighbors rather than discord, and for receiving support rather than being restrained. Jia wood is fond of earth and dislikes metal. Because Jia prefers earth, the general practice in setting up a Qimen layout is to have the 'Six Wu' (the Wu at the beginning of the Jiazi decade) always follow Jia: when Jia moves backward, Wu also moves backward; when Jia moves forward, Wu also moves forward, like a shadow following a form, always accompanying it without separation.

惟其憎金也，故有乙之合以伺其內，有丙丁之制以咸其外。乙者，用之同氣；丙丁，乃甲之子嗣，如手足之情、心腹臣子之情。君父鼎足之形成，而後甲有苞桑之固矣。先王之建業親諸侯，其義亦準諸此。故陰陽順逆者，造化之定理；戴九履一者，河洛之精蘊。配以八門，八神列矣；加以三盤，三才正矣；重以三奇，三光耀矣；積時置閏，歲功成矣；一節三元，二十四氣備矣。

Because Jia (甲) dislikes metal, it is necessary to use Yi (乙) wood to combine with Geng (庚) metal, thus restraining it from within; and also to use Bing (丙) fire and Ding (丁) fire to overcome metal, thus subduing it from outside. Yi and Jia both belong to wood, and thus Yi supports Jia as a kindred spirit; Bing and Ding are born from Jia wood, and thus they are Jia's descendants, akin to close relatives and trusted ministers of the sovereign. Once the sovereign (Jia), the father (Yi), and the son (Bing and Ding) form a triumvirate, Jia then achieves a firm and unbreakable stability, like the roots of a mulberry tree entwined. In the past, the sage kings established their foundations by enfeoffing close relatives as vassals to serve as a shield, and the principle is exactly the same. Therefore, it is said that in Yang Dun the sequence proceeds in the order of the heavens, while in Yin Dun it proceeds in the reverse order; this is the fixed rule of heaven and earth. The arrangement of the nine palaces with "nine on top and one beneath" reflects the essence of the Yellow River Chart and the Luo Writing. When the eight gates are added to the nine palaces, the positions of the eight spirits are determined; adding the three disks of heaven, earth, and humanity establishes the proper order of the three elements. Adding the three marvels of Yi, Bing, and Ding completes the three lights of sun, moon, and stars; accumulating the extra hours to form the "leap marvels" completes the seasonal cycle; and dividing each solar term into upper, middle, and lower "three elements" completes the arrangement of the twenty-four solar terms.

以六十時干為經，以四時八節為緯，九一二四六八三七五，相摩相蕩而四千三百二十之局成矣。大之為風雲龍虎之機宜，小之為動靜行藏之趨避，範圍天地而不過，曲成萬物而不遺，百姓日用而不知。雖其中不無詭譎荒唐悖於聖賢之論，但取其生剋制伏近於理者，著之於篇，以前民用而輔易道之所未備。至於書符誦咒，似為不經。而臨事倉皇，可以反凶變吉，避難除危亦行師整旅之要，故以投錄。凡欲教為子者之思孝，為臣者之思忠，不至於前有讒而弗見，後有賊而不知，未始非治平之一助也。

Using the sixty Jiazi (Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches) as the meridians, and the four seasons and eight solar terms as the parallels, combined with the nine palace numbers 9, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 3, 7, 5, they interact and shift, resulting in four thousand three hundred twenty different situations. In a broader sense, it can predict grand events such as the convergence of风云 (clouds and winds) and fierce struggles between dragons and tigers, which are major state affairs. In a narrower sense, it can guide daily decisions, helping people to advance or retreat, to show or conceal, and to avoid misfortune and seek good fortune. It encompasses the heavens and the earth without exceeding them, and nurtures all things in a subtle way without any omission. People use it every day without knowing its principles. Although the book may contain some strange and absurd statements that contradict the teachings of sages, I have selected only those parts that discuss the generation, control, restriction, and transformation of the Five Phases, which are more reasonable, and compiled them into chapters to guide daily life and supplement what the Book of Changes has not covered. As for drawing talismans and reciting spells, they may seem absurd; however, when faced with urgent situations and in a state of panic, they can indeed turn misfortune into good fortune and avoid danger, which is essential for military campaigns and troop organization. Therefore, they are also included. Any content that can make sons think of filial piety and ministers think of loyalty, so that they do not find themselves in a situation where someone is spreading false rumors ahead and enemies are approaching from behind without knowing it, then this book can certainly be a helpful aid in governing the country and ensuring peace.

奇門之說，論者謂始於黃帝，刪於呂望、張良。漢以前往往散見於他書，至於《隋志·藝文》專書，始有一十三家。唐益倍之，則其學之來亦不在近矣。《陰符經》曰：“爰有奇器，是生萬象，八卦甲子，神機鬼藏。”張良注云：“六癸為天藏，可以伏藏。”由是言之，即奇門之權輿也。

Regarding the origin of the Qi Men, scholars all say it was founded by the Yellow Emperor, later revised by Lü Shang (Jiang Taigong) and Zhang Liang. Before the Han dynasty, related records were often scattered in other texts. It was not until the "Jing Ji Zhi" section of the "Sui Shu" that thirteen specialized works on Qi Men were listed. The number of works recorded during the Tang dynasty was double that of the Sui dynasty, showing that this discipline had been passed down for quite some time. The "Yin Fu Jing" says: "There is a wonderful instrument, which gives rise to myriad phenomena. The Eight Trigrams and Jiazi contain the divine mechanism, hidden from ghosts." Zhang Liang commented on this sentence: "The six Gui are the heavenly concealment, capable of concealment." This is exactly the origin of later Qi Men using the six Gui as the "heavenly concealment," governing the method of concealment and retreat. Therefore, the "Yin Fu Jing" is the beginning of Qi Men.

《大戴禮記·明堂篇》曰：“明堂者，古有之也。凡九室，九一二四六八三七五，蓋即河圖之義。”而奇門之九宮耳。漢《藝文志》有明堂、陰陽二十三篇，又明堂陰陽五篇。宣帝時魏相上表，採易陰陽及明堂月令，言五帝所司各有時：東方之卦不可以治西方，南方之卦不可以治北方，乃以八卦方位配明堂之九室。後漢張衡傳鄭玄既注九宮之說，而《南齊·高帝本紀》云：“九宮者，一蓬二芮三沖四輔五禽六心七柱八任九英，皆有大過不及之占。”

The "Mingtang Chapter" in the "Da Dai Li Ji" says: "The Mingtang building has existed since ancient times. It has nine rooms, arranged in the order of nine, one, two, four, six, eight, three, seven, and five, which is probably the meaning of the "He Tu" (Yellow River Chart)." These nine rooms are actually the nine palaces used in the Qi Men (Strange Gate) system. The "Hanshu · Yiwen Zhi" records the "Mingtang Yinyang" with twenty-three chapters and the "Mingtang Yinyang Shuo" with five chapters. During the reign of Emperor Xuandi of the Han dynasty, the prime minister Wei Xiang submitted a memorial, citing the yin and yang theory from the "Yi Jing" and the Mingtang monthly commands, pointing out that the five celestial emperors each have their own appropriate seasons. The trigrams belonging to the east cannot be used to govern the west, and those belonging to the south cannot be used to govern the north. Therefore, the eight trigrams were used to match the nine rooms of the Mingtang. By the Eastern Han dynasty, the "Zhang Heng Zhuan" and Zheng Xuan had already explained the theory of the nine palaces. The "Nan Qi Shu · Gao Di Ben Ji" clearly records: "The so-called nine palaces are one Tianpeng, two Tianrui, three Tianchong, four Tianfu, five Tianqin, six Tianxin, seven Tianzhu, eight Tianren, and nine Tianying. Each palace has its own method of divination for excess and deficiency." This is already completely consistent with the nine stars used in the modern Qi Men system.

唐會要元宗三載十月，術士蘇嘉慶上言請於京城，置九宮壇，五數為中，戴九履一，右七左三，二四為上，六八為下，符於遁甲。武宗會昌二年正月，左僕射王起等奏按：黃帝《九宮經》及蕭吉《五行大義》所謂一曰天逢卦坎行水方白者，與今奇門之言星而無異，抑顯晦各有時也。

According to the "Tang Huiyao," in the third year of the Tianbao era of Emperor Xuanzong, the alchemist Su Jiaqing submitted a memorial requesting the establishment of a Jiugong坛 in the capital. He proposed that the arrangement should have the number five in the center, with nine on top, one at the bottom, seven on the right, and three on the left, with two and four in the upper position, and six and eight in the lower position. This entire arrangement of directions fully conforms to the method of Dun Jia. In the second year of the Huichang era of Emperor Wuzong, the left chancellor Wang Qi and others submitted a memorial for verification, citing the "Jiugong Jing" by the Yellow Emperor and the "Wuxing Dayi" by the Sui dynasty scholar Xiao Ji, which states, "One is called Tianfeng, belonging to the Kan hexagram, with the Five Phases moving in the direction of water, and the color being white." This is entirely consistent with the current theory of Qimen, which discusses the nine stars. This shows that this discipline merely appears at times and disappears at other times, each having its own appropriate time.

宋之仁宗以洗馬楊維德篡《六壬》則曰《神應經》，篡《奇門》則曰《符應經》，今亦不得見其全。得毋好古之士，尚有什襲而藏者乎？明之宸濠稱亂，王守仁收覽異術，乃有孝成君者，進以《奇門真傳》，今之所謂李氏奇門也。仇鸞門下士有林士徵者，以奇門占兵，屢有奇驗。錦衣陸炳序其書而傳之，呼為林氏奇門。陶仲又以李林二氏之書，參以他書而繆紊之曰《陶真人遁甲神書》。蓋勝國以奇門著見者，三家而已。

During the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, Yang Weide, who served as the official in charge of the太子's carriage, was commissioned to compile the book of Liu Shen, named "Jingyou Liu Shen Shen Ding Jing" (also known as "Shen Ying Jing"); he also compiled the book of Qi Men, named "Fu Ying Jing". These two books are no longer available in their complete forms today, perhaps still being carefully preserved by scholars who value ancient texts. During the time of the rebellion led by Prince Zhu Chenhao of Ning in the Ming dynasty, Wang Shouren extensively collected esoteric techniques, and a person named Hsiao Chengjun presented "Qi Men Zhen Zhuan", which is today known as "Li Shi Qi Men". Among the followers of Qiu Luang, there was a man named Lin Shizheng who used Qi Men to predict military affairs, with frequent accuracy; the military commander of the Imperial Guard, Lu Bing, wrote a preface for his book and helped spread it, and it is known as "Lin Shi Qi Men". Tao Zhong combined the books of Li and Lin with other miscellaneous works, causing confusion and disorder, and named it "Tao Zhenren Dun Jia Shen Shu". In summary, the three families most renowned for Qi Men in previous dynasties were these three.

昔之奇門之序出於都天《撼龍經》八十一論者凡九，其一曰《都天九卦》，二曰《人地三光》，三曰《行軍三奇》，四曰《造宅三白》，五曰《遁形太白之書》，六曰《入山撼龍之訣》，七曰《轉山移水九字元經》，八曰《建國安基萬年金經》，九曰《元宮八福救貧生仙產聖》。今所傳者，《造宅三白》耳，外俱不得見聞，或者名山石室之藏精光不得終磨。更有取而修明者，庶幾拭目俟之矣。

In the past, there were nine branches of the art of Qimen, all derived from the eighty-one chapters of the "Classic of Shaking the Dragon" (Hantong Jing). The first was "The Nine Trigrams of the Heavenly Mandate" (Dutian Jiugua), the second "The Three Radiance of Heaven and Earth" (Rendì Sanguang), the third "The Three Marvels of Military Campaigns" (Xingjun Sanqi), the fourth "The Three White of Building a House" (Zaozha Sanbai), the fifth "The Secret of Concealing Form and the Book of Tai Bai" (Runching Taibai Zhushu), the sixth "The Secret of Entering the Mountains and Shaking the Dragon" (Rushan Hantong Jue), the seventh "The Nine-Character Original Scripture of Transforming Mountains and Moving Water" (Zhuanshan Yishui Jiuyu Yuanjing), the eighth "The Golden Scripture of Establishing the Nation and Securing the Foundation for a Thousand Years" (Jianguo Anji Wan Nian Jinjing), and the ninth "The Imperial Palace Eight Blessings to Rescue the Poor, Produce Immortals, and Generate Sages" (Yuan Gong Ba Fu Jiu Pin Sheng Xian Chan Sheng). Now, only "The Three White of Building a House" has been passed down, while the rest are no longer known. Perhaps they are hidden in the caves of famous mountains, their brilliance never completely fading, and in the future, someone will take them out and explain them. On that day, we can only wait and watch.

一、奇門久已失傳，人樹一幟，敝帚千金無從別白。今一字一義，有兩說三說者並存之，以備參考。二、奇門眾說紛然，取其理之正者為首行，列於後或分注者為次，不敢私心去取，然亦略見低昂。

First, the study of Qimen has been lost for a long time, and each school has established its own gate, with everyone treating their own incomplete theories as treasures, making it impossible for outsiders to distinguish between the superior and inferior. Therefore, this book includes all explanations and meanings of a single character or concept that have two or even three different interpretations, presenting them side by side for readers to compare and refer to. Second, there are many conflicting views in Qimen, and this book places the most correct interpretation first as the main text, while the others are arranged afterwards or as supplementary notes, considered secondary. The compiler does not take personal preferences into account when selecting or rejecting them, but from the order of arrangement, readers can roughly discern which is higher and which is lower.

三、奇門兵事避忌甚多，凡三勝五不擊之外，又有太歲月建俱不可擊；旺氣所在亦宜避之，所謂“春不伐東，秋不西征”者是也；與大亭亭白*、三門四戶、大馬方之類，須從歲月太陽查算，書中未敢預載。四、奇門最重格局，如龍回首、鳥跌穴吉矣；如逢庚為值符，則為格勃，格勃又不可用。龍走雀投凶矣，為主者不害；虎狂蛇矯凶矣，為客者不害。皆有活訣，不可一例。

Third, in using the Qi Men for military purposes, there are many taboos. In addition to the places of 'San Sheng' (Chief Symbol, Jiu Tian, and Life Gate) being suitable for use and the 'Wu Bu Ji' (Five Unfavorable Places) being unsuitable for attack, the directions where the Tai Su and the Month Builder are located should also be avoided. The direction of the current ruling and flourishing energy should also be avoided, which is why it is said that 'in spring one does not attack the east, and in autumn one does not march westward'. As for such terms as 'Da Tingting', 'Bai Hu', 'San Men Si Hu', and 'Da Ma Fang', they must be calculated according to the position of the sun in the current year and month, and therefore this book does not dare to list them in advance. Fourth, Qi Men places great emphasis on patterns. For example, 'Qing Long Hui Shou' and 'Fei Niao Die Xue' are originally auspicious patterns; however, if the six Geng are the Chief Symbol, they become 'Ge Bo', which cannot be used. 'Qing Long Tao Zhuan' and 'Zhu Que Tou Jiang' are originally inauspicious patterns, but they do not affect the side of the main party. 'Bai Hu Chang Wang' and 'Teng She Yao Jiao' are also inauspicious patterns, but they do not affect the side of the guest party. These have flexible rhymes and cannot be judged in a general way.

五、奇門選擇最重衰旺休囚，如開門本吉，但其性屬金，如臨土宮、金位及季夏三秋，所謂得時得地，時之最吉者也；如在春夏而臨於木火，則金氣大衰，豈得為吉。凡八門皆然，三奇亦然。六、奇門選擇以會合為上吉，若有門無奇，猶為可用；有奇無門，則當另擇矣。然如捕獵用傷門，逃亡用杜門，弔唁用死門之類，皆當擇其得時得地，則為上吉，又不專重奇門也。

Fifth, when choosing a day and time using the Qimen system, the most important factor is whether the Five Phases are in a state of prosperity, flourishing, rest, or captivity. For example, the Open Door is inherently a favorable gate, but since it belongs to the metal element, if it is located in the earth element palace (Kun two, Gen eight) or the metal position (Qian six, Dui seven), and it coincides with the late summer or autumn months, this is called "getting the right time and place," which is the most auspicious situation. If it occurs in spring or summer and is located in the wood or fire element palaces, the metal element will be greatly weakened, and how can it be considered auspicious? This principle applies to all eight gates and the Three Marvels as well. Sixth, when choosing a day and time, the best situation is when the "Qing" (Marvel) and the "Men" (Gate) are in harmony. If there is only a favorable gate but no Three Marvels, it is still acceptable. However, if there are only Three Marvels but no favorable gate, one should choose a different time. Nevertheless, in specific situations such as hunting, which requires the Shang Men (Injury Gate), or fleeing, which requires the Du Men (Located in the Southeast Xun), or mourning, which requires the Si Men (Death Gate), as long as the used gate is in the right time and place, it is considered the best, and there is no need to insist on the combination of the Marvel and the Gate.

七、奇門陰陽宅選擇，淺學者但知會合為上吉，而不知陽宅須宅主生命配合門奇之生旺，陰宅須與山頭化命配合門奇之生旺，若天祿、天德、天貴、天馬、三合、六合之理，皆宜參考。八、奇門止用選擇，則諸眾可廢然，亦須檢點，必當配合斗首五行、太陽、吉凶星煞，無有避忌而又能合於奇門，方為萬吉。若造宅、遷葬之家，往往有算至十餘年而後得，蓋欲求其純吉無凶者，甚難也。

Seventh, when using the Qi Men for selecting a day for a yang house or a yin house, those with shallow knowledge only consider 'Qi Men meeting' as a superior auspicious day, but they do not understand that for a yang house, the owner's birth date and destiny must be in harmony with the vitality and strength of the gate and the oddity; for a yin house, the mountain direction must be in harmony with the 'transformed destiny' of the deceased and the vitality and strength of the gate and the oddity. In addition, principles such as Tian Lu, Tian De, Tian Gui, Tian Ma, San He, and Liu He should also be taken into account. Eighth, if one only uses Qi Men to select a day, other methods seem unnecessary; however, one must still carefully examine and combine it with the Five Phases of the Dou Shou, the position of the sun, and various auspicious and inauspicious stars and evils. Only when there are no taboos violated and it is in harmony with Qi Men can it be considered a completely safe and auspicious day. Therefore, families building or relocating graves often have to calculate for several years to find a suitable day, because it is extremely difficult to find a time that is entirely auspicious and free from any misfortune.

九、奇門占法要分動靜之用，靜則止查值符、值使、時干，看其生克衰旺如何；動則專看方向。蓋動者，機之先見者也。如聞南方之事，則占離位；聞北方之事，則占坎位。凡鴉鳴鵲噪，東鳴則看震，西鳴則看兌，此皆不能膠柱鼓瑟、刻舟求劍者也，諸占例此。

Ninthly, the method of divination in the Qimen system is divided into two types: 'static divination' and 'dynamic divination'. In static divination, one only needs to examine the Chief Symbol, the Duty Gate, and the heavenly stem of the hour, looking at how they interact in terms of generation, overcoming, strength, and decline. In dynamic divination, one focuses specifically on the direction. This is because 'movement' is where the initial signs first appear. For example, if something is heard to have happened in the south, one should divinate the Li nine palace; if it is heard to have happened in the north, one should divinate the Kan one palace. Whenever crows cry or magpies make noise, if they call from the east, one should look at the Zhen three palace; if they call from the west, one should look at the Dui seven palace. All these should be handled flexibly, without being as rigid as tuning a zither by fixing the strings or searching for a sword by marking the boat. All other types of divination should be handled in the same way.

十、奇門占法，其說不一。如占天時，有專看值符者，有專看格局者，有專看蓬英為水火二星者，有專看壬癸丙丁為晴雨所司者，有專看風師雨伯雷公電母等神者，其說既不可全非，其理亦不可偏廢。臨時會意，頭緒紛然，靈機所觸，皆難預決。諸占例此。

Tenth, there are various methods of divination in the Qimen system. For example, when predicting weather, some focus solely on the Chief Symbol, others on the overall pattern, others on the two stars, the Water Star Tianpeng and the Fire Star Tianying, representing water and fire respectively, others on the壬 and 癸 which indicate rain and the丙 and 丁 which indicate clear weather, and others on the deities such as Fengshi (Wind God), Yubó (Rain God), Leigong (Thunder God), and Dianmu (Lightning Goddess). These different approaches cannot all be dismissed, and the reasoning behind each should not be neglected. When actually divining, it relies on spontaneous understanding. The matter is already complex, and when inspiration strikes, it is even more difficult to fix beforehand. Other types of divination follow the same principle.

卷之一：奇門秘訣總賦、遁甲起例、論超接之法、又法、超接訣、又訣、置閏法、奇門四十格、八節應八門旺相、九星旺相、迫、論八門執事歌、又歌、陰陽遁甲順逆起例、九星值符圖、八門值使圖、值符值使訣、年家孤虛方位、三奇神咒、三奇加六儀訣（注）。

Volume One includes the following chapters: "The Essential Secrets of the Art of the Gate of Heaven" which outlines the key principles of the art, "The Method of Setting Up the Dun Jia Chart" which introduces the basics of setting up the chart, "The Method of Aligning the Solar Terms with the Symbol Head" and its alternative version "Another Method," the oral诀 "The诀 of Alignment" and "Another诀," "The Method of Placing the Extra Heavenly Numbers" which explains how to arrange the intercalated numbers, "The Forty Categories of Auspicious and Inauspicious Patterns" which lists forty types of favorable and unfavorable configurations, "The Correspondence of the Eight Festivals with the Prosperity and Decline of the Eight Doors" which discusses the prosperity and decline of the eight doors according to the eight festivals, "The Prosperity and Decline of the Nine Stars According to the Four Seasons" which explains the strength and decline of the nine stars throughout the seasons, "The Concept of 'Pressing' When the Door Overcomes the Palace" which discusses the concept of 'pressing,' two rhyming verses on the use of the eight doors "The Rhyme on the Use of the Eight Doors" and "Another Rhyme," "The Method of Calculating the Structure Numbers for the Yin and Yang Dun Jia" which explains the method of calculating the structure numbers for the yin and yang Dun Jia, two positioning charts "The Chart of the Nine Stars and the Symbol Head" and "The Chart of the Eight Doors and the Duty Gate," "The诀 on the Symbol Head and Duty Gate," "The Direction of the Annual Isolated and Vacant Positions," the "Mantra of the Three Marvels," and the annotated "The诀 on the Three Marvels and the Six Heavenly Numbers."

卷之二：奇門妙秘訣、八門、九星、六儀遁、八神、陰遁起例、陽遁起例、三元法、八節法、八節定八卦圖、以旬首取符使法、值符加時干法、值使加時支法、小值符加大值符法、附年奇門起例、附月奇門起例、附日奇門起例（贅八又二法）、遁年奇法、遁月奇法、遁日奇法、遁日門法、日奇布五符法、日奇起青龍法、德刑、寶和羲制伏、五陽時、五陰時、八門所主、九星所主、三奇喜怒、八卦類神、九星類神、八神類神。

Volume two includes the following sections: the general overview text "The Secret Essentials of the Qimen Art"; four sections that respectively define the eight gates, nine stars, six instruments, and eight deities; the texts "The Rules for Setting Up the Instruments and Marvels in Yin Dun" and "The Rules for Setting Up the Instruments and Marvels in Yang Dun" that explain how to arrange the instruments and marvels in Yin and Yang Dun; the text "The Three Yuan Method" that discusses the concept of one qi and three yuan, and the texts "The Eight Festival Method" and "The Diagram of the Eight Festivals Determining the Eight Trigrams" that explain the pairing of the eight festivals with the trigrams; the text "The Method of Determining the Chief Symbol and Duty Gate from the First Day of a Ten-Day Period" and three methods of overlaying the chief symbol and duty gate: "The Method of Adding the Chief Symbol to the Hour Stem," "The Method of Adding the Duty Gate to the Hour Branch," and "The Method of Adding a Small Chief Symbol to a Large Chief Symbol"; three texts introducing the methods of starting the Qimen calculations based on the year, month, and day (with the day-related text including multiple alternative methods); four texts: "The Method of Hiding the Year Marvel," "The Method of Hiding the Month Marvel," "The Method of Hiding the Day Marvel," and "The Method of the Day Gate"; two texts: "The Method of Arranging the Five Symbols with the Day Marvel" and "The Method of Starting the Azure Dragon with the Day Marvel"; the text "De and Criminal Influences" discussing the virtues and crimes of the heavenly stems and earthly branches, and the text "The Five Categories of the Day Branch: Treasure, Harmony, Righteousness, Control, and Subjugation" discussing the five categories of the day branch; the texts "The Five Yang Times" and "The Five Yin Times" discussing the order of host and guest; the texts "The Matters Governed by the Eight Gates" and "The Matters Governed by the Nine Stars" that respectively elaborate on the affairs each of the eight gates and nine stars oversee; the text "The Favorable and Unfavorable Influences of the Three Marvels" discussing the auspicious and inauspicious implications of the three marvels falling in different sectors; and three texts: "The Symbolic Associations of the Eight Trigrams," "The Symbolic Associations of the Nine Stars," and "The Symbolic Associations of the Eight Deities" that explain the symbolic associations.

卷之三：十干類神、十二支類神、兵事分主客、出兵方、背擊、孤虛、雄雌、亭亭白*、游都魯都、三勝地、五不擊、趨三避五、天馬方、旺相休囚、天目、地耳、太歲、月建、太陰、大將軍、時中將軍、天罡時、破軍加時法、天營、四神、占風、旬中地丙日、五將方、下營法、迷路法、涉陰法、出入山中法、逃避法、太陽臨時法、九星吉凶歌、甲癸丁乙、行兵雜摘、奇門演卦法、值符值使演卦例、門外演卦例、主客雌雄、陣勢得失、節候、六親克應、八卦克應、六神克應、十二支克應。

Volume three includes the following chapters: "Ten Heavenly Stems Classified by Spirits" and "Twelve Earthly Branches Classified by Spirits," which explain the symbolic representations of the ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches. Then comes a complete set of military applications—determining the host and guest in battle in "Determining Host and Guest in Warfare," selecting the direction for military deployment in "Direction for Deployment," attacking the unfavorable direction while facing the favorable one in "Attacking the Unfavorable While Facing the Favorable," and various directional deities and omens such as solitude and void, male and female, tinging white, you du lu du, and roaming du lu. There are also chapters on suitable and unsuitable locations for positioning and attacking, such as "Three Winning Locations," "Five Unfavorable Attacks," "Approaching Three and Avoiding Five," and "Heavenly Horse Direction." The chapter "Prosperous and Strong, Weak and Confined" discusses the waxing and waning of the four seasons. Other chapters cover directional deities and omens such as heavenly eye, earthly ear, the year god, month builder, the moon's dark side, general of the day, general of the time, heavenly gang time, breaking army time method, heavenly camp, and the four spirits. There are also chapters on observing wind to detect the enemy in "Observing Wind," avoiding inauspicious days such as "The Day of Earthly Prodigy in the Ten-day Cycle," and "Five Generals' Direction." There are chapters on setting up camp in "Method of Setting Up Camp," distinguishing paths in "Method of Getting Lost," navigating dangerous terrain in "Method of Crossing the Shadowy Areas," entering mountains in "Method of Entering and Exiting Mountains," escaping in "Method of Escape," and choosing favorable times in "Method of Favorable Time with the Sun." Further included are "Song of the Nine Stars' Good and Bad," "Jia Gui Ding Yi," and "Miscellaneous Military Matters." Finally, there are chapters that convert the qi men disk into the six yao hexagram for divination, such as "Method of Transforming Qi Men into Hexagrams," "Examples of Transforming the Chief Symbol and Duty Gate into Hexagrams," and "Examples of Transforming Outside the Gate into Hexagrams," as well as chapters that deduce based on hexagram lines such as "Host and Guest Male and Female," "Advantages and Disadvantages of Formations," "Seasons," "Mutual Restriction of the Six Relations," "Mutual Restriction of the Eight Trigrams," "Mutual Restriction of the Six Spirits," and "Mutual Restriction of the Twelve Earthly Branches."

卷之四：奇門遁甲陽局，一、二、三。卷之五：奇門遁甲陽局，四、五、六。卷之六：奇門遁甲陽局，七、八、九。卷之七：奇門遁甲陰局，一、二、三。卷之八：奇門遁甲陰局，四、五、六。卷之九：奇門遁甲陰局，七、八、九。卷之十：玄機賦上。卷之十一：玄機賦中。卷之十二：玄機賦下。

Volumes four to nine contain the complete layout of the Shijia Qimen (Time Divination of the Military Science): Volume four lists Yang Dun (Yang遁) one, two, and three; Volume five lists Yang Dun four, five, and six; Volume six lists Yang Dun seven, eight, and nine; Volume seven lists Yin Dun (Yin遁) one, two, and three; Volume eight lists Yin Dun four, five, and six; and Volume nine lists Yin Dun seven, eight, and nine. Nine Yang layouts and nine Yin layouts, each layout covering sixty hours, make up the complete set of four thousand three hundred twenty layouts in the entire book. Volumes ten, eleven, and twelve contain the three sections of the Xuanji Fu (Mysterious Mechanism Essay): upper, middle, and lower parts. These sections are written in the form of a fu (rhetorical essay) with annotations, thoroughly explaining the divination of the eight deities and eight gates, the auspiciousness and usage of military formations, responses to changes, and the calculation of years and destinies.

甲加丙兮龍回首，丙加甲兮鳥跌穴。回首則悅懌易逐，跌穴則顯灼易成。身殘毀兮，乙遇辛而龍逃走；財虛耗兮，辛遇乙而虎猖狂。癸見丁，騰蛇妖矯；丁見癸，朱雀投江。生丙臨戊天遁用兵，開乙臨己地遁安墳，休丁遇太陰人遁安營。庚臨日干伏干格，日干臨庚飛干格。庚臨值符伏宮格之名，值符臨庚飛宮格之說。大格庚臨六癸，刑格庚臨六己。

The Heavenly Stem Jia (i.e., the Chief Symbol) placed over the Earthly Branch Bing Qi on the Earth Plate is called "Qinglong Looking Back"; when the Heavenly Stem Bing Qi is placed over the Earthly Branch Jia on the Earth Plate, it is called "Fei Niao Die Xue." If "Qinglong Looking Back" occurs, affairs will proceed smoothly and desired outcomes will be easily achieved; if "Fei Niao Die Xue" occurs, matters will be clear and success will be easily attained. A凶兆 indicating injury or destruction of the body is when the Heavenly Stem Yi Qi falls on the Earthly Branch Xin on the Earth Plate, called "Qinglong Running Away"; a凶兆 indicating loss of wealth is when the Heavenly Stem Xin falls on the Earthly Branch Yi Qi on the Earth Plate, called "Baihu Running Wild." When the Heavenly Stem Ji falls on the Earthly Branch Ding Qi on the Earth Plate, it is called "Tengshe Youjiao"; when the Heavenly Stem Ding Qi falls on the Earthly Branch Ji on the Earth Plate, it is called "Zhuqiao Toujiang." When the Life Gate and Bing Qi are both on Wu, it is called "Tian Dun," suitable for military use; when the Open Door and Yi Qi are both on Ji, it is called "Di Dun," suitable for burial and tomb repair; when the Xiu Men and Ding Qi are both with Taiyin, it is called "Ren Dun," suitable for setting up camps. When the Heavenly Stem Geng falls on the Day Stem on the Earth Plate, it is called "Fu Gan Ge"; when the Day Stem falls on the Heavenly Stem Geng on the Earth Plate, it is called "Fei Gan Ge." When the Heavenly Stem Geng falls on the value symbol's palace on the Earth Plate, it is called "Fu Gong Ge"; when the value symbol falls on the Heavenly Stem Geng on the Earth Plate, it is called "Fei Gong Ge." When the Heavenly Stem Geng falls on the six癸 on the Earth Plate, it is called "Da Ge"; when the Heavenly Stem Geng falls on the six己 on the Earth Plate, it is called "Xing Ge."

時干剋日干乃五不遇而災生，丙奇臨時干名勃格而禍起。三奇得使眾善皆臻，六儀擊刑百凶俱集。太白加熒賊欲來，火入金鄉賊將去。地羅遮障不能前，天網四張無走路。值符宮同天乙位而取，如逢急難宜從值符方下而行。太陰潛形而隱跡，六合遁身而謀議。九天之上揚威武，九地之下匿兵馬。

When the heavenly stem of the hour controls and restrains the day stem, it is called "Wu Bu Yu Shi," indicating calamity will occur. When the Bing qi is placed upon the hour stem, it is called "Bei Ge," indicating sudden misfortune. When the "San Qi" (the Three Marvels: Yi, Bing, and Ding) are exactly placed on the beginning of their corresponding ten-day period, good things will gather. When the "Liu Yi" (Six Instruments) fall into a position where their earthly branch is in conflict with the heavenly stem of the ten-day period, it indicates that various misfortunes will gather together. When the heavenly stem Geng (Tai Bai) is placed upon the earthly stem Bing (Ying Mo) on the earth plate, it is called "Tai Bai Jia Ying Mo," indicating enemy forces are about to attack. When the heavenly stem Bing is placed upon the heavenly stem Geng on the earth plate, it is called "Hu Ren Jin Xiang," indicating enemy forces are about to retreat. The position of the "Di Luo" (Earthly Net) blocks and prevents movement. The position of the "Tian Wang" (Heavenly Net) spreads out on all sides, leaving no way forward. The position of the "Zhi Fu" (Chief Symbol) is where the Tian Yi Gu Ren (Heavenly Nobleman) is located; when using it, both should be considered together. In case of urgent danger, one should depart from the direction below the position of the Zhi Fu. The Tai Yin deity can conceal its form and hide its trail. The Liu He deity can hide within and plan secretly. The position of the Jiu Tian (Nine Heavens) is suitable for displaying strength and setting up an army. The position of the Jiu Di (Nine Earths) is suitable for hiding and concealing troops.

倘三疊之得奇門，若蛟龍之得雲雨。見六合之逢殺局，如虎狼之產羽翼。忌取休囚，防其刑擊，神藏殺沒，方和萬事。皆和反吟伏吟，知是干殃數集；和或奇逢旺相，是為富貴之謀。門逢休開，方協英雄之應。如遇青龍反首，值甲乙之妙詳；若逢白虎猖狂，見庚辛凶之禍端。若見騰蛇夭矯，知壬癸之崢嶸；若遇朱雀投江，管丙丁之妖怪。若見飛鳥跌穴，便云百事皆神；貴人登壇，管取九宮俱慶。

If the Three Marvels, auspicious door, and auspicious deity all overlap and gather in the same palace, it is like a dragon receiving clouds and rain, and nothing will be unprofitable. If the deity of Liu He falls into a harsh and killing situation, it is like giving wings to tigers and wolves, making the calamity even worse. When performing an action, the most to be avoided is when the door and star fall into a weak and confined state, and one must also be cautious of the Six Instruments causing mutual punishment; only when the auspicious deity is hidden and the malevolent forces are absent can all things proceed smoothly. Whenever there is a reverse chant or hidden chant situation, one should know that calamities will follow one after another. If the Three Marvels also happen to be in a prosperous and strong state, then it is a good plan for seeking wealth and honor. When the door encounters the Xiu Men and Open Door, it corresponds to thesympathetic response of heroes establishing great achievements. If one encounters "Wu" (Azure Dragon returning its head), one should carefully examine its subtle relationship with Jia and Yi wood; if one meets "White Tiger Rampant," it is the beginning of calamity brought by Geng and Xin metal. If one sees "Teng She Strange and Mischievous," one should know that it is壬 and癸 water causing trouble; if one encounters "Zhu Que Throwing Himself into the River," it refers to the strange phenomena caused by Bing and Ding fire. If one sees "Flying Bird Falling into a Nest," one can say that all matters will be as if aided by divine forces; if one also meets the Nobleman ascending the altar (the Chief Symbol being in a favorable position and in command), then all nine palaces will be filled with auspiciousness.

陰陽二遁分順逆，一氣三元人莫測。五日都來換一元，接氣超神為準的。吉門仍又合三奇，大概須云百事宜。其間倘或多凶吉，一篇未足究精微。三奇得使誠可取，乙歸犬馬丙鼠猴，六丁玉女騎龍虎。又有三奇游六儀，號為玉女守門時。凡作陰私和合事，請君但向此中推。

The Yin Dun and Yang Dun systems are arranged in reverse and forward order respectively. Each solar term is divided into three parts: upper, middle, and lower. The changes within these parts are difficult for ordinary people to predict. Every five days, a new part is entered, and the transition between parts is determined by "Chao Shen" and "Jie Qi." If a favorable gate coincides with the Three Marvels, it can generally be said that everything will be favorable. However, there are still many instances where good and bad intermingle, and a single verse of song cannot fully capture its subtleties. The concept of "Three Marvels obtaining the commander" is indeed valuable: the Yi Qi should fall on the first days of the Jia Xu (dog) and Jia Wu (horse) decades; the Bing Qi should fall on the first days of the Jia Zi (rat) and Jia Shen (monkey) decades; and the Ding Qi (Ling DING Jade Maiden) should fall on the first days of the Jia Chen (dragon) and Jia Yin (tiger) decades. There is also a situation where the Three Marvels move over the Six Instruments, known as "Jade Maiden guarding the gate." For matters such as secret affairs or matchmaking, one should refer to these configurations for guidance.

就中伏吟為最凶，天上蓬加地上蓬。二蓬若在天英上，須知便是反吟宮。假饒吉宿得奇門，萬事皆凶不堪使。六儀擊刑為大凶，甲子值符愁向東。戌刑在未申在寅，寅巳辰辰午刑午。三奇入墓可推詳，乙日哪堪見未時。丙丁入火火墓戌，此時諸事不須為。更嫌六乙來臨二，丙丁臨六亦如之。又有時干入墓中，課中時下忌相逢。乙未壬辰兼丙戌，辛丑都來盡是凶。

Among all the evil patterns, "伏吟" is the most ominous. Its characteristic is when the Heaven Plate's Tianpeng Star is placed over the Earth Plate's Tianpeng Star (the Heaven and Earth plates are completely overlapping). If this Tianpeng Star moves to the Tianying Star's original palace (the ninth palace of Li, Fire), then it becomes a "Reverse Chant" palace (a star placed in its opposite palace). In such cases, even if auspicious stars are combined with the Three Marvels and favorable gates, everything remains ominous and should not be used. "Six Instruments hitting the crime" is also a major evil: when Jiazi (戊) is the Chief Symbol, it is most dangerous if it falls into the eastern third palace of Zhen (Thunder). The rules for the Earthly Branches' mutual punishment are: Xu (戌) is punished by Wei (未), Shen (申) is punished by Yin (寅), Yin (寅) is punished by Si (巳), Chen (辰) self-punishes with itself, and Wu (午) self-punishes with itself. "Three Marvels entering the tomb" should also be carefully considered: the Yi Marvel belongs to Yin Wood, and it is not suitable if it falls in the hour of Wei (未), which is the Wood Tomb. The Bing and Ding Marvels belong to Fire, and Fire's tomb is in Xu (戌); if they fall into Xu, nothing should be done. It is especially dangerous if the Yi Marvel falls into the second palace of Kun (坤) (the position of Wei and Shen), or if Bing and Ding fall into the sixth palace of Qian (乾) (the position of Xu and Hai). Additionally, there is "the hour stem entering the tomb," which is most dangerous during the arrangement of the layout when the hour stem meets its tomb position—when the combinations of the following stem-branch pairs appear together, they are all ominous: Yiwei, Renchen, Bingxu, and Xinchou.

五不遇兮龍不精，號為日月損光明。時干來剋日干上，甲日須知時忌庚。乙忌辛兮丙忌壬，丁忌癸兮戊忌甲。奇與囚兮共太陰，三般難得總來臨。若教得二皆為目，學損行藏得遂心。天乙之人所在宮，大將直居擊對沖。假如值符居離九，天英坐取擊天蓬。甲乙丙丁戊陽時，神居天上要君知。坐擊須向天上奇，陰如地下亦同之。

The so-called "five unpropitious times" refers to a situation where the useful god is no longer effective, just like the sun and moon losing their light. The condition for this is when the stem of the hour controls the stem of the day: for a Jia day, a Geng hour is unfavorable; for a Yi day, a Xin hour is unfavorable; for a Bing day, a Ren hour is unfavorable; for a Ding day, a Gui hour is unfavorable; and for a Wu day, an Jia hour is unfavorable. It is rare to have all three of the three marvels, six instruments, and the Taiyin deity together; if one can obtain any two of them, then whether advancing, retreating, moving, or concealing, everything can be achieved as desired. The palace where the Tianyi Nobleman (the chief symbol) is located is where the general should be stationed, and the target for attack should be its opposite palace. For example, if the chief symbol is in the ninth palace of Li (Fire), then one should be stationed in the palace of Tianying Star (Li palace), and attack the opposite palace of Tianpeng (the first palace of Kan). For the five yang hours of Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, and Wu, the useful god is located on the Heaven Plate, and this must be remembered: both staying and attacking should be based on the three marvels on the Heaven Plate; when it is a yin hour, the same principle applies but one should refer to the Earth Plate instead.

若見三奇在五陽，便宜為主自強高。忽然遇著五陰上，利宜為客好推詳。值符九天可陳兵，九地伏藏誠可憑。伏兵但向太陰位，唯有六合可逃形。天地人分三遁尋，天遁日精華蓋臨。地遁月精紫微蔽，人遁當知是太陰。生門六丙臨六戊，此為天遁是分明。開門六乙臨六己，地遁如斯而已矣。休門六丁合太陰，欲識人遁莫過此。要知三遁何所宜，形藏影隱斯為美。

If the Three Marvels appear in the five yang hours of Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, and Wu, it is suitable to act as the 'master,' remaining self-reliant and strong while occupying a high position. If, however, the Five Yin hours of Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui suddenly appear, it is suitable to act as the 'guest,' carefully considering and then taking the initiative. The position of the Chief Symbol and Jiu Tian is where you can deploy troops in formation, while the position of Jiu Di is where you can safely hide and conceal. To set up ambushes, choose the direction where Tai Yin is located. If you want to escape or hide, the direction of Liu He is most suitable. For the three types of concealment—Heavenly Concealment, Earthly Concealment, and Human Concealment—each should be sought separately: Heavenly Concealment is the essence of the day, with the aura of Huagai shining upon it; Earthly Concealment is the essence of the moon, with the aura of Ziwu covering it; Human Concealment depends on the power of Tai Yin. When the Life Gate and Bing Marvel coincide at the position of Liu Wu, this clearly indicates Heavenly Concealment. When the Open Door and Yi Marvel coincide at the position of Liu Ji, Earthly Concealment is evident. When the Xiu Men and Ding Marvel meet Tai Yin, this is the most accurate indication of Human Concealment. If one asks what these three types of concealment are suitable for, their secret lies in concealing traces and hiding shadows.

庚為太白丙熒惑，庚丙相加誰會得。六庚加丙白入熒，六丙加庚熒入白。白入熒兮賊即來，熒入白兮賊欲隔。丙為勃兮庚為格，格則不通勃亂逆。庚加六甲為伏干，甲加六庚飛干格。庚加值符天乙伏，值符加庚天乙飛。加一宮兮戰在野，同一宮兮戰國中。庚加癸兮為大格，加己為刑大不宜。加壬之時為小格，格嫌歲月日時移。

Heavenly Stem Geng Metal is compared to Tai Bai Star, and Heavenly Stem Bing Fire is compared to Ying Huo Star. The principle of combining Geng and Bing is not well understood by many. When the Heaven Plate Geng is added to the Earth Plate Bing, it is called "White enters Ying"; when the Heaven Plate Bing is added to the Earth Plate Geng, it is called "Ying enters White." If "White enters Ying" occurs, it indicates enemy troops are about to arrive; if "Ying enters White" occurs, it indicates enemy troops will retreat and be isolated. Bing represents "paradox," and Geng represents "obstruction": obstruction means roads are blocked and affairs are hindered, while paradox means disorder in rules and affairs are reversed. When the Heaven Plate Geng is added to the Earth Plate Li (Day Stem), it is called "hidden stem obstruction"; when the Heaven Plate Li (Day Stem) is added to the Earth Plate Geng, it is called "flying stem obstruction." When the Heaven Plate Geng is added to the Earth Plate value symbol palace, it is called "Heavenly Master hidden palace"; when the Heaven Plate value symbol is added to the Earth Plate Geng, it is called "Heavenly Master flying palace." When Geng and the value symbol are in adjacent palaces, it indicates warfare in the border areas; when they are in the same palace, it indicates warfare within the country. When the Heaven Plate Geng is added to the Earth Plate Gui, it is called "great obstruction"; when added to the Earth Plate Ji, it is called "punishment obstruction," both being very unfavorable; when added to the Earth Plate Ren, it is called "minor obstruction." Whenever such patterns occur, they are also feared to affect the year, month, day, and hour stems and branches, causing the ominous signs to spread and intensify layer by layer.

更有一般時格者，六庚慎勿加三奇。此局若還行師去，匹馬隻輪無返期。六癸加丁騰蛇矯，六丁加癸雀入水。六辛加乙虎猖狂，六乙加辛龍逃走。諸君四是曰凶神，凡事遇之宜不平。丙加甲兮鳥跌穴，甲加丙兮龍回首。只此二者是吉神，為事加吉十八九。

There is also a type called "Shi Ge" which states that the six Geng cannot be placed above the three marvels. If an army moves under such a situation, it will result in "not even a single horse or wheel can return." When the heaven plate six Gui is placed over the earth plate Ding qi, it is called "Teng Sha Yao Jiao"; when the heaven plate six Ding is placed over the earth plate Gui, it is called "Zhu Que Tou Jiang"; when the heaven plate six Xin is placed over the earth plate Yi, it is called "Bai Hu Chang Wang"; and when the heaven plate six Yi is placed over the earth plate Xin, it is called "Qing Long Tao Zou." Remember, these four are all consideredInauspicious Spirit, and any affair encountering them will be troublesome. When the heaven plate Bing is placed over the earth plate Jia, it is called "Fei Niao Die Xue"; and when the heaven plate Jia is placed over the earth plate Bing, it is called "Qing Long Hui Hou." These two are considered吉神, and using them for affairs will result in success most of the time.

八門若遇休開生，諸事遇之總稱情。傷宜捕獵終須獲，杜好逃遮更隱形。景士投書與破陣，死唯遊獵葬埋宜。試問驚門何所益，捕捉公庭較是非。蓬任沖輔禽陽星，英芮柱心陰宿益。輔禽心星為大吉，沖任小吉未全亨。大凶蓬芮不堪遇，小凶英柱在中宮。大凶無氣交為小，小凶有氣亦丁憂。吉宿更能逢旺相，萬舉萬全功必成。

Among the eight gates, if one encounters the Xiu Men, Open Door, and Life Gate, all affairs will go smoothly and as desired. The Shang Men is suitable for hunting and pursuing, and eventually there will be a sure reward. The Du Men is appropriate for fleeing and hiding, and can also conceal one's traces. The Jing Gate is suitable for scholars to submit memorials and strategies, as well as for charging into battle. The Death Door is only suitable for hunting and funeral rites. As for the Jing Door, it is suitable for capturing thieves and contesting cases in court. The stars Tianpeng, Tianren, Tianchong, Tianfu, and Tianqin are yang stars, while Tianying, Tianrui, Tianzhu, and Tianxin are yin stars. The three stars Tianfu, Tianqin, and Tianxin are great auspicious stars, while Tianchong and Tianren are minor auspicious stars, not yet fully prosperous. The great凶 stars are Tianpeng and Tianrui, which should be avoided. The minor凶 stars are Tianying and Tianzhu, as well as the one located in the Central Palace. If the great凶 stars lose their strength, their harmful nature is reduced to that of minor凶 stars. If the minor凶 stars gain strength, they will still bring misfortune. If auspicious stars meet the prosperous and strong condition, then everything will be successful and secure.

洛書九宮，奇宮之祖。上法九宮，下應九州，中建八門，以例八卦氣。卦統三氣（五日為一候，六十時換一局，十五日為三氣計，一百八十時保一節），每氣分三候（五日為一候，則一氣計三候矣）。

The nine palaces of the Luo Writing form the original basis of the Qi Men palace system. It is derived from the nine star fields in the heavens and corresponds to the nine regions on earth. In the middle, eight gates are arranged to match the energies of the Eight Trigrams. Each trigram oversees three solar terms. Originally noted: five days make a period, sixty hours make a unit, fifteen days constitute three phases, and one hundred and eighty hours form a solar term. Each solar term is further divided into three periods. Originally noted: five days make a period, so one solar term consists of three periods. Thus, the Eight Trigrams, the twenty-four solar terms, and the seventy-two periods are nested within each other, forming the time framework for Qi Men layout.

自冬至陽生起坎一宮，坎、艮、震、巽四卦統氣十二候，分三十六局，計五百四十，為陽遁，故順布六儀（甲子戊、甲戌己、甲申庚、甲午辛、甲辰壬、甲寅癸），逆飛三奇（乙為日奇，丙為月奇，丁為星奇）。自夏至氣降起離九宮，離、坤、兌、乾四卦統氣十二候，分三十六分局，亦五百四十，為陰遁，故逆布六儀，順飛三奇。以九星為值符，加時干布八門。

From the winter solstice when the first yang begins to emerge, the sequence starts at the Kan one palace. The four trigrams Kan, Gen, Zhen, and Xun oversee twelve solar terms and thirty-six climate divisions, totaling thirty-six five-day cycles and five hundred forty hours. This period is known as "Yang Dun." The arrangement of Yang Dun follows a clockwise order of the six instruments: Jiazi is hidden in Wu, Jiaxu is hidden in Ji, Jiashen is hidden in Geng, Jiawu is hidden in Xin, Jiachen is hidden in Ren, and Jiayin is hidden in Gui, proceeding in order of the palaces. Then, the three marvels are arranged in a counterclockwise direction: Yi is the "day marvel," Bing is the "month marvel," and Ding is the "star marvel," proceeding in reverse order of the palaces. From the summer solstice when the first yin begins to descend, the sequence starts at the Li nine palace. The four trigrams Li, Kun, Dui, and Qian also oversee twelve solar terms and thirty-six climate divisions, totaling five hundred forty hours. This period is known as "Yin Dun." The arrangement of Yin Dun is the opposite: the six instruments are arranged counterclockwise, and the three marvels are arranged clockwise. After the Earth Plate is fixed, one of the nine stars is selected as the chief symbol, added to the palace where the hour stem falls, and then the eight gates are sequentially arranged.

九星常為值符用，十時一易，每用加時干是；八門為值使，後定方位為奇。八門常為值使，隨值符亦十時一易，值儀隨時飛轉，以定方位，出奇無窮。五日一元，遇甲己日為氣交，而非甲己則以超接之，即拆局補局之法。

The nine stars are fixed to serve as the Chief Symbol, changing every ten hours (a period of ten hours) by adding them to the palace where the hour stem is located. The eight gates are fixed to serve as the Duty Gate, using their settled direction to determine fortune, misfortune, and the nature of the situation. The eight gates, as the Duty Gate, also change every ten hours along with the Chief Symbol; the Chief Symbol and the Six Instruments move continuously, thus determining directions and producing endless variations. Every five days form a unit, and the day of Jiā or Jǐ is the point where the solar term changes. If the solar term falls on a day that is not Jiā or Jǐ, the method of "exceeding the deity" and "receiving the breath" is used to adjust, which is referred to as the method of breaking the layout and supplementing the layout.

假如庚寅大雪節，自己卯至庚寅已超十二日，是過旬也，餘無再造之理，至此合用閏。閏者，何也？自甲午至戊申十五日重複大雪局奇，惟十七日乙巳方用冬至節上局奇，是謂之接也。自此以後而用接閏之法矣。

For example: If the Gengyin day coincides with the start of the Great Snow solar term, and the symbol head Jimao day to Gengyin day has already advanced by twelve days, exceeding one cycle of ten days, the extra days cannot be placed in another set of calculations. At this point, the method of intercalation is used. What is intercalation? It means repeating the fifteen days from Jiawu day to Wushen day, using again the odd set of the Great Snow solar term (i.e., inserting a set of intercalated odd upper, middle, and lower trigrams), until the seventeenth day Yisi day, when the calculation then begins with the upper trigram of the Winter Solstice solar term. This is called 'receiving the qi'. From then on, this method of 'receiving the qi and intercalation' is used continuously.

超者，超過也。神者，日辰也。接者，承接也。氣者，諸節也。節氣未至而日辰先到，則復節氣為主而超越用未來之節氣，此之謂超。又有節氣已至而日辰未到，則伏辰為主而待日辰至方接承節。蓋其氣來則日辰未至，而奇星常用於前節，此之謂接也。

The term "superior" refers to being ahead or exceeding; "spirit" refers to the day branch (such as Jiazi, Jimao, etc., which are the starting days of the cycle); "receiving" means taking over or continuing; and "energy" refers to each solar term. When the solar term has not yet arrived, but the starting day has come, one does not wait for the solar term to arrive but instead uses the layout of the upcoming solar term in advance. This is called "superior spirit." Conversely, if the solar term has already arrived, but the starting day has not yet come, one waits for the starting day and does not use the new solar term's layout until it arrives. Because although the energy of the solar term has arrived, the starting day has not, the odd door star layout must continue to use the previous solar term's layout. This is called "receiving energy."

如丙午年四月十三日壬申交立夏節，然四月初五日甲子日。甲己是四仲日，已在立夏前九日矣，則合超，超先於甲子日，下用立夏上局奇，己巳後用甲局，此乃先得奇後得節，凡作用取效為速。

For example, on the 13th day of the fourth lunar month in a Bingwu year, the Renshen day coincides with the beginning of the summer solstice. The fifth day of the fourth lunar month is a Jiazi day. The days Jia and Ji fall exactly on the four central branches (Zi, Wu, Mao, You). Since this is nine days earlier than the summer solstice, it should be considered 'superior' (chao shen), meaning that from the Jiazi day on the fifth, the upper yuan of the summer solstice should be used. From the Ji Si day on the tenth onwards, the middle yuan should be used in sequence. This is called 'first obtaining the qi, then the festival'. Whenever this method is used, the effects are particularly quick to manifest.

超神者，謂節氣未至而甲子、己卯、甲午、己酉四上元之符頭先到，則從符頭而行節氣之先上元。如正月初一日立春，而上年十二月二十五日即是甲子。此符頭先至，即以此二十五日甲子作立春上元，至正月初一日乃行中元，故謂之超也。

Another explanation:the so-called「超神」 refers to the situation where the solar terms have not yet arrived, but the four upper beginnings (上元符头) of Jiazi, Jimao, Jiawu, and Jiyou have already arrived. In such cases, the calculation begins with the upper beginning, thus entering the next solar term's upper beginning in advance. For example, the beginning of the year (正月初一) is when the solar term of Start of Spring (立春) arrives, but the day of the previous month, the 25th of December, is Jiazi day, which is the upper beginning. Therefore, the 25th of December is taken as the starting point of the upper beginning for Start of Spring. By the time the beginning of the year arrives, it has already reached the middle beginning (中元). Since the calculation precedes the solar term, it is called 「超」.

接氣者，謂甲子、己卯、甲午、己酉四上元之符頭未到而節氣先到，則候符頭先日方行節氣。如正月初一日立春，而初五方是甲子，此符頭未到，卻以初一至初四仍行大寒下元，至初五方行立春上元。故謂之接也。超有十日止五日，餘仿此。

The concept of "receiving the qi" refers to situations where the four upper beginning days (上元符头) of Jiazi, Jimao, Jiawu, and Jiyou have not yet arrived, but the solar term has already occurred. In such cases, one waits until the day of the upper beginning to switch to the new solar term's pattern. For example, if the beginning of the year (正月初一) coincides with the start of spring (立春), but the day of Jiazi (甲子) is on the fifth day, the upper beginning has not yet arrived. Therefore, from the first to the fourth day, the old pattern of Dahan (大寒) is still used, and only on the fifth day does the new pattern of Lichun (立春) begin. This is called "receiving" because the pattern waits for the solar term to arrive. The maximum number of days that can be exceeded is ten, the minimum is five, and other cases follow the same principle.

陰陽二遁，原洪進速。時未節氣，先到遲時。節氣交未來，超接通玄奧，日未來節先來，今日端然在割裁。雖然節氣已交度，奈何仲日未胚胎。先至節未至，超用未來節氣，有時超起過旬餘，所以積餘成閏，位二至之前有閏奇。

The Yin Dun and Yang Dun systems originally differ in their speed of progression. Sometimes the hours precede the solar terms, and sometimes they lag behind. The adjustment between the solar terms and the intercalation is entirely dependent on the mysterious method of "exceeding the divine" and "receiving the qi." If the day of the symbol head has not yet arrived but the solar term has, or if the symbol head arrives first while the solar term has not, the choice of which section to use depends on the judgment made. Although the solar term has already reached the required degree, if the day of the symbol head, which is one of the four cardinal days, has not yet appeared, it must be waited for. Conversely, if the symbol head arrives first while the solar term has not, the section of the upcoming solar term is borrowed in advance. Sometimes the exceeding goes beyond ten days, and the extra days accumulate, requiring the method of intercalation. Therefore, a set of intercalary days is set before the winter solstice and summer solstice.

此時疊積累乘之陽極陰終無定數，因立此閏畢。其餘起法者，於逐年芒種節上，於大雪前尋之。蓋緣芒種節後是夏至，則儀逆奇順；大雪之後是冬至，則儀順而奇逆，陽順陰逆皆此也。

At this point, the number of days accumulates layer by layer and is multiplied repeatedly. When the yang energy reaches its peak and the yin energy is about to end, there is no fixed number to follow, so the leap qí is established to conclude the cycle. As for where exactly the leap qí should be placed, each year it must be sought either at the time of Mangzhong or before the time of Daxue. The reason is that after Mangzhong comes Xiazhong, and after Xiazhong, the six instruments are arranged in reverse order and the three marvels are flown in the forward direction. After Daxue comes Dongzhi, and after Dongzhi, the six instruments are arranged in the forward direction and the three marvels are flown in the reverse direction. The turning point where yang遁 progresses forward and yin遁 regresses is here, so the leap qí must also be placed before these two turning points.

凡節氣或遇甲子、甲午、己卯、己酉，是甲己謂之正授。若不遇，則以官曆挨究共過幾日星當用第幾局，名曰超接。其造化，每至冬至多是超，至十二三日又日閏也。

Whenever the day of a solar term coincides exactly with Jiazi, Jiawu, Jimao, or Jiyou, meaning the symbolic head of the stem and the solar term align perfectly, this is called "zheng shou." If they do not coincide, one should refer to the official calendar to calculate the difference in days and determine which section to use, which is called "chao shen jie qi." In practice, around the time of the winter solstice, it is mostly "chao shen," and when the difference reaches about twelve or thirteen days, it is time to set an intercalary month.

置閏之法，在芒種、大雪二節之後，冬至、夏至二至之前。他節雖超至十日，不可置閏，然他節亦無至八日九日十日者。

The rule for intercalation is that leap months can only be placed after the solar terms of Mangzhong and Daxue, and before the solstices of Dongzhi and Xiaozhi. Other solar terms, even if they exceed the divine limit by ten days, are not allowed to have intercalation. However, in reality, other solar terms would not exceed by eight, nine, or ten days.

假如康熙五十六年五月十三日丙寅夜子初二刻交夏至節，而十一日甲子即為夏至符頭，已超三日，至十一月二十日庚午寅正時節交冬至節，去符頭甲午日共超七日。

Take an example: In the 56th year of Kangxi, on the 13th day of the fifth lunar month, the day was Bingyin. At the second hour of the night Zi period, the summer solstice was reached. However, the day Jiawu on the 11th was the start of the summer solstice, and the start of the solstice arrived three days earlier than the solstice itself, which is called exceeding the heavenly stem by three days. By the 20th day of the 11th lunar month, at the hour Yin of the day Gengwu, the winter solstice was reached, and the start of the winter solstice had already exceeded the heavenly stem day Jiawu by seven days. This shows that the number of days by which the heavenly stem exceeds increases gradually with the passage of years and months.

至五十七年五月二十四日壬申卯初二度交夏至節，十六日即為甲子上元，乃超過九日矣，宜先於芒種節上置閏。蓋五月初一己酉即為芒種上局，初六日為芒種中局，十一日為芒種下局。至十六日為芒種上中下三局已足矣。

By the twenty-fourth day of the fifth lunar month in the fifty-seventh year of the Kangxi era, on the day of Renshen, the beginning of the second month at the卯 (Mao) degree coincided with the summer solstice. However, the sixteenth day was the Jiazi day of the Upper Yuan, which was nine days ahead. Therefore, the intercalary odd number should be placed first at the Grain in Ear festival. The calculation is as follows: starting from the first day of the fifth lunar month, Jiyou, the Upper Yuan of Grain in Ear began, and on the sixth day, the Middle Yuan began, and on the eleventh day, the Lower Yuan began. By the sixteenth day, the Upper, Middle, and Lower Yuan of Grain in Ear had already been fully arranged. According to the usual practice, the sixteenth day of Jiazi should have transitioned to the Upper Yuan of the summer solstice. However, the actual summer solstice was still nine days away, which was too far.

自十六甲子至二十四壬申，已超九日，為期大遠。故十六日甲子不作夏至上局，而為芒種閏奇上局，二十一日己巳作芒種閏奇中局，二十六日甲戌作芒種閏奇下局。至六月初一日戊寅閏奇方終，六月初二日己卯始得為夏至上局。斯乃謂之接氣。

From the 16th day Jiazi to the 24th day Renshen, it has already exceeded nine days, and the interval is too large. Therefore, the 16th day Jiazi is not considered the beginning of the summer solstice, but instead is changed to the beginning of the "Mangzhong Runchi" (a type of intercalary cycle). The 21st day Jisi is the middle of the "Mangzhong Runchi" cycle, and the 26th day Jiaxu is the end of the "Mangzhong Runchi" cycle. This continues until the first day of the sixth lunar month, Wuyin, when the "Runchi" cycle is completed. On the second day of the sixth lunar month, Jimao, the summer solstice cycle begins officially. This is called "receiving the qi" — using a set of repeated "Runchi" cycles to absorb the extra days, allowing the cycle to fall back in line with the solar term and continue properly.

直至康熙五十八年六月二十三日立秋，而甲子符頭恰當日，是為正授，本日即是陰遁二局。上元至七月初九日庚辰處暑即超一日矣。凡閏奇，三候一終即為接氣，接氣乃換正授，正授漸移乃換超局，超遇九日十日或十一日則仍置閏。

Until the autumn equinox on the 23rd day of the sixth month in the 58th year of the Kangxi era, the Jiazi stem had exactly fallen on that day, aligning perfectly with the solar term. This is called 'zheng shou' or 'correct transmission.' On that day, the Yin Dun second layout was used for the upper yuan. However, by the 9th day of the seventh month when Gengchen met the solar term of Start of Autumn, it had already advanced by one day. The general rule is: when the intercalation method completes three phases (fifteen days), it transitions to 'jie qi' or 'connecting the qi.' After 'jie qi,' it gradually becomes 'zheng shou,' and after 'zheng shou,' it gradually becomes 'chao shen' or 'exceeding the deity.' When 'chao shen' accumulates to nine, ten, or even eleven days, another intercalation is performed. This cycle repeats, ensuring that the layouts and solar terms never become out of sync.