The Yi Jing uses the trigrams Qian and Kun more frequently in its forest of trigrams, and less often refers to the explanation of the trigrams.

《說卦》巽為長女，兌為少女，乃《易林》遇兌則謂為老婦。《旅》之《大壯》云：「獨夫老婦。」獨夫謂震，老婦則兌也。《需》之《剝》云：「老婦無夫。」《剝》通《夬》，《夬》上兌，故曰老婦。又《觀》之《睽》云：「老女無夫。」亦以兌為老女，是與《說卦》反也。至遇巽則謂之少。《同人》之《渙》云：「少齊在門。」《渙》上巽，故曰少齊。

The *Shuo Gua* says that Xun represents the elder daughter and Dui represents the younger daughter. However, the *Yi Lin* refers to Dui as "old woman" whenever it appears. In the *Lv* hexagram changing into *Da Zhuang*, it says "the solitary man and the old woman": "solitary man" refers to Zhen, and "old woman" refers to Dui. In the *Xu* hexagram changing into *Bo*, it says "the old woman without a husband": *Bo* is yin-yang complementary to *Gua*, and *Gua* has Dui as its upper trigram, so it is called "old woman." In the *Guan* hexagram changing into *Kui*, it says "the old woman without a husband," again using Dui to represent the old woman. This is exactly opposite to what is said in the *Shuo Gua*. As for Xun, it is instead called "young." In the *Tong Ren* hexagram changing into *Huan*, it says "the young woman is at the gate": *Huan* has Xun as its upper trigram, so it is called "young woman."

齊卽姜也，《左傳》晉人謂之少齊是也。又《革》之《復》、《觀》之《屯》皆曰少姬，亦皆以伏巽為少，是皆用《大過》象也。《大過》以巽為女妻，兌為老婦也。東漢人不知，詁皆誤，而虞以二應上、以五應初，尤顛倒錯亂。至《易林》以巽為長女、兌為少女，偶有之，甚少也。

"Qi" refers to the Jiang clan. The "Zuo Zhuan" records that the people of Jin referred to someone as "Shao Qi," using this same meaning. Also, the "Gai" hexagram's "Fu" and the "Guan" hexagram's "Zun" both mention "Shao Ji," employing the hidden Xun trigram as "Shao." These instances all use the imagery from the "Da Guo" hexagram: in "Da Guo" hexagram, the second line, "Lao Fu De Qi Nu Qi," uses the lower trigram Xun as the female wife, while the fifth line, "Lao Fu De Qi Shi Fu," uses the upper trigram Dui as the old woman. The Eastern Han scholars did not understand this level, and their interpretations were all incorrect. Yu Fan further explained it by saying that the second line corresponds with the sixth line above and the fifth line corresponds with the first line below, which is especially inverted and confused. As for the "Yi Lin," which follows the "Shuo Gua" and takes Xun as the eldest daughter and Dui as the youngest daughter, there are occasional instances of this, but they are rare.

《易林》《賁》之《否》云：「各樂其類，咸得生處。」是以《否》陰陽相應與分類也。由《易林》推之，《易》《頤》六二象云：「六二征凶，行失類也。」謂三四五皆陰，故曰失類，故曰征凶。由是推《文言》曰各從其類、未離其類，《坤》傳曰乃與類行，《繫辭》云方以類聚，皆以陰陽相遇為類，非如常詁以陰與陰、陽與陽為類也。端木國瑚以對卦為類卦，真深於易詁者也。

The "Yi Lin" commentary on the "Bian" hexagram's "Po" says, "Each finds joy in its own kind, and all find their place for survival." This refers to distinguishing the yao (lines) of the "Po" hexagram based on their yin and yang correspondence as their own kind. Extending from this statement in the "Yi Lin," the "Xiang Zhuan" of the "Yi" hexagram "Yi" says, "The second line is not auspicious for going forward, because it loses its kind." This means that the third, fourth, and fifth lines are all yin, and the second line moving upward encounters only yin, hence it is called "losing its kind," and thus it is said to be "not auspicious for going forward." Further examining the "Wenyan" saying, "Each follows its own kind," and "has not left its kind," as well as the "Tuan Zhuan" of the "Kun" hexagram saying, "It moves with its kind," and the "Xici" saying, "Things are gathered together according to their kind," we can see that all of them regard yin and yang meeting as "kind," rather than the usual interpretation that considers yin with yin and yang with yang as the same kind. Du Mugu Guohu refers to opposite yao in paired hexagrams as "class hexagrams," which truly shows a deep understanding of the interpretation of the Yi.

《易林》不見朋字，疑其有所諱，疑其家諱，而友字則數十見。《兌》象云：「君子以朋友講習。」是《易》於朋友不分也。但《易林》詁朋友，不與荀、虞同。《大有》之《同人》云：「可以享老，樂我嘉友。」謂《同人》二陰與五陽為友也。《解》之《坎》云：「失時無友。」《坎》中爻艮，艮為時，坎失，故曰失時；五陽二亦陽，六爻無相應者，故曰無友。

The entire text of the "Yi Lin" does not contain the character "peng," and I suspect Jiao Yanshou avoided it, perhaps out of family taboo; while the character "you" appears dozens of times. The "Dui" hexagram's "Great Image" says "the superior man acts with friends to discuss and study," showing that the "Zhou Yi" does not distinguish between "peng" and "you." However, the interpretation of friends in the "Yi Lin" differs from that of Xun Shuang and Yu Fan. In the "Tong Ren" hexagram of "Da You," it says "it can be enjoyed in old age, happy with my good friends," referring to the yin of the sixth line of "Tong Ren" and the yang of the fifth line being friends with each other. In the "Jie" hexagram of "Kan," it says "losing the time, no friends": the middle of the "Kan" hexagram produces "Gen," which represents time, and "Kan" has the meaning of falling into a pit, so it is said "losing the time"; the fifth line is yang, and the second line is also yang, with no pair of yin and yang corresponding between the six lines, so it is said "no friends."

又《無妄》之《噬嗑》云：「戴喜抱子，與利為友。」《噬嗑》下震，震通巽，巽為利，故與為友，是又以陽遇陰為友也。無以同性為友者，與類同也。蓋《易》之道如電然，同性則相違，異性則相感，相感者類也，朋友也。陽遇陽、陰遇陰，則相敵相讎而不相友，《革》彖云「二女同居，其志不相得」，《艮》彖云「上下敵應」是也。全《易》大旨畢於斯矣。乃自東漢以來幾兩千年，皆以同性為朋，設無《易林》，誰復知朋友之定詁哉！

The "Wu Wang" hexagram's explanation of "Shi He" says, "Wearing joy and carrying offspring, one associates with benefit." The lower trigram of "Shi He" is Zhen, which connects with Xun, and Xun represents benefit, hence the association with "benefit." This is also about a yang line meeting a yin line as friends. In the "Yi Lin," there is no instance where like lines are considered friends, which is the same principle as mentioned earlier regarding "class." Generally, the principles of the "Zhou Yi" are like electricity: like charges repel, unlike charges attract; those that attract are called "class" and "friends." Yang meeting yang and yin meeting yin will only lead to enmity and hatred, not friendship. The "Ge · Tuang" says, "Two women living together, their aspirations do not harmonize," and the "Gen · Tuang" says, "Opposing responses above and below, they do not associate," which means exactly this. The main idea of the entire "Zhou Yi" is fully contained here. However, since the Eastern Han dynasty, for nearly two thousand years, everyone has regarded like lines as "friends." If there were no "Yi Lin," who would still know the true meaning of the word "friend"?

朋友之詁既定，全《易》之朋友可得言矣。案朋字始見於《坤》彖之西南得朋、東北喪朋。虞翻以月生明於庚，至丁上弦，兌納丁，兌二陽同類為朋，讒馬、荀以陰遇陰為朋之非。豈知陰與陰固不為朋，陽與陽尤不為朋，與馬、荀之陰與陰為朋同也。其它朋解，皆以兌朋為搪塞，絕不知陰陽互為朋友之義。《坤》正伏皆無兌象，胡以月生明至兌丁為穿鑿，只大言嚇人耳，於經義毫未得解也。

The meaning of "friend" has already been established, so all references to "friends" in the entire Zhou Yi can now be explained. The character "朋" first appears in the "Tuan" section of the "Kun" hexagram, which says, "In the southwest, friends are gained; in the northeast, friends are lost." Yu Fan used the theory of stem assignment based on the moon's phases, stating that the moon's initial brightness appears in the direction of Geng, and by the time it reaches the direction of Ding, it becomes a waxing half-moon. Since the trigram Dui is assigned to Ding, and Dui has two yang lines that are similar and gather together, this is called "friend." He also criticized Ma Rong and Xun Shuang for considering two yin lines meeting as "friends," which he considered incorrect. How could he know that not only can yin and yin not be friends, but yang and yang also cannot be friends? In fact, his own theory is just as unsound as Ma Rong and Xun Shuang's idea that yin and yin are friends. Others who discuss "friend" also generally use "Dui represents friend" as an excuse, completely failing to understand the principle that yin and yang are friends with each other. Moreover, the "Kun" hexagram, whether in its main form or hidden form, does not contain the image of Dui. So why should one resort to the fabricated explanation of "the moon's brightness appears in the direction of Geng and the waxing half-moon appears in the direction of Dui"? That is nothing more than grandiose talk, and it does not at all clarify the meaning of the classic text.

案《泰》九二朋亡，得尚于中行，言陽往居五也。《復》彖云朋來無咎，言陽復也。《損》《益》之十朋，亦謂陽也。《蹇》九五之大蹇朋來、《解》九四之朋至斯孚，亦謂陽入陰，是陰以陽為朋也。《豫》九四云大有得，無疑朋盍簪，言陽往居四，得群陰為助而聚合也。《咸》九四之朋從爾思，言初六應九四也，是陽以陰為朋也。至友義，《損》六三云一人行則得其友，言《泰》三往上得二陰為友，是陽以陰為友也。《兌》象云君子以朋友講習，似又以一陰遇二陽為友也。

According to the line Nine in the Second of the hexagram Tai, "Friends vanish, but one gains support from the middle path," it means that the yang line Nine in the Second moves forward to occupy the position of line Six in the Fifth. The line "Friends come without blame" in the hexagram Fu's commentary refers to the return of yang energy. In the hexagram Dun's line Six in the Fifth and the hexagram Yi's line 六二, the term "ten friends of the tortoise" also refers to yang. In the hexagram Jian's line Nine in the Fifth, "Great difficulty, friends come," and in the hexagram Jie's line 九四, "Friends arrive and trust is established," both refer to yang entering into yin, which indicates that yin takes yang as friends. The line 九四 of the hexagram Yu says, "Great gain, without doubt, friends gather like hairpins," meaning that yang moves forward to occupy the fourth position and gains support from the many yin lines, thus gathering together. The line 九四 of the hexagram Xian says, "Friends follow your thoughts," meaning that line 初六 corresponds with line 九四—these two lines indicate that yang takes yin as friends. As for the meaning of "friend," the line 六三 of the hexagram Dun says, "If one person travels, he finds a friend," meaning that in the hexagram Tai's line Nine in the Third, the yang line ascends to the upper position and gains two yin lines as friends, indicating that yang takes yin as friends. The "Great Image" of the hexagram Dui says, "The superior man uses friends to discuss and study," which seems to indicate that one yin line meets two yang lines as friends.

全《易》之朋友既明，《坤》彖之得朋喪朋可得而解矣。蓋陰陽常相求，而坤逆行，自西而南，由《剝》《觀》厯《否》《遯》《姤》，陽日增，故曰得朋。彖傳曰乃與類行，謂逆行而得其類也，《頤》六二行失類是其證，類謂陽也。自東而北，由《夬》《大壯》厯《泰》《臨》《復》，陽遞滅，故曰喪朋。夫朋既喪矣，而《傳》反曰終有慶者，何也？終謂亥，謂坤自東而北，至亥而終也。坤行至亥，陽喪盡矣，乃乾本居亥，純陰與純陽相遇，陰陽合居，天地合德，萬物資始，六子由此出生。

Having clarified the meaning of the concept of friendship in the entire Zhou Yi, the terms "getting friends" and "losing friends" in the Commentary on the Judgment of the Kun hexagram can now be understood. Generally, yin and yang are always seeking each other, but the Kun hexagram moves in the opposite direction. It moves from west to south, passing through the hexagrams Bao (Xu), Guan (You), Pǒ (Shen), Dùn (Wei), and Gòu (Wu), with the yang lines gradually increasing, hence it is said to "get friends." The Commentary on the Judgment says "it goes with its kind," which refers to the Kun hexagram encountering its like while moving in the opposite direction. The line Six in the Second of the Yi hexagram, "moving and losing its kind," serves as the opposite evidence. Here, "kind" refers to yang. Conversely, moving from east to north, passing through the hexagrams Guài (Chen), Da Zhuang (Mao), Tai (Yin), Lin (Chou), and Fu (Zi), the yang lines gradually disappear, hence it is said to "lose friends." Since friends have already been lost, the Commentary on the Judgment says "it finally brings joy," why is that? "Finally" refers to the亥 position, meaning that the Kun hexagram, moving from east to north, reaches the end at亥. When the Kun hexagram reaches亥, all yang has been lost; however, the Qian hexagram originally resides at亥, so pure yin and pure yang meet, yin and yang coexist in one place, the virtue of heaven and earth combine, and all things are thus given their beginning. The six sons, Zhen, Kan, Gen, Xun, Li, and Dui, also emerge from this.

《坤》上六曰：「龍戰于野，其血玄黃。」《文言》曰：「陰凝於陽必戰。」《易林》曰：「陽入陰室，相與合齒。」又曰：「乾坤利貞，乳生六子。」有慶者，慶此也。文孔皆目視消息卦而為之辭 也。此用消息，杭辛齋常言之，特杭必謂陰以陽為朋、陽以陰為友，征之全《易》實不盡然；又謂有慶乃坤行至兌，兌有慶也，豈知有慶乃《兌》九四一爻之象，非兌全旨。此等尖巧之詁，實得虞氏之秘傳，而非《易》之真諦也，故不敢盡從其說。

The Upper Sixth line of the Hexagram Kūn says, "A dragon fights in the fields, its blood is black and yellow." The Wenyan explains, "When Yin accumulates over Yang, there must be a struggle." The Yilin says, "Yang enters the chamber of Yin, and they join together." It also says, "Kun and Qian are favorable in uprightness, giving birth to six sons"—this is referred to as "having a celebration," celebrating precisely this event. King Wen of Zhou and Confucius both saw this hexagram and wrote these words. Using the message hexagram to explain this passage, Hang Xinzhai often mentions it; however, Hang insists that Yin takes Yang as its companion and Yang takes Yin as its friend, dividing them so rigidly that when applying this to the entire Zhouyi, it is not entirely accurate. He also says that "having a celebration" is because Kun reaches Dui, and Dui has joy and celebration—how little he knows that "having a celebration" is merely the image of the ninth line in the fourth position of Dui, not the overall meaning of the Dui hexagram. Such subtle and intricate interpretations are indeed in the secret tradition of Yu Fan, not the true essence of the Zhouyi, so I dare not fully follow his views.

彖曰行、曰終，則非以西南東北相對為義，而以自西而南、自東而北流行為義，故至亥而終有慶。謂陽，言坤行至亥，純陰與純陽相遇，天地合德，故有慶。乃虞氏謂過西北，月又將出庚生明，為有慶。就如虞說，乾盈甲乃有慶耳，出庚胡足言慶？

The Commentary on the Judgment speaks both of "movement" and "completion," indicating that it does not establish meaning by contrasting the Southwest and Northeast directions, but rather by referring to the movement of the Earthly Mother (Kun) from west to south and from east to north. Therefore, when Kun reaches the亥 position, it is said to "complete with celebration." This "celebration" refers to the Yang: when Kun reaches亥, the pure Yin meets the pure Yang, and the virtue of Heaven and Earth combine, hence the celebration. Yu Fan, however, says that after the moon passes the Northwest, it will again reveal the light of a new moon from the direction of Geng. Therefore, it is called "celebration." Even according to Yu Fan's view, the moon should be full at the direction of Jia (Qian's stem assignment) to be called "celebration." Just as a sliver of new moon appears at Geng, it is nowhere near being called "celebration."

《易林》《噬嗑》之《漸》云：「鸋鴂鴟鴞，治成遇災，周公勤勞，綏德安家。」毛傳：「鴟鴞，鸋鴂也。」陸機云：「似黃雀而小，幽州人謂之鸋鴂。」則非惡鳥也。《韓詩》：「鴟鴞所以愛其子者，適以害之。」說周公《鴟鴞》詩意也。依《韓詩》意，則以鴞為梟，《說文》所謂不孝鳥，陸機所謂其子長大還食其母也，故曰愛子適以害之。

The Forest of Divination (Yilin) under the hexagram Zhan (Gradual Progress) in the book Shike says: "The birds Tiji and Chixiao, when governance is completed, encounter calamity; the Duke of Zhou works diligently, ensuring virtue and securing the family." The Mao Transmission explains: "Chixiao is the same as Tiji." Lu Ji's Mao Shi Cao Mu Niao Shou Chong Yu Shu says: "It resembles a yellow sparrow but is smaller; people in Youzhou call it Tiji." According to this, it is not an evil bird. However, the Han Shi says: "The reason why Chixiao loves its young is precisely what harms itself." This is an explanation of the meaning of the poem Chi Xiao from the Book of Songs, Bing Feng, traditionally attributed to the Duke of Zhou. According to the Han Shi's interpretation, it treats "Xiao" as "Xiao," which is the bird described in the Shuowen Jiezi as an unfilial bird, and as the young bird that later eats its mother, as described by Lu Ji. Thus, loving one's children ends up harming oneself.

按《詩·大雅·瞻卬》云有梟有鴟，毛傳：「梟鴟，惡聲鳥。」《魯頌》翩彼飛鴞，毛傳亦訓為惡聲鳥。《巴蜀異物志》：「鵬鴞又名訓狐，一作梟。」是鴞卽梟。然毛傳不訓《鴟鴞》詩之鴞為梟者，以周公不宜以梟喻所親也，《韓》則不然。《易林》云治成遇災，正母被子害之意，故知焦習《韓詩》。

According to the "Book of Poetry, Grand Odes, Zhanying," there is the line "as a screech owl or a crow." The "Mao Transmission" explains that both the screech owl and the crow are birds with unpleasant calls. In the "Lu Songs, Pan Water," there is the line "the flying screech owl flies gracefully," and the "Mao Transmission" also interprets this bird as one with an evil sound. The "Ba-Shu Strange Objects Record" says that the screech owl is also called Xunhu, and is also written as xiao. This shows that "xiao" is the same as "xiao." However, the "Mao Transmission" does not interpret the "xiao" in the poem "Chi Xiao" from the "Bing Feng" section as a screech owl, because the Duke of Zhou could not use the screech owl to metaphorically refer to his closest relative. The "Han Shi" does not consider this. The "Yi Lin" says "after achieving success, a disaster occurs," which means the mother bird is harmed by the young bird. From this we can know that Jiao Yanshou studied the "Han Shi."

凡說《易》，以前後能通為貴。雷風為同聲，山澤為同氣，漢儒無異說也，至當也。然震與巽、艮與兌，皆陰陽相對之卦，而聲氣相同，同則通矣，《文言》所謂旁通也。乃東漢人於此則能解，至《易》遇巽卽言震、遇兌卽言艮，如《大過》九二九五、《鼎》初六、《履》彖之類，則不能解。《易林》，字字步趨《周易》者也，於是後人亦不能解《易林》。

When discussing the Zhou Yi, it is important to connect the beginning and the end. Thunder and wind have the same sound and breath, and mountains and lakes share the same breath. Han scholars had no different views on this, and their explanation was very appropriate. However, Zhen and Xun, Gen and Dui, are pairs of hexagrams where each line is opposite in yin and yang. Yet they share the same sound and breath. Since they are the same, they can be connected with each other. This is what the Wenyan says: "mutual communication." Scholars of the Eastern Han dynasty could understand this, but when they encountered places in the Zhou Yi where the hexagram of Xun is used to explain the image of Zhen, or the hexagram of Dui is used to explain the image of Gen, such as in the second and fifth lines of Da Guo, the first line of Ding, and the Commentary on the Judgment of Liu, they could not understand. The Yi Lin follows the Zhou Yi line by line, so later people could not even understand the Yi Lin.

又異性者始同聲氣，同性者絕不同聲氣。由是推《易》之所謂類、所謂朋友，義皆如此也。《頤》六二象云行失類也，謂三四五皆陰，陰遇陰，故失類。《復》彖云朋來無咎，陰以陽為朋，至為明白矣。乃自東漢以來，皆以陰遇陰、陽與陽為類為朋，豈知與同聲相應、同氣相求義同也。卽所謂各從其類，亦謂陰從陽、陽求陰為類也。姚配中詁失類，顯謂陰遇陰為類，非。

Furthermore, only different elements can be in harmony and communication, and like elements will never be in harmony. From this we can infer that the concept of 'class' and 'friends' in the Zhou Yi are essentially the same. The Image Commentary of line six-two in the Yi hexagram Yi says 'acting against the class,' meaning that lines three, four, and five are all yin, and yin meeting yin, thus 'losing the class.' The Taiji section of the Fu hexagram says 'friends come without blame,' which clearly indicates that yin takes yang as friends. However, since the Eastern Han dynasty, people have regarded yin meeting yin and yang meeting yang as 'class' and 'friends,' which is entirely wrong. They do not realize that this is the same principle as the Wenyan of the Qian hexagram, which says 'like voices respond, like qi seek each other.' Even the phrase 'each follows its class' refers to yin following yang and yang seeking yin as being of the same class. Yao Peizhong's explanation of 'losing the class' clearly treats yin meeting yin as being of the same class, which is incorrect.

先天者，天地自然之法象也。天尊地卑，而盈天地之間皆物，物無不有陰陽，無不有牝牡，相對待於兩大之間，莫之為而為，莫之致而致，故曰先天而天弗違。而先天八卦方位，則專闡明此弗違之理者也。乃乾坤一動則坎離矣，坎離一動則震兌矣。坎離震兌為四時，四時錯行，日月代明，陰陽往來，流行不息，時而少則少，時而壯則壯，老則老，死則死，來往循環，雖天地不能違其例，何況於人，故曰後天而奉天時。而後天八卦方位，則專申明此宜奉天時之故者也。

The concept of "Earlier Heaven" refers to the natural patterns and forms inherent in heaven and earth. Heaven is above and exalted, while earth is below and humble. All things in between heaven and earth contain yin and yang, and there is no distinction without male and female. Two things are in mutual opposition within the great dualities of heaven and earth. Nothing is done by any particular force, yet things naturally come into being; nothing is promoted by any particular force, yet things naturally reach their state. Therefore, the "Commentary on the Literary Meaning of the Qian Hexagram" states, "Before the heavens act, the heavens do not violate." The arrangement of the Earlier Heaven Trigrams is specifically meant to explain this principle of "the heavens not violating." When the Qian and Kun trigrams move, the Kan and Li trigrams are generated. When the Kan and Li trigrams move, the Zhen and Dui trigrams are generated. The Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui trigrams represent the four seasons. The four seasons alternate in their operation, the sun and moon take turns shining, and yin and yang continuously flow and transform. When it is time for youth, youth comes; when it is time for strength, strength comes; when it is time for old age, old age comes; when it is time for death, death comes. This cycle repeats endlessly, and even heaven and earth cannot violate this order. How much less can humans? Therefore, it is said, "After the heavens act, one follows the heavenly timing." The arrangement of the Later Heaven Trigrams is specifically meant to explain the necessity of following the heavenly timing.

乾坤二象，先天也；摩而為八，蕩而為六十四，後天也。乾坤定，卑高陳，貴賤位，先天也；變化見，剛柔斷，吉凶生，後天也。《易》無思也，無為也，寂然不動，先天也；感而遂通，後天也。天命之謂性，銜天也；率性之謂道，後天也。喜怒哀樂之未發，先天也；發而皆中節，後天也。孔子曰性相近，先天也；習相遠，後天也。孟子曰性善，先天也；荀子曰性惡，後天也。《大學》曰明德，先天也；明明德，後天也。

The two fundamental hexagrams, Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth), belong to the Earlier Heaven. When paired with each other, they generate the Eight Trigrams, and through mutual interaction, they form the sixty-four hexagrams, which belong to the Later Heaven. The Great Treatise says, "Qian and Kun are established; the high and low are arranged, and the noble and humble are in their proper places," which belongs to the Earlier Heaven; then it says, "change is evident, yin and yang are divided, and fortune and misfortune arise," which belongs to the Later Heaven. The Great Treatise also says, "The Book of Changes has no thoughts, no actions, and is still and unmoving," which belongs to the Earlier Heaven; "when moved by external influences, it comprehends all things beneath heaven," which belongs to the Later Heaven. The Doctrine of the Mean says, "Heaven's mandate is called nature," which belongs to the Earlier Heaven (the original text "xian tian" should be "xiān tiān"); "to follow nature is the Way," which belongs to the Later Heaven. The Doctrine of the Mean also says, "before joy, anger, sorrow, and joy are expressed," which belongs to the Earlier Heaven; "when expressed, they are all in harmony with the proper measure," which belongs to the Later Heaven. Confucius says, "human nature is similar," which belongs to the Earlier Heaven; "but through habituation, they become distant," which belongs to the Later Heaven. Mencius says, "human nature is good," which belongs to the Earlier Heaven; Xunzi says, "human nature is evil," which belongs to the Later Heaven. The Great Learning says, "bright virtue," which belongs to the Earlier Heaven; "to illuminate bright virtue," which belongs to the Later Heaven.

道家釋家以後天為可畏，必欲盡棄其後天，以返於先天，不奉天時者也。儒家知先天之可貴，修而明之，率而行之，至否泰剝復之屬於後天者，乃天道之自然，陰陽之定理，不惟不畏而避之，且居而安之，則以《易》本如此，天且弗違也。此悟儒之所以與二氏異也。

Daoist and Buddhist schools regard Later Heaven as something terrible and must entirely discard it in order to return to Earlier Heaven. This is not following the way of Heaven. The Confucian school knows the value of Earlier Heaven, so it cultivates it, makes it clear, and practices it according to its innate nature. As for changes belonging to Later Heaven such as the hexagrams of 'Obstruction', 'Prosperity', 'Decrease', and 'Return', these are natural ways of Heaven and certain principles of yin and yang. Confucians not only do not fear or avoid them, but instead dwell in them calmly and at ease, because the Zhou Changes (I Ching) is like this, and even Heaven does not contradict it. This is the difference between our Confucian school and the schools of Buddhism and Daoism (the original text says 'wu ru' which should be 'wu ru').

先天也，後天也，一而二，二而一者也。瞬息卽先天，瞬息卽後天，合之固不能，分之亦不可。此本難以跡象求，然舍邵子之稱天圖、後天圖，則不能得其彷佛矣。只有《易》卽有先天、有後天，伏羲與文王不異也，文王與伏羲無二也，奈之何欲分屬乎？奈之何有先天之學之名，欲專屬之邵子乎？使邵子而祗明先天也，邵子為不知《易》者也。反之，謂《易》有後天無先天者，其於《易》亦可知矣。

The concepts of Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven are one and two, two and one. One moment is Earlier Heaven, the next is Later Heaven. It is wrong to force them into one single entity, and equally wrong to separate them into two distinct parts. This is inherently difficult to grasp through form or appearance. However, if we abandon Shao Yong's diagrams of Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven, we would not even be able to grasp a rough outline. Since the Zhou Changes (I Ching) exists, there has always been the concepts of Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven. Fuxi and King Wen are not different, nor are King Wen and Fuxi different. Why then must they be divided into two schools? Why must there be a specific term 'Learning of Earlier Heaven' and try to attribute it solely to Shao Yong? If Shao Yong only understood Earlier Heaven, then he would not have understood the I Ching. Conversely, those who claim the I Ching contains only Later Heaven and not Earlier Heaven would have a very limited understanding of the I Ching.

東漢人處易象失傳之後，不知先天象，然管輅深疑其有先天，謂後天方位為不合，輅真神於《易》哉！使《易》而無先天方位也，則後天乾坤所處真不合矣，以祗得《易》之半也。輅之言曰：「乾統天，豈容有別位也。」又曰：「《易》之道，水火而已。」彼夫先天象，乾上坤下，水火在中，正與輅言合也。

During the Eastern Han dynasty, people were already unaware of the Earlier Heaven patterns since the images of the I Ching had been lost. However, Guan Lu deeply suspected that the Earlier Heaven should exist, believing that the Later Heaven directional arrangement made no sense. Guan Lu can truly be said to have mastered the principles of the I Ching! If the I Ching indeed lacked the Earlier Heaven arrangement, then the positions of the trigrams Qian and Kun in the Later Heaven would indeed be illogical, as that would only account for half of the I Ching. Guan Lu said, "Qian governs the heavens; how could there be another separate position for it?" He also said, "The principles of the I Ching are merely water and fire." The Earlier Heaven trigram arrangement has Qian on top and Kun below, with Kan water and Li fire positioned to the east and west respectively, which exactly matches Guan Lu's words.

史謂輅輕視何晏、鄧揚、鍾毓諸人，為不知《易》，並謂晏說《易》美而多偽。由是觀之，輅之於《易》，東漢人不惟遜其學，能喻其言者蓋亦寡也。嗚呼！古之人不知先天象，疑其有而苦求之；乃後之人既已知之，謂為妄而排擯之，則其意固不在於經學之是非，而在黨爭之勝敗。《易》曰有孚失是，夫至於失是而不惜也，尚何言學乎？

Historical records state that Guan Lu looked down upon He Yan, Deng Yang, and Zhong Yu, believing they did not understand the Book of Changes. He also said that He Yan's interpretation of the Book of Changes was eloquent but full of falsehoods. From this, we can see that Guan Lu's study of the Book of Changes was such that not only were the scholars of the Eastern Han dynasty inferior to him in learning, but those who could even understand his words were probably few. Alas! Ancients did not know the images of the Earlier Heaven, yet they doubted their existence and pursued them anxiously; later people, who had already understood them, instead called them absurd and rejected them. Thus, their intentions were not concerned with the correctness or incorrectness of the classics, but with the victory or defeat of their own factional struggles. The upper ninth line of the hexagram "Not Yet Completed" says, "With sincerity, one loses the right path" (although sincere, one loses the correct way). When a person has reached the point of no longer caring about right and wrong, what use is there in talking about learning?

陰陽遇為類。《否》上乾下坤，《泰》上坤下乾，又泰極而否，否極而泰，反覆無窮，故曰反其類。言在《泰》則干與坤為類，在《否》則坤與乾為類，乾坤上下當相反覆也。此與《文言》不離其類，自來說者皆模糊影響，不詁其所以然，則誤以陰與陰為類之蔽也。

Yang and Yin meeting together is called "li." The hexagram "Pu" has the upper trigram Qian (Heaven) and the lower trigram Kun (Earth), while the hexagram "Tai" has the upper trigram Kun and the lower trigram Qian. Moreover, when Tai reaches its extreme, it turns into Pu, and when Pu reaches its extreme, it turns into Tai, thus continuing endlessly. Therefore, the "Zagua Zhuan" says, "Pu and Tai reverse their kinds." This means that in the hexagram Tai, Qian takes Kun as its kind, and in the hexagram Pu, Kun takes Qian as its kind. The positions of Qian and Kun should be reversed and exchanged. This sentence is similar to the phrase "Bu li qi lei" in the "Wenyan" of the hexagram Qian. However, throughout history, commentators have been vague and speculative, unable to explain clearly. The problem lies in mistakenly considering Yin and Yin as the same kind.

乾陽上升，坤陰下降。天者陽，地者陰。本乎天者親上，言凡為陽者必上升，如干二升坤五是也；本乎地者親下，言凡屬陰者必下降，如坤五下居乾二是也。親上者由下而上，故下少上老，此《大過》所以以巽為女妻、以兌為老婦也；親下者由上而下，故上少下老，此《頤》對《大過》，所由以艮為士夫、以震為老夫也。而皆為《易林》之所本。又上升者順，下降者逆，《易林》謂乾順行、坤逆行，亦本此也。

Heaven's yang energy rises upward, while Earth's yin energy descends downward. Heaven belongs to yang, and Earth belongs to yin. The "Wenyan" section of the Qian hexagram says, "Those originating from Heaven are close to above," meaning that all yang elements necessarily rise, for example, the Nine in the Second position of Qian rising to the Fifth position of Kun. It also says, "Those originating from Earth are close to below," meaning that all yin elements necessarily descend, for example, the Six in the Fifth position of Kun descending to the Second position of Qian. "Being close to above" refers to movement from below to above, so the younger below and the older above—this is why the Daguover hexagram takes the lower trigram Xun as "woman-wife" and the upper trigram Dui as "old woman." "Being close to below" refers to movement from above to below, so the younger above and the older below—this is why the Yiqi hexagram, which is the opposite of Daguover, takes the upper trigram Gen as "scholar-man" and the lower trigram Zhen as "old man." These are the bases for the imagery used in the Yilin. Furthermore, rising is considered smooth, while descending is considered reverse. The Yilin says that Qian moves smoothly and Kun moves in reverse, based on this principle.

乃學者於親上親下之旨多知之，至乾順坤逆則知之者鮮；順行者下少上老，敢行上少下老，則知之者尤鮮。後惟俞樾說震起艮止云：「陽始於下而極於上，故震起艮止。」說兌見巽伏云：「陰始於上而極於下，故兌見巽伏。」又云：「冬至之日，一陽自地而升；夏至之日，陰自天而降。此陽升陰降之定理也。」案陽升陰降，卽乾順坤逆，卽親上親下也。俞氏自謂發前人所未發，豈知東漢人誠不知，若西漢焦氏則知之悉也。然俞氏之《易貫》，所獲多矣，惟俞氏仍不能以此理推及於《大過》也，何哉？

But scholars generally understand the meaning of 'qin shang' and 'qin xia', but few know about the 'Qian' moving in a forward direction and 'Kun' moving in a reverse direction. Even fewer understand that the forward direction involves the lower part being young and the upper part being old, while the reverse direction involves the upper part being young and the lower part being old. Later, only Yu Yue explained the 'Zha Gua' saying 'Zhen qi Gen zhi' as: 'Yang rises from below to reach the top, so Zhen is movement and Gen is stillness.' He also explained 'Dui xian Xun fu' as: 'Yin begins from above and reaches the bottom, so Dui is manifestation and Xun is concealment.' He further said: 'On the winter solstice, one yang rises from beneath the earth; on the summer solstice, yin descends from above. This is the fixed principle of yang rising and yin descending.' Yang rising and yin descending correspond to Qian moving forward and Kun moving backward, which is 'qin shang' and 'qin xia'. Yu Yue believed he had discovered something new, but he did not realize that although people in the Eastern Han dynasty did not understand this, Jiao Yanshou in the Western Han dynasty fully understood it. However, Yu Yue's 'Yi Guan' has already gained much, though he was still unable to extend this principle to the 'Da Guo' hexagram. Why was that?

此其義，自來說者皆不能明，則以不知「類」字之確詁也。類說見前。未離其類者，言陰陽相遇方為類；既為類，卽相合而不能相離，故凝而為血。血者，坎也。坎得乾之中爻而居坤中，陰牝陽，乾流坤，合而不分，故又曰「天地之雜」。《說文》：雜者，合也。言此血非乾非坤，亦乾亦坤。震之生由於血，血之凝由於類。設離其類而為純陽純陰也，則出震無由矣。

The "Kun · Wenyan" says, "It has not yet separated from its kind, hence it is called blood." The meaning of this sentence has always been unclear to those who interpret the Book of Changes, the problem lying in not understanding the precise meaning of the character "类." Regarding the explanation of "类," see the previous text. What is meant by "not yet separated from its kind" is that yin and yang meet to form a kind; once it has become a kind, they combine and cannot be separated, thus coagulating into blood. Blood is the image of Kan — Kan is formed when the middle line of Qian falls into Kun. Yin takes yang as its female counterpart, and the yang of Qian flows into Kun, combining without separation, so the "Wenyan" of Kun also calls it "the mixture of heaven and earth." The "Shuowen Jiezi" explains "杂" as "combination." This blood does not belong to Qian or Kun, yet it is both Qian and Kun. The generation of Zhen is due to blood, and the coagulation of blood is due to its kind; if it were to separate from its kind and become pure yang or pure yin, then the sprouting of the Zhen image would be impossible.

雜卦之語，有不以先後天卦位萬不能解者。如「大畜，時也」，凡卦皆有時義，豈祗大畜？後儒強說，如何通說？時者，時而先天則居戌亥，時而後天則乾居戌亥，故曰時。而天山則為遯，遯則退也。以退詁卦名則可，然卦名從卦象生，卦象乾健艮止，胡有退義？退者，言天山先後天皆退居戌亥也。戌亥數無，幽潛無用之地。《後漢·杜林傳》「上下相遯」，遯者隱也，同退隱於西北也。

In the "Zagua Zhuan," some statements cannot be fully understood without reference to both the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven systems of hexagram positions. For example, the phrase "Da Xu, Shi ye" (Great Accumulation, timing) refers to the hexagram Da Xu. Which of the sixty-four hexagrams does not have the meaning of "time"? It is not only Da Xu. Later scholars have attempted to explain itwith difficulty, but how can their interpretations be convincing? The term "time" here refers to the hexagram Da Xu, which is composed of the trigrams Qian (Heaven) above and Gen (Mountain) below. In the Earlier Heaven system, Gen is located in the Northwest (Xu Hai), and in the Later Heaven system, Qian is also located in the Northwest (Xu Hai). The same direction changes with the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven systems, hence it is called "time." Furthermore, when Heaven (Qian) and Mountain (Gen) overlap, they form the hexagram Duan (Retreat), and Duan means retreat. Although using "retreat" to explain the hexagram name is acceptable, the hexagram name originates from the hexagram image. The virtue of Qian is strength, and the virtue of Gen is stillness; where is the meaning of "retreat"? The term "retreat" refers to the fact that Qian and Gen both retreat to the Northwest (Xu Hai) in both the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven systems. Xu Hai in terms of numbers is "wu" (nothing), representing a hidden and concealed place where nothing can be applied. The "Hou Han Shu · Du Lin Zhuan" mentions the phrase "shangxia xiang duan," meaning "upper and lower retreat," where "duan" means concealment. Qian and Gen both retreat and conceal themselves in the Northwest.

又曰「困，相遇也」。夫兌坎胡有遇義？說者謂為剛柔相遇，凡卦有陰陽爻者皆可以此為說，其不當可知。相遇者，言兌坎先後天相遇於西方也。又如「節，止也」「中孚，信也」，皆於卦象無關，亦謂水澤同止於西，如符節之合；風澤同居東南，不失信也。又如「大有，眾也」「同人，親也」，夫一陰五陽之卦多矣，胡以獨此謂之眾、謂之親？則以天火同居於南，同居故親，猶水地比於北也；同居勢眾，猶地水之謂師也。

The *Zagua Zhuan* also says, "The *Gen* hexagram signifies meeting." The *Gen* hexagram has Dui above and Kan below. How can Dui and Kan themselves imply "meeting"? Some people explain it as the meeting of yang lines and yin lines, but this explanation applies to any hexagram with both yin and yang lines, which clearly is not appropriate. The term "meeting" refers to the fact that Dui and Kan both appear in the west in both the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven systems: in the Earlier Heaven system, Kan is located in the west, and in the Later Heaven system, Dui is located in the west. Similarly, "Jie" means "to stop," and "Zhongfu" means "trust." These meanings are not evident from the hexagram images themselves, but they must be explained through the concept of position. The *Jie* hexagram has Kan above and Dui below; water and marsh both stop in the west, like the two halves of a seal coming together. The *Zhongfu* hexagram has Xun above and Dui below; wind and marsh both reside in the southeast (in the Earlier Heaven system, Dui is in the southeast, and in the Later Heaven system, Xun is in the southeast), and thus they maintain their trust. Similarly, "Dayou" means "many," and "Tongren" means "to be close." There are many hexagrams with one yin line and five yang lines, yet only these two are said to be "many" and "close." This is because Heaven (Qian) and Fire (Li) both reside in the south—in the Earlier Heaven system, Qian is in the south, and in the Later Heaven system, Li is in the south—so they reside together and thus are close, just as water (Kan) and earth (Kun) both reside in the north and are called *Bi*; residing together brings great strength, just as earth and water overlapping is called *Shi*.

以八月為遯者，鄭康成、虞翻也；以八月為否者，荀爽、蜀才也；以八月為觀者，禇仲都也。茲以《易林》決之，則鄭虞說合也。《易林·恆之臨》云：「神之在丑，逆破為咎，不利西南，商人休止。」臨震為神，月卦值丑，而沖丑者未也，故曰逆破，早不利西南。申與未雖皆在西南，然既曰神之在丑，則害丑者未，而非申明矣，酉觀更無涉也。鄭虞說與《易林》合也。

The hexagram statement of 《Lín》 says, "By the eighth month there will be calamity." Those who interpret the eighth month as referring to the hexagram 《Dùn》 are Zheng Xuan and Yu Fan; those who interpret it as referring to the hexagram 《Pǐ》 are Xun Shuang and Shu Cai; and those who interpret it as referring to the hexagram 《Guān》 are Chu Zhongdu. Now, using the 《Jiao's Forest of Changes》 to determine, it is clear that the views of Zheng Xuan and Yu Fan are consistent. The forest statement of 《Héng》 changing into 《Lín》 in 《Jiao's Forest of Changes》 says: "The divine is in the position of Chou, reversed and broken, leading to misfortune, not favorable to the southwest, the Shang people should rest." The second to fourth lines of the hexagram 《Lín》 form the trigram 《Zhèn》, which represents the divine. The hexagram 《Lín》 is in the position of Chou in the twelve-month sequence, and the earthly branch that conflicts with Chou is Wei. Therefore, the forest statement says "reversed and broken," and "not favorable to the southwest." Although Shen and Wei are both in the southwest, since the forest statement says "the divine is in Chou," the one that harms Chou must be Wei, the one conflicting with Chou, not Shen. Therefore, it is clear. As for the hexagram 《Guān》, which is in the position of You, it has nothing to do with this. Thus, the views of Zheng Xuan and Yu Fan are consistent with 《Jiao's Forest of Changes》.

先儒避丑未沖之說，而以遯子弒父、否臣弒君為凶。若然，自姤至剝皆陰消陽，皆凶也，胡獨八月？又先儒數八月，往往糾纏建子、建丑、建寅為說，豈知此自言爻數，與七日來復同。復以一爻為一日，六爻畢，來復則七日矣；臨以一爻為一月，月卦始子復，丑臨為二月，至未遯則八月矣。此泛言爻數消息循環之理。陽爻六，陰爻六，正與十二月律呂相合，故謂之月卦，與某帝王建某辰為正者無涉也。

Previous scholars avoided the idea of the conflict between Chou and Wei, and instead used the hexagram Duan (Avoidance) to explain the son killing the father, and the hexagram Pǐ (Obstruction) to explain the minister killing the king, to interpret the meaning of "fearful." If we follow this approach, from Gòu (Meeting) to Bō (Decline), all represent the decline of yang and should be called "fearful." Why then is it specifically about the eighth month? Moreover, earlier scholars often got entangled in the question of which of the three starting points—Zi, Chou, or Yin—was the correct first month of the Three Dynasties, without realizing that here it is simply about the number of lines. This is the same principle as the statement in the hexagram Fù (Return): "seven days to return." The hexagram Fù uses one line to represent one day, and after six lines are completed, returning to the original hexagram is the seventh day. The hexagram Lín (Approach) uses one line to represent one month, and the twelve-month sequence starts from the hexagram Fù at the Zi position. The hexagram Lín is at the Chou position, representing the second month. Counting up to the hexagram Duan at the Wei position, it is exactly the eighth month. This is merely a general discussion of the cyclical principle of the movement of lines. The six yang lines and the six yin lines correspond exactly to the six laws and six lutes of the twelve months, so it is called the "month hexagram." It has nothing to do with which dynasty's ruler took which zodiac sign as the first month.

後儒解此者，謂乾二上變為革，然此與九四何涉？又有以乾坤交成否泰為說者，其無理與二上變同。夫乾道至四而革者，因乾貞子午，陽盡午中，而四正值午，言陽道至此終，而陰始用事也，仍消息卦之理也。先儒避丑未沖之說，故說八月有凶永不能通；避納甲之說，故解此句亦永不能合。豈知干甲坤乙、震庚離己，經並未諱言也。

The Wenyan of the Qian hexagram, at line nine in the fourth position, says, "The way of Qian leads to change." Later interpreters have said that the change of the second line and the top line of the Qian hexagram forms the hexagram of Ge (Change), but how is this related to line nine in the fourth position? Others have explained it by saying that the interaction of Qian and Kun forms the hexagrams of Bo (Obstruction) and Tai (Great Exceeding), but this explanation is just as unreasonable as the previous one. The change of the way of Qian at the fourth line is because the yao (lines) of the Qian hexagram are associated with the twelve zodiacal hours, with the first line associated with Zi and the fourth line associated with Wu. Yang energy reaches its peak at Wu and then ends, and since the fourth line is at Wu, it is said that the way of Yang ends here and the way of Yin begins. This is still the principle of the twelve message hexagrams. Earlier scholars avoided the idea of the conflict between Chou and Wei, so their explanation of the sentence "There is misfortune in August" in the hexagram of Lin (Approaching) never made sense. They also avoided the concept of Na Jia (stem assignment), so their explanation of this sentence never fit. They do not realize that Qian is assigned the stem Jia, Kun is assigned the stem Yi, Zhen is assigned the stem Geng, and Li is assigned the stem Ji. The classics of the Yi (such as the Gu (Guilt) hexagram which mentions "before and after Jia," the Xun (Wind) hexagram which mentions "before and after Geng," and the Ge (Change) hexagram which mentions "on the day of Ji, trust is established") do not avoid mentioning these explicitly.

乾坤坎離頤大過中孚小過八卦，正覆不變，而聖人卽使之相對，此示人以本象對象常相通也。《文言》曰「旁通情也」，情者感也，言陰陽常相感而不能相離。《繫辭》云「齊大小者存乎卦」，言本卦陽少，對象必多，惟陰亦然。又曰「鉤深索隱」，言顯於此者必伏於彼。故既濟其顯，尚須察其隱。全易之辭，如此者甚多，而漢儒察見者少，此《易林》之所以獨異也。

The eight hexagrams 乾, 坤, 坎, 离, 颐, 大过, 中孚, and 小过, when viewed upside down, appear the same as their original form. Therefore, the sage arranged them in pairs facing each other. This indicates that the image of the primary hexagram and its corresponding hexagram (the one formed by reversing each line) often connect with each other. The Wenyan section of the Qian hexagram says, "Six lines unfold, and the meaning is communicated through mutual connection," where "meaning" refers to feeling or response, indicating that yin and yang constantly respond to each other and cannot be separated. The Xici section says, "The distinction between large and small lies within the hexagram," meaning that if the primary hexagram has few yang lines, its corresponding hexagram must have many yang lines, and the same applies to yin lines. The Xici section also says, "Delve deeply and seek the hidden," meaning that whatever is evident on one side must be concealed on the other. Therefore, once the visible aspect is understood, one must also examine the hidden aspect. There are many instances in the Yijing's hexagram line statements where this occurs, but few Han dynasty scholars noticed this. This is the unique contribution of the Jiao's Forest of Changes.

除上列八列外，餘五十六象，正為一卦，覆為一卦，而實一體，故祗二十八卦。聖人必使此一正一覆相次者，卽示人以覆象也。乃漢儒於易用覆之語，察見者尤少，此《易林》之所以獨異也。

In addition to the eight trigrams that remain unchanged when viewed upright or inverted, the remaining fifty-six trigrams appear as one when viewed upright and another when viewed inverted. In reality, they belong to the same trigram structure, so there are actually only twenty-eight distinct trigram forms. The sages deliberately arranged each trigram and its inverted counterpart together, indicating that people should use the 'inverted image' or 'reversed trigram' to derive meanings. However, Han dynasty scholars noticed very few instances of the use of inverted trigrams in the Book of Changes, which is precisely what makes the Jiao's Forest of Changes unique.

困傳云「剛掩也」，言剛皆為陰爻所掩也。故井彖云「往來井井」，言往來皆坎窞也，並大坎言也。又上經終坎離，先之以頤大過，頤離，大過坎；下經之中孚小過亦然。乃漢人於易卦爻辭用大象者，概未察見，此《易林》之所以獨異也。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram Guan says "the yang lines are covered," meaning that all the yang lines are concealed by yin lines. Therefore, the Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram Jing says "coming and going in the well," meaning that movement up and down occurs within the trap of the坎 (water) trigram, which refers to the entire hexagram as a large坎 (water) trigram. Looking further, the Upper Canon ends with the trigrams Kan and Li, and before these, the hexagrams Yi and Da Guo are arranged. The hexagram Yi has two yang lines at the ends and four yin lines in the middle, forming the image of a large Li (fire) trigram; the hexagram Da Guo has four yang lines in the middle and two yin lines at the ends, forming the image of a large Kan (water) trigram. Similarly, in the Lower Canon, Zhong Fu represents a large Li trigram, and Xiao Guo represents a large Kan trigram. However, people of the Han dynasty failed to notice the use of "great images" in the line statements of the hexagrams, which is precisely what makes the Jiao's Forest of Changes unique.

管輅曰：「易之道，水火而已。」由輅言推之，坎中爻互艮震，離中爻互兌巽，山澤通氣，雷風相薄，皆在坎離之中。且坎中爻互離，示水中有火也；離中爻互坎，示火中有水也。此易所由以水火終也。

Guan Lu of the Three Kingdoms period said, "The principle of the Book of Changes is nothing but water and fire." Following Guan Lu's statement, in the double坎 (Water) hexagram, the middle lines produce the images of Zhen (Thunder) and Gen (Mountain); in the double离 (Fire) hexagram, the middle lines produce the images of Xun (Wind) and Dui (Lake). Thus, the saying in the "Commentary on the Hexagrams" that "mountains and marshes communicate with each other" and "thunder and wind interact" are all contained within Kan and Li. Moreover, the lines two through five of the Kan hexagram form a large Li, indicating fire within water; the lines two through five of the Li hexagram form a large Kan, indicating water within fire. This is the reason why the upper part of the Book of Changes ends with Kan and Li, and the lower part ends with Ji Ji and Wei Ji.

行唐尚秉和節之撰

This volume was compiled by Shang Binghe, a native of Xingtang (now Xingtang County, Hebei Province), whose courtesy name was Jiezi.

震武人象以下皆續行摭拾易林之象。

From the entry "Zhen represents a warrior" onwards, the following passages are all about searching for and collecting the images from the Yi Xiang used in the Jiao's Forest of Changes.

履六三、巽初六皆言武人。虞翻以乾健為象，毛奇齡以巽躁為象，自來無確詁。按《易林·大畜之中孚》云「武王不豫」，中孚震為王，又為武；又《臨之旅》云「篤生武王」，旅通節，震為王，又為武。按《國語》，重耳筮，遇貞屯悔豫，皆有震象，曰「車有震武」，故震為武為人。履六三之武人，以伏震也；巽初六之武人，以初至四正反伏震，正為進，反則退，故曰「進退，利武人之貞」，言正反皆震，進退皆利也。且易獨於履六三之陰爻曰武人，則非指乾明甚。至於巽為進退不果，以巽順為義，毛氏所用象尤非。

The sixth line of the Hexagram "Foot" and the first line of the Hexagram "Wind" both mention "military men." Yu Fan interpreted this image using the strength and vigor of the Hexagram "Heaven," while Mao Qilin used the restlessness of the Hexagram "Wind." There has never been a clear explanation. According to the "Forest of Divination" in the "Book of Changes," the line statement of the Hexagram "Great Accumulation" within "Middle Trust" says, "King Wu was not ill." The second to fourth lines of the Hexagram "Middle Trust" form the Hexagram "Thunder," which represents a king and also martial strength. The line statement of the Hexagram "Traveling" within "Tour" says, "A great king is born." The Hexagram "Traveling" is opposite to "Restraint," and "Restraint" contains "Thunder," which again represents a king and also martial strength. Furthermore, according to the "Discourses of the States," when Prince Chong'er of Jin was in exile, he consulted the oracle and received the primary Hexagram "Obstruction" and the changing Hexagram "Ease." Both Hexagrams contain the image of "Thunder." The diviner said, "The chariot has martial strength." This shows that "Thunder" represents both martial strength and people. The line statement of the sixth line of the Hexagram "Foot" mentions "military men," taking the hidden image of "Thunder." The Hexagram "Foot" is opposite to "Humility," and the third to fifth lines of "Humility" form "Thunder." The first line of the Hexagram "Wind" mentions "military men" because the Hexagram "Wind" is opposite to "Thunder." When viewed from the first line to the fourth line, it forms "Thunder," which represents advancement, and when viewed in reverse, it forms "Mountain," which represents stopping or retreat. Therefore, the line statement says, "Advancing and retreating, it is advantageous for the military man to maintain his integrity." This means that whether viewed upright or inverted, it forms the image of "Thunder," so both advancing and retreating are advantageous. Moreover, the "Book of Changes" specifically mentions "military men" on the sixth line, which is a yin line, so it is clearly not referring to "Heaven." As for the "Commentary on the Hexagrams" stating that "Wind" represents "advancing and retreating" and "indecision," it takes the meaning of the softness and flexibility of "Wind," so Mao Qilin's interpretation is even more incorrect.

《詩·陳風》「斧以斯之」，毛傳「斯，析也」。《易林·賁之遯》云「析薪熾酒」，以遯艮為析也。自得此象，旅初六之「斯其所」，始知斯為艮象。斯者，析也，離也。詳卷七。

The poem "Mumen" from the "Shijing · Chen Feng" contains the line "Fu yi si zhi," which the "Mao Transmission" explains as "si is the same as xi," meaning to split. The "Yilin · Ben Zhun" states "xi xin chi jiu," using the "Gen" trigram as the image for "xi." Since obtaining this image, the "Lv" hexagram's first line statement "Si qi suo qu zai" has the word "si," which is also understood as the image of "Gen." "Si" means to split or separate. See Volume Seven of this book.

《易林·復之豫》云「挈瓶之使，不為憂懼」，豫艮手為挈，震為瓶，故曰挈瓶。又《損之剝》云「毀罌傷瓶」，震為罌瓶，剝上艮震覆，故毀傷。自得此象，始知井彖之羸瓶，指伏震，與甕同。

The forest oracle of "Fu" to "Yu" says, "The person carrying a jar is not worried or afraid." The second to fourth lines of "Yu" form the trigram Gen, which represents hands, hence the term "qie" (to carry). The upper trigram of "Yu" is Zhen, which represents a jar, hence "qie ping" (carrying a jar). In the forest oracle of "Sun" to "Po," it says, "Breaking the jar and damaging the bottle." Zhen represents both jar and bottle, and the upper trigram of "Po" is Gen, which is the inverted form of Zhen, symbolizing overturning and thus collapse, hence the terms "huí" (to break) and "shāng" (to damage). Since we have obtained the image of Zhen as a bottle, we now understand that the "lái qí píng" (breaking the bottle) in the "Jing" hexagram's hexagram judgment refers to the hidden Zhen within "Jing." "Jing" is connected to "Shihe," and the lower trigram of "Shihe" is precisely Zhen. Thus, the image of "wèng bì lòu" (a broken jar) at line nine two comes from the same source of imagery.

《易林·謙之鼎》云「狗無前足」，鼎初二形艮，艮為狗，艮無初爻，故無前足，用半象也。又《渙之未濟》云「三虎上山」，謂三半艮也。由是推未濟彖曰小狐，艮為狐，半艮形矮，故曰小狐；艮為尾，尾短，故似濡於水。又九四曰「震用伐鬼方」，四五形震，故曰震，曰伐，曰三年，皆半象。

The "Lin Ci" of "Qian Zhi Ding" says "the dog has no front legs." In the "Ding" hexagram, the first line and the second line consist of one yin and one yang, forming the upper half of "Gen" (Mountain), which is a single yang over two yins. "Gen" represents a dog; since this "Gen" is missing the bottom line, it is said to "have no front legs," which is an example of using the "half image." Similarly, the "Lin Ci" of "Huan Zhi Wei Ji" says "three tigers on the mountain," referring to the fact that the "Wei Ji" hexagram has six lines with alternating yin and yang, containing three half "Gen" images, and "Gen" represents a tiger. From this, we can infer that the "hexagram statement" of "Wei Ji" says "a small fox approaches the river," where "Gen" represents a fox, and a half "Gen" has a short body, hence called "small fox"; "Gen" also represents a tail, and a half "Gen" tail is short, hence "its tail is wet," as if immersed in water. The line statement of the fourth line says "Zhen is used to attack the Ghost Country," because the fourth line and the fifth line consist of one yang and one yin, forming a half "Zhen" (Thunder), hence "Zhen" and "attack"; the mention of "three years" also comes from the half image.

既濟六二「婦喪其茀」。茀，馬融謂為首飾，干寶作馬髴，鄭玄作車蔽，子夏傳、虞翻作髴，董遇作髢。凡易如此等字，皆從卦象生，無無因而至者。而既濟正互皆無此象，以半象考之，則作髮飾者合。二三形巽，巽寡髮，胡喪茀？虞以坎玄雲為象，非也。

The line statement of the sixth line of the hexagram Ji Ji says, "The woman loses her hair ornament." The character "fú" is interpreted by Ma Rong as the woman's hair ornament, Gan Bao writes it as "ma fú," Zheng Xuan writes it as "che bi," Zixia's Commentary on the Changes and Yu Fan write it as "fú," and Dong Yu writes it as "di" (false hair). All such characters in the Changes arise from the hexagram imagery and do not appear without reason. However, both the primary hexagram and the nuclear hexagram of Ji Ji do not contain corresponding imagery, so a "half-image" approach is used. This shows that interpreting it as a hair ornament is appropriate: the sixth line and the third line consist of one yin and one yang, forming the lower half of Xun, which represents sparse hair. If the hair is already sparse, how can the hair ornament remain? Therefore, it is said, "loses her hair ornament." Yu Fan's interpretation using Kan as black and as cloud is incorrect.