Great Excess Nine in the Fifth "Withered elm produces flowers, old woman obtains her husband" explanation

自虞翻不知華象，清惠棟以柔在上為華，焦循以震敷為華，皆於象不合。按《易林·大壯之夬》云：「桃李華實。」是以反巽為桃李，伏艮為果實，兌為華也，《夬》與《大過》二至上體同也。又《咸之噬嗑》云：「枯」（亦以離為枯）「樹不華」，言兌象伏也。又《巽之兌》云：「華葉將將。」重兌，故曰將將，亦以兌為華。蓋兌悅，華形又象兌也，故以兌為華。《易》象失傳，東漢人不知，後治漢《易》者亦不知矣。

Since Yu Fan did not understand the symbolic meaning of "hua" (flower), Hui Dong of the Qing dynasty took the soft line at the top as representing "hua," and Jiao Xun took the spreading of Zhen as "hua," all of which are inconsistent with the hexagram images. According to the "Yi Lin" under the hexagram "Dazhuang" changing to "Guai," it says, "peach and plum flowers and fruits." Here, the reverse Xun is taken as peach and plum, the hidden Gen as fruits, and Dui as flowers. The hexagram "Guai" and "Daguover" share the same structure from the second line to the top line. In another instance, "Xian" changing to "Shike" says "dry," where "li" is taken as "dry," and "tree does not flower," meaning that the image of Dui is hidden and thus does not bloom. In another case, "Xun" changing to "Dui" says, "flowers and leaves are flourishing." Because two Dui are stacked, it is said "flourishing," again taking Dui as flowers. Probably because Dui represents joy, and the shape of a flower resembles the opening form of the Dui hexagram, so Dui is taken as flowers. The images of the Yi have been lost, and people since the Eastern Han dynasty did not know them, and later scholars who studied the Han dynasty Yi also did not know them.

至老婦，荀爽但以數多少為老少，固非；虞翻以巽初為老婦，尤謬。乃虞翻不自知其謬，反詈馬、荀為俗儒，南遷不返，禍有由矣。揆其故，皆由旁通之說失傳也。按《易林·旅之大壯》云：「獨夫老婦，不能生子。」《大壯》上震，故曰獨夫；互兌，故曰老婦。又《需之剝》云：「孤竹之墟，老婦亡夫。」《剝》通《夬》，《夬》上兌，亦以兌為老婦，此皆《大過》兌為老婦之確詁也。

As for the term 「old woman」, Xun Shuang merely divided old and young based on the number of lines, which was fundamentally wrong; Yu Fan taking the first line of Xun hexagram as the old woman was even more absurd. Yu Fan himself did not realize his mistake, yet he criticized Ma Rong and Xun Shuang as vulgar scholars. Later he was exiled to the south and never returned, and the disaster was not without cause. Investigating the reason for their errors, it was because the theory of mutual opposition had been lost. According to the 「Forest of Divination」 in the 「Book of Changes」, 「the lonely man and old woman cannot have a child.」 The upper trigram of 「Great Strength」 is Zhen, hence 「the lonely man」; the middle trigram is Dui, hence 「the old woman.」 Again, in 「Need」 to 「Splitting」, it says 「the abandoned land of Guozhu, the old woman has lost her husband.」 「Splitting」 and 「Decision」 are mutual opposites, and the upper trigram of 「Decision」 is Dui, which is also used to represent the old woman. These are clear confirmations that Dui hexagram is used to represent the old woman in 「Great Excess.」

兌雖為少女，而與干連，乾順行，自下而上，在下者少，在上者老，時不同也，非乾坤概稱老，初與上無別也。故曰「老婦得其士夫」，士夫者，對象艮也。凡男女六子，無不為夫婦，艮為小子為少男，故稱士夫。虞翻謂兌為少，《大壯》震為夫，故稱士夫，似不然也。《易林》每以兌為老婦，巽為少姬，皆本《大過》。

Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai Trigrams: Qian (Heaven), Dui (Lake), Li (Fire), Zhen (Thunder), Xun (Wind), Kan (Water), Gen (Mountain), Kun (Earth) Jiao's Forest of Changes often takes Dui as old woman and Xun as young lady, both based on these two lines in Da Guo. The line statement says 'old woman obtains her husband'. The term 'husband' refers to the trigram Gen in the hexagram Yi. In all hexagrams of the six sons, male and female are paired to form husband and wife. Gen represents young man and young boy, so it is called 'husband'. Yu Fan said Dui is young and Zhen in Da Zhuang is husband, thus called 'husband', but this seems incorrect.

此二爻義之所以晦茫至今者：一由於旁通之失傳，徒於本象求，而忘本象之有對象；次由於陽順陰逆之理失傳，陽順行，故下少上老，陰逆行，故上少下老，順逆之理不明，故說九二而合者，推之九五則齟齬矣，說九五而合者，施之九二則背戾矣。

The reason these two lines remain obscure to this day is due to three causes. First, the method of mutual communication between hexagrams has been lost; scholars only seek meaning within the primary hexagram, forgetting that there is also a corresponding hexagram outside the primary one. Second, the principle of yang moving forward and yin moving backward has been lost: yang moves upward, so from bottom to top, the lower is young and the upper is old; yin moves downward, so from top to bottom, the upper is young and the lower is old. Without understanding the principle of movement and reversal, those who explain nine two coherently find contradictions when applying the same explanation to nine five; and those who explain nine five coherently find contradictions when applying the same explanation to nine two.

次由於不知《易》象正覆之妙用。凡《易》象有迴環往復者，《易》詞亦必迴環往復。《蒙》二至上正覆兩艮相對，故《易》曰「非我求童蒙，童蒙求我」；《泰》「小往大來」，《否》「大往小來」；《隨》初至四正反皆艮震，故六二曰「係小子失丈夫」，六三則曰「係丈夫失小子」。《大過》正反皆巽，故皆曰楊，九二在下則生稊，九五在上則生華。對象《頤》體坤，坤逆，故下震為老夫，上艮為士夫；《大過》體乾，乾順，故在下為女妻，在上為老婦。二千年之疑獄，劃然而解，非《易林》，孰能闡明之？

The third is not understanding the subtle use of the images in the Book of Changes, which alternate between right and reversed. Whenever a hexagram has a circular and repetitive structure, its hexagram and line statements will also be circular and repetitive. In the hexagram of "Meng," the second line to the top line consists of two Gèn trigrams facing each other, one upright and one reversed, so the hexagram statement says, "It is not I who seeks the young and naive, but the young and naive who seek me." The hexagram of "Tai" says, "Small things go away, great things come in," while the hexagram of "Pǐ" says, "Great things go away, small things come in." In the hexagram of "Suí," the first line to the fourth line includes both Gèn and Zhèn trigrams, both upright and reversed, so line two says, "Binding the young man, losing the old man," while line three, reversed, says, "Binding the old man, losing the young man." In the hexagram of "Dà Guò," looking at it upright or reversed, it is always Xùn, which represents wood and the willow tree, so lines two and five both mention "willow." Line two, being lower, says, "Buds sprout from the root," while line five, being higher, says, "Blossoms appear at the tip." In the hexagram of "Yí," the hexagram structure belongs to Kūn, which moves in reverse, so the lower Zhèn trigram is "old man," and the upper Gèn trigram is "scholar." In the hexagram of "Dà Guò," the hexagram structure belongs to Qián, which moves in the normal direction, so the lower trigram is "woman-wife," and the upper trigram is "old woman." Right and reversed, forward and backward, the differences in the wording of the two lines are fully realized. A two-thousand-year-old mystery is now clearly resolved—without the "Forest of Changes" by Jiao, who could have explained it?

東漢人因《繫辭》以《大過》象棺槨，故謂《大過》為死卦。茲《易林·明夷之大過》云：「言笑未畢，憂來暴卒。」是亦以《大過》為死卦也。坎為憂，並以《大過》為大坎也。他若遇《大過》言雨、言憂、言水者，尚不可勝數，皆指大坎。故吾謂漢儒不言大象者，祗東漢儒也。

During the Eastern Han dynasty, people referred to the hexagram Da Guo as the death hexagram because the Great Treatise said that the ancient burial rites "were based on Da Guo." They took Da Guo as representing the coffin. Now, according to the Yi Lin, Ming Yi Zhī Da Guo, it says: "Speech and laughter have not yet finished, but sorrow comes suddenly and death occurs." This also treats Da Guo as the death hexagram. The image of "sorrow" is taken from Kan, indicating that Jiao Yanshou regarded the entire Da Guo hexagram as a large Kan. The lower and upper trigrams of Da Guo are both Yin, with two Yin trigrams surrounding the central Yang trigram, making the outer part flexible and the inner part strong, which is the same shape as Kan. Other instances where Da Guo appears in the Yi Lin and the terms used are about rain, sorrow, or water are numerous, all referring to this large Kan. Therefore, I say that Han dynasty scholars did not discuss the great images, except for those of the Eastern Han dynasty.

此《易》明以《大過》為大坎也。六在上，故曰過涉；乾為首，故曰頂；乾為陰所包不見，故曰滅頂。《易林·夬之大過》云：「久陰霖雨。」坎為雨，卽以《大過》為大坎，仍本之《易》也。

This line serves as clear evidence from the Zhou Changes itself that the Great Excess (Da Guo) is regarded as a great Kan (Water). The sixth line at the top occupies the position above the entire hexagram, having already crossed the water beyond its summit, hence it is said "excess in crossing." Lines two to four form the trigram Qian (Heaven), with Qian being the head, hence it is said "summit." This Qian trigram is enclosed by the Yin lines at the first and sixth positions and cannot be revealed, hence it is said "the summit is submerged." The "Forest of Divination" under the section "Guai to Da Guo" states: "Long period of continuous rain." Since Kan represents rain, this clearly treats Da Guo as a great Kan. This perspective still originates from the original text of the Zhou Changes.

虞云：「徽纆，黑索也。叢棘，獄外種九棘。坎為獄，言拘繫入獄也。」後來解者，大概皆從虞說。惟張惠言謂獄外種棘，於經無考，不知虞何據。按《易林·復之坎》云：「桎梏拘獲，身入牢獄，髡刑受法，終不得釋。」不啻特解此爻詞也。

Yu Fan said: "Hui mo refers to a black rope. Cong ji refers to nine thorny bushes planted outside the prison. Kan represents prison, and this line refers to being imprisoned." Later commentators generally followed Yu's interpretation. Only Zhang Huiyan pointed out that the detail of thorny bushes planted outside the prison cannot be verified in the classic texts, and he questioned the basis for Yu's claim. Now according to the "Yi Lin · Fu Zhī Kan" it says: "Handcuffs and shackles, captured and imprisoned, shaved head and subjected to punishment, ultimately not released." The hexagram of this line is exactly Kan, which is precisely an explanation for this line of the hexagram.

桎梏拘獲，卽係用徽纆也；身入牢獄，卽寘于叢棘也；終不得釋，卽三年不得也。虞解與《易林》同也。寘于叢棘，言牢獄之危苦似之，不必定獄外有棘，坎象本為棘也。至徽纆之象，坎為矯揉，物之能矯揉者，莫過於繩索，不必若仲翔以卦變為穿鑿，用《觀》巽也。

"The idea of being bound and captured" corresponds to the line statement "bound with ropes and fetters"; "being imprisoned" corresponds to "placed among thorny bushes"; and "finally unable to be released" corresponds to "three years without release." This shows that Yu Fan's interpretation is consistent with that of Jiao's Forest of Changes. The phrase "placed among thorny bushes" merely means that the dangers and hardships of imprisonment are like thorny bushes that prick, not necessarily implying that there are actually thorn bushes outside the prison. The Kan hexagram itself already takes the image of thorny bushes. As for the image of "ropes and fetters," the Sayings on the Hexagrams state that Kan "represents bending and twisting." Nothing is more typical of something that can be bent and twisted than a rope. There is no need, as Yu Fan did, to force a connection with the transformation of the Guan hexagram's Xun rope.

此爻自來皆以罪人入獄為解，然雲三年不得，不得者，事無功也，似非罪人入獄之象，張惠言亦疑其非入獄。按虞氏云「徽纆，黑索也」，黑索卽繩墨也。《書》「木從繩則正」，《離騷》「循繩墨而不頗」，又《抽思》「章畫志墨」，《戰國策》「匠人且以繩墨按規矩刻鏤我」，《齊書·孔稚珪傳》「匠萬物者以繩墨為正」。

This line has traditionally been interpreted as referring to a criminal being imprisoned, but the line statement says "three years without success" — "without success" means that something cannot be accomplished or achieve results, which does not seem to match the image of a criminal in prison. Zhang Huiyan also doubts that this line refers to imprisonment. According to Yu Fan, "huī mò" refers to a black rope, which is the measuring cord used by carpenters. The Book of Documents says "wood follows the rope to become straight," the Li Sao says "following the rope and square to avoid bias," the chapter "Chou Si" from the Nine Chapters says "marking with ink and lines," the Zhan Guo Ce says "carpenters will use the rope and square to measure and carve me," and the Southern Qi Book of History, in the biography of Kong Zhigui, says "the one who shapes all things uses the rope and square as the standard" — all of these refer to the measuring cord used by carpenters.

蓋匠人以繩正木，以墨為志，繩墨卽黑索也，宜施於大木之上，因以施刀鋸。乃不施於木而施於叢棘，故三年不得。象曰「失道」，言寘之失道，亦非罪徒入獄之詞。此雖非焦義，然心有所疑，故附記於此。

The craftsmen use a rope to straighten the wood and ink to mark it; the rope and ink are like a black cord. They should be applied to large timber, then the axe and saw can be used accordingly. Now, however, they are applied to thorny bushes instead of good timber, so the work cannot be completed in three years, which is why it is said "three years without success." The "Small Image" says "losing the way," meaning the place is not properly chosen, and it is not referring to criminals being imprisoned. Although this point is not the original meaning of Jiao Yanshou, I have doubts about it, so I have noted it here.

此爻舊說皆近於穿鑿，則以不求中爻象也。四為巽體，亦為兌體，巽為風為躁，兌剛魯（《易林》作魯），故曰突如其來如。四居上下離之間，故曰焚如。《易林·大壯之離》云：「辰巳有咎。」兌巽先後天皆居辰巳，兌上巽下為《大過》，《大過》死，故曰死如棄如。凡所取象，皆用中爻，亦猶《豐》中爻互大坎，故象皆闇也。

This line's traditional interpretations are all speculative, because they do not seek the imagery from the middle trigrams and their mutual relationships. The Nine in the Fourth (nine four) belongs to both the mutual Xun trigram and the mutual Dui trigram. Xun represents wind and restlessness, while Dui, according to the "Sayings of the Divination," is described as "being coarse and rough" (the "Yi Lin" writes it as "Lu"), indicating a fierce and impetuous nature. Therefore, the line statement says "suddenly appearing like a storm." The Nine in the Fourth is located between the two upper and lower Li trigrams, so it is said "burning like fire." The "Yi Lin" under the "Da Zhuang" hexagram says: "There will be misfortune in the hours of Chen and Si." Dui and Xun are both located in the hours of Chen and Si in both the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven arrangements. When Dui is above and Xun is below, they form the "Da Guo" hexagram, which is a hexagram of death. Therefore, the line statement says "dying like fire, being cast away like fire." Clearly, the imagery of this line comes entirely from the middle trigrams and their mutual relationships, just as in the "Feng" hexagram, the middle trigrams form a great Kan, so the entire hexagram's imagery is associated with darkness.

離為目，目出泣曰涕，旁通坎，故曰涕沱。沱者，江支流也。坎為憂，兌口，故曰戚嗟，皆本象與對象並用，《易林》所本也。至象曰「離王公也」，王卽指上，上九「王用出征」是其證；公謂四，四為諸侯，諸侯與三公不分，卽言六五附麗於乾中，承乘皆陽也。朱震謂四位通三是也。《益》六四、《鼎》九四皆言公，是四亦可為公之證。

The hexagram Li (Fire) represents the eye, and tears flowing from the eye are called "ti." Since Li and Kan are complementary, and Kan represents water which flows abundantly, it is said "ti tuo" — "tuo" originally refers to a tributary of the Yangtze River. Kan also represents sorrow, and the middle line interacting with the upper trigram Dui (Lake) represents the mouth, hence "qi jie" (sad sighing). These are examples of using both the primary hexagram and its complementary hexagram, which is the method used in Jiao's Forest of Changes. As for the "Xiao Xiang" (Small Image) saying "Li is the king and the marquis": "Wang" refers to the upper nine, as the line statement of the upper nine says "the king uses military campaigns," which is clear evidence. "Gong" refers to the fourth line, which is the position of the marquis, and in ancient times, the marquis and the three ministers were not distinguished. The whole sentence means that the sixth five line is attached to the Qian (Heaven) trigram, and both above and below are yang lines. Zhu Zhen said that the fourth position can be associated with the three ministers, which is correct. The line four in the hexagram Yi and the line nine in the hexagram Ding both mention "gong," which serves as additional evidence that the fourth line can also be called "gong."

此本乾卦，坤入之。乾為王，九居上，六五象曰「離王公」，王卽指此爻，出大坎，故曰王用出征。《易林》以坎為大頭，坎伏，故曰折首。兌為折為口，故曰有嘉。或曰：坤二五之幹，乾為首，陰麗陽中，故折首，與坎折坤同義，亦通。《詩·小雅》「執訊獲丑」，鄭箋：「丑，眾也。」獲匪其醜者，言罪只首惡，刑不及眾也。坎為眾，坎伏，故不獲。各家皆從虞，詁丑為類，非。

The hexagram Li was originally Qian, with the yao of Kun entering it to form the hexagram. Qian represents the king, and the line at the top, Nine at the Top, is yang in the upper position. The small commentary on the sixth line says, "Li is the king and the lord." The "king" here refers to the line at the top. Nine at the Top comes out beyond the great Kan, so it is said, "the king uses military campaign." The Forest of Changes by Jiao interprets Kan as the great head, but here the image of Kan is hidden, so it is said, "cutting off the head" (cutting off the head of the enemy). Dui represents destruction and the mouth, so it is said, "there is a good result" (there is a commendable achievement). Another interpretation says that the second and fifth lines of Kun enter Qian, and since Qian is the head, the yao of Kun adheres to the yang, so it is said, "cutting off the head," which is the same as the case of Kan cutting off Kun. This interpretation is also reasonable. The Book of Songs, Xiao Ya says, "seizing the captured and obtaining the common people." Zheng Xuan's commentary says, "common people mean the masses." The phrase "not obtaining the common people" means that punishment is only applied to the principal offenders, and the masses are not involved. Kan represents the masses, but here Kan is hidden, so it is said, "not obtaining." All scholars follow Yu Fan in interpreting "common people" as "category," which is incorrect.

行唐尚秉和節之撰

Shang Binghe, a native of Xingtang in Zhili, styled Jiezi, compiled this work.

凡漢人說之，皆作飛遯。《淮南九師》云：「飛而能遯，吉孰大焉。」張平子《思玄賦》：「欲飛遯以保名。」曹植《七啟》：「飛遯離俗。」毛西河、惠棟、朱芹、洪頤煊皆從之。卽王弼雖未明釋，然云「矰繳不能及」，似亦讀為飛。惟《子夏易傳》釋肥為饒裕，虞氏謂乾盈為肥，莫衷一是。

All Han dynasty scholars who discussed this line read "肥遯" as "飞遯". The "Huainanzi Jiashi Daoxun" says: "To fly and escape, what greater good is there?" Zhang Heng's "Siyuan Fu" says: "To fly and escape in order to preserve one's reputation." Cao Zhi's "Qiqi" says: "To fly and escape from the world." Mao Qiling, Hui Dong, Zhu Qin, and Hong Yi Xuan all followed this reading. Even Wang Bi, although he did not explicitly state it, mentioned in his commentary "Zengjue cannot reach," which suggests he also read it as "飞". Only the "Zixia Commentary on the Changes" explained "肥" as meaning abundant and prosperous, while Yu Fan said that the fullness of the Qian trigram is "肥", each holding their own view, with no consensus.

茲《易林·需之遯》云：「去如飛鴻。」又《節之遯》云：「奮翅鼓巽。」又《革之遯》云：「退飛見祥。」是焦氏亦讀肥為飛，與《淮南九師》同也。又朱芹《易札記》引姚寬《西溪叢語》云：「肥，古作？[上非下巴]，？[上非下巴]蜚同字。」是肥卽蜚，蜚卽飛也，虞翻誤也。蓋上九居極，上乾為行，飛亦乾象，不必以乾盈為象。

Now referring to the "Yi Lin" (Commentary on the Changes), in the hexagram "Need" changing to "Dun," it says: "Leaving like a flying goose." In the hexagram "Jie" changing to "Dun," it says: "Winging and moving with Xun." In the hexagram "Ge" changing to "Dun," it says: "Flying away to see good omens." These three instances all involve the hexagram "Dun," and the meaning is entirely about flapping wings and flying high, retreating and moving away. This shows that Jiao Yanshou also read "fei" as "fei," consistent with the "Huainanzi Jiashi." Also, Zhu Qin's "Yi Zaji" cites Yao Kuan's "Xixi Congyu," which says: "Fei was written as 'Shang Fei Xia Ba' in ancient times, and this character is the same as 'Fei.'" (The original text is missing, only the shape is described.) This shows that "fei" is the same as "fei," and "fei" is the same as "fei." Yu Fan made a mistake. The upper ninth line is at the extreme of the hexagram, and the upper trigram is Qian, which represents movement. "Fei" is exactly the image of Qian, so there is no need to rely on the fullness of the Qian trigram to establish the image.

《遯》九三云「畜臣妾吉」，自來解者莫知艮之為臣，虞翻以三變坤為臣當之，後易家皆遵用之。豈知《易》《蹇》六二云「王臣蹇蹇」，《蹇》下艮，故亦曰臣；《小過》六二云「遇其臣」，亦以艮為臣。焦氏《易林》本之，凡遇艮卽言臣。後人不解《易》象，於是《易林》艮臣之象，初覩之亦不知其所謂矣。卽妾象，疑亦指艮，古於僮僕臣妾實不分，如以艮妾為不合，則坤臣亦不合矣。

The line "Cultivate servants and concubines, it is auspicious" in the third line of the Dùn hexagram has been interpreted by all scholars throughout history without understanding that the mountain (Gèn) can represent servants. Yu Fan used the transformation of the third line into the坤 hexagram to represent servants, and later scholars followed his interpretation. They never considered that in the Jiān hexagram, the second line says "The king's servant is resolute," and the lower trigram of Jiān is Gèn, so it is also called servants. Similarly, in the Xiǎo Guò hexagram, the second line says "Meeting his servant," which also uses Gèn to represent servants. Jiao Yanshou's "Yì Lín" follows this example, using Gèn to represent servants whenever it appears. Later scholars did not understand the symbolic meanings of the Yi, so when they encountered the image of Gèn as servants in "Yì Lín," they did not know what it meant at first glance. As for the image of "concubine," I suspect it also refers to Gèn—since in ancient times, there was no distinction between servants and concubines. If Gèn cannot represent a concubine, then the use of Kūn to represent servants also does not make sense.

既曰征凶，則不孚也，乃曰有孚，義自違反，且與象語不協。象曰孚窮者，初陽四亦陽，二三又陽，故曰孚窮，《易林》陽遇陽則塞之旨，本此也。乃虞翻解有孚，謂四與五易位成陰，則初孚於四，豈知卦為《大壯》，不為《需》，虞說若當，象尚言孚窮乎？

The line statement says "going forward brings danger," indicating that there is no mutual response; yet it also says "there is sincerity," which contradicts itself in meaning and does not align with the words in the "Small Image." The "Small Image" says "its sincerity is exhausted," because the first line is yang and the corresponding line four is also yang, while lines two and three in between are also yang, so sincerity is exhausted. This is in line with the meaning in "Jiao's Forest of Changes" that "yang meets yang and becomes blocked." However, Yu Fan explains "there is sincerity" by saying that line four and line five exchange positions to become yin, so line one then responds with line four. But he did not consider that this hexagram is "Great Strength," not "Need." If Yu's interpretation were correct, would the "Small Image" still say "its sincerity is exhausted"?

象言孚窮，確指四陽。王弼知其然，以窮凶可信為解，上下語不違反矣。然象曰孚窮，確指二三與四言，則爻詞之孚，似不得以閒文為解，亦未協也。案《說文》「有」字云：「不宜有也。《春秋傳》曰『有食之』是也。」然則初九之有孚，謂不宜於孚也，正與象之孚窮合也。

The Xiao Xiang says "trust is exhausted," clearly referring to four yang lines coming together. Wang Bi recognized this and interpreted the line statement as "it is credible that being in a state of hardship leads to misfortune," thus making the context consistent. However, if "trust is exhausted" in the Xiao Xiang indeed refers specifically to the lines nine two, nine three, and nine four, then the character "trust" in the line statement cannot be treated as an irrelevant word. Therefore, Wang's interpretation still seems unsatisfactory. Now, examining the Shuo Wen Jie Zi, it explains the character "you" as meaning "should not have." The Spring and Autumn Annals says "the sun is eclipsed," using this meaning. According to this, the "you fu" in the line statement for initial nine refers to not being able to trust, which precisely matches the Xiao Xiang's "its trust is exhausted."

解《易》之書，莫古於《左傳》。閔元年畢萬筮仕，遇《屯》之《比》，辛廖曰：「震為土，車從馬。」又《晉語》：「震，車也。」是左氏內外傳皆以震為車，《易林》本之，遇震卽言車。《大壯》下乾，乾為大，震車，故曰大輿。乃二千年學者，舍左氏不從，而以卦變為穿鑿，祗一王引之能覺察其非，以震為車，還周時之舊家，而詈虞氏之曲為穿鑿，真能獨立為說者也。

Explanations of the Zhou Changes are none older than the Zuo Zhuan. In the first year of Min Gong, Bi Wan divined about taking office and obtained the hexagram Zun changing to Bi. Xin Liao interpreted the divination saying, "Zhen represents earth, and the chariot follows the horse." The Guoyu · Jin Yu also says, "Zhen represents a chariot." This shows that both the Zuo Zhuan and Guoyu take Zhen to mean a chariot. Following this example, the Jiao Forest of Changes takes Zhen as a chariot. The lower trigram of Dazhuang is Qian, which represents greatness, and the middle line Zhen represents a chariot, so the line nine in the fourth says "great chariot." However, for two thousand years, scholars have abandoned the Zuo Zhuan and instead used hexagram transformations to fabricate interpretations. Only Wang Yinzi realized the error and took Zhen as a chariot, restoring the old Zhou interpretation and condemning Yu Fan's fabricated explanations. He truly was an independent thinker.

惟輹為震象，王氏仍知之不真。按左氏僖十五年晉筮嫁伯姬，遇《歸妹》之《睽》，卽震變離也，震為車，變離形毀，故曰車脫其輹。孔疏引《子夏易傳》云：「輹，車下伏兔，今謂之車屐，以縛於軸。」據是，則輹為震象益明，因輹在車下而形若屐，屐者履屬，震象也。震形滅，故曰車脫輹。由是推大小畜之車脫輹，皆以旁通覆震故也。左氏所說，其真諦也。《大壯》九四「壯于大輿之輹」，卽以震為輿為輹，虞氏所說未當也。

The fact that 「輹」 also represents the image of Zhen is something Wang Yinzhi still did not understand clearly. According to the 「Zuo Zhuan」, in the fifteenth year of Duke Xi's reign, when the Jin state divined for the marriage of Bo Ji, they encountered the hexagram 「Gui Mei」 changing into 「Kui」, which indicates that Zhen transformed into Li. Since Zhen represents a chariot, after it transformed into Li, the image of Zhen was destroyed, hence the divination statement says 「the chariot loses its輹」. Kong Yingda's 「Justice」 cites Zixia's Commentary on the Changes, stating: 「The輹 is the part beneath the carriage body, called the car sole, used to fasten the carriage to the axle.」 Based on this, the image of 「輹」 as Zhen is even clearer: because the輹 is beneath the chariot and resembles a wooden sole, which belongs to the category of footwear, and the 「Shuo Gua」 says that Zhen represents feet and movement, which is exactly the image of footwear. When the image of Zhen disappears, it is said 「the chariot loses its輹」. From this, we can infer that the statements 「the carriage detaches from the輹」 in the second line of the hexagram 「Da Xu」 and the third line of the hexagram 「Xiao Xu」 are also due to the reversal of Zhen in the opposite hexagram. The explanation in the 「Zuo Zhuan」 is the true meaning. The fourth line of the hexagram 「Da Zhuang」 says 「strong in the great carriage's輹」, which also uses Zhen to represent the carriage and the輹. Yu Fan's explanation is not appropriate.

自王弼及鍾會反古，謂《易》無互象，宋人承之，不敢言互。且無論左氏言互，卽本經考之，《大壯》三至五互兌，兌為羊，故九三卽言羊，是《易》已用互也。

Since Wang Bi and Zhong Hui overturned the traditional approach by claiming that the Zhou Changes do not contain the mutual trigrams, scholars of the Song dynasty followed their view and ceased to discuss mutual trigrams. Regardless of the fact that the Zuo Zhuan examples of divination already mention mutual trigrams, if we examine the text itself: in the Great Strength hexagram, the third to fifth lines form the trigram Dui, which represents the sheep, as stated in the Shuo Gua. Therefore, the line statement of the third line mentions the sheep. This shows that the Zhou Changes themselves have already been using mutual trigrams.

六二云「晉如愁如」，坎為憂，三至五互坎，故曰愁如；九四云「晉如鼫鼠」，艮為鼠，二至四艮，故曰鼫鼠，是用互也。此與《大壯》之羊，必謂為偶然，與中爻無關，豈可得哉？

The hexagram Jin (Progress) line six-two says, "Progress as if in sorrow," since Kan represents sorrow, and lines three to five form an intercalary Kan trigram, hence "sorrow." Line nine-four says, "Progress as a shi mouse," since Gen represents a mouse, and lines two to four form an intercalary Gen trigram, hence "shi mouse." These are both examples of using the intercalary trigrams. Together with the sheep image in the hexagram Da Zhuang, if one insists that these are mere coincidences and unrelated to the intercalary lines, it would be unreasonable.

朱子謂六五為王母，六二受福，因與焦氏陰遇陰則阻之旨背，違《易》定例。虞翻謂五已正中，五陽應二，五王，坤母，故曰王母，不肯易旨矣，然《晉》尚未為《否》，豈能預言？

Zhu Xi believed that the line six in the fifth is 'the Queen Mother', and line six in the second receives blessings from it. This contradicts Jiao Yanshou's idea that 'yin meets yin and encounters obstruction', and violates the established principles of the Zhou Changes. Yu Fan, however, said that line six in the fifth is already in the center and upright, and after changing to yang, it corresponds with line six in the second. Since five represents the king and kūn represents the mother, it is called 'the Queen Mother' — this is even more inconsistent with the meaning of the Changes; moreover, the hexagram Jin had not yet transformed into the hexagram Pí, so how could one refer to that hexagram in advance?

茲以《易林》本象與對象相通之理推之，王母之象，實合對象《需》乾言也。乾為王，坤為母，坤伏乾，故曰王母；乾為福為大，故曰介福；坤虛艮手，故曰受。而二又為坤本位，居正中，黃中通理，故能受茲介福。象所謂「以中正」者，謂二中正，非謂五中正也，五為陰，固不能福二也。

Now using the principles of the "Forest of Changes" by Jiao to explore the relationship between the primary hexagram and its corresponding hexagram: the image of "Queen Mother" actually refers to the hexagram "Need" with its upper trigram Qian. Qian represents the king, and Kun represents the mother; since Qian is hidden beneath Kun, it is called "Queen Mother." Qian also represents blessing and greatness, hence "great blessing." Kun is empty in the center, and the middle line is Gen, representing a hand, hence "receiving." The line six two is precisely in the central position of Kun, located in the middle of the lower trigram. The line six five of Kun is said "yellow in the center, and the principles are communicated," which refers to six two being central and upright, not six five. Six five is a yin line and cannot bestow blessings upon six two.

《易林》凡用地名、人名、國名，無不與象密合。但以人名論，如《解之井》云：「荷蕢隱居。」《井》通《噬嗑》，《噬嗑》震為蕢，中爻艮為荷，故曰荷蕢。又《家人之旅》云：「管叔遇桓。」《旅》通《節》，《節》震為管，艮為叔，故曰管叔。《大有之震》云：「楚亭晨食，韓子低頭。」震為子為乾，故曰韓，韓子者，韓信也，中爻坎為信，故曰韓子。

In Jiao's Forest of Changes, whenever proper nouns such as place names, personal names, or country names are used, they all correspond closely with the hexagrams. Taking personal names alone, for example, in the hexagram "Jie Zhong Jing" (Release and Well), it says "He Kui resides in seclusion." The hexagram Well is in communication with the hexagram Shi He (Breaking the Shell). The lower trigram of Shi He is Zhen (Thunder), which represents grass tools, and the middle line is Gen (Mountain), which represents the shoulder and the act of carrying, thus the term "He Kui" (carrying a basket). In the hexagram "Jia Ren Zhi Zhu" (Family and Travel), it says "Guan Shu meets Huan." The hexagram Travel is in communication with the hexagram Jie (Limitation). The lower trigram of Jie is Zhen (Thunder), which represents "Guan," and the trigram Gen (Mountain) represents "Shu," thus the term "Guan Shu." In the hexagram "Da You Zhi Zhen" (Great Possession and Thunder), it says "Chu Ting eats in the morning, Han Zi lowers his head." The trigram Zhen (Thunder) represents "zi" (son) and "gan" (dryness). The character "Han" is pronounced like "gan," thus the term "Han." "Han Zi" refers to Han Xin, and the middle line's mutual trigram Kan (Water) represents "xin" (trust), hence the term "Han Zi."

《小畜之剝》云：「孔鯉伯魚。」坤為魚，反震為孔為伯，故曰孔鯉伯魚。又《泰之幹》云：「伯夷叔齊。」震為伯，艮為叔，震艮不見，故曰夷曰齊。又《泰之剝》云：「干叔殞命，箕子為奴。」《剝》艮為求為少男，故曰干叔；反震為箕為子，故曰箕子，無不密切。

The "Xiao Xu" hexagram "Bao" mentions "Kong Li Bu Yu," where the earth hexagram represents fish, and the reversed zhen trigram represents Kong and Bu, hence "Kong Li Bu Yu" (Kong Li's given name is Bu Yu). Again, in the "Tai" hexagram "Gan," it mentions "Bo Yi and Shu Qi," where zhen represents Bo and gen represents Shu; however, here both zhen and gen are hidden, so the names use "Yi" (extinction) and "Qi" (completion). In the "Tai" hexagram "Bao," it says "Bi Shan yun ming, Ji Zi wei nu," where the upper trigram Bao (gen) represents seeking and the young male, hence "Bi Shan" (Bi Shan, i.e., Bi Gan); the reversed zhen trigram represents Ji and Zi, hence "Ji Zi" — nowhere is there not a precise correspondence.

茲《明夷》彖傳云「文王以之」，《明夷》上坤為文，中爻震為王，故曰文王；又曰「箕子以之」，《明夷》中爻震為子為箕，故曰箕子。文王、箕子之用象，雖重象如東漢人，無有言者，非《易林》，孰能證明之？《易林》無象外字，用以推《易》，始知《易》亦無象外字也。乃東漢人皆不知，故余謂西漢《易》說至東漢失傳也。

Now looking at the "Commentary on the Judgment" of the "Bright Abatement" hexagram, it says, "King Wen used it": The upper trigram of "Bright Abatement" is坤 (Kun), representing culture, and the middle line is震 (Zhen), representing king, so it is said "King Wen." It also says, "Jizi used it": The middle line of "Bright Abatement" is Zhen, representing son and Jizi, so it is said "Jizi." The imagery used to derive the names King Wen and Jizi, even those who valued hexagram imagery as much as the Eastern Han scholars, have never mentioned it. If it were not for the "Forest of Changes" by Jiao, who could prove it? The "Forest of Changes" has no words outside of imagery; using this principle to examine the "Zhou Changes," one realizes that the "Zhou Changes" also have no words outside of imagery. Yet the Eastern Han scholars were entirely unaware of this, so I say that the "Zhou Changes" as understood by the Western Han had already been lost by the Eastern Han.

此與《復》崩來無咎，皆用覆象也。《剝》覆卽為《復》，艮倒故曰崩來；《晉》離在上，故曰初登于天，《晉》覆成《明夷》，離在下，故曰後入于地。此其義東漢人皆知之，至用覆為《易》通例則不知。後惟朱震、來矣鮮真知之，他皆半信半疑也。

This line uses the image of inversion, just like the "collapse and return without blame" in the "Fu" hexagram. The "Bo" hexagram inverted becomes the "Fu" hexagram, so when the mountain element is inverted, it is said "collapse and return." In the "Jin" hexagram, the fire element is above, so it is said "first ascending to heaven"; when the "Jin" hexagram is inverted, it becomes the "Mingyi" hexagram, with the fire element below, so it is said "later descending to earth." This meaning was still known by people of the Eastern Han dynasty, but they did not realize that using inversion was a general principle in the "Zhou Yi." Only Zhu Zhen of the Song dynasty and Lai Zhide of the Ming dynasty (whose courtesy name was Yixian) truly understood this, while others were only half-believing.

中爻震為人為主，三則為震之主，而與初相對成離。初至二形兌，三至二覆兌，正反兩兌相對卽相背，故有言。有言者，相爭相訟，非祗有無也。此以離為有言，亦由《易林》推出也。

In the hexagram Mingyi, the second line and the third line form the trigram Zhen (Thunder), which represents people and the principal element. The third line is the main line of Zhen, and it pairs with the first line to form the structure of Li (Fire). The first line and the second line form half of the trigram Dui (Lake), while the third line and the second line form an inverted half of Dui. One upright Dui and one inverted Dui face each other, which means they are opposing each other. Therefore, the line statement says "there is speech." The term "there is speech" refers to mutual disputes and litigation, not merely the contrast between existence and non-existence. Here, using Li to represent "there is speech" is derived from Jiao's Forest of Changes.

《易林·蠱之明夷》云：「讒佞亂政。」讒佞卽有言也。又《困之同人》云：「言多反覆。」亦以《同人》下離，離上下兩兌口相背，故曰言多反覆。有言確解，且離為有言之確解，此不啻焦氏特解《明夷》之有言也。又《離之明夷》云：「使伯采桑，狠不肯行，與叔爭訟，更相毀傷。」爭訟卽有言也。

The *Yi Lin* *Gǔ zhī Míng Yí* says: "Cunning flatterers disrupt governance." Here, slanderous words and flattery are referred to as "having words." Also, the *Kùn zhī Tóng Rén* says: "Words are often contradictory." This is because the lower trigram of *Tóng Rén* is *Li*, and the *Li* trigram has two *Dui* trigrams facing each other, representing mouths, thus indicating words that go back and forth. This is not only an accurate explanation of "having words," but also an accurate explanation of "Li represents having words." It is almost exactly a commentary by Jiao Yanshou specifically on the "having words" in *Míng Yí*. Furthermore, the *Li zhī Míng Yí* says: "The elder brother is sent to gather mulberry leaves, but he stubbornly refuses to go, and he quarrels with the younger brother, causing mutual harm." Here, "quarreling" is precisely "having words."

此其義亦二千年長夜矣。第一不知有言為爭訟，解為有無之有；第二不知有言之故，由兩震言或兩兌口相背。此等《易》說，至東漢卽失傳，故解《困》之有言、《震》之有言，無一有當。豈知焦氏《易林》會一一為講說之，至明白也，而東漢人不解，後之說《易》者無慮千百家，遂皆不解。

The meaning of this sentence also remained hidden for two thousand years. First, people did not know that "there is speech" refers to contention, but instead interpreted it as the "having" in "having and not having." Second, they did not understand the origin of "there is speech," which comes from two Zhen (speech) trigrams or two Dui (mouth) trigrams opposing each other. This kind of explanation in the Book of Changes was lost by the Eastern Han dynasty, so later interpreters of the Guan hexagram's "there is speech" and the Zhen hexagram's "there is speech" did not give any proper explanations. They never thought that Jiao Yanshou's Yi Lin had already explained each of these points clearly and thoroughly; yet people in the Eastern Han dynasty could not understand it, and later scholars who interpreted the Yi also failed to grasp it.

九家以三可升上而獵於五，得據大陽首位為得其大首，後說《易》者皆不能出其範圍。獨俞樾謂九家以大陽首位為大首，甚為不詞，可謂善疑矣。特俞樾首當為道，古首道通用，獲其大首卽獲其大道，義亦不協。

Xun Shuang and nine other schools of the Book of Changes believed that the line nine in the third position could ascend to a higher position and hunt on the fifth line, occupying the highest position of yang strength, which is called "getting the great head." Later commentators on the Book of Changes all remained within this framework. Only Yu Yue pointed out that the nine schools took "the first position of yang strength" as "the great head," which is quite inappropriate, and this can be considered as being good at raising doubts. However, Yu Yue argued that "shou" should be read as "dao," saying that in ancient times "shou" and "dao" were interchangeable, and "obtaining the great head" means obtaining the great way. This interpretation is also inconsistent with the meaning of the text.

茲以《易林》證之，大首者坎也。《易林·大有之既濟》云：「大頭明目。」《既濟》上坎下離，是以坎為大頭，大頭卽大首。又《小過之豫》云：「低頭竊視。」《豫》中爻坎，坎為頭，坎陷，故低頭。又《大有之震》云：「韓子低頭。」亦以震互坎為低頭。由是證《明夷》九三之大首，亦謂坎也。

Now using Jiao's Forest of Changes to verify: the term "dà shǒu" refers to Kan. In Jiao's Forest of Changes, the entry for "Da You" to "Ji Ji" says: "Great head with bright eyes." The "Ji Ji" hexagram has Kan above and Li below, indicating that Kan is regarded as the great head, and thus "dà shǒu" refers to Kan. Another entry, "Xiao Guo" to "Yu," says: "Bowing low to look around." In the "Yu" hexagram, the middle yao produces Kan, which represents the head, and since Kan also signifies a fall, it is said to bow low. Another entry, "Da You" to "Zhen," says: "Hanzi bows low." This also refers to Kan in the mutual hexagram of "Zhen." Based on these, it can be proven that the "dà shǒu" mentioned in "Ming Yi" nine in the third position also refers to Kan.

三體震，震南坎黑，故明夷於南；坎為獲，亦見《易林》；《左傳》震為殺、為威武，故震為狩。南既闇昧不明，故獲其大首，言獲其主惡也，非謂五也。凡古來《易》說，初視之而是，細按之而非，如此者十蓋六七也，幸《易林》尚存，能正之也。離亦為南，然曰南狩，則似非用離南，而用震南，與《左傳》「南國蹙」義同。

Nine in the Third is in the trigram Zhen, which represents Thunder and is associated with the southern direction. The trigram Kan represents water and is associated with the color black. Therefore, it is said, "Light is harmed in the south" (the light is injured in the southern direction, leading to darkness). Kan also represents capture, as seen in examples from the Forest of Changes; the Zuo Zhuan associates Zhen with punishment and military might, so Zhen can also represent hunting in the fields. Since the south is already dark and unclear, it says "capture the main culprit," meaning the principal offender was captured, not the Six in the Fifth. Generally, ancient interpretations of the Yi often appear to be one thing but turn out to be another, with six or seven out of ten cases being misleading. Fortunately, the Forest of Changes by Jiao still exists, allowing these errors to be corrected. Although Li also represents the south, here it refers to "hunting in the south," which is not using the south associated with Li, but rather the south associated with Zhen. This is similar in meaning to the Zuo Zhuan's "the southern state is shrinking," referring to the southern region becoming increasingly restricted.

《明夷》中爻坎，坎為患難、為志、為大首、為疾、為心意，《易》皆用之；中爻震為言、為主、為人、為行、為往、為左、為馬、為壯、為狩、為出，《易》皆用之。謂《易》無互象者，其謂之何？

In the hexagram Mingyi, the middle line generates the trigram Kan, which represents calamity, mind, head, disease, and intention. These images are all used in the line statements of the Zhouyi's primary hexagram. The middle line also generates the trigram Zhen, which represents speech, leadership, people, movement, going forward, left, horse, strength, hunting, and going out. These images are also all used in the Zhouyi's line statements. How then can those who claim that the Zhouyi does not have mutual trigrams explain this?

侯果曰：「嗃嗃，嚴也；嘻嘻，笑也。」後儒解此，大概無出此義者。馬融謂嗃嗃為和樂者，非，和樂則與嘻嘻無別矣。後儒偶有異解，如王夫之以嗃、嘻為火聲，皆不協洽。獨同此一爻，忽嗃嗃而吉，忽嘻嘻而吝，忽曰失節，忽曰不失，此中必有故。不於象求其故，但曰嚴厲故吉，怠慢故吝，胡可哉？乃自東漢以來之說經者，鮮有及此，等於不說也。

He Guo said: "Hèhè is the appearance of severity, and xīxī is the appearance of laughter." Later Confucian scholars explaining this line mostly did not go beyond this meaning. Ma Rong interpreted "hèhè" as harmony, which is incorrect— if it were harmony, it would have no difference from "xīxī." Occasionally, later scholars offered different interpretations, such as Wang FuZhi who took "hè" and "xī" as the sounds of fire burning, but these interpretations were not accurate. The problem lies in the fact that within the same line, suddenly "hèhè" brings good fortune, while "xīxī" leads to regret, and sometimes it says "losing the virtue of family," while at other times it says "not having lost it." There must be some other reason behind this. Without seeking the reason in the hexagram's imagery, merely saying that severity brings good fortune and negligence leads to regret, how can this be explained? However, since the Eastern Han dynasty, commentators on classics have rarely touched on this aspect, as if they had not explained it at all.

而張惠言理惠棟等，求其說而不得，乃本虞《漸》上九之說，謂三變受上成《既濟》，故吉。三變受者，謂三變陰，與上升降，上來居三，三往上，成《既濟》也。夫三當位，動則之不正，虞氏已自亂其之正之例，恐人嗤之，自謂行權宜無怪，是虞氏已自知其不當。然所以為此曲解者，以《家人》《漸》上九皆不當位而皆吉故也。乃惠氏等不知其謬，用其說以解吉義，以訛承訛，疑誤後學，莫此為甚。

Zhang Huiyan and Hui Dong were unable to resolve the issue, so they adopted Yu Fan's interpretation of the Upper Nine in the hexagram "Gradual." They said that the Third Line changing to yin would interact with the Upper Line, forming the hexagram "Perfect Union," hence resulting in a favorable outcome. The phrase "three lines receiving the Upper" refers to the Third Line changing to yin and interacting with the Upper Line, with the Upper Line descending to the Third Position and the Third Line ascending to the Upper Position, thus forming "Perfect Union." However, the Third Line was originally in the correct position; once it changed, it lost its proper position. Yu Fan thus disrupted his own principle of "the correct position of the incorrect," and to avoid criticism, he claimed this was a temporary solution and not unusual. This shows that Yu Fan himself recognized the inconsistency. He resorted to this forced interpretation because both the Upper Nine in "Family" and "Gradual" were not in the correct position yet their line statements still said favorable. Hui Dong and others failed to see the fallacy and continued to use this explanation to interpret "favorable," passing on errors and misleading later scholars, which is the most serious mistake.

茲《易林·未濟之家人》曰：「言與心詭，佞賊為禍。」夫曰心、曰賊，則以《家人》中爻互坎也；坎上下正反兩兌口相背，故曰言與心詭，曰佞賊，皆取象兌口也。九三之嗃嗃嘻嘻，亦以此也。

Now referring to the "Yi Lin · Weiji zhi Jiaoren" which says: "Speech differs from the mind, deceitful villains bring calamity." Since it mentions both "mind" and "thief," this is because in the hexagram Jiaoren, the yao and mutual trigrams form Kan. According to "Shu Gua," Kan represents the mind and theft. The trigram Kan has a positive and a negative兑 mouth facing each other, hence the saying "speech differs from the mind" (speech and thought are inconsistent) and "deceitful villains" are derived from the image of the兑 mouth. The two kinds of speech, "hao hao" and "xi xi," in the line nine three also come from this.

而三下據陰，形艮，艮為制為慎、為篤實、為尊貴，見林林，有尊嚴之象，故其聲嗃嗃；艮為家，故曰家人嗃嗃，由三視下取象也，故吉而不失。三上比陰形震，震為笑樂，有怠慢之聲，故其聲嘻嘻；震為子，四巽婦，故曰婦子嘻嘻，由三視上取象也，故吝而失節。

Nine in the Third is below the first and second lines, which are yin, forming the shape of Gen (Mountain). Gen represents restraint, caution, sincerity, and dignity (these images are frequently found in the "Forest Verses" of the "Yi Lin"), giving an air of solemnity, hence its sound is "hao hao." Gen also represents the family, so it is said "the family is hao hao" — this is the image taken by looking downward from Nine in the Third, thus resulting in good fortune and "not having lost" it. Nine in the Third is above Six in the Fourth, which is yin, forming the shape of Zhen (Thunder). Zhen represents laughter and joy, carrying an air of negligence, hence its sound is "xi xi." Zhen represents the son, and Six in the Fourth belongs to Xun (Wind), which represents the wife, so it is said "the wife and son are xi xi" — this is the image taken by looking upward from Nine in the Third, thus leading to regret and "losing the family's restraint."

其故全在九三上比下據之不同也。不然，以一爻忽吉忽吝，忽失忽不失，有是理哉？然非《易林》半象（《易林》於《既濟》每作三震，於《未濟》每作三艮）及正覆之例，孰能證明哉？

The reason lies entirely in the difference of the images taken when comparing upwards and downwards in the third line. Otherwise, if it were the same line, how could it sometimes be auspicious and sometimes be a disgrace, sometimes lose virtue and sometimes not lose virtue? How could such contradictions exist? However, without the method of half-images in Jiao's Forest of Changes, where the Forest of Changes often treats the situation of the Already Completed as three Zhens and the situation of the Not Yet Completed as three Gens, and the principle of taking images from the upright and inverted trigrams, who could prove this?