Discussion Thirty-Five, Thirty-Six: Wang Yinglin, Huang Yinyan

35、王應麟曰：《連山》首艮，艮是萬物之所終始也，八風始於不周，卦氣始於中孚，冬至為曆元，黃鐘為律本，太元紀日於牛宿，紀氣於中首而以罔冥，於元艮之終始萬物也。又曰：意夏、商卦下亦各有辭，故周人並存以為占。 36、黃寅炎曰：《連山》，庖犧先天易也。

Article thirty-five: Wang Yinglin of the Song dynasty said: The "Lianshan" begins with Gen, because Gen is the place where all things end and begin anew. This is consistent with several other matters that share the same underlying principle: the eight winds start from the Buzhou wind, the trigram energies start from Zhongfou, the winter solstice is set as the beginning of the calendar system, the Huangzhong is set as the fundamental tone of the musical scale, Yang Xiong's "Tai Xuan" uses the Ox mansion to mark days and uses "Zhong" as the starting point for the seasonal changes, ending with "Wang" and "Ming" as the final points — all of these are seeking a starting point for a cyclic system. The reason why Gen can both end and begin all things lies precisely here. He also said: It is presumed that the hexagrams of the Xia and Shang dynasties originally each had their own yao words, so the Zhou people preserved them together for use in divination. Article thirty-six: Huang Yiniang said: "Lianshan" is the先天易 of Fuxi. This is another concise expression of pushing "Lianshan" back to Fuxi.

37、朱元昇曰：《連山》者，三易之首也。　又曰：《連山》之作，兼取則於圖書。　又曰：《連山》作於伏羲，用於夏；《歸藏》作於黃帝，用於商。周公相成王，設官分職，命太卜、筮人與《周易》並掌，不以周用《周易》而置《連山》、《歸藏》於無用。

Zhu Yuansheng of the late Song and early Yuan dynasties said: The Lianshan is the first of the three Yis. He also said: The making of the Lianshan was based on the principles of the River Chart and the Lo Book. He further said: The Lianshan was composed by Fuxi but used in the Xia dynasty; the Guicang was composed by the Yellow Emperor but used in the Shang dynasty. When Duke Zhou assisted King Cheng, he established officials and assigned duties, ordering the Grand Astrologer and the diviner to jointly manage the Lianshan, Guicang, and Zhouyi. He did not discard the Lianshan and Guicang merely because the Zhouyi was prevalent in the Zhou dynasty. Zhu Yuansheng here separated the question of who composed the work from the question of when it was used, intending to reconcile the two conflicting traditional views that the Lianshan belongs to Fuxi and that the Lianshan belongs to the Xia dynasty.

又曰：《周禮疏》賈公彥釋《連山》之義曰：“《連山》其卦以純艮為首，艮為山，山上山下，是名《連山》”。即賈氏之疏稽之《說卦》之辭，夏時之候，夏建寅正，純艮實應立春，春為時之首，艮所以為《連山易》之首乎？考《漢·律曆志》述三統，謂人統，寅木也，太蔟律長八寸，象八卦，伏羲氏之所以順天地、通神明、類萬物也。以是知庖羲氏亦用寅正，夏后氏因之而已。公彥謂《連山》作於伏羲，因於夏后，此之謂也。

Zhu Yuansheng also said: In the "Commentary on the Rites: The Ceremonial Officer" (Zhou Li Shu), Jia Gongyan explained the meaning of the "Linked Mountains Changes" (Lianshan Yi), stating that "The Linked Mountains Changes takes the pure Gen trigram as its first trigram. The image of the Gen trigram is mountain, with the upper trigram being mountain and the lower trigram also being mountain, hence it is called the Linked Mountains Changes." Comparing this passage from Jia's commentary with the words in the "Commentary on the Trigrams" and checking against the seasonal calendar of the Xia dynasty: the Xia calendar established寅 (Yin) as the first month, and the pure Gen trigram corresponds to the solar term of the Beginning of Spring, which is the start of the four seasons. Therefore, the reason why Gen can be the first trigram of the Linked Mountains Changes is probably due to this. Further, the "Book of Han: Records of the Rites and Calendars" discusses the three unities, stating that the human unity corresponds to "Yin," which belongs to wood. The Tai Zhuo tuning pipe is eight inches long, symbolizing the eight trigrams. This is exactly the method by which Fuxi followed the heavens and earth, connected the divine, and compared things with their kinds. From this we can know that Fuxi also used Yin as the starting point, and the Xia dynasty merely continued this tradition. Jia Gongyan's statement that the Linked Mountains Changes was created by Fuxi and continued by the Xia dynasty refers to this meaning.

又曰：《連山易》亡久矣，因《周禮》得存其名，因《說卦傳》得存其義，因夏時得存其用。

Zhu Yuansheng also said: The "Linked Mountains Changes" has been lost for a long time, and its book title was preserved only through the "Rites of Zhou," its meaning was preserved only through the "Commentary on the Hexagrams," and its usage was preserved only through the calendar of the Xia dynasty. These three statements are the most measured among all discussions on the "Linked Mountains Changes" throughout history: since the original book no longer exists, later generations can only grasp it through the three indirect clues of its name, meaning, and usage. This is precisely the reason why Ma Guohan compiled this collected edition — to gather together the fragments of name, meaning, and usage scattered throughout various texts, rather than to hope for the restoration of a complete "Linked Mountains Changes."

38、金履祥曰：《連山》、《歸藏》其辭不復可考，學者謂邵氏互體、《既濟》諸卦圖即《連山》之遺法也，後世納甲歸魂之法，即《歸藏》之遺法也。 39、胡一桂曰：《連山》十卷，見《唐·藝文志》，自唐以前並無其書，則唐之《連山》似隋世偽書。

Article thirty-eight, Yuan dynasty scholar Jin Luxiang said: The divinatory texts of the books of "Continuous Mountains" and "Return to the Hidden" are no longer traceable. Some scholars believe that Shao Yong's concept of "mutual structures" and the diagrams of the "Completion" hexagram are the remaining methods of the "Continuous Mountains." Later methods such as "Najia" and "Return Soul" are considered to be the remnants of the "Return to the Hidden." This is attributing certain techniques of Song dynasty cosmological mathematics back to the two books, essentially belonging to speculative statements. Article thirty-nine, Yuan dynasty scholar Hu Yigui said: The "Continuous Mountains" with ten volumes is mentioned in the "Artful Literature Catalogue" of the "Tang Book," but there was no such book before the Tang dynasty. Therefore, the "Continuous Mountains" seen in the Tang dynasty might have been a forgery from the Sui dynasty. Hu Yigui's argument continues the line of thought of Liu Yan and Zheng Qiao, both pointing their criticism towards Liu Xuan.

40、吳澂曰：《連山》，夏之易。 41、吳萊曰：易占以變，故其數但用九六而尚老，《連山》、《歸藏》占以不變，故其數但用七八二尚少。《連山》七而首艮，《歸藏》八而初坤，亦不過伏羲之舊，及推其取用之策，《連山》三十有六，《歸藏》四十有六，《易》則四十有九，又若不相為用者。

Article forty, Yuan dynasty scholar Wu Cheng stated in one sentence that the "Lianshan" is the Book of Changes of the Xia dynasty. Article forty-one, Yuan dynasty scholar Wu Lai said: The "Zhouyi" deals with change, so it uses only "nine" and "six" and values old yang and old yin; the "Lianshan" and "Guicang" deal with unchanging matters, so they use only "seven" and "eight" and value young yang and young yin. The "Lianshan" uses seven and takes Gen as the first trigram, while the "Guicang" uses eight and takes Kun as the first trigram. This is merely following the old method of Fuxi. When investigating the number of stalks used in the three books, the "Lianshan" uses thirty-six, the "Guicang" uses forty-six, and the "Zhouyi" uses forty-nine, and they seem to be completely different from each other. Wu Lai combined the analysis of the number of lines and the number of stalks, pointing out that the three books indeed have substantial differences in terms of technique, not just differing in the first trigram.

42、朱隱老曰：《連山》，神農之易也，以艮為首，而凡建寅者宗之，雖唐虞亦然，不獨夏后氏為然也。 43、雷思齊曰：《連山》、《歸藏》之易，其筮法同而爻辭異也。 44、朱升曰：《連山》首艮，終始之際也。

Article forty-two, Zhu Yinya of the Yuan dynasty said: The "Lianshan" is the Book of Changes of Shen Nong, with Gen as the first trigram; all dynasties that used the beginning of the year in the寅 (Yin) month revered it, even in the time of the Yao and Yu dynasties, not only in the Xia dynasty. This article expands the concept of "first Gen" from being exclusive to the Xia dynasty to all dynasties that used the寅 (Yin) month as the beginning of the year. Article forty-three, Lei Siqi of the Yuan dynasty said: The "Lianshan" and "Guicang" both have the same method of divination but different line statements. Article forty-four, Zhu Sheng of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties said: The "Lianshan" takes Gen as the first trigram, precisely because it represents the moment of completion and renewal. The three articles are all very brief, yet each represents a distinct position: one is to push the origin of the "Lianshan" back to Shen Nong, another is to limit the difference between the two Books of Changes to their line statements rather than their methods, and the third is to interpret "first Gen" as the junction of cyclical renewal.

45、王禕曰：易自伏羲始畫八卦，因而重之為六十四卦，當時蓋有圖而無書也，後聖因之作《連山》，作《歸藏》，作《周易》，皆本於伏羲之圖而取用各不同。 46、何喬新曰：《唐藝文志》有《連山》十卷，出於長孫無忌次述，文多缺誤，其書不傳久矣，然求之尚有可言者，所謂兼山艮，即《連山》之遺意也，六爻皆別，人象。書雖不存，象可得而推焉。

Article forty-five: A Ming dynasty person, Wang Yi, said: The Book of Changes began with Fuxi drawing the Eight Trigrams, then overlapping them to form the sixty-four hexagrams. At that time, there were probably only the trigram diagrams and no written text. Later sages based on the trigram diagrams the books of Lianshan, Guicang, and Zhouyi. All three originated from Fuxi's diagram, but they differed in the way they used them. Article forty-six: A Ming dynasty person, He Qiaoxin, said: The Tang Dynasty Book of Arts and Literature records that Lianshan consists of ten volumes, compiled and narrated by Changsun Wuxiu and others. The text is often incomplete and erroneous, and this book has not been passed down for a long time. However, if one seriously seeks it out, there is still something to say: The great image of the Gen hexagram in Zhouyi refers to 'dual mountains of Gen', which is the meaning left behind by Lianshan. Each of the six lines distinguishes itself, taking the image of things. Although the book is no longer available, the hexagram images can still be inferred. He Qiaoxin's statement represents a moderate position: acknowledging that the original book has been lost, yet advocating for seeking the remnants of Lianshan through the Gen hexagram of Zhouyi.

47、王道曰：《連山》首艮，說者皆謂艮寅位，與建寅之義合，此殊不然。艮在寅，文王後天卦位，夏何由而預取之？且六子皆屬人道，獨首艮，何也？蓋三女無論。震一陽動於二陰之下，坎以一陽階於二陰之中，具不足以當人道之正也，惟艮一陽止二陰之上，既有符於一君二民之象，而又深契夫惟止能止眾止之妙，人道之最善也，首艮取此。

A modern scholar named Wang said: The book of Lianshan starts with the trigram Gen. Those who explain it say that Gen is associated with the position of Yin, which corresponds to the beginning of the summer season in the Xia dynasty. But this is not correct. The association of Gen with Yin is a later arrangement by King Wen. How could the Xia dynasty have used the position of Yin, which was only established later? Moreover, the six sub-trigrams derived from Qian and Kun all relate to human affairs. Why then is Gen chosen as the first? As for the three female trigrams Xun, Li, and Dui, they can be set aside for now. Zhen is a single yang line emerging from two yin lines, and Kan is a single yang line between two yin lines, neither of which can represent the central and upright position of human affairs. Only Gen, with a single yang line resting on two yin lines, corresponds to the image of "one ruler and two subjects" and also aligns with the principle of "only by stopping can one stop others from stopping." Gen is the most complete trigram in human affairs, and thus it is chosen as the first. This argument carries significant weight, as it directly refutes the popular view that Gen and Yin are associated, pointing out that this is a later arrangement of the trigrams. Instead, it proposes a new interpretation based on the structure of the trigrams and the image of ruler and subjects.

48、湛若水曰：夏之《連山》，知止者，始終之要，程子所以取艮卦也。 49、孫宜曰：解《連山》者，謂如山出云，連綿不絕，夫出雲連綿，奚足盡天下之理？　又曰：八卦以序相循環，《連山》、《歸藏》亦各有序，而其義未備。

Article forty-eight: A Ming scholar named Zhan Ruoshui said: The book of Lianshan from the Xia dynasty discusses the concept of "stop" ("止"). "Stop" is the key to both the end and the beginning. Cheng Yi particularly valued the Gen hexagram for this very reason. Article forty-nine: A Ming scholar named Sun Yi said: Those who explain Lianshan say it is like clouds rising from a mountain, continuous and unending. However, the meaning of clouds rising continuously is not sufficient to explain the principles of the universe. He also said: The eight trigrams follow a sequence that cycles continuously, and both Lianshan and Guicang also have their own sequences of hexagrams. However, their meanings are incomplete and fragmented. Sun Yi's first statement criticizes the old interpretation of "clouds rising from a mountain" as too superficial, while his second statement acknowledges that although the sequences of the two books still exist in name, their meanings are no longer accessible.

50、胡應麟曰：《連山易》十卷，見《唐藝文志》。按班氏六經首《周易》，凡夏商之易絕不同。隋牛宏購得域內遺書至三十七萬卷，魏文成等修《隋史》，晉、梁以降，亡佚篇名無不具載，皆不聞所謂《連山》者，至唐始出，可乎？《北史·劉炫傳》：隋文搜訪圖藉，炫因偽造《連山》及《魯史記》上之，馬端臨據此以為炫作，或有然者，蓋炫後事發除名，故《隋志》不錄，而其書尚傳於後，開元中，盛集群書，仍入禁中爾。

A Ming dynasty scholar named Hu Yinglin said that the "Linked Mountains Changes" (Lianshan Yi) is recorded as a ten-volume work in the "Artful Literature Catalogue" of the Tang dynasty. According to Ban Gu's "Artful Literature Catalogue" of the Han dynasty, the Six Classics begin with the "Zhou Changes" (I Ching), which is entirely different from the so-called "Yi" of the Xia and Shang dynasties. During the Sui dynasty, Niu Hong collected lost books from all over the country, receiving as many as three million seven hundred thousand volumes. When Wei Wencheng and others compiled the "Sui History," they recorded the titles of all lost books from the Jin and Liang dynasties and later, yet they never mentioned the "Linked Mountains Changes." It appeared only in the Tang dynasty, which raises the question of whether this is plausible. The "Northern History" records that Emperor Wen of the Sui dynasty searched for ancient books, and Liu Xuan took the opportunity to forge the "Linked Mountains Changes" and the "Lu History" and presented them. Ma Duanlin used this to conclude that the book was written by Liu Xuan, and perhaps this is indeed the case. It is likely that Liu Xuan later revealed his deception and was removed from the official records, so the "Sui History" did not include it. However, the books he forged still circulated in later generations. During the Kaiyuan period, the court gathered many books, and this book thus entered the imperial collection. Hu Yinglin's account completed the chain of evidence for identifying the book as a forgery: it explained why the "Sui History" did not record it and how the fake book could have circulated and reappeared in the Tang dynasty.

51、沈懋孝曰：夏易首艮，以成終而胎出震之用。 52、郝敬曰：《連山》六畫艮卦，艮為山，上下兩艮，故曰《連山》。 53、焦竑曰：《連山》艮也，夏時，講學者所重在止。

Article fifty-one: Shen Maoxiao of the Ming dynasty said: The "Book of Changes" of the summer dynasty takes Gen as the first trigram, using Gen's virtue of "completion and conclusion" to nurture the function of "Zhen emerging" — Gen represents conclusion, while Zhen represents movement and initiation. Within the conclusion lies the seed of the next beginning. Article fifty-two: Hao Jing of the Ming dynasty said: The "Lianshan" discusses the trigram Gen, which is the image of a mountain. Since the trigram Gen is repeated above and below, it is called "Lianshan." Article fifty-three: Jiao Hong of the Ming dynasty said: "Lianshan" is Gen. In the Shang dynasty, scholars valued the character "zhi" (stop). All three articles focus on Gen, showing that by the Ming dynasty, scholars' interest in "Lianshan" had shifted from verifying its authenticity to exploring its meaning and principles.

54、孫奇逢曰：《連山》首艮，艮，止也，天下事不日新於行而日新於止，惟其時止則止，所以時行則行也，成始成終之義也。 55、黃宗炎曰：桓譚謂《連山》八萬言，《歸藏》四千三百言，是殷書與《周易》等夏之文字幾二十倍於文王、周公之辭，豈古昔之方冊乎？為此說者亦不明古今之通義矣。

Article 54: Sun Qifeng of the Ming and Qing periods said: The "Lianshan" begins with Gen, which means "to stop"; the affairs of the world are not renewed day by day through action, but through stopping and resting, day by day. Because when it is time to stop, it can stop, so when it is time to move forward, it can move forward. This is the meaning of achieving the beginning and the end. Article 55: Huang Zongyan of the Qing dynasty said: Huan Tan wrote eighty thousand characters on the "Lianshan" and four thousand three hundred characters on the "Guicang". According to this, the books of the Shang dynasty were about the same length as the "Zhouyi", while the writings of the Xia dynasty were almost twenty times the length of the words of King Wen and the Duke of Zhou. But in ancient times, bamboo slips and wooden tablets were used for writing, how could such a length be possible? Those who proposed this view did not understand the general conditions of the past and present. Huang Zongyan's rebuttal is very convincing: he started from the material conditions of writing in ancient times, directly questioning the credibility of the figure "eighty thousand characters", which was precisely the main basis for the claim that the "Lianshan" still existed in the Han dynasty.

56、顧炎武曰：《連山》、《歸藏》，非易也，而《周官》云“三易”者，後人因易之名以名之也，猶之《墨子》言周之春秋、燕之春秋、宋之春秋、齊之春秋，周、燕、宋、齊之史，非比皆《春秋》也，而云“春秋”者，因魯史之名以名之也。

Qing scholar Gu Yanwu said: The "Lianshan" and "Guicang" were originally not "Yi", but the "Zhou Li" referred to them as the "San Yi". This was because later people borrowed the name "Yi" to refer to them. This is similar to the "Mozi" mentioning the "Chunqiu" of the Zhou, the "Chunqiu" of Yan, the "Chunqiu" of Song, and the "Chunqiu" of Qi: the historical records of these states were originally not all called "Chunqiu", but they were collectively referred to as "Chunqiu" by using the name of the historical record of Lu. Gu Yanwu's analogy is very insightful: he pointed out that "San Yi" is a later general term, and the divination books of the Xia and Shang dynasties may not have called themselves "Yi". Therefore, arguing whether "Lianshan" is or is not "Yi" is meaningless; the question should be redirected to what kind of divination book "Lianshan" actually was.

57、尤侗曰：《連山》首艮，《歸藏》首坤，序卦略殊，卦名未嘗異也。 58、黃與堅曰：易，周所名，則《連山》、《歸藏》亦周以易名而謂之“三易”也。

Article 57, Yu Tong of the Qing dynasty said: "The book of Lianshan starts with Gen, and the book of Guicang starts with Kun. The order of the hexagrams in the three books is slightly different, but the names of the hexagrams have never been different. This contradicts the previous account by Luo Ping, who said that 'Yang Yu' and 'You Xi' are hexagram names unique to Lianshan. This shows that the Qing scholars still have no definite conclusion on this issue. Article 58, Huang Yujian of the Qing dynasty said: 'Yi' is the name established by the Zhou people. Therefore, Lianshan and Guicang were also called 'Yi' by the Zhou people, and thus collectively referred to as 'San Yi'. This is in line with Gu Yanwu's view, both seeing 'San Yi' as a general term added later by the Zhou people.

59、朱彝尊曰：毛漸所序《三墳》，首列《山墳》，謂是《連山》之易，伏羲所作。其象有崇山君、伏山臣、列山民、兼山物、潛山陰、連山陽、藏山兵、疊山象等義，其言曰“天皇始畫八卦，《連山》名易，君、臣、民、物、陰、陽、兵、象始明於世”，荒誕不足信也。

Qing scholar Zhu Yizun said: Mao Jian's version of the "San Fen" begins with "Shan Fen," claiming it to be the "Lianshan" Yi, composed by Fuxi. Its trigrams are named with such terms as "Chongshan" for the sovereign, "Fushan" for the minister, "Lie Shan" for the people, "Jianshan" for things, "Qianshan" for the yin, "Lianshan" for the yang, "Cangshan" for military affairs, and "Diedeshan" for the image. The book says, "The heavenly emperor first drew the eight trigrams, and thus the "Lianshan" came to be called Yi. From then on, the eight categories of sovereign, minister, people, things, yin, yang, military affairs, and image became clear to the world." These statements are absurd and not worth believing. This point is especially important: the "Gusan San Fen" appended at the end of this volume is precisely the one that Zhu Yizun severely criticized as a forgery. Ma Guohan included both the critical discussion of its authenticity and the original text itself, intending to let readers compare and judge for themselves.

又曰：按杜子春以“連山”為宓犧，“歸藏”為黃帝，姚信以“列山”為神農，而班孟堅《古今人表》既於聖人列宓犧、神農、黃帝，又於仁人著列山、歸藏，不應復出乃爾。

Zhu Yizun also said: Chá Du Zichun assigned "Lianshan" to Fuyi, and "Guicang" to the Yellow Emperor; Yao Xin assigned "lieshan" to Shen Nong. However, Ban Gu, whose courtesy name was Mengjian, had already listed Fuyi, Shen Nong, and the Yellow Emperor under the category of "saints" in the "Ancient and Modern Persons Table" of the "Book of Han," and later listed "lieshan" and "guicang" under the category of "benevolent persons." The same group of people should not appear twice in this way. Zhu Yizun thus pointed out that the names "Lianshan," "Guicang," and "lieshan" were in the minds of Han people distinct from Fuyi, Shen Nong, and the Yellow Emperor. Later generations confused them and directly regarded them as alternative names for the Three Emperors, which was actually a mistake. This also shows that the origin of the name "Lianshan" has been controversial since the Han dynasty.

《春秋左氏傳》云：楚左史倚相能讀《三墳》《五典》《八索》《九丘》。孫安國敘《書》以謂伏羲、神農、黃帝之書，謂之《三墳》，言大道也。《漢書·藝文志》錄古書為詳，而三墳之書巳不載，豈此書當漢而亡歟？

The "Spring and Autumn Zuo Tradition" records that a left historian of the State of Chu named Yi Xiang was able to read several ancient classical texts known as the "Three Barrows," "Five Classics," "Eight Threads," and "Nine Mountains." Sun Anguo, who is identified as Sun Xingyan, refers to Kong Anguo in the "Book of Documents" preface. He says that the books of Fuxi, Shen Nong, and the Yellow Emperor were called the "Three Barrows," and they explained the great principles. The "Book of Han · Artful Literature Catalogue" records ancient texts most comprehensively, yet the "Three Barrows" are no longer mentioned. Could this book have been lost by the Han dynasty? Note: The original text says "si bu zai," but the original manuscript has "si," which is likely a mistake for "yi." This is recorded as is. Mao Jie starts with this question to set the stage for his subsequent account of how he obtained the book.

元豐七年，予奉使西京，巡按屬邑，而唐州之泌陽，道無郵亭，因寓食於民舍。有題於戶：《三墳》書某人借去。亟呼主人而問之。曰：古之《三墳》也，某家實有是書。因命取而閱之。《三墳》各有《傳》，《墳》乃古文，而《傳》乃隸書。觀其言簡而理暢，疑非後世之所能為也。就借而歸錄，間出以示好事，往往指為偽書。

In the seventh year of Yuanfeng during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song, I was sent on a mission to the western capital, Luoyang, to inspect the affiliated prefectures and counties. When I reached Biyang in Tangzhou, there were no official inns to stay at, so I borrowed lodging from a local family. I noticed that the door had a line written on it: "The Book of Sanfeng is borrowed by someone." I hurriedly called the host to ask about it. The host said that it was an ancient Book of Sanfeng, and his family indeed had a copy of it. So I asked him to bring it out and read through it. Each section of the Book of Sanfeng was accompanied by a commentary. The main text of the Sanfeng was written in ancient script, while the commentary was written in clerical script. The language was concise yet the meaning was clear and coherent, making me suspect that it could not have been written by someone from later generations. I therefore borrowed it and made a copy. Occasionally, I would show it to those who loved ancient books, but they often regarded it as a forgery. This passage is the only account of the origin of the Ancient Sanfeng. The controversy over its authenticity has all stemmed from this.

然考《墳》之所以有三，蓋以山、氣、形為別：《山墳》言君、臣、民、物、陰、陽、兵、象，謂之《連山》；《氣墳》言歸、藏、生、動、長、育、止、殺，謂之《歸藏》；《形墳》言天、地、日、月、山、川、雲、氣，謂之《乾坤》。與先儒之說《三墳》特異。皆以義類相從，曲盡天地之理。復有《姓紀》《皇策》《政典》之篇，文辭質略，信乎上古之遺書也。

However, the division of the "San Feng" into three parts is probably based on the categories of mountains, qi, and forms: "Shan Feng" discusses eight aspects, namely king, minister, people, things, yin, yang, army, and phenomena, and is called "Lian Shan"; "Qi Feng" discusses eight aspects, namely return, concealment, birth, movement, growth, nurturing, stopping, and killing, and is called "Gui Cang"; "Xing Feng" discusses eight aspects, namely heaven, earth, sun, moon, mountains, rivers and valleys, clouds, and qi, and is called "Qian Kun". This differs greatly from the previous scholars' interpretations of the "San Feng". All three are arranged according to the categories of meaning, thoroughly and elaborately exploring the principles of heaven and earth. The book also includes several chapters such as "Xing Ji", "Huang Ce", and "Zheng Dian", which have plain and concise language, indeed resembling ancient documents left from the remote past. One point worth noting is that identifying "Lian Shan" and "Gui Cang" as two parts of the "San Feng" is precisely the most questionable aspect of this book—the "Lian Shan" recorded in the "Zhou Li" is a book of divination, while the "Shan Feng" here is merely a table of correspondences between names and objects.

《胤征》引《政典》曰先時者殺無赦，不及時者殺無赦。孔氏以謂夏后為政之典籍，頗與《書》合，豈後人之能偽邪？世人徒以此書漢時已亡，非後世之宜有。且《尚書》當漢初重購而莫得，武帝時方出於屋壁間，詎可遂為偽哉？予考此書，既篤信之，將詒諸好事君子，故為之敘雲。

The Book of Documents, Shangshu · Yunzheng, cites the Zhengdian, saying: those executed before the proper season are not pardoned, and those executed after the season are also not pardoned. Kong Anguo believed that the Zhengdian was a collection of policies from the Xia dynasty, which is very consistent with what is recorded in the Shangshu. Could it be fabricated by later people? The world only assumes that because this book was lost in the Han dynasty, it should not exist in later times. However, the Shangshu was also not found even when the Han dynasty offered a large reward for its retrieval, until it was discovered in the walls of Confucius' old residence during the reign of Emperor Wu. Can this therefore be used to conclude that the Shangshu is a forgery? After examining this book, I am convinced of its authenticity and intend to pass it on to gentlemen who love ancient texts, so I have written this preface. Mao Jian used the precedent of the Shangshu being found in the walls of a house to defend the Gu Sanfeng, which is the strongest argument in his entire work, and it is also the point that later scholars such as Zhu Yizun had to address directly.

爻卦大象： 崇山君 君臣相 君民官 君物龍 君陰後 君陽師 君兵將 君象首 伏山臣 臣君侯 臣民士 臣物龜 臣陰子 臣陽父 臣兵卒 臣象股

The "Yao Gua Great Images" of the "Shan Fen" is an eight-by-eight table. It assigns the eight trigrams named "Mountain" to eight categories: ruler, minister, people, things, yin, yang, army, and image. Each trigram is then combined successively with the other seven categories to form the sixty-four special trigrams. Each trigram is marked with three characters to indicate the image it represents. The first row, "Chong Shan" (High Mountain), represents the ruler's path: when the ruler combines with the minister, the image is "Xiang" (Minister); when the ruler combines with the people, the image is "Guan" (Official); when the ruler combines with things, the image is "Long" (Dragon); when the ruler combines with yin, the image is "Hou" (Queen), the ruler's spouse; when the ruler combines with yang, the image is "Shi" (Soldier); when the ruler combines with army, the image is "Jiang" (General); when the ruler combines with image, the image is "Shou" (Head), representing the position of the supreme ruler. The second row, "Fu Shan" (Hidden Mountain), represents the minister's path: when the minister combines with the ruler, the image is "Hou" (Lord); when the minister combines with the people, the image is "Shi" (Scholar); when the minister combines with things, the image is "Gui" (Turtle); when the minister combines with yin, the image is "Zi" (Son); when the minister combines with yang, the image is "Fu" (Father); when the minister combines with army, the image is "Cu" (Soldier); when the minister combines with image, the image is "Gu" (Thigh), symbolizing the minister who supports the ruler.

列山民 民君食 民臣力 民物貨 民陰妻 民陽夫 民兵器 民象體 兼山物 物君金 物臣木 物民土 物陰水 物陽火 物兵執 物象春

The third line uses "列山" to govern civil affairs: the people and the sovereign are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "food," because people regard food as essential; the people and the minister are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "strength," referring to the labor the people provide; the people and objects are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "goods," meaning wealth; the people and yin are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "wife"; the people and yang are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "husband"; the people and weapons are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "weapon," meaning military equipment; the people and images are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "body," meaning the physical form. The fourth line uses "兼山" to govern objects: objects and the sovereign are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "metal"; objects and the minister are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "wood"; objects and the people are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "earth"; objects and yin are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "water"; objects and yang are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "fire"; objects and weapons are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "holding," referring to tools for holding; objects and images are in mutual emphasis, and their image is "spring." These two lines assign the Five Phases to "objects" and use husband and wife, body to match "people," and the method of taking images differs entirely from the system of hexagrams in the Zhou Changes.

潛山陰 陰君地 陰臣野 陰民鬼 陰物獸 陰陽樂 陰兵妖 陰象冬 連山陽 陽君天 陽臣乾 陽民神 陽物禽 陽陰禮 陽兵譴 陽象夏

The fifth line takes "Qian Mountain" as the main symbol for Yin: Yin combined with the ruler produces the image of "earth"; Yin combined with the minister produces the image of "wilderness"; Yin combined with the people produces the image of "ghosts"; Yin combined with objects produces the image of "beasts"; Yin combined with Yang produces the image of "music"; Yin combined with military force produces the image of "monsters"; Yin combined with images produces the image of "winter." The sixth line takes "Lian Mountain" as the main symbol for Yang: Yang combined with the ruler produces the image of "heaven"; Yang combined with the minister produces the image of "branches"; Yang combined with the people produces the image of "gods"; Yang combined with objects produces the image of "birds"; Yang combined with Yin produces the image of "ritual"; Yang combined with military force produces the image of "reproach," meaning censure and military action; Yang combined with images produces the image of "summer." There is one point particularly worth noting: "Lian Mountain" in this table is merely one of the eight trigrams, assigned to Yang; this is entirely different from the old interpretation that the entire book of "Lian Mountain" begins with "Gen" (Mountain), taking the meaning of two mountains overlapping.

藏山兵 兵君帥 兵臣佐 兵民軍 兵物材 兵陰謀 兵陽陣 兵象秋 迭山象 象君日 象臣月 象民星 象物雲 象陰夜 象陽晝 象兵氣

The seventh line takes "concealed mountain" as the main subject of military affairs: when military power overlaps with the sovereign, its image is "commander"; when it overlaps with the minister, its image is "assistant," meaning a deputy general; when it overlaps with the people, its image is "army"; when it overlaps with objects, its image is "material," meaning military supplies; when it overlaps with yin, its image is "strategy"; when it overlaps with yang, its image is "formation"; when it overlaps with the image, its image is "autumn," as autumn's energy is characterized by肃杀 (severe and destructive). The eighth line takes "repeated mountain" as the main subject of object images: when the image overlaps with the sovereign, its image is "sun"; when it overlaps with the minister, its image is "moon"; when it overlaps with the people, its image is "star"; when it overlaps with objects, its image is "cloud"; when it overlaps with yin, its image is "night"; when it overlaps with yang, its image is "day"; when it overlaps with military power, its image is "energy." Altogether, these eight lines amount to sixty-four lines, which constitute all the hexagrams of the "Mountain坟" (Mountain Tomb). The previous criticism by Zhu Yizun that it was "absurd and not trustworthy" refers precisely to this system of forcibly pairing the sovereign, ministers, people, and objects into the eight trigrams. It lacks line statements and divination methods, and has no substantial connection with the sixty-four additional hexagrams of the "Lianshan" (Continuous Mountain) recorded in the "Zhou Li" (Rites of Zhou). Note: The original text of the first hexagram is "Dier Shan Xiang," but Zhu Yizun cited it as "Diedian Shan Xiang," and both versions are recorded according to the original text.

清氣未升，濁氣未沉，游神未靈，五色未分，中有其物，冥冥而性存，謂之混沌。混沌為太始。太始者，元胎之萌也。太始之數一，一為太極。太極者，天地之父母也。一極易，天高明而清，地博厚而濁，謂之太易。太易者，天地之變也。太易之數二，二為兩儀。兩儀者，陰陽之形也，謂之太初。太初者，天地之交也。太初之數四，四盈易，四象變而成萬物，謂之太素。太素者，三才之始也。太素之數三，三盈易，天地孕而生男女，謂之三才。三才者，天地之備也。

Before the clear qi rises, before the turbid qi sinks, before the wandering origin god manifests, and before the five colors separate, there already exists something within, dark and indistinct with its nature contained. This is called "hundun." Hundun is also called "Taishi." Taishi refers to the initial stirring of the primordial embryo. The number of Taishi is one, and one is called "Taiji." Taiji is the parents of heaven and earth. When one reaches its extreme, transformation occurs, so heaven becomes high and bright, light and subtle, while earth becomes vast and profound, heavy and turbid. This is called "Taiyi." Taiyi refers to the differentiation of heaven and earth. The number of Taiyi is two, and two is called "Liangyi." Liangyi refers to yin and yang taking form separately. This is called "Taichu." Taichu refers to the union of heaven and earth. The number of Taichu is four, and when four is full, transformation occurs. The four images change and generate all things. This is called "Taisu." Taisu refers to the beginning of the three elements. The number of Taisu is three, and when three is full, transformation occurs. Heaven and earth nurture and produce male and female. This is called "Sanchai." Sanchai refers to the completion of the way of heaven and earth. This passage uses hundun, Taishi, Taiji, Taiyi, Liangyi, Taichu, Taisu, and Sanchai to progressively explain the generation of the universe, forming a sequence with clear order. It clearly combines ideas from the "Yi Wei · Gan Zao Du" and the "Lie Zi."

游神動而靈，故飛、走、潛、化、動、植、蟲、魚之類，必備於天地之間，謂之太古。太古者，生民之始也。太古之人皆壽，盈易始三男三女，冬聚夏散，食鳥、獸、蟲、魚、草、木之實，而男女構精，以女生為姓。始三頭，謂之合雄紀。生子三世。合雄氏沒，子孫相傳，記其壽命，謂之敘命紀。通紀四姓，生子二世。男女眾多，群居連逋，從強而行，是謂連逋紀。生子一世，通紀五姓，是謂五姓紀。

A wandering Origin God, once in motion, gained spirit, so birds, beasts, fish, and creatures of transformation, along with animals, plants, insects, and fish, were certainly present in the world, which is called "Tai Gu." Tai Gu refers to the beginning of humanity. People in the Tai Gu period lived very long lives. When the heavens and earth were full and overflowing, change began. Initially, three males and three females were born. In winter they lived together, in summer they dispersed, eating the flesh of birds, beasts, insects, and fish, and the fruits of trees and plants. Males and females joined together to produce offspring, and surnames were determined by the mother's lineage. At first, they were divided into three leading clans, called "He Xiong Ji." This lasted for three generations of descendants. After the death of He Xiong, the descendants passed down the lineage generation after generation, beginning to record each person's lifespan, called "Xu Ming Ji," totaling four surnames, lasting for two generations. Later, the population of men and women grew large, living in groups and being connected with each other, migrating together, following the strong, which is called "Lian Bu Ji," lasting for one generation, totaling five surnames, called "Wu Xing Ji." These sentences divide the ancient clan into periods called "Ji" and mention "using the female lineage as surname," preserving the ancient concept of matrilineal naming.

天下群居，以類相親，男女眾多，分為九頭，各有居方，故號居方氏。沒，生子三十二世，強弱相迫，欲生吞害。中有神人，提挺而治，故號提挺氏。提挺氏生子三十五紀，通紀七十二姓，故號通姓氏。有巢氏生，太古之先覺，識於天地草、木、蟲、魚、鳥、獸，俾人居巢穴，積鳥獸之肉，聚草木之實，天下九頭咸歸。有巢始君也，動止，群群相聚而尊事之。壽一太易，本通姓氏之後也。

People all over the world gathered in groups, associating with each other according to their categories. The number of men and women increased continuously, and they were divided into nine leading clans, each occupying a specific area, thus being called "Residence Clans." After the Residence Clans died, their lineage passed down for thirty-two generations of descendants, with the strong forcing the weak, even to the point of wanting to eat each other. Among them emerged a divine person who took the initiative to manage and regulate, thus being called "Titing Clan." The Titing Clan passed down for thirty-five generations of descendants, totaling seventy-two surnames, thus being called "General Surname Clan." Later, Youchao Clan was born, who was a wise figure in the ancient times, understanding the conditions of heaven and earth, as well as grass, trees, insects, fish, birds, and beasts. He taught people to live in nests in trees and holes in the ground, to store meat from animals and gather fruits from plants. All nine clans submitted to him. Youchao Clan was the first ruler, and his every action caused people to gather and revere him. His reign lasted for one "Taiyi" period, and he was a descendant of the General Surname Clan.

燧人氏，有巢子也，生而神靈，教人炮食，鑽木取火，天下生靈尊事之。始有日中之市，交易其物，有傳教之臺，有結繩之政，壽一太易，本通姓氏之後也。

The Shui Ren Shi was the son of the You Chaoshi. From birth, he was intelligent and supernatural, teaching people to roast food and drill wood to make fire. All living beings revered him. From him, there began the custom of having markets at noon for people to exchange their products. He also established high platforms for spreading teachings and implemented the system of knot-tying for record-keeping. His reign lasted for a period called "Tai Yi." Originally, he was a descendant of a common surname. This passage attributes three things—markets, education, and the system of knot-tying—to Shui Ren Shi. It corresponds with the legend in the "Great Treatise" of the "Zhou Yi" that "markets were held at noon," but in the "Great Treatise," this is attributed to Shen Nong, while here it is placed earlier, under Shui Ren Shi.

伏羲氏，燧人子也，因風而生，故風姓。末甲八太七成，三十二易草木，草生月，雨降日，河泛，時龍馬負圖，蓋分五色，文開五易，甲象崇山。天皇始畫八卦，皆連山，名《易》。君、臣、民、物、陰、陽、兵、象，始明於世。

Fuxi was the son of Suiren, and was born in response to the wind, so he took the surname "Feng" (Wind). In the time of the last Jia stem and during the period of eight great and seven completed things, he experienced thirty-two cycles of the growth and withering of grass and trees. When the month of the sprouting of grass and trees arrived and the day of rain came, the Yellow River rose, and at that time a dragon horse emerged from the river carrying a book. The book had five colors arranged, with patterns that showed five kinds of change, and its Jia symbol corresponded to "Chongshan" (High Mountains). The heavenly emperor then began to draw the Eight Trigrams, all based on "Lianshan" (Continuous Mountains), and named it "Yi" (Change). From then on, the eight categories of ruler, minister, people, things, yin, yang, army, and image became clear to the world. Note: This passage uses "ji yi caomu" (a few changes in grass and trees) to count years, meaning that each cycle of grass and tree growth and withering is considered a year. This is a unique method of dating found only in the "Gǔ Sān Fén" (Ancient Three Tombs), and it does not appear in any pre-Qin texts. It is also one of the pieces of evidence used by later scholars to determine that this book was falsely attributed to a Song dynasty author.

圖出後二成三十二易草木，木枯月，命臣飛龍氏造六書。後草木一易，木王月，命臣潛龍氏作甲曆。伏制犧牛，治金成器，教民炮食。易九頭為九牧，因尊事為禮儀，因龍出而紀官，因風來而作樂。命降龍氏何率萬民，命水龍氏平治水土，命火龍氏炮治器用，因居方而置城郭。天下之民號曰天皇、太昊、伏犧、有庖、升龍氏，本通姓氏之後也。

After the appearance of the River Chart, two cycles and thirty-two cycles of the growth and withering of plants passed. When it came to the month when plants withered, Fuxi ordered his minister Feilong to create the six scripts, that is, writing. Then, after another cycle of plant growth and withering, when the wood element was at its peak, he ordered his minister Qianlong to make the Jia calendar. He tamed the Shixi cattle, smelted metal to make tools, and taught the people to roast food. He reorganized the nine tribal groups into nine regions, established rituals based on the people's reverence, named officials according to the appearance of the dragon, and composed music in response to the arrival of the wind. He ordered the minister Xianglong He to lead the people, ordered Shuilong to manage water and land, and ordered Huolong to make tools. He built cities according to the original dwelling areas of each tribe. The people of the world called him Tianhuang, Taihao, Fuxi, Youpao, and Shenglong. He was a descendant of the clan of Tong. The character 'He' in 'Xianglong He' is as written in the original text; it may be a person's name or a borrowed character for 'He', meaning to bear the responsibility. Both interpretations are uncertain.

昔在天皇，居於君位，諮於將，諮於相，諮於民，垂皇策辭。皇曰：惟我生無道，承父居方，三十二易草木，上升君位。我父燧皇歸世，未降河圖，生民結繩，而無不信。於末甲八太七成，三十二易草木，惟我老極。姓生人眾多，群群蟲聚，欲相吞害。惟天至仁，於草生月，天雨降河，龍馬負圖，神開我心，子其未生，我畫八卦，自上而下咸安。

In ancient times, the Heavenly Emperor Fuxi held the position of ruler. He consulted with generals, ministers, and the common people, and then issued this text called "The Imperial Strategy Discourse." The Heavenly Emperor said: I was born without extraordinary virtue, merely inheriting the territory my father occupied. After thirty-two cycles of the growth and withering of plants, I ascended to the throne. When my father, the Fire Emperor, passed away, the River Chart had not yet descended. The people used knotted ropes to record events, yet none failed to keep their word. By the time of the era of the last Jia and the seventh generation of the eighth dynasty, after another thirty-two cycles of plant growth and decay, I had grown extremely old. The population of each clan had increased greatly, gathering in groups like insects, wanting to devour and destroy each other. Fortunately, heaven is very benevolent. In the month when plants begin to sprout, heavy rain fell, the rivers rose, and a dragon horse emerged carrying the book. The divine opened my mind. At that time, you had not yet been born. I drew the Eight Trigrams, and from top to bottom, spread them out, and thus the world became peaceful.

其居後二成二十二易草木，皇曰：命子襄居我飛龍之位，主我圖文，代我諮於四方上下，無或私。襄曰：咸若諮眾之辭，君無念哉。後一易草木，皇曰：命子英居我潛龍之位，主我陰陽甲曆，諮於四方上下，無或差。英曰：依其法亦順，君無念哉。皇曰：無為。

After another two cycles of the growth and withering of plants, the heavenly emperor said: I appoint my son Xiang to the position of "Flying Dragon," in charge of books and writings, to consult opinions from all directions above and below, without any private bias. Xiang replied: I will act according to the opinions gathered from the people, so the king need not worry. After another cycle of the growth and withering of plants, the heavenly emperor said: I appoint my son Ying to the position of "Hidden Dragon," in charge of yin and yang and the calendar of the heavenly stems, to consult opinions from all directions above and below, without any mistakes. Ying replied: By following the established rules and regulations, everything will be proper, so the king need not worry. The heavenly emperor said: In this way, I can govern without action. Here, "Flying Dragon" and "Hidden Dragon" are both official titles, consistent with the previous account that the Flying Dragon clan created the six scripts and the Hidden Dragon clan made the calendar of the heavenly stems.

後二十二易草木，昊英氏進歷於君曰：歷起甲寅。皇曰：甲日寅辰，乃鳩眾於傳教臺，告民示始甲寅。易二月，天王升傳教臺，乃集生民後女媧子，無分臣工大小列之。右上相共工，下相皇桓。飛龍朱襄氏、潛龍昊英氏居君左右。栗陸氏居北，赫胥氏居南，昆連氏居西，葛天氏居東，陰康民居下。九州之牧，各統其人群，居於外。

After another twenty-two cycles of the growth and decay of plants, the ruler Hòuyīng presented a new calendar to the king, saying: "The calendar begins with Jiayin." The heavenly king said: "Take Jia as the day and Yin as the hour." Then he gathered all the people on the platform for teaching and announced to the people that the calendar began with Jiayin. In the second month, the heavenly king ascended the platform for teaching, summoned the people and the descendants of Nüwa, and arranged them all around regardless of their rank or position. Standing on the right were the senior ministers Gonggong and Huanghan; the dragon of flight, Zhu Xiangshi, and the dragon of concealment, Hòuyīng, stood on either side of the king; Lulushishi was to the north, Hexushishi to the south, Kunlianshi to the west, Getianshi to the east, and the people of Yinkang were below. The chieftains of the nine regions each led their own tribes and stood in the outer circle. This is a diagram of an ancient court assembly, arranging the leaders of various tribal clans around Fuxi according to their directions.

皇曰：諮予上相共工，我惟老極無為，子惟扶我正道，諮告於民，俾知甲曆，日月歲時自茲始，無或不記，子勿怠。共工曰：工居君臣之位，無有勞，君其念哉。皇曰：下相皇桓，我惟老極無為，子惟扶我正道，撫愛下民，同力諮告於民，俾知甲曆，曰月歲時自茲始，無或不記，子其勿怠。桓曰：居君臣之位，無有勞，君其念哉。

Heavenly Emperor said: Tell me, the upper minister Gonggong, I have grown so old that I can only remain inactive, so you must support me in promoting the right path, and announce to the people so that they understand the Jia calendar; the calculation of days, months, years, and hours shall now begin, and there must be no omissions or forgotten records; do not be lazy. Gonggong replied: Since I am in the position of a minister, this is not laborious, so please rest assured. Heavenly Emperor said: The lower minister Huanghuan, I have grown so old that I can only remain inactive, so you must support me in promoting the right path, nurture and care for the people below, and work together with Gonggong to announce to the people so that they understand the Jia calendar; the calculation of days, months, years, and hours shall now begin, and there must be no omissions or forgotten records; do not be lazy. Both instances of 「无有劳」 are expressions of humility from the ministers, meaning that they do not consider their duties as laborious.

皇曰：栗陸子居我水龍之位，主養草木，開道泉源，無或失時，子其勿怠。陸曰：竭力於民，君其念哉。皇曰：大庭主我屋室，視民之未居者喻之，借力同構其居，無或寒凍。庭曰：順民之辭。皇曰：陰康子居水土，俾民居處無或漂流，勤於道，達於下。康曰：順君之辭。

Heavenly Emperor said: Luli, you are in the position of "Water Dragon," in charge of nurturing grass and trees, dredging and guiding the sources of spring water, do not miss the farming season, and do not be lazy. Luli replied: I will do my best for the people, please let the king rest assured. Heavenly Emperor said: Dingting, you are in charge of houses and dwellings, if you see people without shelter, go and guide them, and together with the people build houses, do not let anyone suffer from cold or hardship. Dingting replied: I will strictly follow the king's instructions. Heavenly Emperor said: Yankang, you are in charge of water and soil, ensuring that people's dwellings are not washed away by water and do not drift away, work diligently according to the Dao, and convey the orders to the people below. Yankang replied: I will strictly follow the king's instructions. These three sections assigned responsibilities in the areas of agriculture, housing, and water and soil, which are three essential duties for the people's livelihood.

皇曰：渾沌子居我降龍之位，惟主於民。皇曰：昆連子主我刀斧，無俾野獸犧虎之類傷殘生命，無俾同類大力之徒區逐微弱，子其伏之。連曰：專主兵事，君無念哉。皇曰：四方之君，咸順我辭，則世無害惟愛於民，則位不危。皇曰：子無懷安，惟安於民，民安子安，民危子危，子其念哉。

Heavenly Emperor said: Holiness, you are to take the position of "Descending Dragon," specifically in charge of the affairs of the common people. Heavenly Emperor said: Kunlian, you are in charge of weapons and arms; you must not allow wild beasts and fierce beasts such as the sacrificial tiger to harm and kill living beings, nor should you permit the strong among your own kind to drive and oppress the weak; you must subdue all these things. Kunlian replied: I am specifically in charge of military affairs, please let the king rest assured. Heavenly Emperor said: The rulers of the four directions, as long as they all obey my words, there will be no calamities in the world; as long as they genuinely love and care for the people, their positions will not be shaken. Heavenly Emperor said: You should not only seek your own comfort, but should be fully devoted to ensuring the people's stability; the people's stability brings your stability, and the people's danger brings your danger. Remember this point well. The whole passage ends with "When the people are secure, the position is secure," which is a typical expression of the later people-oriented ideology, and the tone deliberately imitates the style of the诰命 (edicts) in the Book of Documents.

爻卦大象： 天氣歸 歸藏定位 歸生魂 歸動乘舟 歸長兄 歸育造物 歸止居域 歸殺降 地氣藏 藏歸交 藏生卯 藏動鼠 藏長姊 藏育化物 藏止重門 藏殺盜

The *Qi Fen* establishes hexagrams based on "qi" and is paired with the *Guicang Yi*. Its eight hexagrams are respectively associated with the qi of heaven, earth, wood, wind, fire, water, mountain, and metal. These eight are then combined in pairs to form sixty-four hexagrams, following the same format as the previous *Shan Fen*. The first line, associated with the qi of heaven and "returning": when "returning" combines with "concealing," the image is "establishing a position"; when "returning" combines with "growing," the image is "soul"; when "returning" combines with "movement," the image is "riding a boat"; when "returning" combines with "growth," the image is "brother"; when "returning" combines with "nurturing," the image is "creating things"; when "returning" combines with "stopping," the image is "residing in a territory," meaning the boundary of a settled area; when "returning" combines with "killing," the image is "subduing." The second line, associated with the qi of earth and "concealing": when "concealing" combines with "returning," the image is "meeting"; when "concealing" combines with "growing," the image is "卯"; when "concealing" combines with "movement," the image is "rat"; when "concealing" combines with "growth," the image is "sister"; when "concealing" combines with "nurturing," the image is "transforming things"; when "concealing" combines with "stopping," the image is "double doors"; when "concealing" combines with "killing," the image is "theft."

木氣生 生歸孕 生藏害 生動勳陽 生長元胎 生育澤 生止性 生殺相剋 風氣動 動歸乘軒 動藏受種 動生機 動長風 動育源 動止戒 動殺虐

The third line, Wood energy governs 'birth': birth combined with return signifies 'pregnancy'; birth combined with concealment signifies 'harm'; birth combined with movement signifies 'Yang merit'; birth combined with growth signifies 'original embryo'; birth combined with nurturing signifies 'moisture'; birth combined with stillness signifies 'nature'; birth combined with killing signifies 'mutual control'. The fourth line, Wind energy governs 'movement': movement combined with return signifies 'riding in a carriage', where carriage refers to the vehicle used by a scholar-official; movement combined with concealment signifies 'receiving seeds', meaning taking in sown seeds; movement combined with birth signifies 'mechanism', meaning the initial release of a mechanism; movement combined with growth signifies 'wind'; movement combined with nurturing signifies 'source'; movement combined with stillness signifies 'caution'; movement combined with killing signifies 'oppression'.

火氣長 長歸從師 長藏從夫 長生志 長動麗 長育違道 長止平 長殺順性 水氣育 育歸流 育藏海 育生愛 育動漁 育長苗 育止養 育殺畜

The fifth phase, fire, governs "length" (长): when "length" combines with "return" (归), the image is "following a teacher"; when "length" combines with "storage" (藏), the image is "following a husband"; when "length" combines with "birth" (生), the image is "will"; when "length" combines with "movement" (动), the image is "attachment" (丽), meaning attachment or dependence; when "length" combines with "nurturing" (育), the image is "deviating from the path"; when "length" combines with "rest" (止), the image is "level"; when "length" combines with "kill" (杀), the image is "following nature". The sixth phase, water, governs "nurturing" (育): when "nurturing" combines with "return" (归), the image is "flow"; when "nurturing" combines with "storage" (藏), the image is "sea"; when "nurturing" combines with "birth" (生), the image is "love"; when "nurturing" combines with "movement" (动), the image is "fishing"; when "nurturing" combines with "length" (长), the image is "seedling"; when "nurturing" combines with "rest" (止), the image is "nourishment"; when "nurturing" combines with "kill" (杀), the image is "raising livestock", meaning the raising of animals. These two phases involve images related to human relationships and livelihoods, differing somewhat from the approach of the "Mountain Tomb" (山坟) which focuses more on the distinctions between sovereign and minister.

山氣止 止歸約 止藏淵 止生貌 止動濟 長植物 止育潤 止殺寬宥 金氣殺 殺歸尸 殺藏墓 殺生無忍 殺動干戈 殺長戰 殺育無傷 殺止亂

The seventh line, mountain qi signifies 'stop': stopping combined with returning produces the image of 'binding', that is, constraint; stopping combined with concealment produces the image of 'deep pool'; stopping combined with growth produces the image of 'appearance'; stopping combined with movement produces the image of 'crossing a river'. The next section originally reads 'growing plants', but according to the overall format of the table, it should read 'stopping and growing' with a certain image. These three characters do not fit the context and are likely a loss or error. I have recorded them as they are without alteration, and do not dare to make up any additions. Further down, stopping combined with nurturing produces the image of 'moisture'; stopping combined with killing produces the image of 'leniency'. The eighth line, metal qi signifies 'killing': killing combined with returning produces the image of 'corpse'; killing combined with concealment produces the image of 'grave'; killing combined with growth produces the image of 'without endurance', that is, unwilling to act; killing combined with movement produces the image of 'weapons'; killing combined with length produces the image of 'battle'; killing combined with nurturing produces the image of 'without injury'; killing combined with stopping produces the image of 'chaos'. This table follows the same format as the 'Mountain Tomb', but replaces the ruler, ministers, people, and objects with the eight kinds of qi. It also lacks line statements and divination methods.