Commentary on the Zhou Changes by Zheng KANGCHENG, Song dynasty, by Wang Yinglin

《周易鄭康成注》一卷，宋王應麟編。應麟字伯厚，慶元人，自署浚儀，葢其祖籍也。淳佑元年進士，寶佑四年復中博學鴻詞科，官至禮部尚書，兼給事中。事蹟具宋史、儒林傳。

The commentary "Zhang Kangcheng's Commentary on the Zhou Yi" consists of one volume and was compiled by Wang Yinglin of the Southern Song dynasty. Wang Yinglin, whose courtesy name was Bohou, was from Qinyuan Fu (now Ningbo, Zhejiang Province). He often signed his name as "Junyi," which was his family's ancestral hometown (now Kaifeng, Henan Province). He passed the imperial examination as a jinshi in the first year of Chunyu of the reign of Emperor Lizong, and again passed the "Boxue Hongci Ke" examination in the fourth year of Baoyu. He held the position of Minister of Rites and also served concurrently as a giving affairs official. His entire life's deeds are fully recorded in the "Biography of the Literati" section of the "Song History."

案，隋志載鄭元周易注九卷，又稱鄭元王弼二注，梁陳列於國學。齊代，惟傳鄭義。至隋，王注盛行，鄭學寖微。然新唐書著録十卷，是唐時其書猶在，故李鼎祚集解多引之。

Note: The "Sui Shu · Jingji Zhi" records Zheng Xuan's commentary on the Zhou Changes in nine volumes, and also mentions the commentaries of Zheng Xuan and Wang Bi. During the Southern Liang and Chen dynasties, these two commentaries were both established in the national academy. By the Southern Qi dynasty, only Zheng Xuan's interpretation of the Zhou Changes was taught in the official schools. By the Sui dynasty, Wang Bi's commentary became very popular, and Zheng Xuan's studies gradually declined. However, the "Xin Tang Shu · Yiwén Zhi" still lists ten volumes of Zheng Xuan's work, indicating that the book still existed in the Tang dynasty, which enabled Li Dingzuo to extensively cite it in his "Collected Explanations of the Zhou Changes." (This book's Qing edition avoided the taboo of Emperor Xianyue of the Kangxi era by writing "Zheng Xuan" as "Zheng Yuan," following the same convention throughout the entire text.)

宋崇文總目惟載一卷（案：中興書目今不傳，此據馮椅易學所引），所存者僅文言、序卦、說卦、雜卦四篇，餘皆散佚。至中興，書目始不著録，則亡於南北宋之間。故晁說之、朱震尚能見其遺文，而淳熙以後，諸儒即罕所稱引也。

The Song Dynasty's "Chongwen Zongmu" only records one volume (note: the "Zhongxīng Shūmù" has now been lost, this is a restatement based on the citations in Feng Yi's "Houzhai Yixue"). What has been preserved are only the annotations on the four sections "Wenyan", "Xugua", "Shuogua", and "Zagua", while the rest have all been lost. By the middle of the Southern Song Dynasty, official bibliographies no longer listed this work, indicating that it was lost during the period of turmoil at the end of the Northern Song and the beginning of the Southern Song. Therefore, Zhao Shuozhi and Zhu Zhen were still able to see its remaining fragments, but scholars after Emperor Xiaozong's Chunxi period rarely cited it anymore.

應麟始旁摭諸書，裒為此帙，經文異字亦皆並存。其無經文可綴者，則總録末簡。又以元注多言互體，並取左傳、禮記、周禮正義中論互體者八條，以類附焉。

Wang Yinglin then extensively collected various classical texts, compiling the scattered annotations by Zheng Xuan into this volume, and also preserving variant characters and textual differences of the classic texts. Any entries that could not be linked to corresponding classic texts were summarized and copied at the end of the entire book. Furthermore, since Zheng Xuan's commentary on the Book of Changes often discussed "mutual bodies," he extracted eight discussions on mutual bodies from the commentaries of the Zuo Zhuan, the Li Ji, and the Zhou Li, and appended them to the book according to categories.

考元初從第五元先受京氏易，又從馬融受費氏易，故其學出入於兩家。然要其大旨，費義居多，實為傳易之正脈。齊陸澄與王儉書曰：「王弼注易，元學之所宗，今若崇儒，鄭注不可廢。」其論最篤。唐初詔修正義，仍黜鄭崇王，非逹識也。

Examining Zheng Xuan's academic lineage: he studied the School of Jing Fang's interpretation of the Book of Changes under Wu Wuxian in his early years, and later learned the School of Fei Zhi's interpretation of the Book of Changes under Ma Rong. Thus, his study of the Book of Changes moved between these two schools. However, in terms of overall approach, the School of Fei Zhi had a greater influence, which represents the orthodox transmission of the Book of Changes. In the Southern Qi dynasty, Lu Cheng wrote to Wang Jian saying: Wang Bi's commentary on the Book of Changes was revered by the School of Mysticism. Today, since we are to promote Confucianism, Zheng's commentary should not be discarded. This remark is most accurate. In the early Tang dynasty, an imperial edict was issued to compile the Five Classics with Correct Interpretations, yet it still rejected Zheng's commentary and exclusively honored Wang Bi's. This was indeed not a wise decision.

應麟能於散佚之餘，蒐羅放失，以存漢易之一線，可謂篤志遺經、研心古義者矣。近時恵棟別有考訂之本，體例較密，然經營剏始，實自應麟。其捃拾之勞亦不可冺，今並著於録，所以兩存其功也。

Wang Yinglin was able to collect the scattered fragments of this text after most of it had been lost, preserving a line of transmission for Han dynasty Yi studies. He truly can be considered someone devoted to the遗经 of earlier scholars and deeply committed to the old meanings of ancient texts. In recent times, Hui Dong produced another critical edition, which is more meticulous in its approach; however, the pioneering effort was indeed made by Wang Yinglin. The labor he put into gathering and compiling each fragment should not be overlooked. Therefore, the Siku Quanshu included both editions, intending to preserve the contributions of both scholars.

九二，見龍在田。二於三才為地道，地上即田，故稱田也。九二利見九五之大人。九三，君子終日乾乾。三於三才為人道，有乾徳而在人道，君子之象。

The line statement of the second line of the hexagram Qian says, "The dragon appears on the field." Zheng Xuan explains the six lines by dividing them into the three realms: the first and second lines belong to the realm of earth, the third and fourth lines belong to the realm of humanity, and the fifth and sixth lines belong to the realm of heaven. The second line is appropriately located in the realm of earth, and since the field is above the earth, the line statement refers to "field." The second line should go to meet the "great man" at the heavenly position, the fifth line. The line statement of the third line, "The gentleman toils day and night," refers to the third line being in the realm of humanity. The third line possesses the virtue of Qian, which is strong and creative, and is situated in the position of a person, which is the image of the "gentleman."

九五，飛龍在天。五於三才為天道，天者清明無形而龍在焉，飛之象也。上九，亢龍有悔。堯之末年，四凶在朝，是以有悔，未大凶也。

The Line Statement of the Nine in the Fifth, "Flying Dragon in Heaven": The Fifth Line belongs to the heavenly aspect in the trinity of heaven, earth, and humanity. Heaven is clear and bright, formless and without substance, yet the dragon appears within it, symbolizing "flying." The Line Statement of the Nine at the Top, "Exalted Dragon with Regret": Zheng Xuan does not discuss abstract principles such as excess leading to loss, but instead relates it to historical events—during the later years of the sage emperor Yao, the four villains, Gonggong, HuanDou, SanMiao, and Gun, still held positions in the court. Therefore, he only mentions "regret," indicating that it has not yet reached the level of great misfortune.

用九，見群龍無首，吉。六爻皆體龍（一作乾），群龍之象也。舜既受道，禹與稷、契、咎繇之屬，並在於朝。萬物資始乃統天。資，取也。統，本也。大人造也。造，為也。不成乎名，當隱之時以從世俗，不自殊異，無所成名也。確乎其不可拔。拔，移也。聖人作。作，起也。利貞者情性也。

"Use nine, see a group of dragons without a leader, which is auspicious": All six lines of the hexagram are composed of dragons (another version reads "Qian"), forming the image of a group of dragons emerging together. Zheng Xuan still associates this with historical events: Yu the Great had already received the mandate of heaven and taken the throne, while Yao and Shun were contemporaries with virtuous ministers such as Hou Ji, Xi, and Gao Yao, all of whom were like dragons but none stood alone as the leader, hence it is auspicious. The "Commentary on the Judgment" says, "All things draw their origin from the beginning, and thus they follow heaven": "Draw" means to take, and "follow" means to be the original source. The "Discourse on the Images" says, "The great man creates": "Create" means to take action. "Not achieving fame" means that when one is in a time of concealment, one follows the customs of the world and does not deliberately distinguish oneself, thus not achieving any particular reputation. "Certainly firm and unmovable" means "unmovable" refers to movement. "The sage arises": "Arise" means to emerge. "Beneficial to uprightness is the nature of the situation" means that uprightness is the inherent nature of the Qian trigram.

履霜。履讀為禮。六二，直也，方也，地之性。此爻得中氣而在地上，自然之性，廣生萬物，故主動直而且方。龍戰于野，聖人喻龍，君子喻蛇（儀禮注：蛇龍，君子之類）。必有餘殃。殃，禍惡也。

The first line of the hexagram Kūn says, "Treading frost": Zheng Xuan reads "lǚ" as "lǐ", meaning to practice propriety, rather than as "to tread". The second line says "straight" and "square", which refers to the nature of the earth. This line is in the middle of the lower trigram, receiving the harmonious energy of the center and being located on the earth, thus expressing a natural nature that can widely nurture all things. Therefore, it is characterized by movement that is straight and square. The sixth line says, "A dragon fights in the fields": Zheng Xuan uses the dragon to symbolize the sage and the snake to symbolize the gentleman (the Zheng annotations of the Book of Rites also state that snakes and dragons belong to the category of gentlemen). "There must be residual calamity": "Yāng" refers to calamity and misfortune.

慊於無陽。慊讀如群公溓之溓，古書篆作立，心與水相近，讀者失之，故作溓。溓，雜也。陰謂此上六也，陽謂今消息用事乾也。上六為蛇，得乾氣，雜似龍（釋文云鄭作謙）。

The Wenyan explains the line "Six at the Top" saying, "Yin suspects Yang and they must fight, because it is suspicious that there is no Yang." The Zheng version of this character is "qian." Zheng Xuan says that this "qian" should be read like the "lian" in the "Qiong Gong Lian" from the Spring and Autumn Annals. In ancient texts, the original character was written with the "li" radical, but the "xin" radical and the "shui" radical looked similar, so scribes made a mistake and wrote it with the "shui" radical, forming "lian." "Lian" means to mix or blend. Here, the "Yin" refers to the current line, which is Six at the Top; the "Yang" refers to the current active Yang of the乾卦 according to the twelve message hexagrams. Originally, Six at the Top was a snake, but because it mixed in the Yang of乾, it became similar to a dragon after blending—this is the origin of "dragon fighting in the wild." (The Classic Interpretation says the Zheng version of this character is "qian.")

而不寧。讀而曰能。能，猶安也。六二，乗馬般如。馬牝牡曰乗。冓，猶會也。六三，機不如舎。弩牙也。

The Commentary on the Judgment of the Hexagram Zhun says, "It is appropriate to establish feudal princes but not to be at peace": Zheng Xuan reads "er" as "neng," meaning "to be able," which here equals "an," meaning "peaceful." The whole sentence means that after establishing feudal princes, peace can be achieved. The Line Statement of the Second Line says, "Riding horses in disorder": one female and one male horse paired together is called "cheng," so "cheng ma" refers to two horses. "Gou" equals "hui," meaning union or meeting. The Line Statement of the Third Line in the common version reads, "A little less than abandoning," but in Zheng's version it reads, "ji," referring to the trigger of a crossbow.

蒙，幼小之貌，齊人謂萌為蒙也。蒙亨，匪我求童蒙。蒙者，濛濛，物初生形，是其未開著之名也。人幼稚曰童，未冠之稱。亨者，陽也。互體震而得中，嘉會禮通，陽自動其中，徳施地道之上，萬物應之而萌芽生。

"The term 'Meng' refers to something young and immature, and in the dialect of Qi, the initial sprouting of grass and trees called 'Meng' is also referred to as 'Meng'. The Hexagram 'Meng' states, 'Meng is favorable, not I seeking the young and naive.' Here, 'Meng' means a state of confusion and obscurity, the name given to things when they first take shape but have not yet become clearly visible. A person in the stage of childhood is called 'Tong', which is the term used before the coming-of-age ceremony. 'Heng' refers to the yang. In this hexagram, the lines from the second to the fourth form the mutual trigram Zhen, which represents movement. Since line nine in the second position is located in the center of the lower trigram, it aligns with the meaning in the 'Wenyan' that 'favorable meetings are sufficient to conform to propriety'; the yang energy within the hexagram spontaneously initiates movement, its virtue extending to the earth, prompting all things to respond and sprout.'

教授之師取象焉。修道藝於其室，而童蒙者求為之弟子，非已乎求之也。弟子初問，則告之以事義，不思其三隅相況以反，解而筮者，此勤師而功寡，學者之災也。瀆筮則不復告，欲令思而得之，亦所以利義而幹事是也。

The teacher instructs his students, and the principle of divination is embodied here. The teacher cultivates the Way within his own dwelling, and the ignorant child comes to seek him as a disciple, not the teacher seeking students. When the disciple first asks a question, the teacher explains the meaning of the matter to him. If he is unwilling to grasp one corner and infer the other three, and instead merely wants to ask again for ready-made answers, then the teacher labors in vain, and the student himself invites misfortune. Therefore, the Hexagram Statement says, "If one asks repeatedly in a disrespectful manner, he will no longer be told," intending for the student to think for himself and gain understanding—this is precisely the meaning of the four virtues of the Hexagram Qian, "Benefiting things is sufficient to harmonize with righteousness," and "Steadfastness and firmness are sufficient to accomplish tasks."

初六，用說桎梏。木在足曰桎，在手曰梏。九二，包蒙。包當作彪，彪，文也。六五，順以巽也。巽當作遜。

The line statement for the first line, "Use the saying of shackles": "Zhi" refers to wooden restraints on the feet, and "Gu" refers to restraints on the hands. "Shuo" means to remove. The line statement for the second line, "Encompassing the young": Zheng Xuan believed "Bao" should be read as "Biao," meaning ornamentation. This refers to the second line using cultural virtue to nurture the immature. The image commentary for the fifth line, "Following with humility": "Xun" should be read as "Xun," meaning humility and gentleness, and does not refer to the image of the Xun hexagram.

需讀為秀。陽氣秀而不直前者，畏上坎也。位乎天位。位，音蒞。宴，享宴也。九二，需於沚。九三，致戎至。

The hexagram "Need" is named "需," which Zheng Xuan reads as "秀." The yang energy of Heaven has begun to emerge but does not advance continuously because it fears the danger of the upper trigram Kan. The first "位" in the "Commentary on the Judgment" is read as "莅," meaning to rule over. The word "宴" in the hexagram statement "the superior man practices feasting and music" refers to the ceremony of feasting. The second line statement in the common version reads "waiting by the sand," while in Zheng's version it reads "waiting by the islet," which is a small island in water. The third line statement in the common version reads "inviting the enemy to come," while in Zheng's version it reads "inviting the military to come."

辯才曰訟。有孚咥。咥，覺悔貌。九二，歸而逋其邑人三百戸，無眚。小國之下大夫，采地方一成，其定稅三百家，故三百戸也。

The character "讼" includes "言" because being eloquent and argumentative leads to disputes. The Hexagram Statement in the transmitted text reads "There is sincerity, obstruction, and vigilance," while Zheng Xuan's version reads "There is sincerity and biting." "Biting" refers to a state of inner realization and regret. The Line Statement for the Second Line says, "Returning and fleeing with three hundred households of his邑, without calamity." Zheng Xuan explains according to the feudal system of the Zhou dynasty—this was a lower-ranking official in a small state, whose fief was square ten li on each side. The regulation specified that only three hundred households were subject to taxation, hence the Line Statement mentions "three hundred households."

不易之田，歲種之。一易之田，休一歲乃種。再易之田，休二歲乃種。言至薄也。茍自藏隱，不敢與五相敵，則無災眚。眚，過也。患至惙也。惙，憂也。九四，渝然也。上九，鞶帶。佩鞶之帶。三拕之拕，徒可反。

Zheng Xuan then used the land system from the "Rites of Zhou" to explain how meager these three hundred households were. Land that is fertile and can be farmed every year is called "unchanging land," which is farmed every year. "Land that is changed once" requires one year of fallow before farming. "Land that is changed twice" requires two years of fallow before farming—this shows how extremely poor this fief was. If Nine in the Second is willing to hide and retreat, not daring to contend with Nine in the Fifth, there will be no calamity. "Sheng" means fault. "Chuo" in "huan zhi chuo ye" means worry. "Yu" in the statement of the fourth line "yu an zhen" means change. The statement of the top line "huo xi zhi pan dai" refers to a wide belt used to carry a pouch. "Zhong chao san chi zhi" refers to being stripped of the belt three times in a single morning. In Zheng's version, the character is written as "tu," with the reverse-slicing phonetic annotation "tu ke fan."

軍二千五百人為師。多以軍為名，次以師為名，少以旅為名。師者，舉中之言。

According to the military system of the Zhou dynasty, 2,500 soldiers formed a "shi." The highest level of military organization was called "jun," the next level "shi," and the lowest level "lv." The name "shi" for the hexagram refers to the middle level, used to summarize all matters related to military forces.

丈人能以法度長於人。丈之言長，能御眾有正人之徳，以法度為人之長，吉而無咎，謂天子諸侯主軍者。初六，否藏凶。否，方有反。九二，王三錫命。寵，光耀也。

The Hexagram Statement says, "The elder is auspicious, no blame." "Elder" refers to someone who can govern others by following laws and regulations, acting as a leader. "Elder" here means "leader," someone who can control the people, possessing the virtue of rectifying others, and governing by law, thus being auspicious without blame—this refers to the Son of Heaven and the feudal lords who personally lead military campaigns. The Line Statement for the First Six (Initial Six) in the common version reads, "The army departs in order, if it is not proper, it will be凶 (misfortune)." In the Zheng version, "臧" is written as "藏." The reverse pronunciation of "否" is "fang you." The Line Statement for the Second Nine says, "The king bestows three commands." The Image Commentary states, "It encompasses all the states." "Chong" means glory and honor.

初六，有孚盈缶。爻辰在未上，值東井。井之水，人所汲用。缶，缶汲器也。

The "Yao Ci" of the first line of the hexagram "Bi" says, "There is sincerity filling the jar." Zheng Xuan here uses the "Yao Chen" method: each of the six lines is paired with one of the twelve earthly branches. A yin line in the initial position is paired with "Wei." Above "Wei" is the constellation "Dong Jing," which is also called "Jing Xu." Water in the well is drawn by people, and the "fu" is exactly the earthenware vessel used for drawing water. Therefore, the "Yao Ci" says sincerity is full like water in a jar. This interpretation comes entirely from celestial phenomena and differs from the approach of explaining the hexagram lines by their positions and their associations with proximity and support.

九五，王用三驅，失前禽。王因天下顯，習兵於搜狩焉。驅禽而射之，三則已發，軍禮也。失前禽者，謂禽在前來者，不逆而射之，傍去又不射，唯背走者，順而射之，不中亦已。是皆所以失之，用兵之法亦如之。降者不殺，奔者不禁，皆敵不殺，以仁恩養威之道。

The Line Statement of the Nine in the Fifth says, "The king uses three drives, losing the birds that come before him." The Son of Heaven, because the world has already shown peace and order, uses the four seasons' hunting as a way to practice military affairs. He drives the wild animals and shoots them, but stops shooting after the third shot. This is the military etiquette. The phrase "losing the birds that come before him" means that he does not shoot the birds that run directly toward him; he does not shoot those that run away to the side; he only shoots those that run away from him, and if he misses, he lets them go. All these actions are intentionally letting them escape. The principles of warfare are the same: those who surrender are not killed, those who flee are not blocked, and anyone who is no longer an enemy is not killed. This is precisely the way of using benevolence to cultivate authority.

畜養也。九三，輿說輻。謂輿下縛木，與軸相連，鉤心之木是也。輻，伏莬。

"The term '畜' means to raise or keep livestock. The third line statement of the ninth line, 'The carriage wheel spokes come loose,' is explained by Zheng Xuan as referring to the wooden beam beneath the carriage body that is connected to the axle, known as the 'hook heart' in the construction of the carriage. In Zheng's version, the term '辐' refers to the 'fu tu' component, not the spokes of the wheel. Therefore, 'say fu' means the 'fu tu' part detaches, causing the carriage body to separate from the axle and preventing further movement."

泰，通也。后以財成，天地之道，財節也。輔相左右，助也。以者取其順陰陽之節，為出內之政。春崇寛仁，夏以長養，秋教收斂，冬勅蓋藏，皆可以成物助民也。

"Tai" means通畅, smooth. The Image Commentary says, "The ruler should regulate the way of heaven and earth." Here, "cai" means "to regulate," implying control or moderation. "Zuoliu" refers to assisting. The word "yi" in the sentence indicates taking into account the harmonious changes of yin and yang to implement policies of issuing and collecting: in spring, promote kindness and leniency; in summer, assist in growth and nurturing; in autumn, teach people to gather and store; in winter, supervise and ensure covering and preservation. These actions can achieve the flourishing of all things and assist the people.

初九，彚，類也。茹，牽引也。茅喻君，有絜白之徳，臣下引其類而仕之。九二，荒讀為康，虛也。六五，帝乙歸妹，以祉元吉。五爻辰在卯，春為陽中，萬物以生。生育者，嫁娶之貴。仲春之月，嫁娶男女之禮，福祿大吉。

The Line Statement of the First Line, "Initial Nine" (初九), says: "Pulling out the reed grass, with its kind." "Kind" refers to similar things, and "pulling" means to draw along. Reed grass symbolizes the sovereign, who possesses the virtue of purity and brightness; ministers then draw their own kind to take office. The Line Statement of the Second Line, "Nine in the Second" (九二), says: "Embracing the vast and empty." "Empty" is read as "Kang," meaning emptiness. The Line Statement of the Fifth Line, "Six in the Fifth" (六五), says: "The Emperor Yi married his sister, resulting in great good fortune." Zheng Xuan still uses the concept of the爻辰 (line animal) to explain it. The Fifth Line is a yin line, whose animal is "Mao" (卯), which corresponds to the middle of spring. The middle of spring is the center of yang energy, from which all things are generated. The ability to produce offspring is what is valued in marriage, so great good fortune is achieved. The middle of spring is the proper time for the ceremony of marriage between men and women, hence great good fortune.

九四，疇離祉。九五，繋于苞桑。猶紂囚文王於羑里之獄，四臣獻珍異之物而終免於難，繫于苞桑之謂。

The fourth line statement says, "Chou li zhi": "Chou" means同类, and "li" means附丽, meaning that those of the same kind rely on each other and share blessings. The fifth line statement says, "Xi yu bao sang": Zheng Xuan explained this with historical events—this is like King Zhou of Shang imprisoning King Wen of Zhou in the prison of Youli. Hongyao and three other ministers presented rare treasures, and King Wen was finally released from danger. Being tied to a cluster of mulberry roots is firm and unbroken, which precisely describes this transition from peril to safety, with a firm foundation that does not waver.

乾為天，離為火，卦體有巽，巽為風。天在上，火炎上而從之，是其性同於天也。火得風，然後炎上益熾，是猶人君在上，施政教使天下之人和同而事之，以是為人和同者，君之所為也，故謂之同人。

The hexagram Tong Ren (Union) consists of the lower trigram Li (Fire) and the upper trigram Qian (Heaven). Qian represents Heaven, and Li represents Fire. Within the hexagram, the second to fourth lines form the trigram Xun (Wind). Heaven is at the top, and Fire ascends upward, following Heaven, which reflects the nature of Fire being in harmony with Heaven. Fire further gains strength from Wind, burning even more vigorously. This is like a ruler in authority issuing decrees and moral teachings, leading all people to unite and serve him. The ability to bring people together is precisely the ruler's role, hence the name of the hexagram is "Tong Ren" (Union).

風行無所不遍，遍則會通之徳大行，故曰同人于野，亨。六二，天子諸侯后夫人。茅，音苗。無子不出。九三，莽，叢木也。九四，乗其庸。

The wind spreads everywhere, reaching all over the world and thus promoting the great spread of the virtue of mutual communication. Therefore, the Hexagram Statement says, "To seek harmony with others in the wilderness, it is smooth"—"wilderness" here refers to the wind's far-reaching nature. The commentary on the second line by Zheng involves the rank and position of the queen consort and the husbands of the feudal lords. The character "茅" is pronounced the same as "苗". The saying "a woman without a son does not leave the house" means that having no son is not one of the seven reasons for a woman to be divorced. The Line Statement of the third line, "to hide the soldiers in the thick woods," refers to "莽" as dense vegetation. The Line Statement of the fourth line in the commonly used version reads "to ascend the city wall," while in Zheng's version it reads "to ascend the fortress."

明辯遰也，讀如明星晢晢。六五，體離處乾之上，猶大臣有聖明之徳，代君為政，處其位有其事，而理之也。元亨者，又能長群臣以善使，嘉會禮通，若周公攝政，朝諸侯於明堂是也。

The Image Commentary of the hexagram "Great Possession" says, "It is clear and distinct." Zheng Xuan reads it like the word "zhè" in the "Book of Songs" "Sheng Xing Zhe Zhe," taking it to mean brightness and clarity. The line six in the fifth is a flexible line in a high position; its nature belongs to the trigram Li (Fire) and it is located above the trigram Qian (Heaven). This is like a minister possessing the virtue of sagehood, taking over the government on behalf of the sovereign, occupying the position and handling the affairs to govern the world. The term "Yuan Heng" refers to his ability to nurture all officials with virtue and properly employ them, which corresponds to the meaning in the "Wen Yan" that "excellent gatherings are sufficient to conform to propriety." It is like the Duke of Zhou assuming regency and holding court in the Bright Hall to meet the feudal lords.

君子有終。艮為山，坤為地。山體髙，今在地下。其於人道，高能下下，謙之象。亨者，嘉會之禮，以謙為主。謙者，自貶損以下人，唯艮之堅固，坤之厚順，乃能終之，故君子之人有終也。捊多益寡。捊，取也。撝謙，讀為宣。初六，牧，養也。

The Hexagram of Humility states, "The gentleman has a proper conclusion." This hexagram has Gen below and Kun above: Gen represents mountain, and Kun represents earth. A mountain is naturally lofty and elevated, yet it is now placed beneath the earth. In terms of human affairs, this signifies that a person of high status can humble himself and submit to others, which is the symbolic meaning of humility. The term "hen" refers to the harmonious gathering of auspicious things, with humility as its main principle. Humility means self-abasement and submission to others; only through the firmness of Gen and the yielding nature of Kun can this be maintained consistently, hence the gentleman has a proper conclusion. The Image Commentary mentions "taking much and benefiting little," where "taking" means to take or obtain; and "huai qian," where "huai" is read as "xuan," meaning to announce or spread. The "mu" in the line "initial six" refers to the act of raising or nurturing.

坤順也。震動也。順其性而動者，莫不得其所，故謂之豫。豫喜，豫悅樂之貌也。震又為雷，諸侯之象。坤又為眾，師役之象，故利建侯行師。

The hexagram is composed of the lower trigram Kun (Earth) and the upper trigram Zhen (Thunder). Kun represents following, and Zhen represents movement. To move in accordance with the nature of things ensures that each thing finds its proper place, hence the name of the hexagram is "Yü" (Joy). "Yü" signifies joy and delight, both expressing a state of happiness. Zhen also symbolizes thunder, which is the image for princes; Kun also symbolizes the multitude, representing the image of military campaigns involving many people. Therefore, the hexagram statement says "It is advantageous to establish princes and to march in military campaigns," which is derived entirely from the images of the eight trigrams, without introducing separate meanings.

靁出地奮。奮，動也。靁動於地上，而萬物豫也。忒，差也。六二，砎於石，右八切，蓋謂唐砎也。六三，盱，誇也。九四，由豫。由，用也。簪，速也。上六，冥豫，冥讀為鳴。

The Image Commentary says, "Thunder emerges from the earth and stirs up," where "stirs up" means vibration. Thunder shaking the earth causes all things to rejoice, which is the meaning of Yu. The Commentary on the Judgment says, "and the four seasons do not err," where "err" means error. The Line Statement for the second line, "Between stone," the Zheng version reads "砎," with a reverse-slicing phonetic annotation "you ba qie," which probably refers to hard Tang砎 stone. The Line Statement for the third line, "Looking up in excess," where "looking up" means exaggerating and looking around. The Line Statement for the fourth line, "Using Yu," where "using" means to use; "peng he zan" where "zan" means quick. The Line Statement for the top line, "Dark Yu," where Zheng Xuan reads "ming" for "ming," meaning the sound of music echoes and Yu reaches its extreme.

震動也。兌說也。內動之以徳，外說之以言，則天下之人（一作民）咸慕其行，而隨從之，故謂之隨也。既見隨從，能長之以善，通其嘉禮，和之以義，乾之以正，則功成而有福。若無此四徳，則有凶咎焉。

The hexagram "Following" is composed of the trigram Zhen (Thunder) above and Dui (Lake) below. Zhen represents movement, and Dui represents joy. By cultivating virtue internally to move people and using words externally to please them, all people will admire and follow his actions, hence the name of the hexagram is "Following." Once people follow, one can nurture them with goodness, promote beautiful rites, harmonize with righteousness, and act with correctness, thus achieving great success and receiving blessings. These four sentences correspond to the four virtues of Yuan, Heng, Li, and Zhen. If these four virtues are lacking, misfortune and errors will result.

出門交有功，震為大塗，又為日門，當春分，陰陽之所交也。是臣出君門，與四方賢人交，有成功之象也。昔舜慎徽五典，五典克從，納於百揆，百揆時序，賓於四門，四門穆穆，是其義也。

Chu Jiuxiu "Image Commentary" says "Going out to meet people brings success": Zheng Xuan explains by combining the hexagram image with the solar terms. Zhen represents the great way and also the gate of sunrise, which corresponds to the spring equinox, a time when yin and yang meet. This is the symbolic representation of a minister leaving the king's gate to meet virtuous people from all directions and achieving success. In the past, Yu Shun carefully promoted the five constant virtues, and all five teachings were followed; he managed the affairs of all officials, and everything was orderly; he welcomed guests at the four gates, and the guests at the four gates were respectful and solemn. This is exactly the meaning recorded in the "Shang Shu · Shun Dian."

先甲三日，後甲三日。甲者，造作新令之日。先之三日而用辛也，欲取改過自新之義。後之三日而用丁也，取其丁寧之義。

The Hexagram Gǔ Statement says, "Three days before the Jia day, three days after the Jia day." The Jia day is the day when new laws are established. Counting three days before Jia, we arrive at the Xin day, which shares the same sound as "new," symbolizing the need for people to reform themselves. Counting three days after Jia, we arrive at the Ding day, which relates to "dingning," meaning to remind or caution repeatedly. Zheng Xuan used the names of the ten heavenly stems to specify the days mentioned in the classic text, a method that differs from the approach focusing on the beginning and end of the hexagram's moral qualities.

臨，大也。陽氣自此浸而長大。陽浸長矣，而有四徳，齊功於乾，盛之極也。人之情盛則奢滛，奢淫將亡，故戒以凶也。

"The Hexagram 'Approach' signifies great prosperity. Yang energy begins to gradually increase and strengthen from this hexagram. Since Yang is increasing, this hexagram also possesses the four virtues of originality, strength, benefit, and rectitude. Its function can be compared to the Hexagram of Heaven, reaching the peak of flourishing. However, human nature tends to become extravagant and indulgent when things reach their peak. Excess and indulgence eventually lead to decline and ruin, hence the Hexagram Statement warns, 'Until the eighth month there will be calamity.'"

臨卦，斗建丑而用事，殷之正月也。當文王之時，紂為無道，故於是卦為殷家著興衰之戒，以見周改殷正之數雲臨。自周二月用事，訖其七月，至八月而遯卦受之，此終而復始，王命然矣。

The hexagram "Qin" (Governing) is used when the handle of the Big Dipper points to the "Chou" position, which corresponds to the first month of the Yinshang calendar. During the time of King Wen of Zhou, King Zhou was tyrannical, so King Wen used this hexagram to indicate the rise and fall of the Yin dynasty, demonstrating the timing of the Zhou dynasty's replacement of the Yin dynasty. Therefore, it is called "Qin." This hexagram begins to take effect from the second month of the Zhou calendar and continues until the seventh month, and in the eighth month, it is succeeded by the hexagram "Dun" (Retreating) — this represents the cycle of completion and renewal, as the transfer of heavenly mandate is naturally cyclical. Zheng Xuan combined the concept of the hexagram qi, the calendar, and the historical events of the Yin-Zhou revolution, thus making "eight months bring calamity" a specific reference.

坤為地，為眾。巽為木，為風。九五，天子之爻，互體有艮。艮為鬼門，又為宮闕。地上有木，而為鬼門宮闕者，天子宗廟之象也。

The hexagram is composed of the lower trigram Kūn (Earth) and the upper trigram Xūn (Wind). Kūn represents earth and the multitude, while Xūn represents wood and wind. The fifth line, known as "Nine in the Fifth," is the line of the Son of Heaven. Within the hexagram, the lines from three to five form the trigram Gèn (Mountain), which is referred to as the "mutual body." The mutual body is formed by taking two to four lines and three to five lines respectively from the primary hexagram to form another hexagram. Gèn signifies the gate of ghosts and the palace. Trees grow on the earth, and this place also has the gate of ghosts and the palace, which is the symbolic representation of the Son of Heaven's ancestral temple.

觀盥而不薦，諸侯貢士於天子，鄉大夫貢士於其君，必以禮賓之。唯主人盥而獻賓，賓盥而酢，主人設薦俎，則弟子也。初六，童觀。童，稚也。

The Hexagram Statement says, "Observing the washing and offering but not the presentation": When princes present scholars to the Son of Heaven, and local magistrates present scholars to their own sovereigns, they must certainly receive them with the ceremony of guests. During the ritual, only the host washes his hands and offers wine to the guest, and the guest washes his hands and returns the offering to the host; these two actions are performed personally. As for setting out the sacrificial delicacies and arranging the sacrificial vessels, these are done by the disciples. Therefore, "washing" is a significant act performed personally by the superior, while "presentation" does not need to be done personally. Those observing the ritual should pay attention to the former. The Line Statement of the first line, "Observing as a child," refers to "child" meaning immature.

敕法。敕，猶理也。九四，噬乾胏。胏，簀也。上九，離為槁木，坎為耳，木在耳上，何校滅耳之象也。聰不明也，目不明，耳不聰。

The Image Commentary of the hexagram "Shi He" says, "Ming Fa Chi Fa" meaning "Clarify punishment and enforce law," where "Chi" is equivalent to "Li," meaning to regulate and manage. The fourth line statement says, "Shi Qian Zhi": "Zhi" refers to the dry meat connected to the bone, and Zheng Xuan explains it as "Ze." The top line statement says, "He Xiao Mo Er": The upper trigram Li represents withered wood, and the lower trigram Kan represents the ear. The wood is placed over the ear, symbolizing the image of bearing a wooden枷 and covering the ear. The Image Commentary says, "Cong Ming Bu Ming," meaning the eyes cannot see clearly and the ears cannot hear distinctly.