The Eighth Section: Harmonization

孔子曰：干，陽也；坤，陰也。陰陽合德，五行之本，受生於天，則受成於地；稟氣於陽，定形於陰。體無偏立，故各有合。總而言之，干為陽，屬天；支為地，屬陰。別而言之，干自有陰陽：甲陽，乙陰，丙陽，丁陰，戊陽，己陰，庚陽，辛陰，壬陽，癸陰。支亦自有陰陽：子陽，丑陰，寅陽，卯陰，辰陽，巳陰，午陽，未陰，申陽，酉陰，戌陽，亥陰。各象天地，而自相配合，有夫婦之道。

Confucius said: The Trigram Qian belongs to yang, and the Trigram Kun belongs to yin. The virtue of yin and yang combine to form the fundamental principle of the Five Phases. What is generated in heaven must be completed in earth; what is received from yang is shaped in yin. The essence of any thing cannot exist independently in one aspect, so they must be paired. In general, the Heavenly Stems belong to yang and are paired with heaven; the Earthly Branches belong to earth and are paired with yin. Individually, the Heavenly Stems themselves are divided into yang and yin: Jia is yang, Yi is yin, Bing is yang, Ding is yin, Wu is yang, Ji is yin, Geng is yang, Xin is yin, Ren is yang, Gui is yin. The Earthly Branches themselves are also divided into yang and yin: Zi is yang, Chou is yin, Yin is yang, Mao is yin, Chen is yang, Si is yin, Wu is yang, Wei is yin, Shen is yang, You is yin, Xu is yang, Hai is yin. Each takes its image from heaven and earth, and they combine with each other, embodying the principle of husband and wife.

干合者：己為甲妻，故甲與己合；辛為丙妻，故丙與辛合；癸為戊妻，故癸與戊合；乙為庚妻，故乙與庚合；丁為壬妻，故壬與丁合。季氏《陰陽說》曰：木八畏庚九，故以妹乙妻庚，庚氣在秋，和以木氣，是以薺麥當秋而生，所謂妻來之義。火七畏壬六，故以妹丁妻壬，壬得火熱氣，故款冬當冬而華。金九畏丙七，故以妹辛妻丙，丙得金氣，故首夏靡草薺麥死，故夏至之後，三庚為伏，以畏火也。土五畏甲八，故以妹己妻甲，土帶陰陽，合以雌嫁木，故能生物也。水六畏土五，故以妹癸妻戊。五行相和，是其合也。

First we discuss "Heavenly Stems in Harmony" or "Gan He," which refers to the five pairs formed by the mutual combination of the ten Heavenly Stems: Jia combines with Ji because Ji is Jia's wife; Bing combines with Xin because Xin is Bing's wife; Wu combines with Gui because Gui is Wu's wife; Geng combines with Yi because Yi is Geng's wife; and Ren combines with Ding because Ding is Ren's wife. The pattern is that a Yang stem combines with the Yin stem that is six positions below it. This is based on the principle that the one that controls me is my husband, and the one I control is my wife. The Ji Shi "Yin Yang Theory" explains these five combinations through seasonal phenomena: the number of wood is eight, and it fears the number nine of Geng metal, so the sister Yi is married to Geng; Geng's energy is associated with autumn, which blends with the energy of wood, so the plants called ji cai and mai grow in autumn, which is called "the wife brings her family's energy along." The number of fire is seven, and it fears the number six of Ren water, so the sister Ding is married to Ren; Ren thus receives the heat of fire, allowing the plant kuan dong hua to bloom in winter. The number of metal is nine, and it fears the number seven of Bing fire, so the sister Xin is married to Bing; Bing thus receives the energy of metal, causing the plants mei cao and ji mai to wither in early summer; this is why after summer solstice, the third day of the stem Geng is used to mark the beginning of the dog days. The number of earth is five, and it fears the number eight of Jia wood, so the sister Ji is married to Jia; earth has both Yin and Yang qualities, and by pairing the female Ji with wood, it can nurture all things. The number of water is six, and it fears the number five of Wu earth, so the sister Gui is married to Wu. The energies of the five elements thus harmonize, which is called "He."

支合者，日月行次之所合也。正月，日月會於諏訾之次，諏訾，亥也，一名豕韋，斗建在寅，故寅與亥合。二月，日月會於降婁之次，降婁，戌也，斗建在卯，故卯與戌合。三月，日月會於大梁之次，大梁，酉也，斗建在辰，故辰與酉合。四月，日月會於實沈之次，實沈，申也，斗建在巳，故巳與申合。五月，日月會於鶉首之次，鶉首，未也，斗建在午，故午與未合。六月，日月會於鶉火之次，鶉火，午也，斗建在未，故未與午合。

The concept of "branch harmony" (Liu He) comes from the twelve star divisions where the sun and moon meet each month. In the first month, the sun and moon meet in the division of Zuo Zi, which corresponds to Hai (also known as Shi Wei), while the handle of the Big Dipper points to Yin, so Yin and Hai form a harmony. In the second month, the sun and moon meet in the division of Jiang Lou, which corresponds to Xu, while the handle of the Big Dipper points to Mao, so Mao and Xu form a harmony. In the third month, the sun and moon meet in the division of Da Liang, which corresponds to You, while the handle of the Big Dipper points to Chen, so Chen and You form a harmony. In the fourth month, the sun and moon meet in the division of Shi Shen, which corresponds to Shen, while the handle of the Big Dipper points to Si, so Si and Shen form a harmony. In the fifth month, the sun and moon meet in the division of Chen Shou, which corresponds to Wei, while the handle of the Big Dipper points to Wu, so Wu and Wei form a harmony. In the sixth month, the sun and moon meet in the division of Chen Huo, which corresponds to Wu, while the handle of the Big Dipper points to Wei, so Wei and Wu form a harmony. Thus, the origin of Liu He is that the branch of the month builder (month's stem and branch) combines with the branch of the star division where the sun and moon meet at the beginning of the month.

七月，日月會於鶉尾之次，鶉尾，巳也，斗建在申，故申與巳合。八月，日月會於壽星之次，壽星，辰也，斗建在酉，故酉與辰合。九月，日月會於大火之次，大火，卯也，斗建在戌，故戌與卯合。十月，日月會於析木之次，析木，寅也，斗建在亥，故亥與寅合。十一月，日月會於星紀之次，星紀，丑也，斗建在子，故子與丑合。十二月，日月會於玄枵之次，玄枵，子也，一名天黿，斗建在丑，故丑與子合。

In July, the sun and moon meet in the section of Chuniwei, which corresponds to Si. The handle of the Big Dipper points to Shen, so Shen and Si combine. In August, the sun and moon meet in the section of Shouxing, which corresponds to Chen. The handle of the Big Dipper points to You, so You and Chen combine. In September, the sun and moon meet in the section of Dafire, which corresponds to Mao. The handle of the Big Dipper points to Xu, so Xu and Mao combine. In October, the sun and moon meet in the section of Ximu, which corresponds to Yin. The handle of the Big Dipper points to Hai, so Hai and Yin combine. In November, the sun and moon meet in the section of Xingji, which corresponds to Chou. The handle of the Big Dipper points to Zi, so Zi and Chou combine. In December, the sun and moon meet in the section of Xuanxiao, which corresponds to Zi (also known as Tianyuan). The handle of the Big Dipper points to Chou, so Chou and Zi combine. Thus, the twelve branches are paired into six pairs: Zi and Chou, Yin and Hai, Mao and Xu, Chen and You, Si and Shen, and Wu and Wei. These six pairs are collectively known as 「Liu He」.

玄枵者，玄，黑也；枵，秏也。陰氣盛，故萬物始動，猶未出生，天下空虛，謂之曰秏。星紀者，紀，統也，領萬物所終始也。析木者，萬物始萌，分別水木也。大火者，東方木也，心宿在卯，火出木心也。壽星者，萬物始達，各任其命也。鶉尾者，南方朱雀之宿，以軫尾也。

The twelve star divisions are explained as follows. "Xuanxiao": Xuan means black, and xiao means depletion. At this time, the yin energy is at its height, and although all things have begun to stir, they have not yet emerged, and the world is vast and empty, hence it is called depletion. "Xingji": Ji means to govern, and it governs the end and beginning of all things. "Ximu": All things begin to sprout, and water and wood are separated here. "Dafire": It belongs to the eastern wood, and the Heart Mansion is located in the卯 position, with fire arising from the center of wood (the Heart Mansion was anciently known as Dafire). "Shouxing": All things begin to connect, and each receives its own heavenly mandate. "Chunwei": It belongs to the southern Vermilion Bird's seven mansions, with the Chariot Mansion serving as the bird's tail.

鶉火者，陽氣盛大，火星昬中在七星朱鳥之處也。鶉首者，南方之宿，其形象鳥，以井為冠，以柳為口也。實沈者，陰氣沉重，降實於物也。大梁者，強也，白露巳降，萬物堅強也。降婁者，降，下也；婁，曲也，陰氣上侵，萬物萎曲也。諏訾者，陰盛陽伏，萬物愁哀也。

"The鹑火" refers to a time when the yang energy is vigorous, and in the evening, the red star is directly overhead in the southern sky, located in the area of the seven stars of the Alcyone mansion. "The鹑首" belongs to the mansion of the south, shaped like a bird, with the Well mansion as the bird's head and the Willow mansion as the bird's mouth. "The实沈" indicates heavy yin energy, descending and filling all things. "The大梁" means strength, as after the White Dew has fallen, all things become firm and strong. "The降娄" means descending, with "lou" meaning bending; yin energy rises and invades, causing all things to wither and bend. "The诹訾" refers to abundant yin energy and concealed yang energy, resulting in a scene of sorrow and grief for all things. These names are all based on the seasonal phenomena associated with each star division and its corresponding month.

凡陰陽相配，善惡理均，凶不全凶，吉不獨吉。吉終則凶，凶終則吉。故合不專合，復有離義。就支干配日辰，乃有五合、五離。五合者，《河圖》云：甲寅乙卯天地合，丙寅丁卯日月合，戊寅己卯人民合，庚寅辛卯金石合，壬寅癸卯江河合。五離者：甲申乙酉天地離，甲申丁酉日月離，戊申己酉人民離，庚申辛酉金石離，壬申癸酉江河離。

In general, the pairing of yin and yang involves both good and evil in balance: misfortune is not entirely misfortune, and good fortune is not entirely good fortune; good fortune turns to misfortune when it reaches its peak, and misfortune turns to good fortune when it reaches its peak. Therefore, "he" (harmony) is not only about harmony, but also includes the meaning of "li" (separation). When the heavenly stems are paired with specific day branches, there are five harmonies and five separations. The five harmonies, according to the Yellow River Chart, are: Jiayin and Yimao are heaven and earth harmonizing, Bingyin and Dingmao are sun and moon harmonizing, Wuyin and Jimao are people harmonizing, Gengyin and Xinmao are metal and stone harmonizing, Renyin and Guimao are rivers and streams harmonizing. The five separations are: Jiashen and Yiyou are heaven and earth separating, Bingshen and Dingyou are sun and moon separating (the original text mistakenly writes "Jiashen" instead of "Bingshen"), Wushen and Jiyou are people separating, Gengshen and Xinyou are metal and stone separating, Renshen and Guiyou are rivers and streams separating.

寅卯，陽之所升，能生萬物，日常出之，月滿又出，東方少陽生長之處，物所欣會，故以為合。申酉，陰之所湊，肅殺之方，日月皆沒於其所，西方少陰衰老之處，物之所惡，故以為離。甲乙日干之首，卦屬乾坤，故比天地；丙丁陽光之盛，故方日月；戊己居中，能成萬物，故類人民；庚辛體自金石，壬癸居然江河。凡為萬事，吉則從合，凶則從離；遇合則休，遇離則否。選日定時，卜筮之用，彌所用也。

The reason for using寅 and 卯 for 合 and 申 and 酉 for 离 is that 寅 and 卯 are places where yang energy rises, capable of nurturing all things, and the sun and moon regularly rise from there. The east is where the young yang grows, and all things gather joyfully there, so it is called 合. 申 and 酉 are places where yin energy gathers, belonging to the direction of severity and decline, where the sun and moon sink. The west is where the young yin ages, and all things feel aversion and unrest there, so it is called 离. As for the origin of the five groups: 甲 and 乙 are the beginning of the ten heavenly stems, and in the system of najia they belong to the trigrams Qian and Kun, so they are compared to heaven and earth. 丙 and 丁 are the heavenly stems with the strongest sunlight, so they are compared to the sun and moon. 戊 and 己 are in the center, capable of completing all things, so they are compared to people. 庚 and 辛 are essentially metal and stone. 壬 and 癸 naturally refer to rivers and streams. In any endeavor, auspicious events follow 合 days, while inauspicious events follow 离 days. When encountering 合 days, things are favorable; when encountering 离 days, things are obstructed. Whether choosing auspicious days, determining time, or divining, this system is widely used.

扶者，以輔助為義；抑者，以止退立名。五行既成，盛衰有時，尊卑代易，故有相扶抑之義。其相遇也，母得子為扶，子遇母為抑。子有孝養順助之理，所以為扶；母有尊嚴訓制之道，所以為抑。相扶者：木扶水，水扶金，金扶土，土扶火，火扶木，此皆母得子。相抑者：木抑火，火抑土，土抑金，金抑水，水抑木，此皆子遇母也。

"Fu" signifies assistance and support, while "Yi" denotes restraint and suppression. Once the Five Phases are established, there are periods of prosperity and decline, each with its own time, and the status of respect and hierarchy alternates, leading to mutual assistance and mutual suppression. When two phases meet: when a mother meets her son, it is called "Fu"; when a son meets his mother, it is called "Yi". A son has the duty of filial piety, obedience, and helping elders, hence it is "Fu"; a mother has the aspect of dignity, instruction, and control, hence it is "Yi". The cases of mutual assistance are: Wood assists Water, Water assists Metal, Metal assists Earth, Earth assists Fire, Fire assists Wood—these are instances of a mother meeting her son (since Water generates Wood, Wood is the son of Water, and the rest follow the same pattern). The cases of mutual suppression are: Wood suppresses Fire, Fire suppresses Earth, Earth suppresses Metal, Metal suppresses Water, Water suppresses Wood—these are instances of a son meeting his mother.

柳世隆《龜經》云：扶者壽，抑者否；扶者起，抑者止；扶者仰，抑者俛；扶者進，抑者退；扶者行，抑者停；扶者吉，抑者凶。就此又須消息。凡父母有氣為真，父母無氣為宗廟鬼神；有氣為兒子福助，無氣為財帛功德。所以扶者為善，抑者為惡。生王之時，則為有氣；死沒之時，則是無氣。有氣無氣，復有二種：若遇合德，雖抑非害；若逢刑剋，為凶更重之。

Liu Shilong's "Book of Divination with the Turtle" says: If supported, longevity is achieved; if restrained, blockage occurs. If supported, things rise; if restrained, they stagnate. If supported, they look up; if restrained, they look down. If supported, they advance; if restrained, they retreat. If supported, they move freely; if restrained, they stop. Support is considered good; restraint is considered evil. When in the state of growth or prosperity, it is called "having qi"; when in the state of death or decline, it is called "lacking qi." Having qi and lacking qi each have two different situations: if both harmony and virtue are encountered, even though restrained, no harm is done; if instead, there is conflict and overcoming, the danger becomes more severe.

問曰：母之於子，訓制之道，謂之為凶，此未可解。尊嚴訓制，教以義方，欲其成人，何為反惡？答曰：前解巳有二種。若遇一德合，雖抑非害；有氣為真父母，此是欲其成人。雖然，當訓之時，於子交不遂心，亦是留礙；況逢刑剋。舜之至孝，尚大杖則逃；王祥扣冰，孟宗泣筍，此豈是義方之教？無氣為鬼神者，鬼神之來，多欲為祟，禱請祈求，及可致福，非否抑而何？

Someone asked: How can the mother's instruction and discipline of her son be called "凶" (adverse)? Teaching with dignity and righteousness, intending to help him grow up properly, how can this be considered harmful? The answer is: Earlier, we have already discussed two different situations. If it meets with harmony and virtue, even though it may seem to suppress, it is not harmful. When the parents'爻 (elements) are strong, they are genuine parents, and this is precisely what helps the son to mature. Nevertheless, when the parents are instructing, it is not to the son's liking, and this counts as an obstruction; and moreover, it coincides with a刑克 (conflict). Even the most filial Yao Shun had to avoid a heavy stick from his father; Wang Xiang froze the river to catch fish, and Meng Zhong cried over bamboo to get bamboo shoots, these are not just about teaching the right way. As for when the parents'爻 are weak, they are regarded as ghosts or spirits, because ghosts and spirits often cause trouble, and one must pray and make offerings to possibly turn this into good fortune, is this not also a form of suppression?

問曰：解雲有氣為父母，無氣為鬼神者，此亦有疑。夫鬼神雖居幽微，猶是有物，精靈感通，禍福斯應；若云無者，宗廟享祀，何所依憑？答曰：所言有無者，正論生死。生則形存為有，死則氣散為無，不語幽微，何足疑也。

Another question: It is said that when there is qi there are parents, and when there is no qi there are ghosts and spirits. There is also a doubt here. Although ghosts and spirits exist in a hidden and subtle state, they are still existing things. Their spirits can communicate with humans, and thus bring about good or bad fortune. If they are considered 'non-existent', then what is the basis for worship in ancestral temples? The answer is: Here, the terms 'having qi' and 'lacking qi' refer to life and death. When a person is alive, their physical form remains, so it is called 'having qi'; when they die, their qi dissipates, so it is called 'lacking qi'. It is not about questioning whether the afterlife exists. So there is no doubt at all.

問曰：若如此解，死則為無，無何所慮，而能為抑？答曰：鬼神雖無形質可見，而有善惡可求，故能為抑。問曰：若能為抑，便是有義。答曰：就抑則有，語形則無，今解無也。就氣而論，非是全無，但無王相之氣，而有死沒之氣。王相氣來則吉，死沒氣來則凶。所言無氣者，無王相氣耳。

Again, the question is asked: If death is nothing, then what is there to worry about, and how can it cause oppression? The answer is: Although ghosts and spirits are not visible in form, they have good and evil that can be inferred, so they can cause oppression. Again, the question is asked: If it can cause oppression, then it must be 'there' or 'existent'. The answer is: In terms of its ability to cause oppression, it is existent; in terms of form, it is non-existent. Here, the reference is to non-existence in form. If we speak in terms of 'qi', it is not entirely non-existent, but rather it lacks the qi of kings and ministers, and has instead the qi of death and decay. The arrival of the qi of kings and ministers brings good fortune, while the arrival of the qi of death and decay brings misfortune. What is referred to as 'no qi' means only the absence of the qi of kings and ministers.

五行雖為君臣父子，生王不同，逐忌相剋。克者，制罰為義，以其力強能制弱。故木克土，土克水，水克火，火克金，金克木。《白虎通》云：木克土者，專勝散；土克水者，實勝虛；水克火者，眾勝寡；火克金者，精勝堅；金克木者，剛勝柔。

Among the Five Phases, although they form a relationship of ruler and subject, father and son, each has different periods of growth and prosperity. Therefore, they have mutual prohibitions and mutual control. "Control" means to subdue and punish, as the stronger can subdue the weaker. Thus, wood controls earth, earth controls water, water controls fire, fire controls metal, and metal controls wood. The "White Tiger Classic" explains the mechanism of these five controls: wood controls earth because it is concentrated and surpasses the scattered; earth controls water because it is full and surpasses the empty; water controls fire because it is numerous and surpasses the few; fire controls metal because it is subtle and surpasses the hard; and metal controls wood because it is hard and surpasses the soft.

《春秋繁露》云：木者，農也，農人不順如叛，司徒誅其率正矣，故金勝木。火者，本朝有讒邪，熒惑其君，法則誅之，故水勝火。土者，君大奢侈，過度失禮，民叛之窮，故木勝土。金者，司徒弱，不能使眾，則司馬誅之，故火勝金。水者，執法阿黨不平，則司寇誅之，故土勝水。

The Spring and Autumn Annals: A Treatise on the Principles of Heaven and Earth uses official positions to explain mutual control: Wood corresponds to farming, and if farmers do not obey or even rebel, the Minister of Education, who oversees moral instruction, will take action to punish and correct them, hence Metal overcomes Wood. Fire corresponds to the court, and if there are slanderous and wicked officials misleading the sovereign, they will be legally executed, hence Water overcomes Fire. Earth corresponds to the sovereign, and if the sovereign becomes excessively luxurious, transgresses laws, and loses proper conduct, the people will rebel and bring him to a state of hardship, hence Wood overcomes Earth. Metal corresponds to the Minister of Education, and if the Minister of Education is weak and unable to motivate the people, the Minister of Military Affairs will take action to punish him, hence Fire overcomes Metal. Water corresponds to the judicial officials, and if the judicial officials show partiality, form factions, and act unjustly, the Minister of Justice will take action to punish them, hence Earth overcomes Water.

勝者為君，為夫，為官，為吏，為鬼；負者為臣，為妻，為財。君以威嚴尊高，夫以德義隆重，官以能有賞伐，吏以刑法裁斷，鬼以克殺病喪，併為勝者也。臣以畏伏其上，妻以敬從其夫，財以休彼制用，併為負者。凡上克下為順，下克上為剝。喻如君有刑臣之法，臣無犯君之義；父有訓子之道，子無教父之方也。所以上之克下，順理而行；下之克上，乖理而克。

In the relationship of overcoming, the winning side symbolizes the sovereign, husband, official, clerk, and spirits; the losing side symbolizes the subject, wife, and property. The sovereign is exalted through authority, the husband is respected through virtue, the official can impose rewards and punishments, the clerk administers legal judgments, and spirits can bring about killing and death or misfortune—these all belong to the winning side. The subject fears and submits to superiors, the wife respects and obeys the husband, and property is at the disposal of others—these all belong to the losing side. Whenever the superior overcomes the inferior, it is called 'smooth' (顺); when the inferior overcomes the superior, it is called 'destruction' (剥). For example, the sovereign has laws to punish subjects, but the subject has no reason to offend the sovereign; the father has methods to educate the son, but the son has no reason to admonish the father. Therefore, when the superior overcomes the inferior, it follows the proper order, but when the inferior overcomes the superior, it violates the order and results in overcoming.

故《白虎通》云：陽為君，陰為臣。水以太陰之氣，制太陽之火；金以少陰之氣，制少陽之木，喻如失道之君，若殷湯放桀，周武伐紂，此皆誅有罪也。凡卜筮，得其所克者凶，得所受制者吉。五行之道，子能拯父之難，故金往克木，火復其讎；火既消金，水雪其恥。然當衰氣者，反為王者所制，如鼎鑊中水，為火所煎。

Therefore, the "White Tiger Classic" says: Yang is the ruler, Yin is the minister. Water uses the energy of the Wealth Star and Mother Star to subdue the Star of Brightness and Prestige, and Metal uses the energy of the Lesser Yin to subdue the Lesser Yang Wood. This is like dealing with an unjust ruler, such as King Tang of Shang overthrowing King Jie of Xia, or King Wu of Zhou attacking King Zhou of Shang, which are special cases of "lower overcoming upper" that are in accordance with righteousness. In divination, if one's own overcoming element is indicated as凶 (misfortune), but the element that overcomes oneself is indicated as吉 (fortune). The principle of the Five Phases is that the son can rescue his father's difficulties: thus, Metal overcomes Wood, and the son of Wood, Fire, comes to avenge the father; Fire melts Metal, and the son of Metal, Water, comes to avenge the father. However, when the side that is already weak is reversed and subdued by the dominant force, it is like water in a cauldron being boiled by fire.

《白虎通》云：火熱水冷，有溫水，無寒火何？明臣可為君，君不可為臣。火煎水為湯者，不改其形，但變其名也；水滅火為炭者，形名俱盡也。亦如君被廢而不存，臣有罪而退職也。五行相剋，木穿土不毀，火燒金不毀者，皆陽氣仁，好生故也；金伐木犯，水滅火犯者，陰氣貪，好殺故也。至如山崩川竭，木石為災，天火下流，人火上燎，水旱鬲並，風霜為害，此並失政於人，天地作譴。

The White Tiger Classic says: Fire is hot, water is cold. Why is there warm water, but no cold fire? This shows that a subject may rise to become a ruler, but a ruler cannot descend to be a subject. A fire can boil water into soup, but the form of water does not change, only its name changes; water can extinguish fire into charcoal, and both the form and name of fire disappear. This is like a ruler who is deposed no longer exists, while a subject who is guilty is merely dismissed from office. In the mutual control of the Five Phases, wood pierces through earth without destroying it, and fire melts metal without destroying it, because wood and fire belong to yang energy, which is benevolent and loves to nurture. However, metal cuts wood and water extinguishes fire, both with an intent of aggression, because metal and water belong to yin energy, which is greedy and loves to destroy. As for landslides and earthquakes, rivers and canals drying up, and disasters caused by trees and stones, heavenly fire descending from above and human fire rising from below spreading, floods and droughts alternating, and winds and frosts causing harm, these are all punishments from heaven and earth due to improper governance in human affairs.

為五行相沴者，乖沴不和之義，以其氣沖相沴，不名克也。沴，亦廢也。於木則南宮極震，於水則三川竭，於火則宮室災，於金則九鼎震，於土則齊楚山崩，木金水火俱沴土者，地動分拆是也。故五行氣沖，而有六沴，大概如斯。

This kind of phenomenon is called the "Five Phases '相沴'", which refers to discord and disharmony: since they involve the collision of energies leading to mutual harm, they are not called "克" (overcoming). "沴" also implies destruction and ruin. Manifested in wood, it appears as the unusual shaking of the southern palace; in water, it is the simultaneous drying up of three major rivers; in fire, it is fires breaking out in palaces and buildings; in metal, it is the shaking of the nine tripods; in earth, it is the collapse of mountains and hills in the regions of Qi and Chu. When wood, metal, water, and fire all harm earth simultaneously, it results in earthquakes and cracks in the ground. Therefore, when the energies of the Five Phases clash, there is said to be the "six kinds of沴," roughly like this.

夫刑者，殺罰為名，自是刑于不義，非故相刑也。五行各在一方，寒暑推移，應時而動，不失其節，各不犯，各無應獨受刑者。但須用之不嚴而治，不可棄而不用，故皆還相刑。如以金治金，則成其器；以人治人，則成國政。《呂氏春秋》云：刑罰不可偃於國，笞怒不可廢於家。故五刑之屬三千，莫不本乎五行。

The term "xing" refers to punishment and execution, named for its function of meting out retribution. It is originally applied to those who act unjustly, not something the Five Phases intentionally impose upon each other. Each of the Five Phases resides in its own position, following the changes of cold and heat, and moving according to the seasons, without exceeding its proper limits. Originally, they do not interfere with each other, nor does any one of them deserve to bear punishment alone. However, although severe punishment is not necessarily required to govern the world, it cannot be abandoned altogether. Therefore, the Five Phases still exert influence upon each other through mutual punishment. This is similar to using metal tools to shape metal into objects, or using people to govern people in order to establish state affairs. The "Lüshi Chunqiu" states: punishment cannot be abandoned in the state, and beatings and anger cannot be discarded in the family. Therefore, under the five types of punishment, there are three thousand specific offenses, none of which is not derived from the Five Phases.

《周書》曰：因五行相剋而作五刑，墨、劓、剕、宮、大辟是也。火能變金色，故墨以變其肉；金能克木，故剕以去其骨節；木能克土，故劓以去其鼻；土能塞水，故宮以斷其淫泆；水能滅火，故大辟以絕其生命。至於漢文，去其肉刑，代之以鞭笞；其後梟斬流絞之徒，並不越其五數。

The Zhou Book says: According to the principle of mutual control among the Five Phases, five punishments were established, namely tattooing (墨), nose cutting (劓), foot amputation (剕), castration (宫), and capital punishment (大辟). Fire can change the color of metal, so tattooing is used to alter the color of the skin; metal controls wood, so foot amputation is used to remove the joints of the body; wood controls earth, so nose cutting is used to remove the nose (which is located in the central part of the face and belongs to earth); earth can block water, so castration is used to cut off sexual desire; water can extinguish fire, so capital punishment is used to end life. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, the physical punishments were abolished and replaced with beating; afterwards, punishments such as decapitation, beheading, exile, and hanging also did not exceed the number of these five.

《尚書》云：流宥五刑。又，五流相去各五百里。鞭笞之數，起自於十，積而至百，亦依十干之數。《尚書刑德考》云：大辟象天刑，罰贖之數三千，應天地人。日辰支干之刑，亦有三種，故天地人之刑，其揆一也。

The Book of Documents says: Use exile to pardon crimes punishable by the five punishments. It also says: The five levels of exile are each separated by five hundred li. The number of lashes begins at ten and accumulates up to one hundred, following the numbers of the ten heavenly stems. The Book of Documents on Criminal Justice and Virtue says: Capital punishment is modeled after the punishment of heaven; the number of penal fines is three thousand, corresponding to the three elements of heaven, earth, and humanity. There are also three types of punishments in the day branch and heavenly stem, indicating the punishment of heaven, the punishment of earth, and the punishment of humanity. The principle behind them is the same.

三種者：一，支自相刑；二，支刑在干；三，干刑在支。支自相刑者，子刑在卯，卯刑在子，丑刑在戌，戌刑在未，未刑在丑，寅刑在巳，巳刑在申，申刑在寅，辰午酉亥各自刑。《漢書》翼奉奏事云：木落歸本，故亥卯未木之位，刑在北方：亥自刑，卯刑在子，未刑在丑。水流向末，故申子辰水之位，刑在東方：申刑在寅，子刑在卯，辰自刑。金剛火強，各還其鄉，故巳酉丑金之位，刑在西方：巳刑在申，酉自刑，丑刑在戌。寅午戌火之位，刑在南方：寅刑在巳，午自刑，戌刑在未。

There are three types: first, mutual punishment among the Earthly Branches; second, punishment from the Earthly Branches to the Heavenly Stems; third, punishment from the Heavenly Stems to the Earthly Branches. Mutual punishment among the Earthly Branches includes: Zi (Water) punishes Mao (Wood), and Mao punishes Zi (this mutual punishment is called "Punishment of Impropriety"); Chou (Earth) punishes Xu (Earth), Xu punishes Wei (Earth), and Wei punishes Chou (this cyclic punishment among three branches is called "Punishment of Ingratitude"); Yin (Wood) punishes Si (Fire), Si punishes Shen (Metal), and Shen punishes Yin (this cyclic punishment among three branches is called "Punishment of Overbearing Power"); the branches Chen (Earth), Wu (Fire), You (Metal), and Hai (Water) each punish themselves, called "Self-Punishment." The Han Shu records that Yi Feng's memorial explained the method of calculating the Three Punishments: trees falling back to their roots, so for the Triple Harmony of Wood (Hai-Mao-Wei), punishment falls in the north (the direction of Hai, the birthplace of Wood): Hai self-punishes, Mao punishes Zi, Wei punishes Chou. Water flows to its end, so for the Triple Harmony of Water (Shen-Zi-Chen), punishment falls in the east (the direction water flows to): Shen punishes Yin, Zi punishes Mao, Chen self-punishes. Metal is hard and fire is strong, returning to their native lands, so for the Triple Harmony of Metal (Si-You-Chou), punishment falls in the west (the native direction of Metal): Si punishes Shen, You self-punishes, Chou punishes Xu; for the Triple Harmony of Fire (Yin-Wu-Xu), punishment falls in the south (the native direction of Fire): Yin punishes Si, Wu self-punishes, Xu punishes Wei. Mastering the three phrases "Wood falls back to its root, water flows to its end, metal and fire return to their native lands," one can calculate the Three Punishments on one's own.

干刑支者，寅刑在庚，卯刑在辛，辰刑在甲，巳刑在癸，午刑在壬，未刑在乙，申刑在丙，酉刑在丁，戌刑在甲，亥刑在己，子刑在戊，丑刑在乙。支刑干者，甲刑在申，乙刑在酉，丙刑在子，丁刑在亥，戊刑在寅，己刑在卯，庚刑在午，辛刑在巳，壬刑在辰戊，癸刑在丑未。此並以所勝為刑也。

The following is about the mutual punishments (xiang xing) between heavenly stems and earthly branches. The order of the headings here is reversed compared to the previous list, but the content should be read accordingly. The punishments from earthly branches to heavenly stems are: Yin (branch) punishes Geng (stem), Mao (branch) punishes Xin (stem), Chen (branch) punishes Jia (stem), Si (branch) punishes Gui (stem), Wu (branch) punishes Ren (stem), Wei (branch) punishes Yi (stem), Shen (branch) punishes Bing (stem), You (branch) punishes Ding (stem), Xu (branch) punishes Jia (stem), Hai (branch) punishes Ji (stem), Zi (branch) punishes Wu (stem), Chou (branch) punishes Yi (stem). The punishments from heavenly stems to earthly branches are: Jia (stem) punishes Shen (branch), Yi (stem) punishes You (branch), Bing (stem) punishes Zi (branch), Ding (stem) punishes Hai (branch), Wu (stem) punishes Yin (branch), Ji (stem) punishes Mao (branch), Geng (stem) punishes Wu (branch), Xin (stem) punishes Si (branch), Ren (stem) punishes Chen (branch) and Xu (branch), Gui (stem) punishes Chou (branch) and Wei (branch). Both sets take the object of punishment as what the subject can overcome (ke).

凡卜筮所用，遇刑非善，然所求之事，非刑不獲。史蘇《龜經》云：當成不成，視兆相刑。又問云：六合是吉，而巳申相剋者何？答曰：金帶水生火中，火為金鬼，水為火鬼，金共水生火中，則是鬼母子身。申是金位，兼復懷水；巳是火位，復有生金，還相讎，故以為刑也。

When divining, encountering a刑 (criminal relationship) is not a good omen; however, some desired affairs cannot be accomplished without encountering a刑. The "Divination Classic" by Shi Su says: if something should succeed but does not, one should check the omen to see if there is a刑. Someone else asked:巳 and申 are consideredLiu He (mutual harmony), which should be auspicious, so why do they also exhibit mutual control? The answer is: gold carries water in the growth of fire, fire is the ghost (one that controls) of gold, and water is the ghost of fire; gold and water both grow in fire, which means the ghost, mother, and child are all present in one body.申 is the original position of metal, yet it also contains the growth of water;巳 is the original position of fire, yet it also contains the growth of metal. The two sides are mutually hostile, so they are both harmonious and conflicting.

然刑有上下，寅刑在巳者，巳為刑上，寅為刑下，餘例悉爾。故《兵書》云：刑上風來，坐者急起，行者急住。卽此謂也。雲三刑者，如寅刑在巳，巳刑在申，寅日申時，巳上起風，或巳上見妖，謂之三刑也。他亦效此。別有從氣為刑，與德相對者，已從前解，故不重釋。

In addition, punishment also has a distinction of upper and lower: if寅 is punished by巳, then巳 is called 'punishing above' and寅 is called 'punishing below'; all other examples are divided in the same way. Therefore, the military book says: if the wind comes from the direction of the punished above, the person sitting should hurry to get up, and the person walking should hurry to stop. This is exactly referring to this. What is called 'three punishments' refers to, for example,寅 punishing巳, and巳 in turn punishing申; during the hour of申 on the day of寅, if wind arises from the direction of巳 or if something strange appears in the direction of巳, it is called three punishments; other cases are also inferred in the same way. There is also another type of punishment based on the trigram atmosphere, which is opposite to 'virtue'; this has already been explained in the previous section on virtue, so it will not be repeated here.

相害者，逆行相逢於十二辰，兩兩相害，名為六害：戌與酉，亥與申，子與未，丑與午，寅與巳，卯與辰，是六害也，是殺傷之義。今此六害，或是君臣父子，或是夫妻，理不應害。《孝經》云：不愛其親而愛他人者，謂之悖德。既違其慈愛之性，故有怒戮之理。

The concept of "mutual harm" refers to the twelve earthly branches moving in opposite directions, meeting each other halfway, and thus harming each other. These are called the "six harms": Xu and You, Hai and Shen, Zi and Wei, Chou and Wu, Yin and Si, Mao and Chen. These six pairs are termed "six harms" because they signify mutual injury and destruction. Among these six pairs, some were originally in a relationship of ruler and subject or father and son, while others were in a relationship of husband and wife. By nature, they should not harm each other. The Classic of Filial Piety states: "To not love one's own parents yet love others is called abandoning virtue." Since they have violated the natural affection, it is natural for them to have mutual resentment and harm.

五行所惡，其在破沖。今之相害，以與破沖合，故父失其慈，子違其孝，妻不敬順，夫棄和同，併合讎忿，理成相害。至如命待熊蹯，飢探雀，重耳外奔，申生賜盡，河內則夫婦相殘，塞外則君臣殺奪，此豈非害乎。

The Five Phases most detestably avoid "breaking" and "clashing." Now the six harms come into being precisely because the victim's branch coincides with the breaking or clashing branch of the aggressor: once this happens, the father loses his kindness, the son disobeys his filial duty, the wife no longer shows respect and obedience, the husband abandons harmony, and both sides become enemies, thus forming mutual harm. It is like King Cheng of Chu, on his deathbed, wanting to eat a bear's paw to delay time, and when hungry, digging for birds to eat; or Prince Chong'er fleeing abroad, and Prince Shensheng being ordered to die; or in the river region, a husband and wife killing each other, and in the northern frontier, a king and his minister killing each other—these are not they not examples of "harm"?

辰卯為害者，卯與戌合，戌破於辰，辰土為卯木妻，戌辰為讎。卯與戌合，便是棄辰；與酉合，酉沖破卯，辰為卯妻，酉為卯讎，辰與酉合，酉能克卯，婦奸外夫、殺本夫之象也。巳與申合，申沖於寅，巳為寅子，申能克寅，巳與申合，子有逆行。

The reason why the Earthly Branches 辰 and 卯 are considered harmful is that 卯 and 戌 are in a harmonious relationship, and 戌 is in opposition to 辰. The earth element 辰 is the wife of the wood element 卯 (since wood controls earth, the controlled element is considered the wife). 戌 and 辰 are enemies. Since 卯 is going to harmonize with 戌, it abandons 辰. On the other hand, 辰 also harmonizes with 酉, and 酉 is in opposition to 卯. 辰 is the wife of 卯, and 酉 is the enemy of 卯. The wife harmonizes with the enemy, and 酉 can control 卯. This is like a woman having an affair with a man outside her husband's household and conspiring to kill her husband. Similarly, 巳 and 申 are in a harmonious relationship, but 申 is in opposition to 寅. 巳 is the son of 寅 (since 寅 wood produces 巳 fire), and 申 can control 寅. However, 巳 is going to harmonize with 申, which is like a son committing a rebellious act.

丑午相害者，丑與子合，子沖破午；午與未合，未破於丑，亦是父子相害義也。未子相害者，未與午合，午沖破子，未土為君，子水為臣，午火為子水之財，君以財害臣之象也；子與丑合，丑破於未，丑又是土，子與丑合，欲引外君，共害其主，此則臣有逃亡之象也。申亥相害者，亥與寅合，寅沖於申；申與巳合，巳沖於亥，亦是父子相害義也。

The Earthly Branches 丑 and 午 are mutually harmful because 丑 combines with 子, and 子 directly conflicts with 午; 午 combines with 未, and 未 also harms 丑. This is the meaning of father and son harming each other (the fire of 午 nourishes the earth of 丑, which represents father and son). The Earthly Branches 未 and 子 are mutually harmful because 未 combines with 午, and 午 conflicts with 子; 未 is the ruler, 子 is the subject (earth controls water), and 午 is also the 'wealth' of 子 (water controls fire, and what is controlled is considered wealth). This is the image of the ruler using wealth to harm the subject. Conversely, 子 combines with 丑, and 丑 harms 未; 丑 is also earth, and 子 combining with 丑 is like bringing in an external ruler to harm the original ruler, which is the image of the subject fleeing or rebelling. The Earthly Branches 申 and 亥 are mutually harmful because 亥 combines with 寅, and 寅 directly conflicts with 申; 申 combines with 巳, and 巳 also conflicts with 亥. This is again the meaning of father and son harming each other.

夫相生不必相生，相害不必相害。猶如火能燒物，遂有炎洲之火而不能燒物；水能潤長，洪潦暴至，亦使草樹芸黃。此是相生反相害。相害反相生者，鑽木出火，而雲雨掣電，相因而有，此是相害反相生也。水本害火，膏油漬注，燈火益明，亦是相害反相生也。

In reality, what is supposed to generate may not actually generate, and what is supposed to cause harm may not actually cause harm. For example, fire is normally capable of destroying things, but the fire in the fiery island cannot burn trees; water is normally capable of nourishing and promoting growth, but when floods surge, they can drown grass and trees, turning them yellow and withered. This is an example where what should generate turns into harm. Conversely, there are cases where what should cause harm turns into mutual generation. For instance, rubbing wood can produce fire, and lightning flashing in clouds and rain can cause water and fire to arise together, which is an example of harm turning into mutual generation. Water normally controls fire, but pouring oil into a lamp actually makes the flame brighter, which is another example of harm turning into mutual generation.

陰陽五行，萬物所存，吉凶之應，各以其類言之。或吉中有凶，凶中有吉。凶則視其所救，吉則觀其所害。凶而有救，不至於禍；吉而有害，不及於慶。純凶則禍大，純吉則福深。如丑午相害，以子沖破午，子有王水，此為純凶；未破於丑，丑有欲相之木，能制未土，為有救也。未子相害，午沖破於子，子是王水，水制午火，為凶中有吉；子與丑合，丑土反制子水，卽是吉中有凶。生害之義例皆如斯。

Yin and yang and the Five Phases are the fundamental principles upon which all things depend. The occurrence of good or bad fortune must be judged according to their respective categories. Sometimes good fortune contains elements of bad fortune, and bad fortune may contain elements of good fortune. When encountering bad fortune, one should check whether there is a remedy; when encountering good fortune, one should check whether there is an obstacle. If bad fortune has a remedy, it will not lead to disaster; if good fortune is obstructed, it will not be considered truly auspicious. Purely bad fortune brings great misfortune, while purely good fortune brings deep blessings. For example, the harmful relationship between Chou and Wu: Zi (the Water element) conflicts with Wu (the Fire element), and since Zi contains strong water (which overcomes fire), this is purely harmful to Wu. In the case of Wei breaking Chou, Chou contains wood that is about to become strong (which overcomes earth), thus controlling Wei earth, which is considered to have a remedy. Now consider the harmful relationship between Wei and Zi: Wu (the Fire element) conflicts with Zi (the Water element), and since Zi contains strong water (which overcomes fire), this is harmful but contains a beneficial element. When Zi and Chou combine, Chou earth overcomes Zi water, which is beneficial but contains a harmful element. The principles of mutual generation and mutual harm are all to be examined in this way.

沖破者，以其氣相格對也。沖氣為輕，破氣為重。支干各自相對，故各有沖破也。干沖破者：甲庚沖破，乙辛沖破，丙壬沖破，丁癸沖破，戊壬、甲戌、乙己亦沖破。此皆對沖破，亦本體相剋，彌為重也。

The concept of "chong po" refers to two forces confronting each other directly. Among these, "chong" represents a lighter force, while "po" represents a heavier force. Both heavenly stems and earthly branches have pairs that are directly opposite to each other, so both stems and branches have chong and po. The chong and po among heavenly stems are: Jia and Geng chong po, Yi and Xin chong po, Bing and Ren chong po, Ding and Gui chong po; in addition, Wu and Ren, Jia and Xu, and Yi and Ji are also considered chong po. These are not only directly opposite in position but also mutually controlling in essence, making the effect more severe.

支沖破者：子午沖破，丑未沖破，寅申沖破，卯酉沖破，辰戌沖破，巳亥沖破。此亦取相對，其輕重皆以死生言之。四孟有生而無死，直沖而不破；四季有死而無生，直破而無沖；四仲死生俱興，故並有沖破。

The conflicting branches are: Zi and Wu conflict, Chou and Wei conflict, Yin and Shen conflict, Mao and You conflict, Chen and Xu conflict, and Si and Hai conflict. This is taking the two branches that are directly opposite to each other. Whether one is heavier than the other depends on the life qi and death qi contained within the branch. The four "young" branches, Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai, contain only growth qi and no death qi, so they only conflict and do not break. The four "middle" branches, Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, contain both life qi and death qi, so they both conflict and break. The four "old" branches, Chen, Wei, Xu, and Chou, contain only death qi and no life qi, so they only break and do not conflict.

四孟有生無死，直有沖無破者，寅有生火，巳有生金，申有生水，亥有生木也。四仲死生俱有者，卯有王木死水，午有王火死木，酉有王金死火，子有王水死金。四季有死而無生者，辰有死水，未有死木，戌有死火，丑有死金。死氣則重，故能破；生氣則輕，故相沖。

The four beginning branches have only life qi and no death qi, so they only clash without breaking through, because the branch of寅 contains the long life of fire, the branch of巳 contains the long life of metal, the branch of申 contains the long life of water, and the branch of亥 contains the long life of wood. The four middle branches have both life and death qi, because the branch of卯 contains the thriving wood and dead water, the branch of午 contains the thriving fire and dead wood, the branch of酉 contains the thriving metal and dead fire, and the branch of子 contains the thriving water and dead metal. The four seasonal branches have only death qi and no life qi, because the branch of辰 contains dead water, the branch of未 contains dead wood, the branch of戌 contains dead fire, and the branch of丑 contains dead metal. Death qi is heavy, so it can 'break through'; life qi is light, so it can only 'clash'.

又復甲往向庚為衡，庚往向甲為破，以強者制弱也。其沖破，皆以對位抗沖最為不善。又，互向對沖之地，我當在庚，令敵居甲，以強制弱故也。問曰：沴氣是相沖而為，今解沖破而不喚為沴，此未可解。答曰：五行相沴，因事變重，非是常然，有罰則見，無災則止。今之所解，直是支干之位常自格對，剛柔相沖，非問變異，寜得稱爾矣。

In addition, when Jia is opposed by Geng, it is called "Heng" (mutual resistance), and when Geng opposes Jia, it is called "Po" (overcoming). This is because the strong can subdue the weak (Geng metal overcomes Jia wood). In general, when two forces are in direct opposition, the most unfavorable situation arises. There is another usage: when both sides are in opposing positions, one should try to align with Geng and place the enemy on Jia's side, thus using strength to overcome weakness. Someone asks: Earlier, it was mentioned that "Li qi" (disordered energy) is also caused by opposition, but now explaining "Po" does not refer to "Li qi," which seems inconsistent. The answer is: Five Phase "Li qi" occurs due to specific serious events and is not the norm—it appears only when there is heavenly punishment and ceases when there is no disaster. What is explained here is merely the inherent direct opposition between heavenly stems, where strong and weak elements clash, unrelated to calamities or anomalies, so how can it be called "Li qi"?

《左氏傳》子產曰：發為五色。蔡伯喈云：通眼者為五色。《黃帝素問》曰：草性有五，章為五色者。東方木為蒼色，萬物發生，夷柔之色也。南方火為赤色，以象盛陽炎焰之狀也。中央土黃色，黃者，地之色也，故曰天玄而地黃。西方金色白，秋為殺氣，白露為霜，白者，喪之象也。北方水色黑，遠望黯然，陰闇之象也，溟海淼邈，玄闇無窮，水為太陰之物，故陰闇也。《孝經援神契》言：土之精黃，木之精青，火之精赤，金之精白，水之精黑。

The "Zuo Zhuan" records Zi Cheng's words saying: the five phases' energies manifest as five colors. Cai Yong (Bo Jie) said: colors visible to the eyes are the five colors. The "Huangdi Suwen" says: the nature of grass and trees has five types, which manifest as five colors. The east belongs to wood, with the color green, which is the color of the growth and harmonious and gentle nature of all things. The south belongs to fire, with the color red, symbolizing the appearance of intense yang fire. The center belongs to earth, with the color yellow, as yellow is the color of the earth, so the "Zhou Yi" says, "the sky is dark blue and the earth is yellow." The west belongs to metal, with the color white, as autumn is the season of severity, white dew condenses into frost, and white is the symbol of mourning. The north belongs to water, with the color black, as it appears dark from afar, symbolizing darkness; the vast and boundless ocean is deeply dark and endless, water is a substance of too Yin, so it appears in the color of darkness. The "Xiaojing Yuan Shenqi" says: the essence of earth is yellow, the essence of wood is green, the essence of fire is red, the essence of metal is white, and the essence of water is black.

《春秋考異郵》云：北狄之氣生幽都，色黑，如群畜穹閭。南夷之氣生交趾，色赤，聚隅，如旛旗鳥類。東夷之氣生萊柞，色蒼，搔撽佈散，如林木。西夷之氣生沙丘，色白，鋒積，如刀刃之浮。中央土會色黃，如城郭之形，黃氣四塞，土精舒。此五者為正色，其變色亦五。穎子嚴《春秋釋例》曰：經有赤狄、白狄，然則東青、北黑、中黃，皆正色也。

The "Chunqiu Kaoyi You" says: The clouds of the northern barbarians arise from Youdu, are black in color, and appear as a group of livestock and dome-shaped tents. The clouds of the southern barbarians arise from Jiaozhi, are red in color, and gather at the corner of the sky, appearing like banners and flying birds. The clouds of the eastern barbarians arise from Lai Zhuo, are green in color, and spread in a disorderly manner, appearing like forests. The clouds of the western barbarians arise from Shaqiu, are white in color, and pile up with sharp edges, appearing like blades floating in the air. The central earth clouds gather and appear yellow in color, shaped like city walls, with yellow clouds filling all directions, which is the essence of the earth spreading out. These five are the primary colors, and there are also five secondary colors opposite to them. Yingzi Yan's "Chunqiu Xilei" says: The classic mentions the terms "Red Barbarians" and "White Barbarians," indicating that green for the east, black for the north, and yellow for the center are also primary colors.

土戊畏於木，故以妹己妻甲，以黃入於青，故東方閒色綠也。《詩》云：綠兮衣兮。刺閒色亂正色也。金庚畏於火，故以妹辛妻於丙，以白入於赤，故南方閒色紅。《論語·鄉黨》曰：紅紫不以為褻服。木甲畏於金，故以妹乙妻庚，以青入於白，故西方閒色縹也。火丙畏於水，故以妹丁妻壬，以赤入於黑，故北方閒色紫也。孔子曰：惡紫之奪朱也。水壬畏於土，故以妹癸妻戊，以黑入於黃，故中央閒色驪黃。

The origin of intermediate colors is still explained by the combination of heavenly stems: the earth element Wu fears wood, so the younger sister Ji is married to Jia (Jia and Ji combine), yellow mixed with blue, so the intermediate color of the east is green. The Book of Songs says, "Green is the robe," which is a satire on the intermediate color usurping the position of the primary color. The metal element Geng fears fire, so the younger sister Xin is married to Bing (Bing and Xin combine), white mixed with red, so the intermediate color of the south is red. The Analects of Confucius, in the chapter "Xiangdang," says: red and purple are not to be used for daily wear. The wood element Jia fears metal, so the younger sister Yi is married to Geng (Yi and Geng combine), blue mixed with white, so the intermediate color of the west is pale blue. The fire element Bing fears water, so the younger sister Ding is married to Ren (Ding and Ren combine), red mixed with black, so the intermediate color of the north is purple. Confucius said: I dislike purple taking the place of red. The water element Ren fears earth, so the younger sister Gui is married to Wu (Wu and Gui combine), black mixed with yellow, so the intermediate color of the center is black and yellow.

《五行書》云：甲為青，己為綠，丙為赤，辛為紅，庚為白，乙為縹，壬為黑，丁為紫，戊為黃，癸為驪黃。此皆夫為本色，妻為雜色也。柳世隆云：八卦各有其色，震為青，離為赤，兌為白，坎為黑，此皆當方正色；干為紫，艮為紅，巽為綠，坤為黃，此並閒色也。坤取未土之正色。

The *Book of the Five Phases* says: Jia is blue, Ji is green; Bing is red, Xin is red; Geng is white, Yi is pale blue; Ren is black, Ding is purple; Wu is yellow, Gui is dark yellow. These are the pure colors of the yang stems, which are the fundamental colors of their respective phases, while the yin stems take the mixed colors. Liu Shilong says: Each of the eight trigrams has its own color. Zhen is blue, Li is red, Dui is white, and Kan is black; these four trigrams take the pure colors of their respective directions. Qian is purple, Gen is red, Xun is green, and Kun is yellow; these four trigrams take the intermediate colors. Among them, Kun is yellow because it takes the pure color of the earth phase.

《甲乙經》云：青如翠羽，黑如烏羽，赤如雞冠，黃如蟹腹，白如豕膏，此五色為生氣見；青如草滋，黑如水苔，黃如枳實，赤如衃血，白如枯骨，此五色為死氣見。《相經》曰：青氣初來，如麥生；盛王之時，如樹葉青；欲去之時，如水上苔。赤氣初來，如赭柱；盛王之時，如朱丹；欲去之時，如干血。黃氣初來，如蠶吐絲；盛王之時，如博基；欲去之時，如枯葉。白氣初來之時，如璽璧；盛王之時，如粉上光；欲去之時，如鮮錢。黑氣初來之時，如死馬肝；盛王之時，如漆光；欲去之時，如苔垢。

The *Ji Yi Jing* discusses the method of judging life and death through observing color: green like the feathers of a kingfisher, black like the feathers of a crow, red like a rooster's comb, yellow like the belly of a crab, and white like the fat of a pig—these five colors are bright and vivid, indicating the presence of life qi. Conversely, green like the dampness on withered grass, black like the moss in water, yellow like the outer skin of a bitter orange fruit, red like congealed old blood, and white like the dry bones—these five colors are dull and dim, indicating the presence of death qi. The *Xiang Jing* explains the coming and going of qi colors: when green qi first appears, it is like young wheat sprouting; when it is strong, it is as green as leaves; when it is about to fade, it is like the floating algae on water. When red qi first appears, it is like a pillar painted with cinnabar; when it is strong, it is as bright red as cinnabar; when it is about to fade, it is like dried blood. When yellow qi first appears, it is like silk spun by a silkworm; when it is strong, it is as even and clean as the pieces on a chessboard; when it is about to fade, it is like withered yellow leaves. When white qi first appears, it is like a jade seal or a fine jade tablet; when it is strong, it is as lustrous as powdered skin; when it is about to fade, it is like newly cast copper coins. When black qi first appears, it is like the liver of a dead horse; when it is strong, it is as glossy as lacquered wood; when it is about to fade, it is like the dirty mold accumulated on moss. The same color, in its initial appearance, its peak, and its decline, has different textures, and those who observe qi use these distinctions to judge fortune, misfortune, advancement, and retreat.

《禮記》曰：君子縗絰，則有哀色；端冕，則有敬色；甲冑，則有不可犯之色。《大戴禮》云：孔子曰，君子有三色焉：顯然怡樂，鐘鼓之色；意氣沈靜，憂喪之色；忿然競動，兵革之色。《大戴禮·觀人篇》云：人有五性，喜、怒、欲、懼、憂。喜氣內畜，雖欲隱，陽喜必見，四氣皆然。五氣誠在乎中，發形於外，人情不可隱也。喜色猶然以出，怒色怫然以侮，欲色然以愉，懼色薄然以下，憂悲之色，瞿然以靜。盛智必有難盡之色，盛仁必有可尊之色，盛勇必有難懾之色，盛忠必有可親之色，誠潔必有難汙之色，愨真必有可信之色。其質色皓然，固以安；偽色蔓然，亂以煩。夫喜色則黃，怒色則赤，憂色則青，喪色則白，哀色則黑。此皆五常之色，動於五藏，而見於外，隨其善惡盛衰之應也。君子所觀，故於此釋。

The Book of Rites says: A gentleman, when wearing mourning hemp cords, shows a sorrowful expression on his face; when wearing ceremonial caps, shows a respectful expression; when wearing armor and helmets, shows a resolute and unyielding expression. The Great Dai Book of Rites says: Confucius said, a gentleman has three kinds of expressions: one bright and cheerful, which appears when listening to the sound of bells and drums; one calm and composed, which appears when encountering misfortune or mourning; and one fierce and resolute, which appears when facing battle. The Great Dai Book of Rites, "Wenwang's Officials" (here called "Observing People") says: people have five kinds of emotions, namely joy, anger, desire, fear, and sorrow. Joy accumulated within will inevitably show on the face, even if one tries to hide it, because joy is a yang emotion that naturally reveals itself; the other four emotions are the same. Once these five emotions truly exist within the heart, they will manifest on the face, and a person's true feelings cannot be concealed. The expression of joy is naturally open and bright; the expression of anger is abrupt and shows a tone of contempt; the expression of desire is of a joyful and pleasant kind; the expression of fear is hurried and low-spirited; the expression of sorrow is startled yet calm. A person of great wisdom will have an expression that is deep and unfathomable; a person of great benevolence will have an expression that is respectful; a person of great courage will have an expression that is hard to intimidate; a person of great loyalty will have an expression that is endearing; a person who truly maintains personal integrity will have an expression that is unblemished; a person who is simple and sincere will have an expression that is trustworthy. Expressions that naturally flow from one's essence are clear and open, thus bringing peace; expressions that are artificially made are superficial and untruthful, thus causing confusion and disturbance. Specifically, the expression of joy is yellowish, the expression of anger is reddish, the expression of sorrow is bluish, the expression of mourning is pale, and the expression of grief is black. These are the colors corresponding to the five virtues, which first arise in the five internal organs and then appear on the face. They vary according to the goodness or evil, prosperity or decline of a person. This is exactly what a gentleman observes when judging others, so it is explained here.