Sanming Tonghui · A Comprehensive Account of the Three Destinies

Indirect Office and Official Killings

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Indirect Office is exemplified by Jia seeing Geng and Yi seeing Xin. Like two men not sharing a place or two women not sharing a dwelling in the source's analogy, they do not form a pair, hence Indirect Office. They stand seven positions apart and conquer and battle one another, hence Seven Killings. It is compared to a violent, unscrupulous lesser person. Without ritual and law controlling, punishing, and warning him, he must injure his master. Thus with restraint it is called Indirect Office; without restraint, Seven Killings. If the Day Ruler is healthy and flourishing and Seal and Ribbon assist transformation, this relates to the classic's saying, “Encountering Killing, inspect Wealth.” Strong Body with weak Killing is auspicious with Wealth Star; weak Body with strong Killing has Wealth draw in Ghost and steal energy, giving poverty or early death. Food Spirit emerging to restrain it is the saying, “Once restraint is seen, it instead becomes nobility's foundation.” Yang Blade pairing with it is the saying, “Killing without Blade does not display itself; encountering Killing, inspect Blade.” These restraints, combinations, generations, and transformations must have neither excess nor deficiency. This borrows a lesser person's power to protect a gentleman and establish authority, giving a fate of great power and nobility, also intelligence of character. Avoid a declining Day Ruler, repeated Seven Killings, three punishments, six harms, Robbery and Death Spirit together, and Chief Strength clashing: the harms are too numerous to detail. If there is just one Seven Killing but two or three places of restraint, favor flourishing-Killing ground. If fortune adds restraint again, this is exhaustive law leaving no people: even a tiger or wolf cannot exercise its skill. Thus one must not speak exclusively of restraint; its weight must be appropriate. A classic says, “With original restraint, Killing emerging brings blessing; without original restraint, Killing emerging brings calamity.” For Jia seeing Geng and Shen, or Yi seeing Xin and You, flourishing, energized Killing in the pillars requires southeastern fortune to restrain Geng and Xin; only when they lose energy does advancement occur. Alternatively, birth in Yin or Mao month, or one's own seat at Long Life, Assuming Office, or Imperial Flourishing, with many Equals of the same kind assisting, can transform Ghost into Office and Killing into authority. Fortune leading into Seal territory must then develop wealth and nobility. Yet annual or major fortune meeting Killing ground again brings calamity immediately. A Jiayin birth has flourishing Body; year and month seeing Gengshen have flourishing Killing. Even without Fire emerging to restrain, Zi and Chen among the branches can gather Seal into a configuration: Killing generates Seal, Seal generates Body, and it is judged as powerful nobility. Killing emerging in the year stem differs from the monthly command or hour branch. The Grand Duke rules the whole life and is heaviest. Jia seeing Geng year, or Yi seeing Xin year, born in Shen, You, or Chou month with much Metal, then proceeding through Metal major fortune, suffers especially severe harm if the flowing year's ruler appears with it. Birth in Yin, Wu, Xu, or a Wood-flourishing month instead has Fire restraint and strong Body; Metal becomes Extinct and cannot harm, so it is auspicious. A classic says: “Jia meeting Geng falls into Defeat and withering, branches, leaves, and roots dried. Yi encountering Xin suffers injury and exhaustion, roots and shoots damaged. Blazing Bing Fire meets Ren and becomes black flame without light; brilliant Ding red meets Gui and its radiance extinguishes itself. Wu arriving at Jia must guard against blessing turning to calamity; Ji seated in Yi territory naturally injures Emolument's origin. Geng battling Bing tips into danger; Xin injured by Ding suffers conquest and cutting. Ren meeting Wu Earth is obstructed and cannot pass; Gui entering Ji territory wanders without security. Stem Emolument at Birth or Flourishing can provide support; Blade coming is favored and can itself combine and restrain.” Another account says that the five phases meeting monthly-branch Indirect Office allow only one branch occurrence; many are unfavorable. Four pillars of pure Killing with restraint assure the honor of first rank. Even one Direct Office mixes Office and Killing and instead gives low status. Flourishing Killing in the pillars and fortune entirely supporting Body give refined official nobility. Another says flourishing Body and Killing without restraint, followed by flourishing-Killing fortune, give nobility that does not last. The Continuing Goodness chapter says: “Strong Body and shallow Killing borrow Killing as authority; heavy Killing and light Body suffer harm throughout life.” Determining the True says: “Seven Killings assisted by Wealth becomes fiercer.” Another saying: “Blade is a weapon and hardly subsists without Killing; Killing is military command and has no dignity without Blade. Both displayed, their authority subdues Heaven and Earth.” Four-Word Verses says: “Killing does not leave Seal; Seal does not leave Killing. Killing and Seal generating one another give distinguished merit and reputation.” The Rhapsody of Subtle Selection says: “Killing is martial skill, Seal literary brilliance. Killing without Seal lacks literary refinement; Seal without Killing lacks imposing authority. Most marvelous is both complete, fittingly prepared in civil and military arts.” The Rhapsody of Deep Mystery says: “Seven Killings meeting Long Life gives a woman a noble husband.” The Luoyi Rhapsody says: “Killing arriving at the child position must bring a rebellious son.” Thousand-Li Horse says Seven Killings with restraint also gives many sons. The Rhapsody of Reading the Heart says: “Indirect Office and Seven Killings press their power above the Three Dukes; fond of wine and sex, contentious and combative, proud and imposing, supporting the weak and confronting the strong, tiger-like in temperament and wind-swift in impatience.” An old song says: “Indirect Office cannot routinely be called harmful. With restraint, ample clothing and Emolument are restored. Food Spirit in stems and combination in branches bring descendants filling the view and receiving honors.” Another: “Seven Killings in the monthly framework injures greatly only because the stem declines. Proper Emolument crossing with it and punitive Killing entering make lifelong calamity unavoidable.” Another: “Seven Killings as framework is originally worry; once tamed, it is gladly without care. Upright throughout life without crookedness, one's rank should be lord of ten thousand households.” Another: “Monthly Indirect Office is originally Killing Spirit; restrained, it again occupies first rank. Even if personal honor and nobility come late, blessing must extend to descendants.” Another: “Monthly-branch Indirect Office most avoids clash; Hurting Office and Sheep Blade are gladly encountered. A flourishing, vigorous day stem makes all noble; restraint without excess lets every undertaking pass.” Another: “Weak Body, strong Killing, no restraining spirit bring too many calamities to tell. Still less can one enter flourishing Office ground: enduring illness and punishment, the person perishes.” Another: “Jia and Yi's Killings reveal Geng and Xin; Water and Wood in the month are gladly added. Wood and Fire fortune raise reputation and profit; the Water-fortune clause fears Fire and Metal.” Another: “Bing and Ding in the fifth month meeting Killing again gain great benefit from Wood and Fire. Metal and Water fortune injures Body; Zi coming to clash and disrupt is most harmful.” Another: “The six Yi born in Si, You, or Chou avoid Wealth Star holding the configuration. Suddenly reaching Metal territory in fortune assures that the lifetime will not be long.” Another: “A Geng day with complete Yin–Wu–Xu requires Earth emerging in stems for auspiciousness. Repeated flourishing Fire makes reputation prominent; a chart at Rest or Imprisonment avoids Water territory.” Another: “The six Bing with much Hai and Zi have Killing Star return to Seal and instead become balanced. Eastern fortune displays merit and reputation; western fortune turns affairs to difficulty.” Another: “Yin Water often meeting the printed Si is injured. Killing Star needs Water to bring it down. Though reputation and profit can rise high, only a short lifetime is feared.” Another: “Earth meeting Mao with all three harmonies does not avoid Metal and Water accompanying birth. Flourishing Fire and Wood territory displays reputation and profit; proceeding again through Kun and Kan brings unending calamity.” Another: “Jia and Yi meeting Shen favor Seal's hidden generation. Water flourishes and Metal flourishes too: an official robe must cover the person.” Another: “Jia and Yi born in Yin month find much Metal auspicious instead. Repeated Water is unsuitable; Fire and Earth are clothing and food.” Combining these accounts reveals Indirect Office's preferences and avoidances. Translator's note: All ten stem conquest warnings, cited authorities, named-chart conditions, and all fifteen concluding songs are retained. The supplied Water-fortune/Fire-and-Metal wording, Si in the yin-Water song, and Kun/Kan destinations are not replaced with reconstructed rules. The source alternately favors and rejects different types of repeated Killing, combination, and restraint depending on strength and support; those qualifications remain explicit. Its family, sexuality, status, illness, and lifespan judgments are historical assertions. Heavenly Origin Seated on Killing This means days such as Jiashen and Yiyou. On Yichou day, Xin Metal within Chou is Killing beneath one's own seat. Spring and summer birth is favored: Yi Wood is healthy and flourishing and Killing naturally restrained; Bing and Ding openly appearing are not favored. Autumn birth withers; a Ghost hidden beneath the seat could hardly fail to harm. Such days require the day stem to rely on flourishing, with no further Office or Killing conquering it. Seal transforming Killing is favored; flourishing Wealth with flourishing Body brings blessing. If Killing flourishes, Hurting Office combining and restraining it also gives nobility. Without assistance or transformation, further flourishing-Killing fortune or another Killing's conquest is said to give facial scars, short stature, lameness with an unclear turtle-like epithet, joined fingers, tumors, and growths; the person is described as treacherous, greedy, fierce, violent, relying fearlessly on strength and repeatedly violating law. Heavy conquest often gives early death; fitting the configuration gives military nobility. Yet the person is described as full of schemes and impatient, sinister and harboring poison, falsely usurping, plotting harm, and lacking ordinary human feeling. Translator's note: The source's unflattering physical and moral assertions, including a damaged lameness expression, are historical descriptions rather than diagnoses. Its spring/summer versus autumn distinction, avoidance of openly emerging Bing/Ding, and restraint and Seal exceptions are retained. A Single Noble Influence in the Hour The Preferences and Avoidances chapter says: “Seven Killings in the hour need not be harmful. With monthly restraint and strong stem, Killing instead becomes authority and Seal.” A classic says: “Hour Indirect Office requires strong Body. Yang Blade, clash, and punishment can bear Killing. Much restraint requires flourishing-Killing fortune; much Killing with little restraint must bring calamity.” Hour Indirect Office should emerge in a stem, and one occurrence is best. Repetition in year, month, or day instead gives hard work and toil. If Body flourishes and Killing is restrained excessively, favor flourishing-Killing fortune or a three-harmony Killing fortune. Without restraint, only restraining fortune permits advancement. Weak Body is avoided. Even if fortune supports it and brings blessing, once that fortune passes insufficiency returns. Another account says hour Indirect Office does not fear clash or Blade. The person has a weighty, firm, upright, unyielding character. Killing without root needs a flourishing palace; with root this is unsuitable. A damaged parenthesis identifies Wealth as Killing's root. One Seven Killing with two or three layers of restraint cannot achieve distinction even if literary talent surpasses Li and Du. Walking Alone says: “Rootless hour Killing is noblest when Killing flourishes; hour Killing with many roots is disharmonious when Killing flourishes.” The Rhapsody that Startles Spirits says: “Hour Indirect Office with restraint gives a remarkable later-born son.” An old song says: “Hour Indirect Office favors Blade's clash; strong Body with restraint gives abundant Emolument. If Direct Office comes to mix, weak Body and much Wealth bring hardship and poverty.” Another: “One strong Indirect Office in the hour, with the day flourishing on its own, is especially favorable. Wealth and Seal bring much Wealth and Emolument: surely Heaven has produced a pillar of the state.” Another: “Seven Killings in the hour is Indirect Office; restraint and strong Body make a good fate. Excessive restraint favors flourishing-Killing fortune; three harmonies obtaining proper ground make advancement easy.” Another: “Seven Killings in the hour originally gives no son; examine this principle carefully. If the month or hour contains restraint, know that a son will be noble but late.” Translator's note: The root/no-root distinction, all four concluding songs, and the source's later-child exceptions remain. The damaged Wealth/root parenthesis is identified, and its final month/hour phrase is translated without supplying a missing word. Seven Killings in the Year A classic says: “Noble energy encountered in the year does not need restraint. Favor a healthy, flourishing Day Ruler, Sheep Blade combining, Wealth in the pillars, and further Wealth fortune: blessing develops with refinement.” Weak Body is most avoided. Seven Killings symbolizes a lesser person; seated in the ancestral position, it resembles an old court minister or a grandfather's old servant. A healthy, flourishing Day Ruler makes the old servant exhaust his strength serving a young master. A declining Day Ruler cannot be master to the lesser person: why would the latter exert himself in service? He becomes something injuring oneself instead. This in the year stem necessarily indicates humble origins. Favorably related four pillars and fortune give a noble child from a poor family. Flourishing Killing with declining Body and excessive clash and punishment necessarily gives poverty; the severest cases bring mourning and penal punishment. Another account says one annual Killing should not be restrained; repetition in the four pillars should be. With a born and flourishing Day Ruler and slightly much restraint, favor flourishing-Killing ground. Excessive restraint, or flourishing Killing with declining Body, mixed Office and Killing, and corresponding annual and major fortunes give an ordinary, toiling life. Insufficient restraint followed by Body-declining, Killing-flourishing fortune must bring calamity. One chart is Wuxu, Gengshen, Renwu, Guimao. Wu combines with Gui, Mao with Xu, and Ren sits on Wu branch, possessing both Wealth and Office, hence nobility. An old song says: “Annual Virtue: Ren comes to encounter Xu year. Wealth flourishing and Body strong naturally give Emolument. Fortune further reaching flourishing Wealth ground makes a person loyal, intelligent, wise, loyal, and worthy.” Another: “Do not call year-stem Seven Killings harmful. Restraint and combination as authority have greatest merit. Strong Body without forbidden damage often enters the inner court.” Another: “The year injures the day stem and they do not harmonize; heavy restraint in stems and branches is needed. Flourishing Killing favors Body-flourishing ground; an early-life calamity remains unavoidable.” Translator's note: The servant/master analogy, one-versus-repeated Killing rule, complete chart, and all three songs are retained. The initial no-restraint statement and later conditional need for restraint remain separate source judgments. Loyal is repeated in the supplied verse. Office and Killing Mixed A chart containing both Office and Killing is called mixed. Only Wealth and Seal are selected for use. If Wealth is originally in the pillars, Wealth fortune develops it, but above all Body must be strong enough to carry that Wealth. Weak Body with mixed Office and Killing often brings early death and poverty. Strong Body with restraint is also good; without restraint, forming a Seal configuration to transform Killing is acceptable. A poem says: “Office and Killing intertwined are inferred through fate; examine their internal waxing and waning closely. Obtaining the season with flourishing Body, distinguish relative weight, clearly discerning nobility and Wealth.” Renchen, Bingwu, Bingchen, Guisi has flourishing Body and Killing, Office following Wu's transformation, and both Virtue and Refinement. Dinghai, Renzi, Dingwei, Guimao has Ding following Ren's transformation, with Hai–Mao–Wei gathering a configuration and Water and Wood clear and remarkable. Jiawu, Jisi, Xinyou, Jiawu has a Xin day, Bing in Si as Office, and Ding in two Wu as Killing. It favors flourishing through Exclusive Emolument. Si and You gather a configuration and can bear Killing. Though without restraint, early western fortune makes Body flourish further, hence nobility. These three charts show that mixture must not simply be judged as low status. Translator's note: All three four-pillar examples and their different explanations are retained. The source's references to Wu transformation, following Ren, Virtue and Refinement, and Exclusive Emolument are not silently replaced with another system. Exclusive Emolument Requires Restraint This configuration is a six-Geng day meeting Si hour, Metal Geng's Long Life ground. Within it are Bing and Wu's two Emoluments. Wu generates Geng, while Bing is Geng's Killing. The pillars need Ren and Gui restraining Bing; then the person should wield authority as a military commander. Killing fortune is inauspicious. A poem says: “Exclusive Emolument: Geng approaches Si's position. Restraint is still required for distinction. Military authority gives the commander's seat; sudden Seven Killings brings calamity's time.” Translator's note: Both Emoluments, the Ren/Gui restraint requirement, and the unfavorable Killing-fortune qualification follow the supplied text. Abandoning the Natal Self to Follow Killing Walking Alone says, in a difficult sequence: “Abandoning the natal self to follow Killing requires gathering Killing and following Wealth; avoid Killing, follow Killing.” The Following Killing configuration has Killing Spirit so heavy that Body has nowhere to turn and must follow it. Fortune should proceed through flourishing Killing and Wealth territory. The configuration is judged only when no trace of Equal or Seal and Ribbon appears in the four pillars. If fortune supports Body into flourishing, Body opposes Killing and following is no longer exclusive, causing calamity. A classic says: “In abandoning the natal self to follow Killing, discuss hardness and softness.” This means abandoning the Heavenly Stem to follow Earthly Branches according to the five phases' natures. A yin stem following branches with pure Killing often gives nobility, because yin's softness can follow things. A yang stem following branches with pure Killing also gives nobility, but less than yin, because yang does not accept restraint. Water, Fire, Metal, and Earth all follow; only yang Wood cannot, because dead Wood receiving an axe is injured instead. The Rhapsody of Original Principle says: “Lifelong wealth and nobility arise from heavy Killing and yielding Body. Many Ghosts become no Ghost: instead they are not harmful.” An old song says: “The five yang day seats meeting Killing throughout abandon self and follow, but lifespan is insecure. If the five yin encounter this ground, declining Body and flourishing Killing can be called auspicious.” Translator's note: The opening quotation's awkward sequence is preserved rather than repaired into an invented rule. The exclusion of Equal and Seal, the reversal when Body is strengthened, the yin/yang distinction, and the special exception for yang Wood all remain. Miscellaneous Discussions of Removing and Retaining Office and Killing The Preferences and Avoidances chapter says: “Among mixtures of Killing and Office, some remove Office and retain Killing, others remove Killing and retain Office.” This concerns Office Star and Seven Killings interspersed in the pillars: Office in the month and Killing in the hour, Killing in the month and Office in the hour, or repetitions through the four pillars. If something removes Office and retains Killing, judge as Indirect Office; if something removes Killing and retains Office, judge as Direct Office. To assess removal and retention, carefully determine which is heavier. What emerges in a Heavenly Stem is easily removed; what is hidden in the monthly branch is difficult to remove. Hurting Office and Food Spirit, the agents removing Office and Killing, must be numerous and strong to accomplish removal. On the five yang days, Food Spirit can remove Killing and retain Office. Hurting Office on those days can remove Office but cannot retain Killing; Sheep Blade's combination is necessary to achieve Removing Office and Retaining Killing. For a Jia day, Xin is Office and Geng Killing. If Office is heavy and Killing light, one Bing Food conquers and removes Geng Metal while combining with Xin. This is Removing Killing and Retaining Office, favorably related and noble. If Killing is heavy and Office light, Ding Fire Hurting Office conquers and removes Xin Metal, and further Yi Wood Sheep Blade combines with Geng. This is Removing Office and Retaining Killing, favorably related and noble. On the five yin days, Food Spirit can remove Killing but cannot retain Office; the Day Ruler can retain it itself. Yin-day Hurting Office can both remove Office and retain Killing. For an Yi day, Geng is Office and Xin Killing. If Office is heavy and Killing light, one Ding Food conquers and removes Xin Killing, while Yi combines with Geng. This is Removing Killing and Retaining Office, favorably related and noble. If Killing is heavy and Office light, Bing Fire Hurting Office conquers and removes Geng Metal and comes to combine with Xin Metal. This is Removing Office and Retaining Killing, favorably related and noble. The Rhapsody of Original Principle says: “Removing Killing and retaining Office should be judged noble; removing Office and retaining Killing governs imposing authority.” Another says: “Office Star and Seven Killings intermixed can nevertheless become noble through combining Killing.” This is the meaning. Combining Killing has two senses, combining away and combining in. Combining in is removing Office and retaining Killing; combining away is removing Killing and retaining Office. A six-Jia birth with Xin Direct Office and Geng Seven Killings both emerging mixes Office and Killing. If Yi Wood combines with Geng Seven Killings and Ding Fire conquers Xin Office Star, this removes Office and retains Killing. A six-Ji birth with Jia Direct Office and Yi Seven Killings both emerging also mixes them. If Geng conquers Jia Direct Office and comes to combine with Yi Seven Killings, this removes Office and retains Killing. The former is Sheep Blade combining Killing, the latter Hurting Office combining Killing. Jia also takes Xinyou as Office and Gengshen as Killing. On Jiashen day, Shen is Killing and You is also Office. Shen, however, is Water's Long Life ground, so Killing transforms into Seal, generating and assisting Jia Wood. Though You Metal exists, Wu and Ding injure and conquer it, removing Office and retaining Killing. Those meeting this are said to be clever in purpose, unwilling to receive blessing or virtue, distrustful of others, and constantly laboring themselves. In another case, a six-Geng birth has Bing Killing and Ding Office both emerging. Ren conquering Bing and then combining with Ding removes Killing and retains Office. A rhapsody says: “Combining Office Star is not noble; combining Seven Killings is not harmful.” This means an idle spirit in the pillars combines Office away, hence no nobility; an idle spirit combining Seven Killings similarly accounts for the expressions Combining Office and Forgetting Nobility, and Combining Killing and Forgetting Low Status. If the Day Ruler's stem or branch combines with Office or Killing, however, combining Office is noble and combining Killing lowly. A classic says: “Office and Killing evenly balanced: preserve what is favored and remove what is disliked.” With Direct Office and Seven Killings equal in the pillars, one generated, supported, gathered, or harmonized by something has concentrated strength and should be retained; one broken, damaged, injured, or harmed has dispersed strength and should be discarded. Office Star supported and Killing Star damaged means remove Killing and retain Office; the reverse means remove Office and retain Killing. If both balanced influences lack support or combination but have damage and harm, select a strong character in the pillars as Useful Spirit after careful weighing. An auspicious spirit gives an auspicious judgment. If both have support and combination without damage or harm, they instead form mixed Office and Killing, giving poverty and low status. Another account says year, month, day, and hour may contain four Office positions and four Killing positions: use what is exposed and discard what is hidden. Preserve Office if openly seen, Killing if openly seen, distinguishing carefully. If both are balanced without difference in weight, use the one generated, assisted, and timely; discard the untimely and unassisted. Unclear removal and retention makes mixture. Jia born in the first ten days of the seventh month has Killing holding command; even Bing Fire cannot remove it. Another account says both removal-and-retention configurations most favor flourishing Body. If Body truly flourishes, Killing can become Office even without something removing it. Jia takes Geng as Killing; Jia seated on Yin Emolument flourishes and itself embraces Fire energy to restrain Killing, needing no further Bing or Ding. Jia born under autumn's command does need Bing and Ding restraint. Without restraint originally, advancement occurs only when fortune reaches restraining ground. Another account says many combinations among branches and stems are also called Craving Combination and Forgetting Office. The Day Ruler's Heavenly Origin and the branches' Human Origins repeatedly combine, openly or hidden, with stems and branches of the birth year, month, and hour, favorably attached and reluctant to part. Though Office Star is among the Combining Spirits, Wealth comes to steal energy and Office to conquer Body, becoming unfavorable. Office cannot succeed and Wealth cannot be fulfilled, hence Craving Combination and Forgetting Office. Generally, something combining a harmful spirit away turns harm auspicious, while something combining an auspicious spirit away turns auspiciousness harmful. Judge which spirit the configuration favors or avoids; do not cling to one rule. The Rhapsody of Profound Meaning says: “On a yang day, Food Spirit secretly combines Office Star; on a yin day, Food Spirit stealthily encroaches upon Seal and Ribbon.” This shows that four pillars without Office or Seal favor Food Spirit, but those with Office or Seal avoid it. Another account speaks of Craving Combination and Forgetting Killing or Office. For the six Gui births, Ji emerging is Killing and Jia further emerging is Ji's Combining Spirit. Jia combines Ji away, so it is no longer Killing: this is Craving Combination and Forgetting Killing. In Gengshen, Jiashen, Jiazi, Yihai, the year's Geng injures Jia, and Yi atop Hai combines Geng to remove Killing. Yet Shen also occupies the monthly command. The two Shen are not cleared, so heavy Killing cannot be entirely combined away, leaving only a clerk's fate. For the six Ren births, Ji emerging is Office, and a further emerging character printed Shen is called Ji's Combining Spirit, combining Ji away so it is no longer Office: this is Craving Combination and Forgetting Office. In Xinchou, Bingshen, Jiaxu, Jisi, Xin emerging for the Jia day is precisely Office Star, but Bing Fire combines it away, so noble advancement is impure. A formula says: “Ren Water meeting yang Earth holds angry thoughts and raises disputes. Suddenly Gui Water comes to assist, combining the fierce offender so its authority is unseen.” This exemplifies Craving Combination and Forgetting Killing. Another says: “Ren meeting Ji Earth seeks Office, but azure yang suddenly raises litigation. It entices and combines true Nobility away, bringing a thousand kinds of frustration.” This exemplifies Craving Combination and Forgetting Office. Translator's note: All four yang/yin Food/Hurting removal examples, combining-in versus combining-away distinction, strength/timeliness conditions, and complete example charts are retained. Shen in the Ren/Ji combining clause is the supplied character, not silently changed to Jia. Azure yang in the last verse and the contrasting treatment of an idle spirit's combination versus the Day Ruler's own combination also remain. No missing stem or rule is invented to reconcile the source.

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