In the Ninth Year of Tiansheng, the Household of Commander Li Was Robbed by Thieves

Judging from the original divination and analysis:

Yuan Zhen judged that there were five thieves. One should be a woman around fifty years of age, formerly a servant girl, with an ailment in one eye, living among graves fifty li northeast of the outskirts. Arresting them according to this found nothing. Later Li again requested a divination. Yuan Zhen said there was no need to divine again — one could only infer from the previous lesson. On a Bingding day, order the constables to exit the east gate and turn north to wait; two women in crimson clothes carrying firewood will come — question them and you will surely get the trail of the thieves. As predicted, on the Dingsi day the constables waited until noon; sure enough, two women in red skirts came carrying firewood. When the constables approached, the women panicked and tried to flee. They were seized and searched; gold and silver hairpins and bracelets were found on them. Upon close questioning, they said the neighboring woman was formerly an old servant girl of Commander Li's household; recently, due to poverty, she and her husband and son — five people in all — went to Li's house to commit theft. The two women were discovered by the two women, and so hairpins and bracelets were distributed to them. The constables then escorted the two women fifty li northeast, behind the tomb of Chancellor Su, where they apprehended the actual thieves with the real loot. The woman indeed had an eye ailment. Discussion: For a whole ten-day period, one only looks where Dark Warrior (Xuanwu) arrives to place responsibility; now Dark Warrior arrives at Chou, so he spoke of northeast. Dark Warrior's yin spirit is You; from Chou to You is five branches — hence five people. The three transmissions govern in reverse, so the thieves could not be far. Zhang Hong of Jiangcun said: Dark Warrior rides You; You's yin meets Si; Si's yin meets Chou; Chou's yin again meets You — they cannot flee far. You and Chou multiply as four and eight — forty-eight — so they cannot exceed fifty li. You metal rests on Chou's tomb — hence hiding at a gravesite. My humble comment: You is a maid; the yin sees Soaring Snake and Si fire — so she is a maid with an eye ailment. You is six, Chou is eight — forty-eight years old; hence "around fifty years of age." The Fire-Ascending fire bureau overcomes Dark Warrior, and Dark Warrior is again overcome by the yin spirit Si fire — so on Bingding days it must be exposed. Si is Double Girls, riding Snake — hence "two women in crimson." Fire has no body of its own and is ignited by wood — hence exposure because of the wood-carriers. My humble comment: Zhang Jiangcun's account says Si rides Snake; Snake's nature is easily startled — hence the two women tried to flee as soon as they saw the constables. Si's yin sees Long (Dragon); Dragon belongs to wood; wood seen as fire is firewood — hence all were carrying firewood. Si-You-Chou form a three-combination and cannot part from each other — hence waiting to the northeast and catching them. Why on the Dingsi day at the noon hour? You's yin meets Si, and the use-spirit Wu both overcome Dark Warrior. This explanation is clear, so it is fully recorded.

 

Re-judgment using Qimen:

Dark Warrior occupies Kan, and the hour meets Liu He — this was not the work of one person, it must be many. Wu represents the number five, and Xin represents guilt and error — so five people committed the wrong. Moreover, Xin is metal as jewelry, and Wu is property and wealth — so one knows that stolen property and jewelry are involved.

The Heavenly Assistant is the eldest daughter; without qi, it is an old woman. Bing within Wu enters the tomb at Qian — hence the eye ailment. Ding is red clothing; Yi and Geng are two people; Ding is the shape of a carrying pole, and Geng is a wood-cutting knife, Yi is wood — so they are people carrying firewood. Also, Xin appears above Geng, and meets the Talisman — valuable jewels and jewelry.

The east face is where the Alarm Gate is valued — so the two women, seeing the constables, wanted to flee. The north face is Dark Warrior's place; going from east to north moves Geng onto Dark Warrior; again the northeast has White Tiger valued, with Geng present — so they can be captured.