Master Jiang's Date-Selection Discourse on the Use of the Yang Blade
Jia at Mao, Chen for Yi; Wu for Bing and Wu; Wei for Ding and Ji, You for Geng with Chen.
Xu for Xin, Zi for Ren, Chou for Gui — the ten stems' flying arrows are the Yang Rob.
When the Yang Rob meets Rob it harms the wife; without Companion Rob it means imperial commendations to kin.
When the Yang Rob meets Hurting it is loss of office; without Eating God it most glorifies the person.
When the Yang Rob meets Owl beware death in prison; with Owl but no Seal, nobility at court.
When the Yang Rob meets Killing beware beheading and strangling; with Killing but no Officer, enfeoffment as marquis.
When the Yang Rob sits on Prosperity it contends for fame and wealth; gaining nobility, the wife's wrath is roused and blades fly.
When the Yang Rob sits on the Horse it displays martial prowess; what it most fears is meeting the Bow, which strikes and clashes.
Year after year male lives are lost and people die in vain — always because the chosen chart lost its useful spirit.
Jia at You, Chen for Yi; Zi for Bing and Wu; Chou for Ding and Ji, Mao for Geng the cause.
Xin at Chen, Ren at Wu, Gui at Wei — only then is the flying bow and crossbow true.
The Yang Rob is a baleful implement, named the arrowhead. When the flying Bow meets it, it is called the crossbow and bow.
If the four pillars contain many of them, they harm the wife; also with flying Rob they govern the loss of male descendants (ding).
**Sanfu's note:** The spirit discussed here — the Yang Rob — is the same as the Yang Blade. In Master Jiang's discussion, yin and yang alike are at the throne of vigor (Diwang): if Jia is at Mao, then Yi is at Chen; if Bing and Wu are at Wu, then Ding and Ji are at Wei; if Geng is at You, then Xin is at Xu; if Ren is at Zi, then Gui is at Chou. The Bow is: Jia at You while Yi is at Xu; Bing and Wu at Zi; Ding and Ji at Chou; Geng at Mao; Xin at Chen; Ren at Wu; Gui at Wei — that is, the flying blade opposite the Yang Blade's palace. Therefore his discussion holds that the Yang Blade must not meet a clash; if clashed, the bow is drawn and the arrow loosed, governing the loss of male descendants. If the Jia master meets Mao and You, it governs loss of ding. Owl, Seal, Rob, Companion, Hurting, Wealth, Officer, and Killing are all alike in governing misfortune.
Whenever the Yang Rob:
- is Officer to the mountain house, beware punishment by officials;
- is Killing, beware violent men harming the person;
- is Owl, beware quarrels and fighting;
- is Seal, beware elders falling ill;
- is Rob, beware brothers causing distress;
- is Companion, also troubles of right and wrong;
- is Hurting, beware descendants falling ill;
- is Wealth, beware wife and women quarreling.
Whenever in the four pillars the Yang Rob supports the mountain house, beware Rob meeting Companion — then generation after generation overcomes the wife. Without Companion, brothers receive office, with commendations and gifts bestowed.
Whenever the mountain house supports the Yang Rob, meeting Hurting or Eating God, one cannot avoid loss of office; without Eating God, it hastens promotion.
Whenever both host and guest support the Yang Rob, meeting Owl and seeing Seal, a young son sits in prison; without Seal, successive examinations passed and success, a minister of the sage court.
When the Yang Rob meets Killing and sees Officer, there will be beheading and strangling; without Officer, noble rank and enfeoffment as marquis.
If the Yang Rob is in the year, nobility at court; in the month, lasting nobility in the commandery and county; in the day, lasting nobility in the prefecture; in the hour, lasting nobility in the countryside.
The year branch is the road outside; the month branch is the gate tower; the hour branch is inside the house. When the year, month, or hour branches respond there are many effects; when the day branch responds there are few — for the day is what the mountain-side uses, hence few responses.
Those responding only at the gate are many — the gate is where noble guests attend the host and where audiences are ordered.
**Sanfu's note:** In the preceding discussion, the Yang Rob as the mountain house's ten gods is all disadvantageous; later it is also discussed as supporting the mountain house — only when the five elements are not mixed is there something to discuss.