Gu Sui Fu

The Gu Sui Fu opens by setting two main axes: Zi Wei (the Tai Ji star) is master of all the stars, and the luck periods are the source that supports the Body and Life. The first is about the chart at rest, the second about luck in motion. The last two lines, 「在天則運用無常，在人則命有格局」, are the key: the stars in the sky are always moving, but once they land on a person they set into a fixed pattern, so reading a life starts with recognising the pattern. That is where the long list of pattern names later in the chapter comes from. What 'Heaven Gate' means is unclear, as the note says; it is enough to grasp the framework of Zi Wei as the guiding thread and the luck periods as its use.

This line sets the order for reading a chart: first the pattern, then the individual stars. The second half raises a famous problem in the history of Dou Shu: people born in the same year, month, day and hour lead different lives. The ancients admitted this themselves and never claimed the chart decides everything. Modern explanations are many: place of birth, family, sex and personal choices all differ. Dou Shu draws its chart only from year, month, day and hour, so at any given hour many people around the world share one chart; what the chart can speak to is tendency and rhythm, while a concrete life still depends on each person's circumstances and choices. This premise should be kept in mind for every verdict in the Quan Shu.

These two examples are down to earth: some people in bad luck make a fortune, some in good luck suffer for years, and so 「禍福不可一途而惟，吉凶不可一例而斷」 (with the first verb read as 'infer', as the collation explains). It is the same spirit as 「不可一概論議」 at the opening of the Tai Wei Fu. The good or bad of a luck period is only one side of things: in the same period one person seizes a chance and another misses it, and even bad luck can go especially well in one area. When reading a chart, do not look only at whether the Decade Luck's Life Palace is good or bad; look separately at how the Wealth, Career, Spouse and other palaces fare in that period.

「五行之宮位」 means the element of a star and the element of its palace have to be read together, which is what the whole of Xing Yuan Lun is about. The second half, 「立命可知貴賤，安身便曉根基」: the Life Palace shows the level of one's inborn pattern, the Body Palace the ground one comes to stand on. On a Xingge chart the Life and Body Palaces may be the same cell or different ones; which palace the Body Palace falls in (one of Life, Spouse, Wealth, Travel, Career or Fortune) often shows which area of life a person puts their strength into.

「第一先看福德」 is a distinctive claim of the Quan Shu: chart reading usually starts with the Life Palace, but here the Fortune Palace comes first. The Fortune Palace shows inner life, enjoyment and one's share of blessings, and the ancients held that whether a person is blessed is more basic than whether he is capable. Next comes the Travel Palace, because it is opposite the Life Palace, and how one fares away from home and the Life Palace are two sides of one coin. 'Substance and function' means the palace itself is the substance and the opposite palace its function; 'the trine' is where the San Fang draws from. Put in modern terms, the Fortune Palace decides whether a person is happy and can enjoy what they achieve, and it is often the palace most overlooked yet most decisive for quality of life.

「命無正曜」 is a Life Palace with none of the fourteen main stars, that is, an empty palace. Saying early death, loneliness and poverty is a heavy verdict; but the volume three chapter Star Combinations: Jie Kong, Shang Shi, and the Life, Body, Wealth and Property Palaces says 「命無正曜二姓延生」, meaning adoption, marrying into the wife's family, or following a remarried mother, a verdict pointing in a different direction. An empty Life Palace is read today by borrowing the main stars of the opposite palace; such a person is more flexible and more shaped by surroundings, and there is no need to read early death literally. The second half, 「吉有凶星，美玉瑕玷」, means a malefic star mixed into a lucky pattern is like a spot on fine jade: the benefit is reduced but not destroyed.

This line names two conditions: a firm root and a pattern whose parts produce one another. The 'root' is one's inborn foundation, usually the birth year's stem and branch and the Five Elements Bureau; 'mutually producing' means the stars and pattern of the Life Palace and the bureau's element feed one another. The first decides whether wealth and rank can last, the second whether wealth and office will show. It is a very abstract line; in actual reading it can be taken this way: a natal chart on solid ground (main stars in Miao or Wang, birth-year transformations not set against the Life Palace) plus good combinations (lucky stars meeting in the San Fang Si Zheng) is a firm root with a mutually producing pattern.

This line sets the Life Palace, Body Palace and luck periods side by side: all three good, glory into old age; all three declining, a beggar for life. The logic is direct, but charts where all three are good or all three bad are rare; most are mixed. So the line's real use is as a checklist: when reading a chart, look separately at the Life Palace, the Body Palace and the current Decade Luck, and see whether each is strong or weak. The Tai Wei Fu's 「命坐強宮，細察制化之理」 (Tai Wei Fu) likewise asks for the layers to be read separately. 'A beggar all one's life' is the old book's hyperbole and should not be pinned on anyone literally.

'Flanked' means one star in each of the two palaces next to the Life Palace. Flanked by nobles is Tian Kui and Tian Yue on either side; flanked by wealth is Lu Cun or Hua Lu; flanked by Quan or Ke is Hua Quan or Hua Ke on either side. The ancients said the first two are 「少人知」 and the second two 「世所宜」, meaning the benefit of nobles and wealth on the flanks is hidden, while that of Quan and Ke is plain to see. The fact on the chart: Tian Kui and Tian Yue can flank only the Chen and Xu palaces (Xu in Bing and Ding years, Chen in Ren and Gui years), a narrow condition; the example in the volume three chapter Star Combinations: Kui Yue, Zuo Fu, You Bi and Lu Cun is precisely a Life Palace in Chen. Compare Xingge's Kui Yue Jia (Kui and Yue flanking).

Flanked by the sun and moon: Tai Yang and Tai Yin in the two palaces either side of the Life Palace. In actual charts the sun and moon can flank only Chou and Wei, where the palace holds Tian Fu or Wu Qu with Tan Lang, so 「誰能遇」: it is a rare pattern. Flanked by Wen Chang and Wen Qu, one on each side, means nobility: Xingge's Chang Qu Jia (Wen Chang and Wen Qu flanking). The logic of flanking is 'being supported': the Life Palace need not be strong itself, but there is light or a literary star on each side, like attendants at one's elbows. In present-day terms: capable people backing you up, or family and teachers providing a good environment.

The last two lines were about lucky flanks; this one is about bad ones: Di Kong and Di Jie flanking mean poverty and lowliness, Qing Yang and Tuo Luo flanking mean a beggar. Note a fact on the chart: Qing Yang and Tuo Luo always flank the cell holding Lu Cun, so 'flanked by Qing Yang and Tuo Luo' exists on every chart, and anyone with Lu Cun in the Life Palace is necessarily flanked by them. Read literally, everyone with Lu Cun in the Life Palace would be a beggar, which is obviously not the intent. The later reading: only when the flanked palace has Hua Ji is it truly bad, the Yang Tuo Jia Ji (Qing Yang and Tuo Luo flanking Hua Ji) pattern. Volume three also says 「夾忌劫空火鈴羊陀凶」 (Star Combinations: Jie Kong, Shang Shi, and the Life, Body, Wealth and Property Palaces), putting Hua Ji first.

The first line contradicts the Tai Wei Fu's 「七殺廉貞同位，路上埋屍」, as explained under 'the Xingge approach' above. One thing to add: the volume three version in Star Combinations: Lian Zhen attaches a condition, 「廉貞七殺居廟旺反為積富之人」, and also says that fallen with Hua Ji it means poverty, lowliness and disability. Read with that condition, the two lines do not clash: in Miao or Wang it is piling up wealth, fallen with Hua Ji it is dying on the road. In Xingge's brightness, Lian Zhen and Qi Sha share a palace in Chou and Wei, where Qi Sha is Miao and Lian Zhen Li. The second line: Tian Liang meeting Tai Yin means drifting away from home. Tian Liang governs aloofness and Tai Yin change; when the two meet, the ancients thought one mostly lives away from one's birthplace.

Lian Zhen 「下賤孤寒」 and Tai Yin 「一生快樂」: both verdicts are absolute and carry no conditions. The Quan Shu has many one-line verdicts like this, and when reading them one has to supply the conditions: Lian Zhen's transformed qi is the prisoner, and only when fallen (in Si or Hai) with malefic stars does it show loneliness and want; in its temple (Yin or Shen) the Quan Shu rates it highly elsewhere, and segment 31 of this very rhapsody says 「廉貞殺不加聲名遠播」 (segment 31). Tai Yin's happiness presupposes its temple; fallen, the Quan Shu speaks elsewhere of much sorrow and wandering. So this line can only be taken as the basic colouring of the two stars.

The first line: Wu Qu and Tan Lang together in the Life or Body Palace, poor first and rich later. Wu Qu and Tan Lang share a palace only in Chou and Wei, Xingge's Tan Wu Tong Xing (Tan Lang and Wu Qu travelling together). The old saying is 「武曲守命福非輕，貪狼不發少年郎」: Wu Qu governs money and Tan Lang desire and social skill; in youth there is plenty of drive but too little built up, and wealth comes after middle age. The second line: rich first and poor later, because a luck period meets 'Jie Sha'. Jie Sha is usually taken as Di Jie, but can also be the spirit Jie Sha among the twelve Jiang Qian spirits. Today the first describes a late bloomer; the second is a reminder to keep a way back in good times, since wealth easily shrinks when a luck period meets Di Jie or waste.

Hua Quan and Hua Lu guarding the Wealth and Career Palaces bring glory from birth. The Wealth and Career Palaces are the Life Palace's San Fang, so Quan and Lu there mean the Life Palace is lit by money and power. The second line: Di Jie and Di Kong in the Wealth and Fortune Palaces mean poverty and lowliness from birth. The Wealth Palace is earning and the Fortune Palace enjoying; with Di Kong and Di Jie in them, money is hard to hold and blessings hard to enjoy. Today the first means good working conditions and income; the second is not necessarily poverty, and more often shows as caring little about material things, spending freely, or an income that swings widely. When reading a chart, open the Wealth and Fortune Palaces and see whether Di Kong or Di Jie is there.

The first line: Wen Qu and Wu Qu (the 'two Qu') in the Life Palace, learning much and able in much. Wen Qu governs talent and eloquence and Wu Qu practical execution, one civil and one martial, so the abilities are broad. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Wen Chang and Wen Qu says 「二曲廟垣逢左右將相之財」, and adds 「文曲宜子午酉，武曲宜四墓」. The second line: Zuo Fu and You Bi in the Life Palace, a broad and generous nature. They are stars of help, so the person who has them in the Life Palace is also someone who helps others, hence generous. Today the two Qu in the Life Palace suit cross-disciplinary, multi-hyphenate work; Zuo Fu and You Bi in the Life Palace bring good relations with people and suit coordination and management.

Tian Fu and Tian Xiang are 「衣祿之神」, and in office they bring smooth success. Tian Fu is the treasury and Tian Xiang the seal; both govern steady resources and position, and the ancients said one would never lack food or clothing. In actual charts Tian Fu and Tian Xiang always meet in fixed relative positions: when Tian Fu is in the Life Palace, Tian Xiang is always in the Career Palace (the basis of Fu Xiang Chao Yuan, Tian Fu and Tian Xiang facing the palace), so the two often appear together. Today they suit stable settings such as public institutions, large companies and the civil service, with smooth promotion but rarely a sudden leap: steady accumulation.

「苗而不秀」 comes from the Analects: talent without achievement. The condition is Hua Ke fallen and meeting malefic spirits: Hua Ke governs reputation and exams, and fallen with malefic stars it means studying hard and still failing, or being capable but unknown. The second line: the 'master of income' lodged in a weak place, rising without wealth. The master of income is usually taken as the star that turns into Hua Lu; income in a weak place means position without money. Both lines describe 'having one without the other'. In modern terms: the first is strong professional skill but poor self-presentation, and one should find a platform where it can be seen; the second is a high post with pay that does not match, common in public service or academia.

「七殺朝斗」: Qi Sha in the Life Palace in Yin, Shen, Zi or Wu, with Zi Wei and Tian Fu facing it from the opposite palace or the San Fang, is Xingge's Qi Sha Chao Dou (the general facing the Dipper). Qi Sha is the general star; with the two rulers Zi Wei and Tian Fu to serve, its drive has a direction. Volume three says 「七殺寅申子午一生爵祿榮昌」. The second line, 「紫府同宮」, occurs only in Yin and Shen: Xingge's Zi Fu Tong Gong (Zi Wei and Tian Fu in the same palace). Two main stars together bring both power and wealth, hence deep blessings all one's life. Interestingly, when Qi Sha is in the Life Palace in Yin or Shen, the opposite palace holds exactly Zi Wei and Tian Fu together, so these two patterns are really two sides of the same chart.

Zi Wei in Wu with no malefic stars, rank reaching the Three Dukes. Zi Wei in Wu is Xingge's Ji Xiang Li Ming (the pole star facing the light). The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Zi Wei says 「紫微居午無刑忌，甲丁己命至公卿」, a finer condition: no Qing Yang or Hua Ji, and a birth year of Jia, Ding or Ji. The second line: Tian Fu in Xu with lucky stars supporting it, a gold seal and purple robes. Tian Fu in Xu shares the palace with Lian Zhen, Tian Fu Miao and Lian Zhen Li. This line contrasts with the Dou Shu Zhun Sheng's remark that Zi Wei 「在南極不能施功」; the Quan Shu's mainstream view of Zi Wei in Wu is this line and volume three.

The first line: Hua Ke, Hua Quan and Hua Lu embracing the Life Palace from the San Fang Si Zheng, fame shining far: the San Qi Jia Hui (three marvels meeting) pattern. The three transformations shining together are a combination the Quan Shu values highly; the Zeng Bu Tai Wei Fu also says 「科權祿拱，定為扳桂之高人」. The second line: Wu Qu in its temple, an awe-inspiring name. Volume three's table puts Wu Qu Miao in Chen, Xu, Chou and Wei, and Xingge's brightness table also has Miao in those four, so they agree. Wu Qu is a general star, and in its temple it has authority. Today the first means fame and gain together with high visibility; the second means strong execution and financial ability, with real power in an organisation.

「科明祿暗」: Hua Ke in the Life Palace (open) and Hua Lu in the palace joined to it by the Six Harmonies (dark), as the note explains. The Six Harmonies pair the Earthly Branches two by two, such as Zi with Chou and Yin with Hai; Dou Shu rarely uses them, and this is one of the few places in the Quan Shu that does, to be read with segment 63's 'open and hidden wealth'. The second line, 「日月同臨」: Tai Yang and Tai Yin in the same palace, which happens only in Chou and Wei: Xingge's Ri Yue Tong Lin (sun and moon arriving together). When the two share a palace one is bright and the other dim, and Xingge judges which one's light is caught by whether the birth is by day or by night, in line with volume three's 「看人之生時。日喜太陽，夜宜太陰」.

The first line: Ju Men and Tian Ji in the same palace, the station of a duke or minister. Ju Men and Tian Ji share a palace only in Mao and You: Xingge's Ju Ji Tong Lin (Ju Men and Tian Ji arriving together). The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Ju Men says 「巨機居卯，乙辛己丙至公卿」, limiting it to Mao and to certain year stems, and says people born in Jia years are ordinary because in Jia years Qing Yang sits in Mao and breaks the pattern; the same chapter says Ju Men and Tian Ji in You do not last even with good transformations. So 'the station of a duke or minister' here mainly means Mao. The second line: Tan Lang and Ling Xing guarding the Life Palace together, the name of a general or minister: Xingge's Ling Tan pattern. Both Huo Tan and Ling Tan are Tan Lang meeting a fiery star and breaking out, and the Quan Shu rates them highly.

Tian Kui and Tian Yue shining on the Life Palace, writing that surpasses the age. Kui and Yue are patron stars, and the ancients also linked them to exams and writing, since passing the imperial exams needed an examiner's favour, and a patron was the one who spotted talent. The second line: Lu Cun and Tian Ma shining on the Life Palace, a high place in the exams. Lu Cun meeting Tian Ma is Lu Ma Jiao Chi (wealth and horse racing together), usually read as gaining through movement; reading it as 「驚人甲第」 is another use. In modern terms: with Kui and Yue on the Life Palace, one easily wins favour in exams, interviews and assessments; with Lu Cun and Tian Ma, studying away from home, further study abroad or working across regions is favourable.

The first line: Zuo Fu and Wen Chang meeting lucky stars, honoured among the Eight Seats. Zuo Fu governs help and Wen Chang documents; with other lucky stars added, one rises step by step in office. The volume three chapter on Wen Chang and Wen Qu also says 「左輔文昌位至三臺」. The second line: Tan Lang and Huo Xing in Miao or Wang, a name that awes all states: the Huo Tan pattern. When Tan Lang meets Huo Xing, its desire is set alight, and there are often sudden breakthroughs and successes. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Tan Lang says 「貪狼遇鈴火四墓宮豪富家資侯伯貴」, limiting it to the four tomb palaces, with Chen and Xu best and Chou and Wei next.

Ju Men and Tai Yang in the same palace, office and honours for three generations. They share a palace only in Yin and Shen: Xingge's Ju Ri Tong Gong (Ju Men and the sun together). The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Ju Men has several lines on the pair: the Life Palace in Yin is best, Shen next. Tai Yang's light can dispel Ju Men's 'darkness', so this is one of Ju Men's best combinations. Tai Yang is Wang in Yin and De in Shen, a difference in brightness that also explains why Yin is better. The second line: Zi Wei and Tian Fu facing the Life Palace, an income of ten thousand zhong, meaning a vast salary.

The first line: Hua Ke and Hua Quan embracing the Life Palace from the opposite palace, like the carp leaping the Dragon Gate, success in the exams. The opposite palace shines straight on the Life Palace with great force, so Ke and Quan there mean the outside world bestows reputation and power. The second line: the sun and moon both bright, assisting the Son of Heaven in Yao's hall. Ri Yue Bing Ming (sun and moon both bright) is Tai Yang and Tai Yin both in bright positions and both shining on the Life Palace; Xingge's test is that both are bright and both are in the Life Palace's San Fang Si Zheng. The sun and moon are a chart's axis of light and dark, and with both bright the ancients thought one best fit to assist a ruler. The modern reading is reason and feeling in balance, suited to senior advisory roles or public affairs.

Tian Fu and Tian Xiang coming together to meet the Life Palace, the whole family drawing an official salary: Fu Xiang Chao Yuan (Tian Fu and Tian Xiang facing the palace). The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Tian Fu adds that with the Life Palace in Yin or Shen and Tian Fu and Tian Xiang in the Wealth and Career Palaces facing it, it is an upper pattern, and other palaces come next. The second line: the 'bright pearl in the trine' usually means Ming Zhu Chu Hai (the bright pearl out of the sea): an empty Life Palace in Wei, with Tai Yang in Mao and Tai Yin in Hai shining from the trine. What marks this pattern is that the Life Palace itself is empty and is lit by the sun and moon in its San Fang; 'stepping steadily into the Toad Palace' means success reached step by step.

The first line: Qi Sha or Po Jun in the Life Palace should go out from home. Both are stars of change and pioneering; they cannot spread their wings at home, and away from it they do better. The version in the volume three chapter Star Combinations: Qi Sha is 「七殺破軍宜出外，諸般手藝不能精」, adding a second half. The second line: Ji Yue Tong Liang is Tian Ji, Tai Yin, Tian Tong and Tian Liang all meeting in the Life Palace's San Fang, which the ancients said suits a clerk. A 'clerk' in old times was a functionary who did the office work, lower in standing than an official. Today it suits public service, specialist staff roles and administration: stable work within a system.

Zi Wei, Tian Fu, Tai Yang and Tai Yin in strong places, the stuff of dukes and marquises. All four are stars of rank, and in Miao or Wang the pattern is high. The second line: Tai Yang and Tai Yin with Hua Ke and Hua Lu in the Chou palace, a lord of a region. The sun and moon share a palace in Chou, where in Xingge's brightness Tai Yang is Bu and Tai Yin Miao, so Tai Yin leads. By the Quan Shu's transformation rhyme, Tai Yin becomes Hua Lu in Ding years and Hua Ke in Geng and Gui years, and Tai Yang becomes Hua Lu in Geng years; in Yi years Tai Yin becomes Hua Ji, the opposite direction. When reading, just check whether the cell in Chou holding the sun and moon has a Hua Lu or Hua Ke mark.

The first line: Tian Liang and Tian Ma in the same palace, and fallen, drifting from place to place. Tian Liang is Xian in Si, Shen and Hai, all three of them palaces where Tian Ma can fall (Tian Ma is only ever in Yin, Shen, Si or Hai), so this combination really does occur on charts. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Tian Liang says 「天梁天馬為人飄蕩風流」 without requiring the fallen position. The second line: Lian Zhen with no malefic stars, a name that spreads far. Set against segment 13's 「廉貞主下賤孤寒」, it shows the Quan Shu's view of Lian Zhen turns on whether malefic stars are present. In modern terms, Tian Liang with Tian Ma is a life of frequent moves and business travel.

「日照雷門」: Tai Yang in the Life Palace in Mao. Mao belongs to the trigram Zhen, Zhen is thunder, and the sun is just rising; Xingge marks it Miao. This is Ri Zhao Lei Men (the sun shining on the Thunder Gate). The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Tai Yang adds the condition of a daytime birth, which is best. 「月朗天門」: Tai Yin in the Life Palace in Hai, which is called the Heaven Gate, the night moon shining clear; Xingge marks it Miao, and this is Yue Lang Tian Men (the moon bright at the Heaven Gate), for which volume three requires a night-time birth. The two patterns, one of the sun and one of the moon, both stress that the time of birth must fit: by day look to Tai Yang, by night to Tai Yin, a view the Quan Shu holds throughout.

The Life Palace in Yin meeting Tian Fu or Tian Xiang, rising to the first rank. Tian Fu in Yin always shares the palace with Zi Wei (Zi Wei and Tian Fu together), and Tian Xiang in Yin always shares it with Wu Qu, so this half-line actually covers two kinds of chart: Zi Wei with Tian Fu in Yin, and Wu Qu with Tian Xiang in Yin. Both are stable, well-resourced combinations. The second line: the Life Palace in a tomb palace meeting Zuo Fu and You Bi, honoured among the Eight Seats. Zuo Fu and You Bi share a palace only in Chou and Wei (they are placed by birth month and move in opposite directions, meeting only in Chou and Wei), so 'a tomb palace meeting Zuo Fu and You Bi' really means Chou or Wei: Xingge's Zuo You Tong Gong (Zuo Fu and You Bi in the same palace).

The first line: Tian Liang in Wu, an office pure and eminent. Tian Liang is Miao in Wu and sits alone, with Tai Yang opposite in Zi; volume three's table puts Tian Liang Miao in Zi and Wu. Tian Liang governs high-mindedness and oversight, and in its best position it suits a pure and important office. The second line: Wen Qu meeting Tian Liang, rank reaching the censorate, the officials charged with oversight. Wen Qu governs eloquence and Tian Liang principle; together they make someone who argues well and upholds fairness. Such a person suits oversight, law, media commentary, quality control and other work that needs principle and expression.

Here the chapter begins using historical figures as examples. Zhou Bo was chancellor in the early Han; 「科祿巡逢」 is Hua Ke and Hua Lu meeting in the San Fang Si Zheng. The verse in the Women's Gu Sui Fu says 「祿權周勃命中逢」, with Quan in place of Ke, a different version. Jia Yi passed the exams young; 「文星暗拱」 is Wen Chang and Wen Qu embracing from a hidden position (the Six Harmonies or the San Fang). The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Wen Chang and Wen Qu reads 「文科拱照賈誼年少登科」, with the note 「論三方」. Citing ancient figures was the old books' way of adding weight, but the real birth times of these people are mostly unknowable, so the examples can only serve as illustrations of the patterns.

Qing Yang and Huo Xing in the Life Palace, authority above the crowd. Both are malefic stars, but their fierce nature, put to the right use, becomes authority. The Quan Shu's views on Qing Yang with Huo Xing swing between extremes; the volume three chapter on Huo Xing and Ling Xing also says 「擎羊火鈴為下格」, with women in Miao or Wang still acceptable. So this half-line should be read as: Qing Yang and Huo Xing in their temples, or with lucky stars to check and transform them, mean authority. The second line: Tan Wu Tong Xing, Wu Qu and Tan Lang in the same palace, awe that holds down the frontier. Segment 14 says it means poor first and rich later, and here that it can guard the frontier; both are patterns of the martial type. Either way, it suits work that needs drive and decisiveness.

Li Guang was a famous general of the Western Han whose victories were many but who was never made a marquis. The condition is 「擎羊逢力士」: Li Shi is one of the twelve Bo Shi spirits. There is a regularity on the chart: Bo Shi starts in Lu Cun's cell and Li Shi is in the next cell; for charts arranged forward, the next cell is exactly Qing Yang's, so Qing Yang and Li Shi always share a palace on forward-arranged charts. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Qing Yang and Tuo Luo lists exactly the cases of people born in Jia, Bing, Geng and Ren years with Qing Yang in Mao, Wu, You and Zi, all four of them Qing Yang's fallen places. Yan Hui died young, with the condition of Wen Chang fallen and meeting Tian Shang; the volume three chapter Star Combinations: Wen Chang and Wen Qu adds that it applies only when the luck reaches Qi Sha with Qing Yang and Tuo Luo stacked.

Zhong You (Zilu) was brave: Lian Zhen in its temple meeting Jiang Jun, which is also one of the twelve Bo Shi spirits. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Lian Zhen lists the Life Palace position year stem by year stem, for instance people born in Jia years in You and Yi years in Hai, a very fine condition. Ziyu was Confucius's disciple Tantai Mieming, ugly but able; the condition is Ju Men 「沖且合」 with Tian Tong and Tian Liang: Ju Men in the opposite palace or the trine, answering Tian Tong and Tian Liang. What this set of historical examples shares is the use of the twelve Bo Shi spirits and other small spirits to supplement the main stars, showing that when the Quan Shu reads a person, the small stars have a part too.

The first line: Yin and Shen like best for Tian Tong and Tian Liang to meet. Tian Tong and Tian Liang share a palace only in Yin and Shen; Tian Tong is Li in Yin and Wang in Shen, Tian Liang Miao in Yin and Xian in Shen, so the brightness of the two palaces is not the same. The second line: Chen and Xu dislike Ju Men fallen. Ju Men is Xian in Chen and Xu, and volume three's table also says 「陷辰戌」. But segment 67 adds at once that for people born in Xin years Ju Men becomes Hua Lu and their income soars instead. So these lines go together: Ju Men in Chen or Xu is bad in itself and turns good with the Xin-year Hua Lu. This is a classic case of the Quan Shu's 'fallen, but a good transformation turns it around'; the volume three chapter on Ju Men has the phrase 「反為奇」 for it.

When Lu Cun and Tian Ma have 'fallen', worst of all is the Annual Luck's Tai Sui also meeting Di Jie and Di Kong. Lu and Ma fallen usually means falling into a void or being clashed and broken, the same kind of case as the Tai Wei Fu's 「祿逢沖破，吉處藏凶」 (Tai Wei Fu). The Nature of Lu Cun in volume two also says 「最怕劫空相遇同，更兼太歲惡星沖，限倒其年入墓中」, in a heavier tone. The second line: when fortune and the luck periods decline, Zi Wei is welcome to resolve them. Zi Wei is the emperor star, and the Zi Wei chapter says it 'brings blessings and dispels disaster'. When reading a chart, in the unfavourable years check whether Zi Wei is in the San Fang Si Zheng; if so, the difficulties are easier to resolve.

This line runs against intuition: the lonely and poor often live long, the rich and noble die young. The original does not say which combination it refers to. In the volume three chapter Star Combinations: Ju Men, below 「巨機酉上化吉者縱有財官也不終」, the note reads 「如值孤貧多有壽，巨富即夭亡」, so this line was originally about the special case of Ju Men and Tian Ji in You: with that combination wealth and rank do not last, while loneliness and poverty bring long life. The Gu Sui Fu sets it apart as a line of its own, so it looks like a universal rule. When reading, restore its context; do not take it as a rule for everyone.

Diao Ke and Sang Men are both among the twelve annual spirits and move with the year; when they come upon a luck period they mean mourning and weeping, and Lüzhu's fall from the tower is the example. Guan Fu and Tai Sui coming upon a luck period mean lawsuits, and Gongye Chang's imprisonment though innocent is the example. These spirits do not weigh much, but the Quan Shu likes to use them to explain events in the Annual Luck. Note that the volume three chapter Star Combinations: Jie Kong, Shang Shi, and the Life, Body, Wealth and Property Palaces attributes Lüzhu's death to 'Di Kong and Di Jie in the luck period', not Diao Ke and Sang Men as here: one historical figure, two explanations. When reading a chart, such small spirits are supporting evidence; the main stars and the four transformations are the main judgment.

'Heaven's Net and Earth's Snare' are the Chen and Xu palaces. In Dou Shu these two are seen as places of entrapment, and when a luck period reaches them things easily get stuck; Qu Yuan's drowning is the example. The second line: a luck period meeting Di Jie and Di Kong, Ruan Ji's poverty. Ruan Ji, one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, lived without restraint and refused to take office. Using him as the example also reveals another side of Di Kong and Di Jie: not a lack of ability, but an unwillingness to engage with the world. The Nature of Qing Yang in volume two also says 「天羅地網遇擎羊」 (The Nature of Qing Yang), with the condition of Qing Yang in Chen or Xu. A Chen or Xu luck period calls for patience, and a period with Di Kong and Di Jie for lower material expectations.

The first line: Wen Chang and Wen Qu meeting Lian Zhen, one dies before one's natural span. Lian Zhen's transformed qi is the prisoner and Wen Chang and Wen Qu are literary stars; when the three meet, the ancients saw a scholar suffering punishment. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Wen Chang and Wen Qu has 「昌曲廉貞於巳亥遭刑不善且虛誇」, limiting it to Si and Hai (Lian Zhen's fallen places), and says that in the Zi and Shen palaces it is instead noble, lucky and fine. The second line: an empty Life Palace, empty luck periods and no lucky stars, honours stumbling. 'Empty' may mean an empty palace or a void. Today the first calls for care with the legal risks of documents and contracts; the second means a slow career, best spent building strength and waiting for the moment.

Di Kong in the Life Palace, like breaking one's wings in mid-air; Di Jie in the Life Palace, like sailing among waves. Both images are vivid: Di Kong is wanting to fly and falling short, a plan cut off halfway; Di Jie is pressing forward through wind and waves with losses everywhere. The Quan Shu's view of Di Kong and Di Jie is mostly negative, and the Xing Xing Fu also says 「星論廟旺最怕空亡」. Modern readings usually see another side: people with Di Kong or Di Jie in the Life Palace think unconventionally and take the road less travelled, suited to creative, religious or philosophical fields. When reading, see which main star shares the palace with Di Kong or Di Jie; if the main star is strong, the effect is small.

These two examples follow the last line: Xiang Yu lost his kingdom when his luck reached Di Kong, and Shi Chong ruined his house when his luck reached Di Jie. Both first achieved great things and later lost everything through a luck period, so the point of the line is the luck period: however strong the natal chart, a luck period meeting Di Kong and Di Jie can bring great defeat. The Nature of Ling Xing in volume two also says 「劫空二限最乖張」 (The Nature of Ling Xing), grouping Confucius's hunger, Xiang Yu's lost kingdom and Lüzhu's fall together. In practice, meeting a Di Kong or Di Jie period at a career peak calls for caution, not expansion or staking everything on one throw.

Empress Lü seized power: 「兩重天祿天馬」, a double wealth star in the Life Palace (Lu Cun and Hua Lu together, the double Lu) plus Tian Ma. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Kui Yue, Zuo Fu, You Bi and Lu Cun reads 「雙祿守命呂后專權」, without Tian Ma. Consort Yang was given to lust: Wen Chang and Wen Qu in the trine. Wen Chang and Wen Qu are stars of letters and the arts and also carry a peach-blossom quality, which in a woman's chart the ancients often read as romantic license. Both examples are women, judged by the values of the time: a woman holding power was seen as 'seizing power', and beauty with deep feeling as 'lust'. In practice, the double Lu is concentrated resources, and Wen Chang with Wen Qu is talent and charm.

Tian Liang meeting Tian Ma, a woman's chart base and lewd. This is a very heavy verdict on women, and the volume three Tian Liang chapter's version, 「天梁天馬為人飄蕩風流」, makes no distinction between men and women. On volume three's reading the combination is a wandering life and unsettled affections; that women get the heavier verdict reflects the old prejudice against women who moved about. The second line: Wen Chang and Wen Qu flanking the Life Palace ('flanking the steps'), a man noble and eminent: Xingge's Chang Qu Jia. The Quan Shu often judges the same combination differently for men and women; it is enough to know that background when reading.

The first line: Zi Wei in Mao or You, mostly a monk who has left the world. Zi Wei in Mao or You always shares the palace with Tan Lang; the emperor star meets a peach-blossom star in two rather unsettled positions, and the ancients thought this easily turns one away from the world. The volume three Zi Wei chapter adds the condition 「劫空四殺」, and the Women's Gu Sui Fu also says 「極居卯酉遇劫空，十人之命九人僧」, so Di Kong and Di Jie are needed before it applies. The second line: Lian Zhen in Mao or You, a petty clerk. Lian Zhen in Mao or You always shares the palace with Po Jun; Lian Zhen is Ping and Po Jun Xian, a weak condition, hence a clerk who does the office work.

Zuo Fu and Tian Fu in the same palace, honoured as high as the lord of ten thousand chariots. Tian Fu is the master star of the Southern Dipper, and with Zuo Fu helping it is like a great minister beside the throne. The second line, 「廉貞七殺流蕩天涯」, is the opposite of segment 12's 'a person who piles up wealth', as explained under 'the Xingge approach' above. 'Drifting' here points the same way as the Tai Wei Fu's 'dying on the road', both about instability away from home, while for segment 12 volume three adds that one piles up wealth only 「居廟旺」. So the three places can be read together: Lian Zhen and Qi Sha together in Miao or Wang with lucky stars pile up wealth; otherwise they drift; fallen with Hua Ji they are dire.

Deng Tong was a favourite of Emperor Wen of Han who once owned a copper mountain for minting coins and in the end starved to death; the condition is the luck reaching the place of Da Hao. Confucius ran out of food between Chen and Cai; the condition is the luck reaching Tian Shang. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Jie Kong, Shang Shi, and the Life, Body, Wealth and Property Palaces reads 「天傷加惡曜仲尼絕糧鄧通亡」, putting both men under Tian Shang, while What Do Tian Shang and Tian Shi Govern? says 「限至大耗號天傷，夫子在陳也絕糧」, treating Da Hao and Tian Shang as one. Tian Shang is always in the Friends Palace, so 'the luck coming into Tian Shang' means a luck period reaching the Friends Palace. The Quan Shu is not consistent in what it blames for the same examples.

The first line: Ling Xing, Wen Chang, Tuo Luo and Wu Qu; when the luck period reaches them, one throws oneself into a river. The volume three chapter on Wen Chang and Wen Qu says 「昌曲己辛壬生人限逢辰戌慮投河」, and the Wu Qu chapter says 「破軍貪狼會於坎宮，必主投河溺水」. The second line: Ju Men, Huo Xing and Qing Yang together in the Life Palace, death by hanging in the end. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Ju Men has 「巨火擎羊陀逢惡曜防縊死投河」, adding the condition of meeting evil stars, and its tone shifts from 'in the end one dies by hanging' to 'guard against'. Verdicts naming a manner of death are best read today as reminders to look after emotional health and to be careful near water.

Meeting a void in the Life Palace, if not wandering then illness, of a kind with segment 45. The second line: 'the sword at the horse's head', if not early death then wounds and punishment. This is the exact opposite of the Tai Wei Fu's 「馬頭帶劍，鎮衛邊疆」 (Tai Wei Fu). The volume three chapter on Qing Yang and Tuo Luo reconciles the two: 「擎羊子午卯酉非夭折而刑傷」, and also 「馬頭帶劍，吉多勿論」. So the key is how many lucky stars there are: with many, one guards the frontier; with few lucky stars and many malefic ones, early death or wounds. Xingge's Ma Tou Dai Jian pattern follows volume three's definition.

The first line: Po Jun in Zi or Wu, promotion and more income: Xingge's Ying Xing Ru Miao (the hero star in its temple). Po Jun is Miao in Zi and Wu and sits alone, with Lian Zhen and Tian Xiang opposite; volume three's table for Po Jun also has Miao in Zi and Wu. The second line: Wen Chang and Tan Lang together in the Life Palace, bones ground to powder and body torn apart. This is one of the Quan Shu's heaviest verdicts. The Tan Lang chapter says that Tan Lang 「昌曲同度，必多虛而少實」, far milder than this. One possible reading: Tan Lang's desire plus Wen Chang's talent easily lead down a speculative or risky path, and with malefic stars added it turns dire. The practical lesson is to take care in traffic and high-risk activities, and avoid excess in everything.

「朝斗仰斗」: Qi Sha in the Life Palace with Zi Wei and Tian Fu facing it. Xingge's Qi Sha Chao Dou calls Yin and Shen 'facing the Dipper' and Zi and Wu 'looking up to the Dipper' (with Wu Qu and Tian Fu opposite). 「文桂文華」 is usually taken as Wen Chang and Wen Qu in the Life Palace in Chou or Wei. The volume three chapter on Wen Chang and Wen Qu says 「昌曲臨於丑未時逢卯酉近天顏」, with Jia Yi and Bu Shang as examples. This line gathers two patterns, one martial and one civil: Qi Sha facing the Dipper is a military post, Wen Gui and Wen Hua a civil one, both upper patterns on the old road of office.

「丹墀桂墀」 is usually taken as Tai Yang and Tai Yin in Miao or Wang shining on the Life Palace, the vermilion steps being the sun and the osmanthus steps the moon (there is an osmanthus tree in the moon). These pattern names are seldom explained elsewhere in the Quan Shu, and opinions differ. The second line, 「合祿拱祿」: Lu Cun or Hua Lu shining on the Life Palace from the trine or the opposite palace. With wealth in the San Fang, the Life Palace is surrounded by money and income. The first is early opportunity, success while young; the second is resources that mostly come from outside, suited to growth through partnerships and platforms. When reading, count how many wealth stars are in the Life Palace's San Fang Si Zheng.

Tai Yang and Tai Yin meeting Wen Chang and Wen Qu, glory from birth. The sun and moon are stars of rank and Wen Chang and Wen Qu literary stars; their meeting makes a literary name shine. It belongs with the Tai Wei Fu's 「太陽會文昌於官祿」 and 「太陰會文曲於妻宮」, relaxed here to any meeting at all. The second line: Zuo Fu and You Bi in the Wealth or Career Palace, scarlet and purple robes. Zuo Fu and You Bi in those two palaces mean help in career and finances. For a reader now, the first is the advantage of education and cultural background; the second, reliable colleagues or subordinates at work.

「巨梁相會廉貞並」: Ju Men, Tian Liang and Lian Zhen meeting, called 'the paired mandarin ducks of joined wealth'. The condition is unclear: Ju Men and Tian Liang never share a palace, so how the three are 'alongside' each other is disputed, and as the note says the pattern name itself is unclear too. One reading is Ju Men and Tian Liang meeting in the San Fang Si Zheng with Lian Zhen as Hua Lu; another is Lu Cun and Hua Lu joined as a pair. With lines whose conditions are unclear like this, take them as the principle that 'wealth in pairs brings glory', and do not force a position on the chart.

The first line: Wu Qu in an idle palace, much craft skill. An idle palace is one neither Miao nor Xian; in Xingge's brightness Wu Qu is De in Yin and Shen, Li in Mao and You, and Ping in Si and Hai. With Wu Qu not in its strongest position, the wealth star's ability turns into craft, and one lives by one's hands. The second line: Tan Lang in a fallen place, a butcher. Tan Lang is Xian in Si and Hai, and the volume three chapter Star Combinations: Tan Lang says 「貪狠巳亥加殺不為屠戶亦遭刑」, adding the condition of malefic stars. Butchery was considered a low trade in old times; the modern reading is work that is hands-on and technical, such as surgery, cooking or crafts.

Lu Cun facing the Life Palace, personal glory and rank. Lu Cun shining on the Life Palace from its San Fang Si Zheng is a wealth star facing the palace. The second line: Tian Kui in the Life Palace, rank among the Three Terraces. Tian Kui is the yang patron, and in the Life Palace it means promotion by elders and superiors. Both lines are fairly simple, and can be compared with the Tai Wei Fu's 「魁鉞同行，位居臺輔」 (Tai Wei Fu): there both Kui and Yue are needed, here Tian Kui alone. A present-day reading: people with Tian Kui in the Life Palace easily win the appreciation of seniors, and do well in settings with lineage and mentorship.

Wu Qu in the Life Palace in Xu or Hai (the Qian position) fears most of all Tai Yin meeting Tan Lang. Some facts on the chart can be added: Wu Qu in Xu sits alone, and the opposite palace, Chen, always holds Tan Lang; Wu Qu in Hai shares the palace with Po Jun. So with Wu Qu in Xu, 'meeting Tan Lang' holds on every chart. Tai Yin, meanwhile, is always fallen in Mao, outside Wu Qu's San Fang Si Zheng, so it cannot meet Wu Qu on a natal chart; 'Tai Yin meeting Tan Lang' more likely refers to luck periods reaching the palaces of Tai Yin and Tan Lang, when the wealth star is pulled about by a soft star and a star of desire, and money is unstable. Volume three's table for Wu Qu has Miao in Chen and Xu and Ping in Si and Hai.

Hua Lu is good, but it should not hide in a tomb palace (Chen, Xu, Chou or Wei). A tomb is a place of storing away and closing up, and income in a tomb means having money that cannot be used or put to work. This is one of the Quan Shu's rare warnings about Hua Lu. The chapter Stars in Fallen Positions: Poverty and Low Station also says 「貪狼化祿居四墓，縱然遇吉亦中平」 (Stars in Fallen Positions: Poverty and Low Station). For people with Hua Lu in a tomb palace, resources are often stored and still, such as property and savings, and they would do well to learn to let them circulate.

The first line: Ju Men in Zi or Wu is Shi Zhong Yin Yu (jade hidden in stone). Ju Men in Zi or Wu sits alone, is Wang, and has Tian Ji opposite. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Ju Men adds the conditions: Ke, Quan and Lu are needed, people born in Xin or Gui years are the upper pattern and those born in Ding or Ji years the next. Jade hidden in stone needs polishing before it shows, so people with this pattern are mostly late bloomers who build quietly. The second line: open and hidden wealth, flowers added to brocade. Wealth in the Life Palace itself is open, wealth in the palace joined by the Six Harmonies is hidden, the same terms as segment 22's 'Ke in the open, Lu in the dark'.

Zi Wei in Chen or Xu meeting Po Jun: rich but not noble, an empty name. The fact on the chart: Zi Wei in Chen or Xu always shares the palace with Tian Xiang, and the opposite palace, Xu or Chen, always holds Po Jun, so 'meeting Po Jun' holds on every chart with Zi Wei and Tian Xiang in Chen or Xu. The ancients thought that with the emperor star clashed by a draining star, there is wealth but no real power, and the name is bigger than the substance. The volume one rhyme on stars in fallen positions breaking patterns also counts 「戍上紫破若相逢」 as bad. People with Zi Wei and Tian Xiang in the Life Palace in Chen or Xu earn well, but their position and prestige are often for show, and they would do well to build real expertise. The Dou Shu Fa Wei Lun also has 「奸謀頻設，紫微愧遇破軍」 (Dou Shu Fa Wei Lun).

Wen Chang, Wen Qu and Po Jun in the same palace, meeting harm, much toil. Po Jun's transformed qi is waste and Wen Chang and Wen Qu are literary stars; a literary star meeting a draining star means a scholar's talent dissipated. The second line: Tan Lang and Wu Qu in a tomb palace, blessings only at thirty. Tan Lang and Wu Qu share a palace only in Chou and Wei; but the volume three chapter Star Combinations: Tan Lang says 「三十年後發財」, with the note 「坐命武曲守照。辰戌宮佳，丑未宮次之」. 'Guard' means the same palace and 'shine' the opposite one, so Tan Lang in the Life Palace in Chen or Xu with Wu Qu shining from opposite also counts as 'in a tomb palace', and is rated even higher than Chou and Wei. This agrees with segment 14's 'poor first and rich later'.

Tian Tong in Xu is 'turned away'; for people born in Ding years Tian Tong becomes Hua Quan, and great nobility follows instead. Tian Tong in Xu is Ping in Xingge's brightness and sits alone, with a fallen Ju Men opposite in Chen. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Tian Tong reads 「天同戌宮為反背，丁人命遇反為佳」. This is a common Quan Shu case of a fallen position turned good by a good transformation: the star is not strong in itself, but meeting the birth-year Hua Quan, it can come into its own. When reading, check the Tian Tong cell in Xu for a Quan mark.

Ju Men in Chen or Xu is a fallen place; for people born in Xin years Ju Men becomes Hua Lu, and income soars. Same logic as the last line. Note the version in the volume three chapter Star Combinations: Ju Men: 「巨門辰宮化忌辛人命遇反為奇」, which says 'Hua Ji' and mentions only Chen. By the Quan Shu's transformation rhyme, in Xin years Ju Men becomes Hua Lu and Wen Chang Hua Ji, so volume three's 'Hua Ji' does not fit the rhyme; it may be a copying error, or it may mean something else. Xingge follows the transformation rhyme, so in Xin years Ju Men carries the Hua Lu mark.

The condition in this line is faulty; as the note says, Tian Ji and Tian Liang never share a palace in You. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Ju Men has an almost identical line, 「巨機酉上化吉者縱有財官也不終」, whose subjects are Ju Men and Tian Ji. Ju Men and Tian Ji share a palace exactly in Mao and You, so there the condition fully holds, and this chapter's 'Tian Ji and Tian Liang' is very likely a corruption of 'Ju Men and Tian Ji'. Read by volume three, the line says: Ju Men and Tian Ji in You, even with good transformations, do not keep wealth and office for long; the same chapter says Ju Men and Tian Ji in Mao 「至公卿」, so the verdicts on Mao and You differ greatly.

The sun and moon most fear being turned away and losing their light, and the Life and Body Palaces must be examined precisely. This repeats the Tai Wei Fu's 「日月最嫌反背」 (Tai Wei Fu), but the second half warns 「恐差分數」: look closely at the degree. Turned-away charts differ among themselves: both the sun and moon fallen, or one fallen and one Ping; born by day or by night; with or without Hua Lu or Hua Quan. The volume three chapter Star Combinations: Tai Yin (with Sun and Moon) says 「若出外離宗成家也吉。勿概以反背論」. Xingge's Ri Yue Fan Bei (sun and moon turned away) pattern is judged only when both are fallen and both shine on the Life Palace.

Hidden virtue lengthens life and adds blessings, and even in a fallen place one comes to no harm. This is a very important line in the Quan Shu, showing that the ancients did not think the chart decides everything: doing good can change one's fate. The Quan Shu has a whole chapter on it, Hidden Virtue Lengthens Life, with stories such as those of Dou Yujun and Song Jiao changing their fates through virtue. Put in modern terms: the chart shows tendencies, and personal choices and actions still shape the outcome; rather than worrying about fallen stars, put the effort into what can be changed. It also echoes the Luo Xu, where accepting one's lot is not passive resignation.

A solid Life Palace and firm fortune are a dry field getting rain; a declining Life Palace and weak luck are tender grass meeting frost. The images are easy to grasp: a good natal foundation meeting good luck is rain after long drought, and things take off at once; a weak foundation meeting bad luck is a seedling in frost, easily hurt. It means the same as segment 8's 'a good Life Palace, a good Body Palace and good luck periods', in more vivid images. So people whose natal chart is weak should be especially cautious and protect themselves in bad periods; those whose chart is strong should seize good periods boldly.

From here the chapter turns to the natures of the stars. Ju Men, Po Jun and Qing Yang in the Life Palace make a hard nature. Ju Men governs argument, Po Jun destruction and pioneering, Qing Yang collision and wounds; all three are hard stars. The Xing Xing Fu also describes Po Jun as 「情懷似火鋒沖」 and Qing Yang as 「形醜貌粗」. 「論命必推星善惡」 is the theme of these segments: stars have good and evil natures, and in reading a chart one first grasps the basic character of the main star in the Life Palace. People with these three in the Life Palace have their own views and hate to lose, suited to work that needs persistence and debate.

Tian Fu, Tian Xiang, Tian Tong and Tian Liang in the Life Palace make a good nature; Huo Xing, Di Jie, Di Kong and Tan Lang make an inconstant one. The first four are steady, mild stars; the last four are hasty, empty or strong in desire. Putting Tan Lang with Huo Xing, Di Kong and Di Jie is an interesting classification: Tan Lang's changeability is seen as of a kind with Huo Xing's haste and Di Kong and Di Jie's emptiness. The Xing Xing Fu's 「易善易惡」 for Tan Lang (Xing Xing Fu) is the same view. Those with the last four in the Life Palace have broad interests and change quickly, and do well to cultivate steadiness.

Wen Chang, Wen Qu, Lu Cun and Tian Ji in the Life Palace make one handsome and clever; Tai Yin, Tai Yang, Zuo Fu and You Bi make one most kind. The first four govern intelligence and finesse, the last four gentleness and care for others. Putting the sun and moon with Zuo Fu and You Bi is interesting: the sun and moon are a chart's light and Zuo Fu and You Bi are help, all stars of giving. Together with segments 72 and 73 this forms a concise table of star natures: hard, good, inconstant, clever, kind. When reading a chart, this table gives a quick hold on the basic character of the main star in the Life Palace.

Wu Qu, Po Jun, Lian Zhen and Tan Lang, 「沖合曲全」, mean nobility. These four are all stars of action; when they clash and join in the San Fang Si Zheng and the pattern is complete, great things can be done. The Zeng Bu Tai Wei Fu also says 「如武破廉貪固深謀而貴顯」 (Zeng Bu Tai Wei Fu). The second line: Qing Yang, Tuo Luo and Qi Sha mixed together and seeing one another bring wounds. Too many hard stars with nothing to temper them lead to trouble. Strong drive is an asset, but it needs lucky stars or gentle stars to balance it.

This line classifies stars: Tan Lang, Lian Zhen and Po Jun are 'evil', Qi Sha, Qing Yang and Tuo Luo 'dire'. 'Evil' mostly points to faults of character (desire, imprisonment, waste), 'dire' to harmful events (severity, wounds, drag). Note this is only their basic nature; elsewhere the Quan Shu rates these stars well in their temples, for instance Tan Lang in its temple 'not dire' and Po Jun in Zi or Wu 'promotion and more income'. The line should be read as: these stars need conditions to turn good, and when conditions are lacking their evil and dire side shows.

Huo Xing and Ling Xing do nothing but cause trouble, and Di Jie, Di Kong, Tian Shang and Tian Shi bring trouble upon trouble. Here Tian Shang and Tian Shi are counted among the dire stars too. Tian Shang is in the Friends Palace and Tian Shi in the Health Palace, fixed positions, so they act mainly in luck periods: they are triggered only when the Decade or Annual Luck reaches the Friends or Health Palace. The original note in the Dou Shu Fa Wei Lun also says 「劫空傷使在內合斷」. These stars mostly stand for sudden events and accidental losses, and when a luck period meets them it pays to be cautious and better prepared.

Ju Men and Hua Ji are both unlucky, and the luck periods and the Body and Life Palaces should not meet them. Ju Men's transformed qi is darkness and Hua Ji governs obstruction; the two are alike in nature, both bringing disputes and setbacks. Read this with the Tai Wei Fu's 「忌暗同居身命疾厄」 (Tai Wei Fu). Note, though, that the Quan Shu also says Ju Men is good in its temple or with Hua Lu (for instance segment 67's Xin-year Hua Lu). In everyday terms, the palace of Ju Men or Hua Ji is the area where a person is prone to misunderstanding and poor communication, and it pays to take care to be clear. Ju Men Hua Ji is the theme for people born in Ding years (in Gui years Ju Men becomes Hua Quan).

Continuing the last line: if Tai Sui and Guan Fu arrive too, lawsuits and quarrels cannot be avoided. This is an Annual Luck idea: when the Annual Luck's Tai Sui reaches a palace that holds Ju Men or Hua Ji in the natal chart, and Guan Fu arrives with it, there are legal troubles. Guan Fu is one of the twelve annual spirits and can be seen on Xingge's luck-period chart. The line is of a kind with the Tai Wei Fu's 「官符加刑殺於遷移，離鄉遭配」 (Tai Wei Fu). In such years it is wise to avoid contract disputes, speak with care, and seek legal advice when needed.

If Diao Ke and Sang Men are met as well, disaster and illness attack together. Both are among the twelve annual spirits and govern mourning and grief, of a kind with segment 42. These segments (78 to 80) form a sequence for judging an Annual Luck: first see whether the natal chart has Ju Men or Hua Ji, then the Annual Luck's Tai Sui and Guan Fu, then Diao Ke and Sang Men. The Dou Shu Fa Wei Lun also says 「天哭喪門流年莫遇」 (Dou Shu Fa Wei Lun). Such years are often tied to the health of older relatives at home or to low spirits; spend more time with family and look after your body.

Qi Sha guarding the Body Palace, early death in the end; Tan Lang in the Life Palace, sure to be a harlot. These are among the Quan Shu's heaviest verdicts, and they carry no conditions. Note that What Does Tan Lang Govern? quotes the same couplet as 「七殺守身終是夭，貪狼入廟必為娼」, with 'in its temple' instead of 'in the Life Palace'. It then says the lewd elopements happen only when it shares a palace with Po Jun in a place of birth and strength, and that 「喜見空亡，返主端正」. By that context the line originally had conditions. As for practice now: people with Qi Sha in the Body Palace should look after health and safety, and people with Tan Lang in the Life Palace have strong charm and rich feelings; neither can be judged literally.

A good heart means long life even with a slight chart; a venomous heart means early death even with a firm one. This says the same as segment 70's 'hidden virtue lengthens life', showing once more that the Quan Shu believes the heart can change one's fate. This is one of the Quan Shu's most valuable sides: it is not pure fatalism, but grants that beyond the chart there is the variable of the heart. Put in modern terms: the chart is a map, and which road to take is one's own choice; a person with a good outlook can live a steady, long life even on ordinary terms.

Today one's chart holds a thousand in gold and rank; when the good luck passes, how can it last? This line is about the impermanence of luck: however good the natal chart, the luck periods always rise and fall. It echoes segment 3's 「或在旺鄉，遭連年之困苦」. The modern reading is very practical: in good times save and build strength, and do not assume good luck will last forever; in bad times there is no need to despair, because luck turns. Looking at the sequence of your own Decade Lucks shows which stretches run with you and which against, so you can plan ahead.

The close says that Dou Shu holds many principles, and students must study them carefully. The Gu Sui Fu is the chapter with the densest pattern names in the Quan Shu, and also the one with the most contradictions: Lian Zhen and Qi Sha piling up wealth versus drifting, the good or bad of the sword at the horse's head, the conditions of Tian Ji and Tian Liang in You, all need volume three's notes to make sense. The best way to read this chapter is to take each line back to its original note in volume three's Star Combinations chapters and see whether a condition has been left out. The lesson on the Gu Sui Fu also gathers the patterns from this chapter that are used most.