Taiyi Golden Mirror Cosmic Board Classic: Volume 10 — Miscellaneous Applications

IMPERIAL TOURS: The ancient method states: To know whether the emperor will conduct an inspection tour, observe whether Taiyi and the Celestial Eye are at one of the four inter-cardinal positions in a given year — this indicates a royal tour. If the emperor does not travel personally, he dispatches envoys to inspect local customs. To determine the direction of travel: the Host Eye's starting position determines it. If the Celestial Eye is at Yin Virtue — travel east. At Harmonious Virtue — travel south. At Grand Brilliance — travel west. At Grand Martial — travel north. PROVINCIAL TALENT RECOMMENDATIONS: The classic states: To know whether provinces will recommend worthy, upright, and accomplished scholars — the yearly reckoning must contain heaven, earth, and people (all three complete); then the provinces will certainly make recommendations. Wang Ximing adds: 'In my newly established method, even when heaven, earth, and people are all present, it must also be a year of the hai-mao-wei three-harmony combination for recommendations to occur.' SELECTING AUSPICIOUS DAYS: The ancient method states: There are two methods for selecting days. If Grand Yin is below the Nine Earths — favorable for the guest. If Grand Yang is above the Nine Heavens — favorable for the host. However, this does not accord with the original meaning of the Taiyi canon. Your ministers have now deleted it and do not adopt it. Instead, use the daily Taiyi reckoning to examine which epoch, cycle, palace, and sector Taiyi occupies. If there is no ambush, press, block, or strike above or below — that day is suitable for dispatching troops, military campaigns, construction, and all affairs. Otherwise, all are unfavorable. SELECTING AUSPICIOUS HOURS: Wang Ximing states: 'The new method has a system for selecting hours, with separate reckoning numbers assigned to the sovereign, feudal kings, chief ministers, empresses, generals, ministers, officials, and commoners. Your ministers have reviewed this and consider it rigid pedantry — not the highest discourse of broadly learned scholars. We have deleted it entirely and do not record it. For selecting hours, simply use the hourly Taiyi reckoning: when gates are complete, generals deployed, yin-yang harmonized, and host-guest free from ambush or pressing — that is the auspicious hour. Using this for military campaigns, construction, and all affairs is beneficial.'

ANNUAL DISASTER TIMING: The classic states: Apply the yearly harmony-spirit across the monthly establishments. If the Celestial Eye ambushes or opposes Taiyi in a given month, that month will have disaster and upheaval. PROVINCIAL CATASTROPHE ENCOUNTERS: The ancient method states: To know when a province will suffer catastrophe — place Minister Shen over the province's domain-name. Where Grand Yang falls, that province faces military conscription and corvee labor as catastrophe; where Yin Controller falls, that province faces plague as catastrophe. Li Chunfeng said: 'First place Minister Shen over the province's Heavenly Stem, then over its Earthly Branch, and combine both results.' For example, Jing-zhou belongs to ding-wei. Place Minister Shen over ding: Grand Yang reaches xin, Yin Controller reaches yi. Then place Minister Shen over wei: Grand Yang reaches you, Yin Controller reaches mao. Therefore: in xin-mao and xin-you years, there will be military-conscription catastrophe. In yi-you and yi-mao years, there will be plague catastrophe. FLYING FOUR KILLERS: The ancient method states: If attacking a province and its domain-name coincides with the Flying Four Killers, there will be a city-massacre omen. Place Yin Controller over the province's Earth Controller position — this gives the Disaster Killer. Place the province's harmony-spirit over its Disaster Killer position — this gives the Celestial Bandit Killer. The Monthly Killer: first month of each season = you; middle month = si; last month = chou. Below the Yin Killer is the Celestial Officer Killer. NINE-PROVINCE DOMAIN NAMES: Ji-zhou: ding-chou. Jing-zhou: ding-wei. Qing-zhou: gui-chou. Xu-zhou: jia-chen. Yu-zhou: yi-si. Yong-zhou: jia-shen. Liang-zhou: wu-xu. Yan-zhou: yi-wei. Yang-zhou: gui-you. Yi-zhou: xin-chou. You-zhou: gui-mao. Jiao-zhou: ren-shen.

VERIFYING REPORTS: The ancient method states: When hearing a report, use the hourly reckoning to divine it. If the Celestial Eye ambushes or presses Taiyi: hearing bad news — it is true; hearing good news — it is false. If gates are complete and generals deployed: hearing auspicious news — it is indeed auspicious; hearing inauspicious news — it is indeed inauspicious. If all four walls are firmly blocked: hearing good news — it is not good; hearing bad news — it is indeed bad. AWAITING TRAVELERS: The ancient method states: If the host's number is in the south and the guest's number is also in the south — the host retains its own number, meaning the traveler will not come. [Further rules:] When awaiting someone from the north, if the reckoning yields 8 or 3, they will not come; if 2 or 7, they will come. The Celestial Eye's reckoning number determines the timing: a number of 2 means arrival in two days; 3 means three days. PRISONERS AND LEGAL CASES: The ancient method states: If the Celestial Eye ambushes or presses Taiyi, or if the host is positioned outside, or if the guest occupies a flourishing spirit — all are auspicious for facing officials and entering prison, as the case will be easily resolved. SEEKING AND REQUESTING: The ancient method states: If the reckoning places the Celestial Eye 'inside' — auspicious. One may petition, meet noble persons, and seek wealth — all will be obtained. If the Celestial Eye is 'outside,' the opposite applies. PURSUING FUGITIVES: The ancient method states: To hunt and capture rebels and fugitives, use the hourly reckoning. If the guest opposes the host, or the Celestial Eye is inside, or Taiyi and the host share the same palace, or the Celestial Eye occupies it — all indicate the fugitive will be captured. MISCELLANEOUS AFFAIRS: The ancient method states: If the Celestial Eye ambushes Taiyi — military campaigns, construction, buying and selling, all affairs will fail. If the Celestial Eye presses Taiyi — travelers will encounter checkpoints and be detained. RAIN DIVINATION — WHETHER RAIN AND HOW MUCH: On Taiyi days: rain below, sunlight visible above. On Grand Year days: rain with wind and fog. On Three-Punishment days: wind that ceases when sunlight appears. On Roaming-Curve days: wind and rain that cease with sunlight. On Grand Gathering days: the rain is called 'sudden rain,' ceasing at the wei hour (1-3 PM). On Meeting-Curve days: rain ceasing at the wu hour (11 AM-1 PM) with sunlight. On Martial-Curve days: rain ceasing on bing or ding days. TAIYI RAIN DIVINATION METHOD: This method counts from the wei position on the first day, proceeding forward through thirteen days. Upon encountering Taiyi days, Grand Year days, and similar — observe whether rain will be verified or not.