龟策列传 — Shiji

The Grand Historian said: Since ancient times, when sage-kings established states and received the Mandate, launching great enterprises, have they not revered divination by turtle and milfoil to assist the good? Nothing is recorded of the times before Tang and Yu. When the three dynasties rose, each relied upon auspicious signs. The milfoil divination at Mount Tu that confirmed the succession of Xia under Qi, the turtle augury favorable to Yin that led to its flourishing, and the milfoil divination auspicious for the hundred grains that preceded the King of Zhou—such were the signs. When rulers faced decisions among doubts, they consulted divination; when they needed to resolve matters, they turned to milfoil and turtle: this was the unchanging way. Although the Man, Yi, Diqiang, and other border peoples had no orderly ranks of ruler and minister, they too had divination to resolve doubts—some using metal and stone, some using plants and trees. Their customs differed, but all could wage wars and launch attacks, deploying troops to seek victory, each trusting their own spirits to know what was to come.

Some hold that when sage-kings encountered affairs, nothing was left to chance, and when they resolved doubts, nothing escaped their view. That they established the way of consulting spirits and seeking answers—this they attribute to later ages of decline when foolish people stopped following wisdom, each seeking their own ease, the Way fragmenting into hundreds of households, dispersing without bound. Thus they reduced things to their finest threads, binding them to spirit and essence.

Others maintain that divination employs arts at which even sages cannot rival certain creatures, for among insects and creatures there are specialties in which the sage cannot compete. Its applications in fortune and misfortune, distinguishing the valid from the false, often proved accurate for people.

By the time of Gaozu, the Grand Divination Office existed through the Qin system. When the empire was newly settled and warfare had not yet ceased, Emperor Hui's reign was brief, and Empress Lü took charge as a woman sovereign. Emperors Wen and Jing followed established precedents without opportunity for discussion or practice. Though father and son might inherit the diviner's office, transmitting it through generations, its subtle wisdom and profound art were largely lost.

When the present Emperor ascended, he opened wide the paths of artistry and skill, drawing upon every manner of learning. Those skilled in any single art could all find employment; the exceptional and extraordinary were favored, and there was no favoritism or partiality. In a few years, the Grand Divination Office amassed a great collection.

At that time the court wished to strike at the Xiongnu, drive west to Farghāna, and absorb the Hundred Yue in the south. Divination anticipated portents and charted advantages in advance. When fierce generals pressed forward with resolve, they won victories there, while milfoil and turtle augury proved equally effective here. The Emperor gave special attention, and rewards sometimes reached tens of millions. Men like Qiu Ziming and his kind grew wealthy beyond measure, their honors and favor filling the court. They practiced divination to expose witchcraft, and at times their accusations proved accurate. When anyone bore the slightest grudge, they exploited public office to execute, injuring whomever they wished. The families destroyed and clans exterminated were beyond counting.

All officials were filled with fear, saying the turtles and milfoil could speak. When affairs were eventually uncovered and the deception exposed, three clans were punished.

To cast lots and determine fate, to examine cracks in heated turtle shells, with their endless transformations—one might say the sage-kings chose the worthy and employed divination. Was this not evidence of how seriously the sage regarded such matters?

Duke of Zhou divined with three turtles, and King Wu recovered from illness. Zhou, being brutal and wicked, found no favorable turtle augury. When Duke Wen of Jin was to determine the succession of King Xiang, the divination showed the portent of the Yellow Emperor, and he ultimately received the vermilion bow and arrows of investiture. Duke Xi of Jin, coveting the beauty of Lady Li, found in divination a crack shaped like a mouth, and ruinous affliction followed through five generations. When King Ling of Chu was about to betray the Zhou house, the turtle divine reversed the omen, and he ultimately met defeat at Ganxi. Portents respond truthfully to what is within, while people of later ages perceive them outwardly. Could these not be called perfect correspondences?

When I reached the south of the Yangtze, I observed their practices and questioned the elders. They said turtles of a thousand years swim upon lotus leaves, while milfoil of a hundred stalks grows from a single root. In such places, beasts know no tigers or wolves, and herbs have no venomous stings. Families living by the river regularly keep turtles, feeding them as they would feed themselves, believing they can guide vital energy and benefit those seeking to slow aging and extend life. Could this not be trusted?

Mr. Chu said: I, your servant, through mastery of the classics and arts, studied under the Eruditi, specialized in the Spring and Autumn Annals, and was promoted to serve as a Chamberlain. Fortunate to have served in the palace for more than ten years, I have grown fond of the Grand Historian's biographies. His treatise states: The three kings did not employ the same turtle methods; the four Yi peoples each had different divination practices, yet all used them to determine fortune and misfortune. I have briefly surveyed their essentials and composed this Treatise on Turtles and Milfoil.

Your servant traveled about Chang'an seeking the Treatise on Turtles and Milfoil but could not obtain it. Therefore I visited the Grand Divination Office and questioned the senior officials well-versed in literature and tradition. I copied down the divination accounts and compiled them below.

I have heard that when the five lords and three kings of antiquity launched enterprises, they first determined matters through milfoil divination. The tradition says: Below the dodder lies the hidden spirit; above the dodder stretches the rabbit-silk; above the bruised milfoil dwells the divine turtle. What is called the hidden spirit, found beneath the dodder, resembles the form of a flying bird. When the new rain has fallen and the sky is clear with no wind, pull up the dodder by night. Then light the spot with eel-fat candles. When the flame dies, mark the place and surround it with four zhang of new cloth. At dawn dig it out; go down four to seven chi, and you will find it. Beyond seven chi, nothing is found. The hidden spirit is the root of a pine a thousand years old; one who eats it does not die.

I have heard that when milfoil fills a hundred stalks, a divine turtle surely guards its base, and azure clouds habitually hover above it. The tradition says: When the realm is at peace and the royal way prevails, the milfoil stalks grow to a full zhang, their clusters filling a hundred stalks. At present, those who gather milfoil in the world cannot meet the ancient standards; they cannot obtain a hundred stalks a zhang long. To gather eighty stalks or more, with milfoil eight chi in length, is already difficult. People fond of hexagrams prefer gathering sixty stalks or more, at least six chi long—this is acceptable.

It is recorded: One who obtains a famous turtle, its wealth flowing to him, his household becomes wealthy beyond measure—to ten million. The first is called the Dipper Turtle; the second, the Southern Star Turtle; the third, the Five Star Turtle; the fourth, the Eight Winds Turtle; the fifth, the Twenty-Eight Constellations Turtle; the sixth, the Sun and Moon Turtle; the seventh, the Nine Provinces Turtle; and the eighth, the Jade Turtle. These eight kinds of turtles. Each turtle shell bears markings on its underbelly; the markings—such as these—indicate which turtle it is. I have recorded their general principles without reproducing the diagrams. To obtain such a turtle, one need not possess a full chi and two cun; common folk who acquire ones seven or eight cun long may treasure them.

Now precious vessels of pearl and jade, however deeply hidden, will eventually show their light and manifest their divine brilliance. Is this not so? Thus jade lying in mountains makes the trees luster; pearls born in deep pools keep the banks from withering—such is the effect of nourishing moisture. Pearls bright as the moon emerge from rivers and seas, hidden within oysters, protected by dragons. A king who obtains them will possess the world, and all border peoples will submit in peace.

Thus, in governing the people, they built city walls and moats for them; within, they regulated lanes and paths, and without, they laid out field boundaries. Husbands and wives, men and women, were allotted fields and dwellings, and their houses were arranged in order. Registers and maps were drawn up for them, distinguishing their names and clans. Offices were established and officials appointed, and they were encouraged with ranks and emoluments. They were clothed with mulberry and hemp, and nourished with the five grains. The land was ploughed and harrowed, hoed and weeded. The mouth obtained what it savoured, the eye what it found beautiful, and the body enjoyed its benefits. Seen in this way, these things are not achieved by compulsion alone.

Now precious vessels of pearl and jade, however deeply hidden, will eventually show their light and manifest their divine brilliance. Is this not so? Thus jade lying in mountains makes the trees luster; pearls born in deep pools keep the banks from withering—such is the effect of nourishing moisture. Pearls bright as the moon emerge from rivers and seas, hidden within oysters, protected by dragons. A king who obtains them will possess the world, and all border peoples will submit in peace.

Now the divine tortoise's envoy came into a net and was caught by a fisherman. It appeared in a dream, speaking for itself, saying it was a treasure of the state. 'Why should Your Majesty worry?' King Yuan said: 'Not so. I have heard that a remonstrator brings blessing, while a flatterer brings ruin. When a ruler listens to flattery, he is deluded. That said, calamity does not fall without reason, nor does fortune come for nothing. Heaven and earth unite their vital energies to produce all manner of resources. Yin and yang are distinct yet never depart from the four seasons; the twelve months have the solstices as their turning points. The sage comprehends this, and his person remains free from disaster. An enlightened king applies it, and no one dares deceive him. Thus it is said: blessing arrives when people summon it themselves; misfortune comes when people create it themselves. Calamity and blessing exist together; punishment and grace go hand in hand. The sage observes these signs to know good and ill fortune. In the times of Jie and Zhou, they vied with Heaven for merit and obstructed the spirits, preventing them from reaching through.'

Indeed, this was already without the Way, and flattering ministers were many. Jie had a sycophantic minister named Zhao Liang. He taught Jie lawlessness and urged him to be greedy and wolfish. Jie imprisoned Tang at Xiatai and put Guan Longfeng to death. Those around him, fearing execution, stole moments of fawning flattery at his side. The state was perilous as piled eggs, yet all said it mattered not. They proclaimed joy for ten thousand years; some even said the revelry had no end. He blinded his own eyes and ears and joined in deceitful madness with them. In the end, Tang attacked Jie, and he perished, his kingdom destroyed. Because he hearkened to his flatterers, he alone bore the calamity. The Spring and Autumn Annals recorded this, and to this day it is not forgotten.

Zhou had a flattering minister named Zuo Qiang. Glib and dexterous of eye, he taught Zhou to build ivory halls, intending to rise to the heavens, and to have jade beds. Vessels of rhinoceros horn and jade were used; ivory chopsticks picked at sumptuous broths. The sage had his heart torn out; the stalwart man had his calf cut. Jizi, frightened of death, loosed his hair and feigned madness. Zhou killed the Zhou crown prince Li and imprisoned King Wen, Chang. He cast him into a stone chamber, planning to keep him there till the end of his days. Yin Jing saved him and fled together with him. They entered Zhou territory and found the Grand Duke Wang.

He raised troops and gathered soldiers to fight King Zhou. King Wen fell ill and died; they carried the bier with his remains as they pressed on. Crown Prince Fa took command in his stead and was styled King Wu. They fought at Muye and defeated King Zhou south of Mount Hua. Zhou could not prevail, fled in defeat, and was besieged at Xianglang. He killed himself in the Xuanshi Chamber; his body, dead, was left unburied. His head was hung from the carriage crossbeam and dragged along by four horses. When I think of his end, my bowels churn like boiling water. This man already possessed all under heaven and was honored as the Son of Heaven, yet he was supremely arrogant. His desires knew no satiety; whatever he did, he loved to exalt himself. He was greedy, cruel, and overbearing. He employed no loyal or trustworthy men, listened instead to his flattering ministers, and so became the laughingstock of all under heaven. Now my own state, situated among the feudal lords, is not even the equivalent of an autumn hair tip.

One who can obtain a hundred stalks of milfoil and, beneath them, the accompanying turtle for divination, will have every word proven true, every divination successful, sufficient to determine fortune and misfortune.

Divine turtles emerge from the waters of the Yangtze. The commandery of Lujiang annually sends the Grand Divination Office twenty turtles each measuring one chi and two cun, born at the proper season. A turtle a thousand years old measures no more than one chi two cun. When a king dispatches armies or a general takes the field, they must divine at the turtle shrine within the temple hall to determine fortune and misfortune. In the High Temple today there is a turtle chamber, where shells are stored within as sacred treasures.

The tradition says: Thread the foreleg bones of a turtle and wear them as an ornament; place the turtle in the northwest corner of a room and hang it there. Enter a deep mountain forest, and you will not be confused.

A southern elder used a turtle to prop his bed's legs. After more than twenty years, when the elder died and the bed was moved, the turtle still lived and had not died. Turtles can circulate vital energy and guide its flow.

One who asked said: Turtles achieve such divinity, yet why do Grand Divination officials, upon obtaining a living turtle, immediately kill it and take its shell? In recent times, a man by the river acquired a turtle and kept it; his household thereupon became greatly wealthy. He discussed with others, intending to release it. Someone advised: Kill it, do not release it. If you release it, it will ruin your household. The turtle appeared in a dream, saying: Put me back in the water; do not kill me. The family killed it anyway. Afterward, the killer died, and the household came to no good. The ways of common folk differ from those of rulers. A commoner who obtains a turtle should not, by its appearance, kill it. Judging by ancient precedent, all wise kings and sage sovereigns employed them after killing.

When King Yuan of Song obtained a turtle, he also killed and employed it. I faithfully link the account below, so that those who seek such matters may observe and choose from among them.

The magistrate ordered an official to examine the registers and maps. Fifty-five families fished on the water; upstream was a hut, home of Yuju.

Wei Ping replied: The turtle was in captivity, imprisoned through the night. Your Majesty has virtue and righteousness, so someone has given it life. Now it extends its neck forward to express gratitude; drawing in its neck and retreating shows it wishes to depart quickly.

King Yuan sighed deeply: "To obstruct a messenger, to frustrate someone's plans—is this not tyranny? To take what belongs to others for one's own treasure—is this not coercion? I have heard that those who seize violently will surely perish violently, and those who take by force will ultimately have nothing to show for it. Jie and Zhou were violent and strong, yet they died and their states were destroyed. If I listen to you now, I will have the name of lacking benevolence and righteousness while possessing the way of violence and coercion. The rivers and seas produced Tang and Wu; I would become like Jie and Zhou. I see no advantage in this, but I fear bringing blame upon myself. I am torn with doubt—why should I cling to this treasure? Have it escorted away and sent off; let it not remain long."

"The sages provided for the people: building city walls and roads within, and paths between fields without; assigning husbands and wives to houses and fields, listing their dwellings; creating registries to distinguish families; establishing officials and appointing administrators, encouraging them with ranks and salaries. They clothed people with mulberry and hemp, fed them with the five grains. They plowed and weeded, hoed and cultivated. Mouths got what they craved, eyes got what pleased them, bodies received benefit. From this we see: without strength, nothing is accomplished. Thus the farmer without strength cannot fill the granary; the merchant without strength cannot make profit; the woman without strength cannot produce fine silk; the official without strength cannot maintain authority; the general without strength cannot command soldiers; the lord without strength will leave no legacy for generations. Therefore, strength is the beginning of enterprise, the principle of division, the thread of all things. What strength demands, it obtains.

"If Your Majesty thinks otherwise, has Your Majesty not heard of the pheasant in the jade box, from Kunlun Mountain; the pearl bright as the moon, from the four seas; the agate split from its shell, passed through markets; the sage who obtained it as his greatest treasure? The greatest treasure belongs to the Son of Heaven. Now Your Majesty claims to be violent, yet you have not split a shell in the sea; you claim to be strong, yet you have not cut a stone from Kunlun. The one who takes incurs no blame; the one who possesses a treasure has no misfortune. Now the turtle has come to your net, and the fisherman caught it. It appeared in a dream speaking for itself—it is the nation's treasure. What worry should Your Majesty have?"

A prisoner guilty of a serious crime will not be released; one guilty of a minor crime may be released. If more than a day passes without release, no harm will come even after a long time. Seeking wealth or goods, or buying servants, horses, or oxen: they will be obtained within one day; after more than one day they cannot be obtained. A traveler will not set out. A visitor will arrive; but if he does not come by the time a meal is past, he will not come. Attacking bandits will not succeed; if you travel, you will not encounter them; hearing of bandits, they will not come. Transferring to another post will not happen. Those holding office will have an auspicious household. The year's crops will not ripen. The people will suffer epidemics but no illness. There will be no warfare during the year. Seeing someone depart, if you yourself do not go you will not be pleased. Requesting something from someone or traveling will yield nothing. Pursuing a fugitive, fishing, or hunting will bring no gain. Traveling, you will not meet bandits. Rain: it will not rain.

Whether it clears up or not. The hexagram is called Chengzhao. Divination on illness: the patient will not die. Those imprisoned will be released. Travelers may travel. Those expected will come. Market trading will succeed. Pursuing a fugitive: you can catch him, but if more than one day has passed, you cannot. Asking whether a traveler will arrive: he will not come. The hexagram is called Zhuche. Divination on illness: no death. Those imprisoned will be released. Travelers may travel. Those expected will come. Market trading will not succeed. The worried need not worry. Pursuing a fugitive: you will not catch him. The hexagram is called Shouyang Zufen Younei Wuwai. Divination on illness: though seriously ill, the patient will not die. Those imprisoned will be freed. Seeking wealth, buying male or female slaves, horses or cattle will not succeed. A traveler, having heard news, will not set out. Those expected will not come. Hearing of bandits, they will not come. Hearing of a message, it will not arrive. A transferring official, hearing of the transfer, will not move. Those in office will have worries. Those at home will have many misfortunes. The year's harvest will be middling. Among the people, there will be many diseases and epidemics. Within the year, there will be military conflict, but hearing of it, it will not come to pass. Seeing a noble person is auspicious. Seeking an audience will not be granted; undertakings will not receive good counsel.

"Now the turtle is a great treasure, sent by the sage to be passed to the worthy. It needs no hands or feet—lightning escort it, wind and rain convey it, flowing waters carry it. When a lord has virtue, he is worthy of it. Now Your Majesty has virtue and deserve this treasure; perhaps you should not refuse. If you send it away, Song will surely suffer. Later you may regret it, but it will be too late."

King Yuan was greatly pleased. He turned toward the sun to offer thanks, knelt twice, and accepted the turtle. He chose an auspicious day and fasted; the days of Jia and Yi were most favorable. He sacrificed white pheasants and black sheep; he poured their blood upon the turtle at the altar's center. He cut it open with a knife, yet the body remained whole and unharmed. He prepared wine and offerings, opened its belly and intestines. The diviner's rods determined the pattern, which controlled the wounds. The meaning was clear, the patterns interweaving perfectly.

He summoned the fortune-tellers, and all they said proved entirely correct. The state's great treasures were renowned throughout the region. Cows were slaughtered for their hides; the wood of Zheng was used. All plants and trees were divided, transforming into armor and weapons. None excelled King Yuan in victory and conquest—it was the turtle's power.

Thus it is said: the divine turtle can appear in dreams to King Yuan, yet cannot escape the fisherman's basket. It can speak ten times with perfect accuracy, yet cannot cross the river and report back to the Jiang. A worthy man may help others win battles and capture territory, yet cannot free himself from the blade's edge or avoid the pain of cutting and piercing. The sage may foreknow and foresee clearly, yet cannot make Wei Ping silent. One may speak on all matters successfully, yet oneself remains bound; the time may be unfavorable, so why serve the worthy? The worthy have constancy; the scholar has what befits him. Thus the wise have sights they do not see, sounds they do not hear. Though a person be worthy, they cannot draw a square with their left hand and a circle with their right; though the sun and moon shine bright, they are sometimes obscured by floating clouds. Yi was famous for archery, yet could not surpass Xiongqu and Shamen; Yu was named wise and clever, yet could not overcome the spirits. The earth's pillars are broken; heaven lacks rafters—yet why demand perfection from people?

He summoned the fortune-tellers, and all they said proved entirely correct. The state's great treasures were renowned throughout the region. Cows were slaughtered for their hides; the wood of Zheng was used. All plants and trees were divided, transforming into armor and weapons. None excelled King Yuan in victory and conquest—it was the turtle's power.

Confucius heard this and said: "The spiritual turtle knows auspiciousness and disaster, yet its shell is hollow and empty. The sun embodies virtue and rules over all under heaven, yet it is insulted by the three-legged crow. The moon bears punishment yet assists, yet it is prey to the toad. The hedgehog is humiliated by the magpie; the flying serpent is endangered by the centipede. Bamboo has joints on the outside, yet is hollow inside; the pine and cypress are the tallest of trees, yet they guard doorways. The heavenly stems and earthly branches are incomplete, thus there are lonely voids. Gold has flaws, jade has blemishes. Things have their swiftness, yet also their slowness. Objects have their constraints, yet also their supports. Nets have their openings, yet also their gaps. People have their excellences, yet also their shortcomings. How can anything be perfect? How can anything be complete? Heaven itself is not complete, thus houses are built with three tiles missing to match heaven's incompleteness. Under heaven there are hierarchies; imperfection alone gives life."

In ancient times, divination always invoked turtles because their reputation was of long standing. I have compiled this account.

March, February, January, December, November: the pass is interior high, exterior low. April: the head is raised, the feet open, the belly bulges, the head dips. May: the lines extend horizontally, the head dips, large. June, July, August, September, October.

When the crack pattern shows the head raised, the feet contracted, the inner side high and the outer side low, the prognostic says: For illness it is severe but the person will not die. For imprisonment, the detainee will not be released. Seeking wealth, buying servants, livestock, pursuing fugitives, fishing or hunting—all will succeed. For travel, you may set out. Those who are coming will arrive. Attacking bandits will bring victory. Transferring office will not occur. Holding office brings worries but no injury. Staying at home brings many worries and illnesses. The harvest will be abundant. The people will suffer an epidemic. There will be military action in the year but it will not reach here. Visiting a noble or requesting an audience is inauspicious. When travelling you will meet robbers. For rain, it will rain but not persist; for clearing, it will not clear. This is auspicious.

If the divination is unsuccessful, purify again with an egg, stand facing east, and burn cedar or hardwood. Place the egg on the earth, point at it three times. Circle the turtle with the egg, chanting: "Today is auspicious. With grain and egg we purify away the inauspicious. May the jade spirit be truthful and sincere, knowing all matters, distinguishing all signs for divination. If not truthful and sincere, burn the jade spirit, scatter its ashes, to summon subsequent turtles."

Divination must face north. The turtle shell must be one chi two cun. First fashion a heated drill; when the drill center glows, apply it to the turtle's head, three times each. Then apply to the shell's center to determine the body, and to the head to determine the feet, three times each. Circle the turtle three times with the heated drill, chanting: "Grant this jade spirit. The spirit of jade, with cedar's burning heart, may you know beforehand. Ascending to heaven, descending to the abyss, no spirit is more trustworthy than you. Today is a good day; let there be one good divination. I wish to divine about something—if obtained, be pleased; if not, regret. If obtained, the signs will appear on my body tall and proper, head and feet matching above. If not obtained, the signs will be broken and scattered, internal and external not matching, head and feet disappearing."

Divination for illness chant: "Now the disease distresses..."

Transfer of office? No transfer. Staying at home is auspicious. The yearly harvest will be average. The people will suffer epidemics but none will die. Seeking an audience with a noble—you will not be received. Traveling—you will not encounter robbers. Rain? No rain. Inauspicious. The configuration is called “head raised, feet constricted, outer high, inner low.” When divining, there will be worry but no real harm. Travelers will not arrive. A long illness will end in death. Seeking goods and wealth will yield nothing. Gaining an audience with a noble is auspicious. The configuration is called “outer high, inner low.” When divining about illness, the patient will not die but there is a curse. Trading in the marketplace will not succeed. Holding office or residing at home is inauspicious. Travelers do not travel. Visitors will not come. Prisoners will be detained for a long time but will suffer no injury. Auspicious. The configuration is called “head visible, feet extending, inner and outer corresponding.” Using this to divine about illness: the patient will rise. Prisoners will be released. Travelers will set out. Visitors will come. Seeking goods and wealth will be gained. Auspicious. The configuration is called “displaying an omen, head raised, feet opening.”

Using this to divine about illness: the illness is severe and fatal. Prisoners will be released but with worry. Seeking wealth, buying male or female slaves, horses or cattle, requesting an audience, pursuing fugitives, fishing or hunting—nothing will be obtained. Traveling? You will not travel. Coming? You will not come. Attacking robbers? No encounter will take place. Hearing that robbers are coming? They will come. Transferring office, holding office, or staying at home—inauspicious. The yearly harvest will be bad. The people will suffer epidemics but no one will die. There will be no military strife during the year. Seeing a noble—inauspicious. Traveling—you will not encounter robbers. Rain? No rain. Clearing. Inauspicious. The configuration is called “displaying an omen, head raised, feet opening, outer high, inner low.” Using this to divine about illness: the patient will not die, but there is an external curse. Prisoners will be released but with worry. Seeking wealth, buying slaves, horses or cattle—you will meet but not conclude. Traveling: you will depart. Coming: you will hear they are coming but they will not arrive. Attacking robbers will be victorious. Hearing that robbers are coming? They will not come. Transferring office, holding office, staying at home, or seeing a noble—inauspicious. In the course of the year there will be military strife. The people will suffer pestilence and warfare. Requesting an audience, pursuing fugitives, fishing or hunting—nothing will be obtained. Hearing about robbers—you will encounter them. Rain? No rain. Clearing. Perilous. The configuration is called “head raised, feet constricted, body broken, inner and outer corresponding.”

When divining illness, the malady is severe but death will not occur. The incarcerated will long remain unreleased. Seeking goods, buying male and female servants, horses, cattle, fishing or hunting—nothing will be obtained. Journeys will not proceed. Those expected will not come. Attacking bandits will be profitable and victory will be won. Hearing that bandits are coming, they will indeed come. Transfer of office will not take place. Dwelling in an official post or household is inauspicious. The harvest will fail. The people will suffer pestilence. Within the year armed conflict will arise, but no soldiers will arrive. Meeting with a nobleman brings joy. Petitioning and pursuing fugitives will not succeed. Encountering bandits is baleful. This is named 'Inner Blocked, Outer Hanging.' The traveller will not go. The expected will not come. The sick will die. The incarcerated will not be released. Seeking goods will not succeed. The person you wish to see will not be seen. Greatly auspicious. This is named 'Transverse Auspicious, Inner and Outer Mutually Responding, Bridging Elm, Upward-Supporting Pillar, Foot Contracted.' Divining illness: the malady is severe but death will not occur. Though imprisoned long, no charge will be brought against him.

Seeking goods, buying male and female servants, horses, cattle, making petitions, pursuing fugitives, fishing—nothing will be obtained. Journeys will not proceed. Those expected will not come. Dwelling in an official post, household affairs, and meeting with a nobleman are auspicious. Transfer of office—there will be no transfer. The harvest will not be very ripe. The people will suffer pestilence and there will be armed conflict. Soldiers will muster but will not do battle. While travelling one will meet with bandits. Hearsay will be heard but the person will not be seen. Will it rain? It will not rain. Will it clear? It will clear. Greatly auspicious. The crack is named 'Head Raised, Foot Contracted, Inner and Outer Self-Drooping.' Divining about an anxious illness: it is grave, but death will not occur. Holding office, one will not be able to remain in that post. The traveller will travel. Those expected will not come. Seeking goods will not succeed. Seeking a person will not succeed. Auspicious. The crack is named 'Transverse Auspicious, Below There Is a Pillar.'

Divining about a visitor: the person will come. Divining about the day, if the person is not already here, he will not come. Divining about a sick person: if after one day there is no improvement, death will occur. The traveller should not set out. Seeking goods will not succeed. The incarcerated will be released. This is called 'Transverse Auspicious, Inner and Outer Self-Raising.' Using this to divine illness: the sick person will linger long but will not die. The incarcerated will long remain unreleased. Seeking goods, some will be obtained but very little. The traveller should not set out. Those expected will not come. Meeting with a nobleman, you will see him. Auspicious. This is called 'Inner High, Outer Low, Swift and Light of Foot.' Seeking goods will not succeed. The traveller will go. The sick will recover. The incarcerated will not be released. Those expected will come. Meeting with a nobleman, you will not see him. Auspicious.

It is called External Obstruction. Seeking goods and wealth will not be obtained. The traveler should not set out. Those expected will not come. The imprisoned will not be released. Unlucky. The sick will die. Goods and wealth will not be obtained. It is possible to see a nobleman. Auspicious. It is called Inner Self-Initiative with Outer Correct Foot Sending. Travel may be undertaken. Those expected will come. Goods and wealth will be obtained. The sick will long remain alive but not die. The imprisoned will not be released. It is possible to see a nobleman. Auspicious. This is Horizontal Auspicious Upper Pillar, External and Internal Self-Initiative, Foot Clamped. If you divine with it, whatever is sought will be obtained. The sick will not die. The imprisoned will not be harmed but not yet released.

Whether to travel or not, whether guests will come or not, whether one will see someone or not—all affairs are completely auspicious. This is the Horizontal Auspicious Upper Pillar, External and Internal Self-Raising with Pillar Foot Able to Act. If you divine with this, whatever is sought will be obtained. The gravely ill may die but will subsequently revive. The imprisoned will not be harmed and will be released. Whether to travel or not, whether guests will come or not, whether one will see someone or not—all affairs are auspicious. Troops may be raised. This is Outward Pretense. If you divine with this, what is sought will not be obtained. The sick will not die but will suffer repeated attacks. The imprisoned will face disaster and guilt. Hearing rumors will bring no harm. Whether to travel or not, whether guests will come or not—this is Inner Pretense. If you divine with this, what is sought will not be obtained. The sick will not die but will suffer repeated attacks. The imprisoned will face disaster and guilt but will not be harmed and will be released. Whether to travel or not, those expected will not come. One will not see anyone. This is Inner and Outer Pretense Self-Raising. If you divine with this, whatever is sought will be obtained. The sick will not die. The imprisoned will be without guilt. Travelers will travel, guests will come. Farming, trading, fishing, and hunting will all be joyful. This is the Fox-Crucian Omen.

Using the turtle to divine, what is sought cannot be obtained. The sick will die and will be hard to recover. The imprisoned, though innocent, will be difficult to release. One may settle in a dwelling. One may take a wife or marry off a daughter. Whether to travel or not, whether guests will come or not, whether one will see someone or not, whether to be anxious about worries or not—this is the Fox Penetration omen. Using the turtle to divine, what is sought cannot be obtained. The sick will die. The imprisoned will face punishment. Whether to travel or not, whether guests will come or not, whether one will see someone or not—words will be definite. All affairs are entirely unlucky. This is the Head Bowed, Foot Clamped, Body Joints Broken omen. Using the turtle to divine, what is sought cannot be obtained. The sick will die. The imprisoned are guilty. The traveler one longs for will not come. Whether to travel or not, whether guests will come or not, whether one will see someone or not—this is the Inner and Outer Self-Drooping omen. Using the turtle to divine, what is sought will not remain obscure. The sick will not die but will be hard to recover. The imprisoned, though innocent, will be difficult to release. Whether to travel or not, whether guests will come or not, whether one will see someone or not—unlucky. This is the Horizontal Auspicious Elm, Head Lifted and Bowed omen.

This is the crack pattern called 'Hengji Shangzhu Zai Zheng Shen Jie Zhe Nei Wai Zi Ju' (horizontal auspiciousness, upper pillar supporting the proper body, joints broken, inner and outer rising). When one divines about seeking something, it will be hard to obtain. If about illness, recovery will be difficult but not fatal. If about imprisonment, release will be hard but no harm will come. One may stay at home, take a wife, or give a daughter in marriage. This is the crack pattern 'Hengji Shangzhu Zu Xun Nei Zi Ju Wai Zi Chui' (horizontal auspiciousness, upper pillar, foot bent, inner rising, outer drooping). When divining about a sick person, he will not die on the day of divination but will die the following day. The turtle's head droops, its feet are deceitful, with an outside but no inside. When divining about illness, before the crack is fully read the person dies suddenly. If the feet are light and the back sunken, within one day he will not die. The turtle's head looks up, its feet contracted. When divining about seeking something, it cannot be obtained. When divining about a lawsuit, there is guilt. When divining about verbal threats, no harm will come. One may set out but will not travel; going to see someone, one will not meet them.

The general discourse says: 'Outer' refers to other people; 'inner' refers to oneself. 'Outer' refers to the female; 'inner' refers to the male. A lowered head indicates worry. The large part is the body, the small parts are the limbs. The major rules: For illness, those with feet contracted will live; those with feet splayed will die. For travelers, those with feet splayed will arrive; those with feet contracted will not arrive. For travelers, those with feet contracted will not travel; those with feet splayed will travel. For those seeking something, those with feet splayed will obtain it; those with feet contracted will not obtain it. For prisoners, those with feet contracted will not be released; those with feet splayed will be released. When divining about illness, if the feet are splayed and the patient dies, it is because the interior is raised and the exterior is low.