On Jianlu (Jianlu refers to a specific concept in traditional Chinese culture, and if there is a more specific and accurate English equivalent, it can be adjusted accordingly)

Original Text

建禄者，乃甲日寅月，乙日卯月，五行临官之位也。甲用金为官，金绝在寅，用土为财，土病于寅，以身旺太过，财官俱不得，若别无财官可取，再遇劫夺，马既不扶，禄又不养，多主贫贱，颇宜时带偏官、偏财或食神，更看年时上露者取用，若略见财官，反争夺不吉。凡命月令建禄，难招祖业，必主平生见财不聚，却病少寿长，行运再见比肩，克妻妨父损子，或官非破财，或因妻孥财帛争夺。如八字内外元有财官，引旺得地，官星有助，运临官星有气之地，亦贵；财星有助，运临财旺之地，亦富；财官俱旺，乃富贵之命。若时逢财库，运至财乡，必主晚年大富。年上财官有助，必享祖荫。若四柱元无财官，纵运行财官之地，亦止虚花而已。命无财官，岁运又行比肩，一生贫蹇。

赋云：根在苗先，实在花后。言先有根然后长苗，有花然后结果。若当生岁元无财官，虽遇财官吉运，发福不大。假如甲日寅月，柱中乙卯未字多，主无祖财，克妻，一世孤贫，作事虚诈，为人大模样。乙日生卯月，柱有庚辛巳酉丑申及戊己巳午辰戌等字，财官多则贵，壬癸申子辰亥浮水印成局亦佳，更运逢之尤妙，若柱不见财官印食，同前断。丙生巳月，岁时干支水金成局，运历财官旺地，亦主富贵。丁生午月，金败水绝，财官俱背，顺运克妻，逆运克三妻，若柱有巳酉丑庚辛壬癸亥申子辰，运临财官旺地亦发，用煞或印，以多为贵，若止建禄，亦同前断。戊日巳月，年日时无水，主克妻，无祖业，子多不肖，柱中多有官则吉，如见偏官，主尊贵，岁月若是火多及或印绶，虽无财官，主吉，若柱内隐显壬癸亥申子辰水局，晚子一二，有甲寅乙卯亥未木局，运至财官旺地亦发。己生午月，以壬水为财，五月水囚，主无祖业，克妻子亦不多，岁时透出寅甲为正官，五月甲死，官必卑小，喜见亥卯未乙，身旺见官煞为妙，偏财亦美。庚日申月，上旬生，近木馀气，略无祖财，虽节气临水绝之乡，尚有三四分库财为福，运至丙戌，财尽矣，若年日时多带财，好命看，见丙丁巳午寅戌火局则有官，以煞化官也，官小亦不清显，怕壬癸亥子，克官不成。辛日酉月，无祖财，柱中多见分夺，孤贫无妻，或克妻无财，若带木火生旺，又当富贵，原无财官，又行生地，其劫祸尤重，或见辛酉则为专禄，更有财官印食之神岁运再逢尤好，逆运南方则吉，顺运北方，百事无成，若辛卯、辛未日身自坐财，可许衣禄，辛巳日有贵，官禄亦轻。

壬日亥月，癸日子月，俱无祖业，柱中多见火土，主自成立有官，如见水多泛滥，无成、克妻、贫薄。

又曰：甲日寅月宜壬早时，乙日卯月宜辛巳时，丙日巳月宜己亥时，丁日午月宜庚子时，戊日巳月宜甲寅时，己日午月宜乙丑时，庚日申月宜丙戌时，辛日酉月宜丁酉时，壬日亥月宜戊申时，癸日子月宜己未时。是见煞取贵，然亦不可太多，岁运再逢煞地，主夭折。如一命：壬申年，不禄，岁运冲且会伤官煞也，建禄用财官，伤去丙火，故夭。《独步》云：「月令建禄，多无祖屋，一见财官，自然成福。」又云：「建禄生提月，财官喜透天，不宜身再旺，惟喜茂财元。」

《明通赋》云：「建禄、坐禄或居禄，独遇财官印绶，富贵长年。」

合诸说，各之子平论建禄与古人论禄，其取用迥不同矣。余按阳刃、比肩、败财、建禄，名虽不同，实一家同气之神，在地支者曰刃、曰禄，在天乾者曰比、曰劫，其取用大略相同，故以建禄继阳刃之后，建禄旧无格，近亦取以月支，无可取之格，而天干倘有财官贵气，故取建禄若比劫，特发明其义耳。

Interpretation

The "Jianlu" (Established Lu) refers to the situation where it is the Yin month for a person born on a Jia day and the Mao month for a person born on a Yi day. These are the positions of the "Lin Guan" (Reaching the Official) in the Five - Element theory. For Jia, metal is regarded as the official. Metal is in the state of "Jue" (Extinction) in the Yin month. Earth is regarded as wealth, and earth is in the state of "Bing" (Illness) in the Yin month. Since the self - element is overly prosperous, neither wealth nor official positions can be obtained. If there are no other available wealth or official elements, and if there are encounters with "Jie Duo" (Robbery), with no support from the "Ma" (Horse, representing good fortune) and no nourishment for the "Lu" (Salary), it mostly indicates a life of poverty and low status. It is quite suitable to have a partial official, partial wealth, or food god in the hour pillar. Moreover, one should take into account the elements revealed in the year and hour pillars for analysis. If there are only slight signs of wealth or official elements, it will lead to contention and is inauspicious. For those with "Jianlu" in the monthly pillar of their fate, it is difficult to inherit ancestral property. They are bound to have a life where they cannot accumulate wealth, but they will have fewer illnesses and a long lifespan. When the fortune - making luck encounters the "Bi Jian" (Peer), it will cause harm to the wife, father, and children, or lead to official troubles and loss of wealth, or disputes over wealth and property with the wife and children. If there are wealth and official elements in the eight - character birth chart, and they are well - supported and in prosperous positions, with the official star having assistance and the fortune - making luck reaching a place where the official star is in a strong state, the person will also be noble. If the wealth star has assistance and the fortune - making luck reaches a place where wealth is prosperous, the person will also be rich. If both wealth and official elements are prosperous, it indicates a life of wealth and honor. If there is a wealth treasury in the hour pillar and the fortune - making luck reaches the wealth - prosperous region, it is certain that the person will be extremely rich in old age. If the wealth and official elements in the year pillar have assistance, the person will surely enjoy the blessings from ancestors. If there are no wealth or official elements in the four pillars originally, even if the fortune - making luck enters the regions of wealth or official positions, it will only be illusory. If there are no wealth or official elements in the fate and the annual and fortune - making luck also encounters the "Bi Jian", the person will lead a poor life throughout their life.

The following is the text about fortune - telling and its translation: The text says: The root comes before the sprout, and the fruit comes after the flower. It means that first there is a root and then a sprout grows, and there is a flower before a fruit forms. If there are no wealth and official - star elements in the original birth chart, even if one encounters a lucky period of wealth and official - star, the fortune will not be great. For example, if one is born on a Jia - day in the Yin - month. If there are many Yi - Mao and Wei characters in the chart, it indicates having no ancestral wealth, harming the wife, being lonely and poor all one's life, being deceitful in doing things, and having a false appearance. If one is born on a Yi - day in the Mao - month. If there are Geng, Xin, Si, You, Chou, Shen and Wu, Ji, Si, Wu, Chen, Xu characters in the chart, with more wealth and official - star elements, one will be noble. If there is a water - element pattern formed by Ren, Gui, Shen, Zi, Chen, Hai floating water and seal elements, it is also good, and it will be even better if such a pattern is encountered in the fortune - cycle. If there are no wealth, official - star, seal and food - star elements in the chart, the result is the same as the previous case. If one is born on a Bing - day in the Si - month. When the heavenly stems and earthly branches of the year and hour form a water - metal pattern, and the fortune - cycle goes through the prosperous areas of wealth and official - star, it also indicates wealth and honor. If one is born on a Ding - day in the Wu - month. Metal is in a state of defeat and water is in a state of extinction, and both wealth and official - star are unfavorable. In the forward fortune - cycle, one will harm the wife; in the reverse fortune - cycle, one will harm three wives. If there are Si, You, Chou, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui, Hai, Shen, Zi, Chen in the chart, and the fortune - cycle reaches the prosperous areas of wealth and official - star, one will also become prosperous. Using the killing - star or seal - element, the more there are, the more auspicious it is. If there is only the established prosperity of the day - stem, the result is the same as the previous case. If one is born on a Wu - day in the Si - month. If there is no water in the year, day and hour, it indicates harming the wife, having no ancestral property, and having many unfilial children. If there are many official - star elements in the chart, it is auspicious. If there is a partial official - star, it indicates nobility. If there is more fire or seal - element in the year and month, even without wealth and official - star elements, it is still auspicious. If there is a hidden or obvious water - pattern formed by Ren, Gui, Hai, Shen, Zi, Chen in the chart, one will have one or two late - born sons. If there is a wood - pattern formed by Jia, Yin, Yi, Mao, Hai, Wei, and the fortune - cycle reaches the prosperous areas of wealth and official - star, one will also become prosperous. If one is born on a Ji - day in the Wu - month. Taking Ren - water as wealth, since water is in a state of imprisonment in the fifth month, it indicates having no ancestral property, and not harming the wife and children too much. If the year and hour reveal Yin and Jia as the proper official - star, since Jia is in a state of death in the fifth month, the official position will be low. It is favorable to see Hai, Mao, Wei and Yi. When the body (day - stem) is prosperous, it is good to see the official - star and killing - star, and partial wealth is also good. If one is born on a Geng - day in the Shen - month. Those born in the first ten - day period, close to the remaining qi of wood, have little ancestral wealth. Although the solar term is in the area where water is in a state of extinction, there is still about three or four parts of treasury wealth as a blessing. When the fortune - cycle reaches Bing - Xu, the wealth will be exhausted. If there is much wealth in the year, day and hour, it is a good fortune. If there is a fire - pattern formed by Bing, Ding, Si, Wu, Yin, Xu, there will be an official - star, which is the transformation of the killing - star into the official - star. However, the official position is small and not prominent. It is afraid of Ren, Gui, Hai, Zi, which will harm the official - star and make it fail to form. If one is born on a Xin - day in the You - month. There is no ancestral wealth. If there are many elements competing for wealth in the chart, one will be lonely, poor and have no wife, or harm the wife and have no wealth. If there are wood and fire elements in a prosperous state, one will be wealthy and noble. If there were originally no wealth and official - star elements, and the fortune - cycle goes to the areas where these elements are born, the disaster of robbery will be even more serious. If there is Xin - You, it is called the exclusive prosperity of the day - stem. If there are also wealth, official - star, seal and food - star elements, and they are encountered again in the fortune - cycle, it is even better. The reverse fortune - cycle to the south is auspicious, while the forward fortune - cycle to the north will lead to nothing accomplished. If one is born on a Xin - Mao or Xin - Wei day, sitting on wealth by oneself, one can be guaranteed of food and clothing. If one is born on a Xin - Si day, there is nobility, but the official salary is also meager.

If the day stem is Ren and the month branch is Hai, or the day stem is Gui and the month branch is Zi, there will be no ancestral property. If there are many Fire and Earth elements in the Bazi, it indicates that one can establish oneself independently and hold an official position. However, if there is an excessive amount of Water, resulting in flooding, it means no success, the spouse may be harmed, and one will live in poverty.

It is also said that: For a person born on a Jia day in the Yin month, the best time is the early time of Ren; for a person born on a Yi day in the Mao month, the best time is the Xin Si time; for a person born on a Bing day in the Si month, the best time is the Ji Hai time; for a person born on a Ding day in the Wu month, the best time is the Geng Zi time; for a person born on a Wu day in the Si month, the best time is the Jia Yin time; for a person born on a Ji day in the Wu month, the best time is the Yi Chou time; for a person born on a Geng day in the Shen month, the best time is the Bing Xu time; for a person born on a Xin day in the You month, the best time is the Ding You time; for a person born on a Ren day in the Hai month, the best time is the Wu Shen time; for a person born on a Gui day in the Zi month, the best time is the Ji Wei time. This shows that obtaining good fortune from inauspicious signs is possible, but there should not be too many such signs. If in the annual and luck cycles, one encounters the inauspicious positions again, it may lead to an early death. For example, in a certain fate, the person was born in the Ren Shen year and died young. This was because the annual and luck cycles clashed and combined with the signs of the Hurting Officer and inauspiciousness. When using Wealth and Officials in the case of the Monthly Stem as the Yang Blade, the Hurting Officer damaged the Bing Fire, thus leading to an early death. "The Solitary Step" says: "When the Monthly Stem is the Yang Blade, one often has no ancestral property. Once the Wealth and Officials appear, good fortune will naturally come." It also says: "When the Yang Blade is in the birth - month, it is preferable for the Wealth and Officials to appear in the Heavenly Stems. It is not suitable for the self - element to be overly prosperous. What is preferred is the flourishing of the Wealth element."

According to "Ming Tong Fu", it is said that "If one has a birth chart with the Jianlu, Zuolu or other forms of Lu, and only encounters the Cai, Guan and Yin, one will enjoy wealth, honor and a long life."

Combining various theories, the way of selecting useful elements in the Zi - Ping theory of Jianlu (Month - Stem as the same element as the Day - Stem) and the ancient theory of Lu (Stem's Proper Place in the Earthly Branches) is quite different. I think that Yangren (Yang Blade), Bijian (Peer), Baicai (Rob Wealth), and Jianlu, although they have different names, are actually the same kind of gods with the same origin. When they are in the earthly branches, they are called Ren (Blade) and Lu (Proper Place); when they are in the heavenly stems, they are called Bi (Peer) and Jie (Robber). Their ways of selecting useful elements are generally the same. Therefore, Jianlu is placed after Yangren. There was no such pattern for Jianlu in the past, but recently, when there is no available pattern in the monthly branch and there is wealth, official, or noble qi in the heavenly stems, Jianlu is considered like Bi and Jie. This is just to clarify its meaning.