Preface

Original Text

予自束发就傅，即喜读子史诸集，暇则子平《渊海》、《大全》略为流览，亦颇晓其意。然无师授，而于五行生克之理，终若有所未得者。后复购得《三命通会》、《星学大成》诸书，悉心参究，昼夜思维，乃恍然于命之不可不信，而知命之君子当有以顺受其正。

戊子岁予由副贡充补官学教习，馆舍在阜城门右，得交同里章公君安，欢若生平，相得无间，每值馆课暇，即诣君安寓谈《三命》，彼此辩难，阐民无馀蕴。已而三年期满，僦居宛平沈明府署，得山阴沈孝瞻先生所著子平手录三十九篇，不觉爽然自失，悔前次之揣摩未至。遂携其书示君安，君安慨然叹曰："此谈子平家真诠也！"

先生讳燡燔，成乾隆己未进士，天资颖悟，学业渊邃，其于造化精微，固神而明之，变化从心者矣。观其论用神之成败得失，又用神之因成得败、因败得成，用神之必兼看于忌神，与用神先后生克之别，并用神之透与全、有情无情、无力无力之辨，疑似毫芒，至详且悉。是先生一生心血，生注于是，是安可以淹没哉！

君安爰谋付剞劂，为天下谈命者，立至当不易之准，而一切影响游移管窥蠡测之智，俱可以不惑。此亦谈命家之幸也；且不谈命家之幸，抑亦天下士君子之幸，何则？人能知命，则营竞之可以息，非分之想可以屏，凡一切富贵穷通寿夭之遭，皆听之于天，而循循焉各安于义命，以共勉于圣贤之路，岂非士君子厚幸哉！

观于此而君安之不没人善，公诸同好，其功不亦多乎哉？爱乐序其缘起。

乾隆四十一年岁丙申初夏同后学胡焜倬空甫谨识。

Interpretation

Since I started studying at school in my teens, I have always loved reading collections of works by philosophers and historical records. In my leisure time, I would casually glance through books like *Yuanhai of Zi Ping* and *Comprehensive Collection*, and I also had a rough understanding of their meanings. However, without a teacher's instruction, I still felt that there were some things I didn't fully grasp about the principles of the Five - Element interactions of generation and restraint. Later, I bought books such as *General Principles of the Three Fates* and *Great Compendium of Astrology*. I studied them whole - heartedly, thinking day and night. Then I suddenly realized that one cannot but believe in fate, and a gentleman who understands fate should accept it calmly and righteously.

In the year Wuzixu, I, as a supplementary tribute student, was appointed as a tutor in the official school. The school residence was on the right side of Fuchengmen. There I got to know Zhang Jun'an, a fellow townsman. We hit it off immediately and got along extremely well. Whenever there was a break from the classes at the school, I would go to Jun'an's place to discuss "Sanming" (a kind of fortune - telling theory). We debated with each other and thoroughly explored every aspect of it. Later, after three years had passed, I rented a place in the yamen of the magistrate of Wanping. There I obtained 39 hand - copied chapters written by Mr. Shen Xiaozhan from Shanyin. Immediately, I felt rather disheartened and regretted that my previous speculations had not been thorough enough. So I took the book to show it to Jun'an. Jun'an sighed with emotion and said, "This is the true essence of the art of fortune - telling based on the 'Ziping' method!"

Mr. Yi Fan, who passed the imperial examination in the 4th year of Qianlong's reign (1739), was born with remarkable intelligence and profound knowledge. He had a thorough understanding of the subtleties of creation and was able to handle changes with ease. When looking at his discussions on the success, failure, gain, and loss of the favorable elements in divination, the transformation of favorable elements from success to failure and from failure to success, the necessity of considering unfavorable elements when analyzing favorable elements, the differences in the sequence of generation and restraint between favorable elements, as well as the distinctions regarding the appearance and completeness of favorable elements, their compatibility or incompatibility, and their strength or weakness, he made extremely detailed and meticulous differentiations even in the most subtle aspects. This represents the lifelong efforts and insights of Mr. Yi Fan. How could such valuable work be allowed to be forgotten!

Your Excellency kindly planned to have this work printed, establishing an infallible and most appropriate standard for those who discuss fate in the world. Thus, all those fallacious, uncertain, and shallow speculations can no longer mislead people. This is indeed a blessing for those who are engaged in the study of fate. Moreover, it is not only a blessing for them but also for all the scholars and gentlemen in the world. Why is that? If people can understand fate, their worldly pursuits and competitions will cease, and their unrealistic desires can be eliminated. All the experiences of wealth and honor, poverty and setbacks, longevity and premature death should be left to the will of Heaven. People will then follow the right path and accept their destinies, working hard together on the way to becoming sages and virtuous men. Isn't this a great blessing for scholars and gentlemen?

Seeing this, if Your Excellency can accept others' good deeds without jealousy and share them with those who have the same interests, isn't it a great contribution? Ai Le wrote this to record the origin.

In the early summer of the year Bing Shen (1776), the 41st year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong, Hu Kun (styled Zhuokongfu), a later learner, respectfully recorded this.