Following the first publication by Hu in 1779, a second version was published in 1788 by 趙展如Zhao Zhan Ru.  A few versions of Zi Ping Zhen Quan followed throughout the rest of Qing Dynasty.

In 1936, during the Republic era -the Nanjing Decade (1928-1937),  方重審 Fang Zhong Shen and 徐樂吾 Xu Le Wu published the version which is in mass circulation today.

Fang and Xu’s version was largely based on Zhao’s version (1788). They expanded and added other introductory chapters with annotations on BaZi principles, making it a version that contains 54 chapters of text filled with many BaZi examples of Xu’s clients and famous personalities from mainly Qing and early Republic.

Xu’s added these examples with his annotations.  It is a highly disputable work amongst the BaZi academia today.  There are 2 main contentions:

1.  Some of the texts are thought to be Xu’s addition. And at times, the sequence of the examples he listed did not meet the context of the original text.

2.  Shen’s work was based entirely on 10-God Structure = Useful God 用神.  He followed the school of thoughts and applications of Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), which was the mainstream up and until Qing’s Tongzhi era ((1862–1874).  It is the same school of thoughts on Useful God as 三命通會 San Ming Tong Hui, 神峰通考 Shen Feng Tong Kao, and, 淵海子平 Yuan Hai Zi Ping, the other classics in circulation today.

According to these texts, 10-God Structure (i.e. Useful God in classical context) is the focal point of a BaZi chart.   It is the health of 10-God Structure which was the primary focus of these classics rather than the Day Master’s health.  Two categorizations are considered:-

-Wealth, Eating God, Direct Officer and Resource structures are applied sentimentally.  These classics would look for the elemental stars which grow the 10-God Structure in question and/or protect it.  Example, Wealth Structures are best be grown by Eating God star and protected by Direct Officer star.

-While, Goat Blade, Thriving, Seven-Killing and Hurting Officer Structures use unsentimental application.  Example, a Hurting Officer Structure needs Resource star to control or Wealth star to exhaust.

Day Master strength was a secondary concern.

On the other hand, a number of examples given by Xu in his annotations were heavily influenced by Day Master’s strength application, similar to contemporary methods.

I.e. Day Master is the focal point and its health and balance is the priority.  Hence, Day Master strength is a concern and seasonal impact on the Day Master 10-Stem plays a part in ‘balancing’ the chart, and, thus the Day Master..  Example, when the Day Master is deemed weak, it needs to be strengthen by Resource and aided by Rob Wealth and Friends.  These stars are considered favourable and of which one (sometimes, some would think all) is the Useful God.


後記：

這篇文原定上個星期就交稿，遲遲交不出是因為寫得有些闌珊。

心里是佩服徐樂吾先賢的。他是我心中的大師。沒有先賢出版的《子平真詮》，《窮通寶鑒》等好書，可能今天的八字學者會走更多冤枉路。但他編的注解和案例的確有出入。治學之道，就是鞭策自己以客觀亦宏觀的角度細心的研究學理，看待歷史。共勉之。