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韦序
序者叙也，书序之作也，原为叙述书中这梗概及其命意也，乃有自序，无非谦虚之言，抑有序他人之著作，大都谦美之辞，要皆失其实在耳。兹者，余序本书，因原作者与评注者，俱已谢世，乃得不卑不亢，但述其优点与缺点可已。按本书之梗概及命意，已详余春台先生序文。窃以其优点凡四。一为祗凭八字五行，阐述生克制化，刑冲会合，不杂其他歧见，断语如哀家梨，如井州翦，爽利而绝不含糊。一为根据（取用贵乎提纲）之宗旨，分论十二个月之十个日干，有条不紊，系统井然，读者略加用心，天下万千命造，即已胸有成竹矣。一为列举实验之命造为例，更见其言无虚言，论无虚论，读者可以放心研究也。一为徐乐吾先生，乃近代之命坛巨子，读书多，腹笥富，经其评注，并亦举例证之，诚如画龙点睛矣，缺点凡四。一为原书作都文笔不甚通顺，颇有词不达意之憾。一为乐吾先生，虽然学问渊博，但其评注，间有牵强附会之处，不免乎硬凑而离题也。一为转辗抄录，错字百出。（缘此搞原系徐乐吾先生评注早拟付梓，因事未果，民国三十八年秋，徐先生遽归道山之日，适当沪上雷厉风行，严禁此道之时，同好之人，恐其湮没失传，逐密商而将之油印数十份，冀能留传后世，而供后学研究参政，该油印本，抄於仓卒而又惊恐之下，错误逢所难免，）一为此油印本稿，余在一九五七年，借自上海李雨田先生，雨田先生，好学不倦，当其读本书之时，已加校正，余忝任校对，初校既翻覆而不惮其烦，二校三校，亦阅全文，但仍恐亥豕鲁鱼，颇多错讹，愧对读者甚矣。惟一厚望者，出版之后，命理同好诸君，予以指谬，并参加宝贵之意见，当於再版时并刊之，俾此硕果公存之作，更添牡丹绿叶之妙也。谨为之序。丙午立冬韦千里误用於台北旅次。
穷通宝鉴序
古语有云：（言之不文，行之不远），有以哉，栏江纲一书，以十干配十二月察其生旺休囚，以定取用之准则，立一成以驭万变，秩然有序，命理书中，殆无其匹，顾以出於术者之手；义精理奥，词不达意，辗转传抄，鲁钱亥豕，不可卒读，沈渝几五百年，不为世重，夫专门之学，幽邃之理，而欲以普通文笔，深入而显出，诚非易事，其不达又何足怪，而后之学者，不能领会其义，逐并其书而轻视之，高山流水，知音者希，反不如渊海，神峰之受人欢迎，斯则良可欢也！栏江纲作於明代，不署作者姓氏，至清初康熙间，入於日官之物，易名曰：造化元匙（见原序）至清季光绪间，入於楚南余春台手，又易名曰：穷通宝鉴，始有刊印本，即今之坊本是也，予於评注宝鉴时，奇其书，未能尽解其义，偏求善本不可得，疑其有误而不敢擅易，嗣由友人之介，於旧书肆中，购得真州吴氏有福读书堂珍藏精抄本，两相比对，相互校正，一字出入，义理悬殊，所列命造，亦多数百，则为有清日官所增附者也，复经数年之研求，在昔视为不可解者，今乃恍然不悟。盖熟习之余，始能旁通，实例入手，自然领会，其间盖有不可强求者，爰不揣浅陋，重为阐述，并以搜集之近代名人命造附后，名之曰（造化无匙评注）述而不作，其辞有未达者，代为达之而已，非敢有所阐发也，顾义理深邃，变化繁复，词有未当，易启误会，自始迄今，盖已七易稿矣，时值玄黄战野，蚩尤横飞，资生事业，尽付劫灰，稿成而出版之资已无着，讵造化之机，固有所不可泄耶，抑义理显晦，会有其时，时即因缘，犹未至耶，姑留其稿，以待将来。民国叁拾年仲冬，徐乐吾叙於乾乾书屋。
穷通宝鉴原序
上古首重性命之学，修身养心，以全天之所付，是性即命，而命即性也，后人禄命之术，莫知所自起，而精其术者，管公明、郭景纯、李虚中辈。谈人穷通生死，悉著其奇验，则其由来旧矣，虽与性命之学异，然非穷通阴阳之妙，控造化之原，不能预识其机先也；今之业是术者，皆以子平为宗，考子平、五季人、名居易、绍虚中之传，而损益其法，较精於前者，专重财官印食等取格，疑其犹有秘而未泄也，天道贵中和，气多偏驳，阳过则刚，阴过则柔，吉凶倚伏，祸福杂糅，谈命者藉此偏胜之隙，而察其端倪，造化元匙一书，独得其秘焉，是书分上下两卷，忘其作者姓名，相传吾台先贤陈南陔先生得诸日官所授，论简而赅，理微而显，虽立一成之局：实具万变之机，深参之可以通源，浅得之亦能微中，洵禄命之圭臬也，向为同人传抄日久，不无鲁鱼亥豕之讹，今略为校正，而井摘禄命诸书之要者，以附於卷之后，付梓以公同好，而使世之人，知有命而安之，修其身以俟之，识其偏而补球之，亦未必非进学之一助也，是为序。
按原序无作者姓名，殆当时有志付梓而未成也，书中所附，有康熙命造称为有康熙命造为胜天命造，其为康熙时代日官所授无疑。
Translation of Wei Qianli’s Preface:
A preface serves to narrate, outlining the content and core intent of a book. Some books include the author’s own preface, often filled with modest remarks, while others feature prefaces written by different authors, typically laden with praise that may stray from reality. I write this preface because both the original author and the commentator have passed away, allowing me to objectively highlight the book’s strengths and weaknesses. The overview and purpose of the book are detailed in Mr. Yu Chuntai’s preface. In my view, the book has four strengths: First, it relies solely on the five elements of the Eight Characters (water🌊, fire🔥, wood🌳, earth🪨, metal💨) to explain the principles of generation, restraint, conflict, combination, and harmony, avoiding other divergent views. Its conclusions are as crisp and clear as the famous pears of the Ai family or the scissors of Jingzhou. Second, adhering to the principle of "selecting the useful deity based on the monthly outline," it systematically discusses the ten day stems across twelve months in an orderly and structured manner. With a bit of effort, readers can confidently analyze countless life charts. Third, it provides real-life examples of fate analysis to substantiate its claims, allowing readers to study with assurance. Fourth, Mr. Xu Lewu, a modern master of destiny analysis, was well-read and knowledgeable. His commentaries and examples are like adding the finishing touch to a dragon’s eyes. However, there are also four weaknesses: First, the original text is poorly written and often fails to convey the intended meaning. Second, Mr. Xu Lewu’s commentaries occasionally include far-fetched interpretations that diverge from the topic. Third, the transcribed versions are riddled with errors (due to the hastily produced mimeographed copies, which originated from Xu’s unpublished commentaries. When Mr. Xu passed away in the autumn of 1949, destiny analysis was strictly prohibited in Shanghai, so enthusiasts secretly mimeographed dozens of copies for circulation, making errors inevitable). Fourth, although I borrowed the book from Mr. Li Yutian in Shanghai in 1957 and he made corrections, I served as the proofreader. Despite repeated reviews, errors may still exist, for which I apologize to readers. My only hope is that after publication, enthusiasts of destiny analysis will provide feedback and suggestions for revisions in future editions, making this valuable work even more perfect. I hereby write this preface. Written by Wei Qianli in Taipei on the Beginning of Winter in the Bingwu year.
Translation of the Preface to The Treasured Mirror of Prosperity and Adversity:
As the ancient saying goes, "Words without refinement will not travel far," which holds true. The book Lan Jiang Gang (The Riverbank Outline) pairs the ten heavenly stems with the twelve months, observing their growth, prosperity, decline, and rest🌱📅, to establish criteria for selecting useful deities. It sets a fixed pattern to manage myriad changes, presenting an unparalleled order among books on destiny analysis. However, written by practitioners, its profound principles are often obscured by inadequate expression and transcription errors (such as "confusing Lu with Qian or Hai with Shi"), making it difficult to read. It remained obscure for nearly five centuries, overlooked by the world. Specialized knowledge and deep principles are challenging to convey clearly in ordinary language. Later scholars, unable to grasp its meaning, dismissed it, and it became less popular than Yuan Hai Zi Ping or Shen Feng Tong Kao. Lan Jiang Gang was written during the Ming Dynasty without an author’s name. In the early Qing Dynasty, during the Kangxi era, it came into the possession of court astrologers and was renamed The Key to Creation and Destiny. During the Guangxu era, it fell into the hands of Yu Chuntai, who renamed it The Treasured Mirror of Prosperity and Adversity, and it was first printed. When I commented on it, I found the book remarkable but could not fully understand it. Unable to find a good edition, I hesitated to make changes due to suspected errors. Later, through a friend’s introduction, I acquired a finely transcribed copy from the Wu family in Zhenzhou. After collating and studying it, I finally gained clarity. With familiarity, one can grasp its principles and apply them to real-life cases naturally. I have reinterpreted it, adding examples of modern famous figures, and titled it Commentary on the Key to Creation and Destiny. I aimed to convey what was left unexpressed rather than elaborate on the principles. The profound and complex ideas, with their potential for misinterpretation, led me to revise the manuscript seven times. Amid the turmoil of war (the profound chaos of battle), all means of livelihood were reduced to ashes, and I lacked the funds to publish the completed manuscript. Perhaps the secrets of creation are not meant to be revealed, or the time was not yet right. I leave the manuscript for the future. Written by Xu Lewu in the Qianqian Study in the mid-winter of the 30th year of the Republic of China.
Translation of the Original Preface to The Treasured Mirror of Prosperity and Adversity:
In ancient times, the study of human nature and destiny was highly valued, emphasizing self-cultivation and mental refinement to fulfill heaven’s endowment. Human nature and destiny were considered inseparable. Later, the art of fortune-telling emerged, though its origins are unclear. Masters like Guan Gongming, Guo Jingchun, and Li Xuzhong could remarkably predict a person’s prosperity, adversity, life, and death, indicating its long history. Although distinct from the study of human nature and destiny, it requires a deep understanding of the mysteries of yin and yang🌞🌙 and the origins of creation to foresee events. Today, practitioners follow the Ziping method. Ziping, a figure from the Five Dynasties period named Ju Yi, built upon Li Xuzhong’s methods, refining them further. His approach focuses on patterns like wealth, rank, seals, and resources, though it seems some secrets remain undisclosed. The way of heaven values balance and harmony. When energies are excessively biased, yang leads to rigidity, and yin to softness, with good and bad fortunes intertwined. Fortune-tellers use these imbalances to detect clues, and The Key to Creation and Destiny uniquely captures these secrets. The book, divided into two volumes, has no known author. It is said that Mr. Chen Nangai obtained it from court astrologers. Its discussions are concise yet comprehensive, its principles subtle yet clear. Though it establishes a fixed pattern, it encompasses infinite variations. Deep study reveals its origins, while even superficial understanding allows for accurate insights, making it a standard in fortune-telling. Long transmission has led to errors (e.g., "confusing Lu with Yu or Hai with Shi"). Now slightly corrected, it is published alongside essential works on fortune-telling for enthusiasts, helping people understand destiny, cultivate themselves, correct biases (possibly a misspelling of "correct"), and advance their studies. The original preface lacks an author’s name, likely because someone intended to publish it but failed. The book includes the fate analysis of Kangxi, referred to as a victorious destiny, confirming it was undoubtedly handed down by court astrologers of the Kangxi era.
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