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(Su Wen, Chapter 64: "Da Lun on the Great Principles of the Six Micro-Aspects")
The Yellow Emperor said: I wish to hear about the specifics of the "steps" (Bu). [This connects with the previous chapter, seeking in detail the numerical values of the six steps. The six steps refer to the positional numbers of the Six Qi.] Qibo replied: What is meant by a "step" is sixty days plus a fraction. [One day equals one degree; degree here refers to a day. A full year consists of 365 and 1/4 days. Divided into six steps, each step amounts to 60 days and 87.5 ke (quarter-hours), hence it is said to have a remainder.] Therefore, twenty-four steps accumulate a surplus that exactly forms one day. [Twenty-four steps correspond to four years' worth of steps. Accumulation refers to summing twenty-four instances of 87.5 ke, totaling 2,100 ke, which equals 21 days. Combined with the total days of four years (1,461 days), this matches perfectly. Here, through the surplus of twenty-four steps, accumulating to a hundred ke forms the complete days of four years, revealing the numerical principles of the Triple Convergence (San He Hui Tong), as detailed below.] The Yellow Emperor said: How do the Six Qi correspond to the transformations of the Five Elements? Qibo replied: Positions have beginnings and endings; Qi has distribution within the realms; Heaven and Earth differ, so the methods of inquiry also vary. [This revisits the discussion on the Heavenly Dao's six-six rhythms, the geographical response to the six Qi positional nodes, and the supreme principles mentioned in Tian Yuan Ji Da Lun regarding the mutual invocation of Heaven and Earth and the combination of five and six. Position refers to Earth's position; Qi refers to Heaven's Qi. Earth's positions have beginnings and endings in up-down-left-right directions; Qi has ascending-descending movements within its realms. When Heavenly Qi overlays Earthly positions, they interlace and shift relative to each other, thus it is said that Heaven and Earth differ, and the results of inquiry vary. The detailed meaning of "realm" (Guo Zhong) is found in the following chapter.] The Yellow Emperor said: How should we inquire? Qibo replied: Heavenly Qi begins with Jia (the first Heavenly Stem); Earthly Qi begins with Zi (the first Earthly Branch). When Zi and Jia combine, it is called "Sui Li" (Establishment of the Year). Carefully observe the timing, and the Qi can be anticipated. [Heavenly Qi comprises ten Heavenly Stems starting with Jia; Earthly Qi comprises twelve Earthly Branches starting with Zi. The combination of Zi and Jia constitutes Jia Zi. The convergence of Stems and Branches establishes the sixty-year cycle of annual Qi. Once established, there are times to observe and Qi to anticipate.] The Yellow Emperor said: I wish to know the beginning and end, early and late timings of the Six Qi for each year. Qibo replied: Excellent question! In the year of Jia Zi, the First Qi begins at Ke 1 (underwater mark 1) and ends at Ke 87.5; [Jia Zi is the first year of the sixty-year cycle. The First Qi is the head of the Six Qi and the Left Interstitial of Earth. It begins at Ke 1, the start of the hundred-ke water clock, at the beginning of Yin hour. It ends at Ke 87.5, meaning each step comprises 60 days and 87.5 ke. Thus, the First Qi of Jia Zi begins at the very first ke of Yin hour on the first day and ends at the fourth ke of Zi hour after sixty days. At the exact start of Zi hour, it enters the Spring Equinox solar term and transitions to the Second Qi. This applies similarly to Shen, Zi, and Chen years. The meaning of "underwater" is further explained in Class 25 of Meridians. Diagrams of the beginning and ending dates and ke for the Six Qi of Jia Zi and other years are in Volume 2 of Tu Yi.] The Second Qi begins at Ke 87.6 and ends at Ke 75; [Following the First Qi, it starts at Ke 87.6, reaching the exact start of Zi hour. Adding the remaining 87.5 ke from the sixty days of the Second Qi, it ends at Ke 75, reaching the fourth ke of Xu hour. Subsequent logic follows this pattern.] The Third Qi begins at Ke 76 and ends at Ke 62.5; [Starts at Ke 76, beginning of Hai hour. Ends at Ke 62.5, fourth ke of You hour.] The Fourth Qi begins at Ke 62.6 and ends at Ke 50; [Starts at Ke 62.6, exact start of You hour. Ends at Ke 50, fourth ke of Wei hour.] The Fifth Qi begins at Ke 51 and ends at Ke 37.5; [Starts at Ke 51, beginning of Shen hour. Ends at Ke 37.5, fourth ke of Wu hour.] The Sixth Qi begins at Ke 37.6 and ends at Ke 25. [Starts at Ke 37.6, exact start of Wu hour. Ends at Ke 25, fourth ke of Chen hour. These 25 ke represent one-quarter of a day in the annual remainder calculation.] This is called "Chu Liu" (Initial Six), representing the Heavenly Number. [Chu Liu refers to the first six Qi starting with the Zi year. Since Heavenly Qi numbers are applied to Earthly positional steps, it is called the Heavenly Number. Subsequent cases follow this principle.]
In the year of Yi Chou, the First Qi begins at Ke 26 and ends at Ke 12.5; [Starts at Ke 26, beginning of Si hour. Ends at Ke 12.5, fourth ke of Mao hour. This applies similarly to Si, You, and Chou years.] The Second Qi begins at Ke 12.6 and ends at Ke 100 (underwater hundred marks); [Starts at Ke 12.6, exact start of Mao hour. Ends at Ke 100, fourth ke of Chou hour.] The Third Qi begins at Ke 1 and ends at Ke 87.5; [Starts at Ke 1, beginning of Yin hour. Ends at Ke 87.5, fourth ke of Zi hour.] The Fourth Qi begins at Ke 87.6 and ends at Ke 75; [Starts at Ke 87.6, exact start of Zi hour. Ends at Ke 75, fourth ke of Xu hour.] The Fifth Qi begins at Ke 76 and ends at Ke 62.5; [Starts at Ke 76, beginning of Hai hour. Ends at Ke 62.5, fourth ke of You hour.] The Sixth Qi begins at Ke 62.6 and ends at Ke 50. [Starts at exact You hour, ends at fourth ke of Wei hour. These 50 ke represent half a day (two-quarters).] This is called "Liu Er" (Six Two), representing the Heavenly Number. [Chou follows Zi, hence called Liu Er. The meaning of Heavenly Number is seen above.]
In the year of Bing Yin, the First Qi begins at Ke 51 and ends at Ke 37.5; [Starts at beginning of Shen hour, ends at fourth ke of Wu hour. This applies similarly to Yin, Wu, and Xu years.] The Second Qi begins at Ke 37.6 and ends at Ke 25; [Starts at exact Wu hour, ends at fourth ke of Chen hour.] The Third Qi begins at Ke 26 and ends at Ke 12.5; [Starts at beginning of Si hour, ends at fourth ke of Mao hour.] The Fourth Qi begins at Ke 12.6 and ends at Ke 100. [Starts at exact Mao hour, ends at fourth ke of Chou hour.] The Fifth Qi begins at Ke 1 and ends at Ke 87.5; [Starts at beginning of Yin hour, ends at fourth ke of Zi hour.] The Sixth Qi begins at Ke 87.6 and ends at Ke 75. [Starts at exact Zi hour, ends at fourth ke of Xu hour. These 75 ke represent three-quarters of a day.] This is called "Liu San" (Six Three), representing the Heavenly Number. [Yin follows Chou, hence called Liu San.]
In the year of Ding Mao, the First Qi begins at Ke 76 and ends at Ke 62.5; [Starts at beginning of Hai hour, ends at fourth ke of You hour. This applies similarly to Hai, Mao, and Wei years.] The Second Qi begins at Ke 62.6 and ends at Ke 50; [Starts at exact You hour, ends at fourth ke of Wei hour.] The Third Qi begins at Ke 51 and ends at Ke 37.5; [Starts at beginning of Shen hour, ends at fourth ke of Wu hour.] The Fourth Qi begins at Ke 37.6 and ends at Ke 25; [Starts at exact Wu hour, ends at fourth ke of Chen hour.] The Fifth Qi begins at Ke 26 and ends at Ke 12.5; [Starts at beginning of Si hour, ends at fourth ke of Mao hour.] The Sixth Qi begins at Ke 12.6 and ends at Ke 100. [Starts at exact Mao hour, ends at fourth ke of Chou hour. This underwater hundred ke corresponds to the aforementioned accumulation of twenty-four steps forming a day.] This is called "Liu Si" (Six Four), representing the Heavenly Number. [Mao follows Yin, hence called Liu Si. This constitutes the full number of one Ji (Cycle).]
Next is the year of Wu Chen. The First Qi restarts at Ke 1, continuing endlessly in this manner, cycling back to the beginning. [The Sixth Qi of the preceding Ding Mao year ended at Ke 100, indicating that the Qi numbers for the Zi, Chou, Yin, and Mao years are now exhausted, constituting one Ji. Thus, in Wu Chen year, Qi restarts at Ke 1, and the Chen, Si, Wu, and Wei years form another Ji. After Chen, Si, Wu, and Wei, the Shen, You, Xu, and Hai years form yet another Ji. This is why it continues endlessly, cycling back to the start.]
The Yellow Emperor said: I wish to know what the annual climatic indications are like. Qibo replied: Your question is thorough! When the Sun completes one circuit, Heavenly Qi begins at Ke 1; [Annual climatic indication refers to the general climate of the whole year. This summarizes the starting points of Qi numbers following the previous text. One circuit refers to one revolution around the heavens, i.e., the Jia Zi year as the head of the year.] When the Sun completes two circuits, Heavenly Qi begins at Ke 26; [Yi Chou year.] When the Sun completes three circuits, Heavenly Qi begins at Ke 51; [Bing Yin year.] When the Sun completes four circuits, Heavenly Qi begins at Ke 76; [Ding Mao year.] When the Sun completes five circuits, Heavenly Qi restarts at Ke 1, [Wu Chen year.] which is called one Ji. [As described in the previous four years, once a Ji ends, it restarts at Ke 1. Ji refers to the concept of "ending the Earthly Ji" mentioned in Tian Yuan Ji Da Lun.] Therefore, the annual Qi converges in the Yin-Wu-Xu years, in the Mao-Wei-Hai years, in the Chen-Shen-Zi years, and in the Si-You-Chou years, cycling endlessly. [The sixty-year Qi cycle flows as described in the previous four-year cycles, so after four years, the Qi returns to the beginning. Hence, Yin-Wu-Xu converge, Mao-Wei-Hai converge, Chen-Shen-Zi converge, and Si-You-Chou converge. Modern Yin-Yang practitioners only recognize these as San He (Triple Harmony) structural groups, unaware that this arises from the convergence of Qi numbers. A diagram of the Thirty-Year San He Convergence of Annual Qi is available in Volume 2 of Tu Yi.]