Treatise on Armament Technology

If the calculation yields One or Eight, black silk is appropriate; for Four or Nine, red silk is appropriate; for Two or Five, yellow silk is appropriate; for Six or Seven, white silk is appropriate; and for Three, green silk. These are for the use of the Great OneTaiyi (太乙), the supreme celestial deity in this divination system, whose movements govern fate and military success., and the symbolic meanings of these colors correspond to the numerical results of the calculation.

The absence of the number Five in a calculation indicates that the Great and Lesser GeneralsKey symbolic markers in a Taiyi cosmic map representing the high command. are "blocked and shut in without a door" A metaphor for being strategically trapped or unable to find a path to victory..

When selecting a position for the troops, one should ascend to high ground. The Great General must reside on the high ground; this is known as "avoiding the terrestrial deficiency," referring to the low-lying or sunken terrain of the Southeast In traditional Chinese cosmography, the heavens tilt northwest and the earth sinks toward the southeast; staying on high ground avoids the symbolic and physical "leakage" of energy.. If acting as the hostThe defender or the party reacting to an attack., one must clearly understand the guest’s calculationThe numerical strength or strategic position of the attacker.; this value is not found where the Great One resides, but rather in the "palace" or sector from which the calculation was derived.

EssentialWhenever deploying troops upon the open plains where banners and drums are visible to both sides: the one who moves first is the guest, and the one who responds later is the host. If the guest’s calculation is harmonious and favorable, then at the moment of engagement, it is appropriate to move the troops first. If the host’s calculation is harmonious and favorable, then at the moment of engagement, it is appropriate to respond only after the enemy has moved. When deploying the army, one should move toward the direction indicated by the calculation; for example, if the calculation results in Sixteen, the army should set out in that specific direction.