Is fortune telling accurate in class?

Does anyone know what "primitive man" is?

Witches and doctors in ancient China come down in one continuous line. Witchcraft includes medical skills, and witchcraft actually grows up in the process of exploring medical skills.

Witches are the earliest doctors. Witches in primitive society are people who specialize in expelling diseases and evil spirits for patients. There is a word "witch" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, and a witch is a doctor.

Huangdi initiated the medical era. He attached great importance to invention and creation, and gathered many famous doctors, such as Ji and Qi Bo, who tried to cure all diseases with a hundred herbs, Ma Shihuang, who was proficient in surgery and was good at veterinary medicine, and Lei Gong, the Returned Overseas Chinese Area, etc. all knew how to treat diseases. China's earliest and most systematic monograph on medical theory, Huangdi Neijing, was written in the name of Huangdi and discussed with Qi Bo, Lei Gong and others.

After entering the class society, witches' duties are still based on medical skills, and witchcraft is spread all over the people. During the ten years of Zuozhuan's success, a wizard named Sangtian predicted that Gong Jing would die soon, so he went to a consultation and thought that Gong Jing was terminally ill. The diagnosis of Sangtian and Icahn is consistent.

China got rid of the witch doctor era from the Zhou Dynasty. Medical skills gradually separated from witchcraft. Zhou Li listed Wu Zhu in "Uncle Chun Guan" and doctors in "Tianguan Notes". This record shows that doctors and witches are separated, and medical technology has entered an increasingly scientific era.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, witch doctors opposed each other. Bian Que proposed that there are six incurable diseases, and those who believe in witchcraft but not medicine are all incurable diseases. After the separation of witch doctors, those engaged in medical skills were called alchemists. Of course, alchemists also include other professions. There is a word in the history books called "alchemist". For example, On Su Wenzhizhen: "I gave an alchemist, but the alchemist didn't use it perfectly." "Historical Records of the First Qin Emperor": "There are many grammars. If you want peace, the alchemist wants to learn the elixir. " Most alchemists are proficient in medicine. In the Han Dynasty, Ban Gu still called the famous doctor the alchemist in Han Art and the records in the literature: "Anyone who is good at prescriptions is born with tools, and Wang Guan is also. There were Qi Baishi and Dai Yu in ancient times, Bian Que and Qin in the Middle Ages ... Han Xing got Cang Gong. "

Medical books are the most in alchemy literature. Ancient medical skills were differentiated from witchcraft and were mostly alchemists. So it is not surprising that medical skills are included in alchemy.

Huangdi Neijing is a foundational monograph of traditional medicine in China, and it is still an authoritative ancient book. This is recorded in Ji Fanglue of Hanshu Yiwenzhi.

There are seven medical books in Ji Fang category of Hanshu Yiwenzhi, with a total of 2 16 volumes. Eleven classics, 274 volumes. Ban Gu said: "Doctors, the blood vessels, meridians, bone marrow, yin and yang of primitive people, take the root of all diseases to distinguish life and death, and use ancient soup and fire to adjust the medicines in the right position."

There are classic prescriptions, such as the classic method of decoction and the taboo of Shennong Huangdi. Ban Gu said: "Classic prescriptions, ancient cold and warm drugs, shallow and deep diseases, and the taste of fake drugs are suitable because of qi, and five bitterness and six bitterness are distinguished, and the sum of water and fire is used to clear the knot, and vice versa."

Ancient alchemists and physicians were not absolutely separated. Bian Que, Hua Tuo, Ge Hong, Sun Simiao and others are all famous doctors and alchemists. Sun Simiao is the author of 30 volumes of Qian Jin Fang, 3 volumes of Fu Lu Lun, 1 volume of Shi Lu and 1 volume of Pillow Book.

Many medical books in Song Dynasty were written by folk alchemists. According to Biography of the History of Song Dynasty, Liu Hanyi presented 30 volumes of practical prescriptions, and Zhou Shizong appointed him as the medical officer of Hanlin. After entering the Song Dynasty, he participated in the revision of medical books. Chong 'an carefully studied the secretaries of Lingshu, Tai Su and Cargill and made an Addendum to Materia Medica.

The literature of Fang Shu is based on the theory of five elements, but the principle of five elements in medical books lacks strict science. According to Biography of the History of the Song Dynasty, Qian Yi, a famous doctor, was famous for his cranial prescription at first, and then he was awarded Hanlin medicine in Shi Jing for treating princess royal's female disease. When the prince is ill, it will be fine to drink the yellow land soup. Zong Shen asked about the symptoms of loess and said to him,' When the soil is better than the level, the wind will stop.' This explanation of "controlling water with soil" is absurd to modern people.

Until the Qing dynasty, there were still many doctors who preferred witchcraft. According to the Records of Arts and Literature in Qing Dynasty, Weide Wang, a native of Jiangsu Province, wrote Surgical Life, Yongning Shu Tong and Authentic Divination.

Medical books are the most useful in alchemy literature. In Qing Dynasty, more than 20 kinds of medical books were compiled from Yongle Dadian. For example, Zou Xuan's New Book on Longevity and Pension is a book that is beneficial to people's health. It records the methods of food handling, medicine and care. Guangdong Higher Education Press published an annotated edition in 1985. The bibliography includes tonic medicine method, planting, maintenance, taking medicine, storing medicine, receiving prescription, eating prescription and so on. The book pays attention to dietotherapy and introduces the efficacy of radish, lily and other items, which is simple and easy to do. These methods are actually the summary of working people's health care experience and need to be carefully summarized and popularized.

Since the Han dynasty, people have a kind of discrimination against foreigners, because in the eyes of the world.

Compared with the "proper occupation" such as promoting to a higher position and making a fortune, in the early Han Dynasty, it was inevitable that there was a suspicion of "doing nothing right". Zhong Song and Jia Yi said that the alchemist's trip was "humble", "respecting the official and respecting the world", and "the husband's prophet was humble and simple" (Historical Records and Biographies of the Japanese), but at the same time, people had a curious reverence for others and always looked at them with a mysterious eye.

In fact, alchemists, like ordinary people, can be classified, and there are also rich and poor.

The identity of the "alchemist class" is extremely complicated. From the perspective of employment, there are "full-time" and "part-time"; In style and taste, there are "elegance" and "vulgarity"; In terms of the nature of activities, some are "pedants" who are committed to numerology research, and some are "Jianghu factions" who sell skills to make money. Their status and family background are also very different, some from aristocratic families, and some from the lower classes of Balinese. If we classify the alchemists since the Western Han Dynasty, they can be roughly divided into pedants, hermits, monks and Taoists, diners, businessmen and charlatans.

(A) pedant type

"pedantic" alchemists often come from the intellectual class. They are best at studying numerology, exploring methods and writing books. The generation, transformation and spread of fortune telling are inseparable from their creation and arrangement. They often study numerology or push people's lives part-time. As far as their identity is concerned, most of them belong to the "scholar" class of feudal society, that is, feudal intellectuals. Rainbow Chong was a great thinker in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, which laid the theoretical foundation of numerology. Li Sheng was a scholar in the Tang Dynasty. He made fortune-telling more perfect. Wan Minying in Ming Dynasty and Yuan Shushan in modern times were both quick-witted and brilliant. In fact, without the participation and creation of feudal scholars, it is impossible to have the skills we see today. This is because, on the one hand, the magic number itself has been integrated into the yin and yang, the five elements, gossip and easy numbers, orthodoxy, Buddhist consciousness and so on. Therefore, from beginning to end, China's magic has strong rational characteristics; On the other hand, the internal mechanism of arithmetic is more and more rigorous, dialectical, complex and organized, which requires a deep understanding of astronomical phenomena and clear logical thinking ability; On the other hand, people need to know politics, economy and the world if they want to speculate on good luck and longevity. The profundity of mathematics determines that the "magician" who invents calculation must have profound philosophical theory, rigorous speculative accomplishment, rich social experience, superb social activity ability and eloquent oral and written expression ability. So the feudal "scholar" class with these objective requirements consciously or unconsciously participated in or undertook the invention, transformation and continuous integration of fortune telling, so that their ideology, values and ethics were revealed everywhere in fortune telling.

(2) Hermit type

Hermit alchemists are another feature. Most of them are "strangers" and "experts" They have rich and rational ideas, but they often avoid the world, especially the dangerous and dark officialdom. It seems that the traditional social structure itself has the function of creating "hermits", which has existed in almost every dynasty. Without thinking, you are not called a hermit, and a hermit is often a knowledgeable person with no life experience, who is proactive and sees through sinister causes. Therefore, most of them have the characteristics of aloof personality, naive self-esteem, widowhood, valuing righteousness over wealth, and are proficient in tactics, but there is absolutely no copper stink psychology of businessmen greedy for money; They care about people's lives and will never play tricks that will cater to them. Although Sima Yi in the Han Dynasty set up four shops in the city to sell divination, as Jia Yi said, "I heard that ancient saints who did not live in the imperial court must be among the diviners." Jia Yi said that respecting officials and being generous is the residence of sages, but Sima Yi, the master, boasted: "It is shameful for the public to call sages today. Modesty forward, fiber trend; Lead the situation with potential and guide the other side to benefit; Compared with Zhou, accepting public services in order to respect reputation; Self-interest, abolishing the main law and hunting farmers; Taking the official as the prestige, taking the law as the opportunity, and making profits against violence are tantamount to robbing people with a white blade. " His treacherous "virtuous" face is a slap in the face.

(3) Fairy Road Type

The alchemists of "Sangdao" are monks and Taoists. Some of them are proficient in astrology and numerology, but quite a few of them are only "half bottle" level. Their main purpose is only to hold classes for donors and draw lots to show the bodhisattva's heart. Master of Buddhism and Taoism, who is proficient in life science, had a group of monks in the Tang Dynasty. The famous da Yan Li is said to have been invented by him. From astronomical geography to personnel customs, it can be said that there is nothing he does not know. In the Song Dynasty, there were monks Zanning, Chenghua and Daohong. Many important people have seen their lives for them three times in the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty. For example, "A Record of Dong Xuan" records that when Lv Huiqing took part in Xi Ning's political affairs for eight years, he was in power, but the monk Chenghua decided to "avoid and stay". When Cai Yuanchang and his brothers went to the province to try, they also came to seek fate. "When you ask for life, you can get ahead." "Zhai refueling record" also said that Wang Anshi begged for a strike in Yuanfeng, but he didn't approve it for two months and went to Chenghua again. Chenghua said, "Thirty years ago, I cared for Xianggong all my life, but now I am the Prime Minister. What else can I ask? "

Today, there are countless examples of prominent people going to temples to ask the master for fortune telling. For example, during the northern expedition to Nanchang, Chiang Kai-shek asked for a visa in a small temple near Niuhang Station. He went back to his hometown to learn to fight in the temple and asked Master Lang Qing to read eight characters, which played an important psychological role in his decision to re-enter the mountain. As for the common people, it is more common to go to the temple Taoist temple to ask for a sign, burn incense and start a fortune-telling class. In the eyes of these good men and women, the master of Buddhism and Taoism is far away from the world, and there is neither the intrigue of literati nor the copper smell of businessmen who are mercenary. It is the most objective and practical to judge by them. I'm afraid this is the main psychological factor for fortune tellers to integrate with Buddhist and Taoist monks from birth!

Diner type

"Diner" alchemist is also a major feature of China. The rise of "diners" began in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The "guest" is attached to the master, who is responsible for "supporting the guest", and there are more than 3,000 people. The "diners" fortune tellers are also attached to a master, and usually take refuge in the homes of princes and nobles, or wander among the literati, predict their future, avoid misfortune, or act as "counselors" or "military advisers". Since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, many bureaucrats and literati have often had such warlocks. They are not only distinguished guests at home, but also "accompany guests" on behalf of the host. When gathering relatives and friends at family banquets, the host often "takes a seat in advance". For example, there was such a warlock at Li Gugu's home in Zhenyuan, Tang Dynasty. Li Gugu once hosted a banquet for Huang Pubi, Jia Zhi and others 10, and asked him to take care of the life of every visitor. He looked at it and said, "Within ten days, there will be a great disaster." Sure enough, at a banquet, the pavilion collapsed, one person died on the spot and the others were injured. According to Shan Ye's Continued Hunan, there were also such "diners" in Su Yijian in the Song Dynasty. He not only calculated for the host, but also taught classes for the guests coming and going. In the Ming dynasty, this kind of atmosphere was even more prosperous. The emperor often has warlocks around him, making policies, marching and fighting, appointing ministers and asking them everything. Warlocks became special advisers to feudal rulers. So did the emperor, and ministers followed suit. A fortune teller named Tong Yin is always with Shi Heng, the minister of Ming Yingzong. This situation was recorded in Biography of Ji Fang in the Ming Dynasty, not to mention in unofficial history such as note novels. Until today, we can still see this kind of "diners" warlock in some families. The difference is that the current fortune-telling activities are often associated with "foreknowledge" and "Qigong".

(5) Business type

"Shang" alchemists mainly refer to those "Japanese" and "fortune tellers" who are listed for business and opening stores. Sima Yi, the owner of the Western Han Dynasty, opened the door in the market to sell divination. Since then, "divination" can be seen everywhere in the city. They either wrote a book saying, "Wuzhong is famous for its art, and the golden drum is a family heirloom" ("Suzhou Official History"), or posted it on the door, "Ingenious plan is easy to calculate, and every life is sealed with gold and San Qian" ("Jin Ping Mei"). This kind of "boss" existed before the opening of Suoguo Temple in Song Dynasty. At that time, it was also called "phase supervisor", and in York's Historical Records, a fortune teller also marked his door as "life supervisor". Some "shops" are shops and sheds, while others are relatively fixed booths and mats. Their purpose is very clear, that is, performing arts and doing business and making money by fortune telling. Basically, this kind of fortune teller can still look at people's lives according to the format and requirements of numerology. Some people are accurate, so they are also famous, so that people who look for them are coming one after another. However, after all, opening a shop to sell divination is for profit. If some words are said according to the original intention of numerology, they will be slapped in the face and scare away the guests. Therefore, once fortune-telling is used as a means of making profits, it will inevitably have a tendency to cater to fate and deviate from the original intention of numerology, and even start the first step for it to go to the rivers and lakes.

(6) Jianghu type

The alchemists of the "Jianghu" school are completely different. Their characteristic is wandering around, just as the Seven Manuscripts said: "Most of the vagrants in the rivers and lakes rely on the stars to predict their fate, and they go to Yuetai counties to make a living." They are destined to make money, and numerology theory and fortune-telling methods are only used for them in form. The more powerful "charlatans" only use the "tricks" in fortune telling. For example, Yuan Shushan said in the postscript of "The Origin of Numerology": "The study of astrology ... people who accumulate knowledge can't learn it, so they are tired of it: tourists don't talk about it, but talk about it." However, more "charlatans" cheat money with clever words under the guise of fortune telling. As early as the Western Han Dynasty, Jia Yi said: "It is said in the world that fortune tellers exaggerate their strictness to gain human feelings, while empty people make promises to express their wishes, to hurt people's hearts by saying disasters, to make ghosts and gods do their best, and to ask for gratitude to be selfish." (Historical Records Biography of Japanese) Therefore, although they read aloud for fortune-telling, they only scare people with proper terms of fortune-telling, and the essence of their methods is quite different from fortune-telling. For example, the phrase "father died before mother" commonly used by charlatans can be interpreted in at least four ways: first, the mother is alive and the father is dead; Second, my mother died before my father was alive; Third, it is possible that when both parents are alive, the father or mother will die first; Fourth, when both parents die, the father or mother dies first. Ambiguous and mysterious words like this can make people guess and imagine at will, which is a unique skill of "charlatan".

Although the identity types of alchemists are different, they are consistent in predicting good and bad luck in the future. Therefore, after a long period of experience, numerologists are required to have overall quality in learning, morality, methods and other aspects. Yuan Shushan's exploration of the origin of numerology, the so-called "Ten Essentials of One-Week Family", is of great reference value for us to understand the psychological outlook of warlocks. The "Ten Elements of a Star Family" is briefly introduced as follows:

(1) learning

If you want to be an alchemist, you must first be academically proficient. "If you are not proficient in academics and have few believers, you will be more eager to start a career, and those who are prepared for danger in times of peace will have more hope." How can I master it? The key is to read more books and get to the bottom of it "Not only should we read more books about stars, but all scholars who have books about stars in classics, history, philosophers and collections should also choose to read." Only by widely covering the World Expo can we not only increase our knowledge, but also benefit our body and mind. "If we use the Tao, we will know whether it is good or bad, and we will be easy to talk." If you are self-disciplined, you will be reasonable and have a noble personality. "Therefore, Yuan Shushan attaches great importance to learning. He said: "Those who are interested in learning should know this first. "

(2) constantly changing

The alchemist should not stick to numerology, but look at the problem flexibly and dialectically. Lu's theory of destiny may not always be verified, but in general, it can be fulfilled in nine cases out of ten. The reason for not taking the exam is either because the mountains and rivers are different, or because of the disparity in family morality. There is also a line between good and evil, and a temporary disaster may change its nature and affect its fate. Therefore, if astrologers want to be perfect, they must pay attention to these "ever-changing" factors and "consult his mountains and rivers with human physics."

(3) Speech

An alchemist should be good at expressing himself in words, or be eloquent, but he should not talk nonsense, but be faithful. Elegant and calm, avoid flattery, meanness and impatience, grasp the key points without missing details, and express clearly without losing complexity.

(4) Stews

That is, the heart should be upright, the character should be virtuous, see no evil, don't listen to evil, don't say evil, don't move if you are evil. The key to a person's quality is his words and deeds, and the display of clothes is secondary. If you can do this, you will be more trustworthy and famous.

(5) Integrity

An alchemist should be honest and self-disciplined and take corruption as a warning. The so-called honesty does not mean that you need to be paid if you don't want money, do your best, tell each other advice, and persuade the good to avoid evil. This is called "letting nature take its course", and you get what you deserve, no matter how much, you are honest; On the other hand, if you don't fulfill your responsibilities, or lie to others, and get paid in this way, it belongs to "reverse taking". Any reverse take, no matter how much, belongs to corruption. Therefore, people should "take what they see" and "get what they want".

(6) diligence

The alchemist should be event-oriented, regardless of personal grievances, and put the interests of the country and the people first. Pushing politicians, we should encourage them to be loyal to the monarch and love the people and show their ancestors; When calculating for the magistrate, listen to the complaint with an open mind and don't be impulsive; For Wu Zhi personnel, we should persuade them to take the lead and defend their country; If you count for a father with children, you can persuade him to receive education at the same time. In addition, we should persuade the rich to learn more, the smart to learn more, the farmers to work hard, the workers to be skilled and the businessmen to be honest. These are the bounden duties of a star family, and we must know them.

(7) Police encouragement

We should encourage the world to understand life. That is, life is the foundation of everything. Without life, people can't look after their parents, raise their wives and even lose their lives. Therefore, if you meet people who are poor and unemployed, you must encourage them to abandon the big and stand on their own feet, and let them know the old sages' motto: "It is better to help yourself than to ask for help" and "be flexible".

(8) Treat life

The alchemist should first understand that Guan Zi said that "the granary knows etiquette, food and clothing know honor and disgrace" and Mencius said that "those who have perseverance have perseverance, and those who have no perseverance have no perseverance", so as to persuade people not to squander when they are proud, buy more perseverance, and persuade Dudu to keep to the old business to avoid ruin. These are all necessary comments by alchemists.

(9) Help the poor

The alchemist should understand the importance of the relationship between words and deeds, and take care of the lives of the poor and embarrassed. Although he really didn't have any good luck in his life, he shouldn't say it, which cut off his hope. We should gently persuade him: "Fortune is rich, hard-working and well-off, it is not difficult to develop, and you can be thrifty in your career." This is not hypocritical flattery, only in this way can he save his life. Such people don't want money, don't want money. The star family can't give money directly. It is also appropriate to give some wisdom to help the poor.

(10) abstinence

When inferring family and marriage, alchemists should advise people that "the friendship between the poor and the humble should not be forgotten, and the wives of the dross should not be kept in court", and that "it is not easy to get a wife if you are rich" prohibited by the ancient philosophers, so as to make the piano and instruments harmonious and make adults beautiful. The remarriage of concubines and widows should also be judged according to their living conditions and children's interests. In short, it is also the unshirkable responsibility of the star family to maintain weathering.

The above ten points are the specific requirements for the quality of the other party. It can be said that it includes all aspects of how to be a man and how to be a qualified alchemist. Ordinary people will also be moved by his loyalty and kindness. However, after all, this is only the expectation for warlocks. It may not be easy to really do this, but it has a motto of self-motivation, so it should be fully affirmed. As for some of these views, such as asking politicians to be loyal to the monarch and persuading widows with children to "come through thick and thin, and be lonely and sober", it seems that their feudal consciousness is so strong that there is no need to talk about it.

Although fortune tellers are bound by the standard of "Top Ten Necessities for Star Families", their life experiences are different due to their different status. Some hermit alchemists are not short of successful people in their lives, but they are indifferent to power and money and always live a carefree life. As mentioned earlier, Fang Shiyu in Yuan Dynasty was such a free and easy gentleman. He was "drunk and lonely." Those who follow his mental arithmetic, drunk as a pen fairy, slightly aware, instantly said a thousand words. The past has been greatly tested, and everyone thinks it is different. " According to the Records of Jinhua Prefecture, there was also an alchemist named Rixin Liu at the end of Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of Ming Dynasty. Before Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, he was told to push his life. He calculated that Zhu Yuanzhang was "extremely rich" all his life, and several distribution schools around him were also the orders of the duke. Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed. Later, when he became emperor, he called Rixin Liu and asked him if he wanted to be an official. He said no and asked him how much he wanted. He also saidno. Zhu Yuanzhang saw that he was rich and expensive, so he asked him what he wanted. Rixin Liu said, I just want a symbol that can travel around the world. Zhu Yuanzhang wrote a poem according to the fan in his hand: "An old man in the south of the Yangtze River is full of stars; If I were king, I should be immortal. Not for officials, not for gold; Take this fan and travel around the world. " The name of the department, the knowledge of the royal treasure, Rixin Liu used this time to travel around the world, satisfied.

There are "retired" alchemists and "enterprising" stars. According to Shao Zhuan, in the Northern Song Dynasty, there was an alchemist named Liu, who lived in seclusion in the Leopard Forest Valley. When he went to see the warlock Chen Tuan, he said, "People come from Germany, but officials have nothing to do with it." Doesn't seem to care about promotion. However, because of his famous knowledge of the destiny of the stars, Zhenzong summoned him, but he still went, and he also became a doctor of advice and an assistant minister of the Ministry of Industry. This kind of coy "hermit" warlock, to some extent, masked the deep-seated pursuit of "enterprising" mentality, and those life scholars who lobbied between the emperor and the scholar-officials were obviously "impure" and deliberately did it. It's like some scholars humming the tune "Decline, Decline, Hu Bugui" in their mouths, putting on a posture of abandoning officials and retiring, disdaining official career, but always staring at their own jobs and thinking about how to take the "shortcut to the south" all day. The difference is that scholars focus on "literature" for progress and "technique" for development, which can be described as the same goal. The "literary talent" is obvious, and naturally some people appreciate it. The "technique" is refined and some people praise it. In contrast, alchemists have their convenience, because it is obviously easier to shuttle among powerful people like warlocks than other identities. What's more, people who study and live can rely on the wealth of their customers, that is, once they aim at some people who may break out, they can mysteriously assert that they are "expensive" and "cherish" or make a promise that they will be rich in the future.

There are really countless people who have opened the history books and embarked on the road of being an official through fate. Wei Sou, the warlock mentioned above, made a promise that "if he wins, he will be Sima" after the death of Emperor Wu of Song Wudi. After Emperor Wu proclaimed himself emperor, Wei Sou really came to the door and said, "If you become king, don't forget Sima's words. I dare not look at Sima today, and I am willing to lead the army. " The so-called "no kidding", Song Wudi where good deadbeat, had to keep his job. In the Northern Qi Dynasty, Wei Ning was also a "museum guest". There are countless examples of this.

Business-oriented alchemists don't have many opportunities to get on the official career, but they have been pursuing the word "rich" all their lives. Some alchemists are really "richer than the monarch". For example, Wang Anshi's "Argumentation" records: "A warlock who gives a taste of discrimination is good at attracting people with strangeness. He generally serves the palace and serves the people to eat and drink, and the monarch is not as good as the people." Another example is that there was a warlock named Fei Xiaoxian at that time, and Piling Collection said that he was "famous all over the world, and princes and adults walked Wan Li Road, all seeking wealth and shade, and filial piety made them rich." In Suoguo Temple in Kaifeng, fortune-telling is the most concentrated place in class. An alchemist publicly posted a list of "10,000 yuan" (Volume 7 of Old News). There is also a Sichuan alchemist who teaches here. "One life is worth a thousand, and life is discussed overnight." (In your ear's collection) Throughout the ages, many people made their fortune by attending classes and even became very rich.

Ordinary alchemists also pay special attention to their clothes, as if they could recognize them at a glance as "arithmetic". Most of what is said in history is "well-dressed", with elegant clothes, exquisite furnishings, decent manners and supercilious. Especially in novels, there are often descriptions of warlocks. For example, Wu Shenxian, a warlock, was described in the 29th chapter of Jin Ping Mei, saying, "That Wu Shenxian came from outside, dressed in green and talking about daojin, with a robe and sandals, a yellow silk sash around his waist and a turtle shell fan in his hand." Although "Ten Essentials of Star Family" emphasizes that "seeing, listening, speaking and doing are the foundation, and wearing is the last", after all, doing a line has to be like a line, especially at the beginning of fortune telling. The warlock's temperament and image may have a direct psychological impact on customers, so the general astrologer has to pay attention to his "clothes".

There are also some alchemists who have been down and out all their lives because of bad luck or poor skills, and even because of an unintentional remark, they have no good end. For example, in the Song Dynasty, a gentleman once came to ask two gentlemen to push the eight characters. He said that one gentleman can be the best official, and the other should be punished first. The latter was furious and killed Shi Ming with one knife, and he was indeed sentenced to death for it, so people often say that Shi Ming is better than others and blacker than himself. There was also a man in the Northern Song Dynasty who ended up in poverty. According to the third volume of Dongzhai Notes, this person set up a "Booth" class in front of Suoguo Temple in Kaifeng. One day, four young people raised their hands and asked him to tell a fortune. He calculated and exclaimed, "In one day, there are four prime ministers!" These four men really became prime ministers later, but at that time they thought that this man was flattering, "taking care of him and laughing at him" and being ridiculed. Since then, his reputation has been ruined, and no one has ever killed him again. By the time the four prime ministers remembered the celebrity and even tried to write a biography for him, it was too late. The celebrity had already died of poverty and hunger.

With the alchemists, some are richer than the king, and some are poor and starve to death, but the warlock's own fate is enough to make people sigh.

The history of the alchemist dz365.cn/nzt/his/fangshidelishi/index.shtml