孤虚术:中国古代军事占卜

The “Solitary Earthly Branches and the Deficiency of the Opposite Direction”:The Application of the Augury to the Chinese Ancient Military Affairs

古代中国入的生活伴随着各种迷信，连军事家也相信超验的力量能够影响战争的胜负。为了使自己所排布的军阵，能对准敌人最空虚的方向，古代的军事家会求助于孤虚术。“孤”和“虚”是由干支相合而产生的一组概念，孤虚术是纯用干支推算来占卜择吉的数术。当年、月、日和东、南、西、北各方向，都改写为干支形式，就可以开始孤虚术的占卜了。它的基本原理是从岁时数据出发，推算出“孤”和“虚”所在的方位，然后以“背孤击虚”的运用原则，来布置战场。孤虚术曾对古人的生活和玉壁之战等古代战例，产生过一定的影响。

In ancient times, a variety of superstitious beliefs played an important role in the lives of Chinese people. Even the militarists believed that the transcendental power can influence the victories and defeats of a war. The ancient militarists would find the opposite direction according to the Solitary Earthly Branches and consequently marshal the soldiers in rank for battle based on the theory of the ＂Solitary Earthly Branches and the Deficiency of the Opposite Direction＂. ＂Solitary Earthly Branches＂ and ＂the Deficiency of the Opposite Direction＂ are based on the concept of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. The ＂Solitary Earthly Branches and the Deficiency of the Opposite Direction＂ is a type of numerology that predicts auspicious outcomes. The diviners can apply it when the year, the month, the day and the direction of East, South, West and North are converted to the format, based on the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Therefore, people calculated the solitary Earthly Branches to find out the deficiency of the opposite direction based on the most recent data collected of the date and the orientation. The militarists deployed the troops in battle by applying the principle of attacking in the opposite direction of the Solitary Earthly Branches. As a result, the ＂Solitary Earthly Branches and the Deficiency of the Opposite Direction＂ impacted ancient people＇s lives and wars such as the Yubi Battle.