“12 Chinese double-hours × 1,000 poems each.?

 Tieban Shenshu (鐵板神數) corpus of 12,900 verses isn’t simply “12 Chinese double-hours × 1,000 poems each. ”
The structure is more complex because the verse numbering is the product of multiple layered factors, not just the 十二時辰 division.

Here’s the clearer breakdown:

 
1. The 12 Double-Hours Are One Layer
Yes, in classical Chinese timekeeping there are 12時辰 (each 2 modern hours):
子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥.
Birth time (時辰) is one of the primary keys in the Tieban Shenshu calculation — it fixes your “命宮” (Life Palace) starting position in the verse lookup.
 
2. Multiple Dimensions Multiply Together
The verse number is not assigned only by the 時辰. It is determined by combining:

Birth Year Stem & Branch (年柱)
Birth Month Number (月建)
Birth Day (日數)
Birth Hour (時辰)
Ke刻 / Quarter (first, second, or sometimes third quarter of the double-hour)
Derived Hexagram or Yao Change from the image-number calculation
Sum & Transformations — the final number is reduced or expanded according to internal rules until it points to one specific verse in the 12,900 corpus.
 
3. Why 12,900 and Not 12,000
If it were simply 12 double-hours × 1,000 verses = 12,000, the math would be straightforward — but Tieban Shenshu contains 12,900 verses because:

The number 900 extra verses comes from adjustments for special birth combinations, leap months, and “heavenly adjustments” (添減法).
In some transmitted methods, the base number 12,960 (12×30×36) is reduced by removing verses for inauspicious or “sealed” combinations, leaving 12,900 active ones.
This structure aligns with other Chinese cosmological number systems (e.g., 60 Jiazi × 216), not just the 12 hours.
 
4. The 12-Hour Layer in Practice
When you open a Tieban Shenshu manual:

The 時辰 often determines the starting block of verses you will search in.
From there, other calculations narrow down to one exact verse out of the 12,900.
 

Introduction: What Is Tieban Shenshu, Really?

Most who’ve heard the name Tieban Shenshu translate it as Iron Plate Divine Calculations or The Iron Book of Fate. But neither translation fully captures what it is—nor what it means to the human soul.

It is not a horoscope.

Not merely a fortune-telling method.

And certainly not a folkloric curiosity meant for back-alley mystics or carnival tents.

Tieban Shenshu is the most precise, poetic, and uncannily accurate system of life revelation to survive from imperial China.

It is part scripture, part cipher.

Part psychological mirror, part divine sentence.

And it dares to do the unthinkable:

Reveal your entire life—before it happens.

In verse.

Down to the year, the role, the sickness, the glory, and the grief.

But when approached with reverence, Tieban doesn’t just describe fate.

It offers a path to understanding—and even rising above—it.

The Myth and the Method
The most well-known origin story links the method to a Song dynasty philosopher named Shao Yong—a figure deeply immersed in what we might call “image-number cosmology.” Some say he developed the early formula and passed it to his son as a secret book called The Fool’s Calculations—so exact that even someone with no learning could use it, if they followed the method precisely.

But Shao never published it. The full working system as we know it was preserved and refined during the Ming and Qing dynasties, especially by a mysterious recluse known only as the Iron Wayfarer—who solidified the structure and gave the system its current name.

“Iron Plate” refers to the fact that once your verse is given, it cannot be changed.

It is fixed. Like metal. Like fate.

But the method behind it is astonishingly complex.

It begins with your birth year, month, day, and hour.
These are used to calculate a cosmological base.
From there, it blends several systems: Four Pillars of Destiny (BaZi), Purple Star Astrology (Zi Wei Dou Shu), the cycle of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, transformations of the Book of Changes (I Ching), symbolic number formulas, and resonance-based matching.
Even your family members are factored in—through generational order and zodiac sign.
Then, your identity is matched to one of more than 12,000 fixed verses—each a poetic summation of a specific life.
This isn’t casting coins or drawing cards.

This is celestial bookkeeping—Heaven’s bureaucracy, rendered in symbolic verse.

The Verse That Reads You
According to Tieban, every person is born with a “fixed number.”

That number determines your verse.

And that verse is your echo in Heaven’s archive.

Here’s a sample:

“Red dust stirs the traveler’s robe—
three rivers crossed, two loves lost.
His fortune blooms not in spring,
but in the dry wind of middle years.”
This isn’t a set of instructions. It’s a reflection.

And in that reflection, if you’re honest, you may begin to see:

The poetic logic behind your choices and experiences
The rhythm beneath seasons you once thought were random
The shadow of dreams, longings, or regrets you never fully understood
Destiny and Freedom: A Daoist Paradox
Tieban Shenshu does not imprison the soul.

It illuminates the soul—through timing, rhythm, and inner design.

Traditional Daoism has long taught that while Heaven may set a pattern, it is not there to be resisted. It is to be moved with—like a river’s flow, not a wall to climb.

This is not fatalism. It’s resonance.

A tree does not argue with its season.

It simply flowers when the time is right.

Tieban doesn’t give you permission to blame fate.

It gives you perspective—and then asks what you’ll do with it.

The freedom it offers is not the power to be anything.

It is the power to be yourself, fully and clearly—once you understand your design.

Why This Book Matters Now
In a time of spiritual confusion, identity breakdown, and relentless distraction, Tieban Shenshu does something rare:

It tells the truth—not the one you want, but the one that already lives beneath your skin.
It restores mystery—not by hiding things, but by revealing deeper layers.
It treats destiny with dignity—not as something to fear, but something to walk with.
To work with Tieban is to return to a sacred view of time—where numbers are not abstract and words are not casual.

It reawakens the sense that your life has a rhythm. And that the moment you were born carried meaning.

A Word of Caution
This book is not for passive readers.

It’s for seekers—for those willing to look honestly at their life and be seen.

If you’re here for fortune-telling, amusement, or to find an easy answer—this won’t satisfy.

But if you’re here to recognize yourself in something older than memory,

If you’re willing to be read as well as to read,

If you want to touch the shape of the contract you signed before you could speak—

Then you are ready.

Let us walk together through the iron pages.

The numbers have been waiting.

 

 

1136–1138

1136
蘭房花燭是前生，命中數定剋妻宮，屬鼠佳人先剋去，繼配屬猴百年長

Literal Reading:
The bridal chamber’s candles are a fate from the past life.
In this life, the numbers decree harm to the Wife Palace.
A Rat-sign beauty will be taken first.
A second wife of the Monkey sign will bring a century of longevity together.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

「蘭房花燭」→ 婚姻緣起早有定數。
剋妻宮 → 命局對元配不利。
屬鼠妻多早亡；屬猴妻則長久相守。
 

1137
運行戊子戊運強，上五年間喜非常，子運交來災殃至，懶向妝薹去整妝

Literal Reading:
When the Wuzi fortune arrives, the Wu cycle is strong.
In the first five years, joy is extraordinary.
When the Zi (Rat) fortune comes, disasters arrive.
Too lazy to approach the dressing table to make oneself up.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

戊子運 → 前半運順利喜事多，後半逢子運則禍事頻生。
「懶向妝薹去整妝」比喻心境低落、對外表或社交失去興趣，可能象徵晚期的衰頹、封閉或心灰意冷。
後期需謹慎處理人際與健康，以減少災禍衝擊。

 
1138
數交戊子喜運通，有緣折桂廣寒宮，一枝高向天邊折，萬里青雲足下生

Literal Reading:
When the numbers meet Wuzi, the joyous fortune flows smoothly.
Destined to pluck the cinnamon branch in the Moon Palace.
One branch rises high toward the edge of Heaven.
Ten thousand miles of blue clouds are born beneath your feet.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

戊子運此處為吉運，才華得展。
「折桂廣寒宮」象徵功名成就、登科及第。
「青雲足下生」比喻仕途或事業扶搖直上。
 

 

 

1133–1135

1133
運交戊子百事成，先天定數福祿肥，一門兩祿從天降，家道興隆瑞氣生

Literal Reading:
When fortune enters Wuzi, all endeavors succeed.
Heaven’s fixed numbers bring abundant blessings and wealth.
Two official titles descend upon the household from Heaven.
The family prospers, and auspicious energy arises.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

戊子運 → 此運百事順利、功名財運俱旺。
「福祿肥」比喻福氣厚重，財源廣進。
「一門兩祿」→ 家中兩人得官職或榮譽。
象徵家運興隆、門庭生輝。
 
1134
二刻生人數定明，注就堂上三子成，不惟老來多依靠，更喜富貴振家聲

Literal Reading:
Born in the second quarter, the numbers are clearly set.
It is destined that three sons will be accomplished in the family hall.
Not only will you have much support in old age,
But also rejoice in wealth and honor that bring prestige to the clan.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

二刻出生 → 命局清晰，子息數定。
三子皆成 → 各有所成，且可承家業。
晚年有依靠，且因子女成就而家聲遠播。
 
1135
申時一刻主孤孀，夫君宜配金水強，長子並定火土命，父水母火母先亡

Literal Reading:
In the first quarter of the Monkey hour, it is fated for widowhood or solitude.
The husband should be of strong Metal–Water elements.
The eldest son will certainly have a Fire–Earth life.
Father of Water, mother of Fire — the mother will pass away first.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

申時一刻 → 命帶孤寡之象。
金水旺之夫可解部分不利。
長子命局火土，為定數。
父屬水、母屬火 → 母親早逝之象明顯。

 

 

1128, 1131, 1132

1128
丙子運臨步康壯，胸羅星斗煥文章，青衫初卸珠花佩，光宗耀祖照門牆

Literal Reading:
When the Bingzi fortune arrives, you stride in health and vigor.
Your chest holds the constellations, and your writings shine brightly.
Removing the green scholar’s robe, you wear jeweled ornaments instead.
You bring glory to your ancestors and light to the family gates.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

丙子運：此運象徵身心強健、才華得展。
「胸羅星斗」→ 才華滿腹，學識廣博。
「青衫初卸」→ 脫去士子身份，進入仕途或更高地位。
光耀門庭，家族因你而榮。
 
1131
申時初刻定命元，子水妻木必姓田，兄弟三人身居二，剋去佳人又數年

Literal Reading:
Born in the first quarter of the Monkey hour, destiny is fixed.
Self is Water, wife is Wood — her surname must be Tian.
Among three brothers, you are second.
The beloved wife will pass away after several years.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

申時初刻：定命元在此刻，多主性格機敏、行動迅捷。
命局水旺，配木之妻 → 最佳合婚為田姓。
兄弟三人排行居中。
「剋去佳人」→ 婚緣不長，妻子數年後離世。
 
1132
數逢暌卦定雙親，椿萱難得兩俱存，父命屬鼠先剋去，母命屬猴悲孤身

Literal Reading:
When the number meets the Kui hexagram, the fate of the parents is determined.
It is hard for both parents to remain alive together.
The father, Rat sign, will pass away first.
The mother, Monkey sign, will sadly live in loneliness.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

暌卦（離別之卦） → 父母緣薄，難雙全。
父屬鼠先逝，母屬猴而孤。
命局顯示早年家庭變動或喪親之苦。

 

 

1125–1127

1125
辰時一刻定命宮，父母水木免刑沖，夫主金水子三本，姐妹三人你居中

Literal Reading:
At the first quarter of the Dragon hour, destiny is fixed.
Father of Water, mother of Wood — free from punishment and conflict.
A husband of Metal–Water, with three sons as the foundation.
Among three sisters, you are in the middle.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

辰時一刻 → 定命宮在此刻有穩定格局。
父母屬性水木 → 五行相生，家庭關係和諧。
夫主金水 → 避免刑沖之害，夫妻緣穩。
子息三人 → 以「三本」指三子為家業基礎。
姐妹三人 → 命主排行居中。
 
1126
六數爻成主有愛，元配剋去不自由，屬鼠佳人難偕老，再娶屬羊到白頭

Literal Reading:
Six in the count with the hexagram formed — indicates affection.
The first wife is overcome and passes away, leaving you without freedom.
A Rat-sign beauty is hard to grow old with.
Marry again to a Goat-sign woman, and you’ll reach white-haired old age together.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

「六數爻成」 → 六數落在妻宮，主情感波折。
元配剋去 → 第一任妻子不長壽或婚緣早斷。
屬鼠妻不易長久；屬羊妻則婚姻可持久至晚年。
 
1127
大運丙子喜悉分，半喜半悉兩相臨，上五年中平安好，下五年中多不平

Literal Reading:
In the great fortune of Bingzi, joy and challenges are evenly split.
Half is joy, half is sorrow — both come together.
In the first five years, all is peaceful and good.
In the last five years, much will be unsettled.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

丙子運在此命局中為喜憂參半。
前半運順利、安定；後半運多波折或不安。
預示此十年大運需在前期積累，以備後期之需。

 

 

1122–1124

 

1122
二爻初交定命宮，父庚屬鼠壽先終，慈母屬羊娛晚景，壽比南山不老松

Literal Reading:
When the second line first changes, destiny is fixed.
If the father’s stem is Rat, he will pass away early.
A kind mother of the Goat sign enjoys her later years,
With longevity like the immortal pines of Mount Nan.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

二爻初交指占卦時第二爻初變，為命宮定局的關鍵代碼。
父命帶庚子或子支 → 多早終。
母屬羊 → 命局相生，晚景安樂長壽。
「南山不老松」為長壽象徵。
 
1123
運交丙子主歡欣，凡事謀為稱心情，家門康泰添喜氣，丹桂庭前自發榮

Literal Reading:
When fortune enters Bingzi, joy and satisfaction follow.
Everything you plan will match your heart’s desire.
The household prospers with joy,
And cinnamon blossoms bloom naturally in the courtyard.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

丙子為火上水之柱，於此命局為喜神，大運主順利。
「丹桂」象徵榮譽與功名，庭前自榮表示不需外求，自然顯達。
預示此運期間家宅平安、事事順遂。
 
1124
男女宮中注得清，枝頭丹桂鳥雙鳴，因生二刻時辰定，一兄一弟家道興

Literal Reading:
The male–female palaces are clearly defined.
On the cinnamon branch, two birds sing together.
Because of being born in the second quarter,
One elder brother and one younger brother bring prosperity to the family.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

男女宮中注得清：夫妻宮、子女宮定位清晰，關係和諧。
「丹桂鳥雙鳴」象徵兄弟和睦、家道興隆。
二刻時辰決定兄弟二人之局，一兄一弟同助家運。
 

 

1117, 1118, 1121

1117
運交甲子定吉凶，上五年中百事通，交到下五子運位，懶對菱花整玉容

Literal Reading:
When fortune meets Jiazi, fate’s luck and misfortune are set.
In the first five years, everything will go smoothly.
Entering the next five years of the Zi (Rat) cycle,
One becomes too lazy to face the mirror and dress up.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

甲子運為六十甲子之首，開局順利，但後半衰退。
「上五年」象徵此運初期多事順遂。
「懶對菱花」比喻對外在或人際漸失關注，可能退隱或意氣消沉。
 
1118
一枝丹桂出廣寒，嫦娥月殿待人攀，運臨甲子游泮水，脫穎超群正不凡

Literal Reading:
A cinnamon branch grows from the Moon Palace,
Where Chang’e awaits you in her lunar hall.
When fortune reaches Jiazi, you swim in the waters of the academy,
Standing out from the crowd, truly extraordinary.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

丹桂象徵功名與科舉榮譽。
廣寒宮、嫦娥為高雅脫俗的象徵，暗指進入清貴之境。
「泮水」是古代太學旁的水池，代指入學深造或步入仕途。
預示才華脫穎而出，名列前茅。
 
1121
辰時初刻生人孤，子木妻火必姓朱，父母火土父先逝，雁行之中獨自虛

Literal Reading:
Born in the first quarter of the Dragon hour, life is solitary.
Self is Wood, wife is Fire, she must have the surname Zhu.
Father of Fire, mother of Earth — father dies first.
Among siblings, you are alone.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

辰時初刻主兄弟緣薄，性格獨立。
命局木旺配火之妻，姓朱為最佳合婚碼。
父屬火、母屬土，父先辭世之象。
「雁行獨虛」比喻同輩之中孤立無依。
 

1114–1116

1114
二刻數定子息宮，丹桂堂前一子成，不惟老來有依靠，更喜立業振家聲

Literal Reading:
Second quarter number fixes the Children Palace.
In front of the Hall of Cinnamon, one son will flourish.
Not only will you have support in old age,
He will also build a family enterprise and bring honor to the clan.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

丹桂堂（Hall of Cinnamon）是功名與科舉成功的象徵。
預示有一位優秀的男嗣，晚年得其扶持，並能振興家聲。
 
1115
子時一刻定命宮，夫主金水免刑沖，父水母火百年泰，子息非木不能成

Literal Reading:
At the first quarter of the Rat hour, destiny is fixed.
A husband of Metal–Water avoids punishment and conflict.
Father of Water, mother of Fire, will enjoy a century of peace.
Children not of Wood element cannot be accomplished.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

金水相生的夫命可免刑沖衝突。
父屬水、母屬火雖五行相剋，但在此命局中能長保平安。
子嗣命局必須含木元素，方能成材有成。
 
1116
六數逢訟定妻房，元配屬鼠必早亡，月老重訂姻緣簿，再娶屬馬才妥當

Literal Reading:
Six in the count, lawsuits fix the Wife Palace.
If first wife is Rat sign, she will die early.
When the Old Man of the Moon rewrites the marriage book,
Only by marrying a wife of Horse sign will it be proper.

Astrological / Symbolic Note:

六數逢訟：命數落在「訟」位，主妻宮有爭端。
元配屬鼠，多早亡或緣薄。
再娶屬馬，婚姻方得安穩。
 

 

本篇收錄 1111–1113 三條，皆與出生時辰、大運周期與家族緣分有關。

 
1111
子時初刻弟兄稀，妻非趙姓必分離，長子水土得全保，父母宮中數不齊

English Translation:
Born in the first quarter of the Rat hour, siblings are few.
If your wife’s surname is not Zhao, separation is inevitable.
The eldest son with Water–Earth element balance will be safe and preserved.
In the Parents Palace, the numbers are not balanced.

Notes:

子時初刻（23:00–23:15）常主孤克，兄弟稀少。
妻姓趙為相合碼，其他姓氏易生離。
長子若命局五行含水與土，則易安康。
父母宮數不齊 → 命理顯示雙親緣薄或早有一方離世。
 
1112
先天定數可無疑，父庚屬鼠必分離，萱堂屬馬安然樂，壽福綿綿山海齊

English Translation:
Heaven’s fixed number leaves no doubt.
If father’s stem is Rat, separation is certain.
If mother is Horse, she will be peaceful and joyful,
With longevity and blessings as vast as mountains and seas.

Notes:

父命帶庚子或子支 → 與命主宮位不合，主生離。
母屬馬 → 五行相生，得安樂長壽。
「山海齊」為長壽多福的成語。
 
1113
大運甲子喜重重，任意謀為無不通，若能常懷勤儉志，一生名利自然豐

English Translation:
When great fortune enters Jiazi, joy abounds.
Whatever you plan or attempt will succeed.
If you keep diligence and thrift in mind,
Your life’s fame and fortune will naturally be abundant.

Notes:

甲子為六十甲子之首，遇之為運開之時。
運旺期適合謀事、創業、出行。
勤儉為守運之道，防過盛而敗。
 
結語 Conclusion
這三條詩句涉及出生時辰與大運周期的關係，並穿插了配偶姓氏、子嗣五行、父母生肖等特徵，這正是《鐵板神數》的獨特之處：
以少量字句，將一生的重要人際、家運與時運全部編碼。

在接下來的篇章，我將繼續翻譯與解析更多條文，並揭示其中的數理推算方法。

 
延伸閱讀：
想深入瞭解《鐵板神數》12,900條的全貌與運算邏輯，請參閱我的著作：

《鐵板神數與天命之書》 — Laing Z. Matthews