Chong Lu (冲禄): Striking the Auspicious Salary

In the hidden corners of BaZi patterns, there exists a special configuration known as "Chong Lu" (冲禄). It cleverly bypasses the universal rule that "Salary met with clash brings misfortune" and instead reverses the logic: through intense "clashing," it obtains an auspicious Salary that does not originally exist in the birth chart. The core principle is that the Day Master's "Official" (临官) stage — the Salary — is not present in any Earthly Branch; it hangs empty outside the chart. Only by having multiple branches that form a Six Clash (六冲) with this empty Salary can the combined force "strike" it into existence, making it available for the Day Master's use. This is a classic "hidden pattern" (暗格), and its very premise is the absence of the Salary. If the Salary were already present, clashing it would break the pattern and bring disaster.

How to Identify This Pattern

The primary condition for this pattern is that the Day Master's "Official" (Salary) Earthly Branch is completely absent from the four pillars. Then, the chart must contain multiple branches that form a Six Clash with that absent Salary, so their collective power can "strike" the empty Salary into manifestation.

Below is the table of each Day Master's Salary and its corresponding clashing branch:

Deeper Meaning of the Pattern

People born under the Chong Lu pattern often possess an extraordinary ability to "create something from nothing." The Salary represents personal foundation, salary, and blessings. Its absence in the chart suggests a weak foundation. Yet, these individuals turn passivity into activity. Through the dynamic and challenging process of "clashing," they carve out their own territory and win status and wealth.

Their life characteristics typically include:

• Strong pioneering spirit: Not content with the status quo; skilled at finding breakthroughs in blank spaces or difficulties.
• Exceptional courage and resilience: Unafraid of competition and change; able to seize fleeting opportunities amid turmoil.
• Self-reliance: Achievements come from personal effort rather than family inheritance, often leading to extraordinary success.

Of course, this pattern has two sides. Because the foundation comes from "clashing," success is often accompanied by constant movement, travel, and even conflict. Life is not easily stable. If the Day Master's own energy is weak, they cannot handle this intense pattern and may be dragged down by its turbulence.

Key Factors for Success or Failure

Whether a Chong Lu pattern succeeds and its level depend on the interplay of these forces:

• Favorable Factors (喜):

  1. Strong Day Master: The Day Master itself must be robust, or strongly supported by the Mentor (印). Only with abundant personal energy can one lead the "clashing" process and steadily receive the struck blessings, rather than being scattered by them.
  2. Numerous Strikers: The clashing branches (e.g., Yin, Shen) must be many and powerful in the chart, forming a "crowd." The stronger the clashing force, the more effective the "summoning" of the empty Salary, and the higher the pattern's level.
  3. Mentor Protection: The chart should contain the Mentor (印) that generates the Day Master, like a constant supply for a traveler. This ensures the native maintains vitality and confidence through long-term struggle and fluctuation, a crucial guarantee for success.

• Destructive Factors (忌):

  1. Salary Filled: This is the most severe taboo. If the empty Salary branch (e.g., Shen, Yin) actually appears in the original chart or in a Luck Cycle / Annual Cycle, the "empty clash" instantly becomes a "real clash." The pattern collapses, and the Salary being clashed and broken brings disaster.
  2. Striker Combined: If the clashing branch is "bound" by a Six Combination or Three Combination (e.g., Yin combined with Hai), it becomes "greedy for combination and forgets to clash," losing its striking power. The pattern cannot start.
  3. Warlord Attacks the Day Master: A strong Warlord (七杀) appears in the Heavenly Stems and directly attacks the Day Master (e.g., Geng Day sees Bing Fire Warlord; Jia Day sees Geng Metal Warlord). This severely drains the Day Master's strength, making it unable to bear or enjoy the blessings from the struck Salary. The pattern naturally fails.

Classical Text Evidence

"San Ming Tong Hui" (三命通会)

This pattern: For example, Geng's Salary is Shen. If the chart has no Shen but has a Geng Yin day pillar, and the year, month, and hour pillars also have Yin, then multiple Yin branches strike out Shen as Geng's Salary. Jia's Salary is Yin. If the chart has no Yin but has a Jia Shen day pillar, and the year, month, and hour pillars also have Shen, then multiple Shen branches strike out Yin as Jia's Salary. The great taboo is Bing harming Geng, or Geng harming Jia, or the Salary branch being filled; then it is not noble. Other cases follow by analogy. Examples: Ji-Si, Ding-Chou, Geng-Yin, Wu-Yin; Xin-Si, Yi-Wei, Jia-Shen, Ren-Shen; Yi-Mao, Jia-Shen, Xin-Mao, Xin-Mao. These three charts match the pattern and are noble.

Modern Interpretation: The text explains the pattern's formation in detail. For example, Geng Metal's Salary is Shen. If the chart has no Shen but the day pillar is Geng Yin, and the year, month, and hour pillars also have Yin, multiple Yin branches can combine to strike out the empty Shen as the Salary. Similarly, Jia Wood's Salary is Yin. If the chart has no Yin but has a Jia Shen day pillar, and other pillars have multiple Shen, they can strike out Yin as the Salary. The most taboo is the Warlord attacking the Day Master in the Heavenly Stems (Bing harming Geng, or Geng harming Jia), or the Salary branch being filled. If violated, the pattern is not noble. Other Day Masters follow the same logic. The three example charts at the end all match this pattern, hence they indicate nobility.