Tongguan Among the Five Yongshen Methods: Ranking Fuyi, Bingyao, Tiaohou, Zhuanwang, and Tongguan

Five doctors hand you five prescriptions. Which one do you take first? Tongguan isn't top of the list — but in certain charts, it's the only one that matters.

Xu Lewu, the Republican-era Bazi master, organized five diagnostic methods: fuyi (support-suppress), bingyao (disease-remedy), tiaohou (seasonal adjustment), zhuanwang (special patterns), and tongguan (mediation). Add pattern yongshen and favorable god, and modern Bazi uses six yongshen frameworks. Every chart produces different answers under different methods — and sometimes they conflict. Tiaohou says Fire, tongguan says Water. Which wins? This article traces the priority order from classical texts to modern practice, locating tongguan's exact position — neither the most important, nor optional.

Yongshen priority: Pattern yongshen > Tiaohou > Fuyi > Tongguan > Bingyao. Tongguan ranks fourth — fix the climate (tiaohou) and Day Master stability (fuyi) first, then circulation (tongguan). But when equal forces lock into battle, tongguan jumps to first — because nothing else works until the war is stopped.

1. The Six Yongshen Frameworks at a Glance

Fuyi (扶抑): Day Master too strong → drain or control. Too weak → support. Targets Day Master neutrality. Bingyao (病药): find the chart's 'disease' (the imbalance factor), then find the 'medicine' (what removes it). Tiaohou (调候): adjust temperature and moisture — winter charts need Fire, summer charts need Water. Tongguan (通关): bridge two clashing elements, connect their qi. Zhuanwang (专旺): for special patterns (Following, Transforming) — follow the dominant force. Pattern yongshen (格局用神): derived from the month-order pattern — what emerges from the month branch is the yongshen. Six methods, six lenses. Same chart, different answers. Some converge. Some don't.

2. Classical Priority: Pattern Is King

Three classical texts, one answer. Compendium of Three Fates (三命通会): 'In the art of fate, the month-order is the yongshen.' Divine Peak Exam (神峰通考): 'The month-order is the yongshen. Year and hour assist. The fate books end here.' Ocean of Origins (渊海子平): 'The yongshen is what hides in the month-order.' All three: month-order = yongshen. Period. But this refers to PATTERN yongshen — the pivot of the month-order structure. Later methods (fuyi, tiaohou, tongguan) address a different question: what's best for the Day Master? Relationship: pattern yongshen sets the frame. Fuyi, tiaohou, tongguan fill in the details. Pattern is king. The rest are ministers.

3. Modern Priority: Tiaohou → Fuyi → Tongguan

In modern practice: tiaohou > fuyi > tongguan. Why tiaohou first? Because it handles survival conditions. A frozen chart can't circulate — Metal frozen solid won't generate Water. A scorched chart can't circulate — Wood burnt to ash won't generate Fire. Tiaohou is the precondition for everything else. Wrong temperature = nothing works. Fuyi second: can the Day Master stand? Too weak = gets swept away no matter how good the circulation. Too strong and uncontrolled = circulation just makes it stronger and wilder. Tongguan third: foundation stable, Day Master stable — NOW optimize circulation. Exception: equal-force battle. When two forces lock into war, tongguan jumps to first — because nothing else functions while the war rages.

4. Tongguan vs Tiaohou: The Most Common Dilemma

Tiaohou says Fire. Tongguan says Water. They conflict. What now? Assess tiaohou urgency first. Winter-born, chart completely fireless → tiaohou wins (thaw the chart first, mediate later). Winter-born but not extreme cold, AND a genuine battle situation exists → tongguan wins. Another lens: check the Luck Cycles. Fire Luck coming soon? Tiaohou will be handled — prioritize tongguan now. Water Luck coming soon? Tongguan will be handled — prioritize tiaohou now. The Luck Cycle acts as a tiebreaker when natal yongshen conflict. Use what's coming to decide what to prioritize now.

5. When Only Tongguan Works: Irreplaceability

Most of the time, tongguan isn't the top yongshen. But in one scenario, it's irreplaceable: two equal forces locked in battle, all other methods fail. Fuyi can't fix a battle — it only adjusts Day Master strength, not the two-way clash. Tiaohou can't fix a battle — right temperature, same war. Removing one side ('combine away') can't fix it — equal forces means neither can be removed. Only tongguan addresses the specific problem of equal-force confrontation. That's tongguan's unique value: not universal, but in its domain, the only solution. One well-placed tongguan element can lift a chart from 'wreck' to 'decent' — a Midas touch no other yongshen method can deliver.

Dimensions

Career & Wealth

Yongshen priority = career decision priority. Pattern yongshen = big direction (industry track). Tiaohou = environment fit (location/climate/culture). Fuyi = capability match (strengthen weaknesses). Tongguan = key relationship (resolve the core conflict). Plan your career in this exact order.

Love & Relationship

Yongshen conflict = internal need conflict. Tiaohou wants Fire, tongguan wants Water — you need BOTH passion (Fire) and calm wisdom (Water). People with this internal contradiction swing in relationships. They need a partner who provides both.

Personality

Tongguan ranking fourth means these people usually don't seek the spotlight (unlike tiaohou-priority types who strongly 'want change'). But they're the team's indispensable lubricant — without them, conflicts escalate.

Health

Yongshen priority for health: tiaohou first (body temperature, cold-heat balance), fuyi second (constitutional strength), tongguan last (metabolic circulation). Treat the body in this order — stabilize fundamentals, then optimize micro-circulation.

Classical Sources

Practical Applications

Layer the yongshen in priority order : Layer 1: pattern yongshen (month-order emergence). Layer 2: tiaohou (temperature/moisture). Layer 3: fuyi (Day Master strength). Layer 4: tongguan (conflict mediation). Check for conflict at each layer — when layers clash, the higher layer wins.
One element serving multiple roles is ideal : Best case: one element simultaneously satisfies pattern, tiaohou, fuyi, AND tongguan. When the pattern yongshen also happens to be the tongguan element, its force doubles. Seek convergence.
Luck Cycles fill missing yongshen : Missing a yongshen type in the natal chart? Check the Luck Cycles. Missing tiaohou Fire → wait for Fire Luck. Missing tongguan Water → wait for Water Luck. If no Luck Cycle supplies it either — that's a genuine gap needing geographic or behavioral compensation.

Common Questions

Q: What if pattern yongshen and tongguan yongshen conflict?

Pattern wins. Pattern is the skeleton. Tongguan is blood circulation. A crooked skeleton means you won't stand straight no matter how good the circulation. Ensure pattern correctness first, then find the tongguan option within the pattern's constraints. If the pattern forbids tongguan — some patterns ARE maintained by confrontation — don't force it.

Q: Does ranking fourth mean tongguan is unimportant?

It ranks fourth not because it's unimportant, but because its application scope is narrower. Fuyi and tiaohou apply to nearly every chart. Tongguan only applies when there's a battle or circulation blockage. But when it applies — it's the ONLY solution. Importance ≠ breadth of application.