Theoretical Codification

The Song dynasty was the peak of Chinese scholarly thought, and metaphysics also underwent a transformation during this period from experiential folk art to normalized theory. The rise of Northern Song Neo-Confucianism infused metaphysics with new philosophical depth; cosmology, human nature theory, and the concept of destiny were examined within a unified rational framework. More importantly, the destiny-analysis system centered on the day stem gradually replaced the tradition centered on the year pillar, and core concepts of later Bazi metaphysics such as the Ten Gods, patterns, and useful god basically took shape during the Song. The popularization of printing enabled metaphysical classics to spread widely, and the literati class's interest in metaphysics was unprecedentedly strong, driving the standardization and academicization of metaphysical knowledge.

Key Figures

Xu Ziping — traditionally said to be a technician of the early Northern Song, who developed Li Xuzhong's three-pillar method into the four-pillar Bazi, establishing the Ziping technique system centered on the day stem and using the Ten Gods to analyze human relationships, and was later revered as a metaphysical master; Ouyang Xiu — although not specializing in metaphysics, his spirit of skeptical inquiry and rational attitude influenced the scholarly atmosphere of Song-dynasty numerology

Important Works

Yuanhai Ziping — attributed to Xu Ziping (actually a later compilation), systematically discusses the core contents of Ziping technique such as the four pillars, Ten Gods, patterns, and useful gods, and is the foundational work of Bazi metaphysics; Luoluozi Sanming Xiaoxi Fu — a classical metaphysical work of the Five Dynasties and early Song, discussing the principles of the three destinies in fu-style verse, with elegant diction and profound reasoning

Historical Significance

The core achievement of the Song-dynasty normalization movement was the establishment of the analytical framework using the day stem as primary and the Ten Gods as functional tools, liberating Bazi metaphysics from the complex Na Yin and spirit-noble systems and giving it a more concise and explanatory theoretical form. The establishment of Ziping technique represents the most important paradigm shift in the history of Chinese metaphysics, and its influence continues to the present day.