| Abstract |
This is a study of what is “Qi Hua” (氣化), which includes “He He” Qi Hua(「合和」氣化) and “Gan Sheng” Qi Hua(感生氣化), in Zheng Xun’s commentaries of Classical Confucian Works. In Zheng Xun’s interpretation, it was found that the ancestors of Chinese rulers were evoked from the Qi(氣) descended by the Five Emperors(五帝). The Five Emperors were divinaities symbolized by a star group incorporated by Emperor Green(蒼帝), Emperor Red(赤帝), Emperor Yellow(黃帝), Emperor White(白帝) and Emperor Dark(黑帝). They were named in accordance with the five composing elements of the universe. During the process of Qi Hua, the five stars re-positioned itself so that their positions coincided with that of Tai Wai Heng Wu Di Zuo(太微垣五帝座) The coincidence was repetitively mentioned in two literatures: “Shi Ji Tian GongShu” and “Wei Shu”. As mentioned in these works, Qi was under the control of Polaris, and the Five Emperors played a supporting role when Polaris descended Qi. When the star group of Five Emperors moved to a position in coincidence with the five constellations, Qi would be descended and shared among the stars, and finally evoked into the ancestors of Chinese rulers. The Chinese Rulers were accordingly capable of managing the flow of the Five Elements. The five constellations were Can Long(蒼龍), Chi Niao(赤鳥), Teng She(騰蛇), Bai Hu(白虎) and Xun Wu(玄武); the five stars were Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Venus and Saturn.
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