The Six Palaces of Xiao Liu Ren: Da An, Liu Lian, Su Xi, Chi Kou, Xiao Ji and Kong Wang

The person who taught me Xiao Liu Ren was an auntie who sold tea.

Once she had taught me the six names, she spread her hands: "That's it, you've got them memorised."

I had, as it happens. But I later found that memorising six names and knowing how to use them are two different things.

Where the Six Names Come From

The six outcomes of Xiao Liu Ren are: Da An, Liu Lian, Su Xi, Chi Kou, Xiao Ji and Kong Wang.

These names were not made up on the spot by any one person. The six-day cycle recorded in the old text Shilin Guangji (《事林广记》) runs in exactly this order — Da An, Liu Lian, Su Xi, Chi Kou, Xiao Ji, Kong Wang (Source 1). Under "versions", the same entry also lists another set of names, written as Tai An, Liu Lian, Ze Ji, Chi Kou, Zhou Ji, Xu Wang (Source 1): one framework, different labels.

The cycle later reached Japan, where it became widely popular; it still often appears in Japanese calendars and diaries, mainly as a reference for coming-of-age ceremonies, weddings, funerals and memorial rites — a wedding ceremony, for instance, is set on a Da An day (Source 1).

What Each of the Six Leans Towards

In the common account, the six names lean as follows:

Da An — steady; things proceed as usual.

Liu Lian — drag; things are slow and the timeline stretches out.

Su Xi — fast; it arrives quickly and news comes early.

Chi Kou — quarrels; disputes come easily.

Xiao Ji — mildly favourable; nothing large, but it moves in a good direction.

Kong Wang — coming to nothing; things easily end without a result.

Note the words "the common account". The six names are not read identically in every oral formula, Chi Kou and Kong Wang especially: some read them as misfortune, others only as "take care".

Why It Is the Easiest Method to Misuse

Because it is so fast.

Count on your fingers, land three numbers on one palace, and the whole thing takes under a minute. That speed has a side effect: it is tempting to treat the name you land on as a conclusion and then decide on the strength of it.

I have seen someone skip a mediation because the reading landed on Chi Kou, and only afterwards learn that this mediation was the kind of thing that needed a good argument before it could be talked through.

Xiao Liu Ren's structure is far thinner than that of Liu Yao, which is both its advantage — quick to pick up, light in use — and its risk. Asking something small with it, such as whether today is a good day to raise a matter, costs very little; using it to decide whether to resign or to end a relationship asks a one-minute process to carry the weight of a year.

The tea-selling auntie said one thing to me later that I have remembered for years: Xiao Liu Ren asks about today, not about a whole lifetime.

Tools on this site (for entertainment)

This site offers an entertainment-oriented process: describe your situation clearly → get a method suggestion → read the chart and the interpretation → export the result if you want to keep it. The content is for entertainment and self-reflection only; it promises no prediction and is not decision advice.

This article was last checked on 19 September 2026. Traditional divination has many schools and a long history, and their formulas and versions do not fully agree; the text relies on publicly verifiable sources, and for dates and calendars please refer to the latest official publication.

Disclaimer: This article covers traditional culture and folk custom. It is for entertainment and self-reflection only, and does not constitute medical, psychological, investment, legal or marital decision advice. Please do not submit sensitive personal information such as ID numbers or detailed addresses. If you experience persistent insomnia, anxiety or physical discomfort, please consult a doctor or a qualified professional.

Sources

• "Rokuyo" (《六曜》) — Wikipedia entry ("Xiao Liu Ren" is a redirect here; the "versions" section also records the alternative names given in Da Li Shu — 《大离书》): https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/六曜 (accessed 19 September 2026)
• Method page on this site: Xiao Liu Ren: https://zhanbumizhi.top/en/methods/xiaoliuren (accessed 19 September 2026)