用神 Useful God and chart structuresTranslating chart structure is a little difficult and confusing The names of the structures don't usually make sense in English.
ZPZQ says:
今人不知专主提纲
People these days do not know to focus primarily on the outline,
然后将四柱干支，
and then take the stems and branches of 4 pillars,
字字统归月令
every character is referred back to the month's decree,
以观喜忌，
and its favorable and unfavorable (entities) is analyzed..
甚至见正官佩印，则以为官印双全，与印绶用官者同论；
Even when it's seen that the chart it is DO adorned with Seal, (but) it is thought to be Officer and Seal are both complete, is discussed similarly as Seal and ribbon uses DO.
见财透食神，不以为财逢食生，而以为食神生财，与食神生财同论；
Seeing Wealth protruding and Food God, is not thought to be Wealth engendered by Food, but is thought to be Food God engendering wealth, discussed similarly as Food God engendering Wealth.
见偏印透食，不以为泄身之秀，而以为枭神夺食，宜用财制，与食神逢枭同论；
Seeing Indirect Seal and protruding Food, is not thought to be the elegance of exhausting self, but is thought to be Owl God takes away Food, beneficial to use wealth to control, is discussed similarly as Food God meeting Owl.
见煞逢食制而露印者，不以为去食护煞，而以为煞印相生，与印绶逢煞者同论；
Seeing Devil controlled by Food with revealed Seal, is not thought to be discarding Food to protect Devil, but is thought to be Devil and Seal mutually engendering, is discussed similarly as Seal and Devil mutually engendering.
更有煞格逢刃，不以为刃可帮身制煞，而以为七煞制刃，与阳刃露煞者同论。
And there's also the Devil structure that meets Blade, was not thought that Blade could help self to control the Devil, thought to be Devil controlling blade, discussed similarly as Yang Blade with exposed devil.
此皆由不知月令而妄论之故也。
All these is because of ignorance about the month decree and thus discuss things absurdly.
然亦有月令无用神者，将若之何？
Then there's chart that has no useful god in the month's decree, how?
如木生寅卯，日与月同，本身不可为用，必看四柱有无财官煞食透干会支，另取用神；
such as Wood born in Yin and Mao, Self cannot be used, must look at the four pillars if there's Wealth, Officer, Devil, Food that protrudes or meeting branches, take other as the Useful God.
然终以月令为主，然后寻用，是建禄月劫之格，非用而即用神也.
Ultimately, the month's decree is the main focus, and then look for the Useful, they are structure of JianLu and YueJie, not used but still are Useful God.
According to ZPZQ, what is contained by the month decree is considered the Useful God, but the Useful God is not necessarily 'Useful'. ZPZQ, like DTS, teaches that Usefulness and Useful God are 2 different concepts. Useful God is not necessarily useful. The name 用神 is possibly derived from the phrase 用事之神， which means 'God that is in power', as DTS says:
月令乃提纲之府，譬之宅也，人元为用事之神，宅之定向也，不可以不卜
So, is the English term 'Useful God' a bad translation? I do not know, but it seems to cause a lot of misunderstanding.
When we look at how ZPZQ names the chart structure, it will always start with the name of the 'Useful God' (whether I like it or not, that is the name that is most commonly used).
For example Wealth engendered by Food 财用食生, Wealth is the 'Useful God', Food is the useful God. Okay, I don't make sense. Wealth is the 'Useful God' and Food is how the Useful God is used.
Which is different from Food God engendering wealth 食神生财, Food is the Useful God and Wealth is how the Useful God is used.
Wealth engendered by Food and Food God engendering wealth are two different structures as the Useful God is always the month branch or the objects inside it and the structure is named according to the Useful God.
When the month branch is of the same element as the DM, it cannot be used, so 'use' has to be search from somewhere else, it could be Wealth, Officer, Devil or Food, look at which is protruding or which has meetings in the branches. Even though the month branch is not 'useful' the structures are named according to the month's branch, it could be YangRen (Yang DM with month EB as DiWang for DM), JianLu (month EB is LinGuan for DM, or YueJie (For other EB that has the same elements for DM).
No, Useful God is not the most favorable element in the chart.
