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Xiang shouban jing 相手板經 is a brief overview of chiromancy, the art of predicting the future through the palm (shouban 手板). It is mentioned in the book catalogue Suishu jingji zhi 隋書•經籍志 and included in the series Shuofu 說郛, Wuchao xiaoshuo 五朝小說 and Wuchao xiaoshuo daguan 五朝小說大觀.
The preface states that chiromancy was created by Xiao He 蕭何 (d. 193 BCE) or the Four White-Haired Sages (Si Hao 四皓), all of whom lived during the early Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE). Dongfang Shuo 東方朔 (154-93 BCE) discovered a manuscript of a related text and passed it to Chen Chang 陳長, who was the first to teach disciples such as Xu Shizong 許士宗 and Wei Shenjiang 韋伸將.
The text explains which parts of the palm correspond to particular social statuses (ruler, father, mother, slave, concubine, etc.). From the appearance of these hand regions in individuals, their suitability for official roles can be assessed.
| 板首尾取五行，尋四時，定八節，明二十四時，百不失一。 | From the front and back of the palm, the Five Agents are derived; through them, the Four Seasons are traced, the Eight [main] Solar Terms are determined, and the Twenty-Four Solar Terms are made clear—one in a hundred will not be wrong. |
| 板長一尺五寸，廣一寸五分，上狹而薄，下廣而厚，八角十二芒，并無欹端平板，形皆完淨。合法者吉，不合者凶。板，凶小吉多者可用，吉少凶多者不可用。… | The palm should measure one chi five cun in length and one cun five fen in width. It should be narrow and thin at the top, wide and thick at the bottom, eight-angled and twelve-rayed, with no tilted or uneven ends. The form should be complete and clean. If the features conform to the proper standard, it is auspicious; if not, it is inauspicious. If the palm shows more good signs than bad, [the man] can be used; if bad signs outweigh the good, [he] must not be used. |
| 板頭是君座。板頭與君共事，必不得中分。 | The top of the palm is the seat of the ruler. When the palm's head is expected to serve together with the ruler, it must not be divided through the centre. |