「庶徵」、「五福六極」是《尚書‧洪範》中的第八、第九疇，具有天垂災異警示政治得失的意義。漢儒常以「五行」、「五事」與之相配對，但宋儒詮釋〈洪範〉的重心，則逐漸從「五行」轉向「皇極」發展；也就是說，「庶徵」、「五福六極」脫離與「五行」、「五事」的結合，而是與人君修德行有關。康熙對於「庶徵」、「五福六極」的體認，是偏向宋義，關鍵在於其一生強調「皇極」的意義，這是道統與治統結合的象徵；在「皇極」義發展的過程中，對於「庶徵」與「五福六極」的看法也慢慢改變。「庶徵」本是天地間各種的變化，自平定三藩之亂以及臺灣後，康熙逐漸認爲「皇極」可以參天地化育而成爲三才，時時表現自己的德行可以扭轉時局；至晚年時，康熙消化「庶徵」的意義，轉向「五福六極」的施用；「五福六極」本是上天的賞罰權，既然康熙心目中的「皇極」，可以「回天地之造化」，自然而然，康熙也逐漸代替上天而行此權力。從康熙的行事上來觀察，早年面對天災的反應，是戰戰兢兢，至中年以後則常藉天災來要求臣工的辦事態度和能力；到了晚年，甚至在祈雨時，表現出自己化育萬物的心理，且嚴厲警告臣工自己擁有的予奪賞罰大權。總之，上天的種種行爲，康熙都有參與的權力，誠如講官在《日講書經解義》所言：「皇極體天之責」

The terms 'shuzheng' (various verifications) and 'wufu liuji' (five blessings and six sufferings) are categories from the Great Plan in the Book of Documents. They are ways in which God responds to an emperor's policies, by either sending calamities or blessings. Although Han scholars paired the five elements and the five matters together, Song scholars placed emphasis on 'huangji' (royal perfection). Shuzheng and wufu liuji departed from the combination of the five elements and the five things, and were related to an emperor who was virtuous. Kangxi understood shuzheng and wufu liuji through the lens of Song scholarship. Key to this was his lifelong emphasis of huangji, which is an symbolic amalgamation of Confucian orthodoxy and the succession of rule. As this concept developed within him, his understanding of shuzheng and wufu liuji gradually changed. Shurheng is the manifold changes in heaven and earth. After subduing the rebellion of the three feudal states and Taiwan, he began to perceive that huangji can bring together the creating and cultivation of life (heaven, earth, and man) in himself. Constant display of his virtue can alter the course of events. In his later years, Kangxi had grasped the meaning of shuzheng and turned his attention to the use of wufu liuji, which was the right of heaven to issue blessings or calamities. Since he believed that huangji could give back the creation and growth of life, he naturally began to assume this right for himself. In looking at events from his life, we can see that his reaction to calamities when he was younger was that of fear and trepidation; yet once he reached middle age, he began to use calamities and natural disasters to elicit a more earnest attitude and performance from the officials at court. Toward the end of his life, he revealed his belief in his ability to create and cultivate life when he prayed for rain. He would often sternly warn officials that he possessed the authority to give and to retract, to reward and to punish. In other words, Kangxi had the power to participate in all the acts of heaven, just as it is recorded in Ri Jiang shujing jieyi, ＂When a ruler is perfected he grasps the rebukes of heaven＂