Guo Ziyi Made Prince
Neutral
The poem
Original: 急水滩头放船归 / 风波作波欲何为 / 若要安然求稳静 / 等待浪静过此危
The story
Guo Ziyi was made military governor during the An Lushan rebellion and, with Li Guangbi, drove Shi Siming out of Hebei. He urged the emperor to strike directly at the rebel base at Fanyang to relieve the pressure on Tong Pass, but permission was refused and the moment was lost. Even great ability builds nothing without the right timing and the right partners.
What it means
The image is a boat on the rapids: hold your position and wait. Launching into a fast current with the waves running is simply wasted force; safety means holding still until the swell drops. There are two lessons. The first is timing, since nothing works unless it matches the moment and its conditions. The second is fit: work done with another person succeeds only when the two of you genuinely complement each other. Choose a job by whether you can do it, not by the salary, and a partner by temperament, not by appearance.
By area of life
Wealth
Gain has not arrived. Beyond choosing the moment, choose instruments that genuinely suit your temperament, because following the crowd into unfamiliar ground only creates turbulence for you.
Love
The fit is wrong, so nothing comes. Marry someone whose character meshes with yours rather than someone's looks or money; that is where happiness begins.
Work
Choose a post you can actually perform. When assigning work, match the person to the task and pair people who complement each other.
Health
Check that a treatment suits your constitution and your condition before taking it. Make an offering, rest, and wait it out.
Travel
Wait for a better moment before you go. Setting out into weather like this simply wastes the trip; let the swell drop and then travel.
Advice
Do not launch into the rapids; wait for the water to flatten and the crossing will actually work.