Wu Zixu Escapes Zhao Pass by Night
Neutral
The poem
Original: 恰如抱虎过高山 / 战战竞竞胆碎寒 / 不觉忽然从好事 / 切须保守一身安
The story
Wu Zixu of Chu, whose father and brother had been killed by King Ping, fled alone, hiding by day and travelling by night over the ranges to Zhao Pass. A price was on his head, but a single night of dread had turned his hair white and the guards did not know him. He slipped through into Wu, and later returned with a Wu army.
What it means
The image is carrying a tiger across a mountain: dangerous, frightening, and survivable. You are trembling the whole way, and then, almost without noticing, something good comes out of the danger, provided you keep guarding yourself. The sign does not deny the risk; it points out that the way through is not force but patience and wits. The road ahead is obstructed and any effort will be laborious, but there is a moment when the pass finally opens for you.
By area of life
Wealth
Great care is needed. Use your head to work round the difficulty rather than trying to push straight through it.
Love
This attachment is hard to manage and quarrels keep recurring. More gentleness on your side dissolves a good deal of it.
Work
Pressure and difficulty are both real. Applied intelligence, rather than extra effort, is what gets you past the checkpoint here.
Health
The condition is a worrying one. Restraint, good deeds and a settled conscience are genuinely part of the treatment here.
Travel
There are real obstacles on the way. Only calm intelligence will take you through them, so do not hurry it.
Advice
You cross with a tiger by holding your breath, not by wrestling it.