78

The Rescue at Lintong

Auspicious

The poem

Cold water not yet boiled, a pale clear broth,neither cold nor hot, but pleasantly warm;to walk the world you need nothing else,you carry a hundred skills in your own body.

Original: 冷水未烧白涕汤 / 不寒不热有温凉 / 要行天下无他事 / 为有身中百艺强

The story

At the end of the Sui, Li Yuan and his family were attacked as they passed below Lintong Hill. Qin Qiong, asleep in the temple of Wu Yuan, was woken by the shouting, took up his spear, broke into the ring of bandits and drove them off, saving the whole household. Li Yuan never forgot it, and Qin Qiong became a founding hero of the Tang.

What it means

This is the sign of even, decent conduct, and the fortune is steady and good. The water is neither cold nor scalding but comfortably warm. Nothing dramatic is promised; what is promised is solidity, the prisoner pardoned, the sick man meeting the right doctor, the seeker shown the way by someone able. All of it rests on your actually having the skills. The lukewarm image also counsels an even temper: act without extremes and other people will remember you kindly.

By area of life

Wealth

You need real expertise, and two complementary instruments rather than a single one, before this money will work properly for you.

Love

Choose someone who complements you. Mutual respect, and the habit of considering the other person's position, is what makes this pairing work.

Work

Hire people whose abilities cover your own gaps, and give real weight to those who have genuinely mastered a specialty.

Health

Balance the constitution rather than attacking the symptoms. Clearing away inner vexation is what answers a chronic complaint the best.

Travel

You must have a definite skill before going abroad. With one, the move goes smoothly and you establish yourself there.

Advice

Carry your skills in your body and you will be at ease anywhere.