The wisdom of I Ching

Chapter 91 Make a good choice to advance and retreat - watch my life, advance and retreat
【Original Code】

Six three, watch my life, advance and retreat.

"Xiang" said: Watching my life, advancing and retreating, I have not lost the way.

—— "Book of Changes View"

【Interpretation】

"Guan" hexagram six and three lines say: Observe your situation, check your behavior, and carefully choose whether to advance or retreat.

"Xiang Zhuan" said: Examine your own behavior and carefully choose advances and retreats, so that you will not lose the correct way of observation.

In real life, we must be flexible in dealing with people, know how to advance and retreat, be good at watching changes and be able to deal with them calmly.To be a person, you must always be aware of your situation and act according to your own strength.When you advance, you advance, when you retreat, you retreat, so as to achieve self-knowledge.When the development of the situation is not yet clear, don't make a decision lightly, and make various preparations.

As the saying goes: "He who knows the current affairs is a hero." The so-called current affairs is to be able to clearly recognize the objective development situation or the trend of the times, to change according to the objective situation or the trend of the times, to adapt to the times, and to follow the trend move.Ignorance of current affairs refers to ignoring the changes and restrictions of the customer's outlook, going against the odds, and acting blindly and recklessly.

【Category】

Story [-]: Li Mi's failure
After Wei Gong Li Mi was defeated by Wang Shichong, he defected to Tang Gaozu Li Yuan.He said to his subordinates: "I have a million soldiers to return to the Tang Dynasty, and the Lord will definitely arrange important positions for me." But after Li Mi returned to the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan only appointed him as Guangluqing, Shangzhu Kingdom, and named him Xing Guogong. These are false posts, far from what he expected, and even disappointed him.

Many ministers in the court expressed contempt for Li Mi, and some people in power even asked him for bribes, which made him restless and dissatisfied.How can Li Mi, who thinks highly of himself, endure such a situation?His follower Wang Bodang also felt the same way when he talked about his feelings after returning to Tang Dynasty.He said to Li Mi: "The affairs of the world are still under Duke Wei's control. The Duke of Donghai is in Liyang, the Duke of Xiangyang is in Luokou, and there are only a handful of troops in Henan. Duke Wei, you can't stay here for long." Bodang's words hit Li Mi's heart.Li Mi came up with a plan to leave Chang'an.On this day, Li Mi offered advice to Li Yuan and said: "The soldiers and horses in Shandong are all former ministers. Please let me recruit them to attack Wang Shichong in the eastern capital."

Li Yuan immediately approved Li Mi's request.Many ministers persuaded Li Yuan, saying: "Li Mi is cunning and repeatable. Your Majesty sending him to Shandong is like letting a tiger go back to the mountain. He will definitely separate himself from one side and will not come back." It's a pity for us, he and Wang Shichong are incompatible, and we just sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight."

Li Mi asked Jia Runfu, the former favorite, to go with him. Li Yuan not only agreed, but also appointed Uncle Wang as his deputy.Before leaving, Li Yuan hosted a banquet to see him off, and he drank a glass of wine with Li Mi and others.Li Yuan said: "We drink this glass of wine together, which shows that we are of the same heart. Some people will not let you go to Shandong, but I treat you sincerely, and I believe that you will not let me down."

In December of the first year of Tang Gaozu Wude (618), Li Mi led half of his troops out of the customs.Chang Shi Zhang Baode was also on the list of expedition personnel.He sensed Li Mi's rebellion, fearing that Li Mi's escape would hurt him, so he secretly wrote to Li Yuan, saying that Li Mi would definitely rebel.Li Yuan changed his mind after receiving Zhang Baode's memorial, and regretted letting Li Mi go out.But he was afraid of alarming Li Mi, so he immediately sent an envoy to convey his order to let Li Mi's subordinates march slowly, and Li Mi returned to the court alone to accept orders.

Li Mi said to Jia Runfu, his subordinate: "My lord once said that someone would not let me go to Shandong. It seems that this has worked. If I go back, I will definitely be killed. Rather than being killed, it is better to attack Taolin County and seize the food, grass, soldiers and horses there. Then go north and cross the Yellow River. If we can reach Liyang and meet Xu Shixun, the event will definitely be a success."

Jia Runfu said: "My lord treats Duke Ming very kindly. Since Duke Ming has surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, why does he have a different heart? Even if we capture Taolin, what will happen? In my opinion, Duke Ming should return to Chang'an. It shows that there is no dissent in the first place, and the rumors will naturally have no effect. If you still want to go to Shandong, you might as well look for opportunities in the long run."

After hearing Jia Runfu's words, Li Mi said angrily: "It's unbearable for the court not to cede land to me as king. The Lord is in Guanzhong, and Shandong is mine. How can I not take the opportunity given by God, but give it up to others?" ? Mr. Jia has always been my confidant, why is he not with me now?"

Jia Runfu replied with tears: "Minggong killed Situ Zhairang in the past, and Shandong people thought that Minggong was ungrateful. Who would give the army to you? If I didn't receive the kindness of Minggong, how could I be so outspoken? ? As long as Ming'an is safe and sound, I will die without regret!"

After hearing this, Li Mi raised his knife and slashed at Jia Runfu. Wang Bodang and others tried hard to persuade him, but Li Mi stopped, and Jia Runfu escaped by luck.Wang Bodang also advised Li Mi to give up, but Li Mi still refused to listen.Wang Bodang then said: "The ambition of a righteous man will not be changed by survival. If Duke Ming must raise troops against the Tang Dynasty, I will live and die with Duke Ming, but I am afraid it will only be in vain." So Li Mi Killed the envoy of the imperial court.In the early morning of the next day, Taolin County was seized.

When Li Yuan knew about it, he sent troops to attack Li Mi.At Xiong'er Mountain, Li Mi's army was ambushed, and both he and Wang Bodang were killed in the melee.Li Mi is an ambitious man. He originally followed Yang Xuangan to oppose the Sui Dynasty. Later, he was defeated and defected to Zhai Rang's Wagang Army. In order to gain the leadership of the Wagang Army, he designed to kill Zhai Rang, monopolize the power, and support millions of soldiers. .After losing the battle with Wang Shichong of Luoyang, Li Mi brought more than 2 people to surrender to Li Yuan. King weather.

After surrendering to the Tang Dynasty, he should adjust his position and adapt to the change of role.However, the growing desire for power made him make a wrong judgment and attempted to "establish another central government", which finally led to his death.

In short, we behave in the world, and if we want to make ourselves a smooth life, we must put ourselves in a right position, and strive for survival and development in flexibility.

Story [-]: Lu Duan is not confused about major events

Song Taizong Zhao Kuangyi wanted to make Zhao Heng the crown prince when he was seriously ill.At that time, Lu Duan was the prime minister after Lu Meng. He understood the general situation, cared about the overall situation, and was very capable of handling affairs, which was highly appreciated by Emperor Taizong.Taizong said that he was "confused about small things, but not about big things".

After Taizong's death, there were many different opinions in the palace on who would come to the throne.Crown Prince Zhao Hengnian is 29 years old, smart and capable, and has a good command of judgment.But he is the third son of Emperor Taizong, and now that Emperor Taizong has passed away, there are disputes over his eligibility for the throne.The other princes have their own supporters, and they are all jealous of Zhao Heng.But Lu Duan was on Zhao Heng's side. He was determined to follow the late emperor's will and support Zhao Heng to the throne.

Just as the whole country was mourning, the eunuch Wang Ji'en, the political adviser Li Changling, the palace commander Li Jixun and others secretly conspired to prevent Zhao Heng from ascending the throne and establish Chu Wang Zhao Yuanzuo.Lu Duan was already vigilant, but the specific situation was not clear.Empress Li did not agree with Zhao Heng's accession to the throne.Therefore, when Empress Li ordered Wang Jien to summon Lu Duan, Lu Duan was taken aback, knowing that something had changed and something unexpected might happen.

Thinking of this, Lu Duan took the lead to fight for the initiative. While agreeing to see the queen, he locked Wang Ji'en in the cabinet to prevent him from coming out to communicate with others, and sent someone to guard the door to prevent hijacking.After that, Lu Duan came to see the queen respectfully.Empress Li said to Lu Duan: "Taizong has passed away, and it is reasonable to appoint the eldest son as the heir. This is in accordance with God's will. What's your opinion?"

But Lu Duan said: "The first emperor appointed Zhao Heng as the crown prince, just for today. Now, Taizong's bones are not cold, how can we go against the first emperor's edict and make another one? Please think twice." Empress Li felt that what Lu Duan said was also true. It made sense; besides, all the ministers were trying their best to support Zhao Heng, and Empress Li couldn't resist, so she agreed with Lu Duan's opinion and decided that the crown prince Zhao Heng would inherit the throne and lead the Song Dynasty.

Lu Duan was still worried, fearing that he would be robbed and replaced by then.Zhao Heng ascended the throne as Zhenzong in 997, and introduced the officials under the curtain.The officials knelt down in front of the hall and shouted long live, but Lu Duanping stood in His Highness and did not worship, and everyone asked why.Lu Duan said: "The crown prince should be upright when he ascends the throne. Why should he sit sideways with a curtain to cover it up?" He asked to roll up the curtain and watch carefully from the front.After knowing that it was indeed Prince Zhao Heng, he walked down the steps and led all the officials to pay homage to Long Live.Zhao Heng has been in power since then.

Historians spoke highly of Lu Duan, and "Song History" commented: "Lu Duan remonstrated with the King of Qin to stay, and he had already seen a great weapon. In the room, he decided to make a big plan by breaking Li's empress; after standing up, please go to the curtain, go up to the hall to examine, and then bow down, Taizong said that there is no one who is not confused about major matters, and there is no better minister than the king."

From the perspective of Lu Duan's wisdom in doing things, the wonderful thing is not only that he is not chaotic and sticks to principles, but also that he can firmly grasp the development trend of things in his own hands.Therefore, in today's society, when we behave in the world, we must also be calm and calm when encountering problems, and respond to all changes with the same.

Story Three: Zeng Guofan Responds to All Changes

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Seng Gelinqin was killed in a confrontation with the Nian Army, and his troops were taken over by Zeng Guofan.Zeng Guofan made an in-depth analysis of the reasons for Seng Gelinqin's defeat, and also carefully studied the strategies and tactics of the Nian Army.In the end, he determined that the Nian Army had tens of thousands of cavalry, and they moved quickly, traveling all over the five provinces, from south to north.If he persisted in pursuit, he might be wiped out by the Nian Army just like Seng Gelinqin.Therefore, in view of the changing characteristics of the Nian Army, he implemented the countermeasure of "responsible to all changes with the same".

In June of the fifth year of Tongzhi (1866), Zeng Guofan and Liu Mingchuan agreed on a "river defense strategy", which was to cooperate with local armed forces to defend the Yellow River, Canal, Shahe, Jialu River, and Huaihe River, taking advantage of the weakness of the Nian Army's inexperience in water warfare , Trapped the Nian Army in the narrow area between the Yellow River and the Huai River, and then wiped it out.

In mid-June, the Qing army Liu Songshan, Zhang Shiri and Zhang Zongyu fought a fierce battle in Xihua, and the Nian army lost 6000 people. This was Zeng Guofan's first major battle in the north.However, due to poor coordination between the Qing army, on August [-], Zhang Zongyu led his army to break through the river defense line and enter the Shandong ground.As a result, Zeng Guofan's river defense plan failed, and the government and the public immediately booed him. Many people went to the court to impeach him, and the Qing court was also dissatisfied with his performance.

Zeng Guofan believed that the river defense strategy should not be negated because of one defeat. The failure of the Jialu River to block the Nian Army does not mean that the Yellow River and the Canal cannot block the Nian Army.But soon, the Qing court transferred him back to serve as governor of Liangjiang, and sent Li Hongzhang to take over the military power.

At the beginning, Li Hongzhang also dismissed the "river defense" strategy. He once wrote in a letter to Liu Mingchuan: "There was a Great Wall in ancient times, and there is a Great Wall today. , also gave up the strategy of river defense, and wanted to use a large corps to confront the Nian army on land, hoping to annihilate them in one fell swoop.

Li Hongzhang mobilized his army to pursue the Nian army, but they were defeated.First, Guo Songlin was defeated by the Nian army in Anlu, Hubei, and Zhang Shushan's tribe was wiped out in De'an, Hubei half a month later. Zhang Shushan also ended up in the same fate as Seng Gelinqin.Soon, the Nian Army defeated Liu Mingchuan's Department of the Huai Army in Yinlonghe, Anlu, and almost wiped out Liu's army.A month later, in the battle of Qishui, Hubei, the Peng Yuju Division of the Hunan Army was also wiped out.

After a series of failures, Li Hongzhang came to his senses.After reflection, he realized that Zeng Guofan's river defense strategy was the only correct strategy that could kill the Nian army.Afterwards, Li Hongzhang rejected any suggestions, withstood the pressure of public opinion that "river defense cannot be relied upon", insisted on "river defense plan", and finally suppressed the Nian army.

"Respond to all changes with the same", this is the best strategy in life.To be a human being requires not only a fearless fighting spirit, but also a calm, flexible and great resourcefulness.

【The Heart of the Book of Changes】

A shrewd person can always judge the situation, wait for the opportunity, and move forward and retreat freely.Only by keenly and comprehensively observing, understanding and predicting things, and estimating the trend and intensity of movement changes, can one's behavior keep up with the development of the situation.

Potential to have the correct judgment.The ability to judge correctly comes from the grasp of two aspects: one is to weigh the pros and cons. "Sun Tzu's Art of War Nine Changes" said: "The concerns of a wise man must be mixed with interests. Mixed with benefits, but trustworthy. Mixed with harm, but troubles can be solved." Therefore, we must be good at seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, " The more important the two benefits are, the lesser the two harms will be."The second is to analyze and compare. Before measuring the situation, we must collect information extensively, and then use scientific methods and an objective attitude to make comparisons and analyzes to make the right choice for the situation.

In the face of unpredictable and complex social phenomena, it is impossible for us to accurately predict the future, but we can make more preparations in normal times, look at people and things in society from a developmental perspective, and be mentally prepared to respond at any time , Only in this way can we respond to all changes with the same, so that we can advance and retreat freely, and firmly grasp the initiative in our own hands.

(End of this chapter)