Heaven Fire Tongren: Confucian-Daoist Dialogue and the Investigation of Ancient Spiritual Origins from a Pre-Qin Perspective

Section 3: Nine Three: Hiding Armed Men in the Brush, Mounting the High Ridge, Remaining Stalled for Three Years

The line statement for Nine Three reads:

"Hiding armed men in the brush, mounting the high ridge, remaining stalled for three years." (伏戎于莽，升其高陵，三岁不兴。)

The Lesser Image Commentary states:

"Hiding armed men in the brush—this is opposing the rigid. Remaining stalled for three years—how can one advance$26" (伏戎于莽，敌刚也。三岁不兴，安行也。)

This is perhaps the most surprising line statement in the Tóng Rén hexagram. From the initial "gathering at the door" (Nine One) to "gathering in the ancestral temple" (Six Two), while limited, they remained within the scope of Tóng Rén. But Nine Three suddenly introduces "hiding armed men in the brush" (fú róng yú mǎng)—ambushing an army in the thicket—a picture entirely of warfare. Why does a hexagram about "Accord" feature war$27

Why does the image of war appear at Nine Three$28

To answer this, we must analyze Nine Three’s position.

Nine Three, a Yang line occupying a Yang position (Three is an odd number, belonging to Yang), is "in the proper position" (dé wèi) but excessively rigid. Nine Three is at the top of the lower trigram Li, a transitional position about to enter the upper trigram Qian—in human terms, equivalent to an official about to move from a lower to a higher position.

More importantly, Nine Three is adjacent to Six Two—the hexagram's only Yin line. In the Yijing, adjacent Yin and Yang lines often have a relationship of "closeness" (bǐ)—closeness implies intimacy. Nine Three is naturally close to Six Two and naturally wishes to draw near to her. However, unlike Nine Three, Six Two's proper correspondence is with Nine Five—not Nine Three. Nine Three’s attempt to approach Six Two creates competition with Nine Five.

And Nine Five is the central line of the upper trigram Qian—in human terms, equivalent to the position of the sovereign. A minister below (Nine Three) attempting to establish a private relationship with the core figure (Six Two) who should rightly correspond to the sovereign (Nine Five) constitutes a challenge to the sovereign’s authority.

But Nine Three's strength is far less than Nine Five's (Nine Five is central, in the proper position, and within the strong Qian trigram, thus very powerful), so he dares not confront directly, resorting instead to the strategy of "hiding armed men in the brush"—secretly preparing troops in ambush.

"Mounting the high ridge" (shēng qí gāo líng)—climbing to a high place to observe the situation. This is Nine Three's action after his secret preparation: climbing high to see how things stand, assessing whether he has a chance. But the final result is "remaining stalled for three years" (sān suì bù xīng)—unable to act for three years. Why$29 Because the "enemy" he faces (Nine Five, the embodiment of Qian) is too powerful, and he has no chance of victory.

The Explanation of the Lesser Image Commentary:

"Hiding armed men in the brush—this is opposing the rigid" (fú róng yú mǎng, dí gāng yě)—the reason for hiding troops is that the opponent (Nine Five) is too rigid/powerful. This further confirms that Nine Three's action stems from caution toward Nine Five.

"Remaining stalled for three years—how can one advance$30" (sān suì bù xīng, ān xíng yě)—If unable to act for three years, how can one accomplish anything$31 "Ān xíng" means "How can it proceed$32"—a rhetorical question indicating inevitable failure.

The Dark Side of the Way of Tóng Rén:

The line statement of Nine Three reveals the unavoidable dark side in the process of Tóng Rén: jealousy, contention, and conspiracy. When multiple people seek a special relationship with the same core figure, competition and conflict are inevitable. Nine Three attempts to monopolize Six Two (a "Accord" motivated by selfish desire), but dares not confront Nine Five directly, thus resorting to underhanded tactics—this is the complete opposite of the Way of Tóng Rén.

Confucius stated in the Analects (Yan Yuan):

"The noble man helps others achieve what they wish to achieve; he does not help others achieve what they wish to do in evil. The small man does the opposite." (君子成人之美，不成人之恶。小人反是。)

Nine Three's action is precisely that of the "small man"—not openly pursuing Tóng Rén, but engaging in clandestine schemes. The result of such conduct is inevitably failure—"remaining stalled for three years."

But from a deeper level, the existence of Nine Three precisely illustrates why the Way of Tóng Rén cannot rely merely on well-intentioned goodwill, but must be guided by the openly upright jūnzǐ—this is the deep meaning of "advantageous for the noble man to persevere."

A Further Inquiry into the Meaning of "Three Years" in the Nine Three Line Statement:

The "three years" in "remaining stalled for three years" deserves deep reflection. Why "three years" and not "one year" or "ten years"$33

In Yijing line statements, "three" and "three years" are frequently occurring numbers. "Three" held special significance in Pre-Qin culture—it often meant "many" or "a complete cycle." The Laozi states:

"The Dao begets One; One begets Two; Two begets Three; Three begets the myriad things." (Chapter 42)

"Three" is the critical node in the generation of all things—from one to two is differentiation, from two to three is synthesis, and after three comes the profusion of the myriad things. In the Nine Three line, "remaining stalled for three years" implies that even after a complete cycle, success is not achieved—the time is long enough, yet there is still no opportunity, indicating the matter is fundamentally unfeasible.

Furthermore, "three years" might relate to Pre-Qin political cycles. The Rites of Zhou included a system of "trianual great comparisons" (sān nián dà bǐ)—assessing official merit every three years. "Remaining stalled for three years" might suggest: even after a complete assessment cycle, Nine Three failed to prove his worth and thus cannot obtain promotion.

On a deeper level, "remaining stalled for three years" describes a state of "immobility." Nine Three originally intended to act ("hiding troops" implies preparation for action), but ultimately had to remain motionless. This forced inaction contrasts with the initial line's "The dragon hides unseen, do not act" (Qián, Chū Jiǔ)—the initial inaction is a deliberate choice made when the time is not yet right, an expression of wisdom. Nine Three’s "not advancing" is the result of insufficient strength, leading to helplessness.

The Upper Nine: Gathering in the Suburbs Brings No Regret

Upper Nine is the final line of the Tóng Rén hexagram, located at the end of the entire hexagram. After the twists and turns involving the door, the clan, war, attack, and alternating sorrow and joy, Upper Nine arrives at the "suburbs" (jiāo).

The "suburbs" are the transitional zone outside the city walls—farther than the "door," larger than the "clan," but smaller than the "wilds." In Pre-Qin geography, the suburbs were the intermediate area between the city and the wilds—not entirely public space (the wilds), nor entirely private space (the clan or door).

Why "No Regret" (wú huǐ) instead of "Success" (jí) or "Flourishing" (hēng)$34

"No Regret" (wú huǐ) in the Yijing's judgment system ranks below "Success" (jí) and above "Blame" (jiù)—it is slightly worse than auspicious, but better than having fault. It means: although there is nothing to regret, there is also nothing particularly worth celebrating.

Why can Upper Nine only achieve "no regret" and not "success"$35 The Lesser Image Commentary explains: "The aspiration has not yet been achieved" (zhì wèi dé yě). It has not yet been fully realized. After experiencing so much—from door to clan, from war to assault, from sorrow to joy—Upper Nine finally reaches the suburbs, yet his aspiration remains unfulfilled. The pursuit of the Way of Tóng Rén does not conclude with a perfect period here.

Why is "Aspiration Not Yet Achieved"$36

Upper Nine is at the end of the entire hexagram, positioned at the very top. In the Yijing, the uppermost line often carries the problem of excess—going too far, too high, and thus detaching from the core. Upper Nine is farthest from Six Two—the core of the entire hexagram—having almost no direct relationship. Although he also desires "Tóng Rén", because his position is too high, his spirit is willing but his capacity is insufficient.

"Gathering in the suburbs" is better than "Gathering in the ancestral temple"—at least he has moved beyond the narrow confines of the clan. But he is still one step short of "Gathering in the wilds"—the "suburbs" are not broad or just enough. Although Upper Nine has gone far, he has not reached the broadest space.

This reminds us of the Great Peng described by Master Zhuang:

"When the Peng migrates to the Southern Sea, it strikes the water for three thousand li and soars upon the hurricane for ninety thousand lǐ... The Cicada and the little dove laugh at it, saying, 'When we fly up, we dash against a mulberry or elm tree and stop. That’s the limit of our flight, and we come down to the ground again. Why should we fly ninety thousand lǐ to the South$37'" (Zhuangzi, Xiaoyao You)

The Peng flies very far and very high, but it is not yet truly "free and unfettered" (xiāoyáo)—true freedom is "without dependence" (wú dài), absolute freedom not relying on any external condition. Upper Nine's "gathering in the suburbs" is similar—he has gone far enough, but it is not yet true "gathering in the wilds."

The Positive Meaning of "No Regret":

Despite "aspiration not yet achieved," Upper Nine has "no regret"—he will not regret taking this path. This is also an admirable character trait. If one pursues the Way of Tóng Rén, even if the goal is not fully realized in the end, as long as the process did not violate righteousness, there is no need for regret.

The Analects (Xian Jin) records Confucius's words:

"He neither blames Heaven nor curses men; he studies what is below the world and penetrates to what is above. Does not Heaven know him$38 Perhaps Heaven knows him!" (不怨天，不尤人，下学而上达。知我者其天乎！)

Confucius pursued the "Way" his entire life, wandering among the feudal states, suffering hardship, and ultimately failed to fully realize his political ideal. But he did not blame Heaven or curse men—he had nothing to regret. This state resonates with the spirit of Upper Nine: "gathering in the suburbs, without regret"—even though "aspiration has not yet been achieved," there is "no regret."