Chapter Four: "Meritorious Achievements are Seen in Change"—The Practical Theory of Change and the Sage's Way of World Governance

I. The Three Levels of "Change" (Biàn)

"Meritorious achievements (gōng yè) are seen in change (jiàn hū biàn)"—this is the fourth layer of progression, shifting from epistemology to the philosophy of practice. The previous layer discussed how Yao and Xiang operate and how fortune/misfortune are revealed; this layer discusses how "meritorious achievements"—the actual results of governance—arise from "change."

In the pre-Qin context, "change" (biàn) possesses at least three layers:

First Layer: Change of Hexagrams and Lines. This is the most direct level. There are changing lines (biàn yáo), resulting in a changing hexagram (biàn guà). By observing the changing lines and the resulting hexagram, one can determine the trajectory of the situation. The Xi Ci Shang states: "To transform and regulate this is called change (biàn); to extend and execute this is called penetration (tōng)." Change is the regulation of transformation; penetration is the execution of change.

Second Layer: Change of Time and Circumstance. Changes in the general trend of the world—dynastic succession, shifts in customs, refinement or loss of institutions. The Xi Ci Shang lists the thirteen hexagrams used for "establishing implements by modeling images" (zhì qì shàng xiàng), showing how the sage created implements and institutions based on the changing times:

"When Fuxi passed away and Shennong arose, he chopped wood to make the sì (dibber) and bent wood to make the lěi (plow). The efficacy of the plow and harrow taught the world, presumably taken from Yì the hexagram. He established the marketplace at noon, gathering the people and goods of the world, exchanging them and then dispersing, each finding what was suitable for them, presumably taken from Shì Kē the hexagram."

From Fuxi to Shennong to the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun, every advancement in civilization was "taken from" a certain hexagram—meaning the sage perceived the demands of the changing times through the hexagram image and, based on this, created new implements and institutions. This is the direct manifestation of "meritorious achievements are seen in change."

Third Layer: Change of Heart/Mind and Nature (Xīnxìng zhī Biàn). The Xi Ci Shang states: "When exhausted (qióng), one changes (biàn); when one changes, one penetrates (tōng); when one penetrates, one endures (jiǔ)." This proposition transcends specific divinatory techniques and historical events, rising to the level of universal life wisdom—when things reach an extreme point, change is inevitable; only by changing can one penetrate through; only by penetrating can one endure. In the Analects, Book 9, when facing adversity, Confucius said, "Heaven has not abandoned the Way of culture!" (Tiān zhī wèi sàng sī wén yě!). This spirit of not abandoning transformation even when exhausted is precisely the practical realization of "when exhausted, one changes."

II. Why "Meritorious Achievements" and Not "Fortune/Misfortune"$18

It is worth contemplating why the text uses "meritorious achievements" (gōng yè) here, rather than "fortune/misfortune" (jí xiōng)$19 Why not say "fortune/misfortune are seen in change" or "meritorious achievements are revealed without"$20

This differentiation in wording reveals two different levels of concern:

"Fortune/Misfortune" refers to the judgment of individual circumstances—personal gain or loss, safety or peril. This is directly "revealed without" from the "movement within" the Yao and Xiang.

"Meritorious Achievements" refers to the actual efficacy of collective endeavor—governing the state and benefiting the world. This is not simply "revealed" from the hexagram image, but is achieved through active "change"—reform, adaptation, adjustment, and refinement.

This distinction is critical. It implies that: The Zhou Yi is not merely a handbook for divining individual fortune, but a classic guiding the sage in adapting to times and establishing achievements.

The Xi Ci Shang states:

"The Yi is what the sage uses to plumb the depths and refine sensitivity (jí shēn ér yán jī). Only by being profound can one connect the aspirations of all under Heaven; only by refining sensitivity can one complete the affairs of all under Heaven; only by being spiritual (shén) can one hasten without haste, and arrive without moving."

"Plumbing the depths" is the profundity of epistemology; "refining sensitivity" is the acute grasp of the precursors of change (jī). The sage uses the Yi to study those subtle changes, almost imperceptible, in order to make appropriate responses before the change fully unfolds—this is the deeper meaning of "meritorious achievements are seen in change."

III. Historical Case: King Wen's Elaboration of the Yi and the Rise of Zhou

The historical case that best illustrates "meritorious achievements are seen in change" is the relationship between King Wen of Zhou and the Zhou Yi.

The Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji), Basic Annals of Zhou, records:

"The Western Ruler reigned for fifty years. While imprisoned at Youli, he elaborated the Eight Trigrams of Fuxi into the Sixty-Four Hexagrams."

The traditional account holds that King Wen, while imprisoned at Youli, expanded the Eight Trigrams into the Sixty-Four Hexagrams and attached line texts. Why did King Wen elaborate the Yi while imprisoned$21 Because he was in a state of "exhaustion" (qióng)—his personal freedom was stripped away, and the fate of his lineage hung in the balance. It was precisely in this extreme predicament that he needed to "change" (biàn)—by deeply studying the laws of change governing Heaven and Earth, he sought a path out of difficulty and toward the establishment of merit.

Indeed, the rise of the Zhou Dynasty is a history of "change." In King Wu’s oath before conquering Shang, recorded in the Book of Documents, Mu Shi:

"Now, King Shou of Shang, only listens to the words of his concubines, neglecting the sacrifices to his parents and ancestors, failing to heed his royal uncles and brothers..."

King Zhou of Shang’s "failure to change"—refusing to adapt to the changing times and stubbornly adhering to corrupt governance—led to his downfall. In contrast, the "change" embraced by King Wen, King Wu, and the Duke of Zhou—adapting to the shift in the Mandate of Heaven and creating new systems of rites and music—resulted in the centuries-long achievement of the Zhou Dynasty.

The Xi Ci Xia explicitly asks:

"Did the Yi arise in the Middle Antiquity$22 Did the composer of the Yi suffer anxieties and distress$23 Did it arise at the end of the Yin period and the flourishing virtue of Zhou$24 Was it concerning the affairs of King Wen and Zhou$25"

And again:

"The Yi arose, perhaps at the end of the late Yin and the flourishing virtue of Zhou$26 Perhaps concerning the affair of King Wen and Zhou$27 Therefore, its words are perilous (cí wēi). If the wise observe the text of the Judgment (tuan ci), they will reflect on more than half of their errors."

The Yi was born precisely during the epochal upheaval between Yin and Zhou. Its language is often "perilous" (wēi) because its composer deeply understood the urgency and criticality of "change." "Meritorious achievements are seen in change" is not an empty slogan, but a profound summary of the historical transformation during the Yin-Zhou transition.