恆 → 歸妹

Commentary

Thunder above wind, Duration's paired constancy, enters thunder above lake — the Marrying Maiden's irrevocable commitment. The elder brother campaigns east against Yan; the younger brother strikes west into Liaoning. They return in great triumph and are enfeoffed as lords of Hejian. The verse celebrates coordinated military success between brothers — a family bond sustained through Duration's constancy that produces conquest on two fronts simultaneously. The geography of eastern Yan and western Liao suggests Han-era campaigns against northern borderlands. From Duration to the Marrying Maiden, the enduring partnership achieves its decisive consummation: like a marriage, the military alliance is sealed by its outcomes. The brothers' joint victory and shared reward at Hejian embody Duration's fraternal bond transformed into permanent territorial settlement.