鼎 → 小過

Commentary

Fire over wind fills the cauldron; thunder echoes above the mountain in Small Exceeding. The Marquis of Cai pays court to Chu but is detained along the river's edge. Months pass beyond the appointed time, and he longs for his own lord and court. This references Marquis Zhao of Cai, who visited Chu and was held there — according to tradition, because he refused to surrender a prized fur robe to the Chu minister Zi Chang. Detained far from home, he ached with homesickness and political helplessness. From The Cauldron to Small Exceeding, the transformation reveals a minor transgression — a slight overstep in etiquette or pride — that generates disproportionate consequences. Thunder on the mountain: a small excess reverberates far beyond its size. The cauldron's guest became a prisoner because propriety was exceeded by just a fraction.