未濟 → 噬嗑

Commentary

Fire above water, the season yet unresolved — but spring arrives nonetheless. Spring garments are complete, flowers bloom again, stems and leaves flourish, and grain ears hang heavy and rich. The verse is pure seasonal renewal, moving from textile readiness through botanical profusion to agricultural abundance. The 'spring garments already complete' (春服既成) may echo the famous Analerta passage where Confucius's disciple Zeng Dian describes bathing in the Yi River wearing spring clothes — the Confucian ideal of effortless harmony with the season. From Before Completion to Biting Through, fire-over-water transforms into thunder and lightning striking together. The gentle spring imagery meets the decisive force of law and punishment. Nature's renewal is not passive; it bites through the husk of winter with the same force that justice bites through obstruction.