Yue Lao Oracle Lot 33 · Excellent

可以託六尺之孤，可以寄百里之命。 One you could trust with an orphaned young heir, one you could trust with the fate of a whole domain.

The lot

Background: what the original says

Zeng Zi said that a person you can trust to raise a young ruler and to govern a state on his behalf is a true gentleman.

In the Taibo chapter of the Analects, Confucius's disciple Zengzi asks: a man to whom you can entrust an orphaned young ruler, to whom you can hand the fate of a state, and who will not waver when a great crisis comes — is he a gentleman? He is indeed.

The saying is not tied to any event; it describes the kind of person who can be trusted with what matters most. Later readers most often linked it to the Three Kingdoms period, when the dying Liu Bei, ruler of Shu Han, entrusted his son Liu Shan and his state to Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang served the young ruler with complete dedication until he died in camp on his last northern campaign, and "entrusting the orphan" became a familiar phrase. What Zengzi praises is not talent but keeping faith under the heaviest pressure, and that is the measure the lot applies to a partner.

What it means

This person is dependable and worth building a life with, someone who can carry the weight of a family alongside you.

Reminder: Trust is the foundation of a marriage.

This is a plain reading of the words and their source. How it applies to your own question is best settled with the interpreter at the temple where you drew it.

How to ask Yue Lao for a lot

1. Yue Lao, the Old Man under the Moon, usually has a side shrine inside a larger temple, such as a City God temple or a Mazu temple. Follow the temple's route: pay respects to the main deity first, then go to Yue Lao.
2. Tell Yue Lao your name, birth date and address, describe where you are in love right now, and state the one question you want to ask (for example, "Will this relationship last?" or "When will I meet someone?").
3. Cast the moon blocks (jiaobei, two crescent-shaped wooden blocks) to ask whether you may draw. One face up and one face down means yes; then pull one stick and cast again to confirm it. Many temples ask for three yeses in a row; if not, draw again.
4. Collect the slip with the matching number. Yue Lao lots are quotations from old books, so the meaning often depends on the original passage. If it is unclear, ask the temple's interpreter.

Ask about one thing at a time; the more specific the question, the easier the lot is to apply. Yue Lao lots are for love and marriage only; for other matters, use the temple's general fortune poems.

Common misunderstandings

Previous: Lot 32; next: Lot 34.