Yue Lao Oracle Lot 54 · Fair
成也蕭何，敗也蕭何。 Xiao He made him, and Xiao He unmade him.
The lot
成也蕭何
Xiao He made him
敗也蕭何
and Xiao He unmade him
| Lot | Grade | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lot 54 第五十四籤 | Fair 中 | Folk saying (from the story of Han Xin and Xiao He) 俗語（典出韓信與蕭何的故事） |
Background: what the original says
Han Xin became a great general because Xiao He recommended him, and in the end he was killed through a plot that Xiao He devised.
"Made by Xiao He, undone by Xiao He" is a saying drawn from the biography of Han Xin in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji). At the end of the Qin, Han Xin served Xiang Yu, whose camp ignored his advice, then defected to Liu Bang, where he fared little better. The chancellor Xiao He became convinced he was extraordinary. When Han Xin slipped away one night, Xiao He rode after him without telling Liu Bang, brought him back, and had him made commander-in-chief. Victory after victory followed.
After the Han was founded, Han Xin was demoted from King of Chu to Marquis of Huaiyin. Accused of conspiring with the rebel Chen Xi, he was lured to court when Empress Lü and Xiao He spread a false report of Chen Xi's death, and Xiao He personally urged him to come and offer congratulations. He was seized and executed in the Changle Palace. The Song writer Hong Mai recorded the saying and its origin.
What it means
The key person who makes this happen could also be the one who spoils it; the same circumstance can cut both ways.
Reminder: Keep an eye on any shift in the key person's attitude.
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
- 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.
- 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?").
- 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.
- 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
A "poor" lot means the relationship is hopeless.
The grade is only a broad direction. Yue Lao lots mostly point to attitude and approach, and the same lot means different things for different questions.
You can keep drawing on the same question until you get a good lot.
By custom you ask once per matter. If you are still unsure, ask the temple's interpreter, or wait a while and ask again.
Previous: Lot 53; next: Lot 55.
A straight word: fortune lots are a matter of faith, and the meanings here are ours
The Chinese text was compared across three circulating versions and checked line by line against the original books (the Book of Songs, the Four Books, the Zuo Zhuan, the Romance of the Western Chamber and others). We only corrected characters that were clearly miscopied, and every page shows the circulating wording wherever we changed it. Grades follow the circulating text; we add no fortune-telling of our own. The translations, background notes and plain-English meanings are our own reading, not the temple's official interpretation. For a real reading, ask at the temple where you drew the lot. For legal, medical or financial questions, see a professional. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment.
Beyond the lot: your two charts
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Yue Lao oracle Lot 54: questions
What does Yue Lao oracle Lot 54 say?
「成也蕭何，敗也蕭何。」 In English: Xiao He made him, and Xiao He unmade him. It is graded fair and comes from Folk saying (from the story of Han Xin and Xiao He).
What does Yue Lao oracle Lot 54 mean?
The key person who makes this happen could also be the one who spoils it; the same circumstance can cut both ways. Reminder: Keep an eye on any shift in the key person's attitude.