Meng Zhifan's Retreat

This story comes from the Analects of Confucius, around 484 BCE. Meng Zhifan was a general of the state of Lu during a battle that went badly. His army broke and ran. In retreats like this, the position at the very back — the rear guard — is the most dangerous spot. Everyone wants to be in front, closer to safety. Meng Zhifan stayed at the back, covering his fleeing comrades, right where enemy arrows landed first.

When he finally rode through the city gates, people cheered him as a hero. He could have taken the praise. Instead he whipped his horse and laughed it off: "I wasn't being brave. This stubborn horse just wouldn't go any faster."

Confucius recorded this moment because it captured something rare — a man who did the hard, thankless thing and then refused to turn it into status. In a culture where reputation could make or break a family's future, deflecting glory was almost unheard of.

The stick carries his energy: quiet competence, no showboating, wealth that grows when you stop needing the applause that usually comes with it.

Here's what this stick is telling you about money: you're probably doing better than you give yourself credit for, and the real question is whether you can hold your ground without needing everyone to notice.

Moderately Good in the wealth column almost always means the same thing. Income is steady. The water in the well hasn't dropped. But there's usually a leak somewhere, and with this particular sign, the leak tends to be ego-shaped.

Think about Elena, 34, a graphic designer we spoke with in Lisbon. She was earning well — better than she'd ever earned. But every time a client praised her, she'd immediately discount her next invoice, or throw in extra revisions for free. She couldn't sit with being valued. Meng Zhifan deflected glory after the battle was already won. Elena was deflecting it before the payment cleared. Big difference.

That's the trap this stick points to. You might be spending to look modest, under-charging to seem reasonable, or turning down opportunities because claiming them feels immodest. The old poem praises Meng Zhifan for refusing honour — but read it carefully. He took the dangerous post first. The humility came after the work was done and paid for.

On earned income, the outlook is genuinely okay. Patient work, existing clients, the slow harvest from seeds planted last year — this is where your treasury fills. Keep tending it.

On windfalls, shortcuts, and get-rich-quick routes, the stick is clearly warning you off. "Fame and wealth are not to be attained" in the traditional reading means stop reaching for the dramatic win. Plans for speculative moves should wait. The door isn't open there right now.

Our take: this is a year for quiet accumulation, not headlines. The horse isn't refusing to run because it's weak. It's refusing because this isn't the terrain for sprinting.

Before the next lunar new year, do one unglamorous audit: list every recurring expense you kept because it signals something about who you are, rather than because you actually use it. Cut two.

This autumn, practise receiving. When someone praises your work or offers to pay you properly, say thank you and stop talking. No discount, no hedge, no "oh it was nothing."

Guard your core income like it's the rear guard — that's where the real value sits. Delay any big speculative moves or career gambles until after spring. Ride out this season on the existing field.

Watch for one pattern: are you keeping yourself small to stay likeable? If yes, that's the hidden drain this stick wants you to see.