01 / THE EARLY TEXT
The words themselves.
An interpretive English translation. Read the translation notes. Six and nine name line types; positions run from bottom to top.
蹇：利西南，不利東北；利見大人，貞吉。
Jian: Favorable in the southwest, unfavorable in the northeast. Favorable to meet a great person. The determination is auspicious.
初六：往蹇，來譽。
Six at the beginning: Going brings obstruction; coming brings praise.
六二：王臣蹇蹇，匪躬之故。
Six in the second place: The king's servant meets obstruction upon obstruction, not for personal reasons.
九三：往蹇來反。
Nine in the third place: Going brings obstruction; coming brings return.
六四：往蹇來連。
Six in the fourth place: Going brings obstruction; coming brings connection.
九五：大蹇朋來。
Nine in the fifth place: Great obstruction. Companions come.
上六：往蹇來碩，吉；利見大人。
Six at the top: Going brings obstruction; coming brings abundance. Auspicious. Favorable to meet a great person.
02 / A POSSIBLE CONTEXT
What might the question have been?
When a journey, audience, or service is obstructed, which direction should one take, and whose help should one await?
A possible setting
Mountain paths, waterways, or access to authority have become difficult. A group weighs going forward against returning and considers seeking a powerful helper.
How the words respond
The judgment favors the southwest over the northeast and recommends meeting a great person. Repeated contrasts between going and coming shape the lines. Some obstacles arise in royal service rather than from personal fault; companions may eventually arrive.
Direction, return, assistance, and access to authority organize a consultation about blocked movement.
This scenario adapts the Chinese edition's historical reading. It is a possible reconstruction, not an established single event or the only interpretation.