萬事俱備 只欠東風
Everything Ready but the East Wind
Meaning
All preparations complete — except the one decisive thing. Used when a single missing condition holds back everything.
Origin story
Before the showdown at Red Cliffs, Zhou Yu had perfected the fire attack: Huang Gai’s fake surrender, the oil-laden fire ships, even the chain scheme locking Cao Cao’s fleet together. But it was deep winter — the wind blew from the northwest, and any fire would blow back onto his own ships. The realization made Zhou Yu collapse, coughing blood. Visiting the sickbed, Zhuge Liang wrote sixteen characters instead of a prescription: "Everything is ready — only the east wind is lacking." He then built an altar and prayed three days and nights; when the southeast wind truly rose, the fire ships rode it and burned Cao Cao’s armada.
Source: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 49
People
Modern examples
- Product ready, team ready — only the funding is missing. Everything but the east wind.
- The shop is ready to open; now we just wait for the east wind of the permit.