Nine at the beginning is drawn when a querent is starting to draw near to something larger than themselves, a position, an institution or a relationship of influence, and is doing so alongside at least one other party rather than in isolation. The text couples good fortune to firm correctness, which makes the line favourable but conditional. The advance succeeds because of how it is conducted, not because the moment happens to be easy.
Strong and correctly placed at the base of the lower trigram Dui, the line has the structural soundness the hexagram's opening needs, and the commentary locates its merit in intention, saying that the will is set on doing what is right. Readings landing here usually concern the earliest stage of an approach, before any of the resistance the third line will meet has appeared, and the counsel is to fix the standard of conduct now while nothing has yet tested it.
The companionship named in the line is not incidental. Approach is a shared movement of two strong lines into yielding territory above, and a querent who tries to advance alone from this position gives up the mutual support the text explicitly credits. Moving with the party whose interests genuinely run alongside one's own is part of what makes this first advance correct.