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Among the six excess pathogens (Liu Yin, 六淫), wind pathogen (Feng Xie, 风邪) is primary. When humans contract it, it results in Wind-Cold injury (Shang Feng, 伤风). Symptoms include aversion to cold (Zeng Han, 憎寒), high fever (Zhuang Re, 壮热), headache (Tou Tong, 头痛), body pain (Shen Tong, 身痛), vomiting (Ou Tu, 呕吐), thirst (Kou Ke, 口渴), and a floating and rapid pulse (Mai Fu Er Shu, 脉浮而数). Qiang Huo Tang (Qiang Huo Decoction) created by Zhang Yuansu (Zhang Yuansu, 张元素), composed of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix (Qiang Huo, 羌活), Saposhnikoviae Radix (Fang Feng, 防风), Scutellariae Radix (Huang Qin, 黄芩), Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (Bai Zhi, 白芷), Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Chuan Xiong, 川芎), Atractylodis Rhizoma (Cang Zhu, 苍术), Asari Radix et Rhizoma (Xi Xin, 细辛), Rehmanniae Radix Preparata (Sheng Di, 生地), and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata cum Melle (Zhi Gan Cao, 炙草), with Ginger Rhizome (Sheng Jiang, 生姜), Allium fistulosum (Cong Bai, 葱白), and Jujube (Da Zao, 大枣) as guides, does not violate the contraindications of the three Yang meridians (San Yang Jing, 三阳经). It is commonly known as a miraculous formula for treating wind-cold injury. Furthermore, it can treat Cold pathogen (Han Xie, 寒邪) in winter, Warm pathogen (Wen Xie, 温邪) in spring, Heat pathogen (Re Xie, 热邪) in summer, and Dampness pathogen (Shi Xie, 湿邪) in autumn, serving as a universal soldier for various external conditions. However, if one contracts Summerheat (Shu, 暑) in summer, presenting with a deficient pulse and fever, this falls under its contraindications. For those residing in inns or mountains where doctors cannot arrive quickly, they may inspect this formula and use it themselves.

Before the discussion concluded, a guest beside me laughed and said: "In these declining times, human Yuan Qi (Primordial Qi, 元气) is weak and thin. Even for wind-cold injury, tonification should be used. How can Qiang Huo Tang be generally used as the master formula for treating external pathogens?" I became angry and said: "When you speak of declining times, you are referring to the primordial era. When Qi Bo (Qi Bo, 岐伯) and the Yellow Emperor (Huang Di, 黄帝) wrote the *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot, 《灵枢》) and *Su Wen* (Basic Questions, 《素问》), they already mentioned 'Shu Ji' (late/declining period, 叔季). How much more so today? As for your claim that Yuan Qi is weak and thin, this error is severe. To understand the present, one must observe the past. Confucius edited the *Book of Documents* (*Shang Shu*, 《尚书》), starting from the eras of Yao and Shun. Matters before Yao and Shun need not be discussed. Confucian scholars boast about the prosperity and robust Yuan Qi of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. The Xia capital was at Anyi, lasting 441 years; among them, only one or two lived long lives. The Shang capital was at Bo, lasting 644 years; again, only one or two lived long. The Zhou capital was at Fenghao, lasting 874 years. Compared to Xia and Shang, Zhou's Yuan Qi was thicker. King Wu of Zhou lived to 93, and King Mu of Zhou to 104. In reliable history, those praised for longevity included not only these two rulers but also Laozi (the Keeper of the Archives, Zhuxia Li, 柱下吏), Zhuangzi (the Lacquer Garden Elder, Qiyuan Sou, 漆园叟), Yin Xi (the Gatekeeper of Hangu Pass, Guan Ling Yin, 关令尹), and Prince Jin (Wang Zi Jin, 王子晋), who were born in succession. Thus, the Yuan Qi of the Three Dynasties was indeed flourishing.

After the second generation of the Qin Dynasty, Yuan Qi was exhausted. The Western Han dynasty, with its capital in Chang'an, lasted 213 years. Gaozu lived to 53, Wudi to 71, and others rarely exceeded 50. The Eastern Han dynasty, with its capital in Luoyang, lasted 196 years. Guangwu lived to 63, Mingdi to 48, and others rarely exceeded 40. Fortunately, those famous for longevity included Huang Shigong (Yellow Stone Old Man, 黄石公), Chisongzi (Red Pine Master, 赤松子), Dongfang Shuo (东方朔), and Wei Boyang (魏伯阳), whose ages are recorded. From the late Han through Wei, Jin, and the Five Dynasties, Yuan Qi declined to an extreme. For over 400 years, reigns mostly lasted one or two years, and lifespans were mostly one or two decades. Only when the Tang Dynasty unified the realm did Yuan Qi begin to recover. Lasting 289 years, emperors often lived into their fifties. Ministers such as Xu Jingyang (许旌阳), Sun Simiao (孙思邈), Zhongli Quan (钟离权), and Lü Yan (吕岩) were all renowned for their longevity. From the Later Liang and Five Dynasties through Song, Yuan, and Ming, Yuan Qi declined again. For over 700 years, no reign lasted fifty years, and few lived past fifty. Except for Chen Tuan (陈抟), Zhang Pingshu (张平叔), Leng Qian (冷谦), and Zhou Dian (周颠), longevity was rare. The rise and fall of Yuan Qi across dynasties is clearly verifiable. Heavenly cycles repeat; decline is always followed by recovery.

Upon our current dynasty, Yuan Qi has greatly turned around. If we calculate a cycle as 18,000 years, Yao and Shun were at the beginning of the mid-cycle. Four thousand years have passed since then, and now we are at the exact middle of the mid-cycle. Endowed with Heaven's favor, sages appear in every generation; guided by figures like Wei Yue (维岳), the longevity of benevolent people is witnessed in the world. Virtue and Era converge, rare qi is profound. Cleansing the demonic miasma of the universe, we grandly open the realm of longevity; elevating the people to simplicity, we universally enjoy the joy of Spring Terrace. Rain falls in season, intestines are smooth; seas are calm, rivers are clear; five stars align, sun and moon join. Those born in response to this era, even chancellors are octogenarians, and people generally reach centenarian status. Like the elders of Luopu (Recorded in *History of Song*: Wen Yanbo formed a society in Luoyang; only Sima Guang was under seventy, while the rest were eighty- and ninety-year-olds, called the Luoshe Elders' Society), holding thousand-elder banquets repeatedly; gathering the longevity figures of Xiangshan (Recorded in *Qianque Leishu*: Bai Juyi retired at seventy as Minister of Justice, calling himself the Layman of Xiangshan. He gathered nine elderly retirees at Lidao Lane, admired by many and painted as the *Nine Elders Picture*), establishing archways for centenarians everywhere.

My family has resided in Shaoyi for generations, by the Zishui River, at the foot of Longshan. At the same time, five people reached one hundred. North of the water, Old Lu and Old Luo, one woman remarried to the Huang surname; south of the mountain, one woman remarried to the Lv surname, one to the Tang surname. Those aged eighty or ninety are too numerous to count. One military student (Shi Jiwu) was already eighty, yet could draw a bow of six jun strength, pierce seven layers of armor with arrows, and perform opera roles requiring high-pitched voices. Even a scholar in my lineage, spanning five generations (Great-grandfather Di Zhi, named Zhou Yingjing; Great-great-grandfather Yuan Kai, named Zhou Shijun; Grandfather Cun Ren, named Zhou Liangjie; Father Dan Deng, named Zhou Daoan), all lived past eighty, detailed in genealogical records. My maternal grandfather (Huang Zhengli) was ninety-seven, having been in the academy at eighty-three. My maternal uncle (Huang Wenduo) was ninety-three, serving as a Xiaolian for over sixty years. "It is hard to meet a centenarian in the world," say the ancients. Thinking back, meeting a centenarian was indeed difficult in ancient times. But observing today, we should change it to: "One meets centenarians everywhere in the world." "Seventy years old was rare since ancient times," says Tang poetry. Thinking of the Tang era, seventy-year-olds were indeed rare. Observing today, we should change it to: "Seventy years old is common in the world." The sufficiency of Yuan Qi and the thickness of constitution have never been as prosperous as in our dynasty since the Three Dynasties. Those who treat diseases should simply follow established principles. How can wind-cold injury casually be treated with tonification!