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Zhang Zhongjing provides one outline for each of the Six Channels (Liu Jing), just as a general raises flags and drums to indicate the direction of attack; therefore, one must select the most appropriate pulse and symptoms specific to that channel as the marker. Readers must firmly memorize these outlines to determine the location of the disease. However, what is visible in the outline is only the "frontal" aspect (the typical presentation); readers must also discern the "base plate" (the underlying or atypical conditions), carefully ponder the peripheral variations, and penetrate the hidden complexities to fully understand the excellent methods and intentions.

For instance, the Taiyang (Greater Yang) outline presents eight characters: "pulse floating, stiffness and pain in the head and neck, and aversion to cold." This represents the frontal aspect of Taiyang disease. Readers should know that pulses in all three Yang channels can be floating, headaches occur in all three Yang channels, and aversion to cold occurs in all six channels when affected by cold. Only "stiffness and pain in the head and neck" is unique to the Taiyang channel. Thus, upon observing stiffness and pain connecting the head to the neck, one knows it is a Taiyang disease. This is because the Taiyang channel governs the Qi of all Yang channels, the head is the meeting place of all Yang channels, and the neck is the convergence point of the Taiyang channel. If the pulse is floating, there is aversion to cold and fever, but no headache or neck stiffness, it is known not to be a Taiyang disease. If the headache does not extend to the neck, it is also not a definitive Taiyang pattern. If there is stiffness and pain in the head and neck but without aversion to cold, and the pulse is instead deep, one cannot simply say it is not a Taiyang disease. It might be an internal emergence of warm pathogenic factors, or irritability after vomiting, or dampness flowing into the joints, or a condition involving the Shaoyin (Lesser Yin) channel, in which case the treatment method should focus on rescuing the interior. Because the pulse should be floating but is not, and aversion to cold should be present but is absent, it is termed "contrary" (fan). This is what is meant by "seeing the base plate." Previous scholars were constrained by the theory of "one day Taiyang, two days Yangming, seven days returning transmission," leading to a failure to recognize the Taiyang disease as described by Zhang Zhongjing.

Taiyang disease also includes symptoms such as body pain, heaviness, lower back pain, bone joint pain, nasal congestion with barking cough, dry retching, vomiting, irritability, chest fullness, back stiffness, coughing and wheezing, sweating with aversion to wind, and panting without sweat. Zhang Zhongjing scattered these symptoms across various chapters rather than including them in the outline because they are optional and not fixed. Furthermore, although Taiyang is the Great Yang and Yang diseases must involve fever, the outline does not mention fever because early-stage illness may not yet have developed fever. Such precision is evident. Therefore, when diagnosing stiffness and pain in the head and neck, physicians must consider these accompanying symptoms, carefully examine the differences between aversion to wind and aversion to cold, the pathogenesis of sweating versus non-sweating, and the progression from pre-fever to post-fever, to probe the deficiency and excess of the exterior and interior. This is the method of detailed examination from the side. At this stage, one distinguishes: sweating indicates a Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction) pattern; non-sweating indicates a Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction) pattern; non-sweating with irritability indicates a Da Qing Long Tang (Major Blue Green Dragon Decoction) pattern; dry retching, fever, and cough indicate a Xiao Qing Long Tang (Minor Blue Green Dragon Decoction) pattern; and stiffness in the neck and back indicates a Gegen Tang (Kudzu Root Decoction) pattern. When applied appropriately, efficacy is immediate like striking a drum. Previous scholars constrained people with the theory that Guizhi treats wind damaging the Defensive (Wei) level, Mahuang treats cold damaging the Nutritive (Ying) level, and Da Qing Long treats cold injury with wind or wind injury with cold, establishing a rigid "Three Guidelines" structure. This obscured Zhang Zhongjing's core methodology and corrupted his orthodox methods.

A floating pulse only describes the frontal aspect of the pulse body; physicians must examine its strength, weakness, slowness, rapidity, tension, relaxation, slippery, choppy, string-taut, and hollow qualities within the floating state. Thus, for the Taiyang syndrome, pulses such as merely floating, floating-weak, floating-slow, floating-rapid, etc., appear scattered throughout the text. There may be floating exterior and weak interior, both exterior and interior tight, both exterior and interior floating, slow at the Cun position, weak at the Chi position, slow at the Cun, floating at the Guan, and weak at the Chi. One must perceive and deliberate on the interior deficiency and excess. This is the method of seeking the hidden from the middle. To say that a tight pulse is Cold Injury (Shang Han), a slow pulse is Wind Strike (Zhong Feng), a tight pulse with sweating is Wind Strike with Cold, and a slow pulse without sweating is Cold Injury with Wind creates confusion where distinctions and mixtures exist, leaving practitioners without a starting point. How can this serve as a law? Whenever a floating-slow or floating-weak pulse is seen, use Guizhi Tang; whenever a floating-tight or floating-rapid pulse is seen, use Mahuang Tang. Do not rigidly distinguish between wind and cold; treat based solely on the deficiency and excess of the pulse. This is Zhang Zhongjing’s treatment method and his fixed rule. Modern Shanghan texts erroneously equate the Bladder with Taiyang, leading to the fallacy of "transmission affecting only the Foot channels, not the Hand channels." They fail to realize that Zhang Zhongjing’s work follows the great principles of Yin and Yang without being confined to the meridians of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang can be divided into thousands or extended into ten thousands. The Heart is the Taiyang among Yang organs, hence called Ju Yang (Great Yang) to honor it. The area above the middle is called Guang Ming (Broad Brightness); before the Taiyang is Yangming; Guang Ming is also a respectful title for the Monarch. Since Guang Ming is above Yangming, the order of the Six Channels begins with Taiyang, then Yangming. The upper body is Yang; the Bladder is located at the extreme bottom of the Lower Jiao (Lower Burner). Its meridian is named Foot Taiyang. In terms of Hand-Foot Yin-Yang, it is actually Shao Yang (Lesser Yang) within Yin. In terms of the Six Fu organs being Yang, it shares the function of receiving and storing with the Small Intestine. It cannot be confused with the Heart (Father Taiyang) above the diaphragm. Zhang Zhongjing regards the Heart as Taiyang, allowing it to externally unify the Qi and Blood of the whole body and internally traverse the meridians of the Five Zang and Six Fu organs. If the Bladder is the official of the reservoir, storing essential fluids that require the Qi transformation of the Upper Jiao to be excreted, how can it externally manage Ying and Wei and serve as the master of all Yang Qi? Qibo said: "The sage stands facing south; the front is called Guang Ming, the rear is called Tai Chong, and the land of Tai Chong is named Shaoyin." This shows that the Heart and Kidney form the great interior-exterior relationship of the body. The Bladder and Kidney are interior-exterior partners, which is merely one meaning of the Foot meridians connecting. Moreover, what is constant about interior-exterior relationships? For example, in a concurrent Taiyang and Shaoyang disease, one punctures Feishu (BL13) and Ganshu (BL18). Is it not because the Liver is outside the Gallbladder, serving as the exterior of Shaoyang, and the Lung is outside the Heart, serving as the exterior of Taiyang? In Shaoyin disease, if the whole body and limbs are hot due to heat in the Bladder, hematuria will occur. If the pathology is in the Bladder but still called Shaoyin disease, it is known that the Bladder belongs to the Yin below the waist, serving as the Fu organ of Shaoyin, but not as the Taiyang of the Six Channels, hence it is not called Taiyang disease. Again, if Taiyang disease persists and heat binds in the Bladder, causing mania-like behavior, it is because Taiyang pathogens follow the meridians, creating stasis-heat in the interior and Lower Jiao; bleeding resolves it. Since Taiyang is the highest position, Taiyang disease uses head and neck stiffness as the outline. Here, heat binding in the Lower Jiao is a variant symptom of Taiyang Yang pathogens sinking downward. The terms "following the meridians" and "in the interior" indicate that the Bladder belongs to the Lower Jiao, serving as the root foundation of Taiyang, not the exterior-governing Taiyang; it is the meridian pathway of Taiyang, not the capital of Taiyang; it is the interior governing blood of Taiyang, not the Taiyang governing the Qi of all Yang. This is clear.

Cold damage most often affects the Heart because the Heart occupies the position of Taiyang. The Heart is the Monarch; cold is a thief pathogen. If the Minister Fire (Heart Fire) is insufficient, the cold pathogen can harm it, thus it is called a major disease. Now, Shanghan practitioners wrongly regard Taiyang as a Cold-Water meridian. This is constrained by viewing the Bladder as a water reservoir, leading to the idea of "calling cold with cold," without examining the principle of cold pathogens attacking the Heart and Water overcoming Fire. When a person is injured by cold, even if the heat is severe, death does not ensue, because where the cold resides is where the pathogen stays; where the heat resides is where the Heart rules. For example, initially taking Guizhi Tang causes contrary irritability; half a day later, irritability returns; the irritability of Da Qing Long Tang; the water qi of Xiao Qing Long Tang; the epigastric fullness and hardness of Shi Zao Tang; the dry thirst and irritability of Bai Hu Tang and Wu Ling San—all are Heart diseases. If mistreated, resulting in crossing hands over the heart, mental confusion, reverse fullness in the epigastrium, and frequent concern, these are Heart diseases constituting the fundamental pathology of Taiyang. However, since the Heart is the master of the body, all Six Channels can affect it. Thus, Yangming has symptoms of mental fog, fear, and remorse; Shaoyang has irritability, palpitations, and flaccid knots; Taiyin has sudden irritability; Shaoyin has a warm sensation in the heart with urge to vomit; Jueyin has Qi rushing up to the heart and painful heat in the heart—all are Heart diseases. Why do previous scholars claim injury affects the Foot but not the Hand? The Heart governs Ying (Nutritive) Qi, and the Lung governs Wei (Defensive) Qi. When wind and cold injure Ying and Wei, it starts in the Hand meridians. The Large Intestine connects to the Stomach, both called Yangming; the Small Intestine connects to the Bladder, both called Taiyang. Injury affects both; why distinguish Hand and Foot? If stool is hard, it is a Large Intestine disease, not exclusively Stomach. If urination is difficult, it is a Small Intestine disease, not exclusively Bladder. Sweat is the fluid of the Heart. If excessive sweating leads to loss of Yang, does it only lose the Yang of Kan (Water/Kidney) and not involve the Yang of Li (Fire/Heart)? Because they do not understand Zhang Zhongjing’s Six Channels, they propagate the fallacy of meridian transmission.

Everyone knows the Taiyang meridian runs along the back, but does not know the back is governed by Taiyang; everyone claims Taiyang governs Ying and Wei, but does not investigate their source; everyone knows Taiyang governs the exterior, but does not know Taiyang is rooted in the interior; everyone knows the Bladder is the interior of Taiyang, but does not know the Heart and Lungs are the true interior of Taiyang. Because they do not understand the Yin-Yang of Neijing, they do not understand the ground of Taiyang. Neijing states the back is Yang and the abdomen is Yin. Among the Five Zang organs, the Heart and Lung are Yang and belong to the back; thus Zhang Zhongjiang assigns chest and epigastric symptoms to the Three Yang. The Liver, Spleen, and Kidney are Yin and belong to the abdomen; thus he assigns abdominal symptoms to the Three Yin. This is the meaning of Yin-Yang transmitting internally and externally. Ying and Wei circulate on the exterior but originate from the Heart and Lung. Therefore, Taiyang disease involves Ying and Wei disease, and Ying and Wei disease involves Heart and Lung disease. Heart disease causes aversion to cold; Lung disease causes fever; Heart disease causes irritability; Lung disease causes panting. Guizhi treats cold, Shaoyao stops irritability, Mahuang dissipates heat, Xingren removes panting. Therefore, harmonizing Ying is precisely calming the Heart; regulating Wei is precisely protecting the Lung. The Mahuang and Guizhi formulas are agents that harmonize interior/exterior and resolve both sides. For example, Da Qing Long Tang uses Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum) to treat irritability; Xiao Qing Long Tang uses Wuweizi (Schisandrae Fructus) and Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma) to remove cough. Both treat the interior while addressing the exterior. Later generations wrongly claimed Zhang Zhongjing’s formulas treat the exterior but not the interior. Why not reflect on the properties of the herbs?

Taiyang governs the exterior and serves as the screen for the Heart Monarch, like border gates for the capital. When wind and cold first invade, they enter the Taiyang boundary. The urgent task is to induce sweating; resolving through sweating is like having defenses at the border gate. Inducing sweating to resolve means the Monarch’s command is executed. If sweating fails to produce sweat, or if sweating does not resolve the disease, the Monarch’s command is not executed. Sweat is the fluid of the Heart, originally the Qi of Water. In cold damage, it is the seasonal cold-water Qi; in the human body, it is the cold-damp Qi of the skin; in inducing sweat, it is the monarch’s warm Yang Qi. When the Yang of Minister Fire emerges internally, the cold-water pathogen disperses externally. Thus, treating Taiyang cold damage prioritizes inducing sweat as the primary principle. If Minister Fire is insufficient, the kidney fluids transported to the epigastrium cannot enter the Heart to become sweat, nor can they descend to the Bladder, resulting in water qi in the epigastrium. Thus, promoting urination is the second principle of treating cold damage. If Minister Fire is too excessive, with symptoms like irritability and thirst, fearing self-immolation if unchecked, clearing fire is the counter-treatment method for Taiyang cold damage. If Minister Fire is too weak to maintain itself, and wind-cold invades the viscera internally, supporting Yang to resist is necessary; thus, warming and tonifying is the compliant treatment method for Taiyang cold damage. Other corrective methods vary, but the great principles remain the same.

Inducing sweat and promoting urination are the two major gates for treating Taiyang. Inducing sweat divides by layers of the形体 (body structure); promoting urination determines the heights of the Three Jiao. Both aim to transform the Qi of Taiyang. There are five methods of inducing sweat: Mahuang Tang induces sweat in the skin, dispersing external cold; Guizhi Tang induces sweat in the meridians, unblocking the essence-Qi of blood vessels; Gegen Tang induces sweat in the muscles, lifting the clear Qi of body fluids; Da Qing Long Tang induces sweat in the chest, dissolving internally disturbing Yang Qi; Xiao Qing Long Tang induces sweat in the epigastrium, driving out internally accumulated water qi. There are three methods of treating water: Dry retching and coughing, vomiting immediately after drinking, indicate water qi in the Upper Jiao; those above should be dispersed by sweating, using Xiao Qing Long Tang or Wu Ling San (Five-Ling Powder). Epigastric fullness, hardness, and pain indicate water qi in the Middle Jiao; those with fullness should be purged internally, using Shi Zao Tang or Da Xian Xiong Tang (Major Chest-Thrusting Decoction). Heat entering the Bladder with difficulty in urination indicates water qi in the Lower Jiao; those below should be drained, using Guizhi Qu Gui Jia Fu Ling Zhu Mu Tang (Guizhi Decoction minus Cinnamon Twig plus Poria and Atractylodes Macrocephala Decoction).

The root of Taiyang is Shaoyin. Tightness indicates cold, which is fundamentally a Shaoyin pulse. In Taiyang disease, if the pulse is tight, there must be no sweat. Although Taiyang guards the exterior and prevents sweating, it relies on Shaoyin storing essence and maintaining control, hence no sweat. People know it is exterior excess but do not know the interior is also excess, so Mahuang Tang can be used safely. If the pulse is tight at both positions but there is sweating, it indicates Yang failing to secure and Yin failing to guard. Although called loss of Yang, Yin alone does not survive. Saying this belongs to Shaoyin refers to Taiyang transferring to Shaoyin, not the primary Shaoyin disease. Taiyang Yang deficiency, unable to govern the exterior, internally damages True Yin Qi, revealing the Shaoyin base plate. Shaoyin Yin deficiency, unable to govern the interior, externally injures Taiyang Qi, borrowing the appearance of Taiyang. Thus, in Taiyang disease with a contrary deep pulse, use Si Ni Tang (Frigid Extremities Decoction) to urgently rescue the interior; in Shaoyin disease with a contrary exterior heat, use Ma Huang Xi Xin Fu Zi Tang (Ephedra, Asarum, and Prepared Aconite Decoction) to slightly resolve the exterior. This is the mechanism of interior-exterior correspondence.

On the first day of cold damage, Taiyang receives the pathogen; immediate irritability indicates the mechanism of Yang Qi emerging outward. By the sixth or seventh day, when Yin and Yang naturally harmonize, contrary irritability indicates the sign of Yang pathogens sinking inward. What is called "Yang departing and entering Yin" refers to Yang pathogens sinking downward, not specifically to Yin channels. Pathogens may enter the Taiyang Fu organ causing heat binding in the Bladder; enter the Yangming Fu organ causing dryness in the Stomach; enter the Shaoyang Fu organ causing hardness and fullness under the ribs; enter Taiyin causing sudden irritability and diarrhea; enter Shaoyin causing dry mouth and tongue; or enter Jueyin causing Qi rushing to the heart and painful heat in the heart. All are considered "entering Yin." Later generations, confused by the fallacy of meridian transmission, failed to understand concepts like "entering Yin" and "transferring to."