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For conditions where effusion and seepage occur in the upper part, it is appropriate to consume salty foods. This utilizes the property of saltiness to move Earth Qi and facilitate drainage downward. Ma Shi stated: The central Wu-Ji Earth has a yellow color; the Spleen also belongs to Earth, thus its color is also yellow. Zhang Jiebin stated: Saltiness transforms from Water; its Qi enters the Kidney. Ji's commentary: *Yanyi* records that soybeans come in green, brown, and black varieties, and in two sizes. *Bielu* records that soybeans have a sweet and neutral taste, can drive out water distension, and remove heat in the stomach. *Shuben Zhu* records that boiling and eating them treats main toxic edema. Rihua Zi recorded that black beans regulate the middle. *Tujing* recorded that when made into douzhi (fermented soybean paste), they are extremely cold; yellow curled ones and sauces are neutral. One should not eat pork after consuming them, as this will cause Qi stagnation leading to death. *Shiyi Xinjing* recorded that they regulate heat in the stomach and remove body swelling. Douzhi eaten stir-fried is extremely hot; boiled or made into paste/sauce is neutral. *Benjing* mentions sweet taste but not salty; the salty nature might be like the Zhenghe theory in *Tujing*, or achieved by boiling or making into salted douzhi/salt sauce, which can then enter the Kidney. *Bielu* states that pork has a bitter taste and should not be consumed for long periods. *Shiliao* records meat is bitter and slightly cold; Jiang pig is neutral with a sour taste. *Zhou Li · Shi Yi* states that pigs should be paired with jizi (millet). Annotation: Pig meat is sour; female pigs are bitter. Here, regarding saltiness, there should be specific methods of administration.

Chestnuts: *Bielu* records a salty and warm taste, benefiting Qi, thickening the intestines and stomach, and tonifying Kidney Qi. Meng Shen recorded that raw consumption treats waist and leg issues, while stir-fried consumption causes Qi stagnation. *Tujing* recorded that those with wind-water qi should avoid eating them due to their salty nature. Huo (soybean leaves): *Shuowen* writes "HT" meaning less. *Shi Xiao Ya*: "Bright white foal, eats my intestinal huos." *Yi Li · Gong Shi Da Fu Li* annotation on Niu Huo: Huo refers to soybean leaves. *Erya Shi Cao*: "HT Lu Huo," annotation: now known as Lu Dou (deer bean). Tang Yuan Zhen's poem: "Wild vegetables fill the meal, sweet field huos." Materia Medica details are unclear.

The Kidney's color is black; it is appropriate to consume pungent foods. Yellow millet, chicken meat, peaches, and scallions are all pungent. Wang Bing stated: The Kidney nature dislikes dryness, so consuming pungent items utilizes their moisture and lubrication. Wu Kun stated: The Kidney dislikes dryness and urgency; consume pungent substances. Zhang Zhicong stated: Since the Kidney's color is black, its Qi prefers moisture; pungency opens the cou li (pores) and promotes fluid secretion, essentially transforming through metal to generate pungency, connecting to the source of the mother element. Ma Shi stated: The North Ren-Gui Water has a black color; the Kidney also belongs to Water, thus its color is black. Zhang Jiebin stated: Huang Shu (yellow millet) is glutinous small millet, called Huang Mi in the north. Ji's commentary: There are various types of Shu, including red, white, and yellow. *Bielu* records a sweet and warm, non-toxic taste, benefiting Qi and tonifying the middle. Sun Simiao stated: Shu is the grain of the Lung; suitable for Lung diseases. Now, for Kidney consumption, Metal and Water share the same source. Chickens vary in type and flavor. Red rooster chickens have a sweet and slightly warm taste, treating women's metrorrhagia, leukorrhea, and red/white discharges. White rooster chickens are sour. Black rooster chickens are slightly warm. Black hen chickens are sweet. Yellow hen chickens are sour and sweet-neutral. For Kidney consumption, black ones are preferred. Peach fruits: *Bielu* records a sour taste; excessive consumption causes heat. Peach kernels are bitter, sweet, and neutral, not explicitly pungent. Stem bark is bitter and pungent. Leaves are bitter and pungent-neutral. Sun Simiao stated: Peaches are pungent, suitable for Lung diseases. Scallion fruits: *Benjing* records a pungent and warm taste; stems and white parts are neutral and can make decoctions. *Tujing* lists winter scallions, Han scallions, Hu scallions, and general scallions, four types in total.

Pungency disperses, sourness astringes, sweetness moderates, bitterness hardens, saltiness softens. Wang Bing stated: These are natural Qi properties. However, pungency and bitterness do more than just harden and disperse; pungency can also moisten and disperse, bitterness can also dry and drain. The Spleen dislikes dampness; urgently consume bitterness to dry it. The Lung dislikes upward reversal of Qi; urgently consume bitterness to drain it. This refers to the drying and draining effects of bitterness. Also: The Kidney dislikes dryness; urgently consume pungency to moisten it. This refers to the moisturizing effect of pungency. Wu Kun stated: This explains the uses of the five flavors. Zhang Zhicong stated: Beyond dispersion and drainage, there are properties of astringing, moderating, hardening, and softening. Skillful users act according to what is beneficial. Ma Shi stated: Pungency governs dispersion, sourness governance astringence, sweetness moderation, bitterness hardening, saltiness softening. Zhang Jiebin stated: This summarizes the use of the five flavors, applicable to both medicine and food. Ji's commentary: This summarizes the Five Desires: Liver desires dispersion, urgently consume pungency; Lung desires astringence, urgently consume sourness; Spleen desires moderation, urgently consume sweetness; Kidney desires hardening, urgently consume bitterness; Heart desires softening, urgently consume saltiness. These are the so-called Five Desires.

Poisonous drugs attack pathogens. Wang Bing stated: Drugs refer to metals, stones, earth, plants, vegetables, fruits, insects, fish, birds, and beasts, all capable of dispelling pathogens and nourishing righteousness. However, only poison can dispel evil and stabilize righteousness, hence they are collectively called poisonous drugs. New correction notes: In Materia Medica, lower-grade drugs serve as assistants, treat diseases corresponding to Earth, are often toxic, and should not be taken long-term. To remove cold-heat pathogens, break accumulations, and cure diseases, one follows the Lower Classic, hence "poisonous drugs attack pathogens." Zhang Zhicong stated: Upper-grade drugs are sovereigns, nourish life corresponding to Heaven, are non-toxic, and safe for long-term use to lighten the body, benefit Qi, prevent aging, and extend years, following the Upper Classic. Middle-grade drugs are ministers, nourish nature corresponding to Humanity, varying in toxicity, used to suppress disease and tonify deficiency, following the Middle Classic. Lower-grade drugs are assistants, treat diseases corresponding to Earth, are often toxic, and should not be taken long-term, following the Lower Classic. Ma Shi stated: Those tonifying righteous Qi must rely on good medicines; those treating pathogenic Qi must rely on poisonous drugs, hence attacking pathogens. *Wu Yun Yan Da Lun* states: Great poison treats disease, removing six-tenths; common poison removes seven-tenths; slight poison removes eight-tenths. These are poisonous drugs. Also: Non-toxic drugs remove nine-tenths, called good medicines. Zhang Jiebin stated: Drugs treat disease because of their "poisonous" nature, meaning their biased flavors and aromas. Correct flavors/aromas belong to grains and foods, nourishing righteous Qi; biased flavors/aromas belong to medicinal herbs, removing pathogenic Qi. Disease arises from Yin-Yang imbalance. To correct bias, biased flavors/aromas are needed, as correct ones are insufficient. Anything that dispels evil and stabilizes righteousness can be called drug-poison, hence "poisonous drugs attack pathogens." Ji's commentary: All drugs that treat disease and attack pathogens possess toxicity. *Zhou Li · Yi Shi* gathers poisonous drugs for medical use; annotation: poisonous drugs are pungent and bitter substances. Xi Xin and Ku Shen are pungent/bitter but non-toxic, though most toxic drugs are pungent/bitter. Toxic drugs include Ba Dou and Ye Lang Ya. Dongdong Ji Yi stated: All tools for attacking disease are drugs, managed by physicians. Also: Drug poison attacks virus poison, causing dizziness (*mingxuan*). *Book of Documents* states: If the drug does not cause dizziness, the severe disease will not heal.

Five grains provide nourishment. Wang Bing stated: Glutinous rice, adzuki beans, wheat, soybeans, and yellow millet. Zhang Zhicong stated: Millet, broomcorn millet, rice, wheat, and beans nourish the Qi of the five Zang organs. Ma Shi stated: These five grains nourish primordial Qi. Zhang Jiebin stated: They nourish vital Qi. Ji's commentary: These are the five grains mentioned earlier. *Zhou Li · Ji Yi* uses five flavors, five grains, and five medicines to nourish illness; annotation: five grains are hemp, millet, broomcorn millet, wheat, and beans. This is based on the grains of the five directions in *Yueling*. These five grains are for nourishing illness, not necessarily for herbal formulas. *Su Wen · Jin Gui Zhen Yan*: East Green, grain Wheat; South Red, grain Millet; West White, grain Rice; Center Yellow, grain Broomcorn Millet; North Black, grain Beans. Another set: Wheat, Millet, Rice, Broomcorn Millet, Beans. *Wu Chang Zheng Da Lun*: Fu He grain Hemp, Sheng Ming grain Wheat, Bei Hua grain Broomcorn Millet, Shen Ping grain Rice, Jing Shun grain Beans, Wei He grain Broomcorn Millet/Rice, Fu Ming grain Beans/Rice, Bei Jian grain Beans/Hemp, Cong Ge grain Hemp/Wheat, He Liu grain Millet/Broomcorn Millet, Fa Sheng grain Hemp/Rice, He Xi grain Wheat/Beans, Dun Fu grain Broomcorn Millet/Hemp, Jian Cheng grain Rice/Millet, Liu Yan grain Beans/Broomcorn Millet. *Ling Shu · Wu Wei Pian*: Five Grains: Glutinous rice sweet, hemp sour, soybeans salty, wheat bitter, yellow millet pungent.

Five fruits provide assistance. Wang Bing stated: Peaches, plums, apricots, chestnuts, and dates. Zhang Jiebin stated: They assist nourishment. Ji's commentary: These correspond to Liver-dates, Heart-plums, Lung-apricots, Spleen-chestnuts, Kidney-peaches from the previous text. *Ling Shu · Wu Wei Pian*: Five Fruits: Dates sweet, plums sour, chestnuts salty, apricots bitter, peaches pungent. According to *Jin Gui Zhen Yan* and *Wu Chang Zheng Da Lun*, these vary. Li Shizhen stated: Fruit of trees is called Guo; ripe for eating, dried for preserves, useful for illness preparation, matching five flavors and colors to five Zang organs.

Five animals provide benefits. Wang Bing stated: Cattle, sheep, pigs, dogs, and chickens. Zhang Zhicong stated: Tonify the five Zang organs. Ma Shi stated: Benefit primordial Qi. Zhang Jiebin stated: Benefit essence and blood. Ji's commentary: These five animals differ from *Jin Gui Zhen Yan* and *Wu Chang Zheng Da Lun*. *Ling Shu · Wu Wei Pian*: Five Animals: Cattle sweet, dog sour, pig salty, sheep bitter, chicken pungent.

Five vegetables provide fullness. Wang Bing stated: Malva, huos, wild leeks, scallions, and garlic chives. New correction notes: According to *Wu Chang Zheng Da Lun*: Great poison removes six-tenths; common poison seven-tenths; slight poison eight-tenths; non-toxic nine-tenths. Grain, meat, fruit, and vegetable dietary therapy completes treatment without overdoing it to harm righteousness. Zhang Zhicong stated: They fill the Zang and Fu organs. Ma Shi stated: Fill primordial Qi. Zhang Jiebin stated: Solidify Zang and Fu organs. Ji's commentary: *Tian Zhong Ji*: Five meats and seven vegetables cover poultry. *Shu Du Fu*: Five meats and seven vegetables cover fishy odors. This implies vegetables and meat are beneficial. Li Shizhen stated: Edible plants are called Cai. Five vegetables assist grain Qi and unblock stagnation, hence internal teachings and contemporary prescriptions value them greatly. *Ling Shu · Wu Wei Pian*: Five Vegetables: Malva sweet, garlic chives sour, huos salty, wild leeks bitter, scallions pungent.

Consuming flavors and aromas together supplements essence and Qi. Wang Bing stated: Qi transforms Yang, flavors apply Yin. Harmonizing flavor and aroma supplements essence and Qi. *Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun*: Yang is Qi, Yin is Flavor. Flavor returns to form, form returns to Qi, Qi returns to essence, essence returns to transformation. Essence feeds on Qi, form feeds on flavor. Also: For deficiency of form, warm with Qi; for deficiency of essence, tonify with flavor. Thus, supplementing essence and Qi is understood. New correction notes: Sun Simiao stated: Essence feeds on Qi, Qi nourishes essence to luster complexion; form feeds on flavor, flavor nourishes form to generate strength. Essence aligns with five Qi to become spiritual. If flavor intake is unregulated, form is damaged. Therefore, sages first use dietary taboos to preserve nature, then prepare drugs to protect life, using warm-tonic flavors/aromas to preserve essence and form. This is harmonious consumption to supplement essence and Qi. Zhang Zhicong stated: Summarizing above, grains, meats, fruits, and vegetables all have five Qi and flavors; they should be eaten in harmony to avoid excess and supplement essence and Qi. Excessive bitter-charred flavors increase Fire transformation; excessive salty-fermented foods increase Cold transformation. Classic states: Long-term consumption increases Qi, a normal transformation. Prolonged Qi increase leads to premature death. Thus, harmonious consumption is advised. Ji's commentary: Li Gao stated: Substances have ascending, descending, floating, sinking transformations matching seasons: Spring birth, Summer float, Autumn harvest, Winter store, Earth center transformation. Thin flavors ascend to generate Qi; thin Qi descend to harvest. Dense Qi float to grow; dense flavors sink to store. Neutral flavors transform to complete. Tonifying with pungent-sweet-warm-hot and thin flavors aids Spring-Summer ascent/floating, acting as draining Autumn-Winter storage drugs, corresponding to Liver-Heart in the body. Tonifying with sour-bitter-salty-cold and dense flavors aids Autumn-Winter descent/sinking, acting as draining Spring-Summer growth drugs, corresponding to Lung-Kidney in the body. Bland-draining drugs ascend; draining-descending drugs assist. Understanding flavors/aromas and combining them achieves supplementation. Wang Haogu stated: Pungency disperses, moving horizontally; Sweet-bland moves upward; Bitter drains, moving downward; Sour astringes, contracting nature; Saltiness softens, expanding nature. Knowing nature and flavor ensures proper consumption.

These five categories have pungent, sour, sweet, bitter, and salty tastes, each with specific benefits: dispersing, astringing, moderating, urgent, hardening, or softening. Diseases of the four seasons and five Zang organs follow the suitability of the five flavors. Wang Bing stated: Using five flavors to regulate five Zang organs: pairing Liver with sweet, Heart with sour, Spleen with salty, Lung with bitter, Kidney with pungent, each according to suitability for moderating, astringing, softening, draining, dispersing, or hardening, not based on generation/nourishment principles. Zhang Zhicong stated: The five categories refer to poisonous drugs, grains, animals, vegetables, and fruits. They all have pungent-sweet dispersion and sour-bitter-salty-cold effusion/drainage, plus pungent-dispersing, sour-astringing, bitter-hardening, saltiness-softening properties. Depending on seasons, disperse or astringe; depending on Zang organ distress/desire, act according to benefit. This chapter discusses Zang organs to know severity/death timing, assessing status for acupuncture/drug-food differentiation, as Nine Pulse diseases originate from Zang organs. Ma Shi stated: From "poisonous drugs attack pathogens" to here, the five categories of grains, fruits, animals, and vegetables have five flavors and dispersion/astringence/moderation/urgency/hardening/softening suitability, varying by season and Zang organ disease. Thus, the meaning of Zang Qi Law of Time is fully expressed. Zhang Jiebin stated: Summarizing Zang Qi and Seasonal Use, each has benefits. However, changes are unpredictable, so seasonal/Zang organ diseases require drugs, and five flavors should suit the condition. Ji's commentary: Wang's note pairs Liver with sweet (Earth-Wood harmony); Heart with sour (Wood generates Fire); Spleen with salty (Water flows through Earth); Lung with bitter (Lung is high, imitating Heaven); Kidney with pungent (Metal-Water shared source). This Zang-Flavor pairing differs from annual climate/time-drug theories, explaining discrepancies between *Zang Qi Fa Shi*, *Jin Gui Zhen Yan*, and *Wu Chang Zheng Da Lun* regarding grains and animals.

*Suo Wen · Xuan Ming Wu Qi Pian*: Five Flavors Enter: Sour enters Liver. Wang Bing stated: Liver combines with Wood and sour taste. Wu Kun stated: Five flavors enter according to category, as per *I Ching*: similar Qi seeks each other. Zhang Zhicong stated: Stomach is the sea of Zang and Fu organs; water and grain enter Stomach, Zang and Fu derive Qi from Stomach. Five flavors go to their preferences: Sour first goes to Liver, Bitter to Heart, Sweet to Spleen, Pungent to Lung, Salty to Kidney. After grain Qi and fluids circulate, Ying and Wei flow freely, waste is transformed and transmitted down. East generates Wind, Wind generates Wood, Wood generates Sour, Sour generates Liver. Thus, sour flavors enter Liver to nourish Liver Qi. Zhang Jiebin stated: Sour transforms from Wood. Ji's commentary: Liver's inherent sour taste differs from *Zang Qi Fa Shi*'s recommendation of sweet food.

Pungent enters Lung. Wang Bing stated: Lung combines with Metal and pungent taste. Zhang Zhicong stated: West generates Dryness, Dryness generates Metal, Metal generates Pungent, Pungent generates Lung. Thus, pungent flavors enter Lung to nourish Lung Qi. Zhang Jiebin stated: Pungent transforms from Metal. Ji's commentary: Lung's inherent pungent taste differs from *Zang Qi Fa Shi*'s recommendation of bitter food.

Bitter enters Heart. Wang Bing stated: Heart combines with Fire and bitter taste. Zhang Zhicong stated: South generates Heat, Heat generates Fire, Fire generates Bitter, Bitter generates Heart. Thus, bitter flavors enter Heart to nourish Heart Qi. Zhang Jiebin stated: Bitter transforms from Fire. Ji's commentary: Heart's inherent bitter taste differs from *Zang Qi Fa Shi*'s recommendation of sour food.

Salty enters Kidney. Wang Bing stated: Kidney combines with Water and salty taste. Zhang Zhicong stated: North generates Cold, Cold generates Water, Water generates Salty, Salty generates Kidney. Thus, salty flavors enter Kidney to nourish Kidney Qi. Zhang Jiebin stated: Salty transforms from Water. Ji's commentary: Kidney's inherent salty taste differs from *Zang Qi Fa Shi*'s recommendation of pungent food.

Sweet enters Spleen. Wang Bing stated: Spleen combines with Earth and sweet taste. New correction notes: *Tai Su* also states bland enters Stomach. Zhang Zhicong stated: Center generates Dampness, Dampness generates Earth, Earth generates Sweet, Sweet generates Spleen. Thus, sweet flavors enter Spleen to nourish Spleen Qi. Zhang Jiebin stated: Sweet transforms from Earth. Ji's commentary: Spleen's inherent sweet taste differs from *Zang Qi Fa Shi*'s recommendation of salty food.

This is called the Five Entrances. Regarding Five Colors: For Spleen disease, appropriate to eat rice, beef, malva, and dates. Zhang Jiebin stated: Below describes suitable flavors for Zang diseases. Spleen belongs to Earth, sweet enters Spleen, so sweet items are appropriate. For Heart disease, appropriate to eat wheat, mutton, apricots, and wild leeks. Zhang Zhicong stated: Heart belongs to Fire, bitter enters Heart, so bitter items are appropriate. For Kidney disease, appropriate to eat sprouted soybeans, pork, chestnuts, and huos. Zhang Jiebin stated: Sprouted soybeans are soybean shoots. Kidney belongs to Water, salty enters Kidney, so salty items are appropriate. For Liver disease, appropriate to eat hemp, dog meat, plums, and garlic chives. Zhang Jiebin stated: Liver belongs to Wood, sour enters Liver, so sour items are appropriate. For Lung disease, appropriate to eat yellow millet, chicken meat, peaches, and scallions. Zhang Jiebin stated: Lung belongs to Metal, pungent enters Lung, so pungent items are appropriate. These five sections align with the Five Combinations in *Zang Sheng Cheng Lun* and Five Entrances in *Xuan Ming Wu Qi Pian*, using the inherent flavor of each Zang to treat its disease. Ma Shi stated: This discusses the compatibility of five colors and flavors, and the specific needs for each Zang disease. Yellow belongs to Earth, sweet flavor belongs to Earth, Spleen belongs to Earth; thus yellow color suits sweet, and Spleen disease (Spleen Qi deficiency) suits sweet grains/fruits/meats/vegetables to tonify. Red belongs to Fire, bitter flavor belongs to Fire, Heart belongs to Fire; thus red color suits bitter, and Heart disease (Heart Qi deficiency) suits bitter grains/fruits/meats/vegetables to tonify. Black belongs to Water, salty flavor belongs to Water, Kidney belongs to Water; thus black color suits salty, and Kidney disease (Kidney Qi deficiency) suits salty grains/fruits/meats/vegetables to tonify. Green belongs to Wood, sour flavor belongs to Wood, Liver belongs to Wood; thus green color suits sour, and Liver disease (Liver Qi deficiency) suits sour grains/fruits/meats/vegetables to tonify. White belongs to Metal, pungent flavor belongs to Metal, Lung belongs to Metal; thus white color suits pungent, and Lung disease (Lung Qi deficiency) suits pungent grains/fruits/meats/vegetables to tonify. This is the Five Entrances from *Xuan Ming Wu Qi Lun*. Yu Borong stated: Five grains nourish, five fruits assist, five animals benefit, five vegetables fill. Consuming flavors/aromas together supplements essence and Qi. Thus, five colors match five flavors with specific suitability. Five Zang internally match Five Elements, externally match five colors. Five flavors enter Stomach, each going to its preference, fluids travel their paths to nourish Five Zang. Hence, Zang diseases follow the suitability of five flavors.

Liver color green, appropriate to eat sweet. Rice, beef, dates, malva are all sweet. Heart color red, appropriate to eat sour. Dog meat, hemp, plums, garlic chives are all sour. Spleen color yellow, appropriate to eat salty. Soybeans, pork, chestnuts, huos are all salty. Lung color white, appropriate to eat bitter. Wheat, mutton, apricots, wild leeks are all bitter. Kidney color black, appropriate to eat pungent. Yellow millet, chicken meat, peaches, scallions are all pungent. Ma Shi stated: This discusses suitable flavors for Five Zang diseases, treating from their distressed states. *Su Wen · Zang Qi Fa Shi Lun*: Liver suffers urgency, urgently eat sweet to relax; Heart suffers laxity, urgently eat sour to astringe; Spleen suffers dampness, urgently eat bitter to dry; Lung suffers upward Qi reversal, urgently eat bitter to drain; Kidney suffers dryness, urgently eat pungent to moisten. At the end, it says: Liver color green, eat sweet (glutinous rice, beef, dates, malva); Heart color red, eat sour (adzuki beans [Benjing calls hemp], dog meat, plums, garlic chives); Lung color white, eat bitter (wheat, mutton, apricots, wild leeks); Spleen color yellow, eat salty (soybeans, pork, chestnuts, huos); Kidney color black, eat pungent (yellow millet, chicken meat, peaches, scallions). Previously it said Spleen suffers dampness, eat bitter to dry, yet here says Spleen color yellow, eat salty. Qiyuanzi explained: Investigating this suitability relates to adjusting mechanisms. Kidney is the gate of Stomach; Spleen and Stomach combine, so saltiness is borrowed to soften and benefit the gate. When the gate is open, Stomach Qi flows, grain Qi transforms. Thus, Spleen flavor differs from other Zang organs. This section matches *Su Wen*. Zhang Zhicong stated: *Zang Qi Fa Shi Lun*: Liver suffers urgency, eat sweet to relax; Heart suffers laxity, eat sour to astringe; Spleen suffers dampness, eat bitter to dry; Lung suffers upward Qi reversal, eat bitter to drain; Kidney suffers dryness, eat pungent to moisten. Color is the brilliance of Qi. Relaxation, urgency, dryness, dampness indicate disharmony of Zang Qi. Five Zang have five Qi distresses, so five flavors are used to regulate, using Yin to harmonize Yang. My view: Spleen suffers dampness, eat bitter to dry, yet Spleen color yellow, eat salty (soybeans, pork, chestnuts, huos). Spleen is extreme Yin within Yin, governing damp Earth Qi, preferring dryness and disliking cold-damp, so bitter is used to dry. However, irrigating the four Zang requires moist Earth Qi to flow, so salty is also used to moisten. Thus *Yu Ji Zhen Cang Lun*: Spleen is Earth, solitary Zang irrigating four sides. Flowing like water indicates excess, disease external, so urgently eat bitter to dry. Beak-like indicates deficiency, disease internal, like dark-beaked birds, stagnant and immobile, so eat salty to moisten and irrigate. Spleen is Earth Zang, located centrally; lacking neutral Qi leads to excess or deficiency, hence two suitable flavors.

*Ling Shu · Wu Yin Wu Wei Pian*: Upper Zheng and Right Zheng are the same. Grain: Wheat. Animal: Sheep. Fruit: Apricot. Hand Shaoyin Zang Heart. Color: Red. Flavor: Bitter. Season: Summer. Ma Shi stated: Upper Zheng and Right Zheng refer to people with Fire tones. Among five grains, animals, and fruits, wheat, sheep, and apricots belong to Fire, suitable for Fire-tone people to regulate. Zhang Jiebin stated: The following five lines describe inner Zang matching seasons, colors, and flavors. Zhang Zhicong stated: This section uses five flavors of grains, animals, and fruits to nourish people of five tones and twenty-five variations. Left/Right/Tai/Shao vary from tone changes. Upper Zheng is Hand Shaoyin person; Right Zheng is Left/Right/Upper/Lower Hand/Foot Taiyang persons. Upper Zheng same as Right Zheng means citing one to generalize four. Four variations originate from five tones, so five flavors regulate five tones, and four variations are regulated by these five flavors. Wheat matures in Summer, Fire grain; Si-Wu-Wei form Fire bureau; Sheep is Fire animal; Apricot is red and bitter, Heart fruit. Classic states: Five grains nourish, five fruits assist, five animals benefit. Flavor returns to form, Qi returns to essence. Thus, for deficiency of five-tone forms and twenty-five variation forms, tonification with flavor is needed. Upper Zheng in Qi is Hand Shaoyin, in Zang is Heart, in Color is Red, in Flavor is Bitter, in Season is Summer, the master of five tones. Right Zheng transforms Yin to Yang. Qiu Rulin stated: Checking previous and later chapters, no acupuncture terms appear, so regulating Right Hand Taiyang Up...