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The Five Movements (Wu Yun) have aspects of Excess (Tai Guo) and Deficiency (Bu Ji). Excess refers to the five Yang Heavenly Stems: Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren. Deficiency refers to the five Yin Heavenly Stems: Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui. Wang Bing stated: "The Heaven distributes Qi, not exceeding the Five Elements (Wu Xing). Humans exist within this Qi; how could they fail to correspond with the Way of Heaven? Therefore, following the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang in the movements is a matter of natural principle." The Classic (Jing) states: "One who does not know the annual addition of stems and branches, the prosperity and decline of Qi, and the origin of deficiency and excess, cannot be a qualified physician." Nevertheless, one must not rigidly adhere to the principles of movements and Qi. There are also internal and external causes that can be contacted at any time. Even during an Excess movement, there may be times of deficiency; even during a Deficiency movement, there are often cases of excess. If one strictly adheres to movements and Qi, will one not commit the error of reinforcing the excess and depleting the deficiency, thereby damaging what is insufficient and benefiting what is already excessive? Moreover, the annual Qi in heaven and earth also has periods of abnormality. Thus, winter may have unusual warmth, summer may have untimely cold, spring may have untimely dryness, and autumn may have untimely warmth. Those exposed to these become ill. For instance, Spring Qi moves westward, Autumn Qi moves eastward, Summer Qi moves northward, and Winter Qi moves southward. In low-lying areas, Spring Qi is prevalent; in high mountainous regions, Winter Qi persists. The northwest is deficient in heaven and thus windy; the southeast is incomplete in earth and thus damp. Within a hundred li, sunny and rainy conditions differ; beyond a thousand li, cold and warm climates vary. Since regional dominant Qi differs, diseases arise accordingly. Although the northwest climate is indeed dense, can everyone be constitutionally solid? Although the southeast climate is indeed thin, can everyone be constitutionally weak? Furthermore, prolonged drought leads to hyperactive Yang, while prolonged rain leads to hyperactive Yin. Individuals with Yang excess tolerate winter and autumn but not spring and summer; they prefer cold and dislike heat. Individuals with Yin excess tolerate spring and summer but not winter and autumn; they prefer clear weather and dislike rain. These are abnormalities of heavenly Qi and variations in human endowment, representing circumstances outside standard rules. One skilled in discussing movements and Qi observes changes flexibly, thereby grasping the profound insights unexpressed by ancients. Miao Zhongchun said: "Five Movements and Six Qi are virtual positions. If the Qi of the year arrives, it is calculated; if not, it is not. Without such Qi, how can there be corresponding medicine? This is of no benefit to treatment but misleads future scholars." To apply this to treating disease is like pointing to the intricacies of calculation and claiming them as physical realities—would this not be erroneous! When he says "First understand the annual Qi," he means that if the year is rainy and people suffer from dampness, one uses Wood-category herbs, bitter-cold herbs to dry dampness, assisted by Wind-dispelling herbs, as wind overcomes dampness. This is the meaning of "first understanding the annual Qi." When he says "Do not harm the Harmony of Heaven," he means nourishing Yin in spring and summer, and nourishing Yang in autumn and winter; forbidding Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba) and Guizhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus) in spring and summer, and forbidding Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum), Zhimu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma), and Shaoyao (Paeoniae Radix) in autumn and winter. This is the meaning of "not harming the Harmony of Heaven." However, there are times when one abandons the season and treats according to symptoms. Those who say "Without understanding Five Movements and Six Qi, what use is consulting prescription books?" refer to later generations who do not understand the rationale of movements and Qi, mistakenly relying on recorded prescriptions, leading to frequent errors. In such cases, even consulting prescription books is of no benefit. Therefore, Zhang Zhongjing, Hua Yuanhua, Yue Ren (Bian Que), and Shuhe (Wang Huhe) never recorded such theories. Not even in the treatment methods of the Six Channels (Liu Jing) is there a single word mentioning them. Furthermore, Wushi of Caolu, a Confucian scholar of the Yuan Dynasty, detailed this in his writings on heavenly Qi movements, confirming that it is a method of heavenly cycles rather than a book solely for medical treatment. Moreover, as transmission continues for a long time, the Qi transformation of heaven, earth, humans, and things becomes thinner, making it difficult to compare with ancient times. Thus, one should know the regularities of heavenly and annual Qi legislation; one should not rigidly apply it to handle variations outside these regulations. Heaven has differences in cold/warmth and early/late timing; humans have distinct differences in prosperity/decline at different moments. How can one use the fixed numbers of stems and branches governing years to determine the endless variations in human susceptibility to prosperity and decline?