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The *Ling Shu: Mi Dian Lun* (Spiritual Pivot: Secret Canon of the Court) states: The Heart is the official of the Sovereign, from which Shen (Spirit/Mind) emerges. The Lung is the official of the Chancellor, from which regulation and governance emerge. The Liver is the official of the General, from which strategy and deliberation emerge. The Gallbladder is the official of Integrity, from which decision-making emerges. The Danzhong (Pericardium) is the official of the Envoy, from which joy and pleasure emerge. The Spleen and Stomach are the officials of the Granary, from which the flavors emerge. The Large Intestine is the official of Transmission, from which transformation and excretion emerge. The Small Intestine is the official of Reception, from which separation of pure and turbid emerges. The Kidney is the official of Strength, from which skill and dexterity emerge. The Sanjiao (Triple Burner) is the official of Ditches, from which water pathways emerge. The Bladder is the official of the Capital City, where Jin Ye (Body Fluids) are stored; only through Qi Hua (Qi Transformation) can they be discharged. Note: Here, the Spleen and Stomach are combined into one office, which is likely due to bamboo slip dislocation. The *Ci Fa Bu Yi Pian* (Supplement to the Needling Methods Chapter) states: The Spleen is the official of Remonstrance, from which comprehensive wisdom emerges; the Stomach is the official of the Granary, from which the flavors emerge. Adopting this to supplement brings the number of offices to twelve.

The Heart belongs to Fire and is the Zang Organ of Fire. It is the master of the body and the residence of Shen (Spirit). In small seal script, the character for "Heart" (Xin) is merely an inverted character for "Fire" (Huo). Because the Heart belongs to Fire but does not wish for the flames to blaze upward, it is inverted to demonstrate the subtlety of harmonization and adjustment. Zhu Wugong stated: A single stroke by the calligrapher, when placed vertically, becomes "Shu"; leaning left or right, it becomes "Pie" or "Na"; shortened, it resembles "Gou"; curved, it resembles "Zhe". Round and divine, horizontal and vertical, the changes in Chinese characters are myriad, yet none escape this basic structural framework. Only the character "Heart" appears dynamic and flowing, round and mysterious, existing outside this basic framework. No other character can serve as its pair. Precisely because "Heart" implies "Newness". As the official of Shen (Spirit), it changes and renews itself daily. The Heart governs the Blood Vessels; if the vessels renew themselves daily without cessation, one is a healthy person; otherwise, disease occurs. (It corresponds to the vessels, its luster manifests in the face, and it opens into the tongue.)

The Liver belongs to Wood and is the Zang Organ of Wood, where Hun (Ethereal Soul) resides. "Liver" (Gan) means trunk or branch, referring to its physical structure with branches. It is located in the East and governs the vitalizing energy (Sheng Qi). Contemporary physicians, ignorant of these principles, claim that the Liver has no need for tonification and should instead be cooled or purged. They cling solely to the theory that "Wood overacts on Earth," failing to understand the symbolic correspondences between the Later Heaven Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and Hetu (River Map). The numbers three and eight belong to Wood, positioned in the East, corresponding to the positions of Zhen and Xun trigrams in the Later Heaven arrangement. When Xun is above and Kun below, it forms the Guan (Contemplation) hexagram. The *I Ching* says: "Guan reflects the divine way of Heaven, and the four seasons do not err." When Kun is above and Zhen below, it forms the Fu (Return) hexagram. The *I Ching* says: "Fu, does this not reveal the heart of Heaven and Earth?" The significance is profound! (It corresponds to the tendons, its luster manifests in the nails, and it opens into the eyes.)