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Wen Zhi was a native of Qi. King Wei of Qi fell ill and sent for Wen Zhi. Upon arrival, Wen Zhi said to the Crown Prince: "The King becomes angry when he is ill; if he recovers, he will kill me. What should I do?" The Crown Prince replied: "Do not worry; I will surely save you." Wen Zhi then waited some time before visiting the King. When he finally came, he climbed onto the bed without removing his shoes. The King flew into a rage and ordered his attendants to seize him, intending to boil him alive. Later, the Crown Prince kowtowed and pleaded for mercy, causing the King's anger to subside and resulting in Wen Zhi's pardon. Consequently, the King's illness was cured. (From *Shiji*)

Dong Feng was a native of Houguan. At that time, Du Xie, the Inspector of Jiaozhou, died from poisoning. Dong Feng mixed "Taiyi San" with water and poured it into Du Xie's mouth. After a short while, Du Xie regained consciousness. Du Xie recounted that upon death, he saw a carriage enter a specific place where he was placed into an earthen pit and sealed with soil. Soon after, he heard that the "Envoy of Taiyi" had arrived to retrieve Du Xie's soul, at which point the earth was opened, allowing Du Xie to emerge.

Hua Tuo, courtesy name Yuanhua, was skilled in health preservation techniques. Chen Deng, the Grand Administrator of Guangling, suffered from chest distress, flushed face, and loss of appetite, and sent for Hua Tuo. Hua Tuo stated: "There are parasites in your chest forming abscesses, caused by consuming raw or fishy foods." He prepared a decoction for Chen Deng to take. Chen Deng subsequently vomited approximately three sheng of worms; their heads were red, and half their bodies resembled raw meat. Hua Tuo remarked: "This disease will recur. If treated by a skilled physician, it can be saved." Indeed, it recurred later. Since Hua Tuo was absent, Chen Deng died from the illness.

Yin Shi, a county official, suffered from vexation in the four limbs, dry mouth, aversion to human voices, and difficult urination. Hua Tuo said: "Try eating hot food. If sweat ensues, you will recover; if not, you will die in three days." Yin Shi ate hot food but did not sweat. Hua Tuo concluded: "The internal qi of the zang organs has already severed. You will cry out and then perish." This proved exactly as Hua Tuo predicted. (From *Wei Shu*)

Arrogance and disregard for reason constitute the first condition untreatable; valuing wealth over health constitutes the second; inability to adapt diet and clothing constitutes the third; imbalance of yin and yang with unstable zang-fu qi constitutes the fourth; emaciation preventing medication intake constitutes the fifth; believing in witchcraft rather than medicine constitutes the sixth. If any one of these five conditions exists, treatment becomes exceedingly difficult. (*Qianjin Fang* citing *Shiji*)

Bian Que's fame spread throughout the world. Passing through Handan, hearing that women were respected there, he practiced gynecology (Daixia Yi). Passing through Luoyang, hearing that the Zhou people cherished the elderly, he practiced ophthalmology, otology, and treatments for bi-syndrome. Entering Xianyang, hearing that the Qin people loved children, he practiced pediatrics. He adapted his practice to local customs.

The *Guanzi* states: All three brothers of Bian Que were skilled physicians. Duke Wen of Wei asked who was the best, and Bian Que replied: "My eldest brother could treat disease before it manifested, so his fame did not extend beyond his home. My second brother could treat disease at its earliest subtle stage, so his fame did not extend beyond his neighborhood. I puncture meridians and administer potent drugs, so my fame is known among the feudal lords."