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Xu Shuwei's household had a woman who dreamed of two dark-skinned servants, one in front and one behind, holding an object. The one in front said, "Have we arrived?" The one behind replied, "We have arrived." Then he struck it once, producing a popping sound. She woke from the nightmare (nightmare awakening), followed by a sharp pain in her heart that was unbearable, accompanied by fainting for some time. The Shenjing Dan (Divine Essence Pill) prepared by Xu Shuwei was indicated for this exact syndrome; thus, he took three pills and instructed her to ingest them. After several ke (a traditional unit of time), the pain ceased, and her spirit recovered. This formula originates from *Qianjin Fang* (Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold), likely analogous to the story of Duke Jing of Jin dreaming of two little men (ibid.).

The nephew of a man from the Jin dynasty served Guanyin (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) with great reverence. He suffered from coughing for over a month. One night, he dreamed of an old monk calling out to him, saying, "Your cough is merely due to cold pathogen invasion. I will impart a prescription to you: use only fresh ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens). Slice it thinly, bake it until dry, grind it into powder, and bind it with rice paste into pills the size of mustard seeds. Take thirty pills on an empty stomach with rice water." He followed the dream's instruction, took the medicine a few times, and was cured (*Guixin Zashi*).

According to the *History of the Southern Dynasties*, Xie Shuqian was from Yanmen. His mother fell ill, and he kowtowed and prayed in the courtyard at night. He heard a voice from the sky say, "Obtain Dinggong Teng (Ding Gong Vine) for treatment, and she will recover." He consulted doctors and searched herbal texts but found no record. Until he saw an old man cutting wood in the mountains of Yidu, who said it was Dinggong Teng, which treats wind disorders. He bowed and wept, begging to obtain it. After completing the method of soaking it in wine, the old man disappeared, and his mother's illness was cured (cited in *Bencao Gangmu*).

The [Certain] Wan (Pill) Formula submitted by the Military Commissioner of Jiangling Prefecture: My younger brother, named [Name], contracted stroke at age thirty-one and lay bedridden for five years, unresponsive to many physicians. A Daoist priest named Zhong Zhen, seeing this affliction, stated that taking [Certain] Pills would surely cure him. The herb grows mostly in fertile soil; it is harvested in May, washed to remove dirt, and the leaves and branch tips are selected. It undergoes nine steaming and nine sun-drying cycles. It need not be too dry, only steamed through. It is pounded into powder, bound with refined honey into pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twenty to thirty pills on an empty stomach with warm wine or rice water. Do not worry if symptoms temporarily worsen; after forty doses, recovery will be complete; after fifty doses, vitality will be robust. By imperial decree, this was sent to the Medical Bureau for detailed recording. Additionally, Zhang Yong, Prefect of Yizhou, submitted a memorial stating: While excavating for the renovation of Longxing Temple, I unearthed a stele describing qi cultivation techniques and two medicinal substances. Following the formula, I dispatched personnel to inquire and gather this herb, which has peculiar characteristics: golden veins and purple lines, white roots with purple nodes, growing in opposite pairs. In Shu, it is called Huo [Name]. Its stems and leaves resemble those of Xuer (Cocklebur). Who would expect such extraordinary efficacy from something so humble? I myself took it up to one hundred doses, resulting in clear eyesight; even up to one thousand doses, my hair and beard turned black, and my sinews and bones became strong. There are many verified effects. Luo Shouyi, a Chief Marshal in my prefecture, once lost his voice due to stroke and falling from a horse. I gave him ten doses, and his illness was instantly cured. Monk Zhiyan, aged seventy, suffered from hemiplegia with facial deviation and salivation. I gave him seven doses, and he also recovered. Now, one hundred doses are being prepared and presented by clerk Shi Yuan (ibid.).