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If the Qi mechanism of the Upper Jiao (Upper Burner) fails to circulate, and the Lower Wan (lower part of the stomach/intestines) fails to conduct, this does not mean that circulation is completely cut off or blocked. It merely means that compared to a healthy state without disease, it is termed "failure to circulate" and "blockage." When the Upper Jiao fails to descend and the Lower Wan fails to conduct, Qi stagnation occurs. Stagnation transforms the physiological "Lesser Fire" (Shao Huo) into pathological "Greater Fire" (Zhuang Huo). Since the Stomach resides between the Upper Jiao and the Lower Wan, if Stomach Qi becomes heated, it flares upward, steaming the Chest Middle and generating internal heat. Li Dongyuan's theory aligns perfectly with the principles of the *Neijing* (Inner Canon). It should have been cited as the main principle for differentiating internal and external injuries, yet he failed to do so, instead attributing it to "Fire invading the Earth position," which raises doubts. Furthermore, the *Neijing* states: "For exhaustion, use warmth." Here, "warmth" implies nourishment. Li Dongyuan interpreted this as using warm-natured herbs to tonify Yuan Qi (Original Qi) while draining Fire pathogenic factors. He also altered "For deficiency, benefit it" to "For deficiency, warm it." He claimed that "Warmth can eliminate great heat" is from the *Neijing*, but a thorough search reveals no such phrase, raising further doubts. However, among warm herbs used to tonify Yuan Qi and drain Fire, only those with warm nature and sweet flavor are suitable. Warmth benefits Qi, and sweetness strengthens the Spleen and moderates Fire, allowing Yuan Qi to recover and Fire pathogens to subside. Using warm herbs to treat insufficiency due to internal injury is appropriate, but using them as an annotation for "For exhaustion, use warmth" is incorrect. By comparing terms like tonify, eliminate, suppress, lift, and disperse, the true meaning becomes clear. (Wang Andao)

Women's relationship with Blood is profound: when menstrual blood accumulates, it forms the fetus; what accumulates accumulates, and what generates generates. During childbirth, lochia is expelled; what is expelled is expelled, and what generates generates. When transformed into milk, there is no longer lower abdominal fullness or menstruation. Hemorrhage causing reckless rebellion in blood families, and childbirth/nursing being common events for women, both involve the process of expelling the old and generating the new, which is similar. For patients with hemorrhage, purgatives and blood-breaking agents must be used at the initial stage of reckless rebellion. For patients who have lost blood and are deficient, purgation is contraindicated, serving as a warning after blood loss.

When defecating, if sounds like "pi pi" are heard and bubbles resembling crab foam appear, it is commonly considered a Cold syndrome. It is not Cold, but rather caused by turbid Qi in the intestines and stomach failing to diffuse and circulate. The tenesmus of dysentery and the strangury of bladder dysfunction are both due to Fire Qi in the Lower Jiao being stagnant and unable to extend. These conditions are closely related to the Chong, Ren, and Du meridians. Often, tenesmus pain extends to the Weilu and Changqiang acupoints, feeling like needle pricks. In cases of strangury, there is pressing pain below the navel and in the lower abdomen. This is all due to Lower Jiao Fire stagnation, where turbid Qi of the six Fu organs knots together in the regions of the Chong and Ren meridians. The Intestines and Stomach belong to Yangming Dry Metal, while the Lower Jiao belongs to Shaoyang Ministerial Fire. Treating tenesmus with Mugua (Aucklandiae Radix) and Binglang (Arecae Semen) disperses the stagnation of Dry Metal. Treating strangury with Zhimu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma) and Huangbai (Phellodendri Cortex) dissipates the blazing of Ministerial Fire.

After taking medicine for Shanghan (Cold Damage), if a patient experiences fever, restlessness, thirst, dizziness, sudden invisibility of pulses in both wrists, aversion to cold, and shivering, these are signs of Yin and Yang Qi mingling and struggling, indicating impending sweating. One should remain calm and wait; panic may lead to errors.

Jueyin is the name of one of the Six Meridians, while "Jue" itself is the name of a specific symptom among various syndromes. The Qi of alcohol is violent, similar to the sudden onset of deficiency Qi or rebellious Qi in the body. When alcohol meets meat, its Qi becomes lingering and not violent, similar to how deficiency or rebellious Qi becomes lingering and not violent when treated with heavy, sinking mineral drugs. This is because of "mutual lingering." Thus, the lingering effect of minerals lies in their Qi, not their substance. Only when their Qi matches and lingers does their momentum inevitably linger with it. People know that mineral drugs sink Qi but do not understand the meaning behind sinking Qi. Li Dongyuan's school uses substances with Yin quality and strong flavors to sink and descend. Since Qi is Yang and Substance is Yin, when Yin and Yang meet, they naturally harmonize and do not ascend or scatter, which is likely the meaning of mineral lingering.

Odd numbers are single, even numbers are paired, three is Can, five is Wu. This provides order without confusion. Medical texts discuss pulse as "Can Wu Bu Tiao" (irregular and uneven), meaning Can is not Can, Wu is not Wu, sizes are unequal, and frequencies are inconsistent, resulting in disorder. Hair turning white has Yin and Yang aspects. Heaven Five Earth burned by Fire is Yang Jaundice. Earth Two Fire drowned by Water is Yin Jaundice. Liu Hejian proposed tonifying and purging the root of the Spleen and Stomach based on their neutral Qi. Drying dampness is purging; moistening dryness is tonifying.

More Fire and less Water indicate Yang Excess and Yin Deficiency, manifesting as Heat. More Water and less Fire indicate Yin Excess and Yang Deficiency, manifesting as Cold.

The Heart and Lungs are Yin Zang organs that circulate Yang Qi and reside in the upper part; thus, they have a Yin structure but Yang function. The Large Intestine and Small Intestine are Yang Fu organs that transmit Yang Qi and reside in the lower part; thus, they have a Yang structure but Yin function.

Obese people have more Dampness; thin people have more Fire. Dampness relaxes muscle texture, making external pathogens easy to enter; Fire tightens muscle texture, making external pathogens difficult to invade. Dampness leads to sluggish middle Qi and fewer internal injuries; Fire leads to dry middle Qi and more internal injuries.

The human head is noble and feet humble, reflecting the positioning of Heaven and Earth. Spleen and Lung are mother and son, reflecting the communication between Mountain and Marsh. Liver and Gallbladder govern anger and movement, reflecting the interaction of Thunder and Wind. Heart is high and Kidney low, reflecting Water and Fire not shooting each other. The Eight Trigrams interlock, and humans mirror them. How wonderful is the I Ching!

Yu (Stagnation) refers to knotting and inability to vent. What should ascend does not ascend; what should descend does not descend; what should transform does not transform. Thus, transmission and transformation become abnormal, and Wood Yu pathology appears. Qi Yu causes chest and hypochondriac pain; Damp Yu causes whole-body or joint pain, worsening in cold/damp weather; Phlegm Yu causes shortness of breath upon movement, with deep and slippery Chi Kou pulse; Heat Yu causes dizziness and dark vision, red urine, and deep rapid pulse; Blood Yu causes limb weakness but ability to eat; Food Yu causes belching with sour taste, abdominal fullness and inability to eat, with peaceful Left Chi Kou pulse and tight/prosperous Right Chi Kou pulse. (All Hua Bo-ren)

If a person's Zheng Qi (Upright Qi) is depleted while Xie Qi (Pathogenic Qi) is flourishing, should one protect Zheng Qi and tonify it, or first attack Xie Qi? If judgment is inaccurate, life and death depend on it, hence caution is required. Zheng Qi is the root; Xie Qi is the branch. If Zheng Qi is deficient, even if Xie Qi is abundant, it cannot be attacked. Fear that Xie Qi will not leave while Zheng Qi collapses, leading to sudden changes beyond control. Therefore, treating deficiency with pathogenic factors requires first protecting Zheng Qi. If Zheng Qi exists, harm is avoided, and tonification contains the intent of purging. Tonifying Yin attacks Heat; tonifying Yang attacks Cold. There is no case where Zheng Qi recovers while Xie Qi remains, nor where Zheng Qi exhausts while life is preserved. If unavoidable, weigh urgency, act temporarily, adjust dosage, and embed attack within defense. This is the way to treat deficiency. If Zheng Qi is undamaged, even slight Xie Qi should not be treated with tonification, as tonification helps Xie Qi grow, akin to lending weapons to bandits. Treat excess by directly removing Xie Qi; once removed, health returns. Methods must be precise for quick results. This is the way to treat excess. Ultimately, those who can withstand attack are excess; excess can be attacked. Those who cannot are deficiency; Qi leaving is irreversible, which is chilling. This is the root and branch of Xie and Zheng, which must be known. False deficiency is rare; false excess is common. False Cold is easy to treat; False Heat is often misdiagnosed. Excess is mostly Heat; Deficiency is mostly Cold. As Danxi said: "Excess Qi is Fire," so excess can tolerate Cold. I add: "Deficient Qi is Cold," so deficiency can tolerate Heat. Those who do not understand true/false roots claim to know medicine, but I dare not agree.

Treating Wang Qi (Flourishing Qi) means addressing the peak of pathology. If Yin/Yang and Qi decline/flourish are not understood, treatment worsens the condition. In Yang Excess/Yin Deficiency (Yin Deficiency with Fire Flourishing), failing to tonify Yin to balance Yang and using only bitter-cold to treat Fire leads to sinking/collapsing, losing Yin, and increasing Fire. Thus, taking cold herbs causing heat indicates Yin Deficiency should not be lowered. In Yang Deficiency/Yin Excess (Qi Weakness generating Cold), failing to tonify Yang to dispel Yin and using only pungent-warm to treat Yin leads to dispersion, losing Yang, and increasing Cold. Thus, taking hot herbs causing cold indicates Yang Deficiency should not be dispersed. Summer is hot but hidden Yin inside causes Cold damage; Winter is cold but hidden Yang inside causes Internal Heat. Ignoring this and using cold in summer or hot in winter leads to complications like Cold blocking Yang (cold herbs cause heat) or Heat blocking Yin (hot herbs cause cold). This is why treating only the flourishing Qi reverses the disease.

Qi includes External Qi (Six Qi of Heaven/Earth) and Internal Qi (Yuan Qi of the body). When Qi loses harmony, it becomes Pathogenic Qi; when it gains harmony, it becomes Zheng Qi or True Qi. True Qi has three locations: Upper, Middle, Lower. Upper receives from Heaven for respiration. Middle arises from food/water to nourish Ying and Wei. Lower transforms from Essence, stored in Mingmen, as the root of San Jiao. Upper Qi Sea is Danzhong (Chest), governed by Lung. Middle Qi Sea is Zhong Qi, governed by Spleen/Stomach. Lower Qi Sea is Dantian, governed by Kidney. Life depends on Qi; Qi gathers for life, scatters for death. Huangdi said "Internal Qi is Treasure," emphasizing its importance. Ancient sages valued preserving Yuan Qi. Modern doctors see disease but ignore the root. Damaging the root destroys vitality; whose fault is this?

"All wind-induced tremors and dizziness belong to the Liver." If Wood overacts, limbs stiffen causing tremors; Wind moves upward causing dizziness. Spleen Earth affected by evil is Liver Excess. If Wood declines, Blood fails to nourish tendons causing tremors; Qi deficiency above causes dizziness. Metal evil attacking Wood is Liver Deficiency. "All pain, ulcers, and sores belong to the Heart." Fire flourishing causes burning abscesses (Heart Excess). Yang declining allows Yin to prevail causing gangrene (Heart Deficiency). This applies to all Zang-Fu. The text begins with "Tonify deficiency, purge excess" and ends with "Seek what exists, seek what does not exist." Using "Sheng, Xu, You, Wu" connects the beginning and end, revealing the sage's essence. Liu Wansu ignored this, selecting only 19 patterns for *Yuan Bing Shi*, focusing on excess/pathogens, especially Fire (70-80%). He neglected deficiency. His treatment focuses only on purging excess Qi, ignoring complex transformations. Lou criticized his bias as justified.

Taiyin Dampness affects Taiyang; Taiyang Cold affects Shaoyin; Shaoyin Heat affects Yangming; Yangming Dryness affects Jueyin; Jueyin Wind affects Taiyin. Overacting Qi affecting oneself is Real Evil (True). Counter-overacting Qi affecting others is Fake Evil (False). This is the reality/deficiency of Six Qi, i.e., existence/non-existence. Heaven/Earth luck divides into Five/Six, but Yin/Yang functions are Water/Fire. Yang excess harms Yin; Yin excess harms Yang. Purge excess Qi (seek existence); cultivate deficient Qi (seek non-existence). Grasping the source solves problems easily. Ignoring reversal/surplus/deficiency leads to rigid thinking, like facing East missing West. Observing one part cannot discuss transformation; observing one time cannot discuss greatness. This leads to reinforcing excess and depleting deficiency, harming patients.

*Nan Jing* Difficulty 11: Pulse stops before 50 beats, one Zang lacks Qi. Which one? Inhalation follows Yin inward; exhalation follows Yang outward. Now inhalation cannot reach Kidney, returning at Liver. Thus, Kidney Qi is exhausted first. Harmonious Five Zangs have long pulses; diseased have short. Observation starts with Kidney. Subsequent Zangs shorten progressively: Kidney->Liver->Spleen->Heart->Lung. Critical illness shows shortness of breath, breathing only in upper chest. True Yin exhausted below, Lone Yang floating above. Doctors trying to calm/disperse here cause immediate death. Sad! Life/death depends on Qi; Qi gathering/scattering depends on Yin. Lingering breath relies on unbroken Qi thread. Zang Qi must be observed.

Floating, Deep, Slow, Rapid, Slippery, Choppy are six types. Within them lie crucial distinctions often missed. Floating indicates Exterior, but Yin Deficiency pulses are floating and weak; cannot generalize Floating as Exterior or use dispersing methods. Deep indicates Interior, but severe early exterior contraction by Cold causes Deep-Tight pulse; cannot generalize Deep as Interior or use purging methods. Slow indicates Cold, but post-Shanghan residual heat causes Slow-Slippery pulse; cannot generalize Slow as Cold or use warming methods. Rapid indicates Heat, but deficiency collapse causes Rapid pulse; faster means more deficiency; cannot generalize Rapid as Heat or use cooling methods. Micro/Fine resemble Deficiency, but extreme pain/blockage causes Hidden pulse; cannot generalize Hidden as Deficiency or use sudden tonification. Surging/String-taut resemble Excess, but severe Yin Deficiency causes Guan-Ge pulse; cannot generalize String-taut as Excess or use reducing methods. These are major principles within major principles. Without combining Four Diagnostic Methods, rash action kills quickly. Pulse diagnosis is subtle; millimeters matter.

When Yin-Yang, Form, and Qi are all deficient, regulate with Sweet Herbs. Sweet herbs enter Spleen/Stomach first, then nourish Five Zangs. Strong Stomach Qi strengthens all Zangs; weak Stomach Qi weakens all Zangs. Stomach is Earth, likes Sweet. Middle Qi deficiency requires Sweet-Warm. Earth strong makes Metal prosperous; Metal prosperous fills Water. Earth is Mother of All Things; Yin-Yang deficiency requires Sweet regulation. Although *Zhi Yao Yao Lun* lists Five Flavors for tonification/purging based on Five Elements, practitioners should primarily use Sweet with minor additions to tonify Middle. Four Qi without Earth Qi is impossible; Five Zangs without Stomach Qi is impossible. Spring pulse slightly wiry, Summer pulse slightly hooked, etc., follow this logic. *Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun* says: "Form deficiency warmed by Qi; Essence deficiency tonified by Flavor." Suitable Qi/Flavor combinations are called tonification. Bitter/unpalatable flavors cannot tonify. Mastering Qi/Flavor tonification/purging through harmony is the physician's primary skill.

Hua Bo-ren said: Pulse inspection requires understanding Up/Down, Come/Go, Arrive/Stop. Not knowing these distinguishes Yin/Yang, Excess/Deficiency. Up/Come/Arrive are Yang; Down/Go/Stop are Yin. Up moves from Chi to Cun Kou (Yang born from Yin); Down moves from Cun Kou to Chi (Yin born from Yang). Come moves from muscle/bone to skin (Qi ascending); Go moves from skin to muscle/bone (Qi descending). Arrival corresponds to pulse beat; Stop corresponds to breath pause.

Ren Ying pulse inspects Yang. One excess in Shaoyang (Gallbladder/San Jiao). Two excess in Taiyang (Bladder/Small Intestine). Three excess in Yangming (Stomach/Large Intestine). Four excess and above: Yang pulse extremely strong, Yin cannot pass, called Ge Yang (Blocking Yang). Cun Kou pulse inspects Yin. One excess in Jueyin (Liver/Pericardium). Two excess in Shaoyin (Heart/Kidney). Three excess in Taiyin (Spleen/Lung). Four excess and above: Yin pulse extremely strong, Yang cannot interact, called Guan Yin (Closing Yin).

Disease of Er Yang (Yangming/Stomach-Large Intestine) manifests in Xin Pi (Heart-Spleen). Stomach disease affects Spleen naturally. Why Large Intestine affect Heart? Stomach receives; Large Intestine transforms. Food enters Stomach, turbid Qi goes to Heart; drink enters Stomach, essence goes to Spleen. Due to Stomach receiving and Large Intestine transforming. Disease prevents reception/transformation, depriving Heart/Liver. Heart/Spleen deprived cannot generate Essence/Blood. Thus, intestinal disease affects Heart/Spleen: men suffer scant sperm, women amenorrhea. Heart/Spleen generally apply to both sexes; specific genital issues differ. (Wang Andao)

Cough from external Six Evils turns to Fire via stagnation, combining with internal injury. Five Zang overcoming involves Five Evils combining. Treatment uses Astringing (constricting Lung Qi) or Dispersing (releasing Cold). Dispersing when Astringing needed traps Cold in Lung (harmful). Astringing when Dispersing needed leaks Zheng Qi (harmful). Example: Wind cough treated with dispersal leaves surface deficient, re-contracting Cold, causing wheezing. Further dispersal worsens Lung deficiency. Astringing traps pathogen. Solution: mild release first, then gradual astringing. Lung stays strong, pathogen doesn't trap, wheezing stops. (Xu Shugong)

*Neijing*: "One Yin One Yang knotting is Hou Bi (Throat Bi)." Wang Tai Zhu notes: One Yin is Hand Shaoyin Sovereign Fire (Heart Pericardium Qi). One Yang is Hand Shaoyang Ministerial Fire (San Jiao Qi). Both govern vessels connecting to throat. Heat knots internally; swelling obstructs; obstruction causes death. Sovereign/Ministerial Fire flourishing causes rapid heat knotting in correct vessels. Twelve meridians mention sore throat, swollen tonsils, tongue stiffness, all due to Sovereign Fire. Hou Bi is rapid...