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Zhang Jingyue said: I once traveled with several friends and stayed in an inn at Yuguan (Shanhaiguan). One of my friends, who was accustomed to indulging in romantic affairs, suddenly knocked on my door in a panic one night in mid-winter. He sought urgent help, saying that a prostitute he favored had suddenly suffered from an acute condition, her situation being critical and on the verge of death. If such misfortune were to befall her, the disaster would be irreparable. I went to examine her and saw her vomiting white foam, lying stiffly on the ground. Upon touching her, I found her mouth, nose, and limbs all cold, and her breath so faint it seemed as if it had ceased. Seeing this state suddenly, I was greatly alarmed. Therefore, I pulled her hand to take her pulse, but found the Cun Kou (radial artery pulse) peaceful, and the pulse did not correspond to the symptoms. I thought to myself: why is the pulse so peaceful while the symptoms are so critical? After deep contemplation for a long time, could this be what Zhang Zhongjing referred to as "feigned illness" (Zha Bing)? I examined her pulse again, which remained calm and unchanged. Then, loudly beside the sick prostitute, I said, "This illness is critical. It requires large moxa cones to be applied continuously to several points including the Baihui/Giant Vertebra area (specifically mentioned as eyebrow center Renzhong), the Philtrum (Renzhong), and the lower abdomen to save her life. Unfortunately, her beauty will be damaged. I have moxa at my residence; fetch it quickly for application. However, fire moxibustion is still too slow. For now, give her a decoction first so she can swallow it. If she regains consciousness after swallowing, her vital energy has recovered, and moxibustion may not even be necessary. If she cannot swallow or does not revive after swallowing, then perform moxibustion immediately." Hearing my words, the prostitute was secretly terrified, fearing the large moxa cones burning her body. She swallowed the medicine as soon as it reached her lips. A short while after swallowing, she began to groan, moved slowly, and eventually sat up. The next day, upon inquiry, I learned it was triggered by jealousy over vinegar (a metaphor for romantic jealousy).

Yu Zhen commented: This case involves a patient presenting with symptoms but a normal pulse, which is relatively easy to deduce. The next case recorded involves two relatives of the Jinwu Duke competing with each other. One party bound a singing girl, and her mother assisted in the malice, shouting and throwing a tantrum, resulting in the girl suffering from Qi syncope appearing as death, remaining unconscious from dusk until dawn. When Zhang Jingyue initially examined her, he observed her flesh was thick and complexion dark, face blue-green, eyes closed, hands relaxed/open, and breath weak. Her pulse was hidden and minute, faint as if departing. He considered her condition truly critical. He wished to apply warming and tonifying methods but feared that after great anger, the rebellious Qi might not have dissipated. He considered using guiding and unblocking methods but feared that since the pulse appeared near-extinction and deficient, she could not withstand attack. He requested to re-examine her. Previously, her hands had been open, but now they were suddenly crossed with ten fingers over her abdomen, raising his suspicion. When he touched her hand to take the pulse again, there seemed to be a look of dislike and refusal to allow contact. Suddenly pulling her hand strongly, he found the force vigorous and powerful, further suspecting that a dying person would not possess such strength. He reasoned that her pulse characteristics might be due to thick flesh causing Qi stagnation, inherent to the constitution of people from the North; or perhaps caused by tightly clamping the armpits, a sudden feigning by a deceitful person. Thus, he used the previous method, employing fear to overcome her (utilizing the principle of emotional counteraction). As soon as the medicine reached her throat, she revived. This case is more difficult to identify than the previous one.