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Fuxi reigned with the virtue of Wood, surnamed Feng, with a snake's head and a human body. Born with sage virtue, his brilliance was like that of the sun and moon, hence he was called Taihao (Great Brightness). His mother dwelt at the shores of Huaxu, where she trod upon the footprint of a giant, thereby becoming pregnant and giving birth to the Emperor. He established his capital at Chen. In governing the world, he looked up to observe the patterns of Heaven, looked down to emulate the principles of Earth, and observed in between the relationship among all things and humanity. From the patterns of birds and beasts and the suitability of the land, he took near examples from his own body and distant examples from external objects. Thus, he invented the Eight Trigrams (Bagua) to communicate the virtue of the divine spirits and to categorize the nature of all things. He created written characters to replace the administration of knotted cords. He crafted a twenty-seven-stringed qin (zither) and a thirty-six-stringed se (psaltery) to cultivate the body and regulate reason, returning to innate innocence. Consequently, the Six Qi (Wind, Summer Heat, Fire, Dampness, Dryness, Cold), Six Fu Organs (Gallbladder, Stomach, Small Intestine, Large Intestine, Bladder, Sanjiao), Five Zang Organs (Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung, Kidney), and Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), as well as the ascending and descending of Yin-Yang, Water, and Fire, acquired tangible forms; the principles of myriad diseases could be deduced by analogy. Yan Di (Flame Emperor), following this path, tasted hundreds of herbs, created the Nine Needles (Jiu Zhen), and sought to save people from premature death and plague.

According to *Zizhi Tongjian* (*Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance*), *Diwang Shiji* (*Chronicles of Emperors and Kings*), and the preface to *Bencao* (*Materia Medica*), Yan Di reigned with the virtue of Fire, was born at the Jiang River, and thus took the surname Jiang. Possessing sage virtue, he first taught the world to cultivate five grains, hence he is also known as Shennong (Divine Farmer). He tasted the flavors of grasses and trees, examined the properties of Cold, Heat, Warmth, and Peacefulness, and distinguished the roles of Sovereign, Minister, Assistant, and Courier in herbal prescriptions. On a single day, he encountered seventy-two toxins. Through divine transformation, he composed medical texts to treat the illnesses of the people, established the Way of Medicine to save them from premature death, and authored four volumes of *Bencao*. During the Liang Dynasty, Tao Hongjing added the *Bielu* (*Separate Records of Famous Physicians*) to it, expanding it to seven volumes. In the Tang Dynasty, Li Ji, Xu Chong, and others, by imperial edition, collected and compiled anew, removing Tao’s errors and correcting popular misconceptions, revising it into twenty volumes, which are still circulated today. Yan Di’s salvation of the people brought grace to his time and virtue to ten thousand generations; how magnificent!

According to *Zizhi Tongjian*, *Diwang Shiji*, and *Jiuding Danjing* (*Scripture of the Nine Cauldrons on Alchemy*), Huang Di (Yellow Emperor) had the surname Gongsun, personal name Xuanyuan, and was the son of the ruler of Youxiong State. He grew up at the Ji River and thus also bore the surname Ji. Born with spiritual prowess, he practiced the use of weapons to punish those who did not pay tribute. Observing the phenomena of the sun, moon, and stars, he wrote books on stellar officials and calculated the construction of the Dipper handle, thereby inventing the Jiazi (Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches) cycle. The Emperor believed that human life carries Yin and embraces Yang, consumes flavors, and is subject to desires. External cold and heat agitate the body, while internal joy and anger attack the mind. He investigated the Five Qi, established the Five Movements (Wuyun), penetrated the mysteries of life and destiny, recorded Yin and Yang, consulted Qibo, and thereby composed the *Neijing* (*Inner Canon*). He further ordered Yufu and Leigong to examine the Mingtang (Bright Hall) and investigate respiration and pulse, while Wupeng and Tongjun formulated prescriptions and medicinal pastes, allowing people to fulfill their natural lifespan. He received teachings from Master Qingniu Zifu, studied the Heavenly Documents of the Three Sovereigns to emulate heaven and earth, and mastered the presence of ten thousand deities. He traveled to Mount Kongtong, asked Guangchengzi for instruction, and received the Jing (Natural Scripture). Ascending Mount Yuque, he obtained the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons from Xuan Nu. At Mount Mao, he gathered Yuyuliang (Kaolin) for refining, obtained copper, and returned to the foot of Mount Jing and above Dinghu Lake. With three furnaces setting the medicinal formulas, the elixir in the nine cauldrons was completed. A yellow dragon descended to welcome him, and Huang Di ascended to heaven. More than seventy ministers followed him. The common people looked up in awe, so later generations named the place Dinghu (Cauldron Lake).