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The "treat the liver and tonify the spleen" method discussed in the *Jin Gui Yao Lue* (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet) is applicable to Liver Deficiency patterns, specifically referring to Liver Yang Deficiency, not Liver Yin Deficiency with Fire Hyperactivity. When Liver Yang is deficient and fails to ascend, the Stomach lacks the Qi of generation, and the Spleen loses its power of transformation and transportation; meanwhile, without Earth to control Water, the Yin-Cold of Kidney Water can ascend to overcome Heart Yang, resulting in an excess of Yin and deficiency of Yang throughout the body, manifesting purely as descending functions. Consequently, the Metal Qi of Lung Yin becomes prevalent, further damaging the Sheng (generative) Qi of Liver Yang. It is necessary to tonify the Yang of Earth (Spleen/Stomach) to restrain the Yin-Cold of Kidney Water. In this way, Heart Yang will not be controlled by Water, allowing Fire to flourish. When Fire flourishes, the Yin-Qi of Lung Metal cannot circulate excessively, preventing excessive descending functions from moving from right to left and injuring the generative Qi. Thus, the Yang Qi of Liver Wood will naturally become smooth, lush, and free-flowing. The ancient formula Xiaoyao San (Free and Easy Wanderer Powder) is used to treat Wood Stagnation within Earth to disseminate Yang Qi; it is an application of the "treat the liver and tonify the spleen" method for Liver Wood Yang Deficiency. However, later practitioners used Xiaoyao San to treat Liver diseases characterized by Yin Deficiency and Fire Hyperactivity. This causes the already excessive ascending function to ascend further, inevitably leading to a state of only ascending and no descending, culminating in Jue Ni (Cold Extremities/Reversal). Must one not clearly distinguish between Yin and Yang? For Liver diseases involving Yin Deficiency and Fire Hyperactivity, if there is Blood Deficiency, one should nourish Kidney Water (tonifying the mother when deficient); if Fire is hyperactive, one should use bitter flavors to drain (draining the son when excess); if Qi ascends and rebels, one should descend Qi (using Metal to control Wood). These methods are exactly opposite to the "treat the liver and tonify the spleen" approach; how can they be confused?

According to Wang Bing's commentary: "Si Wei" (Four Dimensions/Pillars) refers to Blood, Flesh, Tendons, and Bones. Wu Hegao commented that "Si Wei" refers to Blood, Vessels, Tendons, and Bones, as these four maintain the entire body, thereby explaining the meaning of the character "Wei" (to maintain/support). Ma Yuantai considered the interpretation of Blood, Vessels, Tendons, and Bones as "Four" inappropriate, and thus annotated "Si Wei" as the Four Limbs. Wang Ang believed that neither Wang Bing's Blood, Flesh, Tendons, Bones nor Ma Yuantai's Four Limbs could be adequately explained by the character "Dai" (alternate/substitute), so he annotated "Si Wei" as the Four Seasons. Various interpretations are divergent. However, cases of edema in the four limbs healing are numerous; one cannot hastily conclude that "Yang Qi is exhausted." Furthermore, the theories regarding Blood, Vessels, Tendons, Bones, and Four Seasons have never been mentioned in the context of edema. I privately ponder that "Si Wei" appears frequently in the *Su Wen* (Plain Questions). The *Qi Jiao Bian Da Lun* (Treatise on the Great Discussion of Changes in Qi Intersections) states: "When Earth Qi is insufficient, the Si Wei undergoes the transformation of dust clouds and moistening dew, so in spring there is the political phenomenon of rustling branches and bursting buds." The *Wu Chang Zheng Da Lun* (Treatise on the Great Discussion of the Five Constant Policies) states: "Its disaster lies in the Si Wei." Therefore, Wang Bing annotated "Si Wei" as the positions of Southeast, Southwest, Northeast, and Northwest. Later commentators such as Ma Yuantai and Wu Hegao, when annotating "Si Wei" in these two chapters, also followed Wang Bing's explanation of the four corners. Thus, "Si Wei" should be interpreted as "Si Yu" (Four Corners), which is fixed and unchangeable. "Si Wei Xiang Dai" (The Four Corners Alternate/Substitute) should undoubtedly be interpreted as the "Four Corners" of the human body. This describes edema arising from the front, back, left, and right, spreading from one area to another until the whole body is swollen, indicating that Yang Qi is extremely damaged and non-existent. Edema of all four corners refers to conditions such as protruding umbilicus, flat back, flat clavicular fossa, and flat soles of the feet. Zhu Danxi considered these two sentences to be interlinear glosses (interpolations), but this was merely an excuse made because he could not find the rationale, reflecting an attitude of admitting ignorance where one should. Nevertheless, without these two sentences, the rhetorical flow is incomplete, and the theoretical logic is not fully comprehensive. As for Wang Ang interpreting the character "Jie" (exhausted) in "Yang Qi is Exhausted" as "Huai" (ruined/damaged), it is unknown whose source this is based on. Since "Jie" and "Huai" do not differ significantly in meaning, this shall be set aside for discussion.