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Yu Chang said: In a peaceful era governed by a sage ruler, spring has no excessive yang heat, summer has no latent yin cold, autumn has no desolate wind, and winter has no bitter rain. Consequently, the people suffer no premature death or plague, and all things are free from pests and diseases. The Qi of Great Harmony fills heaven and earth; how could there be such a thing as epidemic pestilence (Wenyi)? However, the *Rites of Zhou* records the use of Nuo rituals to drive away epidemics, managed by the Fangxiang Shi, indicating that the origin of epidemics and their prevention existed since ancient times. When the villagers performed the Nuo ritual, Confucius wore his court robes to show sincerity and reverence. This was likely because the giant elephant-shaped Nuo deity was merely an approximation in form. The Sage filled it with righteous Qi, allowing the epidemic Qi to dissipate secretly. This is the practical achievement of nurturing and sustaining life! On New Year's Day, ancients drew clear spring water to drink aromatic herbs; on the Shangsi Festival, they gathered orchids to perfume themselves, both aiming to cleanse filth. Zhang Zhongjing of the Later Han Dynasty wrote the *Treatise on Cold Damage* (*Shanghan Lun*) to clarify the normal patterns of winter cold, spring warmth, and summer-autumn summerheat. Naturally, he did not merge these into epidemic diseases to avoid confusing standard methods; the principles were fully contained within the pulse diagnosis section. Wang Shuhe failed to analyze this carefully, claiming that secondary contraction of cold transforms into warm epidemics. He also stated that when spring should be warm but is extremely cold, summer should be hot but is extremely cool, autumn should be cool but is extremely hot, and winter should be cold but is extremely warm, this "Qi out of season" causes illnesses among people of all ages to resemble each other, which he called "Seasonal Pathogenic Qi" (Shixing Zhi Qi). He further claimed that winter-warmth toxins differ greatly from cold damage, with variations in timing and severity requiring different treatments. He also defined sudden cold after the Spring Equinox until before the Autumn Equinox as seasonal cold epidemics. Generally, cold epidemics occur in spring, summer, and autumn, while warm epidemics occur in winter. Thus, in March and April, sudden cold may occur when Yang Qi is weak and suppressed by cold, resulting in mild heat symptoms. In May and June, Yang Qi is strong but suppressed, leading to severe heat. In July and August, Yang Qi is declining, so suppression results in mild heat. Later scholars expanded this theory, asserting that spring clears evil affects the Liver, summer cold evil affects the Heart, autumn heat evil affects the Lung, and winter warm evil affects the Kidney, creating a chaotic discourse that drove the world mad. Alas! If epidemic pathogens were truly suppressed by cold, causing Yang Qi to invade the organs of Spirit, Huna, and Po, humans would have perished long ago. Others claim epidemic pathogens lack form, sound, or smell, and can only be discussed with fixed timing and formulas, noting that everyone gets this disease while few get cold damage. They argue treatment must involve purging the interior to release the exterior, or inducing battle-sweat to resolve the disease. This approach drifts further from truth; ultimately, the referred "epidemic" remains the standard cold damage, warm damage, or summerheat damage. Purging interior reveals premature downward action; battle-sweat reveals missed superficial release, exposing one's own deficiencies! Seasonal abnormal Qi causes disease upon contraction but is not initially called an epidemic. Only when disease leads to death, mixing pathogenic Qi with corpse Qi and abnormal Qi, does it become an epidemic. Just as chicken plague kills chickens, swine plague kills pigs, and cattle/horse plague kills cattle and horses, why should humans be different? During famines and wars, epidemics prevail, especially in early spring and summer, when warm, summerheat, and dampness Qi intermingle and steam. People trapped within cannot escape. Patients sweat profusely; one person's pathogenic Qi fills a room. How much more so when beds are adjacent, streets are full, and communal Qi brews, spreading outdoors, with corpses filling roads, burning wood to cover mats, bodies thrown into ravines—various foul odors turbating the pure Qi of heaven and corrupting the Qi of earth and produce. Humans contracting this follow natural tendencies, becoming ill similarly. For example, "Big Head Plague" refers to swelling of the head, face, cheeks, and jaw like a melon shell. "Toad Plague" refers to throat obstruction, loss of voice, and swollen neck tendons. "Melon Rind Plague" refers to chest elevation, rib distension, and vomiting blood-like fluid. "Lump Plague" refers to widespread red swelling and tumor-like lumps. "Intestine Twisting Plague" refers to abdominal borborygmi, dry vomiting, and watery diarrhea without relief. "Soft Leg Plague" refers to clear white loose stools and heavy, immobile legs. Pediatric smallpox is also common. Due to unclear treatments for these epidemics, victims resign to fate, which is deeply sorrowful. Generally, ancient texts lacked transmission on plague and pox, lacking sage authority to judge, leading to errors following Wang Shuhe, whereas folk observations of symptoms might have been more intuitive. I fortunately glimpsed Zhang Zhongjing's insight in his Pulse Chapter: "When Cun Kou pulse is tight in both Yin and Yang positions, clear evil attacks the Upper Jiao, and turbid evil attacks the Lower Jiao." Clear evil attacking above is named "Jie" (Pure); turbid evil attacking below is named "Hun" (Turbid). Contraction of Yin by evil causes internal trembling; deficiency of Exterior Qi and failure of Interior Qi to guard allow evil to enter Yin. Contraction of Yang by evil causes fever, headache, stiff neck, back pain, and leg soreness—this is "Yang contracting mist and dew," hence clear evil enters above, turbid evil enters below. Yin trembling causes cold feet and knees, erratic urination/defecation, slight Exterior deficiency, and slight Interior urgency. The Three Jiaos mix, blocking interior/exterior communication. Upper Jiao stagnation causes organ Qi to熏 (smoke/fume), leading to oral ulcers and tongue severance. Middle Jiao dysfunction causes Stomach Qi to rush upward, Spleen Qi to fail to transform, turbidity in the Stomach, blockage of Ying and Wei Qi, and stagnant blood flow. If Wei Qi flows first, urine becomes dark yellow, clashing with heat, traveling through meridians and organs, causing abscesses/pus where heat passes. If Ying Qi flows first, Yang Qi is weak, Yin has no command, external guest evil enters, causing sneezing, hoarse voice, throat blockage, alternating cold/wild limbs, and heat trapping leading to bloody stool resembling pig liver. Both Yin and Yang collapse, Spleen Qi is weak, five fluids pour downward, Lower Jiao fails to close, causing heavy sensation in clear stool, difficult frequent defecation, umbilical cramping pain, and impending death. These 269 characters elucidate profound principles, entirely distinct from cold damage, describing the gateway for blood evil and general changes in disease—the "red script and green characters," a treasure of creation unrecognized by people! The main idea states: Nose Qi connects to Heaven, so Yang contracting mist/dew means clear evil enters Yang via respiration, causing fever, headache, stiff neck—matching "Big Head Plague" and "Toad Plague." Mouth Qi connects to Earth, so Yin contracting earth/water evil means dietary turbid flavors enter Yin via mouth/tongue, causing internal trembling, cold feet/knees, erratic excretion, heavy stool, umbilical pain—matching "Intestine Twisting Plague" and "Soft Leg Plague." However, evil entering via mouth/nose must first settle in the Middle Jiao, then distribute up/down. Middle Jiao dysfunction leads to stomach turbidity, Ying/Wei blockage, and blood stasis, manifesting as "Melon Rind Plague" and "Lump Plague," akin to Yang toxicity abscesses and Yin toxicity purple skin. This is Three Jiao positional evil. If Three Jiaos mix, blocking interior/exterior, organ fuming causes upper stagnation, oral ulcers. Wei Qi flow causes heat-driven abscesses; Ying Qi flow causes coughing/sneezing, throat blockage, and bloody stool like pig liver. Since Ying/Wei gradually flow, it is not critical. If Upper Yang and Lower Yin do not connect, Spleen Qi cannot operate alone, five fluids pour down, Lower Jiao fails to close, leading to death. Cold damage evil moves from back to front to side, entering from outside. Epidemic evil moves directly through the central pathway, distributing through the Three Jiaos. Upper Jiao is Clear Yang, so clear evil enters from above; Lower Jiao is Turbid Yin, so turbid evil enters from below; Middle Jiao is the boundary of Yin/Yang, distinguishing clear/turbid evil. Severe cases mix Three Jiaos, moving up to extreme then down, down to extreme then up, causing throat blockage, oral ulcers, and bloody stool—not because upper/middle misses lower, or lower/missing misses upper. Cold damage evil enters the outer shell, so releasing the exterior disperses it. Epidemic evil travels the central path, so releasing the exterior fails. Cold damage entering Stomach Fu causes abdominal fullness and hard stool, allowing purgation. Epidemic in Three Jiaos is scattered; purgation causes re-combination. How does this relate to cold damage exterior/interior methods? Why remain confused for millennia? Let us judge by sage words to dissolve confusion! Prevention: Drink aromatic righteous Qi medicine before illness to block entry—this is superior. Once entered, expelling filth is paramount. Upper Jiao is like mist; lift and expel, plus detoxify. Middle Jiao is like fermentation vat; diffuse and expel, plus detoxify. Lower Jiao is like a drain; drain and expel, plus detoxify. Once Ying/Wei flow, pursue and extract pathogens, preventing hidden proliferation. Detailed formulas are in the Spring Warmth section. Question: If spring/summer/autumn vapor forms epidemics, is winter warmth not an epidemic? Answer: Winter excessive warmth prevents Kidney Qi storage, causing disease identical to spring warmth from failing to store essence. At this time, having spring without winter allows three Qi to steam into epidemic. However, sudden north wind evaporates this vapor. Northwest highlands are dry; even spring/summer Qi struggles to rise, let alone winter freezing. Southeast lowlands are damp, foggy, dragon/snake habitats; warm Qi spreads with wind, tolerable. Without wind day or night, fish in water and lice in clothes fly about, let alone humans. Vapor mixes with filth, pathogenic/corpse Qi; all ages contracting it show same symptoms. North wind is unavailable, so Qi accumulates and intensifies. Even warm winds only bring heat, not coolness. What brings peace in prosperous times brings evil spread in war. Wang Shuhe claimed summer extreme cold vs. expected heat is epidemic; he did not know extreme cold is actually when epidemic Qi dissipates. Thus, intense epidemic evil is best handled in the North. The *Classic of Poetry* wishes to cast slanderers north to extinguish flames—a precise analysis.