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Zhenzhi (rescue/treat), showing no hesitation or sparing. You were not only famous for your medical skills! He died at the age of eighty. His spouse was Lady Pan. They had two sons: Yizhang and Longzhang. Yizhang was also skilled in medicine, but his fame was overshadowed by yours. There were two grandsons: one named Tang, the other Jian. There were three great-grandsons who studied Confucian classics. Benefiting from your virtue, elevating the family reputation, will be found here. Commentary says: Since Sima Qian wrote the biography of Cang Gong (Chunyu Yi) and recorded his cases, Chen Shou followed this model to write the "Biography of Hua Tuo". Later, Dai Liang and Song Lian imitated this style to write biographies of famous doctors. You did not wish to make a name for yourself through medicine, nor did you wish for your medical skills to be passed down. On his deathbed, he admonished his son: Medicine can be learned, but it should not be practiced lightly. One must possess natural intelligence and insight, have read ten thousand books, and only then can one use these skills to benefit the world; otherwise, few will not end up killing people. Thus, medicines are like blades and knives. After I die, my descendants must never speak lightly of medicine. Alas, this can be called being enlightened and benevolent.

Mr. Suiyuan (Yuan Mei) wrote to Xue Shouyu: "How easy is it to talk about! Heaven produces an immortal person, yet his sons and grandsons insist on pushing him into a place of inevitable decay. This is why I grieve. What is meant by 'immortal' does not necessarily require being like Duke Zhou or Confucius. The archery of Yi, the chess playing of Qiu, and the medicine of Yufu can all be considered immortal. If one must wait until becoming Duke Zhou or Confucius to be immortal, then how could there be so many Duke Zhous and Confucius figures in the universe? Your grandfather, Mr. Yipiao, is an immortal in the field of medicine. He passed away at an old age. I was just thinking of compiling his general biography to preserve his memory, but unexpectedly received a tombstone inscription that contained not a single word about medicine, instead attributing it to his lectures with Lord Chongwen. Alas, from now on, Mr. Yipiao's legacy will not be transmitted; he will rot! Learning lies in personal practice, not in lecturing. The highest learning is Ren (benevolence). The gentleman used his skills to show benevolence to the people, preventing premature death and disaster. This is exactly the learning of Confucius regarding 'making the old comfortable and cherishing the young.' Acting according to one's position, what learning is greater than this? Why abandon this to seek others? Wang Yangming's achievements were brilliant, yet Hu Shining mocked him for having an extra role as a lecturer. Lord Chongwen also did this, which I still consider incorrect in my heart. However, Lord Chongwen was a Grand Secretary, while your grandfather was a commoner. A Grand Secretary borrowing a commoner to elevate himself gains high reputation, whereas a commoner leveraging a Grand Secretary to exalt himself is very vulgar. Now, if I ask a passerby: 'Is Mr. Yipiao not a famous doctor?' Even your enemies would agree. If I ask: 'Is Mr. Yipiao a Neo-Confucian scholar?' Even your relatives would disagree. Why do you not transmit your ancestor using what everyone believes, but instead using what everyone doubts? Are you perhaps clinging to the saying that 'artistic skill places one low'? Do you not know that art is the tangible form of the Dao? Seek it diligently, and what art is not the Dao? Mimic it superficially, and both Dao and art are lost. Yan Kuai and Zi Zhi once claimed to follow Yao and Shun to show their loftiness, yet were ultimately laughed at by carpenters and wheelwrights. Medicine as an art is especially difficult to discuss. Shennong started it, Huangdi created it, and the Duke of Zhou appointed the Minister of Works to guard it; its principles connect to the sacred and divine. Today, medicine in the world has ceased, yet only the school of lecturing remains unbroken. Why? Medical effects are seen immediately, so among hundreds, there is hardly one famous doctor; lectures lack substance, so village scholars are everywhere. You do not honor your ancestor above the one-in-a-hundred famous doctors, but instead degrade him among the ubiquitous mediocre scholars. This is wrong. Even if it is merely idle talk in old age, such associations should be recorded, and the source of his skills should not be completely erased. I once suffered from a critical illness where my life was in danger. At that time, even if there were ten Duke Zhous, Cheng Hao, Zhang Zai, and Zhu Xi, what good would they do? Only Mr. Yipiao could save me with a small dose of medicine. Therefore, I am convinced he is truly an immortal person. Considering there must be other extraordinary cases and good prescriptions outside this that can save people and prolong life, compiling and transmitting them would far exceed the thousands of words in typical aphorisms. Yet he kept it hidden and did not proclaim it, willingly abandoning the miraculous for the rotten. In Neo-Confucianism, it might not add a seat for a hypocrite, but in the arts and crafts, a true master is lost. Is this not contradictory? Is this not regrettable!

My old friend Shen Xinpu, a great-grandson of Duanke Gong, once criticized Wu Jutong for conflating epidemics with warm diseases. I said it is not just this. His *Tiaobian* (Differentiation of Warm Diseases) begins by listing: Warm diseases include Fengwen (Wind-Warmth), Wenre (Warm-Thermal), Wenyi (Warm Epidemic), Wendu (Warm Toxin), Shuwen (Summer-Heat Warmth), Shiwen (Damp-Warmth), Qiuzao (Autumn Dryness), Dongwen (Winter Warmth), and Wenma (Warm Malaria). These nine items seem comprehensive, but he did not realize his theme was unclear. Those injured by cold in winter and manifesting in spring are called Warm Diseases; those manifesting after the Summer Solstice are called Heat Diseases. Those contracting wind-heat pathogens in winter and spring and falling ill first attack the Lung, named Fengwen. Those ill in winter are also called Dongwen, and those ill in spring are called Chunwen, which is what Ye Tianshi discussed. Heat diseases occurring after the Summer Solstice are also called Shu (Summer-Heat) in the *Neijing* because they occur during the summer season. Therefore, Zhang Zhongjing named illnesses contracted from summer heat as Shu Bing (Summer-Heat Disease). Shu and Shu Bing both refer to heat. Inventing the term "Shuwen" is most illogical. As for epidemic diseases, they certainly cannot be treated together with warm diseases; one should take the approaches of Wu Youke and Yu Shiyu as the standard. That warmth manifests as toxin or malaria are merely sub-categories of warmth. Generally speaking, the more one differentiates, the less clear it becomes.
The next clause states: All warm diseases begin in the Upper Jiao, involving the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian. Hah, did he not read the *Neijing*? Diseases caused by latent qi emerge from within. Only Dongchun Fengwen, Xiashu (Summer Heat), and Qiuzao begin in the Upper Jiao. If these boundaries are unclear, yet one insists on drawing lines to limit diseases, mistakes will be made from the start. Investigating the Three Jiao in warm diseases does not mean the disease must start in the Upper Jiao and gradually spread to the Middle and Lower Jiao. Latent qi emerging from within means diseases can originate in the Lower Jiao; the stomach is a place of filth and waste, so Shiwen (Damp-Warmth) and Yidu (Epidemic Toxin) can originate in the Middle Jiao; Shuxie (Summer-Heat Pathogen) carrying dampness also attacks the Middle Jiao; furthermore, summer heat belongs to Fire, and the Heart is a Fire organ; similar energies attract, so pathogens easily invade. Although starting in the Upper Jiao, it cannot be certain it is confined to the Hand Taiyin meridian alone.

Clause Four states: For Hand Taiyin Fengwen, Wenre, Wenyi, and Dongwen, if there is initial aversion to wind and cold, Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction) should be used. Since Jutong follows Ye Tianshi, he should have carefully examined Ye's cases to establish his statements. For example, in the third case of the Warmth section in *Linzheng Zhinan* (Guide to Clinical Practice), it says: Warm pathogens enter from above and go inward to the Lung. The Lung governs the qi of the whole body. When qi is obstructed and fails to transform, external cold resembles shivering, but the internal warm pathogen stagnates and must transform into heat. In the fifth case of the Wind-Warmth section: Wind-warmth enters the Lung, qi refuses to descend, causing chills externally and heat internally, which is a sign of Qi Stagnation. Medications used are all mild acrid-cool agents. In *Youke Yaolüe* (Essentials for Pediatrics), the discussion of latent qi and external contraction across three seasons is particularly detailed. For Spring Warmth cases triggered by external pathogens moving latent heat, one must first use acrid-cool methods to resolve the new pathogen, noting the use of Congchi Tang (Scallion and Fermented Soybean Decoction). The instruction is clear; why willingly violate it? Did he intend to inherit Zhang Zhongsheng? Then the ancestral gate cannot be boasted as one's own merit. Mr. Zaijing said: In warm diseases, latent cold transforms into heat, and the essence of Shaoyin has already been robbed. Even with combined new and old pathogens, one must not use Guizhi Tang to assist heat and cut off the root. Did Wu not hear of this?

The self-note in Clause One of the Middle Jiao Chapter states: Lung disease reversing transmission goes to the Pericardium. Failure to treat the Upper Jiao leads to transmission to the Middle Jiao; it starts in the Upper Jiao and ends in the Lower Jiao. Hah, this is Jutong arranging a path, insisting that warm diseases must follow his route. Is there such logic? If the pathogen attacking the Lung is not resolved externally, it originally transmits downward to the Stomach as a favorable progression. Thus, often when the Upper Jiao is not finished, it has already reached the Middle Jiao. Only when it cannot move downward favorably does it fall inward to the Danzhong (Chest Center) as reverse transmission. Zhang Xugu also misunderstood this meaning, claiming Fire overcomes Metal, so Lung pathogen reverses to the Pericardium, hence called reverse. But pathogens coming from the overcome element are minor pathogens; how can they be considered reverse? Did both gentlemen not read the *Nanjing*? Those not starting in the Upper Jiao need not be mentioned.

The book is titled *Wenre Tiaobian*, yet the listed Huoluan (Cholera-like disorder) cases are all Cold patterns. Therefore, when I was young, I presumptuously wrote *Huoluan Lun* (Treatise on Cholera). Old Man Shen said: Jutong's book uses Ye Tianshi as its blueprint. There are things predecessors missed that he supplemented, such as adding Zhenghua (True Transformation) to Autumn Dryness, and separating Jingyuan (Spasm and Convulsion) into two clauses; his theoretical discussion is extremely refined. There are things predecessors saw but forgot, such as Huoluan cases naturally belonging in the Damp-Heat section; Xiu Yun did not extract them, so he did not know there was Heat; for Hernia clauses, treatment should distinguish between acute and chronic; Mr. Xiangyan had already clarified this, yet he only knew of Cold. The application of mind indeed varies in depth. Even the universe is a flawed world, let alone humans. He also said: The hernias Jutong spoke of were mostly acute conditions, while chronic ones were old masses (Xujia). Thus, warming and purging can be used uniformly. If hernias persist for a long time without healing, they gather to form shape and scatter to become formless; initially, there is no real object, unlike blood stasis accumulating in the abdomen. He also said: For Ganhuoluan (Dry Cholera), swallowing juice pounded from raw taro brings immediate survival, far surpassing salt water-induced vomiting. For early-stage summer sores, applying pounded loofah juice or lotus petals is excellent; Narcissus root is unnecessary.

Clause Eighty-Four of the Middle Jiao states: For Shaoyang Malaria resembling Taiyang Cold Damage syndrome, Xiaochaihu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction) should be used. What does this have to do with Warm Diseases, yet it is inserted here? Old Man Shen said: Ye Tianshi knew that Summer-Damp seasonal malaria is vastly different from Wind-Cold regular malaria. Integrating sage words, he only focused on clearing and resolving, showing superior insight. However, Huixi (Xu Lingtai) repeatedly slandered him for not using Chaihu, being unable to digest the ancients. Even Master Xu was like this, let alone those below him. Alas, Old Man Shen was nine years older than me, our friendship was deepest, his character and learning were outstanding; he was truly a gentleman of antiquity. He once helped me proofread *Wenre Jingwei*. Poor and without sons, his grave is now overgrown with grass. His manuscripts were not printed. Occasionally finding a few entries in my rough drafts, I append them here, which also shows his discerning eye in reading and loyal depth in speech.

Dingfeng Zhu (Stabilizing Wind Pearl) in the Lower Jiao Chapter is a mixture of fishy, turbid, thick, and greasy substances. Even patients with weak stomachs find it hard to swallow. If one administers this medicine when there are cold limbs, hiccups, and impending collapse, it accelerates the danger.

Clauses Twenty-Four to Twenty-Six describe treatments for latent winter cold and initial spring warmth. Claiming these are treatments for warm diseases and epidemics transmitting from Upper/Middle to Lower Jiao is nothing but babbling.

The self-note in Clause Forty-Two claims that since the Song and Yuan dynasties, people have not understood that Zhang Zhongjing's book was specifically designed for Cold Damage. Wu simply has not read the *Shanghan Lun*. Dozens have annotated the *Shanghan Lun*, all considering it a book exclusively discussing Cold Damage, thus always feeling [Wu's views] are disjointed and forced. Examining the five qi (Wind, Cold, Warmth, Summer-Heat, Dampness) causing disease, ancients all called it Shanghan (Cold Damage). Thus, the *Nanjing* says: "There are five types of Shanghan," and Zhang Zhongsheng named his book Shanghan. With such major outlines unclear, how can one rashly write a book!

Clause Fifty-One discusses Yin Chui (Vaginal Flatulence) caused by Phlegm-Damp obstructing Qi, which was indeed not mentioned by predecessors.

Clause Fifty-Five elucidates the function of Can Sha (Bombyx Batryticatus) with such precision, which is why I use it as the main herb for treating Huoluan.

Wu's book merely intersperses cases from *Zhinnan* (Warmth and Summer-Damp sections). It is a pity he did not trace the roots through the *Neijing*, *Nanjing*, and *Shanghan Lun*, nor did he synthesize Ye Tianshi's *Wenre Lun* and *Youke Yaolüe*. Thus, although he claims to expound on Ye Tianshi, he actually failed to grasp the essence. Regarding the collected formulas, not only is the editing poor, but the selection is also inappropriate. This is why I was compelled to compile *Wenre Jingwei*.

The last three volumes of miscellaneous sayings, including chapters on Resolving Difficult Childbirth and Resolving Pediatric Difficulties, are works worthy of transmission, far surpassing the Three Jiao *Tiaobian*. Among the miscellaneous sayings, only the phrase "Huoluan without vomiting or diarrhea, treated with bitter, acrid, aromatic, and hot herbs" is debatable. There are many debatable points in the *Tiaobian*; I have briefly listed them above so readers do not follow the crowd.

Yin Chui is a common occurrence in women. If there is no other discomfort, they do not even know it is a disease, let alone physicians due to its subtle nature. It is said that eating green onions within a month postpartum causes this; it cannot be called a disease. Only when the sound is too loud and stool is hard and stagnant, possibly due to intestinal dryness, blood stasis obstruction, or phlegm stagnation, causing Fu Qi (Bowels Qi) to not flow freely and forcing exit through the anterior yin, should it be addressed. However, one should only moisten dryness, resolve stasis, and ventilate phlegm; there is no need to treat the flatulence itself.

The theory of changing female to male has existed since ancient times, but few are verified. Shen Xihai of Qiantang said: There is a method that is always effective and very simple. If menstruation stops and pregnancy is confirmed, take a sheet of red paper. The husband personally writes the fourteen characters "Five-dew forms peach fruit, Second-month spring births swallow nest." While writing, silently recite: "No thought, no action, silent and unmoving, responsive and connecting." After writing, paste it in a hidden place inside the bed. During writing and pasting, do not let anyone see or know. Only after verification may it be passed on.

Huang Jinfang said: Du Zhong (Eucommia Bark) and Xu Duan (Teasel Root) are used by the world to calm the fetus, but people do not know that Xu Duan is bitter, enters the Blood aspect specifically, invigorates blood, and reduces swelling. Thus, it can be used for mastitis, breast nodules, intestinal wind, hemorrhoids, metal wounds, and falls—all blood stasis conditions. Although slightly astringent, it moves without causing leakage. However, mistakenly applied to women with weak or sinking Qi, it flows downward uncontrollably with overwhelming force. How can mere astringency stop even a fraction of this? Du Zhong is purple and moist, acrid-sweet and slightly warm, entering the Liver specifically. It tonifies Qi and strengthens sinews. Strong sinews lead to strong bones. It is most suitable for Kidney deficiency and Kidney cold causing weak legs. However, those with sinking or weak Qi must absolutely not take it, as its nature guides Qi downward without any intention of ascending and stabilizing. Fetal miscarriage inherently fears blood movement and Qi sinking. Taking these two herbs can sometimes work because human Qi and Blood value warm circulation. Causes of miscarriage vary; some are due to Kidney Qi not being warm, menstrual blood stagnating, and the conception house losing nourishment. Getting these two herbs warms the Qi and moistens the Blood, preventing stagnation and leakage, thus calming the fetus. This is only set for those with lower deficiency and upper excess. Therefore, fetal miscarriage with strong Chi pulse and weak Cun pulse, shortness of breath upon movement, exterior deficiency with aversion to wind and sweating, hunger pain under the heart relieved by eating, and a sensation of all Qi wanting to sink—all are contraindications. Regrettably, the originators did not distinguish clearly. After long dissemination, they became regarded as holy medicines for calming the fetus. This stems from unclear medical principles, ignorance of drug properties, and unawareness of syndromes. Seeing a formula hailed as miraculous, they use it universally even for women with slipping/depletion. Do they not know Du Zhong and Xu Duan are excellent formulas for miscarriage caused by falls or lower cold with blood stasis? If one does not examine and distinguish before using them recklessly, not only will they fail to calm the fetus, but they may induce labor or cause miscarriage, even endangering the mother's life. Must one not beware! I note that I rarely use these two drugs, while the world regards them as tonics. Obtaining Huang's argument, I am confident my limited view is not confused.

Women approaching childbirth, custom worries about hunger and cold, not knowing that fullness and warmth cause difficult labor. *Zhifa Hui* says: If hungry, eat thin porridge; do not overeat. Slight hunger is best, because hunger causes Qi to descend, and descending Qi speeds delivery. If eating meat or overeating, or consuming greasy/stagnant foods, it obstructs the Upper Jiao, Qi cannot descend, hence difficult birth. Even after birth, food stagnation in the Middle Jiao generates cold and heat. Physicians failing to observe this indiscriminately administer warming and tonifying herbs, often leading to danger. In deep winter, shallow houses should be sealed tightly with fire pots added; in midsummer, one must choose cool places, avoiding wind, never allowing excessive heat to cause various ailments. If no cool room exists, placing basins of fresh well water near the bed helps cool the area.

*Ming Shi* records that during Emperor Guangzong's mourning period, Noble Consort Zheng presented four beauties. The Emperor felt unwell. Internal physician Cui Wensheng used Rhubarb (Dahuang). In one day and night, he defecated thirty to forty times, suffering dizziness and inability to move. Yang Lian memorialized impeaching him: Was it intentional error or unintentional? Intentional errors deserve death; unintentional errors should not be repeated! The Emperor summoned Yang Lian, staring at him for a long time. Fang Congzhe recommended Li Kezhuo present Red Pills. Whenever the Emperor drank soup, he panted; he accepted the medicine. The Emperor happily called him a loyal minister twice. Soon, it was reported that after taking the medicine, the Sacred Body felt warm, moist, and comfortable. Another pill was administered. The next morning, the Emperor passed away. Fang Congzhe drafted an edict rewarding Li Kezhuo with fifty taels of silver. Due to Wang Shunan's memorial, this was changed to a one-year salary deduction. Critics rose like bees, stating Cui Wensheng's crime was no less than Zhang Cha's, and Li Kezhuo was secondary, impeaching Fang Congzhe as well. Fang Congzhe submitted a defense, requesting dismissal. Li Kezhuo was exiled; Cui Wensheng was sent to Nanjing. I consider this one of the Three Major Cases of the fallen dynasty, truly a千古 (eternal) mystery. Discussants argue endlessly, never determining the actual condition, largely because literati rarely understand medicine. My friend Xu Yazhi of Renhe once said: When Li Kezhuo presented the Red Pill to Guangzong, it followed Cui Wensheng's use of Rhubarb. Hence You Huan'an's *Ming Shi Yuefu* contains the line: "Once Rhubarb is taken, the method fails to cure; though Red Pill is given, tonification is too late." Saying Cui erred with purgatives is correct, but calling the Red Pill a tonic is incorrect. Guangzong's illness was Yangming Excess with unresolved Taiyang symptoms. Records state that after the Red Pill, the body felt warm and comfortable. Thus, before using Rhubarb, he must have had aversion to cold, anhidrosis, and generalized stiffness. Rhubarb purged, yet soups/drinks were rejected. Clearly, erroneous purging led to Jie Xiong (Chest Binding) syndrome. The Red Pill was round and red; no one knew the ingredients. I suspect it contained herbs to open Taiyang and resolve Chest Binding, hence the warm comfort after administration. Records place "Emperor unwell" after "presenting beauties." Perhaps both Taiyang Meridian and Fu organs were diseased. Paired with Hongqian (Red Lead), it served as a dual-resolving agent for Meridian and Fu, hence the red color. It remained a purgative method, not a tonic. Jiayan (Yu Chang) said it obtained the power of purging, not tonifying. As for passing away the next morning, perhaps he recovered slightly then indulged in women again. The palace was secluded; the outer court knew not. Otherwise, how could there be a turning point of warmth and comfort, without symptom change, yet sudden death after one night? Thus sighing that literati discussing medicine often err. For example, *Liangban Qiuyu An Suibi* records a poem on Licorice: "Serving five dynasties, the Ever-Happy Old Man, never solely acting as Han's Marquis Liu Hou." Both are due to not reading medical books. I believe even reading medical books, those with shallow experience suffer from being bounded by texts. Thus, discussing disease is hardest of all.

Jiangyin Chen Dingjiu's *Liuxi Waizhuan* records Cai Zhifang of Chongming in the previous Ming Dynasty as miraculous in medicine. He once said: If a physician's heart moves and Qi floats, ambitions diverge and desires expand, misjudging subtle examinations and losing appropriate differentiation, leading to erroneous medication, none will not kill people in an instant. It is like a good minister governing the state: promoting the virtuous and capable, utilizing talents appropriately, maintaining a peaceful and tolerant heart, rectifying oneself without selfishness, thereby harmonizing the cauldron, adjusting Yin and Yang, and ruling the world. If the heart is crooked and intentions biased, misusing people, seeking complete success and lasting fame is rare. Thus, practicing medicine is like being a minister; using medicine is like employing people. The Way of Medicine is subtle. Without extinguishing desires and being selfless, communicating with the divine in subtle realms, exhausting principles and nature, and studying the minute in the extreme of dark and light, one is unworthy of transmission.

Wu Wanqing, Prefect of She, descended from a family specializing in surgery. He published family secret methods for longevity, titled *Zanhua Zhibuzu Fang*. Practitioners of surgery should regard it as the standard. He also printed Xu...