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In the previous reign of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Gong (Courtesy Name: Jiezhai), who held the title of Censor-in-Chief, from his time as a student (Xiucai), had already been concerned with the world. He believed that even if he could not assist the ruler and benefit the people, he should use medicine to save those in the world who died prematurely! After passing the imperial examinations and serving in various official positions both inside and outside the court, he won the hearts of the people; as for treating people's diseases, there was no treatment that did not prove effective. The ancient saying about a "good minister" and a "good physician" seemed to be embodied in him. His works, including chapters such as "Fever," were named *Mingyi Zazhu* (Miscellaneous Writings of a Clear Physician) and had been published for many years. The questions and answers, as well as discussions within, were entirely based on *Yixue Gangmu* (Outline of Medical Science), from which one can imagine their origins and mental efforts. However, he was still not satisfied. When friends requested the printing of his work, he declined, citing that his manuscript collection (*Caoji*) compiled during leisure from administrative duties was not yet complete. Only after being strongly urged did he agree, stating that when he retired to the countryside in his later years, further additions and deletions would be necessary. Alas! This was never realized. I, presumptuously, took it upon myself to privately supplement the notes based on the meanings implied but not fully expounded by Mr. Wang, attaching clinical cases of verification. Some might ask: If one does not understand pulse diagnosis, how can diseases be identified? Therefore, why is this book particularly brief regarding diagnostic methods? Consequently, I added Master Hua Borren's *Zhenjia Shuyao* (Key Essentials of Pulse Diagnosis), making it six volumes in total, and appended prescriptions at the end for the convenience of beginners. Although the draft is roughly complete, it contains many errors of being too concise or redundant. Coincidentally, Wei Gong (Courtesy Name: Jizhai), who served as Chief Censor and was stationed in Wu for military preparations, also possessed knowledge of medicine, much like Mr. Jiezhai today. Whenever we met and discussed this, he always sighed that the lives of the people should be valued and that pharmacology must be studied. He graciously edited my humble draft, and it was printed in Wu County by Song Yinyangshan. I only feel ashamed that my insights are as shallow as grass branches, insufficient for selection. I hope great masters will instruct me and not discard my work because I am old and clumsy, saying it is not worth discussing.

Preface respectfully written by Xue Ji, former Fenzheng Dafu (Grand Secretary of the Imperial Medical Bureau), Student of the Late Ming Dynasty, in the winter of the Xinhai year of the Jiajing era.

Someone asked: Among the works of Zhang Zhongjing, Li Dongyuan, Liu Hejian, and Zhu Danxi, which is superior? Whom should one primarily follow in study? The answer is: One should primarily focus on the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) and widely observe the works of these four masters; thus, there will be no flaws. Just as the medical field possesses the *Huangdi Neijing*, similar to how Confucianism has the Six Classics, containing everything; the theories of the four masters are like the *Great Learning*, *Doctrine of the Mean*, *Analects*, and *Mencius*, serving as ladders to the Six Classics, indispensable. The books of the four masters originally had no superiority or inferiority; they merely elucidated different aspects of meaning. Zhang Zhongjing saw that the *Huangdi Neijing* recorded Cold Damage (Shanghan), but its variations and complexities were incomplete. Therefore, he wrote treatises and formulated prescriptions to exhaustively cover these variations. Later generations revered it, and after long transmission and use, its true essence gradually became distorted. It was used to generally treat warm diseases, summerheat, internal injury, and other conditions, leading to errors. Thus, Liu Hejian emerged to first elucidate methods for treating warm and summerheat diseases, and Li Dongyuan emerged to first elucidate methods for treating internal injury. Liu Hejian's theory aligns with the principles of the Five Movements and Six Qi in the *Huangdi Neijing*; Li Dongyuan's theory aligns with the concepts of diet and fatigue in the *Huangdi Neijing*. Zhang Zhongjing certainly knew of warm diseases and internal injuries; it was simply that his writings did not cover them. Liu Hejian and Li Dongyuan respected and utilized Zhang Zhongjing's methods for cold damage without daring to deviate. When Zhu Danxi appeared, he synthesized the achievements of various scholars, elucidating that deficiency-fire fever resembles external contraction, and that internal injury and damp-heat ministerial fire cause many illnesses. He wrote treatises according to symptoms, merely elaborating on the essential principles of the *Huangdi Neijing* and supplementing what previous sages had left incomplete. Therefore, it is said: For external contractions, follow Zhang Zhongjing; for internal injuries, follow Li Dongyuan; for febrile diseases, use Liu Hejian's methods; for miscellaneous diseases, use Zhu Danxi's methods. Integrating these consistently constitutes the comprehensive whole of medical science.