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Li Zhai treated Han Zhoutong, who suffered from excessive sexual activity, resulting in vexatious heat and thirst, incessant drinking, dribbling urination, constipation, profuse expectoration of phlegm, redness of the face and eyes, thorny tongue coating, cracked lips, body fever, sometimes feeling like having thorns all over the body but with no fixed location, and burning soles of the feet. The pulse at the left Cun, Guan, and Chi positions was surging (Hong) and irregular. This indicated Kidney Yin deficiency, where Yang had no root and floated outward. Generally, when severe heat does not respond to cold treatments, it signifies a lack of Water (Yin), requiring vigorous tonification of Yin. Therefore, he used one jin of the ingredients for Jiajian Bawei Wan (Modified Eight-Ingredient Pill), adding one liang of Rougui (Cinnamon Twig), decocted rapidly in water to yield six bowls. It was administered cold. After half an hour of sound sleep, another bowl was taken warm in the evening, and all symptoms subsided. The next day, aversion to cold and cold feet returned, indicating a lack of Fire (Yang), requiring tonification of Yang. He urgently prescribed four doses of Bawei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill), after which all symptoms resolved.

He also treated Wang Yidao, a student at the prefectural school, whose Yuan Qi (Original Qi) was inherently weak. Compounded by fatigue from imperial examinations, he fell ill. By December, the disease worsened significantly: high fever, tears freezing upon exiting the eyes, red eyes, exposed chest, faint breath nearly ceasing, a surging pulse that beat strongly against the finger but felt empty upon deep pressure, and a dry, prickly tongue. This presented as true internal Cold with false external Heat. Initially, Shiquan Dabu Tang (Ten Complete Tonifying Decoction) was administered. I stated, "If this medicine is effective, the pulse should converge, which would be auspicious." Shortly after, he slept soundly; upon waking, he felt increased aversion to cold, added clothing, and his pulse became suddenly minute and thread-like (Wei Xi), revealing the true image of Deficiency Cold. I prescribed one liang of Renshen (Ginseng Root) plus three qian of Shu Fuzi (Prepared Aconite Root), decocted in water and taken once, stabilizing the condition. At night, the pulse collapsed again; thus, two liang of Renshen and five qian of Shu Fuzi were used, leading to recovery. Subsequently, large doses of Renshen, Baizhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome), Dangshen (Codonopsis Radix - *Note: Text says Guishen, likely Dangui/Dangshen context, but strictly translating text as Guishen/Root of Angelica*), and Zhi Gancao (Honey-fried Licorice Root) were used for conditioning until full recovery.

He also treated a boy of fourteen years old suffering from fever and hemoptysis (coughing up blood). I advised using Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction) to nourish the source of transformation, but he did not believe me. Instead, he used cold-natured herbs to clear heat and descend fire, causing the previous symptoms to worsen. Someone asked, "The boy is unmarried, how can there be Kidney deficiency? Why use Renshen and Baizhu to tonify Qi?" I quoted Master Danxi: "The Kidney governs storage, while the Liver governs dispersion. Both viscera contain Ministerial Fire (Xiang Huo), which connects upward to the Heart. The Heart is Sovereign Fire; when affected by external stimuli, Ministerial Fire rises vigorously. Even without sexual intercourse, essence is secretly consumed." Furthermore, citing Chu Shi's "Chapter on Essence and Blood": "When a man's essence is not yet full but engages in intercourse to release it, the five viscera will have areas of insufficiency, leading to difficult-to-describe illnesses later," which precisely describes this situation. Consequently, Buzhong Yiqi Tang and Dihuang Wan (Rehmannia Pill) were used, resulting in a cure.