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[Recorded in Bie Lu, Middle Grade]
[Flavor and Properties] Bitter, sweet, acrid; warm in nature; toxic.
[Indications] Primarily promotes the potency of medicinal substances, eliminates various evils, evil spirits, and toxic vapors. Zang Qi stated: It unifies the blood vessels, thickens the stomach and intestines, moistens the skin, disperses dampness, dispels sorrow and arouses anger, facilitates speech, and relaxes the mind.
[Analysis] It is said: The Shiben records that Yi Di, daughter of the Emperor, first produced jiu lao (fermented rice wine), altering the five flavors, and Shao Kang produced shu jiu (millet wine). Su Wen: Shanggu Tianzhen Lun regards wine as a type of liquid nourishment; Tangye Laoli Lun states that the Yellow Emperor asked: How are grain decoctions and laoli prepared? Qibo replied: One must use rice grains and cook them with rice straw. Rice grains are complete, and rice straw is firm. The Emperor asked: Why is this so? Qibo answered: This is because they obtain the harmony of heaven and earth and the suitability of high and low terrain, thus achieving completeness; harvested at the proper time, thus achieving firmness. The Emperor asked: Why did the sages of ancient times prepare tangye and laoli but not use them? Qibo said: Since ancient times, sages prepared tangye and laoli for prevention, preparing them but not consuming them. In the middle ancient era, when virtue declined and pathogenic factors frequently occurred, consuming them ensured safety; thus, wine originated from the Yellow Emperor's time, already praised as starting in antiquity, not solely created by Yi Di. The Jiu Jing says: Empty mulberry and impure drink, fermented with ji li to form mellow wine. This is the beginning of wine; wumei nu qu (black plum yeast), tian zao nine throws, clarifying hundred kinds of wine, this is the end of wine. The Shihuo Zhi says: Wine is heaven's beautiful bounty, nourishing the world, used for sacrifices, prayers for blessings, supporting the weak, and treating diseases; without wine, these cannot be done. Thus, in Zhongdong (mid-winter) of the Yueming, the Da Qiu (chief brewer) is ordered: shu and dao must be uniform, qu (yeast) must be timely, soaking must be clean, water springs must be fragrant, pottery vessels must be good, fire coordination must be appropriate, using all six materials under the supervision of the Da Qiu without error. The Baikong Liutie says: One dou of shu rice yields one dou of wine, considered superior; one dou of ji rice yields one dou of wine, considered medium; one dou of su rice yields one dou of wine, considered inferior. Bencao states: Grapes, melon seeds, goji, chrysanthemum, qi, ringapples, oranges, KT, plums, peaches, apricots, plums, scallions, fermented soybeans, ginger, peppers, lamb, deer fetus, tiger tibia, bear paw—any biological fruit, grain, or plant easy to ferment can make wine. For medicinal use, only the clear part of shu wine is called the highest grade. If mixed with yujin (Curcuma aromatica) and fermented into chang (sacrificial wine), this uses yang to anchor yin, resulting in yellow color and fragrance, flowing in the vessel, as described in the Shi Jing as "yellow flow in the center." Thus, Zhou people valued aroma, pouring chang to reach the nine abysses, penetrating the nine heavens, smoothing the upper and lower, sending qi to heights, to summon spirits. The Jiuzheng Zhi states: There are quantities of rice and yeast, and skills of gong and gu. Gong and gu refer to good and bad; good wine is gong, bad wine is gu. The Shi Shu says: One-night wine is called gu, implying wine is valued for aging, hence Zhou Li has the name Xi Jiu (old wine). Tianguan Jiuzheng manages wine policies, granting materials by formula, distinguishing five Qi types. First is Fan Qi, where wine ripens and floats; second is Li Qi, where wine forms an upper-lower unity, juice and dregs mix; third is Ang Qi, white-green in color; fourth is Ti Qi, red in color; fifth is Zhi Qi, dregs sink, pleasing to taste. Also distinguished are three wines: First is Shi Jiu (event wine); second is Xi Jiu (old wine); third is Qing Jiu (clear wine). Also distinguished are four drinks: First is Qing; second is Yi; third is Jiang; fourth is Yi. Zhou dynasty wine administration was strict. Zhou Shu has the Jiugao chapter. Zhou Li has wine officials. Sacrifices require wine, nourishment requires wine, banquets require wine; it cannot be abolished for a day. However, there are warnings against sweet wine, taxes on indulgent wine, oaths against drunkenness, and admonitions against habitual drinking; former kings always warned against wine. Now Zhou appoints officials for wine, so differences in thickness, clarity, and age of the five Qi wines, three wines, and four drinks must be distinguished by wine administration. Uses include sacrificial wine, guest wine, royal heirs' dietary wine, elders/orphans/commoners' banquet wine—all provided by the Jiuzheng. Wine for sacrifice, drinking for banquets, ritual wine for feasts, aged wine for guests, regular wine for elderly care—collectively called public wine. Wine makers deposit wine in the wine treasury; Jiang people deposit drinks in the wine treasury. These are for the King's use, while the Jiuzheng manages wine policy, never failing to warn. Materials are granted by formula, vessels by law, distribution by method, regular wine by contract. Sacrificial portions have limits, royal banquets have calculations. Other officials account annually, but Jiuzheng accounts daily and monthly. Zhou's caution regarding wine is evident. Former kings had laws for drinking vessels. Yi has a boat shape to show excess, warning of drowning disasters. Zun has a rim to show lack of restraint, warning of gradual corruption. Six Yi show tasting of sacrificial wine. Six Zun show hierarchy of sacrificial wine. Former kings' vessel standards had warnings, especially during usage. Yin Zhen says: The way of wine is not just for filling bellies or expressing joy/sorrow; severely, it transforms superiors into lustful addicts and inferiors into trouble-makers. Thus, sages regulated it with reciprocity and instructed with edicts. Yet some superiors became addicted leading to state ruin, and inferiors caused trouble leading to death. Did we not see past disasters? Lu Fengshu had five crimes: one was addiction to wine, killed by Jin; Qing Feng changed inner affairs and indulged in drinking, causing state relocation; Zheng Bo indulged room by room, fleeing to Si Shi's armor; Luan Gao drank and trusted insiders, defeated by Chen and Bao clans; Wei Hou drank at Jie Park, eventually hated by ministers. Alas! I, though not virtuous, naturally love wine, yet fear becoming like Fengshu's victim. I will not do this, nor turn noise to silence or silence to noise, nor indulge in stillness or waves of disaster. Once lust and disaster arise in the heart, how can one avoid becoming like Qing Feng, Zheng Bo, or Luan Gao? I compose this admonition: Wine shows its true nature. Better I be drunk than others.
[Commentary] Fang Shu calls Qing Jiu, which is one of the four drinks called Qing, made by Jiang people as Li Qing. Supporting weakness and treating disease requires wine, provided one does not reach intoxication. Yin's five palaces live by the five flavors, but Yin's five palaces are harmed by the five flavors; only excess leads to chaos. Shuowen says: Wine is You (wine jar), brewed with beautiful yeast, yielding good taste. It also means "approaching," approaching human nature's good and evil. Thus, wine does not freeze; why call it Dan? Collecting autumn frost glutinous rice, fermenting spring wheat yeast, interacting metal and wood, balancing water and fire, it freezes but doesn't ice, yet fire can burn—is this the function of six Yangs? Ju Yin said: It primarily promotes medicinal potency, like rivers flowing deep, vast waters rippling, waves rushing forward, unstoppable movement. It acts like the swift Wei Qi (defensive qi). A spoonful enters the mouth, circulates the body, reaches the Jiao Fu (Triple Burner), instantly travels through blood vessels, passes through joints, reaches the Four Streets, penetrates nine orifices, distributes through 365 joints, opens 84,000 pores. Like Wei Qi's swiftness,芍力 (Peony power) galloping together, Gui Shi (Cinnamon authority) leading the way, rapid and agile, nothing surpasses it. Does it not make the timid strong, the weak robust, the worried relieved, the unangry angry, the silent speak, facilitating intent and action? If conduct is improper, beauty and ugliness appear immediately. Approaching human nature's good and evil, truly acting without cause and arriving without intent.