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Mr. Li Zhongzi (courtesy name Shicai) was a medical educator in the Jiangnan region during the late Ming Dynasty. His native place was Nanhui County, Songjiang Prefecture. He was born in the Dinghai year of the 15th year of the Wanli era (1587).

Mr. was proficient in medicine and also skilled in literature, possessing abundant clinical experience. He taught numerous students, among whom many were outstanding figures, such as Ma Yuanyi and You Shengzhou, who all inherited and propagated his academic thoughts.

Mr. Li produced a wealth of works throughout his life, all focusing on cultivating successors and practical clinical application. His writing was elegant, making it suitable for both those deeply versed in medicine and beginners. In his middle age, he drafted *Yisheng Weilun* (Micro-discourses on Nourishing Life), but felt it was still insufficient, so he revised it into *Shanbu Yisheng Weilun* (Revised and Supplemental Micro-discourses on Nourishing Life). The sections discussing herbs were mostly composed in rhythmic verse. In the 10th year of Chongzhen (1637), he re-wrote *Yizong Bidu* (Essential Readings for Medical Students) in ten volumes. Given that medical students must first possess a literary standard, Volume I consists of "Medical Discourses and Diagrams," listing thirteen essays at the beginning, with diagrams such as Bone Measurements (Gudu) and Zang-Fu Manifestations (Zangxiang) attached afterwards. Volume II is *Siyan Maijue* (Four-Character Pulse Rhymes), which supplements omissions in the original work and corrects errors in transmitted versions; two or three parts remain unchanged, while seven or eight are newly revised. It is followed by *Maifa Xin Can* (Heart Reflections on Pulse Methods), recording clinical insights that are grasped by heart but difficult to express verbally, detailed one by one, with Color Diagnosis (Sezhen) appended. Volumes III and IV constitute *Bencao Zhengyao* (Essentials of Materia Medica) (see details below). Volume V covers Cold Damage (Shanghan). Volumes VI to X cover Miscellaneous Diseases (Zabing). After discussing each disease, personal medical cases are often attached; the content is practical and convenient for study. It greatly benefited later learners and became a masterpiece passed down through generations. Thus, in the Qing Dynasty, medical students across the Yangtze River region frequently used it as a model.

This volume is a revised and supplemented standalone edition of *Zhengyao*. Here, the development lineage and changes are narrated in detail to serve as a preface.

The use of rhythmic verse or fu (rhapsody) style in materia medica books aims to facilitate memorization and study for later learners. Since the Jin and Yuan dynasties, many transmitted versions have existed, such as *Yaoxing Fu* (Fu on Drug Properties), which uses four-character lines. However, composing fu requires contrast, pairing two drugs to form a couplet, often leaving a feeling of incomplete expression. Four-character poems are limited to sixteen characters; some cannot fully express complex contents, while others feel too verbose for simple indications. Although the latter issue is minor, from a holistic perspective, it makes it difficult to clearly see the primary-secondary hierarchy of drugs and the breadth of their applications. Mr. Li, aware of this, slightly imitated the fu style but adopted alternating long and short sentences, ensuring appropriate complexity and proper length, benefiting beginners significantly. The author inscribed at the beginning: "Materia Medica is too vast, causing the difficulty of facing an ocean; drug properties are too few, causing the worry of missing pearls. Now, based on the Compendium,繁杂 (complexities) are deleted and repetitions removed, preserving only the essence. Famous theories are collected, humbly adding my limited insight, with detailed annotations. Compared to *Zhenzhu Nang* (Pearl Purse), it is extremely comprehensive, with neat and strict phrasing, facilitating recitation."

The content of *Zhengyao* first lists drug names. Below each name, smaller text indicates flavor, nature, meridian tropism, and guiding drugs (Shi Zhi Yao). It also records contraindications (Wei, Ji, E, Fan) and processing requirements, occasionally adding necessary aliases. Then comes the main text, mostly using contrasting sentences to describe indications. The language is elegant and expressive; it is long when needed and short when possible, written according to the extent of action, fitting precisely. The diction is beautiful; descriptions of drugs like Ejiao (Donkey-hide Gelatin) and Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum) are sonorous and readable. Necessary annotations follow the main text, pointing out points of caution, so patients benefit without harm, showing great care. Upon completion, it became popular instantly.

Not long after publication, Cai Mei from Shanghai and scholars from Meishan imitated its format and continued with *Bencao Zhengyao Buyi* (Supplement to Essentials of Materia Medica), covering 58 items. During the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, my sixth-granduncle Guangqi Gong (named Tingjin) reclassified them for easier reference,酌情 deleting highly toxic substances to prevent beginners from mishandling them and causing deviations. Based on clinical needs, several convenient and accessible items were added, titled *Shanbu Bencao Zhengyao* (Revised and Supplemental Essentials of Materia Medica) for disciples to copy and read. During the Guangxu reign, my father Jiaolu Gong made further additions. In the late Qing, Ling Huan (courtesy name Xiaowu) from Wuxing wrote *Bencao Haili* (Harm and Benefit of Materia Medica), largely adopting Mr. Li's original text. In the early Republic of China, Mr. Ding Ganren founded the Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and adopted this book as a textbook for pharmacology. Some of Mr. Li's original text was abridged, some supplemented, and the title changed to *Bencao Jiyao* (Collected Essentials of Materia Medica). Mr. Ding also wrote *Bencao Xubian* (Continued Compilation of Materia Medica) after the original book, adding over 80 items. Additionally, many anonymous manuscript copies exist, some abridged, some excerpted, some retitled, some altered in content. Without printed editions, they are not detailed here. Those worth adopting have been included.

This compilation primarily relies on Mr. Li's original Ming dynasty printed edition, incorporating useful additions from Cai, my grand-uncle, my father, and Mr. Ding, totaling several items, along with slight insertions of my own continuations. Following the original intent of Guangqi Gong, it is organized into four volumes. Volume I covers general treatments, i.e., actions affecting the whole body. Volume II covers physical forms and specialties, divided into head, face, seven orifices, limbs, bones, and departments such as surgery, trauma, gynecology, and pediatrics. Volume III is distinguished by Zang-Fu organs, classified accordingly for clinical reference. Volume IV covers external treatments, dietary therapy, etc. At the end, my works *Starch-based Dietary Therapeutics*, *On Flexible Use of Chinese Herbs*, and *Fire and Water in Decoction Preparation* are attached for emergency selection.

This book collects the essence inherited from predecessors, with every statement supported by evidence. Although it has certain characteristics, due to hasty writing, changing vertical to horizontal layout, and traditional to simplified characters, errors are inevitable. I hope readers will point them out for continued revision in the future. The title remains *Shanbu Bencao Zhengyao* per my grand-uncle's wish, following the example of Mr. Li's *Shanbu Yisheng Weilun*. Now changed to "Chongding" (Revised), it seems more appropriate.

Recorded by Geng Jianting of Yangzhou in early winter of the Guihai year.