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The proverb says, "If one cannot be a virtuous prime minister, then one should be a virtuous physician." This clarifies that a virtuous physician, by regulating Yin and Yang (Yin-Yang regulation), enables the world to attain benevolence and longevity, a merit equal to that of a virtuous prime minister who assists the sovereign in governing the state. Since childhood, I have loved reading the medical texts of Qibo and Huangdi (Qihuang, referring to the foundational theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine attributed to the Yellow Emperor and Qibo). In my adulthood, I traveled far and wide, seeking so-called virtuous physicians to learn from their profound insights and grand theories, thereby correcting my own learning. After more than forty years, though my heart remained filled with unfulfilled aspirations and I had not yet encountered such a master, my ambition to seek knowledge across the four corners of the land never wavered. I had long heard that the mountains and rivers of Dongwu (modern-day Zhucheng area) were as picturesque and elegant as those of Yandang Mountain. My spirit often wandered among Ma'er Mountain and Changshan Mountain, hoping to encounter a recluse sage as described by Su Dongpo, which would bring me great joy. Later, I learned that local gentry, such as Mr. Wang Xianxu, mentioned in conversation that they had met Songfeng (the author, Liu Songfeng), the nephew of Prime Minister Liu of Zhucheng, at the latter's residence. Mr. Liu was gentle and refined, skilled in classical prose and poetry, and particularly proficient in Qihuang medicine. I had heard his name for a long time but had not had the opportunity to discuss matters with him, leaving me feeling somewhat regretful. Therefore, I mounted a donkey and traveled over seven hundred li to visit Songfeng at Chahé Mountain Villa in Dongwu. Upon meeting, we felt as if we had been lifelong friends. His son, Zhuoxi, inherited the family learning and mastered medical principles with precision. He presented his authored book, *Shuo Yi* (Discourse on Epidemics), and requested that I write a preface. I accepted and read it, finding that it integrated the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity), encompassing everything comprehensively, and collected ancient and modern knowledge without omission. It truly has the power to resolve doubts accumulated over thousands of years and open the path to enlightenment in the field of epidemic diseases. What is particularly ingenious is its analysis of the names and meanings of plague and epidemics, and its classification of epidemic symptoms into various types, all of which are insights not previously expounded by predecessors. For instance, regarding strange epidemic diseases such as "melon-rind soft-legs," "red-chest yellow-ears," and various sha-zhang (sand-miasma) disorders, the book provides simple and effective prescriptions and miraculous acupuncture techniques that can restore life in an instant and produce immediate effects. Truly, this allows one to comprehend and transform Yin and Yang, rescuing people from death. Just as there is the *Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases* (*Shanghan Lun*) before, there must be the book *Shuo Yi* after. It stands in complementary relationship with the famous classic *Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet* (*Jingui Yaolue*), mutually reinforcing and transforming, thereby ensuring benevolence and longevity for all under heaven and future generations. Even if it is said that it will stand alongside the achievements of virtuous prime ministers for millennia, what could be wrong with that? This is the preface.
Written in the fourth month of the Qinghe season in the Dingwei year of the Qianlong reign [1787], by Liu Sizong, younger generation disciple and kinsman from Fushan.