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The *Xude Lu* (Record of Accumulated Virtue) states: People are generally eager to have children, but one must understand the principle of procreation, which lies in the interaction of essence and qi, fusing to form a fetus. Therefore, those with few desires often have many children and find them easier to raise, because their qi is consolidated and their essence is dense. Those with excessive desires often struggle to conceive and their children are prone to early death, because their qi leaks out and their essence becomes thin. This is like brewing wine: using one dou of rice with one dou of water yields wine that is strong and durable, preserving its pure quality. If one dou of rice is mixed with double the amount of water, the wine becomes weak. With three or four times the water, it is neither wine nor water, indicating a deficiency of primordial yuan qi. If sexual indulgence is excessive, causing essence and qi to leak recklessly, how can a fetus be formed? Even if by chance a child is born, how can one guarantee their healthy growth? Thus, those who conceive at a young age are often frail, due to frequent sexual activity leading to thin essence; whereas those who conceive later in life often appear robust, due to restrained desires leading to complete essence. For those who are diligent in sexual activity, if they do not exercise restraint after conception, they secretly deplete the mother's yin blood and damage fetal qi. This is what is meant by indulgence leading to ruin. The father governs the yang action, akin to rain and dew from heaven; the mother governs the yin reception, akin to the earth nourishing all things. After conception, the consolidation of yang essence still relies on yin qi for protection. Thus, while in the womb, the fetus shares breath and safety with the mother; the mother's hunger or fullness, labor or rest, joy, anger, worry, or fright are all closely linked to the fetus. In ancient times, there was prenatal education (Taijiao); it would be beneficial if pregnant mothers followed these practices.

Yin and yang interact after the menstrual period has ended, and normally conception should occur. However, due to insufficient male qi and deficient, cold female blood, the two energies fail to interact, resulting in mere emission without aggregation. Those in the world who are childless rarely examine the deficiencies of their own zang-fu organs, instead mistakenly using astringent and yang-strengthening agents as good prescriptions for conception. Even if pregnancy occurs by chance, it is merely an accidental effect of hot medicines, thereby transmitting toxicity to the offspring; thus, although a child is obtained, their constitution is not solid. Expert physicians formulate principles and prescriptions based on the following: for men, tonifying the kidney is essential; for women, regulating menstruation is paramount. These should be combined with theories of nourishing blood and promoting qi circulation. By investigating their excesses and deficiencies and treating them prudently, pregnancy can be achieved in one attempt. Every man in the world can become a father, and every woman a mother. Otherwise, if a woman suffers from irregular menstruation, such as metrorrhagia (binglou) or leukorrhea (daixia), she will likely find it difficult to conceive. If a man suffers from infertility, he must have symptoms such as yang collapse, impotence, cold and clear semen, or failure to ejaculate. Therefore, for women, regulating menstruation comes first; for men, tonifying the kidney is primary. After taking medicine, one should maintain a clear mind and reduce desires, strengthening one's root source before engaging in sexual intercourse. In this way, failure to conceive is unheard of.

Marginal note: In the past, someone struggled with infertility. A doctor advised him to restrain desires and practice quiet cultivation, avoiding mental exertion. When the mind is calm, essence does not stir; when spirit is complete, qi does not dissipate. He engaged in intercourse only once after his wife's menstruation ceased, otherwise sleeping in separate beds. After half a year, his wife became pregnant. They slept separately during the pregnancy, and at full term, a son was born. Subsequently, several sons were born without any risk of early death. Unfortunately, modern people seeking children accumulate concubines and mistresses yet remain childless, largely due to ignorance of desire restraint. Moreover, scholars who exert their minds excessively should particularly restrain desires. Mental exertion without desire restraint causes ministerial fire to move easily; when fire moves, kidney qi dissipates. Kidney water fails to control heart fire, causing fire to blaze further, injuring lung metal. Lung metal then fails to generate kidney water, leading to mutual restriction and transformation into consumption (laozai, e.g., tuberculosis). This inevitably leads to premature death. Most chronic illnesses begin at marriage. Young people, high-spirited and strong, indulge without limit, secretly violating yin-yang taboos. Both men and women often develop consumptive weakness, becoming incurable.

Zhu Shan of Lepu said: The joys of the bedroom are not inherently illicit. Pleasure with concubines or mistresses may cause no harm, but joy should not be cut off entirely, nor desires indulged excessively. Excessive desire breeds disaster; cessation of joy brings sorrow. Human energy is finite, while lust is infinite. Using finite energy to satisfy infinite lust explains why some die young and lose strength before aging. One's life connects parents above and wife and children below. It involves great expectations of fame and wealth, and small responsibilities of family property. These relationships are significant, yet people ignore them for momentary pleasure, disregarding lifespan. Why is this? Humans live between heaven and earth. Sages and heroes achieve through their actions, but require full spiritual energy to accomplish great deeds. Without restraining desires to conserve spirit, even those with grand ambitions will fail halfway due to mental confusion and fatigue. Wang Feng said: Trees flourish with roots; without roots, they wither. Fish live with water; without water, they die. Lamps shine with oil; without oil, they extinguish. Humans live long by protecting true essence; they die young by harming it. Those who cherish life must guard and preserve it. The human body is flesh and blood, not cast bronze or iron. Its longevity depends on essence, qi, and blood. Blood is yin; qi is yang. Yin and yang condense to form essence. Essence resides in bone marrow, connecting upward to the sea of marrow and downward to the weiyang point. It is the supreme treasure of the body. As long as the "Water of Tianyi" (kidney water) does not dry up, ears and eyes remain sharp, and limbs remain strong. Like water nourishing all things, or oil keeping a lamp burning, as long as the oil lasts, the lamp does not go out. Hence, ancient Confucians considered the interaction of heart and kidney as the hexagram Ji Ji (Already Fording). The heart is sovereign fire. Fire nature rises upward. Often, when blood and qi are unsettled, it blazes into lustful thoughts. Once sovereign fire moves, the ministerial fires of liver and kidney also move. Kidney qi is scorched, leaking outward and exhausting inward. Though possessing a human form, one soon enters the register of ghosts (dies). Is this not terrifying?