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All versions lack the character "Pian" (Chapter).

The six Yang meridians of the hand: Zhang Yun points out that there are three Yang meridians in the hand; if considered from left and right sides, there are six Yang meridians. The subsequent mention of the six Yin meridians, as well as the six Yin and six Yang meridians of the feet, follows this counting method.

Total length five zhang six chi (Note: Original text says "Wu Liu San Zhang", combined with context and *Ling Shu* original text, it should be five zhang six chi. Here we follow the text's meaning or keep original characters but explain. Based on later text "He Yi Shi Liu Zhang Er Chi" calculation, Hand Six Yang meridians each side one zhang six chi? No, usually Hand Three Yang meridians length each one zhang five chi? Let's carefully check *Ling Shu · Mai Du* original text: Hand of Six Yang, from hand to head, length five chi, Wu Liu San Zhang. That is, each Yang meridian is five chi long, left and right each three, total six, 5*6=30 chi = 3 zhang. The original text writes "Wu Liu San Zhang", i.e., 5 chi x 6 meridians = 3 zhang. Foot of Six Yang, from head to foot, length eight chi, Liu Ba Si Zhang Ba Chi. Foot of Six Yin, from foot to chest, length six chi, Liu Liu San Zhang Liu Chi. Plus Qiao meridians etc. Wait, the original text is "Wu Liu San Zhang... Liu Ba Si Zhang Ba... Liu Liu San Zhang Liu Chi".
Let me re-examine the provided text: "Wu Liu San Zhang Liu Xia Jia Yi You He Zi. Xia Wen Wu Liu San Zhang. Liu Ba Si Zhang Ba. Liu Liu San Zhang Liu Chi Bing Tong."
This means:
Hand of Six Yang: 5 chi x 6 = 3 zhang.
Foot of Six Yang: 8 chi x 6 = 4 zhang 8 chi.
Foot of Six Yin: 6 chi x 6 = 3 zhang 6 chi.
Jian An mentions that *Guanzi* states Fuxi created the number of nine-nine to harmonize with Heavenly Dao.

From foot up to head: The *Jia Yi* version reads "from head down to foot". Zhang Yun points out that according to the direction of the twelve meridians of hands and feet, the Three Yin meridians of the hand go from the Zang organs to the hand, the Three Yang meridians of the hand go from the hand to the head, the Three Yang meridians of the foot go from the head to the foot, and the Three Yin meridians of the foot go from the foot to the abdomen. This is their starting and ending degree. Now the text says the Six Yin meridians of the hand go from the hand to the middle of the chest. This is merely stating that when calculating length, all start from the four extremities, not that the flow of Qi moves in this direction. The following text follows this example.

Qiao meridians (stop) total one zhang five chi: Ma Yun points out that there are Yang Qiao meridian and Yin Qiao meridian. The Yang Qiao meridian starts from Shenmai point in the foot and travels to the eye; the Yin Qiao meridian starts from Zhaohai point in the foot and travels to the eye. However, the Yang Qiao meridian is identical on left and right, and the Yin Qiao meridian is also identical on left and right. Then there should be four Qiao meridians. Now it says two times seven equals one zhang four chi, two times five equals one chi, totaling only two meridians. Why? Looking at the end of this chapter, it says the Qiao meridians have Yin and Yang. Which meridian counts towards this number? Qibo answers that for men, count its Yang; for women, count its Yin. From this, we know that what men count are the left and right Yang Qiao meridians, and what women count are the left and right Yin Qiao meridians.

Total length sixteen zhang two chi: In *Yi Deng Xu Yan*, Mr. Pan states that according to *Nan Jing · Twenty-Third Difficulty*, the total length of the meridians is sixteen zhang two chi. The Ren meridian, Du meridian, and Qiao meridians are included. It starts from the Middle Jiao and pours into the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, ending at the Liver Meridian of Foot-Jueyin, and the Jueyin returns to pour into the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin. This is what is meant by "like a ring without beginning or end." It is unknown where the Ren, Du, and Qiao meridians connect into the circulation. Are they attached to running along the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin and Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang? If attached, they cannot be within the cycle of connection and pouring. This awaits those who know.

For conditions where blood stagnates in Sunluo (branch collaterals), swiftly purge them: The *Jia Yi* version has the four characters "Luo Sunluo zhi" after the character "Sun", and has the character "You" after "Xia". Zhang Yun points out that the fine vessels throughout the human body are all the Sunluo in the skin and interstices. If there is abundant blood in the Luo meridians and it is not removed, it will become obstructed and cause harm. Therefore, it should be swiftly purged. "Zhu" means to eliminate.

Drink medicine to tonify deficiency: Zhang Yun cites the chapter *Xieqi Zangfu Bingxing*: "If both Yin-Yang and Form-Qi are insufficient, do not use acupuncture, but regulate with sweet medicines." This refers to the statement "those who are deficient drink medicine to tonify them."

Observe (understand) through the upper seven orifices: Jian An notes that Ma Shi interprets "Yue" as "tong" (connect/understand), based on Xie Jianbai's commentary on *Nan Jing · Thirty-Seventh Difficulty*. Zhang Yun notes that "Yue" means to experience or observe. The Five Zang organs are located internally, but their Qi reaches externally, hence the saying. The commentary on *Annals of Emperor Wen of Han* states that "Yue" is like passing through. The commentary on *Biography of Che Qianqiu* states that "Yue" means experience.

Five Zang organs are not in harmony: Ma Yun points out that these two sentences serve to summarize the preceding text and introduce the following.

Excessive Yang Qi makes Yin Qi unfavorable: *Nan Jing · Thirty-Seventh Difficulty* and the *Jia Yi* version read "Evil in the Zang, then Yin meridians are not in harmony"; "lower difficulty" also reads "not in harmony," which are correct.

Cannot nourish: Zhang Yun notes that in this classic, "Rong" and "Ying" are used interchangeably. "Cannot Rong" refers to Yin-Yang disorder, where Ying cannot circulate, and they mutually reject each other without communication.

Therefore it is called "Guan" (Blocked): In *Nan Jing · Thirty-Seventh Difficulty*, "Guan" is written as "Ge". Jian An notes that *Su Wen · Liu Jie Zang Xiang Lun* also considers Yin excess as "Guan".

Therefore it is called "Ge" (Repelling): In *Nan Jing · Thirty-Seventh Difficulty*, "Ge" is written as "Guan". Jian An notes that *Su Wen · Liu Jie Zang Xiang Lun* also considers Yang excess as "Ge". *Zhong Shi* and *Jin Fu* chapters are the same. Ma Yun points out that *Nan Jing · Thirty-Seventh Difficulty* mistakenly calls Six Yin meridian excess "Ge" and Six Yang meridian excess "Guan", leading later generations to call it "Ge Syndrome" instead of pulse condition, which is an error upon an error. Wang Ang points out that although the characters "Guan" and "Ge" differ in form, their meanings are the same. Although *Nan Jing* inverted them, it is suspected that this does not harm the original intent. For example, *Su Wen · Mai Yao Jing Wei Lun* says: "When Yin and Yang do not correspond, the disease is named Guan Ge." This clearly attributes Guan Ge to a disease. Additionally, Zhang Zhongjing's *Ping Mai Pian* says: "When the lower is slight and the root is large, it becomes Guan Ge obstruction, unable to urinate." It also says: "Fuyang pulse is deep and choppy; deep indicates vomiting and regurgitation, undigested food and water; choppy indicates inability to eat. This is named Guan Ge." This shows Zhang Zhongjing also regarded Guan Ge as a syndrome, and neither *Nei Jing* nor Zhang Zhongjing strictly distinguished the meanings of the two characters. Furthermore, *Nan Jing · Third Difficulty* says: "Before the Guan position, it is the movement of Yang. Rising to the fish area is Yi, constituting External Guan Internal Ge, this is Yin invading the pulse. After the Guan position, it is the movement of Yin. Descending into the chi area is Fu, constituting Internal Guan External Ge, this is Yang invading the pulse." This also uses Yi and Fu to describe pulses and Guan Ge to describe diseases. Now, since Mr. Ma criticizes *Nan Jing* and considers Zhang Zhongjing, Li Dongyuan, and Zhu Danxi incorrect, while identifying Guan Ge as a pulse condition, is this not contrary to *Nei Jing*? He also says: "Guan is Yang unable to enter, Ge is Yin unable to exit." This combines two pulses into one disease, which is difficult to distinguish in principle.

What Qi nourishes water: In the *Jia Yi* version, "Shui" (water) is written as "Ye" (particle). Ma Yun points out that Qi and Blood in the human body flow like water. The Yellow Emperor thus asks about the starting and ending of the Qiao meridians, inquiring what Qi nourishes water (or "what Qi nourishes this"). Jian An notes that "Rong Shui" does not make sense. We now follow the *Jia Yi* version.

The Qiao meridian is a branch of the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin: Lou Quanshan points out that the Qiao meridian always mentions only the Yin Qiao meridian and omits the Yang Qiao meridian, indicating missing text. Zhang Yun points out that *Miao Ci Lun* says: "When evil invades the Yang Qiao meridian of the foot, puncture half a cun below the lateral malleolus." Because the Yang Qiao meridian is a branch of the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang, *Nan Jing · Twenty-Eighth Difficulty* says: "The Yang Qiao meridian originates in the center of the heel, follows the lateral malleolus upward, and enters Fengchi." The Yin Qiao meridian also originates in the center of the heel, follows the medial malleolus upward to the throat, and intersects with the Chong meridian. Thus, the Yin Qiao meridian is a branch of the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin, originating at Zhaohai; the Yang Qiao meridian is a branch of the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang, originating at Shenmai. This provides detailed information.

Moisten the eyes: Zhang Yun points out that the Qi of the Yin Qiao and Yang Qiao meridians runs together and returns, thereby moistening the eyes. If Qiao Qi fails to nourish, the eyes cannot close. Thus, *Han Re Bing Pian* says: "Yin Qiao and Yang Qiao, Yin and Yang intersect. Yang enters Yin, Yin exits Yang, intersecting at the outer canthus of the eye. When Yang Qi is excessive, the eyes open wide; when Yin Qi is excessive, the eyes close." This is why whether the eyes are open or closed is governed by the Qiao meridians.

Qi travels alone through the Five Zang organs: Zhang Yun points out that because the Yellow Emperor considered the Qiao meridian a branch of the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin, he suspected its Qi travels alone through the Five Zang organs and does not nourish the Six Fu organs. Hence this question.

Like the flow of water (stop) outwardly moistens the interstices: Zhang Yun points out that "like the flow of water" and "like the movement of the sun and moon" both indicate that movement cannot cease. Yin nourishes the Zang organs, referring to the Yin Qiao meridian; Yang nourishes the Fu organs, referring to the Yang Qiao meridian. This means regardless of Zang or Fu, the Qiao meridian Qi must reach there. Flow refers to flowing inward; overflow refers to overflowing outward. Hence it is called "flowing and overflowing Qi," irrigating the Zang and Fu internally and moistening the interstices externally, indicating it exists not only in the Zang. According to the meaning of the Qiao meridian here, Yin exiting to Yang intersects with the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang, and Yang entering to Yin intersects with the Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin. Yang excess causes eyes to open, Yin excess causes eyes to close, seemingly speaking in accordance with Wei Qi. Thus, Yin meridians nourish the Zang, and Yang meridians nourish the Fu. Jian An notes that Ma Shi interpreted Yin and Yang meridians as the meanings of the Three Yin and Three Yang of hands and feet. However, examining the主旨 (main idea) of the preceding and following chapters, Zhang's annotation is more appropriate.

Those that should be counted: Lou Quanshan points out that "Dang Shu" refers to the count that should be included in the Mai Du (Meridian Length) of sixteen zhang two chi. Zhang Yun points out that the numbers of Yin and Yang Qiao meridians belong differently to men and women. Men belong to Yang and should count their Yang Qiao meridians; women belong to Yin and should count their Yin Qiao meridians. Therefore, for men, the Yang Qiao meridian is the Jing (Vessel) and the Yin Qiao meridian is the Luo (Collateral); for women, the Yin Qiao meridian is the Jing (Vessel) and the Yang Qiao meridian is the Luo (Collateral).