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In the chapter "Pathogenic Factors, Zang-Fu Organs, and Disease Manifestations" of the *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), the Yellow Emperor asked Qibo: The head and face are connected to the body's form; bones are linked, tendons are joined, and blood and Qi are integrated. When heaven is cold, the earth cracks and ice forms on water. In sudden severe cold, hands and feet may become lax and weak, yet why does the face not require clothing? (The human head, face, and body originally share one Qi. When encountering sudden extreme cold, the earth cracks and water freezes, causing limbs to shiver, while the face alone does not fear it. Hence, this question is raised.)

Qibo replied: The Twelve Meridians and the 365 Collaterals, their blood and Qi all ascend to the face and flow into the orifices. (The head and face are the summit of the human body, where Yin and Yang meridians from the entire body gather; thus, their blood and Qi all ascend to the face and flow into the various orifices. "Kong" is synonymous with "Kou," meaning hole.) The essence-Yang Qi ascends to the eyes to form vision. (Essence-Yang Qi refers to the essence of Yang Qi; therefore, it is said that the essence-Qi of the Five Zang and Six Fu organs all ascend to the eyes to form vision.) The branch Qi flows to the ears to form hearing. (Branch Qi refers to Qi flowing laterally. Qi ascends from both sides to the ears; when Qi reaches its destination, the orifice becomes acute, enabling hearing.) The Ancestral Qi (Zong Qi) ascends through the nose to form smell. (Ancestral Qi is Great Qi. It accumulates in the chest, connects upward to the nose for respiration, and thus enables the sense of smell.) The turbid Qi emerges from the Stomach, flowing to the lips and tongue to form taste. (Turbid Qi refers to Grain Qi. When grain enters the Stomach, Qi reaches the lips and tongue, enabling the perception of taste.) The fluids generated by these Qi all steam upward to the face. (All fluids of various Qi steam upward to the face. As stated in the *Mai Du* chapter: The Five Zang organs constantly inspect the upper seven orifices internally. Thus, Lung Qi connects to the nose, Heart Qi to the tongue, Liver Qi to the eyes, Spleen Qi to the mouth, and Kidney Qi to the ears. The Qi of the Five Zang organs all connect upward to the seven orifices, not just the Yang meridians reaching the head.) Furthermore, the skin is thick, and the flesh is firm; therefore, even in severe weather, it cannot be overcome. (Since the blood and Qi of the whole body gather at the head and face, the skin is thick and flesh is firm, differing from other parts, so Cold Qi cannot overcome it. My commentary: The principle of the head and face resisting cold mentioned in this chapter originally has no distinction between Yin and Yang. Examining *Nan Jing* Chapter 47: Why does only the human face resist cold? The answer is: The human head is the confluence of all Yang meridians. All Yin meridians reach the neck and chest and return, while only all Yang meridians ascend to the head, thus making the face resistant to cold. This statement is largely incorrect. Saying the head is the confluence of Yang is correct, but saying Yin does not ascend to the head is wrong. Regarding the mechanism of Yin and Yang ascending and descending, how could there be a principle where Earth does not interact with Heaven or internal organs do not reach the head? For instance, this chapter states: The confluence of all Yang is in the face. This means the face is a place where Yang gathers, not that there is no Yin. See Disease Category III for the rationale. Also, in the *Yin Yang Bie Lun* chapter: Three Yang are at the head, Three Yin are at the hand. This refers to Yangming governing the exterior, pointing to the Renying point; and Taiyin governing the interior, pointing to the Maikou point. It does not mean Yin does not ascend to the head. Similarly, in the *Ben Shu* chapter listing the sequence of meridians in the neck, only the six Yang meridians are mentioned, not Yin. This is likely stating the sequence of Yang meridians alone, similar to how *Shang Han Lun* mentions foot meridians while hand meridians are included implicitly, not implying the absence of Yin. The intent of *Nan Jing* was based on these points but failed to investigate in detail. Observing the *Tai Yin Yang Ming Lun* chapter: Yin Qi ascends from the feet to the head, then descends along the arm to the fingertips; Yang Qi ascends from the hands to the head, then descends to the feet. And as stated in this chapter regarding the Twelve Meridians and 365 Collaterals, their blood and Qi all ascend to the face and flow into the orifices—could it be that only Yin meridians do not ascend to the head? However, modern circulating meridian and acupoint charts only state that Yang acupoints are on the head, while Yin acupoints stop at the chest and axilla. This is because Yang acupoints visible on the muscle surface are like this, while the internal course of Yin meridians cannot be fully listed. Moreover, Yin and Yang, interior and exterior, all have convergence points; thus, taking only Yang acupoints can serve as the leader for Yin meridians, and Yin is included within them. Upon detailed examination of meridian discussions, the Six Yin meridians of the hand and foot all ascend to the head. I list the meridians below for scholars to verify. The Hand Shaoyin [Heart] Meridian ascends flanking the throat, traverses the larynx, ties to the root of the tongue, emerges on the face, ties to the eye system, and converges at the inner canthus. The Hand Jueyin [Pericardium] Meridian follows the throat, emerges behind the ear, and converges below the Wanggu bone of the Shaoyang [Sanjiao/Gallbladder] Meridian. The Hand and Foot Shaoyin [Kidney/Heart] and Taiyin [Spleen/Lung] meridians all converge in the ear, ascending to connect with the left corner of the head. The Hand Taiyin [Lung] Meridian follows the throat. The Foot Shaoyin [Kidney] Meridian follows the throat, ties to the root of the tongue; its sinews ascend to the nape, knotting at the occipital bone, combining with the sinews of the Foot Taiyang [Bladder] Meridian. The Foot Taiyin [Spleen] Meridian combines with the Yangming [Stomach] Meridian, ascending to knot at the pharynx, connecting to the root of the tongue; a branch knots at the root of the tongue, penetrates the middle of the tongue, and scatters under the tongue. The Foot Jueyin [Liver] Meridian follows behind the throat, enters the nasopharynx (Hangsang), connects to the root of the tongue, links to the eye system, ascends to emerge on the forehead, and meets the Du Meridian at the vertex; a branch from the eye system descends through the cheek interior, encircling the inside of the lips.)