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Wu Yun: Ancient emperors, upon hearing a beneficial principle, would inscribe it on bamboo slips or wooden tablets to record the event, calling it the "Jade Tablet" (Yuban). Commentary: Jia Yi's *New Book* states: "Inscribe the text on jade tablets, store them in golden cabinets, place them in ancestral temples, as a warning for future generations." The *Biography of Sima Qian* in the *Book of Han* mentions: "The charts and records in the golden cabinets and jade tablets were scattered and disordered." Ru Chun's annotation explains: "Jade tablet refers to carved jade plates used for writing texts."

**Kui Du Qi Heng (Measuring the Extraordinary and Constant):** Ma Yun states: In the *Treatise on Disease Manifestations*, it is said: "Kui" (measuring) refers to palpating and estimating. "Qi Heng" refers to extraordinary diseases. What is meant by "extraordinary" (Qi) is that such diseases do not die according to the seasonal cycles. What is meant by "constant" (Heng) is that they do die according to the seasonal cycles. "Kui" implies cutting and seeking the pulse principles; "Du" implies identifying the location of the disease and measuring it against the four seasons.

**The Dao Lies in One:** Ma Yun asks: What is "One"? It refers to the Spirit (Shen) of humans. Wu Zhang provides the same note.

**Spirit Turns Without Reversing:** Ma Yun explains: "Reversing" (Hui) means retreating without advancing. In the *Treatise on the True Visceral Pulse of the Jade Machine*, the Yellow Emperor says: "I have obtained the essentials of pulse diagnosis, which are the highest numbers in the world. The changes in the five colors and pulses, the measurement of the extraordinary and constant, all lie in 'One'. The Spirit turns without reversing; if it reverses, it does not turn, thus losing its opportunity. The essence of these highest numbers is close and subtle, recorded on jade tablets, stored within the viscera, read every morning, named the *Jade Machine*." This chapter uses the character "Hui", while that chapter uses "Jiong"; their meanings should be cross-referenced. Zhang Jingyue states: "Hui" denotes reversal and pathogenic factors. Commentary: "Hui" and "Jiong" are variant characters.

**The Essence of Highest Numbers is Close and Subtle:** Gao Shiwei states: The essence of the highest numbers is proximate in the complexion and pulse; subtlety lies in the Spirit mechanism. Complexion, pulse, and Spirit mechanism can be recorded on jade tablets.

**Complexion and Color:** Wu Yun states: "Rong" refers to the facial appearance. Commentary: The complete text reads "Ke Se" (Guest Color), which is likely more accurate.

**Its Essence:** Gao Shiwei states: "Zai" means to observe. Regarding "color changes," the facial color appears in the upper, lower, left, and right areas; one must observe the essence of their shallowness, depth, compliance, and opposition. Commentary: "Zai" means to observe, as seen in the *Erya - Shigu*.

**Decoctions Cure in Ten Days:** Gao Shiwei states: "Tang Ye" refers to decoctions made from grains. "Cure in ten days" refers to the cycle of the Ten Heavenly Stems completing one round, after which the disease can be cured. This corresponds to the *Treatise on Shifting Spirit and Changing Qi*, which mentions using decoctions for ten days to eliminate diseases caused by the Eight Winds and Five Bi syndromes.

**Formulas Cure in Twenty-One Days:** Gao Shiwei states: "Qi" (齊) means combination, referring to the *Treatise on Decoctions and Malt Liquor*: "Must use Qi (formulas) with toxic drugs to attack the interior." Twenty days represent two cycles of the Ten Heavenly Stems; twenty-one days represent a full cycle return, after which the disease can be cured. Ma Yun notes: "Qi" is written as "Ji" (Dose/Formulation) in later times.

**Malt Liquor Cures in One Hundred Days:** Ma Yun states: "Lao Jiu" refers to medicinal wine, such as the Chicken Manure Sweet Wine mentioned in the *Treatise on Abdominal Diseases*. Gao Shiwei states: "Lao Jiu" is liquid from fermented grains. Its nature is fierce, slippery, and rapid; it circulates Ying and Wei, unblocks meridians, so the disease cures in one hundred days. One hundred days represents ten cycles of the Ten Heavenly Stems, indicating a major recovery of Qi mechanism.

**End of One Hundred Days:** Wu Yun states: "This means that when the period of one hundred days ends, life ends and death occurs." Zhang Jingyue states: "When one hundred days end, seasons change and Qi transforms; the highest numbers are exhausted." The previous section discusses the cure of disease; this section discusses the end of life; they should not be confused. Gao Shiwei states: "End" means both Qi and Blood are exhausted. Commentary: The annotations by Wang Bing and Lin Yi are incorrect.

**Upward is Reversal, Downward is Compliance:** Ma Yun states: If color appears upward, the disease trend is intense, hence "Reversal". If color appears downward, the disease trend is declining, hence "Compliance". The *Color Chapter* of *Ling Shu* states: "If color moves upward, the disease worsens; if color moves downward like dispersing clouds, the disease is about to heal."

**For Women, Right is Reversal, Left is Compliance:** Zhi states: According to the *Treatise on Excess and Deficiency Abundance*, Yang follows the left, Yin follows the right. Men's Qi and Blood rotate from the left; women's Qi and Blood rotate from the right. Therefore, if a man's color appears on the right but dissipates from the left, it is compliant. If a woman's color appears on the left but dissipates from the right, it is compliant.

**Yin and Yang Reverse:** Zhang Jingyue states: It should be written as "Fan" (Reverse); "Ta" was an error in old texts. Now corrected. "Fan" means reverse, as in the *Treatise on Regulating the Spirit According to the Four Seasons*: "Reversing compliance leads to reversal."

**Weighing and Counteracting:** Zhang Jingyue states: This means assessing severity and counteracting excess to achieve balance, like using a steelyard. Gao Shiwei states: Counteract the reversal on the right by following the left, and the reversal on the left by following the right. The treatments using decoctions, formulas, and malt liquor all embody the meaning of weighing and counteracting. Commentary: Ma Shi interprets this as observing the floating and sinking of the pulse, which is incorrect.

**Extraordinary Matters and Measuring Matters:** Zhang Jingyue states: "Yin and Yang reversing" belongs to the matter of the Extraordinary (Qi Heng). "Weighing and counteracting" belongs to the matter of Measuring (Kui Du).

**Pulse Beating with Bi Syndrome and Alternating Cold and Heat:** Zhang Jingyue states: "Bo Mai" (Beating Pulse) indicates pathogenic excess and healthy deficiency, with chaotic Yin and Yang, leading to Bi syndrome or alternating cold and heat. Commentary: Wang Bing considers alternating cold and heat as the cause of Bo Mai Bi, but this contradicts the structure of subsequent text; Zhang's annotation should be followed.

**Isolated Pulse Leads to Consumed Qi:** Zhang Jingyue states: An "isolated pulse" indicates isolated Yin or isolated Yang. Extreme isolated Yang (surging and large) consumes Yin; extreme isolated Yin (weak and minute) consumes Yang. Thus, an isolated pulse leads to consumed Qi. Gao Shiwei states: The pulse is the precursor of Qi and Blood; an isolated pulse damages internal Yang, hence "consumed Qi". "Isolated" refers to the Chu, Gou, Mao, and Shi pulses lacking Stomach Qi.

**Deficiency and Diarrhea Lead to Depleted Blood:** Zhang Jingyue states: A deficient pulse accompanied by diarrhea inevitably leads to the loss of Yin fluids, hence "depleted blood". Gao Shiwei states: "Deficiency and diarrhea" refers to internal weakness of pulse Qi failing to surge. Commentary: Wu Kun's edition writes "Xie" (Diarrhea) as "Se" (Astringent/Sluggish), which is incorrect.

**Isolation is Reversal, Deficiency is Compliance:** Gao Shiwei states: An isolated pulse lacks Stomach Qi and true Yuan Qi escapes internally, hence "Reversal". Deficiency and diarrhea with little blood allow blood to gradually regenerate, hence "Compliance".

**Practicing the Method of the Extraordinary:** Gao Shiwei states: Humans have extraordinary diseases; measuring their pulse constitutes practicing the method of the Extraordinary.

**Victory of Eight Winds and Four Seasons:** Wu Yun states: "Eight Winds" are winds from eight directions; "Four Seasons" are Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. "Victory" (Sheng) means each season overcomes based on its ruling element. They cycle endlessly, with dominant Qi remaining unchanged. This describes the constant climate of Heaven. Gao Shiwei states: The eight winds govern the four seasons, each having specific overcoming relationships. East wind governs Spring Wood and overcomes Earth; South wind governs Summer Fire and overcomes Metal; West wind governs Autumn Metal and overcomes Wood; North wind governs Winter Water and overcomes Fire. Central Earth at the four corners overcomes the eight winds. The victories of the four seasons each govern their respective times, cycling endlessly, thus ending and beginning again.

**One Passage of Reversal Cannot Be Counted Again:** Wu Yun states: "Guo" means deviation. Zhang Jingyue states: If the Qi order becomes abnormal and reverses even once, this is "reversing prevents turning," causing the highest numbers to become chaotic and no longer countable. "Guo" means fault. Metaphorically, if human complexion and pulse deviate even slightly, extraordinary and constant distinctions reverse, producing hundreds of anomalies that cannot be calculated by standard numbers. This discussion on the highest numbers of Heaven and Humanity lies in the distinction between reversal and compliance; observing the Spirit suffices.