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Zhang Jingyue was staying as a guest in an inn at Yuguan (Shanhaiguan) at that time. A friend suddenly knocked on the door at dusk. He appeared extremely panicked. Upon inquiry, it turned out that his favored courtesan had suddenly fallen into a critical condition. If misfortune were to befall her, the disaster would be irreparable. Thus, he sought Zhang's help, and they went together to examine her. The patient was foaming at the mouth, stiffly collapsed on the ground, with cold mouth, nose, and limbs, and breath so faint as if severed; the appearance was quite terrifying. However, upon taking the pulse, the Cun Kou (radial artery pulse) was peaceful and harmonious, inconsistent with the symptoms. After deep contemplation for a long while, he took the pulse again, which remained unchanged. Only then did he realize she was feigning illness. He decided to test her using the method of Zhang Zhongjing, and loudly declared: "This illness is critical. Unless fire therapy is employed, survival is impossible. Unless moxa cones the size of dates or chestnuts are used, survival is impossible. Furthermore, unless points such as Renge (GV26), Meixin (Ex-HN17), and several areas on the lower abdomen are moxibusted, survival is impossible. I have moxa in my residence; go fetch it quickly. However, moxibustion is still too slow. For now, give her one dose of medicine. If she can swallow, and after swallowing shows slight signs of life and breath, then vitality has returned, and moxibustion may be omitted. If she cannot swallow, or if there is no sound/breath after swallowing, perform moxibustion immediately." He then prescribed a dose of medicine, instructing her to report back immediately after taking it. Hearing this, she was already frightened, fearing the large moxa cones would burn her body. As soon as the medicine arrived, she swallowed it. Shortly after, groaning sounds emerged, and she slowly moved and sat up. The next day, upon asking for the cause, it was known that it was due to eating vinegar. The cunning and deceitfulness of women in the entertainment district could reach such extremes.

When Zhang Jingyue was in the capital, a Jinwu Guard (official responsible for capital security) kept two concubines. One was a Yan region courtesan who lived with her mother. One day, the two concubines quarreled. The Yan courtesan was in the wrong, but her mother helped her by jumping and stomping in anger, causing the courtesan to suffer from Qi Jue (Qi syncope/collapse) and appear dead. A maid was ordered to hold her sitting up from dusk until dawn, with no sign of recovery. A doctor was summoned. Upon entering the room, the doctor saw she had thick flesh and dark complexion, a bluish face, closed eyes, relaxed hands, and faint breathing. Her pulse was deep, minute, and seemed absent, leading the doctor to believe the condition was critical. However, treatment was difficult to apply: warming and tonifying might exacerbate the stagnant Qi, while guiding and unblocking might be too harsh for a seemingly absent pulse. While hesitating, he requested a follow-up examination. He noticed she was crossing her ten fingers to embrace her abdomen, lying supine in the maid's arms. Suspecting that since her hands were previously relaxed, the current crossed-hands posture must be voluntary and not done by others, he examined her pulse again. She seemed to show reluctance and resistance; pulling her did not move her. Suddenly, he pulled her forcefully, resulting in a loud detachment sound. Her strength was robust and vigorous. This was not an attempt to escape but clear evidence of genuine health. He reasoned that given her pulse, perhaps the thick flesh caused Qi stagnation, a constitution common among northerners. Or perhaps the tight clamping of the armpits was part of her deceitful act. The slightly bluish face was due to anger, which was not surprising. With his diagnosis confirmed, he loudly proclaimed the severity of the illness to make her hear about moxibustion, and then administered a dose of medicine. She recovered immediately after swallowing. The guard asked whether the illness was real or fake. If fake, why did she exhibit such symptoms all night with perfect mimicry? If real, why did she recover instantly upon taking the medicine? Was it the secret power of the herbs? Zhang replied: "The secret lies in words. It was merely a pretext using medicine as a name; by instilling fear, the 'illness' disappeared." The *Classic of Difficult Issues* states that worry can overcome anger, which applies here. However, her deceitfulness was extreme. Without careful re-examination, one could easily be deceived. Is it not necessary to be prudent?

A scholar was beaten by the household of an official and lay ill for ten days, vomiting blood full of basins. He spread rumors of a homicide case, implicating many people. Several doctors were invited. Seeing his critical and severe appearance, they all withdrew their hands in helplessness and avoided him to prevent being implicated. Finally, Zhang Jingyue examined him. Observing his facial expression, there was absolutely no sign of distress or suffering. Taking his pulse, it was harmonious and slow, as usual. Initially suspicious, he then realized the truth. He whispered to the scholar: "Others may be deceived, but I cannot be. Is this your blood? Or is it poultry blood?" The scholar was startled and begged Zhang not to reveal the truth. Zhang then prescribed medicine to harmonize the body. The scholar felt grateful and the matter ended.

A neighboring woman, jealous of a concubine, cursed and argued with her husband, leading to marital discord and severe illness. She clenched her teeth, stared wide-eyed, became stiff and comatose, appearing as if her life hung by a thread. Her husband was panicked and helpless, and her natal family faced potential disgrace. They requested Zhang's rescue. Zhang found the pulse did not match the disease, so he used the previous method to treat her. After recovery, her husband expressed gratitude, unaware he had been tricked. These two cases represent common human behaviors. If not properly distinguished, false illnesses could prolong into real ones, and minor grievances could escalate into major disasters. Therefore, I record them both to broaden knowledge.