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For the past twenty years, the medical books prevalent in the world have been Zhang Jingyue's *Lei Jing* (Classified Classic) and Zhao Yangkui's *Yi Guan* (Medical Canon). However, *Yi Guan* is merely a half-understood work!

*Lei Jing* elucidates the learning of Qi Bo and Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor), containing details not fully expounded by Wang Bing. Even for scholars and gentlemen, it requires months to comprehend. In the year Wuyin, I met Jingyue at the residence of Zhang Pingzi, but unfortunately missed him. In the year Jiyu, residing at Zhengren Academy, there was a man named Jiang Yijiu, aged eighty, who wished to write a biography for his maternal uncle, who was none other than Jingyue. Jingyue's given name was Jiabin, with the pseudonym Tongyi Zi, and he was from Shanyin, Yue region. His father was a retainer of the Dingxi Marquis. At the age of fourteen, Jiabin accompanied his father to study in the capital. During this time of peace, talented individuals gathered at the Marquis's gate. Jiabin was intelligent and upright from childhood, thus associating widely with the elders. At that time, Jin Mengshi was skilled in medicine, and Jiabin studied under him, acquiring his complete transmission. He believed that the Yin and Yang of ordinary people are discussed only in terms of blood, qi, zang-fu organs, cold, and heat; these are merely postnatal tangible forms, not prenatal intangible essence. Patients often damage their prenatal essence through postnatal factors. Physicians, knowing only tangible pathogenic factors, neglect intangible vital qi. Since Liu Hejian established theories on summerheat and fire, exclusively using cold and cool herbs, the harm was already severe. Fortunately, Dongyuan discussed fire in the spleen and stomach, emphasizing warm nourishment, thereby correcting many errors. When Danxi emerged, he proposed the theory of yin deficiency with hyperactive fire, causing the弊端 (drawbacks) of cold and cool herbs to prevail again. Therefore, in his commentary on Materia Medica, he detailed the uses of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) and Aconitum Lateralis Radix Praeparata (Fuzi). He lamented that contemporary physicians, lacking definite views, resorted to miscellaneous remedies, relying on comprehensive formulas to hope for accidental success, and using mild treatments to conceal incompetence. For deficiency, they tonify, yet fear the harm of tonification, so they add resolving agents; for excess, they resolve, yet fear the harm of resolution, so they add tonifying agents. In such cases, treating drugs with drugs leaves no time to address the disease itself. How can one expect efficacy? If by chance cured, one does not know whether it was the power of tonification or attack. If uncured, one does not know whether the harm came from tonification or resolution. Thus, when treating patients, by deeply contemplating the etiology and using single-formula heavy doses, recovery was immediate. Consequently, patients flocked to his door like spokes to a hub. Generals along the border sent gold and silk to invite him. His work *Lei Jing*, synthesizing hundreds of schools and analyzing subtle meanings, amounted to several hundred thousand words and took forty years to complete. Ye Bingjing of Xi'an called it a "rare book within the seas." Ban Biao praised the governance of Emperor Xuan of Han, noting that officials of politics, literature, and law were all proficient, while craftsmen and instruments since the reigns of Emperors Yuan and Cheng were rarely matched. Jiabin's book, had it not been for the prosperity of Emperor Shenzong's reign, could not have been written. Furthermore, regarding treating diseases as if fighting enemies, he composed *Xin Fang Ba Zhen* (New Formulas of Eight Arrays) and wrote *Ba Lve* (Eight Strategies) to counter them. Regrettably, his book appeared late and remained unpublished in his home. Jiabin was erudite; beyond medicine, he explored the depths of xiangshu (numerology and images), astrology, geomancy, and music theory. On the road to Liaoyang, hearing the noisy singing of horse groomers, Jiabin said, "This is an ominous sound; within five years, Liaoyang will fall." The prediction later proved true. When asked about recent events by relatives, Jiabin said, "I observed the stars at night; the Emperor is likely to pass away soon, and chaos will ensue in the world." Shortly after, Emperor Shenzong died. Jiabin then returned to Yue. He was fifty-eight years old at the time and passed away twenty years later. On the day of his death, he inscribed his own portrait and instructed his three sons. His disciples said, "Is Master dead? My Master has that which does not die." Jiabin smiled and passed away. Since Sima Qian wrote the biography of Cang Gong, recording his deeds item by item, later Confucians often imitated this style to write biographies of famous doctors. Dai Jiuling and Song Lian are notable examples. Famous doctors also recorded their own cases, preserving them as medical records for future generations to emulate when encountering similar illnesses, which is also a noble intention. As social customs declined, some treated medicine as a trade, no different from village teachers, yet refused to identify as such. Even if they killed like grass, they embellished medical records to deceive others. Jiabin's medical records are scattered in *Jingyue Quanshu*. I do not narrate them here because I detest the prevalence of plagiarists. Zhao Yangkui, whose given name was Xianke, was from Ningbo. He lived at the same time as Jiabin but never met him; however, their discussions often coincided.

Written by Huang Zongxi Taichong, father of Yaojiang.