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*Shi Si Jing Fa Hui* (Elucidation of the Fourteen Meridians) states: The twelve meridians begin with the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian. Its branch emerges from behind the wrist, reaches the tip of the index finger, and thus connects to the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian. A branch of the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian ascends from the Quepen (LI15) acupoint, flanking the mouth and nose, and thus connects to the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian. A branch of the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian emerges from the dorsum of the foot, reaches the tip of the great toe, and thus connects to the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian. A branch of the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian diverges from the stomach, ascends through the diaphragm, pours into the heart, and thus connects to the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian. The Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian has no branch; it directly connects from its own Shaochong (HT9) acupoint to the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian. A branch of the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian diverges from the cheek, ascends to the inner canthus of the eye, and thus connects to the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian. A branch of the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian diverges from the medial shoulder on both sides, descends, converges at the spine (Jizhong/Du Mai region), descends to the lateral tip of the little finger, and thus connects to the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. A branch of the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian emerges from the lung, pours into the chest, and thus connects to the Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian. A branch of the Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian follows from the center of the palm, runs along the fourth finger (ring finger), emerges at its tip, and thus connects to the Hand-Shaoyang Sanjiao (Triple Energizer) Meridian. A branch of the Hand-Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian emerges from behind the ear, reaches the outer canthus of the eye, and thus connects to the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. A branch of the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian enters from the dorsum of the foot into the big toe nail bed, emerges at the hair tuft after the nail, and thus connects to the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian. A branch of the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian diverges from the liver, penetrates the diaphragm, ascends to pour into the lung, enters the posterior part of the throat, ascends to the forehead, runs along the vertex, links with the Du Mai (Governing Vessel), circles the genitalia, passes through the pubic hair region crossing the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel), enters the Quepen (LI15) area, descends to pour into the lung, and thus reconnects to the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian.

According to classical texts: With each exhalation, pulse qi travels three cun; a complete breath cycle (inhale and exhale) is called "Dingxi," during which pulse qi travels six cun. In one day and night, there are 13,500 breath cycles, and pulse qi travels 810 zhang. Each "Ke" (approx. 15 minutes) consists of 135 breaths. Each "Shi" (2 hours) has eight "Ke," totaling 1,080 breaths, during which pulse qi travels 64 zhang 8 chi. Ying (Nutritive) and Wei (Defensive) qi circulate around the body. Twelve Shichen (two-hour periods) total 96 Ke, amounting to 12,960 breaths, during which pulse qi travels 777 zhang 6 chi, equivalent to 48 full circuits around the body. The remaining fraction of the Ke converts to 540 breaths, during which pulse qi travels 32 zhang 4 chi, equivalent to 2 circuits around the body. In total, this amounts to 50 circuits around the body in one day and night, with 810 zhang of pulse qi corresponding to 13,500 breaths. Therefore, the *Wu Shi Ying Pian* (Chapter on Fifty Circulations) states: In 270 breaths, qi travels 16 zhang 2 chi, completing one circuit around the body. This is the standard measure of meridian circulation. However, acupuncture books such as *Zi Wu Liu Zhu* (Midnight-Noon Ebb-Flow) assert that meridian circulation begins at "Water Under One Ke" (the first quarter hour of Zi hour/midnight). Consequently, they assign Yin hour to the Lung Meridian and match the twelve Shichen sequentially to the twelve meridians, composing a song: "Lung in Yin, Large Intestine in Mao, Stomach in Chen; Spleen in Si, Heart in Wu, Small Intestine in Wei; Bladder in Shen, Kidney in You, Pericardium in Xu; Sanjiao in Hai, Gallbladder in Zi, Liver in Chou." Later, Zhang Shixian and Xiong Zongli further provided annotations based on time division. They failed to realize that ancient water clocks started at the first quarter hour of Yin, and since meridian circulation originates from the Lung Meridian, it also begins recording from the first quarter hour of Yin. Thus, it is said to begin at "Water Under One Ke," meaning within that single Ke, qi and pulse have already completed half a circuit around the body. How could there be an order where the Large Intestine belongs to Mao hour and the Stomach to Chen hour? Furthermore, the Hand-Taiyin meridians are each 3 chi 5 cun long, the Foot-Yangming meridians are each 8 chi long, the Hand-Shaoyin and Hand-Jueyin meridians have only 18 acupoints on each side, while the Foot-Taiyang meridian has 134 acupoints on each side. These differences in length and number of acupoints are vast. How can they be distributed according to specific hours? Such practices deviate significantly from the original intent of the classics.