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Ping An: This chapter, from the beginning to the end, is found in Volume 12, Chapter 79 "Sui Lu Lun" (Discussion on Annual Dew) of *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), and also in Volume 6, Part 1 of *Jia Yi Jing* (Classified Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).

Huang Di said: I wish to hear why the diseases people suffer from are all the same each year, and what causes this? (The previous chapter discussed the faults of people whose nursing and regulation were discordant, encountering treacherous pathogens; this section discusses being equally harmed by receiving evil winds, posing this as a question. Ping An: In *Jia Yi Jing*, "He Yin Ran" [what reason makes it so] is written as "He Qi Shi Ran" [what qi causes it].) Shao Shi said: This is the observation of the Eight Norms (Ba Zheng). (The observation of the Eight Norms refers to the signs of empty and false evils during the eight solar terms.) Huang Di said: How do we observe it? Shao Shi said: To observe this, usually on the Winter Solstice day, Tai Yi (the North Star/Central Polarity) resides in the Zhi Zhe Palace. When it arrives, Heaven responds with wind and rain. If the wind and rain come from the south, they are called Empty Winds (Xu Feng), which are treacherous evils that harm people. If they arrive at night, the common people are sleeping and do not encounter them, thus fewer people fall ill in that year; (*Jiu Gong Jing* states: Tai Yi is the envoy of Xuan Huang, often residing beside the North Pole in the Zhi Zhe Palace, governing the regular changes of Heaven and Earth. Zhi Zhe is the name of the Kan Palace. When Tai Yi reaches the Kan Palace, Heaven must respond with wind and rain; its influence blows from the direction where Tai Yi resides towards the Central Palace, named Real Wind (Shi Feng), which governs the growth and nourishment of all things; if the wind comes from the south towards the Central Palace, it is the Empty Wind arriving from behind, a treacherous evil harming people. When such treacherous winds arrive at night, people are lying down and do not encounter the wind, resulting in fewer illnesses. Ping An: In *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*, "Dong Zhi Zhi Ri" [Winter Solstice day] is written as "Dong Zhi Zhi Ri" [Day of Winter Solstice]. In *Jia Yi Jing*, "Wei Xu Feng" [is called Empty Wind] is written as "Ming Yue Xu Feng" [named Empty Wind]. Below "Ye" [night], *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* have an extra half character. Note: "Qi Gan" [its response], the character "Gan" is likely a transcription error for "Feng" [wind].) If they arrive during the day, the common people are lax and indolent and all succumb to the Empty Wind, thus many people fall ill. The Empty Evil enters and lodges in the bones but does not manifest externally. When Li Chun (Start of Spring) arrives, Yang Qi expands greatly, the Cou Li (pores/skin texture) open. Coinciding with the day of Li Chun, if the wind comes from the west, the common people again succumb to the Empty Wind. These two evils interact closely, causing the Jing Qi (Meridian Qi) to be severed and replaced, (Laxity and indolence refer to the inability to self-regulate. Emotional ease leads to open Cou Li, allowing evil to lodge in the bones without external discharge. Upon Li Chun, another Empty Wind rushes up from the west; this is the interaction of two evils, leading to the severance and replacement of meridians and illness. "Bone", some versions read "Stomach". Ping An: In *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*, "Xiang Bo" [mutually close/thin] is written as "Xiang Bo" [mutually contend/clash]; Yuan edition mistakenly wrote "Liang Bo". In *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*, "Jue Dai" [severed and replaced] is written as "Jie Dai" [knotted and intermittent].) Therefore, those who encounter this wind and meet with rain are said to encounter the "Annual Dew" (Sui Lu). In years where the annual Qi is harmonious and there are few treacherous winds, people fall ill less and die less; in years with many treacherous winds and evil Qi, where cold and warmth are unharmonious, people fall ill more and die more. (Dew has two types: one is Spring Dew, which governs the generation of all things; the other is Autumn Dew, which governs the decline of all things. This year, treacherous winds and torrential rains cause the decline of things, comparable to autumn wind and dew, hence called Annual Dew. Thus, when Real Wind arrives, the year is harmonious and auspicious; when Empty Wind arrives, Annual Dew brings misfortune.) Huang Di said: Regarding the Empty Evil Wind, how severe is the damage it inflicts? How do we observe it? (The following discusses observing the severity of damage caused by Empty Wind, hence the question arises.) Shao Shi said: On the first day of the first lunar month, Tai Yi resides in the Tian Liu Palace. If there is a northwest wind and no rain on that day, many people will die. (The following details the Empty Wind. Ping An: In *Ling Shu*, "Liu" is written as "Liu".) On the first day of the first lunar month, if there is a north wind at dawn, in spring, many people will die. On the first day of the first lunar month, if a north wind blows at dawn, ten out of thirty people will fall ill and die. On the first day of the first lunar month, if there is a north wind at noon, in summer, many people will die. On the first day of the first lunar month, if there is a north wind at dusk, in autumn, many people will die; if there is a north wind all day, sixteen out of many will die of serious illness. On the first day of the first lunar month, if the wind comes from the south, it is named "Dry Land" (Han Xiang), (Ping An: From "all day" below to "Han Xiang", *Jia Yi Jing* has no text.) if it comes from the west, it is named "White Bones Clattering" (Bai Gu Jiang Jiang), the state will face disaster, and many people will die. (Ping An: In *Jia Yi Jing*, "Ming" is written as "Ming" [name], with "Er Da" [and great] added above. The character "Jiang" is not repeated in *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*.) On the first day of the first lunar month, if the wind comes from the southeast, overturning houses and scattering sand and stones, the state will face great disaster. On the first day of the first lunar month, if the wind blows from the southeast, there will be deaths in spring. (Ping An: *Ling Shu* adds "Fang" [direction] after "Nan" [south]. *Jia Yi Jing* lacks these two lines.) On the first day of the first lunar month, if the weather is harmonious and warm with no wind, grain prices will be low, and people will not fall ill; if the weather is cold and windy, grain prices will be high, and many people will fall ill. (Ping An: In *Jia Yi Jing*, "Tian He Wen" [Heavenly harmony warm] is written as "Tian Shi He Wen" [Heavenly timing harmonious warm], lacking the four characters "Di Jian Di Gui" [grain cheap/grain expensive]; "Bu Bing" [no illness] is written as "Wu Bing" [no illness]; "Er Feng" [and wind] is written as "Feng Ji" [wind swift].) This is how we observe the Empty Wind and treacherous evils in the annual Qi that harm people. (Ping An: *Jia Yi Jing* lacks this sentence. *Ling Shu* lacks the character "Xu" [empty], and has "Ye" [also] after "Zhe" [particle].) On the Chou day of the second month, if there is no wind, people will suffer mostly from heart and abdominal diseases. On the Xu day of the third month, if it is not warm, people will suffer mostly from alternating chills and fever. On the Si day of the fourth month, if it is not hot, people will suffer mostly from jaundice. On the Shen day of the tenth month, if it is not cold, people will suffer mostly from sudden death. The winds referred to here are those that can overturn houses, break trees, scatter sand and stones, raise body hair, and open the Cou Li. (Ping An: In *Jia Yi Jing*, "Bing" [illness] is added after "Han Re" [chills and fever]. In *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*, "Bing Dan" [illness jaundice] is written as "Dan Bing" [jaundice illness]; "Zhu" [all] has "Suo" [that which] added after it. In *Jia Yi Jing*, "Mu" [wood] is missing after "Shu" [tree]. In *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*, "Kai" [open] is written as "Fa" [emit/open], and both have "Zhe Ye" [particles] after "Li" [texture].)