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[Ping An]: This chapter, from beginning to end, is found in *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), Volume 11, Chapter 76, "Wei Qi Xing" (Movement of Defensive Qi); the *Jia Yi Jing* (Classified Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) records the same content.

Huang Di asked Bo Gao: I wish to hear about the movement of Wei Qi (Defensive Qi), and how its entering and exiting converge? Bo Gao replied: There are twelve months in a year, and twelve double-hours (Earthly Branches) in a day. Zi (Rat) and Wu (Horse) represent the meridian direction, while Mao (Rabbit) and You (Rooster) represent the latitude direction. The heavens encompass twenty-eight mansions (lunar lodges), and the human face corresponds to seven stars. Four times seven make twenty-eight stars. Fang (Room) mansion corresponds to Mao as latitude, while Xu (Emptiness) and Zhang (Extended Net) mansions correspond to Zi and Wu as meridians. (The classic states "Xu and Zhang as meridians," which is incorrect; among the seven southern mansions, Xin (Heart) mansion is central. Ping An: In *Jia Yi Jing*, this passage reads "Tian yi mian qi xiu, zhou tian" [Heaven has one face with seven mansions, surrounding the sky] for seven characters. "Mian you" [face has] in *Ling Shu* is written as "yi mian" [one face]. Fang corresponds to Mao; the character "Mao" in *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Mao" (Vermilion Bird's Beak). Therefore, from Fang to Bi mansions belongs to Yang, and from Mao to Xin (Heart) mansions belongs to Yin. (The classic states "Mao to Wei (Tail) is Yin," thereby omitting the Xin mansion. Ping An: "Wei" in *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Xin".) Yang governs the day, and Yin governs the night. Thus, Wei Qi circulates fifty times around the body in one day and night. During the day, it travels through the Yang aspects twenty-five times; at night, it travels through the Yin aspects and the five Zang organs twenty-five times. (During the day, it moves through the three Yang meridities of the hands and feet, completing cycles twenty-five times; at night, it moves through the five Zang organs, completing cycles twenty-five times. Ping An: Above "through the five Zang organs," *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* repeat the character "zhou" [cycles].) Therefore, at dawn, when Yin Qi is exhausted, Yang Qi emerges from the eyes. When the eyes open, the Qi ascends to the head, follows the neck down into the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian, travels down the back to the tip of the little toe; (This refers to the exhaustion of Yin Qi traveling within the Zang organs. Wei Qi emerges from the eyes, following the Foot-Taiyang Meridian out of the eyes. The tip of the little toe refers to the lateral end of the foot little toe.) Its dispersed branches diverge from the outer canthus of the eye, (Ping An: "Bie yu mu zi" [diverge from the outer canthus] in *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "fen yu mu, bie" [separate at the eye, diverge].) descending to the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian, reaching the lateral tip of the little toe; another dispersed branch diverges from the outer canthus, descending to the Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian, pouring into the space between the little toe and the second toe, then ascending along the distribution of the Hand-Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, (Ping An: Below "fen" [distribution], *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* have the character "ce" [side].) descending to the space between the little toe and the second toe; (Ping An: *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* lack the characters "ci zhi" [second toe].) Another branch reaches the front of the ear, merges with the mandibular pulse, pours into the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian, descends to the dorsum of the foot, and enters between the five toes; its dispersed branch, from below the ear, descends to the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian between the thumb, entering the palm; (Zi, pronounced cai yi fan, means the eye cliff or orbit. The dispersed branch is the fierce Qi of Wei, which follows the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian and has surplus energy to diverge, hence called the dispersed branch. Diverging from the outer canthus means the outer corner of the eye. At the outer canthus, there is the Hand-Taiyang Meridian but no Foot-Taiyang Meridian. Now saying "the diverging branch" is because the Foot-Taiyang Meridian connects to the eye system, and its Qi reaches the outer canthus. Thus, Wei Qi diverges from the outer canthus, descends to the Hand-Taiyang Meridian, reaching the lateral tip of the little toe. Traveling these Hand and Foot Taiyang meridians takes one ke [quarter-hour]. The fierce Qi of Wei diverging follows the Foot-Shaoyang Meridian to the space between the little and second toes; the diverging branch follows the Hand-Shaoyang Meridian to the space between the little and second toes; these two segments take two ke. The fierce Qi of Wei diverging merges with the mandibular pulse, referring to the Foot-Yangming Meridian. Entering the five toes refers to the Foot-Yangming collateral, dispersing into the ten fingers/toes; thus, those treating malaria first puncture the ten spaces of the Foot-Yangming. The collateral point Pianli of the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian crosses the shoulder, upper curve of the jaw, and deviated teeth; its branch enters the ear from the teeth. Thus, Wei diverges below the ear, descends to the Hand-Yangming Meridian to the thumb. Entering the palm: the Hand-Yangming Meridian does not enter the palm, but it says entering because although the Hand-Yangming Meridian Qi does not reach the palm, the fierce Qi of Wei follows the Hand-Yangming collateral to the palm; these three segments take three ke. Ping An: "He" [mandible] in *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Han". *Shuo Wen Jie Zi* defines He as chin. *Tang Yun* pronounces it like Han, also interchangeable.) When it reaches the foot, it enters the sole of the foot, exits below the medial malleolus, travels through the Yin aspects, and reunites with the eyes, completing one cycle. (The fierce Qi of Wei, after traveling the three Yang meridities of the hands and feet during the day, goes from the sole of the foot, follows the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian upward, and reunites with the eyes, constituting one cycle of traveling Yang. Thus, during the day, it travels twenty-five cycles. Ping An: These twenty-two characters were mixed into the commentary by Yuan Ke. Checking *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*, this text exists; it should be main text, and the rest commentary.) Therefore, when the sun travels one mansion degree, the human Qi circulates once around the body plus eight-tenths of another cycle; (The following all describe the twenty-five cycles of traveling Yang. Human Qi travels one cycle around the body, then eight-tenths of the second cycle, which equals one mansion degree of the sun.) When the sun travels two mansion degrees, human Qi circulates three times around the body plus six-tenths; when the sun travels three mansion degrees, human Qi circulates five times around the body plus four-tenths; when the sun travels four mansion degrees, human Qi circulates seven times around the body plus two-tenths; when the sun travels five mansion degrees, human Qi circulates nine times around the body. When the sun travels six mansion degrees, human Qi circulates ten times around the body plus eight-tenths; when the sun travels seven mansion degrees, human Qi circulates twelve times around the body plus six-tenths; when the sun travels fourteen mansion degrees, human Qi circulates twenty-five times around the body with a remainder of four-tenths, (Human Qi travels Yang during the day, twenty-five times with a remainder of two-tenths; stating four is an error. Ping An: "Shen zhi si" [body's four] in *Ling Shu* is written as "er" [two]. Yang's commentary says four is wrong. According to the above, sun travels seven mansions, human Qi travels body twelve times plus six-tenths. Here fourteen mansions is double seven mansions, so twelve times plus six-tenths should also double, resulting in twenty-five times plus two-tenths.) Yang is exhausted, and Yin begins to receive Qi. Upon initially entering Yin, it usually flows from the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian into the Kidney, from the Kidney into the Heart, (The Yang Qi of Wei, after traveling the three Yang meridities twenty-five times during the day, travels through the five Zang organs twenty-five times at night. The branch of the Kidney Meridian emerges from the Lung and connects to the Heart, so Wei Qi follows this to flow into the Heart. When Wei Qi travels through the five Zang organs at night, it flows from the organ that controls one to the organ it controls, in sequence.) from the Heart into the Lung, (The direct line of the Heart Meridian, Hand-Shaoyin, returns from the heart system to ascend to the Lung, so Wei Qi follows the Heart to flow into the Lung.) from the Lung into the Liver, (The branch of the Liver Meridian returns from the Liver, pierces the diaphragm, and ascends to pour into the Lung, so Wei Qi follows the Lung to flow into the Liver.) from the Liver into the Spleen, (The Liver Meridian clings to the Stomach, and the Stomach Meridian collaterals connect to the Spleen, so the Liver Meridian flows into the Spleen.) from the Spleen back into the Kidney, completing one cycle. (The Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian enters the lower abdomen from below, and Qi is born from the Kidney, so Wei Qi follows this to flow into the Kidney.) Therefore, at night, when traveling one mansion degree, human Qi circulates once through the Yin Zang organs plus eight-tenths of another cycle, just as it does for the twenty-five cycles of Yang before reuniting with the eyes. (Previously traveling Yang, sun travels one mansion, human Qi travels body once, then eight-tenths of the next cycle; here traveling Yin one mansion, human Qi travels Yin Zang once, then eight-tenths of the next cycle, matching the number of twenty-five cycles of Yang previously, also totaling twenty-five cycles. Together fifty cycles, reuniting with the eyes, ending and starting anew. Ping An: "Yin Zang" in *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Shen" [body], commentary: "One version says Yin Zang." "He yu mu" [reunite with eye] in *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Hui yu mu" [meet at eye].) Yin and Yang together in one day and night have remainders: two-tenths for the body and two-tenths for the Zang organs, (Traveling Yang has a remainder of two-tenths of the body; traveling Yin also has a remainder of two-tenths of the Zang organs; their numbers are the same. Ping An: Both "er" [two] characters in *Jia Yi Jing* are written as "si" [four], commentary: "Also written as two.") Hence, the reason why people's times of lying down and rising up vary in early or late timing is due to these incomplete remainders.

Huang Di said: Wei Qi in the body moves up and down without fixed expectations. How should one observe the Qi and puncture? (Ping An: "Bu yi qi" [not according to expectation] in *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Wu yi, qi" [no end, its].) Bo Gao said: There are differences in the amount of Qi, and days have different lengths. Spring, Autumn, Winter, and Summer each have their own principles. Then, generally use dawn as the standard, and the end of the night as the start. Therefore, in one day and night, water drips for one hundred ke. Twenty-five ke is the measure of half a day. Always continue like this until sunset, adjusting the standard for puncturing according to the length of the day. Carefully observe its time; the disease can be predicted. Losing the time and contrary to observation, a hundred diseases cannot be treated. It is said: To puncture excess conditions, puncture when the Qi arrives; to puncture deficiency conditions, puncture when the Qi departs. This speaks of the time of Qi's presence or absence, observing excess and deficiency to puncture. (Puncturing excess etc., when Wei Qi arrives and is excess, one can puncture to drain it; when Wei Qi departs and is deficient, one can puncture to tonify it. Ping An: From "Jin hou qi shi" [carefully observe its time] to "yi hou shi xu er ci zhi" [observe excess and deficiency to puncture], several sentences are arranged later in *Jia Yi Jing*.) Therefore, carefully observe where the Qi is located and puncture; this is called meeting the time. (The way of tonification and drainage must wait for the location of the pathogenic Qi to puncture.) If the disease is in the three Yang meridians, one must wait for the Qi to add to the Yang aspect and puncture; if the disease is in the three Yin meridians, one must wait for the Qi to add to the Yin aspect and puncture. (Puncturing diseases in the hands and feet three Yang meridians uses the method to treat Yang diseases; puncturing diseases in the three Yin meridians uses the method to treat Yin diseases. Ping An: "Jia zai yu yang fen" [add to Yang aspect] and "jia zai yu yin fen" [add to Yin aspect], *Ling Shu* lacks the two "jia" [add] characters and two "fen" [aspect] characters. *Jia Yi Jing* has sixteen characters after "ci" [puncture]: "Jin hou qi shi, bing ke yu qi, shi shi fan hou, bai bing bu chu" [Carefully observe its time, the disease can be predicted, losing time and contrary to observation, a hundred diseases will not be removed].) At one ke of water, human Qi is in the Taiyang Meridian; (Being in Taiyang means in the Hand and Foot Taiyang meridians.) At two ke of water, human Qi is in the Shaoyang Meridian; (Being in Shaoyang means in the Hand and Foot Shaoyang meridians.) At three ke of water, human Qi is in the Yangming Meridian; (Being in Yangming means in the Hand and Foot Yangming meridians.) At four ke of water, human Qi is in the Yin aspect. At five ke of water, human Qi is in the Taiyang Meridian; at six ke, in the Shaoyang Meridian; at seven ke, in the Yangming Meridian; at eight ke, in the Yin aspect. At nine ke, human Qi is in the Taiyang Meridian; at ten ke, in the Shaoyang Meridian; at eleven ke, in the Yangming Meridian; at twelve ke, in the Yin aspect. At thirteen ke, human Qi is in the Taiyang Meridian; at fourteen ke, in the Shaoyang Meridian; at fifteen ke, in the Yangming Meridian; at sixteen ke, in the Yin aspect. At seventeen ke, human Qi is in the Taiyang Meridian; at eighteen ke, in the Shaoyang Meridian; at nineteen ke, in the Yangming Meridian; at twenty ke, in the Yin aspect. At twenty-one ke, human Qi is in the Taiyang Meridian; at twenty-two ke, in the Shaoyang Meridian; at twenty-three ke, in the Yangming Meridian; at twenty-four ke, in the Yin aspect. At twenty-five ke, human Qi is in the Taiyang Meridian; this is the measure of half a day. From Fang to Bi, fourteen mansion degrees, water drops for fifty ke, the sun travels half a degree. Returning to travel one mansion degree, water drops for three ke and two-sevenths of a ke. (Returning to travel one mansion, water drops for three ke and four-sevenths of a ke; stating two-sevenths is incorrect. Place fifty ke, divide by fourteen mansions, get three ke and eight-fourteenths. Method halves both real and fractional parts, getting four-sevenths. Ping An: *Jia Yi Jing* "ri xing ban du, hui xing yi she" [sun travels half degree, return travel one mansion] eight characters are written as "Cong mao zhi xin yi shi si du, shui xia wu shi ke, zhong ri zhi du ye. Ri xing yi she zhe" [From Mao to Xin also fourteen degrees, water drops fifty ke, whole day measure. Sun travels one mansion] twenty-three characters. Two-sevenths is written as four-tenths, commentary: "*Su Wen* ten writes seven." Also *Ling Shu* two-sevenths writes four-sevenths.) The general principle says: Usually, when the sun adds to the mansion above, human Qi is in the Taiyang Meridian. (When Wei Qi travels the three Yang meridians upward to the eyes, from the sole of the foot, it follows the Foot-Shaoyin Meridian up to the eyes, considered one ke. If it reaches night, it enters the Kidney, usually flowing from Kidney to Lung, traveling through Zang organs twenty-five times day and night, brightening to the eyes, combining fifty cycles, ending and starting anew, using this as the standard, without needing verbose annotation. Ping An: *Jia Yi Jing* lacks "yue" [say]. "Zhi jia" writes as "jia zhi". Above "qi" there are "ze zhi" [then know] two characters. Commentary "up to eye" and "until eye", both "eye" characters originally wrote "sun". Ping An: Upper commentary "Wei Qi follows Shaoyin Meridian up, reunites with eye, considered traveling Yang one cycle", and this chapter scripture "human Qi travels Yin Zang, also like Yang traveling twenty-five cycles and reunites with eye", based on this, the "sun" character should be a transcription error for "eye" character.) Therefore, when the sun travels one mansion degree, human Qi travels the three Yang and Yin aspect, always like this without end, sharing the rhythm with Heaven and Earth, chaotic and dense, ending and starting anew. One day and night, water drops one hundred ke and finishes. (Fen, fu yun fan, means chaos. Yun, pu huan fan. It means Wei Qi travels the body unceasingly, chaotically and densely, without limit. Ping An: Yun Yun original copy writes 𢘅. Check 𢘅, fang wen qie, means sunlight. Yun, pu ba qie, means chaotic and dense, close to the meaning of no limit in commentary. *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* both write 𢘅𢘅, commentary both say: pu ba qie. Proposed as 𢘅𢘅. Also *Jia Yi Jing* after "jin yi" [finished] has thirty characters: "Gu yue ci shi zhe ci qi lai, ci xu zhe ci qi qu, ci yan qi zhi cun wang zhi shi, yi hou shi xu er ci zhi ye" [Therefore it is said: puncture excess by puncturing its arrival, puncture deficiency by puncturing its departure, this speaks of the time of Qi's presence and absence, observing excess and deficiency to puncture].)