Library

*Neijing Taisu*, annotated by Yang Shangshan, consists of thirty volumes and is recorded in both the *Old Book of Tang* and the *New Book of Tang*. Since the Northern Song Dynasty, it has gradually been lost; only three volumes remained according to the *Song History Bibliography*, and after the Yuan Dynasty, it was rarely mentioned, having likely been extinct for a long time. In the mid-Guangxu period, my fellow townsman Mr. Yang Xingwu (Yang Shoujing) obtained a shadow-copied version of a Tang dynasty manuscript scroll from Japan and brought it back, preserving twenty-three volumes. Lord Yuan Zhongjie of Tonglu acquired this book but, without detailed collation, had it printed, resulting in numerous errors, so it was not a good edition. My relative and friend Xiao Cheng Xiaolian (courtesy name Beicheng), who was proficient in medicine, began to gather various texts to collate this book. After devoting twenty years of painstaking effort, he completed this edition. Upon receiving and reading it, I found that it compiled the *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot) and *Suwen* (Basic Questions) into one book, with different volume arrangements and chapter orders. After repeated study, I realized the true nature of the eighteen volumes of the *Neijing*. It is indeed incorrect for later generations to tamper with the *Suwen* by incorporating other texts, but it is also erroneous to doubt that the *Lingshu* is a forgery based on a few shallow or short passages.

The *Bibliography of the Han Book* records the *Huangdi Neijing* as eighteen volumes, initially without the name *Suwen*. Later, Zhang Zhongjing of the Eastern Han Dynasty cited it in his *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Diseases), and it began to be called *Suwen*. In the preface to the *Jiayi Jing* (Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion), Huangfu Mi of the Jin Dynasty stated that nine volumes of *Zhenjing* (Needling Canon) and nine volumes of *Suwen* both belonged to the *Neijing*, which matches the eighteen volumes recorded in the *Han Bibliography*. This indicates that the name *Suwen* actually originated between the Han and Jin dynasties, so this work was not listed until the *Sui Book Bibliography*. However, although the *Sui Bibliography* named it nine volumes, it noted that the Liang Dynasty had only eight volumes, indicating that one volume had been missing since the Liang Dynasty. Therefore, Quan Yuanshi’s annotated edition consisted of only eight volumes, having already lost its seventh chapter. This represents the earliest original text of the *Suwen*. During the Tang Dynasty, Wang Bing wrote his commentary. Not knowing what source he relied on, he falsely claimed to have obtained a secret text from his master, which was the seventh volume lost in the Sui Dynasty. He inserted it into the book, rearranged the chapters, and compiled it into twenty-four volumes. This became the edition of the *Suwen* recorded in the *Four Treasuries*.

This book was collated by Lin Yi and others in the Song Dynasty. At the time of collation, they pointed out that the seven chapters from *Tianyuanji Dalun* onwards were located in the fourth volume of the current *Suwen*. These chapters were voluminous and unequal in size compared to preceding and following chapters, and their content did not connect well with other chapters. They suspected that these seven chapters were actually text from the *Yinyang Dalun* (Great Treatise on Yin and Yang), which Wang Bing took to supplement the missing volume of the *Suwen*. Examining this claim now, it is unclear if it is accurate, but it is obvious that these seven chapters were added by Wang Bing and are absent in Quan Yuanshi’s edition. When Lin Yi and others collated this book, they used the complete edition for comparison. Under chapters where Wang Bing had rearranged the order, they noted which volume they occupied in Quan Yuanshi’s edition. However, under the titles of these seven specific chapters, no such note regarding the complete edition was made. Although the citations from Yang Shangshan’s annotation in *Neijing Taisu* were not as detailed as those from Quan’s full notes, they appeared in almost every volume. Yet, not a single word from these seven chapters was cited. This serves as conclusive evidence that the original *Suwen* did not contain these seven chapters. The reason they were not deleted was merely because they were ancient medical texts, preserved out of respect for antiquity.

Now, looking at Yang’s *Neijing Taisu*, the content Lin Yi used to refute Wang Bing’s annotations is present in the book, while the seven chapters from *Tianyuanji Dalun* onwards are entirely absent. This shows that the canonical text Yang used for compilation was consistent with Quan Yuanshi’s edition. The edition upon which Quan’s full notes were based, which lacked the seventh volume, was the original *Suwen*. The traces of tampering are clear, and the authenticity of the original text is revealed. This confirms the accuracy of Lin Yi’s assertion.

The name *Lingshu* does not appear in the bibliographies of the Han, Sui, or Tang dynasties. In the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty, Shi Song of Jingguan produced an old copy from his family collection and submitted it to the government for detailed correction, allowing it to circulate in the world. This indicates that the book only emerged in the mid-Song Dynasty, hence its first listing in the *Song Bibliography*. The *Summary of the Four Treasuries* suggests it was renamed by Wang Bing from *Jiuling* (Nine Spirits). *Jiuling* was particularly detailed regarding acupuncture, which is why Huangfu Mi called it *Zhenjing*. There is suspicion that it is one book with two names. Hang Jinping, in his postscript to the *Lingshu Jing*, citing the *Sui Bibliography*, argued that *Jiuling* is *Jiuling* and *Zhenjing* is *Zhenjing*, and they could be merged. Wang Bing naming *Lingshu* after *Jiuling* lacks a known basis. Observing that its literary style is shallow and brief, unlike the *Suwen*, some suspect it is a forgery by Wang Bing.

However, it is unknown that the eighteen volumes of the *Neijing* were selected by physicians, with nine volumes forming a separate book named *Suwen*, while the remaining nine volumes originally had no specific name. In the preface to the *Shanghan Lun*, Zhang Zhongjing listed ancient medical classics. Besides the *Suwen*, he referred to the other nine volumes as *Jiujuan* (Nine Volumes), without assigning them a different name, thus preserving their substantive title. Wang Shuhe of the Jin Dynasty, in the *Maijing* (Pulse Classic), followed the logic of Huangfu Mi’s preface to the *Jiayi Jing*. Following Zhang Zhongjing’s intent, he believed the eighteen volumes of the *Neijing* consisted of these *Jiujuan* and the *Suwen*. Since the *Suwen* was also nine volumes, to distinguish this text, he took the text from its first chapter and referred to it as *Tiejing* (Iron Canon) Nine Volumes. Actually, *Zhenjing* was not the name of *Jiujuan*, so later it was still called *Jiujuan*. The citations of *Lingshu* text in the *Jiayi Jing* use the same terminology. Now, examining Yang’s *Neijing Taisu*, there are numerous citations of *Jiujuan*, including references to chapter names like *Zhongshi* (Ends and Beginnings), which are currently found in the *Lingshu*. This可知 that the text of the *Lingshu* was only called *Jiujuan* in ancient times. Yang relied on it, indicating a very ancient transmission. Wang Bing’s statement that the *Lingshu* corresponds to the nine volumes of the eighteen-volume *Neijing* in the *Han Bibliography* is indeed verifiable. The text of *Jiuling* is no longer extant, so its content is unknown. It is credible that Wang Bing did not use it to rename it *Lingshu*. If one suspects forgery due to shallow literary style, they fail to understand that although the *Neijing* is attributed to the Yellow Emperor, in ancient times it was transmitted orally. It was not written down until the late Zhou Dynasty, mostly composed by physicians and not by a single author. Thus, the literary quality varies. Deep and profound parts of *Jiujuan* are more obscure than the *Suwen*; shallow parts are similar to the *Suwen*. From a genealogical perspective, much of the *Suwen* derives from *Jiujuan*. For instance, the *Suwen · Fang Sheng Shuai Lun* mentions “combining five diagnoses and regulating yin and yang,” which is already present in the *Jingmai* (Meridian Channels) chapter. *Jingmai* is a chapter title in the *Lingshu*, as noted by Wang Bing. This shows that some *Suwen* text may even post-date the *Lingshu*. If the *Suwen* reveres the *Lingshu*, how can one say the *Lingshu* is inferior? It was only because Shi Song of the Song Dynasty wrote phonetic explanations for the *Lingshu*, wanting to match these nine volumes with Wang Bing’s twenty-four volumes of the *Suwen*, that he divided them into twenty-four volumes and eighty-one chapters. In the Yuan Dynasty, the *Suwen* was combined into twelve volumes, and Shi Song’s *Lingshu* volumes were merged with the *Suwen*. Consequently, the ancient name *Jiujuan* was obscured, leading later generations to doubt that the *Lingshu* was a late addition. They did not realize that the *Suwen* is the *Suwen*, and *Jiujuan* is *Jiujuan*; both are ancient texts relied upon by Yang, who never suspected them to be forgeries. This proves Hang’s theory erroneous.

Beicheng devoted himself to medical books, with extensive reading. His study of the *Neijing* spanned decades. In collating this book, he used the *Jiayi Jing*, *Lingshu*, and *Suwen* to verify textual differences; he used the *Shanghan Lun*, *Chao Shi Bingyuan Lun* (Chao’s General Discussion on Disease Sources), *Qianjin Fang* (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold), *Waitai Miyao* (Secret Essentials of the Outer Cabinet), and the Japanese *Ishinpō* (Medical Center Formulas) to validate the gains and losses of annotations. His methodology was similar to the new collations of Wang Bing’s *Suwen* commentary. His deep exploration of meridian theories subtly aligned with sage wisdom. Although it is uncertain how he compares to Zhang Zhongjing and other masters, his application of Han scholarship methods to medical classics—analyzing every nuance of meaning and seeking certainty in every text—represents a level of precision unmatched for centuries since Lin Yi and Gao Baoheng. This can be asserted with certainty. He once said that his life’s energy was poured into this book and that he was determined it would be transmitted. Having lived as a guest in Beijing for a long time, once the book was completed, he immediately returned south and refused to re-enter public office. Such was his self-confidence, which reflects the value of his work. I am ignorant of medicine and have little to add, but I rejoice that it has been printed and will be transmitted to the world. Therefore, I presumptuously write this postscript.

In the tenth month of winter in the Jiazi year, your humble brother-in-law and relative, Zhou Zhenliang, respectfully wrote this preface.