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Ping An: This section, starting from "The Yellow Emperor said: I wish to hear about the fifty circuits," to the end, is found in *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), Volume 4, Chapter 15, titled "Fifty Circuits" (Wu Shi Ying). It is also found in *Jia Yi Jing* (Classified Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion), Volume 1, Chapter 9, titled "Breath, Fifty Circuits Around the Body, Four Days' Time, Water Clock Marks."

The Yellow Emperor said: I wish to hear about the fifty circuits (referring to the fifty cycles of Qi and blood circulation in the human body over a day and night). Qibo replied: The heavens have twenty-eight lodges (ancient Chinese astronomy divided the sky near the ecliptic into twenty-eight regions), each lodge containing thirty-six fen (an ancient astronomical angular unit; here used as an approximation, actually slightly less than thirty-six fen. Ping An: *Jia Yi Jing* lacks the three characters "I wish to hear." In *Ling Shu*, two characters "nai he" follow the word "Ying"). The vital Qi completes one circuit (referring to a full day-night cycle), totaling one thousand eight fen (actually it is one thousand fen; this figure is derived by multiplying the whole number of thirty-six, hence stated as eight fen. Each lodge is thirty-five fen plus five-sevenths of seven fen, which sums to one thousand fen. The reason for knowing this is certain is that later it states: when Qi moves one circuit, the sun moves twenty fen; when Qi moves two circuits, the sun moves thirty fen; since humans complete fifty circuits day and night, we know it is one thousand fen. Ping An: Above the character "thousand," both *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* lack the character "one." The note stating "the sun moves thirty fen" should be a mistake for "forty fen," which becomes clear upon reading the subsequent text.). The sun moves twenty-eight fen. The human meridians—upper, lower, left, right, front, and back—total twenty-eight vessels, encircling the body with a length of sixteen zhang and two chi (when the sun moves twenty fen, the human meridians complete one circuit; the text mentioning eight fen is erroneous, which can be deduced from the context. Ping An: In the phrase "the sun moves twenty-eight fen," the character "fen" is written as "suo" in *Ling Shu*, and this sentence is absent in *Jia Yi Jing*). This corresponds to the twenty-eight lodges. The water clock drips one hundred ke (marks), dividing day and night (The circulation of Qi through the twenty-eight vessels corresponds above to the twenty-eight lodges; the number of water clock marks and the division of day and night are all comprehensive.). Therefore, with one exhalation, the pulse beats twice, and Qi moves three cun; with one inhalation, the pulse also beats twice, and Qi moves three cun. Between breaths (during a complete respiratory cycle), Qi moves six cun (Within one breath, the sun moves less than one fen, so the sun's movement is not mentioned.). Ten breaths, Qi moves six chi, and the sun moves two fen (One breath moves six cun, so ten breaths move six chi. Two fen refers to four twenty-sevenths. After ten breaths, the vital Qi has moved less than one fen. It takes thirteen and a half breaths to reach one fen. Ping An: Regarding the note "four fen," based on the subsequent note "ten breaths yield twenty twenty-sevenths," these four characters are likely a mistake for "twenty."). Two hundred and seventy breaths, Qi moves sixteen zhang and two chi. Qi circulates internally, completing one circuit around the body, the water clock drops two ke, and the sun moves twenty fen (Ten breaths move six chi, so two hundred and seventy breaths move one hundred and sixty-two chi. Also, regarding the sun moving twenty fen: ten breaths yield twenty twenty-sevenths; one hundred breaths yield two hundred; two hundred breaths yield four hundred; two hundred and seventy breaths yield five hundred and forty fen. Divided by twenty-seven, this equals twenty fen. Ping An: "Twenty fen" is written as "twenty-five fen" in *Ling Shu* and "twenty fen and some odd" in *Jia Yi Jing*.). Five hundred and forty breaths, Qi completes two circuits around the body, the water clock drops four ke, and the sun moves forty fen (Double the number of one full circuit. Ping An: "Forty fen" is written as "forty fen and some odd" in *Jia Yi Jing*.). Two thousand seven hundred breaths, Qi completes ten circuits around the body, the water clock drops twenty ke, and the sun moves five lodges and twenty fen (Ten times one circuit, so the sun moves two hundred fen. Since each lodge is thirty-six fen, this amounts to five lodges and twenty fen. From this, we know that fifty circuits correspond to one thousand fen as the actual value. Ping An: "Twenty fen" is written as "two hundred twenty fen and some odd" in *Jia Yi Jing*.). Thirteen thousand five hundred breaths, Qi completes fifty circuits (Ying) in the body, the water clock drops one hundred ke, the sun moves through the twenty-eight lodges, the water clock runs out, and the pulse ends (This is the number of breaths in a day and night for a person. The Qi completes one end of the twenty-eight meridians, finishing together with the lodges and water clock marks. Ping An: The note in *Jia Yi Jing* quotes Wang Bing saying: This is stated roughly. Speaking precisely, it is usually one thousand circuits plus one fen and six-tenths of a fen, which constitutes the odd remainder.). What is meant by "traffic" or "intercommunication" is counting them as one number (Referring to the Qi of the pulses in both hands and feet moving in parallel, counted as one number. That is, Qi moves three cun, with two Qi each moving three cun. The movement of the two Qi intersects in the middle, hence called traffic/intercommunication. Since there was mention of traffic above, it says "what is meant by..."). Thus, when the fifty circuits are complete, one can attain the full lifespan of heaven and earth (Shou, meaning end/conclusion. Heaven and earth take the twenty-eight lodges and one hundred ke of water drop as one conclusion/end.), and the Qi travels a total of eight hundred and ten zhang (This is the number of twenty-eight meridians continuing for fifty circuits. Ping An: *Ling Shu* lacks the character "Qi".)