典藏书目

The Master's given name was Qin, courtesy name Yunhe, and pseudonym Xitong. He was the second son of the ancestor, Mr. Cuiyan. In his youth, he was cautious and honest, disliking playfulness. Once returning from the private school, someone offended him, causing him to blush with anger. Mr. Cuiyan saw this and instructed him: "The reason a gentleman studies is to transform his temperament; you simply do not understand these words." The Master committed this to memory and dared not forget it throughout his life.

In the Wushen year of the Qianlong reign, Mr. Cuiyan, by the order of the great-grandparents, visited the Great-uncle Yang San Gong in Wudu. The Master wrote a poem titled "Poem on Missing Parents" to express Mr. Cuiyan's longing for the great-grandparents. It contained the lines: "As snow melts at the Qin Pass, spring waters increase; beneath the low sky at the Han frontier, one gazes at white clouds." Upon seeing this poem after returning, Mr. Cuiyan shed tears.

On his return journey, traveling at dawn to Hanshang, while crossing Frost Bridge on a mule, the mule stumbled and fell into the water. Floating amidst the turbulent current, the Master pulled himself out by holding onto the mule's tail. It was winter, and his clothes and shoes were soaked. After walking several li, he reached an inn, where he contracted coldness leading to vomiting and hiccups. The following year, his Great-grandfather Zhikai Gong suffered from Ge Ye disease (dysphagia). The Master set up a spirit tablet in an empty room, prostrated on the ground to pray, often until midnight. In autumn, he contracted a febrile disease and passed away before Zhikai Gong. Several months later, Zhikai Gong also died, leaving the family finances extremely tight.

The Master studied alongside his uncle Renqiu Gong, youngest uncle Diao Gong, and cousin Xizhen Gong under Mr. Zhang Feiyuan. However, there were no funds for tuition. Worried that Great-uncle Shengru Gong would be distressed, the Master took Young Uncle Diao to teach in a neighboring village, while Uncle Renqiu taught in a village schoolhouse, instructing Cousin Xizhen. Elder Uncle Jiwu Gong helped Shengru Gong manage household affairs. Soon after, Elder Uncle also died of consumption (tuberculosis). All income from teaching fees and grain was handed over to Shengru Gong. During the annual examination by Academy Director Hu Xilu, the Master ranked second and entered the county school as a shengyuan (student). His uncles subsequently entered the school as well. In the Enke provincial examination of the Jiachen year, the Master passed as Jingkui (top scholar in classics). People said this was the beginning of the reward for our ancestor's filial piety.

The Master had profound knowledge of the Classics. He crafted his writings with painstaking refinement, striving to eliminate clichés. Whenever a draft was completed, if unsatisfied, he would discard it and rewrite, repeating this process multiple times without tiring. When correcting students' essays, he was meticulous even with single characters. Some criticized his style as too solemn, deeming it unsuitable for contemporary trends. He smiled and replied: "Is that really so?" He was naturally沉潜 (profound and quiet), immersing himself in books and history; once he glanced at something, he could memorize it silently. He personally cleaned his residence, ensuring no dust settled on his desk or mat. Sitting alone, he remained tranquil, rarely visiting cities.

After failing the metropolitan examination in the Yisi year and returning home, rumors spread that he had been robbed mid-journey. His grandmother, Lady Zou, was greatly distressed, which contributed to her death. Consequently, the Master did not participate in the subsequent metropolitan examination. In August of the Bingzi year, his grandmother died. His elder brother Fangzhou had died of premature death one month prior. In the Jiashen year of the Daoguang reign, his elder brother Weitang and elder sister Sanggu passed away successively. The Master once said to himself, living alone and reflecting, all thoughts were extinguished.

In the Bingxu year, relatives urged him to take the selection examination for official posts. Urged to depart, upon reaching Gu'an and crossing the Sanggan River, he encountered a severe wind and snowstorm. Sighing, he composed "Traveler's Chant," stating that this life was not suited for pursuing empty fame northward across the river. From Yisi to Bingxu, he finally entered the capital again, though this went against his true wishes.

Initially, Zhikai Gong had handed him a handwritten medical manuscript, saying: "Study this in the future, and you can save the world." The Master gained insight from reading it and thus widely studied works by various masters following the *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot) and *Su Wen* (Basic Questions). By day, he taught students imperial examinations; by night, he read medical texts until the oil lamp burned out. For decades, many sought his cure for illnesses, successfully treating many acute and rare diseases. For cases that were curable but delayed until death, he harbored regret even years later. Speaking to his children, he sighed at the prevalence of misdiagnosis in the secular world and resolved to correct it.

Returning from the capital in Bingxu, he asked patients to return their prescribed formulas, selected the important ones, and compiled them into medical cases with preceding discussions on syndromes, titling the work *Lei Zheng Zhi Cai* (Classified Syndromes Treatment Guidelines). In summer of Bing Shen, he suffered a near-fatal febrile disease; in winter, he again suffered from cough and asthma, with greatly diminished spirit, yet his eyesight remained sharp. Before falling ill, he wrote small running script without glasses, rejoicing, "Heaven helps me complete this book," fearing he might not finish in time. In spring of Ji Hai, his cough and asthma worsened, and knowing his end was near, he deeply regretted that *Zhi Cai* was unfinished. In fact, the manuscript comprised 300,000 characters, divided into eight volumes, listing over 110 syndromes, making internal medicine comprehensively covered. While bedridden, he dictated the preface and examples, ordering Zhiben to transcribe them, comparing himself to a silkworm spinning silk until death. Alas, how sorrowful!

The Master was filial, loving, benevolent, and sincere in familial bonds, handling tragedies and premature deaths with difficulty. He found it hard to extend universal compassion but maintained a standard of simplicity and integrity. He lived frugally, dwelling in seclusion embracing the Dao, finding joy in writing. His conduct and literary achievements were outstanding, serving as a model for posterity. I, the unworthy Zhiben, lacking in learning and conduct, invite you to write a tomb inscription to honor my father, fearing his legacy will be lost. I have compiled this brief account, awaiting future gentlemen who delight in elucidating hidden virtues.

The Master's other works include *Si Shu Wen* (Essays on the Four Books), *Shi* (Poetry), *Gu Wen* (Ancient Prose), and *Shi Yu* (Lyrics), totaling over ten volumes, along with the eight volumes of *Lei Zheng Zhi Cai*, all hand-corrected. Born on the 6th day of the 10th lunar month in the Renshen year of Qianlong, he died on the 16th day of the 6th lunar month in the Jihai year of Daoguang, living to the age of 68. His wife was my mother, Lady Xue. They had three sons: the eldest, Weitang; the second, Fangzhou, who died before the Master; and the second [actually third], Zhiben. One daughter, named Yi Zi Sui, also died young. Five grandsons: Songqing, Song [missing character], Songfu, Songgeng, Song HT, all pursued Confucian studies. The son, Zhiben, recounts this with tears of blood. Gui Chaowan, Junior Brother of the same age, Tong Jinshi Chu Shen (Equivalent to Jinshi degree), Prefect of Suzhou Prefecture, Jiangsu, bows to fill in the name.