Bian Que, from Zheng County in Bohai Prefecture, surnamed Qin, whose given name was Yue. When he was young, he worked as a servant for a family. One day, a guest named Chang Sang Jun visited, and Bian Que felt that he was special, so he showed him great deference. Chang Sang Jun also recognized that Bian Que was not an ordinary person.
Years later, Chang Sang Jun finally called Bian Que to a secluded place and privately said to him, "I have some secret remedies here. I'm getting old and want to pass them on to you. Keep them secret." Bian Que promised, "I won't tell a soul." Chang Sang Jun then pulled out a vial of medicine and gave it to Bian Que, saying, "Mix this with pond water and take it. After thirty days, you'll be able to see through walls." After that, Chang Sang Jun gave Bian Que all his secret remedies. After speaking, he suddenly disappeared, like something out of a fairy tale.
Bian Que followed the instructions and drank the medicine for thirty days, and he was able to see things beyond the wall! He used this ability to diagnose illnesses, as he could see what was wrong with people's organs, though he pretended to diagnose by feeling their pulse. Sometimes he practiced medicine in Qi and sometimes in Zhao, where people called him Bian Que.
During the reign of Duke Zhao of Jin, the ministers were powerful, while the influence of the royal family was weak. Zhao Jianzi was a minister at the time, effectively ruling the state. One day, Zhao Jianzi fell ill and lay in a coma for five days. Panic gripped the court, so they invited Bian Que to come. After Bian Que went in to treat Zhao Jianzi, Dong Anyu asked about the situation. Bian Que explained, "It's a circulatory issue, perfectly normal! In the past, Duke Mu of Qin also experienced this and woke up after seven days. On the day he woke up, he told Gongsun Zhi and Zi Yu, 'I dreamed that God was very pleased. The reason I slept for so long was because I was learning something. God told me: Jin will experience great chaos; five generations will not be peaceful. After that, Jin will dominate, but the dominant lord will die young. And this dominant lord's son will cause the breakdown of societal norms.' Gongsun Zhi recorded these words and saved them, which is the content recorded in the 'Qin Ce.' Duke Xian's rebellion. Duke Wen's reign of power. And Duke Xiang's self-indulgence after his victory at Yao. These were the situations at the time, and these were what he heard in his dreams. His Lordship will recover within three days and regain his speech."
After two and a half days, Jianzi woke up and told the doctors, "I spent a long time in heaven, having a great time with the Jade Emperor, and enjoying the grand music and dance up there. It was totally unlike anything from the Xia, Shang, or Zhou dynasties; the music was mind-blowing. At that time, a bear wanted to catch me, and the Jade Emperor told me to shoot it. I shot it with one arrow, and the bear died. Later, a pi (a huge beast) came, and I shot it dead too. The Jade Emperor was stoked and gave me two boxes of goodies – each with a spare set. I also saw my son by the side of the Jade Emperor, and the Jade Emperor even gave me a beautiful Zhai dog (a precious hunting dog), saying, 'Give this to him when he's older.' The Jade Emperor also told me, 'Jin is on its way out; it'll be gone in seven generations. The Ying clan will crush the Zhou army west of Fan Kui, but their reign won't last.'"
Dong Anyu wrote it all down and kept it safe. Later, Dong Anyu told Jianzi about Bian Que's medical skills, and Jianzi was so grateful, he gave Bian Que forty thousand mu of land.
Later, Bian Que was passing through Guo when the crown prince had died. Bian Que arrived at the gate of the Guo Palace and asked a senior official named Xifang, "So, what killed the crown prince? This whole mourning thing seems a bit over the top, don't you think?" Xifang replied, "His blood was all clogged up, and that poisoned him from the inside out. Basically, his body just gave out."
Bian Que asked, "How long has he been dead?" Xi Fang replied, "Since dawn." Bian Que asked again, "Has he been embalmed?" Xi Fang said, "Not yet, he's only been dead for a few hours." Bian Que said, "I am from the state of Qi, my name is Bian Que, and I live in the state of Zheng. I've never treated the prince before. I heard that the prince unfortunately passed away, but I have a way to revive him." Xi Fang said, "Sir, are you joking? How dare you say the prince can come back to life! I heard that in ancient times, there was a doctor named Yu Fu, who treated illnesses without using herbal medicine or acupuncture. He'd literally cut someone open, get right down to the bone marrow and brain, clean everything out, and completely transform the person's essence and spirit. If your medical skills can reach this level, then perhaps the prince can be saved; if you cannot reach this level but still want to save the prince, that's like trying to fool a baby!"
For a whole day, Bian Que sighed and said, "Your methods are so narrow-minded! It's like trying to see the whole world through a keyhole! We in Yue don't need all that fancy stuff. We just know. We see the whole picture, the connection between everything. The signs are right there on the surface, plain as day. Anyone can see he's still alive. If you think I am wrong, then go in and examine the prince; you will find that his ears are buzzing, his nose is open, and touching the inside of his thigh all the way to his lower body, it's still warm."
When the Zhongshuzi heard Bian Que's words, his eyes went wide, and his tongue felt thick. He quickly reported the situation described by Bian Que to the king of Guo.
When the Duke of Guo heard this, he was terrified and hurried to the palace to meet Bian Que. He said, "Doctor, we're desperate! We heard you're the best, and the prince... With you here, the prince will be saved. Without you, he'd be dead, buried without a proper ceremony!" At this point, the Duke could no longer hold back his tears; he began to cry and sigh, his face changing color as he was overwhelmed with sadness.
Bian Que said, "The prince has a disease called 'Shi Jue' (a mysterious illness). It is caused by the entry of Yang Qi into the Yin channels, blocking the stomach meridians and affecting the entire body's meridians, eventually reaching the Triple Burner and Bladder. The Yang energy was failing, the Yin energy was surging. This blockage of Qi and blood caused the prince's lower body to swell and become immobile, while his upper body was numb. The prince has blocked Yang Qi channels and damaged Yin Qi parts in his body; with the Yin Qi compromised and Yang Qi interrupted, his face is pale, and his pulse is chaotic, making him appear dead. But in fact, the prince is not dead yet! Yang Qi can survive in the Yin channels, but Yin Qi in the Yang channels leads to death. These conditions are all caused by a sudden onset of the internal organs. A skilled doctor can cure it, while a less skilled one may misdiagnose."
Bian Que had his disciple Ziyang sharpen a needle on a polished stone, then used it to prick the prince's key acupuncture points. After a while, the prince woke up. Then, Bian Que had another disciple Zibao prepare a herbal poultice and apply it to his sides. The prince was able to sit up. Bian Que then adjusted the prince's Yin-Yang balance, treated him with herbal medicine for twenty days, and the prince fully recovered. Therefore, people believed that Bian Que could bring the dead back to life. Bian Que said, "Nah, I didn't bring him back from the dead. He was still alive; I just woke him up."
Bian Que was traveling through the state of Qi, and Duke Huan of Qi summoned him to the palace. Bian Que entered to see Duke Huan for treatment and said, "Your Majesty, it's just a little something on your skin. If left untreated, it'll get worse." Duke Huan of Qi replied, "I am not sick!" Bian Que then left. Duke Huan told those around him, "That doctor's just after a quick buck, trying to make a healthy man sick!"
Five days later, Bian Que came to see Duke Huan of Qi again, saying, "Your Majesty, your illness has reached your circulatory system. If left untreated, it'll get a lot worse." Duke Huan still insisted, "I am not sick!" Bian Que left again, and Duke Huan was starting to get annoyed.
Another five days passed, and Bian Que visited again, saying, "Your Majesty, your illness has reached your intestines. If left untreated, the condition will be very serious!" This time, Duke Huan ignored him. After Bian Que left, Duke Huan was getting really fed up.
Five days later, Bian Que came to see Duke Huan of Qi again, but when he saw Duke Huan from a distance, he turned and ran away. Duke Huan sent someone to find out what Bian Que's problem was. Bian Que said, "A skin problem? Hot water and a rub'll fix it. Blood vessels? Acupuncture's the answer. Gut trouble? Medicinal wine's the ticket. But once it hits the bone marrow...it's game over, even for the gods. Your Majesty's illness has reached the bone marrow, so I dare not treat it anymore."
Five days later, Duke Huan of Qi was truly seriously ill, and he quickly sent someone to invite Bian Que, but Bian Que was long gone. And that was the end of Duke Huan.
If a sage could foresee subtle signs in advance, allowing good doctors to treat early, then diseases could be cured, and people could survive. People suffer from many ailments, but doctors can only cure a few. Therefore, some conditions are incurable: arrogance and refusal to listen to advice are untreatable; disregard for life and greed for money are untreatable; insurmountable poverty is untreatable; imbalance of yin and yang and disorder of organs are untreatable; a weak body that cannot take medicine is untreatable; believing in witch doctors rather than doctors is untreatable. As long as one of these conditions exists, the disease becomes difficult to treat.
Bian Que was a brilliant doctor, known far and wide. In Handan, hearing of the many noblewomen with gynecological problems, he specialized in treating gynecological diseases; in Luoyang, learning that the people of the Zhou Dynasty were filial and cared for the elderly, he focused on ailments like deafness and blurred vision in seniors; in Xianyang, upon discovering that the people of the Qin Kingdom valued children, he dedicated himself to treating childhood diseases. He always adjusted his diagnosis and treatment according to local customs. The King's physician of the Qin Kingdom, Li Xi, recognized that his medical skills were inferior to Bian Que's, so he sent someone to assassinate him. Even today, when people talk about pulse diagnosis, they still mention Bian Que.
There was a magistrate from Taicang named Chunyu Yi, who hailed from Linzi. He had been interested in studying medicine since childhood. In the eighth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, he became a student of Yang Qing, a local official from the same county. Yang Qing, over seventy years old and childless, discarded his old formulas and taught Chunyu Yi all the secret prescriptions from the palace that had never been shared, along with the pulse diagnosis texts of Huangdi and Bian Que, and the five-color diagnosis method. This method could determine life and death, distinguish the severity of diseases, judge whether they could be cured, and he was highly proficient in medication theory. Chunyu Yi studied with him for three years, treating patients and accurately assessing life and death. However, his travels through various states, neglect of his family, and refusal to treat some patients left many deeply resentful.
In the fourth year of Emperor Wen's reign, someone accused Chunyu Yi of committing a crime and wanted to send him to Chang'an for punishment. Chunyu Yi's five daughters were all in tears. Chunyu Yi was very angry and scolded, "Five daughters and not a single son! Useless lot, not a one of them can help!" His youngest daughter, Tiying, heard her father's words and felt very sad, so she followed him to Chang'an. She wrote the emperor a letter, saying, "My father is known for his honesty and integrity in Qi State. Now he is facing punishment for breaking the law. I understand that once a person dies, they cannot be resurrected, and once punished, they cannot be restored to their former state. Even if he wants to turn over a new leaf, he will not have the chance. I am willing to enter the palace as a court lady to redeem my father's crime and give him a chance to start anew." The emperor was so touched by her letter, he abolished corporal punishment that very year!
When Chunyu Yi returned home, the emperor sent someone to ask him about his successful diagnoses and patients. The emperor asked Chunyu Yi, the former magistrate of Taicang, "What's your specialty? What illnesses do you treat? Got any books on your methods? Who taught you? How long have you been practicing? Tell me about some of your successes – where, who, what illness, what treatment, how did they recover?" Chunyu Yi answered:
I have loved medicine since I was a child, but many of my own remedies didn't work. It wasn't until eight years later that I finally met my teacher, Chengyangqing, from Linzi. He was already in his seventies at the time and was very happy to see me as his student. He said to me, "Throw away those herbal remedies; they are all wrong. I have inherited pulse diagnosis techniques handed down from the time of Huangdi and Bian Que, as well as the five-color diagnosis method. It allowed me to predict life and death, judge the severity of the illness, decide whether it can be cured, and provide remarkably precise prescriptions and theories. My family's well-off, and since I like you, I'll share our family's secret medical knowledge." I was excited and said, "Thank you so much; this is something I never dared to hope for!" I quickly got up, thanked him again, and accepted his teachings of several texts, including those on pulse diagnosis, five-color diagnosis, and various treatments for coughs and other ailments, along with advanced theories on medicine and the balance of yin and yang. I spent about a year studying, understanding, and verifying these medical techniques.
The following year, I began to use these medical techniques, and they were indeed effective, but I was not yet proficient. I studied for another three years before starting to treat people, diagnose illnesses, and judge life and death. My treatments were successful, and my skills grew considerably. My teacher has passed away for ten years, and I have been studying medicine for three years. I am now thirty-nine years old.
Cheng, a high-ranking official from Qi, complained of a headache. After examining his pulse, I said, "Your condition is grave; I fear the worst." After that, I privately told Mr. Cheng's younger brother Chang, "He's got a nasty infection, starting in his gut; it will swell in five days, and in eight days, he'll be violently ill and die." Mr. Cheng's illness was caused by excessive drinking and overeating. As predicted, he died at the appointed time.
I knew Mr. Cheng was ill because I carefully examined his pulse and found that his liver qi was out of whack. The stagnation of liver qi is a symptom of Neiguan. "Pulse Diagnosis" states: "A long, wiry pulse that doesn't change with the seasons indicates a disease mainly in the liver. A steady pulse suggests an issue with the meridians; a changing pulse indicates a problem with the collaterals." A steady pulse means there's a problem in the meridians due to issues in the tendons, bones, and marrow, while an intermittent and strong pulse is caused by excessive drinking and overeating.
I knew he would swell after five days and vomit pus and die after eight days because during the pulse diagnosis, the Shaoyang pulse was starting to get blocked. Changes in the pulse indicate a problem in the meridians, where the body's ability to handle the illness is overwhelmed, leading to death. When the collaterals are affected, the Shaoyang pulse was just beginning to block slightly, so even though there was internal heat, pus hadn’t yet appeared. By the time it blocked halfway, pus would break through; by the eighth day, he would vomit pus and die. So, when it blocks halfway, pus erupts, reaching the limit causes swelling, and complete blockage leads to death. The rising heat inflames the Yangming meridian, damaging the collaterals, which causes the pulse to throb and leads to decomposition and interlacing of the collaterals. The rising heat has reached the head, causing headaches.
The youngest son of King Qi, a baby, fell ill, and I was summoned to diagnose his pulse. After my diagnosis, I said, "It's a case of blocked qi. This condition causes restlessness, loss of appetite, and occasional vomiting of foam. It’s caused by worry and an irregular diet." I immediately prescribed a qi-relieving decoction for him to drink. One day later, his qi improved, two days later he could eat, and he was good as new in three days.
I knew the Little Prince was ill because his pulse showed his heart qi was off—turbulent and fast, showing damage to the Luo Mai yang qi. According to *Pulse Diagnosis*, a fast, slow, irregular pulse points to a heart problem. A fever and strong pulse mean excess yang qi. Excess yang qi is the heart's main problem. This upset stomach and loss of appetite are due to a Luo Mai problem, which can cause a fatal rush of blood. It's caused by worry and sadness.
Doctor Qi's treatment made him worse, and many doctors thought it was a serious internal problem and wanted to bleed him. After diagnosing his pulse, I said, "It's a hernia; that's why he can't pee or poop." Doctor Qi said, "I haven't been able to go for three days." I gave him Huo Qi soup to drink; one bowl, and he could go; two bowls, and he went more; three bowls, and he was cured. It was an internal problem. His right pulse was fast and strong, with no sign of the five zang organs' qi—a clear sign of a hernia. The fast pulse meant heat in his lower jiao; neither side showed normal zang organ qi, confirming the hernia. The heat in his lower jiao turned his urine red.
The palace doctor at the Qi Zhong Palace is also sick. I went to feel his pulse and told him, "You've got a fever. However, you've sweated profusely. Your pulse is weak, but you'll pull through." He replied, "Yes, that's exactly it! Last winter, I was sent on a mission to the State of Chu by the king. When I arrived at the Yangzhou River in Juxian County, the bridge was damaged. I was holding onto the cart, unsure whether to cross the broken bridge, when the horse got scared, and I fell into the water. I almost died. The officials rescued me, and my clothes were soaked. After a while, I started feeling cold all over, and then I was burning up. I've been chilled ever since." I immediately prescribed him a herbal remedy to cool him down. The first bowl brought on a sweat, the second broke the fever, and the third cured him. He was fully recovered within twenty days. I knew what caused it from his pulse; I found his pulse was weak and thready. According to pulse diagnosis, if the pulse is imbalanced in a fever patient, it can be fatal. However, when I checked his pulse, it showed no conflicting signs, but was weak and thready. A clear, steady pulse meant he'd recover. Although the internal heat had not been completely cleared, his life was not in danger. He was weak in the kidneys, particularly at the Taiyin pulse point, which is a sign of insufficient water energy. The kidneys control water balance, so this can be determined from that. If left untreated, he would have developed a recurring fever.
The Queen Mother was sick and sent for me. She said, "I've got a chill, trouble peeing, and my pee's red." I gave her a warming herbal concoction to drink. After the first bowl, she could pee right away; a second bowl, and she was fine. The Queen Mother's illness was caused by catching a cold from being sweaty. It means getting chilled while still sweaty. I knew what was wrong because when I checked her pulse, I felt her Taiyin pulse was moist and had cold qi. The usual signs for kidney problems are a deep, strong pulse, but hers was different. Her pulse was strong and beating fast. The strong pulse meant her bladder was really active, and the fast beat showed she had a fever, which explained the red urine.
In a village called Qizhangwu, there was a man named Cao Shanfu who fell ill. I went to check his pulse and said, "He has a bad case of thirst from the lungs getting too hot, along with symptoms of fever and chills." I directly told his family, "He's a goner, I'm afraid. There's nothing more we can do. Just make him comfortable. There's no point in more treatments." The old texts said, "Three days later he'll go crazy, wander off, and try to run away; five days later he'll die." As a result, he indeed died within the specified time. Cao Shanfu's illness was caused by internal injuries from a fit of rage. I knew the cause of his illness because when I checked his pulse, I found that his lung qi was very hot. The pulse diagnosis indicated, "The pulse is uneven and weak; the body is weak." This shows severe damage to the internal organs, so the pulse felt unstable, sometimes strong and sometimes weak. His blood wasn't flowing right; the strength and weakness were due to the pulse being sometimes urgent and sometimes strong, which is a sign of two meridians being severed, hence the disease is incurable. I mentioned his symptoms of fever and chills because his body was failing. "Failure" means physical weakness; with physical weakness, there's no point in needles or harsh medicines now. Before I arrived, Qi's top doctors had already treated him. They applied moxibustion on his foot lesser yang meridian points and gave him Banxia pills, which caused diarrhea and left him with an empty stomach. Then they applied moxibustion on his foot lesser yin meridian points, damaging his liver and causing his qi and blood to fail, worsening his condition, which led to the fever and chills. Three days later, he went insane because it messed with his head. Five days later, he died because his body just gave out after five days.
Lieutenant Pan had a stomachache, and I checked his pulse, saying, "This is a case of abdominal distension caused by food accumulation." I immediately told officials Rao and Yao, "If the Lieutenant doesn't take care of himself, he will undoubtedly die within thirty days." As a result, more than twenty days later, he died from bloody urine. His illness was caused by excessive drinking and neglecting his health. I knew this from his pulse, which was deep, thin, weak, and sometimes strong, indicating weakness of the spleen and stomach. The strength of the pulse on the right side was very tight and weak, indicating the presence of an abdominal mass. These symptoms interacted with each other, leading to death within thirty days. If all three yin meridians (three major energy channels in traditional Chinese medicine) are blocked, the prognosis aligns with medical texts; if not all three are blocked, the condition will deteriorate rapidly; if only one is blocked, the condition is relatively mild. Lieutenant Pan's situation was that all three yin meridians were blocked; although he initially had bloody urine, it stopped later.
Lord Zhao Zhang, also known as Marquis Yangxu, fell ill and asked me to treat him. Other doctors said it was a bad cold, but after checking his pulse, I said, "This is a condition called 'tong feng' (where food eaten is immediately vomited out and cannot be retained)." Medical books say this illness results in death within five days, but he died after ten days. His illness was also caused by drinking alcohol. I knew about Zhao Zhang's illness from his pulse, which was fast and slippery, indicating the presence of wind pathogen in the body. He'd throw up anything he ate, and medical books say this illness typically results in death within five days, which is the usual course of the illness. However, he died after ten days because he usually liked to drink porridge, causing food accumulation in his body and prolonging the illness. As the old saying goes, a full belly makes an illness last longer.
The Prince of Jibei was sick, so he asked me to check his pulse. I said, "This tight feeling in my chest is caused by a chill." I prescribed him herbal medicine, and after drinking three shi (an ancient unit of volume; approximately 150 liters), his illness improved. His sickness was caused by lying on the ground after sweating and catching a cold. I knew about the Prince of Jibei's illness because when I checked his pulse, I found that he had signs of a chill and his heart pulse was also turbid. The pattern of this illness is "evil invading yang energy; after yang energy is depleted, yin energy invades." When yin energy invades and expands, it will cause cold air to rise and hot air to descend, leading to tightness in the chest. After he sweated and lay on the ground catching a cold, I found out after checking his pulse that he was deficient in qi and yin. For those with yin deficiency, the illness will definitely penetrate deeper into the body and affect the bladder meridian.
The wife of the Prince of Jibei's Sikuang had many doctors saying that she had a chill invading her body, with the illness in her lungs, so they treated her with acupuncture on the foot Shaoyang meridian. I checked her pulse and said, "This is a hernia, with evil energy invading the bladder, causing difficulty in urination and defecation, with red urine. When the illness encounters cold evil, urinary incontinence will occur, and the abdomen will swell." She had been holding her urine, which had damaged her insides. I diagnosed it as a hernia because her pulse was strong and solid, and the pulse was slow, indicating blocked energy flow. The slow pulse was due to hernia invading the bladder; the swollen abdomen was due to the obstruction of the yin meridian in the lower abdomen. Blocked energy flow will lead to stagnation of pulse vessels, which will cause abdominal swelling. I suggested treating her with moxibustion (a traditional Chinese medicine technique using heat) on the acupoints of her foot Jueyin meridian, one on each side, to solve the problem of urinary incontinence, make the urine clearer, and stop the abdominal pain. Then I prescribed her Huoqi Tang, and three days later, the hernia went away, and she felt much better.
Jibei Wang's mother said her feet were hot and uncomfortable. I told her, "This is heat exhaustion." I then inserted three needles in the soles of her feet, without bleeding, and the illness was cured. She got sick because she drank too much alcohol.
Jibei Wang asked me to treat the women serving in his mansion, including a woman named Shu who appeared to be healthy. I told the steward, "Shu's spleen is damaged; she cannot be overworked. According to common sense, she will spit up blood and die in the spring." I asked Wang, "What's wrong with Shu?" Wang said, "She is very capable, knows everything, is a whiz with newfangled things, and earned 4.7 million last year in the folk, with only four helpers." Wang asked, "Is she sick?" I said, "She is very ill, close to death." Wang sent someone to check, and Shu had a normal complexion. Wang thought I had misdiagnosed and ignored it. In the spring, Shu followed Wang to the toilet, and after Wang left, she collapsed and coughed up blood and died. It was because she sweated too much. Excessive sweating indicates a serious illness in the body; although her hair was shiny and her pulse strong, this was actually a sign of internal damage.
A doctor in the state of Qi developed tooth decay. I applied moxibustion to the acupoints of the left Yangming meridian and prescribed Ku Shen Tang (a traditional Chinese herbal remedy), advising him to drink a good amount daily. After five or six days, the illness was cured. He got sick because of wind evil, sleeping with his mouth open, and not rinsing his mouth after eating.
The beauty of the Zichuan Wang family became pregnant but had no breast milk, so they sent someone to invite me to take a look. After I arrived, I gave her a small amount of Datura (a plant used in traditional medicine) to drink, and she produced milk shortly after. I also checked her pulse, which was very restless. Restlessness indicates a more serious condition, so I gave her a dose of Xiaoshi to make her bleed; five or six bean-sized clots of blood came out.
I saw a servant of the Qi Prime Minister eating in the palace cafeteria that morning, and his face looked off, like he was ill. So I told this to the eunuch Ping. Ping was pretty good at reading pulses, and he'd learned some of my techniques, so I told him about the servant's condition and said, "This guy's hurt his spleen. Come spring, his gut'll be blocked, he won't be able to keep anything down, and he'll bleed out by summer."
"Your servant's seriously ill," Ping told the Prime Minister, "He's about to kick the bucket." The Prime Minister asked, "Is he sick?" The servant said, "Nope, I feel fine." In the spring, the servant did get sick, and in April, he died from bleeding. So I knew it was his spleen. The spleen's connected to everything else, so when it's messed up, it shows in your face – all yellow and grey, like a corpse. Other docs just thought some bug bit him, no clue it was his spleen.
Spring deaths are from weak stomachs, that yellow face – earth can't hold back wood, see? Summer deaths are different. The pulse is calm but the guy's toast. He might not feel bad, but he's doomed. This servant died in April because when I diagnosed his pulse, it had already returned to normal. A normal pulse indicates that the person is relatively fat. He got sick 'cause he was always sweating, hanging around fires, and exposed to the elements.
King Zichuan fell ill and asked me to see him. He said, "The back of my head is killing me, I've got a headache, fever, and feel absolutely rotten all over." I put cold water on his head and then stuck needles in at three points on each side of his Yangming meridian on the foot. He bounced back quickly. He got sick because he went to bed with wet hair. When I checked his pulse, he had the same symptoms, so the pain at the back of his head was there, his head was hot, and the pain shot up to his shoulders.
Huang Changqing, the brother of King Qi, threw a party at his home and invited me. Before the dishes were served, I spotted the Queen's brother, Song Jian, and quickly said to him, "You haven't been feeling too well lately, have you? It's been about four or five days, your back's killing you, you can't bend over or stand straight, and you can't even pee! If you don't treat it quickly, it'll get to your kidneys! It hasn't reached your insides yet, so there's still time to treat it. Your current condition is caused by the invasion of cold and dampness in your kidneys, which is known as 'kidney trouble'." Song Jian said, "Yes, my back is indeed very painful. Four or five days ago, it rained, and the kids from the Huang family saw a large stone in my backyard and moved it to play. I also wanted to try, but couldn't move it, so I put it back. That night, my back started hurting, and I couldn't urinate, and it hasn't improved until now." That stone nearly finished him off! I knew what illness he had because his complexion was yellow, as if he had dried up, and his kidneys and lower back looked withered, so I deduced that he had been ill for about four or five days. I prescribed him some herbal medicine, and he was right as rain after eighteen days.
The maid of the Prince of Jibei, Han, had back pain and a fever. Many doctors said it was a common fever. I took her pulse and said, "You have too much cold in your body, and your menstruation has stopped." Then I gave her some medicine, and soon her menstruation came back, and she recovered. She was sick because she wanted to have sex but couldn't. I knew the cause of Han's illness because when I took her pulse, I felt her kidney pulse, which was weak and discontinuous. Weak and discontinuous pulses indicate difficulty in the circulation of qi and blood, leading to the absence of menstruation. Her liver pulse was tight and wiry, indicating her desire for intimacy with a man but not having the opportunity.
In Fanli, Linzi, there was a woman named Bowu who was very ill. Many doctors said it was a severe fever and that she was going to die and could not be saved. I took her pulse and said, "This is a pinworm infection." The symptoms of a pinworm infection are a swollen belly, yellow and rough skin, and a bumpy texture when touched. I gave her a small dose of *Daphne genkwa* to drink, and soon she expelled a huge amount of pinworms, probably several pints worth. Her illness was cured, and after thirty days, she was back to normal. She got pinworms because of a long-standing buildup of cold and dampness in her body. I knew what disease Bowu had because when I took her pulse along the radial artery, I found that the pulse felt thin, rough, and almost oily, indicating the presence of parasites. Her healthy glow showed she didn't have any other serious problems.
Chunyu Sima fell ill, and I carefully took his pulse, telling him, "You've got a nasty stomach bug. The symptoms include diarrhea right after eating. This illness happens when you stuff your face and then run like mad." Chunyu Sima replied, "That day, I ate a lot of horse liver at the Wang family, stuffed myself, saw the wine coming, and rushed home, running really fast, which led to me having diarrhea dozens of times." I advised him, "Give him some fire-qi rice juice to drink, and he should be better in seven or eight days." At that time, Doctor Qin Xin was also present. After I left, Qin Xin asked the guys standing around, "What does that doctor think Chunyu Sima is suffering from?" They said, "He says it's a nasty stomach bug, and it can be cured." Qin Xin laughed and said, "He really doesn't get it! Chunyu Sima should've been a goner nine days later." But nine days later, Chunyu Sima was still alive, and his family invited me again. I went to take his pulse, and it perfectly matched my diagnosis. I prescribed him some fire-qi rice juice to drink, and after seven or eight days, he recovered. My diagnosis was spot-on because his pulse and the way his illness progressed matched the textbooks.
Qizhonglang suffered from a stone-related injury. After examining his pulse, I said, "His lungs are damaged and cannot be treated. He'll die of hematuria on the day of Dinghai ten days later." Eleven days later, he did die of hematuria as predicted. The stone-related injury was caused by falling heavily on a stone after falling from a horse. I knew he had this injury because I found that his lung's yin energy was dissipated while taking his pulse, with irregular and weak pulse patterns, and an abnormal complexion. I also knew he fell from a horse because I felt the Fanyin pulse while taking his pulse. The Fanyin pulse connects to deep internal organs and influences the lung. When the lung pulse is scattered, the complexion naturally changes. He did not die at the scheduled time because the teacher said, "If a patient eats well, they will survive beyond the predicted time of death; if they do not eat, they will die earlier." He favored millet, which nourishes the lung qi, so he survived beyond the predicted time. He died of hematuria because pulse diagnosis principles state, "If a patient likes to stay in a cool place, they will die at the scheduled time; if they prefer to stay in a warm place, they will die earlier." This person liked quiet, did not like to be restless, and often sat quietly or slept at the desk, causing hematuria and his subsequent death.
The personal physician of King Qi fell ill and decided to treat himself with Wushi powder. When I went to see him, he said to me, "I'm feeling rather poorly and hope you can help me." After examining his pulse, I told him, "You have internal heat. The medical books say, 'With internal heat and insufficient urination, avoid Wushi powder.' Wushi powder is very strong in nature, so if you take it and do not urinate much, stop immediately, or your face will swell." King Qi said, "Bian Que said, 'Yin stones treat yin diseases, yang stones treat yang diseases.' In medicine, stones are used to balance the body's yin and yang, the hot and cold, so for internal heat, use yin stones gently for adjustment; for internal cold, use strong yang stones for treatment."
I said, "That's a bit of an oversimplification. Even though Bian Que said that, he definitely needs to carefully examine and formulate a plan based on the patient's condition, just like weighing on a scale. You've gotta look at their complexion, pulse, whether they're internally or externally deficient, their qi and blood flow, and how they're breathing and moving around before you can say anything for sure. The old texts say, 'Yang illnesses are internal, yin ones external; you can't just blast them with strong medicine or Wushi San.' Strong medicine might drive out the bad stuff, but it'll weaken the patient even more. If you've got two yin symptoms on the outside and a yang one inside, you can't go in with the big guns. I told him this, and more than a hundred days later, he indeed developed an abscess on his breast, spreading to his clavicle, and died. You gotta have a plan, see the big picture. If a doctor's sloppy and doesn't get this yin-yang thing, they'll mess the patient up.
When King Qi was previously Marquis Yangxu, he was really sick, and the other doctors thought he was a goner. I diagnosed him and believed it was a blockage disease, the root of the disease was under his right rib, swollen up like a big ol' cup, making it difficult for him to breathe, and his breath was all messed up and he could not eat. I immediately gave him Huoqi porridge and some herbal soup; six days later, his breathing improved. Then I had him take pill medication, and after six days of treatment, the disease was cured. The problem was deep inside. I didn't fully grasp the theory, but I knew exactly where to hit it."
I once treated Cheng Kaifang in Wudu, Anyang. He claimed he wasn't sick, but I diagnosed him with a prolonged debilitating cold. It's been three years, and he can't move his limbs or speak. Loss of speech is often a precursor to death. I heard he still can't move or speak, but he's not dead yet. His illness is due to frequent drinking and exposure to cold. I diagnosed him with a severe cough and said, "An imbalance of vital energies can lead to death." I found that his kidney energy was suppressing his lung energy, with a pulse indicating grave danger.
I also treated Xiang Chu, a public official in Banli, Anling. I diagnosed him with a specific type of hernia. The hernia is in the upper abdomen, connected to the lungs. His illness stemmed from internal factors. I warned him not to engage in strenuous physical activity, as it could cause him to vomit blood and die. He later engaged in strenuous physical activity, injured his back, sweated profusely, and vomited blood. I diagnosed him again, saying, "He will die tomorrow." He died the next day. His illness was similarly caused by internal factors, as indicated by a pulse showing imminent danger.
I’ve treated a ton of patients, can predict life and death, and have cured many illnesses. Over time, some cases have slipped my mind, and I don’t dare list them all.
Someone asked me, "The patients you treat have many conditions with similar names, but the diagnoses are different; some live and some die. Why is that?" I replied, "Many diseases have similar names and are difficult to distinguish. That's why ancient sages created pulse reading to measure and categorize different pulse patterns, relating them to the body's yin and yang balance and even to the natural world, allowing for better disease differentiation. Diseases with discernible pulse patterns can be differentiated; those without are grouped together. However, pulse reading is not omnipotent. When treating patients, careful differentiation is needed to distinguish between similar conditions. The root cause of the illness is where the problem is. I have detailed records of the patients I have treated. The reason I can distinguish these diseases is because I studied under Master Fang Shicheng. After my teacher passed away, I predicted patients' outcomes based on treatment records and checked if the results matched my pulse readings. That's why I still remember it now."
Someone asked me, "Sometimes your predictions of the life and death of diseases are inaccurate. Why is that?" I replied, "This is all because of irregular diet and lifestyle, improper medication, or improper acupuncture. That's why their recovery didn't follow the predicted timeline."
The emperor asked me, "You're a brilliant doctor; you can tell if someone's going to live or die, and you know just what medicine to give them. So, have any of the princes or ministers asked for your help? Why didn't you treat King Wen when he was sick?" I replied, "Princes Zhao, Jiaoxi, Jinan, and Wu all sent for me, but I didn't dare go. When King Wen was ill, my family was poor, and I was afraid of being arrested by the government for practicing medicine. So, I changed my name, dressed plainly, and traveled around to learn from experienced doctors. I visited many teachers, studied their medical skills and experiences carefully, and thoroughly examined the theories in medical books. I was living in the Yangxu Marquisate, working for the marquis. When he went to Chang'an to see the Emperor, I went along, and that's how I got to treat An Lingjun and Xiang Chu."
The emperor asked me again, "Do you know what illness Duke Wen suffered from, and why couldn't it be cured?" I replied, "I have not seen Duke Wen in person, but I heard that he had symptoms such as shortness of breath, headaches, and blurred vision. Privately, I analyzed that this is not a real illness. I think Duke Wen was too obese, with excess internal energy, unable to move flexibly, and his physical functions were impaired, hence the shortness of breath, which does not require treatment. According to pulse diagnosis:
- At twenty, your pulse should be strong.
- At thirty, you should be light on your feet.
- At forty, you should be able to sit comfortably.
- At fifty, you should rest easily.
- After sixty, your energy should be balanced.
Duke Wen was not yet twenty, but his pulse was slow, violating the natural law of seasonal changes. Later, I heard that he used moxibustion (a traditional Chinese medicine therapy) for treatment, which worsened his condition, causing misdiagnosis. I believe Duke Wen died because his vital energy was depleted, pathogenic qi invaded, and being young, he could not recover his vitality. The so-called 'vital energy' should be regulated through diet, choosing sunny days, and exercising more to stretch tendons and bones, harmonizing vital energy. At the age of twenty, when the body is strong, one should not use acupuncture stones and moxibustion for treatment, as they will accelerate the circulation of vital energy."
The emperor then asked me, "Who did Qing'an learn his medical skills from? Is he famous among the vassals of Qi?" I replied, "I do not know who Qing'an learned from. Qing'an comes from a wealthy family and is highly skilled in medicine, but he is unwilling to treat people, so he is not very well-known. Qing'an also warned me, 'Keep my medical skills a secret from my descendants.'"
My boss asked me, "What's the deal with this Shi Qing guy? You trying to get him to spill all his medical secrets? Why?" I replied, "I've never heard Shi Qing was that great a doctor. I know Qing because when I was young, I liked to study various remedies. I tried many remedies, and they all worked like a charm. I heard that Gong Sun Guang from Tangli in Zichuan is good at ancient remedies, so I went to visit him. I saw him in action, learned his methods of balancing yin and yang and teaching techniques, and copied down everything he had. I wanted to learn all his amazing cures. Gong Sun Guang said, 'I've passed it all on to you, mate. Ain't teaching anyone else. I'm too old for this stuff. These are the best remedies I learned when I was young, all yours. Don't share them though.' I said, 'Wow, I'm so lucky to have learned from you and get these secret methods. I'd never betray your trust.' After some time, Gong Sun Guang occasionally went out, and I discussed medical skills with him in depth. He said my skills would also be considered exquisite a hundred years later. Shi Guang grinned and said, 'You're going places, kid. I know someone who is even more skilled in medicine than me. He's from my hometown, Linzi, and he's got skills unlike anyone else I've ever seen. When I was young, I wanted to learn from him, but he refused, saying, "You are not the right person." If you go with me to see him, he will like you because he knows you love medical skills. He's old, and loaded.' At that time, I had not yet gone, and Shi's son Yinlai happened to bring a horse, so I got Shi Guang to give the king the horse for me, and thus became friends with Yin. Shi Guang specifically instructed Yin, 'This guy's a whiz with numbers, treat him right, he's a real scholar.' Then Shi Guang wrote a letter introducing me to Yang Qing, so I met Qing. I'm a careful worker, that's why he liked me."
Next, I will continue to work hard to study medicine, striving for excellence, hoping not to let my masters down and to contribute to the country. After all, they taught me everything they knew, and I will never forget this favor for the rest of my life.
The Emperor asked me, "In the past, when you taught those officials and common people to study medicine, how did they all do? Where are you from?" I replied, "I am from Linzi, living in Songyi. While studying at the school, I taught the students the five diagnostic methods for about a year. Later, Prince Jibei sent Imperial Physician Gao Qi and Wang Yu to learn, and I taught them about meridians, extraordinary vessels, acupoints, qi and blood circulation, moxa selection based on the condition, and acupuncture point determination, which took over a year. During the time of Prince Zichuan, Ma Changfengxin from Taicang came to study; I taught him diagnostic methods and the rules of medication, including the compatibility of the five flavors and decoctions. The steward Du Xin from the Gao Yonghou family, who was fond of pulse diagnosis, also came to learn. I taught him the pathways of the upper and lower meridians and the five diagnostic methods for over two years. Tang An from Linzi's Zhaoli also came to learn from me; I taught him the five diagnostic methods, the pathways of the upper and lower meridians, methods for treating cough, and the interplay of the seasons and yin and yang, but before I could finish teaching, I was appointed as the attendant physician to Prince Qi."
The Emperor then asked me, "Diagnosing diseases and determining life and death, can you do it without any mistakes?" I replied, "When treating patients, I must carefully diagnose the pulse first. If the condition is unstable, I won't treat it; I only treat when the condition is stable. However, if the pulse diagnosis isn't thorough, there may be errors in judging life and death, so I can't guarantee that there won't be mistakes at all."
Sima Qian said: Women, whether beautiful or not, will attract jealousy when living in the palace; men, whether wise or foolish, will attract suspicion when entering the court. Therefore, Bian Que ran into trouble because of his medical skills, and Cang Gong had to lay low to avoid punishment. Ti Ying begged for her father's life, and only then was he able to save his own. Laozi said, "Beautiful things are ominous." Was he talking about Bian Que and the others? Someone like Cang Gong really gets that point.
