prosperous age

Wei Guangde and Li Shizhen were sitting on both sides of the coffee table in the flower hall.

At this time, Wei Guangde put his hand on the coffee table, and Li Shizhen put his hand on his pulse to diagnose his pulse.

To be honest, Wei Guangde was very curious about the "observation, auscultation, questioning and palpation" that Chinese medicine emphasizes. He had read a lot of medical books, but the description of pulse in them left Wei Guangde a little confused.

This might be the difference in understanding. In any case, Wei Guangde was not cut out for studying medicine and had no idea what to do.

After a short tea, Li Shizhen took back his hand and said with a smile, "Mr. Wei is in his prime, so he doesn't need to take care of his body.

As for this sexual intercourse, it is better to do it less. If it continues, within three years, Elder Wei will really need to recuperate his body."

There was no one in the flower hall at the moment, and the servants had all been called outside, making it convenient for Li Shizhen to speak.

When Wei Guangde heard this, his old face turned red.

Although he went straight home after office most of the time, every now and then he would go to a villa outside and stay until night before coming back.

Xu Jianglan would not say much about these. Even if she took the initiative to hire two maids to serve Wei Guangde in the mansion, the old man still liked to play outside.

However, Wei Guangde still took his status as the Prime Minister into consideration. Unlike some of the officials below, he did not directly bring people home from the Ministry of Education, causing unrest in his family.

Except when I went to someone else's house, whenever I went out to drink, I never asked the Jiaosifang to serve me.

Wei Guangde asked some other questions, and after thinking for a while he said, "To be honest with Doctor Li, I learned martial arts from the army when I was young, and I exercise regularly on weekdays. I feel that I am in good health.

I heard that Taoists have health-preserving boxing and doctors have the Five Animals Exercises, both of which are relatively gentle ways to strengthen the body. I wonder if Dr. Li knows how to do this and if he can give me some advice.'

The Five Animal Exercises are said to be a gymnastic exercise created by Hua Tuo by imitating the activities of animals such as tigers, deer, bears, monkeys and cranes. They have a good training effect on the body and the five internal organs. They are widely spread and there are many versions in later generations.

"Physical exercise helps digestion of food, circulate blood, and prevent illness."

These are the words recorded in the "Records of the Three Kingdoms". This "Records of the Three Kingdoms" is not the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". The records in it are relatively true and objective.

Hua Tuo, a miracle doctor in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, was not only good at surgery, acupuncture, and medication, but also created the "Five Animal Exercises", a health-preserving exercise that has been famous throughout the ages.

Hua Tuo himself also practiced every day to strengthen his body and prolong his life.

However, why were these five animals chosen? How could these seemingly simple imitation movements achieve the magical effect of "I have obtained the secret technique that can cure all diseases"?

In Hua Tuo's own words, the tiger represents fierce power. Practicing it can strengthen muscles and bones and replenish liver qi.

Deer have a gentle temperament, long neck and light body. Getting used to watching them can nourish your kidney energy and prolong your life.

The bear is adorable and extremely strong. Learning how to imitate it can help strengthen your spleen and stomach and increase your vital energy.

Apes are dexterous and agile. Imitating them can make joints more flexible and enhance cardiopulmonary function.

Crane spreads its wings and flies high, which can stretch the chest and back and promote the flow of qi and blood.

It can be said that Hua Tuo's creation of the Five Animal Exercises was obviously not a spontaneous one, but a choice he made after careful research and consideration based on the medical principles of traditional Chinese medicine.

Wei Guangde asked this question because he saw that Li Shizhen was over fifty years old but looked energetic and had a ruddy complexion like a teenager.

Wei Guangde actually learned several sets of Taoist health-preserving boxing, but after practicing for half a year, he felt that they were of no use, and he didn't know if he was practicing something wrong.

But after asking the Taoist priest for advice, I got no results.

So, when he saw Li Shizhen, Wei Guangde thought of the Five Animal Exercises, which was widely circulated among medical practitioners, and decided to learn it.

Putting aside other things, Li Shizhen is right in front of us, a ready-made example, so it is possible that he has real skills.

"The Lord wants to learn the Five Animal Exercises, haha, of course that's fine."

Li Shizhen stroked his beard and smiled, "In the past, I traveled around the country, studied medicine, and learned this method in Bozhou.

After that, I practiced diligently every day and felt that it was really good for my body.”

As he spoke, Li Shizhen stood up and walked to the middle of the hall, got into his starting position, and began to demonstrate.

He was seen first taking the shape of a tiger, with his body sinking, his hands like tiger claws, his back straight, his eyes as sharp as torches, and his body agile, like a fierce tiger in the mountains.

Then it transformed into the form of a deer, with its neck gracefully stretched out and its limbs lithe, like a deer strolling lightly in the woods.

Then he changed into a bear shape, with his arms turning in circles, his waist swaying, and his gait strong and steady.

It turns into an ape shape, with flexible arms and agile movements, as if it is climbing a branch to pick fruits.

Finally, it transformed into a flying bird with its arms stretched out and its chest puffed out, as if it were spreading its wings and flying high.

After a set of movements, Li Shizhen's breathing became even, his face was rosy, and he looked energetic, just like a middle-aged man in his thirties, which made Wei Guangde marvel.

"It's amazing! Such a simple action can have such an effect."

Wei Guangde couldn't help clapping his hands and exclaiming in amazement. He then stood up and walked in front of Li Shizhen. He couldn't help but want to imitate Li Shizhen's previous actions.

Seeing that Wei Guangde was really interested, Li Shizhen began to practice again, but this time it was just a demonstration. He just did the movements lightly and let Wei Guangde follow and learn, and he also kept giving instructions.

One was studying seriously, the other was teaching seriously, and time passed by in a flash. Wei Guangde felt hungry, and then he noticed Zhang Ji sticking his head out of the flower hall and looking inside.

He immediately came to his senses and apologized, "I have neglected Divine Doctor Li. I should have been hungry a long time ago, but you were still here patiently teaching Shandai the Five Animal Exercises."

We have prepared wine and food in the mansion, and invite Dr. Li to come and visit us.'

Wei Guangde put away his posture and saluted Li Shizhen with his fists clasped.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. If you are interested, why don’t you practice it twice more? Then you can practice it every day. If you have any questions, you can ask me.

As for eating, there is no rush. In fact, being hungry occasionally is good for your internal organs.

I think the elder eats too much meat, which is actually not good for your health."

Li Shizhen waved his hand and asked Wei Guangde to continue.

Since everyone said so, Wei Guangde naturally had nothing to say, so he continued practicing.

Yes, the conditions in the Wei family have been getting better and better over the years, so they are naturally not stingy with food, otherwise both of their sons would not have been advised by Li Shizhen to eat less meat.

This time, Li Shizhen did not demonstrate, but Wei Guangde did the action.

I heard Li Shizhen say: "Sir, tiger play focuses on the strength of the waist and back, deer play focuses on the extension of the neck, bear play focuses on the opening and closing of the shoulders, ape play emphasizes the flexibility of the limbs, and bird play focuses on the expansion of the chest.

When practicing, you need to coordinate your breathing, move slowly rather than quickly, and concentrate your mind to achieve the effect of harmonizing qi and blood.

This was guidance from the side, so Wei Guangde naturally had to listen.

After practicing for a few times, although I still don't get the hang of it, I can still feel the changes in my body. I feel relaxed and refreshed. "Doctor Li, this skill is really amazing."

Wei Guangde was full of praise and asked, "How should I practice in my daily life?"

Li Shizhen smiled and said: "It is best to practice in the early morning, on an empty stomach, once a day, for about half an hour each time.

The key to the movements is to coordinate breathing and body shape, let the mind follow the body, and the qi follow the will. If you persist for a long time, you will be able to strengthen your body.

Wei Guangde remembered the first part, but was a little confused about the latter part.

Li Shizhen then went on to explain: "You, Mr. Pavilion, do not know that the true essence of the Five Animal Play lies not only in its physical resemblance, but also in its spiritual resemblance.

On the surface, it seems to imitate animal form, but in fact it secretly conforms to the principles of yin and yang of heaven and earth, and integrates a little-known medical secret.

The core secret of Wu Qin Xi is that it perfectly matches the concept of 'harmony between man and nature' in Huangdi Neijing.

Li Shizhen's face was serious at this time, and he said in a firm tone: "On the surface, it imitates animals, but in fact it conforms to the theory of the mutual generation and mutual restraint of the five elements.

The five animals correspond precisely to the five internal organs: the tiger corresponds to the liver wood, the deer corresponds to the kidney water, the bear corresponds to the spleen earth, the ape corresponds to the heart fire, and the bird corresponds to the lung metal.

Wei Guangde's eyes lit up: "So that's how it is. Doctor Hua is really amazing. He deserves the title of a miracle doctor. He actually incorporated the theory of the five elements into his work?"

Li Shizhen nodded and said, "The Suwen Yinyang Yingxiang Dalun says: 'The east produces wind, wind produces wood, wood produces sourness, sourness produces liver, and liver produces tendons.

'The five elements are mutually generated and restrained, and so are the five internal organs. The liver controls the tendons, the kidneys control the bones, the spleen controls the flesh, the heart controls the blood, and the lungs control the qi.

The Five Animals Exercises stimulate the meridian points and regulate the corresponding internal organs through specific movements.

Li Shizhen then opened a medicine box at his feet and took out a meridian map from it, showing: "Tiger play dredges the Ququan and Taichong points of the liver meridian; deer play massages the Mingmen and Shenshu points; bear play stimulates the Fenglong and Zusanli points of the spleen and stomach meridian; ape play reaches the Neiguan and Daling points of the pericardium meridian; bird play develops the Chize and Kongzui points of the lung meridian.

In addition, the Five Animals Exercises also contain the principle of 'combining movement and stillness'.

Li Shizhen continued, "The Tao Te Ching says: 'All things bear the yin and embrace the yang, and the rushing qi makes them harmonious.' The Su Wen also says: 'When the yin and yang are balanced, the spirit is in order.'
Each movement of the Five Animals Exercises has both tension and relaxation, both hardness and softness, which is an interpretation of the balance of yin and yang.

When it comes to the depth, Li Shizhen put down the meridian map and started practicing again, saying as he did the movements: "In tiger play, you first accumulate strength and then exert it; in deer play, the neck stretches and contracts, both movement and stillness complement each other, and yin and yang complement each other.

Wei Ge Lao knows that "Zhuangzi·Da Sheng" says: "Breathing in and out, expelling the old and taking in the new, stretching like a bear and a bird, is all for longevity."
Among them, "Bear Stretching and Bird Stretch" is the prototype of Five Animal Exercises. Beginners imitate the form, practitioners experience the breath, and masters comprehend the charm.

True practice is to experience the ferocity of a tiger, the gentleness of a deer, the calmness of a bear, the agility of a monkey, and the lightness of a bird.

The body follows the will, the mind follows the energy, the energy follows the spirit, and ultimately the unity of man and nature is achieved.

This is what I have learned from many years of practice. When practicing, Mr. Wei must remember the key points and practice sequence of the Five Animal Play.

Wei Guangde stopped his power at this time, bowed deeply to Li Shizhen, and said: "Teacher, I will keep your teachings in mind."

Wei Guangde learned the essence of the Five Animal Play from Li Shizhen, and at this time he had already begun to treat Li Shizhen as a teacher and a student.

“Master Wei, there is no need to do this. In fact, when I first learned this method, the gentleman from Bozhou was generous in teaching me, which enabled me to truly get started.

At that time, he said that this was the merit of self-cultivation and self-improvement. If anyone was willing, he could teach it, and it would also fulfill the wish of Hua Tuo, the founder of the sect, and there was no need to keep it to himself.

Later generations have not seen Hua Tuo's own written records or graphic descriptions of the Five Animal Play movements and techniques. Hua Tuo also taught the Five Animal Play face-to-face to his disciples Wu Pu and Fan A through oral lectures and demonstrations, and it is said that he also passed it on to his relatives and friends in his hometown.

This face-to-face demonstration teaching method, characterized by teaching by words and deeds, has played an irreplaceable role in the spread of Wuqinxi.

Due to the development of papermaking and printing, although there appeared books with pictures and texts on the Five Animal Exercises after the Sui and Tang Dynasties, most of them did not explain the key points. After all, these things can only be explained clearly through face-to-face instruction. This is also the reason why Wei Guangde himself had practiced the Five Animal Exercises by flipping through books, but felt it was meaningless and threw it away.

I also met Li Shizhen today, and thought I might have met an expert. Unexpectedly, he actually learned the essence of this art by accident, and at least he has entered this field.

By this time, the two were already starving, so Wei Guangde called Zhang Ji and asked him to prepare food.

When the meal was served, Wei Guangde called his wife and son to join him, even though Li Shizhen kept saying that this was not necessary.

However, Wei Guangde still insisted.

After all, getting closer to this miracle doctor will only benefit his family and not harm them.

With Doctor Li here, there won't be any need to worry about Doctor Zhang.

During the dinner, Li Shizhen kept thanking Wei Guangde for helping him publish the book.

In response, Wei Guangde chuckled and said, "If there is a good book, the bookstore will print it even if it loses money, so that it can be passed down, not to mention that it is a medical book that can save the world, so Dr. Li should not mind it.

Where is the miracle doctor living these days? I have several outpatient clinics there. All medical books must be proofread by the miracle doctor. There cannot be any mistakes. Otherwise, it will harm people instead of saving them."

"I only rented a house in the capital in my early years, and now I live with my good friend Doctor Zhang."

When Li Shizhen heard Wei Guangde's question, he did not hide it.

A doctor like him naturally has no shortage of money. Being hired by wealthy families, he is naturally paid handsomely.

However, Li Shizhen did not attach importance to this when practicing medicine. Instead, he often gave away medicine for free to patients who were in financial difficulties, as a charity.

"Ok?"

Wei Guangde did not praise Li Shizhen for this behavior, but frowned and asked: "Local governments have the responsibility to establish pharmacies to benefit the people. Can we let the people have no money to treat their illnesses?"

Under the system of the previous dynasty, the Ming Dynasty improved the establishment of charitable organizations, mainly including Huimin Pharmacy, Yangjiyuan and Louzeyuan.

As the name suggests, Huimin Pharmacy's main responsibilities include exercising the management authority of the national pharmaceutical industry and providing free medical treatment and medicine to the people in the jurisdiction. For this reason, Taizu issued an edict "Do not let Huimin Pharmacy become a piece of paper."

Later emperors such as Chengzu, Xuanzong, and Xianzong also issued edicts to reiterate this matter.

As for the orphanage, it was a place in ancient times where widows, widowers, lonely poor people and beggars were adopted. It had a similar function to orphanages, Anjifangs and nursing homes, and played a very important role in stabilizing people's hearts in times of war.

In addition, Taizu also established Louze Garden, naturally because he did not want anyone to be exposed in the wild. It was a public cemetery set up by the court for the people.

"Alas, Huimin Pharmacy can be found everywhere, but most of them have become ruins."

Li Shizhen sighed and said.

After he explained it in detail, Wei Guangde realized that many of the charitable organizations established by the court had been abandoned.

Due to insufficient funding from the government, the Huimin Pharmacy was transformed from a permanent institution into a temporary one, and could only be temporarily used to distribute medicines during disasters.

The imperial court had already set up an official position for Huimin Pharmacy.

There is an ambassador of Huimin Pharmacy in the Imperial Medical Service. At the local level, each prefecture has one regular official, who is of the ninth rank; each state has one deputy official; and each county has one training official.

"Tomorrow I will meet with the chief judge of the Imperial Hospital to learn more about the details of Huimin Pharmacy before making a decision."

Although many ancestral systems should be changed, Wei Guangde believes that organizations such as Huimin Pharmacy should be continued. (End of this chapter)