炎帝神农氏长于姜水因而姓姜人身牛首生有圣德始教天下耕种五谷而食之以省杀生之弊
尝味
草木宣药疗疾以救夭伤之命百姓日用而不知着本草四卷至梁陶弘景以名医别录加之为七卷逮
于我唐统极英国公李 许孝 苏敬宗等奉诏更复采摭去陶氏之乖违辨俗用之纰紊新修为二十
卷于今行焉(出帝王世纪及本草论序)
黄帝有熊氏少典之子姬姓也长于姬水龙颜有圣德生而能言役使百灵可谓天授自然之体也
犹不
能坐而得道故以地黄元年正月甲子将游名山以求神仙时方明力牧从焉东到青丘见紫府先生受
三皇天文以效万神至具茨而见大隗君而受神芝图至盖上见中皇真人受九茄散方至罗霍见黄盖
童子受金银方十九首适崆峒而问广成子受以自然经造峨嵋山并会地黄君受以真一经入金谷问
导养而质玄素二女着体诊则问对雷公岐伯伯高少俞之论备论经脉傍通问难以为经教制九针着
内外术经十八卷陟王屋山玉阙之下清斋三日乃登于玉阙之上入琼琳台于金杌之上得玄女九鼎
神丹飞香炉火之道乃于茅山采禹余粮烹之得铜遂还荆山之干鼎湖之上参炉定药虎豹万群为之
视火九鼎神丹成有黄龙下迎黄帝上升群臣后宫从上者七十余人其小臣不得上乃悉持龙髯拔堕
帝弓万姓仰望帝既上升乃抱其弓与髯而号故后世因名其处为鼎湖其弓名乌号(出帝世纪太清
皇帝九鼎丹经)
炎帝神农氏在姜水长大，因此姓姜。他人身牛首，具有圣人的德行。他开始教导天下人耕种五谷来作为食物，以节省滥杀生灵的弊端。
他亲自品尝草木（的味道），宣通药性、治疗疾病，以拯救那些因早逝而受损的生命。百姓日常使用这些药物却不知道其中的道理。他撰写了《本草》四卷。到了梁代，陶弘景将《名医别录》的内容加入其中，合并为七卷。等到我大唐国运极盛之时，英国公李勣、许孝崇、苏敬宗等人奉诏令，再次采集整理，去除陶弘景书中的错误违背之处，辨明世俗用药中的混乱错谬，新修成二十卷，至今仍在流传。（出自《帝王世纪》及《本草论序》）
黄帝是有熊氏，少典的儿子，姓姬。他在姬水长大，面容如龙，具有圣人的德行。他出生时就能说话，役使百神，可以说是天赋的自然之体。
然而他也不能坐着就得到大道，所以在黄帝元年正月甲子日，他将游历名山以求得神仙之道。当时方明、力牧跟随他。向东到达青丘，见到紫府先生，接受了三皇天文以效法万神；到具茨山见到大隗君，接受了神芝图；登上盖山见到中皇真人，接受了九茄散的方剂；到罗霍山见到黄盖童子，接受了金银方十九首；经过崆峒山向广成子请教，接受了自然经；造访峨嵋山并与地黄君会面，接受了真一经；进入金谷询问养生之道并向玄女、素女二女请教；关于体诊的问题则向雷公、岐伯、伯高、少俞等人的论述请教，详细论述经脉的旁通，通过问难来确立经典教法，制作九针，撰写内外术经十八卷。
他登上王屋山玉阙之下，清斋三日，然后登上玉阙之上，进入琼琳台，在金杌之上得到了玄女九鼎神丹以及飞香炉火的方法。于是在茅山采集禹余粮，烹煮它得到铜，于是返回荆山，在干鼎湖之上设立丹炉，确定药方。虎豹万群为他看守炉火，九鼎神丹炼成后，有黄龙下来迎接黄帝上升。跟随他的群臣后宫七十余人。小臣们无法上去，都拔下龙的胡须，导致胡须脱落。黄帝留下的弓名为乌号。万民仰望，黄帝既已上升，于是抱着他的弓和胡须痛哭。所以后世因此将该处命名为鼎湖，他的弓名为乌号。（出自《帝王世纪》、《太清皇帝九鼎丹经》）
Yandi Shennongshi (Emperor Yan, the Divine Farmer) grew up by the Jiang River and thus took the surname Jiang. He had a human body with an ox's head and possessed sage virtue. He began to teach the world how to cultivate five grains for food, thereby reducing the harm of indiscriminate killing of living beings.
He tasted herbs and plants to elucidate their medicinal properties and treat diseases, saving lives from premature death. The common people used them daily without knowing why. He authored *Bencao* (Materia Medica) in four volumes. By the Liang Dynasty, Tao Hongjing added the content of *Mingyi Bielu* (Record of Famous Physicians) to it, expanding it to seven volumes. When my Tang Dynasty reached its zenith, Duke Yingguo Li Ji, Xu Xiaochong, Su Jingzong, and others, by imperial edict, collected and compiled again, removing inconsistencies in Tao’s work and clarifying chaotic folk usages. They newly revised it into twenty volumes, which are still in circulation today (from *Diwang Shiji* [Chronicles of Emperors and Kings] and *Bencao Lun Xu* [Preface to Discourse on Materia Medica]).
Huangdi Youxiongshi (Yellow Emperor of Youxiong), son of Shaodian, surnamed Ji, grew up by the Ji River. He had a dragon-like countenance and possessed sage virtue. He could speak from birth and commanded a hundred spirits, demonstrating a naturally endowed, heavenly constitution.
Yet he could not attain the Dao merely by sitting still. Therefore, in the first month of Huangdi Year 1, on a Jiazi day, he traveled to famous mountains seeking immortality. Fang Ming and Limu accompanied him. To the east, at Qingqiu, he met Mr. Zifu and received the Heavenly Texts of the Three Sovereigns to emulate the myriad deities; at Juzhic Mountain, he met Jun Duiwei and received the Diagram of Divine Mushrooms; ascending Gai Mountain, he met Zhenren Zhonghuang and received the prescription of Nine-Seed Powder; at Luohuo Mountain, he met Tongzi Huanggai and received nineteen prescriptions of Gold and Silver; passing through Kongtong Mountain, he asked Guangchengzi and received the Classic of Naturalness; visiting Mount Emei, he met Jun Dihuang and received the True One Classic; entering Jin Valley, he inquired about nourishing life and questioned the two ladies, Xuan Nu (Black Lady) and Su Nu (White Lady); regarding physical diagnosis, he consulted the discourses of Leigong, Qibo, Bogao, and Shao Yu, elaborating on the collateral connections of meridians and establishing canonical teachings through questioning and difficulty; he crafted the Nine Needles and wrote eighteen volumes of Internal and External Art Classics.
He ascended Mount Wangwu below the Jade Gate, fasted for three days, then climbed above the Jade Gate, entered the Terrace of Qionglin, and upon the Golden Stool, obtained the Nine Cauldron Divine Elixir of Xuan Nu and the methods of flying incense furnace fire. Thus, he gathered Yuyuliang (Eremocarpus seed) at Mount Mao, smelted it to obtain copper, returned to Mount Jing, and set up the furnace atop Dinghu Lake. Ten thousand tigers and leopards guarded the fire for him. Upon the completion of the Nine Cauldron Divine Elixir, a yellow dragon descended to welcome Huangdi’s ascent. More than seventy officials and palace women followed him. The minor attendants could not ascend; they all pulled at the dragon’s whiskers, causing them to fall off. The bow left by the Emperor was named Wuhao (Black Call). All people looked up; after the Emperor had ascended, they embraced his bow and whiskers and wailed. Hence, later generations named that place Dinghu (Cauldron Lake), and his bow was named Wuhao (from *Diwang Shiji* [Chronicles of Emperors and Kings] and *Taiqing Huangdi Jiuding Danjing* [Classic of the Yellow Emperor’s Nine Cauldron Elixir of Taiqing]).