又云∶夫子赞干元资始曰大，赞坤元资生曰至，坤者顺承乎天以成其生物之功，故
曰妻者齐也。是以子嗣之有无，重在男子，尤重在妇人。妇人虽不与户外事，倘其悖谬垂
戾之性成，而门内先受其祸，既失其坤顺之德，岂能着生物之功？或孕而不育，育而不
寿者多矣。妇人之心，求子最切，祷祀求神，神弗福也。曷若近而求之门内耶？公姑孝之，
夫主敬之，妯娌和之，奴婢恤之，庶事宽之，如是则戾气消，和气溢，作善降祥，瓜瓞之
庆，神必福之矣。又有妇人焉，性非凶暴，貌似柔和。亦艰于子嗣者，盖妇人秉质于阴，易
流为毒，其家庭日用之常，处心积虑之地，煞有关系。常见有能干之妇，其营家也勤而俭，
其持己也谨而严，锱铢之数无差，恩怨之分至晰，揆其大较，不过自私自利之心多，恕
人宽人之地少，似乎无大失德，然而家业暗替，子息杳然何哉？盖妇人之德，不期于宽
浓，即流于刻薄。剥削元气于冥冥之中，是为隐慝，故不特悖谬乖肩，为无嗣之显端，即
事事义胜于恩，已非坤浓生物之体矣。妇人无子，即干七出之条，可不痛自修省，赞夫
为善，以期螽斯麟趾之庆哉！
褚尚书曰∶饮食五味，养髓骨肉血肌肤毛发。男子为阳，阳中必有阴，阴中之数八，
故一八而阳精升，二八而阳精溢。女子为阴，阴中必有阳，阳中之数七，故一七而阴血升，
二七而阴血溢。阳精阴血，皆饮食五味之秀实也。方其升也，智虑开明，齿牙更始，发
黄者黑，筋弱者强，暨其溢也。凡充身肢体手足耳目之余，虽针芥之沥，无有不下。凡
子形肖父母者，以其精血尝于父母之身，无所不历也。是以父一肢废，则子一肢不肖其
父，母一目亏，则子一目不肖其母。精未通而御女以通其精，则五体有不满之处，异日
有难状之疾。阴已痿而思色以降其精，则精不出内败，小便道涩而为淋。精已耗而复竭
之，则大小便道牵疼，愈疼则愈欲大小便，愈便则愈疼。女人天癸既至，逾十年无男子合
则不调，未逾十年思男女合亦不调，不调则旧血不出，新血误行，或渍而入骨，或变而
之肿，或虽合而难子，合男子多则沥枯，虚人产乳众则血枯杀人，观其精血，思过半矣。
又说：孔子在《周易》中称赞乾元（天的本源）能够资助万物起始，称之为“大”；称赞坤元（地的本源）能够滋生万物，称之为“至”。坤道是顺承天道以完成化生万物的功绩，所以说“妻”就是“齐”，即与夫平等。因此，子嗣的有无，关键在于男子，尤其在于妇人。妇人虽然不直接参与户外的事情，但如果她形成了违背常理、乖戾暴虐的性格，那么家庭内部首先就会遭受祸患，既然失去了柔顺包容的美德，又怎能发挥化生万物的作用呢？所以，怀孕后不能养育，或者养育了却寿命不长的人很多。妇人心切求子，向神灵祈祷祭祀，神灵也不会降福。何不就近从家庭内部做起呢？对公婆孝顺，对丈夫恭敬，与妯娌和睦，体恤奴婢，处理各种事务宽容大度，像这样就能消除乖戾之气，充满祥和之气，做善事就会招来吉祥，子孙繁盛的喜庆，神灵必定会赐福。又有这样的妇人，性格并非凶暴，外表看似柔和，但也难以生育子嗣。这是因为妇人禀受阴气而生，容易流变为毒气，她们在家庭日常起居中，用心思虑的地方，都有很大的关系。常见那些能干的主妇，经营家务勤劳节俭，约束自己严谨严格，计算细微之处没有差错，恩怨界限分明清晰，推究其大体情况，不过是自私自利的心多，宽恕体谅别人的余地少，表面上似乎没有大的失德，然而家业暗中衰败，子息杳无音信，这是为什么呢？因为妇人的德行，如果不追求宽厚浓郁，就会流于刻薄寡恩。在不知不觉中剥削元气，这就是隐蔽的恶行，所以不仅违背常理、乖戾暴躁是无子的明显征兆，即使事事义理胜过恩情，也已经不符合坤道浓厚生物的本体了。妇人无子，就触犯了“七出”（古代休妻的七种理由）的条款，怎么能不痛切地自我修养反省，辅助丈夫为善，以期获得子孙满堂的喜庆呢！
褚尚书说：饮食的五味，滋养骨髓、骨肉、血液、肌肤和毛发。男子属阳，阳中必有阴，阴中的成数是八，所以男子八岁时阳气上升，十六岁时阳精满溢。女子属阴，阴中必有阳，阳中的成数是七，所以女子七岁时阴血上升，十四岁时阴血满溢。阳精和阴血，都是饮食五味精华的果实。当它们上升时，智慧思虑开明，牙齿更换生长，头发由黄变黑，筋骨变得强健；等到它们满溢时，凡是充盈身体肢体手足耳目等其余部分，即使是像针尖芥粒那样微小的汁液，也没有不向下灌注的。凡子女形貌像父母，是因为他们的精血曾在父母身上经历了一切。所以父亲有一只肢体残疾，儿子就有一只肢体不像父亲；母亲有一只眼睛亏损，儿子就有一只眼睛不像母亲。精气未通之时就御女房事以通泄精气，那么五脏形体就会有不完满的地方，日后会有难以形容的疾病。阴气已经痿弱还想追求美色而泄精，那么精液不出而在体内腐败，小便通道涩滞而成为淋证。精气已经耗损而又继续竭尽它，那么大、小便通道牵引疼痛，越疼就越想大小便，越大小便就越疼。女人天癸（指月经）既已到来，超过十年没有男子交合则月经不调，未满十年就想与男子交合也月经不调，月经不调则旧血不能排出，新血误行，或者渗入骨头，或者变成肿胀，或者虽然交合却难以受孕，与男子交合过多则津液枯竭，虚弱之人生产哺乳众多则血液枯竭致死，观察精血的道理，思过半矣。
It is also said: Confucius, in his commentary on the *I Ching* (Book of Changes), praised the Qianyuan (the origin of Heaven) for assisting the beginning of all things, calling it "Great"; and praised the Kunyuan (the origin of Earth) for generating all things, calling it "Ultimate." The Kun Dao (Way of Earth) follows and receives from the Tian Dao (Way of Heaven) to accomplish the merit of creating living beings. Therefore, it is said that "Qi" (wife) means "Qi" (equal), implying equality with the husband. Thus, the presence or absence of offspring depends primarily on the man, but even more so on the woman. Although a woman does not directly participate in external affairs, if she develops a character that is contrary to reason and perverse/violent, disaster will first befall the household. Having lost the virtue of Kun-shun (yielding and accommodating), how can she fulfill the function of generating life? Consequently, there are many cases where pregnancy fails to result in childbirth, or where children are born but do not live long. A woman's heart may be most eager for children, praying and sacrificing to deities, yet the deities will not bless her. Why not seek blessings closer to home, within the family? Be filial to parents-in-law, respectful to the husband, harmonious with sisters-in-law, compassionate towards servants, and lenient in handling various matters. In this way, perverse qi will dissipate, and harmonious qi will overflow. Doing good brings auspiciousness; the celebration of abundant descendants will surely be blessed by the divine. There are also women whose nature is not fierce or violent, and who appear gentle on the outside, yet still struggle with infertility. This is because women are endowed with Yin essence, which easily turns into toxic qi. Their daily conduct in the household and their inner thoughts and calculations have a significant relationship [to fertility]. One often sees capable housewives who manage the household diligently and frugally, restrain themselves strictly and rigorously, make no errors in trivial calculations, and clearly distinguish between gratitude and resentment. Investigating their general tendency, they simply have more selfishness and less room for forgiving and tolerating others. They seem to have no major moral failings, yet the family fortune declines secretly, and there are no heirs. Why is this? Because a woman's virtue, if not broad and thick (generous and nurturing), tends towards harshness and meanness. She unconsciously depletes Yuanqi (Original Qi); this is a hidden vice. Therefore, not only is being contrary and perverse an obvious cause of infertility, but even if righteousness outweighs affection in every matter, it no longer embodies the Kun principle of thickly generating life. If a woman has no children, she violates the "Seven Outs" (seven grounds for divorce in ancient China). Should she not painfully cultivate herself and reflect, assist her husband in doing good, and strive for the joy of abundant offspring?
Minister Chu said: The five flavors of food nourish the marrow, bones, flesh, blood, skin, and hair. Men belong to Yang; within Yang there must be Yin, and the number associated with Yin is eight. Thus, at age eight, Yang Jing (Yang Essence/Semen precursor) rises; at age sixteen, Yang Jing overflows. Women belong to Yin; within Yin there must be Yang, and the number associated with Yang is seven. Thus, at age seven, Yin Xue (Yin Blood/Menstrual blood precursor) rises; at age fourteen, Yin Xue overflows. Both Yang Jing and Yin Xue are the fruits of the essence of the five flavors of food. When they rise, wisdom and thought become clear, teeth are replaced, yellow hair turns black, and weak sinews and bones become strong. When they overflow, whatever fills the body, limbs, hands, feet, ears, and eyes—even drops as small as a needle point or mustard seed—descends without exception. Children resemble their parents in form because their Jing-Xue (Essence-Blood) has experienced everything within their parents' bodies. Therefore, if a father loses the use of one limb, the son will have one limb that does not resemble the father; if a mother loses the sight of one eye, the son will have one eye that does not resemble the mother. If one engages in sexual intercourse with women before Jing-Tong (the opening/development of Jing) to force the release of Jing, the five organs and body will have imperfections, leading to difficult-to-describe illnesses later in life. If one seeks sexual gratification due to visual stimuli when the Yin energy is already weak, causing the release of Jing, the Jing will not exit but rot internally, leading to obstruction in the urinary channel and becoming Lin syndrome (dysuria/painful urination). If Jing is exhausted and then further depleted, the large and small bowel channels will pull and hurt; the more it hurts, the more one desires to defecate or urinate; the more one does so, the more it hurts. When a woman's Tiangui (Heavenly Water/Menstruation) has arrived, if she does not cohabit with a man for over ten years, her cycle will be irregular; if under ten years she desires cohabitation, it will also be irregular. Irregularity means old blood does not exit, and new blood flows erroneously, either seeping into the bones or transforming into swelling. Even if cohabitation occurs, conception may be difficult. Frequent cohabitation with men leads to the depletion of fluids; a weak person having many pregnancies and lactations leads to blood exhaustion, which can be fatal. Observing Jing and Xue, one understands half the matter.