Sages of Middle Antiquity and Later Generations

If an orange tree crosses the Huai River to the north, it becomes a bitter trifoliate orange, the crested myna bird does not cross the Ji River, and the raccoon dog dies if it crosses the Wen River. This is because of the Earth Qioriginal: "di qi" (地氣). This refers to the specific vital energy or environmental conditions—including climate, soil, and water—of a particular geographic location that dictates the nature of the things produced there.. The knives of Zheng, the axes of Song, the small chisels of Lu, and the swords of Wu and Yue—if one moves these crafts to another region, they cannot be made to the same excellenceThe source text uses the character "戛" (jiá). In standard versions of the Kaogongji, the character "良" (liáng, meaning "fine" or "excellent") is used instead. The author is emphasizing that even with the same materials, the quality cannot be replicated elsewhere.. This, too, is due to the Earth Qi.

The reason an orange cannot be moved across the Huai is that the Qi influences it and causes it to transform. The reason the crested myna does not cross the Ji is that the Qi there is too oppressive for it to dwell. The reason the raccoon dog dies upon crossing the Wen is because the local Qi strikes it and kills it.

The Classic of the Hidden Talisman original: "Yinfujing" (陰符經). A Taoist scripture that discusses the relationship between Heaven, Earth, and Man. states: "The governance of birds lies in the Qi."

This is precisely the point. As for tools like the knives of Zheng and the axes of Song, is it truly that the metal found in the rest of the world is not as hard as the metal of these five states, or that the world’s artisans are not as capable as those of these five states? Even if the people of Zheng and Song, or Lu and Yue, were to trade places with one another, it would still not...