Deputy in Xiao Yao San

Bái Sháo 白芍

White peony root · Paeoniae Radix Alba (Paeonia lactiflora) · 30 g in the classical formula

Role in the formula

Bái sháo is the second deputy, paired with dāng guī. The tradition credits it with softening the liver — easing the tension, spasm, and pain that accompany constraint — while preserving yin and blood^[1]. With chái hú it forms one of the great herb pairs of the literature: movement matched with nourishment, so that coursing the qi never depletes it.

Character

Bitter, sour, and mildly cold, entering the liver and spleen channels. Its classical duties include calming ascendant liver yang, alleviating cramping pain in the abdomen and limbs, and restraining sweat^[1].

In the pharmacy

The peeled, boiled root of Paeonia lactiflora — the same garden peony known to florists, in its medicinal preparation. 30 g in the classical proportions.