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A 方剂 (fāng jì) — formula — is a structured combination of herbs assembled according to therapeutic logic. The hallmark of Chinese formula composition is the 君臣佐使 hierarchy: a sovereign herb (君) addresses the main pattern, a minister (臣) reinforces the sovereign, assistants (佐) support the principal action and moderate side effects, and an envoy (使) guides the herbs to their target or harmonizes them. Each formula embodies the diagnostic logic of pattern differentiation; the same pattern may be treated by different formulas, and a single formula may be modified to fit subtly different presentations.