Qì is the commander of the blood

Qì produces and moves the blood. Blood is produced by provisioning qì, which carries the essence assimilated from food by the stomach and spleen upward into the lung, combining it with lung qì. Once formed, it then flows with qì through the vessels. The heart’s function of governing the blood, the liver’s function of storing the blood, and the spleen’s function of keeping the blood in the vessels are all ascribed to the qì of these organs. From this it can be seen that qì is indispensable for both the production and the circulation of blood. Qì engenders, moves, and contains the blood. This is why it is said that qì is the commander of the blood.