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Li Yanwen’s most pivotal contribution lies in rejecting the simplistic view of ginseng merely as a precious tonic. Instead, he advocated prescribing ginseng according to an individual’s physical constitution — cold, heat, deficiency or excess.

Building on the earlier principle “ginseng is contraindicated for lung heat”, he summarized that ginseng suits those with weak constitutions, feeble pulses and sallow complexions, while it must be avoided by people with vigorous fire and abundant phlegm, or yin deficiency intolerant to tonics.

This laid the theoretical foundation for the later doctrine “Seven Indications and Seven Contraindications” of ginseng, correcting the misconception that ginseng invariably causes internal heat.

Li Yanwen conducted in-depth research on the mugwort from his hometown and authored *Treatise on Qi Ai*, one of China’s earliest monographs dedicated solely to mugwort. His research focused on the authentic medicinal quality of Qizhou mugwort and its effects in moxibustion. He was the first to systematically study Qizhou mugwort as an independent category, founding the discipline of Qi Ai.

Later, the name “Qi Ai” was formally established and popularized by Li Shizhen in *Compendium of Materia Medica*.