Portal hypertension is the most common and fatal complication of chronic liver disease, which falls under the category of "collateral disease" in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM). Due to the interconnectedness of the collaterals, the liver has a close relationship with the spleen, stomach, and the large and small intestines. Damp-heat and residual toxins are key factors in the formation of compensatory portal hypertension, while phlegm-dampness and blood stasis form its pathological foundation. The transmission of liver disease to the spleen is an inevitable process in the evolution from the compensatory phase to the decompensatory phase of liver cirrhosis. The depletion of blood and essence, and the mixing of clear and turbid substances are the intrinsic reasons for the exacerbation of portal hypertension in the decompensatory phase of liver cirrhosis,with common clinical complications such as hematemesis and ascites."Deficiency of the root and excess of the branch" is the overall characteristic of the pathogenesis of portal hypertension, and protecting the stomach qi is the foremost task in preserving the portal vein.