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This book is also known as Jingfang Xiaopin. The author, Chen Yan-zhi, has an unknown life history. According to scholars' research, it was likely written during the Southern Dynasties between the Song and Qi periods in the latter half of the 5th century AD.

Xiaopin Fang, its specific content was lost during the Song Dynasty. In 1985, a fragment of this book was discovered in the medical section of the library classification catalog of the Sonkeikaku Bunko in Japan. The fragment includes the preface, general table of contents, and the first volume, significantly enhancing the possibility of restoring the complete Xiaopin Fang. According to the general table of contents, the entire book consists of twelve volumes. Besides the preface, bibliography, and full table of contents at the beginning, the contents are as follows: Volume 1 includes methods for using and combining medicines, 27 prescriptions for regulating the triple energizer, and prescriptions for eight types of diseases including chest impediment. Volumes 2 to 5 contain prescriptions for various Zabing diseases. Volume 6 includes prescriptions for cold-damage disease and warm febrile disease. Volumes 7 and 8 respectively cover prescriptions for women's diseases and children's diseases. Volume 9 contains prescriptions for stone-induced diseases. Volume 10 includes prescriptions for external diseases such as sores, ulcers, and fractures. Volume 11 is about materia medica, and Volume 12 discusses essential moxibustion points.

Xiaopin Fang is rich in content and can be considered a small encyclopedia encompassing a wide range of topics before the Tang Dynasty. It had considerable influence at the time and was regarded as a classic work of equal importance to the Cold-Damage Disease Treatise. It was also a foundational text, as it was said, "Even young beginners in medicine should first study this Xiaopin as an introduction." Because of this, before the book was lost, it had a significant impact. The Tang Imperial Medical Bureau designated Xiaopin Fang as a required course for students. Later, Japan's Taiho Code and Engi Shiki, modeled after the Tang system, highly valued this book as a textbook, requiring a study period of up to 300 days. Qianjin Fang, Waitai Miyao, and Ishinpo quote many unique treatment methods from this book. For example, Waitai quotes a simple yet scientific method from Volume 10 for detecting toxic gases in wells and tombs, which is an effective measure to prevent poisoning. Another example is the "treatment for hanging suicide" quoted in Ishinpo, which is extremely detailed and shows development compared to the methods described in Zhang Zhong-jing's Jin Gui Yao Lue.

Xiaopin Fang was lost after the late Song Dynasty, with its fragments scattered in later supplemented works such as Zhouhou Beiji Fang, Qianjin Yaofang, Waitai Miyao, and Zhubing Yuanhou Lun. Additionally, Japan's Ishinpo and Korea's Dongyi Baojian also contain some fragments. In modern times, fragments of this book were discovered in Japan. A compiled version of the lost text was published in 1983 by Tianjin Science and Technology Press.