Chou Collection, Middle Volume. Radical: Earth (tǔ). Kangxi stroke count: 11. Page 232, Entry 05. Pronounced qín. According to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it refers to clay. Xu Xuan states that yellow earth is clay. According to the History of the Five Dynasties (Wudai Shi), when Liu Shouguang besieged Cangzhou, the people inside the city resorted to eating clumps of clay. It also refers to seasonal timing. According to the Book of Master Guan (Guanzi), in the chapter on the Five Elements, one must manage the water and soil to await the seasonal timing. It is also written in a variant form (jìn). Pronounced jìn. It means to smear or plaster. It is also used interchangeably with the character meaning few or only (jǐn). According to the Guangya (an ancient dictionary), it means few. In the History of the Former Han (Qianhan Shu), the Treatise on Geography states that Yuzhang produced gold, but only in very small quantities. Pronounced jìn. A name of a state. The State of Jinzi was located east of Fenghua County in Ningbo, and within its territory was Mount Chijin. According to the Yuejue Shu (Records of the Glory of Yue), when Xue Zhu discussed swords with the King of Yue, he said that Mount Chijin was mined to produce tin, which is the present-day Yin region. There is also Jinyin, a place name located in the Jin region. Note: The character for the plant names monkshood and violet belongs to the grass radical. The Comprehensive Collection of Characters (Zihui) incorrectly includes it here. According to the Mao Shi Yun Zeng, the upper part of this character consists of the radical for twenty, not the variant form often written with two strokes in imperial editions, which is also an error.