Wu Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Spirit (shì) Kangxi strokes: 10 Page 841, Entry 17 Pronounced bi (falling tone). According to the Explaining and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it refers to that which is divine. Xu Kai stated that the meaning of secret is to close off; it is hidden and cannot be made public. According to the Extensive Rhymes (Guangyun), it means to toil, it means dense, it means to store away. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Biography of Emperor Xiaowen: officials of the secret prayers. Commentary: secret prayers involve transferring blame to subordinates; the state considers such matters taboo, hence the term secret. History of the Former Han (Qianhan Shu), Biography of Liu Xiang: an imperial decree appointed Xiang to head the secret archives of the Five Classics in the palace. Commentary: the term inside is used to distinguish these from those kept outside. Ban Gu, Two Capitals Rhapsody: to collate and edit secret texts. Also refers to a government office. Book of Tang (Tangshu), Treatise on Official Posts: one supervisor of the secretarial department, and three secretarial secretaries. Also a surname. Records of Western Qin (Xiqin Lu): there was a chief minister named Bi Yi. Also pronounced bi (falling tone). Xi Zheng, Explaining Ridicule: Nothing is so far that it is not reached, nothing is so deep that it is not fully understood. Standing firm to take up one's destiny, one attends to these profound secrets. According to Correct Meaning (Zhengzitong), the character is composed of the radical for spirit and the element bi. The common form using the grain radical is an erroneous variant.