Wei Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Rice (mǐ) 糜 Kangxi Strokes: 17 Page 912, Entry 21 Pronounced mí (rising tone) According to the Shuo Wen Jie Zi (Shuowen Jiezi), the Yellow Emperor first taught the making of gruel. According to the Shi Ming (Shiming), the term refers to boiling rice until it is soft and disintegrated. According to the Bo Ya (Boya), it refers to congee or thickened soup. Book of Rites (Liji), Monthly Ordinances: Serve gruel and beverages. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Treatise on the Feng and Shan Sacrifices: Items such as sacrificial gruel. Commentary: A deity of gruel offerings. Customs and Traditions (Fengtu Ji): Custom favors making gruel from red beans to symbolize their color. It also means to rot or decompose. Mencius (Mengzi): Causing the people to suffer and perish. History of the Former Han (Qianhan Shu), Biography of Jia Shan: Nothing was left from destruction. Also used interchangeably with the character meaning to dissipate (mí). Book of Rites (Liji), Minor Rituals: The state is impoverished and crumbling. Commentary: This refers to the dispersal and exhaustion of wealth. These ancient characters are used interchangeably. Also used interchangeably with the character for eyebrow (méi). History of the Former Han (Qianhan Shu), Biography of Wang Mang: The Red Eyebrows heard of this and dared not enter the borders. Commentary: Here it refers to eyebrows. These ancient characters are used interchangeably. In the Collection of Rime (Jiyun), it is sometimes written in a variant form. Textual Research: Book of Rites (Liji), Monthly Ordinances: The original text reads gruel and food; this has been corrected to gruel and beverages in accordance with the original source.