Chou Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Woman (nǚ) 妾 Kangxi Stroke Count: 8 Page 257, Entry 39 Broad Rimes (Guangyun), Collected Rimes (Jiyun), Rime Compendium (Yunhui), Correct Rimes (Zhengyun): Pronounced qie (falling tone). The pronunciation is the same as the character meaning to step. It means to connect. It refers to a woman who is able to be joined with a gentleman (a man). Book of Rites (Liji), Songs of Refinement (Quli): When purchasing a concubine, if one does not know her surname, one must determine it through divination. History of the Former Han (Qianhan), Treatise on the Five Elements (Wuxingzhi): An unmarried young woman who becomes pregnant under certain circumstances. Commentary: The term virgin concubine refers to an underage girl. It is also the name of a country. Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing): The country of Yushiqie lies to the north of it. Yang Shen states: Yushiqie is the name of a personage like Heng'e or the Weaving Maid, and not the name of a country. The subsequent text mentions that the Yuangu country lies to the north of Yushiqie, which proves that it is indeed a country name. It is also a surname. During the Han dynasty, there were people named Qiexu and Qiezhi, as seen in the Seal Repository (Yinsou). Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi): The character form is composed of the components for qian and woman. The component for qian is pronounced the same as the character for error.