Wei Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Silk (mì) Character: qīn Kangxi Stroke Count: 13 Page 925, Entry 03 According to the Broad Rhymes (Guangyun) and Correct Rhymes (Zhengyun), the pronunciation is qin. According to the Collected Rhymes (Jiyun) and Rhyme Anthology (Yunhui), the pronunciation is qin. According to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen), it is written as a variant, meaning red thread. In the Book of Odes (Shijing), within the section Odes of Lu, it is written: Cowrie-shell helmets tied with red threads. The Commentary (Zhuan) states: They were fastened with red threads. The Sub-commentary (Shu) explains: This refers to using red threads to connect the pieces of the armor. According to the Broad Rhymes (Guangyun), the pronunciation is qin. According to the Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), the pronunciation is qin. The meaning is the same. According to the Broad Rhymes (Guangyun), the pronunciation is xian. According to the Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), the pronunciation is xian. This refers to white warp threads and black weft threads. It is the same as the variant form.