Shen Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Grass (cǎo) 藥; Kangxi stroke count: 21; Page 1046 Pronounced yue. Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Writing and Phrasing): Herbs used to treat illness. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Annals of the Three Sovereigns: Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, and thus medicine began. Commentary on the Emergency Relief Text (Jijiu Pian Zhu): All things from nature, including herbs, trees, metals, stones, birds, beasts, insects, and fish that can heal illnesses are collectively called medicine. Also: Peony (shaoyao). See the entry for the character shao. Also: To heal. Book of Odes (Shijing), Greater Odes: Many will be scorching, there is no medicine to save them. Zhuangzi, Heaven and Earth: The medicinal treatment of sores by the Yu clan. Also: A surname. Comprehensive Records (Tongzhi), Treatise on Clans: The Yao clan, originating from Henei. During the Later Han dynasty, there was Yao Song, Governor of Nanyang. During the Jin dynasty, there was the vanguard commander Yao Chong. Also: Pronounced shuo. Zhuoyao describes a burning sensation. Qiu Chi, Rhapsody on Thinking of the Worthy: My heart burns as if wounded. Also: Pronounced lüe. Zhang Heng, Rhapsody on the Southern Capital: Returning wild geese and sand grouse, yellow rice and fresh fish, used to make shaoyao. Commentary: Shaoyao refers to the harmony of the five flavors. Yao is pronounced lüe. Xixi Congyu: The term shaoyao refers to minced meat and fish used as a salted preserve. Han Tuizhi, Linked Verse on Yancheng: Five tripods seasoned with shaoyao. Also: A medicine to delay aging. The first药 is pronounced lüe, the second药 is pronounced yue; the two have different pronunciations. Also: According to Ancient Pronunciation of the Tang Rhymes, the yao in medicine (yiyao) is in the departing tone, pronounced xiao. Also: Dictionary Supplement (Zihuibu): Equivalent to the enclosure (yu) of a royal park. Li Zhengji states: The term yaolan (railing) in a garden refers to an enclosure, where yao means lan, and lan means yao, implying a fence or barricade, not a railing for flowers. Book of Han (Hanshu), Annals of Emperor Xuan: Those who had not yet visited the imperial ponds and enclosures (yao) were allowed to lend them to the poor. Generally, in the Book of Han, whenever referring to unauthorized entry into the palace, the character for enclosure (lan) is often written with the grass radical, making the meaning of yaolan particularly clear.