一切經音義 23.74

23.74

Documents and seals (圖書卵璽: Zheng Xuan's commentary on the Zhouli says: '圖 means drawings; 璽 means seals.' Cai Yong's Duduan says: 'The seal of the Son of Heaven is made of jade with a chihu (hornless dragon) ornament. In ancient times, both the noble and the humble used them.' The Yueling says: 'Prior to the Qin, feudal lords, village elders, and grand masters all called them xi. From that point onward, the Son of Heaven alone claimed the title, and feudal lords did not dare to use it. Ziying, Prince of Qin, presented the dynastic seal to Emperor Gaozu, with the inscription: "Having received the mandate of Heaven, may the Emperor have longevity and eternal prosperity." This was the ancient name for seal tallies, which today refers to the text of imperial proclamations.' The character 螭 is pronounced 勅 + 支 fanqie).