  Styled Fusi, Wang Bi (226–249) was one of the acknowledged leaders of the movement of “Learning in the Profound” (xuanxue) that came into prominence during the Wei period (220–265) and dominated the Chinese intellectual scene well into the sixth century. The word xuan denotes literally a shade of dark red and is used in the Laozi (esp. ch. 1) to suggest the mystery or profundity of Dao. The movement has been termed, perhaps not without ambiguity, “Neo-Daoism” in Western studies. It signifies a broad philosophical front united in its attempt to discern the “true” meaning of Dao but not a homogeneous or partisan school. Alarmed by what they saw as the decline of Dao, influential intellectuals of the day initiated a sweeping reinterpretation of the classical heritage. They did not neglect the Confucian classics but drew inspiration especially from the Yijing, the Laozi, and the Zhuangzi, which were then referred to as the “Three (Classics on the) Profound” (sanxuan); that is to say, the three key treatises unlocking the mystery of Dao. Wang Bi, despite his short life, distinguished himself as a brilliant interpreter of the Laozi and the Yijing (see A. Chan 1991a, Wagner 2000, Lynn 2015, and “Neo-Daoism” in this Encyclopedia).