Illustrated Explanation of the Chariot System in the Artificers' Record

Illustrated Explanation of Carriage Systems: Volume I, Page 5

Recently, Mencius stated: "All who possess [the four beginnings of virtue] should know how to expand and fill them." Zhao Qi’s commentary explains: "To expand (kuo) means to broaden (kuo)."

Thus, in the Record of Trades original: Kao Gong Ji., when the Carpenter mentions "measuring across (zun) the interior of its lacquer," the term zun original: zun. A technical term for measuring internal diameter or breadth. is a phonetic variation of the words for "light" or "breadth" (guang). It is the technical name for the horizontal measurement taken across the interior of the object to gauge its "fullness."

Based on current calculations, for a wheel original: lun. of 6 feet 6 inches, if we remove the unpainted sections of the felloe—both the upper and lower surfaces—measuring 3 inches, 6 fen, 6 li, and 6 hao approx. 3.6666 inches, the internal measurement across (zun) totals 5 feet, 8 inches, 6 fen, 6 li, and 6 hao. If we then divide this measurement in half, we arrive at the length of the hub original: gu..

Thus, the length of the hub is 2 feet, 9 inches, 3 fen, 3 li, and 3 hao. This represents the maximum possible length for the hub of a war chariot original: bing che..

Therefore, The Methods of the Sima original: Sima Fa. An ancient manual of military theory. states: "An administrative district of ten square li shall provide one 'long-hub' chariot (chang gu)." The Classic of Poetry in the "The Little Chariot" original: Xiao Rong. describes "patterned mats and long hubs (chang gu)." The Mao Commentary explains: "A chang hub is a long hub."

The Record of Trades further states: "Use its length to determine its circumference." This means the length of the hub is equal to the circumference of the hub.

The Huainanzi A 2nd-century BCE philosophical compendium. relates an anecdote: "A man of Ying, wishing to buy a ridgepole, sought wood with a circumference of three spans. Someone offered him a chariot hub. When he measured it that evening, its thickness was sufficient, but its length was inadequate."

According to the commentary on the Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial original: Yi Li., an average man's span original: gui. The distance covered by a hand or a standard measure. measures nine inches; thus, three spans equals two feet seven inches. Now...