Illustrated Explanation of the Chariot System in the Artificers' Record

This provides clear evidence that the wood used by wheelwrights must follow its natural grain. The Record states: "By using the defense of its circumference, hollow out fu: technically to pat or touch, but here interpreted as the process of boring or hollowing out wood its sou The hollow center of the hub.." This refers to following the straight grain within the wood of the hub to remove the center-wood and create the sou; it does not refer to the circumference itself. Zheng Kangcheng The Han dynasty scholar Zheng Xuan (127–200 AD), the most influential commentator on the Confucian classics. noted that fu means "to remove." That fu implies removal is correct. I, Yuan The author/commentator., suggest that "hollowing out the sou" refers to the extraction and removal of the wood from the center of the hub to form the cavity. The terms "the wheelwright hollows the sou" and "the artisan hollows the ditch" are used similarly to the phrases "hollowing the phoenix" in the Rhapsody of the Upper Forest and "hollowing the Kui-dragon" in the Rhapsody of the Sweet Springs—the word fu carries the same meaning in all these cases. The Erya The oldest surviving Chinese dictionary. in its "Explanation of Trees" section states that fu relates to hollowing or carving. The Fangyan An ancient dictionary of regional dialects. states it means to "pull out" or "extract." The commentary on the Wen Xuan Selections of Refined Literature. cites the Cangjie Pian saying zhuo means to "draw out." Therefore, the fu in "hollowing the sou" should be interpreted as— How can we prove this? When artisans create irrigation systems, if a ditch cuts against the natural ridges of the earth the subterranean veins, the water is said to "not flow." If the water follows the grain and flows smoothly, it is said to "proceed." The text mentions: "Hollow out a ditch for thirty li and double the width." This phrasing is exactly the same case as that of the wheelwright. The artisan says that in making a ditch, one must follow the geography and remove the soil to create it, just as the wheelwright says that in making the sou, one must follow the grain of the wood and remove the wood to create it. The Record of Trades was written by a single hand, and its phrasing is already consistent—