Chapter 13 Section 2 The knowledge of building and driving a car

After briefly reviewing the evolution of vehicles in the past dynasties, we will introduce the relevant parts of the vehicle. The compartment of the ancient car as the part of the car is called "Yu". The railings and wooden boards on the left and right sides of "Yu" are called 輢 (yi yi), which can be leaned on to see from a distance.The hand-held crossbar in front is called Shi.The act of showing respect to others while driving is also called Shi, that is, Fu Shi bows his head.The horizontal board or railing behind Yu is called Zhen [zhen pillow].There is a gap on the pillar for passengers to get on and off.In ancient times, people usually got on and off from the back of the car.There is a rope tied to the vehicle body for use when getting on and off the vehicle.This rope is called Sui. "The Analects of Confucius Xiangdang" said: "When the car is promoted, it must be erected and held."

The running part of the car mainly includes wheels and axles.At the center of the wheel is a holed log, called the hub, for the shaft.The frame of the wheel is called the rim [wang net].Connecting the rim and hub are the spokes.There are more or less spokes of the wheel, generally 30. "Laozi" said: "Thirty spokes, a total of one hub."The spokes all around converge toward the hub, which is called convergence (cou).The axle is a beam on which the car is supported, and the wheels are put on both ends.Both ends of the shaft are exposed outside the hub, and the end is covered with a bronze or iron shaft head, which is called Weiwei.There is a hole on the shaft head, which is used to receive the "jurisdiction" to prevent the wheel from falling off.Jurisdictions are generally made of bronze or iron, flat and rectangular, about three or four inches long, commonly known as pins.The axle runs across the bottom of the yu, and the way to fix it is to install two pieces of wood at the bottom of the yu, and tie the axle to it with a rope.Its shape is like a crawling rabbit, so it is called Fu rabbit.Also called 〔fu complex〕.

Regarding the technical requirements for making wheels, as early as the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, there were clear regulations in the book "Kao Gong Ji" written by Qi people. The specific requirements include the following 10 items: First, the wheels must be carefully calibrated with tools The shape is a perfect circle; otherwise the contact surface between the wheel and the ground cannot be as small as possible, and thus it will not turn fast.The second is that the plane of the wheel must be flat, and the wheel can be placed on a flat disc of the same size as the wheel for inspection to see if the two are tightly connected to each other.The third is to use a suspension wire to check whether the corresponding spokes are straight.The fourth is to put the wheel in the water to see if its ups and downs are consistent, so as to determine whether all parts of the wheel are balanced.The fifth is to require the same size and weight of the two wheels of the same car.Sixth, the overall structure of the wheel is required to be very strong.Seventh, the thickness and length of the hub are required to be appropriate.According to the principle of being conducive to rotation and stability, hubs of different sizes can be selected for vehicles of different purposes.Eighth, the diameter of the wheel is required to be moderate.If it is too big, it will be inconvenient for people to get up and down; if it is too small, it will be very difficult to pull up a horse.Ninth, there are three requirements for the shaft: excellent material selection, strong and wear-resistant, and flexible rotation.The tenth is that the whole wheel must be made of solid wood or the like.It can be seen that the technical requirements at that time were very strict, and the considerations were very thorough and in line with scientific principles. "Kaogongji" also narrates the selection of vehicle materials and their connection methods, the production of other parts of the vehicle, and the requirements for vehicles with different purposes.

The structure and composition of the vehicle, in addition to the above-mentioned components related to the vehicle and running parts, also includes the driving components.The components of the driving part mainly include the shaft, the yoke, and 〔〔ni mud〕.Yuan, also called 辀〔zhouzhou〕, is a straight wooden or slightly curved wooden pole.The rear end of the shaft is connected to the axle, and the front end is tied to a curved crossbar called a yoke, also called a balance or a horizontal beam.The shaft and the yoke are connected by a pin, called □, and the small cart is called 軏 [yue month].The yoke is to be put on the necks of the horses and oxen.There is also "轫" [ren blade], which is a piece of wood that stops the wheel from turning.When driving, the foram must be removed before the car can turn.So departure is also called beginning.In the future, "beginning" will be used to refer to the beginning of an event.

There may be a cover on the ancient car, which is supported by a wooden stick, which looks like a big umbrella.The cover is specially used for cars, and mats can be laid in Yuzhong. The car mat is called Yin, and later it also refers to general mats.It is said that in ancient times women's cars were often hung with curtains around the car.Later, the car cover was cancelled, and a top (similar to the modern car hood) was added to the curtain, which was called curtain, also known as 幰 [xianxian]. In addition, ancient chariots and horses often had many decorative accessories, such as bells mounted on balances and yokes, called "luan".In the Western Zhou Dynasty, the most advanced carriages had to be equipped with eight luan, which sounded very pleasant when walking.Many parts on the ancient car are beautifully made, such as some copper car seats, even inlaid with gold and silver threads to form beautiful patterns, which are extremely gorgeous.

Building a car is a science, and driving a car is also a science.In ancient times, the original carts were pushed and pulled by people, and later they were pulled by animal power.Compared with other vehicles, horse-drawn carriages are faster and more flexible, and play an important role in animal-drawn vehicles. Driving a horse-drawn carriage has become an important knowledge. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius' teaching system included the subject of "imperialism".When the car is moving, the wheeler who drives the carriage holds the reins of the horse in his hand.There is a poem "holding the bridle like a group" in the book, "like a group" means holding the eight reins in both hands, like a group of ropes.In this way, the force can be even, and the "two horses" [can ginseng, a cart with three horses or the horses on both sides of the four horses] can run "like a dance" and are extremely coordinated.There are also two types of whips for driving horses. The whip made of bamboo strips is called a whip, and the whip made of leather strips is called a whip.Today we often say the word "whip", which is derived from the meaning of whipping a horse.In ancient my country, people attached great importance to the improvement of driving skills, and there are many records about driving masters in ancient books. When "Zuo Zhuan" records the situation of the war, it is always necessary to explain to the commanders of the two sides.The ancient feudal rulers even realized many techniques of governing the people because of this. "Therefore, there are laws to govern the horses, and there is a way to govern the people. If the laws are obtained, the horses will be harmonious and happy; if the way is obtained, the people will gather in peace."

The way the ancients ride a car is generally advocating the left side.There are three people in a car, the venerable is on the left, the rider (that is, the accompanying passenger) is on the right, and the royal is in the middle.The military chariot is different. If it is a general's chariot, the commander is in the center, which is convenient for commanding. The driver is on the left, and the guard is on the right; Cooperate and fight together.