He compared a small company to a thousand-chariot state, saying it could still be run well.
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history
From 《论语·学而》: 道千乘之国，敬事而信... ('To govern a state of a thousand chariots, attend to business with reverence and be trustworthy...'). One 乘 = one four-horse chariot; a state fielding a thousand was a major power in the Spring-and-Autumn period.
usage
The 乘 is read shèng (fourth tone) — the classical military-chariot reading — not the common chéng. Modern texts cite this phrase mostly when discussing classical political philosophy or governance.
