I

Nanjing, Yuhua Terrace.

There is a Huihui stargazing platform here, and the traditional Chinese stargazing platform is built on Jiming Mountain.

For more than two hundred years in the Ming Dynasty, in terms of astronomy and calendar, the Han calendar and the Muslim calendar were parallel. Although the Huihui Qin Tianjian was cancelled, the relevant personnel were retained, and the Huihui Division has always existed in the Onmyoji system.

Before returning to the observatory, Liu Rushi was flipping through a volume of "Chongzhen Almanac", while Zhao Han was flipping through another volume.

During the Chongzhen period, Qin Tianjian was divided into four parts.

One is the Datong calendar system, the other is the Hijri system, the third is the Western Bureau system, and the fourth is the Eastern Bureau system.

The west game and the east game, eight contests before and after, measure the eclipse of the sun and moon to determine the winner or loser.

The Western Game was won, so European astronomical knowledge was introduced into the Datong calendar system of the Ming Dynasty. Although it is not compatible, a new set of calendars was compiled, and important parts of it were selected and engraved as "Chongzhen Almanac".

The circle is divided into 360 degrees, the day is divided into 96 quarters, and the time is divided into 60. These are all introduced into China through the "Chongzhen Almanac".

The set of "Chongzhen Almanac" in Zhao Han's hand was brought to the south from Shandong by the missionary Long Huamin.

This book has not been published in the whole country at all, it is only printed in a small amount by Beijing Qintianjian, and it cannot be bought in the private book market.

Zhao Han closed the "Chongzhen Almanac" and asked: "The earth is the center of the universe, the sun and stars revolve around the earth, and the five planets revolve around the sun. Which smart person proposed this kind of statement, and it was compiled into the "Chongzhen Almanac" grandiosely. "?"

In front of Zhao Han and Liu Rushi, more than 30 Chinese and foreign astronomers were sitting.

Long Huamin participated in the compilation of this book. He stood up and clasped his hands to explain: "Your Majesty, in the former Ming Qin Tianjian, the contradictions between the East and the West were very fierce. Moreover, the chiefs of the Qin Tianjian were often jealous, self-willed, and reckless. Interfering with the work of the calendar bureau. The heliocentric theory cannot be compiled into the almanac at all, and only the geocentric theory can be used."

"I am not Chongzhen, so I am what I should be. The "Chongzhen Almanac" must be checked for omissions and recompiled." Zhao Han said.

Long Huamin asked: "Your Majesty, to recompile the almanac, should we directly adopt the Western calendar, or introduce Western astronomical knowledge into the Datong calendar?"

Zhao Han smiled and asked, "Which one do you think is suitable?"

Long Huamin replied, "All are suitable."

Hehe, he is really a clever little ghost. He must have stumbled a lot in Beijing Qintianjian.

Cao Xuequan got up suddenly and said: "Your Majesty, it is difficult to balance the Western calendar and the Datong calendar in many places. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages."

Cao Xuequan is the originator of Hokkien Opera. Maybe he is not very famous, but his couplets are well known. That's the sentence: Every time more dogs are slaughtered in righteousness, most of them are scholars who are ungrateful.

In history, after the death of Chongzhen, this gentleman committed suicide by diving and was rescued. Later, he served as an official in the small court of the Southern Ming Dynasty. After Zheng Zhilong was surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, he hanged himself and died for the country, leaving a couplet of death: single pen in life, and a rope in death.

"I'm asking you, which calendar should you use?" Zhao Han repeated again.

Cao Xuequan said: "Abandon Daming's "Da Tong Li", introduce Western astronomical algorithms, and remake Shen Mengxi's Twelve Qi Calendar."

"Second minister!" Zeng Yizhuan immediately got up and agreed, he and Cao Xuequan came from Fujian together, obviously they had already communicated with each other on the way.

Zeng Yizhuan was a posthumous child, and was taught to read by his mother. After passing the examination as a scholar, he made a living as a private school teacher, supported his elderly mother with a meager income, and refused to accept anyone's relief. Moreover, if you refuse to be recommended as an official, you usually teach, study knowledge, and write letters to local officials to discuss matters.

Yang Manuo, archbishop of the Chinese diocese of the Jesuits, immediately stood up at the same time as Aurelius: "Your Majesty, you can adopt the Western calendar!"

Zhao Han ignored the two missionaries, and only asked Cao Xuequan, "How do you calculate the twelve qi calendars?"

Cao Xuequan replied: "Traditional Chinese calendars all use the Pingqi method, and they are all lunar and solar calendars. This will inevitably lead to confusion. Often the season is already spring, and the calendar month is still in winter. Even if the leap month method is used to reconcile it, this contradiction cannot be completely eliminated. Therefore, Shen Kuo and Shen Mengxi, the sages of the Song Dynasty, created the Twelve Qi Calendar based on the solar terms."

"Explain in detail." Zhao Han still didn't understand.

Cao Xuequan said: "Introducing Western astronomy into the twelve solar calendars is to divide the 360 ​​degrees of the zodiac into 24 equal parts. Each lunar solar term is at a fixed position where the earth revolves, and the angle between the two adjacent lunar solar terms is 15 degrees. .In this way, Lichun is January 1st, Waking of Insects is February 1st, Qingming is March 1st...heavy snow is November 1st, and minor cold is December 1st. The big moon has 31 days and the small moon has 30 days.”

Zhao Han understood, this is a solar calendar that combines Chinese and Western elements, and the moon is determined by the 24 solar terms of the lunar calendar. He praised: "This method is very good, and it will not disrupt the farming season."

In the 20th century, the United Kingdom came up with a set of Bernard Shaw's calendar, which was specially used for statistical agricultural climate. The principle is the same as Shen Kuo's twelve-ocean calendar. However, the British Bernard Shaw calendar sets the beginning of winter in the Chinese lunar calendar as January 1st of each year.

Long Huamin said: "Your Majesty, the compilation of the calendar still needs to be considered in the long term."

"Do you think I don't understand?" Zhao Han stood up with a smile, squatted down and picked up a stone to draw a pattern, "This is the earth, this is the sun, and this circle is the ecliptic that the earth revolves around the sun. Delineate the ecliptic 360 degrees , divided into 24 parts, each part is 15 degrees. Each division point is a lunar solar term. The earth rotates 15 degrees, which is a lunar solar term. The earth rotates 1 degree, which is approximately equal to one day, and 30 degrees is a month."

Long Huamin was speechless for a moment, the new emperor of China seemed not to be easily fooled.

The term "Earth" is a professional vocabulary that was officially born when the "Chongzhen Almanac" was compiled, and Zhao Han even knew the Earth.

Of course, Cao Xuequan and others also knew that they were friends with Ai Julian, and they often discussed astronomical knowledge together.

Fang Yizhi also came to discuss the calendar today, and he asked: "Your Majesty, if the new calendar sets Lichun as January 1st, will the New Year's Day and Lantern Festival in the old calendar be changed?"

"No change, the new calendar and the old calendar run side by side," Zhao Han said, "The new calendar is used to count days, and the old calendar is used to count festivals. New Year's Day is still the first day of the new year, and festivals such as Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and Double Ninth Festival are also reserved. From now on, it will be published every year. The almanac, the new calendar, and the old calendar are integrated into one. A certain date in the new calendar and a certain date in the old calendar must be printed one by one."

New calendar, solar calendar.

Old calendar, lunar calendar.

They are all in the lunar calendar, and the twenty-four solar terms are consistent.

Zhao Han also said: "The "Chongzhen Almanac" needs to check for mistakes and fill in the gaps, and it is renamed "Minshi Almanac". The compilation of the old and new calendars adopts the method in the almanac."

"Chongzhen Almanac" is not just a calendar, but a set of astronomy books, with five categories of content: astronomical theory, astronomical and mathematical tables, astronomical and mathematical methods, astronomical instruments, and conversion tables for eastern and western astronomical time units.

These include how to measure the positions of the sun, moon and stars, the laws of motion of the five major planets, and so on.

Zhao Han continued: "Appointing Cao Xuequan as the curator of the Qintianyuan Planetarium, in addition to compiling the old and new calendars and correcting the "Chongzhen Almanac", he will also study more astronomical knowledge in the future. Don't be afraid of offending the emperor with heliocentric theory. In my opinion, the sun is not The center of the universe, the universe may be very large. Maybe there are other earths in the universe, and there are people living on those earths, and the stars in the sky are the suns of those earths.”

As soon as this remark came out, many astronomers were dumbfounded.

Zhao Han's statement seems to be... reasonable, although it is hard to accept.

Zhao Han asked those missionaries: "In the Western calendar, is the birth of Jesus the first year?"

"Of course," Yang Manuo from Macau, who is the general manager of Christianity in China, replied, "Sixty years ago, the Pope approved the promulgation of the "Gregorian Calendar", which began to use the birthday of the Holy Son as the starting date. Year."

Zhao Han said with a smile: "The Western calendar regards saints as the first year, but my China can also use saints as the first year. In this way, it is easy to remember the date even if the emperor is changed."

Fang Yizhi suggested: "How about taking Confucius' birthday as the first year?"

The scholars present all agreed.

Zhao Han asked, "Can you calculate Xuanyuan Huangdi's birthday?"

"It should be possible." Cao Xuequan said.

Zhao Han made a decision: "Then take Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor's birthday as the first year."

After saying this, Zhao Han took Liu Rushi's hand and left Yuhuatai surrounded by guards.

Chinese scholars bowed to Cao Xuequan one after another: "Congratulations, Director Cao!"

Cao Xuequan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was born as a serious Jinshi.

Before Chongzhen became emperor, Cao Xuequan was already a political envoy. After being dismissed by Wei Zhongxian, he refused Chongzhen's recovery and studied at home all the time. Unexpectedly, he was appointed as an astronomical official in his later years.

Astronomical officials are not popular among traditional scholars!

Cao Xuequan said: "Since Your Majesty asked me to edit the calendar, I will do my best. As for the curator of astronomy, I will resign and return to my hometown after the calendar is compiled. The two star observatories in Nanjing have been abandoned for many years, and many instruments have to be rebuilt. Preparation, from now on, my colleagues will have to worry about it.”

The Beijing Observatory, at this time, has a complete set of instruments, and a combination of Chinese and Western styles. It belongs to the top observatory in the world - it has astronomical telescopes and so on.

For Nanjing, we must start from scratch.

The Chinese colleagues laughed and left, but the European missionaries were frowning.

Yang Manuo said: "This emperor knows astronomy."

Ai Julius said: "His knowledge of Confucianism and mathematics is also very profound. When I communicated with him, I tried to instill theological ideas. Although he didn't get angry, he interrupted me many times. This emperor has his own firm belief. I I suggest that you study the "Datong Collection" carefully to see if you can integrate theology with "Datong Collection."

"Yes, you must do what you like." Yang Manuo said.

Long Huamin was very unhappy: "If you do this, the Pope will be angered!"

Yangmano said: "The truth must be concealed from the Pope, otherwise, the Chinese emperor will be angered, and missionary work may be completely banned."

"The observers are already on the boat to Rome, how could they hide it?" Long Huamin shook his head.

Observers are similar to imperial envoys sent by the Pope to inspect the situation in various parishes.

Don't look at Zhao Han's radical burning of missionary books, but they are all books containing the words of God and God, and it is allowed to translate it as God normally.

The Pope of Rome is outrageous, and has not allowed Chinese believers to worship ancestors and Confucius.

In particular, the prohibition of believers worshiping ancestors has caused many riots in China. The Nanjing religious case also came about in this way, which led to Emperor Wanli ordering a complete ban on religion.

The missionaries who came to China can be said to suffer from splints, facing the pressure of the Pope on the one hand and the emperor of China on the other.

The next time observers return to China, they are likely to bring orders from the Pope, and then they will make a mess again.

It really pissed off Zhao Han, and all the churches everywhere had to be demolished.