Huang Guanzi?
Li Zexuan found the name familiar. It didn't take him long to remember. When the results of the entrance exam of Yanhuang College were announced, Li Zexuan had investigated the families of the top students. Li Zexuan was ranked second among the freshmen. Li Chunfeng's information was on Li Zexuan's desk. Therefore, Li Zexuan knew a thing or two about Li Chunfeng.
Li Chunfeng's Taoist name was Huang Guanzi. In the first year of Zhenguan, he made 18 comments on the Wuyin Yuan Calendar written by Fu Renjun, a Taoist priest. Li Er appreciated his talent and accepted 7 of his comments. Li Chunfeng was appointed to serve in the Bureau of Imperial History.
Right now, Li Chunfeng was just a young man who had just made a name for himself in the imperial court. Few people would pay attention to him. However, Li Zexuan, who had transmigrated from the modern world, knew what Li Chunfeng's name meant. For this reason, he even asked someone to look into Yuan Tiangang's information.
He didn't give up until he found out that Yuan Tiangang wasn't in the imperial court. In fact, Yuan Tiangang only entered the imperial court in the fifth year of Zhenguan.
"Oh, it's Taoist Li. Sorry for the disrespect!"
Li Zexuan bowed to Li Chunfeng and said politely.
Li Zexuan looked at Li Zexuan seriously. This made Li Zexuan uncomfortable. He felt that Li Chunfeng's eyes had a penetrating power that could see through everything. Under this kind of gaze, no secrets could be hidden. Li Zexuan's heart skipped a beat. He quickly used the Taixuan Sutra to maximize his mental strength and stay alert.
Li Chunfeng's face suddenly turned pale. "Sorry, sorry. I was surprised by Marquis's appearance just now. I couldn't help but look at you a little longer. I hope Marquis won't blame me!"
Li Zexuan smiled and said, "It's fine. You and I are both Daoists, so how can we blame each other? This Marquis has heard that Daoist Priest is quite accomplished in calendar, astronomy, and mathematics. If there's a chance in the future, I'll definitely ask for your advice. I hope Daoist Priest won't hold back! "
Li Chunfeng cupped his fists and said, "Marquis, you flatter me! Marquis has been taught by a famous sect since he was a child. How can my insignificant skills be compared to Marquis's? I'm here today to use Yanhuang College's binoculars to verify some of my past conjectures. I hope that Marquis can help me! "
Confirm some conjectures? It was probably related to the calendar, right?
Li Zexuan thought to himself. At the same time, he promised, "Just use it, Taoist Priest. In the future, the door of the academy will always be open for you. If you want to use this telescope, you can come anytime!"
Li Chunfeng's face lit up and he said, "Marquis, are you serious?"
Li Zexuan smiled and said, "Of course! If I'm not wrong, you probably want to use the telescope to calculate the calendar, right? Since ancient times, the calendar has been very important to the people's agriculture. If this telescope can help you, then it's Yanhuang College's and my good fortune, isn't it? "
Li Chunfeng's face turned serious and he bowed sincerely. "Marquis, you are a righteous man. This humble Daoist is very impressed. The people of the world will definitely remember your kindness, Marquis!"
Li Zexuan was right. His main purpose for coming today was to see if Yanhuang College's telescope could help him improve the accuracy of his calendar deduction.
Simply put, the so-called calendar was based on the natural law of the changes in the sky to measure the longer time intervals, judge the changes in the climate, and predict the arrival of the seasons. The calendar based on the cycle of the moon's phases (the synodic month) was called the lunar calendar. The calendar based on the cycle of the earth's rotation around the sun (the solar year) was called the solar calendar.
China's ancient calendar used the solar year as the unit of year and the synodic month as the unit of month. It was a combination of the solar and lunar calendars.
When the rulers of the dynasties ascended to the throne, they would usually organize officials to revise the calendar. This was because the people's annual spring plowing, autumn harvest, and other agricultural activities were all based on the calendar. The importance of the calendar to the country could be seen from this.
Many people who knew about China's lunar calendar would sigh in their hearts. How could the twenty-four solar terms in the lunar calendar, which had existed for thousands of years, be so accurate in predicting agricultural activities? At the beginning of spring, people would start to cultivate the land to raise seedlings. The rain would weed the wheat, the insects would fertilize the wheat, the wheat would grow at the spring equinox, and so on! Every Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon would never be round. The creator of the calendar and the discoverer of the laws of the calendar for thousands of years was truly admirable.
Compared to it, the modern Gregorian calendar was so weak!
In fact, China's lunar calendar used the twenty-four solar terms to determine the year, the leap month, the leap year, and the lunar moon to determine the month. The twenty-four solar terms were based on the solar calendar. Thus, it was very accurate in predicting the farming season. Thus, China's lunar calendar was based on the solar calendar.
The twenty-four solar terms were based on the solar calendar. Its cycle was the same as the earth's revolution. Observed from the earth, the moment when the sun passed the spring equinox in the ecliptic was the beginning of a new year and the end of an old one. The ancient dynasties set up the Imperial Astronomer to observe and correct the equinox every year to ensure that the spring equinox was accurate and the farming season was accurate.
Li Zexuan felt that giving the telescope to Li Chunfeng was like giving a sword to a hero. This way, Li Chunfeng might be able to perfect the calendar even more. This was something that would benefit the country and the people! Furthermore, if Li Chunfeng discovered the eight planets of the solar system through the telescope and came up with a heliocentric theory or solar system theory, wouldn't that be a contribution to the Tang Dynasty's astronomy?
"You Marquis Yong 'an! I don't know what tricks you used to make Doctor Sun move to Yunshan, but now you want to use the telescope to poach my man? "
The two of them were chatting happily, as if they regretted not having met earlier. Li Er walked over from the side and said angrily.
He had always been a good judge of character. Li Er had high hopes for Li Chunfeng.
"I am afraid. I, Li Chunfeng, will always be loyal to Your Majesty and the Tang Dynasty!"
Perhaps Li Er was joking, but Li Chunfeng had not known Li Er for a long time, so he did not know much about Li Er's personality. As the saying went, being in the king's company was akin to being in the company of a tiger, so he did not dare to treat Li Er's words as a joke.
Li Zexuan wasn't afraid at all. He could tell that Old Li was joking. He cupped his hands and said helplessly, "Your Majesty, I would like to borrow the Academy's technology to help Li Shilang perfect the calendar. We are both working for Your Majesty, the Tang Dynasty, and the people. How can you say that we are poaching him?"
Although Li Zexuan did have this idea, he couldn't say it out loud!
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