"It's too small, I can't see it clearly …"
"Lord Wei's eyes are failing him, of course he can't see it clearly. Let me see …"
"Aiya, Mars' position is indeed a ball, but where is the heart? Didn't they say that the star of misfortune rushed to the heart? I can't see it …"
"Stop looking, we've been looking for a long time, but we still can't find the heart …"
To the courtiers, the thing in front of them was really a strange thing. It could see things from afar so clearly, and Mars was hanging in the sky. Who would have thought that the flashing light in the sky that they usually saw at night was actually a ball?
Seeing is believing. This was a concept that had existed since ancient times. Most of the people present firmly believed that the eyes could not deceive people.
Moreover, a few old generals in the military had just said that the Academy of Sciences had already given the military one of these things. They called it the "Eye of the Heavens", and it could even see the head of the enemy from a few miles away. Ambushes and traps were all useless under the Eye of the Heavens …
The courtiers trusted the School of Mathematics the most. Those who came out of it were all powerful people, and they were talents that the court fought over. As for the Academy of Sciences, they thought that it was something that the Crown Prince would play with for a few days on a whim, and then abandon.
However, no one expected that the thing that the Academy of Sciences came up with would cause a stir in the court several times.
There was no need to mention the kite that could send people to the sky, the water wheel that could easily pump water from a low place to a high place, and the farming tools that could greatly simplify the plowing process …
All of these things had invisibly changed their knowledge, and even changed the lives of many people.
Nowadays, for the farmers, cattle were no longer that important. As long as there was a strong laborer in the family, coupled with the new farming tools, they could completely play the role of the cattle.
This was enough to be called a groundbreaking event. His Majesty was so happy that he rewarded 100,000 taels of silver. After such a short period of time, the Academy of Sciences came up with such a magical device, and it was a great eye-opener for everyone …
Of course, many people knew that today's event would not be as simple as looking at the stars.
The matter of Mars guarding the heart had caused an uproar. Now there was a rumor among the people that Her Royal Highness was the Mars Bane. It was the Princess who offended His Majesty. How could the Academy of Sciences not have any ulterior motives for holding a stargazing event at this time that involved a sensitive topic like Mars?
Cui Qingze's face was somewhat gloomy. He had already guessed the purpose of this stargazing. He glanced vaguely in a certain direction, and the official nodded slightly.
The telescope that was used to observe Mars was the one with the highest observation distance and the best quality. However, if it was used to observe the Moon, it didn't have such high requirements.
Apart from that one, there were a few others of slightly inferior quality, but they were more than enough to watch the moon.
"Sir, is there really no Chang 'e on the moon?"
The proud Lolita ran over from afar. She had just seen the moon through that strange thing. That bumpy, ugly thing was not the moon she had imagined.
The moon in her heart had Chang 'e, the Jade Rabbit, and the beautiful osmanthus tree. The Moon Palace was not like that.
Li Yi shook his head helplessly.
The proud Lolita asked pitifully, "Is there no osmanthus tree or the Moon Palace?"
Li Yi could only shake his head.
"What about the Jade Rabbit? There should be a Jade Rabbit …"
Li Yi still shook his head.
The proud Lolita was very sad. She threw herself into Li Yi's arms sadly, and her tears were about to fall.
Li Yi stroked her hair. Although it was indeed a little ruthless and cruel to burst a girl's dream, Shouning had grown up. Compared with the cruel world she would recognize in the future, it was nothing at all.
Her Royal Highness threw herself into the arms of a man. In the eyes of the other officials around, it was certainly a little unbelievable, but the situation in front of them was a little different.
County Marquis Li was the Master of Her Royal Highness, so his identity was naturally closer. His Majesty doted on the little princess the most. She was usually simple-minded, and when she was sad, it was inevitable that she would do something beyond the bounds of propriety. However, everyone deliberately ignored this scene. With His Majesty's love for her, even the censors did not dare to step forward to criticize her.
The proud Lolita wiped the non-existent tears, secretly glanced at the Master, and then secretly glanced at "Brother Drunkard" next to him, and generously held the Master's hand. He was sad just now, and sad people could have a little preferential treatment.
In the field, Li Xuan had already taken out a model of the sun and the moon and was fiddling with it.
As for Earth, which was the land they were on, Li Yi did not allow him to tell the people present that the land they were stepping on was actually a ball. It was just that a board with the surname Fang was used to replace it. This was to avoid some unnecessary trouble.
"We know that the sun and the moon are both in the sky. After the sun sets, the moon rises, but this is not absolute. In fact, we often see the situation of the sun and the moon in the same sky, but because the sun is too strong, we can't notice it …"
There were three people from the Academy of Sciences holding the model of the sun, the moon, and the earth respectively. Li Xuan stood at the side and waved his hand. After the three people moved their positions, according to the order of the sun, moon, and earth, they formed a straight line.
"When the moon runs to the middle of the earth and the sun, it will block a part of the sunlight, casting the shadow of the moon on the earth. People who are shrouded by the shadow of the moon can't see the sun that is blocked. This is what we call 'Heavenly Dog Swallowing the Sun'."
This principle was very easy to understand. In addition, there were three people there holding the model to demonstrate, and the fourth person lit a candle to simulate the sunlight. Indeed, a black shadow appeared on the earth. Someone stood on the earth and took a look, and immediately came to a realization, "So that's how it is!"
Li Yi glanced at the official. When Li Xuan chose the actors, he was too sloppy. This acting was a little exaggerated …
Although it was exaggerated, the principle was still the same.
He didn't come up with any new theory. He just used the concept that everyone already had to explain the cause of the solar eclipse in a vivid manner. None of the people present were stupid. If they still couldn't figure it out, they wouldn't be here today.
Li Xuan waved his hand, and the position of the three people changed again.
"Using the same principle, if the moon runs to the opposite side, and the earth is between the moon and the sun, then the moon will leave the earth's shadow. This is what we call 'Heavenly Dog Swallowing the Moon'."
The place suddenly became a little quiet. After listening to the Crown Prince's explanation, they were surprised to find that the principle was actually so simple.
At the beginning, the Crown Prince had already used a very simple example to tell them that the moon itself couldn't shine. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a full moon and a half moon. Although this was contrary to their previous beliefs, the Crown Prince's reasoning was reasonable. They just needed to think about it for a while to understand it.
After that, everything else was natural.
Heavenly Dog Swallowing the Sun, Heavenly Dog Swallowing the Moon, Heavenly Dog … Even if they hadn't heard the Crown Prince's explanation, they still didn't believe it.
If the sun and moon had already been swallowed by the Heavenly Dog, could it still spit them out?
Wouldn't the Heavenly Dog find it disgusting to stutter so many times?
"A bunch of nonsense, this is simply a bunch of nonsense!"
Just as everyone lowered their heads in contemplation and the place became quiet, a voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
An old man walked out from the crowd and said loudly, "The 'Book of History' says that only when Xi is at peace, Jue De is subverted, Shen is confused by wine, Bian Guan is separated, Tian Ji is disturbed, Xia abandons Jue Si, it is the new moon of the autumn season …"
The old man looked at Li Xuan and said indignantly, "Every 'Heavenly Dog Swallowing the Sun' means that the Son of Heaven doesn't cultivate virtue, and the Heavens are warning …"
"This is?" Li Xuan looked at him and asked.
The old man said righteously, "I am the Imperial Astronomer!"
"The 'Book of History' says?"
Li Xuan looked at the Imperial Astronomer, took out two pieces of silver, one big and one small, and held them in his fist. He looked at the old man and asked, "Then did the 'Book of History' say that if I let go, which of the two pieces of silver in my hand will fall first?"
[Note: The Imperial Astronomer's superior is called the Imperial Astronomer.]
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