Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

"Dean, you have told us many times the story about the principle of measuring the moon when the Imperial Master told you in prison."

It was an ordinary night at the Ming Dynasty Taixue Astronomy College.

The moon is bright and bright, and the breeze is gentle.

Surrounded by several students from the School of Astronomy, the old Zhuo Jing had only a few sparse white beards left under his chin, as if he had been thinking too much over the years.

Zhuo Jing, who was also lustful for hairpins, moved out from in front of the huge astronomical telescope.

Looking at several young students, Zhuo Jing showed a proud smile on his face covered with age spots.

"Then you know, after three large-scale debates more than 20 years ago, science was rising but not rising, and Neo-Confucianism was declining but not declining. Do you know how the science at that time finally defeated Neo-Confucianism?"

Several students shook their heads in unison. At that time, these young people were not born yet, so naturally they did not know about the thrilling orthodoxy battle that year.

But the only thing they can be sure of is that the final result of such a fierce struggle back then was the failure of Neo-Confucianism, which allowed the complete rise of science, and the glorious Ming Dynasty today where "everything the sun and moon shine on is the territory."

As for the specific process of the orthodoxy dispute.

They are too young to have a clear and complete understanding of this history.

"Haha, it's not really a secret at all!"

Zhuo Jing stroked his sparse gray beard: "Whether it is the library of the Imperial Academy of the Ming Dynasty, or the archives and museums of the Ming Dynasty, the records of that period of history are very detailed. But now you young students are busy with homework every day. , I am busy learning scientific knowledge, so I naturally have no time to understand it.”

After finishing speaking, Zhuo Jing paused and thought that it was time to open a course on "A Brief History of the Development of Science" in Ming Dynasty Imperial College and local schools.

However, this thought immediately made Zhuo Jing burst into laughter.

There is no other reason. If this course is really offered, the effect will probably be similar to "The Analects of Jiang Sheng" and "Jiang Sheng and His Group of Sages". And Jiang Xinghuo doesn't like cultivating personality the most, so I'm afraid he won't Agreed.

Even if it is approved, it must be humbly attributed to the entire Ming Dynasty's scientific research system.

After Zhuo Jing came back to his senses, he said leisurely.

"Back then, what the Imperial Master said was the law of movement of all things in the world. It was precisely because of the existence of gravity that the Huntian theory and the Gaitian theory were self-defeating."

"Countless scale-twisting experiments were carried out throughout the Ming Dynasty, leaving even the most stubborn Confucian scholars speechless."

"However, due to practical conditions, in the first few years of the Yongle New Deal, the calculation of the moon's diameter was never completed."

One student couldn't help but asked: "Is it because the Ming Dynasty's territory is not large enough?"

"exactly."

Zhuo Jing nodded slightly and said: "After all, even if the difficulty of measuring the diameter of the moon is reduced to measuring the length of the earth's shadow zone during a solar eclipse, it would still be difficult for the Ming Dynasty to complete."

"Therefore, even though Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism was riddled with criticism in all aspects, it still held on and did not fall. As long as the length of the shadow zone of the solar eclipse cannot be measured in one day, the diameter of the moon cannot be measured, and without the moon diameter, it is impossible to measure the diameter and area of ​​the sun, and it is impossible to verify from the cosmic level that the massive sun is indeed the center of the earth and celestial bodies such as metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and then the last fig leaf of Cheng Zhu Neo-Confucianism However, it can never be torn off."

"What's the difference?" the student asked doubtfully.

"This is the cosmology of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism. The so-called principle means that things and people have their own principles, which all originate from the laws of heaven; the so-called differentiation means that everything has its own principle."

As soon as Zhuo Jing finished speaking, several students couldn't help laughing.

"Dean, isn't this a joke? Celestial bodies move because of universal gravitation. How can it be possible that Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury have the same principles? Even in the microscopic world, even when observed with a microscope, they have their own explanations. How can there be any natural principles? What's the difference?"

Zhuo Jing shook his head. How could a young student who grew up in the new scientific system understand how Jiang Sheng and his disciples had cut through the troubles to open up the avenue of science?

“Before the rise of science, people’s thinking was so conservative and closed-minded.”

"The thinking of this world was originally lifeless under the rule of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism. Later, Jiang Sheng emerged and slowly developed a scientific system. Now you see that the most powerful figures in the scientific world of the Ming Dynasty are basically all He is Jiang Sheng’s student and his student’s student.”

"That's enough, let's get back to the topic." Zhuo Jing suddenly asked: "What do you think we should do if we want to measure the length of the shadow zone of the solar eclipse on the earth's surface?"

"this."

The student's face turned red, and he replied with some embarrassment: "It seems to be relying on some tool or some method?"

They are all students who have just entered the College of Astronomy. They are still learning basic astrophysics. Naturally, they do not know the specific situation of things like moon measurement.

"There are no tools or methods, it's just a matter of trying your best."

Upon hearing this, several students from the School of Astronomy immediately perked up and listened attentively.

They have heard about these past histories for a long time, but they have always been unable to understand the whole story, and they can't even find some of the people who experienced it.

After all, those who have personally experienced measuring the shadow of the moon during a solar eclipse in the past, even ordinary astronomers, may have been traveling around the world with the Ming Dynasty fleet, either as navigators or in a business hall somewhere in the world. enjoy high salary.

After all, under the objective environment at that time, it was too difficult to meet the requirements of measuring the moon's shadow during a solar eclipse. Therefore, those who worked hard at that time have undoubtedly been richly rewarded now.

It is precisely because there are no witnesses around to tell the story that these young students are particularly curious.

At the beginning, these students were also very curious about the legendary story between the Imperial Master and Dean Zhuo, but they couldn't bear it. Dean Zhuo kept telling the story about the prison episode over and over again, which almost made people's ears tingle.

But now, they can finally listen to this boss-level witness's account of measuring the shadow of the moon during a solar eclipse.

Even the most superficial guidance may be of lifelong benefit to students of the Astronomy School like them.

Zhuo Jing sighed and recalled: "In order to measure the length of the solar eclipse shadow zone on the earth's surface, which is the approximate diameter of the moon, due to the specific area, thousands of observation stations had to be established at adjacent longitudes, from Mobei to Nanyang. It stretches for tens of thousands of miles.”

"Ultimately, we can use manpower and ship power to search in time within the two intervals of the four observatories at the beginning and end of the shadow, to measure the specific length of the shadow, and then calculate the length of the shadow area of ​​the solar eclipse on the earth's surface."

Zhuo Jing said slowly: "I'm afraid I will never forget the scene of that night."

"What happened that night?"

Hearing this, the students suddenly felt a cloud of mist.

"What's it like?"

They couldn't help but ask: "Why is it that a figure like the dean is so unforgettable?"

"A single spark can start a prairie fire."

Zhuo Jing's eyes were distant and deep, and he muttered and repeated these words, seeming to be caught up in some kind of memory.

"When the National Master told me how to do this, I asked him a question."

"It stretches for tens of thousands of miles. Even if all the people engaged in this great feat can make their own records at the first moment of the solar eclipse, it is too far after all. How can we prove it to everyone?" After all, Cheng Zhuli, who was just one kick away from being knocked down, would not take the initiative to fall down at this time."

"The Imperial Master said these eight words at that time."

"--A single spark can start a prairie fire."

After a long time, Zhuo Jingcai slowly said: "The Imperial Master told me that we have only one way to show the connection of shadows on the surface of the solar eclipse to the world, and that is to recreate the feat of the Great Wall's continuous beacon fire!"

"All the great Confucians and masters who continue to adhere to Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism have been invited to various observation points in advance, either up the mountain or in a hot air balloon. In short, we want them to see clearly from high places!"

"In addition, gentry and common people from all over the country were allowed to watch this feat, and the detailed principles of measuring the moon had already been published in Ming Pao."

"The Imperial Master wants to measure the moon in a dignified manner in front of the people of the world! Defeat Cheng and Zhu Lili in a dignified manner!"

"And you may not even be able to imagine what a huge burden the Imperial Master was carrying at that time!"

Zhuo Jing lamented for a moment: "The date of the total solar eclipse must be calculated in advance, and there must be no mistakes. It stretches for tens of thousands of miles, with thousands of observation points, and tens of thousands of people participating. When the shadow of the solar eclipse hits, a fire will be raised instantly as a signal, and there must be no mistakes. .Do you know how difficult it is?"

In fact, just hearing about this unprecedented feat of measuring the moon, and how it was accomplished under the backward transportation and communication conditions at the time, made the students of the School of Astronomy a little dazzled.

Such a shocking surprise can be said that although it cannot be achieved, my heart is longing for it.

And Zhuo Jing's distant gaze seemed to have returned to the day known as the "Yongle Moon Measurement" in history books.

In the land of China, countless people are looking forward to it. Whether they are ordinary people or gentry and dignitaries, they all gather at the transportation and sales point of "Ming Pao", waiting for the results of the National Examination of the Moon.

And on that day, people witnessed this historic moment. From that day on, China's thinking world has undergone earth-shaking changes.

"How did the dean feel at that time?" a student asked curiously.

Zhuo Jing said with a smile: "When the results in Ming Pao, which were confirmed by countless observation nodes, came out, of course I was so excited that I danced with excitement. In fact, I already knew the results in advance, so I was so excited that I didn't sleep well at all, but still You have to suppress your emotions and pretend to be calm and indifferent so as not to reveal it to others."

Several students also laughed.

With such a real side appearing, in their minds, the image of the old dean is no longer so serious and chatty.

Some students continued to curiously ask: "What are the establishment of the seven major colleges of Taixue in the Ming Dynasty, the initial difficult development of industry, and the three debates between science that was just emerging at that time and Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism that became stronger the more they refuted science? Dean, please tell me the details of my past."

Zhuo Jing smiled and shook his head, a few strands of white hair falling from his ears.

"These are things we can talk about later."

Zhuo Jing's eyes seemed to have returned to the place of enlightenment that he would never forget - the prison.