Daming: Dad, you are really not good at governing the country

Chapter 327: Just a telescope made the prince of Suphanburi submit to the Ming Dynasty?

Influenced by the idea of ​​the correspondence between heaven and man, the ancients believed that astronomical phenomena had a mysterious connection with human society.

Some astrological changes that were part of natural laws were considered by the ancients to be a harbinger of a country's fortunes and disasters.

Especially in the eyes of the ruling class, astrology may be used by others to shake the foundation of their rule.

Most dynasties attached great importance to the management of astrology and tried their best to bring it under central management.

Since astrology involves the observation and study of astronomy, ancient astrology was often mixed with astronomy and calendar.

Therefore, astronomical calendar institutions often also have astrological functions.

More often than not, rulers use astrology to provide legitimacy for their own decisions.

In addition, the ancients observed the universe mainly with the earth as the center and the northern hemisphere as the main observation point.

This gave rise to the unique ancient Chinese astronomy, which formed a cosmic and life view of the unity of man and nature, and was applied in all aspects such as calendar, agriculture, and traditional Chinese medicine.

The I Ching, numerology, auspicious date selection, feng shui, and the ten heavenly stems, twelve earthly branches and the sixty Jiazi composed of them, which are well known to the Chinese, are used in various aspects of I Ching.

In essence, it is both a revelation of time and space and a description of the past, present and future.

They originated from ancient astronomy and are the result of ancient people's long-term observation of the sun, moon and stars.

These include both internal observations of introspection and observation records and mathematical calculations using astronomical instruments.

Many theories have long gone far beyond the scope of Western astronomical research represented by telescope observations in later generations.

It can be said that the guiding ideology of the entire ancient country's governance, geography, humanities, agriculture and people's livelihood all came from astronomy.

In short, without ancient astronomy, there would be no Chinese civilization.

Even mythological stories such as Pangu creating the world and Nuwa repairing the sky have very profound astronomical significance.

It is precisely because of the above factors that the tube refracting telescope has been deeply loved by the Imperial Observatory since it was manufactured by the Taiyuan Weapons Research Institute.

As an astronomical and calendar institution in the Ming Dynasty, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory was in charge of astronomical divination, formulating the calendar, calculating the solar terms, selecting auspicious days, and telling time.

In an era when people believed that imperial power was granted by God and that there was a connection between heaven and man, emperors attached great importance to changes in celestial phenomena and the meaning they portended.

Linking political activities with celestial phenomena was also an important means for emperors of all dynasties to emphasize the legitimacy of their rule.

Zhu Yuanzhang once said: "Since we started our army, everything we have done has been based on our own intentions.

Heaven will surely show it through signs, and the omen will be visible in advance.

Therefore, I always exercise vigilance and do not dare to be idle and carefree. "

As a highly technical department, the Imperial Observatory was responsible for the special task of "seeing into the secrets of heaven", and was therefore particularly valued by the imperial court.

Zhu Yuanzhang even had some special regulations for the personnel within the Imperial Observatory.

For example, in the sixth year of Hongwu, he stipulated that the personnel in the Imperial Observatory must never be relocated.

Descendants are only allowed to learn astronomy, calendar and calculation and are not allowed to learn other subjects.

Those who did not learn were all exiled to the South China Sea.

Under such circumstances, the officials, astronomers, and fortune tellers within the Imperial Observatory all tended to inherit the business from generation to generation.

Coupled with the knowledge and skills of astronomy, calendar, yin and yang, geomancy, etc., it is quite professional and technical.

It is quite common to pass down the skills within the family and it is also very easy to form a family hereditary system.

Of course, Zhu Yuanzhang's stipulation that the personnel of the Imperial Observatory were hereditary officials was also based on the historical context of the time.

After all, the Ming Dynasty replaced the Yuan Dynasty and inherited the household service system from the Yuan Dynasty.

All the duties required by the government were undertaken by the corresponding households. These households, through their hereditary family names and occupations, continuously provided the government with servants, the so-called assigned households to serve.

That is, in the early years of the Ming Dynasty, the various household registration classifications of the Yuan Dynasty were recognized and maintained.

Among them, military, civilians, craftsmen, and cooks are the most common and largest household accounts.

There are many other types of household accounts, which are set up according to the circumstances.

In short, if the imperial court needs anything, there will be corresponding households to provide special services.

Among them, the "Yin-Yang Household" mentioned earlier refers to the household accounting related to astronomy, calendar, divination, and geomancy.

As early as September of the first year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang recruited 14 officials from the Yuan Dynasty's astronomical institutions to Yingtian Prefecture.

In the second year of Hongwu, he recruited 11 people including Zheng Ali, the Tiantai official of the former Yuan Huihui Division, to join the astronomical institution of the Ming Dynasty.

He participated in the compilation of the calendar of the Xin Dynasty, the divination of celestial phenomena, and the compilation of astronomical and calendar books in the Western Regions.

There are also some people who are recommended and recruited to serve as officials in prison because they have relevant skills.

For example, Tang Ming, who was responsible for explaining how to use the telescope, was recommended as an astronomy student by the students of the Imperial College during the Hongwu period because he was proficient in astronomy and calendar.

"The 'telescope' is composed of a tube, objective lens, eyepiece, focusing knob, finderscope, bracket and other parts.

The lens barrel is about 128 cm long and 11 cm in diameter, and is made of gold-plated copper.

The objective lens is a convex lens with a diameter of about 8.5 cm.

The eyepiece is a concave lens, and the exposed observation hole is about 0.7 cm in diameter.

The focusing button is located on the right side of the lens barrel. The eyepiece can be adjusted forward or backward according to observation needs to obtain a clear image.

The finderscope is located on the upper left side of the telescope tube, is about 26 cm long and 4 cm in diameter, and is mainly used to search for celestial bodies to be observed.

The bracket is made of gold-plated copper, about 66 centimeters high, and the lower part is made into a triangular stable support.

Zhu Biao frowned and said, "I have distributed telescopes to the envoys of the vassal states so that they can observe the actual combat military exercises that our Ming armor breakthrough troops are about to launch.

The finderscope used to search for celestial bodies to be observed should be kept for the staff of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to use themselves. "

However, Na Kongying, who was quick-eyed and quick-handed, had already assembled all the components of the single-cylinder refracting telescope under the guidance of Tang Ming.

He has never expressed any doubt about the wisdom of the people of China.

The reason why it has not made any significant contribution to mankind over thousands of years is that the rulers have shackled the people's minds.

Now, as the Ming Dynasty gradually opens up, Na Kongying believes that this Central Plains dynasty will inevitably take the lead in industrialization in the future.

However, when he observed those unprecedented astronomical phenomena through the single-cylinder refracting telescope, he was still greatly shocked.

“The superior country is indeed the superior country. We foreign officials were just sitting in a well and looking at the world.

I beg His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to give this item to Suphanburi. I am willing to represent Siam and become the Ming Dynasty's envoy and commander-in-chief, ready to obey the imperial court's call at any time."

The real Ayutthaya envoys were dumbfounded!

Just a piece of ingenious and lewd technology made the Prince of Suphan Buri submit to the Ming Dynasty. Could it be that this was arranged in advance?

But if Suphan Buri represents Siam as the Ming Dynasty's envoy, the other party can invade Ayutthaya in the name of the imperial court. What should we do?
Fortunately, the deputy envoy Ayutthaya nearby reacted quickly and immediately knelt on the ground imitating Kong Xiong's behavior.

"Suphanburi is the orthodox Siamese, and is willing to serve as the Ming Dynasty's envoy to manage the military and civilians, convey government orders, and mediate local affairs on behalf of the imperial court.

In addition, all the officials under the Ming Xuanfu Envoy are willing to accept the appointment of the court, and I ask for your permission, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

(End of this chapter)