The Red Mansion

Chapter 99 Starry Sky Tonight
Jiang Nian couldn't help but smile, and quickly interrupted, "Let's not talk about poetry for now, let's go out and watch the stars first."

Xiangling said "Oh" softly and walked out of the bedroom at the same time as Jiang Nian. She took the lead and gently opened the door of the main room.

As soon as the door to the main room opened, the night breeze blew in, bringing a refreshing coolness to the heart.

When Jiang Nian raised his eyes, he found two graceful figures standing in the inner courtyard. They were Xue Baochai and Ying'er, the master and servant.

Xue Baochai and Ying'er were originally looking at the stars in the inner courtyard. They faintly heard the voices of Jiang Nian and Xiangling talking in the main room, so they looked towards the main room together. Unexpectedly, the door of the main room suddenly opened, and Jiang Nian's figure appeared.

Seeing Xue Baochai in the inner courtyard, Jiang Nian turned to Xiangling and said, "Go back to your bedroom and continue studying poetry."

Xiangling was smart and immediately understood the reason. She said "yes" and turned back to her bedroom.

Jiang Nian walked out of the main hall alone, his sleeves fluttering and his expression calm, as he walked towards Xue Baochai in the inner courtyard.

Upon seeing this, Xue Baochai and Ying'er hurried forward together and bowed in greeting.

Jiang Nian's eyes shifted slightly, and he gently waved to Ying'er. Ying'er understood, lowered her brows, and obediently retreated into the west wing, closing the door behind her. However, Ying'er's curiosity was uncontrollable, and she quietly leaned against the window, peeking through the lattice to observe the situation in the courtyard.

Only Jiang Nian and Xue Baochai were left in the inner courtyard.

Jiang Nian stood tall and straight, a full head taller than Xue Baochai. As they stood facing each other, Jiang Nian lowered his head and gazed at Xue Baochai, then asked with a deliberately literary smile, "It's a cool night. May I ask why you are standing in the inner courtyard?"

Xue Baochai couldn't help but smile. She looked up at Jiang Nian and said softly, "It's so stuffy in the room. Come out and relax and watch the stars."

After saying this, he pursed his lips slightly, as if he had something more to say.

In fact, there was another reason, that is, the incident between Yuanchun and Qin Keqing made her depressed.

Jiang Nian raised the corners of his lips slightly, and asked with a smile, "Do you like stargazing too?"

Xue Baochai lowered her brows and head, and replied softly, "I wouldn't say I like it, but I often see you stargazing, and occasionally I do it just for fun."

Jiang Nian nodded.

Jiang Nian loved looking at the starry sky in his previous life and was in love with its vastness. His love has not changed in this life and he is still intoxicated by the boundless night sky.

At that moment, he looked up and saw the sky as dark as ink. The moon had disappeared, and the stars, like scattered pearls, twinkled with a faint but firm light. The night breeze blew gently, bringing the delicate fragrance of flowers and plants, intertwining with the cool starlight, creating a quiet and mysterious atmosphere.

Jiang Nian thought of something and turned to Xue Baochai and said, "You have read a lot and are quite talented. In that case, I will test you now."

Xue Baochai was stunned for a moment, then smiled sweetly: "Master, why are you so excited all of a sudden?"

Jiang Nian smiled and said, "It was a sudden decision. I'll only ask one question."

Xue Baochai was curious and asked, "I wonder what question you want to ask me?"

Jiang Nian asked, "Why can't we see the moon right now? That's the question."

Xue Baochai was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses and fell into deep thought. After a while of contemplation, she said, "Yesterday Xiangling asked me about a line from Wang Wei's poem, 'The moon is high in the sky, hiding the Big Dipper; the clouds dissipate, revealing the crimson river.' When the moon is high in the sky, the Big Dipper disappears in its glow; when the clouds dissipate, the Milky Way appears like a crimson ribbon across the sky. By analogy, I suppose that since we can't see the moon now, it must be hidden in the clouds."

Jiang Nian shook his head and said, "That's not the case."

Xue Baochai became curious again and asked, "If not, what is the reason?" Jiang Nian smiled and said, "A talented woman like you, are you asking me for advice?"

Xue Baochai smiled charmingly and said, "Master, you are too kind to praise me. You are the one with real talent and learning. My little knowledge is not worth mentioning. Yes, it is you who are asking for your advice. I hope you can help me solve this puzzle."

Why can't we see the moon at this time tonight?

People of this era cannot understand it, but Jiang Nian does.

This is related to the lunar phases and the movement of the earth and the moon.

During the full moon on the 15th day of the lunar calendar, the moon, the earth, and the sun form a straight line. The full moon rises from the east at sunset (around 6 pm), reaches the zenith at midnight, and is visible all night long.

Today is the 20th day of the fifth lunar month. The moon is in a waning gibbous phase. The moon will rise four or five hours later than on a full moon day, and will not rise until midnight.

It was only eight o'clock in the evening, and the moon was just below the horizon. Therefore, neither Jiang Nian nor Xue Baochai could see the moon.

Today's moonset will be at noon the following day, meaning that the waning gibbous moon will be visible from the latter half of tonight until the early morning of the following day.

If you calculate it, it will be complicated, involving the moon's orbital period, the earth's rotation compensation, etc.

Since there is no moonlight in the first half of the night, it is suitable for stargazing.

Naturally, it was inconvenient for Jiang Nian to explain this matter in detail to Xue Baochai, and it was even more inconvenient for him to do mathematical calculations for Xue Baochai to see.

He simply said to Xue Baochai, "On the 15th of every month, when the moon is full, it rises from the east at dusk. Today is May 20th, and the moon won't rise until midnight, so it can't be seen now. We'll have to wait two or three hours before we can see it."

Xue Baochai looked at Jiang Nian with a look of surprise, her eyes shining, and asked, "Master, how come you even know about this?"

Jiang Nian smiled and said perfunctorily, "I saw it occasionally in an ancient book."

Time travelers often use "ancient books" as an excuse, and now Jiang Nian is using this trick too. In fact, he had used this trick when he submitted a memorial to Emperor Jingning and Emperor Taishun to propose a plan to investigate the deficit.

Xue Baochai pondered for a moment, then asked curiously, "Sir, do you know where the moon is, since it hasn't risen yet?"

Jiang Nian lowered his head and looked at Xue Baochai, then replied softly, "The moon is with you right now, in my heart!"

Xue Baochai: “…”

Well, this domineering and somewhat mean Mr. Jiang can actually be so romantic and say such romantic words.

For a moment, Xue Baochai was speechless, her face awash with shame. She pursed her lips and lowered her delicate head, as if trying to conceal the throbbing in her heart. Her usually dignified and elegant demeanor was now tinged with a touch of shyness, like a newly blossoming flower, timid and bashful.

The two stood in silence in the courtyard, speechless for a moment, their figures illuminated only by the starry sky. The starlight enveloped the surroundings like a veil, as if they were the only ones left in the world.

Behind the window of the west wing, Ying'er held her breath and concentrated, not daring to move, for fear of disturbing the quiet and beautiful time in the courtyard outside the window.

Xiangling had just discussed poetry with Jiang Nian, and even Xue Baochai had mentioned the line "The moon is high, hiding its pearls; the clouds vanish, revealing the crimson river." The current scene was quite poetic. Unable to help herself, Jiang Nian recalled two lines of poetry related to the stars.

One line is from the poem "Geshu Song" by the Tang Dynasty poet Xibi Ren: "The Big Dipper is high in the sky, Geshu carries a sword at night"!
Another line is from the poem "Night Stay in a Mountain Temple" by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai: "The dangerous tower is a hundred feet high, and you can pick the stars with your hands!"
(End of this chapter)