Late Tang Dynasty: I

Zhaixinglou is a restaurant on Pingkangfang East Street in Beicheng. It has four floors, six pavilions in a row, and carved railings and jade inlays, showing its luxury.

I heard that the restaurant serves imperial wine and imperial food, and many of the chefs there come from the imperial dining room in the palace.

His Majesty the Emperor issued a decree, and most of the other taboos were lifted except for building regulations and not being allowed to wear dragon patterns when wearing clothes.

The tallest building in Bianjing City can only be the Emperor's Tai Chi Hall.

As for diet, you can eat whatever you want!
In the past, tributes were offered from all over the country, such as abalone from the Bohai Sea, anchovies from Jiangnan, tribute tangerines from Deqing, bamboo fungus from Sichuan, bird's nests from Hainan, shark fins and chestnuts from Fujian, etc.
His Majesty the Emperor has decreed that no tribute is required from any place.

However, the palace sent out procurement. These tributes, which were originally only available to the emperor, can now be bought with money.

Of course, the best quality ones were sold to the emperor.

In this way, the common people can also get money, and now the capital can also supply it, and the rich and powerful can also eat.

And this Star-Zhaing Tower also provides these royal foods, so it has naturally become a gathering place for dignitaries, wealthy businessmen and wealthy guests.

When Gou Yun and Guo Jian arrived at Zhaixing Tower, it was already dark.

"When I was in Chang'an, there was already a curfew at this time!"

"Haha, Bianjing is different from Chang'an. Except for the area around the palace and the Forbidden Army camp, there is no curfew. The restaurants here usually stay open until the fourth watch, and at the fifth watch, they open again!"

"The weather in Beijing is extraordinary!"

"Everyone, the distinguished guests who come to the trumpet today can go to the attic to admire the moon for ten breaths with their badge number. The trumpet has a new sky-gazing artifact, and can have a glimpse of the wonderland in the moon!"

"Ten breaths, are you here to entertain us, shopkeeper?"

"Haha, that's why we're here. Shopkeeper, please don't lie to us. Can we really see the Toad Palace Fairy?"

The shopkeeper smiled and said: "I can't guarantee Fairy Toad Palace, but the trumpet can guarantee that you will see what's going on with the bright moon. Not only that, if the time is right, you can also see Taibai, Yinghuo, and Zhenxing. The trumpet can guarantee , you will definitely return home satisfied!”

"Is it true!"

"What's there to see in Taibai Star? Are there any gods?"

Gou Yun said to Guo Jian: "What's the truth!"

"Look and talk!"

Someone shouted: "Shopkeeper, if you see the Toad Palace Fairy, ten breaths will not be enough!"

"You can also add time, and one stick of incense will cost you ten guan!"

"Haha, it's not expensive, it's worth it if you can see the Toad Palace Fairy!"

Everyone was led up to the rooftop, and ten long and strange things were lined up in a row.

"What is this!"

"Master Lu, please come this way!"

Lu Xuan was led to the thing and looked at the eyepiece underneath.

"call!"

How great are the expectations, how great are the disappointments. Where has the promised Fairy of Toad Palace gone? Why, all I can see is the bumpy ground.

"Is this the Moon Palace?"

"Master Lu, the time is up, next one!"

……

Astronomical telescopes are not as difficult as His Majesty thought. During the Warring States Period, China mastered the curved surface polishing technology of crystals, as evidenced by the unearthed Warring States crystal cups.

Although the curved surface is still not standard and the picture is a bit distorted, it is still done.

The craftsman used a rough grinding stone to grind out the shape, and then used silk dipped in fine sand to polish it. The effect was obvious. After making it, the sample was sent to the emperor as soon as possible.

This is a telescope that is as tall as a person. Looking at the figure of the woodcutter on the top of the mountain in the distance, it clearly falls into the eyes, and the eyes of the generals around him also become enthusiastic.

If you have this artifact, you can spot the enemy dozens of miles away, and your own army will definitely be much more proactive.

Li Ye played with it for a while, and then quickly sent it to Wang Yanzhang. The person who needed the telescope most at this time was naturally Wang Yanzhang.

And he immediately ordered the supervisor to make the finished product and hand it over to Zhaixing Tower...

……

In less than three days, not only dignitaries and literati, but also ordinary people knew that this moon was not a place where immortals lived. It was a desolate land full of potholes, and it was a ball. It was very big. ball. "Taibai Star is also a ball. What's strange is that Taibai Star and Zhenxing both have a ring, and they can both spin!"

"It's weird!"

After Du Rangneng heard about it, he made a special trip to Zhaixing Tower and spent a whole night looking at the moon, Taibai Star and Zhenxing (Saturn).

"It really is!"

It turns out that this is what the sun, moon and stars look like!
I don’t know who started spreading the word.

Everyone in Bianjing is talking about it.

"Am I the one standing on the ball?"

"How is it possible? If it was on the ball, why didn't we fall?"

"Remember why the ball hit the ground? There was a force pulling us to the ground."

"Then why does the earth look flat?"

"If this ball is very big..."

"..."

"So, as long as we walk in one direction, can we return to the place where we started..."

Here comes the good show.

Sun Shushen, a bachelor of Hanlinyuan, wrote a letter asking the imperial court to send an envoy westward to see if he could return to the starting point.

His Majesty the Emperor has not yet seen this letter, but he has already issued a decree.

This was given to Cheng Rui, the defense envoy and shipping envoy of Jingnan, asking him to build larger and stronger ships.

Li Ye started to prepare.

Larger and stronger sea ships mean fighting stronger winds and waves, three-masted sailing ships solve the problem of navigation, and Polaris confirms latitude and solves the problem of direction and position.

Another issue is geography and hydrology.

"Your Majesty, what kind of picture is this?"

Li Ye shook his head. He tried hard to recall the monsoons and ocean currents he learned in junior high school, but he still couldn't remember clearly.

Is it more stormy in summer or winter?

If you are lucky enough to reach the New World, what should you do?
You must take back the seeds of potatoes and peppers, otherwise they will not be in vain.

How should hydrogeographic records be labeled?

His Majesty the Emperor has no choice. Without accurate time tools, he can only calculate the latitude, but there is no way to determine the longitude.

In this case, there is no way to know where one is.

And timing involves a pendulum.

His Majesty the Emperor took out the dragon pendant from his waist and hung it on the pole.

"Recite silently to ten and see how many times it swings!"

"Seventeen times, Your Majesty!"

"try again!"

"It's still seventeen times."

His Majesty the Emperor led Liu Wei to the table and said: "When the pendulum swings once, the gear will be scraped once, the pointer on it will move once, the small gear will move once, and the big gear embedded here will move once... "

"Your Majesty, if this is the case, will the amplitude of this ornament become smaller and smaller until it finally stops swinging!"

Li Ye smiled and said: "That's true, but instead of using a spring and a spring to swing the ornament once, give it a force to keep it swinging like this forever?"

"Your Majesty, what is clockwork?"

"..."

(End of this chapter)