In the second debate on the morning of November 16th, the East Palace announced that the Crown Prince would not come to monitor the debate today, but would come to listen to the concluding speeches of both sides in the last session on the 18th. This was a big deal for Zhang Yuan and others.
On the contrary, he felt a little more free. During the debate, he could sit, stand, or walk. He did not have to kneel down to the crown prince at every turn. However, the eunuch of the East Palace who delivered the order had not left yet, and the tiger guards escorted the emperor's eldest grandson. The emperor arrived.
The eldest grandson Zhu Youxiao loved to listen to Zhang Yuan's debates. In fact, Zhu Youxiao didn't understand much. He just liked to see Zhang Yuan refuting others into silence——
Liu Zongzhou criticized the Western calendar at the beginning of the debate that day. He believed that the calendar was the greatest unified system in Chinese tradition. However, Xu Guangqi and Zhang Yuan wanted to lead Westerners to rebel against the Datong calendar, which was established by their ancestors and guarded by sages and sages. They were actually the sinners of famous religions.
Liu Zongzhou's words were very harsh. It was fine for Zhang Yuan to introduce Western firearms, but it was extremely difficult for him to accept the change of the calendar. The calendar is about discipline and destiny. The imperial calendar cannot be compared with the trivial things like firearms, so it must be
strongly oppose--
The current debate has become a situation where Zhang Yuan and Liu Zongzhou are the main defenders, with others chiming in and adding from time to time. Zhang Yuan asked: "Has Mr. Qidong done any research on astronomical calendars?"
Liu Zongzhou said coldly: "What do you want to say? Do you want to criticize me because I am not proficient in the calendar? The Datong calendar was revised by Liu Bowen, a sincere uncle in the early days of the country, and the sages who were proficient in the calendar. How can you be a junior like you?
And Westerners can question it!"
Liu Zongzhou's attitude made Zhang Yuan very unhappy. This was not the spirit of pursuing scholarship. This was a rigid, paranoid and self-righteous academic tyrant. The mind of a generation of great Confucians was only this, so he said unceremoniously: "Confucius has a saying of 'not ashamed to ask questions'
, Mr. Qidong is not good at counting, why doesn’t he allow others to question the calendar? Moreover, the predecessor of the Datong calendar is the time calendar deduced by Guo Shoujing of the Yuan Dynasty. It was slightly modified by Liu Bowen, the uncle of Chengyi, and presented to Emperor Taizu Gao as the new calendar of the Ming Dynasty.
However, there are quite a few errors and inconsistencies. In the 17th year of Hongwu, Emperor Gao ordered the construction of an observatory in Jiming Mountain, Nanjing, and the reconstruction of the Datong calendar. The Datong calendar was revised with reference to the Hui calendar in the Western Regions. This is the Datong calendar that is still in use today. However, since the Wanli period, the Datong calendar has been revised.
The errors in the Datong calendar are getting bigger and bigger. Predictions about solar and lunar eclipses often make mistakes. Zhou Ziyu, the deputy supervisor of Qintian Supervisor, also asked for revision of the calendar - I would like to ask Mr. Qidong, Shi Lang Shen and Lang Zhong why it is possible to return to the Hijri calendar.
It is used to refer to the evidence and revise our Datong calendar, but the Western calendar cannot be used to correct our Ming Dynasty calendar? Is it that my Taizu, Emperor Gaoli, is magnanimous and pioneering and enterprising. Or are you gentlemen stuck in their own ways and rigid?"
These words were very sharp. Liu Zongzhou felt his cheeks heat up, and it was difficult to argue for a moment. Zhang Yuan used "Spring and Autumn" yesterday to make subtle changes in the distinction between Huayi and Hua. It restrained the xenophobic basis of Liu Zongzhou and others——
Shen Guo said: "Guo Shoujing is a Han Chinese, and his calendar can certainly be used after it is revised. The Hijri calendar also has a deep connection with our Chinese calendar. But the Westerners have ulterior motives. The Francois massacred our overseas people in Luzon -"
Xiong Sanba argued: "That is the evil behavior of the Spaniards, and we are Jesuit priests sent to China by Portugal. The Portuguese in Macau also kept their own laws under the Ming Dynasty. What's more, missionaries have always opposed killings. God is very important."
The fifth commandment is: do not kill or harm others. Sir Shen, do not blame innocent people like us for the evil deeds of the country."
Shen Que didn't care about Spain or Portugal, and said loudly: "You and other Jesuits are trying to use the French and Japanese to overthrow our Ming Dynasty. This statement has been circulated for a long time."
This is too slanderous. Xiong Sanba was simply indignant: "The Japanese shogunate banned the Catholic Church last year, killed missionaries and believers, and was as cruel as the devil. There are rumors that we and the Jesuits are going to unite with the Japanese to subvert Daming, where do we start talking about this!"
This rumor originated in Guangdong. The reason why the Japanese and Western missionaries were involved was mainly to exploit the people's hatred of the Japanese pirates. The Jesuits had connections with the Japanese. Of course, it had ulterior motives, but I didn't expect that Tokugawa Ieyasu would strictly ban Catholicism. This rumor is untenable——
Shen Que corrected himself: "If we can't rely on the Japanese, then we can definitely rely on the Folangji people."
Zhang Yuan signaled Xiong Sanba not to argue with Shen Que about this, and said to Zhen Que: "Master Shen's words are very ungrateful. Fang said that the Jesuits used the help of Japanese and French people to subvert the Ming Dynasty, but he changed his tune in the blink of an eye. This is so capricious. Is this the proper attitude to argue? Also, Master Shen said that Guo Shoujing, who deduced the calendar, was a Han, so it can be used. Did Master Shen forget that Guo Shoujing was the Taishi Ling of the Yuan Dynasty? According to Master Shen's opinion, Meng Yuan was a Yi Di , slaughtered countless Han people, so being an official in the Yuan Dynasty is of course aiding the evil deeds. Then in the late Southern Song Dynasty, the people of the Central Plains who did not die on the cliffs and crossed the sea but returned to the Yuan Dynasty are all sinners, right? Then I dare to ask Master Shen where his ancestors came from. Coming?"
Shen Que was extremely angry: "How could I ever say such a thing!"
Zhang Yuandao: "Okay, so Mr. Shen denies that the Yuan Dynasty was a Yi Di?"
Shen Que said: "Meng Yuan is Yi Di."
Zhang Yuandao: "Since we are Yi and Di, why do we, the Ming Dynasty, follow the calendar of Yi and Di?"
Shen Que argued forcefully: "With the same geography, the calendar can certainly be used and has been revised, but the West and China are tens of thousands of miles apart, so how can we introduce their calendar."
There was the School of Famous Scholars in the Pre-Qin Dynasty, which was regarded as ancient Chinese logic, but it was sophistical and its theoretical system was far less rigorous than Western logic starting from Aristotle. Moreover, the School of Famous Scholars was not taken seriously by people later, so people like Shen Que Debates by traditional scholars are often full of loopholes——
Zhang Yuan laughed and said: "Yesterday Mr. Shen firmly refused to believe that these Jesuits came from tens of thousands of miles away from the West, but today he opposed the introduction of the Western calendar because they were tens of thousands of miles away from the West. It's really strange. This is so strange." Is there any legal argument? It’s completely unreasonable.”
Several CI Lin officials who were listening laughed, thinking that Shen Que was forced into chaos by Zhang Yuan. Shen Que was far from Zhang Yuan's opponent——
Xu Ruke, a doctor in the Ministry of Rites of Nanjing, saw that Shen Queli was poor at writing, so he stepped forward and said: "Even if there are errors in the Datong Calendar, we must not let Westerners be used to revise it."
Zhang Yuandao: "It would be great if Mr. Xu has a better way to modify the Tatong calendar."
Xu Ruke obviously did not have the ability to compile calendars and said: "Is Zhang Xiuzuan so convinced that the Western calendar is better than the T&T calendar?"
Zhang Yuan slowed down his tone and said: "The Tatong calendar has been using the time-giving calendar for more than three hundred years, and the Hijri calendar used to correct it has been around for thousands of years. With the passage of time and the passage of time, errors are inevitable, but the Western calendar is more recent. The method has been deduced and formulated over decades, and its method is more detailed and can be measured and used at any time. This is evident from the fact that the Qin Tian Jian made several mistakes in predicting the eclipses of the sun and the moon, but the predictions based on the Western calendar were completely wrong."
Shen Que regained his composure and said: "The Datong Calendar has gone through hundreds of years, and it is reasonable for the Datong Calendar to occasionally make mistakes. It is not unusual for the Western Calendar to be right once or twice."
Zhang Yuan stared thoughtfully and said slowly: "The emperor's calendar set the twenty-four solar terms to guide the people's health and rest. Mistakes were made repeatedly. This is something that undermines the dignity of the royal family and the court. How can Master Shen just ignore it with such an understatement?" It takes courage to insist on one's own point of view. Lord Shen, can you have the courage to make an agreement with me: If the prediction of the solar and lunar eclipses according to the Western calendar is wrong in the next three years, then I will resign and return to Shaoxing; if the prediction according to the Western calendar is correct, the emperor will But the error is huge. Then Mr. Shen doesn’t have to have a vegetarian meal at the corpse of the Ministry of Rites, how about that?"
The atmosphere in the Yi Lun Hall suddenly became tense. Guo Hui, the bachelor at the table, shook his head repeatedly. Zhu Youxiao, the emperor's high-ranking official, was overjoyed. Isn't this a bet? He couldn't help but said: "Great, great, that's it." bet."
Eunuch Zhong on the side pulled Zhu Youxiao's sleeve and signaled Zhu Youxiao not to speak.
Shen Que knew in his heart that the Western calendar might be more accurate. But now it was not a matter of accuracy, but the difference between China and Yi. As long as it was Western, no matter it was good or bad, it would not be accepted, so Shen Que would not make this bet with Zhang Yuan. , said righteously and sternly: "My official position is appointed by the emperor. It is evaluated by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. How can we be the same as the people in the market clamoring for gambling? This is disrespectful to the famous imperial weapons."
At this time, Shen Guo was in control. Zhang Yuan smiled contemptuously and said: "Studying things will lead to knowledge. Since you don't dare to stick to what you see, why do you come all the way to Beijing to argue? Do you just want to gain fame and reputation?"
Shen Que was very angry. He looked around and saw that the emperor's eldest grandson was the most noble in the Yilun Hall. He saluted the emperor's eldest grandson and said: "Hanlin official Zhang Yuan insulted the minister——"
Zhu Youxiao decisively upheld justice: "Then you bet with Mr. Zhang."
Shen Que was at a loss for words. The emperor's grandson gave Shen Que a blank look and said, "Since you don't dare to bet with Mr. Zhang, and you can't come up with a better way to change the calendar than Mr. Zhang, what on earth do you want to do?"
The emperor's grandson summed it up sharply. There was silence in the Yilun Hall. Everyone in Shenguo was very frustrated. The debate was completely out of their control. Now it seems that not only is it difficult to enact the ban on Christianity, but these Westerners are very likely to participate in the cultivation of calendars. Got it!
Zhang Yuandao said: "Mountain Tai can be huge by not letting the soil go; rivers and seas can be deep by not choosing small streams; kings can understand their virtues by not sparing the common people. How can we, the Ming Dynasty, not tolerate foreign ministers? The history of Ming Dynasty has been long. , the greater the error in solar term calculation, the more the calendar must be revised. Why can’t it be corrected if it is wrong?”
Shen Que and others remained silent.
Zhang Yuan added: "Please ask Reverend Xiong to demonstrate the Jian Ping Yi to Your Highness and your Lordships. You can learn some basic knowledge of the astronomical calendar. The Jian Ping Yi is actually an astrolabe. It is simpler than the armillary sphere of Zhang Heng in the Han Dynasty. It was mentioned in the Hui Hui Calendar. Plant an astrolabe.”
Xiong Sanba then took out a circular copper plate with a copper ring. The front of the copper plate was engraved with the horizon coordinate grid, equatorial projection and other scales. It was also equipped with a rotatable grid ring and a watch mark. The back of the astrolabe was painted with for measurement. Graduation of the sun's position on the ecliptic and a peek-a-boo watch -
Xiong Sanba reported to the emperor's grandson: "Your Highness, the astrolabe needs to be demonstrated under the sky, facing the sun, moon and stars."
Zhu Youxiao said: "Then go to the open space outside the hall to demonstrate."
Xiong Sanba walked out of Yilun Hall with a tray, and Zhu Youxiao, the emperor's grandson, followed him out with great interest. When other officials saw that the emperor's grandson had gone to watch, it would be rude not to go, so they all followed, except for the old monk Lianchi. The most calm, sitting still and chanting Buddha's name, not moving.
On the terrace outside the Yilun Hall, Xiong Sanba first hung the astrolabe vertically and pointed it at the sun through the watch on the astrolabe. It was usually sunny after snow, but today the sun was very bright. Xiong Sanba showed everyone how to calculate. The height of the sun from the earth, and then by moving the network ring and the watch mark according to certain rules, the precise moment can be calculated...
Xiong Sanba explained and demonstrated for half an hour. These Hanlin poets were originally intelligent people. As long as they were not as stubborn as Shen Que, they all had a lot of knowledge about astronomy. The one who was most interested in this was the Emperor. The eldest grandson, Zhu Youxiao, asked Xiong Sanba to give him this astrolabe. He wanted to take it to the palace to play with. Xiong Sanba naturally wanted it and hurriedly gave it to him.
It was early noon, the emperor's eldest grandson returned to the palace, and the officials were waiting to disperse. Master Lianchi, who had been silent, suddenly asked the waiter to stop Xu Guangqi and Zhang Yuan. Zhang Yuan went over and respectfully asked Master Lianchi what he wanted. Order?
The old monk Lianchi looked at Xu Guangqi and Zhang Yuan and said: "It is really unwise for Shen Tanyue to invite Lao Monk to Beijing. Buddhism comes from India and Catholicism comes from the West. If Shen Tanyue wants to clarify the distinction between Huayi and Yi, he should only use Confucianism and Catholicism." Yi argued that the old monk should not be called, so the old monk had to say nothing."
Shen Que on the side also felt ashamed. This was indeed because he had not thought it through well. If there is a debate, it should be argued separately. Confucianism and Catholicism, Buddhism and Catholicism. If they are mixed together like this now, they will only hinder each other——
The old monk Lianchi added: "I listened to these two debates. This Zhang Hanlin advocates tolerance and inclusiveness, which is very good, but I want to ask, if we want to be inclusive, why do the Catholic priests repeatedly destroy our Buddha? There were even attempts to destroy Buddhist statues? When Thai and Western missionaries entered the Ming Dynasty, they first disguised themselves as monks and were called Western monks. The monks in the Buddhist temples along the way were also very friendly to these Western monks. Unexpectedly, after these missionaries had some foundation in the Ming Dynasty, they That is to say, they wantonly evade Buddhism, so-called evading Buddhism and supplementing Confucianism. This kind of mentality seems to be inconsistent with the Ten Commandments of God they preach, right?"
Xu Jiuke echoed: "They are just speculators."
Zhang Yuan knew that Master Lianchi was telling the truth, so he bowed and said: "Master taught me that there is indeed something wrong with Catholicism." He said to Xu Guangqi: "Xu Zanshan, please give Master Lianchi a reply. If Catholicism wants to When spreading in the Ming Dynasty, we must respect the traditions of the Ming Dynasty. Jesuits can preach doctrines and make people believe in religion, but they cannot force others to believe in religion. Everyone is free to believe in whatever religion they believe, and Buddhism cannot be used as a target."
Xu Guangqi was silent for a while and said: "How about I discuss it with Priest Long and others and reply to Master Lianchi tomorrow?"
The old monk Lianchi nodded, then turned to look at Zhang Yuan, a smile appeared on his dry and bright face, and he said: "Sure enough, he is someone whom Brother Tiantong has bumped into. Such a magnanimous attitude is what will benefit the common people." After that, , holding on to the waiter's shoulders, he left the Imperial College and went to Dalongfu Temple.
Shen Que and others could not understand what Master Lianchi said. They only knew that Master Lianchi was very satisfied with Zhang Yuan's answer just now.
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This chapter is well written. As long as the calendar can be modified, Zhang Yuan's resistance to future changes will be much smaller. Please give Zhang Yuan some encouragement.
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