(9) Xuanji Jade Heng—Shaohao’s ultimate artifact for worshiping the heavens

1. Why is the Xuanji Yuheng the most powerful instrument for astronomical observation in ancient times?

2. Why are Xihe, who divines the sun, and Chang Xi, who divines the moon, both from the Shaohao family?

3. Why is it so difficult for the Yellow Emperor’s clan to monopolize the right to worship heaven?

Copyright belongs to the author.

The Huangdi clan used Jianmu to prove their strong relationship with God, and they barely passed the test. But it is unreasonable and impossible to prove that God only listens to the Huangdi clan and does not listen to others. Because at this point, all clans are equal and stand on the same starting line. It can be said that each has its own unique skills and tricks.

To prove that God and the Huangdi clan are the most considerate and the first person to be notified whenever there is news is also an impossible task. For example, the Shaohao Kingdom of the Dongyi Group, it is not difficult at all for them to communicate with God.

They did not buy into the self-promotion of the Huangdi clan, because they did not need to climb such a high pillar like the Huangdi clan to find God.

Setting up pillars to receive messages from the Emperor of Heaven is obviously too low in IQ and too primitive in technology. Because the Shaohao family has long ago invented a universal GPS positioning system, no matter where they go for a walk in the sky, they will find it.

This is the most awesome invention of the Shaohao family in astronomical observation in ancient times, the "Xuanji Jade Scale." [1]

Xuan is a round jade that can rotate. plate. Ji is a round jade bead.

Yuheng is a weighing instrument made of jade.

This is a set of instruments used together to make small gaps on the jade plate to correspond to the stars in the sky. In this way, we can grasp the movement patterns of the stars in the sky, and then formulate a calendar and determine the seasons.

During the Fuxi Dynasty, the Shaohao family’s calendar was greatly influenced by the Taihao family, so they also learned to erect pillars to indicate the four seasons. However, unlike the Huangdi clan, they believe that the Emperor of Heaven lives on Kunlun Mountain in the world of heaven and earth.

Shaohao believed that since he was the Emperor of Heaven, he must stay in heaven. So among the many and brilliant stars in the sky, which one is the residence of the Emperor of Heaven? Polaris.

The sun and the moon are parallel, and the stars are moving. Although Polaris is bright, it is just an ordinary second-magnitude star in terms of brightness, and it belongs to the "junior".

Why was it considered by the Shaohao clan to be the residence of the Emperor of Heaven? This is because although the sun and moon are dazzling, they are constantly moving their positions rapidly.

The great wizards of the Shaohao clan who were observing the way of heaven thought to themselves, those of us who are the bosses in the human world, work hard but never work hard, and are never too lazy to make a move.

Since the Emperor of Heaven is the boss in heaven, how could he run around all day long? In other words, it’s definitely not the boss who changes positions every night.

Shaohao developed an astronomical system centered on equatorial coordinates. Polaris is famous precisely because of its important location. It is located due north on the celestial sphere, almost directly opposite the Earth's axis. The Earth rotates around its axis, and Polaris is on the northern extension of the Earth's axis, so it does not move when you look at the sky at night.

The Earth's axis is tilted, so we see Polaris in the northern sky rather than directly overhead.

And because the direction of the tilt of the Earth's axis remains unchanged throughout the year, the Polar Star we see in the sky does not move throughout the year. Its position does not change, and the Earth's axis always points to Polaris.

This feature certainly gives it a unique status. Therefore, for thousands of years before entering the industrial age, people on Earth relied on its starlight to navigate.

Of course, due to the precession of the equinoxes, Polaris is not a certain star that will never change. Polaris slowly wobbles periodically due to the Earth's axis of rotation. As a result, the position in the sky where the North Pole of the Earth's rotation axis points is also changing.

According to astronomers’ calculations, the pole stars cycle once every 20,000 years or so. It is now Alpha Ursa Minor and will be Vega by AD 14,000.

As far as Chinese history is concerned, the Zhou Dynasty used the Emperor Star [2] as the North Star three thousand years ago, and the Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties used Tianshu as the North Star.

It can be said that everything is in motion, rest is only temporary and relative, and movement and change are eternal. In addition, Polaris has another characteristic, that is, it is guarded by stars in the field of human observation.

The ancients always compared human affairs with the way of heaven. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius claimed:

"The power of a monarch to govern political affairs comes from the moral law that never wavers in his heart, just like the North Star. Stay in your own place, and the stars will surround it." [3]

So how does Xuanji Yuheng find the North Star anytime and anywhere at night?

The famous British scientist Joseph Needham showed us this method in his "History of Science and Technology in China". If the notch on the edge of Xuanji is aligned with the main arctic constellation, then the true North Pole will be settled in the center of the Peephole, and The location of the accommodation is also easy to find.

This point can also be found in the "Zhou Bi Suan Jing" -

The real celestial pole is in the center of Xuanji.

...the big star in the middle of the Arctic region should be watched and observed.

...At midnight on the summer solstice, the star travels south to its furthest point.

...At midnight on the winter solstice, it swims north to its furthest point.

… At the unitary hour of the winter solstice (5-7 p.m.), it travels westward to its furthest point.

At Mao hour (5-7 am) on the same day, it swam eastward to its furthest point.

This is the four directions of the North Star that Xuanji saw. [4]

The Shaohao family of the Dongyi Group was so good in astronomy that at least during the Shennong Dynasty, they had established their unshakable authority.

Therefore, when the Yellow Emperor's dynasty was founded, Chiyou occupied a high position "at that time".

Later, even if Chi You was defeated and died, no matter how the director of the astronomical calendar of the Yellow Emperor Dynasty was adjusted, someone from the Dongyi Group could only take over the position.

Xihe, who divines the sun, and Chang Xi, who divines the moon, both come from the Shaohao family. [5]

The system of abdication

Chinese ancient jade ritual vessels

Selected from Joseph Needham's "History of Chinese Science and Technology·Astronomy"

The jade and the jade are combined into a whole

Choose Joseph Needham's "History of Chinese Science and Technology·Astronomy"

The jade jade used for sacrifice. It is the earliest genuine jade article excavated so far. From the Xinglongwa site.

In ancient times, the cong was used to worship the earth, which was a ritual vessel used to worship the earth god. This jade cong was unearthed from the Liangzhu Culture. During the period of Emperor Yao, the sixth emperor of the Huangdi Dynasty, he relied even more heavily on the Shaohao family.

Not only astronomy, but also the most important and noble government departments in the four seasons of the calendar were all handed over to the Shaohao family.

Even his son Danzhu wanted to take over this position, but he was rejected by Emperor Yao.

In a word - without that diamond, don't take up the porcelain job.

The Huangdi clan definitely wanted to hold the right to sacrifice to heaven completely in their own hands. However, after hundreds of years and many jokes, they found that the two subjects of astronomy and calendar were too high-tech. Not sure.

Therefore, the Shaohao family's dominance in astronomy lasted until the end of the Huangdi Dynasty.

Looking at the Yellow Emperor's dynasty for nearly a thousand years, the foreign races that challenged the Yellow Emperor's dynasty were suppressed.

There is no one who has not been conquered by the Yellow Emperor Dynasty and then completely settled.

Only the Shaohao family, no matter how hard they try, successive monarchs can only appease and use them.

Without the support of the Shaohao clan, the Huangdi clan’s exclusive right to worship heaven has no credibility. In the age of theocracy, they were bound to be abandoned by all clans.

[1] Both Dawenkou Culture and Longshan Culture exist.

In other words, China has entered the mature stage of astronomical observation technology at least 6 or 7 thousand years ago.

[2] Ancient star names. Also called "Emperor of Heaven". It belongs to Ziweiyuan, which is the beta star of Ursa Minor. "Historical Records Tianguan Shu": "One of the bright stars in the middle palace, Taiyi, always resides." During the Western Han Dynasty, it was the only bright second-magnitude star near the North Pole at that time. At that time, Taiyi was considered the most noble God, so the Emperor Star is compared to the residence of Taiyi.

[3] To govern with virtue is like Beichen, who lives in his place and is supported by all the stars. ——"The Analects of Confucius·For Politics".

The North Star is in the Ziwei Palace. It is called Beichen, the most respected star in the sky. It is also the hub of New Star and Sky. The fate of heaven is endless, the three rays of light shine one after another, but the pole star does not move. Therefore, it is said: "Stay in its place and the stars will arch over it."

——"Observing Xiang Wanzhao"

[4] "If you want to know the North Pole pivot, rotate the four poles. It is often used to travel south to the North Pole at midnight on the summer solstice; to the north pole at midnight on the winter solstice; to the west pole when the sun is added to the moon during the winter solstice; and to the east pole when the sun is added to the Mao period. This North Pole Xuanji travels four directions. In the center of the north sky, where the positive pole travels, at the time of the winter solstice, set up an eight-foot watch and tie it to the top of the watch, hoping that the big star in the North Pole will lead the rope to the ground and you will see it again at dawn. , when the sun is rising, draw the head of the rope back to the ground and realize that the two ends are two feet and three inches apart, so the east and west ends are 23,000 miles away from each other, and the east and west ends are aligned. Use the fingers to indicate the north and south."

[5] "The Yellow Emperor ordered Xihe to account for the sun, and Chang Yi to account for the moon... Rong Cheng synthesized these six techniques and wrote the "Calendar" - "Historical Records· The Chronicles of the Five Emperors"