Chapter 939: Imperial Master's Astrology Ceremony
"This box is the workmanship of the Ban family."
Unlike Princess Fuyun who studied the box for a long time without any clue, Xiao Lanyuan turned it over a few times and looked at it for a while before coming to a conclusion.
"Ban family?"
"Well," Xiao Lanyuan said, fiddling with his hands, "Didn't Lan Rong search for some information about Dongqing? Uncle Shen sent a book at that time. It contains introductions to some of Dongqing's families, and the Ban family is among them."
"So, this Ban family belongs to the craftsmen?"
Fu Zhaoning couldn't help but think of Lu Ban.
There is a Ban family here, which seems a little mysterious.
"Well, this is easy to solve."
Xiao Lanyuan was still a little slow at the beginning, and was still groping, but he soon became faster. No one knew how he got the seemingly intact wooden box done, but he could pull out a stick from one side and push a piece in from the other.
Seeing that he was fiddling with it, Fu Zhaoning didn't ask any more questions and just sat beside him and watched him open the box.
His fingers are long and well-defined, and his nails are clean and neat, looking like works of art.
It would be a shame if these hands were not used to play the piano.
Just when Fu Zhaoning's thoughts were a little distracted, he heard a click and the box opened.
Once the things inside were revealed, no one knew what method Xiao Lanyuan used, but he pulled, pressed, and patted the wooden box, which had become a little strange in shape, and it unexpectedly became a flat wooden board.
There are words engraved on it.
Fu Zhaoning opened his eyes wide.
It was late at night and everyone was asleep. She had thought she would go to bed early, but now that she saw this thing, she lost all her sleepiness and became quite curious.
"This is a compass?"
Fu Zhaoning looked at the thing that Xiao Lanyuan took out.
It’s called a compass, but it doesn’t quite look like one.
This thing is about the size of a palm, but a bit thick. It comes in three colors: gold, silver, and black. It is cylindrical in shape, with many serrated marks on the edge.
The top is divided into east, west, south and north, with two pointers, and the bottom is a pattern of mountains and rivers, which is a bit complicated.
Xiao Lanyuan turned the thing a few more times, and unexpectedly three more small discs emerged from the bottom. One of them had a black background with tiny copper stars embedded in it, which looked like a sky full of stars.
The other two are divided into yin and yang.
It looks like a very complicated instrument.
She just didn't know what it was.
Fu Zhaoning looked towards Xiao Lanyuan, but found that his expression was a little strange, or even a little solemn?
"What's wrong? Do you know what this is?"
"The Astrology Instrument of Master Dong Qing." Xiao Lanyuan said.
"Ah?" Fu Zhaoning knew that Dongqing had always had a national master in the past. He heard that the national master could observe the celestial phenomena, predict the fate, and predict the emperor's star. This might be the auxiliary tool they used for calculations.
It is similar to a star compass.
"I heard that it takes fifteen years to make an astrological instrument. In addition to the scarcity of materials, the craftsmanship is also extremely complicated. The hundreds of tiny copper stars on it would be invisible if they fell to the ground, but they have to be embedded into this fine iron base bit by bit, and the positions have to be calculated very accurately."
Xiao Lanyuan looked at the astrology instrument in his hand, fiddled with it for a while, put together the several plates, and it became a complete cylinder again. He turned it over and handed it to Fu Zhaoning.
"Turn around and look from the bottom."
What's at the bottom?
What else can you see?
Fu Zhaoning took it, turned to the bottom, and looked closely. He discovered that there was a hole in the bottom. He squinted at it and it was like he was peeking into a dark and glowing universe with tiny stars twinkling in it.
It's like a real starry sky.
But if you take this thing away, it is clearly just a cold object made of iron, copper, gold or silver!
She looked at it again and was shocked.
Now she doesn’t think it’s surprising that it took fifteen years to make this thing. She can’t even figure out how this thing was made!
"Take a look at it too." She handed it back to him.
He showed it to her before he even saw it himself.
Xiao Lanyuan took it and looked inside.
He was also shocked.
This is so subtle.
"This astrology instrument is considered a national treasure of Dongqing, right?" Fu Zhaoning said.
"Well," Xiao Lanyuan put down the Astrology Instrument and nodded, "The title of National Master is passed down from one generation to the next. If the National Master does not have the Astrology Instrument, then the title is not legitimate. Moreover, the Dongqing people believe that the results inferred without the help of the Astrology Instrument are not the most accurate."
"What if a new astronomical instrument is made in fifteen years? What about the old one?"
"The old ones will be abolished and sealed in the imperial mausoleum."
In other words, as long as no new ones come out, there will always be only one astrology instrument in use in the world.
"Could that Uncle Wang be the descendant of National Master Dong Qing?" Fu Zhaoning asked.
Xiao Lanyuan was silent for a moment, then said, "In fact, I have always guessed that the master is the one."
Fu Zhaoning was stunned for a moment.
The master of Youqing Peak?
"By the way," Xiao Lanyuan looked at her, "The master of the temple wrote to me before, asking me to take you to Youqing Peak before March."
"You asked me to go there?"
"right."
It is already early February, and she doesn't know when things in Zhecheng will be over.
But most importantly -
"Do you want to take me with you?"
Xiao Lanyuan has been recuperating in Youqing Peak since he was a child. He can be said to have grown up there, so he must have received the care of the master of Youqing Temple.
She could sense that Xiao Lanyuan respected the master of the temple very much.
Therefore, the master of the temple is also a very important elder to him.
"If you don't mind, I'll take you there. If you don't want to, then I'll refuse him." Xiao Lanyuan said.
It didn't look like he was being reluctant at all.
Fu Zhaoning's wishes should still be the main consideration.
"I'll go with you when the matter in Zhecheng ends soon." Fu Zhaoning felt that if the abbot of Youqing Temple was an elder who was so kind to him, then she, as a junior, should also go and pay him a visit.
"good."
"Then who do you think that Uncle Wang is?"
"You take a rest, I'll go ask." Xiao Lanyuan was ready to ask now. He had just read the words engraved on the box, and it did indicate that this thing was the Dong Qing National Master's Astrology Instrument, and it roughly described its usage.
No matter who Uncle Wang is, at least he knows his background, right?
Otherwise, why would he think of giving Dong Qing such an important thing?
He was also afraid that the night would be long and he would have more trouble, so it was important to go and find out now. What if he died of illness?
"Hey, do you want me to keep it for you first? I'll give it to you when you want to return to the capital." Fu Zhaoning asked proactively.
Because she has space.
There is no place here suitable to keep such a valuable astrological instrument.
"good."
Xiao Lanyuan agreed without any hesitation.
"Then you go with a mask and a gown, don't get close to him or talk to him, keep at least two steps away, and be careful. No matter what time you come back, wake me up and I'll disinfect you."
Fu Zhaoning didn't have to follow him.
"good."
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