Chapter 1521: The Calendar (Part I)

"Everyone, stop what you are working on for a moment. Let's head over to the office where the moon is observed to communicate and exchange ideas. Perhaps today, or the day after, we will be able to produce a preliminary calendar. Your calculations are actually not wrong; once you compare your data with those who observe the moon, you will know how to calculate that average difference."

If anyone else had said this, those responsible for observing the moon certainly would not have believed it, but because it was Baifeng speaking, they had no choice but to believe, for Baifeng knew everything and understood everything.

Yet, the regrettable point was that Baifeng only knew the generalities and the results; he did not understand the process. Thus, he needed these people to observe and calculate. Since they now knew their results were basically correct, they could rest easy.

Calculating the same data every day with no progress for over half a year—how could they not be anxious? They were even somewhat exhausted, not knowing how to calculate or where to start, and were all thinking of gathering a few more years of data before proceeding.

Consequently, after Baifeng said this, everyone stopped caring about their own work and chose to go together to see the place responsible for observing the moon.

Xuanyuan led the way. He had chosen the location himself, and while he knew where it was, he also had not been there for a long time.

The two locations were far apart because the site for observing the moon needed to be as high as possible to be closer to Heaven and see more clearly, while the place for observing the sun needed to be spacious, flat, and free of any obstructions.

Fortunately, Xuanyuan attached great importance to this and understood the significance of the matter, so he found a very flat and open place for the sun-observing group. If it had been cleared for farmland, it would have been fertile soil, but Xuanyuan was very generous.

The mountain was high, and there was almost no road, just a small path. It took their group a long time to climb to the summit, but at this time, everyone's physical strength was excellent, so even though Baifeng rarely exercised, he was still able to climb up with them without much effort.

Every work group had dedicated personnel responsible for logistics. Food and water were carried up for them, there was a canteen to cook their meals, and laundry was also handled by others, all so they could focus on their work.

After arriving at the summit, it was very quiet; there was not a sound, and no one was in sight.

There were several offices. They opened the first one—no one. The second—still no one. Before they could open the third, they saw someone walk out, looking nervous.

"Changyi! Why is there no one here? What are you all doing?" Xuanyuan questioned angrily.

Changyi hurriedly bowed and saluted. He had not expected Xuanyuan, Baifeng, and such a large group to come, nor that the sun-observing group would also be there.

He hurriedly explained: "Tribal Chief, it is daytime now. We mainly observe the moon and stars at night, so we almost always sleep in shifts until dawn. I am here calculating now, and in a little while, they will wake up and continue their work."

"Oh, I see." Xuanyuan only then realized that observing the moon and stars required the night. He had forgotten this just now; it was impossible for anyone to stay awake day and night without sleeping, or they would be worked to death before long.

"Tribal Chief, should I go and wake them up?"

Xuanyuan glanced at Baifeng: "What do you think? Are you in a hurry, or should we let them rest a bit longer?"

Baifeng asked Changyi: "How long have they been asleep so far?"

Changyi, speaking with respect toward Baifeng, said: "A little over three Great Hours."

The Xuanyuan Tribe, like Huaxia, used time to divide the day. Huaxia called them Twelve Double-Hours and Twenty-Four Hours; the Xuanyuan Tribe called them Twelve Great Hours and Twenty-Four Hours, also using a Sundial.

"That is about enough. You can wake them up. There is a major task to be done today, and it is better if we start early."

Changyi looked at Xuanyuan again, and Xuanyuan nodded, signaling for Changyi to go wake the people.

So Changyi went over and woke everyone up. Hearing that Xuanyuan and Baifeng had arrived, they dared not harbor any complaints and hurriedly dressed and got up.

They first came out to offer greetings, but Baifeng saw that their eyes were not fully open and were crusted with sleep, so he said: "Go wash your faces first. We will go into the office and prepare."

"Yes." Everyone went to find water to wash up.

Changyi arranged chairs for everyone. Since there were not enough in the office, he went to the canteen to get more. In any case, he made sure everyone could sit. The guards responsible for security did not need to sit; they just kept watch outside.

By this time, those who had finished washing also came in, and they looked much more energetic.

A long table was placed in the middle of the group, and the meeting began. As the initiator of this project, Baifeng began to speak.

"Tribal Chief Xuanyuan and I just went to see the people observing the sun. Their results are very significant; they have basically determined the number of days in a year, but they are still missing the final pieces. These things need to be filled in by you, depending on how your progress is now."

The person responsible for observing the moon was Changxi, also a female official, the legendary Mother of the Moon. But setting aside the mythological factors, it was because she calculated the twelve months of the year that she gained this title. She was also the deity managing the movement of the moon. The myth concerning her, 'Changxi Bathes the Moon,' was naturally just observing the movement of the twelve months.

Similarly, the sun group also had a female official, Xihe. In mythology, it was 'Xihe Bathes the Sun,' washing ten suns, but why there were ten suns, Baifeng did not know.

After Xuanyuan, these two names likely became fixed as official titles, just like Shennong; at first, it was a person's name, but later it was passed down to become an identity and a title.

Xihe's achievement was 'respectfully bestowing the time upon the people.' Looking at it from mythology, although each of these matters had its own story, summarized, it was that these people together, through observing the moon and sun, formulated the calendar: Xuanyuan, Changxi, Xihe, Changyi, Qingyun, Jinyun, Laohuan (Huangzhong bestowing the time), Linglun (Lulu)...

These people were each responsible for one thing, or many people were responsible for one thing, and these people achieved the most. From time to day, to Solar Term, to month, and then to year, they supplemented and communicated bit by bit, finally forming a mature, vast calendar system. It was then named the Yellow Emperor Calendar after the greatest organizer, Xuanyuan, and because it was determined for agricultural planting, it was also called the Agricultural Calendar.