"Although this 'standing high and looking far' is just the most common perception, it also contains the laws of nature! This person's eyes can actually see far, such as the bright moon in the sky, the stars in the sky, all hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions, or even tens of millions of miles away. I will see it when I look up tonight. But on the ground and on the sea, even if there is no obstruction in front, how far can I see with a thousand miles of mirror? Does anyone know?"

In the Jinling Imperial Palace, the star-watching tower is on the sky, and the stars are everywhere tonight. It is a good time to enjoy the moon with wine and discuss the laws of nature.

So Zhao Kai held a banquet on the Star Gazing Tower tonight, and drank a small wine with dozens of close ministers and great scholars from the Confucian ancestral court, discussing the real talk of heaven and earth. Heaven is astronomy, and earth is the theory of earth. This realm is really beyond the many streets of reciting poetry and essays.

"Officials, I know!" The great scholar Yue Fei immediately took over Zhao Kai's question, "If you look at the city and hills from a distance, you can see forty or fifty miles at a distance. If you climb a ten-foot-high pavilion without any blockage, the weather is good. If you use a mirror of thousands of miles, you can also see the castle hills three or four hundred miles away. However, the people and horses in the watching action are not so clear, and the target is too small and easy to be blocked."

Li Bao, the commander of the navy, also nodded repeatedly and said, "The official, the king of Zhongshan is reasonable. I often lead the fleet to travel on the sea. I must use the coast to determine the direction. This naked-eye observation limit is only dozens of miles. Even if I use a thousand-mile mirror, it is not much. If I want to see far, I can only climb up the mast."

Zhao Kai nodded repeatedly, this is the "empirical method of investigating things"!

Thinking of this, he followed the examples given by the two men and said: "The reason for this is that the earth under our feet is round and the earth is curved, not straight, while our sight is straight. However, the earth under our feet is too big, so we cannot feel the bend of the earth, and we can only speculate through the phenomenon of climbing up to see the distance."

"Officials," Hu Quan, the master of the Confucian clan, put forward a different view at this time. "This climbing up to the top can only prove that the earth is not flat, and it cannot prove that the earth is round. The ministers thought that the earth is probably semicircular, just like an upside-down sea bowl."

Hey, this point of view is quite imaginative!

Zhao Kai smiled and nodded, "Maybe." At this time, he suddenly saw Yu Yunwen frowning with a thoughtful look, "Father Bin, what are you thinking?"

"Official family," Yu Yunwen said, "I am thinking that if the earth is a ball, then only the upper part will be inhabited, and the lower part will definitely be deserted because everything is facing downward and will fall."

Yes, it makes sense! The big head is facing down and cannot fall down? If it cannot fall out, it must be that the earth has suction force!

The ministers and scholars who were talking about the world on the Star Gazing Tower nodded repeatedly and started talking.

"Yes, if the earth is a ball, only the upper part can live in people, and the lower part must be bare! Because if things in the lower part are not grown in the ground, they will definitely fall out."

Dropped into space? Zhao Kai smiled and thought that he could write this question into the textbook in the future and let everyone study it together.

"It's not right. If the earth is a ball, then the ball will roll! What if it rolls until we rush down, what should we do?"

Zhao Kaixin said: Then it will fall out

Someone here used his imagination, and he said, "Where is the ball of the earth rolling?"

"I think the ground under our feet should be in the shape of a sea bowl, buckled on an endless large flat ground, so that we can be stable!"

After hearing this idea, Zhao Kai immediately thought of the pork-baring earth, if it was a bowl, it wouldn't be empty inside, right?

A more clever theory has come, "It's not right. If the earth is a sea bowl shape and is tied to a large flat ground, how can so much water be stored? The water will be left to the lower place! Wouldn't it all flow away?"

Zhao Kai glanced at the man, it was Niu Gao. It seemed that there was no need to smash Newton with an apple! I found that gravity was up to you Niu Gao!

"Yes! The water flows to the lower part! How could the earth be a ball or an upside down bowl? I'm telling me that the earth is still flat."

"How do you explain how to climb a high place to look?"

"The lonely family thought the earth was roughly flat, but not completely flat, it had ups and downs!"

"It makes sense, or what King Lingwu said is reasonable!"

The person who proposed the "theory of the ups and downs of the earth" was Zhao Lun, the eldest son of Zhao Kai, who is in his early 20s this year. He just graduated from the Naval Academy and has a good academic knowledge. He probably has the level of "third year of junior high school". Now he is an official at the Jinling Shipyard under the Naval Command Department and was named the Prince of the County two years ago.

However, he was not an officer leading troops, but a technical officer. The professional courses he learned in the artillery school were related to casting cannons and building ships.

Now we can propose the "theory of the ups and downs of the earth", which shows that his knowledge is still good

"Yes, yes, the earth is definitely flat!"

"What do I think?"

"The king is indeed wise, and the old minister admires it!"

"The king said it is reasonable, minister."

As soon as Zhao Lun’s theory came out, he immediately agreed.

So far, Zhao Kai has not officially appointed his legitimate son Zhao Ping as the crown prince, and he has not allowed Zhao Ping to receive the education that the crown prince should have. Instead, he, like Zhao Lun, first went to the Imperial College, and then to the Imperial College Academy (equivalent to middle school). After graduation, he was allowed to enter the artillery school.

Judging from this meaning, it is not certain that the Song Dynasty was originally a "discussion" or a "evaluation"!

Moreover, Zhao Lun was promoted to the position of "remaining the queen" when Zhao Kai served as the Grand Marshal of Hebei. Before Zhao Ping was born, he was always the de facto crown prince.

In addition, Zhao Lun also married Han Xiaozhou's granddaughter Han Xiaozhou, who is the leader of the Han clan of Xiangzhou. Many of the Xiangzhou military leaders, led by Yue Fei, were born with Han clan disciples (not those who cut people down, but customers who farmed). Because the Han family has always treated customers well, the Xiangzhou military leaders, including Yue Fei, are very grateful for the Han clan's care.

After some of them became successful, they tried their best to marry the daughter of the Han family as their wives. The girls were all goddesses in the hearts of a group of Xiangzhou martial artists!

Zhao Lun married the legitimate daughter of the Han family, which of course was conducive to winning over the head of the Xiangzhou army, and he himself was a naval officer. This was to catch him by sea!

However, these ministers who possessed the "Theory" school did not know that Zhao Kai's true thoughts Zhao Kai had many sons, among which there were eighteen who grew up healthily, and the eldest son Zhao Lun was Zhao Kai's disliked son the most!

The legitimate son Zhao Ping is Zhao Kai’s favorite son!

However, Zhao Kai is quite cold to his children, so it is difficult for others to guess what he is thinking.

At this time, Zhao Kai suddenly coughed and spoke: "The ground is round, the ground is flat, or the ground bowl, we can't just talk here! We have to test it with practice! Who would you like to take this assignment?"

Practice is the only criterion for testing the earth's roundness!

"Father," Zhao Lun spoke excitedly, "My son is willing to verify the shape of the earth for his father."

Zhao Kai nodded and smiled and said to his eldest son: "Lun'er, do you know how to verify it?"

"My son knows." Zhao Lun smiled, "The way to verify the terrain is to send a boat to sail eastward to find the west coast of the former land of Western Rome. If you can find it, then you can justify the earth as a bowl or a round shape.

Then send a ship south to find the far north of the Liao Kingdom. If you can find it, the earth will be round in front of you."

OK!

Zhao Kaixin said: The threshold of the Age of Discovery has been touched!

He thought for a while and said, "Lun'er, your idea is very good, but you are a body of gold, and the storms on the sea are dangerous, so you can't take risks easily."

"I know," said Zhao Lun, "I want to build several giant boats suitable for long-distance voyages. Each giant boat must be able to carry food and wine for all crew members for one year. At the same time, I will pay a lot of money to recruit sailors on the bow, train them first, and then take the giant boat to sea, go to Japan first, and finally set sail east and travel east for four months. If you can't find Western Rome, you will return."

It should be possible to reach America after traveling east for 4 months!

Zhao Kai was quite satisfied with Zhao Lun's plan, and immediately nodded and said, "Then I will entrust you with all my power to this matter. Take the Lun from the treasury for as much money as you want. You must work hard to do it and do not disappoint me."

Zhao Lun was so happy that he said this!

Is the prince just accused him of the errand? Zhao Lun and Pan Cailian have been thinking about it for so many years, and now they finally have a chance.

Thinking of this, Zhao Lun immediately stood up and bowed to his father Zhao Kai, "Please rest assured, my son must do his best!"

Zhao Kai is also quite satisfied with his son. Although he doesn't like this, he cannot help but admit that he has some skills.

The eldest son of the imperial family is too capable, which is not a good thing. If he can be sent to America to be a US, no, it should be Zhao Lijian's commander!

"Official family, how should we deal with the Roman king side by side?" The left prime minister Chen Ji suddenly brought the problem to national affairs at this time, "Do you want him to do things with King Lingwu?"

"No need," Zhao Kai shook his head immediately, "You can't let outsiders interfere in this matter!"

When discovering things about the New World, of course, Europeans cannot interfere in the New World, the surname must be Zhao!

He thought about it for a while, "You can also go to the West to send Rome to Zhao Chen's side by side, and ask Nanyue Kingdom to help him find a way to go to Rome."

In fact, if you go to the West, that is, to Europe from the Indian Ocean, you will pass through the Suez Canal faster than to Europe by land! If you go to the land by land, it will take years to judge the time. If you go to the sea, it will take a few months to arrive.
Chapter completed!