Chapter 1: I Examine Myself Thrice Each Day
[Third Month, Year 165 of the New Calendar]
The Left Chancellor, Gu Zhizhong, submitted a memorial to the throne:
“Common folk across the realm rest when the sun sets, for darkness renders labor impossible. If Your Majesty wishes the people to devote their full strength to their duties, I humbly request a decree to delay the setting of the sun.”
The Emperor approved.
From that day onward, Xihe[1], driver of the sun, no longer wielded the whip. The Golden Crow lingered in the sky, refusing to fall. Daylight was greatly prolonged, not fading until the Hour of the Pig[2], and midnight itself grew shorter.
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[Fourth Month, Year 165 of the New Calendar]
The Right Chancellor, Jiang Ta’a, submitted a memorial:
“The yearly cycle contains twenty-four solar terms, and the day should likewise correspond to twenty-four hours. The common folk are dull and cannot manage the complexity of the traditional time divisions. I request that we simply number the hours from one to twenty-four.”