en_tn_condensed/mat/02/07.md

Herod secretly called the learned men

This means that Herod talked to the learned men without other people knowing.

men to ask them exactly what time the star had appeared.

This can be translated as a direct quotation. Alternate translation: "men, and he asked them, 'When exactly did this star appear?'" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-quotations)

what time the star had appeared

It is implied that the learned men told him when the star appeared. Alternate translation: "what time the star had appeared. The learned men told Herod when the star first appeared" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)