My Imperial Advisor is ChatGPT

The Imperial Academy of Sciences of the Qin Dynasty, Institute of Physics.

Recently, a terrifying legend has been circulating here: the Institute of Physics is haunted.

The rumor originated from Mo Yun, a disciple of the Mohist school (currently the head of the electromagnetic group). It is said that whenever he tests the huge "high-voltage induction coil" in the room to the east, sparks inexplicably appear from a metal ring in the next room that is not energized.

Even more frightening was that a detached frog leg (a replica of the Gavani experiment) placed on the table for a bioelectric experiment would twitch wildly in response to the "crackling" sound from next door, as if it were tap dancing, even though it was not connected to any wires.

"There's a ghost! It's definitely a vengeful spirit!"

Zhao Gao, as the "honorary security director of the Academy of Sciences" (although he just wanted to avoid it), was currently wrapped in a thick insulating rubber raincoat, holding a peach wood sword, and standing trembling at the laboratory door.

"Master Wang, is the feng shui of this Institute of Physics bad?" Zhao Gao asked with a bitter face. "Even hitting a cow from a distance wouldn't be this strange! That frog is completely dead, how could it still dance to the sound of thunder?"

Wang Jianguo stood in front of the experimental table, holding a strange device in his hand: a copper ring with metal balls at both ends and a tiny gap in the middle.

He stared at the gap that flickered with faint sparks in sync with the discharge from the neighboring building, his eyes gleaming with ecstatic joy.

"Old Zhao, this isn't a ghost." Wang Jianguo took off his goggles, revealing a pair of bloodshot but unusually excited eyes. "This is 'Wave.' An invisible and intangible 'ghost' that can penetrate walls and cross mountains and seas."

"Waves?" Zhao Gao looked bewildered. "Water ripples?"

"No, it's electromagnetic waves." Wang Jianguo pointed to the air. "We always thought that electricity could only travel inside wires. But actually, when the current oscillates violently, it creates ripples, like a stone thrown into water. These ripples propagate through the air, hit the metal ring next door, and induce a current."

He grabbed Zhao Gao by the shoulder, shaking him until Zhao Gao was dizzy: "Old Zhao! Do you know what this means? It means we can transmit signals to the ends of the earth without wires!"

Zhao Gao felt nauseous from the shaking, but he still shrewdly grasped the key point: "No need for wires? Doesn't that mean the price of copper will drop? I just stockpiled two tons of copper..."

"Vulgar!" Wang Jianguo released him. "This is a revolution in communications! This is a miracle that makes super hearing a reality!"

In order to capture this "invisible ghost", Wang Jianguo began to manufacture the first generation of radio transceivers in the Daqin version - a spark gap transmitter and a metal shaving detector.

The transmitting end is easy to handle. As long as the induction coil is made bigger and the voltage is made higher, the sparks can shoot up a foot long and make a sound like firecrackers during the New Year.

The difficult part is the receiving end.

In those days, there were no vacuum tubes, let alone transistors. The only option was the most primitive "metal scrap detector".

The principle is simple: a glass tube is filled with metal shavings. Normally, these shavings are not in contact and do not conduct electricity. Once an electromagnetic wave sweeps across the tube, the shavings will instantly "stick" together under the induced voltage, becoming a conductor, thus completing the circuit and ringing the bell.

However, deciding which metal shavings to use became a major problem.

"Iron filings are too hard and rust easily; copper filings are too soft and not sensitive enough." Wang Jianguo looked at the pile of experimental waste with a worried expression.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on Zhao Gao's grinning face.

"Old Zhao..." Wang Jianguo grinned like the wolf in sheep's clothing, "I heard you got a gold tooth implanted last month?"

Zhao Gao instinctively covered his mouth, took two steps back, and mumbled, "Chancellor Wang... this is pure gold... this is my savings that I've been hoarding for a long time..."

"It's not pure gold, it's a silver-gold alloy, right? For the sake of hardness." Wang Jianguo stepped closer. "This alloy has excellent conductivity and oxidation resistance. When ground into powder, the particles are uniform, making it the perfect material for detectors."

"No! Don't pull it out!" Zhao Gao screamed. "I'll give it to you! I'll go back and get my own money to buy you new silver powder, okay? Don't touch my teeth!"

Ultimately, with the help of a bag of mixed powdered silver and nickel coins donated by Zhao Gao, the first high-sensitivity detector tube of the Qin Dynasty was born.

To ensure the pipe could continue to work, Wang Jianguo designed a small mechanism next to it: a small hammer.

Whenever the detector receives a signal and connects the circuit, the small hammer will automatically strike the glass tube to shake off (reset) the stuck metal shavings, and wait for the next signal.

So, this strange device works by saying: "Beep—(signal arrives)—ding (bell rings)—thud (hammer strikes)."

It has a very strong sense of rhythm, like playing some kind of percussion instrument.

The experiment was conducted at the northern foot of Mount Li.

To verify the authenticity of the "wireless" connection, Wang Jianguo specifically chose two mountain peaks five miles (approximately 2.5 kilometers) apart. Between them was a bottomless valley, making it absolutely impossible to run power lines.

The launch site was located on Hill A and was managed by disciples of the Mohist school.

The receiving end was set up on Mount B, with Ying Zheng personally overseeing the operation.

On the summit of B Mountain, the cold wind howled.

Ying Zheng, draped in a black cloak, looked at the appallingly rudimentary device on the table in front of him: a glass tube, a battery pack, a small copper bell, and a copper pole (antenna) that stood upright at least three zhang tall.

"That's all?" Ying Zheng asked skeptically. "A few copper wires and a pipe, and you can hear sounds from the mountains five miles away?"

"Your Majesty, what you're hearing isn't a sound, it's a 'signal'," Wang Jianguo explained as he adjusted the equipment. "Pressing a switch over there will make a bell ring here. One short and one long sound represent different meanings."

Standing behind Ying Zheng was General Han Xin.

Han Xin wasn't wearing armor today, but rather plain clothes. He stared at the tall, upright antenna, his eyes filled with inquiry.

"Master Wang," Han Xin began, "is this thing affected by the weather? Can it be used in the rain? Can it be used at night? Can it be used in heavy fog?"

"It works perfectly," Wang Jianguo replied. "Electromagnetic waves have extremely strong penetrating power, so unless there's extreme thunderstorm interference, it's unaffected by wind or rain. Moreover, it travels at the speed of light. You press a button over there, and it rings instantly here, without any delay."

Han Xin's pupils contracted sharply.

He turned to look at the deep valley, then at the faintly visible A mountain peak in the distance.

As a military genius of his time, he understood all too well what "information asymmetry" meant.

In the past, wars were fought using beacon towers, drums, gongs, and flag signals.

Beacon towers can only transmit alarms, not details;

The sound of drums and gongs is only heard, and the distance is only a few miles.

Flag signals are limited by visibility; at night and in foggy weather, they are practically useless.

As for fast horses delivering messages... that's risking human lives and the horse's legs; even if the horse runs itself to death, it will still take half a day.

If this thing is really as miraculous as Wang Jianguo says...

"Let's begin," Ying Zheng ordered.

Section Four: God's "Beep"

Wang Jianguo picked up the walkie-talkie (actually a signal flag, because the radio communication had not yet been successfully verified, and the transmitter still needed to be directed by flag signals) and waved it.

"emission!"

Five miles away, on Hill A.

Mo Yun took a deep breath, put on his earmuffs, and pressed the huge knife switch.

"Sizzle—Smack!!!"

The massive induction coil instantly released tens of thousands of volts of high voltage. A blue-white spark exploded between the two copper spheres, producing a deafening bang, and the air was instantly filled with the pungent smell of ozone.

This spark not only produced light and heat, but also radiated a powerful electromagnetic pulse into outer space.

Almost at the same instant.

B Mountain Top.

The previously silent receiver suddenly—

"Ding!"

The clear sound of bells rang out on the empty mountaintop.

No one touched it.

Immediately afterwards, a small hammer next to the device tapped the glass tube, scattering the silver powder.

One second later.

"Ding!" It sounded again.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

Three short, three long, three short.

That was the signal Wang Jianguo had agreed upon: SOS (although this distress signal didn't exist at the time, Wang Jianguo was used to it).

The entire room fell silent.

Only the little bell rang merrily in the wind, as if it were a greeting from a ghost.

Li Si was so frightened that he took a step back, pointing at the antenna: "This...is this a soul-summoning bell? It rings here as soon as they perform a ritual over there?"

But an unprecedented light shone in Ying Zheng's eyes.

He suddenly stood up, walked to the receiver, reached out to touch it, and then pulled his hand back.

"Really...they made it?" Ying Zheng murmured to himself, "No lines, no horses, no smoke. Just like that...they made it?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Wang Jianguo said, his voice trembling with excitement. "It has traversed the valleys, the forests, and the air. This is 'Hertz Wave.' From this day forward, the voice of Great Qin can transcend the barriers of space."

Ying Zheng took a deep breath and turned to look at Han Xin.

"Han Xin, what do you think?"

Han Xin did not answer immediately.

He walked to the edge of the cliff and gazed at the vast land. In his mind, a simulation of a massive army was underway.

A moment later, he turned around, his face pale, but his eyes filled with a terrifying fanaticism.

"Your Majesty, if this item could be miniaturized, it could be carried by the army..."

Han Xin's voice trembled slightly.

"In the past, when fighting, generals in the field could sometimes disobey the emperor's orders. Why? Because the battlefield was ever-changing, and by the time His Majesty's edict arrived, it would be too late. Therefore, generals had to act independently."

"But with this..." Han Xin pointed to the bell, "Your Majesty can command the cavalry from the northern deserts thousands of miles away while drinking tea in Xianyang Palace. The left flank can be flanked, the right flank can feign an attack, and when to charge and when to retreat is all at Your Majesty's command."

"What's even more terrifying is..." Han Xin walked to the map and gestured with his hand to indicate the name, "The reason why the Xiongnu cavalry is so difficult to defeat is because they are unpredictable in their movements, making it hard for us to find them. But if we have ten scout teams, each carrying this tool, scattered across the grasslands, we can send a message the moment we spot the enemy."

"That's a net spread across the sky." Han Xin clenched his fist. "The Xiongnu are like fish in a net; no matter where they run, they're always right under our noses."

"This isn't warfare," Han Xin concluded. "It's called 'using a full map' to fight a 'blind man'."

Ying Zheng was thrilled by what he heard.

"Open the full map..." Ying Zheng repeated the phrase, "What a great 'open the full map'! Little G, if Han Xin were born in later generations, he would probably be a master e-sports player."

"[Brother Zheng, what he's talking about is the prototype of the 'C4ISR system'," Little G added in his mind. "Command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance. Although we don't have computers now, with radio, the Qin army's reaction speed will be a dimension faster than the enemy's."]

"It's not just about fighting wars." Li Si also realized the value from an administrative perspective. "Your Majesty, if every prefecture and county were equipped with this, Xianyang would know instantly where there are floods, rebellions, or locust plagues. The distribution of relief supplies and the dispatch of troops to quell rebellions could be ten times faster!"

"Previously, it took a month for government orders to be issued, but now it only takes... a moment?"

Li Si gasped, "The Qin dynasty's territory is probably even more impregnable than an iron bucket."

In high spirits to celebrate the success of the experiment, Ying Zheng decided to personally try sending a message.

"What should I send?" Ying Zheng held the simple button (to control a distant transmitter via flag signal relay).

"Let's just send: 'May the Qin Dynasty last forever'."

As Ying Zheng pressed the buttons rhythmically, the spark gap machine in the distance roared.

The receiver bell on B hilltop rang merrily.

However, at that moment, an accident occurred.

The regular "ding-ding" sound was suddenly interrupted by a series of chaotic noises.

"Ding ding ding... ding... a jumble of noises..."

The bell vibrated wildly, as if it were having a seizure, with no rhythm whatsoever.

"What happened?" Ying Zheng frowned. "Is something wrong?"

Upon seeing this, Wang Jianguo's expression changed: "Oh no! There's interference!"

He looked up at the sky.

The once clear sky was suddenly clouded in. Although there was no thunder yet, the accumulated electrical charge in the cloud was releasing static electricity.

Early spark gap transmitters were "broadband transmitters," meaning they didn't specify a channel and used any frequency. Lightning and static electricity in nature are also natural sources of broadband sparks.

"Your Majesty, it's like the heavens are trying to steal our signal," Wang Jianguo said with a wry smile. "This EDM machine is powerful, but it's too domineering and has poor interference resistance. As long as there's thunder in the sky, or someone next door strikes a spark, it will go off."

Just then, Zhao Gao came running up, panting (he had been in charge of logistics down the mountain).

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Zhao Gao cried out in terror, "Just now, when I was boiling water down the mountain, the kettle lid was jumping around, and my hair..."

When everyone turned around, they saw that Zhao Gao's hair was all standing on end, like a hedgehog, which was the result of static electricity.

"And..." Zhao Gao shakily pulled out a pocket watch (a product of Chapter 93), "This watch of mine suddenly started spinning by itself, spinning very fast, and then it stopped!"

Wang Jianguo took the pocket watch and saw that the hairspring inside had been magnetized and stuck together by the strong magnetic field.

"Strong magnetic interference." Wang Jianguo shrugged. "That's a side effect of radio waves. Old Zhao, your watch is ruined."

Zhao Gao burst into tears: "This watch is worth a thousand taels of gold! My personal savings!"

Ying Zheng, instead of being angry at the jingling bells and the agitated Zhao Gao, burst into laughter.

"Excellent! What a powerful and domineering divine artifact!"

"Since even the heavens are trying to steal my channel, it means I've found the right path!"

He patted the device, which, though simple, dangerous, and noisy, had ushered in a new era.

"Wang Jianguo, I'm allocating funds for you. I'm also allocating the best craftsmen for you."

"I want you to make this thing smaller, more stable, and clearer."

"I will make these 'invisible waves' the reins in my hands, binding this vast empire!"

That evening, at Xianyang Palace.

"Little G".

[Yes, Brother Zheng.]

"I've been thinking about what Han Xin said today."

Ying Zheng tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"Radio can transmit military orders and disaster reports. Could it... transmit sound? Or images?"

"Brother Zheng, that's quite a leap," Little G explained. "Transmitting sound is called broadcasting, which requires modulation technology (AM/FM); transmitting images is called television, which comes much later. But now that you've unlocked the potential of radio technology, those are just a matter of time."

Ying Zheng nodded, his gaze deep.

"I'm thinking, what if one day I sit in the Xianyang Palace and speak to an iron box, and all the people of the world, whether in the fields or on the frontier, could hear my voice at the same time..."

"Then, does that mean I've truly become a 'god' in their hearts?"

"In a sense, yes," Little G said. "That's called 'mass media.' Its power is more terrifying than nuclear weapons because it can control thoughts."

Ying Zheng smiled.

He picked up a pen and wrote four words on the paper: The Listener of the Wind.

"Order Black Ice Platform to establish the 'Special Communications Division.' It will be specifically responsible for monitoring all 'waves' across the land."

"I want others to hear me, I also want to hear the most secret whispers in the world."

Outside the window, a bolt of lightning ripped through the night sky.

In that instantaneous electromagnetic pulse, the nervous system of the Qin Empire was quietly awakening.

Meanwhile, at the Academy of Sciences not far away, Wang Jianguo was drawing a new blueprint. The title of the blueprint was:

"A Localized Improvement Scheme for Marconi Antenna Array and Morse Code in Daqin"