My Imperial Advisor is ChatGPT

The Qin Royal Power Research Institute, located in the western suburbs of Xianyang.

This place was originally an abandoned weapons workshop of the Imperial Household Department, but now it is surrounded by high walls, as solid as an iron barrel. The top of the walls is covered with glass shards (to prevent thieves from climbing over), and two rows of Black Ice Guards armed with muskets stand at the entrance.

The air no longer smelled of familiar coal smoke, but was filled with a more pungent and unsettling odor—the smell of gasoline evaporating, known as "ghost fire water."

Inside the main factory building of the research institute, the atmosphere was as oppressive as a pressure cooker about to explode.

Wang Jianguo stood in front of a huge blackboard, a piece of chalk in his hand, drawing. Opposite him sat Gongshu Huai, the most outstanding mechanical master of the Qin Dynasty, and Hu Hai, the prince who had recently become more interested in "car repair" than "cultivating immortality."

"What we're going to build is called an internal combustion engine."

Wang Jianguo drew a cylinder (cylinder) and a piston moving up and down inside it on the blackboard.

"The old steam engines burned the fire outside; that was 'external combustion.' They were inefficient and bulky, like a bloated, weak strongman." Wang Jianguo tapped the blackboard. "But this one, we're going to bring the fire inside! Not just burning, but exploding!"

"Explode?" Gongshu Huai's beard twitched. "Grand Preceptor, wouldn't that blow his stomach open?"

"As long as the cylinder is tough enough and the seal is thick enough, it won't explode." Wang Jianguo's eyes gleamed with madness. "We'll use the force of this explosion to push the piston down hard, thereby generating power."

He turned around and wrote four large characters: Absorb, Press, Explode, Expel.

"This is the key to understanding internal combustion engines. It's also called the 'Otto cycle'."

Wang Jianguo began demonstrating movements similar to those in radio calisthenics:

"The first step is inhalation. The piston moves down, the intake valve opens, and that fearsome 'ghost fire water' (gasoline) is turned into mist and sucked in."

"The second step is compression. The piston moves upward and the valve closes. This forces these volatile gases to suffocate, raising their temperature and preparing them to ignite."

"The third step is the power (explosion). This is the soul! At the very moment of extreme compression, we ignite it with an electric spark—pop! The gas explodes and expands instantly, pushing the piston violently downwards! That's how you generate power!"

"Fourth step, exhaust. The piston comes up again, pushing the burned exhaust gas out, and it's done."

"Inhale, press, explode, expel. The cycle repeats endlessly."

Hu Hai, sitting in the audience, listened with his eyes shining. This wasn't just about mechanical principles; it was practically a violent art!

"Inhale...press...explode...expel!" Hu Hai muttered, mimicking the motion of a piston, pumping his fists up and down in front of his chest while making sounds, "Glug, glug, bang! Whoosh—"

"Yes! That's the rhythm!" Wang Jianguo pointed at Hu Hai. "Young master, you have a real talent. That's mechanical breathing."

Sitting in the corner, Zhao Gao (who, as the chemical director responsible for providing fuel and lubricating oil, had also been brought in to listen to the lecture) watched Hu Hai gesticulating wildly, shrank back, and muttered under his breath, "It's over, the young master has gone mad. Before, it was about blasting mountains; now he wants to detonate mines inside an iron belly. How can this possibly end well?"

The principle is clear, but building it is another matter.

The precision requirements for internal combustion engines are a level higher than those for steam engines. A steam engine leaking a little gas will only result in a lack of power, while an internal combustion engine leaking gas will directly result in no ignition or even engine failure.

Gongshu Huai looked at the requirement on the blueprint that "the gap between the cylinder and the piston must not exceed 0.05 millimeters" and felt that his proud Mohist mechanical arts had been insulted.

"Grand Preceptor, this isn't machine making, it's embroidery!" Gongshu Huai exclaimed, holding a crudely cast cylinder blank. "Even a hair is 0.07 millimeters thick, and you want me to grind it finer than a hair?"

"It has to be this precise," Wang Jianguo said firmly. "And the piston rings. They need to be flexible, wear-resistant, and fit perfectly into the grooves, providing both a seal and the ability to slide."

Thus began the most inhumane "hand-grinding" method in the Qin Dynasty.

Inside the workshop, dozens of master craftsmen from the Gongshu family, wearing reading glasses (provided by Wang Jianguo), held sandpaper and whetstones of different grits, polishing the inner wall of the cylinder day after day.

"Sizzle—sizzle—"

The monotonous sound of friction echoed in the empty workshop.

Hu Hai wasn't idle either. He was in charge of the elasticity testing of the "piston rings".

"collapse!"

He broke a cast iron ring by using too much force.

"The one hundred and third..." Hu Hai looked at the broken pieces of iron on the ground with heartache. "This thing is too brittle! The carbon content is still too high!"

"Then anneal! Temper!" Wang Jianguo instructed from the side. "Adjust the heat treatment process! We need the toughness of spring steel!"

After a full month of grueling work, including wasting thousands of kilograms of good iron and wearing down dozens of whetstones, Daqin's first set of high-precision cylinder and piston components was finally born.

When Gongshu Huai shakily placed the oil-coated piston into the cylinder, the piston slid in as if it were being sucked in, fitting perfectly without the slightest wobbling, yet moving incredibly smoothly.

"Incredible skill..." Gongshu Huai stroked the mirror-like inner wall, tears streaming down his face. "I've spent my whole life making wooden birds, and I never thought that in the end, I would create an iron lung."

After solving the mechanical structure problem, there is still a core challenge – ignition.

How can an electric spark be precisely generated in a sealed, high-pressure environment?

Wang Jianguo produced the vulcanized rubber that he had Zhao Gao produce in Chapter 91, along with a large roll of copper wire.

"We're going to build an 'induction coil'," Wang Jianguo explained as he wound the coil. "Low-voltage electricity goes in, high-voltage electricity goes out. Using electromagnetic induction, we can instantly generate several thousand volts of high voltage, which breaks down the air and produces a spark."

Zhao Gao stood to the side, looking at the black cylinder wrapped with copper wire, and instinctively took two steps back.

He was still haunted by the memory of being jolted by static electricity in the lab and having to dance.

"Imperial Advisor, this thing... will it bite?" Zhao Gao asked cautiously.

"It won't bite, but it will shock you." Wang Jianguo brought the two poles of the coil closer. "Lord Zhao, may I borrow your hand-cranked generator?"

Zhao Gao, with a bitter face, shook the generator handle connected to the coil.

"Sizzle—smack!"

A blue-purple arc of electricity leaped between the two electrodes, producing a crisp cracking sound, and the air was instantly filled with the smell of ozone.

"Ah!" Zhao Gao was so startled that he almost dropped the generator. "Lei Gong! This is Lei Gong's magic!"

"That's right, we'll put the spark plug in this little porcelain bottle." Wang Jianguo pointed to the homemade spark plug (ceramic insulator). "When the time comes, it will be in the cylinder and ignite all that bad stuff for us."

Spring of the thirty-eighth year of King Zheng of Qin.

The first single-cylinder four-stroke gasoline internal combustion engine of the Qin Dynasty has finally been assembled.

It was fixed to a heavy cast iron base. It wasn't very big, only about half a person's height, but it looked extremely sturdy and menacing. The exposed flywheel was enormous, and a white spark plug was inserted into the red cylinder head. A simple carburetor (actually just a copper can based on the principle of a fuel injector) hung next to it.

Ying Zheng personally attended the event. He was dressed in plain clothes, but the important ministers behind him, such as Li Si and Meng Tian, ​​were on high alert. Some even secretly put on breastplates—it was said that these things were activated by explosions, and what if they were blown away?

"Jianguo, is this little thing really that powerful?" Ying Zheng looked at the iron lump that seemed rather "miniature" compared to the massive steam engine.

"Your Majesty, the best things come in small packages." Wang Jianguo wiped the grease off his hands. "Its explosive power is ten times that of a steam engine. If the steam engine is an ox, this thing is a cheetah."

"Let's begin." Ying Zheng nodded.

Wang Jianguo took a deep breath and began the final check.

"Check the fuel system!"

"Smooth!" Hu Hai replied; he was now the chief test engineer.

"Check the circuit!"

"Voltage is normal!"

"Add cooling water!"

"The water tank is full!"

"Okay! Fill with oil!"

Zhao Gao, carrying a metal can with a red skull and crossbones symbol (highly toxic/explosive) on it, walked over cautiously and poured the gasoline, which emitted a pungent odor, into the fuel tank.

"My lord, don't let your hand shake, or we'll all turn into roasted pigs," Hu Hai threatened him from the side.

Zhao Gao shuddered, quickly slammed the lid shut, and dashed behind a pillar to hide, leaving only his eyes showing.

"start up!"

This primitive internal combustion engine had no electric start; it relied entirely on manual cranking.

Hu Hai rubbed his hands together, spat on his palm, and grasped the heavy Z-shaped crank.

"Hey! Ha!"

Hu Hai gritted his teeth and spun the flywheel violently.

"Huffing and puffing... huffing and puffing..."

The machine emitted a heavy, laborious sound as the piston moved laboriously up and down inside the cylinder, compressing the gas.

One tap, two taps, three taps... no response.

"Again! Not enough power!" Wang Jianguo shouted, reaching out to adjust the intake valve. "The fuel-air mixture is too lean! Enrich it!"

Exhausted and covered in sweat, Hu Hai took off his outer robe, revealing his strong muscles.

"Wake up, you little brat!!!"

He roared and unleashed all his strength, spinning the flywheel at breakneck speed.

Just as the flywheel reached its peak inertia, Wang Jianguo abruptly switched on the ignition.

"Snapped!"

The spark plug exploded deep inside the cylinder, producing a blue spark.

In that instant, the oil-gas mixture, compressed to its limit, was ignited.

"boom!!!"

A loud bang, like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

The sound was too loud and too sudden. It wasn't as crisp as firecrackers, but rather like a heavy hammer slamming into a steel plate, carrying a shocking force that seemed to tear the air apart.

This was followed by a series of rapid, violent roars.

"Rat-a-tat ...

A plume of black smoke billowed from the exhaust pipe, and the massive flywheel, propelled by explosive force, accelerated instantly, transforming into a blurry afterimage.

The entire laboratory was trembling. The teacups on the table and the blueprints on the wall were shaking with the monster's roar.

"Splash!"

The nearest window shattered on the spot due to the resonance of the low-frequency sound waves, and shards of glass were scattered all over the floor.

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor! The Thunder God has appeared! The house has collapsed!"

Zhao Gao, who was hiding behind the pillar, let out a shrill scream, covered his head and crawled under the table, his buttocks sticking out and trembling.

Li Si and Meng Tian were also startled and instinctively stepped in front of Ying Zheng.

But Ying Zheng pushed them away.

This emperor, a figure of unparalleled power, stared intently at the roaring machine, his eyes devoid of fear, only displaying an almost obsessive fervor.

"Listen..." Ying Zheng shouted, trying to drown out the roar of the machines, "This sound...how beautiful it is!"

"This is power! Pure, raging, tireless power!"

The machines were still roaring.

Exhausted, Hu Hai collapsed to the ground, looking at the monster he had personally brought back to life, laughing like a fool, tears mingling with black ash as they streamed down his face.

"It's alive! It's alive! Hahahaha!"

Wang Jianguo looked at the tachometer, the needle jumping wildly.

"800 RPM! Temperature normal! Stable operation!" Wang Jianguo reported loudly.

This was the first cry of the internal combustion engine. Although it was noisy, smoked, and vibrated violently, like an unruly child, it heralded the arrival of a new era.

Ten minutes later, Wang Jianguo cut off the oil supply, and the machine slowly came to a stop.

The roaring sound in their ears disappeared, but the vibration seemed to linger in their bones.

Ying Zheng walked up to the machine and felt the intense heat emanating from the cylinders.

"Jianguo, what will this thing be used for in the future?"

Wang Jianguo adjusted his glasses, which had been knocked askew, and looked solemn.

"Your Majesty, it can do so many things."

"Put wheels on it, and it will be a car that doesn't need horses, and it can travel a thousand miles a day."

"Put tracks and a plow on it, and you have a tractor. One tractor can do the work of fifty oxen and work tirelessly."

"Put wings on it, and it becomes an airplane, able to fly in the sky like a bird."

"Equip it with armor and cannons, and it becomes a tank, capable of crushing any enemy defenses."

Wang Jianguo pointed to the barrel of gasoline that had once been considered waste.

"And all it takes is this black water."

As Ying Zheng listened, his gaze pierced through the roof of the laboratory, as if he could see the future.

He saw iron chariots speeding along the straight road, iron birds flying in the sky, and the banners of the Qin Dynasty planted in every corner of the world.

"Alright." Ying Zheng took a deep breath to calm his agitated emotions.

He turned to look at Zhao Gao, who was still slumped under the table.

"Zhao Gao, come out. Lei Gong is gone."

Zhao Gao crawled out shakily, his hair disheveled and his hat askew.

"Your Majesty... this thing is terrifying. I thought the sky had fallen just now."

"Useless," Ying Zheng laughed and scolded. "I hereby appoint you as the 'Chief Oil Keeper of the Great Qin.' From today onwards, you are to keep a close watch on all that 'ghost fire water.' Anyone who dares to waste a single drop, I will stuff them into this machine as fuel!"

"And also," Ying Zheng pointed to the broken window, "this glass is yours."

Zhao Gao was on the verge of tears: "Your Majesty, this...this can be blamed on me?"

"Nonsense, who told you to yell so loudly that you shattered the glass?" Hu Hai added from the side.

A burst of cheerful laughter erupted in the hall.

Epilogue: Reflections Under the Night Sky

That evening, at Xianyang Palace.

Ying Zheng sat alone on the terrace, toying with an exquisite spark plug model in his hand.

"Little G".

[Yes, Brother Zheng.]

"I still remember the sound of that machine today. It was the most domineering sound I've ever heard."

That was the heartbeat of industrial civilization, Brother Zheng. The birth of the four-stroke internal combustion engine meant that humanity was no longer confined to cumbersome steam power. Power would become lighter and more efficient. The next few decades would be the era of 'speed'.

"speed……"

Ying Zheng gazed at the distant starry sky.

"Now that we have the power, shouldn't we make the wheels of the Qin Dynasty turn even faster?"

He recalled Hu Hai's eager gaze and Wang Jianguo's description of tractors tilling the land.

"Pass down the order."

"First, we will mass-produce internal combustion engines. Although they are still very crude at the moment, I want to see them become more numerous and stronger."

"Second, establish the 'Great Qin Vehicle Manufacturing Plant.' I want that rebellious son Huhai to be the factory director. Stop thinking about racing all day and build me vehicles that can haul goods and plow fields!"

"Third, tell Xu Fu to find oil for me! Search the whole world for oil! This black water will be the lifeblood of Qin from now on!"