My Imperial Advisor is ChatGPT

Chapter 113 The Hidden Worries of Population Explosion and the Dawn of Chemical Fertilizer

Xianyang Palace, Qilin Hall.

The atmosphere at today's morning assembly was exceptionally lively, comparable to that of the Lunar New Year.

Since the promotion of potatoes, although they have not yet been popularized throughout the country, the bumper harvests in just a few experimental fields in the Guanzhong region have already made the officials of Daqin extremely excited.

Prime Minister Li Si stood in the center of the hall, holding a long bamboo scroll in his hands (although paper was available, he felt that important memorials should be engraved on bamboo to appear more solemn), and was describing the bright future of the Qin Dynasty to Ying Zheng with great enthusiasm.

"Your Majesty! According to the Ministry of Revenue's calculations, with potatoes, the carrying capacity of our Great Qin's land will increase threefold!" Li Si was so excited that his beard was trembling. "I suggest that the 'Great Qin Promoting Childbirth Decree' be immediately promulgated! For every son born, a reward of 100 catties of potatoes shall be given; for three sons born, exemption from corvée labor for three years; for five sons born, a 'Heroic Mother' banner shall be bestowed upon her, and she shall be given priority in allocating school district housing!"

"At this rate, the population of Qin will exceed 100 million in less than twenty years! By then, we won't even need to send troops to fight; just sending our people to travel the world will be enough to overwhelm Rome!"

The ministers echoed their sentiments, as if they could already see the magnificent sight of the Qin people covering the earth like ants.

Ying Zheng, seated high on his dragon throne, listened with a surge of emotion. In this era, population was the primary productive force, the very essence of national power.

"Good!" Ying Zheng slapped the armrest. "Granted! Minister Li, you take care of this matter. Tell the people to just give birth, I will raise them! I want this world to be filled with the smiling faces of the Qin people!"

"Wait a minute."

An untimely voice broke the lively atmosphere.

Wang Jianguo stepped forward, holding a cup of strong tea, his brows furrowed.

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister's vision is good. However, you're only thinking about 'increasing revenue' (having more children), have you considered 'reducing expenditure' (soil fertility)?"

Li Si asked in bewilderment, "Chief Minister Wang, aren't potatoes divine food? They'll grow as soon as they're planted in the ground, what else is there to think about?"

"Divine food is still food, not divine food. It doesn't need the northwest wind." Wang Jianguo sighed, walked to the blackboard, and drew a circle. "Law of conservation of energy, remember? Potatoes and corn are high-yield crops, which means they absorb several times more nutrients from the soil than ordinary millet. They are 'bloodsuckers of the land'."

He turned to look at the assembled officials and said, "With your current planting methods, the first year will be a bumper harvest, the second year a reduced yield, and by the third year... the land will be ruined, turning into sand, making it difficult to even grow grass."

"This is a variant of the 'Malthusian Trap'," Wang Jianguo tapped the blackboard. "A population explosion leads to land depletion, followed by famine and unrest. If the fertilizer problem isn't solved, 20 million people is a golden age, but 100 million people is hell."

The temperature inside the hall instantly dropped to freezing.

Ying Zheng's smile froze. He understood all too well the trope of "extreme joy turning into sorrow."

"Then...how to solve this?" Ying Zheng asked, "Use more excrement?"

"Not enough," Wang Jianguo shook his head. "Even if all the people and pigs in the entire Qin Dynasty were exhausted from all that labor, the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in that little bit of farmyard manure wouldn't be enough to feed the potatoes. We need industrialized fertilizers."

"We need—fertilizer."

The Imperial Academy of Sciences of the Qin Dynasty, Institute of Chemical Engineering.

Zhao Gao has been in a good mood lately. As the "Rubber King" and "Gourmet," his status in the court is rising steadily, and there are even rumors that His Majesty intends to appoint him as one of the "Nine Ministers."

Until Wang Jianguo found him with a blueprint.

"Old Zhao, congratulations, you're about to make another great contribution." Wang Jianguo patted Zhao Gao on the shoulder with a smile.

Zhao Gao's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a half step back: "Chancellor Wang, please don't laugh. Your laughter makes my back (from straining it while moving the locomotive last time) ache. What is it this time? Explosives? Or poison gas?"

"Neither. It's 'divine water.'" Wang Jianguo unfolded the blueprints. "We need something called 'nitrogen' to fertilize the fields. Although the air is full of nitrogen, plants don't respond to it. We have to turn it into 'ammonia water.'"

"How will it change?"

"Remember the coke ovens in the steel plant?" Wang Jianguo explained, "During the process of dry distilling coal to produce coke, a large amount of yellow smoke is generated. We used to discharge it as waste gas, which was a huge waste! It contains a lot of ammonia!"

Wang Jianguo pointed to a huge tower-shaped device on the blueprint: "We're going to build a 'washing tower.' We'll spray water on these waste gases, dissolving the ammonia in the water to turn it into ammonia water. If we pour this on the land, the crops will grow like crazy."

Zhao Gao breathed a sigh of relief: "Sounds easy. It's just air purification, right? Okay, I'll take it!"

However, Zhao Gao soon paid the price for his recklessness.

Three days later, Daqin's first "ammonia water recovery plant" was built next to a coking plant in the western suburbs of Xianyang.

On the day of the trial run, Zhao Gao, as the chief commander, stood confidently under the washing tower.

"Open the valve! Start spraying water!"

As the valve opened, yellow exhaust gas was introduced into the tower, and water sprayed down.

Immediately afterwards, an indescribable smell wafted out from the water outlet.

That doesn't smell bad.

The word "stinky" is too weak.

It was a highly penetrating, pungent odor that seemed to directly attack the top of one's head, almost suffocating one's brains. It was like a thousand unwashed chamber pots left to dry in the sun for three days, then condensed into a single drop and dripped into your nostrils.

"vomit--!!!"

Zhao Gao, who was standing at the very front, couldn't even last a second before rolling his eyes and kneeling on the ground, spitting out the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) he had for breakfast.

The surrounding craftsmen and Mohist disciples collapsed like wheat being harvested, tears and snot streaming down their faces, gagging and retching.

"This is poison gas! This is definitely poison gas!" Zhao Gao cried out as he crawled away. "Wang Jianguo has framed me! He's trying to murder a high-ranking official!"

Just then, Wang Jianguo, wearing a full set of gas masks (activated carbon enhanced version), walked over calmly like an alien. He took out a test strip and dipped it into the liquid at the water outlet.

"Hmm, the concentration is good." Wang Jianguo's voice came from behind the mask, sounding muffled. "Don't vomit, this is a treasure. This is 'nitrogen fertilizer.' With it, the potatoes in Daqin can grow as big as pillows."

Zhao Gao lay prostrate on the ground, tears streaming down his face, staring at the pool of "divine water" that reeked of hell. He asked in despair, "This stuff...are we really going to pour it onto the fields? The crops we grow...won't they taste like this too, will they?"

"Don't worry, plants only absorb nitrogen, not smells." Wang Jianguo patted Zhao Gao on the back. "Old Zhao, just bear with it. This smell is the smell of 'harvest'."

From then on, a forbidden area was added to the western suburbs of Xianyang. It is said that even mosquitoes within a ten-mile radius were killed by the fumes. And Zhao Gao also gained a new popular nickname—"The King of Flavors of Qin".

With the nitrogen fertilizer (ammonia water) issue resolved, the next step is phosphorus fertilizer.

Wang Jianguo said that the best phosphate fertilizer is "bird guano".

Thus, an imperial edict was delivered to Xu Fu, the director of the Imperial Maritime Bureau of the Qin Dynasty.

Xu Fu was in high spirits at this moment. Since bringing back rubber and potatoes, he had successfully transformed from a "charlatan" into a "navigator" and was highly valued by His Majesty. He originally thought that His Majesty's summons this time was to send him to conquer Rome or to find the legendary gold mines of the Americas.

Inside the Qilin Hall.

"My dear minister, I have a difficult task for you." Ying Zheng looked at Xu Fu with eager eyes.

"Your Majesty, please give your orders!" Xu Fu knelt on one knee, his spirit soaring. "Whether it be mountains of knives and seas of fire, or the icy plains of the poles, I will not hesitate to die for you! I am willing to expand the territory of Great Qin and bring back countless treasures of gold and silver!"

"No, I don't want gold or silver." Ying Zheng shook his head, took out a nautical chart, and pointed to some uninhabited islands in the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean (such as the Xisha Islands and Nauru). "I want you to go to these islands and dig something up."

"What is it? Dragon bone? Coral? Or pearl?"

"Bird droppings," Ying Zheng said calmly.

"...Huh?" Xu Fu thought he had misheard, or perhaps his ears were deteriorating from being exposed to the sea breeze so much lately. "Your Majesty, what...did you say?"

"Bird droppings." Ying Zheng emphasized, "To be precise, it's seabird droppings that have accumulated over millions of years. Wang Jianguo says it's top-quality phosphate fertilizer, called 'bird droppings stone.' Go and dig up all the bird droppings from these islands for me."

Xu Fu has turned to stone.

He imagined the scene:

The invincible Qin fleet, with a thousand sails racing, cannons roaring, cutting through the waves... then stopped at the edge of a deserted island, where thousands of elite naval soldiers laid down their swords and spears, picked up shovels, and began... shoveling poop?

"Your Majesty..." Xu Fu said with a mournful face, "This...this is damaging to the prestige of our nation, isn't it? Our warships are for fighting wars!"

"What is the purpose of war?" Ying Zheng retorted. "Isn't it to ensure the people have enough to eat? Now, all we need to do is shovel some excrement to feed them. Isn't that the greatest military achievement?"

"Furthermore," Ying Zheng added, "I grant you permission to calculate your merits according to the price of gold. For every ton of bird droppings you bring back, I will reward you with one gold coin."

Xu Fu's eyes lit up instantly.

One ton of bird droppings for one gold?

You know, the bird droppings on those deserted islands are said to be piled up as high as mountains, and even if you just dig them up, you could find millions of tons!

"Your Majesty is wise!" Xu Fu immediately changed his demeanor, declaring with righteous indignation, "Your Majesty, I will go immediately! I will bring back every single bird dropping from the sea to Great Qin! I will never let them end up overseas!"

Thus, a special detachment of the Qin Navy—the "Golden (Soaring) Detachment"—was established. Their flagship flew a flag depicting a seagull defecating (designed by Zhao Gao), and they sailed majestically towards the South China Sea.

Let's turn our attention back to Xianyang.

Although Zhao Gao's ammonia plant is located in the suburbs, the wind direction is uncontrollable.

On this day, a strong northwest wind blew.

The people of Xianyang were enjoying the warm autumn sun when suddenly a nauseating odor drifted in on the wind.

"What's that smell? Did someone's outhouse explode?"

"Cough cough cough! It stings my eyes! This wind is poisonous!"

"Have the Huns attacked? Did they release poison gas?"

The streets were in complete chaos. Vendors covered their noses as they packed up their stalls, and pedestrians covered their faces with their sleeves as they ran.

Inside the Prime Minister's residence.

Li Si was practicing calligraphy in his study, and he was writing "National prosperity and peace".

Suddenly, the smell wafted into the study.

Li Si's hand trembled, and the stroke of the character "安" (An) went directly outside the lines of the paper. He gasped sharply, and then—

"vomit--!"

The prime minister of the court vomited while leaning on the table.

"Outrageous! Outrageous!" Li Si wiped away his tears and stormed out of the study in anger. "This is murder! This is a blatant provocation against the laws of Qin! Zhao Gao! It must be that eunuch Zhao Gao again!"

Li Si didn't even ride in a sedan chair (afraid the smell inside wouldn't dissipate), and rode a fast horse straight to the palace.

At the same time, impeachment memorials from the Censorate flew to Ying Zheng's desk like snowflakes.

Inside the Qilin Hall, Ying Zheng was also wearing a mask (a thicker version made of cotton gauze).

"Your Majesty!" Li Si knelt before the throne, tears streaming down his face. "We can't train anymore! If we continue, the people of Qin will die from the fumes before they even starve! That 'ammonia water' Zhao Gao set up in the western suburbs is simply... it's inhumane!"

"Your Majesty, I request that the ammonia plant be dismantled immediately and Zhao Gao exiled to the Xiongnu! Let him fumigate Maodun to death!"

Ying Zheng rubbed his temples. He could smell it too. This smell was indeed... a bit intoxicating.

"Little G, what should we do?" Ying Zheng asked in his mind. "My Xianyang is almost turning into a latrine."

"Brother Zheng, this is the price of industrialization," Little G explained. "London also experienced severe smog during its Industrial Revolution. However, ammonia does evaporate easily. We can have Zhao Gao improve the process, reacting ammonia with carbon dioxide to make ammonium bicarbonate (ammonium carbonate). It's a solid, so the smell will be much milder, and it's easier to transport."

"A solid? That's great."

Ying Zheng immediately issued an edict: "Summon Zhao Gao! Have him bring Wang Jianguo and immediately turn that stinking water into a stinking stone for me! If he can't, I'll throw him into that washing tower for a bath!"

After Wang Jianguo and Zhao Gao worked day and night to overcome the challenge (mainly because Zhao Gao was afraid of being thrown into the bath), the first batch of solid fertilizer in the Qin Dynasty—ammonium bicarbonate (white crystalline powder)—was finally successfully produced.

Although it still has a bit of a smell, it's much milder than the pure "biochemical attack" of ammonia.

To verify the effect, Ying Zheng decided to conduct a public trial in the royal arbor.

The left side shows a potato field that was fertilized with chemical fertilizers, while the right side shows a control group that was fertilized with traditional farmyard manure.

Three months later.

The late autumn sun shines on the fields.

In the field on the left, the potato vines grew like small trees, with dark green, glossy leaves that were frighteningly thick. In the field on the right, although they were also good, they were noticeably shorter, and the leaves weren't as vibrant.

"Start digging!" Ying Zheng gave the order.

The old farmers wielded their hoes.

In the field on the right, the potatoes that were dug up were of average size, about the size of a fist.

And in the field on the left...

"Your Majesty! Look!" an old farmer exclaimed, pulling a potato the size of a pillow... no, a cantaloupe, from the ground. "It's come to life! The potato has come to life!"

Then, one after another, huge potatoes were dug out. Those heavy clusters of potatoes, hanging from the roots, looked like golden eggs grown from the earth.

After digging up one acre of land, weigh it.

"Traditional fields yield 1,500 jin per mu!"

"Fertilizer-fertilized fields yield... 4,200 jin per mu!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

Three times! Almost three times the output!

Li Si looked at the mountain of giant potatoes and took a deep breath. A faint ammonia smell still lingered in the air, but at that moment, he felt it smelled even better than ambergris.

"It smells so good," Li Si murmured to himself.

He grabbed a handful of white ammonium bicarbonate powder, not minding its pungent smell, and looked at it like a treasure: "This is 'divine soil'! With it, let alone one hundred million people, even two hundred million, the Great Qin can afford to feed them!"

Zhao Gao, standing beside him, puffed out his chest smugly (though still wearing a mask): "Prime Minister, are you no longer saying that this school of thought is anti-human?"

"Enough said, enough said." Li Si's face beamed with joy. "Prefect Zhao, your merit is truly unparalleled! I'll personally present your residence with a banner that reads 'The Flavor of Qin'!"

Zhao Gao: "..." (I have a feeling he's insulting me, but I have no proof).

Section Six: Epilogue - Letters from the Sea

The black smoke from the fertilizer plant continued to rise in the western suburbs of Xianyang, but no more residents complained.

Because everyone knows that what comes out of that smoke is the braised pork in next year's rice bowl and the grain that the granaries can't hold.

Meanwhile, in the distant South China Sea.

Xu Fu was standing on a deserted island where there were only birds and no people.

The white bird droppings here are piled up several meters thick, gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

"Dig! Dig for me!" Xu Fu shouted excitedly, waving his shovel. "One shovelful and you've got an ounce of gold! This isn't just shit, it's the lifeblood of Qin!"

Thousands of naval soldiers, shirtless, were working enthusiastically on this small island full of "pristine" atmosphere.

An albatross flew overhead and pooped, which landed right on Xu Fu's helmet.

Xu Fu was not angry. Instead, he reached out and wiped it, then smelled it under his nose and revealed a blissful smile.

"Great poop! Extremely high in phosphorus!"

He turned to his adjutant and said, "Quickly, send a telegram to His Majesty (through the already laid submarine cables and relay ships). Say: Xu Fu has found 'Golden Island'. The first batch of 10,000 tons of 'superior grade phosphate fertilizer' is about to be shipped back home!"

"Furthermore, Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will certainly turn every single bird dropping on the sea into crops for the Qin Dynasty!"

Inside the Xianyang Palace, Ying Zheng received a telegram.

As he looked out the window at the bountiful harvest, the red alert about "population explosion" in his mind finally turned into a green "safe" sign.

"Little G".

[Yes, Brother Zheng.]

"I suddenly realized that civilization is actually a science about 'eating'."

Ying Zheng pointed to the fertilizer plant in the distance, which was emitting yellow smoke.

"In the past, we relied on the weather for our livelihood; we only had food if the heavens were kind to us. Now, we rely on chemicals for our livelihood. Although the smell is a bit unpleasant and the methods are a bit crude..."

"But as long as my people no longer have to worry about empty bowls, I'll accept it even if my palace is turned into a latrine."

"Brother Zheng, this is the awareness of 'industrialization'," Little G said. "However, we still need to focus on environmental protection. Otherwise, once your population exceeds 100 million, respiratory diseases will also exceed 100 million. Next, we should start developing our 'environmental technology tree'."

"Granted." Ying Zheng smiled. "But before that, let me have a roasted sweet potato. Today's sweet potatoes were grown using Zhao Gao's 'divine fertilizer,' and I want to taste them to see if they have an ammonia-like smell."