My Imperial Advisor is ChatGPT

Chapter 52 The crunchy texture of Ruby Ginseng and the Roman debate over "concrete"

In late spring in Xianyang, the willow catkins had just fallen, and the air was filled with a smell that was a mixture of earthy odor and a strange sweet fragrance.

Next to the royal experimental fields of the Epang Palace, the shed that was once used to display the "iron oxen" plowing the fields has now been transformed into a temporary "Western Regions Treasures Appreciation Hall".

Ying Zheng, dressed in loose linen training clothes and cloth shoes with multiple layers of soles, sat on a small stool without any imperial airs. In his hand, he held a long, clean, and translucent orange-red object.

"Click."

A crisp chewing sound rang out in the quiet shed.

Li Si, Zhao Gao, and Zhang Qian, the "Marquis of Bowang of the Western Regions" with an expectant look on his face, all stared eagerly at His Majesty the Emperor's mouth.

"Hmm..." Ying Zheng chewed a few times, his brows relaxed, and he took another bite. "Crunch."

"Sweet. Crisp. Juicy."

Ying Zheng gave a six-word comment, and then handed the remaining half of the "red stick" to Xia Wuqie next to him.

"Imperial Physician, you should try this too. Little G said this thing is called 'carrot,' and it's rich in something like...carotene, which can be converted into...retinol in the body? Anyway, it's good for the eyes, and it's a cure for night blindness."

Xia Wuqie accepted it with trepidation, took a careful bite, and then his eyes lit up: "Your Majesty, this thing is sweet and neutral in nature, and is indeed a good ingredient for medicine. It's just that the name... 'Hu' radish, sounds a bit vulgar, like something the Huns eat."

Ying Zheng wiped his hands and snorted coldly.

"Huh? If it arrives in Qin and is planted on my land, then it will be Qin cuisine."

He pointed to the orange-red skin.

"Look at its color, reddish-jade, and its shape resembles ginseng. From now on, don't call it carrot, just call it... 'Red Jade Ginseng'."

"Send the order to promote its cultivation in Guanzhong. I want every archer in Qin to be like an eagle, able to see a target a hundred paces away even at night."

"Yes!" Zhang Qian was overjoyed. He had brought back quite a few seeds this time, but the fact that His Majesty had personally bestowed the name "Red Jade Ginseng" immediately increased its value.

Li Si watched from the side, silently calculating in his mind. Once this red jade ginseng was promoted, it would inevitably crowd out arable land used for grain production. But then he thought, this stuff has a high yield, can be eaten as food, and can also cure diseases, so it's not a complete loss.

"Zhang Qian, besides this red jade ginseng, what's the name of that... the grass you brought back for the horses?" Ying Zheng asked.

"Your Majesty, it's called 'alfalfa'." Zhang Qian quickly had a basket of purple-flowered, green-leaved hay brought up. "This grass is abundant in the Western Regions. The Ferghana horses of Dayuan grew up eating this. It grows extremely fast, is drought-resistant and cold-resistant, and horses that eat it gain weight quickly and become very strong."

Ying Zheng picked up a handful of alfalfa and smelled it. A fresh, grassy scent filled the air.

"Good stuff." A glint of light flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes. "My Ironclad Cavalry is struggling to find good 'fuel.' Black beans are too expensive, and silage might not be nutritious enough. This alfalfa is perfect for filling the gap."

"Li Si".

"Your subject is here."

"In the Shanglin Garden, and the horse farm in Longxi, land has been specially set aside to grow this. I want every warhorse of the Great Qin to have a 'buffet' of Western Regions food."

"And another thing," Ying Zheng lowered his voice, "wasn't that Modu stealing horses in the Western Regions? He may have stolen the horses, but he might not have this grass. If we plant this grass well, in the future... we can lure all his horses over here."

……

After tasting the agricultural products, Ying Zheng was in a good mood. He returned to the palace, preparing to visit Marcus, the "Roman auspicious omen" imprisoned in the Epang Palace University.

At this moment, in a spacious classroom of the Language Institute of Epang Palace University, the atmosphere was unusually strange.

Marcus, dressed in an oddly shaped Qin-style robe and holding a pointer, stood in front of the blackboard, lecturing dozens of students in broken Qin dialect mixed with Latin.

These students were no ordinary people. There were young craftsmen from the Mohist school, candidates for official positions from the Legalist school, and even Prince Huhai, who always seemed to be there to join in the fun.

"Senatus...the Senate..." Marcus drew a semi-circular theater on the blackboard. "In Rome, power is shared... In Rome, power is shared. Everyone sits together, tosses beans... oh no, votes, and decides matters of state."

The students below looked at each other in bewilderment.

A student with a Legalist background raised his hand and asked, "Sir, what if two people disagree and start fighting? If three hundred people disagree, will the war still go on? Will the grain still be distributed?"

Marcus paused for a moment, then tried to explain: "This is the price of democracy... We need debate, we need to persuade others through speeches..."

"Debate?" Hu Hai sat in the front row, legs crossed, a raw ginseng root dangling from his mouth. "That would be so slow! My father said that truth only exists within the range of cannons... no, only within the range of efficiency. Your Senate sounds like a marketplace."

Marcus blushed. "This...this is civilization! This is a republic!"

"Republic?" Hu Hai scoffed. "It sounds like 'drinking together,' more like drinking together."

Just as Marcus was about to vomit blood from anger at this group of "Qin Dynasty trolls," a loud singing came from the doorway.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The classroom fell silent instantly, and everyone knelt down in unison.

Ying Zheng walked in with his hands behind his back. He looked at the strange semi-circular architectural drawing on the blackboard and raised an eyebrow with interest.

"Marcus, I heard you're teaching them how to 'argue'?"

Marcus immediately knelt down, prostrating himself (he had already mastered the full set of Qin etiquette): "Your Majesty, I was explaining Rome's...political system."

"Get up." Ying Zheng sat in the chair that Hu Hai had given up, gesturing for Marcus to continue.

"I'm not interested in your quarrelsome Senate. What I'm interested in is..." Ying Zheng pointed to a bridge sketch that Marcus had previously drawn in the corner, "...this."

That was a sketch of Rome's famous "Aqueduct".

"What did you Romans use to hold these stones together?" Ying Zheng asked. "My craftsmen said that your bridge piers can withstand being submerged in water for hundreds of years without rotting. My cement, though hard, will easily crumble after being soaked in seawater for a long time."

Marcus's eyes lit up when architecture was mentioned. This was the Romans' proudest achievement—their cutting-edge technology.

"Your Majesty, that's 'volcanic ash'!" Marcus gestured excitedly. "We mixed the ash from Mount Vesuvius with lime and gravel. This stuff... is amazing! Absolutely amazing! It doesn't dissolve in water; instead, it hardens even more! Just like stone!"

"Volcanic ash?"

Ying Zheng's pupils contracted slightly.

"Little G".

"Your Majesty, he did not lie. The core technology of Roman Concrete is volcanic ash (pozzolana)."

The aluminosilicates react with lime underwater to form tobermorite, an extremely hard crystal that is resistant to seawater corrosion.

This is why Rome's ports and breakwaters have stood for two thousand years.

While your Daqin Cement (the predecessor of Portland Cement) has high early strength, it is indeed inferior to this one in terms of seawater corrosion resistance and durability.

Ying Zheng stroked his chin.

"Does the Qin Dynasty... have volcanoes?"

Yes. Changbai Mountain, Tengchong, and... the western border region at this time.

However, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.

However, you can look for alternatives: fly ash (the ash left over from burning coal) or slag. Although the effect is slightly less, the principle is similar.

Ying Zheng looked at Marcus as if he were looking at a moving treasure trove.

This "golden monkey" actually has some tricks up its sleeve.

"Marcus," Ying Zheng's tone softened slightly, "I want to make a deal with you."

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"Write down that 'volcanic ash formula' in detail. I'll have the people at the Chemistry Institute study it."

"In exchange..." Ying Zheng pointed at Hu Hai, "I will have Hu Hai teach you how to use an 'assembly line' to manufacture crossbows."

Marcus's eyes widened.

The Qin crossbow! That was the rapid-fire weapon that the Roman legions dreamed of!

"Deal! Deal!" Marcus was so excited he almost jumped up. "Your Majesty, besides volcanic ash, Rome also has marble cutting technology and a circulating water system for public baths..."

"Write them all down." Ying Zheng waved his hand. "I'll buy anything that's useful."

……

While Ying Zheng was busy with "technology introduction," a commercial frenzy surrounding "red jade ginseng" was brewing on the other side of Xianyang City.

Liu Bang squatted at the entrance of "Liu's Fresh Supermarket," looking at the long queue, and couldn't stop smiling.

"Don't push! Don't push! Two per person!" Fan Kuai shouted to maintain order. "This is the 'Red Jade Ginseng,' personally named by His Majesty! It's good for eyesight and enhances virility (Liu Bang made this up)! Five hundred coins per stalk! No bargaining!"

Five hundred coins for a carrot.

The price was outrageous. But under the dual allure of being a "royal special supply" and a "miracle health remedy," the nobles of Xianyang still flocked to it.

"Give me ten! I want to give them to my mother-in-law!"

"I want twenty! I heard this stuff can cure rheumatism!"

Xiao He sat behind the counter counting money until his hands ached.

"Liu Ji, aren't we going too far by doing this?" Xiao He asked with some concern. "This stuff grows fast in the ground. In two months, it'll be everywhere. If the price collapses then, won't these people smash up our shop?"

"Collapse?" Liu Bang spat out the grape skins in his mouth. "Collapse is two months from now. We might as well make the money now."

"Moreover..." Liu Bang lowered his voice, "I've already made a deal with Zhao Gao of the Imperial Household Department. When fresh goods stop selling, we'll sell 'Red Jade Ginseng Dried', 'Red Jade Ginseng Wine', and even chop up the leaves to make 'Red Jade Health Tea'."

"We're going to eat this radish until there's not a bone left."

As they were talking, a man in black silently slipped into the back room of the shop.

Those were secret agents from the Black Ice Guard.

"Lord Liu, Lord Xiao." The secret agent, with a grave expression, handed over a confidential report: "Something has happened in the west."

The smile on Liu Bang's face vanished instantly. He took the secret report, glanced at it, and his brows immediately furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Xiao He asked.

"That bastard Maodun is up to his old tricks again."

Liu Bang slammed the secret report on the table.

"He not only stole horses in Dayuan, but also... opened a factory."

"Factory? What factory?"

“‘Great Qin Specialty Counterfeit Factory’.” Liu Bang gritted his teeth. “He captured a group of our artisans who had been stranded in the Western Regions and began to imitate our silk and porcelain.”

"Although it's made like dog shit, he sells it cheaply! And he also spreads rumors everywhere, saying that our Qin silk is poisonous and will cause sores if you wear it; and that our porcelain is made from dead people's bones and will shorten your lifespan if you use it."

"Now, several small countries in the Western Regions have believed it. Our caravans are stuck on the road, unable to sell their goods, and are being heavily taxed."

Xiao He gasped, "This...this is going to ruin the reputation of the Qin Dynasty! This is worse than robbery!"

Liu Bang stood up and walked around the narrow tent twice.

"That 'mixing in sand' trick is pretty clever."

"Trying to ruin my reputation? Trying to cut off my source of income?"

A ruthless glint flashed in Liu Bang's eyes.

"Fine. Maodun, since you want to play the 'counterfeit and shoddy' game, then I'll show you what real 'anti-counterfeiting' really means."

"Xiao He!"

"exist."

"Take a pen! Write a memorial for His Majesty!"

"Application...application to establish the 'Great Qin Western Regions Consumer Rights Protection Association'!"

"I want to go to the Western Regions again with the 'anti-counterfeiting mark' and the 'official certification'."

"This time, I'm not just going to sell goods, I'm going to... 'live-stream sales' (live demonstration and comparison)! I'm going to tear those lousy goods of Maodun to shreds in front of the entire Western Regions!"

……

Xianyang Palace, late at night.

Ying Zheng looked at Liu Bang's memorial, and then at the "volcanic ash concrete formula" that Marcus had presented to him.

A meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"One is making counterfeits in the west, and the other is cracking down on counterfeits in the east."

"The world is getting more and more lively."

"Little G".

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Tell me, if I were to create this 'volcanic ash cement' and use it to build a 'cement Great Wall' leading to the Western Regions... oh no, I mean a 'cement bunker line'."

"Could we just surround and completely destroy that counterfeit factory of Maodun's?"

[Theoretically feasible. But the cost is too high.]

However, you can try a different approach.

[Use this water-resistant concrete to build a deep-water port in the East China Sea.]

Then... build even bigger ships.

If we can't go by land, we'll go by sea. We'll bypass the Western Regions and go directly to... India or Parthia.

This is called: overtaking on a curve.

Ying Zheng stood up and walked to the map.

His fingers traced the long coastline.

"ocean……"

"It seems that Hu Hai's 'big flywheel' needs to be even bigger."

"Order! The Imperial Household Department is to focus all its efforts on developing 'volcanic ash cement'!"

"At the same time, send Liu Bang to the Western Regions to 'expose counterfeits.' Don't skimp on the money; make a big splash. It would be best to bring that Roman Marcus along as well, so he can act as a 'spokesperson' for Qin's products."

"I want Maodun to know that, whether on the battlefield or in the marketplace, Great Qin will always be a father he cannot afford to offend."

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water.

The massive machinery of the Qin Dynasty quietly began to operate under the cover of night, accelerating once again to meet new challenges.

The "Red Jade Ginseng" that Ying Zheng had bitten into lay quietly on the table, as if foreshadowing a more colorful and bizarre future.