novelSusiti Chapter 81 The fog in Xianyang is the sand in the lungs of the empire.
Chapter 81 The fog in Xianyang is the sand in the lungs of the empire.
Xianyang City, noon.
Logically, the sun should be shining brightly at this time, but Xianyang City is shrouded in an eerie, dim yellow hue. If one didn't look at the water clock, one might mistake it for dusk, or even the underworld.
The air was filled with a suffocating smell, a mixture of sulfur and burnt smell from incomplete coal combustion, dust, engine oil, and exhaust fumes from thousands of chimneys.
This is the price of three years of industrialization for the Qin Dynasty—"Xianyang smog".
---
Xianyang Palace, Qilin Hall.
"Cough cough... cough cough cough!"
A violent cough shattered the deathly silence of the court. It wasn't just one person coughing; all the officials were coughing.
Ying Zheng sat high on the dragon throne, a white silk handkerchief before him, now stained with a layer of grayish-black marks. He could not see the ministers below the platform, as a thin layer of gray mist drifted into the hall.
"This...cough cough...what's going on?" Ying Zheng felt as if he had swallowed a handful of sand. "Has my Xianyang been set on fire? Why is it like night in broad daylight, and why does breathing feel like being cut by knives?"
Your Majesty, this is a side effect of industrialization—air pollution.
Little G's voice echoed in Ying Zheng's mind.
This black smoke is mainly produced by burning coal. It contains a large number of fine particles and toxic gases, which can seriously harm human health.
"Little G, this is even worse than the poisonous smoke I encountered during battle."
Indeed. The toxic fumes from the battlefield are only temporary, but they are persistent and long-term. If left unchecked, the people of Xianyang will suffer greatly from lung disease, and their lifespans will be significantly shortened.
Below the stage, Zhang Han, the newly promoted "President of the Great Qin Industrial Association" and the Minister of the Imperial Household, stepped forward with a stiff upper lip.
"Your Majesty, this is... an auspicious omen!"
Zhang Han wore a thick cotton mask (promoted by Wang Jianguo) and spoke in a deep, muffled voice.
"An auspicious omen?" Ying Zheng laughed in exasperation. "You call this an auspicious omen? I feel like I'm about to be sent away!"
"Your Majesty, think about it," Zhang Han pointed to the dim sky outside the palace and argued loudly, "Where does this black smoke come from? It all comes from those thousands of factories and tens of thousands of steel furnaces! Every wisp of black smoke represents that Great Qin is forging a furnace of steel, weaving a bolt of cloth, and building a machine! The blacker the smoke, the more prosperous and powerful Great Qin is! This is the 'cloud of wealth and honor'!"
Several nobles who owned coal mines and textile factories chimed in:
"Yes, Your Majesty! This is the smell of money!"
"Compared to the impoverished atmosphere of the six kingdoms, I'd rather smell this coal smoke!"
"Ahem... As long as the Qin Dynasty prospers, what does it matter if we, your subjects, live two years less!"
These people have clearly disregarded their own health in their pursuit of money.
"fart!"
A furious shout rang out. Wang Jianguo, wearing a homemade activated charcoal gas mask, strode into the main hall like an alien. He held a piece of white paper in his hand, waved it a few times in the air, and the paper instantly turned black.
"A cloud of wealth? I think it's a 'death warrant'!" Wang Jianguo removed his mask, revealing a serious face. "Your Majesty, this is not an auspicious omen, it's 'smog.' If it's not dealt with soon, within ten years, Xianyang will become a dead city. At that time, no matter how much money you earn, you'll only be able to save it to buy coffins—and they'll have to be the kind with good sealing, otherwise the corpses will all turn black."
---
Wang Jianguo's words instantly silenced the hall.
"Your Majesty, Mr. Wang is right. These tiny particles will adhere to the alveoli in people's lungs and never escape. And the acidic smell in the air is toxic fumes from burning sulfur; it will corrode the respiratory tract and may even turn into acid rain, damaging crops and buildings."
Little G's voice turned serious.
"Mr. Wang, aren't you exaggerating?" Zhang Han said somewhat displeased. "It's just some smoke and dust. Drinking more pig's blood soup to detoxify will do the trick, won't it?"
"Pig's blood soup won't save your lungs," Wang Jianguo said coldly. "These tiny particles will adhere to your alveoli and never come out. And the acidic smell in the air is toxic fumes from burning sulfur; it will corrode your respiratory tract and may even turn into acid rain, damaging crops and buildings."
"Acid rain?" Ying Zheng caught the word. "You mean, this smoke can destroy my palace?"
"Not only the palace, but also the crystal windows of the Epang Palace, and the newly built railway," Wang Jianguo pointed outside. "Hasn't Your Majesty noticed? Recently, the green rust on the copper tiles of Xianyang Palace has increased three times more than in previous years. This is irrefutable evidence of acid rain corrosion."
"Your Majesty, Mr. Wang is not exaggerating. If these toxic gases combine with water vapor to form acid rain, it will not only corrode buildings but also damage farmland, leading to reduced crop yields."
Little G added.
Ying Zheng's expression changed.
If it were just a few puffs of smoke, he might tolerate it for the sake of industrialization. But if this stuff were to destroy his business empire, that would be a different story.
"Is there a solution to building a nation?" Ying Zheng asked. "We can't just shut down all the factories, can we? The front lines still need steel."
"Of course we can't shut them down; shutting them down would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater," Wang Jianguo said as he stepped onto the stage. "We need to follow a path of 'sustainable development.' Simply put, it's about putting a mask on the chimneys and giving the coal a bath."
[Your Majesty, this is precisely the concept of modern environmental governance. We must develop, but we must also protect the environment. We can use technological means to reduce pollution emissions while maintaining industrial development.]
---
Daqin Academy of Sciences, Environmental Protection Laboratory.
Ying Zheng led Zhang Han and other major polluters to visit Wang Jianguo's solution.
In the middle of the room stood a miniature model of a chimney, with cheap coal burning beneath it, billowing out thick black smoke.
"Look closely." Wang Jianguo pointed to the model.
Step 1: **Coal washing**.
"Coal contains a large amount of sulfur and impurities. Before combustion, we wash the raw coal with water and heavy liquid to remove most of the pyrite. This reduces the smoke and toxic gases produced by burning the coal by half."
Wang Jianguo threw the washed coal into the stove, and sure enough, the smoke that came out was much lighter.
Step 2: **Increase the height of the chimney**.
"Short chimneys cause smoke and dust to accumulate on the ground. Raising chimneys to over thirty zhang (approximately 130 meters) allows the high-altitude winds to disperse and dilute the exhaust fumes (although this is not a permanent solution, it was an effective method in ancient times)."
Step 3: **Electrostatic dust removal**.
This is the main event. Wang Jianguo pointed to a section of metal pipe in the middle of the chimney, which was connected to a buzzing high-voltage generator (the kind Zhao Gao played with).
"Little G designed the 'Thor vacuum cleaner'." Wang Jianguo turned off the power switch.
"Your Majesty, this is a dust removal device I designed based on the principle of electrostatic adsorption. High-voltage electricity causes the dust particles to become charged, and then they are adsorbed onto the collecting electrode."
"Sizzle sizzle—"
A miracle occurred. The gray smoke that had been rising vanished instantly as it passed through the electrified pipe!
Through the glass observation hole, you can see that the tiny black dust particles are like iron filings attracted by a magnet, clinging tightly to the tube wall before falling into the dust collection hopper at the bottom.
"This...this is magic?" Zhang Han's eyes widened.
"Electrostatic adsorption," Wang Jianguo explained. "High-voltage electricity charges the dust particles, causing them to be adsorbed onto the collecting electrode. The resulting gas is clean."
[Your Majesty, although these technologies are relatively primitive, they were quite advanced for ancient times. The main principles are: physical filtration (coal washing) + high-altitude dilution (tall chimneys) + electrostatic adsorption (dust collectors).]
Ying Zheng looked at the almost transparent heat wave coming out of the chimney and took a deep breath (although there was still a bit of a smell in the laboratory).
"What a brilliant Thor vacuum cleaner!" Ying Zheng turned to Zhang Han. "Did you understand it all?"
Zhang Han wiped his sweat: "I...I understand. But Your Majesty, this equipment...isn't it quite expensive?"
"Expensive?" Ying Zheng sneered. "Li Si!"
"Your subject is here!" Li Si immediately stepped forward, holding a scroll of bamboo slips that he had just drafted.
"read!"
Li Si unfurled the bamboo slips and loudly proclaimed the first environmental law of the Qin Dynasty—**The Qin Clean Air Law**:
"First, all factories within a 50-mile radius of Xianyang must use washed and processed refined coal. Those who violate this rule will have their monthly profits confiscated."
"Second, all industrial chimneys must be equipped with electrostatic precipitators. Rectification is required within three months."
"Third, establish 'Blue Sky Guardians,' directly under the Prime Minister's Office. They will observe the sky daily; any chimney emitting black smoke for more than fifteen minutes will have its chimney **sealed with cement**, and the factory owner will be sent to plant trees at the Epang Palace for three years!"
The last point, "seal the chimney with cement," made the factory owners present tense up.
That's too ruthless. If the chimney is blocked, where will the fire in the furnace go? It's practically guaranteed to explode!
[Your Majesty, this punishment is indeed severe. But only in this way can we ensure that the factory owners dare not be perfunctory.]
Little G's voice carried a hint of admiration.
"Your Majesty! The cost is too high!" a textile factory owner lamented. "With this Thor thing installed, the price of our fabric will go up!"
"A price increase?" Ying Zheng walked over and straightened his collar. "Do you want a price increase, or do you want me to hang you on a chimney as a filter?"
The factory owner immediately stopped crying: "Price increase...no, no, no, we'll absorb the costs internally! For the sake of Qinhuangdao's blue skies, we're willing!"
---
Three months later.
A vigorous "Battle to Protect the Blue Skies of Xianyang" has been launched.
Li Si transformed into an "environmental fanatic," leading a team of men every day to patrol the city walls with binoculars in hand.
"Northwest direction, Zhao's ironworks is belching black smoke! Brothers, grab your weapons (cement buckets), let's go!"
The owner of Zhao's Ironworks was about to explain that the dust collector was broken, but Li Si wouldn't listen. He directly ordered the engineers to climb onto the roof, pour in a bucket of quick-drying cement, and seal it off immediately.
Under such swift and decisive measures, the factory owners in Xianyang were forced to unleash tremendous initiative.
They not only installed dust collectors, but also invented countermeasures such as "taking turns to work" and "nighttime production" (although they were caught by Li Si and punished even more severely).
Of course, the biggest factor is technological advancement. Coal washing plants are booming, and their towering chimneys have become new landmarks in Xianyang.
"Your Majesty, you see, this is the power of the law. With mandatory environmental regulations, factory owners are forced to adopt new technologies. Although initial costs have increased, in the long run, this is beneficial to Great Qin."
Little G's voice was filled with relief.
Finally, on an autumn morning.
Ying Zheng got up early and opened the window of his bedchamber.
The long-awaited sunlight shone brightly on his face without obstruction. In the distance, the outline of Zhongnan Mountain was clearly visible, even the snow on its peaks reflected a golden light.
The pungent smell of sulfur is gone from the air; in its place comes the crispness of late autumn.
"call……"
Ying Zheng took a deep, greedy breath of the clean, particle-free air, feeling his lungs and heart refreshed.
[Your Majesty, do you see this blue sky? This is the result of our efforts to improve the environment. Although pollution cannot be completely eliminated, it has at least returned to acceptable levels.]
Little G's voice carried a hint of satisfaction.
"Building a nation."
"Your subject is here." Wang Jianguo stood outside the window, measuring the air quality (although it was just an estimate).
"I used to think that a sky full of black smoke was a sign of a powerful nation," Ying Zheng said, gazing at the azure sky. "Now I understand. We need both gold and silver mountains, and also green mountains and clear waters. This blue sky and white clouds are the most expensive luxuries."
"Your Majesty, what you said is excellent. Economic development and environmental protection are not contradictory. As long as we adopt appropriate technologies and policies, we can achieve a balance between the two."
Little G sighed.
Wang Jianguo smiled: "Your Majesty is wise. Moreover, with a better environment, everyone's health will improve, allowing them to work longer for Your Majesty and build more roads. That's the biggest economic benefit."
Ying Zheng was in a great mood when he suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, all that collected coal ash is piled up everywhere; it's a mess. Is there any way to utilize it?"
Wang Jianguo's eyes lit up: "Your Majesty, that's a treasure! Fly ash, it's a top-grade additive for making cement and bricks! Mixed into cement, it increases strength and saves on materials!"
[Your Majesty, this is the concept of a 'circular economy.' Turning waste into resources not only solves pollution problems but also creates value.]
Little G explained.
Ying Zheng laughed heartily: "Good! Then order Liu Bang to establish a 'Great Qin Fly Ash Recycling Company.' That kid is the best at turning waste into treasure; let him turn this ash into my city walls!"
Thus, the industrial chain of the Qin Dynasty completed a perfect closed loop:
Coal combustion -> Pollution -> Dust removal -> Fly ash collection -> Building material manufacturing -> Construction of new factories.
[Your Majesty, this is the core idea of sustainable development. It's not about stopping development, but about developing more intelligently. We need both gold and silver mountains, and also green mountains and clear waters.]
Little G concluded.
It's just a pity for Li Si, because he has been staring at chimneys for so long that he has recently developed a "cross-eyed" condition, and everything looks like it is emitting black smoke.