After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 841 - 828: Ji Shuyan

Zhao Hanzhang just casually sighed, but Fu Tinghan lowered his eyes and began to ponder, then said, "Generating electricity is not difficult. Not to mention that we currently have hydraulic facilities, we can also look for coal mines, or even use human power to generate electricity. The telegraph uses shortwave transmission, and since the ionosphere is very clean now, even though there are dense forests and a lot of water networks, I believe radio waves can be transmitted."

"The technical challenge lies in the vacuum tube, which I can’t produce in a short time. I can only say I’ll try my best. You might need to wait for quite a while."

Seeing him seriously analyzing the feasibility, Zhao Hanzhang was so surprised she opened her mouth wide, and it took her a while to find her voice again, "Then...then just give it a try."

Zhao Hanzhang started to vigorously recall the physics knowledge learned in middle and high school, finally digging a bit out from the depths of her memory, "What about the battery?"

Fu Tinghan smiled and said, "That’s not so difficult. If we can make vacuum tubes, then we can definitely produce qualified zinc and copper sheets. The simplest batteries consist of aluminum, zinc, tin, iron, copper, silver, and gold. Any two of these combined can conduct electricity. The conductivity of zinc and copper is relatively good, so we can use those. Our technology might not be very good, and the efficiency will be far less than modern ones, but as long as we can make them, they can still be used like they were in the nineteenth century."

"In the future, when technology advances, we can also use carbon rods and zinc to make dry batteries, or use lead dioxide to create rechargeable batteries." Fu Tinghan became increasingly excited as he spoke, "I actually prefer rechargeable batteries. Once dry batteries are used up, they’re useless, but rechargeable batteries can be used repeatedly."

As a mathematics professor, how could he possibly only study mathematics?

His knowledge of physics was on par with his colleagues in the physics group, because the things in the sciences are inherently interconnected, especially math and physics.

Fu Tinghan was getting more excited, even more so than Zhao Hanzhang, and directly pulled her to look at the map.

This is not a theoretical challenge; he knows all the theoretical principles. This is a technical challenge that requires working backward."

Previously, whether it was making glass, refining iron and steel, or watermills and hydraulic presses, Fu Tinghan only did his duty. He wasn’t really excited or felt challenged.

Because the techniques used in them could be handled by skilled craftsmen of the time. His role was merely to combine their skills together or slightly improve them.

What they lacked was not technique but ideas. Even without his guidance, in a few decades or hundreds of years, someone would think to take that small step forward.

But electricity is different.

This world has no electricity.

They truly needed to create something from nothing, and the technology required involved things that, except for him, no one else could produce.

When he was studying, whether it involved batteries, electrodes, or wires, everything was ready-made. Now, he needed to work backward and create things bit by bit.

If previously he was standing upfront, guiding them on which path to take, now he needed to carve a path through the thickets and wilderness for those behind him.

This sense of accomplishment was no less satisfying than solving math problems; both greatly pleased him.

He pulled Zhao Hanzhang to the map, "This area of forest is vast, so it’s difficult to directly transmit between these two points. Fortunately, this side is mostly farmland, and as long as it’s not rainy weather, it should be possible to reflect across this area, though the time will be a bit longer..." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

But compared to the current speed of information transmission, the time taken by the tortuous transmission of radio waves is hardly worth mentioning.

During World War I, radio telegraphs were used on the battlefield and could transmit several thousand kilometers. Fu Tinghan believed it could certainly be done now.

However, to accomplish this, he first needed to form a team.

Before Zhao Hanzhang could react, Fu Tinghan had already moved to the next step and turned to ask, "Can you give me Wei Jie?"

Zhao Hanzhang snapped back to reality, "Who?"

Fu Tinghan replied, "Wei Jie, and Ji Shuyan. I think they could be my assistants."

Fu Tinghan had interacted with those who had pledged allegiance to Zhao Hanzhang, and these two were particularly interested in material movement and had a certain degree of research capability and talent.

Zhao Hanzhang blinked, "Wei Jie is currently in Luoyang, but Ji Shuyan, I remember he is in the military?"

Ji Shuyan, a person from Wuxing, initially followed Tianmen Gengzhou, Yu Yi of Yingchuan, and others to persuade her not to fight Gou Xi and voluntarily joined her camp.

Anyway, after that, Ji Shuyan stayed in Luoyang and partnered with Zhao Cheng in scholarly pursuits.

When news of the Xiongnu invasion reached Luoyang, he immediately took up his long sword and left the Imperial College heading straight for Beigong Chun. However, after Beigong Chun tested his martial skills and riding ability, he politely declined him.

Feeling frustrated and upset, Ji Shuyan wanted to go to Yu State to find Zhao Hanzhang. On his way out, he coincidentally ran into Fu Tinghan, who was there to discuss military matters with Beigong Chun.

Fu Tinghan wasn’t concerned that Ji Shuyan was bad at riding or martial skills, as no one could be worse than Fu Tinghan himself. In his view, fighting wasn’t just about martial prowess but also about intelligence and strategy.

Like him, he might not storm into the battlefield, but he could be a military advisor in the rear. Good strategies executed well by generals and commanders also lead to victory, right?

Although Fu Tinghan eventually found out that Ji Shuyan wasn’t too great with strategy either, he did have high intelligence, so keeping him in the military’s logistics unit."

When Fu Tinghan called Ji Shuyan, he was calculating how long the newly requisitioned food supplies would last them."

Upon hearing that Fu Tinghan was summoning him, Ji Shuyan assumed it was about the supplies, so he grabbed the list and went along."

However, the guards who were calling for him directly led him to the main tent."

Ji Shuyan’s eyes lit up as he quickly tucked the list into his chest and eagerly picked up his pace."

Is it possible that Minister Fu finally recognized his military talent and recommended him to Governor Zhao to lead troops onto the battlefield?"

Arriving at the entrance of the main tent, Ji Shuyan tidied his clothes before asking to see them."

Fu An came out to invite him in, "Please come in, Mr. Ji."

When Ji Shuyan entered, he saw Fu Tinghan sitting and Zhao Hanzhang standing, both writing and discussing by the table."

Upon seeing Zhao Hanzhang, Ji Shuyan enthusiastically moved forward to salute, ready to share his views on the upcoming war and the strategies he had contemplated recently..."

"You may proceed with your discussion." Zhao Hanzhang dismissed his salute with a wave and straightened up to sit at another table, picking up documents and starting to review them."

Ji Shuyan’s carefully prepared words got stuck in his throat as he glanced at Zhao Hanzhang and then turned to Fu Tinghan.

Fu Tinghan gestured for him to come closer and had Fu An bring another high stool so they could calculate and chat at the same time."

Silently stepping forward, Ji Shuyan asked, "What is this?" after casting a glance at the contents on the paper, which he didn’t understand at all.

Fu Tinghan explained, "Currently, the speed of information transmission is slow, consuming a lot of manpower and resources, and it’s not safe. Additionally, when the enemy is in between, there is not only the issue of slow information transfer between allies and the army but also the risk of interception and leaks. Therefore, I want to research radio stations."

Ji Shuyan responded, "Minister Fu is right, but what is a radio station?"

He understood everything up to the last four words.