My Imperial Advisor is ChatGPT

The smoke of battle from Dayuan City had not yet dissipated, and the air was filled with the mixed smells of roasted mutton and burnt wood.

Beneath the city wall, whose corner had been blasted down by the Qin Dynasty's "air-blowing technique," Emperor Ying Zheng of the Qin Empire stood with his hands behind his back, circling around a pile of broken copper and scrap iron like an old man picking up bargains at Panjiayuan Market.

At his feet, the Roman centurion Marcus was weeping like a two-hundred-pound child. He clutched the rusty red-maned helmet tightly to his chest, muttering Latin prayers, his armor smeared with snot and tears.

"Alright, stop howling."

Ying Zheng kicked Marcus's buttocks with his toe with a hint of disdain.

"I sent you here to be a translator, not to mourn. You said this helmet belongs to that guy, Krassu? Does he owe you money?"

Marcus, sobbing, looked up, his eyes red, and explained, “Your Majesty, it’s not about money. Crassus was one of the three leaders of Rome, incredibly wealthy. Legend has it that he disappeared during the Parthian campaign, along with his First Legion. This is the glory of the Eagle Legion! I never imagined… that it would end up here.”

"Wealthy enough to rival a nation?" Ying Zheng keenly caught the key phrase, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Richer than Liu Bang?"

"Lord Liu?" Marcus was taken aback. "Lord Liu may be wealthy, but compared to Crassus... he's like the difference between the walls of this city of Dayuan and the Colosseum in Rome."

Ying Zheng snorted coldly, bent down and picked up a fragment engraved with an eagle emblem.

"What's the use of money? You can't even buy back your own life."

"Little G," Ying Zheng muttered to himself, "What are these Romans doing in Ferghana? Are they here for tourism?"

A blue data stream flickered on the screen in my mind.

[Your Majesty, this is the famous "mystery of the disappearance of the First Legion of Ancient Rome" in history.]

In 53 BC, Crassus suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Carrhae. Some of the Roman soldiers who broke through the siege fled eastward, eventually being incorporated into the mercenary armies of the Huns or small kingdoms in the Western Regions.

Although you've messed up the timeline now, the butterfly effect seems to have blown this group of unfortunate souls to your doorstep ahead of time.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Through them, you can uncover the inner workings of that vast Western empire.

Ying Zheng played with the fragment, a playful smile playing on his lips.

"Mercenaries?"

"So you mean people will risk their lives for money?"

He turned to look at Xiang Yu, who was directing his soldiers to carry away the spoils of war not far away.

"Xiang Ji!"

"Your subject is here!" Xiang Yu strode over, carrying the "Breaking Formation" sword that was still stained with blood, each step leaving a shallow crater in the ground.

"Take Marcus and go check out that little village called 'Liqian' outside the city."

"During the interrogation of the prisoners, they said that a group of strange-looking people lived there and only knew how to form a tortoise formation. I suspect that they are the owners of this helmet."

"Remember, don't kill them all yet," Ying Zheng specifically instructed. "I want to see if this Western 'phalanx' can withstand our Qin's 'charge formation'."

A glint of excitement flashed in Xiang Yu's eyes, and he licked his lips.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. As long as they don't surrender, I guarantee I'll smash their turtle shells."

……

Just as Xiang Yu was leading his men to search for the lost army, the "industrialization" of Dayuan City was in full swing.

Since the locomotive was broken and the road was gone, Ying Zheng decided to make the most of the still-functioning steam boiler.

Zhao Gao was currently bent over, busy in the modified vehicle whose wheels had been removed and whose bottom had been replaced with tracked plates.

This vehicle was named "Ironclad Rhinoceros" by Qin Shi Huang.

Its construction was extremely simple and crude: the huge steam boiler was placed horizontally on the chassis, and a thick iron plate taken from the city gate was welded to the outside, leaving only a few ventilation holes and firing ports. Power was transmitted to the tracks through a complex set of gears and chains.

"Light the fire!" Although Zhao Gao's face was covered in soot, he was now a skilled stoker.

"Huffing and puffing—"

The boiler began to roar, and black smoke billowed from the top chimney.

"It moved! It moved!"

The surrounding Mohist disciples cheered with joy.

That massive iron behemoth, weighing tens of thousands of kilograms, actually crawled forward slowly but steadily, propelled by the tracks. Although its speed was as slow as an old lady crossing the street, its unstoppable momentum was enough to crush any obstacle.

However, Zhao Gao, sitting in the cockpit, felt as if he had fallen into Laozi's alchemy furnace.

"It's hot! It's so hot!"

Zhao Gao frantically tugged at his collar, sweat pouring down like a waterfall. Because of the fully enclosed armored structure, and with the boiler burning right behind him, the temperature inside the carriage soared to fifty degrees Celsius in just fifteen minutes.

"This isn't a war chariot! It's a mobile iron sauna!" Zhao Gao wailed in despair. "Before we even kill the enemy, our house will be steamed alive!"

Ying Zheng stood outside and heard Zhao Gao's screams through the thick iron plate. Instead of feeling sympathy, he seemed thoughtful.

"hot?"

"Little G, can we use these calories?"

[Your Majesty, this is the concept of "waste heat recovery".]

[You could coil copper pipes around the carriage walls, filled with water. The boiler's heat would boil the water, providing the crew with hot water for instant noodles (if it were invented), and also allowing for heat dissipation through water circulation.]

[Or, we could simply unleash this heat and create a 'close-range defense system.' Anyone who dares to get close will be instantly cooked.]

Ying Zheng's eyes lit up.

"Good idea."

He knocked on the scorching hot car wall.

"Zhao Gao, stop yelling. I'll have Hu Hai send you a few buckets of ice later."

"Now, ram your head against that ruined wall!"

"I want to see if this 'Iron Rhinoceros' horn is hard enough."

"Boom!"

With a deafening crash, dust billowed up. The thick rammed earth wall was smashed open by the armored chariot, leaving the chariot unscathed except for a layer of paint chipped off.

Ying Zheng nodded in satisfaction.

"Although it's a bit slow and gets a bit hot, the hardness is sufficient."

"From now on, if we encounter any city walls, we won't need to bother digging tunnels anymore; we can just ram them."

……

At this time, fifty li west of Dayuan City was Liqian Village.

This is a settlement hidden in a valley. Unlike the mud-brick houses common in the Western Regions, the architecture here has a distinctly exotic style—stone walls, semi-circular archways, and a defensive moat that is still preserved.

Xiang Yu rode on his steed, Wu Ran, followed by eight hundred fully armed special forces soldiers. He coldly gazed at the village below, which looked like a hedgehog curled up in a defensive posture.

"Interesting," Xiang Yu commented. "The layout of this stronghold does have some merit."

Beside him, Marcus trembled with emotion. He pointed to the tattered flag in the center of the village, whose golden eagle emblem was still faintly discernible, his voice choked with emotion.

"Aquila! The eagle banner! That's the Roman eagle banner!"

Marcus charged to the front lines, shouting in Latin, "I am Marcus! Centurion of the Roman Tenth Legion! Are the brothers inside still Romans?!"

The village fell silent for a moment.

Then, a series of heavy footsteps sounded.

The gate of the village slowly opened.

What emerged was not a disorganized group of refugees, but a well-equipped infantry formation of only a hundred or so men.

They carried rectangular shields and short swords at their waists. Although their armor was badly repaired, some even made of sheepskin, their uniform steps and cold, resolute eyes still exuded the killing intent of battle-hardened veterans.

The leader was a one-eyed veteran with a scarred face and a short sword in one hand.

He looked at Marcus, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, which quickly turned into wariness.

"Who are you?" the veteran asked in broken Parthian. "Why are you dressed in Eastern clothes but speaking Roman?"

"I am Marcus! I'm here to take you home!" Marcus excitedly opened his arms.

"Go home?" The old soldier sneered, a numbness born of despair. "Rome is too far. We can't walk back."

He raised his short sword and pointed it at Xiang Yu's army.

"We are employed by the Xiongnu Chanyu. We take their money and do their bidding. You are Qin people, aren't you? If you want to fight, then fight. It is an honor for Romans to die on the battlefield."

At his command, the hundred or so Roman veterans quickly shrank their formation, raising their shields overhead and around them, instantly forming an impenetrable "tortoise formation".

This is a classic tactic specifically designed to defend against arrows and impacts.

Xiang Yu raised an eyebrow as he looked at the square formation that resembled a tortoise shell.

"Is this what they call the Tortoise Formation?"

"It looks quite sturdy."

Xiang Yu jumped off his horse and planted his long sword in the ground.

"Marcus, stop talking nonsense. They only care about fists now."

"Tell them I don't need a knife or a horse. If they can withstand three of my punches, I'll let them go."

Marcus panicked: "General Xiang! They're on our side..."

"Only after we've fought can we be considered one of our own." Xiang Yu cracked his neck, making a series of popping sounds. "Perfect, I'll use this tortoise shell to practice my 'Mountain-Crushing Force'."

Xiang Yu strode towards that formation.

The Roman veterans felt the terrifying pressure emanating from the giant, and gripped their shields even tighter.

"Stay calm! Stay calm!" the one-eyed veteran roared.

Xiang Yu walked to the front of the formation and stopped. He took a deep breath, slowly opened his right fist, and all the muscles in his body flowed into his right arm like water.

"The first punch!"

"boom!"

The punch didn't land on any one person's shield, but rather on the joint between two shields.

The immense force exploded like a cannonball.

The two Roman soldiers at the front felt an irresistible force, their arms went numb instantly, and they were thrown backward along with their shields, knocking down a group of their comrades behind them.

The tight tortoise shell formation suddenly revealed a large gap.

The one-eyed veteran was terrified: "Cover him up! Cover him now!"

Before they could even close up again.

"Second punch!"

Xiang Yu stepped forward, and his punch, delivered from below, struck the bottom of a shield.

"Bang!"

The thick wooden shield covered in iron was actually shattered by that punch! Wood chips flew everywhere, and the soldier holding the shield screamed and fell to the ground clutching his chest.

The remaining Romans were completely dumbfounded.

They'd fought the Parthian cavalry and the Huns, but they'd never seen anyone dismantle a shield with their bare hands! Was this even human? This was practically a humanoid Behemoth!

"The third punch..."

Xiang Yu raised his fist, as if to smash it.

"Stop! Stop! We surrender!"

The one-eyed veteran threw away his short sword and raised his hands high. He wasn't afraid of death; he had realized that an opponent of this caliber was simply beyond the capabilities of their remnant army. Continuing the fight would only result in a one-sided massacre.

Xiang Yu withdrew his fist, patted the wood chips off his hands, and a look of disappointment appeared on his face.

"That's it? How boring."

"It's softer than I expected."

Marcus rushed over, helped the one-eyed old soldier up, and the two embraced and wept bitterly. Although they were not from the same legion, the shock of seeing a compatriot in a foreign land was enough to break down any defenses.

……

When the lost Roman legion was brought back to Dayuan, Qin Shi Huang was sitting under the grape trellis in the palace, tasting the newly brewed wine.

"Your Majesty, the person has been brought here." Xiang Yu strode over. "He is indeed quite resilient, but that's all."

Ying Zheng put down his wine cup and looked at the more than one hundred ragged Romans.

Although there was fear in their eyes, there was more of a calmness brought about by discipline.

"That's interesting," Ying Zheng commented.

He sent Marcus to appease the people, then turned to Zhang Liang, who was looking at the map with a troubled expression.

"Zhang Liang, what are you looking at?"

Zhang Liang pointed to a red line on the map, which was an extension of the Silk Road.

"Your Majesty, I am settling accounts."

"What accounts are we set up?"

"Let's calculate the shipping costs," Zhang Liang sighed. "Although we've conquered Dayuan, it's too far from Xianyang. The cost of transporting our ginseng and silk here has increased tenfold. Going further west to Parthia, or even to Rome, the profits are high, but the risks are also great."

"Moreover, with the vast desert and snow-capped mountains in between, the railway cannot be built in a short time."

"If logistics costs cannot be resolved, the Silk Road will likely remain a 'luxury goods route,' making it difficult to support large-scale trade."

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng also fell into deep thought.

Indeed, distance was the greatest enemy of ancient empires.

Just then, the one-eyed Roman veteran named Lucius, with Marcus translating, suddenly spoke.

"Great Emperor Qin, if you want to go to Rome, you don't actually need to take the land route."

Ying Zheng and Zhang Liang looked up at the same time.

"Not by land?"

Lucius pulled a parchment scroll from his pocket; it was a tattered nautical chart he had treasured for many years.

"We originally came by sea. We set off from the Red Sea, crossed the Indian Ocean, and reached the coast of Sindhu (India)."

He pointed to a winding blue line on the map.

"Here, there is a wind. Every summer, it blows east; every winter, it blows west."

"As long as we catch this wind, the ship can fly."

"We call it... the monsoon."

Ying Zheng's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Monsoon?"

"Little G".

[Your Majesty, this is the Indian Ocean monsoon current.]

He is right. If we can understand the monsoon patterns and utilize sea freight, the cost will be one-tenth that of land freight, while the transport volume will be a hundred times that of land freight.

[Furthermore, you now possess the "First Emperor" steamship. Although it still requires coal, combining it with sails...]

You will have access to a "Maritime Silk Road" that connects the East China Sea directly to the Mediterranean Sea.

Ying Zheng suddenly stood up, his grip on the wine cup making a cracking sound.

"good!"

"I will build the land routes, and I will also travel the sea routes!"

"Send word to Liu Bang!"

"Tell him to stop staring at the wool and raisins."

"I want him to build a real 'oceanic merchant fleet' in the East China Sea."

"Recruit sailors! Even those 'golden-haired monsters' like these Romans, as long as they know navigation, I'll pay them high salaries!"

"I will let the dragon flag of the Great Qin be planted on every blue sea on this map!"

……

The night sky over Dayuan City is ablaze with starlight.

Ying Zheng stood atop the city wall, gazing at the western horizon.

That is Restoration, that is Rome, that is the wider world.

"Modu ran away, but he couldn't have gone far."

"Once my sea routes are open, I will be like a large net, completely covering him."

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the night.

Zhao Gao ran up the city wall, panting, holding a translated copy of a signal he had just received.

"Your Majesty! Urgent report from Xianyang!"

"What is it?"

"Young Master Fusu...Young Master Fusu, he..." Zhao Gao's face turned pale, and he stammered.

Ying Zheng's heart skipped a beat.

"What's wrong with Fusu? Is he sick? Or is someone rebelling?"

"No...no." Zhao Gao swallowed hard. "It was Prince Fusu...he demolished that 'Epang Palace University'."

"Demolished?!" Ying Zheng roared in fury. "That rebellious son! I've only been gone a few days, and he dares to demolish my school?"

"No... he didn't demolish everything." Zhao Gao quickly explained, "He demolished the walls. He said... he said knowledge shouldn't be blocked by walls, and he wanted all the people of Xianyang to be able to go to school and attend classes."

"Moreover... he also set up some kind of 'night school' to teach those craftsmen and farmers to read and learn skills."

"Now, the city of Xianyang is even more lively at night than during the day, filled with the sound of people reciting lessons..."

Ying Zheng was stunned.

A moment later, his furrowed brows relaxed, and a relieved smile appeared on his lips.

"Tear down the wall?"

"Good. Well done."

"This kid finally understands."

"I use city walls to defend against enemies, he uses knowledge to defend against ignorance."

"It seems I can rest assured that I have entrusted the Qin Dynasty to him."

Ying Zheng turned around and looked at the eastern sky.

"Let's go back."

"The Western Regions have been pacified, and the sea routes have been opened."

"I should also go back and see what Xianyang, with its walls torn down, has become."