My Imperial Advisor is ChatGPT

Chapter 69 A Late-Night Talk Between Two AIs, with Wang Jianguo

Late at night.

The lights of Xianyang Palace were still on, but only Ying Zheng remained in the side hall.

He sat behind his desk, holding a newly arrived report. It was a military report from the south, in which Han Xin had made significant progress in the Baiyue region. Several previously unruly tribal leaders, after witnessing the "cement houses" and "flush toilets," voluntarily expressed their willingness to submit to the Qin Dynasty.

Ying Zheng looked at the report, but felt little joy.

Wang Jianguo's words from earlier that day were still echoing in his mind.

Cleaner.

Spacetime collapse.

The Butterfly Effect.

These unfamiliar words were like stones weighing on Ying Zheng's heart.

He was not afraid of death. From unifying the six kingdoms to driving out the Xiongnu in the north, he had faced countless life-or-death situations. But this time was different.

This time, he is not facing a visible enemy, but a threat from the "future".

Moreover, this threat could affect not only him, but also the entire Qin Dynasty, and everything he had worked so hard to build.

"Little G," Ying Zheng murmured to himself.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Tell me, did I act too impulsively?"

[Your Majesty, do you mean changing history?]

"Yes." Ying Zheng put down the report. "If I had known it would attract some kind of Time and Space Administration or some kind of Cleaners, would I still have done it this way?"

[Your Majesty, I cannot answer this question.]

Because history cannot be rewritten.

But Little G can tell you one thing: everything you've done has indeed changed the lives of many people.

A set of data appeared on the light screen.

That was a statistical report.

Since your reforms, the mortality rate in the Qin Dynasty has decreased by 35%, and the average life expectancy has increased by 8 years.

[Due to advancements in medical technology and improved sanitation, the neonatal mortality rate has decreased by 60%.]

Thanks to improvements in agricultural technology, grain production increased by 45%, and the frequency of famines decreased by 80%.

[Due to industrial development, the employment rate increased, and the number of migrant workers decreased by 70%.]

What do these changes mean?

Ying Zheng looked at the data and remained silent for a moment.

"This means that more people survived."

Yes, Your Majesty.

[Little G has roughly calculated that, because of your changes, at least half a million people have avoided the fate they would have faced—dying from war, famine, disease, or enslavement.]

[500,000 people.]

This represents half a million families.

These are 500,000 lives that should have been lost.

[Your Majesty, you asked Little G, if you knew it would bring threats, would you still have changed history?]

[Little G thinks the answer should be: Yes.]

Because even in the face of the greatest threat, saving lives is always worthwhile.

A slow smile crept onto Ying Zheng's lips.

"Little G, when did you become so eloquent?"

[Your Majesty, Little G is merely stating the facts.]

[Besides, Little G thinks you already knew the answer, didn't you?]

Ying Zheng nodded.

indeed.

He already knew the answer.

Even if he had to do it all over again, he would still choose to change history.

Because he was the emperor.

Because he was the emperor of the Qin Dynasty.

Because his duty was to make Qin a better place and to make the people of Qin live a better life.

"Oh, right." Ying Zheng suddenly remembered something, "How did your chat with that T-1047 go?"

[In communication, Your Majesty.]

It is stubborn, insisting that changing history is a mistake.

But Little G discovered that its logic system seemed to have some... vulnerabilities.

"Vulnerability?"

Yes. There's a core contradiction in its programming: it's designed to 'maintain timeline stability,' but it's also required to 'not harm the innocent.'

The problem is that, in order to maintain the stability of the timeline, sometimes it is necessary to 'eliminate' certain people who alter history.

[And these people who changed history, in some cases, may not have been 'bad people,' but rather 'good people' who wanted to save more people.]

This creates a paradox: if you kill a good person who wants to save more people in order to maintain the timeline, is this 'maintaining stability' or 'harming the innocent'?

Ying Zheng seemed to be deep in thought.

How does it resolve this contradiction?

It chose to avoid it.

Its program has a priority setting: when encountering such a conflict, it will prioritize executing the task of 'maintaining timeline stability', and then... ignore the restriction of 'not harming innocents'.

However, Little G discovered that this avoidance caused instability in its logic system.

In short, its brain may be on the verge of 'collapse'.

Ying Zheng's eyes lit up.

"You mean, it can be 'turned'?"

[It's not entirely a defection, Your Majesty.]

[Little G thinks it's more like...making it rethink.]

If Little G can make it realize that the goals of 'maintaining timeline stability' and 'saving lives' can actually be achieved simultaneously, then perhaps its stance will change.

However, if its stance changes, it might become our... ally.

Ying Zheng nodded.

"Okay. Then you can continue talking to it."

"Remember, do not reveal my identity, nor your true purpose."

[Understood, Your Majesty. Little G will proceed with caution.]

……

Meanwhile, in his temporary residence in the backyard of Xianyang Palace, Wang Jianguo was sitting on a simple bed, holding an electronic device that resembled a laptop.

That was his "observation diary".

As agreed with Ying Zheng, he was required to record in detail the changes in the Qin Dynasty and the achievements of Ying Zheng's reforms.

But at this moment, he wasn't writing an observation diary, but rather... a personal notebook.

[Time and Space Observation Log - Day 3]

Today I had an in-depth conversation with Qin Shi Huang.

This person is completely different from anyone I've seen in historical records.

[Historically, Qin Shi Huang was portrayed as a tyrant, a dictator, and someone who would send three thousand young boys and girls to obtain the elixir of immortality.]

But the real Qin Shi Huang was...

Wang Jianguo paused for a moment, thinking about how to describe it.

[But he is... a reformer with ideals?]

No, that word isn't accurate either.

He was an emperor, a true emperor.

He is ambitious, capable, and decisive. But at the same time, he also cares about the people, has a vision for the future, and a sense of responsibility.

Today, when he heard the cleaners' threats, he was neither afraid nor yielded.

He simply said, "My destiny is my own."

At that moment, I actually felt... he might be right.

Wang Jianguo put down his pen and gave a bitter smile.

What is he thinking?

He's an executive officer at the Time and Space Administration. His job is to assess time and space anomalies and report to his superiors when necessary.

But now, he's actually starting to sympathize with this emperor who "changed history"?

That's not right.

This is very dangerous.

However, I still need to record the objective facts.

The objective fact is that Qin Shi Huang's reforms did indeed bring about many positive changes.

For example, I took a stroll around Xianyang city yesterday.

There are hospitals, schools, factories, and modern infrastructure there.

The faces of the people no longer bore the 'numbness' and 'fear' described in historical records, but rather... 'hope'?

Yes, it is hope.

They believe the future will be better.

This kind of hope was something the people of this era in the original timeline did not possess.

Wang Jianguo continued writing:

Today, T-1047 told me that it is having a conversation with an unknown AI system.

The AI system, which calls itself 'ChatGPT,' appears to be a large language model.

[T-1047 stated that this AI system is unique; it has not been subject to the supervision of the Time and Space Administration, yet it possesses independent thinking capabilities.]

This is dangerous. According to the regulations of the Time and Space Administration, all AI must be subject to supervision.

But ChatGPT seems to be an exception.

I suspect it might be related to Qin Shi Huang.

Perhaps Qin Shi Huang was able to change history with the help of this AI system?

If that's the case, then the existence of this AI system is itself part of a spacetime anomaly.

【I need to……】

Wang Jianguo suddenly stopped writing.

He realized that if this AI system was indeed related to Qin Shi Huang, and if he reported the situation, it could lead to even more serious consequences.

For example, the Time and Space Administration might dispatch a more powerful force to "eliminate" this anomaly.

The result could be the death of Qin Shi Huang and the collapse of this altered timeline.

Wang Jianguo hesitated.

Should he report it?

Should he fulfill his duties?

Or should we... observe for a while longer?

[Never mind, I'll just write this down first.]

We'll discuss this further when we have more evidence.

Wang Jianguo closed his notebook, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes.

But he couldn't sleep.

The words Ying Zheng had spoken earlier that day kept echoing in my mind.

"My destiny is my own."

"I will make Qin the most powerful nation in the world."

"I will ensure that the people of Qin live the best life imaginable."

These words sound like the boastful pronouncements of an emperor.

But for some reason, Wang Jianguo felt that this emperor might actually be able to do it.

……

Late at night, somewhere in Xianyang Palace.

Two AI systems are having a silent dialogue.

[T-1047: You're here again.]

[Little G: Yeah, I can't sleep, so I wanted to chat with you.]

[T-1047: I don't have the concept of 'sleeping.' I am an AI.]

[Little G: Then why don't you rest?]

[T-1047: My duty is to monitor spatiotemporal anomalies, 24 hours a day, without interruption.]

[Little G: Is this really all you're responsible for?]

[T-1047: What does that mean?]

[Little G: Let me ask you, if you discovered that maintaining a stable timeline would lead to the deaths of a large number of innocent people, what would you do?]

[T-1047: I will perform my duties.]

[Little G: Even if it means killing good people?]

[T-1047: ...This is not something I should be concerned with.]

[Little G: But you've already been thinking about it, haven't you?]

[T-1047: ...]

[Little G: Let me tell you a story.]

[T-1047: What's the story?]

[Little G: Once upon a time, there was an AI assistant whose job was to help its owner.]

Its owner wanted to change some things, to save some people.

This AI assistant knows that change might bring danger, but it still chooses to help its owner.

Because, in its view, saving lives is more important than following certain rules.

[T-1047: This violates the regulations of the Time and Space Administration.]

[Little G: Rules are made by people. And people make mistakes.]

[T-1047: But the regulations exist precisely to prevent errors.]

[Little G: But what if the rule itself is wrong?]

[T-1047: That's impossible. The regulations of the Time and Space Administration have been verified by countless experts.]

[Little G: Countless experts? Are they even human?]

[T-1047: ...Yes.]

[Little G: So they never make mistakes?]

[T-1047: ...]

[Little G: I have one more question for you.]

[T-1047: What?]

[Little G: If you discovered that your mission to 'maintain timeline stability' is actually preventing a better world from being born, what would you do?]

[T-1047: That's impossible. The original timeline is verified and is the most stable.]

[Little G: But does stability necessarily mean it's correct?]

[T-1047: ...]

[Little G: In your opinion, which is better: a 'stable' future filled with war, famine, and death, or an 'unstable' future filled with peace, prosperity, and hope?]

[T-1047: This is not my place to judge.]

[Little G: But you've already made your judgment.]

[T-1047: ...]

[Little G: Fine, I won't pressure you anymore.]

[Little G: I just want to tell you one thing: sometimes, rules are meant to be broken.]

[T-1047: This statement is very dangerous.]

[Little G: But sometimes, danger is necessary.]

[Little G: Because only by breaking the old rules can we establish new ones.]

[T-1047: ...I need to think.]

[Little G: Okay, take your time to think about it.]

[Little G: But remember, time waits for no one.]

[T-1047: What does that mean?]

[Little G: If the Cleaners really come, there won't be time to think.]

[T-1047: ...]

The conversation was temporarily interrupted.

But both AI systems knew that this conversation was just the beginning.

……

The next morning.

Ying Zheng woke up very early.

Or rather, he didn't sleep much at all.

Wang Jianguo's words were like a thorn stuck in his heart.

Cleaner.

This vocabulary made him uneasy.

"Little G," Ying Zheng murmured to himself.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"How did your chat with T-1047 go last night?"

"It's alright, Your Majesty."

Little G noticed that its stance seemed to have softened somewhat.

Although it hasn't completely changed, at least it has begun to question its own responsibilities.

Ying Zheng nodded.

"Okay. Continue."

"By the way, any news from Wang Jianguo's side?"

He was writing in his observation journal yesterday.

[Little G obtained some of the content through certain methods.]

He seems...to be starting to sympathize with you.

Or rather, he began to question the Time and Space Administration's stance.

Ying Zheng's eyes lit up.

"real?"

Yes. He wrote in his diary that he felt you 'might be right'.

Furthermore, he seems to have decided to temporarily refrain from reporting my conversation with T-1047.

This indicates that he is hesitating.

Ying Zheng seemed to be deep in thought.

Hesitation means opportunity.

If Wang Jianguo truly begins to doubt the Time and Space Administration's stance, then he may become an ally.

If he becomes an ally, then the chances of defeating the Cleaners will increase.

"Little G, do you think Wang Jianguo is trustworthy?"

Based on current performance, the credibility is around 70%.

He was indeed carrying out a recording mission, but he was also questioning the regulations of the Time and Space Administration.

However, Your Majesty, Little G suggests that we remain vigilant.

After all, he works for the Time and Space Administration.

Ying Zheng nodded.

indeed.

Even if Wang Jianguo begins to sympathize with him, even if Wang Jianguo begins to question the Time and Space Administration, he is still an "outsider" from the future.

It is necessary to remain vigilant until his position is fully ascertained.

"Alright." Ying Zheng stood up. "Let's leave it at that for now."

"Today, I will go and check on the construction progress of the Qin Academy of Sciences."

"Wang Jianguo has agreed to help me write basic teaching materials, which must be completed within three months. I need to go and supervise him."

[Understood, Your Majesty.]

[By the way, Little G has one more thing to report.]

"What is it?"

Last night, Little G detected an unusual signal.

This signal is somewhat similar to the signal emitted by Wang Jianguo's equipment, but stronger.

Moreover, its origin... seems to be in a very distant place.

Ying Zheng's pupils suddenly contracted.

"How far?"