With AI, I Teach Chongzhen to Be a Tyrant

In the third year of Emperor Chongzhen's reign, a minor county magistrate armed with a built-in artificial intelligence system arrives at a remote district in Lingnan—and sets foot on the road to becoming the most formidable minister of the age. Amid the crumbling Ming dynasty, his AI grants him near-omnipotence: he forecasts natural calamities, unravels baffling crimes, suppresses rebellions, outmaneuvers local tyrants, defeats roving bandits, and annihilates the Qing armies. With each victory, he climbs relentlessly toward the apex of power, and with AI at his command, no challenge seems too great. Yet his ultimate creed remains chillingly clear: if the sovereign is worthy, he shall serve him; if not, he shall take the throne for himself.