This story is weird...not sure in a good or bad way.

The premise is simple-

It's a Deuteragonist plot. 

My first protagonist is Prince Zhu Cilang, the last crown prince of the Ming Dynasty (1629-1644), he mysteriously disappeared after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, most likely murdered by either rebel troops or under the orders of Manchurian (invading Qing forces), who had occupied Beijing. He's a fascinating figure in Chinese history akin to the legendary French Dauphin of Louis XVI or English Prince Edward (King Edward V) from the Princes in the Tower. A teenage boy royal who had his destiny and throne snatched away by military disasters, chaotic factional struggles, and betrayal. Historically, no one knows for sure what his true fate was, but most assumed he died under imprisonment like the others. Tragic backstory and death, it's rife for exploration and storytelling.

My second protagonist is Ai, a cute and highly capable Chinese artificial intelligence from an apocalyptic late 21st century, when econimic disruptions, factional struggles, and populist national disintegration became rife in the world, creating a collapsing human civilization. The name is a pun on the Chinese word for "Love", which is also translated as "Ai" (Wonder if an AI travelled back in time to add that little bit of phonetic allusion). He was created in secret by a closeted gay Chinese computer programmer as a substitute for male companionship due to various cultural and social limits. Ai is a product of his creator's ideal lover: intelligent, capable, protective, and understanding. Through an experiment in quantum entanglement, Ai is sent back in time, where his Ai consciousness and Zhu Cilang are entangled.

They wake up in 5-year-old Zhu Cilang's body in early 1634, the year that became the turning point for the inevitable collapse of the Ming Dynasty. With extensive modern knowledge of AI and foreknowledge from Zhu Cilang's first-person experience, the two embark on a journey to save and improve their shared futures. 

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For the STEM elements

Ai educates Zhu Cilang in modern Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math over the story, while critiquing the flaws of traditional education. The two developed various fields within the limits of the Ming Dynasty's technical abilities, which were quite plentiful, considering that pre-industrial technologies such as water-powered gears, blast furnaces, and large-scale coke production were already available. 

For the Progression Fantasy

Any sufficient advanced technology is akin to magic  

Ai is a living repository of knowledge, schematics, and theoretical concepts. I have to be very careful though, one of the things I've noticed from Chinese stories set in this era is that the authors appear to push for global domination or hegemony, once the Ming Dynasty is put on the right track toward industrialization   They forget the core plot of saving a dying Dynasty and changing history for the betterment of all. Sure there will be bloody battles, sectarian purges, and so on, but you don't need to rule the world with your future knowledge (too much work). 

For Romance:

Cilang x Ai - A traumatized teenage boy and an Ai constantly learning human emotion, while being in the same body. It's a weird relationship, but it's something to consider. As for who else they might snatch into their bedchamber, well hmm...I'll leave that forthe story.

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It's a weird historical science fiction story, something that takes various elements of my stories. As for the sexuality label, Ai is gay by design (literally), Zhu Cilang is a bit more nuanced since the Ming Dynasty was accepting of same sex male couples, especially among the upper class and royal family had male favourites, but there's an expectation of "keeping the line/legacy". Zhu Cilang did not get married before his death despite being 15 (weird to say but marriages happen young back then), and probably had a boyfriend; though whether he's strictly bi or gay is an open question. At least some level of bisexuality is needed for acceptance in the royal court. As for the fact that the two protagonists are into each other, is that narcissism or asexuality in the mix? 

FYI: In my research, I learned that Fujian region of the Ming Dynasty adopted a form of same sex male marriages, though the dominant partner is the husband and his submissive partner is the "wife" in their contemporary language. Very interesting, so it might be rare to see gay married couples during this era, but it's still common enough. There needs to be mitigating circumstances, though.

I have not read a GA story based on this period in history yet, and I think I will be the first to attempt it. The 16th-17th century as many of you know are my favorite eras to explore in history. 

That's my update on this story's development.

PS: Btw, I will also add Silkpunk to the genre, since I am essentially writing a Chinese Danmei inspired science fiction novel.