[Classic of Mountains and Seas] None of the Court Officials Are Human

[1]

As the only empress among the Four Kingdoms, Zhu Zhi has a billion secrets.

First, she's an utterly ordinary transmigrator.

Second, it seems that none of the officials in her court are human.

Chancellor Xie is elegant and radiant, a paragon of beauty. Whenever someone brings up his looks, his face darkens and his nails turn sharp.

Not exactly normal.

The Court Intendant is carefree and unpredictable, a different person to everyone. Beautiful tail feathers belonging to birds and beasts often slip out from under his official robes, trailing behind him.

Definitely not normal.

Imperial Physician Tao is aloof and proud, cold and sharp-tongued. When he's starving, his eyes turn red and he ravenously gnaws on his own arm, his face full of hunger.

Not only is he not normal, he must have some kind of illness.

One day, someone's ears pop out; the next, someone else's tail pokes through. To keep this delicate relationship between ruler and subjects stable, Zhu Zhi pretends to be blind.

*

The officials of Xi He have a secret: they have come as a group to repay a debt of gratitude.

When the country was founded, the phoenix made its arrangements in an orderly fashion:

“Nine-Tails, you can be chancellor. You're already used to managing these trivial affairs.”

“Wusun, you can lead the troops into battle. If necessary, you can even cut meat from your own legs to feed the army.”

“Taotie, you can work at the Imperial Medical Bureau. The scent of medicine throughout the place might curb your excessive appetite.”

“What about me?”

“The phoenix symbolizes the empress. Naturally, I will be, ”

“Dream on.”

“You old schemer.”

“Heh.”

“Get lost.”

[2]

At first, Zhu Zhi thought the phoenix was a dramatic performer so obsessed with his persona that he couldn't let it go, with an eccentric mind no one could hope to understand.

Later, Zhu Zhi discovered that those personas were all designed to make her like him, and that he had carefully written them all down.

She held the notebook and sat in silence for a long time. At last, she read it carefully and picked up her pen to cross out some outrageous personas.

Sweet-on-the-outside, dark-on-the-inside yandere: No way.

Enjoys-being-crazy maniac: Let's not.

Obsessive villain: Spare me.

*

Phoenix: Every day I examine myself three times. Did I pull off the persona? Did I make her like me? Did I become empress?

Zhu Zhi: Every day I examine myself... Never mind, I'm done trying.

[Before You Read]

1. An alternate-history setting, lighthearted, with no complicated power struggles.

2. The officials are inspired by The Classic of Mountains and Seas and The Divine Book, but the characters and plot are original.

Theme: People and nature living together in harmony