In another world, there is a spirit clan whose members inherit their memories at birth. But they can only truly take human form after being tempered by the long river of history.
Following her elders' instructions, Qiqi takes the form of different divine beasts in each dynasty, using their auspicious reputation to stay safe. Her inherited memories, however, are rather "messy."
[Qin]
The assembled ministers watch the divine beast itself, with a horn on its head, the body of a lamb, and a resemblance to a qilin.
"Is this a xiezhi?"
"It's so small? It doesn't look like I imagined."
"Ah! It just knocked over the Director of the Imperial Household!"
"Hey! No biting!"
Meng Yi watches with a complicated expression, then says to the silent ruler, "Your Majesty, I've heard that the xiezhi can sense guilt and distinguish right from wrong. When it finds a villain, it knocks them down with its horn and eats them..."
Ying Zheng ponders this, then picks up Qiqi the xiezhi.
"How long will my Great Qin endure? Will it flourish forever?"
"Um, Your Majesty, dreaming about that would be faster~"
"!"
Fusu: "There hasn't been a dynasty that lasted forever, from ancient times through the Zhou. It's not impossible for Great Qin to last a few hundred years..."
Qiqi: "That's got nothing to do with the Crown Prince who'll kill himself!"
Fusu, who has been "made" to kill himself: "...?"
[Han]
A divine bird descends. Liu Che happily picks out some tasty fruits, ready to feed Qiqi the blue bird himself.
They say the blue bird carries messages for the Queen Mother of the West. He wonders if it might help him obtain an elixir of immortality someday.
Qiqi turns to Wei and Huo and grumbles, "There's no Queen Mother of the West, but there is a map of the Western Regions. It's huge, even bigger than His Majesty's face."
Huo Qubing: "Pfft!"
Wei Qing: "Ahem, ahem, ahem!"
Liu Che: "..."
[Tang]
Looking at the auspicious beast with a tiger's head, snoozing on the imperial desk, Wei Zheng softens his tone for once as he speaks to the emperor. "They say the Bai Ze can speak and knows the nature of all things, warning the people and warding off calamity. It appears when a wise and virtuous ruler governs from afar."
After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Shimin, who had been anxious about whether he could be a good emperor, finally feels relieved.
His trusted ministers also reassure him. "The Bai Ze has appeared, which shows that Your Majesty has the virtue of a true king. You needn't..."
"The Turkic khagan is coming."
The emperor and his ministers: "?!" They all turn to look at the imperial desk.
Qiqi the Bai Ze is muttering in her sleep: "Mmm... there's also... a rebellion... locust plagues... droughts..."
"!!!"
Wei Zheng nearly loses his voice. "Your Majesty, you absolutely must not let this make you neglect the affairs of state!"
Li Shimin exclaims, "I absolutely won't!"
----[Reader's Guide]----
1. Parallel universe, history-inspired fiction. See the author's note in the first chapter for specific references. The dynasties listed above are tentative.
2. Includes transformative works and original headcanon, as well as fantastical and unscientific elements. The language has been adjusted and isn't entirely true to the period. No historical nitpicking, please. If that's not your thing, don't read.
3. It's normal for opinions on emperors and famous historical figures to differ. The author can't cover every perspective, so please don't argue in the comments. Comments will be deleted.
4. Updates depend on real-life circumstances. Check the description or pinned comment for updates. I'll post a notice if I need to take a break.
5. Thanks for supporting the official release!
Theme: Creating another possibility for history.
