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17。06。23。

Mu Qing came from poverty. How could he not resent Xie Lian, even if he wished to be friends with him?

He was in a drastically different situation than Feng Xin, who was sure in his position as the prince's bodyguard - it was guaranteed that he'll become someone of importance when XL ascends to the throne.

Mu Qing was a low-born servant - his whole life was at XL's whim. XL being a "good person" didn't mean shit - it's easy being good when you have everything going for you. It's easy to say you want to help the "common people" when you have the means to do so and little awareness of how complex life outside of the palace is.

From MQ's point of view (because he didn't have insight into XL's mind) XL was playing a hero (like the French royalty playing the simple cottage life) because he could and people loved him for it.

There was jealousy there, sure, but MQ wasn't jealous of how good XL was - he was jealous of how XL came from conditions that allowed him to "be good" and how XL was praised for it when it really cost hims very little.

The moment back in the day when MQ gave treats to the street kids - when XL was surprised that MQ can be so kind.... And for MQ it was a moment of keen regret that he cannot do anything more for them. That this is all he can do - when there's a literal price standing there who could do so much more but it just never occurs to him.

MQ watching XL's acts of goodness (that are all born out of genuine need to help), and knowing it's a drop in a bucket, because the "common people's" suffering is caused by people like XL. By the king and queen, that are kind enough in person, but still treating the people below them as people below them.

Would FX distrust MQ as much if he was a noble-born? If he had the "right" to be haughty and standoffish? If being Xie Lian's attendant wasn't a "kindness" done to him by the prince?

XL has this halcyon memory of his youth until everything went wrong - how is that matching to MQ's recollection of these days?

"I thought we were friends."

"You never treated me like an equal, you know? Favoured servant is still a servant."

XL in his youth being so naive had to be so irritating to MQ and at the same time he had to wish to preserve that naivety at all cost, because it came from a place of goodness. XL remaining a good person was MQ's hope for a better future for the country.

But at the same time...

You have this sweet prince making big plans of "helping common people" while someone else is brushing his hair and helping him dress and bringing him meals. Someone else is cleaning his nails and taking his shoes off for him. Someone else is making his bed and putting his clothes away. All with the breezy acceptance of this being the normal state of things.

And then everything goes to shit and for the first time - first time! - you decide to take care of yourself and put your own family first, your master shows his true colours.

And yet you still try to help him, because you love him, and it had to be tearing you up inside that you're one of these idiotic servants that cannot let go of their master. And then you have to spend a century after century in the presence of a dick who keeps blaming you for leaving first.

As if you weren't the weakest link of the triad, a servant expected to give his life for nothing in exchange.

Feng Xin couldn’t bear this anymore, and roared, “STOP YOUR BULLSHIT!!”

He’s probably aromantic

He’s older than Xie Lian by maybe 5 years maybe 100s it’s really vague

He is constantly following his dick into places I wouldn’t go with a gun

He isn’t actually antagonistic to Xie Lian at all despite all the behind the scenes manipulation trying to make that happen

Him and Xie Lian share custody of a 250 year old war criminal

He’s the text book example of why “I was just following orders” is really fucking bad

He has an incredibly strong sense of justice

He’s best friends with the most evil woman and second most evil man in heaven for most of the novel

He’s genuinely a good person

He’s so charismatic his best friend/situation-ship tried to make him king without asking him

He’s so distraught about what happened with The Rain Master he runs away from her for +800 years of existence

He’s a slut

He’s a Hualian shipper

Despite being probably the third strongest Martial God in the series he spends all of Mount Tonglu with a broken elbow and being comic relief

He genuinely believes he and Hua Cheng are buds

He somehow didn’t have any children so instead he tries to trust fund kid his 17 times great grand nephew who was raised by the most humble man ever and can’t work out why the kid won’t let him buy his way out of jail

He wants to talk to Xie Lian about his sex life

He spends most of the last book being depressed that one of his best friends is dead and another is on the run

People pray to him for long lasting relationships

A yandre ghost is trying to kill him

Jun Wu was actively running a smear campaign against him the entire time

He was part of the magical girl sword

He’s the slut of the heavens

He is both so tried and living by the motto fuck it we ball

He’s the only other man Xie Lian finds handsome

He was the first person to realise E’Ming was a boner metaphor

He’s scared of the bull man who hates him

He is probably going to be the next heavenly emperor since Xie Lian doesn’t want that shit

He’s the only martial god who genuinely likes and respects Ling Wen until Xie Lian shows up