Chapter Text
There was a lot going on in the bedchambers of the flower crowned martial god, who was currently active as the crown prince of Xianle.
He’d awoken from a three day recovery after an unfortunate ambush of sorts, and upon sharing with his deputy generals the basics of what happened, they in turn informed him that the people they were at war with were being supplied by the surrounding countries once known to be on relatively good terms.
“Fucking fakers,” Feng Xin cursed them out.
Those countries had been long-envious of the vast resources Xianle once held, and a civil war was the perfect time to sow chaos.
“I don’t think any of the ones we captured would’ve made a move against you directly in that incident, but it was a good thing you had company guarding you, even if it was fucked up for anyone to see you like that.”
That reminded Xie Lian of the young soldier who’d stood against the attackers of binu, some humans, and flower yao, and though it was quite embarrassing that someone other than his attendant and bodyguard had seen him in such a state, he couldn’t help but want to see him again.
“Feng Xin, find that boy for me when you get the chance and then get him settled. I think he could be appointed,” Xie Lian instructed from his bed, having slunk back after being scolded for forgetting to put on shoes that Mu Qing had yet to bring over. “He was spectacular in the battle even clearly without training, and he’d be magnificent with the saber. I’d love to watch his progress.”
The servant approaching with a full change of clothing straightened his face, though a shadow could be seen over it. “That brat looked like he’s just a teenager. It would be against military rules.”
“Oh? And who runs our military that can overrule me? Besides, I’m a god who already broke the rules of heaven. Adding a talent to our ranks isn’t a big deal,” the prince shrugged, knowing they couldn’t really argue about it. “Actually, Feng Xin, make it your top priority unless some other emergency arises. Mu Qing and I will go check on Qi Rong. I’ve got some words for him.”
“He’s already been thoroughly lectured and confined to his palace,” Feng Xin informed him.
His expression darkened and his fists clenched as his memory replayed what happened on Beizi Hill. “He has not been lectured by me.”
With no fighting ability and an overzealously obnoxious attitude, especially towards the Yong’an rebellion leader from the very beginning, all he turned out to be was an easy target and bait that had to be retrieved no matter the cost.
Mu Qing was visibly reluctant to soon go greet the ill-mannered prince, but Xie Lian assured him he would be entering the palace alone and just needed the attendant to accompany him on the walk as a temporary bodyguard for peace of mind.
There was an increasing chance of something bad happening while out even within the open halls and courtyards of the palace, like surprise attacks or anxious servants suddenly clinging on to him, which would be quite jarring right now considering his recent memory of a woman throwing herself on him to make sure he inhaled the Land of the Tender fragrance.
The bodyguard left first while Xie Lian bathed and changed, and then he and Mu Qing were off. The day’s weather was quite pleasant and the stroll towards Qi Rong’s section of the palace would be almost calming if not for the destination and the fact there was a war about.
Qi Rong put up quite the argument at first and then sulked as the lecture went on with Xie Lian trying to emphasise how they were in the middle of a war now and taunting to the point of being kidnapped was something they did not need him doing.
He also may have threatened to lock Qi Rong in a casket and put it the royal mausoleum until the war was over. In the end, the best Xie Lian was able to get out of his cousin was a hesitant promise to not berate a guard that would be assigned to him.
They all knew it likely wouldn’t last long.
“I pity whoever has to babysit him,” Mu Qing sighed once they got back to the god’s chambers. “If you assign me, I’ll quit.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll leave that decision up to my father,” Xie Lian assured him. He didn’t want to be the one to doom a random member of their palace guards.
They made their way to speak with the king and queen about some of the events of the war and what he’d said to his cousin, to which his father agreed, and they next went to the mountain temple so Xie Lian could make an attempt to pass along a message to the heavenly emperor.
As a god who jumped down to help his people, he knew all his other messages weren’t important enough, but the emergence of the strange masked creature he came across on Beizi Hill seemed particularly dangerous and unnatural.
He sincerely hoped what happened back then was just a strange set of coincidences led by a skilled sick-minded illusionist, but the chances were high that he was a powerful ghost or wicked demon.
The State Preceptor was busy so Xie Lian prayed at the statue alone, hoping it would be heard over the thousands of prayers Jun Wu got every day. He didn’t bother sticking around too long even to talk to his mentor; being away from the city where something could happen at any moment made him worry, so he and Mu Qing headed back as soon as they could, using their spiritual energy to speed up the journey.
There was thankfully nothing of note in terms of the battlefield, and so they returned to the palace where they were greeted with some better news. Feng Xin had found the boy already, and they were waiting in a training courtyard the crown prince used often.
His eyes shone in delight when he saw them from a distance. Feng Xin preferred archery, but he’d been trained thoroughly in other areas and watched other guards enough to be able to at the very least give basic instructions on wielding a saber, one of which the young soldier in front of him now held, swinging in certain ways he was told to.
Even new and untrained, Xie Lian could see how it definitely suited him better than a sword, and that he would undoubtedly flourish with it. He very much wanted to watch the boy’s progress. Maybe even guide him personally.
Xie Lian approached with quickening steps, a wide grin uncontrollably growing. “Thank you for finding him, Feng Xin.”
“It was surprisingly easy. His captain remembered the ‘stinking bandaged brat using a rusty sword like the sharpest tool’. Seemed pretty fucking unnerved by it,” he replied, sending a suspicious glance at the kid.
“I’m sure the general just didn’t expect someone so young to be so talented,” the prince reasoned, stopping in front of the boy who long-since held the saber at his hip and stood at attention. Xie Lian was finally able to see him in the daylight and able to study his appearance.
Today, his bandage was only over his eye and not the rest of his face, though there were several cuts, bruises, and dirt splotches along the visible skin. His visible eye was dark and shifted away when it met with the prince’s, a subtle pink growing along his bruised cheeks.
It was then that Xie Lian remembered how awkward their previous encounter had become thanks to the meddling of creatures someone the boy’s age shouldn’t have had to encounter. He quickly cleared his throat and pushed down the embarrassment before continuing his assessment.
The boy now seemed to be about thirteen or fourteen with his bandages mostly off. The top of his head only reached the prince’s nose, and it was covered in messy strands of long black hair tied in a ponytail that seemed like it hadn’t been redone in several days. His clothes were ragged, covered with armor that was a bit too big and had definitely seen better days.
The last thing Xie Lian noticed was that his own hair was still tied on the boy’s finger. He figured it was reasonable enough; any child would be worried about the possibility of yao or ghosts lurking so nearby when encountering them even once, let alone so recently.
Overall, he seemed in bad shape. The prince knew the military could be rough, but even so, this little soldier looked like he’d taken on more than just rebel fighters and hardships. He also couldn’t get past how familiar he looked, but he swore he hadn’t met another memorable young soldier, especially one so battered.
“What’s your name?” Xie Lian asked, regretting not getting it a few days ago.
The boy subtly gasped at the question and looked down at his feet. “I… Don’t really have one.”
“Wu Ming then,” Mu Qing suggested, earning a smack from Feng Xin.
“That’s fucking rude,” the bodyguard chided.
“Whatever. He’s probably lying anyways. Everyone’s got a name,” he rolled his eyes before peering at him a little closer. “Looks familiar though.”
The soldier stiffened at the comment, and all three of them noticed.
“Have we met before the other day?” Xie Lian coaxed gently, leaning down a bit to meet his height.
Having the crown prince hovering over him, scrutinizing him, must’ve been quite nerve-wracking, but he didn’t shy away. His mouth opened and closed, and he eventually nodded, though he still didn’t say anything.
Feng Xin hummed and circled around the boy as he tried to piece it together, and Mu Qing simply continued to stare. Xie Lian knew he would have to sift through his memories of meeting the people of his city.
He hadn’t really interacted with the public before his role as the God-Pleasing Martial Warrior, and he’d ascended shortly after. The majority of his direct interactions were in the past few months since he’d come back from heaven, or with those he trained with up on the mountain.
This boy was too young to have been a random palace staff member, and those within this area of the palace would have recognized him even if he’d been the son of a worker in the area. His style of fighting wasn’t as precise as someone who had been training in the temple and didn’t hold any detectable spiritual power from cultivating.
A few memories appeared concisely and Xie Lian gasped as they took over his vision.
The first was of a small child falling off a wall and into his arms, and then beaten black and blue and dragged behind a carriage only a few days later. He’d disappeared instead of trying to be admitted to the temple for training after a ghost attack that caused the burning of the prince’s mountain palace.
The next memory was of the one time the god had broken some rules and spoken to a young boy from his invisible perch in a shabby shrine in the rain, having helped him against some bullies and given him encouragement to live.
He’d thought it too optimistic at that little shrine to think it could’ve been the same child he rescued, but staring at him in the daylight like the very first time, he knew he should’ve accepted his instinctive thoughts. The boy’s appearance hadn’t changed that much in the past few years, especially since he still covered his right eye with dirty bandages.
Xie Lian finally voiced his conclusion with an excited smile. “You’re Honghong-er, aren’t you?”
“What?” Feng Xin gasped, clearly caught off guard, while Mu Qing just crossed his arms and glared at the boy, scoffing loudly, though no one paid him any mind.
It took a moment before the soldier nodded lightly, still not daring to look up. Xie Lian’s smile grew even more at the admission and he lunged forward to pull him into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re alright!”
“Y-your Highness?” he stammered, barely able to catch himself from falling back. He didn’t dare move, even to return the hug, and the prince soon let go once he realized how strange he must’ve seemed.
“Ah, sorry,” he rubbed the bridge of his nose sheepishly. “I’m just… I was so worried when you disappeared from the temple, and I was too distracted to really recognize you at the shrine back then, or the battlefield…” As he said it out loud, he remembered again the awkwardness with the Land of the Tender incident, but brushed it off easily. “Do you still have a family to return to?”
“They died,” he answered blankly, not looking upset at all. Based on what they’d all seen in the past, it was understandable.
“Great! Then you can stay here in the palace.”
“Isn’t this brat supposed to be heavily cursed? The bringer of deaths around him like a toxin? The State Preceptor said so himself,” Mu Qing remembered, his glare not easing at all.
Honghong-er tensed up again, but Xie Lian shook his head adamantly. “I’m a god. Even if it happens to be true, what could a curse like that do to me? Besides, now that I have him back in my grasp, I can work on changing his fate. The State Preceptor also said that was possible.”
“Well, as long as he doesn’t stab us in the back, I don’t see a problem with training him properly,” Feng Xin shrugged openly. “It seems like after that last battle, Yong’an will start regretting their attacks, especially now that we found their sponsors and sent diplomats and guards out to deal with the other countries.”
“They’ll probably take some time to regroup and plan after we thoroughly beat them, but I know they’re not done yet.” The prince sighed and shook his head, wishing they could be done with all of it, or that none of it had even happened. “We train in the meantime either way, and Honghong-er already seems to be magnificent with the saber even after only seeing a few swipes.”
“But we can’t!” Mu Qing shouted, making the others all turn to him in surprise. He was normally a bit pessimistic and passive-aggressive but hearing him raise his voice other than in a squabble with Feng Xin was strange.
Xie Lian furrowed his brows as he looked between his attendant and the young soldier. “Why not?”
“Because he’s a dirty street-rat. How he hasn’t died already is beyond me, but it’s even scarier that he’s survived. Who knows how much he’s had to fight and steal? And he snuck his way into the army as a child! We can’t have that in our midst, even without a toxic curse!”
“Mu Qing,” the prince hissed, growing quite upset.
“Are you seriously fucking digging on this kid because of status?” Feng Xin questioned, looking angrier than his resting expression. “Do you not remember where you came from, you fucking thieving leech?”
“That incident was a misunderstanding!” he argued back.
“But your piss-poor attitude isn’t! What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you think you’re above a god to be questioning his decisions? Are you so above the crown fucking prince that you’re lucky to serve instead of being killed like your traitor father that you think you deserve to dictate who he does and doesn’t want to train?!”
“Enough,” Xie Lian ordered, though his displeased look was solely directed towards his attendant. “Mu Qing, there is no reason for you to be so harsh. I will not be asking you to be the one to train Honghong-er, and I’m not going to replace you. However, your words were unnecessarily cruel and I will ask you to take the rest of the day to sit in an area of solitude of your choosing and reflect on how to treat your fellow countrymen and brothers in arms.”
Mu Qing’s fists clenched and shook, and he bit down on his lip hard enough that it was surprising no blood came out of it, but he didn’t dare argue against an order and stormed off.
Feng Xin sighed and shook his head. “Is it just me or is he becoming more and more mouthy and insufferable?”
“The war is affecting us all in different ways,” Xie Lian reasoned, though he didn’t disagree.
He’d never heard his attendant speak so poorly about someone who wasn’t an actual enemy. He hardly ever said anything bad about those who used to bully him back when they were training at the temple!
He turned his attention back to the young soldier, who seemed nervous and a bit unsure of how to hold himself. Being thoroughly insulted and having the others reminded of the curse probably made him uneasy.
“Don’t worry,” Xie Lian smiled gently at him, putting his hand on his shoulder. “You’re still welcome here if you’re willing to stay. Just, please don’t run off this time.”
“I won’t run again,” he promised with a clear, earnest expression.
“Good. I’ll get an attendant to lead you to the palace guard and trainee quarters. She’ll have you bathe and be fitted for new clothes and armor. Tonight, you will join Feng Xin and myself for dinner and then we will assess afterwards your level of skill and which instructor I should have teach you,” he listed slowly, trying to make sure to not scare him off.
Honghong-er still looked hesitant, though by now, the prince figured he was just a bit overwhelmed. “Yes, Your Highness,” he finally answered with a short nod.
Feng Xin went to find a specific attendant while Xie Lian showed the boy a few moves with the saber and had him copy them, his excitement swelling at how natural it seemed for him. It wouldn’t be surprising if he managed to become a general before he was an adult just with his talent and the witnessed tenacity.
Soon enough, the bodyguard returned with one of the more soft-mannered women who exuded a calming aura, Hao Mei.
Xie Lian had found himself specifically requesting her help more than once when he’d been upset throughout his childhood. She’d been a favourite before Mu Qing had been assigned to him when he’d joined the temple.
The prince leaned down again to be eye-to-eye with the boy. “You’ll be treated kindly here, and if you aren’t, please let me know.”
All he got was another short nod before the woman introduced herself and led him away. Feng Xin watched along with Xie Lian and huffed. “I can’t believe that brat wormed his way back into our lives. He’s got some serious potential though. It’s hard to connect him with that emaciated shrimp of a kid.”
“He still looks worse for wear, but hopefully the stay here will nurture his mind and body so he can achieve the greatness I see in him.”
Feng Xin glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “You don’t just want to spoil him because you weren’t able to help him before, right?”
An awkward laugh and the habit of rubbing at his face was a good enough answer, but the prince soon cleared his throat and shook it off. “He’s a gem to be polished. I already wanted to bring him here to train, but assigning him an attendant may be on my more selfish agenda. He was in such pain before, and we couldn’t save him from his awful home life. We’re in a war now – if he doesn’t get to enjoy simple pleasures even a little bit, I wouldn’t be able to show my face knowing a child in my kingdom only experienced suffering.”
“This is why there’s a civil war, Your Highness,” he reminded him. “The young children affected by the drought have likely only experienced pain and hardship.”
“I have been doing my best to ease that situation through all this. I’m still bringing rain to Yong’an, but what good am I as a god if I can’t even help a single boy who’s been in my grasp more than once? How could I go on with him only training and then going back to the battlefield? Giving him access to the basic human necessities with a bit of extra pampering is the least I could do,” he explained, his voice lowering near the end of it.
He knew it had been Honghong-er’s own choice to run from the temple, but how could the god not have realized it was that same boy at the run-down shrine when he was the very reason heaven had initially noticed the prince’s potential as a god? It was a chaotic time, yes, plus the capital was very populated. But… Was he so self-absorbed to not have noticed?
Dwelling on the past wouldn’t get him anywhere. He knew that. So instead, he and his bodyguard decided to spar. It would be a few hours yet until dinner, and after three days unconscious, the martial god felt the need to fight out his increasingly restless energy.
“I don’t know why I was even your bodyguard,” Feng Xin huffed as he admitted defeat. “I’ve never been able to beat you.”
“I suppose it was so you could watch my back and act on my command,” he shrugged, having wondered that a few times himself. “What, are you so disappointed to have to be seen with me?”
He laughed and straightened out his clothes a bit. “Never. What kind of joke is that, Your Highness? It’s hilarious.”
Xie Lian held in his laughter, his lips quivering as he sheathed his sword and turned to begin the journey to his quarters. “I’m going to need a list of instructors who are most proficient in sabers. I haven’t spent much time familiarizing myself with those specifics since we descended.”
“It shouldn’t take long. I will be back before dinner.” With that, he bowed and took his leave, letting the prince have some alone time.
There was no telling where Mu Qing chose to head off to, but they knew he would be back in the evening to help Xie Lian prepare to turn in. It felt so rare to have down time while alone; he’d either been bringing rain to the heavily affected drought areas, strategizing with his father and a council, or helping the soldiers get ready for the rebel attacks.
He was feeling better than earlier and decided to walk around the city. It was still a gorgeous day, after all. People seemed eager to see him and he almost regretted leaving the more secluded comfort of his palace with how much he got swarmed, and a twinge of anxiety coursed through him whenever someone got too close.
He was more on guard than he expected, even though these were his beloved citizens. It seemed being caught off guard and sent into a manic state had affected him worse than he thought, having yet to be fully shaken off even with ridding his previously anxious energy with a spar.
It didn’t take long before he decided to go back. Everything seemed fine in the city; the people were in good spirits for winning the recent battle, and it was apparent the news of other countries sponsoring the rebels either hadn’t reached them yet or wasn’t a big enough deal for anyone to be talking or asking about.
His nerves were soothed once again once he was rejoined by Feng Xin a few hours later with a list and ranking of teaching ability based on asking around. Xie Lian was grateful that he was so efficient thanks to having gotten used to these sorts of tasks as a deputy god, and he tucked it into his sleeve for the assessment.
Honghong-er was already at the prince’s dining area when they entered, looking both bored and extremely nervous. His eye widened once he noticed the prince enter, and his body stiffened as if he was sitting at attention.
“Your Highness,” he greeted with a slightly less shaky voice than earlier.
Xie Lian approached him and gave him a look-over. The boy looked a lot better after a bath and wearing some new regular clothing. His hair looked soft and had been put in a styled ponytail – likely by the attendant.
The bruises and cuts on his face had been relieved a bit by medicine, but his skin being cleaned did wonders for the appearance. The old bandage over his eye had been replaced, and the prince briefly considered getting him an eyepatch in the future as it would be much more convenient and less noticeable to take advantage of in battle until it was too late for the opponents.
Now, to work on getting him properly filled out. It wouldn’t do to keep a borderline skeleton fighting by his side. “I’m glad to see you looking so refreshed,” he finally verbally acknowledged him, taking a seat at the table with Feng Xin following suit.
Shortly after, servants began bringing several dishes, most of them selected for the picky prince but a few on request for Feng Xin and the young soldier - things that would give an extra boost to their energies, since being a god with an incredible amount of spiritual power meant Xie Lian was mostly eating for pleasure.
The heavenly officials watched with heavy hearts as Honghong-er looked intimidated with all the food and reached out with trembling hands, glancing at them hesitantly for confirmation that it was really allowed, and then did his best to not scarf everything down.
The restraint was evident as he took big bites but chewed more than anyone used to it would, clearly overdoing it in hopes it seemed normal. They didn’t dare comment; he would get used to eating frequently soon enough.
After dinner, they first talked about technique as they rested and let the food settle in their stomachs. One plateful was already too much for the child used to starving, and they didn’t want it coming back up by asking him to exert himself immediately.
Honghong-er listened eagerly as Xie Lian went on and on about the saber, and then started talking about seeing a few specially forged ones in action, which then led him to talking about spiritual weapons.
Feng Xin had left in the middle of it to procure a wooden saber and sword that they would be using for the assessment, while the god continued to chatter endlessly and the boy continued to take it all in with awe.
“Ah, while Feng Xin is gone, there was something I wanted to bring up,” Xie Lian brought up once his lecture about the difference between a short sword and long sword came to a natural end.
“Yes, Your Highness?” implored the boy who leaned a bit closer with curiosity.
“I want to thank you for your help at the cave a few days ago.” It was an awkward topic, but he knew he would think about it every once in a while if he didn’t address it. “If… If you had gone away with Qi Rong, I would have had a harder time with those flower yao. You did splendidly, and I will trust you to not divulge the specifics of what happened.”
He flushed pink and looked down at his lap as he began to fiddle with the strands of hair still tied on his finger, though very worn by now. “I will always do my best to protect Your Highness. Even if it costs me my life,” he swore.
It was a nice sentiment, but it was as if he wasn’t aware that he was merely a young teenager while Xie Lian was a martial god. That, or Honghong-er thought himself useful only as a meat shield, though the thought made him frown.
“I appreciate it, but please focus on living,” he requested, his tone gentle. “Did I not ask you before to live for me? I did not say die for me, now did I?”
“…” Honghong-er met his eyes, looking guilty at the light scolding. “Your Highness told me to live.”
“Focus on your training and it will get you far. Perhaps you will one day be enough of an expert to be able to stand with myself and my deputy gods.”
The boy’s eye shone brighter than he’d seen it, and he sat up straighter as if re-inspired. He finally smiled and it warmed the god’s heart. It was wonderful to see him so lively and excited at the prospect.
Feng Xin soon returned and they began their assessment, starting with smaller moves and demonstrations before getting him to attempt some bigger and mildly complicated ones. The bodyguard engaged in a light battle with him once he had the instructions down, easing up a lot to give him a fair shot to demonstrate, but ending up having to guard more seriously a few times.
“You have a sharp eye as usual, Your Highness,” the man hummed once they called it for the evening. “That brat’s going to need one of the more experienced instructors to bring out his full potential. He’s definitely surpassed the beginner instructors; they would pass him along in a heartbeat with that tenacity.”
“We’ll meet with them tomorrow before I go to Yushi. I’m putting you in charge of him in my absence, and I’ll be talking to Mu Qing later about the situation,” he informed him, placing his hand on his shoulder. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’m trusting you with this, even though I am aware you weren’t the biggest fan of him being around in the past.”
Feng Xin shook his head and glanced over at where Honghong-er was running his hand carefully along the saber he still held. “He’s not the same audacious brat clinging onto the crown prince. I can see the value in having him properly taught, especially in these trying times. Besides, I trust your judgement, and beyond that, I’m your loyal servant. Who am I to argue?”
Xie Lian smiled widely at the response and waved the young soldier over once he caught his eye. “Honghong-er, you’ll be set up with an instructor soon but Feng Xin and Hao Mei will be the ones responsible for you in my absence, alright?”
He tilted his head a bit, looking confused. “Is Your Highness going somewhere?”
“Ah, yes. I have some godly errands to attend to, so I won’t always be here. However, I’ll be checking in whenever I return.”
“I see. I pray for Your Highness’s safe return then.”
“Thank you.”
He was soon led off to the guard quarters by Feng Xin while Xie Lian returned to his own bedchambers, picking up a scroll to read over while he waited for his attendant to return. Mu Qing took so long that he began to worry, but walked through the doors right before the decision to go find him was made.
The deputy looked rather put off, but Xie Lian welcomed him warmly. “Thank you for returning. I hope your reflecting was quite productive?”
“I suppose I may have been over the line,” he reluctantly admitted, crossing his arms. “Only a bit. I know attacking a kid is low and I don’t want to be associated with the likes of Qi Rong with my behaviour towards him.”
“Honghong-er is gifted and I want to see him grow, but you’re invaluable to me,” the prince assured him. “In my absence, I have assigned Feng Xin to be his guardian, and I will be giving you a task as well.”
Mu Qing braced himself, his body tensing. He clearly expected to be forced to play nice with the boy, but Xie Lian knew he would probably like what he was about to say.
“You have more spiritual power than Feng Xin thanks to your cultivation, so I would like you to pretend to be my father’s attendant so you can sit in on meetings in my stead and communicate through the array what’s happening. I want you to pass on messages to my father if I have any input.”
He definitely hadn’t expected that, his hands dropping to his sides and his mouth falling open in shock. “Are you sure?”
“You are my deputy heavenly official, plus the crown prince’s personal attendant. It’s not a stretch for the council to believe you’re otherwise assigned while I’m away. I will speak to my father before I leave in the morning but I will not be taking no as an answer from him, however, if you’re uncomfortable-“
“I’ll do it,” he interrupted, unable to hide his eagerness. “I… I’ll be honest. I didn’t expect to be trusted so much after what I said about that kid.”
Xie Lian sighed and sat on his bed, gesturing for the attendant to join him. “I know who you are. We’ve been together for a long time now, and though I know of your sharp tongue and distrusting nature, I also know you’re very capable and wouldn’t have chosen you to be by my side if you weren’t. Honghong-er is clearly a sore subject for you right now, and I hope you one day feel differently, but I won’t force it. But I do trust and value you as part of my inner circle, and I want you to prove to the world just how capable you are. I’ve always seen incredible potential in you.”
Mu Qing was speechless and bowed his head. “T-thank you. I won’t let you down.”
The prince smiled at him, his heart full of trust towards the prickly man. “I know you won’t.”