#...except get Hua Cheng kicked out of the army. that was kinda wrong

[hunxi-after-hours]

Mu Qing anon here - I meant Mu Qing from TGCF, but as a LYB fan I would not be opposed to Mu Qing from LYB thoughts either! (Answer is I meant TGCF Mu Qing haha)

(full warning y’all this is over 2.5k and nearly incomprehensible but it’s head empty no thoughts over here these days so let’s just do this I guess)

so, here is my hot take on Mu Qing: I think Mu Qing is, hands down, the most complex character in TGCF

which isn’t to say that the other characters are simplistic or boring or lack emotional complexity or anything, but that Mu Qing’s characterization is so complicated because he stands at the intersection of so many different themes and issues and conflicts and ideas in the narrative of TGCF

here, let’s just list a few of them, shall we?

class/class relationships -- one of the first things we learn about Mu Qing is that he used to be Xie Lian’s servant, and not a bodyguard/companion like Feng Xin, but a servant meant for lowly, household tasks. this is not, in and of itself, something to be ashamed of, but no one ever lets Mu Qing forget this

questions of loyalty -- what does it mean to follow someone? what does it mean to serve them? when are you allowed to leave them?

specifically, loyalty as filiality vs. loyalty as fealty -- Mu Qing is notably different from Feng Xin in that he has family; he has his mother to support, and thereby does not fully belong to Xie Lian’s world of wealth and royalty. Feng Xin can say “fuck it” and stick with Xie Lian to the bitter end, but Mu Qing has other obligations.

perception and self-fulfilling prophecies -- Mu Qing constantly struggles with/against what other people think of him, especially tying back to point 1 up there

specifically, Hua Cheng and Mu Qing are fascinating to compare and contrast, ESPECIALLY considering a) the mechanism of fate/allotment in TGCF, as well as b) the incident where Mu Qing actively got Hua Cheng kicked out of the army

the complicated dynamics of envy and gratitude -- Mu Qing and Xie Lian. moving on

intent and corruption, idealism vs. pragmatism -- can you maintain your initial intent of doing good, even if you do not use the purest methods? can the ends ever justify the means?

(self-)forgiveness -- Mu Qing and Xie Lian. moving on

and those are just the ones immediately coming to mind; Mu Qing is really this scowling, eternally eye-rolling matryoshka doll of personal, ideological, and emotional conflict, so it’s honestly no wonder why he’s a bit snappish all the time

class / class relationships

one of the coolest things MXTX does in TGCF is deconstruct the idealization of her protagonist, and a major part of the work is done by Mu Qing. Xie Lian, as the beloved, beautiful, compassionate, charitable, talented crown prince of Xianle, was in large part capable of such success because of his status and privilege. He is able to achieve such great cultivation at a young age because he has the resources of the royal family at his disposal; he is generous to the poor that he meets because he can afford to be. The Xie Lian of early book two has the time and emotional energy to be charitable and benevolent because Mu Qing is taking care of the little, daily tasks that exhaust one’s patience and wear at one’s kindness. Recall the pearl earring that gave Mu Qing so much grief when it went missing after the parade; recall how insignificant it was to Xie Lian, and how much it meant to Mu Qing.

It is easy for Xie Lian to be righteous and good, because he has never wanted for anything in his life. But who paved the way for Mu Qing? Who cleared the obstacles in his path? Who gave him a chance, a path out of poverty, the possibility for greatness?

(Xie Lian, yes—more on this later)

of course in book 4, these class dynamics rebound on Xie Lian with a vengeance; after the fall of Xianle, Mu Qing is single-handedly looking after the entire royal family, and then after Mu Qing leaves, Xie Lian, his parents, and Feng Xin are at quite a loss for what to do. Only with Mu Qing’s departure do they realize how much he did for them, and though they thanked him, they did not truly understand or appreciate the depth of his service

the thing about wuxia and xianxia stories is that they are rarely about “the common folk,” though everyone uses the “good of the people” as both justification and excuse for their actions. Our heroes tend to be elite, whether it is through family bloodline (royalty, nobility) or raw talent (i.e. being able to punch everyone else into submission, at which point they transcend their lowly origins and never look back). And so for Mu Qing to break the mold of characters, to be a former servant who has transcended that role into literal godhood, but without forgetting, erasing, or letting go of his roots, is actually hugely significant

questions of loyalty

Mu Qing’s most obvious foil (and rival) in the book is Feng Xin, and much of their character arcs revolve around their relationships to Xie Lian. The thing about Feng Xin is that his entire purpose in life has been to accompany Xie Lian—to study with him, to keep him company, to guard him, to serve him—and so Feng Xin sticks with Xie Lian to the bitter end, leaving only when Xie Lian himself drives Feng Xin away.

Not so with Mu Qing. Mu Qing has a family, a life of his own; his world does not revolve around Xie Lian (except where it does, and Mu Qing is mad about that). Mu Qing has divided loyalties, which people use to criticize him endlessly. If Mu Qing is absent, or if something goes missing, he is the first accused of lazing about or thieving. But if Mu Qing stays at Xie Lian’s side all the time, then he’s sucking up to the crown prince and being unfilial to his poor mother, who still lives in the imperial city, whose son rarely comes home to see her.

you see the double bind? Mu Qing literally cannot win.

Feng Xin and Xie Lian both shrug it off. Why does it matter what other people say? So long as you have been true to yourself in your heart, which is a position of both confidence and luxury. Mu Qing can’t ignore what other people say; it’s not in his nature. What people say about him affects what people think about him, and what people think about him affects their reactions toward him. Why did the parade at the beginning of book two nearly go up in flames before it even took off? Because Xie Lian had asked Mu Qing to pass a notice on to the Guoshi. And why did Mu Qing fail to communicate the appropriate information to the Guoshi? Because some schoolyard bullies refused him entry into the proper hall.

Because at every step of the way, the petty prejudices of other people make it impossible for Mu Qing to succeed.

Perception matters. Public opinion matters. Mu Qing, of the three of them, understands this far more keenly than either of the other two.

Xie Lian and Feng Xin can afford to ignore these insults and slights because they are elite, they are nobility. Mu Qing cannot, because the people around him routinely use his lower-class origins to drag him down. And perhaps, what is most aggravating about the whole affair? None of this is actually about Mu Qing himself, his own merit or talent or worthiness. No one asks if Mu Qing is worthy of serving at Xie Lian’s side; they simply assume he isn’t, and then whisper behind his back about it

perception and self-fulfilling prophecies

this is where TGCF veers close to MDZS/CQL territory: the question of perception and reputation, and how much you should care about what other people think of you

what strikes me about Mu Qing is how often people misread him. as mortals, people muttered about Mu Qing, casting aspersions on his motives, whispering that he’s just here to dig for gold and cozy up to the elite

and then in books four and five, other gods say to Mu Qing: look at how Xie Lian mistreated you and held you back from your true capability; and anyways, your loyalties no longer lie with him, do they? and Mu Qing is silent, wordless, because yes, they have touched on his envy and resentment, but it’s not that simple, is it? because Mu Qing still cares for Xie Lian, and Feng Xin, and the Xie parents—their relationship is messier than friendship, more complicated than fealty

even Jun Wu tests Mu Qing, and Mu Qing would rather have the blood and vitality siphoned out of him than turn on Xie Lian

Mu Qing is constantly resisting the perceptions and expectations of other people, those who expect him to be pettier and weaker and less morally upright. it’s an exhausting, uphill battle, and it’s not like Mu Qing isn’t petty on occasion, but he continues to resist, and resist, and resist the mask of villainy other people would press onto his face, and that is no less of an accomplishment either

envy and gratitude

and here, I think, we come to the core of Mu Qing’s character in TGCF: he is, at all times, grappling with the twin monsters of envy and gratitude in his relationship to Xie Lian

because who is Xie Lian? lovely, graceful, powerful, gentle, skilled, capable, moral; the beloved taizi-dianxia of Xianle, a prodigy who ascended into literal godhood before he even turned twenty

and who is Mu Qing? Mu Qing, in book two, is first introduced as the demon to Xie Lian’s divinity, the dark to his light. The narration tells us that Mu Qing has a remarkable amount of talent himself; that perhaps, even without Xie Lian’s interference, Mu Qing would have been able to ascend on his own

but we will never know, and Mu Qing will never know, and that rankles, because he will always be doomed to live in Xie Lian’s shadow—his servant, his general, his second-in-command

for sure, Mu Qing will always be grateful to Xie Lian—for his kindness and generosity, for seeing Mu Qing’s talent and merit when no one else did, for giving Mu Qing a chance

but that patronage will forever be a double-edged sword, because Mu Qing’s accomplishments will never be his own; at the end of the day, Xie Lian will be credited for discovering this diamond in the rough, and Mu Qing left fuming

and so, Mu Qing’s gratitude towards Xie Lian sours into jealousy and resentment; over time, these negative emotions collapse further inwards and Mu Qing feels guilty about resenting the man who has done so much good for him, and guilty for looking on as Xie Lian is dragged through the mud and dirt of a cruel mortal realm (and look, it’s not like Mu Qing hadn’t warned him, Mu Qing tried to make him see the ugliness of reality) without raising a hand to interfere

and the feedback loop builds and builds until Mu Qing is thoroughly tangled in a web of negativity that is, in large part, of his own making

compounded with his sensitivity to the opinions of others and the fight between Mu Qing and Xie Lian in book four, Mu Qing works himself up over this for literal centuries, and it isn’t until Mu Qing is hanging over a pit of literal lava that he and Xie Lian finally clear things up: that if Xie Lian ever held anything against Mu Qing, he has long forgiven him

which helps Mu Qing begin his journey towards self-forgiveness and reconciliation, because if Xie Lian—the person in the world who most deserves to resent Mu Qing—doesn’t hold it against him, then why is Mu Qing himself still agonizing over the past? 


intent vs. corruption, idealism vs. pragmatism

This is honestly my favorite Mu Qing theme, because it examines Mu Qing and Xie Lian as foils and leaves the question open-ended, which is: how pure do your morals really have to be?

Xie Lian is idealistic, almost to a fault, and gets put through such extremes in the narrative that in the end, he is still somewhat saintly, almost larger than life. his patience and tolerance seem both boundless and impossible, and that is why we love and admire him

but to attain Xie Lian’s level of goodness? near impossible. he is an idol, to be admired; he is flawed, yes, and fallible, of course, but Xie Lian embodies a purity of heart and a goodness of soul that is, frankly speaking, beyond most of us

Mu Qing, however, is pragmatic, pessimistic, bitterly aware of the unfairness of the world. by virtue of his lower station, he recognizes the patterns and relationships of power in a way that is less intuitive to Xie Lian, who never has to deal with a lack of power, until he does

in book four, Mu Qing re-ascends, completely off-screen; we don’t see how, or when, or why exactly, but he returns to the heavenly realm because that is the only locus of true power he can access in this state of crisis. loyalty might dictate that Mu Qing should, like Feng Xin, remain at Xie Lian’s side, mortal and powerless, but Mu Qing, ever the pragmatist, takes re-ascension when it is offered to him

and can any of us say that he was wrong to do so? because as a heavenly official, Mu Qing has more power, and influence, and resources, and Mu Qing still tries to help Xie Lian, knowing fully well that doing so goes against the rules, that doing so could get him banished once more

was it right of Mu Qing to turn his back on Xie Lian in order to maintain his cover and not arouse suspicion with the other gods?

was it wrong of him to do so?

with Xie Lian, morality is often black or white—he slingshots wildly from saintly sufferer to vengeful calamity and back—but for Mu Qing, morality is gray, and gray, and gray. in a world on fire, and with your loved ones in trouble, what do you choose—your moral purity, or the power to help them? can you walk away and turn your back on Xie Lian in order to give him the aid he so desperately needs?

the narrative doesn’t really lay down clear judgment on Mu Qing either way—he is not vilified for making this choice, nor is he praised, and after seven centuries, Xie Lian doesn’t really care about it either way, to be honest. Mu Qing isn’t wrong, and we may never know if Mu Qing was right. The point is, Mu Qing tried his best and was misinterpreted, scorned, and resented for it. And Mu Qing hurts; the insults people levy at him still strike home even after all these centuries, and yet, Mu Qing still goes out of his way to help Xie Lian, whether as Fu Yao, or as Mu Qing, or as Xuan Zhen

Mu Qing is so damn complicated, and so damn interesting, and only just beginning his journey of reconciliation with Xie Lian and forgiveness of himself by the end of the narrative proper, which is a major part of why I find Mu Qing to be the most complex character in TGCF—his is the character that holds the most potential for continued growth, even after turning the last page of the book