#hua cheng is also allowed to dislike him for his dismissal of him callously more than once

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

@easysmoothie (I don't like notes for long discussions or points and this is long so another post)

I'll be blunt here, nothing here denotes care for the deaths of youths from Mu Qing or the idea that Hua Cheng could be killed on battle, it's a rational of "don't waste our time".

慕情把花城赶出军营时到底说了什么？

墨香铜臭：慕情讲话不就那个样子嘛。你这种小鬼对太子殿下根本没用，只会拖他的后腿，军队里不需要你这种废物，你不要以为你真的有天赋！之类的。而且因为在军队里这样的少年死亡率的确很高，所以慕情觉得自己赶他出去也有一点没错。

What did Mu Qing say when he drove Hua Cheng out of the barracks?

MXTX : Mu Qing's speech mannerisms are always negative. *A kid like you is useless to His Royal Highness, you will only drag him down. The army doesn't need such waste like you. Don't think you're actually talented or something like that!* And the mortality rate of youths who join the army is indeed very high, Mu Qing feels that he is right to drive him out.

*what Mu Qing says in way to dismiss Hua Cheng's own want because he doesn't find a kid worth investing in that he has already continuously dismissed before*

The last part you are focusing on is cold fact as Mu Qing, in context with the rest he doesn't want to or see a need to give Hua Cheng the time of day to be "useful". And furthermore leans into his very own biases and assumptions of those of a lower position and expectations he himself holds in them. Irony considering how he was able to get to where he had due to Xie Lian's investment and wanting to be friends, yet he does not let Xie Lian do that for similar circumstance.

By all means he is not evil, but he also doesn't care for anything other than what he considers practicality for himself and his efforts or understand the investment Xie Lian may have for others is anything more than a means to propel his own goals.

(Add-on reference: Fan translation) I will also thank @mxtxfanatic for further context for this that he did not care about Hua Cheng and the fact he was a child. Once more he uses useless, wasteful, trash and calls Hua Cheng disgusting and had thought as such at the time when he threw him out.