#soldier hong er

[trans-hua-cheng-agenda]

Did we ever learn how *specifically* hua cheng died?

I know it’s implied he died in the war but like

Does he have a scar somewhere where he was stabbed or slashed or pierced?

#I really want to know #for fan art reasons #hua cheng #tgcf #hualian #soldier hong er

[talasdoodles]

Some Hua Cheng sketches going through his various forms

#hua cheng #tgcf #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #hob #sketches #my art #digital art #hong hong er #soldier hua cheng #fanart #mxtx #talasdoodles

[fluffypurpleglitterdemon]

Huh! The Qi Rong Hung Upside-Down Incident was not how Qi Rong actually died! I really thought it was.

#Me Talking #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #TGCF liveblogging #Unless Lang Ying pulled this with Qi Rong twice which I cannot fully rule out #but I feel like it's unlikely #(the Land of The Tender incident also appears to be happening earlier than I thought!) #(I knew Hong-er got kicked out of the army after it and I knew he interacted with Xie Lian a couple times as a living soldier) #(so I thought the Land of The Tender incident was the last interaction Hong-er had with Xie Lian before he died) #(But then again I guess I also knew Hong-er died as a soldier on the battlefield despite getting kicked out by Mu Qing) #(So no matter what there was SOME sneaking back into the army happening I suppose)

[emotionaldisaster909]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

OFFICIAL BABY HONG HONG-ER DESIGN?????

AND SOLDIER HONG HONG-ER!!! MY CHILD!!!!!

LOOK AT HIM!!!!!

sourse - градоначальник хуа

#AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA #/BROKE THE SOUND BARRIER/ #HE IS SO TINY #HE IS SO PRECIOUS #I AM GOING TO DIE #LOOK AT HIM #OH MY GOD #H E #POOR BABY #OH GOD #SEASON 3 I AM READY #COME AT ME #O H M Y G O D #天官赐福 #花怜 #heavenly official's blessing #heaven officials blessing #tian guan ci fu #tgcf #tgcf donghua #tgcf official #tgcf official art #tgcf season 2 #tgcf season 3???? #tgcf book 2 #hualian #hua cheng #hong er #hong hong er #tgcf news

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

I'm totally gonna be straight upfront here in saying I have more tolerance for Jiang Cheng because he is outright presented to be a rich privileged asshole that has no excuse by the text itself as well as playing to that, than I do for Mu Qing working class hero lies from fandom when he actively sabotages himself, Xie Lian, Feng Xin and Hua Cheng at various points in the book due to all of his own biases, wrong assumptions and downright cruel thoughts he had about others.

Show me text examples that play to this idea that Mu Qing is someone I am supposed to agree with at any point in opposition to Xie Lian's ideals as well as where I am to agree he was tolerant and meant well for a child/soldier Hong Hong-er.

#tian guan ci fu #tgcf #heaven official's blessing #lol working clas hero Mu Qing #hate and resentment as a normal person is not an excuse #hate is not normal nor is jealousy when it makes you so resentful it impedes others

[crystalsamethyst]

Gonna pass this around again with the updated summary!!

Words: 93,925 (Completed, Part 1 of Butterfly Wings)

Rating: T

Tags: AU Canon Divergence, Book 2 Divergence, Hua Cheng as Honghong-er, Feng Xin Swears, Mu Qing tries to be a f-f-friend, One Sided Hua Cheng/Xie Lian, Minor Feng Xin/Mu Qing, Canon-Typical Violence, Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Politics, Hong-er Lives

Summary: “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.”

- - - After the incident with the Land of the Tender, Feng Xin is tasked with finding and bringing the talented young soldier who protected Xie Lian to train in the palace.

The god’s to-do list expands from simply leading a war and creating rain to investigating the secrets of the white-clothed creature haunting Xianle and changing the fate of the cursed boy now in his care!

#tgcf #xie lian #hua cheng #hong-er #feng xin #mu qing #tgcf book 2 #heaven officials blessing #hob #tian guan ci fu #tgcf fanfic #my writing

[friedwizardwhispers]

#should e ming be on the poll ? he is a part of san lang.... #hua cheng #tgcf #tian guan ci fu #san lang #wu ming #hong hong er #heaven official's blessing #hob #🙂

[huaenrose]

in all books of tian guan ci fu, hua cheng never said in words "I love you" to xie lian.

but as a hong hong-er, he used calligraphy to etch his admiration for his savior on his own skin. as a young soldier, he used martial arts to fight his prince's war with his own blood. like ghostly flame, he danced with so many other souls in time to the intensity of the desire to protect his god that burned in what was left of his own soul. like wu ming, he staging the tragedy of his beloved in his stead with all his being. like hua cheng, he carved the face of his cause in stone with his own obsession. like crimson rain sought flower, he made poetry by acquiring his title by protecting a flower from the blood rain at the very promise of protecting the flower crown martial god. like san lang, through painting, he consecrated the image of the crown prince of xianle with his own memories. as xiao hua, he spread through puqi village like music the word of his gege helping the common people with his own hands. like chengzhu, he made superstition with the tale that worshiping him or his husband separately brings bad luck, all using his own power.

calligraphy, martial arts, dance, staging, sculpture, poetry, painting, music, tales — if art is the most universal and perennial of languages among humans, who, though they rise like gods, or fall like ghosts, never cease to be human, he made sure his declaration of love was made through it, so that everyone in the three realms would be able to understand, no one would be able to transpose.

in the end, succumbing to the artistic essence that the world never encouraged him to develop or even recognize, was how hua cheng fulfilled his vow to become invincible by xie lian, after all, do you know anything more inevitable than art?

#tian guan ci fu #tgcf #heaven official's blessing #hob #hualian #hua cheng #xie lian #mo xiang tong xiu #mxtx #analyzes

[judasgodness]

Interesting analysis about Mu Qing and Hong-er: when Mu Qing heard Xie Lian praising Hong-er's skills, Mu Qing went to kick the kid out of the army and said things that made Hong-er feel useless, that's to do him never wanting to go back to the army.

It is undeniable that Mu Qing acted like this because of his insecurities, but what else could he have thought?

As I see it, Mu Qing didn't see himself in Hong-er, what he saw was a potential competitor, someone who would make him have to prove himself again, an obstacle.

He wondered how someone so young and "lost in life" could have caught Xie Lian's attention. How can a prince who is also a martial god see great potential in a child to be an amazing soldier and who would still be a better fighter with a saber than he is, and yet having gained such attention so quickly? That wasn't fair, it didn't make sense. Mu Qing fought hard and kept fighting and it wouldn't be because of a child that all his efforts would be wasted.

He found himself again as the shadow of someone he thought would be left behind. And in the social context he lived in, always having to prove himself, it wasn't difficult for him to put a competition and rivalry between him and Hong-er. If Mu Qing didn't take Hong-er out of the picture soon, he would lose everything he was getting.

When Mu Qing went to kick Hong-er out of the army, he threw all his frustrations out on him at that moment. He made the Hong-er his own reflection. Like, you know when someone throws at you that you don't know how to do anything, it's useless and stuff, but you know the person enough to know that whoever is like that (or feels like that, as is the case with Mu Qing) is actually herself?

Then. He made Hong-er feel exactly what he was feeling at the moment and what he had felt all his life.

He was trying to understand what Xie Lian saw so special in Hong-er or what was in the child that he didn't have in him, but any answer that came was not good for him because, possibly, it would always be an answer compatible with his insecurities.

And he couldn't let his fears come true. And since Hong-er was new and didn't have the position that Mu Qing did, Mu Qing used the social power he had over Hong-er to get him out of the way and ensure that his place would not be taken.

Everything for him could be a risk to his survival.

#tgcf #heaven official's blessing #mu qing #tian guan ci fu #mxtx characters #mxtx #mo xiang tong xiu #hob #xuan zhen

[moonlight-goose]

Spoiled Xie Lian

Taking some time to read tgcf fanfiction and I noticed, when depicting Xie Lian's early life, how many fanfics don't really portray him as spoiled out of fear of damaging his character and now I'm here to advocate for more spoiled, pampered Xie Lian. I understand no one wants to think of our kind, humble Xie Lian in a negative way but I'm here to say that 17 year old prince Xie Lian clearly had some negative traits/flaws from his pampering.

A quick disclaimer before I dive in: I adore Xie Lian. He's one of my favorite characters. I'm just here to say you can have negative traits and still be an open, loving, and caring individual. Amazing people, like Xie Lian, are still human and humans have flaws. What makes Xie Lian such a wonderful, well written character, is that he isn't perfect and he knows and understands this about himself. He works everyday to find the best in situations. I'm just advocating that people try to push the envelope more in fanfics and find comfort in knowing they aren't ruining his character in doing so. His negative traits aren't overwhelming and they aren't his whole personality, they just happen to be there is all. Fanfics that are modern AUs, age regressions, or maybe even fics flashing back to Xie Lian when he was a prince could benefit from a little bit of fun (or angst if you prefer).

Now, on to his negative traits from his princely life😌 (be warned there may be spoilers) I'm just going to list traits that I can think of and try to provide some context for where this may have come from (please note that I'm referencing from the original web publication and not the Seven Seas published books, so if things seem out of place, this may be why):

1. Xie Lian's never really been outside of the kingdom Capitol. He started his travels but he soon found the ghost on the bridge, defeated him and then ascended within the year. From there he focused on prayers from the kingdom's Capitol. I mean, that's one reason why he didn't know of the drought. Why he didn't know that some of his temples were exclusive to the rich. He never traveled. In the amnesia arc his main goal was to find a way back to the kingdom Capitol and, while he certainly isn't helpless, he sort of hangs around waiting for someone to do the work of bringing him back. His time in his 2nd banishment allows him to explore the world thoroughly and he sees the trues ups and downs of life and his place in the world. While Bai Wuxiang works to take down Xie Lian from the very beginning, we can see, when Xie Lian personally steps in, that the prince's way of thinking is very black and white. He didn't know the choices that a king had to make because he didn't have to be in that position. With his cultivation training, he didn't even have to fully be a prince! Now that he's seen the world, he understands the choices people make and how he can and cannot help.

2. Xie Lian, I noticed in book 2, never really remembers people outside of the palace very well. It's understandable, he doesn't need to, he's a prince but he doesn't seem to notice people IN the palace either unless they make him interested (like Mu Qing). I'm bringing this up as a flaw only because it caught my attention in a rather humorous way: he encounters young Hong-er numerous times (before and after becoming a god) but forgets each time. The others remember him but Xie Lian just can't recall. During their first meeting Xie Lian even grows bored of him when he doesn't answer his gentle questions because "he's got stuff to do". Xie Lian cares and looks after him each time because he is a thoughtful, kind man but it's rather funny that he saves Hong-er from falling, wipes his face, has a one-sided conversation with him and then can't remember who he was when he was saving him, again, from his cousin until he's reminded by his friend. The many times he meets him as a soldier, he can't fully recall him either. I understand that in the grand scheme of things, it's completely reasonable to forget a small child from the streets but, from what I remember, I feel like he forgets other characters as well (though in his 2nd banishment this is due to him wanting to focus on the happier thoughts).

3. He never thanked Feng Xin or Mu Qing for their service until it was too late. He considered them friends and he knew they served him but he never really thought of what they did for him. We really see this a lot during the 4th book. During his 1st banishment he still puts chores on Mu Qing and he doesn't really realize this until Mu Qing departs and he finds his mother, the queen, attempting to do laundry. When he was with Feng Xin watching a servant go against his master, Xie Lian felt fear over the fact that the situation they were observing must reflect the current situation between him and Feng Xin and he gave Feng Xin one of his golden belts out of guilt but it was much too late. To be fair, Feng Xin was loyal and didn't express ever wanting to leave Xie Lian's side but Mu Qing leaving, Feng Xin leaving for long periods (to spend time with Jian Lan), and his just overall declining mental health was causing him to see his own faults and how they could actually damage his relationships, relationships he thought were unbreakable.

4. A small thing I thought was funny was he also never checked the price of anything when he was out. He's a prince so, yeah, I understand. I think this was stated in the amnesia extra arc and in book 4 when he's counting his loose change.

5. He's prideful and likes things a certain way. He'll refuse foods if it's not exactly right. He likes to be in comfortable clothes and beds. He refuses to be made fun of or tricked. These things can be seen in the amnesia arc, the Yuanxiao festival extra, book 2 and book 4. His mother complains that Xie Lian was always a picky eater. We see a flashback of Xie Lian disliking yuanxiao because he was picky. When he looses his memory and reverts to his princely self we see that he dislikes his scratchy robes, he can't drink tea because there was a spot on his cup, and he hates that Hua Cheng bit off of some mantou he was going to try (a far cry from the scrap god who would eat off the floor). When he was first banished, while he doesn't complain due to the circumstance, he dislikes the straw mats they sleep on even though he has the best one and he grows more and more frustrated with their living situation as time goes on (though this could be because he was feeling extremely stressed from White-No Face). As a prince, he knows how lower class live but, even though he wants to help, he doesn't understand because he hasn't lived it until his first banishment.

Once again, Xie Lian is very wonderful. I just wanted to ramble present some examples of his negative traits that people could perhaps incorporate into their stories when depicting rich boy Xie Lian to add a bit of spice or even humor. Like in a modern AU, Xie Lian the heir to his father's company is loving, understanding, caring but will definitely refuse to go to a cheap ramen restaurant because he swore he saw "an absolutely filthy bug right outside the entrance" 😂 or Xie Lian is comforting someone and going "there there. I'm here to help. What's your name" and them going "we met three days ago😐" and Xie Lian taking a pause to look at Feng Xin for help in remembering only to start nervously sweating when he can't make out the name Feng Xin is trying to mouth to him. Xie Lian is a good boy. Bratty, spoiled Xie Lian is also a very good boy.

#tgcf #heaven official's blessing #I'm going to write some spoiled Xie Lian so I might as well share some spoiled Xie Lian thoughts #Xie Lian #Xianle #spoiled xie lian #fanfics #thoughts

[ladyof-thestorm]

*inside hua cheng’s mind*

San lang: wu ming, they’re talking about us again

Wu ming: san lang shush! I'm trying to concentrate... knight to queen 4. Check.

Hua cheng: wu ming, this is checkers.

Wu ming: I HATE YOU

Hua cheng: you know what I'm sick of?All your shit, wu ming! I'm assuming direct control!

Hong hong er: gege no!

Soldier hong er: oh my god he’s got a gun!

*gunshot*

Hua cheng: everyone step away from the brain

San lang: he shot wu ming!

*outside hua cheng’s mind*

Xl: san lang? We need to head back to puji shrine.

Hc: yes gege, I’m san lang.

Xl: ooooh that’s probably not good.

#tian guan ci fu #tgcf #heaven official's blessing #hua cheng #xie lian #50% off

[gcldfanged]

@steeleidolon

A distinctly nasal chanteuse’s voice warbled from an absolutely ancient looking record player, the dusty needle hovering unevenly over a spinning disc of polished vinyl.

“Honghu shui ya lang ya ma langda lang ah~ honghu an bian shi ya ma shi jiaxiang ah~ qingzao chuan er qu ya qu sa wang wanshang huilai yu man cang a ah~ sichu yeya he ling ou qiushou man fan daogu xiang ren ren dou shuo tiantang mei...”

Smoke trailed snake-like through the cool air of the walk-in fridge, leaking in thin plumes from the sides of Jae’s lips like the lazy breath of an imperial dragon. He reached over the crumpled, frostbitten body laid out on the table to flick the ashes of his cigarette into a small cloisonné bowl, slowly fanning himself with a running blow dryer on it’s lowest setting.

The senior sous chef stood at the door, hocking a wad of phlegm into a nearby trashcan before clearing his throat. Truly bizarre was one way to describe the scene as the underling and the Turk sang the next bit in harmony:

“Zen bi wo Honghu yu mi xiang... Ah~”

Once the impromptu performance was over- Yoon nodded his head in their SOLDIER guest’s direction as Kunsel leaned against the sterile tile walls.

“They say Heaven is beautiful, but how can it compare to my Hong lake? Very old song, but very popular,” he explained, pressing the button on the hair dryer to ramp up the power and heat. It was fine for a time as the Commis ran the nozzle up and down the length of the clothed corpse, poking at the stiff as a board lapel of the dead man’s suit, or tossing a bloodied ice-encrusted wallet to his sous chef.

“This fuckin’ thing... I told them not to put the shipment in the freezer too long. We should open a school, we speak so many damn languages between the employees moving in from Wutai and elsewhere.”

The blow dryer sputtered pathetically, giving a few last dying puffs that tousled Jae’s bangs away from his eyes. He eventually just tossed the useless appliance back on the table and picked up a pair of wire cutters, carefully and cleanly severing the tips of the fingers from the body’s closest hand. 

“So, you wanted me to help you with some... specialist training. That’s all fine and dandy, but I just want to make sure that there won’t be any complications later on. The last thing I want is a pack of goons tearing the beaded curtains off the doorways and shaking down my family. They’re not exactly spring chickens, you know- They might give nai nai over there a heart attack.”

He gestures to a petite old woman in the corner, hand pulling noodles between her deceptively strong fingers and pushing down on some flour-coated poles that creaked beneath the weight of her geriatric muscles.

‘Nai nai’ could probably rip a guy’s balls straight off with her tough, peasant fingers- But that was besides the point. She shouldn’t HAVE to, was what Jae was trying to get at.

#steeleidolon #◈ RP THREADS #gore cw #it's like that one scene from Kung Fu Hustle #where this old woman punches a guy's heart through his chest and he's like 'holy shit wtf do you do?!" #and she's like 'i'm a farmer'

[fluffypurpleglitterdemon]

Wait... the war's over, Xianle has fallen and Xie Lian is called back to the heavens, and almost-certainly-Hong-er is getting into fights with the people burning down Xie Lian's temples? Huh. I thought for sure he died on the battlefield as a soldier...

#Me Talking #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #TGCF liveblogging #I am only *almost* certain this is Hong-er #because frequently this boy's *eyes* (plural) are mentioned and no mention of either being red #nor any mention of bandages to the face or even of his right eye being swollen shut #(there are in fact several mentions of his 'eyes' doing things that would mean both are open) #and I REALLY thought Hong-er died in battle... I have seen so many references or portrayals in fic of Hong-er dying on the battlefield #But on the other hand there's absolutely no way this isn't Hong-er is there? #Defending Xie Lian's temples. Painting Xie Lian for the temple. That interaction mirroring the one at the little shrine before the war. #The many things the kid said that DEFINITELY Hong-er or Hua Cheng or Wu Ming would say. 'You're the only real god' especially #The accompanying illustration 100% looks like Hong-er (it even has what might be some bandages under his hair and the right eye closed) #I'm so confused... I suppose I'll have to wait until either book four or the Cave of a Thousand Gods clears all this up

[ao3feed-fengqing]

The flap of a butterfly's wing

by Ameji After the incident with the land of the tender, Xie Lian asks Feng Xin to be the one to find the young soldier and decides to have him be trained in the palace while he attempts to juggle leading the Xianle army, creating rain in Yong'an, and now, attempting to change the fate of the cursed boy with incredible talent. These events lead to a path no one saw coming, to the point of shaking the heavens themselves! Tags may be added as the story continues. This story is canon-divergent and some minor things will be skimmed over or changed to fit the upcoming plot. Words: 9800, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English Fandoms: 天官赐福 - 墨香铜臭 | Tiān Guān Cì Fú - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Xiè Lián (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Huā Chéng (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Hong Hong-Er - Character, Hong-er, Fēng Xìn (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Mù Qíng (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Bái Wúxiàng, Jūn Wú (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Méi Niànqīng, Péi Míng (Tiān Guān Cì Fú) Relationships: Huā Chéng/Xiè Lián (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Fēng Xìn/Mù Qíng (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Fēng Xìn & Mù Qíng & Xiè Lián (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), feng xin & hong hong-er Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Xiānlè Kingdom (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Huā Chéng as Hóng Hóng-er (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Fēng Xìn Swears (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Mù Qíng is Bad at Feelings (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), xie lian is a bit more assuring, adopting a child soldier like a stray cat, Pining, Eventual time skip, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Human Face Disease (Tiān Guān Cì Fú), Canon-Typical Violence via https://ift.tt/VSOQ76W

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #fengqing #tgcf #tian guan ci fu #feng xin #mu qing

[crystalsamethyst]

You know what would've been great at the end of s2 along with the Hong-er/ young soldier stuff? Since we already knew they were the same person as Hua Cheng and the most hype and impactful thing was his classic promise to never forget? (I screamed btw)

Well, they hinted earlier in the season at Xie Lian's calamity phase so...

What if there had also been a short flash of Wu Ming in there, even without Xie Lian in the frame? What if it was a brief clip of him on his knee between the promise and the San Lang part? Him looking up with the smiling mask?

#tgcf s2 #xie lian #tgcf #wu ming #hong er #hua cheng

[willow-21]

Your Most Devoted

Fandom: 天官赐福 (Tiān Guān Cì Fú) Heaven Official's Blessing Characters: Hua Cheng|Hong-er Summary: Xie Lian fails. Xianle falls. Hong-er follows not long after.

Spoilers for the end of Book 2 (Volume 3 flashback) of Heaven Official's Blessing

Warnings for canon-typical violence and major character death.

Read on AO3 here.

Xianle falls.

In the years and centuries that follow, people will say that the kingdom was doomed the moment their god set foot back on mortal soil. Others will insist it started earlier, that their fate was sealed when their prince chose the life of a child over superstition and ceremony.

Hong-er knows better, knows that it was rotting from the bones far longer than that. It was only a matter of time before it surfaced.

There’s a wet sound as he rips his sword from the chest of another so-called believer. Hong-er remembers him, the pomp with which he made his offerings, the disdain he showed the other followers, as if his wealth made him worthy. As if His power was something that could be bought. Now, his body joins the countless others that litter the ground around the Crown Prince Temple. Xianle and Yong’An, soldiers and citizens alike, some long lost to maggots and foxes, some still leaking blood into the dirt. All of them would try to turn their hand against the only god Hong-er has ever had faith in.

Silence rings across the mountain as the last dying cries of Hong-er’s enemies fade, leaving his own panting echoing in his ears. His clothes and skin are stiff and sticky with blood, too much of it his own. The fingers on his left hand won’t move—none of the arm will. Looking down reveals a mess of flesh and blood, a shard of bone-white in an ocean of red. He thinks he would have been in pain, once, but he’s since killed whatever soft creature inside him felt it.

People have told him his entire life that he fights like a demon, a man possessed, that he doesn’t really feel pain like a human would. He’s done his best to prove him right. Grown men twice his size have cowered before his fury, he’s lived through worse beatings than should be possible for a child to survive.

It’s not enough.

His next step falters and he curses, catching himself on his sword. The scene before him swims and he blinks, hard, trying to fight back the darkness at the edges of his vision. 

Down the slope, the autumn foliage of Taicang Peak is overtaken by the flames people so often compared it to, heat distorting the smoke-choked air above it. Hong-er isn’t sure if the fires were set by the invading Yong'An soldiers flushing out anyone foolish enough to remain, or if it was the fleeing populace of Xianle destroying whatever they had left in one last act of spite. He supposes it doesn’t matter. 

He hopes they all burn. 

He stumbles his way into the temple, his hand leaving a bloody print on the frame of the door where he has to stop to catch his breath. All he sees is mud on fabric more fine and expensive than anything and everything he’s ever owned, a dark mark on an otherwise pristine existence. Part of him screams that he’s too filthy, that his blood is not worthy to be spilt on His floors, that his body would be better used as a final barrier, laid across the threshold of His last holy space. 

In the end, he is a selfish creature. 

The main hall is a shell of its former glory. The golden idol, that statue larger than any made before it, the center and heart of the Crown Prince Temple, is gone, its wreckage still lying in the rubble of the city below. Pieces of the window lattice are broken in, their pieces scattered on the polished floor, the plaster scorched in places because Hong-er wasn’t fast enough to douse the flames, wasn’t strong enough to stop the vandals before they could damage the temple. The inner rooms, though, are more intact and, most importantly, retain their statues. It’s one of those that Hong-er stumbles his way towards.

He nearly makes it to the altar before his legs fold beneath him, his body collapsing to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. His head hits its base and it should hurt, he’s pretty sure, but everything feels very far away.

“’M sorry, Your Highness,” Hong-er murmurs, his voice as broken as the rest of him. “I know you said not to prostrate in the temple…but this lowly one has to disappoint you again.” It’s a struggle to turn his head enough to see the gentle, carved face of his beloved god. He looks radiant in the fiery light streaming through the window, shadows caressing the gentle smile across his lips.

Hong-er’s good hand digs under the leather of his armor, fingers shaking as he pulls out the delicate blossom pressed against his heart. The petals are bruised and bloodstained, not fit for His Highness, but it’s all he has and he doesn’t have the strength to get another. 

“Maybe next time…” he whispers into his shoulder. His body doesn’t hurt anymore, and that’s nice, but it feels heavy. He can’t feel even his good arm anymore, can barely make out the white shape of the bloom in his palm. “Next time…I’ll be able…to be the believer you deserve…”

Xianle falls. Not long after, the last temple of The Flower Crowned Prince burns, and its last believer burns along with it.

#tgcf #heaven official's blessing #fic #Hua Cheng #Hong'er (tgcf) #my writing #my fic