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The only thing poor little Hong-er understood since he was born was that there was something wrong with him. People reacted to him in various ways. Shock, disgust, anger, fear… The only reprieve was from his mother, who showed him what it meant to be loved every chance she could.
Even so, he knew he didn’t have a happy childhood. His mother couldn’t be with him every minute of the day, and when she tried to protect him, she was scorned as well.
It wasn’t until he was five that he understood exactly what was wrong. He’d heard since forever that it was his red eye that put everyone off, but he couldn’t grasp what made people hate him. Though it was supposed to be a lucky colour, too many people thought it was cursed, with only the exception being his mother.
An incident happened when he finally escaped from the large residence he’d been confined in, dressed in the threadbare robes his father left for him rather than the expensive and soft silks his parents and older brothers wore. Any time his mother tried to give him something better, it was torn away and burned.
Once he got over the wall surrounding his residence and snuck past the guards, he ran another few blocks to make sure he wouldn’t be dragged back in. He caught his breath soon after, and as he straightened and looked around, he was met with the sight of a busy street with stalls as far as the eye could see.
He began to explore, but still stuck to the sides of the large road to keep from being too noticed. Thanks to his clothing, he didn’t look like a rich man’s son; instead, he looked like a beggar child with a tragic past. And, well, it was close enough to the truth.
Everyone on his path that he made eye contact with seemed shocked or cowered away. He wondered what kind of look he had on his face, or if they were just scared of his eye. At that point, he hadn’t figured out what was so bad other than the colour.
Until he stumbled into a stopped horse, startling it enough to throw off its rider. The man fell to the ground and an audible crunch rang over the street right before he started screaming in pain, clutching his arm.
The sound of the shouting spooked the horse, who began to try to run away, but the man’s hair seemed to have caught in the reigns and he was dragged through the road yelling for half a block until that part of his hair finally ripped off.
“It’s that cursed brat’s fault!” a nearby onlooker cried out, pointing towards poor little Hong’er. “Look at his eye! It’s just full of bad luck! That rider would’ve been perfectly fine if they hadn’t crossed paths!”
Hong’er began to tear up while his blood froze with shock and fear. The evil glares surrounding him passed straight through and into his heart, and he began to hide his red eye behind his hand. “It’s… It’s not my fault! It’s not!”
“Get out of here before you curse the rest of us,” another person spat, tossing a stone close enough to him to spook him. “Go back to whatever alley you crawled out of!”
He didn’t need much more convincing. Hong’er ran home with tears fully flowing out of his eyes, and as soon as he got past the surprised guards and through the gate, his father caught him by the wrist and dragged him in close.
“Where the hell have you been, you useless cursed thing?!” the man shouted, his breath reeking of alcohol like it had been more and more frequently. “Who said you could go out? Hm? Answer me!”
“N-No one did,” he stammered, shrinking into himself and trying not to wince as the grip on his wrist turned bruising. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
“You probably messed up the whole city! Not even the most generous of rulers would tolerate such curses from scum like you. You should be exorcised like the little demon you are before you bring further misfortune on our family!”
A firm shout came from behind the boy. “Stop it!”
He turned to see his mother looking furious with tears in her eyes as well.
“Mama!”
“Take your hand off him,” she further yelled at his father. “There’s nothing wrong with my Honghong-er!”
“That’s what the head priest should decide!” the man spat back. “I’m taking him there as planned once he’s returned from his journey. If this trash dies because of it, then he wasn’t worth bringing into this world in the first place!”
Hong-er had taken a lot of verbal and physical blows from his father, but that one particularly hurt. Especially since he could now kind of understand where he was coming from. What if the horse incident really was because of him? What is he was a curse? Maybe a demon, like one of the ones in the bedtime stories his mother read to him, was possessing him. Or maybe he was born as one.
He tried not to cry again when his father finally let go of him as he tossed him aside, further into the courtyard. “Don’t you dare try to leave again. I’d have guards at your door, but I don’t want my money to go to waste if something happens to them from being so close to you.”
His mother rushed in to guide him to his room, whispering and muttering soothing words along the way. “You’re not a curse, my darling. Don’t believe a word he says. He’s just superstitious; one day, you’ll be free from this place and you can find the better life I wish I could give to you now.”
“It’s not your fault, Mama,” he replied with as clear a voice as he could despite his small body still trying to shake from the day’s events. “I’ll take you with me when I grow up.”
She gave a bittersweet smile and patted him on the head. “That’s a nice thought, my Honghong-er. You’re such a sweet and caring boy. Please, hold on to that, and you’ll be able to make it through anything. Don’t let the world’s incorrect and irrational views break you.”
That was a tall demand of a five-year-old who was already filled with quite a bit of darkness. But for her, the one person in the world who loved him, he was willing to nod and smile and promise he’d try his best to be optimistic.
That night, he had nightmares about the day’s events, and about his father’s continuous treatment. He could almost hear his own cries through his dreams even though he was trying to keep it in, and all it did was fill him with more bitterness.
A year later, it was announced the head priest, Mei Nianqing, had come back to Xianle and was returning to the temple on Mount Taicang. Thanks to his father’s wealth and influence, it was rather easy to set up a meeting in just a few months.
Hong-er’s mother made sure he looked his best, dressed up in nice clothes without his father immediately disposing of them for the first time since he could remember. They couldn’t acknowledge a ragged-clothed child was their own, after all. The city knew his father had a third son, but the excuses about not seeing him around was that he was sickly. He supposed in a way, it was true.
He was brought up the mountain on an hours-long carriage ride, and though his stomach was in knots worrying if he was actually a demon and would be exorcised as his father constantly said he would be, he couldn’t help but be wowed by the surrounding sights.
The trees along the mountain were absolutely beautiful. Orange and red leaves filled the branches and fluttered along the path, and green grass grew with the holy dew of the heavily spiritual area, clearly nourished quite well by it.
There were even animals scuttling about that he’d never seen before! They clearly weren’t scared by the humans around. Squirrels, deer, even a couple of bunnies here and there ran about or softly walked up to the other people walking along the road, also heading to the royal temple.
Some people had seeds in their hands and fed them to the animals along the paths, and Hong-er was both curios and jealous at their allowance to do so. He was sure if he even asked, he would be yelled at, or even told that he was an animal himself. It wouldn’t be the first he’d heard it from his father.
It was late afternoon by the time they finally made it to the temple, and his family was quickly welcomed by some of the cultivators that clearly were on the lookout for important guests. There weren’t a lot of specific meetings set up with any of the head priests, so anyone who did manage one had to be either in dire need or had large amounts of money to donate to the temple for merits.
The boy was overwhelmed by the scenery before him. The temple was rather tall, one of the tallest buildings he’d seen other than the one in the middle of the city that was far enough away, the one that no one told him what it was at all. He lost his curiosity about it soon enough, having stared out his window at it enough times that he was desensitized.
But being up close and personal with a building made out of precious stone, marble and jade, and adorned with the finest wood and glass to make it almost sparkle like a gem set on the top of the crown that was Mount Taicang… It was quite the sight to behold.
By the time he finally was able to reel in all his fantastical emotions, they’d been ushered inside.
There in public, his father wasn’t nearly as mean to him. He didn’t look at him at all, but he also didn’t say anything that hurt the poor boy’s feelings. Hong-er knew it was probably a standard thing for nobility to be either nice or distant from their kids rather than beat them, but this was the kindest his father had ever been to him, just from saying nothing.
“Welcome to the temple of Jun Wu,” a man with purple flowing robes and a calm voice greeted them. His hair was a strange shade of black that he couldn’t place. It was almost brown, almost silver. Like any angle of the light could change it.
He was adorned with a piece of jewelry framing his forehead, and had an important air to him that was genuine rather than the fake one Hong-er’s father held.
“Greetings, Mei Nianqing,” the father bowed, his family following. “We would like a reading of our child, and an exorcism if necessary.”
The priest didn’t even look surprised, likely knowing the matter at hand ahead of time. Probably back when the meeting was being arranged. “Yes. Please, follow me.”
They were led into a small chamber with a low table and cushions on the ground. On the table was a small cup for tea, and in only a few moments after sitting down, a cultivator arrived with a teapot and poured it in.
“Child, please drink this,” the priest urged.
After blowing on it a little bit, Hong-er downed the cup in a few sips, leaving the bottom scattered with tea leaves.
The man took the cup from him and swirled it around a bit, making the remaining liquid tip to one side and leave the leaves plastered in a certain pattern. His eyes narrowed and he hummed. Next, he put down the cup and held out his hand.
“Give me your palm,” he demanded gently.
With a small nod from his mother, Hong-er did as told, worry brewing more inside him as the man’s eyebrows furrowed.
“When is his birthday?” he asked the father.
Once he was told, he pulled his hand away from Hong-er’s and began counting something on his fingers, his lips moving quickly as he muttered and calculated. His face fell completely when the end realization dawned on him.
“Your child has quite the strange fortune. His birth was on a day when he would’ve been imbued with either the best or worst of luck, and sadly, he got the worst. Just being around him is bringing misfortune on yourselves.”
“I knew it!” Hong-er’s father roared. “He needs an exorcism, doesn’t he? Or should we just get rid of him?!”
“You can’t get rid of him. He’s our son!” his mother protested, speaking for the first time since entering the room.
Mei Nianqing rubbed his chin as he thought over the situation. “I haven’t finished the fortune, though yes, it’s a difficult situation.”
“Please continue then!” she pleaded.
“Your son has the worst luck and will bring misfortune to those around him. However, there will be an impact on his life that could change his fortune to the best one, though there is no telling if or when that will happen. I’m afraid an exorcism wouldn’t do anything in this situation, and I wouldn’t recommend a family with your status to toss away your son.”
“Well then, what should we do?” the father asked. “We’re stuck with him and misfortune will be brought on us? That isn’t fair! He would be better to the world dead, then.”
Hong-er began to tear up a little as he said that. It was far from the first time he’d heard it from the parent, but the fact it was confirmed by some mystical guy that he was something evil…
He stood and bolted out of the room before his family could see more of his tears. He wouldn’t put it past his father to beat him over it, even in front of someone else powerful. It would probably be fine to that strange man; someone as cursed as him deserved it, right? That’s what he said, right?!
Countless cultivators tried to stop him as he darted through the temple, confusing and alarming visiting people who were offering up prayers to the obnoxious-looking statue in the main hall. He ran outside, intent on figuring out his own future once he could breathe fresh air.
The sun was beginning to set when he made it onto the mountain path and he found a good spot away from it to sit and silently cry, not wanting to be discovered by anyone looking for him. He did hear quite a few people rushing about and calling for him, but ignored them all, hiding further in the spot he found.
Hong-er waited long after the steps stopped to come out back to the path with the determination set that he would just run away, though he did want to say goodbye to his mother first. He at least wanted her to know he didn’t get eaten by wild animals on the mountain.
He ducked back into the bushes when a luxurious carriage passed, for some reason heading to the temple at a strange time of day. Once it was gone, he followed the path back as well, wondering if his parents had left yet without him somehow hearing. The luxurious carriage was the only one he’d heard in a while.
To his relief, he saw his mother alone and praying in front of the statue. The main hall was all but empty now, filled with only a handful of cultivators and his mother, so he felt comfortable to approach.
She was disturbed from her prayers when he put his hand on her arm, and when she registered it was him, she pulled him into a hug as she began to sob. “Honghong-er, please don’t do that again! We’re not going to get rid of you-“
“I’m gonna leave,” he interrupted her. “I don’t want you to be hurt by my curse. I can make it on my own, Mama.”
“No! You can’t! You’re too little to take care of yourself,” she argued, clutching him tighter. “Your father… He’ll come around…”
“No he won’t!”
“Of course I won’t! You’re a wretched, cursed child! It was extreme misfortune that you were even born in the first place,” a loud voice rang out, sending chills down his spine. His father stormed in angrily from a side room and pulled him away from his mother by the scruff of his robes.
“I’m not!” Hong-er protested, wriggling roughly in his grasp. He wouldn’t really get beaten in public, would he? In front of a holy statue? Then again, he knew his father didn’t respect or fear any gods.
“You are! The head priest said so!”
“I’m NOT!” he insisted harder, untying his outer robe and slipping out of the firm hold. He ran as fast as he could, glancing back every so often to see if his father was gaining on him, and didn’t see that he was about to bump into someone.
He fell to the ground with a loud thud, but scrambled up as quickly as he could before his father could swipe out at him again. His eyes widened when he saw the person he crashed into was a boy dressed in even fancier clothing with his hair done up and decorated with pretty gold pieces.
The boy seemed confused and worried, and Hong-er thought it safe enough for him to hide behind this newcomer, no longer confident in outrunning his father with such a delay. He grabbed on to the back of the boy’s fancy clothes and peeked out in fear; would this be the day his father killed him?
To his utter surprise, the man stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide. Hong-er then noticed that everyone else in the temple stood rigidly in shock as well, and the boy in front of him held his arms out defensively against the man.
“What is the meaning of this?” the strange boy asked, his tone confident even when talking to an adult.
“You… You’re His Highness Xie Lian, aren’t you?” Hong-er’s father stammered.
His Highness? Was this a prince?!
“I am,” the boy confirmed. “Now, tell me, why are you chasing this poor little kid? You’re clearly frightening him half to death!”
Hong-er found it strange to be called a little kid by someone who didn’t seem all that much older than him, but to have someone apparently powerful on his side, even temporarily, was a relief. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to stop clutching at his robes.
“Your Highness, that’s my son. He’s extremely cursed, confirmed by the head priest himself. With all respect, you should not let him touch you, or else you might be inflicted with misfortune.”
“You dare tell the crown prince he’ll be struck with misfortune? His Highness has been thoroughly blessed and favoured by the gods themselves!” another young voice spoke up suddenly, making Hong-er whip his head to the side to see another boy he hadn’t even noticed before standing near them.
“Feng Xin, it’s alright,” the prince nodded towards him before setting his focus back on the man. “Even if the head priest said it, it’s not something I believe. And even if it is true, are you going to hurt your own son because of something he can’t help? That’s quite shameful in my books. Parents are supposed to love unconditionally.”
“My… My mom does,” Hong-er spoke quietly with a wavering voice. “But I’m not cursed! I’m not!”
“I believe you,” the prince told him gently, looking back at him with a soft smile that Hong-er had never experienced directed towards him by strangers before.
His hands tightened on the boy’s robes, almost desperate, like he was begging for him to continue believing what he said.
Hong-er’s father looked frustrated and conflicted. “Well, Your Highness, what do you suppose I do? Let my own son lead to my ruin?”
The prince scoffed. “If you can’t be nice and appreciate him, then I will!”
Feng Xin looked over at him warily. “Your Highness, please don’t tell me-“
“I’ll be taking him home with me!”
Hong-er’s heart stopped completely as he tried to process the words ringing in his ears. A prince wanted to take him to his home? For what? Or was he lying about being nice and wanting to beat him, too?
But, taking a look at his father, he determined that going with this boy was probably better than going home.
His mother finally walked over, having stayed kneeling in shock until then, and she shot a desperate look towards the prince before bowing deeply. “Your Highness, I’m grateful, but are you sure you’d want to take my son with you? I’m afraid he doesn’t know much of the world yet and is rather uneducated. He also has his eye condition…”
The prince looked at him again, into both his eyes, and smiled brightly. “They’re really cool! But, what condition? Does he need medicine or something?”
“N-no… It’s just the colouring…”
“Then there is no problem! … I understand it’s probably a shock to uproot him so suddenly, so give me your address and I will arrive tomorrow evening with my mother.”
Both his parents’ jaws dropped at that. A visit from the queen?!
The prince then turned completely to face Hong-er, his robes slipping from his grasp. “Oh, I suppose you might not know me. My name is Xie Lian, and I’m the crown prince! What’s your name?”
“Hong-er…” he answered meekly.
“Hong-er?” the prince tilted his head in confusion. “Full name?”
As it was the only one he knew, his mother stepped up and shakily answered for him. Afterwards, a time was arranged for them to meet, and Hong-er was brought back to where he grew up, with hope mixing with doubt. Would a prince really want him? Was he really about to leave the household he hated? He couldn't be sure if a worse fate awaited him in the palace, but he figured there couldn't be much worse than what he already endured.
The next day had him set up with only a bag of belongings stuffed in by his mother. Most of the items were hers, things to remember her by, but he once again left the house in the same robes as the day before. Only his mother waited with him at the gates. Not even his brothers said goodbye.
Soon, the familiar royal carriage arrived, pulled by strong horses and drawing the eyes of everyone in the street. Hong-er's mother's hold on his hand tightened, but as the young prince and a beautiful woman dressed in pinks and golds stepped out, the grip eased. The woman introduced herself as the queen, and said a few words to the fellow mother, none of which Hong-er caught as he was suddenly pulled away by a giggling Xie Lian.
“A-Hong, you’re going to be my playmate!” the prince told him excitedly, spinning him in the street.
"A-Lian, please," the queen gently scolded, "we're to act properly in public. You can tug the poor boy around later."
Xie Lian stopped and let go of Hong-er to bow in apology. "Yes, Mother..."
Hong-er's things were brought into the carriage and they were soon on their way after a final hug from his mother, who promised to visit in the palace. He knew as he watched the residence vanish into the distance that he wouldn't miss living at that place at all. As long as his mother kept her promise, there would be nothing he would be sad about leaving behind.
Xie Lian distracted him from his thought, bouncing in his seat as the carriage turned onto the main road. “I get awfully bored since Feng Xin is usually training to be my bodyguard and can’t play. I'm so excited!!”
“Um… How old are you?” Hong-er meekly asked, having wondered from the start.
“Oh! I’m nine! How old are you?”
“I’m six…”
Hong-er felt like a baby in comparison, knowing the crown prince was three years older. However, he wasn’t treated like one. He’d actually been treated nicer than ever before, except when he was alone with his mom.
The beautiful woman in the carriage smiled kindly at him, and his heart dropped as he realized he hadn't said anything to her. This was the queen, and he’d forgotten! Had it been rude of him to ignore her up until now? The boy held out his arms and bowed his head. “Thank you very much for letting me come along…”
“It’s no trouble at all! A-Lian seemed quite eager to have you come to the palace. I’m sure once you grow out of playing, you’ll be able to find a position you like there.”
He still wasn’t exactly sure why that was, but there was no predicting the thoughts of royalty. All he’d ever heard was that they were allowed to do things at a whim, and his own father cursed them out every once in a while. Something to do with asking him to do some sort of work.
It was unbelievable that they would care enough to take a kid like him into the palace. A random nobody, scorned by his own family and diagnosed as a cursed by the State Preceptor. A toxin, he’d said! Hong-er was filled with a wave of relief and gratitude that the young crown prince hadn’t believed a word of it.
As promised, they were playmates for a few years. Hong-er got his own little room, some clothes, and lessons on palace etiquette. He was treated in a similar way as the servants, but his job was simply to entertain and accompany Xie Lian. Feng Xin was often there, but only sometimes joined in the many games the prince liked to come up with.
Hong-er was taught swordsmanship as his playmate wanted more opportunities to practice, and they both found it fun, so why not? Though one of the tutors soon speculated he would be better with a saber and taught him how to use one.
Later on, when Xie Lian was considered too old to be playing all day when not receiving lessons, Hong-er took on a more risky job of food taster. Well, to any outsider it would be considered risky, but he knew Xie Lian put him there because he was more picky than worried about poisons, and Hong-er would be able to tell if it was made correctly to his standards.
Another boy the same age as Feng Xin was added to the group to be the prince’s attendant not long after. Mu Qing was mild-mannered but quick to be defensive, which Hong-er didn’t like much, but he could put up with anything for Xie Lian’s sake.
When they moved to the temple so the prince could officially begin cultivating, he inevitably met with Mei Nianqing once again. Clearly, the priest recognized him despite it having been five years since their encounter, but before either of them could say anything, Xie Lian nudged him forward.
“Check his fortune again, Master. You must have been wrong last time; nothing bad’s happened to any of us!” the prince insisted.
With a sigh and an amused half-smile, the priest shook his head. “His fortune has already been read. It didn’t end badly; you must have been the catalyst for good luck, Your Highness. I should have expected as much as someone favoured by the heavens. Congratulations, young man - it looks like your luck has changed for the better.”
Xie Lian laughed and pulled Hong-er in again with an arm hooking around his shoulder. “Did you hear that? Looks like you should stick by me forever, okay?”
There was no need to ask him twice! Hong-er nodded with great enthusiasm as he mirrored the prince’s bright smile. “Okay!”