Xingqiu's Brother

Your room was a mess, so I cleaned it up. Listen, both you and I are responsible for the reputation of Feiyun Commerce Guild. We have to act the part. If you can't clean up a room, how will you clean up the world? An adeptus once said...

—Xingqiu's brother to Xingqiu, Xingqiu's Character Story 2

Xingqiu's brother is the current heir to the Feiyun Commerce Guild. Compared to Xingqiu, who is gregarious and chatty only in the presence of family and friends, he is said to be less restrained. He is completely devoted to the guild's success, and he has high hopes for Xingqiu.

Xingqiu describes him as a simpleton,^[3] while Yelan seems to think that he and his father are outsmarting the people around them.^[4] He is the one who usually takes care of business with Gaming and the Sword and Strongbox Secure Transport Agency when they commission them for moving and protecting goods in transit.^[5] He has hosted Zhongli as a guest alongside the Guild Manager in the past, treating him with a level of respect that led Xingqiu to suspect he was a high-profile figure.^[6] Ganyu seems to work closely with the Feiyun Commerce Guild^[7], while Yelan is said to have frequent dealings with Xingqiu's father and brother.^[4] Xingqiu also reveals that his family often collaborates with Ningguang, withholding his negative opinion on her practices so as to not cause trouble for his father and brother.^[8]

Profile

Story

According to Lan Yan, Xingqiu's brother lives alongside his younger brother and father within a large house in Liyue Harbor.^[9] His exact duties in the Feiyun Commerce Guild are not specified, but he often joins caravans to Fontaine and engages in business meetings with important figures alongside the Guild Manager.

Xingqiu likes to eat his snacks in the study to avoid getting scolded by his brother and father,^[10] who both enforce a bland diet at home.^[11] In his Serenitea Pot Companion Dialogue, Xingqiu says that these two are always ready to give him an earful about him running off to fight injustice and practice martial arts. In Xingqiu's birthday letters Just the Two of Us! and To Whomsoever Finds This Letter, he urges his recipient to meet up with him, having snuck out quietly in order to avoid his father and brother's notice.

Despite how seriously Xingqiu's brother seems to take his responsibilities and role in the Guild, Xingqiu thinks that he would end up having to do most of his job for him when he inherits the family business.^[3] Similarly, Xingqiu's elder brother firmly believed that Xingqiu would become a great asset to the business some day while he himself was being taught by their father.^[12] Xingqiu's brother does not seem opposed to his stand for chivalry and his passion for writing, although Xingqiu often has to sneak out to enjoy these hobbies unfettered by his responsibilities.^[13]

In Xingqiu's Character Story 2, Xingqiu's brother cleaned his room while he was gone and found martial arts books under the bed. Once he came across Xingqiu in the hallway later that day, he lectured him for half an hour about cleanliness. Afterwards, he tells Xingqiu that he won't enter his room without permission anymore, and that he'll tell the maids to do the same. He had seemingly mistaken the books under Xingqiu's bed for another type, and he leaves despondently while muttering to himself, thinking that he shouldn't be scolding his younger brother all the time, and that puberty might be to blame.

In Fleeting Colors in Flight, Xingqiu reveals that his family members take turns escorting supplies to Qingce Village every Lantern Rite.

During the Springtime Charms Event, Xingqiu's brother was in the Harbor along with Xingqiu. While Xingqiu sought Baizhu to see if he could help cure their great-grandfather's sickness, his brother sent An Su to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to begin funeral arrangements in advance. After discussing the proceedings with Hu Tao, An Su airs his suspicions about Lan Yan to the Ferrylady, telling her that he'd seen her giving his Master a peculiar-looking rattan figure while out shopping the other day, and that he'd found that same rattan figure under His Lordship's bed later that day. In truth, Xingqiu's brother had merely placed the rattan figure he received from Lan Yan under his ailing great-grandfather's bed to bring good luck. Later, Gaming informs the Traveler that Xingqiu and his brother had already started their trip to the family home together to check if any repairs were needed. After everything is resolved, Xingqiu claims that his father and brother will personally thank everyone who participated in helping the Feiyun Commerce Guild's founder. In an additional dialogue, Xingqiu tells the Traveler that his great-grandfather scolded him for his bad handwriting once he recovered, and that his brother came to distract him so that Xingqiu could get away.

Xingqiu discloses restricted information about ancient artifacts that had been unearthed in The Chasm during the first act of A Lanternlit Ode to the Silver Moon, which he heard from his brother. When Traveler discusses this with Keqing, she remarks that Xingqiu is well-informed.

In Xingqiu's Bamboo Rain outfit description, he dirties his usual outfit while bringing a cat through a chimney and changes into a Fontaine-style costume in order to avoid questioning from his brother. Despite his brother's doubts, Xingqiu manages to convince him that he hadn't snuck out like he had the last year. Xingqiu's brother is relieved to think that his little brother might have matured a bit that year, although he notices a faint smell of ash in the air.

With Xingqiu's character anecdotes in the Travelers' Tales: Anthology Chapter event, a misunderstanding between Xingqiu and his brother is resolved. In Xingqiu: Calligraphic Swordsmanship I, Xingqiu tells us that he's training both his calligraphy and swordsmanship with a book titled "Chronicle of Cleansing Ink" that he was gifted by his brother. Xingqiu describes his brother as a giving and generous soul who is extremely reticent to part with his books, which he loves as much as his own life. He says that his brother really treasured the book, and jokes that he had thought he was being disowned for his terrible penmanship when he received it, as he mistook the book for a farewell gift. According to Xingqiu, they were both weeping and wailing while clutching the book and refusing to let go during the hand-off. The Traveler suggests that this was because his brother was reluctant to leave the book in his hands and that Xingqiu just didn't want to practice.

In the next encounter, Xingqiu: Calligraphic Swordsmanship II, The Traveler asks Xingqiu if his brother reclaimed his book, which he denied, saying that he'd instead sighed, shook his head, and made gestures with his feet and hands. Xingqiu believes that it was his father's idea to force his brother to give him the book, so that he could practice his calligraphy and prepare for his future role in managing their family affairs.

During Xingqiu: No Other Choice, Traveler suggests that Xingqiu use a typewriter for his manuscripts, and Xingqiu questions why his brother, who often escorts their caravans to Fontaine, had never mentioned the device to him despite knowing about his passion for writing and how poor his calligraphy is.

A few misunderstandings are resolved in Xingqiu: Words of Gold after he confronts his brother. He tells the Traveler that his brother had brought a typewriter back a while ago, but that he hadn't given it to Xingqiu in hopes that he would continue practicing his penmanship. Already aware of Xingqiu's predicament, his brother then arranged for him to use the typewriter before Xingqiu could even ask. He also admits that he had parted with "Chronicle of Cleansing Ink" instead of giving him the device straight away only because he saw value in Xingqiu's unusual handwriting, wanting him to keep practicing it and make a profit. Xingqiu then says that if his brother had started lecturing him about business, he'd have run off to Chongyun's place for ten days or two weeks. Traveler comments that he seems like a reasonable fellow, and Xingqiu agrees, claiming that his brother never talks business with him, letting him live his own life. Xingqiu later praises his family members' calligraphy skills, revealing that a letter from his brother can bring a person to their house just to thank him, or that a mere congratulatory note from him would be carefully preserved by the receiver. Xingqiu also mentions that he occasionally goes out on courtesy calls with his brother.

Trivia

• Xingqiu wrote his novel A Legend of Sword based off his own experiences. Princess Gopatha's older brother, Emperor Sher, might have been inspired by Xingqiu's brother.
• In Xingqiu's Bamboo Rain outfit description, his brother refers to him as a "little lad" and his "kid brother," which could imply a significant age difference.

Change History

References