Third Sun

Chapter 4

It was what could be called a good marriage.

The favorable opinion stemmed from the grandeur of the wedding itself and from the smattering tales of Chifeng-zun's trials at the hands of the Chief Cultivator during the process of courting the Third Young Master Wen. By the time Consort Nie graced the common folk of his appearance, his notable presence a vibrant addition next to his husband's imposing figure, the public agreed that the pair made for a handsome couple: Sect Leader Nie with his formidable mien and Nie-fujun with the radiance of his smiles.

It was plain to see in their first trip to the market together that as much as Chifeng-zun was a taciturn man and not the type to publicly show his affections, he would gladly indulge his husband. It showed even when Sect Leader Nie was by himself and his retinue on their way back to the Unclean Realm from a conference or a night hunt and would unfailingly bring home a fan as a gift, always considerate of the quality and design Consort Nie would like.

Nie-fujun was remarkably appreciative of the gesture, it was said, and time and time again would personally wait for his husband's safe return at the gates of their home.

The consensus was that it was a fruitful union, with most attributing it to the auspicious weather during the day of the wedding, aside from the fact that it was a love match as opposed to what marriage usually was between two people from noble families.

There were, of course, naysayers who raised their eyebrows while saying something about the passion of youths that burned bright at the start until it would eventually die down into a spark of what it once was. It usually came from the jaded, from the old wives and old husbands who had experienced the same phenomena of starting out brimming with love and devotion until the decades hollowed both out.

Give it half a year, they said, give it half a year and once pressured enough, Chifeng-zun would one day come home with a new wife, a woman who would bear him healthy sons and daughters that would grace the huge empty halls of his home. Consort Nie might be his primary spouse, but he could never continue the bloodline for him, and wasn't that a shame when a child or two between them who carried both the blood of a Wen and a Nie would fully cement a lasting union between the two sects?

A year passed, and no woman was brought to the Unclean Realm, nor did Chifeng-zun show any sign of his gaze straying from his husband. There were talks of children, naturally, though it was more in line with the subject of child adoption rather than conception.

Mentions of Chifeng-zun's name these days were often accompanied with wistful sighs and admiration for his unwavering loyalty. For being a brave and honest man whose early life had been beset with tragedies, he was claimed to be rewarded by the Heavens with great love and happiness.

❋ ❋ ❋

Huaisang watched distantly, unable to contain his grimace at the familiar scene below.

It was like being at the front seat as two carriages were about to crash in front of him. Huaisang downed his wine, glancing briefly at da-ge. "I'm telling you now that it won't be pretty. I was there last time, you know, and heck if Jin Zixuan didn't dig his own pit there."

And it was about to happen again, Huaisang belatedly realized. Not that he particularly cared—Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli would highly likely end up married either way, though without the Sunshot Campaign and its aftermath to bring them together, it was unlikely to be a happy union and more about giving in to their mothers' wishes and expectations of them.

Huaisang initially believed it was fate that their original engagement would be broken, that Jin Zixuan would realize one way or another what he had taken for granted, and that he would eventually set on the path to win her back as a man who deserved her affections. The engagement had been indeed broken again by Wei Wuxian, though the difference this time was that he hadn't been expelled from Cloud Recesses for it, which Huaisang supposed could be attributed to Wen Ning's presence during that incident.