Chapter 516: Chapter 516 : (Extra) Jiang Muchen’s Love Story (1)
It was duly noted that Jiang Rufeng was the one palace master who did not take marriages and procreation seriously.
He got married at a relatively older age compared to the other palace masters. But once he got married, he had to marry the former Heavenly Emperor’s first prince no less.
When Xie Jianshen refused to consummate the marriage and give birth to Jiang Rufeng’s heir, many people said that Jiang Rufeng was an utterly foolish alpha.
But look at him now. He had soared far beyond the confines of a palace master. Now, as Imperial Consort, he stood beside the Heavenly Emperor, his gaze sweeping across the vast dominion he helped to rule.
This gave rise to a very famous proverb in the Heavenly Realm -- "A wise fisherman exerts all effort he has to catch that one big fish."
Naturally, when Jiang Muchen also chose to dawdle in the matter of picking a wife, most heavenly creatures assumed that he took after his father.
But when Jiang Muchen hit the age of thirty years old and he was still unmarried, his mother started to get worried.
"Isn’t Muchen thirty years old this year?" so Xie Jianshen asked his husband when they were relaxing in a garden one afternoon.
Jiang Rufeng was completely surprised when Xie Jianshen abruptly brought up the topic without warning.
"Yes," he confirmed nonetheless.
"I see," Xie Jianshen muttered.
Silence followed, during with Xie Jianshen stared off into the distance and Jiang Rufeng stared at the former’s exquisite side profile.
"Has he ever talked about someone he likes, preferably an omega?" Xie Jianshen asked again.
"Yes," Jiang Rufeng confirmed again.
Xie Jianshen turned to look at his husband and demanded, "Who was it?"
"Your younger brother, Crown Prince Xie Jianyu," Jiang Rufeng freely answered.
"... Other than him," Xie Jianshen started to scowl at Jiang Rufeng, whose face already morphed into a roguish grin.
"Other than him, no one."
The Heavenly Emperor heaved a lengthy sigh, one as heavy as the realm itself.
"Shouldn’t you talk to him about this matter? He is not getting any younger."
"Why, Jianshen, I am rather touched," Jiang Rufeng mentioned. "I never thought that the day would come when you start thinking about the continuation of the Jiang family’s lineage."
Xie Jianshen gave his husband a weary look.
"I merely do not want the Shuiran Palace Master position to fall upon an ambitious family. The greedy lions might attempt to steal the Dragon Throne from Little Yu or Junjie one day."
Jiang Rufeng was not sure whether to laugh or cry. Nevertheless, he set out to Shuiran Palace to have a good, heart-to-heart talk with his son, the Shuiran Palace Master.
Luckily, the person he was looking for was available. He was in the middle of practicing his archery skills in the palace’s backyard.
"Muchen, you are thirty years old this year," the Imperial Consort pointed out. "Shouldn’t you start thinking about marriage? It is about time you have your own children, too. Look at Zhang Fengxi, he already has three."
The moment Jiang Rufeng uttered Zhang Fengxi’s name, his son’s arrow veered sharply, burying itself in a wooden fence far off target.
Face darkening from displeasure, Jiang Muchen turned to look at his father.
"Don’t compare me to that bloody tiger, Father," he said. "I am not a lecher."
"..."
The news of Xie Jianyu’s pregnancy sent a wave of unease through the Heavenly Realm. It felt far too soon. The Crown Prince’s tragic passing, just a day after birthing the twin princes, remained a fresh wound.
Besides, the Crown Prince had just returned to the Heavenly Realm after a series of heartbreaking ordeal. The timing couldn’t have been worse. As a result, when Xie Jianyu’s pregnancy was announced, a chilling association with another potential loss settled heavily upon everyone’s minds, particularly Jiang Muchen’s.
Naturally, unlike his mother, Jiang Muchen did not march into Fuxi Palace with a jar of abortifacient and demanded Xie Jianyu to terminate his pregnancy. Instead, he marched into Golden Dragon Palace and submitted a petition for immediate divorce proceedings between Xie Jianyu and Zhang Fengxi.
Xie Jianshen might have agreed if Xie Jianyu was not pregnant, but in the end, he chose to reject Jiang Muchen’s request.
The result was a legendary clash between the Shuiran Palace Master and the Supreme General. It wasn’t just a duel of blows, but a tempestuous whirlwind of curses and insults.
Witnesses compared the scene not to a glorious warrior’s fight, but to the desperate, screeching brawl of two palace concubines in a lowbrow opera.
Jiang Rufeng sighed.
"That aside," he tried again, "your mother and I think that it would be best if you start searching for an omega of your own."
"No," came the immediate answer.
Jiang Rufeng arched a brow at his son.
"No?"
"No," Jiang Muchen confirmed with a light shake of his head.
"What do you mean, no?" Jiang Rufeng just had to clarify. "Who is going to succeed the Shuiran Palace Master position after you?"
"Actually," Jiang Muchen began, his tone surprisingly casual, "I have been considering adopting a couple of my nephews as heirs. They could carry on the lineage after I am gone." The nonchalant way he spoke implied this wasn’t a sudden thought, but a plan he had already mulled over for quite some time.
Jiang Rufeng stared at his son for a while before he slowly said, "Right. Yes, that is one possible solution to this situation, but why? Why don’t you want to get married and sire heirs of your own?"
In response, Jiang Muchen took another arrow from his quiver and shot at the target board. This time, his arrow landed perfectly in the middle. He then turned to look at his father with a solemn face and spoke in an equally solemn voice.
"I don’t understand the question, Father," he said. "Mother and I agreed a long time ago that I do not need to marry anyone if I cannot marry Little Uncle."