The Phoenix Clan has always been less fruitful due to low fertility.
Moreover, purebred phoenixes typically lay only one egg at a time, and those are prone to early death.
Take Fire Phoenix's second brother for example, although he has three children, they were not born to his main wife but to his two Bird Clan concubines.
To encourage reproduction, purebred phoenixes are generally allowed to have multiple spouses. Couples like Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix, who are monogamous, are rare in Jiunie Mountain.
Back then, it was because Ice Phoenix succeeded in giving birth to several little phoenixes at once that the Old Clan Leader agreed to Fire Phoenix's request not to take concubines.
"Moreover, the Phoenix Clan has a rule: the strongest male and female of the same generation in the clan must marry, for this maximizes the chance of producing powerful offspring. Rui dared to propose marrying you because of this law."
