Sunlight is one of the conditions necessary for human survival.

If people don't see sunlight for a long time, it will not only harm their physical health, but also affect their mental health.

Influenced by that nursery rhyme, the fear of never seeing the sun put even greater psychological pressure on ordinary people.

They gathered outside government offices, government offices, and even the imperial palace, praying that the emperor would marry the crown prince a male wife with a "pure yang" birth chart, breaking the curse of heaven on Dayuan and allowing them to see the light of day again.

Ye Jinghe looked at the rioting crowd and wished he could kill them all. But reason told him that if he took action, he would only implicate his brother.

If he finds out who is spreading such absurd rumors behind the scenes, he will definitely tear that person to pieces!

Not only the common people in the capital, but also the court officials, submitted memorials one after another, and even during the morning court session, in front of the emperor, they requested that the emperor choose a male wife for the crown prince.

"What do you think of this rumor?" On the twentieth day after the court session, the emperor summoned Ye Jingchen to Chengqian Palace and asked him this question.

"Father, this rumor is not credible! It's been raining a lot lately, so it's normal not to see the sun. How could it be related to me?" Ye Jingchen said innocently.

"Do you think I don't know this is just nonsense? What's the use if you don't believe it? The key issue is that the people firmly believe it! If the rainy weather continues, the Great Abyss will surely descend into chaos!" the emperor said irritably.

Ye Jingchen's face gradually darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Father, do you mean for me to marry a male wife? Although I find it absurd, I am willing to sacrifice myself for the stability of the Great Yuan Kingdom. Anyway, I am impotent, so even if I marry the Crown Princess, it will be just for show, it will make no difference!"

The emperor felt a mix of emotions upon hearing these words, and became even angrier.

"I'm asking if you have a solution? You're usually full of clever ideas, so why are you giving up so quickly this time?"

"Unless the sun comes out tomorrow, what can I do? No matter how capable I am, I can't change the weather!" Ye Jingchen said helplessly.

On the twenty-first day of darkness, after the court session, many important officials, led by Wang Xiang, gathered in the Chongzheng Hall to advise the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the people are pleading for our lives; we cannot ignore their will!" said the Prime Minister, taking the lead.

The emperor thought to himself, "If it weren't for the people's petition, I would have made sure you came in upright and left horizontally!"

"It's just choosing a male wife for His Highness the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince can still take women into the Eastern Palace, and it won't affect the continuation of his lineage!" This was said by Cao Jin, the Minister of Revenue.

But Cao Jin's words were particularly hurtful to the emperor, because no matter whether he married a male wife or not, there was no hope of having a crown prince. So the emperor looked down at Cao Jin coldly and made a mental note of him.

"Although there is no precedent for a crown prince marrying a male wife, if the crown prince's marriage can truly bring the sun back to Dayuan, then all the people of Dayuan will be grateful for the sacrifices His Highness has made for them. This matter will become a beautiful story for all time, and His Highness will be remembered in history!" This was what the Imperial Censor said, with great enthusiasm.

"This opportunity to be remembered in history is yours, do you want it?" the emperor asked with a cold smile.

If marrying a male wife were effective, the common people at the time might indeed be grateful to the crown prince, but later generations would not think so. They would only think that the emperor and the crown prince were foolish and ignorant, actually believing such nonsense!

"If marrying a male wife could bring Da Yuan back to the light of day, I would absolutely not refuse! However, the prophecy requires the most honorable person in Da Yuan, and I, being of humble status, am afraid I cannot relieve Your Majesty's worries!"

"Does it have to be His Highness the Crown Prince? Can't a prince do it? A prince is also of noble birth!" the Minister of Works suggested.

“How can a prince compare to His Highness the Crown Prince in terms of noble status? If the test proves useless, wouldn’t it cause public resentment?” the Minister of Rites hurriedly said.

"What is Lord Yan's opinion on this matter?" Seeing that Yan Xu had been silent since his arrival, Prime Minister Wang took the initiative to ask.

They have come here today to offer their advice, risking offending the emperor. We absolutely cannot let Yan Xu remain uninvolved.

“Since this concerns His Highness the Crown Prince, why not let him make the decision himself?” Yan Xu said with a stern face.

"What if His Highness the Crown Prince is unwilling?" the Minister of Justice asked.

"His Highness is kind-hearted and would certainly not want the people to continue to live in fear!" Cao Jin said confidently.

The emperor added another mark to his record in his mind.

He remembered that Cao Jin was also a son-in-law of the Wang family. After the Crown Prince's coming-of-age ceremony, he was asked to deal with Cao Jin first so that the position of Minister of Revenue could be vacated.

The emperor ordered someone to summon the crown prince.

Ye Jingchen arrived quickly.

“This matter is closely related to His Highness the Crown Prince, and we would like to hear His Highness’s thoughts,” said the Prime Minister in a kind and amiable manner.

"According to Prime Minister Wang's idea, do I actually have other choices? If I don't want to, Prime Minister Wang has so many grandchildren, can they marry a male wife in my place?" Ye Jingchen asked in surprise.

The Prime Minister's amiable expression almost crumbled. "My grandsons are naturally willing to sacrifice for Your Highness, but they are of lowly status and powerless to do so!"

"So, you called me here not to ask me what to choose, but to make me accept the only choice, right?" Ye Jingchen scanned the crowd and asked coldly.

No one answered.

“I can marry a man whose birth chart is purely Yang, but you gentlemen are all learned and knowledgeable, and you should know very well that the prophecy is just nonsense. You might as well think about it carefully: what if the sun still doesn’t rise after I marry a man?” This resounding question made everyone’s faces turn ugly.

Although the Crown Prince marrying a male wife could appease the people who were losing their tempers in the short term, what would happen to Dae-yeon if, as the Crown Prince said, the sun still did not rise after he married a male wife?

Furthermore—

Ye Jingchen continued, "If I want to marry the Crown Princess, I will naturally marry someone of equal social standing and age. I can't just marry any Tom, Dick, or Harry. I wonder if any of you gentlemen have children or grandchildren of similar age to me with pure Yang in their birth charts? Perhaps I could be fortunate enough to become in-laws with any of you here?" Ye Jingchen asked with a smile.

After he said that, the expressions on the faces of several people became quite interesting, but after a moment, their expressions returned to normal.

A birth chart with all Yang elements is rare, and it also requires a person with a pure Yang body. How easy is it to find someone who meets these requirements?

The next day at court, the emperor issued an order to search the entire Da Yuan for young men with a pure Yang destiny according to the Eight Characters, with priority given to unmarried men from noble families.

Upon receiving this order, the crowds of people who had gathered outside the palace, government offices, and yamen dispersed with cheers.

However, some were happy while others were sad. For example, in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, apart from Xu Jingjing who had guessed what was going on, no one else could be happy.

Xie Chang'an fits every description perfectly: a birth chart with pure Yang energy, unmarried, and of similar age to the Crown Prince.