The hall was silent. Guo Changsheng, who came in with a cup of tea, looked up and glanced at Emperor Mingzheng's expression. He placed the teacup, stepped aside without making a sound, and glanced at Yu Qizhe standing next to him. This young top scholar, a close minister of the emperor, now had the favor of the Xue family. This was truly a fortune that ordinary people could not even ask for.

But having a head full of flowers, which contrasts with the youthful appearance, is not necessarily a good thing.

Emperor Mingzheng's expression did not change much, except for a ravine between his eyebrows. He picked up the teacup, and the blue and white bone porcelain cup lid made a subtle crisp sound. He sipped the tea and said after a while, "My beloved concubine is as discerning as I am. You actually want to marry Changle to Zhanxing?"

"Since Imperial Concubine Rong said so, what do you think?" Emperor Mingzheng looked at Yu Qizhe, "You must have heard of the reputation of Princess Changle. Have you ever seen Changle? If you are interested, I can help you with a favor at the palace banquet in a few days."

Xue Rong felt relieved when she saw that Emperor Mingzheng had no intention of stopping her. How could Yu Qizhe refuse such a great opportunity to marry Changle? She smiled and looked at Yu Qizhe and said, "Yu Shidu, Shang'er is well-read. If we marry, it will be like leaving flowers and green curtains, and red sleeves and fragrance. It is rare in the world to have such a perfect thing."

Yu Qizhe clenched his fingers in his sleeves, lowered his eyes, and replied slowly, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I have an old illness and have had deficiencies since my mother's womb... Marriage is a major event in a woman's life, and Zhan Xing is unable to provide for my wife's well-being."

This was said cryptically, but everyone in the palace could hear it clearly. The old illness that Yu Qizhe mentioned was clearly a "hidden" illness, and this hidden illness would hinder him from getting married and having children.

Everyone in the hall had different expressions at the moment. The look that Emperor Mingzheng looked at Yu Qizhe was filled with almost undisguised regret and sympathy. Yu Qizhe was born with such a good-looking face, but at such a young age he had never had the chance to experience the joy of sexual intercourse between men and women. As a man himself, he truly sympathized with Yu Qizhe.

Xue Rong was shocked and suspicious at the same time. She looked at Yu Qizhe. He was tall, handsome, and not at all feminine. He looked like a man of great talent, so how could he have a hidden illness?

Thinking of Shang'er's shy look when she mentioned Yu Qizhe, Xue Rong couldn't help but ask tentatively, "I wonder what old illness Yu Shidu suffers from? Maybe it's because the rural area is incompetent. The imperial doctors in the palace are still quite capable. Even the weak diseases brought from the mother can be cured."

Yu Qizhe raised his eyes and looked directly at Xue Rong, his eyes were filled with anger and he said coldly, "Thank you, Your Majesty. My old illness has no cure."

Xue Rong was startled by his dark and cold eyes. She was about to speak again, but as soon as her lips moved, she was scolded by Emperor Mingzheng, "Enough, Zhan Xing has his own difficulties, why do you still force him to marry Changle? It's not like your sister can't get married. I think she has too high standards!"

He seemed to understand Yu Qizhe's embarrassing situation as a man with a hidden illness, no different from a eunuch, but forced to reveal his shortcomings. After all, Emperor Mingzheng had so many beauties in the harem that his body had long been drained and in great damage. Even with the prescriptions and pills from the Imperial Hospital, he sometimes felt powerless in bed.

Looking at Yu Qizhe's cold expression at this moment, Emperor Mingzheng felt that it was normal for a man to lose face, and he understood it quite well, so he shouted at Xue Rong.

Xue Rong looked at Yu Qizhe and felt angry and embarrassed. For a moment, she actually believed what Yu Qizhe said.

Being able to marry a woman from Changle is a blessing that many men would wish for. Yu Qizhe is a young top scholar who has just passed the imperial examination. There is really no need for him to make up such an excuse that is damaging to a man's reputation. If it gets out, I don't know how many people will point fingers at him and make fun of him behind his back.