Synopsis of A Lamp Before the Buddha, Yet I Cannot See You
In the third year of Yong'an, a blood-soaked wedding tears away the masks worn by Prince An, Xiao Jing'an, and Meng Qingzhao. The legitimate daughter of a fallen scholarly family, Meng Qingzhao uses a Golden Silkworm Gu to fake her death and escape, seeking justice for her wrongfully killed younger sister. She flees a marriage to Xiao Jing'an that began with manipulation and ended in scheming. Xiao Jing'an had deliberately approached the Meng sisters for the legendary secret archives from a former dynasty said to be hidden by the Meng family. But his actions indirectly caused the innocent Meng Qingyuan to drown. Marrying Meng Qingzhao was merely his second move in taking control of the Meng family.
After faking her death, Meng Qingzhao hides at Wu Wang Temple on the outskirts of the city, hoping to sever her ties to the past beside the flickering oil lamps and ancient Buddha. But only after she “dies” does Xiao Jing'an realize that he has long since fallen deeply in love with her. When he discovers that Meng Qingyuan's death was an accident, and that the supposed secret archives were only a rumor born of his own ambition, he is consumed by regret. He even ruins his own reputation, pretending to be mad as he keeps watch day and night at the foot of the mountain below Wu Wang Temple, just for a chance to see her.
When they reunite, Meng Qingzhao offers Xiao Jing'an a chance to atone, on the condition that he sign a “slave contract.” The once lofty Prince An becomes her meek, obedient “servant,” learning under her cold gaze to tend the flowers and cook soups, and enduring the hardships she once suffered. As the days pass, Meng Qingzhao watches his clumsy but sincere efforts, and the ice in her heart gradually begins to thaw. But her sister's tragic death and the torment she endured make it hard for her to let go.
Meanwhile, undercurrents stir in the imperial court. Xiao Jing'an's former political enemies seize the chance to attack, and the Meng family is drawn into the whirlpool of power. Forced to face the crisis together, the two come to understand the feelings they have kept hidden through one brush with life and death after another.
