Late Evening at the Vermilion Tower

In the Yong'an Dynasty, the Ningguo Duke's residence is a sea of red-lacquered halls, where banquets and flower-viewing parties are held day after day, a vision of aristocratic splendor. Yet beneath the profusion of flowers, the estate's accounts are already deep in the red, storms are brewing at court, and between every household and courtyard, even casual conversation is full of weighing and choosing.

Shen Qingci becomes the second wife of Lu Jingheng, the eldest son. After marrying into the duke's household, she proceeds with utmost caution. She manages the household affairs with meticulous care, and she and her husband treat each other with courtesy. They are wary of one another, yet also each other's most dependable allies. The old madam struggles to uphold the family's standing, and each young lady in the household has her own fate. No one in the family is purely good or evil; everyone is trapped by the shackles of aristocratic society.

There is no sudden, thunderous collapse, only a long, gradual decline. Ten years of struggles, the fates of three generations, and a magnificent dream slowly fading into wakefulness. The lights in the red halls may shine again, but every candle must eventually burn out.

Theme: A portrayal of the rot beneath the splendor of a feudal aristocratic clan, and the helplessness and difficult choices of those trapped within its hierarchy. Love, family ties, and self-interest intertwine, while the decline that follows a peak of prosperity is an inescapable fate.