A Thousand Lanterns Steal the Dawn's Splendor

Wen Weixia's father had served as a county magistrate for twenty years. Hoping to secure a promotion, he married her off as a second wife to Du Quru, the empress's nephew.

On their wedding night, Wen Weixia sat motionless until dawn, becoming the laughingstock of the Du household.

After the wedding, she devoted herself to the Du family, but none of it was valued. Du Quru mocked her, and her parents-in-law were thoroughly disappointed in her.

Unwelcome by her husband's family and unsupported by her own, she struggled to find her footing in the Du household.

In her darkest moments, only Tan Xunwu came to her like a light cutting through the darkness, showing her care and protecting her in ways both subtle and overt.

Later, her father was convicted and dismissed from office. With Tan Xunwu's support, Wen Weixia presented a divorce agreement and decided to live once according to her own wishes.

**

Du Quru loved his deceased wife deeply, but his family had forced him to marry a second wife.

What kind of decent woman could come from a family that fawned on the powerful? She wasn't even worth a single strand of his late wife's hair.

Wen Weixia had no right to occupy his wife's place and enjoy everything that should have belonged to the woman he loved.

He hated her, yet couldn't help paying attention to her. At some point, she began to affect his heart.

By the time he realized his feelings were so complicated, his sworn younger brother, who had always obeyed his every word, had already gotten between them and stolen her heart.

Du Quru clenched the divorce agreement, furious.

Divorce? Not a chance!

She was his wife, and she would be until death.

**

When Tan Xunwu went to the Wen family to ask for her hand, one glimpse of her in the covered walkway sent ripples through his heart.

Sadly, he was not the groom.

That single glance made desire surge within him.

He no longer wanted to hide his talents and keep a low profile just to bring glory to the Du family, as his father had, nor was he willing to die for the sake of protecting its members.

He would not be Du Quru's shadow. He wanted to be Wen Weixia's light.

He used tenderness and consideration as a wedge, prying apart a marriage that already had cracks in it.

At first, Tan Xunwu only wanted to make the two of them split up.

Later, he wanted Du Quru dead.

[Quotation: “Brilliant lanterns steal the moon's splendor” -- Song dynasty, Liu Kezhuang, “Sheng Zha Zi: A New Year's Eve Joke for Chen Jingsou”

Meaning: The brilliant lanterns outshine the moon.]

Theme: Live for yourself and strive for a better tomorrow