Embrace the Gleaming Light Chapter Completed Discussion

I'm surprised this hasn't gotten a high rating with so many chapters out! It is an AMAZING story that ties together a strong intelligent FL alongside a calm and determined ML. The story has a great romance together with politics in ancient times. It is a complicated story with a lot of mysteries to unravel and as the story unfolds, only then the mu*der story will be solved.

Storyline:

FL is from a reputable noble family who was forced to marry a low ranking soldier (he's a Vice Commander, a good rank but too low for someone with FL's status). She was unhappy in the beginning but did resolve to live happily with the ML. Unfortunately, due to various circumstances, they divorced but the ML still protected FL in his own way. FL is eventually poisoned to her death and when she was dying she seemed to have heard someone say something that made her suspect ML poisoned her. As she wakes up in the past again to when she first marries ML, FL is still calm and does not rush to blame the ML. She analyzes the situation and takes it step by step. Her plan for this rebirth is not to take revenge... she just wants to save her loved ones who had a terrible outcome in the first life. FL also wants to know if its really ML who mu*ders her.

So the story follows FL who makes changes in her life and tries to find out the truth. FL is more calm and confident this lifetime. She isn't timid anymore and has more knowledge on how to take care of a household. She is not overly overpowered and just takes action step by step. Even the clues to her mu*der took several years before she finally got an answer. She does analyze that it could not be ML who mu*ders her but somebody else.

The reason why it took her several years to figure out who killed her is because there were multiple antagonists and factors that contributed to her downfall. It is also tied together with the ML as he has people who also hate him for rising up the rank too quickly. FL and ML both have enemies and their enemies team up to cause such catastrophe in their lives.

ML is also fighting his way up the ranks and aims to become Emperor to unite the nation and save the people. Due to that he has numerous people trying to kill them and he has to be smart to win the battles he encounters. I really enjoy this throne ascension battle. It isn't just among the Prince or vassal kings - the Generals on the battlefield are also fighting their way to the top. It is an intricate battle that took years to win. That makes it interesting to read! Never a dull moment in this novel.

Antagonists:

The antagonists in this novel are smart. They're not just cannon fodder villains, they're villains who successfully killed the FL and ML in the first lifetime. Their ends is also not overly gorey or cruel. It is due to their own manipulations that they caused their own deaths.

Spoiler

No death with r*pe or excessive torture. Bad guy attempts to poison others, dies by own poison. Bad guy tries to escape but is stabbed by his confidante instead. Bad guy tries to lie his way out, but the truth prevails. They caused their own downfall.

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Romance:

FL and ML started out as strangers who married due to a political reason. But their romance progression is so nice to read. FL had some doubts about the ML when she was reborn but she analyzes the situation well, and as she trusts the ML again, the romance soars too. This relationship worked because their personalities are well-matched.

FL is very calm and intelligent. She is someone who is really kind, and will help others but once someone steps on her bottomline, FL will be firm in her decisions and strike back. She is not vengeful. All the antagonists who go after all meet their end because of their own folly. She never actively seeks revenge. FL is protective of her family and friends and she fights back when needed.

ML on the other hand is a mighty soldier who rises up the ranks rapidly from a Vice Commander to a General. He started from the lowest rank after his father passed away and made his way up with his own merits. He is not the typical cold ML and is quite naughty towards the FL. He communicates with the FL and listens to her advice whenever FL tells him things to watch out for. They work together to solve the mysteries. He respects the FL and dotes on her at the same time.

Their marriage in the first life was a mess due to many factors. They also didn't communicate well then but in the second chance, FL and ML trusts each other more.

There is some angst in the beginning when FL doubts the ML but as she gathers more clues and spends more time communicating with the ML, her fears and doubts gradually go away and her love deepens for the ML.

In the end, they have 3 kids. ML becomes Emperor and only has the FL in his life. No harem.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD:

Reason why FL dies in the first life:

Spoiler

ML is not the killer.

FL was depressed in the first life because she was gradually poisoned by a rare herb that causes depression, insomnia, nightmares and infertility. She was actually poisoned by Old Lady Gu, ML's grandmother who hates the ML and FL. Even after FL divorces the ML, ML is poisoned by Old Lady Gu and his own brother Huo Chengzhang. As ML lay dying, FL's cousin Cui Yunqi teams up with Huo Chengzhang to mu*der the FL too. ML was ready to make the FL Empress Dowager to help govern the country when he dies to counterbalance HCZ but HCZ refuses and kills them both.

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Why did that person hate the ML and FL?

Spoiler

Old Lady Gu is an opportunist. She hates the ML because gasp! He's adopted! Yeah I kinda figured that it had to be the reason because this old woman seriously hates them so much. This old lady wants ML to rise up the ranks to bring their family up and then wants him to die so that the legitimate Huo heir can then claim all the glory. This mindset of hers has been passed to Huo Chengzhang who was pampered by her. Huo Chengzhang is also massively jealous of ML and thinks that if ML has kids, he could not legitimately take the throne so he decides to poison ML. He takes no chances and kills the FL using ML's soldier which is why FL thought ML was the one who wanted her to die.

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Other antagonists:

Spoiler

There's so many other people who tries to kill FL and ML too! Like an evil cult with spies everywhere, other jealous generals, traitors... Which is why the plot is actually very intricate! For example, the evil cult hates ML because ML's father was the one who caused their end and killed many of them. So this evil cult wants to cause chaos and they purposedly make poisonous lamps and sells them. ML's grandmother coincidentally encounters them and buys the lamp that cause ML and FL's depression and weakness. Evil cult spy also gets entangled with FL's cousin and is manipulated to find ways to get other people to kill FL and ML. The villains don't rush to kill them directly, its always through other people or ways that makes it very complicated. So everything is finally revealed at the end.

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Cons:

Some side characters are not mentioned after some time. Like FL's maternal cousin Yin something who married the Murong clan.

Spoiler

After the Murong clan met their end, I don't think there was any mention of that cousin anymore. I wanted to know how she coped after the death of her two kids.

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Anyway I probably will reread when translations are complete to see if I've missed anything!

Please read this epic novel! Translation got minor errors but its pretty good! MTL is also super readable and easy to understand.