The laws and regulations of the Tang dynasty did little to safeguard women's rights, and married women were often vulnerable and powerless. In a marriage of that period, the decision about whom women should marry was in the hands of their elders, and those who became concubines were seen as personal belongings that could be discarded or gifted to others. "Extramarital relations" and "killing of one's husband after being found of adultery" were pervasively depicted in the novels of Tang dynasty. While the writers of that era showed a certain degree of empathy and sympathy toward the women who longed for affection, the ending of female characters were constrained by the societal values and legislation of that period which stemmed from Confucian values.