What are the differences between the show and the novel?

 Cicada:

Thanks for the answer, but i was searching to find it in chinese language not english, i just started to learn chinese and also im writing some scripts where i count the frequency of characters and total unique characters from novels and if i can find the novel in chinese in just one file it would be great

Have you considered buying the novel?  I'm not sure where you live, but Amazon has the original Chinese edition in paperback, available in the USA.  Other bookstores might have it too, and possibly available for download in an electronic format. 

dramafannn : thank you so much for the comprehensive summary / synopsis of the novel.

i was thinking of rereading the novel, before start of S2, but woah, i totally surpressed, that it was like 800 chapters or something. 

no wayl, i get that done by thursday next week. 

i like both versions of fan xian , the novel one is ultimately a pragmatist and survivor. and he knows he is not a good person. sure enough, if its not hurting his own agenda, he tries to be a more or less decent person, but at the end, his interest is above anybody else. 

if along the way, he has to kill, torture, lie, deceit other people, so be it.

i dont think , on tv, c.-drama is ready to have the Male character to be such a person. maybe hmm in 20 or 30 years. 

of course, the drama ML is much, much more likeable, he is also cunning, also using lies and deceit, also kills, but he never goes that far as the novel character.