I had no idea what to expect; I only hoped that this was NOT yanxi palace redux. While there is nothing outstanding about this drama, I think they did a good job of following through with the storylines in a rational and sensible manner. Characters acted according to themselves and not as plot devices. There were no random plot twists just to up the drama shock factor. The editing was weird in spots where I assume they snipped stuff for censorship or time constraints. No one overacted and most actors did their job credibly. No anxiety inducing melodrama or over-dramatics to induce emotions. Even the humor was understated and appropriate to the sedate tone. And I didn't mind the sedate, gentle tone at all. I loved it after watching so many insane palace dramas. Why do I care if it's realistic or not? It's a drama! I found it refreshing for my soul.

The leads were outshone by the Empress (Zhanji's mom) and Yin Ziping. They were very good. They delivered their roles of feminist icon and working class hero very well. These themes were very obvious but not obnoxiously conveyed. The women in this drama were very very good. The villains either got their comeuppance or found their humanity to repent, and they did it without hysterics. All of the characters got an ending and it was a good mix of happy and not.

It's not a five star drama (nowhere near that good) but I enjoyed it and rewatched it. I liked it even better the second time around. When I need a break from the insanity of cdrama plots, I will come back to it.