Serenade of Peaceful Joy is an odd title for a drama that deals primarily with an emperor and the reforms he attempts during the Song dynasty. I like the emperor when he is governing but hate him when he’s dealing with his personal life, including the way he treats his empress and concubines. He’s not mean to them but he unintentionally hurts them because he’s basically clueless. It’s especially crushing to see the empress change from a cheerful, smart, opinionated girl trained in martial arts and swordfighting to a repressed, uptight, and infinitely sad woman. Not much joy there. Not very peaceful either. It should have been called Elegy of Endless Melancholy.