Is this drama part of IQiyi's "Sweet On" 2023 lineup i.e. it's predominantly a love story? Not surprised, kinda…
It's explained in the drama. XW took the name of a rich and prominent clan which is the Xie. He's also smart and cultured and is proficient at all the gentlemanly arts. Most importantly for the emperor, he is not part of any clique or powerful faction so the emperor trusts him to a certain degree.
"Story of Kunning Palace" is currently one of the best offerings in Chinese TV.However, I'd like to delve into…
It's not a plot weakness. The Emperor has blood ties to the Xue Clan, he said it himself that's why he tolerates his uncle's illegal acts behind his back. His mother, the Empress Dowager has been scheming all this time to maintain her family's grip on power including wanting to marry her niece off to one of the princes. Historically speaking, many emperors have gotten rid of their generals by framing them with false charges to have the army completely in their grip once the foreign enemies were defeated. It may be self-defeating but paranoia among the rulers is a well-known trait.
Loved Ning's confrontation with the empress dowager. I was worried I wouldn't see another FL like Hua Qian from Scent of Time but so far JXN doesn't disappoint.