There's a lot of things about the drama that I really enjoyed but I think it ended with some loose bits of plot still hanging around. The story was solid but honestly you could completely separate the first half from the second and it would make no difference to the ending. This was the first Chinese drama I've been able to complete and I'm proud of myself for finishing 53 episodes. I can't really tell if what kept me going was the determination to finish the drama or the drama itself.

*Potential spoilers from here on out*

I loved Song Weilong in this, and I've seen many people complaining about his lack of expressions but considering the closed off, character he plays, I think it's quite fitting. Also, I never once believed Rong Zhi would be killed because he's just too smart to let himself be killed, this guy pulled more fake deaths or moments of weaknesses that I really never felt any anxiety because I knew he'd come out of it relatively unscathed.

When it came to the female lead, I didn't understand her actions toward the end of the drama but I guess that's down to writing rather than Guan Xiaotong herself. I will say that the show had an amazing ability to make me feel sympathy for certain characters such as Liu Ziye or even Prince Kang meanwhile, other characters I completely detested throughout the show such as the Imperial Astrologer.

I feel as though the show did a better job with the side romances (Gu Huan and Huo Xuan, Prince Kang and Huo Xuan's lookalike) than with the main romance cus the side were way easier to follow and didn't feel convoluted just for the sake of plot.

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