Unfortunately, the times of the Tang dynasty and not only show the often bloody political influence of eunuchs over the centuries.
It is the 9th century and the court is ruled by the mighty eunuch Qiu Zi Liang (the prototype is the figure of another eunuch, Qiu Shiliang), who after the historic incident in Ganlu (the Sweet Dew incident, December 14, 835). ) takes a cruel revenge on officials and their families who, together with Emperor Wenzong, planned to eliminate him from the political game and deprive him of influence. Qiu Zi Liang murders families and factions favorable to the Emperor, with the apparent help of the young, ambitious heir to the throne, Qi Yan. But what we see does not quite turn out to be true. The game of appearances begins. Whose intrigue will be more effective, who will outsmart the enemy, who will actually win, we don't really know until the last episode. The young emperor, eunuch, uncle or Prince Guang (the prototype of Emperor Xuanzong II).
The bloody, cruel times of the struggle for power are well reflected in the plot of the film. From the somewhat caricatured character of Qiu Zi Liang, the arrogant, confident and cunning eunuch, to the personal protector of Emperor Cheng Ruo Yu, her sister seeking revenge for the family tragedy, various secondary generals, to Prince Guang, so impenetrable and mysterious, to a tormented but quite clever emperor. And here my applause for the good use of the historical background to show the characters of the drama and the development of the romance against the background of political games.
I liked the main characters of the drama, Qi Yan played by Cheng Yi, more than in Love and Redemption. This time, although he was stabbed quite a few times, he did not spit out hectoliters of blood as in Love and Redemption. As for the acting, I have no objections and I think that he coped brilliantly in both dramas.
As for the figure of the ever faithful, loyal guardian of Cheng Ruo Yu, I have only reservations about the credibility of being a great adept of martial arts. Being so frighteningly thin and without muscles, she just wouldn't have raised her sword. But I understand that actors are picked up on lines and various phrases require featherweight from them.
Mickey He's acting was great too, though caricatured. It is an attempt to give a certain personality to the character played. Controversial, annoying, disgusting, cruel.
Impenetrable, cold and then warm and caring Qiu Yan Zhi, applause for Xuan Lu.
In general, acting is a plus, although the characters of the drama themselves did not really convince me, as did I have small reservations about the logic of the plot.
Music made me nervous sometimes and sometimes it made me laugh. As in the drama Once and Only, the music was perfectly selected and worked together to add value to the drama, here I felt the singer was singing desperately when there should be silence. The soundtrack itself, however, is ok.
I don't know if I will be able to watch this drama again in the near future, because at times I felt torment, though not as intense as the young emperor.