So, I stumbled upon this drama and since I hadn't heard much about it, I was not expecting it to be better than the typical period Chinese drama. Boy, was I wrong! I had been so used to watching dramas in which there is little to no character development, but this drama has perfect character development. So much so, that within the first 6 episodes, I had to take it easy (I wanted to hurry up and get to the first conflict), but then I relaxed, and by episode 6 I started to really enjoy every episode. This was the first drama that I couldn't figure out who the male lead was right off the bat, and I loved the pleasant surprise when I finally figured it out. I had been rooting for him!

I am on episode 41, so I hadn't yet finished the drama at the time that I am writing this review. I admire the relationship between the female and male lead because it's so different than other romantic period/historical c & k dramas. Both the female and male lead had hardships and setbacks for most of their life (before marriage), and through those hardships they overcame societal pressures. In most dramas, one of the leads is usually rich & perfect, while the other is usually poor/middle class & has a major character flaw. Although, this is just a drama, the characters are so relatable; I love the way the male lead handled stress and pressure (specifically between episodes 20-41),and the beautiful smile he has (wow)! I love the fact that in his marriage, he didn't care about following the rules of his artostricatic family, nor did he expect his wife to do so. This is so crazy but it kind of gave me a realistic hope for the future in my personal life. I am about to get a little personal, but I think it will make this review so much better. I realized this year that I had been following what I thought I was supposed to do, and like, because it's what everyone does. For example, would I celebrate valentine's day with my future husband because it's meaningful to me? or would I do it because it's what couples do? The point that I am making is like the male and female lead in episodes 39-41 had decided to live in their marriage freely while respecting one another, I will do the same! The only con is the concubine's cry and baby-like behavior between episodes 6-34. I admit, I forwarded over a scene or two because I got tired of hearing her whining lol. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by this drama. There's only one other drama that I've watched that I'd give a rating of a 10 to, and it's Mr. Queen!

UPDATE:
WOW! The two leads were married to one another in real life. Also, she is the lead in Princess Agents, another Chinese drama that I enjoyed.