Having watched so many modern dramas, I have to admit that the plot of the Legend of Yunxi seemed somewhat refreshing. It's about poisons and how they not only kill people but also can cure them. It's also about powerplay, palace concubines plotting against each other, an insecure tyrant Emperor, and a Prince who wants to do good for his people and in the process finds that there's more to life than just revenge and duty.

Actually, despite the slightly draggy plot and lack of romance scenes (FL and ML really deserved to get more happy moments, but the ones that are there are very cute), I enjoyed watching the drama. The acting was top-notch - from the Emperor to the elder actresses playing Long Feiye's mother and Emperor's mother - those women just took my breath away with their beauty and grace, and the way they portrayed their characters.

☆Zhang Zhehan☆ was amazing as Long Feiye/Prince Qin, but his character is reserved and not very emotional - so you have to look for those tiny little signs of affection. They do build up and eventually, he starts smiling more and shows his love for FL in different ways. His character is just like that and as you watch the show it's explained nicely. He's incredibly handsome in this role and his acting is intricate (and no, that's not his butt they show in the series, it's a stunt double XD)

☆Ju Jingyi is☆ cute and sweet, I actually liked her acting, - her character is kind, sweet, and bubbly, the kind of a breath of fresh air Long Feiye needed to start feeling alive again. As his mother pointed out, he started looking more like a real man feeling actual feelings when Han Yunxi entered their household. By the way, Yunxi and her mother-in-law - their interactions were too good! Loved them both.

So, relationship-wise, I don't have any complaints, although the two of them do tend to sacrifice a lot for each other instead of talking things through, but that's kind of their style. The other couple, Tang Li and Ningjing are the two cutest bickering devils you'll ever see, I loved watching their relationship develop. Chu Xifeng, Long Feiye's general, is the cdrama's ultimate shipper, helping everyone with their relationships, while Dr. Gu was a kind of relationship counselor, it was very funny. So, there are many loveable characters that I really enjoyed getting to know. Oh, and let's not forget the gorgeous evil Emperor - probably the most handsome emperor I've ever seen in all Cdrama Land XD Like, he's that good. And his love story with a concubine also becomes very touching in the end.

The production is quite beautiful with lovely locations and building designs, as well as the looks of the characters. Even in 2024 this drama still looked good. So, I'd say it's a 7/10 for the plot, and 10/10 for acting. Beautiful OSTs by the way.