I was very neutral going into this drama because I had no background on this drama. I had tried Legend of Yun Xi so the only thing familiar with me were the leads and not the writer herself. I wish I knew that because my expectations would have been lower as Yun Xi wasn't a drama that worked for me at all.

STORY:
This drama started well, but I still felt the draw into its world wasn't enough. The script wasn't the best neither was the editing, but this drama had a charm that kept me keep going. There are some interesting aspects to it and some very boring and frustrating ones. I feel like I needed more closure or wanted to watch more of certain aspects which weren't fully covered. The drama's weak and strong point are the politics, mystery and the romance. It's like the drama did things very well only to make it a bore after a few episodes and only to become interesting again. It was like someone switching on and off my interest in the plot. There are still some underused plotlines and some got set up well only to waste the potential. I'll spare it some criticism due to its editing given the Censorship rules but I don't think it would have made too great of a difference.

ROMANCE & CHARACTERS:
I was intrigued by the romance and tried my best to enjoy the slow burn. The main couple are sweet and have good chemistry, but the plot made their romance seem forced. Honestly it could have not been there and it would have made no difference. The OTP's romance were never central to the plot at all. The skinship and kisses were lacking for both couples. The secondary couple had some excellent potential but it fell flat by the end too as there wasn't much story left there either. The problem was the writing and mediocre characterization. Fu Rong was cute with a potential to grow only to become flat and unimpressive. She became an unrecognizable version of herself after ep 18ish and was inconsistent as heck. Duke An was alright and loved Fu Rong but the script didn't leave much for him to do. There was practically no growth in his character. Prince An made for lovely eye candy and a decent 'evil guy'. Wu Bai Qi was more layered than other characters and I loved his dedication and loyalty for Fu Xuan. Fu Xuan gets saved thanks to her interactions with Wu Bai Qi so I'll spare her the criticism.

ACTING:
This drama is similar to The Legends in one aspect. It gets saved thanks to its cast. They all suited the roles they got and gave it their best. I am oddly impressed by Ju Jing Yi and Zhang Zhe Han because they aren't good actors but somehow their acting skills were sufficient for this drama. Kiki Xu had a decent attempt as well and I'm impressed at her. It was my first time seeing Wu Bai Qi and Prince An actors but I really loved them. They definitely have better potential and emoted better than the others.

REWATCH VALUE:
No way. It's one-time watch at best with challenges.

OVERALL:
In the end there are no memorable moments but I enjoyed its run. It never had me obsessed but intrigued enough to keep going. The writing towards the end was a cop out and the ending made little sense. I am likely to forget some side characters but the charm of the actors and their interactions is what I will remember of this drama.