This is the true story of the mother of China's First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. How close this story to the real events happened more than 2,000 years ago is anybody's guess. However, many of the main characters in the story were actual people during that time. Since this is a true story, the "real romance" parts are limited. So if you are a romance buff, you may likely be disappointed.

This drama depicted the arduous journey Hao Lan had gone to survive the various palace politics, scheming, back stabbing, both in the Zhao palace (where she was from) and Qin palace (where she was married to). She helped her son become the King of Qin, who ultimately became the First Emperor of China, unifying the various kingdoms.
The cinematography of this drama is epic, the acting is excellent, and the story is exciting. One can tell that the director and his crew put in a lot of effort into making this drama. Every detail was taken care of. Everything was done close to perfection.

I love the color palette of the scenes, especially the costumes, the interior designs and decors, and the gardens. I find myself binge watching a lot. However, having said that, I find the palace politics overwhelming, and at times, I could get pretty exhausted.

This is a serious, no nonsense drama. It can get quite dry for some people who are not into history. For me, I love history and I am especially intrigued by Chinese history.