Dang, like dang. First of all, this is a guide to what NOT to do in relationship (including simultaneously wooing a girl and plotting her entire family's demise [then try to get away with it and carry on a happy lovely relationship after?!]) Main guy is a total psycho (like textbook definition: someone who doesn't care about anyone else's feelings until it affects them).

On the other hand, I could not help be moved by this drama. Maybe because it's such an interesting portrayal of what I imagine rulers have to go through (highly dramatized of course), caught between duty and personal feelings. Their personal is public, and every behavior could have wide-scale political impact. See the harem, where a king may have to be cordial to a disliked concubine because of her family affiliation, or mean to another he favors (as happened in this drama) because it could shield her from scrutiny. In other words, I think all rulers have a bit of psychopathic tendency.

Besides this, I enjoyed the leads' chemistry, having performed a similar kind of amnesia on myself and temporarily putting aside what he did - in the vacuum, this drama has some of my favorite sweet moments (the unexpected kiss among fireflies topping the list).

Whereas I have dropped many a drama before for focusing too much on tangled, heavy court politics storylines, I was able to stomach it here because the male lead’s manipulation of everything and everyone, even himself, was so fascinating. Most of this praise goes to the actor - Chen Xingxu was brilliant at balancing the varying shades of the prince's mercurial personality without coming off disjointed; he is at once guileless, benevolent and exuberant, and Machiavellian, sinister and brooding. I heard actors before him rejected this role because they were afraid such a complicated character would ruin their public image, so props to him for aspiring to more and carrying out such a great performance. I remember one behind-the-scenes for the last part where he couldn't stop crying long after the cameras stopped because he was so immersed in the role.

I must also mention Peng Xiaoran, who was not the first choice for the role and apparently felt a lot of pressure as a newcomer. She was in her late 20s at the time of filming playing a 15 year old and while visually unbelievable, she really pulled off the role of a sweet, naïve girl with her heart on her sleeve (without coming off cloying or fake), as well as her gradual transformation to a more world-wearied figure later. It's so funny seeing the behind-the-scenes where they are completely different persons (she is older, more mature and commanding, and he is frail, soft and a bit nerdy).

I know people had issues with the ending, or wished for a happier version, but it was such a natural outcome and so obvious to her personality (not the act itself but that she would make the choice in order to be free) that I was caught between misery and triumph. I was with her in that moment and thought it was perfect.