No spoilers! Since reviews are mostly for people who didn't watch the drama yet :)
First the disclaimer. I am not trying to be a critic. To me whether I enjoy a drama (movie or a tv show) depends on it's ability to catch My interest. I can overlook bad CGI (especially in c-drama), dubbing, costume and some plot gaps. I don't mind clichés and I don't base my opinion on whether I like the characters. What is important: acting - if it's bad, I'll drop it, being able to sympathize or at least understand character motivations (not agree, just understand where they are coming from) and at last some idea of end-goal, as in this is going somewhere: to resolve a mystery, a conflict, find treasure, anything that at least promises some culmination at some point.
So, for all that I'm going to complain later on: I did like this drama. There were some moments that made me facepalm, some plot gaps (mostly due to deleted scenes, I think). But. I watched this, waited for the next episode, never thought of dropping it and very rarely felt the need to fast-forward (not never, I think it's impossible to never want to fast-forward with most c-dramas, some scenes are just dragged out. Yes, I'm talking about you "let's stare dramatically at each other or into distance" type of scenes).

So what did I like? Let's start with positives.
The acting is very good. I honestly don't have much to say about it, other than: it never felt overdone or robotic, I understood everything they were trying to portray.
The overall storyline. No this is not political. Some people compare this to the JOL and just no, if that's what you're looking for The Wolf is not it. They are not the same, other than being costume and somewhat historical. To me this drama was about people (how they grow or don't for that matter) and their relationship (not the romantic ones, if I had to, I'd say this is more about family: the one we have and the one we choose). I did not get invested into the main couple (explain later in the negative), but that does not mean I thought their story was unrealistic or outdated. Every relationship is different. Somewhat toxic, self-destructive ones are real too. They are just not pleasant to look at.
To me what was important is that all the characters were in place, they all had their roles and weren't just used as a plot device. I did not feel indifferent when something happened to them and they all had just enough backstory for me to understand them, but not so much that it distracted from the main plot. That is another good point: this drama is pretty concise. While there were some scenes that, IMO, could be shorter, most of the flashbacks and dialogs were interesting and to the point.
I did see characters grow and change. No one was one-dimensional (even if sometimes inconsistent).
Chu Kui is not a "villain" you sympathize with, but he is also not just flat boring "bad guy". I could see what he's feeling, how he consciously makes choices that alienate people around him, how he deteriorates more and more.
Ma Zhai Xing is an interesting one. In the begging it's very frustrating, because it seems like she's stuck in one place and is not willing to grow. But she does grow and change, it just takes a long time. And maybe that's more realistic? Because people don't just change overnight, sometimes it's difficult to accept reality and take responsibility.
I don't want to list all the characters. They are all pretty good and in place. I do have a favorite though, and it's Ji Chong. No it is not because of the actor. I just think that this character has a very charming personality. He is, sometimes, childish and stubborn, but also smart and free spirited, kind of a bright spot in this drama along with Bao Na (who we unfortunately don't see as much of). He accepts good and bad things that happen to him, learns and moves on. A rarely sensible character.

Ok, to the bad parts then.
The script. OMG. To me this is the weakest point. It's problems were made even worse by censoring and deleting some scenes, but even without cuts it's... weak. The characters are very inconsistent at times: MZX goes from smart and astute to simpering idiot in a blink of an eye. And Bo Wang's actions (to me at last) sometimes defy logic. Some situations and explanations are just... the only reaction I got was: "WTF is going on??". Sometimes it's due to cuts: the last few episodes are, honestly, a mess. But some things just can not be attributed to deleted scenes. The two main characters go back and forth so much in the beginning, it frustrating to watch (goes to much into the soap opera territory for my liking).
Which also brings me to my next point. I did not feel a drop of empathy for the ML and FL. There is no Relationship, only a mess of misunderstandings and ridiculous sacrifices. The whole "Romeo and Juliet" vibe is annoying. This is not love, it's infatuation, that would not survive past the honeymoon phase under regular circumstances. Therefore all of their romantic scenes, to me, were kinda "meh". Nor did I feel sad when they argued with each other.

This drama left a good impression. I would not rewatch it, but I did enjoy the experience.