No silly, giggling females - hooray! No stone-faced male fending off unwanted advances then falling for the silliness. The relationship between the lead couple was refreshingly mature, even though there was supposed to be a big age difference between them, I really didn't notice it. The development of their romance was so satisfying, and I totally agree with another review I read, that the banter was entertaining, witty, and even a little suggestive in parts. Loved it! This actress is not one of my favorites, but she did a good job in this drama.

I liked the camaraderie of the Lord and his two aides Zhimo and Zhi Jian. I wish that Juli had been a little more romantic with Zhimo, however. She was just short of being the silly character I find annoying in these dramas, but she was quite endearing. The first dowager empress was just evil, and I couldn't wait for her to get her comeuppance. The members of the court were, as in all these dramas, ignorant as hell! Princess Roujia - the character I hated the most was superbly played by Wang Li Kun. She really was perfect for this part. My heart broke for Shen Jing Hong - he gave everything for love and got precious little in return. I loved the young emperor and wished he could have ended up a little happier and not quite so alone. The cast really did a great job even with the little side groups.

But the heart of the whole drama for me - Liu Yan. I absolutely love Feng Shao Feng. This sexy, mature, regal, confident character is perfect for him. He plays right into the heart of this lead role. I loved every scene with him and Jing Tian (Mu Zhuohua) - he was so tender and loving and expressive. I love this actor and could watch him all day long! Let me correct myself - I loved every scene with HIM! *wink*

Now, the thing that almost spoiled this series for me. The makeup was dreadful - it made the actors look pasty and washed out. The extra thick and dark eyebrows stood out glaringly because the faces were so shockingly white. The make up on the women looked garish. And the lighting was terrible also. With such a beautiful OST, such great performances by the actors, and a reasonably interesting and compelling story, those two elements really spoiled the aesthetics.

40 episodes was a little much - but it didn't drag too badly, and I didn't use fast-forward near as much as I thought I would. I probably wouldn't rewatch because of the length, but if I did (to get some FSF eye candy) I would probably fast forward through the unnecessary parts just to see him.