Boy oh boy did I enjoy this drama. It pulled at my heartstrings, I cried, I laughed, and cried some more. The acting was superb, the cinematography as well. In the first 12 episodes I taught the political aspect, palace and characters were not well defined or impressive, however in the second half everyone played their role so well. In a sense this drama reminds me of Goodbye my Princess, not for the storyline but because of the emotions I felt while watching the last 8 episodes. Although it is clear that it is a sad ending, I would still recommend this drama to everyone. It is worth a watch. And The OST one of the best in a historical drama... Allen Ren and Bai Lu really killed it, I felt every emotion, every angst through their eyes.