An entertaining story on how to be the ideal, empowered woman and find romance along the way. . .

In the first half, the enemies to lovers plot is extremely satisfying. Hua Zhi and Gu Yan Xi are both earnest characters trying to do their best and find some happiness despite the emperor and fate standing in their way. There's also a lot of endearing scenes as the women of the Hua family band together and become resilient and independent.

But in the second half the plot grinds to a halt. The emperor is not suited for ruling during peace time, and there is no way he will forgive Hua's family. Of course, Hua Zhi and Gu Yan Xi would never rebel, so they just . . . wait for him to change his mind ??? If you were hoping for political intrigue and machinations, there are none to be found.

The acting overall is so-so (Gu Yan Xi needs a lot of music and effects to be intimidating), but the chemistry between the primary couple and the secondary couple both is excellent. I was cheering both couples on and it's the only reason I kept watching the show. The music is fairly good nothing here to really rewatch.

In the end, there is no complexity of themes or plots, but I appreciated the emphasis on women being independent, and I enjoyed the romantic chemistry.