The show’s FL should be easily recognisable by drama fans. A mix of Cinderella, Belle and a dash of classical Chinese beauty. She is certainly long suffering but has the brain and intestinal fortitude to try to make a better life for herself.

Her journey is long and arduous, but she is helped along the way by some good friends but most importantly, the love of her life. The writer managed to tell her struggles and the love line well. It can get angsty but never soul destroying. Sometimes the side plots can get a bit convoluted, but it is a costume drama based on power struggle at the highest level, you can’t expect anything less. Most of the threads are untangled in the end but some will leave you feeling a little deflated.

There is humour, action and intrigue from the start. To say the show starts strongly is an understatement. The pace does slow as it progresses. Often, there is a mini cliffhanger at the end of an episode, so you’d want to find out what happens next.

The production quality is high. The set are lush and well-integrated. Costumes are of high quality and suits the characters and their style.

For the show to be good, the performance from our cast is key. Our leads are right for their roles. The FL is pretty but also intelligent and quick witted. Her life in a patriarchal society is not easy. Time and again, she hits the glass ceiling and must counter adverse public opinion. On the other hand, the ML radiates gravitas and martial prowess, but he is a sweet and gentle lover once he falls for the FL.

The OTP’s chemistry is good. Their interaction is not sizzling but still swoon worthy. There is a decent amount of skinship, but I can’t help but think they did what the script asked of them and did it with dedication but lacks real passion when it really counts.

Our leads are ably supported by the large ensemble cast. The senior members certainly pulled their weight. Especially those in antagonist roles. The younger set are fine, but there are inconsistencies.

Plot wise, this is old school. Power struggle is standard trope. Playing the long game is the only game in town. This means some of the roles are fairly one note. Subplots are mostly rehash of tropes.

How I wish the show is uniformly good from start to finish. From my perspective, the show peaked around the 2/3 mark. That is when the long game starts to bear fruit. Don’t get me wrong, it still has its moments later on, but it doesn’t reach the same height. That is largely because we know who the real puppet master is by then. If you are familiar with this type of dramas, you will recognise many of the subsequent plots. The last few episodes are filled with expositions so that every schemes and countermeasures are explained, often more than once. Is that necessary when we just watched the scenes played out not that long ago? It pads out the runtime, but it also saps the momentum. The last episode is total fan service which I appreciate. Everything is in place for the HEA ending.

Overall, it is a well made and entertaining drama. I can recommend it and I have no problem rewatching a highlight reel. OST is pleasant if a bit repetitive, especially the love ballads which tends to be on high rotation towards the end.