Don't compare this to the first Nirvana in Fire. I made that mistake the first episode I watched, then dropped the series. It's not as faced paced and scheming as the first one starts off as, and because of that I stopped watching it. That was my mistake. This is a completely different story with almost no relation to the first one. This story starts off where Jing Yan's son is King and his adopted son Ting Sheng is the General of the powerful Chang Lin Army (army created by Jing Yan at the end of the first season). The imperial court is different, the characters are different, and thus the plot is different. The only remnants from the previous story are a few characters that are now old, and some name drops here and there. So throughout the story, I was trying to connect some of the names mentioned to the first one for my own personal enjoyment, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. You can watch this series on its own without having to watch the first one, and they do have some flashbacks to the first one when it's applicable to the story, so you won't get lost. It's just nice to have seen the first one, and then see the slight connections to it.

The relationships in this drama is what gets me. The father (Ting Sheng) who is a powerful general that loyally serves the King, his brother. The King who does not doubt his brother's power. The eldest son (Ping Zhang) who takes on his responsibilities head on to ease the burden of his father and allow his younger brother to live the life he wants. His wife (Meng Qian Xue) who loves him and his family. The younger son (Ping Jing) who is carefree and a little mischievous, and the crown prince (Yuan Shi) who loves his uncle's family just as the King does. Just watching this family brings tears to my eyes.

Family, nature vs. nurture, choices, loyalty, brotherhood, camaraderie, right vs. wrong, revenge, power, love, life and death, happiness and sadness, schemes, betrayal; this drama has it all whether it be obvious or subtle. I want to say this drama is slow, but it is a buildup of all the characters. What they go through, the choices they make, and how they get to where they are. I dislike slow dramas, but this was put together really well. I really enjoyed this drama, and I've watched it a few times now.