I have always had a skeptical approach on period dramas. Chinese period drama was a new genre for me, So I had prepared myself for the worst. having watched some clips on YT before-hand to get myself interested in it, I started the series with an open-mind. And I suggest you do the same.
The story line over-all is a good mix or action, romance and politics. The main characters have a charm to them and have played their roles beautifully. I have not read the novel, so I cannot say what was missing from that point of view but I would have loved to see the main characters first interaction as Bai Fengxi and Hei Fengxi.
I liked how the plot evolved.
The bond of the two martial arts masters was so beautifully portrayed that I felt almost every emotion with them. The push and pull , and the support system they had, and all their flirtatious acts was very fascinating to watch. Even with all the romance going on, the plot stayed to revolve around the Imperial token and achieving the power to rule the world. The cheesiness absolutely took the second place for the plot. The show was filled with ups and downs ranging from comedy to seriousness. The director did a good job to not make it feel out of the place but at their perfect place.
The production did not looked staged and was so smooth that made me question by bias towards period drama, specially of dramas with martial arts. The set all over the series were beautifully picked and gave off a majestic but calm feeling. The wardrobe always seemed to match the mood of the scenes nicely. I would find myself sometimes being mesmerized in someone's robe or the hairdo.
Over-all the series was a good watch, the actors did not disappoint neither did the plot nor the direction. I did not see the ending coming, I was hoping for a married life with kids in the end ,even if Lanxi died , Xiyun raising the kids on her own like the boss lady she is and ruling the world. Well we can't always get what we want, it was satisfying. I laughed a lot, Cried a lot and enjoyed a whole lot.