This drama might not be for everyone (as a slow burn, "read between the lines" romance with a BE), but I absolutely loved it.
I loved the novel but the drama didn't disappoint my expectations either.

First of all, the cinematography is beautiful. It's very movie-esque, rather than a typical cdrama which seems too real? I think the colour grading and lenses/shots they used played a big part here. The quality of the set, props, and costumes are also evident through watching.
The acting is great and I fell in love with Allen + Bai Lu despite not having seen any of their previous dramas. I also liked seeing some familiar faces in the side characters.
The soundtrack is perfectly fitting and speaking of a movie feel, I loved that they were able to use instrumental / orchestral music too to set the mood.
Finally, as someone who doesn't particularly enjoy drawn out court politics / war (even if they're done well), I liked that this drama focused more on the romance. Although we only got hugs at most, the refined/poised nature of the romance was in line with the character's motivations and overall nature of the drama. However, I did think one aspect that could've been improved for the storytelling was the setup of some side characters. For example, I don't think this drama introduced the emperor's concubines well. They were only introduced as needed and it felt jarring to see them suddenly introduced.

Super minor note: I also would've liked to see more guqin playing from Shiyi although we did get a few scenes of it.