~~~~ Contains very light spoilers, so read at your own risk ~~~~

Another great Chinese drama of 2024 for the books. I contemplated giving it a nine, but there were some parts that I found slow or I found myself more on my phone than actually paying attention. Despite this, I was emotionally invested in the characters and never thought that they hung up on one conflict for too long. Towards the end, I was afraid there was too much to resolve in a short amount of time, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it wrapped up. However, I didn't particularly like the slightly ambiguous ending with the couple.

Pros:
~ Chemistry: The slow-burn romance between the main characters was so fun and interesting to watch. Although it may have been a bit too slow in some aspects. But the main focus of the show was not really the romance, but the mystery and the revenge. I strongly disagree with those who said there was no chemistry, I felt it right from the start and it even got better later on. The physical tension between them hit all the right notes.

~ The hidden identity: The plotline involving the female lead's hidden identity was particularly my favorite part of the story. I do think the resolution for this part was a bit lackluster considering it was the main point of the show. I was expecting a bigger reaction then she got, such as getting in trouble by the king for lying to him or her family getting angry with her. But I was always on the edge of my seat whenever her identity was about to be revealed and when she interacted with her ex-husband.

~ Fight scenes. I was impressed by how well the fight sequences were done. It looked real especially during the war and final episodes. The only minor flaw was the blood, which sometimes dyed the characters' skin and clothing pink, but the blood splattering effects were super cool.

~ Music. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Chenle in the ending song but the opening was pretty to listen too also. No surprise because Chinese OST’s are almost always amazing.

~ Angst. I enjoy angst, and this drama was heavy on it. It was portrayed well, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea. At times, it was a bit too dramatic and extra. The drama could pass as a soap-opera, especially in the beginning. Another problem was that Jiang Li was killed off so soon she barely interacted with the FL. Her reaction to Jiang Li's death and how much she cried for her in the future was not very realistic.


Cons:
~ Missed chances. When it came to the romance, there were times when I felt the writers missed out on some cute interactions or tropes. Sometimes I thought something would happen between them and then I would be disappointed that it didn't happen. It might be because of Duke Su's personality, as he's more of an observer than a doer, but still, there were so many opportunities for them to interact in a more physical sense rather than just staring at each other for hours.

~ The trauma dumping. I found it annoying how often the female lead cried and repeatedly shared her story of betrayal. Despite being highly intelligent, there were moments when she seemed helpless and whiney. Her personality seemed to change at moments like that. An example would be when Duke Su shared his story about how his dad might have been killed unjustly, and instead of cheering him up or something, she tried to one up his trauma by ranting about hers… At least it felt like that to me.

~ Fillers. Fillers are destined to be in a drama with such lengths, but I lost interest during her trip to her family and the mother with her shenanigans. Also on that note what’s with everyone going crazy whenever something happens to them? Three different people went off the rails… Anyway, The first and last 10 episodes definitely improved my overall rating, I was so excited for the drama after watching the first episode.


I recommend this drama for those who enjoy angst and a very slow-burn romance. The cast and acting were outstanding. The plot had its flaws but it was enjoyable for the most part.