There are certainly elements of a good story here regardless of the obvious anachronisms indicated by the show's title. However, at the end of the day, this was clearly a story in search of a script, director or editor. Or all of the above. The first half was decent and flowed much better. The second half however was weakened by noticeable pacing issues caused by large chunks of exposition via dialogue and unexplained occurrences or allusions to offscreen events. While I don't fault the show for not doing anything particularly clever or groundbreaking, I will come down hard on the lack of consistency in the storytelling. There was never any real doubts that I was watching a romantic comedy and there were laughs to be had all throughout especially from the interactions between the leads. It was also clear that the palace intrigue, such as it was, played second fiddle to the romance. Make no mistake, this is a fairytale and I saw it as such all the way through but it's flaws hold it back from being a much better show than it could have been.

However, the editing choices of this drama undeniably caused this viewer whiplash from time to time. It's hard to say whose problem it is because the censorship issues that beset the industry. Nevertheless, it is still incumbent on the director to be far more preemptive about what external obstacles are likely to dish out and be clever about how the material should be put together to escape the censor's knife. I say this because the production values are good. There are some great set pieces and the cinematography is of a high standard. I don't generally comment about costumes because I don't feel qualified but the styling of Liu Ling, the titular character, is a mix bag. After the much anticipated wedding, overnight she's transformed into a dowdy, matronly figure which doesn't flatter her one whit.

It's important to give the cast, especially the leads, their due. The performances range from adequate to good. The interactions and the banter between the leads are some of the better parts of this show. Their chemistry is a delight and the director milks it for whatever it is worth. At least this show understands the meaning of fan servicing. Zheng Yecheng I like a lot. He is nicely broody and mischievous. His enthusiasm for the romance is well-matched by Yuan Bingyan. In all frankness I liked the Shen Yan character more than the Liu Ling one primarily because of the writing. While it's not hard to see why Liu Ling is the insecure, needy, clingy female lead here (particularly when she's been badly treated by family), her over reliance on Shen Yan might come across a bit icky for modern audiences. It's not necessarily a problem in those early days but development on that front ends up being scant. Her early cynicism and world-weariness is interesting although unfortunately it's not sustained. Brother to Shen Yan is Merxat's Shen Yu. The brotherly dynamic is one that I relished and certainly wouldn't have minded more of. Liu Ling's sisterhood with Xu Shijin was also great.

Overall, it is not without charms despite its limitations. There is some plotting and scheming in the background but really this show almost entirely about the sassy princess and her knight in shining armour.