Absolutely gorgeous costumes, sets, cinematography, music, the whole atmosphere of the drama. A feast for the eyes. However, the plot is a bit heavy and may be difficult for viewers who are not familiar with the intricacies of relationships in the Chinese courts. I remember a few years ago I didn't understand much, but the drama fascinated me. Now I watched it a second time, already with understanding and also with fascination. The story is interesting and well written, but...
I really don't like stupid FL. Intelligence and knowledge is not wisdom. Zhi Wei is one of the dumbest FLs I've met. But the actress is great.
ML is an interesting character, I don't like the actor's acting though. He's too theatrical, too over-the-top, he gave me an unpleasant impression of theatrical insanity from the beginning. I would prefer Ning Yi to be played in a more subtle way, where the viewer is able to sense his emotions instead of being whacked over the head with them.
I don't like the ending. To me it is, um, too theatrical. It's logical, it follows the plot, it makes pretty good sense, but it didn't give me satisfaction.
All in all, this is a very good drama, well made, definitely worth recommending and watching. It kept me up all night. However, it's an intellectual drama, not an entertaining one, so it's not a title that's easy to watch and sometimes it can be tiring. 8/10