So this is one of those shows that could have been really great but missed the mark. Lead female is not my favorite, she seems to pigeon hole herself into these dramas where her character is ditzy, over the top, and stupid. In this one she is supposedly innocent and naive but she was just not likable. In my opinion she never really cared for the emperor in any way shape or form. I honestly did not care what happened to her at the end. The male leads portrayal of the emperor was ok. His character was a bit pathetic. He said he loved her and made so many excuses for her but posession comes to mind rather than love. In my opinion there were also too many side characters who really served no purpose. The whole plot and all relationships were built on lies and reveng so you know where that is headed. There are many reveng driven dramas in c-drama land but the characters tend to have one or two redeeming qualities that make you root for them. Many people commented that the male and female leads had great chemistry but not in my opinion. There are far better historical fiction cdramas out there.