Story:
The story starts when the Emperor and nearly his entire family are murdered leaving only a few members of the royal family alive. The ML (Li Ni) is the grandson of the emperor from one of the younger sons. He was exiled to protect the border by his father and grandfather because of his supposed bad attitude (but later it's revealed that he was constantly bullied by his older half-brothers and didn't like the snake pit of the court). He is the commander of the West Pacify Army which is poor but each warrior is worth more than 10 average warriors. He is asked, once his family is murdered, to become emperor but refuses since his father, brothers, and the former crown prince's son are still alive. He advocates for the crown prince's son to be named emperor, but few believe him. While there is chaos because of the rebellion by General Sun, everyone is now vying for the throne. There is also General Cui and his son (daughter) who have fought back against Sun like Li Ni and also say they are doing it for the crown prince's son. However, no one really believes them either. A Ying is the commander of the army for General Cui. Their army is powerful and wealthy and would be a threat even in a stable realm, so everyone believes they would seize power for themselves. Basically a lot of confusion and rightful paranoia about who can be trusted and what people's motivations are.
The story is political-romance-action. It does a very good job of showing everyone's motivations for their actions. Li Ni and A Ying are both exceptionally well written characters, who's playful banter, intelligence and depth is fully explored.
The plot is fast paced. It doesn't stall and there is always a purpose to scenes, even if it's a filler scene. The side characters also have great plots and character development.
Acting:
Xu Kai and Jing Tian are exceptional. I started this show for Xu Kai because I've loved most of what I've seen him in (and if I didn't like a show with him in it, it was never because of him), and he didn't disappoint. From the first moment you can see his swagger and cheek that is so perfect for this role. He's a combination of playful and serious and Xu Kai does it perfectly, transforming from puppy to wolf in seconds (quoting Jing Tian when she's talking about Xu Kai in an interview). This is my first time watching Jing Tian and now I know I will keep up with her because she was amazing, and I can't believe it is just because of her chemistry with Xu Kai. She adds great depth to her character.
Romance:
The romance was incredible. They had beautiful intimacy. There are criticism that A Ying was too competitive, but that's what's attractive about her. She is ambitious and doesn't hide it. A quality that isn't seen often in shows. I love that the show goes out of it's way to demonstrate that women have similar appetite's as men, but because of their roles in society, very few can actually show it. Li Ni, who was raised primarily by women, and had very little fatherly influence in his life, knows to appreciate this quality in her, and is what attracts him to her. They are so well matched because they think the same. While Li Ni isn't competitive, because he has seen that court is dangerous and doesn't want it for himself, he is still cunning and he likes his partner to be able to keep up with him. Their courting is a series of bets, competitions, and banter. Their relationship is protecting each other and plotting together. While towards the middle, A Ying is forced to conform more to womanly life, she keeps her ambitions, and her intelligence doesn't leave. They aren't always rational either. Both make mistakes, and can be quick to judge each other for the other's actions if it negatively impacts them, but they are always impressed and even if subconsciously, they understand each other.
Side Characters:
Everyone made me feel something. Whether it was Li Ni's family making me feel absolute frustration for how stupid they are, or the villains for making me want to punch them in the face, or the bandits and the warriors of the West Pacify Army making me love them and die for them.
Rewatch value:
Absolutely! In fact, I'm going to go rewatch it right now.