No idea why this drama is rated so highly. On the surface TROTAR waves a feminist banner but the plot is stiflingly unoriginal and female characters can't step away from their dated stereotypical roles. Sisters fighting over a man, evil jealous sister, and rash and unintelligent female lead, just to name a FEW. There's potential in the plot and setting in a matriarchal society *if* this drama was actually written in a way that respected the intelligence of its viewers but alas, TROTAR fails in this regard.

Characters are traditional and one-dimensional. Male lead is an antihero that has potential but the female lead was written and acted so badly that the drama is just un-saveable. Zhao Lu Si (Xiao Qian)'s character could have just swapped places with the same role she played in Oh! My Emperor and you would not have noticed a difference.

On top of all that, I had a particular distaste for the near sexual assault scene in episode 19(?). It could have been written sensually as a CONSENSUAL test for either female or male leads but instead the writers decided to go the good ol' way of a potential rape. Yay, feminism.