Here's my attempt at writing an informative review without spoilers: First off, I really, really liked this drama. I had been kind of put off dramas around the time this drama was released (last half of 2016) so I'm surprised I actually gave this a shot - but I am so glad that I did. I would like to point out that I didn't have high expectations for it because Tang Yan's roles in her other dramas at the time were making me apprehensive towards her ability to make her characters at least likeable (ahem - Diamond Lovers, anybody?). Anyway, this drama totally reminded me why I used to love Tang Yan - she does an exceptional job bringing historical dramas to life! Everything about her character in this drama was on point; her strong personality that made her an independent woman, combined with her generosity, loyalty, empathy and grace, sucked all the drama's best men towards her - a typical, yet always enjoyable plot-essential in Chinese dramas. The story itself was really unique for a Chinese historical drama - usually they reuse and repeat the same clichéd plot involving a palace, the Emperor, and most likely more than a couple Empresses, but this time they introduced a strong female lead, only disguised as a princess in distress in the first episode. I loved how smart she was, because this made her a heroine who the audience would actually feel proud of when she accomplished things. The drama progressed at a good pace for me; it wasn't too slow (except maybe at the end, but it could be a lot worse) or too fast, and the chain of events were linked really well so it all flowed and there was no room for confusion (which I find can happen quite a lot in historical dramas, as they tend to fit in complicated plots and it ends up clashing or being left unfinished because it doesn't fit with the overall storyline). The best part about this drama was probably the characters. Each actor/actress seemed to be handpicked to fit their role perfectly, and I feel like every character (even the evil ones) was able to grow on me by the end. The costuming and design were all amazingly done and looked realistic - definitely essential for a high quality drama. Although the tag says "tragedy," the story itself is entirely open to interpretation on whether or not it is a tragedy (as all dramas are), so definitely don't be scared by this! Tragedy itself comes in all forms, and it doesn't just mean the story is super depressing and tear-triggering (I can assure you, there are plenty of cute, heartwarming romance scenes between the two main characters.) All in all, everyone should give this great romance/historical drama a try. If you love a strong, smart, yet loving heroine, good plots, evil characters who do grow on you, amazing character relationships, and visually appealing/eye-worthy images, then this is the drama for you.