I didn’t expect much from this drama at first. There are 70 episodes and that’s usually a red flag to me because chinese dramas always tend to drag toward the middle. However, I was so wrong because this is one of the few long dramas that stay consistently engaging till the end. I’m surprised i didn’t even skip through the drama and actually watch everything. The production was amazing and all the costumes and scenery was aesthetically pleasing. The osts was also amazing.

I loved the friendship between the empress and our main character which was the main focus for first half of the drama. They just complete each other, and you can’t help but love Ying luo played dirty to protect herself and the empress. The later half of the drama focused on Ying luo’s revenge and her relationship with the emperor which just as interesting. They are one crazy pairing compared to Ying luo’s first love but i somehow feel like they also completed each other the best. You can see the progress in their relationship. Some time push and pull really goes along the way. I love when he hated her at first but end up falling for her. I know Ying luo’s character is unrealistic at times for some people but in order to survive in the palace, you need to be like her LOL. She have both luck and the brain to protect herself. This drama would not be as interesting if she’s weak and can’t do anything about her situation most of the time.
Overall, it was a nice surprise approaching this drama. Every characters, including the maids and eunuchs were all memorable. Beside it’s insane popularity in China, the hype was real in Vietnam as well. Memes and talks about this drama are every where because of the satisfying plot and diverse characters. 10/10 would recommend even if it’s long, you would still want to watch more if you end up loving it.