Ruthless, cold, calculating & intelligent leads who are hell-bent on giving justice to people suffering injustice under imperial rule by investigating cases. Strong, independent female leads & strong, cunning male leads who match on standards of wits, talents, strategies & tactics. Both features investigation of cases in investigative offices in ancient settings, mystery, suspense & political intrigues.
Political intrigue, power struggle, war and conspiracy surrounding the royalty and court officials as a backdrop of an angst-filled romance between two smart and complex leads with their own agenda and ambitions. The empress dowager featured in both the stories give off a similar villainous characterization as well. The female protagonist in TLOA and the male protagonist in SOKP play a similar political chess with hidden identities as their trump cards.
Firstly, both female leads hide their true identity from the male leads. Despite their desire for revenge, both pairs still find a way to forgive and love each other after all the disputes have been settled. Both female leads are strategic, and have their own sects. As for the male leads, they're both royalty. And they seem hard outside, but have affectionate hearts towards the female leads.
