Aramintai

The emperor wasn't afraid of CP per se, I doubt he even knows that he plotted something. He was afraid of the powerful factions behind the chancellor and the power vacuum his execution may bring. Thankfully, they all abandoned the villain like rats a sinking ship after he got convicted.

CP looks like he's paving himself a way for the cleaner throne by getting rid of all the corrupt crooks and his father's unnecessary legacy baggage. Not a bad thing for a ruler, but he showed his bad character by ordering innocent people killed.

They def should have cut that super long circus execution of the villain in the last episode and made way for more scenes with the leads at the end. Their reconciliation was just bare bones, I would have preferred a good talk and apologies, instead of "I knew, you knew that I trusted you".

I need that instrumental track with a guitar and flute so bad 😭 Official OST only has songs...

First, it's a big if whether there'll be a season 2, there's no second novel to write a script off of. Likely showrunners just want to squeeze some more money out of it, but getting everything and everyone in place again is kinda doubtful.
Second, do you really think ML and FL not gonna survive another arrogant fk's plot? He just dug his own grave with that order, lol.

Yea, shout out to FL, she heavy lifted this drama. And the character she was playing is very cool.

If there ever is a season 2 I'm sure they'll kick his butt as well.

Yea, but somehow I can't really hate him, because he's so weak and flawed.

Everybody knew it's bs, including the emperor, but it was convenient to use as an excuse for their actions. And they killed whole clans for way lesser affronts back then. So it's funny how FL always got to get away with her trash talking the emperor. He really did have a soft spot for her, I guess.

The dragon represents the emperor. Phoenix being paramount and defeating the dragon means treason, I guess. Afaik, phoenix represented the empress. So it's like saying that consort Shu and her clan are planning to take over.
But phoenix and dragon together is harmony, like ying and yang, and so all is well.

It was all a circus. Everybody knew that omens were a hoax, but under their pretense the villain got fooled into attacking the palace. And this is treason. Doesn't matter if it was to save his sister, or to make a last ditch attempt to grab power and not die in exile.
Looks like his powerful friends all scurried like rats and his life depended on his sister having favor with the emperor. But since those omens implied she's bad luck and should be ditched by the emperor, the villain had no choice by to do something. He didn't know that FL will save his sister, the threat of him losing everything was pretty real if she were to be dismissed.

Yea, I liked how the main theme that there's no justice to be found in the palace had a clear resolution with FL throwing it in the emperor's face. I would have also added that the law in the country starts with the ruler, but when he himself cannot uphold it for personal and political reasons the whole country will fall eventually. But I guess more trash talk from FL would have gotten her in real trouble, lol.

Some credits don't even have it at all.

Nobody knows, there's no official confirmation. Personally, I don't want it. The tale's been told and there's no second novel to get a good script from.

Yea, discussing episodes was pretty nice with you, guys. And this drama did have interesting plot points that kept the audience in suspense.

1. Throughout the drama some of the episodes had oddly cut scenes to minimize it to 34 episodes total;
2. The main villain, for somebody supposedly very smart and calculating, was turned into a total dumb fk in the last episodes with a penchant for cringey cliche expositions (it's too exhausting to write down all of his fk ups);
3. They've cut the leads reconciliation to absoulte bare minimum, but wasted tons of time on that circus execution of the main villain. FL didn't even apologize to ML, good talk notwithstanding. And after the excellent emotional episode 29, their romantic scenes really lacked emotions, tbh.
4. For the magnitute of his crimes the main villain should have had a public execution, instead of allowing FL to do it in private (and wasn't there a point that she should not be allowed to do it? or is it ok now that there's evidence and the emperor's decree?)
5. Introduction of another villain pulling the strings in the last two episodes was completely unnecessary. That potential season 2 teaser was 2x not necessary ( and I doubt anything will come out of it).
6. Though everybody got closure scenes, some sweet, some sad, the main leads should have gotten a better one - where are they going wearing silly court clothes with no baggage on those horses? Some sort of abrupt fairy tale ending. But I'm glad they left the palace, at least. That place is a shithole that just eats away at people.

The last two episodes were kind of a let down, tbh. But overall, it's a good drama, I'll give it an 8.0 overall. Interesting cases; thought provoking sad tales behind those cases that follow a good main theme; cool characters; expensive sets and costumes; sweet romance; beautiful music; poetic justice for the main villain with omens turned against him.
However, there were also some letdowns (under spoilers):

And then she’d be executed, her family’s honor not restored. What a shit ending would that be?

Agreed.

They shared glances at the beginning of the new case, but then she told him she doesn’t want to talk to him. So gotta wait some more.

The villain is attached to her childhood trauma, so it’s different. Killing some no-names in self defense, I guess you get used to it on the job. But you left out the other reasons why he stopped her - to spare her from being punished for murder of a high ranking official without evidence. And to be able to clear her father’s name - if she killed him like that without the evidence, her father’s name would stay dishonored. Keeping the villain alive allowed the emperor to hear his testimony first hand.