This review may contain spoilers
A Review + an Alternative Storyline
A deeply emotional and compelling story that touches the heart, brought to life by a talented, mature cast. The beautiful original soundtrack — both instrumental and lyrical — enhances every scene, supported by well-balanced sound effects that draw you even further into the experience
Storyline plot: big mistake
My only critique concerns a script choice in episode 22 that felt not only unnecessary but also inconsistent with the character’s established personality and arc at that point in the story.
*** MAJOR SPOILER *** DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE WHOLE DRAMA YET
By ep.22, Murong JingHe and MeiLin are engaged and deeply in love. He has also made a crucial promise never to lie to her again — a commitment that, as a writer, must be respected. His character is portrayed as deeply principled, with strong integrity, as well as being deeply protective and emotionally possessive of MeiLin. This makes the decision in that scene feel completely out of place. It becomes evident that the scene was crafted solely to heighten drama and emotional conflict for the audience — but at the expense of character consistency.
In this episode, Murong JingHe is preparing to confront the crown prince. With no options left, he goes all in — a final, all-or-nothing gamble that could either redeem or destroy him. Naturally, he wants to protect MeiLin and spare her from danger if his plan fails. So, he arranges for her to escape
However, the way the writers chose to execute this scene is overly cruel — far beyond what Murong JingHe would reasonably be willing to do. He stages an elaborate ruse with Yue Qin in which he reveals himself as the Master of Shadow Works, lies about his intentions and feelings, tells her about the poison in a mean way, and pretends he intends to kill her. His goal is to break her heart so thoroughly that she’ll be willing to leave with Yue Qin when he arrives to “rescue” her.
This plot twist forces Murong JingHe into months of repentance before MeiLin finally forgives him — a plotline that feels unnecessarily forced, given everything we’ve come to understand about his character.
Storyline plot: what should have been
Instead of having Murong JingHe secretly plot with Yue Qin behind MeiLin’s back, the writers should have opted for a more honest, emotionally grounded scene — one that aligns with the integrity and maturity of the characters involved. Murong JingHe should have spoken directly to MeiLin, explaining his intentions and the plan. The three of them — Murong JingHe, MeiLin, and Yue Qin — could have come together to discuss a strategy as allies who trust and respect one another.
There was no need to bring up his identity as the Master of Shadow Works again; that secret could have remained buried — a dark burden he continues to carry alone. What he should have revealed is that the poison remains active, that he has spent months seeking an antidote without success, and that MeiLin’s only chance of survival now lies in a rare plant that grows only in Yue Qin’s homeland.
Given her condition, she’s too weak to fight. She needs rest. And should Murong JingHe’s plan fail, he refuses to sentence her to death alongside him. That’s why she must leave with Yue Qin.
Naturally, MeiLin would resist — unwilling to abandon him and wanting to fight by his side. But this is precisely what he cannot allow. In the end, he would be forced to render her unconscious and send her away with Yue Qin to safety. They would hide and recover in a safe spot, waiting for news. If no message arrives within a set number of days, they must leave and never look back.
From there, the writers could take the story in various directions. If they wished to keep the rest of the storyline mostly intact, they could still do so by having MeiLin feel betrayed and resentful for being sent away without a choice. Alternatively, maintaining the idea that she feels indebted towards Yue Qin could preserve parts of the original storyline without resorting to an unnecessary breakup.
Personally, I would remove the entire subplot involving Yue Qin’s Moon Princess tribe. This storyline felt unnecessary and could be omitted entirely. In episode 23, I would have MeiLin stay at Murong's bedside as he recovers, then be offered by the emperor some honorable status for her outstanding contribution, as well as granting her a proper wedding to Murong JingHe. The storyline could then resume by having them dispatched to restore Qingzhou, as per their personal request, which later lets him fulfill his promise of helping her open a fruit cake shop. This still leaves ample space for the war subplot involving General Ming Ju of Xiyan, as well as the resolution of MeiLin’s poisoning. The storyline in which she fakes her death would need to be rewritten from a different angle, given that the original triggers would no longer apply. However, I'm confident it could be cleverly integrated, especially since the scene where Murong discovers her resting place is such an iconic moment.
That's it!
Storyline plot: big mistake
My only critique concerns a script choice in episode 22 that felt not only unnecessary but also inconsistent with the character’s established personality and arc at that point in the story.
*** MAJOR SPOILER *** DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE WHOLE DRAMA YET
By ep.22, Murong JingHe and MeiLin are engaged and deeply in love. He has also made a crucial promise never to lie to her again — a commitment that, as a writer, must be respected. His character is portrayed as deeply principled, with strong integrity, as well as being deeply protective and emotionally possessive of MeiLin. This makes the decision in that scene feel completely out of place. It becomes evident that the scene was crafted solely to heighten drama and emotional conflict for the audience — but at the expense of character consistency.
In this episode, Murong JingHe is preparing to confront the crown prince. With no options left, he goes all in — a final, all-or-nothing gamble that could either redeem or destroy him. Naturally, he wants to protect MeiLin and spare her from danger if his plan fails. So, he arranges for her to escape
However, the way the writers chose to execute this scene is overly cruel — far beyond what Murong JingHe would reasonably be willing to do. He stages an elaborate ruse with Yue Qin in which he reveals himself as the Master of Shadow Works, lies about his intentions and feelings, tells her about the poison in a mean way, and pretends he intends to kill her. His goal is to break her heart so thoroughly that she’ll be willing to leave with Yue Qin when he arrives to “rescue” her.
This plot twist forces Murong JingHe into months of repentance before MeiLin finally forgives him — a plotline that feels unnecessarily forced, given everything we’ve come to understand about his character.
Storyline plot: what should have been
Instead of having Murong JingHe secretly plot with Yue Qin behind MeiLin’s back, the writers should have opted for a more honest, emotionally grounded scene — one that aligns with the integrity and maturity of the characters involved. Murong JingHe should have spoken directly to MeiLin, explaining his intentions and the plan. The three of them — Murong JingHe, MeiLin, and Yue Qin — could have come together to discuss a strategy as allies who trust and respect one another.
There was no need to bring up his identity as the Master of Shadow Works again; that secret could have remained buried — a dark burden he continues to carry alone. What he should have revealed is that the poison remains active, that he has spent months seeking an antidote without success, and that MeiLin’s only chance of survival now lies in a rare plant that grows only in Yue Qin’s homeland.
Given her condition, she’s too weak to fight. She needs rest. And should Murong JingHe’s plan fail, he refuses to sentence her to death alongside him. That’s why she must leave with Yue Qin.
Naturally, MeiLin would resist — unwilling to abandon him and wanting to fight by his side. But this is precisely what he cannot allow. In the end, he would be forced to render her unconscious and send her away with Yue Qin to safety. They would hide and recover in a safe spot, waiting for news. If no message arrives within a set number of days, they must leave and never look back.
From there, the writers could take the story in various directions. If they wished to keep the rest of the storyline mostly intact, they could still do so by having MeiLin feel betrayed and resentful for being sent away without a choice. Alternatively, maintaining the idea that she feels indebted towards Yue Qin could preserve parts of the original storyline without resorting to an unnecessary breakup.
Personally, I would remove the entire subplot involving Yue Qin’s Moon Princess tribe. This storyline felt unnecessary and could be omitted entirely. In episode 23, I would have MeiLin stay at Murong's bedside as he recovers, then be offered by the emperor some honorable status for her outstanding contribution, as well as granting her a proper wedding to Murong JingHe. The storyline could then resume by having them dispatched to restore Qingzhou, as per their personal request, which later lets him fulfill his promise of helping her open a fruit cake shop. This still leaves ample space for the war subplot involving General Ming Ju of Xiyan, as well as the resolution of MeiLin’s poisoning. The storyline in which she fakes her death would need to be rewritten from a different angle, given that the original triggers would no longer apply. However, I'm confident it could be cleverly integrated, especially since the scene where Murong discovers her resting place is such an iconic moment.
That's it!
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