Shiwei

I cried for 30 mins straight during the last episode, it was like I could empathise myself with Lanxiang when she was old idk why. This drama is definitely a 9.5 for me, much better than the novel for sure, Highly recommended! Also the portrayal of Ming Dynasty was the best compared to any other historical C-dramas I've ever watched. Also, fun fact- Du Cuixue has been heavily inspired by Ching Shih (Madame Cheng) in real life. Although Madam Cheng lived during the Qing dynasty rather than the Ming, her story is identical in spirit: she was a regular woman who was captured by pirates, used her unmatched ruthlessness and sharp political mind to marry the captain, and eventually took over the entire fleet when he died. At her peak, she commanded over 300 warships and 40,000 pirates, openly defying the imperial navy—much like Du Cuixue dominating the waters(this is why she is one of the best female villain ever portrayed in C-dramas for me)