Cesia Aozora

Changqing is the second ML, both in the novel and drama. His character is very important in the novel, way more than any others, bcos he is on Xihe's side until the end.
I read comments saying in Love of Nirvana, Jeremy's character was also changed into a freak like this 🥲

Yes! It seems like the scriptwriter wanted to create a 1vN romance, so they changed his character into a freak 🤧 He really is a good character. He helps Huayong a lot and he was the first person who realized Huayong is a dangerous man, the mastermind of every incident. It was Xihe who suggested to Huayong to cooperate with him bcos she values his talents.

Once, in other drama, a FL said "If I have to die, I want to die comfortably in a bed." 😂

The drama whitewashed him into somewhat adorable ML 😌 in the novel he is an extremely coldblooded man. He could sacrifice innocent people just to kill his enemies. Even FL thought "I'm ruthless, but I won't involve the innocents." Sometimes she thinks he is too cruel. He doesn't care about anyone's life EXCEPT the FL.
On the contrary, the 5th prince is a good man and ally that the FL respects him.

I also don't understand why the scriptwriter neglected him despite him being the first enemy 🤔
It's almost ep 30 yet the leads haven't eliminated the first enemy. I think I can see why the scriptwriter erased a major enemy from the drama bcos they wanted to focus on the 1vN romance.

It is Gu Qingzhi's soul in Shen Xihe's body, obtained Shen Xihe's memories. The dominant one is Gu Qingzhi, hence the cold and ruthless personality.
The real Shen Xihe is dead, her personality is a pampered, meek and dumb noble lady.
The merges created a NEW Shen Xihe.

They won't end up together. Thankfully in the novel Yingruo is married to a wonderful man, the cousin of the princes.
I'm actually confused, how could the royal family allows sisters from the SAME family married the princes?

Even when I read the novel a year ago, I couldn't like the main couple, mainly bcos I hate the red flag ML.

Fact is, in the novel, the 4th prince is the first main enemy the couple must eliminate. He appeared to be a humble and not ambitious prince, lived a happy life with his wife. Until the 5th prince blew his cover and ML cornered him in the northwest. He finally committed suicide following his wife.

It's sad bcos the novel is very heavy in political conflicts with dangerous main enemies.

Then Meng Ziyi invited him to this drama 🤭

There was no detailed description, but the little sister deeply loves Prince Xin and was jealous bcos her sister married him. They were not close, especially bcos Gu Qingzhi was like a stone, unmoved and soulless. If they actually had sisters bond, then Shen Xihe would be reluctant to punish her.

Empress Dowager

After this drama ends, I highly recommend Royal Rumours! He and Meng Ziyi (the FL here) are couple and the drama is very lighthearted and comical 🤭

Someone with power...

The scriptwriter combined Gu sister character with an illegitimate daughter of Yu family character. So she will stay for a longer time.

FL isn't ruthless. She is cold hearted, not cold blooded. She has the mindset "if you touch me, you'll pay for it". So she won't do anything if no one hurts her or her family. But with the cold blooded ML, everyone will die in the end.

Gu Qingzhi's sister exists in the novel and she is obsessed with Prince Xin and wanted to marry him. After she caused a small trouble, Prince Xi finally got rid of her.
However in the drama, the scriptwriter combined her character with an illegitimate daughter of Yu family.
This Yu girl is extremely vicious and scheming. She successfully married to 2nd prince. This Yu girl will stay until the end, not dead. She (and ML) causes the downfall of 2nd prince.

We all should thank Meng Ziyi for asking him to act as Xiao Huayong 👍

Shen Yingruo married a relative of the royal family (the princes cousin) in the novel, but the drama erased this man.