Chan Xing

I actually watched “Ruyi” first (not intentionally), and I appreciated that series too ... but, yes, it’s a completely different kind of drama and a completely different emperor. There, they would have to portray him negatively in order for the audience to sympathise and empathise with the protagonist, Ruyi.

The emperor in Yanxi is presented more positively or, at least, as having multiple sides to his character. A few people on Viki really hated the emperor (you’ll see who if you watch with timed comments), but I think that that’s just a problem with contextualisation. The series is set in a harem in 18th-century China ... do people really expect the emperor to only have sex with one woman or to not be upset if he doesn’t get his way?

Her shift of affection happens after she becomes his concubine and, later, his consort. I believe it happens because of the way he treats her and it happens so subtly that she doesn’t even realise it ... (her maid asks her about it at one point and that’s the scene that some people point out to be her realisation). The two characters grow to understand each other really well at the end that they do become like an old married couple.

If you want to go according to the novel, at perhaps the lowest points of the emperor-YL relationship, she has already developed feelings for him but the feelings are suppressed due to her guilt towards the late Empress.

Some people think that she loves the second lead till the end in the series, but I disagree (unless you consider the love for him one that’s different from the one she has for the emperor). I can give my reasons, based on the scenes (I’ve fully watched the series twice and various scenes multiple times), but that’s probably something to talk about after one has seen the series.

Just note that she doesn’t start off loving the emperor. A few commenters on Viki do not like the emperor, but hopefully, he will grow on you as he does on Wei Yingluo (and me!).

You can watch it on Viki.

To me, it’s a HE. She does love the emperor (That’s what is also presented in the novel on which the drama is based), and the emperor loves her A LOT.

While YWY can't really be blamed for the demise of YX's family, his earlier passivity hasn't helped the situation either. When YWY tries to justify himself by saying that he has tried to give hints to YX about going back to Yanbei, I can't help agreeing with YX, who despairingly asks in return if their decade-long friendship is worth only hints. YWY has enough knowledge to help his friend and prevent the massacre, but he doesn't. That, in my opinion, is YWY's big "sin," and it is only in the later episodes that he becomes more active (including in his relationship with CQ).

You should watch Six Flying Dragons first as that is the prequel, so that comes before Sejong's reign.

I share your sentiments completely. I came onto this site to write a review that would have expressed the same things you have said (now, there is no need!). In fact, I would've scored the series lower because the second half is so excruciatingly dull and conventional. I would also add that it is extremely disappointing that Jian Yao's character, who is supposedly full of potential and talent in the beginning, basically disintegrates into a typical secondary female character (a sobbing mess who lets the man take charge) halfway through the series. It's as though she's only there so she can change and "humanise" the socially-inept "genius" (which is, oh, so unnecessary!).