LemonyellowCD

I admittedly am not a historical Cdrama fan usually. but I am a fan of Liu Yuning, so I started watching this drama for him. Needless to say, he did not disappoint. What truly drew me in however, was the caliber of acting from this whole crew. Of particular note for me was Song Zuer, Xuan Lu, and Li Xue Qin. I'm used to seeing the first two in modern dramas, and while their performances have always been solid -- this drama allowed them to showcase the depth of their skills and range. Song Zuer embodied her role as the ethereal yet strong maiden perfectly; and Xuan Lu was her equally compelling counterpart -- a woman who appeared strong on the outside, but was so fragile and desperate on the inside. I rooted for one, and hated the other -- which meant that they all portrayed their roles 1000% convincingly.
Li Xue Qin blew me away! She's well-known as a crosstalk (Chinese stand-up) and Chinese variety show star -- but she absolutely held her own in this drama, and was adorable as Xiao Tao. She was expectedly funny as always, and I was absolutely heartbroken for how her story ended, but the depth of emotion she brought to the role was astounding. So incredibly talented!

This drama was the first time of only a few where I was immersed into the olden world of these characters, and didn't want it to end. I applaud the casting director of this drama. Putting the right person into the right role makes for a phenomenal story!