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For all the confused people I am seeing again in the comments about the plot and why the royal family is in this state or about how the princess acts that's because this cdrama although it features a fictional dynasty it heavily draws inspiration from the real Tang Dynasty like many other cdrama.

In Tigers Sniff the Rose the political landscape is split into three main factions: the old nobility, the common officials (scholars like Yan Shang) and the powerful palace servants/eunuch faction.
The inclusion and depiction of a highly powerful, politically active eunuch faction is incredibly accurate to the periods of the Tang Dynasty. In fact, the Tang Dynasty featured some of the most politically dominant eunuchs in all of Chinese history.
In the Tang dynasty following a devastating rebellion Tang emperors stopped trusting military generals and instead they handed control of the imperial guards protecting the capital directly to their eunuchs. This gave the eunuchs military power and later on they bit the emperor's hand.
Because they controlled the palace guard and the inner court, late Tang eunuchs became kingmakers. They grew so powerful later that they actively assassinated emperors who crossed them and chose which imperial prince would succeed to the throne.
Unlike other eras where eunuchs were kept firmly in their place, Tang emperors granted their top eunuchs official titles of nobility, allowed them to own vast lands and even permitted them to adopt sons to pass down their wealth! Just like the villain eunuch here who has the noble title of Duke of Zhao and has the position of Cavalry General and Army-Inspection Commissioner.

As for the princess the drama portrays her as a fiercely politically calculating, rational and somewhat spoiled or "shameless" woman who actively tries to manipulate court dynamics. While she is obviously a fictional character, her bold, dominant and politically active persona is highly accurate to the reality of Tang Dynasty princesses. Unlike later dynasties like Song and Ming where royal women were heavily restricted by strict Confucian social codes, Tang princesses were famously powerful and brazen.
By the late Tang though a princess could no longer survive on royal blood alone. She had to actively seek out brilliant, uncorrupted minds from the outside like the humble scholar Yan Shang to build a faction capable of outmaneuvering the terrifying grip of the eunuchs.
So although during the Tang Dynasty the princesses were granted their own mansions and had a level of power, later on when the eunuchs gained massive control of the court the princesses also became more vulnerable and lost most of their political power. Hence why many late Tang emperors frequently had to buy peace from foreign kingdoms through marriage! Because thanks to the corruption of the eunuchs, the treasury was depleted and the army had grown weak. So they had to rely on women to make peace through marriage.

I think whoever runs this page should remove the romance tag because so many people seem to be disappointed lol But seriously, if you're watching it solely for the romance, I'd say skip it. There are so many other C-dramas where romance is the main focus. But if you're open to something beyond that, give this one a try because it has so much more to offer and actual substance beyond romance.

Thank you for this great analysis! I've noticed that not many reviews have gone into this level of reflection. I hadn't thought about the FLs character journey (or lack thereof) in that way until I'd read your piece. I ended up referencing your review in my own because that point definitely featured into my larger gripe about the whole drama lol

I AM SO FRUSTRATED! 😡

I waited **34 EPISODES** for what? A cheap, awkward, blink-and-you'll-miss-it kissing scene?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

These are supposed to be talented, professional actors, yet when it comes to showing romance, chemistry, and genuine passion, some of them fall completely flat! Where is the emotion? Where is the desire? Where is the believable connection between two people who are supposedly deeply in love?

And THIS is exactly why I've started watching more **micro-dramas (short dramas)** instead! At least many of those actors and actresses aren't afraid to show real passion, affection, and chemistry on screen. They actually make you BELIEVE their characters are in love!

I'm not asking for anything outrageous or inappropriate. I'm asking for a convincing romantic scene after spending HOURS watching two characters fall in love!

**34 EPISODES of romantic buildup, longing glances, misunderstandings, and emotional struggles, all leading up to a ridiculous little fly-by kiss?!** Give me a break!

Sorry for the rant, but I'm seriously aggravated! If you're going to sell a drama as a romance, then GIVE US SOME ROMANCE! A little passion and believable chemistry shouldn't be too much to ask! 🙄💋

Don't worry, there are plenty of us who were deeply disappointed by this drama. They could have done something amazing with these two top-tier actors, but they completely botched the script at the end... they tried so hard to empower the female lead that they failed to realize she fixed everyone's lives but her own—she married someone she didn't want, had children without love, and kept the household running like a dutiful matriarch... oh, right... she writes plays... wow... anyway... I don't know if it's censorship or if the writers run into issues halfway through, but there are so many Chinese dramas that start off promising, only to fizzle out by the midpoint, leaving you at the end thinking... "Did I really sit through 40 episodes for *this*?" It’s no wonder people are outraged—that’s why it’s good to be able to vent ;-)

Its central character lacks convincing emotional development. Shen Jialan is presented as intelligent, resilient, independent and morally determined. However, these qualities are established relatively early and, quite frankly, are not entirely credible in someone so young and inexperienced. As the story progresses, the narrative seems increasingly concerned with reinforcing these qualities rather than exploring her character in greater depth.
A compelling character doesn't necessarily have to undergo a dramatic transformation. However, we should gradually discover new dimensions of their personality. In Jialan's case, her emotional restraint often becomes emotional monotony. Her independence is repeatedly demonstrated, but what does she actually discover about herself? What does she learn about human relationships, vulnerability, forgiveness or love? A character who is always right risks becoming less human and more of an idealised figure.
The relationship between Jialan and Lin Jinqi could have raised some fascinating questions. Can love survive resentment? Is forgiveness necessary for happiness? The Prisoner of Beauty is an excellent example of a drama that explores such themes with far greater emotional depth. Can two people reconcile independence with emotional intimacy?
Instead, their relationship becomes increasingly repetitive. Lin Jinqi's devotion and Jialan's emotional distance are revisited without sufficient development. The problem isn't that she refuses to behave like a conventional romantic heroine. That could have been interesting. The problem is that her emotional distance rarely leads to a deeper exploration of what love, trust and companionship actually mean.
Female empowerment becomes a statement rather than an exploration.
There is nothing inherently wrong with portraying a strong, independent woman. However, strength becomes far more interesting when accompanied by vulnerability, contradictions, mistakes and emotional complexity. A woman doesn't become less independent because she loves a man, accepts his support or acknowledges his virtues. Similarly, a man doesn't need to be diminished or made emotionally subordinate for a woman to appear strong. True equality leaves room for the dignity, intelligence and emotional complexity of both sexes.
Personally, I found the drama rather boring and uninspiring, to the point that I eventually dropped it. Yet the extraordinary hype surrounding it sparked my curiosity, particularly the contrasting opinions it has generated. Ironically, I've found the discussions and reviews far more thought-provoking and entertaining than the drama itself. Which, I suppose, is an achievement of sorts, although perhaps not quite the one its creators intended.

The drama is interesting, but I just don't understand why the ML was just tolerating the terrible behaviour of the FL ... I mean after she slapped you on your wedding, yet you are coaxing her by say " I underrated you " like what the heck...
Tan Song Yun is a good actress ,but this serious/strong woman role is not suitable for her... She did not looked the role she played in this drama...
Anyways , the drama is still a good watch..

Exactly! On my second watch, I realized just how heavy her plot armor actually was. I think it stems from the original novel being a reborn story, but because of censorship regulations prohibiting the reborn theme, they changed it to her surviving the massacre.

​The issue is, having all her brilliant knowledge attributed solely to her childhood reading as Shen Jialan doesn't add up—especially since she lived in poverty for 6 years after the massacre without even access to a writing brush. Classical Chinese literature, politics, and idioms are far too complex for a child to master so flawlessly without years of training.

​In contrast, shows like 'Legend of Zang Hai' build a realistic foundation by showing the lead undergoing 10 years of rigorous training under specialized masters before executing his plans, or 'The Princess Royal' where Li Rong still makes human mistakes despite her reborn memories. Without that proper foundation, LX's perfection feels purely driven by plot armor.

I completely agree.......C-dramas have a habit of overcorrecting, sidelining the male lead into an afterthought just to elevate the female lead.

True equality isn't about erasing differences; it’s about appreciating that men and women bring different, equally valuable strengths to the table. But dramas always take things to theatrical extremes.

On a related note, the sense of entitlement among some fans is baffling. Policing a celebrity's clothes, diet, and dating life crosses a major line. Acting is a profession, not an invitation for public ownership. Their personal lives are private, and they certainly don't need anyone's permission to live them.

Given the popularity of this drama, I’m quite curious about the latest reviews, particularly the more critical ones rather than the general praise.
One tendency I’ve noticed in some recent dramas with feminist themes is that female empowerment sometimes seems to come at the expense of male characters, who are weakened, belittled, or diminished in order to make the women appear stronger. As a woman myself, I don’t particularly like this approach. To me, feminism should be about giving women equal opportunities, respect, dignity, and the freedom to determine their own lives, not about diminishing men in return.
I think this kind of portrayal can create an unnecessary conflict between men and women, as though one gender can only be strong if the other is made weaker. I much prefer stories in which strong women and strong men can exist on equal footing, respecting and complementing one another.
"The Road to Splendor" is one recent example that comes to mind. Although I wouldn’t call the drama an absolute masterpiece, I appreciated the way it portrayed female strength without needing to diminish its male characters. Another drama I would highly recommend is "Marvelous Women". I really enjoyed its portrayal of women’s resilience, intelligence, and strength while still allowing the male characters to have their own dignity and place in the story.
I also think portrayals like these can be educational for the wider public and set a healthier example: empowering women does not require belittling or diminishing men. Equality should elevate women without taking dignity away from men. Women and men do not need to be portrayed as rivals for one to have strength, value, or a meaningful voice. Ultimetely, I believe they should have stayed closer to the original novel and told a less idealised, more historically grounded and realistic story, as you pointed out in your review, rather than turning it into something that, often feels unrealistic and illogical.

Using tales to define your logic always lead to a logic fail

Female lead's logic is that the emperor does the most killing and therefore it should be removed. However, the emperor simply acts like a government, without a governing entity, there will be anarchy. Crimes will be left unpunished. Justice by your hands alone in the truest sense

She's blaming the system instead of the corruption and the corrupted individuals

An individual mind can never lead individual minds because nobody submits. A sound mind has a clear path and a wondering mind will never reach its destination. Submitting to another is not wrong when there is an alignment of interests. Even the law doesn't say you have to submit at the cost of your life unless you are serving the emperor/ government. And it's not like they are killing people indiscriminately, there is always a justification verified by others

The hypocrisy is so real. Its okay if it's her own self interests but not for others

Entire families fell/ killed for crimes similar to treason was warranted. Simply because, a single entity existed to take blame. The shen family fell because their actions were hidden away from the governing entity to blame. As long as you know where to point the arrow, releasing the arrow is all it takes to get your revenge and disrupt order and law enforcement. I think the law takes it a little too far by sending the women to brothels. imo the innocent should be spared. Individuals who had no knowledge of the crime, reported the crime, didn't help and abide in the crime and have no interest in taking revenge for enforcing the law against the crime, should all differ from a guilty sentence

they will not be able to wed in political status nor help in rise to political status

The governing system never changed from the past to the present, only now, the one person, commoners can blame for injustice is now no more. So now when there is injustice, it is difficult to fight back and instead, there is rioting on the streets, thereby affecting other individuals of lower status

ep 39 "why do some born rich while others poor" the writing is so profound 🙄 surely it had nothing to do with ancestral achievements and crimes. We don't only inherit the blood from our parents but also the merit of their achievements and the ridicule of their crimes, till forgotten

The show glorifies arrogance without showing the bad it could lead to. its hypocritical and misguiding. You cannot make decisions on your future based on fleeting emotions and expect to not be regretful in the future

I find it unlikely that it took the male lead 41 episodes to figure out that the female lead is not who she say she is 🙄

there's nothing really to be said about the discrimination between class. female lead is from a noble class family and received teachings as one would. the comparisons are all moot and discrimination remains with reason

I just finished the series, and I can say that, to me, the red thread scene was one of the most heartless and coldest responses a ML received from a FL throughout the entire c-drama universe. He told her that he wanted them to be husband and wife again in their next life, and her response was that one lifetime was more than enough. Nothing more needs to be said!
And so much for all those viewers who keep insisting that Xu Lanxiang loved her husband in her own way. No way!

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

This drama has a good story but when you get to around EP 35 the script writing gets incredibly lazy. Doing so many time skips so you don't have to fill in the gaps is just irresponsible in a drama this meaningful. This thay built up in the beginning were glazed over or skipped, example: They should have shown his struggle and coming to terms with what the FML was telling him about serving the emperor but they just show his outrage of the play and then him walking out of the palace, they didn't even show him discussing it with the emperor, just skipped it entirely. They didn't clearly or cleanly confirm he knew who she was until the end. His realization should have been more impactful, but all they did was point out that someone of her status wouldn't have the skills she had, they were taught in a prominent family. They could have used their visit to the grave site in the flash backs because her reaction makes sense in context. They should have kept the time skip in the beginning, the one when they are older and the one where she is old and show time moving through visuals and seasons and children getting older, but to just skip so many times disconnects there story too much.

I prefer Liu XY playing tough , maybe even mean bad guys rather than a lovesick fool.

I really enjoyed this drama, but I have to admit that the fact that it was literally a story spanning an entire lifetime was something that bothered me a little.

At times, I almost felt like I was watching a docudrama that had to cover every major historical event, as well as the characters’ births, marriages, and deaths, from beginning to end. I can see how that might appeal to some people, but personally, I feel like it takes away from some of the emotional impact while also leaving me emotionally exhausted.

I never really got the chance to imagine what the characters’ lives might have been like beyond what we were shown. Instead, we were given their marriages, their lives, and eventually their deaths at an almost breakneck pace, without much of a real conclusion to any of it. Some things are given a lot of attention, while others are barely mentioned, and that unevenness made it difficult for me to feel truly connected to the characters’ journeys.

By the end, I also felt like I couldn’t really imagine Xiuwan having a happy life with her husband or speculate about what might have happened to the other characters, because we already knew that the FL would outlive all of them. And ultimately, the story ends with her death at a very old age, which kind of closes the door on any possibility of imagining what their lives might have looked like beyond what we were shown.

I understand what the drama was trying to do, and I can appreciate the concept, but it’s just not my favorite way of telling a story. I think I would have preferred a little more room for the audience to imagine what happened between the lines, rather than being shown the entire lifespan of these characters in such a condensed way.

The first two tiers of the drama felt much more organic and was much more interesting to follow, mainly because the only major time skip, the six years between her being rescued from the Shen massacre and entering the Lin household as a servant, actually made sense. We were genuinely following the characters’ stories, the pacing felt natural, and there was enough time for the characters to actually exist, for relationships to develop, and for the different plots to unfold properly.

Then, starting around episode 39, everything suddenly became frantic, and I almost felt like I was watching a completely different drama. All that buildup, all that tension, only for the story to eventually turn into constant time skips, with so many things being glossed over, barely mentioned, or underdeveloped. It felt like the drama was rushing to get through the rest of the characters’ lives rather than actually letting us experience them.