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Let me start with a bold statement: I like this one better than Fated Heart. There, I said it. 😂🙈

First of all, if you’re here for Chen Zhe Yuan, congratulations, because this man really knows how to command a screen. His emperor aura is there. My only beef is the dubbed voice. My only complaint is the dubbed voice. If you’re familiar with his real voice, the voice-over might take some time to get used to. And then we have Wu Jin Yan. She might not fit the typical Chinese beauty standard, and yes, you might find yourself distracted by her eyebrows. But having followed her from Story of Yanxi Palace to The Double and now Royal Betrothal, I’ve come to appreciate her particular charm and grown to appreciate her beauty. More importantly, she seems to have a knack for choosing strong, women-centric characters.

What makes Meng Ting Hui compelling is that the drama doesn't simply reward her because she is the emperor’s love interest. Life was never particularly kind to her, and somehow she keeps choosing the harder road. Being a female official during that period was nearly impossible, not to mention she had to constantly fight against a system that was more than happy to use her gender against her. The scene where she was almost assaulted by the thugs genuinely broke my heart because it showed just how easily her enemies could destroy everything she had built simply by attacking her reputation. Of course as the emperor's favoured one, she gets a lot of privileges. But she gets them because she is a capable minister, not because she is the emperor’s woman. She earns her place in court and becomes his blade.

The most interesting thing about this drama for me, though, is its lovers-to-enemies romance. Destiny clearly had other plans for them, but what makes their relationship so fascinating is how unconventional it started. Because seriously, there is no universe where you willingly send the woman you love into the lion’s den, knowingly put her life at risk, and make her your weapon in court. Yet this man did exactly that. And the funniest part? We all knew he was already fascinated by her from the moment they met in that remote desert in the middle of nowhere.

I know the ending has been controversial, but I personally appreciated its realism. The emperor isn't simply a male lead who throws away his responsibilities because he is in love. He loves her, it's obvious, but he is still an emperor. You can see his sincerity in how far he goes to abolish an ancient law that discriminates against ministers. He is constantly forced to choose between his personal happiness and his responsibility as an emperor, and that conflict becomes especially painful during the final five episodes. Their love story may not provide the romantic satisfaction some viewers expect, but I think its lack of conventionality is precisely what makes it memorable. His attempts to balance love and duty are probably what made the ending work for me.

The drama also deserves credit for showing multiple forms of love. There is the tragedy of realizing too late that you loved the right person while spending years choosing the wrong one (Yes, pointing at Zhen Shi Li and the Right Chancellor disgusting romance arc). Then there’s my favorite, the warm and playful relationship between Shen Zi Shu and Yan Fu Zhi, whose love transcends appearance and wealth even though they never receive the grand wedding we were waiting for. And then there is tragic Huang Bo's story, a love that never gets the opportunity to bloom because life gets in the way. These stories suggest that love isn't always about just finding the right person. Sometimes it's about timing, choices, circumstances, and whether life allows two people to stay together.

But if there is one character I would give the biggest appreciation to, it has to be Yan Fu Zhi. Give this character an award. BEST. FRIEND. EVER. Her sisterhood with Meng Ting Hui is one of the strongest emotional elements of the drama. Her loyalty never wavers since episode 1. Fu Zhi believes in her Meng Meng. Even if Meng Ting Hui appears to betray Daning, Fu Zhi's first instinct isn't “she betrayed us.” It's “She must have had a reason.” That level of friendship? I’m weak 😭. The emperor's journey is also marked by the gradual loss of his loyal friends (Yes, only a few survived), which makes his story increasingly bittersweet. Shen Zi Shu's death genuinely broke me, and the whole revival era somehow made me even more emotional. I think the friendship and loyalty is the highlights of the entire drama.

Ultimately, this drama is interesting because it refuses to be typical. If you’re willing to step outside the usual drama formula, give this one a try. It might just expand your drama dictionary.