rose

The Road to Splendor was such a pleasant surprise. The story gave its side characters enough depth to make me care about their individual journeys, while Fu Tingyuan and Zhao Ling had a romance that felt genuinely earned. I especially loved that they loved each other when they had nothing, built their own lives, and still chose each other when everything changed.

Ding Yuxi and Deng Enxi were both fantastic, and the ending actually managed to wrap up the story properly — something you don't always find in a C-drama. My only complaint is that I wanted a little more romance in the final episodes.

Overall, definitely one I'd recommend if you enjoy historical dramas with strong characters, politics, and a devoted main couple.

I wrote a longer, more detailed review covering the characters, villains, romance and ending on my Substack if you wanna check it out! https://mshridyanshi.substack.com/p/the-road-to-splendor-is-so-much-better?r=45x978&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer