I actually thoroughly enjoyed this drama. I don't get why many ppls are so annoyed with the male lead for being stiff. He was meant to be ruthless and cold so ofc he wouldn't know how to express love etc when he was born to prioritize the empire. It frustrates viewers and dats the point. The actors/actresses are not the main problems in this drama, but the storyline itself that is messed up, esp when they introduce a whole new storyline midway. But it is overall still a better drama than most other Chinese drama like the "10 miles peach blossom" as it is not too overly dramatic or tragic.