I'm one of the few who is not in love with this drama. I was thinking to drop it around episode 21 or 22, but others on MDL said it picks up around episode 35. Well, the lie detector test determined that that was a lie. It was boring to the bitter end. It is a political drama filled with long, drawn-out dialogues and in some cases, very questionable logic. If you feel that you should drop it, do not doubt yourself because of what others say, listen to your gut and drop it. I am not mad that I watched it, but I should have followed my intuition and just read recaps.




What I liked:
-Fei Lu- Yes, the boy who spoke the least and loved eating and fighting was my favorite. He was adorable and extremely loyal.
-The Emperor, Jing Rui, Yu Jin, Lin Chen, Prince Ji, Meng Zhi, and Gao Zhan- These characters added some comic relief to a very serious and boring drama.





What I didn't like:
-Mei Chang Su- Yes, I know everyone loves him, but I didn't care for him. He was very smart, but he had a sanctimonious air to him. I lost all interest in him after what he caused at Jing Rui's birthday party. He wanted his revenge but often didn't take into consideration the feelings of people he was using as stepping stones.
-The keeping his identity from Prince Jing storyline was annoying and drawn out for too long. Prince Jing didn't find out until episode 48 or 49. I also didn't like that when Prince Jing was very close to figuring it out, the ML, the princess, Prince Jing's mother, and General Meng would consistently lie to him and insult his intelligence by gaslighting him. I don't know how he was able to trust any of them after that. I don't care if it was for the greater good, these are not the actions of trustworthy people.
-This drama lacks an emotional connection. I could not connect with many of the characters, especially the ML. They tried to make us feel something between him and the princess, but we never really saw any romance between them. We know they love each other, but I couldn't feel anything for them. Everyone raves about the bromance, but it actually didn't do anything for me. In terms of bromance only, it doesn't compare to Cross Fire, Ouroboros, Handsome Sibling, or Inseparable Bros, in my opinion. The only times this drama elicited feelings from me was when Prince Yu was pleading with his father while he was in the cage after his rebellion (he acted really well in that scene) and Tong Lu's little love story.

My recommendation is if you want to watch it, then watch it; if you want to drop it, then drop it.