The first part with the crown Prince was definitely riveting and angsty. This is what the synopsis is about. The synopsis did not hint or give away the second part of this series which garner mixed feelings.

I prefer to divide this up to 3 parts. The first is about the revenge and how FL was trained by ML to be an assassin. Unbeknownst to the ML, his actions is what lead to the outcome of his punishment. I like that he had suffer consequences of his actions because I do not like happy endings for MLs just because they are written as some kind of hero with some redemption arc. He poison Mei Lin and he trained her to be an assassin in harsh conditions after she became an orphan. Why should he escape feeling real remorse. For people who did not like MeiLin’s ending. I mean she was a nobody orphan who became the love interest of two crown Prince and became a princess and a no-fault empress. I say this is more than most people got to experience. She outlived a crown Prince and an imperial concubine. I don’t think she needs to be cured of an almost incurable poison just because it makes for your typical happy ending.

The middle part was about the romance and courtship of Meilin from not just Jinghe but the Prince Heir. While most people were unhappy with the death of the crown Prince. I think he got what he deserved. An insignificant death for a madman who was living large in his delulu life. I am glad he didn’t have the magnificent death in combat that would have made him the talk of the history annals. He was poison in jail as a nobody by the woman he loves. Probably the only person her loves kills him. That’s just desserts for me. He fades into insignificance after his death in the series. So much for his grandiose large than life self esteem.

The last part was what I would say the redemption arc Qingzhou. All the main characters moved there. It was about rebuilding the city. It was reclaiming the reputation for the Webei Army and general Wei bei in Qingzhou. I liked how Meilin became a person of significance when she left with the Prince Heir to Xilan. It was good to see all efforts were made to save her and still it went wrong because life never goes according to plan. The battle with the Weibei Army to save Qingzhou was a great full circle arc. I feel like the budget went to this battle rather than the battle with the crown Prince in the great Yan.

I a, perfectly fine with the ending. Mainline opened her cake shop. Jinghe gave MeiLin her happy ending. They got married. Jinghe even gave her the wedding she wanted. He became the bride and househusband just like she wanted. They had a happy ending in bed. It’s not as if having kids was her end game. Or being an empress. She just wanted to run a cake shop with her live-in husband helping out her mom’s cake shop. She never mentioned wanting kids. Considering she checked off everything on her bucket list I don’t need much else. There is a reason why we don’t see ML and FL decades into a marriage. It isn’t all one big honeymoon. If Meilin became Jinghe’s empress. I am sure there would be some kind of concubine drama. He remain loyal to her after he became emperor. Overall, it was the best kind of happy ending to me. The alternative cute meet was throwing fans a bone.

If this is a new grand of doing ending. I like to see more.