The story is interesting. I am a fan of the male lead Peter Sheng and was all set to enjoy a piece of great work. Sadly, the actors were all disjointed as if they did not review their script nor did they understand their character parts. They seem to be in their own micro world and not acting with each other. The directing did not help either. The actors also seem to have mental changes with each screen change. For example, the crown prince at first screen had some noble air in the palace but turned into a jiang-hu thug during the academy screens. In one scene as he runs for his life, he bends over his knees in total exhaustion; as he straightened his back, he stands upright as if exhaustion did not exist a second before. The male lead's personality fluctuated through different scenes such that I can not pin his true character; is he cold elegance or young boyish or shy gentle? Two side characters joined the school the same time the main characters did under the approval of the elder as having a "good heart and character" turns out to be school bullies leading a group of followers in the next scene. [My confused self: wait a minute, aren't they new students? How did they become seniors with minions and power? What happened to the two sweet innocent like boys at the entry exam?] As a Peter Sheng fan, I believe his acting could only be as stable as he could musters under the destructive guidance of the director. There are also some flaws with film editing. I can only imagine a "could be" hit drama if only it was under better directing and editing.