The only thing this show got right was the Han Ye's casting
I couldn't watch through episode 25. Some major faults with the show. Di Ziyuan's whole attitude. It's exactly the same as all female lead's attitudes in cdramas- crying and melancholy for Han Ye in private, sappy cliche "flirting" lines that don't even fit with the time period. Let me tell you, the book had many funny and original dialogues between the two leads they could've copied word for word into the show and it would be so characterizing and entertaining.One line they did copy which was somewhat important in the book was, "I've fallen for a girl named Ren Anle, but I'll always protect Di Ziyuan," was utterly butchered by the show, because they put it at the wrong time! Don't forget the atrocious breaking the fourth wall they did for dramatic effect. That had me shivering and rolling my eyes. In the books, Han Ye tells this to Ren Anle BEFORE he confirmed she was Di Ziyuan. So it was important because it was the first admission from Han Ye that he does have feelings for Ren Anle because he always rejects her advances, but that his love for her won't lead to anything serious because he would still pursue to marry Di Ziyuan as repayment to her family and tribute to their childhood feelings. I can't even make sense of what it means to say that after he knows who she is in the show. Like ????Also it was meaningful in the books, because after he told her this line, he confirmed who she was, then he had basically an identity crisis because he would "always protect Di Ziyuan" meaning her identity as daughter of House Di who was so important to founding of the country, or her as a person which means Ren Anle? That whole line becomes a paradox.Then, something unforgiveable of the showriters- Han Ye doesn't believe the Di family is innocent *without physical evidence???* What a terrible person. I can't even convince myself how his character makes sense, nor how he can do anything he even claims to do or even that he cares for Di Ziyuan if that's his true thoughts. In the books, Han Ye and Princess Anning **had no doubt** that House Di was innocent. That's the root of Han Ye's determination to return Di Ziyuan to her former glory (by marrying her and crowning her Empress) without overthrowing his father and Princess Anning's guilt at facing Di Ziyuan and her protectiveness at any further harm to Di Ziyuan from the royal family.