It has been awhile since I saw this drama, but I still have difficulty writing a review, because I still don't know if I enjoyed it. I'm pretty sure I only finished this for Ji Chang Wook and not for its content. What I liked: This drama has a lot of political intrigue, which I do enjoy. I tend to watch a lot of historical fiction so this does satisfy that interest. The costumes were beautiful. The ending was also very well done, so I was pleased when I walked away from it. What I disliked: There were many moments I almost wanted to drop this drama due to how lengthy it is, and my inability to feel sympathetic towards any of the characters until close to the end. Empress Ki was a strong female lead, which is nice, but she was not a likable character. I did not enjoy the love triangle. At one point I was hoping they would just stop, because I did not believe any of their characters deserved to be together. It took a lot for me to continue this drama, so I don't plan to ever rewatch it. I would only recommend this if you are willing to sit through a lot of boring episodes and put up with pushovers and annoying love triangles to get to a good ending.