The drama's pilot week is one of the best I've seen in cdramaland.
As a wuxia, the fl is strong, smart and a heroine that dislikes being second to anyone. She is as strong as (at some point even stronger than) the ml and other male characters that can fight. She also has a good background, the same high status as the ml and the first among her peers to be promoted to the highest rank. Most fl's aren't as priveleged.

As a romance, there is more romance than in the novel. Bai Feng Hei Xi also has a healthy relationship with trust, support and no misunderstandings. It can be seen as either ideal or too good to be true considering the environment of the world they live in.
And even though the fl's love lines with other male characters are toned down compared to the novel in favor of Yang Yang, Zhao Lusi still has good chemistry with He Kailang, Zhang Haowei and Lai Yi.

But as a novel fan, I did not like how the fl centered novel was completely changed into ml centered drama. At some point the fl just became a love interest who only appears to be rescued by ml and make sure the cp falls in love, instead of ml's equal like first introduced.
There is also more palace politics and scheming midway that got repetitive and predictable. And the ending was unsatisfying. A bittersweet one compared to the novel's proper HE.

Overall, it had a great start, repetitive middle and rushed ending. It could've been better.
As an adaptation, it was dissappointing. It did not make me feel the emotions that the novel made me feel. But as a standalone, it was still a good watch.