This is not the melodrama or the tragic love story I was expecting but it was entertaining.

STORY:

- First part : How ShiYi ends up the "student" of Zhou Sheng Chen and the time they spend together or far from each other. How they grow fond of each other. The part is cute and fun. They obviously have a huge age gap and different levels of maturity but it made it even more credible.

- Second part : ShiYi leaves for the Capital of the Center State to marry. The plots and schemes for power intensify and they are caught in the middle. That part looked the usual historical palace cdrama with its numerous characters and schemes. It was enjoyable as it was clear and fast paced, not too convoluted.

- Love story : It is not a Love story. These two were no lovers. Master and protégée, teacher and pupil, fatherly figure and god daughter maybe, friends and confidants... Instead, it is a story of untold feelings. I liked how their fidelity to their duty and their love for their people led them to their demise.

CHARACTERS / ACTORS:

- Zhou Sheng Chen : I liked the character. He is a great general but also very human and caring for people. He has a nice personality despite the fact that he almost never smile. He is a man of his word. His priority was always his duty even before ShiYi. He had affection and feelings for her but he keeps them buried inside as he must do. It is his role and his fate. Allen Ren is a good actor and I liked his portrayal of Zhou Sheng Chen

- Cui Shi Yi . At first I thought she was someone smart and a fighter but no. She is just a little bookworm smitten by a great hero's figure. She slowly develops feelings for him. But she is also a filial daughter and she agrees to marry for the sake of her family. I always had the feeling that her love was more made of admiration than real love as she was always calling him her master. Bai Lu is great as a strong female or as a nice weak protégée.

- Other characters were interesting. I liked General Hong and General Cui's story. This was the real love story. General Feng and the monk were cute together.

MUSIC:

It was good but one thing really annoyed me. Why they used so many songs to create a mood and atmosphere but the lyrics were louder than the dialogue at very important moments? That totally spoiled these moments for me.

REWATCH VALUE:

Maybe not but it does not mean it is not good.

OVERALL: 9. It is a good story. Not Romeo and Juliet but the two leads are cute and endearing. Both from their own side, they were really torn between their duty and their affection and feelings. Their ending is tragic as expected but it is well made for both of them to the point you will shed a tear for sure. The ending is well done and the story is nicely wrapped.