An Emotional Rollercoaster

Dark, gritty and suspenseful thriller.

Warning: Don't get too attached to any characters. (vibe of this series is very similar to Game of Thrones series, so very possibly a few beloved characters of My Journey to You, may also share similar fate as that one. )

On the surface it is Gong family's males who control everything but real power is held by female characters.... Many species have females that are more devious and vicious than males due to their conditioning and survival instinct and so are the Female Characters in this series. The chief of wufeng is a female, even though the viewers never get to see her face even at the end... Shangguan Qian another great manipulator, even she wouldn't know whether she was telling truth or a lie...

Edward Guo, the director as well as the writer deserves major credit for the aesthetics of the drama. The picturisation has an enlivening effect, making it seem like watching cinema and not just a drama. The story is full of mystique, audience has to remain alert and engaged so as not to miss an important clue because the story is filled with layers upon layers of subterfuge and cunning.

The story starts with Esther Yu/ Yu ShuXin assuming a false identity of Yu WeiShan to enter bride selection process held by the Gong family. She enters under a false identity with a secret mission given by Wufeng, an assassin organization. Due to untimely death of the head of Gong family, Gong HongYu and the young heir, Gong HuanYu, an inexperienced and unambitious Gong ZiYu(Zhang LingHe) becomes the sword wielder(head) of the Gong family.. ....Yu WeiShan now becomes the chosen bride of Gong ZiYu and so starts their journey towards each other while navigating the traps set around them.



Some of the questions that the viewers grapple with from the beginning of the series are:

* What is the real intention of Wufeng organisation? Who is the mastermind?

*what is the real identity of Yu WeiShan?

* Who killed Gong HongYu and Gong HuanYu in the beginning of the series that catapulted a sequence of events?

*what is the mystery surrounding Madame Lan, Gong ZiYu's mother?

* And the most important question..... Who are allies and enemies? (Every character has a secret agenda)

As soon as the audience unravels one riddle another crops up in its place, keeping them on their toes and guessing throughout.


One major drawback that I see is the ending... I was mentally prepared for more mayhem and death but the ending seems more of a let down... The build up of the antagonist was larger than life, however we never got the ultimate confrontation with the BIG BAD... Even the open ending about WeiShan's fate and ZiYu was unsatisfactory, it felt as if the writer wanted to make the network happy so left it upto the audience to resolve it as they seem fit.........MAYBE Edward Guo the director as well as the writer wanted to continue with the stories of wufeng and is hoping for a second season or even if the second season doesnt work out, he is publishing the books so he may continue writing about these characters in his book so in his mind this series is just the beginning and not the end... However if that was the case I would have liked to have a hint at the end that their story will continue either in books or if lucky then in a second season of the series.


All the actors have performed stupendously making their characters come alive onscreen. Yu ShuXin, Zhang LingHe, Ryan Cheng, Lu YuXiao the main leads leave a lasting impression of their characters.


Overall, A good watch comparable with old school Agatha Christie novels(Especially, Then There Were None), the audience is kept entranced with whodunnit along with a good dose of romance taking them on a thrilling ride on an emotional roller coaster?

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Maintaining Power Balance in the Royal Court.

The drama tells the story of 15th century China, It is set during the 14th year of Chenghua Emperor's reign. This drama has been adapted from BL chinese novel "The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua" by Meng Xi Shi. Due to restrictions in China, the relationship between the protagonists Tang Fan (Darren Chen) a sixth rank official working as a Magistrate of the Shutian Perfecture and Sui Zhou (Fu Meng Po) an embroidered uniform guard, at the Northern Administrative Court of Imperial Guards and a former soldier is depicted as bromance rather than romance. Another interesting character is Wang Zhi (Liu Yao Yuan) an Eunuch and Commander of Western Depot.

Historically, Emperor Chenghua favoured Noble Consort Wan who was around 17 years elder to him. Wang Zhi, the crown prince , Commander Wan of Northern Imperial guards are real historical figures. The story is expertly woven around the real historical figures and fictional characters blending them together to form an interesting story of a brilliant crime solving seluth, Tang Fan and a stoic imperial guard, Sui Zhou suffering from a bad case of PTSD.

The story starts with Sui Zhou and Tang Fan solving petty mysteries that morphs into a bigger conspiracy against the Crown. Sui Zhou and Tang Fan during their first encounter seem as different as oil and water somehow fit together very well as they get to know each other while solving crimes and mysteries. Tang Fan who is quite impoverished after having given up his property as a dowry to his married sister Tang Yu, supplements his meager income by writing erotic love stories. Sui Zhou a former soldier belonging to a noble family is quite prosaic, living all alone in a vast house. Tang Fan is tempremental and mercurial whereas Sui Zhou is calm and collected. After getting to know each other while solving a few cases, Tang Fan moves in with Sui Zhou. They also redeem from the brothel and save a young girl Dong Er(Huangyang Tian Tian) who was a servant at Tang Fan's previous land lord's house. Dong Er is a child prodigy who is like their adopted daughter and seems to fit in well with Sui Zhou and Tang Fan. Together the three of them form an unconventional but endearing family. Tang Fan loves to eat good food while Sui Zhou gets satisfaction in cooking for him. Cooking for Tang Fan and providing stability for his family also helps Sui Zhou manage his PTSD. Due to their cases, they frequently encounter Wang Zhi whose philosophy is "I help you and you help me". Wang Zhi, Sui Zhou and Tang Fan form three corners of a power triangle. They even mange to prevent a coup at the end of the series.

As the story progresses more beloved characters become a part of this unorthodox family, Duo Er La and Wu Yan the Oirats living in iron market, Tang Yu and her son He Cheng, Doctor Pei Huai each having their own short story arc.

Apart from Tang Fan and Sui Zhou's family and friends the series also depicts the power struggle within the Royal Court. Another powerful triangle in the series is the three departments.
1.Eunuch Shang Ming the head of Eastern Depot, 2.Commander Wan Tong the head of Northern Imperial Guards as well as Noble Consort Wan's brother.
3.Eunuch Wang Zhi the head of Western Depot who seems to be gaining more authority and power, acting as the Emperor's informant. He has developed a vast spy network even recruiting smart beggar boys.

The rumours among the officials is that the Emperor is quite passive and real power is wielded by the Noble consort Wan Zhen'er. The Emperor is surrounded by corrupt officials and can rely only on Wang Zhi's loyalty. However the Emperor is also wary of Wang Zhi's growing powers. The Eastern Depot, The Western Depot and The Northern Imperial guards are often an loggerheads, each trying to usurp the other department. The political intricacies, back stabbing and plots by the court officials form quite an interesting part of the drama. Also mixed in the main arc of the story is the family background and fate of family members of previous rulers and rebels.

Jackie Chan is one of the producer of this series and many stunts of the drama take inspiration from his fighting style. Tang Fan's unserious attitude combined with 'keep on moving' philosophy of Sui Zhou makes most of the cases quite humorous in a satirical manner. The drama brings in its share of laughter and tears as the viewers become witnesses and companions of these characters' journey.

First thirty five episodes are quite fast paced and gripping however the last twelve episodes feel draggy. The last plot of the coup and the main antagonist, Li Zi Long's role seems to overshadow Tang Fan's brilliance. All decisions made by Tang Fan are gullible and foolish. I was waiting for the Eureka moment where the viewers would be astonished as to how Tang Fan pretented to fall in their trap but had the situation well under control however that doesn't happen. Li Zi Long temporarily outsmarts Wang Zhi and Tang Fan and our protagonists hobble behind just about barely manage to save the day.

Overall: An Engaging drama, it may not be The best mystery series but certainly has its own charm. Definitely worth Watching.

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