for example, he knew about certain characters' fake identities in his heart but it wasn't stated for us to see

As a prince in that Era, I'm grateful to the author for not making him chaste and 'pure'. Even if this is a fictional ancient era, it was refreshing to have a cast that was open about visiting brothels considering their status. Moreover, him having so much confusion on who he loved made so much sense after we find out the people around him were manipulating his feelings. Moving on, the MC isn't as unreliable as some people make him out to be. Of course he was a bit dense, but let's be real when everyone around you is acting and lying to you, it's hard to tell what's real and fake. He has a lot if good points and he is genuine in his care for his relatives. I loved his relationship with his nephews so much, and am glad they held the same genuine affections for him. Though, I felt quite sorry for him romance wise, because the people he gave his heart to were all lying to him. Palace drama is painful and seeing him so lonely is painful. I'm glad he found someone to accompany him in peace. I think these old souls need rest from the political scenes.

I was reading reviews and can understand why people would think Yunyu would be the ML, but I think most of it is just wishful thinking (laughcries) It was established pretty early on that MC has an eyecandy. I'd say to me, they aren't the conventional romantic partners, but more of two people who has entwined fates and are accompanying each other till old. ML was always respectful of the MC and vice versa I honestly think they suit each other and they seem pretty sweet offscreen. It's just a shame that we weren't able to see much romance blossoming, and that the confirmation of love only happened in the extras.

I was always suspicious of Yunyu. It was hinted that him and the emperor had a thing going on, and it was very seriously implied, but I genuinely think these two guilty brothers are just licking their own wounds. I think Yunyu really liked the MC, but he was so stubborn about his status and circumstances that he couldn't submit to his feelings. I could tell that with every confession, Yunyu was getting closer to accepting the MC, but he wouldn't have been able to forgive himself thus he never reprociated. Yunyu loved playing push and pull with the MC, he even admitted that he was confused about his own feelings. Very suitable to be the 2nd ML indeed.

I defo have a soft spot for the emperor since he was the only one who constantly showed his biasness towards the MC, but I honestly have no idea if what he felt was familial protectiveness, or an romantic obsession, or even neither and he was just looking out for a potential threat. His character is so complex and I love it. The ending he had got me feeling so stuffy though, especially since his wish to see his uncle before he died wasn't fulfilled. Even though we will never get a revealation of what he felt towards his uncle/cousin, it's obvious that he loved MC a lot, no matter romantically or platonically. (Though if this lil dude was the ML, our MC probably wouldn't be a seme protagonist anymore haha.)

... though actually the ML never changes. Liu Tongyi and Prince Huai do end up together, but Prince Huai definitely has feelings for other people over the course of this story.

It's obliquely implied that Qizhe (the emperor) has feelings for his uncle. Though they still have the same surname, so it still would've been considered incest in ancient China.

The emperor's feelings imo are almost certainly not reciprocated, though it's clear that Prince Huai loves Qizhe in a very familial sense, and there's always a wistful longing to reminiscences Prince Huai has about Qizhe's childhood.

I'd have liked more of Prince Huai's later feelings on Liu Tongyi... Like, he admits that at first he fell in love with an image of Liu Tongyi that was never real (and Liu Tongyi himself mentions this as well), so I'd like to know how Prince Huai thinks of Liu Tongyi as he truly is, especially at the end. The author kind of pulls a out-of-nowhere timeskip on the readers in the last chapter, right after Prince Huai essentially says he wants to stay with Liu Tongyi.

And, I'd also have liked a confession scene! Prince Huai freaking confessed to Yun Yu like three! times! And, yeah, I guess he confessed to Liu Tongyi once, but that's waved off as "Prince Huai was simply confusing his feelings" at the time, and this is never really addressed later?? Like, he never straight up told Liu Tongyi, "While I might've been confused before, I do love you now." There's a limit to subtlety, ok! And I like my romances clear-cut!

In particular, the author adds some extras in the middle of the text (for clarity purposes, apparently), and it actually made the later chapters slightly more frustrating since it's told from a different perspective. While previous chapters are told from Prince Huai's perspective, and with the readers fully immersed in his thoughts, we tended to find his misunderstandings understandable/unavoidable. But with the knowledge of the extras (that Liu Tongyi really, truly loves Prince Huai, and knows that Prince Huai doesn't love him back), the later chapters become sooo nerve-wracking. And I was constantly shouting, "Just confess!!" at both these idiots. Because Prince Huai is so oblivious to Liu Tongyi's feelings that it was almost physically painful.

When he first take home Chu Xun and that's the only day he has time to unwind. Then every single love interest of his starts to pop up one at a time and amusingly ruin that day.

Who knows if Yun Yu was truly disgusted by MC? How could he bear to fake a romance with someone he knew he was related with?

At the start he acts like a vinegar pot and gets on MC's case even though he knows what the Empress Dowager has been doing to the MC will force him to do, and then he acts ambiguous with. every. single. person. MC could be in love with. Except Chu Xun, but I don't know if anyone bothered to clear up the misunderstanding Chu Xun had of MC. Even at the end, the fake poison was ?? like what is that supposed to mean dear nephew?

His POV is such a hoodwinker that the extras really shocked me. I'm just glad that he really did love MC.

I wanted to see how he felt (YY too!) after realizing he'd wronged Chengjun. I have a sort of love-hate thing for his character. In his letter, he writes “I have always believed in you, uncle, but you have never believed in me.” but thats a complete lie. Guess we'll never know and its a pity how he ended up.

Qizhe – what did he really feel for the MC? Familial love or more? Was there real jealousy with the other characters or just part of the ploy? Although I felt pity for him given the restrictions relating to his position, I couldn’t feel as much for him as the other two leads.

The eventual ML endured so much from the MC, and you could say he became the ML because he was the last man standing (as opposed to the MC making a deliberate choice), so I would have liked to see him be cherished and loved, even if it’s just a glimpse of their everyday lives. I also feel for the alternate lead – it would have been great to see an extra on him rebuilding his life.

How did the face mask twig to the MC that something may be awry?

- he was also the only one who cried at ChengJun's funeral; his farewell words in the extras broke my heart and I couldn't help but tear up

although I shipped him with Liu Tongyi from beginning to end the author gives far more development to Yun yu x Prince Huai and even the emperor x Prince Huai has more substance to it than the eventual main CP. The ending was extremely unsatisfying in terms of romance especially after the extras with the ghost dude confirmed that Ransi in fact did love Prince Huai.

The author really could have expanded more on the rebellion plot. It just sort of happened and ended. She could have given us people's reactions when Prince Huai was revealed to not be traitor.

I was especially confused as to the rebellion plot itself. Like how did Prince Huai accomplish "going undercover" with no faction or servants of his own? It makes it seem like he has some but at the same time says he doesn't? Overall poorly done to me.

MY SHIP, THE MOST WELL CHARACTERIZED AND EMOTIONALLY INTENSE SHIP OF THE THREE POSSIBILITIES, SANK IN SUCH AN UNPLEASANT AND ANTICLIMACTIC WAY.... like I seriously have no idea why the author would have let that emotional thread just drop like that. Incredibly odd from a writing POV and very frustrating to read!! JUSTICE FOR YUN YU. PERIOD.

lol ok now that the newbs are gone (bish you'd best begone), let's just all scream in tandem. Ahfasjkahakljlkjdslkjflksdhfdjshgjklsd.

Yes, I too am pretty annoyed at the ending. However although our final ML was a tad bit disappointing it wasn't as bad as some of y'all were saying. I mean, I too wish I could put down 4 stars bc I stanned the emperor and MC, the pairing honestly would never have come to mind without all y'alls reviews. Sure there were some cute moments btween the two, however that was hardly any, and we never really saw him. (Lol the most impact he really had on my emotions was his death which actually fcuking crushed me, and later when we saw our fav nephew repeat the cycle with emperor's son, which was sad too bc like, happy ending or not, like aljklksja (but also which is super incestual actually, bc emperor and fav neph were bros, right??))

Actually, I quite despised how the author ended Yun Yu. I'd be ok if they just said that he was the nephew, whatever, however the gall the author had to make YY reject MC bc of that, I'm so f!cking offended! He should have been the endign ml, let's be real.

However, the ultimate ml, Liu Tongyi wasn't toooo bad. I felt like it was pretty natural, though those emperorxchenjun vibes were really exacerbated towards the end. But I disagree with the comments that said it felt forced and s*upid. It didn't really come off that way too me. Lol, actually though I was hating all his scheming and Yun Yu's scheming at the end, I came to find the Tongyi/MC relationship cute. (Tho if ya ask me, I'll still insist author coulda figured out a different ending with Yun Yu.

As for those ending credits/extra scenes, I absolutely despised them. I usually do hate extra scenes bc they drag on, but I just hated this bc it was unnecessary.

To wrap this review up though, I absolutely loved this novel. Maybe it's because I usually read romance fluff, but this was so fvcking real and intense and gritty, and you can't always have what you want, so even if the end made me a lil annoyed, it was awesome.

(tho you cannot tell me Yun Yu should have reacted like that, like ajhdjkahfdjalkjfdkljlsdhjlkgsjd--ik he has been pissed at the imperial nephews since frever, but still idk that seemed so unrealistic)