I really didn't expect Chen meiren to end up being so close to Ning Shuyan, so much so that even the emperor became jealous of their relationship

Also didn't expect the queen to pull a big one and straight up poison the emperor! She really didn't know how to scheme, did she?

Honestly, I was expecting the FL to be like the TJOAIC FL but she was a bit... too sincere like she felt guilty from time to time, for not sincerely loving the emperor, and she actually fell in love with him, when he promised not to hold another concubine selection and even abolished most of the concubines after he was bedridden from poison and was not expected to survive

He is a very sentimental and sincere type of a person, even as an emperor, his schemes were not that deep, as compared to other novel's emperors. From the way he remembered his mother, to the way he treated his brothers, it was clear that getting the throne was his way to survive in the imperial harem and fulfill his mother's expectations of him. He unconsciously wanted sincere affection from his harem, and FL was the first one to give him that experience, she treated him as her husband, not as her monarch and let the mighty emperor feel the pleasure of being an ordinary family man. I feel like, in alternate universe, he would have been that famous Wangye who only had his Wangfei in his harem. So, no surprise, the emperor is as whipped as frosting on a cake, when it comes the FL, by the end of the book

The ending seemed a bit rushed, ngl, the empress' scheme was impulsive, and even though she wasn't the sharpest sword in the armory, the level of recklessness was disappointing. If I was the empress, I would have poisoned the emperor in a way that it doesn't trace back to me, or framed FL as a demon consort, so the emperor is constantly under pressure of the court. I never would have done the butterfly scheme, and done so at such an inopportune time.

Also, Shen Cainu's character arc was unsatisfying. She has so much potential, she could've served as a contrast to the emperor, as he realized that he loved only FL, even if there was another woman who loved him sincerely. Her ending was forced too.

The last 60 chapters, the emperor became a simp, after he realized his love and almost lost FL a couple times, becoming very indulgent. He should have slowly unraveled the true depth of NSY feelings for him, have a moment of heartbreak, realize that he loved her no matter what, and be determined to make her fall for him by offering lifelong sincerity. Also, things we a little too smooth for NSY and she never truly suffered a loss, so that was a bit unrealistic.

MC later also fell in love with ML for real but at that time, ML already devoted to only her so she wouldn't be heartbroken by watching ML favored other woman.

He's no virg*n and he's active nearly every night. Sometimes he visits the same woman multiple times in a row. Other times he rotates based on court politics or personal whim. You might not like him, but this genre requires setting aside modern perspectives. He's juggling court stability and using these relationships strategically. His connection with the FL starts as curiosity, evolves into pleasure, then intense favor, and eventually love. Their dynamic is fascinating. I genuinely laugh during their intimate scenes. Honestly, I wish there was more smut because I wanted to see just how flexible she was. 🔥 She clearly knew what she was doing. Early on, he's shocked when she reciprocates during intimacy. Other women were trained to just lie there without emotion. With the FL, though? Both of them actually enjoy it. This made me so happy for her because imagine being with a man repeatedly and getting zero pleasure. The other women don't even kiss him because he dislikes it. She's not some lifeless doll, though. As time passes, he showers her with more nighttime visits, lavish gifts, and promotions. You really see how his feelings move from phase to phase.

She is the biological mother of the first prince and one of the original harem members alongside the Empress and Zhang Fei. She's well-favored and has a son, the firstborn. If the empress remains childless and he proves worthy, he could become crown prince through birth order alone. Instead of nurturing him properly, Rong Fei wastes her energy making snide comments, punishing newcomers, and causing miscarriages among other consorts. Her fatal flaw? She's foolish. She schemes constantly but fails to train her son. The boy turns out incredibly dumb. She gets confined once for her actions, does it again, and that second offense destroys her completely.

The supposed favorite of the emperor. Looking back, she was pretty much a pawn in the game. Initially, she enjoys favor despite having no children. I expected her downfall to come later. Her cover weakened after Rong exits the picture. Credit where it's due, she plans better and covers her tracks more carefully than Rong. Once Rong is gone, though, her schemes become visible. The person who would've shielded her is no longer there, and the FL's favor keeps rising.

Her karma hits brutally. She's infertile, and we later discover the Empress sabotaged her fertility medicine. Worse? The emperor knew and allowed it. This is why I almost pity her. The emperor had feelings for her once, but her powerful family background made her arrogant. He turned a blind eye to her behavior, mentally keeping score while still showing her affection. That same family background bred greed, though, and greed became THEIR undoing. When her family's ambitions are exposed and they fall from grace, all the emperor's overlooked grievances resurface. Her ending wasn't light. Painful and humiliating.

Remember, he was the FL's original match before the late emperor reassigned her. The irony? Around chapter 50, we discover he already had a concubine and would soon take another. When they meet later, he becomes obsessed. He even takes a Cefei (secondary consort) who resembles the FL. I knew he'd cause trouble, and I appreciated that the author didn't resort to cheap tactics like drugging the FL to sleep with him. His downfall was tied to his pride in the late emperor's love for him, but the planning was not sound. He's always been competitive with his older brother and wanted what his brother had. During a celebration, though, he attempts assassination. The FL saves the emperor. The c*cky bastard isn't even worried about punishment because he produces an edict his greedy mother obtained (a whole nother matter I typed and deleted cos I was going on and on about him). It grants her empress dowager status and shields him from any punishment, even death. So despite the assassination attempt, the emperor can't execute him. 🙄 I loved the solution, though. Instead of death, he gets house arrest without servants. After two or three years of that isolation, he'll truly understand his punishment. Idiot!

She shows her fangs early but lacks the intelligence to back up her hostility. Only her title as Empress protects her initially. Once that protection crumbles, she spirals out of control. She's a smiling snake who acts magnanimous while harboring vicious intentions. She can't even endure properly. Yes, she's the primary wife and the protagonist of her own story, but her position demands sacrifice. The ML doesn't even like her. Before the FL arrived, he favored other women. Without the FL, he'd simply favor different women. She fails to raise the son placed in her care. She has no children of her own and obsessively monitors other consorts' pregnancies. Furthermore, she attempts to poison the emperor and can't maintain composure when confronted. Let's not even talk about her being a poison woman. You can imagine her fate. 😤

our FL becomes Empress, exactly as she deserves. 👑 The extras reveal she gives birth to dragon and phoenix twins. She already had a son before this.

Cheng Yin and Ning Shuyan’s sisterhood was such a surprise- (they were so close that ML misunderstood them 😂

He finally came into terms with his feelings and was pretty much honest about it at the later part of the story. He also ended up abolishing the selection of new concubines for our girl- even making her the empress.