JUST ME GOING ON A SPIEL ABOUT SOME CHARACTERS: Fei Sheng. Underrated character. I don't know why I enjoyed reading about him so much but I really did, and I think he deserves more love. Man's was just trying his bumbling best the entire story and his development from someone who was just sticking around SZC to save his own skin to asking SZC to bury him before the city gates as a protector for a thousand years to come, COME ON MAN. The tears I shed that chapter could have filled a pool.

Dingtao, Gujin, Chen Yang. Half of my humor bookmarks come from scenes with them in it. Only that I wish I saw more of how Dingtao's relationship with SZC developed after Dingtao stumbles into SZC's episode of mu*derous intent. Did he eventually come to understand SZC better? How did he get over his initial fear, especially since it rattled him so much?

Huo Lingyun. I actually had a lot of interest in him, though in the end he remained quite a minor character. From how he parallels SZC's vindictiveness and how late into the story he was introduced, I thought he would play a bigger role in the story as some kind of foil or catalyst. (Not forgetting how he's one of the sole characters to more explicitly draw out XCY's possessiveness of SZC in front of others.) He's one of the few characters that I would've liked to see more of. But anyway, his inclusion into the story was still neatly done so it doesn't count as a loose end anyway.

Li Jianheng. His character was more or less what I expected it to be, but still he drew some tears from me in his last moments. I hope you become a bird in your next life too.

And finally, Qiao Tianya and Yao Wenyu. The f*cking silk ball. The zither. The red thread bracelet. STOPPPPP. Hunu baby kitty. No thoughts, just pain.

As hard as I f*cking cried for XFX's death, I also cried when Hasen died. I will say it here, I loved Hasen's character and the snippets of his life with Bayin and Duo'Erlan really made me endeared to him. And when he died reaching out to the flower that fell out of his sleeve? TEARS.

Xue Xiuzhuo was a character that I struggled to understand for quite a while, until I realised he was just an incredibly passionate nationalist with plans that didn't align with the MCs. I kept wondering why he wasn't on Cezhou's side throughout because he wasn't acting out of personal greed and his end-goal seemed to be the same as theirs. Ultimately though, the choices he made to get what he wanted just killed too many people around Cezhou and so goes their relationship as enemies.

Ok but in terms of the ending, it's somehow beyond my expectations but also at the same time a little underwhelming. I didn't actually think SZC was going to become the emperor by the end of the story, and the way all the different loose ends tied up so neatly was very satisfying. (Was a little bit sad we had so little Cezhou time as the plot really started to take centre stage towards the end though haha cries.) In terms of FQ's eventual reveal as the main antagonist at the end of the story, it was just a little hm.... I think his backstory and the history between the clans was revealed and tied up too abruptly. There were many hints at a missing party throughout the story, but the eventual reveal felt quite anti-climatic because we didn't really get to learn about him as a character until right up to the end? Which made his reveal as the key instigator a little bit of a "huh?" moment for me. STILL that doesn't take away from the entire rags to ruler experience though. Go regicide queen!!! WAIT AND JUST– IT'S HOW THEIR STORY ENDED WITH THRONE s*x LMFAO. OF COURSE IT DID.

"To marry me, two million isn't enough; I want Lanzhou's priceless smile that even a thousand gold cannot buy." "

" "The best-looking man in the whole of Dazhou is my wife!"

"Since there is no Yao Yuanzhuo in this world, " Qiao Tianya slowly closed his eyes, as if mocking this absurd arrangement, "then the Qiao Songyue of it is dead." "

I literally bawled my eyes out in this part. I wish they had their own happy ending too.

The only part that truly bothered me was the death of the female emperor. She wasn’t a villainous character; on the contrary, she made great efforts to rule the country and bring about change. Her death was tragic and felt unnecessary. Perhaps the author didn’t find a way to keep her in the narrative, but it’s a shame — she was such a strong and determined figure