If you want a drama true to its period, thus deserving the title of historical, even if a period fiction, don’t watch this one…the weight of customs, laws and traditions is purely and simply blown up here, to only keep a minimum.
That’s what partnering with Netflix does. Even if under the wings of Studio Dragon.

This being said, this is a quite a gripping and entertaining drama.
The modern fiction storyline is mixed within a sageuk, the sageuk being the pretence to succession schemes, palace plotting, murder, revenge and pardon, or not….
I loved that the queen character is a truly unconditionally motherly mother, and that her sons are all warm-hearted without a hint of wickedness. That is the reason for my 10. The title says it all. She makes the drama, supported by an outstanding cast.
It is fast paced with hardly any dull moment.
There are a lot of topics that are addressed by the drama.

Spoilers:
Why a modern fiction? because the Queen will not only accept and protect her transvestite son, but also harbour and hide the baby another of her sons has out of wedlock with a gisaeng - brought to the palace by her - to be raised in secret by that son in the palace, the gisaeng being hired as a wet nurse in the palace …or when the future crown princess, the daughter of the war minister, is able to travel for many days on her own, to follow her love interest, without safety consideration, not shy in the least, speaking also freely, expressing her feeling and interest in an extremely bold manner, without any serious blame in the end.
A thousand situations that have no historical credibility in the past, but that nonetheless make it entertaining if you consider that this is after all a fiction.
What I didn’t like at all.
1. The very poor filming /production by the night crew, with shaky images when filming close up scenes that will make you uncomfortable.
The quality and beauty of the production just doesn’t stand the comparison with dramas such as The red sleeve, Yanxi palace, Love like the galaxy or Ming Lan, which is too bad because the costumes are beautiful. It makes me wonder about the director’s choice.
2. Big spoiler: and the reason for my -1, because the drama lets down here: The unraveling of the revenge plots in ep. 14 and esp. 15, is really a bit too far fetched with the twists and turns that don’t stand to close scrutiny (I watched the end after ep. 3, so I was very attentive during the unfolding of drama) - esp. with the 2 doctors storyline / one being the son of the former deposed queen and mastermind, having had a son with a concubine passed as one of the king’s sons , or the older doctor who is curing in a plagued village at the beginning of the drama, and who ends up being another revenge mastermind…. But since this is a drama to reflect on motherhood and entertain,, and not aiming at being true to the customs of that period….