This is the story of three people from very different backgrounds that are investigating the same case for very different reasons, with the backdrop of Empress Wu Zetian's rule.

Gao Bingzhu(Huang Xuan) comes from the bottom rugs of the society (even lower than slaves). He wants revenge for his friends' death. Baili Hongyi(Want Yibo) is the son of a minister but he himself isn't interested in politics. He wants to find out the mystery behind his father's death. And Wu Siyue(Song Qian) is the assistant head of Inner Guards. She- well she just wants to protect the general public.

And all three of them are against a mysterious organisation called Four Seasons Clan. Nobody knows what this clan is, where it is based or who works for it. So they're left to investigate an invisible enemy. Which is really difficult given all their leads are mysteriously killed by the clan itself.

The best thing about this drama apart from the suspense is the cinematography and overall production quality. The camera work in this drama is exquisite. The choice of music is pretty unique but fits well with the theme of the story. I love love the sets, especially the interiors, it's really beautifull. The characters are individually good.

One problem I have is Wu Zetian's character. I understand that it was probably a creative choice but I must say I was hoping she would die/ be deposed by the end of the story, which never happened. In this drama she is really a useless but ruthless empress that only knows to order people around. She wants to control others but is so dumb she repeatedly ends up controlled by others. She keeps on trusting the wrong people every single time.

Anyways I love the supporting cast too! Shen Fei, Prince DongChang and Bai Lang are my favorites. I like how the villains are not over dimensional. You will really sympathize with them.

The Romantic plot:

Gao Bingzhu and Wu Siyue: I adored their friendship and kept rooting for them since their first encounter. But when they finally got together I wanted to skip the scene lol. It just kind of felt unnatural (which is only natural given their characters)

Baili Hongyi and Liu Ren: Now this is what I call character growth. They started off as total odd balls. Hongyi had zero interest in her while she blindly kept chasing him. She went through so much. At the end Hongyi was not only not so cold anymore but he learnt empathy, and how to express his emotions. He truly changed for the better all thanks to her. It wasn't until the last episode that I realised he wasn't the only one who changed. She changed too. She was no longer chasing him blindly instead she learnt that slow but steady wins the race. She learnt to trust! I love how they developed it felt really organic.

The small side love story between the dancer Pei and Liu Ren's younger brother was so idiotic. I know it's a plot device but they both are unlikable and so is their connection.

Overall definitely watch if you are into historical thrillers!

P. S: loved the intricate workings and the mysterious vibes of Wu Zetian's Secret Guards. I love how they are portrayed from start to finish and ofcourse it's head.