Empresses of the Palace. I like it, it's very romantic. The way Emperor Yonzheng is portrayed is endearing, and seems accurate to his personality based on what I have read so far. He was a very hardworking, humble, ethical and steadfast Emperor who ushered in an era of peace and prosperity for China, and was a true follower of Confucianism, and that is how he acts in the series. Some of his notable contributions to history include the formation of a grand council and fighting corrupt in the government. He built shelters for orphans and the poor, endowed schools, freed slaves, refined irrigation systems. He sounds like one in a million.
I'm 20 episodes in, and like the way his relationship with Zhen Huan is portrayed, he's so tender. Documentation on every conversation in the imperial harem is probably not there, so I would imagine there's a lot of artistic license, but it's still a nice viewing, and I could picture him being like this in his private, domestic life too.
I want to see more of Prince Gou, the emperor's poetic brother. I'm enjoying the unrequited love story they have created for the drama.
I really like the character of Shen Meizhuang. She's beautiful, introspective, gentle. I hope she gets dealt a better hand in the days to come. Who also seems like they have an interesting story to tell is the sickly consort "Honnête" as the name is translated in my close captions-- I think this is Consort Duan.
But boy do I hate that evil Consort Hua! I wish I could put a stop to her reign of terror, but I have a feeling she is only getting started. None of the villains in Yanxi Palace combined even compare with the monstrous cruelty she can show in one episode. I still get chills thinking about the "scarlet red" she awarded to the new concubine. Let's hope this is fiction.