Speaking from one who doesn't know the novel for this drama or history behind it, I did enjoy the drama and think it's very entertaining.

Story: The writer did a good job building the storylines to show how the relationship between the three sisters fell apart. Perfect balance of wins and losses between the main characters and the villains, kept the story interesting to the end. Some of the plots, like the second sister who kept trying to hurt her little sister without any guilt were annoying.

Acting: Excellent acting all around, to name a few: Jing Chao delivered a great performance when his brother got castrated and I believed through out as well. We could tell from the fact that a lot of viewers wanted to slap him or really hated him for cheating on his Empress. Shawn Dou acted very well especially when his fiance was taken away. This was the first time I saw Charmaine and I was impressed with her performance. Tiffany's acting was good at the beginning but it could be stronger especially towards the end. All in all, everyone did an excellent job! The costumes for Ming Yi and Tiffany were so beautiful!

Music: nothing to write home about...

Rewatch: maybe on some episodes where the costumes were so beautiful and elegant.

Overall: This drama won't make you depressed after you finish watching it like some other dramas. I did enjoy it and highly recommend it!