長孫無忌
Despite its success, the drama received mixed to negative reviews. The audiences praised the beautiful costume, but complained the slow narrative rhythm and said the plot turns dramatically without foreshadowing, as it's broken and not linked well at all. Some reports noted that the protagonist was overpowered, and was not a factually accurate account of history. Wu Zetian had several battles with her opponent Zhangsun Wuji in history, but in the drama, Wu Zetian was shaped into an innocent woman.