You explained my feeling about this type of plot perfectly. I completely agree
*feelings
Okay so I interpreted the story a bit differently. I don't think what they harbour towards each other, essentially Lingzhi towards the emperor, is love (not yet) but rather trust and a bit of tenderness. Falling in love, nurturing a normal romantic relationship is a luxury for two people struggling to survive and to achieve their goals which they bet their lives on. However, when bound together under adverse circumstances, forced to walk the same path, overcoming hardships together, and replying on each other, two individuals may develop a deep bond. They may even seek comfort and intimacy in the forms of hugs, kisses and in some cases even sex. So far that's what's happening in the story I suppose (minus the sex). Mu Xuanje, the emperor, wants to wrest power from the empress dowager because he wants to live and because he doesn't want any more wars. Ling Zhi supports him because she wants to broker peace between the Spirit People and the humans, which will ensure survival of the remainder of her people and restoration of their culture. In the beginning Ling Zhi seems to be in a weaker position than Mu Xuanje in the trilateral alliance, but she's saved him from a tight spot twice and apparently has won a place in his heart.
I hate revenge plots that follow the Shakespeare twist, falling in love with the enemy that ruined you and your people, loving the humans that treat your people like a plague. Such foolish kindness is basically an arrow lodged in your back. The fl is deluding herself into believing she loves the human emperor and that the humans love her because of some prophecy left by her ancestor even when she knows the end will be bitter. I find women like this deplorable. I’m appalled. I started reading this with the hopes that she wouldn’t be like the rest