beta
If you can't handle heavy and REALISTIC politics that actually takes time to develop throughout the story and isn't spoonfed and explained to you from the beginning then Qiang Jin Jiu isn't for you, stick to lighter and easy to digest fantasy stories because you actually have to use your brain to read this story and by politics i mean all sorts like imperial court politics, bureaucracy and military stuff, even a whole lot about distribution and calculation of grains, rebuilding and seizing territories, struggling for the throne and bringing corrupt officials and nobles to justice and so much more. Aside from politics there's also a lot of action, bloodshed and war happening, the best written action I've seen in danmei. If you actually pay attention to what's happening and the dialogues then it shouldn't take too long to get a hold on the plot. Qiang Jin Jiu is a masterfully crafted story with a poetic writing style and it's known for how good and deep it's plot and world building is and it has one of the most powerful couples in danmei. It's not for impatient people who aren't willing to be confused. Frankly no, this manhua adaption doesn't do this novel justice, no adaption can do what Tang Jiuqing's words can. The best way to enjoy this story is by reading the complete fan translation all together, the english fan translation(links already posted in my comment below) is imo way better than the official one because it actually explains every cultural context and reference in depth and with images, and if you can read chinese then you won. I would give anything to read this story again for the first time, hands down the best danmei.