Liu Feng-shueh says that she never intended to do a realistic historical portrayal. Rather, her intention was to use the themes of power and love in the tragedy to dissect human nature and explore the emotional worlds of the main characters.
劉鳳學說她並不想作一齣忠於史實的歷史劇，而是藉著故事中的權位和愛情來剖析人性，揣摩悲劇主角的心境。