This film also explores Confucian values through the romantic struggles between characters, Yuwen and Zhichen. According to Susan Daruvala, the film acknowledges instincts and emotions as integral parts of a love relationship, yet they must be directed by wisdom or intelligence. Despite the tempting passion in the relationship between Yuwen and Zhichen, it, ultimately, does not materialize, hence highlighting its unfeasibility within the framework of Confucian values: wisdom, intelligence, and loyalty. In addition, the ideology "fa hu qing, zhi hu li (发乎情止乎礼)" appears in the film, it means "you may talk about love, but don't cross beyond the limits of etiquette." Inoue and Choe state that this phrase plays a key part to " the impasse of the situation" between Yuwen, Zhichen, and Liyan, and summarizes the relationship between males and females in China during that time.