The series is based on the events in the Zhenguan era of the reign of Emperor Taizong during the Tang dynasty.

Shortly after he became emperor, Li Shimin had to deal with the threat posed by the aggressive Tujue in the north while consolidating power and solidifying his control over the Tang Empire.

Under Li Shimin's rule, China flourished in various aspects and the Zhenguan era is considered one of the golden ages in Chinese history.

On 28 January 2007, one day after Carol of Zhenguan premiered on CCTV-1, many negative comments about the drama surfaced on the internet, ranging from the inaccuracies with the costumes and filming locations to inconsistencies with historical sources.

On the same day, director Wu Ziniu responded in an interview that he believed that the negative comments were unfounded and intentionally created to reduce ratings because Carol of Zhenguan was competing for viewership with other similar television series such as The Rise of the Tang Empire.