Not long ago, excerpts of the 14-minute long Zhan Jizhong version of "Deer and the Cauldron" began circulating online. Many netizens watched it online. As with Zhang Jizhong's previous works, this one was met with a lot of criticism. Many netizens said that the excerpt is filled with scenes of Wei Xiaobao being intimate with his seven wives - too "sensual". Zhang Jizhong's response to this was that the market demands it.
A reporter saw a netizen evaluate the "Deer and the Cauldron" excerpt in a forum: "The first eight minutes of the excerpt are all sensual scenes of Wei Xiaobao and his seven wives. The dialogue isn't great, and the dubbing is very poor. The scenery and use of camera angles are decent; this is the only strength of director Yu Min. What's particularly awkward is Huang Xiaoming's performance; it's the same old expression as always. In comparison, the Hong Kong version of "Deer and the Cauldron" starring Chen Xiaochun didn't have big-name actors, and the sets were quite simple, but it was still engaging and every scene was exciting, truly capturing the essence of humor! Chen Xiaochun portrayed Xiao Bao brilliantly! Is this version of "Deer and the Cauldron" made just for looking at beautiful women? Or for watching big names showing off their looks? Or for special effects? Or big scenes? This isn't a pure romance drama!"