I don't know what MXTX has said about it, but given the knowledge of food products from the New World, such as potatoes and chili peppers (besides peanuts in the drama), and looking at the characters wearing hanfu, I guess this story elapses in the late Ming dynasty (that famous hairstyle is not historically accurate tho).
despite it's claimed to be; I am at chapter 80 (there are currently 89) and I've seen more action at shounen-ai stories.