War and Beauty
Fifteen years after Qing Emperor Jiaqing was crowned the country appears to be in harmony. However, fights between the imperial concubines escalate. All the imperial concubines including the emperor's beloved Yu-Yue understand this and becomes nervous when the triennial imperial concubine election approaches. Yu-Yue's position is threatened by an imperial descendant, Yuk-ying, a powerful eunuch's adopted daughter, Yi-Sun, and an experienced imperial servant maid On-Seen. They are friends and enemies in the war for the emperor's love. The four beautiful women are either friends or lovers of an imperial physician Sun Bak Yeung and a trooper Kong-Wu. Plots and lies undermine their love and friendships in the palace.
Episodes
Concubine CHAN tries but fails to sneak out of the Palace and Concubine YUE, on behalf of the Queen, decides to have her executed. CHAN keeps cursing the pregnant YUE until she draws her last breath. District Officer HUNG MO and his cousin CHAN SONG have been assigned to deliver the gifts for Emperor JIAQING back to the capital city. Along the way, they meet some members of the Tin Lee Sect who are trying to kidnap a group of xiu-nus – girls who are to attend the Imperial Concubine Selection in Peking (now known as Beijing). MO has mistakenly killed a man when he is trying to rescue SONG. The girls manage to persuade MO and SONG to escort them to the Palace. In order to break away from the Tin Lee Sect members, MO decides to leave the gifts aside. Xiu-nu YUKYING is a beautiful but arrogant young girl. She is on bad terms with everyone except for YEESHUN, another xiu-nu who once saved her life……
Royal Maid ON-SIN is shocked to discover that YING has got into CHAN’s room. She means to make a fool of YING so that YUE may let her off. YING blames SIN while SIN, as an experienced royal maid, teaches the girl a lesson about how to survive in the Palace. Like SHUN, xiu-nus YUEN-KEI and SHUK-NING are the adopted daughters of a eunuch TSU MAN-TIN. TIN sends them into the Palace hoping that they will help maintain his position. MO goes to gamble at a brothel and wins a lot of money. But his luck does not last. He loses everything eventually and gets severely beaten up. MO and SONG try to seek help from YING’s family, but in vain. They are therefore very disappointed. Imperial Physician SUEN CHING-WAH frowns when he is checking YUE’s pulse. YUE secretly summons another Imperial Physician SUEN PAK-YEUNG……
SIN will have to spend one more year in the Palace before she can return home. She has been very much looking forward to this day. MO and SONG are to renovate a hall of the Palace. SONG grumbles about the strict and complicated palace rules while MO has no feeling at all. YEUNG tries to cure YUE with acupuncture. TIN not only invites YEUNG to dinner but also gives him a great present. YEUNG is aware of his intention and reveals to him that YUE’s position is still strong. WAH is YEUNG’s father. YEUNG’s mother died some years ago and YEUNG believed that WAH was responsible for her death. Their relationship has broken down since then. WAH criticizes YEUNG for being too desperate for fame and success. He further points out that YEUNG should not have tried acupuncture which is strictly forbidden in the Palace. YEUNG refutes his allegations, leaving him unable to respond. YING twists her ankle while having the etiquette lessons……
TIN’s wife LIU SIK-CHUN goes to pray at a temple. When she gets back home, she is shocked to see TIN throwing antiques at the ground. TIN later explains to her why he did so. Not long after, TIN is taken away by central officials for questioning. YING tries to comfort SHUN, knowing that she has not yet given up finding her long lost sister. WAH claims he has revealed the secret that YEUNG has tried the forbidden treatment. He urges YEUNG to escape from the Palace as soon as possible, but YEUNG does not take his advice. An artisan falls down from the roof while renovating a hall. YEUNG knows the man is dead as soon as he sees the body, but MO assumes that he is simply reluctant to rescue the guy. After a check-up, YEUNG suggests YUE may require an early delivery. Suddenly, the Queen arrives to pay YUE a visit. YEUNG decides that YUE should have an early delivery of the baby……
MO discovers that it is actually the crows that have broken the Guan Yin statue. SIN is resolved to reiterate SO-YING’s innocence. Eunuch NGOK LAW-LEI points out that crows are regarded highly by Manchurians as their mascots, implying that SO-YING has to take the blame alone. SIN feels so sad for not being able to help the girl. MO is also upset by SO-YING’s death. He means to shoot the crows to express his outrage about the injustice. YEUNG is sorry about the tragedy but all that he can do is to give MO a few words of consolation. WAH mocks YEUNG for being too servile to his superiors but deep down he is weeping over his son whom he thinks has reached the point of no return. YEUNG knows what WAH is worried about. He is so downcast that he goes to confide in his soul mate HEUNG FAU. The Emperor returns to the Palace and offers to see YUE and the baby princess. YUE is a little upset as she realizes the Emperor has lost interest in her……
YUE gives each girl a silk fan while KEI’s gift is the most valuable. This has irked NING greatly. In order to defeat her enemies, NING has swapped YING’s medicine for SHUN’s, thus further worsening their health. Many imperial concubines think highly of YEUNG and would like to consult him, which has kept him so busy. WAH wonders why YING has been sick for so long. He then asks YEUNG to have a check. YEUNG is surprised to hear that YING needs to have jujubes added to her medicine. Filled with curiosity, YEUNG decides to carry out an investigation. YUE has a meeting with YEUNG, during which she tries to find out from him whether someone has done YING harm. YEUNG, however, has not revealed anything. NING has a new plan in her head but SHUN stops her from going any further before TIN is released. NING not only refuses to listen to her but also tricks KEI into swapping SHUN’s medicine for YING’s. KEI is caught and SHUN is heartbroken……
SIN’s grandmother is expected to visit SIN in the Palace but fails to show up eventually, which has disappointed SIN a bit. MO tries to get a better job by bribing his supervisor CHO CHUN-NAM, but in vain. This irks SONG beyond measure as all their money has been wasted for nothing. Knowing that SIN has not yet recovered from the death of SO-YING, MO tries to give her a few words of comfort. He believes that his future is in his hands, so he is not going to be as passive as SIN. YUE tries her very best to look as attractive as she used to be. YING gives YEUNG a big treat but WAH is afraid that this will cause gossip among their colleagues. To avoid any possible trouble, YEUNG returns all the presents and money to YING. Despite this, YING manages to persuade YEUNG to keep her secret. SHUN learns from YEUNG that KEI has died of disease when in exile. SHUN is so sad and breaks down in tears……
YUE points out that YING’s fan has revealed the enormity of her ambition but YING, whose eyes are already filled with tears, insists that she has no intention of replacing YUE. YUE gives her some words of consolation, seeming to be quite keen to befriend her. YING’s mother arrives at the Palace to pay her a visit. There she gives YING the last pot of money. TIN is finally released. SHUN apologizes to TIN and asks for a chance to make it up to him. CHUN suspects SHUN has become addicted to drugs and she tells TIN about it straight away. NAM insists that MO’s handkerchief is stolen from the Palace. He decides to punish MO and SONG and beats them almost to death. Luckily WAH passes by and stops him in time. The Palace has caught fire. MO risks his life to protect the wooden tablets created in memory of the ancestors of the Qing Dynasty. MO gets injured and YEUNG gives him the best treatment possible……
YING manages to get YEUNG’s prescription by threatening to reveal his relationship with SHUN. She hopes that, with the prescription dispensed by YEUNG, she will have the chance to get closer to JIAQING. YEUNG warns her about the side effects of the prescription but YING does not listen to him. MO and SONG have been appointed as troopers whose duty is to climb to the top of a pole and feed the crows around. SONG is obviously very unhappy with this job. JIAQING has left the Palace a bit earlier than expected. YING’s efforts are thus wasted. She is so angry that she has put all the blame on YEUNG. YEUNG discovers that SHUN and TIN have met in secret. He warns her to beware of TIN but SHUN doesn’t seem grateful for his advice. YEUNG brings along with him a pile of color sheets and goes to visit CONCUBINE FOOK who has been dumped by the Emperor because of illness since many years ago……
YUE wants to find out who has made NING mad but SIN refuses to reveal anything. LUK asks MO to help smuggle some valuable paintings out of the Palace for sale. Having discovered this, SIN goes to stop them at once. MO learns from LUK that his handkerchief used to belong to SIN. Knowing that she is so worried about her grandmother, MO decides to give her a hand. YEUNG offers FOOK the medical materials and herbal products that TIN bought for him, giving her a hope and the motivation to go on with life. Having heard that YUE is trying to find out the true story behind NING’s sudden bout of madness, TIN decides to have NING killed as soon as possible, which upsets CHUN beyond words. YUE asks SIN to spread rumors around the Palace, hoping that this will help find out who is in the same league with TIN. SHUN gets trapped and leaves the Palace in the middle of the night……
NGOK gets irked when he sees SIN and LUK together. To express his anger, NGOK has given SIN a severe telling-off. SIN cannot stand him any longer and decides to sneak out of the Palace. However, midway through the escape she is stopped by MO. MO gives her a few words of consolation, during which he discovers that she is the one who plays the flute with him every night. SHUN goes to fly a kite, where she encounters FOOK . They are fond of each other and seem to get on very well. YEUNG suspects that FOOK and SHUN are real sisters. He asks CHUN for verification but CHUN replies that it wouldn’t be good to know the truth. FOOK has made a scent bag for SHUN, which she thinks is an effective way to relieve asthma symptoms. At FOOK ’s request, YEUNG passes the scent bag to SHUN, but SHUN mistakes it for a gift from YEUNG. NGOK seeks revenge on LUK for hanging out with SIN. To save LUK, SIN chooses to give in to NGOK……
SIN has stabbed NAM to protect herself. MO suddenly appears and kills NGOK and NAM. YUE is dying to find out who has been ganging up with TIN. For this reason, she has put additional pressure on SIN, which throws the helpless SIN into total despair. As the Hungry Ghost Festival is approaching, a big rumor is going around that CHAN’s spirit is coming back to seek revenge. This has caused panic in the Palace. YING believes that she has won YUE’s trust, with which YEUNG does not agree. YUE is enraged when she discovers that SHIM has put CHAN’s name on the worship list. SHIM is secretly holding a memorial service for CHAN. Suddenly YUE appears and finds out that the so-called ghost is just a pack of lies. The Queen suggests calling off SIN’s marriage but YUE rejects the idea. YING sees SIN pray to the well and she tells YUE about it at once. MO offers to help SIN escape but SIN does not want to get him in trouble……
The Queen intervenes in the case of NGOK and NAM and takes SIN away for questioning. SIN takes the blame for killing NGOK and NAM. The Queen decides to seal the well and forbids further investigation after knowing that there is another skeleton lying inside. SIN is given some mild punishment. SONG blames MO for committing murder for SIN’s sake. YING tries every possible way to please YUE hoping to earn her trust again. YUE hints that she will let YING approach the Emperor. SHIM has not shown up for a couple of days, leading to a lot of speculation about her whereabouts. Not long after, SHIM comes to seek SIN’s help. This is, however, just another plot by YUE to find out who is working for TIN. YUE is shocked yet furious to find that YING is the one who has been ganging up with TIN. YING insists that she is innocent and that she is lured there by SHUN, but YUE does not believe her……
MO discovers that WONG FOOK-SHAU, the eunuch who serves YUE, has stolen the jade ring from the skeleton and smuggled it out of the Palace. WAH tries to intercede for SAU and smashes the ring up. The Queen knows that WAH is aware of something. To thank him for keeping the secret, she has sent WAH a lot of presents. Knowing that the Queen is ready to fight against YUE, WAH goes to see YEUNG immediately. YEUNG is deeply touched by what SUET has done for him. YEUNG is afraid that YING will further offend YUE. To avoid trouble, he simply claims that YING is seriously ill with an infectious disease. YUE is very happy with YEUNG’s performance. YING’s belongings need to be destroyed. She wants to get back her money but is rejected, which makes her sad and angry. SHUN asks SIN to join her gang but SIN doesn’t show any interest. YUE is going to sleep with JIAQING but the Emperor leaves the Palace in the middle of the night……
YING is reluctant to hurt herself, and YUE shows complete contempt for her. YING puts the blame on YEUNG and urges him to compensate her for the loss of the money. YING who doesn’t want her mother to worry asks SIN to deliver a letter to her, which is unfortunately discovered by SHIM. SHIM tries to grab the letter from MO, but in vain. The two of them soon fall into a quarrel. SHIM gets stung by a venomous insect. MO offers to suck the poison from her wound and brings her to the royal physician for urgent treatment. SHIM is so impressed by his thoughtfulness and starts to fall in love with him. YEUNG passes on to SHUN the note that CHUN sent her. Having read the note, SHUN becomes so depressed. YEUNG understands how she feels and sends her some presents accordingly. SHUN gets deeply touched by his concern. SIN is not able to deliver letters for YING, which irks YING utterly. YEUNG learns from SIN what problems YING is experiencing……
TIN thinks that SHIM has put a curse on the Queen as instructed by YUE but SHUN learns from YEUNG that YUE is not superstitious at all. A blessing ceremony is held for the 100-day-old baby princess, during which YUE doesn’t seem to take the Feng Shui stuff very seriously. TIN thus decides not to reveal anything about the curse, which has helped him win YUE’s trust. SHUN gets so jealous when she knows that YEUNG has asked FOOK to make a pair of gloves for YING to protect her injured hands. It makes her angry that she has given YING a good telling-off. MO and SONG have been saving for a bribe to their supervisors. To help SIN out of her difficulty, MO gives her all the savings so that she can bribe the officials in charge to arrange a secret meeting between her and her grandmother. This has infuriated SONG beyond measure. SHIM falls for MO but MO shows no interest in her. SONG has become obsessed with SHIM……
YEUNG offers to check SIN’s pulse for YING’s sake, which irks SHUN profoundly. SHUN mocks him for it and returns the gloves that FOOK gave her under the name of YEUNG. The Queen not only allows SIN to resume her duties but also arranges a solemn burial ceremony for her grandmother, which deeply touches SIN’s heart. SIN returns to the Palace after visiting YING’s mother. She doesn’t want YING to give herself up and tries to comfort her. With the encouragement of SIN, YING can finally get over the trauma. SHIM intends to steal a pearl necklace from YUE and entrust it to SONG for sale, hoping that the money earned will get MO promoted to a better post. SHIM has failed to steal the necklace. During the chaos, she has left behind the jade pendant that SONG gave her. SHIM begs MO to bring her out of the Palace, but is rejected. SONG stares at MO with anger, thinking that it is MO who has revealed his smuggling plan……
SHUN is scared to death when she sees SHIM’s body. JIAQING comes to comfort her and, with her glib tongue, she manages to trick the Emperor into believing that YUE has been cheating on him. JIAQING asks YUE about the cause of SHIM’s death, although he has already reached his own judgment. YUE is very disappointed in him. SHUN is honored as “Gui-ren” – a rank higher than “Da-ying”. SAU returns to YUE the golden burner which she gave the Emperor. He points out that she has lost her power, which upsets YUE immensely. YEUNG and another royal physician CHEUNG YUNG have different views on SHUN’s physical condition. WAH understands the Queen’s worries and decides to let YUNG treat SHUN. SONG gets severely beaten up. MO, who cannot bear to see him suffer, offers to pay off his debts but is rejected. MO wins the bet with YEUNG and requests YEUNG to look after SONG……
The Queen needs LUK to get her a new hairdo, with which she is very happy. LUK is so articulate that he can make the Queen grow fond of YING. YUE hopes that the baby princess will help patch up her relationship with JIAQING. However, the baby’s wet nurse, as instructed by the Queen, has successfully tricked JIAQING into believing that YUE has tried to kill her own daughter. This makes JIAQING hate her even more. YUE gets slagged off by the Queen the day when SHUN is honored as “Gui-ren”. YUE comes to know that this is all a plot against her. SHUN asks the Queen for permission to live with YING. SIN does not really know her intention and turns to YEUNG for advice. MO gets irked when he sees SIN and YEUNG together. SHUN forces YING to eat the dishes awarded by the Emperor. SIN is going to stop her, which has irked SHUN beyond measure. Luckily YEUNG comes along in time to settle the dispute……
MO and YEUNG are rewarded for saving JIAQING’s life. Because of this incident, MO is late for the meeting with SONG who is outside the Palace. He assumes that SONG has left without saying goodbye. SHUN tries to make JIAQING believe that YING would bring him bad luck, but in vain. Her plot is thwarted by SIN who, by stratagem, has made JIAQING care about YING more. SONG asks to meet MO, during which he tries to put MO to the test by asking about SHIM. SONG is so unhappy with MO and falls out with him. YING is shocked to discover that the portrait of herself and her mother is lost. She believes that it is stolen by SHUN. YEUNG decides to draw another portrait for YING, which makes FAU realize that he is in love with the girl. YING is chosen to sleep with JIAQING but SHUN finally manages to spoil her chance. YING is infuriated and YEUNG tries to give her a few words of comfort……
JIAQING is very fond of YING who has disguised herself as a eunuch. Immediately he asks to have sex with her, which upsets YEUNG immensely. YING has finally won JIAQING’s heart. She is so happy that she runs into SIN’s arms and bursts into tears. SIN indicates to MO that she is willing to follow him wherever he goes, which gives MO a great thrill. SIN learns from LUK that the Queen wants to use her as a tool to restrain the various concubines and has therefore deliberately killed her grandmother in an attempt to make her stay. Having discovered the truth behind the death of her nanny’s death, SIN is utterly devastated. To avenge her nanny’s death, SIN decides to break up with MO. MO takes out the handkerchief which he has kept all these days and insists that he and SIN are a perfect match made in heaven. SIN denies that the handkerchief used to belong to her……
The Queen and YUE meet by chance and soon get into a quarrel. The Queen threatens to slash the baby princess’s face. YUE has no choice but to give in. As instructed by the Queen, YUE has to stay in the hall and copy manuscripts of a collection of classical writings. MO has much sympathy for her. SIN passes on all her embroidery skills to other royal maids. She puts a few strands of hair inside the collar of MO’s coat and offers to mend his broken boots. She is going to assassinate the Queen but is stopped by LUK along the way. SIN has a deep hatred for the Queen but during her conversation with YUE, she has thought of a way to take revenge. YING has become JIAQING’s favorite concubine. She deliberately comes to show off to SHUN. YUE becomes so worried when she knows that her daughter has been sick for quite some time. SIN asks to see YUE. She gives YUE a great present and hopes to learn about JIAQING’s favorites in return……
SIN manages to keep YING away from JIAQING. In the meantime, she disguises herself as YING and goes to see JIAQING, which infuriates him beyond measure. Unexpectedly, within just a few seconds, SIN manages to stun the Emperor with her glib tongue and quick wit. YING is outraged to discover that SIN has betrayed her while SHUN is glad to see them fall out. YEUNG encourages FAU to get out of prostitution and would like to offer her financial support so that she can lead a simple life in her hometown. FAU is so upset by him and decides to end their relationship. SIN is honored as “Gui-ren”. As instructed by JIAQING, SHUN comes to deliver a present to YING as a kind of comfort. SHUN mocks YING for having been deceived by SIN and YEUNG, and goes on to reveal that the portrait of YING and her mother is actually drawn by YEUNG. TIN reminds SHUN to beware of SIN……
SIN and YING are going to set SHUN up and accuse her of committing adultery. MO manages to arrange a meeting between YUE and the baby princess, for which YUE is very grateful. Having found out that SHUN is in love with YEUNG, YING decides to change her plan. SIN does not want to get YEUNG in trouble but she is probably unaware that this is actually a plot against her by YING. YEUNG is arrested for having had an affair with an imperial concubine. SIN and YING have a quarrel over YEUNG, from which SHUN learns that YEUNG has got involved in their fight. The Queen is keen to find out who has been carrying on an affair with YEUNG. She asks SHUN, YING and SIN to keep a close eye on those whose behavior is suspicious and urges them to settle this matter before JIAQING comes back. As instructed, WAH tries to extract the truth from YEUNG, but in vain. By stratagem, YING manages to drive SHUN to turn herself in……
FOOK offers to take the blame so as to save YEUNG from further trouble, but sadly she fails to convince the Queen. Having heard what FOOK said, SHUN goes to have a word with SIN. SIN points out that YING has fallen in love with YEUNG and she believes that YEUNG will soon be fine. Though YING admits that she has tried to meet YEUNG in secret, she manages to provide an excuse for doing so. To get YEUNG out of trouble, she even tries to intercede with the Queen for him. The Queen explains to SIN why YING and YEUNG are mildly punished and takes this opportunity to give her a warning. SUET asks FAU to come and console YEUNG but YEUNG indicates that he is dying to see YING one more time. SHUN regrets not having turned herself in earlier than YING did. FOOK cannot do anything but give her a few words of consolation. TIN is afraid that FOOK and SHUN will sooner or later discover their true relationship……
LUK cannot bear to see SIN suffer and persuades her to give up seeking revenge. Having received treatment from WAH, YUE’s sight has improved. YUE begins to realize how much MO has done for her. SHUN is pregnant and a lot of people have sent their congratulations to her. SIN comes to make up with SHUN but SHUN suspects she is full of ill intentions. TIN is chuffed to know that SHUN is pregnant. YUE pleads with WAH to save her daughter and WAH promises to try his best to cure the baby princess although he knows it is a very difficult job. YEUNG who has resumed his duties is appointed to take care of SHUN and check her pulse. SHUN feels upset when she knows that YEUNG has never forgotten YING. The Queen refuses to see YING, and YING gets slagged off for it by other concubines. TIN is going to force FOOK to take her life so that the secret of her relationship with SHUN will never be disclosed……
FOOK has read the letter TIN wrote to her. Though she has verified the content of the letter with CHUN, for safety reasons, she decides not to disclose to SHUN their true relationship. To uncover the story behind the rumor, SIN means to put the Queen to the test to see if she really cares about SHUN and her baby. SIN hopes that by dong so she can find some strong evidence against the Queen. YUE is shocked to hear that the baby princess’s physical state is deteriorating. She blames WAH for not having looked after her daughter in the right way. WAH suggests that YUE should give up seeking to see JIAQING and stay with her daughter for as long as she can when the baby is still alive. MO discovers that the baby princess has passed away. YUE cannot accept the truth and would rather shorten her life to get her daughter back……
The Queen discovers that LUK has been trying to harm her. YEUNG repents in front of the tomb of his late mother. WAH is shocked to hear that YEUNG has been caught in great trouble. To save his son, WAH plots to kill YING but is stopped by YEUNG eventually. YEUNG returns home to rebuke WAH. WAH expresses deep regret for what he did and he knows the time of his punishment has come. YEUNG thinks WAH is going to kill himself but in fact WAH has another plan in his head. YEUNG has finally made up his mind. Knowing that his plot has been thwarted, LUK still insists on going back to the Palace to get punishment. The Queen comes to see SIN and lists, in front of her, what LUK has done. She goes on to analyze why SIN has struggled to become a concubine but SIN refuses to give any feedback. SIN hurries to see LUK before he dies. She is heartbroken to see him pass away. Having read LUK’s letter, MO comes to understand SIN’s difficulty……
MO reminds SIN not to be used by YUE. WAH submits his resignation to the Queen and shows her the broken finger of YEUNG in order to prove his loyalty. SONG has joined the Tin Lee Sect and vows to return to the Palace for revenge. The Queen has summoned CHUN to testify about TIN’s involvement in sending girls to the Palace as concubines. During the inquiry, the Queen has discovered CHUN’s real identity. CHUN cannot stand the punishment imposed on her by the Queen and commits suicide. Having discovered the death of CHUN, FOOK goes to see SHUN and reminds her to take care of herself. Filled with despair, she pleads with YEUNG to bring her sister out of the Palace. YEUNG is shocked and sad to learn that FOOK has committed suicide by taking poison in a desperate attempt to save SHUN. FOOK keeps trying to convince SHUN to leave the Palace until she draws her last breath……
JIAQING is away from the Palace when the riot takes place and the Queen sees it as a good chance to wipe out her enemies. YING asks to escort FOOK’s coffin along the route, during which she tries to persuade YEUNG to stay, but in vain. MO is appointed to assassinate YEUNG. During the fight, the coffin falls to the ground and SHUN, who is hiding inside, is thrown out of the casket. The rioters rush towards MO, YEUNG and SHUN and the three of them have to run away as fast as they can to break away from the guys. Knowing that her relationship with YEUNG has been disclosed, YING has no choice but to leave with YEUNG. SONG wants to kill YUE to avenge SHIM’s death but is finally convinced that SHIM was not killed by YUE. SONG is shot by an arrow. Filled with anger and grief, MO has devoted all his efforts to fight the enemies. YUE recognizes some of the rioters as the eunuchs. SHUN suffers a sudden attack of asthma……
