EPISODE 19

Nothing like when a woman is scorned. Today we have 2 women and we see different but in a way similar reaction when these women felt angry, threatened, jealous. Tonight is the night of angry women in the form of Yee Soon and the Empress. Quite a fantastic episode and also quite badly acted if you ask me. First the recap...

Siu Luk Tzi was combing the Empress' hair and well it looked big and heavy but radical and she liked it. The Empress asked Siu Luk Tzi to comb her Yuk Ying's style but Siu Luk Tzi quickly apologised and said even if he could he wouldn't and the Empress' servant was offended for her master and demanded an answer and Siu Luk Tzi said "Yuk Ying's hairstyle may be elaborate but it would not suit my lady because my lady is already the Empress and the phoenix and my lady does not need such elaborate hairstyle to show your privileged status" and the Empress smiled and asked "You're but a servant. I am sure you did not say that on your own. Who taught you to say these words?" and Siu Luk Tzi said "It was Yuk Ying. She was very touched by my lady's caring attention to her last night and she expressed these words to me and I have witnessed today what she said was true, my lady is truly giving and generous" and the Empress was very very very pleased.

And guess who taught him to say that? Onn Sin.

Yu Fei meanwhile was having a hard time. Yu Fei tried to win back her position in the Emperor's heart by asking the nanny of her daughter for a favour (she bribed the nanny) and the nanny agree.

Once when Siu Luk Tzi was combing her hair, Siu Luk Tzi told the Empress that Yuk Ying was still considered sick and what a pity it was so and the Empress being very pleased with her hair which she said complimented by the Emperor that when Senior Suen came by she ordered Senior Suen to de-sick Yuk Ying. And then the same nanny came to see the Empress and the Empress told everybody to leave. Siu Luk Tzi quickly ran to Onn Sin and told her what he saw and Onn Sin was trying to piece the fact of nanny seeing the Empress, Yu Fei's baby, and the emperor's birthday coming soon and suddenly Onn Sin realised something.

Anyway Yuk Ying was declared unsick and she was introduced to the Emperor by the Empress on his birthday and Yuk Ying put on her best behaviour and the Emperor was very pleased to see her. Then the baby of Yu Fei was brought in and was crying. The Emperor held her and yet she continued to cry. Yu Fei suddenly asked to see the Emperor bearing some desert for him but the Emperor was not pleased to see her. The Empress weirdly let Yu Fei in. Whilst Yu Fei wished the emperor, Yuk Ying was brave enough to criticise Yu Fei for angering the emperor by showing her face. Yu Fei calmed herself and reminded Yuk Ying she was but a mere Tap Ying but Yuk Ying quietly said Yu Fei was the cause of the Emperor's concern and she should not have showed her face. The Emperor was very angry and told them to shut up. The Empress looked curiously at Yuk Ying and said nothing. And then the Empress even allowed Yu Fei to hold the baby and feed the baby with the desert she just brought in. When the baby suddenly stopped crying, Yu Fei handed the baby back to the nanny she said "I am the child's mother, of course she would stop crying if I were to feed her" and then she begged to leave but the Emperor's heart softened and said "If you leave now and when the baby awakes and cries, who will be there to stop her crying?" and Yu Fei smiled happily as the Emperor asked her to follow him to the hall. Yu Fei glared at Yuk Ying and walked on. The Empress curiously was very quiet. The suddenly the nanny cried out and said the baby's skin seemed to be red and forming rashes. The Emperor had a quick look and quickly said "Yu Fei! Someone, check the desert" and Yu Fei was speechless and when the eunuch who tasted the desert said it was laced with alcohol, the Emperor flew into a rage and screamed "You despicable cruel woman! You could go so low, you could bear to intoxicate your daughter so as to get back my attention!" and Yu Fei tried to explain but the Emperor said "No! You leave! You leave now and I never want to see you again! Leave!!" and Yuk Ying was smiling as a teary eyed Yu Fei left.

Then Yuk Ying saw Onn Sin and told her what happened and said she did what Onn Sin told her to do, to criticise Yu Fei in front of the Empress and Onn Sin said "I have a good reason to ask you to do that. Being an empress doesn't mean she can criticise Yu Fei as freely as she would like. By you criticising Yu Fei and drawing a clear line between yourself and Yu Fei, you have brought yourself into the Empress' circle and now the Empress can truly trust you. After all you said those things to Yu Fei which she herself wanted to say but could not". Yuk Ying was saying aloud how despicable Yu Fei and for a moment she feared Yu Fei was back in the Emperor's favour when the baby stopped crying and Onn Sin smiled and said "Of course that will never happen. Do you think the Empress will allow her to do so? She met with the nanny, I believe the nanny took bribes from both side and so the Empress already knew what Yu Fei planned to do. The Empress is a cunning one" and Yuk Ying thanked Onn Sin and promised her she will always listen to Onn Sin's advice. Interesting. What will happen when Onn Sin becomes a concubine? Will Yuk Ying see her as an enemy? Anyway Yuk Ying asked "What should I do next?" and suddenly it was snowing and Onn Sin smiled and said "What you must do next is to make yourself some coats, it is winter!". Yuk Ying smiled happily.

Pause here. It is nice to see a happier Yuk Ying and it is nice to see a genuine trusting relationship between Onn Sin and Yuk Ying. Yuk Ying may seem smart at first but actually she has no one to help her and aid her in the palace and she is all alone and so she is not really that smart. With Onn Sin by her side, Yuk Ying can be more cautious from now on and I like the development of her character. But I may shoot myself in my mouth when later they become enemies.

Meanwhile Yu Fei was very quiet. Her servant was very concerned that it was very cold and she was sitting by the window and she was not warm enough. Yu Fei did not say anything and then she heard someone said "My dear sister, are you not coming to greet me? Even now, your favourite Yee Soon has yet to come and visit you after being made Kwai Yan. If you continue this way, not even I would come to visit you any more". It was a very grandly clad Empress and Yu Fei walked to her and Yu Fei said "I have lost once today but I can only blame the Heaven for that" and the Empress sniggered and said "You blame the heaven? For someone who doesn't believe in spirits and ghosts, you're suddenly very superstitious. Does it have anything to do with the fact you are now no longer important my sister?" and Yu Fei glared at her and the Empress smilingly said "I would like to inform you, your mistake today was not an accident. Have you forgotten that I too am able to know your plans? That nanny you bribed, she is the nanny I personally found for your daughter" and Yu Fei was very angry and looked at the Empress and said "You! You despicable woman!" and the Empress said "Not nearly as despicable as you my sister after all only you could think of intoxicating your daughter to win back his majesty's heart" and Yu Fei could say nothing to that because it was true. She was despicable. And the Empress said "So how does it feel to lose? I have been losing to you for so many years, winning just this once is such a pleasurable experience for me. But my dear sister, you must get used to this feeling of losing because you will have many more years of losing. Just to inform you, his majesty as ordered that you shall never be allowed to go near the princess" and Yu Fei looked shocked and the Empress said "Oh don't worry. That little princess is so cute, since she does not have a mother now I will be her mother. Don't worry, I will take very good care of her and educate her in your place so that she will know that she doesn't have her mother with her and that I am her mother, don't you worry" and Yu Fei was speechless and the Empress ended it all by triumphantly saying "I have had it with you taking my place for so many years and I would like to remind you who is the Empress here. My dear sister, I want you to feel how is it like to lose your power" and the Empress left a very frustrated looking Yu Fei.

Pause here.

Yu Fei doesn't seem to care about her daughter. Like I said before, indeed the daughter was taken care by the Empress herself and Yu Fei doesn't seem concerned about that. She was ruthless enough to use that alcohol trick and in a way Yu Fei can only blame the downfall on herself as she was the one who micalculated her moves, so to speak. Don't really pity her. Anyway this scene has my vote as the most exciting moment in this episode but there is one that I will vote as most memorable, later on.

Forgot to mention this. Yuk Ying was about to leave her prison so to speak and Bak Yeung came by for a visit and Yuk Ying thanked Bak Yeung and gave him a personally sewed hand thingy I think. Can't remember and Bak Yeung was touched and said he could never use it and will value it and Yuk Ying expressed a wish to continue her friendship with Bak Yeung and wished for a day where they can walk and chat together. I doubt Yuk Ying realise Bak Yeung was in love with her since her mind is still on gaining the emperor's attention.

Ealier we see Yee Soon being made a Kwai Yan and goes with the title Soon Kwai Yan and so her dress also upgraded a bit. Then she was sitting with the Empress and Yuk Ying came by and quite pretentiously smilingly greeted Yee Soon who quite pretentiously smiled back. Yuk Ying thanks the empress for letting her go back to her old place but the Empress expressed her concern that her old place is too common and everybody can walk in and out and so not good for her recuperation. Yuk Ying smiled and said it was ok but she asked the Empress to allow her one servant and she wished for Onn Sin to serve her and the Empress allowed her request. And suddenly Yee Soon said "My lady, my sister and I went way back and I would love to have her move into my place, after all I am all alone there and we can take care of one another" and Yuk Ying was surprised but said "Oh I can't move into Soon Kwai Yan's place, I am a mere Tap Ying" but Yee Soon insisted and the Empress allowed her request.

And so Yuk Ying moved into Yee Soon's compund and Onn Sin was helping her organise everything when Yee Soon came and smilingly greeted her. Yuk Ying ordered everybody out except for Onn Sin and Yee Soon looked at her own maid and said "Whilst my sister may just be a lowly Tap Ying I am afraid her words are still an order" and they left and then Yuk Ying said "Fine. What do you want?" and Yee Soon smiled and said "What do I want? I wanted to visit you my sister after all I am very free here" and Yuk Ying said "Free? Why are you doing this? Haven't you seen enough of me being downgraded like this? What else do you want?" and Onn Sin quickly said "My master doesn't mean any ill will my lady" and Yee Soon smiled and said "Well well well...Onn Sin, I have once asked you to serve me repeatedly but you have refused each time and now you're serving my sister..." and to Yuk Ying she said "Like I said, I am very free. Therefore I can come by anytime since we live so close to one another and I plan to visit you so very often to play you..." and Yee Soon smiled that scary smile and made Yuk Ying quite chilly.

Then when Yee Soon left, Onn Sin was very worried and said "If I know what she was thinking I wouldn't be afraid as she has a plan that I can figure out. But Yee Soon, I can't figure her out and I can't figure what are her plans...".

Well like Yee Soon said she basically want to "wan chan" Yuk Ying. And so she did!

Onn Sin was so worried she ran to Bak Yeung and said to Bak Yeung "Sir, you must help Yuk Ying. Yee Soon is now uncontrollable and she is doing everything to harm Yuk Ying" but Bak Yeung said "What could I have done? I myself am not in the position to do anything" and Onn Sin said "But you saved Yee Soon's life once, she will remember the fact that you hid in her room that time, she will listen to your advice" but Bak Yeung refused to help.

Next we see Hung Mo being very jealous of Bak Yeung as he saw Onn Sin talking to him. Hung Mo gave Bak Yeung money to help Chan Song but Bak Yeung said "I can't do anything for him. Everytime he is beaten, I treat his wounds and then he goes back out to ganble and get beaten again and I treat his wounds again and he goes out again. Can't you talk to him?" and Hung Mo said "You promised to take care of him, just do that".

I wonder why Hung Mo held Bak Yeung to his promise? After all Chan Song is his problem, not Bak Yeung's problem. Anyway very exciting scene next.

Yee Soon adopted the style of the Empress by bringing food and wine to Yuk Ying and insisted Yuk Ying eat and drink. She said it was from the emperor. Yuk Ying was scared since it could be poison. Onn Sin then gently said "My master just recovered, she is not a very good drinker, maybe I can drink on her behalf" and Yee Soon quickly brushed Onn Sin's hand away in a hard way and screamed at Onn Sin "Who do you think you are? You're just a servant. Even if you could stop me from poisoining her just this once, you can't stop me each and every time" and Onn Sin rebutted "You've just become Kwai Yan. You're becoming too arrogant for your own good, why don't you adopt a more elegant Kwai Yan attitude and be more open minded about my master?" and Yee Soon was so angry I think she was about to I think slap Onn Sin, I can't remember but the argument was getting very heated when Bak Yeung suddenly came. Yee Soon was shocked to have him see her that way and Yee Soon said "What are you doing here? Is there someone who needed her pulse taken?" and Bak Yeung smiled and said "I was just sending medicine here which is my duty now..oh, Yuk Ying is still not well, she can't take heaty stuff and so you must excuse her for not eating or drinking your food" and Onn Sin smiled and said "Yes yes, Doctor Suen, I will make sure my master is rested well and does not take such foods" and Yee Soon said "How dare you! Do you know who you are talking to? How dare you!" and Bak Yeung looked her squarely in the eyes and said something along the line of "To have acted the way you did after gaining favours from the Emperor is not good. Such an arrogant attitude will not be well accepted. Perhaps Soon Kwai Yan may consider being more open minded and let it be this time". Something like that. Yee Soon could do nothing more and Yuk Ying quickly got up. When Yee Soon left Yuk Ying thanked Bak Yeung and Bak Yeung said it was nothing much and what he said applied to Yee Soon as much as to himself. In a way he was saying he too was very arrogant when he gained the favours of Yu Fei and now he was at the bottom he knew how it felt.

But Yee Soon would not rest. In fact she became unreasonably vindictive.

Onn Sin found out that Yuk Ying was invited by the emperor to watch the theatre at the big theatre hall but the thing is the Emperor is out of the palace. Onn Sin immediately knew Yuk Ying was tricked and in danger she ran to Bak Yeung and dragged him with her. Hung Mo saw Onn Sin holding Bak Yeung's hands and running and was very jealous.

Then we see Yuk Ying nicely dressed and was hoping to see the Emperor but no one was there. She went to the 2nd floor and saw Yee Soon. Yee Soon smiled in a rather evil way and said "The emperor won't be coming" and Yuk Ying was very scared and said "You do realise passing a false edict of the emperor is punishable by death if I were to tell on you. Jusg because you're a Kwai Yan doesn't mean you are most powerful and do whatever you like" and Yee Soon quickly move to Yuk Ying and grabbed her coat and hung her over the ledge in a dangerous way and Yuk Ying was gasping with fear and Yee Soon said "We women fight amongst ourselves is very common but to have you to drag and outsider like Suen Bak Yeung is despicable. Whatever out fights may be it is between us and has nothing to do with Suen Bak Yeung. You leave him out of this do you understand?" and Yuk Ying was confused and said "What?" as she didn't understand what Yee Soon was saying. Pause here.

Yee Soon was actually saying don't drag Bak Yeung into their messy fight and I think this is her way of protecting Bak Yeung from being messed up and also she was jealous that Bak Yeung would run her Yuk Ying's rescue. I understand her good intentions but the way she did it was wrong of course. For Yuk Ying she didn't understand because she didn't realise Bak Yeung loved her I guess and it wasn't her who asked Bak Yeung for help but Onn Sin so in her mind she wasn't dragging Bak Yeung into the picture but Bak Yeung came voluntarily as a friend. If you ask me, the more Yee Soon torture Yuk Ying, the more dragged into the mess would Bak Yeung be. Poor Yuk Ying. Yee Soon is now like the empress you know, only the more irrational jealous angry blinded one.

Anyway Yuk Ying was hung half way out of the wooden ledge or whatever and then Bak Yeung came and Yee Soon saw him and she froze in that position and probably thinking "Shit! This is the 2nd time he sees me this ugly!" Anyway Yuk Ying tearfully ran down the stairs and Bak Yeung ran straight towards the stairs and Yuk Ying threw herself at Bak Yeung and hugged him tightly whilst he hugged her tightly back, relieved that she was alright. Meanwhile Yee Soon was running down the stairs too and almost tripped but Bak Yeung didn't notice her, in his mind it was only Yuk Ying and Yee Soon was once again teary eyed and heart broken. This scene is most memorable for me tonight.

Their fights must have gotten around the palace because Fook Nga visited Yee Soon and said to Yee Soon " I haven't visited you quite some time. You shouldn't have done that to Yuk Ying" and Yee Soon gently said "She was dragging him into the picture, it is between us only" but Fook Nga said "You have just become Kwai Yan and to do what you did , it was not good for you. The palace is a place for fighting for attention but if you continue this way, people may see you as arrogant and in the end you will end up like Yu Fei" and Yee Soon asked "Even dear sister disagree with what I did?" and Fook Nga said "Is he worth all that? There is no point to hold on to him Yee Soon. Your heart may be at his direction but his heart is not. You're now a concubine, and to put such love in your heart will only hurt you, more so you're giving your heart to man who does not love you. Yee Soon, let go of this love, stop this..." and Yee Soon thought about it.

I bet she couldn't because there must be more torture scenes. I am just beginning to enjoy this! I kinda understood why Bak Yeung fell for Yuk Ying and not Yee Soon. For one, he owed Yuk Ying when he burn her stuff and dragged her into isolation, he could freely talk to Yuk Ying without much care or fear, he sees Yuk Ying all the time and to him Yuk Ying is like a soft poor lamb that needs protection. Yee Soon is more calculative, more conniving whilst Yuk Ying is like an open book. Perfectly understandable why he chose Yuk Ying. Yee Soon meanwhile has successfully deducted her own points in Bak Yeung's heart and like Fook Nga said "For what you would do that?" and true enough, for what indeed. I don't pity Yee Soon. I thought she had class but today she acted beyond the call for revenge. She should learn from the Empress, mean but not seen as mean. After all she is just a Kwai Yan.

Meanwhile Chan Song got beaten again and Hung Mo asked why he is not staying at the place arranged by Bak Yeung since he paid Bak Yeung but Chan Song said "Him taking care of me? He hasn't come to see me for a few days now, and without money I got kicked out but don't blame others for what you should have done yourself" and Hung Mo was very angry.

Why blame Bak Yeung? Not his fault what! Hung Mo can be so blinded.

Anyway, next we see Hung Mo talking to Bak Yeung in the palace accusing him of having feelings for Onn Sin and neglecting Chan Song eventhough he promised to take care of him and Bak Yeung was very offended and then the Emperor returned and they walked to the other end to continue their discussion and Bak Yeung said "I shall refuse to answer your allegations. She approached me to help Yuk Ying and because I was busy with Yuk Ying I could not visit Chan Song. I will visit him soon. You're only insulting Miss Onn Sin with that accusation of yours" when suddenly Bak Yeung noticed a strange man hiding a cleaver under his dress and he quickly said "The emperor!".

Indeed security is so bad the guy can just walk in and start attacking the Emperor. The eunuch was knocked down and fainted and the emperor was very scared when Bak Yeung came and stood before the emperor as Hung Mo stopped the attacker. But the attacker managed to get away from Hung Mo's grip and headed straight at the emperor with the cleaver when Bak Yeung stood in front of the emperor and.....

tomorrow, did Bak Yeung died? Like as if! But we now know how Hung Mo got promoted and Bak Yeung regained his power I guess. Anyway, tomorrow, Yee Soon will wreck more havoc in Yuk Ying's life and she is becoming annoying.

Story wise, interesting plot except for some loose ends like how that guy can walk into the emperor's room and attacked him? Such a big palace so many maids but so few guards? Always only Hung Mo running around. And why make Yee Soon like that? When I began to like her she became a total bitch which make me pity Godzilla. Anyway Godzilla not so godzilla tonight.

Bak Yeung is really fleshing out as a character and he truly loved Yuk Ying as he ran to her rescue, TWICE tonight. Very romantic. Hung Mo is jealous only, quite boring. Onn Sin has become Zhuge Liang to Yuk Ying's Lau Bei and aptly so since Lau Bei wasn't famous for his brains. I like Onn Sin's development and now I find it very interesting as she stood up to Yee Soon on behalf of Yuk Ying. She truly cared for Yuk Ying.

Tonight was the downfall of Yu Fei but not that dramatic. I enjoyed the Empress' taunting of Yu Fei. Anyway I was quite surprised to see Yuk Ying criticising Yu Fei but then Onn Sin explained why but still very dangerous game to play since the emperor was there.

Performance wise, the worst first.

Moses Chan. Horrible performance tonight.

Yu Yeung second worst.

Bowie Lam was great and I love his chemistry with Gigi Lai as he ran to hug her tightly. I also like the way his character is humbled a bit.

Wong Tak Bun looked like he is suffering from permanent paralyzed cheeks. This man can't smile even if you tickle him. Ok performance.

Rebecca Chan was gorgeous tonight and should be the case since she is the empress. Her performance was one of subtlety and I absolutely enjoyed her many facial expressions, like surprised, happy, contented, scheming, etc. Her encounter with Yu Fei was explosive and she totally played that moment to perfection. She was as devious as pretentious and yet I like watching this empress. From what she said I too would have done what she did to Yu Fei, irrespective of how much she may have bullied Yu Fei many years before after all Yu Fei was plain rude earlier on. Excellent performance but I don't like that big hairstyle by Siu Luk Tzi. Very clumsy looking. I like those trinklets on her forehead.

Sheren Teng I pity her. Now finally her Yu Fei is moving forward apart from looking worried or looking mean. Whilst everybody liked Yu Fei and was intrigued by her, her downfall was a welcoming sight for me because I do not like Yu Fei. I find her too arrogant. Anyway she dug her own grave tonight. As for performance wise, Sheren Teng is of course better than most young ones but far far away from Rebecca Chan. I do not know why but I don't think Sheren was that great thus far. Like tonight in that encounter with the Empress, of course she looked exasperated but in a very anal way like very painful to watch her. Sheren was never good with angry or crying scenes because her face got contorted. I find her expressions limited and her interpretation of Yu Fei lacking. I am now convinced Florence Kwok would have a great time with this character. But that being said, Sheren is alright but for all the praises, I expected great but only got ok-lar.

Gigi Lai was ok tonight, no godzilla moments but this woman is taking her acting like in a WYSIWYG way. I mean she was so fake before Yee Soon and indeed her Yuk Ying was pretending to be friendly with Yee Soon but must she make it sooooooo obvious? It's like no one is controlling her acting. She should learn from Rebecca Chan.

Maggie Cheung, wonderful. Right expressions, right determination type of stare, especially like her scene with Charmaine and challenging of Charmaine. One scene alone and you will know amongst the 3 who is the best actress.

Charmaine Sheh is a bit tricky. Can't say she is bad. She is good in those quiet reflective moments, like towards the end with a very elegant Jade Leung, thatw as well done. But when she was torturing and bullying Yuk Ying, she was not very good. Her weakness could be seen, she is not genuinely angry or deceptive enough. Like my way of encouraging to act out that anger in one of my episodic thoughts, why not "Charmaine..you're nominated again this year but everybody says you won't win..again the bridesmaid but never the bride. How do you feel? Seething with anger? But muted anger since can't show too much? That glare! The one you may have for Maggie Cheung...Shirley Yeung...yessssss....YES THAT's THE WAY TO GO!". Ahhhhh she didn't have enough of fire in her eyes. Even when she threatened, I wouldn't take her seriously if I were Yuk Ying because Charmaine was so soft in her approach, the way she delivered her lines. Cold yes, steely glare yes, but mean and scary? Nope. Again must learn from Rebecca Chan. But her best scene is that dejected look as Bowie hugged Gigi.

To me the two women who shone in this series that is Maggie for the younger generation and Rebecca Chan for the older generation. I am very impressed with these two.

For the men, who else but Bowie?

The rest are at best mediocre or more accurately, they have their moments but too few. A better casting decision may result in the same mediocrity but at least consistent mediocrity?

- For screencaps of this episode do check out Sehseh's WAB page -