EPISODE 9

Interesting episode tonight. I don't think I saw Yu Fei in here. Anyway my mind is a bit messy tonight so my recap may be as messy as well.

Yuk Ying met with Bak Yeung and said a whole lot of things but basically in a gist what she meant was "If you don't help me, I will reveal to all about your affair with Yee Soon". Bak Yeung of course said nothing and agreed to help.

What she wanted him to do was quite confusing to me since I can't understand what they were saying. I think it was about the Emperor who will be going for a tour and since Yuk Ying was already of the Tap Ying rank, she could technically sleep with the Emperor. So I guess she wanted to go with the Emperor but..you know the rest here is my own guess. She asked Bak Yeung to make her menstrual cycle go a bit faster as in having her monthly period earlier so Bak Yeung let her drink something but warned her that she may experience huge discomfort and that the Emperor may change his plans. Yuk Ying refused to listen. Am I right? Was it about periods?

Anyway Bak Yeung was successful in helping Yee Soon to get rid of her addiction. Yesterday I did not mention why she took drugs thinking it was to drown her sorrows. Today it was revealed she had asthma and so she took the drugs to control her condition which was actually quite the reverse. Anyway Yee Soon was not appreciative of Bak Yeung's effort but Bak Yeung remained as the ever caring doctor. Of course earlier he had a meeting with eunuch Tsui who kinda threatened him that he must cure Yee Soon if not he will tell everyone about his father taking bribes. Bak Yeung wasn't very pleased with eunuch Tsui and even dared to retort that "You seem concerned about Yee Soon but isn't it the case that if she is useful to you will feel concern about her but when she is of no use you will push her aside?". Eunuch Tsui was silent on this so that meant Bak Yeung was right. Anyway Yee Soon said "Since I am getting better, I am glad I do not have to see you again Doctor" but Bak Yeung reminded Yee Soon that the sand storm (something like that) season was here and reminded her to take extra care. Yee Soon was not appreciative but Bak Yeung reminded her that he did what he had to do on the orders of Eunuch Tsui.

Next scene Yuk Ying was having stomach cramps, really painful one. Onn Sin tried to help by asking for medicine but she was told the medical dept was very busy with preparing the medicine for the Emperor's tour which was rescheduled to an earlier date. Yuk Ying was shocked to hear this and when Bak Yeung arrived, she threw a tantrum, accusing Bak Yeung of lying to her and that Bak Yeung knew what was going on and yet allowed her to take the medicine. That she will tell everyone about his affair with Yee Soon. Bak Yeung cooly retorted "I was merely following your orders my lady, you were the one who insisted on the medicine and so I prepared it. I tried to warn you but you didn't listen. Yee Soon and I are merely doctor-patient relationship, even if you do not believe that I shall not say anything further on that. In any case, you would not be able to sleep with the Emperor even if you're a Tap Ying as Yu Fei will never allow that" and Yuk Ying was lost for words.

I must stop here for awhile.

Yuk Ying was always pretending to be stupid in front of others and she fooled many and in reality she was cunning and shrewd. And yet in front of Bak Yeung where she showed her true colours and yet she seemed dumb and not that shrewd. I think Yuk Ying is someone who thinks she has everything figured out and that everything was as she planned but in actual reality her arrogance is clouding her judgment and Bak Yeung could see right through her. Yuk Ying is quite similar to Yu Fei who thinks she has everything figured out and yet she could never have thought Yuk Ying was pretending to be stupid. But yet the funny thing was that Yuk Ying is stupid in front of Bak Yeung. Quite an irony if this is called irony.

Anyway it was night and Yee Soon went to see eunuch Tsui who advised her to take special care of herself and they discussed about getting rid of Yuk Ying, which was what Yee Soon wanted. As Yee Soon was walking back to her room, the sand storm affected her condition greatly and she was having asthma attack and luckily she saw Bak Yeung. Bak Yeung was not happy that she was wandering at night since she could be punished and she could have died thanks to her condition. Yee Soon was not concerned and tried to brush Bak Yeung away but Bak Yeung angrily said "If you do not care about your own health, how am I going to help you?". Which was true. Yee Soon angrily went back to her room and left something on the floor which Bak Yeung picked up and saw it was those fortune teller's pink slips from the temples. Bak Yeung then went to Eunuch Tsui's home but he wasn't there. Instead he met with Mrs Tsui and frankly said to Mrs Tsui that "I would hope Madam would remind eunuch Tsui not to see Yee Soon in the night during sand storms. She was not well and luckily I saw her and if he wants her to get well soon please no more such meetings." and Bak Yeung gave her the pink slip and said "If Yee Soon wants peace of mind, I would advise her that going to temples will not help much, it is better she does more good deeds which will give her the peace of mind she wants". Bak Yeung was about to leave when Mrs Tsui with concern said that "Yee Soon has always been a very sensitive person. She was separated from her older sister many years before and Yee Soon has never got over the pain of separation. And with what happened with Sook Ling and Yuen Kei, I know what she had to do and what happened is hurting her very much as she places above all else her love for her siblings. I have hoped to give her that peace of mind which is why I often go to temples and seek guidance with these pink slips. You must understand her and I hope in spite of everything that is happening, you will do your utmost to help Yee Soon to get through these difficult times" and Bak Yeung was looking like "really?!" and Mrs Tsui knew and Mrs Tsui asked "Do you not believe me sir? Do you not believe what I told you?" and Bak Yeung said "Madam, I believe if she is of use to you you will feel concern for her but when she is of no use you would oush her aside and she shall be forgotten. Am I correct? I am afraid I may have crossed the line today but I have said what I have meant to say." and Bak Yeung left.

Curious scene as Bak Yeung mentioned they have forgotten about someone. Anyway very good scene and it has my vote as the most memorable scene for today's episode.

Once back in the palace, Bak Yeung asked his assistant to prepare some herbs but it was not for some patient's use. And he carried along a golden pouch and walked alone to this dirty looking building where the sand storm was blowing harshly. He opened the door and asked for I think Fook Kuai Yan (Concubine Fook) and the wind blew all those paper cuttings (how to say this? You know those paper you cut into shapes and patterns? I will call it paper cuts) flying all over and then Concubine Fook (Jade Leung) appeared. Bak Yeung chatted with Fook Nga in a friendly way and mentioned "Hasn't the servants been around to clean your place?" and Fook Nga looked quite embarrassed I guess as she answered "It is because of the sand storm, that this place is messy. They do come around but the sand storm causes it to become messy again". And then Fook Nga was busy cutting the paper she was holding when she said "I believe sir you may be having some trouble. I remember you could always identify the ingrediants I put into the tea I served you but today you're silent on this" and Bak Yeung smiled at her ability to see right through him. And then he gave to Fook Nga, supposedly a sickly concubine who has lost favour of the Emperor and now officially I guess in cold palace, a puch full of expensive colourful papers and said "Eunuch Tsui sent this to you and sent his regards". Fook Nga looked mournful and said "Godfather still remembers me despite my circumstances, it is very kind of him".

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh now I see why Bak Yeung was so pissed earlier on because Eunuch and Mrs Stui forgotten about Fook Nga!! Very strange because Mrs Tsui acted like she didn't know what he was saying. Anyway I know Fook Nga is the sister of Yee Soon thanks to the cast list but strange how come Yee Soon never mentioned her sister and herself both became the god daughters of eunuch Tsui? Maybe she didn't know? Anyway Fook Nga looked like a gentle person and Bak Yeung seemed genuinely concerned about her. Question is why? Later episodes I am sure we shall know.

Anyway that scene ended with Fook Nga giving to Bak Yeung the paper cutting she made and he accepted happily.

Next we have Hung Mo and Chan Song who were given menial jobs of feeding the crows by the eunuch who was very angry that they climbed over his I think some relative. Hung Mo did it without complaints but Chan Song was not happy. You know I do think Chan Song will one day cause Hung Mo problems with his honesty and complaints. Anyway as he was feeding the crows high up whilst holding on to the pole he heard someone playing the flute. He was mesmerized.

Computer graphic zoomed to Onn Sin playing the flute.

I must stop here again. I believe Maggie Cheung was really actually playing the flute in that scene because it looked very very real.

Anyway Onn Sin was very worried about her grandma who never turned up that day. Siu Luk Tzi then told her that her grandma fell sick on her way to Beijing and now needed money for medicine. Onn Sin decided to sell her handicraft outside of palace but this was forbidden. Siu Luk Tzi volunteered to get some eunuch to assist her but that eunuch wanted 50% of the profit. I think she agreed.

Before that the same eunuch was caught by Hung Mo and Chan Song leaving the palace with jade pieces but Hung Mo was scolded by I think another guard for butting into other people's business and the eunuch was let off. Hung Mo then realised eunuchs often go out of palace to sell stuff, sometimes things stolen from the palace for profit. No one says anything as everyone is involved.

Hung Mo approached that eunuch and suggested some ways to avoid detection and he became an accomplice. Very brave of him. Anyway amongst the items he saw the handkerchief and he bought it as he recognised the sewing as same as the one he had and he asked the eunuch who sew that but the eunuch told him to mind his own business.

I think that was the last scene. Can't remember the preview for tomorrow. Like I said my mind a bit messy tonight.

Content wise tonight is interesting. I like how Bak Yeung is developing into a very shrewd character that is not afraid to voice his opinion even if he is stuck in some situation and Bowie is clearly getting familiar with the lines. Excellent performance.

Jade Leung appears tonight. I quite like her since she is a good actress, quite pretty but her problem is I find her speech very difficult to understand as she does not speak her lines clearly. Anyway at least some other person who can act is a good thing.

Maggie Cheung had little scenes today but she did well as usual. Right now her character is going nowhere and it may be mean to hope for this but I hope her grandma dies soon because I am sure then her character will move somewhere. I wonder when Hung Mo will know Onn Sin was the girl he was looking for?

A question though; why Onn Sin ignored Hung Mo and Chan Song when she met them halfway? Because she was concerned about her grandma? Anyway Chan Song thought she was snubbing them because of their lowly status.

Wai Kah Hung is good but I am bored with his ever complaining character. I do feel Hung Mo can do better by sending Chan Song back to hometown because Chan Song's direct and honest personality will hurt Hung Mo's ambition.

Moses Chan is doing quite well as the ambitious Hung Mo. So far nothing dramatic for his character and so Moses need not do much. But Hung Mo is one scary character; he is so ambitious he is willing to cross the lines of decency sometimes to create opportunities for himself. Wonder how much will he be willing to cross?

Gigi Lai does not overact today since no major drama for her to overact in. When she settles and just act normally, she is quite ok. I like the scene where she thinks she is so smart when Bak Yeung is smarter. Quite a chemistry she has with Bowie Lam.

But Bowie Lam has a better chemistry with Charmaine Sheh who probably delivered a very good performance tonight because she is not required to do any heavy duty emotional acting. Tonight Yee Soon is very subdued, sulky and doesn't scream nor shout. And this is the type of scenes Charmaine excels in but what I don't understand is why her Yee Soon keeps pushing Bak Yeung aside when she knows that Bak Yeung is there because of Eunuch Tsui? Inconsistency a bit here and there but Charmaine did well.

Overall good episode as we know more about the characters and their pasts although I find some bits rather strange, like all of a sudden threw one hint here and there like not connected at all. Like Fook Nga's situation and Eunuch Tsui seems pretty blur about Fook Nga.

Anyway I am just happy that Gigi Lai is not required to open her eyes big big and talk with that asthmatic voice. The more I see her the more I would have hoped Anne Heung had been offered this role since both talks with that asthmatic voice but Anne at least tried to lessen it but Gigi seems to make it sound worse!

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