Sire, l know that Han people are often bullied by the Manchus
Some were even beaten to death
Hence the grievance bearing lanterns
lmperial guards are close to the emperor if Hans are allowed to fill the posts
it'll show the Court's determination to put Hans in important positions
l'll apply for the post of lmperial Guard
Han people can walk with their heads held high too
Bravo!
lmperial Guard Recruitment Ground
Today is the lmperial Guard Recruitment examination
l'm sure you candidates are adept with the mind to serve the Court
lmperial guards are His Majesty's bodyguards
They has to be well-versed in classics and martial arts
With wit and wisdom to match
Only 50 will be shortlisted for the 2nd round to be held in the garrison camp
You will be taken to a location Pay attention to every detail along the way
You'll have to mark them down on the map
First question
There's a row of houses on the left side of the village
A string of peppers hangs outside one of the houses
Circle the house And what color is the string?
Second question: A granny was fanning herself by the well
with her left or right hand?
Third question: When l led you into Ngau Village
l kicked a piece of wood aside with my right or left foot?
The fourth test is to see if you can think on your feet
How you'd react to unexpected situations
Each one of you will guard a pearl in an enclosed room
Whatever happens, make sure you don't lose the pearl, or you'd fail the test
Nip Dor-po, you made it Hand over the pearl
You are not an imperial guard
l'm wearing the imperial guard uniform and l have the badge
How dare you defame me?
lmperial guards carry their sheathed swords with the handles facing to the rear
Look at yours
Nip Dor-po, you've passed this test Get ready for the next round
This is the Honorable Po Chai
Minister of lmperial Guard Garrison First Rank Official
He is your invigilator
Your Honor, the examination is going well
The candidates are all talents We'll have the best men for the Court
The recruitment is a success The credit goes to Your Honor's leadership
By His Majesty's grace
Manchus and Hans are selected to be imperial guards on an equal footing
To serve the Court men should have great aspirations
Only those with outstanding physical prowess and a quick mind will be selected
This is what His Majesty's couplets speak of
The final test. Combat skills lt's to test your martial artistry
Defeat your opponents and grab the flag before the incense burns out
The first round is First Among Equals Eight in one group
Throw your opponent out of the ring and advance to the second round
Nip Dor-po
Weapon Mastery. Take your weapon of choice and defeat your opponents
The method is to change and transform everything, to obtain its true nature
for harmony and union
lt's onto the third round after you throw your opponents out of the ring
Against All Odds
There is the plum blossom pole formation to overcome
Get the flag on the top and insert it back on the ground
You have to complete it before the incense burns out and the thread snaps
or everyone will be disqualified
Nip Dor-por failed to do it within the time limit. You are disqualified
Today's examination is over
Well done, you have not disappointed me Po Chai, bear in mind
the training has to be fair. Manchus and and Hans are to be treated impartially
What Sire means is that the successful candidates don't have to be Hans
but they have to be capable
Make sure the best men are recruited regardless if they are Manchu or Han
to prevent resentment among the two peoples
l will do as Sire's command
l only have the Court's interest in mind Those who cannot make it will be dismissed
Only the cream of the crop will be selected to serve Sire
Well done. l have memorials to read you may go
May l be excused
Cheung, l'm going to stay here
Let it be known that l will dine at the lmperial Study
Sire, you have dined here for three nights in a row
Running a country is time consuming
l don't want to shirk my duties and neglect state affairs
But Sire, you have been reading memorials days and nights
Sire, you must take care of yourself
Your good health is a blessing to the country
Alright then, l'll take this night off
Let it be known l will dine at Permanent Harmony Hall with Lady Wai
Yes, Sire
l have one thing to report What is it?
Sire, l passed by lmperial Garden today
and saw Lady Man-kwan embroidering the Distant Aroma scene
Distant Aroma? l have heard it before
Sire, you have been busy with state affairs you have forgotten about it
Sire, remember you went to the Summer Palace with the Ladies last year?
Yes
You passed by the lily pond. The lilies were in bloom
You praised the scene but regretted that it couldn't be captured
You said ''for shame'' three times in a row l did?
Sire, l remember every word you said. My Lady takes what Sire said to heart as well
Kindness Hall
Your Highness, you have been embroidering days and nights
But His Majesty doesn't know about it
Why don't you rest for a while?
Lady Tung-kai, Hong Hei's lmperial Consort
Diligence will be rewarded l am sure Sire will learn of it one day
Lady Kin-ching's here
Your Highness At ease
lt's just you and me here don't stand on ceremony
Kin-ching, wife of Prince Kung
Thank you, Highness
l am here to ask for a favor
lt concerns Prince Kung?
Your Highness is smart
Prince Kung has been sent to my native land Mongolia for military supervision
l just received his letter He'll be back next month
Congratulations
You were separated not long after your wedding. You can now be reunited
Don't tease me
He praised the Mongolian life and he loves the string instrument matouqin
the sound is mellow and sweet that it's exotic
But not too many know how to play this instrument
You want me to teach you?
You are a Mongolian princess You should know how to play it
l was taught when l was still a maiden lt has gone rusty without practice
l know you are music savvy
Have you heard of the Mongolian song Longing?
lt's about missing one's beloved lt is what you want to convey to Prince Kung
Please don't tease me
Prince Kung and l have been apart for long
l want to give him a surprise
Well done, Kin-ching
The song is not easy to play at all
Practice more and you can master it
l didn't practice for long and my arms are aching
lt is getting late
lt takes time to learn how to play it well Why don't you come again tomorrow?
Alright then
lt's troublesome to carry the matouqin around. Why don't you leave it here?
l can practice with it too
Harmony Hall, Lady Wai's Chambers
Ngai Ying-suet, Lady Wai
Sire
You're alright?
Your sword dance was so captivating l was carried away
Sire, don't you tease me
l praise you and your efforts. You must've spent a lot of time practicing
What's the name of the sword dance?
Butterflies Lingering Over Flowers
Flowers in full bloom as thriving as the country
Butterflies flutter among the flowers just like l want to be near Sire
You are smart and bright You help relieve my worries
That's why l love you so much
l'm not the only who want to ease your worries
Be straightforward
The lmperial Consort is embroidering the Distant Aroma scene for Sire
She is working on it days and nights lt hurts me to see her working so hard
Sire, why don't you pay her a visit?
Sire, at your service
Hush
Sire, greetings
What a pretender
Sire
Cousin, we have a chance to taste this rare fruit, why do you look so unhappy?
Nothing. Something baffles me
You are still thinking about the matouqin incident?
l just can't understand it Sire doesn't visit my chambers often
He got mad when he heard the matouqin and called me a pretender
Why did you play the matouqin all of a sudden?
l asked her to teach me But l don't know why this happened
You? That's odd
How did you know she knows matouqin?
And where did you get the matouqin?
Lady Wai got it for me
Lady Wai?
l heard that you wanted to learn matouqin to please Prince Kung. l've got one for you
What a shame, my playing has turned rusty without practice
You are learned and well-connected You know anyone that is versed in it?
l know who can be your teacher
Your Highness
Greetings, Your Highness
Your Highness, l found out that Sire was mad at you. Are you alright?
l am fine, thank you for your concern
lt's my fault
l told Lady Kin-ching she could learn to play the matouqin from you
l didn't know it would get you into trouble l really am sorry
lt's hard to avoid if it's a setup
What do you mean?
What a coincidence
Lady Kin-ching asked Her Highness to teach her how to play the matouqin
and you asked Sire to pay her a visit
Everything seems so calculated l'd say someone set Her Highness up
You are mistaken
l am not in position to do so and l'm not pointing a finger at anyone
l just heard that someone courted Sire's favor by playing the late empress
And now you used the matouqin as a means to hurt Her Highness
You've wronged me
Kwai-lun, you have no evidence You shouldn't accuse Lady Wai
There must be some misunderstanding
Her Highness Empress Dowager
Greetings, Your Highness
At ease
Thank you, Your Highness
Have you tried the pineapple? l tried it at the Benevolence Hall
lt was very sweet
Yes, Your Highness. lt was heavenly Thank you for the gift
Please sit Thank you, Your Highness
Lady Wai, how come your eyes are red?
l didn't sleep well last night so l look haggard
The pineapple is covered with spikes prickly to the touch, yet it's sweet inside
That's what l said
So, we shouldn't judge by the surface We've to delve deep inside
Appearance is deceptive
lt's sour
Kin-ching, the pineapple's heart is rotten lt's not edible
But how can we tell the heart is rotten
When it's rotten, it turns dark in color l am sure Lady Wai knows about it
You aren't aware of this the late empress loved the matouqin
She insisted on playing for Sire before she died
And she died in his arms
Sire is loyal and he has not forgotten about her
No wonders he got mad and called me a pretender
Matouqin has since become a taboo here
Sire got mad every time he heard the sound of it
l gave the order that no one could ever mentioned about it
But someone learned about it and used it to set you up. She's very conniving
Lady Wai is smart and bright but she is not that cunning
Your Highness was explicit with her She's clever. She won't cross the line again
You are too kindhearted everyone in the lnner Palace is calculating
You may mean others no harm You still have to be on the lookout
l will bear Your Highness' teaching in mind
You are from my side of the family
With your character and virtues you have the making of an empress
You'd be a role model for the nation
Don't you disappoint me
l will do my best not to let Your Highness down
Good
Lady Wai is wicked. She did so much to set set lmperial Consort up. What a evil woman
lnner Palace is filled with intrigues lt has always been the case
Don't get upset over it
lmperial Consort is my cousin l just can't forget about it
My cousin is too learned for her own good
She even knows how to play the Mongolian matouqin and it got her into trouble
Matouqin?
My lord has heard of it?
Sort of
l grew up in Manchuria
l got close to my cousin when l came to the Capital with you several years ago
We share similar interests and We are like sisters
l won't let anyone hurt her
l wouldn't stick a finger into palace intrigues if l were you
You'd get your finger burnt
My lord, why do you keep such a distance? l thought you were close to her family
lt was many years ago, l was young then The memory has longed faded
My cousin is my concern l will not play the onlooker
Halt
Your Highness
l happened to pass by and my curiosity was aroused by the ruckus
Who is this man?
How has he offended Your Honor that you have to punish him on the spot?
Your Highness he was making a scene outside my Magistracy with some outrageous claims
l ignored him but he assaulted me when l was on my way out
Hence l had to straighten him out
Prince Yue, just ignore this unruly subject
Who are you?
Your Highness, l am not an unruly subject
l used to be the magistrate of Yangzhou l have a grievance to redress
Sire, the man's identity is confirmed He's former Yangzhou magistrate Ho Sai-wing
He is in the Capital to file a complaint against Governor-General Lung Bit Tai
that he only pays lip-service to the Manchu-Han harmony policy
He is partial to Manchus lt has led to public resentment
Ho Sai-wing wanted to seek court redress
But the Governor-general accused him of taking bribes and defaming his superior
He and several Han officials were dismissed
Such a thing could happen in the Capital?
Sire, it's the truth
l happened to pass by and learned of it l reported it to you at once
Ming-chu Yes, Sire
Lung Bit Tai is your protege Did you know about it?
Sire, Ho Sai-wing was blathering His words can't be trusted
Governor-General Lung Bit Tai is an honest and impartial man
Ho Sai-wing and his adherents were penalized under ample evidence
Sire, please understand
Sire, where there is smoke there is fire
lf what Ho Sai-wing said is true Lung Bit Tai has hoodwinked Sire
Sire, please find out the truth to pacify the people of the two Yangtze provinces
Sire, the Governor-General should not be convicted because of a one-sided story
Stop arguing lt concerns the Qing state policy
l will not turn a blind eye to it
Grandmother, why won't you give Prince Yue another chance?
To ensure the plant will go into bloom pruning is the key, or it'll wither
Grandmother
Sire, l'm never wrong when it comes to a person's character
You can put any minister in charge but it can never be your brother
Everything turned out as you said, my lord
You asked me to look out for Ho Sai-wing as he arrived in the capital
You foresaw what would happen
Lung Bit Tai has been overbearing in the two provinces
l knew he resented the Manchu-han harmony measure
Yangzhou magistrate Ho Sai-wing is a Han and an upright man
He and Lung Bit Tai were at discord
Disagreement would surface
As l thought, Lung Bit Tai dismissed him with a pretext
Ho Sai-wong wouldn't take it lying down He would appeal to the Court
Your Highness pretended to run into him and brought the matter to Sire's attention
lt happened exactly as Your Highness predicted
My Lord is given this important task You have to put all your efforts into it
The chance didn't come easy l'll make full use of it
Royal decree
l hereby decree Prince Fook-chuen is named supervisor of royal mausoleum renovation
He should take up the post without delay
Thank you, Sire
ls it really Sire's idea?
Your Highness, have patience Of course it's Sire's idea
Empress Dowager has a few words for you
What is it?
Her Highness hopes you won't be disappointed
Sire has this decision because he finds you the right man for this important post
She hopes that you will spare no efforts in carrying it out
As for the Governor-General incident other ministers will take care of it
Thank you, Cheung Goong-Goong
l have to report to Sire. Excuse me
Why did Sire want you to be in charge of the mausoleum renovation?
l thought he was sending you to Yangzhou
lt's Empress Dowager's idea
Empress Dowager? Why?
We wanted to take our son to visit his grandfather in Manchuria
But she wouldn't let us go
Now she's sabotaged your appointment Why won't she leave you alone?
lt has been so many years
But she still won't forgive me
She tries to thwart me every step of the way But l won't admit defeat
One fifth, again one-fifth left on the incense
Dor-po, we have reenacted it three times There's still one-fifth left on the incense
How many more times do you want to try this?
lt shows that the incense was tempered with
That's what you think But the men and location are different
lt's hard to make an exact reenactment
lndeed. So what if the incense was tempered with? You've been disqualified
But l have to know why l didn't make it
You know my nose is sensitive
l smelled something weird They can't fool me
Put it on, that's right Only a table this size is big enough for us
The small tables are getting in my way Go away
Go away...
You are scaring away my customers Forget it...Sir, why don't you use our
private room? lt's more comfortable
l wanted a room last time and you couldn't get me one
This time l prefer the hall lt's more presentable
Brothers Yes
Have you heard of the saying? Dog in a manger
Yes
Have you ever seen a big dog taking up a table?
This is the dog in a manger
Stop it
Sir, please don't be mad at him
l am in good mood today l won't hold a grudge against you
l am here for a celebration that l will soon become an imperial guard
l understand how you feel
But with your martial artistry you want to be an imperial guard? Dream on
lt's a logical outcome that l failed to make it. l was set up
My sword was tempered with and it broke and the incense was tempered with
You think people won't find out about your dirty tricks? Don't take others as fools
lndeed
Mind your words. Stand aside
How despicable You think you're above the law?
Come on
You know what you are talking about?
Smearing the name of a court official You can't bear the consequences
Listen. Others may bow to corrupt officials But l am don't give them a damn
What?
What? You want to pick a fight?
l've been accepted by the lmperial Guard Garrison. l am a court official now
Touch me and you will be arrested and your restaurant sealed off
Don't beg me on your knees
Stop this nonsense
You were thrown into jail lt has not taught you a lesson?
Sir, please don't be mad at him
This rascal is too impetuous and he has gone overboard
Please sit...what can l get you? lt's on the house
What? Afree meal for him? Come on over here
Why does he get a free meal? Come on over
Son, forget it He's an official. You can't fight him
Your father is right Don't let the Hans ruin our mood
Get us your best dishes and wine
Coming...
Sing ...set the table. Bring out the wine
Careful
Brother Law Brother Nip
We aren't just brothers We are fellow-sufferers
With your martial artistry you still failed to get into lmperial Guard Garrison. Pity!
l wouldn't resent it if l was inapt but l was set up and l resent it
You really think the incense was tempered with?
l grew up in the kitchen My nose is sensitive
The incense was tempered with l could smell it
My sword broke into two halves lt's obvious it was tempered with
What about you? What's your grievance?
You could take your complaint to His Majesty
Even if His Majesty learns of my grievance he can't help me with it
That's some grievance
As it says, women and petty men are hard to deal with
l have lived my life under the thumb of a woman
Who is she? You are hen-pecked or your mother ties you to her apron?
l say it must be your wife
As you said, we are fellow sufferers l have offended a petty man and you a woman
But we won't admit defeat. No!
lndeed, we won't admit defeat
Hey...be careful
A roc!
Aspiration soars with the roc. lt's great!
We will be like the roc in the painting Our aspiration will soar
No one can trap us in a painting
Yes, let's soar through the sky Yes, fly away...
Hey! Why are you tearing up the painting? l'll pay for it
Fly away... Let's soar through the sky
Sorry Take care
You're laughing at me?
l am Chiu Chi-lung
Protector of the little heir Commander of a million men
Chi-lung is my name
Hear me roar
Chiu Chi-lung, Kwan Wan-cheung Two loyal subjects and fellow generals
We join hands to right the wrongs and make our own names
lndeed, we won't be at others' beck and call
We'll make our own names We won't admit defeat
For sure? For sure
For real? For real
That's great....
Cousin, we've wanted to see you But you hold a key position in the garrison
We didn't want to take up your time
You were made first rank imperial guard after coming here from Manchuria
lt shows that His Majesty sees highly of you
Your Highness, you are too kind
Now we are at it, l have to thank Uncle for his referral. l owe him so much
Oh yes, how's Uncle?
He enjoys good health except for his asthma
lt's about time Po-tai goes to bed
Our son won't leave me alone He won't sleep unless l lull him
My lord, please keep my cousin company On-wing, you may go
Yes, Your Highness
Your Highness bid me here and it's not just for a reunion
l have heard some stories about the lmperial Guard Garrison
There were irregularities in the recruitment process
And the finger points to the top officials in the garrison
Your Highness, you don't go out often Where did you get the news?
When l heard it, l was worried that you would be implicated
Hence l've asked you to come to fill me in and to warn you about it
Your Highness, thank you for your concern
l hear that Tai Shek had an old row with a Han candidate
even His Majesty has heard of it
His Majesty mentioned about it while we had a chat a few days ago
He asked me for my opinion
His Majesty mentioned it to you?
As far as l know, His Majesty got wind of the rumors
Recruiting Hans as imperial guards was my idea
Hence His Majesty often seeks my opinions
Where there is smoke there very likely is a fire
But l have no concrete evidence
Both you and Tai Shek are both first rank imperial guard
lf something happens to him you'll have an advantage
l will spare no efforts to plead for you But will you go along with me?
A candidate's sword broke into half You checked out every weapon?
Your Honor, Honorable Tai Shek checked it out one by one
The sword blade broke, probably because the candidate was rough in handling it
lt wasn't just Honorable Tai Shek even Minister Po Chai checked them out
Minister Po Chai checked out the recruitment articles?
Yes, he checked out every article before the selection
Even the incenses used for timing were sent to his room for inspection
He even grouped the candidates himself He was very thorough
What about the yellow phosphorus in our care? Make sure you've kept it safe
Your Honor, rest assured lt's been taken care of
Prior to the selection, Minister Po has given the order that no one should touch it
Minister Po Chai?
The two incenses were lit at the same time
This one burns faster than the other and it gives off a strange smell
l smelled it in the ring
You know why it burns faster?
Because of the smell? lt had been tempered with?
They added in yellow phosphorous
What is it?
lts an invention of the West
lt can ignite on its own in hot surroundings
The incense was tempered with to prevent me from getting selected
This recruitment was pivotal
They couldn't possibly do this for personal feud. lt's committing capital offense
You said in the last round, the combat eight candidates were put into one group
Yes, what about it?
As l know, the Hans were assigned to six different groups
You and other Hans were put into one group and the one who assigned the candidates...
Tai Shek
No. lt's the head of the garrison, Po Chai
Yellow phosphorous is restricted article Only Po Chai can lay a hand on it
He was behind the setup?
He is lmperial Guard Minister First Rank Official
He knows it's capital offence He'll be beheaded for it
Why would he do it? lt's baffling
Hold it. How come you know so much?
You knew the incense was tempered with You knew the garrison operation so well
Who are you? lt matters not who l'm. What's important is
to find out about the relationship between Po Chai and the six Hans
l've checked out the background of Muk Fung He's from Fujian
His father succeeded his grandfather as Fujian magistrate
He had never been at the capital before He seems to have nothing to do with Po Chai
He's got his martial artistry from Eagle Claw School in Fujian
There's an Eagle Claw School in the Capital
But Po Chai practice the Sit Fist it's a different type of Martial Arts
Ouch
Miss, you're alright?
Let go of her Dor-po
How dare you! Lecher! You dared to molest my cousin
Mind your words, the lady tripped and l caught hold of her
You can ask your cousin
ls it true?
No, he took advantage of him
l was walking by and he suddenly came up grabbed my hands and said he liked me
You heard her. You molested her in broad daylight
l have to teach you a lesson
You look familiar. Have we met?
Spare me the act lt won't spare you from a good beating
How cocky! Who do you think you are?
l am an imperial guard in waiting You dare to fight me?
lmperial guard?
Good, l can't wait to fight one