Faces you'll recognise
Episode guide
HEI is suffered from smallpox. He is then being sent to the villa for recovery. On the way he meets AU PEI. AU rescues HEI from danger. He even kills the assassin. HEI regards AU as his idol. He even asks AU to teach him martial arts. SHUN CHI is also suffered from smallpox. He was on the throne for eighteen years and died. HEI succeeds the throne. HEI trusts AU. Thus, AU is arrogant in the palace. Other officials are very dissatisfied with AU. PING is HEI's sister-in-law. They grow up together. Her father is the ON Prince. On hates AU a lot as AU had once slapped him in public.
AU pretends to resign. The empress dowager asks AU to stay. However, she allows ON to resign. AU goes to the palace to see HEI. The palace guard, HAK, obstructs his way. He even finds excuse to send TONG YUR MON to JIANG NING. The empress dowager regards AU as enemy. The empress dowager arranges a lantern festival to select a queen for the emperor. HEI likes SOR LI's granddaughter the most. He even gives her a jade. He neglects PING. AU accuses HAK who has broken the rule of the palace as he takes the emperor out to hunting and uses the emperor's bow and arrow. He sentences HAK to death. HEI arrives in time and negotiates with AU. HEI orders AU to set HAK free. AU challenges HEI with the ex-emperor' s exhortation. Meanwhile, the empress dowager and the ex-emperor arrive.
The empress dowager agrees with AU instead of HEI. HAK thus is being killed. AU fears that HEI will be angry with him, he gives HEI a good horse. He also invites HEI to attend in the martial arts competition. He asks HEI to write an inscription for the champion. HA devises to set AU up. HA even sacrifices his son to kill AU's eldest son. AU swears to take revenge on HA. HA's subordinate, the department head of the correctional department, does not perform well in handling the history of the Ming Dynasty affair. AU rebukes him. He arrests a group of officials who are related in this job. HEI again negotiates with AU and settles the case. HEI knows that PING is not ON's flesh and blood daughter at ON's palace.
PING wants to question ON the case. However, HEI advises PING not to asks ON as HEI does not want ON to offend the palace rule. AU meets a brave girl when he is patrolling. She is hurt for AU's sake. AU brings her home and gives her some treatment. AU arranges to offer up a sacrifice to heaven as there are a lot of natural disaster recently. AU quarrels with the astronomical officer. Ultimately, HEI postpones the palace renovation and reserves some money for offering sacrifice to heaven, it could then settle the quarrel. AU accuses MON and claims that his western calendar is some demoniacal arts. MON changes the time to bury Prince WING without the emperor's prior consent. MON is then being sentenced to death. Even HEI could not rescue him. By the time they want to execute the punishment, there is an earth quake.
HEI takes the opportunity to save MON. MEI excuses that even the heaven does not want to destroy MON and the best time for execution had been passed. However, MON dies due to too exhausted. The empress dowager plans to eliminate AU after this incident. Firstly, she selects a girl for HEI. She urges HEI to get marry so that HEI could direct the Imperial rule. PING and HEI get along well with each other. Later, the empress dowager arranges PING to marry the General, CHUNG, at Fujian. She even has selected a girl for HEI. PING and HEI are very upset. HEI negotiates with the empress dowager. However, PING and HEI are persuaded by the dowager instead. HEI sends PING to Fujian unwillingly.
HEI still loves PING a lot. PING refuses to sleep with CHUNG for HEI's sake. CHUNG complains. PING even selects a few girls for CHUNG to replace herself. HEI agrees to find a queen after the empress dowager analyzes the situation. HEI warns AU's second son who again seized others' land. AU is very angry. MA consoles AU. AU is then more relieved. MA also takes the chance to express her love to him. AU considers to take her as one of his concubine. AU indicates to HEI to select his daughter. However, AU's daughter, KAO, is too proud. HEI picks LI' s granddaughter, FONG, to be the queen. FONG is gentle and nice. AU is very angry with HEI.
PING is very upset when she heard the news that HEI is going to get marry. HEI moves to the reading room after married. FAONAG does not complain at all. She even takes care of HEI secretly. HEI is moved with her good intention. HEI starts to rule the country after married. He starts to read the document. FONG is sick. HEI visits her. They sleep together for the first time. AU wants to swap his land with HA. He asks three officers to handle the case. HEI stops the three. AU kills them all. Later, HEI quotes the ex-emperor's instruction to stop AU swapping land. AU is very angry with HEI at heart. AU takes MA to be his concubine. MA is, in fact, an undercover sent by HA.
AU's daughter, KAO, is one of the emperor's concubines. However, the emperor never visit her. AU is very upset with HEI. FONG's grandfather, LI, is sick. HEI visits LI with FONG. LI takes the chance to introduce his son, TAO, to HEI. HEI appreciates TAO who looks very smart. He orders him and MING to investigate a recent 'murder beggars case'. MING and TAO by chance find that a teacher and his subordinate give rice to the beggars. They are HUNG 01 and CHU YEE who are not related to the murder. AU knows that it is his son's deed. He finds a scapegoat. However, his son again kills beggars. MA knows the case. TAO and the officers arrive in time when the murderer, YE, tries to kill again.
YE escapes away. He leaves a jade. HEI orders MING and TAO to arrest YE. TAO finds some evidence at YE's bed. He wants to put YE in jail. AU claims that he will bring YE to see the emperor tomorrow. AU kills YE at night so as to protect himself. HEI designates TAO to be the first class imperial guard. He even patrols with him in plain clothing’s. They know the teacher, HUNG, when they are patrolling. They get along well with HUNG. Later, the empress dowager sends KUO to accompany the emperor in lest he will encounter danger. KUO likes HUNG a lot. HEI is invited by HUNG to dine together. HEI is shocked when he meets HUNG's daughter, SHUI YU. SHUI YU looks the same as PING.
HEI calls SHUI as PING. However, YU does not feel very surprised. HEI finds SHUI very lovely. HEI, KUO and TAO gradually become very good friends as they always visit HUNG's house. HEI and KUO even regards HUNG as their teachers. TAO knows that HEI likes SHUI, he feels very upset. HEI sends a lot of apparel and dessert to SHUI so as to make her happy. HEI even gives SHUI a hairpin which he originally prepared for PING. HEI leaves the palace everyday to see SHUI. He has no time to read the document. Later, SHUI knows that HEI has a cousin who resembles herself. SHUI aware that she is only a replacement.
The empress dowager rebukes HEI who is fond of women and does not rule the country properly. HEI even does not know that LI is very sick. AU will soon seize the power. HEI awakes. He visits LI together with FONG. KAO also indicates AU to support the emperor. Otherwise, the emperor will not visit her place, she could then hardly got the chance to win the emperor's favour. FONG uses a parrot story to enlighten HEI. HEI then awares that he does love SHUI a lot. He expresses his love to SHUI. SHUI accepts HEI. AU excuses that he has to offer sacrifice to his ancestor and takes leave. He even takes the chance to show his strength. He obstructs HEI's plan in opening up the warehouse to rescue the poor. HEI has no alternative. He welcomes AU back in person.
AU let MA go but SO orders BA to kill MA. MA could still escape away. SO thinks that MA must have told AU that he is the behind-curtain man. SO employs four knights from Mongolia to deal with AU. However, AU has succeeded in practising the 'Iron Clothing' martial arts and kills the four knights. SO begs HEI to allow him watching over the ex-emperor's tomb for the rest of his life after the failure. HEI does not allow. AU claims that SO has violated the ex-emperor' s instruction. Thus, he wants HEI to kill so. Though HEI is not willing to kill SO, he agrees in lest of AU's strength. KAO is being neglected. TSUEN sends her a pearl necklace. KAO is glad. AU knows that sa's subordinate must rescue him. AU is ready to deal with his subordinate. Somebody really comes to rescue so. AU is shocked to find that this person is MA.
So takes the chance to attack AU when AU and MA are talking with each other. MA risks her life to save AU. She is seriously injured and dies. AU grieves with pain. KAO seduces TSUEN. She threatens TSUEN to listen to her. HEI and SHUI again meet each other. SHUI takes HEI and the others to HEI's place. KUO expresses her love to HUNG. HUNG cannot accept her love. KUO leaves with tears. HEI wants to edit a Chinese dictionary. AU disagrees. HUNG agrees to help. Other officials also help to edit the dictionary. HEI finds NAM WAI YAN to help. AU deliberately persecutes the foreigners. The empress dowager does not allow HEI to take SHUI as his concubine. HEI is very irritated.
HEI is being locked up in the palace. AU sends people to kill HUNG and his friends. AU thinks that it could then stop HEI from seeing them. AU sends LI to find HUNG. SHUI is being stabbed and falls. YEE protects HUNG to escape away. LI burns their house. Meanwhile, he finds a jade. Meanwhile, the empress dowager asks KUO to send them away with money. KUO witnesses the fire. TAO rescues SHUI and brings her home. HEI thinks that SHUI's death is the empress dowager's good deed. He scolds her. Later, HEI knows that it is indeed, AU's deed. HEI apologizes to the empress dowager. HEI hates AU deeply. PING returns to the palace to visit her father. She sees HEI Love again blossoms between HEI and PING.
Though HEI and PING meet again, they dare not to do anything go beyond propriety. TAO advises the imperial daughter to practice acupuncture for SHIU. Consequently, SHUI awakes. Later, TAO tells SHIU everything. SHIU begs TAO bring her to see HEI. SHIU is moved when she sees HEI worshipping at her tomb. AU wants to find someone replace MING' s post. HEI is reluctant to see that his uncle, TUNG, replaces MING especially when TUNG has just arrived the capital. MING then becomes TUNG's assistant. KAO and TSUEN are secret lovers. They believe that AU could help them to get rid of any troubles. PING backs to Fujian. She deliberately gets close to CHUNG. She even bought some gift for him. CHUNG and PING have eventually got married.
When CHUNG found that PING is still a virgin, he immediately apologizes to her. PING tells CHUNG that it is AU's artful device. She even asks CHUNG to support HEI. HEI asks NAM and YEUNG to compete in measuring time with the sun shadow. NAM eventually won. AU is very upset. He has no alternative and let NAM restore his position. KAO finds that she has pregnant. AU is very angry. He arranges to have a drink with HEI alone. When HEI has drunk, AU sends KAO to HEI. SHIU begs KUO to bring her see HEI. On the way she meets SHIU. KAO brings SHIU together to see HEI. SHIU is very excited to see HEI again. KAO devises to send everybody away. KAO accompanies HEI alone.
HEI sees KAO when he has awakened. immediately. He drives KAO away SHIU and KUO meet the empress dowager at the palace. The empress knows that SHIU loves HEI very much, thus, she let SHIU stay. AU knows HUNG's trace. He arrests HUNG at the pier. YE is injured and falls into the sea. AU tempts HEI to see HUNG. He even discloses that HUNG is the third prince of the CHU's family. HEI is very upset. Later, AU joins together with other officials. They propose to kill HUNG. HEI is in a dilemma. HEI eventually devises to find a scapegoat replacing HUNG. However, his plot is in vain. HUNG agrees to take the poison with the condition that HEI kept three promises. YE slips into the palace. He swears to kill HEI for his master's sake.
YE apologizes to HEI after reading HUNG's letter. HEI proposes to the officials a policy according to HUNG's last will. AU objects but HEI eventually wins. AU is very dissatisfied AU pretends to be sick and absents from the regular meeting. HEI takes the chance to change the officials of six important department. AU is so angry that he proposes to change the emperor. HEI and TAO do not visit AU who claims that he is sick. TAO finds that AU has held a dagger secretly. They struggle for a long time. HEI jokes to stop the embarrassed situation. HEI designates AU to be the first class noble so as to avoid him getting mad. He also appoints AU to send troops exterminate three enemies. AU falls into HEI's trap. HEI by chance knows that AU knows SAM. FONG brings SHIU to see HEI. HEI is glad to see SHIU. YE recommends himself to find out AU's weaknesses.
YE sacrifices DAO to find out AU's weaknesses. HEI is full of confidence. He is ready to proceed his extermination plan. All officials and princes support HEI. However, TSUEN informs AU the situation. AU is then ready for the challenge. HEI asks AU, MING and YAT to see him at the palace. AU immediately catches SHIU and uses her to be the hostage. He even sends a troop to guard outside the palace. The troop will render him help if anything happened. will HEI succeed to exterminate AU? What will happen to AU, SHIU, YUET, TSUEN, KAO, KUO and the others? Please watch the final for the details.
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