EPISODE 20

A very excellent episode that has moments of brilliance but spoilt by the too naive portrayal of certain characters and dialogues that I find them all unbelievable too TVB drama-ish.



For once the King really became very angry, ordered investigations into what happened to the funds and all and personally overseeing the collection of funds. He even reinstated two of his best ministers, Chow Hing the father of Sai Hin and Yoke Han's dad. Greedy ministers and Concubine Tin became very afraid but Concubine Tin thought of using the Empress Dowager to salvage the situation. So she poked at evil Chow Sai Hin, slutty Yuk Fung (the ex-Queen) and all. Empress Dowager was fooled so she used hunger and fasting to threaten the king. The King this time was truly a man of his words and told his mom to forgive him for being unable to comply with her wishes. So she went into another rage when the King punished a close relative of the Empress Dowager whose dead grandfather did not pay a 30,000-00 taxes. But this time the King who tried to explain his point of view fainted from a stroke. Actually there was no stroke, he pretended and the Empress Dowager went on her way, did not want to aggravate the situation anymore. So Tin used Po Lun and made sure all boatsmen at Shanxi stopped work and those back-up armies couldn't cross the river in time to meet up with the heavily outnumbered Sai Hin and gang. The king this time knew it was Tin, her father and Po Lun and he was determined to save the situation to help Sai Hin to win. Then Yuk Fung came forward and begged the King to reinstate her as the Queen so that she can handle Tin and gang whilst King handled the politics.



How exactly she will handle Tin I will have to wait for the next episode. But I find this behaviour inconsistent.



You see she can't even handle Chiu Yan, more so Tin? Whilst everybody suspected of embezzling funds were kind of warned or punished, Chiu Yan begged sis and mom to find her money to put back in the embezzled sum on her part. Cheung Ping naturally borrowed to help her only to be told by Chi Chiu that Chiu Yan was also involved in embezzling funds and not like what she said that Tin borrowed her the embezzled funds for some business venture. Cheung Ping for once stood her ground and wimpishly said she refused to help and told her mom not to help her. Chiu Yan ran back to her room and sulked. Mom of course couldn't see her only daughter die or be punished and told Chiu Yan to apologise but she refused. In fact she used what is called reverse psychology, where the victim had to beg the oppressor to please please please take the money and save herself! Of course very reluctantly Chiu Yan said yes when spineless useless mother kneeled down and begged her evil daughter to take the money to save her own skin! Where is the logic? If she can't handle a small fry like Chiu Yan, more so a big fry like Tanah Terbang!



Anyway, some of the scene I absolutely enjoyed were Sai Hin and gang, how they fought and fought and never lose their spirit. Imagine having so many negative things around them, fake weapons, bigger enemies, ambushed by stronger bigger crowds, low resources and all and yet they fought and fought. Abahai was probably so hurt by the bomb that he lost his senses since he kept chasing Sai Hin when Sai Hin was laying a trap. At the meantime the King acknowledged he was misled and useless. But the best scene was at the beginning, when the King realised Sai Hin and gang may be starving and all, he ran into Chi Chiu's room and asked his son; "Tell me, how are the situation at the camp?". Stupid useless son, the future king of Ming Dynasty said he was only responsible for taking the food there. So his father asked again and again, and at last Chi Chiu tearfully told the King what he should have said ages ago, how the men were starving and how they were so low in spirits and all. The King and this is the best scene, flew into such a rage that he rightly beat that useless Chi Chiu into a pulp. I found that scene very powerful and I believe that could happen.



What I didn't like though was news from the war came to the palace and Cheung Ping simply cared about Sai Hin Sai Hin Sai Hin. Still as wimpy as ever and still nothing much for her to do except for looking and sounding whiny.



As for performances, Moses was ok but I still feel he is much too young for this demanding role. I thought Lor Kar Ying would have been a better choice as he is older, could look wise but could as a useless king. Steven Ma was ok. The best actor still is the actor who played Shih Ho Fatt. Super cool general!