EPISODE 21

There are many things I like about this episode. For one we see how Sai Hin broke into a song and sang his troops into victory. It was actually very inspiring, as he held the wedding costume that Cheung Ping sent to him. They were officially married without seeing one another. This also showed how much Cheung Ping loved him as there was a chance he may not be able to go home alive. I also like the 5 minute story on how Abahai suddenly succumbed to his injuries and how his 6 year old son takeover. I also like the first 10 minutes as to how the Queen, now a Queen punished Tin, disregarding her curses and warnings. Anyway poor Ming army. Though Abahai was dead, they still had to wait, see and fight. Can't go home yet.



In fact this episode laid down the reasons why Ming was doomed. We see how Abahai just attacking and attacking, and Ming army having so much obstacle could still win and keep the Manchurians at bay. So Ming wasn't doomed then.



Then we see the introduction of famous Jiangnan prostitute, Chan Yuen Yuen and then there you will see why again Ming was really doomed this time. Low resources, greedy ministers, stupid daughters, useless wives, stronger enemy, low morale, all these never killed Ming but this one woman, Chan Yuen Yuen will.



I also liked the very first frame of Chan Yuen Yuen as she danced and prayed. Anne Heung looked positively alluring and beautiful in ancient costume. I understood why she was chosen for this role because every inch and curve of hers showed a woman and not a skinny little girl. Then of course she had to utter her lines, and from there on it was a big let down for me.



Now what I don't like about this episode is what I complaint from first episode.



- Cheung Ping still had nothing to do. This series is not about her, it is about everything but her. I guess I am supposed to weep for her moving love story with Sai Hin. Also I guess I was supposed to feel touched as she begged Sai Hin's mom to approve the marriage, knowing there may be a chance she may be the only virgin widow alive during that time. But I wasn't. Put it this way, I am still sore that Cheung Ping is nothing but a wimpish useless princess in love. She has no definite role, no definite purpose, just as the catalyst in the doomed love affair with Sai Hin. And I find that utterly boring.



- The first scene showed how the Queen was reinstated, how she put on her robe and make up as the greedy ministers were arrested one by one. It could have been a wonderful scene, to show how strong the Queen was in punishing Tin and all. But then I remembered just an episode earlier, she was begging her daughter to take the money to save her own daughter's skin. I still feel any authority came from this woman is useless and pointless because in my mind 20 episodes of useless cannot be cured by 5 minutes of strength since just a had an episode later she forgave Tin and her father. Also why I disliked the juvenile way to bring Tin down from power. The King should have chopped off the father's head and her head as well or put her into the cold palace. How can the King not do all these when his authority was undermined so many times? It was all too illogical.



- We have also the scene where the King was eating with Cheung Ping and Queen and how he teased her about Sai Hin, how they met and fell in love. This scene was perfectly ok except that I hate seeing Cheung Ping talking about Sai Hin since I had 20 episodes of that.



- I was very annoyed with Sing Hing's outbursts. How can the troops not feel bad or like losers when their assistant general was drunk in plain daylight and screaming at Sai Hin to give up, surrender to Qing so that he and Sai Hin can go home and see Cheung Ping. I may be missing something here but I felt that they were all so naive. If they surrendered, the Qings may kill all the royalties, where then will they see Cheung Ping? In hell? I find Michael Tong's acting over the top but I was more annoyed with Sing Hing, who was totally useless and very discouraging. There Sai Hin was trying to win the war and then you have this idiot who screamed give up so that he can go home to see a woman who cared little for him. Cheung Ping's mind was filled with and only with Sai Hin.



- I could not understand how at the time of such grave war that Tin could find it in her to feel jealous of the Queen and still plotting her way to bring the Queen down from her position. I also could not understand how her father , Tin Wang Yu could only think of running away with his money and all. It was not like you, as concubine to the king and father in law to the king could just run and hide if the enemy entered the palace. I find all these scenes very juvenile and poorly scripted.



- The worst was of course Chan Yuen Yuen's introduction. Like I said, she was alluring and then the viewers were told that she was dancing and praying in front of Buddha, because she was wishing for something and dancing I guess was a way to get it. And then she danced totally naked before Buddha. I find that disrespectful and served no purpose at all. I never heard that dancing naked in front of Buddha will make our wish come true.



- We then were told why Chan Yuen Yuen was dancing naked and praying. She was hoping to see Ng Sam Kwai again. And there lies the problem with this two doomed lovers. They weren't lovers at all at this point of time. Chan Yuen Yuen heard about his greatness as a general from the storyteller, and she was so in love with the idea of him that when she actually met Ng Sam Kwai who was a gentleman, she fell in love. That was it and then we were told she was looking for him all these while. I don't understand why such a juvenile set up for this affair. I would prefer that Ng Sam Kwai was already her lover, and that they were in love. And then she was searching for him and so on and so forth. I find this to be more reasonable, that the foundation has already been laid down and all the writer had to do is to make Yuen Yuen meet Sam Kwai again and then we see how Ming was doomed and all. But the writer preferred to make it so, that she was in love with a man who barely knew she was alive. That it was all admiration at first. Frankly from episode 1 I had only heard Ng Sam Kwai mentioned at the most twice and never once were the viewers told how great he was as a general. All of a sudden we have Chan Yuen Yuen finding him more heroic and respectful than Ngok Fei! Be that as it may, I like the idea that Chan Yuen Yuen, a mere prostitute was concerned about the fate of Ming. Those greedy ministers did not even have Yuen Yuen's foresight!



Today we see Ng Sam Kwai for like 5 minutes. I was glad Marco Ngai finally appeared because I was bored with the other characters and actors who were either too wooden, too emotional or too bad an actor. I am sure Marco Ngai will give some decent interpretation of Ng Sam Kwai. I am also eager to see him because I knew this series will then end soon.



Today no Chiu Yan, so I was spared from bad acting but bored without a villain I could comment on.