You know, the thing about Michelle's deception over Susanna's design in last episode... came to NOTHING.
Anyway from last episode, how will the duke and mom escape the dastardly plans of the evil empress dowager? I wondered too and the solution can only happen in TVB.
The duke saw tong lin tzi sweets on each bowl of the poison and he asked "Who put these here?" and the maid answered "I saw Lady Lau outside, she said to tell my lord to drink the medicine and remember to take the sweets as the medicine can be bitter" and the duke smiled and took the bowl and said to a trembling Concubine Zheng "Mother, drink up! Drink up! It is ok!" and he drank and so did his mother and...
they didn't die!
Why?
FLASHBACK!
The maid walking to the duke's place when of all people, well Sam Hou was again walking left to right in what I know now is a shack. Because no mansion is THAT small. Anyway Sam Hou asked the maid what she was carrying and the maid sadly told her what they were and Sam Hou said I have some medicine for you to put on to not get infected" and as the maid did something with the medicine Sam Hou switched the 2 bowls by a simple switching of the covers and said to the maid as she gave her 2 sweets "Remember to tell the duke I have him these sweets to take with the medicine. He will not take the medicine since it is bitter, so remember!".
Pause here.
Usually Sam Hou is carrying an empty tray or a tray with attire or something but 2 bowls? Such a coincidence eh? No way Sam Hou knew about the empress dowager's plan, she only knew at the moment when the maid told her. So convenient! And you know what? What a bad way to end the crisis. I would have thought the better person to know and save the duke should be Susanna since she is the head, she hears thing and with a bit of her influence she can get 2 non-poisoned medicine to the duke and mom. Must this series put all credit to Sam Hou alone?
The Empress dowager was informed that the duke and his mother's condition worsens but not dead yet. And so even as the emperor urged her to just let them leave, she had to consider and then said "Fine. Move them to the island where the sick are taken to but since she is after all royalty, separate her from the commoners"
Susanna came to say goodbye but couldn't see them as she was stopped by the guards. Concubine Zheng came out and tersely said "What? Here to see if I am dead?" and Susanna confused said she brought some delicacies as a way to say good bye but she refused them and threw something onto the floor and said tersely "Look at it! LOOK!" but gave Susanna a look which she picked up the piece of crumbled paper and read at night alone where Concubine zheng thanked her for her years of friendship. Susanna prayed to the heavens to give them luck and support.
And so finally the duke and his mother were carried on sedans, and Concubine Zheng only after the doors of the palace were closed did she sighed and sigh if relief whilst the Duke looked disheartened but knew this is the only way to save his mother. Meanwhile we see Sam Hou paying respect to the dead turtle as she said "The Duke has to leave so from now on I will come to visit you on his behalf. Please bless the duke and his mother with luck and blessings; I hope they will finally get peace that they have wished for and a safe life that they never had in this palace" and Hin Yeung overheard and said gravely (I almost forgot he was the duke's sifu!) "What life will they have out of this palace walls? They're both sick with measles and at least in here they can have access to medicine. Out there, they don't" and Sam Hou knew Hin Yeung doesn't know anything so she smiled and said "At least out there they have a chance to survive" and Hin Yeung confused "But the doctors are in the palace, the best medical care is in the palace" but Sam Hou just smiled sweetly. The Hin Yeung changed subject and said "I have a gift for you.." and he gave her a perfume pouch made of wires and it was very pretty and Sam Hou loved it and Hin Yeung said in it she can carry those medicine that can ward off the infectious disease or something. She liked it, she smiled at him, she smiled at her, they looked at each other until one broke the gaze.
Love...sarang... ai... cinta... poor Duke. What is it about Hin Yeung she fell for? Can't be just a game of chess and all? TVB give me a better reason other than that he is good looking!
Anyway..yes.. Hin Yeung and his dad got into a bit of a problem. General Ma ordered them to see him as well as other members of the chess team and Hin Yeung's father was accused of adultery with a palace maid and causing her pregnancy! Shocked, he was confronted by the said maid (maid of Concubine Wong) who was beaten half to death and she pointed at him and naturally he panicked and said "Don't you simply accuse me! WHat have I done to you to deserve this?" and Hin Yeung too calmly asked the questions and finally the maid said "I am sorry... I am very sorry... I will repay your kindness in my next life" and promptly killed herself there and then. So his dad was arrested. And I was thinking where is this story going to, is it to show General Ma's vindictiveness? Nope. All will be reveal when...
Hin Yeung met with one of the senior members of the Chess team, looking at the well presumbaly where the maid's ashes were thrown and he looked very sad and Hin Yeung said "THe adulterer was you" and he looked at him and said "How you knew?" and Hin Yeung said "I was looking at your expression. You looked shocked when she was carried out and when she killed herself you looked in pain, as if you were the one dying" and the guy nodded slowly and said "We fell in love" and Hin Yeung said "Do you think it is fair my father takes the blame for you? If you loved her, you must tell the truth, to hide like a coward is a great injustice for what she had done for you, for her to love you and to die for you" and the man wept silently and said "We both knew our love was doomed. I a palace officer, she a palace maid, but we fell for each other and we couldn't resist. You're right. I cannot let her walk her path to the afterlife alone. I will confess and I will at least have a chance to be with her in the afterlife, even if we can't be together in this life" and Hin Yeung looked at him and looked sad.
Pause.
Why? Well this story is just to remind us Sam Hou, however free, friendly and friends oriented is still a palace maid and so is not to marry, and he an officer, not to marry her. Excuse me if I barf a little at this nonsensical story placed in the middle of nowhere just to remind us of their doomed love affair, like as if we care because we all know they aren't doomed, at all. I felt rather ambushed by this sudden storyline and frankly I don't care.
Michelle saw Sam Hou with the wired perfume pouch and liked it and Sam Hou couldn't tell her where she got it said Bo Gut Cheong gave it to her and Michelle said since the eunuch always gives her things, he wouldn't mind Sam Hou gave her this thing he gave Sam Hou. Sam Hou smiled and said ok.
Pause here.
That thing was given my Hin Yeung but somehow along the way that fact seemed lost in translation.
Michelle somehow sees fit to boasts Sam Hou made and gave her that pouch in front of Susanna and taunted "She didn't give you one?" and Susanna said "We are close like mother and daughter and we do not need such things to reaffirm that relationship" but in actual fact she was sort of jealous.
Meeting before Madam Choi who asked Michelle to make more perfume pouch with medicated stuff in it for the concubines and all and Michelle slyly said "I don't have enough manpower. May I ask Lady Yuen to help and lend me her girls like Sam Hou who has experience in attire dept? And then can I ask the other heads to assist and bring dinner to us instead of going out for dinner, to save time?" and Madam Choi agreed, much to the displeasure of the other 3 heads but Susanna then said "Well, we jewelry dept has a new way of making perfume pouches and using wire, I believe Madam Chung has one made by our very own Sam Hou" and Michelle reluctantly showed Madam Choi who loved it and said then let jewelry dept make these and Michelle fuming as Susanna said "We need help, so if Madam Chung don't mind, we can do with a bit of assistance, even from Madam Chung herself and can we have dinner brought to us?" and Susanna smiled slyly as Michelle fumed and the other 2 heads didn't look too happy.
I tell you this is a dept ready for way as they all looked at each other and I was thinking any unity was just for show only. And what a silly scene with 2 equally silly characters. I have had it with these 2!
Meanwhile Kam Ling brought to Concubine Wai the pouch I think when Concubine Wai happily invited Kam Ling to sit and emphasised "Please do away with formalities, without you and Sam Hou's help, I won't be in here" and Kam Ling saw she took some bottle and said "Is that a medicine?" and Concubine Wai explained "Yes it is, for the emperor's health and very safe" as Kam Ling looked at her sceptically and said "Is that necessary? He is with you now and you're the most beautiful of all concubines he has" and she sadly said "He can always get tire of me and replace me. He hasn't been well so I decided to give him these pills and he slept well ever since" and Kam Ling just smiled and let her be.
Emperor was enjoying Concubine Wong doing some belly dancing whilst Kara prepared some herbal soup which he drank and promptly vomitted blood and went into a coma.
We all of course know it has something to do with the pills.
Anyway news reached Madam Choi who informed the other 3 heads Kara and Concubine Wong were both imprisoned pending investigation and no doctors could say what happened. Kam Ling heard what was happening and without hesitation went to I believe one of the heads and said "I know what is wrong with the emperor" and so she was brought to Empress Dowager who was panicking and together with Madam Choi she said "It was Concubine Wai's pills" and of course questions were asked how come Concubine Wai would tell her, a mere servant such things and so she explained she saw a bottle and asked what it was. The doctors said if they knew what he took they could diagnose properly. So empress dowager ordered Concubine Wai to be searched and if that doesn't save the emperor, the doctors, Madam Choi and Kam Ling will have to die.
General Ma quickly went to Concubine Wai and found the pills and Concubine Wai asked what happened which he explained that the emperor was poisoned and shocked she said "But you said the pills are safe! You said you will help me by giving me such pills to win the heart of the emperor!" and naturally the maids all heard that and said "I haven't heard anything" and General Ma whispered "And didn't I also say never to tell anyone this you idiot?" and Wai said "I told no one... no one except Kam Ling" and he shouted "And she betrayed you!" and she cried "Never! Kam Ling would never do that!" and he said "You are an idiot! Haven't you learn the palace is full of scheming liars?!" and Wai cried "I will tell the empress dowager the truth,that you gave me those pills!" and he walked slowly towards her...
We all know what happened. Interestingly he would have killed her in front of everybody. He must be very powerful that not one soul in there would tell the empress dowager.
Anyway he came back, gave the pills and declared "Concubine Wai has killed herself when I went to see her" and Empress Dowager had no pity for her and said "Stupid girl. Well, feed her remains to the dogs!" which they did much to the shock of Kam Ling and Madam Choi.
Kam Ling said to a smiling Sam Hou "Poor Concubine Wai. She was so silly to have done what she did. I do pity her but I never expected her to be killed"
and I was like Kam Ling, are you for real?
Sam Hou even more unbelievable didn't cry, feel sad or berate Kam Ling for betraying Concubine Wai but she just nodded and smiled! Kam Ling said "But at least she was a concubine for that very short time, fulfilling her wish!" and Sam Hou said "Kam Ling, let us not dream beyond our capabilities. Better be happy, cotented and safe rather than like Concubine Wai. Just do your duties" and Kam Ling looked at Sam Hou, secretly disagreeing.
Pause here.
I was not satisfied with this scene at all. I feel Sam Hou should display more empathy but what we have here is Charmaine Sheh's inconsistent performance, her scene per scene performance, thus making Sam Hou a bit hypocritical in that scene. Where is Sam Hou's compassion? Her kindness for Concubine Wai?
Anyway Kam Ling was asked to go see the heads and she went happily saying to Sam Hou "Maybe they will reward me! Well I deserve such a reward!" and Sam Hou irritatingly smiled.
Before Madam Choi and the 4 heads, I feel this was terribly unfair to Kam Ling when they all 4 plus Madam Choi blamed Kam Ling and said "Why were you so late in informing us? If not (Kara) wouldn't have to suffer in jail! Is this your way of trying to get rewards? How selfish of you!" and Susanna tried to help and said she was young, etc but she too scolded Kam Ling who kneel, cried and said she was very sorry.
Pause here. I thought Kam Ling was genuine when she revealed Wai's secret. Why she took long time was because she didn't think there was anything wrong with the pill so she said nothing. For all 4 and plus Madam Choi to gang up on one young palace maid and scold her and blamed her for everything and accused of of such conduct was juvenile, selfish and unbecoming of a senior. In that scene I pitied Kam Ling. She really didn't mean harm, so I suppose she turned evil because that was the only way her voice would be heard and she needn't be ganged up again.
Emperor survived, dreamed someone wanted to kill him and knocked over the royal sword. Empress Dowager came to console him and he said "He tried.. he tried to kill me!!" and she asked who and he said "Uncle! Uncle!" as in the duke and she said "Even if he wishes to he can't! He is far away!" which to me sounds for once like something a human being would say, coming from the Empress Dowager but he cried "The royal sword has fallen! That is a bad sign!" and Empress Dowager said "Fine! I should have done this long ago. Do not worry. I will have them killed and so no one will harm you!"
Next episode, poor duke living as a commoner was chased by assassins.
I have no more comments on this episode since I wrote it pretty late. I just feel Kam Ling was dealt with a bad hand. My sis asked me isn't Kam Ling selfish to reveal Wai's secret? And I said no. Sam Hou would have done the same because in this situation not only would Concubine Wong and Kara be punished, the entire 4 depts will be punished and moreover Concubine Wai did give poison to the emperor, unknowingly. In this regard, Kam Ling was right in what she did.
Poor Concubine Wai though. But I wasn't surprised. I was more surprised by Sam Hou's lack of empathy and I blame that on Charmaine's scene per scene acting.
I can't stand Susanna, Michelle and Sam Hou's incessant smiles.
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