English Title: War And Beauty
Chinese Title: 金枝慾孽
Length: 30 Episodes
Broadcast network: TVB
Broadcast year: 2004
Casts:
Maggie Cheung as Onn Sin
Charmaine Sheh as Yee Shun
Gigi Lai as Yuk Ying
Sheren Tang as Yu Yuet / Yu Fei
Bowie Lam as Suen Bak Yeung
Moses Chan as Houng Mou
Jade Leung as Fook Nga
Rebecca Chan as Empress
Yu Yeung as Emperor Jiaqing
Lo Hoi Pang as Eunuch Chui Man Tin
Wong Tak Bun as Siu Luk Chi
Chan Hung Lit as Suen Ching Wah
June Chan as Suk Ling
Chan Man Hei as Yun Kei
Wai Ka Hung as Chan Song
Maria Chan as Boh Sim
Storyline:
"According to the Rites of Zhou, an emperor should have 121 concubines. This means, in addition to the empress, the emperor also has 3 consorts, 9 concubines, 27 hereditary consorts and 81 lesser wives. Not to forget, he has thousands upon thousands of untitled palace maidens. Of these concubines, however, only a tiny few had the honor of sleeping with the emperor. The imperial consorts, therefore, often plot against each other in the life-and-death struggle to win the emperor's good graces. Consequently, a spate of tragedies took place in this female world of wealth and dignity as many of the women lived out their disconsolate lives in the recess of the imperial palace."
This show was set in the Forbidden City, in Qing Dynasty China in the late years of Emperor Jiaqing's rule. It focused on the power struggle between various Royal concubines trying to secure the Emperor's favor, with corruption, intrige and outright deceit being the weapons of choice. These women were willing to manipulate, betray and even kill just about anyone in order to get what they wanted.
{Credit to spcnet.tv & zoommovie.com}