War & Beauty was recently showing on Channel U. I later found out that it was already out/broadcasted in 2004 but it was only shown on Channel U 3 years later. Why?

It was known to be a 30-episode big production 台庆剧 sort I think because it involved with all the big casts from TVB...


So many royal concubines with intricate fashion accessories... must have really cost a bomb.

I felt that every character are equally important just that casting could be improved. Why? I did not watch this show from the beginning. I actually started from somewhere in the middle. While watching it from the middle, I couldn't tell who were were the male & female leads. I later realised it was Bowie Lam & Gigi Leung.

As I continued with the show, I personally found that the roles of other characters actually shined more than theirs - especially Sheren Tang.

Honestly speaking, Bowie Lam doesn't really seemed like the first female lead type. To be honest again, I think his expression, especially with the small eyes, are quite one dimensional, so is his one-dimensional co-female lead.

Basically the 6 characters above are all inter-linked and has common objectives.

Gigi Leung is Yuying, Charmaine Sheh is Erchun, Maggie Cheung is Anqian. 3 of them are palace maids/court ladies. But Erchun & Anqian each went in with their individual purpose: plot revenge against the Empress who harms their families in different ways in the past.

Apparently the 3 of them all eventually managed to gain favours with the Emperor to make them into his women and gave them titles such as Noble, Consort blablabla which I'm not sure how the rank works. But in short, they became concubines of the Emperor.

Bowie Lam is Sun Baiyang, an Imperial Physician taking care of the health of all the courts ladies, including concubines. Yuying & Erchun likes Baiyang but Baiyang only has eyes for Yuying. But their feelings can only be concealed because all the court ladies and concubines belonged to the Emperor.

Empress is the villian/antagonist of the show - trying to harm the families of other court ladies/concubines. Her arch enemy is Concubine Ru Fei - played by Sheren Teng. Ru Fei appeared in the show as someone who was quite a tyrant with the servants, loud and don't give face. But it was later revealed that she was actually a kind person who tried to help people close to her and people whom she trust but she has to be fierce to them in order to protect them.

Moses Chan is Kong Wu, who's an Imperial Guard who was close with Anqian as teenagers. After knowing her plans to plot revenge at the Empress, being in love with her, he was willing to do anything to help her achieve this dangerous plan. Kong Wu tried to gain favour with Concubine Ru Fei to try to get her help to 'get rid of the Empress'.

One of their pawn was Xiaoluzi, a eunuch that Kong Wu & Anqian has known since they entered the palace (they are all childhood friends I believe). Xiaoluzi managed to gain favour/trust with the Empress so that there was window of opportunity to kill/poison her.

Unfortunately, the plan backfired and the Empress managed to find out everything. Xiaoluzi had to end his life by drinking the poison wine given by the Empress. Even after being poisoned, he still hung onto his life until he got to see Anqian.... It was one of the most touching scene I ever saw....

他一直撑着，留着最后一口气就为了要见安茜.
临死前，他告诉安茜他在18岁梓宫以后，
他知道他注定一辈子是太监。而身为太监是绝对不能对任何人动心。
可是他却喜欢上安茜，所以无论她发生什么他都会尽全力帮她。
如今他却要走了，不能和她一起共患难了，
可是安茜在宫里坎坷的路还是要走的。

小路子叫安茜去找孔武，孔武一定会为她赴汤蹈火的。
因为在宫里，除了小路子和孔武，安茜没有别的后路了。
更何况孔武也对安茜痴心一片，不介意她已是皇上的人。
小路子说完要对安茜说的话，便安心的死在安茜怀里，走了。

安茜伤心欲绝。看了那一幕，我也泪流满面。
小路子知道自己时间不多时，曾经托宫女传信给孔武。
孔武收到通知后，马上到安茜的居所。
可是消沉的安茜却什么人都不想见。
孔武没有办法，去找如妃帮他救安茜。
被皇后盯上的人，绝对不会有好日子过。

During the plotting of revenge against the Empress, Ru Fei fell in love with the handsome royal guard. She was also aware that all he cared about was Anqian. But during war times, it was already hard enough to survive everyday from the evil Empress. Ru Fei could only carry a torch for Kong Wu knowing it will not be reciprocate. It was also the same for Charmaine Sheh who gave up her attempt after knowing she was hopelessly in love with Sun Baiyang who only had eyes for Yuying.

In the last episode of War & Beauty, finally all hell break loose when Empress get people to trap Sun Baiyang & Yuying inside a burning building. Kong Wu, Anqian & Erchun managed to escape the palace during some revolt. Before they escaped, they actually asked if Ru Fei was willing to go with them to start a new life.... but Ru Fei declined saying, she will continue to stay in the palace to go against the Empress until the day she dies.

While Kong Wu was some distance away from the palace, they were all thirsty and he went to look for some water for themselves. Erchun discovered Anqian was shot & mortally injured by an arrow during the revolt and was struggling to stay alive. Anqian knew she will not pull through and asked Erchun to continue living but Erchun kept asking Anqian to bear with it and will ask Kong Wu to take them back to the Capital to the nearest physician but Anqian refused, saying that the Empress men would be on the chase.

But Erchun told Anqian that she no longer has any kin left, she does not have a place to go without Anqian with her... Anqian told Erchun to go to her hometown instead and carry on a new lease of life on her behalf as well as Ru Fei's behalf...

I was tearing like mad when I saw the above scene. I hate parting scenes like such. It was just too painful & unbearable for anyone to take.

Anqian pleaded with Erchun not to tell Kong Wu. When Kong Wu was back, Anqian was exceptionally sweet to him and laid on his shoulder while they continue their journey while Erchun was crying uncontrollably behind the both of them...

It's too sad. Sun Baiyang & Yuying lost their lives in the fire, but I guess at least they spent their last moments finally being together. So many lives were lost because of the ruthless Empress.... Sigh....

All the heart wrenching, stomach twisting scenes are just so..... sigh....