Beyond the Realm of Conscience

Consort LAU SAM-HO and Consort YIU KAM-LING, the two beloved concubines of Emperor SUEN CHUNG (personally named LEE YI) of the Tang Dynasty, keep picking on each other. Seeing that LING, her once close friend, has changed significantly for the worse, HO expresses deep regret for failing to fulfill her mother KONG CHOI-KING’s dying wish. The story dates back to 20 years ago… After her husband is banished to the border areas, KING, accompanied by LING, enters the Palace as an imperial servant. Head of the Imperial Household Bureau CHOI CHUNG-PING is impressed by KING’s extraordinary craft skills and sends her to the Department of Jewels, where KING is to work with Deputy Head YUEN TSUI-WAN on the final polishing of Empress KWOK’s jeweled phoenix hairpin. Head of Attire CHUNG SUET-HA has been a bitter foe of WAN for decades. With the help of Eunuch PO KAT-CHEUNG, HO can finally be reunited with KING.… ...

After KING’s death, CHOI decides to destroy the phoenix hairpin as instructed by KWOK. Unwilling to see KING’s efforts go to waste, WAN means to injure herself. KWOK gives the phoenix hairpin to CHENG, and WAN begins to worry about the lady and her son. HA purposely fights with WAN for the custody of HO as her apprentice. As KWOK is about to start her plot against YI, the news that YI has fallen from a tree arrives. YI suffers from head injury and seems to have developed some kind of mental problem. KWOK allows YI to recuperate at the Taoist Temple, but not in the company of CHENG. HA points out that CHENG and YI are separated by the phoenix hairpin and that it is WAN who has dragged them into trouble. She ridicules WAN for being too selfish and making others suffer while WAN does not say a word to defend herself. HO goes to see YI off, which touches him considerably.… ...

KWOK needs HO to explain the design of the clothing, making HA and WAN believe that the Empress is going to punish the girl. To everyone’s surprise and delight, KWOK appreciates HO’s design and holds it in high regard. Chief General MA YUEN-CHI is no longer trusted by the Emperor after making a mistake. CHEUNG who is deemed to be in the same league with him is also embroiled in the matter. Except for HO, all the imperial servants have been avoiding CHEUNG. CHENG’s health is deteriorating and YI is finally allowed to return to the Palace to see his mother. LING and FEI-YIN pick a row over trivial matters, causing HO to accidentally damage Lady WONG’s new dress. HO has no choice but to alter the dress design. KWOK flies into a rage after knowing this. To defend HO, HA shifts the blame onto WAN emphasizing that it is all a trap set by her. LING and HO meet up at night but get caught by YIN midway through their gathering.… ...

HO is greatly impressed by Chess Master HIN-YEUNG upon their first encounter. Japanese chess player ONIZUKA KOJIRO has come to China. As instructed, YEUNG’s father YIU-ON engages in a contest with the Japanese visitor but is defeated. KOJIRO has set a chess puzzle for the Chinese. Emperor MO CHUNG is so keen to solve the riddle that he keeps pushing his cabinet members for an answer. LING is injured by YIN. WING-FONG pretends to comfort LING and coaxes her into disclosing her design. Knowing that SIU-YUNG, a skivvy from the Department of Jewels, is desperate to get out of the Palace to visit her dying mother, HA offers to intercede with CHOI for the girl in a bid to embarrass WAN. Emperor MO CHUNG plans on attacking KOJIRO by making use of YI. Luckily HO comes along in the nick of time and manages to get YI out of the jam. FONG steals LING’s design and takes all the credit for it.… ...

Knowing that YEUNG is not really confident in winning the contest, HO begins to worry about him. Too desperate to recover his military power, CHI plans to kill HO and put the blame on KOJIRO, thinking that it may be a good way to please Emperor MO CHUNG. Emperor MO CHUNG is very pleased about the victory in the chess competition, and agrees to put CHI back in charge of the military forces. Mama TSU asks CHEUNG to buy cosmetics for her but refuses to pay the money. HA upbraids TSU for what she did. TSU gets irked and begins to harbor deep resentment towards HA as a result. The Heads of Jewels, Attire, Food and Furnishings spot SIU-SHUN passing a golden necklace to LING. LING gets a severe telling-off from WAN for this reason. To vent her spleen and frustration, LING asks YI to cheer her up and to take her as his concubine. TSU overhears their conversation and goes to inform KWOK at once.… ...

HA and WAN both deny having anything to do with the account book. For the sake of fairness, KWOK decides to lock up both of them as punishment. TSU goes to question HA and WAN inside the prison. Before long, CHOI arrives and suggests having a face-to-face conversation with KWOK and TSU about that. TSU says that she has been instructed by WONG to question HA and WAN. KWOK means to protect WONG and punishes CHOI instead based on a made-up allegation. The Imperial Household Bureau has lost a leader overnight. SHEUNG and YAN, together with other imperial servants from the four departments, ask to have a word with KWOK, who however refuses to see them. To show their determination, the ladies decide to go down on their knees until their request is granted. LING criticizes TSU when kneeling outside the Empress’s place, which infuriates the woman immensely. To vent her anger, TSU threatens to sew LING’s lips up with thread.… ...