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 fo…

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 l…

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 Y…

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. K…

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 E…

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 ha…

YEUNG admonishes KWOK for being too unfair and manages to save all members of the Imperial Household Bureau, for which HO is very grateful. Knowing that the Imperial Household Bureau has got itself out of trouble, CHI tries to approach CH…

HO is promoted to the post of Deputy Head of Jewels. Not wanting to disappoint LING, HO would like to submit her resignation to WAN. HA believes that it has been WAN’s life-long ambition to take away HO, so her hatred towards WAN is grow…

KWOK passes two bowls of so-called medicine to CHENG and YI and asks them to try it out. KWOK finally allows CHENG and YI to get out of the Palace. WAN pays CHENG a visit before she leaves. To WAN’s great surprise, CHENG returns to her …

CHEUNG informs HO at once knowing that KWOK is planning to kill CHENG and YI. HO reveals YI’s secret to YEUNG and YEUNG is willing to risk his life to rescue YI. MO CHUNG’s assassination plot against YI is thwarted while YEUNG has suffer…

KWOK expresses strong opposition to YI’s accession to the throne during the coronation, saying that it is totally irrational to leave the country to the hands of YI. YI immediately reveals his true self and has a rigorous debate with her. …

YI has a meeting with CHI hoping to develop a range of public policies in favor of his fellow countrymen. CHI, however, hopes to remain in sole control of the government and does not want YI to get too involved. YUE comes to admonish YI.…

All members of the Imperial Household Bureau offer to help with the investigation and the truth is finally uncovered. FONG insults LING on purpose. HO tries to defend LING and picks a row with FONG. Filled with anger and spite, FONG doe…

WAN is appointed as the Head of Furnishings while HO is promoted to the post of Head of Jewels. SHEUNG goes to see CHOI at her bedroom. She is not happy with WAN’s transfer and asks CHOI for an explanation. Knowing that YI is planning t…

The dye HA will be using has been swapped with something else, which makes her extremely angry. The relationship between WAN and HA is once again on the rocks. CHOI asks SHEUNG whether it is she who has been stirring trouble for WAN and HA…

WAN goes to see PIK to discuss the design of the dressing table, during which she bumps into FUNG again. Believing that they have been having an affair, WAN gets so angry with WAN and means to pick on her. HO meets FUNG by chance, and si…

SHEUNG submits some nice snacks to YIN and YIN urges her to prepare another set of desserts. SHEUNG turns to CHOI for help but is told not to spend too much effort trying to flatter YIN. FUNG asks WAN out for a chat and passes her some s…

Fearing that ON and YEUNG will reveal all the gruesome details of his crime sooner or later, CHI is keen to weed out ON insisting that the man should be sentenced to death. FUNG tries to intercede with YI for ON and manages to save him fr…

CHOI has been ill for quite a while. She reveals that she would like to step down and that only the best candidates in terms of both ability and ethical rectitude will be considered for the post of Bureau Chief. SHEUNG pays CHOI a visit …

CHENG treats LING, YIN and PIK to dinner, during which PIK notices that YIN has a partiality for sour food, which makes her think that the girl may have been pregnant. In fact it is LING who is expecting. LING stumbles on a painting roll…

PIK is sentenced to death. YIN waits for YI at the Tortoise’s Tomb hoping that he will give in to her persuasion and overturn his verdict. But by stratagem LING manages to deter YI from showing up. FUNG is to deliver the relief donation…

WAN has made a bronze mirror for PIK as her funerary amulet, for which FUNG is very grateful. Rumors about them begin to circulate around the Imperial Household Bureau. CHENG puts HA in charge of the Departments of Attire and Furnishings…

YIN who is detained in her place offers to copy the Buddhist text for various temples outside the Palace. YI happens to discover YIN’s manuscripts of the Buddhist text, and feels a bit touched when he learns that YIN has been eating on a …

HA praises SHEUNG and HO for the recipes and the accessory layouts they have submitted. The two departments led by WAN have only handed in one layout respectively. WAN points out that the layouts have already been approved by CHENG. WAN…

HO and PAK go to KO’s Mansion with a gift to celebrate ON’s release. HO and YEUNG are shocked to find that PAK and ON have been poisoned. PAK is found dead while ON is being in a coma. HO and YEUNG say their last farewell to ON. With Y…

HO asks YIN about PIK’s malevolent plot against LING. YIN admits that PIK had an intention to cast a spell on LING but was stopped before she could start. HO puts LING to the test and finally finds out the truth. As she is about to noti…

YEUNG and FUNG are sad to hear that YUE, who was demoted earlier, has just passed away. FUNG blames YI for failing to distinguish right from wrong. YEUNG has no choice but to reveal the truth to him. YI sends YEUNG out of the Palace to …

YI has not defended LING when she is rebuked by CHI, but has apparently stood up for HO when she is reprimanded by the eunuch. HO has the support of both YEUNG and YI, which makes LING so jealous that she has decided to weed out the girl.…

Eager to rescue WAN, FUNG means to talk about the past and how he has helped CHI all these years. CHI has no choice but to release WAN. CHI and the rest of the cabinet urge YI to pursue and arrest HO for DUOJI’s sake. All of a sudden, Y…

FUNG is shocked to discover that LING has been trying to harm YIN and her baby with various poisonous plants. Knowing that her plot has been thwarted, LING gets extremely furious. FUNG and SHUN hold a ceremony to confirm their godfather-…

Having forced YIN to drink the abortion potion, LING starts to reprove her. After that she has one further explosive secret to reveal to YIN. YI is devastated by the death of YIN. As he is about to start the investigation, CHENG comes t…

WAN asks HA if she knew from the very beginning that SHUN is not her biological son. HA has no choice but to reveal the truth to her. HO tells CHENG that LING has tried to put WAN and SHUN on trial without proper authorization. CHENG di…

CHI incites the rest of the cabinet to denounce and punish HO. HO claims that she is pregnant with YI’s son and that no one can harm her before her son is born. She can thus keep herself safe temporarily. YI finally gets to meet KEI. U…