1x1 - Episode 1

March 6, 1996

POR enjoys his wine in Tai Pak Restaurant. He is challenged by WAI who comes from Liu. YAU and YAN seek help from SHEUNG. With his talent, SHEUNG defeats WAI. WAI swears to avenge the humiliation. POR is attracted by TIP who is the daughter of a senior officer. However POR is unable to approach her as he is tricked by her maidservant NGOR. YAI,J and YAN take POR's love letter to TIP but they are knocked at their heads by NGOR and they faint. They are left in the countryside. SHEUNG is angry and wants to give her a lesson. He changes his mind as when he meets her, he is impressed by her charm. SHEUNG impersonates a monk and he has the chance to approach and persuade TIP to accept POR. However his real identity is discovered by NGOR. NGOR gives him a good trouncing. TO is discontented and wants to beat NGOR. However NGOR is protected by La. In order to make TIP forget POR, NGOR leads TIP to the Brothel……

1x2 - Episode 2

March 7, 1996

SHEUNG wants to explain to NGOR but he is neglected by her. NGOR tells TIP that she was brought up in a rich family. Her happiness was terminated by her father who only knew how to lead an extravagant way of living. At last his fortune was used up and her mother committed suicide. Now she has to serve TIP and her family and she hopes that TIP will learn from her lesson. MAN is challenged by CHOI, the Pope of Liu. He is defeated and he has to close his college. SHEUNG entangles NGOR. NGOR is annoyed with him and promises to bet with him. SHEUNG has to earn money. SHEUNG tries to sell his books and drawings but there is no customer. At last he acts as a wagon to carry a fat man and he manages to earn the money. POR secretly goes into TIP's house. He uses poems to express his love of TIP. TO discovers him and wants to bridge them. However POR does not have the courage and he runs away.

1x3 - Episode 3

March 8, 1996

SHEUNG is punished by NGOR to stay at home. SHEUNG does not want to be laughed at and he claims that he is ill. CHO wants to visit SHEUNG when NGOR is not at home. She is stopped by KIU. Thus she begs KIU to send SHEUNG her handkerchief. SHEUNG is deeply impressed by the poem on it. YAU persuades MUI to leave the examination centre but MUI refuses. POR is shocked to see MUI as one of the candidates. MUl's talent impressed the royal father-in-law but she is suspected by his henchman. YAU pretends that he has gone crazy to distract their attention. He is driven away and MUI passes the examination. From CHO, POR learns that SHEUNG has been locked up. He goes to visit SHEUNG but he is stopped by NGOR. They have an argument and NGOR gives POR one hour's time to see SHEUNG.

1x4 - Episode 4

March 11, 1996

CHOI asks YAU the reason. YAU tells him that he cannot answer the question which requires him to state the names of his father and grandfather. He is a taboo and thus he is unable to give the answer. NGOR wants to trick SHEUNG again. SHEUNG knows her intention and is ready to strike back. However he has mercy on her when she claims that she is dreaming. She pretends that she has gone crazy and beats SHEUNG. Though he is hurt, he wants to employ a doctor to cure her. Four famous artists present their drawings to Master MU WAI. However their drawings are inferior to CHOI's. They are disappointed to know that CHOI comes from Liu. YAM regrets bringing up SHEUNG to be one who only enjoys comf6rtable life. Now he has spent most of his fortune and those antiques left behind are not valuables.

1x5 - Episode 5

March 12, 1996

SHEUNG tries his best to help NGOR. NGOR is touched. She is impressed when she knows SHEUNG's good knowledge in wine. The Royal Examiner learns that CHOI is a talented man. He goes to visit CHOI. He is shocked to find that CHOI was disqualified by him when he knew that CHOI had come from Liu. CHOI returns to avenge the insult. SHEUNG finds a doctor to give NGOR treatment. NGOR knows that the doctor is only a trickster but SHEUNG has been deceived. YAN meets CHAT and knows that CHAT is still alive. He is driven by his anger to attack CHAT. POR and SHEUNG stop him. SHEUNG begs them to collect water from one hundred families to cure NGOR.

1x6 - Episode 6

March 13, 1996

NGOR wants to tell SHEUNG the truth. She goes to his house where she sees SHEUNG preparing herbal medicine for her. She is deeply touched. NGOR goes to question the trickster. SHEUNG overhears their conversation and realizes that he has been tricked by them. TIP and POR love each other and they enjoy the love affair. TO recommends POR to be the one to confront CHOI. TO, LO and TIP give POR nutritious food to help them. However he has overdosed and has a fever. SHEUNG replaces him in the competition. SHEUNG wants to avenge the insult. He begs NGOR to marry him. NGOR promises but the happiness does not last long. A bucket of paint is poured onto her in the street. When she reads the paper fan left by SHEUNG, she knows what has happened and regrets having tricked him.

1x7 - Episode 7

March 14, 1996

TO recommends SHEUNG to replace POR. However his suggestion is not supported by the Royal Father-in-law. TO has to use his head to guarantee that SHEUNG will succeed in defeating CHOI. CHOI and SHEUNG have three rounds of competition, i.e. calligraphy, history and chess. In the first round, they have to tell the origin of a tombstone. CHOI answers it by referring to one word on it. SHEUNG takes a risky strategy. He only refers to half a character. He wins this round. In the second round, WAI cheats and CHOI wins it. SHEUNG cannot answer the question as the answer is a taboo. SHEUNG wants to stop NGOR from leaving. On his way to the jetty, he is stopped by TO who pulled him back to attend the competition. However he has no incentive and nearly loses the round. He wins by a narrow neck as NGOR appears in front of him. He defeats CHOI and CHOI appreciates his talent. SHEUNG begs NGOR to marry him……

1x8 - Episode 8

March 15, 1996

NGOR swears to be Cl. good wife but she also requests SHEUNG to quit visiting brothels. She advises him to concentrate on his own career. SHEUNG feels bored as his friends have to go on their own trips. POR has to report duty at Hangzhou. YAU continues his study in Wanzhou while YAN stays in Ching Leung Temple to study Buddhism. SHEUNG goes to Yi Hung Brothel again. NGOR puts on man's clothes and goes there too. SHEUNG is shocked and promises not to go there again. SHEUNG is appointed as the provincial judge. After finishing his work, SHEUNG goes to Yi Hung Brothel. NGOR is discontented. She rents all rooms there and hires male prostitutes to accompany her. SHEUNG has to leave. YUM tells SHEUNG that as stated in the fortune book, NGOR has a strong Character.

1x9 - Episode 9

March 18, 1996

SHEUNG begs NGOR to go home with him. NGOR states her terms and SHEUNG has to promise her reluctantly. NGOR runs a special banquet. During it she gives money to all ladies who had romance with SHEUNG. It lasts for three days and it costs all SHEUNG's fortune. They have to live with financial difficulties. SHEUNG leads a normal life. However in his letter to POR, SHEUNG claims that his life is still as colourful as it in the past. POR does not query. After three years, POR returns to report to his new duty. POR puts on his casual wear to observe the living conditions of the people.

1x10 - Episode 10

March 19, 1996

POR finds YAU in Sichuan Club. YAU stays away from POR as his does not want to be misunderstood by the others. In the market POR comes across SHEUNG who is buying food. POR is surprised. He even sees SHEUNG chasing after a coin on the ground. POR asks SHEUNG the reason. SHEUNG tries to hide the truth and he asks POR not to visit him immediately. SHEUNG has an idea. He tricks NGOR, making her stay in her room. Then he asks KIU to impersonate her. He tortures NGOR (KIU) who is cooking in the kitchen in front of POR. POR tries to stop him. SHEUNG's trick cannot work as NGOR comes out earlier than expected. NGOR punishes SHEUNG to stand in the street. POR has mercy on him and takes him to dine in the restaurant. However SHEUNG is such a hen-pecked husband that he returns home in a hurry.

1x11 - Episode 11

March 20, 1996

Episode 11 POR invites SHEUNG to have lunch with him. However his shoes have been locked up by NGOR. POR is discontented. He pulls SHEUNG to the restaurant. There they meet NGOR and TIP. POR argues with NGOR. POR hopes that CHO can help SHEUNG rebuild his prestige. He tricks SHEUNG to go out with him so that they can reunite. CHO invites SHEUNG to meet again five days later. YAU meets MU who wants to stay in Sichuan Club. YAU works as a cleaner there as he does not have money to pay the rent. POR persuades TIP to invite NGOR to go to the temple. Knowing that he cannot control himself and may go to meet CHO, SHEUNG urges KIU to arrange all his work to be finished within one day.

1x12 - Episode 12

March 21, 1996

However the progress of work is good. SHEUNG orders KIU to lock him in his room. At last he changes his mind and orders KIU to release him. He goes to CHO's place. There CHO tells him and she has determined to be his lover. SHEUNG is deeply impressed. POR is excited to see SHEUNG gaining his prestige again. SHEUNG suddenly regains his mind and runs away. POR and CHO are disappointed. POR is shocked as he is informed by his family that his sister has come to attend the examination. He is frightened as it is against the law and deserves capital punishment.

1x13 - Episode 13

March 22, 1996

POR goes to Sichuan Club to find MUI and MUI hides in YAU's room. HEI gets the sacred pillow by drawing lots. MUI replaces it with an ordinary one and gives the sacred one to YAU. Her plan is discovered and they are punished. They have to clean up the club. MUI is embarrassed as she has to wash the bathroom. The others laughed at her. MUI feels humiliated and leaves. YAU does not understand. POR uses LAW's name to invite SHEUNG to see him. SHEUNG meets CHG again. SHEUNG is in the dilemma. CHO tries her best to seduce SHEUNG but SHEUNG manages to regain his self-control. He wants to leave but he has to change his mind as it rains heavily. CHO is so gentle to him that he is flattered. SHEUNG spends a night with CHO. NGOR worries and thinks that SHEUNG has been drowned by the flood of Xi Jiang. When NGOR sees SHEUNG, she cannot help crying. However CHO arrives and returns the jade accessory to SHEUNG……

1x14 - Episode 14

March 25, 1996

SHEUNG is punished by NGOR after she knows the relationship between SHEUNG and CHO. SHEUNG is‧ trounced and is forced to announce his crime in the public. CHO and POR suggest SHEUNG to rebel against NGOR but he has no courage. POR takes SHEUNG to CHO's house to have temporary accommodation. However SHEUNG is caught and punished again. POR is discontented. POR and other examiners discuss the questions to be raised this year. POR suggests to use the questions of last year. MUI admires' YAU but YAU has no feeling. There is a ceremony to worship HUNG in Sichuan Club. As MUI is a girl, she should not attend it. Thus she stays in the toilet. However YAU forces her to go to the ceremony. MUI spoils the ceremony and thus she is driven away. YAU is angry but his anger vanishes soon after he learns that MUI is a girl.

1x15 - Episode 15

March 26, 1996

SHEUNG is punished by NGOR to stay at home. SHEUNG does not want to be laughed at and he claims that he is ill. CHO wants to visit SHEUNG when NGOR is not at home. She is stopped by KIU. Thus she begs KIU to send SHEUNG her handkerchief. SHEUNG is deeply impressed by the poem on it. YAU persuades MUI to leave the examination centre but MUI refuses. POR is shocked to see MUI as one of the candidates. MUl's talent impressed the royal father-in-law but she is suspected by his henchman. YAU pretends that he has gone crazy to distract their attention. He is driven away and MUI passes the examination. From CHO, POR learns that SHEUNG has been locked up. He goes to visit SHEUNG but he is stopped by NGOR. They have an argument and NGOR gives POR one hour's time to see SHEUNG.

1x16 - Episode 16

March 27, 1996

MUI secretly goes to visit YAU as she worries about him. YAU scolds her and blames her. They have an argument. YAU is excited as the Emperor gives the order to hold another examination as he realizes that there are many dishonest candidates. POR uses tricks to make the Emperor issue an invitation card so that SHEUNG can attend his farewell party. NGOR has no choice but follows SHEUNG to the banquet. In the banquet, CHO performs dancing. When SHEUNG knows that CHO is bearing his baby and WU wants to take CHO away, he chases after CHQ. NGOR is shocked. CHO suggests that SHEUNG should ask NGOR to accept her as the concubine but NGOR refuses. She even runs away from home.

1x17 - Episode 17

March 28, 1996

SHEUNG and POR return and find NGOR in the living room. NGOR insists on not letting CHO to marry SHEUNG. POR advises SHEUNG to write a letter to abandon her. NGOR gets the letter and blames POR. NGOR finds SHEUNG's uncle who is an old Taoist. As he recently has a son, SHEUNG should use the excuse of having no baby to abandon NGOR. However CHEUNG set SHEUNG and POR free as they are friends. NGOR accuses SHEUNG and POR in different departments but no one listen to her. She distributes pamphlets to tell others her unpleasant experience. She goes to seek help from Eighth Lord but she is trounced. However she does not give up. YAU and MUI come first and second in the examination. Both are happy.

1x18 - Episode 18

March 29, 1996

Eighth Lord appoints YAU and MUI to handle NGOR's case. POR is happy but he is depressed later as YAU tells him that he will uphold the justice. In the court, NGOR accuses other officials as they are not justice in her case. NGOR and YAU have critical argument. The case draws the public's attention. Women stand up to fight against chauvinism. The Emperor and the Queen also show their concern. In the second trial, POR clams that women have no talent to be officials. MUI is discontented and discloses her identity to prove that he is wrong. The others are surprised.

1x19 - Episode 19

April 1, 1996

MUI is imprisoned. The Emperor summons SHEUNG, POR and CHO. The Emperor has mercy on SHEUNG and decides to support him. The Queen stands on NGOR's side and appreciates her courage. She even releases MUI. In the capital, people support either SHEUNG or NGOR and form two parties. SHEUNG and NGOR are frustrated. They know the case has been exaggerated and has no chance to turn back. The Emperor decides to be the judge. All accuse NGOR and NGOR is not frightened. She tells the Emperor that she only wants her husband to achieve a good career with his talent. SHEUNG is ashamed of himself. The Emperor announces that NGOR is not guilty but SHEUNG should have the right to marry CHO. NGOR is not satisfied. She prefers drinking poisonous wine to seeing SHEUNG marry another wife. SHEUNG is unable to stop her.

1x20 - Episode 20

April 2, 1996

When NGOR is dying, both SHEUNG and NGOR regret. SHEUNG wants to accompany NGOR to hell and suddenly NGOR wakes up. They change their attitudes when they learn the lesson from the Emperor's plan. As the case has thrown a stone in the troubled water, in order to maintain the social stability, the Emperor orders them to keep a distance of one hundred steps between them. SHEUNG misses NGOR so much that he cannot eat, drink and sleep. Realizing that SHEUNG will not return to her, CHO leaves with WU. SHEUNG has no right to stop her. After three years' hard work, CHOI returns to challenge SHEUNG. SHEUNG grasps the opportunity to make the Emperor to withdraw his order of separating SHEUNG and NGOR. His terms are accepted. At last who will win the competition and what will happen to the couple? Don't miss the final episode so as to find the answers.

Felton Law Gwan-Joh

张希