War and Beauty

War and Beauty
Promotional poster
Genre	Costume drama
Starring	Sheren Tang Maggie Cheung Charmaine Sheh Gigi Lai Bowie Lam Moses Chan
Opening theme	Yee Nui (兒女) performed by Bowie Lam
Ending theme	Pei Sheung (砒霜) performed by Bowie Lam and Gigi Lai
Country of origin	Hong Kong
Language(s)	Cantonese
No. of episodes	30
Production
Running time	45 minutes per episode
Broadcast
Original channel	TVB
Original run	August 23, 2004 – October 2, 2004
External links
Website

War and Beauty
Chinese	金枝慾孽
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Jīn Zhī Yù Niè Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping Gam1 Zi1 Juk6 Jip6

War and Beauty is a Hong Kong television series broadcast in 2004 on TVB Jade. It starred TVB Awards Best Actress winners Sheren Tang, Gigi Lai, Maggie Cheung and Charmaine Sheh, and TVB Awards Best Actor winners Bowie Lam and Moses Chan.

Meaning of title

Phonetically, at least in Cantonese, the title sounds exactly like the Chinese phrase "金枝玉葉" (literally translates to "[A tree with] golden branches and jade leaves"). This is a classical Chinese proverb used to describe aristocratic but unmarried women in feudal Chinese society. The proverb is also used to describe a lady from a privileged or aristocratic background.

The title itself is effectively a pun on the original phrase, with the third and fourth ideogram being replaced by two other characters which described the main themes of the entire series. The characters "玉" (jade) and "葉" (leaf) were replaced by the phonetically equivalent "慾" (lust / desire) and "孽" (evilness, nemesis). Thus, the title itself describes the entire plot, which roughly translates to "women from prestigious backgrounds with lusts / desire for power and evilness".

Owing to the prolific use of the character "慾" (lust) in pornographic films and productions, some people believed in the beginning that the show was pornographic in nature. While the show does focus on the workings of Forbidden City's inner harem (which, in turn, invariably deals with sex), the show does not have any elements of pornography.

Cast

Note: Some of the characters' names are in Cantonese romanisation.

Royal harem

Cast	Role	Description
Yu Yang	Aisin-Gioro Yong Yan 愛新覺羅·顒琰	The Emperor of China. He plays a very minor role in the series.
Rebecca Chan	Niuhuru Qixue 鈕祜祿·绮雪	She was initially out of favour, but regained it after winning a power struggle with Ru-Yue.
Sheren Tang	Niuhuru Ruyue 鈕祜祿·如玥	Loves Kong Wu An initially favored concubine who eventually fell out of favor with the Emperor after losing a power struggle with the Empress. She is also initially known for her rather bullying demeanors.
Gigi Lai	Hougiya Yuying 侯佳·玉瑩	Loves Sun Bak-yeung Erchun's enemy Yu-Ying was treated quite badly by her father before entering the palace. Her mother is the fourth (and neglected) concubine of her father. Died in episode 30
Charmaine Sheh	Dongiya Erchun 董佳·爾淳	Loves Sun Bak-yeung Yuying's enemy A Han Chinese posing as a Manchurian in order to get into the palace and save her adoptive father (who committed treason) from death.
Maggie Cheung Ho Yee	Guwalgiya Onqian 蘇完尼瓜爾佳·安茜	Loves Kong Wu A palace maid who, after knowing that her grandmother was killed by the Empress, actively gained the Emperor's favor to take revenge. Died in episode 30
Jade Leung	Nap Lan Fuk Nga 納蘭·福雅	A kind concubine in the Imperial Court who fell out of favor because of her illness. She is the biological sister to Concubine chun. Near the end, it is revealed that she had been poisoning herself, sacrificing her future, so that Sun Bak Yeung would continually take care of her.

Other major characters

Cast	Role	Description
Bowie Lam	Sun Bak Yeung 孫白颺	Loves Yuying A palace doctor who caters to the need of all concubines. He was romantically involved with Yu-Ying, who bore his child and posed it as the Emperor's child. Died in episode 30
Chan Hung Lit	Sun Ching Wah 孫清華	Father of Sun Baiyang. He and his son share a rather cool relationship, with the father disapproving of the son's actions within the Inner Harem of the Palace.
Moses Chan	Kong-Wu 孔武	Loves Onqian A Palace Guard who gained the favor of the Emperor after saving his life. Was responsible for the safety of Er-Chun and Yu-Ying on their way to Beijing.
Wai Kar Hung	Chan Song 陳爽	Fraternal brother of Kung-Wu. He was expelled from the Palace after he was caught stealing, and was discovered to have joined the rebel forces at the end of the series when they attacked the Palace. Dies at the end of the series defending his fraternal brother.
Lo Hoi Pang	Chui Man Tin 徐萬田	He is the master behind a plot to train Er-Chun to become a formidable, beautiful woman and send her into the Palace to actively gain the favour of the Emperor for the sake of his own life. He is murdered by his wife near the end of the series.
Ngo Ka-nin	Wong Fuk-sau 汪福壽	Eunuch

Synopsis

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, intrigue 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.

Throughout the later parts of the series, the inevitable results of this corruption become increasingly apparent. The main characters start to lose everything they care for, while being forced to conclude that they have only themselves to blame. In the meantime, corruption takes its toll on the outside world as well: the entire empire is destabilizing.

But none of that is a deterrent to the scheming women. On the contrary: even when the rebels make their way into the Forbidden City, the manipulators' first thoughts are as to how this situation may be used to their advantage. In the end, corruption itself is the only clear winner and many of those involved die or are forced to flee the City forever.

Ending of main characters

At the end of the series, many things come to a head. As the corruption of Qing Politics became all the more prevalent, the people of the country organize an armed rebellion. The rebellion was led by Kong-Wu's fraternal brother, Chen Shuang, who felt wronged during his time in the Palace and is seeking revenge. The rebel invasion of the Palace opened up some interesting opportunities, especially for the Empress, who tried to kill off her opposition and blame it on the rebels.

Sun Baiyang made an attempt to use the situation to escape with Er-Chun and Yu-Ying. However, Yu-Ying was unwilling to go with them, and Sun Baiyang made Kong-Wu promise that he will take Er-Chun out of the Forbidden Palace. After dealing with that, Sun Baiyang went to Yu-Ying residence to confront her. However the Empress was already aware of their affair, and while the two were in Yu-Ying's residence, the Empress' guards boarded up the entrances and set it on fire, causing both to be burned alive. Sun Baiyang's father, Sun Qinghwa, found out about his son's death when a raven carried his son's jade band and dropped it right in front of him as he waited for his son in the wilderness.

On-Qian, whose plan to exact revenge on the Empress for her grandmother's death was scuppered, hatched plans to leave the Palace with Kong-Wu and Er-Chun, who had lost all will to live in the Palace after her adoptive father, Xu Wan Tian, died. At the same time, The Consort Ru (Ru-Yue) was also invited to leave by the trio, but she refused to because she entered the Palace at the age of 16, and was unaccustomed to normal civilian life. Having survived an attack by several guards dressed up as rebels and having realized the true fate of Sun Baiyang and Yu-Ying, she went on to confront the Empress directly in her residence and appeared to regain her superior political position.

All was not over for the ones who successfully left. As the trio left the palace, On-Qian was shot by a stray arrow, the wound from which she would die of soon afterward. Both sadly and romantically fitting, she died on Kong-Wu's shoulder while escaping in a horse cart. In the end, only Kong-Wu and Er-Chun successfully left the palace and, as hinted by the film, started a new life.

Popularity and criticism

This drama was very popular, almost unexpectedly so. Amongst Hong Kong's office workers, the feuding and shifting alliances of the Imperial women, with greater issues being sacrificed for personal piques and gains was taken as a metaphor for the office politics familiar to many. The exploits of their characters were followed in minute detail in online forums, with each betrayal or stab in the back leading to flaming, denunciations, accusations and denials amongst the rival factions. It created a high rating just below War of the Genders.

The show was not without its critics. Many sociologists, psychologists, and academics have criticized the show as promoting hatred and backstabbing as a "natural" matter in society, and fears that the drama will twist the youth's perception of social relationships in general. However, many ordinary citizens simply believe the show was a reflection of the real world.

When one such psychologist was asked about his views concerning the series, he stated "I think we must remind ourselves that even if the intentions of this [War and Beauty] are represented as merely fictitious harm, we should still focus on this harm nonetheless, especially when its in respect to our youth"

However the creators and fans alike strongly deny such existence of 'harm', and that there are no such subliminal^{[citation needed]} connotations behind the series.

Awards

Three of the actresses playing the concubines, Gigi Lai, Charmaine Sheh, Sheren Tang, were nominated as three of the five finalists for TVB Anniversary Awards' My Favourite Actress in a Leading Role, with Gigi Lai winning. However, the award was not without its controversy. Many people felt that Tang gave sterling performance as the calculative and scheming concubine Yu, and was the hot favorite to win the award. However, the award was unexpectedly given to Lai, which then led to rumours that Lai signed a contract with TVB in exchange for the award, causing widespread anger and resentment. HK's ICAC was conducting investigations into award shows so this was raised to an even higher level of controversy.

My Favorite Actor in a Leading Role award went to Bowie Lam for his role as a Chinese medical doctor/official in the show.

My Favorite Powerhouse Actor award went to Chan Hung Lit for his role as Suen Ching Wah.

My Favorite Powerhouse Actress Award went to Sheren Tang for her role as Yu Yuet.

My Favorite Television Character Award went to Charmaine Sheh for her role as Dong-jia Er-chun.

This drama is considered the best drama in TVB production in year 2004.

This drama also won the Most Favourite Drama in Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards 2005.

Charmaine Sheh acting as Yee Shun in War and Beauty won the Most Favourite Actress in Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards 2005.

After Sheren Tang won the TVB Best Actress award in 2009 and 2010, War and Beauty became the TVB drama with the most Best Actress winners. Others TVB Best Actress winners in the series are Maggie Cheung Ho-Yee, Gigi Lai, and Charmaine Sheh who won their respective Best Actress awards in 2003, 2004 and 2006.

To date, War and Beauty, Rosy Business, and No Regrets (also starring Sheren Tang) are the three TVB dramas whereby all the male and female leads have won the Best Actor/Actress Award in the TVB Awards ceremony.

Home video

War and Beauty was released on DVD and VCD a few months after its finale, and was a bestseller. It also became the first TVB drama to receive a DVD release, albeit a limited one. The DVD box was made of shiny gold cloth, with the drama's title woven on it with gold thread.

See also

• Corruption
• Forbidden City
• Ranks of Imperial Consorts in China
• Harem
• Beyond the Realm of Conscience
• Dae Jang Geum
• The Queen of All

External links

• Official Page of War and Beauty in TVB