Princess Huai Yu
80 episodes
Male Cast:
Ai Xin Jue Luo Xuan Ye (Emperor Kang Xi) - Eric Suen Yiu Wai
Wu Ying Xiong (Wu Shi Zi) - Wang Hao
Tu De Hai - Shi Yu
Fu Rong (Rong Bei Le) - Lin Jian Hua/Lin Jian Huan
Cheng An (An Bei Le) - Huang Wei De
Sa Ha Du - Chen Zhi Peng
Fu Zheng (Fu Qin Wang) - Zhou Shao Dong
Cheng Tai - Liu Ke Mian
Wu San Gui - Li Zhi Jian
Shang Zhi Xin - Ming Jin Cheng
Female Cast:
Fu Huai Yu - Zheng Jia Yu
Cheng Yun (Yun Gui Ren) - Yang Bao Wei
Jian Ning - Zhang Feng Shu
Tai Hou - Chen Sha Li
Tai Huang Tai Hou - Liu Xue Hua
Cheng Ying (Ying Ying) - Yu Jia Hui (Huan Huan)
Sa Ha Ya (A-Ya Ge Ge) - Liu Han Ya
Yun Er - Jiang Zu Ping
Qing Qing - Xu Wen Xin
Shu De (De Fu Jin) - Li Xin
Lan Yi - Ma Hui Zhen
Introduction:
An intriguing love story between a Ming Princess and Qing Emperor, this multi-award winning series is one of the best produced in recent years. They had started a relationship which has been strictly prohibited. Will the political turmoil eventually tear them apart?
Summary: (Spoilers!)
The story begins with Fu Zheng leading the vast Qing army and defeating the Ming's at the Forbidden City. Unable to face the humiliation, the Ming Empress hung herself while the Emperor himself fled. The Ming general pleaded Fu Zheng to bring up Huai Yu, who was then a newborn child to both the Ming emperor and empress, before committing suicide. Being a merciful person, Fu Zheng agreed.
Eighteen years later, a cherubic young lady and her feather-brained maidservant appareled in man's clothes were romping around the street on a Chinese festival, Yuan Xiao Jie. Finding an antique shop nearby interesting, Huai Yu and Qing Qing went in and this is how Huai Yu bumped into the boyish Qing ruler, Kang Xi, who dressed up as an affluent commoner with a court eunuch by his side, Tu De Hai. As Huai Yu was unable to recognize him as the emperor, they then later make quite a scene when both were contending with each other, trying to get hold of an antique vase. Huai Yu had won the auction as she was the highest bidder, for a brief moment. When she was asked to pay for the vase, Qing Qing told her that they didn't bring any money out and so, Kang Xi in the end was the legal owner of the artifact.
Kang Xi had, in fact, aroused some hooligans' attention when Tu De Hai took out a wad of money to pay for the vase he had won. Walking out from the antique shop, he continued skipping around all the way saying, Tu De Hai, I want this one. Tu De Hai, I want that one. The group of hooligans which had been eyeing on him took action. Kang Xi's vase was immediately broken by them. They fought with Kang Xi and not long later, Huai Yu, from nowhere, helped him. With the skill of martial arts at an average standard she, however, had managed to kick them off. After that, Huai Yu had decided to go home but Kang Xi was at her back like a fly, trying to ask her something. Huai Yu then turned around and hit him in the eye, not knowing that the one she has hit is the sacred and inviolable emperor himself. Still, Kang Xi was not furious with her. He had even started to admire that 'young man' and also think that 'he' is a good opponent in martial arts.
When he went back to the palace, Cheng Yun, Kang Xi's consort, had noticed the blue and black mark clearly visible around his eye. Cheng Yun and Tai Hou (Kang Xi's stepmother. His own mother died long ago when Kang Xi's he was still a child of 10) start to make a fuss about him
On the next day, Huai Yu was entangled with a fight with the son of a significant official, Shang Zhi Xin, in a restaurant which later continued in the street. Kang Xi was also out playing when he again met Huai Yu and decided to join into the fight. Although good in martial arts and instead of helping Huai Yu to get away, both of them were being chased by Shang Zhi Xin's men. They broke away from the men and ran deep into the forest when they saw a man by the name of Wu Ying Xiong being chased by someone who was attempting to assassinate him. Kang Xi and Huai Yu lend in a helping hand which was a success and the three of them later went on a boat where they become instant friends and exchanged fake identities. Kang Xi was alert as well as nervous when Huai Yu asked for his name. He didn't want his new friends to know that he is an emperor so he called himself 'Bai Shi Er' which was from the Chinese character 'Huang' for 'Huang Di' (Emperor). They became sworn 'brothers', Wu Ying Xiong as the eldest, Kang Xi and Huai Yu as the second and youngest respectively.
As Huai Yu always got herself into much trouble, this time wasn't an exception. She unintentionally shot Cheng An, the son of Cheng Tai (the Emperor's uncle), in a hunting competition organized for the two 'Bei Le(s)', Fu Rong, who was Huai Yu's brother and Cheng An. This is the cause which led on the feud between the Fu and Cheng family.
There was one time when Kang Xi went to Fu Wang Fu (the Fu's resident) and found out that Huai Yu was instead a girl in disguise. He was furious at first, as cheating the Emperor was a death penalty. But later on, after much quarrelling in between, he agreed not to take the matter as something serious. It was also then when he fell for Huai Yu.
Cheng Yun was brought into the palace by Tai Hou at a young age. Tai Hou hoped that Cheng Yun can one day be the Empress as she is her most favored niece. After she knew that Kang Xi was head over heels for Huai Yu, hatred then developed her. She didn't want Kang Xi to have Huai Yu as his Empress so she wouldn't hesitate to find ways to have Huai Yu killed or end up in a horrible state. She would also spread prevarications about Huai Yu before Tai Hou, who believed what Cheng Yun said was true. This wasn't even good news for Huai Yu as she would face trouble from both Tai Hou and Cheng Yun.
On one occasion, Huai Yu was sent to Bai Yun Guan or White Cloud Temple (a Daoist temple), by Tai Hou for a few days. She at first wanted Huai Yu to go there and be a nun but now, she wanted her dead. Tai Hou and Cheng Yun had intended to have Huai Yu killed without Kang Xi's knowledge. Jian Ning, Kang Xi's sister, told him what Tai Hou had planned. Before their heads came falling down, Kang Xi arrived and freed Huai Yu. At the same time, a group of anti-Qing people came to take their princess away, which was Huai Yu. One of the people in the group was Huai Yu's nursemaid, Lan Yi. The group only wanted Huai Yu to stay away from Kang Xi and help them to establish again the fallen Ming Dynasty. Those who knew martial arts fought with the group but it ended up with a blade sticking through Kang Xi's chest when he was coming to Huai Yu's aid. Because of the deep wound, Kang Xi was in a grave condition. He vomited blood and was 'officially proclaimed dead' once but was 'brought back to life' when Huai Yu had mouth to mouth resuscitated him by putting medicine into her mouth and feed him.
There were many obstacles between Kang Xi and Huai Yu starting from about Episode 60 onwards. Cheng Yun had tried to consult a witchdoctor to perform some sort of enchantment on Huai Yu. But that can only work if he has something that belongs to Huai Yu. He asked Cheng Yun to obtain Huai Yu's hair. Cheng Yun and her maid went to Huai Yu's room but had accidentally picked up her own hair instead. The spell was later performed on her and it did have a strong power which seems to make Cheng Yun berserk, but only for a moment.
Jian Ning is a political bride to Wu Ying Xiong which was arranged by Kang Xi himself. Wu San Gui, Ying Xiong's father, wanted to revolt from a long time ago and Kang Xi knew his motive. Kang Xi hoped that he can stop Wu San Gui from doing so was by having his sister married to Wu San Gui's son. Ying Xiong also felled for Huai Yu but since she liked Kang Xi and not him and Kang Xi had ordered him to marry his sister, he had no choice. Ying Xiong treated Jian Ning coldly and this hurt Jian Ning very much. She tolerated Ying Xiong a lot which was later being repaid when Ying Xiong started to like Jian Ning.
In the second half of this series, new characters such as Tai Huang Tai Hou (Kang Xi's grandmother) Sa Fu Man, a distant relative of Kang Xi who claimed to have rescued Emperor Shun Zhi (Kang Xi's father) from death, Sa Ha Du, Sa Ha Ya (Sa Fu Man's son and daughter respectively) and Yun Er starts appearing which had made the series a mixture of comedy, tragedy and romance.
Tai Huang Tai Hou has the greatest influence on Kang Xi and he is her favorite grandson. She didn't get along well with Tai Hou and she also didn't like Cheng Yun. She found Huai Yu to be charming and playful and took a great liking on her instead. She had often helped Huai Yu to escape from punishments that was given by Tai Hou.
When Kang Xi was still at a tender age, about 8 or 9 years old, he had ordered the whole family of General Hu Lun to be sentenced to death. Kang Xi had listened wrongly to some depraved officials who wanted to harm General Hu Lun. The only survivor was Yun Er who later seeks for revenge.
When Yun Er has successfully entered the palace as planned, she nearly killed Huai Yu unintentionally. That was when Cheng Yun was asking for Yun Er's help to cook something in order to get Kang Xi's attention. Yun Er saw a good chance was coming in her way, so she agreed to help Cheng Yun. As Cheng Yun can be a scapegoat for her, Yun Er put some poison inside the soup she made and gave it to Cheng Yun. Cheng Yun then later took it to Kang Xi's study room and saw that Huai Yu was also inside with him. Before going inside the study room, there was a eunuch standing by the doorway and any food and beverages that had to be taken inside had to be checked by the eunuch for poison. Cheng Yun was angry as she thought that the eunuch was meaning to say that the food she was carrying had poison inside it. She wouldn't let him check and went directly inside the study room. Kang Xi didn't want to drink the soup and asked Cheng Yun to put it aside on the table. Although she was reluctant, she did what she was told. When Huai Yu saw that Cheng Yun was quite humiliated when Kang Xi refused to drink it, she replaced Kang Xi on drinking it. And thus, the poison was drunk. Cheng Yun was taken away into the prison cell and after Huai Yu had woken up, she found herself to be mute. She was later well again after quite a long time when Yun Er had finally found a cure.
Some of the calamity that had happened above is just the beginning. There will also be miscarriages, burning of some part in the palace, abusing and all.
The males:
Emperor Kang Xi - Eric Suen Yiu Wai
A newcomer in the film industry, Eric Suen is a young and talented actor which now made him the apple in CTS and most producers' eye. He did a good portrayal of the Emperor, considering that he was once a very popular heartthrob singer and not an actor. He can bring out the best when he is being childlike as it suits his baby-face and looks real cute in the first few episodes where he is a naive young Emperor.
A lot of people like him better than other actors in the series because they think that he is sweet and charming at the way he cares for Huai Yu. But I think that, most of the times, he wasn't able to protect Huai Yu from Tai Hou and Cheng Yun for every time he wanted to do so, Tai Hou would say something as a threat which made him stop in his tracks. He is quite weak in handling love affairs and helping Huai Yu but I think this made him even 'sweeter' as there are also times when he actually decided not be the Emperor in order to free Huai Yu from the bitter life they are leading now. But time does change people; he became more rebellious in the later part of this series where he has the courage to oppose his mother.
Overall, there isn't any problem with Eric Suen as he got the ancient look which made him very good-looking except that he looked a bit too thin in this series. A few of other period dramas in which he had acted that are Wu1 Long2 Tian1 Zi3, Master Swordsman Lu4 Xiao3 Feng4 and Huang2 Chao2 Tai4 Yi1.
Bits and pieces of facts:
Kang Xi, given name: Xuan Ye, was born in 1654 and at that time, his father was 15 years old and his mother 13.
He was well-versed in three cultural traditions as he was of racially-mixed parentage. His father was a Manchu; his mother was Chinese, while grandmother was Mongolian.
He showed great talent and presence as an emperor, laying foundation for China's third golden age, and initiating the flourishing era of the Kang-Qian reign.
Kang Xi is well-known as a wise and capable emperor in Chinese history. When he was on the throne, China developed in both cultural and military terms. The people under his rule lived well and enjoyed peace. He lived for 69 years, 61 of them as emperor, having ascended the throne at the eight years of age. He has the distinction of being the longest reigning emperor in Chinese history. He married at 12 years of age and his 55 consorts and concubines were at different times buried in the same burial ground as he was. Among the 55 consorts were 4 empresses.
Wu Ying Xiong - Wang Hao
Wang Hao's character is quite wooden and doesn't need a lot of expression. He is the son of the infamous general Wu San Gui and he had fell of Huai Yu when he had found out that she is a lady. Forced to marry Jian Ning Gong Zhu, Ying Xiong wasn't at all happy about the decision made by Kang Xi. But in the end, he discovered that Jian Ning wasn't such a spoilt brat after all and so he tries to give her a chance. Wang Hao did a job well done. Some of his other works are Cai2 Zi3 Jia1 Ren2 Qian2 Long2 Huang2, Shi1 Gong1 Qi2 An4 and Zi3 Ying3 Hua1.
Tu De Hai - Shi Yu
A wacky eunuch and a good friend to Kang Xi, Tu De Hai is a great helper who did everything to protect his royal master, Kang Xi. With this character, it has made the series into crazily funny and entertaining.
Fu Rong - Lin Jian Hua/Lin Jian Huan
He is Huai Yu's elder brother who cares for his sister very much. Every time Huai Yu is in trouble, he would wrack his brain to think of something to help her. Fu Rong likes Cheng Ying and vice versa but because of Huai Yu's blunder at that time which she accidentally shot Cheng An, Cheng Tai had forbidden Cheng Ying to be with Fu Rong.
Cheng An - Huang Wei De
Cheng An is not an all evil character but he does hate the Fu(s). Cheng An was in love with Yun Er in the later part of the series but was unintentionally killed by Fu Rong when Cheng An knew that Huai Yu is a Ming princess.
Sa Ha Du - Chen Zhi Peng
Sa Ha Du is the son of Sa Fu Man and the elder brother of A-Ya. Ha Du is a flirt but when he met someone that he likes, like Yun Er, he would do anything just for her. Kang Xi didn't really like him at first because he is afraid that Ha Du would disturb Huai Yu.
Fu Zheng - Zhou Shao Dong
Fu Zheng is a caring father who had adopted Huai Yu when she was only a baby. He had tried hard not to let anyone know that she is actually a Ming princess. He treated Huai Yu just like his own daughter and would protect her just like Fu Rong did.
Cheng Tai - Liu Ke Mian
Cheng Tai is the brother of Tai Hou and so he held a high position at court in the same way as Fu Zheng did. He won't let small matters to rest and would do anything to help her daughter to destroy the Fu(s).
Wu San Gui - Li Zhi Jian
There aren't many appearances for Li Zhi Jian but the main point is that he is trying to overthrow Kang Xi and take the throne for himself. History has that Wu San Gui was a commander who turned traitor for love of his mistress, Chen Yuan Yuan, once a well-known prostitute in Su Zhou. When he knew that the prime minister of Li Zi Cheng (a ruler who set up his own government after Ming emperor Chong Zhen hanged himself on 19 March 1644), Liu Zong Min had kidnapped Chen Yuan Yuan, he asked the Qing emperor to send troops over to Shanghaiguan to join forces with his unit so that they could eliminate Li. When the report about war at Shanghaiguan came suddenly, Li had to gather 20,000 soldiers to fight the enemies at the pass. As Li's soldiers were fighting fiercely with those of Wu, the troops of Dorgon, Emperor Shun Zhi's uncle, made their appearance and won the battle while Li's men were scattered and crushed.
Shang Zhi Xin - Ming Jin Cheng
A bully who tries to force Cheng Ying to be his wife at the start of the series, Shang Zhi Xin is useless except in merry making.
The females:
Fu Huai Yu - Zheng Jia Yu
This character, Huai Yu, is an immature and a spoilt brat at start but after she had gone through so many obstacles with Kang Xi, she had finally been transformed into a thoughtful young lady. Zheng Jia Yu brings life to this character and does her job as a professional. She looks pleasingly attractive with her lively eyes and sweet beatific smile. She can cry really well too when Kang Xi had suffered serious injury that he received at Bai Yun Guan. Her cries can be heart wrenching. Kang Xi and Huai Yu have a great chemistry together and is a real fun to watch the both of them together. A perfect choice for this role, this series has shot both Eric Suen and her to the summit of stardom.
Cheng Yun - Yang Bao Wei
A hateful woman in the series, almost everyone would like to get their hands on Cheng Yun and tear her to bits. Cheng Yun is a spiteful character who wants to be the empress. According to news, after Yang Bao Wei had acted in this series, her car, parked downstairs, is being bashed by someone and this made her unable to leave her house alone. Although this is not a really positive news clip about her, this also shows that her acting is really successful as Cheng Yun. Yang Bao Wei did really well in here and ought to be praised.
Jian Ning - Zheng Feng Shu
Jian Ning is Kang Xi's younger sister who had comically fell for Huai Yu when she thought that Huai Yu is a man at the beginning. She pleaded Kang Xi to have Huai Yu as her husband. Kang Xi didn't really agree when he saw Huai Yu was scared out of her wits. Instead, he found Huai Yu's behavior to be amusing when Jian Ning has proposed to Huai Yu. Zhang Feng Shu's acting skills is also not bad.
Tai Hou - Chen Sha Li
Tai Hou is a strict woman who had always wanted Cheng Yun to be the empress. As Huai Yu didn't give her a good impression and since Kang Xi like her, Tai Hou wanted to eliminate Huai Yu and get her away form Kang Xi.
Tai Huang Tai Hou - Liu Xue Hua
This character is adorable. At the age of 70s or 80s, Tai Huang Tai Hou still acts like a child and is unimaginably vain with her looks. Liu Xue Hua is still looking young and fresh. This is the first time I had seen her acting so mirthful. I always see her in Qiong Yao series which require her to cry like nuts.
Cheng Ying - Yu Jia Hui
I am beginning to wonder whether Yu Jia Hui's eyes are made up of water. My God! She can cry like a fountain and her face is always rosy. I don't really like this character, maybe it's because she is so refined and demure. And another thing, I think she's too graceful up to the point that even a small breeze might knock her face flat. Anyway, the point that I didn't like the character doesn't mean that her acting is no good. She acts well and has a pretty face.
Sa Ha Ya (A-Ya Ge Ge) - Liu Han Ya (A-Ya)
A-Ya is really funny in this series who is always dreaming of having Kang Xi by herself. Another newcomer, A-Ya's acting skills is not bad and there's still room for improvement. Although she is not what people referred to as a beauty, her looks is quite nice and sometimes angelic.
Yun Er - Jiang Zu Ping
Blurred by hatred, Yun Er nearly killed Huai Yu when her target is Kang Xi. However, Kang Xi didn't mind her wanting to kill him when he knew the truth and instead he had her as his 'sister' and allowed her to stay in the palace.
Qing Qing - Xu Wen Xin
An empty-headed maid, she is as wacky as Tu De Hai and is very loyal to Huai Yu.
Shu De - Li Xin
Shu De can be considered as a caring mother but there are times when she regretted that she has Huai Yu as her daughter because Huai Yu is always bringing problem to Fu Zheng and Fu Rong. She became mentally unstable after Fu Rong was sentenced to death.
Lan Yi - Ma Hui Zhen
Lan Yi is Huai Yu's nursemaid and loves Huai Yu very much. She wanted Huai Yu to help them to overthrow Kang Xi and become the ruler and Ming princess whom she was before the Manchurians defeated the Ming Dynasty of the empire that they had hoped to set up.
Comments:
I can say that this is the best series I had ever watched. A must see series with breathtaking scenery and everything is so realistic. It can make you roll on the ground and laughing your heads off and also bring tears to your eyes at some touching parts. The casts are cleverly paired up and all of them did their job really well. Thumbs up for all of them!
Theme song sung by Eric Suen:
He has a very good voice and can sing really well. 'Wei Feng Shi Ke' is indeed a nice song, it has my friends praising non-stop.
