Schemes of A Beauty 《美人心计》 - Ruby Lin, Sammul Chan, Yang Mi, Luo Jin

[sunnysnow]

Really?! That's awesome! I haven't actually played or read Zhu Xian but I know a bit about it, and I kept thinking how perfect it would be if Yang Mi was Bi Yao. It would be even better if Tang Yan (Zi Xuan from CP3) was cast as LXQ (she played that role in the MVs for Richie Ren's songs and looked gorgeous; didn't like the other 2 actors much). And perfect if Hu Ge got cast as ZXF...(I just can't seem to get enough of YM/HG together. )

Your sentiments are exactly the same as most Zhu Xian fans. Yu Zheng has asked for suggestions on his blog for who to be cast for the leads. Most people are voting for Hu Ge as Zhang Xiao Fan, Tang Yan or Liu Shi Shi/Liu Yifei as Lu Xue Qi and Yang Mi as Bi Yao. As YM received many votes to play BY (plus the fact that she's currently working with Yu Zheng on set), he was able to discuss with her and cast her in the role. Nonetheless, this is not final and YM has yet to sign a contract which confirms her participation in his next film.

[mango_cake]

Your sentiments are exactly the same as most Zhu Xian fans. Yu Zheng has asked for suggestions on his blog for who to be cast for the leads. Most people are voting for Hu Ge as Zhang Xiao Fan, Tang Yan or Liu Shi Shi/Liu Yifei as Lu Xue Qi and Yang Mi as Bi Yao. As YM received many votes to play BY (plus the fact that she's currently working with Yu Zheng on set), he was able to discuss with her and cast her in the role. Nonetheless, this is not final and YM has yet to sign a contract which confirms her participation in his next film.

Thanks for all the info! Good to hear that YZ is asking for so much input from his audience and is actually really listening to the suggestions.

Just went to check out his blog--I was a bit shocked (in a good way) at the huge number of people who want YM as BY! (And to a lesser extent, HG.) O_o Only read a few pages of comments, so I haven't seen any mention of TY yet, mostly see LYF/some LSS. (Fortunately LYF seems to have moved on from acting in these series--what was her last one? ROCH?--because she would kind of ruin it for me...)

Ok, I'll now stop with all the off-topic talk in this thread!

[tuoimongmo2007]

What role does Frankie play? anyone know?

[Takako]

I just wanted to point out that the synopsis to this series you have on page 1 is incorrect.

That version is based on the early version that YuZheng was writing, before he read the novel, which inspired him to re-write the script altogether. Based on what we know so far, this is the most correct synopsis of the series.

西汉初年，幼年窦漪房因母亲卷入后宫斗争被追杀，导致满门抄斩，长大后误打误撞被选入宫为奴成为家人子。她 设计将周美人生的儿子换给吕后的外孙女—皇后张嫣，吕后欣赏她的聪明能干，以赐婚为名派往代国监视刘恒母子 。为天下苍生不再受苦，也为吕后能更信任她，漪房提议刘恒以修陵寝为名秘密练兵，令所有人都觉得她是祸水。 只有刘恒始终相信她并封后，夫妻俩走过一个又一个难关，终于成就千秋大业。而母仪天下的她发现，拥有权力的 同时感情却在渐渐流逝，她努力挽回丈夫的心，阻止儿子们互相残杀，运用女性独特的手法化解了一次又一次的危 机，并且为西汉创立了历史上有名的文景之治。她的名字也载入史册，为后人所称颂。

SYNOPSIS
Translation from RLIF

TV Series "Mei Ren Xin Ji" Tactics of a Beauty
During Early Western Han Dynasty, when DouYiFang's was still young, her mother was drawn into a Palace conflict which resulted in her entire family being executed. When she grew up, she unexpectedly entered the Palace as a Maid. She displayed extraordinary talents when she arranged for Consort Li's child to be swapped under the care of the Empress. Her intellects impressed the Empress Dowager, and she was ordered to marry the King of Dai so she could to spy on them.
In order to rid the world of further sufferings under the Regime, but at the same time earn the trust of Empress Dowager Lu, she suggested to LiuHeng to start training his army under the guise of building his grand ceremonial tomb. People believing that she was bringing downfall to the kingdom, pleaded for her to be put to death, but none the less, LiuHeng trusted her completely, and subsequently made her his queen.
Their alliance finally led them to ascend to the throne of the glorious Empire. But at the pinnicle of her power, she realised that her personal life was slipping away from her. In order to regain the love of her husband, in order to stop her children from killing each other, she weaved her womanly tactics to overcome every obstacle, and forged one of the golden ages in chinese history known as the Rule of Wen and Jing. Her name is recorded in history, for us to marvel

[myedi]

New Pic

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://photocdn.sohu.com/20090811/Img265869425.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i3.sinaimg.cn/ent/v/m/2009-08-10/U1343P28T3D2646999F326DT20090810181415.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i2.sinaimg.cn/ent/v/m/2009-08-10/U1343P28T3D2646999F329DT20090810181415.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://photocdn.sohu.com/20090810/Img265844391.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://photocdn.sohu.com/20090810/Img265844392.jpg')

[myedi]

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/gogomytown/4827a92dg70cc1e55abfc690.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/gogomytown/4827a92dg70cc2b569dba690.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/gogomytown/4827a92dg70cc15a792bf690.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/gogomytown/4827a92dg70cc0db484e2690.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/gogomytown/4827a92dg70cc03729819690.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/gogomytown/4827a92dg70cbf312a39d690.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/gogomytown/4827a92dg70cbde4a2287690.jpg')

[myedi]

Empress Dou
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/shindamicute/befd52669232940dab184c29.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/shindamicute/f0198618bf175c9d4aedbcf3.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/shindamicute/4827a92dg70c0d3940552690.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/shindamicute/4827a92dg70c0c174b14e690.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/shindamicute/4827a92dg70c0bae6e3e3690.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/shindamicute/4827a92dg71ace5dd7eef690.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/shindamicute/4827a92dg709044f272f3690.jpg')

[mango_cake]

Looking forward to see Yan Kuan in this series, even though he only has a small part! All the other guys sort of look the same to me... XD

Ruby looks quite pretty in these pics but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around her character--she doesn't look "calculating" or backstabbing enough and it's hard to reconcile this image of empress Dou with the one in Da Han Tian Zi. I mean, I'm sure this series will portray the empress as a MUCH more positive character (I guess I'm a bit biased due to watching that series first, which no doubt showed a very skewed image of empress Dou), but Ruby still seems too demure/sweet to portray someone who managed to work her way up in the vicious court and eventually ends up with great power.

Then again, I don't think I've seen any of her series since HZGG/QSSYMM so I'm open to seeing how well she pulls this off...

[sunnysnow]

I agree, Ruby looks too sweet and soft to play a highly intelligent and capable Empress who survives across 3 generations imo. It'll be really impressive on the part of her acting skills if she manages to pull it off because she really doesn't look the part to me. Yu Zheng's obviously going to paint a rosy and likable picture of Empress Dou but I seriously hope the character is strong, tough and capable at the same time and not all kind, sacrificial and goody-two-shoes (like how he usually scripts his female leads).

[swtaznlaydee]

http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_50d10a770100eewb.html
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/3179/50d10a77t70f5c128e06669.jpg')
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/4060/50d10a77t70f5c354ab5969.jpg')
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/6010/50d10a77t70f5beb7912f69.jpg')
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3881/50d10a77t70f5c8a3a40269.jpg')
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7500/50d10a77t71b22cd0619269.jpg')

[Sakuya]

Wow, the women's hairstyles are really fresh and different. Is this still filming? I wonder when and what channels it will air on?

[Annisa]

Empress Dou is the same empress in Miracle Healers, correct? Sorry, I'm not very good with Chinese history. But I assume most of the series will be during her youth, so maybe YZ is going for sweet-looking on the outside but scheming on the inside. From the 1st and 5th pictures in post #87 by myedi, that's what it looks like to me. Although I agree Ruby is too sweet-looking, I think she can pull it off and if she really does, it will be a big break for her.

Also, if the empress does live through whatever 3-4 generations, does that mean Sammul's character will die later in the series?

[tuoimongmo2007]

Anisa- I dont think this empress is the same one as the one that Alyssa Chia played with Vincent years ago. Yes, sammul character will die before her. But the time they are supposely together is around 30 years so atleast they really loved each other and enjoyed happiness.

Ruby says that this will be her last wuxia series. She will focus on movies from now on. She will continues to do modern dramas if the right script comes along.

I'm rather sad to hear this. I love her wuxia series, but i quess she got tire of doing it. I think she will give it all her all in here since it'll be her last.

[sunnysnow]

Empress Dou is the same empress in Miracle Healers, correct? Sorry, I'm not very good with Chinese history.

There wasn't an Empress in MH becase the Emperor was only a kid, controlled by Empress Dowager Lu, who will also be present in this series. She's stepmom to Liu Heng (Sammul) and hence, step mom-in-law to Dou Yifang (Empress Dou).

[myedi]

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://ent.tom.com/uimg/2009/8/18/heyuan/1250561740227_68037.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://ent.tom.com/uimg/2009/8/18/heyuan/1250561739936_58442.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://ent.tom.com/uimg/2009/8/18/heyuan/1250561738454_60739.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i0.sinaimg.cn/ent/v/m/p/2009-08-17/U1343P28T3D2657172F326DT20090817175743.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i3.sinaimg.cn/ent/v/m/p/2009-08-17/U1343P28T3D2657172F329DT20090817175743.jpg')

[myedi]

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://photocdn.sohu.com/20090817/Img266024372.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://photocdn.sohu.com/20090817/Img266024373.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img001.photo.21cn.com/photos/album/20090813/o/EB9B93C6E80358130023657037AFAF64.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img001.photo.21cn.com/photos/album/20090813/o/C054C959EADE3789C2ED08A18406F93E.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://gb.cri.cn/mmsource/images/2009/08/17/sz09081700003.jpg')

[myedi]

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://photocdn.sohu.com/20090813/Img265929616.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://photocdn.sohu.com/20090813/Img265929617.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://i2.sinaimg.cn/ent/v/m/2009-08-12/U2389P28T3D2650044F326DT20090812151719.JPG')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8616/d554564e3402d123b3de05e.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/725/bb19ebc4a930a2808226acf.jpg')

[LiYuanZhi]

This series looks really promising. I must say that the han fu costume in this series looks much more appropriate than the recent Han dynasty series- Mu Yi Tian Xia (with Yuan Li, Huang Wei De).

[vuongngocyen]

Ruby Lin and Yang Mi relationship is remind me Ning Jing and Hu Jing in Epic Xiao Zhang. There are a lot of new photos on YuZheng blog.

[vuongngocyen]

here are a few of my drawings

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://s3images.coroflot.com/user_files/individual_files/138076_nPgr53RrVkhLYK1PWCENz2VbQ.jpg')


$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://s3images.coroflot.com/user_files/individual_files/138076_arlMNlSIjQX2pcn3egD0SC07R.jpg')

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://s3images.coroflot.com/user_files/individual_files/138076_bGFpBl90K5IixiCkmmfloZkJ1.jpg')