Some finishing questions on DOMD.

[Ken Cheng]

Almost done with DOMD '84, and I have some finishing questions.

1. Did K'ang Hsi and Wai Siu Bo ultimately part ways as friends?

2. Did K'ang Hsi allow Wai Siu Bo keep the wealth that the latter had already acquired, or did the Emperor take everything back? Did Wai Siu Bo retire from his adventures a wealthy man?

[Ace High]

Almost done with DOMD '84, and I have some finishing questions.

1. Did K'ang Hsi and Wai Siu Bo ultimately part ways as friends?

2. Did K'ang Hsi allow Wai Siu Bo keep the wealth that the latter had already acquired, or did the Emperor take everything back? Did Wai Siu Bo retire from his adventures a wealthy man?

Yes to both question.

[Ken Cheng]

OK, thanks.

Now, some additional questions.

3. How long had K'ang Hsi actually known that Wai Siu Bo was a member of the Heaven and Earth Society? The emperor's man on the inside had infiltrated the society long before Wai Siu Bo became a member. The emperor waited until almost the end of the story, however, to expose his knowledge to Wai Siu Bo.

4. The emperor didn't exile Wai Siu Bo; WSB chose to exile himself. Would WSB have been welcome in Beijing by the emperor if, many years later, he decided to return to visit his old buddy?

[Doc Kwok]

Almost done with DOMD '84, and I have some finishing questions.

I think you are aware that the ending of that adaptation ends drastically differently from the novel? Pretty much everything that happens after Feng Xifan's execution is purely TVB.

1. Did K'ang Hsi and Wai Siu Bo ultimately part ways as friends?

Going by the novel - yes, but it had become very strained. Note that the relationship between KX and WXB was never 'buddy-buddy' as portrayed in DOMD '84 once WXB discovered KX was the emperor - he was always very careful with what he said and how he behaved around KX. By the end, he had to be so careful that it leeched all the joy out of it.

After WXB disappeared, KX made several trips to Jiangnan to find him, but was sorely disappointed when there was no trace of him. WXB had in fact retired to Yunnan after DOMD.

2. Did K'ang Hsi allow Wai Siu Bo keep the wealth that the latter had already acquired, or did the Emperor take everything back? Did Wai Siu Bo retire from his adventures a wealthy man?

WXB left Beijing for his hometown on his own initiative to, as he put it, his old age retirement. He gave a huge sum to Kangxi before departing (for disaster relief in Taiwan), but he got a grand send-off from the officials and arranged for a last 'debt-collection' from Zheng Keshuang, so he probably gained much of it back.

He probably took a large amount of his wealth with him on his trip (since he was intending to 'retire'), but obviously not everything he had amassed in Beijing. His ship was burned by the Heaven-Earth society though, so he probably lost quite a bit.

He did know of the hidden Qing treasure though, so if he really wanted to, he could easily be the richest man in the empire. He didn't though, out of 'yi qi' to Kangxi.

[Doc Kwok]

3. How long had K'ang Hsi actually known that Wai Siu Bo was a member of the Heaven and Earth Society? The emperor's man on the inside had infiltrated the society long before Wai Siu Bo became a member. The emperor waited until almost the end of the story, however, to expose his knowledge to Wai Siu Bo.

It was never explicitly stated. The emperor had more than one spy in the society though, so he remained up-to-date on the society even after Feng Jizhong was killed.

4. The emperor didn't exile Wai Siu Bo; WSB chose to exile himself. Would WSB have been welcome in Beijing by the emperor if, many years later, he decided to return to visit his old buddy?

Not really - WXB fled to Tonghe island, but was left stranded when the sailors all took off. He was later found by KX's men, who established a garrison on the island. KX was willing to take WXB back, but only if he agreed to destroy the Heaven and Earth society. WXB refused, and so was stuck on the island for years until Wu Sangui was defeated - even though he was bored stiff and wanted desperately to leave, he still refused to betray the H&E society in order to do so.

[Ken Cheng]

Thanks, Doc.

When I watched DOMD '84 the first time back in the Eighties, for some reason, I was left with the impression that the emperor and Wai Siu Bo did not part as friends, and that Wai Siu Bo had lost all of his wealth (although he was nevertheless happy because he was alive, he had regained his freedom, and had seven beautiful wives). Apparently, this was not the case.

[Ian Liew]

Going by DOMD 08, they parted understanding each other, but agreeing that they could never go back to where they were, and they didn't even have a last conversation - it was played out in their minds. I suspect the novel would have taken that route too. In DOMD 84, they parted in a really touching scene where Kangxi was 100% Xiao Yuanzi for one last moment before they parted forever. I cried like mad when that happened.. the end of a truly wonderful relationship. I kind of prefer the TVB ending, really.. one of those rare cases where the liberties taken with a character really increased their standing in my eyes.

[Ken Cheng]

Going by DOMD 08, they parted understanding each other, but agreeing that they could never go back to where they were, and they didn't even have a last conversation - it was played out in their minds. I suspect the novel would have taken that route too. In DOMD 84, they parted in a really touching scene where Kangxi was 100% Xiao Yuanzi for one last moment before they parted forever. I cried like mad when that happened.. the end of a truly wonderful relationship. I kind of prefer the TVB ending, really.. one of those rare cases where the liberties taken with a character really increased their standing in my eyes.

That scene had some real depth to it too. K'ang Hsi and Wai Siu Bo had a good heart-to-heart discussion about what it means to be a good ruler...and what it means to be a good friend. These were the central themes of this story.

[Ken Cheng]

Speaking of good friends...say what you will about Wai Siu Bo, the guy was loyal to his friends...and won their loyalty in return. I was especially impressed by how the many Qing officials (Prince Hong, Duolong, etc.) were willing to put their positions (maybe even their lives) on the line for him. These guys were sometimes of dubious competence, and they were far from incorruptible. And yet, despite all that, they really considered Wai Siu Bo their good friend and were willing to lay it on the line for him. It takes some kind of man to inspire that kind of loyalty among friends.

[Doc Kwok]

Speaking of good friends...say what you will about Wai Siu Bo, the guy was loyal to his friends...and won their loyalty in return. I was especially impressed by how the many Qing officials (Prince Hong, Duolong, etc.) were willing to put their positions (maybe even their lives) on the line for him. These guys were sometimes of dubious competence, and they were far from incorruptible. And yet, despite all that, they really considered Wai Siu Bo their good friend and were willing to lay it on the line for him. It takes some kind of man to inspire that kind of loyalty among friends.

The novel was a lot more cynical on the whole. WXB was never in the position to need that sort of help from them in the novel, but I have my doubts that they would risk even their positions for him. The more forthright ones like Duolong and Zhao Liangdong might speak up for him, but ones like Songgotu would probably cut all ties with him at the first sign of trouble.

It's hard to say with Prince Kang though. He owes a great debt to WXB for giving him a substitute for his missing copy of the 42 sutras, which would have earned him extended imprisonment and torture from Kangxi (he said that he'd rather die). However, his original plan was to have WXB steal a copy from KX's study to make a copy from, then switch the real one for the fake one so that WXB would return the fake one while believing that it was the original (so that if trouble arose, WXB would be the one to get into trouble). On the whole though, I don't think he would do anything that would endanger himself personally.

[Ace High]

Zhang Yong, Zhao Liang Dong, Wang Jin Bao and Sun Si Ke had disregarded Kang Xi's direct order to capture WXB. They suddenly unable to recognised him and then formed a perimeter between him and other search parties.

[Ken Cheng]

Zhang Yong, Zhao Liang Dong, Wang Jin Bao and Sun Si Ke had disregarded Kang Xi's direct order to capture WXB. They suddenly unable to recognised him and then formed a perimeter between him and other search parties.

Speaking of which, whatever happened to Wai Siu Bo's friends in the imperial court? According to history, Songgotu eventually tried to assassinate K'ang Hsi and was executed, but what about Prince Hong, Duolong, Chiu Lin Dung, and the others?

Additionally, did K'ang Hsi ultimately succeed in wiping out all vestiges of the Heaven and Earth Society?

[Ace High]

Speaking of which, whatever happened to Wai Siu Bo's friends in the imperial court? According to history, Songgotu eventually tried to assassinate K'ang Hsi and was executed, but what about Prince Hong, Duolong, Chiu Lin Dung, and the others?

Prince Kang Giyesu was no longer mentioned after the Revolt of the Three Feudatories. Although he led an army against the Three Feudatories, he wasn’t given any rewards like other generals.

Ming Zhu was named the Grand Secretary, one of the top-ranking positions, and became involved in a long power struggle with Songgotu throughout the middle years of Kang Xi’s reign. He was related to Consort Hui, one of the Kangxi Emperor's concubines who bore the emperor his first surviving son, Yin Zhi. Consequently, he supported Yin Zhi during the struggles for succession. He was sent to prison for corruption and various other charges in his final years.

Dolong was never mentioned in historical sources. It is possible he just a fictional character Jin Young created for the novel.

Zhang Yong was promoted to a duke

Zhao Liang Dong was promoted to a duke

Wang Jin Bao was given a state burial and post-humus high nobility rank when he died of illness.

Sun Si Ke was promoted to a baron.

Sun Si Ke was stationed north. When Kang Xi personally went to the North to bring him back to the Capital, he was already deathly sick because as a Southerner, he couldn’t adjust to the cold climate of the north. When he died, Kang Xi mourned for him.

Additionally, did K'ang Hsi ultimately succeed in wiping out all vestiges of the Heaven and Earth Society?

Historically speaking, the Heaven and Earth Society were established in 1762 during the reign of Qian Long, 40 years after the death of Kang Xi and not right after the fall of Ming as they claimed.

Fictionally, after the death of Chen Jin Nan, the Heaven and Earth Society were left without central authority with its 10 halls was doing their own thing, no longer a threat to the Qing Dynasty.

[Anrup]

Hey guys,

I have never read any of wuxia series...but have watched most of the tv versions. But i have never seen DOMD series even though i have watched yuan chengzi series before that one...does any one have link to watch it online and if it has english subtitle (without english is fine too). Appreciate it.

Thanks