Beyond the Realm of Conscience
Beyond the Realm of Conscience is a 2009 Hong Kong television period drama serial. Produced by Mui Siu-ching, the serial is one of two TVB productions to celebrate along with the channel's 42nd anniversary, the other being Born Rich. The drama aired five days a week on the TVB network with 45-minute episodes starting 19 October 2009. It stars Charmaine Sheh, Tavia Yeung, Moses Chan, Kevin Cheng, Susanna Kwan and Michelle Yim as the main leads.
Set in the latter years of the Tang dynasty, Beyond the Realm of Conscience tells the story of palace maid Lau Sam-ho and her relations in the Imperial Palace, beginning with her experiences in the Imperial Household Bureau. The series title roughly means "Plots in the Palace" and is a play on the phrase, a homonym which roughly means "Plots that target and attack the heart".
Plot
Gong Choi-king, a jewellery maker, is forced back into the palace with her daughter, Lau Sam-ho and their servant, Yiu Kam-ling. She was assigned the task of making a beautiful, gold hairpiece in the shape of a phoenix, with a luminous pearl as the eye and the feathers of a river kingfisher as the tail for the Empress Dowager. However, during the Empress' daily walk around the imperial garden, the phoenix headpiece suddenly weeped tears of blood. Taking this as a sign of bad luck, the Empress throws the hairpiece away and demands Choi-king to be severely punished. Choi-king suffers harsh beating as her punishment and passes away. Before her death, she tells Sam-ho to always remember the significance of her name. She also tells her to help and work together with Kam-ling as if they are sisters.Around the time of Choi-king's death, Dowager Concubine Cheng's son, Lee Yi, the prince, encounters a 6 year old Sam-ho. He shows kindness to her by giving her some white flowers from Choi-king's favourite tree, the Chinese viburnum, so she can take it to her dying mother. Empress Dowager was still very angry because of the hair piece and asked the new head of the Jewellery department, Yuen Chui-wan to shatter it. However, Yuen Chui-wan believed that the hairpiece is a one of a kind masterpiece, therefore she injures her own hand to protect it. She tells Empress Dowager that the hair piece is full of bad luck and if it is shattered, then all of the bad luck will merge with the air. Taking this as an advantage, Empress Dowager forces Dowager Concubine Cheng to wear the hair piece and tells her because of her good spirit, she can block the bad luck from the entering the palace. After a short period of time, bad luck begins to happen to Dowager Concubine Cheng and her son Lee Yi. A rumour spreads around the palace that Lee Yi fell from the tree and injured his head, causing his brain to remain as a 6-year-old boy forever. Lee Yi uses this as an excuse to escape the imminent death threat from the Empress Dowager. Sam-ho gives him some sweet lotus seed candy to comfort him on the journey as he is sent away from the palace. The young prince begins to develop a small affection for her.
The Imperial Household Bureau is responsible for managing and directing all household services to the Emperor and the Imperial family of the Tang Dynasty. It is made up of four departments, namely the Houses of Jewelry, Attire, Food, and Furnishing. Sam-ho and Kam-ling are introduced into the bureau in their childhood and are brought up as the disciples in the palace. Yuen Tsui-wan, Head of the Jewels, and Chung Suet-ha, Head of Attire, are both very fond of Sam-ho for she is a kind-hearted young girl and shows great capabilities in the decorative arts of jewellery and silk work. Both of them fight bitterly to have Sam-ho in their departments. In the end, Sam-ho is assigned to Department of Attire while, Kam-Ling is assigned to the Department of Jewelry.
Years later, a grown up Sam-ho meets Ko Hin-yeung, a palace scholar and also a chess teacher and the two share a secret love. A grown Prince Lee Yi, also grows up and returns to the palace. He eventually becomes the Emperor after evading assassinations with the help of Sam-ho and Hin-yeung. He promotes Hin-yeung as the Palace General because of his faithfulness. Sam-ho later becomes the Head of the Jewelry Department. Even though the Emperor has a deep feeling for Sam-ho and wants to have Sam-ho as his concubine, he buries his feelings for her when he discovers that Hin-yeung and Sam-ho are deeply in love and planning to escape from the palace but stayed to help him.
Sam-ho and Kam-ling continue their friendship, treating each other as sisters and this provokes jealousy among other palace girl servants. Time and time again, they will try to get Sam-ho and Kam-ling into trouble. However, Sam-ho's honesty and kindness charms many powerful people in the palace and they always come to her aid. Meanwhile, Kam-ling uses her cunning mind to eliminate her enemies. As time passed, Kam-ling realises to protect herself and to be able to survive in the palace, she has to be powerful and respected. She slowly works on a scheme to gain favour of the Empress Dowager Cheng, Yi's mother and is chosen as one of the Yi's concubines. She works on a bigger scheme to eliminate all her competitors, which eventually includes Sam-ho.
Cast
Main
- Charmaine Sheh as Lau Sam Ho 劉三好.
- Tavia Yeung as Yiu Kam Ling 姚金鈴. Yiu is the Lau family's servant and adopted daughter.
- Moses Chan as Li Yi.
- Kevin Cheng as Ko Hin Yeung 高顯揚
Recurring
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Michelle Yim | Chung Suet Ha 鍾雪霞 | Head of Embroidery Proceedings→Head of Palace Proceedings in Episode 22 Marries Bo Kat Cheung on his deathbed |
| Susanna Kwan | Yuen Chui Wan 阮翠雲 | Assistant Head of Jewellery→Head of Jewellery Proceedings in Episode 1→Head of Furnishings in Episode 14→ Head of Furnishings & Embroidery Proceedings in Episode 22 Married to Man Gim Fung in Episode 33 and has a long lost son with Man Gim Fung |
| Joseph Lee | Ma Yuen Zi 馬元贄 | Head Eunuch Commander Imperial household troops Cousin of Suen Ka Bik Godfather of Concubine Yin Died in Episode 33 Main Villain |
| Mary Hon | Empress Dowager Zheng 鄭太后 | Concubine Dowager→Empress Dowager Lee Yi's mother Died in Episode 32 killed by Lady Lai |
| Susan Tse | Empress Dowager Guo 郭太后 | Empress Dowager → Grand Empress Dowager Grandmother of Lee Chin Lee Jau's mother Died in Episode 14 killed by General Ma |
| Rainbow Yeung | Choi Jong Ping 蔡仲屏 | Head of Palace Proceedings Retired and stripped of her status and possessions in Episode 19 Assumed dead due to hepatitis. |
| Ram Chiang | Bo Kat Cheung 布吉祥 | Head Servant in the Palace Bo Siu Chun's Adopted Father Died in Episode 22 Married to Chung Suet Ha on deathbed |
| Kara Hui | Tam Yim Sheung 譚艷裳 | Head of Food & Beverages Proceedings Niece of Choi Jong Ping Semi-Villain up to Episode 19 |
| Rosanne Lui | Wu So Yan 胡素恩 | Head of Furnishings Proceedings Tried to poison Yuen Chui Wan. |
| Selena Li | Concubine Yin 賢妃 | Concubine to Lee Yi in Episode 16 Miscarriage and died in Episode 31 |
| Yoyo Chen | Chin Fei Yin 錢飛燕 | Palace Maid Kam Ling's personal maid Betrayed Concubine Lai to reveal her guilt to Lee Yi in Episode 33 Semi-villain |
| Eric Li | Lee Jau 李宥 | Emperor Muk Tsung Died in Episode 2 Villain |
| Edwin Siu | Lee Chin 李瀍 | Emperor Mou Tsung Died in Episode 10 killed by General Ma |
| Jeffrey Wong | Lee Chun 李峻 | Prince of Qi Eldest son and heir presumptive of Emperor Mou Tsung |
| Tracy Ip | Noble Concubine Wong 王貴妃 | Concubine to Lee Chin Killed by orders of Grand Empress Dowager Guo to be buried with Lee Chin |
| Mandy Cho | Concubine Wai 惠妃 | Concubine to Lee Chin Died in Episode 9 |
| Lily Li | Tsui Ma Ma 徐媽媽 | Maid of the Empress Dowager Guo Beheaded in Episode 7 Villain |
| Cheung Kwok Keung | Man Gim Fung 萬劍鋒 | General Father of Man Po Yin Paralysed in Episode 30 Married to Yuen Chui Wan in Episode 33 |
| Eyvonne Lam | Suen Ka Bik 孫家碧 | Man Po Yin's mother Cousin of Ma Yuen Zi Executed in Episode 21 Accused for using dark magic that caused Concubine Lai's miscarriage Villain |
| Kwok Fung | Ko Yiu On 高耀安 | Palace Chess Teacher Hin Yeung's father Died in Episode 25 |
| Vin Choi | Bo Siu Shun 布小順 | Servant in the Palace The Mistakened son of Man Gim Fung and Yuen Choi Wan in Episode 24 later god son Bo Kat Cheung's adopted son Chung Suet Ha's god son |
| Lau Dan | Li Tak Yu 李德裕 | Prime Minister and Lee Chin's friend Died of illness in Episode 27 |
| Leo Tsang | Physician Si 史太醫 | The Royal Surgeon Bribed by Concubine Lai to assist killing Suen Ka Pik, Man Po Yin and Empress Dowager Cheng Died in Episode 32 Villain |
| Henry Yu Yang | Lau Chong Pak 劉松柏 | Lau Sam Ho's father Died in Episode 25 |
| Kristal Tin | Kong Choi King 江採瓊 | Lau Sam Ho's mother Died in Episode 1 due to wounds from the punishment. |
| Kristy Leung | Siu Kam Ling 小金鈴 | Lau Sam Ho's daughter |
| Jason Chan | Prince Dorji | Son of the Tibetan King |
| Ben Wong | Onizuka Kojiro | Japanese chess player |