The Emperor and His Brother
The Emperor and His Brother is a 1981 Hong Kong wuxia film adapted from the novel The Book and the Sword by Jin Yong. Produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, the film was directed by Chor Yuen and starred Ti Lung, Jason Pai and Lo Lieh in the leading roles.
Synopsis
The film is set in 18th-century China during the Qing dynasty. The Qianlong Emperor is not the legitimate ruler as he is actually a commoner's son who had switched places at birth with a newborn princess. He learns the truth when two members of the Red Flower Society, an anti-Qing secret organisation, contact him and seek his help in overthrowing the Qing dynasty and restoring the Ming dynasty.Refusing to give up his status, the emperor orders the two men to be killed but one survives and gets captured. The Red Flower Society's chief, Chen Jialuo, is the emperor's younger brother. The brothers develop a tenuous relationship when the society's members attempt to rescue their captured comrade. Plotting an elaborate scheme to kidnap the emperor in exchange for their comrade's release, they hope to convince the emperor to acknowledge his background and join their cause.
When the exchange takes place, the emperor must ultimately keep up the pretence in order to remain in power. His chief henchman, Zhang Zhaozhong, is determined to destroy Chen Jialuo and the Red Flower Society. The opportunity comes when a martial arts contest is scheduled to be take place.