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.Singtao Canada. "Singtao Canada ." 《宮心計》撼贏《富貴門》 首播高開36點 6年最勁. Retrieved on 30 October 2009.Chinapressusa.com. "Chinapressusa.com." 無線42週年台慶亮燈儀式 群星閃耀站位藏玄機/圖. Retrieved on 30 October 2009. 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 (尚宮局). The series title roughly means "Plots in the Palace" and is a play on the phrase (攻心計), 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 ("Speak good words, do good deeds, show good will."). 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 (瓊花), 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 Note: Some of the characters' names are in Cantonese romanisation.
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 Note: Some of the characters' names are in Cantonese romanisation. Cast Role DescriptionMichelle 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 EunuchCommander Imperial household troops Cousin of Suen Ka BikGodfather of Concubine YinDied in Episode 33 (stabbed by Concubine Lai)Main VillainMary Hon Empress Dowager Zheng鄭太后 Concubine Dowager→Empress Dowager Lee Yi's mother Died in Episode 32 killed by Lady LaiSusan Tse Empress Dowager Guo郭太后 Empress Dowager → Grand Empress Dowager Grandmother of Lee ChinLee Jau's mother Died in Episode 14 killed by General MaRainbow Yeung Choi Jong Ping蔡仲屏 Head of Palace ProceedingsRetired and stripped of her status and possessions in Episode 19Assumed dead due to hepatitis.Ram Chiang Bo Kat Cheung布吉祥 Head Servant in the PalaceBo Siu Chun's Adopted FatherDied in Episode 22 (Killed by Concubine Lai)Married to Chung Suet Ha on deathbedKara Hui Tam Yim Sheung譚艷裳 Head of Food & Beverages ProceedingsNiece of Choi Jong Ping Semi-Villain up to Episode 19 Rosanne Lui Wu So Yan胡素恩 Head of Furnishings Proceedings (died in Episode 13, committed suicide)Tried to poison Yuen Chui Wan. Selena Li Concubine Yin (Man Po Yin)賢妃 (also 万宝賢) Concubine to Lee Yi in Episode 16Miscarriage and died in Episode 31 (killed by Concubine Lai)Yoyo Chen Chin Fei Yin錢飛燕 Palace MaidKam Ling's personal maidBetrayed Concubine Lai to reveal her guilt to Lee Yi in Episode 33Semi-villainEric Li Lee Jau李宥 Emperor Muk TsungDied in Episode 2 VillainEdwin Siu Lee Chin李瀍 Emperor Mou TsungDied in Episode 10 killed by General MaJeffrey Wong Lee Chun李峻 Prince of QiEldest son and heir presumptive of Emperor Mou TsungTracy Ip Noble Concubine Wong王貴妃 Concubine to Lee ChinKilled by orders of Grand Empress Dowager Guo to be buried with Lee ChinMandy Cho Concubine Wai惠妃 Concubine to Lee ChinDied in Episode 9 (killed by Head of Army)Lily Li Tsui Ma Ma徐媽媽 Maid of the Empress Dowager GuoBeheaded in Episode 7VillainCheung Kwok Keung Man Gim Fung萬劍鋒 GeneralFather of Man Po YinParalysed in Episode 30 Married to Yuen Chui Wan in Episode 33Eyvonne Lam Suen Ka Bik孫家碧 Man Po Yin's motherCousin of Ma Yuen ZiExecuted in Episode 21 Accused for using dark magic that caused Concubine Lai's miscarriageVillain Kwok Fung Ko Yiu On高耀安 Palace Chess TeacherHin Yeung's fatherDied in Episode 25 (Poisoned by Head of Army)Vin Choi Bo Siu Shun布小順 Servant in the PalaceThe Mistakened son of Man Gim Fung and Yuen Choi Wan in Episode 24 later god son Bo Kat Cheung's adopted sonChung Suet Ha's god sonLau Dan Li Tak Yu李德裕 Prime Minister and Lee Chin's friendDied of illness in Episode 27Leo Tsang Physician Si史太醫 The Royal SurgeonBribed by Concubine Lai to assist killing Suen Ka Pik, Man Po Yin and Empress Dowager ChengDied in Episode 32 (Killed on Ma Yuen Zi's command)VillainHenry Yu Yang Lau Chong Pak劉松柏 Lau Sam Ho's fatherDied in Episode 25 (Poisoned by Head of Army)Kristal Tin Kong Choi King江採瓊 Lau Sam Ho's motherDied in Episode 1 due to wounds from the punishment.Kristy Leung Siu Kam Ling小金鈴 Lau Sam Ho's daughterJason Chan Prince Dorji Son of the Tibetan KingBen Wong Onizuka Kojiro Japanese chess player
Main characters Lau Sam-Ho – Sam-Ho is a kind-hearted maid who took her mother and father's teachings to heart. Her parents taught her to speak kind words, do good deeds, and bear a kind heart. She always cares for and helps everyone in the palace to the best of her abilities. She is very close with Yiu Kam-Ling, with whom she has sworn sisterhood. She is the love interest of both Ko Hin-Yeung and Emperor Lee Yi. Sam-ho started her service in the Department of Embroidery, but was eventually promoted to be the Head of Jewellery Proceedings. She was later chosen as Lee Yi's concubines because she was pregnant with Hin-Yeung's child. Lee Yi made her his concubine to save her. Yiu Kam-Ling – Kam-Ling initially starts out as a maid in the Department of Jewellery. During her time in the department, she suffers and perpetrates back-stabbing and torture. Her suffering leads her to believe that she has to plot, manipulate, and formulate schemes to survive and avoid further suffering in the palace. She eventually marries Emperor Lee Yi and becomes his concubine. She continuously schemes to destroy her competitors. She eventually became delusional and insane after Emperor Lee Yi punished her with lifelong confinement to her palace pavilion for all her evil deeds. Yuen Chui-Wan – In the beginning, Chui-Wan serves as Deputy Leader of Jewellery Proceedings. Her dedication and hard work are eventually recognized, and she is promoted to serve as Head of the same department. Chui-Wan is a self spoken, wise woman who never accuses anyone without proof. Throughout the series, she is made Head of Furnishing Proceedings and Head of Embroidery Proceedings. She is in a feud with Suet-Ha (Michelle Yim) because she accuses her of tampering with her food by adding an ingredient to which she was allergic. As a result of her sickness, she was not permitted to leave the palace with her lover, General Man. It is later revealed that she has a son with General Man. By series end, it is implied that Bo Gut-chong took their son out of the palace and left him in the care of an outside healer.