Perish In the Name of Love
Perish In The Name Of Love was a TV drama series made by TVB. It is based on an old Chinese opera play titled Tai Nui Fa, and takes place during the final years of the Ming Dynasty. The story follows the romantic relationship of the Chinese Emperor's daughter, Princess Cheung-Ping , and the son of a Royal Courtier, Chow Sai Hin.
The entire series takes place in a continuing flashback.
Although based on the classic Chinese Opera, this TVB drama uses the original characters to rewrite a new version of the story.
Plot
The beginning shows Chow Sai Hin and Princess Cheung Ping growing up together. They were best friends, and it shows how deeply their friendship grew as each day passed by. Unfortunately, Yuk Fung, the Empress, was punished for killing Tin Fei's son. She was framed for this because Tin Fei wanted to become Empress by getting rid of Yuk Fung. Therefore, Yuk Fung and her two daughters were banned out into Po Ting palace where all guilty and unfavored concubines lived.Tin Fei tried to kill them once and for all by setting the palace on fire, but they escaped. After that, they lived in the countryside, suffering year by year of over-working themselves just to put a little food on the table. They lived in a small shack.
Chiu Yan's dream was to become a dancer whilst Cheung Ping, the most beloved and respectful daughter, worked extremely hard to help her mother get money. Cheung Ping moves to local artillery workshop to work after Manchurian forces infiltrated and attacked local military outpost, because she needs to make money for her family. She promised her mother she'd bring home a pack of rice each time she was able to go home while her sister, Princess Chiu Yan, attended a dancing school. There, Cheung Ping meet Cho Sing Hing, who was son of the owner of the artillery workshop. She also found her long-lost friend, Chow Sai Hin there. She didn't reveal herself, for her mother's concern of Tin Fei would come after them. Therefore, she went under the name Chu Fai Lei and Chiu Yan went under the name Chu Fai Lan. Sing Hing liked Fai Lei, not knowing she was once Princess Cheung Ping. Chow Sai Hin suspected that Fai Lei was Cheung Ping because he knew Cheung Ping wasn't dead. He found a wish paper stuck in the tree that had her name on it.
Sai Hin continued to investigate until he finally got it out of her mouth that she was Cheung Ping.
When Chongzhen Emperor found out that his Empress and the princesses were still alive, he let them back into the palace, but hardly paid attention to them. This is where Chiu Yan causes trouble. She collaborated with Tin Fei to annoy her mother and family, especially her sister, Cheung Ping. She is jealous of her sister because she gets all the attention. Chow Sai Hin is arranged to marry Cheung Ping after then, cause even more tensions.
Then Lee Yuk Han, Sai Hin's fiancée, got angry when she found out Cheung Ping and Chow Sai Hin were together, but soon after, she couldn't be angry at Cheung Ping anymore. The four of them, Lee Yuk Han, Cheung Ping, Chow Sai Hin, and Sing Hing were the best of friends. Unfortunately, when Lee Yuk Han was trying to help Cheung Ping prove that the Empress did not poison Tin Fei's son that day, she was killed accidentally by Tin Fei. After that, Chow Sai Hin was arranged to marry Cheung Ping, while Chiu Yan is forced to marry Tong Bo Lun, a somewhat perverted and fierce commander. News then came back that Qing's troops invaded Liaodong region. Chow Sai Hin then goes to war with Sing Hing to fight for their country. Cheung Ping made Sing Hing and Chow Sai Hin both promise that they would come back without a hair missing from their heads. Chiu Yan harmed her mother so much that she became a servant in the palace. The Emperor still had strong feelings for Chow Yuk Fung, but his mother and Tin Fei kept on trying to tear them apart.
Then comes the war of Li Zicheng's rebel. The country filled with terror. Tin Fei became ill. Ng Sam Kwai, who is one of the best general did not support the Emperor because he himself and the Emperor had long tensioned over the matter of his lover, Chan Yuen Yuen. It was then that Tin Fei's father kidnapped her and made it look like she died in order for the fall of the kingdom because he hated the Emperor. After that, Chongzhen Emperor lost the war without the aid of Ng Sam Kwai. Ng Sam Kwai joined up with the Manchurians. Unlike the old version, the Emperor did not chop off Cheung Ping's arm or make the Chow Yuk Fung hang herself, instead he spread rumors so that Li Zicheng wouldn't come after them. He told them to run and rendezvous at Jinlin. Unfortunately, on the escape route, Chongzhen Emperor was captured and was executed by hung on a tree atop a mountain so people can laugh as they walk by at the bottom.
The Empress was left in charge of the army and the country, along with her son who was pretty much useless as an Emperor. Many opposed because they thought the Chow Yuk Fung was trying to become a Female Emperor, of one especially was Prince of Fu. Cheung Ping strongly supported her mother. Chiu Yan was supposed to be taken to Tong Bo Lun's camp because she attempted to kill Cheung Ping. Cho Sing Hing was ordered to escort her there. In an attempt to escape and frame Sing Hing, she ripped her own clothes and poured water in the barrel-like "tub". Then she made it look like Sing Hing tried to rape her while she was taking a bath. Tong Bo Lun busted into the room. He made his men beat up Sing Hing, then break all the bones in his leg. Then Tong Bo Lun left with Chiu Yan. Sing Hing was left on the streets with nobody to help him.
After this, Chiu Yan returned to Jinlin and even furthermore determine to deteriorate her mother. She sided with Qing forces and gave them all the strategic maps. One day,Cheung Ping followed her out of the castle and caught her betraying her country. Chiu Yan was put into jail. On the day of Cheung Ping and Chow Sai Hin's marriage, Chiu Yan hanged herself in the jail. The Empress stopped the wedding and ran down to see what happened. Chiu Yan pretended she was half-dead and then surprisingly shot her mother with a pistol. Then she pretended she was still knocked-out so the Empress's bodyguard, who was waiting outside, wouldn't suspect she killed the Yuk Fung. After that, the Empress died in bed, making sure that the people of her country would be safe in Cheung Ping and Chow Sai Hin's hands. The opposing lords, Tong Bo Lun and Prince of Fu, tried to de-throne the young Emperor. Cheung Ping was forced out of the kingdom in order to have a fair fight, because they didn't want him to get any help. Chow Sai Hin was forced not to help him, too. Cheung Ping lived outside the palace, and met up with Sing Hing. After many years, he lost the war to Prince of Fu. The Prince of Fu then became the new ruler. While Sai Hin was in a temple, he found Cheung Ping there, and also, the long-time-no-see Sing Hing. Sai Hin found out what Chiu Yan had done to Sing Hing, and was more than just a little angry with her. Chiu Yan became Chiu Yan Ge Ge of Qing. Ng Sam Kwai found out that Chongzhen Emperor never killed Chan Yuen Yuen and regretted not helping him. He felt how guilty had he betrayed Chongzhen and framed himself. He surrendered Qing commanders and out-throne Li Zicheng. He and Chan Yuen Yuen went back together, and Ng Sam Kwai sent people to kill the man who kidnapped her, and who also caused the fall of Ming's Dynasty.
Chiu Yan decided to join the war with the Manchurians. She kidnapped Sai Hin and blackmailed Cheung Ping to come. That is when Chiu Yan accidentally blurted out that she killed the Empress. Now she was going to kill Chow Sai Hin and Cheung Ping. They were about to die together, but then the Qing's ruler stopped them. He wanted peace and to take over their country without hurting anyone. Cheung Ping agreed to let him, as long as nobody got hurt and Chiu Yan was sent to jail for killing the Empress. He agreed to this, and even with Chiu Yan's pleading, he sent her to jail for life. After that, Cheung Ping and Chow Sai Hin were to marry to calm down the Han population. Sing Hing didn't want them to get married because he knew they would commit suicide under these circumstances. Instead of committing suicide, they made it look like they killed themselves on the wedding night, then ran off to the South and became villagers. The 'death' was to make it look like they died so they could leave and live a peaceful life. The Manchurians took over after Cheung Ping and Chow Sai Hin supposedly 'died'. Sing Hing, Cheung Ping, and Chow Sai Hin lived together and passed each day happily. Cheung Ping was pregnant, and Sing Hing was to become the godfather. Although Sing Hing's leg never recovered, he still lived each day happily with his best friends.
Cast
Imperial family| Cast | Role | Description |
| Lai Suen :zh:黎宣|黎宣 | Empress Dowager | |
| Moses Chan | Chu Yau-kim :zh:明思宗|朱由檢 | Emperor |
| Maggie Shiu | Chow Yuk-fung :zh:莊烈愍皇后|周玉鳳 | Empress |
| Lau Kam-Ling :zh:劉錦玲|劉錦玲 | Tin Choi-deep 田彩蝶 | Consort Tin |
| Charmaine Sheh | Chu Fai-nei :zh:長平公主|朱徽妮 | Princess Cheung Ping Emperor's daughter |
| Steven Ma | Chow Sai-hin 周世顯 | Princess Cheung Ping's husband |
| Sonija Kwok | Chu Fai-lan 朱徽蘭 | Princess Chiu-yan Emperor's daughter |
| Ellesmere Choi | Chu Chi-siu :zh:朱慈炤 |朱慈炤 | Emperor's son |
| Kenny Wong | Chu Yau-song :zh:弘光帝|朱由崧 | Emperor's cousin |
Other cast
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Annie Man | Lee Yuk-han 李玉嫻 | |
| Marco Ngai | Ng Sam-kwai :zh:吳三桂|吳三桂 | |
| Anne Heung | Chan Yuen-yuen :zh:陳圓圓|陳圓圓 | |
| Lo Mang | Li Chi-sing :zh:李自成|李自成 | |
| Michael Tong | Cho Sing-hing 楚聖卿 | |
| Lau Kong | :zh:周奎 |周奎 | Empress's father |
| Wong Wai-leung :zh:王偉樑|王偉樑 | Si Ho-fat :zh:史可法|史可法 |
Discrepancies
The drama is not faithful to the original opera script and is not considered to be canon because of several discrepancies. Firstly, the sister of Princess Cheung-Ping in the series is portrayed as a conniving, evil Princess who betrayed the Ming Royal Family, submitted herself to the Manchu forces and aimed to destroy her sister in every way possible. In the original opera, the Princess is very friendly with Princess Cheung-Ping and is not portrayed as evil. In the series, the Empress supposedly escaped Beijing with the crown prince. However, this is not true in the opera script as she hanged herself back in the palace.Also, the ending of the series differed wildly from the original script. In the original script, the Princess and her lover agreed to get married in the Forbidden City after the Manchus gained power in China. However, during the lavish ceremonies, the couple committed suicide in an obscure place inside the palace grounds. In the first episode, it appears that the main characters were to die, similar to the original. However, in the final minutes of the last episode, the couple appeared as normal citizens in a remote town, and viewers discovered that the couple pretended to die in exchange for several concessions for the defeated Ming Forces.