The Conquest

Standing in front of the tomb of his father HOP LUI, Lord FU CHAI of the State of Ng recalls the bloody war against the State of Yuet – former Lord of Ng HOP LUI mounted an invasion of Yuet but Yuet’s troops had been too tough to defeat. Ng’s Prime Minister NG CHI SHUI advised CHAI to go and borrow some provisions from the State of Chai. Yuet had been under siege for quite some time. Prime Minister FAN LAI enticed three hundred convicts to sacrifice for their country so as to create confusion for Ng’s troops. LAI’s plan worked out well – Ng’s troops were seriously distracted and Lord of Yuet AU TSIN managed to shoot LUI dead with an arrow. CHAI hurried back to the battlefield but what he saw was the body of his dead father… Remembering how his father was killed, CHAI declares in front of...

LAI manages to break away from the enemies and is finally reunited with TSIN on the mountain. The capital city of Yuet is filled with an atmosphere of tension and hopelessness. As instructed, LAI escorts the Prince into the hideout. TSIN’s little sister TANG KOK refuses to commit suicide, over which she has a terrible quarrel with TSIN. KOK and TSIN finally fall out with each other. The exit of the hideout has been blocked. The Prince and his guard have no choice but to stay in the hideout and feed on the food left over. LAI advises CHUNG to bribe PAK PEI so that TSIN will stand a chance of surviving. PEI, however, does not give a definite yes or no to CHUNG’s request. TSIN is going to kill himself. LAI tries to stop him and the two of them end up picking a fight. CHAI and his troops have...

Yuet is in a state of utter chaos. SZE and TAN manage to escape from their village. TAN has become a lot more sophisticated and decides not to rely on anyone else. SZE misses LAI so terribly that she keeps praying for him. CHAI tries to recruit LAI as his advisor but in vain. To vent his anger, CHAI lets his soldiers bully TSIN in the most horrible manner. KOK who is still alive is found and captured by WONG SUEN LOK in Yuet’s capital city. KOK happens to find the Prince and his guard in the hideout while looking for food. But her reunion with the Prince has also alerted LOK. The guard who is holding the Royal Sword is mistaken for the Prince and is killed instantly. Believing that the Prince is dead, all ministers in the Yuet Government are filled with dismay. TSIN and HOP YEE try to put...

CHUNG learns from KOK that the Prince is still alive. He offers to conduct an agricultural survey so that he can go out and look for solutions. CHUNG runs into SZE in her home village and is surprised to learn about the relationship between her and LAI. CHUNG claims that he is suffering from leprosy, because of which he can get out of Yuet and seek help from other warlords. The troops arrive at Ng and CHAI has fully demonstrated his power and authority. CHAI needs TSIN to kowtow to LUI’s tomb but LAI offers to do the job for TSIN. CHAI is so impressed by LAI’s loyalty. SHUI insists on killing TSIN and LAI, causing CHAI to lose face before a whole roomful of ministers. PEI who is also there tries to mediate between SHUI and CHAI. CHAI rejects SHUI’s idea. SHUI has no choice but to send an...

CHAI treats TSIN as a horse and orders him to pull the carriage. LAI who cannot bear to whip TSIN chooses to stand aside. As instructed by CHAI, LOK captures CHUNG and takes him to Ng’s capital city. TSIN and LAI are shocked to see CHUNG in CHAI’s Imperial Palace. Knowing that their plan has been thwarted, TSIN and LAI are completely disappointed. As a punishment, CHAI orders CHUNG to guard LUI’s tomb. LAI comes to LUI’s tomb. CHUNG gives LAI a few words of encouragement and reveals to him that the Prince is still alive. To keep TSIN’s confidence up, LAI and CHUNG decide not to tell him the truth. YEE gives TSIN some words of encouragement, for which TSIN is so grateful. CHAI is not going to force TSIN to kowtow to him – he wants TSIN to do it willingly and readily. CHAI points out that...

CHAI has found SZE but SZE refuses to be his concubine. TAN offers to take SZE’s place, for which the villagers are all very grateful. In fact TAN does not see it as a sacrifice but a way to achieve a higher status. LAI tries his best to convince the Lord of Chor not to declare war on Ng, which affects the morale of the Chor officials. PEI escorts TAN to Ng. Along the way he runs into SZE as well as LAI who is back from the diplomatic mission. On the one hand LAI hates to be separated from SZE, yet on the other he does not want to leave TSIN behind. SZE asks LAI to stay for three more days. LAI who has helped prevent a war has won CHAI’s approval upon his return to Ng. In recognition for his contribution, CHAI promises to keep TSIN aliver for three years. MUI CHI comes back to Ng while...

CHAI leaves Prince YAU on his own during the hunt, through which he hopes TSIN’s infidelity will be stirred up, and in which case he will have an excuse to kill TSIN. LAI sees through CHAI and manages to save Prince YAU who has a fall from the horse. In the meantime, CHAI comes along. TSIN comes to realize how horrible and clever CHAI is. SHUI discovers that PEI has accepted some precious gifts from the State of Yuet. He decides to bring the matter to CHAI’s attention. PEI is desperate to save himself from execution. In the nick of time, he reveals to CHAI that SZE is still alive, which spares him from death penalty. Fearing that SZE will make another attempt to kill herself, PEI urges LAI to have a word with her. TSIN feels so guilty towards SZE and LAI. He vows that he will avenge all...

Fearing that SZE will sooner or later take her place, TAN would like to gang up with CHI. CHI, however, dislikes TAN so much that she even tricks the girl into taking an abortion drug. TAN learns from her maid that it is CHI who has killed her baby. Filled with anger, she is resolved to complain to CHAI about CHI. LAI and SZE decide to wed in secret prior to their separation. LAI promises that he will marry SZE as soon as the war is over. Before they are forced to part, the couple make a pact on the bank of Lake Taihu.