Cheung Siu-fai
Emperor Zhenzong of Song

Larine and Jojo have been friends since childhood. They have both been chosen to be mistresses to the emperor because of their beauty. Larine's mother died a long time ago. She pretends to be ugly when the government officials visit in order to stay with her father. However, during one festival, she saves the plain-dressed emperor, without realizing who he is. He cannot put her aside when he gets back to the palace and decides to marry her. Jojo is jealous of her. She lies to her and takes her to a gypsy, who switches their faces. From then on, their fates change...
LARINE and his father, LING TE, are blacksmiths. Although LARINE was born very ugly with pockmark, she is a very good blacksmith and is very kind-hearted. LARINE has a good friend, JOJO. JOJO bears the responsibility of breaking her betrothal engagement. She even makes her fiance, TAU and his family suffer injury. JOJO is responsible to guard the mortuary, but she devises to make LARINE volunteer to help her. LARINE is so exhausted and faints. JOJO discovers that LARINE’s pockmark is a disguise. She is very angry. In fact, LARINE’s pockmark had been disappeared after a serious illness and she showed her pretty face. However, LARINE decides to continue to pretend ugly in lest JOJO felt bad. JOJO fills with emotion. The temple curate predicts that JOJO will become very rich but ends up with pain. A performer, SIU TOU, knows the “switching face” skill. JOJO begs him to switch her face so that she can become beautiful……
JOJO and LARINE intend to slip into a garden party. However, the village headman does not allow them to join because they are ugly. EMPEROR helps them to get in. EMPEROR is being assassinated. He meets JOJO. JOJO threatens EMPEROR to pay her two thousand taels before she renders help. JOJO eventually left EMPEROR alone. Meanwhile, LARINE appears and saves EMPEROR. JOJO intends to seize wealth in confusion, however, she is caught by EMPEROR’s servant. LARINE tried hard to find some panacea to cure EMPEROR. EMPEROR is grateful for her help. In fact, the master man of the assassination is EMPEROR’s third brother, DAN. DAN buys over SHEUNG. SHAN even shows SHEUNG how they can locate EMPEROR. JOJO finds EMPEROR and asks for her two thousand taels. EMPEROR refuses her. JOJO then takes away his crystal and pushes him down from the cliff. SHAN locates EMPEROR with the crystal. He finds JOJO instead.
LARINE saves EMPEROR on the hill. She brings him home to cure his wound. EMPEROR tells LARINE about JOJO’s bad deed. LARINE decides to clarify the case with JOJO. TE posts an announcement with LARINE’s portrait to seek for a marriage for her. EMPEROR finds its weird that the portrait is a very beautiful girl which makes a big contrast to LARINE. All teases at LARINE since announcement post up. However, LARINE does not mind at all. EMPEROR appreciates her attitude. One day, some silly guys again tease LARINE. EMPEROR promises to marry LARINE for her good sake. Meanwhile, LARINE shows her real face. All are shocked. JOJO is so jealous that she tells SHEUNG EMPEROR’s trace. EMPEROR disappears on the wedding night. When SHEUNG is trying to kill EMPEROR, SHAN appears and rescues him. LARINE searches for EMPEROR but is in vain. JOJO bothers TOU terribly for the switching face issue……
EMPEROR tries to test DAN but cannot get a clue. EMPEROR grants LARINE to be his concubine. He sends officials to bring LARINE to the palace. JOJO is busy in finding a person to switch face with her. TOU thinks that LARINE is the right one. JOJO agrees. The loanshark, NGAU, asks JOJO to repay her debt in the street. JOJO kills NGAU unintentionally. She escapes away. The official arrives LARINE’s home and announces the imperial decree. LARINE and TE are very glad. TE celebrates. LARINE slips away and brings money to JOJO. JOJO is so malicious that she makes use of this chance to switch face with LARINE. TOU succeeds to switch their faces. JOJO becomes EMPEROR’s concubine. All are cheated. LARINE wakes up and is shocked to see that she has switched face with JOJO.
LARINE intends to clarify the case with JOJO. However, all think that she is JOJO and ignores her. The official chases LARINE for NGAU’s death. LARINE backs home. TE thinks that she is JOJO and informs the officials her whereabouts. LARINE meets TAU. TAU hates her. TE takes very good care of JOJO. JOJO hates LARINE more. JOJO goes to the prison to insult LARINE. LARINE eventually sees JOJO’s real face. JOJO cries and moans over her grievances on court. However, even TE cannot recognize her. LARINE is sentenced to death. JOJO deliberately flatters the palace housekeeper, YUNG. However, YUNG ignores her. LARINE attempts to commit suicide but is in vain. She witnessed extraordinary miracle and she decides to redress her grievance. The new highest graduate of the Hanlin Academy, LAW, is born honest and straight. He investigates LARINE’s case but he cannot imagine how LARINE’s face has been switched. He intends to stop the investigation……
A lady complains a goose stall changing another goose head. LAW is enlightened. He then asks a witch to check LARINE. When the witch touches LARINE’s neck, she is very scared. LAW knows that there is something wrong. He is determined to help LARINE escape away. LARINE backs home and complete a plate for celebration before she left. TE wakes up and discovers the completed plate. He makes up his mind. JOJO finds the rules and norms in the palace very annoying. DAN knows that JOJO is a person intended on worldly thing and power. He decides to use her. LARINE is cheated in the LAM’s village. Her horse is being poisoned. Doctor, LOK, suggests LARINE to sell her horse. LARINE does not want to see her horse die and rejects his suggestion. TOU meets LARINE. He sees her very depressed and moves his conscience. He gives her some noodle. LARINE regards TOU as her patron.
EMPEROR intends to designate JOJO the title of Queen. All officials object. However, DAN supports EMPEROR’s suggestion. EMPEROR is glad. LARINE again meets LOK. LOK has become a very popular letter writer. In fact, LOK is a swindler. LARINE thinks that LOK is a versatile guy and respects him a lot. LARINE asks LOK to write a letter to EMPEROR to disclose her bad encounter. LOK thinks that LARINE is mad. LOK proposes LARINE to give him fifty taels and he will bring her to see EMPEROR. LARINE then works very hard and gives LOK her money. LOK spends all money. A restaurant owner, WAI, is finding a worker. LOK betrays LARINE. LARINE is brought to a hut waiting to be chopped into pieces. In fact, WAI intends to use human fresh to make barbecue pork. LOK feels unease and decides to save LARINE. LOK is injured. Luckily, LARINE is all right. LARINE makes a wheel chair for LOK. LOK sees an imperial announcement and finds that LARINE is wanted……
LOK again betrays LARINE. LOK pangs of a guilty conscience, he thus asks LARINE to leave. In order to give LARINE sufficient time to escape away, LOK is beaten by the officials. LARINE finds LOK. LOK decides to bring LARINE to the palace. JOJO is excited to fool EMPEROR around. TOU demands JOJO to fulfil her promise. JOJO refuses. TOU makes JOJO’s face full of malignant ulcer. JOJO has no alternative but compromise. JOJO arranges TOU to meet EMPEROR. EMPEROR designates him the title of astrology officer. In order to strengthen his position, TOU is in league with DAN. The Lucky Inn holds a “ Marriage Celebration Promotion Campaign”. LOK and LARINE pretend to be husband and wife so as to have a free meal. The purse of arresting LARINE increases. LOK claims that he will denounce LARINE. EMPEROR goes to he Temple to worship the heaven. LARINE hides in the wine jar which is used in the worshipping ceremony sacrificing to heaven……
LOK devises to enter the temple. He breaks the wine jar during emergency. The guards think that he is an assassin. After listening to LOK’s explanation, EMPEROR orders the guard to break the wine jar in lest it will kill somebody. However, LARINE is not in the jar. EMPEROR beats LOK. LARINE comes out from another jar and meets JOJO. LARINE is determined to win back justice. JOJO promises to beg EMPEROR to forgive LARINE and she will bring LARINE to see EMPEROR. LARINE again believes in JOJO’s word. LOK is beaten terribly by EMPEROR. LARINE takes good care of him. At night, LARINE claims to bring LARINE to see EMPEROR. In fact, JOJO intends to kill LARINE. Fortunately, LOK saves LARINE in time. JOJO is mad. The temple curate enlightens JOJO. LARINE is seriously injured. LOK is in need of money. Meanwhile, TE appears. LOK cheats TE’s money. LOK and TE meet again in the inn. TE chases after LOK. LAIRNE appears. She faints in front of TE.
Although LARINE is seriously injured, she insists to perform her blacksmith skills in front of TE. TE eventually believes that she is LARINE. In the palace, JOJO alerts that TE has already known about her real identity. She thus makes her a mute so that he cannot disclose the truth to EMPEROR.JOJO even lies to EMPEROR that TE is suffered from mental disorder. EMPEROR believes in JOJO’s word. Although LOK knew that TE is under JOJO’s control, he does not to tell LARINE the case in lest her illness deteriorates. The EMPRESS DOWAGER is very child like, she always make JOJO mad. In order to win the DOWAGER’s favour, JOJO makes her believe that she is a filial daughter to TE in front of DOWAGER. Nobody understands TE. He cannot control himself and cries. When LARINE knew that TE is locked up by JOJO in the palace, she hurries to the palace to see TE. LOK stops her and brings her back to the inn. JOJO again insults TE……
EMPEROR asks TE the detail after JOJO left. TE tells EMPEROR the truth in writing and informs him that JOJO has already sent killer to kill LARINE. EMPEROR hurries to save LARINE but he is too late. LARINE has already gone. EMPEROR meets LARINE. LARINE is dying. EMPEROR doubts LARINE’s real identity. LOK unveils everything including his bad deeds to support LARINE. EMPEROR tests LARINE a few times. He eventually believes in LARINE’s word. LOK suggests setting up a plot to trap JOJO. EMPEROR slanders TE who has betrayed the Sung’s dynasty. He sentences TE and JOJO to death. JOJO tries to flee away but is caught by SHAN. In order not to involve into trouble, JOJO tells EMPEROR that she is not LARINE.
EMPEROR decides to make TOU switch back LARINE and JOJO’s faces and then sentences TOU and JOJO to death. EMPEROR orders SHAN to arrest TOU. TOU makes illusion to confuse the guards. However, SHAN is not being bewildered. TOU becomes transparent. SHAN still can locate TOU with his intuition and pierces him. TOU is seriously injured. LOK is sad to see that EMPEROR only loves LARINE’s appearance. EMPEROR invites LOK and the other to celebrate. LOK says that she wants to marry LARINE after drunk. TE is shocked. The next day LOK knows that he has said something wrong. However, EMPEROR still appoints LOK to work for him. LOK is glad. TOU appears. EMPEROR orders the palace doctor to cure his wound. TOU gives them a prescription. The palace doctor is in a dilemma after reading the prescription. DOWAGER meets LARINE and plays trick on her. However, LARINE treats her with her heart. DOWAGER likes LARINE a lot……
DOWAGER gives some skin care product to LARINE. LOK finds LARINE very pretty. However, EMPEROR still wants LARINE to switch her face back. LARINE is sad. EMPEROR asks TOU to switch their faces soon after he recovers. TOU fails. LARINE still keeps JOJO’s face. TOU demands LARINE to repay his patronage of giving her a bowl of noodle. LARINE then switches her clothing with JOJO and TOU could then leave safely. EMPEROR thinks JOJO is LARINE and tells LARINE that he is sick of JOJO’s face. LARINE is heart-broken to hear EMPEROR’s hearty words. Later, EMPEROR finds that LARINE has fooled him around. He orders LARINE to leave the palace in a towering anger. LARINE leaves the palace sadly. EMPEROR regrets and stops LARINE leaving. He apologizes to LARINE and promises to appoint her as Queen three days later. LOK heard about the case and is very upset. He goes to the Lucky Inn to think upon their happy times.
DOWAGER blesses LARINE before her wedding. LARINE is moved. EMPEROR still minds LARINE’s appearance. LARINE is sad. DAN backs to celebrate EMPEROR’s wedding and reports to EMPEROR that the Lau’s troop had retreated. Unexpectedly, the Lau’s troop again invades Sung. EMPEROR blames DAN who does not exterminate the Lau’s troop. DAN blames EMPEROR and proposes him to lead the troop. EMPEROR is in a dilemma. LARINE makes a protective mirror for EMPEROR and encourages him. DAN devises to escape from his duty on the set off day. EMPEROR cannot force him. LARINE disguises as a soldier to follow EMPEROR. DOWAGER sends YUNG to follow them. In order to make EMPEROR become a brave guy, LARINE does not allow EMPEROR to enjoy special privilege and treat him the same as an ordinary soldier. YUNG is very dissatisfied.
EMPEROR complains LARINE who insists him to join the troop in the camp. LARINE explains to him that she wants him to become a good emperor. EMPEROR understands LARINE. EMPEROR eventually lives harmoniously in the camp and the morale is high. DOWAGER intends to kill JOJO when EMPEROR is having the expedition. DAN saves JOJO and intends to make use of her to threaten EMPEROR. EMPEROR arrives the battlefield and witnesses starving and dying people filled the land. He is very frustrated and depressed. The general, WONG KAU, looks down upon the EMPEROR who is so weak. LARINE and YUNG immediately rescue the injured soldiers. KAU orders the troop to fight against the enemy. EMPEROR is sick and cannot join the troop. LARINE disguises as EMPEROR to encourage the soldiers. However, KAU finds out the truth. The Lau’s troop changes their strategy and does not invade them. All are shocked. LARINE knows their intention.
LARINE indicates SHAN how to win. All respect LARINE. KAU thinks that he will be the pioneer to fight against the enemy. Unexpectedly, EMPEROR assigns him to seize the rations. KAU is very dissatisfied. When SHAN and KAU defeat the Lau’s troop, EMPEROR intends to join force with SHAN. However, some soldiers betray him and leave him in a remote site. LARINE and YUNG encourage EMPEROR. SHAN eventually finds EMPEROR. Unexpectedly, the Lau’s troop appears and kidnaps EMPEROR. LARINE risks her life to save EMPEROR. EMPEROR feels grateful for LARINE’s help. EMPEROR decides to back to the palace with LARINE. KAU and the soldiers are very depressed. LARINE insists to stay. EMPEROR allows LARINE to stay although he misses her a lot. EMPEROR becomes very diligent in managing the national affair. He even writes letter to LARINE everyday to show his concern. LARINE forges EMPEROR’s signature and writes letter to encourage the soldiers……
At night, EMPEROR sees JOJO in the palace garden. He thinks that it is just an illusion. He misses JOJO. DAN deliberately let EMPEROR sees a picture with a portrait of LARINE’s beautiful face. DAN tells EMPEROR who she is. EMPEROR eventually finds this lady who is a daughter of a rich merchant. Her name is SZE. SZE tells EMPEROR that she has dreamed about EMPEROR since she was a child. EMPEROR falls into the trap. In fact, DAN repackages JOJO so that she can approach EMPEROR again. EMPEROR dates SZE everyday. He even asks LOK to write letter to LARINE for him. The Lau’s prince, CHI, burst into the Sung’s camp. All want to kill CHI. LARINE sets him free. The Lau’s King, LUI negotiates with LARINE. LARINE use food as metaphor and makes LUI respect her. LUI agrees to make peace with Sung. LARINE will soon return to the palace. EMPEROR is very anxious how to explain SZE’s case to LARINE.
LARINE backs with victory and is pregnant. TE and LOK believe in antenatal training with music. LARINE laughs at their silly belief. When LARINE heard about SZE’s case, she does not feel angry. However, she feels upset when LOK told her that JOJO had been executed. SZE heard that LARINE has backed to the palace. She goes to see her. LARINE is shocked to see that she has got her beautiful face. They are coping with each other well. Soon SZE has also become pregnant. EMPEROR is glad to see that LARINE and SZE live together harmoniously. LOK does not accept SZE for LARINE’s sake. He goes to see SZE. Unexpectedly, SZE admits that she is JOJO. She even threatens LOK to keep his mouth shut. SZE sets LARINE up and lies to EMPEROR that LARINE intends to take abortion. EMPEROR believes in SZE’s word and turns on a cold shoulder to LARINE. DOWAGER rebukes EMPEROR who treats LAIRNE badly. EMPEROR blames LARINE instead.
LUI sets off to Sung to make peace. LARINE pays a courtesy visit to LUI. LUI expresses that he does not want to kneel down in front of the Emperor so as to show an equal status. LARINE agrees. The next day, EMPEROR insists LUI to kneel down instigated by DAN. The treaty of peace calls off. LARINE worries a lot. LARINE meets LUI at night. EMPEROR sends SHAN to kill LUI. SHAN is shocked. LUI brings LARINE back to the palace. Although LARINE is seriously injured, she insists EMPEROR and LUI to sign the treaty of peace before treating her wound. They have no alternative but agree. LARINE is all right after treatment. The government officials and the mass love and respect LARINE. EMPEROR is very jealous and hates LARINE more. SZE and LARINE are going to give birth on the same day. EMPEROR stays with SZE and neglects LARINE. LARINE is sad.
LARINE gives birth to a lovely baby. In contrast, SZE’s baby is very ugly with a big birthmark on its face. SZE asks TOU to switch the baby. LARINE finds that SZE has switched her baby. She swears to get back her baby. EMPEROR suggests killing the ugly baby. LARINE does not want to kill the innocence and admits that SZE’s baby is hers. LARINE begs SZE to let her see her baby. SZE refuses and admits that she is JOJO. LARINE suffers a great blow. In order to get rid of LARINE, JOJO slanders LARINE has had an affair with LUI. EMPEROR decides to kill LARINE and the ugly baby, TAN. TE and YAN attempt to take revenge on JOJO but is being slandered instead. EMPEROR locks them up.