[E] LAND OF WEALTH / 匯通天下 [TVB][2006]

Written by Funn Lim

My first impression was this series was hectic, the very first episode was confusing because almost every major character was introduced from the very beginning and I cursed that none of the names printed on screen were translated, so basically I can't keep up with the names. I could only remember two names; Chai Bak Chuen that is Moses' character and his father's name, Chai Lok Yan, the actor I am not quite sure his name but he was the "Sek Kin" in Dance Of Passion. And yes, he is still as monotone as ever, a bit like Moses in fact. Anyway it was intimidating but getting that over with, I find myself quite engrossed with the story even if it was bullet train pace with names dropped at every corner.

The first scene was quite a tragedy, in terms of story and in terms of casting. Of course the way the story goes this series will start with tragedy.

It was Qing Dynasty and should be around 1861 or so, before the start of the reign of Emperor Tong Zhi, the one who died from smallpox/sex disease (depending on which version you prefer). His mother was none other than the future Empress Dowager Cixi, here played to very chilling effect by Hong Wah who unfortunately appeared less than 8 minutes in total.  Anyway she wanted to secure her son's position as emperor and so she ordered the death of the other I think empress/concubine who had the last emperor's will on hand. The concubine tried to run away and ended up hiding in a huge "gong" (I think you call it porcelein tank?) filled with water. At that same time a young official heard a splash and saw a woman in it, and quickly tried to rescue her without knowing he is sending her to her doom. She was rescued, kicking and screaming and the young official knew he must have done something he shouldn't have. The young concubine was punished severely where Cixi had her legs and hands cut off and she would spend her days in a huge "gong", kept alive for the sake of Cixi's sick amusement. Then Cixi became Empress Dowager and that young official was told to keep quiet to what he saw. Tong Zhi died and Guangxu became Emperor and then we see a much older Empress Dowager Cixi, as scary as ever. This time she was approached by an older minister who begged her to reconsider renovating one of her palaces as the treasury was running out of funds and they have exhausted all loans from foreign countries. Cixi refused to listen and said "Are you telling me I should not celebrate my birthday in a grand manner? And then where would the pride of China be if my 60th birthday is not celebrated lavishly?". So she dismissed his pleas eventhough he dared retorted "But madam, you can ask other ministers for the feedback on our financial situation" and she then basically told him to f*ck off, in a more polite manner but just as stern. So the minister went away. On his way out he saw a couple of workers refusing to work and he was told they had not been paid. And that any salary paid by the time the money reached them a cut would have been taken as bribe. So the personal eunuch of Cixi suggested to this hardworking if not befuddled old fool  that perhaps he should pay the workers earlier from the treasury, because "no matter what, the renovation  must not stop and my most exalted empress dowager must never know of this slight hiccup". And so he agreed.

And now you ask what has this got to do with Moses Chan?!?!? Me too.. but there is a connection.

Remember that young man who accidentally saved someone who didn't want to be saved? That was Chai Lok Yan who was now approaching 60 years old. Due to his accident, he has lived a life of regrets and he has dedicated his life towards righteousness. He often did charity and refused to take bribed and led a very corruption free life. He was well respected by the people in the town and his wife too lived by his code of conduct. He has a daughter and an older son. The older son is Chai Bak Chuen played by Moses Chan. From the beginning we see Bak Chuen as a young man living for the past 11 years in a temple because one fortune teller told his family, especially his superstitious grandmother that he is bad luck. When he was little he was always sick so the family had no choice but to send him away and he can only return on his father's 60th birthday. Unfortunately he ignored the warnings and he came back a day earlier with his faithful young male servant whom he treated like brother. Although his family was very pleased to see him, his grandmother was upset, especially when Bak Chuen loudly declare "If I had to live my life in solitude because of this bad luck of mine, I'd rather die!". Well life settled down quickly for Bak Chuen, whom not many could recognise since he was away since as a young man. I can't figure out his age exactly but since he last saw a close family friend, an Uncle Lam when he was 13 or 14, and 11 or 12 years have passed, he should be about 25 years of age which translates to Moses Chan, you're too old for this role.

 Anyway Bak Chuen was out with his sister to buy his father a gift. He dropped the jade pendant given by his father (who in turn got it from the poor concubine whom he inadvertantly helped without her wanting to be helped) and he wnet back store when John Chiang whose character I have yet to know the name picked it up and appreciated the jade. The servant took it back to Bak Chuen and they never met.

Now John Chiang, whom I thought was called David Chiang since Chiang Da Wei is a renowned banker who can count and weigh the golds with his hands as soon as he was 2. Nothing much is known of him except he is a genius banker.

Anyway, big trouble looms on the Chai family.

Old man Chai refused to take bribe on his birthday by one of the corrupt officials after Chai discovered workers recommended by this corrupt official played by Kok Fung was secretly taking money out of the treasury vault by well quite original here... sticking the thick silver bars into their arse! So he has made an enemy and that was the beginning of his downfall.

Remember that overstresed official who begged Cixi to stop the renovation? Well he actually went to the treasury vault to take some money, with two corrupt officials in tow, one of them Kok Fung. Old man Chai dutifully opened the vault and the boxes but then that overstressed official discovered that two whole boxes of silver bars were missing. So naturally Old man Chai was arrested with his whole family. But before they were arrested, the young servant saw guards walking into the Chai mansion with bags on hand and old man Chai knew he was being set up. But he had an alibi. He had calculated the number of bars the day before and he didn't go to the vault yesterday and since today there were missing bars, he deduced the theft was yesterday and yesterday he was with Uncle Lam. Bak Chuen volunteered to find Uncle Lam and his faithful servant went along.

The servant told Bak Chuen to switch places with him, just in case Uncle Lam refused to help. So it was the servant pretending to be Bak Chuen who found Uncle Lam and begged Uncle Lam to help.

Back in the court and it was thunder striking and all, the overstressed official began to read the accusations to which old man Chai cried "I am innocent of all charges. I am a man of honour, I am not a corrupt officials, I have conducted myself with great integrity and virtue all my life..I did not do all that I was accused of. If I did, why would I hide the silvers in my own home?" to which the official retorted "Clearly you didn't have time to hide them". Interestingly the official asked Kok Fung "As his superior, what is your opinion of the accused?" and Kok Fung sinisterly said "I may be his superior but I hardly know him" and every other official in the room agreed and THUNDER, LIGHTNING, KA-BOOM!!! Old man Chai then said "I have a witness my lord who can prove my innocence since I wasn't there in the vault that day".Uncle Lam came in. Old man Chai mentioned that he left Uncle Lam's house at around 7pm or something like that. Can't remember. Anyway Uncle Lam came and he said "Yes my lord, he was with me on that day but he left at 1pm" and KA-BOOM! THUNDER, LIGTNING! Old man Chai was shocked beyond words and the overstressed official said "Even your friend stated otherwise, what more have you to say?" and Old Man Chai said "You're my oldest and dearest friend, how can you betray me?" and Uncle Lam said "I was telling the truth, I can't hide the truth for you" and so the official said "Since this is embezzlement from his Majesty, the law dictates the whole Chai family must be executed" and again THUNDER, LIGHTNING. Old man Chai said cynically "This is indeed the end of the Qing empire. Where are your conscience? Is material wealth so important that you dare accuse an innocent man of a crime he did not commit? Where is justice? Where is the law? The Qing empire will fall because of you corrupt men. You will cause the downfall of this dynasty! The concubine was right; there is no justice, all officials are corrupt and I myself having conducted myself with virtue and integrity, having not taken a cent of bribe all these years, doing charities and fulfiling my duties diligently is now to be executed. Where is justice, there is no justice, there is no law" and official said "Take him away!!" and the last scene was a forlorn looking old man Chai's face, with the huge plague on top of his head which I assume reads "Justice for all" or something like that.

 Next episode, more tragedy for the Chai family.

Truth be told, I was intrigued by the story from the get go. The trailer was dramatic, with a row of people crying for justice as they were beheaded. Shortly after this episode 1, ASTRO broadcast the The Making Of Land Of Wealth and indeed as I have suspected, his faithful servant tied him up and took his place and was beheaded so that at least one male heir can continue the family name. It is such a great tragedy because Bak Chuen's sister is very young and she too had to die.

The funny thing was that overstressed official, he actually had good intentions. He didn't seem corrupt, he was just misled. If Old man Chai felt guilt for causing the death of one concubine, I wonder how would that idiot feel for killing the entire Chai family? And what sort of a court is that? That idiot asked the other officials for opinion. Wouldn't he know how corrupt they are? In fact wasn't he the same actor who played another idiot but honest minister in Safe Guards? He kept saying he can't believe old man Chai's innocence and I kept remembering one scene Safe Guards shown where a very poor official tried to convince the royal uncle that he was righteous by saying he was poor. Poverty would prove whether a civil servant is noble or not. So poor old man Chai. He was doomed from the start and I believe Bak Chuen will bear the guilt for being alive.

Anyway the Making Of went on to show many scenes that would either make or kill this series. John Chiang would become his mentor. Steven Ma would become his friend. Steven Ma would fall for Tavia, John's daughter but she would marry Moses who in turn would be secretly in love with Sonija, a Mongolian who ended up marrying John who in turn found out their affair of the heart and Moses who married Tavia for money probably... well it is too complicated to even tell you what I saw in the The Making Of because it has the proportion of a Greek tragedy and the potential of a farce. Hopefully this series stays away from that.

What is interesting though is that this series is about banks in the olden day China. The TMO had experts talking about money and one scene had a man walking into the bank with many types of silvers. I never knew money came in so many shapes and sizes. The historian said to buy a land in the olden days the man had to hire guards to carry boxes of silver bars and then came the creation of what is now known as a cheque. I tell you Chinese are brilliant race.

But I bet you by the middle of this series, it will disintergrate into L-O-V-E. I tremble with fear with the appearance of Sonija Kwok whom in the TMO looks very pretty in the wedding gown. Tavia seems so serious but Sonija seems so playful. I don't know. Why can't she transfer that liveliness into her every performance? Tavia is no longer the zombie girl but is Sonija still the automaton?

Time will only tell.

Anyway one actress was a total miscast and that was the actress who played Empress Dowager Cixi. She is not scary enough, she is not demanding enough, she is simply just whiny and overacted in key scenes. To think that her younger self was Hong Wah who in that 8 min appearance did more to this character with her malicious eyes and pursed lips than this old lady did by screaming and throwing and pointing everywhere. Why can't Rebecca Chan be Cixi? Oh yeah she had to be John Chiang's wife. (P/s : I think I got this wrong. She may not be his wife! - 28.12.2007)

Anyway so many men and so few women. But guess what? I suppose the fate of the men lies in the hands of one woman and nope, not the wives but Cixi. Now that is strange justice. I so hope to see that overstressed official and I hope he realised one day that he had killed off the entire Chai family because of his stupidity.

Roll on episode 2! Now I must get the cast list because I really am blur blur with the names. I think I may even have gotten the 2 names I wrote in here wrong! Oh no, cue THUNDER, LIGHTNING!!