Inside the Forbidden City
Encyclopedia
Inside The Forbidden City (Song gong mi shi) is a 1965
Hong
Huangmei opera
musical film
. The action focuses on events at the court of Emperor Renzong, specifically around the choice and identity of Renzong's successor.
at Chenzhou, Lord Pao made his way back to the capital. At Caiqiao bridge, a strange wind detained him. As the wind died down, a poor villager, Fan Zhonghua, sought an audience on behalf of his blind mother. Intrigued, Lord Pao made his way to the humble abode to listen to the blind woman's story.
The blind woman was discovered to be Li, a concubine of the late Emperor Renzong. 20 years ago, during a feast to celebrate his prosperous and peaceful reign, she informed Renzong that she was with child. Her rival, concubine Liu, fearing for her own position, pretended to be pregnant as well. A delighted Renzong then announced that whoever gave birth to the awaited heir would be the Empress.
Months later, Li gave birth to a son. Conspiring with eunuch Gao Hua, Liu had the child switched with a dead cat. She then ordered her maid, Kou Zhu, to drown the prince at the Jinshui river. The midwife being killed in secret.
At Jinshui river, Kou Zhu was in a dilemma. Eunuch Chen Li, delivering birthday gifts to the Emperor's brother, stopped her before she completed her task. He was shocked to learn of what Liu intended. Just then, they noticed Liu approaching with Gao Hua and hurriedly came up with a plan. With divine
intervention, Chen Li was able to bear the child away safely to the Emperor's brother who adopted
the baby, Jinzong.
An angry Renzong banished Li to Yu Chen Palace upon learning of the monster she had given birth to. 10 years later, with no heirs in sight, Liu adopted Jinzong as her son. One night, he accidentally came upon Li at the forbidden palace. Liu happened to come upon them and was both suspicious and displeased. She questioned Kou Zhu who had charge of the boy. Determined to rid Li once and for all, she convinced Renzong that Li was cursed. The order was then given to burn the forbidden palace.
Kou Zhu immediately ran off to warn Li and was interrogated
harshly by Liu when she returned. Her suspicions fully aroused, Liu summoned Chen Li for closer questioning, forcing him to whip Kou Zhu to prove he was telling the truth. To prevent the secret being forced from Chen Li, Kou Zhu killed herself. This appeased Liu who warned Chen Li to keep silent on the whole matter.
When Gao Hua and the soldiers went to Yu Chen palace to carry out the burning order, they were told Li had committed suicide and showed a hanging body. Unknown to them, eunuch Yu Zhong had sacrificed himself on Li's behalf with supervisor Qing's collaboration. Dressing Li in Yu Zhong's robes, Qing helped her to escape from the palace.
Lord Pao had Li and her adopted son secretly brought to the capital. During the court session, he informed Jinzong of a disturbing visitation of ghosts and asked for permission to investigate further. As Jinzong remembered the maid, Kou Zhu, he allowed the case to be looked into. Chen Li fully supported Lord Pao when he knew Li was still alive. Lord Pao used the opportunity of the Lantern Festivital procession to tell a story which greatly disturbed Jinzong who asked Lord Pao for an explanation. Hence, the truth was finally told.
Gao Hua was tricked into delivering himself to Lord Pao's court but he stubbornly refused to confess. Playing on Gao Hua's fear of 'Kou Zhu's restless spirit and the supernatural, Lord Pao finally had his confession. Empress Liu was ordered to kill herself as Jinzong welcomed Li back to the palace.
1965 in film
The year 1965 in film involved some significant events, with The Sound of Music topping the U.S. box office.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:...
Hong
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
Huangmei opera
Huangmei Opera
Huangmei opera or Huangmei tone originated as a form of rural folksong and dance that has been in existence for the last 200 years and possibly longer. The music is performed with a pitch that hits high and stays high for the duration of the song...
musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
. The action focuses on events at the court of Emperor Renzong, specifically around the choice and identity of Renzong's successor.
Synopsis
After aiding in relief efforts of a famineFamine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
at Chenzhou, Lord Pao made his way back to the capital. At Caiqiao bridge, a strange wind detained him. As the wind died down, a poor villager, Fan Zhonghua, sought an audience on behalf of his blind mother. Intrigued, Lord Pao made his way to the humble abode to listen to the blind woman's story.
The blind woman was discovered to be Li, a concubine of the late Emperor Renzong. 20 years ago, during a feast to celebrate his prosperous and peaceful reign, she informed Renzong that she was with child. Her rival, concubine Liu, fearing for her own position, pretended to be pregnant as well. A delighted Renzong then announced that whoever gave birth to the awaited heir would be the Empress.
Months later, Li gave birth to a son. Conspiring with eunuch Gao Hua, Liu had the child switched with a dead cat. She then ordered her maid, Kou Zhu, to drown the prince at the Jinshui river. The midwife being killed in secret.
At Jinshui river, Kou Zhu was in a dilemma. Eunuch Chen Li, delivering birthday gifts to the Emperor's brother, stopped her before she completed her task. He was shocked to learn of what Liu intended. Just then, they noticed Liu approaching with Gao Hua and hurriedly came up with a plan. With divine
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
intervention, Chen Li was able to bear the child away safely to the Emperor's brother who adopted
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
the baby, Jinzong.
An angry Renzong banished Li to Yu Chen Palace upon learning of the monster she had given birth to. 10 years later, with no heirs in sight, Liu adopted Jinzong as her son. One night, he accidentally came upon Li at the forbidden palace. Liu happened to come upon them and was both suspicious and displeased. She questioned Kou Zhu who had charge of the boy. Determined to rid Li once and for all, she convinced Renzong that Li was cursed. The order was then given to burn the forbidden palace.
Kou Zhu immediately ran off to warn Li and was interrogated
Interrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
harshly by Liu when she returned. Her suspicions fully aroused, Liu summoned Chen Li for closer questioning, forcing him to whip Kou Zhu to prove he was telling the truth. To prevent the secret being forced from Chen Li, Kou Zhu killed herself. This appeased Liu who warned Chen Li to keep silent on the whole matter.
When Gao Hua and the soldiers went to Yu Chen palace to carry out the burning order, they were told Li had committed suicide and showed a hanging body. Unknown to them, eunuch Yu Zhong had sacrificed himself on Li's behalf with supervisor Qing's collaboration. Dressing Li in Yu Zhong's robes, Qing helped her to escape from the palace.
Lord Pao had Li and her adopted son secretly brought to the capital. During the court session, he informed Jinzong of a disturbing visitation of ghosts and asked for permission to investigate further. As Jinzong remembered the maid, Kou Zhu, he allowed the case to be looked into. Chen Li fully supported Lord Pao when he knew Li was still alive. Lord Pao used the opportunity of the Lantern Festivital procession to tell a story which greatly disturbed Jinzong who asked Lord Pao for an explanation. Hence, the truth was finally told.
Gao Hua was tricked into delivering himself to Lord Pao's court but he stubbornly refused to confess. Playing on Gao Hua's fear of 'Kou Zhu's restless spirit and the supernatural, Lord Pao finally had his confession. Empress Liu was ordered to kill herself as Jinzong welcomed Li back to the palace.
Huangmei opera dubbing
- Ivy Ling PoIvy Ling PoIvy Ling Po is a Chinese actress and Huangmei opera singer. She played an important role in the entertainment industry for preserving the art form.-1950s - 1960s:...
as Kou Zhu - Tsui Ping as Concubine Li
- Kiang Hung as Lord Pao
Characters
- Ivy Ling Po as Kou Zhu
- Chin Feng as Emperor Renzong/Jinzong
- Ouyang Sha-fei as Concubine Li
- Kao Pao-su as Concubine Liu
- Eunuch Chen Li
- Eunuch Gao Hua