Historical Context: The Confidant Characters

The Tongzhi Emperor (同治帝) was the son of Cixi and the only surviving prince of the Xianfeng Emperor. He ascended to the throne at age 5. As a young emperor, the authority was placed in the hands of the Empress Dowagers Cixi and Ci’an, and his uncle Prince Gong. Due to his lack of power, he became uninterested in politics and neglected his education. He allegedly sneaked out of the Forbidden City to visit brothels. He gained the right to rule on his own at age 18, yet he did not know how to handle governmental affairs and caused trouble. In one instance, he issued an edict to rebuild Yuan Ming Yuan, without considering the lack of state funds. When Prince Gong and other ministers disagreed with his plan, he demoted them. His actions were so appalling that the Empress Dowagers appeared in court and forced the Emperor to withdraw his edict. Tongzhi died at the age of 19 without an heir. Official records show that he died of smallpox, but some believe he died from a sexually transmitted disease, contacted while engaging with prostitutes. 

The Jiashun Empress (嘉順皇后), also known as Lady Alute, was the Empress Consort of Tongzhi. She was said to be extremely intelligent, virtuous and beautiful. She was a relative of Ci’an and heavily favoured by Tongzhi, which gained her the wrath of Cixi. Moreover, her grandfather was one of the disposed regents from the Xinyou Coup. Cixi was unhappy that her son spent all his time with Lady Alute, while neglecting the concubines that were favoured by Cixi. She tried to separate the young couple. This action was supposedly what prompted him to seek entertainment from prostitutes. Lady Alute died shortly after Tongzhi. Her death was officially recorded as due to illness, however, speculations are that she was either forced to commit suicide or poisoned by Cixi. It is believed that she was pregnant at the time of Tongzhi’s death and Cixi was worried that her power would be threatened if the baby turned out to be a boy.

Conflict between Lady Alute and Cixi:

Two alleged incidents deepened Cixi’s hatred towards Lady Alute. In the first, Cixi ordered that Lady Alute be slapped on the face by eunuchs over a minor offence. This was considered an extremely degrading punishment to females such that even servants were rarely subjected to it.  Lady Alute pleaded with Cixi to spare her the humiliation because she had entered the palace through the Great Qing Gate (大清門) after all. The Great Qing Gate was the palace’s main entrance and used for ceremonial purposes only. During the wedding of the Emperor and Empress, the Empress would be carried into the palace through the Great Qing Gate, which was the case for Lady Alute. But Cixi had only been a concubine to her husband, the Xianfeng Emperor, thus she had only been eligible to enter the palace through a side entrance. Cixi felt that Lady Alute’s comment was meant as an insult and deeply resented her for it. In the second incident, Lady Alute was at the bedside of her ailing husband, Tongzhi, complaining to him about Cixi’s tyranny and spoke of her desire to see him recover so that they can rule the country together. Cixi overheard this and rushed into the room, grabbing her by the hair and hitting her. After this, Cixi vowed to get rid of Lady Alute.

Prince Gong (恭親王), personal name Yixin (奕訢), was the sixth son of the Daoguang Emperor. During his brother Xianfeng’s reign, he forged an imperial edict to grant his birth mother (step-mother to Xianfeng) the title of Empress Dowager. Xianfeng did not rescind the edict, but thereafter, Prince Gong was only given minor roles within the government. This lasted until the Second Opium War. While Xianfeng fled the capital, Prince Gong was given full authority to negotiate a treaty with the foreigners, culminating in the Convention of Peking. At the onset of his nephew Tongzhi’s reign, he aided the Empress Dowagers to gain power in the Xinyou Coup. To reward his help, he was named Prince-Regent and admitted into the Grand Council (the privy council of the Qing court). He pushed for many reform policies, such as establishing a foreign affairs ministry, creation of a school for learning Western-knowledge, use of foreign technologies and the opening of trade ports. His enthusiasm for foreigners earned him the nickname “鬼子六” (Devil Number Six). He irked Cixi in many ways, including his opposition to her plans for rebuilding the Summer Palace and his role in death of An Dehai. Eventually Cixi felt that his increasing political influence was a threat to her power and dismissed him from office by blaming him for the loss in the Sino-French War.

Li Lianying (李連英) was a eunuch that was heavily favoured by Empress Dowager Cixi. Reportedly, he gained her favour because he was very good at flattery and at braiding her hair. Her favouritism towards him is apparent as she made him a second-rank Head Eunuch despite a rule that limited eunuchs to only the fourth rank. Li Lianying has typically been portrayed in a negative light, as a self-interested and greedy eunuch. However, historic records describe him as attentive, cautious and sympathetic. Often, he would try to convince Cixi to spare servants from punishment. Nonetheless, it is true that he accepted briberies from other officials. With his proximity to the Empress Dowager, he had tremendous influence over who was granted an audience with the Cixi, allowing him to accumulate a handsome fortune. After Cixi died, he left the palace and was murdered just before the Revolution of 1911. His murder increased speculations that he had been involved in the poisoning of the Guangxu Emperor.

An Dehai (安德海) preceded Li Lianying as Head Eunuch. He had been successful in winning the affections of both the Xianfeng Emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi. He was a clever sweet-talker and very attentive to his master’s needs. For example, he especially built a theatre and trained a group of performers so that Cixi could watch opera at any time she liked. During the Xinyou Coup, he acted as a messenger between the Empress Dowagers and Prince Gong. For his role, he was promoted to the position of Head Eunuch. Relying on his close relationship with Cixi, An Dehai showed little respect to everyone else, including Tongzhi and Prince Gong. He often gossiped to Cixi about the young Emperor, causing their mother-son relationship to be strained. He also began to interfere in political matters even though Qing traditions strictly prohibited eunuchs from taking part in politics. Seeing Prince Gong as an obstacle, he persuaded Cixi to demote the Prince. His actions displeased many in the royal court, yet they could not do anything since he was Cixi’s favourite. Although he was a eunuch, An Dehai married a 19-year-old opera singer. As his wedding gift, Cixi granted him 1000 pieces of silver and 100 bundles of fine satin. His marriage fuelled rumours that he was a fake eunuch that was kept by Cixi to satisfy her sexual desires. 

His death: (Possible Spoilers!)

An Dehai was sent by Cixi to Nanking to purchase fabric for the Emperor’s dragon robes. While travelling, An Dehai made it known that he was conducting business for the Empress Dowager. He made a grand scene by inviting women to play music on his boat and extorting local officials for briberies. On his birthday, he demanded the local people bring him gifts. This alerted the local governor, who arrested him on the basis that eunuchs were not allowed to travel outside the capital city. The governor promptly executed An Dehai on the orders of Ci’an (possibly masterminded by Tongzhi and Prince Gong). An Dehai’s corpse was hung on the city walls for three days, which should have dispelled rumours that he was not a real eunuch.

In The Confidant, Li Lianying (Wayne Lai) and An Dehai (Raymond Cho) are portrayed as good friends who had entered the palace together as young kids. In reality, An Dehai entered the palace before Li Lianying and was able to gain Cixi’s favour after the Xinyou Coup in 1861. By the time Li Lianying was sent to work at Cixi’s residence in 1864, An Dehai had already been made Head Eunuch. Due to their difference in status, it is unlikely that they became good friends.

Prince Chun is the seventh son of the Daoguang Emperor and married to Cixi’s younger sister. He lent military support to the Empress Dowagers in the Xinyou Coup and was responsible for the capture of Sushun. As a result, he was given increasingly prestigious roles and honours and became a close ally of Cixi. When Tongzhi died without an heir, his son was installed as the Guangxu Emperor. Fearing that Cixi may eventually perceive him as a threat (since he was the father of the Emperor), he resigned from all his posts. However, he later accepted an invitation to be in charge of his son’s education. Seeing his brother Prince Gong’s fall from grace and Ci’an’s sudden death (possibly at the hands of Cixi), Prince Chun was eager to please Cixi. When he was appointed to oversee the establishment of the navy, he diverted military funds towards the rebuilding of the Summer Palace for her. With the completion of that project, he died peacefully and his title of “Prince Chun” was passed onto his son. His son, the 2^nd Prince Chun, would become the father and regent of the last Qing Emperor, Puyi.

Other true historical characters:

Aimee Chan as 和碩公主 – She is the 9^th daughter of the Daoguang Emperor, sharing the same mother as Prince Chun. She is married to a man named Duk Fei (德徽), but he dies after 1+ years of marriage. (We have surely not seen the last of Aimee. She will likely return to the palace after her husband’s death.)

Selena Li as 婉太繽 – She is the concubine of the Xianfeng Emperor, however, she died too early in The Confidant. In reality, she died in the 20^th year of the Guangxu era, which takes place after Tongzhi’s (Oscar Leung) reign.

Cilia Kung as 慧妃 – She is the concubine of the Tongzhi Emperor. She was Cixi’s choice to be Empress, but Tongzhi picked Lady Alute (Natalie Tong) instead. As Cixi’s favourite, she was quickly made into an Imperial Noble Consort (皇貴妃, ranking second only to the Empress) ahead of the other concubines.

Tsui Wing as 勝保 – He was a military general who sided with Cixi in the Xinyou Coup. However, his long string of military losses and arrogant attitude led to other ministers complaining about him. He was convicted on charges such as falsifying military defeats as victories and fabricating military achievements, and forced to commit suicide.

Chung King-fai as 劉多生 – He was the eunuch responsible for the imperial seal during the Xianfeng era. He would later move to the Imperial Household Deprtmant (內務府) to be the assistant to Li Lianying. Once, when he was making funeral arrangements for Cixi’s mother, he met a Taoist priest. From then on, he became very devoted to Taoism, even using his personal wealth to build and repair temples.

Peter Pang as 桂祥 – He is Cixi’s younger brother and granted the title of 承恩公. However, he was not given this title until his daughter (the future Empress Dowager Longyu) married the Guangxu Emperor, thus it is inaccurate to refer to him by this title in The Confidant.

Mandy Lam as 婉貞 – She is Cixi’s younger sister and Prince Chun’s wife. She is the mother of the future Guangxu Emperor.

More Historical Context posts:
The Empress Dowagers 
The Xinyou Coup - How Cixi came to power
The Burning of Yuan Ming Yuan
The Confidant & Curse of the Royal Harem Connection - Relationship Map of Late Qing Emperors

Historical Context: The Empress Dowagers

Empress Dowager Cixi (慈禧太后) was a concubine to the Xianfeng Emperor and rose to prominence by giving birth to his only surviving son (the future Tongzhi Emperor). She acted as regent for the Tongzhi and Guangxu Emperors, allowing her to be the de facto ruler of China for 47 years. She is most often blamed for the eventual demise of the dynasty, due to her iron-grip on power and anti-reformist tendencies. However, some historians view her as being used as a scapegoat for problems beyond her control.

During Tongzhi’s reign, she had several achievements, such as quelling the Taiping Rebellion, overhauling the corrupt bureaucracy and allowing certain reforms. All of these led to a period of relative peace and prosperity known as the Tongzhi Restoration. During her early rule, Cixi was more open towards foreign influences, however when she saw that it posed a threat to her power, she quickly shut it down.

It is during Guangxu’s reign where her actions are far more controversial. With Ci’an and Prince Gong out of the picture, Cixi’s power was almost unchecked. She is accused of squandering public funds (or at least not preventing it) in order to rebuild the Summer Palace in celebration of her 60^th birthday. The funds had been diverted from the military, causing the poorly equipped Qing navy to lose in the First Sino-Japanese War. When Guangxu came of age to rule on his own, Cixi delayed the handover of power and issued an edict allowing her to “advise” him indefinitely. When he attempted the Hundred Days Reform, she staged another coup to seize power once again and placed the Emperor under house arrest. Critics disagree whether this action was justified as the overly ambitious reform measures would have destabilized China or whether Cixi acted purely in her self-interest.

Cixi died one day after the Guangxu Emperor was poisoned. Many people believed Cixi was behind the poisoning, fearing that he would continue his reform policies after her death. As her final act, she installed Guangxu’s nephew, the 3 year-old Puyi, as the next Emperor.

Empress Dowager Ci’an (慈安太后) was the Empress Consort to the Xianfeng Emperor. After the Xinyou Coup, she was made co-regent to the young Tongzhi Emperor. Although Ci’an technically has precedence over Cixi in all respects, her more passive character lost out to Cixi’s ambitious, overbearing ways. Not that it mattered since the quiet Ci’an was said to have favoured literature and arts over politics. Her gentle nature made Tongzhi prefer her over the strict Cixi. After Tongzhi’s death, Ci’an continued as co-regent for the Guangxu Emperor until her own death. Her death occurred suddenly due to a stroke, although the unexpectedness of her death gave rise to speculations of foul play linked to Cixi. Rumour has it that the Xianfeng Emperor had given a secret edict to Ci’an prior to his death, ordering Cixi to be executed if she tried to overstep her power. After this was revealed to Cixi, Ci’an was tricked into burning it and died shortly afterwards.

How Cixi and Ci’an are referred to:

As the Empress Consort to the Xianfeng Emperor, Ci’an was the legal mother of all his children, which includes Tongzhi. She was granted the title of 母后皇太后 (Empress Mother Empress Dowager) upon Tongzhi’s ascension to the throne. As biological mother of Tongzhi, Cixi was granted the title of 聖母皇太后 (Holy Mother Empress Dowager). These were the proper titles to use when addressing the Empress Dowagers.

Because Cixi lived in the west end of the palace, she became known as the West Empress Dowager (西太后), while Ci’an, living in the east end, was known as the East Empress Dowager (東太后). Contrary to what is seen in The Confidant, these colloquial terms would never been used in the presence of the Empress Dowagers.


Listening Behind Curtains
Cixi’s rule over China made famous the phrase 垂簾聽政 (listening behind curtains). The reason for the curtains is two-fold. First, it was inappropriate for the Emperor’s wives to come into contact with other men, therefore the curtain was necessary to provide physical separation. Second, Qing imperial tradition forbade females to be involved in politics, thus the curtain served as a symbolic separation between the Empress Dowagers and the imperial court.  

More Historical Context posts:
The Confidant Characters
The Xinyou Coup - How Cixi came to power
The Burning of Yuan Ming Yuan
The Confidant & Curse of the Royal Harem Connection - Relationship Map of Late Qing Emperors

Predictions for 2012 TVB Awards

I'm waiting for TVB to say "Haha, that was just a prank" and pull out the real nomination list. But until then, here are my predictions for the 2012 TVB Anniversary Awards. Feel free to pass this along as a “leaked” winners list.

Best Actor: Raymond Lam. Obviously. That's why TVB set-up this whole fan-voting thing.
Top 5: Wayne Lai, Raymond Lam, Kevin Cheng, Damien Lau, Moses Chan
Winner: Wayne Lai

Best Actress: Tavia Yeung. TVB fulfills their promise to her from 2009, when she lost to Sheren Tang.
Top 5: Michelle Yim, Kate Tsui, Tavia Yeung, Myolie Wu, Linda Chung
Winner: Tavia Yeung




My Favourite Male Character: Raymond Lam. If Law Ba got both awards last year, Happy Sir needs both awards this year.
Top 5: Raymond Lam (HAL), Bosco Wong (WI), Kevin Cheng (GJ2), Wayne Lai (TC), Kenneth Ma (THC)
Winner: Kenneth Ma

My Favourite Female Character: Kate Tsui. Consolation prize for Best Actress.
Top 5: Kate Tsui (HAL), Tavia Yeung (THC/SSSS), Myolie Wu (GJ2), Michelle Yim (TC), Charmaine Sheh (WAB)
Winner: Kate Tsui




Best Supporting Actor: Koo Ming Wah. TVB has went with the fan favourite the last few times.
Top 5: Edwin Siu, Power Chan, Koo Ming Wah, Oscar Leung, Him Law
Winner: Koo Ming Wah

Best Supporting Actress: Why do I have a feeling Aimee will win this?
Top 5: Mandy Wong, Aimee Chan, Nancy Wu, Elena Kong, Helena Law
Winner: Nancy Wu



Most Improved Actor: Oscar Leung or Him Law. In the end, it will be Him Law because his six-pack has more marketing value than Oscar.
Winner: Oscar Leung

Most Improved Actress: Mandy Wong is a shoo-in.
Winner: Mandy Wong

 


Best Series: My favourite of the year - The Confidant.
Top 5: The Confidant, Silver Spoon Sterling Shackles, The Hippocratic Crush, Highs and Lows, Tiger Cubs
Winner: When Heaven Burns





Success Rate: 4/9 (44%)

Historical Context: The Xinyou Coup

With the defeat of the Qing army during Second Opium War, the Xianfeng Emperor and the Imperial family were forced to flee to the Mountain Resort in Rehe (熱河, now known as Chengde). When he learned of the Burning of Yuan Ming Yuan, his health quickly deteriorated and not long after, the Emperor died at the Mountain Resort.

On his deathbed, Xianfeng appointed eight regents for his young successor, including Sushun (肅順). As a balance to their power, Xianfeng also gave Imperial seals to his Empress Ci’an and the boy emperor’s mother, Cixi. The two seals would be required to issue any Imperial edicts.
 

A power struggle ensued between the two sides. The regents insisted that the two Empress Dowagers merely rubberstamp any edicts issued by them. The Empress Dowagers refused and demanded to be able to “Listen behind curtains” (垂簾聽政). The regents vigorously opposed this policy, stating a long-standing Qing tradition that barred women from interfering with political matters.

To secure her power, Cixi convinced Ci’an that they needed to oust the eight regents. They secretly allied with Prince Gong, the brother of Xianfeng. Prince Gong had surprisingly been left out as a regent despite the fact that he was the closest relative of Xianfeng. At the time of Xianfeng’s death, Prince Gong was in Beijing, so he used the excuse of mourning for his brother to travel to Rehe. There he met with the Empress Dowagers to discuss their plans to overthrow the eight regents. They agreed that they had to travel back to Beijing since Rehe was under the political control of the regents.

After that, Prince Gong returned to Beijing to contact with more allies, including his brother Prince Chun, who held military power. The Empress Dowagers arranged for six of the regents to accompany Xianfeng’s funeral procession back to the capital. Meanwhile, they travelled ahead of the group with the boy emperor and two of the regents. Upon arriving with Beijing, they met with Prince Gong once again.

Next, they issued an edict that condemned the regents on several charges. The humiliation of the Second Opium War was placed squarely on the regents, blaming them of incompetent negotiations, forcing Xianfeng to flee the capital and causing his death. The regents were also accused of altering the will of Xianfeng and attempting to undermine the legitimate power of the Empress Dowagers. 

The two regents that had accompanied the Empress Dowagers back to Beijing were forced to commit suicide. Sushun, who was still making his way back to Beijing with the funeral procession, was promptly arrested by Prince Chun and executed for treason. The five other regents were spared, but released from their duties. The families of the eight regents were also spared.
 

In the aftermath, the boy emperor officially began his reign under the era name Tongzhi (同治). The name means “To rule together”, which is commonly interpreted as “mother and son ruling together”. Cixi began her de facto rule over China that would last for the next forty-plus years. Prince Gong was rewarded for his role in the coup with increased political power and influence.

The event became known as the Xinyou Coup (辛酉政變) named for the year in the Chinese sexagenary cycle that it took place (Gregorian calendar year 1861).
 

 

Overview - Missing You

This is a story about an organization that specializes in helping to reunite families after war, disaster or forced migration. A team consisting of a paranoid Linda Chung, optimistic Jason Chan, keen Cilla Kung and computer whiz Calvin Hung work under the leadership of cool-headed Ram Chiang. As they embark on journey after journey to search for missing persons, they also find the opportunity for self-reflection.

The two rookies, Linda and Jason, cooperate seamlessly. Even though they often hit dead ends, they understand that they cannot easily give up, for they should not offer false hope to the people seeking their help. As they work together, Linda gradually develops feelings for Jason, but unfortunately he already has a girlfriend (Lin Xia Wei). Thus, the only thing she can wish for is to bring greater happiness and blessings to others…

Comment: Sounds like a very heart-warming and emotional series... can you bore me to death any faster? Featuring a cast of young actors, which seems unappealing. A definite skip for me.

Is it just me or does Lin Xia Wei look like Sire Ma?


Jason's favourite gesture...
   

Raymond Wong and Elaine Yiu will be guest stars.



Character Map:

Overview - Friendly Fire

Lawyer Michael Tse and criminal prosecutor Tavia Yeung are a formerly cohabiting couple. They broke up after a failed marriage proposal. As fate will have it, Michael joins the Department of Justice as a prosecutor, leading him to work with Tavia once again. However, they are divided over their techniques in handling cases. In addition to that, the office secretary’s (Grace Wong) involvement causes their relations to sour even more. Michael still feels bitter over being rejected, but he does not know of Tavia’s secret.

Michael’s adopted brother, Sammy Leung, is a CID officer. The brothers have plenty of opportunities to work together in their job capacities. During one operation, Sammy meets Sharon Chan, an undercover officer. Initially, the two do not get along well, but eventually they find that they nicely complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Finally, Sammy decides to pursue Sharon despite her engagement to her boyfriend. Just when everyone is uncertain about their future, a murder case involving a wealthy mistress (Alice Chan) brings them together to tackle a difficult and dangerous challenge. 

Other notable cast members: Louis Yuen, Vincent Wong, Oscar Leung, Mandy Wong, Christine Kuo

See Preview of Cases

Comment: Seriously, this series has the worst English title. Friendly Fire? Is this series about firefighters? I thought Justice Attack had a nice ring to it. By the synopsis, it doesn't sound like it will be heavily-focused on the legal aspects. It's just so happens that the people involved in the romantic relationships are working in law enforcement. We shall see if (newly-crowned TV Queen?) Tavia and (forever Laughing Gor) Michael can hold up the ratings in the traditional "cannon fodder" time slot.

 

Character Map:

Denise Ho Songs

Denise Ho has finally "come out of the closet" and publicly declared that she is a lesbian.
(English article) (Chinese article)

I really admire and respect Denise's courage for doing something like this. As an artist, there could be many repercussions, but she did what she felt was right. I believe that there is nothing wrong about homosexuality and that in the 21st century, society needs to be more open-minded.

I firmly believe in this:                Love, in any form, is still love. 

Denise is an inspiration for people to stand up for their own rights, whether that be gay rights or something else. In a free society, people should not be afraid to express their own opinion. I really love many of her songs because they convey the message "Don't be afraid to do what you think is right". When I listen to her songs, I feel so much passion and strength.

Some of my favourite Denise songs:

Rolls-Royce (勞斯.萊斯) - This version is beautifully weaved with her speech where she made the announcement




Infatuated (癡情司)




How Steel is Made (鋼鐵是怎樣煉成的)




Blatant (明目張膽)




Butterfly (化蝶)

TVB Trends: Rape Scenes

Rape scenes seem to be the new norm at TVB’s scriptwriting office nowadays. In three consecutive series, there have been rape scenes – Aimee Chan in The Last Steep Ascent, Kate Tsui in Highs and Lows, and Tavia Yeung in Silver Spoon Sterling Shackles. I know people have complained that it is disgusting and perverted. I do not condone rape in real life whatsoever, but personally, I have no problems with showing rape scenes on TV. Murder is just as bad and wrong, yet we see it all the time in detective and lawyer shows. Everyone knows it's fake. Besides, how much do we really see from TVB shows anyways? So to the people who are complaining: get a grip of yourself and change the channel if you don’t want to watch it. Not everyone wants to watch rainbows and ponies all the time.

With that being said, the rape scenes at TVB in recent memory.

Aimee Chan in The Last Steep Ascent

Aimee was drinking heavily on the street, catching the eye of a drunken man, who chased her into a back alley and raped her. The scene shows the man ripping her clothes off and slapping her, then it flashes forward of her crying in the alley. She tried to commit suicide after she became pregnant from the rape.

Kate Tsui in Highs and Lows

Kate was forcibly shot with drugs, then gang raped by a fallen triad leader whom she had betrayed and his henchmen. This was a lot of talk and hype about the scene, even claims of how Kate’s acting in the scene was good enough for TV Queen. In the end, the anticipated scene was only 1 second, showing an unconscious Kate and the faces of the gangsters.

Tavia Yeung in Silver Spoon, Sterling Shackles
Tavia was captured by three men for not giving “face” to their boss. The scene cuts to a crying Tavia next to the boss, who is laughs at having taken her virginity. He then invites the three men to rape her as well. The damage from the gang rape causes Tavia to be infertile.

Grace Wong in House of Harmony and Vengeance

Grace’s elegant dancing attracted attention from the son of a government official, who tricked her into a room and attempted to rape her. The guy held her down on the bed and tore off her clothes, revealing her cleavage, before Bobby Au-Yeung rushed in and killed the guy.

Aimee Chan in The Other Truth

Aimee was accompanied home by an Indian man, Chima. She is forced down on the sofa, screaming. They are shown arguing in their undergarments until her boyfriend enters and she cries that she has been raped. Later, it is discovered that she had actually seduced him. 

Sire Ma in Relic of an Emissary

Sire is dragged into the storage room and raped by one of the guards. In the scene, the rape was represented by the spilling of rice from the sack. She is seen afterwards in a shocked state with her bare shoulders showing.

Credits

Natalie Tong in A Fistful of Stances

Natalie is chased down in a forest by Eric Li. As she screams for help, the scene is intercut with her brothers feeling a bad omen elsewhere. Eric finally catches her in a flying leap and pins her to the ground. The scene fades out as her cries echo in the air.

The trend will continue. From news articles, upcoming rape scenes include:

Samantha Ko in Friendly Fire

Samantha will be raped by a spoiled rich guy, portrayed by former Mr. Hong Kong contestant Ronan Pak. This scene will surely be anticipated by the netizens who view Samantha as a “goddess”. 

Mandy Wong in A Change of Heart

Portraying a prostitute, Mandy will be knocked out with a chloroform pad and raped in a dark alley. Luckily, Niki Chow, a police officer, arrives on the scene to save her.

Natalie Tong in Detective Columbo

Natalie reveals that she will be raped by Pierre Ngo. She said the scene only took her one take and joked that she was the most professional rape victim at TVB.

Sire Ma in Will Power
In the series, Sire is the manager of a modelling agency and will be dating Vincent Wong. Unfortunately, Vincent will turn bad and rape her.

Myolie Wu in Rosy Business 3
There will be lots of steamy scenes for Myolie Wu who works as a spy, including passionate kissing and bed scenes. The rape scene will involve Japanese soldiers.  

Repeat Offender: Eric Li
It's been said that out of ten roles, nine of Eric's roles are villainous and of the nine villain roles, eight are rapists. A sampling of his victims:

- Natalie Tong in A Fistful of Stances
- Charmaine Li in Ghost Writer
- Queenie Chu in A Journey Called Life
- Participated in a gang rape in D.I.E.

What do you think of rape scenes on TV?