Things get intense in this episode. It’s not the first time we’ve had a “Wai Siu-bo is in the belly of the beast” storyline, but at the moment, he’s up against a formidable foe who is not messing around. Fortunately, Siu-bo has learned a lot about dealing with these kinds of situations and can hold his own remarkably well, which keeps the episode from feeling overly heavy.
Wai Siu-bo and his allies are rocked by Ng Sam-kwai’s latest escalation, torturing and mutilating someone to preserve his secrets. The Green Wood Lodge adepts are ready for big moves, but Siu-bo still has to play the diplomat. As the emperor’s emissary, he’s in a precarious position. Is he protected because Ng Sam-kwai doesn’t want to tip his hand too early? Or is he in danger because Ng might use his brutal murder to send the emperor a message? Not knowing the answer, he decides to press his luck anyway.
Over the last handful of episodes, there’s been a lot of build-up over Ng Sam-kwai being a baddie, but in this one, we really see some of the fruits of his villainy. Some of this comes in the form of conspiracies, like his secret alliances with other groups, while other actions are more direct and visceral, as we see with the poor tortured man. His wife, the Princess Chan Yuen-yuen, may be one of the few people who are truly safe in his presence, but even that isn’t assured.
This is a great episode for Wai Siu-bo. Tony Leung Chiu-wai just kills it throughout, starting with Siu-bo’s anguished rage when he sees what Ng Sam-kwai has done to his mutilated ally. He’s always been an emotional character, very reactive to the huge things happening around him, but this is next level. He immediately grabs a dagger and vows to kill Ng Sam-kwai himself—in that instant, this novice fighter who’s always had a strong sense of self-preservation thinks nothing of going up against the seasoned warrior, that’s how distraught he is. There’s also really good bit where the Green Wood Lodge guys are trying to comfort him/stop him from getting himself killed, and he blinks rapidly and repeatedly to keep from crying—such a real, human moment.
Upset as he is, Wai Siu-bo has to roll up his sleeves and keep working. Luckily, our clever fool decides to scheme instead of fight, which he’s much better at. His first feat comes when he tries to get intel from a Mongolian envoy who’s been cozying up to Ng Sam-kwai. Siu-bo has always been a good liar, presenting himself in innumerable guises depending on who he’s talking to. But usually, he creates his personae as needed: the devoted eunuch, the orphaned rebel, the humble student, etc. This time, though, the Mongolian makes an assumption about who he is and Siu-bo just has to go with it, adapting on the fly as he plays a part someone else has unwittingly assigned to him.
Additionally, he’s fantastic in his scenes with Ng Sam-kwai. Leung really captures the delicate tightrope Wai Siu-bo is walking here. In some ways, he’s incredibly careful, showering the Yunnan lord with flattery as he appeals to Ng’s wealth, good taste, and battle prowess. But at the same time that he plays the fawning sycophant, he’s also sifting for clues of Ng’s duplicitous nature, and so he weaves these veiled accusations in amongst the flattery. Praising Ng for his loyalty, for instance, just after he’s oh-so-nonchalantly alluded to the fact that Ng had served the Ming emperor before defecting and switching his loyalties over to Qing. It’s a bold strategy, and Siu-bo keeps pushing just far enough to keep Ng wrongfooted, always pulling back before he crosses the line. These scenes are done so well, and Leung strikes just the right tone.
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