MU Guiying Takes Command (February 2nd)
When Kingdom of Xia invades the Central Plains, KOU Zhun recommends the generals from the YANG family to assume command, while WANG Qiang, an officer at the Ministry of War of the Northern Song Dynasty, recommends his son WANG Lun to assume command with the intention to take over military power and subvert the Imperial Court by colluding with the enemy. The emperor of the Song Dynasty decides to hold a martial arts competition on the drill ground to choose the supreme commander. Upon hearing the news, Dowager SHE, who has been out of office for more than 20 years, sends her great-grandchildren YANG Wenguang and YANG Jinhua to fish for information in Kaifeng. Being spirited, they come to the YANG Family’s former residence “Tianbo Mansion”. Hearing the news that WANG Lun is attending the martial arts competition, they hurry to the drill ground. Seeing that WANG Lun has carried off the Commander’s Seal, they refuse to accept this as final and request to compete with WANG Lun. Before their competition starts, WANG Qiang claims that it is not a crime to kill the opponent on the drill ground. KOU Zhun recognizes the descendants of the YANG Family and drops them a hint that they will not be guilty of killing WANG Lun. Finally, YANG Wenguang kills WANG Lun with his sword and takes the Commander’s Seal. The emperor orders his mother MU Guiying to take command.
YANG Wenguang and YANG Jinhua return home happily with the Commander’s Seal and give it to their mother. Feeling indignant that the emperor gave the YANG Family the cold shoulder 20 years ago, MU Guiying ties her son up at once and goes to the emperor’s audience hall to hand over the seal. YANG Jinhua requests Dowager SHE to solve the problem. Dowager SHE feels very excited at the fact that the Commander’s Seal has returned to the YANG Family. She admonishes MU Guiying to put national safety first. MU Guiying gives reasons for her refusal, but Dowager SHE says, “I will take command if you don’t.” Inspired by Dowager SHE’s words, MU Guiying agrees to lead the troops into battle. After putting the military discipline in order, she bade Dowager SHE and KOU Zhun farewell, who come to see her off, and marches towards Kingdom of Xia with her troops.
MU Guiying: HU Wenge
YANG Zongbao: LI Hongtu
KOU Zhun: MA Botong
Dowager SHE: KANG Jing
WANG Qiang: ZHU Feng
The emperor of the Song Dynasty: NI Shengchun
YANG Wenguang: XIA Kai
YANG Jinhua: MA Zhenzhen
WANG Lun: WANG Bowen
YANG Hong: SUN Shimin
Peking Opera Red-mane Savage Horse (February 3rd)
WANG Yun, a prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, has three daughters. His eldest daughter WANG Jinchuan married to SU Long, an official in the Ministry of Revenue; the second daughter WANG Yinchuan married to WEI Hu, Assistant Minister of War; the youngest daughter WANG Baochuan, as the apple of her father’s eye, chooses her husband by throwing a silk ball from a decorated building at crisscross streets. XUE Pinggui catches this ball. However, WANG Yun despises the poverty-stricken boy, and breaks his promise to marry off Baochuan. Baochuan argues strongly with her father, but her effort goes in vain. She sever the relationship with her father and leaves with XUE. The newlyweds reside in XUE’s shabby dwelling. After XUE joins the army, he is unluckily captured by the enemies of Xiliang Kingdom. However, he gets married with Princess Daizhan of Xiliang Kingdom. Afterwards, he reigns Xiliang Kingdom together with the Princess. Eighteen years later, XUE Pinggui returns to Chang’an, where he has a union with WANG Baochuan. At that time, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty passes away. WANG Yun usurps the throne and sends troops to catch XUE Pinggui. Fortunately, Princess Daizhan bravely protects XUE Pinggui from danger. XUE Pinggui takes the throne of the Tang Dynasty, and WANG Baochuan is also conferred with the title of empress.
WANG Baochuan: CHI Xiaoqiu
XUE Pinggui: YANG Shaopeng/ ZHANG Jifeng
Princess Daizhan of Xiliang Kingdom: WANG Yi
WANG Yun: MU Yu
Mrs.: SHEN Wenli
GAO Siji: BAO Fei
WEI Hu: LI Yang
MA Da: MEI Qingyang
JIANG Hai: LIANG Junwei
SU Long: WANG Lei
YANG Silang Visits His Mother (February 4th)
During the war between the Liao and Song Dynasties, the Song general YANG Silang (Yanhui) gets captured. He renames himself MU Yi, and marries Princess Tiejing of Liao. Fifteen years later, his mother Dowager SHE leads the army to the Yanmen Pass. YANG Silang goes stealthily to the military camp of the Song Dynasty to visit his mother with the token of authority stolen by Princess Tiejing for him. Then he returns to the Liao Dynasty that very night considering the safety of Princess. He is arrested by Queen Dowager XIAO, but she forgives him after Princess Tiejing intercedes on his behalf.
YANG Yanhui: DU Zhenjie/ YU Xinze/ FEI Xiang
Princess Tiejing of Liao: ZHANG Huifang
Queen Dowager XIAO: CHEN Zhangxia
Dowager SHE: KANG Jing
YANG Zongbao: ZHOU Xiaomeng
Mrs. Si: MA Na
YANG Yanzhao: BAI Zhixin
Emperor’s Maternal Uncle: SUN Zhen
The 2
nd Emperor’s Maternal Uncle: BAO Yan
The Matchmaker (February 5th)
ZHANG Gong (courtesy name Junrui), a native of Luoyang, goes to take an imperial examination. He passes by Pudong and lodges at the ancient Pujiu Temple, where he meets CUI Yingying the daughter of the late prime minister CUI Jue. He falls in love with her at first sight, and reveals his feelings to the matchmaker, receiving a severe reprimand. SUN Feihu, Commander of the station troops, mutinies and besieges the temple to force Yingying to marry him. Mrs. CUI, Yingying’s mother, promises to betroth her daughter to whoever can defeat the army. ZHANG Gong asks Monk Huiming to send a letter to his friend White Horse General DU Que, who comes to the rescue of the besieged with his soldiers. However, Mrs. CUI goes back on her promise and wants Yingying to be ZHANG Gong’s younger sister. ZHANG Gong seeks advice from the matchmaker, who asks him to compose a poem for Yingying. On the night, he climbs over the wall to date with Yingying, but she reproaches him. Feeling angry and dejected, ZHANG Gong falls ill. Unexpectedly, the matchmaker comes with Yingying, who pledges to marry him. Mrs. CUI curses Hongniang for it but gets blamed for breaking promise in turn. At last, Mrs. CUI promises to ZHANG Gong that he can marry Yingying after passing the imperial examination.
The Matchmaker: CHANG Qiuyue
ZHANG Junrui: LIU Mingzhe
CUI Yingying: MA Na
Mrs. CUI: CUI Ran
Huiming: HAN Juming
FA Ben: BAO Yan
DU Que: WEI Xuelei
SUN Feihu: YU Shuai
FA Cong: SUN Zhen
Servant: ZHANG Nan
Auspicious Dragon and Phoenix (February 6th)
LIU Bei occupies Jingzhou and refuses to return it. SUN Quan confers with ZHOU Yu to set a scheme for LIU by pretending to betroth his unmarried sister SUN Shangxiang to LIU, so that LIU will cross the river and be held hostage in exchange for Jingzhou. The trick is seen through by ZHUGE Liang, who tells LIU to please SUN Quan’s mother Dowager WU with the help of ZHOU Yu’s father-in-law QIAO Xuan, and then Dowager WU arranges a blind date in the Ganlu Temple, making the marriage between LIU and SUN become reality. After LIU Bei gets married into the Kingdom of Wu, ZHOU Yu confuses him with sensual pleasures, which causes LIU not to think of to returning to Jingzhou as expected. According to the wise counsel from ZHUGE Liang, ZHAO Yun lies to LIU that CAO Cao is launching a sneak attack on Jingzhou. SUN Shangxiang says goodbye to her mother and leaves sneakily with LIU at his request. ZHOU Yu deploys forces to chase and intercept LIU, but SUN Shangxiang repulses them. Then, ZHOU Yu arrives with soldiers, but ZHUGE Liang has prepared a ship for LIU to help him out of impending danger.
ZHAO Yun: WEI Xuelei
LIU Bei: SONG Haoyu
LYU Fan: QIU Shi
JIA Hua: SUN Zhen
QIAO Yu: ZHU Qiang
QIAO Fu: HUANG Baixue
Dowager WU: ZHAI Mo
SUN Quan: FANG Xu
SUN Shangxiang: WANG Rongrong
LIU Bei: TAN Xiaoceng
ZHOU Yu: LI Hongtu
LU Su: ZHU Qiang
ZHANG Fei: HAN Juming
ZHUGE Liang: QIU Shi