The Royal Swordsmen

The Royal Swordsmen^[1] is a Chinese-Taiwanese wuxia television series. The series was directed by Deng Yancheng and Wei Liyuan, and starred Roger Kwok, Li Yapeng, Wallace Huo, Michelle Ye, Damian Lau, Tammy Chen, Gao Yuanyuan and Eva Huang in the lead roles. It was first shown on Shenzhen Media Group's Drama Channel on 30 January 2005.^[2]

Plot

The series is set in China during the Ming dynasty. Zhu Wushi, the uncle of the reigning Emperor, has been ordered by the previous emperor to establish a secret service called "Dragon-Defending Mountain Manor" to protect the monarchy. Zhu, who is nicknamed "Tiedan Shenhou" (literally "Divine Marquis of Iron Courage"), has four elite secret agents serving under him. They are known by their codenames: "Heaven Number One", "Earth Number One", "Mysterious Number One", and "Yellow Number One".

"Heaven Number One" is the calm and cool-headed Duan Tianya, who was adopted and raised by Zhu Wushi as a godson. His godfather sent him to Japan to learn ninjutsu from the Iga School. While in Japan, he had a romantic relationship with Yukihime, the elder daughter of Yagyū Tajima-no-Kami, the patriarch of the influential Yagyū family. However, he becomes an enemy of the Yagyū family after slaying Yukihime's brother, who had murdered his sensei. Torn between her family and lover, Yukihime ultimately sacrifices herself to prevent her father from killing Duan in a duel. Years later, Duan starts a new relationship with Yukihime's younger sister, Tsumujikase-wata, and finds himself in conflict with her father again.

"Mysterious Number One" is the beautiful and intelligent Shangguan Haitang, who is well versed in various skills and arts, including medicine and astronomy. Like Duan Tianya, she was also raised by Zhu Wushi as his goddaughter. She helps her godfather manage and run the day-to-day affairs of the secret service.

"Earth Number One" is the cold and aloof Guihai Yidao, whose skills in using the dao are unparalled. He has a desire to avenge his murdered father, Guihai Bailian, and sees it as his raison d'être. In his quest to avenge his father, he masters a powerful but highly perversive dao skill, and finds himself falling under its evil influence — to the point where he loses control of himself and starts to indiscriminately kill anyone who tries to stop him. He has also been secretly in love with Shangguan Haitang for many years but did not have the courage to confess his feelings to her.

"Yellow Number One" is the streetwise Cheng Shifei, who used to be a gambler, thief and trickster. By coincidence, he encounters Zhu Wushi's rival, Gu Santong, and inherits Gu's inner energy and abilities, including a powerful skill that allows him to temporarily turn his body into impenetrable metal. He also meets the Emperor's younger sister, Princess Yunluo, starts a romantic relationship with her, and marries her eventually.

The Dragon-Defending Mountain Manor has an ongoing rivalry with the Eastern Depot, another government spy agency led by the eunuch Cao Zhengchun. The Emperor knows that Zhu Wushi and Cao Zhengchun are equally influential in court politics and has been trying to use both of them to balance against each other. The four agents have to assist Zhu Wushi in curbing Cao Zhengchun's power, preserve the secret service's position in the imperial court, and defend the Emperor from internal and external threats.

Cast

• Roger Kwok as Cheng Shifei
• Li Yapeng as Duan Tianya
• Wallace Huo as Guihai Yidao
• Michelle Ye as Shangguan Haitang
  • Gui Yun as Shangguan Haitang (child)
• Damian Lau as Zhu Wushi ("Tiedan Shenhou")
• Tammy Chen as Princess Yunluo
• Gao Yuanyuan as Liusheng Piaoxu (Yagyū Tsumujikase-wata)
  • Liu Sisi as Liusheng Piaoxu (child)
• Eva Huang as Liusheng Xueji (Yagyū Yukihime)
• Kurata Yasuaki as Liusheng Danmashou (Yagyū Tajima-no-Kami)
• Zhang Yapeng as Liusheng Shibingwei (Yagyū Jūbei)
• Dicky Cheung as Gu Santong
• Deng Chao as the Emperor
• Monica Chan as Suxin
• Kent Tong as Wan Sanqian
• Adam Chen as Xiaolinzheng / Lin Xiaoquan
• Li Jianyi as Cao Zhengchun
• Fu Fangling as Xiaonu
• Zuki Lee as Princess Lixiu
• Tang Qun as the Empress Dowager
• Tan Jianchang as Zhang Jinjiu
• Lu Yong as Wuwan
• Hu Ronghua as Zhang Laosan
• Chen Fu as Li Tianhao
• Yang Shu as Li Zhengkai
• Zhang Lei as Guihai Bailian
• Tong Tong as Lu Huanong
• Niu Guanzhong as Tiezhao Feiying
• Yao Jianming as Eunuch Sun
• Ye Qing as Cheng Huan

Production

Shooting for The Royal Swordsmen started on 22 March 2004 in Wuxi,^[3] and wrapped up on 21 June in the same year.^[4]

Broadcasts

The series was first aired in mainland China on Shenzhen Media Group's Drama Channel on 30 January 2005.^[2] It started airing on 14 February 2005 on CTS Main Channel in Taiwan, and on 25 October 2006 on TVB in Hong Kong.

References

External links

• (Chinese) The Royal Swordsmen official page on TVB's website
• (Chinese) The Royal Swordsmen' on Sina.com