During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as wife. Sh...
During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as wife. She has borne him two son and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.
China, Later Tang Dynasty, 10th Century. On the eve of the Chong Yang Festival, golden flower fill the Imperial Palace. The Emperor (Chow Yun Fat) return unexpectedly with his second son, Prince Jai (Jay Chou). His pretext is to celebrate the holiday with his family, but given the chilled relation between the Emperor and the ailing Empress (Gong Li), this seems disingenuous. For many year, the Empress and Crown Prince Wan (Liu Ye), her stepson, have had an illicit liaison. Feeling trapped, Prince Wan dreams of escaping the palace with his secret love Chan (Li Man), the Imperial Doctor's daughter. Meanwhile, Prince Jai, the faithful son, grows worried over the Empress's health and her obsession with golden chrysanthemums. Could she be headed down an ominous path? The Emperor harbor equally clandestine plan; the Imperial Doctor (Ni Dahong) is the only one privy to his machination...
