Main

Note: Some of the characters' names are in Cantonese romanisation.

Recurring

Note: Some of the characters' names are in Cantonese romanisation.

Dramatized historical figures

• Empress Dowager Guo (Susan Tse) – Empress Dowager and Grand Empress Dowager Guo is based on a historical figure of the same name, who was recorded in history as being the rival of Empress Dowager Zheng.
• Empress Dowager Zheng (Mary Hon) – based on a historical figure of the same name, initially a maid to the Imperial Household who caught the Emperor's attentions and was elevated to the status of an imperial concubine.
• Emperor Xuānzong of Tang (Moses Chan) – based on Emperor Xuānzong who succeeded Empress Dowager Guo's grandson Emperor Wuzong of Tang as Emperor of the Tang.
• Emperor Wuzong of Tang (Edwin Siu) – based on the Emperor Wuzong who succeeded his brother Emperor Wenzong of Tang as Emperor of the Tang.
• Emperor Muzong of Tang (Eric Li (actor)) – based on the Emperor that preceded by Emperor Xianzong of Tang and succeeded by his son Emperor Jingzong of Tang. Neither of the latter two are featured in the series.
• Li Jun, Prince of Qi 杞王李峻 (Jeffrey Wong) – based on the eldest son of Emperor Wuzong, of whom nothing is known, in the series he assisted Emperor Xuānzong in defeating the character of Ma Yuan Zhi in return for the throne which he rejected in the end.
• Consort Wang 王貴妃 (Tracy Ip) – based on the favourite concubine of Emperor Wuzong, Consort Wang (Wuzong) 王賢妃. Consort Wang was never titled guifei in reality. During her lifetime she held the position of a cairen which was a lower rank of imperial concubine than a guifei. She was posthumously honoured as yinfei by Emperor Xuãnzong, who was in reality moved by Consort Wang's devotion to her husband.
• Ma Yuan Zhi (Lee Kwok Lun) – loosely based on a trusted and powerful eunuch of the same name under the rule of Emperor Xuãzong. The character portrayed by Lee Kwok Lun is a combination of two powerful figures, the eunuch Ma Yuan Zhi and military statesman Ma Zhi, who were known dually as the "Two Mas".
• Chancellor Li Deyu (Lau Dan) – based on Chancellor Li Deyu.

Historical facts

• Empress Dowager or Grand Empress Dowager Guo was resented by Concubine Dowager (later Empress Dowager) Zheng. The two women were rivals for a long period of time, especially after the ascension of the latter's son Emperor Xuãnxong. The Grand Empress Dowager was disrespected by Empress Dowager Zheng and Lee Yi to such an extent that she really attempted suicide by throwing herself off the tower.
• Grand Empress Dowager Guo tried to commit suicide as she failed to demand respect from Emperor Xuānzong and Empress Dowager Zheng. She tried to jump from the Qinzheng Tower, but failed. That night, she died, though the cause of her death remains a mystery. It is suspected that Emperor Xuãnzong hashed her put to death.
• Consort Wang was in the rank of cairen instead of guifei during her lifetime as her family was neither prominent nor noble. It was only after her death that she was elevated to the rank of yinfei. It is traditionally held that Consort Wang and her husband were truly in love with each other.
• Instead of being sentenced to death by Empress Dowager Guo, in history she committed suicide because she was saddened by the death of her spouse. This moved even the jealous concubines who resented the devotion she had from her husband, and even Emperor Xuãnzong himself.
• Li Yi is believed to have sought refuge at a Taoist monastery at some point, though this is not a confirmed historical fact.
• Li Yi was thought to have had low intelligence and confidence before he ascended to the throne. However, after his ascension he revealed extraordinary abilities as a political leader.
• Emperor Wuzong did suffer during the latter part of his reign in health due to alchemists' pills. In the series, he was given a pill by the fictional huifei who thought it would be of benefit to him. Many of the Tang Emperors actually believed in the purported health benefits of these pills, though modern scientific evidence reveals that these pills were toxic.
• Emperor Wuzong was killed by ambitious powerful eunuchs that held immense power at the latter part of the Tang Dynasty, which was already nearing its end during the time setting of the series. The eunuchs in the series killed him to place Li Yi on the throne because they thought that he would be easy to control, as the Prince of Guang put on a facade.
• The Imperial Household Bureau was one of the six Imperial Bureaus of the Tang dynasty.
• The series is set during the latter years of the Tang Dynasty, around about half a century before the Tang Dynasty's end. The Tang Empire at this time was controlled by powerful, ambitious, corrupt eunuchs, and the Tang Emperors gradually lost more and more power to them. The Tang Dynasty reached its peak in culture and power during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong's ancestor Emperor Xuanzong's reign, before it was sent into decline by the An Shi Rebellion during Xuanzong's reign. Emperor Xuānzong was an Emperor during the decline of the Tang Empire, and he was the last strong ruler of the Tang Dynasty.
• In the television drama, Taoism appears as the initially as the religion and accepted philosophy of the imperial family and imperial government. However, after Li Yi comes to the throne, Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy is discussed by the characters in their dialogue, and Buddhist worship took the place of Taoist worship. Emperor Xuānzong revived Buddhist worship that was unsupported by the few Emperors before him. Buddhism flourished under the Tang Empire, and it was during this golden age in Chinese history that the system of adapting to the three schools of Confucianism, Taoism and Chinese Buddhism was solidified for the first time. This ideology of adapting to the philosophies of all three would last for millennia. Confucianism was promoted primarily for its appreciation of various virtues, including collectivist ideals of family units and interdependence between the people and units of the state. Taoism was promoted for its appreciation of nature, balance and moderation in all things, as opposed to the Legalist ideals of Ancient, feudal China. Buddhism was imported as an Indian faith and remains hugely popular from the Tang Dynasty.
• In history Empress Dowager Zheng outlived Li Yi and saw her grandson Emperor Yizong of Tang ascend the throne as a grand empress dowager. As the eldest son of Li Yi, in fact, Yizong was born 14 years before Li Yi's ascension But all through the series, Li Yi is seen as childless. In the series, Empress Dowager Zheng is portrayed more sympathetically in a tilt towards the rights of the working class than the picture of a resentful and socially ambitious empress dowager drawn by historians. Historians often view Empress Dowager Guo with sympathy in contrast, as a woman who was born into nobility.

Cultural inaccuracies

• During the Tang Dynasty, there were actually a limited number of chairs. Within the drama, chairs are excessively common.
• The Tang palace had six imperial bureaus. In the drama, food and clothing is prepared under the Imperial Household Bureau, while in fact they were prepared within their own, individual bureaus.
• Members of the imperial harem would not have referred to each other as "sisters" during the Tang dynasty and earlier, a common misconception.
• Parents of girls working as servants in the palace were not allowed to vocally recognise their daughters.
• The Japanese chess player is dressed in Japanese clothing from a later period in Japanese history. At the time, early kimono inspired by Chinese court clothing was already popular amongst Japanese women (Japanese culture was very different from China's before the Japanese began importing Chinese cultural elements and forms of government around 500 CE) though it was not quite as common amongst Japanese men.

Development

Since the successful Korean blockbuster drama, Jewel in the Palace, reached a final peak 50 rating points, and topped the chart in Hong Kong in 2005, Hong Kong had been waiting for another breathtaking production to the likes of Jewel in the Palace. After in 2004, the highly successful TVB drama series War and Beauty gripped a huge audience and gained excellent ratings. Producer Mui Siu Ching, who is highly familiar to this type of darker plot, with her experiences in dramas such as Forensic Heroes and The Brink of Law, moved straight to commission this drama production which genre to costume series revolving around the conflicts and struggle within the inner palace.^[3] In late 2008, a trailer was released at TVB's sales presentation.^[4] A costume fitting took place on 17 February 2009.^[5] The series was originally planned to start filming in December 2008, but executives felt it had potential to be a grand production and pushed filming to February 2009 with the script modified from the original 25 episodes to 33 and new costumes were designed specifically for the series.^[6]

The original working title known as Palace Schemes linked the story to scheming hearts of women in the royal palace.^[7] Although its Chinese title kept on the same meaning, the English title was changed to Beyond the Realm of Conscience.^[8] When initial script was first submitted, it was temporarily called Lau Sam Ho, representing Charmaine Sheh's character. 50% of the storyline from the sales presentation trailer was changed. It yielded the some development in casting, costume, setting, character and screenplay as well.

Casting

Charmaine Sheh was cast as the protagonist. Two previous TVB award-winning actors, Moses Chan and Kevin Cheng are also featured. TVB Best Supporting Actress 2008 winner Tavia Yeung portrays her first villainous role, which was also the most challenging role she has taken on for the past 10 years.^[9] Other experienced actresses starring alongside her also played famous villainous roles including Susanna Kwan (villain in Heart of Greed), Michelle Yim (villain in Moonlight Resonance) Susan Tse (villain in Rosy Business).^[10] Selena Li was cast as Mun Bou Yin to motivate younger audiences.^{[citation needed]} Christine Ng^[11] and Fala Chen, who were featured in the trailer were replaced by Kara Wai and Yoyo Chen due to scheduling conflicts.

Location and costume

The series was only filmed in Hong Kong, unlike 2003's costume drama War and Beauty. The outdoor scenes were filmed in local parks and within TVB City.^[12] High rise buildings that surrounded the parks were removed in post production.

Sheh's character had 17 image and 30 set of custom-made costumes.^[13] Cheng's wig with middle parting was made by the same master who crafted Tony Leung's wig in Red Cliff while Chan's emperor wig was specially created with braided pattern.^[14] The wigs were heavy and the female cast needed to keep some painkillers handy during the costume fitting.^[15] As the height of the wig represents social status, Susan Tse who played the Empress had the tallest wig, taking 3 hours to prepare for makeup and setting hairstyle.^[16] Yeung pointed out that the female cast in the series suffer from neck and shoulder pains, "The head ornaments are too heavy. So, by the time we finish filming the series, everyone will probably suffer from cervical vertebrae inflammation (swelling)! As soon as the head ornament goes on, our necks already have problems. Right now, my neck and shoulders are swollen. I have to apply ointment on them every night."^[17]

250 sets of costumes were made representing the 4 departments in the palace; embroidery department used lilies and the pink color, jewelry department used peonies and the blue color, food department used chrysanthemums and the orange color, and upholstery department used lotus and the green color.^[18]

42nd TVB Anniversary Awards (2009)

Asian Television Awards (2010)

42nd Ming Pao Anniversary Awards 2010