JUSTICE PAO (1995)
SERIES REVIEW CASE NUMBER 8
Old lady Yi kneels in prayer position in front of a sign hanging above the arch on the town's entrance. The elders prepare to hand down sentence on Ji Wai Leung, the wife of Yi Fung Sum who is accused of adultery. Amongst the group is Yi Fung Sum, who appears to be distressed at having his wife face punishment. When the time arrives, Yi Fung Sum, stood by unwilling to help his wife who was sentenced to be nailed to a board and sent to drift out to the sea. The maid of Ji Wai Leung testified that Ji Wai Leung committed adultery three times with Yi Fung Sum's younger brother, Yi Hon Sang. With this testimony, Ji Wai Leung is nailed to the board and carried towards the sea. A helpless Yi Hon Sang, hides in the background unwilling to help as well. The elders the floated Ji Wai Leung onto the water and sent her drifting away, before leaving. After the crowd is gone, Yi Fung Sum falls to his knees and grieves for his wife before leaving. Yi Hon Sang stayed and ran towards the sea in an attempt to rescue Ji Wai Leung. Suddenly Jin Chiu arrives and jumps on the board to investigate the matter. Jin Chiu looks at the sign on Ji Wai Leung's neck and realized she was being punished for adultery. Despite this Jin Chiu saved Ji Wai Leung and removed the pins from her hands and legs. At once Yi Hong Sang arrives to comfort Ji Wai Leung, and Jin Chiu takes them both back to Justice Pao for questioning. Jin Chiu was disgusted at the inhuman method used to deal with Ji Wai Leung and sought Justice Pao and Kung Sin Chuk's advice. Justice Pao agreed with Jin Chiu, and stated that the King's established law should be used to govern all matters of crime across the land. Justice Pao was disappointed that the locals acted on their own and punish Ji Wai Leung in such cruel ways. Kung Sin Chuk then informed Justice Pao of three possible scenario’s that would lead Ji Wai Leung into being punished for adultery. Justice Pao also agreed with Kung Sin Chuk that the case might not be as clear as if first seems and vowed to help Ji Wai Leung to obtain justice. Justice Pao visited Ji Wai Leung and discovered that she indeed was a kind person. Justice Pao then questioned Yi Hon Sang who informed Justice Pao that the offence occurred because he had been force to sleep with Ji Wai Leung, to have a new born child. Old lady Yi had wanted to have a heir to receive the King's congratulations but Yi Fung Sum was impotent. Justice Pao, Jin Chiu and Kung Sin Chuk were stunned by this allegation. At once Justice Pao sent Jin Chiu to summon Yi Fung Sum to the courtroom for questioning. Whilst at the house of Yi, Jin Chiu, noticed that the old lady Yi harbored a distinct hatred for Ji Wai Leung and was being difficult about letting Yi Fung Sum return to the court room with him. When Yi Fung Sum arrived and was questioned, he revealed the past events and admitted that he was impotent. Justice Pao was informed that old lady Yi blamed, Ji Wai Leung, Yi Fung sum's wife, for not giving birth to a heir and wanted him to marry a second wife. But Yi Fung Sum did not want to marry a second wife. In order to kill two birds with one stone, Yi Fung Sum, attempted to convince his younger brother Yi Hon Sang to sleep with his with so that she would give birth to a child. This way old lady Yi would be happy once more with Ji Wai Leung and secondly it meant that he did not need to marry another wife. Yi Hong Sang refused at first, but slowly started to fall in love with Ji Wai Leung after finding out that she was still a virgin. Soon old lady Yi got frustrated and started making plans for Yi Fung Sum to marry a mistress. Yi Fung Sum oppose the decision and promised old lady Yi that his wife would give birth to a child within 6 months. Old lady Yi backed off upon this promise. Yi Fung Sum then informed Ji Wai Leung of his indecent idea. Ji Wai Leung was shocked that her husband even made the suggestion of having her sleep with another man and ran away. Yi Fung Sum chased after her and she forgave him for suggesting the idea. However the following evening, Yi Fung Sum, informed his brother Yi Hon Sang, that his wife had accepted the indecent proposal. Yi Fung Sum convinced Yi Hon Sang to go into his wife's bedroom and sleep with her. Ji Wai Leung was asleep at the time, but when she found that Yi Hon Sang was on the bed she slapped him and attempted to commit suicide. Yi Fung Sum rushed in and talked her out of taking her own life, because he still loved her. Later it was getting close to old lady Yi's 60th birthday, but she did not want to celebrate because she still had no grand children. Old lady Yi started to dislike Ji Wai Leung even more. With time running out, Yi Fung Sum, drugged his wife and informed Yi Hon Sang to sleep with her whilst she was asleep. Yi Hon Sang returned to Ji Wai Leung's bedroom and slept with her. When Ji Wai Leung found out what had happened she attempted to commit suicide once more but Yi Fung Sum talked her out of it. Yi Fung Sum then made a promise to look after Ji Wai Leung since that day. As Yi Fung Sum finished telling his side of the story, Justice Pao was stunned. Before Justice Pao could continue with the questioning, Jin Chiu arrived to inform Justice Pao that old lady Yi had arrived with two of the elders to see him. Justice Pao left the courtroom to see them. Old lady Yi was extremely upset with Justice Pao and attempted to threaten him with her connections in the Royal Court. Justice Pao was not phased and informed her that he would uncover the truth. Old lady Yi then made a request to see her sons in prison. Justice Pao allowed her to visit them. After speaking with her two sons, old lady Yi told them to lie to Justice Pao to buy her some time so she could obtain the help of relatives who hold high positions in the royal court. Upon returning to the courtroom to be questioned by Justice Pao, Ji Wai Leung continued on with the story. After sleeping with Yi Hon Sang, she wanted to commit suicide by her husband Yi Fung Sum begged her not to. She then forgave her husband on the condition that she would not have to repeat the act ever again. However after that event, Yi Hon Sang had become obsessed with Ji Wai Leung and constantly stalked her. When Justice Pao asked Yi Hon Sang whether the allegations were true he denied everything and said that Ji Wai Leung was lying. Justice Pao suspected that Yi Hon Sang was lying and purposely delaying the case. Justice Pao's suspicions were soon proved correct when Jin Chiu returned to inform Justice Pao that old lady Yi had arrived with two relatives who were high government officials. Justice Pao ended the questioning session for the day and went to see them. Once again old lady Yi threaten Justice Pao, but he was unphased. Justice Pao then explained the logic behind his purpose of pursuing the case of Ji Wai Leung further with the two government officials. They listen to Justice Pao's logic and decided not to interfere with the case much to old lady Yi's disgust. Having failed, old lady Yi visited her sons once more and told them to keep delaying the case from being solved until their uncle returned. The following day, Ji Wai Leung, continued to on with the story. One night she receive a visit from a servant, Mu Heung, who gave her some soup to drink. She drank it and became dizzy. Yi Hon Sang then arrived and took advantage of the situation to rape her. As he left the room, the servant Mu Heung returned and noticed Yi Hon Sang walking out of Ji Wai Leung's room half dressed. Justice Pao became disturbed upon hearing of the rape, and asked Yi Hon Sang whether it was true. Yi Hon Sang lied once more and said he did not commit such and act. In order to prove that Ji Wai Leung was telling the truth Justice Pao sent Jin Chiu to take the servant, Mu Heung in for questioning. Old lady Yi did not allow Mu Heung, to leave for questioning until Jin Chiu threatened to use physical force. Before allowing Mu Heung to leave, old lady Yi instructed her to come up with a lie. Kung Sin Chuk had anticipated this move and prepared a plan to get Mu Heung to tell the truth. Upon arriving Mu Heung was informed that she would have her head removed instantly. Fearing for her life, Mu Heung told the truth and informed Justice Pao that it was Yi Hon Sang who instructed her to take the soup to Ji Wai Leung and not old lady Yi. Mu Heung also informed Justice Pao that she did not know the soup had been drugged and did witness Yi Hon Sang raping Ji Wai Leung with her own eyes. Mu Heung also informed Justice Pao that she had informed old lady Yi about the rape. Instead of punishing Yi Hon Sang, old lady Yi decided to conceal the truth and later accused Ji Wai Leung of adultery. Initially old lady Yi was happy at having a grand child until people started to remark at how the child look liked Yi Hon Sang instead of Yi Fung Sum. This led to Ji Wai Leung being nailed to the board. Justice Pao slammed his fist on the table upon hearing the truth. He then summoned Yi Hon Sang, Yi Fung Sum and Ji Wai Leung back into the courtroom for questioning. With Mu Heung's testimony, Yi Hon Sang, admitted the truth about raping Ji Wai Leung. Yi Hon Sang then informed Justice Pao that he was summoned to see his mother who had found out the truth. Old lady Yi then laid down the foundations, which led to Ji Wai Leung being accused of adultery despite knowing the entire truth about Yi Fung Sum's impotency. Now with full evidence Justice Pao could hand down his sentence, but Jin Chiu advised Justice Pao that old lady Yi should also be convicted for her involvement in concealing the truth. Kung Sin Chuk and Justice Pao both agreed. Surprisingly old lady Yi returned old general Yi, to talk with Justice Pao. Once again Justice Pao revealed the logic behind pursuing the case and general Yi backed off. Old lady Yi was then arrested on the spot by Wong Chiu and Mar Hon. When being questioned old lady Yi protested long and hard refusing to admit to any wrong doing. Justice Pao then retraced over the facts of the case with evidence. Before he could continue, he was summoned to see the King to explain his actions. General Yi had visited the King painting one side of the case, and Justice Pao arrived to explain the other side of the case. The King was impressed with Justice Pao's explanation and handed full authority over to Justice Pao. The following day Justice Pao was ready to hand down his sentence but old lady Yi still stood in protest. She did not understand why she was judge to have committed a crime and why Ji Wai Leung was free of committing adultery. Justice Pao then laid out the following logic. Since marrying into the Yi family Ji Wai Leung was been a good wife, who kept Yi Fung Sum's impotency a secret and took the blame for not being able to bear children. Ji Wai Leung never got upset or complained about old lady Yi to her husband despite being treated badly. Ji Wai Leung was prepared to commit suicide to protect the Yi family name after being forced to sleep with Yi Hon Sang. Finally even though she slept with Yi Hon Sang, it was against her will as she was drugged at the time. As for old lady Yi, she attempted to cover the truth and protect Yi Hon Sang despite knowing the truth. Also old lady Yi would stand by and let an innocent person die. Old lady Yi continued to protest however despite hearing Justice Pao's logic. Therefore Justice Pao ordered Cheung Lo and Jiu Foo to beat old lady Yi 30 times. Upon hearing this Ji Wai Leung jumped out of her wheel chair and protected old lady Yi with her own body. Ji Wai Leung then begged Justice Pao to have mercy. Finally old lady Yi was overcome by the kindness shown to her by Ji Wai Leung and finally admitted that she had been wrong. Justice Pao then informed old lady Yi that as long as she knew that she committed a crime she was allowed to be set free upon some light punishment. Yi Fung Sum was sentenced to healing people for free should they not have the money to pay for medicine. Yi Hon Sang was going to be beheaded but he too admitted guilt and was sentenced a series of heavy beatings and spend time in prison. However Justice Pao would allow Yi Hon Sang probation should be change his ways. Finally Ji Wai Leung was free of the charge of adultery and free to do as she pleased. RATING (5) It was strange that the Justice Pao series should end with a boring case. The majority of this story is spent in the courtroom. Therefore there is a lack of action. Poon Chi Man, Cheung Kwok Keung, and Ng Wing Mei acted well. Cheung Kwok Keung was particularly convincing in his role. Of all the stories, Felix appears the least in this particularly case. I have to say that this case isn’t one of my favorites though sort of interesting with the indecent proposal. Overall the Justice Pao series receives a rating of 5 out of 10. Four of the eight cases were excellent and four of the cases were ordinary. The Justice Pao series does feature some interesting pairings such as Patrick Tam with Esther Kwan, Maggie Siu with Jacky Liu and Felix Wong with Fiona Leung. They all made a great set of on screen couples and made the series enjoyable even when at times it became a little bit boring. The Justice Pao series lacked action, but contained many sad and tragic dramas. Kung Sin Chuk's shake of the head normally is a sign that one of the main characters are dead and many of the cases do have sad ending. The series is filed with evil, corruption and deceit. It is definitely not a series for the faint hearted. However for those of you out there who enjoy a series where a crime is solved through the use of good detective work, and excellent debating skills, this is one to watch. The songs and tune used in the Justice Pao series are excellent and combine effectively to make the series sad and tragic.
SCENES
[CASE 1] [CASE 2] [CASE 3] [CASE 4] [CASE 5] [CASE 6] [CASE 7] [CASE 8] [PAO CHING TIN] [JIN CHIU] [KUNG SIN CHUK] |
