The Duke of Mount Deer (2000 TV series)

The Duke of Mount Deer 2000
Official poster
Genre	Wuxia
Written by	Louis Cha (original story)
Starring	Dicky Cheung Patrick Tam
Opening theme	Yibeizi Yichangmeng (一輩子一場夢) performed by Dicky Cheung
Ending theme	Ni Aiwo Xiangshei (你愛我像誰) performed by Dicky Cheung
Country of origin	Hong Kong Taiwan
Language(s)	Mandarin
No. of episodes	40
Production
Running time	45 minutes per episode
Broadcast
Original channel	TVB (Hong Kong)
Original airing	2000

The Duke of Mount Deer
Traditional Chinese	小寶與康熙
Simplified Chinese	小宝与康熙
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Xiǎo Bǎo Yǔ Kāng Xī Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping Siu2 Bou2 Jyu4 Hong1 Hei1

The Duke of Mount Deer 2000 is a television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Deer and the Cauldron. It was first broadcast in 2000 in Hong Kong and followed by subsequent broadcasts in other Asian countries.

Plot

The story is centred around an uneducated street urchin Wei Xiaobao, who was born and raised in a brothel by his mother. Through a series of misadventures, he managed to make his way from the southern playground of Yangzhou to Beijing, the seat of Manchurian imperial power, and bumbling accidentally into a fateful encounter with young Kangxi Emperor. By hook or by crook, but also through a genuine concern and fierce loyalty towards Kangxi, Wei Xiaobao found himself in the greatest of confidences and a complicated friendship of one of the most eminent monarchs of Chinese history.

The plot follows Wei on a rags to riches journey as he becomes embroiled in political and court intrigues, overcoming enemies for Kangxi and accomplishing amazing achievements. Along the way, Wei meets with and successfully woos seven beautiful women, climbs his way up the social ladder from brothel boy to great lord and nobleman, acquiring titles such as Imperial Emissary and Plenipotenitary, Ambassador, general and admiral - courtesy of Kangxi - as well as finding himself in positions completely at odds with the above: Green Wood Lodge Master of the Heaven and Earth Society, and White Dragon Marshal of the Mystic Dragon Cult.

In the end, however, Wei Xiaobao could not reconcile his two separate lives - as an anti-Qing rebel and Kangxi's devoted courtier. He chose to offer up his own life- in return for Kangxi's munificence towards him and also as an honourable way out of the Heaven and Earth Society. Pained and aggrieved beyond words, Kangxi orders the execution of his one and only true friend. Afterwards, plagued by loss and guilt, Kangxi took a long walk along the Great Wall, asking heaven for guidance - only to be happily surprised by the appearance of Wei Xiaobao, who didn't die after all. After saving his mate's life once again, Wei bades goodbye to Kangxi, reaffirming their friendship which will, from that point onwards, remain only in the minds and memories of the two men.

Cast

• Dicky Cheung as Wei Xiaobao
• Patrick Tam as Kangxi Emperor
• Ruby Lin as Princess Jianning
• Annie Wu as Shuang'er
• Athena Chu as A'ke
• Teresa Mak as Fang Yi
• Monica Chan as Long'er
• Hsu Chi as Xiao Jinyu
• Jess Zhang as Mu Jianping
• Wong Yat-fei as Duolong
• Bryan Leung as Hu Dedi
• Ekin Cheng as Chan Jinnan
• Ng Man-tat as Hai Dafu
• Chen Kuan-tai as Hong Antong
• Cheng Jui-siau as Zheng Keshuang
• Elvis Tsui as Oboi

External links

• (Chinese) The Duke of Mount Deer official page on CTS website
• (Chinese) The Duke of Mount Deer official page on GTV website