After re - establishing his reputation with a string of profitable comedies and erotic tales , li han - hsiang earned the right to again make the historical epic he loved . lavishing a considerable budget on the palace set , he fabricated a grand , majestic backdrop for his intimate portrayal of late qing political intrigue , creating the suffocating , gloomy mood of an empire about to fall apart 光緒狄快將親政,但上有跋扈頑固的慈禧太后盧燕,下則群臣昏庸?jié)M朝最要風(fēng)得風(fēng)的是太監(jiān)李蓮英苗天,敢作敢為的只有小太監(jiān)姜大衛(wèi)與年已耄耋的王爺。