Yen-ping Chu – Yi shi er niao AKA One Stone and Two Birds (2005)

During the reign of Emperor Jia Jing of the Ming Dynasty, the evil court official Yan Song relies on the emperor favoritism towards him, becoming overbearing and domineering. An honest official Zhang Ying Long impeaches Yan Song w/ a “Ten Cimes Five Deceits” against him. But instead he gets flogged 30 times, and banished to a far off frontier Guizhou.

Zhang Ying Long’s remonstration won the hearts of the common people, on the day of his banishment thousands of people turned out to see him off. At the sight of this, Yan Sung knows that if he does not kill off Zhang Ying Long, he will be unable to deter other court officials. Thereupon, he arranges for assassins to kill Zhang Ying Long during the journey.

Guizhou, b/w the high mountain ridge lies a small relay station. Because this place is far off and also not deemed an important area by the government, therefore the relay station has become run-downed. The relay station is managed by two young people, one is named Shi Yi Pao, the other Bu De Liao, and also Zeng Wu Liao. Shi Yi Pao seems like a person who feels that he never gets enough sleep, and has a look of bewilderment on him everyday. Bu De Liao and Ceng Wu Liao both are diligent, but they are kind of stupid looking. These three people have already spent six useless years in this boring place.