Rogue Emperor

Synopsis

Poor village boy Chu Gam Chun (Kenneth Ma), lives with his step-mother Yau Yue Si (Rainbow Ching), the village matchmaker and half-brother Chu Cheung Fun (Benjamin Yuen), a woodcutter that is jinxed with finding love. Gam Chun has been in-love with his childhood friend and next-door neighbor Yi Yung Yung (Niki Chow) since they were young, but her grandfather Yi Sang Kei Joseph Lee, a well-to-do merchant that owns the village pawn shop forbids them from associating with each other. When Gam Chun finds out his step-mother has match-made Yung Yung with an older rich villager, he sabotages it and then asks Yung Yung's grandfather for permission to marry her. Yung Yung's grandfather is highly against Gam Chun's proposal and demands a high dowry if he wants to marry Yung Yung. Determined to marry Yung Yung, Gam Chun takes on many odd jobs in order to earn the needed dowry money. His many odd jobs soon leads him on many adventures, from becoming the leader of mountain bandits to the Emperor of China.

Chu family

Rainbow Ching as Yau Yue Si (尤如絲; homophone to "shredded squid")

Chu Gam Chun's step-mother and Chu Cheung Fun's mother. She favors her biological son Cheung Fun more than Gam Chun, such as giving Cheung Fun more food during meals. Yue Si is the villager matchmaker, who for a large sum payment will do despicable acts to break up a promised marriage agreement.

Kenneth Ma as Chu Gam Chun (朱錦春; homophone to "stupid as a pig")

Yau Yue Si's step-son and Chu Cheung Fu's older half-brother. He has been in-love with Yung Yung since they were children because she always treated him kindly, however her grandfather has been against their friendship and association because he is poor. In order to marry Yung Yung, Gam Chun takes on many odd jobs which leads him on different adventures.

Benjamin Yuen as Chu Cheung Fun (朱祥勛; homophone to "rice noodle roll")

Yau Yue Si's son and Chu Gam Chun's younger half-brother. With his handsome looks and physique, Cheung Fun is the most eligible woodcutter bachelor in the village and he has many female admirers. However, because he is jinxed from love, every female that becomes or tries to become romantic with him dies, and so none of the females in the village want to go near him.

Yi family and household

Joseph Lee as Yi Suk Kung (易叔恭)

Yi Yung Yung's grandfather and the Chu's next door neighbor. He is a well-to-do local pawn shop owner who swindles the villagers that pawn their goods at his shop. He is also highly against Gam Chun's friendship with Yung Yung because Gam Chun is poor. He is so highly against the two associating with each other that he built a brick wall between their shared yard.

Niki Chow as Yi Yung Yung (易蓉蓉)

Yi Suk Kung's granddaughter and Gam Chun's neighbor, childhood friend and love interest. Yung Yung was the only person who has always been extra kind to Gam Chun, which is why he is so in love with her. When her grandfather sets her up on a matchmaking marriage, Gam Chun purposes marriage to her but is denied by her grandfather——unless he is able to provide his requested dowry amount.

Snow Suen as Siu Wan (小環). She works for the Yi family and has a crush on Yi Suk Kung, hoping he would marry her into the family.

Ng family

Koo Ming Wah as Ng Do Ho (吳多好; homophone to "no good"), a somewhat educated man who takes care of the village temple. He is in the process of earning money to buy back his sister Ng Do Yu's "body contract" from the Dung family so that she can be free.

Mandy Wong as Ng Do Yu (吳多茹, homophone to "not redundant"), the shy and demure younger sister of Ng Do Ho. She is sold to the Dung family to works as a maid. Her love interest is Dung Zan Bong.

Extended cast

Brian Tse as Ngau Yuk Gon (牛玉乾; homophone to "beef jerky"), a physician and close friend of Gam Chun. His love interest is Ng Do-yu.

Luk Wing Kuen as Dung Zan Bong (董振邦). He comes back after receiving education from abroad and is a forward-thinking individual. He joins an underground organization in hopes of bringing change and is ranked 99, later promoted to 98.

Harriet Yeung as Lung Chuen Fung (龍川鳯), the head of the mountain bandits.

Joe Tay as Ngau Lik (牛力), friend of Chu Gam Chun. He becomes the "lord of Shanghai" and was set to marry Yung Yung, but is later murdered by Che Dai Pau.

Pal Sinn as Che Dai Pau (車大炮, Cantonese slang for "telling lies").

Lau Kong as Ngau Baak Yip (牛栢葉), father of Ngau Yuk Gon. He is an experienced physician.

Henry Lo as Dung Geoi Jan (董舉仁). He is the village mayor and father of Dung Zan Bong.

Kirby Lam as Lung Lei (龍梨). The third-in-command of the mountain bandits.

Kimmi Tsui as Lung Sou (龍蘇). The second-in-command of the mountain bandits.

Alan Tam Kwan-lun as Ying Seng Cung (應聲叢, homophone to "bug that always answers back"), one of Che Dai Pau's men.

Adam Ip as Syu Ming Hou (舒明浩, homophone to guillement). He is ranked 98 in the underground organization, and is later promoted to number 89.

Aaryn Cheung as Fat Zai (發仔)

Hinson Chou as Shanghai singer (上海歌星)

Kelvin Yuen as Bou (寶)

Quinn Ho as Biu (標)

Lily Ho as Siu Yuk (小玉), Chu Cheung Fun's lover. They later break up as he failed to save her when she nearly died from drowning.

Tracy Chu as Fung Siu Yung (馮小融), a volunteer who tries to help Chu Gam Chun move into a senior home.

Soundtrack

Track listing

Development

Tavia Yeung was considered for the lead actress role by executive producer Catherine Tsang during early development of the drama.

Niki Chow was confirmed as the lead actress during the costume fitting ceremony held in March 2014.

The costume fitting ceremony was held on March 27, 2014 at 12:30 pm Tseung Kwan O TVB City Studio One.

The blessing and opening lens ceremony was held on April 15, 2014 at 12:30 pm Tseung Kwan O TVB City Ancient Street.

Filming of the drama took place from April till June 2014.

On June 26, 2014, a banquet was held at a restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui to celebrate the completion of the filming of the drama.

A promo image of Rogue Emperor was featured in TVB's 2015 calendar for the month of March. Female lead Niki Chow was not featured on the image since she is not a contractual TVB artiste.

In early July 2015, Kenneth Ma and Niki Chow resumed their characters from the drama to film promotional clips when it was announced the drama would begin broadcast on August 3, 2015. On July 8, 2015 TVB shelved the drama to be air at a later unscheduled date in order to accommodate earlier broadcast of The Fixer (拆局專家) on August 10, 2015 9:30 pm timeslot. With The Fixer taking over the 9:30 timeslot, Brick Slaves was then moved to the 8:30 timeslot, taking over Rogue Emperor's original broadcast position. The drama is now set to air from 12 December 2016, with 17 episodes.