在民国初年，一位勤奋善良的青年朱锦春（ interpret as: A diligent and kind young man named Zhū Jǐnchūn resides in Hǔtóuzhèn）, captivated by the most beautiful girl in town, Róngróng ( Li Sīqiè), is met with cold eyes due to their financial disparity. A bandit raid strikes Hǔtóuzhèn, and Zhū Jǐnchūn leads the townspeople in resistance, successfully repelling the raiders. The townsfolk decide to enlist in the army, but Zhū Jǐnchūn's physical examination proves unsuccessful, leading him to become a bandit leader out of necessity. Despite his desire for wealth and prosperity with his mother ( Dèng Bìyún), Zhū Jǐnchūn is quickly surrounded by the military and taken as a soldier. Little did he know that this event would propel him to become a powerful warlord.
In time, the army rebels against its leadership, forcing Zhū Jǐnchūn to step down. Desolate and penniless, he turns to selling martial arts in Shanghai and eventually becomes a film star, later gaining popularity as a celestial monarch. However, his rise to fame is short-lived when treacherous individuals label him a traitor, forcing him to impersonate the emperor of Mǎozhōu nation to assist Japan in unifying China. This tragic love story between Zhū Jǐnchūn and Bǎohù ( Sèniàn Xiā) unfolds amidst confusion and heartbreak...
The 20-episode series, "The Rogue Emperor," produced in 1981, is a quintessential mix of laughter through tears. It marks the debut of King Wáng's groundbreaking comedies in Hong Kong, without resorting to the flaws typical of later comedies such as flat character development or excessive sexual innuendo for humor. Instead, it preserves its most valuable attribute: the spirit of artistic freedom. Simultaneously tickling the funny bone and delving into deep human emotions, while crafting exceptionally rich characters, this comedy can be considered truly "serious" in nature.
