The Eternal Peony

On New Year's Eve, Lee Hon-yee (Li Hanyi) tells the flower girl Shum Kuk-heung (Shen Juxian) that she will be rich and famous. Later, when Kuk-heung is cheating Princess Kwai Yim-sheung (Gui Yanchang), Prince Kwai Sau-ling (Guai Shouling) spots her and offers her the opportunity to learn to sing and dance with Sam-leung (Sanniang) at the institution. Meanwhile, Hon-yee is not only given some money by Chui-wan (Cuihuan) to assist his study, but also admired by Yim-sheung. Ignorant of the fact that Kuk-heung is his benefactor, he insults Kuk-heung by showing off his wealth at the institution. Though they have all the misunderstandings cleared afterwards, Sau-ling comes for Kuk-heung with betrothal gifts.

Sau-ling compels Kuk-heung to marry him. Besides sending Hon-yee to Suzhou under escort, he further instructs his student Tse Po-tung (Xie Baotong) to harm Hon-yee. However, Servant Ng Chung-yung (Wu Zhongyong), who writes the letter for Sau-ling, is barely literate and makes many mistakes. Thus, Po-tung mistakes Kuk-heung as Sau-ling's foster daughter; and in order to suck up to Sau-ling, he asks Kuk-heung to be his sworn sister and even presides over the wedding for her and Hon-yee.

Shocked at seeing Hon-yee and Kuk-heung come back as newlywed, Sau-ling finally realizes the mistakes Chung-yung has made. Quoting Kuk-heung's poem, that is however a satirical one, on praising To Kuen-hung (Du Juanhong), Chung-yung persuades Sau-ling to marry her instead. Sau-ling is outraged when he finds out that Kuen-hung is in fact very ugly!