This is a satirical black comedy adapted from the famous late Qing novel Officialdom Unmasked. Through the absurd behavior of its characters, the screenwriter exposes the greedy, ugly, and dark side of human nature. By tracing the evolution of a master-servant relationship, it portrays the corruption and ugliness of officialdom in feudal society. The production of the entire television series featured as many as 100 actors in named roles, with national-treasure-level performers from the north and south appearing one after another, making it truly a case of "a historical classic with a gathering of stars." Scholars lack backbone, people lack integrity, profit blinds the heart, and justice is hard to find; not only are identities misattributed, official ranks purchased and offices sold, and pockets lined, but officials and merchants also collude and stop at nothing. Using the past to satirize the present, the series vividly presents in the drama the three practices of officialdom's "thick face and black heart" secret--tangible and colored, tangible and colorless, and intangible and colorless. It is a satirical black comedy.
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