Synopsis
The meaning behind the title is rather interesting. Phonetically, at least in Cantonese, the title sounds exactly like the Chinese phrase "金枝玉葉" (literally translates to "[A tree with] golden branches and jade leaves"), which is used to describe prestigious, unmarried women at the time. The phrase can also be used to vaguely describe a woman who has a prestigious or aristocratic background.
The title itself is effectively a pun on the original phrase, with the third and fourth character being replaced by two other characters which described the main themes of the entire series. The characters "玉" (jade) and "葉" (leaf) were replaced by the phoentically similar "慾" (lust / desire) and "孽" (evilness, nemesis). Thus, the title itself describes the entire plot, which roughly translates to "women from prestigious backgrounds with lusts / desire for power and evilness".
Owing to the prolific use of the character "慾" (lust) in pornographic films and productions, some people believed in the beginning that the show is pornographic in nature. While the show does deal with the workings of Forbidden City's inner harem (which, in turn, invariably deals with sex), the show does not have any elements of pornography.
Extracted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Beauty
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