In the turbulent years of the Republic, with war raging across the country, diplomat Song Zhiwei and warlord Zheng Yueshen meet by chance at a banquet, beginning a romance rooted in devotion to their country and its people.
Song Zhiwei uses her education and integrity to stand up to foreign powers. She deciphers secret messages in foreign languages and debates the Japanese consul on international law, defending every inch of her homeland at the negotiating table. Zheng Yueshen is both iron-willed and tender-hearted. In the warlords’ struggle for power, he purges traitors colluding with Japan; on blood-soaked battlefields, he protects the people under his care. The two work together seamlessly during an assassination attempt, then, at a ball in the warlord’s residence, he declares before everyone, “This is the one who understands me.”
On the terrace, he confesses his love and warns her that being with him will be dangerous. “In these troubled times, I can’t protect everyone, but I’ll spend my whole life protecting you.” She accepts through tears. The fires of the September 18 Incident force them apart; they yearn for each other from a distance as they hold out in Chongqing; and they marry amid the turmoil after the recovery of Fengtian. Their love is forever bound to the fate of their country. She exposes the truth of Japan’s invasion in a speech before the League of Nations, while he fights desperately on the northeastern front. She seeks international aid for the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, while he organizes guerrilla operations behind enemy lines. Even when separated, their hearts remain in harmony.
After victory in the War of Resistance, they join forces to rebuild the Northeast and witness the founding of New China, raising their children to become pillars of the country. In their old age, in a small courtyard, he makes a solemn vow: “For every day Song Zhiwei lives, I, Zheng Yueshen, will live one day longer.” In the end, they are buried together on the outskirts of Shenyang. This story is about more than romance: it captures the integrity of people in troubled times and the legacy they pass on, as peace finally comes and they fulfill the promise they made long ago, pledging their love with the land itself.
