In the bitter depths of winter, with heavy snow falling, a carriage brings Zhang Xueliang and his siblings, Shoufang and Xueming, from their hometown to Fengtian. They are dressed in mourning clothes, while their father, Zhang Zuolin (played by Li Xuejian), is full of ambition and preparing to make his mark. As a boy, Liuzi is frank and reckless. He dares to talk back to his father's favored concubine and refuses to be disciplined. His beautiful cousin by marriage, meanwhile, plants the seed of love in his heart. As an adult, Zhang Xueliang (played by Wen Zhang) has the swagger of an ordinary spoiled young master, along with the mettle of a general's son.
