Era background: In the twenty-sixth year of the Republic of China, the mist and rain in the south of the Yangtze River soaked through the Bluestone Alley, and the war spread to the south of the Yangtze River. The prosperous Sioux City was crumbling under the gunfire. Old and new ideas were intertwined. Aristocratic families and warlords, literati and agents struggled in the troubled times.
Identity of the protagonist: Shen Zhibai, who was originally the only son of the Shen family in Su City. He was well-educated, proficient in poetry, calligraphy and painting, and also secretly communicated intelligence codes. His father was executed for leaking military intelligence, and his family fell into ruin. Since then, he has become anonymous and turned into a newspaper editor. In fact, he is a core member of the underground anti-Japanese organization "Mohen".
Emotional core: Lin Wanzhao was born in a general family, and her father was a city guard general. She has been practicing martial arts since she was a child and has a strong personality, but she prefers reading poetry and writing lyrics. She met the young Shen Zhibai and they fell in love with each other. They stayed together for ten years, but due to the righteousness of family and country and the conflict of status, it finally became a regret.
Key image: "Celadon Letter" - fragments of celadon passed down from the Shen family's ancestors, which were made into letter envelopes and contained a secret code book. In the past ten years, Shen Zhibai used it to convey information and fill in unsent love letters. Lin Wanzhao never knew that the final letter "I betrayed you" was deliberately left by him to protect her.
Core conflict: Shen Zhibai was forced to betray the Lin family's intelligence during a mission, which led to Lin's father's death in battle and the city's destruction. Lin Wanzhao believed that he had betrayed his family and country and was treacherous. In fact, he had already been coerced by the top management of "Mohen" and sneaked into the enemy camp as a traitor in exchange for Lin Wanzhao's chance of survival.
The core of the theme: In troubled times, love means sacrifice, concealment, and "I would rather you hate me than die." The so-called "negative" does not mean being ruthless, but being extremely affectionate and having to bear the burden.
