Bai Ling, daughter of a high-ranking minister and the bride who was sent to marry the deceased Ninth Prince, ends up stranded on the frontier.
To earn enough for two meals, she has no choice but to treat the chieftain's sick horse.
Good news: the chieftain promises her a generous reward.
Bad news: the horse gets even sicker.
Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, the best plan is for Bai Ling to run.
But as she tries to escape by climbing over the wall, she falls straight into the arms of their great general.
"General, seize her! This young lady treated our horse to death!"
Bai Ling: I lost my father at six, my husband at sixteen, and I've been wandering the world for years. I'm just a poor little thing! Please let me go!
General Mu Yuan: You lost your husband at sixteen... How pitiful. You may go.
Bai Ling is delighted and turns to leave. Then she suddenly spins around, rushes back, and snatches off the general's mask...
Theme: Love that grows stronger in the face of strength
