Knocking on the Heart

In an era that seems strangely familiar, disasters strike one after another, refugees stretch for a thousand miles, powerful enemies circle like tigers eyeing their prey, and the nation teeters on the brink of collapse. Liu Sheng enters Luoyang as an ordinary man and witnesses his friends endure every hardship and danger in their efforts to restore their country. In the end, they part ways over their differing ideals. Reality shatters their dreams, and the nation is left on the verge of ruin. Liu Sheng is tormented by his conscience. At his friends' urging, he takes up the banner and cuts through every obstacle to build a golden age. Decades later, a painting of Luoyang's bustling marketplace is presented to the Liao ruler. The ruler marvels at Luoyang's prosperity and expresses a wish for his next life: if there is another life, may he be born into a family of southerners and live as an ordinary man.