Episode Summary
An actress is rescued from the Japanese and joins the acting troupe in Guilin. The two chosen directors, Ouyang Yuqian and Jiao Juyin, immediately clash over their creative visions. To resolve the conflict, Xia Yan gets a local official to host a dinner for the city's artists, uniting them for the cause. The episode closes by showing how Tian Han's music is influencing the anti-war movement internationally.
Spoiler Alert
A Daring Escape
The Set-Up
The episode kicks off with that actress, Qin. She already made it clear she hates the script. She wants nothing to do with this production. But the Japanese soldiers aren't taking no for an answer. They physically force her to go entertain a Japanese officer.
The officer has a thing for her. He takes her to a movie theater. It’s a total media circus. Reporters are everywhere, snapping photos of her. The whole thing is a PR stunt. Then, a "fan" gets close to her. The fan tells her to go to the bathroom right now.
The Rescue
She gets to the bathroom. An E and her comrades are waiting. They manage to rescue Actress Qin right under the soldiers' noses. It’s a clean getaway. They put her on a boat to Changsha that very night. From there, she meets up with the rest of the cast in Guilin. After getting the rundown on the real script, she joins the other actors. They all travel to Guilin by water.
The Directors Clash
A Problem of Egos
So, the entire cast is finally in one place. Now they just need a director. The leadership makes a careful choice. They pick two people. One is a local director, Ouyang Yuqian. The other is Jiao Juyin, a drama expert who just got his PhD abroad.
Their first meeting is a complete disaster. The two big-shot directors immediately disagree on everything. Jiao Juyin wants to scrap the current acting troupe entirely. He wants a brand-new cast. He also says he doesn't need any extras. Neither director is willing to back down. They just can't stand each other. Xia Yan is sitting there, watching this whole thing fall apart. He feels incredibly awkward. The meeting ends with nothing resolved. But Xia Yan still recognizes that Jiao Juyin is a brilliant theater mind.
A Political Solution
Getting Some Advice
Xia Yan goes to Li Kenong to figure out what to do. Li Kenong tells him not to even think about replacing Jiao. Instead, he tells Xia Yan to learn from Zhou Enlai's mediation skills. He points out that both directors are masters of their craft. They can both bring something valuable to the production.
Li Kenong's words give Xia Yan a new perspective. Then Li suggests something clever. He says they should get the local Guilin official, Huang Xuchu, to host a team-building event for them. The problem is that Huang Xuchu is an extremely cautious guy. This makes Xia Yan think of Secretary Xie.
Calling in a Favor
Secretary Xie thinks about the request carefully. Then he personally calls Huang Xuchu. On the phone, he tells Huang that his own superior, Bai Chongxi, thinks this play is very important. He explains that Bai is just too busy to come to Guilin himself. So, he wants Huang to do his part as a good host. Huang Xuchu does whatever Bai Chongxi says. The moment he hears Bai's name, he agrees to do it immediately.
Art and Propaganda
That evening, Huang Xuchu hosts a big dinner. He invites all the famous literary and artistic figures in Guilin. The famous painter Xu Beihong is also there. He gives Huang Xuchu one of his paintings as a gift. The painting shows a rooster crowing proudly on a mountaintop. The sun is rising behind it, bathing the land in light.
Huang Xuchu is genuinely moved by the gift. He raises his glass and gives a toast. He thanks all the artists of Guilin for their contributions to the local culture.
The episode ends on a different note. We learn that Tian Han's song, "March of the Volunteers," has become a massive hit. People are even singing it overseas. An American journalist named Aijinsheng travels halfway across the world just to meet Tian Han. The journalist takes a precious photograph of him. The photo is published on the front page of an American newspaper. The goal is to spread an anti-war message to the entire world.
