Director: Lian Yiming

Starring: Lian Yiming  /  Huang Zhizhong  /  Zhao Huinan  /  Nursery

First aired: 2010

Plot Summary:

     “Past Events of the Republic of China” is set in the summer of 1926, when the Guangdong revolutionary government had just launched its Northern Expedition, leaving China’s future uncertain. A mysterious assassin infiltrates Shanghai, aiming to assassinate Beiyang General Governor Bi Chengyuan during a conference of envoys from four nations. The news sends shockwaves through all sectors of the Beiyang establishment, and the Shanghai Police Department grows increasingly alarmed—this assassin is no ordinary figure; he is none other than the infamous master assassin Zhang Yaqiao. The police dispatch their elite Black Cavalry officers to ambush Zhang on the streets, but to their bewilderment, they end up killing three men claiming to be Zhang Yaqiao. Which one is the real killer? Before they can make sense of it, all three have already fallen beneath Zhang’s blade… No force can stop him. By now, Zhang has quietly slipped into Shanghai. Yet no one knows where the true Zhang Yaqiao is hiding or what he looks like. His first act upon returning to Shanghai is to summon his old comrades—the members of the Axe Gang he once led—who had been scattered by the revolution years earlier and are now reunited under his command. With this renewed band at his side, Zhang begins executing his plan to assassinate Bi Chengyuan. At the Pujiang Hotel, the Four-Nation Envoys’ Conference proceeds as scheduled, under tight security. Zhang has meticulously arranged every detail of the assassination, but the shrewd and cunning Bi Chengyuan has also taken precautions. During the operation, Zhang discovers that the man attending the meeting is not the real Bi Chengyuan, but rather a decoy, plunging the plot into stalemate. It is then that Zhang meets Yan Yuchun, a hotel waiter. With Yan’s cooperation and assistance, Zhang employs a clever ruse to lure Bi Chengyuan out of his presidential suite and kill him there, leaving an indelible impression on the young man. Yan Yuchun loses contact with Zhang, and soon after, he is fired from the hotel. Left with no choice, he goes to a pawnshop to sell some belongings—and happens to witness a robbery targeting a young woman. He rushes to her rescue. The woman turns out to be He Yanqiu, a renowned Peking opera star of Shanghai. Neither Yan nor He could have imagined that their fates would later become inextricably intertwined, entangled in a complex web of emotions. Shen Xiaochen perceives Luo Zongwei’s ambition to become head of the police department. To secure his alliance, he plans to use the high-class courtesan Miaoyu to further his scheme. In return, the position of police chief and control over the Shunfeng Wharf become the secret bargaining chips between Luo Zongwei and Shen Xiaochen. Meanwhile, back in Shanghai, Zhang Yaqiao remains constantly on the mind of one particular person: his long-lost former lover, Xie Rubin, who has since converted to Christianity and strongly disapproves of his violent, life‑of‑danger existence. Luo Zongwei’s sister-in-law, Mei Shaozhen, is only eighteen and still a student at a girls’ school. Bold and spirited, she has long heard of Zhang Yaqiao’s fame and harbors great curiosity about him. But Zhang treats her merely as a young girl, teaching her horseback riding and marksmanship. At the same time, another love story unfolds: Yan Yuchun’s heart belongs to He Yanqiu. Though he does not dare hope for her affection, He gradually notices how different Yan is from other suitors and begins to take an interest in him. Driven by his desire for the police chief’s post, Luo Zongwei wavers and agrees to join forces with Zhang Yaqiao and Shen Xiaochen. He reveals to them that General Governor Tu Sen’s motorcade will pass over Baxian Bridge on a certain day. Zhang and his allies plant explosives along the bridge, but to Zhang’s utter surprise, his younger brother Shen Xiaochen, motivated solely by personal gain, fills only one-tenth of the charge. When the blast goes off, Tu Sen survives unscathed. Later, Shen manages to calm Zhang’s anger, and Zhang comes to understand the situation. The Shunfeng Wharf officially opens. On opening day, Zhang Yaqiao, Shen Xiaochen, and Yan Yuchun swear brotherhood, becoming sworn brothers. At the same time, their longtime nemesis, Wan Peilin, reappears after more than a decade of searching. Back in the Xinhai era, Wan Peilin had branded them as thugs and bandits, capturing them all at once. For over ten years, they pursued him without success, but now Wan Peilin has been entrusted with the task of procuring arms for the Guangzhou government. Balancing matters of principle and self-interest, Zhang Yaqiao decides to spare Wan Peilin. To support Wan Peilin’s arms‑procurement mission, Zhang Yaqiao exploits the opportunity presented by Morita’s opium trade at the Shunfeng Wharf, using a strategy of “openly building a road while secretly crossing the river” to smuggle large quantities of weapons. Meanwhile, Tu Sen orders Luo Zongwei to capture Zhang Yaqiao alive at all costs. Simultaneously, Zhang Yaqiao is preparing his next move against Tu Sen: to blow him up. As Tu Sen sits entranced in the theater watching He Yanqiu perform, Zhang Yaqiao, Yan Yuchun, and others have already hidden bombs throughout the venue. With a deafening explosion, Tu Sen meets his end. To escape the fallout, Zhang Yaqiao decides to send Yan Yuchun to study at the Huangpu Military Academy in Guangzhou, bestowing upon him the name Yan Li. Yet the only thing Yan Li cannot bear to part with is his beloved He Yanqiu. The Mukden Incident erupts. Chiang Kai-shek adopts a policy of non-resistance toward Japan, resulting in the loss of vast swathes of Northeast China and igniting widespread anti-Japanese sentiment among the populace. During the Battle of Shanghai, Zhang Yaqiao is severely wounded and left near death. He is rushed to the hospital, where Japanese agents Keiko and Morita attempt to assassinate him. However, with the help of Miaoyu and Luo Zongwei, he narrowly escapes. By this time, Miaoyu has become a refugee, while Luo Zongwei, implicated in the Zhang Yaqiao case, disfigures himself to work as a rickshaw driver, living incognito by Zhang Yaqiao’s side, driven by ulterior motives. The Japanese occupy Shanghai and plan a celebratory rally in Hongkou Park. Korean activist Yin Changhao volunteers to lead the effort, and Zhang Yaqiao, together with others, devises a plan to bomb the Japanese commander Shirakawa at Hongkou Park. As Japanese soldiers sing the national anthem in the rain, a sudden explosion tears through the stage, sending blood and flesh flying. Newspapers across Shanghai publish countless reports, and millions of civilians rush to spread the news. Yan Li knows full well who was behind the attack. Chiang Kai-shek personally intervenes, hoping to “use” this incident to his advantage. Yan Li brings Chiang’s commendation and a reward, believing this to be the best chance for reconciliation among the brothers—but how could Zhang Yaqiao possibly forgive Chiang, who advocates compromise? British diplomat Lord Lytton leads a League of Nations delegation to China to investigate the Sino-Japanese conflicts in the Three Eastern Provinces and Shanghai. Japanese spy Nan Zao Keiko uses her connections to sway Lytton, who ends up shielding Japan. The revelation sparks nationwide outrage, and Zhang Yaqiao, enraged beyond measure, vows to kill Lytton. Yan Li learns of Zhang Yaqiao’s intention to assassinate Lytton and does everything possible to dissuade him, weighing the risks carefully. Morita, aware of Zhang Yaqiao’s plan to strike Lytton, outwardly strengthens security but deliberately leaves vulnerabilities, hoping Zhang will succeed in killing Lytton and thereby influence international perceptions of Sino-Japanese relations. Ultimately, Zhang Yaqiao sorts out the facts and withdraws his order at the last moment. Under Chiang Kai-shek’s strict orders, Yan Li deploys an extensive net to hunt down Zhang Yaqiao—whether in Shanghai or at Zhang’s Restoration Society headquarters in Fuzhou, whether in commercial establishments, newspapers, or clandestine hideouts. Despite relentless pursuit, Zhang Yaqiao is forced to flee to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, Yan Li continues his relentless chase, yet his heart remains torn and anguished. He captures Zhang Yaqiao’s wife, Mei Shaozhen, as a hostage, compelling Zhang to surrender. But Mei, desperate to protect Yan Li, commits suicide in prison, triggering Zhang’s fury. Zhang Yaqiao, Shen Xiaochen, and Yan Li—the three brothers—continue their bitter rivalry, locked in a struggle between grand principles and petty interests, each pursuing their own ideals while engaging in mutual manhunts and deadly confrontations. Yan Li employs every means at his disposal to attack Zhang Yaqiao. Then, news breaks in Shanghai that Zhang Yaqiao has been assassinated. The entire family is plunged into grief, but Yan Li never imagined that Zhang had not truly died at his hands. As Yan Li visits the mourning hall, a gun is suddenly aimed at the back of his head, and Zhang Yaqiao steps forth. Before the Japanese, Zhang Yaqiao and Yan Li engage in a heartfelt dialogue, ultimately reaching an agreement based on shared hatred of the enemy. The three brothers reunite once again. The Japanese stage a grand celebration at the theater, while Zhang Yaqiao, Yan Li, Tan Zhengang, and others lie in wait, coordinating their efforts. Working together, they eliminate the Japanese commander, General Iwata. With the Japanese dead, Yan Li receives orders to put Zhang Yaqiao to death. Taking advantage of Zhang’s lack of preparedness, five brothers carry out the assassination. Zhang Yaqiao dies. Ten years later, Yan Li boards a plane, and a photograph slips from his briefcase—Zhang Yaqiao. Terrified and deeply unsettled, Yan Li watches the scene unfold. Yan Li’s aircraft crashes mid‑flight. Shen Xiaochen flees to Hong Kong, now in his twilight years. Upon hearing of Yan Li’s death, he falls silent, reclining in his chair, with a photograph resting on the nearby desk. A group photo of the three brothers—bound by oath.