Red Flag

This film (drama)Also known as红幡，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2007Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating7.9(For reference only)。

In the tumultuous 1930s, China faced internal strife and external threats. Just after ending the warlord fragmentation, it was met with aggression from Japanese imperialism. The Northeast provinces had been forcefully occupied, and a full-scale war of aggression against China was imminent, sparking a nationwide anti-Japanese rescue movement. The competitive Shanghai Bund became a focal point for various factions, with the Zhang family, known for their shipping business, at the center of attention. In the spring of 1937, Zhang Jincheng, the patriarch of the Zhang family, arranged a marriage for his only son, Zhang Ziqing, to Yuan Jingru, the daughter of Yuan Jiuyue, a leading figure in the Qingbang gang, stirring a stir in Shanghai. However, on the wedding day, Zhang's matriarch refused to allow the bridal sedan to enter the house, citing ancestral rules against associating with the Qingbang. Worse yet, the groom, Zhang Ziqing, mysteriously went missing… It turned out that Zhang Ziqing was involved in the anti-Japanese rescue movement and disagreed with his father’s decision to arrange the marriage. In a difficult moment, he coincidentally met Li Hanchang, who had just arrived in Shanghai from Xitang in search of friends. They were astonished to find they looked exactly alike, so Ziqing urgently requested Hanchang to impersonate him and return home to handle the situation, which Hanchang reluctantly agreed to. But after only a brief appearance at the Zhang residence, he left on the pretext of another matter. Ultimately, under the persuasion of the housekeeper He Shu, the matriarch proposed three conditions to Yuan Jingru: sever all ties with the Qingbang, uphold the Zhang family's reputation, and delay the marriage for a future date, hoping Jingru would back down. Contrary to expectations, Jingru agreed to all terms for the sake of her love for Ziqing, leading the matriarch to allow her and her nurse, Yuan Ma, to stay in the Zhang household. Unexpectedly, the Qingbang sent someone to deliver a treasure—an imperial dragon staff—to take Zhang Jincheng's life. Jincheng had been forced to join the Qingbang and was now guilty of a "death penalty" offense according to their laws, hence attempting to avoid fate through the marriage. The matriarch, caring for her son, tried to negotiate, arguing that Jincheng's violation of family rules warranted executing the family code first to prevent him from facing death in the Qingbang's court. The next morning, Zhang Jincheng died suddenly in his study, causing a stir in the Zhang household. Jingru, having just entered the family, quickly became the target of everyone's scorn, and the matriarch ordered Ziqing to take Jingru back to the Yuan household to avoid suspicion. Feeling wronged, Jingru doubted the circumstances surrounding the patriarch's death and resolved to uncover the truth to clear her name. Her determination worried the matriarch and He Shu, who knew that Jincheng had not truly died but was in a state of faked death induced by renowned doctor Gu Tianyi, hiding in the Zhang family's haunted house. To prevent complications, the matriarch decided to use the day of the funeral for the eldest lady to accompany the casket back to their hometown, sending Zhang Jincheng to their ancestral home in Xitang for a safe retreat. The underground anti-Japanese organization was compromised and destroyed due to a betrayal. Ziqing, having narrowly escaped, tasked Police Chief Gu Yaoshu with investigating the informant while also planning to transfer the gathered anti-Japanese supplies back to his hometown, Xitang, with his classmate Zheng Xinyi. Before leaving, Ziqing earnestly requested Li Hanchang to continue impersonating him and managing everything at the Zhang household. Hanchang, after considerable hesitation, took it upon himself to live in the Zhang home and assumed the position of general manager of Zhang's shipping company. Upon meeting Jingru, he was deeply attracted to her. However, being inexperienced in handling large matters, Hanchang was initially flustered, fearing that his mistakes might trouble Ziqing and Jingru, leading him to sneak out of the Zhang household and return to Xitang. Meeting Ziqing, he recounted the situation and shared Jingru’s true feelings for him, yet Ziqing expressed that he had more pressing matters and preferred someone else, leaving Hanchang perplexed. The matriarch fell ill from worrying about Ziqing; Gu Tianyi introduced her to a Japanese doctor, Murakami. Although the matriarch had a clear aversion to the Japanese, Murakami mentioned that his father had once cured the Zhang family's elder, surprising both her and He Shu, hinting at a hidden secret between them. Later, He Shu inquired about Zhang's elder at Murakami's clinic, but Murakami became evasive and avoided discussing it. Meanwhile, in Xitang, Zhang Jincheng became a restless ‘living dead.’ Fearing that his younger brother Zhang Jinlin might take advantage of Ziqing's youth to seize the family assets, he secretly returned to warn Jinlin against harboring any improper thoughts. Shocked to see his elder brother had not died, Jinlin confided in the matriarch, but being a family member she disapproved of, he received a stern reprimand. Left with no choice, Jinlin sought solace in alcohol, while the oblivious second lady felt distressed watching her husband but could only silently serve him.