This episode traces Lin Zexu’s road into exile in Xinjiang, setting out from Xi’an, passing through mighty Jiayuguan and the austere Xingxing Gorge, and on into the Tianshan. His parting vow—“I shall dedicate myself to the interests of the country in life and death”—is set against the ache of departure, while the Gobi’s snow and wind make plain the loneliness and grind of the long march.
Visits to the Hami Hui King’s city and the Liaodun beacon towers draw out his work in Xinjiang: redressing wrongful cases and offering sound counsel. Through scholars’ eyes, the film shows how a former guardian of the coasts turned to the security of the frontier, warned of Russian designs along the border, and, amid adversity, kept faith with the people and the realm, showing the breadth of his concern.