1926. Wuhan is in lockdown. Fourteen years ago, its heroes toppled China’s last emperor, but at great cost. Patriots became politicians. Reformers became warlords. Now at Wuchang, the ancient walled city anchoring the metropolis to the Yangtze, they fight to the death. Former comrades and broken families watch each other through iron crosshairs. For Chiang Kai‑shek’s unproven government forces camped outside, victory means a chance at national salvation. For the ragtag Beiyang soldiers and citizenry trapped within, there is but one mission: stay alive. From the banks of the Mother River, the cold stone walls have seen entire dynasties unravelled in tides of senseless destruction. Will the living fare any better?