Forging peace from dynastic chaos

The closest surviving text related to the period is Wuyue Beishi (History of the Wuyue Kingdom), which scholars of the Song Dynasty believed was written by the younger brother of Wuyue's last king. Regarded as the most reliable source for studying that history, the book survives only in part: roughly one-third has been preserved. The biography of Qian, the final king, remains fragmentary — barely half is intact.

"Wuyue was not among the most renowned kingdoms in Chinese history. However, its ruling Qian family has exerted a lasting influence over the centuries," Dong says, mentioning that the family's descendants include some of China's most prominent figures, such as Qian Xuesen, a pioneer of the country's space program, and Qian Sanqiang, revered as "the father of China's atomic bomb".

In addition, Wuyue — which produced large quantities of luxury goods such as high-end porcelain ware and jewelry during that era — engaged in prosperous trade with other Asian countries, exchanging these goods for their agricultural products.

The project ultimately demanded considerable time and patience — four months to reorganize and synthesize the historical materials, and another three years to complete the screenplay. Yet, the gaps in the record also created space for imagination.