During childhood, Ying Zheng (Wen Jiang) forges a friendship with Gao Jianli (Ge You) due to the fact that Gao's mother is his wet nurse. The two take different paths in life: Ying Zheng is crowned king, while Gao develops into a famed musician. In the midst of King Zheng's initiatives to unify China, he kidnaps his old friend to coerce him into writing an anthem for him. Their reunion, albeit forced, leads to spirited debates between them about various public and personal matters.