Scenes 11 to 20
After a long sleep of recovery, Qingling awakens by the ringing of wind chimes. She is at Ailing's house, reunited with her sisters. Qingling sadly states that the doctor told her she could never become pregnant any more. Ailing tries to console her and introduces to her her own first-born daughter whom she had given Qingling's English name. In a neighbouring room, Sun, Chiang and Kung are discussing the whole Canton upheaval. They agree that they need an army of their own. Kung offers to finance the whole undertaking, and Sun asks Chiang to serve as head of the new army. Chiang humbly accepts. [In this scene, Chiang is portrayed quite positively].
On a wooden tribune at a newly set up airfield, Sun, Chiang and the Song sisters are going to watch the first flight of an airplane "made in China". While Meiling answers Chiang’s question whether she would like to fly negatively because of her "delicate skin", Qingling takes the initiative and declares publicly and to the surprise of all that she will stay in the backseat during this first flight. Sun and the others who were prepared to watch the show, try to hold her back, but without avail. She explains to Sun that by this she wants to demonstrate her confidence in products "made in China" [cf. the opening scene with Charlie’s burning Western products]. Meanwhile Ailing suggests to Meiling that Chiang is a rising star. Then Chiang asks Meiling to sit at his side. As the plane flies on and passes over the Song estate, Charlie suffers a stroke.
Charlie, who is very feeble, lies on his bed, accompanied by his wife and Meiling. Then Qingling is led in by Ailing. With a last effort, Charlie gets up from his bed and orders his servant to get something for Qingling. The servant returns with a belated wedding gift for her: a silk scarf with little children on it to wish her fertility. [He does not know about her miscarriage]. Charlie puts it around her neck as a gesture that he has forgiven her now. Then he sits down in his rocking chair and dies peacefully in front of his wife and daughters.
Sun and Qingling are on a boat carrying the belated dowry Qingling finally had received from her family. Sun is at the front, Qingling in the back grieving. Then old Qingling says from the off: In two years time she would have lost all men most important to her in life: her unborn son, her father and her husband. [This scene is artistically one of the most appealing].
A train carrying Sun’s picture on its front is heading north [1925: Sun's last trip to Peking]. Sun is in a carriage, surrounded by officials [of his Southern government]. They are discussing the Communists’ position within the Nationalist Party. Sun ends the discussion by stating that he wants both parties to be united in a new China. Qingling meanwhile is looking into Sun's copy of Marx’ "Critique of Feuerbach". She notices that Sun had coughed blood on the pages. When the train has stopped, Sun is carried out on a stretcher and Qingling in his stead sadly greets the officials [of the Northern government] who wanted to welcome Sun.
Sun is on his deathbed and answers some last questions. When he is asked about the Northern Expedition he wanted to launch, he is not able to answer anymore. Wang Jingwei, being at his side, reads Sun's political will aloud. Then he asks Qingling to help her husband sign it. When everybody has left, Qingling and Sun bid each other farewell. Sun deplores that he could not leave much to his wife, but she states that she will keep more than enough. Then he dies.
Qingling has closed the curtains. From the off, old Meiling says about her sister that she tried to preserve the memory of Sun in her house. She adds, that she herself, on the other hand, back then already had made up her mind whom she would share her life with: Chiang Kai-shek.
A similar scene as in 1911 is shown with crowds waiving pictures of their hero, only that now it is not any more the picture of Sun but the one of Chiang Kai-shek. His type of rule is characterised by his stern marching. In a meeting with his generals, he orders them to stop smoking while working since he considers this to be a first sign of undisciplined conduct. [The setting of the scene is in very cold colours].
All three sister are reunited at Ailing's house. Meiling and Chiang go out hunting. Meanwhile Qingling and Ailing discuss the possibility of Meiling’s marrying Chiang. Qingling objects that Chiang seems to have had several women but Ailing claims that Meiling and Chiang really love each other. And – as Qingling should know – love is stronger than petty obstacles. Ailing for her part wants to give the family more power by this marriage and strongly supports it. Qingling opposes the marriage, detesting Chiang's character. Ailing argues that with all these family connections (i.e. the rich Kungs, the famous Sun Yat-sen and now the new strong military leader Chiang), the Song family would be the supreme power broker of China. Qingling gets upset and denounces this clique-building, using leftist expressions. Ailing warns Qingling not to get to close to the Communists and to not interfere with Meiling's choice.
Meanwhile, Meiling reads a letter to Qingling from the off, stating that the greatest choice a woman has is that she can choose her husband, as her sister should know by personal experience. Whilst hunting, Meiling and Chiang come closer.
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