The Lead (主角)

In the 1970s, a local county Qinqiang opera troupe begins recruiting trainees. Hu Sanyuan (played by Zhang Jiayi), the troupe's most talented drummer, sees an opportunity to improve his niece's difficult living circumstances. He brings her from the remote countryside of Jiuyan'gou to the county seat for an audition, renames her Yi Qin'e (played by Liu Haocun), and asks his friend, the rising star Hua Caixiang (played by Qin Hailu), to teach the young girl the basics.

Thus begins Yi Qin'e's arduous journey into the world of Qinqiang opera. Despite her initial clumsiness and the relentless obstacles placed in her path, she perseveres through sheer determination and hard work. Her raw talent catches the attention of four veteran artists—nicknamed "Loyalty," "Filial Piety," "Benevolence," and "Righteousness"—who generously take her under their wing and begin teaching her the traditional methods to become a martial female role (武旦 / Wu Dan).

As China undergoes dramatic social and economic changes, Qinqiang opera—once a vital part of people's lives—gradually loses its audience and fades from the public spotlight. In the face of these challenges, Yi Qin'e must navigate treacherous interpersonal dynamics, including professional jealousy, betrayal, and heartbreak.

Yet through sheer talent and perseverance, she rises to become the undisputed "Lead" of the provincial Qin Opera Troupe—the top performer everyone strives to be. But achieving the pinnacle of her profession brings its own profound sense of loneliness, an isolation that ordinary people cannot comprehend. Now, at the height of her artistic powers, Yi Qin'e must decide how to pass down her hard-won knowledge to the next generation, ensuring that the flame of her art does not flicker out but continues to blaze for years to come.

Told through a sweeping dual narrative that interweaves personal biography with period drama, "The Lead" chronicles the rise and fall of Qinqiang opera over four decades and examines what it truly means to be a protagonist—not just on stage, but in one's own life. At its heart, it is the story of an individual's spirit being tempered through art and destiny, carrying the audience along for a poignant and unforgettable ride.

The 48-episode series is structured as a multi-stage coming-of-age saga, tracing Yi Qin'e's journey from an uneducated rural shepherdess to the preeminent star of Qinqiang opera. Her story unfolds across four major arcs, each marked by significant turning points in her personal and professional life.

Arc 1: A Shepherd's Beginning — Forged in Humble Roots (Episodes 1–10)

Synopsis In the early 1970s, nine-year-old Yi Ladi (later renamed Yi Qin'e) is a simple shepherd girl living in the remote mountain village of Jiuyan'gou. Her life changes abruptly when her uncle, Hu Sanyuan, the master drummer of the county Qinqiang opera troupe, brings her to the county seat. Renaming her Yi Qin'e, he enrolls her as a trainee, hoping to spare her a life of rural poverty. Key Story Beats

• Awakening through Humiliation: Yi Qin'e arrives as the most awkward, least respected trainee. She is slow to learn basic movements and constantly mocked by her peers. After one particularly harsh reprimand, she seriously considers running away.
• The First Mentor: The kind-hearted Hua Caixiang, the troupe's leading female performer, teaches Yi Qin'e fundamental techniques. Caught between her affection for the girl and her complex ties to Hu Sanyuan, Hua Caixiang's lessons go beyond opera—they impart early lessons about resilience.
• Finding the Four Masters: Through a stroke of luck, Yi Qin'e catches the attention of four reclusive veteran artists—Loyalty (Zhong), Filial Piety (Xiao), Benevolence (Ren), and Righteousness (Yi)—who have retreated from the stage to the troupe's boiler room. Recognizing a purity and potential in her that others have missed, they secretly begin teaching her the guarded secrets of traditional Qinqiang performance. This arc establishes Yi Qin'e's character at its most raw and unformed. Her transformation is not sparked by sudden genius but by exposure to genuine mastery—the silent, dedicated teaching of the four masters awakens something within her that no amount of mockery can extinguish.

Arc 2: Rising Star — The Pain of Distinction (Episodes 11–24)

Synopsis Now in her teens, Yi Qin'e has absorbed the foundations of martial female roles from her secret mentors. When the provincial opera competition arrives, she is thrust onto the stage before an audience far larger than her small county troupe. Her performance draws thunderous applause—and the envious glare of her fellow trainees. Key Story Beats

• Provincial Breakthrough: Yi Qin'e delivers a stunning performance that wins the competition and brings honor to her county. Overnight, she becomes the most talked-about young performer in the provincial opera scene.
• Jealousy and Isolation: As her star rises, the distance between Yi Qin'e and her former friends widens. A key supporting character—a fellow trainee who once stood by her—betrays her to a rival troupe out of professional jealousy.
• First Love and Loss: Yi Qin'e encounters two men who will shape her emotional life. Liu Hongbing (Shawn Dou) is a charismatic man from a powerful family who showers her with attention. Feng Xiaoxiao (Zhai Zilu) is a gentle, pure-hearted suitor whose feelings for her are genuine and unwavering. But her devotion to opera leaves no room for romance, and both relationships end in quiet heartbreak.
• The Four Masters Step Back: After fulfilling their promise to teach her the complete martial female repertoire, the four masters quietly withdraw from her life, warning her that the greatest trials are yet to come. This arc captures the cruel irony of excellence: the very success that elevates Yi Qin'e also isolates her. She learns that being a star is often a lonely position—admired from afar, but seldom understood up close.

Arc 3: Falling Curtains — Opera at the Crossroads (Episodes 25–38)

Synopsis By the 1980s and 1990s, China's rapid economic reforms have transformed society. Television, pop music, and foreign films flood in. Qinqiang opera, once the heartbeat of community life, is now seen as old-fashioned and irrelevant. Audiences dwindle, funding is slashed, and one by one, the province's opera troupes disband. Key Story Beats

• The Great Dispersion: The county troupe is officially dissolved. Many performers leave to find work in factories, restaurants, or construction sites. Hu Sanyuan, once the undisputed "Northwest Drum King," is reduced to playing percussion at rural weddings and funerals just to survive.
• The Betrayal: Hua Caixiang, facing her own crumbling marriage and dwindling career prospects, is persuaded to defect to a rival television opera program. Her departure strikes Yi Qin'e like a physical blow—after losing her four masters, losing her first mentor feels like losing a part of herself.
• Yi Qin'e's Choice: Unlike her peers, Yi Qin'e refuses to abandon opera. She continues training alone in empty rehearsal halls, performing for audiences of one or two elderly villagers. Her seemingly stubborn persistence strikes others as delusional.
• A Small Stage, A Big Heart: When a few elderly opera enthusiasts scrape together funds to mount a small performance, Yi Qin'e accepts without hesitation. The performance is poorly attended but deeply moving—and among the audience is a television producer who will change her fate. This arc is the emotional crucible of the series. Yi Qin'e's devotion is tested not by active opposition but by the quiet, corrosive force of indifference. She must ask herself: What is an artist when no one is watching? Her answer shapes everything that follows.

Arc 4: The Final Act — Legacy of a Lifetime (Episodes 39–48)

Synopsis Against all odds, Yi Qin'e's persistence pays off. Invited to join the provincial Qin Opera Troupe, she enters a new phase of her career—no longer the humble girl from Jiuyan'gou, but the undisputed "Lead." However, reaching the top reveals that the hardest challenges lie not in getting there, but in staying there and, eventually, letting go. Key Story Beats

• The Price of Fame: At the peak of her powers, Yi Qin'e performs to sold-out houses and receives standing ovations. Yet each triumph is accompanied by a profound sense of isolation. The loneliness of the lead—a woman whose devotion to her art has cost her nearly all personal connections—settles over her like a second skin.
• Confronting the Past: Old acquaintances resurface. Some seek reconciliation; others seek to exploit her fame. Yi Qin'e must decide who deserves a place in her life and who must be left behind forever.
• The Next Generation: A talented young performer emerges—raw, unpolished, and hungry. The cycle that began when Yi Qin'e herself arrived at the county troupe decades earlier begins anew. She must decide whether to become the mentor she once needed.
• The Four Masters' Final Lesson: In flashbacks and discovered letters, Yi Qin'e pieces together the full story of why the four masters withdrew from the stage. Their message is clear: true mastery lies not in hoarding knowledge but in passing it forward.
• The Final Performance: The series concludes with a powerful, cathartic performance in which Yi Qin'e—now a woman in her fifties—takes the stage one last time. The performance interweaves her greatest roles with flashbacks to every stage of her life. When the curtain finally falls, it is not an ending but a beginning: she walks offstage to take her place among the masters, ready to train the next generation. The final arc delivers on the series' core theme: that being a "lead" is not a destination but a responsibility. Yi Qin'e's journey—from pastoral obscurity to national acclaim—is ultimately revealed to be a meditation on inheritance. An artist's truest legacy is not the applause she receives but the knowledge she plants in those who follow.

Epilogue: Beyond the Spotlight

As the final credits roll on Yi Qin'e's decades-spanning career, the story comes full circle in a poignant, bittersweet fashion. The "Lead" who began as the most vulnerable member of the troupe has become its anchor—carrying forward the torch lit by her four masters and her mentor Hua Caixiang. The small seaside community of Zhazhating has changed beyond recognition, but the spirit of Qinqiang endures, passed from one pair of calloused hands to another. In the end, "The Lead" offers no tidy resolution—only the quiet reassurance that the cycle of teaching and learning continues. Yi Qin'e may have reached the pinnacle of her profession, but her greatest role is just beginning: that of the master who watches from the wings, ready to catch the next generation when they fall and push them forward when they stumble.