The Elm Tree: Seeds of Change

Will the newest branch of a decaying house be bent or broken by these uncertain times?

It has been six years since China threw off imperial rule, yet Beijing seems largely unchanged. The city is a chaotic, roiling sea of humanity inhabited by merchants, hawkers and street urchins. In the midst of it all, Qi Yuexuan, the sole scion of a distinguished family, lives a life of indolence.

But change is coming. Forces from within and without are becoming increasingly influential, while the new i...