Scholar Pei Yu joins the army towards the end of the Southern Sung Dynasty when the country is under the threat of Mongolians' invasion. He is sent by Lü Wenhuan to Hangzhou to recruit the patriots. During a trip in West Lake, Pei accidentally meets top official Jia's concubine Li Huiniang. Pei and Li instantly fall in love. But when Jia finds out Li's betrayal, he beats her to death. When Pei visits Jia, Li's spirit appears and their love rekindles. At that moment, Lü has surrendered to the Mongolians. Pei is trapped in a difficult situation. Should he surrender too or fight for his country?

Aroma in the Dust is an adaptation of the famous Chinese operatic play Tale of the Red Plum originated in the Ming Dynasty. The tale of doomed romance is set against the fierce debate about patriotism, which will shed some light on our recent discussion on the meaning of patriotism.