At the end of the 19th century, during the early years of French colonization, a village teacher participates in the palace examinations in the imperial city of Hue, Vietnam. There he meets a young Vietnamese-French woman. Despite their attraction for each other, a series of trials and adversities challenge them both. Set against a well-detailed background of political intrigue and social prejudice, their love faces opposition from family and society, as people they never suspect as enemies threaten to put an end not only to their relationship but also to his life.