Chief producer Mu Xiaoyong said development of the script began in 2013, when the three screenwriters decided to revisit wartime history through the experiences of ordinary people. The project ultimately took 14 years to complete.

To re-create the era as accurately as possible, the production team built more than 10 large-scale sets, including a wartime hospital, and tailored over 1,700 sets of military uniforms representing 13 branches of the armed forces of the time. The costumes and accessories were designed strictly according to historical records.

Actor Wang Yang, who portrays Zhang, described the role as unlike any he had attempted before. "Although he is a soldier trapped in the mud and flames of war, he also carries the spirit of a traditional scholar-official who regards mere survival as shameful and shirking responsibility as disgraceful," Wang says. "This combination of a warrior's toughness and a scholar's conscience is something I had never portrayed before."

Actress Wan Qian, who plays Zhang's wife, says her character represents countless Chinese women of that era who awakened through suffering. "She was not born a hero, but an ordinary woman who, in the darkest moments of national crisis, stood tall, struggled to survive, and pursued the light of faith."

The production has also resonated strongly with audiences. According to industry tracker CVB, the drama achieved an average television rating of 1.81 percent, while its highest-rated episode surpassed 3.73 percent.

Online, the series accumulated more than 2.41 billion views, and related topics generated over 170 million views on social media platforms such as Sina Weibo, driven by more than 460 trending discussions.