Hero of the Times(1999)

Hero of the Times is a Chinese historical series set during the Yongzheng Emperor's reign in the Qing dynasty. The emperor tasks Nalan Degang, a Manchu bannerman, with forming a covert death squad to crush the Great Ming Society, a Yangzhou-based underground movement plotting to overthrow the Qing and restore Ming rule. The squad earns its fearsome name—the Flying Guillotines—from the lethal weapon its members wield. Caught between imperial duty and moral ambiguity, Degang must navigate treacherous politics and deadly missions in a world where loyalty and survival hang by a thread. The series blends historical intrigue with martial action against a backdrop of dynastic conflict and rebellion.