位于渝、鄂、湘、黔四省交界的武陵山地区是历代土匪出没的地方，1949年岁末，中国人民解放军以摧枯拉朽之势席卷大西南后，又向西藏进军。残留在武陵山一带的几路土匪凭借地形复杂，地势险要继续负隅顽抗，妄图将当地新生的民主政权扼杀在摇篮之中。解放军某部营长石忠奉命执行剿匪任务，回到家乡武陵山，却不料卷入了错综复杂的矛盾漩涡之中，从而引发了一段千回百转的感情纠葛和惊险紧张的战斗故事。 nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs;龙头山上，匪首张笑凤原是一个官僚的儿媳妇，因不堪忍受父子俩的凌辱，一怒之下枪杀了乱伦的公爹，落草为寇和惯匪陈子铨狼狈为奸残害百姓。 nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs;在龚滩冉家塘芭蕉洞的惯匪，父亲冉文通是个老谋深算阴险毒辣的quot;冉善人quot;，为了实现冉家永远在龚滩称王称霸的梦想，不惜让儿媳妇用美人计栽陷解放军，而他的儿子冉大兴，则常年蛰伏在深山里，无恶不作。 nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs;白水洞的匪首黑鹰，当年曾是一个血气方刚的抗日军官，因在前线杀了不少抗日的上司而遭通缉，逃回家后又遇家父冤死牢中，因而杀了仇人落草为寇，专门劫富济贫。 nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs;盘踞在龙头山，白水洞，芭蕉洞的三股土匪，既相互联合又勾心斗角，对于解放军和新建立的民主政权，更是充满敌意。在激烈的冲突中，白水洞的头领黑鹰发现，原来解放军剿匪便衣大队队长石忠，竟是他的嫡亲相抵，而黑鹰的quot;压寨夫人quot;又恰恰是弟弟当年青梅竹马的恋人，兄弟俩当年曾一同投身抗日洪流，不想失散多年，竟成敌人。 nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs;地下党员余庆奉打入匪窟，匪首张笑凤和马弁阿香竟同时爱上了他，考验与爱意参半，危机与柔情并存。 nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs;侦察英雄老连长秦乐天和年轻寡妇许二嫂由军民鱼水情升华为圣洁的爱情，但两人心里的话还没有最后说出口，秦乐天却倒在了匪特的枪弹下，搂着秦乐天染满鲜血的尸体，肝肠寸断的许二嫂欲哭无泪。 nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs;秀云自缢身亡，以死相谏丈夫向解放军投降，青山脚下杜鹃花旁，面对秀云的香尸，石忠、石良相对无言。 nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs; nbs;西南工作团女战士裴萱一直在做着作家梦，她对身旁的英雄石忠由感恩，敬慕发展到暗恋，然而当石忠看见裴萱表达爱恋的情书时，裴萱已长眠在英雄树下的纪念碑中。