During the reign of Emperor Yong and Tianqi, the vassal towns were separated, the eunuchs were in power, and the factions in the court were fierce. In the troubled times of power struggle, Pei Zhao, an orphan of a salt merchant, disguised himself as a man and joined the Cao Gang in order to clear his father's grievances. With his extraordinary business talent and tenacity, he gradually uncovered the shocking conspiracy behind the salt and iron monopoly. She met Li Yun, the young warden of the Ordnance Supervisor, Han Qilang, the young leader of the Cao Gang, and Cui Miaoyi, the princess in marriage, for their own purposes. From testing each other to joining forces to fight against the enemy.
Pei Zhao relied on his silver abacus to decipher the "Salt Lessons" and exposed the truth about the smuggling of official copper and the casting of counterfeit coins; Han Qilang used water boats as a chess piece to launch a thrilling "ghost ship" battle on the canal; Li Yun used organ skills as a blade to uncover the secrets of the previous dynasty behind the weapons surveillance case; Cui Miaoyi used the marriage as a tactic to stir up the business in the Western Regions with spice futures and camel bank. The four people traveled from Yangzhou Yanshi to the ancient city of Qiuci, from Beitian Courtyard to Xuanji City, working step by step to solve the puzzle.
In this storm, business games are intertwined with the rise and fall of dynasties. The Tea-Horse War, the struggle for maritime hegemony, currency reform, and the awakening of craftsmen, every confrontation affects the world. Pei Zhao revolutionized trade with the "Red and Green Contract", Li Yun rebuilt the military industry with the "Xuanji City", Han Qilang subverted water transportation with the "Ghost Ship", and Cui Miaoyi restructured trade with the "Silk Road Golden Coupon". However, when the truth surfaced, the four discovered that a bigger conspiracy was quietly brewing - the Queen Mother used the Buddhist temple as a guise to manipulate monk loans and incense money in an attempt to establish a new economic order.
Each of them is a chess piece and a chess player; every choice is a matter of life and death, as well as faith. In this storm, how will they stick to their hearts and complete self-salvation?
