The story takes place in the late Ming Dynasty during the Qi Dynasty. Lu Zhaoyuan, editor of the Hanlin Academy, was originally an idealistic scholar who believed in the ways of sages. When his mentor Chen Jingfu was arrested on the street by the Jin Yiwei for impeaching the powerful eunuch Wei Zhongxian, had his leg bones broken and was thrown into prison, Lu Zhaoyuan's faith was shattered by the cruel reality.
After witnessing the corruption in the officialdom and having no way to seek help, he resolutely abandoned his literary character and embarked on a path of redemption by fighting against darkness with "injustice". He reluctantly sold off the heirlooms that symbolized his family's heritage, raised tens of thousands of taels of silver, and successfully bribed hundreds of Jin Yiwei families, giving his mentor in prison a chance to survive and establishing a weak secret connection.
After his mentor conveyed the key information through secret words, Lu Zhaoyuan planned an exquisite "book exchange" operation and took out the books containing the secret messages from the heavily guarded imperial prison. He cracked the secret message using the Go score as the password and learned the hiding place of the "account book" recording the evidence of the eunuch's crimes. However, just when he obtained the account books late at night, he was betrayed and ambushed by his former colleagues. At the critical moment of life and death, Lu Zhaoyuan set fire to create chaos, escaped with the account books, and became a fugitive wanted by the court.
Just when he was desperate at Tongzhou Pier and about to be arrested, the only way out mentioned in his mentor's letter - the ship owner Qi Zhenhai showed up brazenly. Qi Zhenhai not only publicly claimed that Lu Zhaoyuan was his lost nephew, but also showed off a formidable "Dongchang Waist Card" at the critical moment, completely frightening and forcing back the pursuing fans, and successfully rescued Lu Zhaoyuan.
