During the Guangxu period of the late Qing Dynasty, Shen Yanzhi, a son of a scholarly family, was forced to flee with his mother because his father (Shen Jingshan, governor of Huguang) was falsely accused of "tongyang". On the way, relying on the tokens left by his father and the support of his old ministry, he traveled from Suzhou to Shanghai, and dealt with the minions of the Qing court, the Caobang forces and the foreign concessions in the troubled times. Not only does he have to evade pursuit, but he also has to uncover the truth behind his father's frame-up, protect the ancient books and beliefs passed down by his family, and ultimately transform from a young scholar into a pioneer who can shoulder the family's destiny in the torrent of collision between old and new ideas.
