In the early years of the Republic of China, the warlords fought in a melee, the people were in dire straits, and the world was divided into three parts. They were controlled by the Zhou family, the Shanghai warlord, the Xiao family, the Beijing warlord, and the Liao family, the Chongqing warlord, forming a tripartite force.
The Zhou family in Shanghai controls the economic lifeline of the country and is the richest of the three warlords. The person in charge is Governor Zhou Yuchuan, who is nearly fifty years old. His first wife gave birth to a son named Zhou Linzhi. She died in childbirth. Zhou Yuchuan also had eight concubines. Only the third concubine had a daughter named Zhou Lubai, who was Zhou Linzhi's sister. Her husband was Liao Wenyu, the second son of Liao Xingchen, the warlord of the Liao family in Chongqing.
The Xiao family, a warlord in Beijing, has won over many powerful people in the late Qing Dynasty. The person in charge is Xiao Jingxuan, who is over fifty years old. His son Xiao Hengzhi is the fiancé of Gu Youming, the only daughter of the Gu family, a wealthy family in the late Qing Dynasty.
Zhou Linzhi received a secret report that Aixinjueluo Zaike, the last prince of the Qing Dynasty in Beijing, colluded with the Japanese people under his nose and secretly sold cigarettes in order to break the current situation and restore the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, Zhou Linzhi conducted an in-depth secret investigation to destroy his stronghold and business lines. After the stronghold was blown up, Zhou Linzhi was assassinated during the retreat and was shot once. He broke into a Japanese prostitute's den while hiding and was intoxicated by the incense. During his escape, he happened to hide in the hotel room where Gu Youming was staying, and was rescued by Gu Youming, a girl from the Gu family who had returned from studying medicine abroad. Unexpectedly, Gu Youming was kind enough to save him, but unexpectedly became his antidote. Afterwards, Zhou Linzhi left a letter and left the jade pendant with his late mother's name engraved on it to Gu Youming as a token, and then disappeared.
Gu Youming lost his virginity to someone else before marriage and had to break off the engagement with the Xiao family. However, he was kidnapped by Xiao Hengzhi and threatened Zhou Linzhi: "Young Marshal, please choose one between my wife and the territory."
