Ximen Qing, a gangster in Qinghe County, refused to be mediocre. He started from the medicinal materials business and rode the waves in the business world in the middle and late Ming Dynasty. He is shrewd and ruthless, swallowing up peers and befriending officials, transforming from a common man into a wealthy businessman who controls a country's economy; he deals with Pan Jinlian's beauty and Li Ping'er's wealth, fighting for favor in the backyard and fighting in the shopping mall. At his peak, his mansion was majestic, surrounded by dignitaries, and his businesses were spread all over the state capital; but once the bubble of collusion between government and businessmen burst, former allies turned against each other, old enemies surrounded him, and the huge business empire was on the verge of collapse. From rogue to wealthy, and then to complete failure, Ximen Qing's life is a Ming Dynasty business legend full of desire, intrigue and struggle. The novel deeply restores the business style and social conditions of the Ming Dynasty. In the ups and downs of the plot, it explores the sinking and redemption of human nature under the temptation of interests, and reveals the eternal law of "prosperity must inevitably decline".
