Set against the historical backdrop of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms through the early Northern Song (around 934–1005), the story focuses on the turbulent struggle over the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun. It begins at the end of the Later Tang, when Shi Jingtang cedes the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun to secure Khitan support, and spans the Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou dynasties, continuing into the long standoff between the Northern Song and the Liao, which is brought to a temporary close by the signing of the Treaty of Chanyuan. This was an era of frequent regime changes and unending wars...
