During the reign of Renzong in the Northern Song Dynasty, the commodity economy flourished. There were many shops in cities such as Bianjing and Hangzhou, water transportation was developed, and overseas trade was on the rise. However, there were also problems such as collusion between officials and businessmen, malicious competition among peers, and excessive and heavy taxes. The Shen family in Suzhou, Jiangnan, was once a family of officials. Later, the family was involved in court disputes and was demoted. The family fell into decline. The protagonist Shen Zhiyan needs to rely on business to revive the family business.
