In 848 AD, the Tang Dynasty had been destroyed for more than sixty years, and the Hexi Corridor fell into the hands of Tibet. Li Mingyuan, the son of a Shazhou (Dunhuang) painter, accidentally discovered clues to the "secret box" buried by his grandfather while restoring the murals in the Mogao Grottoes. Legend has it that this box contains maps of mountains and passes in the eleven prefectures of Hexi and a list of revolting patriots. Those who obtain it can influence the fate of Hexi.
Li Mingyuan originally wanted to stay out of the matter, but he was successively involved in the search of Tubo guard Shang Qixin, the robbery of the mysterious horse thief Cao Zhen, and the escape of the Khotan princess Yueniang. With the help of the bookstore owner Zhang Qingyuan (actually the liaison person of the uprising) and the female horse thief leader Yu Chiyan, he gradually discovered that the real secret of the secret box was not a weapon for national restoration, but the commitment of three generations to protect this land.
At the same time, Zhang Yichao, a wealthy family in Liangzhou, was secretly planning an uprising. The secret box map in Li Mingyuan's hand became the key to the success or failure of the uprising. From Shazhou to Liangzhou, from Mogao Grottoes to Yumen Pass, a game concerning the fate of Hexi is quietly unfolding...
