During the Qingli period of the Northern Song Dynasty, scholar Zhao Tingfang went to the Northwest An border village to find out the truth behind the death of his father (border general Zhao Shouyi) in the war. As a result, he became involved in an intricate network of corruption and espionage that spanned the Song and Xia countries. In the end, he grew from a "chess piece" to avenge his father to a "national soldier" guarding the border.
