The story begins in the late autumn of the first year of Yongtai. The veteran general Guo Ziyi, who was nearly seventy years old, retreated to the coalition forces of hundreds of thousands of He and Tubo alone, and returned triumphantly after relieving the siege of Chang'an. Faced with the emperor's intentions and temptations from Tang Dynasty Emperor Li Yu, who said "there is no reward above the court", Guo Ziyi exceeded everyone's expectations and did not seek a famous title but only a "beauty from the south of the Yangtze River" to defile herself. This seemingly absurd move was actually a far-sighted "hiding clumsiness" technique he used to protect himself and his family under the influence of his superior power.
The novel goes back to the fourteenth year of Tianbao, when the Anshi Rebellion broke out and the Tang Dynasty collapsed. Guo Ziyi, who was the governor of Shuofang at that time, was appointed in critical situation and became the core pillar of rebuilding the Tang Dynasty. He led his army to regain the two capitals and put down the rebellion. However, he was repeatedly slandered by the eunuch Yu Chaoen and other treacherous people, and was deprived of military power twice by Suzong and Daizong. Guo Ziyi has had many ups and downs, but she has never complained and endured the humiliation. When the court was in crisis again, he could always step forward with his old age and turn the tide.
After that, Guo Ziyi carried out the "self-defilation" to the end: opening the gate of Fenyang Palace for the people to visit and indulge in sensuality, creating an illusion of being greedy for pleasure and having no ambition, so as to eliminate Daizong's suspicion and the vigilance of his enemies. However, when the Tubo invaded again, this veteran who was "indulged in wine and sex" instantly tore off his disguise and once again put on his armor and went into battle, showing the sharpness of a peerless general and ruling the frontier.
However, the scandal between his son Guo Yan and Princess Shengping, and the arrogant statement "Is your father the emperor? My father is not the emperor!" Once again pushed the Guo family to the edge of annihilation. Guo Ziyi tied her son to the palace, and finally used her absolute loyalty and years of "self-defilation" to win Daizong's understanding that "he is not crazy, not deaf, and not a family man", and the emperor and his ministers were able to treat each other candidly. In his later years, Guo Ziyi retired after his achievements and died a good death, achieving the eternal legend of "his achievements are overwhelming all over the world but his master is not doubted, his position is extremely powerful and his ministers are not jealous of others".
Purpose: serving the past for the present