Painter Zheng Banqiao (played by Wang Xi) came to Yangzhou with the lofty ideal of serving the country, hoping that he could realize his ambitions here. However, the reality was cruel, and what awaited him were constant setbacks and failures. Finally, Zheng Banqiao entered the officialdom as he wished, but found that it was full of corrupt officials, which was completely different from what he imagined. In Yangzhou, Zheng Banqiao met a brothel girl named Wang Yijie (played by Gigi Lai), and was moved by her pitiful life experience. The two fell in love, but this relationship was opposed and obstructed by Wang Yijie's mother. In the end, Zheng Banqiao married Xu (played by Chen Songling), whom he did not like. In the days when the two were together day and night, the kind and gentle Xu gradually won Zheng Banqiao's true heart. However, in an accident, Xu died to save Zheng Banqiao. Before her death, she begged Zheng Banqiao to marry Rao Wumei (played by Myolie Wu).