This drama depicts the life of a legendary figure Zhang Ju Zheng in the Ming Dynasty. In Chinese feudal society, few prime ministers make their ways to the top from a humble background. Zhang Ju Zheng is one of those who does. He guides the 10-year-old emperor into making crucial reforms. Despite his best efforts his reforms are met with resistance and his family is forced to pay for his innovations and mistakes. His downfall foreshadows the downfall of the Ming Dynasty.