The story centers on a witty and sly protagonist, Wei Xiaobao. He makes his way from his hometown in Yangzhou to Beijing, where he is kidnapped into the Imperial Palace and he impersonates a eunuch. Wei Xiaobao meets the young Kangxi Emperor by chance and they strike up an unlikely friendship. Through sheer luck and cunning, Wei Xiaobao manages to accomplish a series of seemingly impossible tasks that would affect the future of the Qing Dynasty.