In the chaotic era of the Western Wei Dynasty (535-556), a large number of civilians are forced into slavery. A young slave girl named Chu Qiao is put in the hunting ground as a target for the aristocrats to practice archery for amusement. Fortunately, she is rescued by Yan Xun, heir of a Xiliang nobility, and brought to the celebrated Yuwen family, where she witnesses the torturous deaths of her elder brother and sister. She swears to rescue her younger sister.
She catches the attention of the open-minded nobleman Yuwen Yue and strikes up a close friendship with Yan Xun while undergoing strict training. When Yan’s family is wiped out in power struggles, she stays with him and does all she can to help him escape the dire predicament.
After returning to Xiliang, Yan Xun’s ambition swells, and he sets up a separatist regime at the cost of the lives of innumerous civilians. Chu Qiao leaves him in despair and unites with Yuwen Yue, who is committed to “uniting the country and abolishing slavery.” Yan Xun’s plans for revenge are disrupted by Chu Qiao, and Chu Qiao becomes a general. Yuwen Tai, the powerful prime minister, is reluctantly persuaded to free all the slaves, thus putting an end to the centuries-long slavery system.
