In the prosperous yet perilous Ming Dynasty town of Qinghe County, Ximen Qing rises from merchant to magnate through cunning trade in rare herbs and aphrodisiacs. Blessed—or cursed—with boundless vitality and insatiable desire, he builds a lavish household filled with beautiful concubines, each a force of ambition and sensuality.

Pan Jinlian, clever and fiercely ambitious, escapes a loveless marriage to become his fifth wife, her voluptuous curves and dominant passions both weapon and chain. Gentle Li Ping’er, a wealthy widow bearing his only son, offers tender surrender until tragedy strikes. Pang Chunmei, the spirited maid, transforms from servant to seventh concubine, her youthful fire and sharp mind eventually eclipsing all rivals.

As rivalries flare and forbidden affairs entangle even the household’s handsome son-in-law, Ximen indulges ever more recklessly—secret techniques learned from southern courtesans fueling nights of extravagant, boundary-shattering ecstasy. Yet desire exacts its price: disease and exhaustion erode his empire from within.

In the end, excess claims its master, leaving the women to vastly different fates—one cast into ruin, another rising to power, and the household’s quiet overseer guarding the remnants. A timeless tale of lust, power, and inevitable fall.