Set in the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, Ding Wu and Jiang Huang, a pair of brothers in the Jingyiwei, find themselves juggling disparate responsibilities in the investigative bureau. One of the brothers has a pregnant wife to care for but is trapped in a mundane job procuring tea, rice, oil, and salt. Meanwhile, the other falls in love with a woman in a youth house, hoping for a chance to rise through the ranks in the ordinary workplace. When the two are ordered to investigate a serial murder mystery case, they wind up uncovering a major corruption scheme that shakes the very foundations of their authority.