A modern young man wakes up as Liu Ge'er, a sick child in the Northern Song Dynasty. His father was imprisoned for opening the granary, and he and his mother were expelled from the clan. Liu Ge'er learns and pursues education, receives guidance from Fan Zhongyan, who names him Shen Yanzhou. Local gentry block him from imperial examination using his father's criminal record. With guarantees, he enters the examination, wins first place, and travels to Bianjing with his mother.
