The Golden Branch of the Wealthy Family

Plot Synopsis

During the reign of Emperor Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty, the battles between the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Qing court in the Jianghuai region were intense. The Lianghuai Salt Fields, the largest salt production area of the Qing court, were deserted and the salt transportation routes were blocked. Consequently, the salt tax, an important source of revenue for the imperial court, disappeared completely. To get out of this predicament, Emperor Xianfeng was forced to issue an order that Sichuan salt be transported to Hubei (referred to as "Chuan Yan Ji Chu" in Chinese, meaning using Sichuan's salt to relieve the shortage in Hubei which was then in a state of war). For a while, merchants flocked to southern Sichuan. In Fujing County, southern Sichuan, the local big salt merchants, taking advantage of their favorable geographical location, seized the opportunity and quickly expanded their businesses. In the struggle for interests between the local salt merchants and the outsiders, who would emerge victorio