Zhao Pan'er is a smart and savvy teahouse owner in Qiantang, living alongside her two best friends Sun Sanniang and Song Yinzhang. When she finds out her fiancé left her for another woman of a high ranking officer after becoming an official in the capital of Bianjing, she refuses to give into her fate and decides to travel to the capital in search for the truth. On her way there, she crosses paths with both of her best friends whose lives she saves, and they follow her onward. Gu Qianfan is a commander in an elite capital squadron nicknamed "Living Devil". He is setup by the very people he swears allegiance to and must find out the truth behind a nefarious scheme involving the imperial court. When he first meets Zhao Pan'er, they don't see eye to eye, however this intelligent businesswoman has caught his attention and as they help each other, they get closer to their own goals.

Zhongfu Group, a large state-owned enterprise with a magnificent history of 80 years in Jingzhou, was in trouble during the transition period, and the existing market changed. Factors, there are also serious corruption issues that cannot be ignored. An unexpected explosion exploded the bizarre disappearance of 500 million funds, gradually exposing all kinds of sharp and complicated contradictions. Senior party and government officials, business executives, all walks of life, the underprivileged groups, all kinds of life-like characters.

Shu Ke is a salesman who aspires to be a designer. After entering into a contract marriage with Tao Hua, a second-generation rich baifumei, Shu Ke finds himself facing all sorts of troubles. He has to deal with his steely mother-in-law, a childhood sweetheart who has come to find fault, a father-in-law who seems to be neither friend nor foe and Tao Hua's good friend who is crushing on him. Being in too deep in their lies, the two start to develop real feelings for each other. However, the time will come when their fake marriage is exposed. Tao Hua's mother demands that Shu Ke give up on his dream of becoming a designer to join the family business instead. Shu Ke reluctantly agrees and experiences various ups and downs in the workplace as the chairman's son-in-law. Meanwhile, Ta Hua puts her life on hold to focus all her energy towards Shu Ke. With their relationship reaching an impasse, can they ever have a real marriage?

Li Xin Yue is a white-collar worker under the watchful eye of the police after she goes out of her way to buy Dear, a painting by a renowned artist. Undercover cop, Jin Xiao Tian, is ordered to shadow her every move.

Zhang Neng Liang is a fuerdai (second generation rich) who fails the university entrance exams and joins the People’s Liberation Army as a member of the tank crew. Squad leader Niu Nul Li comes from a rural village, and missed out on a place in the military academy twice due to Zhang Neng Liang. They start off on the wrong foot, though eventually become fast friends after being allocated to the same team. The pair are joined by sole female crew member Ye Xiao Meng, an earnest tomboy who becomes the army’s first female tank driver.

Zhou Ying is sold to the powerful Shen family by her foster father, yet successfully escapes by sneaking into merchant Wu Ping’s palanquin. The Wu family agreed to take her in after witnessing her remarkable business acumen, and she ends up marrying Wu Ping. The drama will chronicle the life of the Qing Dynasty's richest female merchant, and her struggles to keep the Wu family business afloat during the last years of the Qing Dynasty. Shen Xingyi is a happy-go-lucky young sir who has never known hardship in his life. After meeting Zhou Ying, he eventually decides to change his ways and becomes a mature noble who is willing to protect his country and family from disaster. He has a seemingly unrequited love for Zhou Ying.

Swordsman is a Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. The series is written and produced by Yu Zheng, and directed by Hu Yijuan, starring Wallace Huo and Yuan Shanshan in the leading roles. Shooting started on 24 March 2012 in Xiandu, Jinyun County, Lishui, Zhejiang. It was aired in China on Hunan Television from 6 February to 4 March 2013.