A Branch of Plum Blossom

This film (drama)Also known as一枝梅，is aMainland ChinaProducerwomen sex，At2004Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating0.0(For reference only)。

During the Ming Dynasty, there was a year of disaster and chaos. The lazy dragon was taken by a mysterious old man resembling a playful old child to learn art for several years. The old man taught him many extraordinary skills, making the agile lazy dragon as supple as if made of no bones, able to leap on rooftops and move like the wind. Seeing that the lazy dragon had completed his training, the old man sent him down the mountain. Before parting, the old man advised the lazy dragon that though he had fallen into this life, there are principles even among thieves; he should only act with righteousness and generosity and must not go against the laws of heaven. After bidding farewell to his master, the lazy dragon arrived in Suzhou City. The city was facing famine, but the Maoyuan rice shop relied on the governor's influence to hoard rice, causing the citizens to voice their grievances due to having no rice to cook. The governor's son, Gao Yanai, swaggered out of the rice shop, flaunting his wealth. Seizing the opportunity, the lazy dragon stole the silver that Gao Yanai had acquired from the shop owner. The lazy dragon took the silver to a tavern to drink. At the neighboring table, a man named A Cheng and others were discussing a plan to rush into the Maoyuan rice shop to open the granary and sell grain. The lazy dragon listened and expressed that he had a plan to help. A Cheng and the others were half-convinced. That evening, the lazy dragon took A Cheng and others by boat to a small dock behind the rice shop. The lazy dragon used a knife to dig a small hole at the bottom of the granary, inserted a bamboo tube, and the rice poured into the boat. They raised their cups to the moon, singing and shouting, mingling their voices with the sound of the rice spilling until the granary was empty, then quietly untied the boat and left. Early the next morning, the lazy dragon and A Cheng distributed the rice to relieve the disaster victims, causing a crowd to gather. The beloved daughter of famous constable Zheng Xin, Gui Niang, also stood in line to receive rice and was deeply moved by the righteous actions of the lazy dragon and his companions. The governor summoned Zheng Xin and ordered him to capture the rice thief within a set period. Meanwhile, the lazy dragon had sneaked into a silk shop and cleverly escaped after stealing. Shortly, a series of thefts occurred in Suzhou, with the victims being wealthy families. After inspecting the scene, Zheng Xin discovered the methods were highly skilled, concluding that they were the work of a master criminal, so he redoubled his efforts to investigate. The lazy dragon moved from place to place, finding refuge in old temples and behind garden walls. A Cheng had become the lazy dragon's follower, often visiting and sharing market news. One day, the two were drinking in the tavern when Gui Niang happened to pass by and was harassed by Gao Yanai. Unexpectedly, Gui Niang had trained in martial arts with her father since childhood and was quite formidable, defeating Gao Yanai and his companions. The lazy dragon watched and was secretly impressed. Hearing from A Cheng that Zheng Xin was looking for him, the lazy dragon decided to play a game of cat and mouse with the authorities. That night, the lazy dragon stealthily approached Zheng Xin's home. Zheng Xin was away on business, and Gui Niang was home alone, playing the qin by the window. The lazy dragon was surprised to find Gui Niang there. Her music was gentle, and the lazy dragon was moved. Seeing that Zheng Xin's home was simple, he hesitated but still used his clever tactics to steal a jade pendant hanging on the wall and drew a branch of plum blossom on the wall, signifying his alias "A Branch of Plum Blossom." When Zheng Xin returned home and saw this, he realized an opponent had been there. The jade pendant was a keepsake from his mother, which weighed on Gui Niang's mind. Gao Yanai coveted Gui Niang's beauty, and the governor, who had always spoiled him, would naturally heed his words. One day, the governor hosted a family banquet to entertain Zheng Xin. During the banquet, the steward mentioned a marriage proposal to Zheng Xin, who directly rejected it. The governor was displeased. The owner of the Maoyuan rice shop had just opened a pawn shop. On the opening day, it was lavish and quite ostentatious. Upon learning this, the lazy dragon sneaked in at midnight. Unexpectedly, Zheng Xin had already made arrangements; under the light of lanterns, soldiers surrounded the place, and the lazy dragon could not escape. Zheng Xin brought the lazy dragon to the governor's office. However, the governor did not hurry to interrogate but instead imprisoned the lazy dragon, using the excuse of insufficient evidence to force Zheng Xin to continue the investigation. Zheng Xin knew that the governor harbored resentment over the marriage proposal and was deliberately making things difficult, but he had no way to resist. While in prison, the lazy dragon bribed the jailer. One day, during a drinking opportunity, the jailer unlocked the lazy dragon's shackles. Taking advantage of the drunk jailer, the lazy dragon leaped out of the prison. At dawn, he stealthily returned. As the sun brightened, a crowd of complainants gathered in front of the governor's office, all reporting thefts that had occurred the previous night, all inscribed with "A Branch of Plum Blossom." The governor, knowing something was amiss, summoned Zheng Xin, accusing him of pretending to be true and letting the real culprit go, deceiving his superiors. Zheng Xin wanted to defend himself but was dismissed by the governor. The governor called for the lazy dragon to be interrogated. In court, the lazy dragon exuded confidence. Curious, the governor wanted to test the lazy dragon's skills and was rather impressed. The steward nearby suggested that the governor keep the lazy dragon under his wing for future use. The lazy dragon escaped the charge and, although he wanted to repay the governor, he was unwilling to become a pawn and thus delayed. The lazy dragon was still concerned about Gui Niang and wanted to find an opportunity to return the jade pendant. One day, the lazy dragon quietly entered Gui Niang's room and hung the pendant back on the wall but was discovered by Gui Niang, who blocked him in the room. Realizing that the lazy dragon was the one who had distributed rice to help the disaster victims, Gui Niang was greatly shocked and angrily scolded the lazy dragon as a petty thief. The lazy dragon fled, feeling quite displeased. To change Gui Niang’s view of him and to plan for the future, the lazy dragon went to the governor's mansion and offered his services to the governor. The governor sent him to catch thieves and maintain law and order. The lazy dragon used his influence to secretly persuade his former companions to stay away or retire elsewhere, bringing temporary peace to Suzhou. However, he was criticized by A Cheng and others for seeking glory by selling himself, leading to inner conflict. The lazy dragon advised the governor to reinstate Zheng Xin. Zheng Xin was summoned back, only to discover that the lazy dragon had become his superior, as the governor intended to humiliate him. Zheng Xin was about to angrily resign when he received news that there had been a theft of official silver from the treasury. To investigate the matter, Zheng Xin endured humiliation and stayed on. Zheng Xin suspected that the case was the work of the lazy dragon. To clear his name, the lazy dragon had to investigate secretly. The two of them each followed their leads, going through misunderstandings and twists, ultimately discovering that the thief was the owner of the Maoyuan shop. Zheng Xin suspected that the governor was behind the case, while the lazy dragon was half-convinced. After this experience, Zheng Xin and the lazy dragon began to admire each other. Gui Niang’s view of the lazy dragon slightly changed, but she still struggled to let go of her previous resentment. An imperial inspector received an anonymous letter, and hearing that the governor of Suzhou was embezzling funds, he personally came to investigate. The governor, realizing this, summoned the lazy dragon and falsely claimed that the inspector was malicious with sinister motives, intending to frame him. If he could steal the inspector's seal and have him punished, he could turn the danger into safety. The lazy dragon, unaware of the dangers of officialdom, rashly agreed. The lazy dragon sneaked into the inspector's office, finding the inspector diligently reviewing documents by candlelight, which made him suspicious. Nevertheless, he stole the seal and presented it to the governor. By chance, he overheard a secret conversation between the governor and the Maoyuan shop owner, realizing that the governor was indeed the mastermind behind the theft of official silver. Shocked, the lazy dragon sought out Zheng Xin and detailed everything. The inspector, receiving Zheng Xin's report, was already aware of the situation. He sent someone to invite the governor to his office. They devised a plan to recover the lost seal. Knowing that he had been exposed, the governor plotted murder but was preemptively surrounded by the inspector's men. During the conflict, Gui Niang was shot by an arrow and died, while the governor was stabbed to death by the lazy dragon. After many twists and turns, the lazy dragon finally realized that officialdom was far more treacherous than the world of rogues. He bid farewell to everyone and left Suzhou City, embarking on a journey to wander the world.