The story centers on the Lengs, a great merchant family in 1920s and 1930s in Harbin. At that time, the brutal Japanese soldiers disseminate virus in Harbin. By extremely cruel means, they treat Chinese people as their "test field". The Lengs lead people to fight against Japanese soldiers. With the mystery of the Lengs' origin being revealed, the Lengs suffer decay. However, the three sons make a great difference in defending their family and saving the country. At the same time, they are also entangled with complicated emotional confusions.