young Kangxi Emperor, the ruler of the Qing Empire, and strikes up a friendship with him. One day, Wei Xiaobao encounters the Tiandihui ("Heaven and Earth Society"), a secret society aiming to overthrow the Qing dynasty. He impresses Chen Jinnan, the Tiandihui's leader, who takes him in as an apprentice. Besides, he also becomes one of the Tiandihui's lodge leaders and agrees to serve as their spy in the palace. Later, he is taken captive by the sinister Mystic Dragon Cult and brought to the island where they are based. Through glib talk and flattery, he wins the favour of Hong Antong, the cult leader, and becomes one of the cult's five emissaries. Wei Xiaobao makes a number of seemingly impossible achievements through sheer luck, cunning, and the use of unglamorous means such as cheating and deception. First, he assists the Kangxi Emperor in ousting the autocratic regent, Oboi, from power. Second, he discovers the whereabouts of the missing Shunzhi Emperor, who has been presumed dead, saves him from danger and reunites him with his son, the Kangxi Emperor. Third, he eliminates the Mystic Dragon Cult by stirring up internal conflict, which leads to the cult's self-destruction. Fourth, he weakens Wu Sangui's rebellion by bribing the rebels' allies to withdraw, allowing Qing imperial forces to crush the rebels easily. Finally, he leads a campaign against the Tsardom of Russia and helps the Qing Empire reach a border treaty with the Russians. Earlier on, he had met the Russian regent, Sophia Alekseyevna, and helped her consolidate control over Russia during an uprising. In the process of accomplishing these tasks, he also recommended talents to serve the Qing government, one of whom is Shi Lang, the admiral who led the successful naval campaign against the Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan. Throughout the story, Wei Xiaobao exhibits devout loyalty to both the Kangxi Emperor and his friends in the Tiandihui and other anti-Qing forces. He instinctively shields the emperor with his body from assassins and saves the emperor's life on two occasions, in addition to playing an important role in assisting the Kangxi Emperor in consolidating power. On the other hand, he secretly helps the anti-Qing forces escape on numerous occasions and undermines attempts by Qing imperial forces to destroy the Tiandihui. For his achievements, he is rewarded with immense wealth and titles of nobility. The highest position he reached is "Duke of