The Cantonese opera The General and The Beauty, or Hu Jiang Qing Chou Mei Ren En, tells a story about an object, Jiu baolian, which was said to be able to cure diseases of all kinds. It was the family treasure of the retired imperial doctor, Zhou Hongde. One day, the country was flooded. The doctor saved Liao Zhongping, who was critically ill and adopted him as his son. It was heard that the mother of the emperor was ill and could not be cured. The doctor asked his son Zhaonian and his adopted son Zhongping to go to the capital to treat the disease with the treasure. One the way, Zhongping returned evil for good. He pushed Zhaonian down the cliff. He then took the treasure and cured the disease of the mother of the emperor. He was awarded as marquis with a fief of ten thousand households. Zhongping returned home and said that Zhaonian was drowned. He set fire to Zhou's house and wanted to keep adoptive sister, wanqing, to be wife. Wanqing committed suicide.
Members of the Zhou family fled away. With such a disaster coming, Zhou Hongde became ill with heavy debt. To save the family, his daughter-in-law, shuxian married a military leader at a strategic pass at the border. But some emergency happened at the strategic pass. The military leader went on an expedition by imperial edict. He left his son.
Eight years later, Shuxian brought up her own son and her adopted son. They went to the examination and happened to meet Wanqing, who was saved, to make sue. Zhou Zhaonian was also saved and met the military leader. They told the whole story before the emperor. Liao Zhongping was found guilty. The family members gather together.
