Advised by a blind fortune teller, Snail the Burglar steals from the estate of Master Cockle and sells the lootings to the young widow Miss Mussels. When an infuriated Master Cockle later traces his lost possessions to Miss Mussels' house, he drags her to the Court for a trial - but the odds turn out to be against his favour as the Court's Prefect becomes deeply infatuated with Miss Mussels.

A thrilling and haunting account of historical events in the Trịnh clan in the late 18th century with the central conflict between lord Trịnh Sâm who was feeble and indecisive, and a cunning and manipulative concubine named Đặng Thị Huệ. Based on the novel of the same name by Nguyễn Huy Tưởng.