Plot Summary:Sometime during the Song Dynasty, there was a couple, Qin Xiang Lian and Chen Shimei, with two lovely children. Later, Chen goes to the Imperial City to take part in the Imperial Examination.
秦香蓮為妻賢淑, 雖家境貧困, 仍勉勵丈夫陳士美上京赴考. 美高中狀元, 獲皇姑招為婿, 美決隱瞞皇帝, 棄妻再娶. 家鄉旱災, 蓮翁姑雙亡, 攜子女上京尋夫. 美不認妻, 相國王延齡同情蓮, 願助夫婦重圓, 卻遭美羞辱驅逐. 美為斬草除根, 更派人追殺妻兒. 蓮向包拯告狀, 拯升堂開審, 下令將美治罪, 惟皇姑和太后趕至逼拯救人, 蓮無奈屈服返鄉. 皇姑卻又強奪蓮子女, 蓮再度鳴冤, 拯決維護國法, 怒鍘美.