In the play, Chen Shimei was born in poverty, and he was in love and harmony with his wife Qin Xianglian. After studying hard for ten years, Chen Shimei went to Beijing to take the exam. After winning the first prize, he was recruited as a doctor by Renzong. Qin Xianglian didn't hear from Chen Shimei for a long time, so he took his son to Beijing to find a husband, but Chen Shimei denied it and sent Han Qi to kill him in the middle of the night. Han Qi could not bear to commit suicide. Qin Xianglian was mistaken for the murderer and sent to prison. At Chen Shimei's behest, Qin Xianglian was sent to the frontier. In the middle, your honor was ordered to kill her. Luckily, she was saved by Zhan Zhao.
It is hard to prove that Bao Zheng wants to punish Chen Shimei. Chen Shimei brought Qin Xianglian back to Xufu for a pretence, and forced Qin Xianglian and his second son to stamp the divorce certificate. Chen Shimei found a witness for his wife and friends on his way to his hometown in Zhan Zhao. Aunt Qi died by the murderer's sword. Bao Zheng found the witness and wanted to convict Xu. The Princess and the Empress Dowager hurried to stop, but Bao Zheng refused to give in and put Chen Shimei on the tap.
In recent years, many people have said that Chen Shimei is a real person. Chen Shimei was actually a scholar of Chen Niangu in Shunzhi period of Qing Dynasty. He is wronged, loyal and has a good relationship with his wife. Chen is from Hubei. A fellow villager wanted to open a back door with him, but Chen refused. So this fellow villager wrote a play about Chen Shimei's insidious abandonment of his wife and children, and he also performed everywhere. It is such a rumor that good people are slandered as historical sinners. How unfair.