In the Ming Dynasty, Tong Pak Fu [Stephen Chow] is celebrated as a prodigy of literature and the arts, renowned for eight wives in addition to his talents as an artist, poet, and calligrapher. Yet those wives are gambling addicts who fail to appreciate his gifts, pushing him to seek a partner who can truly value his abilities.
The Tong family comes from a lineage of martial arts masters, but they face two formidable enemies: the Evil Scholar [Gordon Liu Chia-Hui], a notorious swordsman aligned with political schemes, and the former love rival of his father. Because of these rivalries, Tong Pak Fu is forbidden by his mother to practice any form of martial arts.
One day, Tong encounters the caravan of the House of Wah and meets Chow Heung [Gong Li], one of the four maids named after the four seasons. This chance meeting convinces Tong that he may have found his true love. Following a boatman's advice, Tong pretends to be a lowly servant named 9527 to gain employment in the House of Wah.
Life as a servant is hard, until after a night incident in which he saves Chow Heung from a Wolf gang, Madame Wah [Cheng Pei-Pei] recognizes Tong's education. Persuaded by Chow Heung, Madame Wah hires him as an assistant tutor to her two young sons. Tong asks to be called Wah On, but Madame Wah initially nicknames him Washington; eventually they settle on Wah On.
After the accidental death of the main tutor, Tong is promoted to senior tutor and grows closer to Chow Heung. The House of Wah is then visited by Chancellor Wah's political rival, Prince Ning, who is planning a coup. During the visit, Prince Ning displays a painting of Tong Pak Fu. The confrontation turns violent as the Evil Scholar [Gordon Liu Chia-Hui], now under Prince Ning's command, fights and injures Madame Wah. Tong intervenes to stop the assault but ends up destroying the painting. Prince Ning seizes the moment to blame the Wah family for insulting him and for destroying the painting, threatening vengeance.
Chow Heung attempts to recreate the painting to soothe the tension, but she doubts her own artistry. While she hesitates, Tong completes a replica of the painting. Prince Ning doubts the piece at first; however, a scholar confirms it as a genuine Tong Pak Fu painting, not a fake. Embarrassed, Prince Ning withdraws and vows to eradicate the House of Wah.
In the chaos of the painting incident and the fights, Madame Wah realizes Tong's true identity and poisons him. It is revealed that Madame Wah is the former love rival of Tong's mother and still bears resentment toward his father. With his powers diminished, Tong is imprisoned in the Wah household's tinder room.
Days later, the Evil Scholar returns to annihilate the House of Wah. Madame Wah valiantly defends the family but is nearly killed in the ensuing skirmish. At the last moment, Tong reappears and defeats the Evil Scholar after a fierce battle. As a reward, the House of Wah grants Tong Chow Heung's hand in marriage. Yet Tong learns a sobering truth: Chow Heung is just as much a gambling addict as Tong's eight wives, suggesting a complicated, imperfect love that may or may not endure.
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