王子而和陳寶蓮,原有指腹婚約,後因王氏家道中落,陳父嫌其家貧而取消婚約。寶蓮得悉,暗中請表妹寶釵將私己珠財贈送子而,囑其上京赴考,期望榮歸再行婚配。寶釵送銀途中,偶遇俠客張燕雄,兩人互生情愫,定下相會之期。但寶釵卻被當地太保張大洪強搶迫婚。大婚之日身為大洪堂兄的燕雄恰巧作主婚,拜堂之際,燕雄、寶釵相見,燕雄誤以為寶釵負情,後經寶釵細訴始末,兩人始言和,並分頭逃離張府。寶釵逃離魔爪,投靠寶蓮,兩人機緣巧合下被大洪父親張大人收為乾女帶回家中。
子而與燕雄分別考獲文、武狀元,回鄉祭祖,順道探望恩師張大人,適逢寶釵、寶蓮此時泛舟荷池,兩對有情人因而得以重聚,共諧好夢。張大人知悉其子大洪的惡行,乃大義滅親秉公執法。
Reflection of Beauties in the Lotus Pond
Wang Zi’er and Chen Baolian are engaged to each other by their parents before they are born. Baolian’s father breaks off the engagement when Wang’s family fortunes declines. Learning what her father has done, Baolian secretly asks her cousin Baochai to give Zi’er her private savings and the message that she wants him to take the imperial examination in the capital and bid him return triumphant for her hand. On her way to Zi’er’s home, Baochai encounters knight errant Zhang Yanxiong. They fall in love with each other and set a date for marriage. Unfortunately, local tyrant Zhang Dahong abducts Baochai and forces her to marry him. On the day of the wedding, Yanxiong, the cousin of Dahong, happens to officiate the ceremony. In the midst of the ceremony, Yanxiong recognizes Baochai and thinks she has betrayed his love. Later, after Baochai reveals what really happened, they reconcile and flee Dahong’s house separately. Baochaiseeks refuge with Baolian, and the two are subsequently adopted by Dahong’s father and they live in his house.
After winning the highest honors in the imperial examination for civil and military service, Zi’er and Yanxiongreturn to their hometown to pay tribute to their ancestors. On their journey they pay a visit to Dahong’s father, who happens to be their mentor. They also meet Baochai andBaolian, who are boating on a lotus pond, and the two pairs of lovers are reunited and married. Learning about his son’s wicked behavior,Dahong’s father disregards blood ties and brings his own son to justice.