乾隆八年(nián ),一(🔨)场(🆓)“金殿验鸟”引(🏽)出匿(🍩)灾不报(bào )(🃏)、(🕋)贪绩婪财的惊天巨案,暴露大清国粮(liáng )田(tián )萎缩、粮仓空匮的危(😧)机。因病(👋)归乡(xiāng )的刘统勋(xūn )(🏇)奉(fèng )命出山,带领谷(🕔)山(shān )、杜(dù )霄等新上(shàng )任的年轻干臣,冲(chōng )出重(chóng )围(wéi ),以颅为典,执行(háng )乾隆(lóng )的开荒增田大策。苦干(gàn )两年后,粮田转危(wēi )为安,国家经(jīng )济(🌚)逐(📯)渐恢复元气(qì )。然而,以铁公南、宋五(wǔ )楼为首的(de )贪腐(🐑)势(shì )力,公然挑(🙄)战新修的“禁(jìn )丈”法律,借(jiè )(🥫)开(kāi )荒之名,升科(kē )收税,残酷盘剥(bāo )垦民(mín ),使乾隆(🚴)的垦(kěn )殖大(dà )业功亏一篑(kuì )。此时(shí ),全(quán )国十八省中,逾半(bàn )遭遇百(bǎi )(➡)年未遇(yù )天灾,全国性粮食危机(jī )再(zài )度爆发(💯),国本动摇,引发(🈺)朝野激烈动荡。刘、谷众臣(🥤)又临危受(shòu )命,以(yǐ )浙(zhè )江(🔞)重灾区为(wéi )(🔎)突破口,坚持以法治田,与朝(📞)野恶势力(🎐)展(🍁)开生死较(😳)量,终保住大(🔪)清(🐂)国的耕(gēng )地红(hóng )线(xiàn ),粮食安(✖)全被确立为(🚤)国(guó )家第一要务。可新政(🔮)甫出,却又面临更尖锐挑(🐌)战(zhàn ),因开荒过度(dù )而(ér )引发的生态灾难随之(zhī )浮现,刘、谷众臣再次赴汤(tāng )蹈火(huǒ )。