In the Heian era, a pudgy and effete distant cousin of the Imperial family is granted the surname Minamoto and is banished out to the countryside to be an early Samurai. Shenanigans ensue as he must adapt to his new life as a professional warrior when all he wants to do is paint scrolls and write poetry. Comical scenes where he composes verse in Classical Chinese instead of helping his weary provincial governor boss track down illegal Shoen estates, or tries to convince an Emishi raider not to kill him by quoting Confucian philosophy at him.