庆长十三年（公元1608年），德川家康在关原之战中获胜，取得天下。上杉家的领地从会津120万石被减封为出羽米泽30万石。上杉家的组外众中很多人对将来失去信心，离开米泽。前田庆次却留下来，选择了与对抗困难的上杉家的家臣们一起共渡难关。年过六旬的庆次在米泽当地偏僻简陋的寺院“无苦庵”里安身，思考着“潮时”。他的儿子新九郎，对于沉迷于风流三昧、好酒贪杯、全无世上潇洒名将风采的庆次十分不解与反感。然而，就是这样的倾奇者庆次，虽然考虑退归林下，但为了守护上杉家在关键时刻又会不惜豁出性命。渐渐的，新九郎被父亲那洞察人生者才会有的胸襟和生活方式深深吸引。

At the time Tokugawa Ieyasu won the battle of Sekigahara, the Uesugis had their vast 1,200,000 koku holdings in Aizu drastically curtailed to 300,000 koku in Yonezawa, Dewa Province. Great numbers give up on the future and leave Yonezawa. In the midst of this, Maeda Keiji remains in this place and chooses to live with people facing difficulties. Over 60, he lives in a shabby, secluded hut and contemplates the “right time”. On the other hand, his son, Shinkuro, objects to Keiji being fond of drinking and absorbed in the cultural pursuits such as poetry, painting and calligraphy, and nothing like the brave general he is famed to be. However, Keiji “performs” when it comes to the crunch. Although he has considered retirement, he is willing to sacrifice himself in order to protect the Uesugis. Shinkuro is gradually fascinated by his broad-mindedness and his way of life