Charles W. Le Gendre, the American consul at Amoy and Formosa, travels to Taiwan to investigate the "Rover incident." He discovers, to his surprise, that Liangkiau does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Qing government. Meanwhile, Tiap-moe, a young woman working for the British merchant William A. Pickering in Taiwanfu, makes her best effort to repatriate her brother to the city.