The story follows two greedy peasants in feudal Japan, Tahei and
Matashichi, who are returning home from a failed attempt to profit from a
war between neighboring clans. En Route they encounter the remnants of
the defeated tribe that consists, most notably, of a famous General and a
Princess who are hiding out in a fortress in the mountains. General
Rokurota Makabe and Princess Yuki need to escape into allied territory
with their large supply of gold so that they can rebuild their shattered
clan. To do this the Peasants are tricked into helping them, with the
promise that they will receive a large share of the gold when the
destination is reached. Along the way, the General's prowess is put to
the test as he must guide the 4, and later 5 with the inclusion of a
freed slave, through close encounters with the pursuing enemy, and out
of difficult situations the bumbling peasants manage to get them into.
