The empress tells Lingyin that the dowager died in her room, not in her prison cell. Lingyin wants to know why the empress has refused to let him see his aunt, who was executed and stripped of her clan's noble status. He blames the emperor for imprisoning his aunt in such a horrible place. He says that if his aunt were more ruthless in her rebellion against the queen mother, he would have killed her instead of being a fool of himself like he is now. The emperor refuses to allow Lingyin to leave, saying that he is only teaching him a sword dance