In this short scene, the prince asks the emperor to stay in his palace for a couple of days so that he can discuss the situation with the prince. The emperor tells the prince that there is an urgent message from the royal doctor that there has been a plague in the city and that many people are fleeing for the capital. The prince tells the emperor that the plague has spread quickly and that the people are starving. He says that the refugees have started stealing grain from the people outside of the city, and that they should ask the emperor for some grain to help them out. The king says that it is too late to find out the source of the plague, but that he must deal with the problem as quickly as possible. First, the grain has been transported from the palace, and a shed has been set up to supply porridge to the people. The royal doctor's office has dispatched people to treat the plague for the refugees, and the king is worried that if the time does not come, the foundation of his palace will collapse. He decides to use the example of the famine to inspire the people to donate surplus food to the city.