The story is about a red-haired pirate queen and a one-eyed pirate king. The story sounds epic, and the narrator chooses what to tell. He tells the story of how a once mighty nation fell and was bullied by pirates. The pirates were supported by imperial courts. The narrator is envious of this deal, and wants to become one of the pirates. He says that the scholars have taught the prince about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and self-sufficiency. He hopes that the prince will learn to be playful, delightful, and ambitious. He asks the prince why he would want to be a pirate. The prince says that preparations are going too fast, and that they need a ship to sail without one. He then tells the prince that they will meet with a minister of war named liu liau daxia, who will hide the blueprints of their ships. This will give the prince the chance to achieve great things, the prince says. He wants the prince to go and demand the ship, but the prince refuses, saying that he will have to take his spring imperial exam the next day.