In the palace courtyard, Ling Ge tells the men that he must return to the mountain. He apologizes for being late, and says that the doctor who was supposed to treat the wounded general did not arrive in time. He tells them to save the doctor's life by giving him a single dose of medicine. He also tells them that he knows the doctor in the village is unreliable, and that if it were not for him, the chief bandit would have been able to escape. Ling Ge asks if he is aware that the emperor serves him, and the man replies that he is not stupid, and neither is he. He says that he just wants to be a normal person, not an enemy of the emperor. He adds that he was treated like a friend by the emperor, who treated him like a loyal servant. He asks the men to come back and enjoy the snow with him.