The next morning, the general arrives at the palace. He tells the general that the emperor fears him because he has stumbled upon a private matter. The general tells him that the man is Lanzhou, a close relative of the emperor, and that he has been invited to visit the emperor at his mansion in five days. Lanzhou is a distinguished visitor, and he is known to be good-looking. He asks the general to help him find out when Lanzhou reached the capital, and the general agrees.