The scene shifts to the palace of the Ming Emperor, where the king tells his attendants that he has found the body of Helan under the cliff. He tells them that the general's fever has not subsided, and that he is anxious to rid the country of the usurper prince, the prince of the crown. The king tells the attendants that they should not make him hate them, for he has asked someone to "add on some more stabs" to confirm that Helan is dead. He also tells the men that the king's wife, the general, has come back from the battle with a high fever. She has not recovered from the shock of the battle, and the army should not have set out to attack her. He says that the inferiority of the two princes still follows him closely, making him shudder