This chapter opens with a description of the tavern, which is owned and run by a man named "Wine-win-vine." The tavern is owned by a woman named "Miss Mei," who is an orphan. The man who runs the tavern is her neighbor, a man who joined the army when he was 16 and promised to marry her when he returned home. Unfortunately, he died in the field, and Miss Mei has not been able to find a husband. The tavern serves as a hiding place for the prince, who is hiding out in the garden of his brother's house. The prince tells the tavern owner that he has something to tell him about the rumors that have been circulating in the royal household. He suggests that the best way to get rid of these rumors is to find an opponent and make up stories about him.