In the year that the new emperor takes the throne, the narrator laments that he cannot play with birds or listen to opera. He feels that he is not suited for the position of emperor, for he cannot understand how great it is to be the ruler of such a great nation. The emperor's guards taunt him, but he calms down and tells them that he will not force the marriage. He tells the guards that the ceremony must go ahead as planned. He then reads the edict of his guilt, which states that he must return to China and have a son.