In this chapter, we learn that the drums sound three times a day, and that one can make an "imperial appeal" to the Emperor to uphold justice. In other words, if everyone in the city made an appeal, the Emperor would be busy. But if the injustice is so great that the Emperor can't be bothered to do anything about it, then it's forbidden to use the drums. The narrator explains that he's already familiar with the rules of the Imperial Flogging, which basically means that if you slap slap slap, you're going to get flogged. He also explains that jiuniang is already accused of stealing the ledger that his father used to keep. Now that they have the physical evidence, they can go to court, and they'll be done. But the narrator asks if this will put the Emperor in an awkward situation. If the Emperor doesn't stand up for justice, people will think that the General is only using the case for political gain. So the narrator decides to make an appeal. He asks the Emperor if he can hear his case, and the Emperor promises to do so.