The narrator goes to the library to read. He asks the servant if the Empress is well. The servant tells him that the Empress has not been to court today. The narrator asks if the Queen and her child are safe. He also asks about the boy who works in the gardens. He tells the servant that the Emperor did not attend court today and was unable to sleep for a few hours. Finally, the narrator asks about how the Chief Grand Secretary intends to rebel against the Emperor. He says that recently, rumors have abounded about the palace. The Emperor is in danger, the people are starving, and the government ministers are unsettled. The chief grand secretary has not done anything to help the situation. The father asks the son if the Emperor still thinks that he did nothing wrong. The son replies that he is afraid the Emperor has not yet understood the current situation.