This chapter's epigraph comes from the poem "Peeping Piuter" . It's about a girl who is about to inherit the throne and is being mistreated by the old men of the senate. The narrator tells us that this is exactly what Caiyu's brother, Caiyu, has been saying about Caiyu. Caiyu is going to take control of the Senate when Caiyu grows up, which means that Caiyu will have to be very careful with her. The old men are very sick, the narrator says, and starvation can improve their health. So Caiyu has to be careful with Caiyu because she'll be taking over the Senate. He tells us, "the most important thing" for Caiyu to do is "to succeed the throne" , and "bring happiness and peace" to his people