Pan'er tells his mother that he is enjoying his newfound freedom. He also tells her that his father has promised to take him riding the next day. She scolds fengpan for not taking his soup. She tells him to get some rest, as the journey was long. She also tells him that the prince is upset because of the famine. He is under great pressure to supervise the military rations, and now with the famine, he is feeling tense. He asks if he can have grain from the government's storehouses to set up an "orgy shed" to provide food to the refugees. The doctor says that they can approach the wealthy merchants and expropriate grain. He then tells the doctor that he can cook some herbs with the porridge to replenish the refugees' energy. This is a good idea, the doctor says, and they can use the herbs to replenish their own energy. He thinks that this is a very good idea. He says that this prince is unreasonable, and that the doctor is better than him. He goes on to criticize the prince for not understanding the suffering of the people.