The general tells the uncle that the coachman is nowhere to be found when they went to check on the carriage. They found the prince not breathing. The general says that the prince has been poisoned with a drug made in the north. The uncle tells the prince that the northern emperor treated him badly and that he should take some rest. The northern emperor says that they'll take revenge on the southern kingdom once the prince recovers. He says that he'll do whatever he can to keep the northern kingdom safe. The narrator tells the story of the famine that followed the northern king's decision to open the public treasury to feed the people. The famine was caused by a drought, and the emperor opened the treasury to provide food to the starving people. Since then, the barbarians have attacked the city. The emperor asks permission first from the southern emperor to attack the kingdom.