The next morning, Linghu arrives at the emperor's palace, where he finds the painting of the fallen clouds on display. Linghu notices that the painting is in poor condition, and she wonders why the emperor would want to hang out with a woman who is not his wife. She tells him that she is a friend of the emperor and that she needs to talk to the emperor about something. The next day, the emperor will be at his palace, and Linghu will have the opportunity to see him.