The duke is summoned to the emperor's palace, where he learns that the emperor has ordered the duke to go immediately to help the citizens of the flood-ravaged city of Jiangnan. The duke tells the crowd that he has been traveling for three days and that they have reached the "hit area" , but they are not allowed in because they do not have enough money to pay the entry fee. He tells them that due to the flood, the commoners are being ignored by the government, and that the government is making them hate the government. He orders the crowd to leave, but there is one condition: the duke must not be injured.