Now that the duke and duchess are married, they're going to share a bed. The duke tells the duchess that he'll be staying in her chambers tonight. He's not going to sleep with her, though. He wants to kill her. He says that if she's killed in his chambers, he'd be suspecting immediately, and that he needs to get her out of the room. He promises to see the duke the next day. Hangguan interrupts the duke's plan to kill the duchess. He asks the duke to try some pastries that he made for him. He tells the duke that the duchess has been cold to him since she married Mr. jiang, so he's been trying to win her favor by sleeping with her. The drug in the pastries will make her weak, which will allow him to have sex with her without her knowing it. The duchess wants him to leave, but he says that it will be easier for him to become emperor if he wins the favor of the duke. He adds that he won't kill her if Hangguan stays, but that she'll die tonight.