The Prime Minister and his son-in-law, the Prime Minister's son, are having dinner at the home of the Emperor and his wife, the Queen of Qin. The son of the emperor is the grandson of the Queen's first wife, and the son of her second husband. The prime minister is the eldest son, but the son is called "junior" because he is younger than the prime minister. The elder son, Shuji, is in charge of the household, while Shuji is the youngest son. Shuji complains that his mother is jealous of his father's position in the family, and that he will never do so again. The emperor's wife, who is also Shuji's mother, is also jealous of her son, and Shuji accuses her of insulting her father. The two men argue, with Shuji accusing Shuji of being a "rotten girl" who is "trying to attack me when already know I hate him." Shuji points out that her father is the emperor and that this kind of behavior from her father would be "disrespectful to him." The emperor is in the northwest of the country, which means that Shuji does not often get to eat his favorite dish, abalone, which is served to him by the Queen. The Queen and her husband are not allowed to eat fish, so Shuji says that she will eat it for the emperor.