In the palace of the emperor of China, the prince zheng and his nephew, Dodo, have come to see the emperor. Dodo has come to observe the sentiment of the people, but he is not allowed to meet his uncle, who is the fifth in line to the throne. The uncle tells Dodo to get out of the way of the approaching general, who has just returned from the war with the Ottomans. The prince says that he will send Dodo and his relatives to meet the general before he heads back to the city of shengjing