The scene opens in the city of Nanjing, the capital of China. It is the same place where the emperor has requested help from the emperor. The scene is set in the midst of a quarrel between Ming and Cai Zhen. Cai Zhen tries to persuade Ming to go with him, but Ming refuses, saying that he is not Ming's property. The quarrel is interrupted by the arrival of a meddler, who tells Cai Zhen to ignore him. The two men begin to argue, and Ming tells Cai to stop bothering her. He tells her that if she does not want to accompany him