The Emperor believes firmly that the Crown Prince was the mastermind behind Xu Bin, that he brags about himself being an ideal candidate for the job of Counsellor, and he planned to assassinate the Emperor. Xu Bin points out that the Emperor wrongly places his trust in people with bad motives, and that leads to corruption and mismanagement. He rebukes the Emperor for having Lin Jiulang in his employ. The Emperor finally realises that Xu Bin has gone to great lengths to look out for the Emperor’s interests.