Long Bo leads the Emperor through the secret passage. Lin Jiulang and other officials lucky enough to have escaped are rescued by Yuan Zai. Guo Lishi lies about the Emperor being safe in order to calm the people. The Crown Prince dispatches a large search party to locate the Emperor. Meanwhile, Li Jingzhong urges the Crown Prince to announce his ascension to the throne to ensure that rule does not fall into someone else’s hands. A group of bureaucrats led by Wang Hong urges Lin Jiulang to act as regent.
