In the morning Dewang finds he has several new friends as well as a hangover. Everyone from the night before is present for roll call, so for now it seems the defections have ended. Junyou leaves immediately afterward to volunteer to the Chief Secretary but is held up by Zhang Yang, the head administrator of Bingzhou and heir apparent to Governor Ding Yuan. Zhang is quite curious as to how Junyou knew that General Lu was looking for men already but doesn't make a public issue of it.
Wenchang finds himself politely received but Secretary Lu is not currently in the capital and so he is told to return in two days.