SHAN tells YIN the reason she takes part in the Belle Contest is to prove her mother’s innocence. She gives YIN a present, telling her to open it only after the contest. YAN points a knife at BUT in an attempt to arrest him. Out of his expectation, BUT dashes against him. LAW’s shoes break just before her turn. YIN offers to lend her her Fairy shoes but she worries that YIN will not have enough time to change shoes then. YING GOONG GOONG confirms that SHAN is the daughter of the death row inmate when LAW is performing. He orders the archer to shoot and kill SHAN when the opportunity arises. The empress tells the emperor that she has found FA. YAN, BUT and DOU, who have been hiding behind the curtain, go up to stop the emperor as he is about to leave. The empress exposes SHAN’s identity as soon as she has finished her part. The emperor returns to the theatre at once after YAN and BUT have told him about the empress’s crafty scheme.