During the grand ancestral worship ceremony, the Phoenix Pendant's chain around Meng Tinghui's neck suddenly breaks and falls to the ground. All the officials are in an uproar and accuse her of coveting the position of empress. Xu Ting furiously denounces her as an enchantress who will bring ruin to the state. All the officials kneel to pressure Ying Gua to retract his edict of self-reproach and execute Meng Ting Hui.