The giant granted nearly every request, and before long Aladdin had become the wealthiest man in the region — known for building bridges, paving roads, and giving generously to those in need. Word of this reached the king's ears, and he summoned Aladdin to the palace to ask how he had come by his fortune. But in truth, the king was a demon in disguise.
After the demon had lost his battle against Aladdin's master, he had gone to the palace and recommended himself as the king's royal counselor. Because the demon possessed magical power, the king was quickly won over — but the demon then used his magic to transform the king into a mouse, and took his place on the throne, seizing all the wealth and splendor of the kingdom for himself.
Only one person knew of this: the king's only daughter.
The princess was the king's sole child. From a young age she had been raised in a monastery to practice cultivation — in ancient times, princes and princesses were almost always cultivators, so that they might understand the will of Heaven. When these children were crowned king or queen, the divine would bestow blessings upon them: this was the divine right of kings.
The princess had only recently been brought back to the palace. Cultivators of old possessed powerful spiritual abilities, and she quickly perceived that her father the king had been transformed into a mouse by the demon and locked away. She was heartbroken, but had no power to help him.
Aladdin's arrival at the palace was walking straight into a trap — the demon posing as the king had been waiting for him. When Aladdin stumbled over his words and could not explain the source of his wealth, the demon accused him of deceiving the crown and ordered the guards to search him. They found the long-coveted oil lamp, and threw Aladdin into prison.
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