“That is a great idea, Charles,” Mong said. “You are going to need help, though. Fu, Malao, Hok, and Seh—how do you feel about traveling with Charles? I think the lot of you could adequately protect a shipment as precious as this.”
“All right!” Malao squealed. “A boat ride!”
Charles’ face grew grave, and he turned to Malao. “Firearms are dangerous business, my little friend. They need to be taken seriously.”
Malao lowered his eyes. “Sorry.”
Seh watched Fu and Hok nod solemnly. He nodded, too.
“Thank you,” Charles said to them, and he turned to Mong. “I would be honored if my friends could accompany me as crew, and I will teach them to fire what we carry. We will arrive as more than just a transport vessel. We will be a full-blown man-o-war.”
“Thank you,” Mong replied. “I know this is not your battle to fight, as you come from another land.”
Charles looked at each of them, then he bowed to Mong. “It is my battle, sir. You are my friends. I will not let you down.”
Long spent nearly a week traveling with Xie and the phony imperial caravan atop the Great Wall before they reached the enormous gate at the western edge of the city of Peking. He had learned that the Forbidden City was a walled compound located within these city limits, and soon found his sedan chair being carried down a massive staircase into a gathering crowd.
Word had quickly spread to the city dwellers from the soldiers monitoring the wall’s signal fires that the Emperor’s caravan was headed their way. The news circulated much faster than the caravan could travel, and by the time Long reached the main gates of the Forbidden City several hours later, he had witnessed thousands upon thousands of people pushing and shoving one another, trying to catch a glimpse of their imperial ruler’s sedan chair. Long had never seen anything like either the crowds or the Forbidden City itself.
Outside the largest, most imposing gate he could have imagined, Long heard a gong sound, and the excited crowd fell deathly silent. The Forbidden City’s main gate slowly opened, and a wave of people began to push back from it. Soldiers on horseback soon flooded out, driving the crowds back farther still while forming a river of open space through which Long’s caravan could pass untouched.
Soldiers saluted and more gongs began to ring out, and Xie poked his head into the sedan chair, unable to suppress his smile. “All this is for you, my friend,” he said. “What do you think?”
“I honestly have no idea what to think,” Long replied, filled with awe. “Has this ever happened before?”
Xie laughed. “Every single time he enters or leaves. The current Emperor is unusual in that he enjoys traveling, which is a big part of the reason he was captured. Most emperors and empresses rarely left the Forbidden City. As you will see, there really is no need. We are about to enter, so slip your hood over your head and remain silent. No one is allowed to look at you, but it is better to be safe.”
Long nodded that he understood, and he sat back to enjoy the tour.
The first thing they came to was a wide moat. They crossed it via a beautiful bridge, then headed through the largest pair of doors Long had ever seen. This “gate” was so tall that he could not even guess at its height, and it was wide enough for several horses to pass through side by side. The gate doors were a marvel of engineering, and nearly as ornate as the bridge had been.
Once they were through, the gate doors closed behind them, and Long noticed a different set of gate doors ahead. On either side of them were sheer walls topped with armed soldiers. Someone sounded a gong, and the second set of doors began to open. They passed through these doors, only to find themselves facing yet another set, with more soldiers along the tops of the side walls. Long whispered out of his window to Xie, “How many of these gates are there?”
“The Forbidden City is cities within cities,” Xie replied. “There are walls within walls, and gates within gates. The gates will soon grow progressively farther apart and you will see more and more buildings within each section, but to answer your question there are seven or so gates between the entrance and your palace, depending upon what you consider a gate. The section in which you will live is the most secure area in all China.”
“It is going to take all day to get there,” Long said with a sigh.
“Hours,” Xie replied. “Protocol requires you to meet with your advisors. There are different advisors for different subjects, and they all occupy different sections of the Forbidden City. Upon arrival, the Emperor must meet with each and every one. The good news is, you do not have to get out of the sedan chair, and they are even forbidden to look directly at you. You will not even need to talk, just listen to what they have to report. The bad news is, we will not be eating supper until midnight.”