The poor creature wailed, and Li Mei knew the tiny thing was terrified. She was sure he could sense the fear they all felt. It was palpable. Shouts of anger, screams of pain, were mere hedgerows away, and if the future emperor didn’t quiet himself soon, they risked being discovered.
“Give him to me,” said Yu, the wet nurse and her friend. Mei immediately handed him over, and the silence that ensued when placed on Yu’s breast was a relief to them all.
A twig snapped, then a branch. Mei froze, as did Yu, but the four guardsmen in the lead continued forward, their swords drawn, their pace slowed, but only slightly.
They all knew they needed to get out of the gardens and into the prearranged shelter until nightfall. Two guardsmen took up position on their left, another two on their right, horn bows drawn, arrows in position, strings drawn back tight. Mei looked at the rear where the remaining four guardsmen, swords at the ready, warily walked sideways, their heads as if on pivots, looking about as they covered their escape.
Then all hell broke loose.
Shouts from all sides were heard, and the tall hedge began to shake, the branches snapping, loud against the tranquil garden, and the baby wailed as Yu spun toward a sound, her nipple popping free of his mouth.
“We need to move, now!” hissed Fang Zen, a well-respected warrior who had fought, and survived, many of the battles his Emperor and Empress Dowager had ordered him to. And in the ultimate indication of their Emperor’s faith in him, he had named the warrior personal guard to his heir, and most prized possession. His son.
They moved forward, quicker now. Mei’s world narrowed to the armor of the soldier directly in front of her. The sounds became distant, her ears consumed by the adrenaline fueled panic pounding inside her. She heard curious whooshing sounds to her sides, and distant screams, along with the blurred motions of the guards at her sides as they reached behind them for another arrow from their quiver.
A cry from beside her caused her to turn. It was too close to be one of the unseen enemy fighting its way through the thick hedge, the escape route having been grown over centuries, nursed lovingly by gardeners who intentionally guided the branches amongst each other, intertwining them over the years to create an almost impenetrable barrier. A single, long alley from the secret exit in the palace, through the heart of the gardens, and outside the city walls.
A secret passage, that no one knew about, even the gardeners segregated to work on it from the outside only, then once a year, a group of peasants would be selected from a distant province, and brought in, under blindfold and threat of death, to trim the interior, then returned, never to have known they were actually in the Forbidden City.
It was a total secret, a secret that no one knew except a few of the inner circle. A secret that had been revealed to the closest of the Emperor’s staff only last night, out of necessity. A secret that someone had obviously revealed, if they were now under attack.
The source of the cry became evident as Yu began to fall to the ground. Mei reached forward as a look of horror spread across Yu’s face, not at her impending doom, but at the baby now falling. Mei stopped, her slippers sliding on the gravel, causing her to fall to the ground. She watched the baby slip from Yu’s grasp, wailing in confusion. Mei reached forward in a desperate bid to catch the child before he hit the ground, pushing with her toes against a rut her feet had caught in their slide. She fell toward the ground, arms outstretched, and barely managed to get her fingers under the tiny bundle before it hit. She pulled the baby to her chest and felt hands on her shoulders, dragging them both to their feet, as the group continued to silently move forward, the swoosh of arrows, the cries as impacts were made, the only sounds.
She looked ahead, and could see their destination, and wondered what awaited them there. If they had been betrayed already, and their route revealed, how could they possibly assume it would be safe ahead. She glanced over her shoulder, at the palace they had just fled, and knew they had no choice. They had to move forward, there was no going back, there was no remaining.
Whatever their fate would be, it would be decided at the end of this hedgerow.
And suddenly it stopped.
The shouts, the cries of arrows finding their targets, the sound of air being shoved aside as an arrow loosed. All silent. She looked at Yu, confused, but Yu wasn’t looking at her. Her eyes were red from crying, and were focused on the baby, still clutched in Mei’s arms. Mei reached out and squeezed Yu’s shoulder with a reassuring smile. She looked up for a moment, and was about to say something when the column stopped.
Mei looked ahead, and saw they were at a rather nondescript door, a plain, heavy wood, unpainted, but reinforced with metal on this side at least.
And secured by a simple latch.
The sword wielding guardsmen rushed forward, leaving only two at the rear, the staff still flanked by the archers. The lead, Fang Zen, looked at his men, then pulled open the door, stepping back and out of the way as the door swung open.
Mei heard footsteps, and it took a moment to realize her eyes were squeezed shut, her heart, slamming against her ribcage, refusing to settle. “Let’s go!” hissed someone. She stumbled forward, then forced her eyes open for the child’s sake, and breathed a sigh of relief. The room on the other side of the door was empty. They had been betrayed, but even their betrayer must not have known where the hedgerow ended.
How long they could count on not being found, was anybody’s guess, but she was certain it couldn’t be long. She stepped through the door, which was then secured by a large wood bar, hooked across the frame.
No one else would be able to follow, without breaking down the door.
“Quickly, everyone change!”
Mei looked about, and saw the room split in two, Fang Zen urging the women to one side, behind a large screen, his men already stripping out of their armor. She followed Yu behind the screen, and found dozens of peasant’s outfits, their dull blue almost an assault on her senses, she so accustomed to the opulent designs and colors of the imperial court.
But today was a day to blend.
She handed Yu the baby, then stripped out of her clothes as Yu removed the baby from his swaddling clothes, a wrap far too opulent for the masses. It took longer to disrobe than it did to put the simple outfit on, and when she was done, the baby was ready and handed to her as Yu began to change. Mei gave the little boy a kiss, her still hammering heart thankful he had remained quiet during the entire changeover.
“Ready?”
It was Fang Zen on the other side of the screen.
Mei looked about at the women, and all nodded.
“Yes.”
Fang Zen rounded the screen, followed by his men. He turned to face them all. “Beyond this door”—he pointed at a small door she hadn’t noticed before—“is the city. We will leave in pairs. One guard for each woman, separated by a one-hundred-count. Turn right, and walk this street until you reach a fountain. In that square there’s a butcher’s shop. Enter, and say, ‘Our people have stood up.’ You will be taken to the back, and to safety.” His hand gripped the door handle. “Try to be calm, try not to run, and for the sake of our Emperor”—he nodded toward the tiny bundle Mei held—“remember who you are pretending to be. You are now commoners, amongst commoners. Don’t forget that. Don’t take on airs you are accustomed to when walking amongst these people, otherwise you will be spotted instantly.”
He pointed at Yu. “You and I will go first.” He pointed at his second-in-command, Su Ming. “You go with the boy next. Count to one-hundred before leaving.”
Su Ming nodded, and Mei stepped over to him, trying not to squeeze her charge too tight in her fear.
Suddenly there was pounding on the door to the hedgerow. Yu yelped, and someone on the other side yelled, “They’re still in there!”
Fang Zen lowered his voice. “Forget the one hundred count. Make it twenty. We can’t all be seen leaving in a jumble. If they break through, those who remain, leave, but go left. Try to meet us at th
e butcher’s shop later. But if you are captured, I expect you all to do your duty, and die for your Emperor.”
With that he opened the door, peeked outside, then nodded at Yu, the two disappearing. Mei counted to twenty in her head, apparently quicker than Su Ming, who waited another full ten-count by her calculations, the door behind them beginning to splinter, several of the men having gone back to try and hold it in place. Now she knew why it opened toward the gardens. It was designed to keep people out of here.
She felt Su Ming’s hand on her arm, and the door opened as he dragged her into the dusk. He gripped her arm tight as she tried to run, then as she looked about, she realized why his grip continued to tighten. They were surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of people. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she was about to scream when she felt herself being pulled to the right. She looked at Su Ming, who had his head down, his eyes looking at the ground, a sad look on his face.
She looked around again, and realized they weren’t surrounded, they were merely amongst the regular throngs of people that inhabited the city. It had been so long since she’d been outside the palace walls, she had forgotten how crowded the city actually was. Her heart began to calm, and she dropped her head, falling in beside Su Ming as he established a steady pace that went with the flow of the crowd, rather than trying to push ahead.
His grip eased as he apparently realized she was okay, and eventually he released her. Mei, her head still bowed, tried to look up, to see if she could spot Fang Zen and Yu, but she couldn’t, and she took that to be a good thing. She risked a quick glance over her shoulder, and saw a door open where she thought they had just come from, and two people exit.
She wondered who they might be.
And how many more would escape.
A scream rang out, and she looked back to see the same door thrown open and several women run out, a couple to the right, the rest having the presence of mind to go to the left, followed by a group of men, the guardsmen in disguise. She felt the hand grip her arm again, urging her forward, as she felt herself begin to become faint.
“Don’t look,” hissed Su Ming.
But she couldn’t help it. The Empress Dowager’s men were now appearing through the door, spreading out in all directions, and chasing after anyone that was running away.
She felt a hand on her chin redirect her head away from the scene.
“You must remain calm, or you will get us all killed!” he whispered.
She nodded, and they continued moving forward. Footsteps pounded by them, and she recognized two of the servants from the court, ignoring their instructions to flee in the opposite direction.
More shouting, more foot falls, then someone grabbed her by the shoulder, twisting her around and pushing her into Su Ming. She nearly dropped the baby, but Su Ming reached out and caught him, pushing him back into her arms, as he put his other arm over her shoulders and pulled her to the side of the road as the Empress Dowager’s troops rushed by. They stood and watched, heads low, much like the rest of the throng caught in this moment of history.
A cry, a voice she recognized immediately as Yu’s, tore through the narrow road. A shout from Fang Zen, the sounds of blades clashing, then a groan as someone’s blade successfully penetrated. More clashing, and Mei swore she saw sparks fly into the air as if fireworks were spewing from their blades, then Yu rushed by them, two of the Empress’ guards chasing her. Yu gave Mei a quick glance, the terror in her eyes causing a pit in Mei’s stomach to open up and swallow any courage she might have had.
Su Ming’s hand rose slightly off her shoulders and pushed her chin away from the pursuit of Yu. And he was right. If she paid too much attention, it might make them a target. Another groan from the right, and her head darted to where Fang Zen had been fighting. Swords continued to clash, grunts of exertion, moans of pain filled her ears, but the fact the fight continued gave her hope that Fang Zen might still prevail. He was the most skilled fighter she knew, and if anyone stood a chance against the Empress Dowager’s guardsmen, he did.
Even if it was six to one.
Su Ming pulled her toward the fighting, but continued to hug the edge of the street. As they moved past the scene, she could see four of the guardsmen on the ground, either dead or writhing in pain. Blood flowed freely from Fang Zen’s left shoulder, but his sword, wielded from the right, continued to swing smoothly, and a fifth man went down. Su Ming urged her forward, and for a split second she saw Fang Zen make eye contact with her, as he plunged his sword behind him, burying it into the belly of his final opponent. With a twist, he yanked it out, then fled down the street, ducking into an alleyway.
Mei wondered if she would ever see him again.
Meridian Gate, The Forbidden City, Beijing, China
Two weeks ago
Deniz stared up at the doors, his mouth agape. He reached forward and found his hand resting on one of the dozens of golden door nails, arranged in a nine by nine array, that adorned the massive entrance to the Forbidden City. Just the name had always sent a chill down his spine, and now that he was here, he couldn’t believe his good fortune. It had been a trying time. His wife, Alex, had lost her job during the follow-on to the Great Recession, and he had barely scraped by, having to take a pay cut just so the company could stay afloat.
But they had managed. They had made it through. He still had his house, albeit the price they could get for it was scarcely higher than what he owed the bank, but he had never missed a payment. Some days it had meant Kraft Dinner and tuna for supper, but since they didn’t have kids at home to try and explain the tough times to, they simply made do. Cable had been cut, cellphones cut, home phone features scaled back, car sold and downsized to a tiny Mazda 2, and public transport used whenever possible.
Life had been tough.
He held out an arm and he felt Alex tuck herself under, the warmth of her touch bringing him all the comfort he had ever needed in those hard times. He squeezed her against him and sighed, still staring up at the massive doors.
“Amazing, isn’t it.”
She pressed her head harder against his chest.
“It’s beautiful.”
He looked down and kissed the top of her head, inhaling her scent, so familiar after almost thirty years of marriage. She looked up at him and smiled. Her eyes were starting to show her age, and her golden blonde hair was a little more dull, but to him, she was still the beauty he had married, and all he saw was her brilliant smile that conveyed the love they still shared, and the golden curls he had so desperately wanted to run his fingers through when he first met her in college.
“I can’t believe how lucky we are,” she whispered.
He leaned in and gave her a peck.
“Incredibly lucky.”
And they had been. There was no way in hell they could afford this vacation, but on a whim she had entered a radio contest, and six months later, here they were. An all-expense paid ten day trip to China. They had debated trying to sell the trip to someone else, but in the end had decided they should take it themselves. They hadn’t been able to afford to travel for years, and had no idea when they’d be able to travel again. This might be their last chance, so they were treating it like a second honeymoon, their first, back when they were dirt poor, searching the cushions on the couch for change to go grab an ice cream, was a trip to Atlantic City for the weekend.
They hadn’t gambled, except for a dollar in the slots. And once that had been eaten sixty seconds later, Deniz had said ‘Never again’ and left the casino. Instead, they spent their time on the boardwalk, hand in hand, stealing kisses whenever they could, and in their room, stealing a lot more.
His heart raced slightly at the memory.
God, to be young and in love again.
“Shall we?” he asked, holding his arm out toward the interior of the Forbidden City.
“Absolutely.”
They stepped across the threshold, and into the massive, ancient city. It was stunning. The bright reds
, oranges and golds, the ancient structures, painfully preserved, impressive in their detail, left him breathless. He looked down at Alex, and was about to say something when she was torn from his arms. His head spun to follow her as she was dragged away from him, outside of the city, the expression on her face one of shock.
Then a loud cracking sound, as if the end of a whip had snapped inches from his face, echoed through the walls of the mighty palace, sending a chill through him that rippled goose bumps up his arms, his hairs standing on end. He turned to run toward her, his mouth opening to cry out her name, when he felt something shove against his back. He jerked forward, his body picked up from the ground, and he found himself racing toward his wife, now prone, with, to his horror, a gaping red hole, grapefruit sized, in her stomach.
He collapsed unceremoniously beside her, and tried to reach for her, only inches away, but couldn’t move his arms.
Then the pain hit.
Excruciating, all-consuming pain, radiating from his back. He lay, unable to move, the only fortunate thing he could find in the situation the fact his head was facing his beloved Alex. Her head turned toward him, the pain and fear in her eyes evident. Her mouth moved, but no sound came, then he gasped as he watched the last of the life drain from her face, her eyes dimming, the golden locks he had loved so much, seeming to tarnish before his eyes.
Alex!
But he couldn’t move his own lips. The pain was gone now, as if drained away from him, along with any energy he might have once had. He heard voices yelling, footsteps pounding, and his own heart, beating in his ears, a dull remnant of what it should be, a pace so slow, he knew he was dying.
With one last effort, he willed his arm to move, and his last vision, his last sensation of any kind, was the feeling of his hand on his wife’s face, as everything went black, his heart taking one final beat, sending a burst of blood toward his outstretched hand, so he could feel her soft cheek one last time.
Outside the Forbidden City, Beijing, China
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