by Jeff Stone
Long lay in the Emperor’s private suite, exhausted but unable to sleep. What was he thinking, coming here and pretending to be the most powerful person under the sun? Wuya was right. This was nonsense. He should have been more concerned about what it could mean for the country, not to mention his own safety and the safety of Xie. He was glad to be leaving tomorrow.
Long closed his eyes and tried to sleep once more. His eyelids had no sooner come together when his dan tien began to tingle. At first he thought it was just his overactive mind affecting his body, but he listened intently and soon heard someone coming. But who? And more importantly, why?
Xie had told Long that he would stay outside his door all night. The room was huge, and the strange bed in which Long lay was at its very center. It was difficult to sense anything outside the door from this distance, and it was nearly impossible to see. The room had several windows, but they were set high in the walls and their shutters had been closed for the night, allowing only a small amount of moonlight to peek through.
So where were the sounds coming from?
Long rolled onto his right side and faced the door, concentrating. In the room’s darkness, his hearing was his most useful sense. He identified the faintest of clicks as a lock turned, and a barely audible creak as a door swung open. The odd thing was, the sound came from his left—from within the room.
Someone entered. Long felt angry energy seeping from the intruder’s pores like sweat.
Long decided to feign sleep. He turned silently flat onto his back, closed his eyelids to slivers, and steadied his breathing. If someone was coming to kill him, they would likely attack his head. As long as he continued to focus in front of his face—
There was a rustle of silk, and Long struck. He rolled out of the bed, swinging his right leg up and around in a powerful arc. He felt his right shin slam into the intruder’s body and heard a muffled “Umf!”
Long sprang to his feet, ignoring the pain that erupted from the healing wound in his side. He thrust his hands in the direction of the cry and found the intruder’s chest. He kept his fists pressed against the man’s body, sliding his hands up and outward until he found the intruder’s armpits and the extremely sensitive pressure points where the man’s chest muscles connected with his upper arms. Long sank his fingers deep into the pressure points on both sides, and the man cursed, writhing with pain.
Long heard a metallic clatter on the floor and guessed it was a sword. He released the intruder and bent down to grab the object. His hands brushed across an ornate sword handle, and he picked up the sword. It felt oddly familiar.
The intruder hissed like a dragon, and Long could hardly believe his ears. He knew that tone, as well as the sword! He said, “Ying! Stand down! It’s me, Long.”
The door to the private suite burst open, and Xie rushed in carrying an oil lamp. “Long, I—”
Xie froze, and his eyes followed Ying’s gaze toward a section of wood-paneled wall that harbored a secret door. The door was open, and a flame flickered beyond it, growing brighter.
Wuya stepped through the secret doorway, into the Emperor’s private suite. “What is going on here?” he demanded.
Xie’s face hardened. “I might ask the same question of you.” He turned and glared at Ying. “And you as well.”
Ying looked from Wuya to Xie and finally to Long. “I believe that I am the most confused of all.”
Long looked at the sword in his hand, and he turned to Ying. “You go first. How did you get here? Where did you get Grandmaster’s sword?”
“I retrieved the sword from Cangzhen Temple,” Ying replied. “I refurbished it in order to kill Tonglong. That is why I am here. Why are you here?”
“You are in no position to question Long or anyone else,” Xie interrupted. “How did you know about the secret passageway?”
“A little mouse told me,” Ying replied.
“ShaoShu?” Long asked.
Ying nodded. “He traveled here with me, though he is still outside the walls somewhere.”
“How did ShaoShu find out?” Xie asked.
“The Emperor.”
“He is still alive?” Wuya asked.
Ying nodded.
“How did you get the suite door open?” Xie asked.
“I have a key,” Ying replied.
“Where did you get it?”
“ShaoShu stole it from Tonglong.”
“You say this ShaoShu stole a Forbidden City key from Tonglong?” Wuya asked.
“Wuya, why are you so interested in Tonglong?” Xie asked. “And what were you doing coming into Long’s suite through the secret passageway? I can only assume you intended to cause Long harm.”
Wuya scoffed. “Where I choose to go is none of your business. What are you doing here? I ordered you to remain outside of the suite.”
“I entered because I heard a scuffle. Truth be told, I was going to enter anyway. I have important news.”
“News?” Long asked.
Xie nodded. “Tonglong has arrived.”
Long saw Wuya’s black eyes sparkle in the light of his oil lamp. “Tonglong?” Wuya asked. “Are you sure?”
“I am certain,” Xie said. “I climbed one of the turrets and saw his small army of horsemen myself. They are standing outside the main gate.”
“Tonglong is here, without question,” Ying said. “ShaoShu and I followed him long enough to know that this was his destination.”
Wuya scrambled for the suite’s main door. “All three of you, remain here until I return. I have men guarding the secret passageway, the main suite door, and even the windows. Attempt to flee, and you will be shot.”
ShaoShu lay hidden beneath a tiny evergreen shrub next to the Forbidden City’s moat, trying his best not to be discovered by Tonglong, who stood nearby. ShaoShu was soaking wet and shivering with cold, having swum here in the moat after leaving Ying at the Emperor’s secret passageway entrance.
ShaoShu shook the water from his ears and stared at Tonglong silhouetted in the moonlight. It was clear that Tonglong had lost his mind. He stood just outside the open main gate, facing several hundred armed Forbidden City soldiers who were positioned inside. The soldiers were not allowed to set foot outside the gate’s threshold, and Tonglong was not being allowed in. It was a standoff.
The Forbidden City soldiers were well armed, but so were Tonglong’s remaining elite horsemen, lined up behind him. ShaoShu would give either group an equal chance of success if things escalated into a battle, though there were thousands more soldiers within the Forbidden City who could be called into action to effectively crush Tonglong if someone were to give the order.
ShaoShu heard Tonglong argue that he had arranged to meet Wuya somewhere outside the Forbidden City. However, Wuya had not shown up. Now Tonglong was demanding to be allowed inside to find him. Tonglong was wearing the ceremonial white jade armor traditionally reserved for China’s rightful ruler, and holding a white jade sword of similar significance. He glowed like a beacon in the bright moonlight, and seemed to think that his outfit should make the Forbidden City forces bow at his feet.
It did not.
“Do you know who I am?” Tonglong demanded.
“We do, sir,” replied the Forbidden City’s front gate battalion leader. “However, Xie has issued orders to deny you and your horsemen entry. Only Wuya can override those orders, and he is not available right now.”
“Xie!” Tonglong said. “What is he doing here?”
“He lives here, sir.”
Tonglong frowned. “I know that. When did he arrive?”
“I am not at liberty to say, sir.”
“When was the last time you saw Wuya?”
“No one has seen him for more than an hour, sir. But I have left word and can assure you that the moment he makes himself available, he will come directly here. The Emperor could override Xie’s orders, too, of course, but he has retreated to his palace suite and is likely asleep.”
“The Emperor is
with me, you fool!”
The battalion leader shook his head. “No, sir. The Emperor arrived hours ago. I saw him with my own eyes. He was rumored to be with you, but that was surely just a ploy to confuse potential enemies. There is no need to continue the facade, sir.”
“Foolish man!” Tonglong barked. “Find Wuya or let me in. Now!”
“Sir, I do not report to you. You have no authority over me as long as I am within the Forbidden City.”
“Then we will have to do something about that, won’t we?” Tonglong dropped the jade sword and rushed toward the battalion leader, crossing the Forbidden City’s threshold.
The battalion leader’s eyes widened in surprise and he took a step back, but Tonglong closed the gap with astonishing speed. He bent his arms and raised his elbows straight out in front of himself, forming fists with both hands. Then he extended his index fingers and pointed them straight down at the ground.
Tonglong’s forearms and hands now looked just like the forearms and claws of a praying mantis. His right hand shot out behind the battalion leader’s neck, and he used his hooklike fist to pull the man’s face toward him. At the same time, his left hooklike fist took hold of the man’s chin.
Tonglong leaped back through the Forbidden City’s gate, dragging the stumbling battalion leader with him. He shoved the man’s chin around with a vicious twisting motion, and the battalion leader’s neck snapped.
Tonglong hurled the lifeless body to the ground.
The entire battalion of Forbidden City soldiers raised their muskets, aiming them at Tonglong.
Tonglong picked up the jade sword and glared back along the ranks. “I will pull each of you out here, one at a time, unless someone brings Wuya to me this instant. I—”
“Front Gate Battalion, stand down!” a sharp voice interrupted from overhead.
ShaoShu looked up to see a man with black hair and a beaked nose striding confidently along the top of the wall, carrying a large oil lamp. It had to be Wuya. He looked just like a crow.
Wuya’s head disappeared and, several moments later, he walked through the main gate and glanced down at the dead battalion leader, then looked at Tonglong.
“I heard some of your argument as I approached,” Wuya said. “My apologies. The men were acting on orders from someone else. I was attending to urgent matters.” He lowered his voice, and ShaoShu strained to listen. “I believe that you will find my time well spent.”
“Do these matters involve Xie and the Emperor?” Tonglong whispered.
“They do.”
“Is the Emperor here?”
“You know very well where he is. I see that you have brought a sword for me. Thank you. Did you bring the crate?”
“This is my jade sword,” Tonglong said, his voice still barely more than a whisper. “You will receive yours when you deliver the seals. I have urgent documents to draft and circulate. The crate is here, but it is no concern of yours.”
“I am afraid the crate’s contents are essential for locating the seals,” Wuya replied. “Have your men bring it to the gate, and my soldiers will carry it inside.”
“My men are more than qualified to carry the crate.”
“No,” Wuya said, his voice low. “Until our deal is finalized, your men will wait outside the gate. All of them. The only soldiers allowed inside are Forbidden City soldiers sworn to protect the Emperor.”
“My men are sworn to protect me,” Tonglong said. “That should mean something to you, considering our agreement up to this point. I will not enter alone, and I will not enter unarmed. Neither will my men.”
Wuya paused, as if contemplating something. He sighed loudly enough for ShaoShu to hear. “I will make an exception this time.”
Wuya raised his voice for all to hear. “You may bring four men with you to carry the crate. No more. All of you may be armed.”
Tonglong nodded.
“Welcome to the Forbidden City,” Wuya said.
ShaoShu watched as Tonglong shouted orders and four soldiers, each with a musket slung across his back, picked up the crate ShaoShu knew contained the Emperor. The men followed Tonglong and Wuya across the Forbidden City’s threshold, and the enormous gates began to close.
There was no point in ShaoShu hiding there any longer. He needed to give Ying an update. With everyone’s eyes still fixed on the closing gate, ShaoShu slipped out of the shrub, back into the moat.
Seh stood on the deck of Charles’ sloop in the moonlight, scanning the canal’s shoreline for signs of movement. He saw nothing. Neither did Charles, Hok, Malao, or even Fu, with his extraordinary low-light vision.
“Are you sure this canal goes all the way to the Forbidden City?” Seh asked. “We have been on it for quite some time and have not seen any sign of the bandits.”
“Positive,” Charles said. “This is the canal that connects the Forbidden City’s moat with the Yellow River. It is the main route over which goods are transported to the Forbidden City from all over the country. I cannot wait to unload our cargo there. HukJee really came through for us.”
“You can say that again,” Seh replied, glancing about at the wooden crates filled with muskets, pistols, and ammunition, not to mention the three small cannons and numerous oak barrels filled with black powder. “Will we be able to sail right up to the gates?”
“No. There are bridges over the moat that we will not be able to sail under because of the height of my mast. Cargo is usually off-loaded to horse-drawn carts at the first bridge. However, that bridge is within shooting distance of the main gate.”
“Do you think we will go all the way to the Forbidden City without meeting the bandits?” Hok asked.
“It is possible they went on to the Forbidden City without us,” Charles said. “Or maybe they have been delayed and are behind schedule. I am certain that tonight is the night we were supposed to rendezvous.”
“I wonder if Tonglong has made it to the Forbidden City yet,” Seh said. “If he has—”
“There!” Fu interrupted from the bow. “I see a bridge coming up, and I can just make out a very tall wall beyond it.”
“I see it, too!” Malao called down from the very top of the mast, Charles’ spyglass in his hands. “And there’s the main gate. There are a bunch of horsemen in front of it.”
“Bandits?” Seh asked.
“No,” Malao replied. “Tonglong’s men. They are all wearing red uniforms. Wait, some of them are going inside! Let’s blast them!”
“Not so fast,” Charles said from the helm. “We need to get closer to be within firing range. We also need to make sure those are Tonglong’s men, and not the bandits.”
“It’s them, all right,” Fu said. “Unless Mong, Hung, Sanfu, NgGung, and Bing made seventy new friends who all have horses and like to wear red.”
“You can see all that?” Charles asked. “You are not human, Fu.”
Fu growled.
“Is it possible to go faster?” Hok asked.
“This is the best we can do,” Charles replied. “We cannot risk raising any more sail in this relatively narrow canal, and rowing will do little more than make a lot of noise. They will see us soon enough as it is. Unless you want to turn around—”
“Never!” Fu said. “We will fight.”
“Mong said that the bandits could fight Tonglong’s army right in front of the Forbidden City gates for days and the imperial army would not get involved,” Charles said. “They have sworn an oath to not step foot outside the walls. Do you think this is true?”
“There is only one way to find out,” Seh answered.
“They are closing the giant gate!” Malao called down. “Five of Tonglong’s men entered without their horses. Four were carrying a big crate.”
“Malao,” Charles said, “how far do you think we are from them?”
“Based on our practice shots along the Yellow River, I think Fu could hit them with his cannon.”
“Did you hear that, Fu?” Charles asked. “Battle stat
ions, everyone!”
Fu remained at the bow and began to load his cannon with black powder and a ball the size of a large peach. Seh and Hok raced to the stern, where Hok set to lighting several lengths of slow match fuse with a piece of flint and steel, while Seh began to load two cannons that were slightly smaller than Fu’s. Malao raced down the mast, pulled several loaded pistols from a large wooden box on deck, slipped the pistols behind his wide sash, and scurried back up to the very top of the rigging.
Charles remained at the helm.
Hok glided to the front of the boat and handed Fu a burning piece of slow match, then she ran to the stern and gave Seh one, too. Seh watched as Hok went back to the center of the boat and quickly loaded several muskets, laying them out along the deck in front of her. She shouldered one, and Charles said, “Malao, furl the sail! Everyone else, fire at will!”
Seh saw Malao scurry along the rigging, tying down the mainsail with amazing speed and dexterity. The boat eased to a slow drift, and Seh looked over at Fu.
Fu’s eyes were fixed on a point in the distant darkness, and a group of soldiers soon came into view. They were standing before a set of the largest doors Seh had ever seen. Several of the horsemen began to point toward the boat, and two of them spurred their horses, charging toward Charles’ sloop.
Fu fired.
The cannon erupted with a thunderous BOOM!, and smoke filled the air around Fu. Fortunately, there was a bit of a breeze blowing across the deck, and the air cleared almost immediately. Seh saw Fu place the burning slow match between his teeth and begin to reload the cannon.
Seh looked toward the soldiers and saw that Fu’s shot had knocked one of the advancing men off his horse. That soldier would not be rejoining the fight.
The remaining charging horseman continued to race toward their boat, and Seh said, “I’ve got him.”
“No,” Hok said. “Save your cannons for multiple attackers. He’s mine.”
As the horseman neared, he withdrew a pistol from the folds of his robe and aimed it wildly at the boat. Hok did not let him get off the shot. Seh heard the crack! of the musket the same instant he saw the soldier tumble from his horse, a neat hole between his eyes.