Chapter Thirteen - (Part 1 of 2)

Two days later, Suet-foong and I were finally off. The Forbidden City, a forty-minute ride on horseback from our place, was on top of our list of places to visit. As we galloped eastward to the city center, we saw that the chilly December wind had scattered the mist and the sunrays were piercing through the snow-covered branches of the trees. It was indeed a lovely morning. Even lovelier was my wife; she looked radiant. Gone were her migraine headaches and leg cramps. I was so glad.

The majestic Forbidden City, the world's biggest palace and home to twenty-four emperors spanning nearly five hundred years, sat at the heart of the metropolis. A massive rectangular-shaped structure, it had a 150-feet-wide moat and 30-feet-high walls that ran for almost three miles round what was known as "the Great Within" - a city of walls within walls. Colossal gates, magnificent halls, and grand pavilions were set on marble platforms amid huge courtyards. Suet-foong and I deemed it a treasure house of the finest creations of Chinese culture.

Just before we entered the first of many sets of gates, I lifted my eyes up to the gate-towers, imagining how a few hundred years ago another visitor might have quivered at the very same spot and felt the intimidating strength and power emanating from the towering vermilion walls. Once inside, there was a wide open square cut by a bow-shaped stream, straddled in its middle stretch by five arched bridges. Up ahead, I gazed in amazement the white marble balustrades that swept upward to the glowing golden roofs of the big hall; its sloping ridges sculptured with dragons, phoenixes, and other mystical creatures. In silhouette against the rising sun, they added to my sense of being in a dream.

"Stop daydreaming, Ake," said Suet-foong.

Her voice brought me out of my musing. "You knew?" I asked, looking at my wife.

"Your eyes are glassy."

"Yeah," I nodded, "the grandeur of this palace makes it impossible not to dream about days gone by when we ruled the world."

"Now our country is akin to a large cheesecake being cut into slices by greedy foreigners," she concluded with a sigh.

"I didn't know you were into politics."

"Are you kidding?" she replied, rolling her eyes. "You know how much I detest politics. It is worse than war. In the battlefield you can only be killed once, but in politics so many times that even your mother cannot recognize you."

"Well said," I clapped, agreeing with her without reservation.

We came to the courtyard that was opened to the public. With vendors and government offices as its tenants, there was no way we could avoid the knots of people, vehicles, and animals clustered here. I groaned; we felt so cramped. After the abdication of seven-year-old Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, on February 12th, 1912, the front portion of the palace had been requisitioned by the new republican government. Naming it the Outer Meridian Court, another wall was built to separate it from the Inner Meridian Court where the young emperor and his family now lived.

Leaving our horses at a stable, we hot-footed it to the next massive gate leading to the Inner Meridian Court with me carrying a knapsack containing sandwiches and a flask of water on my shoulder - we expected a very long walk inside the palace. There were a dozen guards at the gatehouse; no one was permitted to go beyond this point except with a specially issued  pass which I had - Ducky, through his connections with the palace officers, managed to obtain one for me and my wife. When the guards saw my pass, they allowed us to enter.

Once we crossed over, we saw another big courtyard, another hall, and another huge gate before us. The only difference was the emptiness and deafening silence which were in stark contrast with the frenzied activity of the Outer Meridian Court. There were also many dilapidated buildings - the centuries had certainly taken their toll - but age and dust only added to its charm. Under fresh snow, when the chili red walls were tempered by drifts of glittering white, and sunshine fell on dusty shafts on the deserted square, the palace looked so remote, so timeless.

As we moved from one gate to another, passing through the narrow corridor lanes between the high blank walls, we could not help feeling spirits of the past tailing after us. Wraiths were moving quietly across the pavement in satin shod feet. And voices murmured in the shadows. Did something of those astral presences stay behind from the ceaseless procession of concubines, eunuchs, and maidservants who, during the imperial days, were always going back and forth in the Forbidden City? Just thinking about it made the hair at the back of our necks stood up, yet in the same breath we were thrilled beyond words.

It was past midday when we drew near an open space with gates to the east, west, and north. Feeling hungry, we halted under the shade of the northern gate. There was a frost in the air and the sky was a pale clear blue.

"I never imagine that the Forbidden City is so vast!" remarked Suet-foong as she ate her sandwich which was prepared by Ah Lan this morning. "We have been walking for almost two hours, passing through one big wall and beneath one gatehouse after another, to find beyond it only a featureless avenue leading to yet another wall and gate. Goodness me! When will it end?"

"Pretty soon, we're almost at the rear portion of the City," I replied. "Behind this gate is the Palace of Heavenly Purity where the Son of Heaven resides and continues to hold illusory court."

"Wow, do you think we will bump into young Pu Yi today?" she asked excitedly. "That would be the highlight of this trip!"

"Definitely; he is not going anywhere. One of the articles providing for the favorable treatment of the Qing emperor after his abdication stipulated that he can't leave the palace."

"Yes!" Snow Phoenix yelped, fist pumping in hysterical joy. She then took out the lipstick from her jacket and colored her lips.

Unduly inquisitive,I asked, "What's going on?"

"I got to make myself pretty, we're meeting the emperor, you know!"

"Gee, I don't recall you being this emotionally aroused when you first met me."

"Do I detect a tinge of jealousy in your voice?"

"Hell, yes!" I said. Being her husband, I reckon I had every right to turn into the green-eyed monster. "What has that little rascally emperor got that I don't?"

She smirked. "Well, for starters ..."

"Not another word, Suet-foong," I cut her off, wise to her witty remark to my question. "Not. Another. Word."

When lunch was over and my knapsack trussed up, we pressed on. We were about to reach the throne hall when a shadow flew past above us. Gazing up, we saw a big yellow kite with a dragon design being blown toward the eastern flank of the Palace by the strong wind. And there it fell out of sight behind the walls. Moments later, heavy feet were heard in the corridor. We moved forward in great anticipation. Suddenly, a small human figure, clad in yellow dragon robes, appeared in the chamber. Behind him a few dozen eunuchs clustered in the doorway. His moon-shaped face was fair; his lips were thick; and his big, expressive eyes sparkled like pearls. He was none other than Emperor Pu Yi!

To be continued ...