Dragon (Page 56)
Xie bowed. “Of course, Sire.”
The Emperor looked at Long. “It would please me if you were to join us for the briefing as well. Until then, I promise we will attend to your cousin’s remains. Wuya can escort you to the banquet hall on his way out. If you should require anything, just ask the soldiers stationed outside the room.”
“Thank you, Sire,” Long replied with a bow.
“Well,” the Emperor said, scratching his filthy beard, which still reeked from the pig crate. “Now that these things are in motion, it is time to take care of the most important items of all.” He clapped his hands twice, and attendants hurried into the suite. “Draw me a bath,” he commanded, “and tell the chefs to prepare a midmorning feast of all my favorite dishes. But no pork.”
Three hours later, Long sat alone at a huge rectangular table inside the Emperor’s exquisite banquet hall. The sun had risen, and light reflected off a thousand gilded surfaces, casting strange shadows across the ornate floor. The shadows reminded Long of the dark pools of blood that had surrounded Ying. At least Ying had died happy.
Long supposed that he was happy, too, in a sense. His grandfather had asked him and his temple siblings to change the Emperor’s heart, as well as Ying’s. That much had been accomplished.
The banquet hall door opened, and Long looked up to see Xie enter alongside the Emperor. Like Long, Xie appeared weary and battle-worn, his skin and clothing a mess. The Emperor, on the other hand, looked like a new man. His face had been shaved, and someone had trimmed his hair. He now wore brilliant yellow robes, and despite his sallow cheeks and pale skin, he looked every bit the distinguished ruler that he was.
Long rose from his seat and bowed, and the Emperor crossed the room to sit in a throne at the head of the table. Xie sat at the Emperor’s right. Long remained where he was, near the center of the table. He sat back down after a nod from Xie.
The Emperor clapped twice, and Wuya entered the doorway flanked by three Forbidden City soldiers. Each soldier carried a white jade sword, and all four men dropped to their knees, kowtowing.
“Rise,” the Emperor said.
The men rose, and the three soldiers took positions beside the doorway.
Wuya addressed the Emperor. “In an effort to provide you with the fullest report possible, I have invited several ‘advisors’ to join us. I hope it is not too many, Sire.”
“We shall see,” the Emperor replied.
Wuya poked his head out through the doorway, and ShaoShu scurried in first. He bowed quickly and said, “Hi! I can’t wait for you to meet my friends.”
The Emperor chortled. “Of course, ShaoShu. Come in.”
Fu, Malao, Seh, Hok, and Charles entered next as a group. Long smiled broadly.
“May I present three young men and one young lady from Cangzhen Temple,” Wuya said, “along with their Dutch friend, Charles. From left to right, the young monks are Fu, Malao, Seh, and Hok.”
The group members bowed in unison, and the Emperor nodded to them. “Greetings, young ones. I have some things to say to you, but not just yet. Please, have a seat beside Long.”
They sat down at the table on either side of Long.
Wuya turned to the door again, and Mong, Hung, Sanfu, NgGung, and Bing walked into the room. A stern-looking soldier in a brown and black silk uniform followed them. The group bowed as one.
“You may sit,” the Emperor said, gesturing toward the magnificent empty chairs across the table from Long and the others.
The bandit group sat, and the Emperor looked at the soldier. “You are General Zo of Xie’s army, are you not?”
The man jumped to his feet. “Yes, Sire.”
“Give me your report.”
“There is not much to report, Your Eminence. My Eastern legions and I were out on patrol when Xie ordered us here to deal with Tonglong and his conscripted army. You may have felt the earth tremble as we approached. There are ten thousand of us, and we all ride Heavenly Horses. We could easily turn away fifty thousand trained foot soldiers, let alone a new army such as Tonglong’s.”
“I am glad to have you on my side,” the Emperor said. “How long can you and your men stay?”
“As long as you can feed us, Sire.”
“Excellent. Please, sit.”
The general sat down, and the Emperor looked at Mong. The bandit leader rose.
“Although we have not always been on the same side,” the Emperor said, “I have a need for great men in my army. From what I have heard over the years, you are a great man. As you know, Tonglong had most recently been the Southern Warlord. Would you be willing to assume the role?”