Purgatory of the Werewolf - The Wolf of Dorian Gray (Book 2)

Chapter 26 - The Forbidden City

There was hot fighting against the Emperor's Eight Banners over the next few days as the French and English forces approached the city of Peking. Each Banner contained thousands of troops that engaged the French and English army in multiple skirmishes before retreating into one of the many city gates. Lord Crawley promoted Dorian to Ensign and sent him wherever the resistance was fiercest. Each time, his uncanny ability to locate and disable the Qing sharpshooters allowed the army to advance until they were within range of the massive brick and mortar outer walls of the city.

The enormous city made Canton look like a small town. The city was heavily fortified with cannons as well as an intricate system of walls, moats, and towers. In this section, the walls were as high as seven meters and as wide as fifteen meters. The French and English guns concentrated their fire on the three southern gates and their defenses.

On the third night, word was received that the Xianfeng Emperor had fled, leaving his brother to guard the holy city. The French and English divided their forces and began pillaging the Old Summer Palace of Yuanmingyuan. The beauty and wealth of the palace were staggering and it was filled with priceless artwork. The soldiers took anything they could, preferring gold and porcelain treasures above all. Dorian looked around with a sad smile at the paintings and silk that he would once have held in reverence. But they were only objects. He walked out of the Old Summer Palace empty handed, thinking of Shen and her father.

After they had taken what they wanted, the men barricaded in nearly three hundred eunuchs and maids and set fire to the palace. It burned for three days and three nights. As a result, and under the pressure of constant shelling from the batteries, the great outer city gates finally swung open, and Prince Gong surrendered.

The entire combined force passed through the double-eaved inner Zhengyangmen gate and entered the red walled Imperial City. The buildings here were adorned with white marble, jade turtles, golden lions, and coiled red dragons. Dorian had never seen more beautifully landscaped gardens. Fat orange and yellow koi fish swam lazily in green lily ponds.

The men continued to loot as they passed under the five-arched Wumen Gate. They entered through a door adorned with golden nails and reached the Forbidden City. They passed over a series of unnecessarily decorative bridges and climbed the white marble steps to the four-tiered palace of the Emperor. Inside, huge bronze columns surrounded the opulent golden throne that now sat empty.

Disgraced and horrified that the same destruction might be visited on more of the Emperor's palaces, Prince Gong ratified the Treaty of Tianjin and brought the war to an end. England gained a permanent foothold in Kowloon, Tianjin was opened as a port for the legalized opium trade, freedom of religion was established in China, and the Chinese agreed to pay eight million taels in indemnity to England and France. Within the week, the French and English troops would sail home, with Lord Crawley and Dorian among them.

That evening, Lord Crawley met with Dorian privately in his rooms in the Forbidden City. "I noticed you haven't been joining in the spoils of war. You are a changed man."

Dorian looked at the many valuable treasures his friend had amassed and smiled. "You seem to have done well."

Lord Crawley admired the many gold rings now adorning his hand. "I will return to London a decorated hero with enough money to pay off my debts and regain my family's land."

Dorian nodded. "And deservedly so. You have been a true friend. I wish you all the happiness in the world. But there is only one thing that interests me now."

Lord Crawley turned to look out the palace window at the gardens below. "Don't say such things about me. I have not been as good a friend as you think."

Dorian laughed. "Don't be so humble. You are a good man."

Lord Crawley ripped the rings off his fingers and threw them to the ground. "A good man you say? Good like this Chinese farm girl of yours? A pity you can never be with her."

Dorian's eyes opened wide in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Lord Crawley spun and faced him. "We both know what you would do to the poor girl during the first full moon."

Dorian spoke in a guarded tone. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Lord Crawley's face turned red in rage. "Don't play me for a fool! I have seen with my own eyes the demon that appears only when you are absent. I watched it kill my men and feared for my own life. Did you think I would not notice when you returned covered in blood but not a single scratch on you? I sent you into battle again and again, but you seem impervious to any harm. How many hundreds have you killed?"

Dorian lowered his head in shame. "I wanted to tell you...I."

But Lord Crawley cut him off. "I don't need your excuses. I have suspected for some time. I swore I would kill you for what you have done, but I have just received a letter from Lady Helena begging us to return to London at once."

Dorian felt staggered by the confession. Lord Crawley had lied to him. He must have ordered him into the field in Tongzhou hoping that the Mongol Cavalry or French and English artillery would end his life. He had never felt more betrayed in his life.

Lord Crawley raised his voice again. "Did you hear me? I said Lady Helena believes she has found a way to cure you."

A surge of hope coursed through his heart. "She has found a cure?" At least Lady Helena had remained his friend. She had done as she had promised and figured out a way to end this nightmare.

Lord Crawley walked over to his desk and began writing a dispatch. "Killing you certainly hasn't worked. This is our only hope left. We leave tomorrow on the first ship to England. By the time your girl receives a goodbye letter from you, we will be days at sea."

Couldn't he even say goodbye? No, there was not enough time between now and the next full moon. But would this cure work? He had to try for Shen.

Dorian looked at the man he had once called friend. "Very well. We must try. Thank you for that at least."

Lord Crawley dismissed him curtly. "Keep your thanks. As long as it works and I am free of you forever."