China, 1570. China is under the reign of Emperor Longqing of the Ming dynasty. The latter inherited a country plunged into disarray after years of mismanagement and corruption.
Realizing the extent of the chaos his father's rule had caused, the Longqing Emperor set out to reform the government by rehiring the talented officials his father had banished. The emperor resides in the Forbidden City, which hosted many emperors during the Ming Dynasty. Built between 1406 and 1420, it consists of a set of 980 buildings covering 72 hectares. It was also under the Ming dynasty that the Great Wall of China was rebuilt, extended and fortified. At that time, China was under heavy assault from the Mongols, so it was essential to maintain the Great Wall. It is to the Ming dynasty that we owe what remains of the Great Wall today!
The country was famous for its very complex bureaucracy which unfortunately engendered its share of corruption.
However, the Longqing Emperor tried to eradicate this corruption as much as he could, simply by making it illegal and punishable by death. This measure seemed at first glance effective, but as we all know, it is not easy to have absolute control of your "loyal" subjects. In the imperial court, the highest officials claimed to support the prohibition of corruption and rather than receiving money, a new custom was born: the exchange of gifts.
When a citizen had a request to present, he accompanied it with a gift. Naturally, the official had to offer a gift in return. If the citizen's gift was valuable, such as a jade statue, and the official offered a vulgar paper fan in return, it was difficult to consider this an act of corruption. Yet both parties were well aware of the symbolic value of these objects... "The Forbidden City" uses this custom as a basis for the game.
Players will embody powerful Chinese families trying to gain influence and power, attempting to bribe Imperial Officers responsible for various sectors with suitable gifts.
A player wins the game by gaining an audience with the Emperor. If more than one player succeeds, the one with the most Victory points wins.
