On the Pamir plateau the Polos are swept away by an avalanche. Marco wakes up in the Muztag-Ata monastery, surrounded by golden Buddhas. After Niccolò and Matteo end up safe, the caravan crosses the Gobi Desert and reaches Shangtu, the capital of Kublai Khan's empire.

Prince Chinkin, during an imperial hunting trip, is struck by an epileptic seizure: Marco Polo helps him, but risks being executed, since the disease is a disgrace that no one must know about. Meanwhile, the court has returned to Cambaluc and the Mongol general Bayan, who led Kublai Khan's army against the Chinese Song dynasty, announces victory over Southern China.