Did I get the afternoon session ticket? Can I enter in the morning? I want to dine at the restaurant inside the Forbidden City at noon, do I have to enter after 2 PM?

Admission is available in the morning, without a distinction between morning and afternoon sessions. You can play until the afternoon without clearing the venue at noon. Search for “Xiucai Shuo” for a professional and in-depth guided tour of the Forbidden City (Beijing).
The tickets for the afternoon session of the Forbidden City can only be used in the afternoon, not in the morning. This is because the number of ticket reservations for the Forbidden City is limited.
Watch the service staff at the door, let’s talk about it, they should be accommodating, right? However, it also depends on the current traffic situation.
As it approached noon, around 12 o’clock, the gatekeeper would generally be lenient and allow you in, even with an afternoon ticket, so there would be no problem with eating. You could go to eat by purchasing an afternoon ticket.