"Your majesty," Captain Li Shang approached the emperor. "I can explain."
The emperor lifted his hand to silence the captain.
Li Shang and the other men dispersed from the emperor's path to Mulan.
The majesty's white brows furrowed at the woman.
Mulan silently bowed before him.
"I have heard a great deal about you Fa Mulan," the old man's deep voice terrified Mulan.
Chi Fu grinned maliciously behind the emperor.
"You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated a solider..." the emperor listed, his eyes piercing through Mulan's.
"...Deceived your commanding officer, dishonored the Chinese army, destroyed my palace," the white-bearded man raised his voice at the young lady bowed before him.
"AND..." Mulan shuttered at the emperor's commanding voice.
"You forced your captain to spare your life, against the rules that I, the emperor of all China, enforced!"
Mulan lifted her head to defend her honor, "I did not force the cap..."
"Hold your tongue!" Chi Fu ordered Mulan. "You are in the presence of the emperor of China!"
"Your excellency," Captain Li Shang interrupted. "Mulan saved my life. That is why I spared hers."
"Tell me Captain," the emperor's voice softened and he began to slowly pace around, holding his hands behind his back. "Do you think Shan Yu would have been able to break into my palace and kidnap me if this woman had followed procedure and fired the last cannon at Shan Yu when she had the chance?"
"Well," Li Shang began to explain.
"Or..." the emperor interrupted. "Do you think it is possible that if you didn't spend so much time training a woman unfit for war, you could have caught up to your father before the Huns did?"
The captain and the other men became infuriated with the emperor.
"You all knew," his majesty scanned the men with his eyes. "And no one did anything about it."
"I told them your majesty. I told them all!" Chi Fu boasted.
"Then why didn't you do something about it Chi Fu?" the emperor glared at his adviser.
He gulped.
Mulan grew increasingly nervous.
Still pacing, the emperor turned his focus back to Mulan.
"Ponder this one Fa Mulan," he tapped the tips of his fingers together as if he were plotting something.
"If I let you get away with this crime, don't you think that everyone else will start breaking my laws as well? I will lose all respect; all honor."
"With all due respect your majesty," Li Shang bowed before the emperor. "You would have lost a lot more if Mulan was given the punishment for her crime."
The emperor's eyes narrowed in curiosity at the captain.
"I too was angry with her when I found out, but," the captain continued. "She came here today to warn me that the Huns had survived the avalanche and that they would be here at the parade. I didn't want to listen to her."
The emperor looked deep into the captain's eyes.
"She knew you were in danger and she is the one who had a plan to get inside. She fought Shan Yu single-highhandedly just now, all to save you," Li Shang looked down at Mulan who was still bowed before the emperor.
"Without her, you wouldn't be standing here right now. And neither would I," the captain sent a soft smile Mulan's way.
"You think the crime should go unpunished Captain?"
"I do," Shang responded.
"Men?" the emperor turned to the other soldiers.
They all nodded their heads in agreement.
"Very well," his voice softened.
The emperor gestured for Mulan to rise.
"It seems you have been through enough trouble. Go home to your family."
