"You did what!?" exclaimed Shang, his face comical mixture of awe and mortification.
"I patented my new cannon design with the Merchant's Guild," replied Mulan simply. "It's quite a remarkable design, really-it's smaller, faster, and more accurate than the ones we used in the last battle against the Huns. And easier to produce too! Tea? The leaves are especially fragrant this season."
Shang could merely gape. Taking a breath of the cool autumn air, he ground out, as evenly as he could. "Why didn't you just come forward to the Imperial Army?" Might I remind you that YOU are part of it too?? And your husband's just been promoted to general!
"Because they refused to pay me. Official Bao said that it was already enough of an honour as a woman to be part of the Imperial army," she replied lightly, sipping her tea, as if she was talking about something as trivial as the colour of her shoes. Shang groaned at the stupidity of Official Bao. If Mulan could dress up as a man and win a war against an army of barbarians, what made him think that his denial would put a dent in her plans?
"Mulan, why didn't you come to me for help?" implored Shang wearily.
"I didn't want to trouble you, Shang. You have enough responsibility on your hands. Besides, the money would have gone to your family, and not to me, personally," said Mulan, her dark, expressive eyes pleading Shang to understand.
"If you had wanted money, you could've just asked. Is there something you want? Books? Calligraphy brushes? I can afford it, you know that," prodded Shang. The moment the words left his lips he knew that he has said the stupidest thing he could have ever said to Mulan.
"You know that I'm above those things, Shang," Mulan said icily. Really, after all this time he thought she was a girl who wanted to be showered with presents and finery? She turned her face to the side, her long silky hair covering the furious flush colouring her cheeks.
She heard Shang sigh. "I'm sorry; but, did you realize what patenting your design- for a weapon no less- with the Merchant's Guild instead of the Imperial Army looks like?" Massaging his temples, he exhaled and sat down heavily on the window seat in their room which faced the expansive garden of the Li family home. Mulan's heart tugged at how tired he looked. Remorsefully, she made her way towards him, and paused, as if asking permission, before she sat down next to him. "Shang, hear me out. I have my reasons."
"As always. Well, let's hear them, and it better not be your duty to your heart." He blatantly ignored Mulan's indignant huff. Despite his dread of the impending grilling he was going to receive at work tomorrow, he was rather curious at Mulan's actions. After all, he knew better than anyone how deep her loyalty and sense of duty ran, both to him, and to the Emperor.
"I suppose you don't pay attention much to the palace gossip, Shang, but apparently the concubines are in the midst of a feud," began Mulan. Shang seemed befuddled. "Some of the concubines are daughters of important ministers and officials. I wouldn't want my design to fall into the wrong hands. Also, forming a contract with the Merchants' Guild will help create employment in the poorer regions of the Middle Kingdom. The recent war has left many men unemployed and without means to feed their families; the Merchants' Guild was more than willing to acquiesce to my request to hire these people for the production process. They'd be willing to work for cheap, anyway." Mulan took a sip of her tea, and Shang drank in the profile of his wife- the delicate hands, cradling the ornate porcelain tea cup; the thoughtful tilt of her chin as she absently blew the steam from her tea. He could watch her for hours- how becoming she looked, when her silky hair fell over her face just so, and he could just smell a hint of her light, flowery scent when she was this close to him-
Wait a minute! "What about the money that you will receive for the patent?" Shang inquired, his brow furrowing in consternation. He always felt uncomfortable about large sums of money changing hands, especially when it involved dangerous things like weapons.
"I intend to start a school for the poorer children in this city. A proper place where they can learn, equipped with books, and brushes and ink, and all the things that will help their minds grow-ack!" in her excitement Mulan accidentally spilt some tea on her skirt. "Oh drats. Your mother is going to have my head for this," she mumbled, assessing the damage on her clothes. Shang laughed at the mention of his mother- she still had a little trouble accepting Mulan's modern view of things and was repeatedly trying to make Mulan more ladylike.
"Mulan, what about quality control and safety and the production sites? You're asking civilians to handle dangerous substances here…" Shang noted with concern.
"I've negotiated a deal with the Guild to allow military oversight on this project, and I will be meeting with Luo Bu- the maker of the cannons we used in the last war- to discuss safety issues," she replied. "Don't worry Shang, I've thought about this for a while now. All I really want from this project is to provide a school for the children in this city. Especially…"
"Especially?" prompted Shang, with an eyebrow raised. Mulan looked at him, a little uncertainly.
"Especially for the girls," she said softly. "I want to give the less fortunate to have a chance at education. It shouldn't only be for the children of nobles and the rich." In a whisper, "Not everyone gets a chance like me; not everyone is as open to educating their daughters, like baba was." Shang took her hand. "And I'm grateful for the insight your father has shown in your upbringing, making you the woman you are today." Mulan smiled at his kind words, but Shang could tell she was still a little homesick. Wrapping his hand around her slender waist, he pulled her closer to him, his heart swelling in contentment at the way she fit perfectly into his side. Trying to lighten the mood, he directed the conversation to her latest aspiration.
"So where will you be building this school of yours?" He asked, stroking her hair, which was now just past her shoulders. "I can drop in a request for a site at the state office tomorrow, on the way to work." Mulan looked up at him in wonder.
"You…you'll help?" Mulan asked, wonder etched onto her dainty features. Shang nuzzled her nose. "Whenever I can," he replied stoutly, and smiled when Mulan's tinkling laughter filled their bedchamber.
"I can't wait to play with the children, Shang," said Mulan as she snuggled closer to his side. "Remember the little girl, back in my village? The one who stole your helmet? Her friends used to come play in the Fa estate whenever I was practicing my kungfu. And I must say, she simply adores you General Li Shang," Mulan cooed in a sugary sweet voice, not unlike that of the little girl back in the Hubei province. He chuckled when, suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Mulan, do you want to have children?" he asked bluntly. Mulan, caught off guard by the question, blushed and stammered, "Why-I…er….well. I don't know, it seems like we have so much to do these days, and I still have to assure your mother that I am, indeed, a girl, and not a sweaty soldier, and there's the army…and and…" Mulan trailed off as she felt Shang's large hands stroking her arm tenderly. He knew, too, that this wasn't really the right time.
"Don't worry, I'm sure that things will work out. Anyway, mother won't let us get away with denying her right to being a grandmother," muttered Shang with a mental wince. He remembered all those long talks about carrying on the family name….etc etc… "It wouldn't hurt to wait a little more before we become parents anyway," Shang said. He couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of responsibility that ensued them being parents. The idea left him a little nauseous. He was jolted out of his reverie when he felt Mulan tracing patterns up his forearm. Damn…
"Mu-Mulan?" Shang gulped.
"Even though it's not the right time, doesn't mean we can't do that," whispered Mulan, a pretty blush rising up to her face at the sound of her own audacity. Oh dear, if only Mama could hear me now…
Tilting Mulan's chin upwards, Shang kissed her softly but passionately, pouring all his emotions from the into evening his kiss- his admiration for her ingenuity and kindness, and the love for the idea of them starting a family together, and just his plain, unadulterated love for her. Then, with one swift motion he lifted her off the window seat, and headed for their bed, blowing out the lone candle that flickered in the dark on his way.