Shang's POV
The beatings I'd gotten from Yao, Ling and Chien Po had opened my eyes to just how rotten I'd acted towards Mulan at Wu Zhong.
After the princesses and Mulan had all gone to sleep, I'd talked to them. They were up guarding and I was supposed to be sleeping.
"Hey, guys, thanks for standing up for Mulan. You were right. That was really rotten of me."
"She's like a sister to us, Shang. Of course, we'll stand up for her."
"I hope you learned your lesson and woke up a little wiser."
"I did. I woke up a lot wiser, in fact."
Chien Po put his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry the two of you lost your baby."
"Thank you"
"That scared us pretty good when she passed out and her clothes were full of blood. The ground around her was even soaked with blood."
"Thank you for flagging down the midwife so she could help her. And thank you for coming to her aid when she got ambushed by the bandits."
"Guess you have a lot you owe us for, eh, Pretty Boy?" Yao rubbed his hands together.
I looked down. "I certainly do."
"Go get some sleep, General. Or go wake up Mulan." Ling elbowed me in the ribs.
"Nope, there won't be any of that for a long time. The midwife told me I was not to touch her for at least 6 weeks."
"That stinks. Guess you'll just have to learn to keep your hands off her for a while, huh?"
"Yes, I will."
"So what happened when she got pregnant at Wu Zhong?"
"I got some herbs from the medic to make her miscarry."
"Was she ok with that?"
"Yeah"
"So how did you find out her secret?"
"I saw her getting out of the pond early in the morning, and she saw me watching her. That's when I told her if she slept with me, I wouldn't carry out the law."
Yao's eyes flashed and for a second, I thought I was going to take a beating again. "But you were telling the truth that you were never violent with her, right?"
"Right"
"If you had, we'd have already killed you. Slowly and painfully by chopping off something."
Involuntarily, my hands went over my manhood to protect it. The three soldiers laughed.
"Ok, now I think I will try to get some sleep."
Four hours later, Chien Po woke me up for my turn to keep watch. Mulan started to get up to do watch with me, but I told her to lay back down and sleep. She looked like she was gonna argue, so I reminded her the midwife had said she must take it easy.
In the morning, I woke Mulan up with more of the midwife's tea. I couldn't help but notice how pale she looked, and tired. But, of course, she insisted she was just fine. The bleeding had stopped, and there was no sign of a fever. But she wasn't getting up unless she absolutely had to, I made sure of that.
The midwife had told me in no uncertain terms that I was not to touch her for several weeks, at least six. Two miscarriages in roughly two months had taken a toll on her and her body needed to recover completely. It would be difficult, but I was determined to comply because it was what the woman I loved needed. I had to prove to myself and her that I had self-control and integrity. My life wasn't just about what I wanted anymore. There was two of us, and her need for recovery came first.
We stayed at that camping site for one more night. That way Mulan could rest as much as she needed to. She slept all night and all day, except when I woke her up to drink the midwife's tea and eat, and check her bleeding. It had slowed way down and then finally stopped. I also monitored her to make sure she didn't develop a fever, since the midwife told me I needed to watch out for that. If a fever did start, or if the bleeding worsened, I was to send one of the guards to get her. Thankfully, that didn't happen.
She didn't have much appetite, but I insisted that she eat and drink water and tea. Taking meticulous care of my wife, I began to feel the selfishness that had dictated my actions for so many months ebbing away.
Even by evening, after sleeping all day, Mulan still looked deathly pale and exhausted. I knew I'd made the right decision not to continue our journey until tomorrow. She slept all night again, and looked a little better in the morning. Her cheeks finally had a little pinkness.
We left at dawn the following morning. Because Khan had been killed by the bandits, Mulan rode on my horse with me. We left early in the morning to make up for losing an entire day, and made stops only when necessary. For several hours of our ride, she leaned against my chest and slept. I held her with one arm and steered my horse with the other.
We rode until almost sundown, then made camp. Mulan wanted to help set up tents and catch fish, but instead was sent right to bed after I set up our tent. I knew it was going to be hard to make sure she took it easy. I guess she got so used to being active all the time at Wu Zhong that having to rest wasn't a welcome mandate. Nevertheless, I was determined to make sure she followed the midwife's strict orders for rest whenever possible and to stay off her feet whenever she could.
The following morning, we finished out the last leg of our trip to Qi Gong. We delivered the princesses safe and sound to Lord Chin's palace, then stayed for their wedding. We got to stay in a room at the palace that night and left in the morning. Both of us were asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows.
Before we left Qi Gong, we bought supplies for the trip back. We also got a horse to replace Khan. That's another thing Mulan's family will probably be angry with me for, Khan's dying. Even though I was not there and had nothing to do with it.
I could finally open both eyes again, after one was swollen shut for a couple days. I hadn't payed much attention to the soreness in my body while looking after Mulan, but it was there. I knew my ribs and back would hurt for a long time. They were lingering reminders of the hard lesson I'd just been taught.
While we rode back, I talked to Mulan about living closer to the Imperial City. Because I was in charge of the palace guard, I was needing to spend a lot of time there, so it made sense. I didn't want to be away from her while she was continuing to recover. Plus, it was difficult to be at her parent's home when they clearly didn't like me. She agreed. She hated the tension between her family and me.
Neither of us wanted to tell them about losing the baby. Or about Khan. We both knew they would blame me for everything.
That underlying, unspoken tension that had been present between Mulan and myself was gone. She had noticed I was putting her needs before my own now, instead of just looking out for myself.
At Wu Zhong, her survival depended on pleasing me sexually and I now knew she always worried about being good enough. I saw more love in her eyes than ever before. Before, I'd seen mainly anxiety.
I was thankful I still had this wonderful woman in my life, and that she hadn't been killed by the bandits or bled to death from the miscarriage.
The three guards had been on their mostly best behavior while the princesses were with us. Now that they were gone, Yao and Ling argued and fought and swore, just like they always had at Wu Zhong. In a way, it felt like old times, except that Mulan wasn't Ping anymore and we were married now.
We took our time getting back. The guards didn't have families they needed to get back to. Mulan and I wanted to delay facing her family as long as possible. The slow pace also allowed her plenty of rest.
I had to watch Mulan to make sure she didn't start doing anything to wear herself out. I was beginning to get to know the stubborn streak in my wife. I wouldn't allow her to fetch water or catch fish or anything else that would deplete her energy. She hated that, but that was how it had to be right now. The midwife had said she needed to be off her feet and resting whenever possible for several days, whether she liked it or not. She'd act angry with me when I'd make her lay down, but her eyes showed she knew it was because I loved her and was determined to take care of her.
Each night, we hung out with the three guards around a fire. They had an easy manner with me, but I knew they were watching me. One false move and I would be knocked out again. They had permanently put themselves in the place of Mulan's older brothers she never had. They liked the idea of us living closer to the Imperial City because then they could watch over her and keep an eye on me.
Eventually, we reached the palace and returned the carriage and the Emperor's horses.
Now we had to head home. But first, we were able to secure housing to move into. The Emperor was in favor of us moving closer, since I was in charge of his palace guard and it would mean less time away for me. All we needed to do was go home and get our belongings, which weren't that many.
Once again, we took our time getting back. On the last hill before her village, we stopped and looked down at it.
Mulan told me her relationship with her parents hadn't been the same since she'd returned home from war. By her perception, they still treated her like a stubborn child, not like the grown married woman she was.
After sharing a long kiss and hug, we started towards the Fa home. The horses took priority, so we cared for them first. We'd named the new horse Zang. She seemed to get on well with my horse and with her family's horses.
Finally, taking hands, we took a deep breath and went in the house. Her mother and grandmother gave her a hug, but barely said hi to me. I was used to it. We went to our room and started getting all our belongings packed. Well, actually, I packed them and made her lay down. She rolled her eyes, but smiled.
"And what are you two up to now?" Fa Zhou stood in the doorway of our room. He had heard me telling her to lay down while I packed up everything. I looked at Mulan, who was still awake, to let her know she needed to do the talking.
"We're moving closer to the Imperial City, since Shang is in charge of the palace guard there."
"When are you doing that?"
"We'll leave first thing in the morning."
He nodded at Mulan and glanced at me for a moment and then nodded my direction as well. I know my face was still bruised and he probably wondered why.
Dinner was quiet. I felt less tension than I had expected.
I sent her right to bed after supper, helped her mother with dishes and went to look after the horses. Fa Li looked surprised when I offered to help, and handed me a dish towel after giving me a grateful smile.
After a few minutes with the horses, I noticed I had company. Fa Zhou had come out to the barn.
I looked up at him and nodded to acknowledge his presence, but continued with what I was doing.
"I've noticed the selfless way you care for your wife now, General. I didn't see that before. I can tell you truly love her."
"Thank you. I do love her very much."
"May I ask what happened with the bruises on your face?"
"Let's just say I was taught a lesson that I won't soon forget about not being selfish. I learned on that trip to put my wife first before my own needs."
"Well I saw how you made her lay down while you packed up both your belongings, and then how you sent her to bed so you could help with dishes and take care of both of your horses. It looks like you learned it well."
"Thank you. I hope so."
"May I ask why Mulan needs to rest so much?"
I looked at him for a minute. I couldn't wake her up to ask if it was ok for me to tell her father about her miscarriage. I decided, since honesty was my new way of life, to tell him about it.
"She miscarried in bandit country and lost a lot of blood. A midwife just happened to be riding by as she passed out from blood loss, and looked after her. I was given strict orders to make sure she rested as much as possible for several days afterward. Believe me, it has not been easy to make sure she stays off her feet. She's stubborn."
"Yes, she is. She inherited that from me, I must admit. I had stubbornly accepted that conscription notice, knowing my body wasn't capable of fighting in a war."
"Mulan told me about all of that. She loves you very much, and put her own life at risk so you wouldn't have to go to war. The main Imperial army was all killed, so you would have been, too, if you had been with them."
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry to hear about your father."
"Thank you."
"General, if I ask you a question again, will you give me an honest answer this time?"
I knew what was coming. "Yes, sir."
"Did you insist my daughter have sex with you to stay alive?"
"Yes, sir, I did. She had to either have sex with me or she would be beheaded and you would have been drafted. I was a real creep. I apologize for lying to you the first time you asked me. That was what got me beaten up on our mission. The three soldiers we went with were close friends with Mulan when she was in the army. They found out what I did and beat me unconscious. I was finally forced to face myself and look at how selfish I had been."
"Good. Then I don't have to, as much as I would love to punch you for putting my daughter in that situation. Did my daughter also get pregnant and take abortion herbs to miscarry while at Wu Zhong?"
"Yes, she did. Her body has been through a lot the last couple of months. That's another reason the midwife was so insistent she rest for many days. Did you receive a visit from a medic you used to serve with, by chance?"
"Yes, Lieutenant Liu Kang, how did you know?"
"He had told Mulan about serving with you. Several days after her miscarriage, he was gone for about a day. We both wondered if he came here and told you and Fa Li what was going on."
"He did. So when she returned and you arrived the next day, we already knew what had happened, but were hoping you two would tell us the truth. Mulan lied to us as well."
"She was really ashamed of what she did, and she was sure she would be disowned if you knew. That's why she lied. Please don't be angry with her. If you're going to be angry with someone, let it be me. I'm the one that insisted she have sex with me to stay alive."
"You do love her. I am a little angry with her for lying, because that was her own decision, but I could never disown her."
"Maybe you should tell her that tomorrow morning. I think she is really ashamed of lying to you and Fa Li, too. She hates all the tension that has been between myself and all of you."
"I think you are right. I should tell her."
Then this man that I thought hated me gave me a hug.
"Welcome to the family, son. I think you have finally made yourself a man worthy of my daughter."
"Thank you, sir."
I finished with the horses and laid down by Mulan. She was sleeping soundly, and barely stirred when I put my arm around her and pulled her close to me and fell asleep.
In the morning, Mulan's family was insistent on having a meal with us before we left. While we were eating, Fa Zhou and I told her about the conversation we had last night in the barn.
She was surprised that I had told him the truth. When he told her they would never disown her, no matter what she did, she cried and her father hugged her close to him for a few minutes while she soaked his robe.
When I told her they knew about her miscarriage on the mission, she cried again, this time in her mother's arms.
"It feels so good to finally tell you the truth and not have so many lies between us anymore."
She hugged both her parents, and her grandma tightly before we left, and told them how much she loved them. Last night, when we arrived here, both of us couldn't wait to leave. Now we were stalling as much as we could, knowing we wouldn't see them for what could be weeks or months.
I finally had a family, now. Her parents and grandma considered me a son and grandson.
We made the journey back in good time. After introducing the horses to their new stable, we brought our belongings in the house. We were exhausted, so after a simple supper of rice and broth, we went to sleep for the first night in our own house.
I woke up before dawn the next morning. As I started to get out of bed, a small hand pushed me back onto the bed.
"Mulan, you know we can't do that yet. And you need to take it easy."
My stubborn wife.
"No, not that."
"What?"
She undid the drawstring on my pants and tugged on them, so I pulled them off, not sure what she was up too.
I didn't have to wonder long. Mulan took me into her mouth. It felt amazing. I let out a surprised gasp as she licked and sucked on my length until I knew I was nearly there.
"I'm almost done."
I closed my eyes and let out a groan as I climaxed and she kept her mouth on me, swallowing as much of it as she could.
"Thank you!"
I went to kiss her, but there was still some of my juices on her mouth, so I settled for a kiss on her cheek
Then I gently pushed her onto her back. Now it was her turn to remind me of the midwife's orders. But I had something else in mind. I pulled her night clothes out of the way and positioned my face between her legs.
"Just don't go inside at all, not even your fingers."
"Ok." I slowly moved my tongue over the little nub in circles and back and forth. She gasped and got a death grip on my hair. I listened to her breathing get more and more rapid and the little moans that escaped her lips getting higher pitched. Suddenly, she threw her head back with a loud moan and yanked on my hair hard. Her knees trembled. "Shang!"
That became our little routine nearly every morning.
The remaining five weeks of restriction went by fast. It was difficult, but doable.
When the day came that we could finally make love again, I rushed home as soon as my palace duties allowed . She was cooking supper, but I scooped her up and carried her to our room.
Both our clothes were off in no time, and covered the floor around our bed. I climbed on her and entered her immediately. With every thrust into her, I realized just how much I'd missed feeling myself inside of her. It didn't take long before we both were overcome by a climax. Afterward, I rolled to my side and pulled her tightly into my arms. She was kissing my neck and chest when we smelled supper burning. Oops! After cleaning up the charred mess and eating what we could salvage, I carried her back into our room again.
This time we could make it last longer. I laid her down on the bed again and kissed her neck and lips and face. I slowly pulled off her clothing and my own and gazed at her for a moment. She was so beautiful. For a moment, I remembered the very first time we'd had sex and I had stared at her for a few seconds before climbing on her. She'd been beautiful to me then, too, but now there was also a love I felt for her as well.
I continued kissing her neck and her breasts for several minutes. Then I worked my way up to her lips again.
After several long kisses, I whispered to her to open her eyes. The most beautiful brown eyes I'd ever seen were soon staring straight into mine and I could see the love in them.
Still looking into her eyes, I climbed over her and pushed inside her. Then I sat up, pulling her up with me so she was on my lap facing me.
That was the most incredible love we'd ever made.
I hadn't forgotten the lessons taught me on the way to Qi Gong by Yao, Ling and Chien Po. These were lessons that were, quite literally, pounded into my head by Mulan's surrogate older brothers.
It helped that they dropped by periodically to make sure I was behaving myself and that Mulan was doing ok.
I had learned how much I had taken Mulan for granted, and how much I needed to cherish her. I could easily have lost her twice in one day when she was ambushed by the bandits and then bled heavily while miscarrying. I was thankful there was still time to make it right.
One day, I decided to surprise her with a horseback ride to see her prostitute friend. She didn't talk much about it, but I suspected she missed her and craved the touch of a woman. I knew I was right as I watched the two of them kiss, lick, stroke and suck on each other. They were so hot and passionate together. We spent the whole night there, together. I only put myself inside Mulan, and never her friend. I belonged only to Mulan now. Right before we left, the two of them both put their mouths on me until I came hard. That wasn't something I was expecting, but Mulan said she wanted to do something special for me, since it had been my idea to come here. Just before we opened the door to leave, the two women shared a passionate kiss against the wall. It was clear they didn't want to part, but we did need to go. On the way home, Mulan told me that really meant a lot to her that I did that for her.
