MY MAGNOLIA
CHATPER FOUR
Servents were there to whisk her away the moment
she arrived in Ch'ang-an. Mulan scarcely had time to breath before they
snatched her off to dress her and decorate her for an audience with His
Majesty. Yet the finery they decked her in this time made the clothes she
had worn to the Matchmaker seem dull by comparison. They draped her in
different shades of blue, her pale gown trimmed with ornate floral embroidery,
her hair set with sparkling combs. Mulan sighed, there was really no need
for this.
After they had finished making a doll of her, she
was whisked away down several tapestried halls into the massive red and
gold throne room, awaited by the Emperor. Li Shang was there, standing
by the throne like a statue, and worse, Chi Fu was beside him. Mulan groaned,
that was one face she had prayed to never see again.
The Emperor smiled at her, resplendant in his yellow
robes and gold embroidery that winked under the sunlight from the nearby
window. "Fa Mulan," He spoke the name like a title. "I trust you had a
safe journey."
It was a struggle not to blush, and to avert her
eyes from Li Shang. "Safe and pleasant." She tried to sound dignified and
carrying, the way Li Shang had at the victory parade.
"Ah," he gave a sage nod. "Well then, I trust it
has been explained to you why a marriage is a necessity?" He took her silence
for a yes. "An ordinary noblewoman would not be enough, you are a woman
of splendid repute. The possession of such is enough to sway a man. He
has agreed to the bargain."
Bargain, the casual word burned like a curse. "I
am glad to be of profit to you and my people." The Emperor may not have
caught her sacrasm, but Shang did and set his mouth grimly. Her behavior
today seemed to satisfy him up that point. Of course, he wanted her to
honored and accepting so he had nothing to feel guilty about.
"Be ready to leave in the evening, that way you
will reach the Palace of Liu during the night. The sooner the better, the
easier my people will sleep."
***
Throngs of people gathered in the streets of Ch'ang-an
to see the brave warrior women off to meet her husband. Shang sighed impatiently
and pushed his way through the onlookers, not even bothering to be polite
about it. His mood was irritable and impatient to say the least. Red streamers
decked the city, Mulan was being sent off like a princess, she had been
so busy with preparations that he had had no chance to speak to her again,
no chance to say goodbye.
A clamor of shouts and excited pointing took up
amongst the crowd, everyone turned towards the sound of gongs and marching
feet. A great gilded palanquin was borne on the shoulders of eight stalwart
guards, the red silken drapes left often to reveal the girl inside. He
hardly recognized her, in the red silk robes and heavy make-up, her face
half hidden by the tinkling beads of her bridal crown. His ears fell deaf
to their cheers and blessings, his eyes remained fixed on her as she drew
nearer and nearer. A swell of pain bore into his heart, filling him with
violence. He could fight soldiers, but he could not fight the Emperor's
command. It tore at him, this having to let her go, it tore at him until
he felt his heart had been eaten away where he stood.
He wanted to call to her, to say he would not forget
her, but no words came. Her eyes sought him out when she was close enough,
solemn and touched with sorrow, yet her face was proud, composed. He held
her gaze as long as he could, until she was too far away. He waited until
she was out of his sight before slowly slipping out of the crowd and making
his way back to the Palace in silence.
***
"Exactly what sorrow are you trying to drown?" Colonel
Shen Tianxi asked his friend, sipping his own cup which was only filled
with wine. "And how many shots is it going to take?"
Slamming down his cup, Shang looked over at Tianxi
in irritation, since when was he one for temperence? "It's only my fourth,"
he grumbled crossly, "and my head is still clear." Everytime he closed
his eyes he saw her being carried off, it would take more than four shots
of liquor to was that away.
"Well what's the occassion? Don't tell me your celebrating
Fa Mulan's good luck like the rest of the city."
The tavern keeper brought him another cup which
he downed quickly, starting to feel a slight dizziness. "Good luck? Do
you think she's happy about it?"
"She's a woman," Tianxi seemed annoyed. "She's getting
married, that always makes them happy. I have two sisters and that's all
they ever cared about. Unless of course, there's someone else she'd rather
share her bridal chamber with." He kicked Shang under the table and grinned
meaningfully.
"Can't a man be concerned for a woman without people
thinking filthy thoughts?" That only made Tianxi laugh.
"You've lost your love today," the other man teased.
"Your magnolia will bloom in another garden." Shang flashed
his eyes at him, his head more muddled than he thought. One glare was enough,
Tianxi recoiled and looked apologetic. "Alright, I'm sorry. I didn't know
you loved her, you never said. Why did you let her go then? Why not tell
the Emperor? I'm sure he could have chosen someone else."
Before Shang could answer, a strong hand seized
him around the throat. "Come outside, pretty boy." a familar gravely voice
demanded in his ear. Tianxi jumped up, but Shang shook his head at his
friend, letting Yao drag him out of the tavern.
Once outside, the former soldier continued to lead
him down the street around building to where another man was waiting up
ahead. Shang blinked, dazed from the liquor and off balance, but he was
sure the skinny man could only be Ling. It was, and he stood against the
back corner of the tavern with his arms folded, looking almost intimidating
and certainly furious.
"I saw Mulan leaving today to marry the King of
Liu," Ling's voice held an icy threat behind it. "We saw that she wasn't
happy either." He should have known, Yao and Ling lived near the Imperial
City, of course they would hear the news. Once they found out Mulan was
a woman they had treated her like an elder sisiter, obeying her wishes
while looking over her shoulder at the same time. Brothers posed a problem
for any suitor.
"Look," Shang managed in his stupor, the drink had
gone to his head by now so much he could no longer think straight. "She
never asked me for help out of the situation, and I don't have the power
to help her anyway. There was nothing to be done."
Yao punched him square in the face, making him groan.
"You bastard! She wanted to marry you, how could you let her be sold off
like chattel?"
Shang blinked, fighting back a flash of pain, her
eyes again, finding him in the crowd. "Well there's nothing I can do!"
he growled back, "she's already gone."
This time Ling kicked him, he slumped out of Yao's
grasp unto the ground, not realized he had relied on the other man for
support. "You lying son of a bitch!" Ling roared. "After all she's done
for you, saved your sorry life and forgiven you, you just let her be sold
off." Yao jumped in and they began to thrash him, Shang was too drunk too
fight back, he squeezed his eyes shut and endured the beating, partly because
he deserved it. "You aren't even a man if you can't repay a debt!" Yao
raised his fist to land another blow.
Tianxi caught his arm.
"What the hell? You want the guards to come and
execute you both? Don't you know it's a crime to assult an Imperial official?"
He had his sword out. "I'll kill both you dogs, no one cares if two noblemen
kill a pair of filthy commoners."
"What? What?" Yao advanced, his face burning red
with rage. "Bring it on then, coward, don't hide behind the law. We're
here to collect a debt for our sister Fa Mulan. Stay out of it." Ling took
a ready stance behind him.
In the meantime Shang managed to scramble to his
feet. "It's true," he admitted quietly, but Tianxi did not look ready to
relent.
"Wait!" Ling flung out a hand, dropping his voice.
"Everyone shut up. Look, it's Chi Fu!"
The four of them turned around to see a litter stopped
ahead, sure enough Chi Fu stepped out with two bodyguards and approached
a cloacked figure on the street. Chi Fu too his cloaked, the cowl shading
his face, but telltatle gestures gave him away at once. His shroaded companion
appeared to be a woman from the small stature and swaying walk.
"He has a mistress, what of it?" Tianxi scowled.
"I admit that's amazing in itself, but he's probably paying her a great
deal of gold."
Still unsteady, Shang shook his head. "No, look,
he's going off without her. Quick, follow him."
Sneaking around tavern again, the four men stayed
in the shadows, keeping a safe distance behind Chi Fu as he made his way
down the darkened street. He stopped at the corner of the next building,
where a taller figure drew him aside, also cloaked. Chi fu handed something
to the stranger, a bag of gold perhaps, and the stranger began to talk
softly. Lowering himself to the ground, Shang crawled closer, with Tianxi
behind him, the pair ducking behind an oak tree. Shang wished it was the
liquor that made what he heard only his imagination.
"... no one in the Palace suspects," Chi Fu was
saying. "and the girl is on her way. You have your master kill the little
wench and have the barbarians blamed. China will be outraged at the loss
of the great warrior bride, and we'll have the war he wants. Provided I
get my reward."
"You'll get it," his companion promised him. Then
they parted, and Chi Fu walked back to his carriage.
Shang felt his heart stop in shock. Chi fu was a
traitor and was plotting the death of Mulan? His hatred for Chi fu was
a hardly concealed thing, but he had never suspected the man would have
treason in his heart. And Mulan? Unaware and unprepared, riding to her
death, no, not Mulan.
"Tianxi," he whispered. "You are more sober than
I. Did I hear that right?"
The other man nodded grimly. "Seems like your magnolia
is in to be crushed." Gods above, he never thought there would come a time
when that girl needed rescuing.
Ling and Yao were already there, hearing the news
from Tianxi, both as shocked as he was. "I have to stop her carriage."
Shang mumbled nervously. A fast horse, a plan..
Tianxi laid a hand on his shoulder. "What we need
is evidence that Chi fu and Li Shitan are conspiring. We'll go to Liu Shitan's
Palace at once, but we have to be clever."
Clever, yes, what would Mulan do?
Shang's eyes brightened. "I have an idea."