Chapter 6:
False Confession
Tang and her brother Shang arrived home that night. Shang got off his white
stallion and put him back in the stables. Tang was already in the house
heading for her room when she heard the sudden slam of the door behind her.
She jumped in fright and looked towards the door to see her furious brother
in front of the closed door. "Why the hell did you have to interrupt Mulan
and me, didn't you see that we were busy?" Yelled Shang. He walked over to
her.
"Oh please Shang, I just wanted to go home that's all."
Shang raised his arms in the air "Oh sure, I kind of wanted to spend time
with her alone but no....you had to come along to watch the fireworks with
us." Argued Shang, with his lowered brows and fierce eyes staring her down.
"Fine, you want to know why...you want to know why I came along?" She asked
snapping right back at her bother.
"Yeah.....Yeah I kind of would."
"Because...She's not the one for you, Shang!" She screamed it in his face.
Letting the truth escape from her, that had been inside of her all night.
"What?" He asked confused. `Why does she suddenly care if I have feelings
for her or not? And Why does she think she's the one who can tell me who I
can like and who not to.' he thought. He pointed his finger in warning,
"Don't tell me that she's not the one for me, Tang." He warned her. Then
passed her by heading to the kitchen.
"Shang, I'm only trying to protect you that's all." She said calmly. "I mean
I thought she would be perfect for you but then she said that she didn't
pass that test and......."
Shang stopped and turned around to face her again, "Woo...woo...this is all
about that stupid test? You said that she would pass it next time and that
it was basically silly thing any way?" He chuckled to himself. Why was his
sister doing this to him? Doesn't she know that he has enough to deal with?
Tang looked down at her feet, feeling guilty, "I only said that because I
didn't know what to say and plus I didn't want to hurt her feelings,"
explained Tang. Shang sighed heavily.
"Tang, you don't know her and......"
"Yeah, yeah.....Let me guess she's a heroin and that makes her special?"
Tang said harshly, as if almost saying that Mulan only got that title but
didn't earn it. Shang almost wanted to yell and scream at his sister and
tell her that she was wrong about Mulan. But he exhaled and slowly and
quietly tried to explain to her that she was wrong and that there was more
to Mulan that she knew.
"Tang, please sit down." He gestured to the couch where they both sat down.
"Mulan didn't get that title because she wanted it, She didn't want it all
she wanted to do was to take her father's place and she did. But Mulan
learned that sometimes you have to take risks for anyone. She's special, She
has a spirit, she.....She saved my life she saved millions." He paused and
looked at Tang but she still had her arms across her chest and still had the
same look upon her face that made her look as if she had heard this before
or something.
He sighed once more; "I don't know what to tell you, but all I know is that
she wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone. I love her Tang and nothing you say
or anyone says is going to change that." Hearing no response from Tang he
decided that none of what he said got to her or made her change her mind so
he got up and head for his room where he would get ready for bed.
Tang sat there letting his words sink through her. `Maybe he is right, maybe
there is more to her? Should I give her another chance?' Tang felt bad about
the whole thing. She frowned.
As Shang was ready for bed he was about to get under the covers when his
door opened slightly to reveal his sister. He sighed in annoyance and
quickly got under the covers giving her the cold shoulder. "Shang can we
talk?" She walked over to the other side where he faced. Once she stood in
front of him he immediately rolled his eyes and turned to the other side.
"Shang, can we please talk?" She ran to the other side. He then turned
around again. She stood there figuring that he was going to continue to do
so until she left. She got irritated and flew the covers off him, making him
really irritated and mad.
He stood up in front of her, "What do you want?" He asked crossing his arms
across his chest. He had enough of her for one night; all he wanted was for
her to leave him alone for at least the rest of the night.
"Shang, I want to talk to you ok. Can we talk, please?" Tang asked, making
sure that she looked cute and sweet, irresistible for him to refuse. She was
always good at that, which's how she usually got her way all the time.
"Uh.....Fine, but I swear if this has anything to do with Mulan then,
I'll......"
"That's why I want to talk to you." Tang interrupted. Shang glared at her
then turned and laid back on his bed with out a word said. He took the
covers and placed them back over him. Tang sighed heavily, with annoyance.
"Fine, be that way, but I was going to tell you that I was sorry." She
waited for him to say or do something. He then sat up and faced her.
"You're sorry? Why?"
"Well because of...what you said and I started thinking that maybe you were
right about her. And Well your older and if you want to be with her it's
fine with me." She announced. Shang gave it thought than smiled at his
sister.
"Thank you"
Tang nodded; "I'll let you get some sleep for tomorrow."
"What? What's tomorrow?" Now he was in for it, she was hiding something and
now she had to tell him.
"Oh...just my future husband is coming over to meet both of us."
"What?" He got up and grabbed hold of her shoulders and shook her a bit.
What was he going to do now? "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He asked,
wondering why she laid it off till now. "We have to get this place cleaned
up!" He then began to pace back and forth in his room.
"Shang, woo.... easy, it's ok, I'll take care of everything, I can wake up
early to clean." She said trying to calm her brother down from having a
complete nervous break down.
"Fine, but why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"I thought you knew?" Shang sighed and sat back down on his bed not even
going to bother with her any more. Sometimes he wished his sister would tell
him these things sooner. "Well I'm going to bed, good night."
"Good night." The door closed and Shang blew out the candle and cuddled
under the covers for warmth and closed his eyes for a new day to come.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mulan was in the cold and damp cell; she woke up, trembling and
uncomfortable. She thought it was all a nightmare all that had happened to
her that night but when she felt the coldness, the uncomforted feeling, she
knew that she wasn't dreaming. She tried to move her arms but they were tied
up, she was hanging from the ceiling in chains but her feet were still
touching the ground.
Then a sudden slam of a heavy wooden door filled the room with a load echo.
She then could hear footsteps coming her way, she figured it was a guard or
soldier. The guard approached her cell and looked inside. He smiled at her;
she had a sense from his smile that this wasn't going to be good. Then a
wipe in the guy's hands caught her eyes, she feared that she was going to be
beaten to death. And that the prince probably ordered him to whip her until
she confessed or something.
"Well how is she today?" Asked Chi Fu who came from behind him? He glared at
Mulan with evil in his eyes. Mulan got chills up her spin.
The guard grinned and chuckled, "She's fresh today sir."
"Good, remember prince's orders he wants her to pay for what she has done."
Said Chi Fu who was now opening the door to her cell. The guard came in and
started snapping the whip on the floor to scare her. Mulan stared at them
with fear. The guard went behind Mulan. She was shacking with fear. Then she
felt the striking feeling of the whip snapped on her back, she cried in
pain.
"This will continue if you don't confess to your doing's child." Announced
Chi Fu. Then another snap of the whip hit her back, she cried even loader.
Tears began to form in her eyes of pain. She knew the truth; she didn't want
to confess to something that she didn't do, even if she did feel guilty for
not doing something more to save the Emperor.
The crack of the whip hit her again, making an echo in the whole cell room.
She cried of pain. She could feel her back cringing with the redness of what
the whip had done to her back already. It was like big vibrant waves that
ventured throughout her body of pain. She breathed in and out of pain. "No,
all right....." said Chi fu giving the signal to whip her again. Now knowing
that this would continue until she confessed, she knew that she would have
to confess before she had no feeling and would have no strength left, she
confessed.
"All right, I did it.....You happy I killed him." She confessed, but knew
that it wasn't the truth. Tears rolled down her face. Chi Fu smiled, and
nodded to the solder for him to leave her to suffer. She could feel it in
her heart that it wasn't the truth and it burned through her like fire.
Both Chi Fu and the guard headed out of her cell and headed back upstairs
with smiles on their faces. Mulan stood there crying of pain. She wanted to
go home so badly to be with her family again. She wanted to be away from the
palace, she wanted everything to be normal again, but knew that it wasn't
going to happen, she was a ceramal now and no one would believe her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The day finally came and the Li's and Wang's family were together talking,
and meeting each other to get to know one and other for the new family that
would become of them. Everyone was seated at the table eating their meals.
Tang sat next to Shang and her husband to be, Wang. Shang sat at the end of
the table facing everyone.
"So, Tang was just telling me that you are now General?" Brought up Wang to
make conversation.
"Yes, that's right." He said, picking up some noodles with his chopsticks
and placing them in his mouth.
"He's following our father's footprints." Added Tang who glared at her
brother with pride. He reminded her so much of their father. Shang smiled at
his sister and continued to eat. The whole time he watched Wang and his
sister flirt and talk together. Wang was a pretty good looking fellow, but
was he loyal? Shang had to test him some how. He did want the best for his
sister.
"Did you by any chance know Fa Mulan?" Wang asked. After hearing that a
women warrior saved China, he wondered if maybe Shang had seen her or
something?
"Well...Um....I was her commanding officer, why?" He asked wondering why he
was so interested in his life.
"What does she look like?" That did it, why did he want to know about Mulan.
He was suppose to ask questions about Tang, not Mulan or him or something.
"Well um...she...is...." Shang stumbled for the right words.
Tang seeing her brother stumble for the words decided to fill them in for
him, "What he's trying to say is that she is a beautiful, spirited girl that
follows her heart and not what other people say, She's special." She glanced
at Shang and smiled, Shang was eyeing her with his eyebrows up in confusion,
he couldn't believe what his sister had just told him. Just last night, she
hated her and today she was complementing her. He smiled back at his sister.
"He likes her."
Shang's eyes got big, she did it, she just had to say that didn't she. He
began to get red in the cheeks. He put his hand over his face to try to hide
himself from the embarrassment. "Really, so I guess your going to have a
heroin in your family sooner or later wont you." Wang said winking his eye
at Tang and Shang. Shang shook his head. This whole thing was suppose to be
about Tang and Wang and there plans for getting married, but no Tang had to
open her big mouth and start talking about Shang's love life.
"Well see my brother is a little shy and......" She then had Shang's hand
clamped down on her mouth. He glared at her as if saying not to go any
further.
"Lets talk about something else, So um.... What are you guys thinking for
your honeymoon?" Shang asked, now letting go of his sister's mouth so she
could now talk about her plans with Wang on their wedding day. Both Tang and
Wang explained what they figured that they were going to do.
As the day came to the end, Tang was in with Wang's parents talking to them
and deciding colors and decorations for their wedding. Shang on the other
hand was with Wang in their garden talking to him about what his father was
suppose to tell him. "Your not going to cheat on her or anything are you?
Because if you ever do you will......."
"Woo...Shang, I would never think of it, she's perfect for me, she's
everything that I ever wanted." Explained Wang.
Shang smiled, "I'm sorry, It's just there's so much going on and I have to
watch out for her, and my country." Shang sighed and looked out in the
distance.
"I know.....But you have to trust me, I'll take good care of her, I
promise."
"She's a hand full, I warn you." Joked Shang. Both Him and Wang began to
laugh.
"I'm willing to take that risk sir."
"Please, no sir, you're going to be my brother in law, it's Shang." Wang
smiled.
After having the whole talk with him Shang had a good feeling about him; he
had a feeling that his sister would be in good hands now. Just then he heard
the sound of hoof prints outside coming from the front. So he decided to go
see who was here. "Excuse me I think someone is here, I'll be right back."
Excused Shang. He bowed and walked over the front of his house where a
solder was, looking as if something terrible has happened. "Excuse me Sir,
Are you looking for someone?" Asked Shang.
"General Li, I have urgent news, it's about Mulan, She's.... She's...."
Hearing her name brought alarm, this couldn't be good, "What? What's wrong
with Mulan!" He demanded.
"She has been accused of murdering the emperor
