Chapter 2: Appearances
Shang and Mulan were led into the council chamber where Jiang Shen-Li, the Emperor's number one councilman, was waiting.
"General Li, Captain Li," he greeted them.
Mulan was startled for a moment. She had forgotten that now she was 'Captain Li'.
"Jiang Shen-Li," she greeted him. "I am glad you are up and around."
"Thank you. If you would both follow me, please."
He led them out of the council chamber, down the hall and upstairs to the next story. He led them into a room at the end of the hall and sent the servants away, shutting the door behind them. Then he moved toward the wall and a moment later it opened. Another hidden room.
Shen-Li motioned for them to follow him into the hidden room. He closed the wall behind them and gestured for them to sit down.
"We have set forth the appearance that the Emperor died of old age," Shen-Li began. "But that is not the case. His tea was poisoned."
"I assume the tea was brought by a servant?" Shang asked.
"Yes. But we don't know who he was or who he was working for and we never will. He committed suicide, poisoning himself," Shen-Li answered.
"Do you have any idea who could have possibly engineered this?" Shang asked.
"I fear the worst. Prince Ying is the first son," Shen-Li began. "He will be installed as the new Emperor a few days after the former Emperor's funeral. There is a second son, Ting. I suspect that one or both of his sons engineered this, and if so, they obviously have allies, such as that servant. Ying is an obvious suspect, as he will now succeed to the throne. Ting, though less obvious, is still a suspect. He is now only one step away. If it is Ting working alone then that means Ying's life is in danger."
"Who else is a possible suspect?" Mulan asked. "It may not be either of his sons."
"It could be anyone. It could be one or more members of the Emperor's council. Perhaps some of them were in league with Chi Fu and have still been working to get rid of the Emperor. Or perhaps they have other motives."
"You mentioned that perhaps some of the council members were in league with Chi Fu. Do you think this is in any way related to what happened a few months ago with the group from the Henan Province?"
"Of course, anything is possible. For now we must wait. I will continue to observe the behavior of both Ying and Ting. General Li, your troops will keep order during the Emperor's funeral and Ying's installation as the new Emperor. I am concerned that a riot may be incited so that someone can take advantage of the confusion to harm Ying. Captain Li, until Ying appoints his own staff, you were made a special advisor and I will need your help in watching for treachery here. I will dispatch a servant to bring you to me in the morning. And now it is late and you are both probably tired. I will have a servant show you to your room."
Shen-Li brought them back to the outer room and rang for the servant, directing him to show them to the room where they would be spending the night.
Shang and Mulan both lay awake for a long time after their discussion with Shen-Li. Too anxious to sleep, they cuddled together and talked.
"Whoever did this, they will have several allies in the palace, people who have been bribed with money or with the promise of a title," Mulan said quietly. "Weeding them all out will be difficult, to say the least."
Shang sighed. "And even if we manage to head off this crisis, this is a never-ending cycle. There will always be people in the palace trying to kill the Emperor, trying to gain power. This will always be happening."
"I know."
"I'm glad you're here, Mulan. I'm just a military man. I've been trained to be a warrior. I know nothing about how to maneuver my way through court intrigues and politics."
"And you think I know?"
"You have more of a knack for it. I know you haven't been trained for this sort of thing, but you are very shrewd, Mulan. That is why the Emperor pressed you into service as a spy during the last crisis and why he made you his special advisor. You are able to second-guess people who operate like Chi Fu did and make things up as you go. I am much more rigid."
Mulan was silent for a moment. "From what Yao told me, that ambush you set up for the rebels during the last crisis was a last minute strategy and was flawlessly executed."
"Yao said that?"
"Yes. And remember, I also had a lot of help, Shang; from your little brother and from Mushu. In fact, it was because of Chen that I found out most of the things that I did. Chen is the one who will be very good at this when he is grown up, given that he can know things before they happen and can read people's thoughts and feelings. I'm surprised Shen-Li didn't ask for him also."
"Chen?" Shang sounded alarmed. "You think he would have asked for Chen?"
"The Emperor had Chen figured out right away. He really was a clever and wise old man. He realized immediately how special he is and he mentioned it to Shen-Li. I thought Shen-Li might have wanted his assistance, knowing that."
"Well, thankfully he didn't, and Chen is safe at home this time."
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Su-Tan had found the secret chamber behind her bedroom a few weeks before. Ever since she had found it she had been hiding in there.
She was very uneasy in the palace now. Something very strange was going on and it made her nervous.
She lay down in the hidden room, holding Shio, her toy dragon talisman, and pulling the blanket she had brought in around herself.
She missed Li Chen.
Chen was the first and only friend that she had ever had. He was the first person that cared about her safety. Even her parents hadn't cared; that is, the people she'd grown up believing were her parents.
It turned out that her real parents had died when she was very young. She had no recollection of them. The two people that she had grown up with were friends of her parents.
Chen had genuinely been concerned for her and had gone out of his way to make sure that she didn't get hurt when they had their adventure a few months before. She had hoped that Chen would come to visit her, but he hadn't. Maybe he couldn't because she lived in the palace.
She had always thought it would be great to live there. But if it meant that she couldn't have friends, maybe she would be better off somewhere else.
There weren't very many children other than her around, and the ones that lived in the palace seemed so dignified and serious, not playful and open like Chen.
There was the sound of footsteps coming from behind the wall of the hidden chamber she was in, on the opposite side from the panel to the outer room. Someone was passing. She remembered that on the last day she had seen him Chen had told her that there were secret passages inside the palace walls. Was someone walking there now? Would they be able to enter the room that she was in?
She clutched Shio tightly against her body and held her breath until the sound of the footsteps got further away.
Then she began to cry.
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"You have to keep looking at me, Mi-Ying," Chen said as Mi-Ying turned her gaze away from him.
"I can't help it. My eyes are tearing. I don't understand why we are having a staring contest, Chen."
"Because it is part of the Kung-Fu training. My brother taught me this before he ever taught me any moves. He says that you have to look your adversary in the eye. He made me practice this."
Mi-Ying wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "He made you practice staring into his eyes?"
"Yes. And he stared into my eyes, too. That's part of being a soldier, too, I guess."
"Well, you win the staring contest today," she laughed.
They were silent for a moment, then Chen spoke.
"It is already three days that she is gone."
Mi-Ying looked at him, startled. "Who?"
"Mulan."
"I was just wondering when Mulan was going to be back. You do that a lot, Chen. You talk about something that I am already thinking. Are you a mind-reader?"
Chen just shrugged. Then he frowned as he thought about Mulan. He knew that she would be fine. She could take care of herself, and she had her guardian Mushu to help her. He also didn't have any sense of anything bad happening to her. Or to his brother.
But he knew that the palace had bad vibes about it. There was always something wrong there. He'd felt it when he was there. And he almost always picked it up from Shang's thoughts whenever he came home at the end of the day. He had even picked it up from Father's thoughts when he had been alive and working there. It upset him that Mulan and Shang had to be in a place like that. And his friend Su-Tan lived there now, and that upset him very much.
"What's wrong, Chen?"
"Nothing," he muttered. "I have to do my schoolwork soon."
"Oh, okay."
"If you want, we can practice some of the moves you have learned already."
"Okay. You don't mind, Chen?"
"No. I don't mind."
They began to practice but they were interrupted by the sound of the arrival of a herald from the Imperial City.
Chen and Mi-Ying walked toward the gate. Li Kong was already there and he turned and gave his grandson a stern look.
"Stay inside, Li Chen. You too, Mi-Ying."
He stepped outside the gate. Chen ran to the nearby tree and climbed up. Mi-Ying followed him. They sat in the branches and peered out over the gate, listening.
The herald announced the death of the Emperor and the upcoming installation of the new Emperor, his eldest son Prince Ying.
Chen had pain in his head as he listened to the announcement. Something felt all wrong as the herald spoke.
"What's wrong, Chen?" Mi-Ying whispered.
"My head hurts."
Chen and Mi-Ying watched the herald disappear from view after he had finished his announcement.
"Li Chen. Get down from there," Grandfather reprimanded. "You too, Mi-Ying."
Chen obeyed, climbing down and helping Mi-Ying down.
"I better go," said Mi-Ying. "See you tomorrow, Chen."
"Okay. Bye."
Grandfather watched Mi-Ying leave, then he turned to Chen and shook his head at him. He took Chen by the arm and led him into the house.
"When I tell you to stay inside, Li Chen, it means stay inside. Not climb up the tree and listen to something that is meant for the adults."
"Sorry," Chen muttered.
Grandfather patted Chen on the head. "Well, as you heard, we will have a new Emperor now. That is probably why Shang and Mulan have to be in the Imperial City at this time."
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Mulan found it interesting that Ying did not wish to appoint any new council members of his own. He requested that Jiang Shen-Li continue to be the number one councilman.
Shen-Li bowed and expressed his gratitude at Ying's confidence in him.
"I know how loyal you were to my father and how you looked out for him. And I wish you to remain as special advisor, Captain Li Mulan. I know that my father thought very highly of you as well and respected your opinion and judgment. I have no doubt that I will find your talents and service as valuable as he did."
"Thank you, your Majesty," Mulan said, bowing.
Ying was young, probably only a few years older than Shang, and he seemed to be somewhat overwhelmed with his new title and responsibilities. But he had an air of dignity and maturity about him and he seemed to be a wise and honorable young man. The more she heard him speak, the more she was convinced that he could not have possibly had anything to do with his father's death. Unless he was even more clever than she thought and was putting on an artful, successful act. But she felt that she was fairly good at reading people; and she sensed no deception or pretense from Ying.
"I will make other decisions and begin my duties after my father's funeral tomorrow. I wish to have a little bit of time to mourn him."
Mulan met Prince Ting shortly after. He was two years younger than his brother and much less serious. He had an obvious weakness for women and was eyeing her in a way that she immediately did not like. Fortunately, Ying noticed his brother leering at her and reprimanded him.
"Captain Li Mulan is a special advisor to me and a captain of the Imperial Army, Ting. She is also the wife of General Li. She is not a concubine, nor is she to be treated like one."
Ting bowed politely. "Excuse me."
Shen-Li caught her eye and indicated with a subtle gesture of his head that they should talk after they were dismissed by Ying.
Mulan nodded slightly, just enough for him to see.
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"Well, I already don't like Ting," Mulan commented when she and Shen-Li were alone in one of the hidden chambers within the walls.
"He is…not as virtuous and well-behaved as his older brother," Shen-Li answered. "But I wanted to talk to you about Ying. He does not seem to have any intention of appointing his own councilmen, at least not yet."
"Yes, I noticed the same thing. He also seems to be a little bit overwhelmed that he is the new Emperor. I'm sure he knew that it would happen someday, but I get the feeling that he didn't expect it to happen so soon. Nor did he want it to happen so soon, which seems to indicate to me that he is innocent of any intrigue."
"I agree. I thought the same thing."
"Of course, he could be putting on a really good act."
"He could be. I will be continuing to watch him, to make sure he is safe anyway. I will notice if something does not seem right. But I don't think he is putting on an act."
"I don't either."
"But we must consider all possibilities."
She nodded.
"What about Ting?" she asked.
"I am not sure about him. But I would imagine that he is more capable of treachery and deception than his older brother. We will need to watch him."
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Chen and Mi-Ying sat on the grass after they finished practicing.
"Mulan is a better teacher than me. I don't know that much yet."
"You're very good, though."
"Thanks."
Chen suddenly squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his hands to his head.
"What's wrong, Chen?"
Chen couldn't speak for a minute.
"Chen, what is it?" Mi-Ying's voice was full of alarm.
He took deep breaths and calmed himself the way Shang had been showing him for the past few months.
Mi-Ying was staring at him, fright in her eyes.
He smiled weakly at her.
"Chen, are you okay?" she asked, almost in tears.
He nodded. "I had a picture…in my head. I think my friend may be in trouble."
"What friend?"
"My friend Su-Tan."
"Do you know what kind of trouble she's in?"
He shook his head. "She was in a forest. I think she may have left the palace."
"She lives in the palace?"
"Yes. But I think she left."
"Can I help you, Chen?"
"Maybe. But I don't know where she is."
"But you think she left the palace?"
"Yes."
"Would she be coming to visit you maybe?"
"I don't know. Maybe. But something is going to happen to her in the forest."
"What do we do?"
"My grandfather will kill me if I leave to go find her."
"Don't you have a horse, Chen?"
"Yes."
"If we go on horseback, it shouldn't take too long. We can go toward the Imperial City. Hopefully she is coming this way and we will run into her."
"I don't know if you should come, Mi-Ying. The Imperial City…is not a good place. There are a lot of bad things happening there. It might be dangerous for you."
"It might be dangerous for you too, Chen. And you're younger than me. I want to come and help."
Chen sighed. "Okay, okay. We should leave tonight. Maybe we can be back in the morning before my grandfather knows we're gone."
"I'll meet you at your gate after dark?" she asked.
He nodded. "Do you have a horse?"
"No, and I don't know how to ride. Can I ride with you?"
"If my horse can hold us both. He's a pony and not very big."
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"Tai-Ling, awaken," said the First Li Ancestor.
The gong-ringer came to life and stood at attention before the First Ancestor.
"There is a problem with Li Chen. Wake up the ancestors, Tai-Ling."
The tiny dragon rang the gong, awakening the Li family ancestors. When they had awakened he went off and sat in the corner, listening to the discussion and waiting until he could go back to sleep.
"That boy is very gifted," the second Li Ancestor was saying. "He has a lot of problems because of it."
"I don't know why Li Chen can't just behave himself the way his big brother always did. There were never such problems with Li Shang," said the third.
"Yes, Li Chen is a trouble maker. And he has a terrible habit of running away. Didn't he have enough of it a few months ago?"
"Last time we didn't have to send a guardian. Fa Mulan let her guardian watch over him. Pretty generous of her, I must say."
"Perhaps we should send Xian," one of the ancestors suggested.
"Yes, he is the wisest," another agreed.
The other ancestors murmured agreement, but the First Li Ancestor cut them off.
"No. We will send Ming."
"Ming?" the Second Li Ancestor repeated.
"Ming?" the others gasped.
"Yes," the First Li Ancestor said, firmly. "He is the right guardian for Li Chen. Tai-Ling, awaken Ming at once."
Tai-Ling did as he was told and a minute later Ming appeared before the First Li Ancestor, who instructed him of his task then dismissed him.
"Go quickly, Ming," he ordered. "Anything could happen to that boy, running off in the middle of the night like that."
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A/N: I know I have a lot going on in this story already and I hope it isn't too convoluted. Right now I am still trying to set up all of the characters and the circumstances. Please R&R!