Chapter 7: The Servant

Mulan waited with Chen in the room, hoping that Shang would return and that she would be able to explain what had happened. But after only a short while, they heard a knock from inside the wall, beside the bed.

"Hello?" Mulan called out, shielding Chen. Ming hopped onto Chen's shoulder.

The wall opened and out stepped a servant. Mulan looked closely at his face.

"It's him!" Chen exclaimed excitedly.

Mulan covered his mouth. "Your Majesty?" she whispered.

He looked different. He was dressed in servant's clothes as Chen had said and he had cut his beard off. But she recognized him.

"Captain Li Mulan," he greeted her softly.

She knelt before him, continuing to speak quietly. "Your Majesty. I am happy to see you. But very confused."

Chen knelt beside her.

"Hello, young man."

"Hello."

"Come with me, Captain Li. We have much to discuss."

"Chen, stay here. Ming, see that he stays here until Shang gets back, okay?"

Ming nodded.

Mushu hopped onto her shoulder as Mulan followed the Emperor into the hidden room and through the passageway. He led her to the same temple where Ying had taken her.

"Your Majesty, aren't you concerned about being seen wandering the halls out in the open like that?" Mulan asked. "Shang's little brother…"

"Yes, General Li has a very special little brother. As for wandering out in the open, most people see what they expect to see. And do not see what they do not expect to see; even if it is right under their noses. I wish to observe the behavior of certain people in the palace. But I have also been in the passageways, too. I have kept myself unseen."

"Your Majesty, what is happening?" Mulan asked.

"As you know, there was an attempt on my life, which was unsuccessful, as you can now see. The tea that the servant brought me was poisoned. He drank some of it before he poured it for me."

"Why did he drink it?"

"I don't know. He wanted to sneak some of my tea. It was a strange fluke. Ying was with me. He saw that the servant had doubled over and warned me not to eat or drink anything that the servant had brought. But I decided that I would make it appear as if the assassination attempt had succeeded with the idea that the culprit, or culprits, thinking they had pulled it off and being comfortable, would perhaps reveal themselves. I put the servant's clothes on, and we dressed him in my clothes and had him buried as if it was me. Prince Ying told Shen-Li that I was dead and the servant that had poisoned me had escaped."

"Your Majesty, I have my suspicions about Shen-Li. I am very sorry."

"Yes. I have my suspicions about him as well. But he is not working alone. I believe that there are several people on the council working with him. When this crisis is over, the entire council will be replaced."

"Shen-Li told Shang and me that the servant poisoned himself. Did he ever see the servant?"

"No. He lied to you and General Li to cover himself, so you would not think that he let an assassin escape."

"What about Prince Ting?"

"He does not yet know that I am still alive. I believe Shen-Li was going to kill Ying once I was gone so that Ting would be the Emperor. I care for my younger son very much, but he is no ruler. He is more interested in having a good time than in running the country. Shen-Li would be able to control him and would, in essence, be the Emperor. I am sure his idea is that he would keep Ting until he didn't need him anymore, then kill him eventually. But for now, Ting is not in immediate danger as Ying was."

"Is that why Prince Ying wanted his own death faked?"

"I advised him to do that. So he would be safe and to see what Shen-Li would do with Ting. We wanted it to look like you had done it so Shen-Li would believe that you were out of the way."

"But he is the one who had me brought here, isn't he?"

"No. Ying ordered him to have you brought here. But actually, this did not work out badly. Now Shen-Li and his associates will think they have unknown competition and they will be nervous. You are still in trouble, however, because Shen-Li will say that you did not do your job and protect Prince Ying. Until I am able to talk to Ting, you must remain hidden and work from behind the scenes."

"Your Majesty, I must confess that I do not know my way through those passageways very well."

"There is writing below the lanterns along the walls and above the doorways. It is not easy to see if you do not know it is there; once you know where to look, it is. I will show you when we go back in. For now, you and I will continue to watch things, both from the outside and from in the passageways. And Ying will be safe."

"We must come up with a plan then. It is important that there are no loose ends when this is over. Until then, you will be remaining in hiding also, your Majesty?"

"For the most part. Do not worry about me. It is more important to me that Ying is safe."

"How will I contact you?"

"I will contact you, Captain Li Mulan. Keep to the hidden passageways and rooms."

xxxxxxx

Mulan found her way back to the hidden room behind Su-Tan's room once the Emperor had shown her where the writing was in the passageways. It was not easy to see that writing in the sparse light of those passageways, but she managed. She knocked on the door and quietly identified herself to Su-Tan. Then she opened the door.

Su-Tan and Mi-Ying were sitting in there.

"Mi-Ying, I need your black cloak. Would you mind if I borrowed it?"

"It's yours. Chen gave it to me," she answered, handing it to her.

"Are you in trouble?" Su-Tan asked.

"I have to stay hidden."

"General Li came here to get Chen."

"I know. Mi-Ying, will you stay with Su-Tan and see that she is okay?"

"Yes. General Li told me to stay with her, too."

"Good. I will stop by and check on you again when I can to make sure you're alright."

xxxxxxx

Shang returned to his room, puzzled as to how Mulan had found out that Chen was in the palace. The two girls had told him that he had been staying with them, but Mulan had taken him from the room.

He needed to be in his room for when he was sent for anyway. Ting had wanted to speak to Mulan, too; but Shang wondered if she would be there now. After reading that letter, he feared that she was in trouble and was very concerned about her.

He entered the room and shut the door behind him. A nervous-looking Chen sat on the bed, alone in the room. Shang strode over to him.

"Chen, I cannot believe you did this again! I ought to kill you myself!"

"I was just trying to help…"

Shang grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him in frustration. "How many times do I have to tell you not to run off?"

"But Su-Tan…"

"Chen…"

"She ran away from the palace and she was going to be killed," he blurted out quickly.

"Remember we said that you would tell an adult when this happened? Did you tell Grandfather?"

"He wouldn't have been able to do anything."

"He could have contacted me."

"No, it would have been too late."

Shang sighed. "Chen. You almost got killed last time you were here and ran off by yourself. Haven't you learned yet?"

"But I couldn't just let her get hurt."

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Shang called out. He turned to Chen. "I have to meet with Prince Ting. We will talk about this more when I return. Stay here while I am gone."

xxxxxxx

Shang went to speak to his three captains after his meeting with Ting. Ting had wanted to meet with Mulan as well, and said that Shen-Li advised that she was supposed to be guarding Prince Ying. Shang told him that Mulan was missing and that he was concerned for her safety. The explanation seemed to appease Ting and he gave him permission to try to have her found. Ting wanted additional security for himself and Shang advised that he would arrange for it immediately.

He left his three captains after making arrangements with them to have Ting guarded and returned to his room. He heard conversation as he stepped into his room and found Chen sitting on the bed conversing with a tiny monkey.

"Chen?"

"Hi, Shang."

Shang blinked at the monkey. "Who is this?"

"This is Ming, Shang. He's my guardian. Our ancestors sent him."

Shang approached and sat down on the bed beside Chen. "They sent you after he ran away?"

"Yes," Ming answered. "I have been watching over him."

"Well, I'm glad someone was making sure he was safe."

Ming hopped off the bed.

"Where are you going, Ming?" Chen asked.

"I'll be nearby. But your brother wants to talk to you."

Shang watched the little monkey disappear inside the wall. Then he turned to his brother and began to chide him for running away from home.

"We have talked about this many times now. I have never beaten you the way Father used to, but if this doesn't stop I will, Chen."

Chen's eyes widened in shock.

Shang sighed. "I know how difficult it is for you, Chen. You know things are going to happen and you try to help. But it is very dangerous for you. You're too young. And now you brought Mi-Ying into it also."

"I didn't want Su-Tan to get hurt. Mi-Ying wanted to help me. It's bad here. You say it everyday when you come home. So did Father when he was alive."

"I have never said that, Chen. And neither did Father." It suddenly occurred to Shang that they both must have thought it, though. And Chen had read their minds.

But Chen just shrugged. "I thought maybe you and Mulan could help Su-Tan when we got her back here. She's scared and she doesn't like it here. Can she come live with us, Shang?"

Shang sighed. "No, I don't think so, Chen. And I don't know how long we're going to have to be here. Mulan is missing…"

"No, she's okay, Shang. She's with the Emperor," Chen whispered.

"The Emperor?" Shang stared at his brother for a moment, trying to figure out what he was talking about. "How do you know, Chen?"

"I saw her go with him. There."

Chen pointed at the wall. Shang looked at where he pointed, realizing that he meant that Mulan was in the hidden passageway. He turned back to his brother with a sigh.

"Alright, Chen. I'll write to Grandfather tomorrow and let him know that you are here. Then we'll arrange to get you home."

"Grandfather knows. Mulan already wrote to him."

"Mulan wrote to him?"

"Mushu told her I was here. She wrote to Grandfather and to Mi-Ying's family. Shang, is Mi-Ying staying with Su-Tan tonight?"

"Yes."

"Are they going to okay by themselves?"

"They'll be fine, Chen. We can stop by and see them in the morning."

Shang coaxed Chen into bed then.

"Shang, I want to stay here with you and Mulan."

"Chen, it's time to go to sleep."

Shang lay awake for a long time after he put Chen to sleep, wondering about Mulan and thinking about the letter he had received from her. He knew now that she had been talking about Prince Ying's assassination in that letter. Somehow she was involved in everything and he was worried about her. He was still trying to figure out why she had suspicions of Shen-Li. He had helped to save the Emperor last time. He couldn't fathom why he would suddenly turn on him. But he knew that Mulan must have a very good reason if she was suspicious of him.

xxxxxxx

In the morning Shang walked with Chen to Su-Tan's room to check on the girls as he had promised.

"Shang, can I stay with Su-Tan and Mi-Ying today?" Chen asked as they walked.

"Yes, Chen. But you are to stay there. Understood?"

"Yes."

"I mean it, Chen. Don't just say 'yes' and then do what you want anyway."

"I'll stay there, Shang."

"Ah, General, I didn't realize that your little brother was here with you."

Shen-Li was down the hall in front of them, approaching.

"Hello, young man."

"Hello," Chen answered politely. But Shang felt Chen nervously tighten his grip on his hand.

"He became friendly with Su-Tan on their last adventure together," Shang explained. "He's visiting with her while I'm working. I'm sorry, sir. I should have told you."

"No, no. It's quite alright. Carry on."

He passed them and they continued on to Su-Tan's room.