A/N: I finally have another chapter up! Thanks for all the reviews, and I especially want to thank Niky13 for your encouragement and interest in this story; it made me start to think about it again and I have finally started to figure out how I want to continue. It will be a slow process, but I will keep updating as things come to me. I had emailed you on your website, but I'm not sure if you got it. I may have made a typo when I put in my email address.

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Chapter 8: Meetings

Shang would now be dividing his time between overseeing the troops in the city and overseeing the protection of Prince Ting.

He was still pondering the events of the past twenty-four hours. He was concerned about Mulan and he was uneasy about the obvious intrigue occurring in the palace. And he was worried about Chen being there in the middle of it, with Mi-Ying.

Ever since he had learned about Chen's special gift things had been less difficult, but they still weren't easy. He now knew where a lot of his little brother's odd behavior and emotional outbursts came from and understood how to handle him better. In fact, the outbursts occurred much less often now.

He realized how difficult it was for someone so young to deal with such a gift. He'd been teaching his little brother to meditate and Chen had been learning those lessons well and really trying to implement them so that he would remain calm when his incredible insights occurred. But still, Chen couldn't help but react emotionally and impulsively to those insights sometimes and he continued to do things like run away from home. His intentions were always good; in this case he had wanted to help his little friend. But his actions were unwise, too, and part of his immaturity.

Chen had pointed into the wall the previous night, indicating that Mulan was in the hidden passageways. He had said she was with the Emperor. That was really confusing. Especially since he could have been referring to one of two possible Emperors, both who were supposedly dead.

Shang was beginning to wonder about that, too.

He was also wondering about Shen-Li. Chen was so prescient about people. A couple of months before he had seen Chen with Shen-Li, and Chen hadn't been scared of him at all. He had answered the man calmly when Shen-Li had asked him a question. Yet, when they had passed Shen-Li in the hall that morning, he had reacted with fear. What had changed in just a few months?

He was hopeful that maybe Su-Tan would have another note from Mulan in her little toy dragon.

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Mulan knew that the Emperor himself was watching Shen-Li and the other councilmen. But another thought had occurred to her. While it was certainly possible that the councilmen were involved, there were other groups of people in the palace who could certainly be involved as well.

There were the concubines first of all; and while their only purpose in the palace was for the pleasure of the Emperor and other men there, there was nothing to stop them from being involved in plotting and intrigue. In fact, they might even be privy to things that many of the councilmen were not privy to.

The other group to consider was the servants, including the cooks, the maids and the like. The person that had brought the food and drink to the Emperor obviously had no idea that the tea was poisoned or he wouldn't have snuck any of it. She still thought that was the weirdest thing she had ever heard of; but she'd learned that there were many types of people in the world.

The food and tea had come from the kitchen, though; it made sense that someone in the kitchen had to be involved in some way. Even if it was just following the orders of a councilman or a higher up; they were still involved.

She decided that she would start there. She had figured out the "map" that existed underneath the lanterns in the hidden passageway, and she now made her way to the kitchen.

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Shang checked in with Prince Ting that afternoon and found him in the middle of an argument with Shen-Li. The prince was relieved to have the protection but he was also somewhat perturbed that he had to have company. Apparently he liked to spend time with one of the concubines every afternoon and was quite annoyed that he couldn't, since Shen-Li argued that at least one guard had to be present with him at every moment now.

"Can't they just wait outside for an hour?" he complained, obviously annoyed that his lifestyle had been cramped.

"With all due respect, your Highness," Shen-Li began, obviously biting back a laugh, "the concubines could just as likely be involved with this. How do you know that this one won't be the one to come in here and knife you? And you would be caught completely off-guard."

"She is not one of the concubines," Ting retorted, indignantly.

Shang groaned, inwardly, unable to believe that he had to witness this conversation.

"As soon as we are assured that you are safe, we will have to arrange your presentation as the new Emperor," Shen-Li continued.

Prince Ting rolled his eyes and muttered something. Shang was beginning to realize that Ting was interested in women and fun, and he had absolutely no interest in being the Emperor or in having anything to do with ruling the country. If he was right about that, then Ting was innocent of any plotting and intrigue. That left Shen-Li and whoever else he was working with. He realized that Mulan's suspicions were probably right about him.

Shang resolved to keep a close eye on Shen-Li from now on.

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As soon as Shen-Li and General Li were gone, Ting ordered the officers to wait outside.

"But, your Highness, Shen-Li and the general…" one began.

"I don't care about them. Go outside. I will call you back in when I need you."

The two officers hesitated.

"Go! That is an order! I will answer for you if either of them say anything about it."

The officers left reluctantly.

Once the door was shut, Ting went into the hidden chamber, as his lovely Lei-Li had advised him the day before when he had met her. But when he got inside, it wasn't Lei-Li that he found in there. To his great shock, it was his father.

"There is much to explain to you, my son," said his father. "I will tell you everything."

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Mulan slid the trick panel open slightly and peered through the small opening into the kitchen. The room was filled with the noise and clattering of pots and pans and numerous conversations. She saw Shen-Li there. He was having a long, heated discussion with one of the cooks, a youngish, very beautiful woman.

It was hard to hear their specific conversation among all the other conversations and other noise, but she managed to pick out the woman addressing him. Only she didn't address him as Jiang Shen-Li.

She addressed him as Jiang Bin-Ling.

Mulan slid the panel shut and ran back through the passageways, hoping to run into the Emperor. He hadn't told her where he was going to be; just that he would contact her. She looked at Mushu, thinking that maybe she could send him to look for the Emperor. She decided to wait. First she had to get a message to Shang.

She ran back to the chamber behind Su-Tan's room. She knocked and called to the three children softly, then opened the door. The chamber was empty. She crossed to the other side and slid the panel open slowly. The three children were sitting in the outer room. No one else was in the room.

"Mulan, can we help?" Chen asked as she stepped out into the room.

Mulan gestured for them to come into the hidden room. They got up and she shut the panel once they were inside.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked.

They nodded.

"General Li brought Chen here this morning," Mi-Ying told her.

"Okay, good. He's looking out for you guys, too."

"Mulan, can we help?" Chen asked again.

"I need to find the Emperor. And Su-Tan, I need you to give Shang another message, okay?"

She nodded and handed Shio to her again.

"Would you go out and bring in some paper and ink for me?"

Su-Tan hurried out to the outer room and returned a minute later.

"Thank you. I will have to be hidden until I find the Emperor. I will keep coming here.

"Mulan, that man Shen-Li…there's something wrong…" Chen began but she cut him off.

"I know, Chen. That's why I have to find the Emperor and why I have to get this message to Shang."

"I can help."

"No, Chen. You must stay here."

"But Ming will protect me," he insisted, indicating the little monkey who was perched on his shoulder as he always was now.

"I know he will. But I don't want you involved again. And I know Shang doesn't want you involved."

"The cook called him a different name…"

"I know, Chen," she sighed. The boy was really too much. He was like a little sponge that soaked other people's thoughts and experiences in.

She looked at Ming, appealing for help.

"It's a different man," Ming said, simply.

"That's what I thought. Do you know who he is, Ming?" she asked.

"A twin brother."

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A/N: More chapters to follow shortly.