A/N: Next chapter done and posted!

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Chapter 12: The Temple

"What now, Mulan?" Chen asked once they had put distance between themselves and the temple where they had left Mei-Lin.

"Well, we're sure now that he's in the cellar under the altar but he's probably not alone."

"No, he isn't."

"We need to get back into the palace."

"Mulan, I'm hungry," Chen said.

"So am I, Chen."

"I'll get you both something," said Mushu.

Mushu had been bringing Mulan food since she had been hiding, but hadn't had time that morning. She watched as he darted over to one of the vendors and took some food for them.

"Mushu, have you been stealing the food from the vendors?" she asked when he returned and handed her the food.

"Don't worry, I left money for the guy. I've been getting it from the palace kitchen the other times. They can afford it."

Mulan rolled her eyes at Mushu as he pulled out a cookie that he'd taken for himself. He began to munch on it once he saw that Mulan and Chen were taken care of.

They sat on a bench together eating and watching the temple, waiting for Mei-Lin to appear.

"Once Mei-Lin leaves the temple and is out of sight, we can try to find Shang and tell him about Shen-Li. Chen, do you have a picture in your head of how many men there are guarding Shen-Li down there?"

Chen shook his head, still scarfing down his food hungrily.

"Okay, you can try again when you're done eating."

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Shang was in the room with Prince Ting and Shen-Li, who he now knew was Bin-Ling. Bin-Ling was trying to convince Prince Ting to get on with the presentation of him as the new Emperor. Prince Ting insisted that he would not do any such thing yet. He was still mourning his father and now his brother and he was not ready to take the throne.

"With all due respect, your Highness, people in the city are beginning to wonder what is going on."

"No one knows the truth yet, Shen-Li. You will see to it that the people are informed of my profound grief over the loss of both my father and my brother at the same time."

He bowed. "Yes, your Majesty."

One of the guards entered the room and bowed before the prince.

"Your Highness, Captain Li Mulan has been found. The guard who found her is outside with her."

"Bring her in," Ting ordered.

The guard turned and gestured to the other guard to bring her in.

Shang was puzzled. How had the guard found her? She told him that she had to remain hidden. Why would she have come out into the open?

Mulan appeared with the two guards. She bowed before Ting.

"Your Highness."

"Captain Li Mulan, Shen-Li has been looking for you and I have been wondering where you have been as well. You were supposed to be guarding my brother and you were nowhere to be found when he was killed."

"Forgive me, your Highness, I was attacked."

"By who?"

"I'm not sure. There was a strange-looking guard with Prince Ying. I think he knocked me unconscious. I woke up inside one of the passageways of the palace."

Shang stared at her bewildered. What was she doing?

"General Li told me that he was worried that something may have happened to you."

"Excuse me, your Highness," Bin-Ling interrupted. "Captain Li, there was no strange-looking guard with Prince Ying."

"We saw him."

Bin-Ling shook his head.

"What are you talking about, Shen-Li?" Prince Ting asked him.

"We found the so-called strange guard that had been with Prince Ying. It was a straw dummy in an Imperial guard uniform. No, there is something else going on, your Highness."

Shang started in alarm. If Bin-Ling knew about that, maybe he knew everything that Mulan knew about Ying and about the Emperor.

He spoke up, hoping to confuse Bin-Ling and make him question what he thought he knew.

"With your permission, your Highness," Shang began. "Is it possible that there was a guard, and he disappeared, leaving an identical straw dummy on purpose? To confuse everyone when it was found and give himself enough time to escape?"

"Possibly," Ting answered, pondering that. "Yes, that is very likely."

Ting turned to Bin-Ling.

"Shen-Li," Ting ordered, "go and summon the rest of the council and wait for me in the council chamber. I will meet you in there shortly."

He bowed and left the room.

Once he was gone, Prince Ting ordered the two guards to leave as well. When just the three of them were left in the room, Prince Ting disappeared behind a bureau. He peered out and beckoned Shang and Mulan and they followed him into the hidden chamber. Ting shut the door.

"General Li, I am guessing that Captain Li told you everything that is going on."

"Yes, sir."

Ting turned to her. "Have you found Shen-Li yet?"

"Mulan and Chen are looking for him," she answered, but in a voice that was not her own.

Shang and Prince Ting gaped at her as she suddenly began to transform and shrink into the grinning little monkey.

"Ming?" Shang exclaimed.

"You know this…what is it?" Prince Ting asked, a wary expression on his face.

"This is Ming, one of the Li guardians. He came here with Chen," Shang answered, somewhat amused at the prince's reaction.

Ting's expression softened.

"Ah, so that is how Ying's assassination was faked," Ting laughed. "We were all wondering about that. You can make yourself look like anyone, little monkey?"

Ming nodded. "Ming."

"Ming. General Li, that's something that will continue to come in very handy, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir," Shang answered, winking at Ming. "Ming, are Mulan and Chen still looking for Shen-Li?"

"Yes. I must get back to them. I made myself look like Mulan so that she could get past the guard and to the Imperial Square from inside the palace. I distracted the guard while she passed him. I must go back to Chen and her."

Ming disappeared.

"General Li, I am meeting with the council and I would like you to be there. I would like you to personally be the one to guard me during the day now. Your men have done a fine job protecting me, but I need you to be around and aware of everything that is going on close to me. Something must be done soon so that it can be revealed that my father and brother are both still alive. This state of limbo that the throne is in cannot go on."

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Once he was finished eating Chen miraculously had a clearer picture of the cellar that Shen-Li was being held in. He told her that there were two men guarding him.

"We need to talk to him somehow."

"Well, something occurred to me," Mushu began.

"What's that, Mushu?"

"The man has to eat and he has to relieve himself at some time. My guess is that Mei-Lin brings him food. And unless she's feeding him like a baby, she must release his hands so he can eat. That's why the guards are there. As far as relieving himself, my guess is he doesn't do it down there. That would be disgusting. The guards must take him out somewhere."

"He's right," Ming said, appearing suddenly and making her jump.

"You guys really drive me crazy when you pop out of nowhere like that," Mulan commented. "But he is right. Which means we may be able to intercept them when they do take him outside and away from the temple. Ming, what happened with Bin-Ling?"

"I was brought before him and Prince Ting and Li Shang. Don't worry, everything is alright. Bin-Ling discovered Mushu's discarded puppet, but Li Shang very cleverly steered him in the wrong direction about it. Ting knows about me and that I can make myself look like anyone. You are now safe, Mulan. At least as far as getting in trouble with Ting."

"So I don't have to remain hidden anymore?"

"No."

"Good. Now I can sleep in my own bed."

"And with Shang," Mushu quipped in her ear so only she could hear.

Mulan grinned at his remark.

She became serious again. "I think it's time to start implementing a plan now. We need to save Shen-Li. We need to find out why Bin-Ling and Mei-Lin are doing what they're doing and we need to find out who else is working with them. And we need to finally bring the Emperor and Prince Ying out of hiding."

They continued to watch the temple. They had been there for a very long time now and Mei-Lin still hadn't come out yet.

"She's been in there a very long time," Mulan mused, frowning. "I hope Shen-Li is still okay."