A/N: Thanks to all for reviewing and for your interest in this fic. This has been a really difficult fic for me to write and I have a real love/hate relationship with it. When I first began it, I had about five different ideas as to what direction I considered taking it, but now I'm not sure if I chose the right one. I actually took this fic off of the site once, changed it completely and reposted, completed it, then decided to change the ending after finding that there were inconsistencies in the original ending. This is the new incarnation of the ending, similar to what I had but with some things fixed. There is a final chapter and an epilogue. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!
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Chapter 18: Fong
A guard was set up at all entrances to the palace, including the windows, and Shang, Mulan, Pei and Guang-Zhi remained with General Lao.
"What's the plan?" Pei asked the general.
"We wait," he answered. "We have enough food to last for weeks in the palace. I cannot say the same for our adversaries. They will be exhausted and starving before long. Their ranks are already in chaos due to Fa Mulan's clever ruse. It has created the confusion that we needed."
"Who was around when the Emperor died, General?" Guang-Zhi asked him.
"What do you mean?"
"Was anyone present in the room with him?"
"I don't know. Why?"
"It would seem that we might be able to end this quickly, and peacefully. The Emperor has no son, no rightful heir to the throne. That leaves us in chaos, with a battle over succession. But what if the Emperor designated his successor? With no son, and no family, perhaps he chose his most clever councilman?"
"Now that's an interesting idea."
"The thing is, if anyone was there to know that isn't true, we will be faced with another rebellion before long, against Fong," Pei cautioned.
"Or else it can just be said that Fong declared himself the Emperor and had enough backing. It wouldn't be the first time that happened. As for anyone arguing with that; well, there will always be people who are unsatisfied. But the majority of the people gathered in the streets right now are on our side," General Lao said. "I will talk to Fong and the others. In the meantime, as I said we have time to wait. We are not the ones in the street, tiring ourselves out."
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By the afternoon, the fighting had ceased as the rebels and the soldiers became exhausted, just as General Lao had predicted. News was spread through the city that Fong, one of the former Emperor's closest aides and a man of noble birth, had been declared the new Emperor. It was not specified by who. Fong made his son the Crown Prince and immediately began to select his own aides and council members.
Shang and Mulan were brought before Fong early in the evening.
"Captain Li, I don't know if you realize it, but the previous Emperor had your family's lands and properties seized. I hereby restore all of it to you."
"Thank you, your Majesty."
"There will be a ceremony tomorrow tonight. I would like you both to be there. I wish to bestow certain honors on both of you in public."
"Yes, your Majesty," they both answered.
The Emperor turned to Mulan.
"Fa Mulan. You broke a lot of rules and traditions with your actions."
Mulan bowed her head, waiting for him to continue.
"But you also saved all of us and proved yourself to be a brave, brilliant and honorable warrior. General Lao told me that you were the one who came up with this strategy that we implemented last night and today. I would like you to be a member of my council."
Mulan looked up, shocked. "Thank you, your Majesty. That is a great honor. But, with all due respect…I've been away from home and from my family for so long. I never thought I'd ever be able to return to them. I would like to see them again, your Majesty."
The Emperor nodded. "I understand. You may go home after the ceremony. But I will call on your services in the future."
Mulan bowed again.
"Yes, your Majesty. It will be an honor to serve you."
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The next evening a large throng of people was gathered in the Imperial Square once again as Fong was formally presented as the new Emperor. He stood on the platform, dressed in the customary yellow robe. General Lao stood beside Fong naturally, being his ally and most highly trusted general. Pei, Guang-Zhi and the other leaders of the movement that had been instrumental in putting Fong on the throne had been named as his council members. They stood behind him. Shang stood off to the side on the platform, in full uniform and armor. Mulan stood beside him, looking lovely in a silk dress of blue, red, black and white.
Emperor Fong made a short speech to the crowd. Then, before everyone present, he officially withdrew the charges of treason and lifted the death sentences of Fa Mulan and Captain Li Shang. He publicly restored the Li family lands and properties to Shang. And he declared them both heroes in the war against the Huns, Shang for his bravery and leadership, Mulan for her bravery and brilliant strategies.
The crowd, which was comprised largely of the rebel forces from the villages that had helped place Fong on the throne, cheered with wild enthusiasm.
He beckoned Shang to come and stand before him and presented him with a medal of honor and the new rank of First Captain.
Shang bowed and thanked him. Then he watched proudly as the new Emperor beckoned Mulan to come and stand before him and finally paid her the homage that she had been due from everyone all along.
"Fa Mulan. This is something that should have been done the night you defeated Shan-Yu and saved us all."
He took off the pendant with the crest of the Emperors, which had just the night before been removed from the neck of the previous Emperor, and placed it around her neck.
"This is now yours. As is this." He turned to one of his aides that was standing beside him and took the sword from the man's hands. It was the sword that had been Shan-Yu's. He held it out to her and said, "These are gifts from me to you, in honor of you and in honor of your family."
Mulan took the sword of Shan-Yu in both hands and looked it over, beaming. Then she bowed to the Emperor.
"Thank you, your Majesty."
"I know how much you want to return home to your family, Fa Mulan. But my offer to you to become a member of my council still stands. And I will summon you in the future if I am in need of your service."
"Yes, your Majesty. Thank you."
Pei and her other friends approached her then and she bid them goodbye, thanking them for all the help they had given her during her time of trouble. Then she turned to Shang and approached him, smiling.
He leaned toward her, wanting to say so much to her, yet at a loss for words. He was now in the service of Emperor Fong, and he would be remaining in the Imperial City. If she had accepted the position on the council, she would have been living in the city also and he would have been able to continue to see her. But she had declined and was going home; the chances of them seeing each other again were slim, at least until Emperor Fong decided that he was in need of her aid. There was an ache in his heart as he realized that this was a final parting. But he couldn't bring himself to say goodbye to her. He was accustomed to her presence in his life now and he knew he would never meet anyone like her again.
"Mulan…"
He trailed off, at a loss for words. From her expression, he could tell that she didn't want to say goodbye either.
"You are the Emperor's First Captain now, Shang. And I have to return home."
"Will I…?" he trailed off, afraid to ask the question and of what the answer would be. "I mean…if it is alright with you…maybe when I am able to…I could visit…"
She nodded and smiled warmly. "I'd like that. It will be good to see you again."
She hesitated for a moment shyly, then took a step forward, taking his hands in hers. He sighed as he felt her fingers close around his hands.
"As soon as I can, I will," he said softly.
She nodded and withdrew her hands from his, turning and heading for her steed.
He watched her as she mounted the large horse and leaned forward to say something in his ear. Then Khan galloped off, carrying his little mistress down the steps and away from the platform again, this time into a crowd of people that was cheering enthusiastically for her instead of trying to seize her. Shang stared after her longingly, wishing that he had the luxury, and the nerve, to follow her again.
"She is quite an extraordinary young woman."
Shang turned to Emperor Fong, who had come to stand beside him.
"Yes, sir. She is," he answered softly.
"If it were me in your place, I'd be hard-pressed to let her go so easily and never see her again."
"Sir?" Shang looked at him, astonished.
He nodded. "There are a few things that we need to take care of tonight. As soon as you are finished, you may have a short leave from your duties to take care of personal matters, Captain. You've earned it. I will summon you back here in a week or so."
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Mulan rode through the night, pushing Khan to gallop. For a long time now it had seemed that the moment would never come when she could return home and she was anxious to get there. She only hoped that an apology and these gifts of honor from the new Emperor would appease her father and earn his forgiveness of her.
She arrived home and put Khan in the stable, feeding him and watering him quickly. She thanked Mushu for everything and he bid her goodbye. Then he turned and went back to the temple with Cri-Kee, most likely to explain himself to the Fa ancestors. And she went into the garden to find her father and explain herself to him.
Fa Zhou was sitting on the bench under the magnolia tree in the garden, where they had always sat and talked. He was holding a blossom in his hand and staring at it sadly. He looked weary and grieved. She approached slowly, holding the sword of Shan-Yu, which was now wrapped in protective cloth.
He looked up at the sound of her approach and his face dropped.
"Mulan!"
He stood up. She rushed to kneel before him and he sat back down on the bench. She bowed all the way down to the ground, then raised her head to speak to him.
"Father. I have brought you the sword of Shan-Yu."
She placed it in his lap, then took off the crest of the Emperor that was around her neck and placed it on top of the sword.
"And the crest of the Emperor. They're gifts. To honor the Fa family."
Her father looked at the gifts, stunned. She bowed her head again.
"I'm sorry that I have been a disappointment to you," she said, tears forming in her eyes.
She looked up startled as she saw the gifts of the Emperor being tossed to the ground. Her father knelt down in front of her, throwing his arms around her.
"You are not a disappointment to me, Daughter. And you never will be." He released her for a moment and leaned back to look at her, wiping away a tear that had rolled down her cheek. Then he embraced her again. "I've missed you so."
"I missed you, too, Baba."
They stood up and Mulan turned to see her mother and grandmother stepping into the garden. She hurried over to them and there was a tearful reunion.
"I prayed to the ancestors to watch over you," her grandmother said softly as they hugged. "And they did."
Mulan smiled at her grandmother, tears still in her eyes, and nodded. "They sent a guardian to watch over me. I have to go to the shrine to thank him before we go inside."
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Shang arrived at the Fa home and passed through the gate, leading his stallion. A mature gentleman was coming toward him from the garden, having seen him. He was walking with a cane and Shang guessed that it was Mulan's father.
"Honorable Fa Zhou," Shang began as the man approached. "I am Captain Li Shang. I was Fa Mulan's commanding officer. I would like to see her and talk to her, if it is alright with you, sir."
He nodded and beckoned for Shang to follow him to the stable with his stallion. "It is an honor to meet you, Captain Li. I know your father very well."
"Yes, sir. I remember that he spoke of you. He was killed in the battle against the Huns."
Fa Zhou was silent for a moment and he looked deeply grieved. Then he placed a comforting hand on Shang's shoulder and said, "I am very sorry. He died honorably, in service to the Emperor."
He led Shang into the garden. Mulan had just come out of the family shrine and she was coming down the hill toward them, looking lovely in the same dress that she had been wearing in the Imperial City. She had probably just arrived home. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him, a shocked expression on her face.
"You have a visitor, Mulan," said her father.
She smiled and approached him, and Fa Zhou went up to the family shrine, leaving them to talk alone.
"Mulan…" Shang trailed off, not knowing where to begin.
"What a nice surprise. I knew you would visit, but I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
"The Emperor gave me leave for a short time…I wanted to see you. And to talk to you more. We've been through so much together."
"I know. I'm glad you came, Shang."
They began to stroll through the garden together.
"I'm glad everything worked out for you, Mulan. That's what you deserved."
"You too, Shang. You were in just as much trouble as I was. I'm glad things were resolved for you."
She seemed sad all of a sudden.
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head, and her expression was troubled. "I can't help but feel a little disturbed with the politics of it all. Those men who helped me are the Emperor's council now; maybe their reasons for backing him were selfish. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. They were truly good people and they helped me when I was really in dire straits. But they still behaved...with intrigue and deception from a certain point of view. And so did I by my involvement with it. Was that any better?"
He sighed and nodded in understanding.
"I don't know. I mean, you're right. There's always fighting and intrigue in politics and there always will be. Even when it's an attempt to improve a situation. I'm a military man, not a politician. Being First Captain to the Emperor will be a very new experience, and I suppose I will have to learn to be…or at least to maneuver my way through the politics. I hope that will not force me to become deceptive. I was taught a different way, after all. But...maybe Fong will prove to be a wiser, more honest ruler."
He stopped and she halted her gait with him, looking at him questioningly.
He took a step closer to her. "Mulan, I…I didn't really say…back at the palace I mean…" He stopped himself, realizing he was babbling, and switched to a subject that felt safer. "How is your wound healing?"
He felt himself turning red and wanted to slap himself as he immediately realized that it was a stupid question. She hadn't been away from him for very long for there to be any big difference in her wound since he'd seen her. But his question didn't seem to bother her.
"It will be fine." She looked down toward where the wound was, frowning, and added, "I will have an ugly scar, though."
She looked up at him again and as she turned her face up to him he had an overwhelming urge to bend down and place his lips on hers and embrace her. He had never been great with words and maybe if he showed her…he felt himself leaning toward her, then stopped himself with a start. Her father was suddenly with them again, clearing his throat. Mulan turned to her father and grinned. Fa Zhou gave her a look and rolled his eyes toward Shang, communicating something to her wordlessly, which she apparently understood. She turned back to him, smiling still.
"Would you like to stay for dinner, Shang?"
Shang nodded, smiling broadly. "Thank you. That would be great."
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A/N: Epilogue follows.