Lian woke up a few hours before dawn. She was thinking about her father and reading over the letter she was going to send Chen asking for forgiveness for what she did. She didn't even notice Shen come up behind her.
"Your up early. I would have thought you would have been sleeping in as long as you could."
"I couldn't sleep much longer."
"Excited?"
"Anything but."
"What are you reading?"
"Huh? Oh this, it's a letter… from my sister Lian" (lying)
"Are you guys close?"
"Yeah I guess, you could even say we are the same person."
"Wow, that sounds like fun."
"Yeah you don't even know what a blast it is."
"Well you better get ready everyone will be getting up soon to pack up."
"Yes sir."
She sent the letter and got packed. About an hour later they were getting ready to leave.
"Soldiers!" Shen called out, "General Li Shang and his troops have been waiting long enough. Lets not keep them waiting."
They traveled on the road for the entire day non-stop and found the Hun's camp. They arrived there at night and spied on the camp.
"I don't see our troops. Some of us will have to go down there."
"No Sir! The Huns will spot us. One of us will go. I will."
"Chen you can't stay here I will go."
"Sir, you are to be emperor, you must stay here. I will go and don't try to stop me." Lian walks away to a secluded place.
"What are you trying to prove Chen?"
Lian turns around.
"Nothing you would understand. Now excuse me. I will be ready in 10 minutes." She walked away a little further, sat down and started to write.
Mama
I am sorry I ran away, but I had to do something. I couldn't sit by and see you and Baba die. I didn't want Chen to go, because you guys are proud of him, he is everything you wanted in a son and then it comes to me a daughter who acts like a son. I couldn't sit around waiting to meet my husband one it's not me, and two I didn't want to lose any of you. If I knew I could have prevented one or both of you dieing I would do anything. I just wish I could've been the daughter you expected me to be. But ever since I remember I was never someone that could be married off. I was never someone who could just sit around the house and have babies. I am a soldier, and I always will be. I have to get going now. Please what ever happens do not come here stay home, and know I love you. I am sorry if I disappointed you.
Love always,
Lian
Lian walked up to the messenger.
"Give this immediately to Li Mulan. Please."
"Yes sir."
Lian started to walk into the forest so she wouldn't be spotted easily.
"Chen!"
Lian kept walking
"Chen will you stop!" Lian turned around
"What do you want, sir. I am telling you I am going and you are staying."
"Chen what are you trying to prove? You have nothing to prove."
"You know nothing!" She could almost scream.
"You are not going alone, even IF you are General Li Shang's son."
"Then I am sorry to do this. Please forgive me sir." Shen gives Lian a confused look and she knocked him out.
Lian sneaked down to the tent are. She got down on the ground and peaked in under the tent, and saw Di Rin. She was about to cut open the tent and rip open his heart, but she couldn't risk anything until she got the others out.
She went to a few more tents before she found Li Shang. She was confused, his hands were not bound he had a lavished tent. She made sure no one was coming and she cut a whole in his tent.
"Baba?"
Shang turned around. Lian looked into his eyes, he was different. His eyes they weren't this strong but gentle, hard but soft, all she saw was anger hurt, cold. She walked up to him and put her hand on his arm. "Baba?" he grabbed her arm, and twisted it behind her back. She would have tried to get out of his grasp, but he was to strong.
He dragged her out of the tent and to Di Ren.
"Sir we have an intruder."
"What are you doing!" Lian yelled at Shang
Di Ren starts to smile, "where are the others?"
"What are you talking about others? There are no others. I came alone."
"Why would you do that?" Di Ren asked trying to drag out the truth
"Because you threatened my mother you bastard!" Shang pulled Lian's arm up.
"Ah so you are the son of that Bitch."
"NO I am not the son of Fa Mulan the Hero of China. I am her daughter."
"What is it with women?" he looks at Shang, "trying to take a man's spot, who do they think they are?" they start laughing
"I'll tell you who we are. We are better then you. Better then men."
Di Ren slugs her in the stomach and face. "Tie her up in the middle tent. We will see if her brother will come to save her."
Shang drags her off into the other tent. He tied her hands to the top of the pole and her legs to the bottom.
"What has happened to you?"
"He is under my power. He knows that we are going to rule China, and he was smart to change." Di Ren said walking in.
"He would never join you. China will never fall."
He starts to beat her. "That's what you think."
"BABA! HELP ME PLEASE! BABA!" She was badly beaten when they finally had enough.
"Where are they?" Di Ren asked again
"I will never tell you that." And she spit at him; and he punched her in the face.
"Tell me now!"
"I'd rather die then tell you."
"That can be arranged. She will die with an audience. Find her troops and bring the leader to me."
"You will never find them!"
"if we don't find them in two days kill her brother."
"NO!" she screamed
"If we don't find them in 4 days bring the mother here and in 5 days and we still cant find them kill her."
"NO!"
"Change your mind wench?"
"No and I am NOT a wench!"
Later on, late at night when everyone fell asleep, Lian heard a tear in the back of her tent.
"Chen." Shen whispered. Lian turned her head to see Shen walk in front of her.
"Shen."
"Are you ok?" the look of concern in his eyes.
"Yes, I am alright, just get the other troops out of here" she told him what tents. She dropped her head.
"Shen" she looked at him, making her voice normal. "I have ask you to do something important for me. Please forgive me."
"Chen what is with your voice?"
"I'm not Chen."
"Then who are you?"
"My name is Li Lian. I didn't mean to hurt you in anyway. You just don't know how close my father and I are. When he leaves to go off to war I always get scared that he would never come back, and this time my nightmare has come true."
"But why didn't you tell me?" Lian looked at him
"Do you really think you would have let me train with you, let alone get into the camp?"
"No, no I guess not."
"Anyways I have to ask you for help-"
"No problem I will untie you in just a moment."
"No! leave me here. You have to protect Chen and my mother."
"Come with us."
"No I cant, my father is still here. Make sure the Huns don't spot you, or else they will kill you. They will kill my mother and brother if you don't protect them, and if the Huns don't find you."
"I feel so stupid."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't see that you were a girl, I mean when I looked into your eyes, you seamed different, but it didn't occur to me that you were that different-"
"Shen I don't mean to interrupt but you must get out of here. They will be here any minute. You mustn't get caught. Please protect my family." She starts to cry; Shen knees down in front of her and wipes the tears away from her eyes.
"I promise I will send them somewhere they will be safe, and then I will come back for you."
"No you cant! I mean stay far away from here."
"I am a soldier, and a soldier's duty is to protect-"
"Shen I am only going to say this once, and then you HAVE to go, and never come back. Promise me, please?"
"I promise, I promise, but I cant say that I am going to be able to stay away."
"You have to. You are not a soldier you are the next emperor. You cant come back, you'll put your life in danger if you do. So please go back to the palace, and stay there. Tell my family I love them so much. I don't know what the outcome is going to be, and if I lose my life, I just want my family to know that I am sorry and I love them now go."
"You-"
"GO!" Shen looked at her in a sympathetic way, turned around and crawled out the hole he made pulled something in front of the hole so no one could see it.
Shang walks into the tent 5 minutes later. "Ready to talk?"
"I don't know, are you alone?"
"Yes I am."
"Then I am ready to talk."