Chapter Nine
9.1
As they got nearer to the emperor's palace, Shang could feel the tone shift in how the citizens were feeling. He could see a lot more of them rush towards Mulan wanting to thank her and offering her gifts from their stores, from their stands, from their homes. Mulan kept thanking them but explaining that she couldn't hold onto so many gifts but that she was honored and Shang was pushed to the side, not that he had minded of course, she deserved this honor.
"So," Shang said as he exited from one of the main inns for travelers to the palace. "I managed to get us a room with two futons for a few nights. That sounds acceptable, right?" he asked.
Mulan nodded with a smile, "And stables?" she asked.
"Of course," Shang laughed, "I can't get along very well with Kahn if I don't give him a place to stay as well," Shang placed a hand on the back of Kahn's head, letting his fingers go through the horse's mane. "So, should we see if we can get an audience with the emperor?" he asked.
Mulan bit her top lip and nervously put her fingers through her own hair. "Actually," she hesitated, "I was thinking that maybe I would go and see if I can speak to him alone. I want to show my strength to him when I ask if he will still allow me to be on his council."
"I don't think that he or anyone else could forget what you've done for China," Shang chuckled but saw the determination in his love's eyes, he laughed again and took a couple of steps backwards. "Okay. I get it. I understand. I would want to see him myself as well. I'll try to settle in and find us some food. I'm a lot more comfortable here than -"
"Than a girl who is from a smaller town?" Mulan challenged him as she raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe," Shang said weakly before he looked down. He was trying to not let these ideas that he had grown up with about the differences between men and women influence his thinking but it was going to be a harder thing than he had believed before. "I will go and look around and meet you back here this evening so we can have dinner together."
"I love you," Mulan told him as she kissed his cheek. She saw the love in his own eyes before she went into the inn to make sure she was presentable enough to actually go and see the emperor without causing more disrespect on the rules binding China.
9.2
Shang could hear the grunts and yells that only came with training ones true core. He understood these sounds, they were a rhythm that he had been able to memorize when doing his own battle training. He looked to the brick wall and moved along with the noises he was hearing. He really wanted to get back to daily trainings again, if he ended up lazy and slovenly, well then he would be unrecognizable to himself in a devastating manner.
"Is it?" Shang heard a familiar voice say as he stood in the street whilst using fighting techniques on an invisible opponent. "General Li."
Shang blinked as he saw some bags with wrapped meat in them and a soldier who he would be able to identify from a distance. "Hi, Chien-Po," he said in a more casual way than usual. "You stayed here?"
"Well, it's not as if you've been gone for a long time. I thought that you would have spent more time away seeing as you rode so quickly," Chien-Po commented and Shang laughed.
"Well I have the girl. I'm with the girl but -" he shook his head. "No. If I want better I have to lead by example. I have to stop calling her 'the girl'. I am a couple with Mulan and she is here," Shang grinned as he saw Chien-Po's excitement for him. "I'm sure that she'll be happy to see you again. She's trying to gain an audience with the emperor."
"Well, I expect that she'll get it. Everyone around here just loves hearing so much about her, about our time together. I'm sure that there are a lot of people who would want to hear your story too and the ladies do love hearing stories over nice full dinners with a lot of courses and many interesting flavors. I just talk about how I helped the emperor and there seems to be a new plate of food and new audience to eat with."
Shang laughed as Chien-Po told him all of this. He could imagine that type of lifestyle but did it ever seem that people just wanted you more for your fame or that you were with someone else.
"We might be staying here too, hopefully. Before she returned home, Mulan was offered a position on the council so she just hopes that she didn't -"
"I remember," Chien-Po nodded, "and I know that the emperor remembers as well. That would be rather nice to have close friends to eat with. I mean, I know that there is a position opening up for lead guard at the palace. After what has happened there is a lot of….there's a lot of missing people."
Shang nodded, "my father and hopefully not your family."
"None that I know of," Chien-Po replied, "but there are the people who you just don't hear from in the farther regions of China and you realize after some time that you're not hearing from them for a reason."
Shang nodded again. He stood there thoughtfully before looking up into Chien-Po's eyes, "So, you said that there's a job as head of the guards for the palace?" he asked and Chien-Po nodded. "Do you know if they are accepting applicants to try out for the position?" he asked.
"Are you wanting the job?" Chien-Po asked as he tilted his head to the side curiously.
"It depends but maybe. Do you have more information on it?" Shang asked and Chien-Po nodded. He picked up three of the bags and Shang took the last one. "Let me help you with that and you can thank me by telling me what it is that you know," he smiled to the army soldier.
9.3
Mulan had been slightly surprised that she had been led into the garden in the palace to await the emperor. She had been searched just in case with them apologizing for doing so to her but it was better to be safe than sorry. She hadn't minded, she had done far more than that in her desire to help the country.
As she sniffed one of the flowers, she sat down on a bench underneath a tree and waited with her hands in her lap. She knew how people wanted women to behave but she also knew that she was different from them at least when it came to what she wanted. No other woman would have the audacity to ask for a job like her but she had been offered it once.
"You should really have had someone watching you," Chi Fu said as he approached her. "Do you really think that you can come back here after causing so much trouble?"
Mulan stared at him before smiling, "Hello, Chi Fu," she said and he seemed horrified that she had spoken to him so openly. She gave a little salute too and he frowned and wrote something down on a paper that he was holding. "Aren't you here to watch me?"
"I wasn't given that duty but I think that it's something one should note. If all you do is sit here then you show an idleness but moving around on property that is not yours…that is also something you should not be doing," he said and Mulan stared at him. He really did have a problem with her. He had a problem with everybody but more so her, probably because it seemed that she had gotten away with breaking the law.
That creature's not worth protecting.
Those were the words that flashed through Mulan's head. She knew that people had contempt for women but she had to think about Shang and how in a world full of people who wouldn't grant her many rights, he was standing beside her and giving her his strength and his love.
"You may have twisted the new general's mind around to hypnotize him as -"
There was the sound of a door opening and suddenly Chi Fu moved away from her, not finishing up what he was saying. Mulan knew that the two of them were the only ones who knew the words which he had already said.
"Ah, so you have returned, Fa Mulan," the emperor chuckled as he walked over to her with guards flanking him. He looked at Chi Fu and raised an eyebrow before focusing on Mulan. "I hope that you did not have to deal with anything not to your liking," he said but Mulan stood and bowed deeply.
"No, no," the emperor laughed before she had reached the ground. "Only small bows from now on, young lady," he told her with a smile. "I was glad to hear that you had returned. Now, family honor, if that is truly the reason that you left I cannot penalize you for that as it is something that should be valued highly but I did want to see you back, the true hero returns when they have pride and confidence to return."
"Thank you," Mulan said with a weak smile, "Thank you, your Imperial Majesty. My father and mother and grandmother all are well. I gave my father the honors that you bestowed on me. The Fa family truly is grateful for your gifts."
"The greatest gift should be yourself," the emperor smiled, "Now. If we could sit down it might be a little more comfortable," he said and gestured for Mulan to sit beside him, she blushed nervously and tucked some hair behind her ear. "Now," the emperor said reaching for her hands, "Tell me a little of why you have returned."
"I wanted to ask you if you would still give me a role in the palace?" she asked feeling too nervous to say council in case it came out as her demanding it.
"You mean my offer to make you a member of my council," the emperor said and Mulan nodded. "Of course. I would. We need someone youthful with a working mind, quick wit, and strong passion. Besides, you were trained in the army, a crime but something that shows how persistent and hardworking and tough you are. Offering you this job is selfish of me most of all. So, will you please me by saying yes?"
"Yes," Mulan nodded. "Yes. If it isn't too great of a trouble may I ask one more thing?" she said and the emperor tilted his head to the side curiously. Mulan could see out of the corner of her eye Chi Fu stop, look at her with a straightened back and roll his eyes then shake his head, all the time judging her.
"If I am to be paid then may half my pay be sent to my father?" she asked and the emperor laughed.
"You must tell them to come here, I will secure a house for all of you," he said but Mulan shook her head.
"Only upon an offer by you, your majesty, would bring him here but my father loves our home very dearly and we have a shrine for our family ancestors. I just want to provide for them somehow, with my father's leg -"
"That should be no problem," the emperor said and Mulan bowed her thanks. The emperor smiled a little, "I wonder, did that young lad make it to you, Li Shang?" he asked and Mulan turned a deep red. "I was hoping that he would have."
End of Chapter Nine
Thank you for reading
Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Eight
KathyMesser, Savannah246810
