Author's Note: I've been overloaded with work, and I wrote this chapter like three times before publishing, until I was satisfied with it. Hopefully you'll like it. Thanks for waiting and your support. I WILL write this story 'til the very end, just bear with me. I'm not gonna estimate the remaining time for the next update cause I always end up failing, but there will be a next chapter . Thanks for reading.

The Woes of Almost a Year's Marriage

The guards opened the doors, revealing the majestic main hall where the Son of Heaven held all audiences with his subjects.

The emperor sat on his throne, even from below the stairs, Li Shang could see the expression of concern on his majesty's face. Right on the foot of the stairs Shang made a polite reverence kneeling, then placing his forehead on the marble floor.

"Greetings Li Shang," said the son of heaven as he stood from his throne and made his way down the stairs accompanied by his consul.

Shang remained in a silent revering position until the emperor was merely three stairs above him.

"Well, I sent for your presence due to the fact that once again I will need your services." The emperor gestured the guards and the maids to leave the room.

Shang nodded.

"General Wei has been assassined, and I need someone to take his post as my military consul, and I could not think of a better man than yourself, General Li. For you are a very honorable, and trustworthy member of the Imperial Army

"That would imply me to be part of the Imperial Court?" Shang found himself asking.

"Certainly," nodded the emperor with a grin.

Shang remained lost in his thoughts and unable to respond. His father had warned him on various occasions that members of the imperial court hardly ever kept their hands clean, and so far he considered himself a just and honest man. Moreover, being part of the Imperial court had never appealed his interests. He was a soldier and he considered that his place were military headquarters and of course the battlefield. However, he would not dare reject his highness' request.

"I chose you above other equally qualified men because you are uncorrupted by greed, and you will respond with honor, and I trust you will do an excellent job Li Shang."

"Sir, I am deeply grateful your excellency has considered me worthy to serve him, though I appreciate my qualities I just think I will be of greater use if I continue my duties in the Imperial army…"

"Who said anything about you leaving the army?"

Shang was surprised by the emperor's sudden change of tone, but he did not dare say anything.

"You'll still be General and lead our troops to victory when needed," and then he added, " and you'll still go home to your lovely wife. It will only be a matter of you coming several times during the month to discuss war affairs.

Even if he would prefer not to, he had no other choice but to accept the emperor's request.

"It would be an honor," said Shang humbly.

The emperor brought his palms together in a clap. "Well then it is settled. Care to join dinner? I shall introduce you to the rest of the council, though they already know about your remarkable career as a military official."

Shang followed his majesty into the dining hall, where servants were rushing as they carried the exquisite dishes served exclusively at the Imperial Palace.

To Shang's dismay Chi Fu sat close to him. Of all the available seats he could have taken in the large table, the fool just had to make him feel uncomfortable.

A woman carrying a tray with a pot of tea and some cups got between the consul and Li Shang.

Shang didn't pay much attention to her as he fixed his eyes on the meal before him. But Chi Fu was well aware of the fact she had scanned the young general from head to toes.

The emperor introduced the young general to the present members of the council, whose names (and in some cases even their faces) Shang already knew because of his father. In spite of his young age, the council men had seemed to taken acceptance of Li Shang. One of them, the representative of trading affairs acknowledged the great leader his father had been.

As everyone ate their meal, the emperor broke all formalities with Shang, and began to ask him about his family. Particularly about Mulan.

"She's good," said Shang.

"How's the married life suiting her?" inquired the elder man.

"Great," Shang answered, "She's still getting used to it."

"Well well," the emperor made a pause, "then she did not make a mistake when she rejected the post in my council. It all worked for the best." His highness grinned kindly at Shang.

And in Shang's opinion, it had been indeed. After all Mulan was too naïve and kind to work in the court.

"I trust the Li family is fine and expanding," began the emperor went on.

"Well, we…we are trying," said Shang awkwardly. At this point he was slightly annoyed by the fact that everyone kept asking him why after almost a year of his marriage to Fa Mulan, she had not yet produced him an heir. Mostly because of people's assumptions that she might be infertile.

He could hear Chi Fu's snide remark., "That is if she CA N bear children."

Shang glared at the consul at the same time the emperor ordered him to keep his thoughts to himself. How much he hated the pompous bastard. Had he not been in the emperor's presence he wouldn't have hesitated to punch the arrogant slug right on the face. The young general contained his anger and limited to clench his fists so hard the sound of his knuckles cracking was audible for the people present in the room to perceive.

"Don't listen to him," said a man sitting two chairs away from Shang, "It's just a matter of postions. And if that doesn't work, then you can try somewhere else."

"And if that doesn't work you can get her some guy to do you the favor," teased another man.

"Say is she good looking? Cause if she is I wouldn't mind helping her myself."

The emperor broke them off

"Gentlemen, we are here to deal serious business, one of our members was murdered, and this means we have to be more careful with who we trust. We need to find the person responsible for this and make him pay. If there is treachery inside the palace then there certainly is treachery outside its walls."

*+*+*+*+*+

The sun had already set, and still Shang had not arrived back home. Mulan sighed, she had been trying too hard to become a good wife, and this time she had made a huge effort to prepare dinner for him, but now the food had gotten cold, and it would not taste good.

AnShing had been away to the junior military training for two weeks which gave Chan Juan more time to distract herself by offering Mulan her advise.

"He won't come home tonight," Chan Juan began.

"He said the emperor just wanted to discuss something with him and he would be home tonight."

"Well there you just answered yourself," Chan Juan went on, "He's with the emperor. Look I'm just telling you, you shouldn't waste your time waiting for him. When my late husband was appointed by the emperor he'd always be away for two or three days in the Imperial City."

Mulan sighed. She hated when Shang's stepmother compared her marriage. "Well, I guess he didn't want me to worry."

"There's no reason why you should worry," assured Chan Juan, yet Mulan could sense a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "He's in good hands. The maids and concubines there are really kind, especially to army officers."

Mulan frowned and disposed herself to leave the kitchen. She had no need to hear this.

"You're old enough to know that happens," Chan Juan said behind her back, "now if I were you I'd give him reasons not to set his eyes and other things on strangers."

Mulan turned her head back to face Chan Juan bewildered. It definitely did not concern her husband's stepmother, but she and Shang spent plenty of time in their bedroom (and other places) doing what was only natural and expected for a young married couple to do.

"It wouldn't hurt you to look at yourself in the mirror once in a while and wear make up."

Mulan clenched her fist and turned her back again.

"Or you can give him a son," Chan Juan continued. Her last statement said in a louder voice considering Mulan had already left the room.

Mulan entered their bedroom and sat at the edge of the bed. She ran her fingers through her straight dark locks of hair pensively. She knew she was no beauty queen; however, Shang made her feel pretty enough. It was Chan Juan's latter statement what troubled her thoughts.

It have been seven months and there was nothing suspicious going on with her body regardless on the numerous occasions she and Shang had done the physical act of love.

Mulan's original intention was to wait some time to start having kids so she could get acquainted with her new role as Li Shang's wife. Truth be told, it was not that she did not want children, she just panicked at the thought of the responsibilities they lead to, and she wanted to be well prepared on the event of that. But lately, Mulan had begun to fear there might be something wrong with her. And if it were so, she was very likely to lose Shang.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Shang had said he liked her eyes, and her lips and her nose. But she knew she was different. She looked younger than other women her age, she could easily be confused with a teenager. She tied up her hair in a loose bun, and hung a pair of glittering jade and gold earrings on her ears. Then she pressed some powder on her face, which made her sneeze, followed by a red liquid paint on her lips which gave her a tingly sensation. As a final touch she outlined her eyes with black paint. She blinked twice at the sight of her new reflection. She looked so different. If Shang wanted a concubine, she could surely be mistaken for one with all the make-up. For a moment her eyes fixated on a bottle of fragrance her grandmother had given her as a wedding present. The elder lady had said that it's essence had the power to seduce men into doing whatever the woman using it desired. She hadn't really tried it yet. She put some on her neck. But the smell was too strong. She looked at her reflection one last time. This is ridiculous, she thought, and used her sleeves to wipe the make up from her face.

She headed to bed, undressed and put on her nightrobes. Just then she heard the gate of the Li estate being opened and the neigh of Shang's white stallion. Mulan lied on her bed, and decided she would pretend to be asleep. She did not want him to know she had been waiting for him.

It did not take long for Shang to enter their room soon after he had placed his armor in the wardrobe in the room next door. He walked towards their bed, let the sword clash loudly as he placed it on his bedside so Mulan would wake up.

Shang took his place on the bed next to his non-sleeping wife making he was not cautious enough not to "wake her" up. As he pulled on the blankets his elbow hit her

"Shang?" she called out in her failed attempt to feign she had just woken up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he lied

"How did it go with the emperor?" she inquired, not bothering to fake anymore , and sat up with her hands resting on her sides.

He frowned for a moment. If he told her about the mocking, she would most likely tell him he shouldn't care for others' judgments and opinions. And somehow it would make him get more upset than he already was. So he decided to give her a brief "Fine," and proceed with his original intention. His hand reached for her waist and pulled the band to loosen her robe.

Whereas Mulan was slightly shocked by his swift movement, she gave him her consent as she let her robe slide freely from her shoulders and then her arms revealing her light tender skin. Chan Juan was wrong, there could be no other woman.

Mulan noticed his fists were clenched tightly, and reached out for them with her own. For an instant he held them limply and then tightened the grip and placed them on his lower back. She sought to meet his eyes silently questioning if he was feeling okay. But Shang ignored her concern and cued her to help him remove his trousers and bent down his head to suckle the skin on her shoulder as both his hands gripped her by the waist in a nonverbal desperate order for her to come closer for which she held no resistance. His hands traveled up her back and then lower in circular motions until they reached her thighs, where they lingered as she sought his lips. He did not pay much attention for he was too concentrated nibbling on her neck.

She gave up for a moment and let herself enjoy every single stroke on her skin. In return she gently slid her hands up and down his strong arms and pulled him down with her.

Shang pulled away from her and bent down to settle his lips on Mulan´s stomach, and stuck his tongue out and slid it upwards until he reached her collarbone.

Mulan wrapped both her legs around his waist. His hands traveled from her thighs, to her knees, to her calves, then north again where they decided to tenderly grasp both her peeks. She moaned his name and he took his position within her center.

Her eyes opened for a moment and amid the poor light provided by the candle she could see the weary expression upon him. Something was troubling him, something was not right. The way he panted this time was different, it was more as if he was groaning. She wondered if he was upset.

He was not aware of her eyes upon his features until he raised his sight then glancing at her and noticed her eyes were not closed. But he did not want to let her know the thoughts in his mind, he knew it would only start another quarrel. He bent down to kiss her on the lips.

This time it had to work, cause she was a fine and strong woman, and he was born to the well-known and respectable legacy of Li Generals.

She parted her lips as she tasted blood. He had bitten her accidentally. Just a small cut, barely visible she pursed her lips to clean it. It had never happened before, he was usually so gentle.

Amid her own daze of the feeling him inside her she studied his features. His brow narrowed as in concern. She didn't need him to tell her something was different, something was angering him, something was worrying him, something was not right.

And then he stopped his motions abruptly.

It was over.

He cursed under his breath and pulled away from his wife.

"Shang, what's wrong with you?"

He turned halfway to her, unknowing how to explain what troubled him. Silence reigned between them for what seemed an eternity.

She was confused. She thought he wanted this.

"It was a long day," he said finally snatching his trousers from the bed and quickly putting them on., "Go back to sleep," he commanded.

But she was too stubborn to do as she was told. . Pulling her side of the sheets to cover herself she sat up on the bed and replied. "Well, I can't help you if you don't tell me what is wrong."

Without saying a word, Shang walked forward, then stopped for an instant, his glance turned slightly as if he meant to say something, but then he regretted and continued walking towards the door, leaving Mulan alone in the room confused and concerned.

"Maybe he does not want me anymore," she thought bitterly, and maybe Chan Juan was right. She had to do something before she'd lose him to another wife or lover.

Author's Note: Well I guess you can now see where the drama is heading. So what do you think?

Your comments are always appreciated.

Special thanks to:

Littlemissmulan: for being an awesome friend, reading and faving my stories. You're awesome. =)

sangofan89: thanks a lot for your feedback.

Chazza Fan: =) thanks for checking my deviantART profile as well, sometimes you get to see some things I don't publish on yet. I'm glad you liked it.

TheSaintsrocknowandforever: it's on =) thanx for the encouragement.

Amylily123: yeah the thing is my work keeps getting in the way. But the story continues. =) Thanx for reading.

Lynn12: Glad to hear from you. Good luck on the project. Sorry I haven't been able to catch up with you. But hey we can always keep in touch through deviantart.

Chelle93: Awesome feedback =) thank you so much. Sorry I couldn't update sooner, but I'm working on it.

Thanks a lot to you, for reading the story. Hope you can leave a small note if you're liking the story and if you're not also let me know why. See you next time. Hopefully soon.