A couple hours later, as they came up by a river, Shang turned to Mulan. "We should stop and let the horses graze and drink. Then we can eat, too." He stopped his horse and turned to the guards.
"We're going to stop and let the horses drink and graze. Make sure you three get a meal in you." He laughed to himself as he said it. Chien Po never had to be told twice to eat. The man loved food.
Mulan opened the carriage window to talk to the princesses. "We're stopping to water the horses, Your Highnesses. Perhaps you'd like to stretch your legs."
Mei peered out the window, behind her fan. "Are the guards fellows out there?" Of course, she meant Yao, but Mulan didn't know this. Yet.
Mulan glanced over at the guards. "Oh, yes. You're perfectly safe out here."
Mei handed her fan to Ting Ting, who became irritated. "I think a leg stretch would be very nice." With that, she climbed out of the carriage and Su giggled.
After tying their horses at a grassy river bank, the couple stood holding hands and staring at each other. Shang glanced around.
Mei was busy talking to Yao, Su was picking fruit with Chien Po and Ting Ting was busy trying to avoid Ling. He couldn't see the guardian dragon, but he was sure Mushu was somewhere nearby. He glanced over at an outcropping of rocks nearby and gestured with his head towards it. Mulan looked at it and smiled, then glanced around to see what everyone else was doing. Then she looked back at Shang and nodded. They quickly and quietly made their way to the other side of it.
As soon as they were out of sight, Shang put his arms around Mulan and pushed her against the side of the rock. The two kissed feverishly. Shang's hands drifted down to Mulan's breasts and he squeezed them over her dress. He groaned as her hand found his manhood and rubbed against it. He was starting to pull the skirt of her dress up when he heard Mushu. The dragon had noticed they had disappeared and quickly found the couple sneaking away.
"What? No, no, no, no, no! You two cut it out right now! Think I don't know what you're up to, sneakin' over here to do the babymakin' dance again?"
Mulan pulled away from Shang's lips with an exasperated groan.
"Mushu, go away!"
"No, girl, I ain't going nowhere! You two need to stop this. You ain't married yet."
"I told you, we will be soon enough."
"So it shouldn't be that hard to wait then!"
"Mushu, we shouldn't have to wait if we don't want to. Shang and I love each other. Now go away!"
Mushu stood staring at her with his arms crossed, obviously not going anywhere.
"Mushu, go!"
"Nope!"
Mulan pulled away from Shang and pulled her skirt down. Then she picked up Mushu and tossed him in the direction of the guards and princesses.
"Leave us alone!"
"Don't come crying to me if you pop out a kid in nine months!"
She returned to where Shang still stood by the rock.
"Well… Shall we?"
He wrapped his arms around her again and pushed her back up against the rock. As they kissed, he pulled her skirt up again and she undid the drawstring of his pants. He pulled her undergarment down and quickly pushed himself inside of her. They knew they had be fast and quiet to avoid getting caught.
After they had both climaxed, they fixed their clothes and stood against the rock, kissing and catching their breath.
"I love you, Mulan."
"I love you, too, Shang."
"That would be bad if one of the guards caught us. We'd never hear the end of it."
"Nope, we sure wouldn't."
"You already not gonna hear the end of it from me! I told you two to stop it!" Mushu had appeared once again.
Mulan was angry. "Mushu, were you watching us?"
"No, I wasn't watching you two doin' the babymakin' dance! What kind of a perverted dragon do you think I am?" He made gagging sounds and pretended to throw up.
"I just came back when I figured you were done. What are you gonna tell the family when you get married and then are popping out a kid a little too soon?"
"We'll figure that out if and when that happens. Stop being so sure I'm going to be with child so soon."
"Stop being so sure that you ain't. I'm just looking out for you, girl. If Fa Zhou knew about this, he'd have some words for Shang. And that's putting it mildly."
"But you're not going to tell him, right?"
"No, girl, I ain't gonna tell him. Guardians can keep secrets, you know. But you better be careful when you get back home."
Mulan shuddered as she pictured her grandma or her parents, especially her father, walking in on them.
"You're right. We'll just have to get married soon after we get back."
"Yeah, see? A dragon is always right."
Mulan rolled her eyes and gave Shang one last kiss. "We'd better get back."
"And I ain't changing no diapers!"
As they walked back to where the princesses and guards were, Mushu watched them. He decided he'd better put Operation Shang into action. The more the couple argued, the less they would be smooching. The next time they stopped, he planned to make Shang look so bad that Mulan wouldn't even want to kiss him.
As Mulan was reloading supplies into the carriage, Mei approached her, looking troubled.
"Fa Mulan?"
"Your Highness, is anything wrong?" She noticed the troubled look on the princess's face.
"No, no, not at all."
Mulan was not convinced. "Are you...sure?"
"Uh… I just wanted to compliment you. You were so brave to take your father's place in the army."
Mulan was surprised. Plenty of people had seen fit to share their opinions of her actions with her, and not all of them were good.
"Oh, well, thank you."
Then again, Mulan had saved these sisters' father, and their lives as well. If the Huns had killed the Emperor, his family would have been killed soon after.
"Your duty was to stay home, but your heart told you to break the rules. How did you decide between duty and heart?"
Mulan sighed a little. Her and Shang had been discussing duty versus heart just that morning and it was a source of disagreement between them.
"Well, it wasn't easy. But… uhh… by following my feelings, I wound up doing the right thing. I guess I learned that my duty is to my heart." She knew Shang would spit nails if he'd heard her talking like this to one of the princesses.
Mei slowly repeated the last phrase with deep thought. "My duty is to my heart." Suddenly, she smiled. "Yes, that makes sense. That's marvelous. Thank you, Fa Mulan. Thank you!"
Mulan was more than a little mystified by this. "You're welcome. I guess…" What would a princess need to know about following her heart versus following her duty? She finished reloading the carriage as Shang called for everyone to get back on the road.
As the two prepared to mount their horses, Mushu snuck up and loosened the strap under the Imperial stallion's saddle. When Shang climbed up, he slid right back down to the underside of the horse. Mulan quickly undid Khan's saddle strap and slid down next to Shang, then kissed him as they both hung upside down. After they both fixed their saddles and got back on their horses, Shang was mystified as to what happened. He'd mounted horses thousands of times and never made the saddle too loose.
Su approached where Ting Ting stood waiting for her by the carriage. She had a basket full of fruit and a starry look in her eye. "Look what Chien Po picked for me? Isn't he sweet?"
"Just get your pomegranates in the carriage." Ting Ting shook her head. Now both of her younger sisters had crushes on guards. She'd promised their father she'd watch over them both, but they were making it difficult.
Each sister had a different mother. Mei's mother was a spirited and adventurous concubine. Fa Mulan reminded Mei of her. Su's mother was young, having been taken in as a concubine at the age of 13, and gave birth to Su at 14. Su herself was only 13, Mei was 15 and Ting Ting was 17. Ting Ting was the daughter of the Emperor's original wife. She was the oldest of all the Emperor's children, and was like a second mother to her many younger siblings.
While she rode next to Shang, Mulan kept thinking about her conversation with Mei. Could the princess be having second thoughts about her marriage to a prince she'd never met?
Several hours later, the group stopped again, as the sun was beginning to hang lower in the sky. That's when Mushu decided to unleash his fury on Shang.
The dragon spied the two standing in the river fishing, so he snuck up behind Shang and tucked the hook into the back of his sash.
As he pitched his pole forward, the hook pulled his robe up over his head and he fell backwards into the water. Almost immediately, he felt a fish flipping around and begged Mulan to remove it. She pulled it out from inside the back of his robe.
Mulan laughed. "Nice catch, Shang!" She leaned forward and kissed him. He put his arm around her and pulled her to him and they kissed again.
A few minutes later, Mushu watched him setting up wood for a fire. When the General turned his back, Mushu dropped a tiny bit of gunpowder into the fire pit. When Shang went to light it, it exploded in his face. The chicken that had been hanging in a pot over the fire pit was burned. Mulan laughed and grabbed a leg and took a bite.
"Mmmm… Tasty!"
The couple kissed again, much to dismay of Mushu. This was not working how he wanted it to.
As the couple sat down on a couple of logs to eat, Mushu dropped a nasty bug down Shang's back. He panicked as he felt it stinging him, and jumped around trying to get it out, falling into a dead tree in the process. Mulan helped him out of his robe and got it out and killed it. Then he put his arms around her and kissed her as they both lay on the ground by the dead tree.
Shang gently pushed her onto her back and leaned over her and they continued to kiss on the ground. The guards and princesses were many feet away, and the couple was hidden from view by trees.
"No, no! Absolutely not. Knock that off now!" Mulan and Shang groaned. This dragon was everywhere!
Mushu stood with his arms crossed, glaring at them. "Can't you two keep your hands off each other for two minutes?"
Mulan got an idea. "Mushu… I'll polish your pedestal and raise it higher than the rest if you don't try to interfere again the rest of the trip. Deal?"
"What? The rest of the trip? You mean, if I just let you two do the babymakin' dance whenever you want, you'll raise my pedestal higher and polish it for me?"
"Yes! That's exactly what I mean."
"Fine. You have a deal. I won't try to stop you two anymore, then. But you better follow through, girl."
"I will."
"If you don't, I'll tell Fa Zhou all about it."
"No, don't do that, Mushu. You promised not to tell anyone."
"Well, I guess you better keep your end of the bargain for your guardian then, girl."
"Ok, I will. Now will you go?"
"Fine. But that kid better not call me Uncle Mushu!"
When Mushu was gone, she turned her attention back to Shang. Once again, they made love quickly and very quietly, and then jumped on their horses and rode high up on a cliff to scope out the area around them.
The guards had set up the princesses' tent, meanwhile. The sisters were gathering their belongings from the carriage when the rocks holding it gave out. The carriage began careening down the hill with all three sisters in it.
The guards saw this and ran to their aid. Shang and Mulan rode up on either side of it and between the five of them two of the three were pulled out while they tried to stop it with a rope. Ting Ting's ankle got stuck under a broken board after she'd pushed her sisters out first.
Before she could pull it loose, the carriage went over the cliff, taking everybody with it. Just before it hit a huge boulder, Ting Ting jumped free. Debris and supplies flew everywhere and landed in the lake below.
Everybody surfaced right away except for Mulan. Shang looked around frantically and called for her. Just then, she surfaced and he swam to her, pulling her into his arms. She had the maps in her hand, as well as the little leather bag of coins from the Emperor.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. I wasn't near the carriage."
Shang turned his attention to the guards. "Yao, Ling, save the supplies!"
The carriage was wrecked beyond repair. With no way to carry all their supplies, they'd be forced to leave much of it behind until they could buy another one.
Crickey was busy yelling at Mushu for the broken carriage.
"I didn't do it. I was just angry about Shang and Mulan misbehavin' and kicked the carriage. It knocked itself loose."
The cricket continued his tirade.
"This wasn't my plan. Wagon's busted. Cold and miserable. Although, old Shang's steamin' like a fresh pork bun. He'll be too angry to put his hands on Mulan. Things are looking up after all!"
Crickey reminded him of his deal with Mulan not to interfere with her and Shang.
"I'm not interfering with their little activities. I'm just making them mad enough at each other that they won't want to do them anymore."
Crickey covered his face with one of his legs again.
As the guards and the couple retrieved whatever food they could salvage, the princesses made their way to their tent. It was obvious none of them were happy.
Shang lit a fire and attempted to dry the map by it, but it tore as he tried to spread it out.
Mulan watched him and glanced over at the
princesses. "I've seen happier princesses."
"That's the least of our worries." Shang was incredibly stressed over successfully completing the mission. The carriage was destroyed. There was just two days left to get the princesses to Qui Gong. The Emperor's words rang in his ears.
"My advisors tell me the charts are clear. If this marriage does not take place, the alliance will crumble and the Mongols will destroy us. Mark my words, General. Three days."
The survival of the Middle Kingdom depended on his ability to safely deliver the princesses to Qui Gong.
"There's a mountain pass between here and Qui Gong. It takes us through bandit country. But it's the only way." The original route he'd planned on would take too long, there wasn't time now. They had to take a shortcut.
Mulan pointed to the river nearby as she spoke. "Why not just follow the river?"
"Because the river's not on the map." Shang was determined to follow the map. It was his lifeline.
"It's bound to go past a town, and where there's a town there's a road."
"There's no town on the map!"
"Well, then, maybe we should just forget the map and wing it!"
'Winging it' had always worked for Mulan. That's what she'd done ever since the day she left home to join the army.
Shang never winged anything. He always had a plan for every choice he made.
"We can't wing it. We need a new plan. We have three days. What if we get lost?" Shang stared at the map again. Mulan didn't seem to him like she grasped the seriousness of their mission and how imperative it was that they be successful. If they failed, China would fall.
"Then we'll pull over and ask for directions."
"We don't need to pull over and ask directions. We have a map." Shang was growing irritated with Mulan now.
"What is it with men and asking directions?" To Mulan, it seemed like Shang was on a pride trip, thinking his way of following a dangerous route on a map was the only way to get to their destination.
"What is it with women and maps?" Shang didn't understand why Mulan wouldn't just listen to him and agree that going through bandit country was the only way.
"Oh, you're saying women can't read maps?" Now Mulan was irritated with Shang.
The argument escalated until everyone within a two hundred foot earshot could hear them. It continued until Yao appeared.
"Am I interrupting?"
They both stopped. "What is it, Yao?"
He saluted. "Scout report. I found a village and a path to it through the forest."
They looked at each other. "A forest path?" They both looked sheepish.
"Great! Show us!"
Yao led them to a vantage point where they could look down over the hill and see the village. "See, if it were a snake, it would have bit ya." He had a vague idea they had been fighting over what path to take to Qui Gong, and hoped this would help. He was also starting to formulate in his mind a way himself and the other guards could go to the village and bring the princesses.
"There's bound to be a road down there that'll lead us to Qui Gong." Mulan looked relieved.
Shang saluted Yao, and he returned it.
"Nice work, Yao."
"Thank you sir."
After he walked away, Shang and Mulan turned away from each other after sharing a quick glance. It was their first fight. Shang looked at his map and Mulan stared at the sky for a moment. She was tempted to walk away, but knew she had been at least a little bit in the wrong. She turned around towards her fiance.
"Shang, I'm sorry. You're in charge of the mission." She realized that maybe he was right about the route. He'd traveled through these parts before, after all, and she never had.
"No, I'm the one who's sorry. A good leader is open to new ideas. Forgive me?" Shang realized that Mulan's schemes always worked, even when he was sure they wouldn't. Wasn't her courage in the face of certain death, her unwillingness to give up hope and her impulsiveness what he fell in love with in the first place?
They joined hands. "There's nothing to forgive." The two shared a hug and a kiss, much to the dismay of a certain dragon. He'd cheered when he'd seen them fighting, but now was not happy to see them make up.
"I'd better go. I've got the first watch, General."
Up on a tree, Crickey stuck his tongue out at Mushu and blew a raspberry. Mushu let out a huff and set his antennas on fire.
They reluctantly let go of each other after one more kiss, but as they pulled away, their Yin and Yang necklaces hooked together. To Mulan, it was like her father was there, reminding them how sun and rain were different but worked together. The fight had discouraged her a little. They were so different. But they had to work it out, she reminded herself. Not getting married was not an option anymore. Not after she'd completely given herself to him. She headed to the edge of the clearing to keep watch.
Shang headed to his tent to sleep. As he drifted off, he thought about the night he and Mulan had spent together on the way to the Imperial City. He remembered the way she'd looked at him and how she felt in his arms. They had to make this relationship work. If it failed and Mulan was to be married to someone else, she would be publicly shamed when it was discovered she was no longer a virgin.
Meanwhile, the princesses were in disagreement about duty versus heart. After Ling had brought Ting Ting her fan, Mei noticed that he seemed sweet on her and she on him. But when she brought it up, Ting Ting denied it and reminded Mei of their duties. Mei had stomped off to their tent. When the other sisters came in a few minutes later, they found her writing a letter to their father telling him she couldn't complete the mission. After an animated discussion about the freedom "other girls" have, they returned to their campfire.
.
.
.
.
Shang had a dream that Chi Fu walked in on them, and started saying all kinds of unfriendly things about Mulan.
"She defied you. She insulted you. Man, she laughed at your map. If she's laughing to your face, imagine what she's saying behind your back. She's a loose cannon. She's out of control. I mean, who's in charge here? You, or Mulan? Mulan! Mulan!"
In his dream, Chi Fu had grabbed Mulan and pulled her out of the tent in only a blanket and raised a sword over her head. He grabbed the sword out of the advisor's hand just before he woke with a start.
"Mulan?" He looked around and realized it was just a dream. Chi Fu was nowhere in sight. After a moment, he went back to sleep. He had no idea Mushu had been whispering in his ear what Chi Fu had been saying in the dream.
Soon after he fell back to sleep, he was awakened by what sounded like Mulan talking about him to the princesses.
"General Shang? General Hardhead is more like it."
Shang had been called that before, but never by Mulan. How did she know about that not-so-affectionate nickname?
"Everything's got to have a strategy. The man doesn't brush his teeth without a backup plan."
He was irritated by that. There was a reason he was a general of the Imperial Army now. And a general always has a back-up plan. But maybe not for brushing teeth.
"I blame myself. I fell for those broad shoulders. I just didn't realize there wasn't much sitting on top of them. Except that garlic breath. Whew, that boy can peel paint!"
Shang was mystified at this. In all the kisses they'd shared the last couple of days, she'd never mentioned his garlic breath. Why was she badmouthing him to the princesses? He jumped up, dressed and ran out to find Mulan.
He found her at her post like nothing had happened. How had she gotten back there so quick?
She looked surprised to see him.
"Well, hello General. Out on night maneuvers?" It was code for using the bathroom at night in the woods.
"I heard you, Mulan. Every word."
"Every word of what?" She was bewildered. What was her fiance talking about?
"Don't play coy with me. I saw you outside my tent."
Now Mulan was angry. "I haven't left my post."
"And I suppose you weren't gossiping with the princesses?" Shang was irritated that she wouldn't just admit it.
"General Hardhead? Brushing my teeth?"
"Shang, did that dip in the river get you waterlogged?" Now she was laughing at him.
Mulan noticed he kept covering his mouth with his hand. "And why are you covering your mouth with your hand?" Shang was acting really weird.
"I wouldn't want to peel your paint!"
Mulan's jaw dropped. Why was he so angry? She'd never left her post, never said anything bad about him to the princesses and never told him his breath was bad enough to peel paint.
Yao walked up at that moment to relieve Mulan. "Changing of the guard."
Shang turned to go back to his tent, but had one last thing to say to Mulan. "And next time, don't leave your post!"
Yao was mystified by this. He hadn't seen Mulan leave her post. In all the time he'd known her, she never had left a post while on watch. She always took watch duty very seriously. He turned to her. "What's with him?"
She didn't answer, but made an angry sound before stomping off. "What's with her?" Then he realized he was alone. "Who am I talking to?"
The lovebirds weren't getting along. Yao knew they had been doing ok earlier when he'd seen them sneak away to smooch a couple of times. They didn't know he'd seen them, and it wasn't his business, so he didn't say anything. He just wished he had someone to sneak away and smooch with. All three of the guards longed for that.
During his watch, Yao talked with the other two guards about how to convince the princesses to visit the nearby village. He decided to tell them that Chien Po had a dream to visit a remote village by moonlight. It worked, and Ting Ting agreed they could all go.
When Shang returned to his tent, he fell back to sleep. Mulan reached her tent, but didn't sleep like she should have. Instead, she paced, feeling upset at her and Shang's latest fights. They'd fought more that day than they had their entire one month long romance. Mushu watched her with a satisfied look on his face. He'd rather have his girl here pacing and angry at Shang than sneaking off to his tent to do the babymakin' dance.
"We're so different. I don't know what to do."
"Without trust, there can be no relationship. And that boy don't trust you."
"Mushu, we have to work it out. I have to marry him now."
The dragon rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know. I'm aware. Maybe you shoulda thought of that before you went and…"
"Mushu! What's done is done now. But why does it have to be so hard all of a sudden? It's easy when everything's nice and smooth."
Just then, Mushu looked out the tent entrance and saw the three guards and the the princesses leaving the camp.
"Oh, Mulan… Nice and smooth just ran out of camp."
"What?"
"I'm just trying to tell you that the princesses went AWOL. That's all."
Mulan couldn't believe this. Why didn't they stay at the camp where they were safe?
"Where are the guards?"
"Showing them the way."
Why would they do that, Mulan wondered. "They're together?"
"Uh-huh"
"Together together?" The guards and the princesses were falling for each other? That explains her conversation with Mei earlier.
"Don't you understand Chinese?"
Mulan grabbed her sword and threw her sash back on. She made an exasperated sound and headed out towards Khan.
"Hey, what about old Shanghai?"
"I think I better handle this on my own. Shang's on a short fuse as it is. Just make sure nothing wakes him up." She quietly led Khan away from the camp.
Unbeknownst to Mulan, Mushu had no intention of letting Shang sleep. He made as much noise as he could and finally woke up the General. Shang raced out of his tent only to find everyone gone.
He looked in the princesses' tent, and found nothing but a letter written by Mei stating she couldn't complete the mission.
Did she not realize how crucial this alliance was to the safety and well-being of the Middle Kingdom?
The last line of her letter angered him. "I've come to realize that my duty is to my heart."
So Mulan was behind this. He angrily crumpled up the letter, then realized he should keep it, so he folded it and tucked it inside his robe. Walking back outside, he saw footprints and hoofprints leading towards the village Yao had pointed out earlier. He jumped on his stallion and followed them.
While all this was happening with Shang, Mulan had reached the village. She found the guards and princesses on a bridge gazing at the moon. Chien Po had his arm around Su. Yao and Mei were snuggled up together. Ling and Ting Ting had their arms around each other.
"Isn't it beautiful?", Mei sighed.
"It's just like the moon back home," answered Ting Ting.
"No", sighed Su. "This one's entirely different."
That's when Mulan decided to make her presence known. "I know I've never seen anything like it."
The six jumped. "Mulan!"
"I'm listening…"
Ting Ting explained to her what was happening. "Oh, Fa Mulan, it's love. Su and Chien Po, Yao and Mei, and myself and Lingy-bear, I mean Ling."
Mulan stood stunned for a moment, unsure how she should react. This was not how the mission was supposed to go. But then she saw the smiles on all their faces, and decided to be happy for them. She ran up the bridge stairs and hugged the princesses. The guards had each been looking for a mate ever since returning home from war, and probably long before that. Their marching song from the Hun war, 'A Girl Worth Fighting For', ran through her head.
Chien Po scooped everybody up into a group hug, but it was cut short by the neighing of an Imperial Stallion. Shang! He dropped everyone, and the guards all quickly stood at attention. The princesses looked downright scared, so Mulan reassured them she would take care of everything.
She walked towards Shang as he dismounted his horse and angrily stomped in their general direction.
"I'm so sorry to break up your little party."
"Shang, before you jump to conclusions, let me explain the situation…" He cut her off.
"Fine, why don't we start with this." He held up the letter. Mei spoke up. "That's mine."
"All yours? Or did you have help?" Shang spat the words out as he glared at Mulan, then he read a sentence from the letter. "...and so, Father, I cannot complete this mission. I have come to realize that my duty is to my heart."
Mulan recognized that phrase, as Mei had been particularly fascinated by it earlier during their conversation. She didn't make all of this happen. Is that what Shang thought?
Shang looked Mulan right in the eye and raised his voice, drill sergeant style. "Now who does that sound like?" She flinched. She could take it when he yelled at her in a boot camp setting, but this was different.
Su jumped to Mulan's defense. "Mei never meant to send that letter."
Shang turned his attention to the three sisters. "Your Highnesses, you took a solemn vow to be married in Qui Gong. What would your father say if he saw you now, breaking that vow?" This hit home with each of the princesses, and their faces fell as they looked down. They had a mission to complete, to marry princes of Qui Gong, and falling in love with Imperial guards was not part of that plan.
Shang then walked to where the guards stood at attention. "You three are to escort the princesses back to their tents immediately. You are to guard them. You are not to enter their tent, you are not to speak to them. Not one word. EVER! Am I understood?"
The guards faces fell. "Yes, Sir!"
They silently walked the princesses back to the campsite. This left Shang and Mulan alone, except for a very anxious Crickey and a gleeful Mushu both perched on a branch above them, watching.
"Shang, the problem isn't as bad as it seems." She placed her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it away and she pulled her hand back like it had been burned.
"The problem, Mulan, is you."
"What?" So he was blaming this all on her, just like she had suspected.
"You place your own feelings above everything. Duty, obligation, tradition. It all means nothing to you!" His voice had taken on the loud drill sergeant quality again that she hated to hear in ordinary interactions.
Mulan was angered at this accusation. "It means everything to me. My heart tells me my duty and I follow it." Did he forget that following her heart is what saved the Emperor and China? Obviously so. If she hadn't listened to her heart, the Emperor would be dead and Shan Yu would be ruling China now.
He turned away from her with an angry groan. She just didn't understand how critical this mission was, and by allowing the guards to court the princesses, she was putting it in peril.
"You're a brilliant warrior, Shang." He turned around to face her. "You're brave. You're loyal. But you don't trust your heart." Mulan grew angry as she thought about how he was so quick to dismiss the role that following her heart had played in saving China.
"Sometimes, I wonder if you even have one." Even as she said it, Mulan knew this was unfair. If he didn't have a heart, he would have taken her life in the Tung Shou pass.
Shang gasped, looking hurt at her words. He thought the same thing as her, that if he hadn't had a heart, he would have beheaded her when her gender was revealed. It was his heart, as he watched her cowering helplessly in the snow in nothing but a blanket and training pants, that caused him to throw the sword down rather than kill her. She didn't seem to remember that right now.
"This assignment has made it clear. We are very different people." He didn't want to be married to this woman who would just willy-nilly follow her heart. He regretted sleeping with her, and pushed out of his mind the nagging worry that she could be with child.
Mulan gasped at this words. "Maybe too different." If he no longer wanted to marry her, she no longer wanted that, either.
Shang gasped as he realized she did not want to marry him. "Fine." He walked to his horse and mounted it. "We have a mission to complete." Then he rode away, leaving Mulan standing alone.
She glanced down at her abdomen and Mushu's words echoed in her head.
"Don't come crying to me if you pop out a kid in nine months."
"Stop being so sure that I'm going to be with child so soon."
"Stop being so sure that you ain't!"
Mulan knew she couldn't marry this man. Not when he placed duty and obligation over everything else, even her. When she returned home, she'd try to get back to life as it had been before the war when Shang hadn't entered her life yet. She silently prayed to the ancestors to not let her be with child. If she was, she knew there were herbs to remedy the situation.
Three days ago, she was so happy to be newly engaged. Now she couldn't wait to get away from Shang and get on with her life. How did this happen? She mounted Khan and slowly rode back to camp.
The guards watched her as she rode into camp, cared for her horse and exited to her tent. They hadn't been witness to their argument, but all three had seen Shang return and storm into his tent. Mulan held her head up high and refused to let anyone see her cry.
Once she reached her tent, she threw herself on her mat and sobbed. Mushu and Crickey tried to comfort her, but they weren't able to.
"Ok, Mushu, you were right. I shouldn't have slept with him. Now we've broken our engagement and what if you're right and I am with child? Even if I'm not, I can't marry anyone else. It's too late. I gave him everything."
Mulan sobbed harder into her mat. Mushu rubbed her back. For once, he didn't know what to say. He couldn't fix this problem for his girl. He'd helped her through so many sticky situations, but this one he couldn't make better. She just had to ride it out, and see what the future held. He said a prayer of his own to the ancestors to please not let her be with child.
In the morning, it was clear that neither Shang nor Mulan had slept at all. Everyone had heard Mulan sobbing during the night. The princesses and the guards all knew that Shang and Mulan had broken up. The atmosphere was tense as they all broke camp and started on their way. As they made their way down the road towards Qui Gong, no one spoke.
The group wasn't able to buy a carriage at the village, but traded a couple of horses for an oxen that the princesses could ride on. Much of their supplies had to be left behind, now that they had no way to transport them.
Crickey blasted Mushu for interfering with their relationship and making them angry with each other. He tried to defend himself by saying that he only wanted to make them upset enough with each other that they would stop sneaking off to hook up, not to cause them to break up. Crickey wasn't buying any of it, and continued to chew him out, eventually giving his whiskers a hard yank.
Because they had not been able to devise a better route, they had to travel right through bandit country. This was dangerous, and Mulan wished that Shang had asked for more soldiers than just the three. "This mission does not call for force, but finesse."
Finesse does not fight off bandits. Force does. She recognized he had much the same arrogance that his father had displayed when he thought he could stop the Huns with just one company of soldiers.
Mulan briefly mused that had her father been heading up this mission during his years as a general, he would have brought many soldiers along, maybe a whole company. Shang was showing his youth and inexperience in military affairs. She sent up another prayer to the ancestors, this time asking that they protect all of them as they traveled.