Mulan inhaled the crisp winter air as she exited her quarter in the Forbidden Palace. It had snowed last night and the palace was blanketed in a magical blanket of white. She thought it was best to find Shao to let him know she had returned and she knew exactly where likely he would be.

Just as she passed, she overheard familiar voices from behind her from across the hedge. It was Empress Zetian and someone with a voluptuous figure was no other than Lady Suiko. Mulan didn't even know they were all buddy-buddy! It seemed absurd that Shao's ex-lover was a close confidant to a woman who ended up marrying him.

"I read her letter, Suiko! I got the proof in my hand! But I was…" there was a loud, frustrated sigh." I was so angry and caught up on the moment that I just threw it into the fire!"

"That would be one condemning evidence that you can show the councils," came Suiko's calm reply. "He'll be dead meat if someone finds that out. But do you really want him to die?"

"I do!" Zetian said, but there was no bite in it.

Suiko feigned a scoff, "I didn't ask you for the right answer, I asked you the tell me the truth! I've told you many times over, I have no problem if you liked him."

"Good morning Lady Suiko, My Empress," Mulan bowed reverently.

"Oh, Consort Fa," Suiko chorused, smiling coyly. Meanwhile, Zetian didn't give her the same curtsy, only peering down as she narrowed her eyes. "I'd better go now," she announced curtly and disappeared before anyone could voice their objection.

"You are back from your trip," Suiko stated.

"Yes, and you are still here."

She smirked behind her fan, "Is that a warning? Don't worry, I didn't seduce your husband while you are gone."

"I actually won't mind if you do," Mulan replied with a pinch of sarcasm. "Didn't know you and Empress Zetian are… good friends."

"Is that weird?"

"Well, considering you are Prince Shao's ex and Zetian is his wife. It's rather…"

Suiko giggled, "Abnormal? Ironic? Mega-insane?"

"Yeah… you get what I mean," Mulan tried not to roll her eyes.

"I do apologize if I come across as…unwelcoming. I just felt betrayed Shao replaced me with an unadorable, bosomless hag. Excuse my language," she chuckled, fanning herself.

Yeap, unwelcoming was the understatement of the century. "No. Not at all. I understand," Mulan tried to stay diplomatic.

"I take it you've enjoyed the celebration?"

"Yes, it was as splendid as always. But I actually didn't come here to celebrate. I come here to say goodbye," she said easily. It was an unexpectedly honest and direct answer.

"Goodbye?"

"When I return back to Japan, I'll be married," she said again. "I'm leaving first thing in the morning. You can tell Shao for me, can't you?"

Mulan didn't quite know how to react to that.

"I'm sure it's better if you see him yourself before you leave. You are one of his closest friends," so she heard.

"No, I think it is better this way," Suiko insisted. "And it'll be better coming from you."

Mulan wanted to ask why, but she wasn't in any mood to talk to someone who would likely stab her with a metaphorical blade on any sign of weaknesses.

"I hope you would still be able to visit us," she replied, even when her head said otherwise.

Suiko didn't seem to appreciate her attempt at small talk. "A married woman can only travel chaperoned by her husband. Besides, visiting a distant ex-lover will sound far too questionable…. and scandalous. It is not very nice to be in a scandalous relationship. It can get dangerous."

Mulan scoffed, "But you like danger right? That's why you dated Shao Wei," and she shook her head amusedly. "Even sometimes I think he is a danger to himself."

Suiko blinked but slowly, and a smile crept up her face. "I heard you pull a stunt in cross-dressing. The entire regiment was fooled. I'm impressed."

"Who told you…?"

"Oh come on, Forbidden Palace is actually a small place. A few inner circle royalty knew about a lot of things. After all, it's their job to watch the subjects, no? These walls had eyes and ears working for them."

"I hope you are speaking metaphorically. It creeps me out."

"Your fashion sense creeps me out too." Mulan felt Suiko's stare undressing her from head to toe. She could smell the strong distaste for the out-moded drab she was wearing. "I take you are not marrying Shao for love… nor money?"

"Hold on…this is very practical and serviceable!" Mulan felt the need to defend.

"I beg you Consort Fa, even when you don't love your man, you must learn to please him. You need to make him proud to show you around. Dress well, take care of your appearance, learn to dance, and look pretty in his arm. For heaven's sake, you are a concubine of an emperor!"

Mulan opened her mouth to argue. But she was gravely aware she had zero fashion sense, no clue about makeup, and without Baoxi's excellent taste and encyclopedic knowledge of beauty products, she would look pretty much like a slave. And Suiko made a fair point about dressing up to her status.

"You don't look like the type who will easily do anything for the sake of pleasing men," Mulan muttered.

"Of course not!" Suiko laughed. "I don't want to be dictated in what I want to do…and I don't want to share my future husband with someone else, be it his subjects….or another woman….that's why we broke up. But you do. You have chosen this way of life." Suiko leaned closer. Mulan braced herself mentally for a shark coming into her territory. "If you wish to survive, you need to learn fast. Trust me, living in the Harem is not for the faint-hearted."

Mulan winced, "Is… is it?"

Suiko sat down and Mulan sat in the furthest possible spot without being impolite. "Learning by watching is the fastest way to learn. For example, Princess Wei Ting is just a spoilt, immature princess who lived a sheltered life… instead, should spend more time with Empress Zetian. She might be cold, yes, but she… She has a good relationship with most of the nobility and generals. She is clever, judicious and sensible, and very knowledgeable in politics. There are a lot of things you can gain from observing her."

Mulan tapped her chin, "Are you saying you make friends with her because she is resourceful?" And perhaps… useful.

Suiko paused, unexpectedly looking a little sentimental. "She is the most loyal of all friends. If you killed someone, she'll help you to hide the body." It was the first sincere sentence Mulan saw coming out of her.

"I guess everyone has 'their person'. Someone they trust with their life. Prince Shao would say the same about Princess Altan…"

Her sentence was interrupted by Suiko's melodious laugh. "It's hard to make a real friend when one of you wants something out of the relationship. It makes the equation imbalance."

Mulan stared at her, "What do you mean?"

"Princess Altan has a terrible crush on Shao Wei, it was clearly one-sided. How hard she was trying to win him… from me," Suiko let a disdainful scoff. "She is so consumed with her feeling that she couldn't think logically. You need to watch out for people like that as they are less predictable. I mean, relinquishing her royal crown to General Shan-Yu to save her enemy? That was just plain stupid."

Wow, she is refreshingly blunt. "Didn't know that news travel to Japan."

"I'm not an ignorant girl like you."

And merciless.

Despite her aversion in keeping tiger as a pet, Mulan thought now was the perfect moment to apply Suiko's lecture about choosing allies wisely. "Well, I'm glad we get to talk before you leave to clear some air. I hope we can be friends. It's what Shao would've wanted."

"Japan's relationship with the Middle Kingdom is always good. So, befriending you has no added benefit."

Here we go again.

"Would you not be offended if my interest in our friendship merely because it is beneficial to our homeland? You said it yourself, it'll make the friendship imbalance. And by the way, I am quite good in the art of deception and hiding illegal stuff—as you might have heard, although… I can't guarantee I can hide a body."

Suiko riveted her eyes. Mulan tried not to squirm even when Suiko's stare felt like undressing her all over again. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Trying to be nice to me?" she said indignantly. Yeap, why indeed.

Mulan shrugged, trying to give careful consideration before turning into a martyr in this verbal assault. "I told you. It is what Shao would've wanted. But that's fine if you said no, I am used to being rejected. I just want you to talk to him before you go."

"And what would I do that?" Suiko was still prim for a fight.

"Look," Mulan held up her arms. "Shang, my first husband, died on the battlefield. And I didn't… I didn't get a chance to tell him goodbye, that I was sorry for… a lot of things… I didn't get a chance to tell him that he is going to be a father… And that I lov…," she gesticulated helplessly trying to say the words without making her heartbreak into thousand pieces all over again. Suiko just wasn't someone Mulan ever pictured herself having a heart-to-heart with-but it felt like the necessary final punch was to vocalize the source of her frustration. "Oh, never mind…"

The surprise on Suiko's face was irrepressible, and then her expression softened. "Tell him 8 am by the south gate."

Mulan blinked, "Oh?"

"It's what you want, right?" Mulan didn't know how to react to sudden compliance after such fierce hostility. What had just happened? But she won't let this chance go to waste. "I'll tell him."

"Right." For a moment Mulan thought she was delusional. A quick pinch on her own cheek confirmed it wasn't.

"Shao is a good man, Consort Fa. I believe he can make you happy again," Suiko added, currently looking amused at her antics.

And Mulan caught it, silent admission in Suiko's gazes, one that spoke of love and heartbreak and understanding all at once. She gasped, "You left Shao not because you don't want to share him… or dictated by his terms….right?"

There was no answer. Not immediately anyway. But Mulan could never be this sure in her life, because she saw the same longing yet forlorn look on her face in the mirror every time she thought about her dead husband.

"I hope, this 'older man' you are going to marry... which by older, I mean... not old, just old-er...," she babbled. "will be as good to you as Shao has been. If not, better."

A melancholic smile graced her face. "Consort Fa, since I was small I have everything. I had enough food to eat, and clothes to wear. I had enough adventure to spend in a lifetime, enough friends, enough freedom to enjoy…I have the world, but my father… since my mother died... I am the only thing he has," she looked down at her laced hands as if she didn't want Mulan to see her face, because a woman's mouth may tell a thousand lies, but her eyes couldn't. "And Shao has a good thing going with my father. They always have been... friends. I didn't want to ruin it by making him think I choose my father over him," she sighed. "I can live with having Shao resenting me. It's probably for the best."

And this Mulan understood. Which daughter couldn't bear the thought of leaving the man who loved her all her life?

"I'm sure your father wants you to be happy," Mulan replied.

"I know." Suiko lifted up her head. She was still smiling, but her eyes were wet. "But I don't think I can be happy knowing he has given his happiness so I can have mine."

"I guess you are right," Mulan said, returning her smile. She understood this predicament all too well. "But to forget someone...easier said than done." Shang's shadow was still haunting her when she closed her eyes. His voice constantly echoed in her head. And yet, she knew he was not coming back.

"I am forgetting no one, I'm merely storing them aside in long-term memory," she corrected. "I mean how can I forget that selfish playboy who stole half a portion of my desert on our dates? Every. Single. Time. He said he was trying to help me watch my figure... what was he implying? that women had no damn right to be beautiful and gain weight?!"

Mulan managed to stifle a laugh. Shao? Cunning and noble? That sounded just about right. "Shao, gaining weight? Mmmphhh...Scary thoughts." She liked it now that the rampant sarcasm wasn't directed at her.

Suiko tilted her head, this time appraising her amicably. "I know I can be happy with another man, Consort Fa. And so can you. You just need the courage to turn the old page and write anew."

Mulan found herself considering. "I'll try."

"Consort Fa, have you been to the Valley of the angels in Danxia?" suddenly Suiko spoke up again.

Mulan shook her head.

"It was this magnificent place that has a range of rainbow mountains. It was so breathtaking, nowhere else like it," she said, Mulan caught a little tremble in her voice. "Legends said, that if a couple went there, they shall be forever until death doth them apart." Suiko had decidedly ended her story so hers could begin.

"Thank you," Mulan said softly, reaching her hand and giving her a meaningful look. He'll forgive you, Mulan wanted to say. He'll forgive you for choosing your father and your country over him.

Suiko looked relieved, she squeezed her hand a little tighter before letting it go. "Takecare for now, Consort Fa." And please take care of him for me.

Mulan smiled, "I will."

Mulan found Shao exactly where she thought he would, in the Palace Library, behind a mountain of scrolls.

"I am glad that our Emperor actually can read," she said peering from behind him.

"I'm just looking at the picture," he turned and grinned at her. "You are back."

"Yes, last night," she said, returning his smile. "There is no picture on that. What is it?"

He shifted, letting her read. "Oh, just various reports on things that happening around the kingdom."

Mulan scooted closer. There were various issues over tax collection, water supply, concern over failing harvest, and earthquakes in the area closer to the Mongolian border.

"And this…is a report from Xu province. Apparently, a neighboring kingdom that we relinquished, Qin kingdom, had seen sending an army around the border," Shao explained, pulling another scroll.

"So, we are going to send ours there too?"

"No. I fear that it would escalate the situation. It is as if we are signaling we are ready for war."

Mulan tapped her chin. "What about we sent soldiers dressed up in plain clothing and work as a farmer? That way, they can help the citizen and keep an eye of the border without being too obvious."

Shao turned to appraise her. Her wittiness had constantly impressed him. "That's… an excellent idea!"

"Well, thank you, Your Majesty," Mulan said with a curtsy. "It occurs to me that there are a lot of clever girls out there. They just need an opportunity to unleash their potential."

"Over lunch, you can tell me your ideas," Shao nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, how's your visit back to your father's?"

"Yes, he is doing fine. Have a little bit of arthritis problem. My grandma said he needs a sparring partner and she volunteered to be one."

"Seriously? Where is your brother?"

"He works for a farmer in the next village, allegedly… found himself a girlfriend!"

Shao repressed a laugh, "Glad Ping isn't suffering from social ineptitude like his sister."

"And I'm glad your sister is nothing like her kill-joy brother," Mulan deadpanned. "And…Khan died."

"Wait, what? Your horse…?"

Mulan nodded, her heart broken but she didn't want to make it such a big deal. "Apparently he never fully recovered after that internal injury in Tung Shao."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"That's ok. I'm glad he's crossing that rainbow bridge. No more suffering for him."

"What about Ms. Li-Yue?"

"She is fine," Mulan answered, recollecting a rather unexpected turn of events. "I think… finally I get to know her better. You know she is actually quite a nice lady when she isn't busy shoving tons of recipes and womanly etiquettes down my throat." Yes, grief had a funny way to bond people together. "In fact, she asked me what you are like."

"She did? That must be… hard to answer."

"No, not really. I've said, you are a good husband. Attentive, responsible… committed."

Shao blinked. "Wait, you are… endorsing me?"

"I wouldn't go that far."

He laughed. "I'm glad your visit turned out well. You've seemed to be more anxious meeting your mother-in-law than it is Shan-Yu."

"I know how to prepare to meet Shan-Yu. My mother-in-law on the other hand…" Mulan took a moment to look at him before linking her hand with his. "Hey."

"What?" Shao said, brows knotted as he investigated her unreadable expression.

"Mmhhh….I've been…. thinking of a place for our...honeymoon," she spoke up after a minute or two of quiet.

"Oh?" Shao's frown deepened. "What happened to, 'we have other better things to do like kicking the ass of some thug or patrolling the border'?"

"Shao…!" Mulan swatted his chest lightly. "The war ended months ago."

Shao laughed. "Yes, right you are and….I love the idea… but…" he asked, sounding distinctly puzzled.

"But?"

"But..—Why now?" His puzzlement wasn't out of context given that the ring of the wedding bell had long gone. The honeymoon was supposed to be a stale subject by now. "Besides, you are about to pop out anytime soon. So, if we are going it will have to wait until…"

"Yes, I'll wait. I mean…would you?"

"Yes, of course. But you haven't answered my question. Why now?" Shao cornered her.

"It's just I….—" I'm sorry for not noticing you for so long. For focusing on my past instead of our future. For living in the land of dreams and fantasy instead of reality. For constantly mourning over a dead man than to be happy with one who was alive right beside me.

But none of that came out, she just settled with, "Because we haven't got one."

"I see. Well, I am open to suggestions. But please don't pick the same place Zetian and I went," he groaned softly. "I swore she wanted to dig my eyes out with her chopstick when I told her I'll have a portion of her dessert. And I thought I was being sensitive and cordial to help her keep her figure."

"Oh, how original," Mulan responded, amused to know Shao still employed his old trick. "Don't be so melodramatic, I'm sure she isn't that cruel."

Shao rolled his eyes. "You clearly don't know her."

"Hmm…" Mulan rubbed her chin. "Definitely somewhere warm with plenty of delectable delicacies… Oh! There's this place in the southern province that looks promising. Do you have any opinions?"

"Anywhere with you," he said with a doting smile.

He was awfully sweet that Mulan almost couldn't hold the tears that formed in the corner of her eyes. "You'll regret letting me choose."

"I am thinking about a small town near Xi'an. I heard they have bean buns that taste like heaven," he finally decided.

"Shao, when someone imagines a honeymoon menu, people would picture something with flavor, nutrients, and finesse. Not some sort of war food!"

"What? Bean buns are rich in fiber, carbs, and protein. It's superfood by definition!" he groaned. "That was a trap isn't it?"

"What trap?"

"That question asking for my opinion. Because clearly, there is only one right person in this relationship!" He narrowed his eyes at her feigning a convincing annoyed face which Mulan thought amusing.

"Ok fine," she complied, taking a quick glance. Suiko was right, she might be able to be happy again. "Hey, what about that Danxia, the Valley of Angels?"

"How do you know that place?" He suddenly jumped, a flash of hurt cascaded in his eyes. Mulan immediately regretted bringing it up. "You... speak to Suiko?"

"Yes." She noticed how he balled his fist that rested on his knees. His knuckles were turning white. "You...have forgiven her, right?" she asked gingerly.

"For dumping me with no explanation?" he grounded, gritting his teeth. His anger only lasted a split second, then he just looked... sad.

"It hurt, I know," Mulan said, reminiscing her own experience. Shang's personality wasn't the easiest to deal with. Yes, he was selfless and honorable, but infuriatingly small-minded in thinking he must bear the burden alone. His self-sacrificing attitude combined with acute communicative deficiency had driven him to make decisions that hurt others. Not to mention his romantic confession. Why the hell he had to tell her when he knew she couldn't do anything about? Why burden her with such knowledge? But again, everyone had insinuated the obvious chemistry between them from long before. They were the only two who were being oblivious and in denial. She admitted she had been an idiot (only because Shang was an idiot). And just because she was angry at him didn't mean she didn't miss him.

"But in time, I know my heart will heal," she said with a smile. "I mean...not only I still have my father, my brother... my grandma... my three best friends. I've got a sister too! And then I'm blessed with not one... but two children." She placed her hand on her expectant belly while the other moved slowly to hold his. "And also...you. I've got you."

For a moment Shao looked oddly conflicted and Mulan didn't quite understand why. But she wasn't not going to let him lose the momentum. "Shao, I gain more than I lost." And so would you.

A slow, unsure smile crept on his face. "I guess you are right."

"Good," she said with satisfaction. She was a die-hard idealist who believed no matter how awful and twisted certain relationships be, there always be a way to mend them. "Tomorrow, 8 am, the south gate. Don't be late," she chirped. Her mind still unwittingly flew to Shang, how things were going to be different between them should he make his confession long before heading to that fatal conquest. Even when Shang ended up dead and she ended up with Shao, it would've been easier to accept. And from then on Mulan promised herself, that she would stay true and honest. No more secrets. Because nothing good was born of lies.

The dinner with the Generals at Mulan's quarter went well considering no one had no expectations whatsoever—that was Shao's first thought.

"This delicacy is amazing, Consort Fa," General Zhi, replacement of the late General Li Jiang, commented.

"Oh please, have some more. They are traditional of my hometown."

"Thank you, but I need to watch my blood sugar," Master Peng chuckled, taking a measured bite. He was one of the older generals, and also the head of the Imperial Intelligence Operation.

"And I need to watch my waist," General Xiu Ming said. He was a strapping man with tan skin and his man bun shaped into a ponytail.

The dinner went on smoothly and merry. Shao even had a chance to introduce Mulan to Yan Shu, with the hope that if both of them become good acquaintances, Zetian would likely be more sympathetic to her dealing with Mulan.

But as Mulan disappeared behind the closed door to serve more food, the truth soon surfaced.

"My Emperor, while we have come here peacefully, we just want to make it clear that this is by no means a gesture of approval for your ascension to the throne," General Xiu Ming said. "And that's have nothing to do with the history of your lifestyle." He paused, looking around at other Generals. "We still couldn't abide by your non-violence ideals. Yes, we succeeded in a mission against the Huns, thanks to Captain Li Shang. But leaving the Great Khan and Princess Altan alive could be catastrophic in the future." Next to him, Master Peng nodded while Yan Shu seemed to be tuning in quietly.

General Zhi opened his mouth, "As our Empress said, we are all on the same side. We should stop this kind of…"

"Point taken General Zhi," Master Peng interrupted, turning back to Shao. "Your Majesty, you have a lot to prove to us, your generals. Aside from General Zhi, we still wish to see what kind of leader you are. Are you a leader with an exploitable weakness? Are you one who listens to his head… or one who listens to his heart?"

Shao cleared his throat. "Both do not sound like a bad idea in my opinion, Master Peng. I'd say people would need a leader that thinks with his head, and feels with his heart."

"That depends where your heart is, Your Highness. Is it right here," he placed his hand on his chest. "...with your subject or there…" he looked pointedly outside the direction of the door where Mulan was, "with someone else."

Shao's eyes riveted. "Master Peng, are you questioning my life choices?" He struggled to keep his voice as level as possible.

"No, My Emperor, your servant merely telling you to prioritize. Because any country that is ruled by a king who prioritized one individual will fall into ruin."

Shao opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it again, remembering his own promise to his people. "And how exactly can I prove it to you?"

The generals exchange glances. "There is a rumor that the Great Khan has appointed new generals in replacement of Shan Yu. Given time, the Huns army would be back to full strength and capacity. They will pose a great danger again to us."

"Are you saying they will attack us?"

"Any transition of power in a country is a time of weakness. You and Empress Zetian are still young… inexperience in comparison to the Great Khan. And with the absence of Prince Wei Zhang… I'd say… if I wanted to take some of the Middle Kingdom's power, I would strike now. Which brought me to my next point," he said. "There was a great earthquake in near the Huiling province, stretching deep into the Hun's territory. You are speaking about mending our relationship with the Huns peacefully, this is our chance. We can send them aid, food, and medicine to ease the blow."

Shao tilted his head, sensing an 'and' was coming.

"And, I think that Consort Fa would be an excellent candidate to lead the delega…"

"No. No!" Shao bristled. None of his generals were fully aware of who Mulan was or what she had done, but the Huns knew exactly who Ping was, at least he believed that Altan knew. Sending Mulan there would be like sending her to a lion's den.

"Why not?" Even General Zhi who was siding with him all this time seemed to question his logic. "She is a veteran's daughter, that's how you knew her, right? She is clever, I'm sure. We've heard rumors about her. She is well-articulated and prudent. I am sure she will be able to put a good word that we, Chinese, are keen to bridge a good relationship with the Huns."

General Xiu Ming nodded his approval. "Sending your own wife will give a positive impression that we care enough not to just send someone important, but also someone valuable to you."

"General, are you out of your mind? She is heavily pregnant!" Shao defended.

"Which works better for your favor," Master Peng added. "It shows our good non-aggressive intention. She'll have an edge that a man or one of us will not: a vibe of compassion. A soft touch. It would work wonders! Isn't that you who has been advocating these non-violence ideals? This is a good place to start, Your Highness. Do you agree?"

Curse all of his uncle's generals! They were clearly his loyalist who had a personal vendetta against him. Had they suspected he was the real culprit behind the death of the Emperor? Given the situation, he began to understand the appeal of dealing with a bunch of mindless idiots who would just follow orders blindly. Oh, how he missed his obsequious councilors and advisors. Not a group of critical thinkers who were going to question his every move. But right now, he was cornered. It was either his peace-keeping policy or Mulan would have to win.

"Fine," he breathed loudly. For the first time in a long time, he felt paralyzing fear—fear of losing something irreplaceable.

That morning, it was brought to Zetian's attention that a few councilors and palace advisors were fussing about the new proposal that Shao had brought up the day before. As usual, none of them dared to voice their objection blatantly in front of the new emperor, but as the truth sank, turmoiling questions and voices of dissatisfaction began to surface. Following their concern, Zetian called a quick meeting to speak with the originator of the idea itself. It did not surprise her when it turned up to be her husband's mistress, Consort Fa Mulan.

"Are you sure you are okay with this?" Yan Shu asked as they were about to step into the meeting room. "You are not going to kill her aren't you?"

"No. I don't want her blood on the new meeting room carpet," Zetian replied absently and she laughed at Yan Shu's incredulous face at her attempt to joke. "Relax Yan Shu, plural marriage has been part of my life. I am trained well to handle it." By train to handle it well meant not getting stabbed in the back and knowing when her food had been poisoned. If Zetian came to think about it, women in the harem were far more barbarous than men on the battlefield. Women in the harem had coldbloodedly killed people in their sleep or during breakfast, they heartlessly framed innocent people to save their own asses. There was no open, honest confrontation where one was given a chance to fight back. But Yan Shu didn't need to know that.

The room was already full of people. Councilors, palace advisors,s and in the center of the room was Fa Mulan, who was bending down deeply as she saw her making her way to her throne.

"State your business," Zetian commanded, looking down at Mulan's feature. She was dressed in plain silk ruqun, her hair neatly pinned with an ivory comb, and had thinly applied makeup on her face. She was presentable, but by Forbidden City's standard, she looked a little bare, far too modest. But Zetian never got deceived by her simple appearance of what kind of dangerous woman she was underneath.

"I would like to propose the provincial budget to set up a school for girls, Your Honor," Mulan spoke up.

"Your Majesty." One of the longstanding advisors Zetain recognized as Meng Wu, bowed to her.

Zetian dipped her head, giving a cue for him to speak.

"Don't we have etiquette school for that? And there is also vocational establishment in each town."

"But Your Honour, this school will teach girls more than just manners and daily chores." Meng Hu was visibly offended at Mulan's audacity to cut him, not that she seemed to care. "They would need to learn writing, literacy, math, and science, just like boys do. There would be electives like simple ironmongery and carpentry," Mulan appealed to her.

"What's the point of that? Girls are just going to be staying at home taking care of her family," the old advisor prompted. Zetian disliked the judgemental stare he had, but she wanted to see Mulan's reaction to his attempt to shred her.

"I'm coming to that," Mulan said. "Imagine if a girl were not just equipped with cooking and sewing. Imagine if she can do….more."

Meng Wu snorted, incredulous. "You mean doing jobs like men? Then who is going to take care of the house?"

"Do you think that's all we do?" Mulan looked offended. "Imagine a single woman who does not wish to be married yet or a widow with no husband….you don't want her to sit down and do nothing, or become a dependant on her other relatives, don't you?"

"Then she should get another husband!" Chi-Fu commented unhelpfully which was met by the Empress' glare that he deserved.

"Venerable Chi-Fu, advisor Meng Wu," Zetian interjected. "With all due respect. What Consort Fa is saying, is that women can contribute to the tax and economy of the country with or without their husbands. They will become independent, individual contributors to the family finance if needed. That's actually not a bad idea. As you can see, even I, a woman, am able to help my husband lead the country. My father has equipped me well since I was a child. Yes, this is by far a new concept, but by building schools for girls we can prepare and educate future generations to be a better helpmeet to their husbands. Your son would have an equally competent wife to assist him. Now, which husband would mind that?"

There was a quiet murmur among the advisor and councilor, but no one dared to voice their objection. After all, she was a powerful woman who was standing in front of them.

"Your Honor, is that mean… ?"

Zetian glanced at Mulan's hopeful face. There was a sudden intense desire to obliterate her, to humiliate her in front of her advisor. This woman was a threat to her future happiness and her throne. "Yes," she said firmly, not allowing the poisonous thought to consume her. If Fa Mulan was as brilliant as many people said she was, then she had to let her into her palace for the sake of her people.

"And I want the school curriculum to include martial arts, so girls can protect themselves against antisocial behavior," she added. "All with me on this?"

Yan Shu was the first to raise his hand, grinning proudly from the back of the crowd. Other advisors and councilors looked around hesitantly but found nothing that logically could break her argument. So they quietly hummed their agreement.

"Good," Zetian stood up. "Meeting concluded."

Yan Shu didn't think he could admire her any more than he already did. She was his brilliant, bold, demanding empress, but she was also wise and reasonable. Other women would likely put their personal grunge at any given chance, but not her. This, watching her become something else, something more–a competent queen, using that wisdom and determination to be someone better.

Since his post as the Empress guard, Yan Shu had hyper-awareness of anything that Zetian did. At first, he thought it was inevitable since he followed her like a shadow. But then, he had this ridiculous desire to see a smile cross her face for no reason. He paid attention to her reactions to others. Her reactions to him. He wanted to see what stressed her out. Needed to know what made her laugh.

He knew he wanted her.

He wanted her so much that he feared his heart would burst. He thought if it did, it would hurt less than this, to be so close to her and yet so far. But he told himself that he would just relish the moment, satisfied to be a useful tool in her hand. So the next morning, when the Empress summoned him to her bedroom, he gladly complied.

"My Empress," he bowed, before coming into her room and closing the door behind him. From the traces of scent, he knew Shao left not long ago. "Anything I can do for you?"

"Yan Shu," she called him to come closer. Her voice sounded croaky like she had been crying.

"Your Highness, what…what happened? something bothering you?"

A quiet sob was her answer.

"Is this….about Consort Fa?"

"No."

Yan Shu pressed his lips, thinking again. "Your father?"

"No…"

"Then? Tell me, if I can fi…"

"Yan Shu. Do you think Shao is a good man?"

It was such an odd question. Yan Shu knew there was something going on in her mind that he didn't know, and it unsettled him. But again, all these royals had always been painfully hard to understand. All their indirectness, conceal motives, and formality really confused him. Politics made his head hurt.

"Your Highness… what do you mean?"

She cleared her throat, "I'm Zetian and I'm asking you as a friend."

"I…," he stuttered, not sure whether he should lie outright and told her he detested the man who stole his chance of having her. But soon he recognized it was him who was out of the line. If he could master his own heart, he would have done it long before now.

She invited him to sit on the edge of her bed. And for some reason, the thought twisted his heart in his chest even more than the knowledge of what Zetian and her husband doing in that bed together.

And out of a sudden, her sobbing intensified.

"Zetian? What's… what's wrong?"

"Nothing…" but her sobbing didn't stop. Something terrible and ugly downed upon him, what if Shao hurt her in bed? What if he held her against her will?

Deep down, Yan Shu knew the answer for he could hear everything. Her faint gasps, her moan, and the sound she made when she finished, by all means, didn't sound like…torture. It was far from it! Curse his ears and his acute senses, this was like a living hell. But his heart refused to believe it. "He hurt you didn't he?" he felt that he just need to hear it from her.

"No. It's not that."

"Did he ask you to do something you didn't want to do?"

When Zetian didn't answer immediately, something snapped inside him. He raced to the door. If not because Zetian's hand catching his robe, he wouldn't have stopped.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"To cut off his hands!" He said fiercely. There's a beat where even he was surprised at his vehemence, but he didn't take it back.

"Then he'll cut off your head!" But he could hear a smile in her voice, which he honestly didn't understand why. Did she just test him?

"I don't care. You are my empress," he said staunchly. "You come first. Even if it cost me my life." His statement seemed to calm her, he sobs gradually abated. So he returned to the side of her bed.

"Now… tell me, why are you crying?"

"I… " she hesitated. "Yan Shu, I think I'm crazy. I think… I'm damaged."

Yan Shu could only imagine the weight on the throne of this newly orphaned Empress. It must be hard to carry the burden even with an emperor by her side. "After what you've been through, you have a right to feel that way. But let me assure you….you are doing amazing. I'm really proud to call you my empress. It's an honor to serve you as long as I have breaths."

He could feel her eyes on her. He reached her hand to comfort her like he always did. This was usually as far as he dared to steal some intimate moment with her. They would likely talk for hours until Baoxi was ready to dress her for her meeting. But today, something else happened.

"Yan Shu, I need to know if I'm damaged." And with that, she shoved him to her bed, pulling the sash of his clothes undone. He gasped, but he didn't try to stop her. "My Empress! Wha… what are you doing?"

"I need to know…!"

He yelped, his heart beating hard against his chest, "But… but what about your husband?"

"I'll take care of the Emperor. You just need to take care of me."

"Now… tell me, why are you crying?"

Zetian wished she could tell Yan Shu everything, about how Shao touched her every thought, and she still didn't know how to feel. Shao had been coming to sleep with her every night—every night until Mulan returned from Li's home. Then he came nowhere close to her quarter.

She had her speculation. Perhaps now that they consummate the marriage, Shao didn't see the need for her. She hated her marriage, but she cried when he left. There were whole hours she forgot what he did, how his betrayal felt like, and her affection for her husband felt like it was enough to turn the world around. Then she recollected and hated herself for feeling this way, for finding happiness and companionship with her father's murderer.

"I'm really proud of you," Yan Shu's earnest voice broke her stupor. "It's an honor to serve you as long as I have breaths."

Zetian looked up at him, trying to keep a fresh wave of tears at bay. Yan Shu's grey eyes glazed with fierceness and honesty that made her heart skip a few beats faster. He was handsome, with his beard trimmed and his hair neatly tucked. Had he been this handsome? Yan Shu was a friend who she trusted, who had protected her from harm. He was someone who would guard and defend her steadfastly from her own husband and his king if she asked him to. He was a man who had devoted himself to serving and honoring her even if it would cost him his life.

"Yan Shu," she breathed, a brilliant, horrible idea occurring to her. "I need to know if I'm damaged." She shoved him to her bed, pulling the sash of his clothes undone.

"My Empress!" he yelped, his beautiful, mesmerizing grey eyes turned into panic. He held his hands up like she was pointing a blade at his throat. "What… what are you doing?"

"You're the only person who can help me…" she begged. Because he was the only man she trusted. Truthfully, she wanted to tell him everything, all her burdens and her predicament of falling in love with her father's killer, but she couldn't explain herself. If she slept with him, and if it were just as good, then maybe she was not an unthankful infidel who enjoyed having sex with her father's killer. Maybe she could forgive herself for feeling this way. If Yan Shu, who was kind and committed to her, who was honest and would never break her heart. If he touched her and she liked it, then maybe she could learn not to hate herself. Maybe she was… normal.

"But… but what about your husband?" he choked, still splayed on her bed like a wounded animal under her weight. "Don't you worried that…"

"He'll feel neglected? Not to worry, he has another wife."

"That's.. That's not what I meant…"

She pressed her finger to his mouth. Her delicate finger had the power to stop him on his track. "Let me take care of the Emperor. You just need to take care of me." She was still in nothing but a robe, and she didn't stop it from coming undone. He whimpered when he heard the sound of the fabric sliding through her skin. He was blind, but his imagination could see her perfectly.

"But My Empress, I have never…"

"This is your Empress asking," she said resolutely. And like she did with Shao, she knew exactly how to short the fuse of a man's brain. So, she grabbed his hands and brought them to her chest. He made a sound like he was dying. His breath grew shorter and strained. She bent down to kiss him. That was the last straw. In the next moment, he was kissing her back, putting his hands all over her vigorously, tearing off his clothes.

Yan Shu wasn't gentle like Shao. He was careful not to hurt her, but his movement was rough and unrefined, like an animal who was moving on instinct. He pinned her to the bed and groaned into her ears as he set paces. He was the dominant one, and she let him. There was something endearing about submitting herself to him, about sharing her vulnerability with a man who vowed to protect her with his life. He was her hero, her savior, and she felt safe with him.

An hour later, they flopped on her bed, exhausted and spent and sticky. He turned on his side, his grey eyes as gentle as waves. He ran his thumb on her cheek. "You've stopped crying."

She pushed him gently and rolled over so she was laying on top of his chest, running her finger on the scar from the night he saved her. The cut must've been deep and wide. Her heart clenched knowing Yan Shu had chosen to risk his life for a stranger like her.

"You've made it stop," she whispered softly. She didn't feel broken when she was with him.

He shifted, surprise clear on his face. "I… I did?"

She smiled, "Yes, you did. You've mended me." Gently, she cupped his jaw in her hands, and kissed him, deep and slow. This felt better, felt right. It would be a lie to say she didn't enjoy having sex with her husband. Shao was great in bed. But Yan Shu—he was exciting. It was like chasing a wild horse through the wilderness. It was like jumping from a cliff into a cool, deep lake. He was incredible. He was full of surprises. He made her feel free—free from her guilt, and more herself than she had since her father was killed.

He made her feel alive and whole. And she loved him for it.

Shao's head was pounding. After spending nearly a week of sleepless nights in the library thinking about how to ensure Mulan's safety on her mission into the Hun's territory, he decided he need a break in order to regain some of his brain power.

"Tea, Your Highness?" his maidservant offered. Shao waved him dismissively. "I think I'll call it a night, Hanjin. Thank you."

His maidservant bowed and left the room. He took his robe and thought of where he should go where he could find escape from his own mind that currently ran in an endless loop. Oddly enough, he found himself standing outside Zetian's quarter, not even knowing how he ended up there. But this was the pattern as of late. As if this was his heart knew where to find comfort. She was his place of refuge.

"Lord Husband?!" Zetian looked strangely surprised at his visit.

"Can I spend the night here?"

"Of… of course," she was clearly off-guarded, nonetheless, she guided him to the sofa next to her bed. All the maidservants and guards immediately left as if they knew what was going to happen in the chamber was not for public consumption.

Zetian poured him some tea and offered him his sleeping robe. She was in nothing but her robe, the sash was secured poorly and her hair looked a little messier than Baoxi's usual masterpiece. She must have been asleep and rushed to greet him.

"I sleep on the sofa. You go ahead and sleep. I'll drink my tea first," he was being considerate.

Once there were only two of them, Zetian dropped all the formality. "Don't be ridiculous. Sleep on the bed. It was big enough for two." Hell, it was big enough for ten! And he'd been sleeping with her on her bed for many nights, so why claim the sofa now? For a long moment, Zetian just stared at him as he drank slowly. And just like Mulan, she was clever and meticulous, it was no surprise that she knew something was off-kilter. "Is something bothering you?"

It didn't take much cajoling to make him finally open up to her. Zetian was always the wiser one, the same way his uncle was compared to his father. Perhaps this was karma.

"She'll survive," Zetian told him calmly, pouring him another cup of tea.

"You think?" He had no idea why he was asking her.

"Her father is a veteran, isn't he? She knows how to deal with soldiers… then her mother died, her father-in-law died… and then her husband died. I'd say a woman like her will be fine. She is a survivor."

"I don't know," Shao took a long, resigned breath. "It's just the people she picked to go with her… I don't think…"

Zetian raised her brows. "Oh, you mean her three friends?" Everyone had heard about the tale of three misfits who had helped Captain Li Shang save China.

"I get it, they are the people she trusts, but it's against my instinct to let her… I mean her friends are…" he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know them. They are nice people, passable soldiers. But when you are guarding someone, being nice or good is not enough."

"Isn't that the point though? If you brought fully armed imperial soldiers behind her, the Huns would likely think you want to start an invasion. It'll defeat all the purpose."

"But her safety is..."

Zetian slapped his hand, rebuking him. "Give her some credit, Shao Wei. Women are not weak creatures who need men's constant protection. She was your Captain's wife for heaven's sake! She is also a strategist's daughter! She must know a thing or two about defending herself unless you are marrying a brainless bimbo!"

"Uh… I mean…" Shao opened his mouth in shock, rubbing the back of his hand that wasn't exactly in pain. The last thing he predicted was Zetian advocating Mulan. Usually, the sister-wive rivalry would mean constant slander and incrimination between the two. "I just can't help but worry," he admitted.

Within his periphery, he saw Zetian chewing her lips, expression tight. Was she... jealous? Angry? Even when an empress did not necessarily love her emperor, showing favoritism openly towards a particular concubine often became the point of tension in most royal marriages.

"Zetian, I don't mean to..."

"Do you trust her?" she said without meeting his eyes.

"What?" Another unexpected question.

"If she already said she'll do it, then let her do it. Whatever the outcome, she has chosen the needs of her country above her own. That's loyalty. That's love. And you, as the Emperor, should understand this better than anyone."

Her lecture made him feel small and ashamed. He knew what Mulan was going to say, even before he asked her. Sacrifice was the language of love, he should've grasped the concept by now. "You are right," he recovered.

Zetian seemed to calm down, moving to sit in front of her dresser and combing her hair. "Send Yan Shu with her if that helps. At least there is one that actually knows how to fight should the need arise."

"That's… that's a great idea, are you…. sure you don't mind?" he said, watching her shedding her robe and slip into her gauze silk gown, climbing to her bed. The sight of her, not in her usual makeup and updo made his body ache.

"It depends….Who's asking?" she grinned. Did she just flirt with him?

Minutes later, he found himself with her on her bed. Naked. But something had changed that night. All this time, Zetian had been soft and pliant during all of their lovemaking session. But that night, she pinned him down and sat on top of him. He had bite marks across his shoulders, welted down his back from her nails. It's like she was challenging him, but oddly enough there was something arousing about that, making her more… irresistible. He tried to be gentle as he can, even though he was extremely confident in his outstanding grades in love-making skills, but he didn't want to scare her… or hurt her.

Since when did he care about her this much? Zetian was supposed to be his past of least resistance, the easiest way for him to get to the throne. But she is my empress and my wife, and…

Was this love?

The feeling was comfortably familiar, it wasn't exactly the same way his heart quickened at the sight of Mulan, or the butterfly feeling in his gut every time she was with him.

Zetian made him feel curious. She made him feel excited. She was dark and mysterious like a deep ocean. Her relationship with him was like air and fire. Too much of one element would kill the other, but they need each other to survive. He loved her smile, how hard she was trying, loved her bitten-off gasps when he did something she liked in their bed. He loved when she pinned him to bed, loved the soft smile she sometimes let slip when he gazed at her.

Zetian was so much stronger than he ever gave her credit for, and he loved her for it.

"You are seriously not worried your husband will find out?" Yan Shu prompted one time they lay on her bed. He already got a feeling some maids had already started to speak in hush tones behind him. "Or perhaps.. What we will do if he finds out?"

Zetian ran her hand on his chest. "I know you don't like him," because it's evident that Shao's special brand of charisma isn't for everyone. "Why do you spend lots of time thinking about him?" she answered lazily.

"That doesn't answer my question," he berated with a pout. It was a terrible attempt at sulking by a twenty-something General which Zetian thought was rather adorable. So she responded with a giggle and a quick peck on his cheek. "Shao doesn't love me, he loves the throne."

"But he is a king, and you are his queen. And man tends to get territorial around their property."

"Do you ever read a story… called 'the King's Woman'," she went on obliviously.

Yan Shu adjusted the pillow behind him. "Is it a girl thing? Because I'm not fluent."

"It's a story about three best friends, a prince, a peasant girl, and an orphaned boy who were friends since they were little. The orphaned boy and the girl fell in love. Until the prince took the girl and force her to marry him."

"Man, he is a jerk!" he commented.

"Well, he was kind of… a nice jerk," Zetian tried to put it lightly, not drawing any semblance to any particular someone. "He was kind to her, protective of her, and never took any other wife. At the end of it she fell in love with him. But she was already carrying the orphaned boy's child…. And the orphaned boy wants custody of his child."

"Wow!"

"Wow indeed. But then… the orphaned boy saved the prince's life in the battle, he was a martial art expert, a formidable soldier. So the prince promoted him to become one of his generals."

"So he set aside his personal contempt in favor of professional courtesy?"

"No. The prince knew if the baby went with his real father, the girl that he loved will leave with him. The orphaned boy was her first love after all, it won't be hard to kindle an old flame."

Yan Shu shifted to face her, increasingly invested in the story. "What happened at the end?"

"Spoiler alert, the orphaned boy was killed while he entered her quarter, trying to see his son. And she died trying to protect him from her guards. And the prince… he became king, a lonely, miserably king. Life is basically punishing him."

He made a face, "Very depressing, why do girls like to read depressing stories?"

"I don't know," Zetian shrugged. "Maybe to remind us to be thankful that our lives are not that miserable? But who knows? I might get hanged tomorrow."

Suddenly, Yan Shu's face turned serious. "If I were to lose my head over you. It'll be totally worth it. But you…" he said, rubbing her cheek lightly with his thumb. "But you, I won't ever allow anyone to hurt you. Especially him."

She smiled at his honesty and thoughtfulness, "I'm not afraid of him." Because Shao was incapable of leading the Kingdom alone. And he wasn't stupid. He knew he needed her to help him run the country. "I'm only afraid of my father."

"The late Emperor? Was he… strict?"

"No… he was to all of my sisters. But I am his Achilles heel. An exploitable weakness. Even if I acted like a real-life tornado, especially after my mother died," Zetian sighed, reliving the memory.

"Then… what you are afraid of?"

Zetian sighed. "I am afraid of disappointing him."

"You? Never! You can read twice as fast as I do, you understand politics, and could actually hold a sensible conversation in a room full of advisors. If you are a disappointment, I wonder what I am?!"

Zetian laughed at his attempt to enlighten the mood. "What about you? Tell me about your family."

"It's hard having seven siblings. But it is also fun… We didn't have much, but we were happy," he said fondly. "And then my father died… and my mother has to become everything… the chef, protector, provider, judge… executioner…"

She smiled at him, "She sounds awesome. And you turned up fine."

"Yeah, she is indeed awesome," his voice sounded sentimental. "She knew that I felt… that I let her down. I mean, I could help her a lot more… have more options… if I weren't blind. She just jokingly answered me that I will be disappointed in what I see."

"Being blind is not your fault."

"I know," Yan Shu said quietly. "But it can't be helped. Often time.. it would leave me feeling helpless and depressed. So one day, my mother manage to get her hand in this miracle medicine… Hu-Wen."

"I thought that was a myth." Zetian only heard about the plant from people's hearsay. It was extremely rare and hard to find, for the white flower of Hu-Wen only blooms once a year in the winter. And the journey to retrieve it was proven to be extremely torturous and dangerous. People killed each other to get it.

"I was skeptical too at the beginning. A rich old man paid a lot of money for them to cure her terminally ill son. But years went by… and his son died before the medicine arrived. My mother heard this and spend her entire life saving to buy it off him."

Zetian gasped. "It didn't… cure you?"

"It did and it didn't. It enables me to see shadows…shapes on a bright day. But the amount wasn't enough to restore my sight completely," he explained. "But I realized it wasn't the sight I was lacking… it was courage—the courage to face my life."

She stared at him for a moment, admiring his captivating grey eyes, wondering what it was like to have life breathed into them. "Nonetheless, your mother is right. The world in your imagination is perhaps far more beautiful than reality… well, everything except your eyes. It's truly one of a kind."

Yan Shu chuckled, "My mother said his great great great great… grandfather was born with grey eyes too. Not as light as mine, but definitely grey," he added proudly. "The masters and the priest always said I was the human embodiment of the mighty Qilin."

They both laughed at the ludicrousness of it. In Chinese mythology, Qilin was believed to be a benevolent creature, its appearance was regarded as an auspicious sign. It was also believed that the Qilin would only appear during the reign of a notable ruler.

Was Shao that ruler? Zetian had never categorized herself as a superstitious or religious person, but she certainly believed in supernatural beings and the power they behold. Her faith in those kinds of things helped her to go through trials. If killing her father would save her kingdom from ruin, then she didn't know if she can hate him for it.

Nothing mattered more than her people.