Chapter 102: Emperor Of China
Mulan soon recovered and wiped her eyes to make sure that she wasn't just seeing things. Seeing that it was still there, she snorted. She refocused her gaze, expressionless.
Now she was certain. Aladdin had been watching after them.
She felt flustered; her heartbeat as if it wanted to jump out of her chest.
She lowered her head, hiding the blush that graced her cheeks. But a smile slowly spread across her face.
Meanwhile, spotting Mulan's strange behaviour, Li Shang gazed skyward. Seeing only scattered mist and moonlight pouring in from above, he shrugged and kept marching forward.
They sent scouts to survey the area for any more enemies as they camped on one of the snowy mountaintops. The next day, they descended the Mountain Pass and journeyed towards the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City
Banners and music filled the streets.
Fireworks filled the skies.
Vendors stood with their stalls at the edge of the streets, attending to customers - men and women, young and old.
A few weeks ago, such a celebration would have been impossible to hold due to the threatening invasion of the Huns, which had caused them to lock themselves inside their homes.
But now, they had received news that the Huns had been defeated, and the Imperial soldiers were returning to the city to announce their victory.
The solemn atmosphere that had once covered the city had been lifted.
With an imperial decree, the entire city had stepped out to welcome their arrival in celebration.
"…Now this is a red-carpet entry." Mushu whistled, peeking from his hiding place in the sack as he watched the people line the streets, throwing roses and laying a red carpet before their horses.
Mulan closed the bag. "Don't look too much. I don't want to have to explain your existence to the Emperor." She leaned in and whispered.
"Didn't you already fight the evil armoured man Shan Yu? Haven't you met Aladdin, Abu, and his flying magic carpet? What's wrong with the Emperor learning about my existence?" Mushu folded his arms and replied.
"Besides, from the looks of it, he'll be learning about all the mumbo-jumbo magic later, so why don't you be the one to break the news to him?" Mushu peeked at Mulan with a raised brow.
"That's…" Mulan was stumped for words. But just as she was about to recover her bearings and respond, she was interrupted.
"What are you doing? Wave your hands and smile at the crowd." Li Shang leaned in slightly from the side on his horse and whispered to Mulan.
Mulan quickly raised her hand and waved at the cheering crowd with a wide, toothy smile.
"Not like that. You're scaring the kids." Li Shang gently slapped his face and sighed in defeat.
"Watch how I do it and learn."
He swiftly recovered his composure, smirked, and waved at the crowd.
A group of young girls pouring fresh red roses onto the streets quickly caught sight of this and collapsed backwards, their hands clutching their chests.
"Captain Li Shang looked at me!"
"No! It was me. His eyes were so dreamy!"
"I'm the one he was looking at! Can't you tell from the way he smiled?"
A quarrel broke out as the crowd quickly helped them back to their feet.
"See." Li Shang turned to the side and winked at them.
Another group of women fell. Among them were men who tried to gain his attention.
Mulan looked away and snorted. Although she knew that Li Shang wasn't trying to show off to her, he was merely teaching her how to behave as her superior.
"I get it." Mulan nodded.
She turned her gaze to the crowd at her side and smirked, running her hand through her hair.
"EEIIH!! He looked at him!!"
"Catch me!!"
"I'm going to tell Daddy and Mommy that the lieutenant beside Captain Li Shang looked at me!"
"Even if I can't get married to Captain Li Shang, I still have a chance with a lieutenant!!"
"Why are you fainting?! You have a husband!!"
Several younger and older women collapsed, their faces and necks blushing until they turned red.
Mulan rolled her tongue in her cheek and turned to Li Shang. "How did I do?" she asked.
Li Shang nodded approvingly.
"Don't just overdo it unless you don't want to be trapped in your house for a week," he said with a chuckle.
Mulan's brows furrowed, a frown appearing on her lips. Despite the lighthearted tone in which Li Shang had uttered those words, to her, they sounded like a genuine threat.
"I will bear that in mind," Mulan said, nodding with a solemn expression.
Li Shang chuckled even louder upon noticing her appearance.
"You don't need to worry, though. I'm sure your family would be proud if you brought this many brides home," Li Shang's nose twitched as he said shamelessly.
Mulan blushed. She lowered her head to hide her embarrassment.
"Look at you, getting all giggly with the Captain. What happened to Teacher Aladdin? Don't tell me you've given up so soon?" Mushu pushed the bag open with his claws and observed the scene with a mocking glance.
As much as he found Li Shang a capable man, he would have liked it better if Mulan chased after Aladdin instead.
What is a man compared to an emperor?
What is a captain compared to a sorcerer?
Mulan sighed tiredly. "Stop talking about naughty things like that. I don't like Aladdin…"
"But you do? I saw you that other time, getting touchy and…" Before Mushu could continue speaking, Mulan closed the bag once more, and this time, she sealed it shut.
Mulan sighed a tired breath. Dealing with Mushu took all her mental capabilities, and she sometimes wondered if her ancestors knew what they were doing when they sent him to look after her.
Aladdin's ethereal figure calmly drifted into her mind.
Mulan was in a daze before she quickly pushed the thought away because they had now arrived at the Forbidden City.
General Li stood at the forefront, leading the army. The Captains stood behind him. Behind them were the lieutenants and the soldiers.
They halted before the grand stairs leading to the palace.
They dismounted from their horses and knelt on one knee, placing their helmets on the ground.
Mulan grew nervous by the second.
Only the general stepped forward. He took off his helmet, knelt on one knee, and placed it on the ground as well.
"GENERAL LI HAS RETURNED TO GREET THE EMPEROR!!" General Li shouted, his voice tearing forth from his lungs and reverberating across the air.
The next moment, the entire environment grew quiet.
The citizens of the capital who had followed behind the parade watched the scene with bated breath.
The large outdoor doors of the imperial palace, decorated with banners bearing the Imperial golden embroidery, slowly opened from within.
Then, they stopped.
The gap through the large imperial doors was only sufficient for one person to pass through.
A figure slowly stepped through the door.
It was a tall and broad-shouldered elderly man. He had a long, angular face with prominent cheeks and narrow, dark eyes. Clothed in luxurious gold and red imperial robes decorated with rich traditional motifs, and wearing a large black-and-gold imperial headdress over his head.
He carried a calm and dignified atmosphere around him, as though everything, from the magnificent towering palace to the soldiers kneeling in the distance and the people paying their respects, was beneath him.
This was none other than the Emperor of China.
He halted at the edge of the staircase. He spoke with a calm, measured tone. "Soldiers of China, you have defended this Empire with courage and honour. It is my greatest joy that each of you has returned home safely. I assure you that your merits will not go unrewarded!"
"HAAA!!" The soldiers responded with a resounding chant as the Emperor paused.
The Emperor of China shifted his focus to General Li, kneeling at the edge of the stairs below.
"General Li, you have served the Empire well."
"Come with me. Let us have a chat."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked through the door.
General Li stood up and turned to the soldiers behind him.
"YOU MAY RISE!!" he spoke loudly.
The soldiers slowly rose back to their feet.
"Follow me," General Li said, gesturing at the Captains, Mulan, and Li Shang.
Mulan was surprised at first but quickly understood what was happening. She nodded in understanding and followed behind General Li and the others as they climbed up the stairs.
They passed through the doors, walking through the inner palace before arriving at another large door. This time around, two soldiers stood guard at the entrance.
The guards saluted them respectfully.
"Wait here! I will call you in soon," General Li said to Mulan and the Captains.
The guards held it open for him before closing it back up as he stepped forward through the door.
They stood outside the door. While others kept mute, some muttered almost quietly to each other.
Sensing the nervousness of his lieutenant, Li Shang said, "Don't be nervous. Even if it's your first time speaking with the Emperor, just be yourself and answer all of his questions truthfully."
Hearing the conversation, the other Captains chimed in.
"The Emperor might look stern, but he's calm and gentle on the inside once you get to be familiar with him."
"I agree. I remember the first day I spoke to the Emperor; I was much more embarrassed than you are now. Looking back, I might have done something foolish if it wasn't for the General's care."
"I remember being like that as well… Hahaha!!.. Old times!! You deserve to be here, Lieutenant Ping, so you don't need to feel nervous about anything. Just follow our lead and only speak when the Emperor asks you, and you will be fine."
Mulan nodded. 'That's not what I'm nervous about,' she muttered inwardly.
Nonetheless, she cupped her fist and bowed towards the Captains.
"Thank you for your words of encouragement. They mean a lot to me," she said.
"No problem. Glad that you are feeling better."
"Me too."
The Captains responded with smiles as they waved dismissively at her gesture.
Li Shang smiled, seeing the scene. Seeing that Mulan no longer felt as nervous as before, he withdrew into his own thoughts.
Thirty minutes passed.
The door was pulled open once more.
General Li stepped out of the door and gestured for Mulan, Li Shang, and the other captains to follow him inside as he returned to the chamber.
Once they entered, the door closed behind them.
The chamber was decorated with red carpets spread across the floor, while golden and silver exquisitely crafted ornaments lined the walls. Paintings of mountains, with dragons and phoenixes soaring overhead, and other mystical paintings garnished the walls, creating the mirage that they had stepped into the abode of a mystical beast.
Up ahead, flowing banners hung from the walls, while incense and lanterns were neatly arranged along the sides, illuminating the area and creating a serene atmosphere.
At the centre of the room was a large rectangular table with soft red cushions around it.
The Emperor of China sat at the other end of the table.
"You may take your seats." He gestured at the cushions as they halted before him and bowed respectfully.
Mulan and the others took their seats on the cushions.
The Emperor of China looked at all of them, his gaze lingering on Mulan and Li Shang. Unlike before, there was a swirl of emotions in his eyes that made it hard to detect whether he was surprised, shocked, or trying to peer into their very beings.
But it only lasted for a second before the feeling vanished.
"I have heard everything that has happened from General Li, and I must say, I am quite shocked." The Emperor of China finally spoke, glancing at everyone seated before him.
"If there is anything anyone would like to add, do so now. This is an unprecedented event that has never transpired in the history of China, and we must get to the root of it immediately."