FicWad

Chapter 6

Mulan groaned as she became conscious, gaining awareness of the headache and the dryness of her mouth instantly. Going out to that tavern and drinking so much every night was taking its toll on her. She and Ao-li had been in Xiayi for over a week now and there was not one night that they hadn't spent in that bar. She now knew the entire ballad about Mount Luo and Li by heart now.

That same general was still hanging around the village, too, which made her somewhat nervous. He never bothered them again, but she was uneasy with his presence as was her companion.

She opened her eyes and glanced at the transparent screens surrounding her. The room in this school was just like the room she had in the calligraphy school. It had been very kind of the master of the school to put them up each night. And they had each been given their own space; she'd been concerned that they would be sharing for lack of space, especially since there was now a third guest at the school.

The other guest's name was Li Meng-shi. He was a Daoist priest, a tall, slight man in his twenties with graceful features and an ethereal essence and character. He'd arrived the previous morning, before the sun was up to meet with Prefect Liu, and had come to the school for lodging and to join the leaders of the movement in that village in their discussions. It was believed that he could tell fortunes and read signs and omens.

She heard voices in quiet conversation filtering through the screens and she sat up slowly, wanting to listen. She couldn't make out the words though. With another groan she sat up, then helped herself to standing and threw a robe on over her rumpled tunic. She crept out of her small room and padded out to the main room barefooted, where Li Meng-shi was sitting with Ao-li and one of the leaders of the organization in Xiayi.

They gestured a greeting to her as she joined them, and took the cup she was offered, pouring herself water to drink from the pitcher on the table.

"I'm on my way to Shanxi after I leave here," Li Meng-shi was saying. "There are strange portents at that province. The city of Taiyuan to be exact."

"And you think that's where the Mandated Son of Heaven is?" Ao-li asked, fascinated.

"The signs point to that. I am going to find him and give him aid in attaining the throne. When he comes into power there will be a new Dynasty. There will be peace in the land then and conditions will improve for the people."

"You must be familiar with the song that everyone is singing then?"

The priest nodded. "The Li that they are singing about is the name of the man who will become the Emperor."

"But they're talking about plums, not a man," Ao-li argued.

"It's symbolic. You have to look at all the words together to divine the meaning."

"You're a Li as well," Mulan commented softly.

He laughed. "Yes, there are many of us. But I'm a priest, not the Mandated Son of Heaven. It is merely my destiny to find him."

"It's such a long way to Taiyuan from here."

"Yes. It will take me several months to get there, especially in this weather."

"We can take you northwest to Shangqiu when we leave here," she offered. "We're on horseback. You can ride with one of us and that will save you some of the walk. It's not much, just a very small segment of your journey..."

"Thank you. Even just a very small part helps. If I am able to leave at that time I will take you up on your offer."

xxxxxxx

Prefect Liu finished hanging the two banners back up on the wall behind his desk and he stepped back now and admired them. He'd experimented with the placement of them all week long; one below the other, then reverse, then this one to the left of the other, now to the right. He'd figured out the message in them days ago and he now arranged the banners in a way that it wouldn't be obvious.

He turned back to his desk when he was finished and sat down, beginning to look over his paperwork while he waited for his expected visitor. He looked up as one of his servants appeared a while later.

"General Zhao is here, Prefect."

"Have him come in."

The servant led the general into the room a few moments later.

"Good morning, Prefect."

"Good morning, General Zhao," he answered. "Would you like some tea?"

"Thank you."

His servant bowed and left the room to fetch the tea. The prefect engaged the general in casual small talk about their families for several minutes, then General Zhao's gaze fell on the banners hanging on the wall behind the desk and he gestured to them.

"I see that those two young men have brought you your banners."

"You met them?"

"Yes, one night in the tavern when I first arrived. I've still been seeing them around."

"Mm. They didn't want to travel in this inclement weather."

"Very wise."

Liu nodded and beckoned to him.

"Come and have a look, General. Master Jiang Kai-fu is a true artist. One of the young men is his son, Jiang Hu."

The general approached the wall and scrutinized the banners again.

"I saw them already, but spread out on a table rather than hanging on a wall. Jiang Hu and the other boy showed them to me that night. Xu Ao-li is the other one's name."

"You have a good memory for names, General."

Liu stacked his paperwork and set it aside. The general strolled back to the seat across from him and sat down as the servant returned with the tea and began to serve it.

"I got the message that you wanted to see me this morning."

General Zhao nodded, remaining silent, waiting for the servant to finish serving the tea and leave. Then he cleared his throat.

"My troop is headed toward Jiangdu," he began when the servant had gone, "but I wanted to see my old friend before we moved out this morning. And warn you that there is trouble brewing. There are many rumors of rebellion in this area."

The prefect frowned. "Yes, I've heard the rumors; about uprisings in this area and in many areas of the Middle Kingdom. It's quiet here, however. The only noise heard in this little village of ours is in the tavern."

"Yes, and that is quite a lively tavern," the general laughed.

"That's because we have very good musicians playing there."

"They seemed to be proficient. Of course, I have ears of stone, so my taste in music is not very discerning."

The general lifted his cup and took a swig of tea.

"Your troop is all ready to go, General?"

"Yes. As soon as I leave here I'll be rejoining them and we'll be moving off."

"You have a rough journey ahead of you. The snow storm ended but it is still very cold."

"We've been through worse."

He finished off his tea and set the cup down.

"Keep your eyes and ears open, my friend. These are turbulent times."

"Quite."

"If there is anything to report..."

Prefect Liu laughed. "General, you know that I'm just a local official, and a simple man. A small fish, if you will."

General Zhao began to chuckle also. "Don't underestimate yourself, Prefect."

He bowed in acknowledgement of the compliment. "I will report anything that I learn to you."

"Keep an eye on those two students while they're here, too. They may be involved, even inadvertently."

Liu looked at him quizzically. "They seemed like perfectly innocent young men to me. Jiang Hu can't be more than fourteen and he's so small and slight I can't imagine him being a threat to anyone. But then again that is why you are Luo Di's highly trusted general and I am just a local prefect."

General Zhao laughed again. "It's a precaution, my friend. After all they are from the village that we've determined to be the most likely base in this area. Shangqiu."

"Ah, so that's why you remembered their names so well. Master Jiang Kai-fu is a good friend of mine. He is an artist not an activist. But I will keep my eyes and ears open."

"Also, there is a traitor that has fled the service of the Emperor. He has issued an order for her execution."

"Her execution?"

"Hua Mulan."

"Hua Mulan. Ah, yes, the girl who ran off and joined the army in her father's place a few years ago."

"She became a member of Wu Di's council after that and stayed on as council to Luo Di. She deserted recently. She is from Shangqiu."

"But you think she may come here instead of going to her hometown?"

"Anything is possible."

"What is the Emperor's exact order? Just in case she decides to stroll into my quarters here."

General Zhao chuckled. "Always sarcastic, Liu."

"You'd be surprised at the visitors I get," he replied wryly.

"Oh?"

"I was recently visited by a Daoist priest."

"Indeed?"

Liu nodded. "He told me my fortune and spoke of omens and signs of things to come in our land. But back to the subject at hand. Luo Di's exact order regarding Hua Mulan?"

"His order is that she be brought to the Imperial palace for execution. Or executed on the spot, in which case her head is to be brought instead."

"I will send a message to you at Jiangdu if I come across her or if I have any other information to report."

The general shook his head. "No. Have your messenger go to Shangqiu. General Li Shang is assigned to this area with his troop. You will find them camped in the forest outside of that village. Be sure to make the others in this village aware."

"I will do that."

General Zhao rose and bowed to him and the prefect followed suit.

"It was good to see you. Perhaps I will be able to visit again when we return this way."

"I'll look forward to that. Safe journey, General Zhao."

The general left the room and Liu took his seat again, beginning to sift through the papers he'd set aside. His servant returned several minutes later.

"The general is gone, Prefect."

"Thank you."

Donning a heavy coat Liu left his quarters, exiting through the back way and walking toward the school where the two students from Shangqiu and the organizers of his village were waiting for him along with the priest that had come to visit him the day before. There was much to discuss before the three visitors left Xiayi.

xxxxxxx

Shang and his troop had just arrived in the forest outside of Shangqiu and were setting up camp when Captain Mao and the two other scouts arrived.

"We followed the trail and it led here to Shangqiu, General."

"Where exactly?"

"There's a tavern in town..."

"A tavern?" Shang repeated, taken aback. He had been sure that Captain Mao was going to say the calligraphy school.

"Yes, sir. We kept our distance and watched them unload everything and bring it in there. We can go back there tonight..."

"The three of you have had enough fun and your two fellow scouts look like they haven't been sober since before they went into Sui Xian the first night. I will go into town and you will stay here in command."

Captain Mao stared at him silently, suppressing the sour expression that flickered across his face for an instant.

Shang folded his arms and returned his stare with narrowed eyes. He knew that the man resented the fact that he answered to someone younger. The captain returned his gaze coolly.

"What are your orders for me here then, General?" he asked dispassionately.

"Set up a rotation to keep watch through tonight and tomorrow. We restocked much of our supplies in Zhengzhou, but it would be a good idea to take inventory."

"Very good. Do you know which men you will take with you tonight? I will be sure to not add them to the rotation."

"I won't be taking anyone. I'm going alone."

Captain Mao's expression as he gazed at him was one of doubt and suspicion. Mao opened his mouth to speak, looking as if he were about to argue but then stopped himself as he caught Shang's stern glower. The young general had been completely taken aback by the man's impudence.

"Is there a problem?" he demanded.

"With all due respect, sir, are you sure that it's wise to go by yourself?"

"I have my reasons for going alone. Thank you for your concern."

His captain nodded but the look of doubt remained on his face. Shang stared at him coldly for a few moments then spoke curtly.

"I will return tomorrow evening. You're dismissed, Captain."

Mao saluted hand over fist and turned on his heel. Shang watched him as he stalked off, feeling somewhat uneasy about this man that had been thrust on him as his second in command. He didn't like the suspicious expression that he'd seen on the man's face, as if he didn't trust his judgment. And there was something else that Shang couldn't put his finger on. He supposed he simply resented having the man forced on him instead of being allowed to choose his own second in command. Still, the interchange that had just occurred gave him an uneasy feeling about this captain.

He walked through the camp, inspecting the troop and watching Captain Mao as he began to set up the rotation for the night. When he was certain that things were under control and running smoothly he went to his tent and removed his armor. Donning plain traveling clothes he set off for the village on foot. His horse was an Imperial stallion and would be quite obvious.

It was only a half hour's walk into the village center and to his good fortune the weather was milder that evening. Rather than the bitter ice cold and wind that had been plaguing them for so many weeks the air this night was pleasantly bracing, crisp and fresh. His journey to town was silent save for the sound of the crunching of the hardened snow under his boots.

The tavern in the village was packed already when he arrived. The tables were full and many men were standing around in groups, drinks in hand, singing along with the musicians that were performing. Shang remained near the doorway observing the scene.

He recognized the words to the song that the musicians were playing. It was the same odd song that Captain Mao and the other two scouts had been singing when they staggered back into camp after their first night in Sui Xian about Mount Luo and plums.

He shrugged, wondering why this song had become so popular everywhere. It was a nice enough tune, but nothing spectacular compared to other music he'd heard. He pushed his way through the crowd and stepped up to the bar.

The man behind the bar approached him to take his order but Shang just shook his head.

"I'm looking for a place to stay for the night. Have you a vacant room in the inn upstairs?"

He nodded and beckoned to a man that was seated at the edge of the bar nursing a drink. Shang was led upstairs to see the room and after agreeing to the price and handing the man money he began to settle in. The man knocked several minutes later and brought him water and a basin to wash, then left again for the night.

Shang stood by the window and gazed down at the street, beginning to plan his next step. He would find out where the calligraphy school was and pay a visit in the morning then explore other places in the village. Any shop or tavern could be the base of operation. Even someone's private home. His plan was to casually explore Shangqiu and then assign scouts to stake out each spot that seemed suspicious.

News of the Emperor's order had no doubt reached this village though, and he was sure that if anyone knew where Mulan was they wouldn't tell him. He didn't know what he was going to do when he found her; if he found her. But he wanted to discover her whereabouts before anyone else did.

He also pondered going to Hua Zhou's home and talking to him. Perhaps the retired general would have some inkling of what was going on in that village. And though he didn't expect that the man would tell him anything about where his daughter was, maybe he would be able to pick up some sort of hint from conversing with him.

He sighed. He probably wouldn't get much sleep tonight, despite the fact that he was in more comfortable lodgings rather than lying on the ground in a tent. The ruckus downstairs in the tavern hadn't died down; in fact it had continued to crescendo as the night went on and he could see that some of the patrons were now gathered outside in the street below, laughing and speaking loudly and animatedly.

Three figures on horseback caught his attention. They were slowly passing by the tavern and the man facing him was gesturing toward it. Another man was seated on the horse behind him but his head was covered with a hood so his face couldn't be seen. He couldn't see the face of the other, smaller figure that was on the second horse either, for he had his back to the tavern. But he could see him shake his head. Shang found himself watching them intently as they conversed. But they continued on without stopping.

xxxxxxx

Prefect Liu had warned them about the troop stationed in the forest outside of their village, among other things, and as they approached the outskirts of their village they kept on their guard. It was night and the darkness shielded them though; and from what they'd been told, the troop was in the forest to the west of the village and they were coming from the southeast, so they felt that they were pretty safe. The school was to the north.

Li Meng-shi was seated on Ao-li's horse behind him, a large cloak wrapped around him and his hood covering his head.

"We should just go into town and then head due north from there," Ao-li muttered quietly. "That way we can avoid the forest and any Imperial guards."

Mulan nodded. "Agreed," she answered quietly. "It's the most direct route anyway."

The only sound in the night was their horses' hooves in the snow from then on until they trotted into the center of town.

"Do you want to stop and get a drink?" Ao-li suggested, gesturing as they were passing the village tavern whose patrons were spilling out into the street at this point. "The tavern seems lively tonight."

"I think we should get back to the school with our stuff. There were Imperial soldiers in Xiayi, so there will definitely be soldiers here; they suspect that this town is the base. I wouldn't want to be caught carrying the stuff we have."

"It's just ink and the books that the headmaster of the school gave us. Books for studying for the civil service exams."

"There's something else hidden in them."

"But they don't know that."

"I'm not so sure. That general in Xiayi was no dummy. He looked those banners over carefully and then he stayed in town for the entire time we were there. We need to be careful. Besides, it's my head they're all after."

"You're Jiang Hu. You look like him, you are him. You really don't have to worry."

"I still may be recognized. There's at least one general who will recognize me if he's around. He spent time with me when I was dressed this way before."

She sighed, noting the disappointment in his face.

"I just have a hunch I shouldn't go in there tonight. Look, if you want to go in I'll take your stuff back for you."

Ao-li sighed too now. "No, you shouldn't be riding back alone at night. Anyway, you're right. We ought to get back to the school."

She turned to Li Meng-shi. "You said you were planning to find a place to stay in town. But our school is to the north of here. I'm sure we can put you up and you can meet Hua Zhou, the famous general. I'm sure he would like to talk to you."

"Yes, I think I would like to talk to him. I have heard a lot about the famous retired General Hua Zhou."

He remained mounted on Ao-li's horse and they rode north, leaving the village behind them and hurrying toward their home.