FicWad

Chapter 7

Mulan paced nervously in the dim hallway, lit only by a small lantern. Master Jiang had been in the study with Li Meng-shi for hours, conversing with him in private. The books that she and Ao-li had brought home from Xiayi were in the room with them and she could only guess that they were poring over them together. But he hadn't given anyone else in the school a clue as to what was going on or who Li Meng-shi really was. She was becoming more uneasy as the hours passed and she was beginning to debate whether she should saddle up her horse and ride out to her family's home to talk to her father. He would no doubt show up there in the morning, but she was gripped by the fear that maybe that would be too late.

It was the middle of the night and chances were she wouldn't be seen. She decided to wait a little bit longer.

"Mulan," a whisper sounded in the dark and she started.

She recovered herself as Ao-li stepped out of his quarters and joined her.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor with all of your pacing," he remarked softly.

"Call me Hu. Even here, especially since Li Meng-shi is here now."

"What are you so worried about?"

"Master Jiang has been in there for hours with him."

"That makes you nervous?"

"I don't know. I want to talk to my father and find out if he knows who he is."

"Why don't we go for a walk outside? Maybe it'll take your mind off of it."

She gazed uneasily at the closed paper screen sealing off the study at the end of the long hall then nodded, reluctantly agreeing to go out for a walk.

They walked to the front door and stepped out. It wasn't that cold tonight but they had both come out without coats. They strolled through the front courtyard, taking in the fresh air and admiring the clear night sky that was covered with stars, all visible.

"It hasn't been this clear for days," he remarked.

Mulan was about to answer him when something caught her eye across the open field. It looked like a man on a horse. She stopped and seized his arm, causing him to halt as well and to stare at her in shock, taken aback by her forward gesture of contact.

"There's someone out there. We have to let Master Jiang know that the school is being watched."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't be obvious about looking, but I can see what looks like a man on a horse across the field from here, where the trees are."

They strolled up to the gate and pretended to casually look out at the horizon.

"I don't see anything out there."

"Maybe he realized he was seen. He's gone now, but I know what I saw. We must have been followed here."

"Either that or someone caught onto this school independent of our movements. Do you think anyone was trailing Li Meng-shi?"

"I don't know. We have to talk to the master in private first."

He nodded. "And your father will be here tomorrow I think."

"Yes. I was thinking about going to see him tonight, but in light of this I'd better wait until he comes here."

They both remained motionless for a long time, gazing out toward the horizon, not wanting to appear uneasy. Then they turned and strolled casually back inside. The screen to the study was open now and Ao-li went to find Master Jiang.

Mulan waited in the study and several minutes later the two men appeared.

"You saw someone watching the school?" the master asked as Ao-li closed the screen.

She nodded. "He was on horseback. Is there any chance that he might have been following Li Meng-shi?"

"Anything is possible," Master Jiang said with a concerned frown, taking a seat at the table.

"Do you know anything about him?"

"He told me that he used to work in the palace as a spiritual advisor to Wu Di."

"What about after Wu Di's death?"

"He left. I don't know why. Your father will be here tomorrow morning and he may have more information about him. In the mean time we all need to watch our comings and goings. And we should have someone watching the entrances at all times, starting tomorrow morning. If any soldiers come around, Mulan, you're to hide yourself in the cellar."

"Agreed, but what if they search the cellar?"

"Good point," Ao-li commented.

"Ao-li, you and one of the other boys be ready to cover up the trapdoor to the cellar the minute she's hidden inside."

"That'll work."

Mulan nodded. That would work but she was hoping she wouldn't have to be in that cellar like that for very long. She was pretty sure that knowing that the one way out was blocked would make her feel extremely claustrophobic.

They dispersed. She bid them goodnight and went off to her quarters, finally settling wearily into bed after this long night.

xxxxxxx

Captain Mao scanned the room, studying each of the students' faces carefully. There were young men and women working, their heads bent over their practice slabs, the sound of scratching pens interrupted only by his own voice and that of the old master.

"Are these all of your students?" he asked.

"There are two who are not here right now," Master Jiang answered serenely, though Captain Mao still sensed the man's uneasiness. "My son Jiang Hu and another boy Xu Ao-li have gone to run an errand in town."

"Who else lives here besides you and these students?"

"That's everyone."

"You have no visitors here at this time?"

"Oh, yes. A visiting student. He arrived late last night and has not risen yet this morning."

"Who is he?"

"His name is Meng. He's a man of the cloth but he has come to study with me."

The captain began to stride down the length of the room, looking at each of the students carefully, stepping up to one young boy with a face that was far too pretty for a boy's face. He brought his hand under the boy's chin, lifting it in order to get a good look at him. The boy stared back at him blankly. Captain Mao seized his arm and yanked him to his feet.

"You look like you could be a girl," he remarked, beginning to drag him off.

"Honorable Captain. To what do we owe the honor of this visit?"

Captain Mao stopped and turned, setting eyes on the man that had addressed him, a tall, lean man that leaned on a bamboo cane.

"I'm looking for one who has betrayed the Emperor. There is an order out for her capture and execution and she is believed to be from this village and hiding in the vicinity. Who are you?"

"I'm Hua Zhou."

"Her father."

"Excuse me?"

"It's your daughter that we're looking for. She must have come here to this village."

He looked at the boy whose arm he was still grasping roughly. The boy had remained bravely silent but his eyes were as wide as saucers.

"This wouldn't be her by any chance, would it?"

"That is Wang Sheng, the son of Wang Xiao, and I can assure you that there is no need to perform an examination of him."

Captain Mao released the dazed boy, who recovered after a moment and stumbled back to his seat.

"Come," Hua Zhou said, beckoning for him to follow. "Let's talk in private."

Captain Mao was led into a small study and he sat down across from the retired general that he'd heard so much about. "You know where she is."

The father shook his head. A pained expression seemed to have permeated his face and his posture seemed to be suddenly slouched. "No. She would never come home to me after betraying the Emperor. She knows that she would not be welcomed back into our house after doing such a thing. As far as I'm concerned she's dead and I'm in mourning. If you don't mind, I do not wish to talk about this subject anymore."

Captain Mao studied the man carefully.

"What about this Meng fellow?" he asked, changing the subject.

He received a blank look.

"I was told he just arrived here," Mao continued. "Maybe you haven't met him yet."

"No, I haven't."

"What brings you here to this school, Honorable Hua Zhou? Are you a student?"

"I'm a patron."

"A patron?"

"Yes. Times are hard for some people, including this school. I highly value this art and I don't wish to see it die. I've therefore been funding the schools of the village during this difficult time since I have the means. This one has been here for a long time and Master Jiang is an old friend of mine. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Captain Mao shook his head. "Not at this time. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me."

"It is an honor to assist an officer of the Imperial army. I wish you safe travel from here, Captain."

xxxxxxx

Shang paused outside of the gate, debating whether this was the right thing to do. He had his orders and if he blew this mission in any way it would mean his head. Still, he'd been here three years ago and the retired general had been a friend of his father. There was nothing suspicious or wrong about a casual visit to his father's friend.

The entire morning had been spent roaming the village and familiarizing himself with the taverns and shops as well as the procurers and he'd formulated a plan in his mind about how he would bring his scouts in and covertly matriculate them into village life. Now, just after noon, he stood before the outer gate of the Hua home, pondering his approach. After all, he would somewhat be intruding on the former general; the man had chosen to settle in this small village for a reason, wishing to remove himself from the bustling, public scene of the capital and opting for a more private life.

He would start the conversation out easily, maybe even seek advice from the much more seasoned veteran. He would play it by ear once they were sitting together and talking as to what topics he broached. As for asking him about Mulan, he'd definitely have to feel out the situation first. He imagined that this would be a much more sensitive subject for Hua Zhou; it certainly was for him.

"May I help you?"

Shang started. He'd been lost in his thoughts and hadn't seen the man with the cane that he remembered from three years before approach him.

"Honorable Hua Zhou," he exclaimed, bowing to him.

"General Li. I recognize you from last time, even in plain clothes. You look like your father. It's good to see you again. And congratulations. I believe that you are the youngest general we've ever had in the army. I'm gratified to see that General Li Kong's son has achieved the same noble rank. You're quite deserving of it."

"Thank you, sir."

"But you did not come here for praise, General. You seem to have something on your mind. What brings you to my home?"

Shang studied the man carefully, wondering suddenly if the former general might not only have information on the rebels in this area but was perhaps involved with them. But that didn't seem possible. The man couldn't fight anymore and he'd been a loyal general of Wu Di. As for Mulan, Hua Zhou probably wouldn't tell him if his daughter had come home.

"General?"

"Uh, if it's alright, I would like to speak with you, Honorable Hua Zhou."

"Of course. As it happens, there are some things I need to share with you as well. It's quite fortunate that you have found your way here."

Shang's eyebrow went up. What would the man have to tell him? He didn't believe he would be giving his daughter up.

"Come on inside and join me for lunch, General Li. Then we'll talk."

He beckoned Shang to follow and they walked through the gate and into the house, removing their boots and leaving them just inside the doorway. Shang removed his coat then and hung it up next to where Hua Zhou had hung his up.

"Zhou?" a woman called out from somewhere in the house.

"We have a guest for lunch, Li," he called out in response.

Shang followed him to the dining room and took the seat that Hua Zhou gestured for him to take at the table, which had already been set for lunch.

"An old friend."

Hua Li emerged from the kitchen with a pot of tea and an extra cup for the guest.

"Madam Hua," Shang greeted her bowing.

"You remember General Li, don't you? He was Captain Li when we last saw him."

"It's good to see you again, General Li. I will bring lunch right out."

She set the cup down before Shang and poured tea for both of them then hurried back into the kitchen and Shang sat in silence, waiting for Hua Zhou to speak first.

"How have you been, General?" he asked finally. "I understand that you've been stationed in the capital."

"Yes, sir, I have been."

"And now you've been rotated to border patrol?"

Shang swallowed his tea somewhat nervously and set his cup down, forming the words in his mind carefully before speaking them. He wasn't really sure where Hua Zhou stood and didn't want to give away too much. He also didn't want to be obviously reticent with him about it. After all, he'd come to speak with him and had been invited to lunch.

"There are rumors of rebellions all over the land. The Emperor has sent several troops to fight them. My troop is one of the ones assigned to this province."

"I see."

There was something about being in the presence of older, seasoned veterans with more experience than him that made him feel like a young boy again, especially when they were men that had known and fought with his father. He had noticed it with General Zhao and now with the retired general Hua Zhou. They almost seemed to become fatherly toward him; he supposed he perceived it that way because he had lost his own father. And he still felt like a young novice who didn't really fit the general's uniform yet when he was around them, and it made him feel somewhat vulnerable and at a disadvantage.

Hua Li appeared with a large bowl of rice and one more empty bowl and a pair of chopsticks which she set down before Shang. Mulan's grandmother followed behind her with two other large bowls, one of meat and one of vegetables.

"General Li," the grandmother spoke up, smiling. "It's nice to see you."

Shang smiled back slightly, offering a polite greeting to her.

The men were served first, then the two women served themselves and joined them at the table. They ate in silence at first, then Hua Zhou broke the ice finally and asked Shang about his experiences working in the capital.

When they had finished lunch, Shang thanked all of them for the delicious meal and the tea and followed Hua Zhou into another room where they sat together and talked.

"General Li, I received a visit from a man named Captain Mao. Is he part of your troop?"

"Captain Mao?" Shang repeated in angry disbelief.

"Yes. I was visiting one of the village's schools this morning and he came in. He was asking questions. I answered him as best as I could."

"He's in my troop," he answered, keeping his tone even but fuming inside. "But he was supposed to remain at camp, in command. He didn't have orders to go anywhere in this village and ask questions."

"I see. General, there is something else I have to tell you."

"Yes?"

"This is going to sound very strange, but I believe that you may be in danger."

Shang stared at him stunned. "What makes you think that, sir?"

"I believe that the Emperor is killing men of importance with the name Li. And their families. He's doing so in order to prevent the fulfillment of a prophecy."

He stared at the retired general, observing him carefully. The man looked to be in earnest but Shang couldn't figure out where he'd heard it and how he had come up with such an idea.

"I...I don't know what to say," he finally stammered. "How did you come to believe something like this?"

"There's a ballad being sung in the taverns in the villages that has become quite popular. It's about this prophecy. The Emperor believes in it and he has been putting men with the surname Li, and their families, to death."

"How do you know about it?"

"From someone who was working in the palace and witnessed it."

Shang didn't need to ask him who it was.

"Mulan," he said softly.

A look of uneasiness flickered across Hua Zhou's features but he quickly suppressed it.

"Is she here, sir?"

"No, she isn't."

He opened his mouth to speak again but stopped himself. He was sure Hua Zhou knew about the order for her execution and he realized that he probably shouldn't even mention it.

"But I can tell you, General Li, that it's the reason that she left her service to the Emperor."

"Oh."

Shang's mind was racing suddenly, wondering where she was now and about this ballad that Hua Zhou was talking about. The story seemed to be a completely outrageous one and he was also wondering if the retired general was pulling his leg in an effort to distract him from pursuing and capturing his daughter.

Mulan had a strong sense of honor. She'd risked her own life and appeared in the Imperial City to warn him that Shan-Yu was alive, even though it could have meant her death. Ever since he'd heard that she left the Imperial palace he knew that she must have had a good reason. But this? It all seemed so far-fetched.

"General Li?"

Shang looked at him blankly.

"I advise you to take my warning seriously. Even if there is no basis for this prophecy, the Emperor believes in it and is acting on it. You may be in danger because of your surname."

"Sir, where did this prophecy come from?"

"Supposedly Daoist priests came up with it based on signs and omens that they read."

Shang fell silent, at a loss as to what else to say to this. All he could think was that the whole thing seemed to be something that had been concocted by Hua Zhou to confuse him. He began to seriously wonder now if he was indeed part of the rebellion.

"This Captain Mao that serves under you, General. He was obviously searching for Mulan. He's not a cautious fellow. Nor is he subtle."

"No, he isn't, and he doesn't follow orders," Shang replied, his blood beginning to boil again as he thought of his second in command disobeying him and taking it on himself to visit one of the schools and start asking questions. Not only had he defied him, he'd also made it obvious that there were soldiers around when his original plan was to be covert. He was going to give it to him when he returned to camp.

"What made you choose him as your captain?"

"I didn't," he replied with a scowl, his anger showing in both his face and his voice now. "The Emperor demanded that I take him on as my second in command."

Hua Zhou nodded sympathetically. "That's a difficult situation. I've been there myself. Sometimes the Emperor has his own ideas of how he wants something done. It's not for us to question."

"No."

"General, I am aware of the order to execute my daughter. You realize that even if I knew where she was I couldn't hand her over to you."

Shang started, surprised by his directness about the situation.

"I know," he found himself answering him. "It's just that...well, all of the generals have orders to capture her. I...had hoped that I could be the one to find her first." He caught himself and looked at him, quickly attempting to explain himself. "It's not that I want to be the one to capture her...or to execute...I just want to talk to her."

"And then what? Would you defy the Emperor's decree in order to spare her life?"

Shang didn't answer. He'd defied an Imperial decree before, but then her only crime was being a woman really. Now she'd actually fled the Emperor's service. The moral implication of refusing to capture and execute her was different this time.

Hua Zhou cleared his throat and Shang turned his attention back to him.

"You came here to talk to me, and I'm afraid I've monopolized the conversation, asking you all the questions."

"That's alright," Shang replied distractedly.

"You have a difficult task ahead of you, General, and I don't envy your position. It's easy to fight an enemy. It's a whole other thing to have to battle your own fellow countrymen, and that's what you'll be doing now. I know a little bit about what is happening in surrounding villages. People are having a hard time making a living now, some are unable to eat. They're not our enemies, they're not criminals."

"I know." Shang sighed. His thoughts went to the devastated farms and other sights he'd seen on his way here and to the boy that he'd helped in Zhengzhou. "I've seen what it's like."

He sighed again and the retired general patted his shoulder in a fatherly manner.

"You will have many tough decisions to make, moral decisions. With each crisis you will have to figure out which is the right choice to make, for you. Consider every possible decision carefully so that afterward you can live with the choices that you make. The right one isn't always the one that you might have been trained to believe. And it isn't always the obvious one. You're an honorable man, General, and you know your duty. I have no doubt that when the time comes you will do what's right and honorable."

Shang stood up and bowed to Hua Zhou.

"Well, I've taken up enough of your time, sir. Thank you for lunch and for speaking with me. I appreciate your advice."

"It was an honor to have you here, General Li."

Hua Zhou stood up with the aid of his cane, then led him out toward the front door and waited as Shang put his coat and his boots back on.

"Good luck with your mission. And, General Li, I hope you will heed my warning. Watch your back."

"Thank you. I will."

xxxxxxx

Hua Zhou watched the young general pass through the gate.

"Well, that was a nice surprise," Grandma Hua remarked as she stepped out into the hallway with a grin.

He sighed and nodded.

"Well, what do you think? Did you tell him where Mulan is?"

"No, Ma, I didn't tell him where she is."

"Do you really think that boy would kill her? Or bring her back anywhere to be killed?"

"No. I think he is no more likely to kill her than you are."