Categories > Movies > Mulan > The Ballad of Li
Chapter 17
0 reviewsChina is under the rule of a new Emperor, whose brutal and excessive rule has brought about famine and suffering throughout the country. Mulan & Shang meet again for the first time in 3 years but t...
2Original
Chapter 17
Jiaozuo was quiet when they arrived early in the morning.
Exhaustion was taking its toll on them after their long ride through the night and they were tempted to stop there to rest. Knowing that would be unwise they bought the supplies they needed and pressed on, stopping only to water the horses and eat.
They reached a small village several miles past Jiaozuo that evening. The townspeople gazed at the three hooded strangers on horseback inquisitively as they passed. Two men stood outside of a tavern and Mulan recognized the strains of the ballad that had become so important to many these days. Li Meng-shi pushed his hood back off of his face, nodding to the two men. He asked if there was an inn in town and they silently pointed down the street.
If Li Meng-shi thought it was safe to stay there, she concurred. It was illogical to put so much trust in one man's instincts, but Mulan truly believed that he was a mystic. Besides, she was too relieved to be inside for the night, in a bed. After their nearly two day long ride they would be resting for a full day, not leaving until late the next night. She practically fell into bed as a knock came on her door.
She groaned and forced herself to turn onto a side. "Yes?"
"I have water for you, sir."
"Okay, come in," she called out, making sure she deepened her voice and that her body was obscured.
The inn keeper stepped into the room and set the covered basin of water down on the table in the room.
"Thank you," she muttered as he swept back to the doorway hurriedly.
"Goodnight, sir."
The door clicked shut and she was alone again.
In her mind she visualized getting up and washing as she was feeling filthy and grungy from their journey. But she was too tired to move and before she knew it she was waking up from the sunlight streaming through her window into her eyes.
She winced at the brightness. Her head ached and the light made it worse. Bringing her hands to her eyes she began to rub at them, regretting her actions immediately as her eyes began to sting from the dirt on her hands that she'd neglected to wash before falling into bed. With a groan she sat up slowly and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She blindly moved over to the table where the basin had been left and retrieved a towel, beginning to wash out her eyes, then her hands and face.
Her throat felt scratchy, she noticed suddenly.
"I can't get sick," she repeated several times, as if her mantra would will it away.
If she came down with something it would delay them on their journey, which they didn't need. Things were already bad enough.
Rummaging through her pack, she pulled out her water skin, wincing as she sipped the stale, tepid liquid. At least it moistened her lips and throat. Later maybe, when her head stopped throbbing, she would have a badly-needed bath. For now, she picked up the towel again, dipped it into the basin and began to wash down the rest of her body by hand, pausing at the back of her neck and massaging a little to try to work out the headache.
Her hair now tied up into a neat topknot like Shang's, she dressed and tied her sword around her waist then pulled on her cloak and examined herself in the mirror that was in the room. She'd lost weight and her face was pale and drawn, less womanly. But it made it easier for her to pass as a young teenage boy.
Just in case, she pulled the hood up to hide her face as usual and stepped out of the room. She knocked on the door of the room that Shang and Li Meng-shi were sharing but received no answer.
She sighed. Sitting in her room alone was not her idea of fun, but the incident with General Huang in Zhengzhou was still vivid in her mind. She bit her lip, frowning as she weighed her options. Shang and Li Meng-shi were either asleep or had gone out and who knew when they would return. She was reminded of how hungry she was by the rumble of her stomach.
This town was not like Zhengzhou. It was small, further away from either capital, and the strains of the Ballad of Peachtree Li were unmistakable the night before. Not only was that a good sign that no one would harm her; this town might even be a place of sympathizers, who were possibly organizing their own movement. Chances were good that they felt no loyalty to Luo Di and wouldn't care either way about someone who'd deserted service to him. They might even commend her for it.
Making up her mind but still not wanting to take any chances, she kept her hood up and went downstairs. She left the inn, making her way to the tavern that they had passed the night before. It was empty, of course, but as she stood out there she caught sight of a small black stallion that had been left in the corral behind the building.
Li Meng-shi had repeated the description of the black horse that was missing; full-grown but small and very fast. She glanced up and down the street. Finding a stand where a man was selling fruit she went over and bought two apples, then walked back to where the horse was left, eating one of the pieces of fruit. If there was one thing she knew about it was horses. He eyed her warily as she drew near and she sensed that this stallion, though tamed, had been a wild one; and his wild spirit remained close to the surface. She approached slowly, speaking softly to him and holding out the other apple.
The black horse snorted with appreciation after chomping down his unexpected treat and she was granted the privilege of getting close to him, stroking his coat and looking him over for any unusual markings or brands.
"You like my horse."
She jumped and whirled around to face the lanky young man who was about her age.
"He's a beautiful stallion," she answered, regaining her composure and being sure to keep her voice low-pitched. "Full-grown, isn't he?"
"Yes. This type of horse is very small. He's from the steppe."
"Oh. Then you've come from the north?"
"Originally. I saw you traveling with those other two monks. You're much smaller than they are."
"Yes. I'm an apprentice," she answered, swallowing quickly in her nervousness. She felt uneasy at this man's observant nature and downright inquisitiveness. "I'm only fifteen."
"My name is Unegen."
Mulan bowed to him, wondering at his name. It wasn't Chinese and she guessed that he must have come from over the northern border.
"Nice to know you. I'm Jiang Hu."
He bowed in return.
"Glad to meet you."
"You're very observant, Unegen."
"Well, everyone noticed the three of you when you came into town. You like horses then, Jiang Hu?"
She nodded. "I grew up around horses."
"Me, too."
Moving forward, he began to pat his stallion's nose affectionately.
"This one is a great horse. And very fast. I call him Ganggan Har-a."
"That's an interesting name. Does it mean fast in another language?"
"It's from a folk song of the grasslands in the north."
"About a horse?" she remarked wryly.
"Yes," he laughed. "A black stallion named Ganggan Har-a."
"I hope you don't mind, but I gave him a treat."
Unegen laughed again. "Not at all."
"Have you had him for a long time?"
"Since he was a foal."
"Oh. Then you've raised him all of his life."
"Yes."
"Well, he's a very fine horse."
She stroked his coat one more time then turned away from the black horse.
"You said that you were originally from the north. Have you been living here in China?"
"Yes."
Mulan waited for him to say more but he didn't. Unegen said very little about himself, yet he'd observed so much about them. She didn't like it at all.
"You are headed north?" he asked her now.
"Yes."
Attempting another tactic to draw him out, she spoke again.
"We've traveled quite a long way, all the way from Hua Shan. And we still have a long journey ahead of us."
"Hua Shan. Those are the mountains of Henan, aren't they?"
"You know Henan then?" she asked casually.
"Yes."
She was becoming frustrated with his one word answers. Even Li Shang, the epitome of the strong silent man, revealed more about himself than this guy. But without having to ask, she instinctively sensed that Unegen had just come from Henan, as they had. Maybe he had worked for someone there; it was not unheard of for rich men, or generals, to make servants of nomads of the north, whom they regarded as barbarians and slaves anyway. Chances were that Unegen had worked for such a general, maybe even the one that she and Ao-li had met in the tavern of Xiayi. She needed to get back to the inn as soon as possible and speak to Shang and Li Meng-shi.
"Well, it was nice to meet you. I need to get some breakfast and return to my masters. Thank you for letting me visit with your stallion."
"Perhaps I will see you in town again before you take off."
"Perhaps. Goodbye, Uengen."
They bowed to each other and she moved past him, walking back to the street and heading to the inn.
Shang was standing just inside the front door of the inn as she approached, arms folded, his brow creased with worry. She hurried toward him.
xxxxxxx
The tavern buzzed with conversation and laughter, growing livelier as the evening went on and the musicians came out to play. There were several requests for the Ballad of Peachtree Li and the performers obliged them, beginning to play and sing.
Even though Mulan was going to point out Unegen if she saw him, Shang gazed around the tavern anyway, schooling his face into a casual expression but looking for anyone who might be eyeing them peculiarly.
"Unegen is not a Chinese name," Li Meng-shi remarked thoughtfully.
"He's from the steppe. But he was familiar with Henan. I have a strong feeling he came from there. I was thinking that he might have worked for that general who we met in Xiayi."
Shang's ears perked up at that. "What general?"
"His name was General Zhao. Do you know him?"
He frowned and nodded. "He was a friend of my father. And my troop traveled part of the way with his. You and your friend were the students he was talking about. He wrote to me from Xiayi. As I remember, you brought banners to the prefect there."
She nodded. "Yes."
"I visited with Prefect Liu in his quarters," Li Meng-shi mused. "A servant brought us tea. I could kick myself now, but this man may have been working for him. I'm afraid I didn't even pay attention to that servant; I don't know if I'd recognize him if I saw him again."
"Ao-li and I dropped off the banners and that was it. He told us he would pay a visit to the school later and we left. My father thought the prefect was on our side."
"Maybe he is. This servant may have been paid off by someone else," Shang suggested. "General Zhao is very shrewd and might have slipped the servant money to keep an eye on things and snitch on his master. He was in town when you were there; you and Ao-li are the two students he met. And he was suspicious enough to mention you both when he wrote to me."
Mulan dropped her head into her hands with a groan and Shang placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. After a moment she raised her head again and picked up her drink, downing the Du Kang in one shot to Shang's great amazement.
"I guess it's impossible to second-guess everybody, even for my father," she sighed, setting the cup down again. "I wish I could contact him. I'm very worried. About my whole family."
"Contacting your family would draw attention to them," Li Meng-shi offered quietly. "Worry about one thing at a time. I assure you that your father can take care of himself."
Shang watched Mulan carefully. Du Kang was a drink that could put hair on one's chest; yet she seemed to be unaffected by it. She felt his eyes on her and looked up.
"What?"
"I never could stomach Du Kang," he answered. "How do you do it?"
"By gulping it so I don't taste it."
"Are you trying to get drunk?"
She shook her head. "I'm trying to get rid of a sore throat."
"You're sick?"
"Don't worry. I'm fine. The pain is already gone."
"Yeah," he laughed. "After that shot you just did, I'm sure it is."
xxxxxxx
Unegen never appeared that night.
"Maybe I was wrong," Mulan mused as they made their way from the tavern to the stables long after midnight. "Coincidences do happen."
"Anything is possible, I guess," Shang muttered. "But I don't really believe in coincidences."
After saddling their belongings on the two horses, they mounted and set off, continuing north through the night and reaching the next town in the morning.
They found Unegen there, waiting for them.
Jiaozuo was quiet when they arrived early in the morning.
Exhaustion was taking its toll on them after their long ride through the night and they were tempted to stop there to rest. Knowing that would be unwise they bought the supplies they needed and pressed on, stopping only to water the horses and eat.
They reached a small village several miles past Jiaozuo that evening. The townspeople gazed at the three hooded strangers on horseback inquisitively as they passed. Two men stood outside of a tavern and Mulan recognized the strains of the ballad that had become so important to many these days. Li Meng-shi pushed his hood back off of his face, nodding to the two men. He asked if there was an inn in town and they silently pointed down the street.
If Li Meng-shi thought it was safe to stay there, she concurred. It was illogical to put so much trust in one man's instincts, but Mulan truly believed that he was a mystic. Besides, she was too relieved to be inside for the night, in a bed. After their nearly two day long ride they would be resting for a full day, not leaving until late the next night. She practically fell into bed as a knock came on her door.
She groaned and forced herself to turn onto a side. "Yes?"
"I have water for you, sir."
"Okay, come in," she called out, making sure she deepened her voice and that her body was obscured.
The inn keeper stepped into the room and set the covered basin of water down on the table in the room.
"Thank you," she muttered as he swept back to the doorway hurriedly.
"Goodnight, sir."
The door clicked shut and she was alone again.
In her mind she visualized getting up and washing as she was feeling filthy and grungy from their journey. But she was too tired to move and before she knew it she was waking up from the sunlight streaming through her window into her eyes.
She winced at the brightness. Her head ached and the light made it worse. Bringing her hands to her eyes she began to rub at them, regretting her actions immediately as her eyes began to sting from the dirt on her hands that she'd neglected to wash before falling into bed. With a groan she sat up slowly and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She blindly moved over to the table where the basin had been left and retrieved a towel, beginning to wash out her eyes, then her hands and face.
Her throat felt scratchy, she noticed suddenly.
"I can't get sick," she repeated several times, as if her mantra would will it away.
If she came down with something it would delay them on their journey, which they didn't need. Things were already bad enough.
Rummaging through her pack, she pulled out her water skin, wincing as she sipped the stale, tepid liquid. At least it moistened her lips and throat. Later maybe, when her head stopped throbbing, she would have a badly-needed bath. For now, she picked up the towel again, dipped it into the basin and began to wash down the rest of her body by hand, pausing at the back of her neck and massaging a little to try to work out the headache.
Her hair now tied up into a neat topknot like Shang's, she dressed and tied her sword around her waist then pulled on her cloak and examined herself in the mirror that was in the room. She'd lost weight and her face was pale and drawn, less womanly. But it made it easier for her to pass as a young teenage boy.
Just in case, she pulled the hood up to hide her face as usual and stepped out of the room. She knocked on the door of the room that Shang and Li Meng-shi were sharing but received no answer.
She sighed. Sitting in her room alone was not her idea of fun, but the incident with General Huang in Zhengzhou was still vivid in her mind. She bit her lip, frowning as she weighed her options. Shang and Li Meng-shi were either asleep or had gone out and who knew when they would return. She was reminded of how hungry she was by the rumble of her stomach.
This town was not like Zhengzhou. It was small, further away from either capital, and the strains of the Ballad of Peachtree Li were unmistakable the night before. Not only was that a good sign that no one would harm her; this town might even be a place of sympathizers, who were possibly organizing their own movement. Chances were good that they felt no loyalty to Luo Di and wouldn't care either way about someone who'd deserted service to him. They might even commend her for it.
Making up her mind but still not wanting to take any chances, she kept her hood up and went downstairs. She left the inn, making her way to the tavern that they had passed the night before. It was empty, of course, but as she stood out there she caught sight of a small black stallion that had been left in the corral behind the building.
Li Meng-shi had repeated the description of the black horse that was missing; full-grown but small and very fast. She glanced up and down the street. Finding a stand where a man was selling fruit she went over and bought two apples, then walked back to where the horse was left, eating one of the pieces of fruit. If there was one thing she knew about it was horses. He eyed her warily as she drew near and she sensed that this stallion, though tamed, had been a wild one; and his wild spirit remained close to the surface. She approached slowly, speaking softly to him and holding out the other apple.
The black horse snorted with appreciation after chomping down his unexpected treat and she was granted the privilege of getting close to him, stroking his coat and looking him over for any unusual markings or brands.
"You like my horse."
She jumped and whirled around to face the lanky young man who was about her age.
"He's a beautiful stallion," she answered, regaining her composure and being sure to keep her voice low-pitched. "Full-grown, isn't he?"
"Yes. This type of horse is very small. He's from the steppe."
"Oh. Then you've come from the north?"
"Originally. I saw you traveling with those other two monks. You're much smaller than they are."
"Yes. I'm an apprentice," she answered, swallowing quickly in her nervousness. She felt uneasy at this man's observant nature and downright inquisitiveness. "I'm only fifteen."
"My name is Unegen."
Mulan bowed to him, wondering at his name. It wasn't Chinese and she guessed that he must have come from over the northern border.
"Nice to know you. I'm Jiang Hu."
He bowed in return.
"Glad to meet you."
"You're very observant, Unegen."
"Well, everyone noticed the three of you when you came into town. You like horses then, Jiang Hu?"
She nodded. "I grew up around horses."
"Me, too."
Moving forward, he began to pat his stallion's nose affectionately.
"This one is a great horse. And very fast. I call him Ganggan Har-a."
"That's an interesting name. Does it mean fast in another language?"
"It's from a folk song of the grasslands in the north."
"About a horse?" she remarked wryly.
"Yes," he laughed. "A black stallion named Ganggan Har-a."
"I hope you don't mind, but I gave him a treat."
Unegen laughed again. "Not at all."
"Have you had him for a long time?"
"Since he was a foal."
"Oh. Then you've raised him all of his life."
"Yes."
"Well, he's a very fine horse."
She stroked his coat one more time then turned away from the black horse.
"You said that you were originally from the north. Have you been living here in China?"
"Yes."
Mulan waited for him to say more but he didn't. Unegen said very little about himself, yet he'd observed so much about them. She didn't like it at all.
"You are headed north?" he asked her now.
"Yes."
Attempting another tactic to draw him out, she spoke again.
"We've traveled quite a long way, all the way from Hua Shan. And we still have a long journey ahead of us."
"Hua Shan. Those are the mountains of Henan, aren't they?"
"You know Henan then?" she asked casually.
"Yes."
She was becoming frustrated with his one word answers. Even Li Shang, the epitome of the strong silent man, revealed more about himself than this guy. But without having to ask, she instinctively sensed that Unegen had just come from Henan, as they had. Maybe he had worked for someone there; it was not unheard of for rich men, or generals, to make servants of nomads of the north, whom they regarded as barbarians and slaves anyway. Chances were that Unegen had worked for such a general, maybe even the one that she and Ao-li had met in the tavern of Xiayi. She needed to get back to the inn as soon as possible and speak to Shang and Li Meng-shi.
"Well, it was nice to meet you. I need to get some breakfast and return to my masters. Thank you for letting me visit with your stallion."
"Perhaps I will see you in town again before you take off."
"Perhaps. Goodbye, Uengen."
They bowed to each other and she moved past him, walking back to the street and heading to the inn.
Shang was standing just inside the front door of the inn as she approached, arms folded, his brow creased with worry. She hurried toward him.
xxxxxxx
The tavern buzzed with conversation and laughter, growing livelier as the evening went on and the musicians came out to play. There were several requests for the Ballad of Peachtree Li and the performers obliged them, beginning to play and sing.
Even though Mulan was going to point out Unegen if she saw him, Shang gazed around the tavern anyway, schooling his face into a casual expression but looking for anyone who might be eyeing them peculiarly.
"Unegen is not a Chinese name," Li Meng-shi remarked thoughtfully.
"He's from the steppe. But he was familiar with Henan. I have a strong feeling he came from there. I was thinking that he might have worked for that general who we met in Xiayi."
Shang's ears perked up at that. "What general?"
"His name was General Zhao. Do you know him?"
He frowned and nodded. "He was a friend of my father. And my troop traveled part of the way with his. You and your friend were the students he was talking about. He wrote to me from Xiayi. As I remember, you brought banners to the prefect there."
She nodded. "Yes."
"I visited with Prefect Liu in his quarters," Li Meng-shi mused. "A servant brought us tea. I could kick myself now, but this man may have been working for him. I'm afraid I didn't even pay attention to that servant; I don't know if I'd recognize him if I saw him again."
"Ao-li and I dropped off the banners and that was it. He told us he would pay a visit to the school later and we left. My father thought the prefect was on our side."
"Maybe he is. This servant may have been paid off by someone else," Shang suggested. "General Zhao is very shrewd and might have slipped the servant money to keep an eye on things and snitch on his master. He was in town when you were there; you and Ao-li are the two students he met. And he was suspicious enough to mention you both when he wrote to me."
Mulan dropped her head into her hands with a groan and Shang placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. After a moment she raised her head again and picked up her drink, downing the Du Kang in one shot to Shang's great amazement.
"I guess it's impossible to second-guess everybody, even for my father," she sighed, setting the cup down again. "I wish I could contact him. I'm very worried. About my whole family."
"Contacting your family would draw attention to them," Li Meng-shi offered quietly. "Worry about one thing at a time. I assure you that your father can take care of himself."
Shang watched Mulan carefully. Du Kang was a drink that could put hair on one's chest; yet she seemed to be unaffected by it. She felt his eyes on her and looked up.
"What?"
"I never could stomach Du Kang," he answered. "How do you do it?"
"By gulping it so I don't taste it."
"Are you trying to get drunk?"
She shook her head. "I'm trying to get rid of a sore throat."
"You're sick?"
"Don't worry. I'm fine. The pain is already gone."
"Yeah," he laughed. "After that shot you just did, I'm sure it is."
xxxxxxx
Unegen never appeared that night.
"Maybe I was wrong," Mulan mused as they made their way from the tavern to the stables long after midnight. "Coincidences do happen."
"Anything is possible, I guess," Shang muttered. "But I don't really believe in coincidences."
After saddling their belongings on the two horses, they mounted and set off, continuing north through the night and reaching the next town in the morning.
They found Unegen there, waiting for them.
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