Mulan chuckled.
"Of course. We're all comrades-in-arms, so in other words, we're family," she said.
The men immediately blushed.
One by one, they stepped backwards and pretended to straighten their uniforms.
"Let's go check on the others."
"Yeah. We'll see which of our buddies made it out alive."
"I'm coming as well."
They gave Mulan one last shy bow before turning around and walking away.
Mulan held back her laughter as she shook her head at the sight.
Having known them for only a short time, their honesty and temperament had already made her cherish them as family.
At that moment, Chi Fu finished writing the letter to be sent to the Commander of the Imperial Army.
"All done."
"Let me see," Li Shang said.
Chi Fu handed the scroll to him.
Li Shang opened it and read the contents.
**
To the Esteemed Commander of the Imperial Army,
I, Chi Fu, Imperial Advisor and representative of His Imperial Majesty, write this report under the authority of Captain Li Shang.
This message concerns the destruction of the Imperial Military Camps stationed along the northern frontier.
The Hun leader, Shan Yu, has launched a large-scale campaign against multiple military camps. Many have already been attacked and destroyed, with catastrophic losses. The surviving soldiers under Captain Li Shang's command were captured during the assault.
Through extraordinary effort, with the assistance of a foreign traveller named Aladdin, who possesses unusual knowledge and remarkable resources, Lieutenant Ping escaped with Captain Li Shang and rescued the surviving soldiers from the Hun encampment. We are presently recovering at a secure location.
Shan Yu and the surviving Hun forces remain alive. Although they have temporarily suffered a setback, we believe they have already resumed their pursuit. Based on their current direction of travel, they are expected to reach your location within approximately two weeks.
Captain Li Shang urgently requests that all available forces prepare defensive positions, strengthen security around the Commander, and reinforce every route leading to the Imperial Capital. Carry out these measures with the utmost caution. Shan Yu has demonstrated overwhelming martial strength and the ability to adapt his tactics at a moment's notice.
Please remain vigilant. Should circumstances permit, send word to the Imperial Court so that His Imperial Majesty may begin preparing the Capital's defences.
May Heaven protect the Empire.
Respectfully written,
Chi Fu
Imperial Advisor to His Imperial Majesty
By the authority of Captain Li Shang
Captain of the Chinese Imperial Army
**
Li Shang closed the scroll.
"Good work. I'm certain the Commander will take this letter seriously once he reads its contents."
He nodded in approval at Chi Fu before turning toward Aladdin.
"How do we deliver this letter to them?" Li Shang asked curiously.
Aladdin collected the scroll. He placed it inside a cylindrical container that he had taken out earlier and sealed the lid. Then he turned toward the cave entrance and whistled.
A distant cry echoed from outside the cave.
A large blue peregrine falcon with a wingspan of about 5 feet soared into the cave and landed on his outstretched arm.
"This is Mirage. He's my good friend, and the one who will help us deliver the letter to your Commander."
Aladdin introduced the falcon to Li Shang and the others.
They had already anticipated that they would need to deliver a message to the military, so Aladdin had captured a falcon beforehand and contracted it into his familiar. Not on the level of Abu, but one that could be discarded whenever he desired.
He had initially considered doing this to Shan Yu's bird, but dismissed the idea after realising that Shan Yu and his falcon were close enough that he would recognise something was wrong. Especially in this world, where humans seemed to be able to understand animals far more easily than in his previous life.
Even he could understand Abu before the monkey had begun to literally speak.
Mirage spread his wings as though greeting Li Shang and the others.
Powerful gusts of wind swirled within the cave.
Aladdin tied the container to the falcon's leg.
He walked outside the cave.
Mulan, Li Shang, and the others followed behind him.
Li Shang glanced at Mulan.
"I need to speak with you in private about something later," he whispered.
Mulan gulped. She could already guess what Li Shang wanted to speak with her about.
Mushu! What else could it be but him?
"What is it that you wish to talk about, Captain? If it's important, we don't need to find somewhere private. We can talk about it right now."
She cleared her throat and glanced at him.
However, Li Shang shook his head.
"No. We'll talk about it later, in private."
He adjusted the sides of his armour.
Was it truly about Mushu?
Mulan sighed inwardly as she observed Li Shang's behaviour. She reluctantly nodded.
Li Shang sighed in relief.
"By the way, where are we?"
He decided to change the topic.
"We're currently up a mountain," Mulan replied as the sun's rays fell across their faces when they stepped out of the cave.
"Up a... what...?" Li Shang froze upon hearing her words.
He stood behind her, motionless at the sight before him.
It wasn't only him. Chi Fu and several other soldiers who had followed closely behind to monitor the situation outside and protect their captain also froze at the sight before them.
Their expressions were filled with disbelief.
They saw towering mountains and cliffs surrounding them. Before them was a steep drop, while rocky, narrow paths stretched along both sides.
Instantly, they realised they were high up on a mountain.
Cold winds blew against them, piercing through their armour and sending chills down their spines.
The realisation sent their thoughts spiralling. They finally understood that Aladdin and Mulan had somehow transported their unconscious bodies up a mountain and hidden them inside a cave.
Unaware of the turmoil unfolding within the soldiers, Aladdin raised his hand into the air and watched as Mirage took flight, disappearing into the distance.
"That should do it. We should receive a reply within a few days."
Aladdin turned to Li Shang and the others.
"Thank you for your support, Mr Aladdin."
Li Shang bowed respectfully with his hands cupped before him.
Chi Fu, Mulan, and the others followed, bowing with their hands cupped toward Aladdin.
Aladdin nodded.
"What do you plan on doing next?" he asked.
"We'll wait until recover both mentally and physically. Many of them are new recruits. They aren't trained to endure this level of hardship, so I'll train them while we wait for a response from the Commander before deciding our next course of action," Li Shang replied after a brief moment of contemplation.
"That's fine. There are mountain lions and rams roaming the mountain. I can easily help you catch a few so you can prepare food for your men whenever they're hungry. There's a lake below the mountain. We're not too high up, so you and your men can go down to fetch water to drink or bathe whenever you feel like it. There are villages within a hundred miles."
Aladdin pointed in their direction as he explained.
"Thank you again, Mr Aladdin." Li Shang bowed respectfully. He sighed inwardly, realising that the decision to bring them here had been a very thoughtful one. As for how Aladdin and Mulan had managed to bring all of them up the mountain, Li Shang saw no need to ask such a question.
All that mattered was that their lives had been saved. There was no need to look a gift horse in the mouth.
"I'll give you guys some space to recover," Aladdin replied.
He turned to Mulan and added, "I'll be waiting for you later."
Mulan nodded solemnly in response.
Aladdin turned and walked in the opposite direction, disappearing along the narrow path between the steep rocks.
"What a mysterious young man. To have travelled this far despite the invasion of the Huns means that he possesses some extraordinary capabilities."
Chi Fu sighed.
"If only we had such a man in our army, then we wouldn't have suffered such catastrophic losses."
Li Shang nodded in agreement.
"I've already extended an invitation to him. It's not up to us to decide whether he accepts or not."
He turned to Mulan.
Sensing his gaze, Mulan nodded.
"I'll be leaving you with the soldiers for some time. I need to discuss the various events that have transpired, along with some other serious matters, with Ping," Li Shang said to Chi Fu.
"No. You don't seriously expect me to handle them? I'm coming along as well," Chi Fu immediately refused.
"We've all survived a life-and-death situation. I thought that by now you might have already formed some sort of connection with them." Li Shang gently tapped Chi Fu on the shoulder.
"The only connections I have are with the Emperor and my family. Hey, where are you going? I'm not done talking yet! Come back here this instant!" Chi Fu exclaimed furiously as Li Shang led Mulan away. However, he couldn't follow after them because there was no reason to ignore Li Shang's orders, especially considering their current situation.
"What are you all looking at?" he scolded the soldiers standing behind him.
The soldiers immediately turned and scurried away.
Chi Fu snorted and looked away before returning to the cave.
Meanwhile, behind a large boulder beside the cave—
"That was what happened. I believe everything I saw and witnessed was real. So I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer with complete sincerity—as your Captain and as your friend," Li Shang said. "Where is Mushu?"
"I know he's with you."
Li Shang faced Mulan with a narrowed gaze.
"Captain..." Mulan attempted to speak, but Li Shang interjected.
"I'm not going to take him away from you, nor am I going to report this to the Emperor. I'm simply curious, that's all."
Silence settled between them.
"Do you promise to keep this a secret and not reveal it to anyone else?" Mulan asked.
"Yes. I promise."
Li Shang nodded decisively.
Mulan still hesitated. Even if Li Shang was already aware of Mushu's existence, she couldn't risk revealing any more about him.
"Fine. I'll trust you."
"Mushu?"
Mulan gently touched the side of her armour.
After a brief moment, a small red dragon's head peeked out from beneath her attire.
"Hey, big guy. Long time no see. Looking up and alive, I see."
Mushu waved at Li Shang and snapped his fingers at him with a grin.
"It's you?" Li Shang exclaimed.
"Of course it's me. Who were you expecting... Genghis Khan?" Mushu said, spreading his arms wide.
"Sorry. I still thought everything that happened was just a dream. I'm just surprised to see that you're actually real," Li Shang replied in astonishment.
"Of course I'm real. I ain't Tom and Jerry."
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Mushu leapt into Li Shang's outstretched arms.
"I just wanted to make sure you made it out alive. It's the least I could do after alllllll the help you've given me," Li Shang replied.
"Awww... I appreciate it. However, you know what would make this moment even better..." Mushu wiggled his brows.
"What is it?" Li Shang asked.
"Mushu?" Mulan called out.
Li Shang raised a hand toward Mulan, silently asking her to let Mushu speak.
Mushu glanced at Mulan and winked at her.
"Well... if you can promise me that, no matter what happens, Ping will remain in the army and make it back home safely. No matter what happens," Mushu said with his arms folded.
"Ping is a valuable member of the army and has now become one of the greatest champions of China. No matter what happens, I'll do everything in my power to protect him and ensure he remains in the army and returns home safely to his family," Li Shang replied, glancing at Mulan with a solemn expression.
He thought Mushu was worried about Ping's safety, especially since he believed the little dragon had been tasked with protecting him.
It never occurred to him that the real reason was that Ping was actually Mulan—a woman who had disguised herself to take her father's place and fight against the Hun invasion.
Mulan sighed in relief after hearing Mushu's request and Li Shang's response.
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A/N: So, I wrote a new story. You should go check it out.