Wei raised a singular eyebrow. "You have yet to tell me his name, friend." Zhou took a drink of his tea. "Deng. Now, he is Fa Deng,"

*Set just after the events in Mulan. The emperor knows she is a woman, and discusses it with Zhou*

*short*

~

Mulan groaned softly as she massaged the knots out of her head. She'd been in a particularly harsh training session with some tall bloke called Lung. Despite her best efforts, he pinned her down and drew first blood. The problem was: he didn't stop at first blood and kept trying to draw more of her precious life force. Shang had to step in after she began ruthlessly kicking his head to get him off and he slit a long angry line up her arm. They both had to run laps as punishment for not controlling their emotions.

All she did was defend herself. But apparently, despite her arguing that, she didn't have to knock one of his teeth out. She ran her five laps before Lung ran his third and escaped to the lake to bathe while the others were busy. She didn't bother wrapping her binding on, as she was only a few steps away from her tent if she avoided the mess tent and skipped dinner tonight. She, as a precaution nonetheless, pressed her towel tightly to her chest as she briskly walked, keeping her head down.

Once in her tent, and it being securely shut, she dropped onto her bedroll with a loud sigh. She shrugged her training shirt off and reached for her chest binding. She began wrapping her chest up, for once, thankful for her lack of... well anything.

Until: "Hey Ping, I've brought you some dinner,"

~~

At this same time.

Wei liked to think of himself as a fair leader. His people trusted him, and he trusted them. They worked well. He also thought he was a good father: his daughters had risen above the sly digs and comments made by the palace staff and grown into beautiful young women. He prided himself, above all, of his friends. One of his oldest friends, Fa Zhou, and he were sipping tea and chewing quietly on beancakes. "So, Zhou. I hear your son took your place in the war," Wei began nonchalantly. Zhou faltered for a split second, that only those who knew him well enough could see the crack. "Yes. My son. As much as I tried, he stole my conscript in the night and left. Said something about my leg, though," he took a bite, "my leg is fine,"

Wei raised an eyebrow. "Hm. I was not aware Li had any more children besides your daughter," Zhou blinked at him. "His mother is not Li, that is why, old friend. His mother was a woman I was tangled in during the early days of my marriage. A foolish mistake really." Wei took a drink. "So, what is his name then? I have not heard of this mysterious Fa until now," Zhou cleared his throat softly. "Neither had I, friend. His mother kept him from me. I had no idea he existed until around four months ago. She must have passed on recently. He was only fifteen when he came to us." Zhou glanced at the door. "We celebrated his seventeenth birthday alongside my daughter's sixteenth,"

Wei raised a singular eyebrow. "You have yet to tell me his name, friend." Zhou took a drink of his tea. "Deng. Now, he is Fa Deng,"

Wei cleared his throat softly. "Why must you lie, friend? I know of one Fa in the army, and he is not called Deng," Zhou didn't speak. "I also know you well enough to know you wouldn't be with anybody aside from your wife. You have no son. The Fa in the army is your daughter, isn't she?" Zhou still said nothing. "It is ok, friend. I will not punish her for it," His lips quirked slightly. "From the reports, it would appear the captain is making sure she gets her training. And he isn't holding back," Zhou's shoulders slumped. "I have told him, as a way to spare your daughter, to work him hard enough and make sure "Ping" fails. That way, even though the name Ping will be disgraced, she will be safe at home,"

Zhou snorted quietly. "She really chose Ping as a name?" Wei smiled. "It would appear so," Zhou took another sip of his tea. "If you truly know me well enough friend, then you should know Mulan will not give up. She will not come home: not unless she is successful or they win the war,"

Wei smiled softly, as a father, rather than a friend or an emperor. "It would appear so,"