After about a week of travel, the team finally arrived in the Imperial City. From there, it was not long until they reached the palace gates. After long deliberations and debates, they ruled it best that the soldiers remain outside while Mulan, Shang, and the princesses broke the news to the emperor. There were large sums of resistance from the three men, but eventually, they agreed and allowed the others to enter the palace without them.
It had been a few minutes since the five of them had disappeared passed the gates of the palace, and anxiety regarding the now close future once again swirled in the minds of the three men.
"Gee, what do you think will happen?" Chien Po asked.
"I wouldn't worry too much," Yao reassured him, "after all, we're China's greatest heroes!"
"I don't know..." Ling started, "I have a bad feeling about this whole thing."
"Maybe if we go in, we could help explain things," Chien Po suggested.
"And what would we say!?" Ling mocked, " 'I'm sorry, your majesty, but we fell in love with your daughters and the alliance didn't happen.' ?! Yeah, I'm sure he'll love that!"
"Knock it off!" Yao yelled at him, "Mulan and Shang said they'd handle it and they will! Nothing's going to happen to us; we'll all be fine!"
By the tone of his voice, it was clear he was the most nervous. They all knew he had fallen the hardest for Mei and was deathly afraid of losing her. The mere speculation that something could go wrong was too much for him.
"Hey, in the end, it's not about us anyway," Ling said, placing a hand on Yao's arm that was clenched into a tight fist.
"It's true," Chien Po started, "all that matters is that Mulan, Shang, Su, Mei, and Ting Ting are okay. Their well being means more than any relationship with the princesses we have."
He wasn't wrong, but his words definitely didn't make Yao feel any better. He needed to accept that his desires weren't the most important issue to be addressed at the moment. What would come would come, and there was nothing they could do to change that. All they could do was wait.
Meanwhile, Mulan, Shang, and the princesses had arrived at the doors of the Emperor's throne room. They were incredibly large and elaborately carved and painted, and that made them all the more intimidating. The five of them just stood in front of the large works of art in silence. They were completely paralyzed.
One of them had to make the first move. Would that person have to be the one to talk? What would they say? Why didn't they plan anything? What happens if the Emperor decided to call his guards on Mulan and Shang? Do they go quietly, or should they fight? Stop panicking, it won't come to that!
Mulan finally stepped up and knocked on the door.
"Come in," a voice responded a few seconds later. It was the Emperor.
The team entered the throne room timidly, occasionally having to gently nudge one another forward when they froze while making their way down the long rug that led to the Emperor. Once they arrived at the base of the throne, they lowered their heads in a bow, waiting for instruction.
"I received word from Lord Qin about strange events that transpired in Qui Gong," the Emperor started, "I've been awaiting your return for days."
Qin had contacted him! He knew! They knew they'd been slow to return, but how could they let this happen? What possible narrative could the king of Qui Gong have sent him? He was clearly displeased with the matter! The five of them started to internally panic. The blood retreated from Mulan's head and she thought she might lose consciousness.
"The Golden Dragon of Unity is a very powerful spirit, and I'm delighted by what he did for you... Mulan Fūrén."
Mulan looked up in shock. In all the anxiety and fear following their leave from Qui Gong, she'd completely forgotten that Mushu had married the two of them. Shang, who was equally shocked by the revelation of the matter, lifted himself up as well.
"You're not upset by what happened?" he asked with as much strength as he could muster.
"Mulan was incredibly honorable and brave for trying to secure the alliance herself, but ultimately it was not her destiny to do so," the Emperor explained, "her fate was to continue life alongside you, Li Shang."
Color slowly returned to Mulan's face and she was able to speak again, "We're sorry we failed our mission, your majesty, but I promise you, Shang and I will do everything in our power to protect the Empire."
"And you have my trust. Your mission was to escort my daughters safely to Qui Gong, and you did. The two of you have been outstanding members of my team, and I'm proud to have called on you when I needed help."
Mulan and Shang smiled at each other as they regained all the hope they had buried after days on the road in nothing but silence and the company of their nightmares.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" they said together as they drew themselves to a bow once again.
"Now, the two of you should head back home," he said with a smile, "your families will be eager to hear the good news, and I need to have a word alone with my daughters."
Mulan and Shang gripped each other's hands and faced the princesses. They looked up at the couple hopefully as if relief were written across their faces. Mulan placed an arm on Mei's shoulder and smiled, mouthing " Everything is going to be okay. " The five of them looked at one another once more before Mulan and Shang started their walk out of the throne room, never separating their interlocked hands. Once they arrived at the base of the throne room doors, they looked back and waved goodbye before disappearing down the hall.
Once they were gone, the princesses lifted themselves from their bows to face their father, optimistic by the events that had just transpired. They were finally able to breathe again, and they met their father's gaze with smiles. The Emperor examined each of their faces before his own hardened,
"I have never been more disappointed by the three of you."