So this Fanfiction is based after the war, Ping/Mulan was NOT discovered. This story isnt going to be JUST about Mulan and Shang, a few chapters in i will bring in some more war, because everyone knows Love and War go hand in hand XD

Mulan stood facing the four faces she had come to love during her time in the army, but the war had ended 5 months ago and no one had discovered her secret. They all seemed very surprised to see her.

"Is this the home of the honerable Fa family?" Shang said slowly. They had horses behind them and looked tired.

"Of course it is you idiot! She looks exactly like him!" Ling said smiling and pressing his hands together. "Hi, I'm Ling"

"And I'm Chien-po."

"And I'm Yao."

"Kind of the rock." Mulan finished smiling sweetly. "I…Ping told many stories when he arrived home, but I wasn't expecting any of you to come."

"After his illness, we wished to pay our respects." Shang said bowing. "I was his commanding officer."

"General Li Shang," Mulan pulled the door open with a loud groan form its aged hinges. "Please, you all must rest your horses and come inside for tea, you all must stay for dinner at least."

They nodded, relieved she offered. Mulan hustled inside leaving the men to their devices as she rushed to her father. "Baba" she panted and quickly explained the situation. He nodded, knowing it would be odd for them to kick them out. So she went to the kitchen and prepared some tea as mama added more food to the dinner preparations.

"She looks so much like Ping." Yao said as the group unsaddled their horses.

"Yea" Chien-po sighed sadly. "It's too bad we didn't get to see Ping again, before he died."

"The Fa family lost their only son." Ling added as they exited the barn. "That's even worst."

They knocked on the door lightly, a small frail seeming old woman opened the door, she inspected all of them, and amused she was ye level with Yao. "Mulan!" she wailed. "Ping's friends will be ready for tea soon!" She ushered them in and led them towards the bath house handing them towels. "Wash up, dinner will be in an hour, take all the time you need boys."

The men bowed grateful and entered the bath house, relieved they could wash and change into their clean cloths. When the exited Mulan moved in swiftly and gathered their cloths, letting them soak in a tub of hot soapy water. When she returned to the tea table they were all laughing and silenced when Mulan came in.

"Tea?" she asked, they all nodded and she poured them each a cup. "So how was your journey from the imperial palace? The avalanche must have been difficult to get through."

"Yes." Yao said taking a sip of tea. "But not impossible, there were other passes around the mountain."

"How much had Ping told you of his time at war?" Chien-Po asked also sipping his tea.

"Oh, it's best to assume I know everything. Ping and I are….were very close. I know Chien-po likes his dumplings with ginger, I know Ling cannot tolerate shellfish, Yao has a problem with most green foods and General Shang has a taste for rice cakes. I know that a fight caused Ping to spill the rice on the first day of camp, and you all fought with him constantly until he retrieved the arrow, which earned your respect. I know how the avalanche happened, and I know his wound was very deep. I know you four were his closest and most treasured friends, and he wishes you all nothing but joy in your lives."

They all look taken aback and then Chien-Po began to cry next to Mulan. Mulan smiled affectionately and took Po's hand. "Would you like some dumplings and ginger?" he nodded and Mulan raced, unladylike into the kitchen. Moments later she emerged with two bowls, one of steaming dumplings and another of freshly ground ginger. She handed everyone a set of chopsticks so they may eat as dinner is being finished.

The door opened very suddenly to the front of the house. "Mulan! You left your armor…" he saw the guests. "I mean, you left Ping's armor out. Are these Pings friends?"

The group rise and bowed respectfully. "Baba, this is Chien-po, Yao, Ling and General Li Shang. They've journeyed to honor Ping's memory."

"I apologize, his shrine piece has yet to return from the stonemasons. It won't be done for some time you see. I'm afraid you may have to pay your respects without one, but please stay for dinner and rest tonight."

They bowed again. "Thank you, honorable Fa Zhou." They said in unison before sitting back down.

"Mulan, the armor." He reminded. She nodded before rushing, unceremoniously from the room once again.

"Forgive her, Mulan is an odd child." Fa Zhou said sitting in his daughters spot. "But she does so much for us."

"You must be very proud to have such a dutiful daughter, after Ping's death I can't imagine the toll it took on you."

Fa Zhou pondered this for a moment then nodded. "It's something I cannot describe. Mulan is so much like Ping at times it's remarkable."

When Mulan returned it was with grandmother and Fa Li as company as they set the table for their guests. All kinds of food and drink filled the table, filling the room with intoxicating aromas.

"Mulan is still learning how to cook, so be honest with how it all tastes." Fa Li said smiling

"Mama, now they'll lie to make us feel better." Mulan said laughing, taking the empty dumpling tray from in front of Po.

"Well a little white lie never hurt anyone." Mulan blushed but nodded anyway.

Dinner was quite for the most part, Fa Zhou demanded each of them speak of their time with Ping, Mulan tried to stop him but the soldiers all said it was alright.

After dinner Mulan began to clear away plates, but Fa Zhou grabbed her hand. "Daughter, why don't you take these soldiers to the shrine? While the sun is still up, they traveled far to pay their respects."

They nodded eagerly; Mulan nodded and led them outside stopping for a small box of incense.

They stared at the farm land around them, you couldn't see it from the front, or the cherry blossoms around them. But behind the house a large vegetable garden and rice field stood on the hill, thriving in the setting sun. "Mulan, is this your farm land?" Ling asked looking around in awe as they made their way to the temple.

"Well, it's my fathers. But yes, one day it will be mine."

"Where are all your workers?" Chien-Po asked. "I expected servants in the Fa house.

"We have none, with mama and grandmother's age, and baba's leg I bring in the harvest myself." She led them into the shrine lighting the incense on a little golden plate with a dragon, she smiled.

"Isn't harvest this month?" Shang asked glancing around the humble temple.

"Yes, tomorrow." She said pointing at the moon. "You see the faint orange ring; it signifies harvest time. It will take about four days for to bring in the garden, a week for the rice."

"Then it's settled!" Yao yelled triumphantly. "We will help Fa Mulan bring in her harvest." They all nodded in agreement.

"It's the least we can do, for Ping's sister." Ling said, they all bowed to her respectfully. "He saved China, let us honor him in this small way."

Mulan stood there, shocked beyond belief. "You don't have to.." she began but they shook their heads looking at her intently. "We must, for China's hero, we will honor his family."

She smiled. "Thank you, it will bring my family much peace of mind that I won't be alone in the fields this year."

They nodded again and turned towards the shrine.

"I will leave you now." She bowed again before leaving the shrine.

In the house she busied herself with dishes and cleaning up after dinner, an hour passed until they all arrived. "I will take you to your room's." The first room was small, very little furniture. "Chien-po, Ping said you were a light sleeper so I put you on the opposite side of the chickens."

He smiled gratefully and shut the screen behind him. "Ling, and Yao" she opened a screen to a larger room. "Po said you two were inseparable so I assumed you two could share a room." They nodded, bowing respectfully and entered the room quietly.

"General" she revealed the screen to her own room. "Ping said I could trust you, I'm sleeping in my grandmother's room so I trust you won't go through my things?" she said smiling playfully.

Shang blushed, Mulan's room? He nodded and bowed respectfully like the others. "Thank you Fa Mulan."

"I'll wake you all for harvest in the morning, it will be earlier than the military is used to." She reminded before shutting the door for him. And early it was.

Fa Zhou opened each door to the rooms shaking them all before he used the general voice he missed so much. "I sent Mulan to the fields already, if you are truly set on helping Mulan today I suggest you get ready. Mulan washed your training cloths last night, they're on the line waiting." Then he was gone.

The men jumped to their feet, running out to their awaiting cloths on the line and dressing right there. Mulan's grandmother whistled from the house. "I hope you don't plan on doing that in front of our precious Mulan."

The men blushed before running through the back gate, what they saw put them into silence, in the distance it looked like Ping. He dressed like Ping and wore training robes like them, his hair was up like theirs and he had the same features.

"It's Mulan." Shang said after a moment, breaking the silence. The sadness in his voice was the only clue to their lost hope.

Mulan turned to them and waved her hands. "Hey, take off your shoes and roll up your pants! Grab those baskets too!" she pointed at a spot just a few feet from them. They gathered their baskets and did as she said before running up the rice isles, careful not to step on any plants.

"Alright" she said choosing her next rice plant and pulling out her blade. "It's very simple, once you've filled your basket add it to the cart next to Khan.

They nodded and all broke into their own directions, attacking the rice. After a few dreadful moments Mulan spoke up. "So tell me about yourselves, where did you all grow up, any siblings?"

"We all grew up in the same town actually." Yao said through the rows of rice that seem to grow above him.

"All single children." Po said sadly. "If I'd had siblings maybe I wouldn't have eaten so much."

"I had siblings." She lied smiling. "And I never ate enough Po."

They glanced at her for a moment. "Ping called him Po too."

She paused, realizing her mistake. "I'm sorry, should I call you something else? I want all of you to call me Mulan, not Fa Mulan." She said clearly looking at each of them in the eyes. "Now, what may I call you?"

They each spoke up, smiling at her friendliness.

"Yao"

"Ling"

"Po"

"Shang"

"Good, now we're all friends." She knelt back to her rice.

"Mulan, most ladies have long hair, why is your hair so short,? When we came to the field we thought you were Ping." It surprised her Ling had asked this question, none looked at her.

"I like it short I guess, I cut it before Ping went to battle." She said looking across the fields. "Just after my meeting with the matchmaker" she said, memories shuddering her.

"Which makes you about 17 right?" Po asked

Mulan nodded. "I turned 18 just before the war ended."

"So, how did it go? Did Ping meet your new husband?" Ling asked smiling. "I'm sure he gave him quite the talking to, am I right?" he laughed with a snort and the other men chuckled.

"If you promise not to laugh, and you swear to secrecy I will tell you something." She said smiling, the story was embarrassing but she knew it would make them laugh in their sad moment.

They looked up in anticipation. Mulan sat down in her spot, they gathered around her. "I failed the matchmaking test's, god it was horrible." She glanced up at the sky. "I woke up late, like I do every morning, I was writing the Final Admonitions on my fore arm when I realized how late it was." Mulan launched into her story of woe, the soldiers around her cried in laughter. When she came to the part about the woman yelling Mulan grew angry and her face grew red. She quickly calmed down and somberly told them how the dragon lady screamed at her in front of the whole village how she had dishonored the Fa family and would never make a good bride.

After a moment of silence Po swept her up in his arms crying. "Poor Mulan! What a mean matchmaker!" He cried holding her close, on instinct Ping and Yao threw themselves into the pile causing Shang to chuckle.

"What, no hug from Shang!" Ling yelled as the group held Mulan smiling. Po reached out and pulled Shang into the group and they sat there for a long time until the sun set grew hot and Po released them all.

"Well, it's time for us to bring in today's harvest." Mulan grabbed her bag of rice and heaved it over her shoulders like the others.

"Mulan, you certainly are a lot stronger than Ping when I first met him, I'm surprised this rice labor didn't beef him up."

Mulan smiled. "Oh, Ping died with a few secrets." Her words mystified the soldiers, but they shrugged it off following her to the barn, unloading the rice into the large wagon. Inside, the man waited patiently as Mulan bathed first, then themselves.

Shang was the first to emerge, overhearing a conversation about Ping.

"Mulan" Fa Zhou hissed in distress. "No matter how much it hurts for them to think Ping is dead, that's how it must be. If they knew the truth Mulan…You cannot tell them. You are my only child; you have brought much joy to these halls Mulan. Please, keep this secret, you mustn't tell them, that's an order as your father and an old tired General, who has buried too many loved ones."

"Yes baba." Mulan was clearly upset, he listened as she opened a screen door and exited the home.

Quietly, Shang took another door out the back, to inspect what he had just heard. "Mulan?" he asked coming up to the girl sitting on the bench. "May I sit with you?"

"Of course." She said gesturing to the bench, moving slightly to make plenty of room for him.

"How did Ping die?" it was serious, yet probing question.

She froze for a few moments. "An unknown disease, I fear he may have caught it from one of the Huns."

He nodded, this made sense, Ping had more contact than any of them with the Huns."

"In your brothers place Mulan I hope you feel you may come to me with anything, Yao, Po and Ling feel the same way. In whatever way you need us, we will try our best to fill the void Ping's death has left in all of us."

"What if Ping did something, something so bad you would have to kill him because it was the law. He betrayed your trust, not to harm you but to protect others from death." She looked up at him, tears still forming in her eyes. "Would you kill him? Or forgive him?"

"I would spare him." Shang said, without hesitation.

"Are you just saying that because I'm his sister." The word sounded foreign in her mouth.

"No" Shang assured her glancing at her face for a moment. "Ping saved my life, in an impossible situation, he could have left me but he didn't. Ping's 'disgrace' as you put it, couldn't possible erase what he did."

"Thank you, since you all arrived there's something about Ping's 'death' I've wanted to share, but you must be sworn to secrecy, not even my family can know you know." She took his hands in hers and stared at him intently. "You must tell no one, Ping's life may depend on it."

"Ping is alive?!" Shang's voice was hushed but filled with shock.

"Yes, and no. It's very difficult to explain. When I tell you this you will become very angry, you must promise to let me explain myself."

"Y..Yes I promise."

"Mulan!" Fa Zhou stuck his head out the door. "Come inside and help your mother with dinner!"

Mulan looked at Shang strained. "We will continue this later, don't tell the others anything, not even Ping is alive." She warned.

Shang nodded, he would not throw away the chance to see his friend again.

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