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“Black Wind?”</p>

Hearing Cricket, Honghui turned, startled, to find the young soldier now right next to him. He was staring at the warrior as well.</p>

Black Wind?</p>

Honghui repeated silently. What was Cricket talking about? Black Wind was Hua Jun’s horse. His mouth dropped open as the rider burst free from the snowy mist and fog right in front of them. The horse she rode was Black Wind. But if the horse was Black Wind, that meant the woman riding him was??6??2.??6??2.??6??2.</p>

“Hua Jun?” Commander Tung said, putting voice to Honghui’s thoughts.</p>

The female warrior shook her head as she dismounted her horse. “I am Hua Mulan,” she said, her voice strong, steady—and feminine.</p>

Honghui’s head snapped back and forth between Commander Tung and the soldier he had known as Hua Jun. The commander’s face grew pale and the slightest of tremors shook his hand as he stared at Mulan. Honghui could see—and understand—the struggle Commander Tung was under as he grappled with what was happening.</p>

Mulan saw it, too. She straightened up, keeping her expression stoic. But Honghui saw the unease creeping into her body. Her shoulders fell just slightly; her hand quivered briefly. The proud warrior she had been was beginning to fade under the horrified gaze of Commander Tung.</p>

Beside Honghui, Cricket gasped as he made the connection. “He’s a girl??6??2.??6??2.??6??2. ?” Cricket said, shaking his head. The other soldiers mumbled and muttered under their breath as well, shocked by what they were seeing and hard-pressed to believe it. Honghui listened, his rage building. Hua Jun had lied to him. He, or rather she, had been able to tell him what to say to a woman not because she had spoken to one, but because she was one! He had allowed himself to be vulnerable in front of her, and she had even beaten him in battle—more than once. His cheeks grew red as he remembered the lake.</p>

Meanwhile, Commander Tung’s expression had grown icy. “You are an imposter,” he hissed, his voice heavy with disappointment. “You have betrayed your regiment.” Mulan hung her head in shame. Commander Tung went on. “You have brought disgrace to the Hua family.”</p>

His words cut Mulan like a sword through her heart. Her head flew up. There was nothing worse he could say. “Commander??6??2.??6??2.??6??2.” she begged.</p>

The commander didn’t let her finish. “Your deceit is my shame,” he went on. “When we return to the capital, I will yield my command.”</p>

A shocked murmur moved through the soldiers. Resignation? That was nearly unheard of! Commander Tung’s career spanned decades. He was one of the most powerful and well-known commanders in all the Imperial Army. Yet he would turn his back on it because of Mulan’s deception? The men looked back and forth between the pair. Mulan may have helped them defeat the Rourans in this fight, but was the victory worth losing their leader? As the murmurs grew louder, Sergeant Qiang stepped forward.</p>

“What is the punishment assigned to this imposter?” he asked.</p>

Commander Tung didn’t hesitate. “Expulsion.”</p>

At this, the murmurs grew louder, horror mixing with fear at the very word. Honghui saw Mulan shake her head. She took a step toward her commander, her eyes pleading with him to understand. “I would rather be executed,” she said.</p>

The commander ignored her, turning his back to her. Sergeant Qiang, stepping forward, took a deep breath, and as everyone listened, he formally sentenced her. “From this moment forward,” he said, “you are expelled from the Emperor’s Imperial Army.”</p>

As the sergeant’s words slammed into Mulan, her body seemed to shrink into itself. Her eyes lost their light. Honghui watched, his emotions running rampant. Mulan deserved this. She had lied to them all, put every single one of them at risk. She had messed with his head—and his heart. But he still couldn’t help thinking she had been recklessly brave to do what she had done. To walk among the army and risk exposure at every turn. But she had done it. And she had excelled at it. She had even saved them. All of them.</p>

He shook his head, hardening his heart. It didn’t matter. Not now. She had been expelled. She would spend the rest of her days alone and ashamed.</p>

Mulan gathered Black Wind’s reins and walked away, keeping her eyes on the ground, too ashamed to make eye contact with any of the soldiers. Honghui watched her go until she was just a speck on the horizon. Hua Jun, he realized as he turned and made his way over to his comrades, was no more. It was as it should be.</p>

But if it was as it should be, Honghui wondered, why did it feel so wrong?</p>

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