Mulang

Mulang is the het ship between Li Shang and Fa Mulan from the Disney fandom.

Mulan
Following the arrival of the Huns in their invention of China, the Emperor of China wants new recruits to join the war. He sends Chi-Fu, his councilman, into Mulan’s town to give each family a conscription notice: “one man from every family must serve in the imperial army.” He lists off families, with the Fa family being named. Mulan screams, “No!” and runs for her father as his limps up toward Chi-Fu. He coldly tells her she has “dishonored him.” Mulan quietly steps back, watching him limp back for their home. Later that night, Mulan, after a spat with her father and her family now asleep, steals he father’s sword, war scroll, armor, and cuts her hair before disappearing into the rainy night.

The next morning, Mulan is practicing being a man in order to get into the camp of recruits. With the help of Mushu, a small Chinese dragon, she does. After some misunderstandings with fellow recruits a fight breaks out with Mulan on the ground. Captain Li Shang exits his tent, following a military meeting with his father, General Li, when he sees this. The recruits get off of Mulan as Shang walks over, saying, “I don’t need anyone causing trouble in my camp.” Mulan apologizes, but quickly tries to make herself seem manly, even punching Shang in the arm. Shang asks for her name, which Mulan struggles to give, until she finally tells him her name is “Ping.”

The next day, the first day of training, Shang removes his shirt, to which Mulan peaks from behind a fellow solider and checks him out. The exercise is to retrieve an arrow Shang shot to the top of a tall wooden post, using two heavy stones that represent “discipline” and “strength.” Everyone fails to reach the top. The following days of training aren’t well earlier, to which Shang gives Mulan her horse for her to go back home. Mulan walks off, when she notices the arrow still lodged in the post. For the rest of the night, she struggles to reach the top. By the break of dawn, she manages it, throwing the arrow down at Shang’s feet when he emerges from his tent. The days following, training goes better and Mulan bests Shang in hand-to-hand combat, knocking him down, which leaves Shang pleased at how far she’s come.

After Mulan baths in the river, she overhears Shang and Chi-Fu argue over the recruits, which results in Shang being dismissed from the tent. Mulan tries to reassure Shang by telling him, “For what it’s worth, I think you’re a great captain.” This works for a moment as Shang stops walking and flashes the tinniest of smiles over his shoulder before continuing on. As Shang walks off, Mushu comes up to her, saying, “You like him…” Mulan attempts to brush it off, by ends up smiling anyway, giving herself away again.

Mushu wants to speed things up, so he devises a plan to get the newly soldiers on the frontlines with a false letter asking for them. The soldiers travel to where General Li, is supposed to be when it’s realized he and his soldiers were all killed by the Huns. Shang is devastated, but hides it well. As Shang is making a makeshift grave, Mulan walks up and gives her sincere condolences, which Shang accepts. As Shang is getting up, he lays his hand on Mulan’s shoulder before addressing the soldiers they’re moving out.

On the journey through the mountain pass, a canon fires from Mulan’s carriage which has Shang furious that their position has been given away. He quickly tells her to get “out of range,” and have other canons saved. They fire their canons at the perched Hun soldiers whom are firing flaming arrows down at them. Shang commands they save their last canon, which is to be fired at the Huns leader, Shan Yu. Deceiving her own plan, Mulan takes the final canon and runs with it down the snowy slop as Shang yells for her to come back. With Shan Yu’s massive army charging toward, Mulan fires the canon at the mountain side, causing a great avalanche. Shan Yu manages to slice at Mulan’s slide before she’s able to run and grab Shang. Khan, Mulan’s horse, breaks free from another solider restraining them and goes to aid Mulan. Once on top of Khan, Mulan makes a desperate attempt for Shang but falls short before he’s carried away with the heavy snow. Mulan goes for him again, this time succeeding in getting him on Khan with her. With the help of the other soldiers, they’re pulled up over the cliff and hauled up to safety. As they lay there, gathering their breath, Shang thanks Mulan, telling her, ''“Ping, you are the craziest man I’ve ever met. And for that I owe you my life. From now on, you have my trust.”'' As Shang is helping Mulan up, she falls to the ground in pain, from the wound Shan Yu had inflicted on her earlier. Shang yells out she’s wounded and as Mulan fades into unconsciousness, Shang tells her to “hold on,” being the last thing she hears.

Shang anxiously paces back and forth as he waits for Mulan’s medical status report. The doctor emerges from the tent and informs him of something that make’s Shang burst into the tent. Mulan wakes and smiles up at Shang, as she sits up to greet him, the blanket covering her falls, relieving bandages covering up to her breasts, giving away her secret. Shang storms out of the tent with Mulan following out after him. She attempts to explain, even telling him her true name. Shang walks for her horse, grabbing her sword, heavily implying he’s going to kill her for the dishonor she’s brought. Ultimately he drops the sword in front her crouched body, claiming, “A life for a life, my debt is repaid.” He alerts the others they’re leaving, which as them shocked as they’re abandoning her on a cold, snowy mountain at night.

Once Shang and the others have left, Mulan realizes the Huns are still alive, a few having survived the avalanche, including Shan Yu. She races toward the city where a parade is being held in honor of “China’s heroes.” Shang looks down, clearly saddened by his choices. Mulan runs up alongside Shang and tells him the Huns are alive and in the city. Shang tells her to go home and she tries again, telling him, ''“Why else would I come back? You said you trust Ping, why is Mulan any different?”'' Shang dismisses her and continues forward for the Emperor’s palace.

During the Emperor and Shang’s exchange, Shan Yu reveals himself and the Huns to be in city. They kidnap the Emperor, which Shang the other soldiers attempt to thwart, but to no avail. Mulan runs up to them, telling them she has a plan. Fellow soldiers Ling, Yao, and Chien Po follow her lead, leaving Shang behind. Ling, Yao, and Chien Po disguise themselves as women, using cloth to hoist themselves up the beams of the palace. Just as they’re about to start climbing, Shang comes up to Mulan, placing a hand on her shoulder and smiles. He too follows Mulan’s lead and climbs up with them. They make it up, with Ling, Yao, and Chien Po distracting the Huns guarding the door. Mulan yells for Shang to go save the Emperor.

Shang fights off Shan Yu, while Ling, Yao, and Chien Po rescue the Emperor. Once the Emperor is rescued, Mulan calls for Shang to zip line down with her when he’s knocked out by Shan Yu. Refusing to leave Shang, Mulan stays put, cutting the rope zip lining down. Mulan touches Shang wake and as Shan Yu inches closer, Shang throws an arm up to shield Mulan. All Shang has a weapon is small blade which Shan Yu hits out of his hand. Before Shan Yu can deliver a fatal blow, Mulan reveals herself to be the “the solider from the mountains.” Shan Yu leaves Shang alone in his attempt to kill Mulan.

Following Mulan’s successful fight against Shan Yu, as she’s leaping from the roof of the palace, she lands on top of Shang as he’s running down the stairs, the two landing next to each other. Once on their feet, Chi-Fu comes down the stairs as well, demanding “that creature’s not worth protecting.” Shang, along with Ling, Yao, and Chien Po, move to circle around her, effectively shielding her from Chi-Fu’s outburst. Shang quips back, “She’s a hero!” Chi-Fu goes on by saying “she’ll never be worth anything.” This leads to Shang garbing Chi-Fu by the collar, ready to defend Mulan more when the Emperor comes down the stairs, insisting “that is enough.” Shang and others move aside as Mulan comes round from Chien Po to be face-to-face with him.

The Emperor states all the wrong Mulan’s done, which he then ends then with, “…and you have saved us all.” He bows before her, which leads to Shang and others doing the same. She runs and hugs the Emperor which he happily accepts; Ling, Yao, and Chien Po hug her themselves. With Shang last, Mulan walks up to him, inching closer to him. He stumbles over his words, with him ultimately telling her, ''“Uh, you–! You fight good.” Mulan looks down, clearly saddened his choice of words, telling him, “Oh… thank you.”'' She walks away for her horse and heads for home. Shang watches on, also saddened by that outcome. The Emperor walks up to Shang, telling him, “You don’t meet a girl like that every dynasty.” This leaves Shang smiling fondly as he watches Mulan ride away.

Sometime later, after Mulan arrives home, Shang arrives as well; asking Mulan’s mother and grandmother is she lives there, which they silently point her out with surprise. Shang carries Mulan’s war helmet, stumbling over his words some more as he tries to return it. Mulan’s father gives her a knowing look, which leads to Mulan asking Shang if he’d like to stay for dinner. Shang replies back, “Dinner would be great.”

Mulan

 * One the first day of training, Mulan checks out Shang after he removes his shirt.
 * After Shang and Chi-Fu’s argument, Mulan tries to reassure Shang by telling him, “For what it’s worth, I think you’re a great captain.”
 * Following the death of Shang’s father, General Li, Mulan offers her sincere condolences, which Shang accepts.
 * Shang thanks Mulan–Ping–for saving his life.
 * As Shun Yu inches closer, Shang throws an arm up to shield Mulan.
 * Shang defends Mulan against Chi-Fu, the Emperor’s councilman.
 * Mulan invites Shang for dinner, which he happily attempts.

Quotes
"For what it’s worth, I think you’re a great captain."

- Mulan to Shang, Mulan.

"Ping, you are the craziest man I’ve ever met. And for that I owe you my life. From now on, you have my trust."

- Shang, Mulan.

"[Mulan’s] a hero!"

- Shang to Chi-Fu, Mulan.

Fanon
On AO3, Mulang is the most written ship within the Mulan (1998) tag; Fa Mulan’s most written, as well as Li Shang’s most written.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

Trivia

 * Shang is one of the few princes' who doesn't appear in the TV show Once Upon A Time. In this adaption, Mulan is a lesbian and is in love with Princess Aurora.