Mulan · chapter 8 of 10
The Emperor's Reward
皇帝的礼物
The war is won, and the emperor offers General Hua high office and great riches. Mulan wants something else entirely.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 仗打完了。木兰和李大哥骑着马，来到了京城。
Zhàng dǎ wán le. Mùlán hé Lǐ dàgē qízhe mǎ, lái dào le jīngchéng.
The war was over. Mulan and Captain Li rode to the capital.
- Captain Li 这就是皇帝住的地方？又大又亮，都是红的，金的！
Zhè jiù shì huángdì zhù de dìfang? Yòu dà yòu liàng, dōu shì hóng de, jīn de!
So this is where the emperor lives? It's so big and bright, all red and gold!
- Mulan 李大哥，小声点儿。这里是皇帝的家。
Lǐ dàgē, xiǎo shēng diǎnr. Zhèlǐ shì huángdì de jiā.
Captain Li, keep your voice down. This is the emperor's home.
Chapter 8 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1 and 2 of Mulan are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Captain Li 我小声，我小声……可是这么大的房子，我第一次看见啊！
Wǒ xiǎo shēng, wǒ xiǎo shēng…… Kěshì zhème dà de fángzi, wǒ dì yī cì kànjiàn a!
I'm quiet, I'm quiet… But I've never seen a house this big!
- Captain Li 花将军，你说，皇帝会给你什么？大官？还是很多很多钱？
Huā jiāngjūn, nǐ shuō, huángdì huì gěi nǐ shénme? Dà guān? Háishi hěn duō hěn duō qián?
General Hua, what do you think the emperor will give you? A high post? Or piles and piles of money?
- Mulan 做官，很多钱……可是，我想要的不是这些。
Zuò guān, hěn duō qián…… Kěshì, wǒ xiǎng yào de bú shì zhèxiē.
A post, piles of money… But that's not what I want.
- Captain Li 不要钱？那你要什么？天上的月亮吗？
Bú yào qián? Nà nǐ yào shénme? Tiān shàng de yuèliang ma?
No money? Then what do you want? The moon in the sky?
- Narrator 木兰一个人走了进去，跪在皇帝面前，低下了头。
Mùlán yí gè rén zǒu le jìnqù, guì zài huángdì miànqián, dī xià le tóu.
Mulan went in alone, knelt before the emperor, and bowed her head.
- The Emperor 花将军，你在军队里打了十二年仗，是我最好的将军。
Huā jiāngjūn, nǐ zài jūnduì lǐ dǎ le shí'èr nián zhàng, shì wǒ zuì hǎo de jiāngjūn.
General Hua, you have fought in my army for twelve years. You are my finest general.
- The Emperor 你想要什么？我让你做大官，给你很多很多钱！
Nǐ xiǎng yào shénme? Wǒ ràng nǐ zuò dà guān, gěi nǐ hěn duō hěn duō qián!
What do you wish for? I will make you a high official and give you great riches!
- Mulan 谢谢皇上。可是，我不想做官。
Xièxie huángshang. Kěshì, wǒ bù xiǎng zuò guān.
Thank you, Your Majesty. But I don't wish to be an official.
- The Emperor 不想做官？那……你要钱吗？金子？大房子？
Bù xiǎng zuò guān? Nà…… nǐ yào qián ma? Jīnzi? Dà fángzi?
You don't want a post? Then… money? Gold? A grand house?
- Mulan 金子，房子，我也不要。
Jīnzi, fángzi, wǒ yě bú yào.
Gold, a house… I don't want those either.
- The Emperor 不要官，不要钱……那你要什么？
Bú yào guān, bú yào qián…… Nà nǐ yào shénme?
No post, no money… Then what do you want?
- Mulan 请给我一匹快马，一匹能跑很远很远的快马，送我回家。
Qǐng gěi wǒ yì pǐ kuài mǎ, yì pǐ néng pǎo hěn yuǎn hěn yuǎn de kuài mǎ, sòng wǒ huí jiā.
Please give me a fast horse, one that can run very, very far, to carry me home.
- Mulan 我离开家十二年了。爸爸妈妈老了，我想回家看看他们。
Wǒ líkāi jiā shí'èr nián le. Bàba māma lǎo le, wǒ xiǎng huí jiā kànkan tāmen.
I've been away from home for twelve years. My parents are old, and I want to go home and see them.
- The Emperor 十二年……好！给花将军最快的马！
Shí'èr nián…… Hǎo! Gěi Huā jiāngjūn zuì kuài de mǎ!
Twelve years… Very well! Give General Hua our fastest horse!
- The Emperor 花将军，你真是一个好儿子。你爸爸妈妈一定很高兴。
Huā jiāngjūn, nǐ zhēn shì yí gè hǎo érzi. Nǐ bàba māma yídìng hěn gāoxìng.
General Hua, you are a truly good son. Your parents must be very proud.
- Mulan 好儿子？皇上，您不知道啊……
Hǎo érzi? Huángshang, nín bù zhīdào a……
A good son? Oh, Your Majesty, if only you knew…
- Captain Li 怎么样？怎么样？皇帝给了你什么？
Zěnmeyàng? Zěnmeyàng? Huángdì gěi le nǐ shénme?
Well? Well? What did the emperor give you?
- Mulan 一匹马。一匹很快的马。
Yì pǐ mǎ. Yì pǐ hěn kuài de mǎ.
A horse. A very fast horse.
- Captain Li 什么？！不做官，也不要钱，就要一匹马？
Shénme?! Bú zuò guān, yě bú yào qián, jiù yào yì pǐ mǎ?
What?! No post, no money, just a horse?
- Mulan 对！跑得最快的马。你看，它多漂亮！
Duì! Pǎo de zuì kuài de mǎ. Nǐ kàn, tā duō piàoliang!
That's right! The fastest horse there is. Look how beautiful it is!
- Captain Li 打了十二年仗，就要了一匹马！花将军，你真是个怪人！
Dǎ le shí'èr nián zhàng, jiù yào le yì pǐ mǎ! Huā jiāngjūn, nǐ zhēn shì gè guài rén!
Twelve years of fighting, and all you asked for was a horse! General Hua, you're a strange one!
- Mulan 李大哥，我要回家了！
Lǐ dàgē, wǒ yào huí jiā le!
Captain Li, I'm going home!
- Captain Li 好！我送你回家！我倒要看看，你家里有什么好东西！
Hǎo! Wǒ sòng nǐ huí jiā! Wǒ dào yào kànkan, nǐ jiā lǐ yǒu shénme hǎo dōngxi!
Then I'm taking you home! I want to see what treasure you've got waiting there!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Li think the emperor will give Mulan?
“大官？还是很多很多钱？”
- How does Mulan answer the emperor's offer of a high post?
“可是，我不想做官。”
- What does Mulan ask the emperor for?
“请给我一匹快马”
- Why does Mulan want to go home?
“爸爸妈妈老了，我想回家看看他们。”
- What does Li decide to do at the end?
“我送你回家！”