Li Yue: Daughter of Mulan

An old tale I  heard once tells the story of a girl who's already wounded father was summoned to battle. The girl was fearful that if her father went to battle, he would be further wounded, or worse, killed. So, the girl stole her father's armor and cut her hair. She disguised herself as a man, and infiltrated the Emperor's army, fighting in her father's place. During a particularly difficult battle, she risked her life to save the Captain of her company, and her secret was revealed when she was badly wounded. The Captain was bound by law to execute her, but because she saved his life, he banished her from the army and let her live. The girl didn't believe that the enemy was gone though, so she followed the company to the capitol, where she convinced the Captain that the Emperor was in danger, and together, they defeated the enemy, saving China from danger. Through the adventure and perils of war, true love was born between the Captain and the girl. Many people think that this story is just folklore. But, what they don't know is that this story is true. The girl's name is Mulan, and she is my mother. It's not easy being raised by the famous warrior who defeated the Hun army, saving the entirety of China, and the man whose life she saved, but it's my life; and this is my story.