Mu Nan's Tale of Enlisting in Her Mother's Place

"Chirp, chirp, and chirp again. Mu Nan weaves by the door. No sound of loom or shuttle, only sighs from you. Tell me, what are you thinking? Tell me, what are you remembering? You aren't thinking of anything, nor remembering anything. Last night, you saw the military draft. The Empress is calling up the troops. The military orders fill twelve scrolls, and every one bears your mother's name. Mother has no grown daughter, and Mu Nan has no elder sister. Let me buy a saddle and horse, and take Mother's place in the campaign."

"In ancient times, Mulan went to war in her father's place. Today, I, Mu Nan, will take my mother's place on the battlefield, slay demons and vanquish evil to bring peace to the land, and earn a name that will live on after my death..."

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual events or people is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.