9. The Complete Account of Extraordinary Mulan
In 1800 a manuscript was discovered entitled The Complete Account of Extraordinary Mulan. Its author is unknown. Whether or not it is complete, that is, the author or authors had finished their work, is unknown. Through the first half of the book, the protagonist is Zhu Ruoxu, who studies dark magic, but determines never to use his acquired skills. His son, Tianlu, fails to sire an heir, and in an act implied as divine intercession, his infertile wife gives birth to Mulan. Mulan reveals early in her life she possesses special powers. In one incident, similar to the Child Jesus answering the questions from the elders in the Temple, Mulan answers the questions of a former soldier turned monk. Ruoxu indoctrinates Mulan into the dark arts and magic, admonishing her against their use.
The grandfather also trained Mulan in the martial skills of a soldier, which she used to her advantage in battle. As in other versions of the legend, she turns down a position in the emperor’s government. She is awarded the title of Princess Wu Zhao instead. She is later accused of treason against the emperor, and after failing to convince the emperor of her loyalty she kills herself. The book clearly meant to encourage passive resistance by the oppressed Chinese against their Manchu overlords. By the time of the book’s discovery, Mulan’s legend was nearly fully tied to the Han Chinese, as part of their folklore. It added the elements of a spiritual connection to her legend, leading to a god-like status. Mulan further separated from the simple nomadic folklore where her legend began.