The legend of Hua Mulan :  

 Throughout history, there are several women in extraordinary temerity, which led them to pretend to be men and fight an enemy and protect their own. In France they include Joan of Arc, while in China's Hua Mulan, which will attract the attention.

 This young woman would have lived between the 3rd and 4th century in North China. While the country was a prey to invasions of the Huns from Mongolia, the Emperor sent messengers over all his lands to enlist at least one man per family. Hua Mulan saw his brother and father too young too old to engage in such peril, also cut does their hair and made it look like a man. Then she joined under the name of Mu and for twelve years conducted a military unit, the sources said, for Captain Li

 Historical facts then diverge, but here is the most common among my research. According to some, the emperor wanted to reward her by giving it a high ranking position in his Council, still unaware that she was a woman. Hua Mulan declined, asking only one horse in exchange for his services. When his comrades in arms it came to visit him at his home, they discovered his true identity.
 En l'apprenant, l'Empereur de Chine voulu l'épouser, mais Mulan refusa ses avances et finit par se donner la mort. En sa mémoire, l'Empereur en aurait fait autant peu de temps après la nouvelle de son décès.

 There would apparently no record of these historical facts in official documents of history, and opinion differs as to the veracity of this legend. It has actually occurred or not, Hua Mulan remains etched in the minds and hearts of the Chinese, and there are many pieces of art devoted to it (plays, operas, paintings, novels, movies, etc..).