Mulan Joins the Army

Mulan is a skilled archer and martial artist living with her elderly father in the Tang Dynasty. After a day of hunting, she tricks the Li villagers with an impossible archery ruse, proving her resourcefulness. Returning home, she learns her father has been conscripted and must step in to defend his family.

Faced with her father's conscription, Mulan resolves to enlist in his stead. She chooses courage and responsibility, disguising herself as a man to join the army.

On the day of departure, two conscripts shadow Mulan, questioning her origins and designation. She humbles them with a display of prowess, then stops at an inn where she meets Yuandu Liu, who becomes her ally.

For the next three years, Mulan and Yuandu defend the border against the barbarian threat. They work together to monitor the frontier and maintain order, earning each other’s trust.

Yuandu informs Mulan that the enemy plans a surprise assault, but the commander remains complacent and refuses to act on the warning. The sense of looming danger grows even as leadership remains blind.

Mulan and Yuandu secure approval for a reconnaissance mission to verify the assault and gather concrete proof. They prepare to expose the threat and test the commander's willingness to act.

They split up for the mission: Mulan disguises herself as a barbarian hunter, while Yuandu disguises as a woman to blend with the locals. They move toward the enemy lines to locate the army.

Mulan deceives two barbarian guards who reveal their army numbers, providing critical data needed to prove the impending attack. This information becomes the basis for presenting evidence to the Marshal.

After collecting evidence, Mulan dispatches a barbarian messenger to deliver the findings to the Marshal and returns to report directly to him with the proof. The confrontation shifts from suspicion to documented reality.

The commander, bribed by the enemy generals, dismisses Mulan's report as a decoy. He refuses to acknowledge the danger, attempting to neutralize the threat with denial.

Despite the denial, Mulan continues to prepare in secret for the assault. She strengthens defenses and coordinates with Yuandu to plan the reclaiming of their city.

On the day of the assault, Mulan's preparations pay off as the city is reclaimed from the invaders. The bribe-revealed traitor is executed for his betrayal.

Returning to the Imperial capital, Mulan is offered a position in the Emperor's court in recognition of her heroism. She declines, preferring to return home.

Back at home, Mulan marries Yuandu Liu, resuming her feminine life. In the end, she reveals her life as a woman, while Liu symbolically restores the conventional male role.