Who is she:
- One of the renowned female military strategists
Notable Life Events:
- Born in 522 AD, as daughter of a chieftain of the Li people (an ethnic minority) in Southern China during the era of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Her real name was either Xian Zhen or Xian Ying.
- Married the son of the provincial governor, Feng Bao, at the age of 13 and helped him settle many of the disputes between the Han Chinese and her people
- Flocked under the banner of the Chen dynasty (which governed Southern China) and gained a military position for herself
- Became known as the Holy Mother by her people when the founder of the Sui Dynasty ended the Chen Dynasty and it was only after she yielded that the surrounding region near her yielded
- Gained position under the Sui Dynasty again when she quelled a local rebellion by directing her grandsons. At first, the one grandson she sent did not do as she said because of personal relationships and she decisively jailed that grandson and sent another one in his place
Why is she remarkable:
- I encountered mentions of three or four female military strategists in one ancient novel. After research, Madame Xian is simply the one with the greatest/most interesting details.
Moonlake’s thoughts on her:
- I’m mostly getting a feel for her public persona which is quite decisive, having good political acumen but also quite loyal.
English Reference:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Xian
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