Woman General of the Yang Family
In the late period of Northern Song Dynasty (circa 1000 A.D.), the nomadic (barbarian) regions boarding Manchuria-Mongolia-Turkistan, of Western Xia-Liao kingdom, invaded the cultured, sedentary, China proper. Song's chief commander, Yang Zongbao and 8 of his 6 uncles, fought and died in the front (#4th uncle was captured by Liao, the moving story of another play named "4th son visits his mother"). News reached his family just when they were celebrating Yang Zongbao's 50th birthday. The family, now composed of the 100 y/o grandmother, widows and sisters, vowed to lay down their lives to rescue the borders. Song Emperor granted them troops, with Granddaughter, Mu Guiying, appointed the Commander-in-Chief. They fought valiantly, won the battle.
Western Xia retreated to their camp - the "Battle Ground Valley", with its natural fortification hard to get through. Nevertheless, Song's troops pursued relentlessly. Western Xia's army tried to set a trap for Yang Weng-guang, the only remaining male heir of the Yang family. Their plan was thwarted by the grandmother, She Tai-jun, and the woman Commander, Mu Gui-ying, who, with the help of a farmer of mountain herbs, found the hidden pass to the enemy's camp, defeated the invaders in the final battle.
