ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the legend of one of the most representative of the female warrior-mystics, the Ming rebel Tang Saier. Tang Saier was a native of Putai district in the eastern part of Shandong province, located in northeast China, opposite the Korean peninsula. Impressed by her new-found skills, commoners from the neighboring districts naturally gravitated towards her as she transmitted her esoteric teachings and Tang Saier was able to use her skills to acquire food, clothing, and shelter. The Ming army under Liu Sheng advanced and quickly surrounded the rebel stockade. While many of the commanders responsible for the Ming “victories” were subsequently promoted and rewarded, Liu Sheng found himself impeached by the Ministry of Justice. The Ming dynasty itself had been founded in part by religious rebels and the state authorities were very cognizant of the dangers organized religion could pose for a state that claimed to hold a monopoly on legitimacy.
