b'Part One:A Heroic LineageWhere Lih Chiens Journey BeganFamily BackgroundGeneral Lih-Chien () himself was a descendant of a long line of brave men and women who devoted themselves to military service and fought for the security of their homeland. His great-grandfather, Jinglin Chien (), was the admiral-in-chief during the Qing Dynasty and sacrificed his life fighting revolutionaries during the Hui Revolt (1862-1877), a devastat-ing conflict that left approximately 21 million dead. He fought valiantly but died on the battlefield at Jinjibao (). After his death, his wife, who had accompanied him on the campaign, retrieved his body from the enemy forces and brought it back home for burial. Their efforts were recognized by the Qing imperial court, and Jinglin Chien was honored with a military funeral and the posthumous title of Yongjie (, brave and ethical). His wife was granted the title of First Rank Lady and was awarded a dragon-headed jade cane inscribed with the words: Seeing this cane akin to seeing the emperor.Some years later, Lihs grandfather, Chunze Chien(), would also command an army for the Qing, and Lihs father, Puzan Chien (), who graduated at the top of his class at Shanxi Military Academy, was likely on his way to leading a prestigious military career as well but unfortunately died of illness at the age of 35.Early Life and EducationLih Chien was born in Hunan Province in China in 1908. He displayed exceptional talent and intelligence starting from an early age and had a pas-sion for both classical Chinese literature as well as Western science. He first studied at Sun Yat-sen University () in Guangdong, but due to financial burdens, had to enroll at Whampoa Military Academy (11'