Editing Mawei Station mutiny

{{Era|Timeline}}{{WP-REAL|zh:馬嵬驛兵變}}
{{Spoilerhd|30 Aug 2022}}
{{Imageneed}}
{{Event Infobox
|prev = [[Fall of Chang'an]]
|next = 
|image = ACD - Mawei Station mutiny.jpg
|timeframe = [[Tang dynasty]]
|date =
|place = [[Mawei Station]], [[Tang dynasty]]
|result =
|key = *[[Assassins]]
**[[Hidden Ones]]
*[[Order of the Ancients]]
**[[Golden Turtles]]
*[[Tang dynasty|Tang]]
|participants = *[[Order of the Ancients]]
**[[Wei Fangjin]]
**[[Wang Chengye]]
**[[Yang Guozhong]]
*[[Hidden Ones]]
**[[Li E]]
*[[Chen Xuanli]]
}}
The '''Mawei Station mutiny''' (馬嵬驛兵變) was the extermination of the [[Golden Turtles]] by the [[Assassins]] and aggrieved [[Tang dynasty|Tang]] [[soldier]]s on Month 6, Day 14 of Tianbao Year 15 (756 CE) at [[Mawei Station]], a {{wiki|Stage station|staging post}} north of the imperial capital of [[Chang'an]].<ref name="Dynasty 37">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[The Hidden Ones (Part 5)]]</ref> It was the height of the [[An Lushan Rebellion|An–Shi Rebellion]], an uprising by the ''[[jiedushi]]'' [[An Lushan]] against the Tang dynasty, and [[Li Longji|Emperor Xuanzong of Tang]] was in the midst of fleeing Chang'an in advance of its [[Fall of Chang'an|fall]] to the self-proclaimed Emperor Hongwu of [[Yan]]. With an entourage which included Crown Prince [[Li Heng]], his favourite [[concubine]] [[Yang Yuhuan|Yang Guifei]], the prime minister Yang Guozhong, and others of the most important individuals at court, the Emperor hoped to escape to the southwest prefecture of [[Shu]] where he would reestablish his government.<ref name="Dynasty 37">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[The Hidden Ones (Part 5)]]</ref>

By this stage in the war, although the existence of the Golden Turtles was not universally known, Yang Guozhong's machinations had become widely reviled. Surviving [[soldier]]s from the [[Battles of Tong Pass]] openly despised him for wrongly executing their commanders [[Gao Xianzhi]] and [[Feng Changqing]] for treason<ref name="Dynasty 29">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[Integrity's Last (Part 5)]]</ref><ref name="Dynasty 30">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[Integrity's Last (Part 6)]]</ref> and then subsequently forcing their replacement [[Geshu Han]] into a suicidal attack against Yan forces, thereby resulting in the collapse of the strategic gateway to the nation's capital.<ref name="Dynasty Special 4">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[Integrity's Last (Special)]]</ref> In the northeastern front, the Golden Turtles also sabotaged efforts by loyalists based in [[Changshan Commandery]] to link up with the defenders at Tong Pass and flank An Lushan's army from behind.<ref name="Dynasty 26">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[Integrity's Last (Part 1)]]</ref><ref name="Dynasty 27">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[Integrity's Last (Part 2)]]</ref> News of the [[Battle of Changshan|Fall of Changshan]] and the capture and execution of its leaders, [[Yan Gaoqing]] and [[Yan Jiming]], incited the vengeance of surviving family and friends of the Yan family. They regrouped in [[Pingyuan Commandery]] to unite their forces with the local governor, Gaoqing's brother [[Yan Zhenqing]], before sending a squad of nine [[Assassins]] to Chang'an for the eradication of the Golden Turtles.<ref name="Dynasty 35">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[The Hidden Ones (Part 3)]]</ref>

The squad was led by the [[Hidden Ones|Hidden One]] [[Li E]] and consisted of Jiming's widow [[He Shi|He Hong'er]], Jiming's elderly caretaker [[Chen Wu]], and Changshan soldiers [[Ah-Qian]], [[Jia Shen]], [[Feng Qian]], [[Zhai Wande]], [[Li Youmo]], and [[Cui Anshi]].<ref name="Dynasty 35" /> After arriving in Chang'an, they successfully sneaked into the Emperor's military escort that was protecting him and his family along his escape.<ref name="Dynasty 36">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[The Hidden Ones (Part 4)]]</ref> Separately, Geshu Han's surviving troops also merged with the imperial guard. The stage was now ripe for an uprising against Yang Guozhong's administration.<ref name="Dynasty 37" />

On the day that the group rested at Mawei Station, the Golden Turtles held a secret meeting in a bamboo forest clearing just outside its premises. There, they deliberated how to assuage the frustration of the Emperor and the demoralized troops, concluding that they should use the crown prince as a scapegoat. In the middle of their discussion, the Assassins launched their surprise assault, opening with a [[arrow storm|hail of arrows and crossbow bolt]]s that instantly killed the high-ranking seating Golden Turtles, among them [[Wei Fangjin]]; Guozhong's sons [[Yang Xuan]] and [[Yang Xi]]; and Yang Guifei's sisters the [[Lady of Han]], the [[Lady of Guo]], and the [[Lady of Qin]]. Li E himself initially missed Yang Guozhong with his flung [[spear]], [[Jing Ke (spear)|Jing Ke]]. Interception by [[Feathered Forest]] Great General [[Wang Chengye]] gave Guozhong a window of escape but only for a moment. Chengye was swiftly slain by Li E and the remaining Golden Turtle guards were also felled.<ref name="Dynasty 37" />

As Guozhong fled on [[horse]]back in a panic on the way back to Mawei Station, the Tang soldiers he passed by ignored his pleas for help. When it dawned on them that he was the target of assassination, rather than protecting him, they seized upon the moment to vent their long-awaited desire for justice. The Assassins watched from afar as Tang troops surrounded Guozhong from every direction and struck him off his horse before closing in on him to butcher him with their [[sword]]s. The only surviving Golden Turtle was [[Gao Lishi]], who skipped out on the meeting for reasons unknown to Guozhong. Yang Guifei was strangled to death while praying at a [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] temple situated on site.<ref name="Dynasty 37" />

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]''

==References==
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{{Timeline}}
[[zh:马嵬驿兵变]]
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[[Category:Assassin conspiracies]]
[[Category:Assassin-Templar War]]
[[Category:Templar purges]]