Editing Shao Jun

{{Era|Individuals|Assassins|Featured}}
{{Quote|She who seeks revenge should remember to dig two graves.|Shao Jun to an Assassin apprentice, 1567.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|Vengeance}}
{{Character Infobox
|name=Shao Jun
|native=
|image=ACCC Shao Jun render.png
|birth=7 November 1505<ref>{{Tumblr|assassinscreed|post/152861001707/|Assassin's Creed|postname=Born into captivity, she found freedom and a...|quote=On this day in 1505, Shao Jun was born.|image=File:AC_Tumblr_-_Shao_Jun_birthday.jpg|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218060027/https://assassinscreed.tumblr.com/image/152861001707}}</ref><br>[[Beijing]], [[Ming dynasty|The Great Ming]]
|death=
|species=[[Human]]
|database=[[Database: Shao Jun (Assassin's Creed III)|Shao Jun (Assassin's Creed III)]]<br>[[Database: Shao Jun (China)|Shao Jun (China)]]<br>[[Database: Shao Jun (Rebellion)|Shao Jun (Rebellion)]]
|affiliates=*[[Ming dynasty]]
**{{Wiki|Imperial Chinese harem system|Imperial harem}} {{c|until c. 1521}}
*[[Assassins]]
**[[Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins|Chinese Brotherhood]]
}}
'''Shao Jun''' (born 1505) was a [[Master Assassin]] who served as [[Mentor]] of the [[Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins|Chinese Brotherhood]] of [[Assassins]] during the mid-16th century.<ref name="The Essential Guide">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide]]''</ref> She is an ancestor to the 21st century [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|American Assassin]] [[Lin]] and the [[Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins|Japanese Assassin]] [[Kō Risa]].

A former [[concubine]] of the [[Zhu Houzhao|Zhengde Emperor]], Shao Jun was rescued by the Assassins after the emperor's death in 1521 and devoted her life to the Brotherhood as a result. When the emperor's cousin took power as the [[Zhu Houcong|Jiajing Emperor]], he was manipulated by his [[Templars|Templar]]-aligned court [[eunuch]]s known as the [[Eight Tigers]] into conducting [[Great Rites Controversy|a purge]] of all those who opposed his rule. This purge saw the near-complete extermination of the Chinese Assassins and Shao Jun and her Mentor [[Zhu Jiuyuan]] fled west to seek aid from the [[Italian Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian Assassins]]' retired Mentor [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]].

Despite her Mentor's death during the journey, Shao Jun reached [[Tuscany]] in 1524 and met Ezio, who offered her advice on how to rebuild her fallen Brotherhood, as well as a [[Precursor box]]. Returning to China two years later, Shao Jun began her mission to exact revenge on the Eight Tigers and their leader [[Zhang Yong]], with the help of the Chinese Brotherhood's Mentor [[Wang Yangming]].

Over the course of six years, the two Assassins systematically hunted down the Tigers, though during their quest, they lost Ezio's Precursor box to the Templars and Yangming was slain by Zhang Yong. Undeterred, Shao Jun continued her hunt alone and was eventually successful in 1532, when she killed Zhang Yong atop the [[Great Wall of China|Great Wall]] after preventing a [[Mongolia|Mongol]] invasion of China. 

As the last surviving Assassin in her homeland, Shao Jun resolved to rebuild the Chinese Brotherhood, succeeding Yangming as Mentor. By 1567, she had recruited and trained a number of [[Assassin apprentice|apprentices]], including [[Kotetsu]], who would eventually relocate to [[Japan]]. In her later years, she avenged her slain Brotherhood by engineering the Jiajing Emperor's [[assassination]], [[poison]]ing him with a strain of concentrated [[Quicksilver|mercury]] disguised as an [[elixir of life]]. 

Shao Jun is posthumously regarded as one of the most influential Assassins of her time, and many of her techniques are still in use centuries later. 

==Biography==
===Imperial Concubine===
{{Quote|You've come far for someone who was merely once a Concubine.|Gao Feng to Shao Jun, 1526.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|The Escape (China)}}
The daughter of an imperial [[concubine]],<ref name="ACMN">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization]]'' – Regressions – Subject: Lin</ref> Shao Jun was born into imperial custody during the lackluster rule of the [[Zhu Houzhao|Zhengde Emperor]] of the [[Ming dynasty]].<ref name="Encyclopedia">''[[Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia]]''</ref><ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Shao Jun (China)|Database: Shao Jun]]</ref> As a result, she was raised from birth to become a concubine and started out as a one of the many lower-ranking concubines who hoped to become empress. To this effect, she received an education in embroidery, literature, singing, and dancing—arts typical of ladies in court. Among these, she demonstrated an exceptional talent for music and dance early on.<ref name="Scroll 1">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 1 (China)|Scroll 1]]</ref> Unlike most women valued for their beauty at this time, Shao Jun was not forced to {{Wiki|Breast binding|bind her breasts}} or {{Wiki|Foot binding|her feet}} so that she may maintain her gracefulness in dance.<ref name="Scroll 1"/><ref name="Scroll 4">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 4 (China)|Scroll 4]]</ref>

In 1510, a four-year-old Shao Jun witnessed firsthand [[Liu Jin]]'s execution via ''[[lingchi]]''. Liu Jin, the leader of a group of powerful [[eunuch]]s called the [[Eight Tigers]], had been betrayed by his lieutenant [[Zhang Yong]], a [[Templars|Templar]], and his torturous demise by hundreds of cuts over the course of two days would be forever etched in Shao Jun's mind.<ref name="Scroll 2">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 2 (China)|Scroll 2]]</ref><ref name="ABTO">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[The Assassin Brotherhood and The Templar Order]]</ref>

The Zhengde Emperor, known for his juvenile nature and lack of interest in urgent matters of state, regarded Shao Jun highly among his concubines after she had reached her teenage years, for her agility and [[cat]]-like discretion fascinated him.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> He occasionally had her dance atop a caged [[leopard]] to demonstrate this agility to his court and amuse him.<ref name="Homecoming">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Homecoming (manga)|Homecoming]]</ref> Living a decade of her life under the Zhengde Emperor, he often used her as his spy or [[thief]] and to stage pranks against eunuchs and ministers.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/>

By the age of twelve, Shao Jun had befriended her fellow concubine [[Zhang Qijie]] and had taken to exploring the Imperial Palace, finding various secret tunnels leading out of the complex, including one that had [[Temple (Isu)|sharp-edged gleaming walls]]. One day in 1517, she tried to help Qijie sneak out of the palace to see the outside world, despite the latter's fears that they would get into trouble. Avoiding the [[Soldier|guards]], Shao Jun led Qijie through one of the tunnels she had discovered, but as the path chosen required them to scale a wall, Qijie revealed that she was unable to climb it due to her foot bindings.<ref name="Qixie">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Shao Jun and Qixie]]</ref>

After returning to Qijie's quarters, Shao Jun got upset over this revelation and apologized to her friend, but Qijie explained that they were different animals, a [[butterfly]] and a [[Hare|rabbit]], respectively, each unique and amazing in their own way. She then asked Shao Jun to tell her a story about one of her adventures, and the latter eagerly complied before heading to bed.<ref name="Qixie"/>

By the follower year, Shao Jun had risen to the rank of Imperial Concubine through the Zhengde Emperor's favor. At this stage, she and Qijie had both become candidates for Imperial Consort or even Empress.<ref name="Scroll 3">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 3 (China)|Scroll 3]]</ref> The two had always enjoyed a friendly rivalry, where Shao Jun always bested her foot-bound friend through her nimble grace.<ref name="Zhang DB">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Empress Zhang]]</ref> Nonetheless, Shao Jun had never once been invited to her Emperor's bed since he instead preferred the company of [[courtesan]]s and other women he was acquainted with.<ref name="Scroll 3"/>

Late in his reign, the Zhengde Emperor went on a campaign against [[Mongolia|Mongol]] raiders in the north, bringing Shao Jun and a few other concubines with him for his personal leisure. As was the case back in court, Shao Jun served primarily as his spy during this expedition,<ref name="Scroll 4"/> in the process gaining the opportunity to meet many foreigners.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/>

===Joining the Assassins===
{{Quote|I was born into captivity. One of many Concubines. When the Brotherhood came for us, I saw freedom, I saw a future.|Shao Jun, 1530.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|An Old Friend}}
With the Zhengde Emperor's death in April 1521, the sixteen-year-old Shao Jun found all prospects of becoming empress dashed except on the slim chance that his successor would find her appealing. In the meantime, the imperial ministers fell into disarray and feuded over who should succeed the heir-less Emperor. Hoping to maintain her status through the interregnum, Shao Jun used her spying skills to find the appropriate connections, only to uncover [[Assassin-Templar War|a secret war]] between the Templar Order led by the Eight Tigers and the [[Assassins]].<ref name="Scroll 5">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 5 (China)|Scroll 5]]</ref>

Not long after, Shao Jun learned that the Tigers were plotting to seize control of China by using their power to place a puppet on the throne. Recognizing that the Tigers already controlled the most influential people at court, she decided to contact the Brotherhood through their leader, [[Wang Yangming]], and requested to join them.<ref name="Scroll 5"/> In the Assassins, she saw a chance at freedom.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/>

However, Yangming's secret identity had been discovered by the Templars as well, and through the intelligence they had gathered, they were poised to launch a surprise operation against the Assassins in [[Beijing]].<ref name="Scroll 6">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 6 (China)|Scroll 6]]</ref> This impending purge was leaked to the concubines just in time for Shao Jun to alert Yangming,<ref name="Scroll 6"/> and the Mentor rallied his best Assassins for a preemptive strike at the [[Forbidden City]] to kill the Tigers. In the ensuing conflict, the Assassins were defeated. Many among their number and even mere [[civilian]]s suspected of association with them were detained and summarily executed via ''lingchi'', but Shao Jun was successfully extracted from the palace by Yangming in the full retreat that followed.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/><ref name="Scroll 7">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 7 (China)|Scroll 7]]</ref>

Loyal immediately to those who had rescued her, Shao Jun dedicated her first years of freedom to serving the Brotherhood. Yangming trained her in the Assassins' ways until she reached the [[Assassin rank|rank]] of Initiate and earned the right to wield a [[Hidden Blade]].<ref name="Scroll 8">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 8 (China)|Scroll 8]]</ref> Unsatisfied with its functionality, Shao Jun soon replaced it with a Hidden Footblade of her own design.<ref name="Scroll 10">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 10 (China)|Scroll 10]]</ref> Later, Yangming had to disappear to escape the [[Great Rites Controversy]], so [[Zhu Jiuyuan]] replaced him as both leader of the Brotherhood and Shao Jun's Mentor. Under his wing, she reached the full rank of Assassin and took a [[Leap of Faith]].<ref name="Encyclopedia"/><ref name="Scroll 10"/>

Years after her rescue, Shao Jun and her Mentor decided to save the remaining concubines whom she had grown up with. After breaking into the Imperial Palace, Shao Jun discovered that most of her friends had been tortured and killed through ''lingchi'' by order of the Zhengde Emperor's cousin and successor [[Zhu Houcong]], the Jiajing Emperor. Shao Jun and her Mentor then fled the palace.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/>

[[File:An Old Friend China (4).jpg|thumb|250px|left|Shao Jun and her childhood friend, Zhang Qijie]]
Before leaving, Shao Jun took the incredible risk of infiltrating the Forbidden City to free her friend Zhang Qijie, knowing that although she knew the place by heart, the eunuch guards would kill her if she was caught. Fortunately, the city's security was lower than usual, for the Jiajing Emperor was often away in his own private palaces. Shao Jun eventually found Qijie but was astonished to hear that she wanted to stay, even if the Emperor was a brutal man.<ref name="Scroll 11">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 11 (China)|Scroll 11]]</ref>

Qijie was lucky enough to please him and was now the Imperial Consort. She told her old friend to leave in peace, and did not want to hear about the Templars controlling the Tigers, even less of the man she expected to become her husband. Shao Jun accepted Qijie's decision and remembered how important her career as a concubine was; she then left the Forbidden City for what she perceived to be the last time.<ref name="Scroll 11"/>

The Jiajing Emperor later sought to detain and execute any opposition or possible threats against his rule. The Assassins were some of the [[Great Rites Controversy|purge]]'s most high-profile targets, and on the Emperor's orders, a majority of the Assassins in China were killed. The few who survived either went into hiding or fled westward.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/><ref name="Scroll 12">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 12 (China)|Scroll 12]]</ref>

===Meeting Ezio Auditore===
{{Dialogue2|Shao Jun|I want to understand.|Ezio|Understand what?|How to lead, to rebuild my Order.|Shao Jun asking Ezio for help, 1524.|Assassin's Creed: Embers}}
Isolated, Shao Jun and Zhu Jiuyuan despaired and finally decided to leave the country in order to seek the help of other Assassins, namely, the [[Italian Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian Assassins]]' former Mentor [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]], whose reputation had spread across {{Wiki|Eurasia}}. It was a long journey, and neither of them spoke Italian, but it was their only hope. The pair secretly travelled to [[Macau]], where transportation was easiest towards [[Europe]]. During their trip, they witnessed the crippled state of the Brotherhood's network in China: most safe houses had been raided and no Assassin worthy of the name was left alive.<ref name="Scroll 13">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 13 (China)|Scroll 13]]</ref>

[[File:EzioFlaviaJun.png|thumb|250px|Shao Jun's first encounter with Ezio]]
By 1524, Shao Jun and her Mentor were able to reach [[Venice]], stashed aboard a [[Portugal|Portuguese]] [[ship]] transporting porcelain and [[silk]]. Once in Italy, the pair were oblivious to the fact that they had been followed by Templar agents. Ambushed by elite soldiers armed with [[musket]]s, Zhu Jiuyan sacrificed himself so that Shao Jun could escape with her life.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/><ref name="Scroll 14">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 14 (China)|Scroll 14]]</ref>

Continuing onward, Shao Jun eventually arrived at Ezio's [[Tuscany|Tuscan]] villa, where she encountered the retired Mentor's young daughter [[Flavia Auditore|Flavia]] and began speaking with her. Though Ezio initially saw Shao Jun as a threat and fervently restrained her to protect his child, he released her after recognizing the [[Assassin insignia]] on the necklace she wore.<ref name="Embers">''[[Assassin's Creed: Embers]]''</ref>

Later that day, Ezio and his wife [[Sofia Sartor]] confronted Shao Jun, who asked for aid in restoring her Order. Ezio, who had left his life as an Assassin, refused to associate himself with the Order again and asked her to leave. However, Sofia, knowing that Jun had come a long way to meet Ezio, invited her to stay for the night. Shao Jun thanked Sofia, and accepted her offer.<ref name="Embers"/>

[[File:ShaoJunEzio.png|thumb|250px|left|Shao Jun listening to Ezio]]
The next day, Shao Jun came across Ezio's study and looked through some of the writings he had left on his desk. When Ezio discovered her, he furiously told her to leave not just his estate but to wholly depart from Italy, stating that she had wasted her time looking for him. Shao Jun recited a portion of Ezio's writing and responded that all she wanted was to understand the Order as he did.<ref name="Embers"/>

Ezio finally admitted why he was so reluctant to help Shao Jun and invited her to accompany him to [[Florence]], where she could assist him in his vineyard's harvest. There, Shao Jun observed the crowd as Ezio attended to his business. He took her to the [[Palazzo della Signoria]],<ref name="Embers"/> where his father [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni]] and brothers [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]] and [[Petruccio Auditore da Firenze|Petruccio]] had been executed in 1476,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Last Man Standing]]</ref> and explained that paradoxically Assassins lived their lives through pain in order to end suffering for others.<ref name="Embers"/>

[[File:Embers ShotBreakdown 01.png|thumb|250px|Shao Jun and Ezio in Florence]]
After the brief discussion, Ezio and Shao Jun prepared to return to the villa. On the way back however, the two were intercepted by an Imperial soldier in an alleyway. Despite the ambush, Shao Jun managed to kill the soldier with her Hidden Footblade and quickly fled the city with Ezio. On the way back to the villa, Shao Jun explained her plight and informed Ezio about the soldiers hunting her. Upon returning home, Ezio told Sofia to take their children to [[Niccolò Machiavelli]]'s house, as he suspected that the soldiers would pursue Jun to the villa.<ref name="Embers"/>

While waiting for the imminent attack, Ezio decided to train Shao Jun, teaching her new combat and stealth techinques.<ref name="China">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]''</ref> He also told her the story of how he had used fraternity and love to [[Liberation of Rome|defeat]] the [[House of Borgia|Borgia family]] who led the [[Roman Rite of the Templar Order|Italian Templars]], and how he had reformed the Brotherhood in both [[Rome]] and [[Constantinople]]. Shao Jun then rested for the night while Ezio kept watch from the living room.<ref name="Embers" />

[[File:Shao traininig.png|thumb|250px|left|Ezio training Shao Jun]]
Soon enough, Imperial soldiers attacked the villa, just like the Assassins had anticipated. Together, the pair were able to fend off most of the attackers, with Ezio saving Shao Jun from the shot of a [[hand cannon]] held by a brutish soldier. Fleeing outside to avoid the devastating weapon, Shao Jun and Ezio worked together to deal with the last foe. Though the soldier charged Ezio and pinned him to a tree, the elder Assassin managed to stab his enemy with an iron poker, killing him.<ref name="Embers"/>

===Leaving Italy===
{{Dialogue|Ezio|It is a long way home, no?|Shao Jun|Much to see along the way. Thank you, Mentor.|Shao Jun to Ezio, before departing for China, 1524.|Assassin's Creed: Embers}}
[[File:ACE-V 10.png|thumb|250px|Ezio handing Shao Jun a small box prior to her departure]]
The following morning, Shao Jun looked to the horizon with renewed resolve. Ezio approached her and said that her return trip would be long, but Shao Jun replied that it would be worthwhile, with so much to see along the way. Before Shao Jun left, Ezio gave her a [[Precursor box|small box]], claiming that the chest might prove useful in the future but that she should only open it if she lost her way. With that, Ezio bid the young Assassin farewell before going to speak with several guards who arrived on [[horse]]back.<ref name="Embers"/>

An avid learner who loved to experience new cultures and societies, Shao Jun was in no rush to return to China and spent months travelling around Europe, notably to [[Spain]], in order to further her training.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – [[Database: Shao Jun (Rebellion)|Database: Shao Jun]]</ref>

===Expedition to Cambodia===
Shao Jun's biggest distraction on her way back to China came when she learned of an [[Second Assassin expedition to the Mekong|Assassin expedition]] to the jungles of [[Cambodia]], which had the aim of investigating rumors of a rogue Assassin called [[Isabel|Colubra]] sowing terror among the local population, as well as finding a previous Assassin team that had been sent to Cambodia and never returned. Deciding to lend her aid, Shao Jun contacted the expedition's members—[[Alif]], [[Beatrice]], [[Clara (Assassin)|Clara]], and [[Domenico (Assassin)|Domenico]]—and asked them to meet her at a village near the [[Mekong]] river.<ref name="Bitter Conduct">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[Bitter Conduct]]</ref>

However, just prior to the Italian Assassins' arrival, Shao Jun was [[poison]]ed, requiring her to be taken care of by the women of the village. Not long after, the village came under attack by the [[Furies]], Colubra's all-female group of warriors, but the Assassins were able to chase them away. They then handed Shao Jun an antidote for the poison, allowing her to recover and officially join the team.<ref name="Bitter Conduct"/>

[[File:ACBOV Apocalypse - Shao Jun.jpg|thumb|230px|left|Shao Jun in Cambodia]]
After retrieving a diary belonging to one of the first expedition's members, the Assassins learned of a beautiful female warrior labeled as [[Mae Wa|แม่ วะ]].<ref name="Ghost Stories">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[Ghost Stories]]</ref> Questioning the elders of a nearby village, they learned that the woman they sought was Mae Wa,<ref name="Shadowing">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[Shadowing]]</ref> and proceeded to follow her tracks to a [[temple]] complex being used by the Furies. There, they were attacked by [[Sesha]], a giant snake that burst from underground; after defeating it, they explored the Furies' lair, finding a map fragment and a broken variant of the Hidden Blade.<ref name="Time Bombs">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[Time Bombs]]</ref>

Following the map fragment, Shao Jun and her fellow Assassins encountered a small group of Furies on the opposite bank of a river crossing, though the Furies were able to escape in [[canoe]]s.<ref name="Mission">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[Mission]]</ref> While camping for the night, the Assassins noticed a passage covered up with branches and decided to investigate, finding a camp with only a few sentries patrolling it. However, this turned out to be a trap, as the Furies destroyed a dam in an attempt to drown the Assassins, who narrowly escaped.<ref name="How Green Was">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[How Green Was...]]</ref>

While traversing a valley, the expedition members encountered a group of macaques, one of which was holding a Hidden Blade. The Assassins gave chase, but became lost in the dense jungle and eventually came across the edge of a cliff. Peering at the blood-stained rocks at the bottom, the group understood the fate of the first Assassin expedition.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[Second Assassin expedition to the Mekong]]: Location-specific events: #22</ref>

Further studying the diary from the first expedition, they surmised that Colubra could be in a rear base much further north.<ref name="Hold the Fort">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[Hold the Fort!]]</ref> At an open air market, the Assassins were ambushed by the Furies once again, this time coming face to face with Colubra herself, who was wielding an [[Isabel's Apple of Eden|Apple of Eden]]. Although they managed to defend themselves and very nearly defeated Colubra, they were knocked out by a shockwave and awakened later to a completely empty market.<ref name="Another World">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[Another World]]</ref>

[[File:ACBOV Apocalypse - Patrol.jpg|thumb|230px|The Assassins observing a Furies patrol]]
Delving deeper in the jungle, the Assassins noticed a number of changes in the environment, brought about by Colubra's Apple.<ref name="Snakes">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[Who'll Meet Those Snakes?]]</ref> As they got closer to Colubra's sanctuary, the effects of the Apple became stronger, with animals being incredibly aggressive and plants seeming to have a will of their own. The group eventually arrived at an artificial lake with ink black waters and surrounded by the smell of death and decay, and decided to pause their mission to destroy the dike and purify the corrupted valley.<ref name="In the Dark">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[In the Dark]]</ref>

At a temple to the serpent god near Colubra's hideout, a pair of Furies performed a ritual using the Apple of Eden, seeking to control Sesha. The Assassins diverted the ceremony, sacrificing the "Hydras" they had captured to weaken the giant snake instead, though they failed to retrieve the Apple.<ref name="Beginning of the End">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[The Beginning of the End]]</ref>

Finally arriving at Colubra's sanctuary, the expedition's members began to feel the effects of the Apple and attempted to seize and destroy the artifact, but they were again knocked back by a shockwave and passed out. When they regained consciousness, they saw Colubra holding the Apple, though rather than use it to attack the Assassins, she declared her intention to destroy it. As Colubra was attacked by Sesha, the Assassins fought and defeated the giant snake, allowing Colubra to enter an [[Isu]] [[Temple (Isu)|temple]] from where neither she or the Apple would ever come out.<ref name="The Fall">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]'' – [[The Fall]]</ref>

===Return to China===
{{Quote|Patience, sister. We must move carefully. Zhang Yong and his Tigers control the Empire now.|Wang Yangming advising Shao Jun, 1526.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|The Return}}
Following her mission to Cambodia, Shao Jun parted ways with the Italian Assassins and resumed her journey to China.<ref name="The Fall"/> Eventually reaching her homeland in 1526, she used a network of old abandoned Brotherhood safehouses and sought out Wang Yangming, telling him about her travels, Zhu Jiuyuan's death, and her meeting with Ezio.<ref name="Scroll 16">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 16 (China)|Scroll 16]]</ref>

[[File:The Return China (6).jpg|thumb|250px|left|Shao Jun and Wang Yangming]]
The Chinese Mentor had not seen Shao Jun since he had helped her escape the Forbidden City years prior and was impressed the former concubine had become an efficient killer with her own set of recent accomplishments. Adding to her skills, Shao Jun created an invention of her own to aid her during her missions: the ''shéng biāo'', or [[rope dart]], a tool useful for both navigation and assassination.<ref name="Scroll 16"/>

Shao Jun later presented Ezio's box to Yangming and told him the Italian Mentor had said to open it if she lost her way. Deducing the chest to be a Precursor box, one of the many [[Piece of Eden|Pieces of Eden]], Yangming understood the wisdom of Ezio's words and hid the artifact's true nature from Shao Jun,<ref name="Scroll 17">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 17 (China)|Scroll 17]]</ref> claiming that the empty chest was a metaphor for her journey and that the only way to "fill" it was by fulfilling her destiny.<ref name="Scroll 18">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 18 (China)|Scroll 18]]</ref>

Understanding what had to be done, Shao Jun set out to exact revenge on the Templars for their purge of the Chinese Assassins; eliminating them would allow her and Yangming to rebuild the Brotherhood, similar to what Ezio had done in Italy and Constantinople. As such, the two Assassins began planning their hunt of the Eight Tigers in order to remove the Templars' influence in China.<ref name="Scroll 18"/>

===Quest for vengeance===
====First blood====
{{Dialogue|Gao Feng|No wonder your kind fell so far.|Shao Jun|My 'kind' isn't done yet.|Shao Jun and Gao Feng, exchanging words during her imprisonment, 1526.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|The Escape (China)}}
[[File:The Escape China (1).jpg|thumb|250px|Shao Jun questioned by Gao Feng during her imprisonment]]
Shao Jun marked her first target as [[Gao Feng]], the Tiger who served as warden of the [[Maijishan Grottoes]], a former Assassin stronghold turned into a Templar prison. Believing that the best way to reach Gao Feng was to allow herself to be captured, Shao Jun did so and used the Precursor box as bait. Following her imprisonment, Gao Feng tried to question the Assassin about the origins and purpose of the box, but she only replied that she was exactly where she wanted to be, to the Tiger's irritation.<ref name="The Escape">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Escape (China)|The Escape]]</ref>

After Gao Feng left, Shao Jun escaped her cage and retrieved her equipment before trying to locate her target. Along the way, she recovered several Assassin scrolls and rescued the imprisoned eunuch [[Hong Liwei]], an Assassin informant<ref name="The Escape"/> and her old tutor at the Imperial Palace who had helped her escape the Forbidden City years prior.<ref name="ABTO"/> Eventually reaching Gao Feng, Shao Jun killed him but learned that the box had been taken by one of his Tiger brothers.<ref name="The Escape"/>

Upon escaping the prison, Shao Jun regrouped with Hong Liwei and Wang Yangming, the latter of whom informed her that he had also assassinated a Tiger, [[Ma Yongcheng]]. Shao Jun was anxious to eliminate their next target and recover the box, but the elder Assassin advised her to have patience, claiming they would find their lost prize in time.<ref name="The Return">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Return]]</ref> In the meantime, they decided to take Liwei into hiding and arrived at a small village housing a few surviving allies of their Brotherhood, who looked after Liwei.<ref name="ABTO"/>

====Hunt in Macau====
{{Quote|The Assassins claim they protect the innocents. Let us show them that their actions have consequences.|Qiu Ju, prior to ordering Macau's port burned, 1526.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|Consequences (China)}}
[[File:The Port China (1).jpg|thumb|250px|left|Shao Jun and Wang Yangming sailing into Macau]]
After some time passed, Shao Jun and Wang Yangming were informed that the Precursor box was in the possession of the Tiger [[Gu Dayong]], a slaver who based his operation in [[Macau]]. Infiltrating the city through the docks, Shao Jun heard about three Portuguese merchants who had become affluential after helping the Templars by providing them with information about the Assassins. She decided to exact retribution on them before infiltrating Dayong's stronghold.<ref name="The Port">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Port]]</ref>

Once inside the fortress, Shao Jun rescued several of the Tiger's slaves,<ref name="The Slaver">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Slaver]]</ref> including the young boy Kotetsu. Recognizing the Assassin insignia on her necklace, the boy asked Shao Jun to free his captive [[Kotetsu's father|father]], who was a member of Brotherhood. The Assassin did so but it was already too late, as Kotetsu's father had been tortured by Dayong's men and died in her arms.<ref name="Port">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Port]]</ref>

[[File:The Slaver China (2).jpg|thumb|250px|Shao Jun reclaiming the box after assassinating Gu Dayong]]
After giving the man his last rites, Shao Jun vowed revenge on Dayong<ref name="Port"/> and infiltrated his personal quarters, killing the Tiger and recovering the stolen box.<ref name="The Slaver"/> While Shao Jun made her escape, Dayong's Tiger brother [[Qiu Ju]] discovered his body and decided to retaliate by arresting innocents and setting the port of Macau on [[1526 Macau fires|fire]].<ref name="Consequences Memory">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Consequences (China)|Consequences]]</ref>

As Shao Jun tried to escape from the burning port, she rescued as many [[civilian]]s as she could along the way, but many still perished in the inferno.<ref name="Consequences Manga">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Consequences (manga)|Consequences]]</ref> Eventually reaching Yangming's boat, the two Assassins escaped Macau,<ref name="Consequences Memory"/> but Shao Jun blamed herself for the port's destruction and the major loss of innocent lives, which deeply traumatized her.<ref name="Consequences Manga" />

====Losses in Nan'an====
{{Quote|Shifu, I'm sorry... I was too slow. I should have reached you sooner. I could have stopped Zhang Yong. I could have protected the box. What good is to take revenge if I keep losing those I care for?|Shao Jun apologizing to the deceased Wang Yangming, 1529.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|Hunted}}
Shao Jun spent the following three years at the Assassins' hideout in the countryside, still haunted by the trauma of the Macau fires. When Wang Yangming eventually returned to the village after acquiring new information on the Eight Tigers' whereabouts, he was surprised to find Shao Jun in the same place he had left her and the two headed to a barn to talk in private. There, the Mentor tried to console his apprentice and asked her if she fought the Templars purely out of revenge, which reminded her of Ezio's words that Assassins [[Assassin-Templar War|fought]] for the freedom of humanity.<ref name="Qixie" />

When Shao Jun asked if her actions in Macau reflected that goal, Yangming reminded her of the day he had rescued her from the Imperial Palace and how she had implored him to rescue her friend Zhang Qijie as well, but he had been unable to. He then claimed that Qijie may still require her help, to which Shao Jun revealed that her friend had become Empress and reaching her would be extremely difficult.<ref name="Qixie" />

[[File:The Search China (2).jpg|thumb|250px|left|Shao Jun and Wang Yangming arriving in Nan'an]]
Following this, the two Assassins decided to resume their hunt of the Tigers and headed to [[Nan'an]] to find [[Wei Bin]], Zhang Yong's lieutenant who had overseen the Chinese Brotherhood's slaughter. While Shao Jun attempted to eliminate the Tiger, Yangming decided to search for a contact who might be able to help them understand the secrets of the Precursor box.<ref name="The Search">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Search]]</ref>

Entering the city in disguise, Shao Jun was unexpectedly reunited with Kotetu, who had used his late father's contacts to find her. After heading to a secluded spot to talk, the Assassin apologized to the boy for her perceived failure in Macau. However, Kotetsu explained that the people of the city blamed the authorities for starting the fire, and that they reported seeing a woman clad in black robes trying to save as many civilians as she could from the flames.<ref name="Reunion">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Reunion (manga)|Reunion]]</ref>

[[File:The Snake China (3).jpg|thumb|250px|Shao Jun assassinating Wei Bin]]
Understanding that her actions had done some good after all, Shao Jun thanked Kotetsu to helping her regain her resolve and resumed her mission.<ref name="Reunion"/> She infiltrated Wei Bin's headquarters and killed his bodyguards before assassinating the Templar himself. However, with his dying words, Wei Bin informed her that Zhang Yong was hunting Yangming and had lured him into a trap.<ref name="The Snake">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Snake]]</ref>

Shao Jun immediately left to save her Mentor but arrived too late, witnessing Zhang Yong mortally wounding Yangming and reclaiming the Precursor box for the Templars.<ref name="Hunted">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Hunted]]</ref> After her Mentor died in her arms, Shao Jun attempted to take revenge on Zhang Yong, Qiu Ju, and the soldiers accompanying them, but a [[monk]] from a nearby [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] temple intervened and prevented the confrontation from escalating. After he demanded that no violence be brought to the temple of [[Shakyamuni|Buddha]], the Templars complied and left Shao Jun alone to reflect on her losses.<ref name="Funeral Pyre">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Funeral Pyre]]</ref>

[[File:Hunted China (6).jpg|thumb|250px|left|A grieving Shao Jun beside her dying Mentor]]
The monk subsequently offered to assist Shao Jun with organizing Yangming's funeral and revealed himself as the contact whom the Mentor was set to meet. During their conversation, the monk also helped Shao Jun realize that she was descended from the [[Isu]] and that her special bloodline granted her the gift of [[Eagle Vision]], allowing her to see things before they happened.<ref name="Eagle Vision">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Eagle Vision (manga)|Eagle Vision]]</ref>

After her Mentor's funeral, Shao Jun thanked the monk for his hospitality and questioned how he knew so much about the Brotherhood and the Isu. When the monk revealed that one of his ancestors was an Assassin from the [[Middle East]], Shao Jun vowed to uphold the same principles as the Assassins that had come before her, and set off to recover the Precursor box.<ref name="The Court">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[The Court]]</ref>

====Infiltrating the Forbidden City====
{{Quote|You have no friends left. The last person alive who you thought you could trust betrayed you. That is how we wiped out your kind! So trusting of others, so weak and pathetic!|Zhang Yong to Shao Jun during their confrontation at the Imperial Palace, 1530.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|Demon Fire}}
In 1530, Shao Jun was contacted by her old friend Zhang Qijie, who claimed to have a lead on Zhang Yong's location.<ref name="Old Friend">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[An Old Friend]]</ref> Infiltrating Beijing alongside Kotetsu, who posed as her younger brother, Shao Jun told the boy to wait for her outside while she rescued her friend from the Forbidden City. When Kotetsu expressed his desire to become an Assassin like her, Shao Jun agreed to train him once she had defeated the Templars.<ref name="The Court"/>

[[File:An Old Friend China (6).jpg|thumb|250px|Shao Jun being led into a trap at the Imperial Palace]]
After sneaking into the Imperial court, Shao Jun freed Qijie's concubines who had helped pass the information to her. She then made her way to the Empress' quarters, only to find her being held hostage by Zhang Yong and Qiu Ju.<ref name="Old Friend"/> The Templars tried to convince Shao Jun that her friend had betrayed her, but the Assassin knew that the Empress had been forced to lure her into the trap and forgave her.<ref name="Demon Fire">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Demon Fire]]</ref>

While Zhang Yong fled, Shao Jun was forced to battle Qiu Ju and managed to overcome her adversary by dropping several [[lantern]]s on him, setting him on fire.<ref name="Demon Fire"/> Soon, the entire room became engulfed by flames, but the Assassin was able to escape with Empress Zhang after a pillar fell on Qiu Ju, killing him.<ref name="Arena">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[To Each Her Own Arena]]</ref> 

Once they were safe, Qijie apologized to Shao Jun for leading her into the Templars' trap while the Assassin in turn apologized for not saving her earlier in their lives. She then invited Qijie to flee the palace with her, but the Empress claimed that, with most of the Tigers gone, the Jiajing Emperor may start listening to wiser council and her situation would improve. Shao Jun understood her friend's decision and hugged her before they parted ways once again.<ref name="Arena"/>

====The Great Wall====
{{Dialogue|Zhang Yong|Your actions here have only delayed the inevitable. Slowing these savages will have only angered them. They will see this as a betrayal and launch a full scale assault.|Shao Jun|They will not reach my land. The Wall will hold them back.|Shao Jun and Zhang Yong shortly before the latter's death, 1532.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|Vengeance}}
[[File:Vengeance China (6).jpg|thumb|250px|left|Shao Jun with the dying Zhang Yong]]
In 1532, Shao Jun and Kotetsu pursued Zhang Yong, the last of the Tigers, to the [[Great Wall of China]],<ref name="Great Wall">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[The Great Wall]]</ref> where they learned of the Templar's plan to let [[Altan Khan]]'s Mongol army invade the country in exchange for a seat in power after the outcome.<ref name="The Betrayal">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Betrayal (China)|The Betrayal]]</ref> With Kotetsu's help,<ref name="Great Wall"/> Shao Jun closed the Wall's gates and killed the Mongol scouts, preventing them from entering her homeland.<ref name="The Betrayal"/>

Following this, Shao Jun confronted Zhang Yong, who revealed that he had sent the Precursor box to other Templars outside of China to prevent the Assassins from getting it. However, Shao Jun rebutted that retrieving the box was another Assassin's destiny and that hers was to eliminate the Tiger. Amidst the chaos of the Wall's bombardment by the infuriated Mongols, who believed Zhang Yong had betrayed them, Shao Jun pursued the Templar as he tried to escape.<ref name="Vengeance">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Vengeance]]</ref>

[[File:Vengeance China (7).jpg|thumb|250px|Shao Jun vowing to rebuild the Chinese Brotherhood]]
When she eventually cornered him, she mortally wounded him with her sword, marking the end of the Tigers and of Templar influence in China. As the dying Zhang Yong asked her if the taste of vengeance felt like she had hoped, Shao Jun replied that, although she had started her journey with the goal of revenge, she had since found a better goal: the future. She then vowed to rebuild the Chinese Brotherhood and bring a new tomorrow for China and freedom for its people.<ref name="Vengeance"/>

===Mentor of the Chinese Assassins===
{{Quote|I will undo all that you have done. I will rebuild the Brotherhood and recruit those who wish to make our land a place of freedom, those ready to die to fight men like you. Your Templar world will not happen. The Assassins will rise again.|Shao Jun to Zhang Yong, 1532.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|Vengeance}}
Shao Jun eventually succeeded in her reconstruction of the Chinese Assassins, recruiting new members and obtaining the title of Mentor.<ref name="Vengeance"/> One of the first Assassin apprentices she trained was Kotetsu, like she had promised him years earlier.<ref name="Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Creed]]</ref>

[[File:Vengeance China (10).jpg|thumb|250px|left|An elderly Shao Jun serving as Mentor of the Chinese Brotherhood]]
When Kotetsu eventually completed his training, he decided to return to his home country of [[Japan]] to establish [[Japanese Brotherhood of Assassins|a new Brotherhood]] and fight [[Japanese Rite of the Templar Order|Templar influence]] in his homeland. Prior to his departure, Kotetsu met with Shao Jun one final time atop the Great Wall, and the two hugged each other and recited the tenets of [[the Creed]] before the Mentor wished her apprentice good luck in his mission.<ref name="Creed"/>

By 1567, Shao Jun was a wise elder who shared her knowledge with the younger members of the Brotherhood while tasking others to accomplish various missions. As such, she planned the death of the Jiajing Emperor, sending Assassins to offer him the [[elixir of life]], while it was in fact a lethal dose of [[Quicksilver|mercury]].<ref name="Vengeance"/>

==Legacy==
{{Quote|A Sheng Biao—or rope dart, if you prefer. One of the many plans given to us by Shao Jun.|Achilles Davenport introducing the rope dart to his student, Ratonhnhaké:ton, 1773.|Assassin's Creed III|On Johnson's Trail}}
Shao Jun's actions greatly impacted the [[Assassin-Templar War]] in China. She rebuilt the Chinese Brotherhood after it had been all but wiped out during the Great Rites Controversy, and eliminated the Chinese Rite of the Templar Order, driving them out of the country for centuries to come.<ref name="China"/> Through her training of Kotetsu, she was also indirectly responsible for the establishment of the Japanese Brotherhood.<ref name="Creed"/>

[[File:ACC China DB Shao Jun's Rope Dart.png|thumb|250px|Shao Jun's rope dart]]
Some time following her encounter with Ezio Auditore, Shao Jun introduced her signature weapon, the rope dart, to other branches of the Assassin Order. By the 18th century, the rope dart had become widely used by the Assassins of the [[West Indies Brotherhood of Assassins|West Indies]] and [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Brotherhoods]], most notably by [[Edward Kenway]],<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref> [[Adéwalé]],<ref name="FC">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – ''[[Freedom Cry]]''</ref> [[Shay Cormac]],<ref name="ACRG">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]''</ref> and [[Ratonhnhaké:ton]],<ref name="AC3">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''</ref> though they did not utilize the invention in the same manner of efficiency that Shao Jun had, especially in traversal.<ref name="China"/>

Shao Jun was responsible for bringing Ezio's Precursor box to China. After it was stolen by the Chinese Templars, the box would exchange hands many times over the centuries as both the Assassins and Templars sought to acquire the artifact for their own ends.<ref name="FC"/><ref name="ACRG"/><ref name="India">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India]]''</ref><ref name="Russia">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia]]''</ref>

[[Xiao Han]], the Mentor of the Chinese Assassins in the early 18th century, claimed descent from Shao Jun. By this point in time, the Chinese Brotherhood was in [[1720s Chinese Assassin purge|decline]] again, and Xiao Han sought to restore it to its former glory using a Piece of Eden located in the lost city of [[Angkor]]. When he met with his uncle [[Sun (Hualien Trading Company)|Sun]] for a possible lead to the Piece's location, Xiao Han denounced Sun once he learned his uncle planned to deliver the artifact to the {{Wiki|Qianlong Emperor|Qing Emperor}}, and called him a disgrace to their bloodline and [[the Creed]],<ref name="FT 34">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple Episode 34|Episode 34]]</ref> before assassinating him.<ref name="FT 38">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple Episode 38|Episode 38]]</ref>

In 1725, while under the influence of a Piece of Eden shaped like a [[crescent amulet]], the Assassin Edward Kenway experienced several [[Calculations|visions]], one of which showed Shao Jun and other Assassins from both the past and the future, including [[Kassandra]], Ezio, and Edward's own grandson, Ratonhnhaké:ton.<ref name="FT 56">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple Episode 56|Episode 56]]</ref>

[[File:ACCR RF (17).jpg|thumb|250px|left|Anastasia being imprinted with Shao Jun's memories]]
In July 1918, a copy of Shao Jun's [[Genetic memory|genetic memories]] somehow contained in the Precursor box bonded with the [[Russia]]n Duchess [[Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia|Anastasia Nikolaevna]] when the girl came in contact with both the box and a [[Shards of Eden|shard]] from the [[Imperial Sceptre]] formerly owned by the [[House of Romanov]]. As she was tracked by both the Templars and the [[Red Army]], Anastasia used Shao Jun's memories to learn freerunning and how to fight.<ref name="Russia" />

By 2014, a video game starring Shao Jun was in development at [[Abstergo Entertainment]], as the company's CCO [[Melanie Lemay]] believed the Assassin's story had the potential to be adapted into a "great action franchise".<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Numbskull's personal files]]: Emails, subject line "Shao Jun"</ref> This idea eventually materialized in ''The Emperor's Shadow'', a game released for Abstergo's [[Helix]] software.<ref name="ACU">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]''</ref>

In 2015, while a [[Helix Initiate]] relived the memories of the twin Assassins [[Jacob Frye|Jacob]] and [[Evie Frye]], Shao Jun's outfit was available as an [[Animus mod]] that could be applied to Evie.<ref name="ACS">''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]''</ref> That same year, Shao Jun's memories were relived through the Helix by a research analyst at Abstergo Entertainment, due to her involvement with one of the Precursor boxes.<ref name="China" />

[[File:AC Movie Lin Footblade.jpg|thumb|250px|Lin holding Shao Jun's Hidden Footblade]]
By 2016, [[Abstergo Industries]] had recovered Shao Jun's equipment and transported it to their [[Abstergo Foundation Rehabilitation Center|Abstergo Foundation]] facility in [[Madrid]]. Abstergo also found and abducted one of Shao Jun's descendants, [[Lin]], forcing her to relive the Assassin's memories in the Animus for research purposes. Using Shao Jun's skills she gained through the [[Bleeding Effect]], Lin later partook in a prison riot against the facility's guards, during which she also utilized her ancestor's available equipment, such as the rope dart and Hidden Footblade. Ultimately, Lin was able to escape the facility with fellow inmates [[Moussa]] and [[Callum Lynch]].<ref name="ACFilm">[[Assassin's Creed (film)|''Assassin's Creed'' film]]</ref> 

In 2019, after the failure to obtain useful information from Lin's memories, Abstergo turned to another descendant of Shao Jun, the Japanese teenager [[Kō Risa]]. She was brought to an [[Abstergo Industries Yokohama facility|Abstergo clinic]] in [[Yokohama]] under the pretense of receiving treatment for her violent impulses. In reality, Abstergo intended for Risa to explore her ancestor's memories and learn the location of Shao Jun's Precursor box.<ref name="Homecoming"/> However, despite their efforts, this pursuit proved to be a dead end.<ref name="Culmination">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Culmination]]</ref> Risa eventually managed to escape the facility after being taken captive, and her experiences with Shao Jun's memories inspired her to join the Assassins.<ref name="Creed"/>

==Personality and traits==
{{Quote|I want to understand, like you do. To help my people.|Shao Jun to Ezio Auditore, 1524.|Assassin's Creed: Embers}}
[[File:ACE-V 8.png|thumb|250px|left|Shao Jun standing watch at Ezio's villa]]
Shao Jun had a strong desire for knowledge, specifically in learning about how the Assassin Order functioned and how its members lived their lives. She would search for information when none was given to her, even going against the wishes of others for her own clarity, as evidenced by her invasion of Ezio's study.<ref name="Embers"/>

Despite this, Shao Jun was sincere about her interest to understand her Order, and took Ezio's lessons and lectures to heart. She was fairly approachable in personality, having a sort of naive innocence that contrasted with the then-elderly Ezio's gruffness and desire to distance himself from the Assassin's Order.<ref name="Embers"/>

Shao Jun remained on-guard at all times, keeping a close eye on her surroundings for any possible threats. Because of this, she was somewhat restless, often staying up at night and preparing for an attack instead of sleeping.<ref name="Embers"/> She also loved to experience and learn from new cultures and societies, and was often excited about the opportunity to understand people of different nationalities other than her own.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/>

Even in training, Shao Jun seemed incapable of staying her hand when a Templar was in sight. During her quest of revenge against the Chinese Templars, she appeared colder and more vengeful, sometimes stabbing her targets multiple times with her [[Crimson Jian|jian]] when assassinating them.<ref name="China"/> Similarly, when Anastasia Romanova gained Shao Jun's memories, she would sometimes become lost in the Assassin's persona, which was noticeably more ruthless and brutal, at one point threatening to kill [[Nikolai Orelov]], a fellow Assassin, simply for pushing her down.<ref name="Russia"/>

===Skills and equipment===
[[File:ACE-V 9.png|thumb|250px|Shao Jun utilizing her Hidden Footblade]]
With maturity, Shao Jun adapted her techniques to her physical strengths and weaknesses. Unhappy with the wrist blade of the Assassins, she designed a lighter and more versatile one, better suited to the martial arts. Hidden under her left boot, the [[Hidden Blade|Hidden Footblade]] allowed her to perform deadly kicks in the midst of a close combat.<ref name="Embers"/>

Shao Jun wielded a Chinese jian as her primary weapon, and her sword skills were perfected in the dark alleys of the city, fighting off Templar agents. While she had no ordinary Hidden Blade, she did have a total of six throwing needles tucked under her bracers as secondary weapons.<ref name="Embers"/> Accompanying this, she developed the rope dart after her journey to Italy, using it to swing across gaps or climb up to ceilings, and also employed [[firecracker]]s, [[Throwing knife|throwing knives]] and noise-creating darts to distract guards.<ref name="China"/>

Shao Jun was born with a gift of stealth and agility that made her stand out from all the other concubines. Her talent for killing was as graceful as it was efficient, and the Master used to refer to her style as a "dance of death". She was extensively trained in combat by the Order, and was an adept and agile fighter. Her fighting style was heavily reminiscent of the Chinese martial art of {{Wiki|Chinese martial arts#Wushu|Wushu}}, which involves ample flexibility and knowledge in both unarmed and sword combat.<ref name="Embers"/>

[[File:Chronicles-China 6.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Shao Jun crossing narrow pathways to reach another location]]
Shao Jun possessed the extra-sensory ability dubbed [[Eagle Vision]] and used it to detect the path of guards and the distance that sound carried from [[Dog|dogs]], [[Bird|birds]], and wind chimes.<ref name="China" /> The Vision also allowed Shao Jun to see into the future to an extent, allowing her to predict her enemies' moves during combat.<ref name="Eagle Vision" /> She was also highly agile beyond the range of many Assassins, capable of dodging incoming gunfire, thrown weaponry, and crossbow bolts.<ref name="China"/>

Shao Jun's arsenal of weapons were fitted for her style of combat, as they were light yet deadly. To lower suspicion in public areas, she concealed her weapons in her attire, save for her jian, which she kept sheathed across her back. Shao Jun had at least a basic grasp of Italian, being able to say "grazie" to Sofia Sartor after she was allowed to stay at the villa, and was also able to understand Ezio even if he spoke in the language.<ref name="Embers"/>

==Behind the scenes==
Shao Jun is a character first introduced in the 2011 short film ''[[Assassin's Creed: Embers]]'', where she was voiced by the [[Canada|Canadian]] actress [[Angela Galuppo]]. She later appeared as the protagonist of the 2015 spin-off game ''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'', voiced by [[Annabelle Galea]]. In the 2021 podcast series ''[[Assassin's Creed: Turbulence in the Ming Dynasty]]'', she was voiced by the Chinese actress [[Liu Yan (actress)|Liu Yan]].

===Name===
====Discrepancies====
'''Shao Jun''' is a name in the {{wiki|Mandarin Chinese}} language. In accordance with Chinese naming custom, the surname is Shao and the personal name is Jun. However, there has been major discrepancies in regards to the name, owing to it having been selected in English without prior reference to actual {{wiki|Chinese characters}}, also known as ''hanzi''. Essentially, a {{wiki|Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin}}-sounding name was chosen as opposed to a real Mandarin name, leaving Chinese, Korean, and Japanese translators to then figure out on their own the name that would correspond to how it sounds.

Compounding this problem is the initial mispronunciation of Shao Jun's name in her debut appearance in ''Embers''. The spelling is reflective of the {{wiki|pinyin|Hanyu Pinyin}} romanization system of Mandarin that is standard in the {{wiki|People's Republic of China}}. From its spelling, it should be pronounced {{wiki|Help:IPA/Mandarin|/ʂau̯.tɕyn/}}, which in turn can be best approximated into {{wiki|English language|English}} as {{wiki|Help:IPA/English|/ˈʃaʊ.ˈdʒuːn/}} (i.e. "shao-joon").<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://chinesevoyage.org/pinyin-course-lesson-3-6-basic-vowels-jqx/ |title=How to pronounce j?| date=23 June 2024| publisher=''chinesevoyage.org''| accessdate= 2 Jul 2024}}</ref>

However, her name is pronounced in ''Embers'' as /ˈjuːn/ (i.e. "yoon") by Ezio Auditore and Sofia Sartor alike, with Jun even affirming to Sofia that her pronunciation is correct. The characters pronounce the ⟨j⟩ as an English ⟨y⟩, as it would be in most {{wiki|Germanic languages}} and in the {{wiki|International Phonetic Alphabet}}. This is incorrect because the ⟨j⟩ in the Pinyin system represents a Mandarin phoneme that corresponds closest to the English ⟨j⟩.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.yoyochinese.com/chinese-learning-tools/Mandarin-Chinese-pronunciation-lesson/pinyin-chart-table |title=Yoyo Chinese Pinyin Chart| date=7 April 2017| publisher=''Yoyo Chinese Inc.''| accessdate= 29 March 2019}}</ref> Shao Jun should be pronounced in English exactly as it is spelled.

The mistake initially appeared to have been rectified in ''Assassin's Creed III'' and the standard release of ''Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China'', where the characters pronounce the name correctly with the English ⟨j⟩, yet this did not resolve the issue because already in the Chinese language edition of ''Embers'', Shao Jun's name was given as '''邵雲 (Shào Yún)'''. 

The mispronunciation has given rise to a slew of further variations and mistaken renditions of her name. Beginning in the Chinese version of ''Chronicles: China'', her name was rendered as '''少芸 (Shǎo Yún)''', her surname having changed from 邵 (Shào) to 少 (Shǎo) and her given name from  雲 (Yún) to 芸 (Yún).

The Korean and Japanese versions of the game only created an additional layer of errors. Chinese names intrinsically have 1:1 correspondences with Korean and Japanese names as the ''hanzi'' can be read in those languages. Thus, 少芸 (Shǎo Yún) is '''Sō Un''' in Korean and '''Shō Un''' in Japanese. Instead of performing the conversion, the Korean and Japanese translators opted to transliterate the Mandarin pronunciation into their languages, resulting in the erroneous three-syllabic names '''샤오윤 (Sy-o Yun)''' in Korean and '''シャオ・ユン (Sha'o Yun)''' in Japanese.

From ''Chronicles: China'' onward, 少芸 (Mandarin: Shǎo Yún) has become the established form of Shao Jun's name in East Asian languages, being carried over into ''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' and ''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' despite still being based on the mispronunciation of Jun.

Eventually, this has culminated in a final error with her name in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]''. Originally written in Korean, the webtoon still uses the mistaken conversion of the already erroneous name 少芸 (Mandarin: Shǎo Yún) into 샤오윤 (Sy-o Yun). When ''Forgotten Temple'' was translated into English, confusion over whom "Sy-o Yun" referred to produced the mistranslation '''Xiao Yun''', reflecting a different name in Mandarin and thus a different hypothetical individual entirely. The English translator mistook Sy-o for the Chinese surname 蕭 (Xiāo) because "Sy-o Yun" was being described as an ancestor of the character [[Xiao Han]], not realizing that this "Sy-o Yun" was none other than Shao Jun.

Technically, these discrepancies make it unclear if her name is mispronounced in the short film or if it has instead been consistently misspelled across all English ''Assassin's Creed'' media. In practice, she has multiple different names in [[Europe]]an language versions of ''Assassin's Creed'' and [[Asia|East Asian]] language versions of ''Assassin's Creed''.

Chinese fans of the series has added one final variation of her name: 邵君 (Shào Jūn). This variation uses her surname as originally given in the Chinese release of ''Embers'' in conjunction with the common feminine name 君 (Jūn) that accurately reflects the proper pronunciation of her given name.

====Name meanings====
The three main variations for Shao Jun's name are 邵雲 (Shào Yún), 邵君 (Shào Jūn), 少芸 (Shǎo Yún).

Shào (邵) is one of the most common surnames of that pronunciation. It originates from the name of an ancient Chinese state and is largely meaningless. Shǎo (少) simply means 'little [of something]', 'small', or 'junior'. This surname was recorded in the [[Tang dynasty]] (618–907) {{wiki|Yuanhe Xingzuan|''Yuánhé Xìngzuǎn'' 《元和姓纂》}}. However, since the [[Song dynasty]] (960–1279), the name has disappeared from all known records of Chinese family names. Because of this, Shǎo (少) appears to be an anachronistic surname for the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).

As for the variants of her given name, Yún (雲; {{wiki|Simplified Chinese characters|simplified}}: 云) means 'cloud'. Jūn (君) is a common female name that literally means 'monarch' or 'ruler' and is used to translate the English title 'lord', therefore carrying the connotations of an 'honorable' or 'noble person'. Yún (芸) refers to the ''{{wiki|Ruta graveolens}}'' plant.

===Lore inconsistencies===
There are a few inconsistencies in lore regarding Shao Jun, particularly with her birth date. In Scroll 1 of ''Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China'', it is stated that she was born in 1506, but the ''Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun'' manga gives her birth date as 1500, while the second edition of ''[[Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide]]'' gives it as 1505.

Other discrepancies concern the location where she first meets Ezio Auditore and where she positions her Hidden Footblade. The ''[[Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia]]'' states that she meets him in Florence, but ''Assassin's Creed: Embers'' depicts their first encounter as taking place at his villa in the Tuscan countryside. ''Blade of Shao Jun'' and Scroll 10 of ''Chronicles: China ''state that her Hidden Footblade is hidden underneath her left boot, and although it is not impossible for her to change its position, the film ''Embers''. ''Chronicles: China'' gameplay, and the non-canon novel ''[[Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm]]'' all have it equipped on her right foot.

===Anachronisms===
Aside from her surname being likely anachronistic if it is actually Shǎo (少) and not Shào (邵), Shao Jun's attire is also anachronistic for the Ming period (1368–1644) since its style only arose under the [[Qing dynasty]] (1644–1911).

===Merchandise===
On 16 November 2011,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archives.ubiworkshop.com/2011/11/16/shao-juns-necklace/|title=Shao Jun's Necklace|archiveurl=https://archive.li/JOkas|archivedate=22 June 2013|author=Lewis, Chris|date=16 November 2011|publisher=''Ubiworkshop''| accessdate=17 November 2018}}</ref> Ubisoft announced that the [[Ubiworkshop]] store was releasing a replica of Shao Jun's necklace that could be bought for $24.99 USD, or the equivalent in the regional currency.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://store.ubi.com/us/shao-juns-necklace/577bd63aa3be1616208b487c.html|title=Assassin's Creed – Shao Jun's Necklace|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626225035/http://store.ubi.com:80/us/shao-juns-necklace/577bd63aa3be1616208b487c.html|archivedate=26 June 2017| date=2011|publisher=''Ubisoft''|accessdate=17 November 2018}}</ref> One month later, UbiWorkshop announced that limited edition red<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://store.ubiworkshop.com/shao-juns-necklace-red/|title=Assassin's Creed Embers – Shao Jun's Necklace|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108202612/http://store.ubiworkshop.com/shao-juns-necklace-red/|archivedate=8 January 2012|author=UbiWorkshop| date=2011|publisher=''Ubisoft''|accessdate=2 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/96194142011172016|title=Assassin's Creed Shao Jun's Necklace|author=UbiWorkshop|date=2011|publisher=''{{Wiki|Pinterest}}''|accessdate=17 December 2018}}</ref> and black versions<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://store.ubiworkshop.com/shao-juns-necklace-black/|title=Assassin's Creed Embers – Shao Jun's Necklace|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109081524/http://store.ubiworkshop.com/shao-juns-necklace-black/|archivedate=9 January 2014|author=UbiWorkshop|date=2011|publisher=''Ubisoft''|accessdate=2 May 2024}}</ref> were available for purchase at the same price<ref>{{Facebook|UbiWorkshop|posts/new-shao-jun-necklaces-a-black-and-a-red/182096468553988|UbiWorkshop|quote=New Shao Jun necklaces. A black and a red!|backup=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103113030/https://www.facebook.com/UbiWorkshop/posts/new-shao-jun-necklaces-a-black-and-a-red/182096468553988}}</ref> and would ship out in early January 2012.<ref>{{Tumblr|thetumblrhoodheadquarters|post/14358134920/|thetumblrhoodheadquarters|postname=UbiWorkshop Releases a Black and Red Version of Shao Jun's Necklace|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103112902/https://thetumblrhoodheadquarters.tumblr.com/post/14358134920/ubiworkshop-releases-a-black-and-red-version-of}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Shao Jun (non-canon)]]

==Appearances==
{{GalleryBox|Shao Jun}}

*''[[Assassin's Creed: Embers]]'' {{1st}}
*[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Revelations'' novel]]
*''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' {{c|appears on Helix Navigator}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia]]''
*[[Assassin's Creed (film)|''Assassin's Creed'' film]] {{Del}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Freerunners]]'' {{Nc}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]'' {{c|cameo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – ''[[Apocalypse]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game]]''

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