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{{Era|CC|Assassins}}
{{Era|Individuals|Assassins}}{{WP-REAL}}
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{{Update|''[[Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm]]''}}
{{Quote|Take some rest, little sister. Together, we will free our land from the Templars and their pawns, Zhang Yong and his Tigers. We will rebuild our Brotherhood.|Wang Yangming assuring Shao Jun, 1526.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China}}
{{Quote|Take some rest, little sister. Together, we will free our land from the Templars and their pawns, Zhang Yong and his Tigers. We will rebuild our Brotherhood.|Wang Yangming assuring Shao Jun, 1526.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|The Return}}
{{Character Infobox
{{Character Infobox
|image = ACCC Wang Yangming.png
|name=Wang Yangming
|affiliates = [[Assassins]]
|native=
|birth = 31 October 1472<br>Yuyao, [[China|Empire of the Great Ming]]
|image=ACCC Wang Yangming.png
|death = 9 January 1529 (aged 56)<br>[[Nan'an]], Empire of the Great Ming
|birth=31 October 1472<br>{{Wiki|Yuyao}}, [[Ming dynasty|Great Ming]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]''
|death=9 January 1529 {{c|aged 56}}<br>[[Nan'an]], Great Ming
|voice = }}
|species=[[Human]]
'''Wang Yangming''' (1472 – 1529), born '''Wang Shouren''', was an idealist Neo-Confucian philosopher, official, educationist, calligraphist and general of the [[Ming dynasty]] of [[China]]. He was also the [[Mentor]] of the [[Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins|Chinese Brotherhood]] of [[Assassins]].
|database=[[Database: Wang Yangming|Wang Yangming]]
|affiliates=[[Assassins]]
*[[Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins|Chinese Brotherhood]]
}}
'''Wang Yangming''' (王陽明; 1472 – 1529), born '''Wang Shouren''' (王守仁), {{Wiki|courtesy name}} '''Bo'an''' (伯安), was a Neo-Confucian philosopher, official, educator, and general of the [[Ming dynasty]] of [[China]]. He was also, secretly, the [[Mentor]] of the [[Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins|Chinese Brotherhood]] of [[Assassins]] in the early 16th century.


==Biography==
==Biography==
===Life as an Assassin===
===Life as an Assassin===
Secretly a [[Master Assassin]], Wang rose to become an important minister of the Empire and always worked for the benefit of the Assassin cause, until he was confronted by [[Liu Jin]] and was shunned from the capital. Years later, after Liu Jin's execution, Wang became governor of {{Wiki|Jiangxi}} and was renowned for his military exploits.
{{Quote|Do not look away. Behold—the barbarous cruelty of those who wield power.|Wang Yangming to a young Shao Jun during Liu Jin's execution, 1510.|Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun|The Assassin Brotherhood and The Templar Order}}
Leading a double life as a [[Master Assassin]], Wang Yangming rose to become an important minister of the Empire and always worked for the benefit of the Assassin [[Assassin-Templar War|cause]].<ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Wang Yangming]]</ref> In 1506, he clashed with [[Liu Jin]], an influential [[eunuch]] who served as the leader of the [[Eight Tigers]]. After being insulted by Yangming, Liu Jin had him expelled from court and shunned from [[Beijing]].<ref name="Liu Jin">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Liu Jin]]</ref>


Wang returned in court when the [[Zhengde Emperor]] died and witnessed the takeover by the Templars, a group known as the [[Eight Tigers]]. He was responsible for recruiting an imperial concubine, [[Shao Jun]], into the Assassin Order after she had revealed that she had discovered his secret identity and warned him of the Tigers' plot to destroy the Brotherhood.
[[File:AC Blade of Shao Jun - Shao Jun and Wang Yangming.png|thumb|250px|left|Yangming meeting a young Shao Jun]]
In 1510, Yangming briefly returned to the Imperial capital in disguise and witnessed Liu Jin's execution via ''[[lingchi]]'',<ref name="ABTO">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[The Assassin Brotherhood and The Templar Order]]</ref> after the eunuch had been betrayed by his own lieutenant [[Zhang Yong]] and implicated on charges of treason.<ref name="Liu Jin"/> During this event, Yangming made the acquaintance of a five-year-old Imperial [[concubine]] named [[Shao Jun]], who was made to witness the execution alongside her fellow concubines.<ref name="ABTO"/>


He called his best Assassins into the Forbidden City in an attempt to kill the Tigers before they could strike, but the Assassins were defeated. Those captured were tortured and killed using the {{Wiki|Lingchi|Ling Chi}} (''thousand cuts'') method, accompanied by those suspected in aiding the Brotherhood and some innocents in order to spread fear and paranoia. This led Yangming to order a full retreat of all his agents and possible allies including young Shao Jun from the Forbidden City.
Following Liu Jin's death, Yangming became governor of {{Wiki|Jiangxi}} and was renowned for his military exploits. He eventually returned to court after the [[Zhu Houzhao|Zhengde Emperor]]'s death in 1521, only to witness its takeover by the Eight Tigers, all of whom were members of the [[Templars|Templar Order]].<ref name="Database"/>


For a while, Wang Yangming led the Beijing Brotherhood, hoping to find a weakness in the Tigers' organization and take them down before they could completely steal Imperial power. He trained Shao Jun in the arts and philosophy of the Assassins, until she reached the level of Initiate, calling her "little sister". Yangming often used her talents in gathering information critical to his operations.
During this time, Yangming was contacted by Shao Jun, now a teenager, who had discovered his secret identity and warned him of the Tigers' plot to destroy the Brotherhood.<ref name="Scroll 6">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 6 (China)|Scroll 6]]</ref> The Mentor called his best Assassins into the [[Forbidden City]] in an attempt to eliminate the Tigers before they could strike, but they were defeated.<ref name="Scroll 7">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 7 (China)|Scroll 7]]</ref>


Following the [[Great Rites Controversy]] and death of the [[Mentor]] [[Zhu Jiuyuan]], Wang succeeded him and hid in old Assassin warehouses to evade the Tigers.
===Decline of the Brotherhood===
Following their failed attempt to stop the Tigers, many of the captured Assassins were tortured and killed via ''lingchi'', accompanied by anyone suspected of aiding the Brotherhood and even some innocents in order to spread fear and paranoia. This led Yangming to order a full retreat of all his agents and possible allies from the Forbidden City, including Shao Jun.<ref name="Scroll 7"/>
 
For a while, Yangming led the Brotherhood in Beijing, hoping to find a weakness in the Tigers' organization and take them down before they could completely steal Imperial power. During this time, he trained Shao Jun in the arts and philosophy of the Assassins, until she reached the level of Initiate, calling her "little sister". The Mentor often used her talents in gathering information critical to his operations.<ref name="Scroll 8">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 8 (China)|Scroll 8]]</ref>
 
Eventually, in 1524, the Tigers launched the [[Great Rites Controversy]] to eliminate all those who opposed their reign, including any remaining Assassins in China. This forced Yangming, who was one of the Tigers' most well-known opponents, to disappear in order to escape the purge. A new Mentor, [[Zhu Jiuyuan]], was appointed in his place,<ref name="Scroll 10">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 10 (China)|Scroll 10]]</ref> though he would die only a few months later, while traveling to [[Italy]] alongside Shao Jun to seek the aid of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]], the [[Italian Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian Assassins]]' famed Mentor.<ref name="Scroll 14">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Scroll 14 (China)|Scroll 14]]</ref>


===Shao Jun's return===
===Shao Jun's return===
{{Quote|I already warned you about those feelings, Shao Jun. I know your quest for vengeance fits with the goals of the Brotherhood, but you cannot put your heart into such endeavors.|Wang warning Shao Jun, 1529.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China}}
{{Quote|I already warned you about those feelings, Shao Jun. I know your quest for vengeance fits with the goals of the Brotherhood, but you cannot put your heart into such endeavors.|Wang Yangming warning Shao Jun, 1529.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|The Search}}
[[File:The Return China (6).jpg|left|thumb|250px|Wang aiding Shao Jun in her endeavors]]
[[File:The Return China (6).jpg|thumb|250px|Yangming aiding Shao Jun in her endeavors]]
In 1526, Shao Jun returned to China and found Wang Yangming. She told him of her travels to Italy, the death of her Mentor, and the legendary Assassin [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], impressing Wang on his student's accomplishments. She also gave him a [[Precursor boxes|small box]] that she had been gifted by Ezio, to which Wang served as her witness as she opened it; they discovered it empty, though Wang elaborated that the box was likely a message from a wise man to tell Jun that her destiny lay in filling it herself. Recognizing the box as bearing [[Isu|Precursor]] origins, Wang advised Jun to use the box to lure the Eight Tigers, which she accepted.
Shao Jun's time in Italy proved fruitful, as Ezio gifted her a [[Precursor box|small box]], which he instructed her to open only if she lost her way.<ref name="Embers">''[[Assassin's Creed: Embers]]''</ref> Following her return to China in 1526, Shao Jun sought out Yangming and showed him the box, which was empty. Recognizing the box as bearing [[Isu]] origins, Yangming understood that Ezio had chosen to hide the artifact's true nature from Shao Jun and decided to do the same, telling her that the empty box was a metaphor for her journey; 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>


Wang Yangming aided Shao Jun's quest to rebuild the Brotherhood and eliminate the Templars, serving as an informant, adviser and spy. As Jun assassinated the Tiger [[Gao Feng]], Wang also eliminated [[Ma Yongcheng]]. Although Jun was not able to retrieve the box in time, he told her not to worry and they would find another opportunity. Later, he located the box in [[Macau]], where Jun retrieved it and escaped [[Qiu Ju]]'s act of retaliation through setting fire to the docks, killing innocents. Wang noticed Jun's desperation to commit revenge and warned her of its consequences.
Following this, Yangming and Shao Jun, as the only Assassins left in China worthy of the name, embarked on a quest to rebuild their Brotherhood by eliminating the Eight Tigers. The Mentor advised his student to use the Precursor box as bait to lure out the Tigers, which she did.<ref name="Scroll 18"/> While Shao Jun was captured by the Templar [[Gao Feng]] and assassinated him after escaping her imprisonment,<ref name="The Escape">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Escape (China)|The Escape]]</ref> Yangming tracked down and assassinated [[Ma Yongcheng]].<ref name="The Return">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Return]]</ref>
 
Following Shao Jun's escape from the [[Maijishan Grottoes]], a former Assassin stronghold which the Templars had converted into a prison, Yangming picked up his student in a carriage. Although Shao Jun had failed to retrieve the Precursor box from the Templars, the Mentor told her not to worry as they would find an opportunity to recover it in time.<ref name="The Return"/> The two Assassins then decided to help [[Hong Liwei]], an eunuch and Assassin informant whom Shao Jun had rescued from the Maijishan Grottoes. They traveled to a small village that housed a few of the Brotherhood's scant surviving allies, who looked after Liwei.<ref name="ABTO"/>
 
[[File:The Port China (1).jpg|thumb|250px|left|Yangming and Shao Jun sailing into Macau]]
After some time passed, Yangming was contacted by an [[Kotetsu's father|Assassin]],<ref name="Port">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Port]]</ref> who revealed that [[Gu Dayong]], a Tiger and [[Slavery|slaver]] based in [[Macau]], now held the box. Yangming sailed Shao Jun into Macau,<ref name="The Port">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Port]]</ref> allowing her to infiltrate Dayong's stronghold, assassinate the Templar, and recover the box.<ref name="The Slaver">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Slaver]]</ref> However, in retaliation for his fellow Tiger's murder and the theft of the box, [[Qiu Ju]] ordered that Macau's port be [[1526 Macau fires|set ablaze]], resulting in numerous [[civilian]] casualties. Although Shao Jun managed to escape the fire and regrouped with Yangming,<ref name="Consequences 1">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Consequences (China)|Consequences]]</ref> this major loss of innocent lives deeply traumatized her.<ref name="Consequences 2">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Consequences (manga)|Consequences]]</ref>


===Death===
===Death===
{{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? I could have saved you...|Shao Jun apologizing to her deceased Mentor, 1529.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China}}
{{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? I could have saved you...|Shao Jun apologizing to her deceased Mentor, 1529.|Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China|Hunted}}
[[File:Hunted China (3).jpg|thumb|250px|Zhang Yong stabbing Wang Yangming]]
For the next three years, Yangming continued his hunt of the Eight Tigers alone, leaving Shao Jun at their hideout in the countryside to meditate on the events in Macau and recover from her trauma. However, he had little success in his search and eventually returned to the village in January 1529, where he was surprised to find Shao Jun in the same place he had left her.<ref name="Qixie">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Shao Jun and Qixie]]</ref>
By 1529, Wang Yangming sought the help of wise men to explain the Precursor box and also spied on the remaining Tigers. Unfortunately, [[Zhang Yong]] caught news of his acts and hunted him in [[Nan'an]], in which Wang lost their sword fight and died. Zhang reclaimed the box and escaped as Shao Jun killed his guards and apologized to her Mentor for having arrived too late.
 
After heading to a barn to talk in private, Shao Jun expressed how the deaths caused by what she perceived as her own negligence still weighed heavy on her mind. As Yangming tried to reason with her, she was reminded of Ezio Auditore's words that Assassins do not fight for revenge, but for [[human]]ity's freedom. 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 claimed that her old friend [[Zhang Qijie]] may require her help.<ref name="Qixie"/>
 
[[File:Hunted China (3).jpg|thumb|250px|Zhang Yong stabbing Yangming]]
Following this, Yangming revealed that one of his contacts in [[Nan'an]] had offered to help them uncover the secrets of the Precursor box, and that [[Wei Bin]], one of the Tigers, was also in the city.<ref name="The Search">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Search]]</ref> While Shao Jun assassinated the Templar,<ref name="The Snake">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[The Snake]]</ref> Yangming went to meet with his contact, only to be ambushed by Zhang Yong and Qiu Ju, who had caught wind of the Mentor's intentions.<ref name="Reunion">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Reunion (manga)|Reunion]]</ref> Although Yangming managed to fend off the Templars' [[soldier]]s for a time,<ref name="Trap">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Trap (manga)|Trap]]</ref> he was eventually bested by Zhang Yong, who impaled him with his [[sword]].<ref name="Hunted">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Hunted]]</ref>


==Trivia==
As Zhang Yong took the Precursor box from the dying Yangming, Shao Jun, alerted to the Templars' ambush, tried to rescue her Mentor, but she arrived too late.<ref name="Hunted"/> After telling his student to keep fighting for peace and stability, Yangming died in her arms, and Shao Jun apologized for her failure to save him.<ref name="Funeral Pyre">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Funeral Pyre]]</ref>
*In Chinese, Wáng Yáng​míng's name is written as 王陽明. Wáng (王) is a common Chinese surname that means "king". The personal name is composed of two characters. Yáng​ (陽) is the positive, active principle of the duality [[wikipedia:yin and yang|yin and yang]] in Chinese philosophy, and it can also refer to the sun. Míng (明) means "bright and clear". Together, his personal name can be interpreted as "the sun's brightness".
 
==Behind the scenes==
Wang Yangming is a historical character introduced in the 2015 video game ''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]''. The game incorrectly depicts his death as occurring in the city of Nan'an in {{Wiki|Fujian|Fujian Province}}, perhaps confusing it with the location of his historical death in Nan'an Prefecture in {{Wiki|Jiangxi|Jiangxi Province}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ctext.org/wiki.pl?if=gb&res=1568484&remap=gb|title=阳明先生年谱|archiveurl=|archivedate=|author={{Wiki|Qian Dehong|Dehong, Qian}}|date=1564|publisher=''{{Wiki|Chinese Text Project}}''|accessdate=12 August 2024|language=Chinese}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wang-Yangming|title=Wang Yangming <nowiki>|</nowiki> Chinese Neo-Confucianism & Idealism|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104171046/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wang-Yangming|archivedate=4 November 2015|author=Chan, Wing-tsit|date=20 July 1998|publisher=''{{Wiki|Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.}}''|accessdate=13 August 2024}}</ref>
 
In Chinese, Wáng Yáng​míng's name is written as 王陽明. Wáng (王) is a common Chinese surname that means "king". The personal name is composed of two characters. Yáng​ (陽) is the positive, active principle of the duality {{Wiki|yin and yang}} in Chinese philosophy, and it can also refer to the sun. Míng (明) means "bright and clear". Together, his personal name can be interpreted as "the sun's brightness".
 
Yangming's death in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'', the 2019 manga adaptation of ''Chronicles: China'', is different from its depiction in the game. Rather than taking place in a marketplace, the Templars' ambush occurs near a [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] temple, as the manga reveals Yangming's contact to have been a Buddhist [[monk]]. Additionally, Zhang Yong leaves the ambush early on and it is Qiu Ju—who was not present at this part in the game—and his soldiers who deliver the final blow to Yangming. Although Shao Jun arrives in time to assist her Mentor in this version, Yangming still ends up succumbing to his injuries not long after.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" spacing="small" widths="180">
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180">
ACCC Wang Yangming - Concept Art.jpg|Turnaround
ACC China Wang Yangming Development.jpg|Development concept
ACCC Wang Yangming Sketches - Concept Art.jpg|Test of design sketches
ACC China Wang Yangming Concept Sketches 1.jpg|Design sketches
ACC China Wang Yangming Concept Sketches 2.jpg|Design sketches
ACC China DB Wang Yangming.png|Wang Yangming in the [[Helix]] [[database]]
Consequences China (5).jpg|Yangming and Shao Jun observing the Macau fires
The Search China (2).jpg|Yangming and Shao Jun arriving in Nan'an
Hunted China (6).jpg|Yangming's final moments
AC Blade of Shao Jun - Wang Yangming.png|Yangming in ''Blade of Shao Jun''
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Reference==
==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm]]'' {{c|non-canon}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Turbulence in the Ming Dynasty]]'' {{c|non-canon}}
 
==References==
{{Scroll box|content={{Reflist}}}}
{{ACC}}
{{ACC}}
{{ACBoSJ}}
{{ACMS}}
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[[Category:Han Chinese]]
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[[Category:Individuals who held Pieces of Eden]]
[[Category:Wang (王) lineage]]

Latest revision as of 03:37, 13 May 2026

Patience, brothers. Soon we will reveal the secrets of Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm.

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"Take some rest, little sister. Together, we will free our land from the Templars and their pawns, Zhang Yong and his Tigers. We will rebuild our Brotherhood."
―Wang Yangming assuring Shao Jun, 1526.[src]-[m]

Wang Yangming (王陽明; 1472 – 1529), born Wang Shouren (王守仁), courtesy name Bo'an (伯安), was a Neo-Confucian philosopher, official, educator, and general of the Ming dynasty of China. He was also, secretly, the Mentor of the Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins in the early 16th century.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Life as an Assassin[edit | edit source]

"Do not look away. Behold—the barbarous cruelty of those who wield power."
―Wang Yangming to a young Shao Jun during Liu Jin's execution, 1510.[src]-[m]

Leading a double life as a Master Assassin, Wang Yangming rose to become an important minister of the Empire and always worked for the benefit of the Assassin cause.[1] In 1506, he clashed with Liu Jin, an influential eunuch who served as the leader of the Eight Tigers. After being insulted by Yangming, Liu Jin had him expelled from court and shunned from Beijing.[2]

Yangming meeting a young Shao Jun

In 1510, Yangming briefly returned to the Imperial capital in disguise and witnessed Liu Jin's execution via lingchi,[3] after the eunuch had been betrayed by his own lieutenant Zhang Yong and implicated on charges of treason.[2] During this event, Yangming made the acquaintance of a five-year-old Imperial concubine named Shao Jun, who was made to witness the execution alongside her fellow concubines.[3]

Following Liu Jin's death, Yangming became governor of Jiangxi and was renowned for his military exploits. He eventually returned to court after the Zhengde Emperor's death in 1521, only to witness its takeover by the Eight Tigers, all of whom were members of the Templar Order.[1]

During this time, Yangming was contacted by Shao Jun, now a teenager, who had discovered his secret identity and warned him of the Tigers' plot to destroy the Brotherhood.[4] The Mentor called his best Assassins into the Forbidden City in an attempt to eliminate the Tigers before they could strike, but they were defeated.[5]

Decline of the Brotherhood[edit | edit source]

Following their failed attempt to stop the Tigers, many of the captured Assassins were tortured and killed via lingchi, accompanied by anyone suspected of aiding the Brotherhood and even some innocents in order to spread fear and paranoia. This led Yangming to order a full retreat of all his agents and possible allies from the Forbidden City, including Shao Jun.[5]

For a while, Yangming led the Brotherhood in Beijing, hoping to find a weakness in the Tigers' organization and take them down before they could completely steal Imperial power. During this time, he trained Shao Jun in the arts and philosophy of the Assassins, until she reached the level of Initiate, calling her "little sister". The Mentor often used her talents in gathering information critical to his operations.[6]

Eventually, in 1524, the Tigers launched the Great Rites Controversy to eliminate all those who opposed their reign, including any remaining Assassins in China. This forced Yangming, who was one of the Tigers' most well-known opponents, to disappear in order to escape the purge. A new Mentor, Zhu Jiuyuan, was appointed in his place,[7] though he would die only a few months later, while traveling to Italy alongside Shao Jun to seek the aid of Ezio Auditore, the Italian Assassins' famed Mentor.[8]

Shao Jun's return[edit | edit source]

"I already warned you about those feelings, Shao Jun. I know your quest for vengeance fits with the goals of the Brotherhood, but you cannot put your heart into such endeavors."
―Wang Yangming warning Shao Jun, 1529.[src]-[m]
Yangming aiding Shao Jun in her endeavors

Shao Jun's time in Italy proved fruitful, as Ezio gifted her a small box, which he instructed her to open only if she lost her way.[9] Following her return to China in 1526, Shao Jun sought out Yangming and showed him the box, which was empty. Recognizing the box as bearing Isu origins, Yangming understood that Ezio had chosen to hide the artifact's true nature from Shao Jun and decided to do the same, telling her that the empty box was a metaphor for her journey; the only way to "fill" it was by fulfilling her destiny.[10]

Following this, Yangming and Shao Jun, as the only Assassins left in China worthy of the name, embarked on a quest to rebuild their Brotherhood by eliminating the Eight Tigers. The Mentor advised his student to use the Precursor box as bait to lure out the Tigers, which she did.[10] While Shao Jun was captured by the Templar Gao Feng and assassinated him after escaping her imprisonment,[11] Yangming tracked down and assassinated Ma Yongcheng.[12]

Following Shao Jun's escape from the Maijishan Grottoes, a former Assassin stronghold which the Templars had converted into a prison, Yangming picked up his student in a carriage. Although Shao Jun had failed to retrieve the Precursor box from the Templars, the Mentor told her not to worry as they would find an opportunity to recover it in time.[12] The two Assassins then decided to help Hong Liwei, an eunuch and Assassin informant whom Shao Jun had rescued from the Maijishan Grottoes. They traveled to a small village that housed a few of the Brotherhood's scant surviving allies, who looked after Liwei.[3]

Yangming and Shao Jun sailing into Macau

After some time passed, Yangming was contacted by an Assassin,[13] who revealed that Gu Dayong, a Tiger and slaver based in Macau, now held the box. Yangming sailed Shao Jun into Macau,[14] allowing her to infiltrate Dayong's stronghold, assassinate the Templar, and recover the box.[15] However, in retaliation for his fellow Tiger's murder and the theft of the box, Qiu Ju ordered that Macau's port be set ablaze, resulting in numerous civilian casualties. Although Shao Jun managed to escape the fire and regrouped with Yangming,[16] this major loss of innocent lives deeply traumatized her.[17]

Death[edit | edit source]

"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? I could have saved you..."
―Shao Jun apologizing to her deceased Mentor, 1529.[src]-[m]

For the next three years, Yangming continued his hunt of the Eight Tigers alone, leaving Shao Jun at their hideout in the countryside to meditate on the events in Macau and recover from her trauma. However, he had little success in his search and eventually returned to the village in January 1529, where he was surprised to find Shao Jun in the same place he had left her.[18]

After heading to a barn to talk in private, Shao Jun expressed how the deaths caused by what she perceived as her own negligence still weighed heavy on her mind. As Yangming tried to reason with her, she was reminded of Ezio Auditore's words that Assassins do not fight for revenge, but for humanity's freedom. 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 claimed that her old friend Zhang Qijie may require her help.[18]

Zhang Yong stabbing Yangming

Following this, Yangming revealed that one of his contacts in Nan'an had offered to help them uncover the secrets of the Precursor box, and that Wei Bin, one of the Tigers, was also in the city.[19] While Shao Jun assassinated the Templar,[20] Yangming went to meet with his contact, only to be ambushed by Zhang Yong and Qiu Ju, who had caught wind of the Mentor's intentions.[21] Although Yangming managed to fend off the Templars' soldiers for a time,[22] he was eventually bested by Zhang Yong, who impaled him with his sword.[23]

As Zhang Yong took the Precursor box from the dying Yangming, Shao Jun, alerted to the Templars' ambush, tried to rescue her Mentor, but she arrived too late.[23] After telling his student to keep fighting for peace and stability, Yangming died in her arms, and Shao Jun apologized for her failure to save him.[24]

Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]

Wang Yangming is a historical character introduced in the 2015 video game Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China. The game incorrectly depicts his death as occurring in the city of Nan'an in Fujian Province, perhaps confusing it with the location of his historical death in Nan'an Prefecture in Jiangxi Province.[25][26]

In Chinese, Wáng Yáng​míng's name is written as 王陽明. Wáng (王) is a common Chinese surname that means "king". The personal name is composed of two characters. Yáng​ (陽) is the positive, active principle of the duality yin and yang in Chinese philosophy, and it can also refer to the sun. Míng (明) means "bright and clear". Together, his personal name can be interpreted as "the sun's brightness".

Yangming's death in Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun, the 2019 manga adaptation of Chronicles: China, is different from its depiction in the game. Rather than taking place in a marketplace, the Templars' ambush occurs near a Buddhist temple, as the manga reveals Yangming's contact to have been a Buddhist monk. Additionally, Zhang Yong leaves the ambush early on and it is Qiu Ju—who was not present at this part in the game—and his soldiers who deliver the final blow to Yangming. Although Shao Jun arrives in time to assist her Mentor in this version, Yangming still ends up succumbing to his injuries not long after.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

  • Development concept
    Development concept
  • Design sketches
    Design sketches
  • Design sketches
    Design sketches
  • Wang Yangming in the Helix database
    Wang Yangming in the Helix database
  • Yangming and Shao Jun observing the Macau fires
    Yangming and Shao Jun observing the Macau fires
  • Yangming and Shao Jun arriving in Nan'an
    Yangming and Shao Jun arriving in Nan'an
  • Yangming's final moments
    Yangming's final moments
  • Yangming in Blade of Shao Jun
    Yangming in Blade of Shao Jun

Appearances[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Database: Wang Yangming
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Database: Liu Jin
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – The Assassin Brotherhood and The Templar Order
  4. ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Scroll 6
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Scroll 7
  6. ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Scroll 8
  7. ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Scroll 10
  8. ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Scroll 14
  9. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Embers
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Scroll 18
  11. ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – The Escape
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – The Return
  13. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – Port
  14. ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – The Port
  15. ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – The Slaver
  16. ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Consequences
  17. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – Consequences
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – Shao Jun and Qixie
  19. ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – The Search
  20. ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – The Snake
  21. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – Reunion
  22. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – Trap
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Hunted
  24. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – Funeral Pyre
  25. ↑ Dehong, Qian (1564). 阳明先生年谱 (in Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved on 12 August 2024.
  26. ↑ Chan, Wing-tsit (20 July 1998). Wang Yangming | Chinese Neo-Confucianism & Idealism. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.. Archived from the original on 4 November 2015. Retrieved on 13 August 2024.

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