Wang Yangming: Difference between revisions
imported>Gener4l Cl4ank4 |
imported>Darman36 Still needs Ming Storm info, even if non-canon. For ex, he and Shao Jun fight Gao Feng outside a school at night, which does not happen in either manga or the game |
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{{Era|Individuals|Assassins}}{{WP-REAL}} | {{Era|Individuals|Assassins}}{{WP-REAL}} | ||
{{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|The Return}} | {{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 | ||
|birth = 31 October 1472<br>{{Wiki|Yuyao}}, [[Ming dynasty|Great Ming]] | |image=ACCC Wang Yangming.png | ||
|death = 9 January 1529 {{c|aged 56}}<br>[[Nan'an]], Great Ming | |birth=31 October 1472<br>{{Wiki|Yuyao}}, [[Ming dynasty|Great Ming]] | ||
|species = [[Human]] | |death=9 January 1529 {{c|aged 56}}<br>[[Nan'an]], Great Ming | ||
|database = [[Database: Wang Yangming|Wang Yangming]] | |species=[[Human]] | ||
|affiliates = [[Assassins]] | |database=[[Database: Wang Yangming|Wang Yangming]] | ||
|affiliates=[[Assassins]] | |||
*[[Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins|Chinese Brotherhood]] | *[[Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins|Chinese Brotherhood]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
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Secretly 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 had him expelled from court and shunned from [[Beijing]].<ref name="Liu Jin">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Liu Jin]]</ref> | Secretly 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 had him expelled from court and shunned from [[Beijing]].<ref name="Liu Jin">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Liu Jin]]</ref> | ||
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" /> | 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"/> | ||
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 death of the [[Zhu Houzhao|Zhengde Emperor]] in 1521, only to witness its takeover by the Eight Tigers, all of whom were members of the [[Shanghai Rite of the Templar Order|Chinese Rite]] of the [[Templars|Templar Order]].<ref name="Database" /> | 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 death of the [[Zhu Houzhao|Zhengde Emperor]] in 1521, only to witness its takeover by the Eight Tigers, all of whom were members of the [[Shanghai Rite of the Templar Order|Chinese Rite]] of the [[Templars|Templar Order]].<ref name="Database"/> | ||
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> | 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> | ||
===Decline of the Brotherhood=== | ===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" /> | 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> | 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> | ||
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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|Precursor]] origins, Wang 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> | 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|Precursor]] origins, Wang 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> | ||
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 Jun was captured by the Templar [[Gao Feng]] and killed 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 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 Jun was captured by the Templar [[Gao Feng]] and killed 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 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 that Jun had rescued from the Maijishan Grottoes. They traveled to a small village housing a few surviving members of their Brotherhood, who looked after Liwei.<ref name="ABTO"/> | |||
[[File:The Port China (1).jpg|thumb|250px|Yangming and Shao Jun sailing into Macau]] | [[File:The Port China (1).jpg|thumb|250px|Yangming and Shao Jun sailing into Macau]] | ||
After some time passed, Yangming was contacted by [[Xiao Hu's father|one of his agents]] in [[Macau]],<ref name="Port">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Port]]</ref> who informed him that the Precursor box was in the possession of [[Yu Dayong]], a Tiger and [[Slavery|slaver]] who based his operation in the city. 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> | After some time passed, Yangming was contacted by [[Xiao Hu's father|one of his agents]] in [[Macau]],<ref name="Port">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Port]]</ref> who informed him that the Precursor box was in the possession of [[Yu Dayong]], a Tiger and [[Slavery|slaver]] who based his operation in the city. 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 | 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 many [[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=== | ||
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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 Jun in the same place he had left her.<ref name="Qixie">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Shao Jun and Qixie]]</ref> | 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 Jun in the same place he had left her.<ref name="Qixie">''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' – [[Shao Jun and Qixie]]</ref> | ||
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. Yangming tried to reason with her, reminding her of Ezio Auditore's words that Assassins do not fight for revenge, but instead for the freedom of humanity. When 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 | 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. Yangming tried to reason with her, reminding her of Ezio Auditore's words that Assassins do not fight for revenge, but instead for the freedom of humanity. When 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|left|thumb|250px|Zhang Yong stabbing Yangming]] | [[File:Hunted China (3).jpg|left|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 Wang managed to fend off the Templars' [[ | 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 Wang 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> | ||
As Zhang Yong took the Precursor box from the dying Yangming, Shao Jun, alerted to the Templars' ambush, tried to rescue her Mentor, but arrived too late.<ref name="Hunted" /> After telling his student to keep fighting for peace and order, Wang 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> | As Zhang Yong took the Precursor box from the dying Yangming, Shao Jun, alerted to the Templars' ambush, tried to rescue her Mentor, but arrived too late.<ref name="Hunted"/> After telling his student to keep fighting for peace and order, Wang 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> | ||
==Behind the scenes== | ==Behind the scenes== | ||
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In Chinese, Wáng Yángmíng'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". | In Chinese, Wáng Yángmíng'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 [[ | 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 help her Mentor defeat some of the soldiers in this version, Yangming still ends up succumbing to his injuries not long after. | ||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
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ACC China Wang Yangming Concept Sketches 2.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]] | ACC China DB Wang Yangming.png|Wang Yangming in the [[Helix]] [[database]] | ||
Consequences China (5).jpg| | Consequences China (5).jpg|Yangming and Shao Jun observing the Macau fires | ||
The Search China (2).jpg| | The Search China (2).jpg|Yangming and Shao Jun arriving in Nan'an | ||
Hunted China (6).jpg| | Hunted China (6).jpg|Yangming's final moments | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
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*''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' {{1st}} | *''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' {{1st}} | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' | *''[[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}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Turbulence in the Ming Dynasty]]'' | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 07:05, 6 May 2024
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Patience, brothers. Soon we will reveal the secrets of Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm. This article has been identified as being out of date. Please update the article to reflect recent releases and then remove this template once done. |
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 the Mentor of the Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins.
Biography
Life as an Assassin
Secretly 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 had him expelled from court and shunned from Beijing.[2]
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 death of the Zhengde Emperor in 1521, only to witness its takeover by the Eight Tigers, all of whom were members of the Chinese Rite 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
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 famed Mentor of the Italian Brotherhood.[8]
Shao Jun's return
.jpg)
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 Precursor origins, Wang 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 Jun was captured by the Templar Gao Feng and killed 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 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 that Jun had rescued from the Maijishan Grottoes. They traveled to a small village housing a few surviving members of their Brotherhood, who looked after Liwei.[3]
.jpg)
After some time passed, Yangming was contacted by one of his agents in Macau,[13] who informed him that the Precursor box was in the possession of Yu Dayong, a Tiger and slaver who based his operation in the city. 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 many 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
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 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. Yangming tried to reason with her, reminding her of Ezio Auditore's words that Assassins do not fight for revenge, but instead for the freedom of humanity. When 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]
.jpg)
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 Wang 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 arrived too late.[23] After telling his student to keep fighting for peace and order, Wang died in her arms and Shao Jun apologized for her failure to save him.[24]
Behind the scenes
Wang Yangming is a historical character introduced in the 2015 video game Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China.
In Chinese, Wáng Yángmíng'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 help her Mentor defeat some of the soldiers in this version, Yangming still ends up succumbing to his injuries not long after.
Gallery
-
Development concept -
Design sketches -
Design sketches -
-
Yangming and Shao Jun observing the Macau fires -
Yangming and Shao Jun arriving in Nan'an -
Yangming's final moments
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Appearances
- Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun
- Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm (non-canon)
- Assassin's Creed: Turbulence in the Ming Dynasty (non-canon)
References
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ru:Ван Янмин zh:王守仁 [[Category:Individuals who held Pieces of Eden