Zhang Qijie

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"You and I are like a rabbit and a butterfly. Both beloved creatures in their own right, but remarkably different. I can never be like you, and you will never be like me. And that is fine."

―Zhang Qijie to Shao Jun, 1517.

Zhang Qijie (張七姐; c. 1504 – 1537) was, as Empress Zhang, the second wife of the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming dynasty. She was raised in the Forbidden City alongside other concubines and was the childhood best friend of the Chinese Assassin Shao Jun.

Biography

Early life

"You're positively inimitable. Which is why I love to hear tales of your adventures."

―Qijie to Shao Jun, 1517.

The daughter of a palace guard, Zhang Qijie spent most of her life in the Forbidden City in Beijing where, like many of her fellow concubines, she was forced to bind her breasts and feet. This was not only done to maintain her beauty, but was also a preemptive measure to prevent escape from the palace.

At some point in her youth, Zhang Qijie befriended her fellow concubine Shao Jun, who unlike her, had not been forced to bind her breasts or feet and often accompanied the Zhengde Emperor on his travels, serving him as a spy and thief. Qijie enjoyed listening to Shao Jun's stories about her various adventures, and admired her nimble grace and cat-like discretion and agility.

One day in 1517, Shao Jun tried to help Qijie sneak out of the Imperial Palace to see the outside world, despite the latter's fears that they would get into trouble. Avoiding the guards, Shao Jun led her friend through one of the tunnels she had discovered while exploring the palace, 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.

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 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, which she ended up falling asleep to.

Becoming Empress

By 1518, Zhang Qijie and Shao Jun were both poised to become an Imperial Consort or even Empress, but with the Zhengde Emperor's death three years later, their fate became unclear. During the interregnum, Shao Jun contacted the Assassins and escaped the Forbidden City with their help, leaving Qijie with the new ruler, the Jiajing Emperor. Fortunately, she did not lose her title.

During the Great Rites Controversy, Shao Jun infiltrated the Forbidden City to free Qijie and the other concubines. However, her friend refused the offer, and told her that she wanted to stay, even if the Emperor was a cruel man. She elaborated that she was lucky to please him and did not want to hear about Templar plots. Qijie then told Shao Jun to leave in peace, and the Assassin accepted her decision. With her hard work and patience, Qijie eventually became Imperial Consort, then Empress in 1528.

Reunion with Shao Jun

"I thought I had to be your protector. But I had it all wrong, huh? You've been fighting this whole time in your own way."

―Shao Jun to Qijie prior to parting ways, 1530.

In 1530, the Templars Zhang Yong and Qiu Ju learned about Empress Zhang's friendship with Shao Jun and used this information to set a trap for the Assassin, forcing the Empress' co-operation by threatening her life. With the help of several concubines, Qijie contacted Shao Jun and, claiming she had a lead on Zhang Yong's location, asked her old friend to meet her at the Imperial Palace.

The Tigers using Empress Zhang as bait for Shao Jun

When Shao Jun arrived and was confronted by Zhang Yong and Qiu Ju, the Templars tried to convince the Assassin that her friend had betrayed her. However, Shao Jun saw through their lie and, understanding that Qijie's life had been at stake, forgave her. She then dueled Qiu Ju while Zhang Yong fled, but during the fight, the chamber caught fire due to several dropped lanterns.

Qijie found an exit and escaped with Shao Jun in time, leaving Qiu Ju to perish in the inferno after a pillar fell on him. 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 Eight Tigers dead, the Jiajing Emperor may start listening to wiser council and her situation would improve.

Shao Jun understood her friend's decision and that she had misjudged her, thinking Qijie needed her protection when in fact she had been fighting against the Templars in her own way. The two friends then hugged each other and promised to meet again once Qijie had regained her freedom before parting ways.

Later life and death

By 1534, on account of undisclosed conflicts between her and the Jiajing Emperor, Zhang Qijie was stripped of her title of Empress. She died a few years later in 1537, without having conceived any Imperial children.

Legacy

In 2019, when Shao Jun's descendant Kō Risa relived her memories in the Animus, she found the Assassin's friendship with Zhang Qijie to be similar to her own friendship with her cousin Mari. This made her feel more connected with Shao Jun, as they both had people in their lives that they were willing to fight for no matter the risk.

Behind the scenes

Zhang Qijie is a historical character first introduced in the 2015 video game Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, where she is voiced by Marilyn O'Brien. Her backstory with Shao Jun was explored further in the game's 2019 manga adaptation, Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun.

Name

Zhāng (張) is a common Chinese family name that means "to open up, to stretch, to extend". Its etymology is an allusion to archery as it originally referred to "stretching a bow".

Qijie (七姐) literally means 'Seventh Sister'. In Blade of Shao Jun, which was originally published in Japanese, her name is read Nāje (ナージェ), but in the English publication, the Mandarin reading has been erroneously romanized as Qixie.

Age

The Japanese and English versions of Blade of Shao Jun provide contradicting years of birth for Zhang Qijie. In the original Japanese release, it is stated that she was 13 years old in 1517, placing her year of birth as 1504, which corresponds with her database entry in Chronicles: China. However, in the English version, she is stated to be 15-years-old at the time, meaning she would have been born around 1502.

Gallery

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  Concept art
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  Alternate concept art
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  Color tests
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  Zhang Qijie's database image
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  Zhang Qijie with Shao Jun

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization
• Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun

Non-canonical appearances

• Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm
• Assassin's Creed: Turbulence in the Ming Dynasty

References

zh:张皇后