Peony
A peony is a flowering plant in the genus Paeonia known for its voluminous and vibrant flowers ranging from white to violet and red. It is remembered today as the most beloved flower of the Tang people owing to its exquisite status and ubiquitous popularity in that era of Chinese history.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
According to Taiwanese professor Li Shu-t'ung (李樹桐)'s Examining the Tang People's Love for the Peony (唐人喜愛牡丹考), the peony first began to make its name during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang in the approximately twenty-year span between 655 and 683. At the time, the exalted status of the flower gave rise to countless references in Tang poems and historical records. From Zhang Youxin (張又新)'s poem "Peony" in The Compendium of Tang Poetry (全唐詩) comes the iconic line "A peony is worth a thousand gold, ever misplaced for the deepest hues"[2] which has been passed down to the present day.[1]
Assassination through a peony[edit | edit source]
By 754, peonies were being grown as a luxurious commodity, especially at flower farms like Duling village. Duling was known for their beautiful and famous peonies, which were coveted by Right Chancellor Yang Guozhong for his procession in that year's Flower Banquet, an annual contest for the most splendid flower exhibit in the capital.[3] Guozhong sent his team to acquire peonies from Duling, which resulted in the gang stealing the peonies by force[3] and murdering seventeen villagers in the process.[4] Enraged at the crime, the Hidden One Li E followed the team back to Chang'an.[3]
On the morning of the Flower Banquet, Li E by chance met the renowned Tang poet Li Bai on a balcony while surveying the streets for his target. When Assassin alluded to Zhang Youxin's poem with a twist, rhetorically musing out loud "how many families have been destroyed for one peony?", Li Bai got a measure of who this youth was. Queried for his purpose in Chang'an, however, Li E only gave the curt answer "to pluck flowers", which Li Bai misunderstood and found amusing. Shortly after, Li E intercepted a small cart of peonies making its way to rendezvous with the rest of the cortege. He slew all three men transporting it with his Hidden Blade, forcing the location of their boss out of them at the same time. As he concluded his attack, he plucked a single, bloodied peony from the cart per his earlier answer to Li Bai.[4]
Later that night, Li E confronted the leaders of Yang Guozhong's team at the Agarwood Gazebo on the grounds of Xingqing Palace while still twiddling with his peony. Pronouncing vengeance for the seventeen lives at Duling village, he boldly proclaimed that he would only draw his blade once to defeat the gang. After he swiftly dispatched five of the henchmen with punches and kicks alone, he pounced on the fleeing gang leader with his Hidden Blade, concealed the entire time by the peony. The blade burst through the flower and into his target's neck, completing his assassination.[4]
Many of the flowers would go to waste after the annual festival, with disposal wagons collecting them and transporting them outside the palace grounds to be dumped. On the night of the 754 Flower Banquet, the young, visiting scholar Yan Jiming took it upon himself to commandeer one of these wagons so that he could redirect it to less affluent areas of the city. There, he hoped to share the peonies with the orphans of the streets since they rarely had the opportunity to enjoy the wondrous flowers that the upper-class did.[5]
By coincidence, Li E landed in Jiming's wagon while making his escape from Xingqing Palace, believing that it would be filled with flowers to cushion his fall and have no occupants. Despite the surprise encounter, both cooperated and achieved their goals for the night, and the chance meeting proved to be the start of a friendship significant for the future of the Tang.[5]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
Throughout Chinese history, peony exhibitions have been held and cultivated annually in the ancient city of Luoyang.[6]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Dynasty (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Flower Banquet (Special)
- ↑ 「牡丹一朵值千金，將謂從來色最深」
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty − The Flower Banquet (Part 1)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty − The Flower Banquet (Part 4)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Flower Banquet (Part 6)
- ↑
Peony on Wikipedia