User blog comment:Master Sima Yi/Assassins vs. Templars: Cold War./@comment-2121369-20110324210355

Yes, indeed. And, I'm not familiar with the Brotherhood Rifts, but perhaps the Assassin Insignia on the top of Zedong's head meant that his death was the work of Assassins (though I am not sure on how he did die IRL), or he was a target of them. Probably not an ally.