Shao Jun

"I have traveled a long time, followed many roads and suffered much grief to find him. To learn his secrets before our enemies find us."

- Shao Jun regarding her search for Ezio Auditore.

Shao Jun (1505 - unknown) was an Assassin from the Chinese branch of the Order. A former concubine for Emperor Zhengde, she was rescued by the Assassins after the emperor's death, and had devoted her life into the Order afterwards.

After some years, Zhengde's successor, Jiajing, ordered a purge of those who opposed him, the Assassins being among them. After the order's decline in China, Shao Jun and her Mentor fled west and sought out the Italian Assassin Mentor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

Early life
"I was born a concubine, but my Mentor freed me when I was young."

- Shao Jun, telling Ezio about her past life.

Shao Jun was born into royal captivity during China's Ming Dynasty, under the lackluster rule of Emperor Zhengde. Zhengde, known for his childish disposition and lack of interest for the urgent matters that concerned his country, preferred Shao Jun as one of his concubines, after she had reached her teens. Living a decade of her life under Zhengde, she traveled with him to various places and met many foreigners.

However, after Zhengde's death in April of 1521, the royal ministers fell into disarray, bickering over who should succeed Zhengde, who died without a proper heir. It was during this chaotic time that Shao Jun came into contact with the Assassins, and was rescued along with several other concubines after they broke into the royal palace.

Loyal immediately to those who rescued her, Shao Jun dedicated her first years of freedom in servitude to the Brotherhood that saved her, training in their ways.

Decline of her Order
Some years after her rescue, Jun and her Mentor decided to rescue the other concubines whom she grew up with. Breaking in to the Imperial Palace, Jun discovered most of her friends, though tortured and killed through Ling Chi ("slow slicing" or death by a thousand cuts), by order of Zhengde's nephew and successor, Jiajing. Jun and her Mentor then fled the palace.

Jiajing, who possessed the worst traits of Zhengde yet harbored none of his best, sought out to detain and execute any opposition and possible threats against his rule. The Assassins were the most prioritized in the purge, and under Jiajing's orders, a majority of the Assassins in China were killed. Those who survived either went into hiding or fled westward.

Shao Jun and her Mentor fled west like the other Assassins, though they escaped farther than most of their brothers. Heading for Italy, the two sought to find the legendary Mentor Ezio Auditore for help, hoping that he might know how to restore their Order.

Time in Italy
By 1524, Shao Jun and her Mentor were able to make it as far as Venice. However, Imperial Soldiers sent by Jiajing to detain the two were able to follow them, and caught up to them in Venice. Fending the soldiers off, Shao Jun's Mentor ensured Jun's safety and escape, though died in the ensuing battle. Continuing onward, Shao Jun arrived at Ezio Auditore's villa.

First meeting Ezio's daughter Flavia, Shao Jun was initially seen as a threat by Ezio. After seeing the Assassin insignia on her necklace, Ezio let his guard down. Later that day, Ezio and his wife Sofia confronted Jun, who asked him for aid in restoring her Order. Ezio, who retired from his life as an Assassin, refused to associate himself with the order again, and asked her to leave. However, Sofia, knowing that Shao Jun came a long way to meet Ezio, asked her to stay, welcoming her into their home. Shao Jun thanked Sofia, and accepted her offer. The next day, Shao Jun rummaged through Ezio's study and read some of his writings, without his consent. Ezio, who found Jun in his study, furiously told her to leave. Afterwards, Shao Jun was told by Ezio to leave Italy entirely, stating that she just wasted her time looking for him. Jun, reciting a portion of Ezio's writing, stated that all she wanted was to understand her Order like he did, hoping to learn how to restore them. Ezio then stated why he was so reluctant to help her, before inviting her for some food. He then asked her to come with him to Florence to assist him with the grape harvest.

There, Jun observed the crowd as Ezio attended to his business. Afterwards, Ezio took Jun to the Palazzo della Signoria, where half of his family were hung. Once there, Ezio taught Jun how the Assassins live their lives; through pain, in order to end the pain. After the brief discussion, Ezio and Jun prepared to leave Florence. On the way back however, the two were intercepted by one of the Imperial Soldiers in an obscure alleyway. Jun managed to kill the soldier, and fled the city with Ezio afterwards. On the way to Ezio's villa, Shao Jun explained her plight and informed him about those who were those after her. Afterwards, Ezio told Sofia to bring their children to Machiavelli's home, suspecting that the soldiers would come to the villa. After Sofia and his children left, Ezio stayed in the villa with Jun. That night, Ezio lectured Jun on how he defeated the Borgia through the means of fraternity and love, and how he reformed the Brotherhood in both Rome and Constantinople. Afterwards, Shao Jun rested for the night while Ezio kept himself awake in the living room.

Later that night, the villa was invaded by the Imperial Soldiers just as Ezio had predicted. The two fended off most of the soldiers, with Ezio saving Jun from cannon fire from a brutish soldier. Bringing the fight outside, both Jun and Ezio worked together to deal with the last soldier, the same brute who carried a portable cannon. Working together, Jun and Ezio fought the brute, and defeated him after Ezio was able to impale him with a sword when he pinned the Assassin down to a tree. Jun then helped Ezio recuperate.

Departure
The morning after, Shao Jun, with a renewed resolve, looked on the horizon while Ezio approached her. Ezio stated that the trip back to China would be long, but Jun replied that it will be worthwhile, with so much to see along the way. Thanking Ezio, Jun prepared to leave.

Before Jun left, Ezio gave her a small chest that contained something that could aid her in the future, stating that she should only open it if she were to lose her way. As government guards arrive on horseback, Ezio bid that Shao Jun should leave before they arrive. Jun then left Ezio's villa, and prepared to head back for China.

Personality and characteristics
"I want to understand, like you do. To help my people."

- Shao Jun confides with Ezio, on his villa.

Shao Jun had the desire to learn, specifically about how the Assassin Order functioned and lived their lives. She often searched for information when none was given to her, even going against the wishes of others just to learn, as evidenced by her invading Ezio's study. She was sincere about wanting to understand her Order, and often took Ezio's lessons and lectures to heart.

She kept her vigil at all times, keeping a close eye on her surroundings for any possible threats. She was somewhat restless, often staying up at night and preparing for an attack instead of sleeping. She also loved to meet and learn from new cultures and societies, often excited about the opportunity to understand people with different nationalities than her.

Equipment and skills
Shao Jun wielded a Chinese jian as her primary weapon. She had no hidden blade, though she had a total of six throwing needles tucked under her bracers as secondary weapons. She also had a concealed blade under her right foot that she used in tandem with her acrobatic skills against enemies.

Shao Jun, extensively trained in combat by the Order, was an adept and acrobatic fighter. Her fighting style was heavily reminiscent to the traditional Chinese martial art of Wushu, which involved much flexibility and knowledge in both unarmed and sword combat. Whenever in a fight, she was able to utilize her acrobatic skills in executing difficult moves to help her subdue her enemies.

Her arsenal of weapons were also fitted for her style of combat, using only light yet deadly armaments against her enemies. To lower suspicion in a public area, Shao Jun had to conceal most her weapons in inconspicuous parts of her attire. Only the sword was left unconcealed, though it was still kept within a sheath.

Trivia

 * In her entry on the Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia, it states that Shao Jun met Ezio in Florence. However, in Assassin's Creed: Embers, Ezio's villa was located in Tuscany.
 * Shao Jun knew part of the Italian language, as she was able to say "Grazie" (Thank you) to Sofia when she allowed her to stay, and also understood some of Ezio's chatter.
 * The "Jun" in Shao Jun's name is pronounced as "yoon" in Embers. This is incorrect; the correct pronunciation in Mandarin is roughly "joon."
 * A replica of Shao Jun's necklace is being sold in Ubiworkshop's store for 24.99 US Dollars.
 * A red and black version of the necklace was subsequently released at the store, and is being sold for the same price as the original replica.
 * Shao Jun was voiced by Angela Galuppo, who also provided the voice of both Flavia and Claudia Auditore.