Beijing

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Beijing
Political information
Sovereign state	China
Factions	Templars Chinese Rite Eight Tigers Assassins Chinese Brotherhood
Historical information
Date founded	c. 1045 BCE (as Jicheng)
Additional information
Notable landmarks	Forbidden City
Assassination targets	Qiu Ju

Beijing (北京) is the capital city of the People's Republic of China. A notable city for much of Chinese history, it was previously known as Fanyang (范陽) during the Tang dynasty, when it was also the seat of the Fanyang Commandery (范陽郡). Under the Ming dynasty, the city became China's capital. The Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins' headquarters was also located in Beijing during this period, for which reason the guild was alternatively known as the Beijing Brotherhood.

History

Tang dynasty

Fanyang was the base of the jiedushi An Lushan when he rebelled against the Tang in 755. After raising an army and assembling the Yeluohe, An Lushan departed from Fanyang and left the commandery under the care of Shi Siming.

Ming dynasty

In the early Ming period, Beijing became the new capital of China following the construction of the Forbidden City, which served as the Imperial family's residence. During this period, Fang Xiaoru trained many of the Assassins in the city, including Li Tong's parents. In 1402, the Templar ally Emperor Zhu Di ordered the execution of all those he claimed to be Assassins, with Xiaoru and Li Tong's parents counted among the dead. Though Li Tong escaped with an apprentice and an Apple of Eden, the Assassins in Beijing were eradicated.

Liu Jin's execution

In the early 16th century, both the Chinese Assassins and Chinese Templars operated out of Beijing. In 1506, the Neo-Confucian philosopher and Master Assassin Wang Yangming was banished from the capital after clashing in court with Liu Jin, the leader of a group of powerful eunuchs known as the Eight Tigers who were secretly members of the Templar Order. Four years later, Liu Jin was executed via lingchi after his lieutenant Zhang Yong implicated him on charges of treason.

Under Zhang Yong's leadership, the Tigers' influence in the Imperial court grew and, following the Zhengde Emperor's death in 1521, they began making plans to install a puppet Emperor on the throne and purge all their enemies from Beijing. By chance, the Imperial concubine Shao Jun discovered this plot and alerted Wang Yangming, who by then was the Chinese Brotherhood's Mentor. Yangming called his best Assassins into the Forbidden City to thwart the Templars' plans but they were ultimately defeated.

Capitalizing on this critical victory, the Templars used the momentum to enact a city-wide purge, capturing and executing many Assassins, their allies, and any innocents with tangential ties to them. In the wake of this disaster, Wang Yangming ordered the Chinese Brotherhood and any remaining allies to withdraw from Beijing entirely. Shao Jun was among those who managed to escape, thanks to the help of her tutor Hong Liwei, and subsequently joined the Assassins.

By 1524, the Templars managed to have Zhu Houcong crowned as the Jiajing Emperor and influenced him into launching what became known as the Great Rites Controversy. The Templars exploited the resulting chaos to hunt the remaining Assassins across China, and the Tiger Wei Bin was placed in charge of capturing and executing the few Assassins still hiding in Beijing.

Due to his status as a well-known opponent of the Tigers, Wang Yangming was forced to go into hiding, and Zhu Jiuyuan was appointed Mentor in his place. Despite the risk, Jiuyan and Shao Jun decided to infiltrate the Forbidden City to rescue the remaining concubines whom she had grown up with, only to learn that the Jiajing Emperor had executed most of them. Before fleeing the palace, Shao Jun visited her old friend Zhang Qijie, hoping to convince her to escape with her, but she declined to be rescued.

Shao Jun dueling Qiu Ju inside the burning Imperial Palace

In 1530, the Tigers Zhang Yong and Qiu Ju used Zhang Qijie, now Empress, to set a trap for Shao Jun in the Forbidden City. They forced the Empress to issue a secret message to Shao Jun alleging to have information on the whereabouts of Zhang Yong, whom the Assassin was hunting. Despite falling into the Templars' trap, Shao Jun managed to slay Qiu Ju and escape the Imperial Palace alongside Empress Zhang after the Assassin's duel against Qiu Ju caused the chamber they were in to catch fire.

Qing dynasty

Following the Manchus' conquest of China and establishment of the Qing dynasty in 1644, Beijing retained its role as the Imperial capital.

Behind the scenes

Beijing, primarily its Forbidden City, first appeared in the 2015 video game Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China as the setting of a few memories. It later appeared in the game's 2019 manga adaptation, Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun, although in this version, Shao Jun's fight against Qiu Ju takes place at the Inner Palace Flower Garden Villa rather than the Imperial Palace.

Gallery

Concept art of the Forbidden City in Beijing

Shao Jun freerunning across Beijing's rooftops

Beijing in Blade of Shao Jun

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Discover Your Legacy (first mentioned)
• Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Tomb of the Khan
• 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)
• Assassin's Creed: Dynasty