Jeong (Korean: 정), also known as Zheng (Chinese: 鄭),[1] was an admiral and mercenary who operated in the South China Sea during the early 18th century.
Biography[]
Working for Madam Lee[]
In 1725, Jeong was hired by the Macau-based businesswoman Lee Huiyin to aid her trading enterprise against her rival Sun, the head of the Hualien Trading Company. While Lee's ally Fuma Sukuna and the Shimazu ninja in his service attacked Sun's floating gambling hall to recover a sea log in his possession, Jeong stationed her fleet nearby in preparation to wipe out Sun's fleet.[2]
Jeong commanding her crew
Before Sukuna and his ninja could recover the sea log, Jeong began her assault of Sun's ship, bombarding it with cannon and mortar fire.[2] As the admiral took glee in the destruction she caused, she suddenly spotted the British Assassin Edward Kenway, whom Lee had marked for death.[3]
Jeong ordered her crew to sink the ship Edward and his companions were using to escape from the destruction of Sun's gambling den, but at that moment one of her own vessels was destroyed by the Fenghuang, the flagship of Edward's Zhang Wei Union. Believing she stood no chance against the Fenghuang's powerful armaments, Jeong decided to allow the Union members to escape, telling her men that they would get their chance to hunt them down soon enough.[3]
The following morning, as Jeong was exploring the wreckage of Sun's gambling den to confirm the merchant's death, she was approached by Xiao Han and his fellow Chinese Assassins Liu Qing and Xue Yan. Jeong aimed her pistol at them, but after Xiao Han revealed that he had acquired the sea log sought by Lee, the admiral agreed to grant the Assassins an audience with her.[3]
Jeong at Lee's meeting with the Chinese Assassins
Jeong was subsequently present for Lee's meeting with the Chinese Assassins at the Mandarin's House, where Xiao Han proposed an alliance to find the lost Khmer city of Angkor and recover its treasure. When Xiao Han revealed his knowledge of Lee's true name and past, Jeong pointed her pistol at the Assassin, claiming she had heard enough from him.[4]
However, Lee, interested to hear what Xiao Han had to say, ordered Jeong to lower her gun and allowed the Assassin to continue speaking. In the end, Lee agreed to ally with the Chinese Assassins and help them find Angkor's treasure so that they could use it to overthrow the Qing dynasty.[4]
Pursuing the Fenghuang[]
When the members of the Zhang Wei Union left Macau to investigate a lead to Angkor's location in the Philippines, Jeong and her fleet followed them and ambushed the Fenghuang near Manila. After the Union members dropped explosive barrels into the water, Jeong's fleet suffered considerable damage, forcing the admiral to take the helm and sail around the barrels. This divided her fleet and allowed the Fenghuang to sink most of her ships.[5]
Jeong talking to the Chinese Assassins
Despite her own ship being set on fire, Jeong remained undeterred and managed to catch up to the Fenghuang, ramming it. The vessel's captain, Rupiya, performed evasive maneuvers to get the Fenghuang to safety, but unbeknownst to the Zhang Wei Union members, Jeong's true goal was to get close enough for her passengers—Xiao Han, Liu Qing, and Xue Yan—to board the enemy ship.[6]
After the Chinese Assassins readied themselves with gliders, Jeong asked them if they really thought their plan was going to work. Xiao Han told her to wait and see for herself, and the admiral watched in amazement as the three Assassins soared over her ship and boarded the Fenghuang.[6]
Ultimately, the Chinese Assassins were defeated by Edward's crew and were forced to return to Jeong's ship via parachutes. The admiral mocked them for coming back empty-handed before Xiao Han asked if she could resume her pursuit of the Fenghuang at once. Jeong claimed that she had to call off the chase because Edward had sailed into a storm, but assured Xiao Han that sooner or later they would catch up to the Assassin and make him pay for betraying Madam Lee.[7]
Search in the Philippines[]
Jeong and Madam Lee in Manila
Not long afterwards, Jeong accompanied Lee to Manila, where her employer went to meet with the Lieutenant Governor-General to secure free passage to the Southern Seas. After the meeting, Lee told Jeong that she would provide the admiral with the best ship at their disposal and that she could contact her via carrier pigeon if she encountered difficulties during her search for Angkor's treasure.[8]
At that moment, Xiao Han, Liu Qing, and Xue Yan arrived, having investigated around the city to uncover details about a recent riot. The Chinese Assassins told Jeong and Lee about their findings, informing them that a monk had used a Piece of Eden—a crescent amulet—to incite the riot, and that Edward had fought him, but ultimately lost the amulet to members of a native resistance against the Spanish colonists.[8]
Xiao Han then claimed that they would travel to Cebu to investigate their next lead to Angkor's location and that they would try to intercept the native warriors and retrieve their stolen Piece of Eden. Lee gave the Chinese Assassins free reign to do as they pleased, and Jeong accompanied them as the group made their way towards Cebu.[8]
En route to their destination, Jeong dropped off the Chinese Assassins and Fuma Sukuna on Monkey Island, as the latter's informants had learned that the native resistance's stronghold was located there. However, to their dismay, the group found that the resistance's fort had already been destroyed and that the native warriors had left for Cebu. Deciding to follow them, the Assassins returned to Jeong, who sailed them to Cebu, while Sukuna and his men stayed behind on the island.[9]
Confrontation in Cebu[]
Jeong in Cebu
As Jeong's fleet approached Cebu, Xiao Han instructed the admiral to wait for his signal to commence her attack. Jeong reassured him that she would do so and warned him not to fail in his task, before Xiao Han and his fellow Chinese Assassins infiltrated the city to look for the crescent amulet.[1]
While waiting for the Assassins' return, Jeong grew impatient and decided to attack the Fenghuang, which was docked nearby. Her lieutenant protested, claiming that they had given their word on the Pirate's Code to wait for Xiao Han's signal, but Jeong dismissed him and claimed that the Code was more of a series of "guidelines" than actual rules. With that, she ordered her entire fleet to engage the Fenghuang, intending to overwhelm it with their superior numbers.[10]
However, the admiral was caught by surprise when the Zhang Wei Union members shot Greek fire bombs into the ocean, creating a wall of fire on the water's surface and preventing Jeong's fleet from passing through. This allowed the Fenghuang to sail away to safety while Jeong could do nothing but watch as her prey slipped out of her grasp once again.[11]
Showdown in Sulu[]
- "They ought to be grateful we didn't rain fire over their heads. All this for that damned artifact they speak of... It serves 'em right for treating old Madam Lee and me like a pair of puppets. The stage is set. Let's see how they each play their part."
- ―Jeong expressing her resentment of the Chinese Assassins, 1725.[src]-[m]
Jeong receiving the Shimazu ninja's message
Sometime later, after Fuma Sukuna and his ninja were killed in an ambush by the Zhang Wei Union, a raven that came to feed on the dead bodies was given a note by one of the mortally wounded ninja. The raven flew to Jeong's ship, where the admiral received the message and informed Xiao Han, Liu Qing, and Xue Yan of the ninja's defeat. However, she also claimed that the Union appeared to have suffered heavy casualties, prompting her to set a course for the Sultanate of Sulu in order to pursue and eliminate their enemies.[12]
In Sulu, Jeong dropped off the Chinese Assassins near a warehouse where the crescent amulet was stored, to allow them to retrieve it. However, having grown weary of being treated like the Assassins' minion, Jeong decided to hinder their mission as payback and ordered her crew to fire on the warehouse, partially destroying it.[13]
Not long after, Jeong watched through her spyglass as the Chinese Assassins took the Zhang Wei Union's doctor Xialun Qing hostage and attempted to strike a deal with Edward Kenway, promising to release Qing if Edward allowed them to leave with the amulet. Finding the idea of negotiating with the enemy "boring", Jeong decided to make things more interesting and ordered her crew to open fire on both the Chinese Assassins and the Union members.[14]
Jeong sailing towards Sulu's shore
In the resulting chaos, Edward seized the amulet and used it to defeat Xiao Han, while Liu Qing was shot and knocked down by John Young. Disappointed by the Chinese Assassins' defeat, Jeong reluctantly decided to sail to their rescue, as Madam Lee had ordered her to keep the Assassins alive.[15]
However, Jeong's fleet was unable to reach the shore due to the Fenghuang, which engaged the admiral's ships. Nevertheless, the Chinese Assassins returned to Jeong's vessel with the amulet, while the Fenghuang eventually retreated. With the artifact in their possession, Jeong and the Assassins decided against pursuing their enemies and instead prepared to deliver the amulet to Lee.[16]
Personality and traits[]
Jeong was a highly unpredictable woman, being able to switch moods from calm and collected to excited or angry almost in an instant. She also enjoyed the thrill of battle and the sight of chaos and destruction, be it caused by her or someone else.[3] It was Jeong's love of navigation and plundering ships that led her to gain a reputation as one of the most infamous captains in the South China Sea. That being said, she rarely took the helm herself, only doing so when facing an opponent that she deemed a "worthy prey".[6]
Jeong at the helm of her ship
Despite her unpredictable nature, Jeong remained loyal to Madam Lee and followed her every command, making the admiral one of Lee's most valuable assets. When Xiao Han began to speak of Lee's sensitive past, Jeong immediately pointed her pistol at the Assassin to stop him, but Lee overruled the admiral and allowed Xiao Han to continue talking.[4]
However, this sense of loyalty did not extend to her Assassin allies. Upon spotting the Fenghuang docked in Cebu, Jeong immediately decided to attack it, breaking her promise to Xiao Han to wait for his return.[10] Similarly, in Sulu, Jeong ordered her crew to fire at the Assassins during their standoff with Edward Kenway and his allies, finding the idea of peaceful negotiations "boring" and wishing to see the Assassins and their enemies kill each other.[14] This was in part due to Jeong resenting Xiao Han for treating her and Madam Lee like a "pair of puppets."[13]
Skills and equipment[]
Jeong's skills as a navigator had earned her a legendary reputation among the sea captains in Southeast Asia. In addition to possessing incredibly quick reflexes which allowed her to avoid dangers like fire barrels in the water, she personally trained her crew, who shared her relentlessness when it came to pursuing their targets.[6]
In terms of weaponry, Jeong carried on her at all times a rapier sword and a flintlock pistol.[3]
Behind the scenes[]
Admiral Jeong is a character introduced in Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. Although she is a woman, Madam Lee refers to her as a "boy" in Episode 27 of the webtoon for unknown reasons; this may be a translation error.
Etymology[]
Jeong (정), alternatively spelled Jung, Chung, Joung or Jong, is a Korean name mainly derived from three homophonous hanja: 鄭, 丁, and 程. Other homophonous hanja include: 政, 桯, 定, 正, and 情.[17] The Chinese Assassins, particularly Xiao Han, refer to Jeong as Zheng (鄭),[1] with 鄭 being the Chinese transliteration of 정.[18]
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 71
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 38
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 39
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 40
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 47
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 48
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 49
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 58
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 65
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 72
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 73
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 86
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 89
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 90
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 91
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 92
- ↑
Jung (Korean surname) on Wikipedia
- ↑ Zheng (surname) on Wikipedia
