Assassins in Ancient China
Assassination in ancient China was not merely executing a contract - it was righting a wrong. These assassins weren’t simple mercenaries: they were men who fought under a purpose whether that be exacting revenge on a personal enemy or serving the interest of vengeful men. They aren’t cold and unfeeling; rather, they are fiercely loyal to their masters and dedicated to their cause. While not every assassin is successful in their mission, each one undergoes a series of struggles and pitfalls while preparing to and finally executing their target. Each assassin is an individual, however, and their motivation, approach and struggle in carrying out an assassination make them truly unique characters. In the tales of Yu Jang, Prince Tan of Yen, and Nie Zheng, assassins in ancient China exhibit the common characteristic of loyalty, however Yu Jang was persistent in his assassination attempts, Ching K’o was greedy and expected recompense in return for his services and Nie Zheng was submissive in accepting his contract.
Loyalty unto death, developed either through a relationship of mutual respect between assassins and masters or through an allegiance to one’s land, is a common characteristic amongst Yu Jang, Ching K’o and Nie Zheng. Yu Jang, in his quest to avenge the Baron of Chih felt an attachment and obligation to his master. “It is not my business so to confound the bonds of duty between lord and vassal” (19), he said in reply to his friend suggesting a more covert form of assassination. His loyalty to his lord would not allow him to sully his master’s name. Further, his loyalty formed due to the way he was treated: “But the Baron of Chih treated me like a knight who was famed throughout the land, and therefore I too exact revenge for him, as it fitting for such a knight” (20). Similarly, Nie Zheng was motivated to carry out an assassination because of Yang Zhong-zi, his master. After Nie Zheng died, his sister in despair cried out, “He...