Zhang Qijie

Zhang Qijie (張七姐; c. 1504 – 1537) was, as Empress Zhang, the second wife of the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming dynasty. She was raised in the Forbidden City alongside other concubines and was the childhood best friend of the Chinese Assassin Shao Jun.Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – Shao Jun and Qixie
==Biography==
===Early life===
The daughter of a palace guard, Zhang Qijie spent most of her life in the Forbidden City in Beijing where, like many of her fellow concubines, she was forced to and . This was not only done to maintain her beauty, but was also a preemptive measure to prevent escape from the palace.
At some point in her youth, Zhang Qijie befriended her fellow concubine Shao Jun, who unlike her, had not been forced to bind her breasts or feet and often accompanied the Zhengde Emperor on his travels, serving him as a spy and thief.Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia Qijie enjoyed listening to Shao Jun's stories about her various adventures, and admired her nimble grace and cat-like discretion and agility.
One day in 1517, Shao Jun tried to help Qijie sneak out of the Imperial Palace to see the outside world, despite the latter's fears that they would get into trouble. Avoiding the guards, Shao Jun led her friend through one of the tunnels she had discovered while exploring the palace, but as the path chosen required them to scale a wall, Qijie revealed that she was unable to climb it due to her foot bindings.
After returning to Qijie's quarters, Shao Jun got upset over this revelation and apologized to her friend, but Qijie explained that they were different animals, a butterfly and a rabbit, respectively, each unique and amazing in their own way. She then asked Shao Jun to tell her a story about one of her adventures, which she ended up falling asleep to.
===Becoming Empress===
By 1518, Zhang Qijie and Shao Jun were both poised to become an Imperial Consort or even Empress, but with the Zhengde Emperor's death three years later, their fate became unclear. During the interregnum, Shao Jun contacted the Assassins and escaped the Forbidden City with their help,Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Scroll 7 leaving Qijie with the new ruler, the Jiajing Emperor. Fortunately, she did not lose her title.
During the Great Rites Controversy, Shao Jun infiltrated the Forbidden City to free Qijie and the other concubines. However, her friend refused the offer, and told her that she wanted to stay, even if the Emperor was a cruel man. She elaborated that she was lucky to please him and did not want to hear about Templar plots. Qijie then told Shao Jun to leave in peace, and the Assassin accepted her decision.Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Scroll 11 With her hard work and patience, Qijie eventually became Imperial Consort, then Empress in 1528.
===Reunion with Shao Jun===
In 1530, the Templars Zhang Yong and Qiu Ju learned about Empress Zhang's friendship with Shao Jun and used this information to set a trap for the Assassin, forcing the Empress' co-operation by threatening her life. With the help of several concubines, Qijie contacted Shao Jun and, claiming she had a lead on Zhang Yong's location, asked her old friend to meet her at the Imperial Palace.Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – An Old Friend
When Shao Jun arrived and was confronted by Zhang Yong and Qiu Ju, the Templars tried to convince the Assassin that her friend had betrayed her. However, Shao Jun saw through their lie and, understanding that Qijie's life had been at stake, forgave her. She then dueled Qiu Ju while Zhang Yong fled, but during the fight, the chamber caught fire due to several dropped lanterns.Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Demon Fire
Qijie found an exit and escaped with Shao Jun in time, leaving Qiu Ju to perish in the inferno after a pillar fell on him. Once they were safe, Qijie apologized to Shao Jun for leading her into the Templars' trap while the Assassin in turn apologized for not saving her earlier in their lives. She then invited Qijie to flee the palace with her, but the Empress claimed that, with most of the Eight Tigers dead, the Jiajing Emperor may start listening to wiser council and her situation would improve.Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun – To Each Her Own Arena
Shao Jun understood her friend's decision and that she had misjudged her, thinking Qijie needed her protection when in fact she had been fighting against the Templars in her own way. The two friends then hugged each other and promised to meet again once Qijie had regained her freedom before parting ways.
===Later life and death===
By 1534, on account of undisclosed conflicts between her and the Jiajing Emperor, Zhang Qijie was stripped of her title of Empress. She died a few years later in 1537, without having conceived any Imperial children.
===Legacy===
In 2019, when Shao Jun's descendant Kō Risa relived her memories in the Animus, she found the Assassin's friendship with Zhang Qijie to be similar to her own friendship with her cousin Mari. This made her feel more connected with Shao Jun, as they both had people in their lives that they were willing to fight for no matter the risk.
==Behind the scenes==
Zhang Qijie is a historical character first introduced in the 2015 video game Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, where she is voiced by Marilyn O'Brien. Her backstory with Shao Jun was explored further in the game's 2019 manga adaptation, Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun.
===Name===
Zhāng (張) is a common Chinese family name that means "to open up, to stretch, to extend". Its etymology is an allusion to archery as it originally referred to "stretching a bow".
Qijie (七姐) literally means 'Seventh Sister'. In Blade of Shao Jun, which was originally published in , her name is read Nāje (ナージェ), but in the English publication, the reading has been erroneously romanized as Qixie.
===Age===
The Japanese and English versions of Blade of Shao Jun provide contradicting years of birth for Zhang Qijie. In the original Japanese release, it is stated that she was 13 years old in 1517, placing her year of birth as 1504, which corresponds with her database entry in Chronicles: China. However, in the English version, she is stated to be 15-years-old at the time, meaning she would have been born around 1502.
==Gallery==
ACC China Zhang Qijie Development 1.jpg|Concept art
ACC China Zhang Qijie Development 2.jpg|Alternate concept art
ACC China Zhang Qijie Color Variants.jpg|Color tests
ACC China DB Empress Zhang.png|Zhang Qijie's database image
An Old Friend China (4).jpg|Zhang Qijie with Shao Jun
AC Blade of Shao Jun - Empress Zhang.png|Zhang Qijie in Blade of Shao Jun
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China 
*Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization
*Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun
===Non-canonical appearances===
*Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm
*Assassin's Creed: Turbulence in the Ming Dynasty
==References==
zh:张皇后 
Category:1504 births
Category:1537 deaths
Category:Individuals
Category:Ming people
Category:Han Chinese
Category:Concubines
Category:Royal consorts
Category:Assassin allies
Category:Templar puppets
Category:Zhang (張) lineage