Yu Rang devised a plan to assassinate Lord Xiang but miserably failed twice. Yu Rang even mutilated himself and swallowed charcoals to change his appearance and voice, but he still failed to assassinate the killer of his former master. After Yu Rang’s first attempt of assassination, Lord Xiang recognized a great sense of loyalty from the man and ordered him to be released. Yu Rang’s second attempt was also futile because the instinct of Lord Xiang towards him was strong. He had Yu Rang figured out and so ordered his guards to capture the man. Nevertheless, Lord Xiang was still astounded by Yu Rang’s endurance and dedication to avenge Lord Zhi. As such, he gave Yu Rang his coat so that Yu Rang could stab it, creating the illusion in his mind that he was able to assassinate the man who killed his master. After that, Lord Xiang of Zhao stated that Yu Rang’s actions were fueled by his deep desire for revenge rather than by loyalty.
Interpretation and a Deeper Understanding
The story is not about revenge and assassination; it is about the mindset of a man imprisoned by his desire for revenge and a final service for his master. Upon reflection, most people these days probably suffer from the same psychological torture that Yu Rang had to endure. One of the worst situations in this world is to be burdened and haunted by a lingering anger towards someone who has caused one pain. Yu Rang probably suffered sleepless nights and the regret of not being able to save his master’s life. The turn of events and Yu Rang’s decision after the death of his master are similar to the infamous code of justice called “LexTalionis” or mirror punishment, also known as “An eye for an eye.” Satisfaction after a grave loss can only be achieved after inflicting the same amount of pain on the enemy, in this case, death. The story setting took place during the time of the warring states in China, but the story is not about the conflict and the desire for domain power. Yu Rand had an internal war inside him -- a battle between acceptance and hatred. These two sides of Yu Rang’s emotions can be compared to two wolves, a white one and a black one. The white one represents the acceptance and the black one embodies hatred. These types of stories mostly conclude with the white wolf becoming victorious and the protagonist living happily ever after. Unfortunately, in Yu Rang’s story, the black wolf overpowered the white wolf completely, which was probably the reason why Yu Rang did not succeed in his assassination attempt. Yu Rang was definitely clouded by his anger because his decisions and actions to exact revenge were not flawless and were not well-prepared. To think about it, there would have been many ways to assassinate Lord Xiang, yet Yu Rang was hasty and wasn’t able to devise a better plan to complete his mission. Lord Xiang was without a doubt correct in his statement that Yu Rang acted out of his desire for revenge rather than out of loyalty.
Yu Rang’s desire was influenced by his loyalty towards Lord Zhi, but he harvested the wrong crops to feed his intentions because instead of moving on and sharing the great characteristics of his master, he decided to grab a dagger and feed his anger. During his dying moments, did Yu Rang regret his actions and the bitter conclusion of his life? It is true that Yu Rang’s life was wasted for nothing and at the same time, he created his own legacy. His story was spread throughout China and his loyalty inspired millions of people. In this story, most of the characters, including Lord Zhi and Lord Xiang, had a good and a bad side. Lord Zhi was a merciful master, especially to his fellowmen, and Lord Xiang was able to show mercy where it was due. Lord Zhi was also a conqueror when he formed an alliance with Lord Xiang and the other family to destroy the Fan and the Zhonghang. Xiang was a vicious individual, a proof of which was when he used Lord Zhi’s skull as a wine cup. The story’s setting and attribute was outstanding and despite the painful ending, most readers would probably be happy about Yu Rang’s sacrifice and courage while others might consider him a fool. Yu Rang is also a man of principle because it takes a real man to throw away everything just for the sole reason of avenging his master. Is Yu Rang a real man or a real fool?
Assassination
In most assassination stories, the one who ends up being assassinated is mostly a man of power and authority. Most assassinations are fueled by either hate or money. Yu Rang only had one reason, which was vengeance. It was more than enough for a successful assassination or for a complete failure. However, despite Yu Rang’s attempt of assassination, no one can actually consider him an immoral man. If Yu Rang was an evil being, he would have included the fellowmen of Lord Xiang as targets. If Yu Rang did, his mission for assassination would have been a perfect plan to destroy Lord Xiang little by little.
Lingering Questions?
In this story, there are so many questions left unanswered. For example, why didn’t Yu Rang go after the Family of Han and Wei who aided Lord Xiang in killing Lord Zhi? What happened to Yu Rang’s wife after she found out about her husband’s death? Why did Yu Rang choose the path to honor a man who respected him over his beloved wife? Did Yu Rang have any friends or allies? Why didn’t Yu Rang earn the trust of lord Xiang and then assassinated him in the most heinous and treacherous way? If Yu Rang chose a different path, how would his story have ended? These questions weren’t presented in the story and it revolved around the protagonist who was also the antagonist. If you were too decide, would you tell this story as a tale of an assassination or as a tale of loyalty?
One question that I can answer right away is the one about the alternate ending of Yu Rang if he hadn’t pursued his assassination attempt. If he didn’t continue on the path he chose, Yu Rang would have been forgotten and there would have been no record of him in Chinese literature. One might agree or disagree, but Yu Rang wrote his legacy with the path he decided to take. If it weren’t for his anger, Yu Rang would have decided to let his rage go, lived a peaceful life with his wife, and died an unknown man. It is heartbreaking that he only got to stab the coat of Lord Xiang, but it was a great addition to his story, along with the way he cried towards the sky for the sadness he felt, knowing that he wasn’t able to fulfill his final mission for his master who treated him like family. Another great question we have to ask ourselves is whether Lord Xiang was jealous of Lord Zhi for having a loyal and courageous servant. Why didn’t he overlook Yu Rang’s blinded mind and took him in as one of his own? Why didn’t Yu Rang hone his skills as an assassin for his mission for it to have been successful? The answer to this is simple. Yu Rang was blinded by anger. If he was enveloped by it, Yu Rang would probably have taken every ounce of his anger and threw it into hundreds of days in training as a killer who will completely destroy the man who destroyed someone precious to him.
Another story about an assassination that is mostly associated with Yu Rang’s story is NieZheng’s. NieZheng was a son of a blacksmith who specialized in swords. His father was killed by the King Han when there was a slight delay in the molding and delivery of the swords. In his journey towards vengeance, NieZheng went to the Mount Tai and learned to play the lyre. After ten years, he went back with a disguise in his appearance and voice. With his amazing performance skills, King Han summoned him for a performance near the presence of the king. During the performance, NieZheng pulled out a dagger from the lyre and stabbed the king. NieZheng disfigured his face so that he won’t be recognized and his mother would have been punished for his actions.
One of the biggest differences between Yu Rang and NieZheng was in their fighting skills because NieZheng was capable of killing several men alone. NieZheng was also more patient than Yu Rang. Some analysts of Chinese literature are hesitant to believe whether these stories really happened, as there is a certain measure of exaggeration to these stories” (Lorge 48). Reading both stories, there truly are amazing turns of events, mostly in the endings. Yu Rang only got to stab Lord Xiang’s coat and NieZheng disfigured his own face for the sake of his mother. If people tell these stories, these are the parts that the readers and audience will remember. Yes, they are labeled as assassins, but there are certain lessons to learn from both of them. Although it’s a little disturbing, the fact is that NieZheng honored his father and mother. Yu Rang’s loyalty might be tarnished by foolishness, but he still showed loyalty with the way he felt towards the man who treated him with integrity and respect.
Final Thoughts
Going back to Lord Xiang’s statement that Yu Rang was fueled by anger rather than loyalty is true. However, his loyalty never vanished and until his last breath, he remained a faithful servant to a man who appreciated him with the credentials he deserved.
As a reflection, what would you have told Yu Rang for him to let go of his anger and seek out solitude rather than blood? Would you have done the same?
Yu Rang was an assassin. He was a bad assassin, but a good man.
Works Cited
Lorge, Peter Allan. Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Print.
Uen, Chen. Legends of Assassins. Taipei: Locus Publishing Company, 2010. Print.
