Jing Tianming is the son of Jing Ke, the assassin who tried to kill the King of Qin, the future First Emperor. Hunted since childhood, he is protected by the legendary swordsman Gai Nie, who takes him on the road and becomes his master.
Personality
Impulsive, greedy and often lazy at first, Tianming is an ordinary boy thrown into a story beyond him. Yet he is brave, loyal and big-hearted, and he matures over the seasons until he accepts the role fate has in store for him.
Powers & abilities
Untalented at first, he progresses thanks to Gai Nie's teaching and the arts of the Hundred Schools he encounters. Above all he inherits the leadership of the Mohist school, which gives him a central role in the resistance against the Qin empire.
History
After his father's death, Tianming grows up in hiding until Gai Nie rescues him and flees the Qin army with him. They find refuge with the Mohists, then travel through the great schools of thought, from the Confucians to the Yin-Yang school. Over the seasons he becomes a player in the resistance against the First Emperor.
Relationships
Gai Nie is his master and a surrogate father. Shao Yu, his best friend, is none other than the future Xiang Yu, the great rival of the Qin dynasty. He also forms strong bonds with the Mohists, who become his family.
Key moments
- The escape with Gai Nie, pursued by the Qin army, which opens the series.
- His appointment as leader of the Mohists, an immense burden for a child.
- His friendship with Shao Yu, the future Xiang Yu, which spans the whole saga.
In the adaptations
In Sayling Wen's novel, Tianming is the undisputed hero of a coming-of-age story. The donghua shares the spotlight more with the great figures of the Hundred Schools. In the 2015 drama he is played by Jiang Jinfu.
Did you know?
- His father, Jing Ke, is a real historical figure, famous for his attempt on the King of Qin's life in 227 BC.
- The series' Chinese title, Qin Shi Ming Yue, comes from a line by the poet Wang Changling: "the moon of Qin, the passes of Han".
Our take
Tianming can be annoying at first, but that is the point: the series tells of an ordinary child growing up among legends. Watching this greedy kid become a faction leader is one of Qin's Moon's pleasures.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan