of China. He reigned for about five years from 1208 until 1213, when he was assassinated by the general Heshilie Zhizhong. Despite having ruled as an emperor, Wanyan Yongji was not posthumously honoured as such. Instead, in 1216, his successor,
, reverted his status to "Prince of Wei" (卫王) – the title Wanyan Yongji held before he became emperor – and gave him the posthumous name "Shao" (绍), hence Wanyan Yongji is generally known in historiography as the "
).
Life
Wanyan Yongji's birth name was "Wanyan Yunji" (完颜允济); his given name was changed to "Yongji" later to avoid naming taboo because Emperor Zhangzong's father was Wanyan Yungong (完颜允恭). He was the seventh son of Wanyan Yong (Emperor Shizong) and an uncle of Wanyan Jing (Emperor Zhangzong). His mother was Lady Li, a Balhae concubine of Emperor Shizong. In 1171, he was given the title "Prince of Xue" (薛王) but was later changed to "Prince of Sui" (禭王). His princely title had subsequently been changed to "Prince of Lu" (潞王), then "Prince of Han" (韩王), and finally "Prince of Wei" (卫王). When Emperor Zhangzong died without a male heir in 1208, Wanyan Yongji was selected to be the new emperor.
During Wanyan Yongji's reign, the Mongols, under the leadership of Genghis Khan, had been planning to attack the Jin dynasty. The Mongols first attacked Western Xia, a vassal state under the Jin dynasty. When Western Xia requested aid from the Jin dynasty, Wanyan Yongji ignored them; Western Xia eventually surrendered to the Mongols. In 1211, the Mongols launched a full-scale invasion of the Jin dynasty and defeated the Jin armies in some small battles. In the ninth month, the Mongols besieged the Jin central capital, Zhongdu (中都; present-day Xicheng and Fengtai districts of Beijing), but were forced to retreat because of Zhongdu's strong defences. In 1212, the Mongols attacked the Jin dynasty and besieged the Jin western capital, Datong Prefecture (大同府; present-day Datong, Shanxi Province). In the same year, Yelü Liuge (耶律留哥), a Khitan, led a rebellion against the Jin dynasty in Jilin Province. The rebel movement gained thousands of followers within months. Yelü Liuge submitted to the Mongols and led the rebels to defeat a 600,000-strong Jin army in Dijinao'er (迪吉脑儿; near present-day Changtu County, Liaoning Province).
Wanyan Yongji was known for being indecisive, undiscerning, and generally ineffective and weak as a ruler. In the eighth month of 1213, when the Mongols attacked Zhongdu again, the general Heshilie Zhizhong (纥石烈执中; also known as Hushahu 胡沙虎) rebelled against Wanyan Yongji and assassinated him. In the following month, Hushahu installed Wanyan Xun (Emperor Xuanzong) on the throne to replace Wanyan Yongji. He also gathered about 300 officials to support him and openly urged Emperor Xuanzong to posthumously demote Wanyan Yongji to the status of a commoner. Eventually, as a compromise between Hushahu's faction and another opposing faction, Emperor Xuanzong agreed to posthumously demote Wanyan Yongji to the position of "Marquis of Donghai Commandery" (东海郡侯). One month later, Hushahu was assassinated by another general, Zhuhu Gaoqi (术虎高琪).
In 1216, Emperor Xuanzong posthumously restored Wanyan Yongji to the status of "Prince of Wei" (卫王) – the title Wanyan Yongji held before he became emperor – and gave him the posthumous name "Shao" (绍), hence Wanyan Yongji is historically referred to as "Prince Shao of Wei" (卫绍王) even though he ruled as an emperor in his lifetime.
Family
Consort and issue(s):
• Empress Tudan, of the Tudan clan (徒单皇后 徒单氏, b. 1168)
• Lady Qinsheng, of the Yuan clan (钦圣夫人袁氏)
• Princess of Qi State (岐国公主), 1st daughter
• Married Genghis Khan
• Unknown
• Wanyan Congke, Prince of Liang (梁王 完颜从恪, d. 1233), 1st son
• Wanyan Ju (完颜琚, d. 1233), 2nd son
• Wanyan Xuan (完颜瑄, d. 1233), 3rd son
• Wanyan Cao (完颜璪, d. 1233), 4th son
完颜永济（？ - 1213年），小字兴胜，原名完颜允济，金章宗时避章宗父完颜允恭讳改名为完颜永济。他是金朝第七位皇帝（1208年12月29日—1213年9月11日在位），在位5年。在其被推翻身故后先降封为东海郡侯、再追复为卫王，卒諡「绍」。