Life

Wanyan Yongji's birth name was "Wanyan Yunji" (完顏允濟); his given name was changed to "Yongji" later to avoid naming taboo because Emperor Zhangzong's father was Wanyan Yungong (完顏允恭). 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" (韓王), and finally "Prince of Wei" (衛王). 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 (迪吉腦兒; 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 (紇石烈執中; 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" (東海郡侯). One month later, Hushahu was assassinated by another general, Zhuhu Gaoqi (朮虎高琪).

In 1216, Emperor Xuanzong posthumously restored Wanyan Yongji to the status of "Prince of Wei" (衛王) – the title Wanyan Yongji held before he became emperor – and gave him the posthumous name "Shao" (紹), hence Wanyan Yongji is historically referred to as "Prince Shao of Wei" (衛紹王) even though he ruled as an emperor in his lifetime.

Family

• Father: Emperor Shizong

• Mother: Empress Guangxian (光獻皇后)

• Wives:

　• Lady Tudan (徒單氏), posthumously honoured as the Princess Consort of Wei (衛王后)

　• Lady Yuan (袁氏), posthumously honoured as Lady Qinsheng (欽聖夫人), bore the Princess of Qi

• Children:

　• Wanyan Congke (完顏從恪), Prince of Liang (梁王)

　• Meng'an (猛安), sinicised name Wanyan Ju (完顏琚)

　• Anchu (按出), sinicised name Wanyan Xuan (完顏瑄)

　• Anchen (按辰), sinicised name Wanyan Cao (完顏璪)

　• Princess of Qi (岐國公主), Genghis Khan's concubine

生平

完顏允濟是完顏允恭之弟，金章宗之叔，金世宗完顏雍第七子，母元妃李氏。他在金世宗大定十一年（1171年）被封薛王，同年改封禭王，先後改封潞王、韓王及衛王。章宗在泰和八年（1208年）農曆十一月二十日病死，無嗣，衛王完顏允濟被迎立為帝。

蒙古帝國的成吉思汗有意進攻金國，首先出兵進攻臣屬金朝的西夏，西夏向金求援，衛紹王坐視不救。西夏向蒙古屈服後，成吉思汗自大安三年（1211年）起大舉攻金，屢敗金兵。是年九月，蒙古軍逼近中都，因城防堅固兼有重兵防守，於是退兵。次年成吉思汗再次親征金國，一度包圍金西京大同府。同年契丹人耶律留哥在今吉林省境起兵反金，數月之間發展至十餘萬人。耶律留哥依附蒙古，又在迪吉腦兒（今遼寧昌圖附近）擊敗六十萬金兵，金國的處境更加不妙。

衛紹王為人優柔寡斷，沒有安邦治國之才，只是儉約守成。他不善于用人，忠奸不分，最終導致殺身之禍。至寧元年（1213年）八月，蒙古軍再次逼近中都，右副元帥胡沙虎（紇石烈執中）起兵叛亂，弒衛紹王。九月，迎立完顏珣為帝，即金宣宗。胡沙虎請廢允濟為庶人，詔百官三百餘人議於朝堂。太子少傅奧屯忠孝、侍讀學士蒲察思忠支持胡沙虎，但戶部尚書武都、拾遺田庭芳等三十人請降允濟為王侯。胡沙虎固執前議，金宣宗不得已，乃降封允濟為東海郡侯。十月，元帥右監軍朮虎高琪殺胡沙虎。

貞祐四年（1216年），金宣宗詔追復允濟為衛王，諡曰紹，後世稱他為衛紹王。

家庭

妻妾

• 衛紹王后徒單氏

• 欽聖夫人袁氏

子女

• 梁王完顏從恪

• 完顏琚

• 完顏瑄

• 完顏璪

• 岐國公主（母袁氏）

評價

• 元朝官修正史《金史》脫脫等的評價是：「衛紹王政亂于內，兵敗于外，其滅亡已有徵矣。身弒國蹙，記注亡失，南遷後不複紀載。皇朝中統三年，翰林學士承旨王鶚有志論著，求大安、崇慶事不可得，採摭當時詔令，故金部令史竇祥年八十九，耳目聰明，能記憶舊事，從之得二十餘條。司天提點張正之寫災異十六條，張承旨家手本載舊事五條，金禮部尚書楊雲翼日錄四十條，陳老日錄三十條，藏在史館。條件雖多，重複者三之二。惟所載李妃、完顏匡定策，獨吉千家奴兵敗，紇石烈執中作難，及日食、星變、地震、氛昆，不相背盭。今校其重出，刪其繁雜。《章宗實錄》詳其前事，《宣宗實錄》詳其後事。又于金掌奏目女官大明居士王氏所紀，得資明夫人援璽一事，附著于篇，亦可以存其梗概云爾。」

• 明朝官修《元史》，成吉思汗對完顏永濟的評價是：「我謂中原皇帝是天上人做，此等庸懦亦為之耶？」