Wanyan Honglie (pinyin: Wányán Hóngliè, jyutping: Jyun4 Ngaan4 Hung4 Lit6, simplified: 完颜洪烈, traditional: 完顏洪烈) was the sixth prince of the Jin Empire1 and the primary political antagonist in The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Titled Prince of Zhao,2 he orchestrated the tragic events at Ox Village that set the novel’s central conflicts in motion, ultimately raising Yang Kang as his foster son whilst pursuing his ambitions to strengthen the Jin Empire against both Song3 and Mongol4 threats.
His name literally means “vast and fierce,” reflecting both his grand ambitions and ruthless methods in pursuing them. Though presented as an antagonist, Wanyan Honglie was portrayed as a complex character driven by genuine love for Bao Xiruo and paternal affection for Yang Kang, even as his political machinations brought tragedy to multiple families.
Biography
Early encounter and infatuation
Wanyan Honglie first appeared in Ox Village leading a joint force of Jin and Song troops in pursuit of the Quanzhen5 Daoist priest Qiu Chuji. The priest had recently eliminated a corrupt official who collaborated with Jin forces, and Wanyan Honglie sought to capture him. However, Qiu Chuji’s superior martial arts quickly defeated the soldiers, leaving only Wanyan Honglie alive but severely wounded with an arrow through his shoulder.
In this vulnerable state, he was discovered by Bao Xiruo, wife of Yang Tiexin, who nursed him back to health in her family’s woodshed. Despite not knowing his true identity, her gentle care and natural kindness deeply impressed the prince. Her beauty and compassionate nature immediately captivated him, sparking an obsession that would drive much of his subsequent actions.
The Ox Village conspiracy
Wanyan Honglie’s infatuation with Bao Xiruo led him to devise an elaborate scheme to win her. He secretly approached Duan Tiande, a corrupt Song military officer, and bribed him to attack Ox Village under the pretext of arresting supposed “rebels.” The plan was designed to eliminate Yang Tiexin and Guo Xiaotian whilst creating circumstances that would allow Wanyan Honglie to appear as Bao Xiruo’s saviour.
The attack proved devastating—Guo Xiaotian was killed defending his pregnant wife Li Ping, whilst Yang Tiexin was severely wounded and went missing. Duan Tiande captured Li Ping as a hostage, whilst Bao Xiruo fled in terror. Following his plan, Wanyan Honglie staged a dramatic “rescue,” appearing at the perfect moment to help Bao Xiruo escape.
To conceal his true identity as a Jin prince, he assumed the alias “Yan Lie,” removing the first and third characters of his name. During their subsequent journey, he presented himself as a righteous scholar who had risked his life to save her, gradually winning her trust and gratitude.
Marriage and family life
Believing her husband dead and feeling indebted to her apparent saviour, Bao Xiruo eventually agreed to marry Wanyan Honglie. However, their relationship remained complex—whilst genuinely grateful for his apparent rescue and kindness, she never fully loved him as she had Yang Tiexin. Recognising this, Wanyan Honglie built her a simple cottage on the palace grounds, decorated with mementos from Ox Village, allowing her to live in the humble style she preferred rather than forcing her into palace luxury.
When Bao Xiruo gave birth to Yang Kang, Wanyan Honglie embraced the child as his own son, changing the boy’s name to Wanyan Kang and showering him with paternal affection. His treatment of Yang Kang appeared genuinely loving—he indulged the boy’s wishes, provided him with the finest education and martial arts training, and groomed him as a potential heir to political power.
Political and military activities
Diplomatic missions to Mongolia
As a prince of the Jin Empire, Wanyan Honglie undertook important diplomatic missions, including travels to Mongolia with his older brother Wanyan Hongxi,6 the third prince. Their official purpose was to prevent Mongol tribal unification by granting titles to selected leaders, hoping to create jealousy and division among the khans.
However, during these visits, Wanyan Honglie demonstrated exceptional political acumen. Unlike his brother, who dismissed the Mongols as unsophisticated nomads, Wanyan Honglie recognised the true threat they posed. When he witnessed Temüjin’s7 forces defeating a numerically superior Naiman8 tribe through superior tactics and leadership, he understood that a unified Mongolia under an ambitious leader like Temüjin could easily conquer the Jin Empire.
Attempts at tribal manipulation
Recognising the danger, Wanyan Honglie engaged in sophisticated political manipulation, exploiting existing tensions between Temüjin, Wang Khan,9 Jamukha,10 and Sangkun11 to prevent Mongol unification. He secretly provided intelligence and resources to Temüjin’s enemies, hoping to eliminate the future Genghis Khan before he could unite the tribes.
These efforts nearly succeeded in eliminating Temüjin during a coordinated attack, and only the unexpected intervention of Guo Jing—who overheard the plot and warned Temüjin—prevented Wanyan Honglie’s plan from succeeding. Following the failed assassination attempt, Wanyan Honglie was forced to flee Mongolia under the protection of the Yellow River Four Demons, his political machinations exposed.
Quest for the Book of Wumu
Wanyan Honglie’s strategic thinking extended to seeking military advantages through ancient knowledge. He became obsessed with obtaining the Book of Wumu,12 a military treatise written by the Song general Yue Fei.13 He believed that mastering its strategic principles would provide the key to defeating both the Song Empire and the rising Mongol threat, allowing him to become a hero who saved the Jin Empire.
To obtain the manual, he enlisted several formidable martial artists including Ouyang Feng, Ouyang Ke, Peng Lianhu, Sha Tongtian, and Liang Ziweng. However, his plans were consistently foiled by Guo Jing and Huang Rong, who ultimately succeeded in obtaining the book themselves.
The family’s tragic end
Eighteen years after the Ox Village incident, Yang Tiexin resurfaced, having survived his injuries and spent years searching for his family. Accompanied by his adopted daughter Mu Nianci, he unexpectedly encountered Bao Xiruo in the Jin capital. The reunion devastated Bao Xiruo, who finally learned the truth about her husband’s survival and Wanyan Honglie’s deception.
When Bao Xiruo revealed Yang Kang’s true parentage and decided to leave with Yang Tiexin, Wanyan Honglie pursued them with his forces. Cornered and unwilling to endanger others, Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo chose to commit suicide rather than submit to recapture. This tragic conclusion exposed Yang Kang to the full truth of his origins, though the young man initially chose to remain loyal to his foster father despite learning of Wanyan Honglie’s role in his parents’ deaths.
Alliance with Khwarezm and final defeat
As the Mongol threat intensified and Jin’s position became increasingly desperate, Wanyan Honglie undertook a final diplomatic mission to Samarkand, capital of the Khwarazm Empire.14 His goal was to forge a military alliance between the Jin and Khwarazm empires to jointly resist Mongol expansion.
However, this mission coincided with Guo Jing’s service as a military commander in Genghis Khan’s forces. Using the strategic knowledge he had gained from the Book of Wumu, Guo Jing helped devise the tactics that led to the Mongol conquest of Samarkand. During the city’s fall, Wanyan Honglie was captured by Mongol forces and brought before Genghis Khan.
Death
Brought before Genghis Khan as a prisoner, Wanyan Honglie reportedly expressed regret at not having crushed the Mongols when they were still weak and divided. Recognising him as one of his most dangerous enemies, Genghis Khan ordered his immediate execution. Wanyan Honglie was beheaded in the Mongol camp, bringing an end to his long struggle to preserve the Jin Empire against the rising Mongol threat.
Personality and traits
Political acumen
Wanyan Honglie demonstrated exceptional political intelligence and strategic thinking throughout his career. Unlike many of his contemporaries who underestimated emerging threats, he possessed the foresight to recognise the Mongol danger before it became overwhelming. His detailed intelligence gathering—including careful mapping of Song territory, assessment of local officials, and analysis of military capabilities—showed a sophisticated understanding of statecraft and military preparation.
His ability to manipulate complex tribal politics in Mongolia, nearly succeeding in eliminating Temüjin before the unification of the Mongol tribes, demonstrated his skill in diplomatic intrigue. Even his enemies, particularly Temüjin himself, acknowledged Wanyan Honglie as one of the most formidable opponents they had encountered.
Complex morality
While serving as the novel’s primary political antagonist, Wanyan Honglie was portrayed with considerable moral complexity. His treatment of Yang Kang appeared genuinely affectionate—he provided the boy with excellent education, martial arts training, and emotional support that seemed to transcend mere political calculation. This paternal care created real bonds that persisted even after Yang Kang learned the truth about his origins.
Similarly, his relationship with Bao Xiruo, though founded on deception, evolved into what appeared to be genuine love and consideration. He accommodated her preferences for simple living and showed patience with her emotional distance, suggesting that his feelings developed beyond mere physical attraction or political advantage.
Ruthless pragmatism
Despite these more sympathetic qualities, Wanyan Honglie’s willingness to orchestrate murder and destroy innocent families to achieve his goals marked him as fundamentally ruthless. His decision to have Guo Xiaotian and Yang Tiexin killed was made without apparent remorse, viewing their lives as acceptable casualties in pursuit of his personal and political objectives.
This pragmatic ruthlessness extended to his political activities—he was prepared to manipulate, deceive, and eliminate any obstacles to his goals of strengthening the Jin Empire and advancing his own position within it.
Cultural sophistication
Wanyan Honglie displayed considerable cultural refinement and appreciation for talent. When he encountered members of the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, particularly Han Baoju’s exceptional horsemanship, he immediately recognised their abilities and attempted to recruit them for the Jin military. This showed both strategic thinking and genuine respect for skill, regardless of its source.
His treatment of servants and subordinates generally demonstrated aristocratic magnanimity—when Zhu Cong pickpocketed his money as a prank, Wanyan Honglie showed more amusement than anger, even appreciating the thief’s skill. This behaviour suggested a confident, sophisticated personality comfortable with his own status and power.
Martial arts abilities
While not portrayed as one of the supreme martial artists of his era, Wanyan Honglie possessed considerable combat skills befitting a prince of the Jin Empire. His martial arts training would have included both armed and unarmed combat techniques suited to his royal status and military responsibilities.
Swordsmanship
As a prince and military leader, Wanyan Honglie was skilled in traditional swordsmanship. His weapon of choice appeared to be a straight sword appropriate to his noble rank, and he demonstrated competence in combat situations, though he was clearly outmatched by masters like Qiu Chuji.
Military strategy
Perhaps more importantly than his personal combat abilities, Wanyan Honglie excelled in military strategy and battlefield command. His attempts to obtain the Book of Wumu reflected his understanding that strategic knowledge could be more valuable than individual martial prowess. His success in nearly eliminating Temüjin through political manipulation rather than direct confrontation showed his preference for intellectual over physical solutions to conflicts.
Leadership and command
His ability to recruit and command formidable martial artists like the Yellow River Four Demons and to coordinate complex political and military operations demonstrated considerable leadership skills. While he relied on others for the highest levels of martial arts expertise, his ability to direct and coordinate their efforts made him a formidable opponent.
Relationships
Bao Xiruo
Wanyan Honglie’s relationship with Bao Xiruo formed the emotional centre of his character development. What began as physical attraction evolved into what appeared to be genuine love and consideration. He accommodated her preferences for simple living, allowed her to maintain her own residence rather than forcing her into palace life, and showed remarkable patience with her emotional reserve.
However, the foundation of their relationship—built on his orchestrated murder of her first husband and systematic deception about his identity—ultimately doomed any possibility of true intimacy. Bao Xiruo’s discovery of the truth about Yang Tiexin’s survival and Wanyan Honglie’s role in the Ox Village tragedy destroyed whatever genuine affection might have developed between them.
Yang Kang
The relationship between Wanyan Honglie and his foster son Yang Kang represented perhaps the most complex emotional dynamic in his life. His treatment of the boy appeared genuinely paternal—providing education, martial arts training, political preparation, and emotional support that created real bonds of affection.
Critics have debated whether this care was primarily motivated by his love for Bao Xiruo or represented genuine paternal feelings. The evidence suggests both elements were present—initial kindness motivated by his feelings for the boy’s mother evolved into authentic affection as Yang Kang grew. However, some interpretations suggest that his indulgent treatment of Yang Kang may have been deliberately calculated to ensure Bao Xiruo’s gratitude while avoiding the more demanding work of preparing the boy for real leadership responsibilities.
The relationship’s tragic culmination came during Yang Kang’s final illness, when Wanyan Honglie abandoned the dying young man out of fear of infection, revealing the ultimate limitations of his parental devotion.
Political rivals and enemies
Temüjin/Genghis Khan
Wanyan Honglie’s relationship with the future Genghis Khan represented his most significant political challenge. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he immediately recognised Temüjin’s exceptional abilities and the threat he posed to the Jin Empire. Their interactions were characterised by mutual respect for each other’s capabilities, even as they worked toward each other’s destruction.
Temüjin acknowledged Wanyan Honglie as one of his most dangerous enemies, noting his intelligence and political skill. Conversely, Wanyan Honglie recognised Temüjin’s superior leadership and military genius, regretting only that he had failed to eliminate the threat before it became overwhelming.
Guo Jing and Huang Rong
His relationship with Guo Jing and Huang Rong evolved from initial encounter to persistent opposition. Guo Jing’s role in thwarting his assassination attempt against Temüjin and subsequent interference with his plans to obtain the Book of Wumu made the young man a consistent obstacle to his goals.
However, Wanyan Honglie appeared to recognise Guo Jing’s martial abilities and moral character, even as he opposed him. The final irony of his career was being defeated by strategic knowledge that Guo Jing had mastered from the very Book of Wumu that Wanyan Honglie had so desperately sought.
Behind the scenes
Wanyan Honglie was based on the historical figure Wanyan Teicun (完顏忒邻), the sixth son of Jin Zhangzong15 who lived from 1202 to 1203. While the historical figure died in infancy, Jin Yong used the name and basic familial position as the foundation for his fictional character.
The character serves multiple important narrative functions in The Legend of the Condor Heroes. As the primary antagonist, he provides the political framework for the novel’s conflicts between Jin, Song, and Mongol powers. His role in orchestrating the Ox Village tragedy establishes the fundamental backstory that drives both Guo Jing and Yang Kang’s character development throughout the series.
Jin Yong’s portrayal of Wanyan Honglie as a complex antagonist rather than a simple villain reflected his sophisticated approach to character development. By showing the prince’s genuine affection for Yang Kang and consideration for Bao Xiruo alongside his ruthless political calculations, Jin Yong created a character whose actions could be simultaneously understandable and condemnable.
Portrayals
Wanyan Honglie has been portrayed by numerous actors across different adaptations of The Legend of the Condor Heroes:
Television series
- 1976 series – Kenneth Tsang
- 1983 series – Liu Jiang
- 1988 series – Wang Zheng
- 1994 series – Wu Yunlong
- 2003 series – Bao Dazhi
- 2008 series – Guo Liang
- 2017 series – Zong Fengyan
Films
Notable interpretations
Liu Jiang’s portrayal in the 1983 TVB series is often considered the definitive interpretation of the character, establishing the standard for subsequent adaptations. His performance balanced the character’s political cunning with genuine emotional complexity, particularly in scenes involving his relationships with Yang Kang and Bao Xiruo.
External links
- Wanyan Honglie on Wikipedia
- 完颜洪烈 (Chinese) on Chinese Wikipedia
Footnotes
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金 – Jīn. A dynasty ruled by the Jurchen people under the Wanyan clan from 1115 to 1234. See Wikipedia. ↩
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趙王 – Zhào Wáng. A princely title meaning Prince of Zhao. ↩
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宋 – Sòng. The Song dynasty, lasting from 960 to 1279 AD. See Wikipedia. ↩
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蒙古 – Měnggǔ. The Mongol Empire and its people. See Wikipedia. ↩
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全真 – Quánzhēn. A Daoist school founded by Wang Chongyang. See Wikipedia. ↩
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完顏洪熙 – Wányán Hóngxī. Wanyan Honglie’s older brother and the third prince of Jin. ↩
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鐵木真 – Tiěmùzhēn. The birth name of Genghis Khan before he united the Mongol tribes. ↩
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乃蠻 – Nǎimán. A Mongol tribal confederation that opposed Temüjin’s rise to power. ↩
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王罕 – Wáng Hǎn. A powerful Mongol leader and Temüjin’s sometime ally and enemy. ↩
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札木合 – Zhámùhé. Temüjin’s blood brother who became his rival for leadership of the Mongols. ↩
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桑昆 – Sāngkūn. Son of Wang Khan who opposed Temüjin. ↩
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武穆遺書 – Wǔmù Yíshū. A military treatise written by Yue Fei containing advanced military strategies. ↩
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岳飛 – Yuè Fēi. A famous Song dynasty general known for his military genius and loyalty. ↩
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花剌子模 – Huālázǐmó. A Persian empire that was conquered by the Mongol Empire. See Wikipedia. ↩
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金章宗 – Jīn Zhāngzōng. An emperor of the Jin dynasty who ruled from 1189 to 1208. See Wikipedia. ↩