Yuan Guannan (simplified: 袁冠南, traditional: 袁冠南, pinyin: Yuán Guànnán, jyutping: jyun4 gun3 naam4) disguised himself as an eccentric poetry-reciting scholar whilst pursuing the legendary Mandarin Duck Blades that once belonged to his father. His name Guannan (冠南 – Guànnán) meant “Crown of the South”, reflecting his noble heritage and southern origins.
Biography
Early life and separation
Yuan Guannan was the son of a daxia surnamed Yuan who possessed one of the legendary Mandarin Duck Blades. According to jianghu legend, the paired “Mandarin Duck Treasure Blades” could make their wielder invincible. These blades were held by Yuan Guannan’s father and another hero, Yang Bochong (楊伯冲 – Yáng Bóchōng), known as the Great Xia the Three Xiangs.
When the Qing Emperor sought to obtain these blades, he captured both the Yuan and Yang families and imprisoned them, demanding they surrender the weapons. Both heroes refused and were executed, but their wives and children remained imprisoned. The anti-Qing hero Xiao Banhe (蕭半和 – Xiāo Bànhé) infiltrated the palace to assassinate the emperor and managed to rescue both women from prison.
At the time of the rescue, Yuan Guannan was three years old whilst Yang Zhonghui (later known as Xiao Zhonghui) was two years old. During their escape, Yuan Guannan was lost along the way. To avoid detection by the Qing court, Xiao Banhe grew a large beard and had Madam Yuan and Madam Yang pose as his wives. Since he was a eunuch, this arrangement did not dishonour the reputations of the two martyred heroes.
Scholar disguise
Yuan Guannan travelled the jianghu dressed as a scholar. He adopted the mannerisms of an eccentric book lover who enjoyed reciting poetry, creating a facade of harmlessness that concealed his true purpose. His scholarly disguise proved highly effective—he carried baskets of seemingly worthless old books, but hidden amongst the tattered volumes were thin leaves of gold. This clever arrangement allowed him to travel with considerable wealth whilst appearing to be an impoverished scholar.
His first significant encounter involved the Four Xias of Taiyue (太岳四俠 – Tàiyuè Sìxiá), four self-proclaimed heroes with mediocre martial arts skills who attempted to rob him on the road. Yuan Guannan turned the tables through flattery and clever conversation. He praised them so eloquently and with such apparent sincerity that the Four Xias ended up giving him their last few taels of silver, feeling they had performed an act of chivalry by helping a poor scholar. They departed never realising they had been thoroughly deceived—as the saying went, “偷雞不成蝕把米” (tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ) — “tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead”.
Pursuit of the Mandarin Duck Blades
Yuan Guannan’s true purpose in his travels was to recover the Mandarin Duck Blades that had once belonged to his father. His search led him to the Fenshui Inn (汾安客店 – Fēn’ān Kèdiàn) in Ganting Town (甘亭鎮 – Gāntíng Zhèn), where he crossed paths with Zhou Weixin, head of the Weixin Armed Escort, who had been tasked with secretly transporting the blades to the Qing Emperor in Beijing. Also converging on this location were Lin Yulong and his wife Ren Feiyan, as well as Xiao Zhonghui, all pursuing the legendary blades.
Yuan Guannan demonstrated his resourcefulness during a critical confrontation with Zhuo Tianxiong (卓天雄 – Zhuó Tiānxíong), a formidable imperial guard disguised as a blind beggar. After a fierce battle, Zhuo’s superior martial skills prevailed—he sealed the acupoints1 of Lin Yulong, Ren Feiyan, and Xiao Zhonghui, leaving them immobilised. Yuan Guannan then employed psychological warfare. He falsely claimed to be the nephew of the notorious Five Poisons Holy Maiden (五毒聖姑 – Wǔdú Shènggū) and convinced Zhuo that his writing brush and ink box contained deadly poisons.
When Yuan “accidentally” brushed ink across Zhuo’s hand, the imperial guard fled in terror, believing himself poisoned. Through this deception, Yuan Guannan obtained the Mandarin Duck Blades and freed the captives—achieving through wit what he could not accomplish through martial prowess.
Learning the Wedded Blades Style
Following the encounter with Zhuo Tianxiong, the group sought refuge at Purple Bamboo Nunnery. When Zhuo pursued them there, having realised Yuan’s deception, the situation became dire. Lin Yulong and Ren Feiyan offered to teach Yuan Guannan and Xiao Zhonghui the Wedded Blades Style (夫妻刀法 – Fūqī Dāofǎ), a powerful but unusual martial art.
The Wedded Blades Style could only be performed by two people working in perfect coordination. Each partner learned different moves that complemented the other’s, creating an impenetrable defence when used together but remaining useless when practised alone. A monk had taught this style to Lin and Ren specifically to keep the quarrelsome couple together, as neither could be effective without the other.
Despite learning only twelve moves of the technique and having minimal time to practise, Yuan Guannan and Xiao Zhonghui managed to work together effectively enough to defeat Zhuo Tianxiong and protect the Mandarin Duck Blades. Their success stemmed not from individual skill but from their natural ability to trust and complement each other in combat. Through their shared battles and training, deep mutual affection developed between them.
Family reunion
On Xiao Banhe’s fiftieth birthday, various heroes and martial artists gathered to celebrate. Yuan Guannan presented the Mandarin Duck Blades as a birthday gift, which pleased Xiao Banhe greatly. Recognising Yuan’s character and his daughter’s obvious affection for the young man, Xiao Banhe arranged for Xiao Zhonghui to marry Yuan Guannan. Lin Yulong and Ren Feiyan taught the complete Wedded Blades Style to the young couple.
During the celebration feast, an emotional reunion occurred when Yuan Guannan recognised his long-lost mother, Madam Yuan. At the same moment, it was revealed that Xiao Zhonghui was actually the daughter of Yang Bochong. This revelation initially devastated both young people, as they believed themselves to be half-siblings, making their romantic relationship impossible.
Heartbroken, Xiao Zhonghui fled and was captured by Zhuo Tianxiong, who had returned with imperial troops to arrest Xiao Banhe and seize the blades. A fierce battle ensued as various martial artists defended Xiao’s mansion against the imperial forces. Yuan Guannan rescued Xiao Zhonghui, and the two joined forces again using the Wedded Blades Style to wound Zhuo Tianxiong severely. The defenders repelled the imperial troops, and everyone retreated to Mount Zhongtiao (中條山 – Zhōngtiáo Shān) for safety.
Truth revealed
On the mountain peak, Xiao Banhe finally revealed the complete truth. His real name was Xiao Yi, and he had entered the imperial palace as a eunuch years ago with the sole purpose of avenging his father by assassinating the Qing emperor. Though he had never succeeded in his assassination attempt, he had managed to rescue Madam Yuan and Madam Yang along with their children when the emperor executed their husbands for refusing to surrender the Mandarin Duck Blades.
During the desperate escape, Yuan Guannan had been lost. To avoid detection by Qing authorities searching for the fugitives, Xiao Yi had pretended to be married to both widows. Since he was a eunuch, this arrangement preserved the honour of both martyred heroes whilst providing cover for the fleeing families. Xiao Zhonghui was actually Yang Zhonghui, daughter of Yang Bochong, meaning she and Yuan Guannan were not blood relatives despite both being raised in the same household.
This revelation brought immense relief to Yuan Guannan and Xiao Zhonghui, allowing them to proceed with their marriage without moral conflict.
As the truth emerged, the Four Xias of Taiyue arrived carrying Zhuo Tianxiong, whom they had captured. They returned the Mandarin Duck Blade that Zhuo had seized from Yang Zhonghui. When Madam Yuan combined the two blades, they revealed an inscription split between the pair: “仁者無敵” (rén zhě wú dí) — “The benevolent is invincible”. This philosophical principle, not a martial arts technique, was the great secret that supposedly made the Mandarin Duck Blades invincible.
Personality and traits
Yuan Guannan was characterised by his intellectual approach to problems and masterful use of deception. Rather than relying solely on martial prowess, he employed his scholarly persona to disarm opponents psychologically. His performance as an eccentric, poetry-reciting book lover was so convincing that even experienced jianghu figures like the Four Xias of Taiyue were completely fooled.
His deception of Zhuo Tianxiong demonstrated his ability to think quickly under pressure and exploit an opponent’s fears. By falsely claiming connection to the feared Five Poisons Holy Maiden and turning his ordinary writing implements into supposed deadly weapons, he achieved through wit what he could not accomplish through combat.
Despite being separated from his family at age three, Yuan Guannan maintained a strong sense of connection to his heritage. His determination to recover the Mandarin Duck Blades stemmed not from greed or desire for power, but from commitment to preserving his father’s legacy and honouring the sacrifice his parents had made.
Whilst Yuan Guannan appeared to be merely a bookish scholar, he possessed considerable courage when confronted with danger. His willingness to face opponents like Zhuo Tianxiong, rescue Xiao Zhonghui from capture, and stand against imperial troops demonstrated that his scholarly demeanour masked genuine bravery.
His success with the Wedded Blades Style revealed his ability to work in genuine partnership with Xiao Zhonghui. The technique required perfect trust and coordination, with each partner covering the other’s weaknesses whilst creating openings for their companion to exploit.
Martial arts abilities
Wedded Blades Style
Yuan Guannan learned the Wedded Blades Style (夫妻刀法 – Fūqī Dāofǎ) from Lin Yulong and Ren Feiyan. This unique martial art consisted of 72 moves created by an ancient loving couple, designed to be performed by two partners working in perfect coordination. Each person learned different complementary moves, making the style useless when practised alone but extremely powerful when used together.
Initially, Yuan Guannan and Xiao Zhonghui learned only twelve moves. Despite this limitation and minimal practice time, they used these techniques effectively against Zhuo Tianxiong, one of the Seven Great Masters of the Inner Palace. Their success came not from mastery of individual moves but from their natural ability to trust and complement each other.
Later, Lin and Ren taught them the complete 72-move sequence. The style embodied the principle of “陰陽開闔” (yīn yáng kāi hé) — yin and yang opening and closing—with one partner advancing whilst the other retreated, one attacking whilst the other defended. The technique was deliberately designed to wound rather than kill, reflecting its creators’ merciful nature, with each move leaving an escape route for opponents.
Weapons and combat methods
Yuan Guannan carried a sandalwood fan (沉香扇 – chénxiāng shàn) as his primary weapon, befitting his scholarly appearance. During his famous deception of Zhuo Tianxiong, he wielded a writing brush (毛筆 – máobǐ) and ink box, claiming they were poisoned weapons from the Five Poisons Holy Maiden. This psychological approach to combat—using misdirection, false identity, and manipulation—represented his preferred method of overcoming superior opponents.
His martial arts philosophy emphasised intelligence and strategy over brute force. When forced into direct combat, Yuan relied on the cooperative nature of the Wedded Blades Style rather than attempting to match opponents in individual skill.
Relationships
Yuan Guannan’s relationship with his mother Madam Yuan formed an emotional centre to his story. Despite their separation when he was only three years old, their reunion carried profound significance. His determination to recover his father’s weapon and honour his memory drove much of his behaviour.
His relationship with Xiao Zhonghui developed organically through shared danger and mutual respect. Their partnership began pragmatically—both sought the Mandarin Duck Blades—but evolved through combat and cooperation. Learning the Wedded Blades Style together required them to develop profound trust. The temporary belief that they were half-siblings devastated both, revealing the depth of their emotional attachment. Their marriage united not only two individuals but also the families of two martyred heroes.
Yuan Guannan’s relationship with Lin Yulong and Ren Feiyan evolved from chance encounter to genuine mentorship. Lin and Ren’s decision to teach Yuan and Xiao Zhonghui the Wedded Blades Style demonstrated their recognition of the young couple’s potential. By teaching them this martial technique designed to keep couples together through mutual dependency, Lin and Ren effectively blessed their union.
Learning that Xiao Banhe had risked his life to save Yuan’s mother and had spent years protecting both widowed families created a bond of profound gratitude. Xiao Banhe became not just a father-in-law but a heroic figure who had preserved Yuan’s family when all seemed lost.
Behind the scenes
Character significance
Yuan Guannan represented an alternative model of martial arts heroism in Jin Yong’s fiction. Unlike protagonists who achieved greatness through superior martial cultivation or innate talent, Yuan succeeded through intelligence, deception, and partnership. His scholarly disguise and psychological combat methods demonstrated that the martial arts world encompassed more than physical prowess.
His character embodied themes about the relationship between appearance and reality. Everything about Yuan’s presentation—his seemingly worthless books hiding gold, his scholarly weakness masking strategic cunning, his coincidental meetings being carefully calculated—reinforced the story’s exploration of deception and hidden truth.
Literary function
Yuan Guannan served as the comedic straight man to the more overtly humorous characters like the Four Xias of Taiyue and Zhou Weixin. His calm, calculated responses to their antics highlighted their foolishness whilst maintaining the story’s light tone. His success through wit rather than martial prowess provided social commentary about the nature of heroism and various paths to achieving justice.
Rather than the typical pattern where the male protagonist begins with limited martial skills and gradually becomes supreme through training and adventure, Yuan remained relatively weak martially but succeeded through partnership with Xiao Zhonghui. Their relationship, centred on the Wedded Blades Style, symbolically represented marriage itself—two people becoming stronger together than either could be alone.
Portrayals
Yuan Guannan was portrayed by Chow Chung (周驄 – Zhōu Cōng) in the 1961 two-part film Twin Swords, directed by Lee Fa and produced by Emei Film Company.
See also
- Mandarin Duck Blades characters
- Xiao Zhonghui -— Yuan Guannan’s wife
- Xiao Banhe -— Yuan Guannan’s father-in-law
- Zhuo Tianxiong -— Yuan Guannan’s main opponent
- Wedded Blades Style -— Yuan Guannan’s signature martial art
- Mandarin Duck Blades -— The legendary weapons
External links
- Yuan Guannan (Chinese) on Baidu Baike
Footnotes
-
穴道 – xuèdào. Pressure points on the body that can be manipulated to affect qi flow. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩