Wanyan Xun

His Highness Prince Yi of the Jin Kingdom, the reigning Emperor of the Jin Kingdom.

In his youth he worked hard to govern well and was a man of promise. He alone stood against the crowd in wanting friendly ties with the Great Song, and so was long disliked by Emperor Zhangzong, Wanyan Yongji. He was demoted and imprisoned several times, and his own father was reduced to a commoner because of him. The court officials shunned him and sent men to ambush and kill him. Long Yuan felt deep admiration for him and stepped in to save him. The two took to each other at once, as if they had known each other all their lives, forgetting their different births. After eight kowtows they became sworn brothers, pledging to live and die together.

At the , he had promised to lead troops to the rescue, to relieve the siege by striking elsewhere, but instead changed his mind on the eve of battle and sat back to reap the fisherman's profit. Long Yuan, mindful of their old bond, could not bear to call him to account. He cut off one of his own arms and went into hiding under a false name. When Prince Yi heard of it, he was overcome with grief. Every year thereafter he sent letters and gifts to Jinxiang Palace, wishing to make Long Yuan's daughter Long Xiang a Lady of the Jin Kingdom.

Notes

• Historically he is Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, the eighth emperor of the Jin Dynasty. Wikipedia link
• Tang Buyi went to the Jin Kingdom to assassinate Wanyan Xun, but Long Xiang stopped him and the attempt failed. From then on Long Xiang cut all ties with him. Keeping his promise, he let Long Xiang leave safely with Tang Buyi, whose death had been feigned, and erased all trace of the two from the histories.
• Because of Long Xiang, the moment he heard Jinxiang Palace had been attacked at Fengyu Mountain, he was so furious he wanted to send troops against Song at once.