Do you believe in fate? Love and marriage often happen by chance, unsought. In China, there’s a legend about the matchmaker Yue Lao (the God of Love), much like Cupid in the West. This story takes place in ancient China.

Killing His Future Wife

Wei Gu, a scholar from the Jin Dynasty, met Yue Lao Ren as a child. Upon learning that his future wife was an ugly girl from a poor family in the same village, he was displeased and even murdered. One day, he sneaked up behind the girl and stoned her to death.

Successful on the Imperial Examination

As he grew up, he passed the imperial examination and became a Grand Secretary in the Hanlin Academy. His youthful ambition and handsome appearance attracted many marriage proposals.

One day, a friend told him, “Mr. Zhang has a niece. She is beautiful and well-educated. Mr. Zhang, knowing that you are both talented and beautiful, is interested in marrying her to me.” Wei Gu agreed to meet him.

What is Hanlin Academy?

The Hanlin Academy, established in the early Tang Dynasty, served as a royal institution, housing talented scholars in literature, classics, divination, medicine, monks, painters, and chess. It served as an escort for the emperor at banquets and entertainments, but was not a formal government office.

After the late Tang Dynasty, the Hanlin Academy evolved into a crucial institution specializing in drafting confidential imperial edicts, earning it the nickname “the emperor’s personal advisor.”

A Thousand Miles of Destiny Ties Together

One day, Wei Gu went to Mr. Zhang’s house for a blind date. He saw that the girl was indeed exceptionally beautiful, skilled in poetry and painting. Secretly delighted, he immediately arranged the marriage. On their wedding night, the bride shyly bowed her head and remained silent.

Wei Gu noticed a scar at the base of her hair and inquired about its origins. The bride replied, “When I was little, some wild boy hit me with a stone.” Wei Gu was horrified, recalling his own childhood and the words of the Yue Lao.

It turned out that the bride was none other than the ugly girl. After her father’s death, her mother took her to live with her uncle, Mr. Zhang. Learning to read and write alongside her cousins, she transformed into a beautiful woman.

The Yue Lao’s words had come true: the red thread in his hand had long since bound Wei Gu and the ugly girl together. The journey from their hometown to the capital was over a thousand miles and took over ten years. Wei Gu eventually married the ugly girl.

This touching story has been widely circulated to this day.