In ancient times, there was a woman under the knee of the Red Emperor named Yao Ji. She was exceptionally intelligent and talented from a young age. She was proficient in poetry, books, rituals, and music, and her appearance was stunning, like a fairy. She was highly favored by the Red Emperor and regarded as a treasure.
However, fate played a cruel trick, and Yao Ji, who was in her teenage years, suddenly fell ill with a strange illness. Famous doctors in the world were helpless, and even good medicine could not return to heaven. In the end, she passed away, leaving the Red Emperor heartbroken. He had to bury her south of Wushan to express his grief.
The soul of Yaoji did not enter the cycle of reincarnation, but instead practiced day and night at the top of Wushan, eventually becoming the goddess of Wushan and guarding the soil and water of the area.
Time flies, thousands of years pass by like a white horse. During the Warring States period, King Huai of Chu hunted Yunmeng Ze and rested in the Gaotang Pavilion. One afternoon, King Huai of Chu took a short nap when he suddenly saw a stunning woman walking towards him, smiling and calling herself the daughter of Wushan. She admired her high moral character and was willing to pledge herself to him. King Huai of Chu was overjoyed and kept him by his side to spend happy time together.
However, the good times didn’t last long. The woman was homesick and wanted to return to Wushan. Although King Huai of Chu was reluctant to part ways, he knew he couldn’t force himself to stay and had to bid farewell with tears in his eyes. At the moment of parting, the woman promised, “I stand at the top of Wushan Mountain. In the morning, it turns into clouds, and in the evening, it turns into rain. If you remember me, you can look at me from here.” After saying that, it turned into a wisp of light smoke and left with the wind.
King Huai of Chu woke up from his dream, but saw that there was no one in the room except for the voice, appearance, and smile of the woman in the dream, which still lingered in his heart. Although he knew it was a dream, his emotions were deep and unforgettable. Therefore, the next morning, he went to Wushan as agreed to search for a beautiful woman. However, searching everywhere yielded no results, only a solitary tomb was found, surrounded by colorful clouds.
To commemorate this strange fate, King Huai of Chu built a temple on the top of Wushan, named “Chaoyun Temple”, and erected the title of “Wushan Goddess” to express his longing. From then on, King Huai of Chu often visited Wushan, admiring the clouds and rain to express his longing. The story of the Goddess of Wushan and King Huai of Chu has also become a timeless tale over time.
