In the Warring States Period, Ye City (present-day southwestern Linzhang County of Hebei) in the State of Wei was plagued by corrupt officials and rampant witchcraft. So, Marquis Wen of Wei sent Ximen Bao to restore order in Ye City.

People in Ye City told Ximen Bao that every year, a girl of a certain family was selected by the witch and thrown into the river as a wife of the river deity. Local officials imposed tax on "the river deity's marriage" and only a tiny portion of the tax revenue was used for the activity, with the majority falling into their own pockets.

Families with daughters fled the area for fear that their daughters would be chosen. There were fewer and fewer families remained, with each family sharing an increasingly heavy tax burden. As a result, the people were living in great misery.

On another wedding day of the river deity, Ximen Bao claimed that the selected girl was not pretty enough and asked the witch to promise the river deity with a pretty one some other day. Then, he threw the witch into the river.

After a long while, the witch didn't return. Ximen Bao threw the "three elders" controlling the area into the river, asking them to hurry the witch up. Local corrupt officials were scared to death. From then on, the inhuman practice of sacrificing people to the river deity was abolished.