In China, some of the popular TV dramas are based on the adventures of Emperor Kangxi who is a Qing ruler in the 17th century and sometimes would slip off his yellow dragon-embroidered silk robes to travel incognito among his people. All of a sudden, for several hours Thursday, a story which went viral on the Chinese Internet says that the new Communist equivalent of the emperor, President Xi Jinping, had pulled the same trick.

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At first it seemed that Ta Kung Pao, a Hong Kong daily, got the breaking news, with its tale of how taxi driver Guo Lixin had picked up Xi and ferried him to the Diaoyutai hotel, part of the state guesthouse.

The story claimed that Guo realized this was no ordinary fare when, in response to the taxi driver's complaints about the pollution, the mystery passenger launched into a spirited defense of government policy.

The driver asked, "Has anyone ever said that you look like General Secretary Xi?" Guo's passenger then chuckled, saying, "You are the first one to ever recognize me."

The story went viral, though sharp-eyed netizens commented on how the handwriting on the message ("Safe Sailing") left for the driver by "President Xi" didn't seem to match known samples of presidential scrawl.

At last, the state news agency, Xinhua labeled it "fake news." Ta Kung Pao issued a groveling apology: "Such a major case of false news should absolutely never have happened." And so the newest urban legend of the Chinese President Who Took a Taxi was officially shut down.

But perhaps even more interesting is just how many people wanted this story to be true.

Apart from the historical parallels, such behavior would have been in line with the man-of-the-people moves that Xi has taken since taking over as Communist Party chief last November.

He has declared war on official extravagance, calling for an end to big entourages and motorcades. The official banqueting policy of frugality has been dubbed "fur dishes and a soup."

And on China's version of Twitter, the story of Xi's taxi ride won him plaudits from many, with comments such as, "The king now cares more and more about the subjects' lives."