Ziweixing in Northern Song Dynasty

Tian Peng, Tianyu, Marshal Yisheng and Zhenwu the Great.

In the Taoist immortal system, Yusi is second only to Sanqing and Jade Emperor, and is one of the main gods in Taoism. Who are the four emperors? They are: Wei Zibei's Great Emperor, Antarctic Immortal Emperor, Shanggong Emperor and Huang Tu Didi. The duties of the Four Emperors are mainly to assist Sanqing and the Jade Emperor, so the Four Emperors are also called Four Assistants. Among them, there are four gods under the seat of the Arctic Emperor, which are called the Four Saints of the Arctic. So, which four immortals were the four most popular Arctic saints in the Northern Song Dynasty? They are Tian Peng, Tianyu, Marshal Yi Sheng and Zhenwu the Great.

Tian Peng Yuan Shuai is the worst described among the four saints. Tian Peng Yuan Shuai in The Journey to the West is the god in charge of hundreds of sailors. Because he molested Gong E, the Jade Emperor demoted him to the world, and there was a story of Tang Priest learning from the scriptures. So what is the actual crown? The canopy is the first of the four saints, with three heads and six arms, and the black porch is magnificent. Emperor Polaris is the god of stars. Like Hua Gai, he is also the recorder of Beidou Chen Jiu and Yin and Yang politics. Hua Gai can support his life and protect himself, and he is also General Meng. With the rise of the Northern Imperialist School, Hua Gai was brought into the spiritual system.

Marshal Tian Yu is the second of the four saints. He is about the same age as Hua Gai, wearing golden armor, three heads and four arms. Taoism gives people the impression of quietism, but from the images of Tian Peng Yuan Shuai and Tian Yu Marshal, we can see that Taoism has the belief of God of War. Tian Yu assisted the Northern Emperor and lived in Tongming Hall. When roaming, there are stars returning to Zhou, and when swimming in Wuyue, there are Kim couples. All demons will show their true colors in front of Marshal Tian Yu. Every demon will be beheaded, and every ghost will be captured.

Marshal Yi Sheng is the third of the four saints, also known as General Black Evil, who lives in the Hall of Black Spirit. Because the Shen Xiao School in Song Dynasty listed the Four Saints as the truth of Buller. In the Song Dynasty, the emperors held Yi Sheng in high esteem. In the early years of Stegosaurus, Zhang Shouzhen suddenly met a god in Zhong Nanshan who claimed to be the assistant minister of the Jade Emperor and was ordered to assist the Song Dynasty. Therefore, Yi Sheng was highly respected in the Northern Song Dynasty, and he was the god who protected the Song Dynasty in the early Song Dynasty. After Song Taizong acceded to the throne, he built a palace for Marshal Yisheng in Zhong Nanshan for the convenience of sacrifice.

Zhenwu emperor is a Taoist god, also known as Tian Xuan's god. It is the northern god in the legend of Han nationality, one of the four saints, who rules the northern region. The north belongs to water in the five elements, so Zhenwu Emperor is also called the water god. The image is mighty and extraordinary, holding a sword barefoot. Not only that, Zhenwu Emperor is also the mythical god of life. The first night in the north is Dousu, commonly known as Nandou. Compared with the other three saints, people who believe in Zhenwu Emperor have had a great influence in the whole country since the Ming Dynasty, and folk beliefs are more common. Wudang Mountain and Yun Qi Mountain in Taoism regard Zhenwu as the main god.