《玄天上帝啟聖錄》Vol. 6

This account documents a royal prayer event during the second year of the Zhihe era (1055 CE) under Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty. When the emperor fell ill, officials from the Ministry of Rites recommended Daoist priest Wang Bochu from the Songyang Temple on Mount Heng (a renowned Daoist master) to perform longevity rituals for the sovereign.

According to Daoist liturgical protocols, the emperor needed to personally write a memorial petition on a Gengshen day (considered an auspicious date when Heaven and Earth commune) and burn it facing the Big Dipper during the Xu hour (7-9 PM). During the first attempt, the emperor had a palace attendant write the petition, but Master Wang Bochu detected it failed to reach the celestial realm. When the emperor personally wrote the second petition with sincere devotion and burned it, the master immediately sensed its successful delivery before the throne of the Great Emperor of the Central Heaven (a supreme Daoist deity).

Seven days later, the master received an edict from the Perfected Warrior Emperor (Xuantian Shangdi, the northern guardian deity) at the celestial Ox-Maid Palace, confirming Emperor Renzong's virtuous governance merited a twelve-year life extension. At the Western Heavenly Gate, the master also encountered General Ge (a Daoist guardian general), who specifically reminded him to ensure the emperor remembered this divine grace. After the emperor's recovery, he richly rewarded Master Wang Bochu and issued four decrees:

1. Converting an imperial palace hall into a Perfected Warrior Temple

2. Adding a Gratitude Hall beside it to venerate General Ge

3. Ordering the Ministry of Rites to compile documented miracles of the Perfected Warrior

4. Promoting Wang Bochu to Capital Metropolitan Daoist Registrar (a senior Daoist position), appointing him as abbot of the Five Peaks Temple, and bestowing purple robes with the honorific title "Master of Qianyuan Cavern-Spirit"

The narrative particularly emphasizes the crucial role of sincerity—only the emperor's handwritten petition could reach the divine. It also reflects the intimate Song court-Daoism relationship and the growing prominence of Perfected Warrior worship in imperial circles.

This scripture records the miraculous manifestations of Zhenwu the Great Emperor (the Daoist deity of the Northern Dark Warrior) during Emperor Zhenzong's reign in the Song Dynasty, where he protected the nation and saved the people. The content is divided into two main parts:

The first part recounts how Zhenwu the Great Emperor manifested his divine presence to safeguard Emperor Zhenzong during his eastern tour, prompting the emperor to order the construction of a golden shrine in his honor. Later, when a plague broke out in Nanjing, Zhenwu appeared in a dream to Ren Kangzhi, the abbot of Hongfu Temple, instructing him to print copies of the Supreme Lord's Scripture of Zhenwu's Marvelous Power for distribution to the sick for worship and recitation. Miraculously, the plague subsided. At the time, the imperial court was mobilizing troops, and the Nanjing official Shen Li reported this event, leading the court to grant Hongfu Temple an additional three years of incense offerings and funds for temple renovations.

The second part narrates the extraordinary encounter of Chen Gongchen, a judicial officer in Huaiyang. In his youth, he had adopted a red-eyed turtle with an emerald shell and golden-green fur, which grew to the size of a basin over seven or eight years. One night, his family noticed the turtle suddenly shrinking in size and playfully entwining with a small red-spotted snake. Recognizing that turtles and snakes symbolize the celestial and terrestrial axes (Tianguan and Dizhou), the divine creatures beneath Zhenwu's throne, Chen commissioned a sacred image of Zhenwu and enshrined the turtle in a large vat of purified water. Later, while overseeing the construction of city walls, he recalled this miraculous incident when laborers fell ill.

(Note: "Celestial and terrestrial axes" (Tianguan and Dizhou) refers to the Daoist belief that turtles and snakes represent the pivots of heaven and earth; "ritual vestment" (Pidai) denotes the formal ceremony where Daoist priests don their ordained robes.)

This passage recounts two miraculous stories involving manifestations of Zhenwu the Great Emperor (a revered Daoist deity also known as the Mysterious Heavenly Emperor).

The first story took place in Xinyangjian. A man named Chen Gongchen dreamed that the large turtle he had been raising appeared to him, saying, "For years, I have been nourished by your sincere devotion. Now, the Holy Zhenwu has summoned me to ascend to heaven. Knowing you are currently overseeing judicial affairs here and are concerned about the people's illnesses, I have come specifically to repay your kindness." The turtle instructed Chen Gongchen to prepare a bowl of pure water, dip a willow branch into it, and recite the following incantation while facing north: "Tian'gang (the handle of the Big Dipper) and Tiankui (a star in the Big Dipper), swiftly manifest your divine power! Disperse the mists of calamity, aid me in accumulating hidden virtue, and swiftly dissolve misfortune." After reciting it three times, he was to sprinkle the water on the sick, who would then recover. Chen Gongchen followed these instructions, and the afflicted were soon healed. Later, the turtle transformed into a black wind and vanished. When the local city walls were being built, not a single worker was harmed—all due to the divine intervention of the turtle and snake generals under Zhenwu the Great Emperor. Upon learning of this, the imperial court authorized the erection of a stele and the construction of a Zhenwu Hall in Xinyangjian for worship, and Chen Gongchen was promoted to the position of Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

The second story occurred in Fengxiang Prefecture. The wealthy Zhong Shou'an and his family were greedy and violent, except for his great-grandson Zhong Jinming, who harbored a kind heart. During the Ghost Festival (Ullambana) on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, Zhong Jinming saw depictions of hell displayed in a temple and was struck with remorse, prompting him to begin charitable giving. One day, he encountered an eccentric Daoist priest who called himself Pei Guosheng and claimed to be traveling from Wudang Mountain to Fengxiang. The priest picked up a copper coin and handed it to Zhong Jinming, saying, "Keep this well." Later, Zhong Jinming used seven strings of cash to purchase a sandalwood statue of Zhenwu. Despite his family's objections, he insisted on enshrining it in Tianqing Temple. The copper coin turned out to be a "True Dharma Infused Coin," a manifestation of Zhenwu's divine power with special spiritual properties.

Both stories illustrate how Zhenwu the Great Emperor employs mediums such as turtle-snake incarnations and coins to guide and transform people, emphasizing that sincere worship and virtuous deeds invite divine protection. The mention of the pure water incantation and the Ghost Festival reflects the blending of Daoist and Buddhist folk customs during the Song Dynasty.

This account tells the miraculous story of Zhong Jinming's devotion to Zhenwu the Perfected Warrior (also known as Xuantian Shangdi, a revered Daoist deity). For ten consecutive years, Zhong Jinming piously offered morning and evening incense to a statue of Zhenwu. Later, he dreamed of a Daoist priest to whom he had once given a single coin. The priest manifested and told him: "You've kept my coin with you, and now it's time to use it to save lives. Simply immerse this copper coin in water, and when you see my image appear, its spiritual power will manifest."

Upon waking, Zhong consulted Daoist priest Sun Jun, learning that Zhenwu originally was the crown prince of Jingle Kingdom who became a disciple of Lord Lao (Laozi) and cultivated the Dao at Wudang Mountain. During Empress Wu Zetian's Tang dynasty reign, Zhenwu had reincarnated as a child in Minister Pei's household to subdue malevolent spirits harming people. Understanding this sacred lineage, Zhong Jinming immersed the coin in purified water at Tianqing Temple (a Daoist monastery) while praying to Zhenwu. Suddenly, the sacred statue emitted circular halos like flames, filling the hall with golden light. The consecrated water healed those suffering from fevers, plagues, and madness driving people to drown themselves—all were cured.

When news spread, jealous relatives began ostracizing Zhong. When he attempted to travel elsewhere with the statue, the image became immovably heavy—a hundred men couldn't lift it. Meanwhile, the Court's Astronomical Bureau (observatory interpreting celestial omens) reported five-colored auspicious lights appearing in Fengxiang Prefecture. Authorities traced this to Zhong's venerated Zhenwu statue and arranged its transport to the capital. As the sandalwood statue was unsealed in the palace hall, radiant beams suddenly shot forth. The emperor personally offered incense, temporarily enshrining the sacred image in Shangqing Yanfu Palace while the Three Judicial Courts deliberated permanent arrangements.

(Note: The phrase "relatives grew jealous" reflects complex clan dynamics in traditional kinship societies; "imperial rescript" refers to Song dynasty official documents; the "Astronomical Bureau" functioned both as observatory and interpreter of celestial signs, akin to modern astronomical institutions combined with divinatory roles)

This passage recounts two miraculous manifestations of the Perfected Warrior Emperor (Zhenwu Dadi).

The first story occurred by the Yellow River. Official Ren Yue was appointed to serve in the Qin-Feng region when his river crossing encountered fierce winds and thick fog. His attendants explained they were at the perilous Yameng Pass, where the northern bank housed a Zhenwu Temple. It was customary for passing vessels to first offer paper horses in worship. After Ren Yue's sincere prayers, the storm suddenly calmed, and the crowd witnessed the Perfected Warrior Emperor appearing in the sky. The deity revealed this temple was originally built by Emperor Taizong of Tang in honor of Wei Zheng, specifically to guard the Yellow River's dangerous passage. Now that the temple had fallen into disrepair, the Perfected Warrior had to personally subdue water demons. The deity warned Ren Yue against disclosing heavenly secrets, threatening muteness as retribution. When Ren Yue later reported to the capital, he indeed suddenly lost his voice, convincing the emperor to order the temple's restoration under the new name "Zhen'an Xingfu" (Pacifying and Prosperous).

The second incident took place at Taiyi Temple on Dragon-Tiger Mountain (Longhu Shan), a sacred Daoist site. This temple, transmitted through the lineage of Celestial Master Zhang Daoling, suffered a fire. Though reconstruction continued for seven years, the North Pole Hall (housing the North Star deity) remained unrestored due to its massive scale and lack of donors. Eventually, a merchant from Quanzhou came to perform purification rituals (zhaijiao) and voluntarily funded the hall's reconstruction.

This account recounts two stories about Zhenwu Dadi (Great Emperor Zhenwu), whom Daoism honors as the Northern Emperor Xuantian (Xuantian Shangdi), manifesting his numinous power to rescue people from calamity.

The first story concerns the former chancellor Chen Shizhong, who encountered a disaster at sea while traveling by boat from Guangzhou back to Quanzhou. Just as the boat was about to reach his hometown, it suddenly met fierce winds and huge waves. Chen burned incense and prayed into the void for rescue. At that moment a wild-haired Daoist appeared—an incarnation of Zhenwu Dadi—manifesting in the sky, calming the wind and waves and saving them. The Daoist said he came from Taiji Abbey on Longhu Mountain in Xinzhou, and that the abbey’s Beiji Hall had burned down seven years earlier and had not been rebuilt; he had been sent by heaven’s mandate to seek a person with karmic affinity to help. After escaping danger, Chen Shizhong immediately sent his attendant Gao Wan to verify the matter. The whole undertaking took three years to rebuild the hall and make statues for worship. Later, when the court learned of this, it not only approved naming the abbey “Abbey of Rescuing from Danger and Manifesting Holiness,” but also bestowed ordination certificates (credentials of Daoist identity) and silver to support the construction, and held a grand Zhaijiao (purification ritual) to thank Zhenwu for his lifesaving grace.

The second story tells of a wondrous encounter experienced by He Quan, a minor military officer in Qianzhou. When he attended the ritual assembly at Taiqing Abbey on Mount Lu for Zhenwu’s birthday, his parents had once been released through the god’s grace. He therefore used colored silk to paint a holy image of Zhenwu and enshrined it for worship, and he compounded efficacious medicine to sell. Over the course of five to seven years, all who were ill recovered after taking it, and he thus accumulated more than two thousand strings of cash. Later he suddenly told his wife and children that he was of lowly origin (he bore the tattoo mark of a criminal on his face) and that he now intended to leave home to cultivate. Both stories reflect Zhenwu Dadi’s divine power to save the suffering and respond to every request, as well as the blessings that devout believers receive through worship.

This scripture records two miraculous accounts associated with the Daoist deity Zhenwu the Perfected Warrior (Zhenwu Dadi).

The first story concerns a soldier named He Quan. After thirty years of loyal military service, he happened to attend Zhenwu's birthday ritual. When later permitted to retire, he accumulated over two thousand strings of coins. He allocated one thousand for daily expenses and medicinal herbs, while donating another thousand to Tianqing Temple on Mount Lu to construct seven ritual halls. As construction neared completion, imperial envoy Chen Bohu and his retinue arrived for inspection. Marveling at He's philanthropy, they suddenly witnessed a white deer dart from behind the hall into the mountains. Pursuing it, they found only a sleeping soldier in the woods (implied to be He's spiritual manifestation). When the court learned of this, they bestowed upon He the Daoist title "Lay Practitioner" (Jushi), establishing a memorial hall with stone stele and naming his cultivation site "Jade Grotto Heaven" (Yaoyu Dongtian). He Quan passed away peacefully at eighty-three, with his ashes enshrined as a statue. Six months later, the court posthumously honored him as "Master of Dream Response and Emptiness" (Yingmeng Xuji Xiansheng).

The second account describes County Magistrate Du Gui of Wuping County, Tingzhou, who had been blind for six years. His wife Lady Wu (eldest daughter of Imperial Attendant Wu Yu of Jianzhou) had narrowly survived difficult childbirth at twenty-seven through the talismanic intervention (Fulu) of Daoist priest Zhou Mingyan, thereafter becoming a devoted Zhenwu worshipper who maintained vegetarian fasts and recited scriptures. Witnessing her husband's blindness, Lady Wu nightly prepared incense, candles, and purified water, performing forty-nine prostrations toward the northern quarter while praying for Zhenwu's compassionate healing of Du's eyes.

On the night of the third day of the third month during the second year of his illness, Du Gui dreamed of a Daoist priest in yellow robes who told him: "A resolute mind is inferior to a purified body and heart; deep attachments pale before karmic affinity. Within seven days, someone will come to cure your eye disease. After your eyes are healed, you must go to Yun Cang Mountain to meet my master and resolve the karmic debt of your eyes." Having said this, the priest vanished.

Seven days later, Du Gui's wife, Madame Wu, encountered a Daoist holding a folding fan at their doorstep, inscribed with the words "Yun Cang Daoist, Specialist in Eye Diseases." The Daoist inserted two silver needles at the corners of Du Gui's eyes and left six packets of medicine (to be taken three times daily, mixed with water). When the medicine cured his ailment, the Daoist refused payment and departed. That night, Du Gui dreamed of two small turtles crawling over his eyes and licking the afflicted areas. Upon waking, he found his vision restored and realized it was the Great Emperor of the North (Xuanwu, a revered Daoist deity governing the northern quadrant) who had manifested to save him.

Later, when Du Gui accompanied his father-in-law Wu Yu to assume an official post in Taiyuan, he discovered at Tianzhu Temple (a Daoist monastery on Yun Cang Mountain) in the western suburbs that the eyes of the Zhenwu deity statue had been damaged. Suddenly recalling the prophecy about "repaying the eye debt" from his dream, the Wu family immediately funded the statue's restoration and submitted a memorial to the court detailing how Du Gui had been miraculously cured by Zhenwu and reinstated to office. The court specially approved Du Gui's transfer to Yangzhou as an observation judge in recognition of this divine intervention.

Another account records: Zhong Jinming of Fengxiang Prefecture once carved a statue of Zhenwu from premium sandalwood and enshrined it at Tianqing Temple, where incense burned ceaselessly day and night. Later, he received from Zhenwu the transmission of a water-blessing incantation to cure diseases. When performing the ritual, golden light shot skyward, and the Astronomical Bureau observed celestial phenomena over the Qin region (modern Shaanxi). Upon learning of this, the court ordered Fengxiang Prefecture to ceremoniously escort this efficacious sacred image to the capital.

This account narrates a miraculous story of Zhenwu the Great Emperor (the Daoist venerated Mysterious Heavenly Emperor of the North Pole) manifesting his divine power to save lives. Zhong Jinming was originally an ordinary commoner who attained a divine office through his devotion to Zhenwu, and after death became the Lord of Qionghu Cave at Sanluo Mountain in Fengxiang Prefecture (a Daoist terrestrial immortal position), overseeing the Jade Peak Dragon Pool. Foreseeing that Hanlin Academician Sun Chengzhi would encounter disaster during his diplomatic mission to Xifan (Tibet), Zhong instructed him to recite the honorific title "Perfected Lord of Zhenwu's Numinous Response" in times of peril.

Later, Sun Chengzhi indeed faced danger in Tibet when he couldn't match the poetic line "The sun and moon rise in the east and set in the west," facing imminent imprisonment. After silently invoking Zhenwu's name, he was miraculously saved. However, upon returning to the capital, he was still sentenced to death by imperial decree. At the critical moment, Zhong Jinming manifested to testify about Zhenwu's protective power, leading the emperor to commute the sentence to demotion. Through these two cases, the story emphasizes Zhenwu the Great Emperor's compassionate virtue (De) of "protecting the nation and saving the people," as well as the doctrine that sincere devotees receive divine protection. The term "half-immortal" (banxian) refers to perfected beings who have attained the Dao but not the highest spiritual fruition, while "third-class borrowed appointment" (sanban jiezhi) denotes a low-ranking military official title during the Song Dynasty.

This account records the miraculous ascension of two devout devotees of Zhenwu the Perfected Warrior (also known as Xuantian Shangdi, a revered Daoist deity).

During the Qingli era of the Song Dynasty, Zou Su, an official overseeing wine administration in Zhengzhou, was known for his integrity and exclusive devotion to Zhenwu. He never sought blessings through flattery or deception, nor committed immoral acts that harmed living beings. Whenever the region suffered droughts, floods, or plagues—after futile prayers at other temples—Zou Su's personal fasting rituals to Zhenwu always brought divine response. People believed his comprehension of sacred teachings had attuned him to spiritual communion.

At noon one day, a wondrous omen appeared at Zhengzhou's north gate: a lidless bronze coffin descended through black mist amid celestial music. Remarkably, when local officials and commoners attempted to enter the coffin, they were rejected. Only when Zou Su approached in his official robes did the coffin suddenly seal itself and ascend. Amid five-colored auspicious clouds, crane calls, and strange fragrances, it floated northward until vanishing from sight.

That same day, Monk Zhiren from Yan Shou Yuan on Bailian Mountain reported another marvel: the previous night had brought five-colored clouds and a rain of celestial flowers, while two rock formations fifteen paces apart miraculously merged to form a four-foot square stone gate. Through this gate, people glimpsed the same bronze coffin suspended midair—confirming Zou Su's ascension. The mountain thereafter became known as "Bronze Coffin Mountain."

The text also mentions another devotee, Zhong Jinming, who received a prophecy of enlightenment from Zhenwu during his lifetime. After death, he was posthumously honored as "Immortal Lord of Good Guidance and Peaceful Serenity." When constructing his shrine, the community followed Zhenwu's instructions by creating a white-robed statue symbolizing his semi-immortal status, with an inscribed stele preserving his legacy. These accounts exemplify the Daoist cultivation principle that "accumulating virtue leads to immortality," emphasizing sincere worship and ethical practice as essential to attaining the Dao.

This account records two miraculous events related to manifestations of Zhenwu the Great Emperor (the Daoist deity revered as the Mysterious Heavenly Emperor of the North Pole).

The first story occurred in Zhengzhou. Local official Zou Su was suddenly taken away by a bronze coffin descending from heaven. Later, he manifested himself, claiming to have received the celestial mandate to serve as Deputy Judge of the North Pole's Life Span Bureau. Each year, he would accompany Zhenwu the Great Emperor on his earthly inspections to evaluate human virtue and vice, determining life spans. When the imperial court verified the matter and found Zou had no descendants, they allocated funds to build a shrine on Bailian Mountain named the "Divine Response Prefectural Lord Temple," establishing it as a permanent sacred site for veneration.

The second incident took place in Leping County, Raozhou. Official Zhu Mu faithfully venerated Zhenwu the Great Emperor according to his late father's wishes. During the sacred descent festival on the seventh day of the seventh month, Zhu's wife dreamed of a yellow-robed Daoist priest (hinting at Zhenwu's incarnation) who bestowed upon her a green jujube. After eating it, her mouth retained an extraordinary fragrance, and she soon conceived a prodigious child named Tianxi ("Heavenly Gift"). The boy could recite classics at age five and mastered canonical texts by seven. Later, the court exceptionally appointed him as a Dali Pingshi (Court Judicial Reviewer), where he displayed remarkable eloquence in lecturing on history and classics before the throne. In accordance with his mother's dream omen, they named him "Tianxi," meaning "gifted by heaven."

(Note: Dates like "third day of third month" and "fifth day of fifth month" mark important Daoist festivals celebrating Zhenwu's descents; "borrowing crimson robes" refers to the Song Dynasty practice of temporary official dress privileges; "Dali Pingshi" was a judicial position in the imperial bureaucracy)

This account tells a miraculous story from Yiyang County, Xinzhou during the Southern Song Dynasty. Lu Zhongdao and his wife A-Zhang had been married for many years without children. Later, they began devoutly worshiping the Northern Dark Emperor (Zhenwu, an important Daoist deity governing water and fire, subduing demons) with daily prayers that continued for six years.

One night, the couple simultaneously dreamed of playing with a celestial child tossing a colored ball, when suddenly a red tassel flew into A-Zhang's mouth. Subsequently, A-Zhang carried the pregnancy for thirteen months before giving birth to a dignified-looking daughter who couldn't speak. When the girl turned thirteen, court astronomers detected an unusual star in the southeastern sky corresponding to Yiyang County. Officials investigating the matter identified the mute Lu girl as the person indicated by this celestial sign.

Then a miracle occurred—the mute girl suddenly began speaking, requesting to bathe and change clothes. She revealed her true identity to her parents: originally the Jade Maiden of Green Mist (Lüxia Qiongnü) under the Twin Maidens constellation in the celestial realm, she had been specially permitted to reincarnate as their daughter because their sincere prayers moved the Dark Emperor. Upon consulting the celestial records (Tiancao, the heavenly administrative bureau), Zhenwu discovered A-Zhang was fated to be childless. However, due to the accumulated merit from the couple's years of incense offerings, an exception was made for the celestial maiden to descend as the red tassel incarnation, relieving their suffering of childlessness.

The girl further explained she needed to remain in the human world for twelve years (one celestial cycle) before returning to heaven. This story exemplifies the Daoist concept of "heaven-human resonance," emphasizing how sincere devotion can move deities, while also reflecting the prevalence of Zhenwu worship in Song Dynasty folk religion.

The Record of the Sacred Revelations of the Dark Heaven Sovereign recounts two miraculous manifestations of Zhenwu the Great Emperor (a principal Daoist deity, the exalted form of the Dark Warrior of the North).

The first story tells of a girl born mute. At her birth, Zhenwu appeared in her parents' dream instructing that she must never speak. Though living with her parents, she remained silent throughout her life. One day, sensing her imminent departure when imperial documents might reveal celestial secrets, she bid farewell to her parents and passed away. The parents commissioned artisans to coat her remains with ash lacquer, shaping them into an attendant statue beside Zhenwu's image, offering daily incense and cultivation. Later, the imperial court bestowed cloth and grain, recognizing this as an auspicious sign of sacred birth. The local government even established a tomb-shrine on official land, erecting a statue of the plain-robed goddess inscribed as "The Silent Illumination Filial Maiden."

The second story occurred during the Guangming era of the Tang dynasty. The Xuandu Temple had fallen into disrepair, and despite repeated fundraising attempts by Daoist priests, restoration failed. Priest Wang Jingyuan dreamed of someone piling gold coins before Zhenwu's hall—exactly five hundred strings. Within ten days, officials from Prince Yan's household came to make offerings at Zhenwu Hall, praying for the safe delivery of Prince Jing's consort. During her difficult labor, a Daoist priest had advised he could ensure mother and child's safety. Though initially skeptical, Prince Jing allowed the priest to prepare cinnabar-drawn talismans (fulu), burning them to ash and mixing them with water for the consort to drink. She then delivered successfully. Overjoyed, Prince Jing not only restored the temple but personally funded the entire reconstruction.

Both stories demonstrate Zhenwu's divine efficacy and the blessings received through devout worship. The mute girl's deification in the first account and the temple's restoration through the priest's effective talismans in the second embody the Daoist belief that "sincerity generates spiritual response" (cheng ze ling).

As soon as Lady Xie stepped outside, she could no longer find the woman she had just met. The woman explained that after drinking the talisman water (fulu), she suddenly saw underworld officials and judges secretly guarding her. Then a golden-armored deity with flowing hair, wielding a divine sword, gave a mighty shout—and at that very moment, her son was born. Later, they heard reports that this child had come from the Xuandu Temple in Xiying Town, so they hurried there to pray for blessings. When Prince Jing learned of this, he offered money, horses, and other valuables. He also inspected the temple's dilapidated condition and asked whether any Daoist priests had gone to the capital to seek alms. The temple's clergy replied that no one had traveled to the capital. Prince Jing then submitted a memorial to the imperial court, sending gold and silver to rebuild the temple. By imperial decree, one hundred ordination certificates (for Daoist priests) were issued to support the reconstruction. When the project was completed, a grand purification ritual (zhaijiao) was held in celebration. The woman sold her dowry to gild the statues of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the Perfected Warrior (Zhenwu) in the temple. She also commissioned one thousand silk paintings of Zhenwu, distributing them to various temples and the homes of nobles and officials. By imperial grace, the temple was renamed "Chongling Yingsheng Guan" (Temple of Revered Numinous Responses), and a stele was erected to record these events.

Another account tells of Lady Jiao, wife of Wang Zhi—Military Commissioner of Wuan and Palace Guard Commander—who held the title of Lady of Shouchang. Though childless her entire life, she was naturally charitable and devoted to Daoist practice. One day, while inspecting the flowers and fruits in her garden, she noticed a pomegranate tree that had withered and spontaneously caught fire. After hastily extinguishing the flames, she suddenly saw before the tree a radiant deity with flowing hair, holding a sword and standing atop a tortoise and snake—recognized as the Perfected Lord Zhenwu. Kneeling in reverence, Lady Jiao said, "Today I am blessed to encounter the exalted Perfected One. I humbly beg for your compassionate deliverance." The Perfected Lord asked, "Since you and I are fated to meet, what is your wish?" She replied, "I only pray for a child to continue my lineage." The Perfected Lord told her, "On the third day of the third month, go to the Zuozhen Temple outside Xuanhua Gate, and I shall grant you a son who will surely attain greatness." By the time she bowed again, the deity had vanished. After informing her husband, Wang Zhi, they attended the temple's fasting ceremony (zhai) on Zhenwu’s birthday, the third day of the third month. Amid the gathered devotees, a disheveled boy of six or seven suddenly approached Lady Jiao and Wang Zhi, tugging at them and asking for money and gifts.

This account narrates the story of Wang Zhi adopting a remarkable child. There was a boy with unusual features and unknown origins who claimed to have no parents or relatives, having stayed in Daoist temples for many years. Lady Jiao (likely Wang Zhi's wife) brought him home to raise. The child displayed innate intelligence, and at age eight, Wang Zhi reported him to the imperial court as his own son.

The emperor was astonished upon hearing this, as Wang Zhi had always claimed to have no heirs. Wang Zhi truthfully explained that this child was bestowed by the Perfect Warrior Emperor (Zhenwu Dadi, a revered Daoist deity). When questioned about the child's birth hour, Wang Zhi used the time of adoption at Zuozhen Temple - the si hour (9-11 AM) on the third day of the third lunar month - as reference. The emperor ordered the Directorate of Astronomy (the ancient astronomical bureau) to calculate the child's destiny, which revealed an exceptionally noble fate foretelling military achievements at age sixteen.

Consequently, the emperor bestowed the name "Wang Yuan" upon the child, granting him official titles including Right Palace Guard Commandant, with the promise of marriage to the Third Princess of Yue State. At fourteen, Wang Yuan was further appointed as Gate Commandant Attendant. During an audience with his father, he passed the military examinations. True to the prophecy, at sixteen he married the princess and was enfeoffed as Binzhou Defense Commissioner and Imperial Son-in-Law. Later, Wang Yuan used his salary and the princess's dowry to construct the Perfect Warrior Treasure Pavilion at Zuozhen Temple, requesting the emperor to inscribe its plaque.

This record demonstrates the Daoist belief in miraculous child-bestowal by Zhenwu Dadi, alongside ancient astrological destiny calculation traditions. Wang Yuan's life trajectory also reflects Song Dynasty systems of military official selection and imperial marriage alliances.