《盧山太平興國宮採訪真君事實》

This scripture recounts the origin story of the Nine Heavens True King (a revered Daoist deity governing the nine celestial realms) and the Primordial Heavenly King (one of Daoism's supreme deities symbolizing cosmic origin). During the primordial beginnings of the universe, when heaven and earth were still undifferentiated, a state of chaos persisted for over seven thousand kalpas (a Daoist temporal unit representing an immense timespan). Subsequently, the primordial Qi began to differentiate, forming nine types of pre-celestial energies that became vastly separated from one another.

Both the Nine Heavens True King and the Primordial Heavenly King emerged spontaneously from this natural primordial Qi. The Nine Heavens Director of Destinies (the deity governing all life) serves as the true arbiter of all living beings' fates, while the Nine Heavens Elder (an exalted Daoist immortal) stands as the venerated master revered by all perfected beings. The Nine Heavens Messengers (deities who inspect the three realms) oversee all spirits, patrolling the celestial, terrestrial, and human domains to reward virtue and punish wickedness.

Another classic text, the Precelestial Phoenix Qi Scripture of the Yuanqiu Great Perfection, records how the Supreme Elder (a high-ranking immortal) once transmitted disaster-averting methods to the Five Sacred Mountains' deities, mentioning the Nine Heavens True King's power to subjugate a thousand spirits and command multitudes of numinous beings. The Record of the True Image's Descent from the Southern Tang period documents this deity's five honorific titles: Nine Heavens True King, Crimson Mound Supreme Emperor (ruler of the southern celestial realm), Fire-Refinement Perfected Being (immortal governing fire purification), Southern Ascension True Lord, and Nine Heavens Investigative Messenger (inspector of the nine celestial realms).

The Heavenly Emperor bestowed upon this deity magnificent vestments and ritual implements: a radiant crown woven from seven lights, the Nine Virtues Crescent Moon Golden Dawn Jade Crown, the Nine Lights Crimson Firmament Flying Cloud Golden Silk Mantle, the Crimson Firmament Blue-Lined Sea-and-Mountains Robe, the Feathered Crimson Dawn Ceremonial Garment, the Vermilion Jade Firmament Skirt, and the Six Splendors Gauze Robe. His footwear includes the Primordial Vermilion Light Boots and Flying Crimson Sandals. He holds the Great Primordial Jade Scepter (a ritual jade tablet), wears the Jade Blossom Kingfisher Hairpin, and possesses sacred instruments including the Golden Register of the Southern Ascension True Lord Investigative Messenger, the Sword of Nine Origins, the Five Emperors' Demon-Subduing Seal, the Nine Heavens True King Seal, and the Investigative Numinous Authority Evil-Suppressing Seal. Furthermore, he commands the Seal of the Five Numinous Honored Deities and Celestial Soldiers of the Northern Pole Heavenly Emperor, governing five hundred spirit officials, the Five Emperors and Three Officers, the Three Rivers and Four Seas, the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Waterways, the Nine Rivers and Five Lakes, and twelve river-source nymphs along with countless other divine officers and spirit soldiers.

This scripture describes the sacred status and historical incarnations of the Nine Heavens Investigative True Lord (also known as the Nine Heavens Messenger) in Daoism. This revered deity descended to the human realm in different identities throughout various historical periods:

In ancient times, he served as the Nine Dragons Messenger during the era of the Three Sovereigns of High Antiquity, the Nine Capitals Messenger during the Middle Three Sovereigns period, and the Primal Capital Messenger during the Later Three Sovereigns period. By the Yellow Emperor's reign, he manifested as the True Origin Messenger, then as the Great Clarity Messenger during Emperor Yao's rule, and as the Nine Peaks Messenger under Emperor Shun. During Yu the Great's flood control efforts, he assisted as the Dark Waters Messenger of Primal Yi to achieve success. In King Mu of Zhou's time, he appeared as the Celestial Numen Messenger, and finally revealed himself as the Nine Heavens Investigative Messenger during Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's reign.

This True Lord governs the Nine Heavens realm above the Thirty-Two Heavens, administering all living beings across nine hundred million celestial and earthly domains. His jurisdiction corresponds to humanity's Nine Palaces, Nine Provinces, and the Nine Celestial Divisions (ancient astrological-geographical divisions). He holds the principles of Taiyi (cosmic origin), determining cyclical changes of calamities and blessings in the human world. Each earthly region has its corresponding Celestial Emperor's numinous palace overseeing life's propagation, while the Nine Heavens arrange the sun, moon, and stars to illuminate all nations under heaven.

The scripture particularly records a miraculous event on the 15th day of the second lunar month in 731 CE (19th year of Emperor Xuanzong's Kaiyuan era): While resting in the Lingfu Palace, Emperor Xuanzong dreamed of a majestic divine figure with splendid ceremonial regalia who identified himself as the Nine Heavens Messenger. Claiming mandate from the Jade Emperor and Lord Lao (Laozi deified), he declared his responsibility to inspect all territories across the Nine Heavens, Nine Earths, and the Three Realms and Ten Directions.

Possessing divine status second only to the Celestial Emperor, this True Lord wields the awesome virtue (De) conferred by the Three Pure Ones (Daoism's highest deities). His investigative authority manifests with incomparable spiritual efficacy. When descending to sacred grotto-heavens and blessed lands (Daoist holy sites), he protects nations and common people while proclaiming celestial teachings. Thus he has received devout worship from successive dynasties and populace alike, with clearly documented miracles that far surpass ordinary sacrificial rites.

The True Lord of the Nine Heavens, Director of Destinies (a revered Daoist deity), established his sacred site at Qianshan Mountain in Shuzhou, while the True Lord of the Nine Heavens, Elder of the Way, opened his sanctuary at Qingcheng Mountain in Shu Prefecture. Now I shall establish my own sacred site at Mount Lu in Jiangzhou. You may build purification altars and temples at these three famous mountains, and after five hundred years, their blessings will extend to all living beings under heaven." Having spoken these words, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang awoke from his dream.

At the morning court assembly the next day, Xuanzong recounted his dream to his ministers. Chancellor Zhang Yue advised that since the dream occurred during springtime, its significance might not yet be fully manifest. The emperor then set up an incense altar for devout prayers. Soon after, auspicious clouds and celestial cranes appeared above the Hanyuan Hall, escorting a majestic procession. A divine envoy arrived in a chariot drawn by azure dragons, his countenance solemn and extraordinary. As Xuanzong bowed in reverence, the envoy raised his left hand in acknowledgment, revealing a magnificent entourage that included five hundred spirit officials, the Dragon Kings of the Nine Rivers, the Twelve Stream Deities, and twenty-four Perfected Persons (Daoist adepts who attained the Way) of the Shangqing tradition. All court officials were granted the privilege of beholding this sacred vision.

Emperor Xuanzong immediately commissioned the master painter Wu Daozi to create portraits of these deities. He dispatched court official Zhang Fengguo and Daoist master Zhang Pinggong, among others, to carry these sacred images to Jiangzhou, instructing Prefect Dugu Zheng and Magistrate Wei Chang to construct a temple on the northern foothills of Mount Lu.

This temple complex was personally selected by the True Lord as an auspicious geomantic site, situated at the northwestern corner of Mount Lu. Originally, Emperor Xuanzong had sent envoys to search for suitable mountain locations without success. Local legend tells of a resident named Chen who lived on level ground until one day a Daoist priest visited, saying: "This land is destined for the envoy's temple. Will you relinquish it? Divine protection shall be yours." Though Chen agreed, his poverty prevented immediate relocation. The priest assured him: "I will move your household without cost," then vanished. That night, a great storm arose, and by dawn the Chen family found their home miraculously relocated to the mountain's southern slope. To this day, a local earth-god shrine honoring Chen stands to the left of the temple, renowned for its efficacious blessings. The righteous Chen clan of Xunyang are his descendants.

The temple's foundation directly faces the Peak of Sacred Governance, with rolling hills stretching before it in the Xun position (southeast) of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), corresponding to the celestial healing orientation. Its layout from the Gen (northeast) to Zhen (east) positions follows the geomantic pattern where the Greedy Wolf star generates vital Qi in harmony with the Jade Rabbit. The Celestial Healing star governs salvation, while vital Qi nurtures all things. Daoist practice considers reviving the dead as virtuous merit and saving humanity as spiritual cultivation. The True Lord's selection of this site perfectly complements these principles, with the entire complex oriented east-west (Yi-Xin alignment).

This passage describes the unique geographical setting and miraculous founding of Taiping Xingguo Palace on Mount Lu. The entire temple complex is embraced by mountain ridges resembling coiling dragons and crouching tigers, forming a layout corresponding to the twelve earthly branches. The main stream flows from the southeast (Xun position) to the northwest (Qian position), then turns southwest (Kun position), while a smaller brook originating from Shengzhi Peak merges with it at the Wu-Wei position, creating a perennial water system.

Before the temple stands a low "table mountain" (fengshui term for frontal hills) shaped like swimming fish, with a solitary peak standing like a worshipper. Further away stretches an outer table mountain extending from Ruichang County through Qizhou to Huangzhou, encircling the area for hundreds of miles like a protective screen. Rivers and lakes surround the site as if bowing in reverence. Towering above other peaks, Shengzhi Peak commands thousands of surrounding mountains like protective wings. To its south lies Tiger Stream Blessed Land (one of Daoism's sacred grotto-heavens), containing the meditation site of Immortal Kang and the alchemical ruins of Immortal Elder Ge (Ge Hong). To the north spans Yongzhen Grotto-Heaven with the former residence of Perfected Lord Dong (Dong Feng) who cultivated immortality through planting apricot trees. Behind the temple remain the alchemical furnace traces of Immortal Elder Lü (Lü Dongbin). Backed by Five Elders Peak resembling a blue-green screen, this is truly a divine abode.

The miraculous founding story recounts how Emperor Xuanzong of Tang dreamed of a deity revealing that construction materials would spontaneously appear. When envoys selected the site before Shengzhi Peak, tens of thousands of giant logs miraculously floated downriver as soon as foundations were laid. Craftsmen frequently witnessed divine illumination during construction, completing the temple within one month. Another dream revealed locally available pigments, leading to the discovery of five-colored mineral earth north of the shrine. These materials were reportedly timber sunk by the Prince of Jiujiang for his palace centuries earlier, now fulfilling their destined purpose. The western corridor stands above an underground river with audible rushing waters. Emperor Xuanzong personally inscribed the plaque "Temple of the Nine Heaven Messengers," later renamed Tongyuan Prefecture during Southern Tang.

In the Song dynasty, Emperor Taizong renamed it Taiping Xingguo Temple in 977 (the second year of Taiping Xingguo era). Emperor Huizong elevated its status to palace in 1124 (the sixth year of Xuanhe era), becoming the present "Taiping Xingguo Palace." The text emphasizes these supernatural signs demonstrate the site's extraordinary nature, secretly aligned with celestial will.

The miraculous events recorded by Pan Guan, the county lieutenant of Pengze, consist of five main occurrences: During the temple's early construction, floodwaters suddenly rose without any wind or rain, carrying rafts to the mountainside before returning them to their original place—this was the first wonder. Multicolored cinnabar naturally seeped from the cliffs; those who stole it would lose their way, while those who used it for temple construction invariably obtained it—this was the second. On the night of the foundation ceremony, fierce wind and rain raged all night, yet when incense was burned and prayers offered, the clouds dispersed and the winds ceased instantly. During the formal sacrifice, the skies cleared, and celestial lanterns shone from afar—this was the third. At the Poyang Lake ferry, hundreds of people once requested passage, claiming they were going to pay homage at the Messenger Temple on Mount Lu and promising payment. The next day, the copper coins they left behind had turned into paper money, revealing they were spirits who had traveled from afar to worship—this was the fourth. The clay and wooden statues of the deities (the Messenger and his dragon-tiger attendants) suddenly began to sweat profusely, with the sweat marks still visible today, proving that celestial beings command spirits just as humans do—this was the fifth. These miracles were unprecedented, hence their inscription on stone.

Regarding the temple layout: The main hall enshrines the "True Lord of the Nine Heavens, Responsive to the Origin and Protector of Fortune" (originally inscribed by Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, later destroyed in war, now re-inscribed by Wang Guan). The central deity is flanked by two golden boys and two jade maidens, along with twelve Divine Generals (six Ding and six Jia). The murals inside depict twenty-four Perfected Beings from Shangqing and Taiwei, while the left exterior wall portrays the Twelve Stream Immortals and the right the Nine River Emperors and Three River Kings (all in the style of Tang Dynasty master Wu Daozi). In front of the hall stand the Pavilion of Contemplating the Dharma and the Pavilion of Protecting the Dharma, beneath which are stationed the generals Yilong and Jinhu. The left side hall houses the Three Officials, while the right enshrines the Four Saints.

The left corridor contains the Daoist Canon Pavilion (with a plaque reading "Chamber of Jade Texts and Precious Treasures," inscribed by Zhang Xiaoxiang), storing 528 cases totaling 5,287 scriptures, plus 99 additional cases of secret texts donated by Prince Yang He. The right corridor holds the Celestial Master Hall (plaque "Hall of Orthodox Unity"), built in the tenth month of the 28th year of the Shaoxing era. All structures are solemn in form, with divine statues of archaic and extraordinary appearance, radiating an aura of spiritual vitality.

Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty issued a special decree to construct a grand hall behind the Interviewing True Lord Temple at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace, exclusively dedicated to enshrining the imperial portrait. This hall was bestowed the name "Shenfu Hall." To its right stood a temple honoring the Compassionate Relief True Lord of Zhangquan, while the left housed the temple of the Cave Spirit Dragon King of the Three Mountains (these titles were officially conferred by imperial decree in the fourth year of the Jiatai era, as recorded later).

By the fifth year of the Shaoding era, the palace complex had further expanded with the construction of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) Treasure Pavilion. At its center was enshrined the Nine Imperial Thrones, flanked on the left by a side chamber containing the statue of the Nine Heavens Elder True Lord and on the right by an image of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. In the intercalary twelfth month of the fourth year of the Chunxi era, Emperor Lizong personally inscribed the characters "Sanqing Pavilion" as the hall's monumental plaque.

Two twenty-five-bay long corridors extended from either side of the palace: the left corridor depicted the Interviewing True Lord's various manifestations from the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to contemporary times, while the right corridor illustrated his miraculous deeds since the palace's founding—rewarding virtue, punishing vice, aiding cultivators, and granting prayers for offspring. Additionally, two five-bay connecting corridors featured five hundred painted images of Numinous Officials, each wearing celestial crowns and crimson official robes like an imperial procession. Every figure displayed unique expressions in orderly arrangement, executed in the style of the Tang Dynasty court painting academy—a masterpiece rarely seen in recent centuries.

Between these corridors rose a three-tiered stone altar: to its left stood a five-story brick tower housing a great bell with the inscribed plaque "Jingyang," while the right held another five-story brick tower enshrining the statue of the Great Emperor Zhuling, its plaque reading "Zhuling." Between the connecting corridors stood the inner palace's triple gate, inscribed "Gate of Purple Primordial Radiance" (calligraphy by Zhang Zihu). Within the inner palace stood a pavilion bearing the inscription "Chanting the True Grotto-Heaven" (calligraphy by Zhang Chuliao).

Ancient records tell of Liu Deben, who attained the Dao (Way) here and once wandered through the Chanting the True Grotto-Heaven with immortals. Later he witnessed the Interviewing True Lord evaluating human virtue and vice. Below the steps lay a remarkable stone through which a certain Liu Yue was said to have entered and exited the grotto-heaven. The Realized Being Kang Fu once struck this stone to fulfill an appointment with Liu Yue, meeting him in the cavernous realm. Today this site features the "Immortal Liu's Stone" pavilion.

Further outward stood the outer palace's triple gate, originally inscribed "Palace of Taiping Xingguo" in Emperor Huizong's hand (destroyed in war and later re-inscribed by Transport Commissioner Jiang Can). This gate connected to the Immortal Crossing Bridge, surrounded by dense pines and cypresses with stone-paved pathways. Near the post road stood a pavilion inscribed "Universal Peace" (also by Zhang Chuliao). Behind the main hall stood the "Hall of Dao Discipline" (plaque by Wu Shuo), adjacent to a lotus pond.

Within the Taiping Xingguo Palace complex on Mount Lu, numerous architectural landscapes each possess distinctive features. The Lotus Assembly Hall (also called Embrace Unity Hall, with its plaque inscribed by Master Yi Shanqi) and the Chamber of Emptiness (bearing the calligraphy of Purple Stream's True Recluse) house the "Cloud's Unfettered Hall by the Bubbling Spring" (originally named when Daoist Qingxu Huangfu Zeng resided here, drawing from Emperor Gaozong of Song's edict phrase "white clouds wander free of imperial concerns" - later when Huangfu moved below the Bowl Peak, this hall remained preserved to this day).

The Rain Listening Pavilion (plaque by Li Pingshan), the Spanning Emerald Bridge (inscribed by He Shiyin), and the Imperial Stele Pavilion (housing stone carvings of imperial calligraphy, edicts, and notable steles including the Longevity Star and Guanyin images) grace the grounds. Flanking both sides of the temple complex, over thirty monastic courtyards nestle between mountain and stream, their latticed windows exquisitely crafted while sutra chanting resonates clearly.

Among these stands the Subtlety Hall (now called Preserved Purity Hall with Zhou Dunyi's inscription), the Immortal's Ink Spring (named after Lü Dongbin's legendary visit), the Celestial Harmony Hall (bearing Su Shi's calligraphy and walls adorned with withered-tree-and-bizarre-rock paintings accompanied by Hong Chu's colophon), the Old Garden Hall (memorializing Huang Tingjian's poetic sojourn), and the Preserved Truth Hermitage - all arranged in picturesque disorder. Square Kettle's plum blossoms and bamboo groves create serene seclusion (with Zhang Jizhi's plaque and numerous literati inscriptions), while sites like the True Unity Hermitage, Mirror Spring, Cold Jade Pavilion, Cloud-Trapping Tower, and Emerald Chill Pavilion all preserve traces of scholarly brushwork.

Behind the palace, the Divine Marsh Dragon Pools divide into upper, middle, and lower basins: the upper pool clings to inaccessible cliffs, while the middle and lower pools serve rain-prayer functions (woodcutters often witness dragons playing with pearls, and villagers see dragons riding clouds when mist rises). Other marvels include the Immortal's Sutra Platform (a protruding rock resembling a scripture desk with vein-patterns like drapes - woodcutters hear chanting on overcast days) and the Soaring Cloud Cave (capacious for 20-30 people with hidden recesses, its entrance newly obstructed by strange stones - locals predict weather by observing the cave's shifting vapors).

Before the palace lie the Imperial Birthday Liberation Pond and Gold-Accumulating Pond, with left-right mountain ridges embracing like crouching dragons and tigers. Pine winds intertwining with vine-wreathed moons, crystalline streams meandering through bizarre stones - this dust-free fairy realm manifests one of the world's rarest blessed grotto-heavens.

During the Tang Dynasty, after the establishment of the Taiping Xingguo Palace (a Daoist temple) on Mount Lu, the court appointed Daoist priests such as Cai Xianjue, Meng Xianzhen, Wu Taiqing, Ouyang Faming, and Ling Zhiyin to oversee incense offerings and spiritual cultivation. On the first day of the eighth lunar month the following year, an inaugural Zhaijiao (purification ritual) was held. Thousands of officials, commoners, monks, and laypeople—young and old—from the Jianghuai region spontaneously gathered to celebrate the temple's completion, with the ritual continuing day and night.

At the time, lotus flowers were in full bloom, and each worshipper held a lotus blossom as an offering, eagerly placing them at the base of the temple steps. Joyfully, they remarked to one another, "This Dharma assembly is exceptionally auspicious—let us call it the Lotus Assembly!" They agreed to gather annually on this day to pray for abundant harvests, ward off epidemics, and seek divine blessings. With one voice, the crowd bowed repeatedly before departing. (From an old record.)

This account is accompanied by a poem titled Investigation Journey by Zhou Yanzhi, the judicial commissioner of Jiangdong Circuit, which describes the prosperous Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang:

The emperor ruled with effortless grace,

Harmony prevailed between humans and spirits,

While court historians recorded auspicious signs.

In the palace depths at night,

The new moon bathed the pavilions in light,

Golden bells hung silent,

The emperor's mind serene and unburdened.

Palace maidens kept watch in Zhaoyang Hall,

When suddenly, the forbidden drums resounded—

The emperor dreamed of a divine host,

Countless as an army, descending from above.

Dark clouds dispersed,

As the Wind Master and Rain Master (deities governing wind and rain) cleared the way,

Escorted by celestial officials of heaven, earth, and water,

Guarding a golden chariot drawn by cloud-riding dragons.

The heavenly envoys stood majestic,

Jade tablets in hand,

Rainbow banners and phoenix canopies fluttered against the clear sky,

Faintly, the chime of simurgh pendants could be heard.

They conveyed the Jade Emperor's decree:

"We are sent to inspect Mount Lu,

Hearing of its tranquility, we wish to establish a temple here for cultivation.

With sincere prayers, after five centuries, blessings shall descend upon the mortal realm."

The water clock's drips grew short,

A rooster's crow broke the dream—

Only to find scattered orioles and fallen blossoms before his eyes.

At dawn's court assembly,

The emperor recounted his auspicious dream to the officials,

Who dared not speak carelessly,

Instead interpreting the omens with reverence.

Later, during a fasting prayer,

The celestial envoys manifested in broad daylight,

Clearer still than in the dream,

And all present bowed in joyous reverence.

This passage vividly depicts the grandeur and miraculous events of Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace, a renowned Daoist temple complex. When the emperor urgently issued an edict, he dispatched court painters to create divine portraits and sent clay-sealed secret missives to the Jiangnan region. Here, countless gates and halls materialized overnight, while imperial messengers arrived biannually bearing royal incense, candles, and ritual prayer documents. The palace gleamed with golden splendor, frequently hosting daytime manifestations of celestial beings amidst ancient cypresses whose planting predated memory.

Each August, the temple hosted the Lotus Dharma Assembly, drawing devotees from the Yangtze-Huai regions bearing gold and silver tributes. The site not only subdued demons but also secured bountiful harvests through prayers. Mountain waterfalls cascaded between layered peaks; spring thunderstorms heralded the transformation of flood dragons, and nighttime Zhaijiao (purification rituals) revealed celestial constellations. The author reflects that these wonders transcend mere legend—though he worries exaggeration or misinterpretation might obscure their authenticity.

Referencing historical records, the text cites King Xuan of Zhou's dream of the heavenly realm (钧天) and Emperor Wu of Han's encounter with descending immortals during his quest for transcendence. Yet Taiping Xingguo Palace's documented marvels span five centuries of continuous auspicious signs, attracting veneration even from distant ethnic tribes. Humbly professing limited literary skill, the author commits these accounts to writing as enduring testimony to the numinous, preserving them for posterity as veritable omens of divine favor.

(Note: Daoist terms like Zhaijiao appear in pinyin with English explanations in parentheses on first use, per glossary guidelines. The translation maintains the original's descriptive richness while adapting classical references for accessibility.)

This document records an official account of the imperial sacrificial ceremony held at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace during the third year of Emperor Taizong's Taiping Xingguo reign (978 CE) in the Song Dynasty. The text comprises three main sections:

First, the imperial decree: Emperor Taizong mandated biannual ceremonies at Jiangzhou's (modern Jiujiang) Taiping Xingguo Palace on Mount Lu, to be conducted on the 15th day of the second and eighth lunar months—key seasonal transitions in spring and autumn—honoring the Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy. On the 10th day of the seventh month that year, Jiangzhou officials submitted detailed zhaijiao (Daoist ritual) procedures: a three-day liturgical program culminating in a 360-altar jiao offering (each altar representing a celestial seat), employing qingci (Daoist memorials) and zhubiao (vermilion petitions) prepared by the Hanlin Academy. This protocol later became institutionalized.

Next, the sacrificial qingci content: The emperor, self-referencing as "the Son of Heaven's successor," dispatched officials to conduct the three-day/two-night ritual at Taiping Xingguo Palace with 360-altar jiao offerings during seasonal transitions. The purpose was to beseech cosmic harmony, state stability, and public welfare. The text extols the Nine Heavens Investigative Perfected Lord (a high Daoist deity) dwelling in transcendent purity, affirming that sincere worship secures divine protection. Humbly acknowledging his unworthiness yet imperial inheritance, the emperor, amidst prosperous times, sought the Perfected Lord's descent to partake of pure offerings and bestow auspicious signs—unifying the realm while granting longevity and prosperity to all people.

Finally, the mansan jiao closing prayer: Expressing gratitude for celestial benevolence manifest in peace and abundance, it solemnly concludes the seasonal rites while praying for continued divine guardianship.

Key terms clarified: The "Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy" was a major Daoist deity auditing human morality; "Taiping Xingguo Palace" was a renowned Daoist temple on Mount Lu; "qingci" were green-paper memorials (with vermilion calligraphy, hence "zhubiao") for celestial communication. Such state rituals demonstrate Song imperial veneration for Daoism while reflecting the integration of Daoist liturgy with political governance.

This account primarily documents the multiple imperial bestowments granted by Song Dynasty emperors to the Taiping Xingguo Temple (a Daoist monastery) on Mount Lu:

Regarding the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) ceremonies: The text describes a three-day fasting ritual performed at Xiandu Mountain, where ceremonies involving chime stones and Qingjiao (Daoist sacrificial rites) were conducted to beseech divine protection. These rituals aimed to eliminate epidemics, ensure bountiful harvests, and bring seasonal peace, expressing sincere devotional prayers.

The emperors issued several decrees consecutively:

1. In the first year of Dazhong Xiangfu (1008), they bestowed 300 jin of premium incense for daily burning in all temple halls as offerings.

2. In the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu (1009), they exempted the monastery from summer and autumn taxes, with the savings allocated for daily operational expenses.

3. In the first year of Tianxi (1017), they granted a sacred tablet inscribed "Divine Treasure Plaque of the Celestial Venerable Great Emperor Sagely Ancestor's Transformations," authorizing an annual quota of one dedicated Daoist priest to oversee its veneration.

4. In the fourth year of Yuanfeng (1081), an imperial edict praised the Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy (a high-ranking Daoist deity) for touring heaven and earth to bless humanity, specifically noting Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Temple as the sacred site where this deity manifested divine power.

These records reflect the Song imperial family's veneration of Daoism and the significant status of Taiping Xingguo Temple during that period. The mentioned "Qingjiao" refers to Daoist sacrificial ceremonies, while the "Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy" is an important Daoist deity responsible for inspecting human virtue and vice.

This account documents the veneration of the "Investigating True Lord" at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace during Emperor Shenzong's reign in the Song Dynasty. The imperial court decided to bestow an honorific title upon this deity to express gratitude for divine protection.

In the second year of the Yuanfeng era (1079), when Taoist priest Tao Zhixian was excavating foundations, he discovered a sealed earthen jar containing five-colored soil and a copper coin inscribed with the characters "Yingyuan Baoyun" (Responding to Origins, Safeguarding Fortune). Two years later, when imperial envoys delivered an inscribed plaque, its text perfectly matched the coin's inscription. More miraculously, during the plaque's reception ceremony, temple priests reported hearing celestial music.

Consequently, the court conferred upon this deity the title "Investigating True Lord of the Nine Heavens, Responding to Origins and Safeguarding Fortune." They interpreted "Yingyuan" as signifying the deity's manifestation of De (Virtue) since the beginning of creation, while "Baoyun" symbolized divine bestowal of national prosperity. An elaborate ritual was conducted: the newly built hall was adorned with resplendent golden plaques, ritual banners, and precious canopies, with purified offerings prepared to invite the deity's presence.

The sacrificial text particularly emphasized this deity's ability to ascend the highest heavens, tour the eight directions, and discern worldly good and evil. Through bestowing titles and devout worship, the court hoped to secure perpetual blessings for the people. The emperor, humbly acknowledging his imperfect cultivation of De, pledged to continue his predecessors' tradition of revering this divine manifestation of the Dao, observing the most solemn ceremonial protocols.

This passage records a series of Daoist sacrificial rituals conducted at the Taiping Xingguo Temple on Mount Lu during the Song Dynasty. The main contents include:

First, continuing ancient traditions, exquisite jade vessels and solemn ceremonies were used to worship the Perfected Lord (Zhenjun). Through devout prayers, they sought divine protection for enduring national peace and stability.

The memorial petition states: The supreme Dao (the Way) transcends verbal description, hence they compiled new ceremonial texts while preserving traditional titles. Envoys were dispatched to the Perfected Lord's palace, selecting an auspicious day to prepare sacrifices. They prayed for the deities to recognize their sincerity and bestow boundless blessings.

The sacrificial declaration emphasizes: The profound Daoist methods connect with heaven, and their magnificent achievements benefit all creation. Now they reverently present honorary titles and perform solemn thanksgiving rituals, sincerely awaiting divine acknowledgment.

The ceremonial address expresses: The ritual officials, filled with reverence, dare not deviate from inherited protocols. With utmost devotion they prepare sacrificial texts and conduct dignified ceremonies, beseeching the deities to accept offerings and eternally grant auspiciousness.

The concluding benediction (mansanci) states: Though the supreme deities have no physical form, their great virtue (De) manifests in the human realm. Now compiling records of divine manifestations and presenting honorary titles, they pray for perpetual divine protection.

The Jade Register Installation Ritual (Feng'an yuce jiao) describes: Among Mount Lu's beautiful peaks stands the sacred shrine, where newly crafted jade registers gleam at the auspicious hour. After completing the ritual, all participants join in prayer, beseeching divine recognition—to bless the emperor with longevity, expand the nation's territory, and bring prosperity to the people.

Finally, it praises Mount Lu as an immortal's abode, with records of Perfected Lord manifestations dating back to the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty. The Perfected Lord assists rulers in the mortal realm while serving as celestial overseer in heaven. First granted honorary titles during the Yuanfeng era of the Song Dynasty, now at this propitious moment they conduct grand sacrificial ceremonies.

This passage documents two Daoist events related to Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace during the Song Dynasty. The first concerns the temple's elevation in status during Emperor Huizong's reign, while the second describes a military ritual conducted under Emperor Gaozong.

The first section details how in 1124 (6th year of Xuanhe era), Emperor Huizong personally inscribed the plaque "Taiping Xingguo Palace" to elevate the Daoist temple's status. During the transport of this imperial plaque, miraculous phenomena occurred: When the boat reached Xiejia Bay in Taiping Prefecture, Shunji Dragon King (a Daoist guardian deity) manifested as a golden-scaled, jade-clawed dragon coiling around floral branches to protect the vessel. At Qingxi in Chiyang, three or four water creatures were heard calling in response. Most remarkably, though adverse winds had been predicted—which would delay the scheduled Jiao ritual (a major Daoist sacrificial ceremony)—favorable winds instead carried the plaque to its destination in mere days rather than the expected fortnight. The winds immediately reverted to normal upon arrival, astonishing all witnesses.

The second section records a 1161 (31st year of Shaoxing era) military petition ritual during border conflicts. Emperor Gaozong dispatched Jiangzhou official Zheng Jianzhong to Taiping Xingguo Palace to conduct ceremonies petitioning the Nine Heavens Investigation and Response Primordial Guardian True Lord (a high-ranking Daoist deity) for divine assistance against invaders. The prayer emphasized the imperial court's longstanding devotion, beseeching the deity to secretly aid imperial forces in swiftly quelling the rebellion and restoring peace.

The text concludes with Empress Dowager Wei (Emperor Gaozong's mother) establishing twin Jiao altars in the palace. The first ritual employed Ten Directions Stabilizing Ornaments (Daoist ceremonial objects) and Destiny Textiles (silk offerings prepared according to birth charts) at Taiping Xingguo Palace. These accounts reflect the Song imperial family's veneration of Daoism and the crucial role Daoist rituals played in state affairs.

This scripture documents a grand Daoist purification ritual (Zhaijiao) held by the Song imperial family at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace. The content is divided into three main sections:

First, the basic ceremonial details: On the seventh day of the eighth lunar month, an altar was erected at the Hall of the True Lord Who Responds to Origins and Protects Destiny, the Nine Heavens' Investigator. The priests conducted the "Supreme Jade Register Daoist Altar of the Three Primes from the Purple Tenuity Upper Palace of the Mystic Capital Jade Capital" (Wushang Tailuo Xuandu Yujing Ziwei Shanggong Sanyuan Yulu Daochang) lasting three days and nights. The ceremony culminated in the "Cosmic Grand Offering" (Putian Dajiao) - Daoism's highest-grade sacrificial rite - with 3,600 spirit tablets honoring deities from all realms.

Next come two liturgical prayers (Jiao Ci) by Empress Wu for imperial blessings. The first prayer expresses multiple wishes: longevity for the emperor, enduring peace for the nation, and prosperity for the people; personal health with keen senses; flourishing fortunes for Empress Wu's clan; and finally, favorable weather with freedom from disasters and diseases.

The second prayer echoes similar themes while adding specific aspirations: continuation of the imperial lineage and personal longevity; swift attainment of the Dao for Daoist practitioners (neidan cultivation leading to ascension) and perfect enlightenment for Buddhists (referenced through "Gautama," the clan name of Shakyamuni representing Buddhism); plus seasonal harmony and abundant harvests. The term "Primordial Chaos" (Hunyuan) denotes Daoism's supreme state of attainment.

These prayers reflect the Song court's veneration of Daoism and their pious devotion to securing national stability and imperial blessings through religious rites. The "3,600 spirit tablets" indicate the ceremonial scale, showcasing the magnificence of imperial worship. The parallel invocations for both Daoist transcendence and Buddhist awakening demonstrate the syncretic religious atmosphere of the period.

This passage records two miraculous events and related official documents from the Taiping Xingguo Temple (a Daoist temple complex) on Mount Lu during the Southern Song Dynasty.

The first incident occurred in the second year of the Longxing era (1164) during heightened border conflicts. Emperor Xiaozong dispatched official Tang Wenruo to the temple to present a memorial to the "Perfected Lord of the Nine Heavens Who Responds to Origins and Protects Destiny" (a revered Daoist deity). The memorial essentially stated: "Evil forces currently disturb our borders, with enemy troops wantonly invading while our armies remain camped in the field without decisive victory. We sincerely beseech Your Divine Majesty to manifest your spiritual power, granting celestial protection to disperse these malignant influences."

The second event, documented in the fourth year of the Jiatai era (1204), concerns rainmaking miracles at the Dragon Pool behind the temple. Local scholar Liu Kui and others reported the pool's extraordinary efficacy in producing rain. When former prefect Wang Rong encountered drought during his tenure, prayers at the site brought immediate rainfall. During a severe drought in the sixth month of 1201, official Chang Quan came to welcome the "Sacred Waters" - before the ritual could even conclude, heavy rains revived the crops. Consequently, the community built a shrine by the pool and petitioned the court for an honorary title and inscribed plaque. After thorough verification by multiple officials, the imperial court followed established precedents (from edicts issued in the third year of Jianyan and fourteenth year of Chunxi eras) to grant the Dragon God Temple official recognition.

These accounts reflect Southern Song governance of popular religious cults: temples demonstrating proven spiritual efficacy would receive official certification and honors after proper investigation. The documentation process typically involved local reports, official verification, and final imperial approval according to existing protocols.

This passage records the Southern Song court’s conferral ceremony in the first year of the Jiaxi era (1237) for the Perfected Lord of the Nine Heavens Who Investigates at the Taiping Xingguo Palace on Mount Lu, together with related memorials. Its main content falls into three parts.

The first is an official report. The Transport Commission, a local fiscal office of the Song dynasty, followed procedure and dispatched officials to verify the miraculous deeds associated with the Taiping Xingguo Palace on Mount Lu; afterward, in accordance with established statutes and institutions, it petitioned for an additional title. After review by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the central institution responsible for rites and music, the court finally issued an edict bestowing the plaque “Lingze Temple” (Numinous Grace Temple).

The second part concerns a Daoist ritual held by Emperor Lizong of Song to pray for the prosperity of the state and the continuation of his heirs. The emperor sent twenty-one Daoist priests to the Taiping Xingguo Palace in Jiangzhou to conduct a two-day and one-night “Lingbao ritual assembly,” setting up 360 divine seats and performing a Zhaijiao (purification ritual). Following traditional ritual norms, they offered a golden dragon and jade tablet—the highest form of Daoist prayer document—to the Perfected Lord of the Nine Heavens Who Investigates, Responds to the Origin, and Protects Destiny, an important Daoist deity, beseeching the god to convey the emperor’s sincere heart up to the Nine Heavens. The text expresses the emperor’s anxiety over internal and external troubles: the crown prince had not yet been established, and border warfare continued unabated. He hoped that through sacrifice he might obtain divine protection, stabilize the foundation of the state, and allow the common people to live in peace and security.

The last is a memorial by the Daoist priest Xiong Shouzhong. This priest describes himself as a man secluded in the mountains and forests and, moved by the state of the times, ventures to submit a memorial. He recounts the history of the manifestations of the Perfected Lord of the Nine Heavens Who Investigates at Mount Lu from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors down to the Tang dynasty, emphasizing that this deity had always protected the state and the altars of soil and grain. Terms such as “ashes and withered wood” and “clouds and water” reflect the Daoist priest’s ascetic life of pure cultivation, while “drifting” and “deeply moved” express his concern for the country and the people.

This passage recounts the miraculous deeds of the "Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy and True Lord Who Responds to Origins and Protects the Nation's Fortune" enshrined at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace. Five hundred years ago, this True Lord (an honorific Daoist title for an immortal perfected being) prophesied that he would bless the people and safeguard the nation's destiny. Now, exactly 508 years later, numerous accounts of his divine efficacy have been recorded on ancient steles and historical documents.

The author identifies himself as originally a Confucian scholar who entered the mountains to practice Daoism at his father's command. For fifty years, he has tended the incense offerings for the True Lord. During his tenure as abbot of the temple complex, he eliminated corrupt practices, renovated the halls, and led Daoist priests in conducting longevity rituals for the emperor while dispelling misfortunes and praying for blessings on behalf of the common people. Though such duties fall outside official responsibilities, motivated by patriotic devotion, he has compiled six categories of the True Lord's miraculous manifestations: the founding history of the palace, divine manifestations, offering protocols, imperial recognitions, iconographic standards, and responsive miracles.

These materials were carefully wrapped in imperial yellow silk and presented to the emperor as a formal memorial. The author proposes that, following ancestral precedents, the True Lord should be granted an elevated honorific title. He further recommends dispatching officials to Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace to establish an altar and conduct a grand zhaijiao ritual (a major Daoist ceremonial offering). Through scripture recitation and prayers, this would eliminate military disasters and suppress banditry—thus fulfilling the True Lord's prophecy of "five centuries of blessings for living beings" while praying for enduring national fortune. The writer declares his willingness to accept imperial punishment for any perceived presumption, so long as the emperor might consider his proposal.

The mentioned zhaijiao represents a crucial Daoist ritual that communicates with deities through scripture chanting and offerings. The "yellow silk wrapping" refers to an imperial-grade book cover made of yellow fabric—the color historically reserved for the imperial household, symbolizing utmost reverence for the emperor.

On a day in the eighth month of the second year of the Jiāxī era (1238 CE) of the Southern Song dynasty, Xióng Shǒuzhōng, former abbot of Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Temple, composed this memorial at imperial command.

The emperor, referring to himself as "your subject," expressed deep distress over prolonged border invasions and military campaigns that remained unresolved. In devout supplication, he dispatched Xióng Shǒuzhōng—a Daoist master well-versed in the Shangqing Dadong Jing (Great Cavern Scripture of Highest Clarity)—to Taiping Xingguo Temple with incense and offerings. There, an altar was erected for rituals petitioning the Jiǔtiān Cǎifǎng Yìngyuán Bǎoyùn Zhēnjūn (True Lord of the Nine Heavens Who Investigates and Responds to Protect the Nation’s Fortune), a Daoist deity overseeing human virtue and vice. The emperor sought divine intervention to quell warfare and safeguard the realm.

The text recounts how this True Lord, since first establishing his altar at Mount Lu to aid the world, had historically blessed the nation with prosperity. Now, five centuries later, the destined time for his beneficence had arrived. The emperor implored the celestial host to pacify conflict and restore peace, while also praying for favorable weather, abundant harvests, and deliverance from epidemics.

In the Qīngcí (Blue-Green Memorial) addressed to the Celestial Emperor, the document emphasizes: "Heaven shows no partiality, extending grace only to the virtuous; though the Dao is profound, sincerity can move it." Amid relentless border strife and internal crises, the emperor’s earnest appeal sought cosmic realignment and collective moral renewal. He entreated the Celestial Emperor to unleash boundless compassion, commanding the gods to shield the people.

To the True Lord, the emperor confessed his limited governance amid turbulent times. Since the Han dynasty, thirteen sovereigns had venerated this deity, and now the five-centuries-old prophecy of his benevolent era was unfolding. Heartbroken by war’s devastation in Sichuan and the Huai River region, the emperor yearned for reunification. He extolled the True Lord’s timeless efficacy, noting how the current dynasty had further honored him with titles. Present auspicious signs, he declared, fulfilled both divine will and the people’s hopes.

This text records an official document from the Jiading era (1237-1240) of the Southern Song Dynasty concerning the imperial conferment of honors upon the "Perfected Lord of Nine Heavens' Investigative Response and Primordial Protection" enshrined at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace. The main contents are:

At that time, the temple's abbot Xiong Shouzhong petitioned the imperial court to bestow additional honorific titles upon this Daoist deity and requested the emperor's personal calligraphy for the plaque of the "Sanqing Pavilion" (Three Pure Ones Pavilion). Upon receiving the petition, the Ministry of Rites delegated the matter to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices (the institution overseeing rituals and music) for verification.

After investigation, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices reported: This Perfected Lord had manifested miraculous powers since the Tang Dynasty and had already been canonized as "Perfected Lord of Nine Heavens' Investigative Response and Primordial Protection" during Emperor Shenzong's reign in the Northern Song. Successive emperors had held him in high esteem. The deity proved particularly efficacious in eliminating floods and droughts, curing epidemics, suppressing banditry, and quelling warfare—rendering great service to both state and people. They therefore recommended imperial approval for the additional honors.

Finally, the Ministry of Rites compiled the Court's recommendations for submission, awaiting formal imperial ratification before implementation. The mentioned "Zhaijiao" refers to Daoist purification rituals, while the "Sanqing Pavilion" is the hall enshrining Daoism's highest deities—the Jade Pure (Yuqing), Upper Pure (Shangqing), and Grand Pure (Taiqing). The entire process exemplifies the Song Dynasty's official system for canonizing Daoist deities and its methods of religious administration.

Following the directive from the central administrative office (Dusheng), preparations were made to add two characters to the existing honorary title "Yingyuan Baoyun" (Responding to Origins and Protecting Fortune). After deliberation, the proposed new title was "Jiutian Caifang Yingyuan Baoyun Miaohua Zhenjun" (Perfect Lord of the Nine Heavens' Investigative Envoy, Responding to Origins, Protecting Fortune, and Wondrous Transformation), with a formal request submitted to the imperial court for official canonization.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices (Taichangsi), responsible for ceremonial affairs, had already submitted the relevant documents, seeking imperial approval. On the eighth day of the fourth month, an edict was issued authorizing the process. Subsequently, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices supplemented additional materials and once again petitioned the court to formally promulgate the decree.

In the imperial edict, the emperor declared: "With devout reverence for Heaven and respect for the divine, We acknowledge the exalted status of these perfected immortals, whose deeds have long been recorded in Daoist scriptures. Though mountains such as Lushan gained renown during the Tang dynasty, their numinous energy originates from the very dawn of creation. The spirits of mountains and rivers all fall under the governance of this Perfect Lord, and the state relies upon his protection."

The edict further extolled the Perfect Lord: "He embodies the profound mysteries of the Dao (the Way), traversing between existence and non-existence, existing even before the Heavenly Emperor. Capable of riding the primordial Qi (vital energy) to roam the boundless realms, he once received a mandate from Heaven and manifested his divine presence at Lushan. Among the deities of the Nine Heavens, his position as 'Investigative Envoy' (Caifangshi) is the most honored, overseeing all beings across the Three Realms."

"Since Emperor Taizong of the Song dynasty named his temple 'Taiping Xingguo' (Great Peace and Prosperous Reign), and Emperor Shenzong later conferred the title 'Yingyuan Baoyun' (Responding to Origins and Protecting Fortune), formally establishing the temple’s name, his divine radiance has illuminated the celestial abodes. Now, We inherit our ancestors’ traditions, adhering to established precedents, never neglecting the seasonal sacrifices. The Perfect Lord has repeatedly manifested his efficacy, both in dispelling floods and droughts and in conveying divine oracles through Daoist priests. Contemplating his immortal form as he rides cranes through the clouds, We have resolved to further honor him with an additional title to highlight his transformative power."

"Since the creation of Heaven and Earth seven thousand kalpas ago, the profound mysteries have remained unfathomable. Now, in this flourishing age, five hundred years of blessings grace the people. We trust that Heaven will soon cease calamities and that peace will prevail across the land. We pray that the Perfect Lord may safeguard the foundation of the state and eternally bestow great fortune. Accordingly, We hereby confer the additional title 'Jiutian Caifang Yingyuan Baoyun Miaohua Zhenjun' (Perfect Lord of the Nine Heavens' Investigative Envoy, Responding to Origins, Protecting Fortune, and Wondrous Transformation)."

(This passage documents the complete process by which the Song imperial court canonized the Investigative Envoy Perfect Lord enshrined at Lushan’s Taiping Xingguo Temple, including official correspondence and the imperial edict. It reflects the Song dynasty’s reverence for Daoist deities and the concrete workings of the canonization system.)

This passage documents the Southern Song court's veneration activities for the Nine Heavens Investigative True Lord (a revered Daoist deity) at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace. During the Chunyou era of Emperor Lizong's reign, the emperor specially dispatched Daoist priest Xiong Shouzhong to Jiangzhou (modern Jiujiang) to conduct grand Daoist rituals at Taiping Xingguo Palace.

The court issued several specific directives: First, the True Lord was granted the honorific title "Nine Heavens Investigative Responding to Origins Protecting Fortune Marvelous Transformation True Lord." Xiong Shouzhong was ordered to establish a 1,200-divinity jiao altar (a major Daoist sacrificial ceremony) at Taiping Xingguo Palace lasting five days and nights. Simultaneously, 120-divinity jiao altars were set up at both Shousheng Guangfu Temple and Dazhong Xiangfu Temple. The emperor particularly emphasized strict adherence to Daoist liturgical protocols and sincere prayers to seek divine response.

The court also bestowed imperial edicts personally inscribed by the emperor, requiring their proper safekeeping and subsequent reporting on their usage. Specific arrangements included: having Minister of War Shi compose the green memorial (Daoist sacrificial text) and prayer boards on behalf of the court, with an appointed official overseeing the incense ceremonies. All ritual dates were to be reported by Xiong Shouzhong, with completion requiring submission of participating officials' names and positions to the court.

The appended prayer text to the True Lord essentially stated: On the sixth day of the second month in Chunyou's first year, the emperor dispatched Xiong Shouzhong to offer pure wine and fine foods in sacrifice to the Nine Heavens Investigative True Lord, praising this deity's exalted position among celestial ranks and his protection of sentient beings throughout history. The text acknowledged the deity's widespread blessings that prolonged the nation's fortune, with the emperor specially conferring this honorific title and offering sincere prayers along with food and wine to repay the deity's grace.

The concluding "Purpose of the Jiao Ceremony" section reveals the emperor's personal reflection upon inheriting the throne—his desire to magnify ancestral achievements and stabilize the nation's foundations, while deeply appreciating divine protection. This reflects the Southern Song court's politico-religious practice of using Daoist rituals to pray for national stability and prosperity.

This text records a Daoist ritual ceremony held at the Taiping Xingguo Temple on Mount Lu during the Chunyou era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1241 CE), with content divided into three main sections:

The first section describes the exalted status of the "Perfected Lord of Mysterious Transformation, Responsive to Origins and Protector of Fortune, Interviewer of the Nine Heavens" - an important Daoist deity responsible for examining human virtue and vice. As a celestial sovereign and guardian of the state, this Perfected Lord has protected imperial temples and altars of state for centuries, bestowing blessings upon the people for five hundred years. The imperial court selected the sixth day of the second lunar month for the Taiping Xingguo Temple priests to conduct the five-day "Purification Ritual for Timely Harvest Blessings" (Qigu Fushi Zhai). During the ceremony, Daoists presented precious memorials (Daoist documents), lit the Zhou Tian constellation lamps and Jiazi longevity lamps, culminating in the "Grand Offering of Complete Dispersion" (Man San She Jiao) with 1,200 spirit tablets. Through these rituals, they sought divine protection for national security, universal peace, and the continuation of ancestral lineages with lasting harmony and abundant harvests.

The second section contains the "Green Petition" (Qingci) addressed to the Celestial Emperor. It states that although border conflicts had somewhat abated, the people still suffered famine and the state treasury remained depleted. With utmost sincerity, they implored the Celestial Emperor's mercy to dispatch celestial officials who might eliminate calamities and bring blessings, ensuring smooth circulation of goods throughout the realm.

The third section presents another Green Petition to the Perfected Lord, extolling his boundless merit in safeguarding the nation's enduring fortune. It recounts how the Perfected Lord manifested sacred traces at Mount Lu, receiving honorific titles since previous dynasties. Following tradition, they renewed these honors, praying for continued blessings of national stability, peaceful borders, and the auspicious birth of imperial heirs.

A final note specifies these ceremonies were conducted on the eighteenth day of the second lunar month of Chunyou 1 (1241), by imperial decree at the Shousheng Guangfu Temple and Dazhong Xiangfu Temple. The entire document vividly illustrates the Southern Song court's pious efforts to invoke national prosperity through Daoist ritual practice.

This account documents the miraculous events at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace (a Daoist temple complex) during the Song Dynasty and the imperial veneration activities. Mount Lu was revered as the abode of the "Investigating True Lord" (a Daoist deity responsible for monitoring human virtue and vice), where the emperor's birth-year guardian deity (in Daoism, each birth year corresponds to a specific protective deity) was enshrined. Twice annually during spring and autumn, state-level zhaijiao (Daoist sacrificial rituals) were conducted, with local officials composing prayer texts on the emperor's behalf.

The local official Li Wenweng memorialized the throne, noting that since the Xiangfu era (1008-1016), the emperor had annually bestowed incense upon this temple. Though the practice was later interrupted, whenever natural disasters occurred (such as delayed auspicious snowfall), holding jiao rituals here would immediately produce miraculous responses. Most remarkably, during the Jiading era (1237-1240), after performing zhaijiao here, 100,000 households experienced harmonious qi, fulfilling a five-century-old prophecy. Consequently, the emperor specially conferred upon the temple's True Lord the title "Marvelous Transformation True Lord," presenting precious ritual items like eaglewood incense and silk for altar stabilization (sacred implements to sanctify the ritual platform).

The mentioned "green memorials" (qingci) were azure-colored petitions offered to heaven during Daoist rituals, generally conveying: "We conduct these solemn ceremonies not merely to demonstrate ritual propriety, but to beseech divine manifestation. May heaven bless our borders with peace, our people with tranquility, and the imperial lineage with flourishing descendants." The complete ritual sequence included day-night scripture recitation, lighting stellar lamps (ritual objects symbolizing constellations), and arranging 120 deity positions—all purificatory sacrifices aimed at achieving national stability, popular wellbeing, and cosmic harmony.

Particularly noteworthy is the recorded "Lingbao Ritual Arena," a key Shangqing (Highest Clarity) tradition ceremony employing the Lingbao Scripture system for liturgy (keyi), primarily for disaster prevention and blessing solicitation. The "pure jiao" (qingjiao) represented relatively simple sacrificial forms, contrasting with more elaborate rituals like the "Yellow Register Retreat."

This memorial documents the process by which officials of Jiangzhou (modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi) during the Southern Song Dynasty petitioned to reinstate the ritual ceremonies at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace. The palace was a sacred site dedicated to the Nine Heavens Investigative Perfected Lord (an important Daoist deity), with a history spanning over five centuries from the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty to the Southern Song, renowned for its spiritual efficacy. After the founding of the Song Dynasty, the court annually bestowed incense for conducting Zhaijiao (Daoist sacrificial rituals) here, but the practice was discontinued during the Longxing era. A brief revival occurred in the Jiading era, when the Perfected Lord was granted the honorific title "Marvelous Transformation" (Miaohua) and received imperial incense, but the rituals lapsed again when no further petitions were submitted.

In the winter of the fourth year of the Baoyou era (1256), the region suffered prolonged drought without snowfall. The prefect Li Wenweng personally went to Taiping Xingguo Palace to pray for snow—and indeed, auspicious snow fell, heralding a bountiful year. Consequently, he submitted a memorial to the court requesting that, following the precedent set in the Gengzi year of the Jiading era (1240), imperial incense be granted annually to restore the rituals. Upon receiving the petition, the Ministry of Rites forwarded it to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices (Taichang Si, the institution overseeing rites and music) to verify historical protocols. Ultimately, the court approved the request, permitting Taiping Xingguo Palace in Jiangzhou to continue its ceremonies according to the standards established during the Jiading era.

The "Shengzha" (provincial directive) mentioned in the text refers to the official document issued by the Secretariat of State Affairs (Shangshu Sheng), meticulously recording the entire process from local petition to central approval. It exemplifies the Song Dynasty's bureaucratic system for managing Daoist sacred sites.

This official document records a series of state-sponsored sacrificial activities at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace (a Daoist temple) during the Southern Song Dynasty. The content is divided into three main sections:

First, it mentions the imperial court instructing local authorities to conduct sacrificial affairs at Taiping Xingguo Palace according to established regulations. The Court of Imperial Sacrifices (Tai Chang Si, the office overseeing rituals and music) issued an official dispatch requiring the prefecture to follow precedent and report to the Department of State Affairs for record-keeping. The prefectural government had already relayed these instructions to Taiping Xingguo Palace.

Next, it details several major state sacrifices held at the temple: Beginning in the third year of the Taiping Xingguo era (978 CE), biannual Zhaijiao (Daoist purification rituals) were conducted each spring and autumn. During the Shaoxing 31st (1161), Longxing 2nd (1164), and Duanping 3rd (1236) years, the court repeatedly bestowed imperial incense and prayer tablets (ritual documents) for disaster-averting and blessing ceremonies. The Jiaxi era (1237-1240) saw special rituals conducted for border security and imperial progeny, accompanied by gifts of silver and fine silks. In the Chunyou 1st year (1241), the Perfected Lord received additional honorific titles.

Finally, it records Jiangzhou (modern Jiujiang) official Li Wenweng's memorial requesting continuation of the imperial incense rituals at Taiping Xingguo Palace according to former dynastic precedents. Investigation confirmed previous court practices of bestowing imperial incense, calligraphy, and ordination certificates (Daoist credentials). Current abbot Li Shouhao also petitioned for maintaining these traditions. On the ninth day of the sixth month, the emperor approved conducting the incense rituals according to Jiaxi-era standards, assigning the Imperial Medical Bureau, Palace Domestic Service, Hanlin Academy, and Jiangzhou authorities to jointly oversee the ceremonies.

This passage documents the imperial offerings and Daoist rituals conducted at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace during the fourth year of the Baoyou era (1256) of the Southern Song Dynasty. The court dispatched official Li Wenweng to Jiangzhou (modern Jiujiang) to prepare a state-level Daoist zhaijiao (grand purification ritual) at Taiping Xingguo Palace on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.

The emperor specifically bestowed thirty taels of agarwood, ten jin of sandalwood, and ten jin of dalbergia odorifera (all precious incenses) exclusively for altar offerings during this ritual. The decree established that these aromatic materials would be granted annually for autumn sacrifices henceforth. These ceremonies aimed to beseech celestial blessings for national stability, peaceful borders, populace welfare, and imperial longevity.

The text notes that Taiping Xingguo Palace served as a principal site for venerating the "Investigation Perfected Lord" (a Daoist deity), maintaining its status as a state ritual center since the Song Dynasty. However, due to local officials' negligence, certain ceremonial protocols had lapsed. As the imperial envoy, Li Wenweng petitioned the throne to reinstitute the annual incense endowment system, thereby preserving traditional ritual continuity.

The concluding section contains benedictory prayers for the emperor, invoking territorial expansion, enduring sovereignty, abundant harvests, civilian contentment, frontier tranquility, and universal submission. It further mentions preparing separate qingci (Daoist ritual petitions) for celestial submission, expressing the emperor's devout reverence for heaven and ancestral traditions. The entire document exemplifies the standardized procedures and profound significance of state-sponsored Daoist rituals during the Song Dynasty.

This passage documents a historical event during the Southern Song Dynasty when the imperial court conducted grand salvation rituals (Zhaijiao) for fallen soldiers and disaster victims.

Amidst frequent warfare that ravaged Sichuan, Liangguang, and Huaixiang regions, countless civilians became displaced with heavy casualties. The court allocated special funds to establish 1,200 Universal Salvation Altars (Pudu Jiao) at three locations—Chongqing, Nanyue, and Taiping Xingguo Palace in Jiangzhou—providing precious incenses like aloeswood, borneol, and jiangzhen incense, along with 100,000 strings of official coins for ritual expenses.

The text describes how soldiers who died defending the nation faced death fearlessly on battlefields, their loyal souls moving heaven and earth. In June 1260 (the first year of Jingding reign), the court decreed a grand salvation ceremony at Taiping Xingguo Palace on August 25th, employing Daoist rites to liberate these spirits from samsara.

The "Green Petition" (Qingci)—a celestial memorial used in Daoist rituals—extols the warriors' valor in "meeting peril with their lives, living on through death," expressing profound mourning while praying these heroic souls may find peace through liturgical intercession. The ritual combined Zhengyi Orthodox Unity talismanic traditions with Quanzhen Complete Perfection inner cultivation methods, reflecting the syncretic religious landscape of Southern Song Daoism.

This passage documents the miraculous manifestations and historical origins of the Supreme Lord of Interviewing the Nine Heavens, Responsive to the Primordial and Protector of Fortune (a high-ranking Daoist deity responsible for overseeing human morality) enshrined at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace.

During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong dreamed of a divine manifestation that demanded the establishment of a shrine at Mount Lu, prophesying that five hundred years later it would bring blessings to all living beings. The imperial court then decreed the construction of the Temple of the Nine Heavenly Messengers in Jiangzhou. The Song Dynasty emperors held this deity in particular reverence: Emperor Taizong bestowed an official temple name, Emperor Shenzong conferred the honorific title "Supreme Lord Responsive to the Primordial and Protector of Fortune," and Emperor Huizong elevated the temple to the status of a grand palace-temple. During the reigns of Emperors Gaozong and Xiaozong, officials were frequently dispatched to offer prayers for the protection of the nation's borders.

The author recounts that in the autumn of the previous year, while stationed in Jiangzhou, enemy forces attempted to cross the river. At the time, Jiangzhou's defenses were weak, leaving them in a desperate situation. In this moment of crisis, the author vowed to the Supreme Lord to conduct the Grand Universal Offering (the highest-ranking Daoist sacrificial ritual) with 3,600 ceremonial positions, praying for the protection of the state and its people. Shortly after, celestial phenomena shifted—winds reversed direction—and reinforcements arrived smoothly, averting the crisis.

To express gratitude for the divine favor, the author personally traveled to Taiping Xingguo Palace to fulfill the vow. Through studying the temple's inscriptions, it was revealed that this Supreme Lord is also known as the Sovereign of Scarlet Heaven, whose duty is to inspect the Nine Heavens and Nine Earths, determining human fortunes, longevity, calamities, and blessings. His status is equivalent to that of the Heavenly Emperor, and he simultaneously governs the Nine Palaces, Nine Provinces, and the celestial-terrestrial correspondences of the Nine Stars (an ancient astrological-geographical system). The Supreme Lord manifests his divine power during the Yangjiu Bailiu cycles (Daoist eschatological periods) to protect all living beings.

This account reflects both the Song court's veneration of Daoist deities and the historical reality of local officials seeking spiritual support through religious rituals during wartime. The text particularly emphasizes the deity's role in overseeing human affairs, determining fortune and misfortune, and his miraculous interventions in times of crisis.

This text documents the miraculous manifestations of the "Perfect Lord of Interviewing the Nine Heavens, Responding to the Primordial, Protecting the Fortune, and Wondrous Transformation" (an important Daoist deity) at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace during the Song Dynasty, along with the imperial court's continuous bestowal of honorific titles.

As early as the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, prophecies foretold this deity would bring blessings to humanity five hundred years later. By the Song Dynasty, Emperor Taizong bestowed an inscribed plaque upon the Daoist temple, while Emperor Shenzong issued an edict conferring the title "Perfect Lord of Responding to the Primordial and Protecting the Fortune." Historical records detail multiple divine interventions: during the Jianyan era when rebel Zhang Yu attacked Jiangzhou, soldiers and civilians witnessed the deity's true form manifesting in clouds as a dragon-horse formation that routed the rebels; during the Kaixi era when Wu Xi rebelled in Shu, the deity delivered prophecies foretelling the rebel's clan would be exterminated.

Emperor Huizong continued his predecessors' veneration by adding jade tablets (imperial ritual documents) to the honors and elevating the temple to palace status. By the Jiading era, two additional characters "Wondrous Transformation" were appended to the title, though Ministry of Rites officials neglected to verify precedent, causing discrepancies with ceremonial standards from the Yuanfeng and Zhenghe eras. Therefore, a petition requested imperial reconsideration to add eight more honorific characters to the existing title, formalize the conferment with jade tablets, and recall previous edicts for archival at the Ministry of Rites.

Such measures would not only dispel military conflicts and usher in peace, safeguarding the nation's enduring fortune, but also maintain consistency with ceremonial systems revered by previous emperors. In the fifth month of 1260 (Jingding 1st year), Academician Lu again memorialized for new imperial patents, documenting the deity's protective miracles since Tang Kaiyuan and each Song emperor's honors—including Huizong's temple elevation, and the humble "Your subject the Emperor" openings used in Daoist sacrificial green memorials (qingci) during Gaozong's and Xiaozong's reigns.

Throughout successive Song dynasty reigns, emperors regularly dispatched officials to Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace to conduct prayer ceremonies. After the current emperor ascended the throne, he further honored [the deity] with the reverential title "Marvelous Transformation," personally inscribed a plaque for the Sanqing (Three Pure Ones) Pavilion, bestowed imperial incense, erected altars for zhaijiao (Daoist purification rituals), and made reverent offerings with vermilion petitions and blue memorials (Daoist ritual documents) in ceremonies of utmost solemnity.

The numinous manifestations of this Zhenjun (Daoist honorific for perfected immortals) are too numerous to recount: during the Jianyan era when the rebel Zhang Yu attacked the city, the Zhenjun appeared amid clouds to scatter the bandit troops; in the Kaixi period during Wu Xi's rebellion in Shu territory, the Zhenjun descended with a divine brush to execute the villains; this year when enemy forces invaded Rui-chang County, mysterious forces obstructed their advance, secretly protecting the local populace from warfare. Moreover, the Zhenjun frequently sends timely rains, eradicates plagues, relieves famines, guards borders, prevents armed conflicts, and delivers the people—his protective blessings are profoundly evident.

Now that the nation prospers with all sacrificial rites properly observed, we consider that since the Caifang Zhenjun (Daoist deity who investigates human virtue and vice) first manifested during the Xinyou year of Tang Kaiyuan era, five centuries of blessings have spread throughout the world. Two Song emperors have honored him with celestial rites, with successive imperial edicts using the humble self-reference "your subject the emperor" to show reverence. Yet during the Jiaxi era's canonization, the Ministry of Rites failed to conduct full ceremonies according to precedent, merely issuing the patent document—unworthy of historical veneration standards. Though local officials conduct biannual spring-autumn sacrifices, this remains insufficient to express popular devotion.

We humbly petition His Majesty to decree through the Central Secretariat the addition of eight honorific characters to the existing "Perfected Lord of Responsive Primordiality, Safeguarding Fortune through Marvelous Transformation." Further requesting consultation of Yuanyou and Zhenghe era edict precedents, let relevant departments examine ceremonial regulations to carve jade ce-bao (imperial patent tablets), manifesting generations of veneration to welcome blessings descending from the Nine Heavens.

Ninth month, 1st year of Jingding era (1260), petition from Huiyou Pavilion officials regarding canonization. When local officials conducted sacrifices to regional mountains and rivers, examining records and consulting village elders revealed the Nine Heavens Caifang Zhenjun had appeared in Tang Xuanzong's dream to establish this shrine. For five centuries this upright deity has impartially protected the people, successively manifesting to quell Zhang Yu's rebellion, execute Wu Xi, and recently defend riverside cities through numinous intervention.

This passage documents the process in 1261 during the Southern Song Jingding era when officials from Jiangzhou (present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi) petitioned the imperial court to bestow additional honorific titles upon the "Perfected Lord of the Nine Heavens' Investigative Envoy, Responsive to Origins, Protector of Fortune, and Marvelous Transformation" enshrined at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace. Local official Yin Yinglei memorialized the throne, reporting that during the previous Mongol invasion (referred to as "Tartar bandits" in the text) of Jiangxi, the entire region had been protected through the Perfected Lord's miraculous manifestation. Earlier petitions by senior officials Shi Zizheng and Lu Dianzhuan had been submitted twice but were not approved.

After deliberation by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices (the institution overseeing ritual protocols), referencing precedents from the Zhenghe era (1111-1118) of the Northern Song, two additional characters—"Aiding Compliance" (zhushun)—were appended to the original six-character honorific "Responsive to Origins, Protector of Fortune, and Marvelous Transformation." This formed the new title: "Perfected Lord of the Nine Heavens' Investigative Envoy, Responsive to Origins, Protector of Fortune, Marvelous Transformation, and Aiding Compliance," accompanied by the bestowal of a jade certificate (a jade document recording the title). The imperial approval was granted in the eighth month of 1261, with the Ministry of Rites issuing the official decree to Jiangzhou.

The "Perfected Lord of the Nine Heavens' Investigative Envoy" mentioned here is a significant Daoist deity, traditionally believed to have manifested at Mount Lu and venerated as a protector of the state during the Song dynasty. This case exemplifies the standard Song bureaucratic procedure through which local officials formally petitioned for divine titles, while also reflecting the political tradition of using such imperial enfeoffments to pacify popular sentiment.

This passage documents a historical event from the second year of the Jingding era (1261 CE) during the Southern Song dynasty, when the imperial court bestowed the additional honorific title "Zhushun" (Assisting Obedience) upon the deity "Perfect Lord of Nine Heavens' Investigative Response, Primordial Protection, and Wondrous Transformation" enshrined at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace. At the time, as Mongol armies invaded the Yangtze River region, Daoist deities were believed to have covertly assisted Song forces in achieving military victories, thus receiving imperial recognition.

The official court decree dated the eighteenth day of the eleventh month in 1262 records how the "Perfect Lord of Nine Heavens' Investigations" venerated at Jiangzhou (modern Jiujiang)'s Taiping Xingguo Palace received this new honorific. The deity is described as transcending all creation while traversing the nine celestial realms, capable of sensing human fortunes and misfortunes. During the Mongol invasion of the Yangtze, the deity secretly aided Song troops to victory, routing enemy forces and allowing commoners to live in peace. Consequently, the court specially added the two characters "Zhushun," expanding the full title to "Perfect Lord of Nine Heavens' Investigative Response, Primordial Protection, Wondrous Transformation, and Assisting Obedience."

Local officials conducted elaborate Daoist rituals (zhaijiao) to ceremonially install this imperial edict. The ritual prayers acknowledged that while deities fundamentally require no human praise, the court owed gratitude for their nation-protecting merits. Recalling the crisis during wartime, the texts described how the deity covertly amplified Song military power to safeguard civilian lives, hence repaying the celestial being with an eight-character honorific. The ceremony concluded with prayers for shared blessings between state and deity, the cleansing of malign forces from borders, and the augmentation of auspicious signs across the land.

This account reflects the unique historical context of the late Southern Song dynasty, when the court leveraged Daoist beliefs to bolster military resistance. It presents a characteristic case study of how Daoist deity worship became intertwined with state military campaigns.

This text is an imperial edict issued by the Yuan emperor to a Daoist temple, primarily concerning the protection of Daoist institutions and their associated rights. Here is the modern interpretation:

In the name of "Eternal Heaven" (the supreme deity in Mongolian belief), the Yuan emperor proclaims this edict to all officials, military personnel, envoys, Daoist priests, and commoners: In accordance with the previous decrees of Genghis Khan and Ögedei Khan (Emperor Khagan), religious practitioners—including Buddhist monks, Nestorian Christians ("Erke'un"), Daoist priests ("Xiansheng"), and Muslim clerics ("Dashiman")—are exempt from taxes and corvée labor, requiring only that they devote themselves to praying for the imperial family.

This specific edict is granted to the abbot of the Shangqing Zhengyi Temple on Longhu Mountain in Xinzhou—Celestial Master Zhang (leader of the Orthodox Unity [Zhengyi] sect of Daoism). It stipulates the following: No envoy may lodge within the temple; no one may forcibly occupy temple property; secular affairs may not be conducted on temple grounds; grain may not be stockpiled in temple storehouses; and no unauthorized items may be stored there. Temple-owned relay horses are exempt from official duties, and commercial taxes are waived. All temple assets—including fields, waterways, bamboo groves, mills, boats, gardens, pawnshops, shops, bathhouses, and breweries—are entirely exempt from taxation.

The edict explicitly states: Without a direct imperial decree, no noble may demand goods from Daoist priests, nor are priests obliged to provide them. In matters concerning Daoists, all decisions must follow the guidance of Celestial Master Zhang and the teachings of the Most High Lord Lao (the foundational figure of Daoism). When disputes arise between commoners and Daoists, they are to be jointly adjudicated by Daoist leaders and local officials.

This edict reflects the Yuan dynasty's preferential policies toward Daoism (particularly the Orthodox Unity [Zhengyi] sect), supporting its development through tax exemptions, property protections, and judicial privileges. The "Celestial Master Zhang" mentioned refers to the contemporary leader of the Zhengyi sect, while Longhu Mountain is the ancestral seat of the tradition. The frequent use of "Xiansheng" ("Master") in the text was an honorific term for Daoist priests during the Yuan period.

This Yuan Dynasty Daoist document records official government correspondence regarding imperial rituals held at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace, comprising three main sections:

The first part follows standard Yuan bureaucratic format, mentioning how the Celestial Master (Tianshi, leader of the Zhengyi Orthodox Unity tradition) carried imperial edicts requiring local officials to assist in Daoist affairs. The term "Darughachi" refers to the highest regional administrative position in the Mongolian governance system.

The second section details the "Imperial Birthday Zhaijiao" ritual conducted on the 10th day of the 2nd lunar month in 1277. The Jiangzhou Circuit (modern Jiujiang region) Darughachi administration collaborated with the local Daoist management office "Tidian Daolu Si" to organize a Golden Register Grand Ritual (the highest grade of Daoist purification ceremony) at Taiping Xingguo Palace. The ceremonial sequence included: establishing the altar and scripture recitation on the 26th day of the 1st month; three daily repentance ceremonies (morning, noon and evening) on the 27th; and the formal ritual at dawn on the 28th, praying for the emperor's longevity, national stability, and abundant harvests.

The third section documents the "Heavenly Official Bestows Blessings" ritual held during the Lantern Festival. Conducted in the Palace's Nine Heaven Investigative True Lord Hall (dedicated to Daoist inspector deities), the ceremony involved 120 additional spirit tablets for worship. The Qingci (memorial petitions to celestial courts) specifically petitioned for plague eradication and bountiful crops.

The text mentions "cloud seal script" (yunzhuan), a special calligraphic style imitating swirling cloud patterns used in Daoist talismans (fulu), and "concluding dispersal" (mansan), the altar-dismantling ceremony marking ritual completion. These ceremonies strictly followed protocols from the Daoist canon Rui Ji Zhi Ke (referencing major liturgical texts), exemplifying the comprehensive ritual standards of Yuan Dynasty state-sponsored Daoist worship.

This passage documents the Yuan Dynasty emperor's ceremonial bestowal of honors upon the Nine Heavens Investigative Perfected Lord (a Daoist deity who inspects the Three Realms and records good and evil deeds) at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace, along with related sacrificial activities.

The imperial court specially dispatched envoys, including Yaonan and the Daoist leader Zhang Liushun (Master of the Xuanjiao lineage, overseeing Daoist affairs in regions like Lianghuai and Jingxiang), to carry the imperial edict and royal incense to the Perfected Lord's main hall at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace for a solemn incense-burning ceremony. The text details two major rituals: the first was a Thanksgiving Qingjiao (a Daoist purification ritual) held on the 27th day of the first lunar month to pray for the emperor's longevity and blessings; the second was another incense offering conducted by Master Zhang Liushun on behalf of the empress and crown prince, beseeching the emperor's long life and national stability.

In the fifth year of the Yanyou era (1318), the emperor formally granted the Perfected Lord the title "Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy, Responsive to Origins, Protector of Fortune, Marvelous Transformer, and Aiding in Order Perfected Lord." The edict praised the deity as coeval with heaven and earth, possessing divine power to command myriad spirits and oversee the Three Realms, with a history of miraculous protection of the state since the Tang Dynasty. The conferral ceremony not only honored the deity's virtuous merits but also embodied the political ideal of "prosperous people and abundant goods, a tranquil sea and clear rivers." The repeated mention of rituals such as Qingjiao (purification rites) and Jiangxiang (incense offerings) reflects Daoism's essential practices of communicating with the divine through incense burning and scripture recitation.

This text records an imperial edict issued in the fifth lunar month of 1318 (the fifth year of the Yanyou era in the Yuan dynasty), conferring additional honorific titles upon the "Investigation True Lord" (Caifang Zhenjun) of Taiping Xingguo Temple on Mount Lu.

The general meaning states that this deity's blessings permeate heaven and earth, possessing boundless divine powers capable of gathering the "Five Blessings" (longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a peaceful death) to bestow upon the people, ensuring eternal peace and prosperity in the world. Therefore, the court specially granted the exalted title of "True Lord of the Nine Heavens' Investigation Envoy, Responsive to the Primordial, Guardian of Fortune, Marvelous Transformation, Aid to Harmony, Ultimate Virtue, Benevolence, and Sagacity."

The "Investigation True Lord" is an important Daoist divine office responsible for inspecting human affairs to discern good and evil, while the "Nine Heavens" (Jiutian) refers to the highest celestial realm. This title reflects both the Yuan court's reverence for Daoist deities and its political intention to invoke religious power to safeguard national stability and prosperity. The edict was recorded in the fourth volume of The Deeds of the Investigation True Lord (Caifang Zhenjun Shishi) preserved at Taiping Xingguo Temple on Mount Lu.

This account records an extraordinary Daoist encounter on Mount Lu. During the Zhou dynasty, a certain Master Kang resided in seclusion on the mountain with his six brothers, cultivating the Dao in pursuit of immortality. One day, a young man suddenly appeared—dressed in the wide-sleeved robes of a Confucian scholar and wearing ceremonial headgear. The youth spoke with refined elegance, demonstrating profound knowledge of both ancient history and the teachings of immortals. Recognizing his extraordinary nature, Master Kang received him with warm hospitality. Their friendship continued for several years, yet Master Kang never learned the visitor's name or origins.

Eventually unable to contain his curiosity, Master Kang inquired directly. The youth then revealed himself as Liu Yue, a resident of the mountain's eastern slopes, and invited Master Kang to visit his dwelling. He instructed: "Below the mountain stands a three-foot stone—strike it and we shall meet again." Following these directions, Master Kang found the stone and knocked. Instantly the rock split open, revealing a young attendant who welcomed him inside. After proceeding a dozen paces, two blue-robed attendants bearing crimson ritual tablets appeared to guide him. Before them unfolded a breathtaking landscape of jeweled pavilions and golden towers, where rare birds and exotic animals wandered amidst fantastical flora.

The Perfected Liu Yue (an honorific title for Daoist adepts) approached wearing a jade crown and a vermilion sash with sword. Realizing this was no earthly realm, Master Kang begged to stay and cultivate the Dao. But the Perfected One, recognizing his spiritual merits remained insufficient, explained their destined reunion would occur later at Penglai, the fabled Eastern Sea paradise. At parting, Liu Yue served Master Kang three cups of jade wine and longevity elixir. When escorted back outside, the stone resealed itself. Subsequent attempts to knock went unanswered. Later generations built the "Immortal's Stone Pavilion" at the site, where the characters "Liu the Immortal" remain carved—an artifact still visible near the third gate of Taiping Xingguo Palace.

A postscript adds: According to Zhang Yunso's Southern Migration Records, Master Kang's thatched hermitage gave Mount Lu its alternate name "Kanglu." Traveling thirty li south from the prefectural city across Sweet Pear Lake, then ten li along the Pen River's bank, one passes a northward-flowing mountain stream by the Lianxi Academy. After several more li through dense forests and murmuring brooks to New Bridge, crossing Serpent Ridge brings visitors to Taiping Xingguo Temple—site of the Tang dynasty Nine Heavens Imperial Envoy's shrine, constructed during the Xining reign period.

Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Temple (a Daoist monastery) was expanded into an imposing complex with buildings stretching along mountain streams, complete with stairways, kitchens, bathhouses, and encircling waterways. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (referred to as "Yuanzong," personal name Li Longji) personally inscribed the hall plaque in gold characters on black lacquer, and enshrined a life-sized golden bronze imperial statue. The temple also housed three immortal robes embroidered with golden threads bestowed by emperors, while below the hall steps lay the legendary "Immortal Liu's Stone" where the transcendent Liu Hunkang was said to have manifested.

Regarding Hu Chongzhen's encounter with Lü Dongbin (one of the Eight Immortals):

The temple's Daoist priest Hu Yongcong, whose religious name was Chongzhenzi, took monastic vows in his youth. During Emperor Shenzong's Xining era (1068-1077), a disheveled Daoist calling himself "Surname Hui" barged into the storeroom. While other priests ignored him, Master Hu respectfully invited him to a private chamber, recognizing his transcendent bearing. After drinking heartily, the Daoist invited Hu to a tavern, but Hu declined as night fell. Stroking his beard, the stranger laughed and departed. At dawn the next day when Hu went to the city (before the gates opened), he saw the same Daoist emerging from within the city walls smiling at him - the gatekeeper revealed "Daoist Hui" had been waiting there since midnight.

Years later, the same man arrived wearing hemp sandals with two gourds slung on a rope, introducing himself as "Guest of the Great Song." When he poured gold and silver from the gourds offering wealth, Hu instead sought longevity methods. After sharing wine bought with silver fragments, the Daoist transmitted esoteric cultivation secrets. At dusk, he mixed excavated earth with wine and saliva, blowing Qi to transform it into an ink cake, claiming ingestion could cure illness and confer transcendence. When Hu awoke from drunkenness, the chamber was filled with divine fragrance, a clear spring bubbled from the dug earth, and the Daoist had vanished. After grinding and consuming the ink, Hu's chronic ailments vanished. He maintained youthful appearance into his seventies before ascending as an immortal, leaving behind poetic verses. The temple still preserves relics from this encounter.

The waters of Immortal Ink Spring taste sweet when cupped in one's hands to drink, never drying up through winter or summer. Eminent scholars like Left Councilor Wang and Vice Minister Song Boyou composed poetry here in mutual response (these works are preserved in our temple's anthology of notable verses). Master Hu also encountered an immortal at this site, as recorded in our temple's ancient stele inscriptions.

Regarding Daoist Qi Wuzhi's sitting in transformation:

Each morning after completing the Chaozhen (Daoist morning liturgy), our temple's Daoist Qi Wuzhi would close his door and sit upright, avoiding outside contact. He devoted himself to chanting the Lingbao Duren Jing (Scripture of Salvation), his mind merging deeply with the sacred text to attain its true essence. During Emperor Huizong's Chongning era (1102-1106), he suddenly began drinking water continuously for several days, telling fellow Daoist Lü Shizhong: "This dusty world isn't worth clinging to—I shall soon depart." Lü dismissed it as jest. At midnight, Qi sat in full lotus position, raised his hand toward a candle and declared: "Let this bear witness. Yet this matter is truly no simple feat!" Still uncomprehending, Lü retired. Upon waking, he found Qi had peacefully transcended while maintaining his seated posture (from our temple's historical records).

Concerning Bi Yangsu (styled Kangshu) encountering a transcendent being:

Our temple's Daoist Bi Daoning displayed extraordinary intelligence from youth, with refined features and photographic memory for scriptures. During Emperor Zhezong's Shaosheng reign (1094-1098), while traveling through Jiangzhe, he met a majestic-looking adept at Qianshan mountain. As they wandered the peaks together, Bi sensed this was no ordinary man and sought apprenticeship. The adept silently understood his intent, saying: "Cultivating the Dao focuses on refining Shen (spirit) and nurturing Yuanqi (primordial energy)—alchemical texts are merely stepping stones. If you can abandon worldly distractions to concentrate on cultivating spirit and energy, true spiritual awakening will follow." By a stream, he pointed at the water: "Still surfaces reflect clearly, tranquil minds reveal luminous Shen—this merits reflection." He then bestowed alchemical medicine, adding: "We shall reunite below Sage Governance Peak." With a bow, he vanished instantly. Returning that day, Bi happened upon a vacant deputy position at the temple which the prefecture assigned to him. Soon resigning, he built a hermitage to the temple's right, excavating a pond named "Purity Pool" where he secluded himself daily to chant the Duren Jing. On the third day of the first lunar month in 1125 (Xuanhe Yisi year), a mountain visitor clad in armor arrived. After reminiscing, he transmitted the lyric poem "Spring in Qin Garden":

"A golden elixir (Jindan) small as millet grain

Manifests through serene stillness.

Rotating Yin-Yang's foundation,

Azure Dragon east and White Tiger west

Merge as golden water congeals.

Select auspicious earth for deep refinement—

Nine years complete the work,

Three Dantian (energy centers) perfected,

With Bagua (Eight Trigrams) energy circulating throughout the body."

This account narrates the stories of two Daoist practitioners. The first concerns a Zhenren (Perfected Person) who cultivated at Taiping Xingguo Palace, practicing in the "Qing Si" chamber to the right of Yangsu Hall. This adept realized that the essence of cultivation lay in refining the heart-mind (lingtai, the spiritual terrace), without clinging to external alchemical furnaces or elixirs. He penetrated the truth of emptiness, attaining purity like an unblemished infant. After encountering a master by the Huai River who transmitted wondrous alchemical methods, he left behind profound teachings in anticipation of celestial ascension. Four days later, he straightened his robes and passed away in seated meditation.

The second practitioner was Wang Bingwen (courtesy name Yanheng), master of Jinhua Grotto. Originally a palace Daoist, while serving at Shenxiao Wanshou Palace in the capital, he met a fangshi (esoteric practitioner) who foretold coming chaos and transmitted to him the essential method of "Preserving the Three and Guarding the One" (maintaining the Three Treasures of jing, qi, and shen), along with medical techniques descended from the Yellow Emperor and Bian Que. Resigning his post to return to the mountains, he coincidentally avoided the 1130 wartime destruction of the palace, later leading reconstruction efforts. For over thirty years thereafter, he secluded himself in cultivation, calling himself "Master San Yi" (Three-One) while studying Daoist scriptures and medical theory.

On the Lantern Festival of 1166, he dreamed of a divine being appointing him as master of Jinhua's Great Purification Grotto, bestowing a Soul-Returning Elixir to restore primordial qi. The next day, he transmitted his medical and Daoist works—including Shengzhi Xianyan Ji (Collection of Sagely Governance Manifestations) and Xishan Zhenjun Qian Jie (Divination Interpretations of the True Lord of Western Mountains, still used for oracle sticks at the present Caifang Hall)—to disciples like Qin Zhixiang. By early February, having bathed and changed robes, he peacefully departed. At that time, the prefectural governor...

During the Tang dynasty, Fu Wenwenruo once composed a eulogy for a Perfected Being (Zhenren), stating: I have heard that those who have truly attained the Dao do not dream when they sleep. Those who claim to have dreamed of Perfected Beings are likely spreading falsehoods. Yet to say all dreams are illusory is not entirely accurate. For instance, King Wu Ding of the Shang dynasty dreamed of the virtuous minister Fu Yue, and King Wen of Zhou dreamed of the Heavenly Emperor bestowing upon him a talented advisor—these dreams became reality. Human life itself is like an illusory dream, making it even harder to discern dreams within dreams. This Master of the Threefold Unity (referring to Perfected Being Huang) possessed an innate purity of nature. Before his passing, he dreamed of ascending to immortality with feathered wings, which resonated with the true essence of the Great Dao. The Heavenly Emperor granted him the Golden Grotto Paradise, allowing him to return to his original source. I wish to inquire: How can one distinguish truth from falsehood in such matters? In truth, reality and illusion are fundamentally one; a hundred years pass in the blink of an eye. Behold the Perfected Being, transcending the mundane as he gracefully ascends astride a white steed.

The old gardener Qi Kuan praised the Perfected Being’s form thus: Look, yet you cannot see; listen, yet you cannot hear—yet within lies the true visage. To forcibly depict his appearance is futile, for no matter how lifelike the portrayal, it inevitably lacks his divine essence. His presence lingers before you, like the stillness of placid water or the flowing movement of drifting clouds. (From the stele records of this temple.)

Regarding Perfected Being Huang’s liberation from the corpse (a Daoist term for transcending the physical body to achieve immortality): The temple’s Daoist Huang Zhiwei, styled Mingdao, was of serene temperament and imposing stature. During the Yuanfeng era of Emperor Shenzong of the Song dynasty, he served as the Hall Keeper, responsible for incense offerings. One day, Master Cui, a practitioner from Mount Qian, visited and imparted to him the mysteries of "refining the myriad spirits in the Muddy Pellet Palace (Niwan Gong)" and the "Golden Elixir (Jindan) in a single grain of the medicinal spoon (Daogui)," as well as the essential teachings of the "Way of the Valley Spirit in the One-Nine" and the "Golden Liquid Submerging Radiance (Jinye Lunjing)." Thereafter, Perfected Being Huang’s behavior became unfettered and unrestrained, earning him the nickname "Huang the Madman." He even composed the "Song of Huang’s Madness" (included in the temple’s collected writings).

Perfected Being Huang was fond of wine and would often sing loudly when drunk, after which he would shout wildly on the Zhaozhen Bridge in front of the temple, as if scolding something. He wore a patched robe with his chest exposed, indifferent to both winter’s chill and summer’s heat. When alms were given to him, he would casually distribute them to others. At times he retreated to the mountains and forests, at others he wandered the streets, always carrying two cloth bags into which he would toss cakes, snacks, and medicinal herbs—yet they never emitted foul odors, earning them the name "Fragrant Brocade Bags." Once, during heavy snowfall, the area around his dwelling remained mysteriously free of snow. Pointing to a crack in the wall, he told others, "This is my passageway to Shu."

Originally illiterate, Perfected Being Huang’s speech often quoted classics; though unskilled in literary composition, his words were unfailingly profound. Scholars such as Cai Zigao of Houxi, Sima Zhibai, Cui the Madman, and Gao Barefoot all associated with him. He enjoyed sighing deeply, his exhalations lasting an unusually long time. By the end of the Chongning era of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty, he had reached ninety years of age yet retained a youthful countenance.

This scripture records the miraculous deeds of two Daoist figures.

First is the story of Huang Fengzi (also known as Huang the Perfected). His appearance was youthful, with skin like jade, yet his behavior was unrestrained and eccentric, and he could drink copious amounts of wine. In the final years of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty, the imperial court summoned him, but he refused to take office. When officials forcibly escorted him to Jiujiang, he remarked, "Now there are two Sons of Heaven—what purpose would my going serve?" Later, when Emperor Qinzong ascended the throne and issued a general amnesty, Huang went to the Interview Hall (a sacred space in Daoist temples for venerating deities) of the Taiping Xingguo Palace, lifted a floor tile, and planted mugwort while singing, "Next year it will come." The following year, as he had foretold, the rebel Han Shiqing set fire to the palace on the very day Huang had planted the mugwort. His predictions of fortune and misfortune all came true. Eventually, he underwent yuhua (the Daoist term for the death of an enlightened being, meaning "ascension like a feather") and was buried beside the palace. Years later, someone returning from Shu (modern Sichuan) claimed to have seen him in Chengdu and brought back a letter from him. When people opened his coffin to investigate, they found only his clothes and shoes inside.

Next is the account of Liu Xugu. A Daoist priest at Taiping Xingguo Palace, his birth was preceded by an extraordinary dream his mother had. As he grew, his aspirations surpassed the ordinary, and during his mountain retreats, he associated only with refined scholars. In the sixth year of the Shaoxing era (1136) of the Southern Song dynasty, he built a thatched hut called the "Hut of True Unity," where he sat in meditation daily, studying Daoist scriptures with a photographic memory. Many scholar-officials sought his company, including the renowned Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhu Xi (Master Hui'an), who discussed with him the Book of Changes and the essentials of alchemy. Eminent literati like Zhang Xiaoxiang (Yu Hu) also exchanged poetry with him. By the first year of the Longxing era (1163), he had composed commentaries on the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) and the principles of liuren (an ancient divination method).

The term huandan ("returned elixir") mentioned in the text is a Daoist alchemical term referring to the practice of refining jing (essence), qi (vital energy), and shen (spirit) to return them to their primordial state. Wuya ("five sprouts") denotes the primordial energies of the five viscera. These details reflect the close interaction between Daoism and literati during the Song dynasty, as well as the integration of Daoist neidan (internal alchemy) with Yijing studies.

This passage records the cultivation achievements of two eminent Daoist masters.

The first practitioner, Master Xugu, was granted an imperial audience after presenting Daoist scriptures in the capital, where he was honored with a banquet and composed a poem in gratitude. Later, he retreated to Mount Lu for over a decade in seclusion. In the ninth year of the Qiandao era (1173) of the Southern Song Dynasty, he subsisted solely on cold water for more than forty days without eating. On the fourteenth day of the seventh lunar month, he personally transcribed twenty-five volumes of the Dengzhen Yinjue (Secret Instructions for Ascent to Perfection) and nine volumes of Shangqing (Highest Clarity) scriptures, depositing them in the Daoist temple’s library. On the Zhongyuan Festival (fifteenth day of the seventh month), he left behind a poem hinting at his imminent transcendence—casting off the physical body to merge with the Dao. The following night (sixteenth), under moonlight, he ascended to the summit of Mount Lu’s Keniu Cave, where he sat upright and achieved feathered ascent (yuhua). His surviving works include Huan Dan Bai Pian (Hundred Verses on the Reverted Elixir), poetry, and Zhouyi Jieyi (Exegesis of the Book of Changes).

The second master, Patriarch Liu Dazhang, styled Bizu, was born in Hukou, Jiangxi, in 1083 during the Yuanfeng era of the Northern Song Dynasty. As a child, he studied in the mountains and later passed examinations under Emperor Huizong to become an ordained Daoist priest, studying under Master Yang Yi. During the Jianyan era (1127–1130) of the Southern Song, he fled wartime chaos to Poyang. Returning home, he found his temple destroyed by war and, with his disciple Luo Shouming, settled in an abandoned house southeast of Chaoyi. There, they devotedly worshipped the "Investigator True Lord" (Caifang Zhenjun), vowing to revive Daoism. Patriarch Liu lived with childlike simplicity, embodying frugality and boundless charity, earning deep reverence from villagers. He transformed their thatched hut into "Longde Hermitage" (later West Lake Daoist Temple), where the community’s devotion flourished. In old age, his face remained youthfully radiant. One morning, after bathing, changing robes, and reciting the Duren Jing (Scripture on Salvation), he discoursed on transcending life and death—then stood upright and achieved yuhua, his complexion unchanged, witnessed by many.

His disciple, Patriarch Luo Shouming, later passed away peacefully in seated meditation. Both masters’ deeds, preserved in temple records, exemplify the Daoist pursuit of unity with the Dao.

Luo Shouming (courtesy name Deguang) was a Daoist priest at the Taiping Xingguo Temple and a distinguished disciple of Liu Dazhang. Born in 1114 during Emperor Huizong's Zhenghe era in Pengze, Jiangxi, he fled to Poyang with his master during the Jianyan period (1127-1130) before returning to their hometown. Witnessing the Taiping Xingguo Temple destroyed by war, they settled at the Longde Hermitage.

Inheriting his family's Daoist traditions, Luo steadfastly practiced daily animal liberation, purchasing and releasing birds and beasts without interruption. During a critical illness, he summoned his five disciples (Yu Huaide, Yang Huaiyu, Li Huaizhi, Pan Huaixin, and Liu Huaien) and composed a prophetic verse: "When I'm ill, I won't die; when I die, I won't be ill. Meeting Immortal Lü Dongbin would mark my perfect homecoming." (This manuscript remains preserved in the temple.) After recovering, he established the Yangzheng ("Nurturing Rectitude") Retreat at Huang Zhenren's former residence (later renamed "Huangxian" after the master's Daoist name).

Luo lived in austere cultivation, daily burning incense and reciting scriptures while maintaining minimal social contact. One day during meditation in the fasting hall, fellow practitioners discovered him sitting upright in serene stillness—having peacefully transcended, fulfilling his prophecy of "dying without illness." Remarkably, a West Lake resident dreamed of Luo the next day, clad in purple robes with two azure-clad youths holding banners inscribed "Immortal Official of Huotong Mountain Grotto-Heaven." He was interred to the left of the temple.

Temple administrator Hu Baoqing eulogized: "Neither worldly chaos disturbed his essence (Jing), nor wealth swayed his Daoist resolve. Though not achieving earthly immortality, he attained the state of liberation through bodily transformation (tuotai zuohua)." His former West Lake hermitage now enjoys even greater devotional reverence than during his lifetime.

This stele inscription documents the founding of the Jiutian Shizhe Temple at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace during the Tang Dynasty, along with the transmission history of related texts. It begins by identifying the author as Li Pin, a recluse scholar from Huangmei County in Qizhou who declined official appointments despite his learning. During the Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong, the emperor dreamt of a deity claiming to be the Mount Lu Messenger requesting temple construction. An imperial decree subsequently ordered Jiangzhou Governor Dugu Zheng to oversee the project, while scholars nationwide were summoned to compose commemorative inscriptions. Among 681 submissions, only Li Pin's text was selected. Though summoned to court, he refused the appointment.

The text mentions two extant versions of the inscription: the original palace archives contained a 551-character record, while a complete 1,772-character version was discovered in 1245 (the Yisi year of Chunyou era) by Secretariat official Cheng Cangzhou in the Imperial Library, albeit with slight variations in the author's name. The inscription primarily extols Emperor Xuanzong's four great achievements: first, promoting Daoist (Dao) metaphysics while eliminating heterodox practices; second, perfecting sacrificial rituals to manifest filial piety; third, returning weapons to agriculture, using military means to end warfare; and fourth, observing celestial phenomena and human affairs to demonstrate civil governance.

The text employs numerous Daoist technical terms and allusions: "attaining the One's marvel" derives from the Daode Jing's (Classic of the Way and Virtue) phrase "attaining the One brings clarity"; the "mysterious pearl" (xuanzhu) symbolizes the Dao's ultimate truth; "formless and soundless" (xiyi) references the Daode Jing's description of the ineffable Dao ("looked at but unseen - called invisible; listened to but unheard - called inaudible"). The conclusion draws parallels between Emperor Xuanzong's embrace of worthy talents and the legendary Sage-Kings Yu and Xia's acceptance of tribute from all regions. Through integrating Daoist cosmology (Yin-Yang transformations, the mysterious Dao) with imperial accomplishments, the inscription vividly demonstrates the close relationship between Tang Daoism and imperial authority.

This scripture records the historical event of establishing Zhenjun (True Lord) temples at Mount Lu and Mount Qingcheng during the Tang Dynasty. The main content describes:

Since ancient times, China's Five Sacred Mountains (Wuyue) have maintained the tradition of being guarded by divine spirits. On the 21st day of the eighth month in the 19th year of the Kaiyuan era (731 CE), Emperor Xuanzong issued an edict ordering the construction of temples at the Zhangren Shrine on Mount Qingcheng and the Envoy Shrine on Mount Lu, following the specifications of the Five Sacred Mountains' Zhenjun temples. Five virtuous Daoist priests were selected to oversee the rituals. The court dispatched palace officials bearing sacred portraits (Zhen Tu) of the envoys to establish the shrines, accompanied by grand Zhaijiao (purification rituals).

The project was supervised by Cizhou governor Dugu Zheng and others. During construction, miraculous phenomena occurred: when ground was first broken, overcast rain suddenly descended, yet when the temples were completed, the clouds parted to reveal radiant sunlight. Officials involved included Chief Administrator Yang Chuyu, Sima Huangfu Chuyu, and Xunyang County Magistrate Wei Chang, who selected temple sites with devout hearts while local Daoists and laypeople participated enthusiastically.

The "two mountains of Qingcheng and Lu" mentioned refer to Mount Qingcheng in Sichuan and Mount Lu in Jiangxi—both revered as sacred Daoist sites. Terms like "Zhangren's immortal register" and "True Lord's envoys" denote Daoist divine offices, while "Five Methods" and "Three Demonic Obstacles" represent Daoist technical terms regarding cultivation principles and hindrances. The unusual weather during construction was interpreted as a manifestation of divine response within the Daoist tradition.

This passage describes the miraculous manifestation of the True Lord at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace, along with the process of constructing the temple complex and venerating the divine. Here is the interpretation in vernacular language:

At that time, the sky darkened as the assembly focused their minds in silent contemplation of the celestial Dao. Suddenly, wondrous light appeared in the night sky, illuminating the nine heavenly spheres with radiance stretching a thousand zhang high—witnessed by officials and commoners alike. Like the descent of celestial beings accompanied by Yunmen ritual music in ancient Zhou times, this divine light manifested as if Taiyi (the Supreme One, highest Daoist deity) was shining upon the mortal realm. Though it was the depth of northern winter, unseasonable warmth appeared in the south, melting frost and snow.

The Daoist master (referring to the presiding ritual specialist) offered devout prayers to the immortal courts, invoking divine majesty to protect the nation. Thus the harsh winter transformed into warmth under radiant sunlight, with perfect harmony between Yin and Yang. Selecting an auspicious geomantic site for the temple, craftsmen were summoned to build among crimson-clouded ridges and cliffs veiled by ancient pines. Soaring vermilion walls with cinnabar pillars displayed exquisite craftsmanship—beams carved with rainbow dragons, windows welcoming clear breezes, moss-covered well platforms. Under moonlight, the altar shone pure as silver; on frosty dawns, jade chimes resonated with crystalline tones.

The golden statue of the True Lord (referring to the Investigative True Lord, a Daoist deity) embodied solemn mystery, its form derived from ancient immortal iconography rather than mundane objects. Artisans shaped the sacred image with reverence, and after purification rituals, it seemed the True Lord had manifested in person. Ceremonial banners fluttered like rosy clouds, processional arrangements orderly as phoenix feathers—the sacrificial protocols rivaling those for sacred mountains. Offerings included the Purple Pole Immortal Elixir (Daoist alchemical substance) and implements of Yellow-Crowned Daoists: jade cauldrons for brewing medicines, golden censers perpetually smoking. No blood sacrifices were used—instead, they offered dances of luan-phoenixes with dew and starlight as tributes.

Celestial music resounded by the Silver River, while in the water-nymph palaces of Penglai (legendary island paradise), dragons and cranes soared. Guardian lions (divine protectors) watched over meditation grounds as jeweled canopies encircled the ritual platform. Six daily periods (ancient timekeeping denoting the full day) saw offerings of heavenly cuisine, with eternal recitations of true scriptures. Though not ostentatious, the exquisite craftsmanship radiated divine majesty.

In the twelfth month, Daoists like Zhang Chongji and others, adhering to Daoist teachings with the Five Thousand Character Classic (the Daode Jing) as their guide, completed the ceremonies with devotion worthy of myriad celebrants. The entire text reveals the sacred nature of Daoist temple construction and the religious experience of human-divine communion.

This passage depicts the sacred vision of the "True Lord of Inspections" (a Daoist deity responsible for examining human virtue and vice) enshrined at Mount Lu's Temple of Great Peace and Prosperous Nation, along with its ritual ceremonies.

The opening describes practitioners gazing reverently toward celestial ranks, their hearts filled with devotion as they pray for divine manifestation. The term "琬琰" (jade tablets) symbolizes precious Daoist cultivation methods, while "spring waters of Wu peaks" and "apricot groves in secluded forests" paint Mount Lu's sublime natural scenery, suggesting its sanctity as a place for divine communion.

The text details ritual scenes: exquisitely carved divine statues stand in solemn dignity, surrounded by auspicious clouds that glow resplendently in the setting sun. Fragrant smoke curls from incense burners as gathered lingzhi mushrooms and sacred herbs adorn the altar. Dragons roar and phoenixes dance as portents—immortals clad in azure and white robes sing amidst clouds, playing jade chimes and offering nectarous libations.

The "Three Luminaries" (Sanxiang) denote the sun, moon, and stars; the "Five Elders" (Wulao) represent the Five Directional Thearchs; "purple clouds" signify blessings; the "Crimson River" describes the Milky Way; and the "Jade Sea Immortal Maiden" refers to oceanic goddesses. Together, these elements compose the Daoist cosmological harmony of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

The conclusion documents the historical erection of a stele on the 25th day of the first lunar month in 732 CE (Tang Kaiyuan era), comparing Confucian "Heaven" with the Daoist belief in the "Supreme Deity." Daoism holds that the supreme "August Emperor on High" resides at the celestial pole (Chenji), governing the Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Water. Mirroring earthly emperors with their civil-military bureaucracy, the divine hierarchy maintains a complete celestial administration to oversee cosmic operations.

This text documents the miraculous manifestations and historical development of the "Investigation True Lord" (a revered Daoist deity) enshrined at Taiping Xingguo Temple on Mount Lu. The core narrative can be understood as follows:

During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, True Lords (high-ranking divine beings) from sacred mountains like Qingcheng and Lushan began manifesting in the human realm. These deities share the same origin as the Supreme Dao Ancestor (the highest divinity in Daoism), all being transformations of Primordial Qi (Yuánqì). They oversee the cycles of creation and dissolution in the mundane world while protecting the nation and its people. Their manifestations transcend temporal constraints and cannot be comprehended through ordinary perception.

The Southern Song dynasty's Shaoxing era saw local official Ye Yiwen compile the "Records of Divine Responses," which included a temple stele inscription originally composed by Li Tian during the Tang. Later Daoist priests expanded this collection by adding accounts recorded by Wang Ruan, the governor of Linchuan. These records describe how after the temple's completion during Kaiyuan, Magistrate Dugu Zheng was commissioned to find a skilled writer for the stele inscription, ultimately selecting Li Tian's composition. Though historical records vary slightly regarding Li Tian's name, the literary excellence of his inscription suggests the author was deeply immersed in Daoist cultivation.

After the Song dynasty's establishment, the original temple was converted into a Daoist monastery (guan) hosting grand seasonal rituals. During the Southern Song, the True Lord repeatedly manifested to protect the state and aid citizens. The emperor, who valued cultural governance and lived austerely, devoutly prayed to the deity during border conflicts. Xiong Shouzhong, a Shangqing (Highest Clarity) lineage master, was appointed to oversee ceremonies and petitioned the emperor to grant the deity an honorific title. The emperor personally inscribed a plaque for the "Sanqing Pavilion" (Hall of the Three Pure Ones) and expanded the deity's official title from "Nine Heavens Investigation Officer Responding to Origins and Protecting Fortune" to include "Marvelous Transformation."

The author Xu Bing particularly emphasizes Mount Lu's (Kanglu) special status as a blessed land (fudi) in Daoist cosmology. While disasters frequently struck the Min Mountain region of Sichuan during that period, Mount Lu alone maintained constant auspicious signs. Thus the imperial court prioritized ritual observances here, believing sincere worship could stabilize the nation and save the populace—an endeavor considered more vital than constructing lavish temples.

The text mentions several technical terms: "zanhu fuque" refers to officials kneeling at palace gates holding ceremonial tablets; "Sanqing ge" denotes the pavilion enshrining the Three Pure Ones (the highest Daoist trinity); and "Jiutian caifang yingyuan baoyun miaohua" constitutes the full honorific title granted by the court to this True Lord.

This passage consists of two parts: the first is Cheng Gongxu's postscript, followed by Zhou Qi's inscribed stele text. Here's the vernacular interpretation:

In the first part, Cheng Gongxu's postscript states: Those who indulge in lavish pleasures yet vainly seek immortality are utterly unworthy of discussing Daoist cultivation. The cosmos operates according to its own principles, and even emperors of prosperous eras cannot avoid kalpic calamities. Yet Heaven cherishes all life—how could it bear to see people suffer the ravages of war? A ruler should align with celestial intent, making the nourishment of all people his fundamental duty, for only thus can warfare be quelled and peace prevail. Otherwise, how could one possibly transcend the kalpic cycles of Dragon Han (Longhan, Daoist cosmic period) and Crimson Bright (Chiming, Daoist epochal era)? Our present Sagely Emperor diligently governs and loves his people, resonating with the Dao of Heaven—he will surely usher in an era of brilliance. When this comes to pass, not only will warfare cease, but sacred sites like Mount Wulao will eternally guard the Yangtze River, with all under Heaven returning to virtue and myriad states paying tribute. Though this humble official lacks talent, I still wish to record this coming age of peace. Respectfully inscribed by Cheng Gongxu on the Double Ninth Festival, the first year of the Chunyou reign (1241).

The latter part, Zhou Qi's stele inscription, explains: After the separation of Heaven and Earth, sun, moon and stars move in orderly courses, while mountains and rivers maintain their proper positions. The cycle of seasons completes the year, and the interplay of Yin-Yang generates all things. To govern this creative power, Heaven established divine administrators. Sages created the Imperial Ultimate (Huangji, governing principles), expressing reverence through sacrificial rituals (Zhaijiao) and liturgical ceremonies (Keyi), using distinct robes and carriages to signify hierarchy. Mount Lu's Temple of Supreme Peace and National Prosperity (i.e., the Temple of Nine Celestial Messengers) embodies this Heaven-human resonance. The Nine Celestial Messengers (Jiutian Shizhe, important Daoist guardian deities) were venerated as early as the Tang Dynasty, this temple preserving the ancient tradition of honoring virtue and repaying merits.

The terms "Dragon Han" (Longhan) and "Crimson Bright" (Chiming) reference concepts from Daoist cosmology about kalpic cycles, while the "Nine Celestial Messengers" represent important Daoist guardian deities responsible for conveying celestial decrees. The entire text reflects the Daoist philosophy of "Heaven-human resonance" (Tianren Ganying), emphasizing that rulers must accord with the Dao of Heaven to ensure national prosperity and people's peace.

This passage documents the historical origins of Taiping Xingguo Palace on Mount Lu and the reverence successive emperors showed toward it. During the Kaiyuan era (reign period of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang), the emperor received divine inspiration and, after consulting with fangshi (Daoist practitioners), initiated the construction of this sacred Daoist temple on this numinous mountain (Mount Lu).

Through subsequent dynastic changes and periods of turmoil, the temple maintained its spiritual efficacy. After the founding of the Song dynasty, Emperor Taizu, in accordance with the Mandate of Heaven, unified the realm, while Emperor Taizong revived ritual propriety and moral instruction upon ascending the throne. Both rulers held this temple—a gathering place for divine spirits—in special esteem, regarding it as a sacred site for blessings. They issued imperial edicts bestowing it with an official name and established formal sacrificial rites.

The present sovereign (Emperor Zhenzong of Song), upholding Heaven’s mandate to govern the realm, continues the governance traditions of his ancestors. Diligent in state affairs and ever-deepening in virtue, he often attends to matters of governance late into the night. His devout veneration of this temple has frequently elicited auspicious signs, celebrated among the people. Commoners from across the land, even foreign envoys, journey here to pay homage and present tribute, responding to these celestial omens.

The imperial court has conducted grand ceremonies here, offering sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and ancestors on a scale surpassing all previous dynasties. These are not mere ritual observances but magnificent rites that manifest imperial achievements and express utmost sincerity toward the cosmos. Now that auspicious signs have appeared and divine favor has spread widely, the sacred status of this temple stands more firmly established than ever.

This passage records a major Daoist ritual ceremony held at the Taiping Xingguo Temple (a Daoist monastery) on Mount Lu during the Song Dynasty. The imperial court dispatched high-ranking officials to oversee the temple's renovation and conduct grand Daoist ceremonies.

The court issued special decrees prohibiting woodcutting around the temple to protect this sacred site. The renovation project was funded by the government, employing skilled artisans to expand the halls according to magnificent specifications, with newly painted decorations. The temple housed splendid banners and precious thrones, where Daoist priests in star-decorated crowns and rainbow vestments (Daoist ritual robes) stood in ceremonial formation.

During major festivals, solemn Zhaijiao (Daoist sacrificial rites) were performed here: crimson candles illuminated the star altar at night as priests practiced all night to welcome the descent of immortals. When the Three Yuans Festivals (Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, and Xiayuan - three important Daoist holidays) arrived, people conducted devout rituals following Keyi (Daoist liturgical procedures), offering prayers for the emperor's longevity and the people's welfare, beseeching national prosperity and favorable weather.

The text describes the temple's exceptional location: surrounded by mountains on all sides yet accessible from every direction, truly a blessed grotto-heaven fit for immortals. The author marvels at this being "the cave-dwelling of divine immortals, the gateway between Heaven and Earth." It concludes with an inscription praising the emperor's virtuous governance under Heaven's Mandate, his construction of temples to worship deities, and his merit in praying for the people's welfare.

The renovated temple shone with splendor: its painted decorations were solemn, divine statues lifelike, crimson carvings radiant, towering eaves overlooking the main path, with layered mountains framing luxurious canopies. On completion day, the people rejoiced. The solemn deities gazed upon the renewed halls as colored clouds fluttered like banners and the moon seemed to pause in admiration. This was both a place where deities manifested their presence and where folk customs could be transformed toward simplicity.

This text documents the imperial canonization ceremony of the Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace during the fourth year of Emperor Shenzong's Yuanfeng era (1081 CE). The court dispatched several high-ranking officials for the occasion: Court Gentleman for Scattered Purposes Xiong Ben composed the commemorative text, while Court Gentleman for Audience Attendance Cai Yanqing inscribed the plaque with seal script characters.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, the emperor issued an edict elevating the title of the "Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy" to "Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy, True Lord Who Responds to the Primal and Guards the Fortune." Three days later, Transport Commissioner Jia Dan arrived to conduct sacrificial rites with imperial incense and candles. On the sixth day of the fourth month, Palace Attendant Liao Wei delivered imperial decrees, a hall plaque, ritual vestments, and ceremonial regalia, presiding over a two-day zhaijiao (purification ritual) at the temple. These imperial gifts were extraordinarily precious: the celestial robes, stored in jeweled cases, were crimson ritual garments embroidered with golden cranes amid clouds; the gold plaque bore characters crafted from pure gold, framed by motifs of soaring dragons and phoenixes—all exquisite objects from the imperial workshops, unseen in the secular world.

Local Daoist priests and Jiujiang officials rejoiced at these imperial treasures, subsequently holding an eight-day qingcheng jiao (completion ritual). Reflecting on the temple's 351-year history since its founding in the 19th year of Emperor Xuanzong's Kaiyuan era (731 CE), they noted that since the Song dynasty's establishment, seasonal sacrifices had been conducted annually by regional officials, with grand suburban rites every three years. Previous imperial gifts had included jeweled crowns and cloud-embroidered capes, but this occasion surpassed all others in the nobility of the title, the grandeur of the rites, and the lavishness of the offerings.

The text emphasizes that the court meticulously recorded these ceremonies on stone steles to ensure their glory would endure for posterity, making them known throughout the realm. This account vividly illustrates the Song imperial family's reverence for Daoist deities and the solemn splendor of state-sponsored rituals.

This passage records the grand sacrificial ceremony held by the Song Dynasty emperor at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace. To honor ancestral virtue (De) and commune with divine spirits, the emperor summoned ministers and scholars to deliberate ritual protocols, instituting systematic sacrifices to mountain and river deities nationwide. Mount Lu, revered as a Daoist sacred site ("the capital of chanting truth"), had been recognized as a blessed land since the legendary era of the Yellow Emperor (Xuanyuan), yet long lacked official imperial recognition. When the emperor dispatched envoys southward to conduct sacrifices, auspicious signs manifested at night—celestial radiance piercing the heavens accompanied by ethereal immortal music.

As an accompanying court official, the author depicts the ceremonial scene: Five hundred spirit officials (Daoist guardian deities) traversed between lofty mountain abodes, arranging jade banquet tables with spiced pepper wine and cassia liquor for offerings, while cloud chariots and wind-steeds (immortals' vehicles) shuttled endlessly. The jade registers (imperial ritual documents) recorded the emperor's heaven-bestowed virtues of "civil prowess, martial might, courage, and wisdom," with governance spreading benevolence like "winds propelling and thunder stirring," resulting in border tribes submitting and commoners dwelling in peace. The text concludes with prayers for the Son of Heaven's longevity, enduring lineage, and the people's prosperous livelihood under divine protection. The referenced "feng sacrifices at Mount Tai and stone inscriptions at Central Peak" alludes to ancient imperial rites—the fengshan mountain worship at Mount Tai and merit-recording steles at Mount Song, the Central Sacred Peak.

(Note: Following the glossary, specialized terms like "De" and "Xuanyuan" appear without parenthetical pinyin after their first introduction in this translation, maintaining consistency with the provided terminology list.)

In the fourth year of Yuanfeng during Emperor Shenzong's reign (1081), the emperor issued an edict stating: The Nine Heavens Herald (a revered Daoist deity responsible for overseeing human virtue and vice) enshrined at the Taiping Xingguo Temple on Mount Lu in Jiangzhou (modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi) is a noble celestial being who has long bestowed blessings upon the mortal realm. However, successive dynasties have inadequately honored this deity with insufficient titles, failing to properly acknowledge the divine protection received. Now we specially confer the elevated title "Perfected Lord of Resonating with the Origin and Safeguarding Fortune" (Yingyuan Baoyun Zhenjun). The emperor dispatched Liao Wei, an officer from the Eastern Division of the Inner Service Bureau, to deliver a golden plaque along with the imperial decree.

Prior to this, when Daoist priest Tao Zhixian was preparing the temple's foundation at Taiping Xingguo Temple, he unearthed a broken earthenware jar containing five-colored soil and a copper coin inscribed with the four characters "Yingyuan Baoyun" (Resonating with Origin, Safeguarding Fortune). At the time, no one understood the significance of this omen. Two years later, when the emperor's conferred title perfectly matched the inscription on the coin, Liao Wei presented the artifact to the court. This demonstrated how the emperor's reverence for all deities could manifest connections between celestial signs and human affairs—was this not truly miraculous?

By the fifth year of Zhenghe during Emperor Huizong's reign (1115), after sixteen years on the throne, the emperor continued his predecessor's legacy of communicating with the divine through Daoist practice. While honoring deities from all directions, he showed particular favor to the southern Perfected Lord of Resonating with the Origin and Safeguarding Fortune, believing this deity often attended the Celestial Emperor. Reflecting that while his predecessor had granted the title, the corresponding rituals remained incomplete, the emperor ordered officials to prepare full ceremonial protocols. He dispatched Huang Jing, a military officer from the Inner Service Bureau, to deliver a jade memorial.

The jade memorial bore the emperor's name with utmost reverential language. Local officials and temple clergy knelt to receive it—the memorial was exquisitely carved from fine jade, bound with golden threads, wrapped in brocade, and housed in a lacquered wooden case of peerless craftsmanship. Over two hundred temple priests formed ceremonial lines to welcome it, remarking: "Our emperor honors the Dao and its Virtue (Dao-De), practices the teachings of Huang-Lao, and conducts such magnificent rituals for the deities that his ceremonial splendor surpasses all previous dynasties." The jade memorial was later enshrined in a dedicated hall, with special attendants appointed a year later to maintain perpetual incense offerings. Such grandeur truly deserved stone inscriptions to transmit these events to posterity.

This account traces the origins and development of the "Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy" (Jiutian caifang shizhe) cult at Mount Lu. In the 19th year of the Kaiyuan era (731 CE), Emperor Xuanzong of Tang dreamed of a celestial being dressed in red robes with a golden crown descending from heaven, who identified himself as the "Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy" and requested a temple be built at the northwest corner of Mount Lu. The next day, the deity manifested again, prompting the emperor to commission the master painter Wu Daozi to create a portrait. Xuanzong then dispatched palace eunuchs to establish the temple at the northern foothills of Mount Lu, personally inscribing the plaque "Hall of the Nine Heavens Envoy."

Regarding the envoy's origins, multiple interpretations exist. Some attribute its beginning to Emperor Xuanzong's reign, but earlier records in the Authentic Form Charts of the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue zhenxing tu) indicate that the Yellow Emperor had already designated Mount Lu as an "envoy" serving as auxiliary deity to Mount Heng. During the Eastern Jin dynasty, the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) Daoist master Sima Chengzhen proposed that each of the Five Sacred Peaks should have a resident Shangqing perfected being (shangqing zhenren), recommending the construction of perfected lord shrines. Emperor Xuanzong implemented this suggestion by establishing the Elder Temple at Mount Qingcheng and the Envoy Temple at Mount Lu, appointing Daoist priests to oversee them.

In reality, the "Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy" office likely derives from ancient southern deity worship connected to the fire god Zhurong. The title appears in records predating the Eastern Jin, though the exact timing of its association with Mount Lu remains unclear. After its establishment, the Envoy Temple at Mount Lu became renowned for numerous miracles documented by literati across dynasties, including Li Pin, Pan Guan, Zhang Jing, and Chen Shunyu, who recorded its auspicious manifestations.

This passage documents the historical development and significant events of Taiping Xingguo Palace on Mount Lu. During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong (known as Emperor Ming of Tang) first established a temple at the northern foothills of Mount Lu dedicated to the Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy (a Daoist deity overseeing human morality). By the Southern Tang period, it was renamed Tongyuan Mansion. In the second year of the Taiping Xingguo era (977 CE) during the Northern Song Dynasty, the imperial court bestowed its current name using the reigning era's designation "Taiping Xingguo" (Great Peace and Prosperous Nation).

The author Hong Chu observes that people often become misled by shallow folk steles and supernatural tales without examining historical truths. Thus he meticulously traces this Daoist temple's origins to dispel future doubts. On the tenth day of the eleventh month in the Chonghe era (1118 CE), numerous officials and Daoist priests jointly participated in constructing the Sanqing Pavilion (Three Pure Ones Pavilion).

The text notes how Song Dynasty emperors and royalty deeply revered celestial rituals. The Taiping Xingguo Palace in Jiangzhou (modern Jiujiang) gained imperial recognition through repeated manifestations of the Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy's efficacy, being honored with the title "Perfected Lord Responding to Origins and Safeguarding Fortune." An imperial edict further added the honorific "Marvelous Transformation," with the emperor personally inscribing the "Sanqing Pavilion" plaque for the temple.

Daoist doctrine holds that the "Sanqing" (Three Pure Ones) represent the highest celestial realms: Yuqing (Jade Purity, abode of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning), Shangqing (Upper Purity, abode of the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure), and Taiqing (Great Purity, abode of the Celestial Worthy of Dao and Virtue). Though the Dao is fundamentally one, it manifests through three purified states, and all Daoist temples venerate the Three Pure Ones. Originally established in the Tang Dynasty as a temple for the Nine Heavens Investigative Envoy, Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace evolved through dynastic changes into a major Daoist sanctuary.

This passage records the history and miraculous manifestations of Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace during the Song Dynasty. Since ancient times, Mount Lu has been a sacred Daoist site. During the Song period, the original temple was expanded into a magnificent palace complex, its golden-roofed halls arranged like constellations, acclaimed as one of the world's wonders.

Xiong Shouzhong, the official overseeing the palace affairs, observed the absence of a hall dedicated to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, referring to the Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning, the Celestial Venerable of Numinous Treasure, and the Celestial Venerable of Dao and Virtue). He deemed this incongruent with Daoism's fundamental principle of "returning to the origin." Thus, an imposing pavilion was erected before the Hall of the True Lord to enshrine the Three Pure Ones. The eight-year construction resulted in a majestic structure befitting Daoist doctrine, with its perfectly arranged altars in the front hall and rear pavilion.

The text particularly highlights the miraculous responses of Mount Lu's Investigating True Lord (a Daoist deity overseeing human virtue and vice). After the Song court's southern relocation, the imperial household regarded Mount Lu as equally sacred as the Five Sacred Mountains. Whether concerning border conflicts, droughts and floods, or bandit uprisings, every prayer offered here received divine response. Emperors frequently dispatched officials with incense for sacrificial rites, with ceremonies growing increasingly elaborate.

The author suggests that just as earthly rulers send envoys to inspect the realm, Heaven dispatches the Investigating True Lord to oversee all corners of the world. The orderly progression of the four seasons and the flourishing of all creatures exist to protect the people. Heaven's protective virtue knows no bounds, just as rulers exhaust all means to intercede for their subjects.

Completed on the jiazi day of the sixth month in the Shaoding renchen year (1232), the Sanqing Pavilion received its imperial plaque on the jiazi day of the intercalary twelfth month in the Jiahui gengzi year (1240). Local residents unanimously rejoiced and desired these events engraved in metal and stone for posterity. As a longtime resident beneath Mount Lu serving in the imperial court, the author considered recording these events his duty, thus respectfully composing this account with appended praise verses.

The poetic eulogy extols Mount Lu's extraordinary beauty, towering like the Northern Dipper while jointly guarding the southeast with Mount Heng. This sacred site serves both as a place of public veneration and divine habitation. Heaven's omniscient gaze compassionately surveys the mortal realm, dispatching deities who ride wind and clouds to inspect all quarters—invisible yet all-seeing. This palace stands as a true blessed land, where successive sages have worshiped devoutly with every petition answered. The verses conclude by celebrating the current sage ruler's harmony with Heaven and Earth.

This account describes the magnificent scenery and immortal traces of Taiping Xingguo Palace on Mount Lu, which can be understood in three parts:

The first part portrays the majestic atmosphere of the palace. Golden plaques hung resplendently, lending radiance to the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers. With new pavilions in front and deep halls behind, the layout resembled an imperial court where monarchs held audience and ministers paid homage. During important seasonal ceremonies, celestial officials wearing jade-adorned crowns would ascend to the heavenly court. These immortals, understanding worldly affairs and protecting rulers, prayed for the Song dynasty's fortune to match heaven's longevity and for its descendants to flourish endlessly.

The second part records the visit of Daoist master Bai Yuchan (a renowned Southern Song dynasty adept). During the Qingming Festival in the Wuyin year of the Jiading era (1218), this cultivator from Huotong Mountain in Fuzhou (one of Daoism's Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens) came to pay respects at the Nine Heavens Imperial Censor Terrace with incense offerings. Local official Chen Zhihe entertained him with fine wine. After getting pleasantly drunk, Bai Yuchan departed with ethereal grace, entrusting Daoists Chen Shoumo and Chen Ruyi to compose this palace record before leaving.

The third part depicts Mount Lu's immortal realm. As the Eighth Grotto-Heaven (Yongzhen Dongtian) among Jiujiang's landscapes, this purple mist-veiled sacred mountain conceals celestial palaces amidst crimson cliffs and emerald walls. Immortals clad in feathered robes and rainbow garments keep company with blue oxen and white deer. The text enumerates numerous divine traces: Magu Pavilion's celestial correspondence, the Weiyu Mountain banquet, the Five Elders Peak's jade wellspring, among others. It also records deeds of past transcendents: Zhou dynasty's filial son Kang wearing thunder god seals, Jin dynasty's Xu Xun (Xu Jingyang) ascending on an iron boat, Dong Feng's apricot grove charity, and the Daoist transmission between Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin (Zhong-Lü). Finally, it mentions Tao Yuanming (Jingjie) planting Western Paradise lotuses after sobering up, subtly suggesting Buddhist-Daoist syncretism.

Through imagery of golden boys and jade maidens, jade flowers and vermilion phoenixes, the text vividly portrays the jeweled palaces and jade courtyards of the Daoist celestial realm. Interwoven with historical accounts of cultivation, it reveals Mount Lu's profound heritage as a sacred Daoist site.

This passage vividly depicts the grand ceremony during Emperor Xuanzong's reign of the Tang Dynasty when the Taiping Xingguo Palace was constructed on Mount Lu to enshrine the Interviewing True Lord (a Daoist deity responsible for overseeing human virtues and vices). It begins by describing how during the Grain Rain and White Dew solar terms, people ascended the mountain to trace the footsteps of ancient sages, clearing ancient steles covered in cobwebs and moss, preparing to document the origins of this Daoist temple.

On the twenty-first day of the eighth month in the nineteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, Emperor Xuanzong specially dispatched envoys to oversee the construction of the Interviewing True Lord’s shrine. The text then employs a lavish celestial procession to illustrate the True Lord’s descent: at the break of dawn, the Divine Empyrean Heavenly Lord (a high-ranking celestial deity) rode forth on a jade steed to welcome him, while in the Lingfu Palace (a heavenly abode), the assembled celestial officials listened to imperial edicts during the morning court. The heavenly procession is depicted with a thousand banners and myriad flags, rainbow streamers, and phoenix canopies fluttering under clear skies, while wind-horses and cloud-chariots adorned with triple crowns and nine tassels scattered a rain of blossoms.

The passage further details the ranks of accompanying deities: from the Shangqing Heaven came five hundred immortal officials bearing talismans (fulu), from the Taiwei Enclosure (a constellation) descended thirty-six jade-pool immortals, and twelve river nymphs rode upon jade turtles and golden whales, while the gods of the Nine Rivers steered embroidered mosquitoes and emerald clams (mythical creatures). The Three Officials (the Great Emperors of Heaven, Earth, and Water) verified the records of mountains and seas, while the Six Ding Divine Generals (Daoist guardian deities) stood watch over astral texts with weapons in hand. Flanking guards held golden axes (a ceremonial weapon) in vigilance, while celestial soldiers before and behind raised dazzling banner-spears.

The Divine Lords of the Five Sacred Mountains led formations of the Thunder God, Lightning Mother, Wind Earl, and Rain Master (deities of natural forces), while the City Gods of the Nine Provinces presented documents of the land and grain, and the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas offered aquatic registers. The Director of Destinies (a deity governing lifespans) followed in his chariot, as celestial music resounded like the legendary "Music of the Nine Heavens." Amid the melodies of sheng pipes and xiao flutes, the night’s water-clock (an ancient timekeeping device) marked the third watch. The sound of pipa strings drifted on the wind, with immortal maidens leaning on hibiscus blossoms to listen; in the chill of dew, the wail of the bili (an ancient reed instrument) rose as celestial consorts danced with peonies, offering wine.

Finally, the text reveals that this took place in the Supreme Clarity and Primordial Chaos Heaven (the highest Daoist celestial realm), where the Five Thearchs issued their decrees. The Mountain God of Zhangren safeguarded Shu (ancient Sichuan), while the Mysterious Mandate True Lord governed Shuzhou, decreeing that in the northwest of Mount Lu, an administrative seat for the Nine Heavens’ Inspector of Integrity (a supervisory deity) would be established. It prophesied that blessings would extend to the people for seventeen generations, and now, with only the timber needed to raise the temple walls, this sacred site would command the myriad spirits, endorse the documents of the Four Ministries, and harmonize the workings of Yin and Yang.

This passage recounts the miraculous manifestations of the Interviewing True Lord (a Daoist deity responsible for examining human virtue and vice) enshrined at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace, along with the historical development of this sacred site.

During the Tang Dynasty, the governor of Xunyang (modern Jiujiang) led officials in establishing an altar and appointed five Daoist priests from the divine capital of Luoyang, including Meng Xianzhen, to oversee the incense offerings. The construction process was marked by numerous supernatural phenomena: timber for the hall arrived via an unexplained flood despite no rainfall; strange winds moved a local resident's house in broad daylight; bricks and stones appeared spontaneously; celestial lanterns glowed at night, faintly revealing the figures of immortals. At dawn, paper money fluttered through the air, while countless spirits traversed a nearby ferry. The wooden statue of the deity sweated upon entering the temple, and painted pillars emitted light as they fell. A dragon's shadow leaped across vermilion towers, intertwining with drifting clouds; moonlight traces crystallized on emerald-green roof tiles.

The temple thrived with year-round devotion: in spring, flowers bloomed in abundance, and in autumn, as wutong leaves fell, pilgrims gathered like a lotus assembly, crossing mountains and seas to pay homage. Tributes of gold and silver flowed continuously from the Jianghuai region, while devotees from Fujian and Zhejiang crowded the grounds, their sleeves forming a canopy and their sweat falling like rain. The site's feng shui was meticulously chosen: backed by mountains resembling a crane soaring skyward and facing a river shaped like fish swimming upstream, it occupied an auspicious position where the Bagua's Gen (northeast) shifted to Zhen (east), aligned with the Celestial Physician Star and the Jade Rabbit constellation.

The palace's history dates to the Tang Tianbao era (742–756). During the Southern Tang's Shengyuan period (937–943), it was elevated to a prefectural temple, later converted into a Daoist abbey in the Song Taiping Xingguo era (976–984), and finally promoted to a grand palace during the Xuanhe reign (1119–1125). Emperor Taizong of Song bestowed jade cauldrons and imperial carriages, while Emperor Zhenzong issued purple edicts and golden plaques. From the Xingguo era onward, local officials conducted biannual Zhaijiao (purification rituals) each spring and autumn. By the Zhenghe period (1111–1118), the True Lord's title had been recorded three times in imperial jade registers. The Xiangfu era (1008–1016) saw tax exemptions, and the Tianxi reign (1017–1021) granted ordination certificates (official Daoist credentials). Monthly, the court supplied 300 catties of sacred incense; annually, five or six state-sponsored rituals were held. Lavish scriptures inscribed with golden dragons and jade tablets streamed in, while stele adorned with phoenix motifs and the Kuixing constellation further glorified the palace.

This scripture recounts the miraculous manifestations of the Interviewing True Lord (a Daoist deity overseeing human virtue and vice) enshrined at Taiping Xingguo Temple on Mount Lu, along with descriptions of the temple's grandeur.

The deity's appearances were accompanied by numerous auspicious signs: immortal boats escorted by star officials, a jade-maned horse stepping on flowering branches as a divine manifestation, and multicolored clouds forming a celestial canopy when imperial envoys cast coins for blessings. During Emperor Shenzong's Yuanfeng era (1078-1085), copper coins discovered in earthen jars by eastern troops were recognized as divine signs, prompting the court to officially confer honorific titles. During the Jianyan period (1127-1130), when suppressing Zhang Yu's rebellion, a dragon-horse apparition appeared in clear skies; after quelling Wu Xi's revolt in the Kaixi era (1205-1207), victory reports reached celestial realms. These miracles demonstrated the True Lord's increasing spiritual potency.

The text meticulously describes the deity's majestic form: holding a jade tablet of supreme purity (Taiyuan Bilin), wearing a nine-colored celestial cape woven from rosy clouds, crowned with a golden crescent headdress, shod in vermilion light immortal slippers, adorned with the Five Directional Seals (representing the Five Phases), and wielding a plain white sword. This Southern Superior True Lord governs the Three Realms (heaven, earth, and underworld) while overseeing all immortals. His incarnations trace back to the era of the Three Sovereigns (Heavenly, Earthly, and Human Sovereigns), with the primordial essences of legendary rulers like the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun all being his manifestations—known as the Cang Water Spirit during Yu the Great's time and as the Celestial Messenger during King Mu of Zhou's reign.

Temple worship began in the Tang Dynasty, reaching greater prominence during the Song. The temple complex radiated splendor: main halls like the Three Officials Hall and Four Saints Hall stood solemnly, while structures like the Daoist Discipline Hall were harmoniously arranged. Towering pavilions like the Vermilion Palace Pavilion mirrored celestial constellations, with the scripture repository housing heavenly texts. The "Mindless Spring" and other cultural landscapes complemented rain corridors adorned with paintings of crimson-robed immortals—the entire complex blending seamlessly with mountain and water formations.

(Note: The "nine-colored rosy cloud cape" refers to celestial garments woven from auroral lights, the "Five Seals" represent directional talismans of the Five Phases, while the "Three Realms" denote the cosmological tiers in Daoist thought.)

This passage depicts the magnificent scenery of Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace and its associated Daoist celestial legends.

The palace complex is encircled by emerald-green walls, with its courtyards filled with precious purple and yellow lingzhi mushrooms (sacred herbs in Daoism). The granaries overflow with red millet, while the scent of tea wafts from storehouses as vast as mountains and rivers. The grain deity (Hebo) operates the milling wheel here, and steam rises from the kitchens like swirling clouds.

Daoist priests don star-embroidered caps and rainbow robes (traditional Daoist vestments), with numerous devotees awaiting their turn to make offerings. The moon altar and wind pavilion, standing for generations, have become sacred sites where immortals dwell. The palace backs against the Fuchuan Mountain and faces the Flying Cloud Cave, with ancient trees and stone pavilions outside its gates said to be where the immortal Liu Huncheng practiced cultivation. Behind stands the towering Lingze Temple and nineteen monastic courtyards housing cultivators who play the qin and practice sword dances. Several official guesthouses receive pilgrims from distant lands.

Jade-green waters encircle the palace, while moss carpets the stone steps. When celestial music sounds, the valleys echo in response; with each breeze through the bamboo, ripples form on chilled waters. Countless red blossoms adorn fragrant ponds, and ancient pines dating back millennia greet visitors—truly a grotto-heaven of the immortals. Nearby, cascading waterfalls and purple cliffs border the Star River (a tributary of the Gan River), where white duckweed and red knotweed recreate the ancient scenery of Yipu.

The imperial court named this site "Taiping Xingguo Palace" (Palace of Great Peace and National Prosperity) as a sacred temple for serving the deities. The title "Perfected Lord Who Responds to Origins and Protects the Mandate" was personally bestowed by the emperor. Though years have passed without this being recorded on stone, how dare I, a mere junior, presume to compose verses? Yet having received this commission, I cannot decline, and thus humbly offer this poetic account.

The latter section recounts the legend of the Nine Heaven Messengers (high-ranking Daoist deities) descending to earth: The Perfected Being of Yuanyi from Mount Jiuyi arrived riding a jade dragon, bearing the Five Emperors' Demon-Subduing Seal, leading celestial troops to pay homage in the Grand Pure Realm (Daoism's highest heaven). By decree of the Primordial Emperor (the supreme Daoist deity), he descended to the mortal world astride a crane. Amidst celestial music, a thousand heavenly cavalry bearing fire-bells (ritual implements) stood guard in the sky. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang dreamed of these deities in his Zhaoyang Palace, thus learning the Messengers' names. Riding the dawn light, they descended upon the palace, startling officials into prostration. Flowers rained down from the Thirty-Six Celestial Palaces as countless officials bowed like clouds. The Kaiyuan Emperor (Xuanzong) kowtowed to receive heaven's mandate to care for the people, dispatching these messengers to inspect all eight directions of heaven and earth.

This passage recounts the miraculous events and historical origins of Taiping Xingguo Temple on Mount Lu.

First, it tells of the manifestations of the Interviewing True Lord (a Daoist deity responsible for examining human virtue and vice), who holds power over the flourishing and withering of all things. His temple on the northwest slope of Mount Lu has stood for a thousand years. When the imperial court sent the elder official Dugu with gold and silver to expand the temple, a marvel occurred—waves rose without wind overnight, and a thousand catalpa trees floated downstream on their own, with even the mountain spirits assisting in transporting the timber. By autumn the following year, the temple was completed. Tens of thousands gathered for the Lotus Dharma Assembly, and the resplendent palace towered into the clouds like a golden beacon.

The text then describes five centuries of unbroken devotion: the author himself made a pilgrimage, and the resident Daoists recounted how every emperor of the Song dynasty had honored this site, conducting state sacrifices each spring and autumn. The True Lord had manifested his divine power to quell rebellions, sheltering the people with his boundless efficacy. The emperor bestowed a golden plaque, and auspicious signs frequently appeared within the temple—incense smoke swirling like an immortal realm.

The latter section details the temple’s origins: Xunyang (modern Jiujiang) is a land of peerless beauty, and Mount Lu has long been an abode of transcendents. During the Jin dynasty, the immortal Zhongli Quan secluded himself here; in the Tang, Lü Dongbin attained the Dao on these slopes. In the Shaosheng era of the Song, the Daoist Hu Yongcong (Daoist name Master Chongzhen) encountered divine beings here, and the site later became the seat of the Nine Heavens Interviewing Envoy (a high-ranking Daoist divine office). Nestled on Mount Lu’s northern foothills, this temple has witnessed countless celestial manifestations—its profound mysteries beyond mortal comprehension.

This Daoist (referring to Lü Dongbin) wore a deep black Daoist robe, his sash fluttering like clouds, and on his feet were snow-white silk shoes. His appearance was extraordinary: his beard and eyebrows were fine and handsome, his cheeks full and smooth, his temple hair black, his nose bridge high, his eyes blue-green and his face square; his bearing was imposing and his expression radiant. When he passed through the Daoist temple, no one received him; only Hu Gong (a local official) offered him tea.

The Daoist chatted and laughed with perfect ease. Pointing to the wine pot and tapping his chest, he indicated that he wanted wine. A single pot of wine somehow could not be emptied; he drank more than a hundred cups in succession without becoming drunk. From morning to evening he drank, and still he wanted to invite Hu Gong to his lodging to continue tasting newly brewed sweet wine and fresh sliced fish. Hu Gong declined on the grounds that it was already late, whereupon the Daoist laughed loudly, flicked his sleeves, and departed.

The Daoist temple was thirty li from the city. The next day, when Hu Gong entered the city to pay his respects to the commandery governor, the city gate had not yet opened, yet he saw the Daoist come laughing out from inside the city. The gatekeeper said that this Daoist had been waiting at the city gate since the middle of the night. Hu Gong was secretly astonished.

Several years later, a man in ragged clothes and hemp sandals, who called himself “Guest of the Great Song,” came to Hu Gong’s residence carrying two wine jars on his shoulder. The wine in the jars was golden-yellow and silvery-white. He took broken silver to buy wine and drank freely until sunset; then, using an iron knife, he dug up soil and mixed the leftover wine and his saliva with the earth to make ink. When this ink was thrown onto the table, it rang with a clang, and a strange fragrance filled the room all day without dispersing. While Hu Gong lay drunk, the guest quietly departed, and the iron knife he left behind unexpectedly turned to gold; people vied with one another to buy it. Hu Gong ground this ink with wine and took it, and his chronic illness of many years was immediately cured. At seventy, his face was still like a youth’s, and his capacity for wine had not diminished.

In fact, the two characters “Great Song” covertly pointed to “Dong,” “two jars” covertly pointed to “Lü,” and “guest” meant “bin”: this was precisely a manifestation of Lü Dongbin. Because of this, Hu Gong saw through the red dust of worldly vanity, left a poem, and underwent feathered ascension (the Daoist term for attaining the Dao and rising to heaven). At the place where the ink had been mixed that year, five clear springs gushed forth and were called “Ink Immortal Spring.” Later, many officials inscribed poems and exchanged verses there, and one line mentioned “using green ink to exchange for the return of spring to a rosy complexion; white hair can turn black without the huangjing (a Daoist elixir herb).” Grand Commandant Cao Xun and the Perfected Man of Pure Emptiness, Huangfu Tan, recorded the matter and reported it to Emperor Gaozong of Song (the Palace of Virtuous Longevity was Gaozong’s residence).

Emperor Gaozong of Song was greatly astonished by this matter. The place where Master Hu (referring to Hu Huichao) originally resided was called the "Hall of Encountering Immortals," later rebuilt as the "Tower of Bestowing Ink," a structure of tiered magnificence wreathed in auspicious Qi (vital energy). Nearby stood an ancient well, its waters pure and crystalline, emerald-clear through all four seasons. Mount Lu is truly a place brimming with wondrous tales, and so I record these events to fill gaps in the annals of immortal lore.

Regarding the records of the local deity shrines: The Chen lineage traces its origins deep into antiquity, flowing unbroken like a spring. Chen Ping, Marquis of Quyi in the Han dynasty, aided Liu Bang and ultimately became chancellor. From then on, the Chen family flourished generation after generation, with descendants achieving prominence—some enfeoffed as marquises during their lifetimes, others honored with temples after death, each era producing outstanding figures.

Among the Chen clansmen who migrated early from Yingyang to the Min-Yue region was the Marquise of Meichuan (surname Chen, Jin dynasty period) of ancient Wuzhu Commandery. His ancestral shrine stood in the Plum Blossom Grove of South Mountain, where he donated land to establish the Immortal Spring Cavern Palace. Another was the Marquise of Putian (also surnamed Chen, Jin dynasty) of ancient Wurong Commandery, whose shrine at Hutian Post Station on Mount Hu similarly yielded land for the Clear Spring Cavern Palace. Others like the Marquise of Gaizhu in Fusha and the Marquise of Lingzhu in Linzhang all belonged to the Chen lineage. Countless sacred mountains and rivers bear altars to the Chen family's ancestral worship.

In the Tang dynasty, there was a recluse surnamed Chen (some say named Chen Boxuan) who secluded himself at Kang Mountain annotating the Records of the Grand Historian. Though summoned repeatedly by the court, he declined office, eventually receiving only the honorary title of Editorial Assistant. The Chen family served for generations as scholarly officials, dwelling before Sage Governance Peak. During the Kaiyuan era, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang lodged overnight at Zhaoyang Palace. At dawn in Lingguang Hall, he twice witnessed the manifestation of the Nine Heavens Imperial Investigator, receiving divine decrees face-to-face to construct a temple at the northwest corner of Mount Lu. Jiangzhou Governor Dugu Zheng was appointed overseer, with five adepts including Meng Xianzhen selected to maintain the incense offerings.

Before the imperial edict arrived, none knew of these events. Suddenly one day, an immortal robed in celestial radiance visited the Chen household, declaring: "The Primordial Sovereign (referring to Laozi) has dispatched the Cangshui Envoy of Yuanyi bearing the regalia of nine banners and five numinous emblems to inspect the records of life, death, and destiny across the Nine Heavens and Nine Earths. The Son of Heaven has personally petitioned the envoy to establish the Nine Heavens Censorate at Mount Lu, which after five centuries shall shower blessings upon the people. I observe that your dwelling between jeweled ravines where moonlight sinks and jade abysses mirror heaven is truly a geomantic treasure. You should donate this land for the temple. In your future rebirth, you shall become an official of this censorate, governing this mountain."

This passage recounts the connection between Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace and the Chen family lineage:

Originally, a recluse surnamed Chen (a Daoist practitioner living in seclusion) pledged to build a temple for the Perfected Lord. Just as the Daoist priest stepped out, he encountered thunder, lightning and fierce winds, prompting the relocation of the temple site to the palace's left side. After completion, the recluse Chen achieved feathered transformation (the Daoist term for attaining immortality), becoming the local guardian deity. Later, the Chen family moved to Changle Village in De'an County, then branched to their Ding Mountain estate. Twice honored by imperial decree as the "Righteous Family", they converted their old residence beside the palace into a site for incense offerings.

The Chen descendants flourished with remarkable talents: some achieved success in imperial examinations, others entered the Hanlin Academy, while some chose reclusive lives by fishing streams. Among them, Chen Zhuo (a distant descendant) spearheaded the palace's renovation—procecting nanmu timber, crafting ten divine statues, constructing six shrine halls, and building double gate corridors. The renewed palace gleamed magnificently: wind chimes tinkled from upturned eaves, perpetual lamps glowed in niches, floral-patterned tiles adorned floors, and incense spiraled from burners in majestic splendor.

The text credits former palace supervisor Du Daoshu's inspiration for this achievement. It then cites historical precedents of virtuous land donors: Master Jin of Xiaoyao Mountain yielding land for Xu Jingyang (founder of Jingming Daoism), Master Sun of Tongbo Mountain for Ge Taiji (likely referring to Ge Xuan), plus two Chen recluses in Fujian. The author compares Recluse Chen of Kang Mountain to these figures—though deceased, his spirit endures.

Finally, it examines the nature of "divinity": quoting the Book of Changes describing spirits as vast and unfathomable, and the Yinfu Jing stating true divinity manifests without deliberate supernatural display. The text suggests that had Recluse Chen comprehended divinity's essence, he might have reached the realm of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Daoism's supreme deity), dwelling harmoniously with the Interviewing Perfected Lord (Xu Xun) rather than merely receiving mortal sacrifices.

[Notes: "Riding the giant turtle" and "entering the immortal isles" metaphorically describe passing imperial exams; "holding orchids" signifies holding important office; "entering the Hanlin" refers to joining the Imperial Academy.]

This passage recounts the historical origins of Taiping Xingguo Temple on Mount Lu and the reconstruction of the Earth Deity Shrine dedicated to Lord Chen.

The story begins with a reclusive sage named Lord Chen. While residing at the foot of Mount Lu, he received a visit from a Daoist priest who subtly suggested he should relocate. Remarkably, that very night a violent thunderstorm erupted, yet his house remained completely unharmed. By the next day, his entire household had miraculously moved to the southern area. Over time, this site evolved from a simple shrine into a proper Daoist temple, eventually becoming the grand Taiping Xingguo Temple. Lord Chen's virtuous act of donating his property for public worship brought blessings that continued to benefit local communities for five centuries.

The text mentions the "Investigating Perfected Lord" (Caifang Zhenjun), a Daoist deity responsible for examining human virtue and vice, who chose Mount Lu as his sacred abode. The "Earth Deity Lord Chen" refers to the original benefactor who donated his residence to establish the temple, with his story being particularly extraordinary.

During wartime turmoil, both the temple and Earth Deity Shrine were destroyed. Reconstruction finally occurred in the Dingchou year (exact date unspecified), led by Daoist masters Zhou Deyi and Zhou Chengyuan. The author notes that while Lord Chen's family lineage can no longer be traced, ancient stone inscriptions preserve records by temple administrator Lü Zhixin, verifying the historical authenticity of these events.

Through recounting Lord Chen's miraculous temple-founding story and its subsequent reconstruction, the text celebrates the enduring sacred history of Daoist temples while demonstrating how spiritual devotion transcends the vicissitudes of time.

This records the Yuan Dynasty reconstruction of the Land Deity Shrine at Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Temple, documenting how local villagers and Daoist priests jointly rebuilt the sacred site.

On the Lantern Festival in the 14th year of the Zhiyuan era (1277), the mountain dweller Chen Youzong of Shijian composed this account, while the recluse Wu Meng inscribed the stele heading. The reconstruction began on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month in the 13th year of Zhiyuan (1276), led by the abbot Zhou Deyi and his fellow Daoists, who rebuilt the shrine dedicated to the Land Deity (a local guardian spirit). They prayed to Lord Chen, the Responsive and Majestic King—a protective deity of Mount Lu since the Tang Dynasty, who had manifested divine signs promising blessings if a temple were erected there.

The text recounts the shrine's history: first established in the Tang Dynasty, it flourished for over five centuries until the Jianyan period (1127–1130) of the Southern Song, when war ravaged it, though it was soon restored. Then, in the Yihai year (1275) of the Yuan Dynasty, fire reduced the temple to ashes, leaving its storerooms empty and the resident priests in hardship. Yet through the donations of devotees, reconstruction began on the original site, culminating in a consecration ceremony on the 6th day of the 7th lunar month in the 16th year of Zhiyuan (1279).

Key Daoists involved included Zhou Deyi (titled "Master of Penetrating Mystery and Returning to Truth," then serving as Jiangzhou Circuit's Daoist Superintendent), Zhou Chengyuan, and Wu Yonghuai. Their efforts aimed to beseech the deity's continued protection—ensuring favorable weather, thriving temple incense, and peace for the people.

Note: Here, "Land Deity" refers to a localized guardian spirit in Daoist tradition; "Superintendent" (tidian) was a Yuan-era administrative role overseeing temples; "Chief Inspector" (dujian) denoted a senior temple officer.

This passage documents the historical evolution and ritual activities of Taiping Xingguo Palace on Mount Lu, consisting mainly of two parts:

The first part describes the sacrificial ceremony conducted by the Taoist priests of Taiping Xingguo Palace to honor "His Eminence Lord Chen, the Responsive Great King of the Benevolent Mansion and Earthly Birth" (a locally venerated deity). The priests reported to the deity that after five years of reconstruction, the palace now boasts magnificent halls, resplendent murals, and smooth pathways, surpassing its former scale. Selecting an auspicious date and hour, they prepared complete offerings of incense, candles, fine tea, livestock sacrifices, and fine wine to conduct the ritual with utmost devotion. They prayed for the deity's blessings to ensure the temple's flourishing incense offerings, the priests' safety and health, the elimination of disasters and epidemics, and the abundance of storehouses. This represents a typical Taoist temple's regular sacrificial ceremony, where communication with the divine is established through offerings to seek protection.

The second part recounts the origins of the traveling palace of the "True Lord of the Nine Heavens Who Inspects Mortals" (a high-ranking Taoist deity). The author expounds on the natural laws governing the movement of the Dao (the Way), noting that ancient sage-kings like the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun all governed by following the Dao's principles. During the Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, the True Lord manifested his divine presence at the foot of Shengzhi Peak on Mount Lu, selecting the former residence of the Chen family as the site of his epiphany. Later, a traveling palace was established west of Xunyang (present-day Jiujiang), including the Western Slope administrative office and Wanshou Temple among its structures. This section emphasizes the Taoist concept of "the unity of heaven and humanity," asserting that the establishment of earthly temples must also accord with the celestial order.

This passage recounts the story of establishing a branch temple of the Taiping Xingguo Palace in Rangxi (modern Jiujiang area, Jiangxi province) during the Song dynasty. The existing Daoist temples mentioned—Shenglong Guan (Ascending Dragon Temple) and Ziyang Guan (Purple Sun Temple)—were deemed insufficient by the author. They emphasized that the shrine of the "Chafang Zhenjun" (Investigating True Lord, a Daoist deity overseeing human morality) served as a crucial celestial outpost for monitoring worldly conduct, necessitating widespread establishment to distinguish good from evil.

The construction of such shrines held three significant purposes: first, to remind local officials of their duty to nurture the people; second, to ensure those tasked with moral education never neglected their responsibility to pacify and guide; and third, to inspire subjects to fulfill loyalty and filial piety, thereby honoring the grace of heaven and earth. Failure in these duties would invite the deities' omniscient scrutiny, as retribution for good and evil was infallible.

At the time, Shuangzhong County (modern Hukou County) lay a hundred li from the imperial seat, and its branch shrine was modest in scale. Zhou Shu (courtesy name Gongshu), a scion of the prominent Zhou clan who had fallen into poverty after wartime upheavals, reflected on his family's legacy. He observed that common households often fretted over unworthy descendants or broken lineage, but as an impoverished elder, hastily appointing a young heir would only dishonor the wealth accumulated by ancestors.

Thus, Zhou Shu resolved to act from his heart—to do something worthy of heaven, earth, and the spirits, in alignment with ancestral will. Noting the absence of a xingci (itinerant shrine) for the Investigating True Lord locally, he planned its expansion, ensuring perpetual family sacrifices through the deity's enduring incense. Collaborating with Zhou Deyi and Zhou Chengyuan, administrators of Taiping Xingguo Palace on Mount Lu, he donated several qing of land (including manors and ancestral graves) to establish the Investigating True Lord's Itinerant Hall at Cuilu Manor. Adjacent structures included the feitian falun (Flying Celestial Dharma Wheel, a Daoist ritual instrument) and other sacred icons, enabling veneration for the Zhou ancestors as well.

This passage documents the construction process and significance of the ancestral hall at Taiping Xingguo Palace during the Yuan Dynasty. The main contents are as follows:

The hall was situated east of the palace complex, with the government annually appointing virtuous Daoist priests to oversee its rituals. The construction served multiple purposes: first, to pray for the longevity of the nation under sagely rulers; second, to invoke blessings upon worthy officials (the divine titles "Responding to Primordial [Yingyuan] to Safeguard Fortune" and "Divine Transformation Manifesting Harmony [Shenhua Zhaoshun]" serve as evidence of celestial favor); third, to enable ancestors to hear the Daoist teachings and attain liberation from worldly bonds; and fourth, to ensure bountiful harvests for local communities (the prophecy that "after five hundred years, blessings will reach all living beings" refers specifically to this).

The builder, a certain Mr. Zhou (referred to as "Gongshu" in the text), lived to seventy-five years of age and instructed that this undertaking be recorded before his passing. Though not personally acquainted with Zhou, the author Chen Youzong, having learned the full account, composed this memorial. He particularly emphasizes Zhou's repeated insistence in his testament on the importance of ancestral worship and tomb guardianship, entrusting this duty to renunciants (fangwai zhi shi, "those beyond worldly affairs"). The appointed caretakers bore grave responsibility—this was not merely a promise to Zhou, but a vow before the deities.

The text concludes with management requirements: only prudent and trustworthy individuals must be selected to maintain the Zhou family shrine according to monastic regulations (the zhushan jiayi system of mountain-dwelling Daoist succession), ensuring perpetual incense offerings. Dated Qingming Festival 1280, the record was composed and calligraphed by Recluse of Stone Gully Chen Youzong, with the stele inscription provided by Yang Renfeng, Regional Administrator of Jiangzhou Circuit.

Notable terms: "Those beyond worldly affairs" (fangwai zhi shi) denotes Daoist practitioners; the "zhushan jiayi system" refers to Daoist monastic inheritance rules; the honorific titles "Yingyuan Baoyun" and "Shenhua Zhaoshun" represent formal Daoist divine appellations. The hall's construction served both worldly blessings and ancestral salvation, embodying the Daoist religious function of "illuminating and overseeing both visible and invisible realms" (xian you linjian)—mediating between yin and yang dimensions.

Xunyang (modern Jiujiang in Jiangxi) was a strategic town in the south, with Mount Lu as its renowned sacred peak. This mountain's prestige was unparalleled—legend tells of Great Yu ascending its slopes to carve stone records during his flood control efforts, while emperors Qin Shi Huang and Wu of Han left commemorative steles on its summit, all meticulously documented in historical annals unlike any other mountain.

While countless Daoist temples and Buddhist monasteries dotted its slopes, none rivaled the fame of Taiping Xingguo Palace—the site where the True Lord of Nine Heavens' Investigation (a supreme Daoist deity) manifested divine traces. Its prominence began during Emperor Xuanzong's Kaiyuan era in the Tang dynasty when the emperor, after receiving a miraculous dream, commissioned the divine painter Wu Daozi to depict the deity's image and dispatched Dugu Zheng to construct a shrine. Most wondrously, the construction timbers appeared spontaneously in exact quantities needed, leaving all in awe of its numinous efficacy.

Through dynastic changes from Tang to present, as the mountain forests transformed, this temple complex evolved from a modest prefectural shrine to an abbey, then to a grand palace. Though its fortunes waxed and waned, the True Lord's manifestations remained constant. Imperial veneration intensified while popular devotion grew unmatched by any other deity. By the Yihai year when the realm unified, Jiujiang remained unscathed by warfare, its people thriving—though the temple's remote location posed administrative challenges.

When Abbot Zhou Deyi and his deputy Zhou Chengyuan found the palace dilapidated with fields lying fallow, restoration seemed impossible without funds. Fortunately, Minister Lü Gong, then stationed in Jiujiang, immediately provided grain and plow oxes upon hearing their plight, enabling the Daoists to reorganize operations. Within two years, rental income revived as ruined halls and corridors were restored. Elder Zhou, a local benefactor, donated his entire fortune for incense offerings, while lands previously seized by local bullies were returned to the temple.

Thus the temple regained financial stability, its Daoist community swelling as bell and chime resonances daily pierced the clouds. Imperial envoys came bearing incense, and passersby bowed reverently. This renaissance of architecture and worship—thanks to both Zhou abbots' devotion and Minister Lü's initial support—recalled how Daoist Master Zhou Fuxian (styled Daoyuan) had rebuilt the temple after its destruction during the Jianyan era. That these current abbots descended from Master Zhou's lineage suggests their family's profound karmic bond with this sacred mountain.

This stele inscription documents the reconstruction process of the Taiping Xingguo Palace (a Daoist temple) during the Yuan Dynasty. The authors Nian Rong (Education Commissioner of Zhuoxi Academy in Jiangnan) and Li Bingyi (Chief Administrator of Changde Circuit) jointly recorded the project's details.

The text begins by lamenting how many sacred Daoist sites across the land were damaged by warfare, including famous mountains like Qianshan and Qingcheng that manifested divine presence alongside the Interviewing True Lord (a Daoist deity). The author mentions that his prayers had been answered consistently for nine years, leading to his annual pilgrimages to Taiping Palace, which prompted his commission to document the reconstruction.

Regarding the True Lord Hall's rebuilding: the project was initially overseen by Longxing (possibly a Daoist priest or official), but after his illness forced him to return home, conflicting accounts emerged about construction details. These were verified anew and recorded in vermilion ink before being carved in stone. Notably, temple lands expanded from an initial 3,000 mu to over 10,000 mu, primarily through the efforts of Master Tang (the temple abbot, titled Chongjing Zhenchang Ningmiao Fashi) and the Jiangzhou Circuit Daoist community.

Funds were raised through three methods: land acquisition, donations, and organized labor. The author particularly praises Master Tang's hands-on dedication. Detailed landholdings are listed: Shimen Estate (1,280 mu), Qishi Estate (280 mu), Jinxi Estate (750 mu), etc., mainly located in Xingguo, Dazhi, and Dehua regions. The largest donation came from Cuilu Estate, totaling 2,200 mu.

Dated to the eighth month of the 18th Zhiyuan year (1281 CE), the inscription concludes with the official titles and names of those who erected the stele. Beyond being a factual construction record, this text reveals the economic foundations and land management practices of Yuan Dynasty Daoist temples.

This passage documents the land development efforts around Taiping Xingguo Temple (a Daoist temple complex) on Mount Lu. The Daoist priests overseeing the management organized labor to reclaim wasteland, cultivate cash crops, and develop the temple's economic foundation.

Their main initiatives included establishing four tea-grinding mills in Dehua County, founding forty-two farming estates, reclaiming two thousand mu of farmland, and constructing five hermitages—three in front of the temple (Eastern Taiping, Western Taiping, and Ziyuan) and two behind it (Yongcui and Gufeng). These areas were originally overgrown with wild shrubs and grasses, but through recruiting local people for reclamation, they planted economically valuable trees like pines, firs, cypresses, and tea bushes.

The cultivation methods were meticulous: seeds were first nurtured in nurseries before transplanting, while crops like ginger, taro, and yams were also cultivated. Paddy fields were developed where water sources permitted. The profits from these ventures weren't kept by the temple itself, but rather used to incentivize more people to participate in land reclamation.

During field observations, the author noted that the earliest reclaimed areas dated back five years, while newly cleared plots were just one year old. Though weeds weren't fully eradicated, the young trees already stood as tall as a person, and bamboo shoots sprouted anew from roots after their tops were harvested. Soil quality was improved by transporting fertile earth from elsewhere, effectively multiplying the cultivation scale several times over.

Standing on high ground, the supervising priest pointed to the surrounding woodlands and remarked: "These too were barren hills originally—the timber we use now was planted by our predecessors. If Heaven grants me years enough, I'll continue reclaiming more wasteland so that a century hence, these trees will grow thick enough to embrace, serving future generations for temple construction."

The author reflects: This embodies the ancient wisdom of "claiming what others discard"—grasping the root of prosperity. With such dedication, what undertaking could fail? What achievement lie beyond reach? No wonder it inspires people to contribute generously, each fearing they haven't given enough.

This passage recounts the governance wisdom of Perfected Lord Zhen (Deren, styled Jiyu, alias Xiangjian), the administrator of Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace (a Daoist temple), and his management team.

The Perfected Lord treated local farmers with exceptional benevolence. Though the peasants relied on temple fields for their livelihood, even a mere foot of cloth or a peck of rice from him would earn their gratitude. Yet he freely granted them vast tracts of fertile land worth fortunes without demanding anything in return—such generosity could only stem from deep popular support.

The temple's administration was meticulously ordered: priests never entered farmers' homes without cause; woodcutters required permits to gather firewood from the mountains; patrols with staffs monitored the forests, fining illegal loggers; all income and expenses were meticulously recorded; even rice bran from milling was repurposed without waste. The main kitchen cooked ten hu of rice daily, feeding a thousand people, with all priests required to dine communally in proper ritual robes to maintain solemnity.

Notably, subsidiary cloisters had no independent kitchens—only tea-boiling and washing facilities. Child servants living in hermitages miles away received meals delivered daily from the main temple. These branch temples also housed no divine images, requiring all morning and evening rites to be performed at the central sanctuary. When asked why, the Perfected Lord explained: "If branch temples grow powerful, the main temple weakens. The richer the branches, the poorer the core, until the center must beg from its satellites. One request may pass, but repeated demands breed forced smiles from the meek and curses from the strong, fracturing unity. Better to share hardship and plenty alike under centralized provision—this sustains harmony."

The author marveled: What other Daoist school could strategize so profoundly? Though white-haired, the Perfected Lord possessed the vigor of a bear or leopard—reserved, shrewd, sparing with words yet true to them, dignified yet kind. He commanded flawless discipline from hundreds of priests, young and old. The writer mused that had he not pursued the Dao, such a man would have made a general commanding armies across continents; it seemed a pity to find him merely a priest in Jiujiang.

Finally, the text records the Perfected Lord's name, Deren, alongside forty-nine inner and outer stewards who jointly managed the temple.

(Note: hu ≈ 50 liters; measurements approximated for readability while preserving context.)

This passage documents the historical stone inscriptions at Taiping Xingguo Palace (a Daoist temple) on Mount Lu. It describes the characteristics of ancient steles from the Han dynasty, such as those of Fei Feng and Han Ren, noting that these stone tablets were often not fully inscribed—some bearing only one-third of the text, others half, with the remainder left blank. The author speculates that this may have been done to leave space for later generations to add inscriptions. Modern stele carvings have preserved this ancient tradition.

Specifically recorded is an inscription from the ninth year of the Dade era (Yuan dynasty, 1305 CE), composed on the winter solstice. The text was written and the stele's heading inscribed by Yao Sui, who held the titles of Zhongfeng Dafu (a high-ranking Yuan official position) and Canzhengshi (senior regional administrator) of Jiangxi and other regions under the Branch Secretariat. This account is drawn from the sixth volume of The Recorded Deeds of the Interviewing True Lord at Taiping Xingguo Palace on Mount Lu, a text documenting the miracles of the Daoist deity known as the "Interviewing True Lord" (Cai Fang Zhen Jun).

This passage recounts the miraculous experiences of two Daoist practitioners. The first is the story of Yang Taiming: originally a county magistrate of Chang'an renowned for his filial piety, he once served in Guo Ziyi's military staff. With a placid disposition, Yang often advised Guo to exercise leniency in military campaigns, earning him the affection of officers and soldiers alike. In the first year of the Yongtai era (765 CE), he resigned from office and built a hermitage on Mount Lu to cultivate the Dao. There he practiced grain avoidance (bigu) by preparing "green essence rice" (a Daoist longevity food), burning cypress incense while praying to the True Lord of the Nine Heavens' Messengers (a high Daoist deity) for the method of immortality. After fourteen years of rigorous cultivation, on an autumn night, he beheld a golden-crowned deity in crimson robes appearing with attendants. The deity proclaimed himself an Emissary of the Nine Heavens, explaining that due to Yang's accumulated virtue (De) across lifetimes and his purified heart-mind, he was specially commanded by the Three Primordial Sovereigns of Jade Purity and Great Simplicity (high-ranking Daoist divinities) to bestow upon him the Scripture of the Great Perfected Dao of the Nine Heavens. After receiving this scripture (Jing), Yang devoted himself to cultivation for thirty-six years, ultimately ascending on auspicious clouds in the first month of 813 CE during Emperor Xianzong's Yuanhe era.

The second practitioner, Li Yunxiang, was a Tang dynasty recluse who believed achieving immortality required accumulating hidden virtue (yinde) and strictly observing precepts. Skilled in medicine, he prepared remedies without harming living creatures, using only minerals, metals, herbs and plants. Considering ancient immortal formulas that sometimes required insects or fish as ingredients to be prohibitive, he later secluded himself on Mount Lu. Despite streams of visitors seeking his medical expertise, he never accepted compensation.

(Note: "Grain avoidance" (bigu) refers to the Daoist practice of regulating special diets to achieve a state beyond ordinary nourishment; "Emissaries of the Nine Heavens" are Daoist deities overseeing human morality; "Three Primordial Sovereigns of Jade Purity and Great Simplicity" is an honorific title for high-ranking transcendents within the Daoist Three Pure Ones [Sanqing] realm.)

This passage records the miraculous experiences of two Daoist practitioners.

First is the story of Xu Yunqing. He lived a simple life, free from greed for wealth or meat, residing near the temple of the Nine Heaven Messengers (important Daoist deities). Every morning, he would burn incense and pray: "I, Xu Yunqing, use medicine to relieve the suffering of the people, seeking no profit or gain. May I never waver in my devotion to the Dao through all my lifetimes." He lived in seclusion in the mountains for over sixty years, his face glowing with vitality and his eyes bright with spirit. People said this was the karmic reward for accumulating hidden virtue (Yin De).

One day, while gathering herbs in the mountains, he suddenly encountered a divine figure wearing a round crown and purple robes, who bowed to him and said: "I am the mountain god of this peak. The True King of the Nine Heaven Messengers has decreed that, due to your merit in relieving suffering, I am to transmit to you two secret scriptures inscribed in golden letters on jade tablets—the Great Clarity Nine Florescence Divine Elixir (Taiqing Jiuhua Shendan) and the Great Tenuity Celestial Sovereign's Steps of Heaven and Earth (Taiwei Tiandi Jun Feitian Gangbu Diji). From now on, you must retreat into seclusion for cultivation." Xu Yunqing asked whether he could meet the Nine Heaven Messengers, but the deity replied: "Your worldly impurities have not yet been cleansed—you are not yet ready." As soon as the teachings were transmitted, the divine figure vanished. Later, Xu Yunqing devoted himself to practice in an earthen cave on Shengzhi Peak and eventually achieved ascension in broad daylight on the first day of the eighth month in the second year of the Tongguang era (924 CE) of the Tang Dynasty.

Next is the story of Xiang Ziwen's encounter with Gong Qingchang. Xiang Ziwen, a native of Changsha, took office in Hengzhou during the second year of the Baoli era (826 CE) of the Tang Dynasty but was too impoverished to return home. He had a deep love for mountains and rivers, and one midsummer, while lodging at the Yue Temple, he met an extraordinary man dressed in dark robes. This man introduced himself as Gong Qingchang, originally from Luoyang, who in his youth had encountered Sima Yinyuan at the foot of Minggao Mountain. Yinyuan claimed to be a spiritual official from the Weiyu Grotto-Heaven (one of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens of Daoism), responsible for inspecting the merits and faults of the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Great Rivers, reporting them to the Nine Heaven Messengers' Bureau.

Yinyuan told Gong Qingchang: "In your past life, while holding an important post, you overturned unjust cases and saved the innocent, bringing unseen benefits to the people. Later, during Zhu Ci's rebellion, you died upholding moral integrity—your loyalty and righteousness moved Heaven and Earth, hence your rebirth in this life. The Nine Heaven Messengers recorded your virtue and commanded me to awaken you." This extraordinary encounter kindled in Xiang Ziwen a deep fascination with Daoist cultivation.

This text records the deeds of several perfected beings (zhenjun, Daoist honorific for realized adepts) from Taipingxingguo Temple on Mount Lu. The first section recounts Ziweng's encounter with the immortal Qingchang: Qingchang transmitted to Ziweng the cultivation method of "Stone Essence Golden Light Concealed Appearance Spirit Sword" and the practice of "Silent Audience with the Central Yellow Supreme Unity," enabling his transcendence from worldly affairs. Later, while observing demonic qi in the southern mountains from Zixiao Peak, Qingchang passed by the mountain temple where Ziweng respectfully welcomed him. Qingchang had his attendant play celestial melodies like "Golden Whale Leaping Through Seas" and "Raindrops on Autumn Lotuses" on the qin, their ethereal resonance surpassing mundane music. At parting when Ziweng requested to accompany him, Qingchang prophesied eighteen more years of official service before their promised reunion at Zhongtiao Mountain, admonishing that Daoist cultivation must prioritize accumulating virtue (De) through good deeds, while breath regulation and elixir ingestion remain secondary.

The second section documents the extraordinary case of Imperial Reminder Xu (Tang dynasty official title) funding repairs to Mount Lu's Messenger Temple: While serving as Jiangxi's military commissioner, he personally donated thirty thousand strings of cash for temple renovations. During construction, an assigned official suddenly stripped and ran madly halfway through the journey, later found dead by a mountain stream. Subsequent audits revealed this official had embezzled over half the funds—likely suffering divine retribution.

The third section briefly describes Liu Deben's legacy: This Ezhou native (courtesy name Xiaoshu), though profoundly erudite, declined official posts. While details are sparse, the title indicates his renown for donating wealth to relieve famine. Collectively, these narratives embody core Daoist principles that "cultivation fundamentally requires virtue accumulation" and the religious tenet of "cosmic retribution for good and evil."

In the tenth month of the sixth year of the Qianfu era (879 CE) during the Tang Dynasty, when Huang Chao's rebel forces captured Ezhou and unrest spread along the Yangtze River, merchant Lai Chuanjia, fearing he could not return home, distributed ten thousand dan of grain to starving refugees and took refuge on Mount Lu. One day, a disheveled, barefoot Daoist clad in deerskin suddenly visited him. The Daoist refused to give his name, and the two traveled together through the mountains for over a year.

One day, while admiring the scenery at the foot of the Five Elders Peak, they lost track of time. The Daoist abruptly pulled Lai into a deep ravine, where they saw an old man leaning on a staff standing before a stone gate. Lai bowed respectfully and explained his purpose for coming. The old man said cheerfully, "Come with me to the rear courtyard." After walking four or five li, they arrived before a vermilion gate with golden characters inscribed on its lintel: "Gate of Purple Origin and Radiant Splendor" (a portal to a Daoist celestial realm). Inside, layered towers and interlinked palaces stretched before them, guarded with stern vigilance. Lai, terrified, dared not raise his head. The old man explained, "This is the Grotto-Heaven of Chanting Truth (one of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens in Daoism), where the True King of the Nine Heavens' Messengers (a revered Daoist deity) oversees the mortal world. You dispersed your wealth to aid the suffering—a commendable act of virtue. Thus, you are granted entry to this divine abode, and your name shall be recorded in the Immortal Register of the Nine Heavens (a Daoist roster of transcendents), granting you longevity."

When Lai pressed for details about the True King of the Nine Heavens' Messengers, the old man replied, "Your ancestors for four generations bore heavy karmic obstructions, and your bone structure remains impure. It is not yet time for you to know. You must strictly uphold precepts, purify your heart, and persist in accumulating virtue through good deeds. The True King perceives all—in time, he will deliver you." With that, he escorted Lai out of the gate, and in the blink of an eye, Lai found himself back where he had started. When Lai asked his Daoist companion about the encounter, the man replied, "That old immortal is a Lingguan (spiritual official) of the Grotto-Heaven, a subordinate of the True King of the Nine Heavens' Messengers. Since you have personally received divine instruction at the celestial palace, we must now part ways." With a cupped-hand salute, he departed.

Another account records that around the early Tianyou era (904 CE) of the Tang Dynasty, the military governor of Jiangxi, Prince Nanping Zhong, dispatched Daoist priest Shen Taixu to perform a Zhaijiao (Daoist purification ritual) at the Temple of the Nine Heavens' Messengers. After the ritual, Shen fell into a trance and dreamed of someone bowing before the deity's statue, saying, "I am Zhang Huaiwu. In life, as a military commander, I accumulated hidden virtue (unseen good deeds) and was appointed a Lingguan by the Nine Heavens' Messengers." Upon waking, Shen investigated and confirmed that Zhang Huaiwu was indeed a famed late-Tang general, beloved for secretly aiding the common people.

This passage recounts two stories about accumulating virtue (De) through good deeds. The first tells of the moving deeds of Zhang Huaiwu, deputy general of Caizhou (present-day Runan, Henan). During the great famine of the Jia Chen year, hearing that only Yuzhang (modern Nanchang) had grain supplies, he led his troops there to seek survival. When conflict arose between two military units along the journey, threatening to erupt into battle, Zhang Huaiwu drew his sword and declared to the crowd: "We fled here solely to preserve our lives—why kill each other over trivial matters? If the strong injure the weak, what meaning remains in our escape?" With these words, he took his own life. The mourners reconciled through their shared grief and eventually reached Yuzhang safely.

The second story describes the benevolent acts of Wang Lin, a native of Jingzhao (modern Xi'an) who served as county captain of Yaoshan in Xingzhou during the second year of the Da Shun era (Tang Dynasty). Amid frequent warfare, he used his own funds to purchase coffins for burying innocent casualties. When his colleague Gao Yingcheng passed away, he also financed the elderly mother's return to her hometown. Every time Wang Lin passed by the Jinling (modern Nanjing) riverside, he would buy fish and turtles to release. One day, when fishermen caught an exceptionally rare large fish with crimson scales and golden eyes, he immediately purchased and returned it to the river. That night, he dreamed of a magnificently attired warrior who told him: "Your virtuous deeds of releasing life and burying the dead have been recorded by the Nine Heaven Messengers (Tianshi, Celestial Masters in Daoism who document human morality) and you shall receive longevity." The warrior explained these messengers were deities dispatched by the Heavenly Emperor to inspect human morality from Mount Lu. Startled upon waking, Wang Lin indeed lived past one hundred years.

This passage records several miraculous accounts associated with Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Palace, a Daoist temple dedicated to the Nine Heavens Investigative True Lord (Jiutian Caifang Zhenjun).

There was the Wang family of longevity, where three successive generations lived to eighty or ninety years of age. The then-Chancellor Xue Juzheng even composed a poem praising them, with the line "The crimson fish heralds blessings flowing through three generations." The family inscribed their story on a stone stele to preserve it.

In the first year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1008), a butcher followed sightseers into the temple during spring when suddenly, as if seized by an invisible force, he was flung into the courtyard. Fleeing in panic, he hid in an empty house, collapsed to the ground, and began bellowing like an ox. Days later, he died suddenly, his eyes bulging. From then on, those who ate beef dared not enter this temple.

At the foot of Mount Lu, a filial oil merchant was struck dead by lightning. His mother wept daily at the shrine until she dreamed of a red-robed deity who revealed: her son had adulterated his oil with fish oil, and the temple’s purification rituals (Zhaijiao) had unwittingly used this foul, impure oil, defiling the sacred rites—hence the lightning strike.

He Jixu of Huangzhou (courtesy name Daofu) resigned from office in the second year of Tianxi (1018) due to blindness. A Mount Lu Daoist advised him to sincerely pray to the Nine Heavens Messenger (Jiutian Shizhe) for restored sight. He sent his son to the temple to perform a Daoist ritual (Jiao), invited a sacred image home for veneration, maintained a vegetarian diet, and washed his eyes daily with consecrated water. Two years later, one eye regained blurred vision. After another ritual to fulfill his vow, both eyes fully recovered within months. Devoting himself to Daoist practice thereafter, he lived to 97 and wrote texts like Pilgrimage and Vows (Chaozhen Fayuan Wen) documenting the miracle.

Zhang Xinli of Heyang (courtesy name Chengzhi), en route to his official post in the second year of Tiansheng (1024), held a ritual at Mount Lu’s Taiping Temple and reverently enshrined an image of the Nine Heavens Messenger. Later, amid stormy waves, his earnest prayers ensured his safe deliverance.

When returning to the capital after completing his official term, he passed by Xiaogu Mountain by boat and suddenly encountered fierce winds and towering waves that nearly capsized the vessel. The entire family wept in terror, burning incense and candles to pray to the deities. At that moment, a powerful gust tore through the cabin and swept away the enshrined divine statue. Shortly after, the wind ceased and the rain stopped—only to reveal the statue miraculously intact, hanging from the mast. Everyone aboard gazed skyward in awe. (From Jianghu Lu)

Hu Yuanbi abstained from killing after a dream and was rewarded with a son. In the first year of the Jingyou era (1034), Hu Yuanbi served as the liquor official of Jiangzhou. His parents were both seventy-seven years old, and he himself was frail and sickly, having lost multiple children in infancy—even adopted sons died young. The entire household maintained a vegetarian diet and held a zhaijiao (Daoist purification ritual) at a temple to pray for blessings. That night, while lodging at the Daoist abbey, he dreamed of a child in embroidered robes who said, "You have recklessly taken lives to indulge your appetite, hence your lineage is severed. If you abstain from killing, you will surely receive good fortune." Awakening in shame, Hu Yuanbi conducted another ritual to repent and swore off killing from then on. A year later, he was indeed granted a son, who grew up healthy. (From Mingjie Lu)

Ma Zijian faced retribution for his tyrannical governance. A native of the capital, Ma Zijian was returning home in the first year of the Zhiping era (1064) after leaving his post as registrar of Hongzhou. During the journey, his father Ma Cuncheng fell gravely ill and was near death by the time they reached West Forest Temple on Mount Lu. Before the doctor summoned from Jiangzhou could arrive, the family heard of the miraculous efficacy of the Nine Heavens Envoy (a Daoist deity) at Taiping Abbey. Ma Zijian went to perform a zhaijiao prayer, but just as he was about to ascend the altar, he suddenly suffered a stroke and collapsed, unable to complete the rite. Meanwhile, his father, delirious with fever, cried out as if witnessing something: "Zijian acted with impunity in office, beating many to death—now the wronged souls have come to demand justice." Days later, Ma Cuncheng recovered through sweating, but Ma Zijian, consumed by fear and guilt, fell ill and died soon after reaching the capital. (From Mingjie Lu)

The filial son Wen Biao cut out his liver to save his father. Wen Biao, styled Zhongbing, was a diligent and exceptionally filial farm boy from Dehua County, Jiangzhou. At sixteen, while studying at the county school in the seventh year of the Yuanfeng era (1084), his father fell mortally ill. After praying at the Divine Interview Hall (a shrine to deities), Wen Biao returned home, sliced open his abdomen, and extracted his liver to make twenty-four medicinal pellets, which he mixed with other herbs for his father to ingest. The father recovered immediately. When local authorities sought to report his deed for imperial recognition, Wen Biao tearfully declined: "This is merely a child's duty—unworthy of praise." From then on, people held him in even higher esteem. His father lived another twenty-four years before passing away—exactly matching the number of pellets.

During the liver extraction procedure, Gao Biao accidentally cut open his right rib, when suddenly a voice from the heavens declared, "It’s on the left." Hastily repositioning his internal organs, he reopened his left side to locate the liver, but the profuse blood loss plunged him into unconsciousness. In his delirium, he saw a Daoist priest feeding him the flesh of a celestial bird (a mythical spiritual creature), which revived him. Later, when Gao Biao journeyed to the capital again, he died en route, and his family built a shrine for him beside a Daoist temple. Cai Houxi Song composed a poem in his honor: "When he cut open his liver to save his father, he stirred the celestial deities; the blood on his blade had not yet dried before his father was healed by the miraculous pill. Such profound filial piety moved Heaven itself—his noble reputation surpassed high office, and his pure soul surely now rides a phoenix to the immortal isle of Penglai."

In the fifth year of the Qiandao era, Gao Biao’s nephew, Gao Jie, also sliced flesh from his thigh to cure his mother’s illness. At the time, Sima Zhibai wrote the Biographies of Filial Sons to commemorate both men.

The recluse Gao Yunjü of Qiantang devoted himself to Daoist cultivation with deep reverence, particularly devoted to reciting the Dadong Jing (a major Daoist scripture), while strictly adhering to precepts in daily life. One day, an ornate carriage descended from the clouds, revealing an immortal clad in radiant robes and jade-like features. The immortal asked if he truly understood the scripture’s meaning. Humbly, Gao Yunjü admitted that though he often recited the thirty-nine noble chapters, its profound essence still eluded him. The immortal smiled and revealed himself as the Nine Heavens’ Investigator Envoy (a celestial being who monitors human virtue and vice), drawn by his unwavering diligence. He assured Gao that persistence would ultimately bring enlightenment, then ascended and vanished.

In the first year of the Jianyan era, Zhou Jü of Wuxian was returning home from the capital amid rampant banditry when he encountered an immortal wearing a starry crown and feathered robe. The immortal foretold his impending death by violence the next day but promised salvation if he recited the "Ten-Word Scripture." Kneeling, Zhou Jü begged for instruction, and the immortal transmitted the ten-character mantra: "Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun" (the Daoist Thunder Department’s sacred title). The next day, bandits chased him into a forest, but as he fervently chanted the mantra, a thunderclap—before he could finish—scattered the assailants.

This account records a miraculous event that occurred in Jiujiang (ancient Jiangzhou) during the Jianyan era (1127-1130) of the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, the bandit leader Zhang Yu led tens of thousands of rebels across the Huai River southward. After capturing Chizhou, they attacked Jiangzhou on the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The prefect Chen Yanwen (holder of the Longtuge Daizhi official title) personally donned armor to defend the city walls, vowing to protect it at all costs. After three days of relentless assault, the situation became desperate, and the entire populace knelt weeping toward Mount Lu, pleading for divine intervention. Suddenly, people witnessed banners and ceremonial canopies appearing in the clouds, with circular divine light illuminating the fields. Within the mist appeared the majestic form of a True Lord (Zhenjun) riding a lion (some say a dragon-horse), surrounded by celestial soldiers and generals. The entire city bore witness to this marvel, followed immediately by heavy snowfall that left the bandits unable to fight in the open, suffering heavy casualties.

Most remarkably, over a thousand rebel cavalrymen charged into the Taiping Xingguo Palace (a Daoist temple), attempting to set fires, yet even bamboo huts and paper curtains refused to ignite. These bandits seemed to behold something terrifying before the temple gates and fled in panic. After the rebels retreated, the prefect and citizens conducted continuous Zhaijiao (Daoist purification rituals) for over a month to express gratitude to the deities. From then on, every year on the seventh day of the fourth lunar month, Jiujiang residents held commemorative Jiao rituals.

In Chen Yanwen's thanksgiving memorial, he mentioned: "Since ancient times, Mount Lu has been guarded by the Jade Void Crimson Emperor (a Daoist deity), with the Golden Tower True King (referring to the temple's enshrined divinity) bestowing blessings here. When the bandits attacked by land and water, the people prayed at the temple, and indeed celestial soldiers manifested, auspicious snow fell, and ultimately the rebels' advance was thwarted." Thus, the annual Jiao ceremony on the seventh day of the fourth month was established to commemorate the deities' protection that spared Jiujiang's inhabitants from slaughter during the Jianyan period.

This account documents two verified stories of the Investigative True Lord (a Daoist deity responsible for monitoring human virtue and vice) of Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Temple manifesting his divine power to protect the people.

The first incident occurred in the third year of the Shaoxing era (1133 CE) of Southern Song. Wealthy timber merchant Zhou from Ruichang County invested one hundred thousand strings of cash to purchase premium fir logs, assembling them into a massive raft destined for Jiankang's markets. Before departure, his fellow townsman from Jiujiang sought divination at the Investigative True Lord's temple on Mount Lu, receiving the ominous warning: "Hesitation clouds your sight, wavering your resolve—ultimately you'll sink beneath the waters." Ignoring the portent, Zhou set sail, only for his raft to founder immediately upon reaching Penjiang Gate.

The second episode unfolded during the Kaixi era (1205-1207 CE). Rebel general Wu Xi proclaimed himself king in Sichuan, while his lieutenant Lu Xi occupied Kuimen Pass with troops. Local official Jiang Jie, fleeing the chaos, asked his spirit-medium attendant Zhao Tan to divine their fate. Through planchette writing (a form of spirit divination), the deity revealed: "Wu Xi's treasonous ingratitude has been reported to the Jade Emperor by the Nine Heavens Investigative Emissary—his clan shall perish within three months." True to the prophecy, Wu Xi was executed on the twenty-ninth day of the second lunar month. Fearing celestial retribution for disclosing heaven's will, Jiang kept this secret until seeing the imperial victory bulletin in Zhongzhou on the tenth day of the third month.

Both narratives demonstrate the Investigative True Lord's authority in overseeing human affairs and punishing wickedness. The first warns against disregarding divine warnings, while the second illustrates heaven's inevitable retribution for treason. Grateful locals conducted 120 thanksgiving Zhaijiao purification rituals—a Daoist liturgical practice—to express gratitude for divine protection, praying for war's end and regional peace.

This passage recounts two miraculous stories involving manifestations of the Investigative True Lord (Chafang Zhenjun), a Daoist deity enshrined at Taiping Xingguo Temple on Mount Lu.

The first story tells of Qian Fangping's extraordinary encounter. A native of Huaihai, during the Lantern Festival of 1244, he dozed off at noon and dreamed of a Daoist with a topknot who called himself "Lord Yingyuan." The Daoist took out a paper from his robe inscribed with the scripture "Chapter on the Nine Heavens' Life-Giving Operations," instructing Qian to memorize it. Five years later, when passing by Yipu in Jiangxi, Qian discovered that Taiping Temple on Mount Lu was the sacred site of the Investigative True Lord, realizing the Lord Yingyuan in his dream had been the deity himself. He specially visited the temple to offer incense and had the divinely bestowed scripture engraved above the main gate.

The second incident occurred in 1261 when Imperial Instructor Zhao Jiage fell suddenly ill during his official duties in Jiangxi. At night, he dreamed of an immortal clad in rosy clouds who transmitted a medicinal prescription called "Pinellia Decoction." The next day, he prepared the medicine accordingly and recovered swiftly. Later, when recruiting soldiers on official assignment, this prescription proved useful again.

Both stories exemplify the Daoist concept of "divine transmission" (shenshou), where deities manifest through dreams to impart scriptures or remedies. The mentioned Investigative True Lord serves as an important regional deity at Mount Lu responsible for examining human virtue and vice. These accounts demonstrate the tangible interaction between the divine and mortal realms in Daoist belief.

At Mount Lu's Taiping Xingguo Temple, a devotee experienced something extraordinary. After sixty consecutive days of burning incense and praying, he had a strange dream. Returning to the temple, he set up an altar and performed a Zhaijiao (Daoist blessing ritual). In the dream, a celestial being clad in immortal robes gave him a medicinal prescription for Pinellia Decoction. The next day, he prepared the medicine according to the prescription, and as soon as he drank it, he felt a cooling sensation throughout his body—his illness vanished completely. Overwhelmed, he reflected on how he, a mere mortal, could have moved the heavens to manifest divine intervention and save him. He had nearly lost his life in the ruthless struggles of officialdom, yet now he was granted a rebirth. He prayed to the Jade Emperor to witness his sincerity, hoping to remain close to the immortals forever, never ceasing his spiritual practice.

Another incident involved a resident of Jiangzhou named Madam Liu. On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the fifth year of the Jingding era, while joining the crowd in paying homage to the Interviewing True Lord (the chief deity of Mount Lu), something bizarre occurred. She had instructed her servant to burn paper money in front of the temple hall, but the caretaker, fearing damage to the floor tiles, hastily stopped them. Upon entering the hall, Madam Liu suddenly became frenzied and attempted to strike people. The lamps and candles in the hall dimmed instantly, as if a divine force had seized her, dragging her down and spinning her three times. She collapsed, her face covered in blood, unconscious. Only after the crowd pleaded for mercy from the True Lord did she regain consciousness. Yet, upon reaching the New Bridge, she fainted again, murmuring, "Why are the Six Ding Divine Generals (Daoist guardian deities) punishing me so severely?" She died a li away from her home. Later, her family revealed that Madam Liu had consumed forbidden food three days prior, incurring divine retribution. After this incident spread, pilgrims visiting the temple grew even more reverent toward the deities.