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The Four Heavenly Ministers (Chinese:四御;pinyin:Sì yù), also translated as theFour Sovereigns, are four of the highestsky deities ofDaoism and subordinate only to theThree Pure Ones (Chinese:三清;pinyin:Sān qīng). They assist theThree Pure Ones in administering all phenomenon of the universe.[1][2][full citation needed]
The Four Heavenly Ministers are:[3][full citation needed]
TheGreat Jade Emperor is the head of allsky deities and presides over the heaven. TheGreat Emperor of the North Star assists theJade Emperor in managing the sun, the moon, stars, and the climate of the four seasons. TheGreat Emperor of theCurved Array [zh]/Little Dipper oversees all matters in heaven, earth, and the human world. TheEmpress of the Earth is in charge of fertility, land, rivers, and mountains.[4] The four heavenly ministers are often worshiped inDaoist temples.
In some later Daoist accounts, this group is extended to six. TheSix Heavenly Ministers (Chinese:六御;pinyin:liù yù) include, in addition to the prior four:[5][6]
Other accounts instead add:
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